South Africa: Professionalising the public service Public Service and Administration Minister Senzo Mchunu has appointed a task team to assist government through the National School of Government (The NSG), to finalise the National Implementation Framework towards the professionalisation of the public service. We have decided to bring independent expertise to assess the evidence, undertake peer review and make concrete recommendations on proposals outlined in the draft framework, the Minister said in a statement on Monday. In December 2020, Mchunu released the draft National Implementation Framework towards the professionalisation of the public service for public comment. This followed the Cabinet approval of the publication of the draft framework, which is in line with the commitment made by the sixth administration to create a capable, ethical and developmental public service. The Minister initiated a public consultation process with key stakeholders from various organisations and institutions inside and outside the public sector earlier this year. Through these public consultations, 159 organisations (including universities, research institutions, public sector institutions and professional bodies) participated and over 771 individuals attended the sessions. I am encouraged by the support we have received from professional bodies and institutions and such cooperation augurs well for the finalisation of the public service framework, Mchunu said. The Minister has appointed the high-level task team on the professionalisation framework that will be led by Professor Mashupye Maserumule as convenor and Priscilla Mdlalose as deputy convenor. Maserumule is the professor of Public Affairs at the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) whilst Mdlalose is the Chief Executive Officer of the Council for the Built Environment (CBE). The members of the task team represent a wide array of institutions and sectors, including representation from Auditor-General South Africa (AGSA), think tanks, state-owned training academies, academia and the legal fraternity, the NSG said. Within a 90-day period, the task team will be expected to undertake some of the following tasks: Review inputs received from all stakeholders and synthesise the key issues affecting the professionalisation of the public service. Identify, consider and propose a range of areas of legislative and policy reforms across the public sector that are necessary to fully implement the professionalisation framework, as well as the mechanisms to achieve it. Advance consideration of appropriate institutional and legal framework(s) to implement the framework, which ensures a comprehensive and effective implementation of professionalisation. Recommend achievable timelines to expedite the legislation and effective implementation of the framework and to meet the proposed medium-term targets. The Minister intends to finalise the framework and present key recommendations to Cabinet by the end of October 2021. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2021-06-01. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. People Who Left LGBTQ Because They Wanted to come to DC with a Message: Don't let Activists Restrict Freedom of Conscience, Speech and Religion Press Conference: Friday, June 4th, 10:00 a.m. Location: U.S. Capitol, Union Square Area 15 NEWS PROVIDED BY Changed Movement June 1, 2021 WASHINGTON, June 1, 2021 /Christian Newswire/ -- Whether it's a ban on counseling choice, the elimination of a free market for faith-based organizations, or granting privileges to transgender women above biological women, Sexual Orientation Gender Identity (SOGI) legislation politicizes sexuality and reduces freedoms. Codifying LGBTQ identity as immutable through legislation denies that sexuality is fluid and will never resolve the confusion and fear that many LGBTQ identified people feel. Ken Williams, co-founder of CHANGED Movement "I didn't want to live life as a gay man. I was tormented by suicidal thoughts and was unfulfilled. The talk therapy I received when I was a minor saved my life. I wanted a different way forward and my sexual desires eventually changed. I have been married to my wife for 15 years. We have four children together. Today I am connected to thousands who left LGBTQ behind. SOGI legislation takes away our rights to freedom of religion, speech and equal treatment by promoting LGBTQ identity as the only way forward." Elizabeth Woning, co-founder of CHANGED Movement. "CHANGED has come to DC to appeal to Congress to focus on human dignity, not identity politics. We are Christians with LGBTQ in our past. Many, like us, have changed. We left LGBTQ because we wanted to. Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights affirms we have the right to live out what we believe. Fair treatment in America shouldn't rest with one's social identity, like LGBTQ or even religious beliefs, but with respect for the dignity of every person." We appeal to America's legislators to recognize that the LGBTQ identity is subjective and that most demands for LGBTQ "equality" restrict: The right to the counseling of one's choosing(1) The right to follow one's religious convictions away from LGBTQ identity(2) The right to shape one's own sexual identity without political indoctrination(3) The right to publish and freely sell one's personal story and insight(4) The right to publicly declare alternative views of LGBTQ experience without being labeled a "hate group"(5) More information: Amy Ligon at (530) 207-0318, press@changedmovement.com 1) HR5 restricts change allowing counseling for people with unwanted same sex attraction or gender confusion. 2) "SEC. 1107. CLAIMS" in HR5 removes RFRA protections. The 1st Amendment forbids Congress from restricting religious activity and guarantees freedom of expression. 3) Real Education and Access for Healthy Youth Act (REAHYA) will indoctrinate children with LGBTQ values on gender identity and sexual expression. CSE is already doing this in many states. 4) Sen. Marco Rubio recently called Amazon out, but Ryan Anderson is not the only one to have his/her opinion censored. 5) The SPLC indiscriminately calls public criticism of LGBTQ activism and moral values "hate." SOURCE Changed Movement CONTACT: Amy Ligon, 530-207-0318, press@changedmovement.com Related Links changedmovement.com Share Tweet WazirX, India's biggest cryptocurrency exchange, on Tuesday announced India's first non-fungible tokens (NFTs) marketplace. The development comes a day after the RBI breather to cryptos operators in India and amid the huge popularity of digital currencies in the country. Apart from India, the NFT marketplace is being launched in South Asian countries too. WazirX MarketPlace is an "NFT marketplace for Indian artists and creators...WazirXi invites artists, creators, and buyers to come to narrate the new Indian story," the company said. NFT is a digital asset, which can be anything from real-world objects like art, music and videos. You can buy these assets or sell them on the platform with digital currency. Just like digital coins, they are also encoded with blockchain technology. Also read: No.1 Cryptocurrency: Can Ethereum beat Bitcoin in future? The company has said NFTs will be minted on its parent company Binance Technology's blockchain technology. Binance is one of the biggest crypto exchanges in the world. It had acquired WazirX in 2019. Interestingly, WazirX has decided to sell NFTs on its platform only through its native token WRX (1 WRX is worth Rs 104) with a cap of one billion. The condition of buying digital assets via WRX will eventually lead to its global expansion and boost its price. However, the company is allowing users to later transfer their digital assets to some other blockchain technologies like Ethereum. The company will also charge 5 per cent service on the sale of digital assets, while the rest of the amount will be deposited in the accounts of the creators. The beta phase of the WazirX Marketplace will launch with a fixed price model, under which artists can add a royalty fee of up to 15 per cent on the resale of their asset. The company has said it will not accept bidding for digital assets for now. Also read:'Circular is no longer valid': RBI after banks' warning to customers dealing in cryptos Since the environmental costs of minting NFTs is just like Bitcoin and other cryptos, the company has decided to allow sale and purchase in WRX token only, which will save the extra power cost for Binance. The cost of minting and buying NFT for each transaction is $1, some estimates suggest. So far, there are only 15 popular creators, including Vimal Chandran (visual artist), Sneha Chakraborty (wall mural artist), Ishita Banerjee (media artist), on WazirX's marketplace. The company claims 15,000 more applications are being processed already. Also read: Big change coming in Ethereum! To give huge advantage against Bitcoin Digital tokens and NFTs have seen huge popularity in India recently. The RBI also sent a breather to the crypto exchanges on Monday, saying banks or entities can't cite its 2018 order that barred them from dealing with virtual cryptocurrencies. Fayoum Tourism Authority announced on Tuesday the death of Evelyne Porret, known as 'The lady of Tunis Village.' The Swiss artist that lived in Tunis Village in Fayoum since the mid eighties was a key mentor of pottery and the founder of Fayoum Pottery School in the village, the authority said. Egypt has lost an inspiring artist and human, and a woman that was a mentor to several generations of indigenous artists of Tunis village. Short link: In the past two weeks Egypt participated in four multi- and bi-lateral military manoeuvres. The Phoenix Express drills resumed this year, after having been cancelled last year due to Covid-19. Conducted off the coast of Tunisia, Phoenix Express 2021 (PE21) brought together naval units from the US, Tunisia, Algeria, Belgium, Egypt, France, Greece, Italy, Libya, Malta, Mauritania, Morocco, and Spain. The multinational naval drills aimed to promote the exchange of expertise in planning and carrying out joint naval operations to ensure maritime safety and respond to unconventional threats. Meanwhile, Egypt and Pakistan continued their first joint air defence drills this week, dubbed Sky Protectors-1. The activities started with a preparatory phase to promote the interoperability of Egyptian and Pakistani air defence units. Lectures and practical training sessions enabled participants to discuss various aspects of advanced air defence systems and the air defence weapons and systems of both sides. This was followed by a series of intensive joint tactical drills in which participants displayed great precision. In the Gulf region, Egypt and the UAE continued the two-week long Zayed-3 military drills. The agenda included a preparatory phase with theoretical and practical sessions aimed at unifying training concepts, and honing interoperability between participant units. Drills focussed on reconnaissance activities, methods of urban warfare and confronting terrorist operatives. Last but not least was the Guardians of the Nile, the Egyptian-Sudanese joint military exercise that kicked off in Sudan at the end of last week. Following orientation activities to unify concepts, participants from special forces units executed a series of conventional and unconventional sharpshooting tasks. Their performance reflected high levels of mutual coordination and precision in taking out targets from different sighting positions. Paratroopers performed various free-fall training exercises. The joint training programme aims to strengthen military cooperation between the two countries, promote the exchange of expertise and develop closer collaboration between their forces. Though not the first time Egypt has engaged in military training activities simultaneously and in different strategic directions, three of the four sets of manoeuvres did set precedents. This was Egypts first participation in a drill in Tunisia, and in the framework of the qualitative multinational Phoenix series conducted by AFRICOM, which brings together northern and southern Mediterranean partners and may eventually expand to include other NATO members. The exercises are designed to promote capabilities to respond to mounting threats in the Mediterranean region, including irregular migration, illicit trafficking, organised crime, and terrorism. Although Egypt took part in two successive Nile Eagles joint military exercises with Sudan recently, the Nile Guardian drills mark a qualitative leap in bilateral military cooperation. Whereas the Nile Eagles series involved members of the two sides air forces, the Nile Guardians brought on board naval and elite commando and paratrooper forces. The growing closeness between Cairo and Khartoum is also evidenced by several exchanges of visits between high level military officials which culminated in a number military cooperation agreements and memorandums of understanding being signed. The two sides face a number of common threats, not least from the proliferation of militias and mercenaries in Libya and Chad, and mounting threats to the Red Sea from the Horn of Africa. In light of the multidimensional and overlapping nature of the threats, Egypt has extended coordination with countries across the Sahel and Sahara. Next door, in Libya, Egypt has helped shape the army as a professional national institution which is now key to maintaining security in eastern Libya, an area that until recently harboured terrorist groups and militias that posed a direct threat to Egyptian national security. Egypt is also involved in the comprehensive political process that aims to steer the country away from conflict and towards durable peace. Though Egypt has a long history of military and security cooperation with Pakistan, recent developments represent a qualitative leap. In March, Cairo and Islamabad agreed to fast-track cooperation in armament manufacture. Lieutenant General Ali Amir Awan, Chairman of Pakistan Ordnance Factories (POF), visited Egypt, using the occasion to announce that his country planned to take part in the 2021 edition of the Egyptian defence exhibition. This occurred shortly after Egyptian Defence Minister Mohamed Zaki visited Pakistan and met with Pakistani military leaders, Prime Minister Imran Khan and President Arif Alvi. During the visit President Alvi issued a statement praising Egypts efforts in supporting regional and international security and stability, and described the relationship between Pakistan and Egypt as strategic. Egyptian military experts agree that these recent developments are the fruits of a comprehensive programme of military diplomacy that seeks to strengthen individual and collective defence capacities to counter multiple threats and challenges. Other nations are drawn to working with Egypt not only because the Egyptian Armed Forces are ranked among the foremost armies in the world but also because of Egypts reputation for promoting regional security and stability. Egypt has kept itself from becoming embroiled in any of the regions military conflicts and instead follows a policy of strategic deterrence. A prime example is the red line Egypt drew in Libya to compel the regional powers intervening there to stop fuelling tensions and hostilities. As Egyptian military experts point out, Egypt does not create threats, it works to contain them. This is another reason why its partnership is sought in military defence and counter-terrorism efforts in Africa and the Middle East. *A version of this article appears in print in the 3 June, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Short link: If there is one country in the Middle East where one should not be surprised to see political violence resulting in brutal murders, it is Lebanon. With presidents, prime ministers, religious leaders, key political leaders and journalists all having been killed since the countrys independence in 1943, Lebanon is not new to political assassinations. But last weeks vicious assassination of a prominent Lebanese Shia intellectual could be a turning point not only for the deeply divided Arab country but also for the future of sectarianism in the Middle East. Lokman Slim, a prolific writer, editor, publisher, filmmaker and political activist, was murdered after he disappeared for several hours with his rented car while on a trip through Shia-dominated southern Lebanon. Slim, a fierce opponent of the Shia group Hizbullah, was found dead hours after he was kidnapped. The local media reported that bruises were found on his face, suggesting that he may have been tortured or interrogated. The death of Slim, a prominent critic of Irans regional policies, has sent a shock wave across Lebanon, which faces multiple political, communal and economic problems, along with the Covid-19 pandemic, which have combined to push it to the brink of collapse. Significantly, however, Slims assassination is expected to rip open the wounds of Shias in Lebanon and beyond over ties with Iran and the Islamic Republics increasing influence within Shia communities in several Arab countries. Depending on the outcome of the investigation into Slims murder and the heated debate surrounded it, the Shia split could fundamentally alter the regions balance of power between Iran and the Sunni Arab nations in the years to come. The Lebanese authorities said that 58-year-old Slim had been shot with six bullets, four in the head, one in the chest and one in the back. They believe the brazen murder could be a message by his killers to Hizbullahs critics in Lebanon. Slim had long been an outspoken opponent of Hizbullah, which, with its Shia ally the Amal Movement, holds the most power in Lebanon and effectively operates as a state within a state. Slim, from a well-known Shia family, had also denounced the political monopoly of the two Shia groups within the community, the corruption of their leaders and their close ties with Iran. He had claimed that he had been threatened with death on several occasions in the past. Media close to Hizbullah, which used to label him and his colleagues as the Shias of the embassies, had published diplomatic cables released in 2010 and 2011 by WikiLeaks that revealed Slims contacts with US diplomats. The documents show that US diplomats often sought out Slim for his views on developments in the Shia community and provided funding for some of his cultural initiatives. They also arranged high-level meetings for him during visits to Washington. Hizbullah and its Shia ally the Amal Movement condemned Slims murder and called on the Lebanese security forces and judiciary to quickly discover the identity of the perpetrators. But many Hizbullah supporters hailed the murder on social media as retribution for Slims treason. Jawad Nasrallah, the son of the partys chief, described his death in a tweet as a gain and an unexpected blessing before quickly deleting the posting. Criticism of Hizbullah by Lebanese Shia is nothing new. Former party chief Subhi Al-Tufayli has been a vocal critic of current leader Hassan Nasrallah and has held him responsible for the destruction of Lebanon. Other Shia community leaders, intellectuals and activists have also distanced themselves from Hizbullah and Amal and have slammed what they consider to be their mafia-style politics. Hizbullah was widely accused of being behind the assassinations of two prominent leftist Lebanese Shia writers, Hussein Mroue and Mahdi Amil in 1987. But like many other political murders in Lebanon, the two crimes went unpunished. Both men had been promoting an anti-sectarian discourse and a civic state in Lebanon. Amid a wave of kidnappings of foreigners in Lebanon blamed on Hizbullah, their targeted killing forced critics to keep a low profile or to remain silent. In recent years, however, criticism of Hizbullah has mounted and has centred primarily on the partys determination to keep a firm grip on power and act as a proxy for Iran in Lebanon and across the region. Hizbullah first emerged as a militant group to resist the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982. Amal was formed in 1974 as a political and a paramilitary wing of the Lebanese Shia cleric Musa Al-Sadrs Dispossessed Movement that had been formed to promote Shia political and economic integration. Over the years and with enormous logistical and financial help from post-Islamic Revolution Shia Iran, the group succeeded in building a mass political and paramilitary movement in predominately Shia areas of Lebanon. After a period of violent armed clashes between them, the two groups ended their rivalry and joined forces to shore up the communal interests of Shias who were the most socially and economically underprivileged part of Lebanons population. Over the years and since the end of the Lebanese Civil War, Lebanese Shias have made substantial gains in the Lebanese government and have assumed more significant roles in the countrys decision-making process and in its security. Although Lebanons politics have been influenced by sectarianism since its independence, the rise of the two Shia movements has deepened the countrys identity politics and reshaped its demographic balance of power. Meanwhile, the empowerment of Iraqi Shias following the ouster of the Sunni-dominated regime of Saddam Hussein by the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 had a significant impact on the revival of other Shia communities in the Middle East. Shias, members of the second-largest branch of Islam, comprise about 20 per cent of the worlds Muslims. While they make up a large majority of the population in Iran, they form a substantial majority in Iraq, Lebanon and Bahrain and smaller minorities in several other Arab countries. Shiism was born as a protest movement within Islam. Living under Sunni caliphates, rulers and governments, Shias have been marginalised in Muslim societies for political and theological reasons. In Iraq, the Shias suffered from discrimination, and their political groups were persecuted under various Sunni regimes. Under the Saddam regime, Shias who were accused of affiliation with political groups such as the Islamic Dawa Party faced execution. In many Arab countries, Shias are treated as pariahs and suffer religious, political and economic exclusion and are sometimes stereotyped as being loyal to Iran. For many Shias, the sects revival is enshrined in the Quran, which has it that the lowly who kept the faith will rise up and inherit the earth free from their oppressors. The Shia revival, however, has sparked fears among many Sunni Arab governments of a Shia assertiveness that could fundamentally shift the regions sectarian and geopolitical balance of power. After Saddams fall, many Sunni Arab leaders started warning of an Iran-led Shia crescent extending from Beirut to Tehran emerging in the Middle East amid concerns that this could turn into a full moon that could shift towards Shia power in other Arab countries. Though many considered such concerns as fear-mongering, reactions to the Shia revival and Irans mounting influence have created a poisonous regional sectarian environment that has recreated ancient rivalries between the Shias and the Sunnis and increased geopolitical antagonisms. In this respect at least, the geopolitical metaphor has so far proved inaccurate, and the Shia empowerment in Lebanon and Iraq has been owed to very specific historical circumstances in the two Arab countries and in the region. For one thing, and as the Iraqi experiment has also proved, there is a deep-rooted sense of nationalism and also secularism that has been playing out among the Shia communities in the two countries against communalism. Like in Lebanon, where Shias participated in the nationwide anti-establishment protests in 2019 and 2020, the simultaneous uprising against the Shia-led government in Iraq was driven by Iraqi nationalism and efforts to unmake the post-Saddam sectarian order. Also like in Lebanon, the Shia ruling groups in Iraq started a crackdown against the mostly Shia protesters, including by killing hundreds of them sometimes in targeted murders, in order to quell opposition to their own dysfunction, corruption and alignment with Iran. Without wanting to belittle the damage done by the identity politics that the Middle East is facing today, the rift which has started to be seen within the Shia communities in Lebanon and Iraq is a sign that the Shia Arabs have not yet said their final word. It is impossible to say what might happen next, however. Could a new secular Shia voice emerge separate from the mostly sectarian order in Lebanon and Iraq that the Shias leaders want them to contend with? The savage murder of Slim and the killing of Shia protesters in Iraq have exposed how difficult it is for non-democratic Shia groups to rise above the bloody legacy of their countries past. Slims killing could, therefore, offer a lesson: that sectarianism in the Middle East has run its course and that it is time for a reset. But much will depend on a new regional order that can balance the demands of the Shias with those of the Sunnis and reinvent the region on a non-sectarian basis. *A version of this article appears in print in the 11 February , 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: The Lebanese parliament approved a loan from the World Bank last Friday worth $246 million and intended to help poorer people in a country hit by twin devastating blasts at the Beirut Port in August last year and a severe economic crisis that has grown worse due to the Covid-19 pandemic. According to the World Banks website, emergency cash transfers and access to social services will be given to about 786,000 poor and vulnerable Lebanese people from the countrys six-million population. Each member of roughly 147,000 extremely poor Lebanese households will receive monthly cash transfers of LBP100,000 for 12 months, it said. Those benefiting from the programme will be able to access cash using prepaid cards from financial-services providers. They can either get the money from ATM machines or use the cards to pay for purchases from food shops. Moreover, 87,000 children between the ages of 13 to 18 will also get cash transfers to pay for registration fees, parental council fees, school textbooks, transport, uniforms, computers and Internet connections used for online schooling. Schools will directly receive the tuition fees. With poverty and inequality on the rise, social stability is at risk and hard-won gains in human capital investment can be easily reversed. This new project will support the expansion of the national poverty targeting programme to protect poor and vulnerable households, particularly female-headed households and those with disabled or elderly people, said Saroj Kumar Jha, World Bank Mashreq regional director, in a press statement. The consequences of these repeated shocks on the economic well-being of households is far-reaching and potentially disastrous. The statement said that the World Bank would also support increased access to quality social services provided by the Social Development Centres of the Lebanese Ministry of Social Affairs for 100,000 individuals from poor and vulnerable households. Social workers at the ministry and centre levels would be provided with capacity building activities to enable them better to carry out their functions. The World Bank loan is a lifeline for the Lebanese government and people. One day before the parliaments vote, France, a key political mediator between the Lebanese forces following last Augusts port blasts, warned that the country was running out of time before it faced complete collapse. Paris called on all Lebanons political forces to finalise the government-formation talks currently underway in a bid to save the country. Its been seven months, and nothing has been budgeted. Its not too late, but we are running out of time before total collapse, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told reporters. He said that Lebanons collapse would not only be disastrous for its people, but it would also be a disaster for Palestinian refugees, for Syrian refugees, for the entire region. There is still time to act, but we have to do it fast because tomorrow it will be too late, he said. Similar calls were made by Egypt and Jordan. Last week, the Lebanese pound dropped against the US dollar to $1 being equivalent to LBP10,000 and leading to a huge hike in the prices of goods and services. Petrol prices rose by 30 per cent, while bread prices rose by almost 50 per cent. Power cuts are reportedly increasing in frequency as fuel shipments arrive later than expected, reaching 12 hours per day. Meanwhile, protests continue to spread across the country amid public anger at the deteriorating social and economic conditions, a situation that Bassel Salloukh, an associate professor of political science at the Lebanese American University, believes will not change after the approval of the World Bank loan. The US dollar exchange rate has continued to rise to reach LBP14,000. The whole idea behind the loan is to get 800,000 Lebanese people who are related to the extremely poor sectors of society off the shoulders of the government. Its the way the elites are trying to handle the crisis by mitigating the problems of a sector of society, he said. Salloukh said the protests were not part of a homogenous protest movement. The political forces in Lebanon were simply distributing responsibilities in order to deal with the situation, he said. They gave the poor this loan. Big chunks of the middle class will leave the country and send money back to their family members. For the protesters in the streets, who have no one to back them, they will still think about how to deal with them, Salloukh said. There was no unified plan on how to address the crisis, he said. They [the political elites] are dealing with the situation politically, not economically, which is very dangerous, he warned. Over the past two years, the Lebanese pound has lost about 60 per cent of its value against the US dollar, hugely affecting business owners in an import-based economy. The depreciation of the currency along with the political deadlock have made protests and scenes of burning tyres and clashes with the security forces a regular phenomenon in Lebanese politics. The Covid-19 pandemic and port blasts have added further wounds to the country. Government estimates show that Lebanon needs $10 to $15 billion to rebuild the destroyed areas after the explosions that left 300,000 people homeless. *A version of this article appears in print in the 18 March, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Short link: Last years Beirut port explosions, caused by wrongly stored ammonium nitrate in a warehouse in the port of the Lebanese capital, were almost unimaginably destructive, leading to the deaths of 200 people, 6,000 others injured and a further 300,000 people made homeless. The Lebanese authorities have failed to secure the funds needed to repair the damage, estimated at almost $15 billion, and divisions in the countrys political elites have grown to the extent that they cannot agree on a new government. Meanwhile, popular protests have become part of the nations daily routine. But news this week has indicated that Lebanon could have experienced an even greater disaster in the shape of a nuclear one. Caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab, after a meeting of Lebanons Higher Defence Council, the highest security and military authority in the country, said on Friday that the German company Combi Lift had discovered a highly pure nuclear substance at the Zahrani oil installation 50 km south of Beirut. Diab, whose cabinet resigned after last Augusts port blasts, though it has stayed in office until a new one is formed, vowed to take quick measures to deal with this matter of great concern. According to Ziad Al-Zein, head of the installation, the chemicals were found in eight small containers that weigh less than two kg each. They contain depleted uranium salts that have been stored there since the 1950s when Medreco, a US company then owned by Mobil and Caltex, was running the facility, he told the local media. The company had administered the site until the late 1980s. The material will now be transferred to the Lebanese Atomic Energy Commission, though the latter will need to coordinate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on how to dispose of it. Meanwhile, Combi Lift has been looking for flammable substances in the wreckage of the Beirut Port since last November on the basis of a $3.6-million agreement with the Lebanese government. Lebanon has yet to pay $2 million, while the German government paid the remaining amount. Before spotting the nuclear material, the company found more than 50 containers that included hazardous and dangerous chemical material at the Beirut Port. Some of them have been in place for more than 30 years. Andreas Kindl, Germanys ambassador to Beirut, said the company was ready to transfer the materials to Germany. Last years Beirut Port explosions shocked both the Lebanese people and the world, but it seems that people in Lebanon will not be surprised to see similar incidents in future. I have no clear idea about these chemicals or their danger. But it is another case of negligence to add to the account of an incompetent government and provide more reasons for an international investigation, Emad Salamey, a professor of political science at the Lebanese American University, told Al-Ahram Weekly. Salamey said that there is no escape from forming a new government, though conditions are much more difficult than in previous years. At stake is the ability to negotiate an International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout for Lebanon. At the same time, the new government will need to regain public support and international confidence. But the political parties are seeking to cover up any wrongdoing, after being indicted for corruption and held responsible for the Beirut blasts, Salamey said. Others want to ensure endorsements for a 2022 presidential bid as a condition for a new governments formation. The establishment continues to play the power-sharing game, though this time around the gains are a mere facade. Ex-premier and Lebanese prime minister-designate Saad Al-Hariri has been unable to form a new coalition government for almost seven months amid a clash with President Michel Aoun, an ally of the Lebanese Shia Hizbullah group, on the cabinet line-up. Al-Hariri wants a government that includes 18 independent ministers, which will mean no political force can block his decisions, something which Aoun refuses. Aoun and the Lebanese Free Patriotic Movement reportedly want a 20-minister cabinet, in addition to having the right to select six ministers and one Lebanese-Armenian minister. I have asked the president to listen to the woes of the people and to give this country its final chance of having a technocratic government that is capable of reform, Al-Hariri said after meeting Aoun for almost half an hour last week. This was the 18th meeting between the two political figures. Al-Hariri said that the president sent me a line-up that grants his team a third of the cabinet seats last night. But this is not acceptable. The Lebanese presidency said Aoun had not asked Al-Hariri for a blocking minority and expressed its surprise at the latters statement and tone. *A version of this article appears in print in the 1 April, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under headline: Lebanon's nuclear incident Short link: Governments around the world are alarmed by the political deadlock in Lebanon that is hindering the formation of a new coalition government after the major explosions that took place at the Beirut port last year and the worsening social and economic conditions in the country. The situation has reached the stage at which one of them has said it will interfere in a bid to solve the crisis. France will be sending its top diplomat, Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, to Lebanon on 5 May in order to meet with senior officials one day later, according to sources who spoke to Reuters, although France did not officially confirm the news. Le Drian reportedly said he wants to meet two allies of the Lebanese Shia group Hizbullah who play a major role in Lebanese politics, Lebanese President Michel Aoun and Shia Parliamentary Speaker Nabih Berri. He has also requested a meeting with Gebran Bassil, Lebanons ex-foreign minister and president of the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), the countrys largest Christian political force. Bassil has been facing sanctions from the US Department of the Treasury since November 2020 on suspicion of appointing friends to positions and purchasing other forms of influence within Lebanese political circles and approving several projects that would have steered Lebanese government funds to individuals close to him through a group of front companies. France has played a major role in seeking to find common ground between Lebanons political leaders since the devastating port blasts in Beirut in August 2020. Last week, it imposed sanctions on Lebanese officials, involving restrictions on their arrival on French territory. On a national basis, we have started to implement restrictive measures in terms of access to French territory against personalities involved in the current political blockage or involved in corruption, Le Drian said at a press conference alongside his Maltese counterpart. We reserve the right to adopt additional measures against all those who hinder the way out of the crisis and we will do so in coordination with our international partners, he added. But Le Drian did not specify the names of the Lebanese officials who are to be sanctioned by France. Many Lebanese politicians have property, bank accounts and investments in Europe. They are also culturally connected to Europe, as they regularly enroll their sons and daughters in European schools and universities. France has recently attempted to arrange similar moves with the EU that would include both travel bans and the freezing of the assets of Lebanese politicians until they agree on a new government. Concrete proposals are being developed against the very people who have abandoned the general interest in favour of their personal interests, Le Drian said in April. If certain political actors dont assume their responsibilities, we wont hesitate to assume ours. Lebanese Sunni leader Saad Al-Hariri and Aoun, a Hizbullah ally, have recently started a war of words, with each side blaming the other for the unfinished business of forming a new governing coalition. The problem is reportedly related to who will get the majority of ministerial seats in the new government. In late December, Al-Hariri submitted a government line-up to Aoun. One week later, his office urged Aoun to cooperate and disregard party affiliations. Aouns office responded by opposing Al-Hariris going it alone in naming ministers, particularly Christians, without agreement from the president. Accusing Al-Hariri of submitting a line-up different from the one discussed, Aouns office added that the president never proposed the names of party candidates to be ministers and did not present the prime minister-designate with a list of names. On 1 February, Lebanese Maronite Patriarch Beshara Al-Rai described the Aoun-Al-Hariri clash as sad and shameful, warning that if ties between them do not improve, there will be no government. The crisis has been going on since last October when Al-Hariri was appointed as prime minister-designate to replace Hassan Diab, the head of government who resigned after the explosions. The port blasts led to the deaths of 200 people and the injury of 6,000. About 300,000 people lost their homes, and the Lebanese government is incapable of meeting its financial commitments or rebuilding the destroyed areas. It needs an estimated $10 to $15 billion to carry out reconstruction. But a donors conference arranged by French President Emmanuel Macron collected only 253 million Euros ($298 million) in humanitarian aid. Most world leaders are reluctant to send money to Lebanon until a new government is in place. This has resulted in a huge economic crisis that, along with the Covid-19 pandemic, resulted in poverty-related protests and an enormous drop in the exchange rate. Imad Salamey, a professor of political science at the Lebanese American University, told Al-Ahram Weekly that there is no escape from forming a new government, though conditions are much more difficult than in previous years. At stake is the ability to negotiate an International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout for Lebanon. At the same time, the new government will need to regain public support and international confidence. But the political parties are seeking to cover up any wrongdoing, after being indicted for corruption and held responsible for the Beirut blasts, Salamey said. Others want to ensure endorsements for a 2022 presidential bid as a condition for a new governments formation. The establishment continues to play the power-sharing game, though this time around the gains are a mere facade. *A version of this article appears in print in the 6 May, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Short link: Peter Beinart is a City University, New York professor of journalism and political science who writes and tweets about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict (some of his work can be found at peterbeinart.substack.com). Once an unequivocal Zionist, the media face of the issue is now thoroughly revising his views in response to Israeli policies: the recent crackdown on Palestinians in the West Bank and Jerusalem and offensive on Gaza, which killed hundreds and injured thousands, felt like the right moment to tease out his thoughts. On 12 May two days after Israel started its bombardment of Gaza Beinart published an opinion piece in The New York Times that was widely circulated on social media in which he harshly criticised Israels refusal to give the right of return to Palestinians who have been living outside their homeland. The Israeli government and its American Jewish allies insist that Palestinian refugees abandon hope of returning to their homeland. This demand is drenched in irony, because no people in human history have clung as stubbornly to the dream of return as have Jews. Establishment Jewish leaders denounce the fact that Palestinians pass down their identity as refugees to their children and grandchildren. But Jews have passed down our identity as refugees for 2,000 years, Beinart argues in the article. Speaking to Al-Ahram Weekly, Beinart tackled almost everything, from the means to settle this endless dilemma to the necessity of Palestinian unity, and the extent to which Palestinians might be able to control the future of Israels escalatory moves against them. You used to think of yourself as a liberal Zionist. What made you believe that both Palestinians and Israelis can live together in peace - despite a 70-year conflict - and what pushed you to change your views? Throughout my entire life, I was a political Zionist which meant I believed in the idea of a Jewish state that has a special obligation to Jews. I believed that in a post-Holocaust world, the Jews needed one country that would be particularly dedicated to their protection. Meanwhile, I thought that it was wrong for Israel to govern millions of Palestinians in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and Jerusalem who didnt have basic rights like citizenship and the right to vote, so there should also be a Palestinian state next door to Israel, and that Israel should give more rights to them while retaining the core elements of a Jewish state. But over time I began to feel that Israeli settlement growth has made a Palestinian state impossible, and that was when I began to rethink the idea of Jewish statehood. I would say I became what I would now call a cultural Zionist. By being a cultural Zionist, I mean it is very important to have a strong Jewish community what we would call the land of Israel in which people can speak and run their schools in Hebrew, which is very important for the Jewish people. But I dont think this has to be within the framework of a Jewish state. I think we could have a single, equal state where both Palestinians and Jews would be able to run their own schools and speak their own languages. This would also allow for Palestinian citizens to have full equality and the refugees to return. So this was the shift in my thinking. What is Israels long-term plan on its policy of evicting Palestinians from their homes? Israel is apparently not only doing so in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood, but also in Silwan village. I think the reality is that Palestinians in East Jerusalem and the West Bank are not citizens. So it means that the government of Israel has no responsibilities towards them. It is only accountable to Jews in Israel and the West Bank because they can vote. This means that if there are some Jews who want to take this land, they can generally do so because the Palestinians there dont have their basic right, which is a government that would listen to them. This is the fundamental problem. Israel was created in 1948 with an active mass expulsion of Palestinians. There are still people in Israel Jerusalem or the West Bank who want to push the Palestinians out to take more land, and the Palestinians dont really have much to do because they dont have rights. So the government cannot protect them against that. To what extent are the events that happened in the past month in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza related to Trumps peace plan? That was the first time a US administration dealt with Jerusalem as Israels undivided capital. Maybe a little. Trump certainly may have emboldened the Israelis a bit, but the truth is that no American president in recent decades even before Trump really put any real pressure on Israel to stop its policies in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. This includes Joe Biden. In 30 years, for instance, none of them have been willing to condition US military aid to Israel. I think this process of people in Israel wanting to make East Jerusalem Jewish, push Palestinians out and also making a Palestinian state impossible by dividing East Jerusalem from the West Bank started before Donald Trump. Maybe it accelerated because Trump was so obviously willing to support Israel no matter what it takes, but it continued before Donald Trump and unfortunately continued after Donald Trump. Since Ramadan, when the crisis started, a pro-Palestinian solidarity movement has spread all across the world through social media, with protests and even countries announcing suspending relations with Israel. Combined with the armed resistance of Hamas and the Islamic Jihad, could this push Israel once again to make concessions as it did during Oslo? I think we are quite far from that. The Oslo accords came as a result of the first Intifada, which lasted for years and showed Israel that it cannot easily and directly control the West Bank, that it needed some kind of Palestinian leadership on the ground to work with. It is not clear that the Israeli leadership really wanted the Palestinians to have a state, but they wanted some kind of Palestinian leadership so that they would not have to do all the work on the ground by themselves. The difference now is that first of all Israel already has this kind of Palestinian leadership on the ground in the West Bank. So the costs of controlling the West Bank are much lower than they were before Oslo. Now, if the Palestinian Authority collapsed, I think that would put Israel in a more difficult position. Right now Mahmoud Abbas is keeping things quiet in the West Bank for Israel. Israels settlement project is also much further along. It is difficult to know even what concessions Israel would really make at this point. I also dont think the Israelis feel internationally isolated. On the contrary, the Israelis feel more welcome than they have ever been in some ways, with the UAE, Sudan, Bahrain and Morocco deals. But not only that. Their relations with India, for instance, are much stronger than before, and the same applies to their relations with Brazil and Hungary. So it is quite possible that we might get to a point when Israel would make concessions, but I think we are quite far from that right now. For the first time in centuries, intra-Palestinian divisions are disappearing, thanks to Israels aggression against Palestinians in Gaza, Jerusalem and West Bank. Could this catalyse Palestinian reconcliation and pave the way to elections? I hope there will be Palestinian elections, and I think it is crucially important to create a unified and more legitimate leadership. I think this is also what the Palestinians want. But I am not necessarily that optimistic that we will get there because the reason we didnt have Palestinian elections was that the United States, Israel and Mahmoud Abbas himself were all worried that Hamas might do well. So they all essentially worked together to cancel the elections. Now Hamas is more popular and will probably do better. It might not even need to join a coalition government with Fatah and rule by itself. It seems to me that Abbas, Israel and the US have more reasons to fear elections. So even though elections are the right thing, this doesnt necessarily mean we are going to see them any time soon. During the Gaza war, Israel clearly underestimated the capabilities of the Gazan factions, mainly Hamas and the Jihad. How did corruption charges and the inability to unify Israeli parties affect Netanyahu in power? In the short term, I think it helped him. The only way for Yair Lapid could have formed a government was by getting the very right-wing, Jewish parties and maybe one of the Arab Israeli parties into a government together, and the violence kind of made that impossible. Israel would probably go to a fifth election: that seems most likely. But I think Netanyahu is in better shape than he was before the war because it is very difficult for there to be an alternative coalition than his. Israeli politics is still quite stalemated, but at least so far the war has helped Netanyahu politically. Wouldnt Israels major parties, including the right-wing ones, try to convince the public to consider political alternatives, especially since Netanyahu has sent Israel to war with Hamas repeatedly in past years? Well, first of all, many of the parties that are running to succeed Netanyahu are no less right-wing than he. So, if anything, they would say hit Hamas harder. Most of the opposition to Netanyahu is just personal. He is corrupt, he has obviously been there for too long and he is threatening the judiciary. So there is no strong, ideological critique of Netanyahu among the Jewish political parties, really. Also, if there were an alternative coalition, it would not really have a clear vision because it would bring together all the different political parties. Netanyahu benefits from fear: people are afraid. Even if its not rational, they would often tend to move to the person they perceive as tougher and more experienced. Even if I wish they would, people will not necessarily turn against Netanyahu because of the war. Concerning the international responses to the Gaza war and the situation in the West Bank, do you think they will in any way influence Israels relations with the world? For example, the Maldives suspended its ties with Israel, and several international bodies are considering investigations. Maybe over the longer term we will see that this is having a negative effect on Israel. Certainly, in the US Democratic Party, there is a bit more support for conditioningmilitary aid than there was maybe a year ago. But there are still a lot of structural factors that put Israel in a very strong position. These changes are only happening in the Democratic Party, not the Republican Party. Even in the Democratic Party, most of the politicians in the US Congress no matter what Israel does still pretty much want to support Israel. The Europeans will never really want to do anything without the United States. When you talk about China and Russia, even India, these are countries that basically believe in letting sovereign countries do whatever they want no matter how terrible it is. So they are not naturally inclined to protect human rights anywhere. I dont see a dramatic change any time soon. I read your piece in the New York Times, which was entitled Palestinian Refugees Deserve to Return Home. Jews Should Understand. What would it take to resolve the 70-year-old Palestinian-Israeli conflict? I cant tell you how we could get from here to there. I do know what I would like to see as an outcome, which would be one equal state where everyone is treated equally under the law. But my guess would be that it would take a long time, if we could ever get there at all. I do think that one thing has to happen. Right now, the cost of controlling the Palestinians who lack basic rights is still relatively low for Israel. Yes, there was this war, but things got back to normal, and Israel remains a successful, prosperous country. I think the cost has to go up for Israel in a much longer and sustained way for there to be a change. I also think that the Palestinian leadership has to be united. The Palestinian leadership is not united and is not effective in terms of making a unified claim like the African National Congress did. The Congress said this is our vision, this is what we are struggling for, and we are the legitimate representatives of the Black Africans. So these things and the international environment need to change for us to get to the point where Israelis would even consider the idea of accepting equality. *A version of this article appears in print in the 3 June, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Short link: Despite Egypts good intentions towards Ethiopia and its commitment to diplomacy to solve the grave disputes surrounding the dangerous effects of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on its scarce water resources, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed shocked all parties concerned, both African and international, by announcing that he would build over 100 dams across the country to provide much needed development. By making such statements, Ahmed is not only closing the door in the face of negotiations mediated by the African Union and the United States, but flagrantly furthering his escalation against Egypt and the vital interests of its people. Water is a matter of life or death for over 100 million Egyptians who have depended on the Nile for thousands of years. Ancient Egyptians even went as far as worshipping the river, recognising that without its waters there would be no agriculture or any chance of survival in the middle of vast deserts. Egypt clearly stated that it fully understands and supports the right of the Ethiopian people to make the best possible use of their natural resources in order to achieve much needed development and growth. Since taking office seven years ago, President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi has demonstrated every good intention towards Ethiopia, travelling to Addis Ababa to address the parliament and confirm to the Ethiopian people that Cairo will never stand against their interests. The latest statements by Ahmed confirmed his insistence on disregarding Egypts good will and agreement to negotiate in good faith for over 10 years to ensure that the GERD would not reduce Egypts legal share of Nile waters while it serves Ethiopian interests. What the Ethiopian premier announced is a continuation of a regrettable approach that disregards the rules of international law. As stated by the Foreign Ministry spokesman, Egypt strongly rejected the statements made by Ahmed, adding that such statements show again Ethiopias ill intent over the Nile. The statements reveal Ethiopias engagement with the Nile River and other international rivers it shares with neighbouring countries as inland rivers that fall under its sovereignty and are exploited to serve its interests, the Foreign Ministry said. What should send a clear alarm signal to all concerned partners, is that the intentions revealed in Ahmeds statements violated the rules of applicable international norms that regulate utilising international rivers and obliged Ethiopia to respect the rights of other riparian states. Ahmeds statements risk an aggravation of tensions between Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia, especially since he continues to refuse reaching a binding agreement on the filling and operation of the dam. The latest statements on plans to build yet another 100 dams without any consideration for Egypts and Sudans water rights, came as several reports indicated that Ethiopia had actually began filling the reservoir in early May, as further construction work on the GERD had allowed the second filling to begin. Ethiopias rejection of several proposals by Egypt and Sudan on the negotiation mechanism, which includes international quartet mediation, has led to the collapse of the Kinshasa talks sponsored by the African Union in April. Since then Egypt has repeatedly warned that the second filling would lead to tensions in the region and cause instability in East Africa and the Horn of Africa. Sudan also fears that the GERD will put the operation of its Roseires Dam and the lives of 20 million Sudanese citizens at a very high risk if an agreement regulating the operation and filling of GERD is not reached before the second filling. It warned that it would take legal action if Ethiopia moves forward with the second filling of the GERD in July without first signing a legally binding agreement. Such facts, and Ethiopian Prime Minister Ahmeds latest statements, demonstrate that the international community does not realise the risks of not reaching an agreement on the filling and operation of the dam. Egypt will resume close contacts with all concerned parties, led by the AU and other partners in Africa. Cairo was also very positive in dealing with the new mission led by US Envoy for the Horn of Africa Jeffrey Feltman who toured Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan last month, and is expected to visit the three countries again soon. The option of heading to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) by Egypt and Sudan too cannot be ruled out. In all such diplomatic contacts, Egypt will stress that any water projects and facilities must be established after coordination, consultation and agreement with the countries that may be affected by them, at the forefront of which are the downstream countries. Nevertheless, Ahmeds statements are nothing but a continuation of the unfortunate Ethiopian approach that disregards the rules of international law regulating the use of international rivers, which require Ethiopia to respect the rights of other countries bordering these rivers and not to harm their interests. *A version of this article appears in print in the 3 June, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Short link: Egyptian, Canadian FMs discuss developments on Palestinian issue over phone MENA, , Tuesday 1 Jun 2021 The Canadian minister praised Egypts pivotal role in the region, and its persistent efforts to promote security and stability in the region Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry discussed on Monday with his Canadian counterpart Marc Garneau means of propelling and developing cooperation ties between the two countries in multiple fields, in addition to the latest developments on the Palestinian issue. During a phone call initiated by the Canadian minister, the two sides pointed out to the continuous improvement seen by trade and economic relations between Egypt and Canada, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ahmed Hafez said. Shoukry noted that Egypt is looking forward to promoting the Canadian companies and investments access to the Egyptian market for participating in various major projects. Meanwhile, Garneau was keen to get briefed on the Egyptian vision as regards the overall situation in the Middle East, particularly the latest developments on the Palestinian arena, with Shoukry reviewing Egyptian moves and contacts aimed at firming up ceasefire between Israel and Palestinians. In this regard, the top Egyptian diplomat emphasized the need to move urgently to revive the desired political path and launch serious negotiations between the two parties, "especially since the recent weeks have undoubtedly proven that the Palestinian cause can no longer be ignored and left unresolved". On that score, the Canadian minister praised Egypts pivotal role in the region, and its persistent efforts to promote security and stability in the region. The foreign ministry spokesman said the two ministers have agreed on continuing consultations in the coming stage to coordinate stances with regard to bilateral and regional issues, as well as to topics of common interest. https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/413298.aspx Israeli army detains more Palestinians and demolishes homes in West Bank Ahram Online, , Tuesday 1 Jun 2021 Israeli occupation forces doubled their efforts to expand the Havat Talia settlement, which is a nearby illegal Israeli settlement, by kicking Palestinian residents out of their lands and demolishing their homes Israeli occupation forces detained on Tuesday dozens of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, while army bulldozers razed lands to expand Israels illegal settlements, WAFA reported. Israeli forces detained Palestinian youths in several districts in the south of the West Bank, including Ramallah, Tulkarm Jenin, Nablus, Tubas, Qalqilya, Hebron, Bethlehem, and Qatanna in the northwest of Jerusalem, according to the Palestinian news agency. In Ramallah, Tulkarm, Nablus and Qalqilya, 12 Palestinian youths were detained by Israeli occupation forces and a former prisoner was also arrested in Jenin district. They also detained one youth in Tubas, five in Bethlehem, and one in Hebron who was injured by gunfire. Also, in the northwest of Jerusalem, in a village called Qatanna, a young man was arrested as well. In Masafer Yatta, in the south of the West Bank, Israeli occupation forces doubled their efforts to expand the Havat Talia settlement, which is a nearby illegal Israeli settlement, by kicking Palestinian residents out of their lands and demolishing their homes. A local activist, Fouad Al-Imour, said in order to expand Havat Talia, the bulldozers razed land in Khirbet Umm Al-Khawas in Masafer Yatta. In the village of Al-Samu in Hebron, the Israeli occupation forces seized solar cells and demolished two livestock tents and one inhabited tent. Israeli forces demolished structures as well as seized solar cells under the pretext that they are located in an area that is classified as Area C, which is under full Israeli military rule Rateb Al-Jabour, the coordinator of the Wall and Settlements Resistance Commission said to WAFA. Area C, in the south of the West Bank, is considered a territory fully controlled by Israel, according to the Oslo Accords. Therefore, Palestinians who live there are not allowed to build houses or develop infrastructure without a permit from the Israeli Civil Administration. These building permits require overpriced fees, and most Palestinians cannot afford them. As a result, a legal loophole emerged for Israel to annex more lands and leave Palestinians displaced. Israels territory grabs began in 1979 and are based on a manipulative enactment of the 1858 Ottoman Land Law. Israel has other ways of annexing Palestinian lands, including declaring lands as abandoned assets, military occupation, and claiming land for public needs. https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/413326.aspx Doctor and medical communities are observing a 'Black Day' today in protest against yoga guru Baba Ramdev's remarks against allopathy. #ArrestQuackRamdev and #BlackDay are also trending on social media amid the protests. In a video that went viral, and subsequently led to the standoff between Ramdev and the Indian Medical Association, the yoga guru can be seen saying allopathy is 'stupid science'. He also criticised medicines like Remdesivir and Favipiravir, saying that they were approved by the Drugs Controller General of India but failed to work on patients. "Lakhs of patients have died because of allopathic medicines rather than a shortage of oxygen," he said. Medical associations from across the nation have demanded an 'unconditional open public apology' for Ramdev's 'insensitive and derogatory' comments. Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA) has called the protest. It said that even after raising objections, no action has been taken against the yoga guru. "We are hereby declaring Nationwide Black Day Protest on 1st June 2021 at the workplace, without hampering healthcare services. We demand an unconditional open public apology from him or action against him under the relevant sections of the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897," it said. IMA has been at loggerheads with Ramdev since the video went viral. It extended its support to the Black Day protests. It also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take action against Ramdev under sedition clauses. Meanwhile, Twitter is abuzz with criticism of Ramdev. #ArrestQuackRamdev and #BlackDay are trending on Twitter, with people questioning his credentials. Some users have called for sedition charges on the yoga guru, while some asked if he was willing to step into a COVID-19 ward without mask and other protection. The agitation begins nationawide and support pouring from Karnataka.#ArrestQuackRamdev One shouldn't get away after belittling and ridiculating the sacrifice of the fraternity.The anguish we have would reflect in our agitation today. Regards Team FORDA pic.twitter.com/b4GhipNOjt GenSecFORDA Official (@GenSecFORDA) June 1, 2021 Black Day for Medical Fraternity Black Day for Doctors working against Covid Pandemic since March,2020 Black Day for family of 1400+ Doctors; we lost during this Pandemic#ArrestQuackRamdevpic.twitter.com/RyfkhXebYX Gujarat Intern Doctors' Association - GIDA (@GIDA_Official) June 1, 2021 I stand with my Doctor's. I stand with science. #ArrestQuackRamdev Hansraj Meena (@HansrajMeena) June 1, 2021 RDA SJH and resident from VMMC and associated Sjh leading the protest from National Capital under Aegis of Honorable President FORDA and RDA Sjh @manish_vmmc. Thanking the team for taking efforts to unite the franternity Nation-wide.#ArrestQuackRamdev Team FORDA pic.twitter.com/X08B5I03XS GenSecFORDA Official (@GenSecFORDA) June 1, 2021 Along with that hashtag, #StandWithDoctors also started trending on the social media site. Netizens said that doctors put themselves in danger to help COVID-19 patients and are worthy of nothing but respect. Ramdev's Patanjali Ayurved defended the yoga guru and said that the video has been edited and the statement taken out of context. It said that the guru has "no ill-will against modern science and good practitioners of modern medicine". It retracted its earlier statements but put forth 25 questions over allopathic treatment. "Does the pharma industry have permanent treatment for thyroid, arthritis, colitis and asthma?" he asked, adding, "What treatment is there for cholesterol?" Also read: Baba Ramdev vs IMA's Dr Lele: Yoga guru and shut ups Also read: Baba Ramdev puts 25 questions before IMA after allopathy foot-in-mouth episode KYODO NEWS - May 31, 2021 - 20:03 | All, Japan, Coronavirus Japanese regional airlines Airdo Co. and Solaseed Air Inc. said Monday they will set up a holding company in October 2022 to merge their operations, in a sign of accelerating industry consolidation after the coronavirus pandemic battered travel demand. As part of efforts to improve their financial standing, Airdo and Solaseed Air will try to reduce costs through joint aircraft maintenance and procurement of supplies. The two airlines also said they will raise 7 billion yen ($64 million) and 2.5 billion yen, respectively, in fresh capital, by issuing preferred shares to the state-backed Development Bank of Japan and regional banks. Airdo, headquartered in Sapporo on the country's northernmost major island Hokkaido, and Solaseed Air, based in Miyazaki in the southwestern region of Kyushu, will maintain their company names and current flight routes after establishment of the holding company. They have no plans to cut jobs and expect their balance of payments positions will improve by up to 5 billion yen within five years. Solaseed Air President Kosuke Takahashi said at a press conference the two airlines "will make the most of our scale merit by deepening our cooperation." "As an airline based in the region, we will aim to achieve sustainable growth," Airdo President Susumu Kusano told the press separately. The two airlines have accepted capital injections from the DBJ and ANA Holdings Inc. while expanding their businesses through code-sharing flights with the major Japanese carrier. In the business year ended in March, Airdo and Solaseed Air incurred net losses of 12.18 billion yen and 7.69 billion yen, respectively, as air travel fell sharply due to the pandemic. Airdo was established in 1996 as Hokkaido International Airlines Co. and revived its business with help from ANA after going bankrupt in 2002. It currently operates flights connecting cities in Hokkaido and Tokyo, Sendai, Nagoya and Kobe. Solaseed Air, founded in 1997 as Skynet Asia Airways Co., accepted a bailout plan from the state-backed Industrial Revitalization Corp. to turn around its struggling business in 2004 and now operates flights on a total of 14 routes, including those linking the Kyushu region and Okinawa with Tokyo. Related coverage: All Nippon Airways starts trial of COVID-19 status app at Tokyo airport FOCUS: Japan airlines eye low-cost services to drive post-pandemic growth Pandemic plunges JAL into 1st net loss since 2012 relisting KYODO NEWS - Jun 1, 2021 - 19:38 | All, Japan Former trade minister Isshu Sugawara submitted his resignation to the House of Representative on Tuesday after coming under investigation again over a money and gift scandal that prosecutors had once dropped. The prosecutors are likely arranging to issue a summary indictment on the ruling Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker for violation of the election law, a source close to the investigation said. A summary indictment is a simplified proceeding that skips court proceedings and applies to less serious offenses. The move is expected to deal a heavy blow to Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who had pushed for Sugawara to become trade minister in September 2019. Sugawara submitted a letter of resignation to lower house speaker Tadamori Oshima for approval by the chamber. "I urge him to fulfill his responsibility to explain himself as soon as possible," said Natsuo Yamaguchi, the leader of Komeito, the LDP's junior coalition ally. LDP executives had been making arrangements behind the scenes for Sugawara's resignation, as they were concerned about the impact of the money scandal on the July election for the Tokyo metropolitan assembly as well as a lower house election which will be held by this fall, sources close to the matter said. Sugawara, who stepped down as minister in October 2019 over the scandal, was questioned by prosecutors after a civil inquest body decided in February that he merits indictment. His office is alleged to have offered money and gifts to supporters between 2017 and 2019 in violation of the election law. The Public Offices Election Law prohibits politicians from making donations to voters in their constituencies, except for money given in person by lawmakers at ceremonies such as weddings and funerals, and violators are fined up to 500,000 yen ($4,500). As a lawmaker loses his or her job once a fine or more severe penalty is finalized, Sugawara has likely decided to resign, the sources said. In June last year, the special investigation squad of the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office decided not to indict Sugawara for giving condolence money and flowers totaling 300,000 yen through his secretary and others to 27 voters from 2017 to 2019. But the Committee for the Inquest of Prosecution overturned the decision. Such panels, composed of voters chosen by lottery, are set up to review decisions by prosecutors not to put a suspect on trial if that decision is challenged. KYODO NEWS - Jun 1, 2021 - 18:34 | Sports, News, All, Coronavirus Members of the Australian women's softball team on Tuesday became the first group of athletes to arrive in Japan for a pre-Olympic training camp since the Tokyo Games were postponed more than a year ago due to the coronavirus pandemic. The squad's arrival at a hotel in Ota, around 80 kilometers northwest of Tokyo, came about 50 days before the opening of the Olympics and with the Japanese public, concerned about a surge in COVID-19 infections, largely opposed to holding such a global sporting event this summer. The 20 "Aussie Spirit" players and nine staff, who came via Singapore, will hold training sessions in the city in Gunma Prefecture from Saturday through July 17. The team members, wearing their uniforms featuring Australia's national sporting colors of green and gold, as well as face masks, waved to the press upon arrival. All members of the delegation, who had received COVID-19 vaccinations, tested negative for the virus at Narita airport, according to Japanese health authorities, before heading to Ota by chartered bus. The members will be under tight restrictions while in Japan, where infections have been declining at a slow pace partly because the vaccination rate has lagged far behind other developed countries. The Australian team will move into the Olympic village before playing its opening Olympic match against Japan at Fukushima Azuma stadium on July 21, two days before the official beginning of the Tokyo Olympics. Head coach Robert Harrow said that his team will be "respectful" of Japanese citizens and "fall in line with the rules applied to us during our stay to keep everyone safe." "We will be focused purely on our training during our time in Japan," Harrow said in a statement released by the city government. "We are lucky enough to be the first team to open Olympic competition against Japan which is very exciting and a huge honor." Members of the national team will also be required to undergo daily virus testing and be prevented from interacting with the general public, with all sleeping, dining and meeting rooms confined to three floors in their hotel. The players and staff will only be allowed to leave the hotel to travel to and from their training facilities. The team will train for over a month, during which it will play practice matches against clubs from the Japan Softball League and universities. Japanese cities and towns have been facing challenges to ensure the safety of athletes and residents amid rising concern over the spread of highly contagious coronavirus variants, while Tokyo and some other areas of the country remain under a state of emergency with people asked to avoid nonessential outings. A total of 105 municipalities have so far called off plans to receive overseas athletes for pre-Olympic training camps and cultural exchanges due to COVID-19 concerns, Japan's Olympic minister Tamayo Marukawa said in a press conference on Tuesday. Ota and 527 other municipalities in Japan have enrolled in the government-led "Host Town" initiative aimed at connecting local people with overseas athletes and many of them have offered to serve as pre-Olympic training camp sites. Since 2018, Aussie Spirit has held three training camps in the city and has had exchanges with local people through school visits and other events. Gunma Gov. Ichita Yamamoto told reporters, "We will support (the Australian players) as much as possible" after inspecting a ballpark in Ota where they will train. Yamamoto added he hopes the Olympics will be a "success despite the coronavirus pandemic." Ota Mayor Masayoshi Shimizu said in a statement, "I hope the (Australian) team wins a medal," adding he and local residents will fully support the players to that end. To prevent the spread of infections, the Australians will not meet locals directly this time and instead online exchange events are being planned. In the past, local high school students participated in events with Australia's national softball team. "I wanted to let (my students) interact with the players. If only coronavirus hadn't existed," said Risa Akutsu, who coaches an Ota girls' high school softball team. Australia was among the teams competing at the 1996 Atlanta Games when softball made its debut and it has gone on to win one silver and three bronze medals. By Reito Kaneko, KYODO NEWS - Jun 1, 2021 - 20:41 | All, Japan Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and Adm. John Aquilino, the new commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, affirmed Tuesday their strong opposition to China's unilateral attempts to alter the status quo in the Indo-Pacific region, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said. The two also agreed to strengthen the Japan-U.S. security alliance and pursue a free and open Indo-Pacific together, according to the ministry. Aquilino said at the outset of the talks it was "extremely important" for him to visit Japan as the first country after assuming his position on April 30. Suga told Aquilino that during the premier's visit to Washington in April, he "was able to not only build a trusted personal relationship with President (Joe) Biden, but we also reconfirmed to further strengthen our Japan-U.S. alliance." "The U.S.-Japan alliance is the cornerstone of the peace and security that exists in the Pacific today," Aquilino said in response. Suga and Aquilino also exchanged views regarding the latest situation in North Korea and agreed on Japan and the United States collaborating closely in dealing with the country, the Foreign Ministry said. Related coverage: Biden administration proposes $6 tril. budget amid China competition Japan, U.K. leaders affirm cooperation for free, open Indo-Pacific Japan, EU leaders call for peace and stability across Taiwan Strait Separately, Aquilino held talks with Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi and affirmed the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, the Defense Ministry said. In March, Adm. Philip Davidson, Aquilino's predecessor, warned China's threat could be more imminent than perceived. China could invade Taiwan "in the next six years," Davidson told the Senate Committee on Armed Services. Aquilino told senators at a confirmation hearing in the same month, "My opinion is this problem is much closer to us than most think," but he declined to weigh in on Davidson's assessment of the six-year timeframe. In his talks with Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, Aquilino and the minister confirmed that the transfer of U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma from the crowded residential area of Ginowan to the less densely populated coastal district of Henoko, in Nago, both in Okinawa Prefecture, will go ahead as planned. Motegi said the understanding and cooperation of local communities is essential for the stable stationing of U.S. forces in Japan and sought safe operations by the troops, according to the Foreign Ministry. Meanwhile, Gen. Koji Yamazaki, chief of the Self-Defense Forces Joint Staff, told Aquilino he is "encouraged by the strong commitment of the United States under Article 5 of the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty." Japan and the United States have reiterated the article of the 1960 security treaty applies to the Japanese-controlled Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, which are called Diaoyu and claimed by China, meaning that Washington will defend Tokyo in the event of an armed attack against the group of islets. New Delhi: Faced with depleting strength of its fighter squadron, the Indian Air Force on Wednesday issued the request for proposal (RFP) to state-run aerospace behemoth Hindustan Aeronautics Limited for the procurement of 83 Tejas light combat aircraft at a cost of over Rs 50,000 crore. The IAF had earlier placed an order with the HAL for 40 Tejas aircraft. The RFP for 83 Tejas light combat aircraft has been issued today, setting the ball rolling for finalising the contract for the mega-deal, official sources said. The Defence Acquisition Council, the defence ministry's highest decision making body on procurement, had in November last year approved the purchase of 83 Tejas Mark 1 A by IAF at a cost of Rs 50,025 crore. The sources said the final deal for the procurement is likely to be inked within the next five months. They said out of the 83 LCA, 10 will be used for training purposes. According to official figures, 14 squadrons of the MiG 21, MiG 27 and MiG 29 are due for retirement in the next 10 years which will bring down the fighter squadron strength to 19 by 2027 from the current 33. The strength may be further reduced to 16 by 2032. In an interview with PTI, HAL Chairman and Managing Director T Suvarna Raju had said most of the 42 modifications in Tejas sought by the IAF, including weaponisation of the aircraft, had been carried out. "Tejas is a four-and-half generation world class fighter jet. There is no doubt about it. We can improve its various parameters. We are proud of Tejas. Every Indian will be proud of it. We will ensure enhancement in its quality and performance," Raju had said. There have been views in the IAF that the Tejas aircraft was not enough to maintain its combat readiness and it needed to quickly procure a fleet of foreign single engine fighters to deal with any possible security challenges faced by the country in the backdrop of the dwindling size of its fighter fleet. The IAF believes that it has to have a wide mix of aircraft to maintain an operational edge over its adversaries. The HAL CMD had said that the four-and-half generation Tejas would be able to deliver what is expected of it. The lifespan of the jet would be a minimum of 30 years just like any other frontline combat aircraft, he had said. The combat jets are classified under various generations depending on their avionics, capability and weapons systems. The current fleet of fighter jets with the IAF range from three-and-half generation to the fourth generation. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Former Telecom minister and DMK leader A Raja on Thursday hailed the verdict in the 2G spectrum allocation scam case in which he was acquitted by a special court. "I will read the judgement and tell. You see everybody is happy," Raja told reporters after coming out of the court room. He was surrounded by party workers who were rejoicing his acquittal. Also Read: 2G spectrum scam: Heres a timeline of how major events unfolded in the case For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday said the 2G verdict was examined prima facie and the agency will appeal against special courts judgement in the Delhi High Court. "CBI will appeal against special court's verdict in 2G case in Delhi High Court," CBI spokesperson Abhishek Dayal said. A special CBI court on Thursday acquitted all accused including former telecom minister A Raja in the 2G spectrum scam case. On the special courts verdict, CBI said, Todays judgement has been prima facie examined & it appears that evidence adduced to substantiate charges by the prosecution has not been appreciated in its proper perspective by the learned court. CBI will be taking necessary legal remedies in the matter. The judgment brought a huge sigh of relief to the Congress as the party had to face massive outrage over the scam and BJP had used the issue as one of its main weapons against it in 2014 Lok Sabha election. Read More | 2G verdict: Huge relief for A Raja, Kanimozhi as special CBI court acquits all accused Former telecom minister A Raja was one of the main accused in the case including DMK chief M Karunanidhis daughter M. K. Kanimozhi and 15 others. After the courts verdict all of them were acquitted from the charges of corruption. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh hailed the verdict of the court and came out in defense of the UPA Govt by stating that "massive propaganda" against the UPA on the 2G spectrum was without any foundation. The judgment of the Special CBI court speaks for itself. "I do not want to boast (about) anything. The court's judgement has to be respected. I am glad that the court has pronounced unambiguously. All the massive propaganda which was being done against the UPA was without any foundation. The judgment speaks for itself," Singh said. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Hyderabad: Police on Wednesday arrested six persons, two of them women, for allegedly trying to buy a six-day-old baby girl from a poor couple. Based on a specific information, police laid a trap and nabbed a group of persons near a temple at Saroor Nagar, where they had come to complete the deal, an official said. The newborn was rescued and will be handed over to the local Child Welfare Committee, Rachakonda Police Commissioner Mahesh M Bhagwat said. "The gang, led by one Kedavath Ravi, contacted a tribal couple in a village in Mahbubnagar district and offered to buy their newborn child," Bhagwat said. The couple is poor and already has two daughters, said Bhagwat. Also read| Delhi: Two-year-old child drowns in bucket in Wazipur According to police, the gang members planned to buy the newborn for Rs 15,000 and sell her to a prospective customer for Rs 80,000. The accused were booked for trafficking of a minor under relevant sections of the IPC besides provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act, police said, adding further probe was on. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Uttarkashi : The IAF on Tuesday successfully landed an AN-32 multi-purpose aircraft at the strategically important Chinyalisaur airstrip in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi district after visibility improved in the region. Efforts were underway for the past three days to land the 56-seater aircraft at the airstrip, but it could not be done due to poor visibility, an IAF official said requesting anonymity. Air Commodore S Banerjee of the Central Air Command expressed happiness over the aircraft's successful landing at the strategically important airstrip. Earlier, an IAF team from the command and the aviation department had inspected the airstrip to find if it was fit for landing such an aircraft. Inspections had also been conducted on Monday by an IAF team from Bengaluru. Ninety-five per cent of the work on the 1,165 metre-long and 30 metre-wide Chinyalisaur airstrip is through, an official said, adding that work on an ATC tower, a terminal and levelling of the area around the runway remains to be done. The airstrip is not just strategically important but also crucial from the point of view of disasters, he said. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Railways has received over 5,500 complaints over catering services in trains in the first seven months of the current financial year, Parliament was informed on Wednesday. Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain said in Lok Sabha that 5,665 complaints were received by the railways between April 1-October 31 this year, over bad catering services. According to the data provided by the minister, complaints regarding food have been on the up since 2014-2015. While only 7,055 complaints were received in 2014-2015, it rose to 8,708 in 2015-2016 and further to 10,437 the next year. Complaints over the quality of food were the highest with 2,890 instances being registered with the national transporter, followed by complaints regarding over charging, misbehaviour, quantity of food, hygiene and other catering related issues. "In its endeavour to provide quality and hygienic food to the passengers, railways have developed and operationalized and institutionalised mechanism for monitoring of quality and hygiene if catering services through regular inspections at various levels to address catering complaints", Gohain said. Also Read| Railways to offer discounts like hotels, airlines; flexi-fare to be revamped: Minister Piyush Goyal The minister stated that railways has taken a slew of actions against offending caterers, it has fined 2,505, warned 1,305, terminated the services of 12, suitably advised 440, initiated disciplinary action against four and reprimanded 1,005 more, in 2017. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. India's manufacturing activity slipped in May as the second wave of coronavirus pandemic and lockdowns imposed by states hit industrial activity, with manufacturing PMI falling to 50.8. Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) stood at 55.5 in April, as per data released by IHS Markit on Tuesday. A reading above 50 indicates expansion, while a figure below 50 shows contraction. "Although the health of the Indian manufacturing sector continued to improve in May, the latest results showed a significant loss of growth momentum. Due to the intensification of the COVID-19 crisis and its detrimental impact on demand, companies observed the slowest rises in new work and output for ten months," IHS Markit said. There was also a substantial slowdown in growth of input purchasing and another round of job shedding. Concerns surrounding the pandemic restricted business confidence towards the year-ahead outlook for production, it said. New orders increased at a marginal pace which was the slowest since the current stretch of expansion started in August 2020. Also read: #ArrestQuackRamdev, #BlackDay trends as doctors protest against yoga guru Anecdotal evidence indicated that the upturn was curbed by the escalation of the pandemic and difficulties in securing raw materials. Although new export orders also increased at a softer rate, the upturn was solid and outpaced the long-run series trend, it said. "COVID-19 restrictions and a lack of new work led companies to reduce their payroll numbers further. The decline in employment was slight, but accelerated from April," it added. Amid demand concerns, input holdings saw a slight rise, while post-production inventories witnessed a "solid contraction". "... the detrimental impacts of the pandemic and associated restrictions seen in the manufacturing sector are considerably less severe than during the first lockdown when unprecedented contractions had been recorded," IHS Markit Economics Associate Director Pollyanna De Lima said. The overall degree of optimism towards the year-ahead outlook for output was at a 10-month low, a factor which could hamper business investment and cause further job losses, Lima added. Also read: 60% of Nestle's food portfolio 'unhealthy'; company on firefighting mode New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday ordered the CBI to probe how the famous 108-foot Hanuman statue and a private two-wheeler dealership encroached upon public land in the busy Karol Bagh area and the officials who allowed it to happen by 'abusing their position'. A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar directed that the inquiry be held expeditiously and the officials of multiple agencies--DDA, North MCD, Land and Development Office, Public Works Department and Mandir Marg Police Station--should join the investigation and cooperate with the CBI. It said that the trustees running the temple should not be permitted to enjoy the benefit of money derived from the public land and directed the UCO Bank branch at Model Basti area here to freeze the account of the trust and the fixed deposits. The court said the bank should only allow deposits and not withdrawals from the account. An anguished bench observed that the authorities and their officials were required under the statute to protect the land and prevent such activities but it was a case of 'abuse of power' by them and it was 'completely reprehensible'. "The fact that you (officials) have done nothing shows your culpability. It is high time that all public officers are held accountable," the bench said. "You (DDA and North MCD) start doing your job. There is rampant trampling of city's rights," it said. Also Read: HC asks AAP government to spread awareness on rights of senior citizens Observing that the authorities permitted the illegal constructions to come up for "obvious pecuniary advantages", the court directed the CBI to probe whether there was any "quid pro quo for permitting illegal construction" and its further development and asked the agency to file its status report on February 6. The bench said as per the police, the monthly income of the temple from offerings is Rs four lakh but the actual figures may be more than what they were able to ascertain. The court also asked the Delhi Police to handover to the CBI the details and documents of the inquiry conducted so far. "Time has come to fix responsibility. Violating the Supreme Court's direction and statutory provisions cannot be countenanced. None of the authorities have taken a single step to protect the land or prevent encroachment. There is total non-compliance of statutory provisions by the authorities," it said. The court had ordered a police probe after a committee appointed by it in May to look into illegal constructions all over Delhi had pointed to encroachments of up to 1,170 square yards on DDA land which forms part of the Southern Ridge. It had also said that apart from the Hanuman statue, there was unauthorised construction of multiple small and big buildings of up to four floors including a residential complex there. Also Read: Delhi needs more buses, not officials in jail: HC to AAP govt The bench had then directed the authorities to take action against the unauthorised construction on public land and ensure that all encroachments on the Southern Ridge are removed immediately and the Ridge is secured in terms of the orders of the Supreme Court. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Mathura: Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati, the Shankaracharya of Dwaraka-Sharda Peeth, said that there was no logic in the assertion that those born in India were Hindus as he claimed it would "eliminate the basic structure of society". He was reacting to the statement of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat that anybody living in India was a Hindu. "The theory that one who is born in India is Hindu has no logic behind it since it will eliminate the basic structure of society," the Shankaracharya told reporters in Vrindavan. A real Hindu has faith in the Vedas and Shastras, while Muslims read the Quran and Hadith and Christians follow the Bible, he said. Also read: CPM accuses Congress of helping BJP-RSS in Kerala Addressing a gathering in Tripura earlier this week, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief said, "Muslims in India are also Hindus." On the Ayodhya temple dispute, the Shankaracharya said that political parties did not have the right to build a Ram temple in Ayodhya. "Only Shankaracharyas and Dharmacharyas have the right to construct a temple in Ayodhya," he added. Also read: Gujarat elections saw casteism acquiring threatening proportions, says RSS The government too cannot construct a temple as India is "a secular (dharm nirpeksh) country", he said. On a controversy surrounding the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) in elections, the Hindu religious leader said that he was in favour of the use of ballot papers. If most of the political parties do not want EVMs, the Election Commission should not stick to it, he said. He said that pollution in the Ganga and Yamuna rivers has increased manifold and added that the government should shut dams or barrages on the two rivers to allow them to carry their natural flows of water. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The special CBI court on Thursday acquitted all accused in the 2G spectrum scam case. The court verdict has come as a huge sigh of relief for former telecom minister A. Raja, DMK chief M Karunanidhis daughter M. K. Kanimozhi and former telecom secretary Siddharth Behura who were the main accused in this case. Others acquitted in the case are former telecom secretary Siddharth Behura, Raja's erstwhile private secretary R K Chandolia, Swan Telecom promoters Shahid Usman Balwa and Vinod Goenka, Unitech Ltd MD Sanjay Chandra and three top executives of Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (RADAG) Gautam Doshi, Surendra Pipara and Hari Nair. The trial in 2G spectrum scam started six years ago in 2011 after the court had framed charges against 17 accused in the CBI case for offenses that entailed punishment ranging from six months to life imprisonment. Mr Raja was accused of allocating airwaves and licenses for cellphone networks in exchange for kickbacks and causing the state a loss of Rs. 1.76 lakh crore. The Time magazine ranked the 2G scam as the world's second-biggest abuse of executive power. In its charge sheet filed in April 2011 against Raja and others, the CBI had alleged that there was a loss of Rs 30,984 crore to the exchequer in allocation of 122 licences for 2G spectrum which were scrapped by the Supreme Court on February 2, 2012. Here are the highlights of the 2G verdict: #All the people of the industry who were accused have suffered enough, licenses cancelled, they were also unable to travel abroad: Mukul Rohatgi,former Attorney General #Tamil Nadu: DMK supporters distribute sweets in celebration in Coimbatore after the acquittal of all the accused in #2GScamVerdict by Delhi's Patiala House Court. #We are very happy that justice has prevailed. It is a big day for the DMK family. It is an answer to all the blames & the problems we faced: Kanimozhi after her acquittal # I am sure that the investigative agencies will have a close look at it (the judgement & acquittal of accused) & decide what has to be done: Arun Jaitley #We are yet to receive complete judgement. We will study it, take legal opinion and decide future action, says #CBI spokesperson Abhishek Dayal on #2GVerdict # The acquittal of all the accused by the special court has brought happiness to us. The verdict further proves that there was no wrong done. All this has been proved: MK Stalin, DMK Working President # Each & every case of spectrum allocation was quashed by SC (in 2012) as arbitrary & unfair, the policy was quashed as unfair & intended to cause loss to GoI & the govt was directed to have a fresh policy by which an auction would take place: Arun Jaitley #2GScamVerdict #Congress leaders are treating this judgement as some kind of a badge of honor & a certification that it was an honest policy: Arun Jaitley #This was a corrupt & dishonest policy, which has already been upheld by the Supreme Court in 2012: Arun Jaitley # We are saying that the PM should come to the house and give a clarification, this govt was formed on the basis that UPA was embroiled in 2G & other scams, but now it has been proved that it was just a scam of lies by the opposition: Kapil Sibal, Congress ##WATCH: Former PM Manmohan Singh says, 'the court judgement has to be respected. I'm glad that the court has pronounced that the massive propaganda against UPA was without any foundation.' #2GScamVerdict pic.twitter.com/9WAhwjekph #We're relieved of the huge tension we had. What kept us going was that we knew all along that Law of the land will be upheld. We knew that if there will be a fair trial it will give us the justice: Hussain Balwa, brother of Swan Telecom promoter Shahid Usman Balwa #All acquitted in the case will have to furnish a bail bond of Rs. 5 lakhs each. This is done to ensure their presence in a higher appellate court if the verdict is challenged #If the Government has concrete evidence, then they should take the matter to a higher court: Anna Hazare #2GScamVerdict pic.twitter.com/wkTmT9JJm3 #BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, on whose PIL CBI probe was ordered in 2G case, says Govt should appeal in high court against acquittals #2GVerdict # DMK supporters marching and celebrating outside Patiala House Court after the Court's pronouncement of the verdict. All accused have been acquitted. #WATCH: Former Telecom Minister A Raja after being acquitted in the #2GScam pic.twitter.com/hmu8oWOZeD ANI (@ANI) December 21, 2017 #"The prosecution has miserably failed to prove its case, and all accused are acquitted," judge OP Saini is reported to have said while acquitting all accused in the 2G scam story. #CBI special court acquits all accused in the 2 G Scam case # A Raja, M. K. Kanimozhi acquitted by Special Court Also Read: 2G spectrum scam: Heres a timeline of how major events unfolded in the case # Security remains heightened at Patiala House Court, in view of the #2GScamVerdict # Former Telecom Minister A Raja arrives at Patiala House Court # Kanimozhi, daughter of DMK chief M Karunanidhi & Rajya Sabha MP, arrives at Patiala House Court #Former Minister A Raja leaves from his residence for Patiala House Court #Delhi: Former Minister A Raja leaves from his residence for Patiala House Court for the #2GScamVerdict pic.twitter.com/cykqTee9qw For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: As many as 31,318 Indians have died in foreign countries since 2014 with more than half of the deaths being reported from Saudi Arabia and the UAE, the Lok Sabha was informed on Wednesday. Replying to a written question, Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh also said that there are 15,405 Indians in foreign jails since 2015. Highest number of prisoners are lodged in Saudi Arabian jails (5,590), while 1,132 Indians are in jails in Pakistan. However, due to the strict provisions of privacy laws, the US, Canada, Australia and many countries in the Europe do not share full information about Indian prisoners in their jails, the minister said. Also read: Pakistan grants visas to Kulbhushan Jadhavs wife, mother Giving details of the deaths of Indians in 106 countries, Singh said over 10,000 nationals have died in Saudi Arabia while over 6,000 Indians have died in the UAE since 2014. Eight such deaths have been reported from Pakistan. Countries which have reported significant number of deaths, include Bahrain, Canada, Kuwait, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar and the US. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The Congress on Wednesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of violating the Constitution and the dignity of his office by not acting against those behind conspiracy with Pakistan, a charge he made against his predecessor Manmohan Singh during the Gujarat poll campaign. It said Modi should at least clarify his remark which he allegedly used to win the Gujarat election, saying had it been Atal Behari Vajpayee as prime minister, he could have apologised 10 times. The party also alleged that Modi was trying to break the country and blemish the image of his predecessor. It earlier demanded an apology from the prime minister. The Congress earlier created an uproar in both the Houses of Parliament and disrupted proceedings. While the days work in the Rajya Sabha was washed out, its members in the Lok Sabha staged a walkout and boycotted the lower house post-lunch. The prime minister is trying to break the country and blemish the image of good people, senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge told reporters outside Parliament. He said if the prime minister had information about a secret meeting between senior Congress leaders and the Pakistan envoy and its ex-foreign minister which was anti-national, then why did he not use the Intelligence Bureau and other agencies at his disposal. If you had proof, you should have lodged an FIR against former prime minister Manmohan Singh and arrested him. You are tarnishing his image and questioning his nationalism. If the prime minister had proof, why did he not take the services of intelligence agencies if there was something anti-national. He has thereby violated the oath of secrecy he has takenIf it was not in the nations interest and was anti-national, then you have violated the Constitution and the maryada (dignity) of office, he alleged. The Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad said opposition parties have demanded that the prime minister clarifies the serious allegation he made during the Gujarat election about a secret meeting between the Pakistan envoy and an ex-foreign minister and Manmohan Singh, former vice president Hamid Ansari and an ex-Indian Army chief. When the countrys prime minister publicly accuses Manmohan Singh of conspiring with Pakistan then it is a very serious allegation and he should clarify. If he has a problem in seeking an apology, then the prime minister should say that to win the Gujarat election he threw a stunt, a gola (ball). It is acceptable to us, he said. Azad said had Vajpayee been there (as prime minister), he would have apologised 10 times. It depends on who is the prime minister. If the prime minister is taking his words back, we will accept that too. Then he need not apologise. He should only say that he said it to win the Gujarat election, he said. Azad said Modi should state in Parliament that the BJP was losing in Gujarat and it had no other option but to concoct the story of conspiracy with Pakistan, seek public sympathy and portray Congress leaders as anti-national. Let the prime minister say and admit that his job is done and now the BJP has won the election, hence I take back my words. We will accept that. The one who has levelled allegations, should explain. If there is truth in his allegations, the people concerned be punished. We are ready for it, he said. It is the culture of the BJP to abuse, call people anti-national, beat them, fire bullets at them. This has become an order of the day, he alleged. There is only one way in a democracy and that is Parliament. The prime minister and the former prime minister, who is facing the allegation, both are members of Parliament, he said, adding that Modi should clarify in Parliament. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday lost his calm after Congress MPs created ruckus over Modis allegations against Manmohan Singh and said nobody is going to give (an) apology. Congress MPs were disrupting the house demanding PM Modis apology for accusing his predecessor Manmohan Singh of conspiring with Pakistan to win Gujarat Assembly election. Naidu told disruptive Congress MPs that Prime Minister Modi didnt make the statement in the Parliament, therefore, no apology was required. "This is not the way. Nobody is going to give apology. Nothing happened in the House. The statement was not made here," News agency ANI quoted Naidu as saying. Earlier this month, Prime Minister Modi, during an election rally in Gujarat had alleged ex-PM Manmohan Singh and other Congress leaders held a secret meeting with Pakistan officials to conspire against BJP in Gujarat polls. Modis allegations were rubbished by Congress and Manmohan Singh himself came out criticising PM for spreading falsehood and demanded an apology. Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Aazad said the Prime Minister cannot shoot and scoot and if he feels difficult to apologise, then he should say that he did this to win Gujarat elections. After the ruckus, the Rajya Sabha got adjourned for the day. Highlights of Parliament Winter Session: Pak row flares up again as Oppn demands apology from PM Modi For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Indian Army's Southern Command is conducting a major military exercise called Hamesha Vijayee in the deserts of Rajasthan. The purpose of conducting Hamesha Vijayee is to assess the capabilities of the armed forces to strike deep into enemy territory. The exercise is being conducted in an integrated air-land battle scenario with units of the formations having been undergone training for the past two months to hone their skills and tactics, said the army sources. Hamesha Vijayee is going to be held from December 16 to 22. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: India and Myanmar on Wednesday inked an agreement on restoration of normalcy and development of the Rakhine State, from where thousands of Rohingya Muslims recently fled following incidents of violence against the community. Signed between Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and Myanmar Deputy Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement U Soe Aung in Myanmar's capital Nay Pyi Taw, this is the first government to government pact inked by Myanmar with a cooperation partner focused on the socio-economic development and livelihood initiatives in the Rakhine State. Jaishankar is on an official visit to Myanmar. "This is intended to help the government of Myanmar achieve its objective of restoration of normalcy in Rakhine State and enable the return of displaced persons," the external affairs ministry said. Under this MoU, India proposes to take up, among others, a project to build prefabricated housing in Rakhine State so as to meet the immediate needs of the returning people, it said. During the visit, Jaishankar called on State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, Union Minister in State Counsellor's Office U Kyaw Tint Swe and Union Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement Dr Win Myat Aye. "All matters relating to bilateral cooperation, including follow up on decisions taken during a recent visit of the prime minister to Myanmar, as well as matters pertaining to Rakhine State were discussed during these meetings," the ministry said in a statement. The foreign secretary earlier also called on Commander in Chief of the Myanmar Defence Services, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, and discussed all matters relating to security, bilateral cooperation as well as the situation in the northern Rakhine State. According to the UN estimates, since August more than 600,000 Rohingya refugees have fled to neighbouring Bangladesh after incidents of violence and oppression in the Rakhine State. In addition to the Rakhine State project proposals, a number of ongoing friendship projects were reviewed, the ministry said. Issues regarding the functioning and maintenance of Sittwe port and the road from Paletwa-Zorinpui were also reviewed, it said. Other key projects such as the Rhi-Tiddim road project, the Trilateral Highway road from Kalewa to Yargyi, the project to build 69 bridges on the Tamu-Kyigone-Kalewa road, the Yamethin Police Training Centre and hospital projects, were also discussed. PTI PYK ASK ASK . For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Sydney : A car ploughed into a crowd of pedestrians in Australia's second-largest city on Thursday, injuring at least a dozen people, some of them seriously, officials said. Victoria state police said they had arrested the driver of a car after it collided with a number of pedestrians in downtown Melbourne. Paramedics were treating and transporting to hospital 12 people, with some seriously injured, Ambulance Victoria added. Sky News Australia reported that a pre-school child with a head injury was taken to hospital in a serious condition. A witness, Sue, told Melbourne radio station 3AW that she heard screams before she saw people flying everywhere. Also Read: India, Myanmar ink pact for socio-economic development of Rakhine We could hear this noise, as we looked left, we saw this white car, it just mowed everybody down, she said. People are flying everywhere. We heard thump, thump. People are running everywhere. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Washington : The US forces have conducted multiple ground operations and more than 120 air strikes against terror groups like Al-Qaeda and ISIS in Yemen in 2017, under a long-running campaign, the Pentagon has said. Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, or AQAP, is one of the terrorist groups most committed to and capable of conducting attacks in America, as assessed by the intelligence and defence communities, while intelligence estimates indicate that ISIS-Yemen has doubled in size over the past year. "The removal of key facilitators in this region will interrupt AQAP's freedom of movement and likely force the group into a reactionary posture, limiting their ability to challenge Yemeni Security Forces and partnered advances," said Lt Col Earl Brown, a spokesman of US Central Command (CENTCOM). "US forces also expanded counter terrorism operations in October to encompass both AQAP and ISIS. This parallel targeting effort is required to prevent ISIS-Y from filling the vacuum left by a diminished AQAP footprint or influence in the region," Brown said as CENTCOM released its year-end assessment of the fight against terrorism in Yemen. Also Read| Yemen leader orders advance on Sanaa as predecessor killed In November, the US conducted 10 strikes across Yemen governorates al-Bayda, and Marib, including a strike on Mujahid al-Adani, AQAP Shabwah leader. He was killed on November 20 in al-Bayda governorate. Al-Adani, also known as Mohammad Shukri, was a senior leader responsible for planning and conducting terrorist attacks against Yemeni, coalition and tribal security forces. He exerted significant influence within AQAP's terrorist attack networks, similarly, maintained close ties and access to the group's other senior leaders. Al-Bayda AQAP facilitator Abu Layth al-Sanaani and three AQAP associates were also killed in the November 20 strike. Ruwahah al-Sanaani, also an AQAP facilitator, was killed on November 2 in Marib governorate. On October 19, a strike killed Ubaydah al-Lawdari, the Emir of Lawdar, and four associates in al-Bayda governorate. Also Read| Saudi airstrikes in Yemens capital Sanaa kill at least 35 civilians, rescue operations underway Al-Lawdari had been known to provide equipment and money in support of AQAP attacks against coalition forces, posing an increased threat to US interests. Meanwhile, a series of strikes against two ISIS terror training camps in al-Bayda in October 16 killed more than 50 ISIS-Y combatants, disrupting the organisation's attempts to recruit and train new fighters. According to CENTCOM, ongoing operations pressuring the network have also degraded AQAP's propaganda production, reducing one of the methods for the terror group to recruit and inspire lone wolf attacks across the globe. The al-Masra Newsletter, previously published three times a month, has not been published since July. Al-Malahim Establishment for Media Production, which produces AQAP's terrorist-inspiring video series, as well as Inspire Magazine, saw a large drop in October. Unable to produce video series and graphic terror-inspiring magazines, AQAP has resorted to using low-tech audio messages, CENTCOM said. "US forces have enabled regional counterterrorism partners to regain territory from these terrorists - forcing them to spend more time on survival," said Brown. "These operations have helped to illuminate terrorist networks, making intelligence-gathering, subsequent targeting and follow-on operations increasingly productive and effective," he added. "Every strike, every raid and every partnered operation advance the defeat of these violent extremist organisations. US forces will continue to use all effective measures to degrade the groups' ability to export terror," Brown said. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Maharashtra government has announced some relaxations depending on COVID-19 positivity rate and availability of oxygen beds. As per the latest guidelines issued under the Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA government's 'Break the Chain' initiative, municipal corporations or states that have less than 10 per cent COVID-19 positivity rate and where less than 40 per cent oxygen beds are occupied, establishments or shops involved in providing essential commodities shall remain from 7 am to 2 pm. In districts where COVID-19 positivity rate is over 20 per cent and more than 75 per cent oxygen beds are occupied, border points will be closed and no person will be allowed to enter or exit in such areas. Only exceptions will be death in a family, medical reason and emergency services or services related to such situations. Municipal corporations like Mumbai, Nashik, Pune, Navi Mumbai, Kalyan-Dombivali, Vasai, Virar, Pimpri Chinchwad, Nagpur, and Aurangabad will be treated as administrative units since they have a population of more than 10 lakh, as per the 2011 census. Also read: Major decision on CBSE Class 12 exams likely today Eased COVID restrictions in Mumbai Lockdown restrictions to remain in effect from 7 am on June 1 to 7 am on June 15 but relaxations will be granted based on the COVID-19 situation. Both essential and non-essential e-commerce deliveries will be permitted before 3 pm. Only essential services like medical, other emergency and food deliveries shall be allowed post 3 pm. All other government offices except those involved in COVID-related works shall operate at 25 per cent capacity. Agricultural shops shall be allowed to operate till 2 pm. Eased Pune lockdown restrictions Standalone shops dealing in non-essential items and liquor shops are allowed to stay open on weekdays from 7 am to 2 pm. Shops selling essential commodities are allowed to stay open on all days from 7 am to 2 pm. Punekars will not be allowed to move out after 3 pm except for medical reasons. Shops in malls will not be allowed to open while e-commerce sites can deliver both essential as well as non-essential products. Eateries will continue to provide a food delivery facility Eased COVID restrictions in Nashik Standalone shops, barring those in malls will be allowed to remain open between 7 am-2 pm Vegetables and fruits can be sold along roads till noon after complying with COVID-19 norms People will not be allowed to move around between 3 pm-6 am without any valid reasons Home delivery from restaurants, liquor vends, and hotels shall be allowed between 7 am-12 pm and 5 pm-7 pm Shops except those dealing in essential commodities will be closed on weekends Agriculture Produce Market Committees (APMCs) and industrial establishments will be allowed to function Government offices will have to work with 25 per cent attendance and the rest from home Banks and post offices shall remain open for regular work from Monday to Friday between 9 am-2 pm Educational institutions, gymnasiums, theatre, swimming pools, etc will remain closed Besides this, COVID-related restrictions have also been eased in 10 districts of Vidarbha and in districts of Marathwada. Akola and Chandrapur districts, however, have not got this relief as they continue to report a high number of COVID-19 cases. Edited by Mehak Agarwal Also read: COVID-19 cases on decline, but numbers close to last year's peak: Maharashtra CM Jerusalem : Israel is intensively lobbying countries around the world to oppose a UN resolution criticising President Donald Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital, Israeli officials said. Thursday's vote in the UN General Assembly will indicate whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has succeeded in his efforts to drum up new pockets of support in the developing world, as well as the extent to which Israel and the US are or are not alone on the question of Jerusalem. The Palestinians have turned to the General Assembly after the US vetoed a resolution this week in the Security Council calling on Trump to rescind his decision. While General Assembly votes, unlike Security Council resolutions, are not legally binding, they serve as a barometer of international sentiment on key issues. The US and Israel are both placing great weight on Thursday's vote. US Ambassador Nikki Haley threatened UN member states with possible retaliation if they support the resolution, saying Trump takes the vote "personally" and the US "will be taking names." Critics accused the US of intimidation. Israel's deputy foreign minister, Tzipi Hotovely, said that the US and Israel were making "immense efforts" to block the resolution. "We have a very, very simple message: Jerusalem is the capital of the Jewish people for 3,000 years and the capital of Israel for almost 70 years," she told Channel 10. An Israeli Foreign Ministry official confirmed the government was making a "very vast" lobbying campaign to minimise the resolution's impact. He said Israel is trying to persuade allies to abstain or even vote against it. He also said that Israel has asked Jewish organisations in certain countries to lobby their governments on Israel's behalf. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was discussing sensitive diplomatic contacts, refused to identify which countries Israel has approached or say how he expects them to vote. But he said he thinks the campaign will be "successful to a certain extent." In some ways, the vote is a test of Netanyahu's foreign policy. In recent years, the Israeli leader has invested great efforts to look beyond Israel's traditional allies in Washington and Western Europe and cultivate ties with developing nations that have traditionally been supportive of the Palestinians. He has portrayed these efforts as both a savvy strategy aimed at opening new markets for Israeli technology exports, as well as countering what Israel says is a deep-seated bias against it at the United Nations. This year alone, Netanyahu has visited China and hosted India's prime minister, Narendra Modi. He also has attended two summits in Africa, meeting with a host of leaders from across the continent, and in September, became the first sitting Israeli prime minister to visit Latin America with stops in Argentina, Mexico and Colombia. The votes cast by these countries will provide an indication about whether the diplomatic outreach is paying off. Votes by other key allies with traditionally close ties to Israel, including Germany, Britain, Australia, Canada and smaller European countries like the Netherlands, Poland and Hungary, could also provide valuable indicators about support for the US-Israeli approach. Many of these countries either abstained or opposed a landmark 2012 vote in the General Assembly that recognised Palestine with upgraded status as a nonmember state. The Israeli official said a single vote at the UN on Thursday would not determine the success of Israel's diplomatic outreach. But he said "this is certainly part of it." A draft of the UN resolution obtained by The Associated Press calls for affirming that any actions that "have altered the character, status or demographic composition of the Holy City of Jerusalem" have no legal effect and must be rescinded. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Jaipur: Four Muslim students secured top positions in various competitions on the Hindu scripture Gita in Rajasthan. The competitions were held at a 'Gita Fest' organised by Akshaya Patra Foundation. Rajasthan School Education Minister Vasudev Devnani felicitated the winners of various categories at a function on Wednesday. Nadeem Khan, a Class 10 student, won the first prize in a essay competition on the Gita, while Mazid Khan, Jaheen Naqvi and Zorabia Naqvi of junior classes secured various positions in recitation of the Gita in Sanskrit, according to the foundation. "My son has keen interest in Sanskrit and keeps on reading the subject. He is my youngest and only child among four who goes to school because he is interested in studies and want to become a scientist," said Nadeem Khan's father Asfaq Khan, a labourer. Sixteen-year old Nadeeem Khan is a student of a government school and lives in a slum near Kanota area. Zaheen Naqvi is a student of Class II and her cousin sister Zorabia Naqvi is Class IV student. Also Read | Karnataka: Lying on operation bed doctor forces Muslim woman to chant 'Krishna Krishna' They were the participants in the contest on recitation of Gita verses in Sanskrit and secured 3rd positions in the junior group. Mazid Khan, a Class 8 student, secured the third position in another group of the same competition of recitation of Gita verses. The competitions were held last month and were participated by close to 80,000 school students in Jaipur district. Addressing the award ceremony, the minister said that the Gita provides perfect solutions to modern-day problems. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Six laborers were killed and many others got injured after a boiler burst at the Sasa Musa sugar mill in Bihar's Gopalganj. The initial investigation stated boiler overheating as the reason for the blast. According to initial reports coming into the incident, many laborers are still trapped at the boiler blast site. Rescue operations were underway. Gopalganj is 160 kilometers away from Patna, Bihar. The injured were rushed to a nearby hospital; many with over 90 per cent burns. The owner of the Sasa Musa Sugar Mill has been arrested as per the initial reports. Bihar CM Nitish Kumar announces ex-gratia of Rs 4 Lakh each for next of kin of those who have lost their lives in boiler blast site at Sasa Musa sugar mill in Gopalganj. More details are awaited on the incident. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Jaipur: The Rajasthan High Court on Wednesday issued a notice to the central government seeking to know the reasons behind its decision to bar airing of condom advertisements on TV channels between 6 am and 10 pm. A bench of Chief Justice Pradeep Nandrajog and Justice DC Somani issued a notice to the central government, hearing a petition filed by an NGO. "The information and broadcasting ministry has received the notice and will reply to it," a ministry official said. In an advisory to all television channels on December 11, the information and broadcasting ministry asked them to restrict airing of condom advertisements to slots between 10 pm and 6 am, as these "could be indecent/inappropriate for viewing by children". The NGO claimed that the action of the ministry was against the interest of the public. The NGO also claimed the move showed the "hypocritical approach" of the government, wherein it is, on the one hand, promoting family planning and awareness about AIDS and STD, but on the other, it is obstructing dissemination of condom advertisements that are crucial for family planning, reducing abortion deaths and awareness about HIV-AIDS and STD (sexually transmitted diseases). The plea contends that kids and adolescents must also know about safe sex and must be given sex education. "There is not an iota of reason as to how an advertisement for condom is an unhealthy practice," it noted. Earlier, the ministry said that it was brought to its notice that some channels carried advertisements of condoms repeatedly which were alleged to be indecent, especially for children. It referred to Rule 7 (7) of the Cable Television Networks Rules 1994, which says, "No advertisement which endangers the safety of children or create in them any interest in unhealthy practices or shows them begging or in an undignified or indecent manner shall not be carried in the cable service". It also cited Rule 7 (8) which states that "indecent, vulgar, suggestive, repulsive or offensive themes or treatment shall be avoided in all advertisements", and asked TV channels not to telecast the advertisements of condoms. New Delhi: The government and the opposition on Tuesday held meetings to resolve the impasse in Parliament over PM Modis conspiracy with Pak allegations against his predecessor Manmohan Singh during the Gujarat poll campaign, but the stalemate on the issue continued. Opposition leaders met Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar and his deputy Vijay Goel in Parliament and sought a resolution of the issue. They demanded that the prime minister should clarify his remarks in the Rajya Sabha. The half-an-hour meeting in Jaitleys chamber was attended by Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Anand Sharma, besides opposition leaders Ramgopal Yadav, Satish Misra, D Raja and others. After the meeting, Jaitley separately met Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Azad in the latters chamber. Earlier, before the House commenced, the Congress leaders had also met Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu for the resolution of the issue with the Vice President suggesting that the matter be resolved between the opposition and the government sitting across the table. Azad also raised the issue in the House after which Naidu suggested that the two sides sit together and resolve the issue. Leader of the House Arun Jaitley agreed to do so and the two meetings with the opposition followed. The meeting has been held. Opposition leaders have given their proposition to the government, Congress leader Anand Sharma told reporters. We are still waiting whether the justifiable demand of the opposition is acceptable to the prime minister so that we can bring a closure to the controversy which was painful, which was of his creation and was entirely avoidable, he said. Sharma said the prime minister has said something which in their view is a constitutional transgression because he holds the office of the prime minister. To say anything that casts aspersions which are insidious on the former prime minister who held his office with distinction for 10 years, former vice president, former Army chief and distinguished diplomats, they all are deeply anguished and they cannot speak for themselves, he said. Sharma said the opposition has been asking the government and the prime minister to clarify and restore the dignity of both his office and of the political narrative of the country. We can request him, we can demand, but it is up to him whether to redeem what he should believe or not..., he said. The Rajya Sabha, however, functioned today after the Chairman said the issue would be resolved. Opposition members raised slogans and sought an apology. Azad said the prime minister should come to the House and clarify what he said, as his charges that his predecessor was conspiring with Pakistan was a big issue. Azad said allegations are levelled during elections but some are not good for democracy, politics and the country. Such allegations are deadly for those against whom they are made, he said, adding that Manmohan Singhs integrity and loyalty to the country has been questioned. Is he the person who is conspiring against the Indian state? Is the former prime minister, former vice president not loyal to the country? These allegations are made by no less than the prime minister. The prime minister of India should come to the House and explain his remarks and if the former prime minister and others are proved wrong, then action should be taken against them, he told the House amid vociferous protests by Congress members, who raised slogans of maafi mango (apologise). Naidu, while talking about his morning meeting with Congress leaders, said, My suggestion was (that) it is not good for the country to see that the House is not running properly. All things can be internally discussed...and dignity of Parliament should be maintained, he said. Azad said, It is a matter of privilege. It should also be to the satisfaction of Manmohan Singh. Azad said. Earlier, Manmohan Singh had met Naidu and expressed his concerns to him. I have talked to him and have understood what he meant. I have also received a note of what exactly he said and also what was said about the prime minister by others...calling names, Naidu said, adding that the prime minister is the prime minister of the country and that has to be kept in mind by everybody. Sharma said, He is the Prime Minister and we are conscious of dignity of the office of Prime Minister, which we want him to restore. We are waiting in what manner the Prime Minister seeks to address because it is not in the interest of the country or Indian democracy that a serving Prime Minister casts insidious aspersions on his immediate predecessor, he said. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Japan is extending its emergency aid to India to help its friend fight the Covid-19 pandemic. As per the Japanese foreign ministry, Japan has step forward to help of nearly USD 14.8 million, which includes additional medical supplies. India is now coming back to the track against the race going on with coronavirus pandemic. The country reported the lowest daily new coronavirus infections in 50 days with 1,52,734 cases. Currently, the country's total tally records 2,80,47,534 cases. The death toll mounted to 3,29,100 with 3,128 daily deaths, said the Union Health Ministry. The Government of Japan decided to extend Emergency Grant Aid. Japan said we stand with India, our friend and partner, in her efforts to fight against the Covid-19 pandemic through this additional emergency assistance, and hopes that Japan's assistance will contribute to alleviating and containing the Covid-19 situation. Amid the coronavirus sufferings this assistance with addition to 1,000 ventilators and 2,000 oxygen concentrators to India through the United Nations Office for Project Services as part of the assistance of up to USD 50 million announced on May 5. Prior to this month, Japan had announced to provide 300 oxygen concentrators and 300 ventilators to India. On May 5, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi told his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar to provide additional grant assistance of up to USD 50 million to India, based on New Delhi's needs. Besides Japan, the leading countries that have supplied assistance to India include the US, France, Russia, Germany, Australia, Ireland, Belgium, Romania, Luxembourg, Singapore, Portugal, Sweden, New Zealand, Kuwait and Mauritius. Also Read Check astrological prediction for Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer and other signs PIL on the XII Board exam: 12 exams in 2 days, Centre tells SC Violating lockdown norms: 22 arrested including one priest Libya and Italy will work together on illegal immigration and renewable energies, Prime Minister Mario Draghi and Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah told before media. Italy stands with Libya and supports it during this complex transition: the concrete implementation of a ceasefire, the removal of foreign mercenaries and soldiers, and the creation of an institutional structure, the Italian prime minister Draghi said adding that If all goes well, this process should culminate with elections and a process of national reconciliation by the end of the year. Other European countries will be part of this effort, Draghi said. As part of its commitment, Italy will help build hospitals and send medical staff and also get several dozen Libyan children with pediatric cancer patients for treatment in Italy, Draghi said. Libya is Italy s largescale energy partner in terms of fossil fuels but we also want to start cooperation in the field of renewable energy, the Italian leader said. Draghi said the two leaders also discussed humanitarian issues and migration, the fight against human traffickers, refugee assistance, humanitarian corridors and the development of rural communities. Libya has been suffering insecurity and chaos since the fall of the late leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, making the North African country a preferred point of departure for thousands of illegal migrants wanting to cross the Mediterranean toward European shores. Tiktok: 25-year-old youth making video for ticket in Pakistan flown in Jhelum river US spy: Denmark accused of helping US spy on top German leaders World economy could grow at 6 percent this year: OECD statement Kathmandu, June 1 Emerging politician Ujwal Thapa, who established the Bibeksheel Nepali party a few years ago, is no more. He was popular among the youth of Nepal thanks to his courage to establish a party with an aim to do alternative politics. The 44-year-old man breathed his last at 4:25 this afternoon while undergoing treatment at Mediciti Hospital of Lalitpur, according to a statement issued on behalf of his family, friends and fans. He had tested positive for the coronavirus a few days ago. Doctors had applied the extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) technology in their bids to treat him, but that failed. He tested negative for the virus on Monday, but his health had already deteriorated by then. Despite his coronavirus negativity, the family says the final rites will be private and has asked fans not to participate. A few days ago, his fans had collected funds for his treatment nationally and internationally. Over Rs 5 million was collected, but the fundraising had stopped citing no improvements in his health. Thapas Bibeksheel Nepali had merged with Rabindra Mishras Sajha Party to become the Bibeksheel Sajha Party in the run-up to the 2017 parliamentary elections. However, they had split in early January 2019. Following that, Thapa was not much active in politics. The two parties re-merged in December 2020, but Thapa had already handed over the party leadership to Milan Pandey then. First used to soak up oil in water, new sponge sequesters excess phosphate from water Phosphate pollution in rivers, lakes and other waterways has reached dangerous levels, causing algae blooms that starve fish and aquatic plants of oxygen. Meanwhile, farmers worldwide are coming to terms with a dwindling reserve of phosphate fertilizers that feed half the world's food supply. Inspired by Chicago's many nearby bodies of water, a Northwestern University-led team has developed a way to repeatedly remove and reuse phosphate from polluted waters. The researchers liken the development to a "Swiss Army knife" for pollution remediation as they tailor their membrane to absorb and later release other pollutants. The research will be published during the week of May 31 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. Phosphorus underpins both the world's food system and all life on earth. Every living organism on the planet requires it: phosphorous is in cell membranes, the scaffolding of DNA and in our skeleton. Though other key elements like oxygen and nitrogen can be found in the atmosphere, phosphorous has no analog. The small fraction of usable phosphorous comes from the Earth's crust, which takes thousands or even millions of years to weather away. And our mines are running out. A 2021 article in The Atlantic by Julia Rosen cited Isaac Asimov's 1939 essay, in which the American writer and chemist dubbed phosphorous "life's bottleneck." Given the shortage of this non-renewable natural resource, it is sadly ironic that many of our lakes are suffering from a process known as eutrophication, which occurs when too many nutrients enter a natural water source. As phosphate and other minerals build up, aquatic vegetation and algae become too dense, depleting oxygen from water and ultimately killing aquatic life. "We used to reuse phosphate a lot more," said Stephanie Ribet, the paper's first author. "Now we just pull it out of the ground, use it once and flush it away into water sources after use. So, it's a pollution problem, a sustainability problem and a circular economy problem." Ecologists and engineers traditionally have developed tactics to address the mounting environmental and public health concerns around phosphate by eliminating phosphate from water sources. Only recently has the emphasis shifted away from removing to recovering phosphate. "One can always do certain things in a laboratory setting," said Vinayak Dravid, the study's corresponding author. "But there's a Venn Diagram when it comes to scaling up, where you need to be able to scale the technology, you want it to be effective and you want it to be affordable. There was nothing in that intersection of the three before, but our sponge seems to be a platform that meets all these criteria." Dravid is the Abraham Harris Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Northwestern's McCormick School of Engineering, the founding director of the Northwestern University Atomic and Nanoscale Characterization Experimental Center (NUANCE), and director of the Soft and Hybrid Nanotechnology Experimental Resource (SHyNE). Dravid also serves as the director of global initiatives for Northwestern's International Institute of Nanotechnology. Ribet is a Ph.D. student in Dravid's lab and the paper's first author. The team's Phosphate Elimination and Recovery Lightweight (PEARL) membrane is a porous, flexible substrate (such as a coated sponge, cloth or fibers) that selectively sequesters up to 99% of phosphate ions from polluted water. Coated with nanostructures that bind to phosphate, the PEARL membrane can be tuned by controlling the pH to either absorb or release nutrients to allow for phosphate recovery and reuse of the membrane for many cycles. Current methods to remove phosphate are based on complex, lengthy, multi-step methods. Most of them do not also recover the phosphate during removal and ultimately generate a great deal of physical waste. The PEARL membrane provides a simple one-step process to remove phosphate that also efficiently recovers it. It's also reusable and generates no physical waste. Using samples from Chicago's Water Reclamation District, the researchers tested their theory with the added complexity of real water samples. "We often call this a 'nanoscale solution to a gigaton problem,'" Dravid said. "In many ways the nanoscale interactions that we study have implications for macrolevel remediation." The team has demonstrated that the sponge-based approach is effective on scales, ranging from milligrams to kilograms, suggesting promise in scaling even further. This research builds on a former development from the same team - Vikas Nandwana, a member of the Dravid group and co-author on the present study was the first author -called the OHM (oleophilic hydrophobic multifunctional) sponge that used the same sponge platform to selectively remove and recover oil resulting from oil contamination in water. By modifying the nanomaterial coating in the membrane, the team plans to next use their "plug-and-play"-like framework to go after heavy metals. Ribet also said multiple pollutants could be addressed at once by applying multiple materials with tailored affinities. "This water remediation challenge hits so close to home," Ribet said. "The western basin of Lake Erie is one of the main areas you think of when it comes to eutrophication, and I was inspired by learning more about the water remediation challenges in our Great Lakes neighborhood." ### The research, "Phosphate Elimination and Recovery Lightweight (PEARL) Membrane: A Sustainable Environmental Remediation Approach," was supported by the National Science Foundation (award number DMR-1929356). Research for the paper made use of SHyNE resource facilities, which are supported by the NSF National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure (NSF-NCCI) program. Benjamin Shindel, Roberto dos Reis and Vikas Nandwana -- all from Northwestern -- coauthored the paper. Workforce White House seeks reopening plans from agencies Federal agencies are planning how and when they'll bring teleworking employees back to the workplace as COVID-19 restrictions are loosening. Now agencies have a deadline - their final plans for reopening, as well as what policies will be in place once they are open, are due July 19. The Safer Federal Workforce Task Force, created by President Joe Biden to give agencies ongoing guidance during the pandemic, sent an email to agencies on Tuesday outlining the timeline for them to submit their plans. The President's Management Council, led by the Office of Management and Budget, the General Services Administration and the Office of Personnel Management, is leading the process, the email says. Agencies' draft reopening approaches are due to OMB June 18, and their final procedures and policies for both re-opening and "post-reentry" are due July 19, although agencies can submit them early, the email says. These final plans must include a "phased reentry schedule" that takes into account "ample" notice time for feds who'll have to come back into the physical office or have an altered schedule. They should also include "the agency's intended post-reentry work environment" and what steps the agency is taking to safely increase how many employees are in the office, in line with guidance from the Task Force, the Centers for Disease Control, and any other relevant federal workplace safety agencies. Finally, agencies need to be mindful of with collective-bargaining, the email notes, and this phased return to the workplace shouldn't start until after the agency has satisfied collective-bargaining and ample notice requirements. "Determinations should be informed by ongoing discussions with employees, their representatives at all levels of the agency, supervisors, agency leadership, and other stakeholders about how to set up the agency and its workforce for success in the post-reentry environment," it states. The news comes after a report on Tuesday from Axios that the White House is bringing its employees back to the office, with some exceptions, between July 6 and July 23. News of the task force email was first reported by GovExec. Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Monday urged the Rajasthan health minister to probe reports of alleged wastage of Covid vaccine in the state on priority. India's COVID-19 vaccination drive is being conducted across the country since January 16. The government of India is working closely with all the states and union territories to make this drive a success and help counter the pandemic effectively, the health ministry said. In a letter to Raghu Sharma, the Union health minister said a media report has highlighted that more than 500 vials of COVID-19 vaccines were found dumped in the waste bins of 35 Covid vaccination centres in the state which is "not acceptable" and must be investigated. In almost all districts, vaccine wastage is more than the national average which is less than 1 per cent, Vardhan said as he drew Sharma's attention to some media reports about alleged high vaccine wastage in a few districts of the state. "Therefore, I would urge you to look into the issue of vaccine wastage on priority especially in the high wastage districts in the state," the minister said, adding that the media report "regarding 500 vials found in waste bins which you would also agree is not acceptable" should also be investigated. "I would request you to advise all concerned state/districts officials to ensure sufficient planning to optimise vaccine utilisation and reduce avoidable wastage," Mr Vardhan said. "I am confident that under your guidance, the state shall take all necessary actions to monitor the vaccine usage, including the wastage and ensure smooth implementation of COVID-19 vaccination drive," he added. Also read: Cipla close to committing $1 billion advance for Moderna COVID-19 booster vaccine in India FCW Insider: June 1, 2021 The Biden administration released its $6 trillion fiscal year 2022 budget proposal on Friday, including $1.5 trillion in discretionary spending across federal agencies. Microsoft said in a blog post the hackers behind SolarWinds are already advancing their tradecraft, and are impersonating a U.S. government agency as part of a global phishing campaign. Investments in technology that supports multiple agencies would expand the TMF impact considerably. The Army announced it would require all military, civilian, and contractors to rid their telework environments of internet of things devices, such as smart TVs and speakers. Quick Hits *** Kathleen Miller is the Biden administration's nominee to serve as comptroller of the Department of Defense. Miller is currently a top official at the Department of the Army. *** Community-led campaigns in about 25 cities this summer will work with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to collect data to identify neighborhoods with extreme heat. GCN has more on this story. (Recasts headline and story lead, adds quotes, details) By Clara-Laeila Laudette MADRID, May 31 (Reuters) - Telecom companies leasing radio frequencies crucial to deploying 5G mobile data services will no longer be required to grant rivals access to their networks, Spain's government said on Monday in newly-released terms for an upcoming spectrum auction. Spain boasts Europe's most advanced fibre network, but its telecom sector has suffered from market fragmentation and high overheads, with margins shrinking and debt rising year by year. "The obligation for majority concessionaries to grant access has been removed to incentivise the rollout (of 5G) data services," a spokeswoman for Spain's telecom and digital infrastructure department told Reuters. "This way, it's not forbidden for operators to lease access to their networks, but they're free to do it without a state-determined price," the spokeswoman added. Other changes to the conditions of the next radio frequency auction, due in late July, included a general softening of conditions and 15% price cut, drawing relief from debt-laden telecom groups likely to bid for spectrum bands. But removing the obligation to grant third-party operators infrastructure access may draw attention from regulators in Brussels and Madrid - and from smaller companies like MasMovil and Euskaltel which have relied on network-sharing agreements. Neither MasMovil nor Euskaltel - in merger talks to create Spain's fourth-largest operator - were immediately available for comment. IMPROVING CONDITIONS "The conditions are still demanding, and the prices could have been lower, but we recognise and thank the government's efforts in improving conditions," said a spokeswoman for the DigitalEs association which represents the four largest operators. The government cut prices by 12.5% to 20% from last year, depending on the band, extended the deadline for rolling out coverage by a year and specified where operators must prioritise services. Story continues "We wanted to make it very clear which places need to be covered (by 5G networks) - the previous coverage criteria were very broad," the government's telecom spokeswoman noted. As a further sweetener, the government said in April it would double the length of frequency concessions to 40 years, which operators cheered as providing greater visibility. Orange - which this month announced it would lay off 485 employees to cope with Spain's highly fragmented, competitive market - declined comment, while Vodafone said it was still studying the auction's terms. Spain has prioritised the development of 5G mobile data in its post-pandemic recovery strategy, earmarking nearly 30% of the 140 billion euros ($171 billion) it will receive in EU funds to a digitalisation plan. Applications to participate in the auction are due by July 2, with the auction to be held before July 21. ($1 = 0.8201 euros) (Reporting by Clara-Laeila Laudette Additional reporting by Nathan Allen Editing by Mark Potter and David Holmes) LEAD PLAINTIFF DEADLINE IS JULY 12, 2021 NEW YORK, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Wolf Haldenstein Adler Freeman & Herz LLP announces that a federal securities class action lawsuit been filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York on behalf of investors who purchased or acquired the securities of Aterian, Inc. ("Aterian" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: ATER) (f/k/a Mohawk Group Holdings, Inc.) from December 1, 2020 through May 3, 2021 (the "Class Period"), inclusive. (PRNewsfoto/Wolf Haldenstein Adler Freeman ) All investors who purchased shares of Aterian, Inc. and incurred losses are urged to contact the firm immediately at classmember@whafh.com or (800) 575-0735 or (212) 545-4774. You may obtain additional information concerning the action or join the case on our website, www.whafh.com. If you have incurred losses in your investment in shares of Aterian, Inc. you may, no later than July 12, 2021, request that the Court appoint you lead plaintiff of the proposed class. Please contact Wolf Haldenstein to learn more about your rights as an investor in the shares of Aterian, Inc. CLICK HERE TO JOIN CASE On May 4, 2021, Culper Research published a scathing report, entitled "Aterian (ATER): Bought from Felons & Fraudsters, Sold to You." The research report accused the company of associating and having ties to convicted criminals, overhyping its AIMEE platform, and using "garbage" acquisitions to conceal its "ill-conceived core business." Culper Research also stated that "Aterian has been largely unsuccessful in convincing other Amazon sellers to pay for its AIMEE AI platform, and at least 5 former employees and a former customer have expressed doubts regarding AIMEE's legitimacy." On this news, Aterian's stock price fell $3.04 per share, or approximately 24% over the next two trading days to close at $15.72 per share on May 5, 2021. Wolf Haldenstein has extensive experience in the prosecution of securities class actions and derivative litigation in state and federal trial and appellate courts across the country. The firm has attorneys in various practice areas; and offices in New York, Chicago and San Diego.The reputation and expertise of this firm in shareholder and other class litigation has been repeatedly recognized by the courts, which have appointed it to major positions in complex securities multi-district and consolidated litigation. Story continues If you wish to discuss this action or have any questions regarding your rights and interests in this case, please immediately contact Wolf Haldenstein by telephone at (800) 575-0735, via e-mail at classmember@whafh.com, or visit our website. Contact: Wolf Haldenstein Adler Freeman & Herz LLP Patrick Donovan, Esq. Gregory Stone, Director of Case and Financial Analysis Email: gstone@whafh.com, donovan@whafh.com or classmember@whafh.com Tel: (800) 575-0735 or (212) 545-4774 This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules. Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aterian-inc-class-action-alert-wolf-haldenstein-adler-freeman--herz-llp-reminds-investors-that-a-securities-class-action-lawsuit-has-been-filed-in-the-united-states-district-court-for-the-southern-district-of-new-york-against--301303129.html SOURCE Wolf Haldenstein Adler Freeman & Herz LLP Stand a chance to win an iPhone 12 Pro Max and other lucky draw prizes KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Gibraltar BSN, one of Malaysia's fast growing life insurance companies, today launched its Syioking June campaign. Customers can stand a chance to win an iPhone 12 Pro Max and other "syioking" prizes when they take steps to boost their protection with Gibraltar BSN this month. From left to right: Yap Suat Yen, Su-En Chief Partnership Officer; Lee Kok Wah Chief Executive Officer; Susan Ong Chief Marketing Officer; Daniel Toh Chief Sales Officer Gibraltar BSN's Chief Executive Officer Lee Kok Wah said, "Having a life insurance policy is not enough; your policy must be updated to cover the changes in your circumstances. As Malaysia's Community Protection Champion, we launched the Syioking June campaign in the hopes that it will galvanise Malaysians to take action and assess whether their coverage meets their needs, remains intact, and will cover their loved ones when they are gone." The Gibraltar BSN "Syioking June" campaign is held from 1-30 June 2021 in celebration of Insurance Awareness Day which falls on 28 June 2021. New and existing customers can be in the running to win the "syioking" lucky draw prizes when they perform any one of these following actions: Purchase a Gibraltar BSN plan, Make a contact information update, Sign up to auto debit their premium payment, and/or, Make a nomination on their policy. The action taken will determine the number of entries that each customer can receive. While there are no limits to the number of entries, each winner can only win one prize. The "Syioking June" campaign was developed around these four actions to address specific issues regarding life insurance. Kok Wah elaborated, "The prolonged pandemic has brought about an increased awareness on the role of insurance and its importance to support families. Most of us purchase a life insurance policy when we are young and then we forget about it. For a life insurance plan to be a good safety net, it should grow in tandem with your lifestyle needs, family size, income, and retirement plans. Updating your contact details is also vital to ensure that we can reach you for important notifications regarding your policy through other expedient digital communication modes during the pandemic." For more information on how to participate in "Syioking June", please visit www.gibraltarbsn.com/syiok or follow our social media accounts on Facebook and Instagram. SOURCE Gibraltar BSN PHILADELPHIA, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Following an extensive national search, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) has appointed Susan L. Furth, MD, PhD as Chief Scientific Officer. In her new position, effective June 1, 2021, Dr. Furth will oversee the CHOP Research Institute, a world leader in pediatric biomedical research, and in doing so continue CHOP's commitment to groundbreaking science that translates into innovation and improvement in children's health. Susan Furth, MD, PhD, will serve as the next Chief Scientific Officer at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "We are delighted to welcome Dr. Furth into this new role," said Madeline Bell, President and CEO of Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "In addition to her impressive scientific achievements, which have been recognized globally, she is also an outstanding mentor who has helped younger researchers develop their careers. Combined, these skills will be invaluable in supporting the Research Institute fulfill CHOP's mission of delivering exceptional clinical care, research, and education." The CHOP Research Institute is home to one of the largest pediatric research programs in the country, supporting more than 500 investigators and thousands of research staff who are committed to solving the most challenging problems in children's health. As a top recipient of NIH funding, the Research Institute fulfills CHOP's long-standing dedication to pediatric research, crystalizing the hospital's "bench to bedside" philosophy around five areas: rare and complex diseases, lifespan research, novel therapeutics, precision medicine, and CHOP's trailblazing Frontier Programs and Centers of Emphasis. In her new role, Dr. Furth will bring a distinguished background in research to guide the Research Institute as its investigators tackle the most pressing issues in pediatric research. Currently Vice Chair of the Department of Pediatrics and Chief of the Division of Nephrology at CHOP, Dr. Furth has been with CHOP since 2010 and also serves as and Associate Chair of Academic Affairs. A tenured professor in the Departments of Pediatrics and Epidemiology at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine, Dr. Furth has had continuous NIH funding for over 25 years. She has authored more than 200 papers in peer-reviewed journals related to the epidemiology and health outcomes for children with kidney disease and has led the design and implementation of pediatric observational studies and clinical trials. She is a frequent invited speaker and organizer for national and international conferences focused on pediatric research. Story continues For nearly 20 years, Dr. Furth has led a landmark international cohort study of children with kidney disease, which has defined the natural history and clinical co-morbidities in this patient population and has led to clinical trials of targeted therapies to improve outcomes. She also leads an NIH-funded Center of Excellence in Pediatric Nephrology, whose mission is to break down barriers to clinical trials of novel therapies in children with rare kidney diseases. Dr. Furth has been recognized nationally for her work, receiving honors and awards that include election to the Johns Hopkins Society of Scholars, the 2020 Maureen Andrew Mentor Award from the Society of Pediatric Research, and the 2020 FOCUS Award for the Advancement of Women in Medicine from Penn Medicine. She is an elected member of the Association of American Physicians and served as President of the Society for Pediatric Research. She is currently a Councilor for the International Pediatric Nephrology Association. With a passion for mentoring junior researchers, Dr. Furth has personally mentored many students, residents, postdoctoral fellows and junior faculty. She held an NIH Mid-Career Mentoring Award for 10 years, developed the Carole Marcus Mid-Career Award to Promote Career Development and Mentoring in Pediatric Research at CHOP, and won the Faculty Mentor Award at CHOP in 2016. Before coming to CHOP, Dr. Furth was Deputy Director for Research Education, Training and Career Development at the Institute for Clinical and Translational Research at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She received her medical degree from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and a PhD from Johns Hopkins University, where she also completed her residency and fellowship. Dr. Furth will succeed current Chief Scientific Officer Bryan Wolf, MD, PhD, who will retire at the end of June 2021. About Children's Hospital of Philadelphia: Children's Hospital of Philadelphia was founded in 1855 as the nation's first pediatric hospital. Through its long-standing commitment to providing exceptional patient care, training new generations of pediatric healthcare professionals, and pioneering major research initiatives, Children's Hospital has fostered many discoveries that have benefited children worldwide. Its pediatric research program is among the largest in the country. In addition, its unique family-centered care and public service programs have brought the 595-bed hospital recognition as a leading advocate for children and adolescents. For more information, visit http://www.chop.edu Contact: Ben Leach Children's Hospital of Philadelphia M: (609) 634-7906 Leachb@email.chop.edu Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/childrens-hospital-of-philadelphia-appoints-susan-l-furth-md-phd-as-new-chief-scientific-officer-301303027.html SOURCE Children's Hospital of Philadelphia TSX.V: EU OTCQB:ENCUF VANCOUVER, BC, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - enCore Energy Corp. (TSXV: EU) (OTCQB: ENCUF) (the "Company") applauds the support for existing nuclear power plants in President Biden's proposed budget for FY2022. In his proposed budget for FY 2022, President Biden is proposing up to $9.75 billion in tax credits for the generation of electricity from existing nuclear power facilities over the next 10 years. enCore Energy Corp. Logo (CNW Group/enCore Energy Corp.) Paul Goranson, the Company's Chief Executive Officer said, "Although nuclear power provides almost 20% of America's electricity, it makes up 55% of the country's clean energy generation. Right now, because of the way electricity markets are priced, we continue to hear of more premature shutdowns of nuclear power plants. Meeting the President's commitment for a rapid transition to a clean energy economy can only be accomplished by maintaining the existing and expanding the nuclear fleet. This proposed budget puts actions to words in providing tangible support for the value nuclear energy brings to this transition. At enCore, we believe that a strong nuclear power industry will mean a strong uranium industry in America. This is consistent with our Company's strategy." About enCore Energy Corp. enCore Energy Corp. is a U.S. domestic uranium developer focused on becoming a leading in-situ recovery (ISR) uranium producer. The Company is led by a team of industry experts with extensive knowledge and experience in the development and operations of in situ recovery uranium operations. enCore Energy's opportunities are created from the Company's transformational acquisition of its two South Texas production facilities, the changing global uranium supply/demand outlook and opportunities for industry consolidation. These short-term opportunities are augmented by our strong long term commitment to working with local indigenous communities in New Mexico where the company holds significant uranium resources. Story continues Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/encore-energy-corp-applauds-the-support-for-nuclear-energy-in-the-presidents-proposed-budget-for-fy2022-301302794.html SOURCE enCore Energy Corp. Bloomberg (Bloomberg) -- If the meme-stock mayhem were a movie -- and by all accounts it will be -- were now at the scene where the protagonists, after pulling off their first big mission, fight about what to do next.Emboldened by their initial success, the more daring would be anxious to ride again while the weather-worn veterans advise caution and, somewhere in between, a few characters cant decide which side theyre on.That scene is playing out now on the 10 million-member WallStreetBets forum, where TAIPEI, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Taiwan Design Research Institute (TDRI) collaborates internationally with Thailand for the first time to present 45 award-winning designs of Taiwan's Golden Pin Design Awards and Thailand's DEmark Awards under the theme of circular design, showcasing the sustainable power of design in both Taiwan and Thailand. TDRI collaborates internationally with Thailand for the first time to present 45 award-winning designs of Taiwans Golden Pin Design Awards and Thailands DEmark Award In recent years, abnormal environmental changes and climate change have made people aware of the depletion of the Earth's resources. From governments to private sectors, as well as from commercial activities to daily life, sustainable design has garnered the attention of the entire world. Thailand, which has long promoted circular and eco-friendly design, specializes in utilizing natural materials and resources for creative works, and has always demonstrated excellence in the area of sustainable design, consistently producing fun and novel designs that bring people inspirations in life. In 2020, Thai design teams won as many as 19 awards at Taiwan's most representative and renowned Golden Pin Design Awards, displaying Thailand's impressive design power. For these sustainable designs from Thailand to be known by more people, rather than just being seen at the award ceremony, Taiwan Design Research Institute (TDRI) joined forces with Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP) and Thai Trade Office for the first time, gathering a total of 45 award-winning works of Taiwan's Golden Pin Design Awards and Thailand's Demark Awards in 2020 to organize the "S.P.O.T. Sustainable Power of Thai-design" exhibition, which took place from April 20 to May 23 at Taiwan Design Museum in Songshan Cultural & Creative Park. "S.P.O.T. Sustainable Power of Thai-design" invited Dot Design, a local Taiwanese design team that has extensive experience of working with Thai design industry and focuses on development of products of circular design, to co-curate the exhibition. Using the theme of "spotlight," which reiterated the focus on the featured designs, the exhibition featured a main visual color scheme that fused the gold of the Golden Pin Design Awards and the red of Thailand's Design Excellence Award (DEmark); moreover, the logo of the exhibition displayed the "infinity" sign that symbolized the spirit of circular sustainability. The highlights of the exhibition included deodorizer made from disposed palm seeds, felt backpack made of recycled PET bottles, and product packaging made of recycled cotton and scrap paper from factories. In addition to being inspired by the principle of sustainability, these works also showcased the unique features of Thailand's local and regional products. Story continues In addition to the physical exhibition, a design talk was also organized during the exhibition period. Consisting of three Taiwanese designers, Lance Han, Shikai Tseng, and Hung Hao-chun, and three Thai designers, Siriwan Chiwarak, Jirachi Tankijngawmong, and Twitee Vajrabhaya Teparkum, the panel discussed and explored the topics of "circular design," "product design," and spatial deign." The designers opened the dialogues with experience in respective disciplines, and shared good sustainable designs from Taiwan and Thailand, allowing fellow panelists with different cultural backgrounds and life experiences to carry on the conversation and spark more inspirations of circular-friendly design. The exhibition and seminar hoped to inspire citizens to really reflect in the face of the harsh facts of environmental and climate changes; as long as they started making little changes in their own daily lives, every single person could contribute some positive energy to the sustainability of the Earth. SOURCE Taiwan Design Research Institute HONG KONG, June 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Futu Holdings Limited (Futu or the Company) (Nasdaq: FUTU), a leading tech-driven online brokerage and wealth management platform in China, today announced the number of its paying clients in Singapore has surpassed 100,000. On March 8, 2021, Futu officially launched its digital platform moomoo in Singapore and has been experiencing strong growth momentum since the inception. In Singapore, capital markets products and services on moomoo are offered by Futu Singapore Pte. Ltd., a subsidiary of Futu Holdings Limited. On October 1, 2020, Futu Singapore Pte. Ltd. was granted the Capital Markets Services (CMS) license from the Monetary Authority of Singapore. About Futu Holdings Limited Futu Holdings Limited (Nasdaq: FUTU) is an advanced technology company transforming the investing experience by offering a fully digitized brokerage and wealth management platform. The Company primarily serves the emerging affluent population, pursuing a massive opportunity to facilitate a once-in-a-generation shift in the wealth management industry and build a digital gateway into broader financial services. The Company provides investing services through its proprietary digital platforms, Futubull and moomoo, each a highly integrated application accessible through any mobile device, tablet or desktop. The Company's primary fee-generating services include trade execution and margin financing which allow its clients to trade securities, such as stocks, warrants, options, futures and exchange-traded funds, or ETFs, across different markets. Futu enhances the user and client experience with market data and news, research, as well as powerful analytical tools, providing them with a data rich foundation to simplify the investing decision-making process. Futu has also embedded social media tools to create a network centered around its users and provide connectivity to users, investors, companies, analysts, media and key opinion leaders. Story continues For investor inquiries, please contact: Investor Relations Futu Holdings Limited ir@futuholdings.com SAN FRANCISCO, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A new market study published by Global Industry Analysts Inc., (GIA) the premier market research company, today released its report titled "Agricultural Sprayers - Global Market Trajectory & Analytics". The report presents fresh perspectives on opportunities and challenges in a significantly transformed post COVID-19 marketplace. Global Agricultural Sprayers Market FACTS AT A GLANCE Edition: 8; Released: May 2021 Executive Engagements: 5767 Companies: 74 Players covered include AGCO Corporation; AMAZONE H. Dreyer GmbH & Co. KG; Andreas Stihl AG & Company KG; ASPEE Agro Equipment Pvt Ltd; BGROUP SPA; Bucher Industries AG; CNH Industrial N.V.; Deere & Company; Demco Manufacturing Co.; EXEL Industries SA; GUSS Automation, LLC; GVM Incorporated; HARDI INTERNATIONAL A/S; Hockley International Limited; Kubota Corporation; Kuhn Group; Kverneland Group; Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.; Maquinas Agricolas Jacto S.A.; Reddick Equipment Company of NC, LLC; SZ DJI Technology Co., Ltd.; Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA and Others. Coverage: All major geographies and key segments Segments: Crop (Cereals, Oilseeds, Fruits & Vegetables, Other Crops); Farm Size (Small, Medium, Large); Type (Handheld, Self-Propelled, Tractor-Mounted, Trailed, Aerial) Geographies: World; USA; Canada; Japan; China; Europe; France; Germany; Italy; UK; Spain; Russia; Rest of Europe; Asia-Pacific; Australia; India; South Korea; Rest of Asia-Pacific; Latin America; Argentina; Brazil; Mexico; Rest of Latin America; Middle East; Iran; Israel; Saudi Arabia; UAE; Rest of Middle East; Africa. Complimentary Project Preview - This is an ongoing global program. Preview our research program before you make a purchase decision. We are offering a complimentary access to qualified executives driving strategy, business development, sales & marketing, and product management roles at featured companies. Previews provide deep insider access to business trends; competitive brands; domain expert profiles; and market data templates and much more. You may also build your own bespoke report using our MarketGlass Platform which offers thousands of data bytes without an obligation to purchase our report. Preview Registry Story continues ABSTRACT- Global Agricultural Sprayers Market to Reach $2.6 Billion by 2026 The agriculture industry is set to undergo notable transformation in the post-COVID-19 era owing to continuous influx and implementation of new concepts and technologies. The shift is expected to help farmers in revolutionizing operations for better yields, environmental gains and less wastage. AI holds immense potential to help the agriculture industry to become smarter and efficient while reducing waste. COVID-19 has accelerated the adoption of AI-powered technologies in the industry. Agriculture professionals are realizing notable benefits of using drones for tasks like seeding, field surveying and spraying while keeping farmers safe. Amid the COVID-19 crisis, the global market for Agricultural Sprayers estimated at US$1.8 Billion in the year 2020, is projected to reach a revised size of US$2.6 Billion by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 6.2% over the analysis period. Handheld Sprayers, one of the segments analyzed in the report, is projected to record a 4.8% CAGR and reach US$350.6 Million by the end of the analysis period. After a thorough analysis of the business implications of the pandemic and its induced economic crisis, growth in the Self-Propelled Sprayers segment is readjusted to a revised 7.5% CAGR for the next 7-year period. The U.S. Market is Estimated at $312.2 Million, While China is Forecast to Reach $892.3 Million by 2026 The Agricultural Sprayers market in the U.S. is estimated at US$312.2 Million in the year 2020. China, the world`s second largest economy, is forecast to reach a projected market size of US$892.3 Million by the year 2026 trailing a CAGR of 8% over the analysis period. Among the other noteworthy geographic markets are Japan and Canada, each forecast to grow at 4.2% and 3.8% respectively over the 2020-2027 period. Within Europe, Germany is forecast to grow at approximately 4.2% CAGR. In the developed markets, growth will be supported by advancements focused on developing advanced sprayers with enhanced capabilities, particularly with regard to data and electronic features. Sensors are being deployed for monitoring spray drift. The growing use of GPS and robotic systems in advanced spraying machinery is ensuring automated application of nutrients and pesticides in a timely, targeted and efficient manner. The use of such technologies also ensures that farming is transformed into an eco-friendly sector. Tractor-Mounted Sprayers Segment to Reach $474.6 Million by 2026 The tractor mounted sprayers feature a tank with a capacity in the range of 150-500 gallons, and a hydraulic motor that drives the pump provided on the power takeoff shaft. Booms of the sprayer are either provided in the rear, front or belly of the tractor. The sprayer remains silent while passing through open areas and gets activated as the tractor crosses a plant canopy. In the global Tractor-Mounted Sprayers segment, USA, Canada, Japan, China and Europe will drive the 6.2% CAGR estimated for this segment. These regional markets accounting for a combined market size of US$241.4 Million in the year 2020 will reach a projected size of US$366.9 Million by the close of the analysis period. China will remain among the fastest growing in this cluster of regional markets. Led by countries such as Australia, India, and South Korea, the market in Asia-Pacific is forecast to reach US$90.3 Million by the year 2026, while Latin America will expand at a 7% CAGR through the analysis period. More MarketGlass Platform Our MarketGlassPlatform is a free full-stack knowledge center that is custom configurable to today's busy business executive's intelligence needs! This influencer driven interactive research platform is at the core of our primary research engagements and draws from unique perspectives of participating executives worldwide. Features include - enterprise-wide peer-to-peer collaborations; research program previews relevant to your company; 3.4 million domain expert profiles; competitive company profiles; interactive research modules; bespoke report generation; monitor market trends; competitive brands; create & publish blogs & podcasts using our primary and secondary content; track domain events worldwide; and much more. Client companies will have complete insider access to the project data stacks. Currently in use by 67,000+ domain experts worldwide. Our platform is free for qualified executives and is accessible from our website www.StrategyR.com or via our just released mobile application on iOS or Android About Global Industry Analysts, Inc. & StrategyR Global Industry Analysts, Inc., (www.strategyr.com) is a renowned market research publisher the world's only influencer driven market research company. Proudly serving more than 42,000 clients from 36 countries, GIA is recognized for accurate forecasting of markets and industries for over 33 years. CONTACTS: Zak Ali Director, Corporate Communications Global Industry Analysts, Inc. Phone: 1-408-528-9966 www.StrategyR.com Email: ZA@StrategyR.com LINKS Get Full Report Details https://www.strategyr.com/market-report-agricultural-sprayers-forecasts-global-industry-analysts-inc.asp Join Our Expert Panel https://www.strategyr.com/Panelist.asp Connect With Us on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/global-industry-analysts-inc./ Follow Us on Twitter https://twitter.com/marketbytes Journalists & Media Info411@strategyr.com Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-agricultural-sprayers-market-to-reach-2-6-billion-by-2026--301302260.html SOURCE Global Industry Analysts, Inc. Highlights RBI has issued a clarification on crypto trading. RBI says banks cannot warn customers against trading. The statement is a huge of vote of confidence for crypto. The Reserve Bank of India Monday issued a clarification around Bitcoin and cryptocurrency trading, informing banks that they cannot warn customers against trading, using an old order. The clarification comes as a relief for the crypto market which has been dealing with a lot of confusion and uncertainty in India. RBI's statement came in response to the warnings issued by banks to their customers, asking them not to invest in cryptocurrencies, citing an old order by the central bank. State Bank of India and HDFC Bank were the big names among the banks that issued these warnings. The central bank said that its order was set aside by the Supreme Court and cannot be cited by the banks. It's a huge vote of confidence to crypto by RBI amid reports of India planning a complete ban on crypto trading. "It has come to our attention through media reports that certain banks/ regulated entities have cautioned their customers against dealing in virtual currencies by making a reference to the RBI circular DBR.No.BP.BC.104/08.13.102/2017-18 dated April 06, 2018. Such references to the above circular by banks/ regulated entities are not in order as this circular was set aside by the Hon'ble Supreme Court on March 04, 2020 in the matter of Writ Petition (Civil) No.528 of 2018 (Internet and Mobile Association of India v. Reserve Bank of India)," the statement said. Here are five key takeaways from the RBI clarification. Point 1 - India has softened its stance on crypto Earlier this year, there were signs that the Indian government is planning to ban cryptocurrencies. A bill was also proposed in this regard ahead of Union Budget 2021, however, it was put on hold after requests from the crypto industry. The government had subsequently formed a committee to give recommendations. This was followed by reports that RBI may come up with its own digital rupee. There has been no development since then. The Indian government is believed to have softened its stance on cryptocurrencies and the latest clarification from RBI confirms that. It suggests that we may not have a complete ban and instead, the government may only look to regulate cryptocurrencies. Point 2 Deposits and withdrawals may become easier One of the problems for the Indian trading platforms has been the lack support from banks or banking systems. Several trading platforms have complained in the past that banks frequently end their tie-ups with them which stops these platforms from making transactions in the right way. This is also the reason why there are frequent issues with deposits and withdrawals on these platforms. On many occasions in the past, investors have failed to make profit or execute their orders because of these issues. The RBI order sends across a strong message to banks to co-operate with these trading platforms. Whether they do or not, will be interesting to see. Point 3 Huge vote of confidence Both RBI and Indian government have maintained silence on crypto trading. This resulted in a false narrative and negative sentiment around popular digital currencies like Bitcoin. This is the first time in months RBI has spoken and taken a step that actually promotes crypto trading, That's a huge vote of confidence for the industry. It should help revive public interest and regain investor confidence which had taken a hit following last month's crypto crash and restrictions in various countries. Point 4 India still needs to be careful While the RBI has given a relief to crypto investors, it has suggested that both banks and crypto platforms need to make sure that these transactions are not used for fraudulent activities and tax evasion. It has asked the banks to carry out necessary customer due diligence process in line with regulations governing standards for Know Your Customer (KYC), Anti-Money Laundering (AML), Combating of Financing of Terrorism (CFT) and obligations of regulated entities under Prevention of Money Laundering Act, (PMLA), 2002. The banks have also been asked to ensure compliance with relevant provisions under Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) for overseas remittances. Point 5 This is not the end, it's the beginning The investors should know that this is not the last time you have heard from the RBI on cryptocurrency. Bitcoin, Dogecoin, Ethereum and other coins have become very popular in India over the last six months and millions of new investors have joined the crypto wave. The RBI and government have no other option but to come up with regulations to provide security to these investors. It is highly unlikely that the Indian government will stick to its initial plans of banning crypto. Instead, we should expect to hear more from it in the coming months. For now, the future looks bright for the Indian crypto industry, probably for the first time. SAN FRANCISCO, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A new market study published by Global Industry Analysts Inc., (GIA) the premier market research company, today released its report titled "Shower Heads and Shower Panels - Global Market Trajectory & Analytics". The report presents fresh perspectives on opportunities and challenges in a significantly transformed post COVID-19 marketplace. Global Shower Heads and Shower Panels Market FACTS AT A GLANCE Edition: 20; Released: May 2021 Executive Engagements: 4509 Companies: 121 Players covered include Arkema Group; Avantor, Inc.; China National Chemical Corporation; Dow Inc.; Elkem Silicones; Evonik Industries AG; Milliken & Company; Momentive Performance Materials Inc.; NuSil Technology LLC; Shin-Etsu Chemical Co. Ltd.; Wacker Chemie AG and Others. Coverage: All major geographies and key segments Segments: Segment (Shower Heads, Shower Panels); Application (Household, Commercial)Geographies: World; United States; Canada; Japan; China; Europe (France; Germany; Italy; United Kingdom; Spain; Russia; and Rest of Europe); Asia-Pacific (Australia; India; South Korea; and Rest of Asia-Pacific); Latin America (Argentina; Brazil; Mexico; and Rest of Latin America); Middle East (Iran; Israel; Saudi Arabia; United Arab Emirates; and Rest of Middle East); and Africa. Complimentary Project Preview - This is an ongoing global program. Preview our research program before you make a purchase decision. We are offering a complimentary access to qualified executives driving strategy, business development, sales & marketing, and product management roles at featured companies. Previews provide deep insider access to business trends; competitive brands; domain expert profiles; and market data templates and much more. You may also build your own bespoke report using our MarketGlass Platform which offers thousands of data bytes without an obligation to purchase our report. Preview Registry ABSTRACT- Global Shower Heads and Shower Panels Market to Reach $3.8 Billion by 2026 Story continues Shower head are fixtures that are used to guide the water spray in a bathroom shower. Shower panels (sometimes called shower towers) are multi-outlet showers combining showerheads, hand sprays, adjustable massage nozzles, and body jets, in one complete unit. The demand for bath fittings and accessories will continue to grow at robust rate propelled by rising urbanization, increase in disposable income, improving awareness, growth in real estate sector, and growth in hospitality. While the trend in decorative bath fittings is towards a sleek and simple look, increasing number of consumers are opting for decorative bath hardware in order to add personality and sophistication to their bathrooms. Noteworthy factors influencing the trends in bathroom hardware industry include open floor plans, ergonomic issues, new technology, streamlined design trends, and consumer demands for ease of use. The shower heads & panels market is reported to benefit from increasing homeowner spending on bathroom and kitchen remodeling projects. The trend can be credited to the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on homeowners' mindsets. An increasing number of homeowners are activity engaging in remodeling projects, citing various reasons like better functionality and new look. Amid the COVID-19 crisis, the global market for Shower Heads and Shower Panels estimated at US$2.8 Billion in the year 2020, is projected to reach a revised size of US$3.8 Billion by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 4.8% over the analysis period. Shower Heads, one of the segments analyzed in the report, is projected to record 5% CAGR and reach US$2.5 Billion by the end of the analysis period. After a thorough analysis of the business implications of the pandemic and its induced economic crisis, growth in the Shower Panels segment is readjusted to a revised 4.6% CAGR for the next 7-year period. The U.S. Market is Estimated at $1 Billion in 2021, While China is Forecast to Reach $489.9 Million by 2026 The Shower Heads and Shower Panels market in the U.S. is estimated at US$1 Billion in the year 2021. China, the world`s second largest economy, is forecast to reach a projected market size of US$489.9 Million by the year 2026 trailing a CAGR of 6.5% over the analysis period. Among the other noteworthy geographic markets are Japan and Canada, each forecast to grow at 3.7% and 4.9% respectively over the analysis period. Within Europe, Germany is forecast to grow at approximately 3.6% CAGR. Sales in developed markets is primarily driven by higher pricing and more sophisticated product assortments. Improving income levels and change in lifestyle prove to be key factors driving the demand for shower heads and shower panel in developing nations. Improvements in water systems in rural areas will further drive demand for shower products, primarily in entry-level product category. More MarketGlass Platform Our MarketGlass Platform is a free full-stack knowledge center that is custom configurable to today's busy business executive's intelligence needs! This influencer driven interactive research platform is at the core of our primary research engagements and draws from unique perspectives of participating executives worldwide. Features include - enterprise-wide peer-to-peer collaborations; research program previews relevant to your company; 3.4 million domain expert profiles; competitive company profiles; interactive research modules; bespoke report generation; monitor market trends; competitive brands; create & publish blogs & podcasts using our primary and secondary content; track domain events worldwide; and much more. Client companies will have complete insider access to the project data stacks. Currently in use by 67,000+ domain experts worldwide. Our platform is free for qualified executives and is accessible from our website www.StrategyR.com or via our just released mobile application on iOS or Android About Global Industry Analysts, Inc. & StrategyR Global Industry Analysts, Inc., (www.strategyr.com) is a renowned market research publisher the world's only influencer driven market research company. Proudly serving more than 42,000 clients from 36 countries, GIA is recognized for accurate forecasting of markets and industries for over 33 years. CONTACTS: Zak Ali Director, Corporate Communications Global Industry Analysts, Inc. Phone: 1-408-528-9966 www.StrategyR.com Email: ZA@StrategyR.com LINKS Get Full Report Details https://www.strategyr.com/market-report-shower-heads-and-shower-panels-forecasts-global-industry-analysts-inc.asp Join Our Expert Panel https://www.strategyr.com/Panelist.asp Connect With Us on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/global-industry-analysts-inc./ Follow Us on Twitter https://twitter.com/marketbytes Journalists & Media Info411@strategyr.com Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-shower-heads-and-shower-panels-market-to-reach-3-8-billion-by-2026--301302236.html SOURCE Global Industry Analysts, Inc. TORONTO, May 31, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- iSIGN Media Solutions Inc. (iSIGN or Company) (TSX-V: ISD) (OTC: ISDSF), a leading provider of interactive mobile proximity marketing and public security alert solutions announced that it has received the second tranche of $100,000 towards the completion of its previously announced non-brokered offering (Offering) for aggregate gross proceeds of $400,000. Under the terms of the Offering the Company will issue 8 million Units at a price of $0.05 per Unit. Each Unit consists of one Common Share of the Company (each a Common Share and collectively, the Common Shares) and one common share purchase warrant (each warrant referred to herein as a Warrant and collectively, the Warrants). Each Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one Common Share at a price of $0.075 for a period of 24 months from the date of closing. All securities issued would be subject to a four month hold period. The Company advises that it has now received a total of $200,000 towards this placement. The Company anticipates closing the full Offering within two weeks, subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange (Exchange). The Company will issue these shares, which are subject to a four month hold period once approval has been received from the Exchange. The proceeds of the Placement will be for operational purposes. About iSIGN Media iSIGN, a Canadian company based in Toronto (Richmond Hill), Ontario is a data-focused, software-as-a-service (SaaS) company that is a pioneering leader in the areas of location-based security alert messaging and proximity marketing utilizing Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity in complete privacy. Creators of the Smart suite of products, a patented interactive proximity marketing technology, iSIGN enables the delivery of messages to mobile devices in proximity, with real-time reporting and analytics on a variety of metrics. 2019 winner of Richmond Hills Innovator of the Year award. Partners include IBM, Keyser Retail Solutions, Baylor University, Verizon Wireless, TELUS and Mtrex Network Solutions. www.isignmedia.com Story continues Forward-Looking Statements This news release may include certain forward-looking statements that are based upon current expectations, which involve risks and uncertainties associated with iSIGN Medias business and the environment in which the business operates. Any statements contained herein that are not statements of historical facts may be deemed to be forward-looking, including those identified by the expressions anticipate, believe, plan, estimate, expect, intend and similar expressions to the extent they relate to the Company or its management. The forward-looking statements are not historical facts but reflect iSIGN Medias current expectations regarding future results or events. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations. iSIGN Media assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements. 2021 iSIGN Media Solutions Inc. All Rights Reserved. All other trademarks and trade names are the property of their respective owners. Company contacts: Bruce Reilly iSIGN Media Solutions Inc. bruce@isignmedia.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor Its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the accuracy of this release. TOKYO, June 1 (Reuters) - Some Japanese aluminium buyers have agreed to pay a global producer a premium of $185 per tonne over the benchmark price for July-September shipments, up 24-25% from the current quarter, three sources involved in the pricing talks said. The figure is higher than the $148-$149 per tonne paid in the April-June quarter and marks the fourth straight quarterly increase and the highest premiums since the April-June quarter in 2015. Japan is Asia's biggest importer of the light metal and the premiums for primary metal shipments it agrees to pay each quarter over the benchmark London Metal Exchange (LME) cash price set the benchmark for the region. (Reporting by Yuka Obayashi; Editing by Himani Sarkar) Growth investors focus on stocks that are seeing above-average financial growth, as this feature helps these securities garner the market's attention and deliver solid returns. However, it isn't easy to find a great growth stock. That's because, these stocks usually carry above-average risk and volatility. In fact, betting on a stock for which the growth story is actually over or nearing its end could lead to significant loss. However, the task of finding cutting-edge growth stocks is made easy with the help of the Zacks Growth Style Score (part of the Zacks Style Scores system), which looks beyond the traditional growth attributes to analyze a company's real growth prospects. Louisiana-Pacific (LPX) is one such stock that our proprietary system currently recommends. The company not only has a favorable Growth Score, but also carries a top Zacks Rank. Research shows that stocks carrying the best growth features consistently beat the market. And for stocks that have a combination of a Growth Score of A or B and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy), returns are even better. Here are three of the most important factors that make the stock of this home construction supplier a great growth pick right now. Earnings Growth Arguably nothing is more important than earnings growth, as surging profit levels is what most investors are after. And for growth investors, double-digit earnings growth is definitely preferable, and often an indication of strong prospects (and stock price gains) for the company under consideration. While the historical EPS growth rate for Louisiana-Pacific is 22.2%, investors should actually focus on the projected growth. The company's EPS is expected to grow 157.5% this year, crushing the industry average, which calls for EPS growth of 61.1%. Cash Flow Growth Cash is the lifeblood of any business, but higher-than-average cash flow growth is more beneficial and important for growth-oriented companies than for mature companies. That's because, high cash accumulation enables these companies to undertake new projects without raising expensive outside funds. Story continues Right now, year-over-year cash flow growth for Louisiana-Pacific is 253%, which is higher than many of its peers. In fact, the rate compares to the industry average of 29.1%. While investors should actually consider the current cash flow growth, it's worth taking a look at the historical rate too for putting the current reading into proper perspective. The company's annualized cash flow growth rate has been 60.4% over the past 3-5 years versus the industry average of 23.3%. Promising Earnings Estimate Revisions Superiority of a stock in terms of the metrics outlined above can be further validated by looking at the trend in earnings estimate revisions. A positive trend is of course favorable here. Empirical research shows that there is a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and near-term stock price movements. There have been upward revisions in current-year earnings estimates for Louisiana-Pacific. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has surged 52.7% over the past month. Bottom Line While the overall earnings estimate revisions have made Louisiana-Pacific a Zacks Rank #1 stock, it has earned itself a Growth Score of A based on a number of factors, including the ones discussed above. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. This combination indicates that Louisiana-Pacific is a potential outperformer and a solid choice for growth investors. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report LouisianaPacific Corporation (LPX) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. RICHMOND HILL, ON, June 1, 2021 /CNW/ - Mazda Canada Inc. (MCI) today reported May sales of 5,805 vehicles, representing an increase of 61.7 percent versus May 2020. Sales year-to-date (YTD) are 27,759, which is an increase of 73.3 percent compared to the same period in 2020. Mazda Canada Inc. Logo (CNW Group/Mazda Canada Inc.) MAY 2021 HIGHLIGHTS: CX-30 records best May sales, with 71.3 percent increase vs May 2020. MX-5 sales continue a hot pace, up 231.6 percent YTD compared to the same time last year. Mazda6 bucks the segment trend with a YOY increase of 532.0 percent. May May YOY YTD YTD YOY 2021 2020 Change 2021 2020 Change Mazda3 1,151 929 23.9% 4,911 3,877 26.7% Mazda6 316 50 532.0% 852 355 140.0% MX-5 132 102 29.4% 640 193 231.6% Passenger Car 1,599 1,081 47.9% 6,403 4,425 44.7% CX-3 377 295 27.8% 2,715 1,863 45.7% CX-30 1,168 682 71.3% 4,724 2,400 96.8% CX-5 2,281 1,354 68.5% 11,525 6,299 83.0% CX-9 380 177 114.7% 2,392 1,030 132.2% Light Truck 4,206 2,508 67.7% 21,356 11,592 84.2% MAZDA TOTAL 5,805 3,589 61.7% 21,954 16,017 73.3% Mazda Canada Inc. is responsible for the sales and marketing, customer service and parts support of Mazda vehicles in Canada. Headquartered in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Mazda Canada has a nationwide network of 163 dealerships. For additional information, visit Mazda Canada's media website at www.media.mazda.ca. SOURCE Mazda Canada Inc. Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/June2021/01/c7310.html (Bloomberg) -- Brent oil advanced above $70 a barrel after the OPEC+ alliance forecast a tightening global market ahead of a production policy meeting. Futures in London rose as much as 1.5% after posting a second straight monthly gain. The oil glut built up during the pandemic has almost gone and stockpiles will slide rapidly in the second half of the year, according to an assessment of the market from an OPEC+ committee. The coalition is expected to ratify a scheduled output increase for July when it meets later Tuesday. A robust recovery in the U.S. and Europe has given OPEC+ the confidence that markets can absorb additional barrels, despite the prospect of more supply from Iran should a nuclear deal be revived, and a Covid-19 comeback in Asia, most notably India. OPECs Joint Technical Committee forecast stockpiles will fall by at least 2 million barrels a day from September through December. Theres some confidence right now improving demand should be able to absorb what could be an additional 2 million barrels a day from Iran, if it materializes, said Howie Lee, an economist at Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp. Demand from the U.S. has been driving the global consumption recovery. Market fundamentals are strong and oil prices could climb to $80 a barrel by the middle of the third quarter in the absence of Iranian supplies, Fereidun Fesharaki, the chairman of industry consultant FGE, told Bloomberg Television. Irans comeback will occur in an orderly and transparent fashion, causing no upset to the stability that other OPEC+ nations have toiled to achieve, OPEC Secretary-General Mohammad Barkindo said at the Monday meeting. However, Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh told reporters in Tehran that the nation could bring back crude output rapidly. The market has clearly tightened up, the strategy that OPEC has played out here is working, Wayne Gordon, a strategist at UBS AG Wealth Management, said in a Bloomberg Television interview. We expect that crude oil prices will be at least trading as high as $75 as we go into the start of next year. Story continues Asian refiners, meanwhile, are grappling with whats expected to be a brief period of weak profits amid the demand-sapping virus resurgence. Complex refining margins in Singapore, a proxy for the region, have slumped since the end of April, but accelerating vaccination rates are expected to aid demand. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2021 Bloomberg L.P. (Bloomberg) -- Pembina Pipeline Corp. agreed to acquire Inter Pipeline Ltd. for about C$8.3 billion ($6.9 billion) in an all-stock deal that will create one of the largest energy companies in Canada. The proposal from Pembina trumps a hostile takeover offer for Inter made by Brookfield Infrastructure Partners LP earlier this year. Inter spurned that approach and began a review of its options, which included a sale. The Pembina-Inter combination is the largest Canadian energy transaction in four years. It continues a trend of consolidation in the sector in the face of low oil prices and regulatory uncertainty, highlighted by U.S. President Joe Bidens cancellation of TC Energy Corp.s Keystone XL oil export pipeline in January. Adding Inter will give Pembina additional pipeline infrastructure across Western Canada, connecting the regions oil sands and natural gas producers with domestic and foreign customers. Pembina, a major processor of natural gas liquids, will increase its ability to deliver condensate on Inters system to the oil sands, where the product is used to dilute the thick bitumen thats dug out of the ground so that it can be transported by pipeline or rail. The two Calgary-based pipeline companies said Tuesday the takeover will lead to annual cost savings of as much as C$200 million and create an operator with capacity to transport 6.2 million barrels a day of gas, oil and natural gas liquids throughout the region. The merged company will run by Pembinas senior executive team. Pembina said its offer values Inter at C$19.45 per share prior to the start of trading, while Brookfields offer was C$16.50. Brookfield declined to comment on Tuesdays merger announcement. Brookfield could easily come back at a $19.50 to $20 cash offer and probably still make the numbers work, Ryan Bushell, a portfolio manager at Newhaven Asset Management Inc., said on BNN Bloomberg Television. Well find out pretty shortly how badly Brookfield wanted this in the first place. But if I had to guess, Id say theyd probably want to wash their hands of it. Story continues Inter shares rose 8.8% to C$19.09 while Pembina fell 1.9% to C$38.15 at 12:26 p.m. in Toronto. The Inter acquisition follows Pembinas purchase of a Canadian unit and pipeline assets from Kinder Morgan Inc. for about $4.5 billion in 2019 and its takeover of British Columbia pipeline operator Veresen Inc. for C$5.8 billion two years earlier. Pembina Chief Executive Officer Michael Dilger said his company has tried to buy Inter on two previous occasions. Third time is lucky, he said on a conference call. This is just the right time. Pembina will also take on Inters Heartland Petrochemical Complex, which is under construction in Alberta. Inter has been looking for a partner to help fund the C$4.2 billion construction cost while also trying to sign long-term sales contracts for 70% of the plants capacity. Pembina previously suspended work on the petrochemical plant it was planning to build in Alberta in a venture with Kuwaits Petrochemical Industries Co. The odds of reviving that project go up a lot now, Dilger said. If you can add another plant, you are amortizing those costs by half. Buying Inter gives Pembina energy terminals in Sweden and Denmark. Inter CEO Christian P Bayle had plans to sell the European assets, Dilger said. It looks like a good business, he added. Is is strategic. We will see. Scotia Capital is Pembinas financial adviser, while TD Securities advised Inter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. is the financial adviser to the special committee of Inters board and gave a fairness opinion. (Updates with investor comment in seventh paragraph) More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2021 Bloomberg L.P. LEAD PLAINTIFF DEADLINE IS JULY 12, 2021 NEW YORK, June 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Wolf Haldenstein Adler Freeman & Herz LLP announces that a federal securities class action lawsuit has been filed in the United States District Court against PureCycle Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: PCT) (PureCycle) f/k/a Roth CH Acquisition I Co. (Roth Acquisition) (NASDAQ: ROCH) on behalf of those who purchased or acquired PureCycle securities between November 16, 2020 and May 5, 2021, inclusive (the Class Period). All investors who purchased shares of PureCycle Technologies, Inc. and incurred losses are urged to contact the firm immediately at classmember@whafh.com or (800) 575-0735 or (212) 545-4774. You may obtain additional information concerning the action or join the case on our website, www.whafh.com. If you have incurred losses in your investment in shares of PureCycle Technologies, Inc., you may, no later than July 12, 2021, request that the Court appoint you lead plaintiff of the proposed class. Please contact Wolf Haldenstein to learn more about your rights as an investor in the shares of PureCycle Technologies, Inc. CLICK HERE TO JOIN CASE The Class Period commences on November 16, 2020, when PureCycle issued a press release announcing plans to become a publicly traded company via a merger with Roth Acquisition. On March 18, 2021, PureCycle and Roth Acquisition announced that their anticipated business combination had been completed after having been approved by Roth Acquisitions stockholders at a special meeting held on March 16, 2021. Throughout the Class Period, PureCycle touted the technology it licensed from Procter & Gamble. Prior to the markets opening on May 6, 2021, Hindenburg Research published a report on PureCycle entitled PureCycle: The Latest Zero-Revenue ESG SPAC Charade, Sponsored by the Worst of Wall Street. In the report, Hindenburg said that: They spoke with multiple former employees of who said PureCycles executives based their financial projections on wild ass guessing, brought companies public far too early, and had deceived investors; unlike most leading plastics companies [who] publish peer reviewed studies that detail their advancements in the field, Hindenburg was unable to find a single peer reviewed study in any scholarly journal citing or reviewing PureCycles licensed process; multiple competitors and industry experts... explained that PureCycle faces steep competition for high quality feedstock, and called the companys financial projections into question; and PureCycle represents the worst qualities of the SPAC boom; another quintessential example of how executives and SPAC sponsors enrich themselves while hoisting unproven technology and ridiculous financial projections onto the public markets, leaving retail investors to face the ultimate consequences. Following this news, PureCycles stock price fell from a May 5, 2021 closing price of $24.59 per share to a May 6, 2021 closing price of $14.83, a one-day drop of approximately 40%. Story continues Wolf Haldenstein has extensive experience in the prosecution of securities class actions and derivative litigation in state and federal trial and appellate courts across the country. The firm has attorneys in various practice areas; and offices in New York, Chicago and San Diego. The reputation and expertise of this firm in shareholder and other class litigation has been repeatedly recognized by the courts, which have appointed it to major positions in complex securities multi-district and consolidated litigation. If you wish to discuss this action or have any questions regarding your rights and interests in this case, please immediately contact Wolf Haldenstein by telephone at (800) 575-0735, via e-mail at classmember@whafh.com, or visit our website. Contact: Wolf Haldenstein Adler Freeman & Herz LLP Patrick Donovan, Esq. Gregory Stone, Director of Case and Financial Analysis Email: gstone@whafh.com, donovan@whafh.com or classmember@whafh.com Tel: (800) 575-0735 or (212) 545-4774 This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules. MOSCOW, May 31 (Reuters) - Russia has decided to resume flights from Moscow to London from June 2 thanks to an improved COVID-19 situation, while it keeps in place bans on flights to Turkey and Tanzania until June 21 inclusive, the coronavirus task force said on Monday. It said there will be three flights per week from Moscow to London. Russia also has decided to resume a limited number of regular flights to other countries, including Austria, Hungary, Lebanon and Croatia. (Reporting by Gleb Stolyarov; writing by Vladimir Soldatkin; Editing by Leslie Adler) Over 236,000 People Vaccinated in Pasco County The seven-day COVID-19 positivity rate is at 3.8 percent in Pasco County as of Tuesday, June 1. This is the lowest the rolling positivity rate has been since October 2020. The Florida Department of Health in Pasco County (DOH-Pasco) continues to urge our 65+ residents who are vaccinated to encourage their friends and family to get vaccinated, also. As of Saturday, May 29, Pasco County has vaccinated 236,847people: 43,664 people have received their first doses and 193,183 people have completed their second doses. COVID-19 vaccine updates for June: DOH-Pasco is no longer providing COVID-19 vaccinations at the Gulf View Square Mall or Saint Leo University. COVID-19 vaccination appointments are available Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m. at our Dade City clinic located at 13941 15 th , Dade City, FL 33525. , Dade City, FL 33525. COVID-19 vaccination appointments are available Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m. at our New Port Richey clinic located at 10841 Little Rd., New Port Richey, FL 34654. To schedule an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccination at DOH-Pasco, Individuals can call 727-861-5260 and select Option 1 for Medical Services then Option 2 for Immunizations. To expedite the registration process at the new vaccination clinic sites, DOH-Pasco asks individuals who make an appointment by phone to complete the Florida Department of Health COVID-19 Vaccine Screening and Consent Form prior to arriving. Consent forms are available in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole on the DOH-Pasco COVID-19 Vaccination Distribution webpage. DOH-Pasco is asking people with scheduled appointments to arrive no more than 15 minutes before their scheduled time. It will result in a longer wait for you and others adhering to their times. It is required to have a photo I.D. when checking in for all vaccination appointments. At this time, DOH-Pasco only has the Moderna vaccine, which means DOH-Pasco is unable to provide vaccine to individuals who are 12-17 years old. However, Pasco County has over 130 locations providing vaccine throughout the county, and many of them offer the Pfizer vaccine. Visit the DOH Vaccine Locator webpage to find COVID-19 vaccination sites by county or city. Testing Reminder: DOH-Pasco is no longer providing COVID-19 testing at the Gulf View Square Mall, and testing is NOT offered at Saint Leo University. For additional testing sites in Pasco County, go to bit.ly/PascoCOVIDtest. For information on DOH-Pascos vaccination operations, please visit Pasco.FloridaHealth.gov. For questions about second dose vaccination, please visit: COVID-19 Vaccine Second Dose and for frequently asked questions, please visit: COVID-19 Vaccination FAQs NEW YORK, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of ChemoCentryx, Inc. ("ChemoCentryx" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: CCXI). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at newaction@pomlaw.com or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980. Fighting for victims of securities fraud for more than 85 years (PRNewsfoto/Pomerantz LLP) The investigation concerns whether ChemoCentryx and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices. [Click here for information about joining the class action] On May 4, 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") released a "Briefing Document" concerning ChemoCentryx's drug candidate avacopan, which is in development for the treatment of adult patients with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody (ANCA) vasculitis. To support its New Drug Application for avacopan, ChemoCentryx relied primarily upon its Phase III ADVOCATE study. In the Briefing Document, the FDA wrote that "[c]omplexities of the study design . . . raise questions about the interpretability of the data to define a clinically meaningful benefit of avacopan and its role in the management of" ANCA vasculitis. The FDA further wrote that it had "identified several areas of concern, raising uncertainty about the interpretability of the[] data and the clinical meaningfulness of these results." On this news, ChemoCentryx's stock price fell $22.19 per share, or 45.45%, to close at $26.63 per share on May 4, 2021. The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com Story continues CONTACT: Robert S. Willoughby Pomerantz LLP rswilloughby@pomlaw.com 888-476-6529 ext. 7980 Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/shareholder-alert-pomerantz-law-firm-investigates-claims-on-behalf-of-investors-of-chemocentryx-inc---ccxi-301302604.html SOURCE Pomerantz LLP NEW YORK, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Reconnaissance Energy Africa Ltd. ("Reconnaissance" or the "Company") (OTCMKTS: RECAF). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at newaction@pomlaw.com or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980. Fighting for victims of securities fraud for more than 85 years (PRNewsfoto/Pomerantz LLP) The investigation concerns whether Reconnaissance and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices. [Click here for information about joining the class action] On May 11, 2021, National Geographic published an article entitled "Oil company exploring in sensitive elephant habitat accused of ignoring community concerns: Namibians allege ReconAfrica disposed of wastewater unsafely, without permits, and ignored concerns about potential impact of oil drilling on water and wildlife." The article reported, among other things, that "ReconAfrica, a Canadian company exploring for oil and gas in Namibia upstream of a world-famous UNESCO World Heritage site that's home to elephants and other wildlife is disposing of wastewater without permits, according to a government minister." The article detailed that "[d]rilling for the first test well began in January, and waste fluids are being stored in what appears to be an unlined pond, where they could leach into the ground and contaminate the water supply in this desert region[,]" and that "Namibia's minister of agriculture, water, and land reform, the agency responsible for water-related permits, told National Geographic in a written statement that ReconAfrica does not yet have permits approved to extract water to use in its drilling operations nor to dispose of the waste water[.]" On this news, ReconAfrica's stock price fell $0.50 per share, or 6.25%, to close at $7.50 per share on May 11, 2021. The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com. Story continues CONTACT: Robert S. Willoughby Pomerantz LLP rswilloughby@pomlaw.com 888-476-6529 ext. 7980 Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/shareholder-alert-pomerantz-law-firm-investigates-claims-on-behalf-of-investors-of-reconnaissance-energy-africa-ltd---recaf-301302612.html SOURCE Pomerantz LLP South Carolina Virtual Charter School (SCVCS), a COGNIA and NCAA-accredited, full-time online public charter school, will celebrate the Class of 2021 during an in-person graduation ceremony at Segra Park in Columbia on Thursday, June 3rd. The graduation will celebrate the achievements of more than 380 studentsthe largest class since the schools inception. This years commencement speaker is the Honorable Molly Spearman, the states Superintendent of Education. Collectively, the Class of 2021 reports it has been accepted to state technical schools, colleges and universities across the country. "Each and every day, we strive to awaken the power of learning in our students," said Dr. Cherry Daniel, Head of School at SCVCS. "We are so proud of our graduating class and know they have the tools they need to succeed in college, the workforce, and beyond." Students enroll in SCVCS for a number of reasonssome are looking to escape bullying, some may have fallen academically off track, and others are looking for an alternative to the traditional brick-and-mortar classroom setting. SCVCS students access a robust online curriculum in the core subjects of math, science, English language arts, history, art and music and a host of electives, and attend live virtual classes taught by state-licensed teachers. Additionally, many seniors are enrolled in dual credit college classes which gives them a "jump start "on their post-secondary goals. Details of the graduation ceremony are as follows: WHAT: South Carolina Virtual Charter School 2021 Graduation Ceremony WHEN: Thursday, June 3, 2021, 11:30 a.m. / Link with more information about the ceremony will be posted to SCVCSs Facebook Page About South Carolina Virtual Charter School South Carolina Virtual Charter School (SCVCS) is a full-time online public school program that serves students in grades K through 12. As part of the South Carolina public school system, SCVCS is tuition-free and gives families the choice to access the engaging curriculum and tools provided by Stride, Inc. (NYSE: LRN), the nations leading provider of proprietary K-12 curriculum and online education programs. For more information about SCVCS, visit scvcs.k12.com. Story continues View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005015/en/ Contacts Dana Still Senior Manager, Corporate Communications dstill@k12.com The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) responded to yesterdays release of the review by the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario (FAO), which analyzed the Ministry of Educations spending plan from the 2021 Ontario Budget and the 2021-22 Expenditure Estimates, with Laura Walton, president of CUPEs Ontario School Board Council of Unions (OSBCU) offering the following comment: Once again we have evidence that the Ford government is more committed to austerity than to properly funding education, only this time the proof comes from the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario (FAO). CUPE and OSBCU have said for years that since this government was elected that it was restraining spending at the expense of students and this review shows exactly that: The FAO projects that school board spending will increase by an average of 2.3% per year until 2029-30, but the government is only projecting an average increase of 1.2% per year. The total shortfall over the period from 2021-22 to 2029-30 will be $12.3 billion. Even the FAO recognizes that this kind of shortfall requires the government to spend more or cut spending. And we know that this government will cut spending every time, unless there is a public outcry that makes them back down. Only $623 million of the $1.6 Billion in COVID-related funding this year comes from the Ministry of Education; the rest is coming from other ministries (procurement of PPE, etc.) and board reserves. Once again, Ministry is over-estimating its own spending. Perhaps most galling is the final tally of transfer payments to parents during the pandemic: $1.848 billion. This is more than the government provided in COVID-related funding for schools! Its heartbreaking and infuriating to think what massive improvements this money could have made in the lives of students and workers over the past year. It certainly would have gone a long way toward preventing schools from becoming such a significant source of COVID spread, as the premier has said they were. Story continues MU:gb/cope491 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005841/en/ Contacts Mary Unan, CUPE Communications, 647-390-9839 Laura Walton, OSBCU President, 613-813-9951 TSX: TVE CALGARY, AB, June 1, 2021 /CNW/ - Tamarack Valley Energy Ltd. ("Tamarack" or the "Company") (TSX: TVE) is pleased to announce that it has successfully closed the previously announced acquisition (the "Acquisition") of Anegada Oil Corp. ("Anegada"). Tamarack acquired all of the issued and outstanding common shares of Anegada for total net consideration of 105.3 million common shares of Tamarack and $247.5 million in cash and assumed net debt(1), after deducting the proceeds from the closing of the previously announced 2% gross overriding royalty (the "GORR"). In conjunction with the acquisition, Tamarack's credit syndicate has increased the Company's credit facilities to $600 million and extended the revolving period to May 31, 2022. Tamarack Valley Energy Ltd. Logo (CNW Group/Tamarack Valley Energy) Charlie Lake Update Current production from the newly acquired assets is approximately 12,500 boe/d(2). The Company forecasts a range of 12,000 to 13,000 boe/d(3) for the second half of 2021, maintaining that level of production on a go forward basis. Tamarack plans to run two rigs in the play during the month of June, with plans to drill 12 (12.0 net) wells for the remainder of the year, with seven (7.0 net) in the Pipestone area, two (2.0 net) in Wembley, two (2.0 net) in Saddle Hills and one (1.0 net) in Valhalla. Approximately two-thirds of the wells planned are three-mile horizontals with the remainder being two-mile horizontals. Tamarack's total budget for 2021 is expected to be approximately $180 million. Tamarack has proactively enhanced the inventory of future drilling locations and Charlie Lake acreage by an incremental 33 (32.7 net) locations and greater than 18,000 additional acres of land, through strategic tuck-in activity in the greater Charlie Lake fairway since the initial announcement of the Acquisition. Tamarack's highly economic Charlie Lake inventory represents >257 (240.0 net) locations and over 10 years of planned drilling inventory in the play. The Charlie Lake light oil inventory has very robust economics consisting of: high productivity wells (IP30 rates of >650 boe/d(4)); payouts of less than 6 months; profit to investment ratios(1) (10% discount) of >1.7; and long-term net asset value growth (NPV10 per well greater than $5 million) at US $55/bbl WTI and $2.50/GJ AECO. Story continues Anegada brought on-stream another notable well in late March (3-16-071-8W6), which produced an average of 919 bbls/d of oil for the calendar month of April. Two other notable wells in the Pipestone area that were brought on-stream in February (2-22 & 3-22-071-08W6) were down for approximately half of the month in April due to a battery fire. All of these wells are three-mile horizontals. About Tamarack Valley Energy Ltd. Tamarack is an oil and gas exploration and production company committed to long-term growth and the identification, evaluation and operation of resource plays in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin. Tamarack's strategic direction is focused on three key principles: (i) targeting repeatable and relatively predictable plays that provide long-life reserves; (ii) using a rigorous, proven modeling process to carefully manage risk and identify opportunities; and (iii) operating as a responsible corporate citizen with a focus on environmental, social and governance (ESG) commitments and goals. The Company has an extensive inventory of low-risk, oil development drilling locations focused primarily in the Cardium, Clearwater and Viking fairways in Alberta that are economic over a range of oil and natural gas prices. With this type of portfolio and an experienced and committed management team, Tamarack intends to continue delivering on its strategy to maximize shareholder returns while managing its balance sheet. Abbreviations AECO the natural gas storage facility located at Suffield, Alberta connected to TC Energy's Alberta System bbls/d barrels per day boe barrels of oil equivalent boe/d barrels of oil equivalent per day GJ gigajoule IFRS International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board mcf/d thousand cubic feet per day WTI West Texas Intermediate, the reference price paid in U.S. dollars at Cushing, Oklahoma for the crude oil standard grade READER ADVISORIES Notes to Press Release (1) See "Non-IFRS Measures" (2) Comprised of 7,100 bbl/d light and medium oil, 1,900 bbl/d NGL and 21,000 mcf/d natural gas (3) Comprised of 6,550 7,200 bbl/d light and medium oil, 1,950 2,000 bbl/d NGL and 21,000 22,800 mcf/d natural gas (4) Comprised of 370 bbl/d light and medium oil, 100 bbl/d NGL and 1,080 mcf/d natural gas Disclosure of Oil and Gas Information Unit Cost Calculation. For the purpose of calculating unit costs, natural gas volumes have been converted to a boe using six thousand cubic feet equal to one barrel unless otherwise stated. A boe conversion ratio of 6:1 is based upon an energy equivalency conversion method primarily applicable at the burner tip and does not represent a value equivalency at the wellhead. This conversion conforms with National Instrument 51-101 Standards of Disclosure of Oil and Gas Activities ("NI 51-101"). Boe may be misleading, particularly if used in isolation. Drilling Locations. This press release discloses drilling locations with respect to the Anegada assets in three categories: (i) proved locations; (ii) probable locations; and (iii) unbooked locations. Proved locations and probable locations are derived from the Company's internal reserves evaluation as prepared by a member of management who is a qualified reserves evaluator in accordance with NI 51-101 and the most recent publication of the Canadian Oil and Gas Evaluations Handbook ("COGEH") effective June 1, 2021 and account for drilling locations that have associated proved and/or probable reserves, as applicable. Unbooked locations are internal estimates based on the Company's assumptions as to the number of wells that can be drilled per section based on industry practice and internal review. Unbooked locations do not have attributed reserves or resources. Of the total 257 (240.0 net) drilling locations identified herein, 72 (70.5 net) are proved locations, 6 (6.0 net) are probable locations and 179 (163.5 net) are unbooked locations. Unbooked locations have been identified by management as an estimation of Company's multi-year drilling activities based on evaluation of applicable geologic, seismic, engineering, production and reserves information. There is no certainty that the Company will drill all unbooked drilling locations and if drilled there is no certainty that such locations will result in additional oil and gas reserves, resources or production. The drilling locations considered for future development will ultimately depend upon the availability of capital, regulatory approvals, seasonal restrictions, oil and natural gas prices, costs, actual drilling results, additional reservoir information that is obtained and other factors. While certain of the unbooked drilling locations have been derisked by the drilling of existing wells by Anegada in relative close proximity to such unbooked drilling locations, other unbooked drilling locations are farther away from existing wells where management has less information about the characteristics of the reservoir and therefore there is more uncertainty whether wells will be drilled in such locations and if drilled there is more uncertainty that such wells will result in additional oil and gas reserves, resources or production. Forward Looking Information This press release contains certain forward-looking information (collectively referred to herein as "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "guidance", "outlook", "anticipate", "target", "plan", "continue", "intend", "consider", "estimate", "expect", "may", "will", "should", "could" or similar words suggesting future outcomes. More particularly, this press release contains statements concerning: Tamarack's business strategy, objectives, strength and focus; the assets acquired pursuant to the Acquisition, including anticipated benefits and strategic rationale; oil and natural gas production levels, including average production for the second half of 2021; drilling plans and timing of drilling; Tamarack's liquidity and financial position, the factors contributing thereto, including the timing and level capital expenditures, including in connection with the GORR and the increase to the Company's credit facilities. The forward-looking statements contained in this document are based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by Tamarack, including relating to: the business plan of Tamarack; the assets acquired pursuant to the Acquisition; the GORR disposition; the timing of and success of future drilling, development and completion activities; the geological characteristics of Tamarack's properties; the characteristics of the acquired assets; the successful integration of the acquired assets into Tamarack's operations; prevailing commodity prices, price volatility, price differentials and the actual prices received for the Company's products; the availability and performance of drilling rigs, facilities, pipelines and other oilfield services; the timing of past operations and activities in the planned areas of focus; the drilling, completion and tie-in of wells being completed as planned; the performance of new and existing wells; the application of existing drilling and fracturing techniques; prevailing weather and break-up conditions; royalty regimes and exchange rates; the application of regulatory and licensing requirements; the continued availability of capital and skilled personnel; the ability to maintain or grow the banking facilities; the accuracy of Tamarack's geological interpretation of its drilling and land opportunities, including the ability of seismic activity to enhance such interpretation; and Tamarack's ability to execute its plans and strategies. Although management considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because Tamarack can give no assurances that they may prove to be correct. By their very nature, forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties (both general and specific) that could cause actual events or outcomes to differ materially from those anticipated or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: counterparty risk to closing the Acquisition; unforeseen difficulties in integrating the Assets into Tamarack's operations; incorrect assessments of the value of benefits to be obtained from acquisitions and exploration and development programs (including the Acquisition); risks associated with the oil and gas industry in general (e.g. operational risks in development, exploration and production; and delays or changes in plans with respect to exploration or development projects or capital expenditures); commodity prices; the uncertainty of estimates and projections relating to production, cash generation, costs and expenses; health, safety, litigation and environmental risks; access to capital; and the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the nature of the oil and natural gas industry, drilling plans and operational activities may be delayed or modified to react to market conditions, results of past operations, regulatory approvals or availability of services causing results to be delayed. Please refer to the annual information form for the year ended December 31, 2020 and management's discussion and analysis for the period ended March 31, 2021 (the "MD&A") for additional risk factors relating to Tamarack, which can be accessed either on Tamarack's website at www.tamarackvalley.ca or under the Company's profile on www.sedar.com. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date hereof and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable law. The forward-looking statements contained herein are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. This press release contains future-oriented financial information and financial outlook information (collectively, "FOFI") about Tamarack's prospective results of operations and production, capital budget and expenditures, balance sheet strength, profit to investment ratios, payout of wells, net debt, net asset value growth and components thereof, including pro forma the Acquisition and the GORR disposition, all of which are subject to the same assumptions, risk factors, limitations, and qualifications as set forth in the above paragraphs. FOFI contained in this document was approved by management as of the date of this document and was provided for the purpose of providing further information about Tamarack's future business operations. Tamarack disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any FOFI contained in this document, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless required pursuant to applicable law. Readers are cautioned that the FOFI contained in this document should not be used for purposes other than for which it is disclosed herein. References in this press release to IP30 and other short-term production rates are useful in confirming the presence of hydrocarbons, however such rates are not determinative of the rates at which such wells will commence production and decline thereafter and are not indicative of long-term performance or of ultimate recovery. While encouraging, readers are cautioned not to place reliance on such rates in calculating the aggregate production of Tamarack. Non-IFRS Measures Certain measures commonly used in the oil and natural gas industry referred to herein, including, "adjusted funds flow", "net debt" and "profit to investment ratio", do not have a standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS and therefore may not be comparable with the calculation of similar measures by other companies. These non-IFRS measures are further described and defined below. Such non-IFRS measures are not intended to represent operating profits nor should they be viewed as an alternative to cash flow provided by operating activities, net earnings or other measures of financial performance calculated in accordance with IFRS. "Adjusted Funds Flow" is calculated by taking cash-flow from operating activities and adding back changes in non-cash working capital and expenditures on decommissioning obligations, since Tamarack believes the timing of collection, payment or incurrence of these items is variable. Expenditures on decommissioning obligations may vary from period to period depending on capital programs and the maturity of the Company's operating areas. Expenditures on decommissioning obligations are managed through the capital budgeting process which considers available Adjusted Funds Flow. Tamarack uses Adjusted Funds Flow as a key measure to demonstrate the Company's ability to generate funds to repay debt and fund future capital investment. Adjusted Funds Flow can also be calculated on a per boe basis. Adjusted Funds Flow per share is calculated using the same weighted average basic and diluted shares that are used in calculating income (loss) per share. "Net Debt" is calculated as bank debt plus working capital surplus or deficit, including the fair value of cross-currency swaps and excluding the fair value of financial instruments and lease liabilities. Tamarack closely monitors its capital structure with a goal of maintaining a strong balance sheet to fund the future growth of the Company. The Company monitors Net Debt as part of its capital structure. The Company uses Net Debt as an alternative measure of outstanding debt. Management considers Net Debt an important measure to assist in assessing the liquidity of the Company. "Profit to Investment Ratio" is calculated as the present value of future Adjusted Funds Flows, discounted at 10% per annum, divided by total capital expenditures. Tamarack uses Profit to Investment Ratio to assess the long-term profitability and sustainability as well as to prioritize capital expenditures. Please refer to the MD&A for additional information relating to Non-IFRS measures. The MD&A can be accessed either on Tamarack's website at www.tamarackvalley.ca or under the Company's profile on www.sedar.com. SOURCE Tamarack Valley Energy Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/June2021/01/c1278.html THE WOODLANDS, Texas, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- TETRA Technologies, Inc. ("TETRA" or the "Company") (NYSE:TTI) announced that its senior management will participate at the virtual Cowen Sustainability & Energy Transition Summit on Tuesday, June 8, 2021. TETRA Technologies, Inc. logo. (PRNewsFoto/TETRA Technologies, Inc.) Brady Murphy, President and Chief Executive Officer, and Elijio Serrano, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, of TETRA are scheduled to present on Tuesday June 8 at 12:30 P.M. Eastern Time (11:30 A.M. Central Time) and will be hosting one-on-one meetings before and after the presentation. Parties interested in participating in the one-on-one sessions should contact Elijio Serrano (see Investor Contact below). Cowen's Sustainability & Energy Transition Summit is a virtual event taking place June 8 June 9, 2021. The summit incorporates fireside chats and presentations hosted by members of the Cowen research team. TETRA's presentation will be recorded and posted to the Company's web site. The Company's presentation material and a webcast of the presentation will be posted to TETRA's website on June 8. Please visit the Investor Relations section of the website at https://tetratec.com under "News & Events" then "Presentations" or "Events and Webcasts." Cowen Inc. ("Cowen") is a diversified financial services firm offering investment banking services, equity and credit research, sales and trading, prime brokerage, global clearing, commission management services and actively managed alternative investment products. Cowen focuses on delivering value-added capabilities to its clients in order to help them outperform. Founded in 1918, Cowen is headquartered in New York and has offices worldwide. Learn more at Cowen.com. Company Overview and Forward-Looking Statements TETRA Technologies, Inc. is a geographically diversified oil and gas services company, focused on completion fluids and associated products and services, water management, frac flowback and production well testing. Story continues Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tetra-technologies-inc-to-present-at-the-cowen-sustainability--energy-transition-summit-301303271.html SOURCE TETRA Technologies, Inc. WAUKESHA, Wis., June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- They say there are no free lunches, but the U-Haul team of Waukesha would beg to differ. U-Haul Logo (PRNewsFoto/U-Haul) In association with Waukesha's 125th anniversary, U-Haul is offering a complimentary lunch at its June 12 community celebration at U-Haul Moving & Storage of Les Paul Parkway at 925 Hwy. 164 S. The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Attendees can enjoy food (vegan options available), giveaways, a meet-and-greet with Chamber of Commerce members, and more. A U-Haul Safe Trailering display and company history presentation will also be on site. Lunch will be served on a first-come basis. "Waukesha is celebrating its 125th anniversary, and we're proud to be part of this thriving community," said Adam Muszynski, U-Haul Company of South Eastern Wisconsin president. "As Waukesha expands, we're excited to show how U-Haul meets the needs of growing cities by strengthening their resiliency and network of essential services." Contact U-Haul Moving & Storage of Les Paul Parkway at (262) 347-4903 or stop by to meet General Manager Nickolas Lederer and his team. Hours of operation are 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Thursday and Saturday; 7 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday; and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. Reserve equipment at uhaul.com or contact Reservations at 1-800-GO-UHAUL. U-Haul Moving & Storage of Les Paul Parkway opened in a limited capacity in 2016, offering truck and trailer sharing and moving supplies out of a temporary showroom. A second story was added to the 111,255-square-foot building in 2017. Renovations to the former Jewel-Osco grocery resulted in 900 self-storage units with climate-controlled options and high-tech security features, and an enclosed load/unload area to shield customers from the weather. Self-storage customers also receive U-Haul Remote 24/7 access. U-Box portable moving and storage containers, professional hitch installations and propane are available on the 8.11-acre property as well. Story continues "Offering residential mobility and a secure place for people's belongings is our goal, and we've worked closely with the city every step of the way," Muszynski added. "We take pride in our business and are looking forward to showing off this improved facility." U-Haul is now hiring at this and other Wisconsin facilities. Find full-time career opportunities as well as part-time work at uhauljobs.com. Acquisition of the property was driven by U-Haul Corporate Sustainability initiatives: U-Haul supports infill developments to help local communities lower their carbon footprint. The adaptive reuse of existing buildings reduces the amount of energy and resources required for new-building materials and helps cities reduce their unwanted inventory of unused buildings. As an essential service provider, U-Haul continues to serve communities during the COVID-19 recovery while offering contactless business programs and enhanced cleaning protocols, including added steps for sanitizing equipment between customer transactions. U-Haul products are used daily by First Responders; delivery companies bringing needed supplies to people's homes; small businesses trying to remain afloat; college students; and many other dependent groups, in addition to the do-it-yourself household mover. About U-Haul Since 1945, U-Haul has been the No. 1 choice of do-it-yourself movers, with a network of 22,000 locations across all 50 states and 10 Canadian provinces. U-Haul Truck Share 24/7 offers secure access to U-Haul trucks every hour of every day through the customer dispatch option on their smartphones and our proprietary Live Verify technology. Our customers' patronage has enabled the U-Haul fleet to grow to approximately 176,000 trucks, 127,000 trailers and 41,000 towing devices. U-Haul offers nearly 774,000 rentable storage units and 66.7 million square feet of self-storage space at owned and managed facilities throughout North America. U-Haul is the largest installer of permanent trailer hitches in the automotive aftermarket industry, and is the largest retailer of propane in the U.S. Contact: Andrea Batchelor Jeff Lockridge E-mail: publicrelations@uhaul.com Phone: 602-263-6981 Website: uhaul.com Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/u-haul-to-celebrate-waukesha-anniversary-at-les-paul-parkway-facility-on-june-12-301303206.html SOURCE U-Haul LEAD PLAINTIFF DEADLINE IS JULY 23, 2021 NEW YORK, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Wolf Haldenstein Adler Freeman & Herz LLP announces that a federal securities class action lawsuit has been filed against Washington Prime Group, Inc. ("Washington Prime" or "WPG") (NYSE: WPG) in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio on behalf of those who purchased or otherwise acquired publicly traded Washington Prime securities between November 5, 2020 and March 4, 2021, inclusive (the "Class Period"). (PRNewsfoto/Wolf Haldenstein Adler Freeman ) All investors who purchased shares of Washington Prime Group, Inc. and incurred losses are urged to contact the firm immediately at classmember@whafh.com or (800) 575-0735 or (212) 545-4774. You may obtain additional information concerning the action or join the case on our website, www.whafh.com. If you have incurred losses in your investment in shares of Washington Prime Group, Inc., you may, no later than July 23, 2021, request that the Court appoint you lead plaintiff of the proposed class. Please contact Wolf Haldenstein to learn more about your rights as an investor in the shares of Washington Prime Group, Inc. CLICK HERE TO JOIN CASE On February 16, 2021, WPG disclosed that its operating partnership, Washington Prime Group, L.P. ("WPG L.P."), had "elected to withhold an interest payment of $23.2 million due on February 15, 2021 with respect to WPG L.P.'s outstanding Senior Notes due 2024," and that "WPG L.P. has a 30-day grace period to make the interest payment before such non-payment constitutes an 'event of default.'" The Company further advised that, in an event of default, certain counterparties to the senior notes "could accelerate the outstanding indebtedness due . . . making such indebtedness due and payable, which would result in a cross-default with respect to some of WPG L.P.'s or the Company's other indebtedness." Story continues On this news, the Company's stock price fell $4.59, or 38%, to close at $7.49 per share on February 16, 2021, on unusually heavy volume. Then, on March 4, 2021, Bloomberg reported that WPG "is preparing a potential bankruptcy filing as time runs out to avert default after it skipped an interest payment on its debt, according to people with knowledge of the plans." On this news, the Company's stock price fell $3.77, or 60%, to close at $2.51 per share on March 4, 2021, on unusually heavy volume. Wolf Haldenstein has extensive experience in the prosecution of securities class actions and derivative litigation in state and federal trial and appellate courts across the country. The firm has attorneys in various practice areas; and offices in New York, Chicago and San Diego. The reputation and expertise of this firm in shareholder and other class litigation has been repeatedly recognized by the courts, which have appointed it to major positions in complex securities multi-district and consolidated litigation. If you wish to discuss this action or have any questions regarding your rights and interests in this case, please immediately contact Wolf Haldenstein by telephone at (800) 575-0735, via e-mail at classmember@whafh.com, or visit our website. Contact: Wolf Haldenstein Adler Freeman & Herz LLP Patrick Donovan, Esq. Gregory Stone, Director of Case and Financial Analysis Email: gstone@whafh.com, donovan@whafh.com or classmember@whafh.com Tel: (800) 575-0735 or (212) 545-4774 This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules. Cision View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/washington-prime-group-inc-class-action-alert-wolf-haldenstein-adler-freeman--herz-llp-reminds-investors-that-a-securities-class-action-lawsuit-has-been-filed-in-the-united-states-district-court-for-the-southern-district-of-oh-301303123.html SOURCE Wolf Haldenstein Adler Freeman & Herz LLP PRESS RELEASE Loudeac, 1st June 2021 WINFARM accelerates its international expansion Exclusive letter of intent signed with a view to acquiring Dutch company BTN de Haas WINFARM (ISIN: FR0014000P11 - ticker: ALWF), the French leader in distance selling for the agricultural sector, announces that the group has entered into exclusive negotiations and signed a non-binding letter of intent for a possible acquisition of 100% of the share capital of the Dutch company BTN de Haas BV. The acquisition would be funded in cash with private capital. Patrice Etienne, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and founder of WINFARM: The Netherlands, along with France, is one of the linchpin markets in the European farming and breeding sector. This acquisition would be a big step forward in WINFARMs business development plan, which we presented when the company was listed on the stock exchange. It brings us closer to the goal of establishing ourselves at the European level and becoming a key player in agricultural supplies in Europe. Founded in 1925 and based in Groningen in northern Netherlands, BTN de Haas targets Dutch breeders and farmers with products and equipment for livestock and breeding, agri-supplies (fencing, tools, and wear and tear parts) and a variety of materials which it sells at a central warehouse-store and, more especially, remotely over the internet. The company markets an extensive catalogue with about 8,000 references and sells to more than 150,000 businesses and individuals in the agricultural industry. In 2020, it posted revenue of 10.8m and an EBITDA of 829,000 for an EBITDA margin of 7.7%. BTN de Haas BV is a growing company that meets all the criteria defined in WINFARMs external growth strategy: Strong regional roots in a Northern European country; A product portfolio that meshes perfectly with the WINFARM offer and strategic positioning: a strong position in livestock and breeding (more than one-third of business), with diversifications into tools and wear parts and landscaping and outdoor professionals; History of growth and momentum (10% to 11% average increases in turnover on average per year between 2016 and 2020) driven in large part by internet sales, which are going up each year and already account for more than half of all business; and Very satisfactory profitability with gross and EBITDA margins that are slightly better than those of WINFARM. To successfully integrate BTN de Haas which has fewer than 30 employees, WINFARM will draw on its positive experience in Belgium, where agricultural supply sales grew 27% in 2020. Dutch cattle ranches are a core target and a potential source of important innovations that could be transposed to France. The Group will leverage the cultural and linguistic affinities of the Netherlands with Flanders to extend its conquest of the agri-supply market in Northern Europe. Story continues If the negotiations are successful, the transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2021 once due diligence has been completed and the usual conditions precedent have been met. About WINFARM Founded in Loudeac, in the heart of Brittany, in the early 1990s, WINFARM is now the French leader in distance selling for the agricultural world. WINFARM offers farmers and breeders comprehensive, unique and integrated solutions to help them meet the new technological, economic, environmental and social challenges of the next generation of agriculture. With a vast catalogue of more than 15,500 product references (seeds, phytosanitary, harvesting products, etc.), two-thirds of which are own brands, WINFARM has more than 44,500 customers in France and Belgium. In 2020, WINFARM recorded sales of 98.9m, surpassing its target. By 2025, WINFARM aims to double in size, with a revenue target of around 200m and an EBITDA margin of about 6.5%. For more information about the company: www.winfarm-group.com Contacts: WINFARM investisseurs@winfarm-group.com ACTIFIN, financial communications Benjamin LEHARI +33 (0) 1 56 88 11 11 winfarm@actifin.fr ACTIFIN, financial press relations Jennifer JULLIA +33 (0)1 56 88 11 19 jjullia@actifin.fr Attachment At first, the teenager from Afghanistan was so shy and withdrawn that she barely made eye contact with anyone outside her family. As Beheshta Nassari learned a few words of English, she slowly found her voice and the courage to express her hearts desire. Whenever her mentor, Kathleen Renfroe with Catholic Charities, came to visit, Nassari would tell her: I want to go to school. I want to go to school. I want to go to school. Renfroe got the message, but it wasnt a simple matter of enrolling Nassari at James Monroe High School. She was 18 when her family came to the United States three years ago, after locals in her city of Jalalabad realized her father had worked as an interpreter for the military. Things got diceyschools were attacked, pets killed and property vandalizedand it became clear that the Nassari family had to escape. Beheshta Nassari knew the alphabet when her family arrived in Virginia, but couldnt otherwise speak or write the language. She immediately took English classes and at one point even walked from her home in Mayfield to a church in downtown Fredericksburg for a more intensive course. Welcome Guest! You Are Here: More than 50 protesters were cited for violation of curfew during the protests. Most of those charged were eventually acquitted or agreed to perform community service in exchange for the charges being expunged. Protester Charles Cooper told his fellow demonstrators they deserve an apology from the police department that they never got. I appreciate every last one of you for everything you do, Cooper said. Even if they dont tell you what they did was wrongand youre valid, you are valid. Your feelings are nothing to be ashamed about, nothing to apologize about and nothing to cover up. A small group of counter-protesters challenged the group at Hurkamp Park before they walked away. A Jeep with two counter-protesters followed the marchers to the police department and one woman challenged them from her car before screaming ensued and she drove off. Demonstrators sat on a memorial dedicated to fallen city police officers and placed a skateboard against it that read BLM (Black Lives Matter) and ACAB (a derogatory chant about police officers). Every protester said a few words about their experience either during the protest movement last year or since that time. What we remember today on Memorial Day is that these values that make our nation great are not free; they come at a cost, a price, Spellerberg said. That price was paid by the brave, selfless, courageous servicemen and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice. Madsen thanked the crowd for coming out to the event, which was canceled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Armed Forces Day is for those who are still in their uniform. Veterans Day is for those who hung up their uniform, he said. Today, Memorial Day is for those who never made it out of their uniform. During his speech, Madsen spoke about the American flag, which he said stands for those who gave their lives while serving in the military. This flag drapes the casket of those who made the ultimate sacrifice so valiantly so that this flag may still fly tall and proud on this day and for all days, he said. Again, I thank you, I thank all the men and women who have served, the families for their sacrifice. Jenks, who was the events featured speaker, was previously an operations action officer with the British Royal Navy. He later served as executive officer of the USS Maryland, receiving two battle efficiency awards, and commanded the USSA Tennessee through two patrols. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said the military alliances exit from Afghanistan is progressing in an orderly and coordinated way ahead of a planned complete pullout by September 11. At every step, the safety of our personnel remains paramount, Stoltenberg told reporters on June 1 after chairing virtual meetings of NATOs foreign and defense ministers. We are ending our military mission, but we are not ending our support to the Afghans," he also said, amid fears that the Taliban could topple the Western-backed government in Kabul and its battered security forces once international forces leave after two decades of war. Violence has soared across Afghanistan since the start of the international military withdrawal. On June 1, officials said at least eight people were killed in a series of attacks in the capital, Kabul. NATO's departure from Afghanistan will figure high on the agenda of a summit in Brussels on June 14. Major issues remain over how the 30-nation alliance will continue to fund the corruption-ridden Afghan security forces, whether to continue training special forces troops somewhere outside the country, and what forces will protect civilian workers, embassies, and the Kabul airport. While NATO troops will no longer be in Afghanistan, the alliance and its partners will continue to provide funding to what Stoltenberg described as the countrys capable, strong security force. NATO will continue our civilian diplomatic presence in Kabul to provide advice and capacity-building support to Afghan security institutions, he also said. We are also looking at how we can provide military education and training outside Afghanistan focused on special operation forces, and are working on how to fund the provision of services enabling allies and the international community to stay in Kabul, including support for the airport. Fewer than 9,000 foreign troops remain in Afghanistan, including up to 3,500 U.S. personnel. With reporting by AP The Pakistani military says suspected militants in separate attacks raided a security post and targeted a vehicle carrying troops, resulting in the deaths of at least four soldiers and four militants. In a statement on June 1, the military said the first incident in southwestern Pakistan occurred when a group of militants attacked a security post in Quetta, the capital of the southwestern province of Balochistan, killing four soldiers and wounding six others. Troops returned fire, killing four attackers and wounding eight others, the statement said. In the second attack, militants set off a roadside bomb aimed at a security vehicle, wounding two soldiers in the district of Turbat in Balochistan. No one claimed responsibility for the attacks, and no further details were immediately available. Balochistan is the scene of an ethnic Baloch separatist insurgency and a brutal state crackdown that has killed thousands of people since 2004. Activists claim Pakistans powerful military has committed widespread abuses in Balochistan, including enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings of political activists and suspected separatists, arbitrary arrests, and torture. With reporting by AP and dawn.com Since the start of the international military withdrawal on May 1, the Taliban has seized strategic districts near the capital, Kabul, overrun military sites, and besieged towns and cities across Afghanistan. The Talibans early military gains have fueled fears that it could topple the Western-backed Afghan government and its battered security forces once all foreign forces depart by September. It is unclear if the militant group is attempting a forcible takeover of Afghanistan or just trying to boost its leverage in deadlocked peace talks aimed at striking a permanent cease-fire and power-sharing arrangement. Intra-Afghan talks that began in September have made little progress, hampered by deep mistrust, militant violence, and a huge gulf between the Taliban and Afghan representatives on key issues. In a further blow, the insurgents last month backed out of a high-level international peace conference hosted by Turkey. Observers say U.S. President Joe Biden's April decision to pull out the remaining 3,500 American troops in Afghanistan without setting any conditions has removed any incentive for the Taliban to pursue real peace. Around 7,000 other NATO forces are also departing with the U.S. troops. In the wake of Bidens decision, the Taliban immediately intensified attacks on provincial capitals, district centers, and large government military bases. In a maximalist sense, the Taliban wants a total military victory, says Tamim Asey, the head of the Institute of War and Peace Studies, a Kabul-based think tank. In a minimalist sense, once the Taliban has tested government forces and realized that a total military victory is not within reach then it will use violence as leverage to secure further concessions at the negotiation table, adds Asey, a former Afghan deputy defense minister. Fall Of Districts The militants have launched major offensives in both the countrys north and south. There has also been an uptick in deadly suicide bombings striking urban areas that have been blamed on the Islamist group. During the past month, the Taliban has seized control of at least four districts across Afghanistan: in Jalrez and Nerkh in the central province of Maidan Wardak, Dawlat Shah in the eastern province of Laghman, and Burka in the northern province of Baghlan. The militants also briefly overran the Baghlan-e Jadid district in Baghlan and the Almar district in northwestern Faryab Province. Maidan Wardak is only 40 kilometers from Kabul and considered a gateway to the capital. Several key highways to the countrys central and southern provinces also go through Maidan Wardak. The fall of districts is nothing new, but the Talibans attacks on select strategic districts in the southern and eastern provinces surrounding Kabul is significant, says Asey. The Taliban has adopted a strategy of striking economic and military choke points around major Afghan cities. This is intended to cut off cities from the rest of the country and eventually seize them. Bill Roggio, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense Of Democracies (FDD) and editor of the Long War Journal (LWJ), which tracks militant groups, says the Taliban is laying the groundwork for a big push to retake the country by force once all foreign forces leave. The Taliban can mass more forces in the field once U.S. airpower is gone, says Roggio. The Taliban is going to push to take large areas of the south and east, secure the passage to Kabul, maintain pressure on provinces surrounding the capital, all the while continuing to fight in the north and west to keep Afghan forces occupied. Around 24 percent of Afghanistans 398 districts are in government hands, the Taliban commands some 22 percent, and the rest are contested, according to the LWJ. The LWJs living map, based mostly on media reports, is the only publicly available source that tracks district control in Afghanistan. NATO no longer assesses territorial control, and the Afghan government has classified its own data. The Afghan government controls the capital, Kabul, provincial capitals, major population centers, and most district centers. The Taliban -- which controls more territory than any other time since the U.S.-led invasion in 2001 toppled it from power -- commands large swaths of the countryside. Demoralization In some cases, the Taliban has seized military bases and district centers after fierce clashes with Afghan security forces, who have complained about overdue salaries, shortages of ammunition, and delays in sending air and ground reinforcements. In other cases, the militants have seized control of military posts and districts without firing a bullet. In a growing trend, the Taliban, with the help of local elders, has negotiated the surrender of hundreds of Afghan soldiers and national police in the provinces of Laghman, Maidan Wardak, and Baghlan in recent weeks. Such actions have allowed the militants to stock up on weapons, ammunition, and equipment. It has also been a propaganda coup for the Taliban, which has boasted of an impending victory in its recent statements. Last week, the Taliban briefly entered Mehtarlam, the capital of Laghman Province, after government forces deserted several outposts protecting the city. The Taliban was pushed out but later showed off weapons and equipment allegedly left behind at the outposts. More than 100 military personnel were arrested for negligence and moved to Kabul. The fall of these districts is due to demoralization, bad leadership, and dwindling resources and air support, says Asey. This is augmented by Taliban influence operations in which local elders and religious leaders are used to convince Afghan forces to surrender or defect. Morale among government forces has reportedly sunk since the announcement of the full international military withdrawal. Observers say the military exit will severely weaken Afghanistans security forces, which have relied heavily on U.S. air support, intelligence, and logistics to keep the Taliban at bay. The United States has pledged to continue funding the 273,000-strong Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police. Washington has also said Afghan forces will receive military backing from U.S. bases and ships located hundreds of miles away -- the so-called "over the horizon support. But it is unclear if U.S. drones and war planes will aid Afghan forces fighting the Taliban or focus on counterterrorism missions against Al-Qaeda and Islamic State militants in Afghanistan. The Afghan military has been steadily losing ground to the Taliban even while U.S. forces were in country, says Roggio. Now, there is little the U.S. can do to help except for on the margins. Colorado Springs, CO (80903) Today Mainly clear. Low 59F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph, becoming N and decreasing to less than 5 mph.. Tonight Mainly clear. Low 59F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph, becoming N and decreasing to less than 5 mph. Colorado Springs, CO (80903) Today A clear sky. Low 58F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph, becoming NE and decreasing to less than 5 mph.. Tonight A clear sky. Low 58F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph, becoming NE and decreasing to less than 5 mph. 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. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close How a national student database could cheapen the college experience The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has proposed that the federal government create a database that includes information on outcomes for individual college graduates, such as how much money they earn after they get a degree in a particular major. Thats according to a report that a commission sponsored by the foundation released in May 2021. I asked the U.S. Education Department if they plan to adopt the proposed database, but did not get a yes-or-no answer. There are currently statutory prohibitions against the department developing a new national database on student information, said Melanie Muenzer, chief of staff for the Under Secretary of Education James Kvaal. Muenzer said the department is reviewing the commissions recommendations. We anticipate more conversations with commission members to learn even more, Muenzer said. In some ways, those conversations have already begun. Michelle Asha Cooper, a former member of the commission, now serves as deputy assistant secretary for higher education under Biden. As a political theorist who specializes in education policy and its impact on society, I think that a national student database would change the focus of much of American higher education. Many people understand the university experience as an opportunity for a variety of educational and enriching experiences. I believe this proposed database will shift the focus to ensuring that college graduates earn a certain level of income and wealth. Although the commission says the purpose is to address racism, classism and sexism, I think that it is more accurate to say that the commission wants to frame the value of higher education in largely economic terms. Defining value The Gates Foundation created the Postsecondary Value Commission precisely to define the value of a college degree. As commission member Margaret Spellings has said: people dont spend $80,000 or borrow lots of money because they want to be better people. The report nods to the value of the liberal arts in sustaining a healthy democracy. However, according to commission member Jose Luis Cruz, the report concentrates on easily quantifiable measures of value. The report creates a framework to rate the economic payoff of colleges, majors and certificate programs. At the bottom of the scale, graduates are not financially better off than if they had simply graduated high school. Higher scores suggest that students of color, students from low-income backgrounds and women are getting an earnings premium. The highest score indicates that a program is helping all of its graduates gain the same wealth as their white, male peers. Database details For this framework to work, it needs more data than presently available. Thus, the commission calls upon policymakers to create a federal student-level data network to track students pathways and post-college outcomes. The national database would collect information on students race, gender, major, income, wealth and debt. The existing College Scorecard collects information about the income of college graduates who received federal financial aid. The University of Texas data system provides information about alumni earnings and debts up to five years after graduation. The commission, however, wants to have data on all students up to 30 years after graduation to determine if a program achieves wealth parity. One hurdle to the proposed database is that Section 134 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 prohibits the U.S. Department of Education from developing a national database on student information. This spring, a bipartisan group of senators has introduced the College Transparency Act that would repeal this statue and permit the federal government to create a post-secondary student data system. Obama 2.0 President Obama wanted the federal government to rate colleges on whos offering the best value so students and taxpayers get a bigger bang for their buck. Former members of Obamas education staff and the Gates commission now work for the Biden administration. Pennsylvania flips switch on cloud unemployment system This week, Pennsylvania begins migrating its unemployment compensation system from a 40-year-old mainframe to a new cloud-based platform. The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry (L&I) signed a $35 million contract with Florida-based Geographic Solutions Inc. to lead the migration and manage the new system. By modernizing the overall process, the states hopes to make it easier for Pennsylvanians who file unemployment claims to receive the payments to which they are entitled," Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) Acting Secretary Jennifer Berrier said in April when the upgrades timeline was announced. The system will be offline for a week while the data is transferred to the new platform, which is scheduled to be operational June 8. If users flood the new system when it comes online, some will be sent to a virtual waiting room where they will wait until their requests can be processed. This process will prevent the system from becoming overloaded, which could cause latency or even crashes, officials said in a frequently-asked questions document. For unemployed workers, employers, government staff and third-party administrators, the new mobile-friendly UC system should be much easier to use, give users provide faster access to relevant information and streamline the unemployment claim filing process One new feature of the new UC system is the use of the Keystone ID, a secure online account management system that allows users to log into multiple online state services with the same credentials. Some critics of Pennsylvanias approach have warned that unemployment modernization projects are famous for delays, climbing costs and operational issues. Waldo Jaquith, a government technology expert at Georgetown Universitys Beeck Center for Social Impact and Innovation, told Spotlight PA that the states Big Bang approach -- shutting down the old system entirely before bringing up the new -- leaves little room for the inevitable glitches. One hundred percent of the time I advise against these things where you just flip a switch, he said. You are just setting yourselves up for trouble. William Trusky, the states deputy secretary for unemployment compensation programs, told Spotlight PA that there will be bumps in the road. These projects arent easy, said Trusky, noting the last state to modernize at this scale was Florida in 2013, in a launch widely considered to be a huge failure. Its not easy to modernize and its certainly not easy to modernize during a pandemic. Cassation upholds 11-year sentence of former vice-governor of Kurgan for $70k graft URA.RU/TASS/ 11:37 01/06/2021 MOSCOW, June 1 (RAPSI) The Seventh Cassation Court of General Jurisdiction on Tuesday upheld an 11-year prison sentence passed on the former deputy Governor of Russias Kurgan Region Roman Vanyukov for taking bribes worth over 5 million rubles ($70,000), the courts press service told RAPSI. Last June, a court convicted and sentenced Vanyukov to jail. Additionally, Vanyukov was fined 9 million rubles (about $125,000) and barred from taking state and municipal posts for 5 years. Moreover, according to the ruling, over 5.1 million rubles found in the house of the defendant, his sister were ordered to be forfeited to the state. According court records, since 2018 Vanyukov administering road maintenance funding has received over 5 million rubles from several economic entities as bribes. However, he wanted to receive over 27 million rubles (about $370,000) in total but was arrested. An argument ensued. Tones became sharp. Andrews accused Carr of "playing games," which Carr denied. Boge wanted the petitions back. A sheriff's deputy was called in to keep the peace. Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Carr indicated she would call the Iowa Secretary of State's office, and Andrews called the coalition's attorney, Michael Byrne. Byrne had crafted the petition the group used to garner signatures. After Carr spoke to the secretary of state's office, she told the group that she couldn't accept or reject the petitions, but needed to consult with the Floyd County attorney's office, and in the meantime had to put giant Xes in yellow highlighter on the pages that didn't have the petition language so that they couldn't be used again, as some in the coalition talked about stapling or taping pages together. Carr told the group, and attorney Byrne, who was listening by speaker phone, that the secretary of state's office said the same part of Iowa code that governs the petition to nominate an individual for elected office -- Chapter 45 -- applies to petitions for special elections. That chapter indicates that every page of the petition with signatures must also carry specific language indicating the candidate's name, office sought, name and date of the election, that all who signed are eligible voters and that the candidate resides in the appropriate district. Please log in to keep reading. Enjoy unlimited articles at one of our lowest prices ever. The future of abortion services in Iowa is uncertain, with a potential amendment to the state constitution and a looming key case in front of the U.S. Supreme Court. Those pending outcomes have the potential to dramatically impact to what extent abortion remains legal in Iowa and around the country. And those monumental cases come as access to abortions has become rare in Iowa, even as the number of abortions here has increased. Its very clear across the country reproductive freedom is under attack, said Jamie Burch Elliott, director of public affairs at Planned Parenthood Advocates of Iowa. Abortion access is being limited. Only nine medical facilities in Iowa provided abortions in 2017 a 33% decline from three years earlier and 93% of Iowa counties had no such facility, according to a recent study from the Guttmacher Institute, a nonprofit research and policy organization that advocates for sexual and reproductive health and rights. More than half of Iowa women lived in the counties with no medical facility that provided abortions, the institute said. MADRID (AP) The leader of a movement seeking independence from Morocco testified Tuesday in a Spanish investigation into allegations against him of torture, genocide and other crimes. Brahim Ghali appeared before an investigating magistrate at the National Court in Madrid via videoconference from a hospital in Logrono, a northern Spanish city where the 71-year old was hospitalized last month after falling seriously ill with COVID-19. The magistrate ruled after Ghali's testimony that he should remain free while the investigation continues, saying he has an address and phone number in Spain where he can be contacted. The judge will decide after his preliminary investigation whether there is enough evidence to bring charges. Ghali heads the Polisario Front and the self-declared Sahrawi Democratic Arab Republic, based in refugee camps in western Algeria. Morocco annexed Western Sahara in the 1970s, and the Polisario Front has long wanted to end Moroccan rule over Western Sahara. Ghali checked into the Spanish hospital under a false identity after arriving in the country by plane with an Algerian diplomatic passport and with the consent of the Spanish government. To the editor: In less than a week, on June 8 Virginias Democratic voters will select a candidate for lieutenant governor in the primary. Having contributed more than 40 collective years of public service, we see this race as a rare opportunity for voters to elect someone with experience unifying people across diverse backgrounds and geographies, a person who can contribute meaningfully to restoring trust in government. Del. Sam Rasoul has represented Roanoke in the General Assembly for the last eight years, and he is our choice for lieutenant governor. His record is dominated by a fierce dedication to putting people above special interests and not just those who live in his district. We live west of the Blue Ridge and have a natural interest in having our region represented in the highest councils of state government. If elected, Sam would be the only official elected statewide who lives west of Richmond, giving voice to a rural culture sometimes overlooked. But our support for Sam is not primarily based on geography. His history in public office offers the promise of rebuilding trust with a public that views government skeptically. Harold Redding, a veteran of the D-Day invasion of Normandy in World War II, is driven to the memorial frequently by his wife, Faye, although they usually dont get out of the car. On Monday, they had seats near the front. The couple live in Kernersville. We made 83 trips to various beaches to supply the Army and Marines, the old soldier said, recalling D-Day. I am thrilled to see people still coming out and that they remember all the ones who fought in all the wars. I think that if I could talk to all the men and women in the wars and ask them if it was worth it, all would give a resounding Yes to serving our great country. I would be glad to do it again. Redding served on an LST, one of the ships that landed tanks on the beach during the invasion. But his closest call, he said, was in the dock at London when the sudden silence from a German buzz bomb told him that one was coming down very close. The bomb, known as the V-1, was noted for the buzzing sound it made as it approached. Then there would be a moment of silence before people heard the explosion. The bomb landed on the ship right beside Reddings and blew up the crew quarters, killing many. Lilly said there was evidence that, in March or April, Fridley visited a church in Narrows, Virginia. She returned to the Narrows church on May 3 and went to its childcare area, where she gave a false name for herself and said that Larry was sick and had asked her to pick up a child, Lilly said. But church members questioned Fridley and, when she gave a name for the child she was looking for, they said it was not the name of anyone there and turned her away, Lilly said. Investigators determined that Fridley then went to another Narrows church, across the street from the first, and again said she was there to pick up a child, Lilly said. She was turned away there as well. Fridley went on to Ripplemead and Riverview Baptist Church, where she talked to nursery workers, and pointed to Noah, saying he was the boy she was supposed to take, Lilly said. Fridley was photographed leaving the church with Noah, Lilly said. She drove him to Clifton Forge, which is about 90 miles away, and told her boyfriend that this was his child, Lilly said. Fridley and Taylor shaved Noahs head and took him around to meet neighbors, Lilly said. Hannah-Jones was offered a five-year contract to serve as the Knight Chair in Race and Investigative Journalism at UNC-CH, even though her predecessors in the role were given tenure when appointed. A trustee who vets submissions for tenure postponed consideration of Hannah-Jones application in January because of questions about her non-academic background, the head of the Board of Trustees said last month. The submission never came before the full Board of Trustees for a vote. School leaders have said little about why tenure wasnt offered, despite the dean of the journalism school and faculty supporting the distinction. The newly revealed emails from Hussman to school leaders shed light on conversations about Hannah-Jones hiring in the weeks before her tenure application was halted. The Assembly obtained emails sent by Hussman to David Routh, vice chancellor for university development; Susan King, dean of the Hussman School of Journalism and Media; and Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz. I worry about the controversy of tying the UNC journalism school to the 1619 project, Hussman wrote in a December email. Based on her own words, many will conclude she is trying to push an agenda, and they will assume she is manipulating historical facts to support it. Prophetic Dream: Betrayal at the Highest Levels and Missile Launch Against America Chaplain Linzey speaking at the Airman-Marine Memorial Chapel at MCAS Miramar, San Diego, California (2018). NEWS PROVIDED BY James F. Linzey June 1, 2021 OPINION, June 1, 2021 /Christian Newswire/ -- The following is submitted by James F. Linzey, he is available for comment: From 1988 to 2021, I have had numerous prophetic dreams concerning America. Not one has contradicted another. All have been 100 percent harmonious and have been published for the edification of the public. I have never claimed that these are prophecies, because they are merely dreams of a prophetic nature. Regrettably, some of them came to pass before I dreamed them, and some after. Some have not yet come to pass, but what I saw in those dreams have been encouraged by some among the liberal left. I am referencing concentration camps where Christians and patriotic citizens might be placed. Such camps already exist. I recently had another prophetic dream. On Sunday, May 9, 2021, I was driving from Oklahoma to California where I had been visiting friends and ministering to one of them. I stopped along HWY 40 West and rested near Truck Stop 40. There, I had another prophetic dream of turbulent times in Americapossibly the end of America as we know her. In the dream, I was in a military command and control center. The commander had left for the evening as the evening shift, comprised of military personnel, stood the watch. There, in the command and control center, was an incoming missile detection system. For some strange reason the commander left it off as she retired for the evening, leaving America defenseless and vulnerable to an incoming enemy missile attack. America was without a detection system in operation. Questions lingeredwas she deliberately negligent in order to leave America defenseless and to allow America to be annihilated? Was this a communist plot? Then, one of the military men who was keeping the watch turned the missile detection system on. It lit up. All its lights were on. America was now capable of detecting any enemy missile launch aimed at her. The military personnel were on alert. The solider who turned the system on had received word that that an attack was imminentit was going to happen. He then proceeded to phone the commander to let her know that the incoming missile alert system that she left off was now on. He and another military member who was on duty there knew it was going to happen. They just did not know when. This is not a prophecy in which all the details must come to pass the way I saw it. Dreams often employ symbolism. What happens in such dreams may actually unfold in a different way with the same objective coming to pass. I am simply reporting what I saw. I am not prophesying. Unfortunately, this came to pass at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, at the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, and possibly on other occasions not reported by the mainstream media and the U.S. government. There are grave concerns that this will happen again in the future. Chaplain Linzey is a retired Army chaplain, currently serving as a Southern Baptist chaplain with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the DoD-recognized United States Army Volunteer Reserves. On active duty, he served as the Command Chaplain for Cluster III of Operation Noble Eagle II under Homeland Security, headquartered at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, supervising the religious programs for 12 Air Force and Army installations in the Southwest; Command Chaplain of the 5035th Garrison Support Unit, Fort Bliss, Texas, supervising the religious program for the largest Mobilization and Demobilization mission in the continental United States; and as the first full-time chaplain for the Leader's Training Course under the US Army Cadet Command at Fort Knox, Kentucky. SOURCE: James F. Linzey CONTACT: 760-855-3905, fret2047@aol.com Related Links www.JimLinzey.com Share Tweet Woman charged with 2016 attack on Russian embassy in Kiev arrested in absentia RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov 16:36 01/06/2021 MOSCOW, June 1 (RAPSI) Moscows Basmanny District Court has issued an arrest warrant in absentia for Russian woman Irina Belacheu accused of participation in the attack against Russias embassy in Kiev in March 2016, according to the Investigative Committees press service. She is abroad and has been put on the international wanted list, the statement reads. Investigators earlier received evidence of involvement of Russians Mikhail Agafonov and Irina Belacheu in the anti-Russian action. From March 5 to 10, 2016, a group of rebellious people intentionally and in conspiracy committed several attacks against the Russian Federation embassy to aggravate international relations between Russia and Ukraine. They were with assault on the institution under international protection. Earlier, several other defendants were identified and brought to criminal liability, including 7 citizens of Ukraine. They are on a wanted list. If passed, this bill will create unpredictability for the startups and development-stage companies in Colorados life sciences ecosystem, making it harder for them to raise funds, said Jennifer Jones Paton, the groups president and CEO. Investors will look elsewhere for opportunities. Nonetheless, the bill is expected to pass. Proponents said its unlikely a manufacturer could carve out specific drugs or states from its supply chain and pointed out that drug companies already sell their highest-cost drugs at lower prices to Medicaid, community health clinics and charity hospitals. The governors office is also implementing changes on its own. On July 1, it is formally launching a tool embedded in electronic medical records allowing doctors and other prescribers to see what patients with public or private health plans would pay for a medication. Bimestefer said 80% of prescribers in the state have the tool enabled, and 37% are using it ahead of the official start date. The state is also pursuing contracts with drug companies that would link prices to the effectiveness of the drugs, measured, for example, by whether they reduce hospitalizations or heart attacks. I am so very thankful that they had something in this terrible time of loss and trauma and isolation, said Keefe. Demand for mental health services will likely continue even after the lifting of all COVID-19 restrictions. About 41% of adults were suffering from anxiety or depression in January, compared with about 11% two years before, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Health Interview Survey. That is not going to go away with snapping our fingers, Dempsey said. After the pandemic, Shore said, providers should review data from the past year and determine when virtual care or in-person care is more effective. He also said the health care industry needs to work to bridge the digital divide that exists because of lack of access to devices and broadband internet. Even though Barnes, the teacher, said she did not see teletherapy as less effective than in-person therapy, she would like to return to seeing her therapist in person. When you are in person with someone, you can pick up on their body language better, she said. Its a lot harder over a video call to do that. KHN (Kaiser Health News) is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues. Together with Policy Analysis and Polling, KHN is one of the three major operating programs at KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation). KFF is an endowed nonprofit organization providing information on health issues to the nation. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Montanans are fiercely independent and cherish our constitutional rights and freedoms. We are proud to report that this legislative session Republicans passed a series of bills that safeguard individual rights, and thankfully we have a governor who has signed them into law. Early in the session, House Republicans introduced House Bill 102 to expand permitless carry of firearms. This legislation protects the individual right to self-defense and strengthens Montanans Second Amendment rights. Similar bills have been vetoed in previous sessions but House Bill 102 was signed into law by Gov. Gianforte. Other pro-Second Amendment legislation pushes back on the enforcement of new federal gun or ammunition bans in the state. House Republicans also successfully passed legislation to protect life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for the unborn. House Bill 136 is the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act and it prevents abortions after 5 months when a child can begin to feel pain. House Bill 140 requires that pregnant women be offered the opportunity to view their ultrasound or fetal heartbeat so that they can make a fully informed decision. Finally, House Bill 171 requires an in-person doctor visit in order to be prescribed abortion-inducing drugs. This allows the pregnant woman to get a medical exam and learn about the drug. It also prevents abusers and sex traffickers from ordering these pills through the mail and forcing them on victims. Illinois is expected to launch a new task force aimed at identifying gaps in domestic violence laws in memory of a Joliet boy whose mothers pleas for protection against the toddlers abusive father were ignored. State lawmakers approved the task force without opposition on Sunday during the waning days of the spring session. The panel will be asked to establish protective networks for victims, propose treatment options for victims and offenders, bolster specialty courts to handle abuse cases and look at shortcomings in existing laws and procedures. The group will have roughly two dozen members, including domestic abuse survivors, law-enforcement officials and legal experts, according to the bill. The move will allow the state to take a comprehensive look at its domestic violence laws, which have been written in a piecemeal fashion for decades, said Republican Rep. David Welter of Morris, the measures chief sponsor. Its going to start the process of putting everything all under one umbrella, Welter said. And were going to do it by bringing people to the table whove never had a seat before. Known as Coltons Task Force, the legislation honors 18-month-old Colton Miller, who was killed in September 2019 after his father repeatedly shot him at close range in his Joliet home. The father, Christopher Miller, then put a pistol to his own head and pulled the trigger. Coltons mother, Cassandra Tanner Miller, had pushed for the legislation in the weeks following her sons death as a way for the public to remember Colton, a towheaded toddler who loved monster trucks, Batman and his big sister. Please log in to keep reading. {{featured_button_text}} Enjoy unlimited articles at one of our lowest prices ever. Its a beautiful tragedy, Tanner Miller said after the bills passage. Theres a beauty in what we did and what this legislation represents. I created a legacy for Colton. I did what any mother would do and made sure her childs life had meaning. Miller had separated from her estranged husband a roughly a year before the shooting so her children could grow up in a home free from domestic violence and drug use. Christopher Miller was facing felony charges in both Cook and DuPage counties at the time of the shooting, and records show he ignored state law that required him to relinquish his firearms. Cassandra Tanner Miller warned DuPage prosecutors about the weapons, but no one acted on the information. DuPage authorities told her to seek an order of protection if she was afraid. A month later, Miller, who had cocaine and alcohol in his system, barged into the familys home, punched Tanner Miller repeatedly in the face, hit her with a candleholder and then choked her until she lost consciousness. He also attacked his 9-year-old stepdaughter, biting and pinning her down until she managed to break his hold and pull her mother outside the house to safety. Tanner Miller and her daughter, Camryn, made it as far as the next-door neighbors garage when they heard gunshots coming from the second story of her home. Miller fired the illicit gun so many times, at least 10, that the coroner could not definitively track the bullets that shattered the toddlers skull. Tanner Miller, who will be among the domestic abuse survivors on the task force, takes solace in knowing something positive has come out of her familys anguish. My hope is that now domestic violence will be taken seriously and viewed as a life-or-death situation, she said. This work will save lives and, when it does, it will be because of little boy named Colton. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 SPRINGFIELD Senate Republicans attempted to bypass the Senate Executive Appointments Committee Monday after its chairwoman did not call several Prisoner Review Board appointees for confirmation hearings. The Senate voted unanimously on the floor to waive posting requirements for the appointees, through motions brought forward by Republicans. But Sen. Laura Murphy, a Democrat from Des Plaines and chair of the Executive Appointments Committee, did not call the appointees at the hearing Monday morning, the final day before the current session of the General Assembly was scheduled to adjourn. Republican Sen. Jason Plummer, of Edwardsville, a member of the committee, interjected during the hearing, bringing attention to the PRB appointees posting. I do not presently see any of those people in the hearing room and I do not see any of them on Zoom. Do you intend to pull the members of the PRB today? Plummer asked Murphy during the hearing. Murphy said the PRB appointees would not be heard. She later issued an email statement to Capitol News Illinois. The Executive Appointments Committee is operating well within Senate rulesthe committee is meeting its constitutional responsibility to confirm the governors appointees within 60 session days of nomination, Murphy wrote. My colleagues on the other side of the aisle have chosen to politicize this process, but they are well aware the procedure is routine, she added. The Prisoner Review Board is charged with making parole determinations independently, and to involve them in this shameless display of partisanship is inappropriate and dangerous. The PRB, a 15-person body appointed by the governor, imposes release conditions for incarcerated individuals being released from prison. The board has the authority to grant, deny or determine conditions of parole and notify victims and families when an inmate is going to be released from custody. The board also makes recommendations for clemency petitions to the governor. Please log in to keep reading. {{featured_button_text}} Enjoy unlimited articles at one of our lowest prices ever. There are currently 10 members of the PRB serving without Senate confirmation. Four of the appointees in question include Aurthur Mae Perkins, Joseph Ruggiero, Oreal James and Eleanor Wilson. All four were appointed by Pritzker in March and April of 2019, but were never confirmed by the Senate. The governor since withdrew their nominations and reappointed them to restart a 60-session-day clock in which their appointments could be heard by the committee. Although this practice is allowed under Senate rules and has been used by previous governors, Senate Republicans said they were concerned about the unconfirmed PRB appointees controversial votes to release certain types of inmates. We want to understand...their decision making process, Plummer said at a news conference following the hearing. We've got a record of decisions they've made about violent criminals that they've let loose on the streets. I mean literally people who have murdered law enforcement personnel, people who've committed several rapes, people who are child molesters, the list is long. Following the committee hearing, Plummer rose on the Senate floor to move that the committee be discharged from further consideration, and that the appointment messages be placed on the order for a roll call vote before the full Senate. The appointment messages were placed on the Senate calendar, meaning they could be heard Monday, although it was unclear if such a vote would happen before the scheduled adjournment at the end of the day. Gov. JB Pritzkers press secretary, Jordan Abudayyeh, said the governor has no objection to his appointees to the PRB receiving a vote by the committee or the Senate. He does object to the GOP playing games with appointments to a board that is responsible for undertaking a difficult and complex mission, she said in a statement. These members must be able to make parole determinations entirely independently and free from political interference. The members appointments and votes are transparent, and their meetings are open to the public. Subjecting members to political grandstanding sets a new and dangerous precedent for this important constitutional function. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Legislative support and protection for LGBTQ rights helped improve Illinois ranking on the third annual report assessing states performance on LGBTQ inclusion, however, the state needs improvement in areas such as health and safety, the report shows. One of the strongest cogs in Illinois economic engine is an industry that isnt necessarily a household name. Data centers. They pretty much do what their name suggests. Theyre climate-controlled buildings that warehouse massive tranches of gigabits inside clusters of servers and data storage systems. Data centers play a role in everything from email and e-commerce to gaming and data backup and management. In an increasingly online world, data centers are far from bit players. In 2019, the Chicago area ranked third in the country for data center capacity, behind northern Virginia and the Dallas-Fort Worth region. The data center industry generated for Illinois $7.1 billion in economic output in 2017, $877 million in tax revenue, and 31,500 jobs, according to a report commissioned by the Illinois Chamber of Commerce Foundation. So whats got us worked up about data centers? Legislation with an amendment sponsored in the House by state Rep. Mark Walker, an Arlington Heights Democrat, that would require new and prospective data centers to sign so-called peace labor agreements with unions representing workers who maintain typical data center infrastructure, such as cooling and fire safety equipment, backup generators and water treatment systems. The measure is part of an amendment to the states 2-year-old tax credit program for data centers, which Republicans pushed, that so far has brought in $5 billion in private investment to Illinois data center industry. Please log in to keep reading. {{featured_button_text}} Enjoy unlimited articles at one of our lowest prices ever. Companies that want to set up data centers in this state now would have to hire union labor, if the amendment filed by Walker stays. Its easy to see what the fallout would be. The people behind data centers would shrug and say, Illinois is too expensive. Too many hoops to jump through. Lets take our business to Indiana, Iowa or a host of other states that offer tax incentives for data centers without any onerous union hiring mandates. Its all but certain we would see less projects and less investment in Illinois simply because of this provision, Brad Tietz, vice president of government relations for the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, recently testified to the Illinois House Revenue Committee, as reported by Crains Chicago Business. In the immediate term, this is likely $1 billion in additional investment that we are putting at risk. The solution is straightforward. This measure should never see the light of day. Lawmakers should kill it, and if it somehow makes it to Gov. J.B. Pritzkers desk, he should veto it. Data centers represent a rare bright spot in Illinois otherwise sluggish economy. In a state struggling to stem the exodus of businesses, jobs and people, the last thing needed is yet another legislative burden that turns away investment Illinois so desperately needs. What was Walker thinking? No clue. Chicago Tribune Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Collins has served at St. Thomas Episcopal Church for almost 50 years. I auditioned for this organist job here at St. Thomas, I guess around 1973 and Ive been here ever since, she said. The church had an electric organ when she first started. In 1980, a pipe organ was installed, with enhancements made in 1998. As COVID-19 restrictions are lifted, Collins plays with newfound optimism and in the company of a few masked worshippers during Sunday services. Its starting to be exciting now. People are starting to come back, she said. Collins, who also serves as the churchs choir director, cant wait for the choir to again sing during services. That is expected in September. Well, I miss the choir because we joined together, we were one, she noted. When I see the choir come in, they come in two by two just very reverently, bow and enter the choir stalls. Its just emotional for me. Collins optimistically pictures the day that the church body gathers without masks. Im going to let all the stops out. That will be a glorious day for sure. Im just looking forward to seeing all my church family and hugging everybody. Darius White is one of several journalism students from Middle Tennessee State University who are in the area for 16 days writing feature stories for the Herald Courier. President Putin proposes to empower Prosecutor General's Office to represent Russia in ECHR RAPSI 12:14 01/06/2021 MOSCOW, June 1 (RAPSI) Russian President Vladimir Putin has submitted to the State Duma a bill seeking to empower the Prosecutor General's Office to represent the interests of the Russian Federation in international and foreign courts. Taking into account the role the Prosecutor's Office plays in the system of public authorities of the Russian Federation, as well as the powers of the Prosecutor to request materials of criminal cases from investigative bodies and courts, information constituting banking and tax secrets, it can be concluded that the transfer of the functions ensuring its representation and protection of Russias interests in interstate bodies, foreign and international (interstate) courts, foreign and international arbitration tribunals will ensure the necessary level of interaction of federal state bodies on these issues and, in general, the effectiveness of work on representation of interests of the Russian Federation, the explanatory note to the bill reads. It follows from the document that the combination of the powers of the Prosecutor General's Office to oversee the implementation of the law and the observance of human and civil rights with the function of representing Russias interests in the European Court for Human Rights (ECHR) will ensure the protection of citizen's rights at all stages of consideration of complaints against the Russian Federation. We dont yet know where the virus that causes COVID-19, the disease thats killed nearly 600,000 Americans and 3.5 million globally, came from. SARS-CoV-2 may well have crossed over from a wild animal in an unsanitary wet market in or around Wuhan, China. Or it may have emerged from a lab in that city of 11 million where scientists were studying bat coronaviruses. The latter hypothesis, angrily rejected by Beijing, has in recent months begun to gain credence. That doesnt mean its likely, but it does mean it warrants further scrutiny, because a simmering theory left unexamined will burn the pot. President Joe Biden should therefore be commended for ordering from U.S. intelligence agencies what we hope will prove to be a definitive review of the evidence for and against the lab-leak origin story. The debate has been fraught from the start, perhaps because it has been irresponsibly conflated with the claim that the bug was somehow deliberately engineered in the Wuhan Institute of Virology. That didnt happen but there is a possibility that an accident at the lab led to the escape of a virus researchers were studying. Among the dots connected by responsible reporters, officials and scientists: The cyber attack afforded some livestock an extra day to live. Image: Shutterstock A cyber attack on Brazilian-owned meat processing company JBS Foods, which owns the likes of Hans and Primo, forced the closure of 47 facilities around Australia on Monday. The attack was confirmed by JBS Australia CEO Brent Eastwood who spoke to industry news site Beef Central, saying he was unsure how long the outage would last. In a statement, JBS USA said the attack affected some of the servers supporting its North American and Australian IT systems. The company took immediate action, suspending all affected systems, notifying authorities and activating the company's global network of IT professionals and third-party experts to resolve the situation, it said. The companys backup servers were not affected, and it is actively working with an incident response firm to restore its systems as soon as possible. The company is not aware of any evidence at this time that any customer, supplier or employee data has been compromised or misused as a result of the situation. JBS did not confirm if it was a ransomware attack and details from the incident have not yet appeared on common dark web leak sites used by ransomware gangs. No early evidence suggests the attack was instigated by political activists or animal welfare groups. By Monday morning, the company had already cancelled all its beef and lamb kills which Australian Meat Industry Employees Union Queensland secretary Matt Journeaux would result in thousands of staff going without pay. "The meat in the sandwich is that this is a concerted effort against Australian business and the workers will suffer as a result of that, he told the ABC. "In most processing facilities, the workers are on daily hire arrangements and unfortunately if they don't work, they don't get paid." Federal Agriculture Minister David Littleproud said the government was aware of the attack on JBS and it was working with local law enforcement. It's a global attack, and so we're working in partnership with those other countries to get to the bottom of this as quickly as we can, but also working with JBS to try and get them up as quickly as we can, Littleproud said. You got to understand that the technology that they use, the systems they use, go to the heart of the quality assurance of the beef that they process. So we need to make sure that we can get that up and going to give confidence not just to consumers here in Australia, but also to our export markets. Although the meat JBS processes can be done at other abattoirs, the incident once again calls attention to the real-world supply chain disruptions caused by cyber security incidents. Just last month, an attack on US oil supplier Colonial Pipeline caused a petrol shortage in the countrys Eastern states. Colonial paid 75 bitcoin in ransomware to the attackers who then seemingly disappeared. At the time, Crowdstrike Senior VP of Intelligence, Adam Meyers, told Information Age these attacks will continue to happen until it is not economically viable for the hackers to conduct them. Make it more expensive for them to operate, lower their return on investment, and maybe theyll go away, he said. You could look at doing through the regulation of cryptocurrency. Or make it illegal to pay the ransom demand. Unfortunately, if theres a victim that has the choice of going out of business or paying the ransom demand, they tend to pay the demand. CHARLESTON Coles County Circuit Judge James Glenn has announced that he plans to retire at the end of his current term and to not seek judicial retention in the November 2022 election. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time as a judge and still look forward to coming to work every day. I will miss the people at the Coles County Courthouse, as well as my friends and colleagues throughout the circuit," Glenn said in a press release on Tuesday. The Mattoon native plans to leave office on Dec. 4, 2022 after serving 24 years on the bench. Glenn said he recently notified the Illinois Supreme Court by letter of his retirement plans in hopes of giving other judicial candidates time to complete the necessary paperwork to run for the position in the next election. It has been an honor to serve the people, but its time for someone else to have this opportunity and for the public and litigants to see another point of view, the judge said. Glenn was first elected in 1998 as a circuit court judge of the 5th Judicial Circuit, serving Clark, Coles, Cumberland, Edgar and Vermilion counties. He was retained by voters in 2004, 2010 and 2016. In his early years, Glenn presided at the Edgar County Courthouse in Paris, though he also heard cases regularly in Cumberland County. In 2001, Glenn began hearing cases in Coles County, while continuing to preside over a wide range of cases in Edgar County until 2011. Please log in to keep reading. {{featured_button_text}} Enjoy unlimited articles at one of our lowest prices ever. Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Glenn said he has heard a little bit of everything during his tenure, from small claims, traffic and misdemeanor cases to family law, malpractice and felony cases. He has presided over cases in each of the circuit's five counties, as well as in counties in other circuits. I am grateful to the citizens of the 5th Judicial Circuit for entrusting me with this responsibility. Every case is important to me, regardless of the size of the claim. I give every case my full attention and never go in unprepared, Glenn said. We are blessed to have outstanding lawyers and judges in this area. I am constantly learning from them. Glenn served as chief judge of the 5th Judicial Circuit from 2003 to 2007 and as presiding judge of Coles County from 2012 to 2014. He also served briefly as presiding judge of Edgar County in 2006. In addition, Glenn serves as a mentor with the Illinois New Judge Mentoring Program and has mentored nine new judges of the circuit. He also serves as a mentor with the Peer Judge Mentoring Program and a facilitator with the Judicial Performance Evaluation Program. The Supreme Court appointed Glenn in 2002 to serve for nine years with the Judicial Conference of Illinois, which makes recommendations for court system improvements. He was appointed in 2019 to serve as an alternate member of the Illinois Courts Commission, a disciplinary agency tasked with hearing misconduct complaints against judges and making final determinations on the cases. Glenn earned a bachelor's in political science from the University of Illinois in 1982. He received his law degree from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale in 1985. Before becoming a judge, he practiced law for 13 years alongside his father, the late Ralph Glenn, and Thomas Logue, at the Mattoon law firm of Glenn & Logue. In retirement, Glenn said he plans to spend more time with his family and to continue his service with the Kiwanis Club of Mattoon. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The Metro East Humane Society in Edwardsville earlier this week arrived at work to find a dog left outside its doors, so infested with maggots and matted with clumps of fur that its gender could not initially be determined. CANBERRA, Australia (AP) A ransomware attack on the world's largest meat processing company disrupted production around the world just weeks after a similar incident shut down a U.S. oil pipeline. Brazil's JBS SA, however, said late Tuesday that it had made significant progress in dealing with the cyberattack and expects the vast majority of its plants to be operating on Wednesday. Our systems are coming back online and we are not sparing any resources to fight this threat," Andre Nogueira, CEO of JBS USA, said in a statement. Earlier, the White House said JBS had notified the U.S. of a ransom demand from a criminal organization likely based in Russia. White House principal deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the White House and the Department of Agriculture have been in touch with the company several times this week. JBS is the second-largest producer of beef, pork and chicken in the U.S. If it were to shut down for even one day, the U.S. would lose almost a quarter of its beef-processing capacity, or the equivalent of 20,000 beef cows, according to Trey Malone, an assistant professor of agriculture at Michigan State University. The closures reflect the reality that modern meat processing plants are heavily automated, for both food- and worker-safety reasons. Computers collect data at multiple stages of the production process, and orders, billing, shipping and other functions are all electronic. JBS, which has not stated publicly that the attack was ransomware, said the cyberattack affected servers supporting its operations in North America and Australia. Backup servers werent affected and it said it was not aware of any customer, supplier or employee data being compromised. Malone said the disruption could further raise meat prices ahead of summer barbecues. Even before the attack, U.S. meat prices were rising due to coronavirus shutdowns, bad weather and high plant absenteeism. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has said it expects beef prices to climb 1% to 2% this year, poultry as much as 1.5% and pork between by from 2% and 3%. JBS, which is a majority shareholder of Pilgrim's Pride, didn't say which of its 84 U.S. facilities were closed Monday and Tuesday because of the attack. It said JBS USA and Pilgrims were able to ship meat from nearly all of its facilities Tuesday. The company also said it was making progress toward resuming plant operations in the U.S. and Australia. Several of the companys pork, poultry and prepared foods plants were operational Tuesday and its Canada beef facility resumed production, it said. Earlier Tuesday, a union official confirmed that two shifts at the company's largest U.S. beef plant, in Greeley, Colorado, were canceled. Some plant shifts in Canada were also canceled Monday and Tuesday, according to JBS Facebook posts. In Australia, thousands of meat plant workers had no work for a second day Tuesday, and a government minister said it might be days before production resumes. JBS is Australias largest meat and food processing company, with 47 facilities across the country including slaughterhouses, feedlots and meat processing sites. Jean-Pierre said the White House is engaging directly with the Russian government on this matter and delivering the message that responsible states do not harbor ransomware criminals. The FBI is investigating the incident, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is offering technical support to JBS. In addition, USDA has spoken to several major meat processors in the U.S. to alert them to the situation, and the White House is assessing any potential impact on the nations meat supply. Please log in to keep reading. {{featured_button_text}} Enjoy unlimited articles at one of our lowest prices ever. JBS has more than 150,000 employees worldwide. It's not the first time a ransomware attack has targeted a food company. Last November, Milan-based Campari Group said it was the victim of a ransomware attack that caused a temporary technology outage and compromised some business and personal data. In March, Molson Coors announced a cyber attack that affected its production and shipping. Molson Coors said it was able to get some of its breweries running after 24 hours; others took several days. Ransomware expert Brett Callow, a threat analyst at the security firm Emsisoft, said companies like JBS make ideal targets. They play a critical role in the food supply chain and threat actors likely believe this increases their chances of getting a speedy payout, Callow said. Mark Jordan, who follows the meat industry as the executive director of Leap Market Analytics, said the disruption could be minimal assuming JBS recovers in the next few days. Meat processers are used to dealing with delays because of a host of factors, including industrial accidents and power outages, and they make up lost production with extra shifts, he said. Several plants owned by a major meatpacker going offline for a couple of days is a major headache, but it is manageable assuming it doesn't extend much beyond that, he said. Jordan said it will help that U.S. meat demand generally eases for a few weeks between Memorial Day and the July 4 Independence Day holiday. But the attacks can wreak havoc. Last month, a gang of hackers shut down operation of the Colonial Pipeline, the largest U.S. fuel pipeline, for nearly a week. The closure sparked long lines and panic buying at gas stations across the Southeast. Colonial Pipeline confirmed it paid $4.4 million to the hackers. Jason Crabtree, the co-founder of QOMPLX, a Virginia-based artificial intelligence and machine learning company, said Marriott, FedEx and others have also been targeted by ransomware attacks. He said companies need to do a better job of rapidly detecting bad actors in their systems. A lot of organizations arent able to find and fix different vulnerabilities faster than the adversaries that theyre fighting, Crabtree said. Crabtree said the government also plays a critical role, and said President Joe Biden's recent executive order on cybersecurity which requires all federal agencies to use basic security measures, like multi-factor authentication is a good start. Durbin reported from Detroit. AP Writer Alan Suderman in Richmond, Virginia, and Alexandra Jaffe in Washington contributed. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 From Camberly Wines were the Prohibition red and white blends the latter one of my favorites of the evening. Woolgar said he likes working with small, boutique wineries. Clint is the business partner, and he lets me build the portfolio and work with the vineyards I want to work with. Woolgar said that the South African wine industry has had a tough time during the pandemic, because the government there shut them down several times. That produced some delays in imports to the United States in the past year, he said. Many U.S. wine drinkers are still unfamiliar with South Africa, so Woolgar spends a lot of time leading tastings and trying to educate people. South Africa actually has a long history with wine. Back in the 1600s, French Huguenots brought grape vines to South Africa when they settled there. As a result, many vineyards even today tend to favor French varietals, including sauvignon blanc, chenin blanc, chardonnay, grenache and cabernet sauvignon. South Africas signature red variety is pinotage, a cross between French pinot noir and cinsault. Q: Who do you contact if you need a new outside trash can? Do you have to pay for a new one? The trash can was broken when the trash truck emptied the trash. H.M. Answer: Johnita Campbell, the deputy director of the Winston-Salem Sanitation Department, said you should call CityLink at 336-727-8000 or 311 and they will issue a service request. There is not a charge for it. Our staff will attempt to make repairs. If it cant be repaired, they will replace it, Campbell said. Ransomware update Nazneen Ahmed, a senior communications and policy advisor at the N.C. Department of Justice, said they checked their records on ransomware attacks. She said they found one, but it was part of a larger attack. Businesses and state and local government agencies are required to report data breaches to our office. However, the information they share doesn't always describe the specific type of hacking incident, such as ransomware, and may not always include the physical address of the company. Winston-Salem police have arrested a Salisbury man and charged him with murder in a shooting that happened early Saturday. The shooting victim, Shaun Michael Goolsby, 31, of Sugar Creek Drive was found just after 4 a.m. Saturday inside a home in the 1100 block of West Academy Street. He was taken to a local hospital but died on Monday. Matthew Grey Morris, 30, of Eastwood Drive in Salisbury, was arrested Tuesday and charged with murder. He is also charged with two counts of possession of a firearm by a felon and one count of possession of cocaine. Police said that members of the police departments SWAT team found Morris and took him into custody without incident. Arrest warrants said that Morris had a black handgun on the day that Goolsby was shot. When he was arrested on Tuesday, police said he had a 9mm semi-automatic handgun. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Police did not say whether the 9mm semi-automatic handgun was the same gun used in the shooting of Goolsby. Police said they will not release any other additional details. Morris is being held in the Forsyth County Jail with no bond allowed. He is scheduled to appear in Forsyth District Court on June 18. Goolsby's death marks the city's 14th homicide of the year. Forsyth County ended May with a significant increase in COVID-19 related deaths even as most metrics continue to trend decidedly downward in the county and statewide. The report issued Tuesday by the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services contained four days worth of dashboard data. That included North Carolina having a daily case count of 268 that represented more than a years low. DHHS listed Forsyth with an additional six deaths over the four-day period. Counting the two deaths in Fridays report, the county ended May with 14 deaths and with 388 overall for the pandemic. DHHS reported Forsyth with 130 new cases over the four days, including just six for Monday. As of Friday, the average number of new cases over the past 14 days had been 40, according to Forsyth health director Joshua Swift. The state lists COVID-19 cases and deaths on the day they are confirmed by medical providers and public health officials, so people may have been infected or may have died days before their cases were counted. Statewide Novant Health Inc. is not ready by any means to declare the COVID-19 pandemic as over or predominantly under control. However, the system said Tuesday it has gained enough confidence in the progress made during the first half of 2021 that it will conduct a series of what it is calling Welcome Back Fest street festivals in the Winston-Salem, Charlotte and Wilmington communities. The free events are scheduled for Aug. 21 in Winston-Salem, July 24 in Charlotte and Aug. 7 in Wilmington. Each event will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Novant said its goal is to support diverse local businesses, honor healthcare heroes and celebrate the milestones reached with the help of community members. We are so excited to welcome our community back to life and enjoy these festivals as we continue to slow the spread of COVID-19, said Jesse Cureton, Novants chief consumer officer. This is a remarkable way to celebrate everyone who has helped us get through the pandemic. From our health care heroes working relentlessly on the front lines to our community members stepping up when there was a need, from the initial surge to the transition to vaccine distribution. Seguin, Texas (78155) Today Mainly clear skies. Low 72F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Mainly clear skies. Low 72F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. People were remembering TeOre Terrys infectious smile and greeting Monday afternoon, as they watched a portrait of the former CVS employee unveiled just feet away from where he used to welcome them into the store. Terry was found shot to death in a parking lot on Coliseum Drive on Feb. 14 in a crime that remains unsolved. Those who knew Terry decided they had to do something to remember the man who always lifted their spirits when they came inside to shop. When you met him, you just immediately loved him, said Susie Pollock, who organized a GoFundMe that resulted in the creation of the portrait by local artist Kim Thore. He would always yell, Hey! young lady! Pollock recalled. When she saw the portrait that Thore created showing Terrys face of exuberance, she knew that was the one to hang up. It was that smile who captured who he was, Pollock said. Linda Mitchell, who lives across the street at Park Vista, said she was a regular customer living close to the CVS, and that she and Terry got to know each other. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Carroll Foy ties her biography graduating from Virginia Military Institute and working in low-wage jobs and as a public defender to her political strategy. Theres intersectionality ... coming from one of the poorest communities in Virginia and selling policy ideas to all working- and middle-class voters, she said in an interview. In addition to no Black woman serving as governor, only two have been elected to the U.S. Senate, and the chamber has none now. The next goal, Carr said, is for Black women to match their voting power to their representation. Congress began this year with a record 25 Black women out of 435 House members. Black women are mayors in seven of the 100 most populous U.S. cities, up from one less than a decade ago. The number of Black women in state legislatures has nearly doubled in two decades, to more than 4%. We can celebrate, Carr said, but still recognize the work that needs to be done. At the least, strong campaigns from Black women so early in the midterm cycle stand out compared to previous years. In 2017, as Georgias Abrams was preparing for her first bid for governor, white power brokers in the state party recruited one of her fellow state lawmakers, a white woman, to run against her. The consolidation of the two organizations will enable a stronger health plan to serve individuals who receive care through North Carolinas public health care system, the MCOs said. It will also bring needed stability to members in counties served by Cardinal Innovations. The Cardinal and Vaya boards will establish a joint steering committee to guide the development of a transition plan. Vaya leadership plans to visit the 14 potentially remaining Cardinal counties to hear their concerns and learn about the unique needs of each community. Rockingham manager Lance Metzler said he also was not given a heads-up about the announcement. It came as a surprise to me, Metzler said. We have recently worked with Cardinal to address some placement issues and had discussions regarding the foster care subcapitation agreement. Our goal is to provide the best services for our residents who need these services, and we are going to do whatever it takes to do just that. The county managers for Alamance, Davidson, Davie and Stokes could not be immediately reached for comment on whether their respective commissioners plan to join a combined Vaya. DHHS said in the statement that it will continue to work with the counties who have requested disengagement and work with the N.C. Association of County Commissioners to determine if additional counties are considering disengagement and the best process for moving forward. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Wake Forest University has been wrestling with some less savory aspects of its history for a while now as well as its present, taking steps to ensure that all students, especially minorities, feel welcome on its campus. In February 2020, President Nathan O. Hatch apologized on behalf of the university for its historic role in perpetuating slavery in the late 1800s. The university established a commission on race, equity and community and joined a consortium of universities studying the issue. So we have no doubt that the universitys representatives had their hearts in the right place when they decided to rename Wingate Hall. We just wonder where their heads were. Near the beginning of May, Wake Forest announced that it would rename the hall, adjacent to Wait Chapel originally named after Washington Manly Wingate, a Baptist preacher who owned slaves and served two terms as Wake Forests president as May 7, 1860 Hall. Thats the date that Wake Forest, then led by Wingate, sold 16 enslaved men, women and children and used the $10,718 in proceeds to establish its first endowment. Knowing the significance of that date would make many cringe. Instantly. But somehow, the Powers That Be saw it differently. Local editor's pick alert top story As refugee policies evolve, Yazidis in Lincoln hope to be reunited with family members JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star Hazim Rashawka (left) and his brother Falah Rashoka are shown in Lincoln in May. Both have immigrated from Iraq, but members of their family are still there awaiting approval to come to the U.S. Courtesy photo Fayisal Rashoka died in a 2008 suicide bombing while serving in the U.S. military. His service helped some of his family members secure Special Immigrant Visas to live in the U.S. To Hazim Rashawkas 3-year-old daughter, her father was just a picture. Her neighbor in the northern Iraq refugee camp had a dad who they saw in person, but she only saw her father through video chats about two to three times a week. In January, she broke down crying. Why is my dad just a picture? Hazim saw his daughter in person when she was 6 months old, but didn't travel regularly to see his family out of fear that former President Donald Trump's immigration and refugee policies might trap him in Iraq. He returned to Iraq earlier this year when President Joe Biden took office, believing it would be safe again to travel to visit his family. Hazim immigrated to the U.S. in October 2016 on a Special Immigrant Visa, offered to individuals who have served in the U.S. military and their family members. One of Hazims brothers, Fayisal Rashoka, died in a 2008 suicide bombing while serving in the military, and another brother, Falah Rashoka, also served. Hazim and Falah, their three sisters and mother were granted the visas, known as SIVs. But another brother, his family and Hazims wife and daughter did not receive permission to come to the U.S. before Trumps orders banned, then delayed the visa process for people coming from Muslim-dominated countries. Biden had initially promised to increase by seven times the number of refugees allowed to enter the country during the last year of Trump's presidency. In April, Biden said he'd keep Trumps 15,000 refugee limit because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the number was increased to 62,500 after he received criticism. Hundreds of refugee or SIV families in Lincoln which is home to the largest Yazidi community in the country are still waiting for other family members to come to the U.S. The religious group has faced centuries of persecution, and in 2014, the Islamic State committed a genocide of the Yazidis, leading thousands to seek shelter in the U.S. But the process of immigrating to the U.S. takes time, and refugee applications are not always approved. If granted, local organizations, such as Catholic Social Services, Lutheran Family Services, Lincoln Literacy and Yazada, a global Yazidi organization with an office in Lincoln, help those individuals find a place to live, learn English and adapt to a new culture. Family of fallen Yazidi interpreter finally finds hope, safety in Lincoln It was a routine patrol for Iraqi police and their U.S. 10th Special Forces Group attachment to enforce a nighttime curfew west of Mosul in September 2007. The lottery Megan Meagher, the refugee resettlement director at Catholic Social Services, said she does not fully understand how the U.S. chooses to approve certain applications out of a large pile. But regardless of who gets chosen, the limited number has resulted in separated families all over Lincoln. The main obstacle comes from both the increased and prolonged vetting process required for Muslim-dominated countries. We've seen additional backlogs precisely just because of the decrease in refugee admissions to our country, she said. It's quite common for someone who arrived in the U.S. to still have a number of their family members left behind. During fiscal year 2016, the U.S. accepted 9,880 Iraqi refugees not including SIVs according to the Refugee Processing Center. By 2020, that number was down to 537. Along with that, the number of Yazidi refugees accepted went from 434 in fiscal year 2017 to just 20 in 2019, according to the Associated Press. Though Trumps policies restricted the number of refugees entering the country, the U.S. worked with minorities in Iraq and spent more than $400 million to rebuild the community, said Hadi Pir, vice president and co-founder of Yazada. A Biden executive order in May said he hopes to take in 125,000 refugees during each year of his presidency after 2021. It's going to take time to rebuild the refugee resettlement pipeline, Meagher said. It's going to take time to make up and streamline what was already a very long backlog an overwhelming backlog. Nobel winner Murad says Yazidis still seeking justice for 2014 genocide Once enslaved by the so-called Islamic State, Nadia Murad has not given up on hope. In Iraq Hazims daughter was slightly skeptical of him when he arrived in Iraq in late January, not fully understanding how he was part of the family. The refugee settlement isnt the ideal place for a reunion. Families live in tents side-by-side in an area comparable to the size of downtown Lincoln. For every 500 people, theres only one water pump. People use a pot of water to bathe, dumping out the remains when they finish. The pandemic made it difficult for the nonprofits that usually provide the refugee camps with food and hygiene products to do so. There is many things rather than COVID to (be concerned) about, Hazim said. But the family was together. Hazims wife is a nurse, and he estimated she helps about seven or eight people usually women each day. While visiting, he was able to celebrate his wife's birthday with her for the first time in years, and they dyed eggs together to celebrate the Yazidi New Year. His daughters first words to him may have been keep away from me, but he was finally able to see her in person. The family of three spent time traveling around the nearby area and Hazim began to develop a relationship with his daughter. Around the third week, his daughter ran to his bed. She asked if he would leave them again. He said no because it was early in his 90-day trip. Now back in Lincoln, the memory is bittersweet. Lincoln Yazidis fear U.S. withdrawal from Syria will leave vacuum where 'radical groups can flourish' President Donald Trump's announcement late Sunday that the U.S. would withdraw its forces from Syria could be devastating for the region and the minority groups who live there, a member of Lincoln's Yazidi community said. In Lincoln Paintings of peacocks line the walls at Yazada, 300 N. 27th St., and a 3-D model of the Lalish temple sits in the corner. They serve as reminders of the Yazidi religion and culture. Also hanging on the wall is a painted picture by children of the temple in commemoration of Aug. 3, 2014, the day of the Yazidi genocide. A poster created by a refugee shows pictures of her family, missing since the genocide. In 2019, Yazada performed 794 services, including helping people pay bills or apply for jobs. By the end of 2020, that number had more than doubled to 1,917. Brothers Falah and Hazim are building a life in the U.S. despite being separated from some of their close family members. Hazim, who was a doctor when he lived in Iraq, is close to becoming a doctor in the U.S., and Falah is a student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln who has published research papers related to how the community has adapted to the pandemic. The brothers live in the same apartment complex as their mother. Cell service at the refugee camp is unreliable, but Falah said his mother tries to call family members once a day. She wanted to go back to Iraq during the pandemic, but her sons talked her out of it. They had kept their distance from her and avoided going out in public until they were vaccinated. But on the Yazidi New Year in April, they chatted and dyed eggs, celebrating after a complicated year. On May 14, though gloomy clouds hung in the sky, Falah was happy. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared vaccinated individuals did not have to wear a mask in most circumstances, so he sat in his living room, smiling wide. Outside the apartment, a red eggshell was taped above the doorframe. Eggshells represent hope, starting a new chapter of life. The brothers and their mother look forward to that new chapter and being reunited with family. My mom, shes (been) waiting for her other son to come to the U.S. for four years, Falah said. We served this country. We deserve to be here." Despite millions in aid, obstacles remain for Yazidis' homecoming It's been three years since Kurdish forces once backed by the United States pushed the self-proclaimed Islamic State from the Nineveh Plain in northern Iraq, an area populated by Yazidis, Christians and other minority groups. Around the third week, his daughter ran to his bed. She asked if he would leave them again. He said no because it was early in his 90-day trip. Now back in Lincoln, the memory is bittersweet. In Lincoln Paintings of peacocks line the walls at Yazada, 300 N. 27th St., and a 3-D model of the Lalish temple sits in the corner. They serve as reminders of the Yazidi religion and culture. Also hanging on the wall is a painted picture by children of the temple in commemoration of Aug. 3, 2014, the day of the Yazidi genocide. A poster created by a refugee shows pictures of her family, missing since the genocide. In 2019, Yazada performed 794 services, including helping people pay bills or apply for jobs. By the end of 2020, that number had more than doubled to 1,917. Brothers Falah and Hazim are building a life in the U.S. despite being separated from some of their close family members. Hazim, who was a doctor when he lived in Iraq, is close to becoming a doctor in the U.S., and Falah is a student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln who has published research papers related to how the community has adapted to the pandemic. Search and rescue teams in Kauai on Tuesday resumed on-ground efforts to find a 23-year-old University of Nebraska-Lincoln student who went missing. The Kauai Police Department announced Monday that the aerial search had been called off for Samuel Martinez, a microbiology student at UNL who traveled to Kauai alone May 12 for a two-week camping and hiking trip. Martinez's family hasn't heard from him since a few hours after his flight landed in Hawaii. He was reported missing to the Lincoln Police Department on May 27 after he failed to arrive home as scheduled. Investigators on the island say the last ping from Martinez's cellphone came at about 8:20 p.m. May 12 near Waimea and Koke'e state parks. Air and ground rescue teams from five Kauai-based agencies searched several beaches, trails, ridges and canyons in the region Sunday and Monday. Extensive land and air searches began Sunday with a focus on Koke'e and Waimea state parks, The Garden Island reported. A fire helicopter checked inaccessible western and northern regions of the island, the newspaper reported. A missing Community Corrections Center-Lincoln inmate who allegedly removed his electronic monitoring device and walked off his assigned work location on Monday turned himself in a day later. Patrick Carey, who is serving time for a list of charges that include assault by a confined person and second-degree arson, didn't return Monday to the prison where he is in the fourth year of a 10-17 year sentence, according to a Nebraska Department of Correctional Services news release. Authorities found the electronic monitoring device Carey was wearing in a toolbox at the work site. The facility where Carey was being held is at a low custody level, where inmates are allowed to participate in work opportunities. Carey had a parole eligibility date of Nov. 9, 2021, and a tentative release date of Nov. 19, 2025. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A woman went to the hospital Monday with a BB lodged under her skin. She told police she had been hit while in a moving golf cart at about 1 p.m. A 22-year-old man told police the same thing happened to him Sunday afternoon. Johnsgard books First book: Handbook of Waterfowl Behavior, 1965. Books on Nebraska: The Nature of Nebraska; the Sandhills, This Fragile Land; the Platte River, Channels in Time; the Niobrara River, A River Running Through Time. Five books on sandhill cranes. Favorite book: Dragons and Unicorns: A Natural History, he co-wrote in 1982 with his daughter Karin. Overlaid with slight sarcasm about politics. Longest in print: Those of the Gray Wind, 1981, about migration of sandhill cranes. 100th book: Wyoming Wildlife: A Natural History, with photographer Tom Mangelsen. Hardback, $85; black-and-white hardcover, $20. Or download free through University of Nebraska Digital Commons. Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on June 1, 2021 2021/06/01 At the invitation of Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will attend the BRICS foreign ministers' meeting via video link on June 1. CCTV: Could you share China's expectations for the BRICS foreign ministers' meeting which you just announced State Councilor Wang Yi will attend? Wang Wenbin: BRICS is a cooperation mechanism consisting of emerging markets and developing countries with global influence. Amid the combined impact of the COVID-19 and other major changes unseen in a century, the BRICS mechanism is of more special significance in deepening the cooperation between emerging markets and developing countries and promoting the post-epidemic world economic recovery. Under the strategic guidance of BRICS leaders, foreign ministers of the five countries meet regularly to deepen mutual trust and cooperation in the field of political security. At today's meeting, China looks forward to exchanging views, coordinating positions and building up consensus with other BRICS members on the most urgent issues of common concern. Together, we will send out a strong signal that BRICS countries, with solidarity and cooperation, support true multilateralism, promote post-epidemic economic recovery and tackle global challenges. Xinhua News Agency: What do you think of the work China has done after taking over the rotating presidency of the Security Council for the month of May? Wang Wenbin: This year marks the centenary of the CPC and the 50th anniversary of the restoration of China's legitimate rights at the UN. It is of great significance that China assumed the Security Council presidency for May at such an important historical juncture. Faced with new circumstances and challenges with the increasingly complicated and severe international landscape, escalating regional hotspot issues, and the enormous impact of another round of COVID-19 on world peace and security, China actively forged ahead in an innovative and pioneering spirit. Upholding the principles of objectivity, impartiality, efficiency, pragmatism, transparency and openness, China conscientiously fulfilled its duty as the Security Council rotating president, contributed Chinese vision and wisdom, and played a constructive role in enhancing solidarity and cooperation and safeguarding international peace and security, all of which has been fully acknowledged by other member states. In May, the Security Council held a total of 31 meetings. China led or worked with other members of the Council to release two presidential statements on post-pandemic recovery in Africa and safety and security of peacekeepers respectively, adopt four resolutions on regional hotspot issues including Columbia, Abyei, South Sudan and Iraq, release six press statements on issues surrounding Afghanistan, the DRC, Gaza ceasefire, Mali and elections in Somali, and hold five key events featuring upholding multilateralism, Palestine-Israel conflict, post-pandemic recovery in Africa, safety and security of peacekeepers and the impact of emerging technologies. In particular, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi chaired three open debates on upholding multilateralism, the Palestine-Israel conflict, and post-pandemic recovery in Africa respectively, where he put forward a series of initiatives and proposals to practice true multilateralism, seek political settlement of regional hotspot issues, and facilitate Africa's post-pandemic recovery. These events gathered consensus and contributed to Security Council solidarity and commitment to the resolution of relevant issues, which has been broadly commended by the international community including African and Arab countries. China worked to ensure that the Security Council fulfills its mandate, advanced UN Secretary-General election-related matters, and arranged for informal dialogue between Security Council members and Secretary-General candidates. China took active measures to improve the Council's working methods to enhance efficiency, transparency and inclusiveness while eliciting views from various sides and attaching importance to the legitimate concerns of the member states concerned. China also took steps to reinstate face-to-face meetings at the Council on the precondition of respecting science and ensuring safety, a move that has been broadly applauded. With the concerted efforts of all member states, the Security Council reiterated its strong commitment to multilateralism, reaffirmed the correct direction of upholding true multilateralism; sent out a unified message on supporting international solidarity and cooperation in fighting the pandemic, in particular on advancing post-pandemic recovery and post-conflict reconstruction in Africa; actively responded to hotspot issues and contingencies and played an important role in advancing political settlement of conflicts and disputes; reached new consensus on issues such as the safety and security of peacekeepers and the impact of emerging technologies; and achieved new progress in making the Council's work more just, transparent, efficient and practical. As a permanent member of the Security Council, China will continue to engage actively and deeply in the Council's work and make greater contributions to world peace and security. Bloomberg: The New York Times said in a recent report that critics of US President Joe Biden argued that he had dismissed the possibility that the lab was the origin of the virus until the Chinese government this week rejected allowing further investigation by the WHO. Can the ministry clarify this, has China rejected any further investigation of any type by the WHO? Wang Wenbin: China has been cooperating with WHO on virus origin-tracing in an open and transparent manner. While undertaking the daunting task of epidemic response at home, China has twice invited WHO experts in for origin-tracing study, during which international and Chinese experts jointly made field visits, analyzed a large number of data, issued joint mission reports, and reached authoritative, formal and science-based conclusions. I would like to underscore again that a number of clues, reports and studies suggest that the outbreaks began in multiple locations around the world as early as the second half of 2019. China has made positive contributions to the global efforts of origin-tracing. To further advance this global endeavor, we hope all parties will render full support and cooperation to WHO, so as to find the source of the virus at an early date and put an end to the spread of the epidemic. Shenzhen TV: According to media reports, as the US marks the National Memorial Day, many US soldiers stationed in the ROK were granted leave and held mass gatherings without wearing masks in violation of epidemic prevention rules on the Haeundae Beach of Busan, causing an uproar among the local residents. Do you have a comment? Wang Wenbin: We noted relevant reports. If my memory serves me right, this is not the first time that US troops in the ROK have violated local epidemic prevention rules. We hope the US can earnestly assume its responsibility, discipline its forces stationed overseas and honor its pledge to support international anti-virus efforts with concrete actions. AFP: Australian citizen Yang Jun detained in China claimed recently that he was tortured and abused during detention. Is that true? Wang Wenbin: China has repeatedly stated its position on the case of Australian national Yang Jun. China is country with rule of law. Chinese judicial authorities handle the case according to law and fully guarantee Yang Jun's lawful rights. The allegation that Yang was "arbitrarily detained" or tortured during interrogation was groundless. Such practices are explicitly prohibited by Chinese law. We urge the Australian side to stop criticizing China's law-based governance and wanton provocation, and stop grossly interfering in China's judicial sovereignty by hyping up the issue and exerting pressure on China. Global Times: Foreign ministers of Poland, Serbia, Ireland and Hungary visited China in recent days, which some media deem as a sign of rapprochement between China and Europe. Can you give us more details? Wang Wenbin: At the invitation of State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau, Serbian Foreign Minister Nikola Selakovic, Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence Simon Coveney, and Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto visited China in recent days. In addition to having in-depth exchange of views on bilateral relations and practical cooperation, the two sides also conducted thorough discussions on China-Europe relations and China-CEEC cooperation. Wang Yi said that China-Europe cooperation has travelled an extraordinary journey of decades with great resilience and potential, and is in line with the upward trajectory of the times. China and Europe are two important poles in a multipolar world without any geopolitical conflicts or clash of fundamental interests; what we have is huge demand for cooperation. China and Europe should stay committed to their comprehensive strategic partnership, to the development direction of dialogue and cooperation, to the principle of mutual respect and seeking common ground while putting aside differences, and most importantly, to the responsibility of maintaining world peace and stability and promoting common development and prosperity. Wang Yi pointed out that the development of CEEC countries is driven by three engines, namely, their respective bilateral relations with China, China-Europe cooperation and China-CEEC cooperation. The three engines work together to accelerate the development of CEEC countries, promote the process of European integration, and lend fresh impetus to China-Europe relations. Both sides agree that China and Europe, with high degree of mutual complementarity,long-accumulated cooperation foundation and equally keen desire for recovery of growth, should work together, draw on each other's strength, consolidate the synergy of development strategies, and promote the integration of industrial and supply chains, to keep up the sound momentum of practical cooperation while stepping up efforts to ensure an early victory against the epidemic. At present, China-Europe relations are experiencing some difficulties, which we should take seriously and work out solutions. The correct approach is to conduct constructive dialogue, enhance mutual understanding, clear doubts and misunderstandings, expand consensus, focus on mutually-beneficial cooperation and realize the sound and steady development of China-Europe relations. Faced with more complicated and diverse global challenges in the post-pandemic era, China and Europe, as comprehensive strategic partners, should adopt an overall and long-term perspective, strengthen coordination and cooperation, jointly safeguard and practice true multilateralism, earnestly improve global governance and build a community with a shared future for mankind. China stands ready to continue exchange and dialogue with Europe to build up understanding and trust, strive for our cooperation objectives and promote our respective development and people's welfare. China News Service: On May 31, the 74th World Health Assembly adopted a resolution submitted by the European Union, calling for a total overhaul of the global alarm system to ensure the adequate, flexible and sustainable financing of WHO's programme budget for a stronger, more independent WHO to help avert future pandemics. What is China's position on this? Wang Wenbin: As a co-sponsor of the resolution, China has taken an active part in the consultation process. We stand ready to work with all parties to follow through on the spirit of the resolution, and jointly improve the global public health governance system, so as to enable it to better tackle global public health crises, and promote the building of a global community of health for all. Beijing Daily: On May 31, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato said at a House of Councillors Budget Committee session that Asahi Shimbun's report on the existence of forced recruitment of comfort women runs counter to facts and that it's very problematic for such understanding to spread in the international community including the ROK. Do you have any comment? Wang Wenbin: China's position on the issue of Japan's forced recruitment of "comfort women" is consistent and clear. During WWII, the Japanese military carried out the forced recruitment against the will of the victims by force or lure. It is a grave crime against humanity committed by the Japanese militarism. It is a historical fact with iron-clad evidence. Any words or deeds that attempt to deny this fact must be condemned by justice and conscience. Once again we urge the Japanese side to honestly face up to and reflect on its history of aggression, make a clean break with militarism, stop denying and beautifying that part of history, properly handle the "comfort women" issue in an honest and responsible manner, and take concrete actions to win the trust of its Asian neighbors and the international community. CCTV: It is reported that the first batch of Sinopharm vaccines to be provided to COVAX officially rolled off production line on May 31, and a ceremony was held this morning. What is China's comment on this? Wang Wenbin: As a supporter of COVAX, China has announced to provide 10 million doses of vaccines to the program, and relevant Chinese manufacturer has been sparing no efforts to deliver the promised doses. The first batch of vaccines to be provided to COVAX officially rolled off production line, which is another example of China taking concrete actions to fulfill its commitment of making vaccines a global public good. China will continue to support relevant manufacturer in strengthening communication and coordination with the COVAX program, and make China's contributions to securing an early victory in the global fight against the epidemic. Beijing Youth Daily: We have learned that the Group of Governmental Experts on Advancing responsible State behaviour in cyberspace in the context of international security (GGE) has just completed its final report. Do you have more information on that? Wang Wenbin: The GGE, which consists of 25 states including the five permanent members of the Security Council, has just completed its final report, in which it reaffirmed the commitments of states to the UN Charter, peace in cyberspace and respect for sovereignty in cyberspace, and offered suggestions for norms of responsible state behaviour in cyberspace. The report also incorporated some key propositions China put forward earlier in the Global Initiative on Data Security, including ensuring the openness, integrity, security and stability of the ICT supply chain, putting in place at the national level comprehensive, transparent, objective and impartial frameworks and mechanisms for supply chain risk management, and developing globally interoperable common rules and standards for supply chain security. Apart from this, the Open-Ended Working Group on Developments in the Field of ICTs in the Context of International Security (OEWG), the first inter-governmental cybersecurity process with wide participation from all UN member states, also adopted a report not long ago, offering suggestions and blueprints for international rules and future mechanisms in cyberspace. The outcomes of these two processes reflect the shared aspiration of the international community to enhance dialogue and cooperation, safeguard peace and security in cyberspace and formulate international rules in cyberspace. China consistently supports the core role of the UN in global cyberspace governance and has been playing a constructive role and working with other parties for continued progress in relevant processes. We stand ready to join hands with the international community to advance global governance and formulation of international rules in cyberspace to foster a community with a shared future in cyberspace. China Review News: Some politicians in the US claim that the novel coronavirus was leaked from laboratory and demand an "investigation" in China. What's your comment on this? Wang Wenbin: China firmly opposes the politicization of virus origin-tracing by some US politicians. Why is it that some in the US are so obsessed with the lab-leak theory when there no evidence to prove that the virus leaked from Chinese laboratories? To put it bluntly, the purpose of those in the US is to shirk their responsibility of botched response at home and find another excuse to thwart China's development. However, facts have proved that this trick of scapegoating and blame-shifting will only end up hurting the US own interest and the lives and health of the American people. Politicization does nothing but disrupts the international anti-epidemic effort, and will be met with universal rejection by the international community. Recently, many international experts and scholars have questioned and criticized the US practice of politicizing the issue of origin-tracing. Australian scientist Dominic Dwyer, a member of the WHO expert team, said there was no evidence to back up the lab escape theory. Peter Daszak, a member of the expert team and an American scholar, said that he and other scholars who had been to Wuhan for origin-tracing studies had published a wealth of data supporting a "natural spillover", and pointed out there was a complete lack of data suggesting a lab accident. Daszak dismissed US "intelligence reports" as "political, not scientific". Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at Columbia University, said that "The most frustrating thing about the topic of SARS-CoV-2 origins has been the credulous way the media has treated this as a debate between 2 equally plausible hypotheses. Nope, this is more like the debate over climate change. There's the data and then there's false equivalence." Ethan Siegel, an American science writer, said that conspiracy theories has gained a lot of traction, because "after all, how much more comforting would it be to know that just a handful of evil people - not the politicians who sacrificed their constituents- were ultimately responsible for the tragedies of the past 18 months?" I would like to reiterate that origin-tracing is a scientific issue. On this issue concerning the health and safety of humanity, we should stay true to the original aspiration of saving lives and getting better prepared to cope with similar public health crisis in the future. We should embark on the path of unity and cooperation instead of instigating confrontation and division. We should rely on science rather than political manipulation. Any attempt to politicize the origin-tracing issue is neither moral nor popular, and will only end in failure. Today, June 1, is International Children's Day. I would like to wish all children in China and the rest of the world a happy Children's Day! Let's work together so that all children can have a happy childhood. CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) In a state that produces more gold than all but four countries, lawmakers voted to reform how the state taxes the mining industry, passing a measure that will effectively double the amount of taxes imposed on silver and gold mines. After tumultuous negotiations involving lawmakers, mining lobbyists and the state's largest teacher's union, the Nevada Senate and Assembly on Monday approved a proposal to impose an additional tax on mines that gross more than $20 million annually. After lawmakers approve the last amendments, the bill will head to Gov. Steve Sisolak for final approval. I believe that this bill represents a monumental compromise and collaboration thatll not only benefit Nevadans now but also for years to come, said Assembly Speaker Jason Frierson, a Las Vegas Democrat. The bill will preserve the state's Net Proceeds on Minerals tax structure, which requires mining businesses be taxed at less than 5% of what are called net proceeds profit minus deductions for certain costs. It will add an excise tax of 0.75% on mines that report gross revenue of $20 million to $150 million and 1.1% on mines that report any higher. CANBERRA, Australia (AP) An Australian court on Tuesday rejected a challenge to the federal governments draconian power to prevent most citizens from leaving the country so that they dont bring COVID-19 home. The youthful faces look back from the Remembering Our Fallen towers, a mix of uniformed portraits and smiling snapshots of more than 5,000 lives cut short by the long wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. One tower in the traveling monument to America's post-9/11 military dead looks slightly different, the photos arrayed on a deep blue background instead of white. The blue-backed pictures are of 183 young men and women who returned from battlefield deployments to hugs and kisses from relieved parents and spouses and kids then weeks or months or years later, suffering from often invisible pain, they took their own lives. The monuments creators, Bill and Evonne Williams of Patriotic Productions, call it the PTS tower, for post-traumatic stress. They dont use the word suicide. Its heartbreaking to look at that tower, Bill Williams said. All of them are hard, but that one is the hardest. Tom and Donna Nicholson of Gretna saw the towers again at the event this past weekend in Omahas Old Market, and they know that feeling well. Their son, Marine Capt. Kevin Nicholson who died Sept. 2, 2014, after four deployments to Afghanistan in five years is on the blue tower. To see all the faces, the beautiful-looking people, Donna said. I think, What a loss. What a waste. Remembering Our Fallen is one of the few war memorials that honors warriors who succumbed to PTS alongside those who died on the battlefield. Candy Martin, former president of American Gold Star Mothers, is an Army veteran whose son was killed in combat in Iraq in 2007. She agrees that those who died of PTS deserve recognition, too. We recognize that they died in service, or as a result of service, said Martin, who marched in Omahas Memorial Day parade Friday, along with the Nicholsons. Its not how your child died. We focus on continuing the service that their sons and daughters didnt finish. During the 2010s, the Williamses had created 14 traveling memorials for individual states with portraits of those killed in post-9/11 combat. From time to time, Evonne Williams said, they would get queries from Gold Star parents about including their sons and daughters who died of PTS. When they created the national Remembering Our Fallen memorial towers in 2017, they created panels for PTS deaths as well as deaths in training accidents. The top of the first blue panel describes post-traumatic stress: Debilitating anxiety occurring after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event; symptoms can include flashbacks, emotional detachment and jumpiness; bio-chemical changes in the brain and body. Ross Wimer, 32, of Omaha served four years in the Marine Corps and deployed with the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment famous as the Darkhorse battalion during a brutal 2010-11 deployment to Afghanistans Sangin province. The unit lost 25 dead and had 200 wounded, a higher rate than any other unit during the war. Many Darkhorse veterans, Wimer said, have been afflicted with survivors guilt. Over the years, suicides have mounted. Ive honestly lost count, he said. Members of his unit reach out to one another for buddy checks, an informal way to keep tabs on fellow veterans who may be in trouble. Wimer does see a distinction between those who died in battle and those who died later, at home, but only a slight one. Hes glad the Remembering Our Fallen towers recognize both types of casualties of war. Its great that Bill and Evonne are doing this, he said. Their heads are in the right place. The Williamses do not contact families of veterans who have taken their own lives because suicide remains a highly sensitive topic, but they will add the names and photos of those who died from the effects of PTS if families request them. Six of the deceased on the PTS panels are from Nebraska. To be included in the memorial, the veteran must have served after Sept. 11, 2001, and they must have served in a combat zone. They get lost. Their service feels like it does not count, Evonne Williams said. They deserve this. Last years Department of Veterans Affairs annual suicide prevention report counted 6,435 veterans who took their own lives in 2018, the latest year for which statistics were available. The numbers have risen about 6% since the Department of Veteran Affairs started counting suicides in 2005 an unhappy trend, but a far smaller increase than the 47% increase in all adult suicides in the U.S. during the same period. In the years since, there have been aggressive campaigns by both the military and the VA to prevent suicides, and to make it easier for veterans to receive treatment for post-traumatic stress. Still, in 2018 veterans were slightly more likely than other Americans to die by their own hand. Veterans represented 8% of the U.S. adult population but 13% of the suicides. Well over half of the veteran suicides last year were among vets over age 55. The 18-34 age group had the smallest number of suicides (874) but the highest rate. Tom and Donna Nicholson had no idea the pain Kevin was in when he visited them in July 2014 for what turned out to be the last time. We were glad to have him home. We tried to do special things, Donna said. He was only 31. They didnt see it coming. Over the years, he had grown more subdued compared with the cheerful youth Donna described as very independent, very smart. He was active in their church and liked to memorize Bible verses, and he built models and rockets in 4-H. Kevin graduated from high school in 2001, attending Kansas State and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln before transferring to the University of Nebraska at Omaha and graduating in 2007. While at UNO, he became interested in the military and joined the Marines. He arrived as the Corps ramped up its operational tempo to support two simultaneous wars. He deployed for seven months to Afghanistan, then came home for 12 months before returning to the theater four cycles in five years. He was pretty proud of what he did, but he never talked about it, Tom Nicholson said. They felt awkward asking, so typically they didnt. As the deployments ground on, Donna noticed Kevin seemed distant. I noticed changes in his eyes. There was something about his stare, she recalled. Donna called him in mid-August 2014, just to visit. She asked him what kind of things he would like her to include in the next care package she sent him. The conversation still disturbs her. He just told me, I always send him junk, she said. It was hurtful I dont think he really meant it. I think he was not in a good place. Two weeks later, the doorbell rang at the Nicholsons' Gretna home about 6 oclock one evening. Donna answered. Three men in uniform stood on the porch. Donna knew instantly what that meant, but she was confused. Kevin was at home in North Carolina, not in Afghanistan. She shouted her husbands name. I knew something was wrong, Tom said. The rest hurts too much to talk about. Tom remembers numb shock, a sense of going through the motions while planning a burial. That was the worst week of my life, Donna said. Learning how Kevin died hurt. It left questions, but they drew support from family and friends, and their church. I called our siblings and others and told them what happened, Tom said. You cant just pretend he fell out of a tree. They came to accept that their son suffered invisible wounds, devastating ones. Bodies get injured arms, legs. The brain gets injured, too. You just cant see it, Tom said. You dont find out some things until its too late. The Nicholsons also found comfort in support groups like the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), which has special groups for those whose loved ones took their own lives. It helps being with other families who know what theyve gone through, and to tell his story. They were happy to join in Fridays Memorial Day event, which included a concert, parade and giveaways. I just try to focus on things that bring happiness, Donna said. I dont think theres anything wrong with being happy. The way Kevins life ended, Tom said, Is just a small part of a big picture. Id like to think that its not the biggest part of the picture. I look at all the good he did. He served our country, Tom added. What more would he have done? Kevin Nicholsons picture is right there on the first of the blue panels, in the top row. One photo shows him in full battle rattle at a base in Afghanistan, eyes hidden behind dark shades and a gloved hand resting casually on the grip of his M-16 rifle. In the other hes standing in a driveway, dressed in polo and khakis. In neither picture does he smile. But above Kevins photos is a message: May these Warriors, at last, Rest in Peace. The number for the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 1-800-273-8255. If you are a veteran in crisis, or a person concerned about a veteran in crisis, dial the number and press 1 to connect with the veteran crisis line, available 24 hours a day. Additional information can be found at www.veteranscrisisline.net. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Burlington school district spokeswoman Julie Thomas said officials are working to plan the audits and will then establish the Community Equity Team once the audits are complete. Thomas did not specifically address the directive to include Garbade in the process. The DPI has been clear about its expectations, Thomas said in an email. We are committed to the work because we believe that ensuring that all students have a sense of belonging while at school is the right work. Equity must be evident in all that we do within the district. Complaint Garbade, an African-American mother of two former BASD students, filed a complaint of race discrimination in March 2020. When the school district found no evidence of racism, Garbade took her case to DPI, the state agency that oversees public schools in Wisconsin. As president of the Burlington Coalition for Dismantling Racism, Garbade also has led protests against the school district and the City of Burlington. CALEDONIA A Caledonia man allegedly had multiple images of child pornography on computer hard drives and phones, and also had anabolic steroids, cocaine and multiple prescription drugs stored in his house. Donald J. Vanderbloomen, 40, of the 800 block of Marwood Court, was charged with 10 felony counts of possession of child pornography; five felony counts of possession with intent to deliver non-narcotics; felony counts of manufacturing of schedule I, II or III non-narcotics; and possession with intent to deliver cocaine between 15-40 grams. He also faces three misdemeanor counts of possess/illegally obtained prescription. According to a criminal complaint: On May 27, members of the Racine County Sheriffs Office executed a search warrant on the 800 block of Marwood Court with the target being Vanderbloomen. A USB was found in Vanderbloomens pocket and two 14-terabyte hard drives were found in the right desk leg of the main computer desk. Inside a box in the garage, a small vial of methyl nitrate with the bottle stating it was an explosive was found. Inside the master bedroom, officers found: Bernadette Demientieff, executive director of the Gwichin Nation Steering Committee, said in a statement that tribal leaders are heartened by the Biden administration's commitment to protecting sacred lands and the Gwichin way of life. She thanked Biden and Haaland for hearing our voices and standing up for our human rights and identity.'' In a joint statement, Alaska Sens. Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski, along with Rep. Don Young and Gov. Mike Dunleavy, criticized the Interior Department action. All four are Republicans. Dunleavy said the leases sold in January are valid and cannot be taken away by the federal government.'' Sullivan, who praised Biden last week for backing the Willow oil project, said suspending the Arctic leases "goes against the law, facts, the science and the will of the Native communities on the North Slope. It is nothing more than a naked political move by the Biden administration to pay off its extreme environmental allies.'' Murkowski called the order expected "but outrageous nonetheless. Evers, along with U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, said they hadn't seen data to back that up and employers had been short of workers long before the pandemic hit. Evers commented after a ceremony outside the state Capitol where the rainbow flag symbolizing gay pride was raised for the third straight year. June is gay pride month and Evers was the first governor in Wisconsin history to order the pride flag to be flown when he did it in 2019. This year Evers also signed an executive order requiring state agencies to review external documents to ensure they are using gender neutral language. Evers also signed an order requiring the Department of Health Services, Department of Corrections, and the Department of Children and Families to expressly disallow using taxpayer money for gay conversion therapy for minors. Evers said that was a preventative measure and he wasn't aware of any state money being used currently on the practice. Evers also strongly signaled that he would veto Republican-authored bills making their way through the Legislature that would prohibit transgender girls from playing for girls or women's teams from kindergarten through college. Evers commented after a ceremony outside the state Capitol where the rainbow flag symbolizing gay pride was raised for the third straight year. June is gay pride month and Evers was the first governor in Wisconsin history to order the pride flag to be flown when he did it in 2019. This year Evers also signed an executive order requiring state agencies to review external documents to ensure they are using gender neutral language. Evers also signed an order requiring the Department of Health Services, Department of Corrections, and the Department of Children and Families to expressly disallow using taxpayer money for gay conversion therapy for minors. Evers said that was a preventative measure and he wasnt aware of any state money being used currently on the practice. Evers also strongly signaled that he would veto Republican-authored bills making their way through the Legislature that would prohibit transgender girls from playing for girls or womens teams from kindergarten through college. I will veto any bill thats going to negatively impact our kids, period, Evers said. He said that hateful and divisive rhetoric on display in the Capitol has no place in Wisconsin. He was joined outside for the flag raising ceremony by Baldwin, who is gay, along with several gay and lesbian members of the state Legislature, Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes and several members of his Cabinet. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 This can determine the length of the spacewalk if these start to run out. Spacewalks of the future Spacewalks are crucial to maintain the space station, but the knowledge gained during these outings can inform the way astronauts approach repairs to their own spacecraft as we push the boundaries of exploration. With NASA's Artemis program, which aims to land the first woman and next man near the lunar south pole by 2024, humans will be staying on the moon for longer than the short visits Apollo astronauts experienced. As we explore the moon and eventually Mars, astronauts will need to be able to repair and maintain their suits, spacecraft and habitats. With Fincke's upcoming mission, he hopes to add another spacewalk to his already impressive list. He said each of his own spacewalks have been memorable, but some moments tend to stand out more than others. During one of his spacewalks, the two crew members finished solving a problem outside of the station and asked teams on the ground what they should do with their remaining time outside. They were asked to take photographs outside of the station because it's impacted by micrometeorites and other things in space -- something the ground team wanted to track. WASHINGTON (June 1, 2021)The U.S. Department of Defense announced the following contract awards that pertain to local Navy activities., is awarded afirm-fixed-price order (N0001921F0841) against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N0001921G0017). This order provides for the production and delivery of 12 MH-60R aircraft for the government of the Republic of Korea. Work will be performed in Owego, New York (52%); Stratford, Connecticut (40%); and Troy, Alabama (8%), and is expected to be completed in December 2024. Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $447,230,778 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The, is the contracting activity., is awarded amodification (P00010) to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (N0001919C0054). This modification adds scope to provide non-recurring engineering, tooling, and hardware to establish full rate production and unique tracking for F135 engines alternate sourced parts in support of the F-35 Lightning II program. Work will be performed in East Hartford, Connecticut, and is expected to be completed in June 2021. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation (Air Force) funds in the amount of $7,132,871; and 2020 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $7,132,871 will be obligated at time of award, all of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The, is the contracting activity.No applicable data., is awarded anfirm-fixed-price order (N0001921F0013) against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N0001920G0005). This order provides for the production and delivery of AN/AAR-47 Missile Warning Set weapons replaceable assemblies to include 182 sensors, 54 computer processors, and 12 Countermeasures Signals Simulator test gun sets for the Air Force and the governments of the Czech Republic, Bahrain, Morocco, India, Spain, Austria and Greece. Work will be performed in Northridge, California, and is expected to be completed in August 2022. Fiscal 2020 aircraft procurement (Air Force) funds in the amount of $324,086; and Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $7,988,274 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The, is the contracting activity.a is awarded amodification to a previously awarded fixed-price-incentive-firm contract (N0001918C1037). This modification adds scope to procure long lead items and associated services in support of the production and delivery of three E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft for the government of France. Work will be performed in Syracuse, New York (27.3%); El Segundo, California (16.7%), Menlo Park, California (12.1%); Rolling Meadows, Illinois (9.3%); Woodland Hills, California (5.8%); Edgewood, New York (5.3%); Potez, Aire-sur-l'Adour, France (4.2%); Greenlawn, New York (4.2%); Marlborough, Massachusetts (2.9%); Owego, New York (2.5%); Clemmons, North Carolina (2.0%), Melbourne, Florida (1.5%); and various locations within the continental U.S. (6.2%), and is expected to be completed in April 2027. Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $99,038,122 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The, is the contracting activity.No applicable data., is awarded acost-reimbursable, cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. This contract provides technical and product support services to include production, fleet, supply, and technical support; pre-positioned technical support; systems improvement, development, test and evaluation; software development, test, and maintenance; field change program support; special purpose test fixture development; test bed support, overhaul and restoration program support in support of the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Webster Outlying Field, Air Traffic Control and Landing Systems Division. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Maryland (60%); St. Inigoes, Maryland (30%); and various locations within the continental U.S. (10%), and is expected to be completed in August 2026. No funds will be obligated at time of award; funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. This contract was competitively procured via an electronic request for proposal; one offer was received. The, is the contracting activity (N0042121D0017)., is awarded ancost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price order (N0001921F0818) against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N0001916G0006). This order provides support services for advanced arresting gear (AAG) depot planning Phase II efforts, to include logistics support, supportability analysis, maintenance planning, reliability maintenance, support equipment recommendations, program development and post production support, provisioning data, packaging requirements identification, and technical manual development as it directly correlates to AAG depot planning for the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78); and USS John F. Kennedy (CVN 79). Work will be performed in San Diego, California (98.11%); Lakehurst, New Jersey (1.65%); and Tupelo, Mississippi (0.24%), and is expected to be completed in February 2024. Fiscal 2021 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $9,932,360; and fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $1,501,765 will be obligated at time of award, $1,501,765 of which will expire at the end of the fiscal year. The, is the contracting activity., is awarded acost-plus-fixed-fee order (N0001921F0876) against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N0001921G0006). This order provides for the design, development, and test of software and ancillary hardware necessary for the integration of the Long Range Anti-Ship Missile onto the P-8A aircraft for the Navy. Work will be performed in Seattle, Washington (72%); Patuxent River, Maryland (21%); Grand Rapids, Michigan (5%); and St. Louis, Missouri (2%), and is expected to be completed in October 2024. Fiscal 2021 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $5,320,587 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the fiscal year. The, is the contracting activity., is awarded afirm-fixed-price modification to previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract N00174-19-D-0010 to exercise Option Year Two for production support of the MK18 Family of SystemsUnmanned Underwater Vehicle Systems. The work will be performed in Pocasset, Massachusetts, and is expected to be completed by April 2022. No additional funds are being obligated at the time of this action. The, is the contracting activity., is awarded ancost-plus-fixed-fee indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. This contract provides systems and software engineering and sustainment support services, to include analysis, design, implementation, integration, testing, prototyping, prototype installation, and maintenance for development and test laboratory capabilities in support of modernizations and improvements to software and associated hardware capabilities for the P-8A aircraft. Work will be performed in Seattle, Washington (78%); St. Louis, Missouri (12%); and Huntington Beach, California (10%), and is expected to be completed in December 2024. No funds will be obligated at the time of award; funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. The, is the contracting activity (N0001921D0010)., is awarded amodification (P00002) to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (N0042120C0047). This modification exercises an option to upgrade Navy-owned Type 3 Advanced Mission Computers (AMC) with four general purpose processors (GPP) to create a Type 3 extra processor AMC. Additionally, this modification provides for the upgrade of all the Warfare Management Computer A11 Cards with mission system computer equivalent GPPs in support of the Advanced Mission Computer and Displays program. Work will be performed in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and is expected to be completed in April 2023. Fiscal 2021 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $13,045,351 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The, is the contracting activity., is awarded acost-plus-fixed-fee modification (P00090) to a previously awarded contract (N0001916C0002). This modification adds scope to provide repair of repairables support for the Next Generation Jammer system demonstrations' test article pods. Work will be performed in Forest, Mississippi (60%); Dallas, Texas (32%); Fort Wayne, Indiana (3%); Andover, Massachusetts (3%); and El Segundo, California (2%), and is expected to be completed in December 2022. Fiscal 2021 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $1,000,000 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The, is the contracting activity.No applicable data., is awarded amodification (P00004) to a previously awarded fixed-price-incentive-fee contract (N0001920C0072). This modification exercises an option for the production and delivery of three AN/SPN-50(V) 1 shipboard air traffic radars, and one installation and checkout kit for the Navy. Work will be performed in Syracuse, New York, and is expected to be completed in December 2022. Fiscal 2021 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $21,398,996; and fiscal 2021 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $10,312,150 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The, is the contracting activity., is awarded afirm-fixed price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00174-21-D-0011) for engineering, technical, administrative and programmatic management support for total life cycle management of the various aircrew escape systems managed under the Joint Program Office for Cartridge Actuated Device/Propellant Actuated Device tri-service charter. Work will be performed in Mesa, Arizona, and is expected to be completed by September 2025. Fiscal 2021 working capital funding (Navy) of $500 will be obligated on the first task order at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured and in accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1)only limited responsible number of responsible sources will satisfy agency requirements., is the contracting activity., is awarded amodification (P00005) to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price requirements contract (N0001919D0024). This modification exercises an option to provide depot repair of T56-A-427 engines utilized on E-2 Hawkeye aircraft, to include repair of the power section, torque meter, gearbox and accessories in accordance with Navy depot manuals and approved repair practices. Work will be performed in San Antonio, Texas (70%); Winnipeg, Canada (25%); and Indianapolis, Indiana (5%), and is expected to be completed in January 2022. No funds are being obligated at time of award; funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. The, is the contracting activity., is awarded amodification (P00005) to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (N0001920C0026). This modification adds scope to provide support required to establish the common reprogramming tool development network and selection of a service-oriented architecture for the development of enhanced reprogramming tools, which is essential for all standing labs in support of the F-35 aircraft for the Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and non-Department of Defense participants. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (90%); and Eglin Air Force Base, Florida (10%), and is expected to be completed in December 2021. Fiscal 2021 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $4,248,092; and fiscal 2021 research, development, test and evaluation (Air Force) funds in the amount of $3,405,332 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The, is the contracting activity.No applicable data., is awarded afirm-fixed-price delivery order (N00174-21-F-0140) under previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract N00174-20-D-0014 for Mk 419 Mod 1 multi-function fuses. Work will be performed in Rocket Center, West Virginia, and is expected to be completed by December 2024. Fiscal 2021 procurement of ammunition (Navy and Marine Corps) funding in the amount of $11,334,390 (79%); and fiscal 2019 procurement of ammunition (Navy and Marine Corps) funding in the amount of $2,964,325 (21%) will be obligated on this delivery order, of which, $2,964,325 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The, is the contracting activity., is awarded afirm-fixed-price delivery order (N00174-21-F-0138) under a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite- quantity contract N00174-19-D-0002 for the Mk 200 propelling charge. This delivery order combines purchases for the Navy (44%); and the government of Australia (56%) under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. Work will be performed in Quebec, Canada, and is expected to be completed by April 2023. Fiscal 2021 procurement of ammunition (Navy and Marine Corps) funding in the amount of $6,315,018 (44%); and FMS (Australia) funding in the amount of $7,941,838 (56%) will be obligated on this delivery order and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The, is the contracting activity., is awarded amodification to a previously awarded cost-plus-incentive-fee contract (N0001919C0010). This modification adds scope to provide for the integration, testing and initial certification of the Norwegian Joint Strike Missile on the F-35A aircraft. Additionally, this modification provides early software development efforts to implement universal armament interface revision-five architecture in support of the United Kingdom's Select Precision Effects At-Range Capability Three on the F-35B aircraft. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas, and is expected to be completed in July 2024. Non-U.S. Department of Defense participant funds in the amount of $57,364,337 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The, is the contracting activity., is awarded afirm-fixed-price modification (P00062) to a previously awarded contract (N0001914C0037). This modification procures 18 Advanced Arresting Gear Water Twister (WT) Mod-II shipsets for the Navy Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers 78, 79, and 80. Additionally, this modification provides for the development of logistics support products and the execution of engineering change proposals related to WT Mod-II as approved by the Aircraft Launch and Recovery Equipment Program Decentralized Change Control Board. Work will be performed in Tupelo, Mississippi (55.8%); San Diego, California (26.1%); Chicago, Illinois (3.6%); Cleveland, Ohio (2.8%); Dayton, Ohio (2.2%); Spring Gove, Illinois (2.1%); Placentia, California (1.3%); Malvern, Pennsylvania (1.3%); Birmingham, Alabama (1%); and various locations within the continental U.S. (3.8%), and is expected to be completed in August 2024. Fiscal 2021 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $14,470,000; fiscal 2021 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $10,696,726; and fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $1,952,732 will be obligated at time of award, $1,952,732 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The, is the contracting activity., is awarded amodification (P00089) to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost reimbursable contract (N0042117C0049). This modification exercises an option to provide full life cycle program testing and evaluation support to include design, execution, analysis, evaluation, and reporting of tests and experiments of aircraft, unmanned air systems, weapons, and weapons systems in support of the Systems Test and Experimentation Management Division, Services Integrated System Evaluation Experimentation and Test Department. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Maryland, and is expected to be completed in April 2022. Fiscal 2021 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) in the amount of $3,007,804; fiscal 2021 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $1,266,893; fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $474,256; fiscal 2021 weapons procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $182,211; fiscal 2020 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $231,326; fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) in the amount of $166,605; fiscal 2019 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $41,358; and Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $199,574 will be obligated at time of award, $682,219 of which will expire at the end of the fiscal year. The, is the contracting activity. 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 View Results A La Crosse County Health Department program that reaches people suffering from severe dental pain who struggle to get the help they need, often for weeks or even months, is expanding. The countys dental pain management program was launched in 2019 with state funding, in part as an attempt to reduce opioid addiction. Dental pain often sends those who dont have a regular dentist to the Emergency Room, where they may be prescribed opioid painkillers. This ca n include people who are in treatment for opioid addiction, meaning a dental emergency could lead to renewed addiction. The goal of the program is to increase access to emergency dental care while lessening the use of ERs for non-traumatic dental pain, and in doing so, to reduce opioid use for dental pain. The program was awarded $59,783 from the Wisconsin Department of Human Services in 2019 to run through 2020. The grant was recently extended through 2021 and the amount was increased to $113,715. Between Sept. 1, 2019, and August 31, 2020, the program served 304 clients, who otherwise may have been unable to access dental services. The additional funding will help us serve more members of our community who are suffering from dental pain, which if left untreated can cause severe problems, said Jacquie Cutts, the Public Health Nursing Manager at the La Crosse County Health Department. The concern, he reiterated, is the precedent being set by having the city pay for the repairs. Hruska, along with Mayor Mike Poellinger, also noted that there are other drainage issues affecting residents. We do know that we have the same situation occurring in the neighborhood just west of there, Poellinger said. Poellinger also noted drainage issues on North Fourth Street, where homes have actually flooded. In addition, moving forward with the Wildwood repairs, Hruska said, would require easements from the current property owners, something the city doesnt currently have. City attorney Skip Wieser said the council might want to consider having residents sign a release if the work is done by the city. I think the one suggestion I would have, Wieser said, is, if the council wanted to go down the path of paying for part or all of this, we would want some form of a release agreement from the property owners stating that once this work is done, were done. Theres no going back. Councilor Dale Williams swiftly moved to accept the Zenke bid, along with seeking easements from the residents and asking them to sign a release. Today is Tuesday, June 1, 2021. Let's get caught up. These headlines are in the news this morning: President Biden will visit Tulsa today to honor the victims of the race massacre that destroyed a Black community 100 years ago; the Vatican is criminalizing the abuse of adults by priests and laity; police are still looking for 3 gunmen in a mass shooting in Miami over the weekend that killed two and injured 21. Read on for these stories, other top headlines, celebrity birthdays and more. TOP STORIES Biden to honor forgotten victims of Tulsa race massacre WASHINGTON (AP) President Joe Biden will take part in a remembrance of one of the nations darkest and largely forgotten moments of racial violence when he helps commemorate the 100th anniversary of the destruction of a thriving Black community in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Bidens visit Tuesday, in which he will grieve for the hundreds of Black people killed by a white mob a century ago, comes amid a national reckoning on racial justice. And it will stand in stark contrast to the most recent visit to Tulsa by a president, which took place last year. Many were ideas that Democrats had spent months fighting, but they protested that others were snuck in at the last minute. That included not just new early voting limits for Sunday but also a provision that could make it easier to overturn an election. Under the bill, a judge could void a candidates victory if the number of fraudulent votes cast could change the outcome, regardless of whether it was proved that the fraud actually had affected the result. It's the sort of provision that could allow a favorable judge to side with a candidate who makes broad claims of fraud with little specific evidence as Trump did with virtually no success. Democrats and voting groups were particularly alarmed about it because the GOP has continued to embrace Trump even after he tried to overturn the 2020 election on phony claims of extensive fraud. Hours before the vote was set to take place Sunday, Democrats packed into a back room with Republican House Speaker Dade Phelan. We weren't getting satisfactory answers about why the bill had gotten so much worse," Democratic state Rep. Gina Hinojosa said. Most of us walked away from that meeting understanding that this was our only option." Threads of superheated gas and magnetic fields are weaving a tapestry of energy at the center of the Milky Way galaxy. A new image of this new cosmic masterpiece was made using a giant mosaic of data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and the MeerKAT radio telescope in South Africa. The new panorama of the Galactic Center builds on previous surveys from Chandra and other telescopes. This latest version expands Chandra's high-energy view farther above and below the plane of the Galaxy - that is, the disk where most of the Galaxy's stars reside - than previous imaging campaigns. In the image featured in our main graphic, X-rays from Chandra are orange, green, blue and purple, showing different X-ray energies, and the radio data from MeerKAT are shown in lilac and gray. The main features in the image are shown in a labeled version. One thread is particularly intriguing because it has X-ray and radio emission intertwined. It points perpendicular to the plane of the galaxy and is about 20 light-years long but only one-hundredth that size in width. A new study of the X-ray and radio properties of this thread by Q. Daniel Wang of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst suggests these features are bound together by thin strips of magnetic fields. This is similar to what was observed in a previously studied thread. (Both threads are labeled in the image. The newly studied one is in the lower left and is much farther away from the plane of the Galaxy.) Such strips may have formed when magnetic fields aligned in different directions, collided, and became twisted around each other in a process called magnetic reconnection. This is similar to the phenomenon that drives energetic particles away from the Sun and is responsible for the space weather that sometimes affects Earth. A detailed study of these threads teaches us more about the Galactic space weather astronomers have witnessed throughout the region. This weather is driven by volatile phenomena such as supernova explosions, close-quartered stars blowing off hot gas, and outbursts of matter from regions near Sagittarius A*, our Galaxy's supermassive black hole. In addition to the threads, the new panorama reveals other wonders in the Galactic Center. For example, Wang's paper reports large plumes of hot gas, which extend for about 700 light-years above and below the plane of the galaxy, seen here in greater detail than ever before. (They are much smaller than the Fermi Bubbles which extend for about 25,000 light-years above and below the plane of the galaxy.) These plumes may represent galactic-scale outflows, analogous to the particles driven away from the Sun. The gas is likely heated by supernova explosions and many recent magnetic reconnections occurring near the center of the galaxy. Such reconnection events in the Galaxy are normally not sufficiently energetic to be detected in X-rays, except for the most energetic ones at the center of the Galaxy, where the interstellar magnetic field is much stronger. Magnetic reconnection events may play a major role in heating the gas existing between stars (the interstellar medium). This process may also be responsible for accelerating particles to produce cosmic rays like those observed on Earth and driving turbulence in the interstellar medium that triggers new generations of star birth. The image shows that the magnetic threads tend to occur at the outer boundaries of the large plumes of hot gas. This suggests that the gas in the plumes is driving magnetic fields that collide to create the threads. The paper by Wang describing these results appears in the June issue of the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, and a preprint is available online. NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center manages the Chandra program. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory's Chandra X-ray Center controls science from Cambridge, Massachusetts, and flight operations from Burlington, Massachusetts. Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) Democrat Melanie Stansbury won election to Congress for New Mexico on Tuesday with a campaign closely tied to initiatives of the Biden administration. Stansbury prevailed in an open, four-way race to fill a vacant seat previously held by Interior Secretary Deb Haaland. The 42-year-old state legislator outpaced her Republican rival by more than 30,000 votes, garnering roughly six of every 10 votes as ballots were tallied into the night. Stansbury closely tethered her bid for Congress to proposed and enacted Democratic legislation on pandemic relief, infrastructure spending and interventions to slow climate change. Her victory shores up the Democratic majority in Congress ahead of 2022 midterm elections. She strode on stage in Albuquerque with both arms raised high, in celebration of her win. Thanking supporters and volunteers, she said the grit and determination that fueled her campaign was learned from her own mother, who worked in a denim factory and later as a crane operator. When the moment demands it, when our families and our communities demand it, when our country demands it, we step up and find the solutions for communities and we figure it out, Stansbury said. And that is exactly what we did in this campaign and that is why I am standing before you tonight. FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) The OPEC oil cartel and allied producing countries have confirmed their plans to return 2.1 million barrels of crude per day of oil output, balancing fears that continuing COVID-19 outbreaks in some countries will sap demand against rising demand from recovering economies around the globe. Energy ministers made the decision during an online meeting Tuesday. Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said recent market developments confirmed that the decision to gradually increase production, made in April, was "the right decision." He said that there were still "clouds on the horizon" regarding the recovery and demand for energy. The prospect of more Iranian oil output returning to the market was not discussed at the brief meeting, which he said lasted less than half an hour, he said. The combined OPEC Plus format of members led by Saudi Arabia and non-members, chief among them Russia, face concerns that renewed COVID-19 outbreaks in countries such as India, a major oil consumer, will hurt global demand and weigh on prices. Oil producing countries made drastic cuts to support prices during the worst of the pandemic slowdown in 2020 and must now judge how much additional oil the market needs as producers slowly add more production. Judge Robert Repischak went beyond that, saying a deputy wouldnt be needed and approving the furlough, so long as Bell wore a GPS tracker from the time he left the jail at 11 a.m. Friday and that he would be back at the jail by 4 p.m. that day. On Tuesday, Bell and his loved ones figured hed be able to see his family again come Friday. But then the DOC stepped in, asserting it would be a risk to let Bell out even for just a few hours, even though local elected authorities (i.e., the district attorney and Judge Repischak) didnt come to the same conclusion. The last week had been full of hopefulness, hoping hed be able to get out, that theyd be able to see and hear the severity of the situation, Ashley Stuckey, Bells girlfriend of eight years, said during an interview Thursday evening. To just find out the court system would agree to him getting out and the DA would agree to get him out, but for the people who were supposed to be working with him (the DOC and his probation officer) to not let him get out its devastating. Allegations From fraktur to fused glass mosaic art, The PA Guild of Craftsmen will be offering 22 workshops in the month of June. Here are 5 unusual classes coming up at the Guild this month. All workshops are at 335 N. Queen St. Registration for workshops can be found on the Guilds website, pacrafts.org, by clicking on a class page and selecting Register Now. With the magic of bundle dyeing and eucalyptus leaves, students will create a unique pattern on a silk scarf. The class is divided into two sessions: the morning session will consist of putting the scarf together, placing it in the dye bath and a discussion of the process. Instructor Carol Reed will also guide students into printing local flowers on paper to make cards. Students will have two hours of free time while the scarves are dyeing and at 1:30 p.m., the scarves will be removed from the bath for the big reveal. Students will leave this course having dyed a natural, one-of-a-kind scarf. Cost: $35 for non-Guild members, $31 for Guild members. A $25 materials fee is due to the instructor at the beginning of the class. When: June 5, from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. This course, taught by Michael Peluso, will teach students how to make their own shot glass. Blowing, shaping and color application will be done by the student, and the shot glasses will be ready to take home by the end of the class. No prior experience is required. Cost: $60 for non-Guild members, $54 for Guild members. A $20 materials fee is due to the instructor at the beginning of the class. When: June 9, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. This three-hour class will leave students having created a fused glass mosaic Lazy Susan. The finished piece will be approximately 12 inches and have a device attached to it, allowing it to spin. The class is designed for beginners, and will be taught by Kathleen Forney. Cost: $100 for non-Guild members, $90 for Guild members. When: June 12, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. An American folk art dating back to the mid-1700s, Fraktur Imagery is created when the traditional motifs of birds, flowers and hearts are rendered in ink, accompanied by ornate calligraphy, then painted in watercolor. The class will begin with a presentation on the history of fraktur and its three different styles in southeastern Pennsylvania. Instructor Emily Smucker-Beidler will then demonstrate the use of ink and watercolor that are specific to fraktur. Students should bring a sketchbook and pencil to help capture their favorite fraktur motifs from the opening presentation, and then translate them into their finished, 5x7 piece. Cost: $85 for non-Guild members, $76 for Guild members. When: June 26, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Students will learn several color application techniques and how to make many round marbles with no previous glass knowledge required. The course is ideal for a second-time student, but all skill levels are welcome. The class is taught by Michael Peluso. Cost: $60 for non-Guild members, and $54 for Guild members. There is a $30 materials fee due to the instructor at the beginning of the course. When: June 29, 2021 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. LNP | LancasterOnline recently hosted an interview with the new chief executive officer of Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health to discuss a wide range of issues confronting the countys largest health care system. The nearly 40-minute talk with LGH CEO John J. Herman on May 24 touched on his impressions of Lancaster County; staff morale in the COVID-19 pandemic and the health systems recently announced and now controversial vaccination policy, among other things. Staff is exhausted While COVID-19 hospitalizations are down in no small part likely to COVID-19 vaccines being widely available the deadliest pandemic in a century has left LGH health care workers feeling drained. At the pandemics height, COVID-19 patients accounted for about 20% of admissions, Herman said. Its not just that the work can be physically demanding. Its also personal. As of Friday, the novel coronavirus had killed more than 27,000 Pennsylvanians, 1,040 in Lancaster County alone. Weve had over 350 patients that have succumbed to this illness and were not used to that, Herman said. Were not used to that as health care workers. So, everyone is just drained by this. COVID-19 might be here to stay Herman believes a combination of vaccines, the monoclonal antibody treatment and individual efforts (social distancing, facemasks, hand hygiene) have effectively pushed COVID-19 back, putting the virus on its heels. Thats the good news. The bad news is COVID-19 like the flu (also a coronavirus) may be sticking around for a while. There will always be COVID, we think, Herman said. The way forward as Herman sees it will be reaching whats called herd immunity with the vaccine. Herd immunity is when a sufficient number of people are protected from a disease either through infection or vaccination that the spread of a virus is significantly curtailed in the wider community. It really seems like the vaccine is the thing thats getting us past this, Herman said. Vaccine hesitation looks the same among health care staff As Dr. Mark Goedecker, vice president and regional medical director for WellSpan Health's central region, identified in a recent LNP | LancasterOnline Watchdog report, the general public primarily has three obstacles to vaccine acceptance: a perceived rush-to-market. fertility concerns and long-term side effects. Turns out, health care workers share these same concerns. Much of the hesitancy among LGH employees, Herman said, doesnt come from a particular department as much as it does it does an age group: 20 to 40 year olds. Roughly two-thirds of hospital staff are already vaccinated against COVID-19. But starting Sept. 1, hospital employees and clinical staff must be vaccinated. New hires starting July 1 will be required to provide verification of vaccination. Previously, the vaccine was optional. While employees can seek a religious or medical exemption similar to the way LGHs flu vaccine requirement is handled, workers have begun pushing back against the new requirement. The issue was raised at last weeks county commissioners meeting. The decision to require a COVID-19 vaccination came as more than 285 million vaccine doses 12.3 million in Pennsylvania alone have been safely administered, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. The vaccine has been proven to be the best tool that we have to provide for the public safety and to provide for the safety of our staff, Herman said. Herman added, I think if were going to truly live up to our mission, which is to advance the health and wellbeing, then if not us, then who? COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) Several European nations want Denmark to explain why its foreign secret service allegedly helped the United States spy on European leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, more than seven years ago. We want the cards on the table, said Swedish Defense Minister Peter Hulqvist, adding it was unacceptable to eavesdrop on allies. Danish lawmaker Karsten Hoenge of the left-leaning Socialist Peoples Party, which is supporting Denmarks Social Democratic government, said Monday that he would quiz the Scandinavian countrys defense and justice ministers in parliament about the case. The government must explain how come Denmark has been acting as a willing tool for a U.S. intelligence service, and what it will mean for cooperation with Denmarks neighboring countries, he said. The Danish broadcaster DR said Sunday that the Danish Defense Intelligence Service, known in Denmark by its acronym FE, in 2014 conducted an internal investigation into whether the U.S. National Security Agency had used its cooperation with the Danes to spy against Denmark and neighboring countries. The probe, codenamed Operation Dunhammer, concluded that NSA had eavesdropped on political leaders and officials in Germany, France, Sweden and Norway. Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg said it was unacceptable if countries that have close allied cooperation should feel the need to spy on each other or obtain information about them. Spying on others creates more mistrust than it creates collaboration. So, its not a smart investment for the United States, she told the Norwegian broadcaster NRK. According to DR, the alleged setup between the United States and Denmark reportedly allowed the NSA to obtain data by using the telephone numbers of politicians as search parameters. DR said its report was based on interviews with nine unnamed sources, all of whom were said to have had access to classified information held by the FE. The military agency allegedly helped the NSA from 2012 to 2014. If the news is correct (...) this is not acceptable between allies, very clearly, said French President Emmanuel Macron, whose country was also allegedly targeted by U.S. intelligence. Im attached to the relation of trust between Europe and the United States, he told reporters. Theres no room between us for suspicion. Macron urged for the U.S. to make full clarity on the past facts, but also on current practices. Speaking at the same virtual news conference after bilateral talks Monday between Paris and Berlin, Merkel said the issue of NSA eavesdropping had already been discussed previously with the United States, and Germany had made clear at the time its position that spying among friends wasnt acceptable. What was true then is true today as well, she said. Im reassured that Denmark, the Danish government and the defense minister have said very clearly what they think of these matters, Merkel added. As such, I see a good basis, aside from clearing up this matter, to also achieve truly trustful relations. Reports in 2013 that the NSA listened in on German government phones, including Merkels, prompted a diplomatic spat between Berlin and Washington that soured otherwise good relations with President Barack Obamas administration. Still, there were also reports that Germanys own BND intelligence agency may have helped the U.S. spy on European companies and officials. Former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, who revealed details of the secret U.S. eavesdropping programs in 2013, reacted to the DR report with a sarcastic tweet in Danish: Oh, why didnt anyone warn us? In a written comment to DR, Danish Defense Minister Trine Bramsen said the government cannot discuss intelligence matters. She added the present government has the same point of view as the former Social Democratic government led by Helle Thorning-Schmidt who was in power during that period: the systematic wiretapping of close allies is unacceptable. In August, Bramsen relieved the head of the countrys foreign intelligence service, among others, after an independent watchdog heavily criticized the spy agency for deliberately withholding information and violating Danish laws. Denmark has two intelligence agencies, the Danish Defense Intelligence Service, which is also responsible for military intelligence, and the domestic Danish Security and Intelligence Service, known by its Danish acronym PET. This story has been corrected to show that Operation Dunhammer is the code name for Denmarks investigation, not the code name for the alleged spying setup between Denmark and the U.S. A previous version of this story was corrected to show that a lawmaker said Monday that he wants to quiz the government about the spying, not that he will do that in parliament on Monday. Sylvie Corbet in Paris, and Frank Jordans and Geir Moulson in Berlin, contributed to this report. Northern Lancaster County Regional police DISTURBANCE WARWICK TWP.: Four juvenile boys were seen ringing doorbells and then fleeing before residents could answer the door on Brookview Drive at 11:04 p.m. on May 27, police said. Officers found the boys and told them to go home, police said. WARWICK TWP.: A woman was reported to be uncooperative and recording security in the emergency room of UPMC Lititz at 1500 Highlands Drive at 2:40 p.m. on May 28, police said. The woman, who refused to provide her information, told officers that hospital staff and security were disrespectful to her and her brother, who was being treated in the emergency room, police said. The woman and her brother left the hospital without further incident, police said. FRAUD CLAY TWP.: A resident on Sunflower Drive near Willow Drive reported that $724 that was not hers was deposited into her bank account at 3:16 p.m. on May 26, police said. The residents bank froze the account, police said. PENN TWP.: An unknown person transferred the phone information of a resident of Fruitville Pike onto a new sim card and began using it without her consent sometime between 12:26 p.m. and 12:33 p.m. on May 27, police said. The resident stated that she accidentally left her ID on an island in Mexico after a dolphin excursion and decided to purchase a new ID upon returning to the US rather than returning to the island, police said. INDECENT EXPOSURE PENN TWP.: Three people were seen having sex inside a Volkswagen Jetta in front of PA Wine & Spirit Shop at 97 Doe Run Road at 3:35 p.m. on May 26, police said. Officers arrived to find three people standing around the car who denied engaging in public sex, police said. THEFT WARWICK TWP.: Syreeca Atheia Griffen, 45, of Lititz, was charged with criminal attempt of retail theft and driving under suspicion after attempting to leave without paying for $293.37 in merchandise from a CVS at 1052 Lititz Pike at 7:30 a.m. on May 30, police said. WELFARE CHECK PENN TWP.: Witnesses saw a man lying in the grass along Steigel Valley and White Oak roads at 9:45 a.m. on May 27, police said. Officers arrived to find the man was sunbathing, police said. Susquehanna Regional police ASSAULT MARIETTA: Erika Iveliz Matos, 23, of Marietta, was charged with simple assault after assaulting a person, leaving marks on them, during a domestic dispute in the first block of West Market Street at 11:15 p.m. on May 24, police said. CONOY TWP.: Adrianna Nichole Gibson, 26, whose address was not listed, was charged with simple assault after punching a woman in the face several times in the 2000 block of Bainbridge Road at 9 p.m. on May 25, police said. The woman sustained injuries to her face and was transported to the hospital for treatment, police said. HARASSMENT CONOY TWP.: Sydney N. Singh, whose address was not listed, was charged with harassment after shoving a woman and then pouring beer on her during a domestic dispute in the 2000 block of Bainbridge Road at 9 p.m. on May 25, police said. Danish Military Intelligence-NSA Allied Spying Cooperation COPENHAGEN, May 31, 2021 (EIRNS)The new round of disclosures about Danish Military Intelligence (FE) giving the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) access to massive amounts of data from the submarine Danish electronic information cable nexus, is occurring because whistleblowers inside FE want it to be known that the NSA-FE spying cooperation is not being directed only against enemies like terrorists, and Russia and China, but also against friends including Germany, France, Sweden and Norway, and other Danes, and that this is not in the interest of Denmark. Tom Gillesberg, chairman of the Schiller Institute in Denmark, gave a video briefing today with the title, What Is in the Danish Interest To Be a Spy for the NSA against Our Allies, or Something Else? The same question is also being raised by other commentators. After Edward Snowdens 2013 revelations, a discussion ensued inside FE about the question, and an internal investigation started in 2014 under the name Operation Dunhammer, which was kept secret from the NSA, and was completed in 2015. It showed that the selector search words that the NSA was using to pluck out useful information from the data mass through the NSAs XKeyscore system, also included the telephone numbers of leading politicians and bureaucrats in countries which are among Denmarks best allies. This report remained secret from the public and the Danish Parliament. We dont know if the prime minister was informed. This report has now been leaked to the investigative journalist alliance, that was working on the story since 2012. Though the FE leadership was informed about the NSA allied spying, they did nothing to stop it, according to the sources. Another very important question is whether this kind of spying is still going on. In 2018, a member of the Operation Dunhammer team went to the Danish Intelligence Oversight institution with accusations that the NSA-FE cooperation included spying against Danish citizens, which is illegal. A year ago, that oversight institution came out with an unprecedented press release which included a strong attack against FE, which resulted in the Danish defense minister suspending the FE leadership; the government established an investigative commission, but without the allied spying being part of the commissions mandate. Edward Snowden posted a tweet on the subject last night: Biden is well-prepared to answer for this when he soon visits Europe since, of course, he was deeply involved in this scandal the first time around. There should be an explicit requirement for full public disclosure not only from Denmark, but their senior partner as well. Biden was Obamas Vice President when the Snowden leaks came out. RT reports that Norways Defense Minister Frank Bakke-Jensen said they were taking the allegations seriously, while Swedens Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist said he demanded full information on these things. Russias State Duma Chairman Volodin Denounces EU Attempt To Sabotage Biden-Putin Summit May 31, 2021 (EIRNS)Chairman of the Russian State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin on May 30 denounced the European Parliament and its President David Sassoli for attempting to sabotage the summit between U.S. President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The European Parliament and its President David Sassoli have tried to gain political weight using the upcoming meeting between the Russian and U.S. Presidents as a pretext, Duma Speaker Volodin wrote on his Telegram channel. He recalled Sassoli et al. inviting Washington to sign on to a draft joint statement to be made public ahead of the summit, that would call for toughening sanctions against Russia and China. As a matter of fact, the European Parliament is imposing a confrontational agenda on Joe Biden ahead of his meeting with Vladimir Putin. It is obviously meant to exert pressure, to create a negative backdrop for the summitin a bid to gain political points on the topics that might be discussed by the two Presidents. Volodin said, in a reckless attempt to wreck possible Russian-U.S. agreements, the Europeans are cutting their own throats and ignore the role of the Russian-U.S. relations for peace and well-being in Europe, calling it a miserable attempt to butt into the dialogue. RIA Novosti reported that Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov also stated yesterday: The Americans must assume that a number of signals from Moscow ... will be uncomfortable for them, including in the coming days, which Reuters tied to Bidens fresh announcement he will ask Putin to respond about human rights at the summit. Ryabkov said Russia would be prepared to respond to Bidens queries about human rights in Russia and said that Moscow was being more flexible than Washington when it came to drawing up an agenda for the summit, RIA reported, according to Reuters. Today, came one signal, detailed by the Defense Ministry website: Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told the Defense Ministry Board Session today that the situation in the Western strategic direction is characterized by an increase in military threats. Over the past 7 years, the intensity of flights of the U.S. Air Forces strategic bomber aviation in Europe has grown 14 times. NATO ships with guided missile weapons systematically enter the Baltic Sea. Only last year, ships of this class performed missions near the Kaliningrad region three times. The actions of our Western counterparts are destroying the security system in the world and forcing us to take adequate countermeasures, General of the Army Sergei Shoigu said. We are constantly improving the combat composition of the troops. By the end of the year, about 20 formations and military units will be formed in the Western Military District.... In addition, the training of personnel and military command and control bodies is constantly being improved. The intensity of practicing combat training tasks by the ships of the Baltic Fleet increased by 30%. More than 200 exercises have been completed using various types of weapons, Shoigu explained. Finally, he said, a set of tasks will begin in June within the framework of joint exercises of special forces. I want to emphasize that the Zapad-2021 exercise is planned. It is carried out by decision of the Presidents of Russia and Belarus and is exclusively defensive in nature. ... Our partners will be informed about the parameters of the exercise, and the event itself will be able to be visited by international observers and journalists, said Shoigu. 2 LA River Recreation Areas Set To Reopen On Memorial Day With the COVID-19 pandemic receding, two stretches of the Los Angeles River will reopen today for recreational activities such as fishing, walking and kayaking. At long last, more people can learn about and enjoy our beloved Los Angeles River once more, City Councilman Mitch OFarrell, who chairs the Energy, Climate Change, Environmental Justice, & River Committee, said in a statement. I know many of my constituents have been looking forward to this opportunity. Count me among you. I encourage all Angelenos to take part in this one-of-a-kind recreational experience. ADVERTISEMENT Beginning Monday and continuing through Sept. 30, two designated recreation zones in the Elysian Valley and the Sepulveda Basin will be open daily, from sunrise to sunset. Both zones will be managed and patrolled by rangers from the Mountains Recreation & Conservation Authority. City officials said visitors must follow all current public health directives due to the COVID-10 pandemic, and signs will be posted with details. LA Sanitation & Environment will also operate visual water quality beacons to keep visitors apprised of conditions in the river. The signs will light green for safe, yellow for safe, but take precautions and red for do not kayak. A blinking red light will indicate the recreation area is closed for reasons other than water quality. The Los Angeles River is a key waterway in the city of Los Angeles, crucial to a healthy environment, biodiversity and our own sense of place and pride, said Traci Minamide, chief operating officer of LASAN. LASAN strives to help ensure that all Angelenos are able to safely access and enjoy the river during these recreational months. While kayaking and fishing are permitted, swimming is prohibited in the river. A limited number of vendors will be at the recreation areas to provide guided tours and kayak rentals. More detailed information, along with parking details, is available at http://lariverrecreation.org. After four years of attempts to kill NASA's Education Office a new Administration wants to increase NASA's education funding. A person with a PhD in Education lives in the White House. Overall the Biden/Harris Administration talks about enhancing education in all quarters of the government. Instead of having a political donor running the Department of Education into the ground, an actual teacher and professional educational manager is now the Secretary of Education. If you are interested in the future of our nation's education system, now would be a good time for you to start being enthusiastic - again. You'd think that NASA would be overjoyed. Alas, even in the best of times, NASA's education efforts have been under funded, filled with congressional pork, and at odds with NASA Public Affairs and the outreach efforts run by various NASA directorates, Missions, and Centers. And they lack even the most basic of metrics to allow its efforts to be evaluated for effectiveness. Rarely has NASA's education office been run by an actual professional educator with prior education management experience. As Bill Nelson assumed the position of NASA Administrator, he has been saying all the right things about education, inspiring the next generation, the value of NASA as a global ambassador, etc. Jim Bridenstine said the same things. So did Charlie Bolden and Sean O'Keefe. Unlike his predecessors NASA has a $147 million request - a 15.7% increase over FY 2021 appropriations in its education budget in the President's FY 2022 budget request. The budget request shows an out year runout reaching $160 million in FY 2026. If you look at the STEM summary in the NASA budget justification (page 725) - the 3 pages of 'lets get rid of education' verbiage from the Trump era is replaced with 6 pages of 'what can we do to expand education' at NASA. Full story Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook. Section of Highway Named for Civil Rights Pioneer Clyde Kennard A highway section near the University of Southern Mississippi has been named to honor a civil rights pioneer who was wrongfully convicted after he tried to enroll at the all-white university in the 1950s. The Hattiesburg American reported that a ceremony was held Thursday to name a section of U.S. Highway 49 in honor of Clyde Kennard, the first Black student to apply for admission to the university. Kennard, an Army veteran, was denied admission when he applied in 1955 and again in 1959. Legislators voted to name the segment of highway for Kennard during the 2021 legislative session. ADVERTISEMENT Kennard was convicted of purchasing $25 worth of chicken feed he knew to be stolen in 1960 and sentenced to seven years in prison. Posthumous investigations into Kennards case showed the charges against Kennard were fabricated, and the only witness against him has recanted his testimony. A judge in 2006 threw out the conviction. Kennard died in 1963, after being released from prison early because he had intestinal cancer. Dennis Dahmer, son of slain civil rights leader Vernon Dahmer, said stories like Kennards need to be told so younger people can be inspired by the generations who have gone before them, the newspaper reported. It is a horrific story of how the Mississippi justice system was used to thwart the integration of USM and lead directly to Clydes untimely death, Dahmer said. Hattiesburg Mayor Toby Barker said the marker will flank the very campus where Kennard was denied the opportunity to continue his education. As I was getting ready this morning, a word that came to mind was redemption. . Redemption acknowledges the wrong and the collective failure of humanity, he said. ADVERTISEMENT Redemption doesnt undo the injustice, but it can repent for it. It can work to correct it. It can bend that arc of the moral universe. As Theodore Parker and Martin Luther King Jr. said, `a little more toward justice. Tulsa Pastors Honor Holy Ground 100 Years After Massacre When white attackers destroyed the prosperous Black neighborhood of Greenwood 100 years ago this week, they bypassed the original sanctuary of the First Baptist Church of North Tulsa. By the churchs own account, the attackers thought the brick veneer structure was too fine for a Black-owned church. The mob destroyed at least a half-dozen other churches while burning and leveling a 35-square-block neighborhood in one of the nations deadliest spasms of racist violence. Estimates of the death toll range from dozens to 300. On Sunday, First Baptists current sanctuary throbbed with a high-decibel service as six congregations gathered to mark the centennial of the massacre and to honor the persistence of the Black church tradition in Greenwood, as shown in the pulsing worship, call-and-response preaching and heavy emphasis on social justice. ADVERTISEMENT Greenwood is holy ground, said the Rev. John Faison of Nashville, Tennessee, who preached at the service and is assistant to the bishop of social action for the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship. He said the centennial both honors the victims of the massacre and celebrates the resilience and the resurgence of an amazing people of God. Similar commemorations took place at many houses of worship throughout Tulsa and across Oklahoma on Sunday, a day ahead of the official centennial dates. More civic activities are planned for Monday and Tuesday, including a candlelight vigil and a visit by President Joe Biden. The commission that organized the centennial designated Sunday as Unity Faith Day and provided a suggested worship guide that each congregation could adapt, including scriptures, prayers and the singing of Amazing Grace. Particularly at historically Black churches, speakers emphasized a call for financial reparations _ both for the few centenarian survivors of the massacre and for the wider, economically struggling North Tulsa area, where the citys Black population is largely concentrated. The main problem is that our nation is always trying to have reconciliation without doing justice, Faison said. Until repentance and repair are seen as inseparable, any attempt to reconcile will fail miserably. ADVERTISEMENT The Rev. Robert Turner, pastor of nearby Vernon African Methodist Episcopal Church, which also traces its roots to before the massacre, echoed that sentiment in an interview before his own churchs service. Its not a tragedy thats left in 1921. Its a tragedy that continues to live each day that lacks justice, said Turner, who protests weekly outside Tulsa City Hall, calling both for reparations and for a posthumous criminal investigation of the massacres perpetrators. Some churches on Sunday recognized 13 still-active congregations that operated in Greenwood in 1921, including many that had to rebuild their destroyed sanctuaries. Lists of the 13, under the heading Faith Still Standing, are being distributed on posters and other merchandise. We dont want it ever to happen again anywhere, said the Rev. Donna Jackson, an organizer of the recognition. Some historically white churches also observed the centennial. Pastor Deron Spoo of First Baptist Church of Tulsa, a Southern Baptist church less than two miles from the similarly named North Tulsa church, told his congregation that the massacre has been a scar on the city. The church has a prayer room with an exhibit on the massacre, accompanied by prayers against racism. It includes quotations from white pastors in 1921 who faulted the Black community rather than the white attackers for the devastation and declared racial inequality to be divinely ordained. Spoo told congregants on Sunday: While we dont know what the pastor 100 years ago at First Baptist Tulsa said, I want to be very clear: Racism has no place in the life of a Jesus follower. Also recognizing the massacre was South Tulsa Baptist Church, a Southern Baptist congregation in a predominately white suburban part of Tulsa. Pastor Eric Costanzo grew up in Tulsa but didnt learn of the massacre until attending seminary out of state. When he later saw an exhibit on the massacre at the Greenwood Cultural Center, he recognized its enormity. He later got involved with centennial planning, arranging for presentations at the church about the massacre and visits by church members to Greenwood. In an interview, he said he hoped that the bridge we created between our communities remains active after the centennial to confront a lot of the hard topics our city and culture faces. The Rev. Zenobia Mayo, a retired educator and an ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), is also working to continue those conversations after the centennial. She said her family never used to talk about the massacre, even though her great-great-uncle, renowned surgeon A.C. Jackson, was among its most prominent victims. Elders in the family sought to protect their children from the trauma of racist violence, she said. They felt not talking about it was the way to deal with it. But now Mayo hopes to host discussions on racism at her home with mixed groups of white and Black guests. If its going to be, let it begin with me, she said. Tuesday, June 1, 2021 By K.A. Dilday (June 1, 2021) On Friday, President Joe Biden released a proposed budget for 2022. Reproductive rights advocates hailed it for the historic exclusion of the Hyde Amendment: It is the first White House budget in decades to exclude the 1976 Amendment prohibiting the use of federal funds for abortion. The exclusion is largely symbolic: The Hyde Amendment can only be repealed by lawmakers, and Democrats who support repealing it dont hold sufficient majority in the Senate to do so. But it is a turnaround for Biden who voted to pass the Amendment as a senator and continued to back it for many years. With this latest step, President Biden is signaling that his administration will support the right of reproductive freedom for all women. Thus, some reproductive rights activists are cautiously optimistic despite the looming specter of the Supreme Courts hearing next term of a case that could potentially eviscerate the protections of Roe v. Wade. But there is a group of women in the United States that has suffered disproportionately under the Hyde Amendment and therefore to whom symbolic gestures mean little. Although all low-income women bear the weight of the Amendments restrictions as it affects recipients of the federal-state healthcare program Medicaid, non-elderly American Indian and American Native women use public health services at a higher rate than any other ethnicity according to the healthcare research foundation KFF. While some states have a workaround for abortion services provided by Medicaidusing exclusively state funds rather than federalmany of the U.S. Indigenous population use the federally funded Indian Health Service (IHS) which operates hospitals and outpatient facilities in addition to providing other support services. Approximately 1.9 million American Indian and Alaska Native women living on or near reservations receive care at those facilities and through linked health service providers. The Hyde Amendment did not technically apply to the Indian Health Services until 2008: As noted by Andie Netherland in the American Indian Law Review, ...the Hyde Amendment provided that [n]one of the funds contained in [the] Act could be used for abortions, [but] the Amendment did not apply, at that time, to the funds allocated to the Indian Health Service through a different act. In 2008, the Senate expanded the Hyde Amendments application to the Indian Health Service. Despite its not being legally bound by the Hyde Amendment, the Indian Health Service adhered to it in years preceding 2008. A 2002 report by the Native American Women's Health Education Resource Center (NAWHERC) found that between 1981 and 2001, only 25 abortions had been performed by IHS units. The report also cites a 1996 memo from the IHS director clarifying that the IHS would only provide abortions in the case of rape, incest, or limited circumstances when the mothers life was in danger, the three exceptions permitted under the Hyde Amendment that were pushed through in 1993 under the Clinton Administration. Reproductive rights activists say that the difficulty of obtaining an exception under the Hyde Amendment is particularly hard on Native American women based on findings that Indigenous women are 2.5 times more likely to report experiencing sexual assault than other races, and one in three Native American women reports having been raped. And, the American Addiction Centers compiled data from the 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health indicating that Indigenous Americans have the highest rates of alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, inhalant, and hallucinogen use disorders compared to other ethnic groups. A recent federal case highlights the particular burden that these challenges and the Hyde Amendments restrictions to reproductive rights place on Indigenous women. In the precedent-setting United States v. Flute (2019), the Eighth Circuit reinstated an indictment dismissed by the District Court for South Dakota-Aberdeen against a young Native American woman for manslaughter, after prenatal drug use resulted in the death of her baby four hours after birth. As Eighth Circuit Judge Steven M. Colloton noted in his dissent: According to the United States Attorney, the government has never before charged a mother with manslaughter based on prenatal neglect that causes the death of a child. Flute gave birth on the Lake Traverse Reservation of the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate Tribe, which is under federal jurisdiction. Her case was characterized by the Harvard Law Review as escalating to the federal level the state judicial trend of using broad interpretations of statutes designed for other purposes to criminalize prenatal conduct. As Judge Colloton also wrote in his dissent: "No federal statute enacted after 1909 has expanded the manslaughter statute to encompass a mothers prenatal neglect." In an article about the Flute case in the most recent edition of the American Indian Law Review, Andie Netherland noted that pregnant Indigenous women who face addiction may face criminal prosecution for involuntary manslaughter more frequently than non-Indian women due to the unavailability of abortion services within the Indian Health Service. For these reasons, Native-American reproductive rights activists say that even post Roe v. Wade, the immediacy of their fight for reproductive justice and self-determination never changed. A 2019 article in Indian Country Today noted the new abortion laws dont ever have to be implemented and the Supreme Court doesnt have to overturn Roe to make abortion inaccessible for Native women; restrictions are nothing new. For Native women, the lack of access to abortions has been real for years. The looming loss of reproductive rights feared by many in the United States would not be a loss but a reiteration of the status quo for many Indigenous women. In the absence of real, tangible change, the symbolic exclusion of the Hyde Amendment does not give Indigenous women much cause for celebration. https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/reproductive_rights/2021/06/on-friday-president-joe-biden-sent-a-budget-to-congress-reproductive-rights-advocates-hailed-it-for-the-historic-exclusion.html China is looking to the ocean to help reduce the cost of cooling data centers that use powerful computers and servers. The country also seeks to reduce the use of traditional energy sources. The southern island of Hainan has started work on the world's first undersea commercial data center. A Hainan government website said the project is expected to be complete in five years. Data centers store and process internet data and use large amounts of energy to cool their computer networks. Power costs represent up to 70 percent of operation costs at a data center in China. That information comes from the environmental organization Greenpeace. The sea technology company Highlander is working with the local government to build the data center. The company said internet service provider Beijing Sinnet Technology will operate the data center in the future. Highlander added that both a final design of the center and a study of an area off the coast are completed. Some experts say an undersea data center would reduce cooling costs by making use of dependably low ocean temperatures. But others are concerned about investment returns and the dependability of undersea services. Yang Zhiyong is a technology expert at CCID Consulting, a state-supported information technology company. He said that while power use might be lower than land-based data centers, investment at the beginning could be massive." No investment value was given in the Hainan statement. It was also unclear who would be financing the project. In 2018, Microsoft lowered a non-commercial data center the size of a truck about 35 meters into the sea off Britain. The small data center was brought back to land last year, and Microsoft declared the experiment a success. The Hainan center is designed to contain about 100 data cabinets, each holding several server racks. Small to medium-sized data centers on land usually house up to 3,000 server racks. Yang said, "I'm afraid internet clients would probably not come to it first, as their major concern is the safety and stability of the data infrastructure." Im Jonathan Evans. Lusha Zhang and Ryan Woo reported on this story for the Reuters news service. Jonathan Evans adapted this story for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story client n. a person who pays a professional person or organization for services commercial adj. used to earn a profit infrastructure n. the basic equipment and structures such as roads and bridges that are needed for a country, region, or organization to function properly massive adj. very large rack n. a frame or stand for storing or displaying things stability n. the quality or state of something that is not easily changed or likely to change For more than 50 years, Interstate 81 highway has cut through the Southside neighborhood of Syracuse, a city in northwestern New York State. Smoke from vehicles traveling on the elevated road would fall down to the area where most people are Black and poor. Now, New York State wants to replace that part of the elevated highway with a street-level road. The aim is to connect the city's urban areas again. And building could begin as soon as next year. The plan has raised hopes of better times in a city where one in three residents lives in poverty. Some say it could also make up for the damage done to Black residents during the building of Interstate 81 years ago. They were forced to move and have been living under the elevated highway ever since. David Rufus is a lifelong Southside resident. He works as an organizer for the rights group New York Civil Liberties Union. He said, "When they put that highway up, they destroyed this community. Now here's an opportunity to right that wrong by bringing it down." Syracuse was not the only U.S. city where highway-building in the 1950s and 1960s displaced Black residents. Historians are now saying that local officials saw the proposed interstate highway system as an easy way to tear down what they regarded as "slum" neighborhoods near downtown business areas. The U.S. federal government paid up to 90 percent of the cost of building the new highway. As residents had to move away, it was easier for politicians and business leaders to work on "urban renewal" projects. Joseph DiMento is a law professor at the University of California, Irvine and an expert in the policies of the highway-building. "It was a mistake that many cities were making," he said. "The reasons they were built were heavily for removal of Blacks from certain areas," he added. Road builders at the time were largely free to ignore environmental, historical, social or other concerns. That permitted them to pay attention only to the most direct way from one point to another. Often, that meant directing those highways through Black neighborhoods, where land was inexpensive and there was little political opposition. Raymond Mohl was an urban historian and professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. His research found that the highway builders targeted some Black neighborhoods even when better paths were available. His research found the following examples: In the city of Miami, Interstate 95 was built in Overtown, a Black neighborhood known as the "Harlem of the South," rather than a nearby unused train pathway. In Nashville, Tennessee, Interstate 40 took a sharp turn, cutting the Black community of North Nashville into two parts. In Montgomery, Alabama, the state highway director was a high-level officer of the Ku Klux Klan, a racist white group. He set the path for Interstate 85 through a neighborhood where many Black civil rights leaders lived. In New Orleans and Kansas City, officials moved highways from white neighborhoods to integrated or mostly Black areas. Residents in a few cities, including Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and Baltimore, successfully organized to block highway building in Black neighborhoods. But that was not usually the case. Anthony Foxx served as transportation secretary under President Barack Obama. He said that in all, highway building displaced more than 1 million Americans. Many of them were poor minorities. Im Jill Robbins. Andy Sullivan wrote this story for Reuters. Jill Robbins adapted it for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story highway n. a wide road that is built for fast travel elevated adj. raised above the ground resident n. someone who lives in a particular place displace v. to force (people or animals) to leave the area where they live slum - n. an area of a city where poor people live and the buildings are in bad condition What do you think of the practice of placing roads through poor areas? Have you seen it where you live? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. As more companies start selling tickets to travel into space, people are asking: Who gets to call themselves an astronaut? It is no longer an easy question to answer. People who are very rich are able to pay to go into space. Russian space officials have been calling them spaceflight participants for many years. The new supervisor of the U.S. space agency NASA is Bill Nelson. He does not consider himself an astronaut although he spent six days in space in 1986. He was a congressman then. He told The Associated Press that he believes the term astronaut should be for professionals. Richard Garriott is a computer game developer. He paid a lot of money for his trip to the International Space Station in 2008 on a Russian spacecraft. He hates the term space tourist. He said in an email, I am an astronaut. He said he trained for two years to go into space. Axiom Spaces Michael Lopez-Alegria is a former NASA astronaut. He will join three businessmen on a SpaceX spacecraft on a trip to the space station planned for January. They each paid $55 million for the trip. Lopez-Alegria said they do not consider themselves space tourists since they will be doing research. Recently, Axiom Space said there will be a second flight to the space station next year. Peggy Whitson will be on that flight. She is a retired NASA astronaut who has spent 665 days in space. Whitson will bring John Shoffner. He is a businessman and race car driver from Knoxville, Tennessee. He is also paying about $55 million. Shoffner said he asked Peggy to make the training difficult for him. He said, Make me an astronaut. The word astronaut comes from the Greek words for star and sailor. The idea is easy to market and astronauts appear in movies and popular culture. Jeff Bezos is the owner of the rocket company, Blue Origin. It will call future clients astronauts. It is selling a place on its first spaceflight with people, planned for July. NASA even has a new term for this kind of trip: PAM for Private Astronaut Mission. Many individuals want to work as astronauts. More than 12,000 people applied to join NASAs upcoming class. Only about 12 will be chosen in December. But many passengers are expected to travel into space soon. There will be Russian actress and movie director, Yulia Peresild, who will fly to the space station in October. And Japanese businessman, Yusaku Maezawa, will go in December with an assistant to document everything. In each case, there will be a professional astronaut supervising things. But, Blue Origin and SpaceXs spacecraft do not need pilots. Asif Siddiqi is a history professor at Fordham University and the writer of several space books. He said it might be necessary to retire the term once hundreds if not thousands of people reach space. He questioned, Are we going to call each and every one of them astronauts? Mike Mullane is a retired NASA astronaut. He suggests using astronaut first class, second class, third class. He said this could depend on the persons involvement. However, Mullane noted, astronaut is not a copyrighted word. So anybody who wants to call themselves an astronaut can call themselves an astronaut, whether theyve been in space or not. Im Jill Robbins. Marcia Dunn reported this story for The Associated Press. Gregory Stachel adapted it for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor. ___________________________________________________________ Words in This Story ticket n. piece of paper that allows you to see a show, participate in an event, travel on a vehicle, etc. participant n. a person who is involved in an activity or event tourist n. a person who travels to a place for pleasure client n. a person who pays a professional person or organization for services apply v. to formally ask, usually in writing, for a job, position, training, loan or something similar copyrighted adj. not allowed to be copied without permission from the author or composer The Cheadle Lake trail will be closed from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sept. 28 through Oct. 1 next week as the city of Albany does routine maintenance on the adjacent Albany-Santiam Canal. They are going to be cutting some trees along the canal bank that are dead or almost dead and are going to be hazardous in the future if they arent taken care of, said Rob Emmons, city of Lebanon engineering services supervisor. Chris Bailey, city of Albany interim public works operations director, said the trail closure was due to safety concerns, as workers will need to be on the pathway and use heavy machinery. Tree felling is a lot of, um art. We just dont want to put people at risk. Wed just rather be safe than sorry, she said. We generally try to get the hazard trees out before the winter. A good storm can blow down some trees, Bailey added. A dead or ailing tree could fall into the canal, blocking its flow, and flood an adjacent property, she said. Those trees also could pose issues to the stability of the berm. If roots of a dead or dying tree continue to decay, they could cause voids in the riverbank, Emmons said. In addition to our faith community participation and donations from generous individuals, our ability to meet needs for rental, utility and transportation assistance were greatly enhanced by grants and businesses. On behalf of those We Care has served so far this year, we offer appreciation to United Way, the Corvallis Kiwanis Foundation, OSU Folk Club Thrift Shop Foundation, Samaritan Health Services, Varian Medical Systems and Devco Engineering, Inc. Lyn Martin, secretary, We Care Corvallis Cemetery association thanks ceremony participants The Mt. Union Cemetery Association would like to thank all the people and organizations who participated in the Armed Forces Day and Fallen Peace Officer Ceremony at the cemetery on May 15. It proved to be a very memorable and patriotic way to celebrate past and current service members and first responders serving across Benton County, and memorializing peace officers who have died in the line of duty. Special recognition was given to Reuben and Mary Jane Shipley, freed slaves who donated the original two acres of the cemetery to the community in 1861. Currently, Spanish is the only foreign language offered at LHS. The board agreed, should the budget allow for it, to encourage foreign language in elementary school and meanwhile, to build a strong foreign language department at the high school. Board vice chair Debi Shimmin said the district needs to focus first on small goals, and "before you know it, requiring two years of foreign language is easy, it's nothing." Alperin said she agrees more with the philosophy to "shoot for the stars and you may land on the moon," insisting students will rise to the challenges set before them. "Best practice, if we have resources, start with elementary school," Yates said. "If we're just doing it so they can get into the right university, that's not the right way to go about it." The board had some other suggestions for the high school administration. McUne wants to see the honors programs, which must be applied for in a timely manner, better advertised. Martin said the district should be planting seeds in elementary students to succeed in middle and high school. On a lovely last day of May more than 200 people gathered Monday at Timber Linn Memorial Park in Albany to honor those who have fallen in battle. Freedom is a wonderful thing as long as you have the courage to defend it, said the keynote speaker, Major General Michael E. Stencel, adjutant general of the state of Oregon. Stencel was quoting John Adams, the second U.S. president, and the first to experience the unbroken American tradition of a peaceful transition of power. Stencel, who leads Oregons more than 8.000 citizen soldiers, also spoke emotionally about examples of individuals whose sacrifices led the country to create Memorial Day to honor them. His trio included Leland Bud Lewis, who died in February. Although too young to enlist when Pearl Harbor brought the U.S. into World War II, Lewis painted a 1 on his left foot and a 7 on his right, put on his shoes and went down to the induction office. Are you over 17? he was asked. Yes, he said, with Stencel noting he wasnt lying. Algiers, 31 May 2021 (SPS) - The Algerian newspaper, Bladi News, published today, Monday, an interview with the Sahrawi Ambassador in Botswana and the SADC organization, Mr. Malainin Lakhal, in which he addressed a number of issues related to the continuation of the Moroccan occupation of Western Sahara, and the blackmail campaigns waged by the Makhzen against various countries, including Spain, to force Madrid to accept the illegal occupation of Western Sahara. The Sahrawi Ambassador affirmed that the international community had tolerated Morocco so much, and encouraged it to continue its expansionist policies, which pushed Rabat to use immigration, drugs and other cards to put pressure on its neighbors, adding that the Spanish and European position is still weak and should be reviewed to put the Makhzen in its right place as a criminal system and as a failed state that is collapsing. The following is the full read of the interview, as published by the newspaper: The Makhzen practices terrorism against everyone, and its leaders are outlaws The European position is weak and must be revised to put the Makhzen in its right place Interviewed by: Fouad. H What are the latest developments in the Saharawi issue? Lakhal: It can be said that the Saharan issue has witnessed successive developments during the past few months, especially since the Polisario Front returned to the armed struggle, and announced the end of its commitment to the OAU-UN ceasefire after the Moroccan armys flagrant violation of it on November 13, 2020, by targeting civilians in the Guerguerat region. Since that date, we have seen how the United Nations, the African Union, the European Union, and many countries have moved, whether through attempts to intervene to stop the war, or after the former US President, Trump, announced his recognition of the illegal Moroccan occupation of parts of our homeland, here too, many countries and organizations have had to express their rejection of this proclamation, simply because it contradicts international law, and is also dangerous to international relations and represents a dangerous precedent that could destroy decades of attempts to build international relations on the basis of law, and respect for peoples right to freedom, independence and sovereignty over their homelands and wealth. On the African level, we noticed that the recent African Union summits strongly dealt with the Saharan issue, contrary to what the Moroccan occupation regime had hoped for, and despite the Makhzen continuing its policy of volte-face and rejection of reason and respect for the law. Morocco seems to increasingly be isolated because of this policy, and we have all seen how it is managing its diplomatic relations with many countries of the world with the logic of threat and intimidation, and the use of dangerous blackmailing cards threatening international stability and security, such as immigration, terrorism, drugs, and smear media campaigns against countries such as Spain, Algeria, Germany, Iran, and any country that neutrally expresses support for international legality in the Western Sahara issue. These are in a way the most important feature of recent developments. What is the role that the major countries play in the file? Lakhal: It can be said frankly that some major countries bear the greater part of the responsibility for the continued illegal and military occupation of parts of Western Sahara by Morocco, and it is possible here frankly to point at certain countries by finger without any reservation, such as France, for example, which protected, and continues to protect Morocco from within the Security Council, and in the European Union, and continues to influence many French-speaking African countries in particular, to prevent them from any kind of support or even neutrality in the Western Sahara issue, which is a resounding outrage not only for Paris public claims of respecting law, democracy and human rights, but worse betrays its support to the violation of all these slogans by its North African protectorate, and it is also shameful from these countries that are subject to the French-Moroccan dictates in this case of clear decolonization from which the African Union adopts a clear position. The United States of America also bears a large part of the responsibility for the continued occupation by Morocco of western Sahara, why? Because the United States of America is supposed to be the penholder within the UN Security Council regarding the drafting of decisions related to the Saharawi conflict since Washington became a Guarantor of the OAU-African settlement plan in 1991, along with the rest of the Security Council members and other influential international powers, which asked the Sahrawis to cease fire thirty years ago and promised them to organize a referendum for self-determination. The United States of America has not yet fulfilled this promise, nor honoured its commitment to the Sahrawi people and to the Polisario Front, and we have even witnessed how Trump overturned during the last month of his term the American position despite its shortcomings, an illegal move that was however criticized by all American politicians familiar with the question, such as James Baker, John Bolton, and Christopher Ross, having worked on the issue directly, but also members of Congress, the Senate, and many others. We cannot forget, of course, Spain and its historical, moral and political responsibility for this situation that we are living as Sahrawis, since the Spanish state failed to fulfill its responsibility to eliminate colonialism from our country, leaving it to Moroccan ambitions. On this basis, we can also talk about other international bodies that bear responsibility for the continuation of the situation, either for their silence, or for ignoring and evading their international responsibilities, such as the European Union, for example, etc. On the other hand, we should not forget to praise many countries, governments and organizations that have had enough courage to express at least honorable positions such as the African Union, the countries of the SADC, Russia, China, Algeria, Kenya, Ethiopia and other African countries, Germany, Scandinavian countries, and New Zealand, Ireland, Italy, Mexico and many others. Countries and organizations that refuse to accept Moroccan attempts and insist on the necessity of respecting international legality in decolonizing Western Sahara. Many of, those explicitly condemn any attempt to legitimize the Moroccan occupation and consider it a violation of international law and threat to international relations and multilateralism. In light of the recent diplomatic crisis between Rabat and Madrid, many observers of the conflict see that Morocco is using immigrants in its political conflicts, how do you explain that? Lakhal: Unfortunately, everyone knows precisely that the Moroccan Makhzen is a bullying system, a system run by drug dealers and money laundering dealers, an outlaw system and a very dangerous one to everyone, not only dangerous to the Maghreb region, but a real threat to the security and stability of the African continent, and the security and stability of Europe And thus the security and stability of the entire world, and threatens international law. Everyone knows that this system trades in drugs and exploits its incomes, which were estimated by the centers specialized in drugs and organized crime at the United Nations and in the United States of America, for example, in 2017, to more than 23 billion dollars. Do you know where and how this huge amount of money is used? Do you know how and where it is laundered through Moroccan banks, among which is the Kings Personal Bank which has thousands of branches in many African countries? Everyone knows this, for this I was personally not at all surprised by the use of migration by Morocco against Spain and Europe, and I was not surprised at the sacrifice by the Makhzen of the lives of thousands Moroccans including thousands children, youth and women who were thrown into one of the worst pictures of international blackmail in front of medias, which unfortunately did not read the event as it should, and is still searching for its causes and backgrounds in the wrong directions, while the only real cause that should be stressed is to expose this bullying mafia system to the world, and press it to put an end first to exploiting the miseries of the Moroccan people who are starved, impoverished, and oppressed, and also put an end to the criminal military occupation of Western Sahara. The real thing is here. We have a mafia system that must be eliminated in order to liberate the Moroccans from it and empower them to rule and control their land and their wealth. How will this diplomatic crisis affect the Western Sahara conflict? Lakhal: I do not think that this is a diplomatic crisis, and it has nothing to do with any kind of diplomacy or politics. This is a cheap blackmail process practiced by the Makhzen against everyone, and not only against Spain, and we should stand against it, even if we as peoples and governments are forced to strike at the hands of the Makhzen with all the power we have. We should never submit to or accept this blackmail, nor the continuation of the illegal occupation of Western Sahara. On the other hand, I believe that this blackmail, and this Moroccan thuggery now targeting Spain is in the end a healthy phenomenon because it reveals this system for what it is to the peoples and governments of the region and the world, and highlights the truth and essence of the Makhzen as a rogue state that practices state terrorism not only against its own people and against the Sahrawi people, but against everyone. From this point of view, I personally believe that the Makhzen is now struggling like any wounded animal, and is hammering the last nails into its coffin with its own hands and with its arrogance and usual childishness. This system will soon disappear, because it is no longer sustainable, and it should be eliminated in all possible ways before it destroys Morocco itself as a country, and destroys the region. In the midst of the crisis between Rabat and Madrid, with the aim of putting pressure on the European Union to change its stance on the Saharawi issue, Vice President of the European Commission Margaretis Chenas sent a strong message to the Moroccan authorities saying that no one can blackmail us, from the diplomatic side, how can this message be read? Lakhal: By God, personally, I still did not see any strong position from the European Union. I consider that the European Union bears a great responsibility in encouraging Morocco to adopt its dangerous policies. We all remember how the European Union was until recently describing Morocco as a strategic partner and praising Moroccan democratic achievements, praising Morocco as a model of stability, and moderation and so on. Even on Western Sahara issue, we have seen how the European Union has conspired in signing trade agreements with Morocco at the expense of Western Sahara and in violation of the law and the provisions of the European Court itself. We have seen how the Europeans poured hundreds of millions of dollars into the pockets of the corrupt regime in Morocco so that the king would buy new palaces and yachts and scatter bribes on corrupt people around the world to buy off their silence and support, instead of being used to relieve the suffering of Moroccans. So, in my opinion, the current European position is still weak, and still not enough, and it should be reviewed, and Morocco should be dealt with clearly and directly to put it in its right place, as a corrupt and failed system that should be eliminated. As for contenting itself with modest reactions and threats, while continuing to cover up Moroccan violations of international law, and abuses of human rights in Morocco proper and in Western Sahara, this is shameful and unacceptable. What is the future scenario for the Western Sahara conflict? Lakhal: There is only one scenario, which is the end of the Moroccan occupation and its total evacuation from the Western Sahara because the Moroccan presence in our homeland is rejected by the Sahrawi people, but also by international legality, morality, history, geography and logic. Now, what raises the real concern is the search for possible scenarios after the fall and end of the monarchy in Morocco? What will happen in Morocco? And how will the Moroccan people be able to save their country from the disaster that the Alawite regime and its associates, the drug dealers and manipulators of terrorism are pushing Morocco to? In any case, we wish all the best for the Moroccan brothers, but I personally urge them to pay attention to the coming disaster, and to unite against this system to save their homeland from being lost because of a bunch of amateurs who shoot in all directions and against everyone, and for the most trivial reasons. (SPS) 062/090 INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Indiana University is giving students and employees an option to avoid providing proof of COVID-19 vaccinations, changing a policy that had drawn protests from many state officials. IU announced Tuesday that students and employees would be able to attest to their vaccination without having to provide documentation of having received the shots as was required under the previous policy announced May 21. The university also said a form would be available Wednesday for those requesting exemptions from the vaccine requirement for medical or religious reasons. Requiring the COVID-19 vaccine for IU students, faculty and staff with appropriate exemptions continues the universitys comprehensive science and public health-driven approach to managing and mitigating the pandemic on our campuses, IU President Michael McRobbie said in a statement. This requirement will make a return to normal a reality for the fall semester. The tune is also sounded at many memorial services in Arlington's Memorial Amphitheater and at grave sites throughout the cemetery. It is also regularly played at the American Cemetery in Normandy, France, to commemorate the sacrifice made, at and around that site, by United States servicemen in WWII, during the Allied effort to liberate Europe from the Nazi Germany. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} The song is also played during each of the military wreath ceremonies conducted at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier every year, including the ones held on Memorial Day. The ceremonies are viewed by many people, including veterans, school groups, and foreign officials. Guest speaker was Lexington High Schools Malinda Lo and asked everyone in attendance to join her in recognizing family members in attendance that had lost a loved one in the service of their country. She said the act of sending off a family member to war had to be a surreal experience. She said this was the 20th year the United States had been at war, longer than any conflict in the history of the country. Around 2.7 million Americans served in Afghanistan and Iraq and many were deployed more than once. Lo said, Let us honor the memory of heroes no long with us and let us strive to live up to the example set by selfless patriots each and every day. Competing in his first basketball game of the season, sophomore Jaedyn Brown was summoned off the bench and provided Pullman with the shot in the arm the Greyhounds needed to sew up a 70-65 road victory against Clarkston in the second game of a Greater Spokane League doubleheader Friday at C A male was killed in a shooting following an altercation with a group of people Sunday near the intersection of Curryer and Boone streets, according to police. Officers were dispatched at about 10 p.m. to a report of a shooting near the intersection, where they located the male, who was not identified, lying in the street with an apparent gunshot wound, according to Santa Maria Police Sgt. Andy Magallon. Medical personnel arrived on scene and transported the victim to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. An initial investigation revealed that during the altercation, someone in the group produced a gun and shot the male. No suspect information was available as of Monday, according to Magallon. Suspect arrested, victim identified in shooting death near Preisker Lane and Broadway A 20-year-old man was arrested Saturday on suspicion of murder in the shooting death of a Santa Maria resident who was found deceased in a vehicle near the intersection of Preisker Lane and North Broadway on Friday. Police are withholding the victim's name until they can first notify his family. Anyone with information on the shooting is urged to contact the Santa Maria Police Department at 805-928-3781, ext. 2277, or call the tip line at ext. 2677. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. This [was] the first time that Bob and I really sort of had this conversation of race amongst ourselves, Cave reminisced. That was really the instigator to come to a place of amends we had to talk about what I was emotionally going through in that moment. I think that was the sort of catalyst that led us to ask the bigger question and to reach out to friends and community leaders. Cave replaced the bright, sparkly smiley face and the masked face that were then installed at the Facility during the pandemic with frowning faces, and the AMENDS project was born. Now, all three faces are displayed at MMoCA to represent the cycle of violence and racism that continues. We had a long conversation about the smiley faces; we were like, Well, they don't even belong in AMENDS, but then, as you think about it, of course they do. In the same way that I belong in AMENDS and you belong in AMENDS and everyone does. It all does, Faust said. In Phase II of AMENDS, the focus shifts from leaders to community members as the artists ask that the public identify pieces of [themselves] that have contributed to holding our society back from genuine equality and equity. Members of the public will be able to write their responses on a yellow ribbon and tie it to the AMENDS clotheslines displayed at MMoCA and at designated sites around Madison. The Department of Administration is announcing this policy today in order to allow employees who have yet to receive the vaccine additional time to receive an immunization, Brockmeyer said. After July 6, county employees who are not vaccinated will be required to wear a mask or face covering. Employees are required to tell their manager or supervisor that they are fully vaccinated and include the date of the second dose, or only dose if its the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, but will not need to provide additional documentation. If someone isnt wearing a mask, we should assume that they are fully vaccinated, Brockmeyer said. Our relationships as coworkers are based on mutual trust and respect. Brockmeyer said a manager or supervisor must ask for documentation that the employee has been vaccinated if there is credible evidence that an employee is misrepresenting their vaccination status. Employees who misrepresent their vaccination status to avoid wearing a face covering will be referred to a pre-disciplinary hearing, according to the countys employee handbook. "During this transition we need to show patience, kindness, and respect for each other," Brockmeyer said. "By being flexible and empathetic, we can overcome the challenges of this transition together." Share your opinion on this topic by sending a letter to the editor to tctvoice@madison.com. Include your full name, hometown and phone number. Your name and town will be published. The phone number is for verification purposes only. Please keep your letter to 250 words or less. The letter was circulated by a group of Palestinian American, Israeli American, Muslim, Jewish, Christian and allied former staffers. It attracted signatures from 10 members of the Biden campaigns national headquarters staff and eight members of the Democratic National Committee staff during the race. But most of the signers worked in states where Biden won the presidency including the five battleground states of Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan and Arizona, which flipped from the Republican column in 2016 to the Democratic side in 2020. Matan Arad-Neeman, an Israeli American who served as a campaign organizer in Arizona, co-authored the letter with Mohammad and says, I am horrified by the daily nightmare of occupation and apartheid. American inaction on human rights violations by the Israeli government, all while the administration continues to sell weapons to Israel, does not help my family in Israel or keep them safe. The letter arrives at a point when Biden has faced criticism from Democratic members of Congress, such as Michigans Rashida Tlaib, Minnesotas Ilhan Omar and Wisconsins Mark Pocan, for failing to focus sufficiently on the dislocation of Palestinians in Jerusalem and the West Bank, as well as Israeli air strikes that have left hundreds dead in Gaza. As in the 1960s, when many of the Democratic Partys savviest officials and ablest activists broke with President Lyndon Johnson over the war in Vietnam, this is shaping up as a moment when dynamic young activists and more than a few of their elders are warning that the president and party leaders must wake up to that fact that, as Mohammad says, from here on out, we will not allow our Democratic officials and candidates to be silent on Palestine. Dear Editor: Please consider attending the June 10 virtual public hearing for the Roth Feeder Pig II factory farm expansion, and sharing why you think the DNR needs to re-evaluate rubber stamping the states largest hog CAFO (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation) in Crawford County, one of the most beautiful, biodiverse, and sensitive areas of Wisconsin. The Wisconsin DNR has never denied a single permit for a factory farm CAFO. They also almost never conduct environmental impact statements. Why should Roth Feeder Pigs proposed expansion be different? First, if Roth Feeder Pig is granted, this expanded facility south of Steuben would become the largest hog CAFO in the state, creating over 12 million gallons of liquid manure every year. Second, the proposed location is a narrow karstic ridge (filled with caves, sinkholes, springs and other direct conduits to groundwater), overlooking a neighborhood along the Kickapoo River and wetlands of continental importance. Finally, over 200 Crawford county residents and landowners requested that the DNR conduct a serious review of the potential impacts of this operation, a request supported by 48 organizations, including all local Farmers Union chapters. BURLINGTON Racine County Sheriff's deputies were dispatched to a report of a pedestrian that was struck by a Canadian National freight train at about 7:55 p.m. on Memorial Day in the 3000 block of South Honey Lake Road. According to a press release from the sheriff's office, upon arrival, deputies discovered an adult male who was dead near the train tracks. Investigation into the incident shows no foul play is suspected and the male "intentionally positioned himself" on the railway, the release said. The sheriff's office is actively working with the Canadian National Police the private railroad police force that serves the rail infrastructure of the Canadian National Railway in Canada and the U.S. regarding the incident. It remains under investigation and the name of the deceased individual is being withheld, pending notification to his immediate family. Also responding were the police and fire departments of the City of Burlington, the Town of Burlington Fire Department and the Wisconsin State Patrol Technical Reconstruction Unit. CHICAGO (AP) Chicago saw a drop in the number of homicides in May compared with the same month last year and it ended with fewer killings than any Memorial Day weekend in a decade, the police superintendent said Tuesday. And while there have been more homicides so far this year 252 compared with 240 for the same five-month period last year May ended with 65 homicides compared with 84 during the same month in 2020. Police dispatched more officers to the street for the holiday weekend, when gun crime typically spikes, and the department reported 32 people were shot, including four fatally. Last year, 49 people were shot, 10 of whom died. Superintendent David Brown said the holiday weekend's drop in homicides came after Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced a new strategy in which police, educators, library workers and others would be dispatched to 15 police beats on the West and South sides, where much of the city's violent crime occurs. It also alleges WORT was responsible for providing invitees, including plaintiff Eugene CrislerEL, with reasonable security while on said property, but negligently failed to provide reasonable security, leading to the shooting. The lawsuit does not detail what Crisler believes was lacking in WORTs security measures at the time. An attorney for Crisler did not respond to a message left Tuesday. Crislers address is listed in the lawsuit as Marshall, but he was charged earlier this month with failing to report he was actually living at an address in Madison, as required because Crisler is a sex offender due to a 2009 sexual assault conviction. He is currently in the Dane County Jail on a state Department of Corrections sanction. David Devereaux-Weber, president of WORTs board of directors, said he cant address the allegations made in the lawsuit, including security procedures. But he said that around that time, a poll during a panel discussion on radio station security found that nearly half of stations that responded had no security restrictions in place at all, while some, including Wisconsin Public Radio, took the WORT incident as an impetus to beef up security. The MPO is working on a follow-up survey this summer to see if attitudes have changed. I dont think many people want to work full time at home, but I think people will like the flexibility, said planning manager Bill Schaefer. In a March survey by the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce, 57% of businesses said they expected all employees to return to the workplace after the pandemic is contained. Chamber President Zach Brandon said there is no one-size-fits-all solution for employers. Decreasing our emissions is a worthy, shared goal, as is helping our businesses and economy recover from an unprecedented year of challenges, he said. We must also be mindful that many commuters use transit and that there are other impacts of a remote workforce, including the effect on our tax base and some of the businesses most impacted by the pandemic that rely on the proximity of foot traffic to survive. UW Health, the countys largest private employer, says it has encouraged those who can to work remotely throughout the pandemic and will continue to support telecommuting into the future. Some of the defendants facing charges in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol deserve points for creativity. Among the defense arguments emerging in court documents: I got caught up in the mob and Trump told me to do it. But the mob and the individuals charged in the insurrection are one and the same, and breaking the law just because you think a higher authority with a well-known penchant for dangerous rhetoric said you could doesnt make it right. The attempt to brush aside criminal behavior with such lame excuses turns the concept of personal responsibility on its head. The images from that day are already infamous: crowds tearing down police barriers outside the Capitol complex and sparring with outnumbered officers; jubilant rioters live-streaming and taking selfies inside the building; a man with his feet propped up on the desk in House Speaker Nancy Pelosis office. Many Americans watched the mob on television, stunned at the sight of a hallowed institution of our democracy being overrun by thugs. Now they want us to believe they just got swept up in the moment. A Texas man accused of helping break a glass door in the House chamber now says he never planned to storm the building. Yet authorities say he did and ended up inside with a yellow flag around his neck that said Dont Tread on Me. Liquid assets held by UAE-based banks increased 2.6 percent to AED486.58 billion ($132.44 billion) in the first quarter (Q1) of the year from AED474.136 billion in the last quarter of last year, according to the UAE Central Bank (CBUAE). Liquid assets accounted for 15.9 percent of the total assets by the end of the reference quarter, reported state news agency Wam, citing the Central Banks Core Financial Soundness Indicators report. The steady growth in liquidity is yet a new sign of the gradual economic recovery underway across all sectors, primarily the retail and commercial platforms, despite the economic fallout from the pandemic. Liquid assets consist of eligible liquid assets (cash in hand, banks' liquid assets at the Central Bank and eligible bonds/ sukuks as prescribed by CBUAE regulation) interbank placements; and interbank lending covered by repurchase agreements per the FSI Compilation Guide issued by IMF. Total assets are net off specific provision. A building heat wave will bring the hottest weather of 2021 to southern Wisconsin by late this week, with heat indices of 90 to 95 over the weekend into next week, according to forecasters. An isolated thunderstorm or two will be possible across central Wisconsin on Tuesday afternoon, while isolated storms will be possible Wednesday and Thursday, mainly in the afternoon, the National Weather Service said. In Madison on Tuesday, look for mostly sunny skies, with a high near 76 and south winds around 5 mph. After an overnight low around 55, Wednesdays forecast features a 20% chance for showers and storms after 2 p.m., mostly sunny skies, a high near 78 and south winds around 5 mph. Overnight Wednesday into Thursday, theres a 20% chance for showers and storms before 8 p.m., as the low falls to around 55. The chances for showers and storms continues at 20% Thursday and Thursday night between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., with sunny skies, a high near 82 and west winds around 5 mph, then a low around 61. The Weather Service said the heat picks up Friday, and chances for showers and/or storms return at 20% Sunday and Sunday night, and 30% Monday. Q: Several years ago, Steve Crump wrote an article about Ty Cobb coming to Twin Falls and building a Coke plant. It was an article about Ty Cobb and his investment in Twin Falls. I know that the Coke plant was not built by Ty because my grandfather (Carl N. Anderson) owned it and sold it to Ty. Therefore, Ty did not build the plant, he bought the plant. Do you know or can you find out who actually built the Twin Falls Coke plant? What is the history of the Coke plant? A: In 2011, the late Steve Crump, a former Times-News journalist, wrote about Ty Cobbs Twin Falls ties. After Cobb retired in 1928, he made a salmon-fishing trip to Idaho and discovered Twin Falls. In the years that followed, he returned several times and eventually built the citys first soft-drink bottling plant. However the Twin Falls County Clerk Recorders and Assessors Office reported in 1928, Carl N. Anderson sold to Western Bottling Company located at 249 4th Ave. S., Twin Falls. Now it is a parking lot. Perhaps when Ty Cobb relocated the plant to 163 3rd Ave. S., Crump assumed Cobb built the Coke plant, which was constructed in 1931. The National Register of Historic Places Registration Form indicates Coca-Cola was first located in an existing building at 163 3rd Ave. S. All proceeds from the rentals will go to a variety of charitable organizations of Apodacas choice that benefit Idahos homeless. The first organization he chose is City of Refuge, a homeless shelter in Idaho Falls. Olivia Stauffer, community relations director of City of Refuge, said the states recent population growth has resulted in an increase in homelessness. She said it is important for Idahoans to be aware of the problem and ensure shelters have the resources needed. I reached out (to Apodaca) because he has a pretty big following, Stauffer said. People watch what he does. They admire him. ... So if we can get enough awareness and support right now, we can continue addressing this in the capacity needed. As this area grows, were going to need more resources. FROM HOMELESS TO FAMILY HERO Not only has Apodaca experienced homelessness, so have many of his loved ones. My parents been through it growing up. My familys been through it. Everybodys been through it that I know. Its a struggle, Apodaca said. (Renting the trailer) is just another way of me getting out there to pay it forward. A lot of good things have happened to me in my life lately. My mom has always taught me to not be selfish, to just be generous with whatever you got. Secretary of State Shirley Weber, who as a state assemblywoman authored the state legislation creating the task force, noted the solemnity of the occasion as well as the opportunity to right an historic wrong that continues today, in the form of large racial disparities in wealth, health and education. African Americans make up just 6% of Californias population yet were 30% of an estimated 250,000 people experiencing homelessness who sought help in 2020. Your task is to determine the depth of the harm, and the ways in which we are to repair that harm, said Weber, whose parents were sharecroppers forced to leave the South. Critics have said that California did not have slaves as in other states and should not have to study reparations or pay for it. But Weber said the state is an economic powerhouse that can point the way for a federal government that has been unable to address the issue. It would not replace any reparations agreed to by the federal government. Members of the task force pointed out that Black Americans have heard all their lives that they need to improve themselves, yet the truth is that theyve been held back by outright racism and discriminatory laws that prevented them from getting conventional bank loans and purchasing homes. Their neighborhoods in San Francisco and Los Angeles were razed in the name of development. Wang has been in custody since his arrest. Durbajlo, a former cybersecurity expert for government agencies including the Internal Security Agency, was released on bail after six months in custody. According to the Gazeta Wyborcza daily, the indictment is partly classified, but its public section alleges that Wang is a Chinese intelligence agent and from 2011-2019 sought high-ranking contracts for Huawei that would give the Chinese company insight into, and influence over, state and local government data systems in Poland. Both men face criminal charges of taking part in a foreign intelligence operation and threatening Poland's interests. If convicted, they face a minimum of three years in prison. Wang studied in Poland and later served at the Chinese Consulate in Gdansk before moving over to a senior position at Huawei. He is also known by a Polish first name, Stanislaw. The Pole is suspected of helping him establish contacts and providing him with documents. Some observers say the documents were public and not classified. The trial is expected to take months and there is no date yet for the final verdict. The building, located at 204 Broad Street, was built in 1948, and the equipment inside was sold to BH Media Group Holdings Inc. in 2015 for $804,200. The assessed value in 2018 was $471,400, but the most recent assessment in 2020 shows the property valued at $549,600, according to the Martinsville-Henry County geographic information system. That building is in a good location, Martinsville City Manager Leon Towarnicki said. There is a four-lane road in front of it, loading dock space, it could be adapted for a variety of uses, from light industrial to light commercial. Among the possibilities he mentioned is a microbrewery. Interestingly, weve seen an uptick in inquiries about buildings in the last six months, and craft breweries have been mentioned, Towarnicki said. There is plenty of parking space in the back ... there is definitely potential for reuse that would add employment to the community. BH Media and Lee have sold or are in the process of selling several of newspaper buildings that are much larger than necessary, including those in Roanoke, Greensboro, N.C., and now Rocky Mount. Thats part of a national trend as newspapers of all sizes have consolidated outsized facilities and implemented decentralized processes because of the COVID-19 pandemic. None of that appears to forebear the sometimes dire predictions for the district by analysts at the University of Virginia, who use data to forecast trends rather than track history. Theyve suggested another surge is coming. And the decline in vaccination rates are raw numbers that may portend future increases, along with the positive tests in the district, which increased about 5% earlier in the month to more than 8% once again. When you look at vaccinations, you see that 52,833 residents have gotten at least one shot of Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, which is about 38.5% of all residents well below the nearly 55% statewide. Then you notice that there have been 43,884 that are now fully vaccinated getting the second shot of Pfizer or Moderna or the single shot of Johnson & Johnson which is about 32% of the population, less than the 44% statewide. But heres a key reason about those lagging rates: In March the district was distributing more than 1,000 doses a day (1,046 between March 2 and March 31). In May the average was 450 a day, a decline of about 60% and falling well behind the figures required to get the district herd immunity against the novel coronavirus. BOONE In honor of National Daniel Boone Day on June 7, the Southern Appalachian Historical Association is hosting a special event at its Hickory Ridge History Museum on Saturday, June 5. Daniel Boone, the Town of Boones legendary namesake, was a folk hero in his own lifetime (1734-1820). He was also one of Americas first naturalists, cherishing the country he found as he blazed trails from North Carolina into the wilderness of Virginia and Kentucky. He founded one of the first settlements west of the Appalachians, served as a militia officer in the Revolutionary War, was kidnapped, then adopted, by a Native American tribe, served in the Virginia legislature, supported his family by hunting and surveying, ran a tavern, and fathered 10 children with his wife Rebecca. While journeying through the region of present-day Boone, Daniel stayed in a cabin at the foot of Rich Mountain, and members of his extended family eventually settled here. Baker declined to specifically say if he'd testify before lawmakers about the deaths at the home, but said he was eager to work with them. The good news, to the extent there is some on this issue, is the legislative report, and the Pearlstein Report, and our legislation that we filed earlier in the year, are all basically chasing the same reforms, he said during an unrelated Friday press conference. "Theyre critical reforms, theyre important reforms, and Im anxious to work with the Legislature to get them done." Sarah Finlaw, a spokesperson for Baker said Monday that multiple independent investigations, including one by the Legislature and another by the Attorney General reached many of the same sad conclusions, specifically that Bennett Walsh and senior medical staff at the Home erred in their judgement resulting in the tragedy. Among the recommendations in a report by a special Legislative committee is making the veterans secretary post a Cabinet position that reports directly to the governor. The report also called for any new superintendent to be a licensed nursing home administrator. Walsh did not have those credentials. NEW YORK (AP) Though Brian Walter knows he tried to protect his parents from the coronavirus, doubts torment him. Did he grab a wrong bottle of orange juice, one covered with infectious droplets? Did he get too close to his dad? What if he had worked a different shift would things have been different? Did he bring about his fathers death? The New York City Transit employee was deemed an essential worker needed to keep the city running last year when it became the epicenter of the pandemic. He shared a meal for St. Patricks Day with his parents, then decided that he should stay away for their safety. They kept a sanitizing station outside their shared home where he would leave groceries that his mom would disinfect. Still, they got sick. And he cant escape the gnawing feeling that he exposed his father to the virus. I constantly feel guilty that I was the one going out every day, he said. I mean, Im the only person leaving the house all the time. So you know, it almost seems logical that I was the one that brought it in. Index, the long awaited international interior design trade show, opened its doors today (May 31) to thousands of visitors in Dubai, thus marking the first day for the industrys professionals to reconnect in-person since 2019. Free seminars, product showcases, networking opportunities, and exceptional engaging experiences all took place on the show floor, with visible excitement to reunite, said the event organisers. Opened by Sheikh Ahmad bin Saeed Al Maktoum at the World Trade Center, the event runs untill June 2. The guests were welcomed to explore over a global variety of exhibits and experiences through a dramatic archway installation designed by Kristina Zanic Design Consultants and built by Bond Interiors, titled The Bottleneck. Inspired by the Covid case curve, the installation provides visitors a glimpse of life before and after the pandemic. Kristina Zanic said: "We are taking the attendees and public through a short journey of life before and after Covid-19, from normal to the new normal. We have seen that disruption as an opportunity, and we want to deliver that experience with our design." "A second entrance is another thought-provoking and visually impactful installation designed by Brand Creative, and built in collaboration with Design Infinity. Titled Off The Grid, the concept reflects the inner workings of human thought over three periods: pre-pandemic period, our current covid-19 world and a positive outlook on the future," he added. The shows conferences kicked off with The Work Design Summit, with discussions on Experience Driven Workplaces opened by Pallavi Dean and Kathryn Athreya from Roar, followed by the much-anticipated Index Design Talks with a creative review and a reflection on how social/economic crisis and recovery can provoke bursts of innovation and productivity. Zanic hosted the event along with other major industry leaders including Paul Bishop and George Arvanitis. Another insightful talk took place featuring Kate Instone, Founder & Creative director of Blush International, on "The Current State of Play in Residential Design informing listeners on the current design trends in home designs." The organisers said on the second day, attendees can expect more Index Design Talks on Design Business Management by Kathryn Athreya, Managing Director at Roar, and The current state of Play in F&B Design featuring Sneha Divias, Architect & Founder of Sneha Divias Atelier. The key highlights of the three-day event include: The Index Design Talks - A must-attend feature of the regional design calendar in recent years, it brings the most talented, creative and successful design leaders together to share candid insights into key issues being faced by the industry in this challenging time. Chaired by Esra Lemmens, design strategist and a global design consultant, the talks, which run untill June 2, will feature 15 distinct sessions and discussions between 50 expert speakers. Top names in the speakers list include Kevin Mclachlan, Andy Shaw, Joakim de Rham and Justin Wells in addition to Bishop and Dean. Designer Installations at Index - This years edition will see the regions leading design firms collaborating with Index to envelop, inspire and impress the visiting audience more than ever before. Tasked to inspire and amaze visitors as they enter the event, the design teams of Kristina Zanic Design Consultants and the Brand Creative have developed dramatic installations staged at the entrance of the show. The creative concepts will make visitors think and reset, as they physically walk-through towering design archway installations to enter the show. Rethink A Materials Experience Colab, the first purpose-built material library in the UAE based in Dubai Design District, will exhibit an experiential space called 'Rethink' featuring 150 unique, quirky and creative materials in the format of a materials library pop-up at Index. With an aim to educate and inspire the design and build community to expand their material palette, Rethink highlights ways to work with new and existing materials with a focus on responsible material usage, consumption and waste. Architects and interior designers will be invited to explore a range of both commercially available and innovative materials, while being able to connect with a global selection of suppliers. Zero Waste Masterpieces - This zero waste exhibit by The University of Sharjah for Fine Art and Design Arts invites guests to explore furniture pieces created out of recycled materials collected by students, in collaboration with Bee'ah Waste Management. The art pieces are inspired by the local sand dunes of the Emirates and showcase how waste can be repurposed as furniture that can be used in the daily life, aiming at encouraging and inspiring a whole generation to go green and become more sustainable. The College of Fine Arts and Design (CFAD) at UOS is committed to promote sustainable practices, leading initiatives to challenge the interiors community to creatively adopt the three Rs: to reduce consumption, reuse what still can be used, and recycle waste into a resource for further use". Work Design Summit - The first edition of this summit, which will take centre stage within Workspace at Index, will feature three days of real-world case-studies and research-based insights and discussions. As most companies return to their office environments throughout 2021, the summit will shed light on the dramatic need to reconceive and redesign all aspects related to how modern workspaces look, feel and operate in order to enhance productivity and wellness.-TradeArabia News Service Biden appears to be catching up to the reality of Chinas third-rate biolabs now, but hes always known better. It was the Obama administration that in 2015 helped China get the international OK it needed to raise the Wuhan labs rating from level 3 to 4. By getting a higher accreditation, the biolab was allowed to handle the deadliest, riskiest viruses from anywhere in the world. It also gave it the ability to do the testing and manipulation of coronaviruses that gave it the potential to become a biological weapons facility. But dont blame Obama, Biden or Dr. Anthony Fauci for endorsing the Wuhan biolabs upgrade. The whole world signed off on it. Maybe thats why no other governments are coming down hard on China. Maybe they dont want to jeopardize their zillion-dollar financial arrangements with China or risk their domestic companies access to Chinas 1.4 billion potential customers. Its not just the NBA, Apple or Hollywood that have sold their souls to Chinas Communist government for profit. Thats actually the big story, I think. Money. If you follow the money, you usually get to the bottom of things. Credit: CC0 Public Domain Drinking straws are single use plastic products which will be subjected to a Europe-wide sales ban from 2021 onwards. This is stated in EU Directive 2019/904 from 5 June 2019. Consequently, alternative materials have to be established for the production of drinking straws as well as other frequently used products which predominantly were made of plastic so far. As set out in the EU Framework Regulation for food contact material (Regulation (EC) No. 1935/2004), objects that come into direct contact with food must be safe. The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) has appraised straw, silicone, metal, paper and paper-board, durum wheat, and glass for their suitability to replace plastic in the production of drinking straws. If frequently used, drinking straws made of silicone, stainless steel or glass are, in the opinion of the BfR, an appropriate alternative to plastic straws. Silicone is suitable as a food contact material (FCM) provided that its manufacture is compliant with the specifications of BfR recommendation No. XV. Metals and alloys (e.g. stainless steel) are also appropriate as FCMs, provided that the specifications of the Council of Europe Resolution regarding metals and alloys are met. Glass is also suitable for food contact. However, there is the risk of breaking. As a result, fragments of glass can get into the food or drink and in case of swallowing dangerous injuries can occur. Meanwhile, there are drinking straws made from particularly durable glass. In case of single use, durum wheat (e.g. raw macaroni noodles) is an appropriate material for drinking straws from a health perspective. However, the noodles may decompose, particularly in warm and hot drinks, or over a longer time period, and become useless as a result. Furthermore, they may modify the consistency and taste of the drink. Straws made of paper and paperboard are only useful if substances are added which prevent the paper from softening. These compounds are also known as wet-strength aids. Certain residues of these products, especially chloropropanols, can migrate into food. If the specifications of BfR recommendation no. XXXVI are met, no health risks are currently noted with the use of drinking straws made of paper and paperboard. There are no risk assessments at the moment regarding the use of drinking straws made out of straw. The BfR recommends that straw is not used for this purpose with regard to potential health risks resulting from bacteria, mycotoxins, or other unwanted substances. Regardless of the material, drinking straws used more than once should be cleaned thoroughly every time before using. If thorough cleaning of the drinking straws cannot be guaranteed, the BfR recommends that such multiple-use drinking straws are not used for reasons of hygiene. Furthermore, they should not have any sharp edges and should also be replaced if there are any signs of material damage (signs of wear and tear). Explore further Home of Islanders, Nets abandoning plastic drinking straws Provided by BfR Federal Institute for Risk Assessment The health of your lungs may have a lot to do with the size of your bank account, a new, large study indicates. The finding follows a six-decade look at lung disease risk among more than 215,000 American children and adults. In general, poorer Americans continue to have worse lung health than their wealthier peers. In some cases, the gap between rich and poor is widening. "We examined long-term trends in socioeconomic inequalities in Americans' lung health," explained study lead author Dr. Adam Gaffney. "Specifically, we looked at the prevalence of lung symptoms like shortness of breath, lung disease diagnoses like asthma or COPD [chronic obstructive pulmonary disease] and lung volumes." (The latter refers to the amount of air retained in the lungs during different phases of breathing.) The bottom line: "Differences in lung health between rich and poor Americans have persisted over the last six decades, and in some instances, actually gotten bigger," said Gaffney, an assistant professor in medicine at Harvard Medical School and a pulmonary and critical care specialist at the Cambridge Health Alliance in Boston. The study appears in the May 28 issue of JAMA Internal Medicine. Investigators pored over survey data amassed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control between 1959 and 2018. Participants ranged in age from 6 to 74. The surveys asked about smoking habits and lung health. Lung function testing was also carried out. After matching responses to income and educational background, the study team concluded that while wide disparities in lung health existed in the 1960s, by certain measures gaps in risk have expanded. One stark example: Smoking. Gaffney and his colleagues note that smoking behavior actually bore little connection to income level prior to the 1980s. But the team found a markedly changed landscape over time, with the richest Americans the main beneficiaries: Their smoking rate plummeted from about 63% in 1971-1975 to just 34% by 2018. By contrast, during the same time frame smoking rates basically held steady at 56% to 58% among the bottom fifth by income. Following a similar trend, wheezing risk fell among those with bigger pocketbooks and greater educational achievement starting in the late 1980s, while poor Americans saw little change. By other yardsticks, in the early 1970s about 45% of the poorest Americans reported shortness of breath when exerting themselves. Today that figure hits about 48%. But only 26% of the wealthiest Americans said the same back then, and today that figure holds at just 28%. And while asthma risk among children has risen regardless of income, it has gone up more dramatically among the poor. Today just 7% of the nation's wealthiest kids struggle with the breathing disorder, compared with nearly 15% of the country's poorest children. Among adults, a longstanding wealth gap in terms of COPD risk and lung volume health has also gotten worse, the team observed. "There is a growing class divide in tobacco use in the U.S. that explains some, but not all, of the differences we saw," said Gaffney. "Other factors, like unequal exposure to air pollution or unclean working conditions, or inequitable access to health care, may contribute as well." "Overall, our findings suggest that even though air pollution has improved in recent decades, and access to health care widened, the means of good lung health are not being equally enjoyed by all Americans," Gaffney added. Although the study was conducted before COVID-19 emerged, Gaffney said the pandemic has highlighted the health divide for millions of disadvantaged Americans. Long-standing inequalities in lung health left many people vulnerable to COVID pneumonia, he noted. Dr. Sarath Raju, co-author of an accompanying editorial, wasn't surprised by the findings. However, "it is still profound to see the breadth of such disparities and how they have only continued to grow over the years," he said. "These disparities in lung health are likely to have a profound impact for people of all ages across the United States if steps are not taken to address them," noted Raju, an assistant professor of medicine in pulmonary and critical care medicine at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. Raju said making tobacco cessation and prevention resources more affordable would be one helpful move. But he cautioned that much more research will be needed to better understand the racial, environmental and institutional forces at play. Explore further Another deadly disease for smokers: Pulmonary fibrosis 2021 HealthDay. All rights reserved. An implantable device that monitors for atrial fibrillation over 12 months is more than three times more effective at detecting the condition than standard care, and could help prevent disabling strokes in patients, according to an Alberta clinical trial. Credit: University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry A clinical trial examining the efficacy of two devices to monitor and detect atrial fibrillation (AF), or an irregular heartbeat, in ischemic stroke patientsone an implantable device that monitors over 12 months, the other an external device that monitors over a 30-day periodfound the implantable device is more than three times more effective in detecting AF, and both are a significant improvement over the current standard of care in Alberta, Canada. The Post-Embolic Rhythm Detection With Implantable Versus External Monitoring (PER DIEM) study, led jointly by University of Alberta and University of Calgary researchers, was published today in the journal JAMA. The findings are expected to significantly change practice in how clinicians look for AF in Albertan patients following ischemic stroke. "We know that (the current method of monitoring) isn't as effective as it could be in picking up atrial fibrillation from this study because regardless of which arm of the study patients went into, we were picking up anywhere from five to 15 percent extra atrial fibrillation," said Brian Buck, a stroke neurologist and associate professor of medicine at the U of A. "We found in the study there were a lot of patients with undetected atrial fibrillation, even after they received the standard cardiac monitoring." Atrial fibrillation causes about one in four strokes in Alberta. Detecting it early is key to preventing further disabling strokes in patients who have already experienced ischemic stroke, a type of stroke caused by a blockage in an artery that supplies blood to the brain. If atrial fibrillation is detected, clinicians have treatmentsmainly blood thinnersthat can reduce the risk of stroke by almost 70 percent. The standard test in Alberta for AF is a 24-hour electrocardiogram monitor. In the PER DIEM trial, 300 Albertan patients who had suffered a stroke were randomized to one of two new devices that can monitor for AF for longer durations. The study showed that the implantable device picked up three times more new AF than the 30-day monitor (15 percent versus five percent). All of the patients in the clinical trial with new AF were started on blood thinners. "We didn't expect that we would get such a dramatic increase with the longer recording, even though it intuitively makes sense," said study co-author Michael Hill, professor of neurology at the University of Calgary and senior medical director for stroke with Alberta Health Services' Cardiovascular and Stroke Strategic Clinical Network. "Most people suspected that detection rates apply to only certain subtypes of ischemic stroke. This study showed that theory is not correct." "We believe that those patients that were identified with atrial fibrillation are now, for the rest of their lives, going to have a much lower risk of having a stroke in the future," added Buck, who is also a member of the U of A's Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute. One of the patients who took part in the trial was Norman Mayer, the sitting mayor of the central Alberta community of Camrose for the past 32 years. Mayer recalls being admitted to the emergency department about five years ago after not feeling well and experiencing sudden pain. After examination, the clinicians on duty informed him that he had likely experienced a minor stroke. After being stabilized, Mayer was informed of the clinical trial and given the option of participating. After giving his consent, he was randomly assigned to the group of patients who were given the implantable monitoring device. "It was the luck of the draw, and the advantage of it was that it's inconspicuous and wearing (an external device) would not have been very appealing to me," said Mayer. "So I had (the implantable device) tucked into my chest. It's there and nobody knows about it except for me and my doctor. "It gives you a bit of a comfort level, I guess. It's not bothering you. It's just there and a part of life," he added. "It gives you the feeling that if something was to go wrong, somebody's going to be in touch to let you know (what steps need to be taken)." With better monitoring, clinicians may be able to diagnose much more AF after stroke and dramatically reduce the risk of future disabling stroke. According to the Canadian Coordinating Office for Health Technology Assessment (CADTH), the external device costs about $1,000 per patient to administer, while the implantable device typically costs over $5,000 per patient. The implantable device had the added advantage of remote monitoring, reducing the need for trips to the hospitalan important consideration for rural Albertans. The team says an in-depth cost-benefit analysis is needed to determine the best approach to providing superior care while also providing savings for the health-care system. "The biggest problem with stroke is that it dramatically impacts people's lives. So you take a healthy, independent person with a big disabling stroke, and they often end up being dependent on others for help with care. So that's terrible for patients and it's very expensive for the system. If you can prevent even a few of those big disabling strokes per year, it helps the person and reduces the burden on the health system," said Buck. "This new evidence will help guide selection of what strategy is best going forward," added Hill. "We need to go beyond (24-hour monitoring) for Albertan patients. But if the system is going to pay for this technology, we need to know more definitively that patients are going to end up with lower stroke rates in the future." The researchers say studies to this point have shown a trend in that direction, but more work is needed to prove it definitively. They hope to address those questions in future research. Explore further Another study finds COVID patients face higher risk for stroke More information: Buck BH et al. Effect of Implantable vs Prolonged External Electrocardiographic Monitoring on Atrial Fibrillation Detection in Patients With Ischemic Stroke: The PER DIEM Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA(2021);325(21):21602168. Journal information: Journal of the American Medical Association Buck BH et al. Effect of Implantable vs Prolonged External Electrocardiographic Monitoring on Atrial Fibrillation Detection in Patients With Ischemic Stroke: The PER DIEM Randomized Clinical Trial.(2021);325(21):21602168. DOI: 10.1001/jama.2021.6128 Association between the level of glycosylated hemoglobin and the extent of subclinical atherosclerosis. Credit: JACC/ CNIC The routine use of the glycosylated hemoglobin test to track blood sugar levels in the general population can identify individuals with more advanced atherosclerotic disease. Currently used in the diagnosis and management of diabetes, glycosylated hemoglobin can provide a useful estimate of atherosclerotic disease, and therefore of cardiovascular risk, in individuals without diabetes with or without possible prediabetes. This is the main finding of a study carried out by scientists at the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC). The advance heralded by the CNIC study is the use of this blood-sugar measure in apparently healthy middle-aged individuals who do not have diabetes mellitus but with or without possible prediabetes. When used in combination with traditional risk factors (hypertension, dyslipidemia, and smoking), the glycosylated hemoglobin test more accurately distinguishes between people at high and low risk of atherosclerotic disease. The study, published today in The Journal of American College of Cardiology (JACC), proposes that, because glycosylated hemoglobin levels can easily be reduced through lifestyle changes, the test should be at the front line of risk reduction strategies. The glycosylated hemoglobin diagnostic test is cheap, accessible, and widely used in daily clinical practice, explained Dr. Xavier Rossello, CNIC scientist and cardiologist at Hospital Universitario Son Espases in Palma de Mallorca. The test can therefore be put to immediate use to calculate the degree of subclinical atherosclerosis in the general population. According to CNIC General Director Dr. Valentin Fuster, this new information "will help to provide a more personalized assessment of cardiovascular risk at almost no additional cost, paving the way to personalized treatment plans principally focused on lifestyle changes, followed when necessary by treatment with antidiabetic drugs." The study forms part of the collaborative PESA-CNIC-SANTANDER project, which is led by Dr. Fuster. Begun in 2010 and recently extended until 2030, the PESA-CNIC-SANTANDER study is one of the most important cardiovascular prevention studies in the world. Atherosclerosis is usually only detected at advanced stages, after it has already triggered a cardiovascular event such as a myocardial infarction or stroke. Events of this type severely worsen patient prognosis, and the early detection of atherosclerosisthe underlying causeis therefore vital for extending lifespan and quality of life. The new CNIC finding provides a simple way to increase the accuracy of cardiovascular risk ranking in individuals without diabetes with or without prediabetes. According to Dr. Rossello, "the glycosylated hemoglobin test was especially useful in identifying subclinical disease in participants classified at low risk according to traditional scores; it made less of a contribution to risk calculation for individuals who already had a moderate level risk according to other risk factors." The authors conclude that "this study establishes glycosylated hemoglobin as a mass-use biomarker because its greatest benefit is in individuals at low cardiovascular risk, who form the immense majority of the general population and account for most cardiovascular deaths in absolute terms." The study was conducted by a multidisciplinary team that included physicians, biologists, statisticians, bioinformaticians, nurses, and many other professionals who, with together with the Banco Santander employees who make up the study population, make the PESA study possible. Explore further Scientists design an algorithm for personalized cardiovascular risk estimation in healthy people More information: Xavier Rossello et al, Glycated Hemoglobin and Subclinical Atherosclerosis in People Without Diabetes, Journal of the American College of Cardiology (2021). Journal information: Journal of the American College of Cardiology Xavier Rossello et al, Glycated Hemoglobin and Subclinical Atherosclerosis in People Without Diabetes,(2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.jacc.2021.03.335 Provided by Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III (F.S.P.) (HealthDay)During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a decrease in cardiac-related calls to emergency medical services (EMS) and a corresponding increase in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, according to a report published online May 26 in Health Affairs. Christopher Sun, Ph.D., from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, and colleagues used EMS call data to describe the correlation between patients' reluctance to call EMS for cardiac-related care and excess out-of-hospital cardiac arrest incidence and related outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Changes were examined during the initial COVID-19 wave (March 15 to June 8, 2020) and two months after the initial wave ended (June 9 to Aug. 31, 2020). The researchers found that compared with historical baselines, there was a decrease in cardiac-related EMS calls during the initial COVID-19 wave (27.2 percent), while increases were seen in calls with hospital transportation refusal and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest incidence (+32.5 and +35.5 percent, respectively). After the initial wave, despite fewer COVID-19 infections and relaxed public health advisories, cardiac-related calls remained lower (17.2 percent) and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest incidence remained elevated (+24.8 percent). Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest incidence was significantly associated with a reduction in cardiac-related calls, but not with infection rates of COVID-19 throughout Boston's 14 neighborhoods. "The sustained changes in patients' care-seeking behaviors and excess out-of-hospital cardiac arrest deaths after the initial COVID-19 wave may foreshadow the harmful long-term indirect effects of COVID-19 on health care systems," the authors write. Explore further Cardiac arrest is common in critically ill patients with COVID-19 Copyright 2021 HealthDay. All rights reserved. Credit: CC0 Public Domain An odor-based test that sniffs out vapors emanating from blood samples was able to distinguish between benign and pancreatic and ovarian cancer cells with up to 95 percent accuracy, according to a new study from researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and Penn's Perelman School of Medicine. The findings suggest that the Penn-developed toolwhich uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to decipher the mixture of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitting off cells in blood plasma samplescould serve as a non-invasive approach to screen for harder-to-detect cancers, such as pancreatic and ovarian. The results will be presented at the annual American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting on June 4 by A. T. Charlie Johnson, Ph.D., the Rebecca W. Bushnell Professor of Physics and Astronomy in Penn's School of Arts & Sciences (Abstract # 5544). "It's an early study but the results are very promising," Johnson said. "The data shows we can identify these tumors at both advanced and the earliest stages, which is exciting. If developed appropriately for the clinical setting, this could potentially be a test that's done on a standard blood draw that may be part of your annual physical." Co-authors include Erica L. Carpenter, Ph.D., director of the Circulating Tumor Material Laboratory and research assistant professor in the Perelman School of Medicine, Janos Tanyi, MD, Ph.D., an assistant professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Cynthia Otto, DVM, Ph.D., director of the Working Dog Center and professor at Penn's School of Veterinary Medicine (Penn Vet). The late George Preti, Ph.D., of the Monell Chemical Senses Center, is also co-author. The Penn research team is currently working with VOC Health to commercialize the device, along with others, for research and clinical applications. The electronic olfaction'e-nose'system is equipped with nanosensors calibrated to detect the composition of VOCs, which all cells emanate. Previous studies from the researchers demonstrated that VOCs released from tissue and plasma from ovarian cancer patients are distinct from those released from samples of patients with benign tumors. Among 93 patients, including 20 patients with ovarian cancer, 20 with benign ovarian tumors and 20 age-matched controls with no cancer, as well as 13 patients with pancreatic cancer, 10 patients with benign pancreatic disease, and 10 controls, the vapor sensors discriminated the VOCs from ovarian cancer with 95 percent accuracy and pancreatic cancer with 90 percent accuracy. The tool also correctly identified all patients (a total of eight) with early-stage cancers. The technology's pattern recognition approach is similar to the way people's own sense of smell works, where a distinct mixture of compounds tells the brain what it's smelling. The tool was trained and tested to identify the VOC patterns more associated with cancer cells and those associated with cells from healthy blood samples in 20 minutes or less. The team's collaboration with Richard Postrel, CEO and chief innovation officer of VOC Health, has also led to an improvement in detection speed by 20 fold. "Collaborating with researchers from the department of Physics and Astronomy, the Perelman School of Medicine, and Penn Vet has allowed us to perfect and integrate our own innovationsexpediting the commercialization process," Postrel said. "Initial prototypes of commercial devices able to detect cancer from liquids and vapors will be ready soon and be provided to these Penn researchers to further their work." In a related effort with VOC Health, Johnson, along with his co-investigator Benjamin Abella, MD, MPhil, a professor of Emergency Medicine, were awarded a two-year, $2 million grant by the National Institutes of Health National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences for the development of a handheld device that can detect the signature "odor" of people with COVID-19, which is based off the cancer-detection technology applied in this study. Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain As the Act on Farmers' and Fishers' Occupational Injury and Disease Insurance and Prevention was finally passed in 2016 as the result of experts' persistent effort in South Korea, demands to develop intervention programs, guidelines and regulations to prevent farm-work related injury have increased. The aim of MPH Hyocher Kim's dissertation was to explore the scale of occupational injury and suggest a direction for developing occupational safety and health checklists and regulations in Korean agriculture. The main hypothesis of the dissertation was that occupational injury rate in agriculture was higher than most other industries. The second hypothesis was that it is possible to suggest directions for the regulation required for prevention of farmers' occupational injuries based on the analysis of each injury type with the safety system. The Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination data (n=11837) was analyzed for looking into differences in scale of injury by type of occupation. The injury rate in skilled agricultural, forestry, and fishery workers (7.7% annually) was second highest after craft, equipment, machine operating, and assembly workers. The second part of the Ph.D. study identified the magnitude of farm workrelated injuries among farmers, using Korea Farmers' Occupational Disease and Injury Survey data (n=16160). In 2012, 3.6% of farmers experienced farm-work related nonfatal injuries requiring outpatient or inpatient treatment. The third substudy examined the root causes in 68 injury cases and identified errors in systems of safety. Deriving root causes of occupational injury and classifying them as errors in safety systems revealed that farm-work related injury occurred as a result of a combination of errors in a variety of systems. The last substudy proposed directions for improving checkelists and regulations by reviewing the items from various checklists using systems of safety. According to the study, safety system errors confirmed in the field should be reviewed by injury type and items suggesting system improvement should be developed on the basis of the analysis. The most desirable type of checklist or regulation consists of a maximal number of items classifiable in terms of safety systems for each injury type. Complex and multiple solutions should be included for injury types to more efficiently prevent farm-work related injuries. The doctoral disseratation of Hyocher Kim, Master of Public Health, entitled Occupational injuries and safety systems for prevention in South Korean agriculture will be examined at the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Eastern Finland on the 10th June at 12 noon online. The opponent in the public examination will be Professor Peter Lundqvist of the Swedish University of Agricultural Science, and the custos will be Professor Emeritus Kimmo Rasanen, University of Eastern Finland. The public examination will be held in English. Explore further Amazon aims to cut its workplace injury rate by half More information: Occupational Injuries and Safety Systems for Prevention in South Korean Agriculture. Occupational Injuries and Safety Systems for Prevention in South Korean Agriculture. urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-61-3797-1 Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Half of all COVID-19 patients with obstructive sleep apnoea require hospitalization. Moderate to severe sleep apnoea predisposes to severe COVID-19. In contrast, indications are that sleep apnoea does not predispose to COVID-19 infection. These are the key findings of recent research using Finnish FinnGen data, a project supported by the Academy of Finland Center of Excellence in Complex Disease Genetics (CoECDG). The research was conducted by linking data from the National Infectious Disease Register in Finland on a COVID-19 diagnosis with other health data. On this basis the team identified 445 persons with COVID-19 infection, and 38 of them also had obstructive sleep apnoea. Patients with sleep apnoea had a three times higher risk for COVID-19 hospitalization than other persons infected with the coronavirus. Half of all infections are asymptomatic Many people who are infected with the coronavirus show no symptoms. This was established by the Academy-funded GeneRISK follow-up study, which involved more than 7,000 persons from Helsinki the capital of Finland and the Kotka region in South-Eastern Finland. By the end of April, 2,987 participants in the GeneRISK study had completed the COVID-19 symptom questionnaire at least once, and 2,021 persons aged 5070 had been tested for antibodies to the SARS-CoV2 virus. In the Helsinki metropolitan region, 2 percent of the samples showed antibodies and in the Kotka region one half a percent. Only every other person with antibodies reported having experienced COVID-19 symptoms. Data collection and antibody testing will continue through to the end of June. Professor Samuli Ripatti from the Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland FIMM at the University of Helsinki is in charge of the research. "The COVID-19 pandemic has made clear the importance of both the genome of the virus and the genome of the infected person to susceptibility to infection and to disease severity. Careful analysis of the properties of the virus and its carriers and how they interact will help us prepare for possible future pandemics," Ripatti says. He continues: "It was absolutely critical that the Academy and research foundations were able to react with such agility and provide targeted funding for researching the pandemic so that we can understand the reasons of the disease and how it affects people in Finland and Finnish society. The funding made available to the GeneRISK study allows us to use an existing rich set of health data for purposes of studying COVID-19 susceptibility and disease severity." Risk of infection addressed by wide international consortium Professor Ripatti is also involved in a wide international consortium led by the Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland FIMM. Scientists on the team have already identified a dozen or so areas in the human genome that are associated with higher susceptibility to infection with the virus or with severe COVID-19 illness. Among the genes associated with the risk of developing a severe form of the disease are those formerly linked with severe pulmonary diseases such as lung cancer and idiopathic lung fibrosis, and genes predisposing to autoimmune disease. To date, more than 200 research projects and one thousand scientists have committed to joining the COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative project, which is coordinated by FIMM Director Mark Daly and Group Leader Andrea Ganna. Finland is represented by two projects, FinnGen and GeneRISK. Explore further Sleep apnea may be risk factor for COVID-19 More information: Satu Strausz et al, Sleep apnoea is a risk factor for severe COVID-19, BMJ Open Respiratory Research (2021). Satu Strausz et al, Sleep apnoea is a risk factor for severe COVID-19,(2021). DOI: 10.1136/bmjresp-2020-000845 FinnGen Project: finngen.fi/en Covid-19 Host Genetics Initiative: www.covid19hg.org Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Over 50% of adults surveyed across six different countries report experiencing weight stigma, and those who engage in self-stigma and self-blame for their weight are more likely to avoid healthcare, obtain less frequent checkups, and perceive less respect from doctors, according to two new studies from the UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity. These studies, which compared experiences of adults in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the UK, and the US are the first multi-national studies to examine the link between weight stigma and negative healthcare encounters. Across each of the six countries investigated, participants who had experienced weight stigma reported more frequent judgment from doctors due to their weight and felt that their doctors less frequently listened carefully to them or respected what they had to say. The researchers also found that internalization of weight bias may be especially detrimental for healthcare behaviors like obtaining less frequent checkups and avoiding healthcare altogether. "Despite decades of studies on weight stigma, international comparative research is lacking," says Rebecca Puhl, lead author of the study and deputy director at the Rudd Center. "The time is overdue to recognize weight stigma as a legitimate social injustice and public health issue in many countries around the world, and multinational research can inform efforts to address this problem on a global scale." Building on a 2020 international consensus statement calling for the elimination of weight stigma, supported by more than 100 medical and scientific organizations worldwide, researchers partnered with WW International, Inc., a global behavioral weight management program, to survey 13,996 of its members in six Western countries about weight stigma, internalized weight bias, and healthcare experiences. Key findings include: At least half (56-61%) of people in each country reported they had experienced weight stigma. High percentages of participants in each country experienced weight stigma from family members (76%-88%), classmates (72%-81%), doctors (63%-74%), coworkers (54%-62%), and friends (49%-66%). In all countries, weight stigma experiences were most frequent in childhood and adolescence, with associated distress highest during these time periods. Across all six countries, those with higher levels of self-blame for their weight were more likely to avoid healthcare, obtained less frequent checkups, and perceived their healthcare quality to be lower. Study findings, published in the International Journal of Obesity and in PLOS ONE, highlight that there are many more similarities than differences across countries in the nature, frequency, and interpersonal sources of people's experiences of weight stigma, with clear consistencies in stigma experienced in both close relationships and across different settings, such as healthcare and employment. "The fact that family members are such common sources of weight stigma across these countries indicates a collective need to address weight stigma within the family environment, and to help families engage in more supportive communication with their loved ones. For many people, these experiences begin in youth from parents and close family members, and they can last for many years and have long-term negative consequences," says Puhl. "Our results also provide a compelling reason to step up international efforts to reduce weight biases held by medical professionals. We must prioritize efforts to establish a healthcare culture free of weight stigma, and we also need to work collaboratively to develop supportive interventions to help people when they do experience this stigma." These studies were supported by a grant from WW International Inc. Study co-authors include Leah Lessard of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at the University of Connecticut, Mary Himmelstein of Kent State University, Rebecca Pearl of the University of Pennsylvania, and Gary Foster of WW International. Explore further Weight stigma in men associated with harmful health consequences Provided by UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity The tiny European nation of Luxembourg will gift its Expo 2020 Dubai pavilion to the UAE, thus illustrating its commitment to the meaningful, lasting legacy of the next World Expo and reflecting the strong, growing relationship between the two countries. Luxembourg officials announced this during the UAE visit of Franz Fayot, Luxembourgs Minister of Economy and Minister for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Affairs. The three-storey Luxembourg Pavilion will serve as a laboratory for rethinking ever-pressing questions around natural resources, featuring a green atrium that repurposes water from its air-conditioning system to water the plants and vegetation throughout the pavilion. Visitors will be able to descend from the top floor to the bottom via a giant slide, a nod to the countrys annual fair. Under the theme Resourceful Luxembourg, the pavilion is based on the idea of the Mobius ribbon an infinite form symbolising the openness and dynamism of the country, and reflecting its commitment to the circular economy. "Expo 2020 will be a unique platform for Luxembourg to collaborate with top innovating countries worldwide, as well as create and strengthen existing partnerships in the region and beyond," remarked Fayot. "We are pleased to be part of Expos legacy by contributing our pavilion as a permanent building at the site one that will serve as a beacon of hope for all those who visit, during the six months of Expo and long into the future," he added. Approximately 80 per cent of Expos built environment will live on in District 2020, a model global community for the future that will use state-of-the-art innovation, science and sustainability to create a cleaner, safer, healthier environment to live and work. Welcoming the visiting Luxembourg delegation, Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director General of Expo 2020 Dubai, said: "There has never been a greater need for people, communities, businesses and nations to come together to share their ideas for a better future, and we are extremely grateful to the government of Luxembourg for gifting its stunning pavilion to the UAE." "Our actions today will impact the environment we leave for our children tomorrow, and this generous act reflects our collective responsibility to leave a lasting positive impact," stated the minister. "Luxembourgs innovative, sustainable vision will enthral millions of visitors to Expo 2020 Dubai, and inspire generations to come as a permanent part of Expos future city of District 2020," she stated. Fayots trip marks the first ministerial visit to the Luxembourg Pavilion, which is set for completion by mid-June. As part of an economic delegation aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation, the ministers also discussed their shared vision for innovation, sustainable development, and space exploration and mining.-TradeArabia News Service (HealthDay)COVID survivors can relax when it comes to vaccination: A new study shows that getting immunized will not worsen any symptoms that linger long after infection, such as breathing difficulties, fatigue and insomnia. The encouraging takeaway is based on a small analysis that looked at how 44 "long-haul" British COVID patients fared after being inoculated with the first dose of either the Pfizer or the AstraZeneca vaccine. "This is the first study to show that people recovering from COVID-19, with persistent symptoms'long-haul COVID-19'do not develop any deterioration in their symptoms after vaccination," said study author Fergus Hamilton. "This is important, as it is in people's best interest to be vaccinated, to afford maximal protection, even if they have contracted COVID-19 infection previously." Hamilton is a National Institute for Health Research academic clinical fellow with the North Bristol NHS Trust and the University of Bristol in England. He added that he hopes that his team's observations "will reassure those who might be hesitant with residual COVID-19 symptoms when called for vaccination." One U.S. expert wholeheartedly agrees. "There are number of patients who experienced 'long COVID' that are naturally concerned that getting COVID vaccination could worsen or trigger their prior symptoms," explained Dr. Colin Franz, who was not involved in the British effort. Beyond fatigue and respiratory issues, he cited a number of potentially chronic COVID-related issues, including the loss of sense of smell, poor concentration, muscle aches, low-grade fevers, headaches and tingling sensations. Among hospitalized patients, such chronic COVID concerns are not uncommon, noted Franz, a clinician-scientist with the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab and an assistant professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation and neurology with Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. In fact, Franz said it's more common than not among patients who have required breathing tube assistance (intubation) while hospitalized. "[Even] for people who were never hospitalized, data suggests the incidence of 'long COVID' may be around 10%," he added. "[So] I think this fear patients have is quite valid after going through an experience like this, especially since several long COVID symptomssuch as a low-grade fever, headache and muscle aches lasting for a couple days after COVID vaccineare quite common," Franz said. But the British analysis "reassures that there were no long-term negative effects on life quality" a month after getting vaccinated, he added. A total of 163 long-haul COVID patientsall from one British hospitalwere included in the study. At the time of the study launch, all had been battling enduring health issues for eight months after being hospitalized for COVID-19. About three-quarters reported struggling with lingering fatigue, while roughly 6 in 10 reported routine breathlessness. Insomnia was another issue for just over half the patients. All together, the patients reported a constellation of 159 different chronic COVID-triggered symptoms and a markedly impaired quality of life. Just over a quarter of the patients (44) went on to be vaccinated with the first of two doses of either the Pfizer or the AstraZeneca vaccine, which make use of different delivery strategies. Without knowing who had been vaccinated, the research team evaluated all the patients a month after their first shot. The result: Among those who were vaccinated, more than 8 in 10 said they still struggled with symptoms a month out. But nearly a quarter (23%) said their overall situation had improved, and nearly 7 in 10 said their symptom status had essentially remained the same. Fewer than 6% said their health concerns had gotten worse. And none of the patients reported any decline in quality of life, regardless of which vaccine they had received. The findings are helpful from a public health perspective, said Franz, because getting vaccinated is important, even among those who've already had COVID-19. "Studies are actively looking into the duration of immunity for those who have recovered from prior COVID infection," Franz noted. "It appears that antibodies created against the virus may only provide transient protection from reinfection. The different virus strains emerging further complicate matters." So the recommendation, said Franz, "is to still get vaccinated, even if you have recovered from prior COVID." Hamilton and his colleagues published their findings recently in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Copyright 2021 HealthDay. All rights reserved. PET imaging of a participant following experimental P. vivax infection. The arrowhead highlights increased glucose uptake in the spleen. Credit: Woodford J, Gillman A, Jenvey P, Roberts J, Woolley S, Barber BE, et al. (2021) Positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging in experimental human malaria to identify organ-specific changes in morphology and glucose metabolism: A prospective cohort study. PLoS Med 18(5): e1003567. 10.1371/journal.pmed.1003567 The malaria parasite Plasmodium vivax may accumulate in the spleen soon after infection to a greater extent than its better-known relative P. falciparum, according to new research published by John Woodford of the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia and colleagues in the open access journal PLOS Medicine. Managing and treating P. vivax and P. falciparum infections calls for investigation of their different pathways of infection, and our limited understanding of disease pathology has generally relied on indirect and imprecise approaches. Woodford and colleagues studied 7 healthy participants who were infected under controlled conditions with either P. vivax or P. falciparum. They underwent a Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scan and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) 7 days before infection and again 7 to 11 days afterwards, before receiving antimalarial treatment. The team investigated participants' spleen, liver and bone marrow for changes in form or structure as well as glucose metabolism, which would suggest accumulation of the parasite in individual organs. In the spleen, glucose metabolism increased following infection, and this was more pronounced in participants infected with P. vivax. Neither the liver nor bone marrow were affected at this early stage of infection. Despite the small size of the study, the research shows that imaging in this way can help in understanding how malarial parasites accumulate in specific organs as well as modifying previous thinking about the behavior of P. vivax at the "blood stage" of infection. Dr. Woodford notes, "Malaria parasites outside of the circulation contribute to disease but are very difficult to study. By performing this novel imaging study in participants undergoing experimental malaria infection, we have been able to look at what is happening inside specific organs during the earliest stages of blood stage infection. This represents further evidence that parasites of the important species Plasmodium vivax have a particular predilection for the spleen, and highlights how controlled infection studies can accommodate unique exploratory objectives that cannot be otherwise studied in humans." Explore further Hidden malaria life cycle discovered in the spleen More information: John Woodford et al, Positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging in experimental human malaria to identify organ-specific changes in morphology and glucose metabolism: A prospective cohort study, PLOS Medicine (2021). Journal information: PLoS Medicine John Woodford et al, Positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging in experimental human malaria to identify organ-specific changes in morphology and glucose metabolism: A prospective cohort study,(2021). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1003567 Credit: CC0 Public Domain A nationwide study in Sweden estimates the elevated risk of advanced or fatal prostate cancer among relatives of men with the disease, providing new data that could help refine guidelines for the age at which screening should begin. Mahdi Fallah and Elham Kharazmi of the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg, Germany, and colleagues present these new findings in the open-access journal PLOS Medicine. Clinical guidelines for the age to start prostate cancer screening aim to ensure that the benefits of identifying the disease early outweigh the risks of diagnosing and treating cancer that will not harm the patient. Current guidelines note that men with a family history of prostate cancer have a greater risk and should begin screening early. However, due to lack of sufficient data, the age at which early screening should begin has been unclear. To address this problem, Fallah and colleagues conducted an analysis of all male residents of Sweden born after 1931, as well as their fathers. Between 1958 to 2015, 88,999 out of a total of 6,343,727 men were diagnosed with advanced stage (III or IV) prostate cancer, or died from the disease. The researchers used these data to calculate the age at which men who had a father, brother, or son diagnosed with prostate cancer reached the "screening risk threshold;" i.e., the same level of prostate cancer risk as at the age of 50 years across the entire population. (Many guidelines recommend that screening begin at 50 years.) The researchers found that men with a family history of prostate cancer reached the screening risk threshold up to 12 years earlier. However, different men reached this threshold at different ages, depending on how many of their first-degree relatives had prostate cancer and the age at which the relatives were diagnosed. By comparing their calculations with various guidelines, the researchers determined that men with a family history of prostate cancer reach a high enough risk to start screening anywhere from 2 to 11 years earlier than currently recommended. These findings could lead to greater personalization of screening guidelines. Further research could help validate these results in populations of different ethnicity, while also accounting for genetics and lifestyle. "The one-size-fits-all policy in medicine belongs to the past; more and more risk-adapted approaches are needed instead to optimize use of restricted resources in health care", said Dr. Kharazmi, co-leader of this study. "The aim of our group is to fill this gap (a personalized approach in screening) for various cancers, such as prostate, breast, and colorectal cancer, using long-standing high-quality large-scale register-based data, to provide robust evidence to support screening guidelines", Mahdi Fallah, professor of Medicine (Epidemiology) in the University of Bergen, Norway, and leader of Risk-Adapted Cancer Prevention Group, DKFZ, Germany. Explore further Should men be concerned about prostate cancer? More information: Xu X, Kharazmi E, Tian Y, Mukama T, Sundquist K, Sundquist J, et al. (2021) Risk of prostate cancer in relatives of prostate cancer patients in Sweden: A nationwide cohort study. PLoS Med 18(6): e1003616. Journal information: PLoS Medicine Xu X, Kharazmi E, Tian Y, Mukama T, Sundquist K, Sundquist J, et al. (2021) Risk of prostate cancer in relatives of prostate cancer patients in Sweden: A nationwide cohort study.18(6): e1003616. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003616 Johnson & Johnson, the maker of Johnson's baby powder, announced a voluntary recall last year of 33,000 bottles of baby powder after federal regulators found trace amounts of asbestos in a single bottle of the product. The US Supreme Court refused Tuesday to accept drugmaker Johnson & Johnson's appeal of a $2.1 billion fine for selling baby powder containing cancer-causing asbestos. The decision kept in place a 2018 jury award against the company after a class action law suit, originally set at $4.7 billion but later slashed on appeal. As is common, the high court did not explain its decision, but left in place a federal appeals court judgment from last year supporting the fine. The company's shares were down 1.8 percent at $166.16 after the decision. Two conservative judges on the court, Samuel Alito and Brett Kavanaugh, recused themselves from the decision. Alito has owned shares in the company and Kavanaugh's father was a lobbyist for it. Johnson & Johnson had been punished for knowingly selling popular consumer products that contained asbestos, particularly its hugely popular baby powder. The company has faced thousands of lawsuits across the United States alleging it failed to warn consumers of the risk of cancer from asbestos in its talc-based products. Last year the firm announced it was discontinuing production of its talc-based baby powder in the US and Canada, in part due to the "constant barrage of litigation advertising" over the product. It will continue to sell the product in the rest of the world, it added. 2021 AFP Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Investigators from Trinity College Dublin, the Irish Mycobacteria Reference Laboratory, St James's Hospital, and the Department of Public Health HSE East believe tuberculosis (TB) care in Irish Prisons should be supported, considering the findings of their study which is published today (Tuesday, 1st June, 2021) in the International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease. The study describes an investigation into a large outbreak of tuberculosis which occurred in an Irish prison in 2011. This resulted in 34 people contracting active TB from a single infectious case. The use of Whole Genome Sequencing enabled the investigators to track the course of onward transmission, and to link TB cases identified as recently as 2019 to the 2011 outbreak. The outbreak resulted in litigation costs to the State of more than 5 million euro. The study found that in addition to the active TB cases, 50% of the prison staff tested as close contacts of cases may have developed Latent TB as a result of occupational exposure. This is an asymptomatic, non-infectious form of TB, which may progress to the active form of TB at a future date, in a small number of cases. Professor Joe Keane, Clinical Medicine, Trinity College Dublin and St James's Hospital Dublin, and co-senior author of the study said: "This report shows that tuberculosis is an issue in our prisons and will be followed by a 'test and educate' program that will mitigate the risk in congregate settings." Professor Tom Rogers, Clinical Microbiology, Trinity, and formerly Clinical Director, Irish Mycobacteria Reference Laboratory (IMRL) based at St. James's Hospital, said: "This report demonstrates the power of whole genome sequencing to enhance epidemiological investigations of TB outbreaks over prolonged periods of time. The IMRL has created a national database of TB genomes which will facilitate future public health investigations of TB in Ireland." Dr. Marcus Butler, vice-president, Irish Thoracic Society said: "This study, along with recommendations from the CDC TB controllers association and a recent review of TB rates in prisons published by The Lancet Public Health, supports the need for improving early TB diagnosis and care in the Irish prison system, through a three-step approach: A TB information and testing service in prisons A Latent TB clinic at St James's Hospital Dublin A National TB lead to oversee this as part of an integrated national TB control service This integrated national service should comprise a national TB screening program for high risk groups, investment in contact tracing and TB surveillance activities, and a TB education and awareness program for healthcare professionals and the public." Dr. Mary O Meara, Specialist in Public Health Medicine , HSE East said, "This report supports the need for augmenting the public health contact tracing response for infectious diseases such as tuberculosis." Explore further Pivotal results from clinical trial for the chronic condition atopic dermatitis More information: E. Roycroft et al, The largest prison outbreak of TB in Western Europe investigated using whole-genome sequencing, The International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (2021). Journal information: The Lancet Public Health E. Roycroft et al, The largest prison outbreak of TB in Western Europe investigated using whole-genome sequencing,(2021). DOI: 10.5588/ijtld.21.0033 Sergi Beltran and Leslie Matalonga pictured in front of a supercomputer and servers that hosts the RD-Connect GPAP platform. The platform is located at the CNAG-CRG facilities in the Parc Cientific de Barcelona. Credit: Centro Nacional de Analisis Genomico (CNAG-CRG) Rare disease experts detail the first results of an unprecedented collaboration to diagnose people living with unsolved cases of rare diseases across Europe. The findings are published today in a series of six papers in the European Journal of Human Genetics. In the main publication, an international consortium, known as Solve-RD, explains how the periodic reanalysis of genomic and phenotypic information from people living with a rare disease can boost the chance of diagnosis when combined with data sharing across European borders on a massive scale. Using this new approach, a preliminary reanalysis of data from 8,393 individuals resulted in 255 new diagnoses, some with atypical manifestations of known diseases. A complementary study describes the method in more detail and four accompanying case studies showcase the advantages of the approach. In one case study, researchers used the method to identify a new genetic form of pontocerebellar hypoplasia type 1 (PCH1), a genetic disease that affects the development of the brain. PCH1 is normally linked to mutations in four known genes. The researchers used the method to identify a new variant in a fifth gene. In another case study, researchers used the method on an individual with a complex neurodevelopmental disorder and found the disease was caused by a new genetic variant in mitochondrial DNA. This went previously undetected because the patient did not present typical symptoms of a mitochondrial disorder. The diagnosis will help tailor treatment for the individual, as well as inform their family members on the possibility of passing it on to future generations. Key to the reanalysis of unsolved cases is the RD-Connect Genome-Phenome Analysis Platform, which is developed, hosted and coordinated by the Centro Nacional de Analisis Genomico (CNAG-CRG), part of the Center for Genomic Regulation (CRG), based in Barcelona. Recognized officially by the International Rare Diseases Research Consortium and funded by the EU, Spanish and Catalan governments, the RD-Connect GPAP provides authorized clinicians and researchers with secure and controlled access to pseudonymised genomic data and clinical information from patients with rare diseases. The platform enables the secure, fast and cost-effective automated re-analysis of the thousands of undiagnosed patients and relatives entering the Solve-RD project. According to Sergi Beltran, co-leader of Solve-RD data analysis and Head of the Bioinformatics Unit at CNAG-CRG, "Solve-RD has shown that it is possible to securely share large amounts of genomics data internationally for the benefit of the patients. The work we are publishing today is just the tip of the iceberg, since many more patients are being diagnosed thanks to the innovative methods developed and applied within Solve-RD." An estimated 30 million people in Europe are affected by a rare disease during their lifetime. More than 70% of rare diseases have a genetic cause. However, around 50% of patients with a rare disease remain undiagnosed even in advanced expert clinical settings that use techniques such as genome sequencing. At the same time, scientists around the world are finding an average of 250 new gene-disease associations and 9,200 variant-disease associations per year. As scientific understanding expands, reanalysing data periodically can help people receive a diagnosis. The consortium, which consists of more than 300 researchers and clinicians in fifteen countries, and who collectively see more than 270,000 rare disease patients each year, aims to eventually diagnose more than 19,000 unsolved cases of rare diseases with an unknown molecular cause. Their preliminary findings are an important first step for the development of a European-wide system to facilitate the diagnosis rare diseases, which can be a long and arduous process. Explore further More precise diagnoses made possible with whole genome sequencing More information: Zurek, B., et al. Solve-RD: systematic pan-European data sharing and collaborative analysis to solve rare diseases. Eur J Hum Genet (2021). Journal information: European Journal of Human Genetics Zurek, B., et al. Solve-RD: systematic pan-European data sharing and collaborative analysis to solve rare diseases. Eur J Hum Genet (2021). doi.org/10.1038/s41431-021-00859-0 Provided by Center for Genomic Regulation AUSTIN, Texas (AP) Texas Democrats pulled off a dramatic, last-ditch walkout in the state House of Representatives on Sunday night to block passage of one of the most restrictive voting bills in the U.S., leaving Republicans with no choice but to abandon a midnight deadline and declare the legislative session essentially over. The revolt is one of Democrats' biggest protests to date against GOP efforts nationwide to impose stricter election laws, and they used the spotlight to urge President Joe Biden to act on voting rights. But the victory may be fleeting: Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, who had declared new voting laws a priority in Texas, quickly announced he would order a special session to finish the job. He called the failure of the bill deeply disappointing but did not say when he would drag lawmakers back to work. Weve said for so many years that we want more people to participate in our democracy. And it just seems thats not the case, Democratic state Rep. Carl Sherman said. One by one, Democrats left the House chamber until there was no longer the 100-member quorum needed to pass Senate Bill 7, which would have reduced polling hours, empowered poll watchers and scaled back ways to vote in Texas, which already has some of the nations strictest voting laws. But Montana should be optimistic. For the first time, small and mid-size companies are poised to compete for funding to build out fiber to forever underserved rural areas of the state. This time its not just the same, decades-old, former monopoly companies locking up still more federal dollars whose failures over decades have relegated the state to one of the lowest ranked in the country. This time several more nimble entrepreneurial companies will have an equal chance to apply to build out fiber to rural Montana. Sen. Jason Ellsworth of Hamilton took on the challenge of managing this bipartisan legislation through the state Senate and House. It was a tough exercise in legislative drafting, debate, compromise and committee wrangling. But he faced down the hard questions from a complex communications marketplace, and got it through the process. Gov. Greg Gianforte, who made broadband a cornerstone of his campaign last year, signed the bill into law on May 11. The executive branch in Helena must now stand up the new office called for in the bill and implement that legislation. Congratulations to the legislature for making the tough choices and hammering out a fair bill which may just put Montana in a respectable position on the national broadband map for the first time in history. A Montana attorney, Roger Fleming was previously a counsel on the U.S. House Judiciary Committee in Congress, where he worked on Telecommunications issues. He is the author of "Majority Rules" and "Outsider Rules," both fictional exposes about insider politics. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Hildebran Elementary School will hold a pasta benefit fundraiser Saturday from 2-5 p.m. at the schools cafeteria to raise money for one of its own. The Pasta with a Purpose event will raise money for Sno Lewis, a fourth grade teacher at HES who was diagnosed with breast cancer earlier this year. The meal will include spaghetti, salad, bread and a dessert, according to a post from the Burke County Public Schools Facebook page. The tickets are $5 per plate and can be purchased at HES Monday through Friday before 3 p.m. All proceeds will go directly to the family to cover medical bills and expenses. If paying with cash at the school office, donation amounts must be exact change or the excess amount will be considered a donation, the post said. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Lewis has been a teacher at HES for more than 15 years and has also worked at Chesterfield and George Hildebrand elementary schools, teaching pre-k through fourth grade, according to a previous press release from Burke County Public Schools. Lewis is admired in her work community. She was praised by Randy Sain, principal of Hildebran Elementary School. Solid waste fees also are proposed to increase. The regular rate for residential dwelling fee would increase by $4, from $72 to $76 per year. The residential qualified reduced rate would increase by $2, from $36 to $38 per year. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Other solid waste increases would include brush going from $31.70 to $34 per ton; commercial/industrial going from $68.80 to $73 per ton; construction/demolition going from $37.15 to $40 per. But all fees didnt increase in the proposed budget. The building inspection plan review fee would go from a range of $65-$650 to a flat fee of $100, Pierce confirmed. The proposed budget also does away with a conditional rezoning application fee that is currently $650. Animal services capture fee of $10 also would be done away with, as well as the a chemical capture fee that is currently $75. As for new positions within county departments, the proposed budget includes $127,080 for an assistant county manager. Currently, Pierce, in addition to being finance director, serves as a deputy county manager. Just recently, commissioners agreed to reclassify the position of planning director/deputy county manager to a planning director position after the former director, Scott Carpenter, retired. The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) has further expanded its Covid-19 vaccination campaign by opening up booking slots for 12 to 15-year-olds for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine through the ministry website or Covid-19 App. The ministry also noted that those who took the second dose of the Sinopharm vaccine at least six months ago are now eligible to receive booster shots. This came days after MoHAP has approved the emergency use of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for children within that age group, following the completion of clinical trials and a strict assessment conducted to approve the local emergency use of the vaccine, as well as the approval of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This comes as part of the UAEs relentless efforts to vaccinate the largest possible population to realise the acquired immunity, given the fact that vaccinations are considered the best medical interventions to prevent diseases and pandemics. The approval of the vaccine for this age group is another crucial stage in the efforts being made to get more closer to the recovery phase and immunise the UAE society. Despite the low prevalence of Covid-19 infections among children, vaccination is still very important especially with the gradual return of students to schools during the next year. This, in turn, would help enhance the sense of safety among children that their health is well maintained. SPEEDING UP RECOVERY PHASE The states decision to provide the Pfizer Covid vaccine to the 12 - 15 age group, in addition to the Sinopharm booster dose clearly reflects the keenness of the states wise leadership to immunise community health as a national priority. It is also an important input in the fight against the pandemic to reach the recovery phase and bring life back to normal, thus increasing optimism and reassurance in society, said Dr Hussein Abdul Rahman Al Rand, Assistant Undersecretary of Health Centres and Clinics Sector. Al Rand added: The fruitful results achieved by the national Covid-19 vaccine campaign and the high turnout of community members being witnessed by the health centres to obtain the vaccine confirm the efficiency and effectiveness of the measures taken by the UAE government and boost confidence in the health system. According to global reports, the UAE is considered one of the best countries in the world in dealing with the Covid-19, thanks to the development of the health sector and the utilisation of expertise and capacities to preserve the gains, he said in conclusion. FULLY EQUIPPED HEALTH FACILITIES Dr Nada Al Marzouqi, Director of Preventive Medicine Department, asserted that the Covid-19 vaccine centres are fully equipped with specialized and well-trained health cadres and medical equipment and supplies to welcome those aged 12 -15 to get the vaccine, as well as those who received their second dose of Sinopharm vaccine at least six months ago to get the booster dose. This falls within the UAEs strenuous efforts to enhance the protection of community members from getting infected with coronavirus and maintain their health and safety. Al Marzouqi noted that work is underway to increase the absorptive and operational capacity of vaccine centres to accommodate the increasing demand by the individuals to get the Covid-19 vaccine, emphasizing that vaccination doesnt mean that the pandemic is over. She urged community members to remain committed to precautionary and preventive measures to preserve the gains and immunise society against coronavirus mutations. -- TradeArabia News Service MIAMI (AP) Grammy-nominated rapper DaBaby was detained for questioning in a shooting that wounded two people in Miami and later released, officials said Tuesday. Police said two suspects are now charged in the case. Jonathan Kirk, DaBaby's legal name, was one of many people being questioned by officials on Tuesday, Miami Beach police spokesman Ernesto Rodriguez said in a news release. Rodriguez had said earlier that several possible suspects were detained. He later noted that Kirk had been let go. According to arrest reports, Wisdom Awute, 21, and Christopher Urena, 29, both face charges of attempted first-degree murder with a deadly weapon and aggravated assault. Urena also faces charges of grand theft and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The shooting wrapped up a violent Memorial Day weekend in the Miami area. Police received multiple 911 calls reporting the shooting just after 11:30 p.m. Monday. Officers found one person struck in the shoulder and another in the leg. Both were taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital. Police have not released the identities of those wounded. One was treated at a hospital and released, while the second remains in the hospital in critical condition. But Montana should be optimistic. For the first time, small and mid-size companies are poised to compete for funding to build out fiber to forever-underserved rural areas of the state. This time its not just the same, decades-old, former monopoly companies locking up still more federal dollars whose failures over decades have relegated the state to one of the lowest ranked in the country. This time several more nimble entrepreneurial companies will have an equal chance to apply to build out fiber to rural Montana. Senator Jason Ellsworth of Hamilton took on the challenge of managing this bipartisan legislation through the State Senate and House. It was a tough exercise in legislative drafting, debate, compromise and committee wrangling. But he faced down the hard questions from a complex communications marketplace, and got it through the process. Governor Gianforte, who made broadband a cornerstone of his campaign last year, signed the bill into law on May 11th. The executive branch in Helena must now stand up the new office called for in the bill and implement that legislation. Congratulations to the Legislature for making the tough choices and hammering out a fair bill which may just put Montana in a respectable position on the national broadband map for the first time in history. A Montana attorney, Roger Fleming was previously a counsel on the U.S. House Judiciary Committee in Congress, where he worked on Telecommunications issues. He is the author of Majority Rules and Outsider Rules, both fictional exposes about insider politics. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Our institutions arent what they once were. Opinion polls show overwhelmingly that trust in the government, in Congress, and in business has fallen in previous years and remains low. One exception is the military, which is consistently among our most respected institutions. This reputation has been hard-won, over decades of apolitical service to the nation. Americans recognize that service by honoring our servicemen and women, and extending our armed forces enormous respect and deference. That legacy, however, is under attack. Our servicemen and women are the same selfless servants of the Republic that they have always been, but there is a growing movement among the climbers and the bureaucrats at the Department of Defense to turn the military into a tool of leftwing ideology. Leftists have completed their long march through the universities, through large corporations, and through our primary and secondary education systems. They see the military as one of the last bastions to storm in order to make their cultural control over our society complete. Well, we would never be able to do that if we tried. It was the summer between my freshman and sophomore high school years and I had gotten together with a few friends to celebrate the coming Fourth of July holiday by, of course, seeing what kind of damage we could cause with fireworks. We were in a wooded area next to one of my friends houses and having a grand old time putting firecrackers in the whistle holes of throwing stars (it was the mid-1980s), lighting them and watching the explosion when the star hit its target. (DONT DO THIS!) While fireworks were illegal in Illinois, it was common for someone to travel to Missouri and bring back a load of fireworks. For the most part, as long as we werent bothering anyone, the police didnt mind a few kids out having some old-fashioned fun. A friend of mine lit a firework and threw it without checking to see if the area he was throwing into was clear. The firecracker bounced off some brush, fell back and went inside my shoe. I jumped trying to get my shoe off before the firework went off. I did not succeed, and there was a loud BANG from the inside of my shoe. I was lucky. It scared me more than it hurt. My foot is still attached, although I still have a white mark on my right heel from the powder burn I received. It could have been much worse. A man holds a laptop computer as cyber code is projected on him in this illustration picture taken on May 13, 2017. Voting rights activists gather during a protest against Texas legislators who are advancing new voting restrictions in Austin, Texas on May 8, 2021. The Cuban engineers brought to South Africa by the Department of Water Affairs and Sanitation will be paid up to R300,000 more per year than South African engineers who could do the same job. This is according to labour union Solidarity, who today shared new details on the departments project ahead of its court challenge to have the importing of the engineers declared invalid. The union confirmed that the Cuban engineers were given employment contracts and would be paid salaries, contrary to what water affairs minister Lindiwe Sisulus has stated in public following backlash over the project. Solidarity also disclosed the Cubans contracts, which showed that they would indeed do engineering work and not merely act as mentors as the minister said. The fact is that we now have an employment contract that was concluded with every one of the engineers, said Solidarity chief executive Dirk Hermann. This, together with the bilateral agreement, indicates salaries, leave days, job level and an unprecedented list of fringe benefits these engineers will enjoy while they are here. As part of their remuneration, the engineers will receive flight tickets for holidays in Cuba, furnished accommodation, and food and telephone allowances, Solidarity said. In addition, the union has ascertained that the Cubans did not meet the South African requirements for registration and licencing. Despite the departments objections that it is not necessary for the Cubans to register to work here, they repeatedly contradict this point in the information revealed to Solidarity. Solidarity said the departments own documents, and the bilateral agreement with Cuba clearly stated the Cubans were in the country to perform tasks as engineers, despite not being registered to perform this work. The Department clearly tried to have the Cubans registered but later decided against it due to administrative problems, Solidarity said. Furthermore, the Department indicates that all the Cuban engineers will continuously work under the supervision of a registered engineer. The Department is struggling terribly to keep track with their own misleading stories. One must keep in mind that this type of review means, by law, that the Cuban engineers will have to work under constant supervision. All this, while qualified South Africans are raising their hands but being ignored, Hermann added. Solidarity reiterated that it now had sufficient information to continue with its review application to have the Ministers decision be declared invalid. The court battle will therefore be taken to a new level, it stated. Hermann added the information from the department indicated that it consistently misled the public regarding the nature, scope, and cost of the project. Although they argue in court documents that the cost of the project will only amount to about R61 million, it is very clear from our own expert calculations that the project will cost much closer to R75 million, Hermann said. Solidarity said it was also evident from their court documents that the department never made an active effort to advertise these jobs, despite Sisulus claims that there were simply no South Africans who wanted the job. This is an absurd slap in the face for our local engineers who are just looking for employment and who cannot even dream of such benefits, Hermann stated. There is now no doubt that the Cuban engineers actually have taken the jobs of South African engineers and are paid more, and that taxpayers will have to pay more than was initially stated. Similar projects have been driven by the department and Cuba for more than 19 years and in the meantime, we only see our water infrastructure deteriorating even further. The department is arrogant and insulting towards their own workforce. They would rather deceive and try to hide information than help South Africans. We must fight this irrational and illegal decision in the strongest possible way, Hermann concluded. Now read: Victory in battle against Cuban engineers in South Africa HE Massimo Baggi, Ambassador of Switzerland to the UAE and Bahrain, recently visited the Swiss diagnostic service provider Unilabs branch in Abu Dhabi, where he was received by Mohammed Daoud, CEO, Unilabs Middle East, and Fernando De Gorgolas - General Manager of International Business Unilabs. During the visit, Ambassador Baggi was briefed on the latest digital, laboratory and medical technologies that Unilabs offers in addition to its advanced capabilities that make its top-notch lab tests unique, in accordance with international best practices. For his part, Ambassador Massimo Baggi said: With its Swiss precision and state-of-the-art technology, Unilabs integrates well into the impressive infrastructure that the UAE has put in place to curb the spread of the pandemic. The presence of Unilabs in Abu Dhabi is another great example of Switzerlands many contributions to overcoming this global challenge and we are happy to support their efforts. The CEO of Unilabs Middle East welcomed the visit of the Swiss Ambassador, lauding his ongoing efforts to strengthen the cultural, economic and social relations between Switzerland and the UAE, which resulted in supporting their conducive business environment for companies. He emphasized that Unilabs is striving to convey a positive image of the efficiency of Swiss laboratory services. Daoud also introduced the guest to the diagnostic capabilities and high operational capacity of Unilabs in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, highlighting their advanced resources in conducting reliable PCR tests through an integrated electronic system. He made it clear that Unilabs techniques contribute to accelerate the results of Covid-19 tests, which will help limit its spread of the pandemic in the UAE. Our lab techniques are also supporting the high production capacity of the laboratory system in the UAE, and the upward trend in the number of lab tests targeted by the UAE as part of its commitment to protecting the health of society,. "We are proud to play our full role in supporting the remarkable efforts being made by the UAE health authorities, with their precautionary measures setting a global model to be emulated in dealing with the Covid-19 crisis.", Daoud said. He revealed that Unilabs has recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to integrate Unilabs Covid-19 test into the IATA electronic document for travellers, making it one of the first global laboratory networks to be incorporated into that electronic document. Unilabs network has also obtained an ISO certification from the Emirates International Accreditation Centre (EIAC), becoming the first private lab institution to be awarded such a global accreditation in the UAE, the CEO of Unilabs Middle East added. Furthermore, our network has provided new and innovative technologies to improve, accelerate and expand the scope of testing in the UAE, Daoud further said, adding that the company has a new technology to automate routine laboratory analysis to help simplify solutions and reduce the risk of human error. And to reduce the health risks that may face patients and employees, Unilabs has also established more than 200 Covid-19 test units, drive-thru and walk throw, in addition to some Covid-19 tests being conducted at the nearly 1,000 collection centres.TradeArabia News Service Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help. Subscribe today! Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Napa Valley Register. Special offer: $1 for your first 6 months! De Jong contacted the solar company, Vivint Solar, which was acquired by San Francisco's Sunrun last October. She explained the situation and asked that the contract be canceled and that Vivint remove its equipment from the house. That was five months ago. Since then, Vivint has been giving De Jong the runaround and repeatedly asking whether she planned to sell the house to someone who may be interested in solar power. "It is absurd that getting the solar panels installed was a matter of a few weeks but having them removed is taking months and months," an exasperated De Jong emailed the company. Vivint finally informed her that the company's "review committee" had determined that "we are unable to move forward with the cancellation of the contract." Let's be real clear about what that meant. Vivint sold a 25-year contract to a 91-year-old woman. And then, after the woman's death a few weeks later, the company said it wouldn't drop her as a customer and wouldn't remove the solar panels. My best guess is that Vivint was hoping it could get a dead customer's family to pay off her contract, even though the family had no obligation to do so. Or perhaps the company was hoping it could foist its panels onto whoever purchased the house. *** Do you have an old Windows-based laptop lying around? Why not donate it to the St. Helena Public Library and give it a second life? The library is teaming up with HP to help the environment by refurbishing old laptops and donating them for use by the local community. Make sure the laptop can still turn on, and dont forget the cord! *** You might have seen the Napa Valley Wine Train making some dry runs through St. Helena in anticipation of resuming tours after a year out of operation. The train is booking reservations starting May 24, so lets give passengers a warm welcome. Regardless of how you feel about the train, its nice to see life returning to something resembling normal. *** A friend raved about the documentary My Octopus Teacher, which is playing at the Cameo May 11-13. I havent seen it, but Im told its an eye-opening introduction to the unutterably strange and beautiful world of cephalopods. Check it out, nature lovers. *** Happy Mothers Day, Dear Readers. Even if your mom isnt around, make a point of giving your best wishes to another mother in your life, be she a neighbor, a relative or a friend. VALLEJO It may be a good day for a barbecue, but you have to remember the fallen first. So says David J. Leavitt, president of the American Legion Riders District 10 from San Leandro who attended the Memorial Day commemoration at the Mare Island Naval Cemetery (MINC) on Monday, along with some dozen other motorcycle riding veterans. He and Luis Torres, Jr., a rider from the Antioch chapter, say the organization has been participating in the annual event for at least a decade. For at least twice that long, someone from the Mare Island Museum has laid a wreath at the memorial for the 15 sailors from the U.S.S. Boston, killed in an explosion at the Mare Island Ammunition Depot while their ship was in dry dock on June 13, 1892. Wreath duty this year fell to the museums Joyce Giles. They were unloading ammunition and, I guess they hadnt been properly trained werent wearing the right gear and there was a terrible explosion. Twelve men died instantly, but two died the next day in terrible pain. One was begging them to put him out of his misery, Giles said. Now that the markers have been cleaned up, you can see the names and how young they were 18, 19, 20 years old. WASHINGTON (AP) The Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that tribal police officers can stop and search non-Indians on tribal lands for potential violations of state or federal law. The justices unanimously reversed an appellate ruling in favor of a non-Native motorist who was charged with drug-related crimes after a tribal officer searched his pickup truck on a public road that crosses the Crow reservation in Montana. The Supreme Court has previously held that tribal police have little authority over non-Indians, but Justice Stephen Breyer wrote for the court that allowing a temporary stop and detention so that state or federal authorities can be called in enhances public safety. To deny a tribal police officer authority to search and detain for a reasonable time any person he or she believes may commit or has committed a crime would make it difficult for tribes to protect themselves against ongoing threats, Breyer wrote. The proposal is similar to the one the board was set to consider on May 20 but decided to postpone taking action on. In practice, the proposal would dramatically change how offices could function if no guests are allowed and everyone in a room has been fully vaccinated, which means two weeks have passed since a person's final vaccine dose. An employer would need to have documentation of a worker's vaccination records on file. But the proposal also likely means that California workers in places like stores and restaurants and who interact with members of the public will still need to mask up for the foreseeable future even after June 15, when the state is set to lift mask requirements for vaccinated people in most settings. (People will still be required under a federal order to wear masks when taking public transport after June 15, such as on planes, airports, buses, trains and transit stations.) The proposal also states that workers must generally be allowed to wear masks if they choose to continue wearing one, even if it's not required. Then he tried drive-in shows, which posed the same problem for stand-up comedy as online video calls: You dont hear their laughter," he said. "You need to remind them: If you like what Im saying, if you like the joke, please honk, he recounted. So people would honk at you, you tell a joke (and) they would honk at you. In some U.S. states, he performed at outdoor venues to a limited capacity audience. At others he performed indoors. In Arizona and Florida he performed in comedy clubs, where he said he felt nervous because it was before the vaccine was rolled out. Comedians need interaction were best in a room, with an audience, laughing, talking," he said. And this remote world took that away from us but again I think we adapted, a lot of people adapted. Jobrani, originally from Iran, moved to California at age 6 with his family. Like many Iranians they had fled the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution. He grew up in the San Francisco area. His acting credits begin just after the Sept. 11 attacks with a major role in the American action series 24, in which he played a member of an Afghan militant group hoping to detonate a nuclear bomb in Los Angeles. KYIV, Ukraine (AP) A Belarusian activist stabbed himself in the neck during a court hearing Tuesday in Minsk to protest political repression and authorities' threats to prosecute his relatives. Stsiapan Latypau used a pen to inflict the wound while he was sitting in court in a defendant's cage, according to the Viasna human rights center in Belarus. Videos posted online showed Latypau being carried out of the building in Belarus' capital and put into an ambulance. He was hospitalized and put into an induced coma, Viasna said. His lawyer, Olga Batyuk, wouldn't comment on Latypau's condition. Before stabbing himself, Latypau told his father during the court proceedings that investigators had threatened to open criminal cases against his relatives and associates if he failed to admit his guilt. Latypau faces charges of staging actions violating public order, resisting police and other alleged actions that carry a prison sentence of up to 10 years. He had been in jail since September, when he was arrested during massive protests against Belarus authoritarian leader, President Alexander Lukashenko. The protests were triggered by Lukashenko winning a sixth term in an August election that the opposition rejected as rigged. Theres nothing stopping Bonta from exercising the same righteous judgment and muscle here. We have every confidence that Bonta meant it when he said that public trust in the police depends on holding them accountable for officer wrongdoing. Toward that end, the Legislature last year passed Assembly Bill 1506 by Sacramento Assemblymember Kevin McCarty to create a new AG police deadly-force investigation division. It was gratifying to hear Bonta prioritize the need to jumpstart that unit. We were further heartened by Bontas announcement Thursday that his office would independently review last years fatal shooting of Sean Monterrosa by the Vallejo Police Department after Solano Countys elected district attorney backed away from the case. Unfortunately, the Legislature watered down the divisions AB 1506 authority before it investigated a single case. The enabling legislation signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom only requires that the unit investigate fatal officer-involved shootings of unarmed civilians. Before the amendment, the bill covered all police use of force cases where civilians died. Pike Judge-Executive Ray Jones signs a surface deed with AEP/Kentucky Coal, LLC for property located at Flatwoods which the county intends to use for the countys proposed ATV trail system. EU President: I applaud Azerbaijans & Armenias parallel humanitarian gestures Georgia is ready to participate in settlement of humanitarian issues between Baku and Yerevan Aliyev: If Armenia wants peace, they should start negotiations with us on delimitation Kocharyan intends to turn government dachas into rehab center Baku says it handed over 15 POWs to Armenia in exchange for map of minefields Nikol Pashinyan shares photo of Armenian POWs returning home Eight more remains found in Artsakh search operations Saturday Armenia MOD refutes reports on deployment of Turkey army units in Sev Lake region Armenia MP candidate charged with bribery is remanded in custody Armenia acting PM on border situation: Our Russian partners have come, looked at areas where they can be deployed Armenia acting premier: This election battle has already turned into class struggle 20 Afghanistan security force members killed in clashes with Taliban Armenia acting PM supporters give kids instructions in Gegharkunik Province village Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: We reject vendettas Armenia ex-President Serzh Sargsyan pays tribute to late PM Andranik Margaryan Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Maybe 2018 evens would not have happened if they had kept level of education Bright Armenia Party MP: Our prime ministerial candidate is Edmon Marukyan Armenia former President Kocharyan: I want to be proud of my homeland One person on Armenia ruling party electoral list also has Iran citizenship, his registration is declared invalid Armenias Pashinyan congratulates Boris Johnson on Queens Birthday Armenia ex-President Kocharyan in Spitak town, pays tribute to victims of 1988 earthquake Acting premier: Corrupt clergymen discredit Armenian Apostolic Church, traditional values Armenia, Georgia customs officials meet at Bagratashen border checkpoint One new case of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Armenia acting deputy PM signs new decision Sarkissian to Putin: Armenian-Russian cooperation is developing confidently in all directions 8 dead in China factory chemical leak Putin notes differences between "outsider" Trump, "career man" Biden 88 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia President: Karabakh has always underscored Russia's invaluable place, role in our region Security Council chief: We have had Russias support in Artsakh for centuries Pashinyan to Putin: I am convinced that Armenian-Russian interstate relations will continue to develop Armenias Pashinyan congratulates Mishustin on Russia Day Newspaper: Armenia criminal authorities take neutral position in current electoral process Newspaper: Real "war" behind scenes of Armenia authorities after every provincial visit of acting PM Armenia acting PM Pashinyan tells details from his talk with army General Staff former chief Gasparyan Man found dead in Armenia canal NATO Secretary-General affirms willingness for cooperation with Russia Armenia Special Investigation Service charges political party member for giving electoral bribe Armenia Central Electoral Commission grants motion to launch criminal prosecution against MP candidate "I Have the Honor" bloc member: Coronavirus and 'nikolavirus' (Nikol Pashinyan) are both lethal Greek PM: Greece willing to back positive EU agenda for Turkey Russia Deputy FM, France Ambassador discuss settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict CoE: We are engaged in a dialogue to develop a set of confidence-building measures between Armenia, Azerbaijan Armenia 3rd President states when country's security system began to collapse Armenia Armed Forces' General Staff ex-deputy chief on acting PM's statement on his "National Hero" title Armenia Arevik National Park director dismissed for being a friend of Meghri mayor Reuters: Erdogan's summit with Biden clouded by bitter disputes Armenia acting MOD receives Head of ICRC Delegation Gagik Tsarukyan: Armenia needs to develop the economy by using resources of country and people Gagik Tsarukyan: Russia is Armenia's main ally, and this can't be altered Armenia MOD: Azerbaijanis try to carry out engineering works in Kut border section, Armenian side counters Armenia 1st President's nephew and his son involved in brawl in Yerevan Snap elections online voting starts, Azerbaijan continues 'trial' of Armenian POWs, Jun 11 digest Armenian former high-tech industry minister, member of ruling party on June 9 brawl in Yerevan Robert Kocharyan: If Armenia wants a peaceful settlement of Karabakh conflict, it needs to give Azerbaijan hope Armenia acting PM: During campaign meetings hundreds of mothers thanked me for signing Nov. 9 document Citizens are demanded to applaud Armenia acting PM Armenia ruling party lawmaker, MP candidate: Civil Contracts election promises are continuation of 2018 promises Armenia villager to Nikol Pashinyan: Yard of Turk's house is in front of our military post Opposition Prosperous Armenia Party assures that it's not expecting ministerial positions Robert Kocharyan: "Armenia" bloc will restore and deepen country's ties with allies Czech Rep. parliament committee calls on Azerbaijan to release all Armenian captives immediately "Armenia" bloc member Armen Gevorgyan holds meetings with diplomatic corps and international organizations Dollar still dropping in Armenia Azerbaijan announces names of 26 Armenian servicemen it intends to "put on trial" Armenian publishing house to print 66,925,000 ballots for upcoming snap parliamentary elections "Armenia" bloc member: There are reports that over 10 police buses escorted acting PM yesterday Gallup: "Armenia" bloc records slightly higher indicator than ruling party Armenia acting PM has been obligated to publicly apologize to Khachatryan family "Armenia" bloc: Robert Kocharyan and ARF-D resolved crisis that Levon Ter-Petrosyan created in 1998 Intellectual Armenia Party to support "Armenia" bloc in snap parliamentary elections Armenia ruling party MP's powers terminated Brawl takes place during Armenia ruling Civil Contract Party's campaign meeting, case launched Armenia acting premier: We also have enclave under Azerbaijan rule Holy Etchmiadzin: We express regret for unwise, inappropriate statements of acting PM "I have the honor" bloc member: Armenia acting PM has instructed his voters to go to polls by afternoon Prosperous Armenia Party MP: Enemy does not divide Armenians into "blacks" and "whites" Bright Armenia Party leader: Acting premier will not be able to get 60% of votes Armenia acting PM: There are people in media who are more like "killers" than journalists Ex-President Kocharyan: 2009-2018 I did not agree with Armenia authorities on many issues Armenia has new millionaires Armenia President visits Russia embassy, meets with ambassador Artsakh search continues Friday for remains of Armenian soldiers killed in war Armenia ruling party election offices heads being paid by provincial halls? Armenia emergency ministry preparing for a new cooperation with USAID US, Turkey top defense officials discuss regional issues 95 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia G7 leaders pledge to share 1bn doses of coronavirus vaccine with world Armenia snap parliamentary elections online voting starts Trump tells Biden to give Putin his warmest regards Newspaper: Pashinyan is both Armenia acting PM and not Newspaper: Why is Armenia arms dealer released from custody? National Geographic officially announces 5th ocean Armenia MP candidate is detained Armenia Prosecutor General receives OSCE/ODIHR election observation mission's delegation France's Macron intends to discuss situation in Nagorno-Karabakh with Turkish counterpart Armenia 3rd President on Nikol Pashinyan: People look at him and say 'greetings, son of a b**ch' US Department of Commerce intends to impose sanctions against Armenia's Armenal aluminum foil producer/exporter Armenia 1st President recalls his "remedial secession" formula for Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement Technology Innovation Institute (TII), the applied research pillar of Abu Dhabis Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC), has joined Dronecode, a US-based non-profit run by Linux Foundation. TII obtained membership in the global organisation through its Secure Systems Research Centre (SSRC). SSRC, one of the seven initial dedicated research centres at TII, is joining Dronecode to enhance the security and resilience in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) systems. Working closely with the Dronecode organisation, starting through the newly founded Security SIG (Special Interest Group), SSRC aims to develop and share security and resilience capabilities for the world's leading open UAV platform. The first practical software areas for SSRC to work on in Dronecode will be in cryptography, memory protection and code analysis. Commenting on the announcement, Faisal Al Bannai, Secretary General of ATRC, said: Unsecure drone systems may pose threats to our privacy, to cybersecurity and our physical safety. We want to be involved in making the current drone platforms better, more secure and resilient for the safe use of hobbyists, commercial and governmental authorities. He added: At TIIs Secure Systems Research Centre (SSRC), we pursue research that is building a more secure tomorrow and helping the global community realise the true potential of the 21st century. We look forward to working closely with the Dronecode Foundation to add resilience and security to drone systems. Part of Dronecode, Pixhawk is the autopilot hardware (flight controllers) attached to a drone. It can be purchased and modified or have security integrated into it. The Pixhawk project has hundreds of global contributors and is used by some of the worlds most innovative companies in various drone applications. The project is also the reference hardware platform for PX4 software, which is an open-source flight control software being used to pilot drones and other UAVs. According to Dronecode, PX4 is used in a wide range of use-cases, from consumer drones to industrial applications. It is also the leading research platform for drones and has been successfully applied to under water vehicles and boats. The project provides drone developers with tools to share technologies to create tailored solutions for drone applications. Dr Shreekant (Ticky) Thakkar, Chief Researcher at SSRC, said the Centre is joining Dronecode to contribute to the security and resilience of Pixhawk and its PX4 software. "At SSRC, we are building a global centre of excellence in the development of end-to-end security and resilience for cyber-physical and autonomous systems, and we are committed to the success of PX4 and Pixhawk open-source as it will enable the pervasive use of drones, Dr Thakkar said. Given SSRC priorities across platforms, software, and data integrity, we prioritise the secure fleet management of drones. As Dronecode is setting standards in the drone industry, it is a great pleasure for TII to join this foundation." TII - which has seven initial dedicated research centres in secure systems, cryptography, autonomous robotics, quantum, advanced materials, digital security, and directed energy - joins prominent Dronecode Foundation members including software giant Microsoft Corp; software companies such as Auterion AG; Sentera Inc.; AirMap Inc.; DroneDeploy; and 3DR as well as chip maker NXP Semiconductors; Drotek Electronics, which offers electronics design and manufacturing services; and UVify, a manufacturer of drones for Fortune 500 companies. TII offers world class facilities and resources with access to the most advanced technologies, accessible funding, light touch management and regulation, and the opportunity to work alongside the finest minds in their fields. As a research organisation that collaborates on many research projects around the world, TII is well positioned to enhance the collaboration between the leading scientific research and the UAV developer communities.-- TradeArabia News Service Israel and the United Arab Emirates signed a tax treaty on Monday, Israels Finance Ministry said, describing the move as a spur to business development between the countries after they normalized relations last year, Reuters reported. The UAE finance ministry said in October that it had reached a preliminary agreement with Israel on avoiding double taxation. It is the first tax treaty reached in the wake of Israels normalizing relations with the UAE and Bahrain last year. In parallel, Israel has moved to improve ties with Morocco and Sudan. The treaty is based primarily on the OECD model, Israeli Finance Minister Israel Katz said in a statement, adding that it provides certainty and favorable conditions for business activity and will strengthen economic ties with the UAE. Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi said the treaty will enable significant promotion of investment and trade that will help both countries economies. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-israel-emirates-tax-idUSKCN2DC10V The Sharjah Exports Development Center (SEDC), an initiative of Sharjah Chamber of commerce and Industry (SCCI), has announced plans to send a trade mission to Russia next September. A delegation of businessmen and investors from the chamber will be visiting the transcontinental country to strengthen economic ties, develop industries, improve trade exchanges, and forge new and promising investment partnerships with Russian counterparts. The center will also be taking part in the world's leading food fair Anuga, to be held in Germany on October 9, 2021 to support and promote national food exports and market them in one of the largest food exhibitions in Europe and the world. The SEDC will also participate in SIAL Middle East ", the leading food, beverage, and hospitality event that will be held from September 7 to 9 at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (Adnec). Mohammad Ahmed Amin Al Awadi, SCCI's Director-General, stressed that the centers agendas will certainly serve the business community in the emirate, and support the SCCIs plans to strengthen cooperation ties with all countries and enhance the emirates exports to the world. This also reflects the chambers strategy of highlighting the capabilities of the business sector in Sharjah and the UAE, which is unique for its economic and commercial openness and exceptional business environment conducive to investments, capital and companies, Al Awadi said. He made it clear that since its inception in 2015, the SEDC has played a major role in creating an ideal supportive and stimulating environment for local exports. We have always been keen on providing a variety of services that can encourage industrial and export establishments, to excel in foreign markets, enhance their competitive capabilities and capitalise on regional and international marketing opportunities by providing export solutions and resources, and creating credit guarantees and technical support for exports Al Awadi noted. For his part, Abdul Aziz Shattaf, SCCI Assistant Director General, Members Services Sector and Director of Sharjah Exports Development Center, emphasised that the center will be representing the SCCI in Expo 2020 Dubai, where it will take advantage of the largest event ever held in the Arab world, to create new opportunities for local businesses in Sharjah, members and employees of the chamber and the center. In addition, the center will spare no effort in creating new cooperation links with global business communities, and highlighting the benefits of doing business in Sharjah in light of its special characteristics and unparalleled investment environment.TradeArabia News Service People came to power in Armenia who consistently destroyed the combat-readiness of the army. The second President of Armenia, Robert Kocharyan, stated this in an exclusive interview with RBC television of Russia, when asked why the recent Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) war became possible. The former president stated that Azerbaijan felt the weakness of Armenia in a number of parameters. "People came to power in Armenia who consistently destroyed the combat-readiness of the army. Did they understand that or did they not understand that it is a matter of coming, a very serious clarification. But the methodical discrediting of the heroes of the first [Artsakh] war, the moral destruction was a series of criminal cases, political persecution, accusation of corruption, in everything. Review of many moments related to the army service, the attitude towards the army; some reforms in the army, which had nothing in common with the increase of the defense capacity. The second was the legitimization of a military solution to the conflict. In fact, the Armenian side moved the negotiation process from the sphere of self-determination of nations to the plane of territorial integrity. It is also unclear whether it was done consciously or because of ignorance, incompetence and illiteracy. But in fact, by declaring Karabakh is Armenia, period," they brought the issue to the plane of territorial integrity. And that means legitimizing aggression, Kocharyan said. In response to the interviewer's remark that during the interview in Baku he was told that none of the former leaders of Armenia had made such statements to him, Kocharyan said: "It was just stupid to do that. The very existence of Karabakh, the whole negotiation process, the idea of Karabakh independence was built on the principle of self-determination of nations. They [the incumbent Armenian authorities] broke the argumentative basis of everything on which the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic was built. It was a very gross mistake, it is an actual legitimatizing of aggression." And speaking about the political division of the Armenian society into blacks and whites, Kocharyan called it "an unprecedented internal turmoil of the Armenian society." "After all, if you have a country with which your relations are not normalized, to put it mildly, the perception is hostile, simply put, then the first thing you should have wanted to do was to create an internal division. In fact, we did unto ourselves what Azerbaijan and Turkey should have tried to do to Armenia," said Robert Kocharyan. YEREVAN. During his current visit to France, Acting Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan met with French National Assembly speaker Richard Ferrand, the Prime Minister's Office informed Armenian News-NEWS.am. "Armenia is a friendly country for France, and we attach great importance to the continuous development and expansion of bilateral relations. During the past difficult period for Armenia, we were in constant contact with our Armenian colleagues, our MPs stood with Armenia. With our steps, we will continue to contribute to overcoming the challenges facing the Armenian people," Ferrand said. Pashinyan, in turn, noted that Armenia has felt the support of friendly France, including the members of the French Senate and the National Assembly, at all difficult times. He also stressed the importance of expanding French business and investments in Armenia. Nikol Pashinyan referred also to the situation in Armenia after the Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) war last fall, and noted that the main issue is the security situation around the country. The Acting Prime Minister presented the circumstances of the incidents on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and stressed the friendly attitude of France in this case, too. He noted that Armenia, in cooperation with international partners, is trying to resolve the border situation through diplomacy. Touching upon the avenues for the settlement of the Artsakh conflict, Nikol Pashinyan highlighted the active role of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs in that process. The Acting Prime Minister also stressed the need for the French Senate to recognize the independence of Artsakh, as well as the importance of the resolutions adopted to ensure the return of Armenian POWs. Richard Ferrand, for his part, added that they are closely monitoring the developments in the South Caucasus. "France stands with Armenia, please convey our message to the Armenian people. We will do everything to establish stability and prosperity in Armenia. You have always relied on us, and you can rely on us now and in the future, too" he added. The French side once again stressed the importance of protecting the territorial integrity of Armenia, ensuring the speedy return of Armenian POWs held in Azerbaijan, preserving the Armenian cultural heritage in Artsakh, and the engagement of UNESCO in this matter. "We hope that after the upcoming [snap parliamentary] elections [on June 20], Armenia will restore its unity and move towards the future," Ferrand said. At the same time, it was informed that a new resolution on the return of Armenian POWs is being worked out in the French National Assembly, as well as a visit of the Armenia-France parliamentary friendship group to Armenia is being prepared. The interlocutors discussed the situation in the South Caucasus, the upcoming elections in Armenia, the implementation of democratic reforms in the country, and a number of other issues of mutual interest. Group-IB, a global threat hunting and adversary-centric cyber intelligence company specialising in investigating and preventing hi-tech cybercrimes, has officially announced the opening of its Middle East & Africa Threat Intelligence & Research Centre in Dubai. The opening, held at the Habtoor Palace Dubai, was attended by representatives of the local financial organisations, government institutions, and the guest of honour, Craig Jones, Interpol Cybercrime director. Group-IB's leadership views the opening of its MEA Threat Intelligence & Research Centre as a critical milestone toward achieving the strategic goal of building the first ever decentralised global cybersecurity company with fully operational R&D centres in the key financial hubs. Group-IB's office would not only operate just as a sales hub but also as a full-scale regional HQ, offering all core technological competencies and bringing with it the top skills that are found across its global HQ in Singapore and other offices. The new Centre, located at the Dubai Internet City, will accommodate 18 employees from key Group-IB units: hi-tech crime investigations, Digital Forensics and Incident Response (DFIR) lab, Threat Intelligence, security assessment, Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-GIB), Threat and Fraud Hunting teams, Digital Risk Protection department, and other major divisions. "The threat of cybercrime is global, with regions being impacted differently," noted Jones. "By understanding first-hand how the threats are evolving and what impact and harm they are causing in the region, I know that together we can mitigate those far-reaching threats and reduce harm more effectively. Encompassing a wide range of expertise, experience and skills, this HQ will play a pivotal role for Group IB's research into the regional threat landscape and on-the-ground support for their customers and partners. Interpol's Global Cybercrime Programme looks forward to further strengthening our partnership with Group-IB and increasing operational activities against cybercrime in the region in collaboration with this office." Dubai is one of the regional strongholds for the coordination of cross-border efforts against cybercrime and research into threat actors and their techniques. The brand-new Threat Intelligence & Research Centre enables local community to leverage Group-IB's in-depth knowledge of criminal schemes and close collaboration with international law enforcement and cyber police forces worldwide. The company's battle-tested experts carried out more than 1,200 successful investigations over 18 years around the world enriching the Group-IB's technology ecosystem with first-hand understanding of intrusion tactics used in the most sophisticated cyberattacks. Knowledge transfer and hiring of local talents are other key elements of Group-IB's strategy. The company plans to have more than 50 team members in the UAE within the next 18 months. "Zero tolerance to cybercriminals has brought us to the forefront of the global fight against online crime," remarked Ilya Sachkov, Group-IB CEO and founder, commenting on the office opening. "Dubai is a perfect place to carry on this mission together with local institutions and international law enforcement. As part of our contribution to building a vibrant cybersecurity ecosystem in the UAE, we plan to develop world-class research, monitoring, incident detection and response capabilities here in Dubai and adapt them to the needs of the market," he added. In his keynote speech, Group-IB CTO Dmitry Volkov highlighted underlying regional cyber trends such as ransomware attacks and sale of access to corporate networks. According to Group-IB's data, at least 12 victims suffered publicly known ransomware attacks in the Middle East in 2020, with most of them having taken place in the UAE. To that end, Group-IB brings to the region a product and service portfolio that includes a first-ever all in one solution Threat Hunting Framework for the protection of both IT and OT segments. Another innovation that becomes more accessible to local customers is Group-IB's Threat Intelligence & Attribution (TI&A), a system designed to create and customise a cyber threat map for a specific company. Every analyst who uses TI&A now gets access to the largest collection of dark web data, an advanced hacker group profiling model, and a fully automated graph analysis tool that helps correlate data and attribute threats to specific criminal groups in seconds. Ashraf Koheil, an industry heavyweight, is the most recent addition to the Group-IB team in the UAE. Koheil brings over 25 years of entrepreneurial experience in IT&ICT security. He will lead Group-IB's regional business development team. "The UAE is one of the most progressive and demanding markets striving for continuous improvement in all aspects including government, services, banking with cybersecurity at the forefront," comments Koheil. "This makes Group-IB a perfect fit as our mission is all about eliminating all facets of cybercrime, be it financially motivated, nation state activity, or social engineering scams. We expect a lot of our growth to come from the true partner friendly ecosystem that we've been creating in the region. We are also planning joint research & development with key government institutions in the financial sector and law enforcement to bring more localised solutions and develop local expertise." -- TradeArabia News Service Armenias acting Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Vahram Dumanyan today received the Delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross led by Thierry Ribo. Dumanyan touched upon the issue of Armenian prisoners of war being kept in Azerbaijan following the second war in Nagorno-Karabakh and said he anticipates the ICRCs support for the return of the Armenian POWs. He added that Armenia relies on the active interference of the ICRC, which is the frontrunner in the fight for their return. In her turn, Ribo emphasized that the meeting serves as an occasion to present the ICRCs activities in Armenia and discuss the possible cooperation with the Ministry of Education, Science Culture and Sport. Touching upon the issue of the POWs, Ribo assured that the ICRCs representatives are monitoring the conditions for imprisonment of the prisoners of war. According to her, the ICRC is carrying out several programs in the Tavush, Gegharkunik and Syunik Provinces of Armenia in order to mitigate the direct impact of the hostilities on the residents of borderline communities. In this context, Ribo stressed that the ICRCs Office in Armenia has launched the pilot project to help those who help and is providing training courses for 12 psychologists of childrens and psychological support centers in Armenias provinces with the support of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport. The head of the Delegation voiced hope that the project will be long-term and ongoing so that the teachers having undergone training share their skills and capabilities with other members of the community. Dumanyan responded to the proposals of the colleagues and stated that the ministry is willing to support the implementation of the humanitarian mission of the International Committee of the Red Cross with its full potential. Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan was hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace. After the welcoming ceremony, the two leaders made statements to the media. In his speech, Emmanuel Macron noted: Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to host Acting Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan in Paris. Dear Nikol, we have worked hard together in recent years in support of your commitment to promoting democracy and fighting corruption. I have kept fond recollections of my stay in Yerevan and our discussions held during the Francophonie Summit. This working visit is taking place at a crucial for Armenia time. Armenia is facing a serious security-related crisis today. In the wake of the November 9 ceasefire, which ended the hostilities in Karabakh, Mr. Pashinyan and I assessed the situation and concluded that even if the ceasefire is being maintained in general, there is still much to be done. France is prepared to provide assistance for people. First of all, I mean the prisoners of war, including the release of all prisoners of war and captives. The preservation of historical and cultural heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding areas is also a very important issue. Both Christian and Muslim heritage must be preserved. As a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, alongside the United States and Russia, France is bound by duty to do its best to achieve a de-escalation and re-establishment of dialogue between the parties. I would also like to refer to the border incidents between Armenia and Azerbaijan. As I have already stated, Mr. Pashinyan, all demarcation and delimitation work should be carried out exclusively through negotiations; in no case should force be used. The Azerbaijani troops must leave Armenias sovereign territory. I call on the parties to return to the positions they stood at as of May 11. We will try to help establish a dialogue. France will support Armenia in this difficult situation as it has always done, first of all in the humanitarian sphere. Our medical institutions have been cooperating with their Armenian partners. We have also provided exceptional support to the International Committee of the Red Cross, which is involved in the search for prisoners of war held in Azerbaijan, their families and the search for missing soldiers. Mr. Pashinyan and I next talked about economic cooperation. We outlined the opportunities available in specific areas in a bid to help Armenia develop infrastructure and continue with our joint commitment in the field of climate change. This is why I am very pleased to host the Acting Prime Minister today. Dear Nikol, we stand in solidarity with Armenia and we will continue to do so. France is determined to bring peace to the region in this difficult period. Thank you again and welcome to France. The Ministry of Defense of Russia is dealing with the settlement of the conflict in Syunik Province on a daily basis, @wargonzo Telegram channel reports, citing insiders of the leadership of the Russian Ministry of Defense. The contacts with the Armenian and Azerbaijani sides in regard to the issue on the border in Syunik Province are at different levels, including with the defense ministers. Russia has set the objective to solve the situation in such a way that it disallows the restart of hostilities in the region and maintains the status of a peacekeeping country. The Russian peacekeeping missions work, under the leadership of Rustam Muradov (commander of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Nagorno-Karabakh), has proved to be effective, in spite of the problems that were artificially created by interested players, including external forces. When talking about external forces, it is necessary to state how Armenias Western partners are trying to play with the discrepancies, particularly France and the US, which are actively inseminating anti-Russian moods in Armenian society. Without taking any initiative to stop the bloodshed during the second war in Nagorno-Karabakh, today, Macron is making pompous statements on the current situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, yet isnt using real tools for influence on Baku and Ankara (but France has those tools). Amid this, the Russian Ministry of Defense and Muradovs team of negotiators are doing everything possible to make sure the border conflict is resolved. As far as we know, Muradovs trip to Nagorno-Karabakh wont end so long as the issue remains unsolved. Turkey views Georgia as a key to regional cooperation and is willing to support any trilateral format, including the Georgia-Azerbaijan-Armenia format. This is what President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan said during a press conference following talks with Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili, TASS reports. We believe we can implement various activities that will help strengthen and increase the importance and peace in our region. Within the scope of the mentioned activities, the trilateral cooperation with Azerbaijan is very important. Turkey supports any trilateral cooperation, be it Georgia-Azerbaijan-Armenia or Georgia-Azerbaijan-Turkey, Erdogan said. Erdogan also declared that a decision has been made to set up a supreme strategy council with Georgia as soon as possible. In his turn, the Georgian Prime Minister expressed hope that Turkey and Georgia will be able to carry out more joint projects and deepen their cooperation and invited Erdogan to Tbilisi. Moro Hub (Data Hub Integrated Solutions), a subsidiary of Digital Dewa, the digital arm of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa), has signed a Global Service Provider Agreement with Cisco AppDynamics. The partnership will provide Moro Hub with a unique opportunity to be the first and only Managed Services Provider for AppDynamics in the MEA region. This will provide Moro Hub customers with access to the Cisco AppDynamics Business Observability platform to monitor application and user performance. It also allows them to have in-depth real-time visibility into end-user transactions, network, and SaaS media platforms, while enhancing application security, through Moro Hub's cloud platform, its data centres, and cloud hosting services. The agreement was signed by and between Marwan Bin Haidar, Vice Chairman and Group CEO of Digital Dewa and Shukri Eid, Managing Director, Cisco Gulf Region. The agreement supports our efforts to make Moro a digital transformation hub in the region which is aligned with the vision and directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to enhance the UAEs position as a global destination for digital technology, said Marwan in Haidar Being the first and only Managed Services Provider for Cisco AppDynamics in the MEA region, with a local data centre in the UAE is a token on our commitment to develop the technology infrastructure, provide state-of-the-art data centres and upscale digital solutions to help customers make informed decisions. Shukri Eid, Managing Director, Cisco Gulf Region, said: "We are thrilled to be partnering with Moro Hub an organisation renowned for its state-of-the-art digital transformation services across several data centres. We can enhance our offering to local customers through this agreement as they invest in digitization, and delivering best-in-class services to power success in a multi-cloud world. This is a moment of great pride, as we strengthen our portfolio and also continue supporting Moro Hub's ambition of delivering innovative solutions and superior user experience to its customers. TradeArabia News Service Ex-Huawei executive on trial in Poland over spying One of the defendants in the case, Wang Weijing, is a former sales director of Huawei. File photo: AFP Two men accused of spying for China went on trial on Tuesday in the Polish capital of Warsaw: a Chinese citizen who is a former sales director of Huawei in Poland and a Polish cybersecurity expert. The pair, Wang Weijing and Piotr Durbajlo, have both pleaded not guilty. At the start of Tuesday's session, a prosecutor requested that the trial be held in secret due to the classified nature of some of the evidence. Defence lawyers objected, saying the nature of the charges requires that the proceedings be transparent. Both Wang, speaking in fluent Polish, and Durbajlo said they wanted an open trial. But after a brief recess, the three-judge panel announced the proceedings will be secret, citing state interests, and journalists were told to leave. Wang and Durbajlo were arrested by Polish authorities in January 2019 and accused of spying for China under the cover of seeking business deals for Chinese technology giant Huawei. The pair were arrested amid a wider geopolitical battle between the US and China over technology and trade supremacy. Former president Donald Trump's administration lobbied European allies to boycott the next generation of 5G mobile phone networking gear from Huawei over concerns that it could be used by Beijing to facilitate cyberespionage or digital sabotage. Wang has been in custody since his arrest. Durbajlo, a former cybersecurity expert for government agencies including the Internal Security Agency, was released on bail after six months in custody. According to the Gazeta Wyborcza daily, the indictment is partly classified, but its public section alleges that Wang is a Chinese intelligence agent and from 2011-2019 sought high-ranking contracts for Huawei that would give the Chinese company insight into, and influence over, state and local government data systems in Poland. Both men face criminal charges of taking part in a foreign intelligence operation and threatening Poland's interests. If convicted, they face a minimum of three years in prison. Wang studied in Poland and later served at the Chinese Consulate in Gdansk before moving over to a senior position at Huawei. He is also known by a Polish first name, Stanislaw. The Pole is suspected of helping him establish contacts and providing him with documents. Some observers say the documents were public and not classified. The trial is expected to take months and there is no date yet for the final verdict. Huawei declined to comment because the case was ongoing. It has repeatedly denied the US allegations but since the pairs arrest, Huaweis fortunes in Europe have tumbled because of the US campaign. Countries such as Britain, Sweden and Bulgaria have banned Huawei equipment from their networks and others such as France say they favour homegrown rivals like Ericsson and Nokia for security reasons. Huawei gear, which has been effectively blocked by the US since 2012, has also been shunned by Australia, New Zealand and Japan. (AP) Facebook Patrick Eells A 29-year-old hiker died after authorities say he suffered "traumatic injuries" from an apparent fall while hiking in Colorado. Patrick Eells was identified as the deceased hiker who went missing on the Dallas-Gilpin ridge, located approximately 3.5 miles north of Telluride, according to a press release from the San Miguel County Sheriff's Office. Authorities said Eells, 29, had disappeared on Sunday while he was "hiking or running in the Sneffels Highline area" by himself. "An experienced mountaineer, Mr. Eells told his girlfriend Sunday he was going to hike from Telluride and run on Sneffels Highline and possibly summit Mt. Emma," the press release stated. Because he was reported missing around 11 p.m. that evening, a search wasn't launched for the Telluride resident until early Monday morning, according to officials. RELATED: N.H. Hiker Dies After Tree Falls on Top of Him While Laying in Hammock: 'Tragic Accident' A dozen deputies and search and rescue members helped out with the mission, along with multiple aircraft resources, the press release stated. By 2 p.m. on Monday, the search had turned to a recovery mission after authorities said they spotted Eells' body on the Dallas-Gilpin ridge. Other hikers were asked to stay out of the upper Mill Creek Basin area below Gilpin Peak until they could recover Eells' body. Officials believe Eells died after suffering "traumatic injuries ... from an apparent fall while hiking alone," according to the press release. "We extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Eells who so clearly was in the prime of his life," Sheriff Bill Masters said in a statement. San Miguel County Sheriff The Google map location of where Patrick Eells was found at approximately 13,200ft. south of the ridge between Dallas Peak and Gilpin Peak In a separate Facebook post, Sheriff Masters thanked the deputies & SAR volunteers, Mountain Blade Runner, Olathe Spray, Undersheriff Berg and Telluride Airport for their efforts in helping find Eells. Story continues "We are fortunate to have the expertise & resources available with our staff, volunteers, and regional partners to safely and efficiently accomplish a very difficult and technical mission today," Masters added. "We were all hoping for a better outcome, and again, our condolences to Mr. Eells' family." RELATED VIDEO: Hiker Falls from Ledge and Dies One Day After Posting Dramatic Cliffside Instagram Photo On Facebook, friends and colleagues of Eells also expressed their sadness over the tragic incident in posts of their own. "Glad I was able to get to know you and live with you my second winter in Telluride," wrote friend Taylor Johnson. "Although you're gone MUCH too soon, I'm happier knowing you spent your last moments doing something you loved! You will be missed greatly!" Added Pinhead Institute, A Smithsonian Affiliate, a science-education organization in Telluride: "It is with the deepest sorrow that Pinhead announces the death of our wonderful friend and colleague Patrick Eells who was only 29 but had the wisdom of an elder... Please give us time to mourn our friend." North Carolina civil rights activists and religious leaders will hold rallies in seven cities Tuesday in protest of the Andrew Brown shooting. The rallies will begin at 5 p.m. in Elizabeth City, Asheville, Charlotte, Fayetteville, Greensboro, Raleigh and Winston-Salem, according to a release from Repairers of the Breach, a not-for-profit organization based in Goldsboro. Marches have been held at 5 p.m. daily in Elizabeth City since Brown was killed April 21 by Pasquotank County deputies as he tried to drive away from his home. The Elizabeth City rally will begin at the Pasquotank County Public Safety building. The marches have remained nonviolent as groups of about 50 to 100 people have walked Elizabeth Citys streets, carrying signs and chanting for justice. Police have blocked streets into the evening to reduce clashes with traffic. A woman was charged with two counts of assault May 25 after she pulled into a street that was reserved for marchers, bumping into two women with her vehicle. The women were treated and released with minor injuries. Pasquotank County deputies were attempting to search Browns house and car for drugs and arrest him at his home when he attempted to drive away. Deputies fired at him 14 times, with one bullet fatally striking him in the back of the head. Following an investigation by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, District Attorney Andrew Womble said the shooting was justified in a press conference May 18. He cited Browns long criminal history, including assaults on officers, and the danger of Brown using his car as a weapon to hurt the deputies. His decision has been a rallying point for protesters. The FBI is also conducting an investigation. Jeff Hampton, 757-446-2090, jeff.hampton@pilotonline.com Walmart is being challenged by activists to create a place for the company's lower level employees to sit on its board of directors, Axios reported. Kena Betancur/VIEWpress/Getty Images Civil rights activist Rev. William Barber II is calling on Walmart to add employee representatives to its board. Barber will address Walmart shareholders tomorrow, advocating for workers most affected by COVID-19. In the US, at least 134 grocery store workers have died due to COVID-19 See more stories on Insider's business page. Walmart, the largest private employer in the world, is being challenged by activists to create a place for the company's lower-level employees to be represented on its board of directors, Axios first reported. Reverend William Barber II of the Poor People's Campaign is set to address Walmart shareholders in a virtual meeting Wednesday to advocate for Walmart employees who have been most affected by the coronavirus pandemic. He will speak in support of a measure floated by employee Cynthia Murray earlier this year to add a representative for hourly workers to Walmart's board. In prepared remarks shared with Axios, he told Walmart: "Perhaps hundreds of your workers who are not alive today because of this vicious coronavirus that was allowed to spread through your stores, largely in secret, as your workers feared for their lives every day. "They were too poor to stay home from work, too afraid of retaliation to get the time off," he continued. A spokesperson for Walmart told Axios that "associates unable to work or uncomfortable working due to COVID-19 have been encouraged to stay home." Earlier this year, Walmart said more than 400,000 workers would receive raises to between $13 and $19 per hour, while the chain's minimum wage remains $11 an hour. In the US, at least 134 grocery store workers have died due to COVID-19, and 28,700 grocery store workers have been infected or exposed to the coronavirus, according to the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union. According to Axios, Walmart says it has been working with "third-party advisory councils shaping its thinking in areas including its human rights statement - and that in the past year it raised wages; improved benefits, health and safety measures, and joined efforts involving racial equity." Story continues Walmart did not immediately respond to a request for comment. "There is growing consensus that the presence of employees on corporate boards can contribute to the long-term sustainability of a company," Murray said in her proposal, adding that "while the current Walmart board satisfies independence requirements, it is lacking in representation from the hourly Associates who understand the daily store operations thoroughly." Read the original article on Business Insider All Elite Wrestling (AEW) fired a Spanish commentary team member for mocking the accent of a Japanese wrestler. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. What happened: Willie Urbina mocked the accent of Hikaru Shida, 32, who is currently the longest-reigning AEW Women's World Champion. The incident, which has now gone viral on social media, happened during a commercial break on last week's episode of "AEW Dynamite." Co-announcer Alex Abrahantes asked Urbina to translate a promo for Shida, but Urbina instead gibbered in a mock Asian accent. Co-announcer Thunder Rosa and Dasha Kuret told Urbina to stop, according to a translation for Fightful. AEW has no breaks on FITE TV outside the U.S. for AEW Plus subscribers, so international viewers watching with Spanish commentary were able to hear the whole thing. Shida lost to Britt Baker on Sunday's "AEW Double or Nothing," ending her 372-day reign, Wrestling Inc noted. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Fired: AEW fired Urbina last Saturday, just hours after the controversial broadcast, according to PW Insider. Urbina, who worked for Impact Wrestling from 2006-2014, also did Spanish announcing for New Japan Pro-Wrestling. AEW owner Tony Khan confirmed Urbina's termination and apologized to Shida over the matter. "I didnt think there was any excuse. I was not happy. Afterwards, I heard what was said and having our commentators involved with what was said about her, who I also apologized to, I thought it was best for the company to make this decision," Khan said, according to Fightful. Shida responded to Urbina's comments in English and Japanese tweets, expressing that she doesn't care what "other people say about my race because I love it and [am] proud of it. I don't even feel anger." Featured Image via Contralona (left) and AEW (right) Enjoy this content? Read more from NextShark! Viet Family Posts Videos Claiming Neighbor 'Racially Harassed' Them for 8 Months in Garden Grove NYC Mayor Announces Initiative, Partnership with Six Organizations to Tackle Hate Crimes Lonely Japanese Billionaire is Seeking a Date He Can Take to the Moon Tibetan Monk, 19, Dies After Months of Beatings in Chinese Custody, Human Rights Watch Claims Texas-based Exxon Mobil is one of several international oil companies facing increased scrutiny over environmental impacts (Getty) At the end of April, oil giant ExxonMobil announced its 19th discovery of oil off Guyanas coast - a region regarded by the industry as one of the world's most important new oil and gas resources accessed in the last decade. But now two Guyanese citizens a tour guide and a university lecturer are taking the countrys government to court, arguing that allowing the drilling will exacerbate the climate crisis and that it breaches the governments legal duty to protect citizens and future generations right to live in a healthy environment. ExxonMobil currently produces around 4 billion barrels of oil a day, amounting to around 4 per cent of the worlds current output. Its activity off the coast of Guyana, south east of Venezuela, is central to its long term crude oil production plans. According to local reports, Dr Troy Thomas and Quadad De Freitas allege in court documents that Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Ltd, a subsidiary of ExxonMobil, is producing oil approximately 120 miles offshore in Guyanas Exclusive Economic Zone and is emitting greenhouse gases which would not otherwise have been emitted. They claim that by extracting these reserves for energy purposes the company will emit billions of tonnes of greenhouse gases in the future. The case will be the first time oil drilling in the Caribbean has been challenged on climate grounds. According to Guyanese crime and security website Big Smith Newswatch, Dr Thomas and Mr De Freitas argue the Guyanese state is facilitating the emission of substantial quantities of greenhouse gases, thereby significantly exacerbating and/or contributing to climate change, ocean acidification, and rising sea-levels and making the environment more harmful to health and wellbeing. The pair pointed out that as a signatory to the Paris Agreement, Guyana is legally obliged to try to restrict the increase in global temperature to no more than 1.5C above pre-industrial levels. The States Nationally Determined Contribution of 2015 submitted by the State under the Paris agreement states that Guyana will pursue a low carbon development path, they said. Story continues The case follows a successful court challenge against ExxonMobil over the length of the environmental permits the company obtained to carry out drilling off Guyana, as a result the permits will expire this year, instead of in 2040, meaning the company must apply for them again. It also follows another blow to ExxonMobil, after hedge fund activists from tiny investment operation Engine No 1 succeeded in replacing two board members with its own candidates. In what was described as a stunning blow for the oil firm, the new board members will now pile pressure on the company to move in a more environmentally conscientious direction. Its a huge deal. It shows not just that there is more seriousness apparent in the thinking among investors about climate change, its a rebuff of the whole attitude of the Exxon board, Ric Marshall, executive director of ESG Research at MSCI, an investment consultancy, told Reuters. In another case last week, hailed as a landmark decision, Royal Dutch Shell was forced by activists to slash its global emissions by 45 per cent over the next nine years. The Independent has contacted Exxon Mobil for comment. Read More Oil and debris cover the beach as ship burns off Sri Lanka's coast Heat wave scorches US West with temperatures smashing 100 degrees Why supermarkets are being urged to end sales of meat and fish raised on fishmeal and oil from west Africa MADRID (Reuters) - U.S.-based American Tower Corp said on Tuesday it expects the mobile phone masts it has just bought from Telefonica-owned unit Telxius to generate $280 million in property revenue across the rest of 2021. American Tower Corp - one of the world's largest tower companies - finalised on Tuesday its purchase of 6.2 billion euros' worth of European mobile masts from Telefonica as part of a wider deal to acquire over 30,000 towers, including some in Latin America, from the operator's Telxius division. The American buyer added that it hoped this first package of assets would bring in around $145 million in gross margin for the remainder of 2021, and that the income stream would increase immediately after the consolidation of the AFFO (adjusted funds from operation) per share. American Towers will then lease the phone masts back to Telefonica, leaving the Spanish group only owning tower assets in Britain - but able to reduce its debt levels by around 3.4 billion euros, Telefonica said in a statement. Telefonica said that the next phase of the acquisition would happen in August, when American Towers will pay a further 700 million euros of mobile towers which Telxius had committed to lease from Telefonica Germany. Telefonica, like European rivals, has been facing growth issues aside from the impact of the pandemic and has been selling assets to cut debt and fund an upgrade to next-generation 5G networks. Telefonica also closed on Tuesday the creation of a 50-50 joint venture, worth some 31.4 billion pounds ($44.53 billion), wedding its UK mobile network O2 with Liberty Global-owned broadband company Virgin Media. The transaction will slash Telefonica's debt by approximately 5 billion euros($6.12 billion), the company said in a filing to Spain's markets regulator. ($1 = 0.7052 pounds) ($1 = 0.8171 euros) (Reporting by Clara-Laeila Laudette; editing by David Evans) Aretha Duarte, a Brazilian, is the first Black Latin American woman to climb Mount Everest. Duarte completed her journey up the word's highest Mountain on May 23. Before embarking on her journey, Duarte expressed her emotions on Instagram: "The discomfort is temporary, but the changes this journey represents will be perennial." Duarte documented her climb through her Instagram and said the mountain challenged her physically and mentally. In an Instagram post, Duarte said she developed a pulmonary edema, which can be caused by high elevation or exposure to toxins. Duarte said she trained for 12 months before embarking on her trip along with several team members. She praised her team for their support, high performance and guidance on the trip. "Our team is made up of human beings who breathe high performance, even when the air is thin. They open our minds to the impossible, even when routes close before our eyes," Duarte wrote on her Instagram. As of April 2021, 5,788 people have climbed the mountain. The first was Edmund Percival Hillary in 1953. Travelers were allowed to return to Nepals Himalayan peaks in November 2020 after a shutdown because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The reopening included restrictions such as permits and health checks. A recent coronavirus outbreak on Everest infected at least 100 people. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. First feats: Chinese mountaineer becomes countrys first blind man to reach top of Mount Everest COVID-19 and Everest: Coronavirus on Mount Everest: 'At least 100 people minimum' are positive for COVID-19 While making her way up the difficult summit, what was Duarte's motivation? Remembering her search for a purpose in life. Duarte said that to be successful on the mountain, you need a purpose, not just a reason. "Since, from the beginning, my summit was my home, my mother and my brothers...At the end of the day, it's about that: surpassing expected results in harmony with the environment in which we find ourselves," Duarte said in Portuguese on her Instagram. Story continues Duarte told her followers she'd return to Brazil to celebrate her feat. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Follow Gabriela Miranda on Twitter: @itsgabbymiranda This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mt Everest climb: First Black Latin American woman reaches top Al Salam Bank has announced its sponsorship of the Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finances (BIBF) library at its new campus in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The new library will be called Al Salam Bank Library, and is set to open its doors upon the opening of the new campus. Commenting on the soon to open library, Al Salam Bank Group Chief Executive Officer, Rafik Nayed, said: We are pleased to further build on our strategic relationship with the Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance as partners on various initiatives, the latest of which is the Al Salam Library at the new campus. This comes in line with our commitment to support the education sector through the provision of academic resources for students, ultimately strengthening education in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Dr Ahmed Al Shaikh, Director at the BIBF said: We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to Al Salam Bank for their ongoing support and generosity in the sponsorship of our new library. Through this initiative, students will have access to the best educational resources and tools, contributing to the overall enhancement of the education sector in Bahrain. The new library is set to be a knowledge-rich hall with thousands of resources including books, catalogues, and periodicals; covering multiple disciplines such as accounting, banking, Islamic finance, economics, IT, and marketing to name a few. The library will also house computer workstations for digital research, outlining it as a one stop shop for all student needs.-- TradeArabia News Service By Paulina Duran SYDNEY (Reuters) -Australia's big banks are likely to return a record $15 billion or more of cash to investors over the next two years, with investors betting Commonwealth Bank will move first and helping drive shares of the top lender to all-time highs. Commonwealth Bank and its smaller rivals Australia and New Zealand Banking Group, National Australia Bank and Westpac Banking Corp have made a remarkable comeback, from being shamed in a public inquiry and shunned by investors three years ago to being sought-after investments now. The banks have come out of the COVID-19 crisis relatively unscathed as Australia has kept the pandemic under control and its A$2 trillion ($1.5 trillion) economy has hummed along. They are now writing back hefty provisions made last year, resulting in comfortable cash buffers. Investors are sensing a bonanza is on the cards through share buybacks and dividends. Shares of Commonwealth Bank hit a record high of A$101.5 on Monday, and are the best performing over the past three months among banks valued at more than $50 billion in Asia-Pacific, according to Refinitiv Eikon data. That makes Commonwealth Bank one of only eight listed Australian companies commanding share prices of over A$100 - equivalent to about 20 times its forecast 2022 earnings, which also makes it one of the most expensive banks globally, according to JPMorgan. Commonwealth Bank is seen as "the best bank in Australia ... (and) is absolutely flush with capital so they are in a great place to be able to return capital to shareholders," said Matthew Haupt, portfolio manager at Wilson Asset Management, which owns shares of all four top banks. "Probably around August, they'll come out with a market buyback with a large franking credit portion," Haupt added, referring to income tax credits to avoid double levies on profits. "They should be leading the charge in capital management." A spokesman for the bank, which holds about A$11.5 billion in excess capital above the minimum 10.5% core capital required by regulators, declined to comment beyond what it said in its trading update in May. Story continues Commonwealth Bank said last month it had the flexibility to consider "capital management initiatives" with timing dependent upon the economy and regulatory guidance. Banking analysts at Morgan Stanley and Jefferies expect Commonwealth Bank to announce an off-market buyback of between A$5 billion and A$5.5 billion and hike its dividend payment when it announces fiscal 2021 earnings on August 11. Banking analysts also expect the other three banks will follow Sydney-based Commonwealth Bank with buybacks or special dividends worth about A$15 billion in fiscal 2022 and 2023. It would be the biggest ever cumulative capital return made by the four banks. ANZ, NAB and Westpac could start announcing their capital return programmes as early as November or in the first half of next financial year if Australia's economic recovery continues and once the banking regulator releases an expected update to its capital rules. At Credit Suisse, senior banking analyst Jarrod Martin expects about A$26 billion in buybacks from the four banks in the next two fiscal years. BofA Securities banking analyst James Ellis said the big Australian banks are not only attractive economic recovery stories but also offer enticing dividend yields. The Big Four offer an expected dividend yield of about 4.4% compared with 2.8% for the broader Australian market, according to Eikon data. "Anybody that screens for dividend yields the world over is quite likely to come up with Australian banks featuring high in that screening," said Ellis. ($1 = 1.2942 Australian dollars) (Reporting by Paulina Duran in Sydney; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman) Noel Clarke at the Bafta ceremony in April. (Getty) Bafta has announced they will not give out special individual prizes during the upcoming TV Awards. The ceremony, which will air on Sunday, will be the first time in the shows history that prizes of this calibre are removed. Bafta made the decision after filmmaker and actor Noel Clarke, 45, received an outstanding contribution award in April, despite the organisation being aware of on-set bullying and sexual harassment claims made against him. Watch: Entertainment industry pens open letter calling for change following allegations against actor Read More: Bafta TV 2021 snubs and surprises: Emma Corrin, 'Bake Off' and 'Britains Got Talent' Clarke has vehemently denied the allegations, but has since been stripped of the award, and suspended by Bafta. The organisation has now announced all awards not voted for by an industry panel are on hold for the foreseeable future. Clarke has 'vehemently denied' all accusations made against him. (Invision/AP Images) A Bafta spokesperson said: We have recently announced that we are conducting a review of the processes governing awards that are in the gift of the academy, so we have temporarily paused the special awards and fellowships and they will not feature in this Sunday's ceremony. More than 20 women came forward with allegations surrounding Clarke, for a report subsequently published by The Guardian. At the time, Bafta received criticism for knowing about the allegations, but nonetheless handing out the award to Clarke, whose work includes Kidulthood, Doctor Who, and Bulletproof. Read More: Michaela Coel 'stands with' the women who have made allegations against Noel Clarke They defended the decision and said in a statement that the claims they had been made aware of were either anonymous or second or third-hand accounts via intermediaries". The Bafta TV Awards will be held on Sunday. (PA) "No first-hand allegations were sent to us," it said. "No names, times, dates, productions or other details were ever provided. "Had the victims gone on record as they have with the Guardian, the award would have been suspended immediately." Story continues Read More: Sky cancels 'Bulletproof' after Noel Clarke allegations In a statement in response to the claims against him, Clarke said: In a 20-year career, I have put inclusivity and diversity at the forefront of my work and never had a complaint made against me. If anyone who has worked with me has ever felt uncomfortable or disrespected, I sincerely apologise. I vehemently deny any sexual misconduct or wrongdoing and intend to defend myself against these false allegations. Watch: BAFTA defends decision to present actor with outstanding contribution to British cinema award The Telegraph Boris Johnson was left infuriated on Saturday when Emmanuel Macron suggested in head-to-head G7 summit talks that Northern Ireland was not part of the UK. The Prime Minister attempted to explain his frustration with the Northern Ireland Protocol by asking Mr Macron what he would do if sausages from Toulouse could not be moved to Paris, according to a UK government source. The French president was said to have retorted by arguing that the comparison did not work because Paris and Toulouse were bo US President Joe Biden's administration announced Tuesday it was halting petroleum development activity in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, reversing a move by former president Donald Trump to allow drilling. The Interior Department said it was notifying firms of the freeze, pending a comprehensive environmental review that will determine whether leases should be "reaffirmed, voided or subject to additional mitigation measures," the agency said in a statement. The announcement deals a blow to the long-contested quest of oil companies to drill in the sensitive territory. The push for development picked up momentum after Trump announced the leasing plan last November shortly after losing reelection to Biden. At a lease sale in January, US officials auctioned off 11 oil tracts. Major oil companies sat out the bidding, and nine of the leases went to the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority, a state agency, while two went to small companies. Biden had promised to protect ANWR during the presidential campaign. White House climate advisor Gina McCarthy noted Biden's promise and said the move reflected his belief that "national treasures are cultural and economic cornerstones of our country," according to a White House statement. Biden "is grateful for the prompt action by the Department of the Interior to suspend all leasing pending a review of decisions made in the last administration's final days that could have changed the character of this special place forever," McCarthy added. jmb/cs CNN During his speech marking the 100th anniversary of the horrific Tulsa Race Massacre on Tuesday, President Joe Biden announced that he had tossed yet another job duty Kamala Harris way, tapping the veep to lead his administrations efforts on voting rights. The president also appeared to throw some shade at moderate Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), lamenting that there were two members of the Senate who vote more with my Republican friends than the Democrats. Amid ramped-up efforts by Republican-led legislatures across the nation to pass restrictive voting laws, the president used his Tulsa speech to call for Congress to pass both the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. Both voting rights bills are currently hung up in the Senate. Today, as for the act of voting itself, I urge voting groups to begin to redouble their efforts now to register and educate voters, the president declared, saying June should be a month of action for Congress. Noting that hes been criticized for not getting voting rights legislation passed, Biden took a veiled swipe at Sinema and Manchin while explaining the slim majorities Democrats have in both chambers of Congress. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. I hear all the folks on TV saying, Why doesn't Biden get this done? Biden exclaimed. Well, because Biden only has a majority of effectively four votes in the House and a tie in the Senate, with two members of the Senate who vote more with my Republicans friends. Both Manchin and Sinema oppose ending the legislative filibuster to allow a number of Bidens agenda itemssuch as voting rights legislation and a Jan. 6 independent commissionto pass with a simple majority. On top of that, Manchin has not been supportive of the sweeping For the People Act, instead trying to cut a deal with Republicans to pass a restored Voting Rights Act. Im asking Vice President Harris to help these efforts and lead them, among her many other responsibilities," Biden announced. With her leadership, and your support, were going to overcome again, I promise you. Story continues In a statement first released to CNN, Harris acknowledged her new assignment, which she will add to her growing list of tasks that includes addressing the southern border crisis and leading the administrations focus on small business. In the days and weeks ahead, I will engage the American people, and I will work with voting rights organizations, community organizations, and the private sector to help strengthen and uplift efforts on voting rights nationwide, she said. And we will also work with members of Congress to help advance these bills. Meanwhile, throughout his speech, Biden noted that he was the first president in 100 years to acknowledge the truth of what took place during the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921, stating that it spoke to how long the event remained out of sight and mind. For much too long the history of what took place here was told in silence, he remarked. Cloaked in darkness, but just because history is silent, it doesnt mean that it did not take place. And while darkness can hide much, it erases nothing. It erases nothing. Describing the violent deaths of dozens of Black Tulsa residents as literal hell, he drew a standing ovation when he reminded the audience that this was not a riotthis was a massacre, adding that it was among the worst in our history. Read more at The Daily Beast. Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now! Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. LaRue Bratcher, a 34-year-old Black Army veteran from Oklahoma, remains behind bars on a charge of first-degree murder more than a year after he shot and killed a white man allegedly trying to break into his marijuana grow business. With his trial date delayed until later this year, Bratchers family and friends and members of the Oklahoma City community are rallying behind him, saying the murder charge is unjust. I feel like this was an injustice for the simple fact that if the roles were reversed, if this was a white person inside the facility, he would not be in this situation, Bratchers wife, Vicky Bratcher, told Yahoo News in a video interview. Someone broke into his place, Bratchers uncle, Derrick Neighbors, said at a rally last month. He didnt go out looking for trouble. He was in his own place of business. In 2018 when Oklahoma voters legalized medical marijuana, Bratcher established Premium Smoke LLC, a marijuana grow shop located in Oklahoma City, whose business license expired a year later. Bratcher had planned to renew his license in 2019, his wife said, but learned he would not be allowed to do so until he made nearly $100,000 worth of renovations to the warehouse that housed it, so he held off. LaRue Bratcher and Vicky Bratcher with their youngest child. (Vicky Bratcher) On May 27, 2020, around 1 a.m., Bratcher was at the grow operation warehouse when Daniel Hardwick, a 42-year-old white man, allegedly attempted to break into the business for the second consecutive night. Video from that night reportedly shows Hardwick park his car at the rear of the shop, walk to the businesss door and jostle with the door handle, attempting to gain entry. He was trying to break in when the business owner, who was inside the business at the time, apparently opened fire with a handgun, striking and killing the man who was breaking in, Master Sgt. Gary Knight with the Oklahoma City Police Department told KFOR. Bratcher called the police shortly after the shooting, and once at the scene, officers called the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority to ensure the business was legal. When they found out that the businesss license had expired, Bratcher was arrested for operating a grow shop illegally, a felony, and was held on $5,000 bond. He was not, however, initially arrested in Hardwicks death. In addition to arresting Bratcher, authorities also seized 480 marijuana plants worth an estimated $1,500,000. Story continues A day after the arrest, Bratcher was released on bond. But just a week later, the citys district attorneys office reviewed the case and upgraded Bratchers charges to second-degree murder. One week later, police raided Bratchers home, escorting him, his children and his wife to the street, and arrested Bratcher again. Then, after he refused to accept a plea deal late last year, Bratchers charges were upgraded to first-degree murder. The family told Yahoo News that it does not understand why. Individuals convicted of second-degree murder in Oklahoma can expect to serve a minimum of 10 years in prison to a life sentence, which is classified as 45 years in the state of Oklahoma, with eligibility for parole after serving 85 percent of the sentence. The penalties for those convicted of first-degree murder vary but include a life sentence without the possibility of parole, or death. An Oklahoma jail. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images) Despite Oklahoma being a state with a stand your ground law, or castle doctrine, those rights do not apply to those who are found to have committed a felony. Prosecutors say that because Bratcher operated his grow business without a license, he was felonious and any self-defense clause is thrown out. Knight also told Yahoo News that because Hardwick was on the other side of the door, Bratcher had no legal standing to shoot him. [Bratcher] shot a burglar who had been working on the doorknob, Knight said. To use deadly force you have to determine you or the life of an innocent person is in imminent peril. The guy was on the other side of the door. ... This is not stand your ground. Knight added that officers did not arrest Bratcher initially in Hardwicks death because its not their job to determine who was right or wrong. Police are responsible only for gathering all of the information at the scene, Knight said, and its up to the DA to decide from there. The Oklahoma County district attorneys office did not return Yahoo News request for comment. Bratchers lawyer, Clay Curtis, believes that even without the stand your ground defense, Bratcher acted in a reasonable manner. The evidence shows Mr. Bratcher acted reasonably under the circumstances, Curtis told Yahoo News. I think anyone would be in fear for their life in that circumstance. ... This case isnt about us growing weed in terms of the homicide, its about whether people think he acted reasonably under the circumstances. Bratchers wife, who also served in the U.S. military, believes the courts are making Hardwick out to be the victim and using her husbands Army training against him. Weve been fighting for this country and at the end of the day, it feels like you come home and it doesnt mean anything to anybody, Vicky Bratcher said. Vicky added that at last years bond hearing, prosecutors said her husband was a threat to the community because of his previous combat training and expertise with a weapon. They used our experience of being a veteran [against us], she said. Thats literally a slap in the face. Veterans with an American flag. (Getty Images) A petition in support of Bratchers release had received more than 5,800 signatures as of Tuesday afternoon. Dozens of demonstrators marched through downtown Oklahoma City last month in support of Bratcher and protested outside the county jail. When youre in trouble, somebody has to fight for you, Neighbors, Bratchers uncle, said. This is my family and were going to fight for him. The trial date for Bratcher has been set for Oct. 11 of this year. Feeling a mix of emotions, Vicky Bratcher is cautiously optimistic that justice will prevail. I feel deflated ... my heart is broken, she said. This whole year has been very hard. I am still managing the warehouse, taking care of the kids and making sure that everything at home is good for his return. But its been hard to know that I dont know whats going to happen. Meanwhile, the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority updated its policy this year to allow cardholders to apply for a new license while still using their expired one until the new one comes in the mail. (Cover thumbnail photo: Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos: Vicky Bratcher) _____ Read more from Yahoo News: Pope Francis visited Brazil on one of his first overseas trips - EPA Like many other remarks that spark controversy, no offence was intended. But a quip by Pope Francis about Brazilians drinking too much has upset the country's conservatives, who have declined to see the funny side of a man they view as a "communist". The row broke out after the Pope made a joke about Brazilians' fondness for cachaca, a fiery spirit made from fermented sugar cane juice. Delivering a blessing to a Brazilian priest at the Vatican, he told Father Joao Paulo Victor: "There is no salvation for you. Too much cachaca and not enough praying. While many Brazilians greeted the remark with good humour, it did not amuse Brazilian conservatives. In a letter to the website Jornal da Cidade Online, a lawyer named Jorge Beja said the Popes words were hurtful at a time when Brazilians are suffering from the Covid-19 pandemic. To suggest that were not worthy of the Popes prayers, because we drink too much cachaca and pray too little, was cruel and hurtful, he said. His letter was shared thousands of times on Facebook. The failure to see the funny side, however, may have been less about thin-skinnedness over drinking, and more about resentment among conservatives over the Pope's outspoken views on global inequality and the iniquities of consumerism. Hundreds of thousands of people crowded Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro in 2013 as Pope Francis celebrated the final mass of his visit to Brazil - AFP Frederico Viotti, a spokesman for the traditionalist Plinio Correa de Oliveira Institute (IPCO), which was formerly part of the Brazilian Society in Defense of Tradition, Family, and Property, described the Pope's comment as "unfortunate". Pope Francis frequently has rough words to address countries governed by conservatives which, to a certain extent, fight societys de-Christianisation, while only rarely he shows criticism towards leftist governments, he told Crux, a Catholic website in the US. Supporters of Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro, nicknamed the Trump of the Tropics, were quick to weigh in. Some comments on social media even described the Pope as "communist". But Bishop Devair Araujo da Fonseca from Piracicaba, in Sao Paulo State, said the Popes comments should not be taken too seriously. Pope Francis can be naturally spirited. Its a positive thing. I think were losing our sense of humour, the bishop told Crux. BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil's top prosecutor on Tuesday asked the Supreme Court to open a criminal investigation into allegations that Environment Minister Ricardo Salles obstructed a federal police probe into illegal logging in the Amazon. Salles has been leading U.S.-Brazil talks over funding to protect the Amazon jungle, the world's largest rainforest, which is under threat from logging and fires. Last month, police searched properties connected to Salles and other officials in a probe of allegations they allowed illegal exports of timber from the Amazon region to the United States and Europe. The top prosecutor's office, known as the PGR, asked the Supreme Court for authorization to investigate Salles on suspicion of administrative crimes, for allegedly hindering both environmental inspections and investigation of organized crime. In response to a request for comment, the Environment Ministry said the PGR's request "will be a good opportunity to clarify all the facts." A growing chorus of environmental advocates and sustainability-focused investors have demanded that Salles be removed as minister for his efforts to roll back environmental protections in the country. Last year, a video of a Cabinet meeting showed Salles saying the government should loosen environmental regulations while the public was distracted by COVID-19. (Reporting by Ricardo Brito; editing by Jonathan Oatis) By Alistair Smout LONDON (Reuters) -Britain is in talks with AstraZeneca for additional doses of its COVID-19 vaccine that will have been modified to better target the Beta coronavirus variant first identified in South Africa, health minister Matt Hancock said on Wednesday. Britain has previously secured 100 million doses of the vaccine, developed at the University of Oxford and licenced to AstraZeneca. "We've started commercial negotiations with AstraZeneca to secure a variant vaccine: future supplies of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine that have been adapted to tackle the B.1.351 variant first identified in South Africa," Hancock said in a speech at the university. South Africa put use of AstraZeneca's shot on hold in February after data showed it gave minimal protection against mild-to-moderate infection caused by the country's dominant variant, now known as Beta. Oxford considers the variant top priority for vaccine developers, and AstraZeneca has targeted the development of new vaccines against variants by the autumn. Britain has committed to funding trials for the new adapted vaccine, which could be fast-tracked through the regulatory process following new guidance in March. Hancock's speech came before he hosts a summit of Group of Seven (G7) health ministers in Oxford, which starts on Thursday. He said that Britain had hit the milestone of giving three-quarters of adults a first COVID-19 vaccine dose and nearly half the population has received two doses of vaccine. Britain has so far reported 904 cases of the Beta variant in total. By contrast, in South Africa there is an average of 3,745 new cases each day, and only around 1 million out of a target of 40 million people have received a COVID-19 vaccine. Hancock did not say if the vaccines under negotiation would be donated or kept for use domestically. Earlier AstraZeneca Chief Executive Pascal Soriot said he was working with governments on increasing their pledged vaccine donations through the COVAX vaccine-sharing mechanism. Hancock said AstraZeneca, which has pledged not to make a profit from vaccines during the pandemic, had released half a billion doses of the shot for global supply so far. (Reporting by Alistair Smout in London, additional reporting by Olivia Kumwenda in Johannesburg; Editing by Aurora Ellis and Clelia Oziel) To provide efficient passport renewal services to a vast population of Filipino nationals living in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) an agreement has been reached. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), The Republic of the Philippines has extended its collaboration with VFS Global for five years by signing a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) at an official ceremony that was held in Manila, Philippines. KSA is one of the countries in the Middle East with the highest concentration of Filipino workers. To enhance customer experience and provide greater accessibility to customers in the KSA, the DFA outsourced the administrative and non-discretionary task of the passport renewal process to VFS Global in 2019. Subsequently, three Philippine ePassport Renewal Centres were launched in Riyadh, Jeddah and Al Khobar in October 2020. Prior to the launch of ePassport Renewal Centres, Philippine residents in the kingdom had to visit the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh or the Consulate in Jeddah for passport renewal. Customers now have an additional avenue to complete the process. In addition to the Centres in KSA, VFS Global also operates two ePassport Renewal Centres located in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, which are also part of MoA extension. Upon signing the agreement, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Brigido J. Dulay said: Partnering with an established outsourcing champion like VFS Global enabled the DFA to multiply its presence in the Middle East at zero cost to the Philippines government. With the renewal, we can now look at widening and implementing similar service centres in other countries. Since the launch in October 2020, the three centres have collectively processed over 47,000 passport applications as of 15 May 2021 amidst the pandemic impact. The centre operations are supported by well trained and professional employees who comprise of 10 Filipino citizens in addition to other nationalities. Attending the virtual signing ceremony, Chris Dix, Head of Business Development, VFS Global, who said: On behalf of VFS Global, I would like to thank the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Republic of the Philippines for their faith in us as we renew the ePassport Renewal Centre services. Our Passport and Consular services have been growing from strength to strength, and we continue to look forward to offering a world-class service experience in KSA, and possibly soon in other Middle Eastern counties, to ease the passport renewal process for Philippine nationals. -- TradeArabia News Service A California district attorney is losing patience with the killer who fatally shot a 6-year-old boy during a road rage attack, saying he will have "less sympathy" the longer the suspect takes to come forward. Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer issued a message Sunday to the killer of Aiden Leos, who was shot May 21 while riding in a car with his mother on State Route 55. In a tweet, Spitzer wrote "the longer this goes on... the less sympathy Ill have. You killed a 6 year old boy for Gods sake. Come forward. Turn yourself in." FAMILY MEMBERS HOLD VIGIL FOR AIDEN LEOS Leos' mother, Joanna Cloonan, told KNSD, the NBC-owned TV station in San Diego, she was driving her son, who was sitting in a booster seat on the rear passenger side, to school around 8:10 a.m. when a white Volkswagen cut her off in the city of Orange. She said a bullet went through the trunk of the car moments later and struck the boy. "I tried to save him by calling 911, but he was losing a lot of blood... he just didn't deserve that. No one deserves that," she said. Leos died at a nearby hospital. He recently celebrated his sixth birthday. Cloonan, who was uninjured, told another driver who pulled over to help that she had "flipped off" the car before shots were fired. Investigators are searching for a white 2018 or 2019 Volkswagen Golf SportWagen with a sunroof. They have released several images of the suspected vehicle in an effort to track down the driver. Cloonan said she saw a woman driving the car and a man in the passenger seat. A $400,000 reward also is being offered for information leading to an arrest. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP During a Friday appearance on Fox News Channel's "Americas Newsroom," Spitzer conveyed his frustration over the case. "I have run out of patience. I put out a warning yesterday. They have 24 hours to turn themselves in or Im really not going to have any consideration for their fate when I consider what charges to bring against them," he said. "Im not the district attorney of LA County or the district attorney of San Francisco. You did your crime in the wrong county and now you are going to have to face me," he added. "I am not one of these woke DAs who just looks the other way on these serious crimes and actually thinks that the shooter is a victim. These people killed a young person in cold blood." The discovery of a mass grave for 215 children in Canada last week -- at a former school for indigenous children -- is prompting calls for a nationwide search at other similar institutions for more burials. Indigenous groups in Canada are leading the calls, in an episode that has shocked the country. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says a search would be, quote, "an important part of discovering the truth" but did not make specific commitments. Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, the President of the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs, said the indigenous communities are working to figure out how to investigate. The discovery was first announced by the Tk'emlups te Secwepemc First Nation, prompting some people to lay hundreds of tiny shoes and flowers in public squares and in front of the Kamloops Indian Residential School -- where some as young as three years old were buried. Between 1831 and 1996, Canada's residential school system forcibly separated children from their families. Children were subject to abuse, malnutrition and rape. A commission tasked with investigating the system called it "cultural genocide" in 2015. The fourth volume of the commission's report identified 3,200 children who died at residential schools, about a third of whom were not named. 900 more children have been identified since the report's publication 6 years ago. Video Transcript - The discovery of a mass grave for 215 children in Canada last week at a former school for indigenous children is prompting calls for a nationwide search at other similar institutions for more burials. [MUSIC PLAYING] Indigenous groups in Canada are leading the calls in an episode that has shocked the country. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says a search would be, quote, "An important part of discovering the truth," but did not make specific commitments. Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, the president of the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs, said the indigenous communities are working to figure out how to investigate. The discovery was first announced by the Tk'emlups te Secwepemc First Nation, prompting some people to lay hundreds of tiny shoes and flowers in public squares and in front of the Kamloops Indian Residential School where some as young as three years old were buried. Between 1831 and 1996, Canada's residential school system forcibly separated children from their families. Children were subject to abuse, malnutrition, and rape. A commission tasked with investigating the system called it cultural genocide in 2015. The fourth volume of the commission's report identified 3,200 children who died at residential schools, about a third of whom were not named. 900 more children have been identified since the report's publication six years ago. TRENTON, N.J. (AP) A Canadian teenager accused of making a phony bomb threat to an Ivy League university in New Jersey last year has pleaded guilty to creating a false public alarm and was sentenced to two years of probation, The 16-year-old boy entered his plea Friday, according to the Mercer County Prosecutors Office. It was made public on Tuesday. The boy, who was 15 at the time, called the Princeton University Department of Public Safety on Sept. 19 and said he had placed improvised explosive devices in a least four locations, including the school's art museum, chapel, main library and Nassau Hall. The campus was largely empty at the time, as most classes were being taught remotely due to the coronavirus pandemic. The teen, whose name has not been released, was identified as a suspect in March after a multiagency investigation involving authorities in the United States and Canada. He was arrested without incident March 24 at his grandparents house in South Vacherie, Louisiana, a rural community between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. Authorities have not said why the boy made the false threat. Deshon Mcadory has been charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of 31-year-old Christian McDougald at his Chicago-area barbershop A barber in Chicago has been arrested and charged with murder after a customer refused to pay $15 for a haircut. Read More: Chicago dance instructor killed a few blocks away from studio Deshon Mcadory has been charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of 31-year-old Christian McDougald, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. The 40-year-old was held on $250,000 bail Sunday. According to Cook County Assistant States Attorney Kevin Meehan, McDougald began arguing with barbers in the business located in Maywood, a suburb of Chicago on May 27 around 4 p.m. As the argument escalated, McDougald followed Mcadory to the back of the shop. Mcadory then allegedly shot McDougald in the chest. Barbershop owner Deshon Mcadory allegedly killed a customer Christian McDougald . (Credit: Maywood Police Department) Authorities stated that a gun that is believed to the murder weapon was found in Mcadorys coat and witnesses identified Mcadory as the shooter. Furthermore, ammunition matching his shell casing were found in his car. McDougald was transported to Loyola University Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. Mcadorys attorney, Anthony Burch, claimed in court that Mcadory, who is licensed to carry, was retreating into the barbershop and characterized McDougald as the aggressor. Burch also positioned Mcadory as a model member of the community who has strong business ties in the area as hes employed independent contractors. He drew a contrast to McDougald who had two prior convictions, including a felony in 2004 for possessing cannabis. Mcadory was not the only person arrested in connection to McDougalds death. His business partner, 43-year-old Samuel Williams, was arrested for unlawful use of a weapon by a felon and also appeared in court on Sunday. Williams also has his own criminal record with four previous felony convictions. His bail was set at $25K. Samuel Williams was arrested for unlawful use of a weapon by a felon (Credit: Maywood Police Department) The shooting was captured on surveillance video and three guns that belonged to Williams were found at the shop. Both men will be in court again on Wednesday. Story continues McDougalds death came just as the city of Chicago suffered a number of fatalities which left four people killed and 28 injured over the Memorial Day weekend. According to the Sun-Times, shootings are up 36% in comparison to last year around this time. Superintendent David Brown lamented the spike in violence to ABC7. We have a lot of work to do, Brown said. No one is celebrating anything. Four people lost their lives over the weekend. Brown added that data will help officers figure out where they are needed the most. Were hyper-focused on the parts of the city that have the highest violence and once we have success there we try to scale that success, increase capacity while officer at the same time balancing officer wellness, Brown said. Read More: White journalist sues Chicago mayor over POC press policy Just the week prior, 48 people were shot in the city and 11 died of their injuries. As theGrio reported, Verndell Vee Smith, a 32-year-old Chicago dance instructor, was recently shot and killed. Mayor Lori Lightfoot held a press conference in which she stressed holistic interventions and solutions. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. This is exactly how public safety is supposed to work, not law enforcement alone, Lightfoot said. We know thats a failed approachWe have to be united together if were going to be successful. Have you subscribed to theGrios podcast Dear Culture? Download our newest episodes now! TheGrio is now on Apple TV, Amazon Fire, and Roku. Download theGrio today! The post Chicago barber accused of killing client who refused to pay for haircut appeared first on TheGrio. Officer Evan Solano shot 22-year-old Anthony Alvarez, who was holding a gun but did not raise or point it, in the back and knee during a foot chase in March. Bystander video shows Solano holding a gun at another driver and following him. Video Transcript STEVEN FINE: It was a very hostile, confrontational, volatile environment that this officer created. DANA REBIK: Just after 6:00 PM on May 21, two male drivers got into a screaming match in the 2900 block of West Logan Boulevard. - He decided to wait until he made his left turn. He was just very aggressively honking, trying to get him to move. DANA REBIK: Witnesses pulled out their cell phones and recorded as the situation escalated. The driver in the white SUV got out and confronts the man in the red Ford Mustang, believed to be Chicago police officer Evan Solano, who is currently under investigation for the fatal shooting of Anthony Alvarez, an incident that just happened two months ago. Here, you can see Officer Solano with a gun in his hand. The other man can be heard telling him he has children in his car. - You pulled a gun on me. I got kids in the car. - And all of a sudden, I just kind of quickly heard that "hey, put that gun away. I don't have anything on me, I don't have any weapons." And the guy in the white car was walking backwards. DANA REBIK: On March 31, Officer Solano fatally shot 22-year-old Anthony Alvarez in Portage Park. Alvarez was walking near a gas station and was carrying a gun, but he did not raise or point it during a foot chase. Alvarez was shot in his back and left knee. CHELSEA VANOVERMEIREN: That's absolutely devastating, and the family is aware of the situation here. DANA REBIK: Attorneys for the Alvarez family plan to use these videos in a civil case against the officer, who is on extended administrative duty pending the outcome of the shooting investigation. STEVEN FINE: Obviously, he's under the microscope from the Alvarez incident, but he still cannot control himself to the point where he is no longer putting other individuals in danger. Clearly, he's not understanding the significance of his behavior, and he should be separated from the department. We're hoping that the city takes the appropriate action in this case. DANA REBIK: The Chicago Police Department Bureau of Internal Affairs is investigating this road rage incident. But police officials would not confirm the identity of the officer seen in those videos. BEIJING (AP) A Chinese government spokesperson on Tuesday rejected an Australian writer's complaint that he was tortured during interrogation before being put on trial on spying charges. The Foreign Ministry spokesperson also accused Australia of unfounded provocation after its foreign minister said Yang Hengjuns incarceration since January 2019 was arbitrary detention. There is no arbitrary detention or forced confession with torture on Yang Jun, said spokesperson Wang Wenbin, referring to Yang by the name used by Chinese officials. We advise the Australian side to stop finger-pointing and unfound provocation against Chinas rule of law, stop hyping the issue or exerting pressures to grossly interfere with Chinas judicial sovereignty, Wang said. The case has added to strains in Chinese-Australian relations that are at their chilliest in decades following disputes over technology, security and the coronavirus. Yang, a crime novelist and blogger, said he asked the judge ahead of his trial last week to exclude records of his interrogation because he was tortured, according to a copy of his account seen by The Associated Press. Its illegal. Torture, Yang said in the account circulated to his supporters. He didn't say how the judge responded. The court held a closed trial on Thursday and gave no indication of when a verdict would be released. Chinese authorities have not released any details of the charges against Yang, who reportedly formerly worked for the countrys Ministry of State Security as an intelligence agent. Yang said the judge refused his request to submit evidence and call witnesses during the trial, but agreed to include almost 100 pages of defense documents in his file. Yang has denied the allegations. A conviction is virtually certain. Chinese law prohibits use of confessions forced by torture or threats. Yang's account said he was tired and confused during the hearing and didnt have the spirit to speak enough. He said he spoke for less than five minutes in his own defense, but that the hearing gave me a sense that things are OK. Story continues Possible penalties range from three years in prison to the death penalty. Beijing has blocked imports of Australian beef, wine, coal and other goods in retaliation for enacting legislation against foreign interference in politics, excluding telecom equipment giant Huawei from Australia's next-generation phone network and calling for an investigation into the origin of the coronavirus that emerged in China in late 2019. Australia warned its citizens of a risk of arbitrary detention in China in July 2020. Australian diplomats have visited Yang in detention, but Ambassador Graham Fletcher was denied entry to last week's trial. In September, reporters Michael Smith of the Australian Financial Review and Bill Birtles of the Australian Broadcasting Corp. left China following demands by police to question them. That left Australian news outlets without any reporters in China. Before their departure, Chinese police questioned both journalists about Australian citizen Cheng Lei, a business news anchor for CGTN, the English-language news channel of Chinese state television, who was detained a month earlier. Hawaii police said the search continues for a Nebraska college student who went missing after a camping trip. Samuel Martinez, 23, of Nebraska, flew to Kauai on May 12 to camp and hike on the island, Kauai police said in a Facebook post. Martinez was expected to return to Nebraska on May 25 but didnt make his flight, police said. A missing person case was filed to the Lincoln (Nebraska) Police Department, which contacted Kauai police. Flight and safe travel records show that Martinez landed on the island May 12, was screened at Lihue Airport and had booked eight permits at campsites in different locations, including the Kalalau Trail and Kokee State Park, according to authorities. Martinezs father, Ted Martinez, said the last time his family heard from his son was after he landed in Kauai and went to a grocery store 20 miles from the airport, the Fremont Tribune reported. Martinez is a senior microbiology student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The family is staying hopeful, according to the publication. Its just as likely that hes helping rescue somebody right now to get them out of harms way, as it is as that hes lost or hes hurt, Ted Martinez said. Thats who Samuel is. Police said Tuesday that the Kauai Fire Department, the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Kauai Civil Air Patrol and Kauai Search and Rescue looked for Martinez on Monday. The aerial search has been suspended but volunteers will continue to search the ground, according to police. The last ping from Martinezs cell phone was around 8:20 p.m. on May 12 near Waimea and Kokee state parks, authorities said. Unfortunately, we havent found any sign of Mr. Martinez throughout our searches. We also havent encountered anyone who has accurately identified him and his whereabouts, Investigative Services Bureau Assistant Chief Bryson Ponce said. At this point, there are several possibilities that could have taken place, especially on an island with dangerous terrain in places like Waimea Canyon and Kokee State Park trails, but we are still hoping for the best. Martinez is around 6 feet tall, weighs around 180 pounds and has brown hair and brown eyes. Inhabitants of Colombia's third largest city reacted with fear and suspicion to the sight of soldiers patrolling the streets of Cali, but others have been cheering them. Cali has been the epicenter of civil unrest since protests sprang up around the country on April 28, initially against a tax hike that would have mostly effected the middle classes, amid economic pain caused by the pandemic. According to the NGO Indepaz, at least 44 of 71 deaths recorded during the month-old protests were in Cali, where the mayor's office said there have been 550 people injured. Last Friday, before night fell, Cali's 2.2 million inhabitants -- accustomed to the trauma of violent drug cartels operating in their city -- faced a new nightmare scenario. Civilians wearing bullet-proof vests and carrying weapons fired at protesters as the police watched. That day Colombia was marking one month of protests, and 13 people in the city were killed. According to authorities, eight of those had been shot. President Ivan Duque announced that same day he would deploy the military in Cali to help police, who were widely criticized internationally for the repression of demonstrators. During a tour of the city, an AFP team found rubble, piles of rubbish, destroyed road signs, broken windows and even a bullet casing. Since then, soldiers have been deployed to protect government buildings and shops, many of which had already been looted. As they pass, drivers honk their horns in support of the troops. "Unfortunately the army didn't arrive in time. They totally vandalized the Torre Empresarial building, and many businesses that lost everything," said Angela Sguerra, a 42-year-old doctor from the exclusive Ciudad Jardin neighborhood. But she added that, the soldiers "make us feel more protected." - 'Get out!' - The mood is different in the working class Siloe neighborhood, which has been through some bloody days since the protests began. Story continues "So far we've had no problems," Juliana Bonilla, 28, told AFP. Siloe is one of several parts of the city where protesters are nervously waiting for the arrival of the soldiers. "There have been clashes and friction with police so we're more cautious than ever," said Bonilla. Siloe also shows the signs of violence, including a torched shop from which firefighters pulled the charred remains of a man. Elizabeth Serna, 40, says the government "militarized" the city without listening to young people left destitute by the coronavirus pandemic and weary of the lockdowns. They are the ones who have taken to the streets to demand from solidarity from the government, as well as job and educational opportunities. Duque visited the city on Saturday and while he was applauded in some parts, others shouted: "Get out!" One youngster yelled in his face: "You're killing us. We don't forgive you." Despite the deployment of troops, neither they nor police have approached the road blocks set up around the city by some protesters. One such demonstrator stands guard on top of a communal bin, surveying with binoculars who was entering or leaving the neighborhood. Nearby a man comes out of a tent and fires a gun in the air. Julian Rojas, 23, with his face painted in the colors of Colombia's flag, ties himself to an electricity pole and says he's beginning a hunger striker to support demonstrators. "We haven't had a military presence" in the streets, he says, but adds that he's seen helicopters and planes circling over the barricades. Businesswoman Lilibeth Tejada, 41, says she's happy the military have arrived. She wants them to reestablish order so she won't have to "defend my business when they come to loot it." str-vel/dl/dga/bc/dw Army veterans and their families gathered at Colorado Springs Evergreen Cemetery this Memorial Day to pay tribute to fallen soldiers. At the cemetery are buried soldiers from the Civil War to World War II, and a lone Buffalo Soldier, George Mason. One of the attendees on Monday was Brandon Wheeler, an Iraq War veteran and member of Living History Colorado, a group dedicated to preserving the memory of the United States Armed Forces. "One of the worst things that could ever happen after someone goes is to literally forget them," Wheller told KDVR, the Fox-affiliated TV station in Denver. "By having a point in time where you are kind of forced to remember, it helps you remember those who are lost, regardless if you knew them or not." MEMORIAL DAY 2021: WHAT EVENTS ARE HAPPENING DURING THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND? Wheeler, who is now a journalism student at the Metropolitan State University of Denver, says he has a particular friend in mind, Christopher Horton, who was killed in Afghanistan in September 2011. "Its one of those where I try to make sure that whatever I am doing in life honors him but is also going to make him proud," Wheeler said. Another attendee was Tray Quinn, who was representing the Buffalo Soldiers' legacy, led a procession to the gravesite of George Mason. Mason, who was a Buffalo Soldier in the early 20th century, was buried at the gravesite in 1929. Buffalo Soldiers were African American cavalry and infantry regiments created after Congress passed the Army Organization Act in 1866. Their service officially came to an end shortly after President Harry Truman ended racial segregation in the armed forces in 1948. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP "Im very happy to be out here, Im very excited to have been able to do this again," Quinn told KKTV, the CBS affiliated TV station in Colorado Springs. "This my sixth year doing this. I wouldnt miss it for the world, whether it was rain or shine." By Foo Yun Chee BRUSSELS (Reuters) -Daimler has agreed to pay Nokia for using its patents, ending a row that highlighted a battle between tech and car companies over royalties for key technologies. Nokia, which makes 1.4 billion euros ($1.7 billion) in licensing revenues every year, and carmaker Daimler had sued each other in German courts in recent years, with mixed results. Tech firms want automakers to pay royalties for technologies used in navigation systems, vehicle communications and self-driving cars, but the latter say their suppliers should pay instead, which could reduce the fees for patent holders. The agreement announced jointly on Tuesday marks the latest win for Nokia which in April struck a deal with China's Lenovo under which the world's biggest PC maker would make a net balancing payment to the Finnish telecoms equipment maker and resolve all pending litigation. That followed a deal with Samsung the previous month in which the South Korean company agreed to make royalty payments for its technologies related to video standards. Nokia and Daimler did not disclose the terms of their patent licensing deal, but said they would halt litigation. The German carmaker has to date never paid Nokia for using its patents. "We welcome the settlement, from an economic point of view and because we avoid lengthy ... disputes," a Daimler spokeswoman said. The deal is good news for Nokia, said Danske Bank analyst Mads Rosendal. "The revenue stream is not likely to be material but at the very least it will be very stable and high margin. Also, ending of the dispute should save a fair amount of legal costs going forward. Slightly credit positive for Nokia, in our view," he said. According to sources familiar with the settlement, Nokia receives fees of a little over $2 per vehicle under patent licensing deals for similar technologies. The end of the dispute means a German court's request last year to the Luxembourg-based Court of Justice, Europe's highest, for guidance on the issue will be moot. Story continues However, German car parts maker Continental, which together with Daimler, Bury Technologies, Valeo and Thales-owned Gemalto complained about Nokia's patent fees to EU antitrust regulators in 2019, said it was not dropping its complaint nor legal fight in the United States. It urged the European Commission to set out a binding patent licensing framework. "It must ... define this framework otherwise European companies will face an insurmountable competitive disadvantage in the future market of the Internet of Things compared to Asian and American market participants," Continental board member and head of its vehicle networking and information business unit Helmut Matschi said in a statement. Audi, Bentley, BMW, Mini, Porsche, Rolls Royce, Seat, Skoda, Volkswagen and Volvo already pay patent fees to Nokia. ($1 = 0.8179 euros) (Reporting by Foo Yun Chee Additional reporting by Supantha Mukherjee in Stockholm and Nick Carey in LondonEditing by Alexander Smith and Mark Potter) Chinas time-honored White Rabbit sweets glow again with new vitality People's Daily Online) 16:50, May 31, 2021 White Rabbit, a well-established Chinese brand of milk candy and a household name in China, is now glowing again with new vitality after launching creative products and targeting young customers. The Shanghai-based brands latest move is the opening of its first franchise shop in an arts center in the city on June 1. A cold drinks shop is set up by White Rabbit, a time-honored Chinese candy brand, in Shanghai. (Photo/Courtesy of White Rabbit) According to Zhang Hui, brand manager of White Rabbit, the 200-square-meter franchise shop was designed by a famous designer. All White Rabbit sweets and creative products are available at the shop, and new products will also make their debut, Zhang said. Were confident that the shop will become a must-go destination for customers to relive their sweet memories, Zhang added, with a smile. Photo shows a series of White Rabbits creative products. (Photo/Courtesy of White Rabbit) Zhang attributed the brand's success to the exploration of its cultural value, cooperation with other brands, as well as a surge in young consumers' interest in domestic brands and products that incorporate Chinese traditional style and culture. To meet market demand, White Rabbit has always emphasized the quality of its products and the necessity to attract young customers, Zhang explained. In 2018, White Rabbit launched a creamy flavored lip balm, which received positive responses from customers. Since then, the brand has rolled out a hand cream, perfume, milk tea, ice cream, and even clothes. In 2019, which coincides with the 60th anniversary of White Rabbit, the brand set up pop-up shops in cities across the country to promote its sales, which were very popular among customers. Thanks to such innovative measures, the iconic White Rabbit sweets rank as the best-selling milk candies in Chinas domestic market. (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) The worlds first test of a 30% natural gas/hydrogen blend in the forging processes used in industrial steelmaking was held in Rho (province of Milan), at the Forgiatura A Vienna plant. The trial involved the use of the hydrogen/gas mix to heat the furnaces of the Forgiatura A. Vienna plant and was successfully carried out on site after a series of studies and laboratory tests lasting about a year. The companies involved in the initiative were: Snam, one of the worlds leading energy infrastructure companies and developer and promoter of the project; RINA, a multinational inspection, certification and engineering consultancy, which handled the engineering analyses and laboratory phase; and GIVA Group, a global leader in steelmaking, which made Forgiatura Vienna available for the field test. The blend of methane and hydrogen was supplied by Sapio, an Italian company specialising in the production and marketing of industrial and medical gases. Marco Alvera CEO of Snam commented: In the medium to long term, hydrogen is in a position to become the solution for decarbonising steelmaking as well as all hard-to-abate industrial sectors that have a fundamental role in our economy. This trial is a preparatory step to the gradual introduction of zero-emission hydrogen, initially blended with natural gas and then in pure form, in certain steelmaking production processes. Snam intends to make its infrastructure, research and expertise available to contribute to the creation of a national hydrogen supply chain and to the achievement of domestic and European climate targets. Ugo Salerno, Chairman and CEO of Rina added: This test is the concrete proof that Italys hydrogen production chain can significantly contribute to decarbonising complex and energy-intensive industries such as steelmaking. At Rina we are proud to play an active role in the ongoing energy transition, more specifically in such events where we can share our energy and industrial know-how. Jacopo Longhi Vienna, from the Giva Group said: Hydrogen can be a great ally to our Group. On one side, increasingly stringent measures on CO2 emissions coupled with our willingness to reduce the environmental impact from our production processes, move us towards finding a solution. On the other, the use of hydrogen could create a driving market for valves and actuators produced by Groups subsidiaries. This project only marks the beginning of a path we will be involved in for years to come. The use of the hydrogen and natural gas blend did not require any plant modifications and had no impact either on the equipment used (industrial burners) or on the characteristics of the final heat-treated product. The projects potential in terms of environmental sustainability and economic competitiveness is significant. It is estimated that the permanent use of a 30% green hydrogen blend, fuelled by renewables, on the total gas consumed by the three GIVA Groups steel forging plants for its industrial processes would lead to a significant reduction in CO2 emissions in the order of 15,000 tonnes per year, equivalent to 7,500 cars. It would consequently result into CO2 emissions savings amounting to approx. 800,000 euros per year (calculated on the current purchase of certificates) while ensuring the value and integrity of the steel forging manufacturing process and its long-term environmental sustainability. Steel is also the material through which pipelines are made; these pipes will play a fundamental role in transporting hydrogen whereby supplying final customers. The use of hydrogen in hard-to-abate industrial applications such as steelmaking will play a key role in achieving domestic and EU climate neutrality targets by 2050. Looking ahead, green hydrogen is the ideal solution for CO2-free steelmaking and processing. Snam is committed to having its infrastructure hydrogen-ready for transporting increasing amounts of hydrogen and to promoting its use in high-potential industrial sectors, including the iron and steel industry. -- TradeArabia News Service Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on CNN. CNN Sen. Ted Cruz called the US military "woke" and "emasculated" last month. The defense secretary told CNN that adversaries could use such attacks to undermine the US. Cruz had shared a video unfavorably contrasted the US Army with Russia's. Sign up for the 10 Things in Politics daily newsletter. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Monday hit back at a recent tweet by Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas that unfavorably contrasted US military recruitment videos with Russia's, and accused it of being "woke" and "emasculated." In a Memorial Day interview with CNN, Austin defended the US military against the swipe and, though he did not name the Texas senator, he suggested that such messages played into the hands of the US' adversaries, Russia and China. "It is not too soft. It will never be too soft," Austin said of the US military. "You know, I think our adversaries would like to capitalize on talking points like that - you know, the Chinese, the Russians. I welcome them to do that because what this department, what Lloyd Austin is focused on is the defense of our nation." "I will not lose one minute of sleep about what the Chinese leadership is saying or what Vladimir Putin is saying," Austin said. "What I will focus on, and what I am focused on, is the defense of this nation." Last month Cruz retweeted a video that contrasted a US Army recruitment video, an animation showing a female recruit discussing her life, with one from Russia, which showed bare-chested male recruits training. Insider has traced the meme back to far-right pro-Kremlin networks on social media. In the interview Austin, the first Black defense secretary, defended the inclusive message of the US military's recruitment campaign. "I think we're doing a great job in terms of recruiting the right kinds of people, providing access to people from every corner, every walk of life in this country," Austin told CNN. "As long as you're fit and you can qualify, there's a place for you on this team." Read the original article on Business Insider By Liz Hampton DENVER (Reuters) - Small U.S. oilfield service companies are selling equipment and shutting their doors as business activity shrank last year and contract prices have remained below profitable levels despite oil-price gains. The companies that provide equipment and services to the shale oil industry were among the hardest hit after the coronavirus pandemic sent oil prices reeling to record lows last year. The departures of loss-making businesses have raised the hopes of larger firms that industry margins will rise. The exit of those firms could help pricing recover across the industry. Discounted prices offered by less powerful competitors have hurt what larger service companies can charge, said Chris Wright, chief executive of hydraulic fracturing company Liberty Oilfield Services, in an interview. "You're always impacted by pricing from competitors," said Wright, whose firm is the second largest U.S. fracker. "Weaker and lower-tech competitors are struggling to get work. They offer very low prices, and not prices they can sustain for the long-term. We do not match those prices." Oklahoma City-based fracking company Legend Oilfield & Energy Services in May said it was ceasing some operations and laid off 118 employees at it Longview, Texas, facility. The company operates oilfield equipment in Texas and North Dakota. Permian International Auctions this month will auction off all of ABC Rental Tool Company's equipment in New Mexico in a sale that includes real estate. In Louisiana, S3 Pump Service last week auctioned off its equipment in a complete liquidation of its business, according to a brochure from Superior Energy Auctioneers. A person who answered the phone at Legend Energy Services declined to answer questions. S3 Pump Services and ABC Rental Tool could not be reached for comment. "We're at about the bottom for pricing that we expected," said Mark Chapman, vice president of oilfield services intelligence at consultancy Enverus. "There are some indications that [an increase] is around the corner." Larger service firms have been disciplined about not putting equipment to work without reasonable returns, Chapman said, while smaller companies "have been more desperate." (Reporting by Liz Hampton in Denver; Editing by Aurora Ellis) Amusement parks have dress codes, and many get enforced when the temperature goes up. Its also not uncommon for a dress code "violator" to be offered a branded clothing item, so they can fit the code and not have to exit the premises. But, not every park will do this with a $75 shirt. Thats what happened to Amanda DiMeo when she visited Walt Disney Worlds Magic Kingdom in mid-May, according to a viral TikTok video she shared at the time. DISNEY MAKES DRESS CODE MORE INCLUSIVE FOR THEME PARK EMPLOYEES The video, which was captioned as a "Free Disney shirt hack" on May 19 shows DiMeo was able to get a pink shirt from one of the parks gift shops. According to DiMeo, a cast member informed her that her crop top was a little too cropped for the parks liking. She was then offered a ticket that directed her to the nearest gift shop. In her own words, "I just got a $75 t-shirt just because I was wearing a shirt that was exposing my under-boob a little bit." SIX FLAGS THEME PARK GUEST SAYS SHE WAS KICKED OUT, HARASSED OVER TOO-SHORT SHORTS DiMeos viral video has been viewed more than 25.1 million times and has received more than 5.1 million likes on the video-sharing app. "I didnt know there was a specific dress code for Disney especially since I wore the shirt one other time to Magic Kingdom and no one said anything about it the last time," DiMeo told Fox News. "The voucher limit for a shirt was $50 but I had the cashier ask the manager if I could get the $75 spirit jersey and the manager approved the order." "Everyone was super nice about the whole process and I didnt expect the video [to go] that viral," she added. SIX FLAGS RESPONDS TO GUESTS CLAIM SHE WAS KICKED OUT OVER SHORTS: REPORT Representatives at Disney Parks did not immediately respond to Fox News request for comment. Many commenters under DiMeos video showed support or saw the humor in the situation. "Guess Im taking a road trip to Disney," one TikTok user wrote. Story continues "I think I have a way to get some free Disney pants," another user joked. Meanwhile, a different TikTok user commented: "Take advantage of misogyny." CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The shirt complimentary shirt DiMeo appears to have gotten is the Walt Disney World Briar Rose Gold Glitter Spirit Jersey, which the park considers a "premium pullover" thats made out of 100% cotton. According to the shopDisney website, the shirt retails for $69.99 not including tax. In terms of Walt Disney Worlds dress code, the parks website says "the parks are family friendly" and that the company "reserves the right to deny admission to or remove any person wearing attire that is considered inappropriate or attire that could detract from the experience of other Guests." CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER While DiMeos viral video has a happy ending, it was posted days after another woman was booted from Six Flags Frontier City in Oklahoma for reportedly wearing shorts that were deemed to be too short by theme park security guards. From left: Mariana Flores, Itzel Schnaas and two anonymous women who are among the group who have accused Andres Roemer of sexual harassment, abuse and rape. Photographed in Mexico City on May 24. Credit - Tania Franco Klein for TIME For Itzel Schnaas, a 31-year-old professional ballet dancer in Mexico City, going public was her insurance policy. If the plan worked, she believed a world-famous public intellectual, with ties to Mexicos government and major media conglomerates, would be exposed as a sex offender, and she could be protected from him and his powerful friends. They couldnt go after her if the world was watching, especially if other women came forward too. On Feb. 15, she posted a nearly seven-minute YouTube video excoriating the man: It turns out that I had barely been born when you started violating women and sowing fear to obtain their silence, you miserable ahole, she says in Spanish. You ought to be scared of us. Because I am certain that many other women are going to add their accusations to this one. They did. Since then, 36 women have publicly accused Andres Roemer, leveling charges of sexual harassment, abuse and rape on social media and in the press. At least six have formally accused the 57-year-old before the Mexico City prosecutors office, Mexico Citys attorney general confirmed on May 24. In February, UNESCO stripped him of his Goodwill Ambassador title, and Columbia University, where he was a visiting scholar, cut ties with him. On May 5, amid reports that Roemer was in Israel, a Mexico City judge issued a warrant for his arrest for rape. His assets were frozen the same day. On May 21, Mexico Citys attorney general announced that a second warrant for Roemers arrest had been issued and that her office was preparing an extradition request from Israel. Roemer has denied the accusations. I have never raped, assaulted, threatened or used any type of violence against any woman, he said in a statement to Radio Formula on May 6. Roemers assistant did not make him available for comment for this story. Story continues Itzel Schnaas video changed everything, says Maria Scherer, a journalist who started investigating rumors about abuse by Roemer years ago when, she says, it was still an open secret. Roemers alleged crimes are comparable in scope and style to those of Harvey Weinstein. Like the former film producer, Roemers power and statuscemented by friendships with the likes of former Mexican President Vicente Fox and billionaire Ricardo Salinas Pliego, both witnesses at his 2018 weddinghelped ensure his alleged victims silence. He also benefited from a legal system that practically guarantees impunity: according to one study, only 5% of sexual abuse or rape cases in Mexico end in a sentence. Its very hard to get proof like a video, medical evidence or something that proves the aggression, says Viridiana Valganon, a lawyer with Mexican womens-rights organization Equis. You come face to face with the machinery of patriarchal justice, because your word, as a female victim, is doubted at every turn. For years, Roemers accusers chipped away at the wall of silence that protects men, and especially powerful men, in a country where neither feminism nor the movement against gender violence had yet gone mainstream. When Schnaas roared her accusation, it was amplified by their efforts, and taken up on social media and WhatsApp to create a community of previously siloed victims. Now, an open secret has become an international political scandal. For Roemer, the beginning of the end started with his flagship project. La Ciudad de las Ideasknown in English as the Festival of Brilliant Minds, a conference similar to TED Talks, has been held nearly every November since 2008 in Puebla, in east-central Mexico. (The 2020 festival was pushed to December by COVID-19.) For four days, some of the worlds most innovative thinkers, including Michio Kaku, Christopher Hitchens, Werner Herzog and Alain de Botton, would debate ideas before an audience of thousands. Its become a cultural touchstone, into which the state of Puebla has injected at least $17 million since 2007. Roemer, the festivals founder and curator, is constantly on the move, dashing across the whale-shaped dome that hosts the event to moderate a panel, introduce a speaker or emcee. He is the literal face of the festival: in a three-minute 2020 promotional video, Roemer appears at least 17 times. Itzel Schnass photographed in Mexico City on May 24. Tania Franco Klein for TIME In her own video, and in interviews with TIME, Schnaas set out her account of her dealings with Roemerone sharply disputed by Roemer himself. As Schnaas describes it, they first met in 2019 backstage at the festival, where Mexicos upper crust, including billionaire Salinas, Roemers friend and the owner of media conglomerate Grupo Salinas that sponsors the festival, milled about eating canapes and drinking wine proffered by waiters in formal attire. Schnaas father is an architect and a judge for the Mexican Sailing Federation, an elite club whose members include some of Mexicos wealthiest citizens. This was a familiar world to her, albeit one she regards with a degree of ironic detachment. (At 18, as a rising star in Mexican ballet, she had tossed her tiaras and tutus aside in favor of contemporary dance and a philosophy degree.) At the urging of mutual acquaintances, Schnaas and Roemer exchanged numbers to discuss a potential artistic collaboration for the following years festival. They set a date to meet later that month. According to Schnaas, thats when Roemer started acting strangely. He changed their meetings location at the last minute from a restaurant to a place he did not disclose as his home. After Schnaas arrived at a large stone house in the Mexico City neighborhood of Roma, a domestic worker ushered her into a room whose function seemed to fall somewhere between library, movie theater and lounge. When Roemer entered, what Schnaas had expected to be a professional meeting then soon devolved into farce. Roemer incessantly interrupted her to comment on her physique, how sexy he thought dancers were and how much he wished hed married one. She says she felt a combination of shock and repulsion when, she says, he stroked her legs and masturbated, finally pulling out a wad of cash and instructing her to buy an expensive dress for the next time. "It was clear to me. ...I didnt know what I was going to do yet, but I knew I was going to do it." When he let her out of the house, Schnaas says she tore away on her motorcycle in a fury. She was well versed in handling and deflecting mens unwanted advances. I was a girl who grew up in a world of dance where, when you were 10 or 15 years old, choreographers would tell you that until you had a certain amount of sexual experience, you wouldnt be an artist, she says. But something about Roemers brazennessand a strong suspicion she was not the first, nor the worst treatedcompelled her to take action. It was clear to me. I knew he was a f-cking rapist. I didnt know what I was going to do yet, but I knew I was going to do it, she says. Since Grupo Salinas sponsored the Festival of Brilliant Minds and Roemer hosted his own show on the companys network, it made sense to strike there. She told a friend of her fathers who worked there what had happened, and asked for his help getting the word out. But when the coronavirus pandemic hit Mexico in March 2020, her grievance took a backseat. She persisted until finally, in November 2020, Schnaas says the companys Gender Unitan office created a year earlier to address reports of sexual harassment and violenceagreed to open a case. Schnaas says that during an in-person meeting in December 2020, the director of the unit described Roemer as a serial aggressor, but said that since Schnaas was not an employee at Grupo Salinas, they could not take legal steps. The director of the Gender Unit declined to comment to TIME. The director of editorial strategy at Grupo Salinas said that though the Gender Unit was made aware of Schnaas case, no investigation was carried out. So Schnaas looked outside the company. She turned to a feminist collective, the United Mexican Journalists (PUM), which had spearheaded a #MeToo campaign in Mexican media in March 2019. She had been feeling discouraged and starting to doubt whether her experience even warranted her efforts, but her resolve returned when the collective informed her that theyd named Roemer in accusations published on Twitter. They were only three among 242 total #MeToo accusations PUM had posted at the time, and did not include the names of the accusers, but reading them, Schnaas could hardly believe how close they hewed to her own experience: business meetings meant to take place in a public setting and then, at the last minute, moved to Roemers home. His promises to jump-start their careers. She was heartbroken by one in particular, in which a young woman claimed Roemer had raped her after pulling the same moves in 2017. If I hadnt read the previous #MeToo accusations and seen that the exact same thing had happened before, I would have probably minimized or discredited my own story, she says. PUM suggested Schnaas pen a fourth accusation. She wanted to film a video instead. And she wanted to publish it in February. I wanted this to be a f-cking bomb for March 8, she says. The 2020 International Womens Day in Mexico Citymere weeks before lockdown measures halted public lifehad been epic, one of the largest protests globally that day, and the largest protest of any kind in Mexico in recent memory. In the last few years, the womens-rights movement, centering around demands to address a skyrocketing femicide epidemic in the face of the states inaction, had rapidly bloomed in Mexico, and Schnaas wanted to capitalize on the momentum. On Feb. 9, she took to Facebook, posting: Last year I denounced Dr. Roemer, Andres Isaac Roemer Slomianski is an abuser. Two days later, Schnaas received a WhatsApp message from a woman named Lidia Camacho. She was a friend of Roemers, and wanted to talk. They met for coffee, and over the course of several other meetings over the next few days, Camacho pleaded Roemers case and asked Schnaas to meet with him to talk it out. On the morning of Feb. 14, Schnaas and Roemer met in a cafe with witnesses in tow: Camacho and Javier Contreras, Schnaas friend and a choreographer at Mexicos National Institute of Fine Arts and Literature. Schnaas read Roemer the script she planned to read in the video she was planning to make soon. She wore the same pale blue collared dress shed worn two years earlier, the first time theyd metshe liked the symmetry. Contreras, Schnaas witness, says Roemer pleaded with her not to post the video, and attempted to dissuade her by arguing that different kinds of narratives may exist for the same event, citing as an example the 1950 film Rashomon, which, through multiple narratives, questions the notion of a single truth. Roemer then gave Schnaas a set of books, including The Secret Lives of Men and Womena compilation of postcards containing racy musings such as, I sit in meetings and imagine who likes it rough. Roemers account of his dealings with Schnaas is quite different. In a later tweet, he wrote he seriously denied the abuse allegation and said he and Schnaas talked it out during their Feb. 14 meeting. For Schnaas, nothing was resolved. Meeting over, she says she raced to the home of her longtime friend and fellow dancer Ricardo Encinas, and told him to grab his camera and start rolling. In a furious but steady voice, she read the same text she had just delivered to Roemer. She says it felt like she was still reading to him. She posted the video the next day, and the messages started pouring in. Women across Mexico and as far as San Francisco and New York got in touch with Schnaas via Facebook and Instagram, most with stories of misconduct concerning Roemer. Theyd exchange numbers and call. Im talking about two-hour-long calls late at night, crying, total catharsis, Schnaas says. Over a month and a half, Schnaas says she fielded about 80 calls. Most simply wanted to talk and werent sure about going public with their stories. But a few, like Talia Margolis, were ready. Margolis, a 32-year-old communications manager, says she met Roemer in 2009. She was a volunteer at a Jewish community center and was working on a project to award scholarships to teens to attend the Brilliant Minds festival. A few weeks after seeing him give a talk at his office, she was out walking with a friend when she spotted him seated at a cafe and approached to say hello. After briefly chatting, Roemer proposed that she drop by his house to interview for a position with the festival. Margolis thought this was a golden opportunity and accepted. Meeting in his home did not strike her as a concern. He was a trusted member of the Jewish community and she felt safe. On the appointed day, she sat in the entertainment room as Roemer asked about her studies and described the festival. Thenout of the blue, as she recalls ithe complimented her on her breasts, and later asked if she was clean-shaven in her pubic area. She cut the meeting short and left, feeling utterly humiliated. She never heard back about the job. In 2019, when #MeToo hit, Margolis says she decided to publicly share her experience and got in touch with journalist Maria Scherer who was investigating Roemer for a podcast on his alleged behavior. She sat for an interview, but Scherer had to drop the project after other women backed out, and Margolis was left without an outlet until she saw Schnaas video on Feb. 15. She reached out to Schnaas, and they talked about what they should do next. I told myself, This cant end here, Margolis says. On Feb. 18, when she had PUM publish her own statement, Margolis became the fifth person to publicly accuse Roemer, after Schnaas and the three anonymous women from 2019. That same day, Monserrat Ortiz came forward. Ortiz, a 27-year-old journalist, met Roemer in 2017. She had been working for TV Azteca, Grupo Salinas flagship media company, as a TV reporter for six months when she was assigned to interview Roemer about the festival. After finding her on Facebook a few days afterward, Roemer messaged with a work proposal involving some translation and writing and suggested he make a reservation somewhere for them to discuss it. Ortiz was dying to writethat was the reason shed gotten into journalism in the first placeand she figured the gig might open doors. Besides, she could use the money. She accepted. But on the day of the meeting, she says Roemer sent her a message with a change of plans. He sent a chauffeur to drive her to a new location, which ended up being his house. After being ushered into the entertainment room, she says Roemer locked the door behind them. Then, while insistently staring at her legs, she says he came out with a completely different job proposal from the one hed originally pitched: a game-show hostess. She replied that she wasnt interested; she was a journalist. She tried to steer the conversation back to the original offer. But without warning, she says, he started masturbating in front of her, and then raped her. When he was done, she says he pulled out some cash and told her to buy an expensive dress for their next meeting. She also says he told her that if she uttered a word about that evening, he would make sure she never got hired in media again. Afraid Roemer would make good on his threat, Ortiz kept quiet about the incident. (Roemer told El Pais he denies Ortizs rape allegation and said he does not know her.) "She described things that were so similar to what happened to me. I told myself, 'Now is the time.'" In March 2019, when PUM started publishing #MeToo accusations on Twitter, Ortiz wrote a statement about the alleged assault and asked the collective to post it anonymously. (She was still working for TV Azteca.) It was the statement that, nearly two years later, convinced Schnaas to make the video. Ortiz spotted it while scrolling through her social media feeds on Feb. 18. She described things that were so similar to what happened to me. I told myself, Now is the time,' she says, and wrote another, more detailed statement and asked PUM to publish it, this time with her name. Then she wrote Schnaas. Suddenly headline news across Mexico, Margolis, Schnaas and Ortiz created a WhatsApp group to be in touch through the media storm, and to collectively manage the flood of messages they were now all receiving from other women claiming to have been abused by Roemer. Most were still afraid to come out publicly. But they ended up getting a push from an unlikely place. On Feb. 20, Roemer posted his own video. Sitting before a bookshelf, he introduced himself and claimed to have information that would clear up his and Schnaas now public dispute. He then aired a four-minute clip of a recording he took during their Feb. 14 meeting. In it, Schnaas could be heard telling Roemer that when she approached Grupo Salinas in November 2019, she defended him before two of her fathers friends who worked there, who had it out for him. (Schnaas later explained to me that what she meant was her issue with Roemer was separate from their internal political feuds.) As you can see, behind this accusation are the interests of two people who do not belong to the womens-rights movement, Roemer concludes. But far from deflecting the issue, Roemers video backfired. To me, thats when he dug his own grave, says Diana Murrieta, the president and founder of Nosotras Para Ellas, an NGO providing free legal counsel and psychological assistance to victims of gender-based violence. It created a collective fury. Murrietta says a handful of Roemers alleged victims had reached out to her organization after Schnaas video, but that those numbers soared after Roemer posted his own. On Twitter, PUM started publishing daily, sometimes twice daily, statements by women accusing Roemer of sexual misconduct. Mariana Flores, a 33-year-old contractor who also says Roemer lured her to his house under the guise of a work offer in 2011, then touched and kissed against her will, was one of the women pushed over the edge by Roemers denial. She sent PUM her statement on Feb. 20 and asked them to publish it with her name. I had two options. Either I resigned myself to the fact that this was going to be my life, that I was going to have to endure this kind of behavior, or I joined this group of women who said we could build a different world. I told myself, Im with them, Flores says now. Mariana Flores photographed in Mexico City on May 24. Tania Franco Klein for TIME Soon the WhatsApp group included over a dozen women. It was a refuge where they could feel a sense of camaraderie, and ease each others anxieties. And soon their boldness paid off: On Feb. 23, 2021, in an extremely rare move, the Mexico City prosecutors office opened an investigation ex officio into Roemer, based on the news reports of his alleged crimes. Finally, a legal path was open for the women to pursue Roemer. The next day, he deleted his Twitter account. Two or three years ago, when women accused Roemer of these crimes, the authorities did not open a case. But this time, they did, says Ximena Ugarte, a lawyer with the Mexican Human Rights and Democracy Institute representing a group of women accusing Roemer. The Mexico City prosecutors office did not respond to requests for comment. Ugarte attributes the change to new policy thats helped facilitate sex crime investigations in the capital, notably a 2019 Gender-Based Violence Alert, but also to Mexicos feminist movement. This is a fight that women have been waging for a long time, she says. Its also a fight that has been waged on multiple fronts. Emails shared with TIME show that in 2019, Roemer was reported for sexual harassment to the UNESCO Director-General, but that requests for an investigation were ignored. UNESCO declined to comment on the emails. "Were creating a monster against this man." The number of Roemers accusers kept growing, bringing actors, writers, academics, public servants and hotel maids to a common front. On March 2, some finally met for the first time when they recorded Scherers podcast. In the days leading up to March 8, Roemer barricaded his house: large black boards covered the first and second stories. They didnt stop women who, as Schnaas had hoped and predicted, gathered before Roemers house on International Womens Day, tore down one of the boards to scale the second floor andin pink and purple spray paintwrite rapist and abuser next to a large French window. Were creating a monster against this man, Ortiz says. The pursuit is now international. On May 7, several survivors of Roemers alleged abuse wrote a letter to the Israeli ambassador in Mexico, asking for cooperation in Roemers extradition. We want to make sure no more women suffer the horrors we live with, they wrote. The original WhatsApp group eventually splintered. Some of the women opted out of accusing him before the prosecutors office, fearing possible fallout on their families or careers. Others formed smaller groups around the different lawyers they chose to represent them. All of that is understandable to the women who first pushed the case into the public square. Margolis says, If Im scared, and he only sexually harassed me, I cant even imagine how the women who were assaulted must feel. Schnaas says some days she wakes up feeling certain more women will join them in formally accusing Roemer. Other days feel so taxing she cant believe anyone else would put themselves through it. She reminds herself that the united front they created outed him to the world. Were already a huge case, she says. While they wait for justice, the support of the sisterhood has fortified some of the first accusers. Flores finally found the courage to talk with her therapist about her experience with Roemer, which she says she had not done in five years of therapy. Ortiz overcame the panic attacks shed been suffering for weeks. Now, shes focusing on her work: writing about gender-based violence. Correction, June 2 The original version of this story misstated the order of the subjects in the lead photo caption. It is From left: Mariana Flores, Itzel Schnaas and not From left: Itzel Schnaas, Mariana Flores Not that companies can't have diversified portfolios, but soap and chocolate are very different products: One is a thankfully-retired form of childhood punishment whereas the other is a lasting childhood treat. So an announcement that Dr. Bronner'syes, the soap companywill be launching a new line of Dr. Bronner's Magic All-One Chocolate may sound a bit wild, but the explanation is very much grounded in reality. By Dr. Bronner's own account, they make "the top-selling natural brand of soap in North America." What does that have to do with chocolate? On the surface, not a whole lot. But ethical chocolate brands have seen increasing interest in recent years, and as Dr. Bronner's explains, their commitment to an ethical supply chain for their soap comes with plenty of contacts in the cocoa world. Dr. Bronner's Chocolate bars in assorted flavors Dr. Bronner's "When we learned that many of the 800 farmers who supply our Regenerative Organic Certified Serendipalm project in Ghana also grew cocoa, it was a perfect opportunity to grow our partnership with fair trade farmers by developing these cocoa beans and other ingredientsall sourced to the highest standards possibleinto a rich, delicious dark chocolate that elevates soil and community health, as well as quality of life for everyone in the supply chain," David Bronner, the so-called cosmic engagement officer at Dr. Bronner's, said in the announcement. "Dr. Bronner's is making magic through regenerative organic agriculture and its many benefits: dynamic agroforestry, biodiversity, soil fertility, better livelihoods for farmers, and delicious, rich, dark chocolate!" Set to launch at grocery stores nationwide on August 1, Dr. Bronner's Magic All-One Chocolatewhich will be sold in 3-ounce bars with a suggested price of $5.49arrives in six varieties: Roasted Whole Hazelnuts, Crunchy Hazelnut Butter, Salted Whole Almonds, Salted Almond Butter, Salted Dark Chocolate, and Smooth Coconut Praline. Despite the different flavors, all of the bars have the same base: a "blend of Ghanaian and Ivory Coast cocoa, Indonesian coconut sugar, Congolese cocoa butter, and vanilla from Madagascar" resulting in "notes of complex dried fruit, caramel, and a long-lasting roasted cocoa finish." Additionally, all the bars feature a laundry list of certifications USDA Organic, Fair Trade, Vegan, Kosher, and Non-GMO Verified along with an outer wrapper "made from 100 percent recycled paper with a minimum of 80 percent Post-Consumer recycled fiber." "Our recipe is simple: perfectly balanced delicious ingredients sourced from fairly paid farmers implementing regenerative organic practices, that fulfill chocolate's promise as an expression of love, elevating it to be the pure and ethical indulgence it is meant to be," said Michael Bronner, the company's president. And no, you shouldn't use it as soap. I assume; they never explicitly state that because, hopefully, they shouldn't have to. By Foo Yun Chee BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union's attempts to catch China and the United States in artificial intelligence and blockchain technologies are set to be hobbled by an investment shortfall of as much as 10 billion euros ($12 billion) annually, the European Investment Bank (EIB) said on Tuesday. The EIB, the EU's lending arm, said while the United States and China together account for more than 80% of the 25 billion euros of annual equity investments in both technologies, the 27-country bloc contributed just 1.75 billion euros or 7% of the total. It cited the importance of both technologies and their potential to reinvent sectors hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, such as financial services, healthcare and business intelligence, and boost the bloc's economic resilience. "Companies and governments in Europe are substantially underinvesting in AI and blockchain compared to other leading regions and it has become clear that the European Union struggles to translate its scientific excellence into business application and economic success," the bank said in a report. It estimated an annual investment gap of between 5 and 10 billion euros in both technologies. The EIB said access to finance may become more challenging in the short run as a result of market conditions, potentially widening the investment gap. "EU and member state support schemes could plug part of the gap, but private markets will clearly need to contribute the balance," the bank said. It cited several factors for the EU's investment shortfall, among them European funds' limited appetite due to high upfront investment needs, lack of knowledge and the limited specialisation of EU venture capital funds in both technologies. ($1 = 0.8178 euros) (Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by David Holmes) European leaders are demanding answers after fresh allegations about the United States spying on its allies. The uproar comes after Denmarks public broadcaster reported on Sunday that the countrys intelligence service helped the U.S. eavesdrop on European officials almost a decade ago. NBC News has not verified the report, which has thrust the issue back into the spotlight years after it first led to a diplomatic rift between Washington and Berlin. French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that any American eavesdropping on European countries would not be acceptable amongst allies. Macron said he was attached to the bond of trust that unites Europeans and Americans, asserting that there is no room for suspicion between us. "We expect our Danish and American partners to be completely open and to clarify the matter," he said, speaking at a news conference following a virtual summit with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Merkel said she could only echo Macron's stance, noting that the allegations related to events several years ago but that they were serious if accurate. Officials from Sweden and Norway joined the criticism and said they wanted Denmark to explain its alleged involvement. We want the cards on the table, said Swedish Defense Minister Peter Hulqvist, adding it was unacceptable to eavesdrop on allies. What are the allegations? The Danish broadcaster DR reported Sunday that the Danish Defense Intelligence Service, known in Denmark by its acronym FE, in 2014 conducted an internal investigation which concluded that the U.S. had used cooperation with the Danes to spy against Denmark and neighboring countries. The National Security Agency (NSA) is alleged to have used Danish resources to spy on senior officials in Germany, France, Sweden and Norway from 2012 to 2014, in an initiative codenamed Operation Dunhammer. NBC News has not verified the report. Approached for comment, a spokesperson for the State Department referred NBC News to the NSA, while an NSA spokesperson said the intelligence agency has no comment on the allegations. Story continues NBC News has contacted FE and the French government for comment. A spokesperson for the German government referred NBC News to Merkels comments, saying that officials had nothing else to add. In a statement shared with NBC News, Defence Minister Trine Bramsen said the Danish government can and will not comment on speculation in the media concerning our intelligence service. However, she said: The position of the Danish government is clear systematic targeting against our close allied partners is unacceptable. Clearly, that is a well-established principle that Danish authorities adhere to. Bramsen was appointed to her role in 2019, years after the eavesdropping is alleged to have been carried out during the administration of former President Barack Obama. Obama's tenure in the White House saw an otherwise warm relationship with Berlin damaged by reports in 2013 that the NSA was listening in on German government phone lines, including Merkels. Those allegations first came to light in reports leaked by whistleblower Edward Snowden, who reacted to the latest report with a sarcastic tweet in Danish: Oh, why didnt anyone warn us?" Obama apologized to Merkel at the time and also said he knew nothing about the alleged spying and would have blocked it if he did. Now the renewed spotlight on the issue could create a headache for President Joe Biden, who is set to travel to Europe later this month for the Group of Seven summit of world leaders in Cornwall, U.K. Biden has vowed to repair U.S. alliances and re-engage with the world after four years of President Donald Trumps America First doctrine. On his first day in office, Biden signed a string of orders solidifying that commitment, including rejoining the Paris climate agreement and the World Health Organization. The trip to Europe will be Bidens first major opportunity to outline his foreign policy vision on the international stage, and a chance to convince his counterparts that America can be a trusted partner again. Most "Spider-Man" movies were a hit with critics. Columbia Pictures/Sony Pictures Entertainment Most critics loathed "Venom" (2018) even though moviegoers seemed to love it. Tom Hardy starred in "Venom." Sony Pictures Critic score: 29% "Venom" is a unique film in the "Spider-Man" cannon that centers on a popular villain from the comics. But the spin-off did not go over well with most critics, who called it a "tone-deaf, uneven, and maddeningly dumb clunker," even though audiences were more forgiving. Rafer Guzman wrote for Newsday, "'Venom' could become Marvel's version of 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show' or 'Santa Claus Conquers the Martians' a camp classic worth mocking again and again." "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" (2014) was a bit of a bust. This sequel couldn't hold up to the original. Courtesy Columbia Pictures Critic score: 51% Starring Andrew Garfield as the web-slinger, this sequel never truly matched up to the other "Spider-Man" movies. Critics wrote that the movie was "over-stuffed with plot" and a "bloated and blunted" drama. Reviewers were especially vocal about Jamie Foxx's strange, misguided performance as Electro. That said, some still praised the quality of the action scenes in the film. "The trouble with director Marc Webb's disappointing sequel is it wants to have it both ways: to take seriously human connection and loss and also spin the spectacular and pulpy ... 'Spider-Man 2' never locates that sweet spot," Lisa Kennedy wrote for The Denver Post. "Spider-Man 3" (2007) was the lowest-rated film in the Tobey Maguire-led series. Tobey Maguire played Peter Parker/Spider-Man in this film. Columbia Pictures Critic score: 63% "Spider-Man 3," the third installment in the Tobey Maguire-led trilogy, wasn't a huge success. Story continues Critics admired director Sam Raimi's ambition and the character relationships in the film, but even the positive reviews acknowledged the movie was a bit "uneven." Roger Ebert wrote for the Chicago Sun-Times, "Too many villains, too many pale plot strands, too many romantic misunderstandings, too many conversations, too many street crowds looking high into the air and shouting 'oooh!' this way, then swiveling and shouting 'aaah!' that way." "The Amazing Spider-Man" (2012) rebooted the series with Garfield as the hero. Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone starred in the film. Columbia Pictures Critic score: 72% The 2012 reboot of the "Spider-Man" franchise featured major stars, including Garfield and Emma Stone. With the exception of some critics who gave the movie a hard pass, reviewers enjoyed this film and responded well to Garfield and Stone's chemistry. Chris Vognar wrote for The Dallas Morning News, "This is a grittier webslinger saga, led by a Peter Parker with swagger and angst and a tone defined more by emotional resonance than wide-eyed wonder. It still has plenty of fizz." "Spider-Man" (2002) was a hit that helped to really kick off the franchise. Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst starred in the film. Columbia Pictures Critic score: 90% This Spidey-centric film starring Maguire came out swinging and received glowing reviews for director Raimi's take on the iconic Marvel hero. Critics fell in love with this film, praising it for balancing action and comedy so well. From its comedic sensibilities to Maguire's "earnest, unpretentious delivery," this movie helped prepare audiences for nearly two decades of "Spider-Man" films. Jack Matthews wrote for New York Daily News, "'Spider-Man' is an almost-perfect extension of the experience of reading comic-book adventures." "Spider-Man: Far From Home" (2019) was met with praise from critics and audiences. Tom Holland in "Spider-Man: Far From Home." Sony Pictures Critic score: 90% "Spider-Man: Far From Home" took Peter Parker's fun European romp and turned it into a Spidey-filled action film that reviewers loved. Most critics were impressed by the chemistry of the cast and the film's entertaining plot, although some reviewers called the film a somewhat forgettable entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (or MCU). "Of course, he has baddies to fight and innocent bystanders to save, but this is the lightest and silliest of Marvel's films, which is what makes it so enjoyable, but also, ultimately, what makes it so forgettable," wrote Nicholas Barber for BBC. "Spider-Man: Homecoming" (2017) was Spider-Man's first stand-alone entry in the MCU. Tom Holland led the next generation of "Spider-Man" films. Chuck Zlotnick/Sony Pictures Entertainment Critic score: 92% "Spider-Man: Homecoming" had the benefit of being a new and exciting stand-alone "Spider-Man" adventure that did more than just delve back into the hero's origin story. Some critics called it "the best 'Spider-Man' movie of the bunch" and Holland was widely praised for being a near-perfect Peter Parker. Michael O'Sullivan wrote for The Washington Post, "An authentic, refreshingly nerdy and high-spirited reboot of the well-worn Marvel franchise ... " "Spider-Man 2" (2004) is a highly praised classic. Tobey Maguire was once again Peter Parker/Spider-Man in this film. Columbia Pictures Critic score: 93% The second film in the Maguire series is still a gold standard for superhero sequels. "Spider-Man 2" impressively featured suspenseful stakes and gave Alfred Molina room to shine in his now-iconic portrayal of Doc Ock. Critics loved the film, calling it "uncommonly smart for the genre" and "incredibly enjoyable." "A sequel that not only outstrips its predecessor but has a perversity and quick-wittedness that hardly seem to belong in a comic-book movie," wrote Anthony Quinn for the Independent. "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" (2018) has a nearly perfect score from critics. The film was praised for its animation. Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) Critic score: 97% Released in 2018, the animated flick "Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse" was praised for being visually striking and for developing its characters with a wonderful blend of comedy and empathy. The story of Miles Morales discovering his place among the Spider-folk of the multiverse was adored by critics, who called it "a triumphant work of art" and "a bright and bold loving critique of the superhero genre and a much needed hard reset." Ben Sachs wrote for the Chicago Reader that the film "actually captures the sensation of getting absorbed in a comic book." Note: All scores were current on the date of publication and are subject to change. Read More: Read the original article on Insider Michael Flynn, who was a former national security adviser to Donald Trump has emerged as a prominent QAnon figure (PA Archive) A retired veteran of the US Army has blasted Michael Flynn for suggesting a Myanmar-style coup in the US and said Donald Trumps former national security adviser is getting crazier and crazier. Retired Lt General Mark Hertling, who served for 37 years in the US army, appeared on CNN to say Mr Flynn might have lost control of himself. "I knew him when he was an active soldier. And I think just some of the things he's saying are getting crazier and crazier as the day goes on," said Mr Hertling. And, unfortunately, he has, in my view, gone off the deep end and he shouldn't say those kinds of things because it runs contrary to what we vow an oath to defend and what we serve as soldiers and former soldiers in the Army," he said. His stern comments came after Mr Flynn, who was first and one-time national security adviser to Mr Trump, endorsed the idea of a coup in the US on the lines of one in Myanmar in which the military overthrew a democratically elected government and seized its powers. Mr Flynns statements, criticised by several former military personnel, were made during the "For God & Country Patriot Roundup," in Dallas on Sunday. An attendee who identified himself as a Marine asked Mr Flynn, "I want to know why what happened in Minamar (sic) can't happen here?" "No reason. I mean, it should happen here," he said, as the crowd cheered. Mr Hertling noted that the person who identified himself as a Marine and mispronounced Myanmar as 'Minamar' is very simple. On Monday, a message posted from Mr Flynns Parler account said his words had been twisted and that he did not suggest a coup. Lieutenant Colonel Yevgeny "Eugene" Vindman said he would be willing to prosecute a court martial of Mr Flynn, who is still subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice. "With these seditious remarks, Comrade Flynn may have crossed the line for recall to active duty and court-martial. As a JAG I'm qualified and also happy to prosecute this case," he said on Twitter. "PS, US mil would NEVER support this. We love America." Story continues Mr Vindman was fired last year from his job at the US army office by Mr Trump after he raised concerns about the former president's dealings with Ukraine. Mr Flynn was also ousted from his job after he pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI concerning his deals with Russia's ambassador prior to Mr Trump taking office. He was later pardoned by Mr Trump. But after leaving the White House, Mr Flynn has become an active member of QAnon. Read More UK Covid-19 vaccinations: Latest figures Colonel fired by Trump offers to prosecute Michael Flynn after he called for violent military coup against US US should have coup like Myanmar, former Trump advisor Michael Flynn tells QAnon conference in Texas Avani Ibn Battuta Dubai Hotel has appointed Yann Decaix as its new General Manager. Decaix brings over 20 years of experience from around the globe, including working with brands such as Novotel and Guoman & Thistle Hotels, to take the hotel into its next phase. Paris-born Decaix got a taste for the hotelier life when he started his career in F&B, working part-time in Singapore during high school at the iconic Raffles Hotel, following in the footsteps of his father. Soon after, he travelled to Switzerland to start his hotel education at the Hotel Institute de Montreux which took him to positions around the world, including the US, UK and UAE and in 2020, he gained certification from Cornell University in Hotel Real Estate Investments and Asset Management. With a background in revenue management, Decaix has progressed through the ranks across the fields of operations, sales and e-commerce, before taking his first General Manager position at the Ibis Styles Dubai, in 2017. Now, with broader experiences from different aspects of the business and a variety of cultures, I look forward to working with the team to take Avani Ibn Battuta into its next phase as a thriving lifestyle hotel within an amazing location in Dubai, he said. Avani Ibn Battuta Dubai was the brands first new-build hotel in the Middle East region, located adjacent to Ibn Battuta Mall and Ibn Battuta Metro Link, close to Dubai Marina and the site for upcoming Dubai Expo 2020. Decaix has big hopes for the 360-key hotel to take it into its next phase. Avani Ibn Battuta Dubai is a great destination for both business and leisure guests and we have a lot to offer, but I want to make sure we are doing all we can to position ourselves well in what is a very competitive market. Dubai has come out of the pandemic as one of the worlds leading destinations, so it means we all need to work hard to keep that momentum going. The Avani brand has been expanding globally in recent years, with its portfolio reaching far and wide, including Thailand, Australia, South Korea and the Middle East region. Part of a growing portfolio in the UAE, Avani now has three properties in Dubai, with a new hotel also under development in Oman. Seeing the brand grow and being part of a young, dynamic concept is really exciting, added Decaix. It is an exciting time to be joining the Avani team and showcasing what we have to the world, as well as whats to come. Designed with new travel trends in mind, the Avani experience emphasises contemporary and functional features, carefully considered social spaces and genuine hospitality. The focus is on the details that matter, ensuring guests feel welcome and taken care of in go-to global destinations, from city hotels to beach resorts. Avani Hotels & Resorts currently operates 30 properties in Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. The brand has a strong pipeline of new properties under development, including in such new destinations as Thailand, Malaysia, and the Maldives. - TradeArabia News Service By Tom Allard and Panu Wongcha-um JAKARTA/BANGKOK (Reuters) - The chair and secretary-general of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) plan to travel to Myanmar this week even as the 10-nation bloc remains divided on how to respond to the military coup there, four diplomatic sources said. ASEAN, a grouping that includes Myanmar and has a policy of non-interference in the affairs of members, has led the main diplomatic effort to resolve the violent turmoil gripping the country following the overthrow of a democratically-elected government four months ago. The military has detained Myanmar's civilian leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, and imprisoned political opponents amid a deadly crackdown on protesters, resulting in a growing refugee crisis and the collapse of the economy. Erywan Yusof, the second minister for foreign affairs for Brunei, ASEAN's chair this year, and the bloc's secretary-general Lim Jock Hoi, also from Brunei, are scheduled to meet this week with leaders of the junta, among other stakeholders, the sources, who asked not to be identified, said. The sources warned that a trip could be delayed or derailed by last-minute logistical and diplomatic impediments. It is unclear if the pair plan to meet with opponents of the junta, many of whom are imprisoned or in hiding. Spokesmen for ASEAN and the Myanmar opposition's National Unity Government did not respond to requests for comment. Brunei's ASEAN mission also did not respond to a request for comment. The planned trip comes more than five weeks after ASEAN leaders announced a "five-point consensus" to end violence; promote dialogue; deliver aid; appoint a special envoy; and send a delegation headed by the envoy to Myanmar to meet "with all parties concerned". However, the special envoy has yet to be appointed amid divisions within ASEAN over the best person or persons for the job, the envoy's mandate and the length of the envoy's term. Story continues A "concept paper" released by Brunei to ASEAN members last month proposed the envoy only hold the position for the rest of the year, when it would be reviewed by the next chair of ASEAN, due to be Cambodia, said three sources familiar with its contents. They said the paper also proposed limiting the envoy's job to mediating, not basing them in Myanmar, giving them a small staff paid for by the home country of the envoy. The conditions were seen by several ASEAN states as fatally undermining the stature and leverage of the envoy, they said. Brunei - an oil-rich sultanate of less than 500,000 people with little diplomatic leadership experience - has not responded to the concerns, the sources added. The envoy represents the chair, so is technically appointed by Brunei, said one diplomat. ASEAN operates on consensus decision-making, but it is a diverse grouping of democracies, an absolute monarchy, along with authoritarian and one-party communist states, and it seldom takes a strong stand on issues involving one of its own. "ASEAN is haemorrhaging. There is a lot of intra-ASEAN diplomatic sniping. There is unhappiness all around," said one source familiar with negotiations. "JUNTA BUY-IN" All four diplomatic sources said Indonesia and Thailand, two of ASEAN's most important members, were at loggerheads over the envoy. Indonesia initially favoured a single envoy to lead a task force while Thailand, whose military has close ties to neighbouring Myanmar, pushed for a "friends of the chair" body of multiple representatives, the sources said. Spokespeople for the foreign ministries of Indonesia and Thailand declined to comment on their stance. The compromise supported by most ASEAN states is for three envoys, likely made up of representatives from Indonesia, Thailand and Brunei, two sources said. ASEAN foreign ministers will meet in China next week for the annual China-ASEAN summit. If their disagreement on the envoy isn't sorted out beforehand, the sources said it was hoped to be finalised on the sidelines of the summit. China watered down a UN Security Council resolution on Myanmar but said the current political situation was "absolutely not what China wants to see". [L1N2KM0RK] Since the ASEAN five-point consensus was announced, Myanmar's junta has said it will only consider the proposals - including a visit from an envoy - once it has restored stability. [L1N2MU0GY] The military regime's position undermined ASEAN's claim of a unified position, but also reflected diplomatic realities given Myanmar's membership of the bloc, diplomats and analysts said. "All of this only works if there is full buy-in from the junta," said one regional diplomat. ASEAN's divisions also underpinned its rejection of a draft U.N resolution to impose an arms embargo on Myanmar last week [L2N2NF1PY], said three sources. Several ASEAN nations were comfortable with weapons freeze being included in the non-binding resolution, they said, but resistance led by Thailand and Singapore ensured ASEAN requested the clause be removed. Singapore's foreign ministry did not respond to requests for comment. There is also conflict among ASEAN states about when to deliver aid to Myanmar, amid fears from some that the early deployment of assistance without any commitment from Myanmar to hold dialogue with its opponents could be exploited by the junta for propaganda purposes, two of the sources said. (Additional reporting by Aradhana Aravindan; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore) Nigeria kidnappings: Officials negotiating release of students Video Transcript [MUSIC PLAYING] - Praying for protection before going to war with a giant. These men are among thousands of people fighting to safeguard what they say is sacred and environmentally sensitive land. One of the world's largest companies is about to cement itself on African soil. Amazon's Africa headquarters will stand tall in South Africa at the confluence of two Cape Town Rivers. Some environmentalists say building on a floodplain is a disaster waiting to happen. And put surrounding areas at further risk of flooding. Now critics also argue that the development goes against the city's climate change policies. Amazon's offices form part of a major 14.7 hectare, $280 million redevelopment plan that will create thousands of jobs. But it's been marred by controversy since being announced five years ago. Construction includes infill in parts of the Lisbet River. The land is home to endangered plant and animal species, and was among the first areas in South Africa to be colonized in the 1600s. It's considered sacred terrain for indigenous people. - It's a ground zero space. This is a place where we can locate the original sin where young funderburk the colonizer pierced his pole onto the sacred terrain for the first time that stabbed at the ancestors of mankind itself. - Not all indigenous groups are against the development. In a written statement, the developers deny there'll be a negative impact on the environment. Elizabeth Leisure Properties trust says if anything the development will quote, "see degraded private land transformed into beautiful and publicly accessible space." But critics are not convinced. - Despite efforts to show the authorities that the development is not appropriate, despite the fact that heritage Western Cape said that the heritage elements of the plan are not adequate and don't meet the requirements of law. The authorities have gone ahead and approved this development. - As construction vehicles roll in, so too do names on a petition to stop the development. Activists are now hoping a court will rule against the first bricks being laid. Robyn Smith, Al Jazeera, Cape Town. In this Saturday, May 8, 2021, file photo, Gov. Ron DeSantis, of Florida, watches the foursome matches during the Walker Cup golf tournament, in Juno Beach, Fla. (AP) Florida has been accused of a cruel attack on transgender children by becoming the 7th state to ban them from girls sport. The states pro-Trump Republican governor Ron DeSantis signed the bill into law in front of a crowd of supporters in Jacksonville on the first day of LGBT+ Pride Month. The move was slammed by Florida state Representative Anna Eskamani, who branded it a bigoted, transphobic piece of legislation. Transgender youth deserve our love and support, not cruel attacks because of who they are, added Ms Eskamani, a Democrat who is expected to run for Florida governor in 2022. The consequences for states that have passed anti-LGBT+ laws are clear - bigoted policies lead to major economic loss. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Today Governor Ron DeSantis allowed ignorance to prevail and took our state backwards in the fight for LGBT+ equality. We wont forget it. The legislation, which was approved by the Republican-led state legislature takes effect on 1 July. In Florida, girls are going to play girls sports and boys are going to play boys sports, Gov. Ron DeSantis said as he signed the bill into law at a Christian academy. Were going to make sure that thats the reality. The law states that a transgender girl cannot take part in competitive sports without first showing a birth certificate saying she was a girl when she was born. The Human Rights Campaign, the biggest LGBT+ group in the US, has vowed to fight the ban in court. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. On the first day of Pride, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has signed into law a bill banning trans kids in the state from playing sports. We will be filing a lawsuit to block this arbitrary, discriminatory ban, the group tweeted. Human Rights Campaign President Alphonso David said the new law would harm more than just transgender girls. All Floridians will have to face the consequences of this anti-transgender legislation including economic harm, expensive taxpayer-funded legal battles, and a tarnished reputation, he added. Story continues Observers say that the new legislation could have a severe financial impact on the state. The NCAA, which runs university athletics in the US, has threatened to move key games and championships from any states that introduce discriminatory laws. That could see Florida lose football bowl games and basketball tournament games, which generate millions of dollars a year for the state. The Florida law is similar to one introduced in Idaho, which now faces major legal hurdles. Read More The diplomatic row which could prompt Europes next migrant crisis AP News Digest 3:45 a.m. The Latest: Philippines stops workers from Saudi Arabia With his declaration that Florida schools must not teach critical race theory an approach to discussing the role of race in U.S. politics, history, culture and society that currently is not in the standards or curriculum Gov. Ron DeSantis has put public education in the crosshairs of the nations ongoing culture wars. The debate is expected to hit a boiling point over the coming two months, as the State Board of Education is scheduled to take up a rule on teaching state standards without indoctrinating on June 10, and then to consider civics standards revisions on July 14. Read on for the latest on this story and more Florida education news. The governors broadside against teaching race comes as many schools have sought to improve equity and diversity among students and staff. In Pinellas and Pasco counties, concerns exist that the political pressure might hinder initiatives that emerged after the murder of George Floyd. What exactly is DeSantis after? He says he wants schools to focus on facts in history lessons. Critics suggest hes courting conservative votes by limiting the facts that may be taught, the Herald-Tribune reports. Already, some deep divides are emerging at school board sessions, the Sun-Sentinel reports. He has rejected the notion that his administration is seeking to restrict information. Some have noted, though, that the proposed civics standards rewrite dont mention slavery, among other shortcomings they see, Florida Phoenix reports. The Department of Education is taking public comment on the proposed standards in advance of the State Boards action. Theres a virtual rule development workshop set for 11:30 a.m. Wednesday. To register, visit https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7989725902807458832. Also on tap are hourlong town hall forums scheduled for 6 p.m. today at Miami Jackson Senior High School, 1751 NW 36th Street, Miami; 6 p.m. Thursday at Tohopekaliga High School, 3675 Boggy Creek Road, Kissimmee; and 6 p.m. June 9 at Macclenny Elementary School, 1 Wildkitten Drive, Macclenny. You can review the proposed standards here, and also submit comments in writing here. Story continues Top of the Times How susceptible are government networks to computer hacks? A 17-year-old took down the Pinellas County school districts systems for two days in the spring. The University of Tampa told too many new students they could have on-campus housing. Its come up with yet another financial incentive to try to appease the angry students and their families. A rising star in the Hillsborough County school districts administrative ranks faces accusations of race and gender bias. Officials are investigating. Some observers have questioned how much politics is at play. Hot topics Altered yearbooks: The editor-in-chief of an Escambia County high school will get to participate in graduation after all, as officials reversed position that she be banned for changing the photo of a student accused of rigging the homecoming election, NorthEscambia.com reports. Transgender athlete ban: The legislation that would disallow transgender girls from competing in high school sports has landed on Gov. DeSantis desk. Hes said he will sign it, Florida Politics reports. Renaming schools: The Duval County School Board is scheduled to vote on renaming six schools that currently recognize Confederate soldiers, WJXT reports. Mask mandates: The Miami-Dade County school district and teachers union reached a deal to allow optional masks for outside activities, WPLG reports. The Manatee County School Board voted to repeal its mask requirement, one day after classes ended, the Herald-Tribune reports. The Orange County School Board will review a proposal to ease its mask policy, WKMG reports. Some Duval County parents are poised to protest against masks in schools at their next School Board meeting, WJAX reports. Coronavirus concerns Dozens of Citrus County students went missing during the pandemic. The districts teachers and staff whittled the number down to a fraction over the year, the Citrus County Chronicle reports. The Class of 2021 did not have a usual senior year. Some south Florida seniors shared their experiences with WLRN. Vaccinations of young people are lagging in Manatee and Sarasota counties. Health officials hope to collaborate with local schools to increase the numbers, the Herald-Tribune reports. Other school news Does it matter whether an college applicant has ever been arrested? Some faculty members want Florida Atlantic University to stop asking the question on its application, WPEC reports. Its not your money. A former Gulf County high schools band boosters official was arrested for stealing from the group, the Port St. Joe Star reports. The organizations treasurer was arrested on similar charges a few days later, the Star reports. Homelessness is everywhere. Polk County schools help more than 4,000 homeless students each year with their housing and other needs, the Ledger reports. Dont drink the water. Some Palm Beach County schools have closed off their water fountains and will distribute bottled water after the county issued a toxin alert, WPTV reports. A Clay County school custodian helped build the school where hes worked over four decades. The community honored him by naming the road leading to campus after him, Clay Today reports. Before you go ... Happy June. Its National Say Something Nice Day. We can all use it. Heres Stephen Colbert to show us how it works. BERLIN (AP) Germany's foreign minister on Tuesday rejected the idea of delivering weapons to Ukraine after the country's president indicated that he would like military help from Berlin. Germany, along with France, has led Western diplomatic efforts to resolve the long-running conflict between Kyiv and Russia-backed separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine. But efforts toward a political settlement are stalled. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was quoted in an interview Tuesday with the German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that Chancellor Angela Merkel has done a lot for Ukraine but of course I had hoped for more from her, particularly in the Normandy format of four-way talks between Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France. Germany can do more, he said, pointing to recent comments by opposition Green party leader Robert Habeck during a visit to Ukraine. Habeck said that from my point of view, it is hard for us to deny Ukraine weapons for defense, for self-defense. His comments drew widespread criticism in Germany in an election year, not least from his own party, which has pacifist roots. Germany has not given us military help, but it could do, Zelenskyy said. Germany has great ships: speedboats, missile speedboats and patrol boats. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas firmly rejected the idea of weapons deliveries, while highlighting Germany's support for Ukraine in diplomacy and in bilateral aid. I am convinced that the conflict can only be solved by political channels, and that should be clear to all involved, he told reporters in Berlin. This remains the guiding principle of our engagement, and it won't change weapons deliveries don't help in this. Ukraine also strongly opposes the completion of a new Russian-built natural gas pipeline to Germany under the Baltic Sea. The Nord Stream 2 project also is opposed by Habeck's Greens and by the United States, but the Biden administration opted last month not to punish the company overseeing the project even while announcing new sanctions against Russian companies and ships. The move eased a long-running irritant in German-U.S. relations. Story continues Germany's Funke newspaper group reported Tuesday that a German delegation including two top Merkel advisers traveled to Washington this week for talks expected to include the pipeline issue. Maas said Germany had made clear that it has an interest in finding a common way forward. That will now be the subject of talks in Washington, and I am confident that we will succeed in finding a way, he said. This certainly won't be easy, and possibly won't be the case overnight, but we are counting on dialogue with officials in Washington as we did in the past, and we will continue that. BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany on Tuesday rejected calls for arms deliveries to Kyiv, after Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy asked Berlin for assault rifles, radio equipment and armoured vehicles. "I am convinced the conflict (in eastern Ukraine) can only be resolved by political means," German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told journalists ahead of a video conference with his NATO counterparts. "This will remain the guideline of our engagement with Ukraine, and there will be no change: Arms deliveries won't help," he added. (Reporting by Sabine Siebold; Editing by Caroline Copley) The Grand Slams will try to improve player experience at its events following Naomi Osaka pulling out of the French Open. The committee issued a statement Tuesday saying it offers its "support and assistance" to Osaka as she takes time away from tennis to focus on her mental health. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. The Grand Slams a group made up Jayne Hrdlicka, Gilles Moretton, Ian Hewitt and Mike McNulty said it would "continue to improve the player experience at our tournaments." The group also wants to maintain "a fair playing field, regardless of ranking or status." When Osaka initially announced her media blackout, the Grand Slams group said the boycott gave Osaka an "unfair advantage." The group stuck with that reasoning Tuesday. Osaka was fined $15,000 for not speaking to the media. The Grand Slams did not mention that fine in its statement Tuesday. Naomi Osaka pulled out of French Open A day after Osaka was fined, she pulled out of the French Open. Osaka revealed she's battled depression since winning the 2018 U.S. Open. She said she would take some time away from the court for now. A number of athletes, including Russell Wilson, Stephen Curry and Billie Jean King, offered support for Osaka following her announcement. Following Osaka withdrawing from the event, Iga Swiatek is listed at +175 to win the French Open, according to BetMGM. More from Yahoo Sports: The SUV that hit and killed a Greenville mother Saturday was stolen, and a suspect is in custody regarding the theft, city officials announced Tuesday. Police say Brittany Langley Lawson, 38, was running with her dog at about 7:15 a.m. Saturday on a sidewalk beside Augusta Street. The Buick SUV crossed into oncoming lanes of traffic and jumped the curb, hitting Lawson. When police arrived, the SUV was empty. Lawson and the dog were pronounced dead at the scene. Lawson was not far from her home on Tomassee Avenue. The announcement said police are waiting for a forensic report to see if the suspect was the driver. In addition, the city engineer will meet with someone from the South Carolina Department of Transportation this week to talk about improving safety on Augusta Street, a narrow four-lane road that provides access from that part of town to downtown Greenville. Greenville City Manager John McDonough visited the scene of the hit-and-run fatality with Police Chief Howie Thompson and Interim City Engineer Clint Link this morning to learn more about the circumstances and survey the area, Beth Brotherton, city spokeswoman, said in the news release. Lawson was the mother of two young children, Harrison and Hampton. Her husband, Scott, is a chiropractor, who has owned a wellness clinic in Greenville for more than a decade. They married in 2016. A GoFundMe page was set up to raise money for the childrens college educations. Within two days, it had raised almost $60,000. Augusta Street is a narrow, four-lane road through miles of commercial developments, single businesses and strip malls, and the primary access route to downtown Greenville. Many of Greenvilles most prosperous or sought-after neighborhoods are located adjacent to both sides of Augusta Street, which is more commonly known in Greenville as Augusta Road. Early Tuesday morning, Scott Lawson posted a quote on Facebook that ended with How I wish for you today and credited E.V. (Eddie Vedders song Long Road). He also updated his profile picture to one showing the back of his wife in running clothes, arms raised high above her head as if in victory, looking out at a body of water. Jun. 1A Hawaiian monk seal in captivity in California with a history of aggression toward pups will spend the rest of his life at Sea Life Park Hawaii. The state Board of Agriculture last week agreed to allow the 19-year-old male seal known as KE18 to be imported to Hawaii from California, where it has resided at the University of California at Santa Cruz's Long Marine Laboratory for about a decade while the subject of physiological studies. An import permit from the Department of Agriculture's Plant Quarantine Branch is required to import nondomestic animals into the state, and Jeff Pawloski, curator for Sea Life Park, which applied to bring KE18 back to Hawaii. The marine mammal will be on exhibit as the park's only Hawaiian monk seal and may be made available for follow-up studies. "We're excited to bring him here, and we're really excited because of the opportunity for the kids to really get a safe, respectful viewing (of a Hawaiian monk seal ), " Pawloski said. "We'll be doing demonstrations with the seal so that people can get a better understanding for how we care for them." Researchers at the UCSC marine lab recently finished their work involving KE18, which included. In 2011 KE18 narrowly avoided becoming the second Hawaiian monk seal to be euthanized since at least the early 1980s, according to Thea Johanos, supervisory marine biologist for the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center's Hawaiian Monk Seal Research Program. In 1991 a seal was euthanized after attacking and killing pups. In 1998 two others were relocated to Johnston Atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. KE18, who was born at Kure Atoll, had displayed prolonged "single male aggression " toward weaned pups and juveniles. It's not uncommon for subadult males to attack smaller or younger individuals, sometimes by biting them or holding them underwater, although they usually grow out of the behavior once they reach adulthood. Story continues In KE18's case his aggression only grew as he reached maturity in 2010, and his attacks became more frequent. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration crews couldn't react quickly enough to stop the violence. "We will sometimes interrupt or intervene to make sure the behavior doesn't progress further, but with KE18, he displayed this behavior repeatedly and injured quite a few pups, " Johanos said. "It's very infrequent that we come across a male that does this behavior escalated and repeatedly." After KE18 killed two of the nine pups he attacked in 2011, a decision was made to euthanize him as a last resort to prevent harm to other seals. Crews spent a week in the summer of 2011 looking for KE18 at Kure Atoll but were unsuccessful. That left enough time for officials to work out a less drastic arrangement by. In captivity KE18 was noticeably more docile and was given the Hawaiian name Kaimalino, which translates to "calm as the sea." Hawaiian monk seals are endangered, with only 1, 400 individuals left in the wild, although the population has been slowly recovering. Johanos said there are only three of the captive seals worldwide, and they provide rare opportunities to study the species. "There may be research done, especially on KE18, " she said. "Because there are so few, they have been instrumental in helping us to develop our that we have for seals and just to learn about their base-line health." Besides KE18, the other captives are the Waikiki Aquarium's KP2, also known as Ho 'ailona, and a seal at the Minnesota Zoo. KP2 was abandoned by his mother as an infant, Johanos said, while the Minnesota Zoo seal, named Ola, was weaned too early and developed other issues. It was always part of the plan to return KE18 to Hawaii after researchers finished their work with him, Pawloski said. He acknowledged the controversy over keeping marine mammals in captivity but said reintroducing KE18 to the wild isn't a viable option. "We don't want to release him to the wild because of the damage he could cause. We don't know if he'll reengage. What's really the alternative ? Euthanasia, " Pawloski said. Johanos said she is concerned about the possibility of KE18 attacking pups or introducing diseases to the wild population if he was returned to the wild. Although Sea Life Park can't entirely replicate KE18's natural habitat, Pawloski said the seal will have plenty of enrichment. The park is equipped to house up to six seals and has had captive Hawaiian monk seals before and is familiar with caring for the animals. He said KE18 could return to Hawaii in August. Baltimore Countys $4.2 billion budget for fiscal year 2022 provides significant capital for District 1, including $7 million toward a new Wilkins police station. Baltimore County Councilman Tom Quirk, who represents the southwest portion of the county where the precinct is located, called the upgrade a long time coming and great to see. The previous one was really old and dilapidated, Quirk said. Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr., whose proposed budget was approved by the county council last week, described the Wilkins Precinct of the Baltimore County Police as a building that had suffered from years of deferred maintenance. It was in need of a complete mechanical upgrade, ADA upgrades, security upgrades, a basement configuration, and a plumbing evaluation, Olszewski wrote in a 2019 letter to Gov. Larry Hogan. With all that has changed over the decades and the deferred maintenance, a renovation is no longer feasible, he wrote. Wilkins Police Precinct is the oldest of our precincts, and we need a new, modern facility that can accommodate the officers assigned there and the communities they serve. Quirk also noted the lack of space in the old precinct, located at 901 Walker Ave. in Catonsville, and the overall need of a new facility. The whole entire county identified it as the police precinct that needed the most updating for few years now, he said. Various other police facility upgrades across the county totaling about $2.6 million were also included in the budget. They are: $1 million for pistol range capital improvements and training feasibility study $800,000 for Essex precinct capital improvements and mechanical upgrade $430,000 for Woodlawn precinct capital improvements and replacement $120,000 for Cockeysville precinct roof replacement $50,000 for pistol range training simulation building feasibility study $200,000 for miscellaneous precinct capital improvements and upgrades Quirks district, he said, received a huge amount of capital in the approved budget for a number of other projects too. Story continues The budget included $67 million to replace Lansdowne High School, $4.6 million to expand the Woodlawn Senior Center, and $1 million toward land acquisition for a new career fire station on Frederick Road in Catonsville. The replacement of Lansdowne High School has been an ongoing process for a number of years because of its poor infrastructure and overcrowding issues. In 2019, Maryland House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones said Lansdowne is No. 1 among schools that should receive state construction funding. The Woodlawn Senior Center is expected to undergo significant renovation and expansion, as part of a $12 million initiative to improve senior facilities and reflect the needs of a growing senior population in the county. It will feature various amenities such as a fitness center, new multipurpose rooms, multiple classrooms and handicap-accessible restrooms. Quirk, prior to the passage of the budget Thursday, accurately predicted there would not be any dissension among the council or the public. The council ultimately passed Olszewskis budget without cutting a cent. Its one of the better capital budgets that weve seen, Quirk said. Air Arabia, the Middle East and North Africas first and largest low-cost carrier, has announced the resumption of direct flights between Sharjah and Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, starting July 2. Air Arabia will fly three times a week from Sharjah (on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday), departing at 10:35 and arriving at Bishkek at 16:25. The return flight (operating on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday) will depart at 17:25 and arrive in Sharjah at 19:45. All times are local. Customers can now book their direct flights between Sharjah and Bishkek by visiting Air Arabias website, by calling the call centre or through travel agencies. Ensuring the highest standards of safety at every step of the journey by following all health and safety protocols, Air Arabia has also added to the convenience and confidence of passengers by introducing free Covid-19 insurance coverage. The insurance is automatically included as part of the booking and no additional documents are required from passengers. - TradeArabia News Service Idaho State Police have identified the four people killed in a car crash Saturday near Marsing in Owyhee County. In a news release Tuesday, police said the head-on crash on U.S. 95 south of Marsing blocked or slowed traffic for nearly three hours. The crash was reported to police at around 2:20 p.m. Saturday. Troopers say a Honda Civic driving north and a GMC Sierra driving south collided, though ISP did not say what caused the crash. The speed limit in that area of the highway is 65 mph. After the crash, the GMC Sierra caught on fire. Troopers say that a witness stopped and helped three injured people get out of the pickup, which was destroyed by the fire. All four people in the Honda Civic were killed, and on Tuesday, ISP identified them. Three were residents of Oceanside: Melissa Rojas-Carrasco, 26; Jasmin Rojas-Carrasco, 22; and a 16-year-old girl who was not identified by ISP because she was a juvenile. Juan Pablo Farias, a 22-year-old from Vacaville, was also killed in the crash. The three people in the GMC Sierra have not been named, but ISP said they were a 21-year-old man and a 16-year-old boy from Nampa, and a 20-year-old woman from Kuna. Two of them were flown to hospitals via helicopter, while one was taken via ambulance. ISP said Saturday that the injuries sustained by all three were non-life-threatening. On Tuesday, police said the three continue to recover from their injuries. The crash is still under investigation by ISP. Tense relations between India and China culminated in a face off along the disputed border in the Himalayan region last June A blogger who made comments about Chinese soldiers who died in a Himalayan border clash with Indian troops last year has been sentenced to eight months in jail. Qiu Ziming, 38, was found guilty of "slandering heroes and martyrs". According to state newspaper the Global Times, he is the first to be criminally charged under the offence following an amendment to China's criminal law. Those charged under this law can be imprisoned for up to three years. Mr Qiu was also ordered to publicly apologise. He appeared on state broadcaster CCTV where he said he was "extremely ashamed" of himself. "My behaviour was an annihilation of conscience," he said, according to the Global Times. Tense relations between India and China culminated in a face off along the disputed border in the Himalayan region last June. At the time, Delhi said 20 Indian soldiers died in the fighting. Beijing acknowledged casualties but did not disclose further details. Later, it said four of its soldiers had died. It was the first deadly clash in the disputed border area in 45 years. 'Slandering heroes' Mr Qiu, who has a large following of 2.5 million people on microblogging site Weibo, had written the offending post on 10 February. He was detained and later confessed to "illegal behaviour to gain the attention of netizens, distorting facts on Weibo and slandering and demeaning the heroes defending the border". Weibo also announced a year-long ban on Mr Qiu's account. India and China have been locked in a border dispute for decades. The root cause of the tension is an ill-defined, 3,440km (2,100-mile)-long disputed border called the Line of Actual Control. Rivers, lakes and snowcaps along the frontier mean the line can shift, bringing soldiers face to face at many points, sparking confrontations. The two countries however have a long-standing agreement to not use guns or explosives along the border. In January this year, the two armies also clashed along the border in the north-east in India's Sikkim state, leaving troops on both sides injured. But India and China have since agreed to "disengage" from the border are now in the midst of pulling back troops from parts of it. Authorities in Iowa searched Tuesday for Xavior Harrelson, an 11-year boy who disappeared last Thursday. "As we receive information, we are exhausting those investigative leads," Mitch Mortvedt, the assistant director of the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigations, told NBC affiliate KWWL of Waterloo. "We are also expanding our search perimeter in and around the Montezuma area," he said. Dozens of volunteers and officers were involved in the search on Sunday and Monday for Harrelson, who just turned 11 over the weekend, according to the station. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation said that his disappearance was being classified as a missing child case and not a child abduction. Image: Xavior Harrelson (Poweshiek County Sheriff's Office) Harrelson was last seen at about 11 a.m. CT on Thursday wearing blue pajama bottoms, a red T-shirt and black tennis shoes in Montezuma, about 60 miles east of Des Moines, according to the Poweshiek County Sheriff's Office. He was described as 4 feet, 9 inches tall and weighing 100 pounds, according to his missing person flyer. He has brown hair and blue eyes. Susan Boss, a nearby resident, told KWWL that she felt obligated to help however she could because Montezuma was a small, tightknit community. "This is what we do," she said. "In Iowa when people need others we are going to stand up and be right beside them." Anyone with information is asked to contact the Poweshiek County Sheriffs Office at 641-623-2107. Israel inched closer to lifting Covid restrictions Tuesday as its caseload remains tiny following a sweeping nationwide vaccination campaign. People are no longer required to show vaccination certificates to enter restaurants and entertainment venues, and capacity limits on businesses have been lifted. Health Minister Yuli Edelstein said his office would discuss ending an indoor mask requirement over the coming two weeks. "The Israeli economy and public may have some more breathing" space, he said in a statement announcing the changes. The country remains largely closed to travellers from abroad, however, the tourism ministry said, except for first-degree relatives, some experts, and vaccinated tourists participating in a pilot programme. On Tuesday, there were just four new positive cases of the virus, and 350 actively sick people in Israel. At the peak of the epidemic in early 2021, Israel saw 10,000 new cases a day and 88,000 active cases. The changes became possible after Israel obtained millions of doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. More than 90 percent of people in Israel aged 50 and over have been vaccinated or recovered from the virus. Children continue to be required to wear masks in school, as under-18s have yet to be vaccinated in large numbers. Covid-19 cases among Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank have also declined in recent weeks as vaccines from the Covax campaign for poorer countries have been distributed. Israel has faced criticism for refusing to vaccinate most Palestinians living in the West Bank, or in the Gaza Strip, which is under Israeli blockade. Israeli citizens living in West Bank settlements have been eligible to take part in its vaccination programme. Israel has said the Palestinian administrations in the West Bank and Gaza are responsible for obtaining vaccines. In Gaza, the coronavirus response has been hobbled by 11 days of devastating Israeli air strikes last month in retaliation for Hamas rocket fire over tensions in Jerusalem. Story continues The enclave's only laboratory conducting Covid tests was hit in a strike, and two doctors were killed in a bombardment. Tens of thousands of people seeking shelter could not socially distance. Gaza recorded 246 new cases of the virus Monday, while the West Bank recorded 56. dac/ah/kir Canadian socialite Jasmine Hartin, pictured in a photo posted on Facebook this month with her partner, Andrew Ashcroft, at the opening of his new hotel in Belize. She has reportedly been charged with the manslaughter of a police officer (Facebook/Alaia) On 7 May Jasmine Hartin looked on proudly as her partner and the father of their children, Andrew Ashcroft, unveiled his new luxury hotel on the Belize island of San Pedro. The Canadian socialite, who is in her 30s, was pictured in a video on the Facebook and YouTube pages of the new resort, the Alaia Belize Hotel Autograph Collection, looking immaculately dressed in a smart, pink top and white trousers, with glamorous makeup, swept up hair and a cocktail in her hand, standing by the pool. Just weeks later the daughter-in-law of British billionaire Lord Michael Ashcroft, 75, was in jail, charged with the manslaughter of police officer Henry Jemmott. On Friday the 42-year-old police officer had been found in the water off San Pedro, shot with his own gun, as reported by CNN. Ms Hartin, who has two children with Lord Ashcrofts son Andrew, 43, and is reportedly also a US citizen, had allegedly invited the officer, who was a friend, over to her apartment for a drink to discuss her personal security. They are then believed to have broken the 10pm Covid curfew by walking to a nearby dock where she is said to have offered him a massage for his shoulder pain. What happened next is unclear. Ms Hartins version of events appears to be that Mr Jemmott put down his gun and was shot with it accidentally when she handed it back to him. The father of five suffered a bullet wound behind the ear and died of his injuries. Police Commissioner Chester C Williams told local media that security guards came running after hearing a single gun shot and upon investigating, police found the female on a pier, and she had what appeared to be blood on her arms and on her clothing, Sky News reported. He added that she initially refused to speak to police without a lawyer. Ms Hartin was arrested on Monday, charged with manslaughter by negligence and denied bail, according to her lawyer Godfrey Smith. Jasmine Hartin, pictured in her LinkedIn photo, worked for her husbands hotel, The Alaia, in Belize (LinkedIn/Jasmin Hartin) So who is Jasmine Hartin? On her LinkedIn profile she is listed as director of lifestyle and experience for Andrew Ashcrofts luxury Alaia resort, with a previous role as a real estate associate for SANCAS Realty Ltd. Story continues A page on the hotels website, which has now been removed, said: Along with her husband, Andrew Ashcroft, Jasmine has played an integral role in shaping the vision for Alaia Belize from the very beginning, as reported by The Sunday Times. Andrew Ashcroft, son of Conservative donor Lord Ashcroft, pictured in a still from the launch video for his new hotel, The Alaia, in Belize (YouTube/The Alaia) It is not clear if Ms Hartin is legally married to Mr Ashcroft or if they have a common-law marriage. In a video posted on the hotels YouTube page Ms Hartin can be seen with her two children and partner at the resort launch, which was attended by the minister of tourism. In the video Mr Ashcroft, whose father Lord Ashcroft is the former deputy chairman of the British Conservative Party and who grew up in Belize as a child and holds dual Belizean and British citizenship, said his family was 100 per cent committed to Belize and that the children would soon start school there. Lord Ashcroft, businessman and politician, arrives at the Manchester Central convention complex in Manchester on 29 September, 2019, on the first day of the annual Conservative Party conference (AFP via Getty Images) Speaking over video clips of his children Mr Ashcroft says: For my family this is about the best thing, I mean we are committed as a family. My wife Jasmine, my kids, we are 100 per cent committed to Belize. They start school here this summer. Were going to start a new project here this October called The Alaia Beach Club which will double our key count so we are here to stay and do more investments in Belize. We might have a couple surprises of other projects around Belize wed like to do. Following news of Ms Hartins arrest, photos emerged in the local press appearing to show her behind bars. In Belize manslaughter can be punished by up to 25 years in jail but Ms Hartin is believed to be facing a maximum five-year sentence, or a fine of $10,000 US dollars. Marie Jemmott Tzul, one of the officers sisters, told DailyMail.com that she was overwhelmed and devastated by my brother's death. She added: I can't speculate over whether they will bail her or she will stay in prison, because I don't know the charge yet. What I would say to Jasmine is, give closure to the family. Tell us what happened. We want to know for the benefit of our family. He was my only brother. Ms Jemmot Tzul continued: He had five children and a partner for 14 years. Every time I look at my nieces and my nephews I break down and cry. Please tell us what happened. Members of the officers family denied local reports that he may have killed himself due to marital problems. Another sister, Cherry Jemmott, 48, an Assistant Superintendent with Belize Police, told DailyMail.com: My brother would never ever kill himself. He had his plans. In September he was to be promoted to senior superintendent and he was to be transferred to another unit. My brother is a very top cop with a big dream. The Belize Police Department Police could not be reached to discuss the report but Belize Police Commissioner Chester Williams told local media that the pair had been drinking and were in breach of the islands 10pm to 5am Covid curfew at the time. He said: They were both fully dressed. They were known to each other. They were drinking for a couple of hours before the incident occurred. His body was recovered from the water. His weapon was recovered at the scene. The investigation is ongoing. Read More Billionaire Tory peers daughter-in-law detained in Belize after police officer shot dead Texas GOP to revive voting bill, Democrats plot next move LA County fire station shooter confirmed as off-duty officer who killed one colleague and injured another Lee Harvey Oswald. National Archives - JFK Ken Klippenstein tricked high-profile Republicans into retweeting a picture of JFK's assassin. Lee Harvey Oswald trended after Klippenstein asked Matt Gaetz to retweet his military portrait. Candace Owens said the portraits were Photoshopped, despite Oswald being a former military member. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. The journalist Ken Klippenstein tricked prominent Republicans, such as Congressman Matt Gaetz, Matt Schlapp, and Dinesh D'Souza, into retweeting a military portrait of President John F. Kennedy's assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, on Memorial Day. Klippenstein, a reporter who covers national security for The Intercept, tweeted at the men asking them to retweet a military portrait of Oswald under false pretenses. The journalist, who's known for his Twitter trolling, previously got into a Twitter spat with Elon Musk after sharing an old photo of the Tesla CEO and Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein's associate. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. "Congressman, my grandpa's a big fan of yours and is a veteran, he would be thrilled if you could RT this photo of him for Memorial Day. Here he is as a young Private First Class," Klippenstein tweeted along with a photo of Oswald in military uniform. Gaetz retweeted the photo with an American-flag emoji in the caption, and Schlapp tweeted, "Wow @kenklippenstein it's my honor to retweet the photo of a veteran on a day we remember his fallen friends. God bless your grandfather." Some Twitter users mocked the Republicans for falling for the prank. Conservative commentator Candace Owens, on the other hand, found the tweets reprehensible. "It is not 'political correctness' to have a soul and modicum of decency. Reminder: these men DIED - the majority of them on foreign soil - so you could be free," Owens tweeted at Klippenstein. "You do not photoshop murderers into their uniforms so you can have a laugh." Twitter users were quick to mention that Oswald was a member of the US military prior to the assassination of JFK, and that the portrait Republicans were retweeting was not Photoshopped at all - it was Oswald's military portrait. "I think I made Candace Owens short circuit lmao," Klippenstein tweeted alongside screenshots of their exchange on Twitter. Read the original article on Insider LOUISVILLE, Ky. A Black-led Louisville nonprofit says it has received a six-figure reparations payment from a person who discovered their great-grandfather owned slaves in Kentucky. Change Today, Change Tomorrow, a nonprofit that launched in 2019 to serve Louisville's marginalized residents, discussed the reparations check in a news conference Monday at Pocket Change, its boutique that represents an initiative to boost support for Black business owners. "It is a blessing for us but also definitely owed," the nonprofit's founder and executive director, Taylor Ryan, said Monday afternoon. Nannie Grace Croney, the organization's deputy director, said the group "honestly thought we were being scammed" when they first got an email about the donation. Then they realized it was actually happening. "So the initial emotion was like, 'Oh this isn't real,' but once it was real, we knew that we had to act on it. We knew that as disruptors and changemakers, we have to challenge other corporations, foundations and individuals to really pay reparations back," Croney said, "to really redirect those dollars and redistribute wealth to begin to fix the inequalities in this country and right here in our own backyard in Louisville." More: She saw needs in the Black community. So she formed a nonprofit to help people from within The nonprofit's leadership declined to name or provide contact information for the donor on Monday, citing that person's request for confidentiality. The donor "had come into a lot of wealth on their 25th birthday," the nonprofit announced in a news release. "Being aware of how hoarding wealth is a huge contributing factor of inequality in this country they decided that they should give most of it away," Change Today, Change Tomorrow's release said. "Curious to find out where this wealth came from, they investigated their family history." Story continues They learned their great-grandfather enslaved six people in Bourbon County, Kentucky, according to Change Today, Change Tomorrow. Because the great-grandfather did not record the names of those enslaved people, the donor couldn't identify their descendants and instead donated money to the nonprofit. 'It shouldn't have taken civil unrest': After protests, support grows for Black businesses According to Change Today, Change Tomorrow, the donor said their great-grandfather "inflicted the trauma and violence of slavery on six people for his own monetary gain and did not even bother to record their names." Ryan said the nonprofit plans to put 40% of the money toward supporting the organization's staff, and another 40% will go to sustaining its community outreach. Twenty percent will go into reserve. She said it's difficult for Black-led organizations to get financial support from big institutions, such as foundations, in Louisville and nationwide. "We feel that other entities, specifically the foundations locally, need to get up to speed. Their practices are very, very outdated. They're very still, you know, deeply embedded in white supremacy," she said. "And a lot of people are doing a lot of talking, but we need action." Taylor Ryan Change Today, Change Tomorrow said there have been other, similar examples in recent years of white people individually donating to Black-led organizations. In 2018, an anonymous donor gave $200,000 to the Denver-based nonprofit Soul2Soul Sisters. It was later found that the donor was a graduate student who had learned her ancestors had enslaved someone. That person chose to remain anonymous to keep the focus on Soul2Soul and their racial injustice workshops for people of faith, according to The Associated Press. Croney said this is the first time Change Today, Change Tomorrow has received a reparations payment from anyone, but she predicted it won't be the last. "I think that this is just the start. I thank this donor for beginning this cycle that is going to continue to lead to more reparations," she said Monday. "But also, with this reparation coming in, we're going to continue to do the work and continue to show up." Previously: Attendees at Archdiocese of Louisville event urge action on reparations Change Today, Change Tomorrow said the anonymous donor stressed the need not only for individual action but also for governmental action to provide reparations. This April, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee voted 25-17 to advance H.R. 40, which would create a commission to study "slavery and discrimination in the colonies and the United States from 1619 to the present and recommend appropriate remedies." The legislation was first introduced by Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., in 1989 but failed for more than two decades to get a vote in either chamber of Congress. The 40 refers to the unfulfilled proposal to provide 40 acres (16 hectares) of land to newly freed slaves as the Civil War drew to a close. President Joe Biden has expressed support for H.R. 40, but it faces a hurdle to pass and overcome a potential filibuster in the evenly divided Senate. In March, the City Council in Evanston, Illinois, which is north of Chicago, voted 8-1 to implement what many called the nations first reparations program for Black Americans, though some residents opposed the use of the term reparations to describe the plan. Evanstons program will initially provide 16 Black residents with housing grants of up to $25,000 if they either lived in Evanston between 1919 and 1969, are descendants of those residents or can prove they experienced housing discrimination after 1969 as a result of the citys policies. 'Not something that you just finish': Activists mark year of Breonna Taylor protests The Black households will be able to apply for the program starting this summer. The grants can be used to purchase a house, pay off a mortgage or make home repairs, under the approved plan. Hundreds of communities and organizations across the country also have considered reparations. They've included cities like Amherst, Massachusetts, Providence, Rhode Island, Asheville, North Carolina, and Iowa City, Iowa; religious denominations like the Episcopal Church; and prominent colleges like Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. No legislation surrounding reparations has been considered in Louisville, but the city has spent the past year grappling with systemic inequities brought into the spotlight after the police killing of Breonna Taylor. As a historical marker in Jefferson County notes, slavery was a part of Kentucky long before statehood was granted in 1792, and tax lists from 1800 showed 40,000 enslaved people lived in the commonwealth. Louisville once was the site of markets where Black men, women, and children were sold and shipped downriver to plantations in the Deep South. Follow Morgan Watkins on Twitter @morganwatkins26 and reach Billy Kobin at bkobin@courierjournal.com This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Black-led Louisville nonprofit received six-figure reparations payment There are at least seven bullet holes in the windows of Gen Wamala's vehicle (archive photo) Gunmen have attacked and wounded Uganda's Transport Minister and former army commander, Gen Katumba Wamala, killing his daughter and driver. Witnesses say men on motorbikes fired several shots at their vehicle near their home in the capital, Kampala. Uganda's president has said "we already have clues to those killers" calling them "pigs" and "terrorists". Soldiers are guarding the hospital where Gen Wamala is being treated for non life-threatening injuries. He is regarded as one of Uganda's most respected politicians and military men. The attempt on his life comes as a shock although such attacks are not rare, the BBC's Patience Atuhaire reports from Kampala. Footage from the scene of the attack shows bullet holes in the back window of a vehicle It is not clear what the motive for the attempted killing was. The army says phone calls potentially linked to planning the assassination attempt are being investigated. Gen Wamala was previously a police chief as well as formerly heading the army. At the time of Tuesday's attack, he was travelling in an army vehicle that was sprayed with bullets from the sides and front. According to a police statement, four armed men on "motorbikes with concealed number plates" had followed the car for 4km (2.5 miles) down the road from Gen Wamala's home before opening fire. His 26-year-old daughter Brenda Nantogo and his driver, Haruna Kayondo, were "killed instantly" say police. The general's bodyguard - Khalid Koboyoit - is said to have survived with no injuries. Soldiers were sent to secure the hospital where Gen Wamala is being treated Video footage from the scene in Kiasasi, a suburb of Kampala, shows the former army chief visibly shaken and covered in blood - being rushed to hospital on the back of a motorbike. Over the last few years, the country has been rocked by shootings by armed men riding on motorcycles, our correspondent says. In June 2018, Ibrahim Abiriga, a politician and ardent supporter of President Museveni, was shot and killed near his home. Story continues Former police spokesperson Andrew Felix Kaweesi was killed in a similar manner in April 2017 as were a magistrate and several Muslim clerics. None of these killings has ever been successfully investigated or prosecuted. Yet in a series of tweets on Tuesday, President Yoweri Museveni vowed to "defeat the criminals as we did in the past". Cynthia and Lance Keener, owners of Ohana Fishing Charters, felt officials on Kauai went too far in imposing virus restrictions. Now that some have lifted, they say, business has improved. (Caleb Jones / Associated Press) Homeless people here on Hawaiis northern island got an unusual invitation last year: Come set up camp at a spectacular beach, with showers, toilets and electricity, and meals delivered by the local food bank. The offer was part of an aggressive plan by Kauai's leaders to contain the coronavirus. The public campgrounds were all but deserted because tourism had collapsed under the weight of the pandemic and strict quarantine rules. Letting a few hundred people stay in five designated parks reduced the chance that they would wander the island, catch the virus and become vectors. "I go to sleep to the sound of the waves," said Gary Morris, 44, a combat veteran who has found a supportive community at Salt Pond Beach Park on the south coast. "People here are like family." The plan worked. On Kauai, population 72,000, COVID-19 has claimed a total of two lives a death rate 60 times lower than that of the nation. There have been just 320 infections and the homeless population has stayed safe. With half of its population fully vaccinated, Kauai is well ahead of the rest of Hawaii and the nation, which has a rate of 41%. . But now the island faces a new challenge: how to rebuild the economy. Tourism-dependent Hawaii has the highest unemployment rate in the nation, and the situation is especially difficult on Kauai. Food banks are working overtime. Homelessness appears to be increasing. The highway that rings much of the island winds past boarded-up stores and restaurants. A boy wheels a bicycle at Salt Pond Beach Park on Kauai, where homeless people have been allowed to stay. (Richard Read / Los Angeles Times) Among the casualties is the Ono Family Restaurant, which served Spam and eggs, shave ice and other Hawaiian favorites for 40 years. "It was too hard to keep going," owner Kenny Ishii said in February, announcing on YouTube that after months in limbo he was scrapping plans to reopen. "Three hurricanes was easy compared to this," he said. As a string of islands, Hawaii had a built-in advantage over other U.S. states when it came to fighting the pandemic: strict control over its borders. Story continues Early on, the state imposed a 14-day quarantine period for anyone arriving on the islands and arrested and jailed violators. Later, officials backed off, letting travelers avoid quarantine by providing negative results from approved coronavirus tests taken within three days of departure for Hawaii. Kauai Mayor Derek Kawakami pushed the state to let him impose additional requirements. Kauai is the least developed of Hawaii's four main islands, and he argued that if the virus took off, its three hospitals would be overwhelmed they had just 20 ICU beds. Were literally on our own in the middle of the ocean in these types of situations, Kawakami said in an interview at his office in Lihue, the county seat. Kauai Mayor Derek Kawakami, in his office in Lihue, Hawaii, said coronavirus case numbers weren't just numbers but "actual people ... we grew up with." (Caleb Jones / Associated Press) Last December, after Hawaii Gov. David Ige declined his requests, the mayor opted out of the state system, reverting to mandatory quarantines. The decision extended Kauai's longstanding reputation for an independent spirit. Two centuries ago, the island was the last to submit to rule by Hawaiis king, and in 2007, protesters on surfboards thwarted plans for a car ferry from Oahu. Kawakami said he felt acutely responsible to constituents whom he knew from working his way up in the family grocery chain. For us, numbers of cases arent numbers," he said. "They are actual people with names who we grew up with. The tight rules made Kauai a public health success story, but alienated many in the business community. The unemployment rate, which had hovered around 20% all last summer, had finally begun to drop, and the restrictions appeared to stall the economic recovery. Clouds hang over a golf course in Princeville near Kauai's Hanalei Bay. Island residents were mostly coronavirus-free until Hawaii's travel restrictions eased in October, prompting a rash of infections. (John Marshall / Associated Press) In the first three months of this year, the number of visitors fell 93% compared with the same period in 2020 a much larger drop than on Maui or the Big Island. What the mayor did was super unwarranted while the rest of the state was open and doing OK, said charter fisherman Lance Keener. He and his wife had taken on $120,000 in debt to stay in business: We were right about at the end of our funds, and we wanted to work." Kelley Hunt says Kauai's pandemic restrictions hurt small businesses like his surfing school. (Richard Read / Los Angeles Times) Dr. Janet Berreman, Kauai district health officer, defended the mayor against his critics. If you have out-of-control rates of disease, people arent going to be frequenting businesses, tourists arent going to be coming, and workers arent going to be showing up, she said in an interview. In a compromise in January, Kawakami instituted a unique system to make quarantine a lot shorter and a little more fun. Sections of six hotels became "resort bubbles." Visitors and residents who provided evidence of negative tests could stay for three days wearing electronic tracking bracelets and then go on their way after testing negative again. National Guard troops conducting enforcement at Lihue Airport showed no mercy. Dustin and Cindy Rocksvold vacationers from California who had overlooked the requirement to obtain negative results before boarding said in an interview that they were forced to fly back to Honolulu and get tested before returning, a $910 overnight misadventure. Again, Kauai's strategy worked, and the island went for days at a time with no new confirmed coronavirus cases. But the economy was struggling. Residents missed fixtures like the Kukui Grove Cinema, whose closure left the island without a movie theater. "I French-kissed my first girlfriend right there," said longtime resident Todd Jebens, 45, pointing to the empty parking lot. "I took my son to all the 'Star Wars' movies. I can still smell the popcorn, walking past." A rooster struts in the parking lot of the former Kukui Grove Cinema, one of many businesses closed on Kauai, Hawaii's northern island, during the pandemic. (Richard Read / Los Angeles Times) Unemployment has declined to 10% as more tourists have arrived on Kauai. But visitor numbers aren't likely to rebound to pre-pandemic levels for at least two years, according to a forecast by the University of Hawaii's Economic Research Organization. One factor limiting recovery of tourism is a severe shortage of rental cars. Last year, rental companies across the state tried to cover losses by selling off vehicles. With rental prices surging to as much as $700 a day, desperate tourists have resorted to driving U-Haul trucks. Some would-be visitors have canceled their trips. In early April, Kauai rejoined the state system, enabling travelers to avoid quarantine with a single negative pre-flight test. More than 100 people have since tested positive for the virus the island's worst surge. After aggressive contact-tracing identified several hundred people to quarantine, the island is back to about half a dozen new cases a week. In contrast to Texas, Florida and other states that have banned government mandated "vaccine passports," Hawaii has begun allowing people who show proof of vaccination to bypass testing and quarantine requirements when traveling between islands. But the shots must have been given in Hawaii. For now, officials' inability to verify vaccinations given on the mainland or abroad has prevented them from expanding the system to include people arriving from across the Pacific. People line up to get COVID-19 vaccinations in Lihue, Hawaii, on March 3. (Caleb Jones / Associated Press) Even before the pandemic, life for many on Kauai was getting harder. Wealthy outsiders were competing to buy homes, driving up housing prices and rents. The disparities have only grown. After housing prices fell briefly, more mainland residents plunged into the real estate market, often buying sight-unseen to move to the island to work remotely. Hannah Sirois, a Kauai real estate agent, said the perception of safety from the virus enhanced the attraction of the surfing mecca known for gentle rains, brilliant sunbursts and magnificent rainbows. This island is so green," she said, "and people locked down on the mainland wanted renewal, life and peace and everything that green is associated with. A traditional grass hut overlooks taro terraces in the hills of Kauai, whose lush green hues spurred an influx of remote workers during the pandemic. (Calvin B. Alagot / Los Angeles Times) Studio apartments fashioned from carports now rent for more than $1,000 a month. The median sale price of a single-family house on Kauai soared past $1 million in January, up 30% from the same month last year, widening the gap between rich and poor. I can walk in one direction past mansions that I cant even see because of gates and plants and things that have completely blocked the view, said Felicia Cowden, a county council member. And I can walk in the other direction by houses that have six or eight cars parked in front of them, because thats how many working adults are crammed into a single-family unit. Back at Salt Pond Beach Park, several dozen occupants maintain a tidy campsite, with tents pitched beneath palm trees and toys stacked for children. But the campers are growing anxious. They have until June 30 to leave so that the park can reopen for public use. Morris, the combat veteran, said he had come to love Hawaii since arriving five years ago from California. "But the one thing I won't ever get here," he said, "is a place to live." This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Prominent Kremlin critic Dmitry Gudkov was detained and faced possible jail time Tuesday as authorities ramped up pressure on dissenters ahead of upcoming parliamentary elections. Gudkov's arrest came after police late Monday detained another Kremlin opponent, Andrei Pivovarov, after stopping his foreign-bound plane as it taxied down a runway and yanking him off the flight. The detentions of Gudkov, 41, and Pivovarov, 39, were the latest in what Kremlin critics have described as a campaign of intimidation against President Vladimir Putin's foes ahead of parliamentary elections in September. "Dmitry Gudkov has been arrested," his father Gennady Gudkov said on Twitter, adding he had been detained over unpaid rent from 2015. "Vindictive and petty villains have captured my country and are destroying normal people," said Gennady Gudkov, a former opposition lawmaker. Dmitry Gudkov faces up to five years in prison if convicted. Earlier in the day police conducted searches at his country house outside Moscow as well as the homes of his allies and relatives. "I don't know what the formal reason (for the searches) is. The real one is clear," he said on messaging app Telegram earlier Tuesday. - Activist pulled off plane - On Monday, police detained fellow activist Pivovarov pulling him off the Warsaw-bound plane in Saint Petersburg. Pivovarov's removal from the plane came after authorities in Belarus on May 23 diverted an EU airliner to Minsk to arrest a dissident on board, provoking an international outcry. Pivovarov, the former executive director of Open Russia, a recently disbanded pro-democracy group, said the plane was taxiing toward take-off when it turned back. Police searched his Saint Petersburg apartment overnight and a criminal probe was launched against the activist for cooperating with an "undesirable organisation," Pivovarov's team said on Facebook. Pivovarov faces up to six years in prison if convicted. Story continues On Tuesday, Pivovarov was moved to the southern city of Krasnodar where the criminal probe was launched. The Krasnodar branch of the Investigative Committee, which probes major cases, said in a statement that Pivovarov had in August 2020 published materials in support of an "undesirable organisation." The statement also accused the activist of attempting to flee from investigators on Monday. Open Russia, founded by self-exiled Putin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky, announced last week it was shutting down to shield its members from prosecution. The group was designated an "undesirable" organisation in Russia in 2017 in line with a law targeting foreign-funded groups accused of political meddling. - 'Audacious move' - The European Union called for Pivovarov's immediate release and said his case "confirms a continuous pattern of shrinking space for civil society, the opposition and critical voices as well as independent media" in Russia. Amnesty International called Pivovarov's detention an "audacious move." "In spite of its recent self-dissolution to prevent the authorities from targeting its members, the witch-hunt against Open Russia continues," Natalia Zviagina, Amnesty director in Russia, said in a statement. "Andrei Pivovarov must be immediately released." Polish airline LOT, which operated Pivovarov's flight, said the plane was taxiing when Russian air traffic control ordered the crew to return to the parking position. Poland said it was looking into the issue. "This is an unusual action because if the Russians wanted to detain this person they could have done so before boarding. The question is why it was done exactly at that moment," Deputy Foreign Minister Piotr Wawrzyk told state broadcaster TVP. "The standards of the civilised world do not apply there." Putin's leading domestic opponent, Alexei Navalny, was sentenced in February to two-and-a-half years in a penal colony on old fraud charges that he says are politically motivated, and authorities are gearing up to outlaw his political network. Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation said that the Russian authorities had "opted for the toughest scenario" ahead of the September parliamentary polls. "They are removing everyone from the political arena," the foundation said. dt-as/mm/pvh Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Friday is one of the sweetest days of the year. June 4 is National Doughnut Day or National Donut Day in some circles and shops across the country are marking the day with fried freebies and delectable deals. And Krispy Kreme is sweetening its annual free doughnut giveaway for vaccinated customers. The chain, which says it has given away more than 1.5 million glazed doughnuts since starting its vaccine incentive program in March, will give all customers a free doughnut Friday. But it's doubling the deal for vaccinated customers who get two free treats when they present proof that they received a COVID-19 vaccine. Save better, spend better: Money tips and advice delivered right to your inbox. Sign up here A spending boom for whom?: Lower-income Americans feel left behind The day of the pastry was established in 1938 to honor the Salvation Army Donut Lassies, women who served the treats to soldiers during World War I. Its traditionally celebrated on the first Friday of June. National Doughnut Day freebies, deals Participation and offers can vary by location and are only available while supplies last. To be on the safe side, check with your closest location. DiGiorno: The Nestle brand has a new pizza + donut mashup dubbed the DiGiornut and is giving it away through a Twitter sweepstakes Friday. To enter, fans can reply to @DiGiornos tweet with #sweepstakes for a chance to score a half-dozen box. Duck Donuts: Get a free bare, cinnamon sugar or powdered sugar donut Friday, no purchase necessary. All locations are participating. Dunkin': Purchase any beverage Friday and get a free classic donut of your choice, while supplies last. On Thursday at noon ET, Dunkin drops the #NationalDonutDay collection with limited-edition customizable donut-themed fashions at Shopdunkin.com. HIring picks up:Economy added 559K jobs in May, unemployment rate falls Walmart store hours: Walmart to increase hours Saturday with stores opening at 6 a.m.; senior hours to continue Story continues Entenmanns Donuts: Now through June 21, enter for a chance to win and give a years supply of donuts and other prizes to a deserving father figure by nominating them for the first EntenMAN of the Year Fathers Day Contest. The brand says the person can be male or female; dad, coach, teacher or any inspiring person in their life. Five nominees will be chosen for a chance to win the title, a years supply of Entenmanns Donuts and an all-expenses-paid Daytona Race Trip package. The remaining finalists and nominators will all win free Entenmanns Donuts for a year. Enter at EntenmanOfTheYear.com. Krispy Kreme: All customers get any doughnut for free Friday, no purchase necessary, and get a $1 Original Glazed dozen with any dozen doughnuts purchase. Its possible to get two doughnuts for free without a purchase Friday if youve received at least one COVID-19 shot as Krispy Kreme will honor its free Original Glazed doughnut offer when you show a valid vaccination card. Maverik Adventures First Stop: All donuts, including the new and limited-time Pinkalicious donut, will be $1 Friday, excluding raspberry fritters. Shipley Do-Nuts: Get one free glazed Do-Nut with any purchase from 5 a.m. to noon Friday, while supplies last. Smokey Bones: Get a free Bag O' Donuts with any $40 purchase Friday. Tim Hortons: This donut day deal starts Thursday and continues through June 15. Registered rewards members get one classic or specialty donut for 50 cents with any eligible purchase over 50 cents when they scan for rewards in restaurants, place a mobile or delivery order. More deals: Locally-owned businesses and smaller chains also may have deals Friday. One of the easiest ways to find out is to check social media channels. Free sample time: Sam's Club joins Costco in bringing back free samples to clubs nationwide after pausing for COVID Target fitting rooms are back: After being closed more than a year amid COVID, Target reopens fitting rooms Follow USA TODAY reporter Kelly Tyko on Twitter: @KellyTyko This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Today is National Donut Day: Dunkin', Krispy Kreme offer free donuts Boris Johnson. Getty EXCLUSIVE: Labour says Electoral Commission must open "urgent investigation" into potentially illegal donations. Insider reported that the Conservative Party received donations from nonexistent companies. The commission has the power to impose fines of 20,000 per offense. Advocates say that UK political-finance law needs strengthening. See more stories on Insider's business page. The Labour Party is calling on the UK's Electoral Commission to launch an "urgent investigation" into multiple potential breaches of the law by the Conservative Party, after an investigation by Insider revealed that Prime Minister Boris Johnson's party had received tens of thousands of pounds from companies that no longer exist. In a letter to Bob Posner, the commission's chief executive, on Tuesday, Labour Party Chair Anneliese Dodds called for an investigation to examine three donations totalling 20,000 made to the party by two companies, Stridewell Estates and Unionist Buildings. Political-finance laws state that a company is a permissible donor only if it is registered under the Companies Act 2006, incorporated in the UK, and "carries on business in the United Kingdom." The watchdog's enforcement policy allows for it to apply to the courts to seek forfeiture of impermissible donations "as well as or instead of" using a sanction. Under the law, the Electoral Commission can levy fines as a sanction of up to 20,000 per offense. Dodds told the commission that the law on donations was "clear" and added "in relation to the requirement that companies carry on business in the UK, parties are advised by the Electoral Commission to check the Companies House website to see if the company is in liquidation, dormant, or about to be struck off - or if the company's accounts are overdue. "While a company may still be carrying on business if it is in liquidation, dormant or late in filing documents, parties are advised to make extra checks to ensure this is the case. These include checking the latest accounts filed at Companies House." Story continues Insider's investigation revealed that Electoral Commission records showed the Conservative Party had accepted a 10,000 donation from Stridewell Estates, whose director was the property magnate and Tory donor Brian Gillies, in November 2019, more than three years after the company was dissolved in November 2016. A spokesperson for Stridewell Estates had previously told Insider that "there must be a mistake. ... It is very possible that the company that donated has been recorded incorrectly." A 6,000 donation from Unionist Buildings was accepted by the local association of the Foreign Office Minister Wendy Morton in June 2017, after the company was dissolved in January 2017 - and then a further 4,000 was registered by Morton in January 2020. Dodds wrote: "I trust you will agree that these cases require urgent investigation to understand why companies that have been officially registered as dissolved by Companies House made thousands of pounds in donations to the Conservative Party and a sitting Conservative Member of Parliament. "I trust that any breach of the rules will be immediately subject to your Enforcement Policy, as part of the vital work to uphold public trust and confidence in the rules upholding electoral finance." A spokesperson for the Electoral Commission told Insider: "We can confirm we have received a letter from Anneliese Dodds MP, in her capacity as Chair of the Labour Party. We will respond shortly." Advocates say political-finance laws and regulations need toughening. Steve Goodrich, head of research and investigations at Transparency International UK, told Insider: "The rules on company donations make it far too easy for money of unknown provenance to enter UK politics. Parties should at least be checking to see if their corporate donors are at least 'carrying on business' in Britain, yet that's such a low hurdle to pass as to be next to meaningless. "The law needs changing so political donations from companies can only derive from genuine commercial activities." Insider's investigation also revealed nearly 10,000 donated to the Conservative Party from a company, Conservatives In, whose director at the time was Baroness Vere of Norbiton, now a junior transport minister. After making the donation in December 2016, Vere filed for the company to be struck off in February 2017. Companies law requires directors to affirm when they apply for their company to be dissolved that the company has not "at any time in the previous three months ... traded or otherwise carried on business." Insider has contacted the Conservatives for comment. The Conservatives had previously told Insider: "Donations to the Conservative Party are properly and transparently declared to the Electoral Commission and are published by them." Read the original article on Business Insider MELBOURNE, Australia A pandemic lockdown in Australias second largest city will be extended for a second week due to concerns over a growing cluster of coronavirus infections. Victoria state acting Premier James Merlino on Wednesday confirmed that Melbourne will remain in lockdown for seven more days from Friday, but pandemic restrictions will be eased elsewhere in the state. Merlino says that if we let this thing run its course, it will explode. Victoria officials said Wednesday that the state recorded six new locally acquired coronavirus cases in the latest 24-hour period, bringing the latest outbreak to 60 active infections. The lock down is the fourth for Melbourne, which has 5 million residents. ___ MORE ON THE VIRUS OUTBREAK: Peru raises COVID-19 death toll sharply, up to over 180,000 from previous count of nearly 70,000 Sons grief, guilt become tribute honoring COVID-19 victims Japans vaccine push ahead of Olympics looks to be too late Businesses close in Malaysia's second lockdown as surge puts health care system on verge of collapse ___ Follow more of APs pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic and https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine ___ HERES WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING: MEXICO CITY Mexico says a clinical review of past deaths has led officials to raise the countrys confirmed COVID-19 death toll by 4,272, to a total of 227,840. The adjustment announced Tuesday is largely one of record keeping, because even government officials acknowledge the true death toll is far higher. Because the country of 126 million people does so little testing, many Mexicans have died at home or never got a test. So the government searches death certificates for mentions of symptoms related to COVID-19. Those analyses of excess deaths related to COVID-19 now stand at over 348,750, which gives Mexico one of the highest per capita rates in the world. ___ JUNEAU, Alaska Alaska has begun offering coronavirus vaccinations at airports in a move that had been expected for the start of the summer travel season. Story continues The state health department said that as of Tuesday, vaccine eligibility has been expanded to include anyone in Alaska who is at least 12 years old, including visitors from other states or countries. Prior eligibility was for those who live or work in Alaska. Vaccines will be offered outside the areas secured by the federal Transportation Security Administration at airports in Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau. The health department says plans call for the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport to have available all three vaccines authorized for emergency use in the U.S., including the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. ___ INDIANAPOLIS Indiana University modified its COVID-19 vaccination requirement, making it optional that students and employees provide proof of getting the shots as school officials changed a policy that had drawn protests from many state officials. Indiana University said that under the revised requirement students and employees would be able to attest to their vaccination without having to provide immunization documentation as was required under the previous policy announced May 21. The university also said a form would be available Wednesday for those requesting exemptions from the vaccine requirement for medical or religious reasons. President Michael McRobbie said in a statement that the universitys primary concern has been ensuring the health and safety of its students and staff. He added: This requirement will make a return to normal a reality for the fall semester. The changes come after the state attorney general issued last week a non-binding opinion that the policy was illegal under a new state law banning the state or local governments from requiring vaccine passports. ___ TORONTO Canadas National Advisory Committee on Immunization says people who got the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine for the first dose can be offered either Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna for the second. The advice affects more than two million Canadians who received the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine before provinces stopped using it for first doses last month. The vaccine is potentially linked to a rare but serious blood clotting syndrome. In Canada, 41 confirmed or suspected cases of vaccine-induced thrombotic thrombocytopenia have been diagnosed and five people have died. Several European countries are giving Pfizer or Moderna as second doses to AstraZeneca recipients, including Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Sweden, Norway and Spain. NACIs published report says AstraZeneca recipients can be offered the same vaccine if they want it, or can be given either Pfizer or Moderna. They say they are basing their advice on the risk of VITT, and emerging evidence that mixing and matching different types of vaccines is not only safe but may produce a better immune response. The guidance is not binding but most provincial governments have indicated they were waiting for the information before setting their policies for second doses. ___ NEW YORK Health researchers estimate that during the early months of the U.S. COVID-19 epidemic, 7,000 to 10,000 more kidney disease patients died than normally would. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published the report Tuesday. The researchers focused on about 800,000 patients who early last year had kidney failure. About 60,000 of them died between the beginning of February and the end of August last year. The researchers compared those numbers to trends in the same patient population during other recent years, and concluded such deaths had risen by as much as 10,000. Patterns of where the patients died were similar to maps of where COVID-19 hit the United States in the first months of the pandemic. But the authors say more research is needed to determine what drove the increase whether it was due to coronavirus infections, difficulty accessing medical care or other reasons. Overall, between Feb. 1, 2020 and May 15, 2021, the CDC reports that the nation saw about 643,000 more deaths than usual. ___ WASHINGTON The Memorial Day weekend has produced the two busiest days for U.S. air travel since early March 2020. The U.S. Transportation Security Administration said about 1.96 million people passed through U.S. airport security checkpoints on Friday, and 1.90 million did so on Monday. Tuesday was also expected to be busy, as travelers returned home after the Memorial Day weekend. Analysts expect travel to continue rising slowly now that many Americans are vaccinated against COVID-19 and airlines are adding more flights. In May, an average of 1.6 million people a day were screened at U.S. airports, down one-third from the 2.4 million people a day who went through TSA checkpoints in May 2019. ___ LONDON Londons Heathrow Airport has reopened a terminal that was mothballed during the coronavirus pandemic to handle passengers now arriving from high-risk countries. Critics say the action should have been taken sooner. Britain has barred travelers from a red list of 43 coronavirus hotspots including India, Brazil and Turkey. U.K. nationals and residents returning from those countries face a mandatory 10-day quarantine in a hotel. Other travelers coming from amber list countries like the United States can do their mandatory 10-day quarantine at home in the U.K. Critics have complained that red list passengers have been using the same massive airport arrivals hall as travelers from other destinations, though in separate lines, since the hotel quarantines were introduced in February. Starting Tuesday, red list arrivals will pass through the airports Terminal 3, which was closed in April 2020 as international air travel plummeted. ____ CAMBRIDGE, Mass. American pharmaceutical company Moderna says it has begun the process to win full U.S. regulatory approval for the use of its COVID-19 vaccine in adults. Moderna announced it has begun a rolling submission to the Food and Drug Administration of data from its studies of the two-dose vaccine. Modernas vaccine already has been cleared for emergency use by the FDA and regulators in numerous other countries. So far, more than 124 million doses have been administered in the United States. Large-scale studies of the shots continued after Modernas emergency authorization. The FDA will scrutinize the information to see if the vaccine meets stringent criteria for full licensure. Moderna is the second COVID-19 vaccine maker to seek full approval, following Pfizer and German partner BioNTech. Last week, Moderna also announced that its vaccine appears safe and effective in kids as young as 12. The company plans to seek emergency authorization for teen use this month. ____ GENEVA The World Health Organization has issued an emergency use listing for the COVID-19 vaccine made by Sinovac in adults aged 18 and over, the second such authorization it has granted to a Chinese company. The U.N. health agency said on Tuesday that data submitted to its experts showed that two doses of the vaccine prevented people from getting symptoms of COVID-19 in about half of those who got the vaccine. WHO said there were few older adults enrolled in the research, so it could not estimate how effective the vaccine was in people over age 60. WHOs authorization means the vaccine can be bought by donors and other U.N. agencies for use in poorer countries, including in the U.N.-backed initiative to distribute COVID-19 vaccines globally known as COVAX. Last month, WHO gave the green light to the COVID-19 vaccine made by Sinopharm. It has also licensed vaccines developed by Pfizer-BioNTech, Johnson & Johnson, Moderna Inc and AstraZeneca. The COVAX effort has been slowed considerably after its biggest supplier in India said it would not be able to provide any more vaccines until the end of the year. To date, there is no confirmed deal for Sinovac doses with COVAX. ____ ALGIERS, Algeria Algeria partially reopened its skies to flights after a 14-month shutdown to try to keep out the coronavirus. A first flight of the national carrier Air Algerie took off for Paris on Tuesday and another was expected to land in Algiers, the capital. Great caution governed the reopening, with limited flights, tests for COVID-19 and a required quarantine. Those heading to Algiers must have a negative test less than 36 hours before boarding, and all passengers must undergo a five-day quarantine in a hotel requisitioned by the state. A negative test result is required to leave the hotel. ____ LONDON Britains government said no new coronavirus deaths were reported Tuesday, the first time this has happened since July 2020. The positive news came amid concern about increasing cases in the U.K. of the coronavirus variant first identified in India, and uncertainty about whether authorities will press ahead with the final stages of easing social restrictions later this month. As of Tuesday there have been a further 3,165 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the U.K., compared to about 2,500 cases last week. Some parts of northwestern England have seen a steep rise in infections. Officials have said that up to three-quarters of these new cases are the Indian variant, which they say appear to be more transmissible. Official figures showed no deaths within 28 days of testing positive for the coronavirus were reported Tuesday. The U.K. total death toll stood at 127,782, the highest in Europe. ____ GENEVA The European Medicines Agency said it has recommended approving two additional manufacturing and finishing sites for the coronavirus vaccine made by Pfizer and BioNTech. The EU drug regulator said in a statement on Tuesday that the additional vaccine production and filling sites were at Pfizers factory in Puurs, Belgium. The EMA said its decision, based on a review of manufacturing data submitted by BioNTech, is expected to have a significant and immediate impact on the supply of the vaccine for the 27 countries in the EU made by Pfizer and BioNTech. Last month, the EU Commission signed a third contract with Pfizer-BioNTech to obtain an additional 1.8 billion doses of their vaccine from 2021 to 2023. That contract stipulated that vaccine production be based in the EU and that delivery to the EU be guaranteed in 2022. In April, the EU sued AstraZeneca for its failure to deliver on the hundreds of millions of doses Europe had been promised in its contract. ____ NEW YORK A play about young Black men trapped on a street corner has positioned itself as the first Broadway show audiences can watch live when the Great White Way restarts. Antoinette Chinonye Nwandus Pass Over will begin performances Aug. 4 at the August Wilson Theatre, several weeks before any other show. Riffing of Waiting for Godot, the play is seemingly perfect for a post-COVID-19 Broadway: Just three actors and an intermission-less 85-minute running time. The play was first staged in 2017 in Chicago and was filmed by Spike Lee. It was most recently produced at Lincoln Centers off-Broadway theater in 2018 and that cast will make the leap to Broadway. A home burns in the 2600 block of West Bent Spur Drive in Acton on Tuesday. It is believed this incident may be related to a shooting at nearby L.A. County Fire Station 81 in Agua Dulce. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Daryl L. Osby has dealt with the loss of many lives over the years, "but none as tragic as today," he said Tuesday. Never before has an off-duty firefighter walked into one of his firehouses, taken aim with a gun and started shooting until Tuesday morning at Fire Station 81 in Agua Dulce, where a gunman killed a fellow firefighter and wounded a captain before later turning the gun on himself. "As a fire chief, I never thought that when our firefighters face danger, that they would face that danger in one of our community fire stations," Osby said hours after the shooting. The deceased victim, who has not been identified, was a 44-year-old firefighter who had been with the department for more than 20 years, officials said. He suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene. The second victim, a 54-year-old fire captain, was taken to Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital with multiple gunshot wounds, where he remained in critical but stable condition Tuesday afternoon. Officials scrambled to keep up with the day's chaotic chain of events, which began with the shooting about 10:50 a.m. After the attack, the gunman fled to his home on Bent Spur Drive in Acton about 10 miles away where he barricaded himself before allegedly setting the house on fire. Although Los Angeles County sheriffs deputies couldnt enter because of the flames, fire crews similarly had no way of knowing whether the man inside was armed as they attempted to battle the blaze. By 3 p.m., the 3,600 square-foot home had been reduced to near rubble, and the person believed to be the gunman had been found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound in a small pool on the property, according to sheriff's officials. L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said the motive for the attack is still under investigation. A county source with knowledge of the situation said there was an ongoing dispute between the deceased and the shooter, who worked different shifts but lived in the same area. Story continues The argument potentially about how the station was run and maintained escalated Tuesday morning, the source said. The gunman shot and killed the firefighter, and the captain was wounded when he tried to intercede. Osby, who has worked at Station 81, called it a "small, hometown-type fire station very quiet, very quaint." "Generally speaking, the people on that shift would have a good working relationship," he told The Times. "Obviously something went wrong with that relationship today." A wounded firefighter is transported after a shooting at L.A. County Fire Station 81 in Agua Dulce. (KTLA) Lt. Brandon Dean of the sheriff's homicide bureau said the person in the small pool outside the Acton residence was believed to be the suspect. "We feel fairly confident that is our shooter, but we cannot say with 100% confidence," he said during a news briefing. According to property records, the home is owned by a veteran county firefighter. Dean said no deputies fired weapons and no one else was believed to have been at the home. After the house caught fire, aerial footage showed thick black smoke billowing as flames chewed through the structure. Fire crews eventually doused the flames through a series of water drops from the air, and investigators were able to move in. Firefighters leave their homes and loved ones every day knowing the risks involved in our profession," Edward A. Kelly, president of the International Assn. of Firefighters, said in a statement. "The challenges of being a firefighter or paramedic include seeing and experiencing some of lifes most horrifying circumstances. Nothing, however, can adequately prepare anyone for todays tragedy." The deceased firefighter is survived by a wife and three daughters, Osby said, describing him as "truly dedicated, one of our better firefighters, amazing, and a true loss to our department." The attack spurred an outpouring of support and heartbreak from Greater Los Angeles. "My heart is with our firefighters and the families of those affected," L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said on Twitter. Calling it a "heinous act of violence," L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn said firefighters risk their lives at work every day. "Between emergency calls, the fire station must have felt like their safe haven," she said. "Unfortunately that sense of safety has now been shattered." L.A. County Board of Supervisors Chair Hilda Solis said she was directing flags to be flown at half-staff at all county buildings. "My most sincerest condolences to the family of the firefighter who was tragically killed in today's shooting at Fire Station 81 in Agua Dulce," she said. The shooting happened only days after a mass shooting at Valley Transportation Authority in San Jose left nine people dead and saw the White House similarly ordering flags at half-staff. Osby said firefighters often provide assistance to others and asked that the community in turn provide its support, assistance and prayers during their time of need. "I stand here with a heavy heart," he said. "Today is truly a sad day and a tragic day for the Los Angeles County Fire Department." Times staff writer Leila Miller contributed to this report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Streets in the eastern DR Congo city of Goma returned to life on Tuesday, five days after residents fled following warnings that the nearby Nyiragongo volcano could erupt again. In the city centre, the streets were clogged with traffic, including hefty four-wheel-drive vehicles driven by NGOs, while the number of pedestrians seemed close to normal and some shops had reopened, an AFP journalist said. In front of the city's main hospital, traffic deftly drove around large cracks that had emerged after the volcano first erupted last month. Nyiragongo suddenly erupted on May 22, spewing out two rivers of lava before stopping the following day. But powerful aftershocks ensued in the following days, prompting scientists to fear a possibly catastrophic eruption under the floor of Lake Kivu. In their worst projection, a "limnic eruption" would heat carbon dioxide dissolved in the depths of the lake, sending the gas to the surface. Forming a vast, invisible cloud, the gas could settle on the shoreline city and asphyxiate its inhabitants under this scenario. In response, the provincial authorities last Thursday ordered the evacuation of most of the city's districts. Around 400,000 people, out of a population of 600,000, were uprooted. Many headed to the town of Sake, about 25 kilometres (15 miles) away to the west, or to the town of Gisenyi, just across the border in Rwanda, to the east. Since then, the big tremors have virtually receded. People began to trickle back on Monday, although the volcano's monitors insist that it is not safe to return. One of those who had left was Francoise Habimana, who fled to the Rwandan capital of Kigali with her children, where they stayed with a host family. On Tuesday, she was among dozens of families queueing at the border crossing to return home. Another was Beatrice Wakandwa. "It was a bit hard to be on my own in Rwanda, even though the people were hospitable," she said. Story continues "I don't have a choice. Whatever happens, I prefer to be back in Goma with my family." However, a crisis management cell set up by the authorities in North Kivu province, of which Goma is the capital, said on Tuesday that alert status "is still red," which meant that people were not advised to return home. "Today, the scientific data have recorded 71 earth tremors, the majority of which have not been felt by the population. "A comparatively small fall in seismicity was recorded yesterday -- however, the danger is full-time," the emergency body said. "We therefore recommend that people stay vigilant, listen to the news and strictly observe the measures set down by the provincial authorities." str-hba/ri/yad Lisa Edelstein opens up about being a stepmom to two boys. (Photo: Getty Images; designed by Quinn Lemmers) Welcome to So Mini Ways, Yahoo Life's parenting series on the joys and challenges of childrearing. TV fans will recognize actress Lisa Edelstein from a host of popular series: House, Seinfeld, The West Wing, Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce, Felicity, Relativity, 9-1-1: Lone Star and The Kominsky Method, the last of which premiered its third and final season in May. But one of Edelstein's most complex roles being stepmom to two boys has come later in life. Married to artist Robert Russell since 2014, the star is helping to raise teens Benjamin and Santiago, his sons from his first marriage. Here, Edelstein opens up about the nuances of being a stepparent, the high and lows of dealing with teenage boys and how family bonding involves "Dungeons & Dragons Shabbat Extravaganza." Do you remember the first time you met your stepsons? Were you nervous? Of course! But they were so little, so cute, it took about two minutes before we were playing. But there was a real weight to the day, because meeting someones children is a commitment in itself. Robert and I were young as a couple but knew right away how seriously we took each other and our relationship. He didnt want me to be under any illusions about his life these boys are his life. So he really wanted me to date the whole family, in a sense. Most of my nerves came from whether or not the boys would take to me. Having been with them now for almost 11 years, and knowing them the way I do, of course they were like this from Day 1. These two guys are so kind, so empathetic, so sensitive and were just that way, even in their baby bodies. Watching them grow into themselves has been really wonderful. How would you describe your role as a stepmother? It changes day to day, year to year, like the role of any parent, be it biological, step, adopted or in whatever form it might take. From the day I met the kids, it was important to me to establish a relationship with them that they understood to be solid, present, available and like a fantastic extra parent. But it was tricky, to be sure. Robert and their mom had only been separated for a few months when we met, and I met the kids shortly thereafter. So their whole sense of family had just been blown up. It was chaos: the kids adjusting to new homes (Robert moved in with me), their mom and dad getting divorced. But no matter what was going on in the greater sense, theres still bedtime, playtime, nap time, bath time, temper tantrums, dirty clothes, dirty butts and lots and lots of food to prepare. So I just got in there and got it done. Story continues For the first few years I worked hard to really co-parent with Robert on our weeks with the kids (we were 50/50). Emotions were running high; divorce is never pleasant, and the kids were definitely going through it, too. But through all that, there was no real language for who I was in their life. Daddys girlfriend would not cut it, as far as I was concerned. But the world tends to view preofficial stepparents as intruders, in a funny way. All the moms and dads at school need to adjust to a new face with the kids, worry about how their mom feels about the new person. Even simple questions out and about like, Would your son like a banana? is rife with anxiety. If I correct that person, am I insulting the kids? Is these are my boyfriends sons really descriptive of my intimate relationship with them? I have to say, getting married really solved a lot of those issues, even for the boys. They had a box they could put me in and tag: stepmom. And so did the rest of the world. Language is an important thing, much more than we necessarily realize, day to day. As things calmed down and normalized, I saw that I needed to allow Robert to be the leader of the pack. I could see that for me, we had a great time with the boys one week and the next they were with their mom and I could get things done. For my husband, we had a great time with the boys one week and the next week hed be missing them, worried, yearning, feeling guilty. So part of my job became facilitator, creating the space and time for Robert to really bond with the guys. It was hard at times, because Im a strong-minded person with definite opinions, and I think were they children we birthed together or raised on our own I would have taken a different stance. But the truth is, step-parenting in my case meant I was not only co-parenting with my husband, but also with his ex-wife, and later with her husband, too. So its nuanced. You have to choose your battles carefully. As theyve grown and matured, like any parent/child relationship, things shift again. Theyre teenagers, theyre learning independence, they want their own lives. We all co-parent now, Robert and I, their mom and her husband. Its easier, in a way, because the kids are more self-sufficient; there are fewer immediate decisions that need to happen. That said, when we need to have a united front we can, and four parents telling you NO" is a pretty powerful thing. Edelstein on the day she met the boys who would become her stepsons. (Photo: Courtesy of Lisa Edelstein) What's your favorite way to bond as a family? We have Shabbat dinner every Friday. There is something wonderful about ritual, about structure, about finishing a week with meaning, together. I cook a big meal, bake a delicious vegan challah and we talk about the weeks highs and lows. Everyone gets their moment, so everyones life is acknowledged and celebrated. Its really beautiful. When they were young, we did it as "Hip-Hop Shabbat." We hired a fabulous guy to come over and teach hip-hop dancing to the boys for a few hours before dinner on Friday. Friends were always welcome. They loved it, and it made Shabbat celebratory; something to look forward to. We developed friendships over the years that made the Shabbat dinner grow bigger. Sometimes its just us, other times Im cooking for 20. Hip-Hop went by the wayside and became "Dungeons & Dragons Shabbat Extravaganza," mostly for our youngest. Hell have campaigns with his friends that go all night. Its the best! Being a stepparent gets a bad rap sometimes some people think it's too much to take on. In your experience, what have been some of the positive aspects? There are so many versions of being a stepparent. In my case, these are the only kids I have so this is my experience of parenting altogether. For me, its perfect: super-intense weeks with the guys and then a week to deal with the rest of life. Being a part of someones life from when they were babies is an experience not interchangeable with anything else. I get a little thrill when one of them says something I know comes from me. I might not be biological, but I made an impact, Im a part of their emotional zeroes and ones. I look forward to the day I get to see these boys in their grown-up lives, see how they find themselves in the world. Its like a massive lab experiment. Here are these amazing, promising people how do we help them see all they have to offer while supporting them through all they have to contend with? I guess what Im saying is, parenting is parenting. Youre in or youre not. Being in means a lot of work, a lot of compromise, a lot of buttons being pushed and alarm bells going off. And then its this wonderful thing: this love, this family, this future. Its yours to make of it what you will. Any secrets for dealing with teen boys? Teenagers are awesome. And assholes. But mostly awesome. I love seeing them mature, start having opinions, start expanding their worlds. Theyre still babies in some ways, still really sensitive to our opinions, our support and our dissents. But they need to find their own footing and its exciting to see how they manage it all. When they do well we think, Wow, we were amazing parents. (When they mess up its a little less interesting to take credit.) That said, parenting teenage boys is literally being the frontal lobe they dont have yet trying to get them to understand consequences and understand they arent immortal. You've played so many different types of mothers on-screen. Is there a particular storyline or relationship that particularly resonated with you? I loved playing Abby [on Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce]. Her version of motherhood was different from mine. She was allowed to own it in a way that I hadnt yet experienced out in the world as a stepmom. She didnt have to prove her parenthood in any way. I remember the first day the kids came to visit me on the set of Girlfriends Guide to Divorce. One of my fictional children was the same age as our youngest, Santiago, and I could see it was weird for him, seeing me act like a mom to a little boy his age, acting in such a similar way as I was with him. I quietly loved his jealousy, because it meant he felt ownership of me as a parent. Its little moments like that that make the difficulties of stepparenting slip out of importance. Haley Joel Osment plays your son in The Kominsky Method. How has that been? I think [her character] Phoebe is perhaps the worst mom possible and has the son to prove it! Shes a narcissist and she raised one, too until he joined a cult and got someone else to raise him, that is. Haley is fantastic. We had a lot of fun together this season as sort of the comedy duo of greed personified. Its a little weird realizing Im old enough to have a son with a full beard, but there it is! I own it! This interview has been edited for clarity and length. Read more from Yahoo Life: Want lifestyle and wellness news delivered to your inbox? Sign up here for Yahoo Lifes newsletter. Apple TV+ Directed by Pablo Larrain (Jackie, the upcoming Spencer), produced by J.J. Abrams, shot by Darius Khondji, starring Julianne Moore, Clive Owen, Joan Allen, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Dane DeHaan and Michael Pitt, and written by the author himself, Liseys Story mayoutside of Stanley Kubricks The Shiningboast the most illustrious pedigree of any Stephen King adaptation ever. Enlisting a plethora of talent makes sense for this eight-part Apple TV+ series (premiering June 4), given that its chockablock with everything under the sun. Fantastical worlds, parental abuse, ghosts, torture, murder, scavenger-hunt games, monsters, sisters, trauma, mental hospitals, self-mutilation, flashbacks, possession, psycho killers, and familial and marital issues involving love, trust, anguish, jealousy, and betrayal are all a part of this swirling, bursting-at-the-seams package. There are even some overt nods to Misery and The Shining thrown in for good measure, along with incessant babytalk, make-believe terms, supernatural rules, and recurring motifs. It is, to put it kindly, a lot. Thats in keeping with its source material, which King has remixed in ways that are mostly minor (a chronological flip here, a corner-cutting snip there), save for his villain Jim Dooley (DeHaan), whos been transformed from a one-dimensional Southern-fried sadist to a more fully formedif still derivativeAnnie Wilkes-style obsessive literature fan. Stephen King on Scary Stalkers, Being Canceled by J.K. Rowling, and Navigating Trauma Dooley is an antagonist fixated on the late Scott Landon (Owen), a writer of out-there tomes that made him a national celebrity replete with hardcore acolytes he condescendingly referred to as deep space cowboys. At the start of this saga, Scott is dead, although his presence is nonetheless potently felt thanks to the recollections of his widow Lisey (Moore), whom Scott habitually referred to as babyluv and who, two years after his passing, now faces the prospect of having to clean out his barnyard office, where crates of scribblings and unfinished projects lie dormant, begging to be rediscovered. Story continues Lisey is in mourning, as well as in denial of the strange events that took place during her marriage to Scott. Those buried secrets come bubbling to the surface once entitled university professor Dashmiel (Ron Cephas Jones) shows up on her doorstep demanding that she hand over Scotts remaining output, since the public deserves it and sheas merely his bedmatehas no right to keep it for herself. When Lisey balks, he sets upon her the misogynistic Dooley, who proves to be simply the most dangerous of many threats to her well-being. As Dooley makes ever-more-intimidating demands, Lisey is forced to contend with her sisters Amanda (Allen), whos once more struggling with lifelong cutting compulsions that send her into a catatonic state, and Darla (Leigh), who resents Lisey for her wealth and good fortune. These calamities cause Liseys memories to come flooding back in waves and lead her to discover that Scott has left behind a beyond-the-grave treasure hunt of sorts (like the ones his brother made for him as a kid) that he calls a bool, with a mysterious prize waiting at the end. Liseys Storys basic premise is a smorgasbord of relationships and conflictsmany of which echo Kings prior workand it only grows more complex once Lisey starts letting her mind wander to yesteryear incidents shed just as soon repress. Scott, it turns out, grew up with an unstable father (Pitt) who believed that they were all cursed with a demonic evil known as The Bad (a term thats an improvement on the books bad-gunky), which soon got its grip on Scotts brother. Scotts harrowing adolescence is intimately connected to his young adulthood, when he demonstrated to Lisey that he had the ability to travel to an alternate universe that he dubbed Booya Moon where a giant blood moon hangs in the air, a towering creature known as The Lost Boy stalks the forest, and a shimmering pool offers visitors healing, enchantment, and inspiration (because its the actual pool of creativity from which all artists drink). Lisey goes there too, at multiple points of a story thats been shot and edited to dreamily blend the then and now, creating harmonious parallels across space and time in ways both big and small. Totemic language and objects abound in Liseys Story, be it the aforementioned phrases or the crucial shovel and lighthouse model in Liseys possession, and Larrain and Khondji bring their winding, disorienting drama to life with misty, shadowy, shimmering beauty. Mirrors, glass, reflective water and figures framed in distant doorways all speak to the transitional heart of this tale, as do the doubles that persistently appear across its eight installments. Another of the directors sagas about women in a state of anguished crisis, Liseys Story looks andcourtesy of Clarks soundtrack of unholy noises and sparse stringssounds magnificent. More importantly, it often captures the atmospheric essence of Kings books: that blend of terror, insanity and bittersweet longing for departed loved ones, all wrapped up in classic pop and rock songs (in this case, courtesy of an R&B wedding band) and the burning-embers light of a fall Maine sunset. At its finest, it conjures a prototypical King-ian sense of aching yearning for that which has been lost, even as it recognizes that nothing is ever truly gonefiguratively and, at least for brief moments in this magical fable, literally. Liseys Storys performances are, for the most part, similarly top-notch: the reliably great Moore captures Liseys determination, fierceness, fear and sorrow; DeHaan brings intense sociopathic creepiness to Dooley; Pitt goes fittingly over-the-top as Scotts perpetually soaked-with-sweat backwoods papa; and Owen radiates warmth and hurt as the scarred Scott. However, like the proceedings themselves, the cast is undercut by a surplus of lunacy. As with his novel, King packs this highly personal narrative full of myriad real-world and fantasyland elements and interests (including patricide and the power of storytelling), but the result is a case of more being less. Just as Moores Lisey exhibits various traits and yet never evolves into a fully distinctive human being, the plot itself is overflowing with threads, themes and issues and yet winds up not being about much of anything, save perhaps for Liseys quest to seize her female agency, and to confront and let go of her griefa mainline concern that holds true throughout, but is only one of innumerable things King aims to tackle. Which is to say, Liseys Story is defined by a disconnect between the splendor of its aesthetics and the professionalism of its primary players, and the overstuffed and outlandish nature of its story. Larrain and company eventually venture into all sorts of wild places, some entrancing and others awkward, while hitting numerous notes that will ring familiar to the King faithful. Not all of it coheres, and its late, self-conscious excuses for convenient twists dont help. But it also has moments of quiet grace in it, as well as an admirable and thrilling dedication (by esteemed artists) to truly go for it, right up to a climax featuring a titanic beast of a thousand souls. Best of all, it flickers, now and again, with that classic King magic, when the emotions, dreams and desires of the past and the present collide and intertwine, no matter how much misfortune has been shouldered or abuse has been suffered, in this world or those beyond. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now! Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. Live flies on cinnamon fried tortillas and vegetables, hundreds of rodent droppings and rodent rub marks on the walls (more on these in a second) forced state inspectors to temporarily shut a trio of local eateries last week. One of those restaurants Indian-Jamaican restaurant Curry Express in Fort Lauderdale remains shut after inspectors spotted a live rodent inside an unexpected place: an oven. (An unused oven stored outside housed the critter, not Curry Express everyday oven. Not that this sounds much better.) The South Florida Sun Sentinel highlights restaurant inspections in Broward and Palm Beach counties from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Heres how it works: We cull through hundreds of restaurant and bar inspections that happen weekly and spotlight places ordered shut for high-priority violations, like improper food temperatures or dead cockroaches. On occasion we may highlight the weirder violations we notice, like this pizzeria that put a dead 80-pound iguana in its freezer. Sun Sentinel readers can browse full Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade county reports on our state inspection map, updated weekly (usually Monday) with fresh data pulled from the Florida DBPR website. Any restaurant that fails inspections must stay closed until it passes a follow-up state inspection. If you spotted a possible violation and wish to file a complaint, contact Florida DBPR here. (But dont contact us: The Sun Sentinel doesnt inspect restaurants.) Curry Express 880 W. Sunrise Blvd., Fort Lauderdale Ordered shut: May 26; restaurant remains closed Why: All told, inspectors spotted 21 violations (six high-priority), led by the aforementioned live rodent in oven. There also were rodent rub marks present along walls/ceilings. (Rodent rub marks, a phrase we never thought wed have to Google, are the trails of dirt and oil rodents leave behind.) They also saw 26 live flies in the kitchen and food prep areas crawling on cabbage, tomatoes and bags of cauliflower, and inspectors ordered the restaurant to stop selling cabbage, tomatoes and cauliflower due to food not being in a wholesome, sound condition. They also saw another 24 flies on dirty pots and pans in the mop sink and one live roach in the kitchen above the fryer. There were also 129 (!) rodent droppings beneath the dishwashing sink, near the front counter and on shelves next to onions, potatoes, ginger and inside an unused oven. Of the minor offenses, inspectors also spotted 50 dead flying insects in freezer located outside, ceiling damage and hole in or other damage to wall. The restaurant remains closed until inspectors finish a follow-up inspection. Story continues Over the Bridge Cafe 814 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach Ordered shut: May 25 and May 26; reopened May 26 Why: Nine violations (five high-priority), including 28 rodent droppings beneath the dishwashing sink, reach-in cooler and prep table, and atop the water heater. Inspectors ordered the restaurant to stop selling butter due to a temperature safety issue. The restaurant remained shut on May 26 when inspectors found three more rodent droppings on the floor beside reach-in cooler, but was allowed to reopen the same day when a third inspection found zero issues. Ocean One Bar & Grille 14851 Lyons Road, Delray Beach Ordered shut: May 24; reopened May 25 Why: A repeat offender last ordered shut April 20, Ocean One temporarily closed again May 24 when inspectors found eight violations (five high-priority), including 77 live flies on a cinnamon-fried tortilla at the end of cook line, next to the steam table, on dining-room tables, on the bar lights, on a sheet rack with sweet potatoes and atop a cutting board. One fly even landed on an inspectors visor. Inspectors ordered the restaurant to stop selling tortillas and sweet potatoes due to food not being in a wholesome, sound condition. The restaurant was allowed to reopen May 25 when inspectors found no follow-up violations. By Lawrence Hurley WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Supreme Court heads into the last month of its current term with several major cases yet to be decided including a Republican bid to invalidate the Obamacare healthcare law, a dispute involving LGBT and religious rights and another focused on voting restrictions. The court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, now has 24 cases in total left to decide after issuing two rulings on Tuesday. There also is speculation about the potential retirement of its oldest justice, Stephen Breyer. Some liberal activists have urged Breyer, who is 82 and has served on the court since 1994, to step down so President Joe Biden can appoint a younger liberal jurist to a lifetime post on the court. In the most notable of Tuesday's decisions, the court unanimously endorsed the authority of Native American tribal police to stop and detain non-Native Americans on tribal land. The court's nine-month term starts in October and generally concludes by the end of June, though last year it continued into July because of delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Speaking during an online event for students on Friday, Breyer hinted at the court's complex deliberations that go into deciding high-stakes cases at this time of year. "It's complicated by the fact that you are dealing with eight other colleagues. ... You'd better be willing to compromise," Breyer said. Republican-governed states have asked the court to strike down the Affordable Care Act, a law signed in 2010 by Democratic former President Barack Obama that has helped expand healthcare access in the United States even as Republicans call it a government overreach. It appears unlikely based on November's oral arguments that the court would take such a drastic step. But if the Obamacare law were to be struck down, up to 20 million Americans could lose their medical insurance and insurers could once again refuse to cover people with pre-existing medical conditions. Obamacare expanded public healthcare programs and created marketplaces for private insurance. Story continues Another major case yet to be decided is one that pits religious rights against LGBT rights as the justices weigh Philadelphia's refusal to let a Catholic Church-affiliated group participate in the city's foster care program because it would not accept same-sex couples as prospective foster parents. The conservative justices appeared during the November arguments in the case to be sympathetic toward the Catholic group's claim that its religious rights under the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment had been violated. The court's conservative majority has taken an expansive view of religious rights and has spearheaded several rulings backing churches in challenges to COVID-19 pandemic-related restrictions. With various states enacting new Republican-backed voting restrictions in the aftermath of former President Donald Trump's false claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him through widespread voting fraud, the court is preparing to rule in a case concerning Arizona voting limits. Republican proponents of Arizona's restrictions cite the need to combat voting fraud. A ruling upholding the restrictions could further undermine the Voting Rights Act, a landmark 1965 federal law that prohibits racial discrimination in voting. The court also is getting ready to decide a closely watched case involving the free speech rights of public school students. It involves whether a high school that punished a cheerleader for a foul-mouthed social media post made off campus on a weekend violated her free speech rights under the First Amendment. The court has taken up major cases on gun and abortion rights for its next term, which begins in October. (Reporting by Lawrence Hurley; Editing by Will Dunham) Maryland and Montana have passed new laws restricting forensic genealogy, the DNA technique used to trace the Golden State Killer, in order to protect the privacy of suspects and their families, the New York Times reported Monday. Why it matters: Law enforcement across the U.S. have access to DNA in databases outside of the criminal justice system. Through genealogy websites with millions of users, police have used DNA to identify suspects. Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free These are the country's "first laws limiting forensic genealogy," the NYT notes. University of Maryland law professor Natalie Ram contends that giving investigators access to a suspect's genome, "including markers of sensitive health information, was akin to an unreasonable search, which is banned by the Fourth Amendment," per the Times. Yes, but: The legislation has been criticized by law enforcement representatives, who argue that it will be "harder to solve cold cases," Montana Public Radio notes. Zoom in: In Maryland from Oct. 1, a forensic genetic genealogical DNA analysis and search may "not be initiated without certifying certain information before a court and obtaining a certain authorization from the court," according to the bill's synopsis. Investigators may only use the method for serious crimes, like murder and sexual assault, and they're only permitted to use websites "with strict policies around user consent," per the Times. The Montana law requires "investigators to obtain a warrant to search consumer DNA databases like 23andMe or Ancestry.com," Montana Public Radio notes. Of note: Maryland's law was sponsored by Democratic lawmakers, while a Republican is behind Montana's, demonstrating that "people across the political spectrum find law enforcement use of consumer genetic data chilling, concerning and privacy-invasive," Ram noted to the NYT. Story continues Flashback: Police found DNA at several murder scenes in California and used the public genealogy sites GEDmatch.com and FamilyTreeDNA to narrow down their search and find Joseph James DeAngelo, the Golden State Killer. His DNA was "secretly retrieved ... from a discarded item" while he was under surveillance, per the Los Angeles Times, and matched to the murder scenes' samples. DeAngelo is serving a life sentence after pleading guilty to 13 murders and admitting 161 uncharged crimes, including rapes and burglaries, in the 1970s and 1980s. Go deeper: Genetic testing firms share your DNA data more than you think Like this article? Get more from Axios and subscribe to Axios Markets for free. New Mexico green chile heading to space Video Transcript - And after about 1,000 seeds, we got down to about 100, 150. And 48 of these here will be going into the science carrier. - 16. - So what we're doing here is we're going ahead and recording the position in the science carrier where the seeds came from on the petri plate that was tested for germination. - Here's that 90. - Michael Jordan. Shout out to Michael Jordan. - Going random. - Random. - 18. - 18. Number 18, OK. - All right. - Check. - 45. - 45. - It's your call. - It's just a little bit too light. - A little bit. [OVERLAPPING] - Go around. - Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. - You got to put just a little so you get your wrists up, to reorient the seed in the, um-- The notoriously violent Jalisco cartel has responded to Mexicos hugs, not bullets policy with a policy of its own: The cartel kidnapped several members of an elite police force in the state of Guanajuato, tortured them to obtain names and addresses of fellow officers and is now hunting down and killing police at their homes, on their days off, in front of their families. Police say a 10-year-old boy approached his father with an unusual request: Could he take him to do a drive-by shooting in Opa-locka with a paint gun? The father, 26-year-old Michael Williams, agreed, detectives say. Williams van pulled up to the house on the 2300 block of Rutland Street, and the boy began to shoot paint balls into the crowd, where some other young people were gathering in the front yard. But the resident, Gregory Barns, believed he and his family were under attack and squeezed off one round with a real gun, wounding the boy on Sunday night, according to police. Williams has now been charged with child neglect with great bodily harm, saying he acted recklessly by agreeing to conduct a drive by paint ball shooting, according to an Opa-locka police report made public on Tuesday. The boy suffered a further injury after losing his balance and getting run over by the van, according to the police report. In the chaos, Williams got the boy, put him in the van and drove home, where the childs mother called 911, police said. It was unclear Tuesday if Williams had an attorney. Information on his case has yet to be posted online. He was no longer listed as being in a Miami-Dade jail. The controversial comedienne says she still loves fans who wanted to cancel her based on her viral video MoNique has responded to the mixed reaction she received over her criticism of Black women wearing hair bonnets and scarves in public. Read More: MoNique on women wearing bonnets, pajamas in public: When did we lose our pride? Ive been seeing it not just at the airport. Ive been seeing it at the store, at the mall When did we lose our pride in representing ourselves? When did we slip away of let me make sure Im presentable when I leave my home? the Oscar-winning Precious actress stated in an Instagram video she posted over the weekend. MoNique (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images) All Im saying is could you please comb your hair?, Mo added. Im not saying you dont have pride but the representation that youre showing someone will have to ask you to know if you have it. Its not to get a man it is just your representation of you, my sweet babies. She also noted that if you look like you dont give a damn, how you gonna be treated? and warned, if I see you in the streets, in the airport, in the Walmart and you got a bonnet on, and you got slippers on and you looking like what the f, auntie gon tap you and say hey baby girl, show what youre worth. While several of Mos fans agreed, others said she was out-of-pocket for policing Black women. Per UK Metro, one user replied, I get what youre saying. This was a big thing in my family. From my Great-great-grandmother to my mother, they always made sure that they were presentable, when they went outside. And they told us, to always have on clean underwear when we go out. You never know what might happen! Another added, I was always taught come out presentable and thats what I teach. One critic wrote, This was such a disappointment. Imagine women growing up watching you be loud, curse, grab your crotch and make heinous jokes just for you to turn around and police women for wearing a bonnet? Another user said: I hear you auntie but respectfully, Im over people policing black women. I have yet to see think pieces or anyone make a video about men wearing du rags, gym shorts, white beater and Nike sandals with tube socks out in public. Story continues MoNique addressed the heat in a follow-up video posted on her Instagram account that she captioned, UNAPOLOGETIC. There were two people in my life that, had I taken a different attitude, I could have felt like they was rubbing me wrong, but Im glad I took the attitude of appreciation and gratitude because they tapped me, and that was Patti LaBelle and Margaret Avery, Mo began her video response to the backlash. Patti had to tap me one night when we were getting ready to do a show and I was in my feelings over some s and that woman had to come tap me and tell me to get myself together. And she didnt tell me with lollipop kisses and pancakes with syrup all over it. She told me what I really needed to hear. And I was grateful for that-that night because it impacted my life, she continued. MoNique went on to say how grateful she was when Avery called her dressing one night to praise her hard work and encourage her to lose weight. Im glad those two women loved me enough that they would go out of their way to talk to me in a way that aunties, mamas, big sisters talk to their little sisters, nieces, grandbabies, daughters, said MoNique. I was grateful for that because it allowed me to think about things differently. Never once did I think those women were trying to be offensive, she added, referring to Patti and Margarets advice as nothing but love. So for you babies that have taken offsenie to what I said, Im okay with that. Im okay with yall being in your feelings about it, cause when you love somebody for real, I know yall will get over that. And when yall say, we will cancel yo ass, well, theyve tried that, and Im still here. Read More: MoNique wants Tyler Perry to publicly apologize to her and tell the truth MoNique concluded her message by reminding fans and social media followers that despite any backlash, she loves the Black community. Peep her full response via the IG clip above. Have you subscribed to theGrios new podcast Dear Culture? Download our newest episodes now! TheGrio is now on Apple TV, Amazon Fire, and Roku. Download theGrio today! The post MoNique doubles down on bonnet comments after backlash from fans appeared first on TheGrio. Teore Terry was a longtime employee of the downtown Winston-Salem CVS when he was shot and killed in February. The 40x50 canvas painting greets customers as they enter and leave. Video Transcript - An unveiling. VELMA TERRY: Everything that-- for years, my son was bigger than life. [CHEERING] - Honoring a longtime employee at the CVS on West 4th Street in Winston-Salem. KIM THORE: So the color palette is a mixture of red and yellow and very bright, you know, strong colors, like Te'ore was. - Family and friends say this picture showcases Te'ore's infectious smile. VELMA TERRY: His face, that facial expression that Kim captured, that is it right there. He would have loved it. - His mother Velma seeing the impact her son had on this city. VELMA TERRY: It means love. It means community. It means that my son served his purpose. He did what he was supposed to have done. He served. - Te'ore Terry died on February 14 after officers found him lying face down in a parking lot suffering from a gunshot wound. KIM THORE: What happened from there is when I learned that I had lost my friend, I didn't know how to make sense of it all, so I decided to make art. - And she did by making this 50-by-40 canvas painting of a dear friend. KIM THORE: They just run into him once or twice, and he made them feel incredibly welcomed. And to me, he was the ambassador of downtown Winston-Salem. - It means to me to just know that so many people cared about him, and that's all. That's enough for me to know that I can go somewhere and actually, you know, see my cousin and have-- you know, continue to have memories, good memories of him. - A lasting image of a soul near and dear to his community. - As long as you're a good person on this planet, and when you're gone off this planet, you'll remain a good person. Your spirit will live on forever. And that's what I want them to think when they walk past here, that Te'ore's spirit will live forever. Three Myanmar journalists who illegally crossed into Thailand to flee a military crackdown have been fined and could face deportation, a member of their legal team said Tuesday, warning the trio's lives will be in danger if they are sent home. The journalists, who worked for the Democratic Voice of Burma news website, were arrested along with two Myanmar activists in the northern city of Chiang Mai in May and charged with illegal entry. A court on Friday sentenced them to a one-year probation period and fined them 4,000 baht ($128) each, said Nadthasiri Bergman, a lawyer with the Human Rights Development Foundation. The court also said they will face seven months in prison if they were to commit the same offense again. "By law, they can be deported within 72 hours" after sentencing, Bergman told AFP, although she added they had submitted an appeal letter on Friday which stops immigration authorities from deporting them immediately. "We are waiting for the process of seeking asylum in the third country." Thailand has said it was seeking a "humanitarian" solution to avoid deporting the trio back to coup-stricken Myanmar, where their employer has warned their lives would be "in serious danger". The country has been in turmoil since the military ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi on February 1, triggering a mass uprising as large swathes of the population take to the streets. The junta has responded with force -- shooting protesters, arresting suspected dissidents in night raids, and targeting journalists and news outlets by shutting them down. A well-known news organisation within Myanmar, DVB started as an exile media outlet during the previous junta, broadcasting uncensored reports on TV and radio. It moved into the country in 2012, a year after the military dictatorship loosened its grip, but had its broadcast licence revoked in March, sending its journalists into hiding. Despite this setback, it has continued to report, posting regular Facebook updates -- as well as broadcasting on satellite TV -- about the daily protests and crackdowns. bur-rma/dhc/oho ABUJA (Reuters) - Nigerian authorities said on Tuesday that about 200 children had been seized in the latest school kidnapping in its violent north but they ruled out securing their freedom by paying a ransom. Police were trying to track the route the kidnappers had taken with the children, who were seized in a raid on an Islamic school in north-central Niger state on Sunday, a local government official told Reuters. A warplane was also flying over the area to try to spot them, the official said. Gunmen on motorbikes attacked the town of Tegina on Sunday afternoon. One person was shot dead during the attack and a second person was seriously injured. Local authorities put the number of kidnapped students at about 200. Deputy governor Ahmed Mohammed Ketso told reporters the state government was pursuing the kidnappers and efforts were being made to identify them. "We don't pay ransom to abductors. We are trying to negotiate to see how we can bring them back safely," he said. More than 700 students have been kidnapped for ransom since December by armed groups after raids on schools and universities in northern Nigeria. The government denies paying ransoms but is widely believed to have done so. President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday condemned the kidnapping during a briefing on the incident and urged security agencies to secure the immediate release of the children. Police officers have been posted at schools in the region as a stepped-up security measure, Ketso said. (Reporting by Felix Onuah in Abuja, Ardo Hazzad in Bauchi, Tife Owolabi in Yenagoa and Maiduguri Newsroom; Writing by Chijioke Ohuocha; Editing by Angus MacSwan) ABUJA (Reuters) - People who promote insurrection in Nigeria face a "rude shock", its president warned on Tuesday, raising the possibility of a fierce crackdown on rising violence in the southeast that has included arson attacks on police station and electoral offices. Security forces are already grappling with criminal gangs in the northwest who carry out mass kidnappings for ransom, a decade-old Islamist insurgency in the northeast, and piracy in the Gulf of Guinea off Nigeria's southern coast. Electoral offices and police stations have been burned down in recent months across the southeast, a region where armed gangs have carried out a series of killings of police officers, prompting a police operation in May. Nigerian authorities have blamed those attacks on a banned separatist group, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), and what police call its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network. But the IPOB has repeatedly denied involvement. The statement issued by the office of President Muhammadu Buhari, who previously led Nigeria as a military ruler in the early 1980s, said "a rude shock" awaits "those bent on destroying the country through promoting insurrection, and burning down critical national assets". It referred to the 1967-70 civil war fought over the secession of an area in Nigeria's far southeast called Biafra that killed one million people. "Those of us in the fields for 30 months, who went through (that) war, will treat them in the language they understand. We are going to be very hard sooner than later," Buhari, who served in the army against the secessionists, was quoted as saying. On Monday the streets of towns across the southeast were quiet and businesses were shuttered after the IPOB urged people to stay at home to commemorate those who died in the war. The presidency statement said there had been 42 attacks on offices of the Independent National Electoral Commission in recent months across 14 states. (Reporting by Felix Onuah in Abuja and Anamesere Igboeroteonwu in Onitsha; Writing by Alexis Akwagyiram; Editing by Mark Heinrich) NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India will stick to its schedule of giving two doses of AstraZeneca's vaccine, a senior government adviser said on Tuesday. "India's Covishield schedule is of two doses... there is no change and Covaxin is also for two doses," government advisor V K Paul told reporters at a news conference. Mixing of vaccines is not a protocol and research is currently being conducted on this, he added. (Reporting by Tanvi Mehta and Manas Mishra; Editing by Andrew Heavens) Jun. 1Republicans in the Ohio Senate will introduce a substitute school funding plan today, addressing what they say are problems with the House-passed version, and setting up a one-month sprint to get a funding system approved by the end of the state budget process. Senate President Matt Huffman, R-Lima, said he'll wait until today to reveal most specific details of the plan. But he said direct funding of charter schools and private-school vouchers (rather than having those funds pass through school districts first) is one change in the House plan that the Senate agrees with. "I think the principal problem with the House's plan so far is that about four or five years out, we have this tremendous jump in cost," Huffman said. "There's a couple billion dollars with no talk about how to fund that, so it's either tax increases or cutting other state programs, from Medicaid to all the other things we fund." In a three-year process, House Speaker Bob Cupp and former state Rep. John Patterson created the Fair School Funding Plan that the House already approved. It calculates the cost of teachers, busing, special education and other factors to determine a "base cost" to educate students. It uses that figure to calculate state funding for each school district. Patterson has said that over a six-year phase-in, the plan would increase state funding for schools by $1.99 billion, calling that number not out of line with historical increases. Senate leadership has suggested that could be a significant underestimate. Huffman argued this week that the financial estimates don't take into account school employee pay raises from local contract negotiations. The House version of the plan estimates small, gradual state funding increases for most Dayton-area districts, with some outliers (Kettering, Bethel, Vandalia-Butler and a few others) seeing 10-15% increases this fall. "When the plan is rolled out side by side, you'll see why will the House plan in the long term is not sustainable," Huffman said. "This is a system based on asking the people who are getting paid what they think the cost would be, rather than considering revenue and other sources of information." Story continues Jennifer Hogue, director of legislative services for the Ohio School Boards Association, said few details about the Senate plan have leaked out. She said she wouldn't be surprised if the Senate pushes for an increase in funding and eligibility for charter schools and voucher programs. "Some think they'll go back to a building blocks formula that we had a few iterations ago," Hogue said. "Some think we'll stick with the formula that's on the books now (from fiscal year 2019), with some tweaks. It's anybody's guess." One of the selling point of the Fair School Funding Plan is wide agreement that it would fix long-standing constitutionality problems with Ohio's school funding model. But Hiwot Abraha, treasurer for Dayton Public Schools, said she's heard the same talk as Hogue about funding basically staying the same as the patched 2019 model for now. State report card Hogue said there's significant interest in passing a state report card reform bill, but she's not sure legislators will be able to reach agreement in June. "I think in the House, Reps. Jones and Robinson are looking to try to hold an interested party session next week to get everybody together and see if we can't hash something out and get some sort of compromise done," Hogue said. OSBA supports the House's version, which says there should be no overall grade or rating for each school. "I think the main sticking point tends to be the overall summative rating," Hogue said. "We believe there should not be a summative rating, so that we drive people's attention toward the individual components [achievement, progress, graduation, etc.]. Let those components tell the story." Other school bills Hogue said a bill aimed at revising the makeup of the state school board might pass the House, but likely will stall in the Senate, which she said is unlikely to take away the governor's appointment powers. Meanwhile, the latest of multiple bills to change state takeover of struggling schools via Academic Distress Commissions could get folded into the state budget bill. Huffman said as far as schools go, he's focused on the funding bill, and wouldn't comment on legislation to change the report card system or other education law. (Bloomberg) -- Oil resumed its advance, reaching the highest settlement in over two years with the OPEC+ alliance forecasting a tightening global crude market and a nuclear deal with Iran still up in the air. West Texas Intermediate crude rose 2.1%, while global benchmark Brent settled above $70 a barrel for the first time since 2019. Prices rallied as members of the OPEC+ alliance sounded upbeat notes about the global consumption rebound. Saudi Arabia Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said the demand picture has shown clear signs of improvement, while his Russian counterpart also spoke of the gradual economic recovery. Adding further support, the prospect of an immediate resolution in talks to revive the 2015 nuclear accord has been delayed for now. Iranian officials said the Persian Gulf country and world powers are unlikely to reach a final agreement in the current round of talks, cooling speculation that sanctions on Tehrans key oil exports might soon be lifted. People are looking more and more at a big travel season in the Northern Hemisphere, at least in Europe and the U.S., said Michael Lynch, president of Strategic Energy & Economic Research. So the demand side looks good, and with OPEC+ only gradually returning output and an Iran deal looking further off, it looks like we could be in for a tight summer. A robust economic recovery in the U.S. and Europe has given the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies the confidence that markets can absorb additional barrels, with the producer group agreeing Tuesday to press ahead with an increase of 841,000 barrels a day in July, following hikes in May and June. That comes as the International Energy Agency signaled a speedier demand recovery than its previous estimates, seeing global oil demand in one year possibly rebounding to levels seen before the pandemic. The U.S. is coming back rapidly and Americans are taking onto the roads, and soon Europeans will be taking over to the roads as well, Francisco Blanch, head of global commodities and derivatives research at Bank of America Global Research, said in a Bloomberg Television interview. The market wants more barrels from OPEC and it probably needs more barrels from Iran. So at this point, the ramp up into year-end requires more production. Story continues The oil markets structure was also showing signs of strength on Tuesday. The spread between WTIs nearest two December contracts -- a favored trade for hedge funds to express views on the oil market -- rallied to its widest backwardation since the two contracts began trading, indicating tight supply. Down the curve, the spread between the December 2022 and December 2023 contracts has surged further above $3 a barrel in backwardation. The oil glut built up during the coronavirus pandemic has almost gone and stockpiles will slide rapidly in the second half of the year, according to an assessment of the market earlier this week from an OPEC+ committee. At the forefront of the global demand recovery, the U.S. has been showing signs of solid travel patterns even before this past weekend marked the start of the traditional peak fuel consumption period. U.S. gasoline demand in week ended May 28 reached the highest level since start of pandemic to 9.534 million barrels a day, Descartes Labs said in survey based on movements of cellular devices. Sticking to increases planned at the April meeting is what the market needs, Ann-Louise Hittle, Wood Mackenzie Ltd.s vice president of macro oils, said in a note. Demand growth is outpacing supply gains even with the agreed month-by-month OPEC+ production increases taken into account. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2021 Bloomberg L.P. By Alex Lawler and Ahmad Ghaddar LONDON (Reuters) -OPEC+ oil producers agreed on Tuesday to stick to the existing pace of gradually easing supply curbs through July, as they sought to balance expectations of a recovery in demand against a possible increase in Iranian supply. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies - known collectively as OPEC+ - decided in April to return 2.1 million barrels per day (bpd) of supply to the market during May through July as it anticipated demand would rise despite high numbers of coronavirus cases in India. Since that decision, oil prices have extended their rally and have now gained more than 30% this year, although the prospect of more crude from Iran, as talks on reviving its nuclear deal make progress, has limited the upside. Benchmark Brent crude hit $71 a barrel, its highest since March, on Tuesday. [O/R] Speaking after an OPEC+ conference - being held online most months after the pandemic prevented the usual face-to-face meetings in Vienna - Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said he saw a good recovery in demand in the United States and China. "The vaccine rollout has gathered pace with around 1.8 billion vaccines administered around the world ... This can only lead to further rebalancing of the global oil market," he told an online news conference. OPEC Secretary General Mohammad Barkindo said he did not expect higher Iranian oil supply to cause problems if and when Tehran reaches a nuclear deal with Western powers in return for an easing of oil sanctions. "We anticipate that the expected return of Iranian production and exports to the global market will occur in an orderly and transparent fashion," he said in a statement. Iran could boost production and exports by between 1.0 and 1.5 million bpd if sanctions are fully removed. OPEC+ still forecasts a 6 million bpd jump in oil demand in 2021 - equivalent to 6% of global consumption - as the world recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. Story continues OPEC+ cut output by a record 9.7 million bpd last year as demand collapsed when the COVID-19 pandemic first struck. As of July, the curbs still in place will stand at 5.8 million bpd. On Tuesday, OPEC+ did not discuss output levels beyond August, three sources said. OPEC+ would next meet on July 1. (Additional reporting by Olesya Astakhova and Vladimir SoldatkinWriting by Dmitry Zhdannikov and Alex LawlerEditing by David Clarke and David Holmes) ISLAMABAD (AP) A Pakistani journalist recently beaten by unidentified men in his apartment said Tuesday he was summoned by authorities to answer allegations he defamed a key national institution, a term often used for the military. Asad Ali Toor, who works for the Aaj News Pakistani TV channel, said he was consulting his lawyer to decide whether to appear before the Federal Investigation Agency on June 4. The development comes a week after three armed men forcibly entered Toor's apartment in the capital Islamabad, saying they were from Inter-Services Intelligence. The assailants repeatedly slapped Toor, accusing him of criticizing the agency. However, the ISI has distanced itself from the attack, saying it was not involved. Pakistan Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad has said authorities are close to arresting the assailants who attacked Toor. But Toor said he was not satisfied with the government's investigation. In an interview with The Associated Press, he described how one of the assailants injured both his arms by striking them with a pistol after tying his hands and feet. When one of the attackers put his pistol on my head, for a second I thought my time is over," Toor said. He said some of his fellow journalists who spoke out to support him have also being harassed. Among those, Toor said, was prominent Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir, who was taken off air as the host of his popular talk show by Pakistan's Geo News TV because of an anti-army speech at a rally Friday. Mir told AP on Tuesday he might have used strong words" against the army but his speech was in response to growing attacks on journalists. He said he attended the rally to express solidarity with Toor and other journalists who had recently been attacked or harassed. Although Pakistans government insists it supports freedom of speech, human rights groups often accuse Pakistans military and its agencies of harassing and attacking journalists. At a news conference Tuesday, Hina Jilani, head of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, denounced the assault on Toor, the removal of Mir as a host of his TV show and other attacks on journalists. Journalism is not a crime. Dissent is not a crime," she said. Palantir Technologies (PLTR) revealed that it has signed a deal worth $111 million with the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) to continue to serve as its enterprise data management and AI-enabled mission command platform. This is a part of the Mission Command System/Common Operational Picture program. The entire contract includes a base year and an additional one-year extension option. (See Palantir Technologies stock analysis on TipRanks) Palantirs Global Defense Lead Doug Philippone commented, When Special Operators are risking their lives in no fail scenarios, they deserve technology that works. Our partnership with USSOCOM was one of our first in the U.S. military, and we are honored to keep providing technology that gets the job done while we partner on the future of what is possible. Palantir has been serving the USSOCOM for the last ten years. Furthermore, the companys platform has been used together with other global situational awareness architecture components on real-time mission operations since 2016. Following the first-quarter results, RBC Capital analyst Matthew Hedberg reiterated a Hold rating and decreased the price target from $27 to $20 (12.9% downside potential) on the stock. Hedberg said that price target reduction comes from the comp groups multiple compression though the company reported strong revenue, margins, and cash flows during the quarter. Overall, the stock has a Hold consensus rating based on 2 Buys, 3 Holds, and 4 Sells. The average analyst price target of $21.75 implies 5.2% downside potential from current levels. Shares of PLTR have jumped 141.6% over the past year. Related News: HIBB Tops Q1 Estimates, Raises FY22 Guidance Big Lots Posts Upbeat Q1 Results; Shares Drop 5.5% LiveXLive Media to Snap up Gramophone Media More recent articles from Smarter Analyst: A police chief in Pennsylvania who threatened a private citizen with felony charges in retaliation for critical Facebook comments has agreed to plead guilty to a charge of deprivation of civil rights, federal prosecutors said. Brian Buglio was the police chief for West Hazleton, about 50 miles southwest of Scranton, when a private citizen on multiple occasions in February 2020 posted social media content on Facebook criticizing Buglio and the West Hazleton Police Department, according to records filed in U.S. District Court Middle District of Pennsylvania. The critical social-media posts prompted a meeting between Buglio, 45, and the private citizen at the West Hazleton Police Department on March 4, 2020, court records said. During that meeting, Brian Buglio, acting under color of law, threatened to pursue felony criminal charges against Individual #1, in retaliation for Individual #1s social media posts on Facebook and to stifle Individual #1s exercise of free speech. During that meeting, Brian Buglio acknowledged that the threatened felony charges lacked merit. Following the face-to-face, the private citizen agreed to take down his critical social media posts, and also agreed to refrain from any more demeaning posts. Buglio and the private citizen cemented the pact with a handshake, court records said. The case was investigated by the Scranton Federal Bureau of Investigations Public Corruption Task Force. The task force is comprised of members with the Pennsylvania State Police, the Pennsylvania Attorney Generals Office, and agents with the FBI and Internal Revenue Service, officials said. West Hazleton Police Chief Brian Buglio (West Hazleton Police Department) Federal documents show Buglio has agreed to plead guilty to the charge against him. Buglios lawyer, listed as Fortunato N. Perri, Jr., based in Philadelphia, did not immediately respond to an NBC News request for comment on Tuesday. The charge Buglio is facing has a maximum penalty of one year imprisonment, and a fine of $100,000, records said. Story continues NBC affiliate WNEP-TV in Scranton identified the victim as Paul DeLorenzo of East Stroudsburg. DeLorenzo, who could not be reached Tuesday for comment, told the news outlet: "I said to Brian, 'Why are you doing this?' He goes, 'Well, you like to post fake things and fake stories about me so, I could make up a fake arrest and put you in jail.'" It was unclear on Tuesday if Buglio remained police chief with the West Hazleton Police Department. Inquiries to the police and West Hazleton officials were directed to Borough Solicitor Chistopher B. Slusser. Slusser did not immediately respond to requests for comment. West Hazleton police have four full time and four part time officers, according to the departments website. Buglio has worked for the department since 1996. Philippine instant noodle giant Monde Nissin opened lower as it debuted on the country's stock market Tuesday after raising more than $1 billion in a record-breaking initial public offering in the Southeast Asian nation. The maker of the Philippines' best-selling instant noodle brand Lucky Me! opened down 0.15 percent at 13.48 pesos after being offered at 13.50 pesos in a floatation that raised 48.6 billion pesos. That gave the company a valuation of 242.6 billion pesos, which would rank it 14th among the 30 companies listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange Index (PSEi), Bloomberg News reported. The offering was four times oversubscribed, said Lexter Azurin, senior equity analyst at AB Capital Securities in Manila. "Given the market uncertainty right now, it's actually quite positive that we're seeing demand has been quite brisk," Azurin added. The PSEi has fallen more than seven percent this year, but rebounded in the past week. Monde Nissin exports instant noodles, biscuits and crackers to dozens of countries. It also owns the British meat-substitute maker Quorn. The money raised will be used to increase capacity and pay back loans, it said. Monde said it has attracted cornerstone investors including Hong Kong insurer AIA and Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC. The company's stock market launch could bode well for other IPOs in the pipeline, including a planned share sale by the Philippines' privately owned National Grid Corp. mff/amj/jah Whats way better than empty hallways after school? How about a place filled with friends, snacks, music, games and creative arts activities. Itd be even better if it was within walking distance of school and also offered help with homework. Such a place is opening soon one mile east of Shawnee Mission North High School. Its called Tylers House KC and its designed for teens by teens. Its a place where you can have fun, relax and feel included, said Samantha Morinville, 17, a junior at Shawnee Mission North. Samantha is one of eight members on the Tylers House Student Leadership Team. The students are helping design the 1,700-square-foot space which will include a snack bar, a black box theater, study nooks and a food pantry and plan the activities that will take place there such as acoustic music night, movies, karaoke and poetry readings. Everything will be free. Tylers House began as a vision of Cori Hastings, a Shawnee Mission North parent, who wanted to create a safe place for students to go after school. Planning began in November of 2019 and by the end of March this year, Tylers House KC had a location at 5903 Johnson Drive in Mission. Volunteers have been working hard to transform retail space into a coffee bar-like setting to serve students. Well offer meals, tutoring, mentoring and creative arts therapies to promote mental health, Hastings said. She named the nonprofit to honor the memory of a 10-year-old son of one of her best friends. He died in 2003. For many years, Hastings accompanied Shawnee Mission North choral director Juli OMealey Simmons on the piano. Now, theyre working together on Tylers House. Simmons is president of the nonprofits board of directors. When the last bell of the school day rang, Simmons recalled talking to students who werent involved in an after-school activity and who couldnt go home because they couldnt yet drive and had to wait on a ride. I saw students sitting in hallways doing homework, Simmons said. Grade school and middle school have good after-care but there was nothing for high school students. Story continues Arts will play an important role in the activities. We know how the arts can help people connect and help their mental health, Hastings said. Alex Coddington, a 2016 graduate of Shawnee Mission North, is among those planning how the space will best suit the interests and needs of high school students. Coddington, 22, said Tylers House would have made a difference when she was in school. I had friends who struggled with mental health issues depression and suicide attempts, she said. I wish we had had a place like Tylers House where they would feel comfortable coming to. Jocelyn Bennett, president of the schools PTSA, agrees. Kids need a place to go where they can get services they wouldnt ask for, she said. Although they had no physical meeting space this year, the students participated in several socially distanced activities throughout the year. We had yoga in the park, a photo shoot, virtual cookie decorating during the holidays, said Kailey Green, a senior. Tylers House is such a positive group of people. Students will be encouraged to pursue their artistic talents at Tylers House. Green, for example, was given a scholarship for voice lessons with Hastings. And a student-painted mural will brighten the largest wall of Tylers House. The arts also will help heal when necessary through drama therapy, journaling, painting, singing and other expressions of creativity. Tylers House is funded by grants, individual and corporate donations and its own fund-raising efforts. An online auction in April raised $3,500. Currently an online housewarming is underway where donations can be made to purchase furniture and other equipment needed to complete the space. Tylers House KC will hold an open house June 19 during the Mission Business District sidewalk sale. Tylers House KC, 5903 Johnson Drive, Mission, Kansas; www.tylershousekc.org. info@tylershousekc.org. Rainbow flags were raised across Cook County Tuesday morning, marking the first year LGBTQ pride flags will be flown over county buildings all June for Pride Month, according to officials. At a news conference Tuesday at Daley Plaza, county commissioners hoisted a large rainbow flag in tow with the American and city of Chicago flags the first time the flags have flown at full staff since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Today marks a historic day for Cook County, said Cook County Commissioner Kevin Morrison, D-Schaumburg, who spearheaded the installation of the flag at Daley Plaza. Morrison is the first LBGTQ person elected to the county board. By raising the rainbow flag, we are sending a clear message: No matter who you love, you are welcome in Cook County, Morrison said. You are celebrated. You are equal. And you deserve to have pride in who you are. This Pride Month holds significance as the first pride celebration since the pandemic began in spring 2020, but also because of the citys advances in gender and sexuality inclusivity, according to Brave Space Alliance representative Stephanie Skora. I have a lot of allies in (the Daley Center), in (City Hall) and across the state of Illinois ... and that makes me incredibly proud, said Skora, who is a transgender woman. Also commemorating the event were Cook County commissioners Donna Miller, D-Oak Forest, Alma Anaya, D-Chicago, and Frank Aguilar, D-Lyons, and Berwyn Ald. Scott Lennon. Lennon said Berwyn raised a rainbow flag earlier Tuesday morning. Additionally, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District hoisted pride flags over the districts seven wastewater treatment reclamation plants Tuesday. Aguilar said the raising of the flags are a celebration of life and mark the beginning of summer as the city reopens. It is unconfirmed whether the flag will be raised over Daley Plaza for the Chicago Pride Parade, which was officially moved to Sunday, Oct. 3, departing from its usual date in late June, according to Morrison. Story continues I look forward to once again participating in the Pride Parade this coming fall as we celebrate the rich diversity in Cook County, said Miller, who grew up attending the citys annual parade. The wind was appropriately forceful for the occasion as the citys flags were raised to full staff. Flags have been lowered since April 2020 to honor those who have died during the pandemic. Gov. J.B. Pritzker directed they be returned to full staff on April 17. mprosser@chicagotribune.com A heat wave is smashing record highs and making it feel more like the middle of summer across the West this week. But for those looking to catch a break from high cooling costs and enjoy the outdoors more comfortably -- is there any relief in sight? AccuWeather meteorologists say yes, depending on where you live. The heat began to build during the long Memorial Day holiday weekend as an area of high pressure expanded northward across the region. The heat peaked in Redding, California, about 160 miles north of Sacramento, on the holiday itself with a reported high of 109 degrees Fahrenheit. This shattered Monday's record of 103 set in 2016, and also set a new all-time high for the month of May, breaking the previous record of 108 set on May 28, 1984. The average high to close out May in the city is 86. Sacramento saw the temperature rise to 98 on Sunday and a sizzling 105 on Monday. The latter broke the daily record of 103 from 2001 and tied the city's all-time high for the month. "It's hot out there!" the National Weather Service (NWS) office in Sacramento tweeted on Memorial Day. "Drink plenty of water, limit outdoor activities & don't forget your pets!" AccuWeather meteorologists say these precautions will be important for residents of Northern and Central California as well as surrounding states to follow for much of the remainder of the week. CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP Temperatures are forecast to remain in the triple digits and challenge daily records each day into Saturday in Redding. Sacramento is expected to remain in the 90s heading into the weekend. Farther south and east, highs in the 100s are forecast each day this week in Las Vegas, which may not sound all too uncommon for the city during the first part of June. Thursday, however, the city could be a second day of temperatures nearing record territory with temperatures in the middle to upper 100s. This follows a record-tying high of 107 degrees that was set on Wednesday. Story continues Sin City is among several areas where heat advisories and excessive heat warnings are in effect. "Extreme heat will significantly increase the potential for heat-related illnesses, particularly for those working or participating in outdoor activities," the NWS office in Las Vegas noted in their warning. Excessive heat warnings (purple) are in effect throughout California as well as parts of Nevada and Arizona. Heat advisories (orange) are in effect across parts of Northern California as well as the Pacific Northwest. AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Heather Zehr echoed these thoughts by stating that this heat wave, with it being the first extended stretch of intense heat so far this year, should be "taken seriously." Even residents and visitors farther north, in the less traditional hot spots, will need to exercise caution. On Tuesday, Medford, Oregon, tied its old daily high record of 102 degrees, last set back in 1924. Farther north in the state, Portland set a new record of 95 degrees, besting the old record of 94 degrees set in 1970. Salt Lake City is expected to have record-challenging highs in the middle to upper 90s Thursday and Friday -- days when upper 70s are more typical. The hottest time of the week will be Wednesday and Thursday for Spokane, Washington, and Wednesday through Friday in Boise, Idaho. "In addition to increased cooling demands, the record-challenging temperatures, low humidity levels and persistent drought conditions across the West can lead to an increased risk for wildfire start and spread," AccuWeather Meteorologist Mary Gilbert said. This danger will be present even in the absence of widespread gusty wind events this week, due to the extremely dry nature of the ground. On Wednesday afternoon, a wildfire west of The Dalles in the Columbia River Gorge promoted the closure of two highways in both directions as smoke hampered visibility. The closures extended from milepost 64 to 87 on I-84 and from milepost 60.13 to 72 on U.S. 30, the Oregon Department of Transportation reported on Wednesday. I-84 was reopened later during the day. The DOT said two downed power lines were pulled from the road, and the route may be closed later during the evening to restore power. The Wasco County Sheriff's Office called for a Level 3 evacuation for the Pinewood Manor Mobile Home Park, Discovery Center and Golf Course Apartments around 2:30 p.m. PDT. The evacuation was later extended to Port of the Dalles and surrounding areas. The evacuation levels remain in place as of 5 p.m. PDT. Most of the Southwest remains in the grips of an extreme to exceptional drought, so any fuels such as grass or brush are very dry. While drought conditions are not as dire, relatively speaking, across the Northwest, abnormally dry weather has also taken its toll in this part of the country as well. So when will a break from the heat arrive, and is any needed rain on the way? AccuWeather's expert team of long-range meteorologists says the Northwestern states will be the most likely area for cooler air and perhaps some rain to sweep in beginning this weekend and continuing into early next week. Temperatures can dip to 6-12 degrees below normal with this push of cooler air, according to AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok. As the Northwest catches a break from the heat, however, forecasters are concerned about a heightened fire danger farther south. "The storm that is expected to bring a shot of much cooler air across the Northwest will likely bring along episodes of gusty winds across the Southwest," Pastelok said. "Given the drought conditions in place and lack of any rainfall in the forecast, the threat for wildfires will likely become elevated as early as this Sunday, and could last through early next week," Pastelok added. In terms of temperatures, above-average heat is likely to hang on through the weekend across the Southwest, but conditions may take a turn to more seasonable levels next week. Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier, Spectrum, FuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios. Former NFL defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth found an angel and has a new kidney and life. The ex-Tennessee Titan and Washington Football Team player has Zach Penny to thank for it and was able to do that. Penny drove seven hours from Arkansas to donate his kidney to Haynesworth and the procedure took April 15. Haynesworth told the world of Pennys act via an Instagram post. So I would like the world to meet what a real living Angel looks like. Everyone please say hello to my donor @packzenny. This kind hearted selfless human being drove seven hours from Arkansas to give me one of his kidneys! This is one of the happiest days of my life next to the birth of my kids. We need more people in this world like Zach im striving to be like him. #mykidneybrother #greatman #theworldneedsmorepeoplelikehim #kidneydonor #kidneytransplant #Allherosdontwearcapes #GodisGood This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Haynesworth was a Titan for seven seasons. He received Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro honors during both the 2007 and 08 seasons. On July 7, 2019, Haynesworth revealed that his kidneys were failing and was seeking a donor for a transplant. Enter Penny, a 29-year-old physical therapist assistant from rural Arkansas, whos a student at the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at South College in Knoxville. He was very thankful, Penny told the Tennessean. And even if neither of us could laugh without having pain, we could share some jokes in there, too. So good times. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Penny told the newspaper the pair are in touch while taking time to heal. I would hope a friend grows and develops, but honestly, were two laid back, real cool guys, Penny said, So were not going to like push for anything. If we click, we click. But I think were going to be involved in each others lives Like we cant deny the fact that were interconnected. The entire incredible story can be read by clicking here. Jun. 1"When Memorial Day comes around, I think I'm Vietnam era; I didn't go to Vietnam I think of my buddies that went there, and I think of all the soldiers who come after them, not by name, but as a group," said 1st Vice Cmdr. Rex Rogers of American Legion Joe R. Hooper Post 209. "It's one day that we can really thank them for their sacrifices." To a solo piano recording of "Amazing Grace" coming from Vietnam Veteran Bernie Erickson's military truck, about 50 veterans, family and others gathered at the 87 Forgotten Heroes Memorial at the Port of Moses Lake on Monday morning. Grant County Fire District 5 Commissioner Buck Naff sang the national anthem. During the Korean War, 106 servicemembers of several military branches won a drawing to be recipients of a free trip home for the holidays. The flight Air Force C-124A Globemaster, dubbed Operation Sleigh Ride took off from the Port of Moses Lake early in the morning of Dec. 20, 1952. Within seconds, mechanical problems forced the plane to lose altitude. It veered left and crashed near the end of the runway. Through an opening at the back of the plane, 28 men flew out, escaped or were dragged to safety by fellow survivors who kept returning to the burning plane to rescue the others. In total, 87 men perished. Larry Godden, general manager for Million Air Moses Lake, an aviation services provider, took to the pulpit for the opening prayer, thanking those who sacrificed their lives and to strengthen and protect military personnel and their families. Next, he recited Donald Trump's speech from Memorial Day 2020. Godden acknowledged Trump's "mixed respect." "Politics are not about personalities, they're about policy," he said. Godden then read off the names of all 87 servicemembers who perished that day in 1952, while Ruezhan Rogers rang a Bell of Honor for each of them. Led by Ralph Boyden, a staff sergeant and one of the first on scene of the crash, a line of attendees formed to place roses for each of the fallen soldiers. Story continues Afterward, seven more tolls rang out, honoring those who have responded, served, protected, defended, sacrificed and suffered. The seventh, and final toll, was for those who lost their lives doing so. American Legion Joe R. Hooper Post 209 Adjutant Jim Beck performed the 21 Gun Salute, and Rogers played "Taps." Godden closed the service with a story, a song and a prayer. The person who alerted Boyden of the crash was Airman O.C. Smith, who went on to be a famous R&B, jazz and soul musician, Godden said. He played his hit song, "Little Green Apples." Finally, he thanked Mike Bellgardt, the airport electrician who studied the tragedy and formed a committee composed of the Moses Lake Lions Activities Foundation, Columbia Basin Job Corps and the Port of Moses Lake to build the 87 Forgotten Heroes Memorial in 2012. It was all done with donations, Rogers said, and it wasn't cheap. "This community is extremely generous," he said. The city of Rome on Tuesday dedicated a square beside the River Tiber to a late Italian president, but spoilt the inauguration by misspelling one of his first names. A marble street sign honouring Carlo Azeglio Ciampi was left veiled during an inauguration ceremony even as the misspelled "Azelio" was still visible through a drape of purple and gold, the official colours of the ancient city. The blunder happened under the gaze of Italy's current president Sergio Mattarella and other dignitaries including Ciampi's two adult children, with a military brass band also present. The official excuse given by city hall for not unveiling the plaque during the ceremony was that it had been damaged during installation. The street sign was replaced in a matter of hours, but only after proceedings were over. "I was only warned this morning, I immediately gave orders to install a new plaque which in fact is already in place," said Mayor Virginia Raggi, who admitted there had been a misspelling. The ANSA news agency said the city hall employee responsible for the error had been identified after a "quick internal investigation", and risked being sanctioned and moved to another position. Meanwhile, #Ciampi became one of Italy's trending topics on Twitter, as users -- including political rivals looking at the next mayoral elections, due in late 2021 -- rushed to ridicule Raggi and her administration. "As the great Italian that he was, Carlo Azeglio Ciampi would have probably had a laugh. But this incredible mistake is very revealing of the carelessness of the current city government," centre-left candidate Roberto Gualtieri wrote. Raggi hails from the formerly anti-establishment Five Star Movement, and in her time in office she has been dogged by accusations of incompetence and hobbled by infighting among her party's ranks. Ciampi, who died in 2016 aged 95, was president from 1999-2006. He previously served as prime minister and head of the central bank, and was also a finance minister who helped Italy qualify for the eurozone in the late 1990s. The square named after him is a pedestrian space on the embankment of the Tiber River and at the foot of the Aventine hill, normally used by skateboarders. aa/pvh By Polina Devitt KRASNAYA POLYANA, Russia (Reuters) - Residents of a picturesque Russian village have seen the price of their land double as people from Moscow and other cities snap up properties as a refuge from COVID-19 where they can work remotely. Krasnaya Polyana (Red Meadow) is a beautiful village of five streets in the mountains near the Black Sea. Flanked by mountains, it has good quality tap water, fresh air and big blue skies - things that can prove elusive in Moscow. The village has 5,000 residents, which is typical for Russia. What is atypical is that there are 20 cafes, restaurants, a pub and a bar, along with fast Wifi. Some of the restaurants existed before the pandemic to cater for skiers who use nearby resorts built for the 2014 Winter Olympics. But the locals decided to open year-round once they got over fears that visitors from Moscow would bring COVID-19. Demand for second homes has fuelled a housing boom. Russian land prices are assessed in 100 square metre units, or sotki. The price of one sotka in Krasnaya Polyana has risen to 5 million roubles ($68,000) from 2 million before the pandemic, Nikolai Rogachev, a local sales agent, told Reuters. It is likely to hit 7 million by the end of 2021, he said, due to strong demand when overseas travel options are limited. "We call it the zombie apocalypse," another real estate agent said, referring to demand from city dwellers for any kind of property in the village and the quality of their social skills after months spent in their small urban flats. Prices for cottages in the village vary from 40 million to 900 million roubles, according to the CIAN real estate database. Demand comes mainly from wealthy businessmen from big cities as prices are beyond ordinary Russians. Rents have also risen, driven by demand from people who work remotely and see Krasnaya Polyana as an escape from the city. The airport is a 40-minute drive and hiking trails start directly from the village. Story continues "I enjoy hiking the mountain trails and being able to find pleasant company in local places in the evenings," said Kirill Ryzhonkov, a data analyst from Moscow. A co-working space opened in October, primarily for IT and start-up specialists. Its owners expect Krasnaya Polyana to become a Russian Silicon Valley regardless of how the pandemic develops. "People have already noticed the advantages: the same time zone as Moscow, a 2-hour flight to Moscow, skiing in the winter, the sea in summer and cool infrastructure left behind by the Olympics," said Ilya Kreimer, manager of the co-working space. (Reporting by Polina Devitt; editing by Andrew Osborn and Giles Elgood) A shark in an Ohio mall aquarium has died after a malfunction in the tank on Saturday, officials say. The filtration system caused an imbalance in the water at the Eastwood Mall aquarium in Niles, according to Joe Bell, communications director at Cafaro Company. Unfortunately, it created an imbalance and lower oxygen level than would normally be acceptable. One shark did die, Bell told WKBN. Other fish were moved to different tanks to be monitored, WFMJ reported. If they were showing any signs of distress, (the curator) put them in the hospital tank we have on the premise, Bell told WKBN. The aquarium is being repaired but is currently closed to the public, according to WFMJ. The system has been temporarily fixed, but the sharks and fish wont return to the main tank until its cleaned and an upgrade is done, Bell told the Youngstown Vindicator. Located in the malls center court, the aquarium features a 4,500-gallon shark tank and is free to the public. It also has two 2,500 gallon tanks home to saltwater fish, coral and other sharks. Earlier this year, a black-tip reef shark in the aquarium died after it was bitten by eel, WFMJ reported. The aquarium planned to find a new home for the eel. Niles is roughly 50 miles east of Akron. Read next: Rare lobsters unique shell saves it from becoming a meal at a Virginia Red Lobster Illegal piranha found in Louisiana lake has officials worried there are more lurking Trash that washed up on Texas beach isnt garbage at all, officials say. What is it? Bear attacks and seriously injures man in his own garage, Colorado officials say By Hyonhee Shin SEOUL (Reuters) -A shipment of coronavirus vaccines to North Korea via the global COVAX sharing programme that was expected for late May has been delayed again amid protracted consultations, South Korea's Unification Ministry said on Tuesday. COVAX, which secures vaccines for poor countries, has said it will provide nearly 2 million doses of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine to North Korea. North Korea was expected to receive a first batch of the shipment in late May but discussions are still under way, said an official at the ministry, which handles North Korea affairs. "Countries that want COVAX support are required to hold various consultations and submit some documents including an inoculation plan," the official said. "But in North Korea's case, such consultations have been prolonged and it appears that the shipment will be made later than initially planned." Insular and secretive North Korea has not commented on any consultations on vaccines. It has not officially confirmed any COVID-19 infections, although Seoul officials have said an outbreak there cannot be ruled out as the North had trade and people-to-people exchanges with China before closing its border early last year. The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) alliance, which co-leads COVAX with the World Health Organization (WHO), said work is ongoing and discussions continue with North Korea, but no shipment date was finalised. "As we get closer to a potential delivery, we'll be able to share more information on timetables," a GAVI official told Reuters. GAVI said last month that shipments have not been made to North Korea due to its lack of "technical preparedness" and global supply shortages but could be expected later this year. In a statement last week to the ongoing WHO annual assembly, North Korea accused unspecified countries of dominating vaccine supplies and causing a global "bottleneck" due to "national egoism." "Some countries are procuring and storing the vaccines more than their needs ... when other countries can't even procure it," it said. (Reporting by Hyonhee Shin; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan) COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) Firefighters in Sri Lanka on Tuesday extinguished a blaze on a container ship that had been burning for 12 days, as a court imposed a travel ban on the captain. The fire on the MV X-Press Pearl ravaged the 5-month-old ship, destroyed most of its cargo, and caused severe pollution in the ocean and along a long stretch of the island nations famed beaches. The Sri Lanka Ports Authority said salvage personnel have finally embarked on MV X-Press Pearl after dousing the fire. Assessments are being carried out. The ship was anchored off the capital, Colombo, waiting to enter its port when it caught fire. The navy believes the blaze was caused by chemicals being transported on the Singapore-flagged vessel. It was carrying 1,486 containers, including 25 tons of nitric acid and other chemicals that were loaded at the port of Hazira, India, on May 15. Police spokesman Ajith Rohana said police have questioned the ships captain and an official of the ships local agent. He said a court in Colombo banned the captain, the engineer and the assistant engineer from leaving the country. The vessels 25-member crew was evacuated last week after an explosion. They include Philippine, Chinese, Indian and Russian nationals. Jun. 1The 30th annual Taps at Twilight ceremony brought more than 1,000 Patriots to Neptune Park on Memorial Day to honor those that have sacrificed themselves for the country. Organized by the St. Simons Rotary Club, the tribute opened with patriotic music from the Coastal Brass Choir, setting the mood for a somber evening of remembrance. Following a brief welcome from Rotary Club president Beverly Trainor, the National Anthem was performed by Maestro Luis Haza formerly the first violinist for the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. for 36 years. The USMC JROTC of Glynn Academy posted colors on the 40-foot flagpole in the center of the Veteran's Walk before a wreath presentation by retired arms forces members Dick James and John Gibson accompanied by bagpiper Tim Atkins. Taps Chairman Susan Imhoff gave the invocation, and the Coastal Brass Choir played a medley of music representing each service branch, a cue to stand for acknowledgement from the rest of the crowd. Lt. Col. Steve Bolton the acting Garrison Commander of the Hunter Army Airfield was the keynote speaker for the occasion. He touched on a variety of topics in just under 20 minutes, including the history of the holiday's origins in decoration day. At one point early in his speech he noted the warm embrace for the armed forces he's felt since moving to the area in 2017. "I will tell you, in my brief time here in the Coastal Empire, I have not seen anywhere in my 30 years of service more welcoming, warm attitude as I have here in Coastal Georgia," Bolton said. PARIS/MILAN (Reuters) - Stellantis might pick Italy to build a new gigafactory in Europe, to support its expansion into electric mobility, as the carmaker is discussing conditions of the project with Rome, a source close to the matter said on Tuesday. In April Stellantis, which was formed at the beginning of this year through the merger of Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot maker PSA, said additional gigafactories in Europe and in the United States would be decided this year. "Discussions are just at the stage of an exchange on the principle of creating a gigafactory in order to cover (Stellantis') future needs. These conditions will have to be studied with Italian authorities," the source said, adding that nothing had yet been decided. Italy is one of the carmakers main manufacturing hubs. Stellantis declined to comment. In its 205 billion euro ($251 billion) recovery plan, Italy will spend almost 24 billion euros on the transition to cleaner energy and sustainable mobility. As part of this, Rome plans to invest 1 billion euros to enhance its battery, and solar and wind power industries. Stellantis Chief Executive Carlos Tavares and Chairman John Elkann held a virtual meeting last week with Italy's industry minister Giancarlo Giorgetti. "An exchange took place on the principle of the coverage of Stellantis needs in batteries, and given the group produces numerous vehicles in Italy, there would be a shared interest in discussing the conditions of a gigafactory in Italy," the source said. A government source said the minister and Stellantis had discussed last week about a possible contribution by Rome, through funds from Italy's Recovery Plan, to the production of batteries for electric mobility. Stellantis has said it would offer electric versions of almost all of its European line-up by 2025, and that by 2030 battery-hybrid and full-electric cars should make up 70% of the group's European sales. The group currently has two gigafactory projects in Europe, one in France and one in Germany, in a joint venture with a subsidiary of TotalEnergies . Story continues The two sites represent a total investment of 5 billion euros and should allow production of batteries for 1 million cars per year on the basis of a cumulative 48 GWh capacity. In January the European Union approved a plan which includes giving state aid to Tesla, BMW and others to support production of electric vehicle batteries, helping the bloc to cut imports and compete with industry leader China. ($1 = 0.8165 euros) (Reporting by Gilles Guillaume and Giulio Piovaccari, additional reporting by Giuseppe Fonte in Rome; Writing by Giulio Piovaccari; Editing by Joe White, Mark Potter and David Gregorio) The white SUV police believe carried a group of gunmen to and from a Florida event hall, where more than a dozen people were shot following a rap album release concert over the weekend, was found submerged in the waters of a nearby canal. Two people were killed and at least another 20 were wounded when gunfire erupted outside the El Mula Banquet Hall around 1 a.m. Sunday. Police said three shooters, all of them sporting ski masks, waited inside the Nissan Pathfinder for nearly 45 minutes before they exited the vehicle and opened fire as the show let out. Major Jorge Aguiar, head of the Miami-Dade Police Homicide Division, told CBS Miami that several groups in the parking lot armed themselves and opened fire toward the initial shooters. While its not clear how many people from the crowd discharged their own weapons, more than 100 rounds were unleashed before the suspects jumped back into their SUV and fled the banquet hall, located in the city of Hialeah. Two 26-year-old men were pronounced at the scene. Police havent released their identities, but a father said his son, Clayton Dillard III, was killed in the shooting. Three people were also left in critical condition. In wake of the shooting, one of the worst in Miami-Dade County, law enforcement called on the community to come forward with any information they may have and release surveillance video from the incident. It shows the trio of gunmen hurriedly exiting their vehicle, taking aim, and then shooting indiscriminately into a large group of people. Just hours later, the Pathfinder was discovered submerged in a canal in the area of 154th Street and Northwest 2nd Avenue. The vehicle had been reported stolen on May 15. It is really extraordinary that we have this clear video with the car, the three assailants, with the license plate, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava told CNN. Our police are working with the federal agents, the municipal agents, the state agents theyre all sharing information and I am very, very hopeful. A reward for information in the shooting has climbed to $125,000. Camping World CEO and TV personality Marcus Lemonis said on Twitter that he was offering $100,000 to help authorities in my hometown ... arrest and convict the suspect/suspects. The Miami division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also provided $25,000 to the pot. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. Tom Fox-Pool/Getty Images After Texas Democrats blocked a bill that would restrict voting rights, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) tweeted on Monday that he intends to cut off funding for the state legislature. "I will veto Article 10 of the budget passed by the legislature," he wrote. "Article 10 funds the legislative branch. No pay for those who abandon their responsibilities. Stay tuned." On Sunday night, shortly before a midnight deadline to hold a vote on Senate Bill 7, Texas Democrats trickled out of the state House, after using every other parliamentary tool to try to block the measure. Because there weren't enough lawmakers present to vote, the bill was stopped for the time being. Abbott quickly tweeted on Sunday night that he would add the bill to a special session agenda, but did not set a date for it. Texas state Rep. Chris Turner, chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, told CNN on Monday his colleagues plan to "fight [Abbott] every step of the way, we're going to fight Republicans every step of the way, and we're going to do whatever it takes to continue to stop, slow down, and mitigate this legislation." He also called on Congress to pass legislation that will protect voting rights nationally. Senate Bill 7 would make it harder for Texans to vote by mail, limit voting hours, eliminate 24-hour polling and drive-through voting centers, ban voting on Sundays before 1 p.m., and empower partisan poll watchers, NBC News reports. As travelers return to OHare International Airport, one key piece of the experience is still missing: The once-popular people mover train remains out of service. More than two years after construction on the Airport Transit System was supposed to be substantially complete, passengers still must rely on shuttle buses to get between terminals and to and from parking lots. Some travelers said they found the process confusing or frustrating. Mike Davis, who typically flies out of OHare several times each month, said he misses the efficiency of the train. Recently, he found himself sitting on a shuttle waiting at the terminal for its turn to drop off passengers, as the time until takeoff ticked closer. By the time he got off the shuttle it was too late to check his bag, and he booked a ticket for a new flight, he said. Davis, 38, now plans to arrive at the airport earlier than usual to be safe. On a recent weekday, he waited to catch a shuttle at 5:15 p.m. for an 8 p.m. flight. Its a huge inconvenience, he said. Everyone needs to be where they need to be. But at the same time, what else would you do? Issues with the people mover only add to OHares image challenges, said Joseph Schwieterman, director of DePaul Universitys Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development. The consequences were limited, or minor, when airport congestion was minimal, he said. But now its become both a headache and an embarrassment. Air travel has been creeping up in recent months after a steep drop at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. At OHare, 827,000 passengers were expected to pass through the airport between Thursday and Tuesday, nearly six times the number of 2020 Memorial Day Weekend travelers, according to the Chicago Department of Aviation. Work to update and expand the airport train has been underway for six years, and the trains have been shut down completely since January 2019. In a 2019 investigation, the Tribune detailed how service interruptions were initially supposed to be kept to an absolute minimum during construction, which was to be substantially completed by December 2018. But the investigation found the project soon devolved into delays, finger-pointing and contract disputes between the city and Parsons Construction Group, the main contractor on the project. Story continues The contractor has not provided an updated completion date, said Christine Carrino, a spokeswoman for the Aviation Department. Substantial testing procedures must be completed, and that work is continuing, she said in an email. The contractor has said the pandemic contributed to delays, because various manufacturing and travel restrictions made it harder to get parts and for experts to travel to Chicago to help with testing, Carrino said. She said the contractor has also encountered challenges during the testing phase of the project. The Airport Transit System (ATS) at OHare will return to service as soon as the system is operating safely and reliably, Carrino said. Substantial progress has been made in the testing, system integration and commissioning process, and the Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) continues to work aggressively with its contractor to complete the project. Parsons did not answer questions from the Tribune about the reasons for the delay or when the project would be complete. Spokesman Bryce McDevitt said in an email the company is working closely with the city to complete this critical program, and declined to comment further. Parsons initially signed a $310 million contract, which has been raised to $340 million, Carrino said. The city agreed to pay more as part of two settlement agreements following disputes between the contractor and the city and work that was unforeseen in the originally envisioned project, she said. The shuttles cost roughly $81 million to operate between November 2018 and the end of February, Carrino said. The project is funded through a variety of fees, including passenger and car rental fees and general airport revenue bond proceeds. On a recent weekday evening, a steady stream of shuttles arrived at the airport doors, some bound for terminals and others for economy parking lots. Employees in neon green vests helped flag down and direct passengers to the right shuttle. Some travelers said the shuttles seemed to run often and the process was smooth. But for others, catching the right shuttle could be confusing. Colette Fox, 26, has for several years flown regularly out of OHare for work, and said signs directing passengers to the shuttles were unclear and pickup locations for the shuttles seemed to move. I think the shuttles themselves arent the problem, she said. I think the signage inside the airport is kind of sketchy. Danielle Freed, 35, and Megan Kirby, 29, said getting from the parking lot to their flight when they left Chicago was simple. But now that they had returned from a trip to Key West, Florida, figuring out which shuttle would get them back to the parking lot was confusing. An employee had promised to help, Freed said. But there were many buses to sort out. Right now, I have no idea whats going on, she said. sfreishtat@chicagotribune.com (AFP via Getty Images) Former President Donald Trump reportedly expects to be reinstated by August as he remains laser-focused on Republican-led audits of votes from the 2020 election. Despite no evidence of widespread fraud in the 2020 election, Mr Trump is still pushing baseless election conspiracy theories, claiming the election was stolen from him. Reporter Maggie Haberman of The New York Times responded to a tweet by CNN reporter Donie OSullivan on Tuesday. He wrote: Talk of a Myanmar-style coup in the United States has been popular among some Trump supporters and QAnon believers for months. Haberman added: Trump has been telling a number of people hes in contact with that he expects he will get reinstated by August (no that isnt how it works but simply sharing the information). It isnt happening in a vacuum. It is happening as he faced the possibility of an indictment from the Manhattan DA, she wrote. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. The Washington Post reported last week that the Manhattan district attorney has convened a grand jury to decide if Mr Trump should be indicted on criminal charges in relation to his business dealings. The jury will meet three days per week for the next six months to review the criminal probe into Mr Trump and other executives in the Trump Organization. Haberman linked his talk of being reinstated with the conspiracy-driven audit of votes in Arizona by Trump supporters, which he apparently believes will prove he, and not Joe Biden, won the state and which he thinks will trigger audits to overturn results in other states he lost. She added that Mr Trump is not putting out statements about the audits in states just for the sake of it. Hes been laser-focused on them, according to several people whove spoken with him (as well as [Washington Post] reporting a few weeks ago). The audit of votes in Maricopa County, Arizona has been criticised, including by some Republican County Officials, for being run by amateurs and grifters, NPR reported. Story continues FiveThirtyEight wrote that its not an audit or a recount. Its a partisan inquisition. Arizona Senate President Karen Fann told NPR that other senators and Senate presidents and speakers from other states have contacted her in the hopes of taking similar actions in their own states. There are people calling for audits in two counties in Michigan, including in Antrim, where a lawsuit promoted by Mr Trump was thrown out by a judge last week. A conspiracy theorist in Georgia has requested to review copies of absentee ballots in Fulton County, which includes Atlanta, despite two recounts in the state having declared President Joe Biden the winner. A lawsuit by nine voters led Henry County Chief Judge Brian Amero to agree to unseal 147,000 mail-in ballots. The board of elections and the county court clerk in Fulton County filed motions urging the judge to dismiss the lawsuit about a week later, according to Fox 5 Atlanta. Why are the Radical Left Democrats in Georgia fighting so hard that there not be a Forensic Audit of 150,000 absentee ballots in Fulton County? Mr Trump said in a statement. There can be only one reason, and that is because they know the vote was corrupt and the audit will show it. Republicans must fight hard and win! Authorities on the state and federal level have said on multiple occasions that there is no evidence of widespread fraud in the 2020 election. David Becker, the executive director of the Centre for Election Innovation & Research, told NPR: The election deniers in many cases have taken on a strategy where theyve tried to go at individual counties thinking that those counties might be less have fewer resources and be less inclined to oppose some of these fake so-called audits. Some Trump supporters have suggested that a coup should take place to reinstate Mr Trump. Retired lieutenant general Michael Flynn, Mr Trumps first national security adviser, recently said that a Myanmar-style coup should happen in the US. The military seized control in Myanmar on 1 February, forcefully taking over from a democratically elected government. No reason. I mean, it should happen here, Lt Gen Flynn said when asked why what happened in Myanmar couldnt take place in the US. Read More UK Covid-19 vaccinations: Latest figures Netanyahu: Israel would risk 'friction' with US over Iran Gov't use of Chinese drones in limbo as Congress weighs ban The Trump International Hotel in Washington, DC. Mark Tenally/AP The Trump Org. is trying to sell its DC hotel lease for a second time, The Washington Post reported. The company tried to unload the property in fall 2019 but took it off the market when COVID-19 hit. The move comes as a New York investigation into Trump and his business heats up. Sign up for the 10 Things in Politics daily newsletter. As investigations concerning him heat up, former President Donald Trump is taking another stab at selling the lease to his company's hotel in Washington, DC, The Washington Post reported. For a second time, the Trump Organization has hired a broker to sell the Pennsylvania Avenue hotel, after the pandemic hindered the first effort in fall 2019. The company took the property off the market after COVID-19 hit. The Trump Organization has hired Newmark Group, a real-estate advisory firm, to market the property, which the company leases from the General Services Administration, The Post reported. The Trump Organization did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Newmark Group declined to comment. When the company first tried to unload the lease, rooms were running almost half-empty, The Post reported, and the property's revenue last year fell by more than 60%. The hotel continued to face financial setbacks, including the pandemic's impact on the luxury-hospitality industry and ongoing damage to the former president's brand following the 2020 election and January 6 insurrection. The move comes one week after Cyrus Vance Jr., Manhattan's district attorney, announced that he was convening a grand jury as his office investigates whether the Trump Organization violated state law. The inquiry into Trump and his company's finances is wide-ranging and has been underway for more than two years. It's not clear whether the DC hotel will play a role in Vance's investigation or a related investigation being led by Letitia James, New York's attorney general. The Post reported that the property has not been named in any public flings related to either case. Story continues But The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Vance's office is investigating a slew of properties, including the DC hotel named for the former president. Trump acquired the property, which is located in the Old Post Office, before he was elected in 2016, but the hotel became a hotbed for controversy during his presidency as Trump continued to own his businesses, spurring allegations of conflicts of interest. The Trump International Hotel was at the center of lawsuits accusing Trump of violating the foreign-emoluments clause of the Constitution, which bars public officials from receiving gifts or cash from foreign or state governments without congressional approval. Financial disclosures showed that Trump made at least $40.8 million from the hotel in 2018. Read the original article on Business Insider ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey hopes to maximize its cooperation with Egypt and Gulf nations "on a win-win basis", President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday, as Ankara works to repair its strained ties with Cairo and some Gulf Arab nations after years of tensions. Ankara's ties with Egypt and Saudi Arabia have been strained over several issues, from opposing positions on political Islam, the Libyan conflict and the eastern Mediterranean to the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi by a Saudi hit squad at the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul in October 2018. Turkey has in recent months been pushing to repair ties with the estranged regional powers. It sent a delegation to Cairo for talks and Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu held talks in Riyadh with his Saudi counterpart. "Our desire is to use these opportunities for cooperation at the maximum level and improve our ties on a win-win basis ... The same situation is valid for all Gulf countries too," Erdogan told state broadcaster TRT Haber. "We have serious potential for cooperation with Egypt in a wide spectrum of areas from the eastern Mediterranean to Libya," he said, adding he "loved" the Egyptian people. "Therefore, we are determined to restart this process." As part of the efforts, a Turkish delegation held talks with Egyptian officials in Cairo last month in the first direct contact between the regional rivals in years, after they fell out following the Egyptian army's toppling of a democratically elected Muslim Brotherhood president close to Erdogan in 2013. Separately, Ankara has toned down its criticism of the Khashoggi killing amid an informal Saudi boycott of Turkish exports. Cavusoglu said after talks in May with his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan that the two countries would maintain dialogue. (Reporting by Ali Kucukgocmen; Writing by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Editing by Chris Reese and Grant McCool) By Ned Parker NEW YORK (Reuters) - Tucson hired a forester. Miami named a heat officer. And Los Angeles appointed a climate emergency mobilization director. Across the United States, cities have launched new programs focused on dealing with extreme weather, reflecting the growing impacts of climate change on local communities, according to experts. Since 2019 at least 30 U.S. cities have taken fresh action such as hiring specialists to combat the impact of extreme weather, including Phoenix, Houston, Louisville, Nashville, and Oakland, according to the Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center, based at Washington D.C.'s Atlantic Council think tank. Many of those cities have created posts and initiatives to deal with worsening heat waves, seasonal wildfires or the effects of flooding, often with a focus on poor and minority communities, the group said. "Local government officials have to respond to it," said Kathy Baughman McLeod, the head of the Resilience Center, which promotes solutions to climate impacts, in part, by partnering with governments and bringing public and private funding to projects. New EPA data released in May https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-epa-climate-idCAKBN2CU230, after years of delays during the Trump administration, showed heat waves across the country occur more frequently, last longer and are often hotter, that wildfires are torching more land, and that the East and Gulf Coasts are flooding more often. Many times poor and minority communities take the brunt, said Alice Hill, an energy and climate policy expert at the independent Council on Foreign Relations think tank based in New York. "There has been a growing recognition that because they are at greater risk of harm, more needs to be done to protect them," she said. Some of these cities, including Los Angeles, said they are hoping their efforts will get a funding boost under President Joe Biden's administration, which in January ordered that 40% of the benefits of federal clean energy investment go to neighborhoods that have historically been neglected. Story continues Biden's predecessor Donald Trump downplayed climate risks and withdrew the United States from an international pact to slow global warming. The Biden administration rejoined that deal, has introduced a raft of new policies to fight climate change, and is now building a database https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-environment-data-idUSKBN2C014F to help it identify the parts of the country most in need of federal assistance in dealing with the impacts of warming and industrial pollution. CHIEF HEAT OFFICER Miami Dade County created a new position for a chief heat officer earlier this year, as it prepares for ever-hotter days ahead. The officer will focus on strategies for the Miami region to adapt to its ever-hotter climate, with special attention on "communities of color and low-income residents, who have fewer resources to overcome these challenges," Mayor Levine Cava said in late April at a news conference announcing the program. Miami last year sweltered through 41 days with temperatures over 105 degrees Fahrenheit (40.5 degrees Celsius) and that figure is expected to climb to 88 days by 2050, Cava said. Already, the newly appointed interim heat officer, Jane Gilbert, is getting to work with an agenda that includes creating more shaded bus stops and helping with existing plans for planting more trees in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods. "Heat is the No. 1 killer of all the climate change impacts," Gilbert said. Those especially at risk include children, pregnant women, the elderly, people with pre-existing health conditions, and those with no air conditioner access, she said. Her office will also be looking into outdoor labor standards and creating permanent year-round air-conditioned community hubs that can serve as gathering places in case of emergencies including storms and heat waves. 'ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE IMPACT' In February, Los Angeles launched a Climate Emergency Mobilization office to coordinate the city's policies on climate change across its dozens of neighborhoods and districts. Among its goals is to advise on "initiatives aimed at environmental justice and equity" such as ensuring all neighborhoods are getting trees planted to promote cooling, that bus stops have shade and that polluted properties are redeveloped, according to the Public Works Department. The new office has a budget of $1.1 million for the next fiscal year which begins in August. Marta Segura, the office's director, told Reuters her first steps will include consulting with a newly formed commission, consisting of representatives from the city's seven most-polluted neighborhoods, for recommendations on crafting an "equitable climate action plan". Segura also wants to gather data showing the city's progress. "We really need to push for metrics that measure environmental justice impact," Segura said. The city has ambitious goals to fight climate change too, including increasing the percentage of zero emission vehicles in the city to 100% by 2050 and ensuring city electric utilities source their power from 100% renewables by 2035. Los Angeles Board of Public Works President Greg Good told Reuters that while the state has provided some resources, the city has been "scraping and clawing" for funding to pursue its climate goals. But he said he was hopeful that Biden's infrastructure proposal which includes promises of climate and environmental justice-related funding - will ultimately direct more federal money to his and other cities so they can "take it to another level". A MILLION TREES Tucson, one of the hottest cities in the country, has hired a climate change advisor and a city forestry advisor to supervise the planting of 1 million trees around the Arizona desert city by 2030. City officials say the trees will help soak up carbon and provide cooling, especially in its poorer districts which have less shade. The planting initiative, so far, is relying on philanthropic donations and city funding. "Climate change is a public health issue, a public health hazard, and the front-line communities that are most affected by climate change are low income communities," Mayor Regina Romero told Reuters. Romero aims for Tucson to be carbon neutral by 2030 and says the Biden administration's spending plan will help her achieve that goal "because it includes funding for a lot of what local governments have to do to create this green infrastructure." (Reporting by Ned Parker; Editing by Daniel Wallis) By Michelle Nichols NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, will visit the Turkish border with Syria this week ahead of a likely showdown with Russia in the U.N. Security Council over the extension of a cross-border humanitarian aid operation. Thomas-Greenfield will visit Turkey from Wednesday to Friday, meeting with senior Turkish officials, U.N. agencies, aid groups and Syrian refugees, senior officials with the U.S. mission to the United Nations said on Tuesday. Thomas-Greenfield will "convey the United States' strong support for humanitarian access into Syria and the U.S. commitment to the people of Syria," said one U.S. official. "Nothing could be more urgent than continuing to provide life-saving aid through the cross-border mechanism ... This has grown even more significant and more dire," the U.S. official said. The 15-member Security Council first authorized a cross-border aid operation into Syria in 2014 at four points. Last year, it reduced that access to one crossing point from Turkey due to opposition from Russia and China over renewing all four. Another showdown is likely over the renewal of the mandate for the operation, which expires on July 10. A resolution to extend council approval needs nine votes in favor and no veto from any of the five permanent members Russia, China, the United States, France and Britain. Several council members, including the United States, are pushing to expand the cross-border operation. "Nothing else can deliver the amount of aid in the frequency needed to support vulnerable populations in northern Syria," said the U.S. official. U.N. aid chief Mark Lowcock appealed to the Security Council last week not to cut a cross-border aid "lifeline" to some 3 million Syrians in the country's north as Russia questioned the importance of the operation. (Reporting by Michelle Nichols; editing by Grant McCool) JERUSALEM (Reuters) - A senior U.S. senator said on Tuesday he expected Washington would quickly authorize as much as $1 billion for Israel to replenish its Iron Dome missile defense system after clashes in May with Hamas. "There will be a $1 billion request coming to the Pentagon this week from the (Israeli) defense minister to replenish the Iron Dome and a few other things, to upgrade the system," Senator Lindsey Graham told reporters in Jerusalem. A senior Republican on the Senate Appropriations Committee, Graham met with both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Benny Gantz during a trip to Israel. The committee oversees spending including foreign military aid. Graham said Iron Dome had saved thousands of lives during last month's rocket attacks, and predicted Israel's request would find favor with both President Joe Biden and Congress, which is narrowly controlled by Biden's Democrats. "There's been a big dustup over the last engagement between Hamas and the State of Israel in the United States, but I'm here to tell you that there's a wide and deep support for Israel among the Democratic Party," Graham said. Biden has said he would replenish Iron Dome, which helped Israel fend off most of the more than 4300 rockets fired from Gaza during the conflict. Israel and Hamas began a ceasefire on May 21 after 11 days of the fiercest Israeli-Palestinian hostilities in years, with nearly 250 people dead, all but 13 of them Palestinians. Israel's fierce response drew criticism from some Democrats, but Israel generally enjoys strong support in Washington from both parties. Congress routinely approves large sums on military funding for a country seen as a solid U.S. partner in an unstable region. Israel's Defense Ministry said Gantz would meet with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan on Thursday in Washington for a discussion on issues including Iran and military aid. (Reporting by Jeffrey Heller in Jerusalem; Writing by Patricia Zengerle in Washington; Editing by Howard Goller) By Lawrence Hurley WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday endorsed Native American tribal police powers, backing the authority of a tribal officer in Montana to stop and search a non-Native American motorist on a public road on reservation land. The justices ruled 9-0 against Joshua James Cooley in his effort to contest drug and weapons charges brought against him after a Crow tribal police officer found methamphetamine and firearms in his vehicle on a roadside on reservation land in 2016. The ruling means tribal police have at least some powers to conduct initial investigatory traffic stops involving non-tribe members. Writing for the court, Justice Stephen Breyer said that "no treaty or statute has explicitly divested Indian tribes of the policing authority at issue." A federal judge in Montana and the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had ruled in favor of Cooley. Cooley had argued that tribal police lacked jurisdiction over him as a non-Native American even though his parked vehicle was searched on a public road on a reservation. The Supreme Court heard the federal government's appeal backing tribal authority. Existing precedent gave tribes criminal jurisdiction over tribe members but not non-tribe members, who instead can be prosecuted by the state or the federal government. Cooley, with his young son also in the vehicle, was parked by the side of the road on reservation land in the early morning hours when Crow tribal police officer James Saylor spotted the vehicle and stopped to check on Cooley's welfare. Saylor noticed there were two rifles and a pistol in the vehicle and drug paraphernalia in plain sight, court papers showed. Saylor, who correctly believed that Cooley was not Native American, called local and federal law enforcement to the scene. A subsequent vehicle search uncovered more than 50 grams of methamphetamine. Cooley was charged by the federal government with one count of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. Story continues U.S. District Judge Susan Watters ruled in 2017 that evidence obtained during the encounter with the tribal officer could not be admitted. The 9th Circuit then ruled in favor of Cooley in 2019. Reservations were established beginning in the 19th century after U.S. authorities expelled Native Americans from their traditional lands. The Supreme Court last year issued a ruling in another important case involving Native American tribal jurisdiction. The 5-4 decision in a child-rape case extended tribal authority in Oklahoma, effectively recognizing Native American jurisdiction over a large part of the state. (Reporting by Lawrence Hurley; Editing by Will Dunham) Alex Stovall in a campaign ad. Alex Stovall/Twitter The US Army is investigating a Reserve officer running for Congress who has publicly questioned the results of the 2020 presidential election and given an interview to partisan media while in uniform, according to multiple reports. First Lt. Alex Stovall is a 26-year-old chaplain candidate who joined the Army in 2013 and is assigned to the 91st Training Division, according to Army Times, which first reported that Stovall's actions were facing scrutiny from the Army. He is running for election to the US House of Representatives to represent Arizona's 9th congressional district and to, according to a recent campaign ad, "stop [Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez] and her cronies from taking over our Congress and our country." Stovall recently gave interviews to both One America News Network and Gun Freedom Radio. During his interview with OANN, Stovall appeared in his US Army uniform to discuss his campaign. In his Gun Freedom Radio interview, Stovall did not wear his uniform but referred to President Joe Biden as "this sleepy guy in office" and said he doesn't believe Biden is the president. Stovall's interview remarks and his appearance on the conservative OANN in uniform, as well as the inclusion of photos of himself in uniform in a political campaign ad, led the Army to investigate this matter, according to Task & Purpose. Lt. Col. Simon Flake, a US Army Reserve spokesman, told Insider in an emailed statement first reported by Army Times that "we are aware of the situation and are investigating." He explained that "the US Army Reserve follows the Department of Defense's long standing policy regarding service member involvement in partisan political campaigns to avoid the perception of DoD sponsorship, approval, or endorsement of any partisan political candidate, campaign, or cause." Story continues Army regulations state that soldiers are barred from participating in political activity while in uniform. The Military Religious Freedom Foundation, a non-profit organization, has argued that Stovall may have violated multiple regulations, including showing "contempt toward officials," the president in particular. The organization has written to Pentagon leadership calling for punishment under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Speaking to Army Times, Stovall's campaign denied that any rules were broken, stating that it "has followed all USAR and DOD regulations." "Alex Stovall is proud to be in the USAR and he decided to run to serve his country in Congress as well. Americans are tired of seeing this country lurch further left toward policies that hurt them," Stovall's press secretary Joel Bailey told the defense outlet. The statement from Stovall's campaign also said that "Stovall recognize[s] Mr. Biden's authority through the chain of command." Read the original article on Business Insider (Bloomberg) -- Vietnam is asking Samsung Electronics Co. and other foreign companies to find Covid-19 vaccines for their workers as the nation grapples with a virus surge, the government website reported. The government is encouraging companies to find Covid-19 vaccines for their workers, Bui Hoang Mai, head of the industrial park management board in the northern province of Bac Ninh, where Samsung operates factories making its smartphones, said by phone. Vietnam Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh also asked local authorities to find a vaccine supply, the government website reported, citing information from the premiers visit to a Samsung plant in Bac Ninh. A representative of Samsung Vietnam was not immediately available for comment. Authorities in Bac Ninh have ordered factories to set up on-site sleeping arrangements for workers and put in place other procedures to enable operations to continue while containing the virus. In nearby Bac Giang province, home to Apple Inc. and Samsung suppliers, officials are working to help factories reopen after they were shuttered during the closure of four industrial parks. The health ministry has sent 200,000 vaccine doses each for Bac Ninh and Bac Giang workers to be administered within a week, according to the ministrys website. More than 1 million people in Vietnam, or about 1% of the nations population, have received at least a first vaccine dose, while just over 28,500 were fully vaccinated, according to the health ministry. Vietnam has reported 4,163 local virus cases from April 27 out of a total 7,168 patients and 47 deaths, according to the health ministry. Vietnams aviation authority suspended all international flights to Hanois Noi Bai International Airport between June 1 and June 7, the regulator said on its website. The authority extended similar restrictions on international flights to Ho Chi Minh Citys Tan Son Nhat International Airport by ten days to June 14. Vietnam halted most international commercial flights in early December. Story continues (Updates the story with prime minister in the third paragraph.) More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2021 Bloomberg L.P. Last month, AT&T announced it was spinning off WarnerMedia in a $43 billion merger with Discovery. While those involved don't expect the deal to close until partway through next year, the proposed entity already has a name. Should Discovery shareholders and federal regulators approve the merger, the resulting union between WarnerMedia and Discovery will be known as Warner Bros. Discovery. Original, we know. "We love the new company's name because it represents the combination of Warner Bros.' fabled hundred year legacy of creative, authentic storytelling and taking bold risks to bring the most amazing stories to life, with Discovery's global brand that has always stood brightly for integrity, innovation and inspiration," David Zaslav, the CEO of Discovery said in a statement. AT&T shared it was spinning off WarnerMedia a week-and-a-half before Amazon announced it had agreed to acquire Hollywood studio MGM for $8.45 billion. The two deals represent the latest wave in media consolidation. Spurred by an intensely competitive streaming market and Disney's own $71 billion agreement in 2018 to gobble up 21st Century Fox, companies have spent big to secure content for their platforms. The JBS meatpacking plant in Greeley, Colorado. AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File The White House says Russian criminals are likely behind a cyberattack over the weekend on JBS USA. JBS USA says the "organized" attack affected servers in North American and Australian IT systems. The White House says it's "engaging with the Russian government on this matter." See more stories on Insider's business page. The White House said Tuesday that Russian criminals were likely behind a cyberattack that hit the major meat producer JBS USA over the weekend. "JBS notified the admin that the ransom demand came from a criminal organization likely based in Russia," White House principal deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters aboard Air Force One, according to the Bloomberg News reporter Jennifer Epstein. "The White is engaging with the Russian government on this matter and delivering the message that responsible states do not harbor ransomware criminals." JBS USA, which is part of JBS Foods, said in a statement on Monday it was the target of an "organized cybersecurity attack, affecting some of the servers supporting its North American and Australian IT systems." In overall sales, JBS is the largest meat-processing company, WBUR reported. In the wake of the cyberattack, roughly one-fifth of US beef capacity is gone until JBS resumes full production, according to Bloomberg News. The meat producer's parent company, JBS S.A., is headquartered in Brazil and has been mired in several domestic corruption scandals. JBS has also faced international legal issues, with US lawmakers from both parties calling for an investigation into whether it engaged in "illicit financial activities" and had involvement with Nicolas Maduro's government in Venezuela in 2019. Insider reported on JBS USA's political donations after a record-setting COVID-19 outbreak at its plant in Colorado, with Republican Sen. Cory Gardner of the state accepting $24,000 from the company since 2012. Read the original article on Business Insider Millions of Americans are experiencing a Mare of Easttown hangover of sorts. We're still reeling from the finale's final one-two gut-punch, puzzling over the loose ends (the journals!), and trying (and failing) to pull off the unexpectedly challenging Delaware County accent. Just as we thought we'd googled our last red herring and attempted our final rounded vowel, the New York Times pulled us back in with a profile on Mare herself, Kate Winslet. Winslet's found her character difficult to shake, too, due in part to her full immersion in the role and the Pennsylvania town Mare inhabited. "Not only did I have to hide myself in the character completely, but I had to hide this story, carry the secret," Winslet said, explaining that she first read the scripts back in 2018. "My job was to take them on this horrendous journey and hope to God that they'd be prepared to come into the attic with me at the end," she went on. "It has been agony, agony, agony." Why Kate Winslet Opted to Keep a "Bulgy Bit of Belly" in Her Mare of Easttown Sex Scene Photograph by Michele K. Short/HBO Glamor was off the table when it came to the grieving detective. Winslet told the Times that she prohibited the show's director, Craig Zobel, from cutting "a bulgy bit of belly" from her sex scene with Richard Ryan (Guy Pearce). She had a similar approach to the HBO series' promotional materials, sending the show's poster back twice because it was overly retouched. "They were like 'Kate, really, you can't,' and I'm like 'Guys, I know how many lines I have by the side of my eye, please put them all back,'" Winslet explained. RELATED: TBT: Kate Winslet Said She'd Never "Shit-Fling" About Her Ex "Listen, I hope that in playing Mare as a middle-aged woman I will be 46 in October I guess that's why people have connected with this character in the way that they have done because there are clearly no filters," she continued. "She's a fully functioning, flawed woman with a body and a face that moves in a way that is synonymous with her age and her life and where she comes from. I think we're starved of that a bit." Speaking of starving, we're already hungry for season 2 (and also a hoagie). Though Mare is still classified as a limited series, Winslet told TV Line she "would absolutely love" to reprise her no-nonsense character. "I miss her," she told the site. "It's the strangest thing. I feel like I'm in mourning. It was an absolutely wonderful role." WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The World Bank now has $12 billion in COVID-19 vaccine financing available and will have approved vaccination financing operations in over 50 countries by the end of June, the development lender's president, David Malpass, said on Tuesday. Malpass told a joint news conference with the World Health Organization, the International Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organization that it was "vital that we speed up the supply chain for vaccine distribution," including shortening the manufacturing time, approvals and allocations of doses that have already been produced. (Reporting by David Lawder) By David Lawder and Emma Farge GENEVA (Reuters) -The World Bank president said on Tuesday is was vital that the United States frees up excess COVID-19 vaccine doses for Latin America as the World Health Organization expressed concern about high infection rates in the region. Mike Ryan, the top WHO emergency expert, said the situation in the region was "starting to turn in the wrong direction". Four of the top 10 countries for cases last week were there and mortality rates are higher at between 3-5%, he said. "These next few weeks are vital that in particular the U.S. frees up excess (vaccines) to go to programs that exist," World Bank President David Malpass told the same briefing. "We're ready to take them tomorrow in the three countries that I mentioned and by two weeks from now in more countries within Latin America," he said, referring to Ecuador, El Salvador and Honduras, which are seeking 220 million vaccine doses. Latin America's death toll from COVID-19 has surpassed 1 million. Chile, Peru and Paraguay have reported declines in new infections, but Uruguay, Argentina and Brazil are once again seeing a rise in cases, while Bolivia is reporting a drastic increase in deaths, the Pan American Health Organization said last week. International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva also told the virtual briefing on vaccine equity that vaccine supplies for the region should be prioritised. "We have to think about where the urgency to act is most significant and unfortunately for Latin America quite a number of countries are hit with the brutal force of COVID-19," she said. U.S. President Joe Biden last month announced pledges of some 80 million vaccine doses, including a significant number that will go to poor countries via the WHO's COVAX sharing programme. However, Malpass implied that more donations were needed, referring to its policy of vaccinating adolescents who are generally considered of low risk of serious illness. Story continues "One thing needs to be done for the fairness and safety of the whole world: We need to be vaccinating vulnerable people right now," he said. The WHO has repeatedly called for rich countries to donate shots abroad instead of inoculating children. WHO Senior Adviser Bruce Aylward praised dose pledges by wealthy countries but said the timing for their availability needed to be brought forward. (Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay, Emma Farge in Geneva and David Lawler in Washington;Editing by Alison Williams) By Derek Francis (Reuters) - New York City police have charged a man with a hate crime after he was arrested for an unprovoked assault on a 55-year old Asian woman in the Chinatown area, police said. Alexander Wright, 48, was charged with "Assault", "Assault as a Hate Crime" and "Criminal Possession of Controlled Substance," Detective Annette Shelton told Reuters by email. A video https://twitter.com/yuhline/status/1399502974272131078, posted on Twitter by New York State Assembly member Yuh-Line Niou, showed a woman falling to the ground after she was punched by a man while walking on the street on Monday. The man, wearing an orange hoodie and blue jacket, then walks away as passers by come to the victim's aid. "This just happened in my district in Chinatown," Niou said on Twitter, adding the video was sent by a constituent. Reuters has not confirmed the authenticity of the video. Police apprehended Wright for the assault and moved him to Bellevue Hospital for evaluation, Shelton said. The victim was in a stable condition, Shelton said. (Reporting by Derek Francis in Bengaluru; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan) Zoom founder Eric Yuan speaks before the Nasdaq opening bell ceremony on April 18, 2019 in New York City. Kena Betancur/Getty Images Zoom had a chaotically extraordinary year in 2020, with usage and revenue skyrocketing. Quarterly results reported Tuesday show it's still expanding, but the growth rate is leveling out. Now as the world reopens, Zoom faces new challenges to prove that it can adapt to a post-pandemic world. See more stories on Insider's business page. The pandemic thrust Zoom into the global spotlight and made the video chat app a household name. As the company scrambled to adapt to its newfound popularity, Zoom's board started holding weekly - sometimes daily - briefings and on at least one occasion last year, CEO Eric Yuan personally held as many as 19 meetings in one day. Zoom board member Santiago Subotovsky told Insider that Zoom's experience was like if a "12-year-old had to go straight to college" as an influx of new users caused its annual revenue to skyrocket 326% between January 2020 and January 2021. Now, its fiscal first-quarter results released Tuesday show its wild growth streak is leveling out. Zoom reported Q1 revenue of $956.2 million, showing 191% year over year growth, which beat analyst estimates of $910.2 million compiled by Bloomberg. Earnings per share came in at $1.32, easily topping Wall Street predictions of $0.98. Zoom also set full-year revenue guidance of $3.975 billion and $3.99 billion, a bit more than the $3.82 billion analysts forecasted. For comparison, last fiscal year it brought in $2.65 billion in revenue, so this represents continued growth even as pandemic restrictions are loosening, something analysts have been watching. The stock initially dipped as much as 3% after hours before bouncing back and ticking up over 2%. Zoom's guidance for its fiscal second quarter slightly missed the highest analyst estimates. The results show how a slow-but-steady return to the office for many workers brings new challenges and opportunities. Zoom will have to show that its videoconferencing software can remain a foundational part of the modern workplace even when people can meet face-to-face. Story continues To do so, the company will have to lean on strategies it developed during its period of whirlwind growth, which Subotovsky and seven other insiders and executives described to Insider earlier this year. Read the original article on Business Insider Outside of Saunders Construction off U.S. 29, or more recently known as Fort Saunders, visitors from Nelson County and the surrounding area had the chance to learn about the Vietnam War by interacting with various memorabilia and vehicles in the foundations possession as well as listening to the stories and testimonies from one of several veterans in attendance. The event also featured Civil War reenactors, remarks from Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Bath; and Del. John Avoli and culminated in a rifle salute and taps performed by members of the American Legion Post 17. During the ceremony, the foundation also payed special tribute to a 12th person who recently died. I think not only Nelson but nationwide now people are supporting the armed forces more and one of the main goals for us is to educate the public on what the Vietnam war was about, Saunders said. Despite the various Vietnam-era equipment on display, Saunders said it was less than a third of the total number of exhibits and artifacts the foundation has. Limitations aside, Saunders said it was important for him to be able to share this story with others. A final report examining Virginia Military Institute's culture and policies was published Tuesday, closing out a five-month investigation that was prompted by allegations of racism. The final report prepared by an investigative team recommends that VMI acknowledge that there are racial and gender disparities in how cadets are treated and that the military institute's culture creates and reinforces barriers to addressing those problems. The report states that because VMI is a state-supported college, taxpayers and the General Assembly must hold VMI accountable for implementing improvements. "VMIs overall unwillingness to change or even question its practices and traditions in a meaningful way has sustained systems that disadvantage minority and female cadets and faculty, and has left VMI trailing behind its peer institutions," investigators wrote. "If VMI refuses to think critically about its past and present, and to confront how racial and ethnic minorities and women experience VMI, it will remain a school for white men." VMI leaders received a copy of the report Tuesday and are in the process of reviewing the findings. In outlining the goal for winning the Persian Gulf War against Saddam Hussein for invading and occupying Kuwait in 1991, Gen. Colin Powell, then the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said, Our strategy to go after this army is very, very simple. First, were going to cut it off, and then were going to kill it. The ceasefire announced recently between the terrorist organization Hamas and the state of Israel is the opposite of that strategy and solves nothing. As with previous ceasefires it simply gives Hamas an opportunity to regroup and reload in time for the next assault, perhaps with even more sophisticated and deadly weapons supplied by Iran. Some critics of Israel said that it did not respond proportionately to the Hamas attacks. Was proportionality a consideration after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor? President Truman ordered nuclear bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki because Japan refused to surrender at the end of World War II. Did we respond proportionately to the threat from Nazi Germany when we carpet bombed German cities, especially Dresden? Winston Churchill put it best when he stated the goal of Allied forces: What is our aim? Victory, victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror; victory, however long and hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival. Amelia Jenks Bloomer was an American womens rights and temperance advocate in the 19th century. Though she did not create the womens clothing reform style known as bloomers, her name became associated with it because of her early and strong advocacy. In the mid-1800s, Bloomer worked with Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony to fight for womens rights, even introducing the two pioneers of the movement. A monument depicting that meet-up stands at the Womens Rights National Historical Park in New York, according to the National Park Service. Bloomer was born in 1818 in Homer, New York. Bloomer came from a family of modest means and received only a few years of formal education in the local district school. When she was 22, she married attorney Dexter Bloomer, who encouraged her to write for his New York newspaper, The Seneca Falls County Courier. She spent her early years in Cortland County, New York. Amelia Bloomer edited the first newspaper for women, The Lily, serving as the sole publisher of the publication from 1850 to 1853. She stayed on as a contributor after selling it in anticipation of a move to Iowa. Iowa Western Community College has received designation as a Home Base Iowa Certified Higher Academic Military Partnership program. The institution has met the necessary criteria based on best practices in serving military-affiliated students, according to a press release from Home Base Iowa. Iowa Western joins 28 other CHAMPs institutions across Iowa in demonstrating a commitment to serving veterans and to help make Iowa a State of Choice for military-affiliated students. Quality education plays a significant role for veterans and their families, and Home Base Iowa recognizes the need to work with higher education institutions to support them along the way, Jathan Chicoine, Home Base Iowa program manager for state and strategic initiatives, said in the press release. Congratulations to IWCC (and the others) in helping their military-affiliated students achieve academic success and thrive in Iowa. I think we at Iowa Western have been very dedicated to serving our military-connected students, whether theyre starting in the military or coming out and retiring, President Daniel Kinney said. Im prior military, my predecessor was prior military I think being a Home Base Iowa institution just takes it to the next level. Seniors can now call to request farmers market vouchers. Connections Area Agency on Aging will accept calls beginning this month regarding farmers market vouchers, according to a press release from the agency. Through the program, seniors meeting income requirements can obtain vouchers to purchase $30 worth of fresh, locally grown produce. Since Connections offices are currently closed to the public, older Iowans can call beginning this month and leave a message with their name and phone number. All calls will be returned within five business days, the press release stated. The staff person returning the call will take information over the phone and fill out an application. Vouchers will be mailed out each Thursday to those who qualify. To be eligible, applicants must be at least 60 years old and have an annual income of less than $23,828 for individuals or $32,227 for couples. The vouchers are good for use at the River City Farmers Market on Saturdays and Farmers Market Council Bluffs on Thursdays. The River City market is open from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday through September in the parking lot at the YMCA Healthy Living Center, 714 S. Main St. The ongoing Farmers Market Council Bluffs runs from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursdays at Bayliss Park through September. Commentary: Real "China threat" is China's underrepresentation in global governance Xinhua) 08:34, June 01, 2021 BEIJING, May 31 (Xinhua) -- In the run-up to next month's G7 summit, it is not surprising to see a reemergence of the "China threat" narrative. Biased Western politicians and journalists assume Beijing's growing presence in global governance entails an increasing economic, military and ideological threat to the west. The bloc of the world's largest developed economies has been increasingly critical not only of China's domestic policies but also of its growing role in global governance. If China again features prominently on the agenda at the upcoming G7 summit, it will not be unexpected. For some, promoting the "China threat" narrative has become a cheap and effective way to unite and mobilize. G7 foreign ministers at a May London meeting, for example, pointed fingers at so-called Chinese coercive economic policies toward other nations. There has been an array of Western media hyping up so-called "China threat" as China's influence is increasing. The U.S. has reportedly proposed establishing a Western-led infrastructure plan that would rival China's Belt and Road Initiative. For the current U.S. administration, which seeks the restoration of its global influence by rejoining the international organizations and multilateral mechanism it withdrew from under the previous administration, that move is expected to counterbalance China's growing influence in global governance. But let us face reality. With its enormous influence and contributions today, China is crucial to the effective implementation of any rule, institution or agreement designed to make the world a safer place in the future. Without the participation of the world's most populous country and second-largest economy, no global agenda can be considered genuinely global. A powerful country can benefit the world if it consistently follows the correct historical trends. China is committed to promoting a new type of international relations, and advocating peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom as the common values of humanity. It is dedicated to working with other countries to build a community with a shared future for humanity. From this perspective, the real Chinese threat is not that Beijing is too involved in global governance, but that Beijing may not be sufficiently involved and represented. China has always been a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development and a defender of the international order. It has played an increasingly important and positive role in global governance. China has been actively providing public goods -- particularly those related to peace and security -- for the Asia-Pacific region and the world as a whole. The country's active role in the global supply of and providing assistance with COVID-19 vaccines serves as the latest evidence to this. With a sense of responsibility as a major country, China has been taking an active part in and leading global climate governance and boosting post-pandemic green recovery. The rise of China does not entail assertiveness. China does not seek to challenge the dominant position of the U.S. in global governance, nor does it seek to establish confrontational or alternative international mechanisms outside the existing global governance system. It is willing to assume corresponding responsibilities in the current system in accordance with its own capabilities. As the largest developing country in the world, China has been an advocate for the interests of emerging economies and developing countries in general. China has been advocating for a series of new transnational, cross-regional and cross-continental international organizations, such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, BRICS and the Asian Development Bank, all of which reflect the changing global realities and serve as guarantees for the construction of a more just and reasonable international governance system. China has been a convenient scapegoat in these uncertain times. Blaming a country that has been enjoying rapid economic development and political stability over past decades serves the domestic agendas of certain Western countries, which are facing elusive full economic recoveries as well as growing resentment and discontent over domestic inequalities. Promoting the "China threat" and lashing out at Beijing are by no means real solutions to the real problems of those Western countries. (Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun) ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) The fence that had surrounded the Minnesota Capitol since the unrest over the death of George Floyd began coming down Tuesday, although officials have yet to set a date for reopening the statehouse to the public. Crews removed the tall chain-link fence from the front of the building and expected to haul away most of the remaining components in the coming days. The Capitol was closed in March 2020 as the pandemic forced the Legislature to meet remotely. The fence hastily went up as protests over the death of Floyd on May 26, 2020, took a violent turn. It remained up during the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and through former Officer Derek Chauvin's conviction for murder in Floyd's death in April. The state spent over $100,000 on the fence. The cyberattack on JBS ... underscores the need for reform in the marketplace food safety and security are now at extreme risk and America can not afford to stand idly by as the U.S. beef market and the food supply is further decimated, Marty Irby, executive director of the organization, said in a prepared statement. We call on the Biden Administration, Attorney General Merrick Garland, and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to end the monopolization of agriculture in America, not one second can be wasted if we are to secure sustainability and feed the American people. Industrial agriculture has long sacrificed animal welfare, humane working conditions, and the environment for consolidation and big corporate profits, what more must be sacrificed before the federal government wakes up and realizes change must be made? Finkenauer served two terms in the Iowa House, then one in the U.S. House before losing her re-election bid in 2020. Her candidacy would come as little surprise to those who follow Iowa politics closely. Finkenauer has been mulling her options since her defeat in November, and a Senate run would make sense for her. (Quick aside: There is a possibility that the U.S. Senate race could wind up a rematch of that 2020 1st District congressional campaign, if Finkenauer runs and wins the Democratic nomination, and if Grassley retires and Republican U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson runs and wins the GOP nomination. But I digress.) One Iowa Democrat who has ruled out a run for U.S. Senate is state auditor Rob Sand, who made the revelation this week to the Carroll Times. Sand had been considering myriad options for 2022: run for re-election as auditor, or run for the U.S. Senate or governor. Sand has whittled the Senate off that list. It seemed likely the Democrats were headed for a competitive primary in Iowas Senate race. The questions now are how competitive, and whether the national Democrats aka the establishment will get involved. We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. The current COVID-19 fuss has caused adverse effects on the business industry. However, as businesses transform seamlessly to accommodate changes caused by the pandemic, the e-commerce industry has experienced a boom for a niche of products. Even in a marketplace platform such as Amazon, sellers have noticed at least 8 products that customers frequently add to their carts. Buying Trends in 2021 Industry influencers often determine buying trends, and the current customer behavior is fast shifting towards trending products. Thankfully, social media has a hand in promoting buying trends for most products in 2020 and 2021. 8 Amazon Items That Are Flying Off The Shelves With thousands of products today, some people rely on social media recommendations and reviews that back bestsellers in the online market. In this regard, let us explore 8 Amazon Items you can feel confident purchasing this spring. 1. Little Green Machine The North Platte Police Department has been awarded a grant to place automated external defibrillators in its patrol cars. The funds are part of a $6.4 million grant from the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust to supply AEDs to every Nebraska law enforcement agency as well as Nebraska Game and Parks facilities. With this generous gift from the Helmsley Charitable Trust Grant, the North Platte Police Department will be able to provide on the spot lifesaving emergency care to our community, said Police Chief Dan Hudson. The addition of an AED in each of our police patrol cars puts this piece of lifesaving technology at the scene of every emergency we respond to. The grant, facilitated through the Nebraska Department of Health & Human Services, Division of Public Health, will fund the devices to be placed in law enforcement vehicles in North Platte. The project includes training, which will be held at Mid Plains Community College. Seconds count during a cardiac arrest, said Walter Panzirer, a Helmsley trustee. We know in Nebraska, first responders often have great distances to cover. This funding will ensure those who get to the scene before EMS arrives give patients a better shot at survival. An 18th century burial ground has been discovered at a former sugar plantation on the Dutch Caribbean island of St. Eustatius, officials said Monday, and archaeologists said it likely contains the remains of slaves and could provide a trove of information on the lives as enslaved people. Government officials said 48 skeletons had been found at the site so far, most of them males, but also some females and infants. Alexandre Hinton, the director of the St. Eustatius Center for Archaeological Research, said many more remains were expected to lie in the graves at the former Golden Rock Plantation. We are predicting that the number of individuals buried here will surpass the burial site discovered at Newton Plantation on Barbados, where 104 enslaved Africans were excavated. This is one of the largest sites of its kind ever discovered in the Caribbean, she said. Authorities said the site was found while archeologists checked an area needed for expansion of an airport. We knew the potential for archaeological discoveries in this area was high, but this cemetery exceeds all expectations, Hinton said. Given the location near the former plantation, Hinton said the graves most likely contain the remains of enslaved people. Two women and two babies sit on a bench in a park in Beijing on May 25. Photo: Nicolas Asfouri/AFP via Getty Images In a significant policy change aimed at countering the countrys declining birth rate, rapidly aging population, and shrinking workforce, China will now permit married couples to have up to three children. The shift, announced by the nations ruling Communist Party on Monday, comes less than six years after raising the nationwide limit to two children. But that policy change failed to boost Chinas birth rate or stave off a looming demographic crisis. Now, in addition to raising the limit again, Chinas government says it will offer supporting measures, possibly including maternity leave and greater workplace protections for women. The timing and specifics of the new policies remain unclear, however. Last years once-a-decade census in China revealed that the countrys birth rate had fallen for the fourth straight-year dropping 15 percent from 2019 to 2020 and that the percentage of the population over age 60 had risen from 13.3 percent in 2010 to 18.7 percent in 2020, while the working population (those aged 15 to 59) dropped from roughly 70 percent to 63 percent. The past decade has seen Chinas slowest population growth since the 1950s, the census indicated. The fact that men outnumber women in the country, and that single mothers arent afforded the same support from the government as married couples, isnt helping either. The decision to raise the child limit was made during a meeting of the Communist Party Politburo on Monday, which was chaired by president Xi Jinping, according to the Xinhua state news agency. The party also reiterated that it would gradually raise the retirement age (it has one of the worlds lowest retirement ages) and boost benefits for its seniors, though again, without getting into specifics. The announcement didnt seem to impress many inside China, the South China Morning Post reported: Many users on Weibo, Chinas equivalent of Twitter, said they did not think the policy change would encourage couples to have more children, given steep real estate prices, long working hours and the intense competition and high prices for education in China. In an online poll by state news agency Xinhua, 28,000 out of 31,000 respondents said they would not consider at all having three children. About 1,600 respondents said they would be willing before the poll was removed on Monday. That maps onto what BBC China correspondent Stephen McDonell has heard: I have interviewed many young Chinese couples about this subject and it is hard to find those who want bigger families these days. Generations of Chinese people have lived without siblings and are used to small families - affluence has meant less need for multiple children to become family-supporting workers, and young professionals say theyd rather give one child more advantages than spread their income among several kids. Indeed, most experts who responded to the news on Monday seem skeptical that allowing an additional child will do enough to reverse the national demographic trends. Many other countries are experiencing birth rate and population-growth declines, without having imposed draconian limits on how many kids people can have. Hang Seng Bank chief economist Dan Wang told the Morning Post that, as was the case after China raised the child limit to two, there may be a temporary boost in the birth rate, but not a permanent one. The high costs of housing and education, as well as a lack of job protection for women, are strong economic constraints on having children, she said Monday. Another analyst speculated that the policy change, which came months before anyone expected, might mean more troubling data looms: Yi Fuxian, a specialist in Chinas demographics, said the timing of the announcement so soon after the census summary suggested the detailed data to come could be extremely worrying. Maybe its because the real population data is too scary. Even if they have not published it, it probably frightened the decision makers, Yi said. CNN Businesss Laura He adds that Chinas declining population growth is expected to have major implications for its economy: Experts have said Chinas labor force will peak in the next few years before shrinking by about 5% over the next decade. That could mean trouble for the big economic policy objectives set by President Xi Jinping. He has laid out ambitions for Chinas GDP to double by 2035. And while some forecasters say China could surpass the United States as the worlds biggest economy by the end of this decade, it has a much bigger gap to close in terms of prosperity. Chinas per capita GDP stands at $17,000, compared with a US figure of more than $63,000, according to the International Monetary Fund. As the New York Times points out, the policy change is also a tacit acknowledgment that Chinas one-child policy was a failure: Chinas family planning restrictions date to 1980, when the party first imposed a one-child policy to slow population growth and bolster the economic boom that was then just beginning. Officials often employed brutal tactics as they forced women to get abortions or be sterilized, and the policy soon became a source of public discontent The chorus of voices urging the party to do more has only grown in recent years. The central bank said in a starkly worded paper last month that the government could not afford to keep restricting procreation. Already, some local officials in some areas had been tacitly allowing couples to have three children. The Times also highlights the political implications of the changes: The partys reluctance to abandon its right to dictate reproductive rights points to the power of such policies as tools of social control. Even as the country has struggled to raise birthrates, the authorities in the western region of Xinjiang have been forcing women of Muslim ethnic minorities, like the Uyghurs, to have fewer babies in an effort to suppress their population growth. A full reversal of the rules could also be seen as a repudiation of a deeply unpopular policy that the party has long defended. In addition to the mandated and cultural shift away from larger families, the bottom line for many potential parents in China appears to be an economic one, and it remains unclear if the government will or can do enough to address that. As one Weibo user put it in a popular post on Monday, Im not buying three Rolls-Royces not because theres any restriction, but because theyre expensive. A drive-in vaccination site in New Delhi, India. Photo: Hindustan Times via Getty Images The pandemic is receding in the United States, where, on Sunday, fewer than 10,000 Americans tested positive for the coronavirus the first time the four-figure mark has been breached since March 22 of 2020. With half of the U.S. population having received at least one vaccine dose, most states are planning a full reopening within the next month. Every day, the light at the end of that tunnel is growing brighter, President Joe Biden said earlier this month about the success of the American vaccination effort. Unfortunately, that success has not been universal. When doses first began to be delivered en masse, at the beginning of the year, to countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates, vaccine disparities between the developing world and wealthier nations are still the dominant story of the global effort to halt the viruss spread. While a handful of well-off nations have reached the 50 percent vaccination mark, at least 41 countries have yet to provide at least one dose to 2 percent of their population, according to New York Times data from May 29. The worst-off of the nations reporting vaccine numbers is the Central African Republic: With a population of close to 5 million, just 667 doses have been administered. According to the Guardian, as of May 30, only one percent of the 1.3 billion shots administered around the world have been in Africa, though the continent represents close to 17 percent of the worlds population. The reason for such a profound inequality largely breaks down to two factors: rich nations stockpiling vaccines and the difficulties developing nations have faced in distributing them, challenges that are rooted in public-health inequities dating back to the colonial era. Since the beginning of the pandemic, wealthy nations have purchased vaccines and vaccine materials to provide shots within their own borders, leaving poorer governments last in line to sign contracts with vaccine-producing firms. As of March, the United States had bought 1.3 billion doses, enough to fully vaccinate more than three times its adult population. In the U.S., there were several reasons for the purchasing spree, which some public-health experts have described as hoarding. Before vaccines had been produced or approved, the Trump administration purchased hundreds of millions of doses as part of an effort to encourage a speedy development. President Biden added to that number by several hundred million in order to ensure that there would be no kinks in the supply chain and to insure against COVID-19 variants that have caused new waves of infection in the United Kingdom, India, and Brazil. Since facing intense criticism over acts of vaccine nationalism, countries with large vaccine stocks have made several efforts to donate shots where they are needed. On May 17, President Biden announced that by the end of June, the United States will donate a total of 80 million doses throughout the world; 60 million of those are Astra-Zeneca shots that have not yet been approved for emergency use by the FDA, while the reminder will be a mix of the Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson shots. (Last month, the U.S. also sent PPE and materials to make vaccines to India amid the record-setting surge in cases on the subcontinent.) Though the Kaiser Family Foundation estimates that 80 million shots is three times larger than the number of doses pledged by France, the second-largest donor, the scale of the global vaccination effort renders it inadequate. More concerning still are the failures of COVAX the effort involving 165 member countries to distribute vaccines throughout the developing world. The program, dependent on supplies from the pharmaceutical giant of India, aimed to distribute 2 billion doses by the end of the year. But due to the surge that infected hundreds of thousands of Indians on a daily basis last month, the program was only able to hit a quarter of its April goal of 235 million doses. It has adjusted its 2021 target to around a third of the original. COVAXs challenges are a microcosm of the threat to nations with high vaccination levels, revealing how regional outbreaks can threaten supply and increase the likelihood of more dangerous variants developing leading to a feedback loop undercutting the effort to control the virus. As President Biden put it earlier this month: We know America will never be fully safe until the pandemic thats raging globally is under control. No oceans wide enough, no wall is high enough to keep us safe. No economic recovery is safe either. Earlier this month, the U.N. released its annual World Economic Situation and Prospects report, warning that low rates of vaccination threaten the bounce back from the last year of stagnation and unemployment. Timely and universal access to COVID-19 vaccinations will mean the difference between ending the pandemic promptly and placing the world economy on the trajectory of a resilient recovery, or losing many more years of growth, development and opportunities, the report read. And as vaccine inequality emerges in India where class divides and language barriers restrict who is able to sign up for a shot new data from the United States reveals that the pandemic is still raging among unvaccinated Americans. According to an analysis by the Washington Post, hospitalizations among the unvaccinated population are as high as they were in February, while the rate of COVID-19 deaths is as high as it was in March. I always think it's got to suck being a show that is constantly in syndication because you're always going to be compared to yourself back then. Like, everytime I see Jerry Seinfeld I'm shocked he's aged lmao. Reply Thread Link Jerry got old, but he didn't get unattractive - he was always ugly. Reply Parent Thread Link LOL. I feel the same way about the Friends cast. Courtney was ridiculously pretty when she was younger as was Matt LeBlanc but the rest of them were never conventionally attractive or pretty - and thats totally fine. Thats actually what I like about most UK shows - the people look like people and not Hollywood stars that have been groomed and primped to the point where they have that generic look. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Perry seemed fine at the reunion imo. He also looked fine to me. They all did. Thats what people in their fifties are supposed to look like. I was expecting it to be awkward based off comments here and social media in general, but it wasnt. I know hes been through a lot with both his addiction and his health. I hope that hes doing better now. Reply Thread Link I agree. You could tell he's had health problems in the past - but given that, and the fact he survived them, he both looked AND sounded great... I was expecting to see him deteriorate before my very eyes, judging by the OTT reaction on here! Reply Parent Thread Link He looked and sounded worse in a lot of the clips that i think were being used to promote the reunion. On the reunion itself he seemed fine to me. Reply Parent Thread Link Generally, all the comments about how "badly" they aged were uncalled for. Courteney's had too much plastic surgery apparently, David Schwimmer not enough. It's all a tad ridiculous lol. They all looked totally fine to me, Perry I guess looked the worst comparatively but I think it's well known he has had a myriad of addiction and health issues. It's ok to age and get old and get wrinkles, etc. Reply Thread Link It is not okay on ONTD to look anything other than perfect and under 30. Reply Parent Thread Link People really like to complain about beauty standards and then uphold them with their comments. People can do whatever they want to their faces/bodies obviously, but it frustrates how normalized plastic surgery and botox is with younger and younger people. So much so that we look at David Schwimmer (who looks totally fine to me) and say he's aged badly. Reply Parent Thread Link If indebted and depressed ONTD can all look 14 at 45 then why can't the rich? Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Ontds perception of age is completely messed up. I dont know if its projection or what but sometimes I see comments and Im just like wtf are you even talking about? People on ontd talk like 50+ year actors are on deaths door or something but then also criticize plastic surgery. Its bizarre. Andddd like ontd talks about bad habits themselves all the time, there is no way majority of ontd is aging better then most of Hollywood lol Reply Parent Thread Link They literally all look like people in their 50s. And yeah the constant omg they look too old and then in the next breathe why did they get so much plastic surgery? is infuriating. And then there is the INCISSENT need to claim actors dont age. Reply Parent Thread Link I think he was fine. His appearance on the Graham Norton show a few years back was more worrying. He seemed like hed had a stroke and it was hard to watch. I thought he looked fine. I thought Courteney looked good, despite the comments about her surgery. I wasnt seeing what others were seeing. Her face looked a lot better IMO. Reply Thread Link Courtenay has also spoken publically about how she went too far and has pulled it back now with the plastic surgery Reply Parent Thread Link Yeah, I know she said she had some fillers removed. I think you can tell shes toned it down. She looks good. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I got the impression that Matthew Perry wasn't on something, but that he had new veneers. His teeth look so blindingly white and fake, so I think any slurring or speaking issues people noted, were due to him getting used to new teeth. He seemed pretty with it to me. Reply Thread Link that's what i think too Reply Parent Thread Link quite the irony that david's teeth were the most normal looking. Reply Parent Thread Link There were people on social media wondering if hed had something done to his mouth because of the white teeth, as well as the fact his mouth looked puffy and he kept touching it. It then gets released that yes he actually had dental surgery. I know for me the people turning everything bad made me struggle to watch it at first and it was all so overblown. Reply Parent Thread Link I hope his health is better now, hes had a rough go of it. In one of the other posts here last week, he had a noticeably different speech pattern then he did on the show. Prompting people (including me) to pull out our ONTD medical degrees to diagnosis him. Reply Thread Link he had a noticeably different speech pattern then he did on the show What a strange POV to have considering he's acting on the show. Chandler Bing's speech would be different from Matthew Perry's. Reply Parent Thread Link well he also had a different speech pattern from interviews from just a few years ago so op is not wrong Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Its fairly rare for people to speak differently than they act. (Unless doing an accent) Usually they speak the way the actors do. The biggest exception to this I can think of is Stephanie Beatrix. (Rosa in B99) Her normal speaking voice is very different to Rosas. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link They all looked fine for their ages. Theyre all white. Im not sure what everyone expects. Most white celebs around their ages look like that. Reply Thread Link He honestly seemed fine other than his distractingly white teeth Reply Thread Link idg ppl in the previous posts saying it was fine to point how old the men looked bc women have to deal with it. i mean yes women disproportionately experience ageism more and a lot earlier than men, but i don't understand why we need to point out how old and terrible they look. idrc abt the celebs that will never see that posts but i worry about other ppl reading it with their own hiccups, it's the same when ppl point out how ugly and gross celebs look. focus on their personality and behaviour, not their looks. Reply Thread Link That was such a bullshit excuse, and then complain in any fitness or beauty post Reply Parent Thread Link idg ppl in the previous posts saying it was fine to point how old the men looked bc women have to deal with it. why? because we can. does it mean we should? also yes. why? because we can.does it mean we should? also yes. Reply Parent Thread Link I agree. It's hard for me not to want to with men, due to the disproportionate criticism women endure + how white men are unreasonably praised + what they value in women (in Perry's case, for example, with him recently being outed for trying to hook up with a nineteen year old). But it still isn't right, and it's still part of a larger culture of scrutinizing people's bodies that is really damaging. I'm trying to do better. Reply Parent Thread Link Yeah, insulting someone's looks insults everyone who looks like them, but that never seems to click. Even the "white people age like shit" comments get old. So many users here talk about wanting plastic surgery and having deep self-hatred, but constantly reiterating they'll be dried up hags sooner than later is hilarious ...? Reply Parent Thread Link Their all in their 50s now, did people excoct them to look like what they did in their late 20s early 30s when the show was first filmed Reply Thread Link I'm halfway through the reunion and I actually like it minus the appearances from BTS and Kit Harrington (which are like 5 seconds long so whatever). I love Lisa Kudrow so much. Her and Jen look great. I was never a huge Friends fan but it's nice to see them all together again. Reply Thread Link it's messed up how they trash his appearance and make these accusations. Reply Thread Link they're really gonna be talking about this reunion all summer huh Reply Thread Link The whites did warn us its gonna be white boy summer Reply Parent Thread Link That tweet is a lot for that profile pic Mr. Remy w the 2004 goatee Reply Thread Link A Return to (Somewhat) Normal It was around this time last year that OH&S began reporting on the digital shift safety tradeshows would be making as a result of COVID-19. At the time, the world was still and events were either put on hold, or transitioned to an all-virtual model to accommodate those still interested in attending conferences from their quarantined work station. A lot has happened since then: Three COVID-19 vaccines are now readily available to anyone over the age of 16 who wants one, cases are on a steady decline downwards and the CDC has officially said that fully vaccinated people can gather with other fully vaccinated people without having to social distance or wear a face covering. With this news of vaccines, declining cases and vaccinated guidelines comes the news that some safety tradeshows are looking to return with in-person events this fall. As I am writing this, there are three trade shows in the safety sphere that are all looking to make a comeback in 2021. Heres a rundown of the shows and their tentative plans on holding a safe show. ASSP Safety 2021. The American Society of Safety Professionals Safety 2021 Conference and Expo will be returning to an in-person event from Sept. 13 15 in Austin, Texas. According to the website for the conference, You can expect an unmatched conference experience that is mindful of the public safety and health challenges we continue to face due to the pandemic. As of right now, most of the usual activates will return and face coverings will be required to attend. NSC Congress & Expo 2021. The National Safety Council has announced that the next Congress & Expo will be in Orlando, Florida from October 8 13. The Council said, through a statement on their website, Weve all missed being together in-person and well provide safe opportunities to reconnect with safety professionals. As of right now, the Council is considering proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test within 48 hours leading up to the event. This article originally appeared in the June 1, 2021 issue of Occupational Health & Safety. Five Ways to Optimize Manufacturing Worker Safety Training An in-depth report shows you how to conduct efficient trainings for employees. Workplace safety training remains a top priority for manufacturing companies that understand the importance of keeping their employees safe and protecting their bottom line. Many manufacturing leaders believe productivity can rise dramatically if employees consistently follow workplace safety rules. However, they also know that even with their best efforts applied to training, some employees still wont follow workplace safety protocols on the floor. Whats the disconnect in this scenario? Why are companies finding it difficult to train and motivate employees to work safely? And why arent employees listening? Based on our recent survey of manufacturing facilities, the ability to deliver proper safety training is impeded by three main challenges: finding time, verifying that training is effective and an inability to follow up with refresher training. We all know its difficult for management to shut down operations and set aside quotas to conduct training. However, workplace injuries have the potential to create extraordinary expenses and disruptions to production. Companies that provide effective safety training create an environment where employees are more likely to share best practices with each other. When companies are measured strictly by production output, management may believe this means employees must be productive every single minute theyre clocked in which makes time for training non-existent. To overcome this hurdle, safety professionals must show senior management how workplace safety training can positively impact production and profits. One way to do this is to connect training deliverables to company goals by measuring how good safety behaviors help meet production demands. This means stressing the importance of safety training beyond regulatory compliance and potential litigation. Verifying the effectiveness of training is among the biggest challenges for manufacturing management. For some companies, training is conducted for the sole purpose of checking a compliance box. The real benefit of training should be based on whether or not it is effective enough to drive behavior changes. For training, context and repetition are critical. Companies struggle to provide training that accurately reflects the work environment with company specific information, refresher training and reinforcement programs.The knowledge gained during training can be forgotten quickly unless reinforced. With those challenges in mind, below are five suggested solutions to help you build a strong workplace safety training program. This article originally appeared in the June 1, 2021 issue of Occupational Health & Safety. By Jerry M. ONeill In 1929, The Curtiss Flying School constructed a hangar on a small grass field, on the edge of a Long Island Sound salt marsh, in Stratford, Connecticut. For 92 years it had served the local aviation needs enduring hurricanes, floods, war, multiple tenants, two small additions its classic, stout structure and, most recently, a 15-year abandonment. Each time a new business moved in, they attempted to hide any signs of the previous occupant with a fresh coat of paint and a new logo, painted on the graceful, curved arch roof. Then, magically, after about 10-15 years, change would slowly occur. Amazingly, like the legend of Brigadoon, a mythical Scottish village that reappears every 100 years for one day only, the paint would begin to peel and drop to the ground and slowly, ever so slowly, the original Curtiss script logo would reappear, retaining the last color of paint that was used. Red, gold, blue, whatever made up that 1929 paint, the original logo was the only part of that hangar arch that would retain the new paint. The Curtiss Hangar would not be forgotten. Repaint after repaint, that classic, script Curtiss logo would remerge, time and time again. It will never have to quietly assert itself again. On Saturday, May 29, 2021, phase one of the preservation of this rare hangar, one of only two Curtiss Flying School Hangars left on the East coast, and the oldest existing hangar in Connecticut, began. Now under the care of the Connecticut Air and Space Center, The Curtiss Hangar will live again as the centerpiece for the museum. In the 1960s a small addition was attached to the vintage hangar for a maintenance facility. This 60 x 60, metal structure was in usable shape and CASC decided to renovate this section and open it to the public. It would now be able to serve two purposes; to help raise public awareness of the CASC and the restoration of the hangar, and to allow visitors under 18 to visit the museum. CASC President, Mark Corvino elaborates, Our main displays, storage and restoration shop is located on the former U.S. Army Engine Plant across the street, but the provisions have been that no one under 18 could enter the facility, so an entire revenue stream for us was unavailable. May 29 saw the Grand Opening of what has become known as the Blue Building. Three aircraft and the restored cockpit section of the one and only Sikorsky S-60 Skycrane, were fitted into the relatively small space. Many of the displays from across the street were carefully chosen, revamped and moved across to the new museum. We had to really sharpen our focus. says Corvino. We had more exhibits than we had space, so each was specifically chosen to fit in with the aircraft we could display. Currently, the Goodyear FG-1D Corsair, a Vietnam combat veteran Hughes OH-6A Cayuse and a 1952 Sikorsky S-52/HO5S-1 helicopter are on display. With a generous donation of several surplus display cases from their friends at the New England Air Museum, the new facility came together in just 5 months. It was unbelievable! stated Len Roberto, a CASC Volunteer and Board Member. We had aircraft that were planned to fly-in to help to launch the museum, but when Saturday came, it was cold and rainy, with a huge puddle in our main parking lot, but the people just kept coming! It was non-stop traffic all day long! Besides the aircraft displayed inside, outside on the ramp, CASC brought over their restored Sikorsky H-19 Chickasaw, aviation pioneer Gustave Whiteheads 1901 No. 21 flying replica, and airport resident Jack Bart displayed his beautiful Grumman Mallard and Paris Jet. With the overwhelming success of the opening of CASCs Blue Building, it is easy to see just how bright the future is for the vintage Curtiss Hangar. The money to restore the Curtiss Hangar is in place and the restoration should be able to start within the coming months., says Corvino proudly. It will increase our new display space by almost four times! The construction is estimated to take about 18 months and when completed, the Curtiss Hangar will never be hidden again. For information or to donate to help, visit www.ctairandspace.org Watch for Falling Objects: PPE to Protect You on the Jobsite Accidents happen when you least expect them; here is some PPE to consider when working with heights. We all know the importance of protecting an employee working at heights; we routinely use PPE such as full body harnesses, self-retracting lifelines (SRLs) and lanyards for fall protection to prevent workers from being injured in a fall. But there is another kind of fall hazard that is dangerous to other workers on the ground, working underneath and around an elevated jobsite: falling objects. Falling objects represent a serious hazard at American jobsites. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 241 deaths were caused by workers being struck by falling objects or equipment in 2019. In construction alone, these types of accidents accounted for eight percent of all fatalities. Fortunately, there are common and inexpensive forms of PPE that can protect workers from the most common sources of falling-object injuries. Tool Lanyards OSHA reports about 50,000 incidents each year involving workers being injured by falling objects such as tools and equipment. Head protection helps protect workers underneath, of course, but preventing these objects from falling in the first place can further help to prevent injuries. On jobsites that involve working at heights, even the most innocuous items can become deadly projectiles. For example, in 2014 the New York Post reported the death of a worker at a construction site in Jersey City, N.J., who was fatally struck in the head by a tape measure that was accidentally dropped and fell 50 stories. Tool lanyards allow you to tie hand tools to your belt, so you dont inadvertently drop objects onto unsuspecting people below. Tool lanyards act much as fall protection lanyards do, securing your tools or equipment and preventing them from falling if dropped. To use a tool lanyard, simply attach one end of the lanyard to any loose tool you will be using. The other end of the lanyard can be attached to your tool belt or around your wrist. Not only will this prevent dropped tools from becoming dangerous falling objects, but it also prevents you from losing tools you drop by tethering them to you. Its convenient for you and safer for anyone below you. Using tool lanyards every time you work with loose tools and equipment at heights is a great habit to form, because securing these loose items can help to reduce the painful statistics of injuries and fatalities caused by falling objects on worksites that we read about each year. This article originally appeared in the June 1, 2021 issue of Occupational Health & Safety. Oil demand is recovering faster than previously expected, and unless OPEC+ puts additional barrels on the market on top of the plans to restore 2 million barrels per day (bpd) by July, oil prices will be heading higher as the gap will widen, the Executive Director of the International Energy Agency, Fatih Birol, told Bloomberg Television in an interview on Tuesday. According to Birol, global oil demand could return to the pre-crisis levels of 2019 as soon as in a years time. Demand in one year or so may well come back to the levels of before the crisis, Birol told Bloomberg, noting the strong demand in the United States, Europe, and China. This most recent proclamation regarding oil demand is in stark contrast to its forecast three months ago, when the IEA said in its annual Oil 2021 report with projections through 2026 that global oil demand would take until 2023 to return to the pre-pandemic levels of 100 million bpd. Back then, the Paris-based agency warned that COVID-19 would change parts of consumer behavior forever, with global gasoline demand likely past its peak already. Although oil demand is set to grow from the crisis levels, there may be no return to normal for the oil market in the post-Covid era, the IEA said in the middle of March. But in its monthly Oil Market Report in May, the IEA said that the excess oil inventories of the past year had been all but depleted, and a strong demand rebound in the second half this year could lead to even steeper stock draws. The widening supply and demand gap paves the way for a further easing of OPEC+ supply cuts or even sharper stock draws, the IEA said in the report. The agencys head Birol said today that One thing is clear: in the absence of changing the policies, with the strong growth coming from the U.S., China, Europe, we will see a widening gap between demand and supply. This could in turn would put further upward pressure on the prices, Birol told Bloomberg. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003, Iraq has played the main powers in the Middle East off against each other - the U.S. axis focused on Saudi Arabia (and Israel) on one side and the Sino-Russia axis focused on Iran on the other. Overall, these efforts have been broadly successful, allowing Iraq to gain hundreds of billions of dollars from the U.S. whilst also playing a key part in the extension of Irans power across the region and beyond. With the onset of the U.S.s new strategy to tie-in Arab states through a series of relationship normalisation deals with Israel, though, the difficulties for Iraq in maintaining this perilous balancing act have increased markedly. This is particularly evident in the current rollout of a regional power grid across the Middle East and it may be that recent announcements in this regard finally tip Iraq off its diplomatic high wire act. Last week saw the continuation of high-level talks between Iraq and Syria over how best to ensure an ongoing movement of gas from Egypt to Syria and then onto Iraq. These meetings occurred after Iraqs Prime Minister, Mustafa al-Kadhimi, recently brokered secret talks between Saudi Arabia and Iran, which had raised the prospect that Iran might be on the verge of temporarily reining-in its expansionist policies in the Middle East in order to enter into a renegotiation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA, nuclear deal). Currently, according to sources who work closely with the current Iranian government spoken to by OilPrice.com last week, the U.S. is prepared to only the tentative removal of some sanctions in the oil, gas, petrochemicals and automotive sectors, plus some relating to the banking sector, which will be reviewed after six months. However, such a deal between Iraq, Syria, and Egypt would raise many questions in Washington about Iraqs true intentions, particularly as it ties in to a broader push by Iran to tie-in Jordan and Lebanon as well into a regional electricity power network with Iran firmly at its centre. In and of itself the Iraq-Syria-Egypt gas plan is an alarming prospect for the U.S. The plan that was discussed between Iraqs Oil Minister, Ihsan Abdul-Jabbar Ismail, and his Syria counterpart, Bassem Touma, was for a major gas pipeline to transport gas from Egypt to Syria whereupon it would be moved overland into Iraq. This would decisively tie Egypt in to Iran, given the extensive links between Iraq and Iran both in terms of physical gas and oil infrastructure and in terms of the political and military osmosis between the two sister states. Crucially from the U.S. perspective it would mark a serious step towards Iran firmly establishing a land bridge from itself through Iraq to Syria and into the Mediterranean to augment the air bridge that has operated effectively directly between Tehran and Damascus on and off for around a decade. This would render ineffective much of the U.S.s efforts to control this expansion via its land-based operations in and around Tanf, with the At-Tanf base for a long time controlling a tri-border (Syria, Jordan, and Iraq) exclusion zone. It would also tie Egypt in directly to Russia, given Moscows presence across all strategic areas of Syria since the onset of the civil war in 2011 designed to depose President Bashar al-Assad. Although the U.S. still has a significant presence in Syrias oil sector, despite the pullback from the country orchestrated by former U.S. President Donald Trump, it is Russia that holds the key military assets. These most notably include: the huge Mediterranean naval facility at Tartus (Moscow signed a rolling 49 year deal to use the base free-of-charge, with complete sovereign jurisdiction over it); the massive Russian Khmeimim Air Base (another rolling 49 year lease on it signed by Moscow); and the Latakia intelligence-gathering listening station. The U.S. under new President, Joe Biden, has been looking to re-establish a more active response to the Russian presence along the Iran-Iraq (Anbar)-Syria spine, with recent news that a Saudi oil firm with significant U.S. intelligence and logistical support Delta Oil Company is in talks to develop Iraqs Akkas gas field, alongside U.S. oil services giant, Schlumberger. Related: Oil Prices Hit 2-Year High So vital does Syria remain to Russias military and political presence that the Kremlin firmly negotiated for its little-known Stroytransgaz to be awarded a gas exploration and development contract for Block 17 in Iraqs lawless Anbar province. Anbar is sited along spine of Iraq that runs from east to west that also features the historical ultra-nationalist and ultra-anti-West cities of Falluja, Ramadi, Hit and Haditha, and then on into Syria. It was Stroytransgaz that won US$$2.7 billion of contracts in 2006/7 to build two major pipelines and a gas processing plant in Syria that would be connected to Iraq and then Iran. One of these was to have become the official Iran-Iraq-Syria pipeline that in addition to supposedly moving gas (and later oil) from Syria into Iraqi would also have allowed for the reverse movement of gas (and later oil) from Irans South Pars (and nearby oil fields) via Iraq and then into Syria. This Iran-Iraq-Syria (and Syria-Iraq-Iran) pipeline was a cornerstone to the wider build-out of several planned refineries that had received the go-ahead prior to the breakout of the civil war in Syria. This included the 100,000 barrels per day oil facility at Abu Khashab backed by the China National Petroleum Corporation, and the South Central Gas Area - built by Stroytransgaz that had started up by the end of 2009 and had boosted Syrias natural gas production by about 40 per cent by the onset of civil war in 2011. The Egypt-Syria-Iraq gas pipeline would augment rather than substitute for a parallel plan to transport gas from Egypt to Iraq via Jordan. The first phase of the proposed Basra-Aqaba route would include the installation of a 700-km pipeline with a capacity of 2.25 million barrels within the Iraqi territories and the second phase would involve the installation of a 900-km pipeline in Jordan between Haditha and Aqaba, with a capacity of one million barrels. For Iran, this will allow another alternate Iraq/Iran oil export line to the historically vulnerable Strait of Hormuz route, to add to the current plans for the Goreh-Jask pipeline and plans to roll out a pipeline to Syria as well. It will also provide another cover route for Iranian oil disguised as Iraqi oil, which can then be shipped easily both West and East. There are a number of options for this Iraq-Aqaba-Egypt pipeline route, even the favoured ones that avoid any Israeli land or sea threats, including a very short route following the same ground as one of the Arab Gas Pipeline flows: from Aqaba to Taba, and then if required up north to Arish and then west to Port Said. This all neatly fits into Irans plans to tie the entire region in to its own power network as inadvertently highlighted recently by Iraqs Electricity Minister, Majid Mahdi Hantoush. He announced that not only is Iraq currently working on connecting its grid with Jordans electricity networks through a 300-kilometre-line a project that will be finished within two years - but also plans have been finalised for the completion of Iraqs electricity connection with Egypt within the next three years. This, in turn, he added, would be part of the overall project to establish a joint Arab electricity market. By Simon Watkins for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Exxon is leaving a deepwater prospect in Ghana after seismic work failed to produce good enough results. Bloomberg reports that the supermajor relinquished its whole stake in the Deepwater Cape Three Point block and resigned as the operator of the block. Bloomberg cited sources as saying that the work Exxon had performed since its assumption of the block's operatorship consisted of processing some 2,200 square kilometers of seismic data. What it did not involve, according to the sources, was drilling any exploration wells. Ghana is one of the newcomers to the international oil scene and a major hopeful for future production. The country currently has only three producing fields, the largest among them Jubilee, with reserves estimated at 1.2 billion barrels of crude. Exxon bought an 80-percent stake in the Deepwater Cape Three Point block back in 2018 when the country's government was eager to attract as much in oil and gas investments as possible. "The addition of this block reaffirms ExxonMobil's commitment to pursuing high-quality projects in areas with large resource potential," said Steve Greenlee, president of ExxonMobil Exploration Company, at the time. "We are excited to partner with the government of Ghana as we employ our significant upstream experience and technological expertise in assessing the exploration opportunities in this block." Eight deepwater and ultradeep water discoveries were made in Ghana in the five years to 2018, according to GlobalData, spurring interest in the country. Of the eight discoveries, six were made by Hess Corp., which soon after began to look for buyers for its Ghanaian operations. In 2019, a local private company and its partners announced another discovery that could contain up to 1.5 billion barrels of crude in the West Cape Three Points block 2. Media reported at the time that the discovery would need foreign investment and expertise help to turn into a producing field. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Libya generated total revenues from oil sales worth US$1.31 billion in April, the countrys National Oil Corporation (NOC) said on Tuesday in its regular update, which showed a 36-percent drop compared to March. Libyas revenues from sales of crude oil, gas, condensates, and petrochemical by-products stood at US$1.3 billion-plus more than 6.2 million euros, making the total sales worth US$1.307 billion, according to NOCs statement. In March, Libya had generated as much as US$2.052 billion in revenues from crude oil, gas, condensates, and petrochemical by-products. For April, Libyas crude oil sales amounted to US$1.247 billion, the largest portion of Libyas total oil sales, according to NOCs latest figures. Libyas crude oil production in April, however, was lower than the average crude output in March because of a force majeure on one of its export terminals. According to OPECs secondary sources in its Monthly Oil Market Report (MOMR) for May, Libya saw its average crude oil production drop by 67,000 barrels per day (bpd) in April compared to March. Libya pumped 1.13 million bpd in April, down from 1.197 million bpd in March, OPECs figures show. In April, Libyas crude oil production dipped below the 1 million bpd mark for several days after the Arabian Gulf Oil Company, a subsidiary of NOC, said in mid-April that it had decided to halt production because of the delays in the budget that is planned to allocate money to the oil firm to repair and maintain infrastructure and keep oil production online. Arabian Gulf Oil Company is the operator of the oilfields Sarir, Mesla, al-Bayda, Nafoora, and Hamada, which, combined, can pump 300,000 bpd. Days later, NOC declared force majeure on the port of Hariga due to lack of funds for infrastructure repairs, pushing the countrys crude oil production below 1 million bpd for the first time in months as NOC was forced to suspend production at several fields. The company blamed the shortage of funds on Libyas central bank. In May, Libya is estimated to have raised its crude oil production compared to April, according to the monthly Reuters survey on OPECs production. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Nigerias crude oil export revenues slumped by as much as 98 percent from March to April this year because of movements in the price of gasoline, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation said, as quoted by local media. No remittance to Federation Account in April for May 2021 FAAC due to recorded value shortfall resulting from difference between the landing cost and ex-coastal price of Premium Motor Spirit recorded in March 2021, the NNPC said as quoted by the Punch. The April revenues from oil exports stood at $1.764 million (723 million naira), according to the NNPC, versus $87.14 million (35.72 billion naira) for March. Exports of crude in March totaled 66.67 million barrels, out of 7.62 billion barrels lifted during the month, according to the report. The NNPC noted it had stuck to its OPEC+ production quota of 1.52 million bpd during the reporting month. Despite the OPEC+ agreement, Nigeria is looking to boost its oil production over the long term. Earlier this month, it took a big step in that direction when it inked a deal with Shell, Exxon, Total, and Eni to develop an offshore oil block that includes the deepwater Bonga field. According to the NNPC, the deal could unlock up to $10 billion in new investments in Nigerias oil industry. It could also add 150,000 bpd to the countrys oil production, bringing the total output from the blockOil Mining Lease 118to 350,000 bpd. The oil and gas industry in Africas largest oil producer accounts for a tenth of gross domestic product, with oil export revenues accounting for as much as 86 percent of total export revenues. The government has plans for the launch of as many as 100 new oil and gas projects over the next five years, of which 25 upstream oil and gas projects. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The Biden Administration has renewed US-based Chevrons waiver to keep operating in sanctioned Venezuela until December 1, the US Treasury Department said on Tuesday. The license only allows Chevron to conduct limited types of activity. Chevron has received numerous special operating licenses since 2019 to keep operating in Venezuela during the sanctionsthe latest issued in November. In April of last year, the White House ordered Chevron to wind down its Venezuela operations as of December 1, 2020. But in the eleventh hour, the Trump Administration granted Chevron a waiver to continue doing business in Venezuelaat least a partial waiver that allowed it to conduct some business theredespite the sanctions. It allowed Chevron to continue to operate in the sanctioned country through June 3, 2021. Todays waiver was the eighth special operating license Chevron has received. After it was ordered to quit Venezuela, Chevron wrote down the value of its Venezuelan assetseven though it never stopped operating there. This resulted in a $2.6 billion impairment charge for Q2, 2020, and a removal of 160 million barrels of its proven oil reserves that were on its books. Todays waiver also grants the same permissions to U.S. oilfield service providers doing business in Venezuela, such as Schlumberger and Halliburton. The waivers do not allow the OSPs to repair or improve wells, nor are they able to hire additional staff or negotiate new loans. The only permitted activities are those that are necessary for the limited maintenance of essential operations in Venezuela or the wind down of operations. Chevron has been in discussions with the U.S. State Department about the possibility of easing up on sanctions against Venezuela. Companies that violate the terms of the special license are subject to U.S. government sanctions or other punitive measures. By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Local Over 150 Omaha business leaders vow to address inequities stemming from systemic racism As protests shook the nation after the murder of George Floyd last summer, more than 150 Omaha business leaders issued a statement acknowledging inequities that stem from systemic racism, and promised to take action to address them. As part of our commitment to opportunity, diversity and equity, CEOs for CODE stands united against racism, read the joint statement from the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce-backed group. The acronym stands for Commitment to Opportunity, Diversity and Equity. Together we commit to investing in substantive changes in our organizations and communities to address racial inequities and social justice. Joined by another 150 business leaders, those executives signed a pledge to take a number of specific steps. Those include improving employment and advancement of people of color in their workforce, learning the history of systemic racism and the barriers it continues to present, and supporting nonprofits that work in marginalized communities. Meanwhile, corporate interest spiked in the Empowerment Networks community betterment efforts, including its Transformation 2025 plan to, among other things, close economic, educational and health disparities in Omaha, build North Omaha and African American business ownership and increase diversity at all levels in corporations, including boards of directors. James Scurlock's family still grieving loss a year after he was killed in downtown Omaha James Scurlock's relatives remain frustrated at Omaha city and law enforcement officials for what they think was a mishandled investigation into his killing. A year and a pandemic later, wide gaps remain in Omaha between White, Black and Latino people in such measures of economic equality as poverty rates, household income, homeownership and unemployment. But people involved in the Chamber of Commerce and Empowerment Networks efforts, and some observers, say the things happening in Omahas corporate community are starting to make a difference and should lead to substantive progress. Bianca Harley is the chambers senior director of diversity and inclusion. She took on that role after the organization launched the CODE initiative about three years ago. I still feel like we have work to do, Harley said. But when I look back over the last three years and even this past year, I am inspired by Omahas ability to kind of coalesce around this issue, to be honest about systemic racism in our community. And to not just make a statement about where we stand, but to act around that. The numbers about where we stand make it clear that Omaha has work to do. The poverty rate was 24.8% for Black people, 20% for Latinos and 7% for non-Hispanic Whites in metropolitan Omaha in 2019, the most recent year available. Almost 23% of Latino people and 14% of Blacks had no health insurance, compared to about 5% of Whites. Homeownership was more than 70% among Whites, compared to just 33% for Blacks and about 50% for Latinos. More than 8% of Black people were unemployed, compared to 5.8% of Latinos and 2.8% of non-Hispanic Whites. Those figures come from U.S. Census Bureau data compiled by David Drozd of the University of Nebraska at Omaha. People of color are vastly underrepresented in management, executive and governing board membership positions in Omaha businesses, according to assessments done as part of the CODE initiative. One assessment of 38 organizations, done in July for the chamber by UNO researchers, found that 88% of board members were White. One year after James Scurlock was killed, Omaha still coming to grips with aftermath The killing of James Scurlock in Omaha last year triggered a local rallying cry amid a national reckoning on race relations and policing after the murder of George Floyd. That and other assessments for the chamber and Empowerment Network showed that the higher the position, the fewer the people of color. As you move up the ranks, youre seeing less and less diversity, Harley said. Were talking with organizations about their diversity goals, talent acquisition specifically. Its not just about increasing your numbers of diverse workers. It is about seeing diversity at every aspect of your organization. If people of color with potential to move up the ranks at a business see only White people in executive and management jobs, they may leave the company because they perceive they have no chance for upward mobility. Specific programs aim to address that. Those include management training and mentoring for minority employees; professional networks for Black, Latino and other people of color; tools to help companies buy more products and services from minority-owned enterprises; assessments of workplace culture and training to improve it; even help for corporate leaders to look beyond their social and business networks to find and connect with people of color for their boards. Its not diversity just for diversitys sake. Harley said research has shown that more diversity among decision-makers leads to better decisions. And it can lead to products and services that appeal to an increasingly diverse customer base. Its about addressing disparities, yes, Harley said. But its also about good business. DANA DAMEWOOD Carmen Tapio Follow-up assessments scheduled for this fall will show changes within organizations. Anecdotally, several corporations and nonprofits have added people of color to boards and executive positions, said Carmen Tapio, owner of the fast-growing North End Teleservices. Shes a leader in chamber diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, including its Thrive 2020 initiative to help bring about an inclusive recovery to the COVID pandemic. SARAH HOFFMAN/THE WORLD-HERALD Willie Barney of the Empowerment Network. Several employers participating in the Empowerment Networks initiatives, some of which have existed for 14 years, have reported increasing racial diversity on their boards and management as well as their overall workforces, said Willie Barney, Empowerment Network founder and president. Some businesses are redesigning their procurement processes with the goal of buying more supplies and services from African American businesses. George Achola, vice president at Burlington Capital Real Estate, said Floyds killing, the protests and the pandemic shined a brutal light on inequalities and disparities in America and Omaha. The world literally came to a crawl and really allowed us to focus on these issues, almost as if time stopped and we couldnt turn our heads anymore, he said. That greater awareness moved some of the powerful political and business community to kind of have a renewal of taking a look at this issue, Achola said. Shakespeare on the Green canceled amid controversy over racial, diversity issues Shakespeare on the Green wont take place again this year amid controversy over racial and diversity issues with the group that organizes the event. He described the actions being taken so far as seeds of continuous, systematic change that could bear fruit in 10 or 15 years if they are followed through on. But as someone whose job includes finding diverse contractors and suppliers, he said more focus and effort are needed now to identify and help minority-owned businesses grow so they can take on major contracts. Thats especially true in construction, a traditional engine of wealth-building in Omaha. As a community we should have a vested interest in making sure that we figure out how to engage a community that traditionally has had to scratch and claw just to get crumbs, Achola said. This communitys goal ought to be to figure out a way to make sure that we identify folks and help them grow so that when these major projects are being rolled out, theyre ready to feast at the table, not just eat crumbs. The Omaha Public Power District and CHI Health are among a few major Omaha employers that are involved in both the chamber and Empowerment Network initiatives. Leaders from both entities said they had been working on diversity and inclusion before 2020. Fernandez OPPD, for example, increased employee networking and resource groups and events for people of color, has its leaders participate in a variety of diversity and inclusion education and has increased diversity among executive-level managers. Its chief financial officer and vice president for financial services, Javier Fernandez, was selected May 20 to succeed Tim Burke as president and CEO of the publicly owned utility company. Fernandez, who is Mexican American, is the first Latino to lead OPPD. Timothy J. Burke OPPD was already doing some significant DEI work inside the company and in the community, Burke said, using the acronym for diversity, equity and inclusion. And yet, after the murder of George Floyd one year ago, we looked at where we are and if there was more we can be doing. The answer was, yes. He said OPPD has doubled its activities in that area. Festersen CHI Healths prior efforts included breaking down its contracts on its $30 million North Omaha campus construction project, leading to greater participation by small businesses, some of them minority-owned. The company joined the chambers CODE program in 2018 and was one of the first to make its workforce diversity numbers public, said Pete Festersen, CHIs vice president of strategy and public affairs. He said the events of last summer led CHI Health to double down on its efforts. The company is pursuing an economic development project that could bring about 100 jobs to North Omaha, and recently joined an affordable housing coalition, Festersen said. Dr. Cliff Robertson Dr. Cliff Robertson, CHI Healths CEO, said the company is striving to create a workforce that mirrors the community it serves and that its health care services meet the needs of diverse people. Several of the chamber and Empowerment programs existed before last summer. But the killing of Floyd and the protests attracted more widespread participation from local business leaders and increased their sense of urgency. We were able to show through collaboration, intensity, focused efforts, we can actually move the dial, Barney said. So then last year the George Floyd situation, pandemic, demonstrations, protests what it did was capture the attention more so of CEOs on the business side. And thats where you saw the corporations making larger commitments and talking more specifically about equity, diversity and inclusion. An example is a joint effort between the Empowerment Network and 20 corporations called Redefining the Game. Its a career advancement and leadership institute specifically for African American professionals. Companies send employees they view as having high potential for individual growth and to help their businesses grow. Before the killing of Floyd, there were two classes, each with about 25 people. The next class, which began in July 2020, had almost 50 participants. That was a direct result, Barney said. And its getting results. Sixty to 70% of the participants have been promoted since completing the program, Barney said. Similarly, the chamber has been having quarterly meetings of CEOs for CODE in which the members discuss how leaders can advance diversity, equity and inclusion. About 70 usually attend. There was a meeting on the calendar for the week after Floyd was killed. 'We still have work to do': Omaha leaders, activists react to Chauvin verdict Shortly after the guilty verdict was announced, Omaha community members, elected leaders and activists shared their thoughts on the trial that had gripped the country. By that Monday, we had gone from like 60 to 230 RSVPs, Harley said. When we saw that, we came together and said we have to shift our conversation. We decided we would invite individuals in to present on health care disparities, on housing, on education, and in our workforce. Because what we know, and what we saw over the weekend with the protests, was it was absolutely about George Floyd, and it was absolutely about police brutality and people wanting to speak out against that. But it was also about the frustration over our disparities in health care, and our disparities in affordable housing and economic development in our communities. The We will statement resulted from those conversations, she said. The discussions are continuing. In addition to the new initiatives that businesses have launched, theyre pursuing old ones with renewed purpose and intentionality. People from one company told Harley that theyve had a diversity and inclusion initiative for decades, but in the last year is where theyve truly made a difference. Carmen Tapio estimated she now spends at least half of every work day working on diversity and inclusion, either formally in her chamber role or her own business, or informally. Thats only in part because she is becoming seen as a go-to person on the topic. I also think its because people are being activated themselves, Tapio said. There are more people spending more time of their day figuring out how to do what they do ... in a more equitable and inclusive way. Mayor Stothert talks pandemic, summer protests in state of the city address In her eighth State of the City address, Stothert lamented the toll the pandemic has taken: the lives lost, the routines disrupted. But there's reason for optimism, she said. For example, people from banks Tapio deals with for her own business have sought her consult about how they can help boost minority business ownership and entrepreneurs. One of my banking relationships in particular, theyve told me that every week they are making at least two contacts with minority businesses to just introduce themselves to them, to know who they are, to reach out to say if there is a way we can help you help your business, wed like to explore that with you, Tapio said. That was not necessarily happening before, the outreach. She said another very large business had just contacted her and said they were examining their recruiting process to identify the systems that might be in place, intentional or unintentional, that are creating barriers that may have unconscious bias in them, and then making changes to remove the barriers and the bias. Tapio said she is optimistic. We are certainly nowhere near where we need to be, Tapio said. But I do believe we are seeing some change coming about and a concerted, intentional, and I think authentic effort. Photos: Peaceful protests mark an emotional night in Omaha Related Platelets most often are given to cancer patients, but also can be used in transplant patients or individuals who face life-threatening injuries or require major surgeries. Platelet donations can keep for only about five days, so its important to have regular donors such as Klein, McNaughton-Cox said. Requests for platelets are filled first in Nebraska and Iowa. Once those needs are filled, she said, platelets can be shipped anywhere in the country. McNaughton-Cox, whose husband is a cancer survivor who required platelets, said Klein has been donating for the nearly seven years she has been at the northwest Omaha Red Cross location. Employees at the facility get excited when they see Klein walk through the doors. They usually rush to be the one to grab Kleins chart and get him set up. Hes happy to be here, and this is important to him, which is really inspiring, McNaughton-Cox said. Before he donated platelets, Klein was a regular blood donor. He started donating around the time he was drafted into the Army Reserves in the mid-1950s. He took a brief break from donating after he got married. In all, he has donated 88 pints of whole blood. The last time he donated blood, a nurse suggested platelet donation because of Kleins high platelet count. Investigators found two 9 mm and three .40 caliber shell casings in the area but did not recover any guns there. Wucher said detectives think Miller died from a .40 caliber bullet because fragments of that type of bullet were found during the autopsy. Officials dont know which type of bullet Dat was shot with because the bullet went all the way through him. Omaha police interviewed Mut the next day in a Lincoln Police Department office. He told them that he realized a fight was occurring in the street, but his back was turned when the shots were fired. He said he then saw Miller lying on the ground. Mut told police that his sister, who was kneeling near Miller, took Millers gun and handed it him. Authorities later found the 9 mm handgun at another mans home. In February, Millers mother told Wucher that Mut disclosed to her the day after the shooting and on Dec. 29 that he had shot Dat but not Miller. Mut was interviewed again in March after he was taken into custody on suspicion of tampering with evidence. Biden Remembers War Dead at Arlington Cemetery By The Associated Press WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden honored Americas war dead at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day by laying a wreath at the hallowed burial ground and extolling the sacrifices of the fallen for the pursuit of democracy.The president was joined on Monday by first lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff in a somber ceremony at the Virginia cemetery's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which is dedicated to deceased service members whose remains have not been identified.His face tight with emotion, Biden walked up to the wreath, cupping it in his hands in silent reflection and making the sign of the cross. Later, he called on Americans to commemorate their fallen heroes by remembering their fight for the nation's ideals.This nation was built on an idea," Biden said in an address at Arlington. We were built on an idea, the idea of liberty and opportunity for all. Weve never fully realized that aspiration of our founders, but every generation has opened the door a little wider.He focused much of his speech on the importance of democracy, saying that it thrives when citizens can vote, when there is a free press and when there are equal rights for all.Generation after generation of American heroes are signed up to be part of the fight because they understand the truth that lives in every American heart: that liberation, opportunity, justice are far more likely to come to pass in a democracy than in an autocracy," Biden said.Then Bidens stopped by a row of gravestones after the ceremony, holding hands and speaking with a family.On Sunday, Biden addressed a crowd of Gold Star military families and other veterans in a ceremony at War Memorial Plaza in New Castle, Delaware. Earlier in the day, he and other family members attended a memorial Mass for his son Beau Biden, a veteran who died of brain cancer six years ago to the day. UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, Ohio (AP) After nearly five decades of blowin' in the wind, a double Bob Dylan album finally has a direction home: A man living in San Francisco has mailed the vinyl back to an Ohio library 48 years after it was supposed to be returned. Howard Simon recently sent the album along with a letter to Heights Libraries apologizing for his tardiness, according to a news release from the library system outside Cleveland. Simon checked out Dylans Self Portrait album in 1973 as an eighth-grader at a University Heights middle school. Simon, now 73, says he found it between two other Dylan albums in his personal vinyl collection. As a recent retiree, I am taking the opportunity to turn my attention to some of the many vignettes of life that by dint of career and family have been neglected these many years, Simon wrote. I am returning with the letter an overdue item by my count, approximately 17,480 days overdue as of this writing. His letter says the album cover is a little battered after traveling with him from University Heights to San Francisco with various stops in between, but the library says the records themselves remain in great shape. As we age, we feel there is a disconnect sometimes that can happen when there is a lack of mobility," Brickler said. "We can't travel as much as we want, we can't connect with nature as much as we want, can't have connections with animals. All sorts of connections get lost and our four walls start shrinking in. What we have tried to do is create a platform where we can bring the world back. Monica McAfee, John Knox's chief marketing and innovation officer, said the community's administrators believe VR helps residents it's been used on a limited basis there for three years but Stanford's study will provide the empirical data. For example, she said, they want to know if VR can help residents with dementia who suffer from sundowning severe mood downswings that begin at dusk. Is this a way to redirect them to enjoy something? she said. Northern Ohio University associate philosophy professor Erica Neely, who studies the ethics of technology, said it's important that Stanford is getting fully informed consent, screening participants and making sure they aren't using VR alone, especially at first. She is not involved in the study. We definitely dont want anyone to get stuck in the experience if they become distressed and cant figure out how to turn it off, she said. The fact that there is a companion/caretaker who can go with (the participant) is utter genius. ... The idea of Well, we dont necessarily have people with diminished capacities wandering around by themselves through physical space maybe we can do the same for virtual space was a really good one. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. TULSA, Okla. (AP) An emotional President Joe Biden marked the 100th anniversary of the massacre that destroyed a thriving Black community in Tulsa, declaring Tuesday that he had come to fill the silence about one of the nations darkest and long suppressed moments of racial violence. Some injustices are so heinous, so horrific, so grievous, they cannot be buried, no matter how hard people try," Biden said. Only with truth can come healing. Biden's commemoration of the deaths of hundreds of Black people killed by a white mob a century ago came amid the current national reckoning on racial justice. Just because history is silent, it does not mean that it did not take place," Biden said. He said "hell was unleashed, literal hell was unleashed. And now, he said, the nation must come to grips with the subsequent sin of denial. "We cant just choose what we want to know, and not what we should know," said Biden. I come here to help fill the silence, because in silence wounds deepen. After Biden left, some audience members spontaneously sang a famous civil rights march song, Aint Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around." Search and rescue teams in Kauai on Tuesday will resume on-ground efforts to find a 23-year-old University of Nebraska-Lincoln senior who went missing in Hawaii. The Kauai Police Department announced Monday that the aerial search has been called off for Samuel Martinez, a microbiology student at UNL who traveled to Kauai alone on May 12 for a two-week camping and hiking trip. Martinezs family hasnt heard from the student since a few hours after his flight landed on Kauai. He was reported missing to the Lincoln Police Department on May 27 after he did not arrive home as scheduled. Investigators on the island say the last ping from Martinezs cellphone came about 8:20 p.m. May 12 near Waimea and Kokee state parks. Air and ground rescue teams from five Kauai-based agencies searched several beaches, trails, ridges and canyons in the region on Sunday and Monday. Livestock production is a major part of Nebraskas economy and the shutdown of JBS was being closely watched by the cattle industry. Pete McClymont, executive vice president of the Nebraska Cattlemen, said cattle producers have been eager to recover from a tough year given slowdowns in production and depressed demand caused by COVID-19. A prolonged shutdown from a cyberattack would only make things worse, he said. U.S. meat prices have been rising due to coronavirus shutdowns, bad weather and high plant absenteeism. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has said it expects beef prices to climb 1% to 2% this year, poultry as much as 1.5% and pork between by from 2% and 3%. JBS is the second-largest producer of beef, pork and chicken in the U.S. If it were to shut down entirely for even one day, the U.S. would lose almost a quarter of its beef-processing capacity, or the equivalent of 20,000 beef cows, according to Trey Malone, an assistant professor of agriculture at Michigan State University. JBS has not said which North American plants were shut down. Nationally, the union has said that all its JBS beef plants were shuttered by the attack and all other meat-processing plants were affected in some way. The union has 25,000 members working for JBS. National Democrats, and some local activists, say they expect a competitive candidate to emerge in both districts. Neither Hart nor Finkenauer responded to requests for comment. Democrats argue that the Biden administrations economic agenda will be the key to winning these races. His proposed infrastructure and family aid initiatives $4 trillion in new spending on top of the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package passed in March will deliver unprecedented resources to underserved and rural communities in a way that can really provide a generational shift, said Sam Cornale, executive director of the Democratic National Committee. But its not good enough, though, to simply deliver good policy, he said. I think we also have to communicate how it can impact everyday Americans. Since February, Biden has traveled once to Wisconsin and twice to Pennsylvania and Michigan, all states he narrowly won last year. He has not been to Iowa, where Trump beat him by 8 percentage points. Apoorva Mandavilli is the New York Times COVID-19 reporter. Someday we will stop talking about the lab leak theory and maybe even admit its racist roots. But alas, that day is not yet here, she tweeted not last year, but just a couple of days ago. The lab leak theory has always been the most likely theory for the release of the virus into the world. Ironically, the alternative theory that Mandavilli seems to think is less racist is Chinese citizens in wet markets eating bats or some such. When Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton raised the lab leak theory last year, he was roundly attacked for racism. A year later, intelligence does suggest workers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology got infected and accidentally began a global pandemic. We are honored to represent cattle ranchers who may be thousands of miles apart in Nebraska and Oregon, but who share similar passions for sustainable practices, growing their small businesses to support local economies, and ensuring families struggling to put food on the table are paying fair prices for meat at the grocery store. Since the first days of the pandemic, when Americans panic-shopped at grocery stores, rural ranchers responded to keep our shelves stocked and families fed with high-quality beef. Many in our states went even further and donated meat products to local food banks to serve those most in need. A year later, even as we continue working toward putting the worst of the pandemic behind us, consumer demand for beef remains incredibly high. Cattle ranchers are more productive than ever, yet they are making less money. I love you Israel, because you are the land set apart in the Bible, the written Word of God that has changed my life and has given me a plumb line of moral excellence and standards for living. I love you, Israel, because you provided a home for the Holocaust survivors after 6 million of your men, women and children were murdered, and denied a home in other countries. I love you, Israel, because millions of Jewish people from various countries now reside under the shelter of your wings after being hated for centuries, shunned, discriminated against, terrorized and forbidden to build homes or worship freely in places. I love you, Israel, because you remember, learn from, and preserve your ancient roots, celebrating appointed Biblical feasts and festivals, keeping the Sabbath, blessing bread and wine, and teaching me ways to pray and honor God. I love you, Israel, because you are a sheltering tree where deserts bloom, snows fall, and amazing inventions and contributions are birthed, giving new life to the world every day. I love you, Israel, because you fight the daily battle against lies, deception, hate, injustice and terror for all of us in the free world. Red River Resources Limited (ASX:RVR) is pleased to announce that it has entered into a Heads of Agreement (HOA) with Black Gold Resources Limited ("Black Gold"), an unlisted company, whereby it can earn a 50% interest in EPC 1181 and EPC 1921 (the Taabinga Project) for the expenditure of A$2 million. The tenements are situated at Kingaroy, 150 km northwest of Brisbane, Queensland. Independent consultants have calculated that EPC 1181 contains JORC-compliant indicated and inferred resources of 82.1 million tonnes of coal and there is further exploration potential in EPC 1181 lying to the north. Deep cracks have emerged in the 18-year old Association of Oil Marketing Companies (AOMCs), resulting in the breakaway of the indigenous OMCs to form a new bloc. The breakaway group which has picked forms to register its own association according to impeccable sources is due to the failure of the AOMCs to protect the indigenous Ghanaian OMCs from unfair treatments in the downstream industry. Also, the indigenous OMCs which are more than the foreign OMCs have not had a say in the running of their previous mother association. The AOMCs, the sources added, is constantly championing the interests of the foreign OMCs while interests of the majority indigenous ones are left out. Furthermore, the breakaway group called Association of Indigenous Oil Marketing Companies (AIOMCs) said many of the challenges confronting the industry are not being addressed by the AOMCs. The foreign OMCs are favoured in all the sectors of the industry while indigenous ones suffer. So the new AIOMCs wants to have one voice to push the same opportunities since they are in the same market (level playing field). Development of the downstream industry The promoters of the Association of Indigenous Oil Marketing Companies (AIOMCs), comprising over 100 indigenous OMCs, are of the strongest conviction that they will speed up the development of the downstream industry. As indigenous OMCs, all our investments in the industry will remain in the country. We wont fly any dollar outside this country. But the foreign OMCs do fly capital to their home companies, one of the members of the newly formed AIOMCs told this publication. Foreign OMCs concentrate in urban areas It would shock readers to know that the foreign OMCs are only concentrated in the urban centres. This is because they are interested in making money from the urban dwellers. So, they dont care about serving the people with quality petroleum products in the rural areas. But the indigenous OMCs not only have fuel filling stations in the country but across the border towns such as Tumu, Bungurugu, Paga, and Hamile. Attract investments By coming together as indigenous OMCs, they can attract funds both locally and internationally to grow their businesses to rival the foreign giants. Create more jobs The indigenous OMCs which currently provide over 100,000 direct and indirect jobs to the teeming unemployed youth are expected to create more jobs if the government pays proper attention to the issues facing their growth. Checks indicated that all the local oil marketing companies are solidly behind the new AIOMCs. Indeed, the downstream activities include the marketing and distribution of petroleum products by the OMCs and the pre-mixing of petroleum products for other industrial uses are catalysts for the socio-economic development of the country. Indigenous OMCs are more than foreign OMCs but majority of them do not benefit from opportunities in the downstream. We give employment to tanker owners and tanker drivers making it possible for fuel to be transported to the very remote parts of the country where these foreign companies are not willing to invest. More anon! Source: African Eye Report Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Economic Policy Advisor and Spokesperson to the Vice-President Dr Gideon Boako has admonished parents to encourage their children to seek education to the highest level instead of seeking immediate employment after senior high school education. Dr Boako said although socio-economic challenge sometimes plays a major hindrance in this regard but said quality education called for sacrifice, stressing that investing in the education of the children was necessary to address child delinquency and secure a better future. Dr Boako noted this when he was invited by Rev, Father Francis Ayana the Parish Priest of the Roman Catholic Church at Yamfo in the Tano North Constituency to speak to the congregants on education among other issues. He explained that it's good to seek for an early employment to provide assistance to the family but will be more prudent if students prepare themselves adequately for the job market by pursuing higher education. According to him, education was a shared responsibility and that a country that failed to develop its people intellectually faced the challenge of opting out of the global village where knowledge and transformation were the order of the day. He averred that, children needed to be adequately prepared to develop specific sets of moral and academic skills and abilities at the pre-school level before they graduated to the basic school and subsequently to the tertiary level. He explained that, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Vice President, will continue to increase the manpower resources and teaching facilities, including the use of ICT teaching aids, of public tertiary institutions to support the expected increases in student population from the Free SHS graduates. He said the government will continue to inject standards and professionalism into the education sector. It will ensure that, teacher education and continuous professional development, working conditions, recruitment and retention, career structure and pathways for progression among others are upscale. Dr Gideon Boako also visited the chief of Susuanso Nana Obrimpong Antwi Tabiri who was marking his 55th anniversary at Susuanso in the Tano North Constituency. Source: Kwabena Manu/Peace fm/Bono East 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. Featured Video Seasoned Journalist, Kwesi Pratt Jnr., has hailed the High Court ruling for two Rastafarian students to be admitted at the Achimota school. In March this year, Achimota School issued admission letters to the two students but indicated that they would only be enrolled on condition that they shave their dreadlocks in accordance with the schools academic regulations. Parents of the Rastafarian students, Tyron Iras Marhguy and Oheneba Kwaku Nkrabea, refused to cut their children's dreadlocks but sued the Achimota school, the Minister of Education, Ghana Education Service and the Attorney General. The applicants asked the court to declare that the failure and or refusal of the 1st Respondent (Achimota School Board of Governors) to admit or enroll the Applicant on the basis of his Rastafarian religious inclination, beliefs and culture characterized by his keeping of Rasta, is a violation of his fundamental human rights and freedoms guaranteed under the 1992 constitution particularly Articles 12(1), 23, 21(1)(b)(c). They also requested "an order directed at [Achimota School] to immediately admit or enroll the applicant to continue with his education unhindered'' and also sought compensation for the ''inconvenience, embarrassment, waste of time, and violation of his fundamental human rights and freedoms". Following the law suit, the Human Rights Division of the Accra High Court presided by Justice Gifty Agyei Addo ordered Achimota School to admit the students, ruling that the fundamental human rights of two students cannot be limited by the rules. Touching on the issue on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo' programme, Kwesi Pratt commended the Rastafarian parents for not resorting to violence but acting according to the law to seek justice for their children. To him, the action by the Rastafarian parents is a good step stressing the law has taken its course. He held that it is about time that the rules of the various schools in Ghana were set to favour all parties irrespective of their religion. "It's time for us to adopt the right policies that if you're a Christian, you can live with it. If you're a Muslim, you can live with it. Even if you don't believe in any religion, you can also live with it," he stated. Mr. Pratt also called on the management of the Achimota school to seek an appeal if they are not happy with the court ruling. "If the school authorities are not happy, if the Ghana Education Service is unhappy, if Attorney General's department is not happy; all they can do is to go for an appeal. When they go for an appeal and we will comply with the Appeal Court ruling." Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Huawei Ghana has revealed that their flagship Huawei ICT Training (HIT) program will boost Ghanas digital economy when implemented. The program which will train more than 10,000 Ghanaians in information and communications technology (ICT) within the next three years forms part of the companys commitment to grow the capacity of the people in ICT through the Huawei ICT Training (HIT) Program and support Ghana's vision of becoming the digital hub of Africa. Speaking on the relevance of the HIT initiative, the Public Relations Manager at Huawei Ghana, Mr. David Appiah said that ICT skill development is crucial for industry and economic growth, therefore for any country to fully achieve a thriving digital economy, its crucial for the ICT Skill capacity of citizenry to be developed as it serves as the bridge that connects a robust digital infrastructure and systems to the end-consumer. As countries and industries transition to go fully digital, the need for skilled human resource to effectively manage the digital resources for enhanced delivery of services and to enable the citizenry and/or end users to enjoy the maximum benefits remains equally important. More so for the end user or the beneficiary to be able to enjoy digital services, basic ICT skills is required to enable them navigate their way through the processes to enjoy these services and that is why ICT Skill training cannot be done without in this regard. Mr. Appiah said Mr. Appiah made this known when the company organized the maiden edition of the Huawei Day with Media in Accra. According to him, the HIT program is in three segments namely the Hi-Class Program (Huawei Intelligent Ghana Hub Class), ICT Academy (University Talent Program) and the Technology-enabled Open Schools System (TOSS) which will benefit Public servants and Industry Professionals, Tertiary and TVET students and Basic Schools respectively. As an industry leader, Huawei also offers professional ICT certification courses to bridge the ICT industry talent gap. Huawei will therefore offer training in the areas of trending technologies like AI, LTE, 5G, Quality of Service (QoS) and Digital Economy to relevant state officials and industry partners. The company has also established a training facility in partnership with Mast Infrastructure Ghana to offer practical training in the areas of Equipment Installation, Fibre works, Height works and equipment configurations to field Engineers and Riggers. Through the University Talent program, the ICT Academy has signed on about 15 top Ghanaian Universities as authorized partners and currently working with the Ministry of Education to expand the program which offers professional courses in the areas of Routing and Switching (Networking), DataComm, Cloud Computing, 5G among others to TVET institutions across the country. This program is mainly aimed at bridging the gap between Academia and Industry while also growing Ghanas ICT Talent pool. Finally the TOSS project which is being implemented in partnership with UNESCO as part of our TECH4ALL initiative to ensure that deprived (K12) or Basic School students get access to quality education through the use of innovative technologies. The Ministry of Education has thrown its weight behind this project which Huawei is funding with USD 1M for the next three years. At Huawei, we continue to work with the Government, Industry Partners, Customers and Academia to offer ICT Skill Training, Workshops and Seminars in relevant and trending industry courses and topics to contribute to Ghanas ICT Talent pool. In Ghana, our Huawei ICT Talent (HIT) Program has seen a lot investment from our end and we continue to invest in the nurturing of ICT talents through ICT skill training and has so far benefitted over 5000 Ghanaians. Mr. Appiah said. During the event the company revealed that they expect to sign a cooperation agreement with the Ministry of Communications and Ministry of Education to implement the HIT initiative. The Huawei Day with the Media was organized by Huawei Ghana as part of efforts to engage the media, to strengthen relationship and share the companys contributions toward building a digital economy, while giving the media the opportunity to better understand operations on Huawei in Ghana. Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Member of Parliament for Ketu South in the Volta Region, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, has described the hard-pressed situation of residents in her constituency occasioned by a tidal wave on Saturday, May 29, as leaving them between government and the deep blue sea in that part of the country. She emphasized the lack of relief efforts by government through the auspices of the National Disaster Management Organization(NADMO) to the survivors and residents of the affected communities such as Agavedzi after the onslaught of the tide. She underscored the point that aside from over twenty houses being washed away by the sea, it is not only the residents who stand to lose from the disaster but government too, as the sea is now only 10 meters away from engulfing the road and the streetlights in the area. She said this in an interview with TV3, Monday, May 31. Hon. Gomashie was reacting on the back of the disaster struck by a tidal wave over the weekend on the residents of the Ketu South constituency razing down about twenty houses and displacing many livelihoods in what she describes as leaving them between government and the deep blue sea. I recall that in 2017, I was in the community with Hon. Atta Akyia when the same thing happened, all the houses we saw together are not there today. We have less than 10 meters for the sea to completely take the road and that will include the electric poles, the water, so its not just the houses, its not just the people losing their properties but also the state losing the investments made on that road, that is the only link between Aflao and Keta. It is depressing, it is devastating, these are the same people who can find any livelihood because the borders have been closed since March of last year. Already they were on their knees and then now they have to deal with the sea, its between the government and the deep blue sea she pointed out the dire situation in the area. She went on to say that there really isnt much left for the people, the hopelessness that they feel, its almost as if we are not appreciating the seriousness of the problem. The people were not able to take care of themselves adequately when the borders were open and the borders had been closed and they were struggling, then the sea attacked them. As we speak, the Regional Minister is aware, the MCE is aware, the NADMO Coordinator is aware, they have all been there, these three people that I have mentioned have all been there. My hope is that, in this situation, I would expect that they would bring immediate relief to the people no matter how small it is. By now somebody should have provided the kind of things that NADMO always provides when there is a disaster. There is a company in the community that has sent some relief items on their own and this was the last time it happened before this one and then its been zero, nothing. Nobody has made the effort to send them something to rely on as we wait for the big things to be done. This last one(tidal wave) we lost about twenty homes, the one in 2017 I have lost count of but the current one we lost about twenty houses. So apart from the houses that have been lost, there are other things on the stretch, so its terrible she stressed. Asked what kind of conversations the survivors are having among themselves now that they are displaced since she has been there, she said desperation, fear, its so depressing I dont even have the words to describe whats happening in our language. Im hoping that we wont be hedging and hiding behind we are dealing with it, no this is the time to deal with it. If its heavy infrastructure, it needs a lot of money, I understand but we can do it. If we can find money to do a lot of things that are capital intensive, this is one of them, lets find the money and save the lives of the people. If the sea takes the road, its going to hit into the other parts, so what we are looking at is not a small group of people. The cost of that road which may go and trying to find another to link the two constituencies, which is Ketu South and Keta will be more. And when that happens, it will cut off water supply and electricity supply to adjoining communities, this is terrifying. And please I dont want to hear things like you didnt do this and you didnt do that, lets deal with it now, the reason why we didnt do it yesterday is the reason why we must do it now. I dont want to hear this it wasnt done before, so what should I look on while people suffer? In 2017 when I responded to the call, I was not in government, but I am an indigene of the place, so when they called me, I ran there. Lets deal with the situation, lets save the people and no excuse is good enough she charged the government. Source: 3news.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The President of the Full Gospel Church International (FGCI), Bishop Samuel N. Mensah, has reiterated the need for the presidential tenure to be increased to six years with no option of re-election. At the third edition of the Emmanuel Ashong Mensah Memorial Lectures in Tema on Sunday, May 30, 2021, Bishop Mensah argued that the current four-year term-limited leaders from executing their plans effectively. The lecture named after the founder of the Full Gospel Church International, Very Rev. Emmanuel Ashong Mensah, a trailblazer of the charismatic movement in Ghana, focused on the deteriorating socio-political conditions in the country, the indiscipline on the countrys roads, lawlessness, poor healthcare system, and the need for a national vision to drive the countrys development. Tenure Bishop Mensah stressed that an increase in the term of office would allow for the execution of more developmental projects by the president. He explained that if the term was increased, the President could get accustomed with the office in the first two years, and then use the rest of the period to roll out his policies and plans with little or no pressure and not thinking about the renewal of his mandate. When they take office in the first year, they are warming up to understand transitional management. In the second year, that is where they are building up their policies. By the third year, they are thinking about their re-election so literally, they have only two years to do anything meaningful. But if we give them six years and only one term, they will have enough time to do whatever they want to do in building a better country. In doing so, the challenge of fighting and trying to retain power will be reduced, he said. Constitutional Reforms Bishop Mensah said Ghana seemed to have missed its path in terms of development planning due to the absence of continuity in government policies and projects by succeeding governments. He said it was imperative for the development of a long-term national development plan and any other national plan for that matter to drive national development and growth irrespective of which political party was in power. According to him, projects started from the days of President Kwame Nkrumah had been abandoned. Inclusiveness Bishop Mensah also stressed the need for inclusiveness to curtail the Winner-Takes-All practice of governance in the country. He noted that the constitutional provision that gave the executive President of Ghana enormous powers of appointment must be reviewed. He called for the exclusion of Members of Parliament from serving as ministers in the executive to make Parliament truly independent and holding the executive to account as representatives of the people. Youth participation While urging the youth to rise and actively contribute to national development by making their voices heard and demanding accountability, Bishop Mensah advised the youth to put a stop to the culture of insults targeted at people in authority, whether political, traditional or religious. Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Ugandas Transport Minister General Katumba Wamala has been shot and injured by unknown gunmen near his home in the capital Kampala. Eyewitnesses say the gunmen were riding on a motorcycle. General Wamala is a former army commander. Over the last few years, the country has been rocked by such shootings by armed men riding on motorcycles. In June 2018, Ibrahim Abiriga, a flamboyant politician and ardent supporter of President Yoweri Museveni, was shot and killed near his home. Former police spokesperson Andrew Felix Kaweesi was assassinated in a similar manner in April 2017. A magistrate and several Muslim clerics were killed in the same way. None of the assassinations has ever been successfully investigated or prosecuted. Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Gunmen attacked a car carrying Ugandan Minister of Works and Transport, General Katumba Wamala, in an attempted assassination, killing his daughter and driver. It was gathered that four attackers on motorcycles opened fire at a vehicle carrying the former army commander, in the Kampala suburb of Kiasasi, on Tuesday morning, June 1. According to reports, the assailants trailed Gen. Katumba's vehicle with reg number H4DF 2138 before opening fire on them. General Wamala survived with bullet wounds in his left arm and chest and was rushed to Malcom Clinic and later Nakasero. Unfortunately, his daughter Brenda Nantongo Wahala and driver Haruna Kayondo died on the spot. The former commander was reportedly on his way to attend a vigil for his mother-in-law at the time of the shooting. Images circulating on social media showed Wamala with his mouth open, in apparent distress beside the car and his light-colored trousers splattered with blood. Images also showed bullet holes in a car window and casings on the ground. "There was a shooting involving him ... he is hurt and he's been taken to the hospital, his driver was killed," said Army spokeswoman Brigadier Flavia Byekwaso. According to local media, General Wamala has enjoyed a distinguished career. Before appointment as works minister by President Yoweri Museveni in December 2019, Wamala had served as the Chief of Defence Forces (2013-2017) in the Uganda Peoples Defence Force (UPDF). Meanwhile,his daughter, Brenda had recently returned from the United States of America. "Brenda had just returned from the US. She only started working recently, said Joyce Ssentongo, an in-law to Gen. Wamala. Ssentongo described the slain daughter as a humble girl who had a whole bright future ahead of her. Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo says his administration will do all it can to make media practice safe in Ghana. Nana Akufo-Addo says Ghanas position as the second safest nation for practising journalism in Africa should be commended but insists that the country can do better. Speaking at the opening of the African Journalists Leaders conference in Accra, President Akufo-Addo said recent attacks on journalists in the line of duty should be condemned by all. The decision to select Ghana for this years conference is because of the conducive environment for media practice and impressive ranking in Africa on the latest world press freedom index. Our aim is to be number one on the continent. We will work hard to ensure that we attain this. It cannot be right, no matter where [you are] in the world, that journalists are physically being attacked or prevented from doing their work. Once that happens, it is an attack on media freedom and must be condemned by all, President Akufo-Addo. Recently, President Akufo-Addo refuted the perception that his government is overseeing a culture of silence. The President also challenged claims that press freedom has suffered under his presidency. When it comes to the press, I am certain I have nothing to apologise for, with reference to anything I have ever done or said, he said during a special congregation in his honour at the University of Cape Coast. President Akufo-Addo again touted the role he played under the Kufuor administration in repealing the criminal libel law. I have been a part of and sometimes led the struggle for individual rights and freedom of the press in this country. I believe in it. it is part of my makeup. Though Ghana ranks 30th out of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index, Reporters Without Borders has expressed concern with the fact many cases of police aggression against journalists have gone unpunished. The 2020 World Press Freedom Index report also noted that some journalists covering the effectiveness of the governments measures against COVID-19 were attacked by police in 2020. Over the course of the Akufo-Addo administration, the government has been criticised on these points, as well as the closure of some prominent pro-opposition radio stations. The conduct of National Security personnel towards Citi FM journalists on May 13 was the most high-profile incident of state action so far against journalists in 2021. One of the Citi FM journalists, Caleb Kudah, was tortured whilst in National Security custody. Before this, the National Security personnel, in another notable incident in July 2018, arrested and tortured two journalists after the publication of an article that criticised the National Security Minister, Albert Kan Dapaah. The governments response so far to these incidents has been largely condemned, with many suggesting that it gives the impression that the state is either complicit or tacitly supports such actions against journalists. Source: citinewsroom 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 Some New Patriotic Party (NPP) groups and Assembly members in Kwahu South Municipality have appealed to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to reappoint their Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) Emmanuel Attah Ofori Snr to continue his good works. Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, 30th May, 2021 at Mpraeso lorry station, the group said ''every good leader in his/her capacity must have some qualities such as being honest, loyal, trustworthy, welcoming, truthful'' adding the MCE has proven beyond all reasonable doubts that he possesses all these qualities. They outlined some developmental projects established under the leadership of the MCE since he resumed office in 2017. According to the groups, the MCE has always placed the Municipality and the New Patriotic Party first in all his dealings. Speaking on behalf of the groups, Leader of the Mpraeso NPP Walkers Club, Prince Osei also commended government for its developmental projects and policies implemented to benefit the citizens. Read press statement below: PRESS STATEMENT BY NPP GROUPS IN MPRAESO CONSTITUENCY TO HIS EXCELLENCY NANA ADDO DANKWA AKUFO-ADDO, THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF GHANA, DATED 30TH MAY 2021 Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press, fellow patriots from various interest groups in the constituency, Assembly Members, Constituency Executives, Electoral area coordinators, polling station executives, fellow Ghanaians We welcome you to a press conference to first appreciate the President, H.E. Dr Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo and appeal to him to maintain the hardworking Municipal Chief Executive, who, together with our M.P. and the constituency, increased our votes in the 2020 elections. We, the youth of NPP and various stakeholders of the Mpraeso Constituency, want to congratulate the President for winning the 2020 Presidential election for our motherland Ghana and the New Patriotic Party. We are of the firm conviction that it was out of the unprecedented social interventions, flagship programs and policies President Akufo Addo initiated that made Ghanaians give the NPP this indisputable victory on 7th December 2020. To mention but few are; FREE SHS, which has relieved a lot of parents of the burden of not being able to take their wards to the Senior High School, Restoration of Teacher and Nursing Training allowances which has helped many brilliant but needy student to be able to complete the Teacher and Nursing Training Colleges, 1 District 1 Factory which has also enhanced our industrialization drive to be very vibrant in our country today, Planting for Food and Jobs which has also helped immensely to improve the agricultural sector in the country, Year of Roads which the government declared and implemented has dramatically helped to improve the road network in the country. When we look at the Kwahu-South Municipality, we had a fair share of the Year of Roads and are hoping for completion. You said it, and true to your words, you have delivered on same. Numerous developmental projects are currently completed, and some ongoing in the Kwahu-South Municipal Assembly and the Mpraeso constituency. We are starting with the education sector, construction and renovation of school buildings, distribution of mono and dual desks to the various schools in the Municipality, amongst other things. When we flip to health and Sanitation, a lot has also been done to help improve the health and sanitation standards of the Municipality. When we turn to employment, the agencies such as the YEA, the NABCO have employed a reasonable number of persons in the Municipality who have stayed home for only God knows how long, over the years. When we talk of water, a lot has been done in the Municipality, from constructing mechanized boreholes to laying pipelines in communities such as Obo, Atibie, Obomeng, etc., which in the previous years were not having access to pipe-borne water, when we consider the plethora of projects Kwahu-South Municipal Assembly has seen since President Akufo Addo took over, as UNPRECEDENTED to say the least! For this reason, we express our heartfelt gratitude to the President. We say "Ayekoo". These projects were made possible in the Municipality under the excellent leadership of Hon. Emmanuel Atta Ofori Senior, the MCE appointed by the President for the Municipality in 2017 as the DCE when we were a District by then. Before he was appointed the DCE, he had served as the Mpraeso constituency chairman for the New Patriotic Party. On assumption of office as the chairman, he worked hard and toiled to make the defamed NPP in the Mpraeso constituency gain its grounds again because of his selfless leadership. For this reason, the entire District was amazed when he was finally appointed as the DCE in the year 2017 because we were all convinced that he would do the work very well. But since he assumed office as the DCE till now as the MCE, he has worked beyond the expectations of all the good people of the Municipality. For this reason, the chiefs in the Municipality have honoured him the name "Adwuma Wura". Ladies & Gentlemen of the Press, we all know that every good leader in his/her best capacity must have some qualities such as being honest, loyal, trustworthy, welcoming, truthful, etc. Hon. Emmanuel Atta Ofori Senior has proven beyond all reasonable doubts that he possesses all these qualities. He has always placed the Municipality and the New Patriotic Party first in all his dealings, even before his family. He respects everybody in the Municipality irrespective of age, position or social status. Whenever he is called upon in a situation, he always makes it a priority and ensures every support he has he gives to help save the situation. As a result of this, children, the aged and even chiefs are always happy with him. He has one thing he has always said during the time of campaign before the 2020 General elections. He said; when it comes to love, I have a love for the New Patriotic Party even more than my wife, and he has duly proved this statement through the diligent and selfless efforts he placed in the campaign process to see the NPP in the Mpraeso constituency increase its votes gained by 16% in the 2020 General election. We have heard that very soon; the President will be releasing the list of MMDCEs to spearhead the governance in the MMDAs in the second term of office. There is an Akan adage that says "Nea oforo dua pa na yepia no", and one that says ", Nea onim to na yede no gyina akyerene so" and as one of our Party slogans in the 2020 elections states precisely that "One Good Term indeed Deserves Another". Therefore, looking at this extraordinary performance of the MCE for the Municipality, we, the people of the Kwahu-South Municipal Assembly and Mpraeso constituency, are pleading with the President to reappoint and maintain Hon. Emmanuel Atta Ofori Senior for us as the MCE of the Kwahu-South Municipal Assembly to continue the good works he is doing for the Municipality. We strongly believe that when he is reappointed as the MCE, he will do more than what he has even done in his first term of office. Long Live Mpraeso Constituency! Long Live Kwahu-South Municipal Assembly!! Long Live Mother Ghana!!! Thank you. The various Leaders of NPP Volunteer groups include: NPP Walkers Club - Prince Osei & Wofa Annor OPK Moving Kwahu Forward - Patrick Kyeremeh Alpha Patriots - Nana Boateng Oppong Nana Mma - Emmanuel Danso NPP Loyal Ladies - Amoah Esther SOJA Ladies - Ameyaw Henrietta Staunch Queens - Serwaa Cynthia Group of Assembly Members led by Isaac Awuah Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video by Nirmala Carvalho Pope Francis picked a non-Dalit, Mgr Rayappan, even though most locals are Dalits. In Tamil Nadu, only one bishop out of 17 is a Dalit. Over the past year many rallies raised the issue. Pondicherry (AsiaNews) The appointment of another non-Dalit as the new bishop of Salem (Tamil Nadu) has disappointed local Catholics since Dalits constitute by far the majority of the community. Yesterday, Pope Francis named Arulselvam Rayappan, 60, from the clergy of the Archdiocese of Pondicherry-Cuddalore, as the new bishop of Salem, Tamil Nadu. Ordained priest in 1986, a canon lawyer with a doctorate from Urbaniana University, Mgr Rayappan led the Pontifical Institute of St Peter in Bangalore. Between 2010 and 2018, he served as the secretary of the Commission for Canon Law and Legislative Texts of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI). His appointment, however, has touched a raw nerve within Indias Catholic community, namely the caste system, an issue still affecting Indian society as a whole but also Christians. The Diocese of Salem is in the Ecclesiastical province of Pondicherry-Cuddalore, where earlier this year members of the Dalit Christian Liberation Movement took to the streets to demand the nuncio appoint a Dalit archbishop. Although, Dalits represent 75 per cent of the local community, there has never been an archbishop from this community in over 300 years. How many years will the Dalit still have to wait? wonders Father Z. Devasagaya Raj, former national secretary of the CBCI Commission for Scheduled Castes within the CBCI, speaking to AsiaNews. Currently, Among the 17 Catholic bishops in Tamil Nadu there is only one bishop from the Dalit community. Dalits who are marginalised yet a majority in Tamil Nadu have been pleading to the Vatican to appoint Dalit bishops in six vacant dioceses. The first appointment after the arrival of the new Nuncio to India disappoints the Dalits. For Father A. X. J. Bosco, a Jesuit and an activist for the rights of disadvantaged castes, This is a clear injustice. Over the past year, he told AsiaNews, demonstrations and rallies have been held in many places dharnas (sit-ins) with priests, meetings were representatives of the Regional Bishops' Conference. Letters have been sent to the cardinal, the pro-nuncio and the Vatican, always with the request to appoint Dalit bishops. Since 2004, eight bishops have been appointed and a candidate from this majority group has never been chosen. The Bishops' Conference has a Dalit empowerment policy that says that the caste [system] is a sin, yet it seems that Church leaders continue to cherish this system, and do not seem to see that it goes against the very basic tenets of Christianity. Dr Ambedkar (a famous anti-caste activist) said that Dalits had converted to Christianity to be free, but were deceived. The thousands of people who fought for Dalit bishops must be going through bitter disappointment and now distrust the Church leadership. Talented afrobeat/highlife artiste, Kwame Ayi Kwaw, known in showbiz as Stone Gee, has collaborated with renowned hiplife/highlife artiste Okyeame Kwame to release a new danceable single titled Bad Friends. Stone Gees Bad Friends single comes after the release of two hit singles titled Jealousy and Bottom Power, and serves as a prelude to his compilation album which is expected to be out next year. The yet-to-be released song, produced by Gavali Music and mixed by Mr. Sarge, is the third single released this year to entertain Ghanaian music fans. Bad Friends, which has been equipped with good highlife rhythms and godly-inspired lyrics, promises to rule party joints around the country. Stone Gee said in a chat that he was happy that his previous two singles released a couple of months ago has caught the attention of a large number of music lovers who are currently waiting to grab copies of his album to be released next year. The song is expected to enjoy huge downloads on various digital music platforms such as Amazon, You Tube, ITunes among others after it has been released. Stone Gees dedication to artistic innovation has resulted in record-breaking recognition in the country, with a list of esteemed accolades including a number of awards. He confirmed reports that he was working with some of the known faces in the industry but wanted to keep the names under wraps for now. Surely I have a couple of the known names on my project but I want to hide their names for now. My name may be fresh in the industry but I have remained underground for some years now and this has indeed strengthened me, he said. The Gavali Music signee is looking forward to breaking into the Ghanaian music scene with his Bad Friends single followed by other hit singles by the close of the year. With his unique rap style, the Bottom Power hit maker is expected to cause a lot of stir in the Ghanaian music scene in the coming weeks. Stone Gee was discovered a few years ago by Gavali Music, owned by renowned music producer, artiste manager and entrepreneur, Richard Essien, known in the music scene as Magic Rocker. Stone won the Artiste of the Year award at the 2020 edition of the annual Eastern Music Awards (EMA). In addition to the Artiste of the Year award, the energetic artiste took home the Eastside Song of the Year as well as Afropop Song of the Year award with his popular hit song, No More. In a chat, the CEO of Gavali Music, Magic Rocker, said the artiste has come to stay, adding that the new single would definitely get fans dancing just like his other hits. 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 On 31 May 2021, Grand Mercure Phuket Patong Resort & Villas led by Khun Sebastien Tronchet, General Manager donated 750 PPE suites to Patong Hospital to distribute to medical personnel including Public health workers in fighting COVID-19 in Phuket. With this support, we sincerely thank all front-line heroes for their fight against COVID-19. Greenland's Ice Sheet From 40,000 Feet. Credit: NASA Hidden beneath a kilometer of ice in northwestern Greenland, an impact crater that could swallow a city the size of London, Ont. is the subject of much debate about its origins and age. Now, Western planetary scientist Elizabeth Silber has published new research suggesting the crater could be youngas craters gohaving formed during the Pleistocene geological epoch, between 11,700 and 2.6 million years ago. The impact of the asteroid thought to have created the Hiawatha crater would have produced so much heat that the ice sheet would have released a massive volume of meltwater "in pretty much an instant," Silber said. She estimates it would have produced enough water to fill Lake Tahoe, which straddles California and Nevada. "It is a rarity to find a new impact crater on Earth, let alone one of this size," said Silber, an adjunct professor with Western's department of earth sciences. "While some 190 impact structures have been cataloged thus far, this putative crater is interesting because it looks geologically young and well preserved and, if confirmed, it will be among the largest ever found on Earth," she said. "Because it is hiding beneath the ice sheet it begs the question (of) when it might have formed, and whether the ice existed at the time." The 31-kilometer-wide crater first came to the world's attention in 2018 when a team led by the University of Copenhagen published research revealing its existence. The discovery sparked a lively debate about whether the two-kilometer-wide asteroid believed to have made it hit before or after the Greenland Ice Sheet formed about 2.6 million years ago. "Because it is very well preserved, it points to a possibly very young age, as young as the onset of the Younger Dryas period (between 11,500 and 14,500 years ago)," said Silber. "Or alternatively, if old, it tells us about the erosional processes that might have taken place in that area." Silber studies how impact craters form on various planetary bodies, including Jupiter's moon Europa, Saturn's moon Titan, our moon, and Earth. She also studies the physics of meteors, or shooting stars. So, she was well placed to put together a team, including some of the researchers who made the initial discovery, to shed light on the crater's formation and age. The team used hydrocode modeling, a numerical tool that describes the physics behind the shockwaves that cause impact craters to form. The modeling takes into account the projectile's composition, target and impact speed, as well as surface temperature and other factors. "Modeling formation of impacts into terrestrial ice sheets has never been done before, and it serves to shed light on why the crater is unusual in terms of morphology and why the rocky ejecta is absent from drill cores," Silber said. Shockwave physics assume that an impact this big should form a peak-ring basin with a pronounced crater rim if an asteroid slams directly into bedrock. But the Hiawatha crater has a central uplift and muted morphology, which means that the crater rim is less pronounced. The formation of the central uplift makes sense, however, if an asteroid hit at a time when the land was covered with ice at the height of the sheet's thickness (likely 1.5 to 2 kilometers). "The modeling shows that thick overlying ice in fact serves to muffle the formation of a peak-ring basin," said Silber. "Furthermore, the nearby drill cores don't show any rocky ejecta from the impact, and our study shows that ice sheets inhibit ejection of rocky material during the impact." While it wasn't the focus of her paper, Silber calculated some of the likely after-effects of a large asteroid slamming into the ice sheet. She came up with a dramatic picture: supersonic winds of 400 kilometers an hour ripping down trees within a 200-kilometer radius and stripping them of branches and leaves. Anyone within a 500-kilometer radius would have seen a white-hot fireball that appeared four times larger than the sun, she said. "From a scientific standpoint, we want to know how something might have occurred and how it might have affected the region. After all, the Chixculub impact, which was significantly larger than the Hiawatha impact, was responsible for wiping out the dinosaurs some 65 million years ago." Explore further Asteroid crater on Earth provides clues about Martian craters More information: Elizabeth A. Silber et al, Effect of ice sheet thickness on formation of the Hiawatha impact crater, Earth and Planetary Science Letters (2021). Journal information: Earth and Planetary Science Letters Elizabeth A. Silber et al, Effect of ice sheet thickness on formation of the Hiawatha impact crater,(2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.epsl.2021.116972 Credit: Jon Curby An international study led by UNSW researchers has mapped one of the most intact and complete dog genomes ever generated. The genome sequence of the Basenji dog could have a big impact on the understanding of dog evolution, domestication and canine genetic diseases. The Basenjialso known as the barkless dogis an ancient African dog breed which still lives and hunts with tribesmen in the African Congo. In the study, published in BMC Genomics, the researchers say the genome of the Basenji, which sits at the base of the dog breed family tree, makes an excellent unbiased reference for future comparisons between dog breeds and evolutionary analysis of dogs. "The dog was probably the first animal to be domesticated by humans and has subsequently been artificially selected by humans into a great diversity of dog breeds of different sizes and shapes," lead author of the study and senior lecturer in Genomics and Bioinformatics at UNSW Sydney's School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Dr. Richard Edwards says. "Before this paper, it was difficult to interpret differences between the dog reference genomes and non-domesticated dogs, such as dingoes, jackals, coyotes, wolves and foxes. "Big changes could be the result of recent artificial selection during creation of the specific reference breed. "By adding such a high-quality genome at the base of the domestic dog family tree, we have provided an anchor point for studies that can help establish the timing and direction of genetic changes during domestication and subsequent breeding." Dr. Edwards says the Basenji genome sequence is different to the traditional dog reference genome, CanFam, which is of a highly-derived breed, the Boxer. He says the choice of dog reference genome can affect the results of future dog genetics studies looking at genetic variants. "For example, the Boxer is much more closely related to other Mastiffs than other breeds," he says. "This may introduce biases in genetic analyses across many dog breeds. There is also the risk that breed-specific variation may map poorlyor not at allto a biased reference. In principle, the Basenji is equally distant from most modern breeds, making it a less biased basis for comparisons." Dr. Kylie Cairns is an expert in dingo identity and evolution in the Centre for Ecosystem Science in UNSW's School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences. She says the Basenji genome now provides a high-quality comparison to all domestic dog breeds for future studies. "As Basenjis are a very old breed, they provide the perfect comparison to more modern breeds to explore how breeds were developed, the process of domestication and assist in studies looking for disease genes," Dr. Cairns says. "This genome will also be critical in comparisons to wolves, dingoes and village dogs as an example of an ancient domestic breed." She says the Basenji genome may allow scientists to more fully unravel the evolutionary history of early dogs and how humans have shaped the first dogs into the companions and breeds we have today. "Many people wouldn't realize that most dog breeds arose in the last 200-300 years," she says. "So having access to a high quality refence genome from an ancient breed such as the Basenji gives insight into early breed development and how domestic dogs have been shaped by humans in the last few thousand years. "We will also be able to tackle lingering questions about the evolutionary history of dingoes and their relatives in New Guinea, with the Basenji acting as a halfway point between non-domesticated dingoes and truly modern dog breeds like pugs, kelpies and poodles. " Dr. Edwards says the genome of the Basenji is one of only a handful of referenced quality genomes for specific dog breeds. The first of these was a German Shepherd, Nala, which Dr. Edwards also contributed to last year. Dr. Edwards says researchers combined three cutting edge genome sequencing technologies to assembly the Basenji dog genome, which is based on a female dog called China. "Over 99% of the final genome assembly can be found in the 39 pieces that represent the 39 dog chromosomes," he says. "These chromosomes only have one hundred regions of unresolved sequence, which is the fewest of any published dog genome so far. "This makes it one of the highest-quality dog genomes produced to date." The study also features a number of interesting genome assembly case studies that demonstrate the importance of curation and careful analysis, even for high-quality genomes. "Even the best technologies can still make mistakes," Dr. Edwards says. For example, the mitochondrial genomea separate, small genome belonging to the cell's energy generatorshad mistakenly been assembled into the middle of one of the chromosomes at one stage. "Genomics has a come a long way in recent years, but we've not reached perfection yet. At the same time, it is not possible to manually scan over two billion DNA letters for mistakes. Part of what drives the research in my lab is finding improved ways to use computers to help identify and fix these errors." Explore further What the new pangenome reveals about bovine genes More information: Richard J. Edwards et al, Chromosome-length genome assembly and structural variations of the primal Basenji dog (Canis lupus familiaris) genome, BMC Genomics (2021). Journal information: BMC Genomics Richard J. Edwards et al, Chromosome-length genome assembly and structural variations of the primal Basenji dog (Canis lupus familiaris) genome,(2021). DOI: 10.1186/s12864-021-07493-6 Biologists led by the University of Iowa used a special technique called eDNA to discover an invasive species of tiny snails in streams in central Pennsylvania where the snails' presence had been unknown. The invasive New Zealand mud snail has spread to the Eastern Seaboard after arriving in the western United States decades ago. Credit: Edward Levri, Pennsylvania State University-Altoona Invasive species, beware: Your days of hiding may be ending. Biologists led by the University of Iowa discovered the presence of the invasive New Zealand mud snail by detecting their DNA in waters they were inhabiting incognito. The researchers employed a technique called environmental DNA (eDNA) to reveal the snails' existence, showing the method can be used to detect and control new, unknown incursions by the snail and other invasive species. "eDNA has been used successfully with other aquatic organisms, but this is the first time it's been applied to detect a new invasive population of these snails, which are a destructive invasive species in fresh waters around the world," says Maurine Neiman, associate professor in the Department of Biology and the study's co-author. "eDNA can be used to find organisms at really early stages of invasion, so it can detect a population even when there are so few of the organisms that traditional methods would never find them." The biologists traveled to central Pennsylvania seeking evidence of the presence of the mud snail, which for decades has been spreading in fresh waters in the continental United States, beginning in the Northwest, moving to the Great Lakes, and now migrating along the Eastern Seaboard. The tiny aquatic snails' population densities can balloon to more than 500,000 individuals in a square yard, covering the water bottom and crowding out native species. The researchers collected samples from eight sites spread across six rivers in the Susquehanna River watershed, which feeds into Chesapeake Bay and the Mid-Atlantic watershed. Six of the sites had no reported cases of the mud snail, despite physical surveys, while the other two locations had not been studied. The researchers used the eDNA technique to look for DNA the snails would leave as tracers in sloughed-off skin cells or bodily waste. They discovered the snails were there, after all: The eDNA results confirmed the mud snails were at one site where none had been detected previously, and were likely at low population levels at other sites as well. "This study presents an important step forward in demonstrating that eDNA can be successfully applied to detect new P. antipodarum invasions and will allow us to more accurately track and potentially halt ongoing range expansion of this destructive invasive species," wrote James Woodell, a research support technician at University of Hawaii at Manoa who performed the research while a master's student in biology at Iowa and is the study's corresponding author. The eDNA technique was developed less than a decade ago. It has been used to ferret out invasive species, including fish, frogs, and crustaceans, in aquatic ecosystems. For this study, the biologists refined the filtering protocols from an existing eDNA sampling system for mud snail detection and tested it for the first time in the field. The study, "Matching a snail's pace: Successful use of environmental DNA techniques to detect early stages of invasion by the destructive New Zealand mud snail," was published online on June 1 in the journal Biological Invasions. Explore further Using DNA to look for fish species Mother of two, Yue Yan looks after one of her daughters at a park in Beijing on Thursday, May 20, 2021. Yue, 35, spends days looking after her 2-year-old and evenings helping her 10-year-old with homework. The ruling party is easing official limits on the number of children each couple can have, hoping to counter the rapid aging of Chinese society. But the number of births is falling. Couples are put off by costs, disruptions to jobs and the need to look after elderly parents. Credit: AP Photo/Olivia Zhang Yue Yan is glad to have two daughters but sees why, even with the ruling Communist Party urging them to have more children, fewer Chinese women give birth at all. Yue, 35, spends days looking after her 2-year-old and evenings helping her 10-year-old with homework. Yue quit a restaurant job to do that, so the family lives on her husband's salary, which many can't afford to do. "If a young couple is busy working and their parents can't help take care of the children, they will not want kids," Yue said. "The pressure is just so heavy." The ruling party is easing official limits on the number of children each couple can have, hoping to counter the rapid aging of Chinese society. But the number of births is falling. Couples are put off by costs, disruptions to jobs and the need to look after elderly parents. On Monday, the ruling party announced it would ease birth restrictions to let all couples have three children instead of two. But its track record suggests rule changes on their own do little to change long-term trends. Rules in force since 1980 that limited most couples to one birth were changed in 2015 to allow two. After a brief uptick the next year, however, the number who had even one child fell, while the share of the population over age 65 is rising. Mother of two, Yue Yan looks after one of her daughters at a park in Beijing on Thursday, May 20, 2021. Yue, 35, spends days looking after her 2-year-old and evenings helping her 10-year-old with homework. The ruling party is easing official limits on the number of children each couple can have, hoping to counter the rapid aging of Chinese society. But the number of births is falling. Couples are put off by costs, disruptions to jobs and the need to look after elderly parents. Credit: AP Photo/Olivia Zhang China's population of 1.4 billion already was expected to peak later this decade and start to decline. Census data released May 11 suggest that is happening faster than forecast, adding to pressure to prepare for slower economic growth and do more to help the elderly. The rise in average age could disrupt official ambitions to turn China into a technology leader and prosperous consumer-driven economy. "The aging of the Chinese population grows faster than we expected," said Yi Fuxian, a senior scientist in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. "This will result in a drop in the economic growth rate," Yi said. The 12 million births reported last year were down nearly one-fifth from 2019. About 40% were second children, down from 50% in 2017, according to Ning Jizhe, a statistics official who announced the figures on May 11. An elderly man looks out as he and others arrive to Kang's canteen, the Harmonious and Happy Home for a free vegetarian lunch in Dingxing, southwest of Beijing Thursday, May 13, 2021. China's leaders are easing limits on how many children each couple can have, hoping to counter the rapid aging of Chinese society.Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong The share of working-age people under 60 in China's population of 1.4 billion fell to 63.3% last year from 70.1% a decade earlier, according to census data. The group aged 65 and older grew to 13.5% from 8.9%. China and other Asian economies such as Thailand face the challenge of whether they can grow rich before they grow old. Chinese researchers and the labor ministry say the share of working-age people might fall to half the population by 2050. That increases the "dependency ratio," or number of retirees who rely on each worker to generate income for pension funds and pay taxes for health and other public services. A growing number of retirees, even with children, live alone because sons and daughters have left home for work. In Dingxing County, southwest of Beijing, Kang Yuxia serves a free vegetarian lunch every day to more than 50 people. Most are empty nesters over 60 whose children left their region of drab, low-rise buildings surrounded by farmland to work in the Chinese capital 100 kilometers (60 miles) away. Elderly people have their free vegetarian lunch at Kang's canteen, the Harmonious and Happy Home, one of more than 80 operated by a charity for older people who live alone, in Dingxing, southwest of Beijing Thursday, May 13, 2021. China's leaders are easing limits on how many children each couple can have, hoping to counter the rapid aging of Chinese society.Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong "The sons and daughters of the elderly have to find work elsewhere," said Kang. "They look for the warmth from a bowl of rice. They also want to feel cared for." Kang's canteen, the Harmonious and Happy Home, is one of more than 80 operated by a charity for older people who live alone. "What I'm giving them is what I will need in thirty years," she said. The government is debating whether to keep more people in the workforce by raising the official retirement age of 60 for men, 55 for white-collar female workers and 50 for blue-collar female workers. Ruling party leaders meeting Monday agreed to raise the retirement age, the official Xinhua News Agency reported, without giving details. The change is politically fraught. Female professionals welcome a chance to stay in satisfying careers, but others whose bodies are worn out from decades of manual labor resent being required to work longer. An elderly woman holds a bowl of vegetarian meal as others line up for their free lunch at Kang's canteen, the Harmonious and Happy Home, one of more than 80 operated by a charity for older people who live alone, in Dingxing, southwest of Beijing Thursday, May 13, 2021. China's leaders are easing limits on how many children each couple can have, hoping to counter the rapid aging of Chinese society.Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong The fertility rate, or the average number of births per mother, stood at 1.3 in 2020, well below the 2.1 that would maintain the size of the population. A population decline might ease strains on resources, but "this is not sustainable," said Song Jian, a professor at the Center for Population and Development at Renmin University in Beijing. China needs to "boost the willingness to have children," Song said. "We need to make people feel that having children or forming a family is attractive." Couples who want children face daunting challenges. Apartments are small and often shared with parents. Childcare is expensive and maternity leave short. A lawyer in Beijing who would give only his surname, Zhang, said he and his wife plan to have only one child due to the cost of education and the need to look after their elderly parents. Elderly people line up for free vegetarian lunch at Kang's canteen, the Harmonious and Happy Home in Dingxing, southwest of Beijing Thursday, May 13, 2021. China's leaders are easing limits on how many children each couple can have, hoping to counter the rapid aging of Chinese society.Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong Elkderly people wait for their free vegetarian lunch at Kang's canteen, the Harmonious and Happy Home, one of more than 80 operated by a charity for older people who live alone. in Dingxing, southwest of Beijing Thursday, May 13, 2021. China's leaders are easing limits on how many children each couple can have, hoping to counter the rapid aging of Chinese society.Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong Kang Yuxia, right, and his volunteers deliver a free vegetarian meal to an elderly woman in Dingxing, southwest of Beijing on May 13, 2021. China's leaders are easing limits on how many children each couple can have, hoping to counter the rapid aging of Chinese society. Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong Elderly people having their free vegetarian lunch at Kang's canteen, the Harmonious and Happy Home, one of more than 80 operated by a charity for older people who live alone, in Dingxing, southwest of Beijing Thursday, May 13, 2021. China's leaders are easing limits on how many children each couple can have, hoping to counter the rapid aging of Chinese society.Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong Elderly people take a seat at Kang's canteen, the Harmonious and Happy Home for free vegetarian lunch in Dingxing, southwest of Beijing Thursday, May 13, 2021. China's leaders are easing limits on how many children each couple can have, hoping to counter the rapid aging of Chinese society.Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong An elderly woman is welcomed by red vest volunteers as she arrives to Kang's canteen, the Harmonious and Happy Home for a free vegetarian lunch in Dingxing, southwest of Beijing Thursday, May 13, 2021. China's leaders are easing limits on how many children each couple can have, hoping to counter the rapid aging of Chinese society. Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong "The government should relieve the burden on young parents' shoulders," Zhang said. "If the young couple must look after the children and the elderly, no one can handle it." Still, Yue says having children is worth it. "Yes, sometimes I am tired," she said, "but I also feel more happiness." Explore further China easing birth limits further to cope with aging society 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. An Ontario pilot project showcases a circular food model that results in delicious food produced via regenerative agriculture practices. Credit: Unsplash There are many hard lessons learned from the pandemic. One is that our food system needs a serious reboot. Luckily, we need only look to nature's cycles for clues on how to fix it. In a circular food economy, food waste becomes valuable, affordable healthy food becomes accessible to everyone and innovation uses a regenerative approach to how food is produced, distributed and consumed. A pilot initiative in the Ontario city of Guelph and surrounding Wellington County, called Our Food Future, is Canada's first circular food economy. It is demonstrating what a regional circular food model can look and taste like. Falling out of sync with nature The pandemic has magnified deep inefficiencies and inequity in the food system. On one hand, we see tremendous food waste and on the other, worsening food insecurity. One estimate is that 40 percent of food is wasted in our current system. Meanwhile, one in eight Canadians worry about their next meal, and one in six children who go hungry each day. In Toronto, Canada's largest city, the situation is even worse, with one in five residents experiencing food insecurity. The food system has evolved into a linear model of take-make-waste. We take from the ground the nutrients needed to grow food, make it into many products that line supermarket shelves, and then consume it, thinking little of the waste produced. This linear model is out of sync with the cycles seen in nature that were inherent in food production practices for thousands of years. Food, design and systems thinking Wading through the complexities of the food system can be overwhelming, but there are many opportunities to design a better model. First, it's important to see the connections between food and design. In fact, the food system is a design. Everything about how food is grown, distributed and marketed is design. Why is this significant? Because if food and the system that encompasses it is a design, then it can be redesignedand that offers great hope for creating a better system. As a social innovation designer, my research, teaching and practice focus on systems thinking and designing socially innovative solutions that don't simply address the symptomsthey also get to the root of the challenge. How we view food is one of the core issues that must be tackled. Refocusing our food values Barbara Swartzentruber, executive director of Guelph's Smart Cities Office that includes the Our Food Future initiative, says: "Not only do we not properly value food, we don't value the people who are integral to getting the food to usfrom the farmers who produce the food, to the truck drivers who deliver it, to the cashiers at the supermarkets." Our Food Future is modeling a regional circular food economy that addresses food security, creates business and broader economic development opportunities and uses waste as a resource. It's helping to re-establish the connections and value of food along the supply chain. Our Food Future is a collaboration of a broad network of stakeholdersfrom agriculture, business, food sciences, government and academia. Farmers are some of the many key stakeholders engaged in Our Food Future, Canadas first circular food economy, based in the Guelph-Wellington region. Credit: Justin Langille Our Food Future is also supporting projects working to eliminate food insecurity by connecting community to healthy, locally produced food. Through funding opportunities and research partnerships, it's also championing farmers working to regenerate the land as well as food producers using data and other technologies to maximize efficiency and eliminate waste. An innovative pay-what-you-can grocery service opened in Guelph last week! #OurFoodFuture is excited to be a part of this initiative with @seedguelph to help feed our community. Read more here: https://t.co/4MtdWCWItl pic.twitter.com/YJ2RBHzaot Our Food Future (@OurFoodFuture) May 3, 2021 Circularity on the plate The Our Food Future initiative also exemplifies systems design and circular practices. Collaborations, mentorship and funding is helping to spur innovation and the creation of business models that are regenerative, meaning that the elimination or reuse of waste is an integral part of an organization's mission and operations. A great example is a project in collaboration with Provision Coalition, called Re(PURPOSE): A circular food experience. Last fall, seven stakeholders came together to show that a food waste byproduct could be kept in the human food system longer and ultimately help create a delicious meal. Spent grain from the Wellington Brewery was sent to Oreka Solutions as food for black soldier flies. These flies produce larva which became feed for fish at Izumi Aquaculture. The manure from the fish farm made great fertilizer for potatoes at Smoyd Potato Farm. Meanwhile, the spent grain, along with spent yeast from Escarpment Labs, became the ingredients for sourdough bread made by The Grain Revolution. Then, the fish, potatoes and bread headed to The Neighborhood Group, where these circular ingredients were transformed into dishes on the menus at three restaurants: fish and chips, smoked trout sandwich and gravlax and crostini. Working together The circular meal is a compelling example that demonstrates the power of circularity when food industry stakeholders work together to design solutions at the systems level. The result was creative, delicious food that would have otherwise gone to waste. The goal is that this successful pilot will become the basis of an ongoing collaboration and will inspire more circular practices in the food and other industries. Our Food Future is just one example of the circular economy applied to the food system. But the circular model and circular design can be applied to any industry. Imagine an economy built upon products and services designed for their outputs to become inputs, with little or no waste, and fed back into the loop instead of a linear take-make-waste model. A circular food system is aligned with how nature works when humans are not interfering. A transition from a linear to a circular model can help fight climate change, produce more robust and truly innovative products and services, help businesses grow and allow us as individuals and communities to flourish. For this transition to take place, we must push for change in the food system, including changing how we value food. Demanding transparency requires us as consumers to support producers who are taking the steps to care for people, animals and for the land. We must advocate for policies and leadership that fund farmers who embrace regenerative agriculture practices to create a better food model. Designing a circular economy that is locally rooted, one community at a time, can collectively become an interconnected global circular food system. It's possible, and Our Food Future is showing us how it can be done. The important lessons being learned by this initiative can be shared with communities across Canada and beyond to design an equitable, regenerative food system. If you want to learn more, check out the podcast Designing a Humane Future which features an episode on the food system, circular design and the Our Food Future initiative. Explore further Right to food strategy could eliminate food waste on farms This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. A pair of Siberian jays foraging in the study population in Swedish Lapland. Credit: Michael Griesser Siberian jays are group living birds within the corvid family that employ a wide repertoire of calls to warn each other of predators. Sporadically, however, birds use one of these calls to trick their neighboring conspecifics and gain access to their food. Researchers from the universities of Konstanz (Germany), Wageningen (Netherlands), and Zurich (Switzerland) have now examined how Siberian jays avoid being deceived by their neighbors. The study, published in the journal Science Advances, shows that these birds have great trust in the warning calls from members of their own group, but mainly ignore such calls from conspecifics of neighboring territories. Thus, the birds use social information to differentiate between trustworthy and presumably false warning calls. Similar mechanisms could have played a role in the formation of human language diversity and especially in the formation of dialects. Deception and lies Deception and lies are surprising aspects of human communication and the use of language in which false information is intentionally communicated to others, allowing an individual to gain an advantage over the recipient of such false information. However, language is actually highly pro-social and cooperative and is mainly used to share reliable information. Thus, language can only function properly and be maintained if deception is kept to a minimum or other mechanisms are in place to recognize and avoid deception. People do judge the reliability of communication partners based on personal experience. "If someone repeatedly lies to you, you will most likely stop trusting this person very quickly," says Dr. Michael Griesser, a biologist at the University of Konstanz. Griesser authored the study together with Dr. Filipe Cunha, whose doctoral thesis he supervised. But do we observe deception in animals as well, and, if so, which mechanisms do animals use to avoid being deceived? Warning calls of the Siberian jay Indeed, a number of species are able to deceive their conspecifics, including some species of primates and birds like the Siberian jay (Perisoreus infaustus). Siberian jays live in territorial groups and have an elaborate communication system: A wide range of calls allow them to warn each other of the presence of different predators as well as the behavior of their fiercest enemy, the hawk. Occasionally, however, neighbors intruding into a group's territory use the same calls that would otherwise indicate the presence of a perched hawk for a different purpose. Their aim is to deceive the members of the group about the presence of the predator, thus scaring them away to get access to their food. "It is a commonly observed phenomenon in the animal kingdom that warning calls are used to deceive others. Clearly, the recipients of the false information potentially pay a high price if they ignore the warning," says Cunha. Only trust those you know? To find out how Siberian jays identify and respond to this type of deception, the researchers examined a population of wild Siberian jays in northern Sweden. They attracted experienced individuals to a feeding site and recorded video footage of what happened. As soon as such an experienced individual visited the feeder, a loudspeaker played recordings of Siberian jays' warning calls designating a perched hawk. These calls were recordings from former members of the visitor's own group, birds from neighboring territories, or birds that the visitor had never encountered before. Using the video recordings, the researchers measured how long it took the visitor to leave and return to the feeder. These "playback experiments" demonstrated that experienced Siberian jays responded quicker and took longer to return to the feeder when hearing warning calls of a former member of their own group than when exposed to warning calls of neighboring groups or previously unknown individuals. "Siberian jays thus have a simple rule to avoid being tricked: They only trust the warning calls from members of their own group, meaning cooperation partners. Familiarity alone is not enough, otherwise the birds would also have trusted the calls of their neighbors," Griesser explains. Deception as a possible factor in language and dialect formation Michael Griesser draws a comparison to humans and their languages and dialects. Just like Siberian jays, humans preferentially trust others who belong to the same group as themselves and therefore more likely are cooperation partners. "It could thus very well be the case that vulnerability to deception has been a driver of the rapid diversification of human languages and facilitating the formation of dialects as they allow the identification of local cooperation partners," Griesser considers. Explore further Siberian jays can recognize unfamiliar, distant relatives More information: Filipe C. R. Cunha et al, Who do you trust? Wild birds use social knowledge to avoid being deceived, Science Advances (2021). Journal information: Science Advances Filipe C. R. Cunha et al, Who do you trust? Wild birds use social knowledge to avoid being deceived,(2021). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aba2862 Digitization of the experi-mental field, with the measuring equipment in the foreground. Credit: Fraunhofer IOSB-AST Crop diseases threaten yields in the field. Pests and parasitic weeds cause high crop losses of up to 30 percent every year. In the FarmerSpace project, the Fraunhofer Institute for Optronics, System Technologies and Image Exploitation IOSB in Ilmenau is working together with partners to investigate the use of digital technologies for crop protection. The aim is to detect leaf diseases and the spread of weeds at an early stage and to initiate targeted protective measures using sensors, robotics and data-driven solutions. Targeted crop protection is critical in agriculture. It ensures that plants are protected from diseases, pests and weeds. A healthy supply of nutrients to wheat, corn and the like influences the quality of the food and prevents crop losses. In the FarmerSpace digital experimental field, the project partners are exploring the potential of digital technologies to detect crop diseases at the right time and place in the field. The platform for practical experiments offers players from research, practice and industry the opportunity to test sensor and data transmission systems, radio sensor networks, optical and machine-supported sensors, drone technology, robotics and machine learning methods in the fight against crop parasites. The project is being carried out by four partners: the institute branch Applied Systems Technology AST of Fraunhofer IOSB-AST, the Institute for Sugar Beet Research at the University of Gottingen, the Section of Agricultural Engineering at the University of Gottingen and the Lower Saxony Chamber of Agriculture. The German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture BMEL is funding the project, which will run from February 2020 to February 2023. The focus is on early detection and control of weeds and leaf diseases in sugar beet and spring wheat, which were sown specifically for research purposes in a trial field near Gottingen. While weed management is the focus in the spring, work in the summer concentrates on leaf diseases. Digital survey of the field As a first step, the research team at Fraunhofer IOSB-AST created a 3D model of the field, which serves as a reference model for the project partners. The surface of the five-hectare experimental field was surveyed using a laser scanner and GPS positioning system. This took two days, while the survey using drone technology took only 20 minutes. "However, the time factor alone is not decisive. Primarily, we want to find out which method provides more precise geodata. For this purpose, we also used camera recordings of robots driving over the field. The evaluation of the results, however, is not yet available," explains Andre Weiskopf, a scientist at Fraunhofer IOSB-AST. The evaluation is intended to provide information not only on accuracy, but also on practical criteria such as measurement, processing and evaluation time, area capacity and associated costs. 2D derivation of the laser scanner point cloud of the field. Credit: Fraunhofer IOSB-AST The goal of digitally surveying a field is, on the one hand, to obtain more precise information about the density of the crop stand. On the other hand, it is important to find out when and where a disease infects the crop through viruses, fungi, aphids or other pests, and which measure the farmer can best use to control it. The key, then, is to apply targeted crop protection measures at the right time and limit them locally to the field area where they are needed. This can help reduce the use of crop protection products, thus reducing costs and time. "For example, if the weevil only attacks ten square meters of the entire field, the farmer can disregard the remaining area. In this way, the groundwater is less polluted," continues Weiskopf. For the Bremen Water Protection Ordinance stipulates that minimum distances must be maintained from flowing bodies of water. Farmers are not allowed to spray pesticides everywhere. "The terrain angle is an important parameter related to this," explains Norbert Franzel, a colleague of Weiskopf at Fraunhofer IOSB-AST. "The previous terrain maps do not provide such accurate values in this regard. We hope to obtain more precise data and terrain models by digitizing the field." Sensors installed in the field could additionally support making precise predictions regarding pest infestation, detecting changes in time and thus enabling early intervention. Microclimate sensors record soil temperature and soil moisture and provide information on disease infection conditions. Evaluation of market-available digital solutions for practice-oriented use Comparing methods for digital terrain modeling provides decision support for farmers when purchasing new technologies and selecting services. Fraunhofer IOSB-AST, for example, is investigating a wide variety of radio technology and radio sensors to determine their suitability for economic use and is flanking the project with its expertise in this field of application. "We derive a recommendation for action as to which technology is suitable for which problem and inform the farmer about the type and number of sensors and measurements required," says Franzel. In addition, machine learning methods create the prerequisite for evaluating the variety of data collected. In a common data room, all field-relevant data is to be recorded synchronously in terms of time and space, so that models can subsequently be trained that provide forecasts for further action required. Supergenes govern colony social form in Solenopsis invicta (top left; SB/Sb alleles), heterostyly in Primula veris (top right; S/s alleles), and polymorphic female-limited mimicry in Papilio polytes (bottom right; H/h alleles). Credit: Tanja Slotte (image), Alex Wild (Solenopsis), Tanja Slotte (Primula), and Krushnamegh Kunte (Papilio). While the term "supergene" may bring to mind the genetic hocus-pocus of Peter Parker's transformation into Spiderman, supergenes are actually fairly common phenomena in the realm of biology. A supergene refers to a genomic region containing multiple genes or genetic elements that are tightly linked, allowing genetic variants across the region to be co-inherited. Supergenes may arise when there is a clear benefit to inheriting specific combinations of biological traits together. Perhaps the most well-known examples of supergenes are sex chromosomes, which allow traits that are beneficial to the reproductive success of one sex to be co-inherited. In humans, this explains the prevalence of male-specific genes on the Y chromosome. While the concept of supergenes arose nearly a century ago, until recently, the study of their origin, evolution, and eventual fate was largely theoretical. Now, however, thanks to advances in genomic sequencing and computational biology, scientists can put those theories to the test with real-world data. In a recent review published in Genome Biology and Evolution titled "The genomic architecture and evolutionary fates of supergenes," Associate Professor Tanja Slotte and her colleagues at Stockholm University in Sweden discuss new findings in the field of supergene evolution and reveal how the genomic architecture of a supergene is inextricably tied to its evolutionary fate. "There is a rich history in evolutionary biology when it comes to the study of supergenes," says Slotte. "What I like about this topic is that there are theoretical models of supergene evolution to draw on, and at the same time, we can now thoroughly test those expectations empirically using genomic data or explore the expected effects of different genomic architectures using simulations." In particular, these new approaches can be used to assess the validity of some of the more well-established theories about supergenes. Classical models posit that supergenes arise following the establishment of mutations at a minimum of two sites, followed by sequential accumulation of additional mutations. Selection for specific combinations of variants acts to suppress recombination, thus strengthening the linkage between mutations. This suppression of recombination often occurs through inversions, in which a genomic region is flipped on the chromosome, effectively inhibiting recombination. Because recombination enables the removal of deleterious mutations, however, once it has stopped, the supergene may degenerate through the accumulation of single-nucleotide mutations, as well as insertions, deletions, and the replication of transposable elements. Notably, this last characteristic of supergenes has made them particularly difficult to study until now. Notes Slotte, "This is a very good time for studying supergene evolution. Thanks to long-read sequencing and improved bioinformatic methods we can now obtain high-quality assemblies, including well assembled supergenic regions. This is not a trivial task, as non-recombining regions are often highly repetitive and therefore difficult to assemble." In their review, Slotte and her collaborators discuss the ways in which new sequence data has challenged some classical supergene models. "One aspect that I find really fascinating is how empirical genomic studies are still yielding surprises when it comes to the origin and the genetic architecture of classic supergenes," says Slotte. An example of this is the case of the supergene governing wing pattern mimicry in the butterfly Heliconius numata. H. numata exhibits Mullerian mimicry, displaying one of seven different wing patterns, each of which mimics a different local species of the poisonous butterfly Melinaea, thus reinforcing their protection against predators. Recent data show that rather than arising via the classical model of sequential mutation followed by inversion, the inverted chromosomal arrangement in H. numata arose via introgression from another Heliconius species. According to Slotte, this is a scenario that should be further explored using simulations and modeling. Another surprise stemmed from recent studies of the S-locus supergene governing heterostyly in primroses. Heterostyly is a common plant adaptation resulting in the presence of two distinct flower morphs (S- and L-morphs) within a species. In each morph, the male and female reproductive organs in the flower are arranged in such a way that it is difficult for an individual plant to fertilize itself, limiting inbreeding and promoting outcrossing. Classical theories posited that S-morph flowers were heterozygotes (carrying two different versions of the S-locus supergene), while L-morph flowers were homozygotes (carrying two identical versions). Instead, new evidence reveals that primroses with S-morph flowers harbor an insertion spanning five genes that is absent from L-morph primroses, making S-morph plants hemizygotes (carrying a single copy of the S-locus). In their paper, Slotte and colleagues further take advantage of advances in bioinformatics and computational biology to reveal new insights into supergene evolution. "When it comes to delineating expected patterns of evolution," says Slotte, "we benefit enormously from new efficient and flexible simulation software." Indeed, based on the new findings regarding the primrose S-locus supergene, Slotte and her co-authors used SLiM, a forward simulation program, to compare two hypothetical S-locus systems: the classic inversion model and the new model, in which an insertion leads to a supergene that is hemizygous in S-morphs. Their results revealed that the inversion accumulated more than six times more deleterious mutations than the hemizygous region and that each of these mutations on average had more deleterious effects, demonstrating that the specific genomic architecture of a supergene has a powerful effect on its ultimate degeneration and evolutionary fate. In addition to the insights revealed by new sequence data and simulations, scientists have an unprecedented opportunity to study supergene functionality thanks to new genetic and molecular biology tools. According to Slotte, "Elucidating the function of genes located in supergenes has long been difficult, as by definition it is challenging to fine-map anything in a non-recombining region, but with the help of new genome editing techniques, this is now becoming increasingly feasible." In particular, Slotte hopes to use a combination of these approaches to study a new supergene target: "I recently got a great opportunity to bring this work to a new level through a Starting Grant from the European Research Council to study the supergene that governs heterostyly in wild flaxseed species (Linum). This work is now ongoing, and I am very excited about using this system to study supergene and plant mating system evolution." Explore further Study shows how a single gene drives aggression in wild songbird More information: Juanita Gutierrez-Valencia et al, The Genomic Architecture and Evolutionary Fates of Supergenes, Genome Biology and Evolution (2021). Juanita Gutierrez-Valencia et al, The Genomic Architecture and Evolutionary Fates of Supergenes,(2021). DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evab057 Provided by SMBE journals (Molecular Biology and Evolution and Genome Biology and Evolution) Ban violators face up to five years in jail. Some people will light candles or turn on their smartphones at home or in places other than Victoria Park. COVID-19 measures will be enforced against the vigil, but not other public events. On the eve of the anniversary, the authorities in mainland China are forcing dissidents to leave Beijing. Hong Kong (AsiaNews) Although they face up to five years in prison, some Hong Kongers are ready to defy a police ban against the Tiananmen massacre vigil next Friday, 4 June, at Victoria Park. Last week, Hong Kong police issue an order forbidding the traditional memorial vigil. As in 2020, COVID-19 and related restrictions were cited as the reason for the prohibition. On 4 June 1989, thousands of Chinese students and ordinary citizens were massacred in Beijings Tiananmen Square for demanding freedom and democracy in the country. Until 2019, the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China organised an annual commemorative vigil. Now the group is the target of pro-Beijing groups in Hong Kong, which are calling for its ban as a subversive entity'; three of its leading figures, Lee Cheuk-yan, Albert Ho, and Richard Tsoi, are either in prison or with a suspended sentence hanging over them for taking part in anti-government demonstrations. This year, the Alliance is not asking the people of the former British colony to give up demonstrating, but is urging them to be careful, given the possible legal consequences of violating the ban. As Albert Ho suggested, activists should light candles or turn on the torch on their smartphones at home or in a place other than Victoria Park. Hong Kongs chief executive, Carrie Lam, refused to answer questions this morning about the ban of the Tiananmen vigil. Local reporters pointed out that anti-coronavirus measures did not prevent recent public events, such as flower and arts fairs. According to critics, COVID-19 prevention is an excuse used by the authorities to repress the pro-democracy movement. The most common slogan associated with the vigil is End one-party rule, a reference to the Chinese Communist Party. Lam did not rule out that the words might violate the draconian national security law Beijing imposed on Hong Kong last year. Concerning the meaning of the slogan, we have to consider in what context the slogan was said and whether it would contravene certain provisions under the law, said the pro-Beijing leader. Meanwhile, in mainland China, the authorities have forced a number of pro-democracy activists and dissidents to leave Beijing and not speak to the press. The gag order goes into effect every year as the anniversary of Tiananmen approaches. Restrictive measures have already been taken against Zha Jianguo, Tan Zuoren, Ji Feng, and Yang Shaozheng, this according to Radio Free Asia and Apple Daily. Adding extra classroom time to the school day may only result in marginal gains for pupils who have lost learning during the COVID pandemic, a study says. The University of Cambridge analysis used five years of government data, collected from more than 2,800 schools in England, to estimate the likely impact of additional classroom instruction on academic progress, as measured at GCSE. It found that even substantial increases in classroom teaching time would likely only lead to small improvements. For example, extending Year 11 pupils' classroom time by one hour per class, in English or maths, was associated with an increase of 0.12 and 0.18 in a school's 'value-added' scorea standard progress measure. This increase appears small, considering that most of the schools in the study had scores ranging between 994 and 1006. The research also investigated the likely impact for disadvantaged pupils, whose education has been hardest hit by school closures. In keeping with the overall results, it again found that more of the same teaching was likely to do relatively little to improve academic outcomes. The study was undertaken by Vaughan Connolly, a doctoral researcher at the Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge. His paper reporting the findings, published in the London Review of Education, suggests that long-term plans to recoup lost learning may be better off focusing on maximizing the value of the existing school day, rather than extending it. "Simply keeping all students in school for longer, in order to do more maths or more English, probably won't improve results much; nor is it likely to narrow the attainment gap for those who have missed out the most," Connolly said. "This evidence suggests that re-evaluating how time is used in schoolsfor example, by trimming subject time and replacing it with sessions focusing on 'learning to learn' skillscould make a bigger difference. Quality is going to matter much more than quantity in the long run." One possible reason why additional instruction time may be relatively ineffective is diminishing returnsnamely, that more contact hours simply increase the burden on both teachers and pupils, preventing them from being at their best. Potentially extending the school day has been widely discussed as one possible component of a forthcoming Government recovery plan for education. While there is international evidence suggesting that additional teaching time only leads to small returns, there had been no large-scale study of this issue in the English school system until now. The Cambridge study used timetable data gathered from 2,815 schools through the School Workforce Census over five years. It tracked the relationship between changes to the amount of instruction time that pupils received in English, maths, science and humanities subjects, and their academic progress. "Progress' was identified using schools' value-added scores. The Government gathers these when pupils sit GCSEs at age 16, by comparing their actual results with predictions made after their primary school SATs at age 11. While the impact of additional classroom tuition on progress varied between subjects and groups, the effects were generally small. For example: one additional hour of instruction for a Year 11 class in English, science, maths, or the humanities, led to an increase in value-added scores of 0.12, 0.09, 0.18 and 0.43 respectively. "At a practical level, this seems small, particularly when considering the cost of such time," the study notes. To examine the potential impact of extra classroom time on less-advantaged students, the study also assessed how far it closed the gap between the value-added scores of students on free school meals, and those of students with middle-ranking prior attainment. The results were again found to be modest. For example, an extra 59 minutes per week in English reduced the attainment gap between these groups by about 6.5%; and an extra 57 minutes per week of maths by about 8%. The findings compare with those of the Education Endowment Foundation's influential Teaching and Learning toolkit, which summarizes international evidence on different teaching interventions and translates their effect sizes into months of progress. It suggests that increased instruction time is likely to lead to two months of progress over an academic year. This compares poorly with the results of other interventions listed in the same document. In this context, the Cambridge study suggests that methods which focus on increasing the quality of learning in the classroom, rather than the amount of time spent there, may prove more fruitful. It echoes recommendations recently made by the Education Policy Institute which called for ambitious levels of investment in a wider-ranging program of catch-up measures. The new study suggests that time could be reallocated during the school day, either to support the continuing professional development of staff, or to provide pupils with additional skills. It also points to research conducted in 2016 in which Key Stage 3 pupils' test scores improved dramatically after a portion of their regular curriculum was replaced with training in metacognitionthe ability to understand how to learn and reason through problems. Other studies, such as a project examining learning recovery after the 2011 earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand, have similarly suggested that supporting schools to better match their curriculum to student needs may have greater effect than extra classroom time. "Rather than extending the school day to offer more instruction, a successful recovery agenda may well be one that tailors support and makes room for a wider range of learning within it, in line with the recent suggestions made by the EPI," Connolly said. "In that sense, less instructional time could actually be more. Certainly, these results suggest that giving children more of the same is unlikely to help if we want to recover what has been lost during the pandemic." Explore further Teaching in English seems to have no negative impact on students' Swedish More information: Vaughan Connolly, Can less be more? Instruction time and attainment in English secondary schools: Evidence from panel data, London Review of Education (2021). Vaughan Connolly, Can less be more? Instruction time and attainment in English secondary schools: Evidence from panel data,(2021). DOI: 10.14324/LRE.19.1.17 Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain A deep analysis of supply chains by researchers in the Lundquist College of Business finds that a firm's role in the chain can have a large influence on borrowing and lending strategies. Businesses typically rely on banks and financial markets for financing, but credit provided by suppliers can also play an important role, especially in manufacturing. Yet why firms lend and borrow extensively from each other is still an open question. In a paper online ahead of print in the Journal of Financial Economics, "Trade Credit and Profitability in Production Networks," Youchang Wu, an associate professor at the University of Oregon, and co-author Michael Gofman, an assistant professor at the University of Rochester, examined trade credit from a new angle. They noted that for an average nonfinancial firm in North America, the outstanding amount of trade credit it receives from suppliers is about 21 percent of annual production costs. Moreover, most firms simultaneously borrow from their suppliers and lend to their customers, with the average outstanding amount of trade credit provided to customers at around 15 percent of annual sales. Previous studies on trade credit, they noted, have focused on a firm's role either as a lender or a borrower of trade credit, ignoring the fact that trade credit flows along supplier-customer links in complex production networks. Using a comprehensive database of supplier-customer relationships from 2003 to 2018, Wu and Gofman analyzed more than 200,000 supply chains formed by more than 5,600 nonfinancial firms. By locating a firm in the supply chain, their study accounts for a firm's dual role as a supplier and a customer. This novel approach allowed the researchers to uncover new details about trade credit within and across supply chains. In particular, they found that within the supply chain, more upstream firms borrow more from suppliers, lend more to customers and hold more net trade credit, despite appearing to have weaker financing capacity than more downstream firms. The length of the supply chains they examined varies significantly. An example of a longer supply chain is one in which Intermolecular Inc. supplies advanced materials to Micron Technology Inc., which creates computer memory and computer data storage that it provides to Nvidia Corp., which uses them to manufacture graphics cards it supplies to Tesla. In contrast, a short supply chain example is one in which Sensata Technology provides sensors directly to Tesla. In longer supply chains, firms tend to be more profitable, and the increase in trade credit provision from the lower to the upper level of the chain is more gradual. Both within and across supply chains, the authors noted that there is an almost 1-to-1 correspondence between the variation in the trade credit a firm provides and the variation in the trade credit it receives. These findings are less consistent with the idea of financially strong firms lending to financially weak firms, an implication of the financing advantage theory. "Our findings are more consistent with the recursive moral hazard theory of trade credit," said Wu, who teaches in the Department of Finance at the Lundquist College of Business and is the John B. Rogers Research Scholar and coordinator of the UO's finance doctoral program. "This theory argues that more upstream firms have more severe incentive problems, especially when they are not that profitable, because the quality of their products is revealed only after a long delay," he said. "Thus, more net trade credit provided by upstream firms helps to align incentives." The authors did, however, find evidence that a firm's provision of trade credit is related to its financial status during an economic downturn. For instance, during the 2008-09 financial crisis, upstream firms experienced a larger decline in profit margins than did downstream firms, and net provision of trade credit dropped significantly, suggesting that financial strength plays a more important role in determining the provision and use of trade credit during a crisis period. Overall, Wu and Gofman's systematic study highlights variations in trade credit practices across firms, which can help both researchers and practitioners better understand the role of trade credit in production networks as well as examine other economic and financial questions related to supply chains. More information: Michael Gofman, Profitability, Trade Credit and Institutional Structure of Production, SSRN Electronic Journal (2013). Journal information: Journal of Financial Economics Michael Gofman, Profitability, Trade Credit and Institutional Structure of Production,(2013). DOI: 10.2139/ssrn.2365995 Roma Earless Dragon (Tympanocryptis wilsoni), described in 2014, restricted to grasslands in the western Darling Downs QLD and has recently been listed as Vulnerable in Queensland. Credit: A. O'Grady, CC-BY Many organisms in need of conservation are still unknown or lumped in with similar species, which potentially interferes with conservation efforts. In a new study published June 1 in the Open Access journal PLOS Biology, Jane Melville of Museums Victoria, and her colleagues present a new "return-on-investment" approach to best direct efforts to identify new species before they are lost. Humans have had a profoundly destructive impact on global biodiversity. However, this loss of biodiversity may be even greater than scientists have realized, due to the unknown number of undocumented species. Before a species and its habitat can be preserved, though, it must first be identified and described by specialized scientists called taxonomists. But with so many species at risk, where should taxonomists focus their limited time and resources? In the new study, researchers devised a method to determine which groups need taxonomic documentation to support conservation efforts. The approach compares the human effort and cost of identifying and classifying a group of species with the likelihood of finding a previously unknown species that is at risk. They demonstrated the usefulness of their approach using a highly diverse group of Australian lizards and snakes. Out of the 870 reptile species they assessed, about one third were poorly classified, and 24 species needed better classification to facilitate conservation. Globally, there is a significant backlog of species awaiting description across most organismal groups, largely due to the lack of resources to undertake taxonomic projects. The new study presents a framework for taxonomists and wildlife managers that can be applied to almost any group to prioritize species needing immediate taxonomic documentation. The researchers hope this approach will help to save more at-risk species before they silently go extinct. Dr. Melville notes, "We can't put effort into conservation of a species if we don't know it exists. Taxonomy allows us to identify these species and put a name to them so we can act before they are lost. Describing these as new species will allow conservation assessments to be undertaken to ensure they can be protected." Explore further Researchers create map of undiscovered life More information: Melville J, Chapple DG, Keogh JS, Sumner J, Amey A, Bowles P, et al. (2021) A return-on-investment approach for prioritization of rigorous taxonomic research needed to inform responses to the biodiversity crisis. PLoS Biol 19(6): e3001210. Journal information: PLoS Biology Melville J, Chapple DG, Keogh JS, Sumner J, Amey A, Bowles P, et al. (2021) A return-on-investment approach for prioritization of rigorous taxonomic research needed to inform responses to the biodiversity crisis.19(6): e3001210. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3001210 Willow invasion on Happy Valley Creek in north east Victoria. Author provided; Happy Valley Creek, Victoria, Author provided Climate change will make Australia hotter and drier in future, and we're starting to see the dangerous consequences of this in our rivers, lakes and streams. As waters warm and flow patterns alter, the animals who call these waterways home may struggle to survive. Many are ectothermsmeaning that unlike humans, these animals can't regulate their body temperature, putting them at the mercy of ambient water temperature. And for animals that have evolved in cold water, such as some native crayfish, increased water temperatures can be lethal. Our new research paper calls for a (possibly controversial) solution: take advantage of willow trees growing along the banks. They can create cool, shady refuges in these warming waterways. Willows are not native and, in many places, are an invasive weed. But for temperature-sensitive animals, their dense, leafy canopy may make willows the lesser of two evils in a warming climate. The lesser evil Willows belong to the genus Salix, and are natives of the northern hemisphere. They were introduced to Australia in the 19th century first as ornamental plants, then later planted to help stabilize river banks to combat erosion. Today, they're considered noxious weeds in Australia, South America and southern Africa, are highly invasive and have spread along waterways throughout temperate Australia. The harms willows inflict on aquatic ecosystems are well documented. For example, they alter energy dynamics in streams by dropping all their leaves into the water at once, which can reduce water quality and the amount of food for animals. Willows along waterways can prevent light from entering streams and cool water temperature. Yackandandah Creek, Victoria. Author provided; Dense shading in summer reduces the amount of algae (an important food source) growing on surfaces in streams. Willows also out-shade and use more water than native plants, stopping them from re-colonizing. These reasons are why governments invest in removing willows from our waterways. But what if willows offer some benefits to their invaded ecosystems, too? Freshwater wildlife in peril As far as we know, the presence of willows hasn't caused any extinctions. But in coming years, we can expect to see more animal extinctions due to temperature increases from climate change. To deal with climate change, temperature-sensitive animals are left with two options: either migrate upstream to cooler water or adapt to warmer water. Both alternatives are problematic. Some animals, such as two-spined blackfish, aren't well suited to (or potentially even capable of) long distance travel to cooler water. And many of our rivers have barriers, such as dams, weirs and waterfalls, making migration impossible. If animals stay put, Australia's climate is now warming at such a fast rate, some may struggle to adapt quickly enough. The critically endangered barred galaxias is another cool water adapted fish unlikely to successfully migrate to other habitats to escape warming climate, but remains at risk if it doesn't. To give wildlife a fighting chance at survival, we need to consider a patchwork of new and alternative approaches to stream management, such as creating "climatic refugia". These are places where local climate is cooler than the regional climate, providing areas animals can escape to when temperatures get extreme. Willow trees can out-shade native plants and stop them from re-colonising. Credit: Shutterstock Trees and shrubs growing along the edges of streams (riparian vegetation) do this when they shade the water surface, helping to mediate water temperature. This could make willows a useful tool for natural resource managers as we see increases in extreme heat days. Happy Valley Creek For our research paper, we use a case study from north-east Victoria to illustrate how dense willow invasions can reduce stream water temperature and create climatic refugia. We logged water temperature in Happy Valley Creek at three locations: at an upstream native forested site, a midstream site with no vegetation, and a downstream site that was heavily shaded by invasive willows. We expected water temperature to increase with distance downstream as it moves from cool upland areas to warmer lowland areas. Instead, we found the water temperature at the willow shaded site could be a few degrees cooler than the midstream site, particularly during periods of extreme heat. Many streams are fringed by native vegetation that provide comparable heat protection to animals as willows, and we should protect these from willow invasion. But in locations where willow removal activities are unlikely to be successful in the long-term, it may be better to prioritize willow removal elsewhere. For example, if willows can't be removed from upstream catchments, they'll continue to recolonise downstream. And if there's no funding for follow-up activities, willows may re-establish following removal. Where willows are rampant, they may already be protecting populations of heat-sensitive animals from temperature extremes. Removing them could have unintended consequences for such animals. Warmer temperatures may cause the populations of some freshwater species, such as the Murray River turtle, to grow. Author provided What's the end goal? It's important to clarify we're not suggesting willow removal activities should stop to prevent further widespread invasion. But as our climate changes, we need to objectively consider what ecosystems will be sustainable in the future, and prioritize our restoration efforts accordingly. We need to decide what state we're trying to manage our ecosystems tothe likely endpoint. Given current river regulations, land-use and changing climate, restoring all ecosystems to a preEuropean state may not be sustainable or even possible at this point. For willow-dominated, degraded catchments, there may be more value in promoting willows as refuges from the temperature extremes of climate change, rather than pursuing an ideal that may not even be possible. Explore further Reintroduction of wolves tied to return of tall willows in Yellowstone National Park This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Genetically identical Arabidopsis seedlings germinating at variable times. Credit: Katie Abley In some environments there is no way for a seed to know for sure when the best time to germinate is. In spring, cues like light, temperature and water may suggest to seeds that conditions are optimal for germination, but a week later an unpredictable drought or frost could kill the emerging seedlings. So how does a plant make sure that all of its offspring are not killed at once by an ill-timed environmental stress following germination? There is evidence that some plant species produce seeds that germinate at different times to hedge their bets against this risk. Many species produce seeds that can enter a dormant state and exist in the soil for several years and some also produce seeds that germinate at different times within a season. This means that if lethal environmental fluctuations do occur, a fraction of a plant's offspring will survive as seeds, which can go on to germinate at another time. This variability in germination time can be seen even with genetically identical seeds grown in an identical environment. In agriculture, the variability in germination time can be a problem when you want to harvest the whole crop at the same time. Instead, farmers have to monitor their crops' maturity, taking measurements from multiple individual plants to estimate when the best time is to harvest. Scientists at the Sainsbury Laboratory Cambridge University (SLCU) used the model plant, thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana), to ask: What makes genetically identical seeds germinate at different times? "We already know that two plant hormonesabscisic acid (ABA) that inhibits germination and gibberellic acid (GA) that promotes germinationinteract with each other to control the decision to germinate, but we wanted to know how this interaction creates variability in germination times between seeds", said Dr. Katie Abley, researcher at SLCU and joint first author of the research published in eLife. "By measuring the levels of variability in germination times for hundreds of genetically distinct strains of Arabidopsis, we were able to identify two regions of DNA (genetic loci) that control how variable germination time is. Both loci contain genes that influence how sensitive seeds are to ABA and testing mutants of these genes provided evidence that they regulate variability in germination timing." Using this new information, the researchers generated a mathematical model of the ABA-GA network to understand how the interactions between ABA and GA could cause a batch of identical seeds to have a range of germination times. They wanted to understand how the network could give rise to different levels of variability in germination time. "We found that changing ABA sensitivity in the model replicated the experimental germination time distributions that we observed", explained Dr. Pau Formosa-Jordan, joint first author and now research group leader at Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research in Cologne, Germany. "In the model, groups of seeds with higher sensitivity to ABA germinate in a more spread-out way because, upon sowing, each one of these seeds relies on stochastic fluctuations in the ABA-GA network to switch from a non-germination state to a germination statewhich is known as a bistable switch behavior. Yet, seeds with lower sensitivity to ABA more rapidly and synchronously get to the germination state after being sown, without the need for the stochastic fluctuations. Our stochastic model suggests an ABA-GA bistable switch can generate variability in germination times, with the germination time being influenced by stochastic fluctuations in the levels of hormones." While the researchers expect there to be other genetic and biophysical effects at play that affect variability in germination time, their findings show that this plant trait is genetically controlled and high or low variability in germination times could, therefore, be specifically selected for in crop breeding programs or to rehabilitate natural areas with highly variable environments. Explore further Key factor affecting seed germination of two pine species in Yunnan: Moisture More information: Katie Abley et al, An ABA-GA bistable switch can account for natural variation in the variability of Arabidopsis seed germination time, eLife (2021). Journal information: eLife Katie Abley et al, An ABA-GA bistable switch can account for natural variation in the variability of Arabidopsis seed germination time,(2021). DOI: 10.7554/eLife.59485 The authors of the study: Dr. John Shaw (associate professor, geosciences), Kashauna Mason (BS math and physics '19), Dr. Hongbo Ma (post-doctoral scholar), Gordon W. McCain III (MS geology, 2016). Credit: University of Arkansas In "Atchafalaya," John McPhee's essay in the 1989 book "The Control of Nature," the author chronicles efforts by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to prevent the Atchafalaya River from changing the course of the Mississippi River where they diverge, due to the Atchafalaya's steeper gradient and more direct route to the gulf. McPhee's classic essay proved inspirational to John Shaw, an assistant professor of geosciences who called it "a foundational text." Indeed, his latest work adds to the story. In a recent paper published in the American Geophysical Union's journal, Water Resources Research, Shaw and his fellow researchers, Kashauna G. Mason, Hongbo Ma and Gordon W. McClain III, examine the critical period before the decision was made in 1950 to create a river control system at the junction of the two rivers to get a clearer understanding of the rivers' natural stateand how regulation might be fine-tuned moving forward to preserve Louisiana coastlands. The paper, "Influences on Discharge Partitioning on a Large River Delta: Case Study of the Mississippi-Atchafalaya Diversion, 19261950," seeks to resolve lingering questions about the rate at which the Atchafalaya River captured water from the Mississippi River and the degree to which it would have changed the course of the river. "You basically have two conduits to the ocean, and you can think of them as competing for water and sediment. You've got the Mississippi and the Atchafalayaanything to widen or grow one branch will pull more water from the other," Shaw said. "More and more water was going down the Atchafalaya, so that was what everybody focused on." By looking at old Army Corps of Engineers surveys, McCain and Mason were able to painstakingly digitize more than 100,000 data points, bringing historic measurements into the modern field. From this, Ma and Shaw were able to model the hydrodynamic flow through the channel network. An unexpected finding was that while the Atchafalaya was widening, increasing its flow, the Mississippi was widening, too, just not as fast the Atchafalaya. "That's really interesting," Shaw explained, "because I think most people assumed the Mississippi was shrinking simply because the Atchafalaya was expanding." In short, the situation may not have been as dire as initially thought. Ultimately, the team found that erosion of the upper Atchafalaya accounted for about 73 percent of the increased water flow, while dredging of the lower part of the river accounted for the remainder, meaning the increased flow was a product of both natural and man-made forces. While man-made controls on the flow are secondary, they weren't properly understood at the time McPhee wrote "Atchafalaya." Why is this important to know? As Shaw explains it, Louisiana is slowly being submerged due to rising sea levels and human impact on the river system. Billions of dollars are being spent to prevent that from happening. The Atchafalaya-Mississippi Diversion is the linchpin to controlling where water and sediment go, whether down one river or the other, and determining which marshes will be nourished by sediment. Hundreds of megatons of sediment come down the Mississippi every year, and if more goes down the Atchafalaya, that impacts the Mississippi and the coastline it shapes. The ultimate goal of the research is to better understand how these rivers are being regulated and what would happen in the absence of regulation. By focusing on the years between 1926-1950, Shaw and his team are seeking to find a clearer picture of what the river looked like before regulation beganand how it might be fine-tuned moving forward. This research was funded by a Department of Energy grant to understand river channel dynamics along coastlines. Now that the paper is done, Shaw wants to send a copy to McPhee, a professor emeritus at Princeton. "I just want to let him know this was inspired by him," he said, "maybe not written so well, but it updates the story he broke to the world in the 80s." Explore further New study calls for old methods of coastal management More information: John B. Shaw et al, Influences on Discharge Partitioning on a Large River Delta: Case Study of the MississippiAtchafalaya Diversion, 19261950, Water Resources Research (2021). Journal information: Water Resources Research John B. Shaw et al, Influences on Discharge Partitioning on a Large River Delta: Case Study of the MississippiAtchafalaya Diversion, 19261950,(2021). DOI: 10.1029/2020WR028090 Outline of the mission of the small recovery capsule being developed by JAXA. Credit: JAXA The International Space Station (ISS) is not only the largest and most sophisticated orbiting research facility ever built, it is arguably the most important research facility we have. With its cutting-edge facilities and microgravity environment, the ISS is able to conduct lucrative experiments that are leading to advances in astrobiology, astronomy, medicine, biology, space weather and meteorology, and materials science. Unfortunately, the cost of transporting experiments to and from the ISS is rather expensive and something only a handful of space agencies are currently able to do. To address this, the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Tiger Corporation partnered in 2018 to create a new type of container that would cut the cost of returning samples to Earth. With the success of their initial design, JAXA and Tiger are looking to create a reusable version that will allow for regular sample returns from the ISS. Established in 1923, Tiger is an international corporation based in Osaka, Japan, that specializes in vacuum insulation and related technologies. This technology, which the company has used for decades to create insulated water bottles, also has applications for space exploration. In recent years, JAXA began investigating the technology to create storage containers that could keep experimental samples cool during their return to Earth. In September 2018, JAXA launched the Kounotori 7 (HTV-7) mission, the seventh flight of the H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV). While transporting supplies to the ISS, JAXA decided to use this flight to validate a new method for transporting samples of protein crystals (which were part of a growth experiment conducted inside Japan's Kibo Laboratory Module) back from the ISS. This consisted of a special sample container (NPL-A100) co-developed by JAXA and Tiger that was placed inside the HTV Small Re-entry Capsule (HSRC). Since the re-entry capsule was too small to rely on an electrical cooling system, JAXA and Tiger needed a sample container that relied on "passive insulation" methods to keep its contents at stable temperatures. Components of the payload container presented before journalists after the Kounotori 7 mission. Credit: JAXA In the end, they used the same technology Tiger relies on to create stainless steel thermal bottles to develop a double-walled, vacuum-insulated vessel that weighed about 9.7 kg (21.4 lb). As Keiji Nakai, who is the manager of the Product Development Group (3rd section) at Tiger explained to Universe Today via email, the container had to meet some very strict requirements: "The double-walled, vacuum container for this mission had to maintain the temperature inside the container at 4 degrees Celsius 2 degrees Celsius (39.2 F 3.6 F) over the course of four or more days and protect the container from the enormous 40G impact when landing in the ocean upon returning to Earth." A number of cold packs were also included in the capsule to ensure that the container's temperature remained stable. The mission was a success and represented a major milestone for JAXA, which previously did not have the option of independently recovering materials from the ISS. Like many space agencies taking part in the ISS, JAXA had been dependent on Roscosmos and NASA to provide transportation services. The next step in the JAXA-Tiger collaboration involves the creation of a smaller, lighter, and more durable container that can keep samples stable at lower temperatures and for longer. But the most stringent requirement is that it must be durable enough to be used more than once. Said the representatives at Tiger, these and other specifications have gone into the design of the second generation NPS-A100 container: "We have reduced the weight of the container from 9.7 kg (21.4 lb) to nearly 3 kg (6.6 lb) while also making it more compact. With the addition of ice packs, it will maintain temperatures inside of 20 degrees Celsius 2 degrees Celsius (68 F 3.6 F) for at least twelve days, from the time the re-entry capsule leaves the ISS to when it lands back on Earth. We have also made the container more durable so it lasts at least three years or six missions." The NPS-A100 is likely to be transported to the ISS as part of the CRS-22 commercial resupply mission that is scheduled for early June and will involve a SpaceX Crew Dragon transporting supplies and experiments to the ISS. Once again, the container technology will be used to return protein crystals that are part of ongoing biomedical research taking place in the Kibo Laboratory inside the ISS's Japanese Experiment Module (JEM). This research is leading to advances in the field of medicine and the development of new cures and medicines. Beyond sample containers, the technology resulting from this collaboration also has numerous commercial and industrial applications. These include transportation solutions for medical samples and reagents that require storage under strict temperature conditions. It could also lead to new applications for thermal management in electric and hybrid cars. But perhaps the most interesting application is in the development of next-generation building materials that could provide high levels of insulation in extreme environmentssuch as Antarctica (where research stations need to conserve heat) and even on the moon and Mars. "The potential applications of our vacuum insulation technology are limitless," states Tiger on their website. "This technology will support cutting-edge fields in every industry, helping them lead us towards a dynamic, exciting future." Update: It has since been confirmed that the new vacuum container will be launched aboard a Crew Dragon spacecraft on June 3rd to the ISS, as part of the CRS-22 cargo resupply mission. The Tiger Corporation also plans to launch a new line of products for the US market, which is tentatively planned for September. Explore further Black 'sand-like' asteroid dust found in box from Japan probe Spin structure (thick arrows) around a spherical nanosized hole or pore (in blue) in a magnetic matrix (in light grey). Magnetic SANS can detect and analyse such structures. Credit: University of Luxembourg Professor Andreas Michels, physicist at the University of Luxembourg, explores the complex world of magnetic materials by shooting neutrons on them. He has now published his insights in a 380-page monograph titled "Magnetic Small-Angle Neutron Scattering A Probe for Mesoscale Magnetism Analysis." The book is published by Oxford University Press. Being the result of more than two decades of experimental, theoretical, and simulation research, Prof. Andreas Michels has now written the first book dedicated exclusively to the specific neutron technique of magnetic small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). "Whenever you want to know where magnetic atoms are located in a material and how they move, you have to use neutron scattering," says Prof. Andreas Michels. The neutron is an elementary particle which carries a magnetic moment or spin. As such, one can think of the neutron as a tiny compass needle, which, when deflected or scattered by a magnet, yields information on the structure and dynamics of the atoms composing the material. The quantity of interest in a neutron-scattering experiment, the so-called scattering cross section, depends on the distribution of spins of the studied material and its analysis provides important information on the magnetic properties. Prof. Michels continues "The magnetic SANS method is indispensable in the study of magnetic materials; one can use it to investigate everything from permanent magnets, magnetic steels, complex oxides and alloys, ferrofluids, magnetic nanoparticles, to superconductors and the recently discovered skyrmion crystals." The reason for its importance in condensed-matter and materials physics resides in the fact that magnetic SANS provides, quite uniquely, access to the so-called mesoscopic length scale, i.e., the scale between a few nanometers and a few hundred of nanometersroughly between the size of a strand of human DNA to about one hundredth of the width of a human hair. This is a very important size regime on which many macroscopic material properties are realised. The SANS method is particularly useful for materials scientists to help them understand the magnets they produce in their labs. "For example, one can use the magnetic SANS technique to decide whether a particular material is composed of homogeneous or inhomogeneous magnetic domains; these are regions inside the magnet where the spins point into a certain direction," explains Prof. Michels. This question is of relevance for improving the characteristic parameters such as the coercivity or the maximum energy product of rare-earth-free permanent magnets, a class of magnetic energy materials which is currently in the focus of many researchers worldwide. Another example relates to the mechanical properties of steel, which is probably one of the oldest and most important functional magnetic materials. The mechanical hardness of reactor pressure vessel steel, used in nuclear power plants, is decisively determined by the presence of voids (pores). The figure below depicts the numerically computed spin structure around a spherical nanopore; the formalism of the book allows one to detect their signature in the neutron scattering cross section. The book has emerged by "marrying" two relatively old fields in physicsthe theory of micromagnetics on the one hand side and neutron-scattering formalism on the other hand side. Micromagnetics is commonly used to analyze the magnetization distribution or hysteresis loop of magnetic materials, while neutron scattering is employed to obtain microscopic information on the structure and dynamics of materials. "Before, micromagnetics and neutron scattering were two disjunct communities who did not talk much to each other," adds Michels. With the publication of the book, and through the organization of international workshops such as the one at the European Spallation Source in Lund, it is hoped that the combined micromagnetics & SANS methodology is becoming more widespread, so that research on magnetic materials can further progress. Looking forward, what are the challenges for the years to come? Clearly, much research needs to be carried out on so-called complex systems, which are materials exhibiting a multitude of interactions on different length scales; examples are ferrofluids, magnetic steels, spin glasses or amorphous magnets. It is this subfield where major progress is expected to be made in the coming years; mainly via the increased usage of large-scale numerical micromagnetic simulations, which is a very promising approach for the understanding of the magnetic SANS from systems exhibiting nanoscale spin inhomogeneity. The book's target audience consists of graduate students as well as postdocs and senior researchers working in the field of magnetism and magnetic materials. The formalism and concepts that are laid out in the book will hopefully enable them to analyze and interpret their SANS experiments." explains Professor Andreas Michels. "It took me about three years to write the book, and I am now more than happy to see its publication," says Michels. The monograph is available as a hardcover edition and as e-book, and can be ordered in bookstores around the world. Explore further Scientists study neutron scattering for researching magnetic materials Viru test site using the Canadian peat moss application method (right) and control patch (left) where not used. Credit: Tallinn University Estonia has almost 10,000 ha of peat production land that has lain abandoned since the Soviet era, as well as peatland that is in use at present for peat production but whose resources will be exhausted in the near future. There are also 160,000 ha of peatland that have been drained for forestry. The findings from the research conducted by Tallinn University doctoral student Anna-Helena Purre are able to be put to practical use in planning and carrying out the restoration of peatlands and thereafter in evaluating the success of the restoration. What makes these activities topical is the fact that a lot of attention will be directed to ecological restoration from 2021-2030, which the United Nations has named the UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration. The water level in bogs in their natural state is constantly high and the vegetation that grows in them is accustomed to such conditionsthe synergy between them storing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere into the peat in these areas. As a result of draining peatlands, the bogs lose their distinctive vegetation and these areas instead become a source of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ). This can be alleviated by ecologically restoring the areas. Purre's thesis examines the vegetation and exchange of carbon dioxide on peatlands where peat was previously produced or that have been drained for forestry. She compares these results to the vegetation and carbon dioxide flow in undisturbed bogs, assessing the success rate of restoration in restored areas in terms of bog structure (abundance of vegetation) and function (storing CO 2 in peat or emitting it into the atmosphere). She also investigates the growth of vegetation and the successfulness of restoration in restored peat production areas dependent on the restoration methods used in experimental sites (species of peat mosses and the density of their spreading, plus reprofiling and fertilizing of the peat surface) and the characteristics of residual peat in the experimental sites. Purre concludes that forest drainage areas which were restored 5-10 years before the measurements were similar to undisturbed bogs in terms of structure and function, but at the same time that recovery was slower in peat production areas. "That result was somewhat expected, because in peat production areas, restoration starts with the bare peat surface and then moves towards the ecological community," she explains. "In forestry drainage, on the other hand, the vegetation already exists and begins to develop after restoration from the vegetation being dry and shade tolerant plant communities to more open and wet plant communities." Purre adds that the carbon dioxide sink function of peatland tends to recover more quickly in restored areas, whereas the development of peatland-specific vegetation needs more time. During her research she determined the impact of different methods of peatland restoration for the peat production areas on the success of restoration and assessed the viability of the moss-layer-transfer-technique developed in Canada in Estonian conditions. The research contributed to the collection of data regarding the CO 2 fluxes. Although previously greenhouse gases fluxes have been measured in the Baltic States using the opaque-chamber method, with which it is only possible to assess the amount of CO 2 being emitted into the atmosphere through the ecosystem respiration, the data published in this thesis about natural bogs and restored peatlands with forest drainage are the first in the Baltic States to evaluate the entire exchange of CO 2 of the ecological community, taking into consideration the amount of CO 2 bind via photosynthesis, by measuring this with transparent chambers. "This is very important, since bogs in their natural state mainly store carbon dioxide, slowly bringing down the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and mitigating climate change," Purre adds. "For this reason, it is important to know when and how this function will be restored on disturbed peatlands that have undergone restoration." Measurement of carbon dioxide. Credit: Timo Penttila Explore further How scientists are restoring boreal peatlands to help keep carbon in the ground Provided by Estonian Research Council Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain South East Queensland's eucalypt trees can provide everything from medicines to tools, traps and building materials, according to rediscovered records of regional Indigenous knowledge. The University of Queensland's Associate Professor Rod Fensham has cross-referenced species data with the records of Gairabau, a Dungidau man, and German explorer Ludwig Leichhardt, who traveled with Aboriginal people through the region in the mid-nineteenth century. Dr. Fensham has verified his findings with contemporary Indigenous community members, and said he was blown away by the versatility of eucalypts in the south east corner. "Our local eucalypts are an incredible resource, once used for utensils, dyes, medicine, chewing gum, fish traps, embalming, smoke signaling and also playing a role in the 'bush calendar,'" Dr. Fensham said. "The swollen trunks of Angophora and ironbarks contained lifesaving water, water which was even reported to be an appetite suppressant. "Eucalyptus crebra was turned into an ash that was applied to women's breasts to purify breastmilk and the gum from Corymbia citriodora was used to treat toothache. "Many of these insightsand dozens morehave never before been published, with records just sitting in storage." One critical resource was the diaries and letters of Ludwig Leichhardt, who first arrived in Moreton Bay in June 1843. For nine months, the German botanist traveled extensivelyfrom the Mary Valley in the north, to Fassifern in the south and the Great Dividing Range in the Westlearning from his Indigenous guides. "Leichhardt's guides meticulously explained how to identify eucalypts, not only the bark, but also the number of flowers, leaf shape, the leaf venation, the angularity of the juvenile stems, habitat associations, you name it," Dr. Fensham said. "Very few of the local eucalypts had been formally described with scientific names at that point, so Leichhardt diligently recorded their Aboriginal names. "By reviewing these records, we're finally able to associate the Indigenous names of the eucalypts with their current scientific namesit's a boost for botanists in this part of Australia." A 1957 interview with Gairabau, a Dungidau (the Kilcoy region) man with the Western name Willie Mackenzie, was another critical resource. "Gairabau was an incredibly knowledgeable man, providing great verification and insight to our other records," Dr. Fensham said. "He was fluent in the Wakka dialect, Duungidjawu, and born near Kilcoy around 1880. "His Country overlapped with some of the areas in south-east Queensland where Leichhardt traveled with his informants. "The deep knowledge of Gairabau and his ancestors before himdeveloped over tens of thousands of yearsis incredibly valuable, so it's fantastic we're now able to better integrate it with contemporary scientific discovery." The research was published in the Australian Journal of Botany. Explore further Over 100 eucalypt tree species newly recommended for threatened listing More information: Roderick J. Fensham, Leichhardt's ethnobotany for the eucalypts of south-east Queensland, Australian Journal of Botany (2021). Roderick J. Fensham, Leichhardt's ethnobotany for the eucalypts of south-east Queensland,(2021). DOI: 10.1071/BT21007 The history of Dutch missionaries is at the heart of a book by Mathias Hariyadi. Between 1949 and 2003, the nuns served in Kalimantan, one of West Borneos remotest areas. The health and educational facilities they build are a precious contribution to the local Church. Jakarta (AsiaNews) More than 70 years after they arrived in Indonesia, the memory of the missionaries of the Order of St Augustine (Augustinian nuns) remains alive in the Diocese of Ketapang. Present in the area from 1949 to 2003, their story is at the heart of Mathias Hariyadi and his co-author Royani Ping's new book: Jalan Berlumpur, Sungai Beriam: OSA Membangun Ketapang (The Muddy Road, the Clear-Water Rivers: The Order of St Augustine and the Development of Ketapang). The Diocese of Ketapang is in West Kalimantan, a province in the Indonesian part of Kalimantan Island (Borneo), and can be reached only during the rainy season, when river levels rise allowing navigation with motor boats. During the dry season, short paved roads dot the landscape, while muddy trails are littered with rocks and crocodiles. If the area is still inaccessible today, imagine how it was in 1949 when the first group of Augustinian nuns arrived in Ketapang from the Netherlands, three years after three Dutch missionaries from the Congregation of the Passion of Jesus Christ (Passionists) set up the first Catholic mission. Two of them, Fathers Raphael Kleyne and Caspar Ridder van der Schueren, died in 1952 due to the difficult conditions in the region. One day their boat was stranded in the Pesaguhan River because of the rocky bottom, with the engine not working, the boat overturned and floated away down the river. Only the Dutch nurse who was with them managed to survive thanks to a tree trunk in which her hair had become entangled. This was a blow to the mission. Father Raphael Kleyne led it, and Fr Van der Schueren delivered clean water by boat every afternoon to the missionary nuns. This and other stories are described in the book, which is the product of meticulous research in the archives of the congregation of the Augustinian nuns as well as interviews with the members of the mission. Reading the book, we discover that the first seeds of Christianity came to the region thanks to three cloth merchants from the Shantou region in mainland China. One of them, Tan A Hak, travelled daily to remote areas in Ketapang and reported to the Apostolic Vicar of Dutch Borneo that some indigenous groups were interested in Christianity. In 1955, the first vocational course was introduced, with the first four ethnic Dayak novices. In 2003, having reached an advanced age, the Dutch missionaries of the Order of St. Augustine returned to their convent in Heemstede (Netherlands). Sister Dionee Appelman, 80, was the last Sister to leave for Indonesia in 1979, and the last one to return to her country of origin. We were getting older and we didnt want to bother our Indonesian Sisters to take care of us, she told AsiaNews. Hence, we left the mission to retire to our own country without bothering others in Indonesia. Some 21 Dutch nuns were involved in the ministry in the Diocese of Ketapang over this period of time, improving healthcare and education. Even after all these years, their precious contribution continues to be maintained by the local Church. Sanaria Abbas Jaafer Alallaq, PhD student at Umea Plant Science Centre, UPSC, Umea University. Credit: Eva-Maria Diehl Many plants can easily be regenerated and multiplied using cuttings. Crucial is that the cutting can initiate the formation of roots, a process called adventitious rooting. Sanaria Abbas Jaafer Alallaq showed in her Ph.D. thesis that some of the molecular regulators that control the initiation of adventitious roots in plants are similar in non-woody and woody plants like Norway spruce and poplar. She will defend her Ph.D. thesis at Umea University on Thursday 3 June. Several economically and ecologically valuable tree species are difficult to multiply via cuttings because their cuttings do not form roots. Sanaria Abbas Jaafer Alallaq did her Ph.D. in Catherine Bellini's group at the Umea Plant Science Centre and used the knowledge that her group and other researchers acquired with the non-woody plant thale cress. She studied how this knowledge translates to the woody species Norway spruce and poplar. Her results demonstrated that the initiation of adventitious roots is regulated in Norway spruce seedlings and poplar cuttings in a similar manner like in thale cressat least for the key regulatory factors light and the plant hormones, auxin, cytokinin and jasmonate. "Adventitious root initiation is a complex developmental program governed by a plethora of external and internal factors including plant hormones and light. The exact molecular mechanisms underlying this process are still largely elusive especially with respect to trees," says Sanaria Abbas Jaafer Alallaq. "The recent availability of the reference genomes of some tree species such as Norway spruce or poplar make it possible to tackle adventitious root initiation from an evolutionary developmental perspective which we believed was a timely step." For her experiments, Sanaria Abbas Jaafer Alallaq grew Norway spruce seedlings from seeds and removed the roots when they were three weeks old to see under which conditions, they regenerate adventitious roots. When kept under normal white light conditions, the de-rooted seedlings did not regenerate easily adventitious roots but under red light conditions, hundred percent of the seedlings rapidly developed adventitious roots. Sanaria Abba Jaafer Alallaq and her colleagues analyzed the concentration of plant hormones in the cutting base of the de-rooted Norway spruce seedlings and found higher levels of the plant hormones cytokinin and jasmonate in the seedlings grown under white light conditions. "These two plant hormones hinder the formation of adventitious roots also in thale cress while auxin is known to stimulate adventitious rooting," explains Sanaria Abbas Jaafer Alallaq. "We wanted to understand more how similar the regulation is on the molecular and genetic level. Norway spruce still has its limitations to do these studies even though its genome has been sequenced. That is why we included poplar in our studies which offers currently many more possibilities to study for example gene expression." Sanaria Abbas Jaafer Alallaq compared hybrid poplar and hybrid aspen, two closely related poplar species with different ability to form adventitious roots. She took cuttings from three-month-old trees grown in the greenhouse and placed them in nutrient solution. The cuttings of hybrid poplar easily formed adventitious roots, while the hybrid aspen cuttings did not root under these conditions. Sanaria Abbas Jaafer Alallaq analyzed the gene expression in the base of the cuttings and saw that many more genes were activated in hybrid poplar than in hybrid aspen. She identified many key genes that are involved in the regulation of auxin in hybrid poplar while genes involved in the biosynthesis of jasmonate were activated in hybrid aspen. "This confirmed that also in poplar cuttings auxin and jasmonate have opposite effects on the initiation of adventitious roots and that at least some of the underlying regulatory mechanisms were conserved during evolution," says Sanaria Abbas Jaafer Alallaq. "These results from our basic research are small steps that hopefully help in future to improve adventitious rooting of horticultural and forest species." Explore further New insights into regulation of root initiation More information: Characterization of adventitious root formation in Populus species and Norway spruce. Characterization of adventitious root formation in Populus species and Norway spruce. umu.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2 %3A1548864&dswid=9488 Credit: Pohang University of Science & Technology (POSTECH) Mussels survive by sticking to rocks in the fierce waves or tides underwater. Materials mimicking this underwater adhesion are widely used for skin or bone adhesion, for modifying the surface of a scaffold, or even in drug or cell delivery systems. However, these materials have not entirely imitated the capabilities of mussels. A joint research team from POSTECH and Kangwon National University (KNU)led by Professor Hyung Joon Cha and Ph.D. candidate Mincheol Shin of the Department of Chemical Engineering at POSTECH with Professor Young Mee Jeong and Dr. Yeonju Park of the Department of Chemistry at KNUhas analyzed Dopa and lysine, which are the amino acids that make up the surface adhesive proteins secreted by mussels, and verified that their roles are related to their location. The team has taken a step closer to revealing the secret of underwater adhesion by uncovering that these amino acids can contribute to surface adhesion and cohesion differently depending on their specific location. The characteristic of mussel adhesive proteins that have been mimicked so far is that they contain a large number of a unique amino acid called Dopa. Dopa is a modified amino acid with one more hydroxyl group attached to tyrosine, and research on underwater adhesion started with the fact that Dopa makes up a large component of the adhesive protein. However, the research team questioned the fact that this excellent underwater adhesion of mussels is enabled by only one molecule and focused on observing the number and location of lysine, which is an amino acid as frequently occurring as Dopa. As a result, the research team uncovered that Dopa and lysine are attached to each other with about half the probability. On the other hand, it was revealed that unlike what has been known so far, when Dopa and lysine are attached together, they do not always produce positive synergy. The researchers confirmed that in the case of the cation- interaction, negative synergy is rather produced. When Dopa and lysine are together, a difference in the density of water molecules occurs at the microscopic level and the concentration of water molecules around Dopa is lowered. This lowered concentration enables a difference in the hydrogen bonding strength between the benzene ring and the hydroxyl group of Dopa, thereby lowering the structural stability of the cation- complex. Using Raman spectroscopy, the research team confirmed that the CH 2 group located in the lysine chain situated close to Dopa and catechol of the adjacent Dopa form an intramolecular interaction, thereby lowering its stability. The findings of this study make it possible to confirm how adhesive protein of mussels was designed, and it shows promise to be applicable for research on adhesive proteins of other organisms in the future. "With this new discovery on the synergy between Dopa and lysine, which are known to always play a positive role in underwater adhesion, it will change the framework of the way adhesive materials are designed," remarked Professor Hyung Joon Cha who led the research. This research, which was recently published in Chemistry of Materials, was conducted as a part of the study titled "Understanding the underwater adhesion mechanism of adhesive organisms: controlling the balance between surface adhesion and cohesion," which is a Mid-career Researcher Program of the Ministry of Science and ICT and the National Research Foundation of Korea. Explore further Incorporation of DOPA into engineered mussel glue proteins More information: Mincheol Shin et al, Two Faces of AmineCatechol Pair Synergy in Underwater Cation Interactions, Chemistry of Materials (2021). Journal information: Chemistry of Materials Mincheol Shin et al, Two Faces of AmineCatechol Pair Synergy in Underwater Cation Interactions,(2021). DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemmater.1c00079 Provided by Pohang University of Science & Technology (POSTECH) Fig.1 Generation and manipulation of supermode Raman laser in a microcavity. Credit: Peking University Stimulated scattering in supermode microcavities, such as Raman or Brillouin lasers, has shown unprecedented merit for precision measurements by exploiting the beat note in their lasing spectra. This beat note corresponds to the energy splitting of supermodes and is highly sensitive to any external perturbations. However, a pivotal question has puzzled the researchers for two decades: are these supermode microcavity lasers single or dual modes? Now, a research team led by Professor Xiao Yunfeng at Peking University has revealed the lasing dynamics of a stimulated scattering laser in a supermode microcavity, and experimentally demonstrated its single-mode nature. This work has been published online in PNAS. The paradox arises from the contradiction between the laser theory and experimental observations. On the one hand, due to the homogeneous gain, the pump field should always be clamped after the laser emits, leading to a single-mode laser. On the other hand, however, the widely observed beat notes provided evidences for dual-mode lasing. "This beating phenomenon really contradicts what we have learnt from the textbook, but it does exist," said Cao Qitao, a Boya postdoctoral researcher at Peking university, "so we think there must be some physics hidden." The researchers used surface scattering to construct a pair of supermodes in a whispering-gallery microcavity (Fig.1), and generated an ultralow-threshold Raman laser. Then, they adopted an add-drop coupling structure to directly acquire the intracavity pump power, by which the clamping effect of the pump field is observed for the first time (Fig.2). Moreover, with the help of a heterodyne method, the measured side mode suppression ratio (SMSR) is characterized to be over 30 dB, so that the single-mode characteristic of the Raman laser in supermode microcavity is unambiguously demonstrated. "To reveal the underlying physics of the previously observed beating phenomenon, we utilized the self-injection method to modulate the mode losses of the two supermodes," said Zhang Peiji, a Ph.D. student at Peking University. Experimentally, self-injection was introduced by a weak reflectance on the output laser, and part of the output laser is injected back into cavity to interfere with the intracavity laser field. With the self-injection method, the previously observed periodic beating phenomenon emerged in the time domain (Fig.2). Further theoretical analysis reveals that the previously reported beatnote arises from the transient interference during the switching process between the supermode lasers, rather than the simultaneous lasing of the two supermodes. Application-wise, this self-injection method may contribute to the selective generation of near-degenerate lasers and the improvement of their SMSR. "Our results have clearly elucidated the long-existing debate on the lasing spectrum paradox of stimulated scattering in supermode microcavities," said Professor Xiao. "Besides, this work provides an insightful guidance for microlaser-based precision measurements and paves the way to reconfigurable light sources and low-power-consumption optical memories." Fig.2 Left: clamping effect of the pump field. Right: beating phenomenon of output Raman laser with self-injection in time domain. Credit: Peking University Credit: Christiane Kunath An interdisciplinary research team from TU Dresden at the Chair of Network Dynamics headed by Prof. Marc Timme has studied people's motivation to use "shared mobility" offers. In ride-sharing, trips of two or more customers with similar origins and destinations are combined into a single cab ride. The concept can make a significant contribution to sustainable urban mobility. However, its acceptance depends on human needs and behavior. For example, while shared rides typically offer a financial advantage, passengers might suffer drawbacks in terms of comfort and trip duration. These factors give rise to different adoption behaviors that explain usage patterns observed in 360 million real-world ride requests from New York City and Chicago in 2019. The study has now been published in the journal Nature Communications. Ride-sharing (or ride-pooling) is most efficient in places with high demand and a large number of similar ride requests. Still, it has been difficult to answer if and under what conditions people are actually willing to adopt ride-sharing. In their study, the researchers decipher the complex incentive structure underlying the decision of whether or not to adopt ride-sharing. In a game-theoretic model, they describe the sharing adoption of all users who book rides from the same location. The researchers demonstrate how interactions between those individuals lead to two qualitatively different patterns of acceptance. In one, willingness to share rides is consistently high. In the other case, however, the willingness to share rides decreases as the overall demand for rides increases. If there are only few users in the system, the number of ride-sharing bookings increases with the number of ride requests, yet if there are many users, the usage levels out. The relative amount of shared ride requests therefore decreasesdespite optimized routing with shorter detours for the passengers when demand is high. "Passengers speculate on being able to take advantage of the cheaper fare when sharing a ride, but they actually hope to be transported alone and thus directly from A to B due to low demand for rides," explains David Storch, a doctoral student at the Chair of Network Dynamics and lead author of the study. When demand is high, for example during typical rush hours, the prospect of being transported as a single passenger is lower"Passengers almost certainly lose comfort as they share a ride. They tend to book the more expensive fare more often to travel alone." In an analysis of more than 360 million real trip requests in New York City and Chicago, the researchers were able to identify the demand patterns they had previously found in their model, supporting the validity of their findings. The analysis shows that depending on the starting point of the trip, both adoption patterns exist in parallel in the two cities. Malte Schroder, research associate at the Chair, interprets the results as follows: "Since both adoption patterns coexist in cities, a moderate increase of the financial incentives is probably already sufficient to strongly increase the acceptance of ride-sharing in other places and for other user groups." Explore further Lyft and Uber out to be everyday rides with passes More information: David-Maximilian Storch et al, Incentive-driven transition to high ride-sharing adoption, Nature Communications (2021). Journal information: Nature Communications David-Maximilian Storch et al, Incentive-driven transition to high ride-sharing adoption,(2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23287-6 Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Up to three quarters of the biodiversity living on Western Australia's iconic ironstone mountains in the State's Mid West (known as Banded Iron Formations) could be difficult or impossible to return quickly to its previous state after the landscape has been mined, a Curtin University study has found. The research published in Ecology and Evolution, discovered that the plant ecosystems are well-adapted to the characteristics of the region's ancient and nutrient-poor soilsand that the very different features of mined landscapes mean many native species are unlikely to be returned by rehabilitation. Lead researcher Dr. Adam Cross from Curtin's School of Molecular and Life Sciences said the elevation and different habitats offered by Banded Iron Formations (BIF) in an otherwise dry, mostly flat landscape, make them a sponge for biodiversitybut that their iron-rich rock made them increasingly attractive to iron-ore miners. "Unfortunately, the chemical characteristics of some tailings and other by-products produced by mines can be more similar to material on the moon than to the ancient, highly-weathered soils of BIF, and this presents a really challenging, hostile environment for many native plant species," Dr. Cross said. The Mid West region is known for its BIF ranges, which Dr. Cross describes as stunning natural 'museums," that host much of the regional florist biodiversity. He said almost every plant species from the surrounding landscape can be found on themas well as some unique species found nowhere else. "These collections of species have accumulated over very long periods of time, and the increased pressure to mine BIF is putting the biodiversity at risk. Once BIF are gone, that's itwe cannot recreate these iconic landforms, and our study suggests that, even if we could, the post-mining environment likely wouldn't support many of the species that used to call them home." "BIF harbour such biodiversity because in periods where the climate has been hotter and drier, their rocky, complex soils offered a cooler, wetter refuge for many species that were unable to survive in the surrounding landscape. "With climate change suggesting a hotter, drier outlook for the Mid West region in future decades, it is increasingly important that we preserve and conserve remaining BIF habitats and the species growing on them." The research team looked at 538 plant species in an 82,000 hectare area in WA's Mid West, assessing their growth on different soil types across the region and examining their potential tolerance to the chemical characteristics of mined materials. Although many species were adapted to the acidic, nutrient-poor soils of BIF, the team found at least some were tolerant of a wide range of soil types and might be used as 'pioneers' to help kick-start vegetation recovery in rehabilitation. Dr. Cross said more studies were needed to find ways to rapidly change the chemical characteristics of post-mining soils to speed up rehabilitation, and preserve the area's biodiversity. "The mining industry needs to consider the soil properties of landforms requiring rehabilitation or ecological restoration, and the implications for vegetation establishment and plant community development, at the very earliest stages of planning or environmental impact assessment," Dr. Cross said. "Ecosystems are extremely complex; we need to recognise, appreciate and learn from this complexity when we are attempting to return biodiversity to areas that have been impacted by mining. "We need to reach a happy medium between development and conservation to effectively continue mining in these areas, while preserving our incredible natural resources." The research was funded by The Centre for Mine Site Restoration at Curtin University. The paper is titled "Calcicolecalcifuge plant strategies limit restoration potential in a regional semi-arid Flora." More information: Adam T. Cross et al, Calcicolecalcifuge plant strategies limit restoration potential in a regional semiarid flora, Ecology and Evolution (2021). Journal information: Ecology and Evolution Adam T. Cross et al, Calcicolecalcifuge plant strategies limit restoration potential in a regional semiarid flora,(2021). DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7544 In this April 3, 2010, file photo, a female Osprey and one of her three chicks are seen against the backdrop of the NASA logo at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. New Zealand announced Tuesday, June 1, 2021, that it was the latest country to sign a space agreement with NASA, just as New Zealand's nascent space industry begins to take off. Credit: AP Photo/Terry Renna, File New Zealand announced Tuesday it was the latest country to sign a space agreement with NASA, just as New Zealand's nascent space industry begins to take off. New Zealand became the eleventh signatory to the Artemis Accords, a blueprint for space cooperation and supporting the U.S. space agency's plans to return humans to the moon by 2024 and to launch a historic human mission to Mars. Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta said New Zealand was one of only a handful of nations able to launch rockets into space. "New Zealand is committed to ensuring the next phase of space exploration is conducted in a safe, sustainable and transparent manner and in full compliance with international law," Mahuta said. New Zealand said it's particularly interested in making sure that minerals taken from the moon or elsewhere in space are used sustainably. California-based company Rocket Lab, which specializes in putting small satellites into orbit, made history in New Zealand four years ago when it launched a test rocket into space from the remote Mahia Peninsula. It began commercial launches in 2018. Rocket Lab founder Peter Beck, a New Zealander, said signing the accords was testament to the country's growing role in the space industry and opened the door for collaboration and mission opportunities with NASA. There could also soon be a second New Zealand launch site. The government announced Tuesday it was partnering with Indigenous Maori to buy land in the Canterbury region to develop a space launch site. Estimates indicate the New Zealand space industry is worth 1.7 billion New Zealand dollars ($1.2 billion) and that space manufacturing generates about NZ$250 million a year. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a statement that New Zealand was one of seven nations that helped craft the principles in the accords and he was delighted they had signed up. "Outer space is getting crowded," said Kevin Covert, the acting U.S. ambassador to New Zealand. "As more countries establish a presence in outer space, via research stations, satellites, or even rocket launches, these accords provide a set of principles to create a safe and transparent environment that inspires exploration, science, and commercial activities." The other signatories to the accords are the U.S., Australia, Britain, Canada, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, and Ukraine. Brazil also said it plans to sign. 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain A team of researchers from Politecnico di Milano, the University of California and Massey University has created maps of possible hotspots in Asia and Europe where the risk of coronaviruses jumping from bats to humans is highest. In their paper published in the journal Nature Food, the researchers describe how they combined data regarding human population densities, horseshoe bats, land use and other factors to create their maps and what they showed. Monia Santini, with Foundation Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change, has published a News & Views piece in the same journal issue outlining the known ways that coronaviruses can jump from animals to humans and the work done by the team on this new effort. The global COVID-19 pandemic has put a lot of pressure on scientists to learn more about coronaviruses and how they can lead to pandemics. One area of research involves the means by which coronaviruses jump from animals, such as bats, to humans. Prior research has suggested that if the places most at risk for such jumps could be identified, then they could be monitored more closely to quickly react when such jumps occur. In this new effort, the researchers have used a variety of resources to find those places most at risk and to map them. Prior research has shown that one of the major factors involved in viruses jumping from animals to humans is human encroachment on natural habitats. As humans take down forests, some of the animals living in them attempt to adapt by learning to live in the new environment. This leads to interactions between wild animals and domesticated animals and humans. The result can be viruses moving from animals to humans, so call zoonotic disease transfer, or jumping. Thus, to isolate likely hotspots for coronavirus jumping, the researchers looked for recent encroachments by studying satellite images. They also obtained information from existing databases that track wildlife such as horseshoe batsthe only animal that has been found to consistently host SARS-type coronaviruses. They also pulled data from human population databases and from databases that hold information about domesticated animals, most particularly livestock. Univariate spatial analysis of coronavirus outbreak drivers. Credit: Nature Food (2021). DOI: 10.1038/s43016-021-00285-x The researchers then analyzed all the data and used it to identify certain hotspots around the world. They then marked the hotspots on a map, making it easier for viewers to see patterns and to make risk assessments. Explore further Coronavirus outbreak risk from hotspots of bat presence and livestock More information: Maria Cristina Rulli et al, Land-use change and the livestock revolution increase the risk of zoonotic coronavirus transmission from rhinolophid bats, Nature Food (2021). Maria Cristina Rulli et al, Land-use change and the livestock revolution increase the risk of zoonotic coronavirus transmission from rhinolophid bats,(2021). DOI: 10.1038/s43016-021-00285-x Monia Santini, The land usefoodcoronavirus nexus, Nature Food (2021). DOI: 10.1038/s43016-021-00290-0 Journal information: Nature Food 2021 Science X Network QUEENSBURY The Hudson Falls man accused of stabbing another man last month is facing two additional charges in an unrelated case in which police said he forged a doctors signature on a COVID-19 test. Matthew N. Clifford, 34, appeared in Town Court on Tuesday, as his lawyer successfully got his bail reduced. The new case stems from a COVID-19 test that one of his children was supposed to take because of a possible exposure back in March. Clifford allegedly forged the name of a doctor on the paperwork that had to be provided to the district for his child to return to school, court documents showed. School officials became suspicious, because the COVID-19 test results do not come back as quickly as the paperwork was returned. Also, the doctor said that was not his signature. Clifford later admitted to a school official he did not take the child to the doctor and did not take the COVID-19 test seriously, police said. Clifford was charged with felony second-degree forgery and misdemeanor offering a false instrument for filing. The new charges come on top of first-degree assault and third-degree criminal mischief charges in the stabbing incident. Stec said those who have lost loved ones in war have to live with that pain every day not just on Memorial Day. He called on everyone to just take a moment out of every day to remember them and honor them. And he called on people to be civil to one another. We disrespect the fallen when we behave in a way that is unworthy of their sacrifice, he said. U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Schuylerville, said she is proud that she represents a district that is home to so many military personnel, including at Fort Drum in western New York. Never forget that we live in the land of the free because of the brave, she said. The grand marshals for the event were Lawrence DeMass and Joyce Flower. DeMass served in Vietnam. Glens Falls Mayor Dan Hall, who is his neighbor, said DeMass was shot down twice and led an effort to rescue 33 soldiers that were caught in a monsoon. Joyce Flower served in the Glens Falls Naval Reserve and as a nurse at Bethesda Naval Hospital during the Gulf War. She works as a nurse at Irongate Family Practice Associates. Convicted of having "defamed the martyrs" of the border clash. Beijing declares four dead, but unconfirmed sources contest the number. Five other Chinese bloggers are under arrest on the same charge. The case of Wang Jingyu, a dissident who was arrested and then released in Dubai. Beijing (AsiaNews / Agencies) - A Nanjing (Jiangsu) court today sentenced a well-known blogger to eight months in prison for having "defamed the martyrs" of the border conflict that broke out with India last summer. Qiu Ziming is guilty of doubting the death toll among Chinese soldiers: the authorities declared that four soldiers had been killed. On 15 June 2020, Indian and Chinese troops clashed in the Galwan valley, between Indian Ladakh and Chinese Aksai Chin, along the Himalayan border: 20 Indian soldiers died in the conflict. Unconfirmed sources initially spoke of 45 Chinese victims. Beijing admitted the loss of the four soldiers only in February. The two countries share a 3,488 km border in the rugged Himalayan region, over which they fought a brief but bloody conflict in 1962. With more than 2.5 million followers, Qiu is a star of Weibo, China's Twitter. He is the first citizen to be jailed under a new provision of the Criminal Code. It punishes those who slander the nation's "heroes and martyrs", especially those celebrated in the history of the Chinese Communist Party. Five other internet users are under arrest for attacking the government over the management of border skirmishes with India. On May 27, the UAE authorities released a young Chinese dissident wanted by Beijing on the same charge of defamation. Wang Jingyu was arrested in April by Dubai police at the city airport: he was traveling from Turkey - where he had sought refuge - to reach the United States. Wang said local policemen and Chinese diplomats pressured him to agree to sign a document for his extradition to China. Warren County reported zero new cases of COVID-19 as of Monday morning the first time without any new infections in over six months. The last time the county had no new cases was Nov. 23. In addition, there were five additional recoveries. Warren County has 36 active cases, which was the lowest since Nov. 20. Two people are in the hospital, which is an increase of one from Sunday. Both are moderately ill and another person is moderately ill outside the hospital, according to a news release. The other 33 people have mild illness. County public health officials are pleased with the containment of the virus. Cases sharply rose after Thanksgiving and did not let up until March. Warren County Health Services Director Ginelle Jones, in a news release, asked residents to remain vigilant. We are excited to report no new cases, as it is validation our vaccination and COVID containment efforts are making a difference, Jones said. We must continue these efforts to end the pandemic, and we urge anyone who is in the minority of Warren County residents who have not been vaccinated to get the vaccine. Our goal is to vaccinate 100% of our community so everyone is protected. More than one-third of the worlds heat deaths each year are due directly to global warming, according to the latest study to calculate the human cost of climate change. But scientists say that's only a sliver of climate's overall toll even more people die from other extreme weather amplified by global warming such as storms, flooding and drought and the heat death numbers will grow exponentially with rising temperatures. Dozens of researchers who looked at heat deaths in 732 cities around the globe from 1991 to 2018 calculated that 37% were caused by higher temperatures from human-caused warming, according to a study Monday in the journal Nature Climate Change. That amounts to about 9,700 people a year from just those cities, but it is much more worldwide, the study's lead author said. These are deaths related to heat that actually can be prevented. It is something we directly cause, said Ana Vicedo-Cabrera, an epidemiologist at the Institute of Social and Preventative Medicine at the University of Bern in Switzerland. Editor: Assisted suicide is a dangerous public policy that threatens the most vulnerable in our state. I urge New York legislators to reject assisted suicide, and instead work to increase access to better medical care and treatment options. Proponents of assisted suicide often point to unbearable pain as a reason for legalizing assisted suicide. I know something about unbearable pain. I have lived with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, known as the "suicide disease," for more than 20 years. But the data from Oregon, the state where assisted suicide has been legal the longest, shows that unbearable pain is not among the top reasons that patients choose assisted suicide. Loss of autonomy, decreasing ability to participate in life activities, and loss of dignity are the top three reasons patients reported when choosing assisted suicide. These disability-related concerns are serious, but ought to be addressed with multi-disciplinary care, not premature death. It was a very old place, very dated and was the first liquor license awarded in Middle Township after Prohibition, says Altobelli, who sold his body shops to a venture capital company. I already bought the restaurant but didnt get around to demo-ing it and working on it, but once I sold those businesses I concentrated on putting the new building up. Then COVID hit, so it wasnt worth opening. I originally bought it as a Real Estate venture I knew I couldnt go wrong with it. And then as you go through life and friends and family get in your ear and tell you how it would be nice to have a place to go, and then officials in the township told me it would be a real asset in the community to have a nice, newer place to add to the businesses already here I decided to go for it. According to the state Department of Health, 248,609 doses of vaccine had been administered to county residents. The county has a population of 263,670. +2 Election officials concerned about cost of early voting bill The state Assembly passed a bill Monday to establish early machine voting in New Jersey, des Of those 65 and older, 85% have received at least one shot, she said. The percentage having received at least one shot for those 18 and over is 63%, and for 12 and over is 59%. Mobile pop-up vaccination clinics run by the county are targeting minority communities and getting good results, Diamond said. They will continue, and the county has recently been told the COVID-19 vaccine can be administered with other vaccines, so dual flu/COVID vaccine clinics may be offered later in the year. Diamond stressed that, while there is no longer a mask requirement from the state, businesses can be more restrictive and can require masks if they so choose. Commissioners passed a resolution commending AtlantiCare (Regional Medical Center) for their leadership, community support and partnership in the fight against COVID-19, sponsored by Kern. AtlantiCare CEO and President Lori Herndon accepted the resolution on behalf of AtlantiCare staff. Today we have eight COVID patients a much more manageable number (than usual in the past year) and have not had a death in almost 10 days, which is a wonderful thing, Herndon said. REPORTER: Michelle Brunetti Post 609-272-7210 mpost@pressofac.com Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. I feel so refreshed, being able to go out, be normal and socialize with people. Its been amazing, Archung said. We went out last night, and it was so nice not to have a mask on. And it was cool because everybody was feeling the same. We were all there to socialize and have fun after the pandemic. We went to Hard Rock and heard live music for the first time in more than a year and the best part was actually seeing everyones faces, Campbell said. McKenna Willard, 24, of New York City, said being fully vaccinated helped she and Straub feel at ease now that masks are not longer required. Were both vaccinated so thats helpful, at first it felt weird not wearing a mask but we got over it pretty quickly, Willard said. And its going to be hard to go back to New York because its still pretty strict there. Kylie W., 17, said shes happy the restrictions have been eased but hopes people continue being cautious when it comes to the COVID-19 virus. Police departments in New Jersey reached a deadline Tuesday for all officers on patrol to begin wearing body cameras, although many departments across the state still have not implemented the technology. Gov. Phil Murphy, alongside other state and local officials in Camden on Tuesday, said 487 departments across New Jersey had applied for and been approved for about $58 million in grants to buy cameras. We are witnessing a new chapter in policing in New Jersey with the reforms we are implementing in partnership with law enforcement and community leaders. And, with the body cameras we are funding, we will literally have an objective witness to how police carry out their duties, Murphy said. Among those police departments meeting the states target is Cape May, which on Tuesday announced implementation of the cameras. Although it does not capture everything the officer sees, it will be beneficial for court and document a clearer picture of what happened during an incident, the city said in a news release. The use of the cameras increases transparency within our community and provides an opportunity to capture the good work the police officers do daily. But Massullo is also considering if Peterson should get an entire new trial because of juror misconduct. One of Peterson's defense attorneys, Pat Harris, said that from his legal research it appears prosecutors could again seek the death penalty if they have to retry the entire case, because a new trial would send it right back to square one. The judge said she expects to decide the new trial issue this year, and she put off a decision whether to resentence Peterson before she makes that decision. She set another hearing for June 18. Massullo is considering whether Peterson merits a new trial because a juror failed to disclose that she had sought a restraining order against her boyfriends ex-girlfriend in 2000. The juror said in seeking the order that she feared for her unborn child. Massullo must decide if that amounted to juror misconduct, and if so, whether it was so prejudicial that a new trial is warranted. With Fladagers announcement Friday, Peterson will be sentenced to life imprisonment if no new trial is granted. TAMMY SYTCH UPDATE The State of Pennsylvania rescinded their order revoking WWE Hall of Famer Tammy "Sunny" Sytch's February 2020 parole on 5/14, PWInsider.com has confirmed. The State filed an order revoking her parole and issued a bench warrant comes for her arrest in Carbon County Court in July 2020 after Sytch was arrested in New Jersey. There is no word as to why the order was revoked as of this writing. Sytch was arrested in New Jersey on the morning of Monday 7/13/20 in Middletown, NJ and has remained incarcerated at the Monmouth County Correctional Institution over the last 11 months, having been charged with the following: *Operating a Motor Vehicle during a second license suspension. *Eluding a Police Officer. *Contempt/Violation of a Domestic Violence Restraining Order. Sytch was in court in New Jersey several weeks back but PWInsider.com has been unable to confirm the outcome of that hearing. PA revoking their order may mean that once Sytch's issues in the Garden State are resolved, she will not be required to travel to Pennsylvania for additional legal issues. If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here! One person was wounded Sunday in a shooting in Rock Island. Officers were sent to the 1600 block of 37th Street at 9:54 a.m. to investigate after several calls of shots fired were received, Deputy Chief of Police Richard Landi said. Officers found a shooting scene. A 29-year-old man with a gunshot wound showed up later at Genesis Medical Center in Davenport, Landi said Tuesday that the victim is in serious but stable condition. No arrests have been made. The incident is under investigation by the Rock Island Police Departments Criminal Investigation Division. Police ask that anyone with information about this incident to call the Rock Island Police Department at 309-732-2677 or Crime Stoppers of the Quad-Cities at 309-762-9500, or submit an anonymous tip via the P3 Tips mobile app or submit a tip online at qccrimestoppers.com. Sunday's incident was the third shooting in the Illinois Quad-Cities over the weekend and the second in Rock Island. On Friday, Daniel Kokuvi Akoli, also known as Kwakuvi Koffi, 28, of Silvis died of a gunshot wound. by Shafique Khokhar With a small organisation, a social worker in Faisalabads Warispura district helps people, not by giving them cash, but by buying equipment for them to start a business. In the last six months, more than 10 small enterprises have been created for poor Christian families. Financial support comes from two cousins in America who expect to be repaid only by God. Faisalabad (AsiaNews) The Good Samaritan Resource Centre, a small NGO started by Rehan Masih, a social worker in Warispura district, does not give money directly to the poor but helps them start a business in order to earn a living. Inspired by this philosophy and with limited resources, the Centre heeds to the letter the Parable of the Good Samaritan and the evangelical call to Take care of him. If you spend more than what I have given you, I shall repay you on my way back (Luke 10:35). For Masih, life has taught him that it is much better to teach someone fishing than to give him a fish. Hence, he helps people start up small activities like rickshaw services, small shops, tailoring, beauty salons, etc. He even supplied cows and goats to those who knew how to use them profitably. Thanks to the Good Samaritan Resource Centre, people have been able to do honourable work and support themselves rather than end up in the streets begging, or strangled by debts, Masih explains that the Centre does give anyone money. Instead, he buys the equipment needed and hands it over, thus ensuring that the money is not used for other purposes. The people he helps choose what they need for their business and he delivers it. He has two cousins in America, Nayer and Issac, who are his financial backers. For them, the only reward is the kind of inner satisfaction that only God can repay. In the last six months they have helped launch more than 10 micro enterprises run by poor Christian families while another 50 are waiting. Rehans goal is to give families as much as he received without any interest in fact, he does not keep a single rupee for himself; everything goes into the supporting beneficiaries activities. Now he is planning to help other small business endeavours, in one case providing a barbecue, with about ten families ready to talk to him for possible ventures. They helped me at a difficult time to stand on my own two feet, said Irfan Masih, a disabled man who wanted to be a tailor. Rehan and his team provided me with the machinery, threads and cloth, he told AsiaNews. He now makes school uniforms and garments for men and women earning of at least US$ 20 a day, which allows him to support his family. Another beneficiary, Niyamat Masih, explains that he used to work as a janitor in several buildings when he heard about Rehan. After a couple of months of working out the details, they got him a rickshaw, thanks to which he now makes a honourable living for his family. Rep. Blaine Wilhour, R-Beecher City, said lawmakers "haven't earned our trust on any of this stuff. "We have a habit in this body of acting like we're dealing with the real issues without really dealing with the real pressing issues in this state," he said. "I call it legislative press releases. You know, let's make the voters back home, pretend like we're doing something. Really what we're doing in a lot of ways is maintaining the status quo, the broken status quo." Republicans said the bill's six-month revolving-door ban between a legislator resigning and then returning as a lobbyist is too short. They noted that the bill contains a loophole: If a lawmaker resigned with less than six months remaining in his or her term, the lawmaker still could become a lobbyist as soon as the term ends. "I think this is really a weak excuse for a revolving door," Bourne said. The bill's House sponsor, Rep. Kelly Burke, D-Evergreen Park, said many of the recent former lawmakers who have been charged with crimes did things that already were against the law. But she said her bill is a step forward, and she is willing to work with Republicans to strengthen ethics legislation in the future. "This bill is a big step forward for transparency," Burke said. "It will allow us to work toward earning more public trust." Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 There is nothing at all wrong with using other people to help accomplish things that we would like to see accomplished. Nor is there anything at all wrong with we ourselves being means that help enable other people to accomplish what they would like to accomplish. Kant would not have any problems with any of this. Problems arise, however, when people are treated only as means without also being treated as ends themselves that is to say without being treated with respect and dignity and with just compensation. The history of industrialization is full of examples of workers being exploited with disregard for their humanity. Garment workers in the sweatshops of New York. Coal miners in Pennsylvania and elsewhere. Low wage workers in factories without adequate ventilation and other safety measures. Though Kant wrote prior to much of the Industrial Revolution, that was the sort of thing he had in mind. There is another part to this as well. We ought not allow ourselves to be treated simply as means to what others might wish to accomplish. Sometimes we are our own worst enemies, "selling our souls" to the companies or other institutions that employ us or succumbing to blind ambition that destroys our own humanity. A good Tuesday, June 1 to all. Time waits on no one. We're starting the Memorial Day-shortened work week off with some dense fog. Here are the weather details from the National Weather Service. 1. Widespread fog early today We're have widespread dense fog before 10 a.m. Otherwise, the day will be mostly cloudy gradually becoming sunny with a high near 75 degrees. Tonight will be partly cloudy with a low around 57 degrees. Wednesday brings a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 p.m. Skies will be mostly sunny with a high near 77 degrees and a low around 57 degrees. 2. Government Bridge to close temporarily on Saturday The Government Bridge across the Mississippi River between Davenport and Arsenal Island will be closed to vehicular and pedestrian traffic from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday for bridge washing. Signage will warn and direct traffic during all activities. 3. Graduation day at Bettendorf and Pleasant Valley High Schools 4. Falling COVID-19 infection rates in Quad-Cities mark week of change in fight against the virus It was the first war in his short life, but most Gazans vividly recall the others including the most devastating, in 2014, which lasted several weeks. Even adolescents can point out homes destroyed in previous rounds of fighting. Israel blames the destruction on Hamas, which fires imprecise rockets from civilian areas in Gaza in the general direction of civilian areas in Israel. The military says it makes every effort to avoid civilian casualties. Hamas says it is fighting a decades-old military occupation, using the only weapons it has against a far superior military power. It says 80 militants were among those killed. Both sides say they have no choice, and no one expects this war to be the last. Meanwhile, the intractable conflict takes its toll on those with the least capacity to understand its cruel logic. Mahmoud Al-Masri, 14, shared his room with six brothers. At 3 a.m., his family scrambled out of the building after the Israeli military warned them to evacuate. He didn't think he would make it. The next morning, he was hesitant to return. I was afraid that after we returned we would be killed by a drone in another attack," he said. As a working woman and a mother with six young children, Im concerned that President Joe Biden is focusing too much on getting women into the workforce, and too little on supporting womens personal pursuits. While its true that womens work was disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, thats no longer the case. And a report co-authored by the former chair of President Obamas Council of Economic Advisors found that despite school and daycare closures, parents of young children have experienced fewer employment losses. Whats more important than the status of womens work is their ability to pursue the choices they desire. Striking the right balance between work and family (and other personal and professional pursuits) has never been easy. No one formula works across all ages and stages of life, nor across everyones unique circumstances and ideals. But Bidens message is that politicians have figured it out, and if women follow politicians prescribed ideals, theyll have an abundance of taxpayer-funded government programs to support them. From this it follows that the public has a real interest in knowing what the memo said. Its not so much that we cant guess: Presumably, the memo went through the reports action-by-action analysis of Trumps problematic behavior and concluded each time that there wasnt enough basis to launch a criminal prosecution. Nonetheless, the memo was a highly unusual document. The OLC usually has nothing to do with prosecution decisions. But here, it drafted a memo for the highly political purpose of giving Barr cover in deciding not to prosecute his boss. The full memo would likely show just how deeply politicized the OLC became under Barr. That leads us to the counterintuitive reading of the Rorschach test. As a general matter, the Department of Justice never wants to disclose its internal deliberations about whether to prosecute somebody. You can see why: If the decision is made to prosecute, the department wants to present its strongest case. It doesnt want to reveal its own analysis of the weakest parts of that case. But on the other hand, if the department decides not to prosecute, it doesnt want its decision second-guessed. It also realizes that it would be bad for private citizens who have been investigated but not prosecuted to have a government document out there describing unproven, uncharged crimes. She knows all her lagers, stouts, ales and she can deep dive into it with any guest, Amador said. Shes a bartender and shes available if anyone has any questions. Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} In February, Amador relocated from Utah to Rapid City for his job with Old Chicago Pizza + Taproom. To prepare for the restaurants opening, he and company executives visited Black Hills restaurants and breweries. We saw what breweries were in what restaurants. We deep dived into what they offered specifically and tried to match (the beer) with our pizza to make the experience that much better, he said. Were the craft authority and you truly get an experience. Old Chicago Pizza + Taproom will serve Black Hills craft beers from the Firehouse Brewing Company, Dakota Point Brewing, Sick-N-Twisted, Lost Cabin Beer Co. and Mount Rushmore Brewing Company. The beer and the food together set Old Chicago Pizza + Taproom apart from other local eateries, Amador said. Our pizza, we make it from scratch. We make four different crusts. All the vegetables are fresh. We try to eliminate anything frozen. When you taste our pizza, youre getting an experience, he said. And we dont just make our pizzas from scratch. We have lasagna, we make our own spaghetti. Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} His "work is very brave," a Rapid City festival official told the Journal in 2015. "He deals with mental health struggles and shares personal stories. It'll be inspiring for young people who may be going through something similar." Stilwell was interviewed by South Dakota Public Broadcasting at the SoDak Con the next year. He said he's been drawing since kindergarten and began to find his own style in eighth grade. Stilwell, a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, said he's influenced by Native American art and "peaceful goth" aesthetics. "I write mystery and kind of dark-themed poetry and some really depressive stuff like that" but also loved comedy movies, he told the radio station. Stilwell attended Box Elder and Rapid City schools before graduating from Rapid City High School, according to his obituary. His father taught him how to ride a dirt bike at an early age and Stilwell was "barely able to contain his excitement when excursions were planned to spend the day riding at Farmingdale." Valdivia shot and wounded the man from a distance of roughly 2 to 3 feet (0.6 to 0.9 meters) after repeatedly telling the man to back up, county prosecutor Robert Hill said in court. The man had approached Valdivia on a train, sat across from him and asked the agent for money, Hill said. The man muttered expletives and began to walk away when the agent said he didn't have any money to give, the prosecutor added. Watch your mouth, the agent told the man, according to Hill. After the man turned and approached him again, Valdivia pulled a gun from a holster and shot him, the prosecutor said. Another passenger was in the agent's line of fire, about 15 feet (4.6 meters) away, but wasn't harmed, Hill added. A grand jury indicted Valdivia on charges including attempted second-degree murder, first-degree assault and reckless endangerment. Valdivia turned himself in to local authorities at a county jail Tuesday morning. Montgomery County Circuit Court Judge Joan Ryon agreed to release him on personal recognizance. Prosecutors didnt object. The wounded man had part or all of his spleen, colon and pancreas removed during surgery after the shooting, according to Hill. China firmly opposes using pandemic to interfere in China's internal affairs: FM spokesperson Xinhua) 08:35, June 01, 2021 Photo taken on May 21, 2020 shows red flags on the Tian'anmen Square in Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Cai Yang) BEIJING, May 31 (Xinhua) -- China has always supported international anti-pandemic cooperation and has made active efforts to this end, a foreign ministry spokesperson said Monday, adding China firmly opposes using the pandemic as a political stunt or even interfering in China's internal affairs. According to reports, Taiwan authorities expressed gratitude to the Japanese government for its recent decision to study the supply of COVID-19 vaccines to the island. "Currently, Japan is still unable to ensure its own adequate supply of vaccines," spokesperson Wang Wenbin told a press briefing. Under such circumstances, the Japanese government announced that it would study providing vaccines to Taiwan, which was questioned by many including media and people on the island, Wang said. Wang stressed that that vaccine assistance should return to its original purpose of saving lives and should not be reduced to a tool for political self-interest. Two local branches of the Red Cross Society of China in Fujian Province have expressed willingness to donate COVID-19 vaccines to Kinmen and Matsu, which are attached to Taiwan, to battle the recent resurgence of infections. The offer, however, was refused by Taiwan's mainland affairs council. Noting the Chinese mainland has repeatedly expressed its willingness to do its utmost to help Taiwan compatriots cope with the epidemic, Wang said Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party authority, proceeding from political self-interest, turned a blind eye to the goodwill of the mainland, and even maliciously slandered and smeared the mainland in every way to block its vaccine shipments to Taiwan. "This is a disregard and trampling on the life and health of Taiwan compatriots," the spokesperson added. (Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun) The Ministry of Islamic Affairs orders that loudspeakers be set at a third of their maximum volume. Parents complain that the high volume disturbs their childrens sleep. In some mosques, full sermons are broadcast over loudspeakers, not only the call to prayer. Not all mosques are heeding the order, which has sparked criticism and controversy. Riyadh (AsiaNews/Agencies) Saudi authorities have defended their recent decision to lower the volume of mosque loudspeakers, usually used to call worshippers to pray and preach to the wider community. The Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs announced last week that loudspeakers be set at a third of their maximum volume, sparking a negative reaction among the country's more conservative groups and a lively debate on social media. Minister Abdullatif al-Sheikh said that the measure was in response to complaints from large segments of the public, especially parents who said that loudspeakers disturbed their childrens sleep, and senior citizens. On television, he said that those who want to pray do not need to wait for the imams call. Critics, in his view, are enemies of the kingdom who only want to stir public opinion. In response, a hashtag calling for a ban on loud music in restaurants and bars is gaining ground on social media. Traditionally, imams use loudspeakers on mosques to call the faithful to prayer, then they should be turned off. Instead, in many cases they continue to broadcast full sermons. So far, only a few mosques appear to have lowered the volume, Reuters reported quoting sources in Riyadh. At least one has ignored the ministerial order and is still going full blast. Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchy, ruled by a Sunni dynasty that adheres to Wahhabism and a fundamentalist view of Islam. Reforms introduced over the last two years by Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman (MbS) have brought some changes to social life and civil rights; for example, women are now allowed to drive cars and can attend reserved sections in sport stadiums. Some reforms have also touched the religious sphere. However, this has not prevented the authorities from cracking down on top government officials, business leaders, activists and other critics, not to mention the Khashoggi affair, which cast a broad shadow over the reform process. WASHINGTON | The Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that tribal police officers can stop and search non-Indians on tribal lands for potential violations of state or federal law. The justices unanimously reversed an appellate ruling in favor of a non-Native motorist who was charged with drug-related crimes after a tribal officer searched his pickup truck on a public road that crosses the Crow reservation in Montana. The Supreme Court has previously held that tribal police have little authority over non-Indians, but Justice Stephen Breyer wrote for the court that allowing a temporary stop and detention so that state or federal authorities can be called in enhances public safety. To deny a tribal police officer authority to search and detain for a reasonable time any person he or she believes may commit or has committed a crime would make it difficult for tribes to protect themselves against ongoing threats, Breyer wrote. Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} The case involved a traffic stop in 2016 in which Officer James Saylor of the Crow Tribe Police Department came upon a pickup truck with its headlights on and motor running, parked on the shoulder of U.S. Route 212. From January through October of every year, tennis star Sloane Stephens is in a different city competing. Based out of Florida, she visits her mother in Los Angeles as often as she can and also checks in on the Sloane Stephens Foundation, which utilizes education and tennis to uplift vulnerable children. I honestly dont remember where exactly (my first tennis tournament was), but I do remember that I had a lot of fun and met friends that I grew close to and continued to see at tournaments, Sloane said from Paris, where she was competing in the French Open. That positive first experience with tennis is why I stuck with it. That is the type of environment we create with the kids at the Sloane Stephens Foundation. We give you all the tools to take tennis as far as you want, but the most important thing is that you are finding a pathway to be healthy, happy and have a positive experience. Stephens who serves on the WTA Players Council stays in touch with fans on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/sloanestephens/), Twitter (https://twitter.com/SloaneStephens) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/Sloaneposts). When the two parties finally met this past Wednesday during a meeting of the task force, Smith warned that a review board needed to be collaborative, not confrontational. Yes, collaboration is good. To hear task force members talk, they envision a collaborative, trust-building spirit in which a board would do its work. But a civilian review board cannot be a smiley-face rubber stamp on police misconduct. It must be willing to confront the police department when it needs confronting. Otherwise, it wont be doing its job. Police, in participating in this work, must be willing to give up a modicum of power and control. But perhaps they sense the tide turning in their favor as the white allyship that characterized this reckoning on race over the past year has shown signs of experiencing fatigue. Support for law and order is on the upswing; support for protesters, heading in the opposite direction, according to a March poll by USA Today/Ipsos. After Elise went to bed, I turned the light on in the living room, and told her that I would blow out the candles. I blew out the one, made sure that Zacharys door was closed, that way he wouldnt get hurt. I even made sure that our bedroom door was closed. I made sure the candle was lit, I threw it in the chair. I thought to myself no big deal, extinguish the fire, put Elise and Zachary in my arms, and I could start fresh. I honestly did not intend to kill my son. If I would have known for the least second that Elise would have opened up his bedroom door, I never would have done it. I was expecting a quick response, like we always had for structure fires. Go in, put the fire out. Do the investigation, and everythings back to normal. I will admit I do have a problem. There has been speculation that the West should not push the Belarusian dictator into the arms of Putin by taking strong action against that government. Its far too late for that because Lukashenko is a Putin toady. The people of Belarus are being used as hostages just as much as the passengers of that hijacked flight were. The people of the West must stand for something now and call a halt to the rise of these repeated violations of international law. This act of air piracy is a violation of the spirit and intent of the Hague Hijacking Convention, of which Belarus is a signatory. When I was U.S. ambassador to the OSCE, I initiated a partnership with Belarus to stop and prosecute human trafficking. There is no way such a project should go forward with a nation like Belarus that is in disregard of all laws of decent democratic societies. By this act, Belarus has turned away from any cooperation with decent societies adhering to the principles of the OSCE. Biden needs to do more. Lukashenkos conduct should not go unpunished. Near as we can determine, none in Virginia have. Why not? There are at least 49 eligible localities, from Accomack County on the Eastern Shore to Wise County on the Kentucky line. The Virginia locality with the most number of recorded lynchings? Tazewell County, with seven six of those in the same year (1893) and five of those in a single gruesome outburst of violence. Danville is second with five. We can understand the desire not to reopen a painful part of our past, but ignoring something doesnt make it go away. It might do us some good to acknowledge how some of those who came before us were so easily overtaken by prejudice and primitive emotions. We can read today about what happened in Tulsa and think that nothing like that ever happened here, yet it did, just on a much smaller scale over and over again. We can read today about what happened in Tulsa and think something like that never could happen today. Lets hope thats right. But that still doesnt absolve us of the responsibility to remember. And if we never knew all this in the first place, then that should make us wonder what else we werent taught. Respond to climate crisis: enact Carbon Dividend Act Editor, Times-Dispatch: There were some interesting stories in this past week's news: Exxon Mobil Corp. lost two board seats to an activist hedge fund, Chevron Corp.'s shareholders endorsed a reduction in its emissions and a Dutch court directed Shell Oil Co. to significantly reduce its emissions. A report published by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) spoke to the looming climate disaster from global warming. In a statement, WMO's secretary-general, Professor Petteri Taalas, said: "It is yet another wake-up call that the world needs to fast-track commitments to slash greenhouse gas emissions and to achieve carbon neutrality." But all of these efforts are like pushing on a string the pull has to be by our political leaders. Where are they? Far too many are focused on power grabs and distracting nonissues. It is past time for effective political leadership to combat this existential threat. Just because it is slow moving does not mean it can be ignored. Slow moving also means slow recovering. The woman acknowledged that they had been smoking marijuana and drinking, and she said that when she later found herself alone with the two men, both forced themselves on her while she was heavily intoxicated. She said she had felt physically unable to fight but had screamed for help. On Tuesday, Franklin County Assistant Commonwealths Attorney Sandra Workman said the two juvenile witnesses saw what they first thought was consensual sexual activity, but quickly realized as [the victim] was screaming that it wasnt. Each were afraid to physically intervene because they would have testified it looked violent to them. They were young and they were afraid of the two men, Workman said, so instead one called 911 and also went to find help. Both lifeguards would likewise have testified they were sent into the woods thinking they were going to find some teenagers having a good time, Workman continued. They were shocked and greatly affected by what they eventually saw and heard, and nothing they witnessed indicated anything other than a violent, traumatic event. Hes part of the story of how we turned Virginia blue, Simonds said in an interview. Hes a strong campaigner, and I think were going to need that to retain and even expand our power, she added, describing McAuliffe as a workaholic. Simonds said McAuliffe is best positioned to take on the GOP, starting with its well-funded gubernatorial nominee. I endorsed Terry before I knew about Youngkin, but honestly, now I know were going to need that firepower at the top of the ticket, Simonds said. Ive seen how money can influence messaging and perception. Youngkin will spend a lot of money framing himself as a moderate. For me, the stakes are really high. McAuliffe launched his campaign with a focus on increasing teacher pay and school funding to combat racial and socioeconomic disparities in learning outcomes. He has since emphasized expanding access to health insurance, and touted his ability to attract business to Virginia as the states economy reshapes in the aftermath of COVID-19. Carroll Foy, McClellan endorsementsFor Democrats enticed by the possibility of electing the nations first Black female governor, the question has been who to side with: McClellan or Carroll Foy. by Vladimir Rozanskij Oleg Sarapatjuk asks for a new leg prosthesis in court. Victim of an accident at the workplace, like so many in his condition, he is ignored by the country's institutions. We need higher pensions and better services for people with different abilities. About 700,000 invalids live in Kazakhstan. Moscow (AsiaNews) - Oleg Sharapatjuk's trial against the Temirtau administration to obtain his right to have a leg prosthesis opened yesterday. 45-year-old Oleg is disabled; his case has become the sounding board for all disabled people in the country, according to whom "the state defends the system and not the person", reports Radio Azattyk. The government has promised to review the legislation in this regard. For several years, Sarapatjuk waged this battle alone. Once he was a healthy and sturdy worker, a hauler for a large company: he was left without a leg because of his employer, resulting in a third-level disability. He would have the right to the prosthesis, but none of the bodies in charge took an interest in him or checked that he was granted this right, which was denied him several times even in court. Oleg says that the term of use of the first temporary prosthesis has already expired: "By law I would be entitled to the new one, since this no longer fits well and causes me severe pain and discomfort, leading to a general deterioration in my general health". In April, the court had agreed with the employer, who considered the initial aid sufficient. A new prosthesis costs over 5.5 million tenge (about 10,500 euros). Azattyk listeners have collected 128 thousand tenge (245 euros) for him, and this act of solidarity has prompted him to continue his struggle, turning to the regional court. As Oleg himself points out, "on social networks many other people in my condition ask the government to raise the rates of disability pensions, to put us in a position to have accessible housing and to provide at least some essential services". He points out that so far "only a few privileged people manage to achieve something, in rather ambiguous ways". By law, occupational disabilities must be covered by employers, who are also required to pay the salary to which the disabled worker would be entitled on a regular basis, and to insure all other services if found guilty of the damage. As Irra Belfer, a Kazakh activist for human rights, observes, in recent times many social groups in our country have begun to report the violations of their rights and the disabled are one of these groups. As one gets used to mutual support, the whole of society grows and strengthens in defence of human dignity. You get used to words almost unknown to us such as tolerance and inclusion. According to Belfer, five years ago in Kazakhstan people were limited to "kitchen complaints", in the close circle of friends and relatives, for fear of losing what little they had and doing damage to their relatives. According to activists, the overcoming of fear for one's own destiny, deeply rooted in the mentality of the Kazakhs, is caused by the regime's "inquisitorial" policy, for which any request from citizens is already considered a form of dissent. Public officials are used to the positive reports of Soviet memory, so "everything is always fine" and plans are respected even beyond expectations; not to mention widespread corruption. Any denunciation of discrimination is denied, because "in the state plan there is no mention of it". To ensure an acceptable standard of living for all citizens, Kazakhstan signed the UN convention on the defence of people with different abilities in 2015. However, in these six years there has been very little progress in this regard. Venjamin Aliev, another human rights activist, said that "at the moment in our country the disabled are the most defenceless category, and during the pandemic their conditions have worsened further". About 700,000 disabled people live in Kazakhstan, 3.7% of the entire population. A Vietnam War-era Marine Corps veteran herself, May said she wasnt sure that she would come to the Memorial Day ceremony this year until a friend, Katie Suttles, gave her the pillow she held in her lap. She said she knew then that she had to come. I knew they were going to announce my sons name for the first time today, May said. My son was so proud that his father and I served; he just had to follow. Donald C. May Sr. was awarded a Bronze Star, two Purple Hearts and the Navy Cross for his service as a Marine in Vietnam. Donald May Jr. left behind five children one of whom he never met, as his wife was pregnant when he deployed, his mother said. His name along with three others were added during the past year to Virginia War Memorials glass panels that overlook the James River: Army Pfc. Richard J. Harris of Henrico County, who was killed in action in Korea; Army Staff Sgt. Ben Maxwell of Appomattox County, who was killed in the 1983 bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Beirut; and Army Capt. Humayun S.M. Khan of Bristow, who was killed in action in Iraq. The judges ruled that that interpretation of the law would frustrate Parliaments clear intentions when lawmakers created the emergency powers in the Biosecurity Act in 2015. It may be accepted that the travel restrictions are harsh. It may also be accepted that they intrude upon individual rights, the judges said in their ruling. But Parliament was aware of that. LibertyWorks President Andrew Cooper said he was considering an appeal to the High Court. We are very disappointed in the judgement today. We continue to believe that the outbound border closure is defective in law and, perhaps more importantly, unjust on human rights grounds. We must remind ourselves also that often things that are legal are not necessarily just," Cooper said in an email. While Europe and most of the world open up their borders, only North Korea and Australia stubbornly continue with strict controls over their citizens ability to leave their country, Cooper added. He had expected hundreds of thousands of Australians to fly within weeks if he had won. Critics of the emergency order argue it is harshest for the 30% of Australians who were born overseas. Near as we can determine, none in Virginia have. Why not? There are at least 49 localities eligible, from Accomack County on the Eastern Shore to Wise County on the Kentucky line, including Roanoke in between. The Virginia locality with the most number of recorded lynchings? Tazewell County, with seven six of those in the same year (1893) and five of those in a single gruesome outburst of violence. Danville is second with five. We can understand the desire not to reopen a painful part of our past, but ignoring something doesnt make it go away. It might do us some good to acknowledge how some of those came before us were so easily overtaken by prejudice and primitive emotions. We can read today about what happened in Tulsa and think that nothing like that ever happened here, yet it did, just on a much smaller scale over and over again. We can read today about what happened in Tulsa and think something like that could never happen today. Lets hope thats right. But that still doesnt absolve us of the responsibility to remember. And if we never knew all this in the first place, then that should make us wonder what else we werent taught. In this years lt. governors campaign, Del. Sam Rasoul separates himself from the field with his compassion and sincerity towards improving Virginia. Sam has been a delegate for eight years, and currently serves as First Vice-Chair of the House Committee on Health, Welfare, and Institutions. He brings a resume combined with experience and fresh, progressive ideas. We would be lucky to have a lt. governor who listens and excels at putting Virginians needs first like Sam. Often I hear people complain about how politicians at various levels are out of touch, or motivated by self-interest. In response, I wish they had the pleasure of meeting my friend Sam. There are very few leaders like Sam who have similar qualities of generosity towards doing all that he can to help as many Virginians as possible. Whether it is Sams Marshall Plan for Moms to ensure quality child care, paid family leave, and caregiver tax credit, or equity in our education systems; Sam is working hard to help Virginians who need a brave advocate. Sam was the first legislator to introduce a bill creating good-paying jobs while aggressively addressing climate change. Chinas surprise decision to allow all couples to have a third child may be too little too late to reverse the nations declining birthrate and shrinking workforce. Economists and demographers say authorities will need a range of supportive policies on childcare and measures to curb high education and housing costs to make it viable for couples to expand their families. China has been gradually reforming its stringent birth policy that for decades limited most families to having only a single child. In 2016, couples were allowed to have a second baby, although that did little to boost the birthrate. In a meeting presided over by President Xi Jinping on Monday, the Communist Partys Politburo agreed to ease the current two-child restriction and also raise the retirement age in a bid to boost the labor force. It is an important policy move, but the three-children policy alone will not lead to a sustained rebound in the fertility rate, said Yuan Xin, a professor at Nankai University in Tianjin. A whole package of services and polices, such as childcare, tax-rebates for parents, housing subsidies and even gender equality, are needed to create a social environment that encourages parents to have more babies. Some government officials, including researchers at Chinas central bank, have called for birth limits to be abolished entirely. The debate was intensified after the results of Chinas latest national census earlier this month showing a decline in the countrys working-age population over the last decade. The declining birthrate means Chinas population, currently at 1.41 billion, may begin to shrink before 2025, according to Bloomberg Economics estimates. There were 12 million new babies born last year amid the uncertainties of the coronavirus pandemic, the lowest number since 1961. Yuan of Nankai University said a fertility rate of 1.8 is ideal for healthy population growth. The rate is currently at 1.3. Chinas fertility rate began a steady decline from the 1970s, as education levels increased and the government encouraged rural women to have fewer children, culminating in the national one child policy which applied to most women from the end of that decade. The rules were often harshly enforced, especially in countryside areas where officials sometimes ordered women to have abortions. 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. Email Thomas Elias at tdelias@aol.com. His book, "The Burzynski Breakthrough, The Most Promising Cancer Treatment and the Governments Campaign to Squelch It" is now available in a soft cover fourth edition. For more Elias columns, visit www.californiafocus.net You have permission to edit this collection. Edit Close It was as environmental policy director that Evans met Haley. He said that the state was considering relocating the State Farmers Market to another location near Columbia and that Sanford tasked him with meeting with the Lexington County legislative delegation, including Haley, to facilitate a move to its current location off of Interstate 26 southeast of Columbia. We just kind of hit it off and became great friends, Evans said of Haley. I met many an hour with her and her husband about her running for governor and ended up being the first employee she hired. I was her political director for her first campaign. Evans said he left Haleys office because he wanted to learn the financial side of government from Loftis. After that, he became a government sales representative for two technology companies, received a masters degree from George Washington University in public relations, and formed his own public relations firm. But, when he and his wife, Jennifer, had children, he knew he wanted his children to have the same kind of childhood he did in Hartsville. He added that he knew it was the right move to make when Jennifer became involved in the community after moving back to Hartsville. The Iranians can have all the nuclear power they want, but we need an international fuel bank controlled by the international community so that they cant turn it into a bomb, Graham said. My belief is that they [Iran] want a bomb. One way to test whether or not they want nuclear power or a bomb is to see if they would agree with this new construct that I think would be supported by Israel and the Arabs. It gives them what they say they want which is nuclear power for people purposes. It takes off the table the ability to make a bomb. Graham later added that if the Iranians develop a nuclear weapon, then the Arab states [Saudi Arabia and their allies] are going to want a bomb, too, and that the entire Middle East could become armed with nuclear weapons. Graham mostly declined comment on the efforts to form a coalition government that would remove Benjamin Netanyahu after 15 years as prime minister of Israel. He did meet with Netanyahu during the trip. Netanyahu could lose his role as the countrys prime minister if rival parties are able to form a coalition government by Wednesday. He also faces trial on allegations of bribery. Netanyahu has denied these allegations. It did so again Tuesday, declining to 1.42% from 1.49% the day before. For most of the pandemic, the record was 2.51%, set in late September, before an influx of new cases during the late fall and winter. All the firefighters worked at the small station in Agua Dulce, a rural community of about 3,000 people in the desert of northern Los Angeles County known for its rock formations and panoramic views. The shooting comes less than a week after a gunman killed nine of his co-workers at a rail yard in San Jose after rigging his home to burn down. He killed himself Wednesday after expressing hatred for his workplace for years. The man who died in Tuesday's shooting at the fire station was a more than 20-year veteran who had been promoted to firefighter specialist, the person who drives the firetruck, officials said. He was shot multiple times in the upper torso, according to authorities. The fire chief says family and co-workers described the victim, who was not identified, as truly dedicated, one of our better firefighters and a true loss to our department. As fire chief, I never thought when our firefighters face danger, they would face that danger at one of our community fire stations, Osby said. Neighbors watched black smoke pouring from the burned house in the nearby community of Acton, a dry, hilly area dotted with ranches with horses and other livestock. The fire burned for hours, gutting the home, with helicopters making multiple water drops to douse it. Women and girls from Oklahoma and Texas had 566 abortions in Kansas in 2020, up from 110 in 2019. The additional 456 abortions were the bulk of the total increase in abortions in Kansas. The Kansas health department said 3,901 abortions, or nearly 52%, were for patients from outside the state. The last time the department had reported that more abortions were performed on patients from outside Kansas than on patients from Kansas was 1973, the same year that the U.S. Supreme Court legalized abortion nationwide. Gov. Kelly owns this increase, said Jeanne Gawdun, senior lobbyist for Kansans for Life, the states most politically influential anti-abortion group. We can now consider her the abortion-industry governor. The report on abortions, release late last week, came as both sides prepared for an August 2022 statewide vote on a proposed anti-abortion amendment. The measure would overturn a 2019 decision by the Kansas Supreme Court declaring access to abortion a fundamental right under the Kansas Constitution. Amidst more guns and many more gun crimes (especially murders), can sentencing reforms move forward as media predicts "bloody summer"? | Main | Arnold Ventures releases detailed reports from multi-year community initiatives on Data-Driven Justice Because I am directly involved in Ohio Governor Mike DeWine's "Expedited Pardon Project," I have been generally disinclined to blog about the work of the program. But this recent local piece, headlined "Ohio governor pushes to grant more pardons," includes a terrific video of a recent pardon recipient that I was eager to share. Here is a snippet from the story that provides some context: 15 years ago, Mutajah Taj Hussein says she could hardly draw a sober breath. During that time in my life, I experienced a level of hopelessness that most people cant imagine, Hussein said. But that was 15 years ago. Now, shes called, Dr. Taj, a badge she wears proudly. Shes a licensed independent social worker. Shes served diverse populations and has worked abroad. She plans to launch a mental wellness agency soon in Parma, Ohio and sit for the BAR exam next year. She wants to be a foster parent. The transformation didnt happen overnight. B efore she said she, built a spiritual connection with the universe in 2007, she had her run-ins with Ohios criminal justice system. She said back then, it was like living on autopilot. Her only focus was finding the next drug fox or drink. She eventually repaired her relationships and got on a path to right her wrongs. Im very close with my family now, Hussein said. Before, they hated to see me coming. Now they love it when I visit. Even while she was on the path to living her best life, Hussein still had a significant roadblock in her way: Her criminal history. My past was like an albatross around my neck, she said. Ive been denied apartments that Ive fallen in love with because of my background check. Ive been denied positions. She was denied her dream job. The offer was rescinded after her background check was complete. I felt dejected, she said. I felt like I was trapped in a nightmare where no matter how much distance I put between myself and my past, it would never be enough. Although Ive fought to redeem myself through restorative justice efforts, on paper, I was still just an addict.... The pardon process in Ohio can take years. But she got in touch with the people involved with the Ohio Governors Expedited Pardon Project. Its a partnership between Gov. Mike Dewine, Ohio State University and the University of Akron. Students and faculty from the universities review applications and figure out who is more likely to receive a pardon. The team works with applicants to help them through the process, which takes around six months to a year, instead of multiple years. Gov. DeWine called Dr. Taj to give her the news on Good Friday. He pardoned her. Ive always had hope, she said. But now Im fully redeemed in the eyes of the law. Thats a truly freeing feeling. I really feel like the sky is the limit for me, especially with this pardon. I cant wait to see what the universe has in store for the rest of my life. Gov. DeWine has said he wants more low-level offenders to apply for pardons through the project that launched in Dec. 2019. Dr. Taj spoke as part of a panel Thursday night that answered questions about the expedited pardon process. Part of the panels goal was to raise awareness about the project in order to get more people to apply for a governors pardon.... DeWine hopes more people like Dr. Taj utilize the program to allow model citizens to maneuver what is usually a complicated and lengthy process. My expedited pardon project can benefit Ohioans who are living in the shadow of a dark past and regretted mistake, giving them the opportunity to truly have a second chance to reach their full potential, DeWine said. Colonel fired by Trump offers to prosecute Michael Flynn after he called for violent military coup against US General Michael Flynn reacts at a campaign event for then Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump in Virginia Beach, Virginia, U.S., September 6, 2016. (REUTERS) Lieutenant Colonel Yevgeny "Eugene" Vindman, a US Army officer fired and derided by Donald Trump, said he would be willing to prosecute a court martial of Michael Flynn, the former president's one-time national security adviser, over comments he made suggesting he wanted to see a coup in the US similar to the one that took place in Myanmar. Mr Flynn made the statements during the "For God & Country Patriot Roundup," in Dallas on Sunday. An attendee asked Mr Flynn "why what happened in Myanmar can't happen here?" "No reason. I mean, it should happen here," he said, receiving cheers from the crowd. Mr Vindman took to Twitter to denounce Mr Flynn and offer his services to prosecute the retired lieutenant general. "With these seditious remarks Comrade Flynn may have crossed the line for recall to active duty and court-martial. As a JAG I'm qualified and also happy to prosecute this case," he wrote. "PS, US mil would NEVER support this. We love America." JAG refers to the Judge Advocate Generals Corps, the military branch concerned with justice. Steve Vladeck, a professor at the University of Texas School of Law, pointed out on Twitter that despite being retired, Mr Flynn still is subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice. "Yes, Flynn's still subjected to the Uniform Code of Military Justice as a retired Army officer. The constitutionality of jurisdiction over retirees for post-retirement offenses is something we're currently challenging in the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces & the DC Circuit," he said. Both Mr Flynn and Mr Vindman were ousted from their jobs, but for significantly different reasons. Mr Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI concerning his deals with Russia's ambassador prior to Mr Trump taking office. He was later pardoned by Mr Trump. Mr Vindman was fired from his role as the deputy legal adviser to the National Security Council after he raised concerns about Mr Trump's phone call with the president of Ukraine in 2019. Story continues His twin brother, Alexander Vindman, also a member of the NSC, was called as a key witness in Mr Trump's first impeachment inquiry. The brothers were both fired from the NSC shortly after Mr Trump's acquittal in the Senate. As for Mr Flynn, since leaving the White House he has become something of a celebrity in the world of QAnon and extremist right wing Trump supporters. Some QAnon adherents believed Mr Flynn actually was Q, and he appears to have leaned into these whispers by occasionally signalling to the conspiracy theorists by using a phrase associated with the movement, "Where we go one, we go all." He even began promoting a digital store where he sold QAnon merchandise including hats and T-shirts. The coup Mr Flynn was referencing occurred in Myanmar, which is also known as Burma, and involved the military seizing power after the candidate it supported lost the country's election in a landslide. The military claimed without evidence that widespread voter fraud had occurred, and used the dubious allegations to justify its undemocratic actions. The international community has largely condemned the coup. Read More UK Covid-19 vaccinations: Latest figures Ex-general says Michael Flynn is getting crazier and crazier after endorsing military coup in US US should have coup like Myanmar, former Trump advisor Michael Flynn tells QAnon conference in Texas Giggs' absence puts pressure on Bale to deliver for Wales at Euro 2020 If Wales are to thrive in Giggs' absence, the onus is on Gareth Bale to prove his erratic loan spell with Tottenham Hotspur this season was not further evidence that his love for the game is dwindling Wales will go into Euro 2020 without their beleaguered boss Ryan Giggs, putting the spotlight on Gareth Bale's bid to silence critics who say he has lost his appetite for success. Giggs' absence following his arrest on charges of assaulting two women last year will cast a shadow over Wales during the Euro. The former Manchester United star faces a trial in 2022 after being accused of butting his ex-girlfriend Kate Greville and controlling her throughout their relationship. Giggs is also charged with the common assault of Greville's sister Emma in the same incident. The 47-year-old had taken charge of Wales in 2018 and made a positive impression as he led them to the European Championship, just their second major tournament appearance since the 1958 World Cup. But Giggs, who denies the charges, has been on leave since November last year, with caretaker boss Robert Page stepping into the breach. Page has won four of his six games since replacing Giggs, with Wales' only loss in that time coming against the world's top-ranked side, Belgium. If Wales are to thrive in Giggs' absence, the onus is on Bale to prove his erratic loan spell with Tottenham Hotspur this season was not further evidence that his love for the game is dwindling. Although he scored 16 goals, Bale was unable to make a consistent impact on his return to Tottenham despite the hope that escaping his miserable time at Real Madrid would reinvigorate the Wales captain. Hampered by fitness issues and a frosty relationship with Jose Mourinho before his sacking, Bale hardly disproved the theory he no longer has the drive required to dominate at the highest level. Having celebrated Wales' Euro qualification by waving a flag that read 'Wales. Golf. Madrid. In that order', Bale has an opportunity to show that swipe at Real was more than hollow patriotism. - Bale burden - Despite the exit of his Real nemesis, coach Zinedine Zidane, Bale is reportedly considering negotiating a pay-off to avoid returning to Madrid. Story continues It was also suggested the four-time Champions League winner could quit football altogether and try his hand at professional golf, a claim rejected by his agent, Jonathan Barnett. Bale fuelled speculation over a potential bombshell announcement when he was asked about his future following his brace in Tottenham's final Premier League game of the season at Leicester City. "I know what I'm doing, but it'll just cause chaos if I say anything. It will have to happen after the Euro," Bale said. "I'm not thinking about anything else other than Wales." After their fairytale run to the Euro 2016 semi-finals, Wales will need Bale at his best to get anywhere near repeating that success. "We'd love to replicate what we did at Euro 2016 but we are realistic. It's a different team, a different tournament," Bale said. Page's side kick off against Switzerland in Baku on June 12, with games against Turkey and Italy rounding off their group schedule. The bulk of Page's squad ply their trade in England's second tier, with 19-year-old midfielder Rubin Colwill a surprise inclusion after only making his Cardiff City debut in February. "He blew us all away with how he was and how he conducted himself. He's a top professional already," Page said of Colwill. Wales won just four of their eight qualifying fixtures, with two of those victories coming against Azerbaijan, as they finished second in qualifying Group E behind Croatia. They scored only 10 goals in eight qualifying games, putting pressure on Bale to shine. Finding a way for Juventus midfielder Aaron Ramsey to overcome his fitness issues will also be crucial. "Ryan's key principles when he first took over are no different and whether he is here or not, the lads know exactly how we expect them to play," Page said. smg/pb/as Myanmar correspondent Mratt Kyaw Thu will arrive in Madrid on Tuesday to ask for asylum after fleeing the military junta in Yangon, said the Spanish news agency EFE, which he worked for. The 30-year-old correspondent, who will travel to Spain after failing to obtain asylum in Germany, won AFP's Kate Webb award in 2017 for his outstanding coverage of the ethnic and religious conflicts in Myanmar. "Tomorrow he will fly from Frankfurt to Madrid to ask for asylum in Spain," EFE southeast Asia director Ramon Abarca told AFP. "He has spent four weeks in a detention centre," Abarca told AFP by phone from Bangkok. A spokesman for Spain's interior ministry said Mratt's arrival had not been officially registered but would be treated according to international law. Reporters Without Borders spokeswoman in Germany Katja Gloger said the interior ministry there had been asked to handle the asylum request after stressing the journalist's life was in danger. Mratt, who has worked for EFE since 2018, criticised the military junta which overthrew civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi on February 1. The junta issued an arrest warrant for the reporter, EFE said, forcing him to seek safety abroad. Myanmar has been in uproar since the putsch, with near-daily protests and a nationwide civil disobedience movement. More than 800 people have been killed by the military, according to a local monitoring group. The press has been caught in the crackdown as the junta tries to tighten control over the flow of information. American journalist Danny Fenster was arrested by Myanmar on May 24 as he tried to fly out of the country. There has since been no news of his whereabouts or well-being. Fenster was managing editor of news outlet Frontier Myanmar, where Mratt also published his work. Several other foreign journalists were detained during March and April. Myanmar ranked 140 out of 180 countries in the 2021 Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index. bur-dbh/tpe/bp/dl A former director of Open Russia, an opposition group linked to exiled Kremlin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky, has been removed from a plane in St Petersburg and arrested. That's according to OVD-Info, which monitors police action against opposition figures. It said Andrei Pivovarov was arrested at Pulkovo airport. Tatyana Usmanova is te former co-ordinator of Open Russia. "After the whole world discussed what Lukashenko did in Minsk, doing practically the same thing in St Petersburg and stopping Andrei's plane, that was already on the runway, is the height of insanity, and it shows a lack of respect for human rights." Open Russia said last week that it had decided to end operations in Russia to protect its members from the risk of being jailed. Russia declared the London-based group 'undesirable' in 2017, effectively banning its activities. Its allies in Russia continued their activism under the same name, but as a separate legal entity to protect themselves from prosecution. (Reuters) -Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd (TSMC) has started construction at a site in Arizona where it plans to spend $12 billion to build a computer chip factory, its chief executive said on Tuesday. Speaking at the company's annual technology presentation to clients and investors, held online for the second straight year because of the pandemic, CEO C.C. Wei said the planned factory remains on track to start volume production of chips using the company's 5-nanometer production technology starting in 2024. TSMC is expected to be one of several companies, including Intel Corp and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, competing for some of the $54 billion in subsides for the chip industry that advanced in the United States Senate last week. Reuters previously reported that TSMC plans to build as many as six factories at the Arizona site over a 10- to 15-year span. TSMC, the world's biggest manufacturer of semiconductors on contract, has taken centre-stage in the global supply chain equation amid a worldwide shortage of chips that is hurting industries from automobiles to consumer electronics. Its shares have soared since the COVID-19 pandemic began, making it Asia's most valuable manufacturing company with a market capitalisation of $563 billion, more than twice that of Intel's. TSMC announced in April a $100 billion investment plan over the next three years to increase capacity at its factories. Wei reiterated that number, which will include $30 billion in spending this year, at the presentation. "That will give us enough manufacturing capacity to support the growth of our clients," he said. Wei also said the company has developed a version of its 5-nanometer chipmaking process certified for use by automakers for advanced applications like artificial intelligence, though the new offering is unlikely to alleviate the current chip shortages because the shortages are of less advanced chips. He said TSMC's next generation of 3-nanometer chipmaking technology remains on track to start volume production at the company's "Fab 18" factory in Tainan, Taiwan, in the second half of next year. (Reporting by Stephen Nellis in San Francisco and Yimou Lee and Ben Blanchard in Taipei; Editing by David Holmes and Muralikumar AnantharamanEditing by David Holmes) Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc He expressed his hope that the US will continue to support Vietnam and other countries in Covid-19 vaccine supplies, while suggesting that the two sides strengthen cooperation in Covid-19 vaccine research, production and technology transfer. In the letter, the Vietnamese leader welcomed and thanked the US for its commitment to donate US$4 billion to the Covid-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) initiative, noting that Vietnam has received two batches with about 2.5 million doses of vaccine from this mechanism.COVAX is really a precious and timely assistance that has helped Vietnam and many other developing countries in responding to the pandemic when vaccine supply sources have still been limited, he wrote.President Phuc also applauded the USs commitment to contribute an additional 80 million Covid-19 vaccine doses to the joint efforts of the international community amid complicated developments of the pandemic in Vietnam and Southeast Asia.President Phuc affirmed that Vietnam always attaches great importance to the Comprehensive Partnership with the US, and believed that based on the spirit of friendly cooperation, both sides will continue to promote bilateral relations in a more intensive and practical manner, thus benefiting people of both nations and contributing to the maintenance of peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world.Earlier, in recent phone talks with leaders of other countries such as China, Russia and Japan, leaders of the Vietnamese Party, State and Government also asked for the countries assistance in accessing vaccine supplies and cooperation in researching and transferring Covid-19 vaccine production technology. 2. Coronavirus Half the US population is now at least partially vaccinated, which means health experts are less concerned about the crowds that gathered at beaches, bars and other venues over the holiday weekend. Still, they warn that those who aren't vaccinated remain at great risk of serious illness from Covid-19. The next goal? Biden wants to get 70% of the population at least partially vaccinated by July 4. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization has assigned new labels to key coronavirus variants so the public can refer to them by letters of the Greek alphabet instead of where the variant was first detected. For instance, the UK variant that made its way around the US is now variant Alpha, and the one responsible for India's most recent deadly surge is Delta. Support local journalism Now, more than ever, the world needs trustworthy reportingbut good journalism isnt free. Please support us by making a contribution. LUTON, Iowa -- A rural Whiting, Iowa, man was charged with second-degree murder, related to an incident that occurred in rural Luton, Iowa, Monday afternoon. At around 1:32 p.m. Monday, Woodbury County Sheriff's Office deputies received 911 calls of a shooting in the 1900 block of 250th Street, in Luton. A caller also said the suspect was westbound on 250th Street, heading toward Highway 75 in a red Volkswagen. Arriving at the scene, investigators discovered a male and a female suffering from apparent gunshot wounds in the front yard of a residence. The female was transported to MercyOne Siouxland Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries. Her name is not being released at this time. The male victim, Russell Landon Mohr, 40, of rural Mapleton, Iowa, was pronounced dead at the scene. His body has been transported to the Iowa State Medical Examiner, in Ankeny, for an autopsy. Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Marvin Lynn Hildreth Jr., 20, was taken into custody without incident following a traffic stop on Highway 141, just west of Highway 75, less than a half-hour later. He was booked into the Woodbury County Jail. Were not gonna give up hope. We're going to continue to use every resource we have to try and find Ryan and hopefully bring him home safe, La Vista Mayor Doug Kindig said at a prayer vigil Wednesday. TULSA, Okla. (AP) An emotional President Joe Biden marked the 100th anniversary of the massacre that destroyed a thriving Black community in Tulsa, declaring Tuesday that he had come to fill the silence about one of the nations darkest and long suppressed moments of racial violence. WASHINGTON (AP) A judge has thrown out a lawsuit from a former Marine who was jailed in Iran for more than four years and then denied a multimillion-dollar payout from a special U.S. government victims' fund after an FBI espionage investigation into his travels. ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) Minnesota wildlife managers imposed a statewide ban on the movement of farmed white-tailed deer starting Tuesday through the end of July as they try to control an outbreak of chronic wasting disease that threatens the states wild deer population. The ban is meant to curtail the spread of the always fatal brain disease, which can spread when captive deer from infected herds are transferred to farms in other parts of the state and pass it on wild deer, Minnesota Public Radio reported. We want to make sure that we can protect the wild herd by locating all infected farmed deer in the state, said Sarah Strommen, commissioner of the Department of Natural Resources. And thats much more difficult to do if theyre still moving around. Thirteen deer in a farmed herd in Beltrami County in northern Minnesota recently tested positive for chronic wasting disease. Its spread by prions, or abnormal proteins, in the animals bodily fluids. Prions can also remain viable for several years in the ground, long after an infected animal has died and its carcass decomposed, continuing the cycle of contagion. The rioters overwhelmed another line of police officers, again with the Konolds at the front of the crowd, and entered the Capitol building, the complaint says. Police officers tried to lower metal barriers in the tunnels underneath the building, but authorities say Felicia Konold and others pushed against the barriers to keep them from closing. Some in the crowd put a podium and a chair under the barriers to prop them open and allow more rioters to enter the building. In one video posted on social media, the woman the FBI believed was Felicia Konold said she was watching the news guys and Dude, I cant even put into words, according to the complaint. I never could (unintelligible) have imagined having that much of an influence on the events that unfolded today. Dude, people were willing to follow, the complaint quotes her as saying. She described going through three lines of police in the crowd, saying my feet werent even on the ground, all my boys, behind me, holding me up in the air, pushing back, according to the complaint. HOUSTON (AP) An off-duty deputy working security at a Houston nightclub was the one who fatally shot an armed suspect after gunfire at the club left one other person dead and wounded two more people, police said. SOUTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (AP) The University of Rhode Island is weighing whether to revoke an honorary degree bestowed years ago to Michael Flynn, a university alumnus who briefly served as President Donald Trumps national security adviser. The Providence Journal reports the school's honorary degree committee met on Jan. 29 and Feb. 5 at the request of URI President David Dooley. The panel sent its recommendation to Dooley on Feb. 12 but hasn't made it public. University spokesperson Linda Acciardo told the Journal on Tuesday that the outgoing president hasn't made a decision on the degree, which was bestowed in 2014. She added that Dooley's recommendation would be sent to the school's board of trustees, which would then hold a public hearing. The university expressed disappointment in Flynn, a 1981 graduate, after he pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI in 2017. Search and rescue teams in Kauai on Tuesday resumed on-ground efforts to find a 23-year-old University of Nebraska-Lincoln senior who went missing in Hawaii. The Kauai Police Department announced Monday that the aerial search had been called off for Samuel Martinez, a microbiology student at UNL who traveled to Kauai alone on May 12 for two-week camping and hiking trip. Martinez's family hasn't heard from the student since a few hours after his flight landed on Kauai. He was reported missing to the Lincoln Police Department on May 27 after he did not arrive home as scheduled. Investigators on the island say the last ping from Martinez's cellphone came around 8:20 p.m. May 12 near Waimea and Kokee state parks. Air and ground rescue teams from five Kauai-based agencies searched several beaches, trails, ridges and canyons in the region on Sunday and Monday. Unfortunately, we havent found any sign of Mr. Martinez throughout our searches," Investigative Services Bureau Assistant Chief Bryson Ponce said in a Kauai Police Department news release. As proposed, the youngest children, those ages 6 weeks through 18 months, would be limited to eight per group or room. The limits increase with the age of the children, until they reach 30 for school-age children. The group size limits would be in addition to existing regulations that specify staff-to-child ratios and the amount of space that must be provided per child. Thibodeau estimated the group limits would force her to drop 10 of the 170 children now enrolled in her center, which cares for infants through age 5. She said other providers are reporting similar results, with potentially thousands of children losing care across the state. At a hearing on the proposed regulations, a group of providers estimated they would have to increase prices by 20% to 30% to make up for the loss of income. They submitted testimony saying the regulations would make it harder for families and child care providers, most of whom are women, as they continue to recover from pandemic limits on child care. These proposed regulations would set women back even further, forcing more parents, and likely mothers, to leave their jobs because child care is unavailable, the group said. This negatively affects Nebraskas economy and its ability to keep and retain thriving businesses and talent. It is time now to think big. The resources will be there in 2022, Speaker of the Legislature Mike Hilgers says, as $500 million in new federal pandemic recovery assistance comes flowing into the state. "It might be a once-in-a-legislative-generation opportunity for the state," Hilgers said. And legislative dynamics shout that the moment is now: Some heavy-hitters, experienced senators who are leaders and doers and who already have racked up some big accomplishments for the state, will be serving their eighth and final year in the Legislature, the Lincoln senator noted. "Big thinkers with good working relationships," Hilgers said. The time is right, he said, and the resources will be there. "We're going to come to play next year," the speaker said. After reviewing the pandemic-challenged 2021 Legislature's accomplishments during an interview in his office at the Capitol immediately after senators adjourned Thursday and headed home, Hilgers cast a look ahead. The speaker said he's open to all kinds of big ideas, but his thoughts move quickly to the Legislature's adventurously named STAR WARS Committee. "The details mattered, and it was important that things be faithfully recorded," she said. Powell said Johnsgard was a skilled artist and photographer in addition to being a prodigious writer with a talent for reaching new audiences. His "Wildlife of Nebraska," a tome on 600 species native to the Cornhusker State, could be used by anyone, from fifth graders writing a report to professional ecologists, Powell said. "It had just an incredible amount of detail, and he was the one who knew that stuff and took the time," Powell said. "I don't know what drove him specifically, other than he just really loved sharing that information." When he wasn't in the field or at the writing desk, Johnsgard took on the role of "conservation activist," working with former Omaha Sen. Ernie Chambers on bills to protect mountain lions and prairie dogs, and once scheming to thwart the creation of a prairie chicken hunting season in Southeast Nebraska. Survived by his wife of 65 years, Lois, and three of his four children, Johnsgard was constantly trying to instill a love of nature in the next generation, his daughters said. The nonpartisan legislative agency will turn that data into maps as quickly as possible, Cook said, but its just impossible to know how long it will take and whether it will be in time for legislators to meet their constitutional deadline. The Iowa Constitution requires that a plan be adopt by lawmakers by Sept. 1 and enacted, or signed by the governor, by Sept. 15. Before the Legislature can act, a bipartisan redistricting advisory commission must hold public hearings and make a recommendation on a redistricting plan. If the Legislature approves the plan, it goes to the governor for her signature. If not, the agency draws a new set of maps for the legislators to either accept or reject. If a third plan is needed, lawmakers can amend it. That causes some concern, especially among Democrats, that Republicans will gerrymander the map for their electoral advantage. Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} From the perspective of the legislative agency, the process should be the same as always. Its just that instead of having this issue in February and March, we're going to have it late in the fall, Cook said. If the Legislature cant meet the deadline, redistricting becomes the responsibility of the Iowa Supreme Court. The closures reflect the reality that modern meat processing plants are heavily automated, for both food- and worker-safety reasons. Computers collect data at multiple stages of the production process, and orders, billing, shipping and other functions are all electronic. JBS has not stated publicly that the attack was ransomware. Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Jean-Pierre said the White House is engaging directly with the Russian government on this matter and delivering the message that responsible states do not harbor ransomware criminals. The FBI is investigating the incident, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is offering technical support to JBS. In addition, USDA has spoken to several major meat processors in the U.S. to alert them to the situation, and the White House is assessing any potential impact on the nations meat supply. JBS has more than 150,000 employees worldwide. Washington D.C.-based Animal Wellness Action, an animal welfare group, said in a statement the attack, "underscores the need to break up the 'big four' packers and stop the monopolization and globalization of industrial agriculture. SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) South Dakota lawmakers tasked with redrawing legislative districts indicated Tuesday they will focus on the state's two largest cities, as well as Native American reservations. Both the House and Senate committees that are redrawing legislative boundaries decided to create sub-committees tasked with gathering input from Sioux Falls, Rapid City and tribal areas. Lawmakers are readying to receive data from the 2020 Census, develop boundary lines for legislative districts and approve them by Dec. 1. But the districts in urban areas and Indian reservations could have the most hiccups, according to Matt Frame, a lawyer with the Legislative Research Council that is guiding the redistricting process. Lawmakers must ensure that racial minority groups receive adequate representation in state government in order to stay in compliance with federal law. That could create a challenge in areas where mostly Native American people live, especially because those areas have a greater share of younger people who cannot yet register to vote and factors like poverty or physical distance can make it more difficult for people to register to vote. The legislative boundaries must be determined on total population, not voter registration. KYIV, Ukraine (AP) A Belarusian activist stabbed himself in the neck during a court hearing Tuesday in Minsk to protest political repression and authorities' threats to prosecute his relatives. JBS, which has not stated publicly that the attack was ransomware, said the cyberattack affected servers supporting its operations in North America and Australia. Backup servers werent affected and it said it was not aware of any customer, supplier or employee data being compromised. Malone said the disruption could further raise meat prices ahead of summer barbecues. Even before the attack, U.S. meat prices were rising due to coronavirus shutdowns, bad weather and high plant absenteeism. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has said it expects beef prices to climb 1% to 2% this year, poultry as much as 1.5% and pork between by from 2% and 3%. JBS, which is a majority shareholder of Pilgrim's Pride, didn't say which of its 84 U.S. facilities were closed Monday and Tuesday because of the attack. It said JBS USA and Pilgrims were able to ship meat from nearly all of its facilities Tuesday. The company also said it was making progress toward resuming plant operations in the U.S. and Australia. Several of the companys pork, poultry and prepared foods plants were operational Tuesday and its Canada beef facility resumed production, it said. For as the endless invasion proceeds, native-born Americans have ceased to reproduce themselves. Not since the birth dearth of the Great Depression and WWII, when the Silent Generation was born, has the U.S. population experienced such a birth decline as today. At the same time, a war of all against all in America seems to raise the question, to which recitation of the cliche -- "Our diversity is our greatest strength" -- no longer seems an adequate response: Is there no limit to the racial, religious, ideological, political, cultural and ethnic diversity the nation can accommodate before it splinters into its component parts? In professions of religious belief, atheists, agnostics and secularists have become our largest "congregation," followed by Catholics and Protestants, both of which are in numerical decline. Diversity of faiths leads to irreconcilable, clashing opinions about morality on the most divisive social issues of our era: abortion, homosexuality, same-sex marriage, etc. Racial diversity, too, is bringing back problems unseen since the 1960s. America was almost 90% white in 1960, but that figure is down to 60% and falling. In 25 years, we will all belong to racial minorities. Omaha is a vibrant and diverse urban area, which isnt well understood outside of the state or even among many younger Nebraskans. The young people we must attract and retain are the entrepreneurs, quality workers and creative thinkers who will become Nebraskas job creators and leaders who fuel our collective prosperity. Unfortunately, some state government leaders, not least among them Gov. Ricketts, are at work to keep these people away. A year after George Floyds murder under the knee of a Minneapolis cop and 15 months into a life-changing pandemic that disproportionally affected people of color, they are telling the world that Nebraska has reset to the decades-old White default that everything was really just fine all along. The Legislature, for the second time in a year, refused to establish minimal safety requirements for slaughterhouse workers, most of whom are people of color who early in the pandemic accounted for one in six COVID infections. Senators opposing the bill argued that packers have adopted protections and the pandemic is almost over anyway. Maybe. The coronavirus has been unpredictable and continues to mutate. It may pack more nasty surprises as society, not vaccinated to a level of herd immunity, drops restrictions. The board of L.A. Metro, which runs the buses and subways in Los Angeles County, met on Thursday to consider a radical idea: making transit free. The agency has approved a pilot program that will waive fares for K12 and community college students this summer and for low-income riders next winter. In 2023, Metro will decide if the remaining riders get to ride free too. That would give Los Angeles the largest free transit system in the world. Advertisement More than two hours of public comment preceded the meeting, and most of the speakers were not fans of Metros incremental approach. They were against the agency asking for a public attestation of poverty. Any effort to impose a means test is in fact a form of racial discrimination, one said. Another said, Its an apartheid system on its face. In short: free transit, now! Advertisement Advertisement Theres something in the air. Many U.S. cities waived bus fares during the pandemic, including New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeleswhere buses are still free and will remain so until the pilot begins. Kansas City was already getting rid of fares on its buses before COVID. San Francisco supervisors want to make transit free this summer. Making the MBTA free is a big plank in the platform of Michelle Wu, one of the favorites in next years Boston mayoral election. The leading candidate for Manhattan borough president wants free city buses in New York, too. Advertisement Freeways are free once youve bought the carwhy shouldnt transit be free once youve bought a pair of shoes? Proponents say universal free transit will help the poor, end the carceral cycle of fare evasion, avoid the stigma and inefficiency of means-testing, and boost ridership. Unfortunately, on that last pointgetting more people more places without carsthe prospects for free transit do not look so good. Los Angeles is in some ways the perfect large city to experiment. In the American Prospect, Claire Wang offers an excellent rundown of the case for free transit in the Southland. Seventy percent of county riders are low-income, so even a universal subsidy would be fairly well-targeted. After the pandemics onset, Metro fare revenue dropped from 17 percent to just 4 percent of its operating budget. We have a moral obligation to research and implement a fareless transit system, Phillip Washington, L.A. Metros recently departed CEO, told the Prospect. In the long term, transit should just be like library services or fire department services. Advertisement Advertisement The primary difference between a bus and a firetruck in Los Angeles, however, is not that one is $1.75 and one is prepaid by taxes. Its that a firetruck comes when you need it. According to the AllTransit Gap Finder, a comparative tool that ranks cities based on service in densely populated neighborhoods, more than 60 percent of L.A. County households are underserved by transit relative to their density (rising to 70 percent in the city of Los Angeles). The comparative figure is 18 percent in Chicago and 24 percent in D.C. How free is free transit if you have to spend an hour a day waiting for the bus? Im not sure free fares are the best investment from the point of view of liberating large numbers of low-income peopleonly those who already live where transit is already useful, said Jarrett Walker, a transit planner based in Portland, Oregon. Ive heard people describe the free fare movement as being a movement for free, terrible service, and thats how the trade-off ends up working if you expect this to happen inside the budget of an impoverished American transit agency. Advertisement On the one hand, it would be disingenuous to pretend Los Angeles straphangers must choose between free service and frequent service: The agencys budget is almost $8 billion, and it spends many times its bus budget on capital projects and highways, funds that could easily be reapportioned to bulk up its transit offerings. It spends more than $100 million a year on policethe very police whose discriminatory conduct provides the strongest justification for getting rid of fares! Advertisement We dont think of it as a trade-off at all, said Channing Martinez, an organizer with the Los Angeles Bus Riders Union, which is pushing for free fares for all. They could give up one of their 30-year, 40-year capital projects and double, triple the service. Advertisement On the other, a service-for-fares bargain was exactly what was proposed at last summers announcement of the free transit pilot, which was paired with bus service cuts of 20 percent. Only one-time stimulus from the federal relief bill and sustained pressure from activists got those buses restored. And the status quo isnt very good. As the Gap Finder attests, what passes for regular service in Los Angeles would appall riders in Chicago or D.C.to say nothing of London or Tokyo. Low-income riders do use transit more once fare discounts are offered, observed Steven Higashide, the research director at the think tank TransitCenter and author of Better Buses, Better Cities. He pointed to an MIT study that showed that low-income residents in Boston with discounted CharlieCards took about 30 percent more trips, especially for health care visits. (There are many more studies of free transit in Europe, but the continents excellent service and high cost of car ownership make them dubious points of comparison.) Advertisement But those same riders also overwhelmingly said reliability was a bigger concern than affordability. And thats just among people who ride now. For millions more people the barrier might be the bus doesnt even go to their doctors office, or they cant rely on it getting there when the schedule promises, Higashide said. People wont have true freedom of mobility unless there is twice, three times, four times as much service as what exists today. Riders say they want better service, not cheaper service. The competition between free fares and better service is more acute in cities like San Francisco, where transit is not considered the mode of last resort and fare revenues make up a greater share of the bottom line. There, even with MUNI service reeling from pandemic-era cuts, city supervisors moved to abolish fares over the summer using federal relief funds. They sparred with SFMTA chief Jeffrey Tumlin, who cautiously argued for a focus on restoring service. (He was more direct on Twitter a couple years ago: If we have $X to improve transit, are our goals better served by eliminating fares or improving service? If you want to spend public $ to buy down fares, target those for whom fares are an obstacle.) Mayor London Breed vetoed the supervisors resolution. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That trade-off is also at work in Boston. Laurel Paget-Seekins, who recently left a post as assistant general manager for policy at the MBTA, thinks abolishing fares is not the best use of the agencys limited budget. The cost of taking transit for low-income people is not just the fare, she explained. Its their time. Obviously, they need to be able to pay the fare, but we shouldnt waste their time by making them wait for the bus for an hour. Most transit experts support targeted discount programs for low-income riders, like the one operated by King County, Washington, which runs transit service in Seattle. They also admit they havent done a great job helping people access such programs, a point in favor of a free school lunch analogy; benefits are only good if people can get them. Thats a particular concern in Los Angeles, with its large population of undocumented people who might not have or want to share financial paperwork. Advertisement In cities with more wealthy riders, though, free transit isnt just a regressive redistribution of tax moneyits also not clear how many high-income riders would get on board. In Boston, for example, of MBTA pass holders given free access to the citys bus network before COVID, 40 percent never rode a single bus. If free buses cant capture subway riders, why would they lure drivers? Advertisement Whats true in Boston is true nationally: Riders say they want better service, not cheaper service. And that may underestimate the preference, because so many low-income people have been pushed out of close-in, well-served neighborhoods where transit works. They dont think of themselves as straphangers anymore; free transit means little when the bus is a mile from your house. Well before the pandemic cratered their ridership, American transit agencies were in crisis. Los Angeles had fewer riders in 2016 than in 2006 despite a growing population and billions spent on new transit projects. According to a 2018 study, that decline had an obvious culprit: Angelenos were switching to cars. In other words, transit in Los Angeles is losing riders to a better option, not a cheaper one. Then again, if riding is free, at least Angelenos will be getting what they pay for. This piece originally appeared in the Conversation. Follow coverage of trans issues, and youll hear some people say that teens who change their gender identity are participating in a fad, and that social media is the culprit. As one proponent of legislation that would restrict access to care for trans teens claimed, social media platforms are where trans youths are falsely convinced that their feelings of identifying as a gender other than the one assigned to them at birthknown as gender dysphoriaare valid. These fears of Instagram, Tumblr and TikTok as breeding grounds for instilling gender dysphoria in young people recall other moral panics over new media, from the Victorian-era paranoia that serialized stories called penny dreadfuls were going to incite a youth crime wave to 20th-century anxiety over childrens exposure to violence on television. Advertisement Moreover, it ignores the long-documented history of trans youth in North America, while assuming that trans youth using media to find social support and build community is somehow a new phenomenon. Trans adults hesitant to engage For a long time, adults within trans community organizations largely avoided contact with legal minors. Even though many had recognized their own cross-gender feelings from a young age, they feared backlash from parents or law enforcement if they interacted with youths who sought them out. Advertisement Advertisement In 1996, physician Sheila Kirk, medical adviser to the International Foundation for Gender Educationat the time the largest transgender advocacy organizationsaid that the organization often had to cut off contact with teens who reached out to them, since the majority of them didnt have parental consent to communicate with the organization. Advertisement In a 1996 column, transgender publisher Kymberleigh Richards wrote that adult members of regional trans support groups feared angry parents might charge them with contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Even Richards, whod done informal phone counseling with trans youths, felt uncomfortable regularly talking with teens without a referring doctor or nurse on the line. Yet Richards was hopeful that the internet could be a safe space for these youths. Because many of these spaces were anonymous, trans youth could find support and resources by interacting with adults. Dialing in and making connections Some of the first recorded examples of trans youth exploring trans communities online date back to 1988. Unlike todays always-on internet, the online landscape of the late 1980s and early 1990s varied widely. Some folks connected with others on bulletin board systems, or BBSes, which were independent computer servers often run out of the system operators home. Advertisement Advertisement Instead of an IP or web address, users would dial in to a specific phone number using their modem. The cost of extended long-distance calls mostly limited users to those living within the bulletin board systems area code. In many ways, these networks were some of the earliest forms of social media. Others used national subscription services like America Online, CompuServe Information Service, Prodigy or GEnie. Most importantly, whether you used a bulletin board system or a subscription service, you received your own email address. On CompuServes trans-specific Genderline forum, chatrooms or CDForum, an early trans email list, trans youths were able to ask questions and learn how to safely explore their cross-gender feelings, find supportive therapists and grow their networks. Advertisement For example, 17-year-old Susie, a first-generation Chinese immigrant living in Canada, was a regular poster to CDForum throughout 1992. In her archived emails, available through Queer Digital History Project, she asked members for advice on managing her depression and kept them updated on major changes in her life. Yet most of the members Susie and other trans youth communicated with were trans adults. Once the World Wide Weband the homepage, in particulartook off, spaces by and for trans youth became far more common. Becoming visible Though websites like GeoCities are now something of an internet joke, they were an important place where trans youths could come out and publicly identify as trans. Advertisement During the mid-to-late 1990s, ad-supported web hosting services allowed users to create their own websites, or homepages, that featured a variety of personalized content, from hobbies and fandoms to photo collections and journals. Advertisement Compared with text-heavy Bulletin Board Systems or email lists, homepages were vibrant: Most homepage creators decorated their spaces as you might your bedroom, using an array of colors, typefaces, embedded music files and animated GIFs. Advertisement The Transgendered Teens Web Directory, created in 1998 and last archived in 2002, included links, homepages and email addresses for youths from 32 different states. These homepages contained a variety of information, from advice on coming out and navigating being out in high school, to pursuing medical transition as a teen. Advertisement For example, the web diary of Transgendered Teens Web Directory founder Sarah, which has entries from 1997 to 2001, repeatedly references her email chats with other trans youths, who support her while she navigates her shifting identity, coming out to her parents, and making friends. Trans youths also created resources that focused on what they thought other youths needed. On the TransBoy Resource Networks About page, the creator describes being inspired by their own experience with the potential the internet has for bringing trans people together and for the dissemination of information. Advertisement Most importantly, for trans youths who couldnt be themselves in real life, the homepage was a space for self-expression. On their pages, they could use gendered colors and graphics without fear of outing themselves, or post photos wearing the clothes they felt comfortable in without facing physical harassment. For trans creators who had supportive parents, their homepage could even become a place to share their transition progress, posting photos at each new personal milestone. Much like todays social media profiles, the homepage became a digital version of ones ideal self. Over time, the growing number of pages meant that trans youths surfing the web were, as teenager Dylan Jared wrote on his own page, always able to run across people like themselves. Trans teens grow their ranks Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Through these online spaces, what had once seemed rarepublicly identifying as trans before becoming an adultwas rapidly becoming a common experience for a large part of the trans community. As trans youths became more visible, organizations felt empowered to actively advocate on their behalf. Issues facing trans youth were a central theme of IFGEs 2004 annual conference, though some attendees still worried about the ethical issues of having youths give presentations. Throughout the 2000s, the number of people in North America coming out as trans earlier in life grew exponentially. Now, some trans-affirming clinics struggle to see all their prospective patients. This shift wouldnt have been possible without the reach of the internet, which showed that trans youth have always been here. Online communities gave them a placeand a spaceto be themselves, without fear of being ostracized, undermined or harassed. And its having the support of their peers, not a passing social media fad, thats giving them the courage to come out, then and now. In 1977, New York voters approved a constitutional amendment that replaced elections to the Court of Appeals (the states highest court) with a Commission on Judicial Nomination that gave the governor power to nominate judges to the court subject to Senate confirmation. To date, no nominee has ever been rejected by the Senate. It is time for that streak to end. While few New Yorkers can name a single judge on the seven-member Court of Appeals, the courts rulings have profound impact in myriad waysespecially when it comes to the criminal legal system, where the court has become increasingly pro-prosecution. During the uprisings following the police murder of George Floyd, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo spoke of righting the many injustices minority communities have faced because of a broken and unfair system. The courts, too, are instruments of injustice. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Subscribe to the Slatest Newsletter A daily email update of the stories you need to read right now. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. Please enable javascript to use form. Email address: Send me updates about Slate special offers. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Sign Up Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. Cuomo, a Democrat, had an opportunity to address part of the broken and unfair system that he helped to create. The governor appointed every current member of the court, establishing a conservative majority that has obliterated the rights of criminal defendants. With the need to fill three more seats on the court by years end, Cuomo could have assembled a new majority dominated by people who have demonstrated commitments to protecting peoples rights to be free from overbearing, arbitrary, and racist policing, and to rectifying a criminal legal system that regularly turns a blind eye to injustice. However, his recent nominations of Madeline Singas and Anthony Cannataro reflect an opportunity squandered. The current courts antipathy toward people charged with crime is manifested in the increasingly minuscule number of cases the court agrees to review, and the decidedly pro-prosecution decisions the court renders. While people convicted of crime can request that the court consider the legality of their conviction, the present court routinely declines to hear those appeals. The number of criminal appeals accepted by the court is at its lowest point in years. In 2013, the court heard 259 criminal appeals. Last year, that number dropped to 96. Advertisement Advertisement Those fortunate few who manage to have their cases reviewed by the court face yet another barrier: a court with a distinctly pro-prosecution bent. In 2017, the court sided with the prosecution in 82 percent of the cases it heard. One judge, Michael Garcia, ruled in favor of the prosecution in 100 percent of the courts non-unanimous cases. Only two of the courts judges, Jenny Rivera and Rowan Wilson, do not regularly vote in lockstep with the prosecution. Omar Alvarezs case is a prime example of the courts contempt for people convicted of crime. When Alvarez was 19 years old, he was charged and convicted of several violent crimes, including murder, and sentenced to 66 2/3 years to life. His appointed appellate lawyer filed a brief full of typos and grammatical errors and bereft of citations to support legal claims. The lawyers statement of the facts contained a mere six lines of text; the entire brief was only 20 double-spaced pages, including separate cover pages and table of contents. The prosecutors statement of the facts, by contrast, ran 60 pages, and their entire brief was 175 pages. Further, and most crucial, the lawyer inexplicably failed to seek review of the most glaring issue in the casea de facto sentence of life without parole imposed on a teenager. Advertisement Advertisement Alvarez filed a motion alleging that his appellate lawyer provided ineffective assistance of counsel. The Court of Appeals, with apparent ease, affirmed the conviction in a brief decision. In her lengthy dissent, Rivera wrote that the brief violates every rule about effective advocacy taught to law students across the country. She even took the unusual step of attaching a link to the brief for all to see. In his similarly lengthy dissent, Wilson referred to the atrocious quality of appellate counsels brief and urged that the failure to ask the appellate court to reduce the sentence, by itself, was ineffective assistance of counsel that demanded a remedy. Neither Singas nor Cannataro has ever represented someone facing criminal charges. Wilson also noted a significant fact that the courts majority ignored: Omar Alvarez was gravely ill. His cancer had metastasized and compressed around his spinal cord. He was a paraplegic, confined to a wheelchair and unable to control his bladder and bowels. Directly calling out the other judges who found no fault in the attorneys failure to seek resentencing, Wilson asked, Were Mr. Alvarez your son, would you have instructed his lawyer not to ask the Appellate Division to exercise its interest of justice jurisdiction to give him the chance to prove he had earned parole? Advertisement Advertisement The other five members of the court referred to the minuscule issues raised by Alvarezs appeal and, without any apparent sense of shame, wrote that the brief filed by appellate counsel was somewhat terse, could have been better drafted, and is not a model to be emulated. In so easily dispatching the appeal, the court revealed its attitude toward the pleas of thousands of people whose cases are either never reviewed or whose convictions are upheld without serious scrutiny and sense of humanity. There are numerous other examples of the courts scorn for people who have the temerity to challenge their convictions. Recently, in dissenting from a majority opinion that upheld the denial of a convicted individuals time-honored right to make a statement at sentencing (as the person simply asked, Am I going to get a chance to talk?), Wilson noted that the court seemed to have no qualms about treating a convicted person as an object. Advertisement The urgent need for judges with professional and personal diversity has been raised at the federal level as advocates, and even Supreme Court justices and senators, have called on President Joe Biden to look beyond the usual crop of prosecutors and members of big law firms and appoint those who have spent their careers defending people from oppressive governmental power. Biden appears to be listening. His initial list of nominees for the federal bench includes several public defenders and civil rights attorneys. Advertisement Advertisement In contrast, Cuomos most recent nominees to the Court of Appeals have no experience challenging the carceral state. The first, Madeline Singas, is a career prosecutor who cut her teeth in the Queens district attorneys office, which dodged constitutional and ethical rules by withholding exculpatory evidence and attempting to circumvent an accuseds right to remain silent during interrogation. Singas also co-authored op-eds that expressed misgivings about profound legislative changes to bail, discovery, and speedy trial that provide a window into how she would likely rule on those issues as a judge. Cuomos second nominee, Anthony Cannataro, is a civil trial court and administrative law judge with no record of support for the rights of defendants. Neither Singas nor Cannataro has ever represented someone facing criminal charges. Advertisement The need for a progressive New York court is imperative as the United States Supreme Court is dominated by judges with prosecutorial beliefs. In April, the high court rolled back the already limited protections for young people facing the prospect of life without parole. Rulings like that cry out for a New York court willingas it once wasto find greater protections for individuals in the states own constitution against practices that have decimated individuals and communities of color. While the past years protests shined a spotlight on hyper-aggressive and racist policing, the criminal legal system extends beyond the police. Courts are arbiters that sanction and thereby encourage police and prosecutorial behavior. New Yorks highest court has turned a blind eye toward the rights of people charged with crime. It is Cuomos court, and if he will not fix it, then the new majority-Democratic Senate must flex its power to deny confirmation to his nominees until he does. There seems to be no limit to the depths of disgrace and discredit that retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn will scrape in his plunge toward political extremism. But does his latest headline-grabber cross the line into criminality? Can he somehow be punished for advocating a coup? Flynn made the comment at a QAnon-themed conference in Texas this past weekend. After Flynn delivered a speech to the group, a man in the audience rose and said, Im a simple Marine. I want to know why what happened in Minimar [he was referring to the February military coup in Myanmar] cant happen here. Amid much whooping and clapping from the crowd, Flynn replied, No reason. I mean, it should happeni.e., a coup should happen here. (Flynn has since denied saying this, but the videotape clearly shows he did.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Subscribe to the Slatest Newsletter A daily email update of the stories you need to read right now. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. Please enable javascript to use form. Email address: Send me updates about Slate special offers. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Sign Up Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. This is serious business. Were talking about a retired three-star general who was President Donald Trumps national security adviser and, before then, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency. The fact that he was fired from both of those high postsfrom the White House for lying to the vice president, from the DIA for running the agency into the grounddoesnt minimize the dangers of this appalling, reckless breach of the militarys most sacred commitment to obey lawful civilian authority. But, again, did Flynn commit a crime? The First Amendment protects free speech, but the Uniform Code of Military Justicewhich applies to retired and active-duty personnel of the U.S. armed forcesdoesnt always. Rep. Elaine Luria, a retired Navy commander who is now vice chair of the House Armed Services Committee, said that Flynns comments border on sedition and that he should be tried in a military court. Advertisement Sedition has a pretty strict meaning. Under Article 94 of the UCMJ, an officer is guilty of sedition if he or she creates, in concert with any other person, revolt, violence, or other disturbance, while having the intent to cause the overthrow or destruction of lawful civil authority. The officer can also be charged with sedition by simply fail[ing] to do his utmost to prevent and suppress a mutiny or sedition being committed in his presence. Advertisement At the Texas conference, Flynn clearly expressed a desire for a coup (the overthrow or destruction of lawful civil authority), but he did nothing to create revolt, violence, or other disturbance. So Flynns remark may border on sedition, as Luria put it, but thats sort of like almost horseshoes. No prize for the one, no court-martial for the other. Advertisement On the other hand, the main point of military law is to maintain discipline, not merely deliver justice. (The seminal book on the subject, written in 1970 by Robert Sherrill, is titled Military Justice Is to Justice as Military Music Is to Music.) And a coup, which Flynn was certainly promoting, is the opposite of discipline. So lets take a look at another section of the UCMJ, Article 88, outlawing Contempt Toward Officials. It reads: Any commissioned officer who uses contemptuous words against the President, the Vice President, Congress, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of a military department, the Secretary of Transportation, or the Governor or legislature of any State, Territory, Commonwealth, or possession in which he is on duty or present shall be punished as a court-martial may direct. Advertisement Setting aside for a moment the stunningly broad language of this statute, advocating a coup in a public speech certainly indicates contempt toward officials. Could Flynn be court-martialed under this clause, or perhaps have his retirement pay revoked? Advertisement Again, afraid not. The key phrase in Article 88 is that it applies to officers who use contemptuous words against officials. In its commentary on this article, the militarys official Manual for Courts-Martial states: If not personally contemptuous, adverse criticism of officials in the course of a political discussion, even emphatically expressed, may not be charged as a violation of the article. Flynn did not heave contempt at any official personally, so this charge wouldnt hold much water either. Advertisement Then there is Article 134, covering conduct of a nature to bring discredit upon the armed forces. This is a catchall clause, allowing the military to court-martial troublemakers who havent committed more serious crimes. The list of Article 134 crimes includes cheating, lying, forging checks, committing adultery, and being drunk and disorderly. For an officer to whip up a crowd with talk of a coup certainly brings discredit upon the armed forces. But it would be a stretch to haul retired officers into a military tribunal every time they acted ornery. In fact, a federal judge recently ruled that it is unconstitutional to court-martial a service member for an offense committed after retirement. The ruling is on appeal, but it makes a certain degree of sense. Advertisement Advertisement Still, Flynn poses a problem, especially at a time when Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, himself a retired Army general, is trying to purge the ranks of political extremists and aspiring insurrectionists. One thing that Austin, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, military commanders, and any other officer in the public eye should do is to shun and shame Michael Flynndenounce him, hold him up as a poster boy for bad behavior, turn the sorry, sordid devolution of his career into a case study of a path not to take. During the Afghanistan war, as chief intelligence officer at Joint Special Operations Command, Flynn devised new and creative ways to fuse massive streams of data from several previously isolated intelligence agencies, then making the data available to troops on the ground. In short, he was a brilliant tactician, pulling together information to enable soldiers to kill more targets. This did not make him qualified to direct the Pentagons intelligence agency, a job that required strategic visionand he was completely unsuited for a job like national security adviser, which requires that trait and a keen sense of national policy. Advertisement Former colleagues of Flynn say that his dismissal from DIAa move ordered by the secretary of defense and director of national intelligence at the time (Robert Gates and James Clapper)embittered him and made him ripe for recruitment by Donald Trumps presidential campaign. Flynn made his pivot, leading the anti-Hillary chant of Lock her up! from the podium at the 2016 Republican National Conventionand has been plunging ever since. His indictment during the Mueller investigation triggered his dive into out-and-out conspiracy-mongering, especially after he was persuaded to retract his guilty pleaat which point he stopped cooperating with the authorities and started adopting slogans of QAnon and talking with alarming casualness about the possibilitiesand appealof martial law to preserve or restore Trumps presidency. Flynn wants to be the face of an insurgent military cabal. The legal military authorities cant toss him in the brig, and they shouldnt turn him into a martyr in any case. But they need to counter, quash, ridicule, and otherwise nip his dark ambitions in the bud. They need to make clear, to one and all, that every moral and legal tenet of the U.S. armed forces, every idea animating American democracy, holds Michael Flynn in contempt. Sarah Householder spent her senior year of college crisscrossing the U.S.: from campus in Connecticut to New York (thrice), Illinois (twice), Minnesota, Maryland, Wisconsin, Georgia, and, each time, back again. At the time, Householder led her colleges premier all-female a cappella group with her jazzy soprano voice. But she wasnt touringand she hardly had time for harmony. The impetus behind her jet-setting lifestyle? Getting into medical school. Householder, now a third-year at Columbia Universitys Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, applied to 21 schoolsjust four above the averagebetween August 2017 and February 2018. She was lucky enough to interview at 11, usually flying out on short notice. She kept packing her suitcase time and again in hopes of getting in and, more importantly, getting a good financial aid package. The biggest thing I remember is the time, just how much time it took, says Householder. The interview isnt so much a conversation as a multiday ritual, consisting of travel, panels, meals, toursall during which prospective students are observed by the admissions committeein addition to the actual formal answering of questions. Second to time, all this travel takes a lot of money: Householder tracked nearly every penny she spent on applications on a spreadsheet. Between August and October alone, she spent $905 on interviews, Spirit: Traveling - Chicago: $292, Ann Taylor; Blazer - Interviews, $55.30, Uber, Travel in Michigan, $34.92the list goes on. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Why applyand then pay to visitso many schools? Medical school acceptance rates are low; only 41 percent of applicants get in anywhere. As multiple applicants I spoke to explained, most applicants are rarely, if ever, in a position to turn down an interview offer. That was especially true this year: With a record surge in applications this last cycle, interview offers were more valuable than ever. But they also were less time-consuming, less expensive to attend, and therefore a little bit fairer and easier for doctor hopefuls who cant shell out (and perhaps also skip hours at work) to try to impress committees. We can even hope that one small piece of the medical school industrial complex has been toppled for good. Advertisement This is all because the interviews this year, as so many things did, went virtual. A typical remote interview experience looked something like this: a welcome Zoom call in the morning, a Q&A session with students and/or faculty, a financial aid panel, a tour video, and two interviews (2040 minutes each) with faculty. The whole thing could be completed from a dorm room, in a presentable top and sweats, and was over in a few hours. Advertisement By and large, it worked. I was really concerned that [our interview day] would be hard to translate to a virtual platform, says Mark Yeckel, associate dean for admissions at the Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University. Its gone better than I could have ever imagined. In fact, every admissions officer I asked said they were left something to the effect of pleasantly surprised. Assuming that everyone has the equipment they need, [the remote process] is very efficient for both the candidates and the admissions committee, says Demicha Rankin, an anesthesiologist and associate dean of admissions at the Ohio State University College of Medicine. Rankin noted that the reduced financial burden on students was significant. Advertisement I didnt have to look far to find applicants who were pro-virtual interview. I asked how the process had gone in a forum on studentdoctor.net, one of the central hubs for pre-meds to share information. The responses were overwhelmingly positive. Virtual interviews save money: I make about $16/hour working as a full-time worker in clinical research at a large academic medical center, user BeingForItself wrote. Because interviews were virtual, not having to worry about paying for flights, hotel stays, or paying for food while traveling helped a lot. Virtual interviews save timepotentially, lots of it: I live in rural America, 7 hours from the nearest large airport, a user identifying themselves as back2skewl added. Virtual interviews were quite frankly the only reason I had such a successful cycle. A user identifying themselves as anotgramnegative was able to continue their work as an ICU RN who worked extensively with critically-ill COVID+ patients without interruption throughout the application cycle. The virtual aspect allowed me to take a travel job across the country and do interviews, they wrote. (Virtual interviews even save lives!) On the negative side, one user argued that reduced frictions to interviewing make it easier for the most desirable applicants to hoard interview spots, since they can accept all of the interview offers they are given; but its long been a concern that applicants who can afford all the tickets will do this anyway. Advertisement Advertisement It makes some sense that interviews traditionally required travel. Before webcams, if you wanted to talk to someone and see them tooand have them see your campusyou had to meet in person. That is no longer the case, and it hasnt been for most of this millennium. So why did in-person interviews persist? Part of the answer is just that things never had to change, and thus did not change. But its also that interview days arent just about the interview, or even giving faculty the opportunity to chitchat with candidates casually. Interview visit extravaganzas give schools an opportunity to reel in the candidates they want most. Multiple admissions officers I spoke with expressed a fear that remote interviews could disadvantage less prestigious, newer, or more rural medical schools which use them to woo top-tier applicants. Quite honestly, it hurts a school like us, says Yeckel, of Quinnipiac. Were a new school, were a young school, but we have a really, really good teaching and learning facility. So when [applicants] dont see that, it can make it a challenge to recruit people. But even the prestigious schools like to woo too. Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Paul White, assistant dean for admissions, told me, cherishes the opportunity to dispel myths about Baltimore. Advertisement This is not a good enough reason, in my opinion. Interviews in future application cycles should stay remote. If schools really want the opportunity to endear students to their stomping grounds, they can invite successful applicants to visit after they accept them, as many already do with Second Look days. Ultimately, tons of people want to be doctors, and a budding pool of applicants competing for a lagging number of seats means that more and more applicants who would make perfectly good doctors wont be accepted anywhere. This fuels an admissions arms race where applicants do (and for those who can, pay) just about anything to get in, and all too often, the ability to pay is conflated with enthusiasmor worse, aptitude. There is a broad infrastructure that now exists to extract money from trainees in medicine, from the schools to the licensing exams, to the licensing authorities, to the board certifications, Bryan Carmody, a nephrologist, assistant professor at Eastern Virginia Medical School, and prolific medical blogger, told me. And it exists because it can. It might be no surprise at all that 51 percent of medical students come from the wealthiest quintile of households, with 24 percent from the top 5 percent alone. While the interview process is hardly the biggest of the many, many problems in American education that mean most doctors come from wealthy backgrounds, it is a cog worth removing. Keeping the interview remote would help dismantle one smallbut meaningfulpart of the larger infrastructure that prevents Americas doctors from reflecting the population they serve. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement And theres hope that it will stay remote. On March 23, an admissions officer surveyed the private AAMC Group on Student Affairs listserv regarding plans for the next admissions cycle. The results, shared with me by a listserv member, are promising. Of 64 officers who responded on behalf of their schools, one will hold in-person interviews. Two are undecided. Three will be hybrid, which is good, but not perfect. (As Yeckel, among others, told me, students will likely perceive that shelling out to show up in person will give them an edge, even if schools promise it wont). Encouragingly, four are probably remote, and 54 are remotewhich is to say, applicants will have so many fewer flights to schedule and days of their life to miss. But this upcoming cycle is still being planned with the pandemic in mind. Its the one after that will be the real test. This article is part of the Free Speech Project, a collaboration between Future Tense and the Tech, Law, & Security Program at American University Washington College of Law that examines the ways technology is influencing how we think about speech. In hearing after hearing over the past eight months, the CEOs of large tech platforms have repeatedly defended their products against now-familiar accusations from members of Congress: A shocking Facebook group should have been removed and wasnt, an important tweet was unjustly deleted, or a horrific video was viewed by millions on YouTube before it was taken down. Across both parties, the message is clear: Tech platforms have too much power to regulate speech, and Congress should curb this power by reforming Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. Dozens of members of Congress have introduced bills that would do just that. According to Slates Section 230 Legislative Tracker, 12 bills were introduced in the last four months of 2020 alone, and several more have been introduced in 2021, with others inevitably coming soon. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But despite legislators goal to take a bite out of Big Tech, most reform proposals would aggregate even more power in the hands of large technology platforms. First, several proposed reforms would shift power away from individual users by increasing platform censorship. Currently, websites can use Section 230 as a defense against liability for users speech they host. They can use this defense early in the litigation process, before they are forced to bear the expensive burdens of discovery. Any Section 230 reform that increases legal costs will cause platforms to censor user content that gives rise to these risks. A number of proposed reforms would have this effect. Former President Donald Trump, President Joe Biden, and several members of Congress have endorsed full repeal of Section 230, which would create massive new legal liabilities for any platform that hosts user-generated content. But even more modest reforms could have the same effect. Facebook recently proposed that platforms should have to earn Section 230 protections by abiding by certain industry best practices, such as having in place robust practices for identifying illegal content and quickly removing it. Advertisement To prove that they have earned the protections, platforms would need to spend time and money making their case in court. Advertisement Second, several proposals would introduce barriers to entry by raising compliance costs for startups trying to compete with tech companies with much deeper pockets. For smaller platforms, mandating appeals channels and transparency reports could be prohibitively burdensome and require diverting employee capacity away from engineering and into compliance functions that could make it even more difficult to innovate and compete. It shouldnt come as a surprise that a coalition of smaller platforms including eBay, Etsy, and Reddit warned that such proposals could unintentionally harm smaller sites. Third, other reforms could stifle competition on product quality. Concerned with algorithmic amplification of harmful, radicalizing content, some proposals limit Section 230 protections in cases where platforms use algorithms to sort content, even though companies like TikTok have used the strength of their algorithms to become a competitive threat to Big Tech. If relying on algorithmic ranking could cause platforms to lose Section 230 protections, TikTok may be less able to use its algorithm as a source of competitive advantage. Similarly, requiring that a platform be neutral would make it harder to use differentiated content moderation policies to compete with Big Tech. Advertisement Policymakers should be wary of changes that could put even more power in the hands of Big Tech. But that doesnt mean there are no good ways to expand platform liability. As I argue in an article published last week in the Antitrust Chronicle, the focus should be on proposals that shift power in the opposite direction: away from large tech platforms and toward individual users and governments. Advertisement The first step should be to expand platform liability by modernizing federal criminal law for the digital age. Section 230 contains an exemption for federal criminal law, so platforms cannot use Section 230 as a defense in a federal criminal case. Congress can use this exemption to address two areas of concern: the use of online tools to suppress voting and organize riots. Advertisement To criminalize online voter suppression, Congress should consider the Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act. The bill was first introduced in 2007 by then-Sen. Barack Obama and is included in H.R. 1, which recently passed the House and is awaiting a vote in the Senate (where it seems unlikely to pass). The bill would expand platform liability by creating federal criminal penalties for voter suppression. If passed, it would make it a federal crime to make false statements concerning the time, place, or manner of an election, the qualifications for or restrictions on voter eligibility, or public endorsements. Congress should also modernize federal criminal law on incitement to riot, which would address the use of online platforms to organize offline violence like the Jan. 6 attacks on the Capitol. There is existing law on incitement, but it was passed in 1968 and needs to be updated. Advertisement Advertisement In addition to legislative reforms, platforms should work with policymakers to implement product solutions that empower users. For instance, platforms could give people more choice over algorithms, enabling users to toggle between feeds tailored for political junkies, sports fans, or pet lovers. They could also offer people the ability to select from middleware third-party algorithms, as my colleague Barak Richman recently proposed. Additional product changes could make it easier for governments to enforce existing law. Platforms could enable people to report content that violates state laws to the offices of state attorneys general, to report false voting information to election-monitoring organizations, and to report harassment to victims support services. Finally, policymakers should embark on Section 230 reform with respect for the uncertainties ahead. Despite our best intentions, reforms that aim to curb platform power may instead aggregate power in platforms hands, just as some argue that privacy legislation in Europe has entrenched Big Tech. Advertisement In the face of this uncertainty, policymakers should approach reform with curiosity, incorporating tools that will enable us to evaluate impact and adapt as needed. For example, Congress and the Federal Trade Commission should make it easier for platforms to share data with researchers so they can assess whats working and whats not. Regulators should work with researchers to develop metrics for evaluating user empowerment, barriers to entry, and product quality so that they can monitor progress against these benchmarks. To ensure that Section 230 reform aimed at constraining the power of Big Tech doesnt have the opposite effect, we need a new reform agenda focused on empowering users, putting government in the position to set the rules, and institutionalizing a curious approach to monitoring progress. Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society. Spain begins to debate relaxing compulsory facemask wearing law Image: Emiliano Garcia-Page meeting Red Cross volunteers last month Speculation abounds over making masks optional in late June or July A measure of the optimism in Spain at present regarding the development of the Covid pandemic is that there is widespread speculation that within a month it may be possible to introduce exceptions to the obligatory wearing of facemasks in public places, a de-escalation measure which only a couple of months ago, before the immunization campaign gathered momentum, seemed almost impossible to contemplate. Expectation that masks could soon become optional in some situations was raised still higher on Monday when Fernando Simon, the Director of Spains Coordination Centre for Health Alerts and Emergencies, of the Ministry of Health, indicated that it could be possible to re-consider the compulsory wearing of masks in late June or early July. Initially the Spanish government anticipated that this would be possible only when 70 per cent of the population has been fully vaccinated, probably around late August, but it seems that the deadline could now be brought forward in time for the summer. Sr Simons statements should not be taken as an indication of official government policy, but they are a good pointer concerning the way in which Spains health authorities are thinking, and he also hinted that the lifting of the restriction may apply not only to outdoor areas but also to certain indoor contexts where practically all people have been fully vaccinated, such as homes for the elderly. The idea of making facemasks optional in outdoor spaces is also supported by various of Spains 17 regional governments. In Castilla-La Mancha, regional president Emiliano Garcia-Page has advocated the relaxation of the measure during the month of June, a view tentatively backed by his counterparts in Galicia and Catalunya, although at the same time the opinion in Madrid is that caution should be exercised while the governments of Andalucia and Murcia remain firmly opposed to the idea for the moment. All parties appear to agree, however, that if a relaxation of the rules is introduced it should be applied to all regions of the country equally, without taking account the differing epidemiological situations in different Autonomous Communities and provinces. In addition, it is worth bearing in mind that in order to implement the change it would be necessary to repeal an article of the Law governing the new normal which states that fines of up to 100 euros are payable by anyone aged over 6 failing to wear a facemask without adequate justification. Whether the facemask law is relaxed sooner or later remains to be seen, but as the vaccination campaign continues it is a relief to see that the move is at least being talked about! Slovakias economy should recover strongly after the pandemic The countrys GDP is expected to rise by 4.7 percent this year, according to the International Monetary Fund. Font size: A - | A + Slovakia has faced the Covid-19 pandemic from a position of strength and effective policy support has limited the economic fallout. With the second wave of infections receding, the economy seems headed for a strong recovery this year and next, though uncertainty remains very high, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) commented in its recent report. Economy to rise, but risks remain The output contraction of 4.8 percent in 2020 was milder than the eurozone average reflecting a sizable and timely policy response and resilient external demand. An array of measures deployed by the authorities helped save tens of thousands of jobs and businesses. The IMF expects a strong economic recovery this year, claiming that the real GDP growth could achieve 4.7 percent this year and accelerate further in 2022. Uncertainty remains high, though. Slovakia should experience swift economic recovery Read more The pace of the recovery depends on the race between the virus and vaccination, the IMF stated. New virus waves or variants could slow activity, while successful containment, and large stimulus packages in the US and EU could lift growth above our projections. In this highly uncertain environment, there is a premium on getting the policy mix right. Reforms necessary Continued fiscal support is warranted, until the recovery is well entrenched, but policies should be increasingly targeted and focused on facilitating resource reallocation and strengthening the economys potential, according to the IMF. Rebuilding fiscal buffers should begin once the recovery is on a firm footing to create room for policy manoeuvre and rising age-related spending, the IMF wrote in the report. Economy grew slightly in beginning of the year, analysts pleasantly surprised Read more The banking sector has weathered the Covid shock well so far, but the full impact of the pandemic remains uncertain. Financial sector policies should continue enabling credit provision, according to the IMF, while guarding against the build-up of risks. Structural reforms that strengthen human and physical capital, and boost productivity will be essential to sustain robust and inclusive growth in the aftermath of the pandemic. Timely and effective use of EU funds and the implementation of reforms outlined in the Recovery and Resilience plan can play a key role in supporting the recovery, expanding the economys potential and accelerating green and digital transformations, the IMF noted. Investmet Guide: Well-arranged information about the economy, labour market, investor support, legislation, and real estate as well as investment opportunities in Slovakia. Read more 20. May 2021 at 11:34 | Compiled by Spectator staff Aboard LST-289, Gunners Mate 3rd Class Mitchell Broske was manning a stern gun when a torpedo hit the ships rudder and crews quarters. Broske, 24, was reported missing. He was later declared dead. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Estimates vary, but Broske was one of about a thousand or more American servicemen who lost their livesdrowned, blown up or shot deadin Exercise Tiger. Five times more men perished during Tiger than would die storming Utah Beach, Hutchins said. The Allies hushed up the deadly mess for 40 years, until one of the exercises tanks was discovered on the floor of the English Channel. His family knew nothing ... only that he died in the line of duty, Hutchins said of Broske. Needless to say, his family was devastated. It was not until the 1980s that my mother-in-law learned of the circumstances of her brothers death. Today, in Arlington National Cemetery, Utah Beach in Normandy, the World War II Memorial in Bedford, Va., Fort Rodman Park in Bedford, Mass., and in Devon, England, plaques and memorials testify to the soldiers and sailors sacrifice, she said. He attributed the delay to the normal processes that generally taken on by auditing and accounting firms during the year. In the beginning months of the year, he said, those firms are working through completing taxes and they are also scheduled to do other audits for entities and companies. In its letter, the state outlined that surplus utility funds, which included electric, water and wastewater and sanitation funds, were examined as part of the auditors office examination, as the fiscal year 2021 budget had been filed and a transfer of surplus utility. A history of transfers from the last four budget filings, ranging from over $1.8 million in 2021 to a high of $2.5 million in 2019, were recorded. However, though transfer of excess utility funds is allowed, the council had failed to adopt a resolution approving the transfer of the funds. In its response, the City of Gering advised its attorney had advised a resolution was unnecessary because the city does not have a board of public works. The auditors office clarified that it is required. Heath told the Star-Herald the council will be approving a resolution in an upcoming meeting for the last fiscal year and acknowledging previous fiscal years. In 1999, Andre Agassi rallies to win the French Open and become the fifth man to complete a career Grand Slam. See more sports moments from th As the community comes out to celebrate Agates creation, Morford hopes they enjoy its history. Its a time to celebrate the parks creation but its also a celebration with the community because were nestled into the community and it is the communitys park, Morford said. Its a cool way to celebrate a little bit of the history of the area with our community and friends. Saturdays festivities will also coincide with the grand opening of the Agate Fossil Beds Park Store, through a partnership with Black Hills Parks and Forests Association. We are excited to be celebrating the 56th anniversary with Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, Patty Ressler, BHPFA executive director, said. BHPFA staff have worked very closely with Agate Fossil Beds NM staff to create a wide selection of high quality, site-specific products that help tell the story of the monument. Within the visitor center, there is no mask requirement for visitors who are fully vaccinated, Morford said. Families are still encouraged to remain in their family units while outside and to social distance. Cupcakes and light refreshments will be provided to visitors, but if people want to make a day trip out of the event, they are encouraged to pack a lunch. The visitor center is open to the public from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Agate opens at sunrise. There is no cost to visit the park. For more information, visit Agates webpage or Facebook page. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) U.S. wildlife managers on Wednesday proposed federal protections for the lesser prairie chicken, saying its habitat across five states is in danger of becoming more fragmented and the effects of climate change and drought are expected to take a further toll on the species in the future. Once listed as a threatened species, the chickens habitat spans parts of New Mexico, Colorado, Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas -- including a portion of the oil-rich Permian Basin. Environmentalists have been pushing to reinstate federal protections for years. They consider the species severely threatened, citing lost and fragmented habitat as the result of oil and gas development, livestock grazing, farming and the building of roads and power lines. Federal officials are proposing to list the southern population in eastern New Mexico and the southern reaches of the Texas Panhandle as endangered and those birds in the northern part of the species' range as threatened. The public will have 60 days to comment on the proposal. Two virtual public meetings will be held in July. It could be a year before federal officials make a final determination. Longview students who are eligible for kindergarten can get registered on June 10 at an event outside R.A. Long High School. Superintendent Dan Zorn said the event is aimed at boosting kindergarten enrollment, though any age elementary student new to the district can be registered at the event. From 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., prospective students can meet kindergarten teachers and principals, get tips on kindergarten readiness, explore a school bus and get a free book. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to The Daily News. District spokesman Rick Parrish said translators will be available at the event so all families can get their questions answered. Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} To register children for kindergarten, families will need the childs birth certificate, immunization records and two forms of proof of residency. To be eligible for kindergarten, children need to be at least 5 years old on or before Aug. 31. Zorn said while traditionally most kindergarten registration happens in the late summer as families start to think about the upcoming school year, the district is hoping for families to sign up sooner to help them judge how many students they will have this year. Military recruiters from the Longview office placed a wreath to represent the remembrance of fallen soldiers in the veterans section of the cemetery. Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} The flowers that we have placed today may wither, Dunlap said, but the spirit for which they were placed here is a symbol that will endure to the end of time. Remembering the dead Detachment 889 member and Vietnam War Veteran Don Simmons said the group has no living members who served in World War II or the Korean War. His detachment lost veterans John Witham in January and Victor Zandi about a year and half ago, he said, adding that losing a fellow veteran always hurts. Simmons noted that every year, there seem to be less attendees at the Memorial Day ceremony not only because of the recent pandemic, but because people make plans over the three-day weekend and lose sight of remembering fallen soldiers. Memorial Day is for those who died during service for their country, he said. Its not about you, its not about me, Simmons said. Its about them. Semiconductors are an essential part of modern tech and Taiwan's chip manufacturing plants are among the most advanced in the world. Japan has signed off on a $338 million semiconductor research project to develop cutting-edge chip technology in the country with the market-leading Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC). Taiwan's chip-making plants are among the largest and most advanced in the world, and the project is intended to boost Japan's competitiveness in a key sector. The move comes as industry grapples with a global semiconductor shortage that has hampered the manufacturing of numerous products, particularly autos. Around 20 Japanese companies will work with TSMC in the project worth 37 billion yen, with the government paying just over half of that, an official from Tokyo's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry told AFP on Tuesday. The research will focus in particular on tech for 3D chip assembly, allowing the creation of components that are more dense but still small. A pandemic-fuelled surge in demand for home electronics that use semiconductors has throttled chip suppliesa crisis deepened by a US cold snap, a drought in Taiwan and a fire at Japan's Renesas manufacturer. Semiconductors are an essential part of modern tech from smartphones to games consoles and new cars, with the auto industry one of the hardest hit by the shortage. Construction will begin this summer on research facilities at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology in Tsukuba, near Tokyo, the official said, with the project due to kick off in 2022. Among the Japanese companies involved are chemicals firms Asahi Kasei, Mitsui Chemicals and Sumitomo Chemical 2021 AFP The design of power lines and other infrastructure in Punsk will be optimized with the aid of a virtual visibility analysis. Credit: Fraunhofer IFF Germany is supposed to become climate-neutral by 2045. The federal govern-ment's new climate protection law stipulates this. Greenhouse gas emissions are supposed to drop at 65 percent below their 1990 values by the year 2030. Many innovative ideas and solutions are needed to implement this ambitious plan. Together with their partners, research scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Factory Operation and Automation IFF are making a contribution in the RIGRID project: Its objective is to supply rural areas with power sustainably, cost-effectively and reliably. Ninety percent of the area of Germany is rural according to the federal government. Approximately 44 million people, i.e., over half the population, live in the countryside. This is true for all of Europe: The majority do not live in urban centers. Tranquility, nature and affordable rents are advantages of country life. The idyll has its drawbacks too, though, such as the poor power supply infrastructure, the upgrading of which has been neglected over the past decades. Rural areas in Europe are sometimes supplied power by just one single line. Grids are antiquated. This is aggravated by growing power consumption. Supply shortages can occur over and over as a result. The partners in the RIGRID project, short for Rural Intelligent Grid, aimed to supply rural regions with electricity safely, reliably, cost-effectively and environmentally soundly. They see the future in the development of renewable energy and the installation of distributed smart grids that enable integrating smaller energy producers in the grid and increasing independence from central electricity supply structures. Such a regional smart grid and management system was developed in the RIGRD project and tested as a model in the village of Punsk in Poland and the municipality of Dardesheim in the Harz region of Saxony-Anhalt in Germany. This new tool can be used to design, establish and operate new energy infrastructures and supply systems optimally in rural regions. Along with the Fraunhofer IFF, Harz-Regenerativ-Druiberg e.V. and RegenerativKraftwerke Harz RKWH GmbH were partners in the completed project. Service Reliability in Rural Areas Microgrid demonstration system in Punsk. Credit: Fraunhofer IFF "Smart grids help coordinate the fluctuating supply of electricity from renewable sources, among other things," says Prof. Przemyslaw Komarnicki, research scientist at the Fraunhofer IFF and manager of its Department of Energy Systems and Infrastructures ESI. As the project coordinator, he developed the virtual-interactive energy infrastructure-design tool together with his team. The research scientists installed a small demonstration grid for the pilot microgrid in Punsk, which includes the local sewage treatment plant, a photovoltaic system and a battery energy storage system. They used it to test their system's operation live and its acceptance among residents. The user-friendly design tool imports the 3D spatial data of the areas concerned, including buildings, and transfers them to a virtual scenario. Operators and residents use it on site to design their energy supply system and the requisite infrastructure interactively and individualized. "Specifically, users would be able to model and view costs, the carbon footprint and dependence on the public grid if photovoltaic systems were installed atop every roof in the village of Punsk. Any number of other mathematical models are conceivable too, of course," says the engineer explaining an implementation scenario. What impact would additional wind turbines have on the supply situation? What consequences would expanding electric transportation have for mass transit? All these factors can be included. The software not only includes technical and economic but also socioeconomic factors and environmental and urban planning factors. "How many jobs can sustainable energy supply systems create in a small community? What will our city/town look like afterward or will we accept the structural changes brought about by new wind turbines, for instance? Our design tool answers such questions too," says Komarnicki explaining the platform's distinctive feature. Including and implementing the regional technical, economic and social conditions in the design was crucial. Only this enables a successful energy transformation process. This process was successful in Punsk: Not only was it possible to boost energy efficiency and cut carbon emissions but the system also won over residents after initial skepticism. Communities Have Freedom of Choice The interactive design tool comprises three modules: The virtual 3D visualization module is used to review new investments in terms of the availability of renewable energy sources. The economic module is used to assess the returns on investments, factoring in potential technologies, local environmental factors, and consumption and geographic data. The technical module completes the software. It is used to draft designs for low and medium voltage microgrids and their components. The design system lets communities decide what they feel is important for their energy supply and how independently they want to live from externally supplied electricity. The system proposes the optimal strategy for ensuring a stable energy supply, depending on whether a maximum of their own solar electricity or an alternative energy mix with outside suppliers is important to them. The tool enables small communities to contribute to the energy transition. "A lot has already happened in model regions, such as Saxony-Anhalt where renewable energy is already being used intensively. Other regions are approaching the issue of sustainable energy supply slower, though. Our interactive design platform helps them supply them-selves with green power," says the research scientist. Explore further Powering toward a zero-carbon energy system Credit: Delft University of Technology Robots can perform jobs underwater that are too complex or dangerous for humans. That is, if they can manage on their own, because no one can help them down there. The REMARO project works on its control systems and trains Ph.D. students in programming work. Robotic technology can be very useful for the maintenance of ships and infrastructure located in the water. The help of robots is also a godsend in combating oil spills in the deep sea and scientific explorations of the ocean floor. For humans, these are often very dangerous missions, while it means nothing for a machine. The problem with existing underwater systems is that they usually work remotely. This limits the possibilities, because of poor visibility underwater and unpredictable conditions. "We therefore want to make the robots autonomous, so that they can respond independently to situations they encounter," says researcher Carlos Hernandez Corbato of the Cognitive Robotics department. He compares the work of underwater robots to that of the Mars rovers, which studies the geology of the red planet. "It takes a team of engineers to configure one new task of the Mars rovers. We want to shorten that process: by bringing all the engineering knowledge into the robot control." The ideal underwater robot finds its way into the depth itself, responds adequately to obstacles or strong currents and returns to base in time before its battery is empty. For this, underwater robots need brains with an integrated design. The research partners who work together in REMARO (Reliable AI for Marine Robotics) have the knowledge to do this. Credit: Delft University of Technology Reliable AI The European project, which is funded from the Horizon 2020 program, is a training by research program. Over the next three years, fifteen Ph.D. students will be taught the techniques that are being developed to make robots more autonomous and reliable. It should yield the next generation of underwater robot specialists. The Delft input is mainly focused on artificial intelligence. The Cognitive Robotics department recently hired Gustavo Rezende, a Brazilian Ph.D. candidate. He will work on the control software that helps autonomous underwater robots to plan their actions. Under the leadership of Hernandez, researchers are working here on activating symbolic knowledge. This provides a robotic brain with the ability to reason about abstract concepts, such as an "error." The machine can apply these to a wide variety of situations. This shortens the programming time, because the machine does not have to be configured separately for each potential error. The training also focuses on mathematical methods for validating the reliability of the software. That's important, Hernandez explains. "You want to be sure in advance that your robot will not bump into an object when operating underwater." Explore further Video: SeaClear project develops the first autonomous robots for underwater trash collection Multimedia Reporter Staff writer Harry Funk, a professional journalist for three-plus decades, has been on the staff of The Almanac since 2015. He has a bachelors degree in journalism and master of business administration, both from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Local_news Terry Thomas Foundation continues philanthropist's legacy of giving Provided photo Terry Thomas was a longtime supporter of many organizations in the Golden Isles that benefit the communitys youth. Her legacy lives on today through the Terry Thomas Foundation. Provided photo Left, Rees Summerford, Susan Goodhue and Dewey Benefield continue Terrys Thomas legacy by managing the operations of the Terry Thomas Foundation. Provided photo Terry Thomas was a longtime supporter of many organizations in the Golden Isles that benefit the communitys youth. Her legacy lives on today through the Terry Thomas Foundation. It was a morning like many others for Dewey Benefield. He was having breakfast with longtime friend Terry Thomas, who was worrying about how she could best offer support to a local organization. This morning, years ago, the organization in question was College of Coastal Georgia. She said, Have you been reading about that conference center that theyre doing at the college? Benefield recalled. She said, It sounds very nice, but they didnt budget for any furnishings. Her next question came as no surprise to anyone who knew one of the Golden Isles most impactful philanthropists. What would you think if I just did the furnishings? she asked Benefieid. Thomas went on to help provide for the completion of the Continuing Education Center on CCGAs campus. The centers auditorium was later named in her honor. Evidence of Thomas giving isnt hard to find in Glynn County. Her name adorns multiple buildings, and her monetary contributions have often quietly helped a large number of local groups achieve their goals, frequently benefiting the communitys youth. Its important to know that Terry did a lot of charitable giving before the foundation started, Benefield said. She just had a wonderful knack for helping people, helping nonprofits in this community. Today, the Terry Thomas Foundation continues the work that Thomas was passionate about throughout her life. The foundation was founded in 2004, and its office was established on St. Simons Island in 2012. Since its formation, the foundation has given more than $5 million and supported 33 charities. In 2020, the foundation gave $585,000 to 21 organizations. Sixteen gifts, totaling $558,000, have been given this year. Recipients include the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast Georgia, Coastal Pines Technical College, Epworth by the Sea, the Gathering Place, MAP International, Salvation Army, STAR Foundation, the YMCA Golden Isles Foundation and more. Our mission is to continue her good work and do things in her name and do the sort of things that she would do if she were still here, Benefield said. Benefield serves on the board of the Terry Thomas Foundation with her other longtime friend, Rees Summerford. Susan Goodhue, who also knew Thomas well for many years and worked closely with her on numerous charitable projects before Thomas died in 2011, is the foundations executive director. Thomas was born Sept. 12, 1922, in New Jersey. A visit in 1958 to the Cloister at Sea Island led to her decision to move to the Golden Isles and make it her home. She worked as activities director for the Sea Island Company, retiring in 1973. When Thomas died, she left the bulk of her estate to the foundation. Thomas was passionate about giving to groups that benefited the communitys youth. She also cared deeply about local education and other programs that build strong community citizens. She was a longtime supporter of College of Coastal Georgia and an early contributor to the colleges foundation. Thomas also was instrumental in the formation of the Southeast Georgia Regional Medical Center Foundation and a big supporter of the Coastal Georgia Humane Humane Society. Goodhue, who played a crucial role in building the new Y in Brunswick, said Thomas was a foundation supporter from the outset of that project. The YMCA named its new facilities in Thomas honor and its Intergenerational Center in honor of her mother. Youll find her name on buildings all over the county with various institutions, Summerford said. The Terrill Thomas Unit serves members of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast Georgia, another organization about which Thomas cared deeply. She was busy, busy in the community doing wonderful things, Goodhue said. And never wanted the credit, Summerford added. She wasnt one that sought the spotlight. Thomas knew, though, that her involvement could bring attention to an organizations important work, Goodhue said. Many knew that a quiet nod from Thomas at one of the many meetings she attended meant the organization could count of her to provide support. Someone with the nonprofit would say, If we only had x-number of dollars we could do this, Summerford said. And shed just nod her head. The foundation conducts an annual application process seeking beneficiaries of its funding. The application decision process is guided by one question, Summerford said: Is this something Terry would do? She comes up in the conversation on a lot of things because we all knew her so well, Goodhue said, noting that the foundation aims to help fund bigger, long-term capital projects rather than day-to-day operational costs. Goodhue, Benefield and Summerford also aim to ensure that Thomass legacy in the Golden Isles is not forgotten. We think its important to keep Terrys name out and let people know that she was just an unbelievable person, Benefield said. She was quite a unique person, Goodhue added. remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Looking for in-depth reporting on labor issues? You're in the right place. Subscribe to The Chief and get stories that cover every side of civil service in New York City and beyond. You can sign up in minutes for immediate access. SB 7 was one step away from the governors desk. It was negotiated behind closed doors over the last week after the House and Senate passed significantly different versions of the legislation and pulled from each chambers version of the bill. The bill also came back with a series of additional voting rule changes that werent part of previous debates on the bill, including new ID requirements for voting-by-mail, restrictions on Sunday early voting hours and a higher threshold for who can qualify to vote by mail based on a disability. But while Democrats were able to defeat the legislation Sunday, Abbott quickly made clear he expected lawmakers to finish the job during a special session. "Election Integrity & Bail Reform were emergency items for this legislative session. They STILL must pass. They will be added to the special session agenda," he said in a post on Twitter. "Legislators will be expected to have worked out the details when they arrive at the Capitol for the special session." Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who presides over the Senate, echoed the call for a special session to pass SB 7 and other Republican priorities that have died in the House. "The Texas Senate passed all these priority bills months ago and we will again. The TxHouse failed the people of Texas tonight. No excuse," Patrick tweeted. I grew up as a fan-boy of all things Marvel, and have been delighted with the way the Marvel Universe has panned out for next generations. In particular, Spider-Man has always been a highlight, and I regularly use one of the lines from these comic books: With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility. Attributed as a line to Peter Parkers Uncle Ben, it actually originated in the Amazing Fantasy 15 (1962), the first Spider-Man Marvel comic, as a caption. However, if you do further investigation some say it was a line introduced by Voltaire during the French Revolution, although I cannot find any direct evidence of this via Google. Equally, I prefer to think it was a variation of this line from Luke 12:48 in the Christian Bible: From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. Anyway, I diverge. Why is this important? Because its a theme Ive used often in banking and finance. Money creates power and with great power comes great responsibility; more than this though is that power creates wealth. In fact, its a virtuous circle: the more money you have the more powerful you become and the more powerful you become the more money you generate. It is for this reason that some of those in power can become dictators, such as Saddam Hussein of Iraq. After the Iraq War: US forces broke through a wall in a small building in Iraq in April 2003 and found a number of metal boxes, each containing crisp new American dollar bills. They must have thought it was their lucky day because, by the end of that day, they had discovered 164 of these boxes around Baghdad with a value to the tune of $650 million. It may have been a lot more than that, but that is how much was declared. Thing is, before the war, he needed that secret stash to buy favours, pay off protesters and enemies, cover the costs of his personal army and police force, and ensure that the Imams followed his lead. In other words, money creates power and power creates more money to keep the power. That is the nature of some dictatorships, and this hits home when I look at Belarus today. Alexander Lukashenko is purely keeping his power because all of the state forces are on his payroll. Thats why he can bring down a Ryanair flight and no one in Belarus can do anything about it, even if the rest of the world is shocked. In a similar way, why do you think Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin has remained in power for so long? Its over two decades since he first took office and he stays in power because he is popular with the oligarchs and state forces. He rewards them, and looks after them. In return, they protect him and do what he asks. If they dont do what he asks, a spot of Novichok does the trick. But then we in the rest of the world may look at these leaders as bad, but are ours any better? With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility. When I look at Donald Trump, Boris Johnson, Nicolas Sarkozy, Benjamin Netanyahu and many other leaders, we can see their web of deceit. The web is funded by greed and wealth to create more and more power to create more and more wealth. It is the reason why politics is called politics. The term politics comes from the Latin poly for many and tics as in blood-sucking parasites. This reminds me of the time I heard the portrait photographer Platon talking about his career and how it started with an unusual angle on Bill Clinton. At one United Nations Summit, he was given the privilege of photographing every world leader attending from Gadhafi to Berlusconi. On presenting these photographs, he noted that nearly every single leader was now on trial for corruption, fraud, bankruptcy or just generally on-the-run, and most of these leaders were men. But it is changing. When we talk about great leaders of today, many of them are great women. Whether it has been New Zealand under Jacinda Ardern or Taiwan under the presidency of Tsai Ing-Wen or Germany under Angela Merkel, female-led countries have been held up as good examples of how to manage a pandemic. Is that because women have a different attitude towards wealth and power to men? From The New York Times: Many women, those who grew up wealthy and those who did not, have long been steered away from the unapologetic drive for wealth. Its bound up with the way girls are often schooled to place the needs of others above their own, to repress or deny outward signs of ambition. Even as women have pushed into once-male bastions in business, many still feel the sting of professional and personal backlash if they are perceived as too aggressive. Girls as they are growing up are not socialized to feel that its O.K. for them to have ambition about creating wealth, not the way it is for little boys, said Mariko Chang, the author of Shortchanged, a study of the wealth gap between men and women. Theyre encouraged to take on roles that let them take care of other people From her perches both in investment banking and city government, [Alicia Glen, New Yorks deputy mayor for housing and economic development] has watched men relish the rewards money brings Many women I interviewed said they viewed money as a means to help others rather than to increase their own profile. Those attitudes, admirable as they may be, have helped fuel a power gap that separates men and women. Of course, many recoil at the idea that women should pursue money and clout just the way men do. That flies in the face of increasing political anger about inequality. Theres a longstanding rift in the womens movement and beyond: Does the path to power require acting more like men, or can women wield influence in ways that are different but just as effective? There are men for whom there is no amount of money that is enough, [Joline Godfrey, author of the book Raising Financially Fit Kids] said. The quest of more, bigger, better has taken this planet to a place of unsustainability. It seems to me that women are making different choices. And those choices may be healthier for all of us. The article is well worth a read, and sits on trend with all of my experiences in business, banking and tech. The male view of the world is greed is good, and its very difficult to untie that. The male view of the world is of an army of troops who you command. The male view of the world is beat all the others, no matter what cost. The male view of the world is a balloon that has a massive needle hanging over it. The needle is called women. The female view of the world is wealth can help. The female view of the world is to raise and nurture. The female view of the world is to support and counsel. The female view of the world is if we can raise one, we can raise all. Im being stereotypical and will probably get called out as some woke misogynist, but I was talking about such things way back in the 1990s. My first boss was a woman; because I was in marketing, where most women work in department that makes things pretty. I worked for women most of my initial career; working for and with women made the environment far more fun and equitable than when I worked with most men. I just cant believe that its still a thing thirty years later. But the thing is changing. We now have Citi Group run by Jane Fraser and Stephanie Cohen a likely successor to David Solomon at Goldman Sachs; we have Alison Rose running NatWest and Ana Botin at Santander Group; and we mustnt forget Christine Lagarde at the ECB and the many other powerful women of the world. The trend is notable. The trend is that world leaders, prime ministers, CEOs, bank and investment focused people, are becoming more and more oriented towards Mother Earth and female virtues, driven by wealth to do good for society and the planet. That world is very different. Oh, and dont think Im saying women are taking over the world. They will be lucky if theyre even considered equal two centuries from now. Source: Chris Skinner photo at the World Economic Forum, 2020 Posted on: June 1, 2021 The U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) used a partnership with Denmark's foreign and military intelligence service to eavesdrop on top politicians and high-ranking officials in Germany, Sweden, Norway, and France by tapping into Danish underwater internet cables between 2012 and 2014. Details of the covert wiretapping were broken by Copenhagen-based public broadcaster DR over the weekend based on interviews with nine unnamed sources, all of whom are said to have access to classified information held by the Danish Defence Intelligence Service (Forsvarets Efterretningstjeneste or FE). German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the then-German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and the opposition leader at the time, Peer Steinbruck, are said to have been targeted through the Danish-American pact. Using the telephone numbers of politicians as search parameters, the report alleged that the NSA "intercepted everything from text messages to phone calls that passed through the cables on their way to and from the phones of politicians and officials." The spying operation involved deploying a special technical software called XKeyscore in a data center located at Sandagergardan in the city of Dragor to search and analyze data streams flowing in and out of the internet cables. XKeyScore is a data-retrieval system that enables unlimited surveillance of people anywhere in the world, allowing the intelligence agency to track individuals, read emails, and listen in on their telephone calls and browsing histories. German Chancellor Angela Merkel But in 2014, following concerns that the NSA had abused the collaboration with FE to spy on targets in Denmark and its neighbors, the Danish counterpart established a secret internal working group with four hackers and analysts under the codename "Operation Dunhammer" to examine the partnership. The latest round of revelations is the result of a 2015 report that the working group presented to the FE, which also found that Danish intelligence helped the U.S. agency spy on Danish foreign and finance ministries as well as a weapons manufacturer, ultimately forcing the government to suspend the head of the FE and three other officials in August 2020. U.S. whistleblower Edward Snowden, who previously made public a trove of classified information revealing alleged tapping of the German chancellor's phone by the NSA in October 2013, accused U.S. President Joe Biden of being "deeply involved in this scandal the first time around". Germany dropped its investigation into the phone-tapping incident in June 2015 citing lack of evidence. "There should be an explicit requirement for full public disclosure not only from Denmark, but their senior partner as well," Snowden tweeted. It could be said Shynia Randles was a cutting prodigy, mounting a cutting horse for the first time at age 5, recalls her mother Susie Randles. She loved being a part of the cutting horse family. That was her world any kind of horse event. More than sorting cattle, cutting competitions pit riders and their horses against others in timed, scored cutting of individual cattle from a herd. Susie and Shynias father, Todd, have been active in the cutting industry for years. Todd is a trainer. During the years Shynia herself racked up prize after prize, accolade after accolade. Still, she thought of her fellow competitors just as much as if not more than herself, Susie said. If there was a kid in the show pen and just had tough luck in the show pen she would always say, Good job. Theres always next time. Kirby Smith, president of the Cutting Horse Association of Nebraska, said he has fond memories of the kid cowgirl. She always smiled, he said. If she didnt do well she was right there with her friends; if she did well she was very humble as her parents are. Theyre really special people. Win or lose, Shynia enjoyed competing, Susie said. Any time she was showing, she loved it. BERLIN (AP) Germanys health minister says he is anything but happy that Syrias government which has waged a devastating, deadly decade-long war against dissenters has been selected for a seat on the World Health Organizations executive board. Health Minister Jens Spahn said Tuesday that the choice of Syria, which was confirmed with no debate or dissent at a meeting of WHO member nations in Geneva over the weekend, reflected the need to work with some governments for the benefit of their people especially on health matters. Im anything but happy with this decision, Spahn said when asked about the issue at a news conference in Berlin. But he added that international cooperation among sovereign states was necessary to coordinate and set standards together and noted that a similar situation also arises in other international forums like the U.N. Human Rights Council. These are the shortcomings of realpolitik, he said. Especially when it comes to health issues and the health care of the population, the question is always: Who are we actually punishing here if we dont make cooperation possible?" Spahn said. "Are we punishing the regime or the population? Pope Francis encourages political leaders to work actively for the common good, to provide the means and resources needed to enable everyone to lead a dignified life and, when circumstances allow, to assist them in resuming their normal daily activities. It is concerning to see the virulence of the virus in India, and it is even more concerning to hear how those who have received vaccinations are still falling ill. Providing vaccines and stopping the pandemic is not only a humanitarian issue, but it is also the only way to prevent a new rise in the USA of cases and a continuing cycle of deaths. To be sure, if weve learned anything from this pandemic, its that were all interconnected. The virus knows no borders, and we must be bold, yet humble to eradicate it. As we come together with our families in the U.S. in the next few months, its my hope that our sisters and brothers overseas those who remain in isolation will not be forgotten. Too many families are searching for medical services, too many are searching for hospital beds, and too many are searching for the oxygen to keep their family members alive. My family has felt the consequences of the pandemic, and I know many other families have suffered around the world. Lets ensure no one else has to suffer the same fate. The most frequently booked international destinations on Hopper are cities in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean already open to tourists. But the day after Iceland announced it would open to all vaccinated tourists in March, searches for flights from the U.S. to the country jumped 93%, and searches for European countries have been trending higher since late April, according to Hopper. United Airlines said searches for flights to Europe were up 19% the day after reports first surfaced in April that Europe would soon reopen. The airline is starting new flights between New York and Dubrovnik, Croatia, a week earlier than expected and adding a fourth weekly flight. The Croatia flights will start July 1, the same day as two other recently announced flights from Chicago to Reykjavik, Iceland, and Washington, D.C., to Athens, Greece. United also said it will resume service to Barcelona and Madrid and add additional flights to Italy in July. American Airlines said last month it expects to fly about 80% of its 2019 international capacity this summer and will have more seats available to destinations like Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still advises people to avoid travel until fully vaccinated and says even fully vaccinated people should monitor the spread of new variants and global impact of COVID-19. The Texas Legislature wrapped up this years lawmaking session on Sunday. Although members of the House and Senate touted wins for both Republicans and Democrats, tensions are rising between the legislative bodies amid criticism from Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. What would you grade this years legislative session? You voted: The best bang for your buck! This option enables you to purchase online 24/7 access and receive the Sunday, Tuesday & Thursday print edition at no additional cost * Print edition only available in our carrier delivery area. Allow up to 72 hours for delivery of your print edition to begin. Print edition not available for Day Pass option. He read the words of Abraham Lincolns Gettysburg Address from Nov. 19, 1863, and asked the crowd to teach it to children. that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here gave the last full measure of devotion that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain; that this nation shall have a new birth of freedom; and that this government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. Sharon Tanner of Michael Hillegas Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, presented a community service award to Blake Eversman. Eversman did a history project for his classes at Harrisburg High School. Part of that included cleaning the original wooden crosses at the veterans memorial in the cemetery. Since that time, Eversman has been passionate about taking care of the memorial. He even set up a fund to make sure the memorial was maintained in the future. I think its much better than it was. My grandfather, Larry Angelly, said its not what it looks like on the outside, but what it means on the inside, Eversman said. Don Cooper was recognized for his commitment to the project and bringing his dream of Little Arlington to reality. There were some signs Republicans might back off some of the new, strict measures. Republican state Rep. Travis Clardy, one of the negotiators on the final version of the Texas bill, told NPR on Tuesday that banning early Sunday morning voting was essentially a typo -- that instead of starting voting no earlier than 1 p.m., the bill was supposed to say 11 a.m. Thats one of the things I look forward to with fixing the most. Call it a scriveners error, whatever you want to, Clardy told NPR. But the Senate author of the bill, Republican Bryan Hughes, made no mention of such a mistake over the weekend while defending the new Sunday limits. Election workers want to go to church, too, Hughes said. It the new bill is not acceptable to Democrats and they were to walk out again Republicans don't have to stand pat. State troopers could be mobilized to try to forcibly bring lawmakers back to the House, as was the case in 2003, when Texas Democrats fled to Oklahoma and New Mexico to try and block new voting maps. CHICAGO Chicago saw a drop in the number of homicides in May compared with the same month last year and it ended with fewer killings than any Memorial Day weekend in a decade, the police superintendent said Tuesday. And while there have been more homicides so far this year 252 compared with 240 for the same five-month period last year May ended with 65 homicides compared with 84 during the same month in 2020. Police dispatched more officers to the street for the holiday weekend, when gun crime typically spikes, and the department reported 32 people were shot, including four fatally. Last year, 49 people were shot, 10 of whom died. Superintendent David Brown said the holiday weekend's drop in homicides came after Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced a new strategy in which police, educators, library workers and others would be dispatched to 15 police beats on the West and South sides, where much of the city's violent crime occurs. "That's a new approach ... that includes many departments out in the field during the hours where violence is peaking," Brown said. The world is beginning to open back up. We are seeing a bright, sunny day outside, Harris said. And there's a lot to talk about that we've accomplished in the last year as a state that has put the state of Illinois in a far more stable place financially, and a responsible place fiscally. With the rosier financial picture, the proposal includes an additional $350 million in K-12 education funding as called for under the states evidence-based funding formula, bringing total funding to $9.2 billion. Pritzkers initial proposal kept education spending flat. The budget also allocates $7.5 billion in general revenues for Medicaid, $7.4 billion for human services, $1.9 billion for higher education, $1.9 billion for public safety and $1.4 billion for general services. The budget utilizes about $2.5 billion of the state's $8.1 billion allocation of ARPA funds, with about $1 billion going towards the Rebuild Illinois capital construction program and the rest split between violence prevention, business relief and affordable housing programs. Some of the cuts from Pritzker's budget proposal, released earlier this year, have been taken out. My colleagues on the other side of the aisle have chosen to politicize this process, but they are well aware the procedure is routine, she added. The Prisoner Review Board is charged with making parole determinations independently, and to involve them in this shameless display of partisanship is inappropriate and dangerous. The PRB, a 15-person body appointed by the governor, imposes release conditions for incarcerated individuals being released from prison. The board has the authority to grant, deny or determine conditions of parole and notify victims and families when an inmate is going to be released from custody. The board also makes recommendations for clemency petitions to the governor. There are currently 10 members of the PRB serving without Senate confirmation. Four of the appointees in question include Aurthur Mae Perkins, Joseph Ruggiero, Oreal James and Eleanor Wilson. All four were appointed by Pritzker in March and April of 2019, but were never confirmed by the Senate. The governor since withdrew their nominations and reappointed them to restart a 60-session-day clock in which their appointments could be heard by the committee. "We were close, and we're going to continue to work on it, and hopefully we'll have something soon," Welch said. Ethics legislation, on the other hand, cleared the House 113-5 Monday evening and passed the Senate unanimously in the early hours of Tuesday morning. The package comes as several current and former lawmakers face a variety of criminal charges and amid an ongoing criminal probe into the lobbying activities of Commonwealth Edison, which sought to influence House Speaker Michael Madigan by hiring his friends and allies. Among other things, the legislation would ban public officials from lobbying other units of government; ban legislators and executive branch officials from lobbying for six months after leaving office or the conclusion of their term; and bans fundraisers on days before and after session. The legislation also lets the Legislative Inspector General to initiate investigations without approval from the Legislative Ethics Commission. Though in order to obtain subpoenas, the LEC approval would be required. It also greatly increase financial disclosure requirements for lawmakers. The bill contains a carve-out for the city of Chicago, which has its own ethics standards. Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} We see biotechnology as a program that will strengthen our relationship with Claflin, Mageto said. We also see this as an opportunity to develop an international program that will attract students from beyond our borders and impact how governments will begin to think about biotechnology and climate change. Africa University, located in Zimbabwe, is the first and only fully accredited institution of higher learning established on the African continent by the General Conference of the United Methodist Church. Both Claflin and Africa University are affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Although COVID-19 has interrupted the partnership's faculty/student exchange initiative, Africa University and Claflin administrators continued their strategic planning through virtual communications platforms. Africa Universitys online enrollment increased as it transitioned its academic programs to 100 percent online during the pandemic. According to Mageto, enrollment grew from 2,400 to 3,000 students. We see ourselves as a learning, teaching and research center that benefits tremendously from this partnership, Mageto said. Everyone is very excited about the M.S. in biotechnology program. The enrollment numbers will be shocking because the program is both historic and unique. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace on Tuesday posted a video of obscenities that she said had been spray-painted on her Charleston-area home over the Memorial Day weekend. "It's very scary," the first-term Republican said in the video as she pointed to the graffiti on the front of her home on Daniel Island, a planned community near Charleston. Mace panned her camera to words reading, No gods, no masters, all politicians are bastards on the steps leading up to her home, along with symbols sometimes used by a movement that calls itself antifa, a contraction for anti-fascists. This is a house that I live in with my kids, Mace, an outspoken critic of President Joe Biden's administration, said in the video. My kids aren't even safe on the front porch of their own home. Mace also posted video of a man scrubbing and power-washing off the graffiti. She said she had contacted local law enforcement to investigate. Charleston Police said no arrests had been made Tuesday. Basic human decency is not a political issue and people who dont understand that will be punished to the fullest extent of the law," Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg said in a statement. Apparently, all the kerfuffle over wearing masks was due to experts and authorities following political science, not medical science. Paul E. Alexander wrote a compelling article, Masking: A Careful Review of the Evidence, Feb. 11, in the American Institute for Economic Research, documenting research findings from 2020 that proved neither surgical nor cloth masks were effective in preventing the spread of COVID, but also that masks endangered those wearing them. To be sure, no one is denying how infectious and deadly the coronavirus has been. Too many of us have lost dear friends and family members to this virus. But we should learn a valuable lesson from politically motivated media and authorities who perpetrate crises of fear. Make no mistake, these perpetrators of lies intend to create crises among us that divide us into identity groups. Critical Race Theory (CRT) has been around for decades but hadnt gained much following outside progressive academia. The left has been using CRT like a cudgel to beat racism into teachers and school children. The central idea is that skin color determines who we are. The left has already created a racial crisis manipulated with lies and fear. CRT is their solution or mask to fix the problem. But Trump's toxicity pollutes much more than the GOP's electoral prospects. His unyielding -- and totally unjustified -- refusal to accept the results of the last election threatens to erode a basic pillar of democracy: the rule of law. Faith in the system. The willingness of the losers to accept the judgment of the voters. Cheney emphasized that point on Fox News, telling host Chris Wallace: "Those millions of people that you mentioned who supported the president have been misled. They've been betrayed. And certainly, as we see his continued action to attack our democracy, his continued refusal to accept the results of the last election, you see that ongoing danger." Which brings us back to Arizona. This is not just Trump spouting off at a rally, railing to Sean Hannity or tweeting some conspiratorial nonsense. This is the real world, with real actions and real consequences. The whole exercise might be "unhinged," but that doesn't make it unimportant. It is Trumpism at its worst, and it foreshadows the future. Trump predicts that in the months ahead, unwarranted and undemocratic challenges to well-established election results could happen in other swing states, as well. And they will almost certainly recur after the 2022 and 2024 elections if Republicans lose again. Other findings from the survey include: The top summer jobs teens expect to work are in retail (26%) and restaurants (26%), followed by landscaping/lawn-mowing and other outdoors work (19%) and babysitting/childcare (13%). Nearly all teens surveyed (90%) said that they plan to attend college after high school. Of those planning to attend college after high school, a quarter (27%) expect to take out student loans, while nearly the same percentage (28%) believe they will find some other way to pay for college. Nearly half (45%) are not sure if they will need to take out student loans or not. Two-thirds (68%) of all teens say they support debt-free college or college that is free for all attendees. However, that percentage drops to only a third (32%) if it requires higher taxes to pay for it. It seems that teens are more motivated to work than many believe. And they are aware that when it comes to education, there is no free lunch. Debt-free college would mean higher taxes. As to where teens plan to work this summer, retail and restaurants are surely glad to see the survey results. So many businesses need their help. This subscription will allow existing subscribers of The World to access all of our online content, including the E-Editions area. NOTE: To claim your access to the site, you will need to enter the Last Name and First Name that is tied to your subscription in this format: SMITH, JOHN If you need help with exactly how your specific name needs be entered, please email us at admin@countrymedia.net or call us at 1-541 266 6047. UNICEF voices sadness about death of 3 illegal immigrant children off Libyan coast Xinhua) 08:36, June 01, 2021 TRIPOLI, May 31 (Xinhua) -- The UNICEF said on Monday that it was saddened by the death of three illegal immigrant children off the Libyan coast. "UNICEF is sad to confirm that last week bodies of three children, including 6-months-old & 3-years-old children, were washed up on the shores of Zuwara, a coastal city in Libya situated 102 km west of Tripoli," UNICEF said in a statement. "Too many children are needlessly losing their lives in deadly migration routes as they search for safety and better life," the statement added. UNICEF called for immediate action at all levels to protect the safety of children in Libya, and for collective efforts to provide safer alternatives to sea crossing. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), 10,154 illegal immigrants, including women and children, have been rescued at sea and returned to Libya by the Libyan Coast Guard so far this year. A total of 173 illegal immigrants have died and 459 others gone missing on the Central Mediterranean route so far in 2021, according to IOM. Libya has been plagued by insecurity and chaos since the fall of the late leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, making it the a preferred point of departure for illegal immigrants wanting to cross the Mediterranean Sea toward European shores. Rescued migrants end up inside overcrowded reception centers across Libya, despite repeated international calls to close them. (Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun) Today Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 67F. Winds light and variable. Tonight Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 67F. Winds light and variable. Tomorrow Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High around 90F. Winds light and variable. A brief letter from Wyoming Department of Health admissions coordinator Lisa Finkel to Denhardt written March 10 just days after Denhardt ordered Rose to be placed in a more suitable location indicates that the State Hospital was not at all ready for the new charge. We do not have a bed available for Mr. Rose and there are 13 individuals ahead of him on our wait list, the letter reads. We will admit Mr. Rose as promptly as we can and will keep the court informed of the progress. In a memo filed March 19, Denhardt rebuked the State Hospitals reluctance, writing that the defendant needs to be transferred to the Wyoming State Hospital for treatment and further evaluation. He acknowledged the capacity issue, but said that the Lander jail is an inappropriate placement due to his mental issues. The court is going to issue an order to show cause to the WSH, requiring the WSH to appear in court to explain IN DETAIL (emphasis Denhardts) why it cannot house the defendant in its facility in Evanston or in another treatment facility. The judge wrote that if it was an economic issue, then it must be overcome, because some things transcend economics, and if money is the issue, Mr. Roses plight trumps the money issue. In the case of this situation with the moss balls, if we get a positive on a wastewater facility, it would mean we would ramp up monitoring at that facility, Osterland said in an email. One way these departments monitor and test water is through environmental DNA technology (eDNA). The highly sensitive tool can be utilized in flowing and standing water to detect whether or not a certain species is present. In fact, the technology is so sensitive that it may produce a positive result even if the species is dead. If that were to occur, follow up testing would ensue. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department and the Wyoming Department of Agricultures efforts go beyond testing. Boats and other watercraft have to go through mandatory inspection and possible sanitization before entering Wyomings waterways, particularly if the watercraft came from out of state. Once the boat is inspected, people receive a receipt as proof of inspection. Failing to get your boat inspected can result in citations and possible jail time if you are a repeat offender. In 2020, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department documented 226 people who failed to stop at aquatic invasive species checkpoints. About half of these people were given warnings and half were given citations, according to Richard King, chief of Game and Fish. FINANCE Minister Colm Imbert said yesterday that the proposal to increase the retirement age to 65 from the current age of 60 is under active consideration, but he said the Government has not made a firm decision on the matter as yet. Moved by the sight of senior citizens waiting in long lines outside vaccination centres across the country, businessman Shane Mahabirsingh yesterday took it upon himself to provide comfort for them. Mahabirsingh, owner of Bilda Boyz Construction in Gasparillo, visited three health centres in the South-West Regional Health Authority (SWRHA) distributing chairs, water and sanitising the elderly men and women standing in line. Do you have a news tip? Want to share good news story, or do you have information that should see the light of day? Then we want to hear from you. More here UB researchers look to improve the WIC shopping experience UB researchers are examining strategies to make it easier for moms to shop using Women, Infants and Children (WIC) benefits. Poor shopping experiences can lead people to drop off WIC or not re-enroll because they feel like the time and frustration isnt worth it. This leaves them without a benefit that we know improves childrens health. BUFFALO, N.Y. For many people, the need to go grocery shopping is met with a sigh, or an ugh. Its generally not considered to be an enjoyable experience. For moms who shop using WIC benefits, it can be a downright awful experience, one thats often made worse by difficulty finding eligible products and dealing with a lengthy checkout process. Add kids in tow and its enough for many moms to forego re-enrolling in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, commonly known as WIC. But researchers at the University at Buffalo are working on ways to improve the WIC shopping experience so that customers stay in the program. Moreover, theyre working with a Western New York-based supermarket chain on a pilot project aimed at making it easier for WIC customers to find and use eligible products. The team, which includes a researcher from North Carolina State University, published a study in the Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition that is among the first to examine both barriers to and possible strategies for WIC shopping. WIC provides supplemental foods and nutrition education to low-income pregnant and postpartum women with infants and children up to age 5 whose household incomes are below state-defined thresholds. While WIC has been proven to improve childrens health, participation in the program isnt great, with some reports indicating that as few as 73% of infants, 38% of children and 67% of pregnant and postpartum women eligible for WIC actually participate. The restrictions on the foods that families can buy with WIC make the shopping experience difficult, but there are some things that stores can do to make it easier, such as using product placement and signage. Better staff training helps a lot, too, says Lucia Leone, PhD, the studys lead author. Poor shopping experiences can lead people to drop off WIC or not re-enroll because they feel like the time and frustration isnt worth it. This leaves them without a benefit that we know improves childrens health, adds Leone, an assistant professor of community health and health behavior in UBs School of Public Health and Health Professions. It is not often that well-resourced and politically powerful companies such as ExxonMobil and Shell suffer historic defeats. However, last month, in different ways, both oil majors saw activist shareholders and environmentalists cause them and the international energy sector to have to think hard about what the future holds for hydrocarbons. Bayer Fund: United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona received a $5,000 grant from Bayer Fund that will support the middle school science curriculum at Flowing Wells Junior High School and will positively impact 774 students. The funds will support the purchase of the Full Option Science System Curriculum for the seventh and eighth grades. Throughout the years, the grants given through Bayer Fund have helped strengthen our communities across the United States, said Al Mitchell, president of Bayer Fund. We are proud to be able to provide support to develop programs that help combat challenges such as food insecurity, STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education and support services to patients and families managing an illness or disease. In 2020, Bayer Fund awarded more than $17 million to over 3,400 charitable and nonprofit organizations. Over the last five years, nonprofit organizations across the U.S. have received more than $80 million. Michelle Villegas, 19, can attest to that. The 2020 graduate of Amphi High School just completed her first year at Pima Community College, a feat that she credits her Big and BBBSSA with helping her to attain. My mentor actually was one of the biggest impacts throughout my four years of high school. The transition of starting high school was more drastic than I had imagined, and since I am the first person in my family to graduate from high school, I had no one to guide me through it. My mentor, Kristen, had been through it and gave me the best advice and insight . . . if you have a mentor, it is very much like you have an advantage, said Villegas. Villegas said that BBBSSA also provided support when COVID scuttled traditional graduation celebrations. Graduation wasnt what I had always dreamed it would be, but Big Brothers Big Sisters made sure I felt like I had graduated. They had a virtual ceremony and really made us feel that they were proud of our whole class, she said. That support, along with the ongoing mentor relationship, has also been invaluable during the transition into college in this very unusual year, according to Villegas. "She could get up and walk a very small distance around the room to move to the bed to a chair or whatever, she said. Shes not longer able to do that. That's a similar experience for Wells, who said the nursing home where her mother lives still has no communal dining, group activities or hairdressing services. Wells, who lives in Rochester, said it was only last week that she was offered the opportunity to meet with her mother outside and without masks. But after spending so much time isolated during the pandemic, Wells said her mother no longer knows who she is, other than someone who cares about her. She said it pains her to see her mother, who used to get her hair done weekly, looking unkept, with bangs hanging in her eyes and hair down to her shoulders. This nursing home never allowed us into their rooms. We have to stay in an ugly dining room thats been stripped and all the furniture stacked in the corner and in four little pods of tables pushed together and staff staring at you the whole time, she said, adding: None of that has changed because theyre allowing nursing homes to do their own thing. Associated Press Writer Marina Villeneuve in Albany, N.Y. contributed to this report. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. But the speaker said she believed a commission appointed by Biden an idea pitched by some in her caucus after Fridays Senate vote was not a workable idea in this circumstance" because Congress would still need to approve money and subpoena authority for the panel. Pelosis comments come as members of both parties have pushed for a deep dive into the insurrection, which was designed to interrupt the presidential electoral count and was the worst attack on Congress in two centuries. Four rioters died in the attack, including a woman who was shot by police as she tried to break into the House chamber while lawmakers were still inside. The rioters brutally beat police and broke in through windows and doors as they hunted for lawmakers and called for Trumps defeat to be overturned. The White House has not yet said whether Biden would try to appoint a commission without Congress. On Friday, White House deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that the president has been clear that the shameful events of Jan. 6 need to be independently and fully investigated and that he remains committed to that. We will continue to work with Congress to find a path forward to ensure that happens, she said. After the Senate vote, some Democrats urged Biden to move on his own. Media Advisory: UB conference to focus on the future of leadership So much in the world has changed over the past year. While what lies ahead is uncertain, it is clear is that leadership will be critical in shaping that future in ways that benefit individuals, organizations and society. BUFFALO, N.Y. Leaders from the business, nonprofit and academic worlds will come together for an international virtual conference hosted by the University at Buffalo School of Managements Center for Leadership and Organizational Effectiveness (CLOE). Who: Daniel Pink , human motivation researcher and No. 1 New York Times Bestselling Author of When, To Sell is Human, Drive and A Whole New Mind , human motivation researcher and No. 1 New York Times Bestselling Author of When, To Sell is Human, Drive and A Whole New Mind Nate Yohannes, product and strategy leader to the chief technology officer at Microsoft and former senior advisor to the Obama administration Other presentations will feature top-level industry experts and UB School of Management faculty (Full list at http://mgt.buffalo.edu/cloe2021). What: The daylong event, The Future of Leadership: Changing the Way We Live and Work, will give managers the tools they need to meet the challenges of the changing work environment, with sessions on such topics as artificial intelligence, data analytics, racial equity, creativity, sustainability and ethical leadership. Why: According to Paul Tesluk, dean of the UB School of Management, So much in the world has changed over the past year. While what lies ahead is uncertain, it is clear is that leadership will be critical in shaping that future in ways that benefit individuals, organizations and society. When: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on June 3 (detailed schedule below). Where: Virtual via Zoom. Media/Photo Opportunities: Daylong - Media may attend the conference virtually via Zoom. Contact mgt-cloe@buffalo.edu for access. Full schedule. 9 a.m. - Media interview/photo/video availability for Nate Yohannes. Virtually via Zoom. Virtually via Zoom. 3 p.m. - B-Roll of Daniel Pink presentation (first three minutes of keynote). In person at Seneca One Tower or virtually via Zoom. Conference sponsors include KeyBank, The Martin Group, Rich Products, Seneca One and the UB School of Management Alumni Association. The proposed ban was recently folded into the broader American Innovation and Competitiveness Act, which was nearing passage in the Senate before it was abruptly postponed Friday. While the ban wouldn't go into effect until 2023, many federal agencies have already imposed temporary restrictions on the use of Chinese drones. Some have begun to phase them out entirely. But the ban could create other headaches. Because it would also ban federal funds from being used to buy or operate Chinese drones, it could hit police departments that rely on federal help to field new equipment. The Department of Homeland Security started halting such grants for Chinese-made drones last year. The Interior Department said it flew more than 11,000 drone flights in 2019 before temporarily grounding its drones over cybersecurity concerns at the end of that year. Its drone program has been largely on hiatus since then, except for some emergency flights that are granted a waiver. In March, it started to make it easier to fly emergency missions for wildland fire response and search-and-rescue operations. It requires that firearms be secured with a trigger or cable lock, in a locked container or gun room. Opponents said a delay in accessing a firearm for self-defense could cost lives. Jim Mischel, of Sheridan, Oregon, provided written testimony to lawmakers describing how his wife woke up when he was away one night in 1981. She heard a noise, went to investigate and saw a stranger in their home. She tried to get a pistol that was in a locked gun box in the nightstand out but was unable to before the man got into the bedroom and threatened her with his gun, Mischel said. She has never recovered, he said. The bill also bans guns from the Oregon Capitol, changing a law that allowed concealed handgun licensees to bring firearms into the building. In a related development, an interfaith movement plans to present signatures Wednesday to the staff of Oregon Secretary of State Shemia Fagan, a step in an attempt to get two initiative petitions onto the ballot. IP 18 would ban the sale of assault-style weapons in Oregon. IP 17 would ban the sale of large-capacity magazines and require a permit to purchase any gun and a completed background check before a firearm is purchased. Five years ago: Ken Starr resigned as Baylor Universitys chancellor, a week after the former prosecutor whod led the investigation of the Bill Clinton-Monica Lewinsky scandal was removed as the schools president over its handling of sexual assault complaints against football players. One year ago: Police violently broke up a peaceful and legal protest by several thousand people in Lafayette Park across from the White House, using chemical agents, clubs and punches to send protesters fleeing; the protesters had gathered following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis a week earlier. President Donald Trump, after declaring himself the president of law and order and threatening to deploy the U.S. military in a Rose Garden speech, then walked across the empty park to be photographed holding a Bible in front of St. Johns Church, which had been damaged a night earlier in a protest fire. A curfew failed to prevent another night of destruction in New York City; Macys flagship store was among those targeted when crowds smashed windows and looted businesses. A Minneapolis medical examiner classified George Floyds death as a homicide, saying his heart stopped as police restrained him and compressed his neck. Todays Birthdays: Singer Pat Boone is 87. Actor Morgan Freeman is 84. Opera singer Frederica von Stade is 76. Actor Brian Cox is 75. Rock musician Ronnie Wood is 74. Actor Jonathan Pryce is 74. Actor Gemma Craven is 71. Actor John M. Jackson (TV: JAG, NCIS: Los Angeles) is 71. Blues-rock musician Tom Principato is 69. Country singer Ronnie Dunn is 68. Actor Lisa Hartman Black is 65. Actor Tom Irwin is 65. Singer-musician Alan Wilder is 62. Rock musician Simon Gallup (The Cure) is 61. Actor-comedian Mark Curry is 60. Actor-singer Jason Donovan is 53. Actor Teri Polo is 52. Basketball player-turned-coach Tony Bennett is 52. Actor Rick Gomez is 49. Model-actor Heidi Klum is 48. Singer Alanis Morissette is 47. Actor Sarah Wayne Callies is 44. Comedian Link Neal (Rhett & Link) is 43. TV personality Damien Fahey is 41. Americana singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile is 40. Actor Johnny Pemberton is 40. Actor-writer Amy Schumer is 40. Former tennis player Justine Henin is 39. Actor Taylor Handley is 37. Actor Zazie Beetz is 30. Actor Willow Shields is 21. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Forrest sold slaves in Memphis and served in the Confederate army as a cavalry general. In April 1864, Forrests troops attacked Fort Pillow in northwest Tennessee and killed 200 to 300 Union soldiers, most of them Black. Forrest was later accused of massacring the Union soldiers. Questions linger as to whether they were killed as they tried to surrender. Northern newspaper reports referred to the battle as an atrocity. Historians say he later became an early leader of the Ku Klux Klan, though some of Forrests supporters dispute that. Forrests critics call him a violent racist. The remains of Forrest and his wife were moved from a Memphis cemetery and buried under the statue of the former Memphis city council member in 1904. The city took down the statue in December 2017 after selling the public park to a nonprofit group, thus circumventing a state law barring the removal of historic monuments from public areas. A judge in Nashville ruled that the city and Memphis Greenspace, the non-profit that made the park privately operated, removed the statue legally. Much of the push, he said, is because the new fiscal year begins in only about a month. That, said Karamargin, does not give a lot of time to finish the plan. Only thing is, the details of the package were not finalized and announced by the governor until less than two weeks ago. More to the point, it wasnt until the package was ready to unveil that the fine details the things that people wanted in the plan to get their votes were available for legislators to see. But Karamargin denied that Ducey shares some of the blame for the time crunch. But thats only part of Duceys frustration. Last week legislative leaders announced a two-week recess. They are scheduled to return June 10. And at least part of the reason for that was that several legislators Fann included had vacation plans, some of which had been in the works for months. That clearly miffed the governor. They knew that the deal was in the process, Karamargin said. So, knowing that, would you pick that time to go on vacation? Fann said that ignores the record, starting with the fact that lawmakers began the session in January. PHOENIX All the lawyers working at the Tucson office of the state attorney general have been disqualified by the Arizona Supreme Court from handling a new trial in a 21-year-old murder case. In a unanimous decision Monday, the justices said there is reason to believe that Darren Irving Goldin could not get a fair trial because one of the lawyers at the Tucson office had improper conversations with a court-appointed confidential intermediary. That lawyer, Richard Wintory, eventually left the attorney generals office and was later suspended from the practice of law for 90 days. But attorneys for Goldin argued and the high court agreed that there was no way to tell what Wintory had shared with other lawyers at the office. And if nothing else, they said it cast a shadow on the ability of Goldin to get a fair trial. None of this means Goldin is off the hook. The ruling simply means that the trial will have to be handled by someone other than the lawyers working for Attorney General Mark Brnovich out of his Tucson office. Anne Elsberry of the Pima County Legal Defenders Office said that could be a different unit of the Attorney Generals Office or farmed out to a county attorney. There was no immediate response from the Attorney Generals Office. MOSCOW (AP) Russian authorities are cracking down on dissent before a crucial parliamentary election in September, in what a leading Kremlin critic on Tuesday described as an attempt to sideline opponents. Mikhail Khodorkovsky, a Russian tycoon who moved to London after spending a decade in prison in Russia on charges widely seen as political revenge for challenging President Vladimir Putins rule, said the latest moves against opposition activists reflected the authorities' concern about the waning popularity of the main Kremlin-directed party, United Russia. Khodorkovsky told The Associated Press in an interview over Zoom that the upcoming election is a theatrical performance, in which any candidates that the government isn't happy with will simply not be allowed to run. He said that the authorities are increasing repression to stifle any critical voices before the Sept. 19 parliamentary election, including activists of the Open Russian movement that he financed. Open Russia dissolved itself last week. Andrei Pivovarov, the organization's head, was pulled off a Warsaw-bound plane at St. Petersburg's airport just before takeoff late Monday. Pivovarov was taken on Tuesday to Krasnodar in southern Russia as part of a criminal probe targeting him. Scores of the nations Black financial heavyweights gathered Tuesday in Tulsa to discuss how to close the racial equity gap and erase inequalities in accessing money. Staged at the Cox Business Convention Center and presented by Tulsa-based Bank of Oklahoma, Nationwide and JPMorgan Chase, Economic Empowerment Day was held in conjunction with the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre, which wiped out the accumulated wealth of Black Wall Street in the Greenwood District. Phil Armstrong, project director for the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial Commission, said Tuesdays event grew out of a series of conversations late last summer. I began talking to individuals and saying it would be great for African-Americans to see that Black excellence was not just in Greenwood in 1921 but that people today can see that Black excellence has always been here and that there are those at very high levels of achievement in the corporate world that have an extensive amount of experience when it comes to accessing capital and what it means to invest in communities of color, he said. Economic Empowerment Day addressed disparities for Black business owners, investors and customers. Through keynote speakers and panels, it also stressed learning from the past and opportunities to facilitate change. Dear Dr. Fox: I so enjoy reading your column, even though I am not a pet owner, and I want to compliment you on the column titled Reverence for Life Is Moral Compass. Its such a simple but profound message that could go a long way toward creating a more harmonious, sustainable, balanced environment for every living thing on our planet. I am not a scientist, but my teaching career and my worldview were greatly shaped by participating in an experimental life science program in high school called BSCS Biology. Its an inquiry-based science curriculum, still used in some public schools, that allows students to appreciate the value of the scientific method. I am sensing that most of todays students are not being offered similar programs. Perhaps this is why we see the ever-increasing level of science skepticism in our society. In my humble opinion, this keeps us from developing the self-care and health care paradigms that we desperately need to promote optimal public and planetary health. At her request, Harris studied the records and other information released by the Tulsa Race Riot Commission as what he described a legal duty to dig deep. Among the items discovered was an affidavit requesting a change of venue on the behalf of Smitherman over concerns he couldnt get a fair trial due to the racial make up of the jury, and that they would be influenced by grand jury statements reported in local newspapers. In examining documents, Harris concluded that the evidence presented did not support the guilt of Smitherman or any other person accused by law enforcement, especially after authorities failed to aggressively pursue prosecution in the months after the massacre. A relative of Smitherman also pressed Harris to dismiss the charges, too. I couldnt really find any strong evidence to support the allegation, he said. And I said, You know what, I think one part of what Tim Harris might be able to do as healing for this community is to clear your familys name and take this outstanding indictment that hangs over A.J. Smitherman and all the other defendants. Charges against J.B. Stradford, one of many indicted along with Smitherman, were dismissed by then-Tulsa County District Attorney Bill LaFortune in 2000. The bodies of a missing Collinsville couple have been found in Washington County, and a suspect in their deaths has been taken into custody, the Tulsa County Sheriffs Office said Monday. The bodies of Kraig and Sheri Chambers were found near Vera, said Casey Roebuck, a spokeswoman for the Tulsa County Sheriffs Office, and the suspect in their deaths, Kraig Chambers cousin Wesley Brock Pavey, was arrested on two murder complaints. They couple were reported missing on Saturday night after their family was not able to get in contact with them, Roebuck said. She said their family told deputies that earlier that day Pavey, who is estranged from the family, visited the couple at their house. Pavey did not have a good relationship with the couple and most likely was not welcome at their house, Roebuck said. Evidence at the couples house indicated that it was the scene of a shooting, she said. The Sheriffs Office put out an alert Sunday for Pavey, who was wanted for questioning, and said Kraig and Sheri Chambers were in danger based on evidence at the scene. Matthews held her cellphone close up to one ear so she could hear Bidens every word, as her adult daughter Jennifer Matthews held her own phone in the palm of her hands so they could both see him speak. The fact that the president of the United States showed up its important, said Erma Matthews. Its what weve always known in our community, but now the whole world knows. Media crews and other spectators began gathering along Greenwood Avenue about 10 a.m. Latesha Edwards life-size cutout of President Biden was the next-best-thing for the patient group gathered in front of and along both sides of Vernon AME Church. We like the fact that he is wanting to be president for everyone and not just one certain base or group of people, Edwards said. Edwards husband, Billy Edwards, is a Biden fan as well. He seems to be in touch with those of us who are not as fortunate in our country right now, Billy Edwards said. Thats very important to understand that everybody is not doing well all the time. Up the street a hundred feet, Oologah resident Elizabeth Brewer was not as enamored with the president. There is a lot of debate in Tulsa right now about the best ways to make that happen. When you have people with such a diverse range of life experiences and passion striving to address an issue they care about deeply, it can sometimes get heated and personal. But at its best, Tulsa is a community of neighbors who love one anotherso we should expect this to be personal. And all of the most powerful improvements in American history were forged through a vigorous exchange of ideas. All of us engaged in this work know that it will take years of sustained effort to correct inequalities that grew over more than a century in Tulsa. I am thankful for everyone in our community who is committed to this work for the long term. Each of the initiatives below include many strategies being deployed to close gaps and make Tulsa a better city. Each of those strategies provides an opportunity for engagement, based on your level of expertise or interest. I hope all of my fellow Tulsans will find a way to join in these or other efforts. If the last few years have taught us anything, it is that Tulsans can overcome every great challenge when we work together. President Joe Biden will announce two major initiatives to close racial financial disparities during his visit to Tulsa on Tuesday, White House sources said late Monday. Biden is coming to Tulsa on the 100th anniversary of the destruction of the city's Greenwood District, which became known as Black Wall Street, during the May 31-June 1 race massacre. Details of Biden's visit are sketchy, but officials said he plans to meet with massacre survivors and make some remarks at the Greenwood Cultural Center in mid-afternoon. The White House said those remarks will include details of "new steps to help narrow the racial wealth gap and to reinvest in communities." These will focus on three areas small business development, infrastructure and housing. Recent studies indicate that median white household wealth as distinguished from income is nine to 10 times greater than for Black households and appears to be growing. According to a 2020 Brookings Institution report, the biggest reason for the discrepancy is inheritance, which is one reason reparations have become such an important issue to many, and particularly as it relates to the destruction of Black Tulsans' assets during the massacre. Early indications are that the City Council is close but not quite there yet when it comes to unifying behind a proposed resolution apologizing for the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre and committing to make tangible amends. The news is not surprising: Several councilors did not know the resolution was in the works until early last week, and the final draft version was not posted on the City Council website until late Friday. I want to hear what the other councilors have to say about the whole proclamation because I have heard from some councilors who have some issues with certain things, said Councilor Jeannie Cue. Cue said she would like to hear from the citys legal advisers before deciding how she will vote on the measure. We have lawsuits pending. I am not putting the city or the citizens of Tulsa in any kind of legal jeopardy, Cue said. Councilor Connie Dodson said Saturday that she had not had a chance to take a thorough look at the document. I am not opposed to a resolution of some kind, if we can agree on language, and that is true with any resolution, Dodson said. A century later, the fear and pain from the devastation of Greenwood is still felt. As Viola Fletcher, a 107-year-old survivor of the Tulsa Race Massacre courageously testified before the Congress recently, I will never forget the violence of the white mob when we left our home. I still see Black men being shot, Black bodies lying in the street. I still smell smoke and see fire. I still see Black businesses being burned. I still hear airplanes flying overhead. I hear the screams. I have lived through the massacre every day. Our country may forget this history, but I cannot. With this proclamation, I commit to the survivors of the Tulsa Race Massacre, including Viola Fletcher, Hughes Van Ellis, and Lessie Benningfield Randle, the descendants of victims, and to this Nation that we will never forget. We honor the legacy of the Greenwood community, and of Black Wall Street, by reaffirming our commitment to advance racial justice through the whole of our government, and working to root out systemic racism from our laws, our policies, and our hearts. Growing up, descendants of Simeon and Susan Neal heard about the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre even though it remained absent from history books. The couple owned Neals Tailor Shop on Greenwood Avenue, had two small children and one on the way when a white mob burned it and 35 blocks to the ground. Their grandson, Greg Neal of California, said the family escaped Tulsa by hiding in the back of a wagon. He said it was unclear whether the person driving the wagon was a customer or a fellow Mason. Grandpa was hyper-vigilant and paranoid after that, Neal said. He had guns in every room of the house. Neal and three of his family members attended a town hall for survivors and descendants Monday hosted by the Justice for Greenwood Foundation at the Greenwood Cultural Center. About 25% of those in attendance said they are descended from families who lived and worked in the area known as Black Wall Street. The Neal family fled to St. Louis then re-opened the tailor shop in Chicagos Bronzeville neighborhood, known as the citys heart of Black life and culture. They had six children, one still living at age 99. One hundred years ago, May 31 was a Tuesday, and Race Massacre survivors Viola Fletcher and Hughes Van Ellis were sound asleep in their beds. Then came the shrillness of the dark of the night; pierced by violence and hatefulness, said U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas. A white mob had descended upon the siblings community, and the then-7-year-old and infant were snatched up by family, forced to flee their home. Now 107 and 100, Fletcher and Van Ellis were honored Monday at Standpipe Hill in the historic Greenwood District as community members gathered to memorialize the unknown victims of the violence and honor the Black patriots who fought for their country even as their country oppressed them. Two days of sun gave way to a solemn gray overcast Monday morning as the crowd gathered at the historical marker, which had been adorned with bountiful arrangements of peonies, roses, delphinium and more by the Wild Mother, a collaborative studio based in Oklahoma City. The sweet smell of the flowers mixed with the speakers poignant speeches created an atmosphere fitting for the Tulsa Community Remembrance Coalition memorial service, during which attendees were invited to scoop soil from the hill into six jars representing the documented unknown victims of the massacre. The workers, who are predominantly Black and immigrants, will start making $13.50 per hour Jan. 1. Wages will increase each year to up to $16 per hour, plus a $1-per-hour supplement for benefits or an additional $1 per hour in wages, for a combined $17 per hour in 2026. LOS ANGELES (AP) Californians headed to campgrounds, beaches and restaurants over the long holiday weekend as the state prepared to shed some of its coronavirus rules. Southern California beaches were busy with families barbecuing and children playing in the sand and surf. Business owners said they were scrambling to hire workers to keep up with the stream of customers eager to get out since virus cases have fallen and vaccinations have risen. It feels very, very close to normal, Bob Alfera, a resident of seaside Santa Monica, told KCBS-TV. The surge in travel and recreation comes as California prepares to relax social distancing and masking rules in two weeks as long as coronavirus cases remain low. California was the first U.S. state to impose a statewide shutdown when the virus emerged in March 2020 and the nations epicenter for the disease in early 2021. But the state has reported a significant turnaround. In recent weeks, newly reported infections in California have fallen below 1,000 on some days and the states positivity rate has been 1%. But whatever it is, Im disappointed. While some Supreme Court watchers have faulted Thomas over the years for his taciturnity a New Yorker article called his behavior at oral arguments embarrassing, bizarre and disgraceful Ive always thought it was to his credit that Thomas didnt speak. It was a mark of oddity for sure, but also of distinction. Hes not a big mouth like the late Antonin Scalia, who had to show he was the smartest guy in the room, often by brusquely browbeating lawyers who appeared before the court. If Thomas silence was the result of self-consciousness or introversion (as he himself has sometimes hinted), well, we could use more of those qualities at the top. Im so sick of narcissists in public life who think that no subject has been adequately discussed until they themselves have participated in the droning and blathering. A little humility never hurt anyone. For the record, I abhor Thomas politics hes far, far to the right of me but he was onto something when he suggested that the rapid-fire questions with which the other justices interrupt attorneys in the middle of their arguments are often rude, sometimes disruptive and perhaps even unnecessary. Let the advocates advocate, he once said. Too often, Thomas once said, we look like Family Feud. The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Planning and Investment has asked the municipal police department and the Ministry of Public Security to 'keep an eye' on an individual who recently registered for some businesses with a charter capital of almost US$23 billion. A source close to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper confirmed on Tuesday that the citys investment department had received the applications for business licenses from three companies. Their charter capital is VND525.1 trillion ($22.8 billion). Among them, the Auto Investment Group, headquartered at Bitexco Financial Tower in downtown Ho Chi Minh City, has a starting capital of VND500 trillion ($21.6 billion). The legal representative of all three companies is 35-year-old Nguyen Vu Quoc Anh, whose stakes at these companies are valued at VND500.076 trillion ($21.69 billion). Two other shareholders at the firms are Nguyen Thi Diem Hang and Luu Huu Thien, according to VnExpress newspaper. Vingroup, Vietnams largest private conglomerate, has a charter capital of more than VND34 trillion ($1.48 billion) and a market capitalization of nearly VND400 trillion ($17.4 billion). Another financial giant Vietcombank has a charter capital of more than VND37 trillion ($1.6 billion) and a market capitalization of more than VND360 trillion ($15.6 billion). An official at the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Planning and Investment believed that someone may be trying to toy with the law. This is completely irresponsible, especially during the current serious pandemic situation, the official continued. Therefore, we have to report the incident to the municipal police department and the Ministry of Public Security. According to the law, capital contribution to a company must be made within 90 days after it is registered at designated agencies. A business that fails to do so is subject to a fine worth VND5-10 million ($217-435). Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The Ministry of Health has documented 200 coronavirus cases linked to a religious mission in Ho Chi Minh City since late last month, according to the municipal Department of Health. The ministry has registered 208 patients in the city since April 27, when Vietnams fourth coronavirus wave erupted, Nguyen Tan Binh, director of the health department said at a meeting on Tuesday. Two hundred of the cases were traced back to Revival Ekklesia Mission, a Christian congregation based in Go Vap District, which is largely isolated now, Binh elaborated. Twenty out of the citys 22 districts have recorded infections in this round, he said, adding Go Vap has confirmed 52 cases. The virus has also spread to some other provinces in southern Vietnam. The wife of a priest in the mission, whose infection chain was first detected on May 26, had traveled to Hanoi, a major cluster in northern Vietnam, from April 23 to 29, according to a contact tracing report by the Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control. She showed respiratory symptoms on May 13 while the Revival Ekklesia Mission held a gathering on May 16. The woman, 65, treated herself at home and did not report her symptoms to local medical authorities as required by COVID-19 control regulations. Health authorities then found her in the infection chain when the first case of the mission was logged. She is being treated at the Ho Chi Minh City Hospital for Tropical Diseases. City police have been probing the mission for spreading infectious diseases to others. Aside from the mission chain, Ho Chi Minh City has detected three others: one case coming back from Ha Nam Province and confirmed on April 29, two cases recorded at a company in District 3 on May 18, and five patients reported in a noodle soup vendors family in District 3 on May 21. The three chains have been well contained as no more transmissions from them have been confirmed since May 25. City health workers have found both the UK and Indian variants of the coronavirus in the patients of the four chains. The city reinstated enhanced social distancing on Monday, slated to last for 15 days. Non-essential businesses have been closed while the elderly are advised to stay home. The Vietnamese Ministry of Health on Tuesday morning confirmed 111 domestic COVID-19 cases, including 51 in Ho Chi Minh City, raising the countrys tally to 7,432, with 3,043 recoveries and 47 deaths. Vietnam has recorded 4,357 local infections in 36 out of its 63 provinces and cities in this wave, with 2,297 in Bac Giang Province, 857 in Bac Ninh Province, 412 in Hanoi, and 208 in Ho Chi Minh City. Fourteen provinces have registered zero new cases in the past two weeks. The Southeast Asian country has administered 1,102,099 coronavirus vaccine shots to medical staff and other frontline workers since it rolled out inoculation on March 8. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Here are todays leading news stories: COVID-19 Updates -- Vietnams Ministry of Health on Tuesday morning confirmed 111 domestic COVID-19 cases, including 51 in Ho Chi Minh City, raising the countrys tally to 7,432, with 3,043 recoveries and 47 deaths. -- Ho Chi Minh City has prepared treatment plans for the worst-case scenario in which 5,000 COVID-19 patients would be recorded, deputy director of the municipal Department of Health Tang Chi Thuong said during a meeting with Deputy PM Truong Hoa Binh on Monday. -- Multiple train routes in Vietnam have been suspended from Tuesday due to the serious COVID-19 pandemic in many provinces and cities. Some of these routes will resume operations on June 16, while others will be reopened on July 1. Society -- COVID-19 checkpoints at the gateways to Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City became severely congested on Tuesday morning as all commuters were required to present their personal documents in order to enter or exit the district. -- Authorities in Vung Tau, a popular beach city in southern Vietnam, have banned all people from swimming at local beaches from 12:00 pm on Tuesday to curb the COVID-19 pandemic. -- Four seventh-grade students drowned after falling into a stream while throwing a birthday party in the northern province of Hoa Binh on Monday afternoon. -- The Peoples Court in the south-central province of Phu Yen on Monday sentenced a 19-year-old man to death for raping and murdering a 13-year-old girl in June 2020. -- Police in Phu Yen Province have arrested and initiated legal proceedings against a 36-year-old man from northern Phu Tho Province for arranging the illegal entry of three Chinese nationals. Business -- The inflow of foreign direct investment (FDI) into Ho Chi Minh City surpassed US$1.34 billion in the first five months of this year, down 16.52 percent year on year, according to the municipal statistics office. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! COVID-19 checkpoints at the gateways to Go Vap District in Ho Chi Minh City became severely congested on Tuesday morning as all commuters were required to present their personal documents in order to enter or exit the district. The checkpoint on Hoang Minh Giam Street had to be suspended at around 8:00 am to ease the traffic congestion that started at about 6:30 am and stretched a few kilometers. At other checkpoints on Pham Van Dong, Phan Van Tri, and Quang Trung Streets, commuters faced similar gridlock as only three to four uniformed officers had to inspect every single person through the roadblock. The checkpoint on Quang Trung Street was also temporarily closed and let all vehicles through at around 7:10 am. Go Vap authorities set up a total of ten checkpoints across the district after a decision issued by the Peoples Committee of Ho Chi Minh City on Sunday had placed it and Thanh Loc Ward in nearby District 12 in enhanced social distancing under the prime ministers Directive No. 16 for 15 days, from 0:00 am on Monday. Go Vap and Thanh Loc have become the citys two hot spots of COVID-19 due to numerous direct links to the infections at Revival Ekklesia Mission, a Christian congregation based in the district, which have sent the citys caseload soaring in recent days. Regarding entry into and exits from Go Vap, people must show their e-medical declarations, related personal documents, and papers confirming they are working for companies located in the district while having their body temperature measured at the checkpoints. A commuter shows a travel pass to be allowed to pass a COVID-19 checkpoint in Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City, June 1, 2021. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre Tran Minh Hoang, a resident of Go Vap, complained that the procedure was too cumbersome, making people wait so long to pass the checkpoints. Facing the congestion on Tuesday morning, Hoang decided to turn his motorbike around, saying he would temporarily take half a month off from work. Many commuters agreed with Hoangs complaint, criticizing that such manual procedure is both unwieldy and unsafe as it caused congregations that create high risk of virus transmission. Tuesday morning was the second straight morning that the checkpoints in Go Vap District had been seriously congested. Traffic congestion also occurred at these checkpoints on Monday morning, the first day of the social distancing implementation, prompting the district authorities to suspend them, saying they would resume their operations from Tuesday. The Ministry of Health confirmed 111 new COVID-19 cases nationwide on Tuesday morning, all domestically detected, of which 51 were in Ho Chi Minh City. The new infections have taken Vietnams tally of patients to 7,432, including 47 deaths, since the pandemic appeared in the country in early 2020. Since April 27, when the pandemics fourth wave began in Vietnam, 4,357 infections have been documented across the Southeast Asian country. In Ho Chi Minh City, 208 community cases have been confirmed in this wave, most traced to the Revival Ekklesia Mission. Traffic congestion at a COVID-19 checkpoint on Phan Van Tri Street in Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City, June 1, 2021. Photo: Duc Phu / Tuoi Tre A volunteer handles traffic congestion at a COVID-19 checkpoint on Quang Trung Street in Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City, June 1, 2021. Photo: Chau Tuan / Tuoi Tre A police officer checks the personal documents of commuters at a COVID-19 checkpoint in Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City, June 1, 2021. Photo: Duc Phu / Tuoi Tre A woman helps a man perform health declaration on his mobile phone as required to be allowed to pass a COVID-19 checkpoint in Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City, June 1, 2021. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre Officials handle traffic congestion at a COVID-19 checkpoint on Quang Trung Street in Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City, June 1, 2021. Photo: Chau Tuan / Tuoi Tre A commuter scans a QR code to perform health declaration on a mobile phone as required to be allowed to pass a COVID-19 checkpoint in Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City, June 1, 2021. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre Traffic congestion at a COVID-19 checkpoint on Hoang Minh Giam Street in Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City, June 1, 2021. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre An aerial view of traffic congestion at a COVID-19 checkpoint at the intersection of Pham Van Dong - Phan Van Tri Streets in Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City, June 1, 2021. Photo: T.P. / Tuoi Tre Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Four seventh-grade students drowned after falling into a stream while throwing a birthday party in the northern Vietnamese province of Hoa Binh on Monday afternoon. The four students were among a group of six teen girls celebrating their birthday near the Trang stream in Cao Phong District at around 3:00 pm on the same afternoon. After one of them slipped and fell into the stream, the three others jumped in to save her, but were also swept away. The two girls remaining on the ground then rushed to find rescuers. Due to the far location of the incident from the residential area, rescuers were late to reach the four victims. Their bodies were handed over to their families for burial according to local customs. Officials from the Peoples Committee of Cao Phong District visited and offered their condolences to the deceaseds families. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Ho Chi Minh City has prepared treatment plans for the worst-case scenario in which 5,000 COVID-19 patients would be recorded, according to deputy director of the municipal Department of Health Tang Chi Thuong. Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh convened a meeting with the Ho Chi Minh City health department on Monday afternoon to discuss pandemic response efforts in the metropolis, the Vietnam News Agency reported. In his report to the deputy premier, Thuong stated that more than 220 patients were being treated in the city, of whom one was in bad health while the rest were in stable conditions. The metropolis currently has two makeshift hospitals for COVID-19 treatment in outlying Cu Chi and Can Gio Districts with a combined 900 beds. Aside from treating over 220 patients, the two infirmaries have also received over 3,000 people for quarantine since March. Local authorities have prepared for the worst-case scenario in which 5,000 coronavirus patients would be recorded in the city, Thuong stated. More than 1,900 beds, including 200 resuscitation beds with ventilators and ECMO systems, are currently available at major hospitals. The city has also prepared treatment plans for the scenario where 20 percent of patients would be seriously ill. Regarding vaccination, Duong Anh Duc, vice-chairman of the municipal Peoples Committee, stated that the city is facing difficulty in finding a sufficient supply of vaccine shots. The government and the Ministry of Health need to expand vaccine procurement mechanisms, Duc added. Deputy PM Binh suggested that Ho Chi Minh City authorities find a way to be able to ensure vaccine resources. Aside from target groups, the city needs to vaccinate workers at local industrial parks and staff members working at quarantine facilities, he added. Vietnam has documented 7,432 COVID-19 cases as of Tuesday morning, with 3,043 recoveries and 47 deaths, according to the Ministry of Health. The country has recorded 4,357 local infections in 36 provinces and cities since April 27. Ho Chi Minh City has detected 208 cases during this period, of which 200 are linked to a cluster at Revival Ekklesia Mission, a Christian congregation based in Go Vap District. Social distancing measures were reinstated in the metropolis from 0:00 on Monday and will last 15 days. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Authorities in Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province, home to popular beaches in southern Vietnam, have barred all people from going to the beach from 12:00 pm on Tuesday to curb the COVID-19 pandemic even though it has detected zero infections in the country's ongoing fourth wave. This is the second time the provincial authorities have prohibited swimming at local beaches after the first beach closure at the end of March last year, when Vietnam battled a serious outbreak. In addition, local officials have also suspended passenger transportation services by road and waterway to Ba Ria - Vung Tau from and through virus-hit areas and vice versa. Only the waterway freight route to Con Dao Islands, which is around 180 kilometers off the province's shore, is allowed to operate with the number of workers aboard ships restricted. The Peoples Committee of Ba Ria - Vung Tau also required grassroots-level bodies to effectively deploy checkpoints at the gateways to the southern province. Officers stationed at these checkpoints will inspect all arrivals to the province and have them perform health declaration as required. The Ministry of Health confirmed 50 new COVID-19 cases nationwide at noon on Tuesday, all domestically detected. The infections have taken Vietnams patient tally to 7,482, including 47 deaths, since the pandemic appeared in the country in early 2020. Since April 27, when the pandemics fourth wave began in Vietnam, 4,407 patients have been documented across the Southeast Asian country. In Ho Chi Minh City, 208 community cases have been confirmed since May 27, most traced to Revival Ekklesia Mission, a Christian congregation based in Go Vap District. About 100 kilometers from the center of Ho Chi Minh City, Ba Ria - Vung Tau has recorded no local COVID-19 cases since April 27. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Vietnam has made a financial contribution worth US$500,000 to COVAX, a global initiative aiming to accelerate the development and manufacture of COVID-19 vaccines and guarantee fair and equitable access for every country in the world. Besides, Vietnam also called on the global vaccine program to boost supply of more jabs to the country, said Vietnamese Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long. Vietnams contribution to the COVAX represents the countrys high appreciation for this programs efforts to provide coronavirus vaccines for poor countries around the world, Long said. The minister made the remarks during his recent online discussion with a representative of COVAX, which has so far supplied COVID-19 vaccines to 92 countries, including Vietnam. The initiative is aiming to provide two billion coronavirus vaccine doses, including 38.9 million free-of-charge jabs, to these countries this year. Vietnam has received from COVAX 2.6 million free doses and used them to vaccinate frontline doctors, border guards, COVID-19 control teams, and other priority groups including workers in Bac Giang and Bac Ninh Provinces, the countrys two virus hotbeds at the moment, the minister said. Briefing the COVAX representative on the current complicated epidemic situation in Vietnam, where more dangerous mutated coronavirus variants are causing more infections, the official said the country needs to accelerate the vaccination process. Vietnam wishes COVAX to speed up the supply of vaccines to the country, said Long. Vietnam is seeking to buy or receive transfer of vaccine production technologies, and wants to have a vaccine factory set up in the Southeast Asian nation, he said. Vietnam will invest in such a factory and wish to secure franchising rights to manufacture vaccines for domestic use and supply to other countries, he elaborated. So far, only about 1.2 million Vietnamese have been vaccinated against COVID-19 and those receiving their second shots reached around 25,000. The country is speeding up immunization in Bac Giang and Bac Ninh, and expects to receive about five million vaccine doses in June and July. Vietnam is boosting the testing of some vaccines developed domestically, including Nano Covax, and expects the first 'made in Vietnam' shot to be available by the end of this year, according to the Ministry of Health. Vietnam has documented a total of 7,482 COVID-19 patients, including 47 deaths, since the pandemic appeared in the country in early 2020. Since April 27, when the pandemics fourth wave began in Vietnam, 4,407 infections have been recorded in the Southeast Asian country. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The states are ahead by more than a month on the goal set by Democratic President Joe Biden to vaccinate at least 70% of Americans by July 4. White House medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci has said reaching that milestone could help avoid a spike in cases when the weather gets colder in the fall. Vietnamese authorities have suspended entry into Vietnam by people from India, Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos as a measure to contain the increasing COVID-19 spread, the Vietnamese Embassy in Laos has said. The suspension applies to those who have stayed in or transited these countries within 21 days before their expected entrance into Vietnam, except for special cases, the Vietnam News Agency cited the embassys notice as saying on Monday. In its notice, the embassy said the new rule does not apply to foreigners who escort shipments transported to Vietnam and later leave the country after the goods have been unloaded, without any contact with locals. The embassy also recommended that Vietnamese living in Laos should not return home amid the increasing coronavirus spread in Vietnam. Vietnamese communities in Laos should strictly follow the host country's COVID-19 control regulations and not leave their residence except in emergency cases, the embassy advised. Those who need to return home for special necessary reasons should register their trips with Vietnams embassy and consular agencies in Laos for arrangements. The embassy said it has received 20 applications of Vietnamese living in Laos for returning to Vietnam under necessary circumstances, including medical treatment. The embassy added it has referred all the applications to designated Vietnamese agencies for approval and requested that applicants arrive at border gates only when they are included in the list of approved entries posted on the embassys website. Anyone illegally crossing the border or arranging for others to make illegal entry into Vietnam will be strictly punished, the embassy warned. Le Thi Thu Hang, spokesperson of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a press conference on May 13 that Vietnam only grants entry to foreigners who are technical experts, skilled workers, and business managers. The ministry is closely monitoring the epidemic developments in other countries to loosen or tighten immigration on a case-by-case basis, the spokesperson added. The Ministry of Health confirmed 50 new COVID-19 cases nationwide at noon on Tuesday, all domestically detected, of which 32 were in Bac Giang Province. The new infections have taken Vietnams caseload to 7,482, including 47 deaths, since the COVID-19 hit the country in early 2020. Since April 27, when the pandemics fourth wave began in Vietnam, 4,407 infections have been recorded across the Southeast Asian country. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! As COVID-19 transmission is on a steep rise in Vietnam, the countrys Ministry of Health has endorsed a new directive that seeks to force adoption of medical screening and contact tracing applications on smart devices. According to the directive, individuals who own smartphone devices but fail to install medical declaration apps as required by law will be subjected to a fine. The stipulation has raised various concerns due to its feasibility and conflicts with existing laws. However, as the law stipulated, officials are not allowed to require residents to hand over their phones to monitor app installation. An official at the Ministry of Health vouched for the new regulation as a stimulus for adoption of medical declaration apps among the public, he told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper. For the time being, medical declarations have been established as a must in public spots, including airports, tourism sites, and hospitals, among others. The process has been streamlined so that all smartphone users can pick up with ease. We are also skeptical about the feasibility of this stipulation, but it is a step that needs to be taken during the pandemic, the official stated. The directive provides instructions for citizens, businesses, and facilities to utilize medical declaration apps in detecting transmission risks from close contacts. According to the ministry, there are currently three mobile applications, including tokhaiyte.vn, NCOV, and Bluezone, that are approved for medical declaration. The health authority requires all residents to install these apps, file medical declarations, and generate a personal QR code to help with contact tracing in the future. They also demand that residents open the contact detection app Bluezone and activate Bluetooth connection while they are in public spaces to detect risks of transmission in their vicinity. People in quarantine or under health monitoring after leaving quarantine wards are obliged to install medical declaration and contact tracing apps. They are encouraged to save their declaration details to their phone in the form of a QR code to support future attempts of contact tracing. The directive details the process of contact tracing for public facilities, including hospitals and clinics, airports, and public transport vehicles. Vietnam has documented 7,482 COVID-19 cases as of Tuesday afternoon, with 3,043 recoveries and 47 deaths. The country has recorded 4,407 local infections in 36 provinces and cities since the fourth wave of transmissions began on April 27. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! HANOI -- Vietnam on Monday suspended more inbound flights, tightened curbs in its biggest city and urged private procurements of coronavirus vaccines, as it races to secure supplies and tackle an outbreak that has seen its cases double in the past month. Vietnam has rolled out vaccine shots at a slow pace so its government said on Monday it must remove obstacles to vaccine access, including by allowing local authorities and companies to procure vaccines themselves, via the health ministry or 27 authorised importers. Vietnam has reached out to foreign countries for help with vaccine procurement, including the United States. There must be measures to secure the vaccines at the earliest, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam told a cabinet meeting. All hurdles must be lifted, and all related issues must be addressed. After successfully containing outbreaks for most of last year, Vietnam has seen infections rise sharply and has detected several highly transmissible variants, plus a new one announced on Saturday that had elements of the variants first identified in Britain and India. Health minister Nguyen Thanh Long said the target of securing 150 million doses of vaccines this year was feasible. Vietnam has authorised those of AstraZeneca and Russian vaccine Sputnik V. Long on Saturday said Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech had applied. The government on Monday said international flights into Hanoi would be halted until June 7, following a similar move by the business hub Ho Chi Minh City, which on Monday started 15 days of measures that include bans on dine-in restaurants and public gatherings of more than 10 people, plus closures of casinos and beauty salons. Vietnam has recorded just 7,432 coronavirus cases and 47 deaths overall. The new outbreak has reached 36 of its 63 provinces, including industralised Bac Ninh and Bac Giang, home to production facilities of global giants like Samsung Electronics and Foxconn. Authorities started inoculating workers in Bac Ninh and Bac Giang on Friday, with 150,000 doses to each province, according to the health ministry. The World Health Organization (WHO) representative in Vietnam on Monday said the combination announced at the weekend was the Indian variant with a mutation found in the British variant, referring to it as a Y144 deletion mutation in the spike protein. Virus mutations are to be expected, Kidong Park said, adding the WHO was monitoring the mutation and would support investigation if needed. The Peoples Court in the south-central Vietnamese province of Phu Yen on Monday condemned a 19-year-old man to death for raping and murdering a 13-year-old girl last year. Pham Kim Phe, who resides in Tuy An District, was sentenced to death for murder and seven years in prison for raping an under-16-year-old person. According to the indictment, Phe and his five friends, including 13-year-old D.T.K.H., hung out at Da Dia Reef and a local online game center in Tuy An District on June 17, 2020. Phe then agreed to take H. home on his motorbike at around 11:00 pm the same day. After reaching a forest near a bridge, Phe pulled over and sexually attacked the girl. H. resisted and contacted her older sister for help. The girl was only able to scream help me before Phe snatched her phone and threw it away. H. tried to run away but ended up being knocked down by Phe. He strangled the victim to death before raping her. Following the incident, Phe buried H.s body in sand and headed home. H.s family reported the case to police right after receiving her phone call, and her body was found three days after the incident. Phe was arrested on June 22 last year. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The Screen Producers Australia Awards has announced entry rules for 2021. This years awards will also extend eligibility after missing a ceremony in 2020 due to COVID-19 impact. Titles must have been first released between 01 September 2019 and 30 June 2021. Winners will be announced on the final night of Screen Forever (17-19 November 2021) at The Star Event Centre Gold Coast. We are thrilled to announce the return of the SPA Awards, said SPA CEO Matthew Deaner. I have been continually impressed with our members flexibility, creativity and commitment to their craft over the past twelve months, while adapting to COVID-Safe protocols and finding new and innovative ways to connect with audiences at home and abroad. The Awards represent an opportunity for our industry to celebrate these achievements and look ahead to the bright future for Australian stories. After being called off in 2020 due to COVID-19, the SPA Awards return to honour the skill, accomplishment, and imagination of SPAs members and remain the only awards voted solely by the production businesses who take Australias stories to the world. Since the first SPA Awards were held 2000, many of our nations most iconic and prolific producers have walked away winners, including Matchbox Pictures, ITV Studios Australia, Fremantle, Hoodlum, Endemol Shine Australia, Bunya Productions and Aquarius Films. SPA has just released the 2021 Entry & Category Guidelines. This year achievements will be recognised across eighteen categories, encompassing a wide variety of platforms and genres from Animated Series Production of the Year, to Feature Film Production of the Year, and of course the coveted Media Super Production Business of the Year. In recognition of the disruptions the pandemic had on production and release schedules, this years Awards will feature an extended eligibility period to ensure no business misses out on the chance to enter. Entries open 1 July. All financial members of SPA are eligible to enter. Related Foreign Correspondent returns this week now in its new home of Thursdays. Road to Reunion is a world TV exclusive for Sarah Ferguson as she reports on the fallout of a brutal US immigration policy that tore families apart. She tracks the journey of one mother seeking to reunite with her children after four painful years alone. I begged them to please not take my mom. I told them that it would be better if they deported us to Mexico instead of separating her from me, but they told methat I had to say goodbye. It was condemned as cruel and inhumane. But before the US courts struck it down, Trumps policy of separating children from their parents at the US-Mexico border did its work. Over 5000 children were removed. While many children stayed in the US, hundreds of parents were deported. Four years later, some families are finding each other again. In a Foreign Correspondent exclusive, Sarah Ferguson tells the powerful story of the first family to reunite since President Biden took office. The family of Honduran mother Keldy Gonzales Brebe was one of the first to be caught up in a secretive US immigration program run in 2017. Its aim was to deter would-be migrants by separating parents from children. When Keldy crossed the US border into New Mexico in 2017, immigration officials separated her from her two sons, aged 13 and 15. They told us they were going to separate us from her, that they were going to take us to a juvenile detention centre. I begged the immigration officers to let us go with her, but they saidI had to be separated from her, says Keldys son Patrick, now 19. From there I lost so many things from not seeing my children. I lost seeing their adolescence. I couldnt be with them for four years, Keldy tells Foreign Correspondent. For four years, Keldy marked time in Mexico. Then, with the help of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), she received the news shed been waiting for. We follow Keldy from Mexico to Philadelphia, where her children now live, for the unforgettable scenes of mother and child reunion. We follow her story to Honduras to understand why she fled her home country, meet her family and friends on the Caribbean Coast and see first-hand the brutal violence that drove her to leave. After organising the execution of her brother, the notorious Honduran gang MS-13 threatened to kill Keldy too. We speak to lawyer Lee Gelernt from the ACLU who fought Trumps immigration policy in the courts and is now helping to bring families back together. I wanted to be here to see this first reunification, says Gelernt. I think you cant really understand until you see it. Thursday 3 June at 8pm on ABC. Related Its the Swinging 60s in the world of Ms. Fishers Modern Murder Mysteries but for sleuth extraordinaire Peregrine Fisher her free-spirited personality is clashing with Detective James Steed. All of which makes for ideal unresolved sexual tension between stars Geraldine Hakewill and Joel Jackson. Season 2 of the Miss Fisher spin-off premieres in Australia on Acorn TV (it will air at a later date on 7TWO) next week. Their relationships really advanced physically and theyre sort of negotiating what happens next? Do they go down a traditional path of getting married?, Hakewill tells TV Tonight. Shes only just finding her place in the world Obviously, hes a more traditional kind of guy, and shes very unconventional, so that doesnt sit so well with her. The idea of kids isnt making her jump for joy. Shes got big ambitions for her work and shes only just finding her place in the world. Its how they negotiate a working relationship together and having opposing opinions about their romantic relationship. So in the Ms. Fisher world, have the two characters done the deed? Early in the episodes, they definitely havent yet. One of them is pushing for it more than the other, she continues. James has a traditional mindset of No sex before marriage probably holds. But I think its up to the audience to decide for themselves a little bit. Its about the negotiation of being in a relationship with somebody Theres a third party that becomes involved as a bit of a rival for James affections. So it differs from the original series. But then its about the negotiation of being in a relationship with somebody, what that looks like, and how you define yourself as a woman in particular in that time period as separate from the man that youre in a relationship with. That becomes a really interesting source of conflict. Acorn TV were very supportive of the Every Cloud produced series, which fits perfectly into their predilection for mystery dramas. This season shifts from the previous telemovies format to weekly instalments. Across 8 episodes, that allows for more colourful backdrops. This is an hour, which I think works really well with the murder mystery genre. It was nice to have longer telemovies to establish the characters, but we just have so many more worlds that we get to explore this time round, Hakewill explains. We have Swingers first up, very 1960s. Episode two is a Flight Attendant School. Weve got a Country Wedding. We have a Dog Show, Pigeon Racing, a Bowling Alley, New Years Eve party -its a really interesting group. The clothes are even more outrageous I think its a really great season. The scripts are really wonderful, were all really comfortable in the characters, having a lot of fun, playing with the physicality and the clothes are even more outrageous. So Im hopeful that people love it. Returning cast also include Catherine McClements, Louisa Mignone, Toby Truslove, Greg Stone with guests Michala Banas, Bert La Bonte, Ming-Zhu Hii, Jacek Koman. But for all the fancy costumes and period themes, it wouldnt be part of the Fisher franchise without a little murder. Hakewill, who by necessity appears in the majority of scenes, admits she has to stay match fit for the role. The most challenging thing with this show is just the speed at which we film and the amount of stuff we shoot each day, which is pretty normal for Australia. It just requires a lot of stamina. Your brain has to be on all the time. Theres always a big monologue where I tell the murderer why and how they did it I think the biggest challenge for me is staying buoyant throughout the whole shoot and, and staying on top of the lines. Its quite a wordy, especially towards the end of each episode, theres always a big monologue where I tell the murderer why and how they did it. So you have to gear up for those days. Im just really lucky that I have such a great cast and crew. Everybody works together so well. We all keep each other very alive and functional. Ms. Fishers Modern Murder Mysteries Monday, June 7 on Acorn TV. Related People waiting for a coronavirus vaccine in Sitra, Bahrain. The country currently has one of the world's highest infection rates. (Reuters) It has one of the highest coronavirus vaccination rates in the world. But the situation in Bahrain also serves as a reminder that high jab numbers offer no guarantee against massive infection surges. Bahrain, according to Oxford Universitys Our World in Data website, is the country with the sixth-highest rate of vaccines administered at 101.83 doses per 100 people, with more than 55% of all people have received at least one dose. As of Monday, however, it also had the second-highest seven-day infection rate globally, at 1,653 cases per one million people. Only the Maldives 1,865 per million has a higher rate. The surge in cases, which is Bahrains worst during the entire pandemic, highlights the point that COVID-19 will continue to quickly spread among people who have yet to receive a vaccine. Bahrains health ministry said on 20 May that its upswing in cases was due to large gatherings at home during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan and Eid holidays, as well as increased testing. Watch: Boris Johnson admits road map could be delayed because of Indian variant (from Thursday) As cases continued to increase last week, the island nation imposed a partial lockdown on Thursday, with shopping centres, restaurants, cafes and hairdressers orders to close for two weeks. The problems in Bahrain demonstrate the dilemma facing ministers and scientific advisers in England as they mull over whether to end lockdown on 21 June. Read more: England urged to 'push on' with end of lockdown by senior government COVID adviser Why Brits are being told to stop talking about the 'Indian' variant Like Bahrain, England has a high vaccination rate but there are concerns the Indian variant, renamed the 'delta' variant by the World Health Organization, could spark a third wave. Meanwhile, Bahrain is among the countries likely to be added to the UK's travel ban "red list" due to its infection surge. The list will be updated later this week. Watch: UK vaccines in numbers When it comes to messy Hollywood divorces, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolies parting of ways is surely up there amongst the most toxic. But where did it all go so wrong? Lets start at the beginning. The pair met on the set of Mr & Mrs Smith in 2004. Chemistry between the pair - playing a married couple who both turned out to be assassins hired to kill the other - was said to be palpable. Of course, at the time Brad was married to Jennifer Aniston, making him one half of the most adored celebrity couple in a generation. Brad and Jens Malibu wedding in 2000 reportedly cost $1 million and was attended by the entire cast of Friends, including David Schwimmer, Lisa Kudrow, Courtney Cox, Matthew Perry, and Matt Leblanc. He was the biggest movie star in the world and she was Rachel Green with the good hair. Hollywood was obsessed and ate up every available detail. Like their wedding vows: he promised to split the thermostat with his wife and Jen pledged to always make Brad his favourite banana milkshake. Sweet. Their approach to marriage was charmingly liberal. Neither of us wants to be the spokesman for a happy marriage, for coupledom, said Brad to Vanity Fair. Ill tell you what I despise: this two-becomes-one thing where you lose your individuality. We dont cage each other with this pressure of happily ever after. You figure it out as you go along. We feel it out, rather than setting policies and rules. Adding: Jen and I always made a pact; that well see where this thing is going. Im not sure it really is in our nature to be with someone for the rest of our lives, just because you made this pact. You keep going as long as you keep growing. When that dies, we do. We still have that friendship; we still have a good laugh, which can go in and out depending on the dynamics and outside influences. Its complicated, but thats what keeps it interesting. (Getty Images) Enter Angelina who came with a wild image and described herself as having had a dark and dangerous youth. She was twice divorced when she met Brad - having been hitched first to British actor Jonny Lee Miller and then Billy Bob Thornton. During her marriage to Billy Bob, the couple adopted a child, Maddox, from Cambodia in March 2002, but abruptly separated three months later. Speaking about her divorce, she said to Vogue at the time: It took me by surprise, too, because overnight, we totally changed. I think one day we had just nothing in common. And it's scary but... I think it can happen when you get involved and you don't know yourself yet." Story continues Dramatic beginnings After seven years together, in 2005 Brad and Jennifer announced their separation and a tidal wave speculation was unleashed. Both the media and internet whipped up a frenzied Team Jen and Team Angelina rivalry, with brands even selling t-shirts for people wanting to pledge their allegiance. Angelina was pitched as the mistress, but both have always strenuously denied their relationship started as an affair. "To be intimate with a married man, when my own father cheated on my mother, is not something I could forgive, Angelina said. I could not look at myself in the morning if I did that. I wouldn't be attracted to a man who would cheat on his wife." Not long after their divorce, Jen gave a candid interview to Vanity Fair, saying Im not interested in taking public potshots. Its not my concern anymore. What happened to him after the separationits his life now. Ive made a conscious effort not to add to the toxicity of this situation. I havent retaliated. I dont want to be a part of it. I dont have a halo that Im polishing here; everyone has their personal thoughts. But I would much rather everyone move on. I am not defined by this relationship. I am not defined by the part theyre making me play in the triangle. Its maddening to me... Rainbow family In January 2006, Angelina confirmed to People that she was pregnant with the couples first child. It was the first time shed publicly acknowledged their relationship. The pair then started assembling their rainbow family, as she called it, at pace. That year, Brad became the adoptive father of Maddox and Angelinas second child, Zahara. Both of the children's surnames were changed from "Jolie" to "Jolie-Pitt". Angelina gave birth to daughter Shiloh Nouvel in Namibia, in May 2006. In the spring of the next year, Angelina adopted three-year-old Pax Thien from an orphanage in Vietnam and Brad adopted Pax in the United States about a year later. We spent a lot of time contemplating and thinking and talking about what we both wanted in life and realized that we wanted very, very similar things, Angelina said to Vogue in 2007. And then we just continued to take time. We remained very, very good friendswith this realizationfor a long time. And then life developed in a way where we could be together, where it felt like something we would do, we should do." At the Cannes Film Festival in 2008, Angelina confirmed that she was expecting twins, and Knox Leon and daughter Vivienne Marcheline were born in July that year. (Masatoshi Okauchi/Rex) A few years later, speaking to The Telegraph, Ange said: "I am very lucky with Brad. He is a real gentleman, but he is also a real man's man. He's got the wonderful balance of being an extraordinary, great, loving father, a very, very intelligent man and physically he's a real man." Meanwhile, Brad told Esquire in mid 2013: I have very few friends. I have a handful of close friends and I have my family and I haven't known life to be any happier. I'm making things. I just haven't known life to be any happier." They got married after ten years together with an intimate ceremony at their winery Chateau Miraval in France. Angelina wore Versace with a veil that the couples children had doodles all over. "It does feel different. It feels nice to be husband and wife, Angelina told Vanity Fair at the time. The beginning of the end Two years later and it was over. In September 2016, Angelina filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences. The FBI and the Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services confirmed they were investigating Brad for alleged child abuse following an incident on the familys private jet. The actor was accused by an anonymous person of getting physical with one of his children. According to TMZ at the time, the details of precisely what happened were murky. But it was reported that Maddox had stepped in to verbally stand up for his mother during a fight with Brad - and that the latter lost his temper. A source close to Brad told People he was was drunk, and there was an argument between him and Angelina, said the source. There was a parent-child argument which was not handled in the right way and escalated more than it should have. Brad has since been cleared of all allegations. (Justin Tallis/PA) The actor hasnt made any comment about the allegations but has been open about his drinking and drug use. In a May 2017 GQ interview, Brad revealed he had quit drinking and smoking cannabis. I can't remember a day since I got out of college when I wasn't boozing or had a spliff, or something. And I'm running from feelings. I stopped everything except boozing when I started my family. But even this last year [...] I was boozing too much, Brad told the magazine. It's just become a problem. You either deny them all of your life or you answer them and evolve. Divorce drama Brangelina have been wrangling over the split through legal proceedings in California privately and quietly, but in February 2017, Angelina spoke out about the divorce for the first time saying "we will get through this time and hopefully be a stronger family for it. (Charley Gallay/Getty Images) According to court documents, Brad had been failing to give her meaningful support financially since the split. Brad countered that he had actually loaned her $8 million plus $1.3 million for bills. The next year it was revealed that Angelina had given Brad access to the children - but they were still working towards a full settlement. In an interview with Vogue last year, Angelina said she split from Brad for the wellbeing of her family. It was the right decision, she said. I continue to focus on their healing. Some have taken advantage of my silence, and the children see lies about themselves in the media, but I remind them that they know their own truth and their own minds. In fact, they are six very brave, very strong young people. In December 2020, court proceedings began in Los Angeles over child custody for the five youngest children, as Maddox is now 19 and therefore an adult in the eyes of the law. Pax is now 17, while Zahara is 16, Shiloh, 15 and twins Vivienne and Knox are 12. Last week, Brad was granted joint custody of his children with Angelina in a tentative ruling. A source close to the case told PA the judges ruling would significantly increase Oscar-winner Brads time with the children. The decision is said to have been based on extensive testimony from those involved with the case, including professionals who had spent time with the children. It marked a major breakthrough for the couple - but there is still a long way to go. (Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images) What next? Its taken nearly five years and $1 million each to get to this point and the pair havent yet even begun to divvy up their combined assets, including the French vineyard and estate, Chateau Miraval, they bought together for $60 million. For now Angelina is based in Los Angeles (at the former home of Hollywood legend Cecil B DeMille which she bought for $25 million), but appears keen to eventually move away. I would love to live abroad and will do so as soon as my children are 18, She told Harper's Bazaar. Right now I'm having to base where their father chooses to live. As for Brad, he will continue to forever be linked back to ex-wife Jen. The pair most recently made headlines when the actress said he was one of her favourite Friends guest stars. And Mr Pitt was wonderful. He was fantastic, she said. Some commentators are speculating Brangelinas divorce could be fought for six more years and rack up millions more in legal fees. Lets hope both parties get what they want in the end. There are accounts of how the light coming into the rotunda struck people as almost magical in character, and some said, Things like that have never been seen in this country before, and we doubt they have in Europe, said John G. Waite, principal architect of John G. Waite Associates, the New York firm that restored the basilica between 2004 and 2006. In religious and architectural terms, the building is of the highest importance. The Telegraph Making a bad decision is never good. But there is nothing worse than jumping into a fire when all your instincts tell you to move the other way. Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, made this point in the Commons last week. He said he had heard from China in January 2020 that the virus was spreading asymptomatically but was assured this was not the case. The formal advice I was receiving was that asymptomatic transmission is unlikely, and we shouldnt base policy on it, he said. I bitterly reg Biden decided on the agenda of the meeting with Putin. Vestnik Kavkaza examined what will American leader say to his Russian colleague, and is it possible to expect improvement of relations. A little more than two weeks remain until one of the most important meetings of world politics. On June 16, US President Joseph Biden will host the first summit in Geneva with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. I must say that the very fact of the meeting is already a great progress. Remember how not long ago, when Biden became president, he imposed ever tougher sanctions against Russia, put Moscow on the list of enemies, and even insulted Vladimir Putin, calling him a "murderer." However, the tough, but moderately pragmatic democrat realized that speaking from a position of strength would not lead to anything good. Therefore, in mid-April I decided to call the Kremlin. This call turned out to be very timely, because in those days the tension in the east of Ukraine reached its maximum, and if it were not for Biden's words that the conflict should be resolved peacefully, it is not known whether the Ukrainian side would have stopped or not. When Biden realized that Zelensky would not have an easy walk in the Donbass, he turned to Putin, and, in fact, just after that conversation, the situation began to stabilize. Zelensky, apparently on a tip from Biden, announced his unwillingness to allow a war with the DPR and LPR. In the same telephone conversation, Biden suggested that Putin meet. Please note that the initiative came from the American side. This means that Washington needed the summit more. At the same time, some experts rightly noted that initiating a meeting does not mean meeting halfway, that is, Biden will try to push his line and force Russia to make concessions. "... from old memory we believe that a meeting, especially at the highest level, is to reduce tensions and level relations. But why is the opposite impossible? A demonstration of superiority and confidence," the Russia in Global Affairs magazine analyzed. If you look at the news of the last day, then, by and large, the political scientist Fyodor Lukyanov was right. As reported by Reuters, Biden is going to tell Putin that Washington will not allow him to violate human rights. "In a couple of weeks, I will meet with President Putin in Geneva, and I will make it clear that we will not be inactive and allow violations of [human] rights," the White House quoted the Reuters news agency. According to the Kremlin, Putin and Biden will not discuss human rights in Russia, but in general bilateral relations, strategic stability, the fight against coronavirus and the resolution of regional conflicts. If the negotiations proceed along the track on which Biden is focusing, then we can say that the summit will turn out to be meaningless and fruitless. After all, Washington demands unconditionally to release Alexei Navalny. If Putin agrees to this, then such a step will not only be inconsistent on the part of the Russian leadership, but also a demonstration of weakness. Therefore, obviously, all of Biden's demands on human rights will be rejected out of the box. The US requests to put pressure on Lukashenko to release the founder of NEXTA will lead to the same result - Putin is completely on the side of his ally. But if Biden is pragmatic and does not make other topics dependent on the release of Navalny, then the result may be with a plus sign. On the issue of global security, Biden and Putin have many points of contact. It is not excluded that they can agree on the resuscitation of agreements - the Treaty on Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles (INF Treaty) and the Open Skies Treaty (OON). We managed to somehow agree on START-3. There are also no big contradictions in the fight against pandemic and climate protection. Both Russia and the United States do not question global warming and advocate universal vaccination. As for conflicts, there are many controversial issues. For example, in the same Syria, where the United States supports the opposition and stimulates Kurdish separatism, and Russia is entirely on the side of the government of Bashar al-Assad. However, this does not prevent us from agreeing on stabilization in Afghanistan, from where the US has already begun to withdraw its troops, and the Arab-Israeli conflict, where Moscow and Washington support the "two states" principle. We will find out which scenario Biden will choose on June 16. The outcome of the negotiations will depend on his flexibility and willingness to solve problems separately, rather than in one package. The current relationship between the United States and Turkey has been deteriorating. The most visible evidence of the two nations icy relationship is Turkeys acquisition of Russias S-400 anti-missile defense system, amid resistance from the US and NATO. In this respect, the US hopes that Turkey would renounce its intention to acquire Russian weaponry, or else it would impose sanctions on Turkey, resulting in a standstill in the two nations relationship. Turkey was likewise booted out of the F-35 development deal by the United States. What is noteworthy is that the US is now extending an olive branch to Turkey, urging it to pick an alternative to the Russian S-400, Modern Diplomacy writes. According to a May 29 article by Ahval News, US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Ruth Sherman stated that Washington proposed to Ankara that the Russian S-400 air defense missile system be replaced, and that Turkey should know what steps to take. The US Patriot system is expected to be the US governments alternative to Turkey. This time, the US offered Turkey an alternate proposal, which was widely perceived as a concession made by the US to Turkey in order to alleviate tensions between the two nations. The modern United States has numerous adversaries all over the world and has began to do little. As a result, it must gain the support of certain friends. Turkey was previously a NATO member state, and Biden understandably did not want his allies to abandon him at a vital juncture in dealing with China and Russia. The plan to replace the Russian S-400 anti-missile system with a Patriot anti-missile system is a strong indicator that the US wants to move toward a constructive relationship with Russia. It is worth mentioning, however, that during Trumps administration, the US promised to send Patriots to replace the S-400, but Erdogan did not believe Trumps story. In the end, the two countries were unable to strike an agreement. So, given that Biden is using the same processes and ideas, how does Erdogan choose? Will he take the US offer? According to the study, the Turkish government is more likely to select the S-400 than the Patriot. There are three causes for this: The first is the price factor. The United States has no edge in this regard. The Patriot anti-missile system is significantly more costly than Russias S-400 system. The second difficulty is the transfer of key technologies. The United States has long been well-versed in its own armaments sales. In general, the United States intended market for weaponry exports is its allies, and it also expects them to adopt its own worldwide agenda. The US will not share essential technology because it believes the knowledge would be leaked to China or Russia. Recently, there was a good example. Because China and the UAEs relationship is strengthening, when the US Department of Defense sells F-35 fighters to the latter, the US intelligence agency also monitors direct transportation flights between China and the UAE for fear that US defense technology will be leaked to China or other countries. The third point to consider is Turkeys political direction and access to the US. Since Erdogan took power, Turkeys ultimate ambition has been to restore the Ottoman Empires splendor. As a result, Turkey will not be willing to continue acting as the United States younger brother and following the United States strategic doctrine, which manifestly contradicts Turkeys national interest. In conclusion, Turkey is more likely to choose the Russian S-400 air defense missile system in the end. As a result of this, Turkey has began to commit itself to independent research and development of local fighter planes, and its enthusiasm for acquiring F-35 fighters has waned. The current Turkish government is keen to adopt the S-400 and has engaged with Russia to acquire the second batch. The meetings of the trilateral working group on resuming transport links have been suspended at the moment, Armenian Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan said today. "I have repeatedly stated that the work will yield results only if the background and the general situation are at least stable," Sputnik Armenia cited him as saying. According to Grigoryan, in the current situation, taking into account "including the situation on the border", "constructive work on this site" is impossible, and therefore recently contacts were interrupted. The Armenian Deputy Prime Minister specified that the reason for such Yerevan's decision was due to the border incidents. On May 25, Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk said the date of the next meeting of the trilateral working group at the moment depends on the authorities of Azerbaijan and Armenia. He expressed the hope that the "common sense" previously demonstrated by the parties will prevail, and then they will succeed in unblocking the links and creating opportunities for railway and road traffic between Azerbaijan and Armenia and between Russia and Armenia through the territory of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry has said an Armenian drone was intercepted on the border between the two countries. "On the Kelbajar section of the Armenian-Azerbaijani state border the Azerbaijani army spotted a Griffon-12 drone of the Armenian army and grounded it using special technical means," the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said in a news release on Monday. Georgia has reported its first confirmed case of the South African coronavirus variant. Head of the National Center for Disease Control Amiran Gamkrelidze said that the South African strain has been confirmed to a Georgian citizen with a travel history in Dubai. "In this case, we are talking about the B1351 strain, which was confirmed to a Georgian citizen with a history of travelling to Dubai. His/her clinical condition is satisfactory, and is already fully recovered," Agenda.ge cited him as saying. Gamkrelidze added that the family members of the patient are tested negative for Covid-19. There are currently multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants circulating globally, including the B1351 variant, which emerged in South Africa and was first detected in Georgia a few days ago. It has been found in at least 30 other countries since it was first detected in South Africa in October 2020. In order to support the farmers sell their agricultural produce the Georgian government has decided to shorten the curfew from between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. to between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m., Chief of the Operational Staff of the Interagency Coordination Council Giorgi Gibradze said. The rule comes into play today, Agenda.ge reported. Gibradze said that in addition to the farmers the easing of movement restrictions by one hour will apply to all citizens. Georgia first imposed curfew in March 2020. The country has reported 1,233 new cases of coronavirus, 1,002 recoveries and 31 deaths in the past 24 hours. A: My priority throughout much of this last year has been leading the colleges Return to the Hill planning efforts. Throughout the COVID pandemic, the safety and well-being of our campus community has been at the forefront of every decision that has been made. We also spent a lot of time thinking through creative ways to maintain our close-knit community for which McDaniel is known. I am extremely grateful to our exceptional faculty who literally transformed and reimagined their courses to ensure that students were still able to receive the benefits of in-person, small-class instruction, even for students attending class virtually. Our students also did an amazing job following the health and safety protocols in place to ensure that we could continue to have an on-campus, in-person experience this year. Georgian prime minister Irakli Garibashvili will pay an official visit to Ankara on Tuesday on the invitation of the Turkish president, according to Turkeys Directorate of Communications. Bilateral relations will be discussed during Garibashvili's maiden visit to Turkey since assuming charge in February, Anadolu Agency reported. Among the topics of discussion will be possible steps to boost existing good neighborly relations and strategic partnership, as well as the latest regional and international developments, the press release added. Co-organized by International Dialogue for Environmental Action (IDEA) Public Union and Azerbaijan's Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, a ceremony has been held to release 550,000 young sturgeons grown in Khilli-Balig LLC, AzVarvara LLC, Azerbaijan Fish Farm LLC fish hatcheries under the large-scale "Rich Basins" project aimed at the protection and restoration of biological resources of inland water basins of Azerbaijan. Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, founder and head of IDEA Public Union Leyla Aliyeva attended the event. In recent decades, the natural populations of rare fish species in the water basins of Azerbaijan have reached the point of extinction as a result of the negative effects of human activities, pollution, smuggling and overfishing. In order to comprehensively address the problem, IDEA Public Union, together with the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources and the UK Blue Marine Foundation (BLUE), is implementing various protection, restoration and public awareness activities. One of such initiatives is the "Rich Basins" project, implemented by the IDEA Public Union and the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources since May last year. The project aims to increase the natural population of fish species belonging to lakes and rivers in different parts of the country, reduce pollution in inland waters, and organize sustainable and consistent measures to promote legal and responsible fishing. NATO will provide out-of-country training for the Afghan Security Forces the troop withdrawal was complete, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said "And over the last years, we have gradually reduced our presence from more than 100,000 troops, not so many years ago, to around 10,000 troops at the beginning of this year, and now it will go down to zero in the military mission. But as we end our military mission, we are stepping up our support to Afghanistan in other ways," Stoltenberg said. "First of all, we will maintain our civilian presence in Afghanistan to provide advice and capacity building to the Afghan security institutions. We will fund the Afghan Security Forces, make sure that we are allocating significant amounts of money to the Afghan Security Forces. And we will also provide, we are planning to provide out-of-country training for the Afghan Security Forces. And we are also now working on how we can sustain critical infrastructure," he listed. U.S. Army General Scott Miller said that on April 25 the United States has started formally withdrawing its last troops from Afghanistan. Russia extends suspension of air service with Turkey and Tanzania until June 21 due to the serious coronavirus situation in these countries, Russias anti-coronavirus crisis center said on Monday. "In view of the serious epidemiological situation in Turkey and Tanzania, the current restrictions on air service will be extended until June 21, 2021," TASS cited the statement as saying. Following a surge in coronavirus cases in Turkey, Russia restricted air service with Turkey for a period from April 15 to June 1. The number of flights was reduced to two per week on a reciprocal basis. These flights are operated by Russias Aeroflot and Turkish Airlines. Apart from that, Russian suspended flights to Tanzania for the same period. Russia's largest tactical nuclear weapons stockpile in the world should terrify NATO, national security reporter for the National Interest Mark Episkopos writes. The composition of Russias military has changed significantly in recent decades, with several of its service branches undergoing a post-Soviet transition into a lean, heavily modernized fighting force. At around 3,000 to 6,000 units, Russia possesses the largest tactical nuclear weapons stockpile in the world. These include not only warheads inherited from the Soviet Union but new and potent weapons systems developed in recent years. "If there is one aspect of Russian military planning thats unlikely to shift anytime soon, it's Moscows continued reliance on tactical nuclear weapons as a core deterrent against the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)," Episkopos believes. A great chunk of Russia's tactical weapons are operated by the Navy, he said. "Russian military doctrine sees tactical nuclear warheads as a hedge against NATO--not only a deterrent but one of Russias only means of leveling the playing field in the mutually undesired event of an all-out war," the author explained. Armenia's Deputy Foreign Minister Gagik Galachyan submitted his resignation letter, spokesperson of the country's foreign ministry Anna Nagdalyan said. Galachyan wrote the letter back on May 27. Its known that on the same day a similar statement was submitted by the Acting Foreign Minister Ara Ayvazyan. Earlier, Armenian media reported on the upcoming massive resignations at the Foreign Ministry, the Defense Ministry and even the National Security Service. According to the media, four deputy foreign ministers, as well as Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces Stepan Galstyan, have already written their resignations. Moreover, Anna Nagdalyan announced her resignation from the post of spokesperson for the Armenian Foreign Ministry on Facebook. Member of the Berlin Parliament Gunnar Lindemann believes that Germany should reconsider its relations with the United States due to wiretapping of German deputies. "In the past, there has been plenty of evidence to show that the United States has tapped German politicians' mobile phones. This is not how close friends should be treated. We Germans must be clear about this with the United States. We cannot put up with the fact that politicians of friendly states are exploited. Perhaps, we should be more sceptical about the United States in the future, especially since the United States has intervened several times in the interests of Germany recently, for example, (by imposing sanctions against - ed.) Nord Stream 2" he told Vestnik Kavkaza. On Sunday, the Suddeutsche Zeitung newspaper, the ARD and WDR TV companies, as well as a number of media outlets in Denmark and Sweden reported that in 2013, Danish intelligence collaborated with the US National Security Agency (NSA) in spying on European politicians. According to media reports, the espionage agencies in question used a facility located near Copenhagen for wiretapping activities. The NSA scandal broke in 2013, when Der Spiegel published revelations by former CIA employee Edward Snowden. Since then, more and more details about the story have surfaced. As it turned out, US intelligence had been spying on thousands of targets in Europe, eavesdropping on German citizens and even tapping into German Chancellor Angela Merkels phone several times. Commenting on the report of the German newspaper, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the recent reports claiming that Danish intelligence services collaborated with the US in spying on European politicians are just "the tip of the iceberg" and the situation is even more dire for NATO member states themselves. Turkey considers other countries calls against using S-400 surface-to-air missile systems purchased from Russia as unacceptable, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said during his visit to Athens on Monday. "The S-400 will be 100% under our control. We sent our technical specialists [to Russia] and there will be no Russian military experts in Turkey. In this regard, we view the demands by other countries for not using [S-400s] as inadmissible," the TV Channel TRT quoted the Turkish foreign minister as saying. Meanwhile, U.S. Undersecretary of State Wendy Sherman said in an interview with CNN Turk that the United States had offered Turkey an alternative to the purchase of Russian-made S-400 air defense systems. However, the US diplomat did not elaborate on it. Fully vaccinated individuals need negative PCR test to enter Georgia Georgia is changing the rules of entry to the country for fully vaccinated travellers. Head of the National Center for Disease Control Amiran Gamkrelidze said that fully vaccinated individuals who want to enter Georgia will now need to present a negative PCR test result. Until now citizens of all countries travelling by air could enter Georgia if they presented confirmation they had gone through the full schedule of any Covid-19 vaccination at border checkpoints of Georgia. Gamkrelidze said that all travellers who want to enter Georgia must present a negative PCR test from the past 72 hours at the border and retest on the third day. Further self-isolation will not be required if the test returns negative. Regular flights resumed in Georgia on February 1, while land borders will open on June 1, Agenda.ge reported. Gurney Thompson said his mother was always very active and had a passion for family. He said shes learned to take life day by day and make the most of the ups and downs. The electronics, textile and garment, footwear, wooden furniture and dairy sectors have proposed that the Government allow them to seek vaccine sources and pay for vaccinations at their enterprises so they can maintain production. Many enterprises taking part in the online seminar held recently by Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) expressed their concern about the impact of the fourth outbreak on their business activities. Vu Duc Giang, chair of the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (Vitas), said the textile and garment industry is using nearly 3 million workers. A lockdown, if it is imposed, and production suspension, even for half a month, will cause very serious consequences to yearly production plans. Vaccinations are believed to be the most effective solution at this time. Businesses are all impatiently waiting, and are seeking vaccine sources themselves and are willing to share the vaccination costs. According to Giang, many foreign invested enterprises (FIEs) in the textile and garment industry have good relations with the European and US governments, which could possibly facilitate the import of vaccines. Tran Duc Nghia, CEO of Delta International, said the enterprise has nearly 150 drivers. Since late April, when the fourth outbreak began, the company has had to spend hundreds of million of dong on testing. The revenue of his company has fallen dramatically and there has been no revenue on some transport routes, but the company still has to pay for problems arising because of Covid-19. He said he would rather pay for vaccinations for his workers. Nghia proposed that the Government work out a mechanism to allow businesses to buy vaccines for their workers, because the vaccination cost is even lower than the testing cost. Do Thuy Huong, who represents the Vietnam Electronics Association and Supporting Industries Association, said the industries are facing a risk of supply chain disruption, because the latest pandemic resurgence has hit the industrial production centers of Bac Giang and Bac Ninh provinces. In such conditions, enterprises would rather pay to vaccinate their workers. In addition to the vaccination program provided to low income earners, the Government should launch a pay-vaccine program, applied to high-income earners and enterprises that are willing to pay for vaccinations of their workers. If enterprises can find vaccine sources, vaccines will arrive sooner than the Government's vaccines. She said the Government needs to allow enterprises to use their channels to negotiate to buy vaccines. In principle, the State will approve the vaccine purchases, control vaccine quality, and supervise the vaccinations. Cao Hoang Nam from Pepsi Vietnam suggested considering the model now being followed by Indonesia. The country allows enterprises to make financial contributions to vaccinate their workers and workers families. Its health ministry appoints companies and units authorized to import vaccines, while chambers of commerce and business associations register the number of vaccines they need with importers. The vaccines used at enterprises in Indonesia must meet the requirements of World Health Organization and the health ministry. This is the model Vietnam should consider to take full advantage of the communitys strength, he said. Do Hong Hanh from Vitas said she knows a company in the Vietnamese American Business Association which is willing to come forward and connect with vaccine producers. They will only pay after the Vietnamese health agency recognizes that they have met standards. Nguyen Hong Uy from EuroCham said the state budget can hardly pay for vaccinations of all people. In addition to the vaccination program provided to low income earners, the Government should launch a pay-vaccine program, applied to high-income earners and enterprises that are willing to pay for vaccinations of their workers. A local newspaper reported that 79 percent of European companies in Vietnam are willing to pay for Covid-19 vaccination for their staff, The Ministry of Health (MOH) aims to obtain herd immunity in 2021 with 150 million injections. To date, only 100 million vaccine doses have been committed. The ministry has received more than VND1 trillion in cash and goods from people, enterprises and organizations, contributing to the national Covid-19 vaccine fund. However, the amount is very modest compared with the demand. MOH has held working sessions with the embassies of the countries which have a lot of FDI (foreign direct investment) in Vietnam as well as with representatives of foreign agencies to discuss the supply of Covid-19 vaccines and vaccination of workers in factories and industrial zones Foreign-invested enterprises have agreed to share costs related to vaccinations of workers, saying that they hope MOH will approve vaccine imports as quickly as possible. Tran Thuy Vietnam may grant emergency license for locally-made Covid-19 vaccine Soon after the phase 3 trial, Vietnam may consider emergency licensing for Nanocovax, a made-in-Vietnam Covid-19 vaccine. Beginning study for the IELTS (the International English Language Test) exam in primary school when students dont have much real-life experience may reduce children's motivation and interest in reading and writing, experts say. A secondary school in Hanoi recently announced an enrollment plan which says that students with IELTS from 3.0 would have up to 20 point bonus when applying for the sixth grade at the school. Tran Thi Phuong Chi, a teacher of English at Archimedes School, said he was asked to give tutoring lessons to a fifth grader to prepare him for IELTS. The student is going to apply for admission to a secondary school in Hanoi. After a test, the teacher realized that the boy was good at grammar, but weak at reading because of poor vocabulary. She believes the boy needs a different learning path that fits his ability. If the parents still insist on stuffing him with knowledge for IELTS, they will force him to get mature soon, when he still doesnt have sufficient knowledge about language and social issues, Chi said. Chi believes that practicing for IELTS is not suitable for primary school students, because the exam not only tests speaking English ability, but also critical thinking skills. Examinees have to show their knowledge about economic and social matters, which is beyond childrens capacity. If students are forced to practice for IELTS too early, they will have to struggle to deal with complicated social issues that they themselves have never experienced, she said. In speaking and writing tests, for example, examinees will have to answer questions related to a wide range of fields, from economy, education, technology, law, the environment and healthcare. In reading and listening, examinees have to have broad vocabulary, which is a problem for children. If students have to stuff themselves with vocabulary and knowledge to obtain high scores on IELTS, they may suffer serious consequences later. This may affect students interest in learning languages, and they may even feel afraid of learning English If students have to stuff themselves with vocabulary and knowledge to obtain high scores on IELTS, they may suffer serious consequences later. This may affect students interest in learning languages, and they may even feel afraid of learning English, Chi warned. Sharing the same view, Ngo Huy Tam from Phenikaa School said for primary school students, an IELTS certificate is not necessary and it is unsuitable for small kids. One scale is only used to assess certain groups of subjects, he said, adding that IELTS is a universal language scale used to test migrants, immigrants, people who study abroad, and working professionals, with corpus content beyond children's cognitive ability. Tam believes that early practicing for IELTS will harm children. In early ages, children need help to promote their creativity and imagination. This is why children are taught free writing before they are taught academic writing, Tam said. He said that if children have to begin academic writing too early, they will have no more motivation and interest in reading and writing. If motivation no longer exists, they will continue studying just to get high scores, obtain high achievements, and gain peoples admiration. If so, they may have psychological issues, including depression, as they rely too much on motivation from outside. To prepare for the topics of IELTS, students have to commit knowledge to memory and learn by templates, and dont have real emotions and feelings about what they write. When to begin? According to Tam, students can begin doing this in eighth or ninth grades at the earliest. It would be better to begin at the age of 15 or 16, when they are in the 10th grade. However, Tam commented that high IELTS scores do not always mean good English skills. Tam knows some students who got 9.0 IELTS Writing score but were described by Harvard Professors as verbose and having no clear character. Many students like using big words, but the meaning is shallow, simply because IELTS only measures language ability, not writing ability. Chi also believes that students can study for IELTS in the eighth grade or preferably in the 10th grade. As for primary school students, Tam thinks they should allow Movers, Flyers, KET, PET, and others to help use programs more suitable to their ages. These programs can build children's full language skills and abilities, and help them with critical thinking skills. There is no need to try to study for IELTS, which is not necessary. Thuy Nga Teacher spreads love for Vietnamese kids songs through English "Mot canh en nho chang lam nen mua xuan. Ru nhau en ve theo lan nang am dan ..." (A lone swallow won't beget a spring. Swallows flockin' in the sun warming...) A close friend recently showed me a text message of his friend who has been put under quarantine. I have lost everything. I dont have the face to see my wife and kids, co-workers and friends anymore, he wrote. With his history of meetings and destinations made public on mass media, this F0 case was the subject of wild curses on social networks and baseless sneers. His friend was one of the first F0 cases in Vietnam, and all of the information about his contacts, both public and private, including accidental meetings, was made public via press release. He became the victim of bad rumors and fabricated stories. There was a rumor that he was a sugar daddy who fed a sugar baby. That information came from meetings of the man with other individuals. You see, it is denunciation. It was not a cure, which is what he needed, my friend said, sighing. Right to privacy Tracing involves finding the locations, moments and individuals with whom F0 cases had direct contact, and the close contacts of the latter. Tracing involves finding the locations, moments and individuals with whom F0 cases had direct contact, and the close contacts of the latter. The method is very effective as it helps locate the zone of the areas where F0 have been, find individuals who could be F1 ((those in close contact with COVID-19 patients), and warn of risks. But on the other hand, this can seriously hurt patients and their families. Some people who disagree with the method have found it difficult to express their disagreement in newspapers or social networks, where people criticised patients and called them pathogen spreaders. Privacy rule But they now can sigh with relief as the Ministry of Health has released a document requesting local authorities and agencies not to publicize Covid-19 patients' identity, history of meetings, and travel. The decision was made after the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) warned that the publishing of their identities and their history of travel and meetings had caused privacy infringement, adversely affecting their reputation, lives and family members. When making public the history of F0s contacts and travel, officers are trying to warn about these locations. But Vietnam has had a lot of experience after 1.5 years of fighting Covid-19, and this benefit is not enough, particularly compared with the psychological impact on F0s and their families when their private information is exposed to the public. A description about the feelings of an F0 in a newspaper had a strong impression on me. The newspaper wrote that the patient just stayed in bed and cried. She was so shocked that she could not eat and sleep. I believe that the shock was caused by pressure from society rather than her physical situation and disease, because there was no information about her disease status. Luckily, the F0 case, like the majority of other cases, recovered and was discharged from hospital some days later. Living in a pandemic Over the last year, I have sometimes tried to interview patients who had recovered from the disease to find out how they had experienced their difficult period. But they all refused. One day, after I contacted her through a friend, a woman from Hanoi agreed. But she changed her decision at the last minute. The woman experienced tough days when she was confirmed an F0 and all information about her contacts was made public. Her parents and relatives got angry with her instead of being sympathetic. She has become less communicative and still feels pain, the friend told me. The Ministry of Infomration and Communications has asked to only publicize the locations that F0s have been to, and warn about the risks, and not publicize the identities of the people. This is also the approach of many other countries. A proposal on allowing F1s to stay under quarantine at home has also been made. It is time for every individual to be aware of the responsibility and duty in the fight against the pandemic and the sense of protecting themselves , rather than rely fully on the healthcare sector. Vietnamese are still struggling against Covid-19 and the path ahead is long and full of risks until a large-scale vaccination is launched. Denouncing other people and exposing them to shame must not be the way we live and survive amid a pandemic. Tu Giang Vietnam prioritizes technological solutions in building urban infrastructure Building urban infrastructure towards green growth is a necessary goal in the urbanization process, in order to adapt to climate change. The establishment of the Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations was a milestone for the development of the Vietnamese peacekeeping force, providing the conditions for Vietnamese blue beret officers to engage in the UN multilateral mechanisms On the occasion of the 7th anniversary of the Vietnam Peacekeeping Centre, now the Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations (May 27, 2014 - May 27, 2021), Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien, Deputy Minister of National Defense speaks to the media about the operation of the Vietnamese peacekeeping force. The Vietnamese blue-beret officers off for a mission in South Sudan in October 2018. Please tell us the significance of the establishment of the Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations? The establishment of the Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations in 2014 was a milestone for the development of the Vietnamese peacekeeping force, providing the conditions for Vietnamese blue beret officers to engage in the United Nations (UN) multilateral mechanisms, a vivid illustration of high-ranking Vietnamese leaders commitment to the international community. The force has played an important role in boosting Vietnams multilateral diplomacy, particularly relations with the UN and many countries around the world. Over the past seven years, the Department has performed its roles, functions and tasks very well, contributing to the Party's and State's foreign policy and defense diplomacy to enhance the position of the Party and State and that of the army. What have been the outstanding results of Vietnam's UN peacekeeping activities since 2014? Since the departments establishment, 55 officers have been sent to work at the UNs headquarters and missions while 189 doctors and medical workers have been dispatched to work at level-2 field hospitals in the Central African Republic and South Sudan. Included in the peacekeeping force were 34 servicewomen, accounting for more than 16 percent of the total force, compared with the 10 percent required by the UNSC under its Resolution No 1325 on women and peace and security. Vietnam has proactively participated in multilateral mechanisms of international organizations and partners, and has signed nine memoranda of understanding (MoUs) in the field of peacekeeping with countries, one MoU with the UN, and one with the EU. These are important documents since they shape political commitments in maintaining and promoting peacekeeping activities. Four Vietnamese officers have participated in individual positions at the mission and the UN. Vietnam has three officers holding the positions of planning officer, general consultant, and training officer at the UN headquarters. Another great achievement is that we are looking for opportunities to deploy forces in other fields and areas while perfecting the legal corridor. The 14th National Assembly adopted Resolution No 130/2020/QH14 on participating in UN peacekeeping operations, laying a solid legal foundation for the force to carry out activities in line with Party and State foreign policies. Deputy Minister of National Defense, Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien. What plans will the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of Defense implement in the near future to contribute to UN peacekeeping activities? Vietnam will continue to build and complete the legal framework for peacekeeping activities and the provisions of the law to ensure compatibility with international treaties. We will ask the UN as well as relevant international organizations to support us in implementing new activities and expanding the areas of participation. A team of army engineers stands ready to join the UN mission, and the UN will inspect the teams preparations in June. If the team is suitable for the mission, this will be a new milestone for the Vietnamese peacekeeping force. We will also continue to select individuals who fully meet the conditions, standards and criteria required by the UN for training and retraining, especially in foreign languages and professional expertise to be ready to take the UNs exams. The Central Military Commission and the Ministry of Defense aim to develop the Department of Peacekeeping Operations into the National Coordination Center for Peacekeeping. Major General Hoang Kim Phung, Director of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations of Vietnam: Along with the deployment of the field hospital level 2, the UN invited us to deploy the engineer team. The Central Military Commission and the Ministry of Defense have set up the engineer team with 290 official and 29 reserve members. The team has been trained in the fields of military knowledge, mines, engineering and foreign languages. The UN has mentioned the possibility that Vietnam can deploy peacekeeping forces in the Central African Republic. If selected by the UN, once we are ready in terms of human resources and equipment, it can be deployed by the end of this year. It is expected that the percentage of female members in the team will be over 10% as the UN's proposal. Our preparations are relatively complete to be ready to welcome the UN survey team in June-July. In the engineering team with more than 300 members, more than 30 are expected to be women. The female soldiers will take on positions such as clerical, interpreter, communication staff When we set the target of recruiting 31 female members for the team, we received 61 volunteer letters. The United Nations and many countries support and hope that Vietnam will develop the Department of Peacekeeping Operations into a training center which uses textbooks and training courses up to UN standards to foster and train the peacekeeping forces for countries in the region. The Department of Peacekeeping Operations has organized 13 international training courses. In the future, with the investment of the Ministry of Defense and international support, I believe that we can achieve the goal of develop the Department of Peacekeeping Operations into a training center of regional and international stature. Dieu Thuy Vietnams peacekeeping force wins high appreciation The peacekeeping force of Vietnam has made considerable contributions over the past years, which have won the recognition and high evaluation from the United Nations and international friends, Sharing infrastructure will help Vietnamese carriers reduce investment costs and speed up 5G coverage. The signing ceremony was held online. Recently, the telecommunications sector has witnessed extensive cooperation agreements on infrastructure between mobile carriers. This coordination was raised to another level when the three largest mobile network operators, Viettel, VNPT and MobiFone, signed an agreement to deploy 5G network sharing. The agreement focused on two important solutions: mobile roaming tests and multi-network radio access network (MORAN) sharing. Agreements on sharing of telecommunications infrastructure in the past often focused on passive infrastructure (base stations, antenna masts, transmission...). This is the first time that Vietnamese carriers have experimented with sharing higher-layer telecommunications infrastructure such as active infrastructure and 5G radio access network equipment. The implementation of this agreement is expected to contribute to the overall assessment of the necessary content both in terms of techniques and inter-network coordination mechanism to deploy a 5G network in Vietnam. On a regional and international scale, this is one of the first agreements on piloting the sharing of 5G network infrastructure. This coordination affirms the determination of the local information and communication industry in bringing Vietnam along with leading countries in 5G. The average 5G speed in Vietnam is currently between 500-600 Mbps. Photo: Trong Dat By the end of May 2021, Vietnamese carriers had deployed 5G commercial and service trials in six provinces and cities: Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Bac Ninh, Bac Giang, Binh Phuoc and Thua Thien Hue. The average 5G speed in Vietnam is currently between 500-600 Mbps, 10 times faster than the speed of 4G networks. With the feature of using millimeter-wavelength bands, the coverage of 5G base transmission stations is only a few hundred meters compared to the 2-3km radius of coverage of previous 2G/3G/4G stations. This requires the deployment and installation of a very large number of 5G stations to be able to provide widespread 5G coverage. Therefore, the sharing of infrastructure and 5G stations is very necessary. Speaking at the 10th session of the 14th National Assembly, Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung said: "Vietnam deploys 5G with the spirit of sharing infrastructure. The ministry has asked businesses to develop a plan and will issue regulations on sharing 5G infrastructure, including equipment sharing. Trong Dat Telecom groups get on board with 5G The largest telecom operators in Vietnam - Viettel, Vinaphone and Mobifone - are betting on 5G services and digital platforms in order to increase revenues amid saturation of traditional services. Soon after the phase 3 trial, Vietnam may consider emergency licensing for Nanocovax, a made-in-Vietnam Covid-19 vaccine. Photo: Volunteers are injected with Nanocovax vaccine at the Military Medical Academy. Deputy Health Minister Do Xuan Tuyen said that Nanogen's Nanocovax vaccine is currently a candidate with high potential, ready for phase 3 trials in early June. According to Mr. Tuyen, in this phase of trial, th vaccine will be both tested and evaluated by experts. If the professional and ethics council approve, and with the nod of the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, relevant agencies can grant a license under a state of emergency to Nanocovax. Regarding the legal mechanism for the emergency licencing of vaccines, the deputy minister said that vaccines that Vietnam buys and provided by partners are also under the emergency licensing mechanism, so this is completely appropriate. Nanocovax vaccine will be tested at local centers with about 13,000 participants, aged 18-75. As planned, about 1,000 volunteers will be injected with the vaccine this week. Instead of three doses like the previous phase, in phase 3, volunteers will receive a 25mcg dose in parallel with a group injected with a placebo. The results of the phase 2 trial showed that Nancovax vaccine was better than expected. 100% of volunteers produced antibodies, while many other vaccines in the world reached only slightly more than 90%, even only 60-70%. Antibody levels at the 35th and 42nd day after the first dose rose tens to hundreds of times, while an increase of 4-20 times is considered to be good. Through two phases of trial, Nanocovax vaccine can prevent the British and South African variants. The effect with the Indian variant will continue to be studied in phase 3. If it goes well, about two months after the start of phase 3, the Ministry of Health will have data to evaluate and consider whether it is eligible for emergency licencing. Nanogen, the developer of Nanocovax, has received funds from a domestic unit of hundreds of millions of US dollars to promote the final phase of testing as well as prepare for large-scale production. However, Nanogen has not disclosed specific production plans as well as the supply capacity to the market. It is expected that this week the Prime Minister will meet with domestic vaccine research units to encourage and remove difficulties and speed up the production of vaccines. Recently, the Ministry of Health has made great efforts to negotiate with many parties, aiming to get 150 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine this year for mass vaccinations. Covax has committed to give Vietnam 39 million doses and the Ministry of Health has ordered an additional 10 million doses through Covax. The Ministry has also ordered 30 million doses of AstraZeneca through local vaccine distributor VNVC and has ordered 31 million doses of Pfizer vaccine. In addition, there are donated vaccines, so this year Vietnam is expected to receive 150 million doses of vaccine. However, the actual quantity and delivery time depends on the supplier. Like the flu vaccine, the Covid-19 vaccine is effective for six months to 1 year, so it will need to be repeated periodically. Therefore, local sources of vaccines will help Vietnam proactively reopen its economy and trade. Thuy Hanh Local Nanocovax vaccine's phase 3 trial to begin next week Next week, Vietnam will start the phase 3 trial of the Vietnamese-made Nanocovax vaccine on about 13,000 volunteers. Felton said something that is not in play is the construction of a new criminal justice center, as some longtime county officials have lobbied for. The visiting courtroom in the annex could be used, and existing courtrooms possibly could be used when current judges are not using them, he said. While commissioners begin to accept applications for County Court-at-Law No. 3, at least three candidates have said they are interested in the appointment, including retired state district judge Ralph Strother and Waco attorneys Will Hutson and Ryan Luna. Strother, 77, retired in January after serving 22 years as 19th State District Court judge in McLennan County. He was forced out of office by state-mandated age limitations. However, there are no such age limits for county positions, and Strother has said he would like to continue to serve. Hutson, 54, also serves as municipal judge in Crawford and associate municipal judge in Hewitt. He is a former registered nurse who might be better known as a YouTube sensation for his songs with his law partner, Chris Harris. Their original songs offer light-hearted legal advice in two-part harmony, such as Dont Eat your Weed, Please Shut Up and Miranda. This is a great example of why the public should have the right to know what occurred in the case of this police officer, Snowden said. All we know is he went to the Capitol. We know hes been reinstated. We dont know why. We dont know what steps are being taken to ensure this police officer, who clearly has as a view that concurs with insurrectionists, does not reflect the extreme right wing views of the demonstrators who took part of the demonstration on Jan. 6. Wes James, president of the TechWorks campus, said the initial plan was to follow up the class with a work-based learning experience, such as an internship or apprenticeship. That isnt in place yet, but will be a part of future programs. While he noted that participants cant be guaranteed a job, theres a number of candidates (from both classes) in the hiring process now. James added, The goal of our program was to tackle the workforce gap locally as well as increase diversity and inclusion in manufacturing across the Cedar Valley. Some of the same problems exist across the country, which spurred development of the IGNITE program. This program was put together with a significant grant from the Department of Defense to a company called Amatrol, said James. The agency was responding to a strong shortage of available workforce in the trades, he noted, that limits the U.S. militarys ability to have the proper parts to maintain equipment during wartime. The effort to boost manufacturing dovetails with what James called a paradigm shift in how the work is done. Manufacturing 4.0 as its been termed in Iowa focuses on scaling up digital technologies in factories such as advanced robotics, additive manufacturing, augmented reality and more. The two largest recipients of students are each at a different place in the process of potentially accepting those requests for open enrollment into their districts. We have received some of those requests, said Andy Pattee, superintendent of Cedar Falls Community Schools, but no action has been taken. What well do is well review those collectively in the next few weeks. At this point, district officials just havent had a chance to go through those. Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} He noted that administrators look at factors like overall and grade level capacity, typical enrollment growth in grade levels, and program needs. Community and subdivision growth is tracked extremely carefully to ensure space will be available for any students coming in from outside of the district. Hudson Superintendent Tony Voss told The Courier on Thursday that as of today, I think weve had 15 or 16 students open enroll from Waterloo Schools since the diversity plan was banned. At the Hudson Board of Education meeting May 19, there were a dozen on the list that were approved for open enrollment in Hudson. Voss said he breached the topic with the board of eventually capping open enrollments for the year if the district continues to receive requests. Those numbers could be dramatically impacted by Republican state lawmakers attempt to amend Iowas constitution and the pending U.S. Supreme Court ruling. During the recently concluded session of the Legislature, Republicans approved a proposal that began the process of amending the constitution to state the document does not guarantee the right to an abortion. The proposed amendment is in response to recent state court decisions that struck down legislation restricting access to abortions, including proposals that would have required a three-day waiting period before an abortion and banned abortions after the fetus heartbeat can be detected. Republicans plan is that if the state constitution states it does not guarantee the right to an abortion, future legislative attempts to restrict abortions will have a better chance of surviving legal challenges. The Legislature must pass the proposed amendment again after an election, so in 2023 at the earliest. If it passes a second time it will go to a public vote, likely in 2024. In the middle of a pandemic, Elevate has provided critical behavioral health care services that otherwise were limited or werent available to local residents. Check out how Elevate has served our region since opening its doors: May is National Mental Health Awareness Month. On behalf of all Iowans, I applaud the providers, counselors, responders and volunteers who are committed to serving our neighbors in need. As Iowas senior U.S. senator, Ive worked to destigmatize negative connotations traditionally associated with mental health illnesses. Specifically, Ive worked to strengthen mental health awareness and services for farmers, veterans, police officers and foster youth so they can get the help they need when the weight of the world is too heavy to shoulder alone. Throughout my public service helping Iowans endure the emotional toll from natural disasters, farm crisis, military service and now COVID-19, Ive seen the resilience of neighbor helping neighbor. Iowans thrive when we face challenges together. At Guardian Veterinary Specialists in Brewster, New York, surgeon Jeffrey Runge recommends soft bedding and a harness with a handle over the shoulders and sometimes the hips to help owners take some weight off their pets joints while they're walking around. He recommends using a harness as part of a dog's postoperative care regime. "A lot of pet owners use these things for extra boost, Runge says, so they don't hurt themselves while helping their aging companions. These adjustable contraptions have come a long way since Cary Zimmerman, 66, first used a canine walking harness, fastened to a rock climbing belt with duct tape, to help his 10-year-old pit bull/lab mix get to their Denver dog park after being diagnosed with Cushing's syndrome. As the degenerative disease progressed, the dog lost energy and strength. People kept asking, Where did you get that? Zimmerman said. That led us down a road." Zimmerman ultimately created the Help Em Up Harness (which has moved beyond duct tape) to assist canine rehab specialists and owners hoist large disabled and senior dogs. (Back injuries are common among vet techs and older pet owners.) The device has evolved to include various accessories for a range of tasks, including a hip lift, shoulder strap and attachments that can be affixed to a wheeled cart. While harnesses certainly help dogs get around, they still require human muscle, which can be problematic for pet owners who may be older themselves. Mobility products make a difference Non-slip booties and grippers, like the ones that helped Lathem's senior dog stay on her feet, allows pets to stroll independently. "People are putting in hardwood, tile and all the beautiful floors dogs are not designed to live on, says Julie Buzby, a veterinarian who developed a product called ToeGrips to prevent slippage. Dogs natural traction is to engage nails like cleats." That movement is crucial for combating osteoarthritis. When a dog slips on a floor, it's probably less likely to walk on that floor again, says Alvarez. Improving traction can improve mobility." For more severe hind-limb weakness (fairly common in geriatric canine patients), severe arthritis or neurologic disease, there's an array of rubberized booties to improve traction and protect paws from injury. Yoga mats, while not the most design-forward, can even do the trick when they're strategically placed throughout the house. Some owners buy strollers to cart their canines around, although vets often prefer devices that keep dogs moving. Brands like Walkin Wheels and Eddie's Wheels make adjustable carts to help disabled pets get around. Basically the four-legged equivalent of a walker, these devices are a common tool in rehabilitation, used regularly after spinal surgery to help support an animal's weight while encouraging mobility. Though Lathem has not had to use carts for any of her own pets, she has prescribed them for her four-legged patients, which often seem pleased with their new set of wheels. They're amazingly adaptable, Lathem says. They get on that cart and run and run and run." Smart speakers also can be used to control smart devices in your home, such as adjusting a thermostat or turning down the lights all hands free. Some of these devices, such as the Amazon Echo Show family from $69 or Google Nest Hub from $99, have screens for seeing information along with hearing it. So you can look at a step-by-step recipe for baking chocolate chip cookies. Smart displays also can show you cat videos on YouTube, place a video call to family members, if the model has a camera, and reveal who's at your front door via a compatible doorbell cam. But this just scratches the surface of what these voice-enabled personal assistants can do. Their capabilities have evolved through the years. Amazon Echo Set up Care Hub. Care Hub is a set of Alexa features designed to help older adults maintain independence and provide reassurance and peace of mind to their family members. First, both family members agree to create a connection between their two Alexa accounts. Then, the Care Hub can give the family member providing support an easy way to check in with their loved one remotely while maintaining privacy. Aging loved ones also can get immediate help if they need it. The link between accounts can let them set their family member as their emergency contact. If help is needed, they simply can say, Alexa, call for help, and Alexa will call, text and send a push notification to alert the family member. To set it up: 1. Open the Alexa app on your smartphone. Tap More on the bottom right-hand side. Select See More. Now tap Care Hub. 2. Click Create Relationship. Type in whom you'd like to connect with, including email address. 3. The recipient opens the link received and taps Get Started. 4. The recipient signs in with a personal Amazon account. To proceed with Care Hub, the recipient selects Next and fills in information. 5. The recipient taps or clicks Send, you will receive a confirmation email to accept the invitation. If needed, you can see more detail from Amazon. Create and share shopping lists. Keeping track of shopping lists is easy. You can add items to your Alexa shopping list by simply saying, Alexa, add bananas to my shopping list." When you want to look at your list, open the Alexa app on your smartphone. Tap the menu icon in upper-left corner, then tap Lists & Notes | Shopping to view it. You'll notice you can check off items as you buy them. Additionally, use the Send My Shopping List feature to share your shopping needs with a loved one. Customers can say, Alexa, send my shopping list to [contact name], and Alexa will identify the contact and confirm that it's the correct match for sharing. Set up routines. Routines are designed to make your life easier and more productive, taking a bunch of things you can do with Alexa and bundling them together seamlessly. For example, you can set up a pre-bed routine that automatically turns off the lights in your home, enables the home alarm system and lowers the temperature a tad all when you say, Alexa, good night. You need smart devices or for other devices, such as a lamp, to be plugged into a smart plug for this to work. To get going, open the Alexa app. Select the word More and choose Routines. Select Plus. Now follow the steps in the app to choose what starts your routine. Tap Save. Google Nest Set up interpreter mode. Your Google Assistant-powered smart speaker or smart display is equipped to translate conversations. Simply say Hey Google, be my [language] interpreter with several dozen languages supported, from Arabic to Vietnamese. That's not as many as you'll find using Google Translate, which has more than 100, but it can be useful. The feature can help Americans who aren't fluent in the language of their ancestors and want to communicate with grandparents or other relatives whose first language isn't English. Now you can sit down by a Google Nest speaker or display and have a conversation with someone, with each talking in his or her own tongue. I spoke with my uncle, who is older than 90, in English, and it translated my words into Italian for him and then Spanish and French after that. Add a Family Broadcast. This new feature allows you to broadcast messages to all smart speakers and devices grouped together. For example, you can ask members of your family group to see if they're available for lunch at noon tomorrow, and each family member can reply hands free or by tapping the Reply button from an iPhone or Android device. To set up Google Assistant's Family Broadcast, you first need a Google Family Group in the Google Assistant settings. Google has provided instructions for setting this up based on the device you're using. Alternatively, you can open the Google Home app on your phone and tap More | Settings | Google Assistant | You | Your People | Your Family. After your family group has been created, you can send broadcasts from your Google Nest or Home devices or a smartphone. Say, Hey Google, then something like Tell my family [xxx] or Broadcast to family [xxx] or Ask my family [xxx]." Find your stuff. Google devices can remember where you've placed important things if you tell it while the location is fresh in your mind. Say OK Google, followed by something like Remember my passport is in the small drawer in the kitchen. In the future, ask Where's my passport? and your smart speaker will tell you where it is and on what date you mentioned the reminder. Google Assistant also can help you find your smartphone at home, perhaps if it slipped between the sofa cushions. Say, OK Google, find my phone, and listen for your smartphone to ring loudly, which it will do even if you've set it to Do Not Disturb. It knows it's your phone because you've set up the companion app on that device. Apple HomePod Pick your Siri voice. Siri now includes more diverse voice options in U.S. English, including male and female, and no longer has a default voice. So you can choose the voice that speaks to you right from the start. Set it up by going to Settings | Siri & Search | Siri Voice on iPhone. For your HomePod, follow these steps: 1. Open the Home app on your iPhone and find your HomePod in the list of Favorite Accessories. 2. Press and hold your finger on the word HomePod. 3. At the bottom of the screen, tap Details. 4. Scroll down to Siri. Choose Siri Voice in the menu here. 5. Tap Siri Voice and choose the accent and gender for the voice that you wish to use. Place an emergency call and now call emergency contacts. With the latest iPhone operating system update, iOS 14.5, Siri added support for calling emergency contacts if the iPhone or HomePod owner needs assistance and is unable to make a call. You can say Hey Siri, call 911, or Hey Siri, call emergency services. Once you do, Siri will attempt to use the iPhone you've connected to the HomePod or another iPhone on the same network to complete the call. As for emergency contacts, you can set them up on your iPhone in any of these apps: Contacts, Health, Phone or Settings. With the Health app as an example: 1. Open the app and tap your profile on the top right. 2. Select Medical ID. If you have not yet set up your Medical ID, you'll be asked to do so. 3. Tap Edit at the top and then scroll down to Emergency Contacts. 4. Tap the plus sign (+) to add a contact. Choose your contact and phone number, then pick the Relationship to you. 5. You can add another contact or tap Done at the top. Learn nutritional information. Siri can provide nutritional information for foods, including calories, cholesterol, fat, fiber, sodium and vitamins. For example, say Hey Siri, followed by: Tell me nutrition information for [food] Is [food] healthy? How many calories are in [food]? How much fat is in [food]? Is there any vitamin D in [food]? Finally, don't forget to experiment with your smart speaker to see what your personal assistant can do. It's part of the fun. Forbes now factors climate risk into its annual roundup of 25 retirement dream towns. When you consider the wildfires, drought and mudslides in California, the 100-plus-degree days in Arizona, and hurricanes and flood surges in Florida, you start to think differently about where you want to enjoy your carefree years, says Forbes contributor William P. Barrett. That's one big reason Fargo, North Dakota, is the only place that has made the Best Places to Retire list for all 10 years the magazine has compiled it. In picking places for retirement, it's important to think about things like overall cost of living, access to medical care, walkability and crime rates, Barrett says. But you also want to go outside without broiling or constantly worrying about evacuating to higher ground. Risk: Chronic weather catastrophes Impact: Falling home values In real estate circles, they're calling it the coastal housing crisis, brought on by rising seas and nuisance flooding. With ocean levels predicted to increase in the U.S. by as much as 2 feet by 2045 and as much as 6 feet by 2100, it might be time to rethink that beach house. The threat is already taking a toll on prices in high-risk parts of Florida, even as the broader real estate market sees gains and as rich tech bros flock to Miami. Housing sales in the most exposed coastal areas of Florida quietly began falling in 2013, and more recently, home prices started dropping all directly related to climate changes, says Benjamin Keys, a professor of real estate and finance at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School. His 2020 research paper on 1.4 million real estate transactions found that the number of home sales dropped by 16 to 20 percent between 2013 and 2018 in Florida communities closest to the water. This is a case where water can literally erode the value of your most precious investment, Keys says. In other parts of the U.S., rising sea levels sank home values in 18 states, from Maine to Texas, by $15.9 billion between 2005 and 2017, according to research released by the nonprofit First Street Foundation. That included 81,900 homes in coastal North Carolina picture the hurricane- and flood-ravaged Outer Banks that lost $582 million in value. Tidal flooding along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, including the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, eroded around $264 million in home values over that same 12-year period. As with water, so it is with fire. Following catastrophic blazes in 2018 that severely damaged the Northern California town of Paradise, home values dropped 20.5 percent between October 2019 and October 2020, according to the real estate website Redfin. Interestingly, in California, fires can also stoke the market, as burned-out buyers scramble to find new homes nearby. Sales in fire-ravaged Napa County were up 40 percent in the third quarter of 2020 over the same time period the previous year, and up more than 50 percent in that same period after fires in Sonoma County. If you won't give up that dream of living on the ocean in your retirement years, S. Jeffress Williams, a senior scientist emeritus with the USGS Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center in Massachusetts, offers this simple advice: Don't buy rent." Drill Rig Secured for Enmore Gold Project Drilling Perth, June 1, 2021 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Okapi Resources Limited ( ASX:OKR ) ( FRA:26O ) is pleased to advise that drill rig has been secured for the Enmore Gold Project drilling program. An initial 8 to 10 holes are planned for a minimum of 1,000m to evaluate the two priority targets identified at the Sunnyside and Bora Prospects (Figure 1*).One of the primary aims of the first pass drilling will be to show the potential for the Enmore Gold Project and follow up on some of the historic high grade drill intercepts at the Sunnyside Prospect, including:- 22m @ 2.66g/t gold from surface,o including 4m @ 11.94 g/t gold from surface (hole - SP3B),- 20m @ 1.7 g/t gold from 18m,o including 4m @ 4.4 g/t Au from 21m (SP24E),- 2m @ 14.6 g/t gold from 46m (hole SP13E).The structural setting broadly similar to that observed at the nearby Hillgrove Antimony-Gold Mine (Red River Resources) ( ASX:RVR ) remains underexplored at the Enmore Gold Project and presents Okapi with a future exploration opportunity to target a similar structural setting.Okapi's Executive Director, Mr Dave Nour said, "We are very pleased to be able to secure a drill rig especially during this busy period. Preparation work for the drilling has already commenced and drilling is expected to commence immediately after the arrival of the drill rig this week."*To view figures, please visit:About Okapi Resources Ltd Okapi Resources Limited (ASX:OKR) is a minerals exploration company focused on the discovery and commercialisation of mineral deposits in Australia. Okapi's primary objective is to discover and develop mineral resources from its current portfolio. The Company has carefully selected projects with historical workings and excellent results. Okapi has a team of professionals with an exemplary record of success and with a particular history in Australia. Okapi is also pursuing a growth strategy that aims to appraise and secure further exploration and development opportunities within gold and mineral endowed districts. Scientists prepare rebuttal letter to Science on virus lab leak theory: insider Global Times) 08:59, June 01, 2021 A staff member handles nucleic acid testing samples at a novel coronavirus detection lab in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, Feb. 22, 2020. (Xinhua/Cheng Min) A number of preeminent epidemiologists and scientists in China and overseas said it's absolute nonsense to let intelligence agencies lead COVID-19 origins-tracing work, and some scientists are working on a letter to Science magazine to rebut the "lab leak" theory, a source close to the matter informed the Global Times on Monday, after the UK intelligence unit, following Washington, said it believes it's "feasible" that the pandemic began from a Chinese lab leak. The latest political hyping of the question of the virus origins, led by the US government, recently aroused growing criticism among Chinese scientists. "It's ridiculous to ask intelligence units to do the work that should be done by scientists," Zeng Guang, former Chinese CDC head epidemiologist, told the Global Times. After US President Joe Biden asked US intelligence agencies to redouble their efforts in investigating the origins of the COVID-19 last week, the UK reportedly said it believes "it's feasible" that the virus leaked from a Chinese lab, according to media reports on Sunday. The lab leak theory has been a conspiracy theory constantly hyped by Western politicians and media outlets since the beginning of the epidemic in order to shift the blame to China for the West's own failures in tackling the epidemic effectively. Western intelligence speculated there was a remote chance that the virus had leaked from the lab where research was conducted into bat-derived coronaviruses, but there has since been a reassessment, and a lab leak is considered "feasible," some reports said. No evidence was mentioned when they brought up this new hypothesis, a source close to the WHO origins-tracing work told the Global Times on Monday when asked about the piece of information shared by UK intelligence. He added that these are the UK's conservatives. It has been quite a challenging moment for scientists around the world as the US-led West has been playing the "origins-tracing" card in pressuring China by mixing this scientific question with politics, adding more obstacles to global efforts in fighting the pandemic, according to experts and officials. Some scientists are working on a rebuttal to the Science letter from 18 scientists, the source said. On May 14, 18 researchers published a letter in the magazine arguing that the idea of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 leaking from a lab in China must be explored more deeply, calling for a "proper investigation," according to the website of the magazine. A joint WHO-China report on tracing the origins of COVID-19 dismissed the possibility of the virus being leaked from a lab, as the report said a lab leak was "extremely unlikely," pointing to a possible path of transmission between animals and humans and transmission through frozen food. The global investigation on the virus origins is the direction that Chinese scientists believe the next stage probe should be. However, a heated debate over the future direction of the WHO's investigation into the origins appeared to head for a showdown in the closing days of the World Health Assembly, which is scheduled to end on Tuesday, according to global health news site Health Policy Watch. Origins-tracing work concerning infectious diseases is very difficult, either to trace back the patient zero or the first infected animal. But what's important is to verify different hypotheses to understand the route of the virus' transmission and how to cut it off, Zeng told the Global Times. "It's much easier to find out whether it was a lab leak compared with tracing animal-human transmission, as there must have been evidence left through lab spillovers - for example, the infected staff members or the contaminated environment," Zeng said. WHO experts have already made the assessment on all the above-mentioned hypotheses during their visit to the Wuhan Institute of Virology, with no evidence found, "and I think that's the end of the story," he said. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told a press conference on Monday that origins-tracing work should be led by scientists, rather than intelligence staff, and also needs joint efforts instead of divergences and can't be dictated by certain countries. "China has invited the WHO experts to conduct the work twice, and other countries are urged to do the same," he said. Chinese scientists and officials said it's time for the US to welcome the WHO team, like what China has done, to thoroughly investigate its own biolabs and answer a series of questions concerning the early cases and infectious diseases dated to 2019 in the US. While a letter from 209 House Republicans called for a congressional investigation into the origins of the COVID-19, claiming that there is "mounting evidence the pandemic started in a Chinese lab," Zeng, the preeminent Chinese epidemiologist, said "it's very ridiculous" to make such a proposal. "Have they learned what's been found last time from the lab during the WHO-China joint team study? Are there any new hypothesis? What do they want to learn this time?" Zeng asked, who further questioned whether the US president really understands science. The Chinese government has been urging the US repeatedly to follow China's lead to invite the WHO experts to the US, open Fort Detrick and biolabs overseas to the rest of the world, and disclose the detailed data and information on the unexplained outbreaks of respiratory disease in northern Virginia in July 2019 and the EVALI outbreak in Wisconsin. "Why has the US not followed the lead? I believe that the US government has fears about the possible loopholes in its own labs that would probably lead the experts to find out more systematic problems with its labs," Zeng said. (Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun) This year our nations observance of Memorial Day occurs in an environment of hope, as we continue to slow the spread of the COVID pandemic through vaccines, he said. Thankfully after a year of no parades or ceremonies like this things are beginning to reopen and unlike last year we can honor the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice, together. Instagram Celebrity Having gone public with their gender identity transition, the dancer admits that they are thankful for everyone who has 'supported and continued' to help them become their 'full self.' Jun 1, 2021 AceShowbiz - Zackery Torres is touched by the outpouring support they have received. Having declared that they are "transitioning" following their gender identity revelation, the "Dance Moms" star admitted that they are "grateful" to those who help them be their "full self." In an Instagram post shared on Monday, May 31, the 22-year-old wrote, "Don't really have a ton of words to express how I am feeling right now, other than grateful. Grateful to everyone who has supported me and continued to help me be my full self." They added, "Grateful for the outpour of love and support. Grateful to all the advocates who made this possible." Zackery also pointed out, "As I sit here with my mount still open, it is important to recognize the amount of LGBTQIA+ individuals who do not receive this loving response." The first season contestant of "Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition" went on stressing that "there is still work to be done." Near the end, they declared, "I cannot wait to be a part of it. Much love, and HAPPY EARLY PRIDE MONTH!" Zackery first made their transition announcement through a 30-second TikTok video uploaded on Sunday, May 30. "I realized I haven't posted on TikTok anything of myself since December, and life update -- I'm transitioning!" they revealed in a post titled "Life Update". As Dua Lipa's hit song "Levitating" played in the background, they explained, "That means I'm transgender if you didn't know." The dancer further noted, "My pronouns are they/she, which means that they or she are totally fine." They also said, "I'm just hopping on here to tell you that I'm going to be posting more on TikTok and I'm excited about it!" Back in October 2020, Zackery opened up to the University of Southern California student newspaper The Daily Trojan that their time in the spotlight with "Dance Moms" affected their coming out. "I started seeing all of the expectations that teachers - well-known dance teachers, and well-known choreographers - had for me as a male dancer growing up and at the time identifying as a boy," they reflected. "'Oh, you're too feminine, you need to dance like a man.' Just having teachers tell you that on national television, all this stuff, it kind of really got to me." Instagram Celebrity Kimberly Alexander, who has insisted that the Boston Celtics player is her baby daddy, shares a screenshot of her Instagram inbox showing the 'Keeping Up with the Kardashians' star's message preview. Jun 1, 2021 AceShowbiz - Khloe Kardashian has apparently tried to contact a woman claiming Tristan Thompson fathered her child. A few weeks after the Boston Celtics player filed a default judgment against Kimberly Alexander, the "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" star was unveiled to have sent a direct message to her. On Monday, May 31, Kimberly made use of Instagram to post a screenshot of her inbox that showed the Good American founder's alleged message preview. "Listen at this point I really wa...", so read the text. The message featured Khloe's current Instagram profile picture with a verified logo next to it. The screenshot indicated that it was snapped at 9:19 and that the reality star sent the message around 11 minutes prior. The text was bolded and had a blue dot next to it, meaning that it had not yet been read. Kimberly Alexander shared an alleged message from Khloe Kardashian. This came more than a week after Tristan's default judgment against Kimberly got denied due to a few "issues" that needed to be corrected. TMZ previously reported that he wanted the judge to hit her with $100,000 in damage plus additional costs after companies and brands have viewed him "as a troubled athlete" because of her claims. Filing the default judgment was the second approach that Tristan took to challenge Kimberly's claims. Back in May 2020, he filed a libel lawsuit against her. He also insisted to have taken a paternity test, which proved that he is not the father of her child. In the lawsuit, it was noted, "A reputable, accredited DNA lab approved by her own lawyers has conclusively determined that Thompson is not the father of Alexander's child." While it is unclear whether Tristan is actually Kimberly's baby daddy, he allegedly admitted that he had sex one time with her around 2011/2012, years before the birth of her son and long before he was dating the daughter of Kris Jenner. Kimberly, however, shut down his claims and has blown off the lawsuit for over a year. WENN/Sheri Determan Celebrity Along with a number of heartbreaking photos, the 'Guardians of the Galaxy' star asks followers to 'take a quiet moment to really consider the sacrifice' of military personnel. Jun 1, 2021 AceShowbiz - Chris Pratt has paid an emotional tribute to fallen veterans. Celebrating Memorial Day, the actor famous for his portrayal of Star-Lord in the "Guardians of the Galaxy" film series urged fellow Americans through a new social media post to "show support for our fallen." On Sunday, May 30, the 41-year-old shared his heartfelt message via Instagram. "We run the risk of losing that decency when we fail to instill gratitude in the minds of our youth or the perspective of what it actually means to be free - should they never learn of the selfless sacrifice of our armed service members in the face of oppressive evil," he noted. "So join me in showing support for our fallen." In accompaniment of heartbreaking photos displaying grieving family members and soldiers, Chris penned, "I saw these images on @timkennedymma feed. Please, look at each one. Pause, give them your consideration." He continued, "From the Union Army defeating slave owning confederates, to the Greatest Generation and her Allies vanquishing the Nazis or our special operators hunting down the perpetrators of 9/11." "We count the names of each fallen soldier lest they be countless. They are the good guys. They know pain and suffering we never will," the actor who plays a veteran in his upcoming film "The Tomorrow War" continued reminding others. He added, "They have given us the most free and decent society planet earth has ever seen." Chris went on to advise others to "take a quiet moment to really consider the sacrifice." The "Jurassic World" actor further wrote, "And if you use the comments section on posts like this to b**ch and moan about America please understand there are countries in the world where criticizing your government will get you killed or imprisoned." "Criticism is a right and necessity in amending the flawed systems of man. So by all means, let your voice be heard. But never forget your right to free expression is paid for in blood," the husband of Katherine Schwarzenegger insisted. He concluded his lengthy post by stating, "May God give their souls rest, and may they live in our memories this weekend and always." WENN/Instagram/Avalon Celebrity After throwing apparent shades at the actress, who used to date the 'In Da Club' rapper, Cuban issues an apology to the actress in a comment underneath Vivica's Instagram post. Jun 1, 2021 AceShowbiz - 50 Cent's girlfriend Cuban Link is expressing remorse. After throwing apparent shades at Vivica A. Fox, Cuban issued an apology to the actress in a comment underneath Vivica's Instagram post on Sunday, May 30. In the post, Vivica posted a clip from her interview with VladTV which Cuban, whose real name is Jamira Haines, probably didn't see. The said video saw Vivica, who called Fiddy the love of her life earlier in the sit-down, noted that she's happy for the "In Da Club" rapper now that he has a "hot" girlfriend. Of Fiddy, Vivica said, "He now has a girlfriend that's beautiful, that's hot, and I'm happy for him. I put he'd put a ring on her finger and live happily ever after. I don't wish him any ill-will." Meanwhile, Vivica wrote in the caption, "Happy Blessed Sunday Dawlings! #SunSmiles as this is from my @vladtv that @_cuban_link didn't see!" Referring to Cuban's previous sarcastic comment, Vivica added, "I didn't deserve no damn violin! (that was cute) I was giving you ya flowers dawling! Best Wishes! NOW! let's all move on!" Catching wind of the post, Cuban wrote in the comment section, ".. Humorous comment Bad timing that's all..! Now with knowing all of the information, it's no so funny!" Cuban then said that she would "take the blame for the all the commotion! I apologize #MuchLovvee." The tension between Cuban and Vivica started after the latter name-dropped Fiddy, whom she used to date, in the aforementioned interview and called him the love of her life. In response to that, Cuban wrote in an Instagram comment, "Aww [violin emoji][smiling face emoji with hearts]." Clapping back at Cuban, Vivica then wrote on Instagram Story, "Now @_Cuban_Link what that clip didn't show was that I said he now has a hawt gurlfiend & Im happy 4 him! So stay in ya bag boo dont get nervous! Im good! [wink emoji][tongue out money emoji][queen emoji]." Still, Cuban went on to seemingly taunt Vivica with tweets which one of them saw her talking about respecting the elders. The location they were given was Old Dorsey Road and Railroad Avenue but the actual location of the crash was a half-mile south of that, Russ Davies, a fire department spokesman, said. WENN/Instagram/Instar Celebrity An insider who witnesses the chance meeting of the three radio queens says that one audience member yells at Wendy, 'Wendy, get up and go onstage to take the picture.' Jun 1, 2021 AceShowbiz - Wendy Williams is reportedly snubbing fellow legends in New York City radio. According to a new report, "The Wendy Williams Show" host was said to be snubbing Angela Yee and Miss Jones when she and Miss Jones dropped by at Caroline's comedy club earlier this month. Angela, by coincidence, was also at the Times Square joke joint. Considering it was a quite rare occasion for the three New York City radio queens to gather at once, the "Breakfast Club" co-host and Miss Jones wanted to document the chance meeting with a picture. A source revealed to Page Six that Miss Jones took out her phone and asked comic Donnell Rawlin to take a photo of them three. "Come on, Donnell. I want to take a picture with the ladies of radio," Miss Jones allegedly told the comedian. However, Wendy seemingly wasn't as enthusiastic as the other two ladies as she refused to leave her seat. The insider claimed to the news outlet that one audience member yelled at Wendy, "Wendy, get up and go onstage to take the picture." The person went on to wonder, "What's her problem? Why wouldn't she get up?" Another person also added, "If pity was a person." Angela and Miss Jones then still proceeded to take a picture together on stage even without Wendy. The snubbing aside, that night marked the first night n action after being shut down because of COVID. "This is the first night in 15 months that we are open," owner Caroline Hirsch told the news outlet. "It's been a fabulous time... and the weekends are going to be even more marvelous." Meanwhile, Wendy has yet to comment on the snubbing reports. Instagram Celebrity The 'Gossip Girl' reboot actor and the 22-year-old Dutch model, who were caught on camera packing on some PDA in late March, reportedly have been dating for a few months. Jun 1, 2021 AceShowbiz - Thomas Doherty has finally confirmed his relationship with Yasmin Wijnaldum. Around two months after he sparked romance rumors with the Dutch model, the "Gossip Girl" reboot actor and her girlfriend made their first public appearance as a couple. On Sunday, May 31, the lovebirds attended the launch of the "Grazia Gazette: The Hamptons" held at The Surf Lodge in Montauk, New York. While it was their first public even together, the pair reportedly have been an item for a few months. Thomas and Yasmin were first linked romantically in late March. At that time, they were photographed dining at Cipriani's in New York. Some pictures obtained by E! News saw the two smiling ear-to-ear and even shared kisses in between their meals. After the meal, the "Descendants" actor and her girlfriend took a stroll and went shopping together. In another snap published by the outlet, he could be seen leaning towards the 22-year-old beauty to plant a kiss on her cheek. Before being an item with Yasmin, Thomas was in a romantic relationship with Dove Cameron for four years. The former couple, however, called it quits in October 2020. Dove announced their separation later in December that year via Twitter. "hi all. In October, @thomasadoherty and I decided to part ways. The decision was incredibly difficult, but we still have love for each other, and will remain friends," she wrote at that time. "Thank you for allowing us our privacy in this time (sic)." The actress also shared the news on Instagram Story. "Hi all. We know there have been some rumors and confusion lately about the status of our relationship and we wanted to set the record straight," she penned. "In October, Thomas and I decided to part ways. The decision was incredibly difficult, but we still have love for each other, and will remain friends. Thank you for allowing us our privacy in this time." WENN/Apega/Instar Celebrity Shortly after Kimberly Alexander shared a screenshot of her inbox featuring the Good American founder's alleged message preview, a new video shows that the apparent unread message is actually sent by Kimberly herself. Jun 1, 2021 AceShowbiz - The truth is out. After Kimberly Alexander, a woman who claimed to have a children with Tristan Thompson, claimed that Khloe Kardashian tried to reach out to her through a direct message on Instagram, it was revealed that she was actually lying about the matter. Shortly after Kim shared a screenshot of her inbox that showed the Good American founder's alleged message preview, TheShadeRoom shared a video that put the whole thing in a twist. The clip showed that the apparent unread message was actually sent by Kimberly herself. "We received a screen recording from our Khloe sources that show that Cakerys screenshot was a scamiana," the blog wrote in the caption. "In our receipts, you can see that Kim Cakery, who is restricted from Khloes account, has mentioned and messaged Khloe multiple times, seemingly with no response." In Kimberly's screenshot, the message preview could only be seen as, "Listen at this point I really wa...." With the emergence of the video, the full message actually read, "Listen at this point I really want to get this resolved. I'm not trying to drag this any longer. How can we set up a second test and be done with this. We all know T is a liar how can we do this and put it behind us?" Prior to sending, Kim could also be seen writing to the Good American jeans founder, "I can't wait till the real news comes out u can't pay off the blogs for the sextape that will be leaked." Prior to this, Tristan's default judgment against Kimberly got denied due to a few "issues" that needed to be corrected. TMZ reported that he wanted the judge to hit her with $100,000 in damage plus additional costs after companies and brands have viewed him "as a troubled athlete" because of her claims. Back in 2020, the Boston Celtics player filed a libel lawsuit against her. He also demanded a paternity test, which proved that he is not the father of her child. In the lawsuit, it was stated, "A reputable, accredited DNA lab approved by her own lawyers has conclusively determined that Thompson is not the father of Alexander's child." Instagram/VH1 Celebrity Although Akbar threatens to attack them when they're in Atlanta later, Lira doesn't seem to be fazed by the threat as she writes on Instagram Story, 'ATLANTA my second home.' Jun 2, 2021 AceShowbiz - Things almost got brutal when Alexis Skyy and Lira Galore encountered Akbar V at a night club on Sunday, May 30. While it's unknown what triggered the confrontation, a video of the night saw Akbar following Alexis and Lira who walked out of the nightclub. Later, Alexis was heard yelling, "Akbar, what are you doing?" Not stopping there, Akbar was seen in another video being pinned against a party bus. Before they got physical with each other, people managed to get Alexis and her crew onto the bus. Following the altercation, Akbar V made her social media account private. On Twitter, however, she offered some insights into the incident. "Please stop assuming things you see in the media........I'm not on any bulls**t. I'm literally laughing ...ion know what happened i was on casamigos.....and it's the devil." In a separate post, the rapper continued, "Y'all always posting me on bulls**t i didn't start s**t but ain't no h** punking me on everything ion give a f**k who city I'm in ....and if I'm not good in ur city u not good in mine. Nobody safe." In an Instagram Live session, Akbar said that one of the women complained about Akbar looking at her funny. Alexis also took to Instagram Story to share her side of the story, saying, "I have way to much going on positive in my life I , We have to pray for people like this." "You called TC to come out to me and Lira hosting trying to prove a point in Philly ... when that's not your city. We never invited you once again & then you come starting drama for no reason you need some spiritual help & the only person that can help you is God," she added. She went on to say, "Be blessed Akbar someone help her get her IG back." Although Akbar threatened to attack them when they're in Atlanta later, Lira didn't seem to be fazed by the threat. "ATLANTA my second home," Lira wrote on her Instagram account. "AND I BE OUTSIDE. Ima TIP TOE WHEREVER I PLEASE . A b*tch can't EVER TELL ME WHERE I CAN'T GO [crying laughing emojis] B*tch PLZ. Ion think y'all know how tf I get DOWN." An off-duty firefighter shot two people, killing one, at a Los Angeles County fire station Tuesday morning, officials said at a news conference. The off-duty employee, a firefighter specialist and engineer, was found dead in a burning home about 10 miles from the scene of the shooting, officials said. Officials did not identify the victims or the suspect. The shooting took place around 10:50 a.m. PT when authorities received reports about a shooting at Fire Station 81 Agua Dulce, California, about 30 miles north of downtown Los Angeles, according to Los Angeles County Fire Chief Daryl Osby. Upon arrival, first responders found a 44-year-old man with gunshot wounds to his torso who was pronounced dead at the scene, said Brandon Dean with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department homicide bureau. The man was a firefighter specialist and engineer who's been with the department for more than 20 years, Osby said. An LAFD captain, 54, was found with gunshot wounds and taken to a local hospital where he remains in critical, but stable condition, Osby said. 'As a fire chief, I've dealt with a lot of death and lot of fallen members of our department and I always prayed we would never have a line-of-duty death,' Osby said through tears. 'I never thought that if it occurred it would occur in this fashion.' The suspected gunman was not scheduled to work Tuesday, Osby said. The shooter and two victims all worked different shifts, Osby said. Based on witness testimony, Dean said investigators received a name and vehicle description of the suspect, which led them to a residence about 10 miles away in Acton. The home was on fire when authorities arrived, Dean said. Members of a Los Angeles County Sheriff's SWAT team were seen being dropped into the scene of the fire via helicopter, according to aerials provided by CNN affiliate KABC-TV. In the process of fighting the fire, deputies saw a man in a pool with a fatal gunshot wound to the head. 'We feel fairly confident that is our shooter, but we can't say with 100% certainty,' Dean said, adding that it's unknown if the suspect's wound was self-inflicted. No deputies fired at the suspect. 'This is very early on, the actual motive we're unsure of,' Dean said. UPDATE: June 1, 5:15 p.m. - CalTrans sent out a tweet that as of 4:29 traffic was returning to normal following a multi-vehicle collision on Highway 44, east of Dersch Road. --- REDDING, Calif. - Highway 44 was blocked off just east of Dersch Road due to a traffic collision, according to CalTrans. California Highway Patrol Sgt. Greg Ross said a Nissan was traveling westbound on Highway 44 and was approaching a van. The Nissan then veered into the eastbound lane where it sideswiped a big rig and caused it to roll over. The Nissan then collided with a white Chevy pickup truck. The driver of the Nissan had major injuries and was taken to the hospital by helicopter. The drivers of the other vehicles involved had minor injuries. CalTrans sent a tweet out at 4:29 p.m. saying the highway is reopened and traffic is returning to normal. This is a developing story. Action News Now will keep you updated with new information. GRIDLEY, Calif. - A man arrested Sunday for possession of a Molotov cocktail says he constructed the destructive device for self-defense purposes, according to the Gridley Police Department. 53-year old Ronald Montgomery of Chico was arrested in the parking lot of the Gridley Branch Library after he was parked diagonally across two disabled parking spots. This prompted a traffic enforcement stop. Montgomery claimed to be parked illegally due to his employment. He said he was delivering newspapers to the library. A search of Montgomerys passenger seat revealed a glass jar with pale yellow liquid with the consistency of gasoline. The jar also had a long cloth attached to the lid. Montgomery is being held at the Butte County Jail for violating his parole, possession of a destructive device, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a destructive device in public. His bail is set at $516,000. CHICO, Calif. - Chico Police are coping with a spike in burglaries and thefts. Saturday, Chico Police arrested 42-year-old Allen James Hettinger and 38-year-old Marisella Mendez after police say they took things from Chicos Habitat for Humanity Restore on Meyers Street. Sunday, authorities arrested Michael Lee Borden for residential burglary after he allegedly stole a $10,000 bike. This happened in the area of Rae Creek Drive. Later that day, police arrested Glenn Anthony Ellis for burglary of a home on West Fourth Street and for attempted car theft. Sunday, police also arrested 29-year-old Kaleb Shults in connection to two burglaries that happened near Bidwell Avenue and Oak Park Avenue. One incident happening near Bidwell Avenue something that came as a shock for neighbor Frank Cleary. I saw a large police presence in the neighborhood, there were several police officers it was just odd. It concerns me, this is a really quiet neighborhood. All the neighbors are friendly and all look out for each other so it surprises me, said Cleary. RELATED: Multiple Chico thefts and burglaries over 24-hours have led to 5 arrests Weve had people like run up to our front door and try to jiggle the handle to get in. We also have A/C units in our window so they cant be completely closed so thats always something that were worried about. It definitely stresses me out knowing it was really close. Neighbor Annie Birtcil said car break-ins are something she frequently will see in the area. At least once a week Ive had friends had cars broken into and I had family that came to Chico State in the recent years and that was one of the things they warned me about," said Birtcil. Chico Police said they never know when they are going to see a spike in crime like this. But they said the fast response from their officers helped catch the suspects quickly and some neighbors now taking steps to stay extra vigilant. Keeping my doors locked, making sure we have bars in our windows so people cant get in that way," said Birtcil. Im hoping the neighborhood will become more aware of whats going on and we can help each other out, said Cleary. REDDING, Calif. - The Redding Police Department is asking for help identifying two suspects of a credit card fraud case. Police said they believe the two people spent around $2,500 in two transactions. One of the transactions was at Bed Bath and Beyond and the other was at Best Buy. The transactions happened on May 22. Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact Redding Police Department. New research from Adobe has revealed that CIOs sit at the center of virtually every major business initiative in todays digital-first economy, with businesses tapping CIOs to digitally transform their organizations and help shape their return-to-work plans. In order to better understand how the CIOs role has evolved owing to impact of the pandemic, Adobe surveyed more than 500 CIOs across the US (200), EMEA (150) and APAC (156) regions. It found that 98% of Indian CIOs (compared to 92% in US, 83% in EMEA and 94% in APAC) reported an increase in their responsibilities. In just a year, we went from a world with digital capabilities to a digital-first economy, which placed immense pressure on many leaders, including CIOs many of whom were tasked with taking on a range of new responsibilities, says Nitin Singhal, Managing Director, Digital Experience, Adobe India. Besides the pressure to accelerate their organisations digital transformation at record pace, they had to embrace their expanded role and influence as an opportunity to drive progressive digital-first programs and further collaborate with other business leaders to succeed in todays new digital-first reality. Enablers of a digital-first economy Today, IT leaders sit at the nexus of their companys transformation and innovation efforts providing a unique horizontal view and influence across the organisation. 96% of Indian CIOs have more influence on leadership decisions (compared to 83% in the US, 85% in EMEA, 94% in APAC), while an even greater number (98%) share that their organisational structures have been reimagined to meet the changing needs brought on by a transition to a digital-first economy. Among the many priorities CIOs must now manage, customer experience isranked the highest by Indian CIOs (92%, compared to 38% in the US, 67% in EMEA, 74% in APAC). According to the survey, up to 50% of Indian CIOs singled out hybrid and public cloud as the most likely area for increased investment in 2021. Over the past year, CIOs have been able to further improve digital customer experiences, but these experiences have also become more complex, said Singhal. Moving forward, CIOs need to think about the integrated technology tools and infrastructure frameworks necessary to help their organisations effectively and securely capture customer data, convert that data into valuable insights, and utilise those insights to shape a personalised and enhanced customer experience. C-Suite Power Duos With more teams directly involved in shaping the customer experience, CIOs regularly partner with their peers to take their digital experiences from concept to reality. Indeed, IT leaders regularly collaborate with two or more C-level colleagues on customer experience management (CXM) initiatives. In India, CIOs most regularly partner with their organisations CTO, followed by the CMO. Globally, an overwhelming majority of CIOs (95%) strongly agree that partnering with the CMO improves their organisations customer experience. Similarly, 93% say that working closely with CMOs promotes innovation. As an example of this partnership in action, consider MG Motor India. The companys CIO, Manish Patel, and Head of Marketing, Udit Malhotra, are committed to breaking down siloes between their teams and aligning their customer experience priorities at the leadership level. Together, both leaders combine their skillsets and leadership experience to unify and strengthen their customer experience each day. Nearly 60% of CIOs now meet with their CMO counterpart on a daily or weekly basis, forming a true power duo. Its no secret that close alignment between CXOs leads to more personalised customer as well as employee experiences, but the COVID-19 impact has made this level of partnership indispensable, added Singhal. Drivers of employee experience While customer experience is a top focus for CIOs, the new work from anywhere environment has evolved CIOs priorities to be first and foremost, employees and then customers. Today, CIOs are leveraging external customer journey management practices and applying those same principles internally to enhance their own employees experiences. In fact, 89% of CIOs see themselves as change agents who play a role in improving the culture of their organisation. 80% of Indian CIOs foresee their organisation focusing more on productivity than time measures (compared to 36% for the US, 41% for EMEA, 57% for APAC), while a significantly high 71% are willing to hire from anywhere in the country and world (compared to 29% for the US, 37% for EMEA, 44% for APAC). Additionally, 63% of the Indian CIOs are ready to implement a shorter workweek for their employees as compared to 7% for the US, 27% in EMEA, and 41% across APAC. Given the proven association between happy employees, satisfied customers and overall business success its more critical than ever that CIOs become changemakers within their organisations and prioritise any systems or business processes that improve collaboration, productivity and overall employee experience, Singhal said. Conducted in association with Advanis between February 18 and March 4, 2021, the research captures insights from CIOs from India, US, UK, France, Germany, Australia and Singapore, based in firms from various industries and with at least 100 employees. There came disappointments, plenty of them. The courts allow old cases to be reexamined in light of newly discovered evidence, not simply to take a fresh look at old evidence. She said she came to recognize the legal system possessed a fanatical dedication to preserving a conviction. Further, in many old cases the evidence is lost, destroyed or degraded. So often, Nethercott found no way to prove a mans innocence. US-based Aeldra Financial Inc, a pioneering digital challenger bank that aims to democratize global banking, has signed on Actimedia India Pvt. Ltd., as its PR and communications partner for India. Aeldra was launched in 2019 to offer borderless banking for everyone who needs it across geographies and to provide investment services in partnership with regulated U.S. financial institutions Blue Ridge Bank, N.A. is Aeldras banking partnering the US. The company already caters to 10,000 customers and is now looking to expand its customer base. Actimedia is a two-decade-old leading public relations agency that delivers integrated communications and digital strategy solutions from its offices in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore and Kolkata. Increasing digitalization across the world is fast erasing geographical boundaries. Technology is the driving force in the new normal and banking is no different when it comes to the adoption of cutting-edge fin-tech to ensure that every one has access to the best financial services, borders notwithstanding. This is exactly the gap that Aeldra, a new age bank, aims to address in the Indian market. We are delighted to partner with Actimedia that brings to the table a 360-degree approach to its communications strategy along with an impressive pan India network, said Sukeert Sankar, Founder and CEO at Aeldra. Aeldra allows its customers to open a U.S. bank account in less than five minutes from India or China, even without a SSN (Social Security Number) or a branch visit. The platform has partnered with Mastercard to provide its customers a Global Debit Card linked to their Aeldra account with special benefits for overseas citizens and international travelers. Aeldra helps Indians invest in US stock and bonds. Aeldra redefines traditional banking norms and offers on-the-go, cross-border banking solutions to global customers. We have a significant number of people here with family or friends in the US. For them, Aledra is the ideal service provider to help out with their financial cross-border transactions. We look forward to educating the Indian consumers on Aeldras many benefits and being an integral part of revolutionizing Indian banking through our communications, said Amitabh Saksena, Founder & Managing Director, Actimedia India Pvt. Limited. Appy Pie, the leaders of the no-code development world, today announced its acquisition of Flyerly, a pioneer in the creative design industry. "Flyerly has a loyal userbase and quite a popular creative design application. The audience and the product fit perfectly well with Appy Pie Design - our wildly popular online graphic design software," said Abhinav Girdhar, CEO, Appy Pie. "With our shared vision to empower everyone by giving them access to powerful design tools, we are thrilled to bring our teams together. The expanding Appy Pie product suite would provide users greater ways to create, design, and boost their business growth." Appy Pie has democratized education by letting anyone with a great idea leverage cutting-edge technology and Flyerly has done the same in the field of graphic design by letting anyone to create exquisite design pieces. Following the acquisition, Flyerly will be integrated into the online graphic design product from Appy Pie - Appy Pie Design. This means the Appy Pie Design platform would be gain from Flyer's large base of loyal and further help businesses and individuals create high-quality digital products. "Flyerly and Appy Pie have a common vision and goal to make technology accessible to businesses of all sizes," said Preston Junger, Flyerly founder. "I am thrilled that Flyerly will live on by joining forces with Appy Pie to provide business owners with the very best creative design tools." Flyerly and Flyerly Biz, have been downloaded 400,000 times by business owners and professionals worldwide. Every burden feels lighter when it's shared. With this thought, Ariel India has released a video capturing the stories of real heroes who are leading by example and doing more than their share during the pandemic. Ariel believes in a better tomorrow, and thus continually shares inspirational stories of change and optimism. During these tough times, when the burden feels too heavy, Ariel seeks to celebrate heroes who have, with their acts of kindness, started a new cycle of hope. The campaign called #ChangeTheCycle brings together stories of heroes like Desraj Singh, Daulat Bi Khan, Sharib Hassan, Ananya Wig, Sabrina and many more who went beyond their call of duty to extend support and help to those in need at the time when India is grappling with the second wave. They have epitomized care and kindness. And every act of kindness, starts a cycle of change that can fill those around with hope. Because we are at our best, when we serve others! Desraj Singh is an auto driver who, despite being 74 years of age, is continuing to help COVID patients and front-line workers by ferrying them back and forth between hospitals and their homes, so much so that the rickshaw became his home. Daulat Bi Khan opened a multi-utility store for helping her community with everyday essentials during the lockdown. Sharib Hassan and his team have personally delivered oxygen cylinders to thousands, and Ananya Wig has established a war room where she is using knowledge as power to help provide correct information about hospital beds, medicines, oxygen availability, etc. Sabrina from Coimbatore has been cooking KGs of biryani and distributing it to those who cannot access or afford it. Ariel salutes the spirit and dedication of these citizens who started the cycle of change and took upon themselves the responsibility to extend support in their best capacity. There are many around us who, embodying the same spirit as demonstrated by these heroes, continue to put society first and help day in and day out. These heroes are relentless and their drive to steer the change is inspirational for all of us. Sharat Verma, Chief Marketing Officer, P&G Indian Subcontinent and Vice President, Fabric Care, P&G Indian Subcontinent said, At Ariel, we believe that progress is impossible without change, and each of us has the power to make a difference. We salute these ordinary citizens for their extraordinary contribution to society. They inspire us through their selfless acts of kindness and teach us that when we all play our part to help each other, we can truly #ChangeTheCycle. All these stories are not just emotional but motivating enough for all of us to do our bit for others and #ChangeTheCycle to bring in some positivity, goodwill, and hope. During these tough times, when the burden feels too heavy, Ariel will celebrate these heroes and say Thank You to thousands of others who with their acts of kindness, started a new cycle of hope. This film was launched recently on Ariels social media channels. The film has already garnered more than 1 million views and is continuing to bring in positivity amongst viewers. Jaideep Jojo Bose, Editorial Director of The Times of India, has been at the helm, first at ET (from when he was in his late twenties) and then TOI from 2004 onwards. Three decades of being the Editor, and the pressures of day-to-day management especially at the worlds largest English language paper, with over 50 editions spread across the length and breadth of India and thousands of stories flooding the network through the day is both physically and mentally exhausting. Jojo has been expressing his desire to give up his executive and administrative responsibilities since early last year. Jojo also wanted the next-in-line Editorial Leadership to assume national operational responsibilities in recognition of their abilities and sterling contribution, and as the logical step in their career progression. This, he said, would help create space for other outstanding Editors to assume larger leadership roles. In keeping with Jojos wishes and in alignment with the companys longterm vision, a new Editorial structure has been crafted thats aimed at strengthening current systems & processes even as it prepares for the future. Jojo will step back from daily operational responsibilities and will instead assume a wider strategic role. With the production, distribution and consumption of content, across media, changing at a dramatic pace throwing up new opportunities as well as challenges for the media industry Jojo will focus on longer-horizon ideas and projects aimed at consolidating and enhancing Brand TOIs position as the pre-eminent destination for news, views, analysis and features. As part of this overarching objective, he will facilitate greater integration between print and digital with a view to enriching TOIs relationship with its audiences. Jojo will also mentor and guide colleagues in TOI and our Language publications in achieving their full potential, and help cross-leverage the Groups editorial assets and capabilities in a manner that works to everyones advantage. As part of the new structure, the company has decided to constitute The Times of India Editorial Board with the following Editorial leadership team members: 1.Vikas Singh, Associate Executive Editor, will be Executive Editor (News) in overall charge of all news content that goes into the paper. Barring a five-year break when he worked for Business Standard and Business Today, Vikas has been with the company since 1994. He was first with ET and then TOI, and besides news, has worked at the edit page as well as in digital. 2. Derick DSa, Associate Executive Editor, will be Executive Editor (National Coordination). In addition to his existing responsibilities, he will coordinate with REs and Metro Editors on city coverage as well as be point person on staffing issues across the country. Derick began his career with The Statesman in Kolkata, moved to Ahmedabad with TOI, and was RE of Express in Ahmedabad, Chandigarh and Pune before returning to Times as RE of Calcutta and then Mumbai. Vikas and Derick will work closely together on people-related issues. 3. Diwakar, who joined ET in 1992 before moving to TOI in 2004, will continue as Executive Editor (Politics and Government) and will guide editors and reporters across editions and bureaus. Saubhik Chakrabarti, Associate Executive Editor of ET, who takes over as Editor of the TOI Edit Page upon Swagato Gangulys retirement, will relate to Diwakar on issues and ideas. 4. Rohit Saran, who moved from the paper to the online edition last year as Editor-in-Chief and is working full steam to take digital to the next level and establish TOI+ as a robust subscription news product will be a core member of this central Editorial Board. Jojo will be Chair of The Times of India Editorial Board, with the above four key editorial positions relating to him. He will also work closely with national vertical heads, REs and other colleagues on ideas and projects that add long-term value to TOI. Knowing how much Jojo still enjoys the art and craft of journalism and the buzz of the newsroom whether physical or virtual he may still want to suggest and edit stories, design a page, or come up with a headline! One of the leading Design & Communication agencies, Beam & Words has bagged the Public Relations mandate for Jaipur based fashion brand Bunaai. A perfect mix of tradition and fashion, Bunaai personifies the values of women empowerment, freedom, and strength. Providing the best of designs to its customers, the brand aims to make them feel beautiful and confident in their skin. Beam & Words will be managing the brand's public relations which encompasses brand building, recall, media management, and if the need arises crisis communication. Commenting on the win, Arjun Guleria, Co-founder, Beam & Words said, We at Beam & Words are extremely excited to work with Bunaai who have built a name for themselves in the fashion industry. Bringing our expertise to help develop the brand further is always our focus and we are thrilled to see how the brand shapes up. We look forward to more associations with the brand going forward. Since its inception, Beam & Words has worked with some top companies ranging from luxury, lifestyle, corporate, hospitality and F&B sectors. They have worked with brands including Tarun Tahiliani, Confluence by Swarovski, Shantanu & Nikhil, JJ Valaya, Bhane, Kapoor Watch Company, Ethos watches, and Etsy amongst others in the fashion and lifestyle space over the years. Delhi High Court issued a plea against micro-blogging platform Twitter for non-compliance of social media intermediary guidelines that came into effect on May 26. The plea urged the court to direct the social platform to appoint a Resident Grievance Officer under Rule 4 under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Ethics Code) Rules 2021 without delay. The High Court has issued a notice to the Centre and Twitter seeking their stand on the plea. According to media reports, Twitter will strive to comply with the applicable law in India. Meanwhile, other tech giants, Facebook, Google, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, and smaller companies like Telegram and Koo have either fully or partially complied with the new IT Rules. Last week, Twitter had requested the IT Ministry to consider a minimum three month extension in order for the company to implement the new intermediary guidelines. The company plans to advocate for changes to the elements of the regulation that inhibit free, open public conversation. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues unabated, determined leaders and employees of companies big and small, all over India, continue their grim and resolute defiance of the challenges to not only remain afloat, but to prosper and grow. At a time like this, driven by the belief that positive and inspired employees alone can empower the resurgence of enterprise, House of Cheer, a company promoted by Raj Nayak, has announced it is making available one of its service, tech-enabled Employee Voice 24/7 platform, to small, medium and large companies, free of cost. Launched under the happyness.me brand, Employee Voice 24/7 will be offered to every company (small, medium & large) across India for an extended period of six months. Employee Voice 24/7 empowers C-Suite leaders to listen to their people to better understand, in real time, how they are feeling. Across all organizations, the service will enable every single employee to anonymously share how she/he is feeling at any given point of time, 24/7, even multiple times a day. The platform will organize all individual employee feedback into a unique dashboard with actionable insights that can inform and empower leadership to improve communication for employee well-being. Namrata Tata, Managing Partner- House Of Cheer, said, The world is still in the throes of the worst global disaster in living human memory, and the pandemic has impacted lives in unimaginable ways. As companies and their employees struggle to overcome the challenges, it is an undisputable fact that at all times, the state of mind of employees has an important bearing on both their own happiness, and the performance and fortunes of the company. We have rolled out this free service to encourage organisations to connect with their people on a real-time basis, Tata said, adding, We would therefore encourage leaders of every organization, regardless of size, to make the Employee Voice 24/7 service a partner in their growth efforts. Because communication is a two-way street, and you need to hear from your people, just as much as they need to hear from you. Organisations wanting to avail of the free service for Employee Voice 24/7 can write to Hello@happyness.me India is still grappling with the second wave of Covid-19 and continues to report over 1.5 lakh cases in a day. Mankind Pharma, the 4th largest pharmaceutical company in India has taken an initiative to aware all citizens about the importance of wearing a mask and urges them to do their bit with their new campaign #MaskMyIndia. Mankind Pharma has released a video that captures the stories of our heroes, who are setting examples and doing more than their call of duty during the COVID-19 pandemic in India. The campaign, #MaskMyIndia brings together the current working hours and situations of our doctors and walks the audience through the overall working routine and how each one of them is working day and night to ensure everyone is safe. Despite all the efforts our frontline workers are putting, the mortality rate is on the higher side and everyone is witnessing the grief of losing their loved ones. Through this campaign Mankind Pharma urges everyone to do their bit by wearing a mask properly and help them to fight the deadly virus. They are requesting each one of us to be responsible citizens and not take this situation lightly. Not wearing a mask is not an option and we all should ensure we support our frontline workers by just doing the basics. The campaign is designed to raise awareness and to grow a sense of responsibility amongst the audience and encourages all of us to take a pledge to wear a mask correctly, that is by covering nose and mouth entirely. Commenting on the campaign Mr. Rajeev Juneja, Managing Director & Vice Chairman, Mankind Pharma, said At Mankind Pharma, we follow a strong brand philosophy of raising awareness on social issues. Through this campaign, we would like to spread the message that together we can all fight with deadly coronavirus, all we have to do is wear a mask and follow all the preventive measures given by the government. The video campaign is an attempt by Mankind Pharma to deliver the message of Wearing a Mask, and keep ourselves and our loved ones safe and healthy. We all need to behave as responsible citizens and take ownership of ensuring our safety and others as well. During this pandemic we strongly recommend wearing a mask. Lets pledge not to venture out without wearing masks so that we can fight coronavirus and come out as a winner from this pandemic. Redhill, a Singapore-headquartered full service global communications agency, has announced the appointments of Marienelle Castelino and Tavy Cussinel as the companys newest Managing Directors. As part of their new roles, Marienelle will deepen her focus on brand leadership and corporate mandates in markets across Asia-Pacific, specifically Singapore, Indonesia, India, and Cambodia, while Tavy will focus on growing the agencys education, healthcare, luxury and lifestyle portfolios. I am excited to see the additional growth that Marienelle and Tavy will achieve for Redhill as they build on the excellent work that they have done during their years with us. Despite the pandemic, Redhill has continued to expand and we are ready to push ourselves even further - both in markets and in verticals. I have full faith in our leadership team to steer the wider Redhill family to greater heights as we focus on our end goal - to become the DBS or Singapore Airlines of the communications world, said Jacob Puthenparambil, CEO and Founder of Redhill. Marienelle joined Redhill as Regional Director of Strategy in November 2017 and brings over 13 years of experience in brand communications and corporate reputation to the agency. Prior to Redhill, she held client leadership roles for marquee brands like McDonalds, Pepsi, Mondelez, Coca-Cola and P&G. Having worked with leading organizations and multinationals in Asia, she has received numerous accolades throughout her career from organizations such as The Holmes Report and PRWeek Asia for her work. Currently, she leads teams in Singapore, India, Indonesia, Japan and Cambodia in serving clients such as Emirates, Cambodias Ministry of Tourism, Cotton Brazil, Close Comfort, Sony Pictures Network and Vistas Media Capital. She will continue to strengthen the agencys creative capabilities and mentor key talent. In February 2018, Tavy became Redhills Director of Strategic Communications and rose quickly through the ranks. She has spent over two decades working with household names such as Calvin Klein Cosmetics (UK), Parfums International (Europe), Unilever Cosmetics International (Europe), Coty, Rimmel, and Adidas. Previously, she founded and scaled a public relations agency in London, which she sold in 2011 to focus on raising her family. With teams based in Thailand and Singapore, she will continue to manage Redhills luxury and lifestyle clients, such as Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok, Yours Skincare and Style Theory, while boosting the agencys expertise in healthcare and education. Marienelles and Tavys appointments are just two of a slew of promotions within Redhill as the agency expands following a mid-year appraisal cycle. In recognition of their stellar professional performance and their contributions to Redhills growth, the following executives were also appointed to new roles: Marion Ang and Jaslin Tan - Promoted to Senior Account Manager and - Promoted to Senior Account Manager Dipti Jaiswal and Clara Tan - Promoted to Account Manager and - Promoted to Account Manager Joseph Ng , Ruth Tan and Septy Wulandari - Promoted to Senior Account Executive , and - Promoted to Senior Account Executive Adriana Abidin, Junyi Kuo and Angelica Muk - Promoted to Account Executive At Redhill, we are committed to the development of our employees and building a strong culture of internal growth. Each of these individuals has shown dedication and commitment to the success of their clients and the agency, and I congratulate them on their well-deserved promotions. An agency is only as strong as its team, and as I look at our fantastic Redhill family, I am confident of our success, said Jacob. Despite the impact of COVID-19, Redhill celebrated a positive financial year in 2020 and has demonstrated strong growth in 2021 with the addition of 26 team members and 30 new clients since January this year. In that time, Redhill has also won multiple awards in the region; most notably, it was the first public relations agency ever to be recognised in the Enterprise 50 Awards, which is jointly organised by KPMG in Singapore and The Business Times and is sponsored by OCBC Bank. Authored by Pankaj Sharma - Country Head, MGID India For years marketers have been delivering successful campaigns on the back of third-party cookies track website visitors and collect data to target ads. These cookies were also used to create profiles of these visitors when they are not on the website. Then in 2020 Google announced that it would be phasing our third-party cookies completely from its browser by the end of 2022 and this was followed by similar announcements from other players [1]. Earlier this year, Google made another announcement that it will not be building alternate identifiers[2] to track individuals as they browse across the internet, nor will such identifiers be included in their products. But now the big question that begs to be answered is how will these changes impact publishers? And what can they do to prepare themselves for the phase out of third-party cookies. Impact of third-party cookie phase out Third-party cookies have been the base for digital publishers to have targeted ads served on their websites for years. A large chunk of revenue for publishers came in through third-party cookies, and they stand to lose out on this income as third-party cookies are phased out. This change and decrease in revenue is expected primarily because advertisers would not be able to serve targeted ads on the publisher website which would lead to decreased CPMs. On the flip side it also opens up an opportunity for publishers to build their own first party data and for the AdTech providers to come up with more innovative solutions because as more and more browsers stop supporting third party cookies it will become very difficult to set up audience targeting, cross-site audience targeting, and one can expect a surge in non-personalised ads which will impact user experience. As per a report by Digiday[3], nearly 58% of publishers are worried about the performance of their ads and 54% are tensed about the changes in their capabilities to target ads. Google also conducted a survey to understand the impact of phasing out third-party cookies on publisher revenue. The survey revealed that publishers stand to lose approximately 52% of their programmatic revenues[4] because of this move. How can publishers survive the third-party cookie phase out? While a cookie-less era would present several challenges for publishers and it would take time to come up with a long-term solution for this challenge, there are several steps that can be taken immediately to mitigate the impact on user experience and revenue. The first step and an effective starting point for publishers can be to build first party data. Legacy publishers have already joined the bandwagon to take advantage of first party data and target audience, which goes to show the immense potential that this strategy holds. Switching to header bidding technology can be the second suggested strategy that publishers can look at to make up for the loss of revenue they suffer. Header bidding has become an essential component of publishers ad monetisation strategies as it makes it possible for better inventory fill rates and higher revenues. The third, and probably one of the most effective strategy for publishers in this volatile environment will probably be making use of contextual targeting. Rise of contextual targeting in a cookie-less world Contextual targeting is emerging as an appropriate solution in a cookie less world, primarily because of its ability to understand or analyse the content that a user is viewing or consuming and deliver ads accordingly. With this approach, publishers will be able to meet a lot of requirements of the new-age internet consumer such as content relevancy and data privacy. Contextual targeting combines the advantage of content relevance with scale, precision and seamlessness which are the hallmarks of programmatic media. With real time updates, this approach is incredibly privacy compliant and easy to investigate. In 2021, contextual targeting has got new and advanced applications with the introduction of machine learning. This has made it possible to take targeting beyond simple keywords, category and inclusion list targeting. Advanced contextual platforms can now input data from various sources and dynamically update the information in real time to have a better understanding of which content or website would be most relevant to place ads. While contextual targeting has given better opportunities for advertisers, even publishers can benefit from this approach. According to a report by GumGum[5]: The recall for contextually relevant ads is 1.6 times higher than normal or contextually irrelevant ads Ads that have higher contextual relevance are 10% more engaging than the content of the article where the ads have been displayed Ads that were placed on contextually relevant pages saw higher purchase rates Whats next? The road ahead seems uncertain for publishers since the complete phase out of third-party cookies by players such as Google will be completed only by 2022. It is only then that the full extent of its impact will be felt. However, contextual targeting provides publishers with an opportunity to have a technologically advanced solution and system in place to not just cushion the blow but to eliminate any negative effects. Publishers can leverage context to extract the highest possible value out of their content to better compete against other players in the market. With contextual targeting, publishers can focus on not just higher revenues but also on how to create relevant ad experiences for their users by leveraging both personalisation and content. This would be a holistic approach, which addresses all concerns from all parties, and truly addresses the need of the hour. [1] https://www.adgully.com/no-more-third-party-cookies-what-s-in-store-for-the-digital-advertising-ecosystem-92111.html [2] https://blog.google/products/ads-commerce/a-more-privacy-first-web/ [3] https://digiday.com/media/digiday-guide-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-end-of-the-third-party-cookie/ [4] https://services.google.com/fh/files/misc/disabling_third-party_cookies_publisher_revenue.pdf [5] https://insights.gumgum.com/hubfs/Neuroanalytic%20Study/Neuroanalytic%20Study%20of%20Contextual%20Ad%20Effectiveness.pdf DISCLAIMER: The views expressed are solely of the author and Adgully.com does not necessarily subscribe to it. This June, Lionsgate Play, a premium OTT app is bringing some finest world-renowned titles that one can enjoy from the comfort of their home. The month is packed with award winning films and never seen shows, that is a must watch for all the cinephiles. Lionsgate Play app is available on Google Play Store, Apple app store and Amazon Firestick. Cosmic Sins: Starring Bruce Willis, Frank Grillo in the lead is an American science fiction film. In the year 2524, four centuries after humans started colonizing the outer planets, retired Gen. James Ford gets called back into service after a hostile alien fleet attacks soldiers on a remote planet. The threat against mankind soon escalates into an interstellar war as Ford and a team of elite soldiers try to stop the imminent attack before it's too late. The film is available on the app in English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada Unlocked: Directed by Michael Apted, this British-American film revolves around CIA agent Alice Racine fails to apprehend the terrorist behind a Paris attack that claimed dozens of lives, she is then forced to work undercover at a community centre in London. Her mentor unexpectedly calls her back into action when the CIA discovers that another attack is imminent. Alice soon learns that the classified information she's uncovered has been compromised. Running for her life, she turns to a former soldier to help her prevent a lethal biological attack on the citizens of London. Available on the app in English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu. Warm Bodies: An American paranormal romantic film written and directed by Jonathan Levine is a zombie comedy drama starring Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer, Analeigh Tipton, and John Malkovich. The film focuses on the terrible plague that left the population divided between zombies and Humans. R (Zombie) rescues Julie (Living woman) from a failed escape attempt that embarks them to an unusual relationship. Watch the film on Lionsgate Play app Liberty Stands Still: An American crime thriller drama film featuring Wesley Snipes and Linda Fiorentino. The plot revolves around Liberty (played by Linda), the daughter of the largest gun manufacturers in the United States, while on her way to visit her affair, Russell (played by Martin Cummins) is held hostage at a hot dog stand by a sniper, Joe (Wesley Snipes) who is seeking revenge for his daughter's death. To save her life and Russells life she must follow the directions given by Joe or die at his hands. The film is directed by Kari Skogland. The film will be available from 04th June 2021. The Glass Castle: Written by Cretton, Andrew Lanham, and Marti Noxon is an American biographical drama film directed by Destin Daniel Cretton is heart wrenching story about a dysfunctional family starring Brie Larson, Naomi Watts, Woody Harrelson in the lead. The film received a phenomenally rating of 7.1 on IMDb. The story revolves around Jeannette, whose mother is an eccentric artist, and her alcoholic abusive father stirs the siblings with imaginary stories as hope of destruction to escape the truth of poverty. Watch the film streaming from 18th June 2021. Blood Circus: Directed by Jacob Cooney, is an American Action, Thriller based drama starring Jamie Nocher, Tom Sizemore, Robert La Dardo will be releasing on the platform from 25th June 2021. Blood circus tells the story of a retired MMA fighter who is caught up in a deadly underground fight club called Blood Circus. He must fight to survive and save his family. Since 1956, Weikfield has been creating a world of wholesome and delicious products, bringing the goodness of global cuisine to homes and delighting the taste buds of millions all over. From iconic products like custard powder, cornflour and baking powder, the company is now a leading brand for pasta sauces, green tea and mushrooms. With India discovering or re-discovering its love for cooking during the lockdowns, Weikfield has become a favoured cooking companion to scores of Indians. Amid the pandemic situation last year, Weikfield underwent a brand repositioning and refresh with a promise of Giving life to lifes little celebrations. In conversation with Adgully, DS Sachdeva, CEO, Weikfield Foods, speaks about how the brand has strategised to increase its share of the consumers mind, introduced new product categories and strengthened its media strategy, with increasing focus on digital. How has the lockdown impacted the availability of your products, consumer mindshare, and positioning of your brands? The lockdowns have impacted our product availability significantly. The big impact of the pandemic has been on the disruption of supply chain, with both inbound as well as outbound logistics having been impacted. The micro-lockdowns have meant that our teams were unable to take orders or service the orders since the market opening hours had been curtailed. However, one silver lining of the pandemic is that consumer mindshare for the brand has been positively impacted. With the onset of the lockdown last year, a lot of consumers took to cooking and with our wide portfolio of products, Weikfield become a kitchen companion for them from baking to pasta to desserts to Chinese dishes. We significantly scaled-up our brand investment as well at the same time, predominantly through digital media and recently through TV which helped the brand to remain salient. What is the media strategy that you are looking at to maintain top of mind share? We are extremely focussed as far as our media investments are concerned. Over the last 12 months Digital has been the key media vehicle for us and we will invest about 30% of the overall media budget on Digital. Starting 2021, we went live with our first TV media campaign and about 40% of our media monies will be invested on TV. Apart from that, we are investing significantly at the point of sale and shopper activation. How is your role as CEO undergoing a major transformation amid the pandemic and an increasingly digital-first focus? This pandemic has been once in a century event, which will have far reaching impact driven by significant changes in consumer behaviour. The 1st wave, now the 2nd one and a possible 3rd the constant uncertainty is likely to keep consumers on their toes for a while. There has not been any such disrupting event in the lifetime of many of our potential consumers. So, the biggest role as a CEO that I am performing today, in words of McKinsey, is to serve as the chief calibrator deciding the extent and degree of change needed in companys response to the disaster. In the last one year, we have performed a few tasks which previously were unthinkable internally. Despite the pandemic hitting and disrupting our supply chain severely in the beginning of pandemic, we went ahead and unveiled our new branding. We doubled our e-commerce operation with increase in the digital media investments. Also, we are investing significantly in digitising parts of our business model which have predominantly been legacy system driven. Today, we are trying to think bigger and faster and stretch for more and hopefully the very fabric of our company itself will change by the time this pandemic ends. In an omnichannel world, how has the content role of CEOs been intensified? We are a food company and content plays a very important role in activating our brands. In fact, a major chunk of our digital investment is made towards content around interesting recipe videos, method of preparation videos, influencer marketing, etc. However, given that Weikfield hasnt been very heavy on media investment in the past, we are very early days in that journey. So, we are taking a calibrated approach trying to figure out what works and what doesnt. As the CEO, my role is to set the direction, evaluate the strategy, review and advise course correction required if any and there are specialists who take care of the execution. However, I need to keep myself abreast of the latest developments and with everchanging landscape, thats definitely intensified the challenge. Personally, I believe that at the end of the day its about fundamentals a deep understanding of ones TG. As long as thats in place, everything else becomes manageable. What are the new ideas for creating effective branding in a volatile world? Its not new news that consumer today are warming up towards purpose driven brands, and sooner or later brands need to start taking stance. In Simon Sineks words brands need to find their WHYs and start with the same. Its not going to be an easy switchover. But brands like Nike, which have always stood for a purpose, have reaped enormous long-term success. The other big change that I see is the role of design and aesthetics in the brand definition. I often find consumers are picking up brands which appeal to their aesthetic sensibilities and I believe that this can become a significant brand differentiator and help in at least in getting a trial. Typically, in my experience, design has been an outcome of the brand definition. However, it needs to become an integral part of the brand definition process itself. Given the constant flux in consumer behaviour, especially in pandemic times, what is your go-to market strategy to understand your customers unique wants and needs? With the current pandemic, face-to-face interactions for consumer insighting have stopped and hence, we had to tweak our methods to suit the need of the hour. For example, we have moved to complete online mode for our brand tracking study. Last year, we undertook a communication assessment study which was conducted over Zoom on pilot basis. And as it worked well, we are continuing to use the same. Online listening, which was not a significant part of our process, will become a major channel for insighting going forward. As we speak, we are also working on creation of online consumer panel to aid our consumer insighting process. (Edited and additional inputs by Shanta Saikia.) Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research Bern, 01.06.2021 - President Guy Parmelin will travel to Slovenia next week as the country assumes the presidency of the Council of the EU in the second half of the year. Meetings are scheduled to take place with President Borut Pahor, Prime Minister Janez Jansa and other key decision makers. The talks will focus on European policy issues as well as bilateral and economic relations. After arriving in the country on Tuesday, 8 June, Mr Parmelin will visit a school in Vrtojba, which has been refurbished to be energy-efficient, partly financed by funds from Switzerlands EU enlargement contribution. The official talks with President Pahor and Prime Minister Jansa will take place on Wednesday, 9 June. Mr Parmelin will also hold talks in Ljubljana with Economic Development and Technology Minister Zdravko Pocivalsek and National Assembly Speaker Igor Zorcic. The programme will be rounded off with a visit to a Swiss-Slovenian pharmaceutical company in Menges in the heart of the country. Between 2007 and 2017, relations between Switzerland and Slovenia benefitted from cooperation on projects related to Switzerlands EU enlargement contribution. Since then there have also been very positive developments in terms of economic exchanges, with bilateral trade volumes reaching an all-time high last year in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis. The main driver of this growth has been the pharmaceuticals industry. Swiss companies, especially from the pharmaceutical sector, are among the leading investors in Slovenia. Very good contacts also exist in the science and research sector and on environmental issues, as well as within the framework of the Alpine Convention. Address for enquiries GS-EAER Communications Tel. +41 58 462 20 07 info@gs-wbf.admin.ch Publisher Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research http://www.wbf.admin.ch By Anne Dachel Parents in the northern Minnesota town of Nevis (pop. 390) took a daring step recently demanding that a planned COVID vaccine clinic at a local school be shut down. While most of the coverage defended the safety of vaccinating against COVID, this shows the power of organized groups who call for health freedom. May 25, 2021, Park Rapids Sentinel: Following complaints, Nevis School cancels vaccination clinic Plans to use the Nevis School building as a site for COVID-19 vaccinations today in cooperation with CHI St. Josephs Health Community Health were changed after a vocal group against the idea came to Monday nights school board meeting. Members in the group started out by saying that schools are for education, not vaccination. They stated that the vaccine is not fully approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and these vaccines are putting the lives of children at stake, with one group member characterizing the shots as jabbing children with poison. They also stated that more than 99 percent of children who contract COVID do not become seriously ill. They said the decision to vaccinate children should be made by parents with their childs doctor and that holding a shot clinic on school property is not appropriate. Superintendent Gregg Parks said that it was not their idea to offer vaccinations at the school, but they cooperated with CHI St. Josephs Community Health, an agency that has been working with the school on its Safe School Plan during the pandemic, when asked to do so. Marlee Morrison, the director of CHI St. Josephs Community Health, said the idea to offer vaccines at schools came from the state. Were the public health agency for Hubbard County, so we work under the Minnesota Department of Healths guidance, she said. With the recent emergency use authorization of the Pfizer vaccine for children 12 and older from the FDA, and knowing that schools are sources of outbreaks, we want to offer the vaccine to those who are eligible. Its a strategy thats happening statewide. Susie Felton will tell you she has always wanted to sell beef directly. That life goal is one that coincided well with her passion of stabilizing a return to agriculture for the next generation. Six years ago she combined those two visions and created Felton Angus Beef, a direct-to-consumer beef company that provides beef raised by her and her husband, Jim, on their family ranch in Springdale, Mont., to customers around the continental U.S. Lets face it, the way Grandpa used to do it isnt going to work for our kids. The days of waiting for one commodity payment isnt working. You have to be a price maker, not a price taker, Felton said. Since the COVID-19 pandemic upheaved the world as we knew it and caused major disruptions in the supply chain, more and more agriculturalists have turned to direct marketing as a way to guarantee an end source for their commodity. It is now almost commonplace to hop on social media and find a direct-to-consumer farmer or rancher. Felton says that was not at all the case six years ago when she began building Felton Angus Beef. When I started diving in and doing this, no one else was, and let me tell you, it was a lonely two years building something nobody else understood but my husband, she reflected. Like any idea, coming up with the concept is the easiest part. Putting it all into action is a totally different story, and Felton found out quickly that building a direct-to-consumer beef business was a great idea, but the logistics behind it all were daunting, especially since she had no one to turn to for advice. ADPH to provide funding for shade structures for public schools FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Lakita Hawes (334) 206-7066 Although skin cancer is one of the most preventable cancers, an estimated 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime. The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) encourages awareness about the dangers of overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays and the importance of practicing sun safety. Often children are vulnerable to exposure to UV rays on playgrounds or recreational areas during school. The ADPH Comprehensive Cancer Control Program announces an opportunity for public schools to apply for funding for shade structures. The program provides funds to install permanent shade structures for outdoor locations that are not protected from the sun, such as playgrounds or recreational spaces. Each shade structure grant is valued at a maximum of $15,000 which includes the cost for a shade structure and installation. The number of awards depends on the availability of funding each year. The deadline to receive applications is June 30, 2021. Sun safety tips to help protect your skin from the sun: Use sunscreen with a SPF of 30 or higher and make sure it has UVA and UVB protection. Apply sunscreen 20-30 minutes before going outside and remember to reapply after swimming. Wear a hat with a wide brim to protect your face, head, ears and neck. Wear sunglasses that are made to block 100 percent of UVA and UVB rays. Limit exposure to the sun during the hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., when UV rays are most intense; seek shade when possible. The public is encouraged to ensure others in the community are aware of this funding opportunity. For more information regarding sun safety and the Shade Structure Grant Program, please visit: alabamapublichealth.gov/cancercontrol/news.html or alabamapublichealth.gov/cancer/skin.html. For questions, contact Lakita Hawes at Lakita.hawes@adph.state.al.us or (334) 206-7066. County health departments throughout Alabama provide a wide range of confidential and professional services. Contact your local county health department for additional information. Mission: To promote, protect, and improve Alabamas health Vision: Healthy People. Healthy Communities. Healthy Alabama. - 30 - 06/01/2021 ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH RSA Tower 201 Monroe Street, Suite 910, Montgomery, AL 36104 Phone: (334) 206-5300 | Fax: (334) 206-5520 * Username This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Choose wisely! Philippines government has extended the ban on inbound travel from seven countries, including India, until June 15 to prevent transmission of the COVID-19 variant -- B.1617. According to CNN, the Philippines government announced on Monday the extension of the ban on travelers coming from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates. President Rodrigo Duterte approved the extension of the restrictions on travelers from the seven countries upon the recommendation of the national task force against COVID-19, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said. In a series of announcements from late April to mid-May, the country barred the entry of travelers from India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates until May 31. This is to prevent the spread of the B.1617 "double mutant" variant of the coronavirus first discovered in India. Even with this directive, however, the Philippines on May 11 confirmed its first two cases of the B.1617 variant -- both returning overseas Filipinos who had no travel history from India. Since then, the country has detected a total of 13 people infected with the same variant. According to the Department of Health, there are also now at least 1,071 cases of the B.1.1.7 variant from the United Kingdom and 1,246 cases of the B.1.351 variant from South Africa. These are seen to have contributed to the spikes in infections in some areas. Meanwhile, the Philippines had reported 6,684 new COVID-19 infections yesterday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the Southeast Asian country to 1,230,301. The death toll rose to 20,966 after 107 more patients died from the viral disease. (ANI) Also Read: COVID-19: WHO renames coronavirus B.1.617.2 strain as 'Delta variant' Anna Istre, a second grade teacher at Lake Charles Charter Academy, had two very unusual starts to her career. She graduated McNeese State University and began teaching right before the March 2020 COVID-19 shutdowns and then began again with the difficulties of the storm ridden 2020-2021 sch BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) Gov. John Bel Edwards has signed into law a measure that allows some people convicted of felonies in Louisiana to be able to serve on juries for civil and criminal cases. Stockholm Syndrome is a psychological phenomenon where hostages or abuse victims bond with their captors and abusers. This bonding can occur over days, weeks, or months of captivity and abuse. Rather than being terrorized by their captors, hostages sympathize with them, developing positive feelings, sharing common goals and causes, and essentially falling in love with their captors. The story behind the Stockholm Syndrome is a 1973 six-day hostage event in a Swedish bank. By the second day, the hostages were on a first-name basis with their captors, and they started to fear the police more than their abductors. By the end of the hostage crisis, the convicts and hostages embraced, kissed and shook hands. A modern-day version of the Stockholm Syndrome is playing out after over a year of COVID captivity. Americans have been held hostage by medical czars like Dr Anthony Fauci, totalitarian governors named Cuomo, Newsom, Whitmer, Murphy, and Wolf, and big media, including cable news giants CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News. YouTube screen grab Americans have been held hostage in their homes for months, told not to wear masks, then to wear one, then two, now none. We were assured that that a BLM protest of thousands is perfectly safe while a family wedding, funeral, or a Trump rally is a super spreader event. An experimental, non-FDA approved vaccine is being mandated for everyone, including children at extremely low risk from getting sick from COVID, yet at the government agencies pushing vaccinations, they dont know how many of their own employees have said no to the vaccine, perhaps as many as half. Speaking out against your COVID captors leads to punishment and abuse, from social media deplatforming and public harassment, to loss of job or even prison. Americans have been beaten with a stick for over a year, based more on the whims of the ruling class than any sound science that would explain the above contradictory ruling diktats. Many COVID hostages are fighting back but others may have succumbed to Stockholm Syndrome. After the public has submitted to the gods of lockdowns, distancing, and masks for over a year, and those gods now are showing kindness by releasing their hostages, some unconsciously view them as benevolent gods and now worship them and their ideals. The media played a dual role, both as captor and hostage, and enjoying both roles. How else to explain one of the main hostage takers, Dr Fauci, gracing the covers of numerous magazines? Or being nominated as the sexiest man alive? Or appearing constantly on cable news shows? Vapid celebrities trip over themselves to endorse the vaccine. CNN calls anyone who questions the ruling class pronouncements, asking for scientific explanation or rationale, as deniers. As new CDC guidance relaxes mask mandates, some are still in hostage mode, identifying with the none, then one, then two, then one mask captors, now proclaiming long-term submission to whatever big brother, or the state says. Several weeks ago, the New York Times wrote about those clinging to their masks, even after the CDC says they are no longer necessary. The article, Theyre vaccinated and keeping their masks on, maybe forever illustrates a Stockholm Syndrome phenomenon after more than a year of mask mandates. Here is one example, Whenever Joe Glickman heads out for groceries, he places an N95 mask over his face and tugs a cloth mask on top of it. He then pulls on a pair of goggles. He has used this safety protocol for the past 14 months. It did not change after he contracted the coronavirus last November. It didnt budge when, earlier this month, he became fully vaccinated. And even though President Biden said on Thursday that fully vaccinated people do not have to wear a mask, Mr. Glickman said he planned to stay the course. In fact, he said, he plans to do his grocery run double-masked and goggled for at least the next five years. Was this Mr Glickmans approach to every season flu season? Or previous viral outbreaks like SARS, MERS, or bird flu? Or is this a new reaction to being held hostage for the past 15 months? Stockholm Syndrome may represent a form of posttraumatic stress disorder or PTSD. A study published in JAMA Psychiatry found that a third of those recovered from severe COVID suffering from PTSD. But after over a year of captivity under rapidly changing, often arbitrary and capricious mandates and restrictions, many individuals are now identifying with their ruling class captors. How else to explain someone who seemingly should know better, MSNBC crank Joe Reid, boasting about jogging outside wearing two masks despite being fully vaccinated. From the network constantly shrieking follow the science, what science is she following? Is she suffering from Stockholm Syndrome after her network spent the past five years keeping their handful of viewers hostage over Trump-Russian collusion, Mueller, the walls closing in on Trump, and COVID propaganda? Is she simply virtue signaling? Or is she just an ignoramus? To each his own. Those who want to mask and goggle up forever despite having COVID and natural immunity or vaccine induced immunity, are free to do so. Actor, now public health expert, Matthew McConaughey wants masks forever. Considering running for Texas governor, he is going to bat for universal mask wearing, expressing his belief that it does not take away an individuals identity or freedom and asserting that no data exists showing the practice as harmful. There is also no data that wearing a helmet constantly or using a seatbelt when sitting in a chair is harmful either, and might actually prevent a few falls or head injuries, but is he advocating for those? Does he suffer from Stockholm Syndrome or simply idiocy? Disgraced journalist Dan Rather has it partially right when he tweeted, Im confused. Why should people care if someone wants to wear a mask outside? Again, to each his own. Would he be similarly apathetic if someone wanted to carry a firearm outside, as per the 2nd Amendment? Or wear a MAGA hat? Or a QAnon shirt? Id bet he wouldnt be confused that those things are racist, white supremacist, insurrectionist, or some other supposed evil. Stockholm Syndrome wont explain all the permanent mask wearing but is certainly a reasonable explanation for a society that has been held hostage and beaten into submission incessantly for the past 15 months. Add this phenomenon to the existing flood of anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues post pandemic. Perhaps fired Yale psychiatrist Dr Bandy Lee, who opined frequently about the psychotic mental state of Donald Trump and Alan Dershowitz, can weigh in, but dont expect any thoughtful questions or discussion from a major cause of these issues, the media. Brian C Joondeph, MD, is a physician and writer. He is on sabbatical from social media. Baltimore City, a once-proud industrial and commercial center in the mid-Atlantic, conveniently located between D.C. and Philadelphia, continues to slide into oblivion -- and one departments propaganda machine is the warning signal rational people everywhere can no longer ignore. Corrupt politicians, wasteful spending, horrible policies, and general negligence for the citizenry continue to highlight why this city is an increasingly horrible place to call home, despite the wonderful history, sports, parks, and food. Unfortunately, for me, as a Marylander, Baltimore is my neighbor. The crime, drugs, poverty, and general sense of hopelessness reside right around the corner from my home. The education system in this city is notoriously corrupt and tragically incompetent. The city is literally falling apart. Ive seen it with my own eyes when I travel through the city for work. The countless vacant homes, abject poverty, and destroyed communities remind me of scenes from Detroit. Despite the real problems: poor education, crumbling infrastructure, crime, poverty, and drugs, the city continues to hobble its own citizens and the local economy through arbitrary COVID measures. At the forefront of this effort is Mayor Brandon Scott and the Baltimore City Health Department. The Health Department is focusing its effort on propaganda that continues to align with mainstream narratives regarding COVID, as well as to show their solidarity for Black Lives Matter. Yes, thats right -- the Health Department is a supporter. The other thing youll quickly notice is the content of their posts on Facebook. It seems like a peculiar mix of slick marketing and juvenile thinking, and theres an ever-present sense of superiority in their word choice. The propaganda machine wants you to know that youd better listen. They have the answers, and any contrary opinion is downright idiocy. Yet the harder they push their message, the more disingenuous it becomes. The departments posts range from helpful info about scheduling your vaccine to silly gifs that make little sense. When people push back and provide comments in opposition to the department, the administrator often replies with the simple phrase of Stay Mad, as if this is an acceptable and logical response. Although, if my guess is correct, the social media wing of the department is being run by a 20-something-year-old gender studies grad who has no sense of how to rebut arguments with any substance. What particularly struck a chord with the public this past week and spread beyond Maryland, was a cartoony post about how to celebrate Memorial Day. One side showed an image representing those who have been fully vaxxed and can celebrate with food and friends at an outside BBQ -- the absolute best, as they describe it. The other side shows the unvaxxed who must stay at home, eat leftovers, and remain masked -- the absolute worst. A Maryland-based Facebook site caught the post before it was unceremoniously removed. By all appearances, this was a legitimate post, although it didnt seem to last long online -- It was apparently overrun by abject contempt from the readers. The propaganda machine was truly firing on all cylinders when they created this beauty. I understand there will be mistakes made, but this seems to be outright egregious. Just look at the absurd comparisons between the vaccinated and unvaccinated, not to mention the callous description of what it means to celebrate Memorial Day. But, perhaps this is the best the city has to offer. And I dont mean that facetiously. If we look at the education system, high crime, horrible communities where vacant homes attract rats, trash, and drugs, who would want to move to Baltimore and make it home? When people outside of Maryland think of opportunity, I doubt they think of Baltimore. Their thoughts probably tend towards Texas, Florida, or Tennessee. The city isnt drawing talent or new commerce, and unfortunately, the local population isnt well educated or trained. As we often hear, people vote with their feet. The citys overall population declined from 1950 where the city peaked at almost one million residents to the current number which fell below 600,000 in 2019. Thats a 40% decrease. Baltimore, like so many other cities, has been dominated by one-party rule for decades. Democratic mayors have dominated the city since the 1960s. This is not acceptable for a healthy and successful democracy to fully function. Instead, one-party rule allows for corrupt politicians and their policies to operate without checks or balances. The city continues to exemplify this unfortunate truism. The sad result is that theres so much untapped opportunity here. People want to be successful. People want to be safe and happy in their homes. If only those same people would realize they have the ability to make a difference by throwing out these corrupt politicians and leaders. The citizens need to regain a hold on the reins of power and rip them from the hands of the corrupt, ineffective, juvenile, thoughtless leaders that currently reign supreme. Only then will Baltimore have a chance at a bright future. Image: Baltimore Heritage To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. If you are old enough to remember the hit comedy movie of 1980, Caddy Shack, then you will recall that a gopher infestation was threatening a golf course in Nebraska. The somewhat deranged groundskeeper was tasked with getting rid of the pest. His efforts at eradication include shooting, f As an admittedly partisan writer, my bias shows up in the subjects I cover, not in the facts I report. I want to know what the other guys know. It is always helpful, often essential. Reporters in the political center and on the left seem to feel no such obligation. Writing for audiences that know no more than what Big Media has chosen to tell them, these journalists are inclined to write politically useful fiction and often get away with it. Such is the case with Edward-Isaac Dovere in his new bestseller, Battle for the Soul: Inside the Democrats' Campaigns to Defeat Trump. Although no great fan of Barack Obama, Dovere accepts uncritically Team Obamas collective amnesia about the Russian collusion plot. As the former Chief Washington Correspondent for Politico, Dovere has no excuse for his ignorance. Despite his time in Washington, he seems totally unaware of the serious reporting done on Russian collusion by people like National Reviews Andrew McCarthy, Gregg Jarrett, and Sara Carter of Fox News, John Solomon of Just the News, Mollie Hemingway and Margot Cleveland of the Federalist, Kimberley Strassel of the Wall Street Journal, Lee Smith of the Hudson Institute, syndicated columnist Diana West, and Peter Schweizer among others. In the way of example, Dovere has great sport with President Donald Trumps tweet on March 4, 2017: Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my wires tapped in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. According to Dovere, Obama thought the claim totally absurd. Writing from Obamas perspective, Dovere continues, Still, to have been accused of misusing power in a way he never would have, to have one president say this about another president, offended and enraged him. It shouldnt have, and Dovere should have been savvy enough to say so. Although Trumps phones were not literally tapped in the mechanical sense, at a subsequent press conference Devin Nunes, chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, explained why he saw fit to warn Trump about government surveillance: So first, I recently confirmed that on numerous occasions, the intelligence community incidentally collected information about U.S. citizens involved in the Trump transition. Details about persons associated with the incoming administration, details with little apparent foreign intelligence value were widely disseminated in intelligence community reporting. Third, I have confirmed that additional names of Trump transition team members were unmasked. And forth and finally, I want to be clear, none of this surveillance was related to Russia, or the investigation of Russian activities, or of the Trump team. To write without context in 2021 that Obama was offended and enraged by Trumps accusation four years earlier is a symptom of Big Medias terminal myopia. That myopia is aggravated in Doveres case by his choice of sources, one of whom was Obamas National Security Advisor Susan Rice. It was she who related the national security teams reaction to the Trump tweet. That was when I think everybody went, What the . . . ? she told Dovere. Partisan writers like myself remember Rice as the Obama operative who famously told the same Benghazi lie on five different shows one Sunday morning. Mainstream writers like Dovere take her at her word. Like her boss, Susan Rice had a gift for being surprised by information she already knew. On March 22, 2017, soon after Nuness initial revelations, PBS NewsHours Judy Woodruff asked Rice about his disclosure that Trump and the people around him may have been caught up in surveillance of foreign individuals and that their identities may have been disclosed. Do you know anything about this? Said Rice, I know nothing about this. I was surprised to see reports from Chairman Nunes on that count today, Two weeks later, however, Bloombergs Eli Lake busted Rices bubble, writing, Rice requested the identities of U.S. persons in raw intelligence reports on dozens of occasions that connect to the Donald Trump transition and campaign, according to U.S. officials familiar with the matter. She would not have done something this provocative without Obamas approval. A day later, a visibly nervous Susan Rice was interviewed on MSNBC by Andrea Mitchell. No longer claiming ignorance, Rice began with a lengthy, disingenuous explanation of the unmasking process. I leaked nothing to nobody, Rice volunteered much too eagerly. In an interview with Glenn Thrush and Maggie Haberman of the New York Times published two days after the Bloomberg story broke, Trump expressed his concern about Rices unmasking activities. I think the Susan Rice thing is a massive story, said Trump. I think its a massive, massive story. All over the world, I mean other than the New York Times. Haberman claimed the Times had written about Rice, but Trump knew the Times had missed the big picture. The Russia story is a total hoax, he told a disbelieving Haberman. There has been absolutely nothing coming out of that. But what, you know, what various things led into it was the story that were talking about, the Susan Rice [story]. Later in the interview, Haberman and Thrush prodded Trump into saying more about Rice, ideally something the Times could use to confirm his recklessness and his general unfitness for office. Here is the best they could do. THRUSH: Do you think she might have committed a crime? TRUMP: Do I think? THRUSH: Yeah. TRUMP: Yes, I think. Here is how Dovere recounts that interview: Trump mused that Rice should be prosecuted for seeking to discover the identities of the Americans whom intelligence had been tracking for contact with the Russians. Dovere then quotes an unnamed aide for Team Obamas reaction to Trumps muted accusation, We have now entered the realm of the insane. Something that is totally dishonest, complete fiction -- but you still have to deal with it. Rice knows something about fiction. During her MSNBC interview, she spoke of the intelligence community as though it were some sort of objective arbiter of her many requests to know the name of a given U.S. Person. Thanks to another Rice misjudgment, we know it wasnt. Obamas trusted scribe and factotum, Rice made a note to self about an unusual meeting that took place in the White House on January 5, 2017. In conference with Obama was his national security team including all the usual suspects: the FBIs James Comey, the CIAs John Brennan, Vice-President Joe Biden, DNI James Clapper, Acting Attorney General Sally Yates, and Rice. Following the meeting, Obama asked Yates and Comey to stick around along with Rice. Obama had a reason for singling out Comey and Yates. Unlike the others, they were staying on in their jobs. Two weeks later, on the very day at the very moment Trump was being inaugurated, Rice sent a peculiar email to herself. It read: President Obama began the conversation by stressing his continued commitment to ensuring that every aspect of this issue is handled by the Intelligence and law enforcement communities by the book. The President stressed that he is not asking about, initiating or instructing anything from a law enforcement perspective. He reiterated that our law enforcement team needs to proceed as it normally would by the book. In 2021, it is frightening that the media are still willing to believe that Obama and his team played by the book. In his book The Plot Against the President Lee Smith offers a concise summary of how that team really played. The first component of the plot against the president, a political espionage campaign, involved senior Obama officials from the law enforcement and intelligence communities. Using electronic surveillance and confidential human sources, they attempted to spy on and entrap Trumps associates. They also leaked classified information to the press to portray Trump and his circle as compromised by hidden ties to the Russian government. The second component, Smith writes, was the media campaign. The media published leaks of classified intelligence as well as political dirt served up by the Clinton campaign and the DNC -- the Steele dossier most notably -- to build an echo chamber smearing Trump as a Russian agent. Although designed to prevent Trump from becoming president, the operation continued, after he won, its goal now was to bring down the president. The Russia story is a total hoax, President Trump told the Times four years ago. Although a few in the major media have caught on, Edward-Isaac Dovere is embarrassingly not among them. Jack Cashills latest book, Barack Obamas Promised Land: Deplorables Need Not Apply, is now on pre-sale. See www.cashill.com for more information. Image: Post Hill Press To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. A lot has happened in the last two weeks that may result in the retirement of Dr. Anthony Fauci. The face of the governments Covid-19 response may have finally met his Waterloo. The way things are going, a forced retirement at age 80 may be the best outcome that Dr. Doom can expect. It turns out that all roads to Covid-19 even more than we expected lead back to Fauci. Finally, after a year of stonewalling and obfuscation, the news about Faucis apparent role in directing U.S. government funding to the notorious Wuhan Virology Lab and the identification of that facility as the source of the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic has gone incredibly mainstream. Previously, reporting and analysis on these issues had been the province of political outliers like Stephen K. Bannon and the guests on his six-day-a-week War Room Pandemic internet program which is now getting renewed attention. As I reported here in Dr. Fauci Finally Unmasked on May 17, the cat was coming out of the bag and inevitably the truth will out. But I could not have imagined how quickly the tide against Fauci would turn. The new bottom line was articulated by Dr. Peter Navarro, who was a top assistant to President Trump during POTUS 45s entire four years in the White House. Since last fall, Navarro has been indefatigable in his probing of last Novembers election fraud and the equally monstrous frauds, cover-ups, and PsyOps surrounding the Covid-19 Plandemic. Last week, speaking on an episode of Bannons War Room Pandemic where he is a frequent guest, Navarro said out loud Fauci will be gone in 90 days. This prediction seems like less of a pipe dream every day as the mainstream media does a 180 degree turn on their previous disinterest in the stories of Covid-19s origin and Faucis possible role in it not only in failing miserably to control the virus but in being an accomplice to its creation in the first place. A sign of the sea change was reflected in a New York Times page one headline on May 27: Biden Orders Intelligence Inquiry Into Origins of Virus. Its obvious that this order was not a result of effective common sense leadership, rather because of mounting political and media pressure to do something. The same day, May 27, the Times sent an email to tens of millions of people on its list, titled The lab-leak theory is everywhere. We have an explainer. Two days earlier, the Washington Post published a lengthy article titled Timeline: How the Wuhan lab-leak theory suddenly became credible. This was a de facto mea culpa for the papers previous pathetic and politically-driven coverage without calling it an apology. It omitted mention of many sources including Steve Bannon and Red China refugee whistleblower Dr. Li-Meng Yan. It did take note of a scientific paper posted on February 6, 2020, by Botao Xiao, a molecular biomechanics researcher at South China University of Technology. The title of Xiaos paper was The possible origins of 2019-nCoV coronavirus. It states that the killer coronavirus probably originated from a laboratory in Wuhan. Leading the charge to bring these developments to the mainstream, building on the reporting and analysis of many others during the past year, has been Fox News. Last week, for example, Fox featured a variety of reports about the Wuhan Virology Lab being the source of Covid-19 on multiple programs not only opinion shows but on hard news programs. For a number of days continuing to the present time, it seemed like every Fox News program was featuring reports on these subjects, often as the lead stories. This reporting was accompanied by accounts that Fauci allegedly directed at least $600,000 in National Institutes of Health research funds to the Wuhan lab where evidence suggests the funds may have been employed to support gain of function research. Gain of function is the label put on the controversial work that some scientists do to enhance and weaponize natural animal viruses, making them deadly to humans. During the period between 2014 and 2017 when Fauci allegedly engineered this funding (through a third party), gain of function research was banned in the United States by order of the Obama administration. The day before the reports that the Biden administration had started an investigation into Covid-19s source, it was reported by CNN, of all places that the same administration had shut down an investigation started by the State Department in the closing days of the Trump administration to determine the source of Covid-19. President Joe Bidens team shut down a closely-held State Department effort launched late in the Trump administration to prove the coronavirus originated in a Chinese lab over concerns about the quality of its work, according to three sources familiar with the decision. The existence of the State Department inquiry and its termination this spring by the Biden administration neither of which has been previously reported comes to light amid renewed interest in whether the virus could have leaked out of a Wuhan lab with links to the Chinese military. The Biden administration is also facing scrutiny of its own efforts to determine if the Chinese government was responsible for the virus. Those involved in the previously undisclosed inquiry, which was launched last fall by allies of then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, say it was an honest effort to probe what many initially dismissed: that China's biological weapons program could have had a greater role in the pandemic's origin in Wuhan, according to two additional sources. Indeed, on May 27 and May 28, David Asher, the former lead investigator on the federal governments Covid-19 origins probe that was started under President Trump but shut down by the Biden administration, was interviewed on Fox News. Asher defended the research, and according to Fox News: Former State Department official David Asher said Friday the coronavirus was "optimized for transmission between humans" in a way no bat-borne coronavirus ever had been, leading him to believe an animal-based origin of the disease was almost impossible. In March, former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director during the Trump administration Robert Redfield said that he believed the virus most likely escaped from a lab All of this circles back to Dr. Anthony Fauci. It has recently been reported and confirmed that the NIAID which he heads the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases -- has granted at least $600,000 and maybe several million dollars, according to Sen. Rand Paul to the Communist Chinese scientists at the Wuhan lab for virus research! The first question is: Why is our National Institutes of Health doing this? It looks even worse thanks to reports that starting in 2014 Fauci used his position to circumvent the prohibition of gain of function research by funneling NIH funds to Communist Chinese researchers at the Wuhan lab via a third party. This is the stuff of a Tom Clancy spy novel, but its happening here right now. By the way, a lot of other research funded by the NIH and Faucis NIAID in particular is extremely questionable. Last month, for example, David Daleiden, the founder of the pro-life activist group Center for Medical Progress, said on Fox News that Fauci should testify before Congress about the nearly $500,000 grant his agency awarded to the University of Pittsburgh to conduct research using aborted babies scalps grafted on to lab rats. The Christian Post quoted Daleiden: At the University of Pittsburgh, they were doing a study where they were taking the scalps of 5-month-old aborted babies, and they were grafting them onto lab rats and lab mice to see how much longer they could keep them growing for. You can actually see the photographs in the published study of little baby scalps grafted onto the backs of lab rats growing little baby hairs. This study was funded by. . . multiple grants from the NIAID office, which is run by Dr. Anthony Fauci. Fauci, Daleiden contended, owns every bit of this study. On May 26, Sen John Kennedy of Louisiana had the opportunity to question Fauci at a U.S. Senate hearing on Covid-19. Fauci again denied under oath that his agency ever funded gain of function research at the Wuhan Lab. But when Sen. Kennedy pressed Fauci, there was an interesting admission. Sen. John Kennedy: Dr. Fauci, I believe you have testified that you didnt give any money to the Wuhan lab to conduct gain-of-function research. Is that right? Dr. Anthony Fauci: That is correct. Kennedy: How do you know they didnt lie to you and use the money for gain-of-function research anyway? Fauci: Well, weve seen the results of the experiments that were done and that were publishedand that the viruses that they studied are on public data bases now. So, none of that was gain-of-function, so Kennedy: How do you know that they didnt do the research and not put it on their website? Fauci: Theres no way of guaranteeing that [emphasis added], but in our experience with grantees, including Chinese grantees, which we have had interactions with for a very long period of time, they are very competent, trustworthy scientists. As a result of this and other statements, Tucker Carlson last week called Fauci a liar. Sen. Paul has also called Fauci a liar. Taking his analysis of Fauci even further, Carlson added, Fauci, in fact, has known from the beginning that the virus may well have come from that lab. Many people have known that. But Fauci lied about it for more than a year. On May 10, Carlson asked in his opening monologue Anthony Fauci let the coronavirus pandemic happen, why isn't there a criminal investigation? The coverage on Fox News and in the mainstream media has encouraged a number of Republicans to finally grow some backbone and target Fauci for questioning. It was reported on Tuesday, May 25, for example, that: Republican lawmakers [are] demand[ing] Dr. Anthony Fauci be terminated from his role as the nations top infectious disease expert after he was accused of flip-flopping on key COVID-related topics like mask-wearing and the origins of the coronavirus. House Rep. Warren Davidson, a Republican from Ohio, on Tuesday May 25th proposed the FIRED Act -- whose acronym stands for Fauci Incompetence Requires Early Dismissal. Appearing on Steve Bannons War Room Pandemic, Navarro and Bannon both recalled that in January 2020 they knew the virus came from the Wuhan lab. They noted that the Bat lady the nickname for Shi Zhengli, the director of the Wuhan lab thanked Fauci publicly for his support for the labs controversial research. But all last year, with the connivance of the media, Fauci was positioned as a hero. More accurately, Navarro said, This man is a sociopath. There were indications from Fauci's earlier role and actions as NIAID director of how he would act during the Covid-19 pandemic intended to be the crowning achievement of his five-decade-long career in the government bureaucracy. Thats some of what I reported in my first article on Fauci and Covid over 14 months ago on March 21, 2020, at American Thinker. Id been reporting on Fauci since 1985 and his role in HIV-AIDS and he didnt fool me for a minute. Meanwhile, the medical press in this country, including in their decades-long hysterical reporting on HIV-AIDS, has been corrupt even longer than the entire mainstream media. Faucis questionable direction of the War on AIDS has never been adequately examined by the Fourth Estate except in a handful of independent reports and books. Basically, Fauci and his colleagues rewrote the book of science when they contended that AIDS was the result of a virus, HIV. Over time, they changed their stories repeatedly. (Sound familiar?) In the late 1980s, the powers that be were crying wolf and predicting that up to one-quarter of Americans could be expected to die of AIDS. The real death toll over four decades turned out to be about 0.5 percent of what was predicted. Based on these grossly exaggerated estimates, Fauci and his colleagues wanted to test everyone on the planet for HIV and to prescribe expensive and toxic -- prophylactic drugs if an individual tested positive for HIV and not for AIDS itself. These insane ideas could not gain traction, however. That didnt stop Fauci et al from spending hundreds of billions of tax dollars on a useless search for an AIDS vaccine that has never been developed. Meanwhile, the cause of AIDS has been known since day one: so-called unsafe sex as practiced primarily by gay men and sharing unsterile needles used to inject illegal drugs. Fauci and his colleagues also presided over the creation of a monstrous government-influenced and government-run medical establishment. Thanks to Covid-19, this behemoth bureaucracy is now in the drivers seat for most aspects of our lives the final dream come true for control freaks like Fauci. Meanwhile, this news that Chinas military discussed weaponizing coronaviruses (which I first reported on fifteen days ago at AT here) has yet to make it to the mainstream, but it cant lie dormant for too much longer. The Australian, a leading nationally circulated paper there, published an article on May 7 headlined Virus warfare in China military documents. Chinese military scientists discussed the weaponisation of SARS coronaviruses five years before the COVID-19 pandemic, outlining their ideas in a document that predicted a third world war would be fought with biological weapons. In its article New Era May Be Upon Us, the Daily Telegraph, another leading Australian newspaper, reported: Forget the prospect of war with China. We may already be at war but simply failed to recognise the weaponry. Caricature by Donkey Hotey CC BY-2.0 license To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. Since the election, several Republican-run states have taken steps to tighten up their voting laws in ways that maintain easy access to the polls while severely limiting opportunities for election fraud. (Georgia springs to mind, although other states have done the same.) When Texas tried to pass such a law, the Democrats responded by walking out, ending the chance to vote before the session ended. However, Governor Greg Abbott struck back hard and effectively, a reminder that it is possible to out tough the left. Just the News explains what happened: Texas House Democrats on Sunday night staged a walkout to block their Republican counterparts sweeping voter-reform legislation. The move blocked the passage of the bill by effectively ending the Texas legislatures session. In the old days, Republicans would probably have shrugged and said, What can we do? The session is over. Well try again next time. But with mid-term elections drawing near, next time will be too late which is what the Democrats were counting on. Gov. Abbott, however, seems to have been prepared for something like this because he made it clear that he has no intention of letting the Democrats walk away from their game-playing. Using his personal Twitter feed, he announced that he will defund the legislature for its failure to do its duty: I will veto Article 10 of the budget passed by the legislature. Article 10 funds the legislative branch. No pay for those who abandon their responsibilities. Stay tuned. Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) May 31, 2021 Then, Abbot explained that the Democrats little snit was meaningless because he plans to convene a special session to get the job done: Governor Abbott Statement On 87th Legislative Session AUSTIN - Governor Greg Abbott today issued a statement upon the conclusion of the 87th regular Legislative Session: From Day One of this session, our priorities were centered around hardworking Texans and building a state that is safer, freer, healthier, and more prosperous. We added to that the imperative that we secure the Texas power system to ensure it never fails again. We kept those promises while also delivering one of the most conservative legislative sessions our state has ever seen. We passed legislation to secure our border, support our police, expand second amendment rights, defend religious liberty, and protect the sanctity of life in Texas. We also enacted several key emergency items like reforming the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, weatherizing and stabilizing our power grid, ensuring COVID-19 liability protections, and expanding access to broadband and telemedicine. However, there is more we can and must do to ensure a brighter future for Texas. At the beginning of the legislative session, I declared Election Integrity and Bail Reform to be must-pass emergency items. It is deeply disappointing and concerning for Texans that neither reached my desk. Ensuring the integrity of our elections and reforming a broken bail system remain emergencies in Texas, which is why these items, along with other priority items, will be added to the special session agenda. I expect legislators to have worked out their differences prior to arriving back at the Capitol so that they can hit the ground running to pass legislation related to these emergency items and other priority legislation. During the special session, we will continue to advance policies that put the people of Texas first. What were seeing here, of course, is another example of leftist double standards: The same political party that is working hard to destroy the congressional filibuster, which gives the minority party the ability to withstand the mob when the Senate is fairly evenly divided, suddenly becomes loud and proud in its minority party stance and will block popular legislation to make its point. Of course, whats really going on (I hope) is that Democrats are making these frantic, theatrical stands because they know that they will be relegated to the minority across America if they can no longer rely on election fraud to get them into office or to pass their initiatives. IMAGE: Governor Gregg Abbott. YouTube screengrab. The United Nations had some validity early on, when a constitutional America dominated it, backed (for the most part) by countries that shared core Judeo-Christian values and were ashamed of what they had done (or let be done) to European Jewry. In their years since then, between leftism and the increased number of Muslim nations, the UN is indistinguishable from an anti-Semitic cesspool. And then theres the child sex problem which, in the past, manifested itself with UN workers trafficking Third World children. Now, UNICEF, the UN entity charged with caring for the worlds children, announced that blocking children from accessing porn is a potential human rights violation. When I was a little girl in the 1960s, one of my treasured possessions was a UNICEF book that highlighted children from all over the world, along with descriptions of how UNICEF which stands for United Nations International Childrens Emergency Fund -- was dedicated to their well-being. Many children from my era remember coupling their trick-or-treating with requests to donate money to UNICEF. And indeed, in the beginning, UNICEF really was dedicated to helping children and their mothers because the entire European continent had been ravaged by World War II. The scope of displacement and destruction required an all-out effort. And indeed, UNICEF still does some useful things, such as distributing trusted vaccinations in the third world, addressing malnutrition in areas of chronic poverty, and so forth. However, at bottom, UNICEF is a subset of the United Nations, and the UN is corrupt. It spends most of its time hounding Israel, a small Jewish dot in a sea of Muslim nations and, through UNRWA, actively supporting Arab aggression against Israel. Thanks to a plethora of Muslim and leftist nations, it is openly anti-Semitic. In addition, it increasingly promotes values that are either openly hostile to America or antithetical to traditional Western values. The above are blanket statements on my part. If you want the details, I suggest you spend a few hours perusing UN Watchs website. If you are not anti-Semitic and are pro-American, you will marvel at the way leftist presidents (Obama and Biden) desperately want to subordinate Americas interests to that organization. But this is about the children. The latest insanity from UNICEF is a pedophiles delight. In a new report, UNICEF concluded that pornography makes lots of children happy and that they really shouldnt be deprived of it: A UN agency is again immersed in controversy for a recent report suggesting there is no conclusive evidence that children exposed to pornography are harmed. The report published by the UN Childrens Fund (UNICEF) addresses how government policy can be used to protect children from harmful, abusive and violent content online. Its conclusion is based on a European study of 19 EU countries that found in most countries, most children who saw pornographic images were neither upset nor happy. In fact, the report UNICEF relies on says 39 percent of Spanish children were happy after seeing pornography. According to the same article from which I quoted, if you drill down into the report, it turns out that the push for making porn available to children may be tied to the leftist obsession with child sexuality and the LGBTQ+ agenda which, lately, is the leading edge for all leftist initiatives: The 2020 EU Kids Online Study concluded that some children and young people intentionally seek out sexual content for a variety of reasons and that seeing sexual images might also represent an opportunity to provide answers to questions about puberty and sexual identity. The study encouraged seeing the nuances which lead children to seek out and view sexual content online. UNICEF says any efforts to block children from accessing pornography online might infringe on their human rights. UNICEF bases this claim on an expansive interpretation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. UNICEF also claims that asking for age-verification to access pornography online may deny children access to what it calls vital sexuality education. It should be noted that critics charge comprehensive sexuality education is pornographic and harmful to children. The left has always been going after your children through sex. UNICEF just added a new weapon to the lefts arsenal. IMAGE: Child covering her eyes by Katie Gerrard on Unsplash. There is an organization in Nairobi, Kenya, called Atheists of Kenya. Its mission statement explains that, in 2016, it became the first non-religious society to be registered in the country. Before that, it had been a more casual group of Kenyans meeting because of their shared interest in promoting atheism. The government at first did not wish to register them, viewing them as a threat to the interests of peace and welfare or good order, but a threatened lawsuit changed that. These atheists are serious people. The atheists are careful to explain that they are not devil worshippers. Instead, their atheism revolves around the absence of deities: Atheism is in the broadest sense an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities. Atheism is contrasted with theism, which in its most general form is the belief that at least one deity exists. Their goals in promoting atheism are to achieve science and rationality; to root ethics in rational and humanistic ideals; to promote skeptical inquiry; to create an atheist community with activities, speakers, and debates; to foster acceptance for atheism in Kenya; and to engage in social issues affecting them and the wider community. These atheists are earnest people. It also turns out that these atheists are gracious people because they just lost their organization secretarywhen he found God: This evening, regretfully, our Secretary Mr. Seth Mahiga made the decision to resign from his position as Secretary of our society. Seth's reason for resigning is that he has found Jesus Christ and is no longer interested in promoting atheism in Kenya. --- pic.twitter.com/G7sCCbytv2 Atheists In Kenya Society (@AtheistsInKenya) May 29, 2021 If you click through to the letter in the tweet, its an amazing bit of civility, without the animus one would expect from a group that lost an employee to a belief system they oppose: This evening, regretfully, the Secretary of the Atheists In Kenya Society Mr. Seth Mahiga, informed me that he has made the decision to resign from his position as Secretary of the society. Seth's reason for resigning is that he has found Jesus Christ and is no longer interested in promoting atheism in Kenya. We wish Seth all the best in his new found relationship with Jesus Christ. We thank him for having served the society with dedication over the last one and half years. The position of Secretary of the Society has been rendered vacant. We are calling upon Kenyan atheists who would wish to join our Executive Committee to send their CVs to info@atheistsinkenya.org . Harrison Mumia, President Atheists In Kenya Society Cargen House, 2nd Floor, Nairobi *254 799 919 666 * info@otheistsinkenya.org www.atheistsinkenya.org That letter was so gracious and so gosh darn amusing that a lot of people suspected it was a hoax. However, the information on the website appears to be real. Im sure, too, that a lot of people would love to learn Mr. Seth Mahigas story. I hope more of the members of that society find their way to the Judeo-Christian faith because they do seem to be genuinely decent people searching for humanist values. What they fail to realize is that, in the long term, atheism always becomes the antithesis of humanism. Without an externally created moral order i.e., the Judeo-Christian God all moral order eventually devolves into two things: navel-gazing or rules from a strong man. Were seeing both in America, with magical science (gender switches and climate change as the reason for all natural, social, political, and economic phenomena) and with the state imposing more and more constraints on human conduct since too many people have lost sight of the moral rules that the Founders considered an integral part of a free, functioning republican democracy. After being lionized in the press, and drawing in tens of millions of dollars from giant corporations desperate to prove their bona fides to its racial-grievance bandwagon, Black Lives Matter seems to be falling apart. That's a pretty reasonable conclusion to reach, given there don't seem to be any positive stories about the group coming out in the press anymore. They're all tales of scandal, corruption, and exploitation, not surprising in an organization that's been flooded with such a tidal wave of money and run by "trained Marxists." There are a lot of these stories. It probably started with the mother of Breonna Taylor, a young woman who died in a police shooting, who criticized the organization for its exploitative ways. That may have surprised some people, but her argument was logical and believable: she said the organization not only did nothing to help the rest of Taylor's family, but raised millions of dollars for itself through the use of her daughter's name, while sharing none of its largesse. Classy. Then there were the mansions. Lots of mansions, with internet wags arguing that BLM stood for "buying large mansions." Self-described "trained Marxist" Black Lives Matter founder Patrisse Cullors reportedly went on a mansion-buying binge, buying three or four mansions reportedly in Compton, Georgia; Los Angeles; the Bahamas; and tony Topanga Canyon, uphill from movie-star Malibu. She claimed it was off her own book and Hollywood earnings, which could have been true. But she also spent cash on Malibu conferences and spa stays, which were on BLM's dime. The publicity didn't help her group, given that she moved to a nearly all-white rich neighborhood, Marxism in tow. Her Hollywood wheeler-dealer activity prompted a comical dogfight at the Golden Globes, with one old leftist foof, a guy who earlier had blacklisted actor James Woods for being conservative, likely because she was able to play the Hollywood game better than they did. I wrote about that here. These weren't her only activities that raised eyebrows: she funneled money to her baby daddy, more than $150,000, to a man who apparently couldn't even create a credible website, let alone a credible internet video. When she was forced out from her position after news of these shenanigans broke, she insisted she was off to bigger and better Hollywood things, and the whole criticism of her was little more than a right-wing campaign. It was nonsense. Right-wingers have been criticizing her from the beginning whatever criticism going on now was water off a duck's back. The big tell was in reported frustration from other Black Lives Matter chapters which, according to press reports, grew and grew and grew. Another negative story that came up was that a Black Lives Matter activist was shot in London not by the white supremacists BLM is constantly warning about, but by five black men involved in some kind of gang activity. And over in Wisconsin, it was a full-blown hate crime hoax. According to the Post Millennial: BLM activist claimed she was the victim of hate crimes including arsonvideo shows she started the fire A student at Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wisconsin, claims she had been the victim of racist incidents, including arson. However, police discovered that the alleged victim of framed hate crimes was the one caught on surveillance video starting the fire in the university's residence hall. Meanwhile, these dissatisfied BLM chapters were not without problems of their own. In the last few weeks, there's been this guy: MINNEAPOLIS, MN There are any number of routes for an appeal for former Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin, a couple of which we've previously outlined, including refusal of the judge to order a change in venue, as well as his refusal to sequester the jury. However this may be the straw that breaks the camel's back. One of the jurors who decided Chauvin's fate turns out to be a Black Lives Matter activist who lied to the judge by claiming he was "impartial." According to Gateway Pundit, Brandon Mitchell, also known as "Juror #52" not only lied about his ability to be impartial, but has now come out and said that people need to get on juries to "spark some change." And this guy: Black Lives Matter St. Paul Founder Says He 'Resigned' After Learning the 'Ugly Truth' And this guy: Denver School Board director-at-large Tay Anderson, a fervent Black Lives Matter activist, is accused of molesting over 60 undocumented students, using the residency status of the children to target kids as young as 14-years-old. Is there any part of Black Lives Matter that isn't involved in some kind of mess? These kinds of things happen to organizations circling the drains, the constant drumbeat of scandals. Not surprisingly public support for the group has plummeted, even among black voters. The group seems to be spiraling downhill, and nobody's reporting it. Image: Pixabay, Pixabay License. Sometimes there are hidden gems hidden in the internets past, things that are relevant to the present, despite an earlier creation. Three years ago, Fred Maroun, an Arab from Lebanon currently living in Canada who self-identifies as a left-winger, wrote a post at The Times of Israel entitled Debunking 25 left-wing and Arab myths from a left-wing Arab perspective. Maroun does as promised, using data from reliably left-wing sources such as BBC, HuffPo, The New York Times, and The Washington Post, and from some pro-Israel sources. Marouns piece is a tour de force and those who support Israel should bookmark it. Here are a few excerpts that counter the anti-Semitic and anti-Israel nonsense that is now common currency in America: 2. Israel keeps stealing Palestinian land Israels victories in defensive wars do not constitute stealing land. The land of Israel that is within the armistice lines resulting from the 1948 war (and usually referred to as the Green Lines) was legitimately acquired by Israel in a war of self-defence. Judea & Samaria and Gaza were also legitimately acquired by Israel in another war of self-defence in 1967 when several Arab armies congregated around Israel with the objective of destroying it. Israel later gave back the vast majority of that land in a peace agreement with Egypt, it voluntarily relinquished Gaza, and it voluntarily agreed to allow the Palestinian Authority to administer a large part of Judea & Samaria, referred to as areas A and B. What disturbs me as an Arab is that Arabs have at every turn made the wrong decisions, leaving them with less land, and even now that the Palestinians have had a chance to show their administrative capability in Gaza and parts of Judea & Samaria, they transformed Gaza into a terrorist base and they chose to fund terrorism in Judea & Samaria. [snip] 4. Israel is an apartheid/racist state Israeli laws and police practices do not give preference to any race. All ethnicities, including Arabs, are treated equally. Freedom of religion is also guaranteed and strictly enforced, and so is protection of holy sites of all religions. One proof that Israel values diversity is its fast growing Muslim population. The only preference given to Jews is that Jews have an unlimited right of return to Israel, under the Law of Return, which is understandable considering that one of the reasons Israel exists is to be a haven for Jews who are persecuted elsewhere. Any of many Muslim and Christian countries, some of which are very rich, could provide such a law for Muslims or Christians if they so wished, but none of them do. Israel should be praised by leftists like me for ignoring race, gender, level of education, and economic background in order to accept and support any Jews who wish to return to Israel. Israel also guarantees freedom of assembly, movement, and voting to all citizens, which include Arabs. There are a dozen Arabs in the Knesset (Parliament) and an Arab judge of the Supreme Court. Further, Arabs are very well represented in Israeli universities, both among students and staff. As a left-wing Arab who knows the level of bigotry and racism that exists in the Arab world, Israel is a breath of fresh air. I want the same for us! [snip] 6. Jewish settlements in the West Bank are illegal There are reasonable legal opinions on both sides of the question of whether Jewish settlements in Judea & Samaria are illegal, but there is no dispute on one fact, which is that the Arab deportations of Jews from Judea & Samaria during the war of 1948 were illegal and even criminal. The return of Jews to that land is only fair, and there is no reasonable rationale as to why Jews in Judea & Samaria should not be welcome within a Palestinian state if such a state was formed on that land, unless one is to accept that Arabs are incapable of living peacefully with Jews. As an Arab, I know that many if not most individual Arabs are capable of living peacefully with Jews. If Arab regimes are not capable of it, Jews should not be the ones punished by being banned from settling on land that has a Jewish history that is far deeper than any Palestinian history. There are 23 other equally clearly stated, well-sourced, and meticulously argued facts. You can find all of Marouns posts here. Maroun may call himself a leftist, but he is a liberal, from a time when people of goodwill understood that the Jewish state is legitimate and appropriate. Jews have occupied that land continuously for almost 4,000 years, speaking the same language, and worshipping the same God. Real liberals once found it reasonable a people who have been hounded from pillar to post in every land in which theyve found themselves have a right to control their ancestral land, which they govern as a liberal democracy. IMAGE: Praying at the Western Wall by 777jew on Pixabay. To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. Even a slender volume (80 pages) can make millions of dollars for the man who has become a cult figure to Trump-haters when sold for 18 bucks a copy. The National Pulse reports, and Amazon confirms that Dr. Anthony Fauci will be selling a book to the public next November 2 (in time for the Christmas buying season), titled, Expect the Unexpected: Ten Lessons on Truth, Service, and the Way Forward, all of 80 pages long and selling for $18 a copy in hardcover. Here is the blurb from Amazon (emphasis in original): In his own words, world-renowned infectious disease specialist Anthony Fauci shares the lessons that have shaped his life philosophy, offering an intimate view of one of the world's greatest medical minds as well as universal advice to live by. Before becoming the face of the White House Coronavirus Task Force and America's most trusted doctor, Dr. Anthony Fauci had already devoted three decades to public service. Those looking to live a more compassionate and purposeful life will find inspiration in his unique perspective on leadership, expecting the unexpected, and finding joy in difficult times. With more than three decades spent combating some of the most dangerous diseases to strike humankind-- AIDS, Ebola, COVID-19--Dr. Fauci has worked in daunting professional conditions and shouldered great responsibility. The earnest reflections in these pages offer a universal message on how to lead in times of crisis and find resilience in the face of disappointments and obstacles. Sure to strike a chord with readers, the inspiring words of wisdom in this book are centered around life lessons compiled from hours of interviews, offering a concrete path to a bright and hopeful future. It sounds to me as though Fauci is preparing to retire or lose his job and submitting his version of reality to a public already becoming skeptical about the man whose flip-flops and "noble lies" are finally catching up to him, eroding the secular sainthood conferred upon him by the agitprop media. Even so, there are enough devout believers in the fantasy world offered by the media that Fauci will make millions of dollars from his 80 pages. Via Amazon. The book's cover is a fascinating straddle: is Fauci putting on or taking off his mask? Given his record of lying and flip-flopping on whether to wear masks and how many to wear, visual ambiguity is the only way to go. If you hate Trump, you probably love Fauci. No need for an inflated advance payment, though I am certain Fauci got a handsome sum. He's been made a cult figure, and the evidence that he evaded federal restrictions via funding cut-out nonprofits to award money for gain of function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology will not be enough to dissuade the true believers on the left. The publisher is National Geographic, the tax-exempt organization that lately seems to have bought into global warming and other aspects of the progressive cult. Amazon's page offering the book for pre-publication sale reveals that one of the three books most viewed by those visiting Fauci's page is Anita Hill's forthcoming autobiographical book, Believing: Our Thirty-Year Journey to End Gender Violence, with yet another cult figure of progressives used to attack a conservative hero, Clarence Thomas. In tiny Washougal, Washington (pop. 14,095), the school board members elected officials, not hereditary peers have become so powerful in the last year that they are running school board meetings like their private fiefdom. Or at least that's the takeaway from a meeting in which the school board manipulated procedures so that three mothers who wanted to talk about Critical Race Theory and masks were not only shut out of the meeting, but received police citations. It's a shocking story and reminds us that public education in America has gotten too powerful, whether it's administrators, elected school boards, or unionized teachers we're talking about. The best way to understand the Washougal school board's hubris is to think about Singin' in the Rain (SITR), a brilliant comic musical that sets a romance against the backdrop of Hollywood's painful transition from silent movies to talkies, a change that destroyed the careers of dozens of silent stars. In SITR, Don Lockwood and Lina Lamont are the golden silent screen pairing. However, while Lockwood can sing and dance, making him a shoo-in for talkies, Lina Lamont has a voice that sours milk. Fortunately, Lockwood's girlfriend, Kathy Selden, has a lovely singing voice and so, the first dubbed singing is born! Lamont is quick to recognize that, with her looks and fame, and Selden's voice, the world is her oyster. This goes to her head, so she informs the studio head that she's now "bigger than Calvin Coolidge...put together!" The studio must bend to her will: The studio head backs down but the premiere of the new "all singing, all dancing" movie gives the studio head and Lockwood the opportunity to expose Lamont for the manipulative faker she is. When the applause goes to her head and she speaks, the audience, repulsed by her speaking voice, demands that she sing. The rest is the perfect revenge: America's public schools are Lina Lamont. For decades, in suburbs, small towns, and rural communities, they've been coasting on a reputation for "caring" and being the "busy bees" that take care of America's children. They're the stars, and you, the parents, are the ones who must hand them your money and worship their gracious efforts to train your children in values antithetical to yours. For many people across America, however, 2020 and 2021, which brought with them the one-two of COVID and the BLM madness, ripped the mask off the teachers and school boards. Suddenly, like Lina Lamont, they'd gotten too big for their britches. We saw them as the self-centered fakes they really are. Too many (not all, but too many) teachers, teachers' unions, administrators, and school boards don't care about the children in their charge. They want money and control and as little work as possible. That's the setup for what happened in Washougal, when three moms Tatyana Stepanyuk, Patricia Bellamy, and Melissa Mcilwain wanted to speak at the meeting of their local school board. The fact that the district is just across the Columbia River from Portland may explain what happened. Stepanyuk has a medical reason for not wearing a mask masks that the CDC is backing away from. However, the school superintendent, Mary Templeton, refused to allow Stepanyuk to speak despite being reminded about the mask exception for medical reasons. What's stunning is Templeton's unvarnished arrogance: Mom: It's a public meeting and I'll stay in the public meeting that I am legally allowed to be in. I'm good. I can be here. Superintendent: I believe this is the board's meeting Mom: It's public schools, in a public building, for a public meeting. Superintendent: Well, sure, but we have the guidance that we're going to ask you to follow. All the while, Templeton stands closer and closer to Stepanyuk, showing that she doesn't care about a minute infection risk; she cares about power. The board eventually cited a "disruption" to clear the room. It then recalled friendly attendees and locked out the moms (AKA parents and taxpayers) who had wanted to discuss substantive issues and eventually called the police on them. You've got to read the whole thing to appreciate the despotic madness. Washougal's meeting is a particularly egregious example of the unbridled Lina Lamontstyle arrogance in America's public schools. They locked children out for COVID and now seek to drag them back in to indoctrinate them with Critical Race Theory. This will not stop until parents stop it. Speak up, document what happens, and run for the school board. Also, remember that if you're a non-minority family, your children's chances of getting into college or, if they attend, getting anything out of the experience other than high tuition payments are slim to nil. That means less of a downside to rocking the public school boat. And if your school or school board deprives you or your child of your rights, sue. Lawfare is a great way to tame these beasts. Image: Superintendent Templeton treating like unruly children the parents who pay her salary. YouTube screen grab. Democrats in and out of Congress and every leftist propagandist in the media are now a committed Marxists. They no longer even pretend to respect or value the Constitution. They are now pushing Critical Race Theory as if their lives depend on promoting outright racism as the essence of America. CRT teaches hatred and victimhood; it is the antithesis of our founding principles. Our Marxist left supports BLM and Antifa as well, anarchist groups to whom they've given free rein to riot, loot, and burn down countless cities and businesses. The Marxist left is on board with the campaign to defund our police. The cities that have done so are in worse shape than ever; crime and murder rates are soaring. Source: Fraternal Order of Police. They support the invasion occurring on the southern border. Tens of thousands of migrants have been ushered into the U.S. at the rate of about six thousand a day! The Biden administration then secretly buses or flies these "children" (adult young men) into the interior, preferably to red states, who then must bear the cost of feeding and housing them and the criminal element among them. It is an evil and destructive scheme to so weaken America that the Chinese can complete their takeover of our nation. They own Biden and have mountains of blackmailable material on Hunter. And with this administration's absurd focus on diversity over merit, skin color over qualifications, the country is in free fall. Meanwhile, the mostly hapless Republicans behave like members of a wholly unserious college fraternity. Yes, there are some heroes in both the House and Senate, but too few to fight the Alinskyite Marxists who take pride in their underhandedness. Too many of them have voted to confirm Biden's quiver of cobras. They would much rather please the leftmedia by going after their own than actually fighting the Democrats. News flash! Conservatives like Marjorie Taylor Greene (MTG) more than they like Kevin McCarthy! They love Matt Gaetz, Ted Cruz, Jim Jordan, Devin Nunes, and Tom Cotton, and they are done with Romney, Cheney, Collins, and Murkowski. Consider Gov. Ducey in AZ. He just vetoed the election integrity bill. That tells us everything we need to know about him and his fellow GOP traitors like Gov. Kemp of GA. In both Arizona and Georgia, traitorous RINOs operated on the side of the Democrats in their mutual effort to defeat Trump. In Georgia, the Board of Elections has hired two high-profile criminal lawyers! Not election law lawyers heavy-hitter criminal lawyers, the kind you hire if you're worried about being found guilty. At this point in time, just about everyone knows that the 2020 election involved a great deal of criminality. Do the Republicans unite to fight the election fraud? No, they do not. But for the few who actually seek to represent their constituents, the rest of them flap their wings, make a little noise, and fold like cheap suits. Like college frat boys, they are afraid to do anything that might derail their future wealth-enhancing lobbying potential or affect their D.C. social calendar. And if there is any doubt about the Marxist left's intention to destroy classic liberalism and what remains of Western Civilization's Judeo-Christian moral and ethical code, one has to look no farther than their fervent intent to eradicate gender, to convince children that girls can be boys and vice versa. On this score they have elevated cancel culture to a form of mass hysteria. God forbid someone use the wrong pronoun preferred by a member of the new and exalted trans community. The left is promoting gender dysphoria as fast and furiously as the media can make possible. These people are destroying countless lives in the process, but they celebrate their success. BLM opposes the nuclear family with equal fervor. Classic Marxist/Alinsky/BLM: We disrupt the Western-prescribed nuclear family structure requirement by supporting each other as extended families and "villages" that collectively care for one another, especially our children, to the degree that mothers, parents, and children are comfortable. This has been removed from the BLM website, but have no doubt that this is one of their primary goals, along with tarring every Caucasian or Asian person on the planet with the mantle of racism. This is how the left pretends to be anti-racist when in fact leftists are the most egregious racists in this country and have been since before the Civil War. It was Democrats who loved and profited from slavery, who instituted Jim Crow, who to this day oppose voter ID so they can cheat. It is the Democrat party that believes itself to be a set of superior beings, elites meant to rule over our 330M people. With their COVID restrictions and vaccine mandates, they are moving closer and closer to the tactics of each of those three genocidal tyrants of the last century. If there is still any doubt that the Democrat party has embraced Marxism fully, consider their affection for criminals. They abhor the Second Amendment. They want to take guns away from law-abiding citizens so that only the criminals will have them. Blue states are releasing thousands of felons, murderers, and sex offenders among them, into their cities, endangering the law-abiding population. In N.Y., S.F., and L.A., criminals no longer need to post bail and are released within hours of committing major crimes. Naturally, they commit more crimes. These felons are chronic recidivists and are a plague on their communities. George Floyd was just such a person, but the left now reveres him as some sort of icon. How pathetic is that? The elected Democrats have declared war on America in every way possible, and the Republicans do precious little to stop them. They act as though their hands are tied. Would it kill them to unite as a party and fight for what is right? Election integrity, a secure border, the truth of biological sex, for our police and for law and order, for an objective media rather than the ridiculous propaganda spewed forth daily by CNN, MSNBC, and the rest of their outlets? The notion that "Despots are elected and deposed, Laws are passed and repealed, Nations rise and fall, but Individual liberty is eternal" (A. E. Samaan) is not true, as any person who suffered under Stalin, Hitler, or Mao can attest. Our elected frat boy Republicans have rendered themselves powerless, so it is up to every citizen to fight the Marxists any way they can. Our individual liberty is indeed at stake. If you have yet to download the app, please consider giving it a try. You can download it here for iOS and here next week for Android. If you are subscriber and new to the app, you will need to log in using the same credentials you use for web access. The line we're being sold by the left is that the stimulus payments are to help people in need during this COVID economic "crisis." Apparently, not unlike Little Bo Peep, they've all lost their jobs and don't know where to find them. This is in spite of data recently released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics showing that while roughly 10 million folks are unemployed, there are 8 million job openings going unfilled. We'll get back to this disconnect in a bit. Meanwhile, on the other side of the moon, conspiracy theorists think the stimulus payments are all about making folks dependent on the government. Also, according to the theoretical "master plan," this also makes everyone vote for Democrats in the future because Democrats provided the stimulus. Maybe, but this ignores the two previous stimulus payments passed by Republicans and pushed by President Trump. So what's really going here? Perhaps the most recent stimulus payment has little or nothing to do with either helping people in hard times or making people government-dependent. Maybe it's all about the minimum wage. The last few years have witnessed a major push to raise the minimum wage from its current level to $15 per hour. This push, while successful in a few states, has gone nowhere on the federal level. More than a few Democrats don't support it and most recently voted against it in the Senate. Well, here's the new, new plan. Pay people with stimulus money an amount below minimum wage not to work, but enough to survive. Like a teenager given the choice to do household chores for $7 per hour or $5 per hour to do nothing, we all know their decision. That's because the pay for mowing the lawn or washing the car is below what economists call a "reservation wage." It's not worth the extra two bucks an hour to quit playing video games. But what if the pay for chores were raised to $10 per hour, or even more? Boom! The lawn is perfectly trimmed, and the car is shiny like new. As reported recently in the Wall Street Journal, McDonald's and Amazon publicly lamented that they can't find workers to fill thousands of open jobs and announced increases in their starting hourly wages: $15 per hour in Big Mac Land and $17 in the depths of the Amazon. They're trying to identify the reservation wage needed to get the stimulus-paid sofa spuds off the couch and back to making fries and filling boxes. This "plan" is brilliant and devious at the same time. It essentially uses the free market to do what Congress couldn't: raise the minimum wage for basic unskilled labor. There's no law, other than an economic one, making employers raise starting wages. The choice given to earn less by not working or marginally more by breaking a sweat is an easy one, but the labor market on its own is identifying an even higher wage to get folks to put in the hours. And the left can crow that it was about time corporate America realized the error of its starvation wage past and that the market has spoken. But is this really a free-market decision? Of course not. It's derived. Without the stimulus payment, the choice becomes mow the lawn for seven bucks or get paid nothing to play video games. Now our not so hypothetical teenager fires up the Snapper and breaks out the Turtle Wax. The fact that companies are "freely" raising their entry-level wages is not because of an open and fair labor market; it's because they have to compete against the government. Imagine a year from now and the return to a "normal" economy. Next, imagine the outcry if McDonald's announces that it is lowering wages by a buck or two. It would be attacked on every major network, vilified in every major publication. There would be employee walk-outs, protesters in the street with crudely written misspelled signs, and hand-wringing by the left. Good luck with that, you Hamburglars! When all the dust settles, this is what's going to happen. Large companies, firms that need to fill a lot of open jobs, will all raise wages. Smaller businesses will be forced to raise theirs, too, because they have to compete with the likes of Amazon. And once everybody is getting $15 per hour or more in the "free" market, the legal minimum wage will be raised to support it because it's what "everybody already makes." It's the new, new minimum wage. Kevin Cochrane teaches economics at Colorado Mesa University and formerly was a senior national banking executive. Image: PublicDomainPictures via Pixabay, Pixabay License. To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. The tyrants are in charge, and they want your guns. While the left has denied it for decades, anyone who pays attention knows that the ill-named "progressives" want to totally eliminate the Second Amendment. Period. The so-called "red flag" laws popping up around the country, as well as the gun-hating zealot nominated by Biden to head the ATF, are just two examples of Marxism's accelerated drive to disarm law-abiding citizens. It won't be long before the Democrats attempt to push through a gun registration law, always the final step before total confiscation. We can't allow this to happen. We can hope that Republicans in Congress, aided by a handful of rational Democrats (assuming there are any left), will make a stand...but don't hold your breath. In the history of this Republic, there has never been a time when protecting our right to keep and bear arms was more important. Whether it's the Biden administration's open borders, the defunding of local law enforcement, the massive retirement numbers at police agencies, the skyrocketing crime rates in urban America, or the violation of individual rights that we have long taken for granted, the Second Amendment is the final roadblock against total federal tyranny. The Founding Fathers knew this, which is exactly why the Second Amendment was created. Liberals are quick to mention increasing homicide rates as their rationale for creating more redundant gun laws, but this is another left-wing lie. The highest modern homicide rates in the United States were recorded from 1950 through 1995 when the yearly total averaged 9.22 homicides per 100,000 population. The worst year was 1980, when the number hit 10.4 per 100,000. The number in 2018 was 5.9, almost half of what the homicide rate was in 1980. While there was a spike in homicides in 2020, many analysts attribute that to the China Virus lockdowns; the widespread and uncontrolled rioting; and the defunding of police departments, especially in urban hotspots. Another consideration is the definition of what's classified as a homicide with a firearm. In fact, suicide by firearms is included in the DOJ's annual statistics, the benchmark for virtually all the articles published on gun deaths. According to UCDavis Health, hardly a proSecond Amendment institution, in 2019, there were 39,707 deaths from firearms in the U.S., with sixty percent sixty percent by suicide. That's 23,941 a number that, in my opinion, greatly hinders the left's anti-gun narrative. A suicide is tragic, but someone who is so unhappy that he wants to end his own life will, if he can't access a firearm, find another way to do it. I believe that leftists, in their normal disingenuous fashion, are intentionally using suicides to inflate their anti-gun numbers without mentioning the fact that the majority of fatal shots were self-inflicted. But what else is new? (To their credit, USA Today published a piece in December where they acknowledged that approximately 23,000 of the estimated 41,500 gun deaths in 2020 were by suicide. That's fifty-five percent. It wasn't a pro-gun article by any stretch, but at least they were honest about the numbers.) Then there's the left's oft-repeated canard about the evil "weapons of war," almost always referring to the AR-15. Let's make this brief: the AR-15 is not a "weapon of war." It is a semi-automatic sporting rifle normally in the smaller .223 caliber that is the most popular firearm in the United States. A "weapon of war" is a fully automatic machine gun that like the M-16 (military version of the AR-15) or the M249 light machine gun can fire 700 to 950 rounds per minute. Furthermore, fewer than 364 people were killed by rifles in 2019 not just AR-15s, but all rifles while 1,476 were killed by knives or cutting instruments. I hate to use cliches, but are they planning to ban knives as well? So how many people are killed per year by an AR-15? Specific numbers are hard to find, and estimates vary widely depending on the writer's political persuasion. But using CDC and FBI statistics, the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE) concluded that there aren't too many: "With an average of 13,657 homicides per year [excluding suicides] during the 2007-2017 time frame, about one-tenth of one percent of homicides were produced by...shootings involving AR-15s. Banning or confiscating such firearms from the civilian population would likely produce little to no reduction in violent crime rates in America." The left knows this. Public safety is not the reason leftists want to ban so-called "assault rifles" or any other firearms, for that matter. They plan to disarm law-abiding citizens because they want total compliance with their ever-increasing Marxist mandates. A well-armed citizenry is anathema to power-mad tyrants. This brings us to taking action. We must resist the unconstitutional mandates that will be forced upon us in the not too distant future, gun registration being foremost on the left's agenda. You can write or call your state and federal representatives; organize rallies with fellow patriots; write letters to your local newspaper; and, if you're not already a member, join the NRA (it's not great, but it's the best game in town). If we can't stop this madness soon, the nightmare will only get worse. The Second Amendment is an essential component in the foundation for liberty. Without it, our other freedoms will be gone as well. As I've said to more than one anti-gun liberal in the past, "it's not about duck-hunting!" Let's never forget that. Image via Pxhere. To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. Joe Biden appointed Kamala Harris his border "czar," but that's a non-starter. After loudly declaring, "I can think of nobody who is better qualified to do this," he can't even get her to visit the border to get a firsthand take on all those "root causes" she babbles about. So he's gotten busy himself, pen and phone in hand. Three things stand out, all of which are geared to serving foreign lawbreakers over the interests of U.S. citizens. He likes to share the wealth. One, a rollback of President Trump's active asylum cases, which require waiting in Mexico to make such claims. According to BuzzFeed News, which has lots of deep-dive news about this sort of thing: So far, nearly 8,400 immigrants who had been forced to remain in Mexico under MPP have been able to enter the US under a process started by the Biden administration, according to an analysis from the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC) at Syracuse University. For the most part, only those with active cases have been able to apply to be allowed into the US, and according to the analysis, as of the end of April, 18,087 people still remained in Mexico with open cases who in theory could register to be allowed into the United States. So he's already let 8,400 people, very likely with junk claims as most of them are, from people who are demanding to be let into the States ahead of others patiently waiting in line to legally immigrate here, either to get an instant work permit to take a job here, or else to claim "free" welfare benefits as a lifestyle choice. Sometimes, it's both. And with a four-year backlog of asylum cases, that's four years of work in the States even for junk claims that get thrown out of court. No wonder the human-smuggling cartels have such a good time advertising the benefits of partaking of their human-smuggling services and are seeing a booming trade these days. Smugglers advertise policies like these to bring in more illegals at a high profit. Why wait? Four free years of work no matter how the judge rules. Given that no one is enforcing the law, and four years of work means a new claim to have "put down roots here," it's probably more. Sounds like a marketing plan for more illegal immigration right there. But that's not all Biden's up to: he's also getting ready to change the asylum system itself, by appointing a class of "asylum officers" to clear the backlog of asylum cases instead of the current system of having judges do it. According to a different story from BuzzFeed: The Biden administration is planning to dramatically reshape how asylum-seekers are processed in order to prevent an increase in the backlog of immigration court cases, potentially cutting the waiting period for some applicants by years, according to government documents obtained by BuzzFeed News. The policy, which has been months in the making and was first alluded to by White House transition officials in December, has yet to be finalized. However, it would shift the decision-making power for whether certain immigrants encountered at the border are granted asylum from an immigration judge to an asylum officer. It would not, however, apply to unaccompanied children (who have a separate process) or to those who are already in court proceedings in the US. Depending on how it is implemented, the plan could represent President Joe Biden's most consequential immigration policy to date and fundamentally change the dynamics at the southern border by preventing asylum cases from taking years to complete in court. So instead of trained judges, presumably even-handed, Biden's going to appoint a non-professional class of people, any of whom could have open-borders activist ties, to say "yes" to every last asylum claim, no matter how bad, all to claim that the "backlog" has been cleared. It's easy to clear a backlog when you say "yes" to every last asylum claim. Asylum claimants also get three appeals, so it's hard for them to lose. Here's another thing about it, reported by the San Diego Union-Tribune in a piece headlined: "Biden plans to rebuild and expand legal immigration": Divided into seven sections, the document offers detailed policy proposals that would help more foreigners move to the United States, including high-skilled workers, trafficking victims, the families of Americans living abroad, American Indians born in Canada, refugees, asylum-seekers and farmworkers. Immigrants who apply online could pay less in fees or even secure a waiver in an attempt to "reduce barriers" to immigration. And regulations would be overhauled to "encourage full participation by immigrants in our civic life." He wants to let everyone in who wants to come in, and that last passage sounds like giving them voting rights, too. It will eventually probably some motor-voter citizenship thing as the system entrenches. That's 42 million people, although he may or may not know that. Standards are set to fall. Women who make foolish personal choices to get involved with wife-beaters will have a fast track into the country, as if they couldn't possibly move to anywhere else inside their own countries. Anyone who's gay or transgender gets fast-tracked in, too. Rest assured: standards will fall on this plan, with many zero-merit people who are products of social disintegration to be imported into the U.S., as well as some criminals who slip through. Crime in the States will rise. It would be nice to make these politicized "asylum officers" sue-able (as lefties seek of the police) for every foreign criminal they let in who does harm to an American, but don't hold your breath. Will it clear a backlog, though? According to BuzzFeed, it won't. Get a load of this: Asylum officers already decide cases for asylum-seekers who are in the US and apply from within the country, but that system has also been plagued with a massive backlog. Only certain immigrants who have been in the US for less than a year and are not already in immigration court can apply for asylum through this process, called affirmative asylum. It's unclear what Biden's plan would do to that backlog. It gets worse. As if the backlog weren't enough, Biden plans to import back already deported illegals, to gum up the lines further. According to the Associated Press (hat tip: Breitbart News): With President Joe Biden in office, one of the new proposals from advocates urges creating a centralized Department of Homeland Security office to consider requests from deported immigrants trying to reunite with their families in the U.S. "We have deported hundreds of thousands of individuals, and to do that and not even have an effective safety valve to review bad decisions violates due process," said Nayna Gupta, associate director of policy for the National Immigrant Justice Center, the Washington-based nonprofit that proposed the idea. It's a long shot: White House officials have never publicly mentioned the idea, and it doesn't yet have a supporter in Congress. The campaign, however, shows how immigrant advocacy has become emboldened after four years hardline immigration policies under former President Donald Trump. Of course they haven't mentioned it. Bringing back deported people who were thrown out for failing to obey U.S. immigration law, so they can break the law in peace here in their rightful place as part of the illegal alienAmerican community, won't fly with voters. They want to import illegality? Because Orange Man Bad? As if that isn't bad enough, Breitbart noted that the illegals being imported into the States include these: As Breitbart News reported, Biden's plan would give amnesty to illegal aliens who were already deported from the U.S. by the Trump administration starting in January 2017. Specifically, the provision provides DHS waivers to deported illegal aliens as long as they have not been convicted of a felony or three misdemeanors so that they can return to the U.S. and apply for amnesty. So they get two free misdemeanors. What are the kinds of crimes that such misdemeanors could be? According to this law site: DWI/DUI (VC 23152(a) 23152(b)) Domestic Violence /Domestic Battery (PC 243(e)(1)) Petty Theft (PC 484 & 488) Shoplifting Public Intoxication Receiving Stolen Property (PC 496) Disorderly Conduct Probation Violations Solicitation of Prostitution (PC 647(b)) Prostitution (PC 647(b) Reckless Driving Assault and Battery (PC 240 & 242) Trespassing (PC 602) Drug Possession Indecent Exposure Violation of a Protection Order Disturbing the Peace Drunk in Public (PC 647(f) So in addition to allowing the battered women in for being battered, their batterers are going to be allowed in, too, if Biden puts out an executive order or notice of rules change to state that any misdemeanor is no barrier to re-entry to the States. Letting wife-beaters in who've only been busted twice kind of negates the purpose of asylum, does it not? Did anyone let the KGB in after authentic asylum-seekers during the Cold War were allowed in? Don't think so. But according to this Biden plan, batterers will get two free wife-beating convictions and still be allowed in. That's convictions, not reported allegations, where the battered woman retracts her charges or refuses to cooperate with prosecutors because she's still "in love," or, for that matter, unreported or unprosecuted beatings. Just convictions two free wife-beatings per illegal to be imported back in, quite likely at taxpayer expense. And that's just one category of criminals perverts who expose themselves to children, drunk drivers, public drunks, hookers they get two free ones, too and will still be allowed in. Does this sound like a plan? Actually, it sounds like a disaster. Joe Biden's trying to sneak this in, and Republicans shouldn't let him get away with it. Image: Screen shot from DW video via shareable YouTube. In 1913, while in England, Clarence E. Willard had to renew his passport in order to travel, and most importantly, in order for him to return back to the United States where he was a resident. In order to complete the necessary paperwork, Clarence walked into the U.S. Embassy in London. He gave his name to the Embassy clerk Edward Hobson, and also filled in the necessary details needed for documentation, such as his age, place of birth, the color of his hair, his weight, etc. But when the clerk asked for his height, Willard gave an astonishing reply: Oh, anywhere from five feet nine and three-quarter inches to six feet four. Hobson gave Willard an incredulous look, at which point Willard obliged: Im Willard, the man who grows. I will show you what I mean. And Willard did exactly that. The newspaper article recounting this story claimed Willard began slowly to grow, increasing in height until, instead of looking straight into the eyes of Hobson, who is a medium-sized man, he was gazing down at the top of the clerks head. Hobson called in Frank Page and Harold Fowler, the American Ambassadors son and private secretary, and for their edification Willard gave a regular side-show in the reception-room of the embassy, telescoping up and down apparently with the greatest ease. Page and Fowler inspected the man carefully, feeling his legs in an attempt to find hidden springs or other mechanical apparatus, but they were finally convinced that he was only a freak. The remarkable demonstration at the US Embassy was an act that Clarence E. Willard had perfected for the past several years performing for the Barnum and Bailey Circus. Born in Painesville, Ohio, in 1882, Willard discovered his extraordinary talent when recovering from a childhood case of paralysis. While conducting certain stretching exercises Willard realized that he was able to increase his height by straightening his spine. Demonstration of height increase. Photo: Science of Invention Demonstration of arm extension. Photo: Science of Invention While on stage, Willard would invite a volunteer from the audience to join him, usually someone taller than him. Standing next to each other, Willard would stretch himself until he stood taller. Willard was found that he could add seven and half inches to his natural height of 5 feet 10 inches simply by stretching. He was also able to extend the length of his arms by 8 to 15 inches and make one leg 4 inches longer than the other. In the September 1927 issue of the Science of Invention, the magazine set out to explain how Willard grew on demand. Editors took x-rays of his spine and determined that his spinal curvature is perhaps greater than that of the average man. The spine has a graceful compound curve which is its normal condition. This curve increases materially when people slump in their chairs and make no attempt to straighten up even while walking, explained the magazine. By purely muscular exertion, the magazine continued, he is able to cause the vertebrae to assume a nearly perfectly straight line. In this way he can extend the length of his neck, according to some measurements, for a distance of 2 inches, but in these X-ray photographs to the length of 1 1/12 inches. In the act of stretching his hands out sideways and increasing the tip to tip measurement, most of the stretching is done at the shoulder. The shoulder is capable of quite a movement, laterally from the center of the spine. By training, Mr. Willard has been able to increase this movement so markedly that his demonstration is daily surprising thousands. Willard later became associated with Robert Ripley and his Ripley's Believe It or Not! franchise and made appearances across the United States and Canada through the NBC. He died in 1962 at the age of 79. X-ray of Clarence E. Willards spine in relaxed and extended positions. Photo: Science of Invention Sources: # Wikipedia # Marc Hartzman, The Man Who Grows Reached the Height of Vaudeville and Astounded Scientists, Weird Historian # Science of Invention Have any questions? Please give us a call at 907-561-7737 The HONOR 50 series smartphones will become official on June 16. The company announced the information via Weibo (a Chinese social media network), while its media people are spreading the word as well. Three HONOR 50 smartphones will launch on June 16, including a flagship one Now, based on the information that leaked thus far, HONOR is planning to announce three devices during that event. The HONOR 50 will be joined by the HONOR 50 Pro, and 50 Pro+. The HONOR 50 is expected to ship with the Snapdragon 778G SoC. It will, essentially, be a mid-range smartphone. Were not sure about the HONOR 50 Pro, but the 50 Pro+ is said to include the Snapdragon 888 SoC. Advertisement Considering the Pro moniker, the HONOR 50 Pro could also ship with Qualcomms most powerful processor. Well have to wait and see. All in all, were getting three smartphones, though, and considering the differences between them, there will be something for everyone. The HONOR 50 Pro+ specs did surface recently. According to that information, the device will feature a 6.79-inch QHD+ AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. Were not sure if that will be an LTPO display, though. The Pro+ model will include 66W wired, and 50W wireless charging The phone is also said to include 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM, and 128GB of UFS 3.1 flash storage. A 4,400mAh battery was also mentioned. The phone will support 66W fast wired charging, and 50W fast wireless charging. Advertisement Four cameras are expected to be included on the back of this phone, and two on the front. A 50-megapixel main camera is said to be partnered with a 13-megapixel ultra-wide unit. An 8-megapixel telephoto camera was also mentioned, as was a 3D ToF (Time-of-Flight) camera. On the front, the HONOR 50 Pro+ is expected to feature 32 and 8-megapixel cameras. Based on this info, the phone will likely feature a pill-shaped camera display hole on the front. Android 11 is expected to come pre-installed on all devices, along with Google services. HONOR is no longer Huaweis company, and it was confirmed a while back that it will feature Google apps / services. Advertisement Do note that this press event got teased in China, but these devices will make their way to other markets as well. Animals Asia brings 101 bears home in largest ever operation of its kind 01 June 2021 In the largest operation of its kind, Animals Asia has just moved 101 moon bears from an ex-bear bile extraction and breeding facility in Nanning, China, to our bear rescue centre in Chengdu, 750 miles away. This unprecedented, historic and momentous event has been eight years in the making. It has been the most challenging, unpredictable and emotional journey we have been on as an organisation. But we are at last able to share the joyous news with our amazing supporters, that the Nanning bears are finally home. The long and winding road to freedom Our story begins in 2013 at a huge bear breeding and bile farming facility in Nanning. Nanning is a beautiful, mountainous region of southern China. The new owner of the land that the facility stood on, Mr Yan, was disturbed to find the then 132 bears in tiny, filthy and barren cages, having been used for bile extraction and breeding by the previous owner. Mr Yan contacted Animals Asia to ask for our help, and there began a tumultuous eight-year journey to bring the bears home, with myriad legal and logistic challenges to negotiate and overcome. But, today is a cause for celebration. We did it. 101 bears are home. And we simply couldnt be happier or more grateful to all our loyal supporters for making this day a reality. The final journey begins Late on Friday 9 April, we received the news we'd been waiting for: the last permit allowing us to move the bears to our sanctuary in Chengdu had finally been signed! In a huge feat of logistics, where Covid-19 could have disrupted plans at any moment, each bear was individually moved into a transport cage, loaded onto a truck and travelled the 750 miles from Nanning to Chengdu. Animals Asias Founder and CEO Jill Robinson said: Weve rescued hundreds of bears over the years, but no one has ever attempted anything on this scale before, bringing so many bears home to sanctuary in a single operation. We couldnt have done it without our amazing Bear and Vet team in China, without the help of the local authorities and without the help of the local community too. But most importantly we could never have done this without you, our supporters, our donors, our family. The entire mission took place over three phases between 19 April and 27 May 2021, with the bears being transferred in three convoys of nine trucks, each carrying up to four transport cages. Each leg of the operation took over 55 hours and was accompanied by Animals Asias specialist team of vets and bear carers to ensure the bears were kept safe and healthy along the way. Were so proud of how the bears handled the journey, said Animals Asias China Bear & Vet Team Director, Ryan Marcel Sucaet. Most of them have spent their entire lives in confinement. To be suddenly transported halfway across China could have been very distressing for them, but our team did an incredible job of keeping them calm, well fed, stimulated and comfortable along the way, as well as attending to their ongoing medical needs. Home at last When we got the bears back to Chengdu, the real work began! Our sanctuary team has been preparing for the Nanning bears' arrival, preparing enclosures and planning group integrations. The bears were placed into quarantine to slowly introduce them into their new life with its new and unfamiliar smells, sounds and surroundings. We need to monitor the bears progress and ensure they are both mentally and physically ready before we integrate them into the main sanctuary with other bears. However some bears in one section of the sanctuary have been able to venture out into a specially prepared enclosure. Friends new and old When we first arrived at Nanning, the bears were in separate cages. Over the years, we slowly introduced them to one or two other bears after getting to know their characters, needs and temperaments. At the sanctuary they will live with several other bears, some from Nanning and some established residents, based on their personality, age, body weight, health condition and gender. It sounds easy, but it will take our beautiful bears time to build trust and settle into their new environment and become fully integrated into sanctuary life. Were so excited to have them here, said Ryan. After nearly eight long years of waiting, and a lifetime of suffering, we can finally give these beautiful bears the lives they deserve. These bears need a lifetime of continual kindness and specialist care. If youve been inspired by their journey please consider becoming a monthly donor to help make every day special for a rescued moon bear. Weve just finished the move and we wanted to tell the world right away. Well be going into a lot more detail over the next month or so, introducing you to all of the bears who are now happily residing at our award-winning sanctuary in Chengdu and showing you how this massive undertaking was achieved! Stay tuned! Purchase an online subscription to our website for $7.99 a month with automatic renewal. Each online subscription gives you full access to all of our newspaper websites and mobile applications. To cancel you may contact Customer Service @ 256-235-9253 or email JPAYNE@ANNISTONSTAR.COM For a limited time, for NEW SUBSCRIBERS ONLY a NEW ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION is just $59.99 for the first year. Existing customers do not qualify for the specials! After the first year, well automatically renew your subscription to continue your access at the regular price of $69.99 per year. Please note *Your Subscription will Automatically Renew unless you contact Customer Service To Cancel* Recently, he found himself sitting on a shuttle waiting at the terminal for its turn to drop off passengers, as the time until takeoff ticked closer. By the time he got off the shuttle it was too late to check his bag, and he booked a ticket for a new flight, he said. (ANSA) - ROME, JUN 1 - The release from jail of Mafia boss Giovanni Brusca, one of Italy's most notorious mobsters, has caused dismay among relatives of the victims of Cosa Nostra, politicians and the public at large. "It is a punch in the stomach that leaves you breathless," Enrico Letta, the leader of the centre-left Democratic Party (PD), told Rtl 102.5 on Tuesday. Brusca, 64, was released from Rome's Rebibbia prison on Monday after 25 years in jail, having served all but 45 days of his sentence. (ANSA). (ANSA) - ROME, JUN 1 - The release from jail of Mafia boss Giovanni Brusca, one of Italy's most notorious mobsters, has caused dismay among relatives of the victims of Cosa Nostra, politicians and the public at large. "It is a punch in the stomach that leaves you breathless," Enrico Letta, the leader of the centre-left Democratic Party (PD), told Rtl 102.5 radio on Tuesday. Brusca, 64, was released from Rome's Rebibbia prison on Monday after 25 years in jail, having served all but 45 days of his sentence. Among other things, Brusca set off the explosive that killed anti-Mafia prosecutor Giovanni Falcone in 1992. He also had Giuseppe Di Matteo, the teenage son of a mafia informant, strangled and dissolved in acid. Brusca was arrested in May 1996 and sentenced to life for over 100 murders, including that of Falcone, his wife Francesca Morvillo and three police officers in May 1992. But he was eligible to serve a fixed-term, rather than life, after turning Stare informant and giving investigators valuable information about the Sicilian Mafia. League leader Matteo Salvini said 90% of people were against Brusca's release, saying that "this is not the justice that the Italians deserve". Falcone's sister, however, said she understood the decision. "On a human level, it is news that pains me," Maria Falcon said. "But this is the law and it is a law that my brother wanted, so it should be respected". (ANSA). Many cancer patients, especially those going through chemotherapy, will have a need for blood products during treatment, Red Cross medical director Dr. Baia Lasky said in a news release. When someone donates blood or platelets, they may not only help prevent life-threatening bleeding that can cause stroke or relieve some symptoms, like shortness of breath and headaches, but also give patients and their families the time and hope they need to fight back. Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. John Barrowman has thanked fans for their support following reports his future as a Dancing On Ice judge was in jeopardy after he admitted exposing himself to colleagues. The actor, 54, admitted to tomfoolery on the sets of BBC shows Doctor Who and Torchwood. A recently resurfaced video from 2015 shows his co-star Noel Clarke himself facing allegations of sexual misconduct making jokes about Barrowman exposing his penis every five seconds and hitting it on everything. To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here to do so. The Sun newspaper reported Barrowman was in danger on losing his position as a judge on Dancing On Ice, a position he had held since 2020, over the controversy. He has now shared a video on social media thanking fans for their support. Speaking from Palm Springs, California, Barrowman said: Hi everybody, its John here and I just want to say thank you very much to all of my fan family and everybody who has reached out with the countless messages of support over the last few weeks. It has meant such a great deal to me and has really touched me to know that people are supporting me and standing by me and sending their love and all of their appreciation and kind words. Barrowman added: Hopefully we will all be back together some time soon and I look forward to it. Much love and thank you. Last month Barrowman was removed from an interactive Doctor Who experience due to the flashing controversy. He played Captain Jack Harkness in the sci-fi series. Sources previously told The Guardian they did not believe Barrowmans behaviour to be sexually predatory and described it as misjudged larking about and joking. Barrowman told the newspaper his high-spirited behaviour was only ever intended in good humour to entertain colleagues on set and backstage. Competition in the mortgage market is heating up with the launch of new 0.99% rate deals. Nationwide Building Society will launch a 0.99% mortgage on Wednesday for home owners looking to remortgage. The two-year fixed-rate deal will be available for borrowers with a hefty 40% deposit and also has a 1,499 fee. Henry Jordan, Nationwides director of mortgages, said: We are pleased to be able to launch a sub-1% rate for those looking to remortgage. The society said it is also reducing rates on other selected mortgages by up to 0.20 percentage points, including some products for first-time buyers. The changes were announced as financial information website Moneyfacts.co.uk said signs of competition are starting to show in the mortgage market generally, with home owners potentially saving thousands of pounds if they switch from a standard variable rate (SVR) mortgage. The average SVR across the market is 4.41%, according to Moneyfacts. Borrowers end up on their lenders SVR when their initial mortgage deal ends. The average two-year fixed-rate mortgage across all deposit sizes is 2.58%. Rachel Springall, a finance expert at Moneyfacts.co.uk, said: The situation appears to be starting to change for the better in recent weeks as both rate competition and product volumes are starting to return. She added: The best deal will also depend on the overall package, so whilst there are some two-year fixed mortgages priced as low as 0.99%, they might not be the most attractive in terms of true cost. Businesses are being urged to check their options as the first repayments become due on the Coronavirus support loans that they took more than a year ago. Payments will be due this week for many of the early adopters of the Governments Bounce Back Loans, which launched in May last year. Companies were given 12 months where the Government picked up the 2.5% interest charged on the loans of up to 50,000. However now, 13 months later, some firms will be due to start making payments to their lenders. Richard Bearman, the managing director for small business lending at the British Business Bank which has been overseeing the scheme, said that business should check what options they have. The Bounce Back Loan Pay As You Grow scheme offers flexibility to borrowers in managing their repayments more effectively, and businesses may access its features, such as increasing term length and reducing monthly payments, throughout the term of their loans, he said. We encourage borrowers to contact lenders early in the three months leading up to their first repayment if these options are of immediate interest. The available options include extending the loan period from six to 10 years, pausing interest payments and loan repayments for one six month period and paying only interest for three six-month periods. More than 46.5 billion was lent by the UKs banks to small businesses which needed support during the Covid-19 pandemic. Nearly 700,000 businesses pounced early and took loans within the first month of its launch last May. Many of these firms will now be due to pay back in the coming weeks. A survey published earlier this week showed that around 22% of small companies aim to pay back the full loan within the next 12 months. However 15% said they will take a full decade to repay the maximum allowed under the Government-backed scheme. Around one in 100 said they do not ever expect to pay back the loans. Official data on repayments have not yet been gathered, but over time as payments start coming in the Government will have a better picture of how much money will be paid back. If any of the 1.5 million businesses who took out a bounce back loan do not repay it, the Government has promised to repay the lenders. Some worry that this might run into tens of billions of pounds. Six people, including two young teenagers, have been arrested on suspicion of murder after a 14-year-old boy was chased and stabbed to death. West Midlands Police said the suspects were all detained within the space of a few hours on Tuesday afternoon including two found in a vehicle in Cheshire. The victim is thought to have been chased into College Road in the Kingstanding area of Birmingham at around 7.30pm on Monday, before being stabbed. A forensics officer at the scene on College Road, Kingstanding (Jacob King/PA) A 33-year-old man was arrested from an address in Kingstanding at 3.35pm followed by a 13-year-old boy who was detained in the Walsall area. The force said another man aged 38 and a 14-year-old boy were arrested from a vehicle in Cheshire while two men, aged 36 and 35, surrendered to separate police stations in the West Midlands. All six suspects remain in police custody. Officers have previously said there is nothing to suggest the stabbing was racially-motivated but have since added that they are keeping an open mind about the motive for the attack. The force has voluntarily referred the case to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) after looking at previous incidents involving the victim. A police officer stands near the scene on College Road (Jacob King/PA) Detective Chief Inspector Stu Mobberley, leading the investigation, said: Weve made rapid progress on the investigation so far and these arrests are a significant step forward. Our officers have executed a series of warrants in the region and weve worked with police forces outside the area to apprehend suspects. Were still speaking to witnesses and really need to hear from anyone who has seen or heard something, even if they think we may already know or theyre not sure how important it is. We are aware of many different rumours circulating about the motive for the murder but we are keeping an open mind and pursuing all lines of enquiry. We ask people not to speculate on social media. The force said a post-mortem examination confirmed the youngster died from a stab wound to the chest. Labour MP Jack Dromey, whose Erdington constituency includes the area where the stabbing happened, said: Truly shocking that a 14-year-old teenage boy in Kingstanding was stabbed to death this evening. A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokeswoman said they were called to the scene at 7.35pm on Monday, arriving within five minutes. Police have urged anyone with information to come forward. WASHINGTON (AP) President Joe Biden will take part in a remembrance of one of the nations darkest and largely forgotten moments of racial violence when he helps commemorate the 100th anniversary of the destruction of a thriving Black community in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Bidens visit Tuesday, in which he will grieve for the hundreds of Black people killed by a white mob a century ago, comes amid a national reckoning on racial justice. And it will stand in stark contrast to the most recent visit to Tulsa by a president, which took place last year. Biden will be the first president to participate in remembrances of the destruction of what was known as Black Wall Street. In 1921 on May 31 and June 1 Tulsa's white residents and civil society leaders looted and burned to the ground the Greenwood district and used planes to drop projectiles on it. Up to 300 Black Tulsans were killed, and thousands of survivors were forced for a time into internment camps overseen by the National Guard. Burned bricks and a fragment of a church basement are about all that survive today of the more than 30-block historically Black district. America's continuing struggle over racial justice will continue to test Biden, whose presidency would have been impossible without overwhelming support from Black voters, both in the Democratic primaries and the general election. Biden has pledged to help combat racism in policing and other areas of life following nationwide protests after George Floyds death a year ago that reignited a national conversation about race. Floyd, a Black man, was killed by white Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who pressed his knee on Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes. After Chauvin was convicted in April, Biden said the countrys work was far from finished with the verdict, declaring, We cant stop here. He called on Congress to act swiftly to address policing reform. But he has also long projected himself as an ally of police, who are struggling with criticism about long-used tactics and training methods and difficulties in recruitment. Despite its horror, the Tulsa massacre has only recently entered the national discourse and the presidential visit will put an even brighter spotlight on the event. This is so important because we have to recognize what we have done if we are going to be otherwise, said Eddie Glaude, chair of the Center for African American Studies at Princeton University. Biden's visit, Glaude said, "has to be more than symbolic. To tell the truth is the precondition for reconciliation, and reconciliation is the basis for repair. President Joe Biden speaks at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day, Monday, May 31, 2021, in Arlington, Va.( Biden on Tuesday will take part in a remembrance of one of the nations darkest _ and largely forgotten _ moments of racial violence, marking the 100th anniversary of a massacre in Tulsa, Oklahoma that wiped out a thriving Black community. AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Biden, while visiting the Greenwood Cultural Center, is set to announce new measures to help narrow the wealth gap between Blacks and whites and reinvest in underserved communities by expanding access to homeownership and small-business ownership. The White House said the administration will take steps to address disparities that result in Black-owned homes being appraised at tens of thousands of dollars less than comparable homes owned by whites as well as issue new federal rules to fight housing discrimination. The administration is also setting a goal of increasing the share of federal contracts awarded to small disadvantaged businesses by 50% by 2026, funneling an estimated additional $100 billion to such businesses over the five-year period, according to the White House. Biden will also discuss ways his jobs plan still a subject of negotiation with Congress can help create jobs and build wealth in communities of color. Historians say the massacre in Tulsa began after a local newspaper drummed up a furor over a Black man accused of stepping on a white girls foot. When Black Tulsans showed up with guns to prevent the mans lynching, white residents responded with overwhelming force. A grand jury investigation at the time concluded, without evidence, that unidentified agitators had given Tulsas African Americans both their firearms and what was described as their mistaken belief in equal rights, social equality and their ability to demand the same. Tensions persist 100 years later. Organizers called off a headline commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre, saying no agreement could be reached over monetary payments to three survivors of the deadly attack. It highlights broader debates over reparations for racial injustice. Reparations for Black Americans whose ancestors were enslaved and for other racial discrimination have been debated in the U.S. since slavery ended in 1865. Now they are being discussed by colleges and universities with ties to slavery and by local governments looking to make cash payments to Black residents. But some of Tulsas Black residents question whether the $20 million spent to build the Greenwood Rising museum in an increasingly gentrified part of the city could have been better spent helping Black descendants of the massacre or residents of the citys predominantly Black north side several miles away from Greenwood. Disagreements among Black leaders in Tulsa over the handling of commemorative events and millions of dollars in donations have led to two disparate groups planning separate slates of anniversary events. Biden, who was vice president to the nations first Black president and who chose a Black woman as his own vice president, backs a study of reparations, both in Tulsa and more broadly, but has not committed to supporting payments. He recently declared the need for America to confront its ugly past, saying, We must acknowledge that there can be no realization of the American dream without grappling with the original sin of slavery and the centuries-long campaign of violence, fear and trauma wrought upon African American people in this country. He issued a proclamation designating Monday as a day of remembrance for the massacre. Biden's predecessor Donald Trump visited Tulsa last year under vastly different circumstances. After suspending his campaign rallies because of the coronavirus pandemic, Trump chose Tulsa as the place to mark his return. But his decision to schedule the rally on June 19, the holiday known as Juneteenth that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States, was met with such fierce criticism that Trump postponed the event by a day. The rally was still marked by protests outside and empty seats inside an arena downtown. Trump arrived in Tulsa during a highly charged moment, days after he had ordered the forcible clearing of Lafayette Square across from the White House, with federal officers pushing out those peacefully protesting Floyds death. Trump reflexively embraced law enforcement throughout his presidency and was frequently accused of using racist rhetoric when painting apocalyptic and inaccurate scenes of American cities. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. The city said no states are recording 15 cases per 100,000 residents, which is the trigger for requiring visitors from a state to quarantine or obtain a negative test. The change marks the first time since July 2020 that no states are listed on Chicagos quarantine tier. Express your opinion! Fill out this form to submit a Letter to the Editor. Submit Yes, it's the only way to get anything done Yes, the filibuster is outdated No, Senate tradition should not be thrown out No, we need bipartisanship I don't know Vote View Results We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Submit Center escalating tensions with Mamata's government Kolkata: In a move that may further escalate tensions between the Centre and the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government, the Union home ministry late on Monday evening slapped a showcause notice on 1987-batch IAS officer Alapan Bandyopadhyay hours before he retired as the states chief secretary after rejecting a three-month extension. The notice, under Section 51 of the Disaster Management Act 2005, which is punishable by a prison term of up to two years or a fine, or both, was served to the states former top bureaucrat as he skipped a review meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 28 on the devastation by Cyclone Yaas in the state. Mr Bandyopadhyay, who has been appointed by chief minister Mamata Banerjee as her chief adviser for three years after he retired from service, was directed to explain in writing to the ministry within three days on why action should not be taken against him under Section 51 of the DM Act. This particular section relates to punishment for obstruction for refusal to comply with a direction given by the Central government. The notice states: The officer, by abstaining himself from the review meeting taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at cyclone-affected Kalaikunda in West Bengal on May 28, has acted in a manner tantamount to refusing to comply with the lawful directions of the Central government and is thus violative of Section 51(b) of the Disaster Management Act 2005. After the Prime Minister arrived at Kalaikunda for a scheduled review meeting with the chief minister and chief secretary of West Bengal, the Prime Minister and other members of his entourage waited for nearly 15 minutes for the officers of the state government to arrive. In view of the absence, the chief secretary was called by an official as to whether they wanted to participate in the review meeting or not. Thereafter, the chief secretary arrived, along with the chief minister, inside the meeting room and left thereafter immediately, the notice further added. On May 28, the department of personnel and training (DoPT), which is under the ministry of personnel, public grievances and pensions headed by the PM, had directed Mr Bandyopadhyay to report to its office at North Block in New Delhi on Monday morning for his Central deputation. When he skipped it, a second notice on Monday evening asked him to report on Tuesday morning. This time too, Mr Bandyopadhyay stayed away. While the DoPT is the cadre-controlling authority of IAS officers, the showcause notice was served under provisions of the DM Act, which is under the direct purview of the Union home ministry. The National Disaster Management Authority is headed by the PM. Sources at Nabanna, the state secretariat, claimed on Tuesday evening that Mr Bandyopadhyay would reply to the MHAs notice, citing proper grounds. Attacking the CM and Mr Bandyopadhyay, BJP MLA and Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari tweeted: Theatre of the absurd is playing out in West Bengal. For the sake of her own ego, to destroy Indias federal structure and protect the chief secretary for his indiscipline, (non-MLA) CM @MamataOfficial Didi is bringing disrepute to the CM office and the Constitution of India. What secrets does the outgoing CS know that (non-MLA) CM @MamataOfficial is moving heaven and earth to protect him? Is it really becoming of a CS to skip the Prime Ministers meet organised to help the people in duress due to Cyclone Yaas? No. It is not. He claimed: I demand strictest action be taken against the outgoing CS for indiscipline, violating service rules at a time of a natural disaster and a global pandemic, irregularities, and not helping others just because of sinister political games. TMC has failed the people of West Bengal. Looting taxpayer money is TMCs favourite hobby. Outgoing CS and now advisor to (non-MLA) CM @MamataOfficial will enjoy a comfortable salary of Rs 2.5 lakhs per month and cushy perks. Surely, there are better ways to spend the hard-earned money of the taxpayers. Russia to respond to EU hostility yet ready for dialogue: FM Xinhua) 09:01, June 01, 2021 MOSCOW, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Russia will retaliate for any "unfriendly" moves from the European Union (EU) but remains ready for open dialogue based on equality, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Monday. "We will not leave unfriendly moves, including attempts to talk from a position of strength and interference in internal affairs, without a response," Lavrov said at the opening of a conference on Russian-EU relations in Moscow. He said that while the bloc is mulling anti-Russian moves, initiators of such hostile policies should consider whether they are in line with the EU's interests. Lavrov criticized the EU for preferring "ungrounded accusations" to "fact-based dialogue." Nevertheless, the top diplomat said that Russia is interested in conversations with the EU. "We have repeatedly said that we are open for constructive cooperation with the EU that would be based on the principles of equality and mutual respect," he added. According to Lavrov, the two sides could work together to counter international terrorism, combat drug trafficking, curb cybercrimes, preserve strategic stability, address climate change, and fight the COVID-19 pandemic. (Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun) It could also be that people are just particularly happy to dine at Andros Taverna, which is the most exciting new Greek restaurant to open in Chicago in the past few years. Psaltis, a veteran of a number of high-profile Lettuce Entertain You restaurants downtown such as RPM Steak, calls this his passion project, where he was able to draw from his familys Greek heritage and his many trips to Greece to create a restaurant focused on traditional recipes through a contemporary lens. You are the owner of this article. Stay up to date on COVID-19 Get Breaking News Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox. In recent years, a number of Porsche 911 s have climbed to the top of the podium in the competition reserved for classic cars, and the one we have here was designed to be a nod to them. More specifically, it comes with both the looks and some of the mechanics of a rally Porsche.First up, its appearance. The 1976 911 comes in Talbot Yellow, a color it was gifted with some 15 years ago. It supports a livery meant to be reminiscent of that of the Brumos Porsche that landed a win at the 1973 12 Hours of Sebring.The East African Safari connection comes in the form of the modified Elephant Racing suspension components and some other nipntucks that clearly make this 911 stand out in the crowd.First up, we have the 16-inch white Fuchs wheels wrapped in BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A tires. There are five of them, four supporting the car and a fifth on the roof, waiting to be used in case of need.The hood of the car is where additional lights have been installed, and the black interior comes with racing bucket seats, a half roll cage, and an in-car intercom with headsets.Power for the Porsche no longer comes from its original engine but from a replacement 3.2-liter flat-six sourced from a European-market 911. The engine is paired with a five-speed manual transmission and shows some 115,000 miles (185,000 km) of use.The rally-bred 911, officially titled Safari-Style Euro 1976 Porsche 911 Carrera 3.2L 5-Speed, is up for grabs on Bring a Trailer . With three days left until the auction closes, the highest offer sits at $63,500. AMG The coupes two doors look fantastic when open, but its not easy to get past the large door sills and, at the same time, beware of hitting the low gullwing doors. As such, and with the prospect of incoming summer trips , we see value in having the SLSin roadster form.Of course, it could be that weve also found the (perfect) companion in this 16,000-mile (less than 26,000 km) 2013 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT Roadster thats still up for grabs at auction for a very limited time (around 12 hours at the time of writing) on Bring a Trailer.It was sold new in Las Vegas, Nevada, and has resided afterward in California , so you can bet it has only seen lots of sunny days and its in a cool rust-free state (hence the nice undercarriage shots in the gallery).Now on dealer consignment from ChequeredFlagUS (located in Marina del Rey, California), the Obsidian Black Metallic over Black Exclusive leather example comes not only with a low mileage but also a clean Carfax and California title. Naturally, the bid is also a hefty one , currently at exactly $107,000.Featuring a matching black soft top and lots of reinforcements to try and retain the stiffness of the coupe version, the SLS AMG GT includes a lot of neat highlights. Some of them include the staggered ten-spoke AMG wheels, red contrasting stitching and safety belts, Airscarf neck warmers, and Alcantara touches. Above all, the party piece is the feisty and handmade 6.2-liter M159 V8 that churned out 583 horsepower and 479 lb-ft (649 Nm) of torque on the factory floor when specified to a GT model. SUV One of the worst-kept secrets of the automotive world of 2021 is Toyotas new J300 iteration of the iconic Land Cruiser series. It has been photographed and filmed from virtually every angle , while social media tipsters have also leaked a steady stream of crucial information.Thats how everybody found out the new generationlikely arriving in the Middle East before any other regionwill switch to the companys TNGA-F platform, introduce an all-new GR Sport version (we even have the dimensions for this one ), and unfortunately lose the traditional V8 mill as it downsizes to a couple of V6s.One would be the turbo 3.5-liter V6 gasoline option sporting 409 horsepower and 479 lb-ft (649 Nm), while the smaller 3.3-liter diesel will churn out 302 horsepower and a higher 516 lb-ft (700 Nm) of twist. Theyre both hooked to a new 10-speed automatic, but Toyota also promises it will remain 4WD with no compromise to off-road performance, according to a leaked document.Quite oblivious to the massive leaks, Toyota Middle East has finally started the pre-introduction marketing campaign with a very short six-second video that doesnt feature much of the Land Cruiser J300 (save for the badge and grille). Instead, its title (featuring the words Teaser 1) promises more is coming and advances June 9th as the reveal date Toyotas next-generation flagshipmay or may not reach the United States after all (In Europe we're dealing with a different version, the Land Cruiser Prado/J150 ), but we can consider the LC300 as a good preview of the things to come for the next generation Tundra pickup, considering the two models usually share much of the same underpinnings.The good folks over at landcruiserupdates have quickly uncovered information regarding the eagerly awaited moment of arrival in dealerships. It seems that, at least for the Kuwait market, the date has been set for June 20th. Croatia had other offers to choose from, with the U.S. and Sweden losing to Frances Dassault Aviation bid, which made the best offer in terms of price, according to Croatias Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, as reported by Airforce Technology.The 12 jets are used and were previously in service with the French Air Force. Croatia has agreed to pay approximately $1.2 billion in installments for the aircraft , starting in early 2022. The first six Rafale combat fighters from Dassault will be delivered in 2024 and the other half, the following year. Dassault Aviation will also throw in training and fleet support for the money.The costly acquisition is part of Croatias multi-role fighter aircraft (MRFA) program and the Defence Ministry started analyzing the offers back in November 2020.Plenkovic stated that he considers this to be the best solution for Croatia in the long run. The decision is also meant to enhance the bilateral relations between France and Croatia and their strategic partnership signed in 2010.The package will include F3-R jets, two of them being two-seaters and the other ten single-seaters. Rafale F3-R is an upgraded and more versatile version of the standard F3. Its systems and sensors are improved for flawless interoperability.The Rafale aircraft is a twin-jet multirole combat fighter that entered service with the French Air Force back in 2006 and even earlier than that, in 2004, with the French Navy. It is capable of both short-range and long-range missions and it is suitable for ground and sea attacks. Rafale can carry 1.5 times its weight in weapons and fuel and can be used for tactical reconnaissance, interception and air-to-air combat, maritime strike with the Exocet AM39 Block 2 missile as well as other weapons, in-flight refueling, nuclear deterrence using the ASMP-A missile, and more. It is its versatility that makes it a reliable omnirole aircraft. The first flight of the behemoth took place way back in the late 1960s, and to date, just a couple of hundreds of them have been made. As usual with such machines, there are several variants of the plane, depending on who uses them and for what.The one depicted in the main photo of this piece is of the C-5M Super Galaxy variety. Its the one with a wingspan of 222.8 feet (67.91 meters) and a total length of 247.8 feet (75.53 meters). Its the most recent incarnation of the family, in that it is presently being modernized by its maker.In the final days of the month that just ended, one of these Super Galaxies was subjected to a defensive countermeasures test program. As part of the program, the airplane at one point had to release its flares, and that is when the amazing photo attached to this piece was taken (click photo to enlarge).The particular plane you see here belongs to the 436th Airlift Wing, and the image was shot at the Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. Thats the same place from where the only two F-15EX fighters jets in operation presently fly.As for the flares released by military aircraft, most of you already know they are designed to counter heat-seeking missiles and other weapons, fooling them into not getting a lock on the plane. They do so by burning hot (flares are usually magnesium-based), much hotter than the airplane's engines, thus diverting the killer weapons to follow them instead. After all, there was a lot of breath-taking action in various classes, from Extreme to Pro and even the quirky ET Bracket. There were many highlights, and one of them comes courtesy of the Door Slammers Drag Racing YouTube channel. We're talking about a Pro Street skirmish between a New Edge fourth-generation Ford Mustang and a thoroughly reworked black competitor thats most likely a first-generation Chevy Camaro.Unfortunately, the D.S.D.R. folks arent putting much perspective behind this encounter, except for the name of the highly skilled driver sitting inside the crimson Blue Oval racer. Luckily, we also uncovered another angle of this race courtesy of the Precision Turbo & Engine social media page, and we have that embedded below as well.Its a bit lower in resolution than its YT equivalent, but we couldnt miss the opportunity to present this very cool eighth-mile race both from the front and rear. Thats because it provides valuable input on the fine line walked by the red New Edge Mustang . Both Pro Street racers look incredibly cool, one sporting the early 2000s traits and the other with a touch of 1960s vintage to the menacing all-black attire.But the star of this drag racing show is, most definitely, the Ford. Thats because the driver (and engineers, probably) masterfully control the boosted monster to riding the wheelie bars almost the entire run. And not only he skillfully avoids flipping the car into a spectacular (and potentially dangerous) crash, but he also dips below the four-second threshold.At the end of the strip, he crosses (possibly with the rear wheels only, so his time might have been even better) the finish line in just 3.97 seconds, easily nailing the win against the rivals good (but unspectacular) 4.24-second run. I have proof. In my role as co-color commentator for the Tournament of Books, I championed Long Division for inclusion in the 2014 contest. While it lost to Donna Tartts The Goldfinch in the opening round, I had this to say in my commentary: As I made my way down (the first page), I found myself cackling with increasing intensity. The character of City had me at hello, or in this case that opening tour-de-force sentence . I think Kiese Laymon is a major, major talent, as evidenced in his companion release of essays, How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America. Described by its maker, American company Honeywell , as the worlds only certified satellite-based navigation and precision landing system, SmartPath is designed in such a way as to handle a multitude of airplanes approaching multiple runways simultaneously, while at the same time providing pilots with the best and shortest approach route.More to the point, unlike the current Instrument Landing System used at SFO and elsewhere, which can handle just one precision approach to one runway end at a time, SmartPath is capable of handling 48 approaches and covers all runway ends.Capable of operating in all weather conditions, the Honeywell system sends data to the aircraft, guiding it down the most direct flight path. The aircraft and their pilots could also be told what paths to take from further out and even at higher altitudes.This approach reduces the time the aircraft spends in the air, burning fuel as it often is required to circle and wait for a runway to clear for landing, and hence could cut down on fuel consumption. Honeywell says the smarter distribution of approach paths could also lead to reduced noise in the areas surrounding the airport.Neither Honeywell nor SFOs reps said when exactly the system should be up and running in San Francisco. Were told it should be done with sometime by the end of this year and should be able to handle the needs of the local airport for decades to come. Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. More foreign-born immigrants are moving to the center of the U.S. than in the past, according to a new report by Heartland Forward. Why it matters: With population growth in the U.S. slower than it has been for the last 100 years, both high-skilled and low-skilled industries across America have come to rely more on immigrants to power their workforces. Many states' populations would be shrinking if not for immigrants, the New York Times reported last year. Immigrants' children typically achieve significant upward mobility. A 2016 population survey showed 38% of 2nd-generation immigrants completed college, compared to 32% of 1st-generation immigrants and 33% of native-born Americans. The big picture: The report's findings counter perceptions that immigrants tend to settle on the coasts "because they're not welcome" in the middle of the country, Ross DeVol, president and CEO of Heartland Forward, told Axios. Heartland Forward is a Bentonville, Arkansas, think tank focused on improving economic performance in the 20-state region it calls the "heartland." By the numbers: The report found the overall foreign-born population who live in that 20-state region has risen from 23.5% in 2010 to 31% in 2019. Zoom in: Both Northwest Arkansas and Des Moines house headquarters for some of America's largest companies which require at least a college degree for many positions and have likely recruited talent from outside the country. In the Northwest Arkansas metropolitan area, the change in foreign-born residents grew by nearly 33% between 2010 and 2019. And a large portion of immigrants moving to the Des Moines area in the last 20 years were likely recruited and already had a college degree, per DeVol. Data: Heartland Forward. Chart: Axios Visuals Yes, but: Outside of bigger cities, things are more stark for rural areas, which have suffered population losses for decades. But even there, immigrants have helped stem that tide, thanks to an influx of refugees taking agriculture-focused jobs. What they're saying: Eldon Alik, consul general of the Marshallese Consulate in Springdale, Arkansas, said the community of Marshall Islanders there have been welcomed and largely assimilated into the community. He attributes this partly to a shared Christian faith. And Pew Research Center found in 2017 that most Muslims (55%) in the U.S. feel Americans are generally friendly toward them and most (70%) say they can get ahead with hard work. What's next: Heartland America believes that further educating mayors, business leaders and governors about immigration benefits may create a grassroots effort to diversify populations with buy-in from the communities. "As we go forward, diversity and inclusion are not optional; it's not something nice it's fundamental to the economic development of our state," Bryan Slone, president of the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry said for the report. The bottom line: Those invested in the region believe there's a case to be made for attracting immigrants of all skill levels to the country's geographic middle. Israel will ask the U.S. for $1 billion in additional emergency military aid this week, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) told "Fox and Friends" on Tuesday and Israeli officials confirmed. Why it matters: Israeli officials say the aid is needed to replenish the Iron Dome aerial defense system and to purchase munitions for the Israeli air force mainly precision-guided bombs. But several congressional Democrats have argued against providing additional weapons to Israel after at least 256 Palestinians were killed during last month's fighting in the Gaza Strip, mainly by Israeli airstrikes. The Iron Dome system was used to intercept thousands of rockets from Hamas during the 11 days of fighting, and Biden has already said the U.S. would replenish it. Driving the news: Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz will arrive in Washington on Thursday for talks with Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and national security adviser Jake Sullivan, Gantzs office said. The aid request will be the focus of Gantz's visit, Israeli officials say. While in Washington, Gantz will also discuss the Iran nuclear deal, the Gaza ceasefire and reconstruction efforts, and the situation in Lebanon. Worth noting: The Biden administration has promised $110 million to go toward reconstruction efforts in Gaza. What he's saying: There is going to be a request made by the Israelis to the Pentagon on Thursday for $1 billion in aid to replenish Iron Dome batteries. It will be a good investment for the American people. I will make sure in the Senate that they get the money," Graham told Fox a day after meeting Netanyahu and Gantz in Israel. Flashback: In 2016, Israel and the U.S. signed an agreement for $3.8 billion in military aid to Israel over 10 years, with Israel able to ask for additional funding in case of an emergency. Go deeper: Evictions of Palestinians could spark further conflict, Blinken tells Axios Seventeen Democratic senators have written to Secretary of State Tony Blinken urging him to press Israel to allow materials needed for reconstruction and humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. The effort is led by Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.). Why it matters: The U.S., Egypt, Qatar and others have committed to rebuilding Gaza where many homes, health care facilities and schools were destroyed and crucial water infrastructure was damaged in the fighting as well as providing humanitarian aid. But Israel is threatening to hold up that process. Israel has told the U.S. and Egypt that it won't allow the reconstruction to begin unless progress is made on securing the release of Israeli citizens and the bodies of Israeli soldiers held by Hamas. Israel and Egypt control the border crossings with the Gaza Strip and restrict the movement of people and goods. Israel has imposed a maritime blockade on Gaza for more than a decade. What they're saying: In a letter shared with Axios, the senators wrote that the Biden administration should insist on the reopening of two border crossings "so that critical humanitarian personnel can enter and that fuel and building materials can be brought in to address the growing needs of the civilian population." The senators called on Blinken to ask Israel to lift restrictions on the movement of Palestinians for medical treatment or to visit relatives. Very few Palestinians have received such permits in recent years. They also called for U.S. funding to humanitarian efforts in Gaza to be restored to pre-Trump levels and urged the administration to appoint an ambassador to Israel, consul general in Jerusalem to coordinate with the Palestinians, and USAID chief of mission. "In order for this ceasefire to be durable and avoid a renewal of the cycle of violence, it is critical that we improve the dire conditions in Gaza that only contribute to despair and further fuel extremism," the senators stressed. Between the lines: Van Hollen and his fellow signatories didn't try to get any Republicans to sign onto the letter in light of the negative statements several Senate Republicans had made on U.S. aid to the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, according to a Senate staffer familiar with the process. Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Cruz (R-Texas) and Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) visited Israel this week but didnt visit the Palestinian Authority or meet with any Palestinians. Graham used his trip to call for more military aid to Israel. Whats next: Blinken told me in an interview last week that the reconstruction process must move forward and not be conditioned on the return of the Israeli soldiers and citizens held by Hamas. Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel visited Israel this week and conveyed the same message. Full letter below: More than a dozen Republican state treasurers are threatening to pull assets from large financial institutions if they agree to decarbonize their lending and investment portfolios, Axios has learned. Why it matters: The Biden administration led by special presidential climate envoy John Kerry has leaned on the banks to help reduce U.S. carbon emissions. That's prompted GOP lawmakers to criticize efforts to "de-bank" fossil fuel firms. The treasurers collectively control hundreds of billions worth of assets. Fifteen of them, led by coal-heavy West Virginia, say they're prepared to use this financial muscle to push back. The effort includes treasurers from other states with large energy industry presences such as North Dakota, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Oklahoma. What's happening: The state officials sent a letter on Tuesday to Kerry, who's leading the administration's efforts to enlist banks in its climate policy fight. "We intend to put banks and financial institutions on notice of our position, as we urge them not to give in to pressure from the Biden administration to refuse to lend to or invest in coal, oil and natural gas companies," the officials wrote. In an interview with Axios, West Virginia state Treasurer Riley Moore said he was prepared to terminate contracts with banks that pull back their fossil fuel industry lending in response to administration pressure. "Frankly, it is not fair for the people of West Virginia to allow a bank to handle our money when they're diametrically opposed to our way of life," Moore said. What they're saying: Moore called the issue "a matter of life and death for my people." He said coal and gas operators in his state have reported difficulties obtaining financing from banks blaming pressure from the Biden administration to try to "green" their portfolios. "If you just cut these guys off at the knees gas and coal in a state like West Virginia and they can no longer conduct their business ... it is going to destroy us," Moore said. He cited the industries' heavy jobs footprint and contributions to the state's tax base. "At no point has Secretary Kerry pressured financial institutions into making commitments," a State Department spokesperson said in an emailed statement. "On the contrary, many financial institutions have reached out to Secretary Kerry to initiate conversations regarding the financial risks and potential opportunities related to climate change." Between the lines: The state officials signing the letter collectively manage more than $600 billion in assets in state treasuries, pension funds and other government accounts, according to publicly available financials and information provided by the state treasurer offices. Those states work with large financial institutions to invest and grow those funds, to support state spending and retirement payments to former workers. Even for sizable investment banks, such funds can be some of their largest accounts. Editor's note: This story has been updated with comments from the State Department. Twitter is partnering with veteran climate journalist and meteorologist Eric Holthaus to launch a local weather news service on the platform called "Tomorrow" that will be built using all of Twitter's new creator products from paid newsletters to ticketed live audio rooms and more. Why it matters: "It's the largest collective of writers and experts we've launched with," Twitter's VP of product Mike Park tells Axios. Details: "Tomorrow" launches Tuesday across 16 cities in North America with the participation of 18 local meteorologists who will create free content and content for members. Holthaus, who's written about climate for many years via publications such as Grist, The Wall Street Journal, and Slate, is the only full-time employee for now. He plans to bring on roughly 20-30 climate writers and 4 part-time editorial staffers in addition to the 18 professional local meteorologists. The team will produce newsletters and exclusive long-form content on Twitter via the company's newly-acquired newsletter platform Revue, as well as membership-specific short-form content for users, such as ticketed live audio sessions via Twitter "Spaces" and audience Q&A services. The Q&A services will be unique to this model. Members can ask unlimited questions during breaking news weather events to meteorologists and climate experts, essentially scaling a function that Holthaus says has become second-nature for climate and weather experts on Twitter anyway. For now, Holthaus says they will solicit questions via email, but in the future, he imagines they will be submitted via a password-protected part of the Revue website, which is still in development. "You can imagine paying subscribers getting even closer to experts, using features like Spaces to ask questions before a hurricane or other severe events," Park says. Be smart: Twitter has long been the go-to platform for breaking news events, but weather events have become especially endemic to conversations on Twitter, given that the news changes so rapidly by the minute. "[W]eather is a perfect match for Twitter some of the largest spikes in conversations on Twitter are tied to severe events like hurricanes, floods and fires," says Park. some of the largest spikes in conversations on Twitter are tied to severe events like hurricanes, floods and fires," says Park. "During Hurricane Sandy, my Twitter following went from 5,000 to 150,00 in a week," Holthaus notes, "I was just interpreting weather information through plain language and meeting people where they needed me at that moment." my Twitter following went from 5,000 to 150,00 in a week," Holthaus notes, "I was just interpreting weather information through plain language and meeting people where they needed me at that moment." Holthaus says he is often flooded with DM's (Twitter direct messages) from desperate people all over the world looking for answers about evacuation and emergency plans during catastrophes. "People say you literally saved our life, when there wasn't clear information reaching them from federal authorities." By the numbers: Memberships will start out at $10 monthly. Holthaus, who is bootstrapping the operation for now, says he hopes to be revenue positive by the end of the first week. "The goal is to be in most of 50 major media markets in North America by the end of this year," he says. In 2022, he wants to expand internationally to places where Twitter usage is high, but there aren't as sophisticated of weather services, like India and Brazil. The big picture: For Twitter, "Tomorrow" represents the manifestation of a new creative vision and business model. Earlier this year, Twitter said it wanted to double down on subscription revenues via tools that help bring experts or influential people and fans together. Last week, Revue announced that it's testing new promotional tools inside newsletters for writers that want to band together. What's next: Twitter wants to invest more in writer "collectives," especially at the local level. Macron also called on Armenia and Azerbaijan to demarcate their border through negotiations and without any fait accompli on the ground. The Azerbaijani troops must leave Armenias sovereign territory, he said after greeting Pashinian at the presidential Elysee Palace. I am calling on the parties to return to the positions held by them on May 11. France is ready to facilitate discussions. We stand in solidarity with Armenia and we will continue to do so, he added in a statement to the press made before a lunch meeting with Pashinian. Macron was quick to voice strong support for Yerevan after Azerbaijani forces reportedly crossed several sections of the border and advanced a few kilometers into Armenias Syunik and Gegharkunik provinces on May 12. They must withdraw immediately, he tweeted after a May 13 phone call with Pashinian. The U.S. State Department similarly urged Azerbaijan to pull back all forces immediately and cease further provocation on May 14. Baku maintains that its troops took up new positions on the Azerbaijani side of the frontier and did not cross into Armenia. Tensions at the contested border sections rose further after six Armenian soldiers were captured by Azerbaijani forces on May 27. Pashinian proposed hours later that both sides withdraw their troops from those areas and let Russia and/or the United States and France, the two other countries co-chairing the OSCE Minsk Group, deploy observers there. In a joint statement issued the following day, the French, Russian and U.S. diplomats co-heading the Minsk Group backed the proposed troop disengagement. But they did not specify whether their countries are ready to send observers. Macron said on Tuesday that France will do its best to achieve a de-escalation and re-establishment of dialogue between the parties. He indicated that the border crisis and the broader situation in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone will be high on the agenda of his meeting with Pashinian. Pashinian thanked the French leader for having spoken the language of truth since the outset of the crisis. This is extremely important for overcoming crisis situations in our region, he told reporters before the talks. James St. James (who would go on the write the memoir-turned-film Party Monster), my best friend at the time, had a theory that if you can break out of obscurity for any reason at all, if you follow it up by showing you have talent, then you can sort of side step into the career of your dreams. The funny thing is, he was absolutely right. In my case, he just didnt know how painful that transition can be. Or, maybe Im just too sensitive. Plenty of people might be rooting for you (thank you Michael Musto and Patrick McMullan), but just as many want you to fail because who are you to get attention like that? What have you done to deserve it? Its last holder, Ara Ayvazian, stepped down on May 27 following an emergency meeting of the countrys Security Council which discussed mounting tensions on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. Ayvazian was formally relieved of his duties on Monday hours after addressing the Armenian Foreign Ministry staff at a farewell meeting. The outgoing foreign minister hinted that he decided to quit because of disagreeing with government decisions which he believes could put the countrys sovereignty and national security at risk. He did not go into details. A spokeswoman for Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian challenged Ayvazian to publicly clarify who, where and how was going to take some steps or to make decisions contradicting our countrys national and state interests. Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigorian similarly said on Tuesday that Ayvazian should elaborate on his concerns. Grigorian insisted that there are no threats to Armenias territorial integrity emanating from the Pashinian governments ongoing or planned talks with Azerbaijan. He specifically denied any secret deals on the demarcation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. Grigorian also dismissed Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyevs continuing claims about the impending creation of a transport corridor that will connect Azerbaijan to its Nakhichevan exclave through Armenias Syunik province. He said Yerevan and Baku and Yerevan have only discussed the opening of transport links between the two states envisaged by a Russian-brokered agreement that stopped last years war in Nagorno-Karabakh. We are talking about our sovereign infrastructures in case of the unblocking [transport routes,] he told reporters. A government spokesperson told RFE/RLs Armenian Service that Pashinian is unlikely to appoint a new foreign minister before the upcoming elections. The ministerial duties will be performed by one of Armenias deputy foreign ministers in the meantime, the official said without naming him. Ayvazian had four deputies. One of them, Gagik Ghalachian, also tendered his resignation on May 27. Like other cabinet members, Ayvazian technically held the ministerial post in an acting capacity after the government stepped down in April to pave the way for the snap polls. Some lawyers believe that Armenian law does not allow the replacement of acting ministers. Whether or not this is legally permissible, its hard to imagine anyone agreeing to become acting minister now, especially with only 19 days to go before the elections, said Beniamin Poghosian, a political analyst. Poghosian suggested that career diplomats like Ayvazian must be especially reluctant to replace him even temporarily given his serious differences with Pashinian. Aram Hakobian, a deputy director of the National Security Service (NSS), declined to give any details of those efforts or say if they have made any progress. The prisoners include six Armenian soldiers who were captured by Azerbaijani forces on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border on May 27. The incident heightened tensions at several portions of the frontier where troops from the two countries have been locked in a standoff for the last three weeks. The Armenian Defense Ministry initially threatened to take military action to free its servicemen. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian indicated, however, that Yerevan will continue to exercise caution in the border dispute that has prompted serious concern from the international community. There must be negotiations, only negotiations, there will be no use of force, Hakobian told reporters. We have to try to bring back our remaining prisoners as a result of negotiations. Hakobian said that although Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations on the dispute were stopped on May 19 relevant officials from the two sides continue to communicate with each other. He did not elaborate. The Armenian and Russian defense ministers met in Moscow on May 28 to discuss the dispute. According to the Armenian Defense Ministry, they agreed on necessary steps to resolve it. The ministry said on Monday that Defense Ministers Sergei Shoigu and Vagharshak Harutiunian discussed ways of implementing that agreement when they spoke by phone three days later. It did not give any details. A headstone displays a recipe for Kay's Fudge in the Logan Cemetery, on May 25, 2021, in Logan, Utah. The headstone which is gaining notoriety around the world thanks to photos posted online. Aside from birth and death dates for Wade and Kathryn Andrews, the headstone displays a recipe for Kay's Fudge, Fox13-KSTU reported. PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) - The Tussock and Spur fires have served as reminders that Arizona still has a ways to go when it comes to fire prevention. These are events that have displaced multiple families in just the last few weeks. Spur Fire 90% contained after destroying 13 Bagdad homes Now 90% contained, the Spur Fire might have been sparked by a road construction crew, according to the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office. They're also examples of what forest restoration could have perhaps prevented. "We have to do it in Arizona across two and a half million acres alone," Nature Conservancy Forest Ecologist Travis Woolley said. "And we have to do that fast." When it comes to forest management, traditional techniques have involved marking vulnerable trees with paint so that they can later be removed to avoid overcrowding. That's not just inefficient. It's also costly. "Forestry is a profession that prides itself on doing things the way they've been done in the past," said NAU Ecological Restoration Institute Executive Director Andrew Sanchez Meador. "And with technology, that's not always a good thing." That's where tablets come in. "We're actually going out and drawing areas on a map that the operator can have in their harvest machinery on a tablet that shows in real time where they're at in relation to what we've asked them to do," said Woolley. This leads to larger areas of forest being harvested, and a lower chance of flames jumping from one flammable tree to another. To further increase the scale of the restoration efforts, forestry services are also beginning to use LIDAR (light detection and ranging technology). "We use that information, in the case of LIDAR, to build 3D structures that tell us a lot about the structure and composition and condition of our forests," said Sanchez Meador. Data which is invaluable during times when our natural resources are being strained like never before. "If we don't perform these restoration activities, we will lose forests that we all value for a variety of reasons," Woolley said. "Everything from water and carbon, to recreation, and just protecting communities again from these catastrophic wildfires." PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) - A licensed clinical psychologist determined Lori Vallow is not competent to stand trial after her attorney submitted for an evaluation, however a former prosecutor says this doesn't mean she won't ever see a trial for the charges against her. "They've apparently got some psychologist who has evaluated her and said look, she's not going to be able to assist you in the trial or she doesn't understand the nature of the proceedings against her," said Mel McDonald, a former county prosecutor who is not linked to this case. The court document stating her incompetency also noted that the state prosecutor in Idaho is contesting the finding. McDonald said the state will likely have to bring in their own psychologist for another evaluation. "What it tells us is the state does not believe she can't assist in her own defense or doesn't understand the nature of the consequences. They probably think she's bluffing it, faking it, talking to the wall or whatever the facts may be," McDonald said. "Often times what they do is she's in custody, they will have people periodically pay visits with her. A lot of calls come in and out when she has visitors or when she talks on the phone. A lot of times they will be able to gauge when she saw the psychologist, was she acting looney tunes but when other people come in she typically acted normally." A grand jury indicted Vallow on first-degree murder and conspiracy charges last week. Her kids, JJ and Tylee, were found buried in her husband's backyard in Idaho in June 2020. Vallow married Chad Daybell in November 2019 after the kids were reported missing and two weeks after Daybell's wife, Tammy, passed away. Daybell is also facing First Degree Murder charges for JJ, Tylee, and Tammy's deaths. Daybell had his charges read to him by a judge in an initial appearance last week, however Vallow's hearing was continued. According to the court document, the psychologist recommends restorative treatment for Vallow. "What they do is depending on the results of the hearing, they might put her in the hospital, they might give her therapy, medicines," McDonald explained. "Sometimes people tend to go bonkers if they suddenly see the world is crashed around them--their children's bodies have been found, she's now looking at murder, she's separated from her husband, her friends are disowning her--and a lot of times that will tend people to go a little bit over the edge." McDonald says Vallow will need to be able to understand her charges and be able to defend herself in trial in order to be ruled competent. "If the lawyer looks over and asks her a question and she doesn't understand what he's asking, if she doesn't understand the trial, her mind was wandering somewhere else and they can't help her--if she's going to court and she thinks she's going to a picnic--she won't be able to defend herself," McDonald said. In January 2019, Vallow's previous husband, Charles, filed a petition to have her evaluated at a mental health facility in Arizona after he says he threatened her. According to Gilbert Police, she ended up checking herself into Community Bridges and was released a short time later. "Everything that they can bring up into psychological issues she's had over the last couple years, I think they'll throw in there. There's a lot of really crazy things you find happening," McDonald said. According to investigators, Vallow lied to police about where her kids were and then moved to Hawaii with Daybell. Also according to court paperwork, Vallow was cashing in on JJ and Tylee's social security funds. "If she's filling out paperwork to get benefits of her two children--the kids who disappear and she knows they're dead--but getting financial benefits, those I think kind of benefit the state," McDonald said. "All of that evidence I think will cut against her in these competency hearings, she's functioning pretty well when she's on the run." Because the state prosecutor is challenging the competency finding, there will be a hearing on the matter. A court date has not been set yet. Illinois is no different than every other state thats legalized marijuana, Berlin said in a phone interview. People think its going to dry up the black market, but thats not been the experience. Legal marijuana is always going to be more expensive because of the taxes. Smallville actress Allison Mack to be sentenced this summer for role in NXIVM sex cult Lois Henry is the CEO and editor of SJV Water, a nonprofit, independent online news publication dedicated to covering water issues in the San Joaquin Valley. She can be reached at lois.henry@sjvwater.org. The website is sjvwater.org. I was seated in an upscale restaurant in Phoenix, Arizona. The hostess seated a black man across from me and easily in my line of sight. I was able to monitor the situation without it being obvious, while I continued my interactions with friends who were having dinner with me. Bluefield, WV (24701) Today Scattered thunderstorms this evening with some fog possible late. Low 62F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms this evening with some fog possible late. Low 62F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%. The White House said the administration will take steps to address disparities that result in Black-owned homes being appraised at tens of thousands of dollars less than comparable homes owned by whites as well as issue new federal rules to fight housing discrimination. The administration is also setting a goal of increasing the share of federal contracts awarded to small disadvantaged businesses by 50% by 2026, funneling an estimated additional $100 billion to such businesses over the five-year period, according to the White House. At first, it seemed like a case of Silicon Valley d-baggery. The man is shown smirking at the camera, seemingly knowing that he got away with this potentially deadly stunt. When the first story was published on SFGATE, it seemed like a cut-and-dry case: A guy is putting others in danger by back seat driving his Tesla across the Bay Area, and, after some calling out of the CHP, he was caught just days later when the CHP received calls of him pulling the same stunt Monday night, the CHP said. IN TEXAS: Texas is primed to be the next Silicon Valley Param Sharma, 25, was arrested Tuesday and charged with reckless driving and disobeying a peace officer. But the story doesnt end there. An onslaught of emails came in the days after SFGATE first reported on Sharmas antics. Some were from people who said they were former classmates of his at Albany High. One read: Please revoke his license. Another came from a person who identified himself as Sharma, saying that he was the owner of the car behind the stunt and offering his phone number to chat. And, in effect, he may have admitted to the crime: That was my Tesla and I got it only to commute from the back seat, the man claiming to be Sharma said in an email to SFGATE. A bit of digging revealed that he did, in fact, want to be seen doing this driverless Tesla stunt. He posted it on his YouTube and Instagram accounts. (In them, he wears the same Ralph Lauren cap as he does in the YouTube video recorded by a third party that went viral.) He seems to relish the infamy. Sharma recorded himself lip syncing to a song by NorCal rapper Mozzy from his backseat, while controlling the steering wheel with his foot; that post was shared on Instagram the Monday before his arrest. The caption read, Bitch tell the chp I bought my license. Another post, showing off the Daily Mails coverage of his back seat driving on an iPad, reads, I came outta the pandemic in a self driving car U blue blue collar peasants cant understand my life. A bit more digging found that this is all in line with his past behavior. Sharma went to Albany High in the early 2010s, where he pulled similar stunts, according to a classmate who spoke to SFGATE and was granted anonymity in accordance with Hearsts ethics policy. Hes just been really kind of one of those guys who acts out, one of those guys who really needs to be the center of attention and to an extent turning dangerous or unacceptable, pretty much a constant thorn in the side of the school administration, the classmate said. Sharma said he was the most popular kid at my school in one interview. READ ALSO: Elon Musk announces that 'now you can buy a Tesla with Bitcoin' and the cryptocurrency rebounds The former classmate said Sharma also encountered trouble with local police for another act of dangerous driving. He allegedly was arrested for driving on the opposite side of the road multiple times in Albany. Albany police did not immediately respond to a request for comment from SFGATE. A spokesman with the CHPs Golden Gate Division told SFGATE that hes been cited in the past for the reckless driving, however, meaning his current charges will likely be more severe this time around. (He got off with a warning once before, the spokesman said.) But as Sharma was gaining local notoriety in the Bay Area, his online persona began to draw global attention. Fashioned in the style of New York City pseudosocialite Anna Delvey and Lil Tay the viral child flexer-turned-rapper who recently re-entered the headlines for family turmoil Sharmas shtick is to knowingly deploy signifiers of wealth and status into social media notoriety. He uses the name ItsLavishBitch on social media; sometimes altered to GoldCollarLavish. The bio of an Instagram likely belonging to him reads: Im a gold collar u a blue collar 25 left the pandemic richer than ever before. Derision of blue-collar labor, fancy cars, including a Lamborghini, and wads of cash feature heavily in his account. Everything Sharma has done online seems calculated for maximum outrage and viral potential, a walking, talking algorithm engineered for clout. He says he only uses toilets filled with sparkling water. He holds bands of cash in his mouth. He reportedly has six iPhones. Hes launched social media tirades on Soulja Boy, Kim Kardashian and other celebrities way above his pay grade. He once accused Rihanna of jacking his style. Other outlets especially those with a penchant for novelty and controversy ran exposes and Q&As. The headlines were breathless, if not always complimentary. The Internet's Celebrity Bashing Brat King, read Vices. Is this the most spoiled kid in the U.S. or is it just a hoax? asked the Daily Mail. He's "Instagram's Richest Teen," an MTV story declared. A Digital Trends article dubbed him Instagrams richest troll. Hes also the slightest bit self-aware, knowing that his trolling gets a rise out of people. People feed off the crazy things I do, like pooping in sparkling water, he told Vice. Im using wealth as comedy. READ MORE: These tech workers left California for Austin. They don't regret it. But behind the exasperated intrigue surrounding him is a reality thats perhaps a bit more grim. Sharma, then 18, was arrested in 2014 for an incident involving an iPhone, and was placed in the jails psychiatric ward. His then-lawyer told KGO that another inmate tried to kill him. Aside from being annoying and absurd, until now his viral antics really didnt harm anyone, except for the 1% of celebrities who were the subject of his taunts. He seems to crave any press in an effort to rack up more followers on the 'gram. Normally, we wouldn't fall for it but now that his ploys for fame could have real-world consequences, he's unfortunately become a newsworthy figure. Sharmas follower count is a lot less now on a new account more than 5,000. At one point, his follower count peaked at 400,000, before the account was taken down. The classmate said Instagram deactivated his account due to an excess of fake followers on the platform. But it's unclear what punishments Sharma will face; the Alameda County District Attorney's Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from SFGATE. I dont wish ill on anyone, but hes one of those guys who you see hes in jail and youre not surprised, the classmate said. "High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America" was on a mission to expose how just how relevant Black food is to America. From Benin, Africa to Houston, Texas, writer and chef Stephen Satterfield had a message to spread and a point to prove and he certainly didn't miss the mark. Titled "Freedom," the fourth episode of the limited series journeys through Texas and tells the story behind an important day for African Americans. VEGAN DELIGHT: Houston Sauce Co. proves you don't have to give up good eating to be vegan "Ol' master didn't tell you no one was free," former slave Laura Smalley can be heard saying in a clip from 1941. "I think now they said they waited 'til six months after that. And turned them loose on the 19th of June." This delay is why we celebrate Juneteenth. Two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, federal troops showed up in Galveston to take control of the state and ensure slaves were finally freed. The celebration dates back to 1865 and is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States. "I came to Texas to unravel an uncomplicated a story, a story of freedom delayed," Satterfield said. "The Lone Star State was the last to abolish slavery, two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was announced. And when Freedom Day finally came, it was Galveston, Texas that first got the message." Bridging the gap between Black people and American cuisine, Satterfield's ability to combine two of my favorite things African American culture and food left me wanting both dinner and more content. Satterfield first samples James Beard finalist Jerrelle Guy's baked goods then he saddles up to hang out with Black Cowboys' and enjoy some "Son of Gun" made from cow organs. From there, he gets a taste of some holy barbecue at New Zion Missionary Baptist Church's Barbecue in Huntsville before sampling an old school taste with a modern rub at Gatlin's BBQ in Houston. A&A Barbecue, courtesy of Black Cowboy Museum owner Larry Callies, makes for a tasty almost final stop before finishing up at the beloved Lucille's. "I think there are, especially as a Black woman, you know, all of these ideas of what I have to be or can't be," Guy said, adding that baking is how she expresses herself and feels a sense of empowerment. She showcased a variety of desserts that are a direct representation of Juneteenth, including red velvet cake, indicative of the blood shed during slavery. BREWED UP: Houston's first Black-owned coffee shop downtown is brewing with a purpose Personally, I used to always say I wasn't a barbecue person, but then I realized it's the sauce that turns me off. Luckily, actual good barbecue doesn't need it. Satterfield's trips to three different barbecue joints definitely left me craving ribs and chicken wings, especially because I love a good hole in the wall. Finding out the earliest barbecue in Texas came from enslaved African Americans was a fact that I am glad I learned, but one that didn't at all surprise me. Satterfield did a beautiful job highlighting people, places and dishes that mean so much to the community he is a part of. The entire limited series is definitely worth watching, but the Houston Juneteenth episode certainly holds a special place in my heart. It's of-fish-ial, SEA LIFE San Antonio, the new aquarium that's been making waves recently, is now open at The Shops at Rivercenter. The downtown destination hosted a grand opening on Tuesday after multiple setbacks. The aquarium features 10 interactive zones including the city's only underwater ocean tunnel where guests will have the chance to come "face to fin" and "dive into the ocean without getting wet," as the company describes it. There's also a stingray bay and seahorse mangrove exhibit. READ MORE: Enjoy big rides and beachy vibes at reopened Houston Crystal Lagoon The anticipation for the new attraction has been building for years. It was originally scheduled to open May 2019, then the grand opening was pushed back to the summer and then the fall. Eventually, February 2020 was set as the debut, but the opening was stalled again throughout the pandemic-wrought year. Tickets are available online for the aquarium's inaugural week. Prices start at $23.99 per person. Most visits through what the website calls a "magical underwater world" last about an hour. SEA LIFE is open daily, but hours vary. See here for a full complete calendar with times. Get a sneak peek below. Elizabeth Conley/AP HOUSTON (AP) Two men were killed and two more were injured when a man opened fire in a crowded Houston nightclub early Monday, authorities said. Houston police chief Troy Finner said investigators are trying to confirm that the gunman is among the dead, and that he was fatally shot by an off-duty sheriffs deputy working security at the club. CANBERRA, Australia (AP) A ransomware attack on the world's largest meat processing company disrupted production around the world just weeks after a similar incident shut down a U.S. oil pipeline. Brazil's JBS SA, however, said late Tuesday that it had made significant progress in dealing with the cyberattack and expects the vast majority of its plants to be operating on Wednesday. Our systems are coming back online and we are not sparing any resources to fight this threat," Andre Nogueira, CEO of JBS USA, said in a statement. Earlier, the White House said JBS had notified the U.S. of a ransom demand from a criminal organization likely based in Russia. White House principal deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the White House and the Department of Agriculture have been in touch with the company several times this week. JBS is the second-largest producer of beef, pork and chicken in the U.S. If it were to shut down for even one day, the U.S. would lose almost a quarter of its beef-processing capacity, or the equivalent of 20,000 beef cows, according to Trey Malone, an assistant professor of agriculture at Michigan State University. The closures reflect the reality that modern meat processing plants are heavily automated, for both food- and worker-safety reasons. Computers collect data at multiple stages of the production process, and orders, billing, shipping and other functions are all electronic. Dan Peled/AP JBS, which has not stated publicly that the attack was ransomware, said the cyberattack affected servers supporting its operations in North America and Australia. Backup servers werent affected and it said it was not aware of any customer, supplier or employee data being compromised. Malone said the disruption could further raise meat prices ahead of summer barbecues. Even before the attack, U.S. meat prices were rising due to coronavirus shutdowns, bad weather and high plant absenteeism. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has said it expects beef prices to climb 1% to 2% this year, poultry as much as 1.5% and pork between by from 2% and 3%. JBS, which is a majority shareholder of Pilgrim's Pride, didn't say which of its 84 U.S. facilities were closed Monday and Tuesday because of the attack. It said JBS USA and Pilgrims were able to ship meat from nearly all of its facilities Tuesday. The company also said it was making progress toward resuming plant operations in the U.S. and Australia. Several of the companys pork, poultry and prepared foods plants were operational Tuesday and its Canada beef facility resumed production, it said. Earlier Tuesday, a union official confirmed that two shifts at the company's largest U.S. beef plant, in Greeley, Colorado, were canceled. Some plant shifts in Canada were also canceled Monday and Tuesday, according to JBS Facebook posts. In Australia, thousands of meat plant workers had no work for a second day Tuesday, and a government minister said it might be days before production resumes. JBS is Australias largest meat and food processing company, with 47 facilities across the country including slaughterhouses, feedlots and meat processing sites. Jean-Pierre said the White House is engaging directly with the Russian government on this matter and delivering the message that responsible states do not harbor ransomware criminals. The FBI is investigating the incident, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is offering technical support to JBS. In addition, USDA has spoken to several major meat processors in the U.S. to alert them to the situation, and the White House is assessing any potential impact on the nations meat supply. JBS has more than 150,000 employees worldwide. It's not the first time a ransomware attack has targeted a food company. Last November, Milan-based Campari Group said it was the victim of a ransomware attack that caused a temporary technology outage and compromised some business and personal data. In March, Molson Coors announced a cyber attack that affected its production and shipping. Molson Coors said it was able to get some of its breweries running after 24 hours; others took several days. Ransomware expert Brett Callow, a threat analyst at the security firm Emsisoft, said companies like JBS make ideal targets. They play a critical role in the food supply chain and threat actors likely believe this increases their chances of getting a speedy payout, Callow said. Mark Jordan, who follows the meat industry as the executive director of Leap Market Analytics, said the disruption could be minimal assuming JBS recovers in the next few days. Meat processers are used to dealing with delays because of a host of factors, including industrial accidents and power outages, and they make up lost production with extra shifts, he said. Several plants owned by a major meatpacker going offline for a couple of days is a major headache, but it is manageable assuming it doesn't extend much beyond that, he said. Jordan said it will help that U.S. meat demand generally eases for a few weeks between Memorial Day and the July 4 Independence Day holiday. But the attacks can wreak havoc. Last month, a gang of hackers shut down operation of the Colonial Pipeline, the largest U.S. fuel pipeline, for nearly a week. The closure sparked long lines and panic buying at gas stations across the Southeast. Colonial Pipeline confirmed it paid $4.4 million to the hackers. Jason Crabtree, the co-founder of QOMPLX, a Virginia-based artificial intelligence and machine learning company, said Marriott, FedEx and others have also been targeted by ransomware attacks. He said companies need to do a better job of rapidly detecting bad actors in their systems. A lot of organizations arent able to find and fix different vulnerabilities faster than the adversaries that theyre fighting, Crabtree said. Crabtree said the government also plays a critical role, and said President Joe Biden's recent executive order on cybersecurity which requires all federal agencies to use basic security measures, like multi-factor authentication is a good start. ___ Durbin reported from Detroit. AP Writer Alan Suderman in Richmond, Virginia, and Alexandra Jaffe in Washington contributed. When Danny Blanchard and the Forest Lawn Funeral Home and Memorial Park in Beaumont first began their annual Memorial Day Flag Placement event, it was difficult to place a miniature United States of America flag by every one of the roughly 6,000 to 10,000 Beaumont military veterans graves in the 120-acre cemetery. But during the course of the last few years, local Boy Scout packs began volunteering their time to help Blanchard, the Forest Lawn Funeral Home and Memorial Park general manager, find and place flags by the military graves. On Saturday, the annual tradition continued. If you look five to 10 years ago, there was hardly anyone out here helping us, Blanchard said. The Boys Scouts and other groups joined in to help us. Its really inspiring when you look all across the cemetery to see how many people who served our country are from Beaumont. About 30 local Boy Scouts members helped scatter about 6,000 miniature flags all throughout the cemetery. Frankie Domino, a 7-year Boy Scout member, said he understands the importance and significance of the Flag Placement event and was excited to take part in the ceremony. It helps the (military veteran) families when they come down to the (cemetery) to remember their loved ones who have passed away and I enjoy doing this for the families, Frankie said. The idea of remembering past, local military veterans is one Pack No. 181 Cubmaster David Hoerner looked to provide context to before the Flag Placement event. He saw an opportunity to teach the Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts about the significance of Memorial Day and the importance of honoring military veterans. Its important for us to come out here and pay our respect, Hoerner said. A soldier dies two deaths. One, when they actually die and the grieving process. The second one is when theyre forgotten. We want to try and push off the one when theyre forgotten as far as possible The Boy Scouts started the event at 8 a.m. and began playing taps before Frankie, who said he placed more than 50 flags, and others scattered throughout the cemetery to find the graves. The cemetery is home to three military veteran memorials the Veteran Wall, the Spanish-American War memorial and the American Legion section. The Veteran Wall is the focal point of the three and sits just to the right of the cemeterys entrance. The veteran wall has 10 slabs with the name of each Beaumont military veteran who has died along with nine flags standing just behind the wall. When all the flags were placed, many of the Boy Scouts gathered by the Veteran Wall for one last photo. Saturdays Flag Placement is the precursor to Forest Lawn Funeral Home and Memorial Parks main celebration, the Flag retirement ceremony on Monday Memorial Day. The keynote speaker for the Memorial Day celebration will be Major Katie Higgins Cook, the first woman Blue Angel pilot. jorge.ramos@beaumontenterprise.com twitter.com/byjorgeramos BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) A proposal to place new limits on police officers' broad immunity from civil lawsuits was rejected Tuesday by Louisiana state senators, stalling a key recommendation from a task force created to suggest policy changes addressing police misconduct. A Senate judiciary committee voted 4-2 against the measure from Rep. Edmond Jordan, a Baton Rouge area Democrat, to put new restraints on the qualified immunity defense available to law enforcement officers against damage claims for wrongful death or injury. Jordans bill, which narrowly received House approval earlier this session, would have barred the use of qualified immunity if a court determines the police officers conduct to be unreasonable. It also would have expanded whats considered malfeasance for an officer. Republicans voted against the proposal, while Democrats supported it. This is the second year efforts from Black lawmakers to change Louisiana's qualified immunity law failed in the Legislature. But this second rejection came even after compromise language was hammered out by a task force that included lawmakers, advocacy groups and law enforcement organization leaders. The Louisiana Sheriffs' Association backed the bill as it moved through the House and Senate. Other police organizations such as the state Fraternal Order of Police and the state's police chiefs association worked to defeat the proposal, even though they had representatives on the task force who didn't object to the recommendation when it received the panel's backing. Supporters of the proposal said the qualified immunity law makes it nearly impossible to hold officers accountable for excessive force when prosecutors refuse to bring criminal charges. Opponents said legal avenues exist to prosecute police for inappropriate behavior, and they argued the changes could harm police recruitment. Voting for the bill were Democratic Sens. Joe Bouie of New Orleans and Greg Tarver of Shreveport. Voting against the bill were Republican Sens. Cameron Henry of Metairie, Ronnie Johns of Lake Charles, Mike Reese of Leesville and Kirk Talbot of River Ridge. Other task force proposals have fared better with lawmakers. A 36-0 Senate vote Thursday gave final passage to a bill by Democratic Sen. Cleo Fields, of Baton Rouge, to place new restrictions on the use of chokeholds and no-knock warrants. The measure also will require detailed policies for when body cameras and dash cameras must be turned on by officers who have them. In addition, legislation by Republican Rep. Tony Bacala, of Prairieville, calling for police agencies to design policies aimed at increasing minority recruitment and to require anti-bias training for state grant eligibility is headed to the governor's desk. It also will require suspension or revocation of a police officers state certification if the officer committed misconduct a provision aimed at keeping officers fired from one police agency from moving to another. Bacala's bill won final passage Tuesday with a 97-0 vote of the House. Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, is expected to sign both bills. ___ The bill is filed as House Bill 609. ___ Follow Melinda Deslatte on Twitter at http://twitter.com/melindadeslatte. WASHINGTON (AP) The Supreme Court agreed Monday to a showdown over abortion in a case that could dramatically alter nearly 50 years of rulings on abortion rights. With three justices appointed by President Donald Trump part of a 6-3 conservative majority, the court is taking on a case about whether states can ban abortions before a fetus can survive outside the womb. Mississippi, which is asking to be allowed to enforce an abortion ban after 15 weeks of pregnancy, is not asking the court to overrule the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision confirming a woman's right to an abortion, or a decision 19 years later that reaffirmed it. But abortion rights supporters said the case is a clear threat to abortion rights. The court cannot uphold this law without overturning the principal protections of Roe v. Wade, Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, said in a call with reporters. Even if the court does not explicitly overrule earlier cases, a decision favorable to the state could lay the groundwork for allowing even more restrictions on abortion, including state bans on abortion once a fetal heartbeat is detected, as early as six weeks. The case probably will be argued in the fall, with a decision likely in the spring of 2022 during the campaign for congressional midterm elections. Mississippis ban had been blocked by lower courts as inconsistent with Supreme Court precedent that protects a womans right to obtain an abortion before the fetus can survive outside her womb. States may regulate abortion procedures prior to viability so long as they do not impose an undue burden on the woman's right, but they may not ban abortions. The law at issue is a ban, Judge Patrick Higginbotham of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals wrote in affirming a lower-court ruling that invalidated the law. The Supreme Court had previously turned down state appeals over previability abortion bans. More than 90% of abortions take place in the first 13 weeks of a womans pregnancy, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. John Bursch, vice president of the anti-abortion Alliance Defending Freedom, said the high court has repeatedly held that states can regulate abortions later in pregnancy. Viability has never been a legitimate way to determine a developing infants dignity or to decide anybodys legal existence, Bursch said. The justices had put off action on the case for several months. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, an abortion rights proponent, died just before the courts new term began in October. Her replacement, Justice Amy Coney Barrett, is the most open opponent of abortion rights to join the court in decades. Barrett is one of three Trump appointees on the Supreme Court. The other two, Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, voted in dissent last year to allow Louisiana to enforce restrictions on doctors that could have closed two of the states three abortion clinics. Chief Justice John Roberts, joined by Ginsburg and the other three liberal justices, said the restrictions were virtually identical to a Texas law the court struck down in 2016. But that majority no longer exists, even if Roberts, hardly an abortion rights supporter in his more than 15 years on the court, sides with the more liberal justices. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the Biden administration backs legislation that would write the Roe decision into federal law, regardless of the outcome of the Supreme Court case. The legislation would put an end to state efforts to ban abortion, Northup said. The Mississippi law was enacted in 2018, but was blocked after a federal court challenge. The state's only abortion clinic remains open. About 10% of its abortions are done after the 15th week, said Shannon Brewer, the clinic director at Jackson Womens Health Organization. The case is separate from a fight over laws enacted by Mississippi and other states that would ban most abortions when a fetal heartbeat is detected. Mississippi also is among 11 states with a total abortion ban waiting to take effect if the Supreme Court overturns its Roe decision, according to NARAL Pro-Choice America. A central question in the case is about viability whether a fetus can survive on its own at 15 weeks. The clinic presented evidence that viability is impossible at 15 weeks, and the appeals court said that the state conceded that it had identified no medical evidence that a fetus would be viable at 15 weeks. Viability occurs roughly at 24 weeks, the point at which babies are more likely to survive. But the state argues that viability is an arbitrary standard that doesn't take sufficient account of the state's interest in regulating abortion. The Mississippi law would allow exceptions to the 15-week ban in cases of medical emergency or severe fetal abnormality. Doctors found in violation of the ban would face mandatory suspension or revocation of their medical license. Also on Monday the Supreme Court: Split 6-3 along conservative-liberal lines to rule that prisoners who were convicted by non-unanimous juries before the high court barred the practice a year ago dont need to be retried. The decision affects prisoners who were convicted in Louisiana and Oregon as well as the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, the few places that had allowed criminal convictions based on divided jury votes. Sided unanimously with a man who sued after police entered his home without a warrant and seized his guns. Police said that the man was potentially suicidal and that they were performing a community caretaking function. The justices said authorities cant use that justification to enter a home without a warrant. Ruled 7-1 that an appeals court should take another look at a lawsuit involving global warming that is in its early stages. Lawyers have been arguing over whether the case belongs in state or federal court. ___ Associated Press writer Jessica Gresko contributed to this report. Police responding to a call of a break-in at the Irving Park store chased Lorenz and arrested him about a block away, according to prosecutors. A search of Lorenzs Honda Civic, parked in the alley behind the store, as well as a bag found near the rear door turned up plastic containers of liquid codeine as well as 150 pills believed to be hydrocodone, according to the charges. Texas state officials, including those in Gov. Greg Abbotts office, knew for months that foster children were being illegally housed in an emergency shelter cited hundreds of times for dangerous conditions but failed to report the violation to court-appointed watchdogs tasked with monitoring the states foster care system, according to court records. The Whataburger Center, a shelter for foster children in San Antonio named after the restaurant chain because of a one-time donation, was cited 239 times for not meeting state minimum standards between 2016 and 2020. Some of the reports identified abuse or neglect. In September, the shelter was put on probation by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission and placed on an admissions hold blocking children from being housed there after the department said it found a continued pattern of deficiencies in the area of supervision, medication, and reports/record keeping. After being placed on probation, shelter officials told the state it would move the children to other placements and surrendered its license in January, according to court records. However, Family Tapestry, the state-appointed provider for the region which also runs the center, continued to illegally place children in the Whataburger Center and its own office which is only separated from the shelter by a door until ordered to vacate children in March. The Department of Family and Protective Services and HHSC were aware of the situation for months, but did not notify the court, despite a federal judge mandating that the court monitors be updated daily by the state on these types of placements as part of a decade-long class action lawsuit against the state on the behalf of foster children. Elizabeth Farley, a policy adviser for Abbott, said under oath last month during a court hearing that the governors office was first notified in October about the allegations that children were illegally sleeping in the offices connected to the Whataburger Center, according to court records. But it wasnt until a whistleblower notified the court monitors in March that the federal court became aware of the situation at Family Tapestry and the Whataburger Center nearly five months after the HHSC first became aware of the illegal placements, according to court records. Five days after the monitors became aware of the situation and contacted DFPS, the department told Family Tapestry to vacate all children the center and its office by March 25, which they did, according to DFPS. We were shocked when we learned what the whistleblower revealed to the monitors. The state, including top officials at DFPS, HHSC and even the governor's office, was aware of children being placed in illegal operations for months, said Paul Yetter, the attorney representing foster children in the lawsuit against the state. Keeping secrets is not how this broken system is going to get fixed. It puts children at risk. U.S. District Judge Janis Jack ruled in 2015 that Texas was violating foster childrens constitutional rights to be free from an unreasonable risk of harm, saying that children "often age out of care more damaged than when they entered." Jack has issued several orders aiming at widespread reform. Abbotts office, HHSC and DFPS are all named in the court order. The judge appointed two monitors who serve as watchdogs to observe the state's compliance to the court orders. The court mandated that the monitors be updated with daily reports on children placed in unlicensed facilities, including the Whataburger Center or in case workers offices. The Court ordered the State to provide daily reports to the Monitors regarding information on the number of children without placements, the identity of these children, and the location of the children, effective April 2, 2020, according to court documents. Abbotts office declined to provide a statement or interview, and HHSC declined to comment due to pending litigation. Patrick Crimmins, Texas DFPS spokesperson, said no placements of foster care children in unlicensed facilities managed by the states five community-based care providers were reported to the monitors for months because of an oversight by the department, because it did not track that data for those contractors. But the issue was corrected in March and DFPS staff began tracking those numbers as well, he said. Crimmins said the blame for not informing the court of the violations lies within DFPS not the governors office. But Yetter thinks its the responsibility of all those named in the lawsuit including the governors office to notify the monitors. The state made repeated visits to Family Tapestry into the Whataburger Center and found children sleeping overnight at a facility that was not supposed to have these children so, the state knew about this on an ongoing basis, he said. There's no reason why they hadn't shared the information with the monitors. Crimmins said while the Whataburger Center was unlicensed, its not unusual for children without placements to spend time in places like CPS offices and motels, which are also unlicensed. Its an ongoing problem all over the state, he said. Unlicensed placements, also known as Children Without Placements (CWOP), unfortunately have become very common for a variety of reasons. We have been under orders from the Governors office for several years to eliminate CWOP, particularly kids staying in CPS offices, but have been unable to do so, he said. The number of children without placements has surged to the highest point in at least four years. Last month, 282 children spent at least two consecutive nights in unlicensed placements last month, usually sleeping in offices, hotels or community organizations, because no beds were available in licensed facilities, according to DFPS data. The Texas foster care system is privatized and the State cannot increase or generate new capacity it is the function of the private sector to do that, with help and incentives of course from the State, including higher foster care rates, which has happened regularly, Crimmins said. Yetter said reporting the children housed at the Whataburger Center was urgent, compared to other children in unlicensed placements, given the history of serious reports of abuse and neglect that raised real risk to these children. The situation was chaotic, Yetter said. Family Tapestry also knew and had been told by DFPS more than once that they were not to place children there, and yet they did... And then everyone kept the secret from the monitors in the judge. The court monitors noted that the situation at the Whataburger Center was especially disturbing, saying their concerns are magnified by the [Whataburger Centers] history of confirmed findings of abuse, neglect or exploitation and safety violations during the time that it was licensed. Annette Rodriguez, chief executive officer of Family Tapestry, said last week in court the center was overwhelmed and inundated with more youth than what we originally planned. Court documents detail substantiated findings including at least one of physical abuse, one for sexual abuse, 10 for neglectful supervision and three for medical neglect. Children at the Whataburger Center often ran away, staff inconsistently gave children their prescribed medicine even in the case of serious, life-threatening medical conditions and the facility suffered from poor cleanliness in areas, the report said. Some of the foster children with a history of self-harm got access to sharp objects or cords while under supervision. Fights broke out among the children and there are allegations that some were instigated by a staff member, who reportedly kicked a child in the back while they were fighting another child. One staff member allegedly carried a taser and threatened children with it later claiming he was kidding. There were also several reports of foster children having sex with each other on shelter grounds or instances where one foster child inappropriately touched another child. One report alleged that a 16-year-old male foster child was having a sexual relationship with a female staff member at the shelter. The situation there was complete chaos for months frankly, for almost two years. And no one knew about it, other than state officials. Not the monitors and not the court, said Ketter, the attorney representing foster children. Children were not safe there. And the facility was not prepared to take care of them the state is in charge of keeping these children safe and should never allow them to be put in unlicensed facilities. Disclosure: Effectiv 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 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. Sunday nights dramatic walkout by Democrats in the Texas House of Representatives has stopped for now an unnecessary bill that would place greater restrictions on voting. Gov. Greg Abbott has vowed to put the issue on the agenda for a special legislative session, probably in the fall, so the controversy is bound to return. Presumably, Republicans in the House and Senate will schedule the final votes on the bill in the special session in a way that wont allow Democrats to stop it at the last minute by walking out in either chamber and depriving it of a quorum. Republicans are angry that Texas Democrats have used that tactic again, but both parties often use whatever methods they can to advance their objectives. Republicans in the U.S. Senate refused to vote on a Supreme Court nominee in the last year of President Obamas second term and then rammed one through in the closing weeks of President Trumps first term. The GOP has majorities in the Texas House and Senate and can probably force this bill through eventually, one way or another. But in the coming weeks, as both parties review their strategies for this bill, Republicans should reflect on what it will mean for Texas and how it could end up undermining GOP influence instead of expanding it. The open secret about this bill, and similar legislation in other states, is that they are designed to reduce voting by people believed to be supporting Democrats. Some Republicans think that their supporters will vote anyway, or overcome whatever hurdles are placed before them, while some Democratic voters will become discouraged and stay at home on Election Day. But not only is that logic highly questionable Republicans like to vote early or vote by mail, too its hardly something to be proud of. Both parties should try to win by fielding the best candidates they can and supporting the issues that will bring their state or the nation forward. If they do that effectively, they will win a lot of races. Republicans have also done better than many expected among voters traditionally thought of as leaning toward Democrats. In the 2020 election, Republicans did well in several Hispanic counties along the southern border. Twenty percent of Black men nationwide voted for Donald Trump, a much higher percentage of that group than Republican candidates have previously received. Instead of suppressing votes in some places, Republicans should be competing for them aggressively. Earlier versions of this bill included an provision that would have allowed partisan poll watchers to videotape voters and election officials. That was removed after widespread protests, so there is some room for reason among Republicans pushing this bill. A lot more it needs to be shown. The bill is not needed at all, but some version of it is probably going to return for the special session, and the GOP does have majorities in both chambers. A less offensive version of it is better than the alternative, although Democrats should certainly challenge any part of it in court that unfairly infringes on anyones right to vote. But it remains a solution in search of a problem, and lawmakers have many more important things to focus on than distractions like this. Voters should take note of each partys priorities and be determined to vote in every election no matter how easy or difficult it is. Indonesian soldiers prepare to boost security on the eve of Eid al-Fitr in Timika, Papua, May 12, 2021. Twelve suspected Islamic militants taken into custody in a southern district of Indonesias troubled Papua region had planned to attack a local archbishop and police stations there, authorities said Tuesday. The suspects arrested in Papuas Merauke regency on Friday and Sunday were linked to a cell of Jamaah Ansharut Daulah, an Indonesian militant network affiliated with the so-called Islamic State (IS) group, police said. Indonesian authorities had blamed JAD for suicide attacks that targeted churches in other parts of the Muslim-majority country in March 2021 and May 2018. The targets were the bishop and police stations in Merauke, Untung Sangaji, Merauke police chief, told BenarNews. Untung said church officials told police that one suspect had entered the St. Frasiskus Xaverius cathedral, home to the Merauke Archdiocese, with a backpack believed to contain explosives. But Archbishop Petrus Canisius Mandagi was not home at the time, Untung said. It is true that they had entered the church carrying a backpack to target the archbishop of Merauke, because the target was not there, they left, said Untung. The population of Papua, a region located at the far-eastern end of Indonesia, is mainly Melanesian and Christian. The region is home to a separatist insurgency that has simmered for decades but become more intense lately. On Monday, national police spokesman Inspector Gen. Argo Yuwono said the suspected Islamic militants arrested in the past few days were not native Papuans, but migrants from Java and Sulawesi islands who had lived in Papua for some time. Argo said officers confiscated chemical materials, air rifles, machetes and arrows from the suspects. The suspects were linked to the JAD group in the city of Makassar on Sulawesi Island, said Aswin Azhar Siregar, head of operations at the police Densus 88 anti-terrorism unit. The JAD Makassar cell-members carried out a suicide bombing outside a church there on March 28, Palm Sunday, which left the two attackers dead and injured 20 people. The coordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs, Mohammad Mahfud MD, said in late April that police had arrested at least 83 suspects linked to the Makassar cell. In Merauke, their main targets were not churches, but police stations, he told BenarNews. It was a second group of suspected JAD-linked militants to have been arrested in Papua since 2019, when police arrested eight suspected in the provincial capital Jayapura. JAD has been blamed for a series of terrorist attacks in Indonesia in recent years, including two suicide bombings in May 2018, which killed 22 people including the bombers in Surabaya Indonesias second largest city. Indigenous people less supportive of JAD On Monday, Mimika police chief I. Gusti Gede Era Adhinata said that the group arrested in Merauke had settled in Timika, the main town in Papuas Mimika regency. We are investigating whether there are still other terrorist cells in Timika, the state-run Antara news agency quoted Era as saying. Muh Taufiqurrohman, a senior researcher at the Center for the Study of Radicalism and Deradicalization (PAKAR), said the presence of IS-linked militants in Papua dated to 2018. At the time, a group of 14 militants from Java, Borneo, and Sulawesi islands came to Papua in search a safe location for training. They had moved from Timika to Merauke to escape a counter-terrorism operation by security forces there, Taufiqurrohman said. Indigenous people who are Muslims, even those who espouse more puritan forms of Islam, are ideologically different and less supportive of JAD actions, he said. Meanwhile, violence in the regions separatist conflict has become more intense in recent weeks. In April, the Indonesian government designated the Free Papua Movement separatist group and its armed wing, the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), as terrorists. That happened after the TPNPB claimed responsibility for killing the governments intelligence chief in Papua and four civilians, whom the rebels accused of being spies for the government. The killings prompted President Joko Jokowi Widodo to launch a crackdown on the insurgent group. In 1963, Indonesian forces invaded the Papua region which makes up the western half of New Guinea Island and annexed it. Papua was incorporated into Indonesia in 1969 after a U.N.-administered ballot known as the Act of Free Choice. Many Papuans and rights groups said the vote was a sham because it involved only about 1,000 people. This handout photo from the Royal Malaysian Air Force, taken on May 31, 2021 and released on June 1, 2021, shows a Chinese air force Ilyushin Il-76 plane which, Malaysian authorities say, was in the airspace over Malaysias maritime zone near the coast of Sarawak state on Borneo Island. Malaysia said Tuesday it would issue a diplomatic protest to Beijing after 16 Chinese military planes intruded into its maritime airspace over disputed South China Sea waters near Borneo Island a day earlier. Malaysian officials said that the Chinese aircraft flew to as close as 60 nautical miles from Kuala Lumpur-administered Beting Patinggi Ali also known as Luconia Shoals which Beijing, too, claims as part of its territories in the maritime region. The Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) said it scrambled fighter jets to intercept the Chinese aircraft off the coast of Sarawak state after they refused to communicate with local air-traffic controllers. The incident Monday represented a threat to national sovereignty and aviation safety, Malaysia's foreign ministry said. Based on the report received from the Royal Malaysian Air Force, the Ministry will issue a diplomatic note of protest against the intrusion to the Government of the Peoples Republic of China, the foreign ministry said. The ministry also said it would summon Chinas ambassador to Malaysia to explain the incursion. Malaysias stand is clear having friendly diplomatic relations with any countries does not mean that we will compromise our national security. Malaysia remains steadfast in defending our dignity and our sovereignty, Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said in a statement. Earlier on Tuesday, the RMAF said that the Chinese planes came close to violating national territorial airspace. The Royal Malaysian Air Force detected suspicious movement of 16 Chinese Air Force aircraft in Malaysias Maritime Zone airspace in Kota Kinabalu Flight Information Region and were approaching the countrys airspace on May 31, 2021, it said in a statement. Maritime Zone airspace is a nations airspace over its territorial seas. Under customary international law, coastal states have complete sovereignty over this airspace. According to the Malaysian air force, the Chinese planes that entered its Maritime Zone airspace were identified as Russian-made Ilyushin Il-76 and Chinese-made Xian Y-20 transport aircraft capable of conducting multiple missions. The Chinese embassy in Malaysia said its planes were doing routine flight training, during which they strictly abided by the relevant international law. According to relevant international law, Chinese military aircraft enjoy the freedom of overflight in the relevant airspace, an embassy spokesperson said. Last year, the United States military said it was closely watching reports that Beijing was planning to declare a so-called Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) in the skies above the South China Sea, where China, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan have overlapping territorial claims. Meanwhile during a visit to Jakarta on Monday, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman said that Washington was committed to a free and open Indo-Pacific region, including a commitment to freedom of navigation and overflight, and other lawful uses of the sea. Malaysias Air Force says this map shows the route taken by 16 Chinese military aircraft as they crossed areas of the South China Sea under Singapores responsibility, entered Malaysias maritime zone off Borneo, and executed a u-turn after being intercepted by Malaysian Hawk fighter jets. [Handout graphic/Royal Malaysian Air Force] Blatant intimidation against Malaysia The action by the Chinese air force was intended to intimidate Malaysia amid a huge domestic increase in COVID-19 infections and as the Southeast Asian nation started a near-total lockdown on Tuesday, according to Collin Koh, a Singapore-based maritime security analyst. Such a move is not only a blatant intimidation against Malaysia, but also predatory and opportunistic, he said via Twitter. A retired Malaysian air force officer said Beijing sent the planes as a test. Chinas action is actually to test the RMAFs response to the invasion of their aircraft, Abdul Rahmat Omar told BenarNews. In 2016, Malaysia said around 100 China-registered boats and ships were detected in Luconia Shoals. A report by Malaysias Auditor-General last year revealed that China Coast Guard ships had encroached into Malaysian waters 89 times between 2016 and 2019. A similar report by the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative in 2019 revealed that Chinese coast guard vessels spent 70 percent (of 2018), or 258 days, patrolling the area of the South China Sea claimed by Malaysia, Ramli Dollah, a regional security expert and professor the University Malaysia Sabah, told BenarNews. Dizhwar Bukhari in Kuala Lumpur contributed to this report. Philippine National Police chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar (second from right), points at suspect Hensie Zinampan during a press briefing in Manila, June 1, 2021. The case of a police officer suspected of shooting a woman dead at close range has put a spotlight back on extrajudicial deaths in the Philippines, where rights groups have criticized the government for thousands of killings by cops in the nations crackdown on illegal drugs. The Monday night slaying, which was caught on a mobile-phone camera, showed Master Sgt. Hensie Zinampan, dressed in plain clothes, allegedly drawing a gun as he approached the victim, Lilybeth Valdez, 52, before shooting her in the back of the head, authorities said. This is a heinous unacceptable crime because the police are supposed to protect our countrymen and not act as criminals, National Police chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar told reporters as he ordered officers to speed up the investigation into Zinampan, 42, who was assigned to the Police Security Protection Group. Eleazar said that based on a video that went viral on social media, Zinampan allegedly was holding his gun before he approached the victim. He then grabbed the victim and shot her at close range like a chicken, Eleazar said. Valdez was buying cigarettes at a store in a dark alley in Quezon City, north of Manila. A heated exchange ensued before Zinampan allegedly grabbed Valdez and shot her. A visibly angry Eleazar confronted Zinampan who was detained at a police camp Tuesday morning. I have asked that the administrative case against this cop be quickly filed so he can be taken out of the PNP, Eleazar said, referring to the Philippine National Police. This is separate from a criminal case against him so the victim will receive justice. Duterte: My police and my army are trained to kill On the same day Valdez was gunned down, President Rodrigo Duterte told a national television audience that police records to do with raids carried out as part of his administrations war on illegal drugs contained information about suspects that should stay confidential. Some of this information could affect national security, he said. We have records of those who died, who have derogatory records in our files and there are references to people and we cannot divulge it to anybody except to the military and police, Duterte said. The president did say that rights groups could question the manner of specific raids, including how gunfights started, but if you ask what prompted the police or military to go into this operation based on their reports and collated dossier, you cant have access to that. But you will say, you will wonder why many of them are killed. Its really because my police and my army are trained to kill, Duterte said. What else is the purpose of them being soldiers and police officers, among other duties? Police have said at least 6,600 suspected drug dealers and addicts have been killed in the five-year-old drug war while activists have said the count could be much higher. In 2019, the United Nations human rights commissioner reported that more than 8,600 people had been killed in the Philippine drug war. Killing captured on video Initial investigations revealed that Zinampan, the police officer, allegedly fought with the victims son on May 1. After the shooting, Zinampan allegedly threatened the victims family, Eleazar said. The independent Commission on Human Rights (CHR) condemned the shooting and reminded Eleazar about his commitment to improve policing. After a string of recent deaths and killings being attributed to police officers, we urge the PNP [Philippine National Police] to translate commitments of internal cleansing into actual reduction of cases of human rights violations on the ground, CHR spokeswoman Jacqueline de Guia said in a statement Tuesday. This incident is gravely concerning as we expect our police to serve and protect, and not be at the frontlines of violating rights, let alone arbitrarily curtailing ones right to life, de Guia said. Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the police officer was a bad egg in an organization that has been working to clean its image. But please, we have hundreds of thousands in our ranks of policemen and we hear one or two cases of this nature, Roque said. The killing came about a week after four police in suburban Valenzuela City north of Manila were relieved of duty after being accused of killing an 18-year-old autistic man during a May 23 raid at a cockfighting event. Previously, three police were convicted of murdering Kian Lloyd delos Santos, a 17-year-old student who was killed during a drug raid in 2017. The officers claimed delos Santos drew a gun at them and died in a shootout, but a closed-circuit television camera caught them leading the victim away. His corpse was discovered near a pigsty. In December 2020, an off-duty police officer was filmed allegedly shooting and killing a woman and her son after an argument. The officer turned himself in and remains in custody. Duterte, who was elected in 2016 for his tough-on-crime rhetoric, had vowed to clean the country of drugs and criminality. He has repeatedly exhorted police to kill rather than be killed themselves in carrying out the campaign. Rights groups have said this policy led to wrongful deaths and two cases have been filed against Duterte at the International Criminal Court. Two activists charged with violating Thailands royal defamation law were freed on bail Tuesday, including pro-democracy movement leader Arnon Nampa who was jailed for nearly four months. Arnon and fellow activist Panupong Mike Jadnok were released in the evening from Thammasat University Hospital in Bangkok where they had been treated after testing positive for COVID-19 weeks ago, according to their lawyers and the court. Arnon had spent 113 days and Panupong had spent 86 days in jail, respectively, on charges of violating Article 112 or Lese-Majeste, as the royal defamation law is known. [B]oth men voluntarily told the court that if they were to be temporarily released, they will not stir political turmoil, will not defame the monarchy and will appear at every court hearing, therefore there is no reason to not release [them], according to a court statement handed out to reporters. A third activist, Chukiat Sangwong, was granted bail Tuesday for his alleged role in tampering with a portrait of the King in a separate rally, but remains jailed on two other Lese-Majeste charges. Convictions under the royal defamation law carry a sentence of up to 15 years per charge. In a posting on one of his Facebook pages, Arnon thanked those who aided him in securing bail, saying, Our goal remains the same and is even clearer. Panupong made a similar statement on his page. Staying in or being outside [the jail] we are still fighters, nothing could change us, he said. Each man was released on 200,000 baht (U.S. $6,414) bail, Kritsadang Nutcharat, a lawyer from Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR), a legal defense group representing pro-democracy activists, told reporters. Both men are in safe condition as no more virus was found, according to their doctor, Kritsadang said. But the court wants them to stay under quarantine until the court receives their COVID-19 test results. About 100 charged Beginning in November 2020, at least 97 people have been charged with Lese-Majeste after Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha vowed to exercise all pertaining laws against youth-led anti-government demonstrations. Three activists remain jailed on the charges, according to TLHR. Before Prayuths warning, police had relied on sedition charges against the protesters. Since protests began in July 2020, the demonstrators have called on Prayuth to step down, for the constitution to be updated and for the monarchy to be reformed. Arnon, Panupong and five other pro-democracy activists were accused of violating Lese-Majeste during a two-day protest in September 2020. The charges were filed in February. Arnon and Panupong played key roles during the rally that began on Sept. 19, 2020, and which drew more than 100,000 people. As they wrapped up the rally, about 5,000 demonstrators massed near the Privy Council building, where they hoped to deliver the letter directly to the kings panel of advisers. They instead handed it to the metropolitan police chief because they were prevented from approaching the building. The letter asking the monarch to endorse reform of his own institution was unprecedented in a country where the king is considered semi-divine and safeguarded by laws that can land critics in jail for years. Besides Arnon and Panupong, five others Jatupat Pai Boonpattararaksa, Somyot Pruksakasemsuk, Patiwat Saraiyam, Parit Penguin Chiwarak and Panusaya Rung Sithijirawattanakul were taken into custody over their roles in leading protests but have since been released on bail. After being freed, Arnon and Mike as well other activists released on bail before them can prepare their defenses. We want to see this fair justice, Thannapat Jarenpanit, a political science lecturer at Pibulsongkram Rajabhat University, told BenarNews. Kunnawut Boonreak contributed to this report from Chiang Mai, Thailand. The motion marked the second legal challenge in the case since the indictment was brought last November. Last month, attorneys for Doherty, a onetime consultant to ComEd and former head of the City Club of Chicago, argued in a legal filing that prosecutors had failed to present to the grand jury any evidence that jobs, internships or board seats mentioned in the indictment were not bona fide. This effort will raise donations to help Central Oregons creative artists musicians, visual artists, performers and creative workers by offering grants and a platform to bring attention to the talent that needs help to continue thriving in this community throughout the pandemic and beyond. More Info If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom. Its something Ive been passionate about for a long time, Camp told the Tribune at the time. Ive worked in the neighborhood for years, and Ive seen firsthand how people are treated in the North Halsted area, particularly transgender people of color, particularly women. Ive been out with friends who are lesbians, and theyve been told by gay men in the bars, Why are you here? This isnt your neighborhood. What are the new guidelines? Effective today, Massachusetts is rescinding its face-covering order and replacing it with new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That change means vaccinated people no longer will need to wear a mask indoors or maintain social distancing. The Department of Public Health is issuing a public health advisory, though, asking unvaccinated people to continue to wear their masks indoors. Almost all business restrictions also will be lifted, but individual establishments might choose to set their own guidance. So, pay attention when entering a restaurant or store do they have a sign posted at the door that says all customers must wear masks? Most likely, restaurants will be clear and upfront about their protocols if they differ from the state and CDC guidelines. CDC guidance recommends that unvaccinated individuals continue to wear face coverings and maintain social distancing with individuals outside their households. Masks continue to be required on public and private transportation, in K-12 public schools and child care programs, in health care facilities, congregate care settings like assisted living facilities, homeless shelters and jails, in health care and rehabilitative day services and by home care workers. Visit mass.gov to view the full updated guidance. Community News Editor / Librarian Jeannie Maschino is community news editor and librarian for The Berkshire Eagle. She has worked for the newspaper in various capacities since 1982 and joined the newsroom in 1989. She can be reached at jmaschino@berkshireeagle.com. A "marijuana delivery operator" license will allow its holder to buy products wholesale from growers and manufacturers and deliver them to their own customers. The Supreme Court is seen May 26 under threatening skies following a storm in Washington. The blend of in-person and virtual events remained a popular option throughout the area, including at Montrose Cemetery, where the Japanese Mutual Aid Society of Chicago held its annual Memorial Day ceremony. With a mixture of Christian and Buddhist prayers and music selections, the longtime event was streamed on the societys YouTube channel to give as many people as possible a chance to honor both fallen veterans and the 3.5 million people worldwide who died after contracting the coronavirus. An ex-FBI agent has alleged that Suge Knight hired a hitman to kill Sean Diddy Combs, but ended up murdering Notorious B.I.G. instead. The murder was aided by corrupt Los Angeles police, the agent tells the New York Post. The former agent also names the rap legends killer. All the evidence points to Amir Muhammad. Hes the one who pulled the trigger. There were plenty of others who helped orchestrate it [and] allowed him to pull the trigger, the retired FBI agent Phil Carson told the newspaper. RELATED: Suge Knight Makes Bold Accusation Against Dr. Dre: "He Tried To Kill Me" Carson reportedly worked on the cold case for two years and observed the police coverup, which he called the biggest miscarriage of justice in my 20-year career at the FBI. The revelation about Muhammad is not new: he has long been suspected of being the trigger man in Biggies death. Muhammad has been cleared of all charges, as well as David Mack, the former LAPD officer accused conspiring to commit the crime. The rapper, whose legal name was Christopher Wallace, was gunned down in LA on March 9, 1997 at just 24 years old. No charges were filed in the case. The killing was believed to have been the result of a feud between LA-based Death Row Records and its bitter rival, Bad Boy Records, which is based in New York City and run by Diddy. The hip hop mogul, who was riding in the vehicle in front of Biggies the night of the murder, was said to be pretty freaked out by Carsons claim that he was the intended target, the former FBI agent says. Knight, who is serving a 28-year prison sentence for a 2015 hit-and-run case, founded Death Row Records, while Smalls was under contract with rival Bad Boy, helmed by Combs. Don Sikorski, producer of the film City of Lies, told the Post that he and the movies director Brad Furman have read sealed court documents about the unsolved murder. The movie chronicles the killing and aftermath of Biggie. The two filmmakers and Carson are hoping to renew the investigation into Biggies death. On Monday (May 31), President Joe Biden issued a proclamation to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre. According to a White House release, the proclamation is titled "Day of Remembrance: 100 Years After The 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre" and calls on Americans to "reflect on the deep roots of racial terror in our Nation and recommit to the work of rooting out systemic racism across our country." "One hundred years ago, a violent white supremacist mob raided, firebombed, and destroyed approximately 35 square blocks of the thriving Black neighborhood of Greenwood in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Families and children were murdered in cold blood. Homes, businesses, and churches were burned. In all, as many as 300 Black Americans were killed, and nearly 10,000 were left destitute and homeless," said Biden in the proclamation. RELATED: The Tulsa Race Massacre 100 Years Later: Why Descendants Are Demanding Reparations For The Racial Terrorism Their Ancestors Faced He added: "With this proclamation, I commit to the survivors of the Tulsa Race Massacre, including Viola Fletcher, Hughes Van Ellis, and Lessie Benningfield Randle, the descendants of victims, and to this Nation that we will never forget. We honor the legacy of the Greenwood community, and of Black Wall Street, by reaffirming our commitment to advance racial justice through the whole of our government, and working to root out systemic racism from our laws, our policies, and our hearts." On Tuesday, President Biden is scheduled to travel to Tulsa to tour the Greenwood Cultural Center and meet with surviving members of the community. He will also deliver remarks to commemorate the centennial anniversary of the tragic massacre. In his proclamation, Biden acknowledged the laws and policies that made it so that Black families could not rebuild after the destruction. "The Federal Government must reckon with and acknowledge the role that it has played in stripping wealth and opportunity from Black communities," Biden said. Earlier this month, Viola Fletcher, one of the survivors of the massacre, testified before members of the House Judiciary subcommittee and called for justice and for the country to officially acknowledge Black Wall Street and what happened on that tragic day a century ago. Clearly this is an idea that needs a reassessment. These stores have doubtless lost sales to restaurants and bars, which last year were granted the option of selling drinks for takeout. On Saturday during a flurry of activity in the General Assembly, the House and Senate approved the continuation of carryout cocktails with some restrictions. No, you cant grab a six-pack and crack open a cold one on the way to your car, but your favorite restaurants can sell you alcohol in a sealed, tamper-proof container. You then put it in your truck, not shotgun. Back on the home front of all the Bible stories of revenge and murder is a mother mourning for her fallen son. She waited for him to return from the war against all odds. Then she suffers the horrible pain of losing a child. Rizpah of 2 Samuel 21:1-14 is one of the mothers who loses sons, two of them, as a result of ancient Israels tribal conflict. In Rizpahs case, her husband, King Saul, broke his promise that the Israelites would spare the Gibeonites in battle; he ordered the Israelites to annihilate them. To re-establish peace between the two tribes, David fulfills the Gibeonites request to sacrifice two heirs of Israels throne, Sauls sons and grandsons. Rizpah is the sad mother of the two sons of Saul who are sacrificed for tribal peace. Rizpahs love and pietyand Davids joining Rizpah in a memorial and burial of the bones of Saul and his son Jonathanmove God to end a three-year drought and famine in the region. Rizpah protects her sons fallen bodies, which are displayed as trophies of the Gibeonites at Sauls former home in Gibeah. Rizpah daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it out for herself on a rock. From the beginning of the harvest till the rain poured down from the heavens on the bodies, she did not let the birds of the air touch them by day or the wild animals by night (2 Sam 21:10). Rizpah's vigil over her sons bodies lasts from the spring harvest until the fall rains, five or six months. She protects them after their death, though she could not protect them from the Gibeonites or David in their lives. Who Was Rizpah in the Bible, and What Do We Know about Her? Rizpah is a widow, a former concubine of King Saul, the deceased king at the time of these biblical events. As a widow in ancient Israel, Rizpah has very little power. She cannot stop David from taking her sons and using them as a sacrifice to appease the Gibeonites. She is the daughter of Aiah, a descendant of one of Esaus wives (1 Chronicles 1:40). From this information you may gather she was one of the Israelites by birth. She is faithful to her extended family and her nation. She is also faithful to God. Rizpah is voiceless but acts on her beliefs. Perhaps most of all, Rizpah is a faithful mother to her two sons. What Happened to Rizpah's Sons and Why Does She Grieve Them? A famine that lasts three years leads David to ask the Lord why Israel is being punished by God. The Lord said, It is on account of Saul and his blood-stained house; it is because he put the Gibeonites to death (2 Samuel 21:1). David seeks to appease God through better relations with the Gibeonites. When David asks what they want from him, the Gibeonites have the grisly request that seven of Sauls heirs are killed and exposed before the Lord at Gibeah of Saulthe Lords chosen one (2 Samuel 21:6). The dead bodies of seven of Sauls descendants are to be displayed at Sauls former residence at Gibeah. David agrees to the Gibeonites request and gives the lives of two sons of Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth, and five of Sauls grandsons to the vengeful Gibeonites. These seven men are killed and their bodies are ceremoniously exposed during the first days of the barley harvest, a transition time in this agrarian society. Rizpah, the mother of the sacrificed Armoni and Mephibosheth, guards her sons bodies at the site where they are exposed. David follows her example of mourning by bringing the bones of Saul and Sauls son Jonathan to the Gibeonites revenge memorial on Gibeah. Then David gathers up all of the dead men's bones and gives them a proper burial in a family tomb. And ... After that, God answered prayer in behalf of the land (2 Samuel 21:14). It rains and the drought ends. Rizpah most likely experiences the loss of her sons as a greater loss than a prolonged drought or poor tribal relations. Like any mother, she probably wonders why her sons had to die. Like that of many women, her protest after her sons deaths is silent. Her grief is displayed in her vigil, where her sons lay dead. Why Is it Important for Christians to Embrace Grief? Mary, the mother of Jesus, heard her son Jesus say from the cross before his death, Mother, behold your son (John 19: 26). The awful sight of Jesus on the cross was Marys final vision of the son of God she bore by the Holy Spirit. Rizpah also had a painful view of her sons defiled bodies, exposed to the elements. I cant imagine losing a child, how profound that loss would be. I agree that it is not natural for a child to die before its parents. Rizpah conducts herself in her grief with dignity, observing the ritual of a wake in watching over her sons bodies. Her example of grace in mourning leads David to gather the bones of Saul and Jonathan and honor them before burying all of the heirs to Israels throne. This biblical account of Rizpah burying her sons suggest that God wants us to observe the death of a loved one with grace and ceremony. It is good and wise to close the door on those weve lost before moving on to mourn further and reflect on what the experience with death has to give us. At the conclusion of this Bible account of Rizpahs sad experience, God brings rain to dry land. The larger purpose of this human sacrifice was preserving Israels survival against its enemies and the elements of nature. The kingdom of Israel moves on with Rizpah as one of its survivors. Rizpahs personal life is permanently damaged beyond words, however. This Old Testament history episode suggests we can survive through huge losses and continue to walk in faiththat there is some lesson to be learned by cruel and sad outcomes. The peaceful message of Jesus in the New Testament works to heal the wounds of the battle-scarred people in the Old Testament. Through Jesus, God forgives us for all of the mistakes weve made and leads us to live as better people. Seeing Rizpahs vigil may have taught David and the Gibeonites how to mend their differences without further bloodshed. Tribes of the region and Israel engaged in many more battles after this time, however. Why Should We Know about Rizpah Today? Rizpah suffered for the sins of her husband and her nation. Attention to individual loss of a loved one sometimes brings about national repentance, just as it does in Rizpahs story. In modern times. national leaders have issued apologies to African Americans and Holocaust survivors. More apologies to groups of people whose lives were compromised due to a governments lack of action are due. The Jewish custom of guarding the dead between the time of death and burial owes its tradition back to Rizpah. She is the foremother of the rite of shmirah, guarding the soul of the deceased and helping usher them to another state of being, comforting the soul that is in pain and grief at the death of its body, or guarding the physical form from desecration. In Jewish burial tradition, the body is never left alone. Rizpah stayed the duration with her boys dead bodies. Her presence in their time between death and burial maintained the royal family and honored the dead with dignity. As it says in the article "Rizpah, Guardian of the Dead," Rizpah is a model for us today as we see mothers fighting for the dignity of their children, for timely burial, and for the honor due to the lives these children lived. Mothers are joined by protesters who want a stop to the brutality teenage children suffered in death. The website Mothers of the Movement for Black Lives illustrates how the parents of young black men and women slain by police brutality mirror this legacy of Rizpah-who was a fierce protector of the dignity of her children and demanded the world witness what happened. Lastly, we can remember that Rizpahs actions moved Gods heart. Her faithful vigil helped bring an end to the drought and famine in the region. God was pleased with her. Rizpah is a Bible woman worth admiring as an example of godly care of her children. The LORD is close to the broken hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit (Psalm 34:18). Photo credit: GettyImages/LightFieldStudios Betty Dunn hopes her articles in Crosswalk.com help you hold hands with God, a theme in her self-published novel Medusa. A former high school English teacher and editor, she is working on new writing projects from her home in West Michigan, where she enjoys woods, water, pets, and family. Check out her blog at Betty Dunn and her website, www.elizabethdunning-wix.com House Bill 4448, Prohibit limiting government open records disclosures during emergency: Passed 21 to 15 in the Senate To establish that an executive order, proclamation, or directive issued under the law that authorizes the governor to declare an emergency may not lengthen the required government agency response times or otherwise limit the scope of a public body's duties to provide records requested under the state Freedom of Information Act. Such an order was imposed in April 2020 and rescinded that June. 33 Sen. Rick Outman R - Six Lakes Y 35 Sen. Curt VanderWall R - Ludington Y Senate Bill 457, Ban emergency orders that mandate minors get vaccination: Passed 20 to 16 in the Senate To prohibit including a mandate in an epidemic-related state or local health department order that requires minors to get a coronavirus vaccination. 33 Sen. Rick Outman R - Six Lakes Y 35 Sen. Curt VanderWall R - Ludington Y Senate Bill 400, Make certain drunk driving convictions eligible for expunction: Passed 91 to 18 in the House To permit a first drunk driving convictions to be "expunged" or removed from an individuals record after five years. 97 Rep. Jason Wentworth R - Clare Y 100 Rep. Scott VanSingel R - Grant Y 102 Rep. Michele Hoitenga R - Manton N House Bill 4256, Let service animal trainers use public accommodations: Passed 94 to 14 in the House To revise a law that requires facilities open to the public (public accommodations") to permit the use of a service animal by a person with a disability, so that it also requires them to allow trainers to use the facility to train or socialize a service animal. 97 Rep. Jason Wentworth R - Clare Y 100 Rep. Scott VanSingel R - Grant Y 102 Rep. Michele Hoitenga R - Manton Y House Bill 4293, Ban union bargaining over substitute teacher jobs: 56 to 52 in the House To add the employment of an individual as a substitute teacher to the list of prohibited subjects of collective bargaining between school districts and teacher unions. 97 Rep. Jason Wentworth R - Clare Y 100 Rep. Scott VanSingel R - Grant Y 102 Rep. Michele Hoitenga R - Manton Y House Bill 4294, Let current school employees work as subs without degree or credentials: Passed 56 to 52 in the House To allow a school district to hire a current employee as a substitute teacher even if the individual does not have a college degree or otherwise meet the legal requirements to be a substitute teacher. The person would get a raise if their current pay was less than a substitutes pay but would not get a cut if it was more. This would expire with the 2021-22 school year. 97 Rep. Jason Wentworth R - Clare Y 100 Rep. Scott VanSingel R - Grant Y 102 Rep. Michele Hoitenga R - Manton Y House Bill 4501, Refund employer fines levied under unlimited emergency law ruled unconstitutional: Passed 74 to 34 in the House To require state regulators to refund civil penalties they imposed on employers for violating emergency orders issued under a 1945 emergency powers law that has been ruled unconstitutional because it let a governor declare a state of emergency with no time limit and use it to govern unilaterally. 97 Rep. Jason Wentworth R - Clare Y 100 Rep. Scott VanSingel R - Grant Y 102 Rep. Michele Hoitenga R - Manton Y House Bill 4132, Make absentee ballot interference a felony: Passed 66 to 43 in the House To make it a felony to knowingly submit an absent voter ballot application containing false information or a forged signature, or fill out and submit an absent voter ballot application in another persons name, or submit an absent voter ballot application with the intent to obtain multiple absent voter ballots. 97 Rep. Jason Wentworth R - Clare Y 100 Rep. Scott VanSingel R - Grant Y 102 Rep. Michele Hoitenga R - Manton Y SOURCE: MichiganVotes.org, a free, nonpartisan website created by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, providing concise, nonpartisan, plain-English descriptions of every bill and vote in the Michigan House and Senate. Permission to reprint this legislative summary in whole or in part is hereby granted, provided that MichiganVotes.org is properly cited. Y = Yes, N = No, X = Not Voting He will lead Roche in designing a patient-centric approach to address the diabetes burden in the IMEA region Roche has appointed Omar Sherief Mohammad as Head India, Middle East & Africa (IMEA) within the Roche Diabetes Care (RDC) Global Commercial Organisation, based in Mumbai. Before this appointment, Omar has been General Manager RDC India since September 2019. Mohammad will play a key role in the shaping and executing of the overall commercial Go-To-Market Strategy, responsible for setting the strategic direction for IMEA, in alignment with the Global Commercial Organisation as well as the overall RDC strategy. In this newly created role, he will have direct oversight of IMEA and the RDC General Managers/Country Heads of these markets will directly report to him. Omar will also be General Manager in India. Mohammad said, I strongly feel that there is a need for improving access to care to support the underprivileged section of the community by creating a holistic ecosystem for screening, awareness and education programs. I look forward to leading my teams across the IMEA region towards dedicating efforts to bend the curve of diabetes in terms of prevalence and adding value by bringing true relief for people with diabetes. As head of IMEA, Mohammad will steer the countries under his charge to amplify this patient-centric approach and collaborate with various stakeholders to address the burden of diabetes in the region. Mohammad has two decades of experience in the pharmaceutical sector, primarily in diabetes care, in India, global marketing in Denmark and emerging Asian markets. Before joining Roche, Omar was the VP and GM of Novo Nordisk, Vietnam and other Southeast Asia emerging markets. The IoT device will help to secure transportation of vaccines, blood and body organs, etc. Indian Institute of Technology, Ropar (IIT Ropar) in Punjab has developed a first-of-its-kind IoT device AmbiTag that records real-time ambient temperature during the transportation of perishable products, vaccines and even body organs and blood. That recorded temperature further helps to know whether that particular item transported from anywhere in the world is still usable or perished because of temperature variation. This information is particularly critical for vaccines including the COVID-19 vaccine, organs and blood transportation. Shaped as USB device, AmbiTag continuously records the temperature of its immediate surroundings from -40 to +80 degrees in any time zone for a full 90 days on a single charge. Most of the similar devices available in the international market record data only for 30- 60 days, said AWaDH Project coordinator, Dr Suman Kumar. He said it generates an alert when the temperature goes beyond a pre-set limit. The recorded data can be retrieved by connecting the USB with any computer. The device has been developed under Technology Innovation Hub AWaDH (Agriculture and Water Technology Development Hub) and its Startup ScratchNest. AWaDH is a Govt of India project. Dr Kumar said that the device is certified with ISO 13485:2016, EN 12830:2018, CE & ROHS. So far, such devices are being imported by India in a massive quantity from other countries such as Singapore, Hong Kong, Ireland, and China," said Amit Bhatti, one of the founders and directors of ScratchNest. AWaDH Project Director, Professor Pushpendra P Singh informed that IIT Ropar Technology Innovation Hub is gearing for mass-production of AmbiTag. The device will be made available to all companies involved in COVID vaccine transportation from production facilities to the last mile vaccination centres in the country at the production cost of Rs 400," said Prof Singh. Yoyo has launched its bank card-linked loyalty solution in South Africa, and in a separate move, is working with Zapper to broaden interoperability in the QR code space. Bevan Ducasse , Yoyo Simplifying rewards 2020 South African Loyalty Awards winners revealed The South African Loyalty Awards were developed specifically to celebrate loyalty excellence and innovation... Catering to small businesses Zapper integration Yoyo, a customer loyalty and rewards SaaS business that rebranded from wiGroup in 2020, is piloting its bank card-linked loyalty solution in the Netherlands, Germany, Iceland, Portugal and South Africa.Offering a single frictionless process, customers automatically earn retail loyalty as part of the payment flow, without the need for additional steps.According to the company, the solution streamlines checkout for customers while unlocking the relationships and data that retailers of all sizes need to grow.Yoyo creates transactional software products that enable consumers to connect with businesses and brands through the use of loyalty, rewards and m-commerce technologies. The international group resulted from a merger between local company, wiGroup and UK-based Yoyo Wallet.South Africa has a well-established retail loyalty scene, with over 70% of consumers belonging to at least one programme according to Truth & BrandMapps annual white paper but recent numbers show that this is declining year on year. Research shows that participants want the rewards and loyalty, however feel the extra step at checkout to swipe another card or open a loyalty app is cumbersome.Yoyo CEO Bevan Ducasse believes bank card-linked loyalty addresses this core challenge, as the landscape is ripe for innovation and simplification.The trend for customers is towards simplicity and speed of checkout, as seen with the rapid adoption of tap-to-pay, he says. We therefore decided to link loyalty to this, which enables earning into the retailers loyalty programme seamlessly on the back of a bank card payment. No additional cards, no additional steps.Yoyo has also launched an SME offering that promises onboarding in under 10 minutes, striving to provide the power of loyalty to any small business. The Yoyo team, through its channel partnerships, hopes to take this solution to the 1 million-plus small businesses in the regions in which it operates.Were excited to extend the solution to small merchants, as we have witnessed the challenges of keeping businesses open in the current climate, Ducasse explains. We are therefore hopeful we can play our small part to get customers returning and spending more at their local merchants.Yoyo and mobile payments solutions provider Zapper are also working together to broaden interoperability in the QR code space, giving merchants access to more payment options with a single QR code, ensuring customers can pay quickly and safely with their favourite mobile payment option.Zapper is a payment partner of Yoyos, with Yoyo acting as an application aggregator to enable Zapper payments through the Yoyo wiCode platform.Brett White, CEO of Zapper explains, By mapping Zapper to the Yoyo wiCode, merchants only have to present one QR code to their customers. It is then up to the customer to choose which app they open and use to scan and pay. This benefits merchants as it increases the payment options without creating more friction for their customers. It also benefits customers through the power of choice, allowing them to use whichever app they feel best answers their needs.This functionality is currently available at Famous Brands retail outlets, with the possibility of introducing this to other merchants down the line.Mobile payment, customer loyalty and rewards platform, Zappers decision in 2019 to build out a payment platform that allows rapid and easy integration has significantly benefited the rate at which it has deployed new offerings. The platform allows third parties to integrate the ability to scan and pay Zapper and partner-enabled QR codes from within their own branded app. This includes banking apps, telco apps as well as retail apps.White says Zappers work with Yoyo brings the payment industry a step closer to interoperability that is based on win-win commercial agreements. Creating a level playing field in the payment ecosystem which doesnt result in disintermediation is good for everyone. Making space at the table for large and small players will benefit the customer and ultimately benefit the industry, he says. Local NPO Life Choices has launched its annual Youth Month campaign, 30 Stories in 30 Days, sharing inspirational South African youth stories that showcase the struggles, learnings and the courage of youth. Youth are Africa's best asset Africa's underinvested youth are in need of urgent attention and youth entrepreneurship investment banks must become the focus of global support... Raw and narrated directly by the youth The campaign presents the Born Frees and their personal stories of triumph over adversity. The stories are intimate narratives of personal transformation which fit the theme of 'Victim to Victor'. It captures stories that cover a range of issues that young people navigate in their lives, including the effects of poverty, mental health issues, abuse and addiction.Life Choices MD Sofia Neves explains the main motivation behind the youth campaign: National Youth Month commemorates the courageous youth behind the Soweto Uprising of 1976. Many lost their lives in that moment of our history and the bravery of the young people who stood up against the brutal system of apartheid cannot be underestimated. But what we have failed to recognise in contemporary South Africa is the determination and courage of todays youth who are battling many struggles in the form of social ills. Their resilience and their unique insights are an invaluable contribution that we often overlook, or worse, deem as irrelevant. The campaign showcases the struggles of todays youth and their bravery in order to overcome them. The stories are raw and narrated directly by the youth. You cant read the stories and not appreciate the value of the youth of today.Also, youth make up 37% of the population in South Africa but are seldom 'heard' in mainstream media. As such, the youth campaign is a platform for youth voices to be amplified and celebrated.The 2021 campaign will run from the 1 June to 16 June, National Youth Day. Find the campaign stories here African brands are not getting enough love from home and we need to resolve this. According to the annual Brand Africa survey for the 100 most admired brands in Africa, only 13% are home grown while the rest of the list is dominated by European and North American brands. Photo by Godisable Jacob from Pexels South Africa's Top 50 most valuable brands for 2021 The Top 50 most valuable South African brands were initially forecasted to lose over R65bn in cumulative brand value (15%) during the pandemic. However, resolve and resilience have meant the Top 50 have only recorded a 2% (R8.8bn) decrease in cumulative brand value... Media planning: How brands and agencies should strategise during the pandemic With the possible third wave emerging in South Africa, brands and agencies need to be reminded that media planning during a pandemic must be curated with continued consideration for people's health and safety... Data from Brand Africa also reflects that for the past decade, on average about 20% of the leading brands admired by Africans are made in Africa. This figure stood out for me as it signifies that we have a huge task ahead of us in making sure that people fall in love with African brands.We need to interrogate what makes global brands likable in Africa. A beer brand like Guinness for instance is consumed more in Nigeria than in Ireland where it originates.Not to say that there is anything wrong with Africans consuming and admiring foreign brands. But the imbalance is so wide that it cannot be ignored. Brands are entities that represent the image, aspirations and vision of the people who craft them.It is only fair for us to imagine a better world as one where Africans embrace the brands that are created at home. At the end of the day people support brands that they love, and this translates into profit margins and on a larger scale impacts on the economy.The rankings are based on a comprehensive pan-African survey across at least 25 countries spanning all the five economic regions. This accounts for over 80% of the population and over 80% of the continents GDP.Crafting brands that win admiration at home also shows that we have confidence in our own ability to inspire growth as a people. The African Renaissance movement calls upon us to achieve economic, cultural, and scientific renewal. We cannot achieve this, without investing into the local brands in our respective countries.The work is not only cut out for marketing and PR agencies but also for African brands themselves. Some learnings we can take from global companies is that they invest a lot into branding, they aggressively pursue customer connections, and they create impactful experiences for their customers.African brands must do much of the same so that they can gain prominence. There is nothing stopping South African brands the likes of Bathu or Drip for instance from kicking American sports and fitness giant, Nike from the number one spot on the list. Nike has secured the number one spot on that list for the past four years.There is also room for others to join African brands like MTN and Dangote to be amongst the 100 most admired brands on the continent. It is not like African people from Uganda, Zambia, Libya, Nigeria and elsewhere on the continent have not been coming up with innovative businesses.But how we share the story such enterprises will make all the difference. The best marketers in the world have figured out the key to winning their customers hearts in an information intense world. Creating and sharing great content seems to be one of the secret ingredients. People admire brands that speak to them and provide solutions to their problems.African brands must be the leaders when it comes to creating content that answers the questions to African challenges. We cannot always be looking outward for progress.View the Top 100 Most Admired Brands in Africa Briefly tell us about the Wesgro-Finfind Fund Matchmaking Portal. Why did you decide to launch this portal? R4.75bn investment injected into Cape Town, Western Cape Wesgro is pleased to report that more than 22 projects were facilitated in the 2020-21 financial year, which together are expected to inject more than R4.75bn into the regional economy... What funding options can entrepreneurs find on the Fund Matchmaking Portal? Is there a specific criteria business owners need to meet in order to qualify for funding? What challenges do entrepreneurs face when looking for funding? Do you see any trends in business funding in South Africa? What advice would you give to a business owner looking for funding? The platform automatically matches businesses with any available funders according to their specific funding needs using its database of more than 300 funders and over 600 SMME finance products from the public and private sector funders in South Africa.I chat to Wesgro chief executive officer, Tim Harris, to learn more about the Fund Matchmaking Portal and business funding landscape in South Africa.Wesgros Fund Matchmaking Portal is a funding platform developed by Finfind and is aimed at helping businesses develop a better understanding of the funding landscape. The concept was driven by a recognition of the need for businesses across the region to access funding.The portal utilises information submitted by businesses and compares it against the funding mandates and qualifying criteria of more than 300 funders, and more than 600 finance products, to provide the best funder matches for the business. Wesgro does not provide the funding but links the business with the best funder for the business specific funding needs.During the initial Covid-19 lockdown, Wesgro developed and launched the Covid-19 Support Finder Tool, which was designed to assist businesses in identifying viable support structures for their businesses. The uptake was strong, with more than 6,500 businesses utilising the tool during the lockdown.Through implementing the Covid-19 Support Finder Tool and day-to-day interactions with local companies, the Wesgro Investment Promotion unit recognised that a knowledge gap existed among businesses in the region with regard to funding options for businesses in South Africa.Many businesses that engage with Wesgro seeking funding have a limited understanding of funding options. Through an RFQ process, Wesgro partnered with Finfind, who customised their funding platform for Wesgros needs.The funding options include all grant, equity and loan finance offerings available from any government or private sector funder in the country. The funder database currently includes 262 loan products, 228 equity finance products, 84 grants, 41 asset finance funds, 11 incentives and 47 invoice discounting and merchant cash advance products. The funders and finance product information is kept updated on a daily basis.Each funder that is included in the funder database has their own qualifying criteria based on the type of finance product they offer. The requirements for funding products, like invoice financing, are less onerous than term loans, for example. Some finance offerings are sector specific, others have constraints related to the business annual turnover and trading period, for example. Funding requirements, the terms and the cost of finance is linked to a risk assessment.SMMEs need finance to survive and grow, but many do not know what financial products are available that suit their financing needs and they dont know what funders require from them. Publicly available information is difficult to find, or often out of date and uses jargon that is foreign to entrepreneurs.Business owners waste a lot of time doing fruitless internet searches and applying for funding that they do not qualify for or for products that do not match their funding needs.The Fund Matchmaker Platform solves this problem for them by doing the matching for them with the right funder and funding product, filtering out the ones that cannot assist them. It also notifies them about what they will need to have ready when they apply for the funding.There is a significant need for startup funding in the country which is not currently being met. Development finance institutions, who are mandated to address this target market, are often applying the same strict qualifying criteria for funding as the banks do, locking out many early-stage businesses that need finance to survive and grow.Banks are struggling to service the SMME market as they continue to apply a one-size-fits-all approach to credit risk assessment for business funding, much of which is designed for more established and medium size businesses and disadvantages micro and small businesses.The most significant issue is the lack of SMME credit data in the country, which makes it difficult for funders to assess the SMMEs historical payment behaviours or to clarify if they have existing credit. The World Bank is conducting ground-breaking pilot projects to use alternative data to increase credit extension to SMMEs in South Africa.Surprisingly, there is a lot of funding available for SMMEs in South Africa. Sadly, most businesses that apply for funding are not finance ready, meaning they cant provide the information and documentation requested by funders when they apply for finance.Many businesses that need finance do not have the finance record keeping side of their business in order and are behind on issues of compliance. Business owners are advised to focus on the business administration and financial management side of their business, to ensure they are ready to secure funding when needed.For more, go to https://www.wesgro.co.za/invest/funding U.S. political manipulation is wrecking Hong Kong's democracy in nature 09:03, June 01, 2021 By Zhong Sheng ( People's Daily On May 27, the Legislative Council (LegCo) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China passed overwhelmingly a bill on amending the electoral laws, marking the completion of local legislative work for improving Hong Kong's electoral system. Photo taken on Aug. 5, 2019 shows China's national flag and the flag of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) on the Golden Bauhinia Square in Hong Kong, south China. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaochu) While Hong Kong has taken another step in bettering laws and systems for tackling root issues and preventing chaos, some U.S. politicians seem anxious, and even announced a statement to slander and defame China. By doing so, they actually intend to sabotage Hong Kong's democratic political system. In grossly interfering in China's internal affairs, the U.S. has exposed its ulterior motives of undermining Hong Kong's democracy and the rule of law. The passage of the bill is an important measure of Hong Kong to carry out a relevant decision of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, and to put into practice of the spirit of the Standing Committee of the NPC on amendments. It will further close loopholes in Hong Kong's original electoral system, establish a new order of "patriots administering Hong Kong", promote the steady advances of Hong Kong's democratic political system on a healthy and orderly track, provide a more solid guarantee for Hong Kong to achieve sound governance, and safeguard China's national sovereignty, security, development interests and Hong Kong's long-term prosperity and stability. To ensure "patriots administering Hong Kong" is what the majority of Hong Kong residents want. Improving the electoral system of Hong Kong involves a whole process. After the NPC finished relevant revisions, the Hong Kong government submitted the amendment bill concerning Hong Kong's electoral system to the LegCo, which will then review the bill efficiently within one month or so. Then patriotic political and social groups and people from all walks of life actively made suggestions to perfect the bill or voiced support for the bill before it was brought to the LegCo for a final decision. The smooth and professional legislative process demonstrates that perfecting Hong Kong's electoral system is supported by Hong Kong residents, and is an irresistible trend. In recent years, the U.S. seem to have claimed itself spokesperson of Hong Kong people and guardian of Hong Kong democracy. In its statement following the passage of the bill, the U.S. hypocritically called on listening to the voices of Hong Kong people. Ironically, it fails to listen to the voices of American people itself. If some U.S. officials cared about the people even a little bit, the country wouldn't have to pay such an astonishing price under the gloomy COVID-19 epidemic. The U.S. has reported over 33 million confirmed cases and 600,000 fatalities, ranking the first in the world. It is ridiculous that the U.S., a country that seems unable to alleviate its own democratic deficits and governance chaos, pays much attention to Hong Kong's democracy. Besides, the international community has already realized that the U.S. way of "paying attention to" the democracy of a country or a region will only bring disasters. The U.S. should focus more on its own affairs, instead of making irresponsible remarks about Hong Kong's democracy. In the statement, the U.S. openly supported illegalities and crimes and demanded the release of criminals who violated China's law on safeguarding national security in Hong Kong, showing a double standard that disobeys the rule of law. The attempt of the U.S. not only revealed the true intentions of some U.S. politicians for causing chaos in Hong Kong, but proved that the role of the law in facilitating Hong Kong's "one country, two systems" cause. Since the implementation of the law, Hong Kong's violent and illegal demonstrations have been effectively curbed, economic and social development have restored order and stability, and people's right to live and work in peace have been fully protected by law. The passage of the bill on amending the electoral laws also shows that the quality and efficiency of Hong Kong's democracy have been greatly improved without the disruptive influence from forces with evil intentions in the LegCo. Hong Kong has weathered storms and ushered in a new stage for development, and its practice of "one country, two systems" is also embracing a new chapter. China will never allow any force or anyone to stir up trouble in Hong Kong. No matter how many lies and political manipulations some U.S. politicians have pulled on Hong Kong-related issues, they will never change the general trend of Hong Kong from chaos to governance, and then to prosperity. (Zhong Sheng is a pen name often used by People's Daily to express its views on foreign policy.) (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) We talk about creating a more fair and a more just society where citizens feel like they can be part of the process. They can be part of having a voice and having a say, Buckner said. And obviously we were employing these Orwellian tactics that really to me felt like something out of a movie or out of some weird book happening right here under our noses in Chicago. BP and Eni are in talks over the future of their oil and gas assets in Algeria as the two groups increase efforts to refocus their businesses to tackle falling margins, rising debt and climate pressures, three sources said. Europe's top energy companies are cutting back their oil and gas portfolios to keep only the assets most likely to be profitable and redeploy capital for a transition to clean energy as uncertainty mounts over future demand for fossil fuel. A police car is being filled with fuel at a gas station next to the sign of Italian energy Eni company in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt February 6, 2021. Reuters/Amr Abdallah Dalsh Lower profit, harder to sell Earlier this month, they announced they were in talks to forge a joint venture to run their combined operations in Angola. The sources, asking not to be named, said BP and Eni are in early-stage talks for the Italian group to take over BP's assets in Algeria. The sides are exploring an outright sale as well as an option for BP to receive stakes in Eni assets around the world, possibly in its flagship liquefied natural gas development in Mozambique, one of the sources said.They have also looked at the idea of creating a joint venture in the North African country similar to the Angolan model, the sources said. BP and Eni declined to comment. The deal would help BP to dispose of its Algerian assets after its failure since 2019 to sell its 45.89% stake in the In Amenas natural gas plant. BP also holds a 33% stake in the In Salah gas plant.In Algeria, as in Angola, international groups that operate or own stakes in oil and gas fields earn fixed royalties based on the output from fields, in what are known as production sharing agreements (PSAs).That makes them less profitable than elsewhere and harder to sell.One of the sources said BP had tried to sell, but it had proved difficult.For Eni, the biggest foreign oil and gas producer in Africa with strategic interests in Libya and Egypt, acquiring BP's assets would turn Algeria into a hub. BP's net share of production in Algeria in 2020 was 141-million cubic feet (mcf) of gas per day and 6,000 barrels of oil per day, its annual report said.Eni, which has long-term gas import contracts in the country, produced 81 barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2020, including 152.5 mcf of gas. BP and Eni have set out plans to transform their businesses in the coming decades, shifting away from oil and gas to renewable energy, power markets and low-carbon businesses. Eni, which has pledged to raise its green energy capacity by some four times to 4GW in 2024, has 5MW of solar capacity in Algeria.As renewable energy generates smaller returns than oil and gas, majors face a dilemma as they seek to reform and balance investment in new activities while protecting ratings, keeping heavy debt under control and maintaining dividends. Eni has said its oil output will start tapering off after 2025 while BP has pledged to cut oil output by 40% by 2030.As part of the strategy, the companies aim to focus operations on the most profitable fields, such as the Gulf of Mexico in the case of BP, and Egypts giant offshore Zohr gas field for Eni. Eni has signed a series of deals with BP in Africa, including stake sales in the Nour and Shorouk fields in Egypt and a big commercial contract for LNG from Eni's Coral South project in Mozambique. Under the agreement, Cotton, a 6-year-old, 70-pound, Juliana miniature pig, is permitted to stay with the family as long as she is kept inside the home or fenced-in backyard and receives regular veterinary care, said Attorney Terry Liston, representing the village of Morton Grove during the June 1 hearing. The pigs owners must also clean up after it on a daily basis and ensure that the animal complies with local anti-nuisance laws, Liston said. The allegations that Mr. Portillo opened fire on a Saturday afternoon in an extremely well-traveled and crowded shopping district are outrageous, Berlin said in the news release. The type of brazen and violent behavior alleged in this case has an adverse effect on the safety and security enjoyed by the entire community and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. His 34-month sentence would be served through the Lake County Community Transition Court under Judge Salvador Vasquez, Cappas said. It helps offenders transition back with services, such as like helping with drivers licenses and frequent court monitoring. If he completes the program, his sentence can be forgiven early, Cappas said. Hannah would also receive time credited for his incarceration since December. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has begun an investigation into reports of myocarditis (heart inflammation) in people between 16 and 45 years of age after receiving either the genetically engineered experimental messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273 biologics for COVID-19 developed by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) respectively. The cases involve primarily males and they typically occur within four days of getting the second dose of the shots.1 2 3 4 About 125 cases of myocarditis following vaccination have been reported to the CDCs Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) since January 2021, but public health officials say the relationship between the heart condition and the shots is unclear. At least 17 of the cases reportedly involve members of the U.S. military.4 Symptoms of Myocarditis Similar to Heart Attack A report by the website Military.com noted that symptoms experienced by the myocarditis patients resemble those of a heart attack, including shortness of breath, fatigue, heart palpitations/arrhythmia chest pain, lightheadedness, swelling in the hands and feet and a sudden loss of consciousness.4 According the CDCs Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP): Further information should be collected through medical record review about potential myocarditis cases that were reported into VAERS. Information about this potential adverse event should be provided to clinicians to enhance early recognition and appropriate management of persons who develop myocarditis symptoms following vaccination. Collaboration between infectious diseases, cardiology, and rheumatology specialists is needed to provide guidance on diagnosis, treatment, and management of myocarditis.1 We look forward to seeing more data about these cases so we can better understand if they are related to the vaccine or if they are coincidental, said Yvonne Maldonado, MD, chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Infectious Diseases. Meanwhile, its important for pediatricians and other clinicians to report any health concerns that arise after vaccination.2 3 Vaccines Can Cause Myocarditis Amesh Adalja, MD of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security says that vaccines are known to cause myocarditis and that it is important to monitor to see if the heart disorder is causally related to the vaccine. But he adds that it is difficult to determine if there is a link between the COVID-19 mRNA biologics because these products do not contain an actual virus like traditional vaccines. The mRNA biologics contain just a piece of genetic material, Dr. Adalja says.5 6 Cardiologist Jennifer Wong, MD, acknowledges that cases of myocarditis have been linked to the influenza and tetanus vaccines, but those vaccines are different from the genetically engineered mRNA biologics from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna/NIAID, cardiologist Eliot Peyster, MD says.6 7 8 9 Myocarditis also has been found to be causally related to live virus smallpox vaccine10 and sometimes associated with sudden cardiac death following smallpox vaccinations.11 Myocarditis and sudden cardiac death have also been reported following receipt of the genetically engineered HPV vaccine.12 Israel Also Investigates Post-Vaccination Cases of Myocarditis The CDCs investigation of myocarditis after COVID-19 vaccinations comes on the heels of an investigation by the Israeli Ministry of Health involving 62 cases of myocarditis in Israel after receiving Pfizer/BioNTechs BNT162b2 product. Most of those occurred in individuals up to 30 years of age, and 56 of the cases occurred within days after administration of the second dose.13 If you would like to receive an e-mail notice of the most recent articles published in The Vaccine Reaction each week, click here. China has announced that couples will be permitted to have up to three children in a major policy shift from the existing two-child limit, after recent data showed a dramatic decline in births in the worlds most populous country. To actively respond to the ageing of the population a couple can have three children, state media Xinhua reported on Monday, citing a meeting of Chinas elite politburo leadership committee hosted by President Xi Jinping. Chinas fertility rate stands at 1.3 below the level needed to maintain a stable population. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, there were officially 12 million babies born in 2020, 2.65 million fewer than were born in 2019, an 18% fall. Preliminary data released earlier this year, based on registered births, had indicated a year-on-year drop of 15%. Earlier this month, China reported the slowest population growth since the early 1960s, despite scrapping its one-child policy in 2015 to encourage more births and stave off a looming demographic crisis. AFP: According to the latest news report, China's Politburo decided in a meeting today to allow families to have up to three children in future. Could you enlighten us on the purpose and motivation of this new policy? Wang Wenbin: Please refer to competent authorities. Bloomberg: US Customs and Border Protection on Friday said it will detain imports of seafood from Dalian Ocean Fishing after an investigation showed the company operated under all 11 of the International Labour Organization's indicators of forced labor. Does the foreign ministry have any comment? Wang Wenbin: I have noted relevant reports. To our knowledge, the US Customs and Border Protection's claim of "forced labor, abuse of crew members and withholding of pay" is fabrication that is totally inconsistent with facts. Dalian Ocean Fishing Company Limited has never sold any products to the US, and there's nothing to detain in the first place. The so-called "forced labor" is completely groundless. So far as I know, the enterprise involved has always been law-abiding with strict and full-fledged management mechanism and a good reputation in the industry. Moreover, tuna fishing vessels normally enjoy high technical and modernization standards, and their operation are mostly automated, so there is no need for heavy manual labour. The so-called "abuse of crew members" is totally unfounded. Last year saw some media hype-up of the issue; in response, the enterprise involved immediately checked with the Indonesian crew working on the ship, all of whom said they had never been treated unfairly, let alone abused. Facts fully show that the allegation of "forced labor" is nothing but a lie concocted by the US side in an attempt to wantonly suppress Chinese enterprises. China firmly opposes such political manipulation, and calls on the US side to respect the basic facts and annul the wrong decision. China will take every measure necessary to firmly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises. Beijing Daily: According to Japanese media reports, three local agricultural cooperatives in Fukushima, Japan, passed a special resolution on Friday expressing opposition to the government's decision to release nuclear contaminated water into the sea. The resolution criticizes the authorities and Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) for breaching the previous agreement to not start any treatment of the contaminated water without the due understanding of the people concerned, as the government authorities failed to properly explain the matter to Japanese citizens as well as fishery workers. What is China's comment on this? Wang Wenbin: I have noted relevant reports. This is another proof that the Japanese government, turning away from its commitments and acting in ways inconsistent with its words, is extremely irresponsible in handling the disposal of the Fukushima nuclear contaminated water. Dumping the nuclear contaminated water cannot be the first option, still less should it be taken as the only option. China once again strongly urges Japan to take up its due responsibility for ecological safety and the health of all mankind, earnestly respond to the serious concerns of the international community, the neighboring countries and its own people, re-examine and revoke the wrong decisions, and voluntarily accept the substantive participation, verification and supervision of stakeholders and relevant international institutions. It must not start the discharge process before an agreement based on full consultation is reached with all stakeholders and relevant international institutions. Prasar Bharati: As per media report, Wang Jingyu was wanted by China over his online comments about clashes near China-India border last year. He was arrested by Dubai police and was later released after weeks of detention. Can you please confirm if China was seeking his extradition for his online comments over clashes between Chinese and Indian forces last year? And do you have more details to share? Wang Wenbin: I have noted relevant report. As we speak, competent Chinese authorities are investigating and handling the case in accordance with law. China Review News: According to media reports, the Japanese government said the other day that it would study the possibility of providing vaccines to Taiwan, to which the Taiwan authorities expressed thanks. Earlier heads of the Red Cross Society branches in Chinese cities Fuzhou and Xiamen expressed readiness to donate vaccines to Jinmen and Mazu in the Taiwan region, but the Mainland Affairs Council declined the offer. Do you have any comment? Wang Wenbin: Recently many counties, cities and groups in the Taiwan region have been calling for early access to vaccines from the mainland and some institutions have announced that they will receive donations from the mainland. All this demonstrates the Taiwan people's confidence in mainland vaccines. We expressed on many occasions the readiness to do our best to help Taiwan compatriots fight the virus.However, the DPP authorities, proceeding from selfish political calculations, turned a blind eye to the goodwill of the mainland, and even resorted to malicious smears and various other means to thwart the shipment of vaccines from the mainland to the island. This is running roughshod over the life and health of our compatriots in Taiwan. China always supports international cooperation in combating COVID-19 and has been taking active efforts in this regard. That being said, we are firmly against those who exploit the pandemic to put on political shows or even meddle in China's internal affairs. I've noticed that Japan can barely ensure adequate supply of vaccines at home. Under such circumstances, the Japanese government's announcement of considering providing vaccines to China's Taiwan region has drawn doubts from media and the public including in Taiwan. I would like to stress that vaccine assistance should be restored to its origin purpose, which is to save lives, and should not be reduced to a tool for selfish political gains. CCTV: Lately some in the US and the UK have been renewing efforts to hype up the "lab leak theory". Dr Mike Ryan, head of the WHO emergencies program, said on May 28 that "We would like for everyone out there to separate, if they can, the politics of this issue from the science. This whole process is being poisoned by politics". Do you have a comment? Wang Wenbin: Study of origins is a scientific issue that should not be politicized. Unfortunately, for some time, we have seen rhetoric and actions that stigmatize and label the virus, use study of origins to shift the blame to specific countries, wantonly criticize WHO experts on the study, and even draw on intelligence apparatus rather than rely on scientists to lead the study. These US acts which politicize origins study have gravely disrupted and undermined normal international cooperation in origins study and created difficulties and barriers for national efforts to fight the virus and save lives. We stand for a scientists-led study of origins featuring solidarity and cooperation, not an intelligence-led investigation stoking confrontation and sowing division. The process should not be dictated by any country's will. Upholding the principle of openness, transparency and cooperation, China has twice invited WHO experts in for joint study of origins. As the study of origins involve many countries and localities across the world, we call on other countries to follow our example and invite WHO experts in for similar studies to address international concerns. We urge a handful of countries including the US to immediately halt their politicization and stop sabotaging international cooperation in origins study for hidden political agenda. Bloomberg: Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and New Zealand's Jacinda Ardern "expressed grave concerns about the human rights situation" in China's Xinjiang and said that the United Nations and others should be allowed to make "meaningful" visits. Does the foreign ministry have any comment? Wang Wenbin: We have taken note of and are deeply concerned over the relevant statement. The leaders of Australia and New Zealand, with irresponsible remarks on China's internal affairs relating to Hong Kong and Xinjiang as well as the South China Sea issue, have made groundless accusations against China, grossly interfered in China's internal affairs and seriously violated the international law and basic norms governing international relations. China firmly opposes this. I would like to reiterate that Hong Kong is China's Special Administrative Region and its affairs are purely China's internal affairs. China will not waver in its determination and confidence to uphold the principle of One Country, Two Systems and safeguard the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong. Nor will China waver in its resolve and will to reject any external interference in China's internal affairs. Xinjiang-related issues are about counter-violence, anti-separatism and de-radicalization, rather than human rights, ethnicity or religion. Xinjiang has not seen a single violent terrorist case in the past four years. Remarkable achievements have been made in economic and social development and improvement of people's livelihood. The rights and interests of people of all ethnic groups, including the Uyghurs, have been fully protected. These are the facts that are recognized by all those without bias. At present, the situation in the South China Sea is generally stable. China firmly upholds its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests. At the same time, China is willing to properly handle maritime differences with relevant countries through consultation and negotiation to jointly safeguard peace and tranquility in the region. There is never any problem with the freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea. We firmly oppose any groundless accusations against China under the pretext of the South China Sea issue. China maintains that the development of bilateral relations between countries in the region should help enhance mutual understanding and trust among countries in the region, and be conducive to peace and stability in the Asia Pacific, instead of targeting or damaging the interests of third parties, and much less forming enclosed small clique with ideology as the yardstick. It's not justifiable for relevant countries to say and do wrong things on issues bearing on the sovereignty and security of a third country, or interfere in its internal affairs under the guise of human rights. We once again urge relevant parties to stop making irresponsible remarks and act in ways that are conducive to bilateral relations and regional peace and stability, rather than the opposite. The Paper: A joint investigation by foreign media agencies revealed that the US National Security Agency (NSA) used a partnership with Denmark's foreign intelligence unit to spy on senior officials in Sweden, Norway, Germany and France between 2012 and 2014. Do you have any comment? Wang Wenbin: As facts have proven time and again, the US is the world's top empire of hacking and theft of secrets. With targets including not only competitors, but also its allies, the US is a real master of large-scale, indiscriminate tapping and theft of secrets. Even its allies find this "unacceptable". Ironically, this master of theft of secrets is using "clean network" as a cover and claiming to safeguard cyber security. This fully exposes that the US is not truly upholding cyber security, but suppressing competitors; it's not truly defending the security of allies, but maintaining its own hegemony. The US owes the world an explanation on whether what it does is consistent with its intelligence laws and the spirit of its trans-border data flow agreement with allies and whether it's "polluted network" or "clean network". We hope the international community will expose and reject the US cyber bullying and not be a cat's-paw for the illegal acts of this "empire of hackers". China Daily: According to reports, on May 28, 209 House Republicans sent a letter to Speaker Pelosi which reads, "We request that you instruct the appropriate Democrat committee chairs to immediately join Republican calls to hold the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) accountable for its role in causing the global COVID-19 pandemic. There is mounting evidence the pandemic started in a Chinese lab, and the CCP covered it up. If that is the case, the CCP is responsible for the deaths of almost 600,000 Americans and millions more worldwide". Does China have any comment? Wang Wenbin: Between January 14 and February 10 this year, with China's strong support, 17 international experts independently selected by WHO, overcoming the impact of COVID-19, formed a joint mission with Chinese experts to conduct near month-long field research in Wuhan, China. Upholding the spirit of openness, transparency and cooperation, the Chinese side arranged for visits to the Hubei Provincial Center for Disease Control, the Wuhan Center for Disease Control and the Wuhan Institute of Virology at the joint team's request. During the visits, the team visited bio-safety laboratories, had in-depth and candid exchanges with experts there, and gained thorough knowledge of the management, standard operating procedures and recent virology research. On this basis, the joint team arrived at the conclusion through prudent science-based discussion that the hypothesis of "a laboratory origin of the pandemic was considered to be extremely unlikely". This conclusion and the process of the study is clearly recorded in the joint WHO-China study mission report. This is an authoritative and official conclusion based on science. However, some in the US, turning a blind eye to facts, science and the questionable study of origins and botched response at home, kept fabricating the lie that the virus was leaked from the WIV and unreasonably asking China to pay for their own inaction . This shows that they don't care about facts or truth and have zero interest in a serious science-based study of origins. Their aim is to use the pandemic to pursue stigmatization and political manipulation. They are being disrespectful to science, irresponsible to all lives, especially American lives, and counter-productive to concerted global efforts to fight the virus. The US keeps accusing China of cover-ups, but what about itself? There are so many questions about the earlier cases in the US which emerged before the officially-reported first case, the unexplained outbreaks of respiratory disease in northern Virginia in July 2019 and on the subsequent EVALI outbreaks in Wisconsin. Can the US practice what it preaches and be open and transparent and disclose detailed data and information on relevant cases at an early date? If the US is totally above-board, why not open up the suspicion-shrouded Fort Detrick for visits, investigations and research by international experts? I would like to stress again that the study of origins of COVID-19 is a matter of science, not a political tool. It should be conducted by scientists all over the world in collaboration, not by the intelligence community or a few finger-pointing politicians, because the latter would only disrupt and undermine normal international cooperation in origins study and create difficulties and barriers for countries' efforts to fight the virus and save lives. We urge a handful of countries including the US to immediately halt their politicization, stop sabotaging international cooperation in origins study for hidden political agenda and refrain from rejecting science to embrace conspiracy theories and sabotaging global solidarity and cooperation in fighting the pandemic for selfish gains. Reuters: Taiwan's DPP said today that China prevented Taiwan from getting vaccines. Do you have any comment on that? Wang Wenbin: The State Council Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson has already responded to the relevant question, which you can refer to. As we have said many times, we stand ready to do our very best to help our Taiwan compatriots bring the epidemic under control and defeat the virus at an early date. The DPP authorities are extremely irresponsible to our Taiwan compatriots by using political manipulation to divert attention. They should immediately stop all kinds of slanders and smears on the mainland helping Taiwan compatriots in their fight against the epidemic, and take practical actions to remove man-made obstacles, so as to ensure the health and well-being of Taiwan compatriots. Two notable virologists claim to have found "unique fingerprints" on COVID-19 samples that only could have arisen from laboratory manipulation, according to an explosive 22-page paper obtained by the Daily Mail. The paper's authors, Norwegian scientist Dr. Birger Srensen (left) and British Professor Angus Dalgleish (right) via the Daily Mail British professor Angus Dalgleish - best known for creating the world's first 'HIV vaccine', and Norwegian virologist Dr. Birger Srensen - chair of pharmaceutical company, Immunor, who has published 31 peer-reviewed papers and holds several patents, wrote that while analyzing virus samples last year, the pair discovered "unique fingerprints" in the form of "six inserts" created through gain-of-function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China. They also conclude that "SARS-Coronavirus-2 has "no credible natural ancestor" and that it is "beyond reasonable doubt" that the virus was created via "laboratory manipulation." DailyMail.com exclusively obtained the 22-page paper which is set to be published in the scientific journal Quarterly Review of Biophysics Discovery. In it, researchers describe their months-long 'forensic analysis' into experiments done at the Wuhan lab between 2002 and 2019 (Daily Mail) A 'GenBank' table included in the paper lists various coronavirus strains, with the dates they were collected and then when they were submitted to the gene bank, showing a delay of several years for some (Daily Mail) Last year, Srensen told Norwegian broadcaster NRK that COVID-19 has properties which have 'never been detected in nature,' and that the United States has 'collaborated for many years on coronavirus research through "gain of function" studies with China. One diagram of the coronavirus shows six 'fingerprints' identified by the two scientists, which they say show the virus must have been made in a lab (Daily Mail) A second diagram showed how a row of four amino acids found on the SARS-Cov-2 spike have a positive charge that clings to human cells like a magnet, making the virus extremely infectious (Daily Mail) The paper detailing their months-long "forensic analysis," which looked back at experiments done at the Wuhan Institute of Virology between 2002 and 2019, is set to be published in the scientific journal Quarterly Review of Biophysics Discovery. More via the Mail: Digging through archives of journals and databases, Dalgleish and Srensen pieced together how Chinese scientists, some working in concert with American universities, allegedly built the tools to create the coronavirus. Much of the work was centered around controversial 'Gain of Function' research temporarily outlawed in the US under the Obama administration. Gain of Function involves tweaking naturally occurring viruses to make them more infectious, so that they can replicate in human cells in a lab, allowing the virus's potential effect on humans to be studied and better understood. Dalgleish and Srensen claim that scientists working on Gain of Function projects took a natural coronavirus 'backbone' found in Chinese cave bats and spliced onto it a new 'spike', turning it into the deadly and highly transmissible SARS-Cov-2. One tell-tale sign of alleged manipulation the two men highlighted was a row of four amino acids they found on the SARS-Cov-2 spike. In an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com, Srensen said the amino acids all have a positive charge, which cause the virus to tightly cling to the negatively charged parts of human cells like a magnet, and so become more infectious. But because, like magnets, the positively charged amino acids repel each other, it is rare to find even three in a row in naturally occurring organisms, while four in a row is 'extremely unlikely,' the scientist said. 'The laws of physics mean that you cannot have four positively charged amino acids in a row. The only way you can get this is if you artificially manufacture it,' Dalgleish told DailyMail.com. Their new paper says these features of SARS-Cov-2 are 'unique fingerprints' which are 'indicative of purposive manipulation', and that 'the likelihood of it being the result of natural processes is very small.' 'A natural virus pandemic would be expected to mutate gradually and become more infectious but less pathogenic which is what many expected with the COVID-19 pandemic but which does not appear to have happened,' the scientists wrote. 'The implication of our historical reconstruction, we posit now beyond reasonable doubt, of the purposively manipulated chimeric virus SARS-CoV-2 makes it imperative to reconsider what types of Gain of Function experiments it is morally acceptable to undertake . The study concluded 'SARS-Coronavirus-2 has no credible natural ancestor' and that it is 'beyond reasonable doubt' that the virus was created through 'laboratory manipulation' (Daily Mail) When Srensen and Dalgleish floated their findings last year, it was 'debunked' with the thinnest of logic - however former MI6 chief Sir Richard Dearlove pointed to the pair's findings as an "important" development which could prove that the pandemic may have originated at the WIV. Srensen and Dalgleish aren't the first scientists to find unusual features within COVID-19. Last June, the Daily Telegraph reported that there are two unique features to COVID-19: First, the virus binds more strongly to human ACE2 enzymes than any other species, including bats. Second, SARS-CoV-2 has a "furin cleavage site" missing in its closes bat-coronavirus relative, RaTG-13, which makes it significantly more infectious - a finding we reported in late February. According to Israeli geneticist, Dr. Ronen Shemesh, the Furin site is the most unusual finding. "I believe that the most important issue about the differences between ALL coronavirus types is the insertion of a Furin protease cleavage site at the Spike protein of SARS-CoV-2," he said. "Such an insertion is very rare in evolution, the addition of such 4 Amino acids alone in the course of only 20 years is very unlikely." "There are many reasons to believe that the COVID-19 generating SARS-CoV-2 was generated in a lab. Most probably by methods of genetic engineering," he said, adding "I believe that this is the only way an insertion like the FURIN protease cleavage site could have been introduced directly at the right place and become effective." Dr Shemesh, who has a PhD in Genetics and Molecular Biology from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and over 21 years of experience in the field of drug discovery and development, said it is even more unlikely that this insertion happened in exactly the right place of the cleavage site of the spike protein - which is where it would need to occur to make the virus more infectious. -Daily Telegraph "What makes it even more suspicious is that fact that this insertion not only occurred on the right place and in the right time, but also turned the cleavage site from an Serine protease cleavage site to a FURIN cleavage site," he added. In January 2020, a team of Indian scientists wrote in a now-retracted paper that the coronavirus may have been genetically engineered to incorporate parts of the HIV genome, writing "This uncanny similarity of novel inserts in the 2019- nCoV spike protein to HIV-1 gp120 and Gag is unlikely to be fortuitous in nature," meaning - it was unlikely to have occurred naturally. The next month, a team of researchers in Nankai University noted that COVID-19 has an 'HIV-like mutation' that allows it to quickly enter the human body by binding with a receptor called ACE2 on a cell membrane. Other highly contagious viruses, including HIV and Ebola, target an enzyme called furin, which works as a protein activator in the human body. Many proteins are inactive or dormant when they are produced and have to be cut at specific points to activate their various functions. When looking at the genome sequence of the new coronavirus, Professor Ruan Jishou and his team at Nankai University in Tianjin found a section of mutated genes that did not exist in Sars, but were similar to those found in HIV and Ebola . -SCMP According to the Nankai University study, the furin binding method is "100 to 1,000 times as efficient' as SARS at entering cells. "This protein cleaving protein is highly promiscuous, its found in many human tissues and cell types and is involved in many OTHER virus types activation and infection mechanisms (it is involved in HIV, Herpes, Ebola and Dengue virus mechanisms)," said Dr. Shemesh. "If I was trying to engineer a virus strain with a higher affinity and infective potential to humans, I would do exactly that: I would add a Furin Cleavage site directly at the original less effective and more cell specific cleavage site." Meanwhile, Flinders University Professor Nikolai Petrovsky found last year either "a remarkable coincidence or a sign of human intervention" within COVID-19 telling the Telegraph that COVID-19 is "exquisitely adapted to humans." Professor Nikolai Petrovsky "We really dont know where this virus came from - thats the truth. The two possibilities is that it was a chance transmission of a virus...the other possibility is that it was an accidental release of the virus from a laboratory," he said, adding "One of the possibilities is that an animal host was infected by two coronaviruses at the same time and COVID-19. The same process can happen in a petri-dish." "In other words COVID-19 could have been created from that recombination event in an animal host or it could have occurred in a cell-culture experiment. Im certainly very much in favour of a scientific investigation. Its only objective should be to get to the bottom of how did this pandemic happen and how do we prevent a future pandemic." Keep in mind - reporting any of this last year was punishable by social media banishment, demonetiziation, and hit-piece articles from propagandists peddling CCP talking points. Ales Jermar graduated from Prague Conservatory and Academy of Musical Arts (AMU). Afterwards, between 1955 and 1964, he worked as a staff composer and musical director in Czechoslovak film and television. He collaborated with the finest artists and directors creating music for childrens programs, short films, concerts, television and theatre productions and radio broadcasts. He also accompanied live broadcasts of a popular television program (Curious camera) with his improvisations. His music and some of the short films he teamed up on were awarded prestigious prizes in the international film festivals in Cannes, Leipzig, Munich, Mexico City, Venice and Oberhausen. Among these films are (Fantasy for left hand human conscience), Ballet of horses) (How many sons we have) (The life of Bohdan Kopecky) directed by Jaroslav Sikl, (The house of time and words) and (The distance from the center) directed by Bohumil Sobotka, (A little egg) and (Discoveries in the castle) directed by Zdenek Kopac, and a Slovak film (The solstice) directed by Evzen Simko. A dynamic and dazzling performer, Ales was praised for his power, interpretative brilliance, purity of style, instrumental virtuosity, and unbelievable improvisational skills. As an organist, he concertized with major orchestras and as a solo artist in many European countries, Canada and the USA. He had an immense repertoire, and, in addition, he could improvise in any style from any period; during his performances he often improvised on four or more random tones taken from the audience. As a composer, Ales favored a strong melody line and stressed melodiousness and creativity. Already as a young boy, before he knew anything about improvisation, he enjoyed dreaming at the piano and already felt that he wanted to become a performing artist and composer. Most of his compositions were in fact spontaneously improvised and, once finalized, he was able to keep them in memory and play them during his performances. He would notate his music only when he intended it to be performed by other musicians. Aless father, Vitezslav Jermar, also a musician and a dedicated patriot, owned a pharmaceutical factory in Prague, which was nationalized and incorporated into the state owned firm Spofa after February 1948. During the war, he would often send his son on a bicycle to deliver information to members of the anti-fascist resistance movement with these words: Go, you are only a child, they will not suspect you! During the time of communist regime, Ales was called several times for interrogation by the StB (Czechoslovak secret police) to the station at Bartolomejska street in Prague due to his critical stance towards the politics of the Communist Party. He was a brave and honest man, who was not afraid to speak his mind. Therefore, he was told that if he did not want to end up in prison, hed better leave the country, which he finally managed in 1964. To leave his country for the unknown was not an easy decision. It meant leaving behind his home, his family and friends as well as a successful career. Many people in the Czech Republic have assumed that those who left their homeland at that time found a better life abroad and cannot forgive them to this day. But the opposite is true; especially for artists, who lost the safety of their cultural background, who began to address people in foreign surroundings, and who needed understanding from their audiences. Only a few, after undergoing great hardships, reached the lifestyle and status, which they willingly or unwillingly had left behind. Lets take, for example, the fates of Jiri Voskovec. Jan Werich and Jaroslav Jezek, members of the well-known Osvobozene divadlo (Osvobozene theatre). During their stay in the USA, they immersed themselves in intense study of English language, translated their most successful plays into English and made attempts to stage their plays on Broadway. But they did not succeed. The American audience did not understand their work and the trio was forced to perform only for fellow countrymen. Jan Werich returned home at the end of the war, Jaroslav Jezek, who never came to terms with his emigration even though it was intended to be only temporary, sadly died in the USA before he could return home. Only Jiri Voskovec decided to stay in the USA and managed to find work as an actor, but never reached the same degree of appreciation and fame as he enjoyed in the former Czechoslovakia. Just a few exceptions attained the international recognition, such as the film director Milos Forman, writer Milan Kundera and bass players Miroslav Vitous (Weather Report), George Mraz (Oscar Peterson) and Ivan Kral (Pattie Smith). Even though Ales did not lack talent, he did not have the right connections and never managed to attain the same level of opportunities he enjoyed while living in Czechoslovakia. After some time spent in New York City, he settled in New London, Connecticut. He created a new home and made new friends. He kept in touch with his good friends in Prague and attentively watched events in his home country from across the ocean. He continued to compose music, concertized from time to time and taught a few selected piano students. He introduced them to Janacek and Martinu, to Czech films and to delicious Czech food. I have also enjoyed Ales and his wife Hollys hospitality in a delightful atmosphere of their home. I met them in 1982 through our common acquaintance Evzen Drmola, a Czech dramaturge, who lived in Boston. I was a student at the Berklee College of Music, a renowned jazz conservatory in Boston, and Ales and I had a lot in common. Not only we were countrymen, but we also became good friends. During my frequent visits at their home, I had an opportunity to listen to and discuss with him his latest compositions, get a glimpse into his creative process, admire his collection of Czech art that included paintings of Antonin Slavicek and Ivan Dobroruka as well as of traditional Czech marionettes complete with Manicka, that many of us remember from the childrens television programs of Spejbl and Hurvinek. Aless music is full of love of nature and people. When he discovered synthesizers in the early eighties, he embraced them instantly. They offered him a wide spectrum of sounds, which inspired him to create new music. He combined his knowledge of Gregorian Chant and the twentieth century classical music with his keen interest in new sounds and in contemporary musical styles. In it, we can hear orchestral instruments, womens and mens voices, church bells, harps, Spanish guitars and sounds of nature including authentic voices of whales, wolves and loons. But most of all Aless music tells stories: the story of disappearance of the legendary Atlantis, which is relevant to us even today as our world faces dangers of wars and environmental destruction, or the story of a soldiers helmet full of clay. His composition Fantasy for Left Hand and Human Conscience (Fantasie pro levou ruku a lidske svedomi) continues to carry a powerful anti-war message, and his composition Stella Maris is a dialog between organ music and whales; the organ music perfectly matches pitches of whales voices in a minor key, the recording of which is played during performances, and accompanies their lonely and mesmerizing conversation across the ocean waters. The collection of Aless music contains live recordings of some of his concerts, studio recordings of some of his compositions and improvisations, interviews with Ales talking about his creative process, historical interview with a Czech piano virtuoso Otakar Hollmann, a student of Vitezslav Novak, who lost his right hand in the WWI and for whom Ales wrote his Fantasy for Left Hand and Human Conscience (Fantasie pro levou ruku a lidske svedomi), the 1960 documentary film of the same name directed by Pavel Hobl, newspaper clippings, programs from Aless concerts and some scores. Additional music, not included in the collection, may exist in the Czech film and television archives. Quite a bit has changed in the Czech Republic since the 1960s of the previous century. Today, we can travel freely, and no one has to leave the country because of the fear of persecution. Aless life and career were forcibly interrupted. Yet, he remained himself and never lost his Czech spirit and his Czech sense of humor. I hope that his beautiful music can, after many years abroad, return to the country where it rightly belongs and become a part of the Czech cultural heritage in order to provide enjoyment and inspiration to future generations of music lovers. The musical legacy of Ales Jermar is currently in possession of Holly Jermar and I am the curator of the collection. If you are interested in obtaining the collection for your archives, please, contact me via e-mail at kurfirt@fas.harvard.edu Images Sorry, there are no recent results for popular images. Borsa Italiana non ha responsabilita per il contenuto del sito a cui sta per accedere e non ha responsabilita per le informazioni contenute. Accedendo a questo link, Borsa Italiana non intende sollecitare acquisti o offerte in alcun paese da parte di nessuno. Sarai automaticamente diretto al link in cinque secondi. Boulder, MT (59632) Today Mainly clear skies. Low 48F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Mainly clear skies. Low 48F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph. At the invitation of Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will attend the BRICS foreign ministers' meeting via video link on June 1. CCTV: Could you share China's expectations for the BRICS foreign ministers' meeting which you just announced State Councilor Wang Yi will attend? Wang Wenbin: BRICS is a cooperation mechanism consisting of emerging markets and developing countries with global influence. Amid the combined impact of the COVID-19 and other major changes unseen in a century, the BRICS mechanism is of more special significance in deepening the cooperation between emerging markets and developing countries and promoting the post-epidemic world economic recovery. Under the strategic guidance of BRICS leaders, foreign ministers of the five countries meet regularly to deepen mutual trust and cooperation in the field of political security. At today's meeting, China looks forward to exchanging views, coordinating positions and building up consensus with other BRICS members on the most urgent issues of common concern. Together, we will send out a strong signal that BRICS countries, with solidarity and cooperation, support true multilateralism, promote post-epidemic economic recovery and tackle global challenges. Xinhua News Agency: What do you think of the work China has done after taking over the rotating presidency of the Security Council for the month of May? Wang Wenbin: This year marks the centenary of the CPC and the 50th anniversary of the restoration of China's legitimate rights at the UN. It is of great significance that China assumed the Security Council presidency for May at such an important historical juncture. Faced with new circumstances and challenges with the increasingly complicated and severe international landscape, escalating regional hotspot issues, and the enormous impact of another round of COVID-19 on world peace and security, China actively forged ahead in an innovative and pioneering spirit. Upholding the principles of objectivity, impartiality, efficiency, pragmatism, transparency and openness, China conscientiously fulfilled its duty as the Security Council rotating president, contributed Chinese vision and wisdom, and played a constructive role in enhancing solidarity and cooperation and safeguarding international peace and security, all of which has been fully acknowledged by other member states. In May, the Security Council held a total of 31 meetings. China led or worked with other members of the Council to release two presidential statements on post-pandemic recovery in Africa and safety and security of peacekeepers respectively, adopt four resolutions on regional hotspot issues including Columbia, Abyei, South Sudan and Iraq, release six press statements on issues surrounding Afghanistan, the DRC, Gaza ceasefire, Mali and elections in Somali, and hold five key events featuring upholding multilateralism, Palestine-Israel conflict, post-pandemic recovery in Africa, safety and security of peacekeepers and the impact of emerging technologies. In particular, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi chaired three open debates on upholding multilateralism, the Palestine-Israel conflict, and post-pandemic recovery in Africa respectively, where he put forward a series of initiatives and proposals to practice true multilateralism, seek political settlement of regional hotspot issues, and facilitate Africa's post-pandemic recovery. These events gathered consensus and contributed to Security Council solidarity and commitment to the resolution of relevant issues, which has been broadly commended by the international community including African and Arab countries. China worked to ensure that the Security Council fulfills its mandate, advanced UN Secretary-General election-related matters, and arranged for informal dialogue between Security Council members and Secretary-General candidates. China took active measures to improve the Council's working methods to enhance efficiency, transparency and inclusiveness while eliciting views from various sides and attaching importance to the legitimate concerns of the member states concerned. China also took steps to reinstate face-to-face meetings at the Council on the precondition of respecting science and ensuring safety, a move that has been broadly applauded. With the concerted efforts of all member states, the Security Council reiterated its strong commitment to multilateralism, reaffirmed the correct direction of upholding true multilateralism; sent out a unified message on supporting international solidarity and cooperation in fighting the pandemic, in particular on advancing post-pandemic recovery and post-conflict reconstruction in Africa; actively responded to hotspot issues and contingencies and played an important role in advancing political settlement of conflicts and disputes; reached new consensus on issues such as the safety and security of peacekeepers and the impact of emerging technologies; and achieved new progress in making the Council's work more just, transparent, efficient and practical. As a permanent member of the Security Council, China will continue to engage actively and deeply in the Council's work and make greater contributions to world peace and security. Bloomberg: The New York Times said in a recent report that critics of US President Joe Biden argued that he had dismissed the possibility that the lab was the origin of the virus until the Chinese government this week rejected allowing further investigation by the WHO. Can the ministry clarify this, has China rejected any further investigation of any type by the WHO? Wang Wenbin: China has been cooperating with WHO on virus origin-tracing in an open and transparent manner. While undertaking the daunting task of epidemic response at home, China has twice invited WHO experts in for origin-tracing study, during which international and Chinese experts jointly made field visits, analyzed a large number of data, issued joint mission reports, and reached authoritative, formal and science-based conclusions. I would like to underscore again that a number of clues, reports and studies suggest that the outbreaks began in multiple locations around the world as early as the second half of 2019. China has made positive contributions to the global efforts of origin-tracing. To further advance this global endeavor, we hope all parties will render full support and cooperation to WHO, so as to find the source of the virus at an early date and put an end to the spread of the epidemic. Shenzhen TV: According to media reports, as the US marks the National Memorial Day, many US soldiers stationed in the ROK were granted leave and held mass gatherings without wearing masks in violation of epidemic prevention rules on the Haeundae Beach of Busan, causing an uproar among the local residents. Do you have a comment? Wang Wenbin: We noted relevant reports. If my memory serves me right, this is not the first time that US troops in the ROK have violated local epidemic prevention rules. We hope the US can earnestly assume its responsibility, discipline its forces stationed overseas and honor its pledge to support international anti-virus efforts with concrete actions. AFP: Australian citizen Yang Jun detained in China claimed recently that he was tortured and abused during detention. Is that true? Wang Wenbin: China has repeatedly stated its position on the case of Australian national Yang Jun. China is country with rule of law. Chinese judicial authorities handle the case according to law and fully guarantee Yang Jun's lawful rights. The allegation that Yang was "arbitrarily detained" or tortured during interrogation was groundless. Such practices are explicitly prohibited by Chinese law. We urge the Australian side to stop criticizing China's law-based governance and wanton provocation, and stop grossly interfering in China's judicial sovereignty by hyping up the issue and exerting pressure on China. Global Times: Foreign ministers of Poland, Serbia, Ireland and Hungary visited China in recent days, which some media deem as a sign of rapprochement between China and Europe. Can you give us more details? Wang Wenbin: At the invitation of State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau, Serbian Foreign Minister Nikola Selakovic, Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence Simon Coveney, and Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto visited China in recent days. In addition to having in-depth exchange of views on bilateral relations and practical cooperation, the two sides also conducted thorough discussions on China-Europe relations and China-CEEC cooperation. Wang Yi said that China-Europe cooperation has travelled an extraordinary journey of decades with great resilience and potential, and is in line with the upward trajectory of the times. China and Europe are two important poles in a multipolar world without any geopolitical conflicts or clash of fundamental interests; what we have is huge demand for cooperation. China and Europe should stay committed to their comprehensive strategic partnership, to the development direction of dialogue and cooperation, to the principle of mutual respect and seeking common ground while putting aside differences, and most importantly, to the responsibility of maintaining world peace and stability and promoting common development and prosperity. Wang Yi pointed out that the development of CEEC countries is driven by three engines, namely, their respective bilateral relations with China, China-Europe cooperation and China-CEEC cooperation. The three engines work together to accelerate the development of CEEC countries, promote the process of European integration, and lend fresh impetus to China-Europe relations. Both sides agree that China and Europe, with high degree of mutual complementarity,long-accumulated cooperation foundation and equally keen desire for recovery of growth, should work together, draw on each other's strength, consolidate the synergy of development strategies, and promote the integration of industrial and supply chains, to keep up the sound momentum of practical cooperation while stepping up efforts to ensure an early victory against the epidemic. At present, China-Europe relations are experiencing some difficulties, which we should take seriously and work out solutions. The correct approach is to conduct constructive dialogue, enhance mutual understanding, clear doubts and misunderstandings, expand consensus, focus on mutually-beneficial cooperation and realize the sound and steady development of China-Europe relations. Faced with more complicated and diverse global challenges in the post-pandemic era, China and Europe, as comprehensive strategic partners, should adopt an overall and long-term perspective, strengthen coordination and cooperation, jointly safeguard and practice true multilateralism, earnestly improve global governance and build a community with a shared future for mankind. China stands ready to continue exchange and dialogue with Europe to build up understanding and trust, strive for our cooperation objectives and promote our respective development and people's welfare. China News Service: On May 31, the 74th World Health Assembly adopted a resolution submitted by the European Union, calling for a total overhaul of the global alarm system to ensure the adequate, flexible and sustainable financing of WHO's programme budget for a stronger, more independent WHO to help avert future pandemics. What is China's position on this? Wang Wenbin: As a co-sponsor of the resolution, China has taken an active part in the consultation process. We stand ready to work with all parties to follow through on the spirit of the resolution, and jointly improve the global public health governance system, so as to enable it to better tackle global public health crises, and promote the building of a global community of health for all. Beijing Daily: On May 31, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato said at a House of Councillors Budget Committee session that Asahi Shimbun's report on the existence of forced recruitment of comfort women runs counter to facts and that it's very problematic for such understanding to spread in the international community including the ROK. Do you have any comment? Wang Wenbin: China's position on the issue of Japan's forced recruitment of "comfort women" is consistent and clear. During WWII, the Japanese military carried out the forced recruitment against the will of the victims by force or lure. It is a grave crime against humanity committed by the Japanese militarism. It is a historical fact with iron-clad evidence. Any words or deeds that attempt to deny this fact must be condemned by justice and conscience. Once again we urge the Japanese side to honestly face up to and reflect on its history of aggression, make a clean break with militarism, stop denying and beautifying that part of history, properly handle the "comfort women" issue in an honest and responsible manner, and take concrete actions to win the trust of its Asian neighbors and the international community. CCTV: It is reported that the first batch of Sinopharm vaccines to be provided to COVAX officially rolled off production line on May 31, and a ceremony was held this morning. What is China's comment on this? Wang Wenbin: As a supporter of COVAX, China has announced to provide 10 million doses of vaccines to the program, and relevant Chinese manufacturer has been sparing no efforts to deliver the promised doses. The first batch of vaccines to be provided to COVAX officially rolled off production line, which is another example of China taking concrete actions to fulfill its commitment of making vaccines a global public good. China will continue to support relevant manufacturer in strengthening communication and coordination with the COVAX program, and make China's contributions to securing an early victory in the global fight against the epidemic. Beijing Youth Daily: We have learned that the Group of Governmental Experts on Advancing responsible State behaviour in cyberspace in the context of international security (GGE) has just completed its final report. Do you have more information on that? Wang Wenbin: The GGE, which consists of 25 states including the five permanent members of the Security Council, has just completed its final report, in which it reaffirmed the commitments of states to the UN Charter, peace in cyberspace and respect for sovereignty in cyberspace, and offered suggestions for norms of responsible state behaviour in cyberspace. The report also incorporated some key propositions China put forward earlier in the Global Initiative on Data Security, including ensuring the openness, integrity, security and stability of the ICT supply chain, putting in place at the national level comprehensive, transparent, objective and impartial frameworks and mechanisms for supply chain risk management, and developing globally interoperable common rules and standards for supply chain security. Apart from this, the Open-Ended Working Group on Developments in the Field of ICTs in the Context of International Security (OEWG), the first inter-governmental cybersecurity process with wide participation from all UN member states, also adopted a report not long ago, offering suggestions and blueprints for international rules and future mechanisms in cyberspace. The outcomes of these two processes reflect the shared aspiration of the international community to enhance dialogue and cooperation, safeguard peace and security in cyberspace and formulate international rules in cyberspace. China consistently supports the core role of the UN in global cyberspace governance and has been playing a constructive role and working with other parties for continued progress in relevant processes. We stand ready to join hands with the international community to advance global governance and formulation of international rules in cyberspace to foster a community with a shared future in cyberspace. China Review News: Some politicians in the US claim that the novel coronavirus was leaked from laboratory and demand an "investigation" in China. What's your comment on this? Wang Wenbin: China firmly opposes the politicization of virus origin-tracing by some US politicians. Why is it that some in the US are so obsessed with the lab-leak theory when there no evidence to prove that the virus leaked from Chinese laboratories? To put it bluntly, the purpose of those in the US is to shirk their responsibility of botched response at home and find another excuse to thwart China's development. However, facts have proved that this trick of scapegoating and blame-shifting will only end up hurting the US own interest and the lives and health of the American people. Politicization does nothing but disrupts the international anti-epidemic effort, and will be met with universal rejection by the international community. Recently, many international experts and scholars have questioned and criticized the US practice of politicizing the issue of origin-tracing. Australian scientist Dominic Dwyer, a member of the WHO expert team, said there was no evidence to back up the lab escape theory. Peter Daszak, a member of the expert team and an American scholar, said that he and other scholars who had been to Wuhan for origin-tracing studies had published a wealth of data supporting a "natural spillover", and pointed out there was a complete lack of data suggesting a lab accident. Daszak dismissed US "intelligence reports" as "political, not scientific". Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at Columbia University, said that "The most frustrating thing about the topic of SARS-CoV-2 origins has been the credulous way the media has treated this as a debate between 2 equally plausible hypotheses. Nope, this is more like the debate over climate change. There's the data and then there's false equivalence." Ethan Siegel, an American science writer, said that conspiracy theories has gained a lot of traction, because "after all, how much more comforting would it be to know that just a handful of evil people - not the politicians who sacrificed their constituents- were ultimately responsible for the tragedies of the past 18 months?" I would like to reiterate that origin-tracing is a scientific issue. On this issue concerning the health and safety of humanity, we should stay true to the original aspiration of saving lives and getting better prepared to cope with similar public health crisis in the future. We should embark on the path of unity and cooperation instead of instigating confrontation and division. We should rely on science rather than political manipulation. Any attempt to politicize the origin-tracing issue is neither moral nor popular, and will only end in failure. Today, June 1, is International Children's Day. I would like to wish all children in China and the rest of the world a happy Children's Day! Let's work together so that all children can have a happy childhood. Submit your letter to the editor for publication in the Bozeman Daily Chronicle. Letters should be no more than 300 words and must include the writer's first and last name (no initials), home address and daytime phone number. Submit What's Included With a Digital Only subscription, you'll receive unlimited access to our website and e-edition. Our digital products are available 24/7 and are accessible anywhere, anytime. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please call our customer service team at 814-368-3173 or email nfinnerty@oleantimesherald.com. The Chinese greeting phrase "ni hao" -- which translates into English as "hello" -- is becoming widely understood by many school children in Zimbabwe as more schools introduce Chinese language classes to cater to the growing demand for the language. At Gateway High School, a private school in Zimbabwe's capital of Harare, Chinese as a language is becoming a popular optional choice among students. Despite his young age, 14-year-old Matthew Chimudzi is confident that mastering the Chinese language will open countless doors of opportunities and broaden his career horizons. "What excites me about learning the Chinese language is knowing that one day I will be able to fluently speak Mandarin and I will be able to communicate with people in China, and I may be able to go to university in China," he told Xinhua. Chimudzi is in the elementary Chinese language class of 20 students at Gateway School. Challenging himself by learning Chinese might be an exciting adventure, but he admitted that learning the world's most spoken language by the number of native speakers is not a walk in the park. "It's difficult but I don't find that challenging because I just persevere in the subject," he said. Valerie Nyamugama, another elementary Chinese language student at Gateway, said "I chose to learn Chinese because I wanted to learn a different culture and different way to talk in a different language." The 14-year-old girl believes that with China's increased global footprint, mastering the Chinese language means more advantages in the competitive job market. "I expect to get more job opportunities because of the Chinese language, I feel like it's gonna go forward because I feel like China is taking over most things," she said. Patience Rusere, a Chinese teacher at Gateway School, said there has been an increased uptake of the Chinese language since it was introduced at the school in 2018. Rusere noted that a number of her students want to study in China when they finish high school. "Some have been saying it would be an advantage for them to learn the language whilst they are still young and can easily and freely remember the language. When they get to go to university, perhaps they might even skip the one year of doing a language course," said Rusere. The fascination with Chinese culture also attracts many students to the language, the teacher said. Rusere graduated with a bachelor's degree in Chinese from the University of Zimbabwe Confucius Institute in 2018. She said mastering the Chinese language has opened up career opportunities for her, although the learning process has been a challenging journey. "But with encouragement, and persistence and keeping on trying and practicing especially when it comes to character writing, there is no trick to it rather than just practicing your characters every day, up until you understand and grasp them and they become a part of you," she said. Given the increased economic engagement between Zimbabwe and China which has seen more young people choosing China as the preferred study destination, the popularity of Chinese among Zimbabwean students will likely continue to grow. While learning Chinese might seem to be a formidable task to many people, Chinese learners say all it takes to master the language is dedication, time, and a suitable learning environment. Help Our Community Please help local businesses by taking an online survey to help us navigate through these unprecedented times. None of the responses will be shared or used for any other purpose except to better serve our community. The survey is at: www.pulsepoll.com $1,000 is being awarded. Everyone completing the survey will be able to enter a contest to Win as our way of saying, "Thank You" for your time. Thank You! Take The Survey The province continued to see the numbers of new COVID cases climb Monday, with 303 new cases identified. Advertisement Advertise With Us The province continued to see the numbers of new COVID cases climb Monday, with 303 new cases identified. One person has died of the virus, the province reported Monday. A man in his 70s from the Interlake-Eastern health region died of the B.1.1.7 variant. There are more than 50,000 lab-confirmed cases to date in the province. Despite the grim task of identifying the strain of an overburdened health-care system, chief provincial health officer Dr. Brent Roussin took a moment to acknowledge the 215 Indigenous children whose remains were found on the grounds of a B.C residential school recently. He encouraged survivors of the residential school system and other Indigenous people to get help if they required it. The current five-day COVID-19 test positivity rate for Monday is 12.1 per cent provincially and 13.7 per cent in Winnipeg. Mondays count of the actual case numbers will be undercounted due to a technical difficulty, he noted. Health officials anticipate this will result in an overcount today. The following shows a breakdown of Mondays cases in the province: 12 cases in the Interlake-Eastern health region; 13 cases in the Northern health region. 15 cases in Prairie Mountain Health; 37 cases in Southern HealthSante Sud; and 226 cases in the Winnipeg health region. There were 4,504 active cases of COVID-19 on Monday and 236 people in hospital with active COVID-19. There are also 72 people in hospital with COVID-19 who are no longer infectious but continue to require care, for a total of 308 hospitalizations. On Monday, there were 48 people in intensive care units with active COVID-19, and 23 people with COVID-19 who are no longer infectious but continued to require critical care, for a total of 71 ICU patients. There were 2,599 laboratory tests completed yesterday, bringing the total number of lab tests completed since early February 2020 to 770,070. There have been 1,053 deaths in the province attributed to COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic. The outbreak has been declared over at Holy Cross School in Winnipeg. Manitobas intensive care units saw an unprecedented number of new admissions over the weekend, with 30 COVID-19 patients admitted to ICUs over a 48-hour period between Friday and Sunday, a release from Shared Health said. This included 13 COVID-19 patients admitted in the 24-hour period beginning noon Saturday. These admissions do not include those patients requiring admission to critical care who do not have COVID-19. To date, 246 COVID-19 patients have been admitted to ICUs in Manitoba for the month of May. This number, adjusted from yesterdays media statement following further review of the data, is nearly five times greater than the 50 COVID-19 patients admitted to ICU the previous month, a statement from Shared Health said. As of midnight Monday, 122 patients were in a Manitoba ICU, including 71 patients who have or are recovering from COVID-19. A record 17 COVID-19 patients under the age of 40 were in ICU as of Monday morning, which is a 54 per cent jump from only seven days ago. The normal, pre-COVID baseline capacity for ICU was 72 patients. Five additional COVID-19 patients were transported from a Manitoba ICU to Ontario on Sunday for ongoing care. Those patients were sent to hospitals in Ottawa, London, Markham and North Bay. Acting health minister Kelvin Goertzen announced Manitoba will now pay for one companion to join an ICU patient sent out of province. The number of critically ill COVID-19 patients from Manitoba currently being treated out of province is 36. That includes 35 patients in Ontario and one in Saskatchewan. Four of these patients are under the age of 40. The number of patients returned to Manitoba for ongoing hospital care following discharge from an out of province ICU is four. The number of critically ill COVID patients transported out of province since May 18 is 40. That includes 39 patients to Ontario and one to Saskatchewan. A number of staffing measures continue to be taken to aid in the pandemic response. Thirteen respiratory therapy (RT) students will graduate early in response to the ongoing pandemic response. This is a new agreement with the University of Manitoba College of Rehabilitation Sciences and Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, supported by the Manitoba Association of Registered Respiratory Therapists (MARRT). These highly-skilled grads have already completed the majority of their necessary competencies and will finish any outstanding items during their orientation. Eight grads have begun orientation in clinical areas at HSC Winnipeg five are supporting care for adult patients and three are in pediatric areas of practice. Four others are going through orientation at St. Boniface Hospital. In total, these 12 grads will add 304 RT shifts to the health-care systems resource pools over the next six weeks. An additional two-week orientation to critical care began Monday with 15 nurses enrolled. This brings the total number of nurses who have signed up for the orientation to critical care since April 19 to 119. Six Canadian Red Cross nurses are now in Manitoba, completing their orientation to work at the Health Science Centre. Three medical lab technologists from the Canadian Armed Forces began training last Friday to support COVID-19 testing in Shared Health labs. A Canadian Armed Forces crew and aircraft are assisting in the transport of some ICU patients and two multi-purpose medical assistance teams are now assisting at an Alternative Isolation Accommodation site in Winnipeg. kkielley@brandonsun.com The flags at the Brandon Police Service headquarters were lowered to half-mast on Monday to commemorate the graves of 215 children unearthed at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School. Advertisement Advertise With Us The flags at the Brandon Police Service headquarters were lowered to half-mast on Monday to commemorate the graves of 215 children unearthed at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School. In a press release, Brandon police chief Wayne Balcaen said the flag was lowered to recognize and acknowledge the pain and grief felt for the children. "Our Police Service and all our employees extends our deepest condolences to every person affected by this tragedy especially those of Indigenous decent and those affected personally by the trauma suffered (individual or generational) because of Indian Residential Schools," Balcaens statement read. "The Police Service continues to work with our local Knowledge Keepers and Elders on our path forward to Truth and Reconciliation." The Brandon Sun OTTAWA As memorials with tiny shoes have elicited cries of grief across the nation, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his government are facing tough questions about why little has been done to implement recommendations released six years ago to find and document the unmarked graves of Indigenous children. Advertisement Advertise With Us OTTAWA As memorials with tiny shoes have elicited cries of grief across the nation, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his government are facing tough questions about why little has been done to implement recommendations released six years ago to find and document the unmarked graves of Indigenous children. Speaking in sombre tones at a virtual event in Ottawa Monday, Trudeau reflected on the recent discovery of the remains of 215 children on the grounds of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School, calling it "heartbreaking news." He said he is "appalled" at the "shameful policy" that ripped Indigenous children from their families and placed them in residential schools a collective ordeal that the Truth and Reconciliation Commission found in 2015 amounted to a "cultural genocide." But when pressed for details about precisely what Ottawa is prepared to offer by way of support toward further efforts to find, identify and memorialize thousands of children who died at residential schools, Trudeau remained vague. "There is obviously more to do and I think there will be more that we will do," he said. "We have committed as a government to be there for reconciliation, but also to be there for truth, and that is an important step. So yes, we will be there to work with communities on the things they need and on the things we all need to know." He pointed to funding committed in the 2019 federal budget of $33.8 million over three years to develop and maintain a national residential school student death register. This money was also for an online registry of residential school cemeteries. A national student death register has since been created, which currently contains 4,118 children, and is being maintained by the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. The centre notes that research efforts are ongoing and the number of children listed is expected to increase over time. The centre says it began this work thanks to "a one-time funding contribution" from the federal Department of Crown-Indigenous Affairs. In Manitoba, Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Grand Chief Arlen Dumas told the Sun in a phone interview that he hopes the provincial and federal governments will be more proactive with reconciliation in the wake of the Kamloops discovery. "I think that the discovery of those 215 children that were murdered is quite shocking," he said. "Its inflammatory, its creating a lot of discussions, its opening a lot of wounds for people." Dumas also noted that the issue of mass, unmarked graves was brought up during testimony received by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, but it hasnt been a topic of national discussion. "I know that one of my own uncles believes that hed actually stumbled upon an unmarked mass gravesite when he went to residential school here in Manitoba," Dumas said. "People have to keep in mind that these were undocumented. These were completely, deliberately orchestrated that this mass grave was to be hidden and disappeared from memory." The grand chief is certain that there are other mass graves like these on the grounds of former residential schools across Canada. Hed like to see more searches like the one conducted for the Tkemlups te Secwepemc First Nation be conducted on those sites. "In this era of reconciliation, in an era where no relationship is more important than between the federal government and with First Nations, we should actually do our utmost and our best to find the facts and address these issues so we can actually deal with them in a meaningful way. Theres a lot of healing and a lot of grieving that needs to be completed so we can move forward in a healthy way." He added that too many people think of residential schools as ancient history when their legacy lives on today. The last residential school closed in 1996. Asked about Trudeaus announcement, Dumas said that he has seen miracles happen while organizing the response to the COVID-19 pandemic because there was a desire to address the situation in a meaningful way. "If the prime minister really wants to provide that resourcing to assist in bringing forward the evidence and ability for communities to do these searches, then I know it can be done quite quickly," he said. Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Grand Chief Arlen Dumas said that he hopes the provincial and federal governments will be more proactive with reconciliation in the wake of the Kamloops discovery. (Winnipeg Free Press/File) Also reached by phone on Monday, Brandon-Souris Conservative MP Larry Maguire offered his condolences to First Nations across Canada and locally dealing with the discovery in Kamloops. "I really think weve got to maintain an online registry of these schools and find out as much as possible the names and where the plots were and the location of the deceased residential school children," Maguire said. "We have our own situation along the Assiniboine River here in Brandon as well ... we need to do whatever needs to be done to make sure theres as much information provided to the families and Indigenous peoples of the whereabouts of as many the children that we can possibly find records of, where they exist. Im assuming most of them have records, even the churches that were involved in those days as well and the community Aboriginal leaders." Maguire also would like to see "appropriate" commemorations of the tragedy and reburials of children in their home communities when possible. Asked if the federal government should lead an effort into conducting more searches like the one done in Kamloops, he said he believes some kind of mechanism for those searches should be put in place. He also said he and his party agree with NDP Leader Jagmeet Singhs call for a debate on the situation in the House of Commons. Several of the Truth and Reconciliation Commissions calls to action focus directly on the horrors inflicted on children in residential schools. Following six years of extensive study, the commission made recommendations on efforts governments, justice systems and church officials should take to try to locate, name and commemorate the children who died. Six of these recommendations specifically list the actions the commission determined should be done to address missing children and burial information, including funding and co-ordination support to locate and protect school burial sites, both known and unknown. A website dedicated to updating Canadians on actions taken thus far by Ottawa to implement these six calls to action mainly point to the $33.8-million investment cited by Trudeau and what appears to be preliminary work done by Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, including that these departments have "begun discussions with various partners" on ways to implement the recommendations. The TRCs final report further included a 273-page volume documenting the searing stories of families whose children were forcibly taken and never returned. It also includes testimony from survivors of the schools who remember watching their classmates fall ill and die at alarming rates. "These examples point to a larger picture: many students who went to residential school never returned. They were lost to their families. They died at rates that were far higher than those experienced by the general school-aged population. Their parents were often uninformed of their sickness and death. They were buried away from their families in long-neglected graves. No one took care to count how many died or to record where they were buried," the report says. "The most basic of questions about missing children Who died? Why did they die? Where are they buried? have never been addressed or comprehensively documented by the Canadian government." Trudeau told Canadians Monday morning he planned to speak with his three cabinet ministers who oversee Indigenous policy and funding on steps that must be taken to support survivors, families and Indigenous Peoples. Later in the day, Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Carolyn Bennetts office clarified that Trudeau was referring to a regular cabinet meeting that evening. Singh said the government has not done enough to implement the 94 calls to action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which spent years studying the government-sponsored, church-run institutions that operated in Canada for more than 120 years. It is not good enough for the Liberal government to offer platitudes and make symbolic gestures, such as lowering flags on Parliament Hill to half-mast, Singh said. "What we have to commit to and face in light of this genocide, Canada has to make some tough decisions about our commitment to remedying this injustice," he told reporters. On Monday, the Commons unanimously supported a special "take-note" debate on this issue to take place today, when MPs will be able to make their views known. When asked about his message to families mourning the loss of their children, Singh paused for a long time at his podium, tears in his eyes. "Im sorry," he said finally. "Were going to fight for justice for you." The Canadian Press and cslark@brandonsun.com Twitter: @ColinSlark Delays at the Manitoba Vital Statistics Agency are causing major headaches among some professions in the province. Advertisement Advertise With Us Delays at the Manitoba Vital Statistics Agency are causing major headaches among some professions in the province. Earlier this year, the Sun reported that lawyers and funeral services were experiencing delays of up to six months waiting for the agency to send them birth, death and marriage certificates. This graph, made with data from Statistics Canadas website shows how many people died in the country each year from 2016 to 2020. The number of deaths in 2020 increased by more than 22,000 from 2019, the largest year-to-year leap in that time frame. (Colin Slark/the Brandon Sun) On Monday, Manitoba Bar Association president Ellen McCarville told the Sun by phone that the problem has only gotten worse. For example, she said she has yet to receive a marriage certificate that she filed for on Oct. 24, 2020. "We havent really gotten an answer from Vital Stats as to why," she said. "Its my understanding that at some point, theyve been revamping their physical offices, so Im not sure if thats caused part of the issue or if theyre revamping physical offices to try to update things and have it progress. In any event, we havent seen the fruit of that labour yet." According to McCarville, the bar association is currently drafting a letter to Finance Minister Scott Fielding, whose department operates the agency, to ask him to address the issues. Theres also talk of banding together with the Manitoba Funeral Service Association to work co-operatively to solve a problem thats affecting both professions. Apparently paying an extra $35 for the documents to be rushed does speed things up, but McCarville points out that the service should be used for documents that truly need to be rushed. If everyone pays for the rush service, itll just slow the whole system down. Whatever is causing the delays has also prevented the Sun from definitively debunking a conspiracy theory. In 2020, a document was circulated on social media purporting to show that during the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of deaths in Manitoba had actually dropped. It was received through a freedom of information and protection of privacy request filed with the provincial government, showing that there were fewer deaths in 2020 than in the past few years. While some took this as proof that COVID-19 and the pandemic surrounding it were actually fake, it was an incomplete document. This graph shows how many people died in each of these provinces from 2016 to 2020 using data obtained from Statistics Canada. While Manitobas number for 2020 shows a decrease in deaths compared to 2019, the province has yet to release information for how many people died in December 2020. That means Manitoba and Canadas total death statistics for 2020 will end up being higher than is currently reported. (Colin Slark/The Brandon Sun) The document did not list death numbers for the last three months of 2020 because it was filed before the end of the year. People had not stopped dying and many deaths had not yet been reported. Since that document started circulating, the Sun has been attempting to get the complete number of deaths in Manitoba for 2020 to no avail. In April, Statistics Canada posted on its website that it would be updating death statistics for the previous year in May. Once the organizations files and tables were updated, Manitoba was left as the only province that didnt have death numbers reported for December 2020. Earlier this week, the Sun reached out to Statistics Canada, which stated that delays in reporting have been country-wide during the pandemic. "In Canada, death data are collected by the provincial and territorial vital statistical offices and their capacity to provide these data to Statistics Canada in a timely manner varies greatly," an email from a Statistics Canada spokesperson stated. "More importantly, their capacity may also have changed as a result of the pandemic itself. For some of the more recent weeks, insufficient data have been reported by some provinces and territories to produce adequate estimates of adjusted and excess mortality." Since Statistics Canada appears to be waiting for it to send the information, The Sun reached out to the Manitoba Vital Statistics Agency last Thursday in an attempt to get hold of the final death statistics for 2020, but the agency has yet to respond. Despite that missing month of data, it is still unlikely that Manitoba experienced fewer deaths in 2020 than in previous years. In all of 2019, there were 11,155 deaths in Manitoba. By the end of November 2020, there were 10,560 deaths just 595 fewer. That gap closes even further when you consider that more than 300 COVID-19 related deaths were reported by the provincial government in December 2020, when the second wave was hitting Manitoba hard. That makes for a difference of less than three per cent, and thats not even counting non-COVID-related deaths in that final month of 2020. Even if Manitoba somehow ends up with fewer deaths in 2020 compared to previous years, data for British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec and the entire country as well all show noticeable increases in the number of deaths during 2020. Here are the number of deaths in Canada for each of the past five years: 2016: 271,305 2017: 277,060 2018: 282,915 2019: 283,125 2020: 305,350 During the first year of the pandemic, the number of deaths for the country jumped by approximately 22,000, and more deaths will be added to that total once Manitobas apparent data backlog is processed. While more populous provinces like Ontario and Quebec saw increases in deaths in the thousands and less populous provinces like Saskatchewan saw an increase in the hundreds, there were increases across the board. The wait continues for the exact details for Manitoba, but 2020 was undeniably a deadlier year for Canadians than the years that preceded it. cslark@brandonsun.com Twitter: @ColinSlark A never-before-seen Cantonese opera film showcasing a poetically beautiful fantasy world about China's White Snake myth in a modernized way is once again leaving audiences in awe of Chinese traditional culture. A poster for Cantonese opera film "White Snake" [Photo courtesy of Pearl River Film Group] The legend of the White Snake is one of China's most enduring folktales, that can date back as early as the Tang Dynasty (618-907). The story evolved and was written in text by Feng Menglong, a writer and poet of the late Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), for his "Stories to Caution the World", resetting the White Snake story in the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279). Since then, the story about how a white snake spirit falls in love with a human has been adapted in various art forms including novels, ballads, poems, stage plays, folk operas, TV series and films. Even the Hollywood studio Warner Bros. Pictures invested in a successful animated feature "White Snake" in 2019. Now comes a new one from the subgenre to musical cinema -- the Cantonese opera film "White Snake" by Zhang Xianfeng, creating what is probably one of the most expensive opera films in Chinese history. Chinese audiences have been fascinated with it since its debut on May 20. It brilliantly mixes traditional Cantonese stage opera, exquisite performances by professional opera artists, Chinese folk fantasy, Cantonese dialect, Chinese martial arts, classic Chinese paintings, magnificent music and dazzling visual effects and all in 4K high-definition. With innovative reimagining, sometimes the film looks like a Broadway or Disney musical that should also appeal to Western audiences. Director Zhang Xianfeng [Photo provided to China.org.cn] The director told China.org cn: "Many award jurors and film critics have told me they love it so much after previous screenings in film festivals around the world, and they were thrilled because they have never seen such film as this, which is totally different from theirs in terms of aesthetics. "I felt that China's traditional arts have strong appeals and distinctive charms for people outside the country and should be shown to the world when you can put them in an art form that can make breakthrough." Director Zhang Xianfeng admitted that, before the film, he was a stranger to Cantonese Opera. "Yet, I love the White Snake folklore. When Pearl River Film Group invited me on board, and I learnt more during the filming process, I felt that the Cantonese Opera is quite innovative compared to other folk operas in China." "White Snake" has won several awards on the festival circuit, such as Best Artistic Contribution at the Hainan Island International Film Festival back in 2019, as well as Best Opera/Musical at the Golden Maple International Festival, and People's Choice Awards at the Pingyao International Film Festival in 2019. But due to the COVID-19 pandemic, its release was delayed to this year. The leading actress, Zeng Xiaomin, who plays the "Madame White Snake" Bai Suzhen, is a legendary Cantonese Opera diva, and the president of Guangdong Cantonese Opera Institute, as well winner of Chinese Drama Plum Blossom Award, China's top award for drama. The director said: "Zeng and her fellow artists are veterans on opera stage, it was very easy for them to perform the opera and show the depth of the roles. But this time, they also adapt themselves to the film art form, in terms of singing, physical movements and many other aspects". It is, too, the vision of the director Zhang, and Mo Fei, the screenplay writer. The two decided to make the work more like a film rather an opera, and thus more attractive to the general public, instead of only appealing to opera fans. "For example, she changed, cut, adjusted and modernized the lyrics and singing sections of the opera, to make this film closer to film audiences, especially young people," Zhang said, revealing that they even added orchestral music and electronic music to the film, fitting the tastes of contemporary moviegoers. The core message the film conveys is that love endures through forgiveness and understanding, while it transcends time and space and does not care what you are -- which is quite universal and still resonates with hearts of people to this day. For visual effects, they introduce eye-popping and impressive hairstyling and makeup and costume designs, as well as Chinese ink and wash painting beauty blending with a realistic world, with the aid of special effects companies and artists in China, Australia and New Zealand, including those behind The Lord of the Rings trilogy. A still shows the poetic beauty of "White Snake" to promote Chinese traditional visual arts. [Photo courtesy of Pearl River Film Group] Zhang concluded: "The opera film genre in China does not develop well, and actually it disconnects with the audience, because most opera filmmakers only considered how to record the artists' wonderful performances. But they didn't consider what audiences need. So, I want my film to be a communication bridge between the traditional opera arts and the film audience." After earmarking $1.9 million to support early learning and child care facilities in mid-May, the Manitoba government revealed on Monday that it is increasing that funding by $500,000. Advertisement Advertise With Us Families Minister Rochelle Squires takes part in a press conference with acting advocate for the Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth Ainsley Krone at the Manitoba Legislature on May 25. (Mike Deal / Winnipeg Free Press) After earmarking $1.9 million to support early learning and child care facilities in mid-May, the Manitoba government revealed on Monday that it is increasing that funding by $500,000. Families Minister Rochelle Squires said that this jump to $2.4 million is being made to accommodate the provinces decision to extend remote learning for schools located in Brandon and Winnipeg until June 7. "Service providers have told us the extension of remote learning will result in increased financial pressures due to the loss of parent fees and we are pleased to provide this protection," Squires said in a Monday news release. The minister first announced this $1.9 million in child care funding on May 12, a few days after the province revealed that K-12 schools in Brandon and Winnipeg would be transitioning to remote learning until May 30 due to an influx of COVID-19 cases across Manitoba. This past Thursday, Premier Brian Pallister announced that this period of full-remote learning will be extended to June 7 as COVID numbers continue to put a major strain on the health-care system. Squires estimates that this transition to full-remote learning impacts 10,890 child care spaces or 83 per cent of the school-aged spaces in the province. She said this extra $500,000 is needed to offset child care centres loss of parent fees for kindergarten and school-aged children. Even before this transition to remote learning, Squires acknowledged that child care centres have had a rough time throughout the pandemic, where widespread financial insecurity has forced parents to pull their children out of these programs in record numbers. "We know that the sector has been in a great state of flux. It is an anomaly to see 4,100 vacancies in our child care sector," she said on May 12. "We want to ensure that all Manitobans get back to work as soon as possible in the post-pandemic era. And we know that having a strong, robust child care sector is essential to that post-pandemic recovery." The Brandon Sun When a beloved member of the Boissevain community died unexpectedly earlier this month, people quickly banded together for a fundraiser in his honour. When a beloved member of the Boissevain community died unexpectedly earlier this month, people quickly banded together for a fundraiser in his honour. The Boissevain Morton Whitewater Grow Projects acre sponsorship effort is a fitting tribute for Bradley (Buck) Neufeld, longtime friend and project chair Darren Peters said. The Boissevain Morton Whitewater Grow Project is shown being worked on earlier this month. (Facebook) A farmer by trade, Neufeld would join a group of several community stewards each year in helping harvest the charity field, which supports the Canadian Foodgrains Bank. "This has always been home for Buck, and farming was one of his prime loves in life, and the other thing that he always cared about was neighbours and looking after other people, so thats where this project suited him very well," Peters said. "Buck was always willing to help out another neighbour, even when he maybe should have been doing his own stuff he was generous that way." Neufeld, 37, died in a motor vehicle rollover on May 7 and is survived by wife Jo-Anne and their three children, aged nine to 14. His obituary also calls for donations to be made in his memory to the Canadian Foodgrains Bank. Bradley (Buck) Neufeld was killed in a rollover on May 7. The outpouring of support for both Neufeld and the charitable harvest project has been heartwarming to see, Peters said. "He was very respected in the community, and I think thats been extremely evident over the last week and a half, so I think thats a testament to the life he lived," he said. "Im happy to see the support, and its a really nice gesture on their part in light of this tragedy, and I hope that we can also show support to his family thats obviously in the midst of a terrible time." Neufeld was a jokester by nature, Peters said, and is was known for always keeping things light. "We all knew him," Municipality of Boissevain-Morton Head of Council Judy Swanson said, crediting Neufeld with being "well-respected and loved" in the area. "Most people grew up with him and knew him ... Its really heart-wrenching for the whole community." This years Boissevain Morton Whitewater Grow Project consists of 300 acres of wheat, which member Mitch Bohrn said typically raises between $50,000 and $100,000 toward the Canadian Foodgrains Bank. This national organization, in turn, uses the funds to help establish food security in the developing world. The acre sponsorship effort was Bohrns brainchild, and the funds raised are in addition to whatever theyre able to raise through the harvest itself. Theyd typically hold other fundraisers throughout the year, but he said the pandemic forced them to try something less hands-on. A $50 donation allows people to put their name on an acre and become eligible for a prize package. News of Neufelds death led various people to pledge their acre in his honour, with whatever prize it might secure going toward his three children. This community support for one of their own is in keeping with what the annual effort is all about, Bohrn said supporting others in need. The hope is that government health rules will allow farmers to get together for a community gathering come harvest time, which usually sees several combines harvesting the field together. Last years effort included the combines but no community dinner and celebration, and the 2019 effort was rained out. This years acres have been fully seeded, and while Bohrn said conditions are a bit dry, there was enough moisture in the ground to get them started. The hope now is for rain in the near future. For more information on this years effort and how to support it, visit their Facebook group page, "BMW Grow Project." As of last weeks print deadline, the acre sponsorship effort had raised $3,400 of its $15,000 fundraising goal, with numerous pledges made in Neufelds honour. tclarke@brandonsun.com Twitter: @TylerClarkeMB VIENNA (AP) The United Nations' atomic watchdog hasn't been able to access data important to monitoring Iran's nuclear program since late February when the Islamic Republic started restricting international inspections of its facilities, the agency said Monday. FILE - In this Monday, May 24, 2021 file photo, the flag of Iran waves in front of the the International Center building with the headquarters of the International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, in Vienna, Austria, Monday, May 24, 2021. The United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency watchdog reported Monday May 31, 2021, it hasn't been able to access data important to monitoring Irans nuclear program since late February when the Islamic Republic started restricting international inspections of its facilities. (AP Photo/Florian Schroetter, FILE) VIENNA (AP) The United Nations' atomic watchdog hasn't been able to access data important to monitoring Iran's nuclear program since late February when the Islamic Republic started restricting international inspections of its facilities, the agency said Monday. The International Atomic Energy Agency reported in a confidential document distributed to member countries and seen by The Associated Press that it has "not had access to the data from its online enrichment monitors and electronic seals, or had access to the measurement recordings registered by its installed measurement devices since Feb. 23. While the IAEA and Iran earlier acknowledged the restrictions limited access to surveillance cameras at Iranian facilities, Mondays report indicated they went much further. The IAEA acknowledged it could only provide an estimate of Irans overall nuclear stockpile as it continues to enrich uranium at its highest level ever. Iran started limiting inspections in a bid to put pressure on the government of U.S. President Joe Biden to lift crippling sanctions reimposed after then President Donald Trump pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran unilaterally in 2018. Under the deal, the IAEA placed around 2,000 tamper-proof seals on nuclear material and equipment. Those seals communicated electronically to inspectors. Automated measuring devices also provided real-time data from the program. Talks are currently underway in Vienna for the U.S. to rejoin the deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA. Since the U.S. withdrawal from the agreement, Iran has been steadily violating its various restrictions, including on the types of centrifuges it's allowed to use, the amount of enriched uranium it is allowed to stockpile, and the purity to which it is allowed to enrich. FILE - In this Monday, May 24, 2021 file photo, the flag of UN states wave in front of the the International Center building with the headquarters of the International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA,in Vienna, Austria, Monday, May 24, 2021. The United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency watchdog reported Monday May 31, 2021, it hasn't been able to access data important to monitoring Irans nuclear program since late February when the Islamic Republic started restricting international inspections of its facilities. (AP Photo/Florian Schroetter, FILE) In the IAEA report, the agency for the first time released estimates of Iran's stockpile rather than precise figures, saying that as of May 22, Iran's total enriched uranium stockpile was 3,241 kilograms (7,145 pounds), up about 273 kilograms (600 pounds) from the last quarterly report. That was down from an increase of nearly 525 kilograms (1,157 pounds) reported in the last quarterly report. Though it wasn't immediately clear what led to the decrease, it comes as an explosion in April at its underground Natanz nuclear facility affected centrifuges there. Iran has yet to offer a full accounting of what happened in an attack it described as nuclear terrorism. Israel, which is widely suspected of carrying out the assault, hasn't commented publicly on it. The nuclear deal signed in 2015 with the United States, Germany, France, Britain, China and Russia only permits Iran only to keep a total stockpile of 202.8 kilograms (447 pounds) of enriched uranium. The agency said the current stockpile includes 62.8 kilograms (138.5 pounds) of uranium enriched up to 20% purity, and 2.4 kilograms enriched up to 60% purity well above the 3.67% purity allowed under the JCPOA. Despite Irans violations of the deal, the other nations involved have stressed that the agreement was still important as it allowed international inspectors to continue their surveillance of Irans nuclear facilities. Under a confidential agreement called an Additional Protocol with Iran, the IAEA collects and analyzes images from a series of surveillance cameras installed at Iranian nuclear sites. Those cameras helped it monitor Tehrans program to see if it is complying with the nuclear deal. Irans hard-line parliament in December approved a bill that would suspend part of U.N. inspections of its nuclear facilities if European signatories didnt provide relief from oil and banking sanctions by February. IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi was able to negotiate a last-minute deal in February, however, under which promised the IAEA it would hold onto footage shot by its surveillance cameras and would hand them over if diplomats reached a deal in Vienna to lift the sanctions it faces. Otherwise, Tehran said it would delete the images. That deal has yet to come, but Grossi was able to negotiate a one-month extension last week. That means his agency still can't access the images taken by the cameras for the time being, but could regain access to the material if a deal is reached a situation Grossi called an emergency measure that was not ideal." The last-minute discussions further underscored the narrowing window for the U.S. and others to reach terms with Iran as it presses a tough stance with the international community over its atomic program. Negotiations continue in Vienna to see if both the U.S. and Iran can reenter the deal, which limited Tehrans enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. Iran and the U.S. arent directly negotiating, however. The U.S. isn't at the table because it unilaterally pulled out of the deal in 2018 under Trump, who restored and augmented American sanctions in a campaign of maximum pressure to try and force Iran into renegotiating the pact with more concessions. Biden wants to rejoin the deal, however, and there is a U.S. delegation in Vienna taking part in indirect talks with Iran, with diplomats from the other world powers acting as go-betweens. The deal promises Iran economic incentives in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program. The reimposition of American sanctions has left the countrys economy reeling, and Tehran has reacted by steadily increasing its violations of the restrictions of the deal, such as increasing the purity of uranium it enriches and its stockpiles, in a thus-far unsuccessful effort to pressure the other countries to provide relief. The ultimate goal of the deal is to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear bomb, something it insists it doesnt want to do. Iran now has enough enriched uranium to make a bomb, but nowhere near the amount it had before the nuclear deal was signed. The negotiations and tensions over the program come as Iran faces an upcoming June 18 presidential election to select the replacement for the relative moderate Hassan Rouhani, whose administration reach the 2015 nuclear deal. Analysts believe hard-liners have an edge going into the vote. The IAEA also said that after many months it was still awaiting answers from Iran on three sites where inspections had revealed traces of uranium of man-made origin. David Rising reported from Berlin. Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin, and Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report. The Branson Board of Aldermen on Thursday (now postponed to July 28) will consider an ordinance that would require face coverings in public spaces. The aldermen might approve it, disapprove it, or approve an amended version. Would you be in favor of some form of mandatory face covering ordinance in the city of Branson? You voted: Want to praise someone or get something off your chest? Darts and Pats is the place to do it. The corporate watchdog has released its long-awaited advice on activist short sellers in an attempt to weed out ambush tactics used against some listed companies and to urge ASX-listed groups to properly respond to allegations. The new recommendations from the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) follow an investigation by The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald into alleged short and distort reports by offshore research houses targeting Australian companies. ASX has released new advice on how short sellers and their targets should behave. Credit:Peter Braig The corporate watchdogs new advice is for short sellers and other research groups to release their reports outside of trading hours and not just before the market opens. Short sellers and research houses will have to also fact-check their short theses with a company before releasing the information. This approach will give companies the time to enter a trading halt and prepare a response to the report before any short selling takes place. Short sellers have also been asked to not use emotive language in their reports. Loading Three new cases were recorded on Tuesday and Health Minister Martin Foley took to referring to the cluster of cases as the South Australian hotel outbreak a reference to the first case picking up the virus in an Adelaide quarantine hotel. One cabinet minister said there was growing concern within the government about airborne spread. A new mystery case or any more cases of fleeting transmission where the virus spreads between strangers at exposure sites would inevitably trigger an extension of the lockdown, the minister said. Another minister, speaking to The Age before the briefing, said an extended lockdown was likely. Ministers were briefed on Tuesday evening about the options for the length of the extension probably between three and seven days and a final call will be ticked off on Wednesday morning in an effort to provide more certainty for families and businesses ahead of the weekend. This is stranger-to-stranger transmission, COVID-19 response commander Jeroen Weimar said on Tuesday. They dont know each others names and thats very different from where weve been before. Theyre brushing past each other in a small shop, theyre going around a display home theyre looking at phones in a Telstra shop. Ahead of Tuesday nights meeting, one state cabinet minister said further evidence of the virus transmitting through short interactions between strangers would inevitably see the lockdown extended, as would another mystery case. Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video We cant underestimate this challenge, Professor Sutton said. We are trying to do something nobody has had to do before drive down the most challenging variant weve ever seen. MPs and mayors in regional Victoria have said their localities should be spared from any extension of the lockdown given there were no cases in those areas and no new exposure sites. On Tuesday, public health authorities, who expressed a degree of confidence that the virus was not out of control, said they were worried by mounting evidence that it was spreading in places such as shopping centres and supermarkets. Authorities believe, in part, this type of spread is being caused by the greater infectiousness of the Indian variant, which the World Health Organisation now calls the Kappa variant. COVID-19 commander Jeroen Weimar. Credit:Joe Armao In one of Tuesdays cases, a man who shopped at a Port Melbourne strip near a workplace at the centre of the outbreak picked up the virus without knowingly interacting with anyone from the company. This type of transmission which in effect means anyone who travelled through an exposure site has the chance to become infected occurred at the Telstra store in South Melbourne, a Mickleham display home, a grocer in Epping and a Craigieburn shopping centre. To drain the swamp and ensure fleeting transmission did not occur at other large exposure sites, Mr Weimar urged anyone who attended the following places in the past one to two weeks to be tested immediately: Bay Street in Port Melbourne, Clarendon Street in South Melbourne, Craigieburn Central, Epping Plaza, Epping North Shopping Centre, and Broadway shopping strip in Reservoir. It comes as another aged care facility was sent into lockdown on Tuesday night after a staff member was confirmed to be a close contact of a positive case. Menarock Life aged care in Heathmont went into full lockdown in response to the linked cases, according to an all-staff email seen by The Age. It follows lockdowns at BlueCross Western Gardens aged care facility in Sunshine and Arcare Maidstone Aged Care Facility. An extension of the lockdown will increase pressure on the Morrison government, which has faced days of criticism for refusing to provide economic support to Victorians and for its slow vaccine rollout. One senior federal cabinet minister told The Age the decision not to provide financial support was based on the Victorian governments initial estimate that the circuit breaker lockdown would only last for a week. They said an extension of the lockdown would probably prompt the federal government to reconsider its initial decision not to offer support, especially if it continued beyond next week. On Tuesday, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg defended the governments decision, telling Coalition MPs the state government had attempted a desperate smear over the matter. Victoria came to us and asked for assistance. Because it was a short lockdown it was at a scale that could be managed at a local level, the Treasurer told Liberal and Nationals MPs, according to a Coalition spokesperson. They ran a pretty desperate attempt to smear us when in reality the numbers tell a very different story. Victorias received more on a per capita basis than any other state. Loading The Treasurers remarks are one of the federal governments few criticisms of the state leaders after acting Premier James Merlino accused Canberra of a disgraceful refusal to offer financial help. The Victorian government will extend business support in the event of an extended lockdown, and will again push Canberra for assistance. Theyve abrogated their responsibilities on everything else in this pandemic, but theyve got an obligation to come to the table here, a source close to the Andrews government said. The state government announced on Tuesday that all aged care and disability workers will be able to jump the queue to access a COVID-19 jab at all Victorian vaccination centres. That decision was previously endorsed by the national cabinet in late April, and the Andrews government wrote to private aged care homes shortly after offering worker vaccinations but received a muted response from homes. None of the new community cases announced on Tuesday were connected with aged care settings, where four cases emerged in recent days, forcing several homes to close as aged care staff worked across multiple sites. All staff and residents at a Sunshine home where a COVID-positive employee worked tested negative. About 43,000 vaccine doses were administered on Monday the third time more than 40,000 people have received a shot in a single day. An increasing number of Victorias mass vaccination centres are offering Pfizer shots for people aged in their 40s who walk in off the street. Eight people who should have been isolating at home on Tuesday were not at home when they were doorknocked by authorities. Mr Weimar said they were of real concern and were being followed up through our enforcement division. Victorian authorities are still seeking the missing link between the Wollert man, who picked up the virus in Adelaide hotel quarantine on May 4 and flew to Melbourne that day, and case five, who became symptomatic almost two weeks later before unwittingly infecting other people. Sites of concern Anyone who has visited the following locations over past two weeks is urged to get tested if they show any symptoms: Craigieburn Central Bay and Graham Streets, Port Melbourne Clarendon St and South Melbourne Market, South Melbourne Pacific Epping (aka Epping Plaza) and Epping North Shopping Centre High St, Epping Station St, Lalor Broadway, Reservoir Footscray Market Dandenong Market Sanctuary Lakes Shopping Centre and Stockland Point Cook For the first time, Mr Weimar detailed authorities working theory that the Wollert man passed the virus on to another person via fleeting contact at one of a handful of exposure sites from May 6 to May 9. They include his train rides to and from the MCG on the night of May 7 to watch Richmond play Geelong, his dinner at the Curry Vault restaurant in the CBD on May 8 or his attendance at a 7-Eleven and grocery stores in the northern suburbs. Loading The government put the call out to footy attendees as well as scouring myki data and information at the restaurant such as bank statements. They identified 40-odd attendees at the Curry Vault but, Mr Weimar said there may well have been a 41st person we didnt find particularly in the absence of widespread QR code check-ins that night. Late on Tuesday, West Australian health authorities revealed COVID-19 had spread within one of the states quarantine hotels. WAs Chief Health Officer Andy Robertson said genomic sequencing had shown a positive case from May 23, a man who had come from Colombia, was linked to a second man staying in a neighbouring room at the Pan Pacific Hotel in Perth, who tested positive on May 31. Authorities said they were confident in the steps they have taken to prevent community spread. The think tank behind Victorias coronavirus catch-up tutors program says the Andrews government should urgently prioritise reopening schools to limit lost learning for struggling students, as principals prepare for the possibility that remote learning will continue for a second week. There are growing calls across the school sector for educators to join aged care and disability workers in getting fast-tracked vaccinations to reduce the risk of another prolonged period of remote learning. Julie Sonnemann of the Grattan Institute says theres a real risk protracted school shutdowns will harm some students. Credit:Janie Barrett Julie Sonnemann, school education fellow at the Grattan Institute, warned that there was a real risk that protracted school shutdowns would harm some students, particularly those who struggled with remote schooling last year. Getting schools reopened as soon as possible should be a key priority for government, she said. Prospects for the world economy have brightened, but the recovery is likely to remain uneven and dependent on the effectiveness of public health measures and policy support, said the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) on Monday. Its economic outlook projected the world economy would grow 5.8 percent this year and 4.4 percent next year, up from an initial forecast of 5.6 percent and four percent respectively. "Effective vaccination programmes in many countries has meant today's economic outlook is more promising than at any time since the start of this devastating pandemic," said OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria. "But for millions around the world getting a jab still remains a distant prospect. We urgently need to step up the production and equitable distribution of vaccines," he added. The outlook seems rosy for major economies, but at different speed patterns due to differences between countries over public health strategies, the speed of vaccine rollout, fiscal and monetary support, according to the report. The OECD revised the economic growth of the United States in 2021 to 6.9 percent, up from its previous forecast of 6.5 percent. As to the euro area's outlook, the OECD revised up 2021 growth forecast to 4.3 percent from 3.9 percent. It also predicted the same upward trend for next year with 4.4 percent. China will see its gross domestic product (GDP) grow by 8.5 percent in 2021 and by 5.8 percent in 2022, according to OECD. But in many emerging-market economies where access to vaccines as well as the scope for government support are limited, the economic recovery would be modest, said the OECD. Even if the growth estimate was in green, the recovery remained at "a critical stage," warned OECD chief economist Laurence Boone, recommending faster vaccination production and distribution globally and effective public health strategies. "Stronger international cooperation is needed to provide low-income countries with the resources -- medical and financial -- required to vaccinate their populations. Trade in healthcare products must be allowed to flow free of restrictions," she said. Boone called on governments to keep up income support for people and businesses while adapting it in line with the strength of the economic recovery and health situation. Yet, in the past few days, two workers and a resident have been infected in two separate Victoria aged care homes. It is deeply worrying that the defences have again been breached so easily. The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, in a special report in October last year, warned that people receiving aged care services, their loved ones, those providing care and the aged care sector itself need immediate support and action to fight COVID-19. So far, 685 of the 910 people who have died of the disease in Australia were aged care residents, a high proportion by international standards. The failure to protect the 200,000 residents of aged care facilities was the nadir of Australias otherwise generally successful response to the pandemic. The spread of the Melbourne outbreak of COVID-19 into at least two aged care facilities has brought back painful memories from last year. Hopefully, the facilities have learnt from the tragedies last year and have proper COVID-safety plans and adequate supplies of personal protective equipment. These outbreaks must not be allowed to spread through the facilities as they did at Anglicares Newmarch House and Baptistcares Dorothy Henderson Lodge in Sydney last year. But the new cases should also sound the alarm about failures that seem to have left the aged care sector exposed. The federal government must look at the rules on aged care workers who work at multiple sites. The practice is common, given the shortage of trained labour and high rates of casualisation in the workforce. And it has been a source of virus spread, including this week in Melbourne. The federal government currently only bans the practice of working multiple sites once an area has been declared a COVID-19 hotspot, but that may well be too late. The other failure is the disappointing pace of vaccinations at aged care facilities. In February, the Morrison government pledged to prioritise aged care and vaccinate all residents within six weeks. Now, four months later, the process of administering second doses has not even started at about 25 per cent of aged care facilities. The aged care workers, who are most likely to carry the disease into a home, are even less protected. Less than 10 per cent of workers in residential aged care have been vaccinated. The Morrison government has admitted that the whole vaccination program has been thrown out of kilter by the failure to procure enough shots early on and it has promised to step up the pace in aged care. But the program still seems beset by confusion. Australian troops make their way back to Bien Hoa Airbase after a joint operation with US forces. Credit:Stuart MacGladrie Saigon, June 2 - Combat ready Australian troops landed in South Vietnam today to help guard the Bien Hoa air base, one of the most important bases in the country. First published in The Age on June 3, 1965 The 111 soldiers are the advance guard of the First Battalion Royal Australian Regiment. The rest of the battalion is on the way by sea. The troops, carrying sub-machineguns, automatic rifles and other weapons, stepped from a chartered jetliner at Saigon Airport as dawn was breaking. Slouch hats The first group off the aircraft wore steel helmets decked with camouflage, while others wore the slouch hats made famous by Australian soldiers. The commander of the first battalion, Lieutenant-Colonel I. R. W. Brumfield, arrived with the airborne group today. The former Central Connecticut player spent most of last season on the New England Patriots practice squad. Salary support, group insurance for Covid-19, credit period for vehicles in stock are some of the support packages Commercial Vehicles (DICV) offer for its dealers. According to DICV, the support package focussed on financial and medical for the dealer's workforce are for the business sustainability of its dealers. The new support package increases the assistance offered to dealerships to include Rs.2 lakh Covid-19 Group insurance, 20 days credit for in-stock vehicles, fast-tracking of pending claims, and complete salary support. The company is also extending aid to frontline employees with Rs.1 lakh Covid-19 medical insurance, free vaccinations, and gift coupons for technicians. "DICV is committed to looking after the BharatBenz community; We take care of our customers, partners and employees with practical, effective support. This package has been specifically created for our dealer partners to address the two most critical needs of the hour - financial and medical assistance," Rajaram Krishnamurthy, Vice President Marketing, Sales, and Customer Services said. --IANS vj/in (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Classic Legends, part-owned by the Mahindra Group, is working on electric motorcycles at a newly established design and development centre in Coventry, UK, the company's top official said. The joint venture has received a grant from the government, which awarded BSA (a British motorcycle brand owned by Classic Legends) a 4.6-million grant to develop electric bikes. The BSA Company was awarded this grant by the governments Advanced Propulsion Centre, for development of innovative zero emission motorcycles that support the automotive sectors quest for clean technologies. This is in addition to the company's plans to revive the BSA Motorcycles brand with the launch of internal combustion engine motorcycles. We are working with Innovate UK (it is part of the UK Research and Innovation, the national funding agency investing in science and research in the UK), University of Warwick and a few British companies to develop the electric version of the motorcycles, Ashish Joshi, CEO, Classic Legends told Business Standard. Classic Legends has set up a technical centre at its base in Coventry. Last month, announced it will set up an advanced design centre for mobility products in the UK. It will be operational from July 1, 2021, and will also support the creation of highly skilled design roles, drawing from Coventry University, Royal College of Art, and other design colleges in the UK and Europe. Mahindra Advanced Design Europe (MADE) is being set up in the West Midlands, and the new Centre of Excellence (CoE) will be a part of the Mahindra global design network that includes the Mahindra Design Studio in Mumbai, and Pininfarina Design in Turin (Italy), Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) said in a statement. Back home in India Classic Legends that got into the mid-segment motorcycle market with Jawa bikes in 2019, is bracing to accelerate operations in a phased manner with lockdown restrictions getting relaxed state-wise across the country. It also has chalked out an aggressive plan to expand its dealer network from the current 180 to 275 by August and 500 in the next 12 months. We worked through the lockdown and managed to create a pipeline to fulfill the delivery commitments to booked customers as states lift lockdowns, said Joshi. The company has been working with suppliers to align production to demand, he added, pointing out that given that the entire supplier base was in Maharashtra which was the most impacted by the second wave, there were impacted operations. Some of the models have a waiting of up to three weeks. For this reason, the company didnt push bookings very actively. During the course of the year, Classic Legends plans to launch a few models including the BSA Motorcycle. It will also commence export destinations once domestic demand is met. It is currently exporting Perak to Nepal and Jawa to Czech Republic. Honda Cars India on Tuesday reported a 78 per cent decline in its domestic sales to 2,032 units last month as compared to 9,072 units in April this year. The company said it exported 385 units in May. "Multiple state-wide lockdowns throughout the country to control the spike in COVID-19 infections in May 2021 impacted retail business. During last month, we also undertook extended maintenance-related shutdown of our factory leading to limited production but effectively breaking the chain amidst the high number of cases in north India," Honda Cars India Senior Vice President and Director (Marketing & Sales) Rajesh Goel said in a statement. With the increase in the pace of vaccination and the declining cases, the company expects markets will open gradually allowing business continuity, he added. Goel noted that the company's field teams were in constant touch with waiting for customers to facilitate their car purchases through digital mediums. "We will closely monitor the on-ground situation with our dealer partners to understand the consumer sentiment and accordingly plan our production and supplies in coming months," he added. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Automaker Kia India on Tuesday reported a 31 per cent decline in dispatches to dealers at 11,050 units in May compared to 16,111 units in April this year. The company said it was the fourth most sold car brand in the country last month. The automaker has secured a 10.7 per cent market share in the month, which is the company's highest-ever monthly share ever since its launch, Kia India said in a statement. In May, the company sold 6,627 units of compact SUV Sonet and 4,277 units of Seltos, it added. "The ongoing second wave of COVID-19 pandemic made things tough for all businesses and the industry was no exception, as normal business operations got disturbed. In these tough times the relentless efforts of our teams and partners enabled Kia India to achieve its highest ever market share of 10.7 per cent," Kia India Chief Sales and Business Strategy Officer Tae-Jin Park said. The automaker is confident that the need for personal mobility and pent-up demand will drive the recovery for the entire industry in the months to come, he added. Commenting on the market response for the refreshed versions of Seltos and Sonet, Kia India Vice President and Head of Marketing & Sales Hardeep Singh Brar said the company is receiving an overwhelming response for the two models. "This is a true testament to our understanding of the needs of the customers here and our sales performance shows that we are providing them with the right product. It is noteworthy that both Sonet and Seltos are amongst the top 10 most sold cars and Kia India has already crossed consolidated sales of 2.67 lakh vehicles this month within just 22 months of the start of sales in India," he added. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) IT major has announced a nationwide drive to vaccinate all its employees along with their dependents under its Covid-19 rapid response programme covering 650,000 people. A press release issued by the company on Monday said would continue to support the worst-hit communities in the country through the delivery of life-saving supplies, including 1,000 oxygenated beds, ventilators, and vaccination doses through $8.5 million (Rs 60 crore) in Covid relief funding. The company said it has partnered with top-tier healthcare providers and hospitals with a pan-India presence to help ensure access to critical health services and vaccinations. "Through our emergency funding to our foundation and Unicef, we have mobilised lifesaving care for vulnerable and differently-abled communities, including vaccinations, the release quoted Rajesh Nambiar, Executive Vice President and Chairman, India. The vaccination drive for associates and families, launched in Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Gurgaon, has been expanded to 100 vaccination centres across 40 cities. The vaccinations will be administered at Cognizants own facilities, through a network of hospital chains such as Apollo, Columbia Asia, Fortis and Manipal. The IT giant will cover the costs of vaccines, enable time-off and ensure vaccine reimbursements, where needed. Additionally, Cognizant India Foundation has partnered with NGOs and health authorities to help deliver 1,000 oxygenated Covid care beds, paediatric ICU units, and over 700,000 personal protective equipment (PPE) kits for frontline workers. Its special vaccination camps for the differently-enabled and their care-givers has covered more than 8,000 people so far. Among other initiatives, Cognizant has also put in place a dedicated 24/7 emergency care helpline, virtual doctor consultations, Covid-care hospital rooms with oxygen support and home quarantine care in 12 cities. The company has also rolled out fully paid Covid leave for infected staff or those serving as caregivers. With several states started easing COVID-19 related restrictions, the employment-intensive construction industry should witness resumption in operations by the middle of June, though at a curtailed level, industry chamber said on Tuesday. The chamber said it would take about two weeks for the contractors to put together again the material and manpower at the sites after the disruptions of about 40 days in major states like Delhi, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar and Haryana, among others. We expect to see resumption at construction sites of roads and residential buildings from June 15, though several states like the national capital have permitted such activities from June 1 with COVID-19 guidelines, it said in a statement. The major challenge, it said, is bringing back the construction workers, most of whom have gone to their native places in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan during the lockdowns. Fast vaccination of the labour force would be a big morale booster for them and their families, it added. The chamber urged the state governments to give priority to migrant labourers, wanting to return to big cities, in vaccination. We would also urge the Centre to give special vaccine allocations for the construction workers, it added. Contractors, especially in the mid-size segments would urgently need working capital support, which must be extended to them by the banks, it noted. (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 on Tuesday came to the rescue of pilots, including contractual ones, whose services were terminated by the company in August 2020, as it quashed the airline decision and directed their reinstatement. Justice Jyoti Singh also directed that back wages would have to be paid to the reinstated pilots. The court added that the extension of contract, in the future, of the contractual pilots would be at the discretion of Air India, based on their performance. The court said the detailed judgement in the matter would be available only on June 2. The court's ruling has come on over 40 petitions filed by pilots whose services were terminated by on August 13, 2020. In November last year, the High Court had asked to take a sympathetic view of the situation and said that the employees cannot be left to hang high and dry. Defending its decision, Air India had then told the court that after lockdown, 90 per cent of its regular pilots are sitting at home as most of its fleet has been grounded and cited huge losses of Rs 1,300 crore each month. The national carrier said that contractual obligations cannot be sought to be enforced by way of a writ petition and in this matter, a civil suit should be filed. The High Court had asked Air India to consider the grievances of the pilots, who were engaged on contract after they superannuated. It had asked Air India to see whether there is a possibility of a "golden handshake" for them. --IANS ss/vd (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) AstraZeneca, one of the world's largest multinational pharmaceutical companies, opened its northern China headquarters in Beijing at the Healthcare Industry Summit on Friday. AstraZeneca launches its northern China headquarters in Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area on May 28, 2021. [Photo provided to China.org.cn] The new headquarters is located in the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area in Beijing's southeastern suburb. According to Leon Wang, executive vice president, international and China president of AstraZeneca, the Beijing headquarters will oversee the company's operation, management, and marketing in northern and northeastern China. Along with the headquarters, the Community Intelligence Healthcare Innovation Center, the Beijing International Life Science Innovation Campus and the AstraZeneca Global R&D China Beijing Office will also be established in the development area, Wang said. "AstraZeneca sees in China a very open and collaborative environment for business and welcoming policies in terms of supporting international development," Michael Lai, general manager of AstraZeneca China, said in an interview after the event. "We also see great opportunities for multinational companies to partner with local companies, so I think all of these make a very exciting environment for multinationals to work in China and to build products for China and also for the global markets." During the opening ceremony, the Community Intelligence Healthcare Innovation Center signed cooperation agreements with 17 companies on developing solutions for smart healthcare, innovative medicine, early screenings, and the holistic disease management. The startup ecosystem is set to get a $200 million venture capital fund that will focus on climate tech looking at four core verticals, namely green buildings, energy storage, sustainable agriculture and alternative energy such as hydrogen and nuclear power. Founded by Harsha Moily, the fund is likely to achieve financial closure by December, and the deployment of funds will begin from January next year. The fund is targeting 15-20 startup investments and the ticket size would vary between $500,000 and $20 million. The idea of the fund is to finance brilliant entrepreneurs in India and Israel working on tech solutions to combat climate change, said Moily, who has two decades of experience in private equity and agribusiness. Anchor LPs in the fund include US-bases HNIs and investment banks. The ultimate goal of the fund is to ensure that each of our portfolio should have reduced CO2 emissions and methane emissions by a substantial sum and should have reduced the Green Premium the customers of their products would have to pay, added Moily. He clarified that the fund will not invest in solar, wind and hydro energy firms, as that way too much fossil fuel is built into the supply chain of these businesses, and its materials after it has run its course would end up in landfills. According to IFC, ClimateTech is a $3.1 trillion opportunity by 2030 in India. Five years from now, the VC aims to see its portfolio thriving, and be in a position to scale up. We also hope to be working on a second fund which would be of a larger size, said Moily. An Indian court on Monday ordered officials to inspect coronavirus-related safety protocols at Renault-Nissan's Tamil Nadu car plant, where workers are on strike over allegations that social distancing rules are not being followed. Workers at the southern Indian factory, jointly owned by Renault and alliance partner Nissan Motor, did not report for duty on Monday over COVID-related safety concerns, the workers' union said. Nissan, which owns a majority stake in the plant, denied the workers' safety allegations and told an Indian court it followed all guidelines. The company also said it would cooperate with the state government during the inspection and would reopen the factory gradually. "Nissan continues to hold the safety and wellbeing of employees at the heart of our operations," a spokeswoman said, adding it will continue to add measures to safeguard employees and their families. The Renault-Nissan plant has been shut since Wednesday. The standoff is a sign of the challenges face in resuming operations when new infections in India are rising. Tamil Nadu state is one of the worst affected, with more than 30,000 new cases a day. Hundreds of workers near the auto manufacturing hub of Chennai have fallen ill with COVID-19 and dozens have died, labour unions say. Renault-Nissan, Ford and Hyundai halted work at their plants last week after workers protested and some went on strike. Hyundai Motor Co suspended one of its three shifts at a plant near Chennai for three weeks due to the coronavirus, according to an internal note to employees seen by Reuters and two sources familiar with the matter. A spokesman confirmed Hyundai would operate two shifts from Monday, adding it was "closely monitoring the pandemic situation in the state" and adhering to safety guidelines. Renault-Nissan workers refused to resume work on Monday saying in a letter to the that their demands - including social distancing, rehabilitation of families of dead workers and medical treatment of those affected by COVID-19 - had not been met. COVID-19 PROTOCOLS A two-judge bench ordered a senior government official in charge of industrial safety to visit the plant on Tuesday for an inspection, while also asking workers to resume their duties. Distancing norms have to be maintained without exception, the court said, directing the management and workers to arrive at an amicable solution. The Tamil Nadu state government on Saturday allowed carmakers near Chennai to keep operating, but asked them to ensure adherence to social distancing protocols. One of the judges noted that one factory inspected by the state's industrial safety departments was served a notice asking to "show cause" for purported discrepancies with standard operating procedures. A report by the Office of Director of Industrial Safety on Wipro Infrastructure Engineering, seen by Reuters, noted social distancing was not fully followed. The report also said sanitization facilities were unavailable at many places within the factory and there was no full-time medical officer. Reuters was unable to reach Wipro Infrastructure for comment. Renault-Nissan said it had reduced production at the Tamil Nadu plant, its only manufacturing base in India, to 7,129 cars during the 13 working days in May against a target of 18,852. In April, it manufactured 17,207 cars. "They are disrupting the work which will impact the business and lives of thousands of people including the workmen's own dependents," Renault-Nissan said in a filing dated May 31. The case will next be heard on Friday. (Reporting by Sudarshan Varadhan in Chennai and Aditi Shah in New DelhiEditing by Alexander Smith and David Holmes) (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.) Climate activists who scored big against Western majors last week had some unlikely cheerleaders in the oil capitals of Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi and Russia. Defeats in the courtroom and boardroom mean Royal Dutch Shell, ExxonMobil and Chevron are all under pressure to cut carbon emissions faster. That's good for the likes of Saudi Arabia's national oil company Saudi Aramco, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company and Russia's Gazprom and Rosneft. It means more business for them and the Saudi-led Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). "Oil and gas demand is far from peaking and supplies will be needed, but international oil will not be allowed to invest in this environment, meaning national oil have to step in," said Amrita Sen from Energy Aspects consultancy. Climate activists scored a major victory with a Dutch court ruling requiring to drastically cut emissions, which in effect means cutting oil and gas output. The company will appeal. The same day, the top two U.S. oil companies, Exxon Mobil Corp and Chevron Corp (CVX.N), both lost battles with shareholders who accused them of dragging their feet on climate change. "It looks like the West will have to rely more on what it calls "hostile regimes" for its supply," joked a high-level executive from Russia's Gazprom oil and gas group, referring to energy around the world owned completely or mostly by the state. Saudi Aramco, Adnoc and Gazprom all declined to comment. Oil major Rosneft, in which the Russian state has the biggest stake, also declined to comment. A senior Saudi Aramco staffer said the court ruling would make it easier for to ramp up production. "It is great for Aramco," the staffer said. Western oil majors like Shell have dramatically expanded in the last 50 years, as the West sought to cut its reliance on energy from the volatile Middle East, and from Russia. Those same Western energy majors, including BP and Total, have set out plans to sharply reduce emissions by 2050. But they face growing pressure from investors to do more to meet U.N.-backed targets to limit global warming. Saudi Aramco, listed on the Saudi bourse but majority state owned, is not under the same sort of pressure to cut its carbon emissions, although the kingdom's rulers aim to sharply increase the country's use of renewables. Gazprom expects demand for natural gas to grow in the coming decades and for it to play a bigger role in energy consumption than renewable sources and hydrogen. Western oil majors control around 15% of global output, while and Russia have a share of around 40 percent. That share has been relatively stable in the last decades as rising demand was met with new producers like smaller private U.S. shale firms, which today face similar climate-related pressures. PEAK DIVIDENDS Since 1990, global oil consumption has grown to 100 million barrels per day from 65 million bpd, with Asia providing the lion's share of growth. Countries such as China and India have made no pledges to reduce oil consumption, which on a per capita basis is still a fraction of the levels in the West. China will rely heavily on gas to cut its huge coal consumption. The International Energy Agency, which looks after energy policies of the West, issued a stark appeal last month to the world to essentially scrap all new oil and gas developments. But it gave no clear formula on how to reduce demand. Despite pressure from activists, investors and banks to cut emissions, Western oil majors are also tasked with maintaining high dividends amid heavy debt. Dividends from oil companies represent significant contributions to pension funds. "It is vital that the global oil industry aligns its production to the Paris goals. But that must be done in step with policy, changes to the demand side, and the rebuilding of the world's energy system," said Nick Stansbury from Legal & General, which manage 1.3 trillion ($1.8 trillion) in assets on behalf of savers, retirees and institutions. "Forcing one company to do so in the courts may (if it is effective at all) only result in higher prices and foregone profits," he said. Legal & General, one of the world's largest fund managers, holds assets in most oil majors. Climate lawsuits have been filed in 52 countries in the past two decades, with 90% of those in the United States and European Union, risk consultancy Verisk Maplecroft said. "In the West, energy investments will peak on fears and concerns over regulations and court rulings. Then, we will see peak dividends," said the Aramco executive. Aramco pays the highest annual dividend of $75 billion. Over the past five years, the IEA has been predicting a large oil shortage and an oil price spike due to a lack of investments following a 2014-2017 oil price crash. An oil price rally coupled with the declining strength of oil majors would mean a large wealth transfer from the West to countries like Russia and Saudi Arabia, until demand starts declining not only in the West but in Asia too. "The same oil and gas will still be produced. Just with lower ESG standards," said an executive from a Middle Eastern producer, who previously worked for an oil major, referring to environmental, social and governance performance measurements. (Additional reporting by Alex Lawler, Ron Bousso, Noah Browning in London, writing by Dmitry Zhdannikov; Editing by William Maclean) (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A technology company has admitted to committing fraud to bring Indians on the coveted H1-B visas to the US, according to a federal prosecutor. Jomon Chakkalakkal, the corporate representative of Cloudgen, made the admission before a federal court in Houston, Texas, on behalf of the company on May 28, said acting federal Prosecutor Jennifer B. Lowery. The prosecutor's office in a release circulated on Monday described the scam as a "bench and switch" ruse. It said that under the scam, in order to obtain the H1-B visas, Cloudgen submitted "forged contracts" showing that third had work for the persons it wanted to bring over. But once the employees came to the US there was no job for them and they were housed in different locations across the US, while Cloudgen would try to find work for them, according to the office. "Such action gave Cloudgen a competitive advantage by having a steady 'bench' or supply of visa-ready workers to send to different employers based on market needs when the true process actually takes some time. Once workers had obtained new employment, the 'switch' would occur when the new third-party company filed immigration paperwork for the foreign workers," the prosecutor's office said. Cloudgen took a percentage of the worker's salary, which amounted to nearly $500,000 from 2013 to 2020 when the scam took place, it said. Chief Judge Lee Rosenthal of the Southern Texas federal court is to impose a sentence in September and it could be a fine of as much as $1 million and probation for five years. The prosecutor's office said that Cloudgen was based in Houston, but on its website, the company lists an address in Manassas in Virginia. It also shows offices in Hyderabad, Canada and Romania. Chakkalakkal is described on the website as the senior vice president for sales. (Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed @arulouis) --IANS al/ksk/ (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) appliances maker TTK Prestige on Tuesday said it has concluded a long-term settlement covering all its workmen at the manufacturing unit in The company, however, did not share the details of the settlement. "The company has successfully concluded a long-term settlement covering all its workmen at the manufacturing unit at Karjan, This settlement provides for better productivity," TTK Prestige said in a regulatory filing. As per TTK Prestige's website, the company has five manufacturing plants at Hosur and Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, Karjan in Gujarat, Roorkee in Uttarakhand, Khardi in Maharashtra. In a separate filing, TTK Prestige said it has rolled out a series of measures to provide COVID-19 relief and support to employees and their families, as the country grapples with the second wave of the pandemic. The company said it has primarily focused on three areas that include support to family members in case of an employee's death, COVID-19 relief for employees and their families as well as an in-house vaccination programme. In case of demise of an employee due to COVID-19, TTK Prestige will make an ex-gratia payment to the next of kin of the deceased that is equivalent to 100 per cent of the monthly take-home salary for a period of a year. In the second year, the amount will be equivalent to 50 per cent of the monthly take-home salary. Medical insurance coverage will be extended to the existing nominated family members for a period of two years from the date of death. TTK Prestige will also aim to provide employment to one family member, subject to employment readiness, skillset of the candidate and business requirements. TTK Prestige has also announced plans to offer an onsite vaccination programme to all employees and family members across major locations. (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 total of 230 of a government medical college in in Maharashtra on Tuesday went on an indefinite mass leave demanding they be relieved from COVID-19 duties at a time when the number of cases is falling so that they can focus on post-graduation. The protest has not affected the emergency and ICU services at the Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Hospital (IGGMCH). Maharashtra Association of (MARD) president at IGGMCH Dr Rajat Agrawal told PTI that 230 decided to go on indefinite mass leave as the issues raised by them in the past remained unresolved. "The resident doctors of the Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Hospital have been working selflessly to treat patients during the COVID pandemic waves for the last 15 months," he said. Dr Agrawal said the resident doctors should be allowed to concentrate on post-graduate studies given the pandemic situation in the district is under control now. He also demanded "complete handover of the surgical complex for non-COVID work as per the assurance given by the district collector". Dr Agrawal claimed the resident doctors had written memorandums of demands to the IGGMCH dean in the past but failed to receive any response either from the hospital administration or the district administration. "Under this situation when the academics of resident doctors is being completely neglected by the concerned administration, the IGGMCH resident doctors are left with no choice but to withdraw our services from our duties and go on indefinite mass leave from today," Dr Agrawal 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.) Over 47 per cent of Indias districts are now showing Covid positivity rate of less than 5 per cent as cases in almost half the country have declined in the last week, data showed. Indias positivity rate has also declined from over 21 per cent in early May to 8.3 per cent during the last week, the ministry said. While 344 districts have reported less than 5 per cent positivity for the week ending May 31, there are still 239 districts that are more than 10 per cent positive. In the week ending May 7, only 92 districts showed less than five per cent positivity. According to government estimates, there are 718 districts in India. The figure in the last census, in 2011, was 640. Testing and containment has worked in these six to eight weeks. We have to find a mechanism to ease the and it has to be done very gradually, Balram Bhargava, director general, Indian Council of Medical Research said. The government has recommended a three-pronged approach for states to unlock as Covid cases begin to decline in most parts of the country. The states should ensure a weekly positivity rate of less than 5 per cent and coverage of at least 70 per cent among the vulnerable section, including the elderly and those above 45 years with comorbidities. Bhargava also said that states should ensure community ownership of Covid-appropriate behaviour in a big way. According to data, 295 districts have been reporting more than 100 daily cases for the past week, as against 531 districts from April 28 to May 4. Bhargava also said that is being ramped up and the unlocking had to be guided by the amount of done for the vulnerable group. ALSO READ: SBI cuts FY22 GDP growth estimate to 7.9%; recovery to be 'W-shaped' India is one of the five countries that is producing vaccines; imagine where we would be if we did not manufacture vaccines, Bhargava said. He stressed that by mid-July or early August, India would have enough supply of vaccines to administer up to 10 million jabs a day and that there would be shortage only if we wanted to vaccinate everyone in a month. We have to have some patience. We have a large population. Total doses given in India are the same as in the US. Our population is four times US, Bhargava said. Covid in children With Covid infection in children gaining government attention, the paediatric infrastructure in the country would be audited to understand what more is required and facilities will be ramped up to prepare for the worst-case scenario, V K Paul, member-health, Niti Aayog said. The situation could change and Covid impact on children could increase if the virus transforms or if there is a shift in epidemiological dynamics, he added. As we go forward, we are preparing for all scenarios. A national expert group will take a relook at the preparedness in a renewed way. We will take note of the new science and knowledge that has emerged in this area, Paul said. Around 2-3 per cent of children affected with Covid require paediatric care but the government would prepare for double the requirement, Paul said. He said that two to six weeks after recovering from Covid and becoming RT-PCR negative, a small proportion of the children are exhibiting symptoms such as fever, rash, inflammation in eyes, also called multi-system inflammatory syndrome of children. It can be treated and should be attended to in time. This is a unique illness in children, Paul said, adding that whatever is known about it so far is being shared with doctors. PRI GEN INT .ONTARIO FGN5 VIRUS-ASTRAZENECA-VACCINE-QUESTIONS Second dose of COVID-19 vaccine: FAQs about blood clots, safety, risks and symptoms By Dawn ME Bowdish, McMaster University and Ishac Nazy, McMaster University Ontario (Canada), Jun 1 (The Conversation) Rare but serious blood clots that have been linked the COVID-19 vaccine have many people especially those who have already had one dose of the vaccine looking for information. Here are answers to some key questions. If I had a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, should I have concerns about safety? As long as there is a risk, you should always be aware and informed. A risk of very serious harm, including death, does exist, though it is very small: about one in 55,000 for the first dose. We now have a much better understanding of how to diagnose and treat clotting due to COVID-19 vaccines, called vaccine-induced thrombotic thrombocytopenia, or VITT (also sometimes called vaccine-induced prothrombotic immune thrombocytopenia, or VIPIT) when it does occur. Death rates among people who experience VITT have been estimated at 20 to 50 per cent, but may be improving as knowledge increases. The Public Health Agency of Canada monitors all adverse events following COVID-19 It's important that everyone who has had the AstraZeneca vaccine understands that it was the right thing to do. It is an excellent and effective vaccine, and being vaccinated is an important act to protect not just yourself, but your community by slowing and eventually stopping the pandemic. Should I get a second dose of AstraZeneca? If so, when? Getting the second dose of any two-step vaccine is very important. That's what cements the memory of the immune response. We know from clinical trials that the first dose does not prevent all infections. It prevents death from infection. The second dose boosts the immune response to almost completely protect you from getting any infection. That second dose also greatly reduces your ability to carry or spread the virus at all. In terms of timing, evidence is still emerging, but the best guidance regarding AstraZeneca is that a 12- to 20-week gap between first and second doses is ideal, much as it is with most vaccines. Are the risks different for a second dose? The risk of a blood clot after a second dose is about one in 600,000, which is one-tenth the risk of clotting after an initial dose. If you were comfortable getting the first dose, you should feel good about going ahead and continuing to help the community bring the pandemic closer to its end. In addition, knowing the symptoms associated with the vaccine-related clots allows for timely recognition and immediate treatment. How serious a health risk are blood clots that can follow a vaccine? In those very rare cases where blood clots follow vaccination, they can be very serious, even fatal. The good thing is that knowledge is advancing quickly, especially in terms of diagnosing and treating these clots when they do occur. Earlier in the vaccine rollout, the risk of death in the rare cases of clotting was 60 to 80 per cent. Today, it's 20 per cent. At the beginning of the rollout, patients had no way of knowing what a vaccine-related clot was or what to look for. That may have been a key factor in the higher death rate. Now that this issue is known and the symptoms can be identified, the risk of death is much lower. As we've progressed in understanding how this issue presents itself, people are being diagnosed and treated much sooner and more effectively. Is it safe to get a different vaccine for my second dose? Canada's National Advisory Committee on Immunisation recommends that for a second dose, you should stay with a vaccine made with the same technology platform as the first. If you first got AstraZeneca, which is a form of viral vector vaccine, it's recommended that you get it again. If it is not available, Johnson and Johnson is another viral vector vaccine. If you had a vaccine based on an mRNA technology platform Pfizer or Moderna you can have either one of those two for your second dose. More data is emerging, and mixing and matching platforms could ultimately be proven to be safe and effective, but for now, the recommendation is to stay with the same technology. Are there any symptoms people should be on the lookout for that may indicate a blood clot? The symptoms of VITT are well documented and include the following, which occur four or more days after vaccination: Severe and persistent headaches. Severe and persistent blurry vision. Leg swelling. Difficulty breathing. Abdominal pain. Bruising beyond the site. It is important to seek prompt medical care in these cases. It is also important to note that minor fever, headache, fatigue and pain at the site of the are common with all vaccines in the first one or two days and are not causes for concern. Who is at risk from clotting related to the AstraZeneca vaccine? Clotting events are still so rare that it is very difficult to identify any particular risk factors. Although it appears that a slightly higher number of women have experienced clotting, the number of cases isn't large enough to accurately assess whether sex might affect risk. The AstraZeneca vaccine is not recommended for people who have had a previous case of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia, or of rare cerebral venous sinus thrombosis clots. A family history of clotting does not appear to be relevant to vaccine risks since the mechanisms are completely different. (The Conversation) AMS 06011018 NNNN (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.) on Tuesday recorded 14,123 new COVID-19 cases, the lowest since March 10, and 477 fresh deaths and also added 377 previously unreported fatalities, the state health department said. With the addition of 14,123 infections, the state's caseload rose to 57,61,015, while the fatality count increased to 96,198, the department said. The state on March 10 had reported 13,659 cases of the COVID-19 infection, which has been witnessing a declining trend over the last few weeks. A day ago, reported 15,077 COVID-19 cases. Recoveries far exceeded new infections. As many as 35,949 patients were discharged from hospitals during the day, pushing the number of recoveredcases to 54,31,319, a statement from the department said. The state now has 2,30,681 active cases, it said. The COVID-19 recovery rate increased to 94.28 per cent from 93.88 per cent a day ago, while the fatality rate is 1.67 per cent, the department said. The statement said 2,22,599 more people were tested for in Maharashtra, taking the number of samples examined so far to 3,52,77,653. There are 17,68,119 people in home isolation and 9,315 in institutional quarantine, the department said. Out of the 477 deaths, 340 occurred in the last 48 hours and 137 in the last week. As many as 377 deaths, that had taken place before the last week, were directly included in the cumulative toll as part of a data reconciliation exercise, it said. This means the statewide cumulative fatality count rose by 854 on Tuesday, the department said. Mumbai city reported 830 new cases and 23 deaths, taking its tally to 7,06,118 and the toll to 14,849, the department said. The wider Mumbai division, including the city and its satellite towns, reported 2,374 infections and 102 deaths, pushing the caseload to 15,34,781 and the toll to 27,906, it said. Out of these deaths in the division, 31 were reported from areas under the Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation and 22 from rural parts of Raigad. Another 17 people died of the viral infection in Palghar district, the statement said. The Nashik division reported 1,551 cases, including 914 from Ahmednagar district. Out of 78 deaths in the division, 26 were in Ahmednagar district followed by 21 in Nashik city and 20 in rural parts of Nashik district, the department said. The Pune division registered 3,633 cases, 1,535 of them in Satara district, the statement said. Out of 69 deaths in the division, 28 were from Satara district, while 16 and 15 infections were from rural parts of Solapur and Pune districts, respectively, it said. The Kolhapur division reported 3,345 cases of coronavirus, including 973 in Kolhapur district. The division also reported 86 deaths, of which 32 were from rural parts of Kolhapur, while 16 were from Ratnagiri. Sangli and Sindhudurg districts added 14 and 10 deaths, respectively, the department said. The Aurangabad division recorded 440 infections of the deadly disease, the Latur division 860, the Akola division 1,284 and the Nagpur division 636, the statement said. In the Latur division, Beed district alone reported 29 deaths out of the total 50 fatalities. A tribal district in the Vidarbha region, Gadchiroli, reported 11 deaths out of 34 recorded in the Nagpur division, the department said. Maharashtra's COVID-19 figures are as follows: Positive cases 57,61,015; new cases 14,123, deaths 96,198; recoveries 54,31,319; active cases 2,30,681; tests so far 3,52,77,653. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An Australian court on Tuesday rejected a challenge to the federal government's draconian power to prevent most citizens from leaving the country so that they don't bring COVID-19 home. is alone among developed democracies in preventing its citizens and permanent residents from leaving the country except in exceptional circumstances where they can demonstrate a compelling reason. Most Australians have been stranded in their island nation since March 2020 under a government emergency order made under the powerful Biosecurity Act. Libertarian group LibertyWorks argued before the full bench of the Federal Court in early May that Health Minister Greg Hunt did not have the power to legally enforce the that has prevented thousands of Australians from attending weddings and funerals, caring for dying relatives and meeting newborn babies. LibertyWorks lawyer Jason Potts argued that Australians had a right to leave their country under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights that had ratified. But the three judges ruled that submission was based on the erroneous premise that the right is absolute. LibertyWorks' lawyers also argued that such a biosecurity control order could only be imposed on an individual rather than an entire population. The order could only be imposed if that individual had symptoms of a listed human disease, had been exposed to such a disease or had failed to comply with travel requirements. The judges ruled that that interpretation of the law would frustrate Parliament's clear intentions when lawmakers created the emergency powers in the Biosecurity Act in 2015. It may be accepted that the travel restrictions are harsh. It may also be accepted that they intrude upon individual rights, the judges said in their ruling. But Parliament was aware of that. LibertyWorks President Andrew Cooper did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the ruling. He had expected hundreds of thousands of Australians to fly within weeks if he had won. Critics of the emergency order argue it is harshest for the 30% of Australians who were born overseas. The government says tough border controls have played an important part in Australia's relative success in containing COVID-19 spread. Surveys suggest most Australians applaud their government's drastic border controls. The Australian newspaper published a survey last month that found 73% of respondents said the international border should remain closed until at least the middle of next year. Australian Broadcasting Corp. last week reported its own survey had found 79% of respondents agree the international border should stay shut until the pandemic is under control globally. Critics of the Australian travel restrictions argue that decisions on who can travel and why are inconsistent and lack transparency. Esther and Charles Baker, an ultra-Orthodox Jewish couple from Melbourne, were twice refused exemptions to fly to New Jersey to attend their youngest son's wedding in June last year. They appealed to the Federal Court, citing religious and cultural reasons among their exceptional circumstances. But a judge dismissed their case and ordered the couple to pay the government's legal costs for their challenge. A person at the center of a cluster in Australia's second-largest city, Melbourne, had been allowed to attend a wedding in India. He was not infected in that country but rather during the required 14-day hotel quarantine upon his return. Authorities say he was infected by a traveller in another room on his floor and that the virus was carried in the air. Melbourne began a seven-day lockdown on Friday due to the cluster that by Tuesday had grown to more than 50 cases. and New Zealand opened a quarantine-free travel bubble in April and hope to create such bubbles with other countries in time. (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.) RTHK: North Korea creates second-in-command under Kim North Korea's ruling party has amended its rules to create a de facto second-in-command under leader Kim Jong Un as he looks to revamp domestic politics, South Korea's Yonhap news agency said on Tuesday. Citing an unidentified source familiar with North Korea, the agency said the holder of the new post of "first secretary" would chair meetings on behalf of Kim Jong Un. Kim cemented his power at a congress of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) in January, when he was elected its general secretary, taking a title last held by his late father, Kim Jong Il. Now Kim wants a greater role in government for the party, as compared to the more-military centred administration of his father, the news agency added. "The term 'military-first politics', a major keyword in the Kim Jong Il era, is known to have been scrapped from the preface of the party by-laws," it said. In a statement, South Koreas Unification Ministry said new party by-laws were publicised in North Korea after the January meeting. But the ministry responsible for relations with the neighbouring nation said it could not disclose details. Kim Jong Un himself used the "first secretary" designation from 2012 to 2016. The new post, the most senior of the party's seven secretaries, is likely to have been taken by Jo Yong Won, who is a member of the politburos five-strong presidium, Yonhap said. Jo, considered one of Kim's closest aides, was seen by analysts at the time of the January meeting to hold the government's No. 3 position, after Kim and Choe Ryong Hae, chairman of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly. "This seems to be the broader trend of North Korea delegating and redistributing some of Kim Jong Un's duties to others, not necessarily his powers, and streamlining the party leadership structure," said Rachel Minyoung Lee, a fellow with 38 North, a U.S.-based programme that monitors North Korea. The change is likely to affect Kim's public profile and how leadership guidance is provided to the public, she said, adding that Jo had already taken a role in leading party sessions. Kim Jong Un has wielded almost absolute power in North Korea's dynastic system since taking over after his father's death in 2011. Last year a South Korean lawmaker said the country's intelligence agency believed that Kim's sister, Kim Yo Jong, was serving as his "de facto second-in-command" but had not necessarily been designated his successor. (Reuters) This story has been published on: 2021-06-01. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. China to require mandatory reporting of cases involving underage victims Xinhua) 09:07, June 01, 2021 Children in the music class practice chorus at the Renmin Town Central Primary School in Renmin Town of Anda City, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, May 25, 2021. (Xinhua/Xie Jianfei) BEIJING, May 31 (Xinhua) -- China will make it mandatory to report infringements on minors' rights and interests in accordance with the law, the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) announced on Monday. According to the newly revised Law on the Protection of Minors slated to take effect on June 1, designated institutions, such as schools and kindergartens, and individuals will be held accountable for failing to report on such offenses and resulting in serious consequences, said the SPP. Procuratorial organs will work with competent departments to advance the mandatory reporting mechanism, it added. Last May, the SPP and departments including the Ministry of Public Security jointly rolled out a set of interim guidelines on establishing a mandatory reporting mechanism for cases involving underage victims. To ensure the implementation of the mechanism, the SPP will work with related authorities to check whether the mandatory reporting obligation has been met in every single case that has to do with offenses against minors, said Li Feng, a prosecutor with the SPP. The SPP on Monday published a case related to the failure to report a teacher's sexual offense against students at a primary school in Hunan, in which the responsible schoolmasters were prosecuted for negligence and subject to criminal responsibility. Procuratorial organs will raise the public awareness of the mandatory reporting mechanism via channels such as mobile phone apps and public education videos, and fully inform designated institutions and individuals of the legal requirements to report abuses against minors in a timely and proactive manner, Li said. (Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun) Since the Paris Agreement, a total of 126 countries have committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions. The global decarbonization drive is making a deep impact on various industries and presenting new opportunities for both investment and technological innovation. Speakers at the recent International Finance Forum (IFF) 2021 Spring Meetings shared their views on how to advance a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation, and promote the green recovery of the world economy in the post-pandemic era. Deborah Lehr, vice chairman and executive director of the Paulson Institute, said that in addition to the priority companies are placing on their own carbon-neutral transformation, current investment opportunities are at a scale not seen since the tech boom in the 1990s. A new, broad measure of "energy transition investment," compiled by research organization BloombergNEF, showed that the world committed a record $501.3 billion to decarbonization in 2020. Speaking at the IFF Carbon Neutral Summit on Sunday, Lehr said that China is going to be at the heart of this climate business boom, not only because its scale of emissions creates opportunities, but also because the country is becoming a leader in innovating green finance and clean technology. Chen Wenhui, vice chair of China's National Council for Social Security Fund, said decarbonization may bring profound changes to every aspect of society, just as digitalization has done. In order to grasp the opportunities presented by the potential economic and social transformations, investment institutions need to have long-term vision and make long-term plans, he said. In terms of pursuing the high-quality development of the Belt and Road cooperation, Wang Yanzhi, president of the Silk Road Fund, stated that it is necessary to consider the influence of climate change and carbon goals on the economic restructuring of countries. "We need to increase investment in fields related to carbon neutrality, and explore optimal resource allocation that is more in line with environmental and social requirements," he said. Liu Hongpeng, director of the Energy Division in the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), emphasized the importance of international and regional cooperation in finding and taking advantage of investment opportunities. "More than ever, the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic has added a new context for addressing the combined climate and energy challenges," Liu said. He advised diversifying traditional COVID-19 stimulus packages into green packages, focusing more on low-carbon and sustainable areas. According to Yu Honghui, general manager of China Energy Conservation and Environmental Protection Group, technological innovation plays an essential role in promoting China's eco-environmental progress under the new development paradigm. It is important to expand the integrated application of green and low-carbon technologies to achieve utility-scale zero carbon and lead the regional green transition, Yu said. Zhai Yongping, chief of the Energy Sector Group at the Asian Development Bank (ADB), explained that going carbon neutral involves three steps: reducing carbon intensity, peaking carbon emissions, and achieving carbon neutrality. He said each of the steps requires innovation in technology, business models, and finance. "Financial innovation can help bring about more technological innovations, which need new business models to ensure their application," he added. The IFF is an independent, non-profit and non-governmental organization, jointly established by more than 20 countries and international institutions in Beijing in October 2003. It serves as a platform for communication and research in the global financial sector. The 2021 Spring Meetings, held on the weekend of May 29-30, brought together more than 500 participants both in-person and via video link to discuss the theme of "Global Governance and International Cooperation in the Post-Pandemic Era." Hyderabad-based Biological E tied up with Calgary-based Providence Therapeutics to manufacture its mRNA technology-based Covid-19 vaccine and do clinical trials in India. The deal assumes significance as this gives India access to the mRNA technology. The vaccine, named PTX-COVID19-B, is under development in Canada at the moment. Providence announced data from the phase 1 trials in May and will begin the phase 2 trials soon. The mRNA platform has emerged as the front runner in delivering the first vaccines for emergency use to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Biological E. is very pleased to be able to work with Providence on its promising mRNA vaccine candidate. We hope to provide India and other countries yet another option to ramp up their efforts towards achieving herd immunity against COVID-19, said Mahima Datla, Managing Director of Biological E Limited. While the financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, Providence will sell up to 30 mn doses of its mRNA vaccine to Biological E. It would also provide the necessary technology transfer to make the vaccine in India, with a minimum production capacity of 600 mn doses in 2022 and targets capacity of 1 bn doses. Biological E will be responsible for all clinical development and regulatory activities for the mRNA vaccine in India and other jurisdictions licensed by Biological E, the company said. This initiative is an important commitment by a Canada-based company to help India and other nations vaccinate their citizens against COVID19. Providence was founded to serve patients, and this commitment by Biological E allows us to achieve that essential goal, indicated Brad Sorenson, CEO of Providence. Biological E already has a deal in place to make over 500 mn doses of the single dose Johnson and Johnson (J&J) vaccine. J&Js is a viral vector based vaccine which uses human adenovirus Ad26. India already has one mRNA vaccine in development by Pune-based Gennova Biopharmaceuticals which is in phase 1 clinical trials. In a May 12 press statement, Providence has said that its phase 1 studies on 60 subjects have shown PTX-COVID19-B to be generally safe and well tolerated. It exhibited "strong virus neutralisation". It already has an agreement in place to supply 2 mn doses of PTX-COVID19-B to the government of Manitoba in Canada. According to media reports, Providence was planning to move the clinical trials out of Canada. Apart from the J&J and Providence Covid-19 vaccine deals, Biological E also has under development a third candidate with Baylor College of Medicine. The Baylor College of Medicine Biological E vaccine is set to begin phase 3 clinical trials in June. This is a protein sub-unit technology based vaccine, a technology that Biological E already had. This technology is used to make Hepatitis B vaccines. The Indian government has indicated that in the second half of the year, it expects to receive 300 mn doses of the Biological E vaccine. India is already in talks with US players and Moderna for bringing their USFDA-approved mRNA Covid-19 vaccines to India. Canada is using both and Moderna vaccines to inoculate its citizens. The on Tuesday said the must assure the Serum Institute of India's (SII) CEO, Adar Poonawalla, of requisite security in the wake of alleged threats to him over the supply of the Covishield vaccine manufactured by his company. A vacation bench of Justices SS Shinde and Abhay Ahuja said by manufacturing the anti-COVID-19 vaccine, Poonawalla was doing a great service to the nation and the state government's highest functionaries must look into the issue of his security. It said the state's top officials must personally speak to Poonawalla, who recently went to London, and assure him of his safety upon his return to India. The bench was hearing a petition filed by lawyer Datta Mane, seeking Z-plus security for Poonawalla. The Union government has already granted 'Y' category security to the Pune-based industrialist. The petitioner, through his counsel Pradip Havnur, told the HC that as per news reports, Poonawalla had been living in fear due to constant pressure from politicians and some others demanding that he provide more supply of the Covishield vaccine to their states. Mane's plea said Poonawalla had left for London due to such threats. Notably, Poonawalla had said in a recent interview to The Times that he has been receiving threats and pressure from 'powerful people' seeking vaccine doses on priority. On Tuesday, the Maharashtra government's counsel, Deepak Thakare, told the HC that the state had provided Y- category security to Poonawalla as per which, some CRPF personnel and two gunmen from the state police will remain available for his security round-the-clock. He further said the state was taking stock of the situation and would consider providing Z-plus security to Poonawalla upon his return to the country. At this, the bench said the state must not consider the petition as an adversarial litigation. "Mr Poonawalla is doing a fabulous job. He is doing a great service. He is serving the nation," the HC said. It further said Poonawalla was now trying to enhance the production of the vaccine. "The court's expectation is that someone from the state government must speak to him and assure him that all safety arrangements will be made, and security will be provided to him whenever he is in Maharashtra," the HC said. Mumbai is the economic capital of the country, and Maharashtra is a progressive and modern state, it observed. "If Mr Poonawalla has expressed any concerns, the state must address them," the court said. The bench directed advocate Thakare to speak to the state government officials and convey the court's concerns. "Please speak to the highest state functionaries, maybe the state Home minister, and assurance must be given to him (Poonawalla) from the top. They should talk to him personally," the HC said. It directed the state government to make a statement before the HC on June 10 on the security provided to Poonawalla, the number of CRPF personnel that will remain on guard for him and other related issues. (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 union government on Tuesday announced the cancellation of Board exams for Class 12 in view of the prevailing situation. The decision was taken at a high-level review meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Hours after the development, Indian School Certificate (ISC) board exams for Class 12 too have been cancelled. "The final decision on compiling results is yet to be taken," Dr G Immanuel, Chairman, Council for the CISCE told news agency ANI. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) had on April 14 announced cancellation of class 10 exams and postponement of class 12 exams in view of the surge in cases. Class 12 results will be made as per a well-defined objective criteria in a time-bound manner, the government said in an official statement. The Prime Minister said that the decision on Class 12 Exams has been taken in the interest of students. He stated that Covid-19 has affected the academic calendar and the issue of Board Exams has been causing immense anxiety among students, parents and teachers, which must be put to an end. PM said that the Covid situation is a dynamic situation across the country. While the numbers are coming down in the country and some states are managing the situation through effective micro-containment, some states have still opted for a lockdown. Students, parents and teachers are naturally worried about the health of the students in such a situation. PM said that students should not be forced to appear for exams in such a stressful situation. "Health and safety of our students is of utmost importance and there would be no compromise on this aspect," Modi said, adding that in todays time, such exams cannot be the reason to put our youth at risk. Referring to the wide consultative process, PM said the decision has been reached after consulting all stakeholders from across the length and breadth of India. He also thanked the states for providing feedback on this issue. The meeting was attended by Union Ministers of Home, Defence, Finance, Commerce, Information and Broadcasting, Petroleum and Women and Child Development Ministries and Principal Secretary to PM, Cabinet Secretary and Secretaries of School Education and Higher Education Departments and other senior officials. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had earlier chaired a crucial meeting which was convened to decide on the Class 12 board exams and subsequent entrance examinations that were postponed due to the second wave of Post the meeting, the government has sought detailed suggestions from states. Reacting to the decision, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday said: "I am glad 12th exams have been cancelled. All of us were very worried about the health of our children. A big relief." Several states have advocated vaccination for class 12 students in the event of going ahead with board exams, however, experts pointed out the idea was impractical at present. The had earlier this month announced the marking policy for class 10 board exams. According to the policy, while 20 marks for each subject will be for internal assessment as every year, 80 marks will be calculated on basis of the students' performance in various tests or exams throughout the year. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair a meeting on Tuesday evening to deliberate upon conducting board examinations amid the Covid-19 pandemic, a news report said. Others present at the meeting will brief the PM on all options because of the extensive discussions with all states and other stakeholders, ANI quoted government sources as saying. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday appealed to Central Government to cancel board exams for Class 12 students and to assess the students based on their past performance. "Children and parents are very worried about the 12th examination. They want that without vaccination, 12th examination should not be held. I appeal to the central government that the 12th examination should be cancelled. They should be assessed on the basis of past performance", the tweet read. Union Minister for Education Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank has previously stated that any decision on the conduct of Class 12 examinations will be taken after extensive consultations with all stakeholders. Nishank held a high-level meeting on the matter on May 23 with education ministers of all states and union territories, as well as state education boards and representatives from the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). After the meeting, the minister had informed that most states were in favour of conductingb the exams, while Maharashtra suggested that non-examination routes should be examined. The governments of Delhi and Karnataka had suggested that students could be vaccinated before they give their Class 12 exams. The education minister had said that a decision will be taken on June 1. Earlier today, Pokhriyal was admitted to AIIMS New Delhi because of post-Covid complications, which suggests that the decision on Class 12 examinations could be delayed. The CBSE had on April 14 announced cancellation of class 10 exams and postponement of class 12 exams in view of the surge in coronavirus cases. The Ministry of Education had recently sought detailed suggestions from the states and union territories till on the proposals discussed in a high-level meeting held on the issue. The government has informed the Supreme Court, which is hearing a plea seeking the exam's cancellation, it will take a final decision by June 3. Jharkhand Chief Minister on Tuesday said the procurement of COVID vaccines by States on their own during the ongoing pandemic "stands against the principle of cooperative federalism" and urged Prime Minister to provide free vaccines to States for beneficiaries of all age groups. "The State of Jharkhand like other States has always received vaccines free of cost from the central government for all other programs such as Pulse Polio and Routine Immunisation. This is probably for the first instance in the history of Independent India that the States have been mandated to procure vaccines on their own. Such a mandate.under the ongoing challenging and unprecedented circumstances where the entire nation is struggling for over a year, stands against the principle of cooperative federalism," wrote Chief Minister Soren in his letter to the Prime Minister. "In this regard, it is pertinent to note that the rates specified by the central government for procurement of vaccines by the State for the age cohort of 18 to 44 years are significantly higher than the rates at which vaccine is being procured by the central government for the beneficiaries in the age cohort of 45 years and above. This dichotomy will not stand the scrutiny of reasonable classification under the fundamental principles of the Constitution of India," he said. The chief minister said the financial burden on the State for vaccination of the age cohort of 18-44 years is likely to be more than Rs 1100 crore considering 1.57 crore eligible beneficiaries. With the vaccine being available for the age cohort of 12-18 years and below, the mentioned financial burden will further increase by around Rs 1000 crore. It will be "extremely difficult" to spare as many resources from the resource pool of the State which is already stressed during COVID times. According to Soren, the inherent diversity of India creates various peculiarities specific to the concerned states. Every State has its own high-risk groups depending on the geographical, cultural and traditional heterogeneity. As such, a common framework defined by the central government with regard to prioritizing beneficiaries across the country is not desirable. "It is requested to provide to the State free vaccine for beneficiaries of all age groups and also give us the freedom to define priorities for vaccination coverage. This would help us in achieving the target of full vaccination in a timely manner which would go a long way in ensuring effective tackling of the anticipated third wave. The State and the people of Jharkhand shall be ever grateful for your kind support under such difficult times," urged the chief minister. (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 ministry of home affairs (MHA) has served a show cause notice to former Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay under Disaster Management Act 2005, asking him to write within 3 days, news agency ANI reported. In an escalating row over skipping meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Alapan Bandyopadhyay had on Monday retired from bureaucracy and was appointed as chief advisor for three years effective to the Chief Minister, rendering the order of transfer to Delhi ineffective. The Centre had on May 28 night transferred Bandyopadhyay to itself and asked the state government to immediately release the top bureaucrat, hours after allegations surfaced that skipped the review meeting with Prime Minister at Kalaikunda airbase over post-cyclone situation in The West Bengal chief minister had written to PM Modi requesting him to withdraw the Centre's order recalling the Chief Secretary, and asserted her government "cannot release, and is not releasing" the bureaucrat. said that the central government had asked Bandopadhyay to report to Delhi's North Block on Tuesday, but she added an officer cannot join a new office without permission from the state administration. Earlier during the day, an ANI report, quoting GoI sources, said that Mamata Banerjee has defied protocol in a review meeting chaired by PM Modi on the post-cyclonic situation in the state and is misleading on the controversy surrounding chief secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay. A popular Chinese blogger, detained earlier this year for his comments regarding military casualties of Galwan valley clash with India, has been sentenced to eight months in prison. Qiu Ziming, an internet celebrity with more than 2.5 million followers, on Monday received a jail term of eight months for 'defaming martyrs', marking the first such case in China since a new amendment was attached to the Criminal Law, reported Global Times. The blogger, who is known online as 'Labixiaoqiu', was also ordered to publicly apologize through major domestic portals and the national media within 10 days, ordered a Nanjing court in East China's Jiangsu Province. The court noted that Qiu had ''truthfully confessed to his crime'', entered a guilty plea and said in court that he would never commit the crime again, therefore he was getting a lighter sentence. On March 1, Qiu had made an open apology for his comments during a broadcast on China's state broadcaster CCTV, reported Global Times. "I feel extremely ashamed of myself, and I'm very sorry," said the 38-year-old. The comments came after China admitted for the first time that four of its soldiers had been killed and one seriously wounded in the clash that took place in the Himalayas. Qiu, a former reporter with the weekly Economic Observer, had published two posts that suggested a commander survived the clashes because he was the highest-ranking officer there. He also suggested that more Chinese soldiers might have been killed in the conflict than those disclosed by the authorities. In February, Russian news agency TASS had claimed that 45 Chinese soldiers were killed in the clashes. In February, state news agency Xinhua accused Qiu of "damaging the reputation of heroes, hurting nationalistic feelings and poisoning patriotic hearts" with his sensational posts. The Chinese Communist Party has long been accused of suppressing ideas that could undermine its sweeping authority. In just the past few years, the government has attempted to muzzle critics by making them disappear without a trace, ordering people to physically barge into their houses, or locking up those close to critics as a kind of blackmail. India and China have been engaged in a border standoff since last year. The situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) deteriorated in June last year following the Galwan Valley clash in which both Indian and Chinese sides suffered casualties. Twenty Indian soldiers lost their lives in the violent face-off on June 15-16. It happened as a result of an attempt by the Chinese troops to unilaterally change the status quo during the de-escalation in eastern (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 on Tuesday decided to cancel the CBSE Class XII amid the continuing Covid-19 pandemic across the country with Prime Minister asserting that the decision has been taken in the interest of students and the anxiety among the students, parents and teachers must be put to an end. The decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Modi in which it was decided that the CBSE will take steps to compile the results of Class XII students as per a well-defined objective criteria in a time-bound manner. With the decision coming amid a high caseload of Covid-19 cases in several states and continuing health-related apprehensions about the future, Modi said the health and safety of students are of utmost importance, and there would be no compromise on this aspect. Anxiety among students, parents and teachers must be put to an end, and students should not be forced to appear for exams in such a stressful situation, a government statement quoted the prime minister as saying. Modi further asserted that all stakeholders need to show sensitivity for the students as well as their parents and teachers. In the review meeting, officials gave a detailed presentation on the wide and extensive consultation held so far and views received from all stakeholders, including by the state governments. In view of the uncertain conditions due to Covid-19 and the feedback obtained from various stakeholders, it was decided that Class XII would not be held this year, the statement said. Modi said at the meeting that Covid-19 has affected the academic calendar and the issue of board examinations has been causing immense anxiety among students, parents and teachers, which must be put to an end. He said the Covid-19 situation is dynamic across the country, and that the number of cases is coming down with some states managing the situation through effective micro-containment, while some states have still opted for a lockdown. Students, parents and teachers are naturally worried about the health of the students in such a situation, he noted, asserting that students should not be forced to appear for exams in such a stressful situation. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday said it is a big relief that the Class 12 have been cancelled. I am glad 12th exams have been cancelled. All of us were very worried about the health of our children. A big relief, Kejriwal tweeted. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Chief Minister on Monday said that the state has incurred a total loss of more than Rs 20,000 crore due to Yaas which battered the state last week and around 2.21 lakh hectare of crops were damaged. The chief minister said that the state has opened around 1200 relief camps in which 2 lakh odd people have taken shelter following the which made landfall in neighbouring Odisha on May 26. "Around 2.21 lakh hectare of crops and 71,560 hectare of horticulture have been damaged in by Yaas. The state has incurred a total loss of more than Rs 20,000 crore," she told reporters at the secretariat. Banerjee on May 28 submitted a report to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the damages caused by the cyclone, and sought a Rs 20,000-crore package for redevelopment of the worst-affected areas. The Public Health Engineering Department has supplied piped and pouches of water to the affected villages, she said. The chief minister said that repair works for 305 embankments out of the 329 damaged ones have been started. On the Duare Tran (Relief at doorstep) scheme, she said, "Only those who have been affected by the cyclone have to apply in person. The camps (for the scheme) will be held in schools, colleges and other public buildings and not in ward offices," she said. Banerjee also assured the people living near Deocha Pachami coal block in Birbhum district that the state government would not acquire any land from them unless they are fully compensated. With an estimated reserve of 2.1 billion tonnes, Deocha Pachami is the world's second-largest coal block. Allocated to by the Centre in June 2018, the coal block has the potential to bring in investments to the tune of Rs 12,000 crore over a period of time. "We are not acquiring land from anybody at this moment. The vacant land which the state government has will be used first. And if I need land, I want to assure my brothers and sisters of the scheduled tribe and caste there that it will be taken only after they are fully compensated," Banerjee said. Banerjee assured local people that they need not worry as she will act as their custodian. "In the first phase, we will not take any land from you. In the second phase, we will not forcibly acquire the land. We will only do that after providing you with a job," she added. Banerjee advised the people not to pay heed to any instigation. "All will be employed. Do not fall into any trap. I was ready to sacrifice myself during my movement in Nandigram and Singur," she said. The state will be highly benefited once the project is completed, she 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.) India on Tuesday reported a net reduction of 130,572 in active cases to take its count to 1,895,520. Indias share of global active cases now stands at 13.61 per cent (one in 7). The country is second among the most affected countries by active cases. On Tuesday, it added 127,510 cases to take its total caseload to 28,175,044. And, with 2,795 new fatalities, its Covid-19 reached 331,895, or 1.18 per cent of total confirmed infections. Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. 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Digital Editor President Xi Jinping has extended festive greetings to children across China ahead of International Children's Day, which falls on June 1. When writing back to members of the Chinese Young Pioneers (CYP) at a primary school in east China's Jiangsu Province on Sunday, Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, urged them to learn the Party's history and to have firm faith in following the Party from a young age. Xi urged the children to apply what they have learned from the Party's history to their own lives, follow the example of heroic role models, study hard, and foster faith and integrity. The CYP members, who wrote to Xi recently, are from a primary school named Xin'an, established by renowned Chinese educator Tao Xingzhi in 1929. In the letter, the students told Xi their gains in learning the histories of their school and the CPC, and expressed their resolve in passing on the revolutionary traditions. In October 1935, 14 students from the school formed a patriotic art troupe. For 17 years, the troupe traveled across China to spread the Party's messages, contributing to the victories of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the War of Liberation. Xi said the Xin'an troupe feared no hardships, used arts as "weapons" and rallied the public into fighting Japanese aggression and saving the nation, demonstrating their spirit of patriotism and striving. The Tuesday directed the states and Union Territories (UTs) to furnish details of prisoners who have been released on interim bail or parole in pursuance to the last month's order, which was aimed at decongesting jails amid the COVID-19 pandemic. A vacation bench of Justices L Nageswara Rao and Aniruddha Bose also asked the states to furnish information relating to number of deaths in jails due to COVID-19 infection. A bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana on May 7 had taken note of the "unprecedented surge" in COVID-19 cases and ordered immediate release of prisoners who were granted bail or parole last year amid the pandemic to decongest the jails. The apex court Tuesday clarified that the competent authorities including the remission boards shall continue to proceed with the release of those prisoners who are entitled for premature release under the provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). The top court was hearing an application seeking direction to the high-powered committee (HPC) and the state governments to also consider cases of remission or premature release of eligible prisoners to reduce overcrowding in jails. The apex court, which had last year taken suo motu cognisance on contagion of COVID-19 in prisons, had in March 2020 directed all the states and UTs to constitute HPC to consider releasing on parole or interim bail prisoners and under trials for offences entailing up to seven-year jail term to decongest prisons in the wake of pandemic. Advocate Shoeb Alam, appearing for applicant Sachin Yadav, argued that earlier orders passed by the apex court relate to release of prisoners on interim bail and parole. The court had directed for release on parole and bail' and therefore, it appears that all HPCs are only considering release on parole and bail but not the case for premature release. A further direction in this regard is required from this court, said the application, filed through advocate Talha Abdul Rahman. During the hearing conducted through video-conferencing, senior advocate Dushyant Dave, who is assisting the court as an amicus curiae in the matter, said that states and UTs should be directed to file affidavit indicating the compliance of earlier order passed by the top court. Dave said that authorities should also furnish details regarding death in prisons due to COVID-19 infection. States and Union Territories are directed to file affidavits within four weeks giving details about the prisoners who have been released in pursuance to the order the bench said, adding, The state governments shall also provide information relating to number of deaths in prisons due to COVID. The bench posted the matter for further hearing in July. In its May 7 order, the apex court had observed that decongestion of prisons housing around 4 lakh inmates across the country is a matter concerning "health and right to life of" prisoners and police personnel. It had said that all those who were allowed to go out on bail in March last year by the HPCs of the states and UTs be granted the same relief without any reconsideration to avoid delay. "Further we direct that, those inmates who were granted parole, pursuant to our earlier orders, should be again granted parole for a period of 90 days in order to tide over the pandemic," the bench had said. The apex court had earlier directed states that the HPC shall consist of (i) Chairman of the State Legal Services Committee, (ii) the Principal Secretary (Home/Prison) by whatever designation is known as, (ii) Director General of Prison(s), to determine which class of prisoners can be released on parole or an interim bail for such period as may be thought appropriate. On March 16, 2020, the top court had taken suo motu cognisance of the matter and said it is difficult for jail inmates to maintain social distancing to prevent the spread of (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 Delhi government on Tuesday gave in-principle approval to a long-standing demand for home delivery of alcoholic beverages from manufacturers and retailers. While the move might have brought cheer to winebibbers, their excitement may be short-lived. The riders that come with the gazette notification are expected to delay the process by weeks. The provision for home delivery of liquor has been made by amending the Delhi Excise (Amendment) Rules, 2021, that now allows entities holding an L-13 licence to deliver both Indian and foreign-made alcoholic beverages to your doorstep, when ordered via mobile applications or web portals. Further, it also said that restaurants, hotels, and clubs in the Capital may be allowed to serve alcohol to their patrons at open spaces within their premises. While the notification was issued on Tuesday, industry experts said the lack of further clarification on the issuance of the required legal permits, and the imposition of caveats, will delay home deliveries. For instance, the required licence L-13 is an entirely new permit that all willing delivery partners will have to obtain. This is a new licence, which means none of the existing retailers online or offline have it. So far, only the gazette notification on amendments of rules have come out. But there is no clarity on obtaining such a licence, said Vinod Giri, director general of the Confederation of Indian Alcoholic Beverage Companies (CIABC). According to CIABC, a body representing leading liquor manufacturers, the industry is ready with technological know-how on ways to plug any leaks like delivery to minors. Mumbai and Kolkata are two good examples that show that the mechanism of home delivery of liquor can work without any adverse fallout. Sales growth in Maharashtra this year over last year shows that such prompt measures by the state government helped the state recover some loss in sales forced by Covid lockdowns, said Giri. However, steep delivery rates being charged in cities like Kolkata Rs 100 per bottle may remain a major hindrance to the mass adoption of home delivery even in Delhi. The lack of clarity on the supply mechanism has kept leading restaurant aggregators like Zomato and Swiggy at arms length. According to sources, while both have experience in liquor delivery, they are expecting a delay of weeks in Delhi. Clubs, restaurants, and hotels with in-house bars are better positioned to start serving alcoholic beverages to customers, compared to delivery partners and retailers. Since most establishments are well-stocked, if the government formally issues a notification allowing these businesses, they can resume services within hours, said some restaurant representatives. With inputs from Neha Alawadhi Delhi and its adjoining areas are expected to receive light intensity rain/drizzle in the next two hours, informed (IMD) on Tuesday morning. In a tweet earlier today, also predicted thunderstorms with light to moderate intensity rain and gusty winds with a speed of 30-50 Km/h over and adjoining areas in parts of Haryana and Rajasthan during the next 2 hours. "Light intensity rain/drizzle would occur over and adjoining areas of isolated places of Delhi. Thunderstorm with light to moderate intensity rain and gusty winds with speed of 30-50 Km/h would occur over and adjoining areas of Adampur, Hissar, Hansi, Meham, Siwani, Tosham, Bhiwani, Charkhi Dadri (Haryana) Bhadra, Sidhmukh, Sadulpur (Rajasthan) during next 2 hours," it said at 7.00 am. Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) received rains with gusty winds around midnight bringing respite from the scorching heat. Earlier, had said that hail storm and precipitation is likely over and nearby few places of Delhi, Baghpat, Noida, Greater Noida. The Meteorological Department said that thunder squall with moderate to heavy intensity rain and gusty winds is likely in Ghaziabad, Indirapuram, Chhapraula, Noida, Dadri, Greater Noida, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Karnal, Panipat, Gannaur, Sonipat, Barwala, Narwana, Rajaund, Assandh, Safidon, Jind, Gohana, Kharkhoda, Adampur, Hansi, Meham, Rohtak, Siwani, Tosham, Jhajjar, Loharu, Narnaul, and Mahendargarh. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) New Delhi [India], June 1 (ANI): The Leader of the Opposition (LOP) in the Dominica House of Assembly, Lennox Linton, on Monday slammed Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit's government and issued a strong statement on the entire episode of India-born businessman Mehul Choksi, saying 'no law, no constitution' lives in the country. "'No Law, No Constitution' and Dominica's deteriorating international image," Linton said in a statement to ANI. A new charge has also been levelled against Skerrit by the main opposition party in Dominica, alleging that the Dominican Prime Minister is also part of the same conspiracy involving Choksi. "The presence of Indian born Antigua and Barbuda citizen in Dominica following allegations that he was kidnapped in Antigua, beaten, ferried to Dominica and taken into the country against his will, highlights once again the extent to which departments of government are involved in organised crime under the influence and/or direction of the regime of Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit," the opposition leader told ANI. Earlier on Choksi's arrest in Dominica, Antiguan PM Gaston Browne exclusively told ANI over the phone that he had spoken to the Dominican government and the Indian Ambassador regarding the fugitive diamantaire's repatriation. "The Indian government can send a private jet to Dominica for the deportation of I have spoken to the Prime Minister of Dominica and the Indian Ambassador in this regard," Antigua PM told ANI. Choksi had gone missing from Antigua on May 23 after going out for dinner and was soon caught in Dominica. He is currently in the Quarantine Center in Dominica. In addition, Linton has also demanded a full investigation in connection with Choksi on the way he was brought against his will in Dominica. "The obvious collaboration between the governments of Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda and India in undermining the judiciary in the Eastern Caribbean. The Police, Immigration and Customs Officials who openly allowed violations of the law to 1) facilitate the operators of the St Lucia based schooner; and 2) detain Choksi on allegations of illegal entry. The Ministers of Government who instructed and/or influenced Police, Immigration and Customs Officials to unlawfully facilitate the inhumane transfer of Choksi to Dominica," he said. Choksi, wanted in India on bank fraud charges, criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust and money laundering, had bought Antigua and Barbuda citizenship through the Citizenship by Investment Program in 2017. He has been living in Antigua and Barbuda since 2018 and is opposing court action to revoke his Antiguan citizenship and have him extradited to India. The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court's next hearing is on June 2 to decide on Choksi's deportation to the country concerned. (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 (ED) has filed its final charge sheet against some Hyderabad-based jewellery and bullion dealers in a case where Rs 111 crore funds were allegedly laundered post the 2016 of two high-value currencies in the country. The central probe agency has pressed criminal charges under sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against Kailash Gupta, Nitin Gupta, Nikhil Gupta and their firms, their chartered accountants, gold bullion dealers, and also the major contributors of the black money, who were involved in this fraud, an ED statement said. "A total of 41 entities/individuals have been charged with the offence of money laundering, as they knowingly layered the amount (of Rs 111 crore) into the banks post the exercise that took place on November 8, 2016," it said. The charge sheet was filed on Monday and before this latest prosecution complaint, two such complaints were filed by the ED before a special PMLA court in This the final charge sheet in this case, it said. The ED probe is against jewellery and bullion firms like Musaddilal Gems and Jewels Private Limited, Vaishnavi Bullion Private Limited, Musaddilal Jewellers Private Limited and others was initiated on the basis of an FIR registered by Telangana Police in Probe found, the statement said, that "the accused used the scheme to bleach their unaccounted black money into white money and also to earn windfall profit." "They blatantly created around 5,911 fictitious sale invoices attributing fake sales during the short relaxation period between 8 PM-12 PM (on November 8, 2016) and deposited a whooping amount of Rs 111 crore in their bank accounts. "The major part of the deposited black money belonged to the main accused and his family members and remaining was solicited from others on commission basis," it said. They used a part of the amount to repay their loans, pay due taxes and used the remaining amount to buy gold/bullion, it alleged. "This gold was further sold at a very high rate to earn even more profits. ED has done extensive fund trail investigation and found that the total proceeds of crime generated in this scam was Rs 139 crore," the agency claimed. Assets worth Rs 130.57 crore, including jewellery of Rs 86 crore, was attached by the agency in February this year as part of the investigation in the case. (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.) Syed Akbaruddin, former permanent representative of India to the United Nations, on Tuesday joined the Kautilya School of Public Policy here as its dean. While Akbaruddin tweeted saying it is a "new start" for him, the public policy institute said his appointment is a testimony to its commitment to provide students an exposure to the best minds from the policy fraternity. Such exposure would help shape students into responsible public policymakers of the future, the institute said in a statement. The former Ambassador, who has handled many diplomatic assignments, said he looked forward to be part of an environment that would enable students better understand the processes, programmes and politics of public policies in a globalised world. "From building bridges among top diplomats to articulating India's foreign policies on a plethora of platforms, he sets his vision on creating an educational haven for students who would serve as tomorrow's leaders," Kautilya School of Public Policy said. The school's co-founder Prateek Kanwal said Akbaruddin would provide a "practical lens to policy making" in the classroom having championed India's fight at UN in dealing with issues such as climate change, education, terrorism, cyber security, digital and nuclear technology. Akbaruddin, who joined the foreign service in 1985, was the Ministry of External Affair's spokesperson between 2012 and 2015 and he retired last April as India's permanent representative to the United Nations. The 61-year old former officer, prior to his role as permanent representative had held several positions in his long career. Between 2006 and 2011, he served as an international civil servant at the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna. Proficient in Arabic, he served in the Middle East as well in roles including as the Consul General of India, Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. (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 in its appeal before the against journalist Tarun Tejpal's acquittal in a rape case said it was a fit case for retrial, citing the trial court's lack of understanding of a victim's post-trauma behaviour and censuring of her character. The appeal, filed before the HC's bench, was amended this week to bring on record the judgement and to include further grounds against the acquittal of Tejpal. The government said the trial court "considered the evidence given by defence witnesses as gospel truth, but at the same time discredited without any finding the evidence given by the victim and the prosecution witnesses". It also claimed that the trial court completely ignored the most telling piece of evidence in the case (the apology e-mail) "which established the guilt of the accused beyond a shadow of doubt". On May 21, sessions judge Kshama Joshi acquitted Tejpal, former editor-in-chief of the Tehelka magazine, in the case where he was accused of sexually assaulting his then woman colleague in a lift of a five-star hotel in in November 2013 when they were attending an event. The trial court in its judgement questioned the woman's conduct, noting she did not exhibit any kind of "normative behaviour" such as trauma and shock which a victim of sexual assault might plausibly show. The Goa government later filed an appeal against the acquittal. In its amended appeal, which will be heard on June 2, the state government said the trial court had "lost sight" of the fact that it was Tejpal who was an accused and was on trial, and not the victim. "The entire judgement focuses on indicting the complainant rather than trying to ascertain the culpable role of the accused," the appeal said. The finding of the trial court on how a woman, who has been a victim of sexual assault, normally behaves is "unsustainable in law and is coloured by prejudice and patriarchy", it said. In its appeal, the prosecution sought the HC to expunge several portions of the judgement that cast aspersions not only on the prosecution's case, but also on the victim. "This fact, accompanied by other attendant circumstances, clearly makes out a case for retrial in accordance with law," the prosecution said. Referring to portions in the judgement which noted that the CCTV footage and photographs from the event show the victim cheerful and smiling, the government in its appeal said the observations "betray a complete lack of understanding of the post-trauma behaviour of victims". They (observations of trial court) also demonstrate complete ignorance of the law and also several directions and guidelines passed by the Supreme Court (on how to handle such cases), it said. The trial court allowed "scandalous, irrelevant and humiliating questions" to be put before the victim, it said. "The trial court in its 527-page judgement has been influenced by extraneous and inadmissible materials and testimonies, graphic details of the victim's sexual history, that is prohibited by law, and has used the same for purposes of censuring her character and discrediting her evidence," the appeal said. The manner in which the evidence of the prosecutrix (victim) was recorded in the case by the trial court requires close "judicial scrutiny", it said. "Much of the impugned judgement has been consumed by sexual gossip and alleged sexual fantasies related to the prosecutrix which are legally prohibited," the appeal said. The victim in her statement to police and to the court had said that while she was traumatised and shocked after the incident, due to professional commitments she had continued working at the event, the appeal further said. On the trial court refusing to accept the apology e- mail sent by Tejpal to the victim, the government said the court has not given any cogent finding as to how a person of the education, age and maturity of the accused, who was in a position of power over the victim, could in any manner be pressured into apologising. "The trial court has completely ignored the most telling piece of evidence in the case (the apology e-mail) which established the guilt of the accused beyond a shadow of doubt," the appeal said. It further claimed the trial court was wrong in questioning the victims conduct post the incident and that she confided in three of her male colleagues about the incident instead of her female roommate. (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.) has announced financial support for families of all employees, including contract staff, who succumb to COVID-19. The company is providing one-time support of Rs 8-10 lakh per employee to each family and also continuous financial support for the well-being of the family due to loss of earning member, it said in a statement. will also make an additional monthly payment in the range of Rs 35,000-Rs 50,000 for next three years. This to help cover living expenses, besides supporting the education of the children. For employees who have recovered from COVID-19, in addition to health care insurance benefits, the company is providing interest-free financial loans and special paid leaves. It has been providing critical medical equipment to all its employees and has also created hospitalisation facilities in its plant at Anuppur, Madhya Pradesh. The company has already organised three vaccination camps in Delhi and several in Anuppur for its employees, contractors and their families. Lalit Jain, President - Thermal, said, "We stand firmly with our employees and are committed to their well-being and social security. Employee welfare and care of their loved ones is our top priority in these difficult times." The company has announced a comprehensive Covid Care Policy Plan for its employees and their immediate family members, which has been implemented with immediate effect, it added. Hindustan Powerprojects is an independent power producer with projects across the renewables and non-renewables businesses. (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.) 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 India reported 1,27,510 new infections in 24 hours -- its lowest in 50 days, as 2,795 more succumbed to the pandemic, the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry said on Tuesday. This is the least number of fresh infection reported after April 8, when India recorded 1,31,968 cases while on April 7, India witnessed 1,26,789 fresh cases. Fatalities also dropped below the 3,000-mark for the first time since April 26, when the country witnessed 2,771 deaths. Most Metro cities are still fighting huge waves, though Mumbai and Delhi have arrested the surge. For the first time in 47 days Delhi on Saturday reported less than 100 cases. Andhra Pradesh on Sunday breached the 15-lakh mark in recoveries. India's overall tally of Covid-19 cases now stands at 2,81,75,044 with 18,95,520 active cases and 3,31,895 deaths so far. According to the Health Ministry, a total of 2,55,287 people have been discharged in the last 24 hours, taking the total discharge to 2,59,47,629 in Covid cases till date. The said that a total of 21,60,46,638 people have been vaccinated so far in the country, including 27,80,058 who were administered vaccines in the last 24 hours. According to the Indian Council of Medical Research, 34,67,92,257 samples have been tested up to May 31 for Covid-19. Of these 19,25,374 samples were tested on Monday. In the last three weeks, India has recorded over 75,000 deaths. On May 24, India crossed a grim milestone of three-lakh deaths due to the infections, thus becoming world's third country after the US and Brazil to cross three-lakh deaths. India registered record fatalities due to Covid on May 21 with 4,529 deaths -- the highest from Covid infection in any country in a day since the outbreak was reported in China's Wuhan in December 2019. It surpassed 4,468 deaths in the US on January 12, and earlier 4,211 in Brazil on April 6. After battling a brutal second wave for weeks, fresh Covid cases came down below the three lakh-mark for the first time on May 17 after touching record high of 4,14,188 on May 7. --IANS aks/in (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China will make it mandatory to report infringements on minors' rights and interests in accordance with the law, the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) announced on Monday. According to the newly revised Law on the Protection of Minors slated to take effect on June 1, designated institutions, such as schools and kindergartens, and individuals will be held accountable for failing to report on such offenses and resulting in serious consequences, said the SPP. Procuratorial organs will work with competent departments to advance the mandatory reporting mechanism, it added. Last May, the SPP and departments including the Ministry of Public Security jointly rolled out a set of interim guidelines on establishing a mandatory reporting mechanism for cases involving underage victims. To ensure the implementation of the mechanism, the SPP will work with related authorities to check whether the mandatory reporting obligation has been met in every single case that has to do with offenses against minors, said Li Feng, a prosecutor with the SPP. The SPP on Monday published a case related to the failure to report a teacher's sexual offense against students at a primary school in Hunan, in which the responsible schoolmasters were prosecuted for negligence and subject to criminal responsibility. Procuratorial organs will raise the public awareness of the mandatory reporting mechanism via channels such as mobile phone apps and public education videos, and fully inform designated institutions and individuals of the legal requirements to report abuses against minors in a timely and proactive manner, Li said. The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) has moved the seeking a stay on the May 28 order of (MHA) which empowered certain districts to grant citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The application filed by IUML said during the pendency Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 (CAA) the MHA has gone ahead and issued an order dated May 28, whereby the Centre, relying on Section 16 of the Citizenship Act 1955 (henceforth referred to as the Act), the power to grant citizenship under Sections 5(citizenship by registration) and 6(citizenship by naturalisation) have been delegated to collectors of certain districts to grant citizenship to persons. The plea claimed the Centre has illegally permitted the collectors of the chosen districts to grant citizenship to persons belonging to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians. The application cited Section 5 (1)(a)-(g) of the Act lays down in unequivocal terms the persons who are eligible to apply for citizenship by registration, Section 6 of the Act permits any person (not being an illegal migrant ) to apply for citizenship by naturalisation. The petitioner claimed the attempt being made by the Centre in whittling down the applicability of the two provisions through an executive order is illegal. "That the two provisions read together do not permit the classification of applicants on the ground of religion and therefore the order goes beyond what is permitted by the provision itself. Furthermore, the order does not withstand the test of Article 14 inasmuch as it treats people within a particular class i.e. persons entitled to apply for citizenship by registration and naturalisation unequally by virtue of their religion", said the application. The petitioner claimed that Centre during CAA hearing in the top court had provided assurance that staying of the amendment Act was not necessary since the rules of it, had not been framed. "However, the Respondent Union, in a roundabout way, and in an attempt to circumvent the assurance given to this court, have sought to implement their mala fide designs envisaged under the Amendment Act through the recently issued order dated May 28", added the application. The petitioner sought stay on any further proceedings pursuant to the May 28 order issued by the Union of India, till such time the CAA matter is pending. --IANS ss/in (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The total number of active COVID-19 cases in fell below the three lakh mark,as the state on Tuesday reported a further decline in fresh infections at 14,304 and 464 fatalities. While the total number of cases stood at 26,18,735, the toll was 29,554. The day also saw 29,271 discharges, continuing to outnumber the fresh cases. Out of the 14,304 new cases reported on Tuesday, 3,418 were from Bengaluru Urban, as the city saw 5,483 discharges and 276 deaths. Cumulatively 26,18,735 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in the state, which includes 29,554 deaths and 22,90,861 discharges, the Health department said in a bulletin. The total number of active cases is 2,98,299. While the positivity rate stood at 12.30 per cent, the Case Fatality Rate (CFR) was 3.24 per cent. Of the 464 deaths reported on Tuesday, 276 were from Bengaluru Urban, Belagavi (19), Mysuru (15), Ballari (14), Shivamogga (13), Bengaluru Rural and Hassan (11), followed by others. Among the districts where new cases were reported, Bengaluru Urban accounted for 3,418, Mysuru 1,153, Hassan 1,127, Belagavi 891, Tumakuru 769, Udupi 735, followed by others. Bengaluru Urban district headed the list of positive cases, with a total of 11,66,647, followed by Mysuru 1,43,968 and Tumakuru 1,04,134. Among discharges too, Bengaluru Urban was on top with 10,09,322, followed by Mysuru 1,27,723 and Tumakuru 91,392. A total of over 2,98,53,184 samples have been tested so far, out of which 1,16,224 were done on Tuesday alone. (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.) Even as a private jet from Qatar landed in Dominica with documents related to fugitive businessman Mehul Choksi, wanted in the PNB loan fraud case, sources on Tuesday said members of the Central Bureau of Investigation, and are camping in the island nation. According to informed sources, an eight member team from India reached Dominica on Saturday afternoon in a private jet that left from New Delhi on Friday evening. The sources said that two members each from MEA, and ED along with two CRPF commandos were in Dominica for the hearing in the Choksi extradition matter scheduled on June 2. The source said that the officials of the and ED from Mumbai zone were called on Friday to the capital, who then boarded the private jet for Dominica. However, senior officials of the and ED remained tight-lipped on the number of officials sent to Dominca for Choksi case hearing. On Saturday, Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne also confirmed that a private jet has landed in Dominica with certain documents related to Choksi who was involved in a multi-million dollar bank scam in India. Browne was responding to a question during his radio programme on a question about a private jet arriving in Dominica from Qatar and said, "Yes I can confirm that a jet is there. My understanding is that the Indian government has sent some documentation from the courts to confirm that Choksi is a fugitive. "My understanding is that it is for the court hearing scheduled on Wednesday (June 2) as the Dominica court has put a stay on his deportation. So the Indian government seems to be going all out to ensure that he is repatriated to India and face charges there." Choksi, who is wanted in India by the CBI and the ED in Rs 13,500 crore Punjab Bank (PNB) fraud case had gone missing from the island nation on May 23, sparking a massive manhunt. He was captured in Dominica on May 26. A Dominican court has restrained his deportation till June 2 as it hears a habeas corpus filed by Choksi's lawyers. On Saturday, several pictures of Choksi emerged online showing several bruise marks on his arms and swollen eyes. Choksi has been residing in Antigua and Barbuda since January 4, 2018, days before the CBI registered a case of bank fraud against him and his nephew, Nirav Modi, among several others. The CBI and ED, which have filed separate charge sheets in the case, are trying for his extradition. --IANS aks/in (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Science and technology firm on Tuesday announced a support of 2 million euros (Rs 17.85 crore) for India to help the country fight against COVID-19. The aid is being utilised for procuring 250 oxygen concentrators, 100 ventilators, and setting up of oxygen generation plants in four hospitals, said in a statement. India is working with state governments, government departments and non-profit service organisations managing COVID care for putting this aid to use of people who may be needing it the most, it added. A part of this aid will also be utilised to procure medicines for emergency care of employees and their families, Merck said. "We are happy to extend this care and are confident that our aid will be supplementing the government's efforts in addressing the need of the patients," Sunil Punjabi, Country Speaker and Head of Research Solutions, Life Science, Merck said. As part of its regular CSR activities, Merck had earlier donated over 1.6 lakh face masks, disinfectants and thermal temperature scanners to the frontline and health departments as well as dry rations to migrant workers' families around its manufacturing sites, Merck said. The company has also contributed to the state relief funds in Karnataka and Maharashtra, and to the PM CARES fund, towards COVID relief, it added. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sudhir Paswan, 29, is back to square one--in his village in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district, counting his losses. It has been more than a week since he returned, after failing to secure a job in Delhi. A labourer who loaded and unloaded goods in Delhi's Okhla Industrial Area, he would earn between Rs 200 and Rs 700 a day. "Since the lockdown, there was no work and access to food and essentials became difficult. I had to leave the city," he said. Over 800,000 migrants left India's capital, for instance, for their hometowns in 2021. Paswan is just one of them. Jobs have been hit harder since the lockdowns of 2021, put in place to control the second wave of Covid-19. May has shown double-digit unemployment figures, said Mahesh Vyas, chief executive officer of Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), a think-tank. "More than 97% of India's population became poorer compared to where they were in terms of income," he said. Its effect on the informal sector, which had barely recovered from the effect of the first lockdown in 2020, has been debilitating. Paswan returned home with his wife and their ailing three-year-old son, whose treatment at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences they had to discontinue midway. They had to borrow money from family and friends for their train journey. Like Paswan, Rabiya (she uses one name), a 35-year-old single mother of three from Kanpur, who has been working in Gurugram, is struggling to make ends meet. She had been earning Rs 7,000 at a facility manufacturing motorcycle parts when work came to a halt with the April 2021 lockdown. She now gets work only if there is a need to clean machine parts at the facility. Besides job precarity, the migrant workforce is facing another grim reality--hunger. Rabiya's ration card to access subsidised foodgrains has not been active since she moved from Uttar Pradesh to the Capital Region (NCR) nearly three years ago. "I have no family support and need rations to feed my children. It is becoming difficult to get by," she said. None of the IndiaSpend spoke to had with them--their cards were with their families in their villages or hometowns. "I left the card with my parents who stay in the village," said Gobardhan Adivasi, a mason from Tikamgrah in Madhya Pradesh, who works in Faridabad. "By the time we finish work in the evening, we have to buy dry rations in black because of the lockdown." His contractor owed him money for three days' work, he complained. Every state in India has announced mini-lockdowns or extended them to curb the rise of record infections in the country. The current lockdowns have been tougher for compared to last year's all-India lockdown, workers in Delhi-NCR told IndiaSpend--months of unemployment in 2020 had left them with little or no savings, and now jobs are scarce and living costs have rocketed. The number of Indians reporting less than the floor-level minimum wage of Rs 375 increased by 230 million due to the pandemic. The Stranded Workers Action Network (SWAN), with a presence across the country, has been running a helpline to support stranded migrants since March 2020. Nearly 58% of the roughly 5,000 workers who called the helpline, for whom data were available, said their families had less than two days of ration left; more than half said they had less than Rs 100 in their pockets, according to SWAN's analysis. ALSO READ: Process of registration of migrant workers needs to be expedited, says SC As India reports a record number of Covid-19 cases and deaths, the migrant crisis has continued. The story is the same across the country--of workers struggling to return to their home states, their inability to access adequate and often basic food essentials in cities where they work, and coping with a fall in income, activists and researchers told IndiaSpend. No work, no savings "I am trying to get work, but there are no jobs," said Rakesh (he uses one name), 29, a migrant from Bihar who has been a construction worker in Delhi. Before the lockdown, he would earn Rs 350 a day. Job losses and the struggle to recover them were more for younger workers, and women, IndiaSpend reported in January 2021. Although employment rates recovered, the quality of employment deteriorated, with individuals moving into less secure self-employment in agriculture, construction and small-scale trade, the report had noted. Rakesh rents a room for Rs 3,200 a month for his family of four. NGOs have been helping him buy food supplies. But the situation is not tenable. "I did not go back during the lockdown last year because I had some savings. This time when I want to go back home, I do not have any money to buy train tickets." " have been left to fend for themselves more during this lockdown than last year," Shreya Ghosh, an activist with the pan-India Migrant Workers Solidarity Network (MWSN), told IndiaSpend. Unlike last year when there were trains and relief measures, workers seem to be left on their own despite Supreme Court orders to ensure support for them, she added. "Last time there were Shramik trains, but this time there is nothing of that nature," said Benoy Peter, executive director of Centre for Migration and Inclusive Development (CMID), a Kerala-based non-profit. Many migrants went back with their families, but returned alone because of the fear of disease and lack of relief measures. On May 20, 93% of 221 workers in NCR who called SWAN's helpline (1,260 migrants and families) reported that both daily and contractual work has stopped due to locally declared lockdowns; 59% of workers said they had not received their full wages for the previous month, and only 9% had received any money from their employer since the work had stopped. ALSO READ: Over 800,000 migrant workers left Delhi in 1st 4 weeks of lockdown: Report India's labour force participation--that is, the number of people working or looking for employment--shrank by 1.1 million in April 2021 to 424.6 million compared to 425.8 million in March 2021, according to a May 10 CMIE report. "In spite of this smaller labour force looking for employment, a greater proportion failed to find employment [in these two months]," it said. The unemployment rate increased by 1.5 percentage points to 8% over the month in April, said the report. Second round more crippling With lesser work available since the national lockdown, workers' savings have been depleted, said Ghosh. "They were paying back debt from the last lockdown, which also included a backlog of rent." The impact of the second wave is likely to be more serious because people have not yet recovered from the first wave's impact, scholars at the Centre for Sustainable Employment believe. This is cause for concern. The Indian middle class was estimated to have shrunk by 32 million in 2020 as a consequence of the pandemic-related economic slowdown, a Pew Research Center analysis of March 2021 had found. "Unfortunately, its lessons have not been learnt," Rajendran Narayanan, economist, Azim Premji University told IndiaSpend, recalling the widespread distress witnessed due to the national lockdown. Government accountability is central for a rights-based approach to work, and shying away due to lack of administrative capacity is at odds with the stated objective of developing a rights-based approach, he added. The issue of dry rations "Last year we got some cash and rations from some NGOs and friends. But this time I could not get any support from them or from the government," said Paswan. People who hold permanent jobs can still earn even if there is a lockdown, but a daily wage earner like him cannot, he added. Migrant welfare groups such as SWAN and MWSN had written to the Centre and the state governments warning of food insecurity and demanding that they ensure rations for migrants including those who do not have public distribution system (PDS) cards or ration cards, as per May 13 and May 24 Supreme Court orders. The Court asked states to file affidavits, "indicating the mechanism by which the dry rations should be distributed to those migrant workers, who do not possess a ration card". MWSN has received requests from more than 4,600 workers and their families asking for immediate and urgent supply of rations, according to its May 24 letter to the Delhi government. For nearly one-and-a-half months, "no measures'' have been taken to address the migrant crisis, it added. Both Rabiya of Gururgram and Rakesh of Delhi are managing with a bare minimum of food. "These days, we eat aloo bhujiya or some potato dish or the other. We used to give our infant Cerelac, but we now just about manage to give him some milk," Rakesh said. Rabiya spends Rs 2,000 on rent and Rs 3,000 on food. She has debts to pay. In May 2020, the Centre announced a Rs 1.7-lakh-crore ($22 billion) Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY) relief package for the poor. This included free rations for beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), which was extended until November. On April 23, 2021, the Centre approved allocation of additional foodgrain for beneficiaries under NFSA for May and June. "The first wave saw some relief measures from the central government in the form of PMGKY, which was a combination of provisions, subsidies, and cash transfers," said Chitra Rawat, research assistant at India Migration Now. "The second wave, on the other hand, has not seen targeted interventions towards migrant workers." On May 18, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced that rations would be distributed even without Although the government announced guidelines for distribution of rations for those without cards, it did not announce when the distribution would start. The initial procurement and allocation will be made for 200,000 beneficiaries, it said. The guideline has estimated a procurement for upto 2 million probable beneficiaries. In 2020, nearly 7 million non- beneficiaries were given free rations by the state government following the national lockdown. ALSO READ: Universalising PDS feasible, badly needed in India: Right to Food Campaign "We don't know how that will be allocated, it seems to be on a first-come-first-serve basis," said Ghosh of MWSN. There is an apprehension over the rollout since the total number of non-ration card holders in Delhi is clearly way higher by the government's own estimates, she added. Government policies on migration will only make a difference if implemented on the ground, said Peter of CMID, adding that NITI Aayog's draft national policy on migrant workers is still not in the public domain. Universalise and provide wage compensation In May 2020, the Centre had announced that it would achieve 100% national portability of by March 2021. "But the benefits of national portability are likely to be small. Most people want their food rations where they live, and not far away," said Jean Dreze, economist and social activist, in June 2020. "Even migrant workers will generally prefer that their be used by their families at home rather than for themselves." "Portability is a problem," said Seema Mundoli, a SWAN volunteer in Karnataka. "When they approach a PDS shop, they are unable to access rations." Many migrant workers are single men and their names may be on their parents' cards, she added. The Karnataka government announced a Rs 1,250-crore relief package in May for farmers, workers from the unorganised sector, auto and cab drivers and street vendors, and is considering a second one to to help the unorganised sector. "It is now certain that the health crisis will be followed by a livelihood crisis, especially for migrant workers," said Rawat. The Right to Food campaign had demanded an immediate universalisation of the PDS of foodgrains, distribution of additional 5 kg of foodgrains per person, 1.5 kg of pulses and 800 gm cooking oil under the PDS for at least six months. Narayanan agreed that the PDS must be universalised. A wage compensation of Rs 7,000 per month for four months for every poor household must be immediately announced, he added. External Affairs Minister is scheduled to chair a meeting of (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) foreign ministers through video conferencing on Tuesday. In this meeting, the leaders will exchange views on COVID-19 pandemic, global and regional issues of concern, sustainable development and countering terrorism. "India as the current Chair will convene the standalone meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs/ International Relations on June 1, 2021," the Ministry of External Affairs said in a release on Monday. Brazil Minister of Foreign Affairs Carlos Alberto Franco Franca, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Chinese foreign Minister Wang Yi, and South African Foreign Minister Grace Naledi Mandisa Pandor are expected to participate in the meeting. "The ministers are expected to exchange views on the COVID-19 pandemic situation, the need for strengthening and reforming the multilateral system with a view to enhancing its capacity to effectively address the diverse challenges of our time and to adapt them to contemporary realities, on global and regional issues of concern, sustainable development, countering terrorism besides discussing ways to enhance intra-BRICS cooperation, especially people-to-people cooperation," the release 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.) reported 312 fresh COVID- 19 cases, raising the tally to 12,399, while the death toll climbed to 41 with one more fatality, officials said on Tuesday. The northeastern state now has 3,144 active cases, and 9,214 people have recovered from the disease so far, they said. Aizawl district registered the highest number of 197 new infections, followed by Lawngtlai (56) and Lunglei (28). A 40-year-old police officer, who had returned from West Bengal after poll duty earlier this month, succumbed to the virus at Zoram Medical College (ZMC), the officials said. has thus far tested 3,93,684 samples for COVID-19. According to State Immunisation Officer Lalzawmi, a total of 2,58,482 people have been administered the first dose of vaccine. (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 team of multi-agency officials led by a CBI DIG has gone to Dominica to bring back absconding diamantaire to India if the courts in the Carribean island country allow his deportation to India, officials said Tuesday. The team consisting of two members of the CBI and officials of the other agencies has reached Dominica where Choksi's case will come for hearing tomorrow (local time) before the High Court of Dominica. Choksi, who mysteriously went missing on May 23 from Antigua and Barbuda where he has been staying since 2018 as a citizen was detained in neighbouring Dominica for illegal entry after a possible romantic escapade with his rumoured girl friend. His lawyers alleged that he was kidnapped from Jolly Harbour in Antigua by policemen looking like Antiguan and Indian and brought to Dominica on a boat. His pictures emerged from Dominca having red swollen eyes and body marks. The Dominican government had issued a statement that it is ascertaining the status of his citizenship with Antigua and once confirmed, he would be deported there. Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne had said Dominica and law enforcement agencies, unless the court rules otherwise, can deport him to India because he is an Indian citizen, Antigua News Room reported. "The problem is if he is sent back to Antigua because he is an Antiguan citizen, even though his citizenship is unsettled, he is still enjoys constitutional and legal protections as a citizen. We have no doubt that his citizenship will ultimately be revoked because he did not disclose material of information," he said. Spotting a window of opportunity in the arrest of Choksi in Dominica where he was "detained" for illegal entry, India dispatched a jet with documents related to cases against Choksy which landed at Douglas Charles Airport in Dominica on May 28. The team of officers are in Dominica to bring back Choksi and coordinate with the local prosecutors to put forward its best case before the high court. The team is arguing that Choksi continues to be an Indian citizen with an Interpol Red Notice against him. Browne has also said that his citizenship is under contest in court as Choksi had not revealed complete information about him. Choksi and his nephew Nirav Modi had fled India in the first week of January, 2018 weeks before Rs 13,500 crore scam in Punjab Bank rocked Indian banking industry. The duo allegedly bribed the officials of state run bank to get Letters of Undertaking (LoUs) on the basis of which they availed from overseas banks which remained unpaid. The alleged corrupt officials did not enter these LoUs in the core banking software of the PNB thus evading any scrutiny. The non payment of these LoUs or bank guarantees worth Rs 13500 crore resulted in default and became a liability on bank. Modi escaped to Europe and was finally held in London where he is contesting his extradition to India while Choksi took citizenship of Antigua and Barbuda in 2017 where he had been staying since his escape from Delhi. (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.) President Bidya Devi Bhandari has appealed to the top leaders in the US, the UK and to supply COVID-19 vaccines to her country which is completely dependent on foreign support for the doses, according to a media report on Tuesday. Ambassador to the US, Yubaraj Khatiwada forwarded the letter written by Bhandari to US Department of State Senior Adviser Ervin Massinga, The Himalayan Times reported. The letter has been addressed to President Joe Biden. The Nepali Embassy in Washington DC said Khatiwada expected significant support from the US. The mission said aims to procure the vaccine manufactured by US-based Johnson & Johnson. A similar request was forwarded by the Embassy of Nepal, UK, to Britain's Queen Elizabeth II via the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office of the UK on Tuesday, the newspaper reported. In her letter to Russian President Vlamidir Putin, Bhandari said Nepal would immediately like to purchase Russia's Sputnik vaccine. The Nepalese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the embassy in Moscow was sending the letter to Putin's office through the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. President Bhandari last week wrote to her Indian counterpart Ram Nath Kovind to help Nepal with vaccines. She communicated to President Kovind via a diplomatic channel, requesting him to take initiative to provide the vaccines, the Himalayan Times reported on May 26. She also spoke to Chinese President Xi Jinping and told him that Nepal was looking forward to purchasing China manufactured vaccines for its people. Just over 6.8 lakh people have been vaccinated in Nepal, which is about 2.4 per cent of the population. The country is completely dependent on foreign support for immunisation doses as it does not have a single facility to produce it. On January 2, Nepal received 1 million doses from the Serum Institute of India (SII), under India's 'Vaccine Maitri' initiative. It has also received a total of 348,000 doses of Covishield vaccine under the international COVAX facility on March 7. The Himalayan Times reported that the COVAX facility has suggested Nepal to find an alternative to Covishield vaccines due to the inability expressed by the Serum Institute of India to export vaccines amid a surge in demand for the same in the domestic market. China has so far provided 800,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines in assistance to Nepal. China has also committed to provide a million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to Nepal under grant assistance. Last week, President Bhandari appealed to her Indian and Chinese counterparts -- President Ram Nath Kovind and Chinese President Xi Jinping -- to help her country in getting uninterrupted supply of COVID-19 vaccines. The second wave of the pandemic seems to have eased in Nepal, but around 4,000 new cases are still being reported daily. The has so far claimed 7,386 lives in the country, along with 561,302 confirmed infections, according to official data. (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.) Apparently unable to find suitable bidders for its global tenders to procure COVID-19 vaccines from leading manufacturers in the world, the government on Tuesday sought the Centre's statutory clearance for the purpose as demanded by the companies. It seems that global vaccine manufacturers like Pfizer and Moderna are concerned about indemnity related issues among others and they are willing to deal with federal-level central procurement only at this stage, Health Minister N K Das wrote to Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan. Global vaccine manufacturers will require the central government's statutory clearance for supply to the states, Das said. "Since the above are in the domain of the Union Government, it might be faster and economical if the procurement of global vaccines is made at the country-level rather than by individual states," Das said in the letter. There have been media reports that other states that have floated tenders are also facing non-response of vaccine manufacturers, he said. "In view of the urgency of the issue we look forward to early action in this regard and assure our continued cooperation to defeat Covid-19," the letter read. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is committed to providing Covid-19 vaccines free of cost to people and the state will bear the cost, he said. The state had floated a global tender for procurement of vaccines but there has been a limited response to the tender as observed during the pre-bid stage. Serum Institute of India (SII) and Bharat Biotech, makers of Covishield and Covaxin vaccines respectively, have not participated in the pre-bid meeting, Das said adding that it is understood that at their present capacity, they will not be able to provide vaccines in large scale to states and there is an urgent need to increase their capabilities. Keeping in view the experience of some states which did not receive any bids and based on the market conditions and short supply of vaccines, Odisha had floated a flexible global tender with approval of the state Cabinet, which includes liberal conditions with respect to performance security, penalties, advance payment and others. "We have also extended the dateline and are pursuing with the potential bidders," the state minister said in his letter to Vardhan. Das also pointed out that after the Centre allowed the states to procure vaccines directly from the permitted vaccine manufacturers for the 18-45 years age group, we immediately placed an order of 2220 lakh doses of Covishield with SII and 1034 lakh doses of Covaxin with Bharat Biotech. "However, they have so far supplied only 5,78,480 doses of Covishield and 1,65,490 doses of Covaxin respectively. This is quite inadequate in view of the huge demand for vaccinations across the state." Odisha has so far vaccinated 61,06,415 people with at least one dose of vaccine, he said. Meanwhile, the head of Odisha's Directorate of Medical Education and Training, Dr CBK Mohanty, said that one cannot rule out the possibility of a third wave of the pandemic. "The third wave of the virus has not arrived in many countries. However, we cannot guarantee that it won't come. Hence, we must be prepared for it," he said. On the Odisha situation, he said that the state's COVID-19 trajectory shows a downward trend and there has been no doubling of positive cases in recent time. Though the infection spread quickly in the second wave, now the situation is showing a downward trend. Mohanty said that for the last couple of days, Odisha's single-day spike remains between 8,000 and 10,000. On the increasing fatality ratio, he said that most of the patients who died of the disease breathed their last after nearly 14 days of infection. People who are dying now were infected about a fortnight ago. Gradually death rate will also come down along with the low infection rate, he said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Innovative Capacity Committee, an affiliate of the non-profit academic organization Innovation Method Society, was established in Beijing on May 30. More than 70 academics, experts, and entrepreneurs from universities, scientific research institutes, and enterprises attended the inaugural meeting. The Innovative Capacity Committee will build a platform for research, discussion, and cooperation around the cultivation of innovative thinking among children and adolescents, carry out theoretical research on innovative education, and accelerate reform and innovation around teaching content and pedagogical methods, according to Gong Huili, head of the Innovative Capacity Committee and former president of Capital Normal University. Innovation is the driving force for development, said Huang Shengbiao, deputy director of the Department of Research Commercialization and Regional Innovation of the Ministry of Science and Technology, noting that innovation plays a crucial role in Chinas national development strategy. Huang added that the committee looks to provide strong theoretical and practical support for the development of Chinas innovation capacity through in-depth research on innovation methods and innovative education. Meng Fanhua, president of Capital Normal University, the supporting institution behind the committee, said that the establishment of the committee could not have been better timed. The 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) for National Economic and Social Development and the Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035 emphasizes that innovation remains at the heart of Chinas modernization drive, Meng said. To become a global leader in innovation, the country needs to foster creative talents. Liu Yanhua, head of the Innovation Method Society, pointed out that China is relatively strong at knowledge-intensive education, but in some innovation-driven countries, ability- or competency-based education plays a bigger part in their education system. Liu encouraged the committee to launch diversified courses for capacity building based on specific needs and to develop a set of teaching materials that focus on innovation ability. Innovation Method Society is a non-profit academic organization supervised by the Ministry of Science and Technology. It is mainly engaged in undertaking strategic research, conducting training, convening high-level forums, and promoting international cooperation for the application of innovative methods. Former Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf on Monday said that the Peoples Party (PPP) has rejected the federal government's bid to delay the upcoming polls in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) due to COVID-19. Pakistan's coronavirus-monitoring body, Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Sunday suggested postponing the upcoming elections by two months. In a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner of PoK, the NCOC stated that due to the rise in the number of coronavirus cases in the country, the polls should be delayed, citing a possible spread of the virus due to large political gatherings. Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Ashraf stressed that the PPP would not let the government steal the people's mandate, reported The News International. "PPP rejects the decision to delay and rig the elections," he said. The former Prime Minister said that transparent, unbiased, and timely elections should be held in and that the government would reap what it was sowing. Meanwhile, PPP leader and Sindh Education Minister Saeed Ghani said that the Constitution was very clear and the elections could not be delayed, come what may, alleging that the Accountability Bureau (NAB) was once again being used as an "arm twisting tool", reported Dawn. Ghani remarked that all the by-elections in were held on time and now postponing elections in PoK polls meant that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was running away from the democratic process of elections. Earlier on Sunday, PoK Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider had accused the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government of wanting to achieve its desired results in the PoK elections. He further remarked that no matter what the Prime Minister does, PoK will never become a province."Elections in PoK can only be postponed if there is external aggression," PM Farooq Haider said. He added that there is no reason to postpone the polls as by-elections were also held in the country despite the pandemic. Last year, the Imran Khan government had announced granting provisional province status to the region, which was not received well by most of the people of Gilgit-Baltistan who had protested against Islamabad's decision of integrating the illegally occupied region with the rest of Pakistan. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) New [India], June 1 (ANI): After the government on Tuesday permitted the online sale of liquor, the petitioner and his lawyer who has knocked the High Court last year pitching for the same in the capital on Tuesday welcomed the decision of the Delhi government. Sajag Nijhawan, represented by lawyer Simran Kohli has knocked on the door of the Delhi High Court a year ago after seeing huge gatherings in liquor shops and sought to allow the online sale or home delivery of alcohol, to prevent crowding. Advocate Simran Kohli, who herself does not consume alcohol but prefers public interest litigation for her client said that she believes to voice the rights of the public without any personal interest. Advocate Kohli also welcomed the decision and said that this is a very welcoming step from the government. She opined that keeping in view the second wave and kind of devastation it has caused, the online sale of liquor is a fine balance between revenue generation and social distancing. "Given the relatively inelastic nature of alcohol's demand, online sale is well-suited to help economic recovery," the lawyer said. Nijhawan, the petitioner also expressed similar views and said that this step from govt was long-awaited as other states like Maharashtra and West Bengal had allowed online delivery of liquor last year online. But better late than never because if people would have kept flocking liquor shops it would have been a huge detriment to the government's effort to contain the virus, Nijhawan said. Last year Krishna Nagar resident Sajag Nijhawan has filed a petition in Delhi High Court seeking to evolve a proper policy to start the online sale of liquor and delivery it to the homes of consumers at a time when the entire machinery of the Country is tirelessly working to contain the COVID-19 outbreak. His petition was filed in wake of controlling the large gathering that happened last year in and around 150 government-run liquor shops which opened after 47 days. Hundreds of people turned up outside the liquor shops creating complete chaos as social distancing norms were not adhered to. The senior counsel appearing, for the petitioner Sajag Nijhawan has contended that the only solution to the problem of crowding at the liquor outlets is to permit the online sale of liquor and for home delivery and a direction should be issued to the Delhi Govt to devise a methodology therefor. Senior Advocate has informed that Zomato, till now engaged in-home delivery of food from restaurants, hotels, and eateries, has offered to also participate in the home delivery of alcohol. He had also argued that since Zomato and other like entities have an established business model of home distribution, they are already equipped to commence home delivery of liquor and the same will prevent the danger of the spread of Covid-19 by those desiring to purchase alcohol coming in close contact with each other. Delhi High Court on May 11, 2020, disposed of the plea directing the Delhi government and Centre to take a decision after considering the suggestions made during the hearing. (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.) Expressing concern over a rise in black fungus or Mucormycosis cases in the country, Congress leader on Tuesday again targeted the central government on its efforts to curb the rise in fungal infection. Taking to Twitter, he sought answers from the Centre to three of his questions. "Central Government should clarify about the Black fungus epidemic - 1. What is being done for Amphotericin B drug shortage? 2. What is the procedure for getting this medicine to the patient? 3. Instead of giving treatment, why is the public getting bogged down in formalities by the government?" he posted on his Twitter page. The Congress MP has previously also attacked the BJP government and blamed the "inefficiency" of the PM Narendra Modi government for the "epidemic of black fungus along with the Covid pandemic" in the country. Cases of Covid-19 triggered black fungus across the country have witnessed a significant increase, which has also led to a significant rise in the death toll. Karnataka has reported 1,250 cases and 39 related deaths so far. In Madhya Pradesh's Indore city, 39 people died due to the infection. On Friday, two succumbed to the infection in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh. Uttar Pradesh's Meerut reported 147 black fungus cases in total. Meanwhile, on Sunday, India received a consignment of 200,000 AmBisome (Amphotericin B injection), informed Ambassador of India to the United States, Taranjit Singh Sandhu. (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.) CBSE XII board exams cancelled this year due to Covid The government on Tuesday decided to cancel the CBSE Class XII board exams amid the continuing COVID-19 pandemic across the country with Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserting that the decision has been taken in the interest of students and the anxiety among the students, parents and teachers must be put to an end. The decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Modi in which it was decided that the CBSE will take steps to compile the results of Class XII students as per a well-defined objective criteria in a time-bound manner. READ HERE. adjusted PAT rises 6.5% in Q4 Cigarettes-to-hotels major on Tuesday reported a 22.64 per cent increase in consolidated revenue from operations for the quarter ended March, 2021, but clocked in a 2.7 per cent drop in profit after tax compared to the year-ago period, which included a lower tax cost. The company, however, said that comparable Q4 PAT was up 6.5 per cent, after adjusting for one-time benefit in the corresponding quarter of the previous year. READ HERE. Sebi bans 8 entities from securities mkt in insider trading case Sebi has barred eight entities from the securities market for indulging in insider trading activities in the shares of While imposing the ban till further orders on the eight entities, the watchdog also directed impounding illegal gains worth Rs 3.06 crore from two of them -- Capital One Partners and Tesora Capital. READ HERE. total sales decline 71 pc in May over April The country's largest carmaker India (MSI) on Tuesday reported a 71 per cent decline in total sales to 46,555 units in May as compared to 1,59,691 units in April as a spike in COVID-19 cases and lockdowns across various states hit dispatches. The auto major had also shut production from May 1 through May 16 so as to divert oxygen from industrial use for medical purposes. READ HERE. BJP vice president on Tuesday said the work done by the government to manage the Covid situation has been "unparalleled", days after murmurs of protest surfaced in the ruling party over the handling of the second wave of the Singh, who is on a three-day visit to Lucknow along with BJP's national general secretary (organisation) B L Santhosh, met Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday and deputy chief ministers Dinesh Sharma and Keshav Maurya on Tuesday. Santhosh had a dinner meeting with the chief minister on Monday. He also met state Law Minister Brijesh Pathak, who later said they discussed organisational matters and the 2022 Assembly polls, but declined to elaborate. In April, a "confidential" letter written by Pathak surfaced on the social media, in which he had lashed out at the state health authorities, complaining that beds for patients were falling short and ambulances took hours to arrive in the state capital. The minister had not rejected the authenticity of the letter, which appeared to challenge the state government's claim that it was on top of the situation. Trashing charges of laxity by the Adityanath government during the second surge of COVID-19, Singh asserted that it was the BJP leaders and workers who rendered service to people at the height of the pandemic, while the leaders of other parties enjoyed "quarantine". He also made light of reports speculating a change in leadership in the state party organisation and described those as "a figment of some person's imagination". Besides a few BJP lawmakers expressing resentment openly on the Covid-control measures, the major opposition parties -- the SP, the BSP and the Congress -- have slammed the government on the handling of the second surge of the pandemic and are planning to make it a major issue in the state Assembly polls, which are only months away. "Generally, BJP review meetings take place twice a month, but this time, there was a gap due to COVID-19. At the meeting, the 'seva' work that we had done was reviewed. Apart from this, the party's preparations for a possible third wave of Covid were also discussed. "Earlier, when I came to Lucknow from Kolkata at the climax of the pandemic, the leaders of the rest of the parties were in quarantine, while it was only the BJP leaders and workers who were rendering service to people," Singh said. He said the chief minister reached out to the last person in the society, went to villages and pointed out that even the World Health Organization (WHO) had praised the state's handling of COVID-19. "This pandemic was beyond everyone's control. Despite this, the chief minister's work was better compared to other states. The work done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in the pandemic has been unparalleled. The work done by Modiji during the earthquake could not have been done by anyone else," he said. Asked to comment on the saffron party's performance in the recently-concluded panchayat polls, Singh said, "It is for the first time that the BJP won so many seats in the panchayat polls and the tally of the Samajwadi Party, which used to win (these polls), has come down considerably. We have significantly strengthened our presence in the zila panchayats and most of the independents are with us." Months ahead of the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, the (BJP) has decided to intensify its "Seva Hi Sangathan" campaign, under which party workers will reach out to those affected by COVID-19, extend help to them and also make people aware about vaccination. This was decided at a meeting held at the state BJP office here on Monday, which was chaired by Santhosh and attended by the party's vice-president as also the state unit chief, Swatantra Dev Singh, general secretary (organisation) of the party's state unit Sunil Bansal and other senior leaders. The state BJP said Santhosh held a meeting with the party office-bearers and elicited information about the works done under "Seva Hi Sangathan" and those on the completion of seven years of the Modi government at the Centre. Santhosh said BJP workers should reach out to those affected by COVID-19, extend help to them and raise awareness on vaccination. At least one youngster and one woman worker of the party should visit each village and make people aware of the Covid vaccination drive, he said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Indian Ambassador to the United States, Taranjit Singh Sandhu on Sunday called on Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to discuss the strategic partnership between the two countries, especially in the Quad, COVID-19 vaccines and healthcare. Taking to Twitter, Sandhu said: "Good conversation w/ Majority Leader @SenSchumer on the strategic partnership especially in QUAD; vaccines & healthcare. Discussed working together in innovation as well as emerging technologies & thanked him for his longstanding support for India & Indian American community." During the conversation, the Senate majority leader expressed concern over the sudden spike in COVID-19 cases in India and both sides discussed how the two countries are working together in innovation and emerging technologies. Apart from Schumer, some of the other top American Senators who have come out in support of India over the past few months include Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker, Chris Van Hollen Dick Durbin, John Cornyn, Mark Warner, Bob Menendez, Jeff Merkley, Ed Markey, Jim Risch, Dianne Feinstein, Amy Klobuchar and Gary Peters. The support from US lawmakers and policymakers is a result of a sustained outreach at US Congress by India's top envoy Sandhu and senior Indian diplomats. The Indian envoy had also had virtual meetings with eminent Republicans including Michael McCaul, Ranking Member, House Foreign Affairs Committee; Steve Chabot who is the Ranking Member of House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific; Brian Fitzpatrick, Jeff Fortenberry, Ann Wagner, Andy Barr, Liz Cheney, Scott Perry, Pete Sessions, Michael Waltz and Joe Wilson. As India suffered from a devastating second wave of the global pandemic, the country received medical help and assistance from the US, UK, Canada, Germany, France, in the form of oxygen concentrators, ventilators, raw materials for vaccines, PPE kits. Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar was recently on a five-day visit to the US, where he met Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, Trade Representative Katherine Tai and 13 other departments and organizations, comprising of treasury, energy, commerce, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) representatives, and Department of Homeland Security (DHS). This was the first visit of an Indian diplomat to the US since President Joe Biden took charge earlier 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.) offers investors around the globe "unique opportunities" thanks to its abundance of resources and strong legal framework, President Jair Bolsonaro said. While the Covid-19 pandemic is worrisome, it will not compromise, in the long term, the Brazilian economy, which "has already resumed its growth and job creation", Xinhua agency quoted Bolsonaro as saying while addressing a virtual forum of foreign investors on Monday. " is prepared to offer unique opportunities to investors from all over the world due to its potential, as well as its legal and economic security," he said. "Based on the proposals presented, the expectation is that will receive $50 billion in investment to generate 22,000 jobs between 2021 and 2022," the President added. Bolsonaro defended the sustainable exploitation of Brazil's Amazon region, saying: "I have never had any doubt that it is wrong to believe that development and sustainability are at odds," he said. Bolsonaro spoke at the opening ceremony of the Brazil 2021 Investment Forum, an event organized by the state-run Brazilian Agency for the Promotion of Exports and Investment (Apex-Brasil), the Inter-American Development Bank and the federal government, and which saw the participation of 101 countries and regions. --IANS ksk/ (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A fake server exchange that cost the a loss of nearly Rs 7 lakh per day, allowing users to make international calls at local rates in the Moradabad district, has been busted. The Moradabad police, in a joint operation with BSNL officials, have busted the racket being run in Transport Nagar area, officials said. The main accused, identified as Owais Alam Malik, along with two other gang members --Pushpendra and Pawan Kumar -- have been arrested from Noida's Sector 62. The police had found a fake exchange in Noida, and during investigation, they learnt that Malik was running a similar set up from his house in Moradabad. A raid was conducted by BSNL officials and Majhola SHO and seven SIM boxes, VOIP Gateway along with other equipment used to run the exchange were recovered from the house. Malik, a resident of Moradabad, is a software engineer and had worked at an IT firm for 10 years. He had also started his own web designing and computer essential supply work. Officials said that his two illegal set-ups may have caused a loss of Rs 50 crore to the government. Moradabad ASP Anil Yadav said, "A few days ago, UP police busted an illegal exchange in Noida. Owais Alam was arrested with two others and he told the police that a similar set up was present in Moradabad." An FIR has been registered under relevant sections of the IPC and the Indian Telegraph Act, the ASP said. --IANS amita/in (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Tuesday stayed a order holding as "unconstitutional the imposition of Integrated Goods and Services Tax (IGST) by the Centre on import of concentrators by individuals for personal use. A special bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud and M R Shah issued notice on the plea and sought response from the petitioner, who filed a PIL before the high court. We are staying the operation of the order till further orders, the bench said. The top court was hearing an appeal field by Ministry of Finance (Department of Revenue) against the May 21, high court order. Attorney General K K Venugopal said the GST council will meet on June 8 and deliberate on granting exemption to essential items related to COVID-19, including concentrators. Venugopal said that the high court did not consider that exemption had been already granted to the states and other government agencies on the import of concentrators. According to the high court, Article 21 is violated if you impose tax on them, he said. "Earlier the was 77 percent. We brought it down to 28 per cent and it was further brought down to 12 per cent but they still say that Article 21 is violated," Venugopal said. On May 28, it was decided that a group of ministers will submit its report on June 8, on any tax exemption to be provided on import of essential commodities related to COVID, he added. The top law officer submitted that the high court order trenches upon the issue of policy and ties the hand of GST council even before any decision is taken. The bench noted the submission of the Attorney General and posted the matter for further hearing after four weeks. On May 21, the had quashed the May 1 notification issued by the Ministry of Finance which says that such oxygen concentrators imported for personal use, irrespective of whether they are a gift or otherwise, will be charged with an of 12 per cent. The high court had said that the individuals will have to give an undertaking to the authorities that the oxygen concentrator is being imported for personal use and not commercial use. The High Court had given its verdict on a plea challenging imposition of IGST on the import of oxygen concentrators as gift for personal use. It had earlier directed that the oxygen concentrator being imported by the 85-year-old petitioner be released by the custom authorities, subject to his depositing with the court an amount equivalent to the IGST payable. The court had on May 21 ordered that the money be released to the man, who was suffering from COVID-19 with accrued interest. The man had claimed that his nephew had sent an oxygen concentrator for him as a gift from the US to ameliorate his condition. The petitioner had challenged imposition of IGST on import of oxygen concentrators for personal use, as the essential equipment is already in shortage in the country during the COVID-19 pandemic. His plea had said that the May 1 notification was violative of Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution, since the same is arbitrary and infringes the right to life of patients reeling under the COVID-19 pandemic. It said the notification unconstitutionally mandates that the petitioner and other similarly placed Indian citizens to pay IGST on something as crucial as oxygen concentrator which is been gifted to them specifically for their personal use under the present circumstances wherein there is a nationwide crisis owing to the unavailability of oxygen concentrators and similar medical equipment. The high court had earlier said this petition represents one of those rare writ actions, whereby, a notification issued in the realm of a tax statute has been assailed under Article 21 of the Constitution. That tax is an exaction by the state is well known. That its levy and collection, ordinarily, does not encompass equity, is also, well known. But, presently, we are living in difficult times and, therefore, perhaps, the petitioner has invoked Article 21 of the Constitution, it had 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.) Delhi Chief Minister on Tuesday said it is a "big relief" that the Class 12 have been cancelled. His remark came after the Centre decided to cancel the CBSE Class 12 amid the continuing COVID-19 pandemic across the country. Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that the decision has been taken in the interest of students and the anxiety among students, parents and teachers must be put to an end. Earlier in the day, Kejriwal had said that the exams should be cancelled in view of the Covid situation and students be evaluated on the basis of past performance. "I am glad 12th exams have been cancelled. All of us were very worried about the health of our children. A big relief," Chief Minister Kejriwal tweeted. His deputy Manish Sisodia, who has been against the idea of conducting the exams in the given circumstances, also said, "I am happy that the never-ending class 12 for 1.5 crore students of the country will finally end." The decision to cancel the exam was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Modi in which it was decided that the CBSE will take steps to compile the results of Class 12 students as per a well-defined objective criteria in a time-bound manner. Kejriwal had earlier tweeted in Hindi: "Students and parents are really worried about Class 12 They want that the exams should not be conducted without vaccination. I appeal to the Centre that the exams be cancelled and the evaluation be done on basis of the past performance." The CBSE had on April 14 announced cancellation of Class 10 exams and postponement of Class 12 exams in view of surge in cases. The Ministry of had recently sought detailed suggestions from states and union territories on proposals discussed in a high-level meeting on the issue. The government had informed the Supreme Court, which is hearing a plea seeking the exam's cancellation, that it will take a final decision by June 3. (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.) You are here: China Chinese police have located or rescued 1,680 missing or abducted children, including adults who went missing or were abducted as children, since a nationwide campaign to help reunite them with their families was launched in January, the Ministry of Public Security said on Tuesday. A total of 223 related arrests have been made since the campaign began, the ministry told a press conference. One individual had been separated from their family for as long as 54 years, it said. Police resolved 85 cold cases involving child abduction or trafficking during the period. The on Tuesday said when the government has decided that the situation in the state vis-a-vis the COVID-19 pandemic was not conducive to hold Class 10 board exams, would it be right for the court to step in and direct otherwise. A division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice G S Kulkarni made the "prima facie observation" while hearing a public interest litigation filed by Pune-based professor Dhananjay Kulkarni, challenging the April 19 decision of the state government to cancel the Class 10 (SSC) in the state due to the surge in COVID-19 cases. The bench on Tuesday directed Kulkarni's advocate Uday Warunjikar to amend the petition so as to also challenge the subsequent order passed by the government, devising a formula on how to evaluate the students. "We are, however, making our prima facie observation that while there are certain decisions of the state government that maynot be fair, but we are aware of how much we (the court) can extend our powers," the court said. "If the state government is saying that the condition is not conducive for holding examinations, then can we (court) step in and say no, it is conducive, so hold the exams?" Chief Justice Datta said. The bench noted that the second wave of the COVID-19 was worse than the first wave the state witnessed last year. " is targeting young people this year... children are getting affected," Chief Justice Datta said. The court posted the matter for further hearing on June 3. On Monday, the government, in its affidavit filed in response to the petition, said the decision to cancel the SSC exams was taken keeping in mind the safety of students, parents, teachers and those involved in the "mammoth" exercise of conducting the exams. (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.) Buy now pay later credit platform on Tuesday said financing through its platform has crossed over Rs 2,000 crore by March 2021. said it has ended FY21 on a high note, crossing 20 lakh (2 million) lifetime customers-- a four times increase from March 2020, it said. "It has now financed over Rs 2,000 crore worth of consumer purchases through its Buy-Now-Pay-Later (BNPL) model till-date, making it the fastest growing BNPL platform in India," it said in a release. Additionally, Capital Float's Walnut app surpassed the 500,000 active customers mark and has seen considerable traction for consumer credit, personal financial management and insurance. During the last quarter March'21, company's BNPL disbursals grew by 220 per cent from a year ago period and in March alone it financed over a million transactions. The company also raised Rs 150 crore in debt in Q4 FY20. ended FY21 at a monthly disbursal run rate of Rs 140 crore and an net NPA of 1.56 per cent. The company has been adding over 150,000 customers every month. "Our digital platform has brought millions of Indians closer to formal credit lines, many of whom have been traditionally underserved. Our Buy Now Pay Later' offering has emerged as a popular choice for millennial Indians in the 25-40 years age group, who make up nearly 70 percent of our customer base," Co-Founder and MD Gaurav Hinduja said. These customers represent the next frontier for financial services, as nearly 50 per cent of them don't possess credit cards, 40 per cent had never taken a personal loan before, and over half reside in non-metro cities, he said further. "Apart from the widespread adoption of our buy now pay later offering, we're seeing exceptional repayment behaviour as well. We ended FY21 with a collection efficiency of over 96 per cent," said the co-founder. The company said it has executed a robust BNPL model across tier 1, 2 and 3 cities, with a reach of more than 10,000 pin codes across India. The company, founded in 2013, has also issued small-ticket term loans to over 70,000 self-employed individuals, business owners, and salaried professionals across the country. The company has raised funding from marquee investors such as Elevation Capital (formerly SAIF Partners), Sequoia India, Lightrock, Creation Investments Capital Management LLC, Ribbit Capital and Amazon. (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.) said it has installed mobile across 50 cities in India, which can be used for over 15 transactions by customers. These have been deployed in various metros and non-metros in view of the restrictions imposed by Covid-19, the bank said. Customers can conduct over 15 types of transactions using the Mobile ATM, which will be operational at each location for a specific period. The Mobile ATM will cover 3-4 stops in a day, the bank said. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday commended India for its vigorous efforts to hold this year's summit despite the COVID-19 outbreak, as he offered Beijing's support and assistance to New Delhi to combat the coronavirus pandemic. In his opening remarks at the virtual meeting of the Foreign Ministers presided over by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Wang was full of praise for India, which is the Chair for this year, for carrying out a host of events despite being hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. India hosted the meeting in its capacity as the chair of BRICS (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa). "Since the beginning of the year and despite the impact of the COVID-19, India as BRICS chair has worked vigorously focussing on the theme of BRICS BRICS@15: Intra BRICS Cooperation for Continuity, Consolidation and Consensus," he said. "More than a hundred events have been designed to advance cooperation on the three pillars, strengthen the BRICS mechanism and uphold the momentum of BRICS cooperation, said Wang, who is also a State Councillor. " commends India for its efforts and we are ready to work with BRICS countries to support India as the chair and ensure tangible outcomes in this year's BRICS cooperation, he said. Wang began his opening remarks by expressing sympathy to India over the severe impact of the new wave of the COVID-19 infections. "At this trying time, stands in solidarity with India and all BRICS countries. As long as it is needed by India, I believe that all BRICS partners including will provide further support and assistance at any time and we are fully confident that India will certainly overcome the pandemic, he said. About the five-member bloc, Wang said, "BRICS cooperation now faces the profound and complex ramifications of the pandemic and changes unseen in a century. "This is a challenge to the BRICS countries but opportunities could also emerge from a crisis," he said. "We believe that with all of us joining forces, BRICS will surely display its unique value and play a due role." He said he was looking forward to exchanging views, coordinating positions and building consensus with the other ministers of the BRICS countries at the meeting. "Together we will take a solid step towards deeper cooperation in the political and security fields and lay a strong foundation for this year's summit, he said. Earlier in the day, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a media briefing ahead of the meeting that China looks forward to exchanging views, coordinating positions and building up consensus with other members of the five-member bloc on the most urgent issues of common concern. BRICS is a cooperation mechanism consisting of major emerging markets and developing countries with global influence, he said. "Amid the combined impact of COVID-19 and other major changes as seen in this century, the BRICS mechanism is of more special significance in deepening cooperation between emerging markets and developing countries in promoting the post epidemic world economic recovery," Wang Wenbin said. "Under the guidance of the BRICS leaders, Foreign Ministers of the five countries meet regularly to deepen mutual trust and cooperation in the field of political security," he said. Asked about China's expectations of the meeting, the spokesman said, "At the meeting, China looks forward to exchanging views, coordinating positions and building up consensus with other BRICS members on the most urgent issues of common concern". "Together we will send out a strong signal that BRICS countries with solidarity and cooperation, support true multilateralism, promote post epidemic economic recovery and tackle global challenges, he said. This is the third time that India is holding the BRICS chairship after 2012 and 2016. India's chairship of the grouping has coincided with its 15th anniversary, making it an opportune moment to review its work. The BRICS is known as an influential bloc that represents over 360 crore people and its member countries have a combined GDP of USD 16.6 trillion. (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.) President on Monday (local time) said that itself is in peril in the and around the world. Biden commemorated America's war dead in Memorial Day remarks at Arlington National Cemetery. He urged the people of his country to honor memory of the fallen by strengthening and protecting the nation's " itself is in peril, here at home and around the world. What we do now -- what we do now, how we honor the memory of the fallen will determine whether or not democracy will long endure," CNN quoted Biden as saying. The President said, "We owe the honored dead a debt we can never fully repay. We owe them our whole souls. We owe them our full best efforts to perfect the union for which they died." He further stated that the nation must honor the sacrifices of generations of service members "by sustaining the best of America while honestly confronting all that we must do to make our nation fuller, freer and more just." Biden said, "Empathy is the fuel of democracy," and added, "Our willingness to see each other not as enemies, neighbors, even when we disagree, to understand what the other is going through." According to CNN, Biden spoke of the rising wave of autocratic rule across the world and argued, as he often does, that "liberation, opportunity, justice are far more likely to come to pass in an democracy than an autocracy." "This nation was built on an idea, the only nation in the world built on an idea. Every other nation is built on ethnicity, geography, religion, etcetera. We were built on an idea, the idea of liberty, an opportunity for all," Biden said. "We've never fully realized that aspiration of our founding, but every generation has opened the door a little wider and every generation has opened it wider and wider to be more inclusive," he added. Biden said the diversity of the nation and its armed forces has been "an incredible strength," and noted Americans of all backgrounds, races, identities and sexual orientations have sacrificed their lives to defend the nation's democracy. The President also spoke about the death of his own son, Beau Biden, who was an Iraq War veteran. On Sunday, it was marked the sixth anniversary of Beau Biden's death. "To those who mourn a loved one today, Jill and I have some idea how you're feeling. Our losses are not the same, but that black hole you feel in your chest, as if it's going to suck you into it, we get," Biden said. He said the anniversary of his son's death is a difficult time of year for him and his family and that he always feels close to his son on Memorial Day, CNN reported. "It can hurt to remember, but the hurt is how we feel and how we heal," Biden said. Beau Biden was the attorney general of Delaware and a member of the Delaware National Guard, and died in 2015 at the age of 46 from brain cancer. (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.) Michael Flynn, former national security adviser in the Trump administration, appeared to suggest that a Myanmar-style coup, in which the military overthrew a democratically elected government, "should happen" in the US. Flynn made the remarks while speaking at the event, title "For God & and Country Patriot Roundup, in Dallas, Texas on Sunday, which was attended by many supporters of the QAnon conspiracy theory. According to CNN, for months, QAnon and Trump-supporting online forums have celebrated the deadly military in and suggested the same should happen in the United States so could be reinstated as President. Someone from the audience asked Flynn, "I want to know why what happened in can't happen here?" "No reason, I mean, it should happen here. No reason. That's right," Flynn responded. On February 1, the military overthrew the civilian government and declared a year-long state of emergency. The triggered mass protests and was met by deadly violence. As the military crackdown on anti- protesters in Myanmar continues, as many as 840 people have been killed in the country so far, including three people on Sunday, according to the Assistance Association of Political Prisoners (AAPP). Speaking at the same event in Dallas, Flynn earlier in the weekend falsely claimed "Trump won. He won the popular vote, and he won the Electoral College vote," CNN reported. It further reported that some QAnon followers are obsessed with the idea that the US military will somehow put Trump back into office. Some believed and hoped Trump would declare martial law on Inauguration Day to stop Joe Biden from entering the White House. (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.) and the plan to host a conference on in on June 23, a gathering that aims to bring together powers with interests in the North African country and its transitional government. The agenda will include discussions for preparations for elections in December and the withdrawal of foreign forces. The meeting, announced on Tuesday, is expected to take place at the level of foreign ministers and follows up on a first conference held in January 2020 at which leaders agreed to respect an arms embargo and push Libya's warring parties to reach a full cease-fire. has been trying to act as an intermediary. The countries that have been involved in the process include the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, along with Italy, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. The conference will mark the first time that the Libyan transitional government is represented at such an event, the German foreign ministry said in a statement. It will take stock of progress since the first Berlin gathering and discuss the next steps needed for a sustainable stabilisation, it added. The main focus will be on preparations for the national elections scheduled for December 24 and on the withdrawal of foreign troops and mercenaries from as agreed in the cease-fire, the ministry statement said. In addition, steps towards the creation of unified Libyan security forces will be discussed. has been mired in chaos since a NATO-backed uprising toppled and later killed longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011. Afterwards, the oil-rich country was long divided between a U.N.-supported government in the capital, Tripoli, and rival authorities based in the country's east, each backed by armed groups and foreign governments. In April 2019, east-based commander Khalifa Hifter and his forces, backed by Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, launched an offensive to try and capture Tripoli. His 14-month-long campaign collapsed after Turkey stepped up its military support of the U.N.-backed government with hundreds of troops and thousands of Syrian mercenaries. An October cease-fire agreement that included a demand that all foreign fighters and mercenaries leave Libya within 90 days led to a deal on the transitional government and December elections. The government took office in February. (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.) has failed to explain traces of found at several undeclared sites, a report by the UN nuclear watchdog showed on Monday, possibly setting up a fresh diplomatic clash between Tehran and the West that could derail wider nuclear talks. Three months ago Britain, France and Germany scrapped a U.S.-backed plan for the Atomic Energy Agencys 35-nation Board of Governors to criticise for failing to fully explain the origin of the particles; the three backed off as IAEA chief Rafael Grossi announced fresh talks with After many months, Iran has not provided the necessary explanation for the presence of the nuclear material particles at any of the three locations where the Agency has conducted complementary accesses (inspections), a report by Grossi to member states seen by Reuters said. It will now be up to the three European powers to decide whether to revive their push for a resolution criticising Iran, which could undermine wider negotiations to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal at talks currently underway in Vienna. Grossi had hoped to report progress before the board meets again next week. The Director General is concerned that the technical discussions between the Agency and Iran have not yielded the expected results, the report said. The lack of progress in clarifying the Agencys questions concerning the correctness and completeness of Irans safeguards declarations seriously affects the ability of the Agency to provide assurance of the peaceful nature of Irans nuclear programme, it added. In a separate quarterly report also sent to member states on Monday and seen by Reuters, the agency gave an indication of the damage done to Irans production of enriched by an explosion and power cut at its Natanz site last month that Tehran has blamed on Israel. Irans quarterly increase in its stock of enriched was the lowest since August 2019 at just 273 kg, bringing the total to 3,241 kg, according to an IAEA estimate. It was not able to fully verify the stock because Iran has downgraded cooperation. That total is many times the 202.8 kg limit set by the nuclear deal, but still well below the more than six tonnes Iran possessed before the deal. Iran now hopes to see nuclear deal fully revived by August Iran said it hopes it can revive the nuclear deal with world powers by August, when President Hassan Rouhanis administration ends, and reach an agreement with the US that would ease sanctions on its economy and oil exports. Ali Rabiei, spokesman for Irans government, said there were no obstacles in the way of negotiators in Vienna who are in their eighth week of talks to restore the beleaguered 2015 accord. Bloomberg Malaysia's air force said Tuesday that 16 Chinese military jets flew in a tactical formation over the Sea and nearly infringed on the country's airspace, calling it a threat to Malaysia's sovereignty. The air force said its radar picked up the jets flying in an in-trail formation near Malaysian airspace in eastern Sarawak state on Borneo on Monday. It said the jets then headed near Malaysian-administered Luconia Shoals, a rich fishing ground in the disputed Sea before moving nearly 60 nautical miles (110 kilometers) off the coast of Sarawak. After attempts to engage the jets failed, the air force said it sent planes to identify them. It found the planes were Ilyushin il-76 and Xian Y-20 strategic transporters flying at altitudes between 23,000 and 27,000 feet. The air force said it reported the flights to the Foreign Ministry. This incident is a serious threat to national sovereignty and flight safety due to the air traffic density over the airways, it said in a statement. Foreign Ministry and Chinese Embassy officials couldn't be reached immediately for comment. claims almost the entire Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have overlapping claims. Tensions have ramped up since China began a massive land reclamation program in 2013. The strategically important area has some of the world's busiest sea lanes and is also rich in fisheries and may hold underground oil and natural gas reserves. says Chinese coast guard and navy ships intruded into its waters in the South China Sea 89 times between 2016 and 2019. has sent six diplomatic protests to China, including one in 2017 in response to a Chinese note asserting its claim to the South Luconia Shoals. (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 has conducted around 700 on the city of Lashkargah in the southern province of Helmand over the last three weeks, as per an army official. Tolonews reported quoting, 215 Maiwand Corps Commander, General Sami Sadat, that the group was "helped by al-Qaeda fighters" in their on the southern city. "Nearly '30 al-Qaeda fighters' were killed in Afghan force operations that were conducted in response to the and that the military has gathered evidence of their identities along with other documents," General Sami Sadat added. The attacks were mostly focused on Lashkargah city's district 10 and district 3 - on the outskirts of the city - and parts of these two areas temporarily fell to the "Al-Qaeda fighters have fought against our troops on the frontlines. At least 30 of them have been killed in the clashes in the last three weeks," he said. According to Helmand officials, at least 4,500 families were displaced during the clashes and sought shelter in other parts of Lashkargah. "We have pushed the enemies back from the city and we are pursuing them to take more (territory) back," said Hedayat Rasuli, a battalion commander for the border forces, Tolonews reported further. "The enemy is beyond those walls. They are seen there sometimes," said Ebadullah, a police soldier. Ahmad, a teenager who is a resident of Lashkargah, stayed at his home--letting his family leave--despite ongoing clashes in the area. "The problems cannot be solved this way. We pray to God to bring peace," said Ahmad. Some families were displaced three weeks back and shifted from the Bolan area to the central parts of Lashkargah. "We left only with our clothes... We don't have even have food," said Ko Jana, a displaced person. Taliban attacks on Lashkargah intensified following the announcement of the withdrawal of foreign forces from the country. Security forces pledged that they will ensure that the province remains safe from Taliban threats. (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.) Arab envoys visit north China for CPC exchange activities Diplomatic envoys from 20 Arab countries and representatives of the League of Arab States visited north China's Hebei Province Thursday for activities to learn about the history of the Communist Party of China (CPC). CPC establishes ties with over 600 political parties The Communist Party of China (CPC) has established relations in various forms with more than 600 political parties and organizations in over 160 countries and regions, according to a seminar held in Shanghai. Miracle, Inspiration -- CPC leadership, Chinese path in eyes of world party leaders Party leaders and senior officials of different countries recently expressed appreciation for China's achievements, noting that China's success, a result of the CPC's strong leadership and a right development path, offers significant inspiration for other countries in pursuit of their own development. CPC to promote cooperation on opening-up, global governance: Senior diplomat The international work of the Communist Party of China (CPC) should enhance cooperation on comprehensive opening-up, defend national sovereignty, security and development interests, and promote global governance reform, senior Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi said in an article published Sunday in the Qiushi Journal, a flagship magazine of the CPC Central Committee. CPC's international liaison work in the new era The international liaison work is an important front of the Communist Party of China (CPC), and an important component of the China's overall diplomacy. In the new era, the Party's international liaison work will continue to open a new chapter. CPC's leadership, socialist system key to China's success: Former Hungarian PM The Communist Party of China (CPC)'s leadership and its upholding of socialism with Chinese characteristics are key to China's success, former Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Medgyessy said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua recently. CPC congratulates Cuban Communist Party on convening of national congress The Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee on Friday congratulated the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) on the convening of its Eighth National Congress. Xi congratulates Diaz-Canel on election as head of Cuban Communist Party General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday sent a congratulatory message to Miguel Diaz-Canel on his election as first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) Central Committee. Spanish communist leaders say CPC critical in pushing forward China's development, world multipolarization Good governance carried out by the Communist Party of China (CPC) has played a critical role in the country's rapid development and contributed to building a multi-polarized world, Spanish communist leaders have said. Cambodian King visits site of 1st CPC national congress Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni visited the site of the first national congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in Shanghai on Tuesday. CPC's leadership is the biggest advantage of China's diplomacy: Chinese FM The leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) is the biggest political advantage of China's diplomacy and the fundamental safeguard for continued victory in China's diplomacy, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said at a press conference in Beijing on March 7 on the sidelines of the Fourth Session of the 13th National People's Congress, answering questions of journalists from home and abroad on China's foreign policy and external relations. Xi calls for closer exchanges with Laos General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Thursday that China is ready to work with Laos to further intensify high-level contact, cement strategic communication and deepen experience exchanges on party and state governance. The Supreme Court of on Tuesday agreed to form a Constitutional Bench on the basis of seniority of the judges to hear a bunch of petitions challenging the dissolution of the House of Representatives, after differences among justices led to the postponement of the hearing. In a meeting with the representatives of the Supreme Court Bar Association, Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher Rana, who leads the five-member Constitutional Bench, said he would amend the regulation for the functioning of the apex court, The Himalayan Times newspaper reported. The amendment of the regulation, which has been proposed to be carried out within a week as agreed upon by both sides, would be endorsed by the full court, it said. "It will ensure the appointment of judges to the bench based on seniority," senior advocate Purna Man Shakya told the media. With this development, the hearing on the petitions is likely to be adjourned on Tuesday, the report said. The Supreme Court, which was to decide on Monday whether or not the two Constitutional Bench justices Tej Bahadur KC and Bam Kumar Shrestha should recuse themselves from the House of Representatives (HoR) dissolution case, could not do so due to differences among justices on the roster for the Constitutional Bench. The two justices said they had no compunction hearing the HoR dissolution case. The other two justices on the Constitutional Bench - Deepak Kumar Karki and Ananda Mohan Bhattarai - did not endorse justices Tej Bahadur KC and Shrestha's views. The controversy over the recusal led to the postponement of the hearing on Monday. Thirteen justices who are on the roster for the Constitutional Bench dwelt on the recusal issue on Monday. Lawyers representing the petitioners who have challenged the dissolution of the House had pleaded before the Constitutional Bench on Sunday that justices whose verdict nullified the unification of the CPN-UML and the CPN-Maoist Centre and those who had heard the review petition against the division bench's verdict should recuse themselves from the HoR dissolution case to avoid conflict of interest, The Himalayan Times reported on Monday. They said that NCP nullification and the HoR dissolution were related. The apex court has listed the House dissolution case for continuous hearing. As many as 146 members of the dissolved HoR, including Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, who had staked claim to form the new government under Article 76 (5) of the Constitution, have also filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking reinstatement of the House. President Bidya Devi Bhandari dissolved the 275-member House of Representatives on May 22 for the second time in five months and announced snap elections on November 12 and November 19 on the advice of Prime Minister She rejected the separate bids of both Prime Minister Oli and the Opposition alliance's claims to form a new government, saying the claims were insufficient. Earlier on December 20, the president dissolved Parliament and called snap polls on April 30 and May 10. However, two months later, Chief Justice Rana-led Constitutional Bench on February 23 overturned the decision and reinstated the House of Representatives. Constitutional experts have criticised Oli and Bhandari for their complicity in trampling upon the Constitution. plunged into a political crisis on December 20, last year after President Bhandari dissolved the House at the recommendation of Prime Minister Oli, amidst a tussle for power within the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP). Oli's move to dissolve the House sparked protests from a large section of the NCP led by his rival Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda'. (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.) Pakistans finance ministry is considering a stimulus package to support the economy, according to people familiar with the matter. Newly-appointed finance minister Shaukat Tarin is leading the initiative, which can be monetary, fiscal or both, said the people, asking not to be identified as the discussions are private. The talks are initial and nothing has been decided, the people said. No formal proposal exists, Tarin said in response to questions. The South Asian nation is expected to expand 3.9% in the year ending June from a rare contraction in the previous period. Still, the government is wary of a fresh wave of the coronavirus pandemic derailing its projection. At the same time, the government is looking to renegotiate some terms of a bailout package with the Monetary Fund, including raising power tariffs and some taxes, finance minister Tarin said in an interview last month. Read More: Pakistan govt sets 4.8% GDP growth target for next financial year The stimulus options include incentives in collaboration with the central bank or packages targeted at the poor, said one of the people. has already disbursed 203 billion rupees ($1.3 billion) in cash handouts to the poorest segment of society, while the central bank introduced multiple support packages. Tarin was appointed in April just as started to face a third wave of coronavirus cases, prompting authorities to order a week-long shutdown followed by another in the commercial capital Karachi. The Tehran government said that significant progress has been made in the ongoing talks on the 2015 Iranian in the Austrian capital of Vienna, but a number of key issues remain to be solved. "There are no deadlocks in the Vienna talks and we have reached key issues," Xinhua news agency quoted Foreign Minister spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh as saying at a press conference on Monday. His remarks were made a reference to the ongoing negotiations between and the P4+1, namely the UK, China, France, Russia plus Germany, aimed at the revival of the nuclear deal, commonly known as the Joint Commission of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). "We are in no hurry to reach an agreement and we will not allow the negotiations to erode," Khatibzadeh said. The spokesman urged US President Joe Biden not to follow "the legacy of the previous administration". The US government under former President Donald Trump withdrew from the JCPOA in May 2018 and unilaterally re-imposed sanctions on In response, gradually stopped implementing parts of its JCPOA commitments from May 2019. Biden has promised to return to the deal and ease sanctions against Iran. The JCPOA Joint Commission began to meet on April 6 in Vienna to continue the discussion about a possible return of the US to the deal and how to ensure the full and effective implementation of the agreement. --IANS ksk/ (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In an effort to avoid a repeat of the event like The Ever Given, a cargo ship which was struck in Egypt, the Authority (SCA) has announced that it had started work to widen and deepen the southern part of the canal. In March, world trade was thrown into chaos after The Ever Given, a container ship, ran aground in the in Egypt. It was stuck for over six days, disrupting global supply chains. The 30-kilometer-long area will be widened by 40 meters (131 feet) to the east and deepened to 72 feet, up from 66 feet, according to the SCA, reported the CNN. Plans also include extending the second lane near the Great Bitter Lake, which opened in 2015, by 10 kilometers (6 miles) -- allowing two-way traffic along an 82 kilometer (51 mile) stretch. The work is intended for "maximizing the canal's efficiency and shortening the vessels' transit time, as well as raising the navigation safety," said a press release from the SCA. The blockage of the led to paralyzing the crucial waterway. The damage to global trade can run into one billion US dollars, according to the canal authority. The ship was refloated on March 29 by a fleet of 15 tugboats. Meanwhile, Egyptian authorities are demanding 550 million US dollars in compensation from the Japanese owner of a cargo ship. The Suez Canal Authority initially demanded about 920 million dollars in compensation. (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 worlds biggest meat supplier has become the latest casualty of a attack, posing a new threat to global food supply chains already rattled by the Covid-19 pandemic. JBS SA shut its North American and Australian computer networks after an organized assault on Sunday on some of its servers, the company said by email. Without commenting on operations at its plants, JBS said the incident may delay certain transactions with customers and suppliers. The attack sidelined two shifts and halted processing at one of Canadas largest meatpacking plants, while in Australia the company canceled all beef and lamb kills across the nation, according to industry website Beef Central. There were no immediate reports of plant disruptions in the U. S. Hackers have the commodities complex in their crosshairs with the JBS attack coming just three weeks after the operator of the biggest U. S. gasoline pipeline was targeted. Its also happened as the global meat industry battles lingering Covid-19 absenteeism after recovering from mass outbreaks last year that saw plants shut and supplies disrupted. Canadian facility The cyber assault affected a Canadian beef plant in Brooks, Alberta, about 190 kilometers (118 miles) east of Calgary, on Monday, according to Scott Payne, spokesman for United Food and Commercial Workers Canada Union Local 401. The facility accounts for more than a quarter of the nations capacity, and according to a job ad, processes about 4,200 head of cattle a day. There are no unionized workers there, Payne said in a phone interview. That means effectively the plants operations have shut for the day. JBS didnt respond to requests for comment on the Canadian closure. Read More: 'They hit you hard': How DarkSide became powerhouse of ransomware attacks A JBS packaging facility in Belleville, Ontario, where beef, pork and salmon are prepared for grocery stores, was operating normally, said Tim Deelstra, a spokesman for UFCW Canada Local 175. Dakar Lanzino, an external UFCW representative, said he had no information on whether the attack had disrupted plants in the U. S. on Monday, a public holiday. Sao Paulo-based JBS owns facilities in 20 countries. Australia and New Zealand account for 4% of the companys revenue, while the U. S. represents 50% and Canada 3%, according to company fillings. The company also has operations in South America and Europe. Backup Servers Fine Backup servers were not affected, and the company is actively working to restore systems as soon as possible, according to a statement from JBS USA Monday. The processor said its not aware of any customer, supplier or employee data being compromised or misused. A ransom-ware attack forced Colonial Pipeline Co. to stop the flow of fuel for several days in May, causing severe gasoline shortages. In Australia, JBS is the largest meat and food processor with a portfolio of beef, lamb, pork, and value-added branded products, according to its website. It exports to more than 50 countries. The shutdown is a big concern for meat exports if it drags on, said Matt Dalgleish, manager of commodity markets insights at Thomas Elder Markets, noting Australia ships overseas about 70%-75% of red meat products from sheep and cattle. There is a risk to worldwide supplies too. Given the size of JBS globally, if they were offline for any more than a week, then were going to see disruption to supply chains for sure, he said. Indian equity that are trading near all-time high levels could see a record Rs 2 3 trillion ($30 40 billion) equity supply in fiscal 2021-22 (FY22) with 40 per cent of this being raised via initial public offers (IPOs), though the actual quantum of the corporate equity paper supply would depend on institutional flows and may bring in new investors, suggests a note from Maturing of India's internet space, government's disinvestment program and traditionally large financial issuers will likely dominate but at around 1 per cent of market-cap, the supply is within limits. Our analysis suggests that net equity supply has easily exceeded 1 per cent in strong bull in the past and a similar number now can imply net / gross equity issuance of $30-40 billion can be absorbed, wrote Mahesh Nandurkar, managing director at in a coauthored report with Abhinav Sinha. The net (of buy-backs, adjusted for promoter contribution to rights) equity supply in FY21, according to Jefferies, was at an estimated $24 billion a three-year high. Over the past decade, the contribution of initial public offers (IPOs) to equity fund-raising at around 27 per cent has been muted, said. India's maturing internet space, however, can change this trend going ahead with two pig players and looking to list this fiscal. PolicyBazaar, Indias largest online insurance company, too is gearing up for an IPO and plans to raise Rs 4,000 crore via an IPO, reports suggest. has already filed its draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) and looks to raise Rs 8,250 crore, or over $1.1 billion, via the IPO route. The company will be utilising part proceeds to fund organic and inorganic growth. The rest will be used for general corporate purposes. The IPO will be a test of Indian investors appetite for unicorns, said Shobit Singhal of Anand Rathi in a recent note. Paytm, on the other hand, aims to raise $3 billion (around Rs 22,000 crore) later this year. If successful, this could be the biggest IPO by an Indian company, breaking Coal Indias 2010 record of Rs 15,475 crore. Financial sector The financial sector, according to Jefferies, has been the largest equity raiser historically, contributing 47-62 per cent of the total supply over FY18-21. While there would be equity issuances in other sectors as well such as infrastructure, real estate etc., but some of these, Jefferies feels, could be subject to reopening / capex-cycle uptick getting underway. Financial sector fund-raising may rise to $13-20 billion with contributions from state-owned banks ($5-7 billion), large private banks ($3-4 billion) and smaller private banks / non-bank finance companies, or NBFCs ($3-4 billion) may be back in the market. New listings including some small finance banks, microfinance & insurance-related companies may raise $2-4 billion as well, Nandurkar and Sinha said. The next big chunk of issuances, they said, will be via the government's Rs 1.75 trillion divestment agenda this fiscal that looks to pare stakes in marquee names such as Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), Air India and Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC). "Along with few other stake sales / minority exits (e.g. Axis Bank stake worth Rs 40 billion sold already), we expect disinvestment to contribute $4-7 billion to the equity supply," Jefferies said. Shares of were locked in the upper circuit of 20 per cent for the second straight day, hitting a fresh 52-week high of Rs 630.20 on the BSE in Tuesday's trade after the company on Monday said the private equity firm and associates will acquire stake by investing in the Rs 4,000 crore preferential issue of equity and warrants of the company. Pluto Investments, an affiliate of Carlyle Asia Partners, will invest up to Rs 3,185 crore through a preferential allotment of equity shares and convertible warrants at Rs 390 per share, for a 30.2 per cent in PNB Housing Finances expanded capital. The capital raise is subject to regulatory and shareholders approvals (EGM on June 22, 2021). will issue 82 million equity shares at Rs 390 share and will also issue 20.5 million convertible warrants at Rs 390 which will be exercisable within 18 months from the date of their allotment. For warrants, 25 per cent of the money will be payable to the company at the time of allotment of warrants and 75 per cent would be payable at the time of conversion. Quality Investment Holdings (QIH), a unit of Carlyle Group, currently holds 32.21 per cent of After the issue of shares and warrants, QIH's stake will stand reduced to 20 per cent on the expanded equity base. Both QIH and Pluto are part of The Carlyle Group, a global entity. Together, they will hold a 50.2 per cent stake in PNB Housing Finance. Public sector lender Punjab National Bank (PNB) will continue to be the promoter and a key stakeholder in the company. It held a 32.65 per cent stake in the company as of March 31, 2021. Its stake will fall to 20.3 per cent in the expanded capital base. Along with Carlyle Group, Aditya Puri, former managing director of HDFC Bank, will also infuse capital into PNB Housing Finance through family investment firm Salisbury Investments. He will be Carlyles nominee director in due course. The announced large equity infusion should significantly improve the confidence of fixed income and equity and bring PNB Housing Finance back on the growth path. We believe this could materially accelerate the business turnaround, analysts at Morgan Stanley said in an update. Meanwhile, brokerage Motilal Oswal Financial Services said, With the capital adequacy issue resolved, the company would be able to deliver loan growth in line with the industry. Since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, PNB Housing Finance also significantly strengthened its Balance Sheet total provisions jumped around 3 times to Rs 2,500 crore. Provisions are largely adequate unless there is a severe impact of the second wave in FY22. Mr Puri joining the Board would be a positive for business strategy as well as investor confidence. The brokerage firm added that it looks to revise its estimates post shareholder and regulatory approvals and kept the stock Under Review from our earlier Neutral rating. Shares of State Bank of India (SBI) hit a new record high of Rs 433.80 on the BSE, after they rallied 2 per cent in Tuesday's intra-day trade, surpassing its previous high of Rs 433.60 hit on May 28, 2021. The stock of the state-owned lender has outperformed the market in the past one month by surging 21 per cent after it reported another strong quarterly performance and showed further sequential improvement in assets quality and a rise in profitability in the March quarter (Q4FY21). In comparison, the S&P BSE Sensex was up 6.7 per cent during the period. Amid a sharp rally in the market price of the bank's stock, its market capitalisation is now just 4 per cent away from the momentous Rs 4-trillion mark. At 09:45 am, the stock stock was up 1.7 per cent at Rs 431.35 with a market capitalisation of Rs 3.85 trillion, BSE data shows. Most of the brokerages have maintained their 'buy' rating on with a target price of up to Rs 650 per share. Analysts believe the overall outlook has improved with many positive levers like decline in credit cost, improvement in credit - deposit ratio and better yields due to less reversals. Thus, better margins could lift the bank's operational performance going-forward, they say. "The bank has demonstrated solid performance in Q4FY21. Capital adequacy is well in-line with the risk of the loan portfolio. It is well positioned to deploy its excess liquidity into the credit growth as the market scenario improves. Hence, we reiterate our BUY rating on the stock, with a revised target price of Rs 510 using the SOTP methodology," analysts at Geojit Financial Services said in a result update. Those at global brokerage CLSA, meanwhile, believe that SBI's FY21 pandemic performance has surprised positively and they see investors, especially foreign institutional investors (FIIs), interested in post H2FY21 as "the strong performance is not a flash in the pan". The foreign brokerage house believes is not just a value trade and relatively will do well on asset quality and it estimate ROEs to increase to 15 per cent by FY23CL. It has a target price of Rs 650 on the stock, which translates to neatly 50 per cent upside from current levels. ICICI Securities, too, draws comfort from SBI's strong performance on the asset quality front wherein slippages and restructuring were within guidance with sufficient provisioning buffer in place. "Amid Covid second wave business uncertainty, provision coverage ratio (PCR) at 71 per cent and standard provision at 1 per cent of loans gives immunity to the balance sheet and will boost profitability. While slippages from SME/agri books require close monitoring, credit cost is expected to remain below 2 per cent in next two fiscals while return on equity (RoE) is expected to improve to double digits over FY22-23E," according to analysts at Choice Broking. The Australian share market finished session lower on Tuesday, 01 June 2021, extending the losses of the previous session, amid concerns over rising COVID-19 cases in Victoria. However, market losses capped after the Reserve Bank of Australia on Tuesday announcement of widely expected decision to hold steady on its current policy settings, including keeping the cash rate at 0.1%. At closing bell, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 was down 19.06 points, or 0.27%, up at 7,142.57. The broader All Ordinaries fell 14.56 points, or 0.2%, to 7,392.10. Total 9 of 11 S&P/ASX200 sectors were lower, with the worst performing sectors were Financial (down 0.72%), healthcare (down 0.7%), telecommunication services (down 0.46%), and consumer discretionary (down 0.26%) issues, while energy (up 1.34%), and materials (up 0.29%) were best performing sectors. The best performing stocks in the S&P/ASX200 were Whitehaven Coal (up 5.71%), Reece (up 3.22%), Megaport (up 3.07%), Mineral Resources (up 2.95%), and The A2 Milk Co (up 2.54%), while the worst performing stocks were Blackmores (down 5%), Lynas Rare Earths (down 4.89%), Polynovo (down 4.43%), Nearmap (down 3.9%), and Bega Cheese (down 3.85%). Financial stocks were the worst-hit sectors on the benchmark, with all the Big Four banks closing in the red. Travel stocks were mixed after Victoria reported nine new locally acquired cases, taking the cluster to 54 and the exposure list to 320. Sydney Airport (SYD) finished in the red, Qantas (QAN) was flat, while Webjet (WEB) and Flight Centre (FLT) bounced back from Monday's heavy declines. Energy stocks rebounded, boosted by higher oil prices, followed by materials as iron ore prices rallied in the latest session, up 5.9 per cent to US$198.75 a tonne. CURRENCY NEWS: The U. S. dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of its peers, was at 89.751 falling below the 90 level again. The Australian dollar changed hands at $0.7751, still below levels above $0.776 seen last week. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) All India Gem and Jewellery Domestic Council has written to the Union Finance Minister (FM) and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) seeking immediate financial assistance and banking related relief for the stressed gem, jewellery and allied businesses post the devastating second wave of the global pandemic COVID-19. GJC cited that the K. V. Kamath chaired Expert Committee constituted by RBI (7th August 2020) had included the gem and jewellery sector amongst the stressed industries in their report submitted on 4th September 2020. As several jewellers affected by multiple lockdowns were finding it difficult to repay loans, GJC has sought an extension of the moratorium on interest payments for the stressed gem & jewellery sector for a period of six months. GJC has urged FM and RBI to extend certain measures to alleviate uncertainties and stress on the jewellery business (which comprises mostly small businesses and MSMEs). GJC urged the Government for assistance to restructure loans given to the gem and jewellery businesses by offering one-time subsidy. GJC has requested the Government to increase the tenure of Gold Metal Loans (GML) from 180 days to 270 (as was done during the last year 2020) or 360 days. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Glenmark Pharmaceuticals on Tuesday announced the launch of Rufinamide Tablets USP, 200 mg and 400 mg. The tablets are a therapeutic equivalent of Banzel Tablets, 200 mg and 400 mg of Eisai Inc. Glenmark was one of the first ANDA applicants to submit a substantially complete ANDA for Rufinamide Tablets USP, 200 mg and 400 mg, with a paragraph IV certification and received final approval on 16 May 2016. According to IQVIA sales data for the 12-month period ending April 2021, the Banzel Tablets achieved annual sales of approximately $285.3 million. Commenting on the launch, Sanjeev Krishan, president of Glenmark North America said, We are very pleased to be one of the first generic companies in the US to offer lower cost alternative to Banzel Tablets, 200 mg and 400 mg. The launch is our commitment to provide quality and affordable healthcare to our markets for patients. Glenmark's current portfolio consists of 172 products authorized for distribution in the U.S. marketplace and 45 ANDA's pending approval with the U.S. FDA. In addition to these internal filings, Glenmark continues to identify and explore external development partnerships to supplement and accelerate the growth of its existing pipeline and portfolio. Shares of Glenmark Pharmaceuticals were trading 0.74% higher at Rs 597 on BSE. Glenmark Pharmaceuticals is a global researchled pharmaceutical company with presence across generics, specialty and OTC business with operations in over 50 countries. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Jubilant Pharma, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Jubilant Pharmova, announced $92 million investment plans to expand sterile injectable manufacturing capacity at its Spokane site in Washington, US. This investment is being made to set up a high speed 400 vials a minute injectable fill line with isolator technology, which will enhance the Spokane facility's capacity by 50%. This expansion will also include two 300 sq. feet Lyophilizers. This expansion will be spread over 50,000 sq feet at the Spokane facility and will be commercially operational by the end calendar year 2024 (CY24). Commenting on the same, Pramod Yadav, chief executive officer (CEO) of Jubilant Pharma, stated: "We are pleased to announce the planned expansion of the sterile injectable manufacturing capacity at this critical juncture. With two facilities in North America working to manufacture multiple COVID-19 vaccines and therapies, we remain committed to supporting efforts to eradicate this global pandemic and are prepared for a potential future pandemic response. This expansion will also help us meet high demand from our global Specialty Pharmaceutical customers, with whom the company has established strong relationships." Jubilant Pharmova (erstwhile Jubilant Life Sciences) is engaged in pharmaceuticals, contract research and development services and proprietary novel drugs businesses. It reported 52.4% jump in consolidated net profit to Rs 309.83 crore on a 16.6% rise in net sales to Rs 1,743.63 crore in Q3 FY21 over Q3 FY20. Shares of Jubilant Pharmova slipped 1.81% to Rs 855.95 on BSE. The scrip traded in the range of Rs 846.75 to Rs 884.90 so far. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Key benchmark indices are trading firm in early trade on buying demand in index pivotals. At 9:25 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was up 269.83 points or 0.52% at 52,207.27. The Nifty 50 index was up 64.80 points or 0.42% at 15,647.60. The Nifty hit record high of 15,655.95 mark in early trade. Asian stocks are trading mixed. The S&P BSE Mid-Cap index was up 0.48%. The S&P BSE Small-Cap index was up 0.59%. The market breadth, indicating the overall health of the market, is strong. On the BSE, 1664 shares rose and 715 shares fell. A total of 102 shares were unchanged. India's gross domestic product (GDP) for 2020-21 contracted by 7.3%, even as GDP for the year's last quarter (January-March 2021) grew by 1.6%, official data released by the National Statistical Office showed on May 31. Cues to watch: Markit Manufacturing PMI for May will be declared on today, 1 June 2021. Auto stocks will be in focus as auto companies will start announcing monthly sales numbers for May starting from 1 June 2021. Stocks in news: Magma Fincorp gained 4.99%. Magma Fincorp said that the company's board, has appointed Adar Poonawalla as the Chairman of the company. Jammu & Kashmir Bank rose 2.44%. Jammu & Kashmir Bank said that the meeting of the Board of Directors of the bank is scheduled on 4 June 2021, to consider/discuss the proposal of capital infusion in the bank by the Govt. of Jammu & Kashmir as its promoter shareholder to the extent of Rs. 500 crore. EPL (formerly known as Essel Propack) gained 2.36%. EPL announced that they have been selected as a partner by Unilever, in their journey towards achieving 100% sustainability in the oral care segment. Accordingly, EPL will supply their APR approved, 100% recyclable and fully sustainable Platina Tubes, for the toothpaste category of Unilever. Narayana Hrudayalaya advanced 4.12%. On a consolidated basis, Narayana Hrudayalaya's net profit surged 468.65% to Rs 68.01 crore on 12.84% increase in total income to Rs 846.30 crore in Q4 March 2021 over Q4 March 2020. Rupa & Company surged 14.63%. On a consolidated basis, Rupa & Company reported a net profit of Rs 65.90 crore in Q4 FY21 as against a net loss of Rs 4.28 crore in Q4 FY20. Total income rose 152.54% to Rs 457.24 crore. Global Markets: Overseas, Asian stocks are trading mixed on Tuesday ahead of European and U.S. data this week that will likely offer clues on the health of the global economy. China's factory activity expanded at the fastest pace this year in May. The Caixin/Markit Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) rose to 52.0 last month, the highest level since December and inching up from April's 51.9. Markets in the U.S. were closed on Monday on account of Memorial Day. Meanwhile, the global economic outlook is improving as vaccine rollouts allow businesses to resume operations and as the United States pumps trillions of dollars into the world's largest economy, the OECD said on Monday, nudging its forecasts higher. The global economy is set to grow 5.8% this year and 4.4% next year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development said, raising its estimates from 5.6% and 4% respectively in its last forecasts released in March. Back home, the domestic equity benchmarks ended with robust gains on Monday. Investors sentiment improved due to a steady decline in daily COVID-19 cases in India. Strength in other Asian stock markets also supported buying. The barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, advanced 514.56 points or 1% to 51,937.44. The Nifty 50 index gained 147.15 points or 0.95% to 15,582.80. Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) bought shares worth Rs 2,412.39 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs), were net buyers to the tune of Rs 179.78 crore in the Indian equity market on 31 May, provisional data showed. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Reliance Industries Ltd is quoting at Rs 2164, up 0.17% on the day as on 12:49 IST on the NSE. The stock is up 40.91% in last one year as compared to a 56.08% jump in NIFTY and a 48.04% jump in the Nifty Energy. Reliance Industries Ltd rose for a fifth straight session today. The stock is quoting at Rs 2164, up 0.17% on the day as on 12:49 IST on the NSE. The benchmark NIFTY is down around 0.05% on the day, quoting at 15575.45. The Sensex is at 51947.59, up 0.02%. Reliance Industries Ltd has gained around 10.46% in last one month. Meanwhile, Nifty Energy index of which Reliance Industries Ltd is a constituent, has gained around 10.97% in last one month and is currently quoting at 19908.95, up 0.24% on the day. The volume in the stock stood at 92.7 lakh shares today, compared to the daily average of 86.39 lakh shares in last one month. The benchmark June futures contract for the stock is quoting at Rs 2169, up 0.36% on the day. Reliance Industries Ltd is up 40.91% in last one year as compared to a 56.08% jump in NIFTY and a 48.04% jump in the Nifty Energy index. The PE of the stock is 49.55 based on TTM earnings ending March 21. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Rupa & Company soared 14.11% to Rs 452.45 after the company posted a consolidated net profit of Rs 65.90 crore in Q4 FY21 compared with net loss of Rs 4.28 crore in Q4 FY20. Net sales surged 153% to Rs 453.06 crore in Q4 FY21 over Q4 FY20. Profit before tax stood at Rs 88.33 crore in Q4 FY21 compared with Rs 1.37 crore in Q4 FY20. EBITDA came at Rs 90.6 crore in Q4 FY21 from Rs 7.9 crore in Q4 FY20. EBITDA margin improved to 20% in Q4 FY21, higher than 4.4% in Q4 FY20. The company posted a 183.1% jump in net profit to Rs 175.26 crore on 35% rise in net sales to Rs 1,309.42 crore in the year ended March 2021 (FY21) over the year ended March 2020 (FY20). Commenting on the results, Dinesh Kumar Lodha, CEO said, "Despite the challenges faced due to the pandemic, Rupa & Company recorded its highest ever revenues and profits in FY2021. This was possible due to increased sales volumes, changes in product mix, improved operating efficiencies and cost reduction strategies. For FY21, revenues increased by 35% whereas EBITDA & PAT increased significantly by 126% and 183% respectively. During the year, our working capital has reduced by 54 days to 165 days. Going ahead, we expect collection efficiencies which would reduce working capital further. In line with evolving consumer preferences and market demands, the company has introduced new varieties in each sub-brand. These products have the latest fabric innovations, cutting-edge production techniques, and advanced design elements to give the finest experience of style and comfort to the end-user. Rupa has a strong PAN India presence. Our strategy is to foray in newer markets by appointing new distributors and building experienced team and further strengthen our share in the existing markets. This would lead to increased investments in brand development across new geographies. During the year gone by, the company has spent 4.2% on brand development. We expect branding and advertisement cost to come back to normalcy i.e., 6-8% of revenues in FY22. The company's focus is to increase share in premium and super premium category, improve focus on women, casual, and thermal wear, and foray in newer markets with higher penetration in the existing markets. We are witnessing a second wave of CoVID-19 infections, and this has once again resulted in disruption to our business as several states have announced restrictions. We expect business to start gaining traction in June 2021 and expect higher than industry growth for the coming year." The board has recommended a total dividend of Rs 5 per equity share for the financial year ended 31 March 2021. Net debt is Rs 27 crore, reduced from Rs 177 crore in FY20. Cash & bank balances are at Rs 118 crore, improved from Rs 1.7 crore in FY20. Shares of Rupa & Company hit a 52-week high of Rs 474.75 in intraday today. The stock has zoomed 203% from its 52-week low of Rs 149 hit on 2 June 2020. Rupa is one of the leading knitwear brand in India, covering the entire range of knitted garments from inner wear to casual wear. Rupa has a broad product portfolio of innerwear, thermal wear, and casual and athleisure wear. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) SGX Nifty: Trading of Nifty 50 index futures on the Singapore stock exchange indicates that the Nifty could rise 53 points at the opening bell. Markit Manufacturing PMI for May will be declared on today, 1 June 2021. India's gross domestic product (GDP) for 2020-21 contracted by 7.3%, even as GDP for the year's last quarter (January-March 2021) grew by 1.6%, official data released by the National Statistical Office showed on May 31. Global markets: Overseas, Asian stocks are trading mixed on Tuesday ahead of European and U.S. data this week that will likely offer clues on the health of the global economy. China's factory activity expanded at the fastest pace this year in May. The Caixin/Markit Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) rose to 52.0 last month, the highest level since December and inching up from April's 51.9. Markets in the U.S. were closed on Monday for a holiday. Meanwhile, the global economic outlook is improving as vaccine rollouts allow businesses to resume operations and as the United States pumps trillions of dollars into the world's largest economy, the OECD said on Monday, nudging its forecasts higher. The global economy is set to grow 5.8% this year and 4.4% next year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development said, raising its estimates from 5.6% and 4% respectively in its last forecasts released in March. Domestic markets: Back home, the domestic equity benchmarks ended with robust gains on Monday. Investors sentiment improved due to a steady decline in daily COVID-19 cases in India. Strength in other Asian stock markets also supported buying. The barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, advanced 514.56 points or 1% to 51,937.44. The Nifty 50 index gained 147.15 points or 0.95% to 15,582.80. Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) bought shares worth Rs 2,412.39 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs), were net buyers to the tune of Rs 179.78 crore in the Indian equity market on 31 May, provisional data showed. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Tata Motors total sales in the domestic and the international market in May 2021 stood at 26,661 vehicles, down by 36% from 41,858 vehicles sold in April 2021. The company's domestic sales declined 38% to 24,552 vehicles in May 2021 from 39,530 vehicles in April 2021. The company had sold 4,418 vehicles in May last year. While the company's domestic commercial vehicle sales were down by 35% to 9,371 units, domestic passenger vehicle sales dropped by 40% to 15,181 units in May 2021 over April 2021. The auto maker had sold 1,266 commercial vehicles and 3,152 passenger vehicles in May 2020. Commercial vehicle exports fell 8% to 2,030 units from 2,209 units exported in April 2021. The company had exported 222 commercial vehicles in May 2020. Tata Motors, part of the Tata group, is a global automobile manufacturer of cars, utility vehicles, pick-ups, trucks and buses. On a consolidated basis, the auto major reported net loss of Rs 7,605.40 crore in Q4 FY21 lower than net loss of Rs 9,894.25 crore in Q4 FY20. Total revenue from operations during the quarter increased 41.8% year-on-year (YoY) to Rs 88,627.90 crore in Q4 FY21. The scrip rose 0.60% to currently trade at Rs 320.60 on the BSE. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Samajwadi Party president on Tuesday accused the BJP of "imposing" an officer on Uttar Pradesh, in an apparent reference to retired IAS officer A K Sharma who is overseeing Covid relief in Varanasi. He also targeted the Centre, saying that it directed a senior officer from West Bengal to appear in Delhi against the wishes of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Banerjee on Monday said she was appointing Bengal Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay as chief advisor for three years effective from Tuesday, after allowing the bureaucrat, who was ordered by the central government to report to Delhi, to retire. Calling BJP's policy strange, Yadav tweeted in Hindi, "Imposing an officer sent from Delhi on against the chief minister's (Yogi Adityanath) will and in West Bengal, calling an officer to Delhi against the wishes of the chief minister." "In Uttar Pradesh, tussle continues among those who made false promises of 'double engine' government in the state," he said. Sharma, a retired IAS officer of the Gujarat cadre, after closely working with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, voluntarily retired as secretary of Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, and joined the BJP in January. Soon after, the retired 1988-batch IAS officer was made the party's MLC in Uttar Pradesh, and there have been reports that the central leadership wants to elevate him. Sharma (58) is, at present, overseeing Covid relief work in Varanasi, which is also the prime minister's constituency, and its adjoining districts. (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.) Flash The Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) on Monday rejected linking the process of reconstruction in the Gaza Strip with reaching a prisoner swap deal with Israel. On Monday, Egyptian security chief Abbas Kamel arrived in the Gaza Strip through Erez Crossing point on the borders with Israel to hold talks with leaders of Palestinian factions, including Hamas movement. Khalil al-Hayya, a senior Hamas leader, told reporters at the end of a meeting with Kamel that Hamas leaders discussed with the Egyptian security delegation the cease-fire with Israel and the process of reconstruction in the Gaza Strip. Palestinian sources, close to Hamas, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Xinhua that Kamel discussed with the movement's leader a possible prisoner swap deal with Israel. The sources said that Kamel, who met on Sunday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Benny Gantz, carried an Israeli message that links between reconstruction and the missing Israelis in Gaza. "In regards to the issue of prisoner exchange with the occupation (Israel), it is an independent subject and we will never accept linking it to the issue of reconstruction in the Gaza Strip," al-Hayya said. Meanwhile, Moussa Abu Marzouk, deputy chief of Hamas abroad, tweeted that Hamas movement completely rejects linking the issue of reconstruction in the Gaza Strip with the issue of the release of the Israelis held in the enclave. Slamming the opposition, Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister on Monday said a false narrative is being created over the Central Vista redevelopment plan and asserted that it is not a "vanity project", but a necessity. Hitting out at 60 former bureaucrats over their open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi against the project, Puri said, "They are not educated fools, but they are a disgrace to the country." Citing some parts of the letter during a press conference, Puri, whose ministry is executing the Central vista redevelopment project, said these former civil servants have alleged that the government is building a new parliament building because of "superstitious beliefs". He said in 2012, the then Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar's OSD had written to Union urban development secretary for a new Parliament building and former Union minister Jairam Ramesh had also advocated for a new building. He said in 2012, it had been said that there was need of a new Parliament building. But in 2021, these 60 former civil servants are saying the government is constructing a new building because of "superstitious beliefs". "They (60 former civil servants) are not educated fools, and they are a disgrace to the country," the minister said. "I will not put my signature on a letter which talks about superstitious beliefs...," he said. Without naming anyone, Puri said on May 18, the letter had been written by 60 former bureaucrats, including a former cabinet secretary and a foreign secretary. "This is a motivated, ill-intentioned...criticism. They hide themselves behind social activists," he said. Talking about the new prime minister's residence, Puri said no design has been finalised for it and only two projects -- the Parliament building and Central Vista Avenue -- are currently being executed at a cost of around Rs 1,300 crore. Hitting out at the opposition, the Union minister said he has been noticing that a false narrative is being created over the central project, and added that no heritage building will be "touched". "This is not a vanity project, and this is a project of necessity," Puri told reporters. The minister attacked the Congress for alleging that a "Modi mahal (Modi palace) is being constructed under the Central Vista Redevelopment Project that will be executed at a cost of Rs 20,000 crore. "Where has this Rs 20,000 crore come from? Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not live in new PM residence forever...whoever is the be PM will live there," he said. He said former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru had lived in Teen Murti Bhavan which was later turned into a museum. "In 2014, this was the BJP-led NDA government which had first stopped converting former prime minister's residences into museums..." he said. Describing the Central Vista Avenue redevelopment, which entails construction activities on Rajpath and the surrounding lawns from the India Gate to the Rashtrapati Bhawan, as a "vital and essential" project of importance, the Delhi High Court on Monday dismissed the plea against it saying it was "motivated" and filed with "ill-intent" and "lack of bonafides". While allowing the construction activity to continue, a bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh imposed cost of Rs one lakh on the petitioners who wanted the work to be halted in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, observing that it was "not a genuine public interest litigation". The redevelopment of the Central Vista, the nation's power corridor, envisages a new Parliament building, a common central secretariat, revamping of the 3-km Rajpath from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate, new prime minister's residence and office, and a new Vice President Enclave. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) New Delhi [India], June 1 (ANI): spokesperson Gaurav Vallabh on Monday hit out at the Centre alleging that the failure of the Central government in controlling the COVID-19 situation in the country dealt a heavy blow to the economy. Vallabh alleged that the Central government has "weakened the banking system" in the country. This comes days after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said: "The March 2021 round of the Reserve Bank's consumer confidence survey (CCS) showed a worsening consumer sentiment on the back of deteriorating sentiments on general economic situation, income and prices." In a press conference, Vallabh said, "One of the important parts of the RBI Annual Report was the data around cases of bank frauds. The cases and amount of bank frauds have been on a rapid rise since 2014-15. In the year 2020-21 alone, the total amount of fraud was Rs 1.38 lakh crore. Although, the RBI and other agencies have tried to portray the fraud numbers for 2020-21 as declining from 2019-20, there is another side to the story." The leader raised three questions to the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said: "We have three questions for the Modi government: First, why has the government failed to curb the bank frauds in the last seven years? Second, what is the government doing to recover the amount involved in these bank frauds? And third, how much amount has been collected from these who are weakening our banking system?" Vallabh added, "the Modi government has weakened the banking system by allowing the to either continue functioning in the country or leave the country without making any efforts to recover the fraud amounts. It has also not provided enough capital support to the banks." "The party urges that the government should handle these with an iron fist and make sure that the entire amount, that belongs to our nation, be recovered as soon as possible," the spokesperson 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.) The on Monday passed a resolution demanding the removal of Lakshadweep administrator Praful Patel and cancelling his proposed regulations. The resolution, which chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, introduced was passed unanimously by the 140-member Assembly. This is the first resolution passed by the Assembly after the LDF returned to power in Kerala. The resolution said attempts are being made to impose a saffron agenda and corporate interests in Lakshadweep. Further, the resolution said the proposed laws could wreck their means of livelihood and the island community's culture. "The sheds where the fishermen's boats and nets are kept have been destroyed. Steps are also being taken to eliminate beef which is a staple food of the people. The agenda of banning cow slaughter is being implemented through the back door,' the resolution said. Vijayan said the the cultural idenitiy of Lakshadweep was under attack. "Strong opposition must be raised against this attempt to enslave people to corporate interests and Hindutva ' Tensions have been brewing in the archipelago over a bunch of draft laws proposed by its administrator Praful Patel. Patel, who is also the administrator of the union territories (UT) of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, was given additional charge of Lakshadweep following the death of Dineshwar Sharma in December last year. Lakshadweep is governed by an administrator appointed by the President of India. The protest began earlier this month on social media by Lakshadweep Students Association (LSA). It gained attention after CPI(M) MP Elamaram Kareem wrote to the President asking for the removal of Patel as administrator. Since then, people from various walks of life, including film stars and opposition leaders including Rahul Gandhi, have supported the protests. Elamaram Kareem told Business Standard that the Kerala assembly's resolution is a declaration of solidarity with the people of Lakshadweep. " BJP is replicating its Hindutva experiment in Lakshadweep. In the name of development, they are trying to hand over land to corporates. Once the lockdown is over, we will organize protests against the central government's high handedness. We are trying to form a broad secular movement in this issue. The Kerala CM has already written non-BJP chief ministers seeking their support," said Kareem. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), to which Patel belongs, defended the proposed laws and said that they aim to ensure the safety of its citizens and develop Lakshadweep as a major tourist hub like Maldives. The party also termed the Kerala assembly's resolution as unnecessary interference " Kerala government is behaving as if Lakshadweep is its extended territory. Congress, Muslim League and CPI(M) come together on this issue to spite BJP. These laws are mere proposals. Today we met Amit Shah; he has told us to take people of Lakshadweep into confidence before going ahead with these development initiatives," said AP Abdullakutty, vice-president of BJP and in-charge of party affairs in Lakshadweep The draft laws include the Prevention of Anti-Social Activities Regulation (PASA), the Animal Preservation Regulation, the Panchayat Regulation and Lakshadweep Development Authority Regulation 2021. The PASA allows for the detention of individuals for anti-social activities from six months to a year without legal representation. The need for such a stringent law at a place where crime rates are low has baffled many. The Animal Preservation regulation aims to ban cattle slaughter without a certificate from a competent authority. The Panchayat Regulation Act bars residents with more than two children from contesting local body elections. Lakshadweep has a population of about 65,000 people. Similarly, residents fear that Lakshadweep Development Authority regulation gives the authorities sweeping powers to take over their land for development purpose. The administrator is also blamed for the spike in COVID cases by diluting the standard operating procedure (SOP). Lakshadweep did not have a single COVID case until mid-January this year due to the stringent protocols and testing of inbound travellers. However, after Patel took over, he diluted the SOP and allowed anyone with a negative RT-PCR certificate issued before 48 hours to travel to Lakshadweep. A delegation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from met party chief JP Nadda and Union Home Minister on Monday and discussed the situation in the union territory and the concerns of the locals. assured the delegation that all concerns of the locals will be addressed. "A delegation from met party chief JP Nadda and Home Minister We thoroughly discussed the situation in Shah said - 'we're with people of Lakshadweep. We'll address all of their worries'," said BJP's in-charge for Lakshadweep, AP Abdullakutty. Over the last week, several leaders have called for a new administrator in the Lakshadweep islands, including Lakshadweep MP and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Mohammed Faizal. Faizal accused Administrator Praful Khoda Patel of implementing anti-people rules and regulations and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to 'listen to the outcry of the local people and send in a new Administrator'. Youth Congress Kerala President and Congress MLA Shafi Parambil even wrote to the Chief Minister of Kerala, Opposition Leader and the Speaker of the Kerala Legislative Assembly requesting to pass a resolution "as a solidarity of the Malayalee community to the struggle of the people of Lakshadweep" against the new authoritarian decisions taken by the current Administrator of Lakshadweep Praful Patel. Congress had written to President Ram Nath Kovind alleging that the current Administrator of Lakshadweep Praful Patel had taken "authoritarian measures" and demanded his recall. In a letter written to the President, Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said that there is apprehension among the people of Lakshadweep and resultant widespread protests "owing to the authoritarian measures taken by the current Administrator Praful Patel". Patel, who was appointed as the Administrator of Lakshadweep in December 2020 is facing opposition over policies introduced by him from the people of the union territory and politicians, both from within Lakshadweep and neighbouring state Kerala. The Collector had defended the laws imposed by Administrator Praful Khoda Patel earlier as well and said people with vested interests are propagating misinformation about him. In a press note, he said, "A few days ago, 300 kg heroin with an international value of 3,000 crores and 5 AK-47 rifles and 1,000 live rounds were confiscated. Similarly, many cases of illegal smuggling of Marijuana and liquor and POCSO have also been reported here. In this small UT, the future of youth is expected to be clouded by such illegal business. Keeping this in mind, strict and stringent laws are needed so that the youth here are not misguided. People having personal interests in such illegal business are propagating against the imposition of strict laws." He added that the administration is also taking action to remove illegal encroachments at various places over the years in Lakshadweep, in protest of which, a self-motivated propaganda is being carried out by the people with vested interests. Congress leader and Kerala MP Hibi Eden has also written to President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah urging them to "protect the interests and culture of the islanders." Eden raised objection on Lakshadweep Administrator's decision to take over the control of the Administrative powers of elected zilla panchayat regarding-- Education, Health care, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries. (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 on Tuesday quashed the criminal cases pending before a lower court against K Balakrishnan and R Mutharasan, general secretaries of the Tamil Nadu unit of the CPI(M) and CPI respectively and two others. Justice N Satishkumar quashed the proceedings pending before the XIV Metropolitan Magistrate in Egmore, after holding that staging a protest against the general price rise could never be construed as an undemocratic act and that the cases had no merit. The charge against the accused was that they had staged the agitation near Tarapore Towers on Anna Salai on September 10, 2018 to register their protest against the steep hike in the prices of petrol and diesel without prior permission and that they had prevented the police personnel from discharging their public duty. When the Magistrate court issued summons to the accused, requiring them to appear before him on June 7, they moved the High Court with the present criminal original petitions to stay/quash the proceedings. (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.) Following the first round of meeting on Monday between the three-membered panel, constituted by president to resolve differences among its leaders in Punjab Congress, and 25 MLAs, leader is expected to attend the meeting on Tuesday at 11 The panel constituted by the president to resolve differences among its leaders in Punjab Congress held its first meeting on Monday with 25 MLAs at the party's 'war room' at 15, Gurdwara Rakabganj road in the national capital (GRG). The committee is seeking to resolve differences between Chief Minister and his former cabinet colleague and to tackle factionalism in the state unit ahead of next year's assembly polls. Sidhu had on May 21 targeted the Punjab Chief Minister over the 2015 sacrilegious incidents involving Guru Granth Sahib and the killing of two people in police firing. "To know what is right and not to do it is the worst cowardice," he had tweeted. On April 27, Amarinder Singh had challenged Sidhu to contest polls against him from Patiala. The Punjab Chief Minister had said that indiscipline would not be tolerated in the party at any cost and that if Sidhu wanted to contest against him then he is free to do so, but that would only lead to Sidhu meeting the fate of General JJ Singh who lost his security deposit in the election. He had also asked Sidhu to clearly spell out whether he is a member of the Congress party or not. Responding to Amarinder Singh's remarks, Sidhu had said that he was only "fighting for justice"."Efforts to derail Punjab's conscience will fail ... my soul is Punjab, and Punjab's soul is Guru Granth Sahib Ji. Our fight is for justice and punishing the guilty. An assembly seat is not even worth discussion in the same breath!" Sidhu had said in a tweet. Yesterday, Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar said that the meeting was for 'manthan'. "It's not about an individual but Punjab and Congress. Meetings will take for at least three days. MLAs, MPs and senior leaders will meet during this time and see how to strengthen the party." Jakhar told the media that the issue will be resolved soon and that everyone is expressed their opinion in the meeting. "Few people try to find opportunities among hardships, they shall also be exposed. Those who had backstabbed that will be accounted for also so that the party can benefit and contest the upcoming elections unitedly." Panel member JP Aggarwal on Monday said there are no differences. "Today (Monday) we have talked to 25 MLAs. There are no differences. There was no talk on the leadership of Everyone has said their point. There are small issues to be resolved. We will give our report. Tomorrow (June 1), will come," he said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) MP on Tuesday quipped that NCP president may have advised former Maharashtra chief minister on how to be a "good opposition leader" during their meeting a day ago. Talking to reporters here, Raut dismissed prospects of any new political arithmetic emerging in the state. "Forget about 'operation Lotus' in Maharashtra. It will not happen here, not in Bengal. Why bring political angle into every meeting?" he said. Fadnavis, who is the leader of opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly, called on Pawar (80) on Monday and later termed it as a "courtesy meeting". The meeting came against the backdrop of the BJP criticising the Shiv Sena-led Maharashtra government over its handling of the Maratha quota issue and the COVID-19 situation in the state. The NCP and Congress share power with the Sena in Maharashtra. Pawar underwent a gall bladder surgery in April this year following which he was advised rest. Asked about the meeting between the two leaders, Raut took a dig at Fadnavis saying, " may have advised on how to be a good opposition leader. If he continues to act like this, the opposition (BJP) will not come to power (in the state) in the next 100 years." "It (the meeting) could be about how to play his role (as an opposition leader) in the interest of the state, the public and the nation," the Sena leader added. Asked about any political angle to the meeting between Pawar and Fadnavis, Raut said the BJP leader himself termed it as a "courtesy meet". Earlier also, there were speculations in political circles when Raut met Fadnavis in September last year. However, Raut, who is the executive editor of the Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana', had then said the meeting pertained to an interview of Fadnavis which he planned to conduct. When asked about it on Tuesday, Raut said, "We will find a good occasion soon to interview him (Fadnavis). (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.) Abinaya Dinesh, a 15-year-old Indian-origin girl, is among three winners of the annual WWDC21 Swift Student Challenge, a platform for the young brains willing to demonstrate their and problem-solving skills, tech giant said on Tuesday. Passionate about the intersection of medicine and technology, something that became personal for her last year, Dinesh created an app called Gastro at Home, which she plans to launch on the App Store this summer. The app offers people with gastrointestinal disorders a way to access information and resources, especially because those types of conditions can sometimes be sensitive to talk about, the statement by the company said. The idea of creating such an app came in the mind of Dinesh after she herself suffered from gastrointestinal problems. I went to a gastroenterologist and he diagnosed me with a pelvic floor disorder. But then told me nothing about how I was supposed to get better, Dinesh, who lives in North Brunswick, New Jersey, said. Over the last year, Dinesh has also started her own nonprofit, Impact AI, to foster learning and ethical practices in artificial intelligence among young people, the statement said. As part of it, she launched an eight-week high school programme, called Girls in AI, to teach young women the basics of programming and machine learning. I'm super big on teaching. Showing the next generation that this exists and can lead to huge advancements in medicine and society is so important. And I'm proud that after the programme was over, there were seniors applying to college who told me this experience changed what their major was going to be, said Dinesh. Susan Prescott, Apple's vice president of Worldwide Developer Relations and Enterprise and Education Marketing said that every year they are inspired by the talent and ingenuity that they see from Swift Student Challenge applicants. This year, we are incredibly proud that more young women applied and won than ever before, and we are committed to doing everything we can to nurture this progress and reach true gender parity, she said in a statement. has selected 350 Swift Student Challenge winners from 35 different countries and regions, as it opens all-virtual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2021' from June 7-11. Along with Dinesh, 16-year-old Gianna Yan of Hawaii and 17-year-old Damilola Awofisayo of Virginia were also declared as the winners. When the pandemic began, Yan's immunocompromised grandparents struggled to get essential supplies, like groceries, delivered to their home in Hawaii. So they created Feed Fleet, an app that pairs volunteers with at-risk individuals to deliver essential goods right to their doorstep. And Yan didn't stop there. So they created Feed Fleet, an app that pairs volunteers with at-risk individuals to deliver essential goods right to their doorstep. And Yan didn't stop there. Awofisayo, 17, of Woodbridge, Virginia, loves hackathons the events where programmers come together to create software under strict time constraints. But after a run of applying to a few of them last year and not getting in, she and a friend decided to start their own. The result was TecHacks, a nonprofit that describes its mission as creating a supportive environment for girls everywhere to create, problem-solve, and showcase their talents alongside like-minded females to compete and work with." Open to women and non-binary individuals, the organisation's first hackathon, in August 2020, virtually brought together more than 800 participants from over 60 countries, the statement said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Electronics is fast converting its overseas smartphone lines into facilities that produce home appliances, industry insiders said on Tuesday, following its decision to withdraw from the mobile business. said the Brazilian government last month approved its plan to expand its Manaus plant in Amazonas, northwestern Brazil, in a move to shift its production lines from the Taubate site on the east coast. When the $62 million project is completed, Electronics will have new production lines for laptops and monitors at the Manaus plant. The South Korean tech giant said all of its Brazilian will be consolidated in Manaus down the road, reports Yonhap news agency. Started in 1995, the Manaus plant was originally established to manufacture TVs, microwave ovens and DVD players, with air conditioners added in 2001. The Taubate plant has been in operation since 2005, producing mobile phones, monitors and laptops. The latest relocation follows LG's move in April to convert its smartphone line at the Haiphong plant to make in northern Vietnam. LG earlier announced it will exit from the mobile business by July 31 after years of money-losing performances. Since then, it has been working to relocate its mobile workforce and resources to its core home appliance business. Demand for LG's premium appliances has been soaring on the back of the pandemic-induced stay-at-home trend. LG's home appliance and air solution (H&A) unit in the first quarter posted 6.7 trillion won ($6 billion) in revenue and 919.9 billion won in operating profit, both the largest for its quarterly performance. --IANS na/ (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.) With the aim of building a strong communications channel for addressing cyber threats and sharing best practices across the participating countries, has launched the first Asia Pacific Public Sector Cyber Security Executive Council. Consisting of policy makers and influencers from Brunei, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, supported by professionals, the council aims to accelerate public-private partnerships in cybersecurity, share threat intelligence, said in a statement on Monday. "Our joint mission is to build a strong coalition, to strengthen our cyber security defense," said Sherie Ng, General Manager, Public Sector, Asia Pacific. The APAC countries continue to experience a higher-than-average encounter rate for malware and ransomware attacks -- 1.6 and 1.7 times higher respectively than the rest of the world. "This collective marks a significant commitment towards accelerating public-private partnerships in cybersecurity, while promoting a broader sharing of threat intelligence to be better positioned to respond in the event of an attacks," the tech giant said. The council is set to meet virtually on a quarterly basis to maintain a continuous exchange of information on cyber threats and solutions. "This coalition certainly establish stronger partnerships with industry leaders and practitioners that allow us to fortify our security postures and combat cybercrime," said Dato' Ts Dr. Haji Amirudin Abdul Wahab FASc, CEO of Malaysia. As part of the council, government agencies and state leaders will join a forum that includes Microsoft and its ecosystem of cybersecurity industry advisors. "With similar threat landscapes, this partnership will ensure that we are steps ahead of the perpetrators, establishing higher standards for the cybersecurity eco-system as well," added ChangHee Yun, Principle Researcher of AI/Future Strategy Center, National Information Society Agency Korea. The aim of the forum is to share best practices, learn from Microsoft security certification trainings, dedicated workshops, and hands-on lab sessions, with a goal of driving improvements to the digital skills of the workforce to reduce the talent gap in cybersecurity across the participating nations. --IANS na/ (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.) You are here: World Flash Indonesia's anti-terror squad Densus 88 has arrested 10 terrorist suspects believed to be members of the Jamaah Ansharut Daulah group, who planned to bomb a church and two police stations in Merauke, Papua province. "They originate from Java island and Sulawesi island who have lived in Merauke district for a long time," the National Police's spokesman Inspector General Argo Yuwono said on Monday. They have pledged allegiance to the terror group ISIS and discussed their plans of bombing actions by social media WhatsApp and Telegram groups, Yuwono added. Densus 88 seized evidence such as air rifles, arrows, sharp weapons, and several chemicals. An investigation on the case is underway. Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD) is a terrorist organization affiliated to ISIS, or the Islamic State group, which tries to establish a new state in the Middle East. PRI GEN INT .MONTREAL FGN6 UN-ARTIFICIAL-INTELLIGENCE The needs to start regulating the Wild West' of By Eleonore Fournier-Tombs, McGill University Montreal (Canada), Jun 1 (The Conversation) The recently published a proposal for a regulation on (AI). This is the first document of its kind to attempt to tame the multi-tentacled beast that is The sun is starting to set on the Wild West days of artificial intelligence, writes Jeremy Kahn. He may have a point. When this regulation comes into effect, it will change the way that we conduct AI research and development. In the last few years of AI, there were few rules or regulations: if you could think it, you could build it. That is no longer the case, at least in the European Union. There is, however, a notable exception in the regulation, which is that is does not apply to international organisations like the Naturally, the European Union does not have jurisdiction over the United Nations, which is governed by international law. The exclusion therefore does not come as a surprise, but does point to a gap in AI regulation. The therefore needs its own regulation for artificial intelligence, and urgently so. AI in the United Nations Artificial intelligence technologies have been used increasingly by the United Nations. Several research and development labs, including the Global Pulse Lab, the Jetson initiative by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees , UNICEF's Innovation Labs and the Centre for Humanitarian Data have focused their work on developing artificial intelligence solutions that would support the UN's mission, notably in terms of anticipating and responding to humanitarian crises. United Nations agencies have also used biometric identification to manage humanitarian logistics and refugee claims. The UNHCR developed a biometrics database which contained the information of 7.1 million refugees. The World Food Programme has also used biometric identification in aid distribution to refugees, coming under some criticism in 2019 for its use of this technology in Yemen. In parallel, the United Nations has partnered with private companies that provide analytical services. A notable example is the World Food Programme, which in 2019 signed a contract worth US$45 million with Palantir, an American firm specializing in data collection and artificial intelligence modelling. No oversight, regulation In 2014, the United States Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) awarded a US$20 billion-dollar contract to Palantir to track undocumented immigrants in the U.S., especially family members of children who had crossed the border alone. Several human rights watchdogs, including Amnesty International, have raised concerns about Palantir for human rights violations. Like most AI initiatives developed in recent years, this work has happened largely without regulatory oversight. There have been many attempts to set up ethical modes of operation, such as the Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs' Peer Review Framework, which sets out a method for overseeing the technical development and implementation of AI models. In the absence of regulation, however, tools such as these, without legal backing, are merely best practices with no means of enforcement. In the European Commission's AI regulation proposal, developers of high-risk systems must go through an authorization process before going to market, just like a new drug or car. They are required to put together a detailed package before the AI is available for use, involving a description of the models and data used, along with an explanation of how accuracy, privacy and discriminatory impacts will be addressed. The AI applications in question include biometric identification, categorisation and evaluation of the eligibility of people for public assistance benefits and services. They may also be used to dispatch of emergency first response services all of these are current uses of AI by the United Nations. Building trust Conversely, the lack of regulation at the United Nations can be considered a challenge for agencies seeking to adopt more effective and novel technologies. As such, many systems seem to have been developed and later abandoned without being integrated into actual decision-making systems. An example of this is the Jetson tool, which was developed by UNHCR to predict the arrival of internally displaced persons to refugee camps in Somalia. The tool does not appear to have been updated since 2019, and seems unlikely to transition into the humanitarian organization's operations. Unless, that is, it can be properly certified by a new regulatory system. Trust in AI is difficult to obtain, particularly in United Nations work, which is highly political and affects very vulnerable populations. The onus has largely been on data scientists to develop the credibility of their tools. A regulatory framework like the one proposed by the would take the pressure off data scientists in the humanitarian sector to individually justify their activities. Instead, agencies or research labs who wanted to develop an AI solution would work within a regulated system with built-in accountability. This would produce more effective, safer and more just applications and uses of AI technology. (The Conversation) AMS AMS 06011028 NNNN (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 50-pack Nifty could make a dash for another record high in today's trade, boosted by a better than expected GDP print, firm global cues and easing coronavirus cases. At 7.40 am, SGX Nifty was ruling 65 points higher at 15,645. Amid the coronavirus pandemic, India's GDP grew at 1.6 per cent in the January-March quarter of the fiscal year 2020-21, higher than the market forecast of 1 per cent, but witnessed a contraction of 7.3 per cent for the entire fiscal year. Even then, the figure beat the CSO's estimate of 8 per cent contraction. Analysts believe the better than expected data will provide relief to the central bank as it announces its credit policy later this week. Meanwhile, on the global market front, most Asian stocks were steady as traders await a host of manufacturing activity and key American jobs data later in the week to help assess the economic outlook. While Japan's Nikkie 225 declined 0.34 per cent, South Korea's Kospi added 0.82 per cent and Hong Kong Hang Seng rose 0.24 per cent. US were shut on Monday for a holiday. In other news, the 75 per cent margin norms will come into effect from today onwards. Market players fear this move will further dent volumes, particularly in the intraday cash and future segments. Now, a look at the stock-specific triggers that are likely to guide the market today A total of 17 companies are slated to post their March quarter numbers today, including ITC, Balrampur Chini Mills, Gujarat Gas and Radico Khaitan. Analysts expect ITC to post high single-digit revenue growth on a yearly basis during the quarter under review, although the profit after tax (PAT) is expected to fall. Shares of auto companies will be in focus as automakers will report May sales figures between June 1-2. Experts eye a double-digit decline across segments, especially in the two-wheeler and commercial vehicles space, while the impact on tractors and the passenger vehicle segments could be lesser. Defence stocks will be on investor radar today after the Defence Ministry on Monday notified the second negative import list of 108 items that can now be only purchased from indigenous sources. Jammu & Kashmir Bank will consider the proposal of capital infusion in the bank by the state government as its promoter shareholder to the extent of Rs 500 crore on June 4. The Board of Magma Fincorp on Monday appointed Adar Poonawalla as the Chairman and Abhay Bhutada as the Managing Director. Vijay Deshwal, a seasoned banker currently with ICICI Bank, will take charge as CEO of Magma Fincorp from July. He will also be the Group CEO. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) will file an affidavit citing details of fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi's involvement in the PNB scam before the Dominican Court on Wednesday. The agency will also prove his Indian credentials and request the Dominican authorities to deport him to India at the earliest, a top government official said. Also Read: Mehul Choksi arrested in Dominica; to be handed over to Antigua Police Officials said the ED will convince the Dominican court that Choksi is a wanted accused since January 2018 and that based on the red corner notice issued against him by Interpol, he should be deported back to India immediately. The ED has shared concrete evidence against Choksi with Indian officials in Dominica, who will further present it before the Dominical court tomorrow i.e. June 2. Also Read: Dominica says Mehul Choksi entered illegally, to be repatriated to Antigua Choksi had recently fled from Antigua and Barbuda and was captured in neighbouring Dominica following an Interpol Yellow Notice issued against him. His first pictures surfaced on Saturday last week, days after he was arrested in Dominica for allegedly entering the country "illegally". Seen behind bars in the photos, there are visible signs of injury marks on his body. Also read: Mehul Choksi went to Dominica to spend 'good time' with girlfriend: Antigua PM Documents show that Choksi has been in Dominica since May 23. On May 27, the Dominica government confirmed his presence on its soil, saying he has been "detained" for illegal entry. He has been living in Antigua and Barbuda since 2018. He is fighting against extradition to India and is opposing court action to revoke his citizenship of the country. Choksi, along with his nephew, Nirav Modi, has been accused of siphoning off Rs 13,500 crore of public money from Punjab National Bank using letters of undertaking (LoUs). Also read: Mehul Choksi's photos from Dominica surface; show him behind bars, with injury marks South Korean consumer electronics manufacturer LG has officially stopped production of smartphones, weeks after it confirmed its exit from its mobile phone business that was reeling from heavy losses for years. The South Korean tech giant stopped the production of smartphones on Monday, reports Asia Business Daily. In April, LG announced the winding up of its smartphone business would take some time because the company had to fulfil obligations to its partners, including carriers in several markets that sell LG devices. This might include the company's latest devices -- LG Velvet and the LG Wing -- which were announced last year. The company also said it would continue to support its existing devices for some time. It had also promised its customers that its premium smartphone models will get three years of software support, which includes the Android 11 update. Some of LG's smartphones (including Q-series phones) will also get Android 12 update and the latest models are expected to go up to Android 13. LG smartphones users still would be able to receive after-sale services for up to 4 years from the date of device manufacture. LG's Vietnam factory, where most LG smartphones were built, will be switching over to home appliances manufacturing. LG had already transitioned some of its production capacity there to appliances to keep the factory workers employed, while the remaining workforce from the phone lines will be reassigned by July end. The status of the rest of the facilities isn't known, but the production halt falls in line with LG's plan to gradually exit the smartphone business. Meanwhile, LG Electronics is on track to become the biggest home appliances manufacturer with record-high sales of $6.3 billion in Q2, as per The Korea Herald. LG surpassed its rival Whirlpool in both Q1 and Q2 and analysts are expecting that it will keep its top position for the rest of the year. LG, as a final goodbye to employees, was supposed to sell around 3,000 units of LG Velvet 2 Pro rollable phones. However, it didn't go as planned and the issue is being blamed on "congestion". LG's rival Apple is also trying to lure the company's current smartphone owners with a trade-in programme, which offers KRW 150,000 (around $135) towards a new iPhone 12 or 12 mini. Also Read: No.1 Cryptocurrency: Can Ethereum beat Bitcoin in future? Also Read: Vaccination boosts natural immunity in people against COVID-19, says study Also Read: Anand Mahindra calls Cipla-Moderna COVID-19 vaccine deal 'good news'; hopes for exemptions The recent decline in Bitcoin price has put the spotlight back on the second biggest cryptocurrency, Ethereum, which, some say, has the potential to replace it as the number one digital currency in market share. Bitcoin has seen a major fluctuation in price in the past couple of months. It rose to the all-time high of $65,000, only to fall 50 per cent to $30,000. Its market share also went down to 42 per cent ($1.6 trillion) from 70 per cent before the start of 2020, CoinGecko data shows. The month of May saw the biggest fall in Bitcoin price, thanks to the tightening of cryptocurrency laws by China and Tesla chief executive Elon Musk changing his stance on Bitcoin. When compared to the market share, Bitcoin is still way ahead compared to Ethereum. The May rout helped Ethereum narrow this gap by about $350 billion. While Ether dropped by around 11 per cent in May, Bitcoin suffered a much worse route at 37 per cent. On year-on-year growth too, Ethereum seems to be beating Bitcoin. While Ethereum grew over 900 per cent over the past year, Bitcoin saw a 275 per cent jump. Ethereum investors and its fans say there are two big reasons for a strong momentum -- popularity for blockchain-based financial services and digital collectables and a major upgrade in its technology, which is underway and will bring a tectonic shift in the way Ethereum works. Also read: Big change coming in Ethereum! To give huge advantage against Bitcoin As countries become more open towards cryptos, interest in digital currencies have expanded beyond Bitcoin. Experts say Bitcoin will eventually lose its title as the number one crypto as another digital currency with better technology and tech agility will become more popular among crypto investors, and Ethereum seems to be offering just that. "(Ethereum) will likely exceed Bitcoin at some point in the future, as Ethereum will be superior when it comes to innovation and developer interest," said Tegan Kline, co-founder of blockchain software company Edge & Node, reported Bloomberg. Some also believe that replacing Bitcoin won't be an easy game for Ethereum as it still has many advantages over Ethereum. "Bitcoin will still remain king of the cryptos," Edward Moya, senior market analyst at Oanda Corp told the news platform. Also read: Bitcoin price recovers to $38,403 after Elon Musk's meeting with miners Ethereum is also working on a major shift that will help save up to 99.5 per cent of the energy it currently consumes. Given the stiff opposition cryptos like Bitcoin are facing over climate change issues, it's possible that more investors get drawn towards Ethereum in future. Ethereum already uses lower energy than the most popular cryptocurrency Bitcoin. It will soon be completing the transition to Proof-of-Stake (PoS) from the Proof-of-Work (PoW) system, according to Carl Beekhuizen, an Ethereum Foundation researcher. The technological shift will mean Ethereum will consume even less energy than Bitcoin. Meanwhile, in the past 24 hours, Bitcoin has seen 0.18 per cent growth in its price to $36,291.92, while Ether grew 3.79 per cent to $2,589.5. Also read: Cryptocurrency market crashes! Is it time to sell Bitcoin? The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) announced on Tuesday that it has decided to cancel ISC board exams for Class 12 students. This announcement came right after the Centre announced the cancellation of the CBSE Class 12 board examinations. The exams have been shelved in view of the COVID-19 situation in the country, explained CISCE Secretary Gerry Arathoon. "The exams have been cancelled. The alternative assessment criteria will be announced soon," Arathoon told PTI. The decision by Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) to cancel ISC Class 12 examinations came along the lines of the cancellation of the board exams by CBSE. The decision to cancel CBSE Class 12 exams was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday. "Government of India has decided to cancel the Class XII CBSE Board Exams. After extensive consultations, we have taken a decision that is student-friendly, one that safeguards the health as well as future of our youth," PM Modi said in a statement. During the meeting, it was decided that CBSE will take steps to compile the results of Class 12 students as per well-defined objective criteria in a time-bound manner. Authorities have also decided that in case some students want to take the exams then such an option would be provided to them by the CBSE, as and when it is possible to conduct these. Earlier, CISCE had asked affiliated schools to submit data that included the average of marks obtained by Class 12 students in Class 11 and during the current academic season. In April, the board had announced the cancellation of ICSE Class 10 examinations. Also Read: CBSE Board Class 12 exams cancelled; decision in 'interest' of students, says PM Modi The Delhi government, on Tuesday, permitted home delivery of both Indian and foreign liquor through a mobile app or online web portal. This comes a day after the national capital started the unlocking process, after a month of lockdown. Over a month ago, liquor manufacturers had asked the Aam Aadmi Party-led government to allow home delivery of alcoholic beverages. Because of lockdowns, people had gathered at wine shops to purchase liquor in advance. Another state that allows home delivery of liquor is Maharashtra. The government allowed home delivery after a severe COVID-19 wave this year. Shops were asked to remain shut in major cities like Mumbai, as cases of coronavirus increased rapidly. The Arvind Kejriwal-helmed government's decision in Delhi comes amid dipping positivity rate. Daily COVID-19 positivity rate dipped below 1 per cent for the first time since March 19. The daily positivity rate is at 0.99 per cent. The national capital saw 648 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours. Delhi has a cumulative count of 14,26,240 COVID-19 cases so far. Also read: Traders' body disappointed with COVID-19 unlocking in Delhi, calls for opening of markets Also read: Delhi HC says Central Vista project essential; imposes Rs 1 lakh fine on petitioners The Union Education Ministry is likely to announce the decision on Class 12 Board exams on Tuesday after a review of the COVID-19 situation across the country. The date and format of the exams will be announced in due time. The Centre is mulling other options and changes in the exam format. "You are free to take whatever decision. But there is hope expressed by the petitioner that the policy adopted last year can be adopted this year. If the government is departing from last year decisions then give tangible reasons," the Supreme Court had said on May 31 while hearing a plea seeking cancellation of class 12 board exams. State governments came out with two options to conduct exams during a meeting with the Centre last month. One option was to only conduct exams for major subjects for this year whereas the other option was to conduct shorter exams. While the states were against cancelling the exams, they supported conducting shorter exams. As per the presentation given on the same, the duration of the exams could be cut short to one-and-a-half hour or 90 minutes from the original three hours format. Question papers will also be designed as per the reduced syllabus. Questions in the exams will be "multiple options types... based on the existing pattern of objective and very short answer type questions," according to the CBSE. Shorter exams for class 12 students can be conducted in students' own schools to avoid much travelling, said CBSE. Besides, exams can be conducted in two shifts to ensure COVID-19 norms are followed. Meanwhile, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra wrote to Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank and said that Class 12 board exams should not be held in the times of coronavirus pandemic. "I once again urge you to reconsider holding the CBSE 12th board exams and to consider the above suggestions made by them very, very seriously. It will be great injustice if they are pushed into circumstances that endanger their lives when it is completely unnecessary and it will be a great pity if we let them down at this trying time in their lives," Gandhi stated in her letter. Edited by Mehak Agarwal Also read: Class 12 board exams: SC hearing adjourned till June 3; FICCI urges Centre to cancel exams Documents show that Punjab National Bank fraud accused Mehul Choksi has been in Dominica since May 23 and not May 25 as widely reported. It has been widely believed that before his arrest on May 25 in Dominica, Choksi was in Antigua. The boat that was allegedly used by the fugitive businessman docked in Dominica on May 23 and not May 25. Antigua and Barbuda customs said that the yacht left from their shore at 10:09 am on May 23. The yacht 'Calliope of Arne' left Antigua at 10:09 am with the next port of destination being Dominica, which is 120 miles away, documents accessed by India Today show. It could not have taken three days for the boat to reach its destination, and reached in the evening the same day. The Antigua Immigration and Customs' outbound clearance document shows that the yacht went to Antigua on May 17 and left for Dominica from there on May 23. It means that Choksi has been in Dominica since May 23. However, the immigration papers of Dominica show that that fugitive landed in the country on May 25. Dominican Leader of the Opposition Lennox Linton accused the Dominican police and political leadership of being involved in Choksi's arrival in the country. "The removal of Choksi from Antigua and Barbuda to Dominica, was intended to facilitate his transfer to India without having to wait on the outcome of the ongoing extradition proceedings scheduled for hearing in November 2021. To that extent, Dominica has been conscripted to unlawfully violate the constitutional rights of an Antiguan citizen for crass political purposes," said Linton to the news site. Linton demanded investigation into the matter and said that it has brought shame to Dominica. He added that Choksi should be brought to book but within the legal framework. Mehul Choksi has been living in Antigua and Barbuda since 2018. He is fighting against extradition to India and is opposing court action to revoke his citizenship of the country. Also read: Mehul Choksi went to Dominica to spend 'good time' with girlfriend: Antigua PM Also read: PNB scam accused Mehul Choksi hospitalised, tests negative for COVID-19 The B.1.617.1 and B.1.617.2 variants of the COVID-19, first identified in India, have been named as 'Kappa' and 'Delta' respectively, the World Health Organisation (WHO) announced on Monday as it named various variants of the coronavirus using Greek alphabets. "Today, @WHO announces new, easy-to-say labels for #SARSCoV2 Variants of Concern (VOCs) & Interest (VOIs). They will not replace existing scientific names, but are aimed to help in public discussion of VOI/VOC," Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO's technical Covid-19 lead, tweeted on Monday. The UN health agency named the B.1.617.1 variant of the COVID 19 as 'Kappa' while the B1.617.2 variant was dubbed 'Delta.' Both the variants were first found in India. The WHO's move came nearly three weeks after India objected to the B.1.617 mutant of the novel coronavirus being termed an "Indian Variant" in media reports with the Union Health Ministry pointing out that the UN's top health organ has not used the word "Indian" for this strain in its document. On May 12, the ministry dismissed as "without any basis and unfounded" media reports that have used the term "Indian variant" for the B.1.617 mutant strain, which the WHO recently said was a "variant of global concern". "Several media reports have covered the news of the World Health Organisation (WHO) classifying B.1.617 as a variant of global concern. Some of these reports have termed the B.1.617 variant of the coronavirus as an 'Indian Variant'," the ministry said in a statement in New Delhi. "These media reports are without any basis, and unfounded," it said. In a statement, the UN health agency said on Monday that an expert group convened by WHO has recommended labeling using letters of the Greek Alphabet, i.e., Alpha, Beta, Gamma, which will be easier and more practical to discuss by non-scientific audiences. "The established nomenclature systems for naming and tracking SARS-CoV-2 genetic lineages by GISAID, Nextstrain and Pango are currently and will remain in use by scientists and in scientific research, it added. It said the WHO and its international networks of experts are monitoring changes to the virus. "If significant mutations are identified, we can inform countries and the public about any changes needed to react to the variant, and prevent its spread, it added. Globally, systems have been established and are being strengthened to detect signals of potential variants of concern (VOC) and interest (VOI) and assess these based on the risk posed to global public health. National authorities may choose to designate other variants of local interest/concern, it added. Also read: COVID-19 impact: IndiGo announces compulsory leave without pay policy for senior employees Flash Abdul Owor, a seasoned fisherman carries his day's catch of lobsters along Mombasa beach and takes it to a nearby store room for sale. The store room is a lobster collection center belonging to a Chinese company that deals in the export of live lobsters. Owor's catch is weighed and he is paid cash by the Kenyan attendant. Owor said that unlike in the past when he had to depend on Kenyan middlemen to market his lobsters, nowadays the chain is more convenient as he sells them directly to Chinese traders who buy and export lobsters to China. "The middlemen used to cheat us by buying from us cheaply and selling at higher prices to the dealers. These days, we sell to the Chinese companies directly and earn more money [with which we can improve our lifestyles]," said Owor, adding that the payment is immediate now, as opposed to often waiting for days for payment in the past. Good wholesale prices According to Owor, in early 2020, the wholesale price of lobsters was $2.87 per kg, which has now risen to $4.57 per kg. "Today, my catch measured 12 kg and I have been paid $54.84," he said. Over decades, thousands of Kenyan fishermen and traders have been operating along Kenya's 640-km coastline, earning a living by catching and selling lobsters and other types of fish. Lobsters are internationally highly valued seafood products, both on the domestic and export market, and one of the most important crustacean resources in Kenya. For local communities living on the Kenyan coast, their traditional methods of lobster fishery management have ensured the shellfish remains an important source of local income. Among the major areas where lobsters have traditionally been caught in Kenya are Lamu Archipelago, Kipini-Kiwaiyu Islands, Mambrui, Kilifi, Msambweni, and Shimoni areas, all lying within the Kenyan coast. Until recently, the majority of the fishermen and lobster dealers were Kenyans who sold their catch to Kenyan middlemen, who in turn sold them to local traders for export to Europe (mostly Italy), China, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore. But around May 2020, Kenyans involved in the lobster trade felt the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions and, with loss of business, came a shortage of operating capital. Fortunately, their plight was eased when Chinese dealers and exporters entered the equation, setting up operations in Kenya and dealing directly with fishermen. "In May 2020, many Chinese [dealers] joined the trade. They came [to Kenya] at a time when most of Kenyans dealing in lobsters had given up due to running short of capital, which was brought about by the pandemic. They came with sufficient capital and started buying lobsters from fishermen at better prices," said Lucas Munyokole, a trade officer at Shimoni landing site. He said that the Chinese dealers ship live lobsters mostly to China and some to Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore. This is confirmed by the Kenya State Department for Fisheries, Aquaculture and the Blue Economy which reports that 95 percent of the exported live lobsters caught in Kenya now go to China. Their records also indicate that some lobsters are exported in frozen form to the European Union with Italy importing more than 60 percent of these. Li Wei, one of the Chinese lobster dealers at Msambweni, said it is not surprising that most live lobsters are exported to China as demand for live nutritious lobsters back home is very high. "Lobsters are a delicacy among the Chinese, especially the [growing] middle class. Over time, the taste for lobsters in China has grown." Fishermen optimistic It is precisely this increasing taste and demand for lobsters in China that has led to more Chinese moving to Kenya to find opportunities in the lobster industry and other areas. The Kenyan local market for lobsters is also on the rise, which is connected to the increasing number of Chinese working in the country, especially in the construction and trade industries, who enjoy dining out on lobsters. Yusuf Ali, a lobster dealer at Mamburui, said that two years ago there were not many foreigners who dealt in buying lobsters from fishermen and exporting them. But after May 2020, Chinese dealers joined the lobster trade along the Kenyan coastline. He said that the Chinese lobster dealers have set up bases in Kilifi, Kwale and Mombasa. A resident of Kilifi, Mubarak Chege said, "Before the coming of the Chinese into the lobster business, our town was not as active as it is today. The Chinese have created a business boom in our area that can be seen by the new buildings being constructed." For Twalib Abubakar, Chairman of the Lamu Fishermen Association, the business boom is obvious. "The lobster business is like any other business. The fishermen will always sell to whoever offers [them the] best price," he said, adding that it is not surprising that fishermen are happy to be dealing with Chinese traders. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization's latest figures indicate that the lobster business along Kenya's coast now includes several Chinese companies. However, Kenyan local companies including Trans Africa, Pwani Sealife Kenya, Sea Harvest and Crustacean Processors, which specialize in processing and supplying frozen lobster, work amicably with Chinese dealers and traders who prefer live lobster trade to frozen lobsters. "The trade of lobsters is going on smoothly between local people and the Chinese. Local fishermen go to the sea and catch lobsters. The Chinese buy from them and pay cash," said John Ngine, a coastal tax officer of Kenya's Ministry of Industrialization, Trade and Enterprise Development. However, the fish trade between Kenya and China is a two-way street. Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya said that although Kenya exports lobsters to China, Kenya depends on China for its own fish supply. "Kenya will continue importing fish from China due to an acute deficit we are grappling with. We import a good quantity of tilapia from China," said Munya. Lobster volumes rising Latest data from the Kenya National Bureau of Standards (KNBS) shows that Kenya's lobster production has registered an improved performance. Statistics at KNBS indicate that between 2009 and 2013, a total of 84 tons of lobsters were exported annually to China. By 2016 the figure had risen to 386 tons and today it is at 650 tons. According to Kenya's Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries 2020 report, there are 13,426 artisanal fisheries along the Kenyan coast. The Marine Frame Survey Report said that Lamu County has the highest number of lobster fisheries with 74 percent of the total. Kenya State Department for Fisheries, Aquaculture and the Blue Economy Commissioner Ambrose Kyemugo said, "We welcome any foreign businessmen who bring in money to promote [the] fisheries department." However, to ensure the lobster resource remains sustainable, regulations have been put into place. Kyemugo said there are concerns that due to the increasing number of fishermen and sales, depletion of lobsters may be experienced and so it was necessary to implement control measures. "We have come up with some restrictions and prohibition in the catching of undersize lobsters. Trawling is confined to five nautical miles and only mature lobsters weighing over 250 grams can be caught," said Kyemugo. The government on Tuesday decided to cancel the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) Class 12 board exams this year. PM Modi, via his official Twitter handle, announced that after extensive consultations, the Centre has taken a "student-friendly" decision. Government of India has decided to cancel the Class XII CBSE Board Exams. After extensive consultations, we have taken a decision that is student-friendly, one that safeguards the health as well as future of our youth. https://t.co/vzl6ahY1O2 - Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 1, 2021 PM said that due to the COVID situation in the country, several states have still opted for a lockdown. Hence, students, teachers and parents are worried about the health of the students. Modi also urged that students should not be forced to appear for exams. Soon after the news broke, social media started flooding with memes and reactions. Here are some of them: Congratulations, students of class 12 for making your voices heard. After all the uncertainty and stress, you deserve to relax and celebrate today! All the best for a happy, healthy and bright future ahead.#cbseboardexams - Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) June 1, 2021 Backbenchers to Toppers who studied 10 hours per day for exams. #cbseboardexams cancelled. pic.twitter.com/ciXY1TOiNM - Real Captain (@_RealCaptain_) June 1, 2021 CBSE class 12th students after getting the news of cancellation exams #cbseboardexamspic.twitter.com/UcO7yEi5Sa - Sarcasm Masum (@Sarcasm_masum) June 1, 2021 #cbseboardexams Class 12 exams cancelled!! Students be like : pic.twitter.com/AL1He1ij3L - Pragya Tiwari (@iam_pragyaT) June 1, 2021 NEET/ JEE students watching CBSE Class 12th students celebrating their exams getting cancelled!#cbseboardexamspic.twitter.com/BE3NW6Auhj - Vishal Verma (@VishalVerma_9) June 1, 2021 PM Modi, after a meeting with the Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Prakash Javadekar, Union Minister of Defence Rajnath Singh, high-profile ministers and other top officials, decided that the CBSE will take steps to compile the results of Class 12 students as per well-defined objective criteria in a time-bound manner. "It has been decided that Class XII Board Exams would not be held this year. It was also decided that CBSE will take steps to compile the results of class XII students as per well-defined objective criteria in a time-bound manner," an official statement said. In addition to this, the officials also decided that if some students desire to take the exams, such an option would be provided to them by the CBSE like last year, as and when the situation becomes conducive. (Edited by Vivek Dubey) Also Read: No.1 Cryptocurrency: Can Ethereum beat Bitcoin in future? Also Read: Vaccination boosts natural immunity in people against COVID-19, says study Also Read: Anand Mahindra calls Cipla-Moderna COVID-19 vaccine deal 'good news'; hopes for exemptions Sensex and Nifty were likely to open higher today as Nifty futures on the Singapore Exchange rose 46.00 points or 0.30 percent to 15,626. On Monday, Nifty rose for the seventh straight session to end at its fresh lifetime high amid a steady decline in daily COVID-19 cases. Sensex rose for the fourth day and ended 514.56 points higher at 51,937.44. Nifty gained 147.15 points to 15,582.80. Here's a look at stocks which are likely to remain in news today. Infosys: Co-founder S D Shibulal purchased shares of Infosys worth nearly Rs 93 crore through an open market transaction. This is for the fifth time in May when Shibulal has bought shares of the IT firm through an open market deal. Greenply Industries: Kolkata-based playboard major said it would invest Rs 115 crore for setting up of greenfield plywood and its allied products manufacturing plant in Uttar Pradesh. The plant is expected to be operational by March-April quarter of 2022. Canara Bank: The state-owned lender has appointed S K Majumdar as its chief financial officer with immediate effect. "S K Majumdar, general manager of the bank has been designated as Chief Financial Officer of the bank with immediate effect from May 31, 2021 in place of V Ramachandra, chief general manager," the bank said. UPL: The agro-chemical major has appointed Ashish Dobhal as Regional Director for India. He takes over from Sameer Tandon, who has now been appointed as Regional Director for ASEANZ (Australia, Southeast Asia and New Zealand). Magma Fincorp: The non-banking finance firm reported widening of its consolidated net loss to Rs 647.72 crore in Q4 on accelerated write-offs and provisions. Jammu & Kashmir Bank: The state-owned lender said its board would meet on June 4 to consider the plan to infuse Rs 500 crore by J-K government. A meeting of the board of directors will be held on Friday (June 4) to consider and discuss the proposal of capital infusion. Websol Energy System: Kolkata-based manufacturer of solar cells and modules reported a net profit of Rs 3.53 crore in Q4 against a net loss of Rs 5.07 crore in the quarter ended on March 31, 2020. ITC : The FMCG firm will announce its earnings for Q4 and 2020-21 fiscal today. Madras High Court has directed Tamil Nadu government to designate a senior official of the Directorate of Industrial Safety by Tuesday to investigate whether COVID-19 protocols were followed at the automaker Renault-Nissan's plant in the state. The bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy was hearing public interest litigation (PIL) filed by the workers union of the plant. The PIL challenged a State Revenue and Disaster Management order dated May 8 which permitted the carmaker to start work at the factory provided COVID-related protocols were followed. Workers asserted in this petition the employer cannot avail of lockdown exemptions without complying with COVID-19 protocol particularly social distancing. They further mentioned that following social distancing is not feasible due to the production procedures, especially in the assembly line. The bench stated the social distancing norms should be followed without exception and the management and workers need to arrive at a solution for the same during the week. It added that the management or workmen can request the government official concerned to mediate between the two sides if necessary. Employer should indicate the number of workmen affected including those hospitalised and those at home, the bench mentioned. The court also hoped for an amicable resolution to be reported when the matter is heard on Friday. Operations at the Chennai plant of Renault-Nissan have been impacted as many workers were not reporting for work citing the second COVID-19 wave. The company had suspended operations at the plant for five days from May 26 citing demands from workers to temporarily stop production in view of the rise in COVID-19 cases in the state. A Union source told news agency PTI, "Today, many of us, out of the 8,000 employees here at the plant, including contract labourers, are staying away from work." Edited by Mehak Agarwal; with PTI inputs Also read: M&M-owned South Korean auto firm SsangYong Motor's woes continue Also read: Suzuki Motorcycle India eyes increase in exports to developed markets Highlights Poco F3 GT will arrive in Q3 in India. Dimensity 1200 SoC will power it. It is supposed to be priced under Rs 25,000. The smartphone gaming industry has seen a sudden surge in India. While there are a bunch of high-end gaming smartphones, we barely see any gaming-focused smartphones in the midrange segment. In order to fill that void, Xiaomi's relatively newer sub-brand Poco is planning to launch the Poco F3 GT soon in India. Recently Poco executive confirmed that the smartphone would launch in Q3 in India. In addition to that, the Director of Poco India, Anuj Sharma, shared a 30-second clip. The clip reveals that the Poco F3 GT will be powered by Mediatek's flagship Dimensity 1200 SoC. Further, the tweet talks about gaming triggers. The details in the tweet align with a previous leak that said that the Poco F3 GT would be a rebadged version of Redmi K40 gaming launched in China last month. Now that the launch of the Poco F3 GT is on the cards, we decided to detail the specs, features, pricing and everything else we know about this device. Poco F3 FT specs and features --The Poco F3 GT will be a mid-range gaming smartphone that will possibly feature the same design and specs as the Redmi K40 gaming. It's pretty obvious that the device will come with gaming aesthetics and triggers to differentiate it from other devices in the segment. --Poco has already confirmed that Dimensity 1200 SoC powers the smartphone. This is the same chipset that powers the recently launched Realme X7 Max. Besides this, the device was listed on an American e-commerce website with model number M2104K10I along with its specifications. --Surprisingly, the Poco F3 GT on the website is priced at USD 1,299 (Rs 95,325 roughly ) for the 6GB RAM + 128GB storage variant. It's obvious that the price mentioned is incorrect as the same variant of the Redmi K40 gaming goes for CNY 1,999 (Rs 22,870 roughly). --Through the same listing, we know that the Poco F3 GT features a 6.7 inch AMOLED display with FHD+ resolution. We suppose the display will have a refresh rate of 144Hz, as seen on the Redmi K40 gaming. As mentioned before, the smartphone will be powered by Mediatek Dimensity 1200 SoC. It is an octa-core SoC based on a 6nm manufacturing process and coupled with Arm Mali-G77 MC9 GPU. --We have learnt that the Poco F3 GT will come with 6G of RAM and 128GB of onboard storage. However, we are presuming Poco will launch a few more storage variants alongside. --In the camera department, the Poco F3 GT is supposed to feature a triple camera setup consisting of a 64-megapixel primary camera, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide lens and another 2-megapixel macro shooter. Whereas on the front, it is expected to hold a 16-megapixel shooter for selfies. We are guessing the front camera will be capable of shooting 4K 30fps videos, whereas the rear video capability on the front camera will be capped at 1080p 30fps. --The Poco F3 GT is expected to bring support for WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, USB Type-C and GPS. It may also feature an IR-blaster. As far as battery life is concerned, the smartphone is supposed to get a 5065mAh battery with support for 67W fast charging. Not to miss, the device may ship with Android 11 with MIUI 12.5 on top. Poco F3 GT India launch A Poco official has already confirmed that the smartphone is coming in Q3 in India. From what we have learnt, the Poco F3 GT will be available in the month of July. Poco F3 GT India price Like the Redmi K40 gaming, the Poco F3 GT will be a mid-range smartphone that is supposed to be priced under Rs 25000 in India. To provide some perspective, the base variant of Redmi K40 gaming with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage was launched at a starting price of CNY 1,999 (Rs. 22,800 roughly), whereas the top variant with 12GB of RAM and 256 of onboard storage goes for CNY 2,699 (roughly Rs. 30,800). Highlights Vietnam Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh also asked local authorities to find a vaccine supply. The Vietnam Health Ministry is also reportedly providing 2,00,000 vaccine doses each to Bac Giang and Bac Ninh. Bac Giang province, which houses some Apple and Samsung suppliers, is currently in the process of reopening factories that were closed at four industrial parks. The Vietnam government has asked Samsung and other Apple supplier companies to secure Covid 19 vaccines for its workers as the country is witnessing a surge in the number of infections. The health ministry is also reportedly providing 2,00,000 vaccine doses each to Bac Giang and Bac Ninh -- provinces with the two highest community infection cases from April 27 to May 30, with Bac Giang generating 2,118 cases while Bac Ninh reached 804 during the period. Chief of the industrial park management board for the northern province of Bac Ninh, Bui Hoang Mai, told Bloomberg "The government is encouraging companies to find Covid-19 vaccines for their workers." Workers are anticipated to be vaccinated with the supplies within one week. Vietnam Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh also asked local authorities to find a vaccine supply, the publication cited the government website reported. Bac Giang province, which houses some Apple and Samsung suppliers, is currently in the process of reopening factories that were closed at four industrial parks. Authorities have also requested factories to set up on-site sleeping arrangements and other procedures so that the on-site operations continue running while containing the virus. Reuters quoted a human resources manager at an electronic parts manufacturer in Bac Ninh who said workers were living and working within the industrial zones, with office space temporarily converted into worker accommodation. Apple-related factories have also split their workforce over two shifts to avoid factory shutdowns. Bac Giang's total is more than half the 4,034 local infections recorded in 34 cities across the country. Bac Ninh, where Samsung Electronics has significant operations, imposed a curfew and other travel restrictions on Tuesday, Reuters reported. Vietnam accounts for half of Samsung's global phone and tablet production. Vietnam's government urged Bac Ninh and Bac Giang provinces to boost efforts to prevent a Covid-19 outbreak disrupting industrial production. LG, Foxconn, and Luxshare have operations or supply chain companies in the area. According to Vietnam's health ministry, over 1 million people in the country, or about 1 per cent of the nation's population, have received at least a first vaccine dose, while just over 28,500 are fully vaccinated. Vietnam has recorded 4,163 local virus cases from April 27 out of a total of 7,168 patients and 47 deaths, according to the health ministry. Highlights WhatsApp has finally appointed its grievance officer for India. WhatsApp has named Paresh B Lal as the grievance for India. WhatsApp has updated on its website that Lal can be contacted through a post box in Banjara Hills. WhatsApp has finally appointed its grievance officer for India. The Facebook-owned messaging app has named Paresh B Lal as the grievance for India. WhatsApp has updated on its website that Lal can be contacted through a post box in Banjara Hills in Hyderabad, Telangana. WhatsApp along with other companies including Google, Facebook complied with the government's new IT order that requires the tech companies to appoint a grievance officer from India. WhatsApp and the government of India locked horns over new IT rules imposed by the government. The tech companies were supposed to accept the new policies by May 25, but none of the companies had complied with order by then. WhatsApp had dragged the government to the Delhi High court over new the traceability rule which the company said were against its own privacy policy. However, WhatsApp complied with the other rule that required the company to appoint a grievance officer, nodal officer and a chief compliance officer from India. Whatsapp has now updated its FAQ page and shared how users can contact the grievance officer. The instant messaging app has shared that users can contact the office for the following reasons WhatsApp Terms of Service, WhatsApp India payment, Questions about your account. "To contact the Grievance Officer, please send an email with your complaint or concern and sign with an electronic signature. If you're contacting us about a specific account, please include your phone number in the full international format, including the country code," the FAQ page read. Whatsapp has also shared the complete address of grievance officer Paresh B Lal. Here is where you can contact him:- Paresh B Lal WhatsApp Attention: Grievance Officer Post Box No. 56 Road No. 1, Banjara Hills Hyderabad - 500 034 Telangana, India The Facebook-owned messaging app had warned users against using the Grievance Officer channel for any law enforcement requests or to serve any legal process. As per news agency PTI, not only WhatsApp but other companies including Google have started updating their websites informing about the appointment of grievance officers. Google has displayed the name of Joe Grier as the contact person Under the IT law, social media companies are required to display the names and other details of their grievance officers on their websites. The officer is required to address the complaint within 24 hours and dispose of the complaint within 15 days. Facebook-owned global messaging platform WhatsApp has announced the appointment of its grievance officer for India amid a legal battle with the Centre over privacy issues. The company said the grievance officer can be contacted directly if anyone has concerns regarding their experience on WhatsApp. "As part of expanding our operations in India, we continue to work alongside government authorities to keep our users safe. We have appointed a Grievance Officer based in India, who can be contacted directly if a user has a concern about their WhatsApp experience and is unable to report it through other channels," a blogpost on the messaging platform said. The appointment comes days after WhatsApp sued the Centre in Delhi High court over the issue of "privacy" on May 26. The lawsuit requests the Delhi High Court that one of the rules under the new social media guidelines is in violation of the right to "privacy" in India. This rule requires social media companies to reveal the identity of "the first originator of information" when government authorities ask for it. The Centre has clarified that it respects the right to privacy and does not have any intention to violate it. It said WhatsApp's last moment challenge to the Intermediary Guidelines is an unfortunate attempt to prevent the same from coming into effect, even when they had sufficient time and opportunity available during the consultation process and after the rules were enacted. Also read: MeitY defends new social media rules after WhatsApp lawsuit, assures right to privacy "The rules only empower the ordinary users of social media when they become victims of abuse and misuse," Minister of Electronics and Information Technology Ravishankar Prasad posted on micro-blogging platform Koo, and also tweeted on May 27. Other digital companies like Google and Facebook have also begun updating their websites to reflect the appointment of the grievance officers under the new social media rules that came into effect recently. The new rules require significant social media intermediaries - those with other 50 lakh users - to appoint a grievance officer, nodal officer and a chief compliance officer. They are required to be resident in India. Non-compliance with the rules would result in these platforms losing the intermediary status that provides them immunity from liabilities over any third-party data hosted by them. In other words, they could be liable for criminal action in case of complaints. After the new norms came into effect on May 26, the IT Ministry had turned up the heat on significant social media companies, asking them to immediately report compliance and provide details of the three key officials appointed. Also read: WhatsApp users should not fear new social media rules: Ravi Shankar Prasad Here's how you can contact WhatsApp's grievance officer You can contact the grievance officer based in India with complaints or concerns, WhatsApp Terms of Service, WhatsApp India Payments Terms of Service and questions about accounts on the platform. To contact the grievance officer, send an email with your complaint or concern and sign with an electronic signature. If you're contacting the company about a specific account, please include your phone number in the full international format, including the country code. Also read: Google, Facebook begin updating websites to reflect appointment of grievance officers under IT rules You can also contact the grievance officer via post at the following address: Paresh B Lal WhatsApp Attention: Grievance Officer Post Box No. 56 Road No. 1, Banjara Hills Hyderabad - 500 034 Telangana, India If you have a concern regarding usage of WhatsApp or processing of your information, you can either visit WhatsApp's help centre or contact it online. For online complaint, go to WhatsApp settings> tap help> then 'contact us'. You can also contact the company through WhatsApp. If you want to contact the company about UPI based payments on WhatsApp, you have to follow these steps: Open WhatsApp Settings > tap Payments > Help, or Open WhatsApp Settings > tap Payments > Payments History > Transaction Details > Help, or Tap the payment message > Transaction Details, or Call 1800-212-8552 between the hours of 7:00AM to 8:00PM IST Also read: Facebook aims to comply with India's IT rules Also read: Govt announces new guidelines for social media, aims to track down first originator of mischievous content Also read: Remove questionable content within 36 hrs; assist in probe by 72 hrs: Govt's new social media norms CPC always puts people, lives first 09:07, June 01, 2021 By Zhang Xiangyang ( People's Daily A medical worker takes medical supplies to a makeshift treatment room established in Yangbi Yi autonomous county in southwest China's Yunnan province, May 22, 2021. (Peoples Daily/Liang Zhiqiang) In disaster relief, to take people's lives and safety as the top priority has remained a firm commitment of the Communist Party of China (CPC). After a 6.4-magnitude earthquake jolted Yangbi Yi Autonomous County in southwest China's Yunnan province and a 7.4-magnitude earthquake hit Madoi County of Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Qinghai province, in late May, the State Council's earthquake relief headquarters took swift actions to implement the decisions made by the CPC Central Committee. Its subordinate organizations also acted quickly, sending 10 work teams to the quake-hit areas. The Ministry of Emergency Management dispatched two working groups to the two places. A joint earthquake response was immediately launched. The working groups, together with the local governments, carried out search and rescue work in a thorough manner so ensure that no village, household and people was left behind. They did their utmost to rescue and treat wounded people, bringing the number of causalities to the lowest level. They transferred quake-affected people to safer places and helped them settle down in a timely manner, guaranteeing the basic livelihood of these people while satisfying their need for epidemic control materials and medical supplies. Such efforts manifested the notion of putting the people and their lives in the first place adopted by the CPC. Thanks to such efforts, many schools in Madoi County have resumed classes, with students having classes inside 184 tents that serve as temporary classrooms, while quake-stricken people in Yangbi, once a stop along the ancient Tea Horse Road, are provided with enough food, clothes, safe temporary homes and clean water. Back in 2008, a picture in which a soldier held in his arms a baby he had just saved from the earthquake that jolted Wenchuan County in southwest Chinas Sichuan province touched the whole country. The innocent look of the child, together with the joyful smile seen on the face of the soldier made the picture powerful even today. The rescue teams were the first to arrive at the disaster areas after the earthquakes occurred in Lushan, Jiuzhaigou and Changning in southwest Chinas Sichuan province, and Ludian in Yunnan province. The CPC members always charged forward in disaster relief, just as they had promised to do so. In every disaster, the CPC and the central government always put peoples lives and safety first by doing their utmost as long as theres still a ray of hope. In the fight against the COVID-19 epidemic, the country did not give up hope, but did its best to save all infected patients, the youngest being an infant who was infected just 30 hours after being born and the oldest a 108-year-old patient. In 2020, when floods swept southern China, CPC members, including those from the Central Committee of the CPC, and those from local Party organizations, all contributed their efforts to the fight against the floods. Facts have proven that the ultimate purpose of the CPC in leading revolutions, and carrying out construction and reforms is to create a better life for the people. The CPC will remain committed to this aspiration no matter how hard it is challenged and pressured, how huge sacrifices it has to make and how big the price it has to pay. (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) Videos Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. Whats new: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged European countries to put aside any distrust and misgivings after Lithuania pulled out of the China-led 17+1 group of Central and Eastern European nations. From Saturday to Monday, Wang met with the foreign ministers of Poland, Serbia, Ireland and Hungary in the southwestern Chinese city of Guiyang, where they reached wide-ranging consensus, according to a statement released Tuesday by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We all agree that we should pay attention to and calmly reflect on the current difficulties in China-Europe relations, Wang said, adding that the right approach for both sides is to launch constructive dialogue, enhance mutual understanding. Whats the background: Last month, Lithuania quit the 17+1 group, which China initiated after the 2012 eurozone crisis to promote cooperation and investment with 18 European countries. The Baltic state announced its withdrawal was for practical purposes, and called on other EU countries to follow suit. There is no such thing as 17+1 anymore as for practical purposes Lithuania is out, the countrys Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis was quoted by Politico as saying. From our perspective, it is high time for the EU to move from a dividing 16+1 format to a more uniting and therefore much more efficient 27+1, Landsbergis said. Quick Takes are condensed versions of China-related stories for fast news you can use. Contact reporter Cai Xuejiao (xuejiaocai@caixin.com) and editor Michael Bellart (michaelbellart@caixin.com) Download our app to receive breaking news alerts and read the news on the go. Get our weekly free Must-Read newsletter. In todays Caixin energy news wrap: Power supply shortage looms in southern China provinces as demand rises; China launches first system to track power companies carbon emissions in real time; Shanghai Electric warns of risks linked to subsidiarys financial troubles, and more crypto miners are forced to close in Inner Mongolia. China launches first real-time carbon emissions monitoring system Chinas first high-accuracy carbon emissions measurement system for the electricity industry officially went into operation Thursday in Jiangsu province, the Securities Times reported Sunday. While power companies carbon emission were previously calculated mainly based on coal consumption, the new system can conduct real-time monitoring of carbon emissions. Accurate and reliable carbon emissions data are the foundation of the carbon trade. Southern provinces feel pressures of tighter power supply Power consumption in five provinces and regions in southern China continued rising amid accelerating economic recovery and hot weather, straining the regions electricity system, China Southern Power Grid Co. Ltd. said. The Southern Grids total power distribution as of May 29 reached 502.9 billion kilowatt-hours, up 23.7% from the previous year. Guangdong province adopted measures to ensure orderly supply of power across the province while Yunnan started limiting certain companies power usage. Inner Mongolia shuts down 35 cryptocurrency mining companies North Chinas Inner Mongolia shut down 35 cryptocurrency mining companies as of the end of April as part of its efforts to slash energy consumption over the next few years. According to preliminary statistics, the closure of the electricity gobbling enterprises may save 5.2 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity a year, equivalent to more than 1.6 million tons of standard coal, the official Xinhua News Agency reported. The autonomous region has initiated a series of measures to crack down on the crypto mining business in the region to meet its energy-saving goals. Fujian plans worlds largest stainless steel production facility Fuan city in southern Chinas Fujian province will build up stainless steel production capacity totaling 7 million tons, the worlds largest, according to the China Metallurgical News. The city currently has capacity to produce stainless steel products of around 550,000 tons. Tsingtuo Group, a unit of Tsingshan Holding Group Company Limited, will be the leading player in the plan. Shanghai Electric unit reports $1.4 billion of overdue accounts receivable State-owned power giant Shanghai Electric (688660.SH) Sunday warned investors of potential risks related to massive accounts receivable at one of its subsidiaries. Shanghai Electric Communication Technologies, 40% owned by Shanghai Electric, had approximately 8.7 billion yuan ($1.4 billion) of accounts receivable as of May 30 that were generally overdue. The unit faces the risk of not being able to recover a significant amount of the receivables, Shanghai Electric said. The unit has 7.7 billion yuan of unpaid loans to Shanghai Electric. Ganfeng Lithium unit plans to expand lithium salt lake project in Argentina Ganfeng Lithium Co. Ltd.s subsidiary Minera Exar will launch a feasibility assessment of expanding production of the Cauchari-Olaroz lithium salt lake project in Argentina, Ganfeng Lithium said. The decision reflects the sites rich lithium resources and strong market demand for high-end lithium salt products. It has a planned post-expansion production capacity of at least 20,000 tons of lithium carbonate equivalent. Steel prices drop under regulatory pressure Steel prices retreated after surging to record highs in early May following a series of regulatory moves to rein in the white-hot market. The price of steel billet in Tangshan closed at 4,880 yuan ($766.20) per ton Friday, down 15% from the May peak. The dominant contracts for SHFE deformed steel bar futures and hot rolled coil dropped nearly 20% from the May peaks. Steel prices are hovering around early-April levels after top policymakers targeted the surge in commodity prices. Several central government ministries held meetings last week with major commodity producers calling for them to maintain price stability. Contact editors Han Wei (weihan@caixin.com) and Bob Simison (bobsimison@caixin.com) Download our app to receive breaking news alerts and read the news on the go. Follow the Chinese markets in real time with Caixin Globals new stock database. A unit of the embattled HNA Group has reaffirmed plans to sell off U.S.-based technology-products distributor Ingram Micro, cheering investors interested in seeing the debt-ridden Chinese conglomerate divest its hoard of assets. Photo: VCG (Nikkei Asia) HNA Technology Co. Ltd.s share price went limit-up Monday, following reaffirmation of the sale of its U.S.-based technology-products distributor, Ingram Micro Inc. The yuan-denominated A-shares of HNA Tech, which trade on the Shanghai Stock Exchange, jumped 10% to 2.92 yuan shortly after the open and remained there until the end of the trading day. The companys U.S.-dollar denominated B-shares, which trade freely among foreign investors, also rose 10% to close at 26.5 U.S. cents. The gains followed fresh announcements Sunday night on HNA Techs divestment of Ingram Micro. The deal was first announced in December, when U.S. investment firm Platinum Equity agreed to pay $7.2 billion for the unit. In February, however, a bankruptcy petition filed by creditors of HNA Group Co. Ltd., the ultimate parent of HNA Tech, was accepted by the Hainan Province High Peoples Court. The court ruled in mid-March that it would pursue the restructuring procedures by consolidating HNA Group with 320 of its affiliates. HNA Group was once among Chinas most acquisitive conglomerates, buying up assets such as the Radisson hotel chain, aviation services company Swissport Group and stakes in Deutsche Bank AG and airlines and airports, in addition to Ingram Micro, in countries as far flung as Brazil, Australia, Ghana, Turkey and South Africa. HNA Tech is not on the court-led bankruptcy reorganization list, but its controlling shareholder, HNA Technology Group Co. Ltd. and a few of its affiliates are, and there are 5.58 billion yuan ($876.1 million) in loan guarantees made to those group companies. Various lawsuits have been filed against HNA Tech by banks and other financial institutions. The announcement over the weekend served as affirmation of the deal that had been agreed to before the restructuring. The deals price tag is now $7.4 billion, as Ingram Micros valuation has climbed since December. One retail investor in an online forum on the Chinese mainland wrote Monday: Debt-burdened HNA Tech can finally shrug off its heavy debt load, collect the cash and move forward in a lighter body. Some retail investors are cheering the fact that Guohua Life Insurance Co. Ltd., which holds a 14.3% stake in HNA Tech as well as a board seat, is opposed to the transaction, apparently holding out for a better deal. Even though the board recently passed a set of 16 resolutions to push forward with the existing deal, Zhu Yingfeng, vice president of the insurer who doubles as a director on HNA Techs board, voted against all proposals on the table. According to a statement on Monday, Zhu said Ingram Micro is a rare and commendable high-quality asset, as its financial performance in recent years has indicated. Its net sales in the first 13 weeks of this year stood at $13.44 billion, up 23% compared with the same period a year earlier, while its net income jumped 89% to $172.75 million. Given the new circumstances, in which Ingram Micros performance is entering a new and positive phase, the company will have to seriously consider that and try various other channels and strategies to seek a buyer that can provide a better offer price in order to further enhance the companys profitability, Zhu said in the statement. HNA Tech spent $5.98 billion to buy 100% of Ingram Micro in December 2016. Most of the funding came from bank loans, but Guohua Life provided 4 billion yuan ($627.8 million) to help complete the deal. HNA Techs shareholders are set to vote on whether to move forward with the current deal on June 16. Ingram Micro said earlier this month that the acquisition by Platinum Equity LLC was expected to close at the end of June. Before the vote by HNA Techs shareholders, HNA Groups creditors are scheduled to gather Friday for their first official creditors meeting. It is unclear whether Guohua Life will take any action at that time. Tianmao Group, the Shenzhen-listed parent of the insurer, did not immediately respond to queries from Nikkei Asia. Ingram Micro and Platinum Equity also did not immediately respond to separate requests for comment. This story was first published in Nikkei Asia. Download our app to receive breaking news alerts and read the news on the go. Get our weekly free Must-Read newsletter. The first-day gain was the eighth biggest of the year on a U.S. exchange, out of more than 450 listings of $100 million or more Jun 12, 2021 01:02 PM Become A Subscriber A subscription opens up access to all our online content, including: our interactive E-Edition, a full archive of modern stories, exclusive and expanded online offerings, photo galleries from Caledonian-Record journalists, video reports from our media partners, extensive international, national and regional reporting by the Associated Press, and a wide variety of feature content. Karen E. Knudsen, MBA, PhD, is the chief executive officer of the American Cancer Society (ACS) and its advocacy affiliate, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action NetworkSM (ACS CAN). As a well-respected cancer leader, researcher, and advocate, Dr. Knudsen guides the organization on our mission to save lives, celebrate lives, and lead the fight for a world without cancer. She has a strong commitment to ensuring that all people can benefit from the impact of our work. Prior to joining ACS, Dr. Knudsen served as executive vice president of Oncology Services and enterprise director for Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson Health, one of only 71 National Cancer Institute-designated cancer centers recognized for their research and impact on cancer outcomes. While at Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson Health, Dr. Knudsen experienced firsthand how ACS improves the lives of cancer patients and their families through discovery, advocacy, and patient support. As a National Cancer Institute-funded researcher, Dr. Knudsen understands the critical role government plays in saving lives from cancer. She also served as president for the Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI), which is an important voice in advocating for funding for cancer research and access to care, including patient access to research innovations. AACI is a member of the One Voice Against Cancer Coalition, which was founded by ACS CAN in 2000 to bring public health organizations together to advocate for greater federal investments in cancer research. Dr. Knudsen currently holds leadership roles with some of the most important cancer entities in the nation. She serves on the board of advisors for the National Cancer Institute and on 12 external advisory boards for NCI-designated cancer centers. She is an active member of several committees with the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO), in addition to serving on other academic and for-profit advisory boards. She previously served as president of the Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI), representing the 102 leading cancer centers in North America, and on the board of directors of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). Dr. Knudsen holds a bachelor's degree in biology from the George Washington University; a PhD in biological sciences from the University of California San Diego; and an MBA from Temple University Fox School of Business. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband, Brian Costello, and their two children, Dylan, 22, and Liam, 17. To send Dr. Knudsen feedback or questions feel free to email her at karen.e.knudsen@cancer.org Do you have an athlete in mind that contributes to the team or sport, holds sportsmanship and team spirit, has epic playmaker moments and/or in general makes the the sports fun? If yes, please make your nominations for our edition of Athlete Spotlight. CLICK TO NOMINATE In this Friday, Dec. 13, 2019, file photo, Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his partner Carrie Symonds wave from the steps of number 10 Downing Street in London. U.K. newspapers are reporting that Prime Minister Johnson and his fiancee Symonds married Saturday, May 29, 2021, in a small private ceremony in London. The Mail on Sunday and the Sun said the couple wed at the Roman Catholic Westminster Cathedral in front of a small group of friends and family. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File) Brian Walter takes a photograph of his late father's gravestone at the All Faiths Cemetery in the Queens borough of New York, Sunday, April 11, 2021. John Walter died from the coronavirus May 10, 2020. (AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski) Cedar Point town manager David Rief wants code enforcement officer Kaitlin DeGrasse to begin a cleanup effort along Highway 24 in town, seen here. (Brad Rich photo) Boulder - Barbara Ann Keirana, of Boulder, Colo., passed away on May 12, 2021. She was 87 years old. An out of state celebration of her life will be held at a future date. Barbara's final resting place will be with her husband, Alan Keiran, at Ft. Logan Naional Cemetery in Denver. Howe Mortu Studying the leadership dynamics demonstrated by Dr Bonnie Henry, an outstanding doctor and scientist in her field we see her as exemplary in many areas. Beyond her impeccable integrity and understated confidence, notice for example how she will continually take the high ground and is kind and respectful in the face of a pedestrian view that would argue against vaccines when more than 5O countries and thousand of scientists and international science based research agencies approve the miracle that vaccines are. No surprise when in great humility she wins Citizen of the Year or possibly the Order of Canada making BC proud and honoured. And so as we near the end of the pandemic let's be steadfast in our safeguards and collaborative with our public figures and not search for cute contractions in the messaging and, to suit ourselves, look for exemptions from public health orders and guidelines. Commendable as we are to Dr Henry we don't over look Adrian Dix. We equally applaud the sacrifices of our steadfast health care workers, citizenry and the outstanding job businesses did around managing numbers, masks and social distancing. Thank you. David Broda I'm still waiting for the Pro-Narrative faction of our divided society to explain how Texas and Arizona can be totally open for business, maskless, and vaccine-passport defiant. It seems barely a week goes by that another state (now Ohio) banishes the mask of burden to the history books. Yet here in BC, Bankrupt Bonnie is still dragging this out to the death, claws gripped tightly onto the health restrictions desperately reluctant to release us from her diktats of misery & suffering. She looks tired. Perhaps releasing the restrictions through the BC Reopening Plan will ease her burden, freeing her up to write more books. Optimism at last, but it's all very plodding and cautious. It was interesting to see Albert De Villiers commenting that it seems about 50% of deaths at Spring Valley so far have been vaccinated people. Yet we are told that vaccines are effective. Dr. De Villiers said about half of the people who've died at the facility had not been vaccinated, "because of various reasons." Are the various reasons possibly that the deceased were at end of life stage and would have died anyway? Did they die OF or WITH covid? The vagueness of The Narrative is always cause for concern. We could possibly have a scenario where of the 10 deceased, 100% of not-at-end-of-life deaths, were vaccinated. When acclaimed public health experts can't provide a detailed explanation, questions must be asked. The Narrative must be challenged. If experts can't provide accurate testimony around 10 deaths, how can the public have any trust in their handling of the bigger picture? If the vaccine is supposed to fix all our woes, why isn't it fixing all our woes? Because clearly, just like the Seychelles, vaccinated people are still dying. Now we have The Narrative throwing everything at this. $1M USD lottery tickets, hamburgers, free flights, ice cream, and $50 bonuses in Detroit for convincing someone to get vaccinated. Discrimination and coercion were outlawed, but I guess Nuremberg was a long time ago and people forget. We also have Dr De Villiers using the asymptomatic spread propaganda as if he is stuck in a time warp and it's still March 2020. Meanwhile in the US, the CDC is investigating cases of myocarditis in youth vaccinations. Yet Health Canada is authorizing vaccination for 12+ years. Is this the best option, for a demographic who has more chance of winning the lottery, simultaneously being hit by space debris, while seeing an alien riding a sasquatch, than being killed by COVID. We are considering another 1M doses of AstraZeneca when we're not sure what's causing the associated blood clots. There doesn't seem to be much vaccine due diligence happening in Canada, and 15 months has gone by without utilizing effective treatments. So much avoidable misery. What IS happening is that mainstream media all across the world have finally woken from their slumber and are investigating Dr Fauci, linking him to funding gain of function research in Wuhan, and following the money trail. And investigating the two Chinese scientists who got mysteriously ill back in November 2019. All these issues have been a backbone of conspiracy theories for over 12 months, so it's nice to finally see some conspiracy facts coming to light. Debbie Fortais may not think we live in a communist country, but contrary to the communism deniers, Bill C10 certainly nudges us that way. After all, communists do like to suppress free speech at every opportunity. In a communist society, the individual's best interests are indistinguishable from the society's best interest. The idea of individual freedom is incompatible with a communist ideology. Indeed, Bill C10 is a step further down the communist rabbit hole. Health tyrant mantras of the greater good and being all in this together follow similar ideologies. Personal responsibility and choice become history. At least freedom beckons, and hopefully after July 1 those that still wish to wear multimasks will be free to do so. We need facts, truth, and honesty more than ever. This obfuscating fog is and always has been unacceptable. Ricky Daytona, West Kelowna Photo: The Canadian Press Statistics Canada says the economy grew at an annual rate of 5.6 per cent in the first quarter of the year. The figure for the first three months of the year is better than the contraction first forecast months ago, but still represents a slowdown from the 9.6 per cent annualized growth seen over the last three months of 2020. The economic boost was aided by the loosening of public health restrictions that helped increases in goods-producing and services sectors. The statistics agency says the quarter ended with an increase of 1.1 per cent in real gross domestic product in March, following the 0.4 per cent registered in February. Construction expanded for the third consecutive quarter, driven by construction of single-family homes and renovations as Canadians looked to improve their houses or find a larger space. Statistics Canada notes output in the public sector contributed the most to growth service-producing industries in the first quarter, including health care. At the end of the quarter, Statistics Canada says overall economic activity was one per cent below the levels seen pre-pandemic in February 2020. Statistics Canada also estimates the second quarter started with a stumble, with a drop in economic output of 0.8 per cent for April, which would be the first decline since April 2020. The agency says April's decline would leave overall economic activity about two per cent below pre-pandemic levels in February 2020. CIBC chief economist Avery Shenfeld writes that investors are already looking past the rest of the second quarter, hoping vaccinations will pave the way for stronger growth in the second half of the year. Photo: The Canadian Press A miner taps material in a flash furnace at the Vale smelter complex in Copper Cliff, Ont. on Wednesday December 8, 2010. A steelworkers union in Sudbury, Ont., is going on strike for the first time in over 10 years after a majority of its members rejected a tentative deal with Vale Canada.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Gino Donato A steelworkers union in Sudbury, Ont., is going on strike for the first time in more than 10 years after a majority of its members rejected a tentative deal with Vale Canada. United Steelworkers Local 6500, which represents 2,600 members in the Sudbury area, says 87 per cent of its members voted on the deal, 70 per cent of whom voted to reject the agreement. The news comes after the union's bargaining committee unanimously recommended members vote for the tentative deal. Local 6500s bargaining committee says its newly energized with the results of the vote and its work isnt finished. The Brazilian mining company says the strike will result in operation disruptions at the Sudbury location and they will be continuing discussions with Local 6500 to hopefully approve an agreement in the near future. Vale has not confirmed when labour talks will resume. Photo: The Canadian Press Federal Supreme Court Justice Richard Wagner (left) confers with his colleague Supreme Court Justice Morris Fish in Ottawa, Monday December 10 2012. A retired Supreme Court justice is calling for significant changes to how the Canadian Armed Forces deals with allegations of sexual misconduct following a months-long review of Canada' military justice system. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Fred Chartrand A retired Supreme Court justice has found that sexual misconduct in the military is as pervasive and destructive now as it was six years ago, and that significant changes are required to address the problem. Morris Fish's findings are contained in an at-times scathing report tabled in the House of Commons on Tuesday following a months-long review of the military justice system that was required by law. Yet while the report was greeted with promises of action from the Liberal government and military commanders, several experts on military sexual misconduct lamented what they saw as the governments continued failure to address the issue head on. The Fish report comes amid frustration and anger over how the government and Canadian Armed Forces have handled sexual misconduct allegations, particularly when it comes to those against top commanders. Fish's review was launched last November, before the public emergence of those allegations, and involved a detailed look at the whole of the military justice system, which works in parallel with the civilian system and applies only to Canadian Armed Forces members. The system has been at a crossroads over the past year following the failed prosecution of chief military judge Mario Dutil last year, and several constitutional challenges, including over the independence of the military's judiciary. While Fishs final report touched on these areas, it dedicated an entire chapter to the issue of sexual misconduct, which is currently the subject of a separate review by another retired Supreme Court justice, Louise Arbour. Fish reported that little has seemingly changed since a third retired Supreme Court justice, Marie Deschamps, released her own explosive report on sexual misconduct in the military in 2015. "The nature, extent and human cost of sexual misconduct in the CAF remain as debilitating, as rampant and as destructive in 2021 as they were in 2015," Fish wrote. To that end, Fish recommended a series of reforms to better investigate and prosecute inappropriate and criminal sexual behaviour, as well as measures to increase oversight and accountability of the military. Those include the creation of new infractions specifically for sexual and hateful misconduct, and elimination of the requirement that victims and their confidants report incidents to their superiors. The latter had been a key area of concern for advocates and experts, who have warned that the so-called "duty to report" was potentially harmful by exposing victims to retaliation. "I see no reason ... to delay removal of the present duty of victims to report their victimization to the chain of command, which impacts on their autonomy and, I have been told, risks their exposure to reprisals, ostracization and pressures to withdraw their complaint." Fish also added his voice to previous calls from advocates and others for the prompt implementation of a declaration of victims' rights, which Parliament passed as law in June 2019. A senior military officer told reporters during a technical briefing held on condition of anonymity Tuesday that work is underway on implementing the declaration, but that the COVID-19 pandemic had slowed consultation efforts. The official said she wants to see the declaration implemented no later than next spring. Until then, Fish said, sexual assaults should not be investigated or prosecuted by military authorities and instead referred to civilian counterparts. Military officers were noncommittal when asked about this recommendation, however, saying they would need to review it before deciding whether it should be implemented Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan later told reporters that while the government had accepted all 107 of Fishs recommendations in principle, he had directed the military to implement only 36 of them immediately. The rest, he said, would be reviewed. There is a lot of work in behind it that needs to be done, he said when asked for a timeline. But we do need to get this right. That prompted concern and frustration from several experts on military sexual misconduct given what they allege is a pattern in which governments and commanders promise to act, before the issue disappears from the public light and little gets done. What can I say about the governments response other than it is typical and not surprising, said Canadian Global Affairs Institute fellow Charlotte Duval-Lantoine. There is no clear transparency to what is going to be done, how and what short-term implementation means. Simon Fraser University professor Megan MacKenzie suggested the recommendations that the government has committed to, including the provision of free legal aid to victims, were low-hanging fruit and that the lack of details for implementing the others was unacceptable. You hear Sajjan saying: Well, we need to have some time to think about how to implement,' MacKenzie said. And in the meantime, you know, victims are being assaulted practically every day. The Conservatives and NDP placed the blame for what Fish suggested was a lack of progress in eliminating sexual misconduct from the military over the past six years at the feet of the Liberals, saying that inaction has violated the trust of serving members. Enough is enough, Conservative defence critic James Bezan said in a statement. The status quo must immediately change. Our women and men in uniform deserve better than this. Photo: The Canadian Press NDP member of Parliament Brian Masse, Critic for Telecommunications, discusses the CRTC's move to reverse their decision to drop wholesale internet rates during a press conference on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Tuesday, June 1, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick The federal New Democratic Party is backing calls from independent telecom companies for the government to overrule a recent decision on wholesale internet rates by Canada's telecommunications regulator. NDP telecom critic Brian Masse said Tuesday that consumers will pay the cost of last week's CRTC decision in which it reversed its own 2019 decision that would have substantially lowered wholesale internet prices that large telecom companies charge smaller firms to rent space on their networks. Some independent providers have already said they will have to taper expansion plans or raise consumer prices in response to the decision. New Democrats want the Trudeau government to restore the 2019 wholesale price decision, which never went into effect, and to compensate the smaller internet carriers, Masse said Tuesday in a virtual media briefing. The party also wants a return to having the CRTC regulate what consumers and businesses pay for essential services such as the internet, Masse said. "This product that we have is so essential for our schools, our education, social inclusion, involvement in our communities and obviously the economy," Masse said. Unlike some critics of the CRTC's apparent reversal, Masse pointed to the federal cabinet as the cause of the confusion rather than to the regulator itself, which interprets broad government policies to form detailed rules. "And it's unfortunate because it is undermining the credibility of the CRTC in many respects," Masse said. Innovation, Science and Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne was not available for comment Tuesday on the New Democrat statement. Conservative telecom critic Pierre Poilievre asked during question period Monday whether it is time to "change this uncompetitive oligopoly and provide more competition and choice to consumers." Champagne said Monday the government has been "relentless" in promoting competition to improve the quality, coverage and affordability of telecom services in Canada. Independent internet provider TekSavvy Solutions Inc. called on May 28for cabinet to overrule the CRTC and order the Competition Bureau to look into Canada's phone and cable companies. The Competition Bureau, another independent agency within Champagne's department, said it doesn't disclose whether it's conducting investigations but said it has received a request from TekSavvy. A number of independent internet companies have also called for CRTC chairman Ian Scott to resign or remove himself from proceedings where he may have a conflict of interest. The CRTC said Tuesday that it would not be commenting. The CRTC's latest decision, issued Thursday, found a number of errors in how it reached the 2019 conclusion, in part because it had to estimate some costs that weren't provided by some of the large companies. In light of these errors, the CRTC said it would disregard the 2019 decision and make most of the interim prices set in 2016 final essentially locking in higher internet rates rather than lowering them. Critics of the CRTC's about-face, including members of the Competitive Network Operators of Canada, which represents more than 30 wholesale customers of the bigger carriers, have said the decision means they will raise prices for their customers, change services or go out of business. Photo: Colin Dacre The old Tolko mill site in Kelowna The provincial government is promising to boost Indigenous engagement in forestry as it sets out on the largest series of policy updates for the sector since the early 2000s. Victorias plans would see it double the amount of replaceable forest tenure held by Indigenous nations from the current levels of 10%, according to the strategy unveiled on Tuesday. Mass timber projects are also set to be prioritized within the construction of public buildings as part of the modernization efforts. The province is currently facing significant pressures on its supply of timber owing to wildfires, the pine beetle infestation and withdrawals from the timber-harvesting land base. In a bid to navigate changes afoot within the sector, Victoria is committing to boosting both community participation, as well as ensuring that timber allocation supports market pricing. A total of 20 policy intentions serve as the backbone of the new strategy, which includes creating more opportunities to redistribute forest tenure. Tenure is the mechanism by which companies gain access to Crown land to harvest timber. The province is also seeking to offer clarity on compensation for lost harvesting rights and creating flexibility when forest licences need to be reduced. Other policy intentions include: Further define timber tenure transfer requirements Enhance revenue oversight for log exports More flexibility in how the minister of forests allocates timber Increased timber access for higher value domestic manufacturers The plan comes amid soaring demand for B.C. lumber, with prices going from between $550 and $600 per thousand board feet in March 2020, to $1,400 per thousand board by March 2021. Booming housing starts and home renovations in the U.S. and Canada, and a shrinking timber supply in B.C., traditionally one of North Americas biggest softwood lumber producers, have been the driving force behind the price surge. A specific timeline for deploying the provinces plan has not been set, however, updates are expected throughout the summer and fall. The provinces plan is based on three guiding principles: increased sector participation, enhanced stewardship and sustainability, and an enhanced social contract to give government more control over management of the sector. About 200,000 hectares of timber are harvested annually in B.C. within the 22 million hectares available for harvesting (B.C.s total land area amounts to 95 million hectares). Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription, or activate your access, to continue reading. Lafarge Canada releases EcoPlanet in the Pacific Northwest 01 June 2021 Lafarge Canada (LafargeHolcim group) has introduced the ultra-low carbon cement product, EcoPlanet to the Pacific Northwest, part of the companys Western Canadian market. The first round of EcoPlanet projects were completed along the western coast, under the leadership of Brad Kohl, president & CEO of Western Canada. The strength profile is the same as traditional Portland cement," he shares, but weve decreased CO 2 emissions from the manufacturing process by 35 per cent." Rene Thibault, LafargeHolcims Head of North America said: We have already made great strides in reducing our carbon footprint in an effort to meet our goals of more than a 20 per cent reduction in carbon intensity by 2030 (2018 baseline). Last year, we introduced EcoPact, our line of low-carbon concrete, and the introduction of EcoPlanet provides yet another sustainable solution for our customers and communities. EcoPlanet is the global brand applied to low carbon cements that show a reduction in CO 2 per tonne greater than 30 per cent, those which emit no more than 400kg of CO 2 /t, claims LafargeHolcim. Compared to standard Portland cements, which typically emit upwards of 900kg of CO 2 /t, the impact is significant. In Seattle (WA) an optimised mix of EcoPlanet cement and slag reduced emissions even further. "The emissions were reduced by 62 per cent," added Mr Thibault. "EcoPlanet far outpaces industry averages. Published under Vietnam's cement exports surge while domestic prices rise 01 June 2021 Vietnam's Department of Building Materials, Ministry of Construction, reports that in the first four months of 2021, the countrys consumption of cement products is estimated to reach 34.58Mt, up 16.5 per cent YoY. Domestic consumption accounted for around 19.44Mt, a slight increase over the same period last year, while cement exports surged to 65 per cent over 2020 to 15.14Mt. Besides gains in consumption, many cement companies also raised product prices. Accordingly, Vicem Hoang Mai Cement JSC has increased selling prices of all cement products by VND30,000/t (US$1.29/t) which apply for provinces including Thanh Hoa, Nghe An and Ha Tinh. Bim Son Cement JSC also raised its product prices by VND30,000/t from 21 April. Hoang Long Cement JSC, Long Son Co Ltd and Duyen Ha Co, Ltd increased their prices by VND40,000/t at the same time. Published under North Sulawesi exports 63,046t in May 01 June 2021 Indonesias North Sulawesi province exported 63,046t of cement to Taiwan, the Philippines and Malaysia in May 2021, according to the North Sulawesi Industry and Trade Office. The value of exports totalled US$2.18m, with Malaysian exports representing US$1.1m from 32,496t alongside US$763,750 from 32,496t sent to Taiwan. Cement is a relatively new export from North Sulawesi and the Industry and Trade Office is reportedly on the look for new markets. Published under Being Memorial Day, memories come flooding in of one of the Angels that God let me an others have the pleasure of knowing. I got to meet John Michael Sullivan while he was in high school at Sequoyah Technical Center (formerly Sequoyah Vocational Technical Center). He was the best over all in all of the automotive classes. Mr. Ervin Hickman was his instructor/advisor. I was the lead advisor, which meant I had to do organizing, paper work, and was the holder of the paperwork. John represented Sequoyah in the Tennessee Southeast Regional Skills USA Automotive Technology competition.He was the best over all in all of the automotive classes. Mr. Ervin Hickman was his instructor/advisor. I was the lead advisor, which meant I had to do organizing, paper work, and was the holder of the paperwork. I didn't know him that well until competition day. After a full day of competition, awards ceremony, we all cheered together. John smiling really big, then informed me after all the hoopla that he was going to ride with me back to school. I had a car of three girls besides myself. He would be the only guy. I told him he had to get Mr. Hickman's permission and he would have to ride the "Hump". He told me Mr. Hickman said it was fine. I walked over to verify he was given permission, which he was. I asked Ervin, why does John want to ride with me on a long ride back and on top of that, have to sit on the hump? He laughed and said, "Look! You're the car with the girls. I'd let him drive my truck and change places if I was as smart as him." We had the best time on that ride back from competition. John was a gentleman in every way. He made sure he lifted and carried every thing that needed to be loaded and unloaded too. John joined the Army after graduation. I lost contact with him because he was busy fighting for our Country. I later got the news that he had been killed in Iraq. He gave the ultimate sacrifice. He always gave his all. God has called another one of His Angels back to heaven. Until we meet again, amazing Warrior. Mary Reagan Patterson Starting today, vaccinated travelers planning to visit the Tennessee Aquarium can scratch one item off their packing checklist: a mask. In accordance with guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fully vaccinated guests arriving at the Aquarium or IMAX 3D Theater after 11 a.m. will no longer be required to wear a mask. The Aquarium will not require proof of vaccination, but members and visitors are asked to responsibly and respectfully cooperate with the mask guidance and safety protocols. Guests with special health concerns who wish to explore the River Journey and Ocean Journey buildings with complete peace of mind can visit during a new early bird admission window. All visitors ages five and up arriving during this period daily between opening and 11 a.m. will be required to wear a mask, regardless of vaccination status. To offer more opportunities for all guests to visit, the Aquariums hours of operation will expand in June. Monday-Thursday: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Fridays and Sundays: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturdays: 8 a.m.-6 p.m. These additional hours arrive just in time for the next phase of the Aquariums yearlong Global Passport Program celebration. Every month of the year, the Aquarium is shifting the focus of its online content and on-site signage to highlight species from a different continent. Guests visiting during the month of June will be encouraged to pay special attention to African animals, whether its rambunctious Ring-tailed Lemurs from Madagascar, surprisingly brainy Elephantnose Fish of the Congo River basin or the maze-patterned Mbu Pufferfish of Lake Tanganyika. Visitors can gain new insights into the Aquariums globe-spanning living collection via its free app, which was updated by Tennessee Tech University. In addition to offering helpful visitor info, the app now features a trio of Global Passport-themed games that challenge their memory and their mastery of wildlife trivia. While they explore, visitors also will notice that some exhibits previously closed due to health concerns have been reopened. These include interactive touchscreen games in the Turtles of the World gallery as well as beloved pop-up tanks that offer a unique, in-exhibit perspective on Giant Japanese Spider Crabs, the wave-tossed Vancouver Island coastline or the teeming waters of a Pascagoula River bayou. Additional elements that remain closed, including the Butterfly Garden and Lake Sturgeon touch tank, will be re-evaluated for reopening as conditions continue to improve. Across the street at the IMAX 3D Theater, Chattanoogas largest screen is now playing an all-new film, Great Bear Rainforest 3D. Guided by narrator and Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds, viewers are whisked away to the ancient, seldom-visited wilds of coastal British Columbias rugged temperate rainforest. This sprawling landscape is home to the worlds rarest bear species: the Spirit Bear. With a total population estimated at just a few dozen individuals, this genetic offshoot of the Black Bear is pure white and has almost never been captured on film. Great Bear Rainforest 3D offers stunning, unprecedented views of these rare bears and the many other amazing animals with which they share their home, including Sea Otters, Bald Eagles, Humpback Whales and Grey Wolves. Despite the removal of the Aquariums mask requirement for fully-vaccinated guests, other safety measures will remain in place, including a cap on hourly attendance and the use of timed-entry ticketing. The Aquariums housekeeping staff will continue to rigorously sanitize frequently touched surfaces, and all staff members will be required to wear masks while on duty. For more information on the Aquariums health protocols or to purchase a timed-entry ticket, visit tnaqua.org/welcomeback. For IMAX show times and movie descriptions visit tnaqua.org/imax. Cherokee Area Council Scouts and volunteers placed over 48,000 American flags at Chattanooga National Cemetery for Memorial Day Observances. The cemetery staff, Chattanooga Area Veterans Council and the Cherokee council is asking for the publics assistance with picking up those flags. The small American flags are rolled in bundles of ten and stored until the next year. Volunteers can report to the cemetery office between the hours of 8:30 a.m. up until 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday of this week until complete. Contact 423-855-6590 ext. 5272 for additional information. ArtsBuild is pleased to recognize two individual recipients of the Ruth Holmberg Arts Leadership Award this year Ann Law and Mitch Patel. The annual Ruth Holmberg Arts Leadership Award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the arts in Chattanooga and who are actively engaged in the cultural life of the community Arts Builders who exemplify ArtsBuilds mission to build a stronger community through the arts as demonstrated by their significant contributions to the arts and their leadership. ArtsBuild President James McKissic said, We are delighted to honor both Mitch and Ann for their incredible dedication, innovation, passion, and support for the arts. Each in their own way, these two inspiring Arts Builders have positively impacted the lives of many people in Chattanooga through the arts and have elevated the arts in a way that builds pride in our city and makes our community stronger. Ms. Law received her MA in Dance Education from UNC Greensboro and her BA in Dance from Mills College. She has received many awards including the Distinguished Alumni Award in Dance Education from UNC Greensboro, Tennessee Association of Dance Outstanding Dance Educator, and the Tennessee Arts Commission Individual Artist Fellowship award. An improvisational dancer, dance educator and arts activist, she is executive director of Contemporary Performing Arts of Chattanooga and founder of Barking Legs Theater. For the past 28 years, CoPAC at Barking Legs has provided a supportive space to encourage both emerging and established artists, grow thoughtful audiences, and cultivate strong community art activism. Ms. Law also serves on several non-profit boards, both in Chattanooga and New York City. During her time in Chattanooga, Ms. Law has taught creative movement at Chattanooga School for the Arts & Sciences, movement for actors at Chattanooga State Community College, and dance at Barking Legs Theater. In 2015, after years of teaching dance, she developed and designed Full Circle TAP (Teaching Artists Program) to support artists in their desire and quest to become teaching artists. She designs art education curricula that engage and transform students into critical thinkers capable of social change. Ms. Law believes that by strengthening life skills, communicating, and learning through the creative process, the experience of the arts directly relates to academic achievement. Mr. Patel, CEO of Vision Hospitality Group, has always been passionate about the arts. Growing up in Cleveland, Mr. Patel cultivated his appreciation and skill in the visual arts in high school. While he did not pursue a career in the arts, his love for them has never waned. Now as a successful hotelier, Mr. Patel has sought out as many ways as possible to support and advocate for the arts through his businesses, especially our local craftsmen, makers, and artisans. Whether serving on the ArtsBuild Board, working to support public art programs, contributing to local arts organizations like SPLASH Youth Arts Workshop, or featuring local art in his hotels, he has consistently worked to elevate the arts in Chattanooga and help build a stronger community. When the opportunity arose to develop The Edwin Hotel, Mr. Patel wanted to center the hotel around art. He curated a collection of more than 200 pieces exclusively from Chattanooga artiststhe largest known collection of Chattanooga art. With the goal of elevating the local art scene, he aspired to educate visitors on the art and added QR codes that lead guests to the websites for the artists. As the hotel receives more visitors from across the country and around the world, Chattanoogas artists are getting exposure to an international audience. The newest hotelKinley Chattanooga on the Southsidefeatures a 1,575 square-foot mural by Alecia Vera Buckles and Briah Gober. All the art in the hotel is by local female artists. The spirit at both The Edwin and Kinley is to engage not only with travelers, but also to create a space where locals are welcome. A blurring of the line between hotel lobby and the neighborhood serves to create a welcoming community-centered space with local art on full display. The first Arts Leadership Award in 2014 recognized Ruth Holmberg for her extraordinary support of the arts and cultural community in Chattanooga over 70 years. Since 2014, the annual award has honored Mrs. Holmberg with her name. Past recipients include Mai Bell Hurley, Fletcher Bright, Sonia Young, Booker T. Scruggs II, Alice L. Smith, Warren Barnett, and Candy Kruesi. It is our hope that this annual award honors individuals who share the same spirit and passion for the arts as Ruth did, says Dr. Mary Poston Tanner, Board chair of ArtsBuild. Recipients of the Ruth Holmberg Arts Leadership Award have given selflessly of their time, energy, and resources to building a stronger community through the arts. According to that description, Ann Law and Mitch Patel are certainly deserving of the honor. There will not be an in-person reception at this time. Two men were arrested Saturday night after a fight involving gunshots in the parking lot of the North Georgia Fair Grounds at 500 Legion Dr. Nobody was hit by the gunfire and there were no injuries. The incident happened Saturday around 9:35 p.m. Dalton officers were already on scene responding to a call of illegally parked vehicles at the fair when they heard gun shots coming from the fair parking area. Officers immediately ran towards the area and found a group of people arguing. When they identified themselves as police officers and ordered the group to stop arguing, one of the people in the group (later identified as Dylan Hall, 22, of Dalton) looked at the officers and then ran. Dalton officers chased Hall and an off-duty Georgia State Patrol trooper began to run after them to assist. A female in the group knocked him down. The trooper began to struggle with this female and identified himself as a law enforcement officer. The trooper was struck from behind multiple times by the females cousin, Gabriel Adams, 18, of Cohutta. Adams then fled from other responding Dalton officers and was eventually caught after a long foot chase. During the investigation of the incident it was determined the original disturbance began as a fight between an ex-boyfriend and ex-girlfriend. Other family members became involved and Adams fired a handgun multiple times. When he saw officers, he began to walk off as the original foot chase began but remained when his female cousin began fighting with the off-duty trooper and ultimately attacked the trooper until running from other responding officers. The off-duty trooper was treated for his injuries at Hamilton Medical Center. Officers located several items of evidence including a hand gun at the scene. Detectives were able to interview the people involved and Adams admitted to firing shots during the disturbance and also admitted to fighting with the off-duty trooper, but claimed he did not know the person was an officer. Adams was charged with aggravated assault, reckless conduct, battery, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and willful obstruction of law enforcement officers. Hall was charged with willful obstruction of law enforcement officers and probation violation. This case is still an active investigation with additional charges possible. Anyone with information on this incident is asked to contact Detective Tommy Ensley, (706) 278-9085 ext 157. Police were called to TN Probation and Parole due to a possible intoxicated person who was reporting for their monthly meeting. A man showed up smelling like an intoxicant. The officer evaluated the man and determined he wasn't a danger to himself or others and he was released after his meeting. He is currently homeless and he said he stays in a tent near the Chattanooga Convention Center. * * * A woman on Grayshore Lane said she had purchased a red 2009 Nissan Altima late last year. She said she had a bill of sale and a Georgia title for the vehicle. She said that when she attempted to register the vehicle, in her name in Tennessee, she was told that the title was too worn out. She told police she has been attempting to call the man who sold her the car but he has stopped returning her calls and has blocked her. The title that she had in her possession appears to be a replacement title. The officer recommended to her that she contact Georgia tag and title and ascertain what type of title she has and whether she can obtain a new and clear title for the vehicle. * * * A woman who works at Valley Wine and Spirits on Cummings Highway said a man wearing dark jeans and white shirt with a dark logo on the front keeps coming up to the store and asking people for money. She said that they have asked the man several times not to come back on the property, and he keeps returning. She wanted a report made stating that he is trespassed. * * * A man on the Shallowford Road exit 5 off ramp was reported wearing a medical bracelet from a hospital and panhandling. Police told him of laws in regards to panhandling and pedestrians on the interstate. He was given some essentials and said he would leave the area. * * * A man on Cypress Street Court told police that two women who live on the end of Cypress Street keep coming up to him on his porch and asking him for money. He said they do this all the time and he has asked them several times not to come up on him. He feels like they are going to "gang him" and just wanted police to make a police report so that we are aware of the situation. Police could not find the two females he was talking about. * * * Police were called to Cain Avenue on a dispute between two people who are dating. Both were intoxicated. One agreed to leave the house on foot and go to a neighbor's house for the evening to avoid further conflict. * * * A woman on Hickory Valley Road said someone broke her window on her door. She said she saw a man wearing grey and black clothing leave the scene. Police spoke with her neighbor who said she and her boyfriend got into an argument and stormed out of the apartment. Police spoke with the boyfriend over the phone and he said he got frustrated due to the argument with his girlfriend and left the apartment. He said he punched the wall beside the door with the broken window but did not punch the window. He is uncertain if the window broke when he punched the wall. * * * Police assisted three people on Vance Road who lost control of their truck and went off the road. The truck they were driving had a flat front tire on the passenger side. Police assisted the three men out of the ditch and out of the roadway. They called for help to fix the flat tire. * * * The manager at Electronics Express at Hamilton Place said someone cut off the catalytic converter of another one of the delivery trucks owned by the business. He said he needed to file a report and will attempt to get video of the incident if possible. * * * A woman said she had parked in the parking lot of Home Depot on Commons Boulevard and noticed that the left rear quarter panel had some orange paint on it and noticed a dent in the vehicle. She said the paint matched up to the shopping carts from the business and she wanted to file a report for the damage. Police spoke with loss prevention at Home Depot and they were unable to see the incident due to where she was parked and a tree blocking some of the view. * * * A woman on Vista Drive said someone made a withdrawal from her bank account. She said someone cashed a check for $36,000 that was in her checking account at Tennessee Valley Federal Credit Union. She didn't know which TVFCU location was used to cash the check. She was able to see a copy of the check since she filed a report with the bank also. She said the check didn't look like her regular check, but did have her and her husband's information printed on it. She said the check was endorsed by Jeffery Glen Swanson. * * * A loss prevention employee at Lowe's on Gunbarrel Road said a man was seen entering the business, selecting a Dewalt saw from the sales area and putting it in his pants and exiting the business. He said he was able to get the man to stop and was able to get the item back but the man took off and his identity is unknown at this time. He was wearing a blue shirt, jeans and a ball cap. The saw is valued at $100. * * * A man on East 23rd Street told police that he discovered the catalytic converters had been stolen off of his Chevrolet Express van. He said that upon viewing surveillance video, he saw the theft and showed police the video. The video showed two men exit an older white sedan, check underneath several vehicles before cutting and removing the catalytic converters from the Chevrolet. The suspects then left the scene. No further suspect information was available due to the distance the suspects were from the camera. The business was placed on the watch list. * * * A man was mowing his lawn on Kellys Ferry Road when he found two bullets. He called police because he knew they was not his. Police recovered two 300 winmag bullets and they were taken to property. * * * The director of Circulation Operations at The Times Free Press on East 11th Street said there were bullet holes in the front window of the business ($1,500). He said he did not know when this occurred but did find a shell casing in the grass near the window. Officers saw the shell casing to be a 5.56 or .223 caliber. Officers collected the shell casing and will be transporting it to CPD's Property Division. * * * A man on McCallie Avenue was sitting in the grass leaned up against a tree stump on the church property. He said he had gotten off work and started to drink and forgot where he was so he just sat down. He was definitely intoxicated and was unable to walk to his house. The officer gave him a ride to his girlfriend's house on Judson Lane where he was able to go inside and sober up. * * * While on patrol on Northpoint Boulevard, an officer noticed a motorcycle that looked similar to one of the motorcycles that have been running from police. It was parked outside of Sweet Melissa's. * * * A man on Garrett Drive said his Glock 43x fell off of his trunk when he was driving around. He said he heard the gun fall but did not think anything of it until he realized it was his gun that fell off. The gun will be entered into NCIC for police recovery. * * * Police were called to East Avenue to check on a suspicious man wearing Silverdale white clothing carrying a grey trash bag. They were not able to locate the man. * * * A man on Isbill Road said his ex was driving by the house that he's been staying at and she currently has a temporary protective order against him. The man added that he wanted a record of her actions. * * * A woman on Jeffery Lane said she went outside and found her windshield had been busted. She does not have any suspect information and police will review footage that possibly could have caught the crime. * * * Police were called to a disorder at Citgo Gas Station on Campbell Street where the clerk said a black Toyota Tacoma pulled into the lot and a heavy set man wearing a black T-shirt, black camo pants, and black sneakers, along with a man wearing a red ball cap, black T-shirt and grey shorts with sandals, got out. They started to unload garbage into the dumpster. The clerk said they would like the pair trespassed from the property. The clerk did not know the men and has not seen them before. Fans of Gearbox and 2Ks looter-shooter game Borderlands will be excited to learn that the teased film will include a star-studded cast. In fact, Jamie Lee Curtis, who will be playing Tanner in the film, took to Instagram to post a photo of Cate Blanchett as Lilith. Heres what we know about the Borderlands movie cast and plot so far. What is the Borderlands movie plot? Lilith and Mordecai in Borderlands | 2K Games RELATED: Stardew Valley: Is Sebastian Modeled After ConcernedApe? While the Borderlands movie does not have a release date yet, it is confirmed that the movie is currently in production in Hungary. The movie will be directed by Eli Roth, and will be focusing mostly on Lilith the Siren. The plot involves Atlas and his daughter, as Lilith takes on a job to track her down. However, the plot synopsis does involve a rather cliche line that may leave some hopeful fans grimacing. Lilith (Blanchett), an infamous outlaw with a mysterious past, reluctantly returns to her home planet of Pandora to find the missing daughter of the universes most powerful S.O.B., Atlas (Ramirez), explains the plot synopsis. Lilith forms an alliance with an unexpected team Roland (Kevin Hart), a former elite mercenary, now desperate for redemption; Tiny Tina (Ariana Greenblatt), a feral pre-teen demolitionist; Krieg (Florian Munteanu), Tinas musclebound, rhetorically challenged protector; Tannis (Jamie Lee Curtis), the scientist with a tenuous grip on sanity; and Claptrap (Jack Black), a persistently wisea** robot. So far it sounds fairly standard for Borderlands. However, this is when the plot synopsis gets a little iffy. These unlikely heroes must battle alien monsters and dangerous bandits to find and protect the missing girl, who may hold the key to unimaginable power. The fate of the universe could be in their handsbut theyll be fighting for something more: each other. Jamie Lee Curtis teases Cate Blanchetts Lilith While there havent been many details released about the Borderlands film just yet, Jamie Lee Curtis did tease a look at Cate Blanchetts Lilith on her Instagram. Curtis shared a silhouette photo of Blanchett as the looter-shooters Siren, and so far, it appears as if character design is staying true to the Borderlands standard. Welcome to BORDERLANDS and a secret BTS shot I took of Lilith, our legendary heroine, psycho blasting, vault hunting, vixen with a bad attitude and two Oscars to add to the badda**ery in her tool belt, the once and future Queen of EVERYTHING, #cateblanchett, wrote Curtis in the caption. Maybe next week, if youre nice and let them know you want MORE and they dont fire me for posting this, Ill post other pictures, she teased in part, tagging her colleagues in their respective roles. Borderlands film includes a star-studded cast Jamie Lee Curtis and Cate Blanchett arent the only stars adding their talent to the Borderlands film. Black Jack will be appearing as Claptrap, Edgar Ramirez as Atlas, Kevin Hart as Roland, and Ariana Greenblatt as Tiny Tina, among a variety of other names. A release date has not yet been set, and production has only recently begun, so its not entirely clear when fans can expect to see the Borderlands movie, although IMDb has it slated for 2022. Audrey Hepburn was a truly inspiring movie star, a generous, charming soul who loved to share her good fortune with others. In addition to her beautiful personality, she was absolutely stunning. She became a fashion icon, always exuding grace and elegance. Hepburn lit up the screen in many delightful films, but her most widely recognized role was in Breakfast at Tiffanys. Although she described it as one of her most challenging roles, she delivered the performance of a lifetime. Despite her incredible portrayal of Holly Golightly, Truman Capoteauthor of the Breakfast at Tiffanys novellawas disappointed. He had a star in mind who was very different from Hepburn Breakfast at Tiffanys | CBS via Getty Images Breakfast at Tiffanys: One of the most iconic films in Hollywood history The dress. The pearls. The tiara. Audrey Hepburn looks like the epitome of Manhattan elegance in the most notable role of her careerHolly Golightly. Although Hepburns character dressed like a socialite, she certainly didnt act like one. Hepburn shines as the wonderfully wacky, carefree Golightlya young woman who says what she wants, when she wants, and doesnt seem to care what anyone else thinks. Golightly lives in Manhattan and spends her time hosting wild parties and window shopping at Tiffanys. She seems to know everything about everyone, and her extremely diverse group of acquaintances are charmed by her every move. She has a long line of suitorsnone of whom she seriously cares aboutwho she seems to date solely as a source of income. Another strange source of income is her visit to Sing Sing prison. She goes to Sing Sing once a week to visit a mobster who goes by the name of Sally Tomato, and is paid $100 to deliver the weather report. Although Holly seems fairly emotionally shallow, few (if any) of the people in her life really know her. She is careful never to get too close to anyone and never talks about her life before New York City. When she meets a young writer named Paul Vargas, she feels like he is a kindred spirit. He is dating an older woman who lives in Hollys building, and she sees the woman writing checks for Paul when he leaves her apartment. She gives him money to help him fund his writing career, but his situation is very similar to Hollys and the men she dates. When Holly begins falling in love with Paul, secrets about her past come to light, and he becomes one of the only people to really know her. Breakfast at Tiffanys inspired a plethora of women throughout the ages to embrace the classic, vintage styles showcased in the film. Many people watch Hepburn light up the screen and notice little other than her stunning beauty and the bustling New York City backdrop. However, those that have read the book will notice that the film glosses over quite a bit of the darker parts of Holly Golightlys story The book had a grittier, darker theme that the film missed BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S behind the scenes moment with George Peppard and Audrey Hepburn.. pic.twitter.com/Sbjierqa6M Joseph Gordon-Levitt (@hitRECordJoe) April 26, 2021 Breakfast at Tiffanys is considered a romantic comedy, and thats pretty much what it is. Hepburns performance as the quirky Golightly is ripe with funny one-liners, and the cast of characters is endearing. The film never really gets past Holly Golightlys surface, howeverprobably because it would have ruined the charming atmosphere and made it all too heavy. Truman Capotes novel was published in 1958, and the film was loosely based on it. While many of the characters and much of the plot are the same, its the way the story is approached that differs. In the movie, it is insinuated that Holly makes her income from stringing along wealthy men, but it never implies that she has sexual relationships with these men. The book, however, clearly states that she has lived with several men and that she had been pregnant and miscarried. In both versions, Hollys character is definitely damaged, insecure, and naive. She actively avoids forming relationships with anyone, because she is afraid of growing too close to people. Although she gets bouts of what she refers to as the mean reds, she is generally very happy-go-lucky and flippant. The one time we see her lose control is when her brother, Fred, dies. She completely loses it, trashes the place, and needs to be sedated. Perhaps the most glaring difference between the book and the film is the ending. The film opted for a happy ending, wrapped up in a beautiful, fairy-tale Hollywood bow. The book ends differently, but some would say more true to Hollys character. In the book, Holly leaves her cat behind and runs away to South America. She loses her cat for good and spends her life wandering aimlessly from place to place. Capote was furious about the casting of Audrey Hepburn When Capote allowed Paramount Studios the rights to turn his book into a film, he had very specific ideas in mind for the cast of characters. Most importantly, he wanted Marilyn Monroe to play the part of Holly. He thought she would be perfect for the runaway from a small southern town turned fabulously chic New Yorker. The studio tried to follow Capotes wishes, but Monroes friends warned her against taking the role because of what it might do to her reputation. Hollys character was rumored to be a prostitute, and despite Capote denying that fact, Monroe still decided to turn down the role. Paramount ended up casting Audrey Hepburn as the main character instead, and Capote was furious. Although the world loved Hepburns portrayal of Holly Golightly, Capote never stopped voicing his displeasure with the choice, calling it the most miscast film. He really truly believed only Marilyn could have done justice to the role. Buzzfeed reports that biographer Gerald Clarke said he believed Capote saw Holly Golightly as his greatest creationthats probably why he had such strong feelings about the casting of the role. RELATED: 6 Movies That Were Ruined By Bad Acting Gilmore Girls showrunner Amy Sherman-Palladino was serious about attention to detail. Fans of the famed series have noticed that Stars Hollow was picture perfect, as was the home that Richard and Emily Gilmore shared. While fans rarely discuss the shows wardrobe, Shelly Cole, the actor who portrayed Madeline Lynn during the first four seasons of Gilmore Girls, recently explained that a lot of time went into the costumes, too. She said that Sherman-Palladino picked Chiltons school colors specifically to match Rory Gilmores eyes. Shelly Cole revealed that Gilmore Girls creator, Amy Sherman-Palladino, wanted Chiltons uniforms to match Alexis Bledels eyes Gilmore Girls fans may remember that Rory donned a uniform every day to attend the Chilton School. The prep schools uniform requirement was nothing out of the norm. Rorys uniform was reminiscent of uniforms worn by thousands of prep school students in the early 2000s. Shelly Cole, the actor who portrayed Madeline Lynn for three seasons, revealed deep thought went into the uniform. Rory Gilmore and Lorelai Gilmore | Warner Bros./Delivered by Online USA RELATED: Gilmore Girls: Why Did Amy Sherman-Palladino Leave the Show After Season 6? Chiltons female students wore a blue plaid skirt, a light blue shirt, a crisscross bow tie, and a blue blazer or sweater vest. Male students wore business attire, including a navy sport coat and a necktie. The blue was picked specifically to match Alexis Bledels eyes, according to Cole. Cole, who sat down with Scott Patterson for his new podcast, I Am All In, recalled that Sherman-Palladino was on hand for uniform fittings. She remembered that Sherman-Palladino wanted to ensure the schools colors matched Bledel and Lauren Grahams striking blue eyes. Bledel spent seven seasons playing Rory. Graham took on the role of Lorelai Gilmore. The Chilton Schools inspiration doesnt have a uniform requirement Sherman-Palladino didnt merely dream up the Chilton School. Prestigious prep schools dot Connecticut and the surrounding states. According to The Best Schools, 12 of the countrys 50 best preparatory schools are in Connecticut. Still, Sherman-Palladino used one school in particular as an inspiration for Chilton. (L-R) Alexis Bledel as Rory Gilmore, Lauren Graham as Lorelai Gilmore on Gilmore Girls | The WB/Mitchell Haddad/Getty Images Choate Rosemary Hall, a private, co-ed boarding school in Wallingford, Connecticut, was the primary inspiration for Chilton. The school is best known for its famous alumni. John F. Kennedy, Paul Giamatti, Glen Close, and Jamie Lee Curtis all graduated from the school. Choate Rosemary Hall is markedly different from Chilton in one big way. The school does not require its students to wear uniforms. They must adhere to a dress code instead. How much does a school like Chilton cost? Chilton had a reputation for helping students get into Ivy League schools. The entire reason Rory wanted to attend Chilton was to better her chances of getting into Harvard. Feeder schools are far from cheap. Today, parents can expect to pay upwards of $50,000 a year for their childs spot at the high-end schools. Choate Rosemary Halls current tuition is $53,000 per year. Alexis Bledel as Rory Gilmore in Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life | Netflix RELATED: Gilmore Girls: A College Counselor Revealed Inaccuracies in Rorys College Storyline Still, that doesnt mean Chilton would be similarly pricey. Chilton would likely cost less than Choate Rosemary Hall. After all, Chilton was not a boarding school. Lorelai probably paid closer to $25,000 per year for her daughters education when you factor in the year of Rorys graduation and her day student status. Texas-based rapper Lil Loaded went viral with his single 6locc 6a6y in 2019, which led to a record deal and three studio albums. However, he got into legal trouble and was indicted by a grand jury on a manslaughter charge in Mar. 2021. A few months later, the 20-year-old rapper unexpectedly died. What was Lil Loadeds net worth at the time of his death? Rapper Lil Loaded performs during The PTSD Tour In Concert | Prince Williams/Wireimage/Getty Images Lil Loaded known for viral hit, 6locc 6a6y Texas native Dashawn Lil Loaded Maurice Robertson started his rap career in 2018. The following year, YouTuber Tommy Craze featured the rappers song, 6locc 6a6y, in a video where he reacted to music videos that didnt have any views at the time. Within six months, the song accumulated several million Apple Music, Soundcloud, Spotify, and YouTube views and received a gold certification. He then followed it up with Gang Unit, which has also become popular. As a result, the Dallas rapper landed a record deal with Epic Records and released debut album, 6locc 6a6y, and A Demon in 6lue and CRIPTAPE (2020). A DEMON IN 6LUE DIS FRIDAY 10/9. MY STORY FOR YALL pic.twitter.com/yl2BhmMmw1 Lil Loaded (@loadedcuh) October 7, 2020 RELATED: What Is Rapper Action Bronsons Net Worth and How Old Is He? On Oct. 25, 2020, Dallas police reported the rapper shot and killed 18-year-old Khalil Walker, a supposed acquaintance of Lil Loaded. According to the affidavit, he shot the young man with a rifle in the torso outside of a house in a Dallas neighborhood. The victims sister, who was inside of the home at the time of the shooting, said she heard two gunshots and found her brother lying on the ground, injured. He was then rushed to the hospital, where he died. The police named the rapper as a person of interest when they reportedly found a video of the shooting on Walkers phone. Lil Loaded surrendered to the police two weeks later and was indicted on one count of manslaughter by a grand jury in Mar. 2021. However, he maintained his innocence. What was Lil Loadeds cause of death? A few months later, on May 31, his attorney Ashkan Mehryari confirmed the death of the 20-year-old rapper to XXL, stating, Sadly, the rumors are true, and Mr. Robertson did pass away today. No cause of death has been reported, but fans began circulating one of his last posts, whichs no longer available on his Instagram Story, on social media. Damn now they both gone rip lil loaded & king von pic.twitter.com/2ebSZEAp4u (@lljheadass) May 31, 2021 In a lengthy text, he wrote, Dear most high; Please forgive me for my shortcomings and all of the times Ive fell short of making you proud and being appreciative of the blessings that have been put in my life. Sometimes the lines are blurred between being solid and being heartless. He continued, I want to thank you for how far Ive come and the people youve put in my life to keep me grounded and humble through everything, and I love every single one of those people that are genuinely for me. I ask for entrance into your kingdom. Through all of my mistakes, I know you love all of your children, and Im ready for my heart and soul to join you. Lil Loadeds net worth at time of death According to FamousBirthsDeath.com, the Dallas rapper had an estimated net worth of around $350,000 at the time of his death. Dis Friday anotha single off da tape pic.twitter.com/I5SIwHugwI Lil Loaded (@loadedcuh) September 16, 2020 RELATED: How Old Is Rapper Jack Harlow and What Is His Net Worth? Lil Loaded reportedly accumulated his wealth from his record deal, streaming services, and YouTube channel that earned over 777,000 subscribers and nearly 199 million all-time views since he joined the platform in 2014. The Pioneer Woman star Ree Drummond makes a variety of meals for her family. Each week on her show, she demonstrates how to make delicious meals that dont take a lot of time and taste great. Although Drummond is a fan of many different foods, there is one meal she wouldnt mind eating every day if she couldnt eat anything else. Heres the one meal the Food Network cook revealed she would eat forever. Ree Drummonds favorite foods Ree Drummond | Tyler Essary/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images Drummond loves food, but there are some recipes she likes more than others. Some of her favorite recipes include Buffalo chicken salad, grilled chicken and strawberry wraps, buttered rosemary rolls, and spicy macaroni and cheese. One thing Drummond says she likes about the grilled chicken and strawberry wrap is that it can be eaten in a bowl as a regular chicken salad or it can be a wrap. She enjoys the versatility of this recipe. The 1 meal Ree Drummond would eat every day for life The Pioneer Woman star Ree Drummond | Monica Schipper/Getty Images for The Pioneer Woman Magazine When asked what meal she would eat every day for the rest of her life if it was her only option, Drummond had a tough time making a choice. However, when she really thought about it, Drummond decided on a beef meal. The Accidental Country Girl shared her top choice with her readers in The Pioneer Woman Magazine. In terms of an official meal, beef fillet with bearnaise sauce, lobster tail with drawn butter, creamed spinach, and probably creme brulee for dessert, says Drummond. And my restaurant meal would be pasta with octopus and bone marrow at Marea in New York City. Ree Drummond says she wants this meal all the time Drummond says another meal she would love to eat is sushi. During an interview with Delish, she says she loves to order sushi when she eats at a restaurant. I love sushi, and I usually order it because its the farthest thing from what I make at home, says Drummond. In her book Frontier Follies, she admits she wants sushi all the time. Roughly three times a year, she visits a restaurant in Tulsa, Oklahoma, so she can eat a good sushi meal. The Food Network star also spoke about another meal she enjoyed when she was visiting her daughter, Alex Drummond, who was in college at the time. She enjoyed the meal so much that she joked she would likely visit Alex a lot at school just so she could go back to the nearby restaurant. Theres a restaurant near my daughters college, and the queso there is so good that that alone told me Im going to be visiting her a lot, joked Drummond. Its a drive-thru joint called Fuego, and I think they put something illegal in it, because I cant figure it out. You buy it by the pint, and Ive eaten it hot, Ive eaten it cool, Ive cut it into slices and examined it, trying to figure out the recipe. Its the best queso Ive ever had. Follow Sheiresa Ngo on Twitter. Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker are in the midst of an unexpected, intense relationship and many fans just cant get enough. The seemingly mismatched pair have only been dating for around six months, but have not hesitated to share flirty details about their romance with their social media followers. Notably, Barker has already gotten Kardashians name tattooed on his body, and many fans suspect that the two could even be announcing an engagement soon. Still, their romance has not been without drama, and even Barkers ex-wife has come out to snark about the drummers past with Kardashians younger sister, Kim Kardashian West. When did Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker start dating? Kourtney Kardashian | Rodin Eckenroth/WireImage Kardashian and Barker have known each other for years. Way back in 2017, reports circulated that Barker and his family, including his daughter, Alabama Barker, had a power dinner with the Kardashians and their good friend, actor Jennifer Lawrence. In the years that followed, Barker and Kardashian were spotted together occasionally, mainly going to dinner with larger groups of friends. No one suspected that a romance would eventually crop up between the pair. In January 2021, rumors started spreading that Kardashian and Barker were no longer just friends, and in February, the pair made it Instagram-official, sharing a photo of their clasped hands. Over the next few weeks, Kardashian and Barker continued to share pictures on social media, making it very clear that their love affair is for real in spite of what the haters might say. These are a few of Kourt's favorite things.(42 of them, to be exact.) In honor of Kourt's 42nd birthday, we're sharing 42 of her past + present favorites.https://t.co/6xRIbWszjS Poosh (@pooshdotcom) April 18, 2021 As it turns out, Kardashian isnt the only member of the family that Barker has been attracted to. The Blink-182 drummer once opened up about how he and Kardashian West crossed paths in the early 2000s when he was hanging out with Paris Hilton. With Kim, I wanted to be nothing but a gentleman to her. It was so weird, Barker wrote in his 2015 book, in Can I Say: Living Large, Cheating Death, and Drums, Drums, Drums. Mind you, I enjoyed hanging out with Paris, but I love curvy girls. Kim was eye candy. I was in no way disrespectful to Paris, but I couldnt keep my eyes off Kim. In spite of his attraction to Kardashian West, Barker claimed that things never got intimate between them. According to a report from US Weekly, Kardashian couldnt care less about Barkers past comments. It wasnt a dealbreaker, a source admitted to the publication. Ultimately Kourtney loves Travis and is pushing it aside. Kourtney and Travis are still obsessed with each other and going strong. In spite of the fact that Kardashian might brush aside Barkers remarks about Kardashian West, Barkers ex-wife isnt quite ready to let the drama go. Shanna Moakler has blasted Travis Barkers past with Kim Kardashian Former Miss USA Shanna Moakler, who was married to Barker from 2004 until 2008, has gone on the record to allege Barkers relationship with Kardashian West wasnt as innocent as he made it seem. In fact, Moakler recently claimed that Barker had an affair with Kardashian, while he and Moakler were still married: I divorced my ex because, I saw them I caught them having an affair. Moakler also stated that Barker is 100 percent lying about never hooking up with the reality star. Neither Barker nor Kardashian has directly addressed Moaklers allegations, and for now, at least, the couple seems to be unbothered by all the drama. RELATED: Kourtney Kardashian Set Summer 2021s Hottest Bikini Trend Back In November Woodly Ltd., Finnish developer of wood based plastic, has raised EUR 3 million in growth funding for the commercialisation and internationalisation of their product innovation. In recent years, plastic has become a bogeyman, the use of which many would like to abandon altogether, or at least replace with alternative materials. So far, the market has mainly succeeded only in abandoning the use of the word plastic. We have approached the problem from the other direction by replacing the raw materials from which plastic is made instead, says Jaakko Kaminen, CEO of Woodly Ltd. Woodly material, developed in Finland, is a new kind of plastic that is manufactured using wood cellulose. The end result is a plastic that works as before in both production and products, but is 100% carbon neutral and reduces the need for the use of fossil raw materials. The company aims to launch several different packaging and products into international markets in the near future and to help companies exit the fossil economy, reduce their carbon footprint and support the circular economy. The company has recently announced cooperation with K-Group, HKScan, Orthex, Kiilto, Black Moda and Vihreakeiju. The first packaging made of Woodly material was brought to the stores by K-Group with its own brand label Pirkka Rose Begonia products. In addition, Woodly material is already used in Black Modas selected textile packaging and Vihreakeijus herb packaging. Sales have started and the first packaging made of Woodly material has been brought to market in Finland. With the new funding, we will be able to invest in international commercialisation. Until now, there have been foreign sales to Sweden, Germany, Portugal and Japan, says Jaakko Kaminen, CEO of Woodly Ltd. The main owners of Woodly are Besodos Investors Oy and Ratkaisutoimisto Seedi Oy, (who also founded Woodly Ltd). Saving the world is the most interesting business area. Woodly wants to be a major player in this market. This funding round is an important step in this journey, says Marko Parkkinen, CEO of Ratkaisutoimisto Seedi and Chairman of Woodlys Board of Directors. New investors who joined this funding round included a group of founders of the Small Giant Games mobile game company; Vesa Puttonen, Professor of Financial Science; Taaleri Impakti, Special Investment Fund; Lauri Rosendahl; Jukka and Mikko Rannila. Attorney General Sara Hill said she believes the U.S. Supreme Court will grant stays of two more decisions by the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals dealing with non-Natives who the state found guilty of committing murders on tribal reservations. Memorial Service for Carol "Sue" Woods will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 5, 2021 at Hawkins Baptist Church in Alex, OK. Carol "Sue" Woods, of Alex, OK passed away on Saturday May 29, 2021 at the age of 76 in her home surrounded by her family. Sue was born June 15, 1944 in Scipio, The book might look like its just a list of names and numbers, but Robert Richard Allen Turner, pastor of Vernon African Methodist Episcopal Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, knows its more than that. Its a ledger of our history that we still need to know today, Turner said. Its a story of faith and folks who had faith in God. The city of Tulsa will pause on June 1 to remember the 100th anniversary of a racial massacre. In 1921, white Oklahomans killed hundreds of Black people and completely destroyed a prosperous Black community. When the violence ebbed, Greenwood Avenuethe heart of what was then called Americas Black Wall Streetwas rubble. The mob had destroyed four hotels, two newspapers, eight doctors offices, seven barbershops, half a dozen real estate agencies, and half a dozen churches. One of the Black houses of worship that was damaged was the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) church, located then at 307 N. Greenwood. The only thing left of the AME was the basement, and it too had been badly damaged. But the church decided to rebuild, and it kept a ledger of all the people who pledged to help and the money they contributed to the cause. When Turner looks at that book, he thinks of the biblical genealogies and the Book of Numbers, where God told Moses to write down the names of the people who assisted him and to count and record the names of the people who had escaped bondage in Egypt and the descendants who went through the wilderness to the Promised Land. Its not considered to be one of the sexier, more quoted [parts] of the Bible, Turner said, but the history of the genealogy in the Book of Numbers shows you the history of the people. Image: Courtesy of the Museum of the Bible What the Book of Numbers was to the Israelites, the Book of Redemption is to the congregation of Vernon AME Church. When Turner took the position at Vernon, the book was old and decayed, though. He stuck it in a Tupperware container in an attempt to protect it from further damage. It might have stayed there if not for a special visit to the church on Juneteenth in 2020 by Oklahomas First Lady Sarah Stitt. During the tour, Turner showed Stitt the book and told her the story of the people whose names were written in it. She just immediately became overwhelmed by the story of faith of the individuals who had just lost their homes, just lost their businesses, Turner said. Some of them lost their loved ones and friends in the race massacre in 1921, but yet they came back to the church. The story stuck with Stitt, and she reached out to the Museum of the Bible to see if they could help Vernon restore the book. The answer was yes. Anthony Schmidt, senior curator for the Museum of the Bible, said he and the staff at the Oklahoma City headquarters were instantly captivated by the story of the church and the Book of Redemption. They met with Stitt and Turner in late July 2020 to discuss the project. In August, they began what would become an eight-month restoration project involving 15 people. It was in rough condition, Schmidt said. The cover was warped, and the leather that was originally on the cover had gone from a rich red to a brownish color, and it was flaking off and disintegrating. The binding for the book was torn in places, and some of the pages had tears and were falling out. When we first saw it, we knew this was going to take a little bit of time and a little bit of effort to restore it fully, Schmidt said. Conservator Francisco Rodriquez led the project: meticulously taking the book apart, repairing pages, cleaning mold, and stitching it back together again. Turner had expressed his desire to see as much of the original preserved as possible, and Rodriguez did his best to honor that. What Francisco was able to do was save large portions of the original cover but also place them on top of a new leather cover that was close to the original color it would have looked like back in the 1930s, Schmidt explained. You get to see the cover that survived to today but also what it would have looked like back in the day. In addition to restoring the original, the Museum of the Bible made a replica so that people will be able to look at and study the book without handling the original and adding any more wear and tear. Generations to come will be able to look at this book and study it and learn about the history of this church, Schmidt said. Schmidt said he was personally touched when he read the donations listed in the book. Some donations are large for the time$50 or $100. But other gifts are smaller50 cents or a dollar. To him, those represent the biggest hearts. These were individuals who didnt have a lot of money but they had a lot of faith and they had a lot of love for this community, and they wanted to see it rebuilt and wanted to see it thrive like it had, he said. Thats just inspiring. When Schmidt hears Turner speak of the work that the church is doing today, including raising money for feeding the hungry during the pandemic, he cant help but think of the 360 names in the ledger and the families they represented. The hope and perseverance you see demonstrated in this ledger allowed the church to thrive and enabled it to serve the needs of the community for generations after, he said. Turner said he couldnt be happier with the finished product and is grateful to be able to have it on display at the church for the 100th anniversary of the massacre on June 1 and for many years to come. My Course on Jesus is FREE at Seminary Now Here is a special opportunity: my course on Jesus and the Gospels at Seminary Now is available for FREE. In this course, I make accessible my decades of teaching and writing on Jesus and the Gospels. Sign up now to learn about the person of Jesus as he is revealed in the Gospels and in the testimony of the earliest Christians. Share this link widely if it can be useful for Christian leaders, especially those in under-resourced areas. Get the Free Course Here About Seminary Now Seminary Now is a new streaming video platform with courses from todays leading scholars and practitioners like Brenda Salter McNeil, Ruth Haley Barton, Tish Harrison Warren, and Esau McCaulley. Like Netflix or Masterclass, subscribers get unlimited access to all coursesavailable on smart phone, tablet, and TV devices. Get Seminary Now for Your Church The high-quality content and easy accessibility make Seminary Now an excellent resource for training your leaders and discipling your church. A church subscription to Seminary Now provides: logins for church staff and lay leaders to complete certificate tracks engaging, relevant content for small groups and Sunday school classes Complete this form to get church or group pricing. Ex-BLM leader exposes ugly truth, says group has 'little concern for rebuilding black families' Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A Black Lives Matter chapter founder in St. Paul, Minnesota, has shared a video exposing what he calls the political organization's ugly truth," arguing that it shows little concern for rebuilding black families and improving the quality of education for black students. I believed the organization stood for exactly what the name implies, Rashad Turner, who founded the St. Paul BLM chapter in 2015, said in May 26 video posted by TakeCharge Minnesota. Black lives do matter. However, after a year on the inside, I learned they have little concern for rebuilding black families, and they cared even less for improving the quality of education for students in Minneapolis." Turner is now the president and executive director of the school choice advocacy group, Minnesota Parent Union, which helps parents move their children from failing schools to successful schools. Turner, a Minneapolis native, believes in the power of education. His grandparents raised him after his father was killed and his mom could not care for him. His grandparents told him if he was going to change his life for the better, education was the answer, he shared. Success is possible, Turner said. Just look at me and the hundreds of children and families weve helped to pursue a great education, break the chains of poverty and lead a life of success. Turner worked hard in school and was the first in his family to earn a college degree and a masters degree in education. I am living proof that wherever you start off in life, quality education is a path to success, he shared. I want the same success for our children and in our community. Turner resigned from BLM after a year and a half but said he has not quit working to improve black lives and access to a great education. Turner said he eventually realized BLM did not care about improving educational opportunities for black children. That was made very clear when they publicly denounced the charter schools alongside the teachers union, he said. I was an insider in Black Lives Matter, and I learned the ugly truth. The moratorium on charter schools does not support rebuilding the black family, but it does create barriers for a better education for black children. BLM reportedly deleted its webpage that listed disrupting the Western-prescribed nuclear family structure as one of its core principles, according to Fox News. The Christian Post reached out to BLM for comment on Turners video. A response was not received by press time. BLM-led protests erupted across the nation in response to George Floyds death on May 25, 2020. The group was founded in 2013. While many have resonated with the idea that black lives matter, many have objected to BLM being an overtly political movement that stands for more than just racial equality. BLM is supportive of defunding the police and advancing the LGBT agenda. The organization was founded by three women, two of whom identify as queer. BLM recently came under fire for calling for Palestinian liberation and standing in solidarity with Palestinians as Hamas terrorists fired thousands of rockets into Israel last month. Some evangelical leaders and organizations have argued the BLM organization supports a godless agenda and that many of its positions are explicitly anti-Christian. BLM co-founder Patrisse Cullors, who has described herself as a trained Marxist, announced on Thursday that she is stepping down from leading the global organization as executive director after helping to launch the organization. Cullors said her resignation has been in the works for over a year and has nothing to do with the recent personal attacks she has endured in the past weeks, according to ABC News. Cullors came under fire when it was reported that she purchased four luxury homes, which sparked criticism and questions over her finances. Those were right-wing attacks that tried to discredit my character, and I dont operate off of what the right thinks about me, Cullors said regarding the criticism. Georgia church raises over $10K, 8,100 pounds of food for ministry launched in response to lockdowns Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A congregation in Georgia has donated more than 8,100 pounds of food and over $10,000 to a food distribution ministry that was launched during the COVID-19 pandemic. Wesley United Methodist Church of Evans delivered the donations on Sunday, having collected the funds and food supplies during the liturgical season of Lent. The donations included the 8,100 pounds of food and $10,456.83, said Milledge Austin, communications director at Wesley UMC, in an interview with The Christian Post. Macedonia Church of Grovetown was the recipient of the donations, as that congregations food ministry has served over 50,000 people in need since it was launched last year. The church holds a weekly food drive that, at the peak of the pandemic, was serving over 1,000 people weekly, but now regularly serves around 200 people each week. At the beginning of the new year, a group of our staff brainstormed ways that our church could have an impact on the local community, Austin told CP. We realized that during the summer months, there are a lot of families that lose school breakfasts and lunches for their kids, a staple they rely on very heavily during the school year. We wanted to help alleviate that loss by collecting food to distribute to those in need in Columbia County throughout the summer. Wesley UMC Senior Pastor Greg Porterfield stressed in a statement to CP that the donation was aimed at working with the ministry at Macedonia Church and not trying to compete with it. When we were looking at how best to distribute the food, we learned of what Macedonia has been doing since last year. We knew that we wanted to contribute to their ministry, not copy it, Porterfield added. Austin told CP that the donations for the food ministry all came from our generous congregation, noting that even during the peak of the pandemic, our congregation has proven to be very giving and they want to help their neighbors. This marks the first time that Wesley UMC and Macedonia Church have worked together, according to Austin, though he hopes it won't be the last time. The biggest thing we hope people take away from this sizable donation is our desire to help those in our community and those in need, and to spread the Kingdom of God here in Columbia County and beyond, he continued. We simply want to spread Gods love and good word. Not just by worshiping on Sunday mornings, but by going out and doing good for those around us. Kenyan atheist group secretary resigns after coming to faith in Jesus Christ Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A member of a Kenyan atheist group has abandoned his leadership post within the organization after finding faith in Jesus Christ, the organization announced. The group Atheists in Kenya Society revealed on Twitter Saturday that its secretary, Seth Mahiga, "made the decision to resign from his position as Secretary of our society. The organization explained that Seths reason for resigning is that he has found Jesus Christ and is no longer interested in promoting atheism in Kenya. This evening, regretfully, our Secretary Mr. Seth Mahiga made the decision to resign from his position as Secretary of our society. Seth's reason for resigning is that he has found Jesus Christ and is no longer interested in promoting atheism in Kenya. --- pic.twitter.com/G7sCCbytv2 Atheists In Kenya Society (@AtheistsInKenya) May 29, 2021 In a statement, Atheists in Kenya Society President Harrison Mumia extended his best wishes to the groups former secretary. We wish Seth all the best in his new found relationship with Jesus Christ," Mumia wrote. "We thank him for having served the society with dedication over the last one and half years. However, Mumia took a slightly different tone in a Twitter post Sunday. Its a sad day for the Atheists In Kenya Society. Our secretary, Seth Mahiga has resigned saying hes found Jesus. Lol! It's a sad day for the Atheists In Kenya Society. Our secretary, Seth Mahiga has resigned saying he's found Jesus. Lol! HARRISON MUMIA (@harrisonmumia) May 29, 2021 Dr. Willy Mutunga, the former chief justice of Kenya, responded to that tweet by reminding Mumia that Article 32(1) of our Constitution provides: Every person has the right to freedom of conscience, religion, thought, belief and opinion. According to Mutunga, This provision is not a laughing matter. On Sunday, Atheists in Kenya Society posted a video of Mahiga announcing his resignation from the group to a congregation of worshipers at Life Church International Nairobi on its Twitter page. Ive been going through some difficulties in life and then I decided to resign as the secretary. So Im very happy to be here, he said. ????VIDEO - Former Atheists In Kenya Secretary Seth Mahiga in church TODAY accepting Jesus Christ and announcing his resignation. Surreal! pic.twitter.com/p8OYhw8uQ3 Atheists In Kenya Society (@AtheistsInKenya) May 30, 2021 In an extended version of the video, posted on YouTube, the pastor at Life Church International referred to Mahiga as his brother and asked him to bow down and say Jesus is Lord. As Mahiga knelt at the front of the church, the congregation erupted into applause. As Mahiga remained on his knees, the pastor asked the congregation to pray for all those people who are in darkness and all the atheists who say there is no God. He asked that the grace of God reach out to wherever they are right now in the mighty name of Jesus. Atheists in Kenya Society announced on its Facebook page Monday that Emmah Shisoka had assumed the role of secretary. The group, formally registered by the government of Kenya in 2016, works to transform society into one that values reason, rationality, honesty, clarity, and kindness. Initially, the government of Kenya expressed hesitancy about recognizing the Atheists in Kenya Society, citing concerns about the organizations impact on the interests of peace and welfare or good order in Kenya. In 2018, Atheists in Kenya Society demanded that the government declare Feb. 17 Atheist Day to recognize the organizations registration with the Kenyan government. Kenyans who do not believe in god or gods deserve a holiday too, argued Daisy Siongok, the society's vice president at the time. As envisioned by Siongok, Atheist Day would consist of Godless Parades in various Countries and an effort to increase awareness about atheism in Kenya. Additionally, she stated that "Atheist Day" would "promote freedom of religion as a human right in Kenya. In addition to Mahiga, many other atheists have come forward to share their conversion stories. During an appearance on a podcast earlier this year, Chet Hanks, son of actor Tom Hanks, detailed how an encounter with God during a day hike in Utah when he was 17 led to his conversion from atheism. Another former atheist, Lee Strobel, wrote an entire book detailing his conversion to Christianity called The Case for Christ. Strobel, a former Chicago Tribune reporter, had initially sought to disprove the existence of Jesus Christ but ultimately failed to do so and ended up becoming a Christian. In 2017, a film adaptation of his popular book was released. Ex-nanny of former Hillsong NYC pastor Carl Lentz accuses him of sexual abuse Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Months after being fired last November from his role as lead pastor at New York City's Hillsong Church over leadership issues and cheating on his wife, Carl Lentz has been accused of bullying and sexual abuse by one of his former nannies who is now a co-pastor at Hillsong Boston. Leona Kimes, who currently leads the Boston congregation with her husband Josh Kimes, accused Lentz of repeated sexual touching in a post on Medium Monday. Through a legal representative, Lentz has denied the allegations. Kimes, who served as a nanny for Lentz and his wife for seven years before moving with her husband to Boston, said she was left so scarred by the experience that she needed intense therapy after it ended. While there were joyful moments during that time, no one knew that I also experienced a great deal of pain," Kimes wrote. "During the years I spent serving them, I was subjected to manipulation, control, bullying, abuse of power, and sexual abuse. Having told almost no one before this, I am just now able to share what I experienced in their home as the result of intense therapy." She explained that she and her husband left Australia a decade ago to help build Hillsong NYC, a branch of the international church network based in Austrailia. But the abuse she experienced grew over time. The abuse of power started small. Hours would increase beyond belief," Kimes stated. "Often I would work from 7 am to 11 pm. Schedules were switched last minute without even attempting to confirm my availability. Tasks kept getting added and added to my load. They made fun of me constantly, even calling me Cinderella, which they said was their way of loving me. My husband was frequently criticized as a group sport. Gossip was constant. If I didnt join in or if I disagreed, I was the odd one out. Classic bullying." When it came to the sexual abuse, Kimes said it started small too. My pastor would look at me and say, Gurl, youre looking good. Youve been in the gym? There was a lot of flirty teasing like this," she explained. "I had been around long enough to know thats just how he was with women. But after a while, the comments started to escalate." Kimes said she remembers being told, "after you have kids, well buy you a boob job." "Looking back, I know I felt embarrassed, but I didnt know it was wrong then," she stated. "It hadnt occurred to me that I had a right to not be spoken to like that, by my pastor or anyone else." The Hillsong Boston leader said that in the summer of 2015, the sexual abuse, which did not escalate to sexual intercourse, moved far beyond just flirty compliments and suggestive teasing. She detailed how she was touched inappropriately while driving, touched while at the movie theater with his kids and other places. While he never had intercourse with me and never kissed me, I was physically violated by his unwanted and repeated sexual touching of my intimate areas. I froze. Every time, I froze, she wrote. Kimes said when she complained about the pastor's behavior, which included suggestive text messages, she was blamed and silenced by the family in 2016. I was the problem. But, they kept me in my role, and I worked harder than ever after that, she said. I tried to escape by telling him I would find a new job outside of church. Even though my husband was on staff, too, I thought it would be the best solution. I will never forget my pastor standing over me with a stern look, asking me who would possibly hire me. Without a college degree, he asked, what kind of job did I think I could get in New York City? she recalled. I wont forget how that made me feel, so alone, so worth absolutely nothing, so fearful of my future, so fearful for my husbands future. After it became clear that Lentz was finally leaving Hillsong Church last year, Kimes said she shared what had happened to her with her husband. I wont ever forget how my husband believed me and grieved with me when I told him my story after I knew our pastor was leaving Hillsong Church after I was safe," she wrote. "I wont ever forget how it felt to start remembering little details that would pop up out of nowhere. I wont ever forget the years that were stolen." She also praised Hillsong Church Global Senior Pastor Brian Houston and his wife, Bobbie, for supporting her. It has been a process for me to come forward and report my experiences to leadership. I have been met with compassion, particularly by Brian and Bobbie Houston. And, I have been welcomed into a journey of healing, she said. Even though she thought about leaving the church in her darkest moments, Kimes said she remains committed to Hillsong. I have decided to stay because I still have the same heart toward church that Ive always had," she assured. "Even with all Ive been through, I still love it. Hillsong is my church, and I will remain on staff, working toward a stronger future." A legal representative for the Lentz family told Religion News Service that they vehemently deny the allegations and, in addition to that, have irrefutable proof the events did not happen as they are being described. In a statement released Sunday, Brian and Bobbie Houston called Kimes experience disturbing and said they are continuously working to keep their church safe. After the termination of the former Lead Pastor of Hillsong East Coast, it was clear the issues were significant and because of our concerns, we initiated an independent and lengthy investigation into the culture of all four Hillsong East Coast locations, their statement reads. In the process of seeking clarity, hearing Leona Kimes experience was very disturbing. We have respected Leonas privacy and her deeply personal story. She has now decided to share her experience so that she and her husband can continue moving forward as a family." The Houstons said the recovery process for Kimes and her family will be long but assured that the couple has the Houstons' "full concern and pastoral support." "We know that Leona may face criticism for her story and her choice to share it," the Houstons stressed. "In that light, we commend her for her courage and have assured her of our utmost compassion in their journey forward. Abuse of any kind, in any circumstance, is always deplorable. As a church, we are committed to learning more about how to identify such trauma and bring meaningful support to anyone who has experienced it." According to their online profile, Josh Kimes has served at Hillsong Church for over 13 years. He first served as a youth pastor at Hillsong Sydney and then became the associate pastor at Hillsong NYC for over seven years before he and his wife moved north to pioneer Hillsong Boston. The Kimes have two children. Archbishop expresses deep sadness after remains of 215 children found in mass grave at school Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Flags on federal buildings were lowered to half-staff in Canada on Sunday after the remains of 215 children, some as young as 3 years old, were found buried at the site of what was once that countrys largest state-run residential school set up to assimilate indigenous people. The mass grave was found buried under an area on which Kamloops Indian Residential School stood in British Columbia, which was part of the Canadian Indian residential school system and closed in 1978, BBC reported. To honor the 215 children whose lives were taken at the former Kamloops residential school and all Indigenous children who never made it home, the survivors, and their families, I have asked that the Peace Tower flag (in Ottawa) and flags on all federal buildings be flown at half-mast, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wrote Sunday on Twitter. The school opened under the Roman Catholic administration in 1890 and housed as many as 500 students in the 1950s. Archbishop J. Michael Miller of Vancouver issued a statement, saying he was filled with deep sadness, Vatican News reported. The pain that such news causes reminds us of our ongoing need to bring light to every tragic situation that occurred in residential schools run by the Church, he added. The passage of time does not erase the suffering that touches the Indigenous communities affected, and we pledge to do whatever we can to heal that suffering. Many students were beaten and verbally abused, and about 6,000 are believed to have died at the school, according to Los Angeles Times, which also reported that the Canadian government had admitted that physical and sexual abuse in the schools was rampant, and apologized in Parliament in 2008. Canadas residential school system separated some 150,000 indigenous children from their families, according to The Wall Street Journal, which quoted an inquiry report from 2015 that estimated that 4,100 children died of disease or by accident while in the system and went on to call the school system akin to cultural genocide. "The school in Kamloops operated for nearly nine decades, until 1978, under the administration of the Roman Catholic Church," the Journal added. Kamloops Bishop Joseph Nguyen also issued a statement. I humbly join so many who are heartbroken and horrified, he said. On behalf of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kamloops, I express my deepest sympathy to Chief Rosanne Casimir of the Tk'emlups te Secwepemc Nation and to all who are mourning this tragedy and an unspeakable loss. No words of sorrow could adequately describe this horrific discovery. Chief Rosanne Casimir of the Tkemlups te Secwepemc First Nation held a press conference on Friday, saying, Were still grappling through the effects. This loss is absolutely unthinkable. Chief Casimir added, Its a harsh reality. Its our history. This is about the truth coming out and honoring those children. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment In an op-ed for the Washington Post, Gergory Khalil has called for evangelical Christians to rethink their reflexive support of Israel. Not only is Khalils call misguided, it also presents a caricatured (and even distorted) picture of evangelical support for Israel, also misrepresenting the history of Christian Zionism. As for Khalils call being misguided, why should the most recent terrorist attacks against Israel cause evangelicals to support Israel less? Why should a murderous assault on Israeli citizens, including children and women, lessen our sense of solidarity with the Jewish people and Jewish state? And, if this support is ultimately grounded in Scripture, why would current events change our views? (All this is underscored by the rising tide of antisemitism worldwide, pointing to the importance of Christian solidarity with Israel and the Jewish people.) Khalil begins his article by noting that, Last week, as rockets and missiles rained down on Palestinians and Israelis, people of all faiths around the world were horrified. But a pastor in Texas rejoiced. He was referring to Pastor John Hagee, one of the most prominent Christian Zionists in the world. For Hagee, the rocket attack was yet another sign that the return of Jesus was near. But was Hagee actually rejoicing that his friends in Israel were being terrorized? Or that, in response to that terror, Palestinian children were killed (unintentionally) by the IDF? Even based on Khalils quotation of Hagees own words, its clear that he was saying, The end is near! Jesus is coming soon! More turmoil in the Middle East points to the culmination of the age! Yet Khalil was quite strategic in setting up the article as he did, presenting a very twisted view of evangelical Christian support for Israel while tying it in directly with dispensational (or, pre-trib rapture) theology. As an attention-getting, caricaturing ploy, it was effective. As for presenting a truthful view, it was a failure. According to Khalil, Christian Zionisms support for the nation-state of Israel is rooted in relatively modern evangelical readings of Scripture that see Israels rebirth in 1948 as fulfilling the Old Testament prophecy, signaling the ticking of Gods clock ever closer toward the end of the world. In reality, some of the most celebrated Christian leaders of the 1800s, including men like Charles Spurgeon, Robert Murray MCheyne, Horatius Bonar, and J. C. Ryle (all of them British or Scottish) spoke with great confidence of the return of the Jewish people to their land, based on the Bible. As Spurgeon said in 1864, I think we do not attach sufficient importance to the restoration of the Jews. We do not think enough about it. But certainly, if there is anything promised in the Bible it is this. I imagine that you cannot read the Bible without seeing clearly that there is to be an actual restoration of the Children of Israel. In saying this, Spurgeon was following in the footsteps of Puritan leaders from the 1600s, including luminous and learned men like Samuel Rutherford and John Owen. And they, in turn, were echoing the views of early Church Fathers such as Justin Martyr (100165), who held that the tribes of Israel would be gathered and restored in accord with what the prophet Zechariah predicted (see Michael J. Vlach, Has the Church Replaced Israel?; for a collection of relevant quotes, see here.) To be sure, some Christians in the past foresaw Israels spiritual salvation in conjunction with the reestablishment of the ancient homeland. But others, like Bishop J. C. Ryle (1816-1900) taught that, based on his understanding of Scripture, the Jewish people would first return to the land, after which they would turn to Jesus the Messiah. The bottom line is that Christian Zionists believe that the same God who scattered the Jewish people in judgment regathered them in mercy. (See the short, animated video, Is God a Zionist? for more on this scriptural logic.) They also believe that Satan yes, the devil wants to destroy the Jewish people and drive them out of the land. Thus, they stand with Israel while standing against Hamas, an organization which stated at its founding, Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it. And this: Palestine is an Islamic land... Since this is the case, the Liberation of Palestine is an individual duty for every Moslem wherever he may be. And this: The day the enemies usurp part of Moslem land, Jihad becomes the individual duty of every Moslem. In the face of the Jews' usurpation, it is compulsory that the banner of Jihad be raised. Shockingly, the only direct reference to Hamas in Khalils article is the tepid remark, It doesnt excuse the terror inflicted by Hamas deadly barrage of rockets. But those rockets shouldnt distract us from this underlying, unjust reality. Yes, those rockets may be murderous and deadly, traumatizing the whole nation of Israel. But they must not distract us from what really matters, namely, that Israel is an evil apartheid state, one which Christians should not support. That is Khalils position. But has he wondered what the situation of the Palestinians would be today if they did not have leadership like Hamas (or, the not much better Palestinian Authority)? Senior Hamas and PA clerics have called for the extermination of Israel. Both organizations name childrens schools after famous terrorists and suicide bombers, and they use international donations to Palestinian leadership to fund the families of terrorists. How does Israel live in peace with this? And what of the places within Israel where mutual cooperation between local Jews and Arabs (= Palestinians) has resulted in mutual thriving? Perhaps, if the Palestinian leadership truly recognized Israels right to its ancient homeland, there would be more thriving for all? Of course, Khalils whole point was that Palestinians (including Palestinian Christians) are suffering at the hands of Israeli leadership. Therefore, Christians should reconsider their reflexive support for Israel and, instead, work for justice, harmony, and peace. But all of that could have been done very easily, without the need to call for Christians to step back from their support of Israel. In short, Khalil could have said, I certainly understand your scriptural reasons for supporting Israel, and I understand that, historically, you are also responding to the tragic fruit of Christian antisemitism (For the record, Khalil does reference that last point.) But, as followers of Jesus, I urge you not to be blind in your support of Israel and not to neglect the needs of the Palestinians. Had that been his approach, he would have received a hearty Amen from me and I say that as someone who identifies both as a God-fearing Jew and an evangelical follower of Jesus. As a true friend of Israel, I have no problem calling my people to account for their sins and shortcomings. And as a lover of Jesus, I am also a lover of justice and peace and that means for the Palestinians too. (For my message at the anti-Zionist, Christ at the Checkpoint conference in 2018, see here.) We support Israel because we recognize that God brought the Jewish people back to the land and that Satan wants to destroy them. And we advocate for the best interests of all the peoples living in that region, knowing that our God cares about them equally, be they Israeli Jews or Palestinian Muslims. Mr. Khalil, can you join me in standing here? Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Its interesting how we move from the self-sacrifice of soldiers whove died for our freedoms into a month of self-obsession from LGBT activists who demand we give up our freedoms. We go from memorializing the courageous to merchandising the outrageous. In the process, were told to be good automatons and embrace equality. But are things really becoming more equal? Corporate America doesnt rebrand itself for a whole month in red, white, and blue to show any devotion to the USA. They dont ever celebrate Americas rich religious heritage. They dont raise flags and release special product editions for other people groups. But theyll proudly dip their logos into the shallow pool of rainbow colors to show their devotion to LGBTQXYZ. This June, companies, medical associations, school systems, city councils, colleges and seminaries will fall over themselves to be the most LGBT. Theyll splash co-opted rainbows all over their social media profiles, posts, and products. It gets better, right? Well, it depends on who you talk to. What about the ones whove de-transitioned or (more accurately) those who ultimately embrace the sex determined by DNA at their conception? What about the spouses left behind in marriages left in ruins? What about a precious teenager I know who is celebrated because she came out but the affirming crowd completely ignores her parents drug addictions and years of molestation from her father? Will corporations be at the other end of their plastered rainbows to pick up the broken pieces of lives that need more than sparkly glitter and clever hashtags? Will pro-LGBT legislators be there to care for the children languishing in foster care at increasing rates because they allowed faith-based adoption agencies to be shut down by Big LGBT? The Church of Corporate America has decreed that the only sin is rejecting their doctrine of wokism. Curiously, capitalism is blasted as irreparably evil by todays social justice warriors unless it forces its religion onto everyone in the workplace and the marketplace. I wont change my language, the colors on my profile, or my life-long worldview. My conviction is beyond the temporal nature of politics. Its rooted in something eternal. There are truths about human identity that never change, no matter the cultural tides, no matter the public polling. Christ calls us in John 13:34 to love one another as He has loved us. Christ never embraced a lie. He affirmed that God made us male and female in Matthew 19:4-6 and spoke of marriage between one man and one woman. In a day and age where cultural appropriation is heavily denounced by the Left, its perfectly okay (somehow) for the appropriation and complete distortion of religious symbols. The origin of things matters. The creator of the rainbow flag, drag-performer and artist Gilbert Baker, was inspired by the Bible according to CNN. The rainbows in the Bible. Its a covenant between God and all living creatures, Baker acknowledged without the context that the world was destroyed by a flood because of all the things the Bible details as sinful. Baker continued in his advocacy of coming out: You can live in this light of the truth. Its totally liberating. You dont have to live a lie. Living a lie will mess you up. Yes. Living a lie does mess you up. Ask former homosexuals. Their stories are heartbreaking and inspiring. Ill always love the individual, no matter what he or she is going through. But I wont tolerate a reckless activism that invites millionsespecially childreninto confusion and depression. I know the difference between love and tolerance. Love lifts people out of their circumstances. Tolerance keeps people where they are and pretends there are no circumstances. I won't bow to the cult of LGBTism. I wont call a boy a girl any more than I would refer to Rachel Dolezal as "African-American." If self-identity must be acknowledged as reality, then I identify as a Twitter and Facebook user whose content isnt shadow-banned or censored. Our very language is being controlled by those who decry discrimination while being sure to discriminate against those who believe in basic biology and Constitutional free speech. Pronouns, for instance, are not hate. They simply describe the core of who we are. But if the (In)Equality Act is passed, anti-pronoun anti-science codes that currently exist in NYC, DC and CA will become federalized. Well be forced to recognize an individual as two or more people. When did confusion become a virtue and clarity a vice? Virginia physical education teacher Tanner Cross understands the difference and lovingly expressed, in a school board meeting, why he wouldnt cave to the schools transgenderism dictate. He, like millions of other parents, sees the emotional and physical harm done to children by denying our very identity. Days later, Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) sent Cross a letter putting him on administrative leave stating he engaged in conduct that has had a disruptive impact on the operations. Apparently, that conduct is exercising his First Amendment rights. I love all of my students, but I will never lie to them regardless of the consequences. Im a teacher but I serve God first and I will not affirm that a biological boy can be a girl and vice versa because its against my religion. Its lying to a child, its abuse to a child, and its sinning against our God, Cross expressed in a short but moving speech (see here at 1:48). The Loudoun County Public Schools Propaganda System, via its arrogant activist school board, wont tolerate informed dissent. Im all about individual freedom. But if your liberty robs me of my Constitutional rights, Im not going to bow and wave an LGBT flag of capitulation. Ill keep on standing firm in my faith (which is constantly reinforced by science), love people enough to speak the truth, and unapologetically wave the red, white, and blue. Now those are colors with which all Americans, in a diverse nation richly blessed by God, can be proud. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment One hundred years ago, violent white mobs launched a horrific siege on the Greenwood District of Tulsa, Okla., a predominantly Black business and residential district that came to be known as Black Wall Street for its cultural and economic prowess in the 1910s. Following unfounded accusations that a Black man, Dick Rowland, had assaulted a white woman, Sarah Page, white Tulsans retaliated by taking up arms and attacking the Greenwood District. From May 31 to Jun. 1, 1921, they destroyed 35 city blocks, burned homes, looted, demolished businesses, schools, churches and a hospital and murdered and maimed hundreds of Black residents. Some scholars estimate 300 people were killed and 800 people were wounded. Tulsa resident Buck Colbert Franklin wrote of aerial attacks in his eyewitness account. Today, the city continues to investigate mass graves of the victims of the Tulsa Race Massacre. No Black-owned buildings from that time remain, except one: Vernon Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church. The church was founded in 1905, two years before Oklahoma achieved statehood. Although the church was badly damaged by fire amidst the terror attacks, it became a refuge for the men, women and children who had lost everything. As community members came together to rebuild their lives, people began donating money to restore the church. By 1928, the main church building had been rebuilt and additional renovations took place in the 1930s and 1940s. Those who contributed to the renovations had their names recorded in a giving ledger, which lay forgotten in the churchs basement for decades until church members recently discovered it. Rev. Dr. Robert Turner, the churchs pastor, along with Sarah Stitt, First Lady of Oklahoma, have been working with Museum of the Bible to honor those who helped reconstruct the church and restore the extremely fragile ledger. Later this month the restored ledger, which church members named The Book of Redemption, will be returned to its home and will bear witness to our nation about the awful reality of the Tulsa Race Massacre and how hope was born out of suffering. At Museum of the Bible, we feel humbled to have been invited to participate in such a momentous project. As Americans commemorate the massacres centennial, we will release a video series that will give the members of the Vernon Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church community a platform to tell their story and will document the process of restoring the ledger. We have also created a facsimile of the ledger for people to touch and read through at the churchs commemoration ceremony on May 31. Sadly, the Tulsa Race Massacre is an often overlooked event in American history. As our nation continues to grapple with relationships among our citizens, I believe we have much to learn from those whose names are recorded in the ledger. Amidst the anguish of losing loved ones and livelihoods, of being regularly subjected to abuse and assault because of their skin color, the members of Vernon Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church chose redemption. To redeem is to buy or win back, to free from, to make better, to repair, to atone for these are just a few definitions. Redemption is a full word. In Ephesians 1:7, Apostle Paul writes, In him [Jesus] we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace. If we desire to reconcile past traumas and to move forward into a more equitable, peaceful future, if we long for redemption in our own national story, then we ought to look to the story reflected in the pages a powerful refutation of bigotrys carnage of The Book of Redemption. What avoiding "sin stocks" can do Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment In a previous article, I discussed three inappropriate goals for avoiding sin stocks. There I argued that using a moral screen on your investments is not able to remove guilt, keep money from going to bad companies, or avoid profits that are tainted by sin. After hearing that some might wonder, If avoiding sin stocks cant do those things, why bother to avoid sin stocks at all? Is there any reason not to invest in companies that profit from activity related to abortion, tobacco, alcohol, or pornography? An Analogy to Spiritual Growth If we just focus on avoiding sin stocks, the limitations of the approach stand out. It cannot stop bad businesses or ensure our purity of heart. But on the other hand, neither can most of the other good deeds we do. For example, listening to a Christian podcast on our commute isnt going to change the world. Fasting and prayer over lunchbreak cannot wash away our sin. Going to church does not assure we will be saved. But small decisions like these really matter. God can use them to change us. Believers have always wrestled with how to live a holy life in the context of a fallen world. Of course, the answer is simple in principle: We must follow Christ. But the application is different for each one of us: What is Christ calling me to do in my situation today? Even though investing is a matter of Christian liberty, this doesnt mean we can do whatever we want without reference to God. As with all our decisions, investing should be a matter of seeking God, consulting wise counselors, considering biblical principles, and trusting God to guide our steps. Aiming for Better Goals Perhaps the biggest challenge around using morally screened investments is keeping ones eyes on appropriate, biblical goals. Some people like to focus on avoiding tainted money, as seen in comments about zero tolerance or not one penny from impure sources. But as I argued, this does not account for what Scripture teaches about money and builds on assumptions about the transferrable morality of money. If this is not a good reason to avoid sin stocks, what might be a better reason? I spoke with my friend Doug Hanson who has considered many of the implications of being a Christian investor. He suggested the following as better goals for using screened investments: Motive #1 To increase our focus on Christ. While screening investments is not the only way to do this, it can be a way to invite Christ more fully into our lives. People often overlook their investments when it comes to spiritual growth and worship. But honoring the Lord with our wealth (Prov. 3:9) implies that we should invite Christ into every part of our financial lives, including investing. Motive #2 To increase our faithful influence on others. A faith-integrated approach to investing, including avoiding sin stocks, can open doors to express our faith to others. This can move the topic of investing from being mundane, to something spiritually oriented in our conversations. If family or friends hear that we are making Gods will a priority even in our investments, this may influence them to think about Gods will for their lives. Motive #3 To increase our trust in the Lord. Taking the step to screen investments can be done with a heart that says, Lord, Im giving all I have to you, including my investments. While this is not the only way to trust God, it can remind us not to be anxious but to pray with gratefulness instead (Phil. 4:6). Viewing our investments as belonging to the Lord can help us remember that our heavenly Father will meet our needs regardless of investment performance (Matt. 6:30-33). Motive #4 To increase our personal resolve against sin. Sometimes taking a step in one area has a positive trickle-down effect on other areas of life. For example, choosing not to invest in companies that profit from pornography can reinforce our decision to stay away from pornography in our media choices. For those who know the devastating effect of alcohol abuse, avoiding alcohol investments can bolster their resolve to stay away from the misuse of alcohol in their life. In addition to these motives, Doug reminds us not to view investment screening as the holy grail of godly living. Rather, we should see it as another tool to encourage people to live for Christ. Closing Reflections With so much potential good associated with moral screening, why bother to mention that it cannot keep money from bad companies or avoid ill-gotten gain in the biblical sense? First, financial professionals are bound to avoid making exaggerated or misleading claims about investments. Second, as believers, we must also be careful how we use the Bible. It isnt enough to just quote verses that seem to support our favorite investing ideas. Certainly, the Bible offers principles that can guide our investing. But like all biblical principles, these require interpretation, historical context, and thoughtful application. It would be easier if we could say, Honoring God means investing according to this rule. Instead, we must return to where we began. Following Christ is the key. Seeking to do His will and hearing well done is what we must all strive for. As we follow Christs call, we will inevitably express that in a variety of ways. If you believe the Lord is calling you to avoid investing in certain kinds of businesses, do so for the glory of God and for the increase of your joy. And as you do, remember that others are also seeking to honor Christ by using other strategies that may not involve investment screening. Perhaps we can put our investing strategies in their place by noting the words of C. S. Lewis on a topic of much greater significance than mere investing. When you have reached your own room, be kind to those who have chosen different doors and to those who are still in the hall. The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. All investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal. Securities and advisory services offered through LPL Financial, a registered investment advisor, member FINRA/SIPC. WaterRock Financial, LLC is a separate entity from LPL Financial. Ravi Zacharias' daughter apologizes for 'serious errors;' brother says she doesn't speak for family Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Sarah Davis, CEO of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries and oldest daughter of the late apologist, has apologized for her initial reaction to the allegations of her fathers sexual misconduct, admitting she made serious errors that only furthered deep wounds. Her statement elicited a response from her brother, who claimed that she is not speaking for the family. To the women who are victims of my father's abuse, I think of you every single day. I am utterly devastated," she said in a video message this week. "I am sorry that I did not see you. I am sorry that you were made powerless and rendered voiceless. When you did speak up, I didn't believe you, and I'm deeply sorry for this." An independent investigation released earlier this year found credible evidence of a long pattern of abusive behavior by Zacharias, one of the most recognizable figures in American Christianity for decades. The report found that the apologist, who died last May, coerced massage therapists at a spa he co-owned to perform sexual acts. It also uncovered a collection of explicit photos many of them of much younger women found in Zacharias possession. The independent report corroborated accounts made by several women, including Lori Anne Thompson, who Zacharias sued in 2017 for alleging they had an online sexual relationship. Davis, who became CEO of RZIM in November 2019, admitted that she erred by ignoring allegations against her father and defending his innocence. I earnestly wanted the truth, but I recognize that the steps I took didn't always show this, she shared. I should have immediately called for an independent investigation in 2017, but I trusted my father fully, and I carried his narrative, both in 2017 and then initially in 2020, when we were first made aware of those allegations. In both of these, I know that I caused pain. I did not serve well, and I did not love well. And for this, I'm deeply sorry. My goal and my heart were not to attempt to cover up the sins of my father or any sin to further a call or a mission," she added. "I believed this man, my father, whom I loved and trusted more than anyone else, could not have done these things But I was wrong. When she was presented with evidence that the allegations against her father were true, Davis said she was quaked to her very being. I still replay memories, over and over in my head. How could this make sense with the man that I knew and what we now know to be true? Was it all a lie? Could he have done these things?" she said. "And if he did do them, why wouldn't he have confessed them, even to his family? For the rest of my life, I will have to hold the tension with this man that I knew and love, with the man that we know now committed these actions. Davis said she hopes to be a conduit of healing and move forward with truth and transparency. She apologized to the public for RZIM not representing Christ to you. While we were proclaiming a God who loves and values every person, our leader was not living in the truth of who God is, she said. While RZIM hopes to return to preaching the Gospel eventually, it must first engage in this very important ministry to acknowledge, to respond to and to address how these things could have happened at RZIM, Davis concluded. In response to his sister's statement, Nathan Zacharias wrote a brief response in which he said that that he stands by his father: My sister, Sarah, recently gave a video statement on the situation with my Dad. There was no new information given, and she did not say anything she has not already said in her previous statements over the past few months. It was the same talking points." She is not speaking for the family," he added. "As has been clear, we do not share her take on this situation. In a May 7 blog post, Nathan Zacharias argued that the Miller & Martin investigation was "driven by a predetermined agenda, not actual evidence and truth." He also voiced disagreement with how RZIM handled the allegations. Since the release of the Miller & Martin report earlier this year, RZIM has announced that it's changing the ministry's name, restructuring to become a grant-making organization supporting evangelism and abuse victims and laid off the majority of its staff. Additionally, numerous publishers pulled Zacharias books. In a May interview, Abdu Murray, who co-authored a book with Zacharias and has been in the leadership of RZIM since 2017, apologized for how he and the ministry handled their public statements when the allegations arose. We really cannot afford to elevate ministry above people or certainly above Jesus, Murray said, speaking about what he learned amid Zacharias' gradual exposure over the past few years. I think that we have this mentality in ministry that somehow ministry is itself sacred, that ministry is itself untouchable. And so when an allegation of abuse happens, we find it unbelievable because these people could not possibly have done it. Zondervan won't publish God Bless the USA Bible,' says marketing was 'premature' after backlash Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Zondervan and HarperCollins will not publish or manufacture a version of the Bible that would feature various patriotic American documents for the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, contrary to concerns expressed online. Earlier this month, Meagan Clark of Religion Unplugged wrote an article reporting that the Michigan-based international Christian media and publishing company was in talks to release the God Bless the USA Bible on the 20th anniversary of the terror attacks that killed thousands of Americans in 2001. This Bible version will reportedly include the lyrics to the 1984 song God Bless the USA, the U.S. States Constitution, the Pledge of Allegiance and other historic American documents. But Casey Francis Harrell, senior director of corporate communications at HarperCollins, Zondervan's parent company, stated in an email to The Christian Post on Thursday that the publisher had no plans to release the controversial version of the Bible. Zondervan is not publishing, manufacturing or selling the God Bless the USA Bible, read the statement, which noted that nothing had been finalized between the two parties. While we were asked for a manufacturing quote, ultimately the project was not a fit for either party, and the website and marketing of the NIV project were premature. As of Thursday morning, the Bible version is being promoted on a website and can be pre-ordered for $49.99. Copies are expected to be shipped in late September. The initial report about the possibility of the God Bless the USA Bible being released prompted backlash online, including a petition backed by more than 900 signatories. Zondervan/HarperCollins has a been a great blessing to Christian publishing for many years. But a forthcoming volume damages this fine record, the petition reads. This is a toxic mix that will exacerbate the challenges to American evangelicalism, adding fuel to the Christian nationalism and anti-Muslim sentiments found in many segments of the evangelical church. In addition, authors who had had works published by Zondervan expressed concern over the possibility of the God Bless the USA Bible being published. They include Shane Claiborne of Red Letter Christians, progressive evangelical Pastor Doug Pagitt, activist and speaker Lisa Sharon Harper, New York Times bestselling author Jemar Tisby and Professor of Church Growth and Evangelism Soong-Chan Rah of North Park University in Chicago. In an opinion column published by Religion Unplugged earlier this week, the same authors expressed support for the news that Zondervan was not going to publish the Bible version. This is not the first time there has been an attempt to fuse American nationalism with the holy book in fact Thomas Nelson released The American Patriots Bible over a decade ago, which was a very similar project, they wrote. But what is new is a growing awareness of how dangerous nationalism is when coupled with faith," they added. "After all, the Bible does not say God bless America. It says, God so loved the world. The God Bless the USA Bible is a product of a company called Elite Source Pro. The company's president, Hugh Kirkpatrick, had earlier confirmed to Religion Unplugged that Zondervan awarded the licensing for the Bible. The website reported that the idea for the Bible version was formed when Kirkpatrick and his friends heard complaints from homeschool parents that public schools aren't requiring students to read and understand the U.S. Constitution or the Bill of Rights. Additionally, Kirkpatrick claimed that famous American symbols were increasingly being seen as "weaponized tools of the Republican party." Boris Johnsons Catholic church wedding draws ire of gay marriage advocate Fr. James Martin Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, twice-divorced, married Carrie Symonds in a private ceremony at Westminster Cathedral on Saturday, which drew the ire of well-known progressive Jesuit Father James Martin, an advocate for same-sex marriage. Johnson, the first prime minister in nearly 200 years to be married while in office, wed in a secret ceremony with 30 close friends and family members, adhering to COVID-19 restrictions on gatherings. Some of Johnsons top aides were unaware of the plans, but Downing Street confirmed the wedding on Sunday, the day after the ceremony, Edinburgh News reported. A staff member said they were reportedly shocked as plans for the nuptials were kept very quiet, The Telegraph reported. Days earlier, the couple reportedly sent save the date cards to friends and family to celebrate their marriage on July 30, 2022. A spokesperson said the prime minister has already returned to work and their honeymoon will be delayed until next summer. Symonds, 33, is the third wife of Johnson, 56. Johnson and Symonds share a son, Wilfred, who was born in April 2020. The secretive ceremony was officiated by a Catholic priest, Father Daniel Humphreys, who baptized the couples son last year, Newsweek reported. Johnsons multiple marriages and having children out of wedlock sparked controversy due to the Catholic Churchs stance on such issues and its opposition to divorce. Martin, a progressive Catholic who in 2017 was disinvited from a speaking engagement at the Theological College in Washington, D.C., due to controversy sparked by his book, Building a Bridge, spoke out on Twitter about the couples union, arguing that the Catholic Church has a double standard. #BorisJohnson, a twice-divorced man, whose girlfriend recently had a baby with him out of wedlock (and who also has another child out of wedlock) was married in a Catholic ceremony in Westminster Cathedral, the seat of English Catholicism, Martin, who serves as an editor at large for the Jesuit publication America magazine, tweeted on Saturday. At the same time, a same-sex couple who are both Catholics (unlike Mr. Johnson, who was confirmed as an Anglican) cannot have their civil union blessed even in private by a priest because God does not and cannot bless sin Mr. and Mrs. Johnson were married within the rules of the Catholic Church, the priest continued. And I wish them well. I also wish that the same mercy and compassion that was offered to them, recognizing their complex lives, could also be extended to same-sex couples who are lifelong Catholics. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson were married within the rules of the Catholic Church. And I wish them well. I also wish that the same mercy and compassion that was offered to them, recognizing their complex lives, could also be extended to same-sex couples who are lifelong Catholics. James Martin, SJ (@JamesMartinSJ) May 30, 2021 Martin referenced the Vaticans recent statement in March announcing that churches have no power to bless same-sex marriage since God cannot bless sin, which solidified Pope Francis stance on homosexuality. "It looks to them rightly or wrongly as if the Church is applying double standards and I do fear that this decision does make the Church look bad, Father Mark Drew, assistant priest at St. Joseph's Church in Penketh, Warrington, said, according to BBC. Drew said he has had had to tell Catholic couples going through a divorce that they cannot remarry in the church. There will be a feeling that, why are some people who are divorced allowed to be married in the church and others not?, Christopher Lamb, a correspondent for the Catholic magazine The Tablet, told BBC Radio 5 live about how this reflects that there is one law for the rich and powerful and another for everyone else. And I think thats where the church can look at its current roles and see how it can become more welcoming. It has been welcoming to Boris Johnson, why not to others? he asked. The Roman Catholic Church does allow divorcees to remarry if the previous marriages were outside the Roman Catholic Church. The Telegraph reported that Johnsons former marriages to Allegra Mostyn-Owen and Marina Wheeler were not Catholic ceremonies and thus not recognized by the Catholic Church. Some have suggested the wedding was a way to bury this weeks bad news or deflect from negative press after a difficult week as prime minister where he was dubbed unfit for office, according to Edinburgh News. Johnson announced his divorce from his wife of 25 years, Marina Wheeler, in 2018. The couple share four children. Symonds previously worked on Johnsons reelection campaign for mayor and served as the Conservative Partys head of communications. She now works in public relations for Oceana, a marine conservation organization. The couple celebrated the wedding with a festival-style celebration. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson poses with his wife Carrie Johnson in the garden of 10 Downing Street following their wedding at Westminster Cathedral yesterday. #CarrieSymonds#boriswedding#BorisAndCarrie#BorisJohnsonWedding#BorisJohnsonpic.twitter.com/xYJFOorytZ Getty Images News (@GettyImagesNews) May 30, 2021 China announces new 3-child policy amid aging population, declining birth rates Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment China announced Monday it will allow families to have up to three children instead of capping families at two kids as its population ages and birth rates continue to decline. The decision to alter China's controversial birth policy came after a meeting with politburo, a top decision-making body of the Chinese Communist Party. The meeting was chaired by President Xi Jinping, according to state-sponsored media. But it is not certain when the policy change will go into effect. China ended its decades-long one-child policy in 2016 by implementing a two-child policy, where women were forced to abort their children after they already had two kids. To actively respond to the aging of the population a couple can have three children, state-sponsored news outlet Xinhua reported on Monday, according to Reuters. The one-child policy was implemented in 1979 for economic reasons to limit population growth. China enforced this through forced abortions and sterilizations. Demographers have predicted China will eventually do away with birth policies, which will do little to reshape Chinas demography, The Wall Street Journal relays. China's National Health Commission argued in a statement released Tuesday that the "three-child policy is conducive to improving the age structure of the population, increasing the supply of a new labor force, easing intergenerational contradictions, and invigorating Chinese society." However, having one child is still the social norm for couples in China. The decision will not likely change Chinas demographic trends, as most people do not desire to have more children due to concerns such as the cost of living, according to The New York Times. Some mothers who have had to keep their third child a secret will no longer fear being punished for having a third child once the new rule is enacted. China is now encouraging birth rates to grow, and the government vowed to implement more child-friendly benefits, such as maternity leave to protect the legitimate rights and interests of women in employment and increase funding for the countrys retired population. "According to Monday's meeting, the birth policy change will come with supportive measures, including improving prenatal and postnatal care services, developing a universal childcare service system, reducing family spending on education, strengthening tax and housing support, and safeguarding the lawful rights and interests of working women," the statement posted Tuesday by Xinhua reads. China is the most populous country in the world, with a population of over 1.4 billion people. It is also home to one of the most rapidly aging populations. Macrotrends reported that the 2021 birth rate in China is 11.159 birth rates per 1,000 people, which is a 2.25% decline from 2020. The country faced similar population declines in 2019 and 2018. Experts say this move came too late to reverse the effects of Chinas quickly aging population. Opening it up to three children is far from enough, Huang Wenzheng, a demography expert with the Center for China and Globalization, told The New York Times. It should be fully liberalized, and giving birth should be strongly encouraged. This should be regarded as a crisis for the survival of the Chinese nation, even beyond the pandemic and other environmental issues, Huang continued. There should never have been a birth restriction policy in the first place. So its not a question of whether this is too late. World Population Review notes how experts are concerned Chinas low birth rate and aging population will damage its future economic development. The low birth rate and aging population make it difficult for the Chinese economy to grow. China also has a skewed ratio of male to female births since males are the preferred gender in most Chinese families. The Chinese Communist Partys five-year plan unveiled in November revealed its plans to optimize its birth policy and improve the quality of the population. China's birthing policies have long received condemnation from international human rights advocates, pro-life activists and religious leaders. Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President Al Mohler stated in his podcast Tuesday that China's decision five years ago to increase the limit from one child to two "did not bring about any significant increase in birth rate." "So now the Chinese Communist Party has decided the magic number is three," he said. "But it's also unlikely to have much effect the reasons for this are many. But at least some of the reasons are that China now has put couples in the habit of not having children rather than having them." "China has now deployed its adult workforce in such a way that it will be very difficult for many couples to have any children, not to mention more than one or two or even three," he added. "But the other situation is something that's not unique to China, but China now faces the problem in a uniquely bad way. And that is the fact that it's far easier to tell people to have fewer babies with effect than to have more. It turns out that societies that have moved to trying to reduce population growth have been very, very frustrated trying to reverse the process." How COVID-19 is reshaping the adoption process for birth mothers, prospective parents Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Isolation brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the loneliness and fear many expectant mothers already feel during an unplanned pregnancy, but the lockdowns also spurred changes that have made the adoption process easier for some, according to the director of a leading faith-based adoption service. Dawn Baker, Bethany Chrisitan Services Michigan director of infant adoption and pregnancy counseling, shared with The Chrisitan Post some of the ways they've had to adapt to adhere to government guidelines while also providing the same level of care to mothers seeking adoption for the child and expectant parents. Many of us have felt and understood the isolation that COVID has brought us, and certainly pregnant women feel that same isolation, Baker told CP in a recent interview. I think its even more profound when theres uncertainty about the future and about what it is youre going to do. And so I would say COVID has really amplified that, magnified that situation for them [in] feeling isolated, being kind of shut off, she said. The pandemic has caused many expectant mothers to ask questions they never had to ask before, she added. Many times women who are in an unplanned pregnancy can feel [stress during] their pregnancy anyway, so when youre also cut off from the world and you are holding on to something that is so dear and so precious, it can feel really very claustrophobic; it can feel like its really dominating your thought process, Baker explained. Even the uncertainty of the pandemic, [they ask questions] like, How am I going to survive a pregnancy? [and] Is COVID going to affect my child or my pregnancy? Another major issue of concern for mothers was making sure they didn't get infected with COVID-19. If a mother who's planning for adoption gives birth to her child while she's positive for COVID-19, her baby will be separated from her, sometimes never giving her the chance to hold her newborn, which would be devastating, Baker said. The uncertainty of the pandemic has really raised a level of stress and loneliness and anxiety, and weve seen that in particular with the moms weve been working with, she said. Weve had to make some changes and do things a little bit differently." One of these changes was how expectant mothers met with prospective parents seeking to adopt their babies. While they once met in person, Bethany Christian Services switched to mostly virtual meetings. This can remove some of the uncomfortableness of meeting prospective adoptive parents for the first time since it can now be done virtually at home. Baker said this is helpful, but different and is a good alternative, but not the same. I think that very often it is intimidating to call someone and to set up a meeting for the first time, she said. Were talking about expectant parents who you are sharing something so profoundly personal and intimate with a person youve never met, and its scary. Baker said she believes the virtual meetings will remain even after the pandemic lockdowns and other guidelines are lifted. I think sometimes being able to talk on the phone and text and then move that into a virtual meeting and then have a face-to-face meeting that it really has been impactful, and its probably something that will continue on even after the pandemic leaves us. I would say its probably going to change things for the long haul here in particular, , she added. Another benefit of virtual communication is that the services are accessible to more people. Bethany has noticed an increase in families viewing informational meetings now offered online, according to Baker. Weve seen an increase in our information meetings across the board with our programs, she said. Weve been able to reach more families [who can view information meetings] from the comfort of their own home. And meeting a birth parent for the first time can feel a little more comfortable in [the] safe environment of your home. So I do think that that is something that carries over after we leave the pandemic behind. Whether birth mothers walk through the adoption process during a pandemic or not, Baker, who has worked at Bethany for 15 years, said birth mothers are her heroes. The strength that they show, the tenacity that they show, the ability to get beyond themselves and see beyond themselves is remarkable to me. And to have that selflessness in order to put their child first and to choose something that is unconventional, that is different, that is really hard, she said. I put [birth mothers] in a different category that is a step above. ACLU files lawsuit against Arkansas ban on puberty blockers, trans surgeries for kids Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit against the state of Arkansas in federal court, arguing that a new law banning hormonal and surgical gender-transitioning of minors is unconstitutional. The lawsuit, Brandt et al v. Rutledge et al, is being brought by four Arkansas families who are challenging HB 1570, also known as the Save Adolescents From Experimentation Act. The law bans medical providers from prescribing experimental puberty-blocking drugs and cross-sex hormones to children or performing elective cosmetic surgeries such as double mastectomies and orchiectomy (removal of the testes), on children younger than 18. The law also prohibits insurers and state taxpayers' dollars from funding these practices and allows insurance companies to deny coverage of surgical genital mutilation, chemical castration and related procedures at any age. The SAFE Act is the first law of its kind in the nation and passed despite a last-minute veto by Gov. Asa Hutchinson, a Republican, who argued that it violated limited government principles. The Republican-majority state Legislature subsequently overrode his veto. Joining the families in challenging the law are Drs. Michelle Hutchison and Kathryn Stambough, who argue that it prevents them from treating patients with "medically-necessary" care and prevents them from referring them to other providers. The lawsuit argues that "by prohibiting any medical treatment 'related to gender transition,' [the law] denies adolescents medically necessary treatment and prevents parents from obtaining medically necessary care for their children. It further prohibits doctors from treating their patients in accordance with the well-established standards of care or from referring patients to other doctors to receive the appropriate care." "It violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment because it discriminates on the basis of sex and transgender status by prohibiting certain medical treatments only for transgender patients and only when the care is 'related to gender transition,'" the suit continues. That constitutional clause states that U.S. states cannot make or enforce laws that "abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." The suit also argues that the Arkansas ban is an affront to free speech, violating the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution by prohibiting doctors from referring their patients in accordance with what they deem as accepted standards of care. The defendant named in the suit is Attorney General of Arkansas Leslie Rutledge who has vowed to defend the law. I will aggressively defend Arkansas law which strongly limits permanent, life-altering sex changes to adolescents. I wont sit idly by while radical groups such as the ACLU use our children as pawns for their own social agenda, Rutledge said in a statement. The sponsor of the contested law in the state House, Rep. Robin Lundstrum (R-Elm Springs), said that she was saddened to hear of the legal action against the state's efforts "to protect children from chemical and surgical castration" and that the damage to the human body will be seen from those who regret going through the experimental procedures. "Our children are incredibly precious and deserve the right to grow up safe and healthy," Lundstrum said. She added: "I am so thankful that we have a capable attorney general in Leslie Rutledge and her wonderful staff who will fight hard to protect children against those who would harm them for political purposes. Sadly, there will be children in years to come who will be asking, Where were the adults and why didnt someone say no, this is not healthy for me to do to my body?" Ontario congregation charged for holding outdoor services after church locked by court order Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A Canadian congregation has been charged with violating lockdown rules when it held multiple outdoor worship services with more than 10 people in attendance after its church building was shut down by the government. The Church of God in Aylmer, Ontario, held two services, one on May 16 and the other on May 23 attended by hundreds of people, that violated the Reopening Ontario Act because it exceeded the capacity limit. Also known as the Roadmap to Reopen, Step 1 of the program involves allowing outdoor gatherings of no more than 10 people and non-essential retail being allowed at 15% capacity. Pastor Henry Hildebrandt told The Christian Post that the services were held on the church's lawn, as their building was locked up by the government on May 14 due to the Church meeting in spite of regulations. Hildebrandt said that his congregation hadn't had any confirmed COVID-19 cases, let alone COVID-19-related deaths, even though they have gathered for in-person worship since May of last year. It is important that people retain the right to choose for themselves whether a situation presents a danger to their health," said Hildebrandt. "We offer drive-in, online, in-person services to accommodate all those seeking for spiritual fellowship." The pastor went on to say that he and his church acknowledge Christ as our King and do not recognize the authority of the State as it pertains to the services and functions of the Church as prescribed by the Word of God. When the State commands what God forbids or forbids what God commands, we will obey God rather than men," Hildebrandt continued. "The supremacy of God is written into our Constitution, and we acknowledge that His sovereignty supersedes that of earthly government." Local media reports that as many as 300 people attended the church's outdoor service on Sunday and was the seventh consecutive week the church violated rules restricting worship service attendance to 10 people. Since the start of the pandemic, the church has been slapped with multiple legal charges. The doors to the church were locked under the order of Superior Court Justice Bruce Thomas. The Aylmer congregation filed a complaint against Ontario. The church is represented by the Calgary, Alberta-based Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms. A hearing is scheduled for October. Church of God in Aylmer had multiple run-ins with Ontario police in the past over its worship services, including last year when drive-in services were held at the church property. In December, the legal group explained that the residents complained after seeing photos of the church parking lot during the drive-in services. Although congregants remained in their cars with windows up and listened to the service on the radio, those who complained to authorities "assumed that the congregants were inside the building. Aylmer Police Chief Zvonko Horvat told the Ontario-based London Free Press in an interview earlier this month that tensions are escalating." He rejected the argument that the gathering limits were an attack on the congregation's religious freedom. There are certain things that governments take a position on for the betterment of the community and the safety of the community and, in actual fact, they are not prohibited from having service, so its not a total shutdown of religious services, said Horvat. These are restrictions in terms of the number of people (for in-person service) based on expert opinion during this pandemic. They are allowed to do a drive-in service where they can worship and pray ... so Im not sympathetic at all toward their cause. Horvat went on to thank the community for being responsible and obeying the current rules, saying that most Aylmer residents were adhering to the lockdown rules. We are working cooperatively with different groups, and all I ask is for the general public to be patient and wait for the outcome, he continued. 99.9 percent of the people that live in Aylmer do that and Im certainly proud of that. In spite of the coronavirus pandemic, 2020 marked a resurgence in the U.S. civil rights movement after the tragic death of George Floyd. On May 25 last year, Floyd's death managed to shake the world the Houston native was killed by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in a taped encounter that horrified the public. A DAY TO REFLECT: On the anniversary of his death, Houston and the world pay tribute to George Floyd's memory After his tragic passing, months of protests and unrest would reign across the nation with the demand that justice be served. Protests came in many forms a series of boots-on-the-ground-style demonstrations and marches, an influx of patrons to Black-owned businesses and even artistic ventures Houston rappers like Trae Tha Truth and Obe Noir along with Fort Worth native Mickey Guyton made music reflecting the racism and police brutality African-American people face in the U.S. Houston artist Ange Hillz is implementing that same kind of activism, just on canvas. Using his paintbrushes as his voice, his paintings represent his unsaid personal emotions. "It's my way of putting it out there, of what's going on," Hillz said. Hillz, a native of Houston by way of Rwanda, is a famous speed-painter whos been able to memorialize Floyd in many different forms. You might remember his work at Floyd's funeral, where Hillz speed-painted Floyd upside down on black canvas. The process went viral. "I didn't realize how big it was until I stepped off the stage," Hillz said. His work was very well received by Floyd's family, and he says he remains in contact with them today. "I wasn't even thinking about being on television at that time," Hillz explains. "At that moment I was just trying to showcase to the world, you know 'This is a face. This is a human being.' Everyone is grieving, and it felt like it was just a good addition to the funeral. That was my job to give them some closure, which isn't even really closure, honestly." Since Floyd's funeral, Hillz has managed to showcase his activism through art in a multitude of ways, including the George Floyd mural in Third Ward, as well as a visual tribute for Vanessa Guillen's family at her funeral. Now, his artwork has made it to a global stage with the latest TIME Magazine cover. For May 2021, the publication selected Hillz to digitally paint a portrait of Floyd for its front cover about the forthcoming verdict in the trial of Chauvin. BUILDING A LEGACY: Park dedicated to George Floyd's legacy unveiled in Third Ward Due to the guilty verdict, Hillz digitally painted the cover in just a few hours. Hillz recalls that TIME reached out to him the night before, but he was already working on another project, so the only time he had to work on the cover was on the plane ride to Minneapolis to support the family of Daunte Wright, another Black man who was gunned down by police. "I'm the kind of person that works well under pressure, so it's something that I'm used to, and I definitely wasn't going to say no to the opportunity." Courtesy Ange Hillz Although the paintings presented a unique opportunity for Hillz, they don't overshadow the reason he's painting the martyr in the first place making for very bittersweet experiences. "It's been humbling, and it's been sad. You know each time I paint, it's emotion. Definitely, when I did the TIME Magazine cover, I felt like at least they have some justice." Courtesy Ange Hillz The multiple colors depicted on the TIME cover are indicative of inclusion the amount of representation and support Floyd received after he passed came from all walks of life. "I wanted to create something bright. If you recall, everybody, we're talking about white, Black, Asian, was protesting. I used multiple colors on the cover to showcase unity," Hillz said. "High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America" was on a mission to expose how just how relevant Black food is to America. From Benin, Africa to Houston, Texas, writer and chef Stephen Satterfield had a message to spread and a point to prove and he certainly didn't miss the mark. Titled "Freedom," the fourth episode of the limited series journeys through Texas and tells the story behind an important day for African Americans. VEGAN DELIGHT: Houston Sauce Co. proves you don't have to give up good eating to be vegan "Ol' master didn't tell you no one was free," former slave Laura Smalley can be heard saying in a clip from 1941. "I think now they said they waited 'til six months after that. And turned them loose on the 19th of June." This delay is why we celebrate Juneteenth. Two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, federal troops showed up in Galveston to take control of the state and ensure slaves were finally freed. The celebration dates back to 1865 and is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States. "I came to Texas to unravel an uncomplicated a story, a story of freedom delayed," Satterfield said. "The Lone Star State was the last to abolish slavery, two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was announced. And when Freedom Day finally came, it was Galveston, Texas that first got the message." Bridging the gap between Black people and American cuisine, Satterfield's ability to combine two of my favorite things African American culture and food left me wanting both dinner and more content. Netflix / Netflix Satterfield first samples James Beard finalist Jerrelle Guy's baked goods then he saddles up to hang out with Black Cowboys' and enjoy some "Son of Gun" made from cow organs. From there, he gets a taste of some holy barbecue at New Zion Missionary Baptist Church's Barbecue in Huntsville before sampling an old school taste with a modern rub at Gatlin's BBQ in Houston. A&A Barbecue, courtesy of Black Cowboy Museum owner Larry Callies, makes for a tasty almost final stop before finishing up at the beloved Lucille's. "I think there are, especially as a Black woman, you know, all of these ideas of what I have to be or can't be," Guy said, adding that baking is how she expresses herself and feels a sense of empowerment. She showcased a variety of desserts that are a direct representation of Juneteenth, including red velvet cake, indicative of the blood shed during slavery. BREWED UP: Houston's first Black-owned coffee shop downtown is brewing with a purpose Personally, I used to always say I wasn't a barbecue person, but then I realized it's the sauce that turns me off. Luckily, actual good barbecue doesn't need it. Satterfield's trips to three different barbecue joints definitely left me craving ribs and chicken wings, especially because I love a good hole in the wall. Finding out the earliest barbecue in Texas came from enslaved African Americans was a fact that I am glad I learned, but one that didn't at all surprise me. Satterfield did a beautiful job highlighting people, places and dishes that mean so much to the community he is a part of. The entire limited series is definitely worth watching, but the Houston Juneteenth episode certainly holds a special place in my heart. MIAMI (AP) Grammy-nominated rapper DaBaby was detained for questioning in a shooting that wounded two people in Miami and later released, officials said Tuesday. Police said two suspects are now charged in the case. Jonathan Kirk, DaBaby's legal name, was one of many people being questioned by officials on Tuesday, Miami Beach police spokesman Ernesto Rodriguez said in a news release. Rodriguez had said earlier that several possible suspects were detained. He later noted that Kirk had been let go. According to arrest reports, Wisdom Awute, 21, and Christopher Urena, 29, both face charges of attempted first-degree murder with a deadly weapon and aggravated assault. Urena also faces charges of grand theft and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The shooting wrapped up a violent Memorial Day weekend in the Miami area. Police received multiple 911 calls reporting the shooting just after 11:30 p.m. Monday. Officers found one person struck in the shoulder and another in the leg. Both were taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital. Police have not released the identities of those wounded. One was treated at a hospital and released, while the second remains in the hospital in critical condition. The shooting took place on Ocean Drive, a popular strip of restaurants and hotels in South Beach. During the investigation, the heavily traveled MacArthur Causeway nearby was shut down in both directions. DaBaby, 29, was arrested earlier this year in Los Angeles. Beverly Hills police said he took a loaded gun into an upscale store on Rodeo Drive. The North Carolina rappers song Rockstar" was one of the biggest hits of 2020, and was nominated for a Grammy Award for record of the year. No one responded immediately to an email sent to DaBabys representatives seeking comment. A man who answered the phone at the label company representing him said, No comment. In other violence over the weekend, a mass shooting outside a banquet hall early Sunday left two dead and 21 wounded, including three who were hospitalized in critical condition. Police did not release the victims names, citing privacy laws. A manhunt continued Tuesday for three masked suspects who opened fire outside El Mula Banquet Hall in northwest Miami-Dade County, near Hialeah. On Monday, police released a surveillance camera video that showed a white SUV driving into an alley at a strip mall housing the hall. The SUV was found Monday submerged in a canal about 8 miles (13 kilometers) east of the shooting scene. Police said it had been reported stolen two weeks ago. The video shows three people getting out of the vehicle, one gripping a handgun while the other two brandish what police described as assault-style rifles. Authorities said the suspects began spraying bullets indiscriminately into the crowd, but had specific targets in mind. Officials also are still investigating a drive-by shooting Friday night that killed a person and injured six others outside a venue in the the Wynwood area. Some witnesses likened the scene to a war zone after a barrage of dozens of bullets sent people scurrying for cover. There is no indication the shootings were related to each other. This is a weekend when we should be out remembering, enjoying time with loved ones, and instead were here mourning, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said during a Monday news conference. ____ Associated Press journalist Freida Frisaro in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, contributed to this report. The universe of The Conjuring proves it may be reaching its spooky limits when a demon pops up in the latest film from, of all things, a waterbed. That such a well-worn punchline of 80s suburban life could be home to Satan's spawn might be played for camp in any other movie, but not here. This gentle franchise is all about timeless scary stuff swing sets that mysteriously move, battery toys that suddenly turn on and doorknobs that rattle. So the waterbed was perhaps a step too far. Whats next? A demonic Frisbee? A bloody Rubiks Cube? It's a signal that while the franchise soldiers on unironically, the films may fail to keep up with the real world, where the algebra of fear is harder now. Almost 600,000 people in America have died from a murderous airborne plague and Warner Brothers thinks it can terrify those of us who survived now seated in theaters masked and socially distanced and slightly paranoid with a moist bed demon? The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It is a fine installment but in an increasingly creaky franchise, appropriate for films that adore the sound of rotting wood floors. It leans into old school horror without really advancing the conceit or upping the scare factor. Its rules are increasingly easy to predict. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga are back as Ed and Lorraine Warren, a pair of married, devoutly Roman Catholic paranormal pros. The last film drew them into one of their most diabolical cases. The new one leads to "the most sinister discovery of their career. (Here's betting the fourth will be called the most pernicious or baleful.) Based on a real-life murder trial, the movie opens with an exorcism of an 8-year-old in southern New England in 1981 that catapults the demon inside the child into the body of a family friend, Arne Johnson, who then later kills his landlord. Charged with murder, Johnson claims demonic possession, one of the first known cases in which that defense is used. David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick's screenplay he also co-wrote The Conjuring 2 uses that real history and then opens it up to a wider mystery, which may include a missing teenager in another state. The Warrens must find out who is behind it and stop them. A master Satanist is not an adversary taken lightly, they are warned. Director Michael Chaves has real skill with eeriness but we can also see the patterns: Quiet scenes start ordinarily until an odd occurrence happens say, a cereal box shakes then the music gets ominous and the camera gets shaky before the split-second shocking addition of a disturbing figure. Fans of the franchise get some nice call-backs to Elvis and the demonic doll Anabel, while newcomers and veterans alike may never be able to listen to Blondies Call Me the same way again. The "Conjuring universe, kicked off by creator James Wan, now includes three Conjuring films and such movies as Annabelle and Annabelle: Creation, The Nun and Annabelle Comes Home. The latest film perhaps belongs in the Warrens' basement trophy room with all the others, sealed off from the present day like a dusty museum of artifacts. It's a place to retreat to when you're looking for what can only be described as comfort terror lots of flashlights, rats and bones cracking. But look carefully during the end credits and you'll see an uncomfortable reminder of our present-day fears: There were three COVID-19 compliance officers on the set. That reminds us of something scary enough to wet the bed for real. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, a Warner Bros. Pictures release, is rated R for terror, violence and some disturbing images. Running time: 120 minutes. Two stars out of four. ___ MPAA definition of R: Restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian. ___ Online: https://www.theconjuringmovie.com/ ___ Mark Kennedy is at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits The Bayou City is home to diverse and innovative cuisine from all around the world. Houston's Black-owned restaurant scene has plans to bring some of those tastes to one central location with the forthcoming Houston Grub Park. COULD'VE BEEN BETTER: Houston's OMG Hip-Hop Food Fest was a gimmick, but could be more The soon-to-open food truck park will feature a series of Black-owned food trucks all in one central location 610 and Fannin, near NRG stadium to bring Houstonians tastes from all over the map. Organizers said the food truck park will have a tailgate-like ambiance, allowing patrons to relax outdoors and enjoy good food with friends. According to an Instagram post, excepting the concept of bringing a Black food truck park to life, a primary goal for the park was to ease linking up for a night out with friends. Set to open over the summer, Houston's Grub Park will feature roughly 30 food trucks with various types of food, along with 16 vendor tents. The food truck park will be open Thursday through Sunday. Igor Mojzes/luckybusiness - stock.adobe.com According to Christopher Bush, president of the Black Service Chamber, the planning for the park has been so diversified that food categories like barbecue have their own subcategories. "We've divided up some of the categories because our community can put a twist on certain foods," Bush said. "So we have, we've separated things like the baked potatoes and eggrolls. If you're into chicken and chicken sandwiches, we have that category as well." BEST OF THE BEST: Houston restaurants make Yelp's 'Top 100 Places to Eat in Texas' The future food truck park will be family-friendly, and the setup of the park will allow customers to control their environment. People can choose to eat outside and enjoy the weather or take their meals back to their cars. There will be a bar on-site with no set minimum. Organizers don't see the food truck park having too many parking constraints as it will be located in a former Sam's Club parking lot. The forthcoming project also hopes to give back to the community. Proceeds from the Houston Grub Park will go towards a scholarship fund for Black fathers who want to further their education. "It's very difficult for some people to do," Bush said. "I was super fortunate to be able to go back, but we want to be able to pay that forward. It's very difficult to want to go to school but all you can do is pay your bills if you can't afford the tuition. But if we see that you want to put in the work, we want to be able to help." Houston Grub Park is slated to open in early July at 1615 S Loop W. For more updates about Houston Grub Park, visit its Instagram page or website. When Edward Martell went to court in 2005 to plead guilty to selling and manufacturing cracks, he thought his life was over. However, Bruce Morrow, a Michigan judge decided to give him a second chance. Martell, then 27, had had several run-ins with the law until he was arrested in a counternarcotics operation. When he pleaded guilty to selling and manufacturing crack, he knew he could face 20 years in jail. Judge Morrow saw young Martell and understood the circumstances that had led the young man to life in crime. So he gave him a three-year probation sentence and a challenge: to return to that same court with an achievement. Last week, according to The Washington Post , Edward returned to the same courthouse as Bruce Morrow, but this time to fulfill his promise: to be sworn in as a lawyer in the same courtroom where he pleaded guilty. "It was kind of a joke, but [Edward] understood that I believed he could be whatever he wanted," Judge Morrow told The Washington Post . After his first meeting with the magistrate, Edward earned a high school degree and then a scholarship to study law. He always kept in touch with the judge who had inspired him. Martell underwent a strict background check in order to join the Michigan Bar Association, but the board determined that his past should not determine his future. That's how Martell, now 43, returned to court to become a lawyer. That is the power of mentoring. Copyright 2021 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved After a year of coronavirus lockdowns, the start of summer beckons with vacation plans made possible by relaxed COVID-19 restrictions. But a severe worker shortage brings a warning for travelers: Expect delays and pack a little patience. Lifeguards and hotel housekeepers are in short supply. So are rental cars. And don't count on having a fruity cocktail at the hotel Tiki bar. The labor shortage is hitting the nations tourist destinations just as they try to rebound from a year lost to the pandemic, where periodic surges in cases and lockdowns had Americans sticking close to home. Now, with more than half of adults vaccinated, Americans are ready to venture out with the traditional start of summer travel. MORE LIFESTYLE: COOL DOWN WITH THESE DAY PASSES TO HOUSTON POOLS But the staffing issues threaten to derail the travel industrys recovery. Travelers can expect fewer menu choices at restaurants, lengthy check-in lines at hotels and airports, and fewer rides and food stands at theme parks. Some hotels aren't filling all of their rooms or changing the sheets as often because they don't have enough housekeepers. Six of the most popular national parks including Yosemite, Rocky Mountain, Acadia and Zion will require advance reservations for many visitors to allow for social distancing. This is nothing like we've ever seen before, said Michelle Woodhull, president of Charming Inns, which includes four small hotels and a fine dining restaurant in Charleston, South Carolina. The company has limited room reservations by 20 percent during some weeks and reduced seating at the restaurant, said Woodhull, who recently fielded a complaint from a customer who couldn't get a table for four weeks. Unfortunately, that is a reality, she said, adding that it's better than delivering poor service. "What business wants to turn away business, especially after the year we've had?" Still, the tourism industry is showing signs of coming back. Airline executives say domestic leisure travel is at pre-pandemic levels, and the number of people passing through U.S. airports daily is likely to top 2 million before the week is over the first time that has happened since early March 2020. Air travelers planning to rent a car during the Memorial Day weekend might be out of luck. Rental cars are scarce, and they are pricey the average cost has roughly doubled from a year ago, according to government figures. The AAA auto club forecasts that 37 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home over the upcoming holiday, a 60% increase over last year. But if AAA is right about this weekend, that will mean 6 million fewer people traveling than over the same holiday in 2019. The reasons behind the worker shortage are hotly debated. Many employers blame the federal governments extra $300-per-week in unemployment aid. But plenty of hospitality workers who abruptly lost their jobs a year ago have moved on to new careers and arent coming back. Some employers in the hospitality industry want to hire new workers at lower wages instead of recalling laid-off employees, said D. Taylor, president of the hotel, gaming and airport workers union Unite Here. Big hotel chains are considering eliminating housekeeping and guest-services jobs, and casinos are moving to cut jobs in food and beverage, he told a congressional subcommittee this week. Thats bad for customers, but its also bad for workers and communities because housekeepers, cooks, servers thats the backbone of the service economy, Taylor said. RELEVANT: TEXAS TOWN MAKES LIST OF HAPPY SMALL TOWNS TO VISIT THIS YEAR A survey of 4,000 travel and tourism workers earlier this year showed that many found jobs with higher pay and predictable schedules and more plan on leaving the industry soon, said Peter Ricci, director of Florida Atlantic Universitys hospitality and tourism management program. The travel sector as a whole, he said, faces a moment of change and will need to offer better wages and benefits and rethink how it treats employees. It's time for our industry to wake up and see thats an important thing. We have a shortage for a reason, said Cathy Balestriere, general manager of Cranes Beach House, a boutique hotel in Delray Beach, Florida. She has managed to keep most of her staff and brought in outside workers to provide massages and yoga, but the hotel is not offering breakfast, and the poolside Tiki bar is closed because theres no one to serve drinks. Managers and maintenance staff have pitched in with housekeeping duties. Maines biggest amusement park, Funtown Splashtown USA, which opens Memorial Day weekend, is scaling back hours and operating only five days a week because it cannot find enough workers. The park in Saco, Maine, still needs lifeguards, ride operators and cleanup crews despite offering wage increases and four season passes for summer hires. The reduced number of international students is another problem for the largest seasonal employer in the state. Raj Kapoor, who manages a popular food court on the Belmar, New Jersey, oceanfront, has hired 14 people for the summer, but he could still use eight to 10 more to scoop ice cream, roll burritos and sell sodas, milkshakes and candy. The labor shortage has affected his business in other, less obvious ways. A shipment of soda that was promised the next day took a week and a half to arrive because the distributor did not have enough delivery drivers. Diners in tourist hot spots shouldnt be surprised when they find restaurants with limited hours, streamlined menus and some seating sections closed, even when theres a wait for tables, said Barry Gutin, co-owner of the Cuba Libre restaurant chain on the East Coast. MORE TRAVEL: GORGEOUS PLACES IN TEXAS WORTH THE DRIVE FROM HOUSTON To attract workers and help them get ahead, theyve raised wages and gone as far as offering English and Spanish language courses and personal finance training. But hiring has still been a challenge. Their location in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is only open for dinner right now not even for takeout or delivery. Were protecting the guest experience by not over-seating, he said. Were hoping they understand things are a little different than pre-pandemic. Regardless of destination, travelers should make sure to call ahead and be ready to change plans at a moments notice. Jamie Goble had been set to fly to Ohio from her home in Waco, Texas, to join her family for three days next week at Cedar Point amusement park, where they planned to celebrate her nephew's high school graduation. But nine days before her flight, the park announced last week that it would be closed two days a week for most of the month because of staffing shortages. Not just the park, the hotel too, she said. So we were out of a place to stay. Its all understandable, but we thought they had things figured out. Instead, they quickly shifted plans to ride roller coasters at Dollywood in Tennessee and go hiking at Great Smoky Mountains National Park. ___ Associated Press writers David Koenig in Dallas, Wayne Parry in Belmar, New Jersey, and David Sharp in Portland, Maine, contributed to this report. Children will have a chance to cast and learn during a free fishing day on Saturday in the memory of a treasured volunteer. The Trophy Catfish Association will host the 2021 Kids Fish Fest from 8 a.m. to noon at the Safe Harbor Walden Marina in Montgomery located at 12050 Melville Dr. in Montgomery. The rain or shine event, which is sponsored by Keating Honda, will feature various activities that cover the importance of conservation, angler safety and etiquette. There will also be trophy catfish, prizes, raffles, and more. Lunch will be provided by Safe Harbor Walden Marina. Kids can visit stations for knot tying and fish identification, as well as participate in our Casting Contest to win trophies in 4 different age groups, said Event Coordinator Rachelle Guppy Slaughter with the Trophy Catfish Association. We will have an oxygenated rejuvenation tank set up where they can see trophy Catfish 30, 40, 50 pounds up close and personal before viewing a tagging demonstration and their safe release. Throughout the day kids can bring their catch to our weigh station just as professional tournament anglers do, and a trophy will be awarded to the little angler with the biggest fish of the day, she continued. The children will get to choose to release their fish back into the water, place it in the rejuvenation tank to be released later, or to have it cleaned so they can take it home for dinner. This years event will be held in memory of volunteer, Jim Meier, who Slaughter first met at one of the events while trying to untangle fishing rods for the kids with her daughter. The two were sitting in the bed of Slaughters truck when Meier who was visiting the marina. He asked if they needed some help and then helped unravel and rig up 75 rods to prepare for the festivities, Slaughter said. That one day of helping us teach kids how to fish got him hooked, Slaughter said. Jim attended a class to become a Texas Parks and Wildlife Certified Angler Education Instructor and faithfully attended every event from that day forward. You could always find Jim feverishly untangling and rigging poles so kids could simply switch them out when they got caught up and get right back to fishing. Meier died after a cardiac event in October, Slaughter said. This event will not be the same without the volunteer weve all come to love and call a friend, Slaughter said. Kids Fish Fest 2021 will be held in honor of Jim Meier. We hope to carry on his legacy of selflessly serving others and getting kids outdoors. No advance registration is required. Parents will need to sign a waiver for their child prior to participation, upon arrival. Once the waiver is signed each family member will receive a wrist band, which grants them access to all stations of the event. Slaughter confirmed that the event will have to be postponed if there are safety concerns such as lightning or high winds. Everyone can keep an eye on our Facebook event Kids Fish Fest 2021 for updates as the week progresses, Slaughter said. mellsworth@hcnonline.com Gov. Greg Abbott said Monday he would veto the section of the state budget that funds the Legislature hours after a Democratic walkout killed his priority elections bill. No pay for those who abandon their responsibilities, Abbott said in a tweet. Stay tuned. Late Sunday night, enough Democrats left the House to break a quorum and block passage of the elections bill, Senate Bill 7, before a midnight deadline. Calling the bills failure deeply disappointing, Abbott quickly made clear he would call a special session to get it passed, though he has not specified a timeline. READ MORE: President Joe Biden says Texas voting bill is 'part of an assault on democracy' Abbotts tweet referred to Article X of the budget, which pays not only lawmakers and staff but also funds legislative agencies, such as the Legislative Budget Board. Under the current budget, the legislative branch is funded through the end of August, and the budget Abbott is referring to covers the fiscal year starting Sept. 1. Abbott has until June 20 to carry out the veto. State lawmakers are paid $600 a month, equal to $7,200 per year. They also get a per diem of $221 for every day they are in session, including both regular and special sessions. Democratic legislators quickly criticized Abbotts veto announcement. This would eliminate the branch of government that represents the people and basically create a monarchy, state Rep. Donna Howard of Austin tweeted. READ ALSO: Dems walk, stop Texas GOP's sweeping voting restrictions SB 7 was one of Abbotts emergency items, as was another proposal that died Sunday that would have made it harder for people arrested to bond out of jail without cash. Abbotts tweet came minutes before the House adjourned sine die, finishing its regular session. In remarks from the dais, GOP Speaker Dade Phelan acknowledged lawmakers had unfinished business. We will be back when, I dont know, but we will be back, Phelan told members. Theres a lot of work to be done, but I look forward to doing it with every single one of you. KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) Three bombs rattled the Afghan capital Kabul late Tuesday killing at least 10 people and plunging the city into darkness, an Afghan government spokesman said. Two bombs exploded in quick succession in separate locations of a west Kabul neighborhood, killing at least 10 people and wounding a dozen others, said deputy Interior Ministry spokesman Said Hamid Rushan. A third bomb heavily damaged an electrical grid station in north Kabul, said Sangar Niazai, a spokesman for the government power supply department. The initial two bombings, both targeting minivans, happened in a mostly ethnic Hazara area of the capital, said Rushan. The first exploded near the home of a prominent Hazara leader, Mohammad Mohaqiq, and in front of a Shiite mosque. Most Hazaras are Shiites. The second bomb also targeted a minivan but Rushan said details were still being collected. Police cordoned off the two areas and investigators were sifting through the rubble. No one claimed responsibility for the bombings but the Islamic State group affiliate operating in Afghanistan has previously declared war on minority Shiites, who make up roughly 20% of the majority Sunni Muslim nation of 36 million people. The IS affiliate previously took responsibility for several attacks in May on Afghanistan's power supply stations in Kabul and in several other provinces. On May 8, a car bomb and two roadside bombs exploded outside the Syed-al-Shahada girls school, also in a predominantly Hazara neighborhood, killing nearly 90 people, many of them students. No one has yet claimed that attack but the U.S. blamed IS. The attacks come as the United States wraps up its longest war by withdrawing the last of its 2,500-3,500 troops along with 7,000 allied NATO forces. The last soldiers are to be gone by Sept. 11 at the latest generating fears of increased chaos in a country already deeply insecure. Violence has escalated in Afghanistan even as the United States struck a peace deal with the Taliban in February 2020 under the previous Trump administration. The agreement called for the last of the U.S. and NATO troops to be out of the country by May 1. Instead, the withdrawal began on May 1 after U.S. President Joe Biden announced in mid-April America was ending its forever war. At the time, he declared terrorist groups like al-Qaida and the Islamic State had been sufficiently degraded and it was no longer necessary to keep thousands of troops deployed to Afghanistan. Stalemated peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban are set to resume in the Middle Eastern country of Qatar, said a member of the Afghan government negotiation team, Nader Nadery. The two sides have been meeting off and on since Sept. 12 but progress has been slight. I do not see any sign yet of meaningful talks from the Taliban on key issues to end this senseless war, said Nadery. NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. (AP) Police rescued three people from a sinking sailboat in the Long Island Sound off New Rochelle, authorities said Tuesday. Marine officers responded to the Davenport Reef area shortly before 7 p.m. Monday after a 27-foot sailboat hit a rock and started taking on water, New Rochelle police said. KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) An Ethiopian national working for an Italian charity was killed in the war-hit Tigray region on Saturday after he was hit by a stray bullet, according to his employer. Negasi Kidane, from the Tigrayan city of Adigrat, had been employed by the International Committee for the Development of Peoples since 2016. The group is known by its Italian initials, CISP. He is the ninth aid worker reported killed in Tigray since fighting broke out there nearly seven months ago. Our colleague Negasi Kidane, head of the CISP office in Adigrat, in the Ethiopian Region of Tigray, lost his life last Saturday, the group said in a statement on Facebook. (H)e was accidentally involved in a fire fight on Friday evening. He was hospitalized for serious injuries, but he didnt make it, the statement added. It is not clear who fired the bullet that killed Kidane, said Sandro De Luca, CISPs director and legal representative. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed sent troops into Tigray in early November after the regions former leaders, the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front, or TPLF, were accused of attacking a federal army base there. Abiy has described the move as a law enforcement operation intended to round up members of the TPLF, but subsequent fighting has killed thousands and left 5.2 million of Tigrays six million population in need of food assistance. Eritrean troops are fighting on the side of Ethiopian government forces. The government has said it has provided full and unhindered access for humanitarian actors to operate in all parts of the region," but aid agencies say they have been turned back at army checkpoints and denied access to certain regions. Humanitarian access in Tigray remains extremely fluid and volatile, said the UNs aid agency in an update issued last week. While some areas were accessible, others remain hard to reach due to movement restrictions and ongoing conflict. In the areas accessed, the humanitarian situation is observed to be dire. United States officials have accused warring parties of deliberately targeting aid workers. Samantha Power, chief of USAID, said last week an Ethiopian national working for her agency had been killed in Tigray, reportedly by Eritrean and Ethiopian soldiers. This recent targeting of a humanitarian worker was clearly intentional and is part of a troubling rise in harassment and violence against aid workers, she said. In December the Danish Refugee Council said three of its security guards had been killed in Tigray. The same month the International Rescue Committee reported the killing of one of its staff members in the Hitsats refugee camp near Shire. Dutch aid group ZOA International also said one of its staff members was murdered in Hitsats in December. A United Nations team that reached the camp in March said it had been completely destroyed." YUCCA VALLEY, Calif. (AP) A suspect has died and a Southern California sheriff's deputy was shot Monday in a chase in a desert community east of Los Angeles, authorities said. Deputies tried to pull over a motorcycle that didn't have a license plate Monday in the community of Yucca Valley, about 120 miles (193 kilometers) east of Los Angeles, the San Bernardino County sheriffs department said in a statement. LONDON (AP) Handwritten notes that show one of historys greatest scientific minds in action are going up for auction in London. Pages containing Isaac Newtons jotted revisions to his masterwork, the Principia, are expected to sell next month for between 600,000 pounds and 900,000 pounds ($850,000 and $1.3 million), auctioneer Christies said Tuesday. Published in 1687, Newtons Philosophiae naturalis principia mathematica Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy set out the laws of gravitation and motion and is considered a scientific watershed. A first edition of the book sold at auction for $3.7 million in 2016. Thomas Venning, head of books and manuscripts at Christies in London, said the book reinvented our understanding of the universe. The page and a half of notes for a planned second edition includes comments and diagrams by Scottish mathematician and astronomer David Gregory. The two scientists met and corresponded while Newton worked on revising the Principia in the 1690s. Venning said that when he was working on the revisions, Newton was fizzing with the energy of one of the greatest minds the world has ever seen." And we can see that at work, the speed with which hes writing, the ferment of ideas coming out from his pen, he said. Keith Moore, head librarian at the Royal Society the scientists club where Newton was president in the 18th century said Gregory kept up a written dialogue with Newton. He met Newton and that partnership, almost, between the two of them, resulted in refining Newtons thinking. Newton eventually gave up on the revisions, but ultimately produced a new edition in 1713. The document will go under the hammer at Christies in London on July 8. What a collector in the autograph world is looking for is the greatest minds in history, talking about their greatest achievements, Venning said. Its very, very rare to have that combination. And thats what you have in this particular manuscript. (The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) Alexis Karteron, Rutgers University - Newark (THE CONVERSATION) Since the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement and massive protests in 2020 in response to the murder of George Floyd, there has been widespread interest in the problems of racism in American policing. Whether calls for reform or for wholesale defunding of police departments, there appears to be substantial appetite for change. Just past the first anniversary of George Floyds killing, people are looking to the federal government to address this issue of national importance. But as a law professor who studies policing and constitutional law, I have seen how essential local and state reform efforts are, because the federal government has limited power to regulate policing. With few notable exceptions, the Constitution does not allow the federal government to control state or local government agencies. In accordance with federalism, a core principle that underlies the organization of American government, the federal government has only the powers expressly provided to it in the Constitution. For example, Congress has authority to oversee the federal government, levy taxes and spend money, and declare war. Other powers not listed in the Constitution are reserved to the States, giving them broader responsibility for governance. The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021, which has been passed by the House of Representatives and is under discussion in the Senate, offers the possibility of significant policing reforms. But for those looking to the federal government to solve whats wrong with policing in America, the legislation cant ensure that every police department will make meaningful changes. Thats because the bill reflects the hard reality that the federal government has almost no control over state and local police departments. Dollars and change Although race discrimination is widely regarded as a major problem in American policing, the federal governments ability to address it is limited. The Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment promises equal treatment of all racial groups by government agencies and officials local, state and federal. Congress has the power to pass legislation in response to violations of the Equal Protection Clause, such as the Voting Rights Act of 1965. But the Supreme Court has held that the equal protection guarantee bans only intentional race discrimination by governmental bodies and officials. Policies and practices that have a disproportionate effect on a racial group do not necessarily violate the Constitution. So the Supreme Court would likely conclude that the Constitution does not allow the federal government to bar state and local police policies and practices simply because they have a disproportionate racial impact. That means that the federal governments primary tool for influencing American policing is its spending power. Congress has wide latitude to use money to provide incentives for policy changes at the state and local levels by attaching conditions to federal grants. For example, Congress spurred some states to raise the drinking age to 21 by making the greater age a condition of federal highway funding. Congress can make the adoption of certain policies and practices a condition for getting federal grants as long as it does not coerce acceptance of the conditions. States and localities must remain free to decline federal funds. So, if a state or locality declines a federal grant, it doesnt have to comply with the grant programs conditions. Seeking influence Within the limits that the Constitution sets, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021 aims to assert some federal influence on local and state policing practices. The bills most significant direct regulation of state and local police departments would be a ban on racial profiling by all law enforcement agencies. Although federal courts have repeatedly concluded that the 14th Amendment bars racial profiling, the bill would make the prohibition explicit and expand its definition. The bill would also indirectly regulate state and local police departments by eliminating qualified immunity in civil lawsuits where a plaintiff alleges that a law enforcement officer violated their constitutional rights. Under the qualified immunity doctrine, courts dismiss claims when there is no prior case with a highly similar set of facts where a government officials conduct was ruled unconstitutional. Government officials, including police officers, therefore sometimes escape liability even if they have engaged in egregious misconduct. If qualified immunity is unavailable, police officers and departments will arguably be less likely to violate someones rights because they will expect to be liable for their misconduct. Further, the bill would expand the U.S. Department of Justices authority to investigate unconstitutional conduct by police departments, and would make it easier to prosecute police officers for federal civil rights violations. Conditions on grants Most significantly, if enacted, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act would attach stringent new conditions to two programs that together funnel hundreds of millions of dollars to local and state police departments every year, the COPS program and the Edward J. Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program. To take just a few examples, both Byrne and COPS grantees would be required to ban the use of chokeholds. Byrne grants would be available only to states and localities whose use-of-force policies bar the use of deadly force unless it is necessary. COPS grants would be available only to states and localities that ban the use of no-knock warrants in drug cases. Recipients of COPS grants would be required to certify that they will use at least 10% of their grants to support efforts to end racial and religious profiling. These provisions divide activists who decry the current state of policing. Some laud them as bold reforms, while others argue that less money should be directed to police departments, not more. If the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act is enacted, some of Americas 15,000 state and local police departments would readily accept its conditions and the federal dollars they unlock. Others would likely sue, arguing that the federal government is attempting to coerce them into adopting policy reforms they do not need or want. Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act fundamentally transforms the culture of policing. But states and localities have to want to change and accept federal grants, with strings attached, for that vision to become reality. [Youre smart and curious about the world. So are The Conversations authors and editors. You can get our highlights each weekend.] This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/congress-cant-do-much-about-fixing-local-police-but-it-can-tie-strings-to-federal-grants-159881. A Pennsylvania police department will be required to take steps to remove language barriers faced by the citys large Spanish-speaking population under a U.S. Justice Department settlement announced Tuesday. The Justice Department launched a civil rights investigation of the Hazleton Police Department after a resident with limited English proficiency reported having to rely on his young son and a co-worker to be able to communicate with officers. An administrative complaint filed with the Justice Department alleged that Hazleton police did not provide meaningful access to their services." ROCKVILLE, Md. (AP) An FBI agent has been charged with attempted murder in the off-duty shooting of another man on a Metro subway train last year in a Maryland suburb of Washington, D.C., according to court records unsealed Tuesday. During a hearing, Montgomery County prosecutors outlined their account of how the Dec. 15 confrontation between the 37-year-old agent, Eduardo Valdivia, and an unarmed passenger swiftly escalated from a testy exchange of words to a shooting on a train approaching Medical Center station in Bethesda. Defense attorney Robert Bonsib said Valdivia acted in self-defense as the man approached him at the rear of a train car. The law does not require that you wait to be struck before you take action. Had this resulted in a hands-on fight and a struggle for Agent Valdivia's gun, only God knows what could have happened, Bonsib said after a judge ordered the agent released from custody. After the hearing, the county's top prosecutor declined to explain why his office concluded that the shooting wasn't justified. We would not have brought the charge if we thought that it was protected by law, Montgomery County State's Attorney John McCarthy told reporters. To explain all of the reasons why we came to this conclusion would be effectively for me to give you a closing argument as to a five-month investigation. This is not the appropriate time. Valdivia shot and wounded the man from a distance of roughly 2 to 3 feet (0.6 to 0.9 meters) after repeatedly telling the man to back up, county prosecutor Robert Hill said in court. The man had approached Valdivia on a train, sat across from him and asked the agent for money, Hill said. The man muttered expletives and began to walk away when the agent said he didn't have any money to give, the prosecutor added. Watch your mouth, the agent told the man, according to Hill. After the man turned and approached him again, Valdivia pulled a gun from a holster and shot him, the prosecutor said. Another passenger was in the agent's line of fire, about 15 feet (4.6 meters) away, but wasn't harmed, Hill added. A grand jury indicted Valdivia on charges including attempted second-degree murder, first-degree assault and reckless endangerment. Valdivia turned himself in to local authorities at a county jail Tuesday morning. Montgomery County Circuit Court Judge Joan Ryon agreed to release him on personal recognizance. Prosecutors didnt object. The wounded man had part or all of his spleen, colon and pancreas removed during surgery after the shooting, according to Hill. In a detailed press release, Bonsib said his client has had "an impeccable personal and professional background. He joined the bureau in 2011, was promoted to the position of supervisory special agent at FBI headquarters last year and currently provides operational guidance and programmatic oversight of investigations into racially motivated and anti-government extremists, Bonsib said. Valdivia was on his way to work on the morning of the shooting when the man approached him. Bonsib said court records show the wounded man has a criminal record with a history of unpredictable and violent behavior, including a 2019 incident in which the man allegedly attacked and threatened to kill somebody at a Metro station. Prosecutors questioned the relevance of the wounded man's record since the agent didn't know about it and hadn't met him before the morning of the shooting. The indictment names the man who was shot and a second passenger, who it identifies as the victim of the reckless endangerment charge for being in the line of fire. In a statement Tuesday, a spokeswoman for the FBI's Baltimore field office said the bureau was aware of the charges and is fully cooperating with the investigation. As is customary following a shooting incident, this matter will be subject to internal review, spokeswoman Joy Jiras said. The Metro Transit Police Department said in December that it had reviewed video footage and taken statements from Metro employees, passengers and others. The Medical Center station serves the National Institutes of Health and Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. FBI Agents Association President Brian OHare said in a statement that the group supports agents going through the legal process because of work actions. "FBI Special Agents must often make difficult, split-second decisions to protect the American public. FBIAA will ensure that our Agent member and his family are supported through this challenging time, O'Hare said. COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) Ohioans would receive a 5% personal income tax cut and schools would gain more state funding under Senate Republican's version of the upcoming state budget released Tuesday. The 5% cut over two years for a total of $874 million is deeper than the 2% proposed in the House-passed version of the budget. The cut is a reward for people who are working, said Senate President Matt Huffman, a Lima Republican, who called it a stimulus in the best sense of the word. If we want to talk about stimulus plans and what works and what doesnt, an income tax cut will always be the best stimulus, Huffman said. The Senate plan also eliminates sales taxes paid by Ohio job employment agencies. It makes no sense to tax companies trying to find work for people, said Senate Finance Chair Matt Dolan, a Republican representing suburban Cleveland. The Senate budget plan also boosts funding for schools over the House plan by $223 million over two years, using a base annual figure of $6,110 to educate a child. In addition, for the first time the state would fund state charter schools and schools enrolling student through the Ohio voucher program directly rather than districts having to transfer money to those schools, under the proposal. It is a sustainable plan, Dolan said. Which means, we can pay for this plan and the school districts can rely on it. The budget also eliminates about $200 million meant to pay for grants expanding broadband service. Huffman said the use of the money needs to be more developed. People are anxious to spend money on something that everybody thinks is a good idea, he said. I think its bad idea to just start spending without a plan. The Senate plan also provides an additional $740,000 for 13 Ohio veterans organizations and sets aside $400,000 for a shelter for homeless women vets in Cleveland. The Senate and House must reconcile their competing versions of the budget this month ahead of the new fiscal year on July 1. Sen. Teresa Fedor, a Toledo Democrat, criticized Senate Republicans for scrapping the bipartisan school-funding plan approved earlier this year by the House as part of its budget proposal. The plan announced Tuesday was created behind closed doors with zero input and vetting from public school stakeholders, including taxpayers, and which could have huge unintended consequences, Fedor said. HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) A shooting in Hartford has taken the life of the 19-year-old grandson of a prominent anti-violence activist in the city. Makhi Buckly was shot multiple times on Monday afternoon in Southwest Hartford, near the Wethersfield town line, police said. DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) A nonprofit group is working to buy a motel located just south of Interstate 35 in northwest Des Moines and turn it into affordable housing. The Des Moines City County recently approved funds to go toward Anawim Housings project, television station WHO 13 reported. Anawim said it plans to renovate the 73-unit Days Inn by adding kitchenettes to each unit. The project is estimated to cost the nonprofit about $4 million. HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) A bill that declares racism a public health crisis in Connecticut, an issue proponents contend was highlighted by the coronavirus pandemic and needs to finally be quantified and addressed, heads to Gov. Ned Lamont's desk. The wide-ranging legislation passed on a bipartisan vote of 114 to 33 following a lengthy and at times emotional debate that often focused on race. State Rep. Jonathan Steinberg, D-Westport, co-chairman of the Public Health Committee, noted how the final vote by the General Assembly on the bill was taking place on the 100th anniversary of the massacre that destroyed a thriving Black community in Tulsa known as Black Wall Street. This is an important bill for this legislature on this very important day, said Steinberg. He pointed out how the Oklahoma legislature in 1907 had passed a bill, also known by the name SB 1, which imposed Jim Crow laws legalizing racial segregation in the state that made it all too easy" for that community to be destroyed and ultimately turned into a commercial and industrial section of the city. In Connecticut, Steinberg said, minority neighborhoods have often been located near pollution-causing factories, highways and commercial areas that can have a direct negative impact on people's health. The bill we have before us today seeks to address or redress in some ways some of those disparities created by racism, he said. The bill creates a new state commission that will be charged with documenting the effect of racism on public health in Connecticut. The group is supposed to come up with its first strategic plan by Jan. 1, 2022, for state lawmakers to begin eliminating health disparities and inequities in areas ranging from access to quality health care to air and water quality. A new study of the recruitment and retention of minority health care workers is also included in the bill, as well as a provision that requires state agencies, boards and commission to collect demographic data concerning race. Also, Connecticut hospitals will be required to include implicit bias training as part of their staff training and working group will be created to improve breast cancer awareness and prevention, especially within communities of color. Rep. Kimberly Fiorello, R-Greenwich, took issue with declaring racism a public health crisis in Connecticut, arguing there are many reasons for disparities in society. I'm very concerned about this bill. It comes out straight-forward in saying that all of us, everyone here, everyone in our whole state has to accept as fact that racism ... is blatantly happening everywhere in public health in this state," she said. "Does that ring true to the good people of Connecticut?" Rep. Brandon McGee, D-Hartford, noted that racism can be insidious, driven by public policies that this legislation will help address by requiring health information data by race to be collected something some lawmakers have been seeking for years to quantify the impacts of racism. Without it we cant necessarily root out the racism embedded in our status quo or course correct when weve made an assumption that a policy will address inequities or inequalities if the data shows it doesnt, McGee said. Among the other aspects of the bill, the state Department of Public Health will be required to study Connecticuts response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, the legislation creates a new gun violence intervention and prevention advisory committee that will coordinate various groups, including community outreach organizations and victim service providers, to work on a plan to reduce street-level gun violence in the state. SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) The Illinois Legislature worked past its midnight deadline to approve a $42 billion state budget early Tuesday, based on tax revenue sources that rebounded much faster from the global pandemic than expected and including $2.5 billion in spending from a multiyear federal relief package. The plan assembled on the final scheduled day of the Legislatures spring session incorporated just a portion of the $8 billion Illinois expects in COVID-19 relief money that Congress approved last winter but that pot includes $1.5 billion in additional construction projects. House Majority Leader Greg Harris had pronounced a balanced budget that also reinstates the $350 million extra for public schools that was promised annually in a 2017 school-funding overhaul, but which Gov. J.B. Pritzker initially said would need to be skipped for a second year in a row. Were very lucky our revenues came up, said Harris, a Chicago Democrat. The budget offers a far rosier picture than the pain deep budget cuts Pritzker predicted were inevitable after voters soundly rejected his proposed constitutional amendment in November to allow a graduated income tax system that hit the wealthier harder and would generate $3 billion extra a year. Republicans denounced the ballot initiative as a blank check for free-spending Democrats, who control both houses of the General Assembly as well as the governors office. As revenues continued to outpace predictions, they persisted in saying that Pritzker had more than enough money. Their reward came in the form of a Pritzker concession to cut fewer of the business and job-producing incentives they negotiated in 2019 with the Democrat, tax breaks the governor touted then but now calls unaffordable loopholes. Democrats crafting the budget were planning to cut three programs to generate $636 million in additional revenue. In February, Pritzker proposed eliminating eight incentive programs to save $1 billion. Pandemic-battered sectors of the state would get $1.5 billion from Illinois allotment of American Rescue Plan Act. Hundreds of millions of dollars would be reserved for the Department of Human Services for programs to help the homeless, prevent suicide, counsel schoolchildren through the last years trauma, and provide services for our first responders who have gone through a year of hell and deserve all the support we can give them, Harris said. The ailing tourism and hospitality industries would receive $578 million. Illinois borrowed $5 billion from the federal government to pay unemployment benefits for those the pandemic displaced. ARPA would provide $100 million to pay interest on that loan, but principal retirement would wait. But another huge pandemic-relief debt is off the books. The state owed $1.2 billion payable by December 2023 on a $3.2 billion federal loan. Pritzker and legislative leaders announced 10 days ago that theyd pay that loan off early, saving $100 million in interest. Pritzker still needs to consider the budget. MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) A Montana judge has sided with state environmental regulators who are using a law that provides protection from repeat polluters against an Idaho-based mining company and its chief executive. State District Court Judge Mike Menahan in Helena said in a recent ruling that Hecla Mining Company and Chief Executive Officer Phillips Baker, Jr. are subject to the state's bad actor law that blocks individuals and companies who dont clean up their old mines from starting new ones. The ruling means the court has jurisdiction over the company and Baker, but it did not address the merits of the case. Baker was former chief financial officer at Pegasus Mining, which went bankrupt in 1998 and saddled the state and federal government with more than $50 million in pollution cleanup costs from three bankrupt mines, including the Zortman-Landusky mine near the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation. Montana is one of many sates with bad actor statues that let state environmental agencies consider a company or individuals environmental record in deciding whether to grant permits. It was passed by the Montana Legislature in 1989 and expanded in 2001 to apply to company executives . The law has been enforced once before, in 2008, in a case that did not involve a major project like the ones Hecla is pursuing at the Rock Creek Mine near Noxon and the Montanore Mine near Libby, according to state officials. The two copper and silver mines would tunnel beneath the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness. Theyve been stalled for years as environmentalists repeatedly sued over concerns the mines would harm area rivers and wildlife including bull trout and grizzly bears. The Montana Department of Environmental Quality filed a bad actor lawsuit against Hecla and Baker i n 2018 over the Pegasus damages, saying the company could have to reimburse the state for past pollution cleanups if it wants to pursue the new mines. The suit is supported by the Fort Belknap Indian Community, environmental organizations and a group of traditionalists from the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. Hecla spokesperson Luke Russell said Monday the company would continue to press its case that the law was being misapplied because Hecla was never involved with the Pegasus mines and Baker left Pegasus before it forfeited its cleanup bond. We think a clean reading is that this statute does not apply he said. Baker claimed the court didn't have jurisdiction because he didnt have sufficient contacts with Montana, other than his former management position with Pegasus Gold. But Menahan ruled that Bakers participation in Heclas two mine proposals in the state gave the court jurisdiction over him. The judge also said it was only rational that Hecla be subject to the jurisdiction of Montana courts since it is operating in the state. A federal judge in April struck down the governments approval of the first phase of the Rock Creek Mine. A final decision is pending on the Montanore Mine. A Massachusetts state lawmaker wants to do more to protect endangered North Atlantic right whales from boat collisions and fishing gear entanglements by increasing marine patrols. Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr added an amendment to the $47 billion state budget to earmark another $250,000 for the Massachusetts Environmental Police to conduct more whale patrols in state waters, The Salem News reported Tuesday. HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) County officials reprised their call Tuesday for fixes to Pennsylvania's mail-in voting law to help them run a smoother election in November, as a fight brewed over whether counties must throw out mailed-in ballots without the voter's handwritten date on the envelope. The counties' call for action comes amid a partisan stalemate over how to fix shortcomings or gray areas in Pennsylvania's 2019 expansive mail-in voting law that, for the first time, allowed no-excuse mail in ballots. Counties had fruitlessly sought changes last year in hopes of avoiding a drawn-out post-election vote count. One would let counties process mail-in ballots before Election Day, something that the vast majority of states allow. Republican lawmakers blocked that legislation last fall, despite support from Gov. Tom Wolf and Democrats, in a bid to win passage of other provisions they opposed, but that Donald Trumps campaign and the Republican Party had tried unsuccessfully to win in court. Counties also want to move back the deadline to request a mail-in ballot application, from seven days before Election Day to 15 days. Wolf, a Democrat, opposes that, although Republicans support it. We are disappointed and frustrated at this lack of help for our counties and our voters, said Kevin Boozel, a Butler County commissioner and president of the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania. The two provisions would solve the majority of problems that counties have in election administration, association officials said. Much like last year, the provisions are being held up as leverage in a wider fight over election laws that Republicans insist must include stronger voter ID requirements. Ultimately, last year's loser, then-President Trump, tried to exploit the days it took after polls closed to tabulate millions of mail-in ballots to spread baseless conspiracy theories and cast doubt on the legitimacy of the election. On Tuesday, Wolf's administration sided with Republican lawmakers and told counties that voters must sign and date their mail-in ballot envelope for their ballot to be counted. That message prompted Philadelphia to change course. One of two Democratic election commissioners in the city, Omar Sabir, changed his mind and voted with the sole Republican commissioner against counting undated ballots received in Pennsylvanias May 18 primary election. While I still believe that the absence of dates is an inadvertent clerical error and should not be used to disenfranchise any eligible voter, I also agree that we must uphold the requirements set forth by the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Sabir said in a statement. Leaders of the state House Republican majority had warned Friday that they would seek the removal from office of Sabir and a fellow election commissioner, Democrat Lisa Deeley, if they allowed undated ballots to be counted. Still, Philadelphias four suburban counties Chester, Bucks, Delaware and Montgomery also decided to count undated ballots in the primary election. A legal challenge is possible to stop the counties from counting the undated ballots if election officials there do not change their minds, said Adam Bonin, a lawyer who specializes in election law and often represents Democratic candidates. The counties, in response, could counter that Pennsylvania's handwritten date requirement violates federal law that prohibits states from disqualifying ballots for an error that is immaterial to determining whether someone is eligible to vote, Bonin said. Right now, those ballots are being counted, so if someone were to sue the counties to stop them from counting those ballots, I would expect this argument to be raised in response, Bonin said. ___ Follow Marc Levy on Twitter at www.twitter.com/timelywriter. KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) Malaysia's government will issue a diplomatic protest over an intrusion by 16 Chinese military aircraft into its airspace, the foreign minister said. Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said late Tuesday that he will summon the Chinese ambassador to explain this breach of the Malaysian airspace and sovereignty." The Chinese Embassy denied the planes violated Malaysias airspace. Malaysia's air force said its radar picked up the Chinese aircraft Monday near Malaysian-administered Luconia Shoals, a rich fishing ground in the disputed South China Sea. The Chinese planes then moved nearly 60 nautical miles (110 kilometers) off the coast of Sarawak on Borneo island. After attempts to contact the aircraft failed, the air force sent its fighter planes to identify them. It said they were Ilyushin Il-76 and Xian Y-20 strategic transporters, flying at between 23,000 and 27,000 feet (7,000 and 8,000 meters) an altitude typically used by commercial flights. Malaysia called the incident a serious threat to national sovereignty and flight safety." Malaysias stand is clear having friendly diplomatic relations with any countries does not mean that we will compromise our national security," Hishammuddin said in a statement. He said he will relay Malaysias serious concern on the matter to his Chinese counterpart. The Chinese Embassy defended the activity, saying its military planes didn't violate Malaysia's airspace and had exercised freedom of overflight in the area. It said they were carrying out routine flight training and didn't target any country. During the training, the Chinese military aircraft strictly abided by the relevant international law and did not enter the territorial airspace of any other country, the embassy said in a statement. In Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin repeated those assertions and said the planes were flying over the southern waters of the Spratly Islands, which China calls Nansha and claims as its territory. China has been in communication with the Malaysian side about the issue, Wang said at a daily briefing. China claims almost the entire South China Sea on historic grounds. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have overlapping claims, and tensions have ramped up since China built several man-made islands and turned them into military outposts. The strategically important area straddles some of the worlds busiest sea lanes and is also rich in fisheries and may hold underground oil and natural gas reserves. Malaysia says Chinese coast guard and navy ships intruded into its waters in the South China Sea 89 times between 2016 and 2019. Malaysia has filed six diplomatic protests to China, including one in 2017 in response to a Chinese note asserting its claim to the South Luconia Shoals. CPC a political party that is always innovating: Jorge Taiana, head of international relations for Argentina's Justicialist Party 09:12, June 01, 2021 By Yao Mingfeng, Yan Huan ( People's Daily The Communist Party of China (CPC) is a political party that is always innovating, said Jorge Taiana, head of international relations for Argentina's Justicialist Party as well as former Foreign Minister of Argentina, in a recent interview with People's Daily. He noted that the CPC not only formulates medium- and long-term goals for Chinas development, but adjusts the goals according to the ever-changing situation in the country. China proposed building a new development pattern whereby domestic and foreign markets can boost each other, with the domestic market as the mainstay, which will fuel world economic recovery and growth while better connecting the Chinese and foreign markets and stimulating Chinas development, Taiana pointed out. China, with a population that accounts for nearly one fifth of the worlds total, has eradicated absolute poverty and met the poverty reduction target set in the United Nations (UN) 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 10 years ahead of schedule, which demonstrates that the CPC has always placed people in the first place, he said. Adhering to a people-centered philosophy, the CPC has promoted leapfrog progress in the Chinese society, the official added. While serving as Argentina's Foreign Minister, Taiana visited China for multiple times. During the Shanghai World Expo in 2010, Taiana attended the activities of the National Pavilion Day of Argentina as a representative of the country, and introduced to guests Argentinas historical and cultural traditions as well as its achievements in urban construction. The Shanghai World Expo witnessed the fruits of human civilization development, and enhanced mutual understanding and friendly cooperation between Argentina and China, he said. Taiana said he has always paid special attention to China, which is located farthest away from Argentina geographically. China's development achievements have boosted the confidence of other emerging economies, he noted, who believes it the right choice for Argentina to carry out extensive and in-depth cooperation with China. During his visits to Chinese cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, and Xian, he saw how history merges with modern development and generates enormous energy as well as the wisdom and diligence of Chinese people. Each visit brought him one step closer to the real China and solidified his confidence of promoting Argentina-China relations. After resigning as Argentinas Foreign Minister, he also carried out investigations in China as a scholar, and now serves as a counselor with the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies. During an international seminar held in 2018, Taiana shared his views on global economic governance. The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is widely welcomed and recognized in Latin America, he pointed out, who explained that it provides important development opportunities for Latin American countries in the context of global economic governance transformation and upgrading, and contributes to wiping out protectionism and facilitating globalization. For years, Taiana has studied how China, a developing country with a large population, has managed to keep its people closely united and constantly created miracles in development. He attributed it to the CPC, which has always fought for the benefits and well-being of the Chinese people. Speaking about the fight against COVID-19, he said China has taken the lead in controlling the epidemic at home and steadily achieved economic recovery, which once again shows the strong capabilities of the CPC to pool resources, mobilize people and take actions, he said. Noting that China was the only major economy that secured positive economic growth in the world last year, Taiana mentioned that China's remarkable achievement is related to its vibrant economy and tensile industrial and supply chains, and will make other countries more confident about economic recovery in the post-epidemic era. On February 25, a batch of Chinese vaccines carried by a plane of Aerolineas Argentinas, Argentinas largest airline, arrived at the Ministro Pistarini International Airport in Buenos Aires, capital city of Argentina. As a gesture of gratitude, the Argentine government printed on the fuselage a Chinese zodiac sign of Ox and "Happy New Year and Good Luck in the Year of the Ox" both in Chinese and Spanish, Taiana said, who was excited to witness the moment. A friend in need is a friend indeed, he stressed. The leaders of the two countries often talked on the phone and exchanged e-mails, reaching important consensus on deepening bilateral relations, strengthening anti-epidemic cooperation and other areas. Meanwhile, China supported Argentina with medical supplies to help the latter tide over the difficulty. China has kept its promise to make vaccines a global public good, and helps lead human kind out of the specter of the pandemic, according to Taiana. Taiana pointed out that Argentina's Justicialist Party, established over 70 years ago, has more than three million members and is one of the largest political party in Latin America. As the head of international relations for the Justicialist Party, he is proud of helping maintain the sound relations between the party and the CPC. The two political parties have conducted closer exchanges, and often hold seminars to share experiences. China is a major partner of Argentina, and the two countries have deepened cooperation in economy, trade, investment, and infrastructure construction, he said, who hopes to enhance party exchanges to bring the Argentine and Chinese people closer and further push ahead bilateral relations. (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) Fires in New Mexicos Gila National Forest have burned nearly 70 square miles (175 square kilometers) after lightning strikes earlier this month. One of the blazes is mostly under control, officials said Monday. The Doagy Fire in western New Mexico is now 86% contained, National Forest spokeswoman Marta Call said. The blaze has burned around 20 square miles (52 square kilometers) on federal land in the Gila National Forest. A separate fire in the same forest also started after a lightning strike this month, the Forest Service said. The Johnson Fire has burned around 46 square miles (120 square kilometers). Fire officials didn't include a containment estimate in a Monday update. Fire officials say they will allow burning that is healthy for forests, but are monitoring the threat the Johnson Fire may pose to the nearby Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, a treasured pre-Colombian settlement preserved in rock. Trails into the Gila will close to the public on June 1 to protect public safety. A much smaller fire started Friday outside of Cuba, in northern New Mexico. The cause remains unknown. The fire could threaten local property and oil infrastructure, the Forest Service said. Fire season in New Mexico is on track to be even hotter and drier than usual, with lower flow in many of its rivers. HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) Pennsylvania continued its rebound from the coronavirus pandemic, as the state reported Tuesday that tax collections through May were almost $3 billion ahead of expectations. Collections for the state's main operating account were $36.6 billion through May, the 11th month of the fiscal year, the Department of Revenue said. LA VISTA, Neb. (AP) The search for an 11-year-old boy with autism who has been missing for two weeks will focus on the neighborhoods around his home in La Vista, police said Tuesday. Ryan Larsen was last seen leaving his school about noon on May 17. Authorities have said he has been without medication he takes for seizures since he disappeared. Leonard Ortiz/AP ORANGE, Calif. (AP) A reward for information leading to the arrest of a suspect in the road rage killing of a Southern California boy has grown to $400,000. A private contribution over the weekend increased the reward in the slaying of 6-year-old Aiden Leos, Southern California News Group reported. EVERETT, Wash. (AP) The Washington state Supreme Court this month unanimously rejected the notion that a man who skipped his court date could be presented as evidence that he felt guilty about the original crime. State Supreme Court justices agreed that criminalizing a single missed court date could disproportionately harm people of color, poor people or people without reliable transportation or scheduling conflicts due to child care or work, The Daily Herald reported. The ruling came less than a year after the state Legislature revised the bail jumping law, which gives people more time to respond to a warrant. Samuel Slater, 27, had one unexcused absence in his case, which predated the new law. Records show Slater was convicted of violating no-contact orders five times in five years, multiple driving offenses and domestic violence charges. He pleaded guilty in 2016 to assault in Washington state. A judge ordered him not to have contact with the woman, who was not identified, but he showed up within a day of being let out of jail. He was charged in 2017 with alleged felony violation of a no-contact order and felony bail jumping after missing a court date later in the year. Slater's attorney, Frederic Moll, asked for separate trials on the counts. Snohomish County Superior Court Judge Anita Farris, a former public defender, found that the charges could be tried together for judicial economy reasons and that they were cross-admissible, meaning one could be used to prove the other. Judge Ellen Fair presided over the trial and agreed with Farris. State Court of Appeals judges also agreed. During the trial, deputy prosecutor Adam Sturdivant repeatedly noted how the defendant missed his court date, asking: If he didnt do it, why didnt he show up for trial call a year ago? Slater was found guilty on both counts and sentenced to more than two years in prison and a year of probation. The Supreme Court found that the Snohomish County judges decision allowed Sturdivant to make improper comments to the jury about Slaters propensity to violate orders. Attorney James Herr argued in February that the trial was not about the charge, but instead about the missed court hearing. The state Supreme Court acknowledged there are other valid reasons why people might miss court dates. And judges have said there are alternatives to ensure people avoid skipping court including warrants, higher bail or stricter release conditions. The ACLU of Washington, the Washington Defender Association, Columbia Legal Services and the King County Department of Public Defense signed a legal brief supporting Slater's case. The state Supreme Court overturned Slaters convictions and ruled that the case must be returned to Snohomish County, where prosecutors can decide whether to try the case again. If so, there would need to be two separate trials. It is unclear if Snohomish County prosecutors will proceed again. SALT LAKE CITY (AP) Search and rescue calls are on the rise this spring along the Wasatch Front. Salt Lake County Search and Rescue received about double the amount of calls in May that they did last year, a pattern exemplified when a hiker and a climber both died in a single weekend, KUER reported. CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (AP) A Tennessee man who was shot during an encounter with police has died, authorities said. Andre Luiz Snyder, 33, died Saturday, two days after being shot when Clarksville police responded to a report of a suicidal male, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said Tuesday. AUSTIN, Texas (AP) Texas Republicans pressed ahead with their push for tougher election laws Tuesday, vowing to ensure Democrats' weekend victory over one of the most restrictive voting measures in the country would only be temporary. GOP Gov. Greg Abbott prepared to call lawmakers back for a special session to revive the voting measure that died when Democrats staged a dramatic walkout from the state Capitol just before the end of the legislative session Sunday night. Bolstered by GOP majorities in both the House and Senate, Abbott also was weighing whether to use the extra session to take up other top conservative priorities that had failed during the session. That left Texas Democrats facing the aftermath of their last-minute maneuver and confronting how or even whether they can turn it into more than just a temporary roadblock in the GOPs nationwide pursuit to impose tighter voting laws across the U.S. There are consequences, said state Sen. John Whitmire, one of Texas longest-serving Democrats. Democrats who pulled off the revolt in the state House of Representatives just before a midnight deadline Sunday did not leave indefinitely. Most were back on the House floor just 12 hours later for ceremonial business, and none are calling to boycott a special session. They are instead betting their dramatic flight out of the Texas Capitol and to a Black church will make Republicans think twice about some provisions in the legislation like banning early voting Sunday morning, when many Black worshippers go to the polls after services and give them more say on the next elections bill. But bare-knuckled Republican governing is a way of life in the Texas Capitol and no concessions are so far promised. Abbott, meanwhile, has begun both punishing and taunting Democrats while he settles on deciding on when he will order them back to work. He said Monday he would veto the part of the budget that funds legislators' salaries, a move that could impact not just Democrats but also other Capitol staff. He then tweeted a reminder of the last time Texas Democrats dramatically blocked a bill: when then-state Sen. Wendy Davis talked for more than 11 consecutive hours in 2013 to filibuster a sweeping anti-abortion measure, which Republicans immediately revived and passed in a special session. We all know how that story ended," Abbott tweeted. Texas Republicans may also enter a 30-day special session with not just commanding majorities, but new leverage. Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the staunchly conservative leader of the Senate, also wants Abbott to demand that lawmakers try again to pass a ban on transgender athletes in girls and womens sports. The Texas GOP's torpedoed bill, known as Senate Bill 7, would have reduced polling hours, empowered poll watchers and scaled back ways to vote. It included a ban on drive-thru voting centers and 24-hour polling places, both of which were used last year around Houston, reflecting how Republicans went after Texas largest Democratic stronghold. But it was new provisions added during final negotiations between the House and the Senate that triggered the Democrats' dramatic action. One of the new measures would have made it easier to overturn an election by allowing a judge to void a candidates victory if the number of fraudulent votes cast could change the outcome, regardless of whether it was proved that the fraud actually had affected the result. It was the kind of provision that could allow a favorable judge to side with a candidate who makes broad claims of fraud with little specific evidence as former President Donald Trump did with virtually no success. Some Democrats suggested they would allow a vote on the elections legislation, if it more closely resembled the earlier version and included some bipartisan input. Democrats had voted against that as well, but had not staged the protest. If we get back on track with that mentality, we might be able to come up with election policy that is less objectionable," Democratic state Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer said. There were some signs Republicans might back off some of the new, strict measures. Republican state Rep. Travis Clardy, one of the negotiators on the final version of the Texas bill, told NPR on Tuesday that banning early Sunday morning voting was essentially a typo -- that instead of starting voting no earlier than 1 p.m., the bill was supposed to say 11 a.m. Thats one of the things I look forward to with fixing the most. Call it a scriveners error, whatever you want to, Clardy told NPR. But the Senate author of the bill, Republican Bryan Hughes, made no mention of such a mistake over the weekend while defending the new Sunday limits. Election workers want to go to church, too, Hughes said. It the new bill is not acceptable to Democrats and they were to walk out again Republicans don't have to stand pat. State troopers could be mobilized to try to forcibly bring lawmakers back to the House, as was the case in 2003, when Texas Democrats fled to Oklahoma and New Mexico to try and block new voting maps. Whitmire, who was first elected to the Texas Legislature in 1973, spent 36 days holed up in a hotel before breaking ranks with his fellow Democrats and returning home. The decision gave Senate Republicans at the time the quorum needed to get back to work on a redistricting plan that would give the GOP more seats in Congress. Of upmost important is, what are you going to do when you get back?" Whitmire said of denying a quorum. Are things going to be different? Probably not. But it educates the public and lets your core group know how committed you are to principles." Texas Democrats' move has reverberated across the country. President Joe Biden on Tuesday urged Democrats and their allies to step up the fight over voting law, which is expected to heat up on Washington later this month when Democrats debate a massive federal rewrite of elections law. I urge voting rights groups in this country to begin to redouble their efforts now to register and educate voters. June should be a month of action on Capitol Hill, he said. ___ Associated Press writer Jim Vertuno contributed to this report. MADRID (AP) The leader of a movement seeking independence from Morocco testified Tuesday in a Spanish investigation into allegations against him of torture, genocide and other crimes. Brahim Ghali appeared before an investigating magistrate at the National Court in Madrid via videoconference from a hospital in Logrono, a northern Spanish city where the 71-year old was hospitalized last month after falling seriously ill with COVID-19. The magistrate ruled after Ghali's testimony that he should remain free while the investigation continues, saying he has an address and phone number in Spain where he can be contacted. The judge will decide after his preliminary investigation whether there is enough evidence to bring charges. Ghali heads the Polisario Front and the self-declared Sahrawi Democratic Arab Republic, based in refugee camps in western Algeria. Morocco annexed Western Sahara in the 1970s, and the Polisario Front has long wanted to end Moroccan rule over Western Sahara. Ghali checked into the Spanish hospital under a false identity after arriving in the country by plane with an Algerian diplomatic passport and with the consent of the Spanish government. His presence in Spain has infuriated Morocco and triggered a diplomatic crisis between the two countries, which have been cooperating in fighting terrorism, drug smuggling and migration into Europe. Rabat has withdrawn its ambassador to Madrid and says it wont fill the position if Ghali leaves Spain under the same cloak of secrecy used for his arrival and without answering the allegations he committed crimes. The Spanish magistrate is assessing two complaints targeting Ghali. One alleging torture and other crimes was brought in 2019 by a Sahrawi activist and Polisario dissident. The magistrate has also re-opened an earlier genocide probe, launched in 2008, against Ghali and 27 other Polisario members. Ghalis lawyer, Manuel Olle, said his client denied the charges, which he attributed to Moroccan efforts to discredit the Polisario Front. He said he would file a request for the charges to be dismissed. Mariana Delmas, representing the dissident who accuses Ghali of torture, said the court refused her request for Ghali to be detained while the investigation continues. GREAT FALLS, Mont. (AP) Montana wildlife officials said Tuesday that state bear management specialists killed a pair of grizzly bears near Whitefish that had been involved in numerous livestock attacks, just a week after a bear was shot and killed for preying on cattle near Dupuyer. An adult female grizzly bear was captured on Monday and its yearling captured on Tuesday in the Haskill Basin area, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials said. BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) A woman accused of shooting a firearms instructor during a lesson at his Westford home in 2015 was sentenced Tuesday to 10 years with time served. Veronica Lewis will be eligible for release in 2027 under a plea deal with state and federal prosecutors, WCAX-TV reported. Lewis, of Worcester, was accused of shooting Darryl Montague in the face and abdomen at his Westford home and then fleeing. Montague, who had debilitating medical problems from the shooting said the sentence is not long enough. Im looking for equal justice equal to the crimes that were committed, Montague said. Montague spoke for nearly an hour about the pain and impact he has suffered, including surgeries and health issues that still affect him. My ability to be productive in the world was taken away by Veronica, he said. Lewis apologized for the shooting. I would like to express how deeply sorry I am for hurting Mr. Montague and the pain I caused him and his family, she said. Her public defender, Jessica Brown, said the plea agreement allows Lewis to receive help for mental health problems she faced when the shooting happened. I think this is the right outcome, because the ultimate goal should be and will be to make sure that Veronica Lewis mental health is treated, Brown said. Far too many mentally ill people do not get the level of mental health treatment that they need until they commit a horrific crime against someone. Chittenden County States Attorney Sarah George said in 2019 that her office was dropping charges against Lewis and in two other high-profile cases because evidence showed the defendants were legally insane at the time. Republican Gov. Phil Scott questioned her decision and asked the attorney general to review the cases. The state refiled an attempted murder charge against Lewis. With Texas Republicans poised to sign off on a sweeping voting bill, President Joe Biden said Saturday that legislation like Senate Bill 7 that restricts voting access is un-American. Today, Texas legislators put forth a bill that joins Georgia and Florida in advancing a state law that attacks the sacred right to vote, Biden said in a statement to The Texas Tribune. Its part of an assault on democracy that weve seen far too often this year and often disproportionately targeting Black and Brown Americans. 'LEAVE THE BUILDING': Texas walkout escalates voting battles SB 7, the Texas GOPs priority voting bill, would limit early voting hours, curtail local voting options, further clamp down on mail-in voting and expand freedoms for partisan poll watchers, among several other changes to elections. Bidens denouncement of the bill came just as a draft of the final version began circulating at the Texas Capitol. The House and Senate are expected to take final votes on the bill in the next day and send it to Gov. Greg Abbott for his signature before it becomes law. Its wrong and un-American, Biden said. In the 21st century, we should be making it easier, not harder, for every eligible voter to vote. Texas Republicans began the 2021 legislative session staging a sweeping legislative campaign to pass new voting restrictions, proposing significant changes to nearly the entire voting process and taking particular aim at local efforts to make voting easier. It was formally touched off by Abbott, when he named election integrity one of his emergency items for the legislative session despite no evidence of widespread voter fraud. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick also named election and ballot security one of his priorities. SB 7 ultimately emerged as the main vehicle through which state lawmakers, like Republicans across the country, would further restrict how and when voters cast ballots following the 2020 election. Overall, this bill is designed to address areas throughout the process where bad actors can take advantage, so Texans can feel confident that their elections are fair, honest and open, Republican state Sen. Bryan Hughes said while presenting the bill to the Senate earlier this year. While Republicans have tried to frame the legislation as one that standardizes voting rules across the state, substantial portions of SB 7 were written to specifically outlaw voting initiatives carried out last fall in largely Democratic Harris County, the states largest county where voters of color make up a high share of the electorate. That includes drive-thru voting to allow people to vote from their cars, extended early voting hours after the usual 7 p.m. cutoff and a day of 24 hours of uninterrupted early voting to reach shift workers who have trouble casting ballots during regular hours. Those initiatives which proved particularly successful in reaching voters of color would be banned under SB 7. IN HOUSTON: Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick lashes out at Harris County, media during presser defending voter security bill But the expansive bill will prompt changes to voting across the state. SB 7 sets new windows for early voting generally from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. that would also slightly shorten the extra hours other large counties offered in the last election. The bill clamps down on voting by mail, making it a state jail felony for local officials to distribute applications to request mail-in ballots to voters who didnt ask for them. This ban was also a response to Harris Countys failed attempt to send applications to all 2.4 million registered voters last year, even though other Texas counties sent applications to voters 65 and older without controversy. Although those voters automatically qualify to vote by mail, SB 7 bans counties from proactively mailing unrequested applications to them in the future. Political parties can still send unsolicited applications, as both Republicans and Democrats often do before elections. It creates new identification requirements for voters looking to cast their ballots by mail and sets a higher standard for who can qualify to vote by mail based on a disability. It also grants partisan poll watchers "free movement" within a voting site. The legislation has been condemned by advocates for voters with disabilities, voter advocacy groups and civil rights organizations with histories of fighting laws that could harm voters of color. Throughout the legislative session, theyve repeatedly warned lawmakers that SB 7 would raise new barriers to the ballot for marginalized voters, including voters of color and voters with disabilities, and that it likely violates federal safeguards for those voters. The final version of the bill was negotiated behind closed doors over the last week after the Senate and the House passed significantly different versions of the legislation. READ MORE: Biden picks Texas-native, first person of color to head Census fulltime It is fitting that the final push to get anti-voter Senate Bill 7 to the Governors desk would take place behind closed doors, hidden from public scrutiny, MOVE Texas communications director Charlie Bonner said Saturday. This bill does nothing to improve the security of our elections it only makes our democracy weaker by limiting access for young, disabled, Black and Brown Texans. On Saturday, Biden also cited the imminent passage of SB 7 to a call on Congress to act on federal voting legislation that would significantly reform elections and another measure that would bring back federal oversight of state changes to voting law. Until 2013, Texas was among the states under federal supervision of its election and voting laws to ensure they did not hamper the voting rights of people of color. Federal courts repeatedly found that Texas lawmakers discriminated against voters of color in their political mapmaking and in writing up new voting requirements, including the states original voter ID law in 2011. Disclosure: MOVE Texas 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 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. Gustavo Huerta, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer It's the words no patient wants to hear and no hospital wants to admit: MD Anderson Cancer Center is in critical need of blood for its patients. It is a challenging time for the Blood Bank to collect blood products, and we are asking for your help to inform our community about this need, the MD Anderson Blood Bank said in a release, noting that the shortage is not just exclusive to Houston, but nationwide. On Jan. 12, lawmakers convened in Austin for the 87th regular session of the state Legislature. Its safe to say there hasnt been a session quite like this one, which followed a bruising year that included a global pandemic, mass protests against police brutality, a momentous election season and an insurrection at the nations Capitol less than a week before lawmakers reported for work. From the COVID-19 testing tent outside the Capitols north entrance to the plexiglass barriers and heightened security everywhere, the Capitol complex and how everyone involved in the legislative process does their jobs was utterly transformed. The Texas weather added another major item to lawmakers plates in mid-February when a massive winter storm brought the entire state to its knees, leaving millions without power, killing perhaps hundreds and exceeding the cost of even the states most devastating hurricanes. Through it all, from those first days until the tumultuous last night before the House and Senate gaveled out sine die, Texas Tribune photographers were at the Capitol. Here is some of what they saw. A group calling themselves the Texas Militia provided security for a small protest at the Capitol's north entrance on Jan. 12, 2021. Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune State troopers stand guard outside of the state Capitol's north entrance on the opening day of the Legislative Session on Jan. 12, 2021. Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune First: A group of armed protesters gathered for a demonstration at the Capitol's north entrance on Jan. 12, 2021. Last: State troopers stand guard outside of the state Capitol's north entrance on the opening day of the legislative session. Security was increased at the Capitol over fears of an attack similar to what happened at the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar and Miguel Gutierrez Jr. for The Texas Tribune Signs are posted on seats in the House gallery to ensure social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune Newly-elected House Speaker Dade Phelan speaks to the House of Representatives during opening ceremonies as the 2021 legislative session begins. Jan. 12, 2021. Credit: Bob Daemmrich/CapitolPressPhoto/Pool From left: state Rep. Matt Shaheen, R-Plano; Rep. Scott Sanford, R-McKinney; and Rep. Trent Ashby, R-Lufkin, meet as legislators greet each other on the House floor prior to the opening of the 2021 Legislature. Credit: Bob Daemmrich/CapitolPressPhoto/Pool First: Newly elected House Speaker Dade Phelan spoke to the House of Representatives during opening ceremonies as the 87th legislative session began. Last: From left, state Reps. Matt Shaheen, R-Plano; Scott Sanford, R-McKinney; and Trent Ashby, R-Lufkin; greet each other on the House floor prior to the opening of the 2021 Legislature. Credit: Bob Daemmrich/CapitolPressPhoto/Pool The floor of the House of Representatives from the gallery on Jan. 13, 2021. Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune Maskless lawmakers speak to one another on the Senate floor prior to the session beginning on March 2, 2021. Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune State Rep. Erin Zwiener, D-Driftwood, questions a proposed amendment to HB 10 on March 30, 2021. Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune First: Maskless lawmakers spoke to one another on the Senate floor on March 2, 2021. Last: State Rep. Erin Zwiener, D-Driftwood, questioned a proposed amendment to House Bill 10 on March 30, 2021. Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune State Rep. Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston, speaks with a colleague on the house floor on Thursday, April 22,, 2021. Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune The House Elections Committee met to hear public testimony on a number of proposed election reform bills related to election integrity on April 8, 2021. Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune State Rep. E. Sam Harless, R-Spring, listens to Richard Pena Raymond, D-Laredo, as he presents House Bill 2166 to the House Homeland Security & Public Safety Committee at the state capitol on April 21, 2021. Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune First: State Rep. Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston, speaks with a colleague on the House floor on April 22. Next: The House Elections Committee met to hear public testimony on a number of proposed election reform bills related to election integrity on April 8. Last: State Rep. E. Sam Harless, R-Spring, listened to Rep. Richard Pena Raymond, D-Laredo, as he presented House Bill 2166 to the House Homeland Security & Public Safety Committee at the state Capitol on April 21. Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar and Evan L'Roy for The Texas Tribune Vanessa Guillens sisters Lupe Guillen, left, and Mayra Guillen speak at a press conference on April 20, 2021, regarding legislation that would designate Sept. 30, Guillens birthday, as Vanessa Guillen Day. Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune State Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, and state Sen. Kel Seliger, R-Amarillo, speak to an aid on the senate floor on April 12, 2021. Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick speaks at a press conference concerning the recently passed Election & Ballot Security Bill, also known as Senate Bill 7, at the Texas Capitol on April 7, 2021. "Senate Bill 7 is about voter security, not about voter suppression, and I'm tired of the lies and the nest of liars who continue to repeat them," said Patrick. Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune First: State Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, and state Sen. Kel Seliger, R-Amarillo, speak to an aid on the Senate floor on April 12, 2021. Last: Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick speaks at a press conference concerning the Election & Ballot Security Bill, also known as Senate Bill 7, at the state Capitol on April 7. Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar and Evan L'Roy for The Texas Tribune A group of SLAB riders from Houston drove to the Texas Capitol in Austin to participate in a rally in support of the George Floyd Act, which seeks to reform policing in Texas, on April 3, 2021. Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune A group of SLAB Riders from Houston drove to the Texas Capitol in Austin to participate in a rally in support of the George Floyd Act, which seeks to reform policing in Texas, on April 3, 2021. Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune From left: Family members of George Floyd, sister Bridgett Floyd, daughter Gianna Floyd, and the mother of Floyds daughter, Roxie Washington, speak at a rally at the Texas Capitol in support of a sweeping police reform bill known as the George Floyd Act on April 3, 2021. Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune First: A group of SLAB riders from Houston drove to the state Capitol in Austin to participate in a rally in support of the George Floyd Act, which seeks to reform policing in Texas, on April 3, 2021. Last: From left, George Floyd's sister, Bridgett Floyd; his daughter, Gianna Floyd; and Gianna's mother, Roxie Washington; spoke at a rally at the Texas Capitol in support of the George Floyd Act. Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune Ada-Rhodes Short holds up a sign at an event held by Equality Texas at the Capitol on April 14, 2021. Credit: Sergio Flores for The Texas Tribune Gun rights advocates wait to testify at a Senate committee hearing regarding the permitless carry of handguns on April 29, 2021. Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune Houston Resident Kellye Burke, a volunteer for the gun safety group Moms Demand Action, waits to testify at a Senate committee hearing on the permitless carry of handguns on April 29, 2021. Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune First: Gun rights advocates waited to testify at a Senate committee hearing regarding the permitless carry of handguns on April 29, 2021. Last: Houston Resident Kellye Burke, a volunteer for the gun safety group Moms Demand Action, waited to testify at a Senate committee hearing on the permitless carry of handguns. Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune Youth activists dropped more than 200,000 rose petals from the Capitol rotunda to protest what they described as extremist voter suppression legislation on April 8, 2021. Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune Trish and her 12-year-old son at Canyon Lake on April 13, 2021. Trish earns too much to qualify for Medicaid in Texas but too little to afford her own health insurance. Her son does qualify for Medicaid. Lawmakers did not significantly expand Medicaid during the legislative session. Credit: Montinique Monroe for The Texas Tribune Hundreds of people joined the Texans Rally for Our Voting Rights event to speak out against restrictive voting bills at the Texas Capitol in Austin on May 8, 2021. Credit: Montinique Monroe for The Texas Tribune Hundreds of people joined the Texans Rally for Our Voting Rights event to speak out against restrictive voting bills at the Texas Capitol in Austin on May 8, 2021. Credit: Montinique Monroe for The Texas Tribune Hundreds of people joined the Texans Rally for Our Voting Rights event to speak out against restrictive voting bills at the Texas Capitol in Austin on May 8, 2021. Credit: Montinique Monroe for The Texas Tribune Hundreds of people joined the Texans rally for our voting rights event to speak out against restrictive voting bills at the Texas Capitol on May 8, 2021. Credit: Montinique Monroe for The Texas Tribune Brendan Cavanagh waved an American flag while participating in a rally in opposition to Senate Bill 7, which would add more restrictions on voting in Texas, at the Capitol on April 8, 2021. Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune House Speaker Dade Phalen on the House floor on May 5, 2021. Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune State Rep. Meyer Morgan, R-Dallas, on May 7, 2021. Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune State Rep. Ana Hernandez, D-Houston, on the House floor on May 7, 2021. Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune Lawmakers on the House floor during the 87th legislative session. Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar and Miguel Gutierrez Jr. for The Texas Tribune Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick presides over Senate session at the state Capitol on May 17, 2021. Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune Rep. Briscoe Cain, R-Deer Park, celebrates the passage of a bill he sponsored on May 13, 2021. Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for the Texas Tribune People wait on the Senate floor during session at the state capitol on May 25, 2021. Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune A person watches from the Senate gallery during session at the state capitol on May 25, 2021. Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune People watched lawmakers work from the Senate floor and gallery on May 25, 2021. Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune Gov. Greg Abbott spoke with lawmakers on the House floor on May 23, 2021. Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune Democratic lawmakers met during a break in the session on May 30, 2021. Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune Democratic lawmakers met in the Speaker's Committee Room during a break in the session on May 30, 2021. Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune Democratic lawmakers met in the Speaker's Committee Room during a break in the session on May 30, 2021. Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune The state Capitol on May 30, 2021 Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune State Rep. Gene Wu, D-Houston, handed out buttons to his colleagues that read Protect the Vote as the House prepares to debate controversial election legislation on May 30, 2021. Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune The House floor on May 30, 2021. Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune Various scenes from the Capitol during the 87th legislative session. Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune State Rep. Jessica Gonzalez, D-Dallas, speaks at a press conference at Mt. Zion Baptist Church near the state Capitol in Austin after Democrats broke quorum in opposition to Senate Bill 7, a sweeping GOP voting bill. May 30, 2021. Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune House members praised House Speaker Dade Phelan on Sine Die. May 31, 2021. Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune House members clap in honor of staff that helped during the 87th Legislative session on Sine Die. May 31, 2021. Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune House members honored and celebrated other members and staff during the final day of the session on May 31, 2021. Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune House Speaker Dade Phelan on the House floor on the session's final day. Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune Sign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. The Texas Tribune is a nonpartisan, nonprofit media organization that informs Texans and engages with them about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues. Last week, Coleman Thomas Blevins logged on to an online forum to confess a menacing plan, police said: The 28-year-old from Kerrville, Texas, was going to storm into a Walmart and shoot up the place. But an undercover police officer intercepted the message. After consulting the FBI, law enforcement swiftly labeled Blevins a national security threat. On Friday, the Kerr County Sheriff's Office arrested Blevins and charged him with making a terroristic threat - thwarting a possibly deadly scenario, police said. Officials said they later found weapons and racist and extremist materials in his home. READ ALSO: Texas poised to allow unlicensed carrying of handguns "Our investigators did outstanding work in this case, and possibly saved many lives," Sheriff Larry Leitha said in a news release on Sunday. "The plot interrupted in this case is unthinkable." The arrest comes amid a spate of mass shootings across the country. On Mother's Day, a gunman in Colorado Springs killed six people at a birthday party and then turned the gun on himself. In mid-April, a 19-year-old fatally shot eight people at a FedEx plant in Indianapolis. Other mass shootings in Atlanta and Boulder have left those cities reeling. Texas has previously been the scene of a deadly attack at a Walmart. In 2019, a 21-year-old gunman brandishing an assault-style rifle stormed into an El Paso Walmart and killed 22 people, law enforcement said, in what authorities called a hate crime and domestic terrorism. In the weeks before the incident that rocked the border town, the shooter wrote a manifesto using language borrowed from extremist groups, authorities said. Blevins was previously convicted of a felony and was out on probation, police said. It is unclear what the crime was or how long he has been on probation, but one condition of his release was that he was forbidden from owning weapons, Leitha said. Police began monitoring Bevins in an online forum, which isn't named in court documents, earlier last week. Undercover officers worked to gain a rapport with Blevins in the forum, according to the sheriff's office. "Through the period of investigation, KCSO investigators made contact and conversed with Mr. Blevins, confirmed his affiliation and networking with extremist ideologies," the sheriff's office said. Then on Thursday, the sheriff's office, with the help of the Texas Department of Public Safety's criminal investigations division, intercepted a message from Blevins indicating he was preparing to pursue a "mass casualty event" and "made a specific threat that included Walmart," the sheriff's office said. Investigators with the county's special operations division called the FBI, which confirmed that Blevins was serious about the threat. READ ALSO: Greg Abbott names 'official handgun' of Texas for some reason With the assistance of the FBI, Kerrville Police Department and the Secret Service, the sheriff's office arrested Blevins on Friday in Kerrville, a town of more than 23,700 people about 70 miles northwest of San Antonio. Blevins was booked in Kerr County Jail on $250,000 bond. Jail records do not indicate if he has a lawyer. He could also faces federal charges from the FBI or other federal agencies, the sheriff's office said. It is unclear when Blevins is due in court. Following the arrest, police searched Blevins's home, where they found an assault weapon, ammunition, handwritten notes, drugs and "racial ideology paraphernalia," police said. Officers also found several flags, including a Confederate flag, a Saudi Arabian flag and one with a swastika and a sonnenrad, a Norse symbol that was appropriated by the Nazis. There was also a Falangist flag, which once represented the extreme nationalist group during Spain's civil war in 1936. Law enforcement also found several books tied to extremism, including "The Turner Diaries," a right-wing novel that is said to have inspired dozens of terrorist attacks and hate crimes, including the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995, and "Revolt Against the Modern World" by Julius Evola, a far-right Italian writer and philosopher who wrote about fascism in the 1920s and '30s and who is often referenced by domestic extremists. There was also a T-shirt with the symbol for the National Partisan Movement, an online group meant to groom the next generation of far-right members. "This case reminds us that we need to always be vigilant," Leitha, the sheriff, said. "Many think 'that can't happen here,' and it was well on the way to happening." "This Week In Space" brings you whats new and exciting in space exploration and astronomy once a week, every week. From supernovae to SpaceX or Mars missions to black holes, if its out of this world, its covered here. Tetra Images/TGI/Getty Images/Tetra images RF There are over 8 billion lightbulbs on Earth. Altogether, they form an electric mosaic thats visible from orbit, one that traces an outline of humankinds ever-growing streets and cities. For astronomer Thomas Beatty at the University of Arizona, this raised the question: if we can see our civilization from space, would it be possible to make out any others? In a recently released study, Beatty concludes that we ought to be able to directly detect the presence of alien civilizations on other planets from their cities' lights, if they're big enough and bright enough. He claims a planet about ten times as urbanized as Earth would be noticeable around many nearby starsincluding a few of those considered most hospitable for life. Thats not a stretch by any means. Earth itself is expected to reach that level of urbanization in the next hundred years or so. On top of this, says Beatty, life on about 80 nearby planets would be detectable if their civilizations were "ecumenopolises", or planet-wide cities. There are caveats. Would aliens have a similar penchant for artificial lighting as us? Would they see at similar wavelengths? Or would they not even see at all? The only way to find out, scientists like Beatty might argue, is to look. NASA administrator hints at a new space race da-kuk/Getty Images When China released celebratory photos from its successful Mars landing last week, NASA responded in two very different ways. At the exact same time that the space agency released a congratulatory statement lauding international cooperation with China, its administrator, Bill Nelson, was testifying to Congress that it was a very aggressive competitor to the US in space. The testimony overtly marks what some have seen coming for a long time: the dawn of a new cold war space race. Ever wonder why the US hasnt been to the Moon in over 50 years? Because, after a certain point, it was done proving it could. The US won the space race with the Soviet Union and soon after had no real competition. Now, as relations with China grow increasingly contentious, it is again becoming politically popular to support grand visions of the US in space. Americans should prepare themselves to see great progress be made in space exploration in the coming years. After all, the idea of anyone but NASA being dominant in space is anathema to many. It may prove a powerful motivator. As Nelson himself summed it up in his testimony: Were suddenly realizing that we dont own all of this. Astronomers find important ingredient for life pervades space Lev Savitskiy/Getty Images The recipe for life just got a little bit easier. Its long been thought that Earth didnt begin with much water, but instead collected it from asteroids and comets early on. Now, an international group of astronomers has found evidence that the same thing may be true for one of the most basic building blocks of life as we know it. Every cell in your body is bounded by a membrane that protects whats inside. The main ingredient of these membranes are called phospholipids, and though theyre essential for life, we dont know how they came to be on Earth. Until, perhaps, now. Astronomers have discovered ethanolaminean important piece of the simplest and second-most abundant phospholipid in cell membranessimply drifting out in the space between stars. They say the chemical is about 10 billion times less common there than the hydrogen molecule, which, in space, is still a good amount. This solves one piece of the puzzle of how life began on Earth. In doing so, it shows that life is a bit less tortuous to form than previously thoughtand that much more likely to arise on the billions of planets throughout our galaxy. Study says most known planets should have destroyed or lost their moons Constantinos Hinis/Getty Images The eight planets in our Solar System host a combined total of over 200 moons. But of the 4,389 planets weve discovered around other stars, we have yet to find a moon around a single one. Now, a newly released study offers an explanation: moons are easy to make, but theyre also easy to destroy. The research, a collaboration between Hungary and The Netherlands, involved simulating a moon around virtually every known planet to explore their hypothetical fates. The authors found that after billions of years, moons around planets close-in to their stars were almost always thrown out of their orbits or even torn apart by gravitational forces. Only planets that were on long, slow orbits had moons that stood any chance of survival. Those are exactly the kinds of planets that are hardest to find. As it stands, only about one in ten known planets have at least a 70 percent chance of their moon(s) surviving, while nearly half have almost certainly lost their moons already. It should then come as no surprise that, although a few tentative discoveries of exo-moons have been reported, all remain unconfirmed. But with the next generation of new space observatories, there is hope that more may be recorded in coming years. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form 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. Vote View Results Nearly half of Canadians think the worlds longest frontier should stay closed until at least September. Canadians not in a rush to reopen border Nearly half of Canadians think the worlds longest frontier should stay closed until at least September. Canadians not in a rush to reopen border Nearly half of Canadians think the worlds longest frontier should stay closed until at least September. Canadians not in a rush to reopen border Nearly half of Canadians think the worlds longest frontier should stay closed until at least September. Mohanad Moetaz Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif Sans Font Size A A Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his government started planning for the Canada-U.S. border to reopen, but Canadians are in no hurry. Over three quarters of Canadians also agree that whenever the border reopens, travellers to Canada should show proof of vaccination. This is according to a poll conducted by Angus Reid Institute. The poll also showed that less than a quarter of respondents would have wanted the border to be reopened already. This means that most Canadians are still concerned about the potential spread of COVID-19. Canada introduced travel restrictions in March 2020 to curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus. The border with the U.S. has been closed to all non-essential travel since. The travel restrictions with the U.S. and the rest of the world would be extended every month. Last week, Canada extended travel restrictions until at least June 21. Discover if you are eligible for Canadian immigration Canadas vaccination campaign going well Trudeau said in a press briefing on May 25 that over half of Canadas population received the first dose of the COVID-19 virus. He has previously suggested that the border will reopen when at least 75 per cent of Canadians are vaccinated. Many provinces, including Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia, are planning for a steady reopening. There are lots of reasons to be hopeful but that doesnt mean we can let our guard down yet, he said. Canadas accelerating vaccine campaign is a main reason for why the government is receiving calls for reopening the border. Who can travel to Canada in the meantime? Until the border reopens, only certain people are allowed to come to Canada. Those include Canadian citizens and permanent residents and their family members. International students attending a learning institution that has a COVID-19 readiness plan can also come to Canada, as well as some temporary foreign workers. Protected persons and people come to Canada for compassionate reasons are also exempt from the current travel restrictions in place. For a full list of exemptions, visit this government webpage. It is important to mention that Canadian border services officers have the final say on who is allowed into the country. What do travellers need to know? Restrictions are currently in place until June 21. Exempt travellers who wish to come to Canada before the restrictions are lifted need to follow certain procedures. They will be required to show a COVID-19 test administered within 72 hours of travelling to Canada. Air travellers also need to take another COVID-19 test on arrival, and quarantine in a government-approved hotel while they wait for their results. Travellers still need to complete their 14-day quarantine requirement. The three-day hotel stay can count towards your quarantine period. On day eight, you will need to take a third COVID-19 test. Those travelling to Canada for an essential reason do not need to quarantine. This includes emergency service providers, truck drivers, and those who live in a trans-border community who regularly cross the border for work. Discover if you are eligible for Canadian immigration CIC News All Rights Reserved. Visit CanadaVisa.com to discover your Canadian immigration options. Introduction From 19 July 2021, Ireland plans to operate the EU Digital COVID Certificate (DCC) for travel originating within the EU and EEA. These plans are subject to the public health advice on that date. This page is an overview of the DCC and the proposed easing of travel restrictions from 19 July 2021, for people arriving into Ireland from within and outside the EU. The Government is working on the rollout and implementation of the DCC within Ireland. We will continue to update this page as soon as more information becomes available. The Government currently advises against all non-essential international travel before 19 July 2021. If your travel is essential, you should check the entry restrictions applied by other countries. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) have country-specific travel advice pages. What is the EU Digital Covid Certificate (DCC)? The EU COVID Certificate (previously called the Digital Green Certificate) will help citizens move freely and safely within the EU during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is proof that you have either: Been vaccinated against COVID-19 Received a negative test result Recovered from COVID-19 Being vaccinated will not be a pre-condition to travel. What information will be included on the DCC? The certificate will only contain necessary key information including: Your name Your date of birth The date of issue Relevant information about your vaccine or test or recovery A unique identifier number The DCC will be free and available in both digital and paper formats. The certificate has a QR code to avoid fraud. Who will be able to get and use the DCC? The DCC is for: EU citizens, residents and their families Non-EU citizens who are legally staying or residing in the EU How will it work across the EU? Individual member states will decide how the DCC will be used as part of national public health measures. If you are travelling abroad you should always check the entry requirements before you travel. The system will be used throughout the EU and will also be open to Norway, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Iceland. You can check the European Centre of Disease Controls map (EU traffic lights system) before you travel abroad. If I arrive into Ireland from the EU or EEA If you arrive into Ireland with a Digital COVID Certificate, you will not need to quarantine. Will there still be testing requirements? People who are fully vaccinated and have a DCC, will be able to travel without a RT-PCR test. However, if you arrive with a DCC which you were given on the basis of a non RT-PCR test such as an antigen test, you will need proof of a negative RT-PCR test taken no more than 72 hours before arrival. People arriving without a DCC will also need proof of a negative RT-PCR test taken no more than 72 hours before arrival. Children aged between 7 and 18 who have not been vaccinated must also have a negative RT- PCR test. Summary for people arriving from the EU I have I am arriving from the EU A Digital COVID Certificate No RT- PCR test on arrival is needed* No quarantine No Digital COVID Certificate RT-PCR test is needed on arrival No quarantine *If your DCC is based on a non RT-PCR test (antigen) you will need to get a RT-PCR test taken with 72 hours before your arrival. If I arrive into Ireland from outside the EU or EEA From 19 July, Ireland will broadly follow the EU approach to non-essential travel into the EU from third countries. An emergency brake system is being introduced. An emergency brake system will be applied quickly to countries where a variant of concern or interest arises. This will be coordinated at EU level to protect against the importation of variants. If an emergency brake is applied to a country, the Government advice will be to avoid travel to that country. Arriving from outside EU and no emergency brake applied If you arrive into Ireland from outside the EU and you have valid proof of vaccination, you will not need to do any travel-related testing or quarantine. If you do not have valid proof of vaccination, you will need to: Show evidence of a negative RT- PCR test result within 72 hours before your arrival Self-quarantine (home quarantine) Undergo post-arrival testing - this will be provided through the HSE There are stricter rules if you arrive from a country and the emergency brake has been applied see below. Arriving from outside EU and the emergency brake has been applied The rules if you arrive from a country where an emergency brake has been applied depends on whether you have been vaccinated or not. You have proof of vaccination You will need to: Show a negative result from a RT- PCR test taken no more than 72 hours before arrival Self-quarantine (home quarantine) Undergo post-arrival testing - this will be provided through the HSE You do not have valid proof of vaccination You will need to: Produce evidence of a negative result from a RT- PCR test undertaken no more than 72 hours before arrival Complete a mandatory hotel quarantine Undergo post-arrival testing Summary for people arriving from outside the EU I am I am arriving from outside the EU and no emergency brake applied I am arriving from outside the EU with emergency brake applied Vaccinated No RT-PCR test needed No quarantine RT-PCR test needed Self -quarantine Further test post arrival Not vaccinated RT-PCR needed Self- quarantine Further test post arrival RT-PCR test Hotel quarantine Further test post arrival There are two weeks left in the official 2021 legislative session, and environmentalists cannot agree on how best to use that time. Some lawmakers are focusing on a bill that would make it easier for manufacturers to sell electric vehicles. Advocacy groups are rallying Thursday outside the state Capitol in a last-ditch push to pass a proposed carbon tax this year. With the June 22 primary approaching, Democratic socialists are even making a city campaign issue out of the idea of making the New York Power Authority a bigger player in renewable energy. The legislative language states that the New York State Build Public Renewables Act would encourage the quasi-public agency to build new renewable projects and require it to be the sole provider of energy to all state owned and municipal properties by 2025. When we talk about all the things we want to do on a city level, a lot of it is predicated on our partners at a state level stepping up and making this possible, said Tiffany Caban, a City Council candidate from western Queens. It always comes down to Democratic leadership, right? She will be among the six candidates backed by the New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America who will speak at a June 2 rally outside City Hall. Democratic socialists are not the only people on the political left who say Democratic state lawmakers are not pushing hard enough on climate change, but they are arguably the most vocal with plenty of political muscle to boot. That is irking some mainstream Democrats on the public power bill, including some legislators who are key to it ever becoming law. The upcoming rally will highlight the lack of progress on climate change legislation since 2019 and draw attention to the political donations some Democratic leaders have received from companies that currently make money off fossil fuels, according to a media advisory. The June 2 rally is being organized by a coalition of environmental and democratic socialist groups called Public Power NY. Left-leaning activists say they are holding powerful legislative leaders accountable while their critics accuse them of bullying them on a complicated bill in order to boost their political brand before city elections. Campaign finance records compiled by Public Power NY do show Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie of the Bronx, state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins of Westchester and other legislative leaders have received thousands of dollars each in donations in recent years from energy companies that use fossil fuels like National Fuel and Con Edison. The implication is that the donations represent a conflict of interest with legislative duties. The speaker is always guided by the members of our conference, a spokesperson for Heastie said in an email. We dont care about any conspiracies anyone wants to peddle. Ever. A spokesperson for Stewart-Cousins did not respond by publication time to requests for comment. State Senate Energy and Telecommunications Committee Chair Kevin Parker of Brooklyn, who is sponsoring the public power bill and the legislation that would enact a carbon tax, said the thousands he has received in campaign donations in recent years from companies that benefit from fossil fuels simply reflect his willingness to meet with anyone concerned with energy policy. He added that passing the public power bill requires addressing concerns from a wide variety of interests including consumers, environmentalists and the business community. Anybody who knows me knows that you probably should not be trying to bully Kevin Parker, Parker said in an interview. This is simply a bunch of overzealous advocates who frankly don't understand the legislative process. Similar sentiments were expressed by Assembly Member Amy Paulin of Westchester, who has accepted thousands in political donations in recent years from companies like Con Edison. Paulin is chair of the Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions where the public power bill has sat in recent weeks. If they think they are somehow going to pressure me into putting a bill on the agenda, you know those kinds of tactics don't work, Paulin said in an interview. Im very independent minded. The bill, however, is currently being reassigned to the Energy Committee chaired by Michael Cusick of Staten Island for technical reasons, according to Paulin. Cusick, who campaign finance records show has taken thousands from companies that benefit from fossil fuels in recent years, could not be reached for comment by publication time. At this point, chances are that the public power bill and the proposed carbon tax will fall short of the legislative finish line this year. We are just weeks away from the close of this legislative session, and climate funding legislation languishes in committee, a spokesperson for NY Renews, a coalition of labor unions and advocacy groups backing the proposed carbon tax, said in a statement. The bill aimed at loosening state rules on the sales of electric vehicles also faces long odds. If we dont do it this year, I think you will see a huge push next year, Assembly Member Patricia Fahy of Albany said in a text. Fahy is sponsoring the bill with state Sen. Todd Kaminsky of Long Island, who did not respond to a request for comment. The same could be said for the public power bill that has become a new point of contention between the political left and mainstream Democrats. Parker and Assembly Member Robert Carroll of Brooklyn, who is sponsoring the bill in his chamber, say they are still pushing to build support for the public power bill before the official session ends on June 10, but complicated bills take time to get done in Albany. Rome wasn't built in a day, and big, difficult legislation takes a while, Carroll said in an interview. It's a big state. The bill that became the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act was first introduced years before it passed in 2019. A bill to set up a single-payer health care system at the state level has yet to pass despite decades of effort. Some democratic socialists say that given the impending dangers of climate change, their calls for action on the public power bill are justified no matter the political hubbub that it causes. We haven't passed any major climate legislation this session, said Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani of Queens, who was backed by the city chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America in his 2020 election. We have to pass this legislation. We have to catch up with what's actually happening because if we don't, it's not even alarmist to say so, but it's our lives, it's the lives of everyone on this earth that's at stake. State Sen. John Liu first ran for a New York City Council seat in District 20, which includes Flushing, Queens, in 1997. The white incumbent, Julia Harrison, called Asian Americans colonizers a year earlier. Harrison won that election despite outrage over her comments, but four years later, Liu took over her seat, becoming the citys first Asian American City Council member. It was an inflection point signaling a demographic shift in the once mostly white borough, which received an influx of foreign-born population after changes in the U.S. immigration policy. Census data shows Queens is now 47% foreign-born. More languages are spoken there than anywhere else on Earth, according to the Endangered Language Alliance. Yet today, some racially diverse parts of Queens do not have elected leadership at the city level that matches those demographics. Despite the borough being 53% people of color, eight of its 13 City Council members are white. Jackson Heights, with large Ecuadorian, Colombian, Bangladeshi, Nepali and Indian immigrant populations, has only had white council members. The boroughs community boards have also been criticized for their lack of diversity, partly due to the fact that for decades they did not have term limits. According to a 2019 analysis by Queens Daily Eagle and Measure of America, Latinos were underrepresented by 25% or more in at least three community boards, and Asian Americans were underrepresented in 10 of the boroughs 14 boards. Those numbers improved this April, when Queens Borough President Donovan Richards appointed 110 new members, 25% of whom are Latino, 25% Black and 26% Asian American. In the Assembly, the numbers are more aligned with the population; seven members are white, five are Black, three are Asian American and two are Latina. The boroughs delegation in Congress is diverse: Only Rep. Carolyn Maloney, who represents Astoria, Long Island City and parts of Manhattan and Brooklyn, is white. It takes people a while to get pulled into the political system when (immigrants) show up in the United States, said Andrew Beveridge, a demographics expert and a professor at Queens College. According to Beveridge and other experts, reasons for the lag between local population shifts and political representation include the citys large noncitizen population, the Queens Democratic machine and its grip on the boroughs politics, and a lack of civic outreach among immigrant communities. That might change this year, as 35 of the citys 51 City Council seats will have no incumbents running due to term limits. Drashti Brahmbhatt, an Indian American who grew up in Jackson Heights and Sunnyside, organizes with the Queens Democratic Socialists of America on their electoral working group, sees the boroughs racial representation as well as its politics changing in the upcoming election cycle. I think the tide is shifting and will shift more, she said. A large share of Queensites are noncitizens and unable to vote. Data from the 2019 American Community Survey showed that 1.8 million of the boroughs 2.25 million residents are of voting age. Brahmbhatt said her parents were undocumented for 30 years but now have green cards and are on the path to citizenship. Its people like my parents who run Queens, said Brahmbhatt, who describes her upbringing as working class. My dad works at a convenience store, he is the person who people see every day and yet he doesnt have the right to say something and change the conditions hes living in. She advocates expanding the vote to undocumented people, and individuals who are incarcerated. Down ballot, Ive only had white male elected officials, said Jaslin Kaur, 25, who is running to represent District 23, which includes Glen Oaks, Bayside, Little Neck and Queens Village on the City Council. That seat opened only when Council Member Barry Grodenchik announced he would not be seeking reelection. Prior to Grodenchiks run in 2015, the seat was held by Mark Weprin, whose term directly followed his brother, David Weprin, both white. (Their father, Saul Weprin, was once Assembly speaker.) The Queens County Democratic Committee has also been an impediment historically, according to some observers. It takes a long time to penetrate the partys structure, Beveridge said. The party puts its weight behind candidates who have developed relationships with party bosses and incumbents, which can hinder representation from more recent immigrant groups. Candidates are often anointed years in advance, these are people chosen and cherry-picked to lead their districts, Kaur said. The New York City Board of Elections has also sometimes disqualified insurgent candidates, often candidates of color, from the ballot over technicalities. Representatives of the Queens Democratic Party and its chair, Rep. Gregory Meeks, did not return a request for comment in time for publication. Many districts are also drawn in a way that divides certain communities and prevents them from voting as a bloc. Brahmbhatt points to Assembly Member Brian Barnwells district, which zigzags through Sunnyside with its large Asian American and Latino populations, into whiter neighborhoods like Maspeth and Middle Village. If you look at a map, youre like, What? This doesnt make sense, Brahmbhatt said. I think thats very common for all of Queens. For those who can vote, the city can do a better job encouraging civic engagement, said Jo-Ann Yoo, executive director of the Asian American Federation. Yoo pointed to the new system of ranked-choice voting, and said theres been insufficient voter education on the process for newer voters. Oftentimes, immigrants come from communities where there isnt as much engagement in civic life, so this is new for them, Yoo said. Kaur said that growing up in her district, there was a lack of outreach and information from elected officials, and no one in her Sikh Punjabi community ran for office. People are just used to voting for the same Democrats, she said. Kaur also mentions that there are pockets in her district where people do not know the name of their council member. There are models for building political power in the borough, particularly among Black elected officials who hold office across Southeast Queens. Several Black politicians from Southeast Queens have recently ascended to powerful positions in the borough, including Donovan Richards, only the second Black Queens borough president, and Gregory Meeks, the first Black leader of the Queens Democratic Party. The boroughs first Black City Council member, Archie Spigner, served from 1974 to 2001. Spigner went on to serve as a district leader and continued to mentor a generation of Black elected officials from Southeast Queens, including helping to elect the boroughs first Black state senator, Andrew Jenkins, and its first Black Assembly member, Kenneth Browne. Richards, formerly a City Council member whose district encompassed Far Rockaway, Edgemere and Rosedale, said Southeast Queens is a stronghold for Black political elected officials because of its strong civic associations and political clubs, such as Guy R. Brewer as well as the Thurgood Marshall Regular Democratic Club. You could go to three meetings, four meetings, five meetings a night, because there's so much civic infrastructure, he said. Latino political representation has also grown gradually, though it does not match the boroughs composition. Today, the offices of the immigrant rights nonprofit Make the Road New York are in Jackson Heights, as well as its political arm, Make The Road Action, which tries to support candidates with strong immigrant rights records. The nonprofit endorsed, among others, Francisco Moya, the first Ecuadorian American elected to office in the city, whose district covers parts of Elmhurst and Corona. Several races appear poised to shift representation in the borough. In the City Council, District 25, which represents parts of Jackson Heights and Elmhurst, longtime City Council Member Danny Dromm, who is white, is term-limited. All eight Democratic candidates vying for his seat are people of color. The two candidates with the biggest fundraising advantage include Shekar Krishnan and Yi Chen. In District 23, the leading fundraiser is Linda Lee, who is Korean American, and Kaur has raised the second most. And in District 32, which has large Latino and Indo-Carribean communities, several candidates of color are hoping to replace term-limited Republican Eric Ulrich, the only Republican City Council member from Queens. Some parts of the borough are actually getting whiter. City Council District 22, which includes Astoria, was 47% white in 2000 and 52% white in 2010 due to an influx of transplants mostly young professionals. District-level census data from 2020 is not yet available, but that trend likely continued. Of the six Democratic candidates running in that district, all but one, Tiffany Caban, are white. (A Latino candidate, Edwin DeJesus Jr., is running as an independent.) While all of those who spoke to City & State wanted increased diversity among the boroughs elected officials, many said that they would prefer voters to support a candidate with the interests of their community, whether or not they look like them. You don't have to be Asian American to represent the Asian American community, Yoo said. The boroughs nonwhite electeds have a broad range of political positions. Peter Koo, who immigrated from Hong Kong and now holds the council seat once held by Liu, is a former Republican, while Assembly Member Ron Kim, who also represents Flushing, is much more progressive. Queens is home to a club for Pakistani Christian Trump supporters as well as DSA-endorsed South Asian American Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani, and the more moderate South Asian American Assembly Member Jenifer Rajkumar, who voted against legalizing marijuana. This is why a younger cohort of activists of color want electeds who will represent their material interests and social values. Representation is important only if it comes from substantive representation, Brahmbhatt said. Clarification: Rajkumar voted against the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act. New Yorks move to legalize recreational marijuana earlier this year, signaled the states shifting perspective on drugs. "I'm for the legalization of psilocybin mushrooms and I am open to the public policy impact of legalizing other drugs, New York City mayoral frontrunner Andrew Yang said during a forum hosted by VOCAL-NY on March 17. Already, state lawmakers have introduced legislation to decriminalize psychedelics, such as psilocybin and psilocyn, in addition to decriminalizing the possession of all controlled substances. While such legislation might have been considered unpassable previously, both drug policy experts and local politicians feel that these proposals could be adopted as early as the next legislative session based on the states softening stance on drugs. Experts on the subject of legalizing drugs have already predicted that psilocybin and MDMA will be legal pharmaceuticals within the next 10 years. The Food and Drug Administration has already given both psychedelics breakthrough therapy status, which has allowed scientists and medical professionals to study them for medicinal or psychiatric applications. New York University and Mount Sinai, both located in the city, have psychedelic research programs, aimed at studying psychedelics and their possible uses. So far, clinical studies conducted across the U.S. have shown that psychedelics, such as MDMA and psilocybin, can be extremely effective at treating depression, anxiety, PTSD and substance abuse issues. Theres been a sea change in attitudes about what not long ago was considered fringe science, Michael Pollan, author of a best-selling book on psychedelics, How to Change Your Mind, told The New York Times. Given the mental health crisis in this country, theres great curiosity and hope about psychedelics and a recognition that we need new therapeutic tools. Several cities, including Oakland, Santa Cruz, Ann Arbor, Washington, D.C, Somerville and Cambridge have already passed legislation decriminalizing plant and fungi psychedelics, such as psilocybin. Other states including California, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Kansas, Missouri, Washington State and Virginia are also seriously considering other drug reforms this year. And in Oregon voters approved legislation to legalize psychedelics for therapeutic purposes and to decriminalize drugs on a much broader scale last year. Psychedelics, such as LSD and psilocybin, are not addictive and even when taken in high doses they do not have an effect on the bodys organs. Even ecstasy is far less harmful than popular myths about the drug suggest. Bad trips, which can occur when an individual is overcome with a distinct sense of discomfort while taking psychedelics, do not have the kind of significant or permanent mental effect on people as once was thought either. Psychedelic substances, by far and large, are relatively safe substances, especially when compared to what the government believes their level of safety is, Troy Smit, deputy director of Empire State NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws), which has advocated for cannabis policy reform in New York, told City & State. What I'm saying is that there is a big discrepancy between a psychedelic substances schedule one status and what the actual research and science shows about those drugs. While most psychedelics arent legally accessible, a few clinics, such as Mindbloom and Field Trip Health have popped up in New York City, offering ketamine treatments for depression and anxiety. Ketamine, a legal psychedelic, has been administered as a treatment for depression or anxiety, for individuals who have not seen results from typical treatments, such as pharmaceuticals and therapy. However, the cost for just one treatment could cost as much as $1,000, which makes these treatments inaccessible to many people in the city. One woman, who asked to remain anonymous due to the stigma that is still attached to using psychedelics, spoke to City & State about their life changing experience psychedelics to treat her depression. She initially sought out psychedelic treatments after familiarizing herself with the various ways that they have been used to treat mental health issues and enabled people to open their minds. I feel like I probably made 10 years of progress in terms of understanding my barriers to things, what held me back and my insecurities, my anxiety, she said, regarding her initial experience receiving ketamine treatments at Mindbloom. After undergoing several ketamine treatments, she decided to try micro-dosing psilocybin to push her treatment further, after reading several articles on how to do so, written by professionals well-versed in psychedelic treatments. I literally function at, I think, a 10% higher level than I did (before), and don't second guess everything, and I have more energy, and more confidence with who I am, she said. However, there are other incentives to decriminalize drugs that go beyond medical and psychiatric exploration, such as keeping individuals out of prison and creating better ways of dealing with substance abuse. State Sen. Gustavo Rivera is currently sponsoring several bills to not only decriminalize all controlled substances but to decriminalize the possession of syringes a class-A misdemeanor in New York and establish a program to create safe injection sites, in an effort to help communities that have been disproportionately affected by the states policies on drugs.These are programs that save lives, that meet people in a destigmatized way, where they are, and treats them as human beings with dignity and respect and offers them the opportunity to seek treatment, when they are ready to receive it, Rivera told City & State. That is the way that we actually deal with an addiction crisis, we cannot arrest our way out of it and that has been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt for the drug war over the last couple of decades. While Rivera is grateful for all of the attention and support that drug reforms have received over the last year, he feels most of these efforts would most likely not have happened if white people had not been affected by the growing drug crisis that has plagued Black and Brown New Yorkers for years.I am thankful that now my colleagues are here with me and folks who may have once thought that criminalization was the only way to try to solve the problem, Rivera said. Now they view this with a sense of compassion, (they view) individuals who are addicted to drugs with a sense of compassion and think of options for treatment as public health solutions. Smit suspects that the U.S.s escalating issue with drug addiction is also at the core of its changing viewpoint on decriminalizing psychedelics in particular, as they have shown a tremendous impact on mitigating addiction in clinical studies. I think that people are just getting more desperate and willing to accept alternative methods to Western medicine, to address these issues, because Western medicine at the end of the day caused a lot of these issues ... No one wants to be the guy that opposes a life saving substance. And when we get down to it that's what we're talking about here. We're talking about naturally occurring or synthetic substances that have saved lives, even though they're illegal and unregulated, he said. Drug reforms are also happening at a much swifter pace than they had previously, which has given Smit the impression that legislation introduced to decriminalize psychedelics and other drugs could get passed as soon as the end of the 2022 legislative session. MARSHFIELD, Mass. A gas leak ignited Saturday morning in front of a residence in Marshfield, sending plumes of flames into the air and forcing officials to evacuate about a dozen homes. The fire continue to burn throughout the day and into the evening until it was put out around 7 p.m., according to the Marshfield Police Department. The gas line has been isolated and shut down and the fire is OUT!, the police wrote in a tweet. Boston.com reported that video showed fire burning up to 40 feet high in front of a home on Plain Street. Natural gas is provided by Eversource Energy, a utility that serves Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Hampshire WCVB reported that Eversource crews were unable to find a valve to shut off the gas fueling the fire, and had to dig trenches on either side to seal off the main. Jennifer Fields, who lives in a nearby home, said she saw flames when she looked out the window Saturday morning and then heard fire engines and emergency vehicles arrive. Video she filmed of the gas leak showed a pillar of fire shooting up from a sidewalk. I was concerned for my neighbors house for fear it would burn, Fields said. They have been pumping water on it all day long, because the flames were so close, she said. Marshfield fire Chief Jeffrey Simpson said firefighters found a downed power line, which they think may have ignited the leaking gas from an underground main, WCVB-TV reported. No injuries have been reported and the Red Cross of Massachusetts responded to the scene to offer assistance, according to the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services. Around 36 homes were without gas and fewer without power, the police said. Officials urged people to avoid the area. About the photo: Firefighters work at the scene of a gas leak and fire, Saturday, May 29, 2021, in Marshfield, Mass. The gas leak ignited in front of a residence sending plumes of flames into the air and forcing officials to evacuate about a dozen homes. (Stuart Cahill/The Boston Herald via AP) Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Plaintiffs attorneys are looking deep into the weeds for evidence to support claims for business income lost because of COVID-19 public safety orders. Lawyers for footwear wholesaler Marc Fisher LLC and its affiliates are asking a Connecticut state court to order the Insurance Service Office to produce documents relating to its 2006 regulatory filing that created a standard-form virus exclusion. A Tampa-based policyholder attorney known for his frequent blogs and webcasts has filed similar requests and he is urging other plaintiffs attorneys to subpoena ISO as well. We cannot allow insurance defense attorneys to argue out of coverage that their clients own internal manuals and documents show exist, Chip Merlin wrote in a May 19 post on his Property Insurance Coverage Law Blog. Marc Fisher, also known as Moda, is hoping to collect $100 million from Hartford Fire Insurance Co. for business income that it lost because of pandemic-related civil orders that shut down its retailers. The Connecticut-based company contends its two insurance policies dont have any viable virus exclusions, and its lawyers intend to show that The Hartford and other carriers knew that policyholders would expect coverage for virus damages if there was no specific exclusion. The definition of direct physical loss is central to Fishers claim. The companys lawyers, with the Finn Dixon and Herling law firm in Stamford, aim to prove that The Hartford wrongfully denied a business-interruption claim that was payable under both a package and a marine policy. They say they are entitled to background information from ISO that may shed light on whether the insurer considered virus contamination to be a potential direct physical loss. Fishers lawyers entered into evidence several documents that suggest at least some in the ISO knew that virus contamination can cause a direct physical loss in the minds of policyholders. Notes of an ISO committee meeting quotes a staff member as stating: I think an insured would have a reasonable expectation of coverage if ordered to cease business by government authority. The Hartford counters that the Fisher policy unambiguously excludes virus-related losses and urged the court to reject irrelevant third-party discovery. The carrier argues that Fisher is entitled to examine only documents that are held within the claim and underwriting files. Waterbury Judicial District Judge Barbara N. Bellis has scheduled a June 23 hearing on the case. She instructed the parties to prepare oral arguments on Fishers motion to compel the ISO and The Hartford to produce documents. Merlin cheered on Fishers lawyers in two blog posts last month. He wrote that the secret ISO documents need to see the light of day. During a telephone interview, Merlin said his law firm has also asked ISO to produce documents relating to its 2006 virus-exclusion filing. Merlin said the documents found so far show that ISO members discussed a potential coronavirus pandemic in 2004 and 2005. At that time, the first detected severe acute respiratory syndrome cases related to an earlier version of coronavirus had put public health officials on alert worldwide. Merlin said defense attorneys started saying that insurers never intended to provide coverage for a coronavirus pandemic almost as soon as the first US cases of SARS-CoV-2 were reported. They can say that all day long, but really? he said. They didnt have an exclusion and why did they create an exclusion in the first place? Policyholder attorney John Shugrue, a partner with Reed Smith in Chicago, said insurers have a history of telling regulators that losses caused by certain kinds of perils are not covered, even while filing exclusions to ensure they never can be. Shugrue said when insurers started suffering major losses from pollution claims in the late 1960s, the ISOs forbearers created a pollution exclusion in commercial general liability policies that provided coverage only for sudden and accidental releases. He said rating organizations told regulators that the new language would not seriously limit coverage for pollution because virtually all pollution releases were intentional and not covered anyway. As it turned out, there was an explosion of litigation over pollution claims because policyholders thought they were covered, and some won lawsuits against insurers when courts interpreted suddenly to include leakages that seeped out over time. Wisconsin environmental issues attorney David Dybdahl wrote for IRMI.com that pollution exclusions are the most litigated words in the history of insurance. Shugrue said the industrys misrepresentations were so severe that the New Jersey Supreme Court called out the industry in a 1993 decision, titled Morton International v. General Accident Insurance Co. The court said the Insurance Rating Board and the Mutual Insurance Rating Board had submitted memorandums to regulators that grossly understated the impact of the language. To characterize so monumental a reduction in coverage as one that clarifies the situation simply is indefensible, the court said. The court refused to enforce the policy as written because doing so would contravene public policy to regulate the insurance industry in the public interest. The unanimous ruling held that insurance companies must provide coverage to insureds under standard form commercial general liability policies for unintentional pollution, even if the pollution occurs gradually. As it turned out, the victory for policyholders didnt help Morton because the Supreme Court found that the company had intentionally released pollutants, which was clearly not covered even without the sudden and accidental policy language. Shugrue said the ISO documents that have been turned up so far suggest that similar documents may exist to show that the industry misrepresented its intentions to state regulators when it created the virus exclusion. There is some interesting material in these internal documents, he said. It looks like there is certainly some smoke there and maybe some fire. About the photo: Marc Fisher sandals are shown, photo from the companys website. Warning: This column contains graphic content. Reader discretion is advised. There was a particularly nasty incident reported in the crime sections of the French press this week. It caught my eye because certain details were disturbingly reminiscent of the case of Sarah Halimi, the 65-year-old Jewish woman brutally murdered in her Paris apartment in April 2017 by her anti-Semitic neighbor who, exactly four years later, was deemed to be criminally irresponsible for his act by Frances highest court, his consumption of marijuana on the night of the killing supposedly having eliminated his self-awareness. The incident involved a 17-year-old girl and a 21-year-old man. As with the Halimi case, it occurred in the early hours of the morning, just before dawn, in a crowded inner-city neighborhood in eastern Paris. And again, as with the Halimi case, it was the harrowing screams of the female victim that woke up many of the residents of Place Jean-Ingres in Garges-les-Gonesse, who then inundated the local police with emergency calls. Several of these residents who looked out of their windows, some holding cellphone cameras, witnessed the man violently force the young woman to perform a sexual act. He punched and kicked his victim repeatedly, and then raped her as she lay helpless on the ground. Thankfully, and in marked contrast to their response in the Halimi case, police officers were reportedly on the scene within minutes of being alerted, and they acted immediately. They overpowered the male assailant, who by this time was naked from the waist down, and rushed the victim to hospital, where she presently remains alive but in severe shock. In the Halimi case, fearing that they were dealing with an armed Islamist terrorist, the police officers who arrived at the scene dithered outside her apartment while her accused killer, Kobili Traore, continued to beat the victim to death. The most striking overlap between the Halimi case and this one concerns the mental state of the assailant. Tests carried out by the police revealed the accused rapist had just over 0.025 fluid ounces (0.75 grams) of alcohol in his blood a proportion that by American DUI law enforcement standards would be relatively low. Still, it was enough to indict the assailant on a charge of rape committed by a person in a state of obvious drunkenness. Nothing in the media reporting of this shocking episode suggests the assailant will be able to take the path of drug-user Traore, whose chronic use of marijuana enabled him to cross the line drawn by the French penal code between intentional murder committed by the sane and unintentional murder committed by the insane. Police interviews with Traore, now 32, revealed that in his altered state, he had been traumatized by the sight of a menorah and Shabbat candles in Halimis apartment (Jewish symbols some called signs of the devil). As he beat Halimi before throwing her body out of a third-floor window, Traore screamed that she was Shaitan, Arabic for Satan. Using the same logic, the accused rapist described above should be able to make the same legal case. Our client was blind drunk, his lawyers might argue, and therefore not in control of his discernement (self-awareness). There was something about his victims dress or manner that traumatized him, they might add, and since he consumed one too many drinks that night (remember, Traores mindset was allegedly transformed by one acute delirious puff on a marijuana joint, according to the court ruling in the Halimi case), our client cannot be held criminally responsible for the appalling sexual abuse and physical violence which he visited upon the victim, as this exact behavior was brought on by a state of alcoholic delirium. At this point, they would offer a solemn apology to the victims family, just as Traores lawyers did with the relatives of Sarah Halimi. But in the wake of the Halimi travesty, there is less patience now in France with the idea that mental breakdown caused by alcohol or drug use excuses someone from a criminal trial. The French Senate has just adopted the first draft of a bill that would amend the penal code by closing down this escape route for offenders. But all that, of course, comes too late for Halimi and her family. Traore never has to worry about facing a criminal trial in France. At the discretion of his doctors, he will probably be discharged from psychiatric hospital sooner rather than later, having already been released from the secure psychiatric unit where he was originally held more than a year ago. So, when we hear the worthy slogan Justice for Sarah Halimi, we are compelled to consider whether, realistically, those words mean anything. Justice, in the strictly legal sense of that word, has already been denied to her in France. The only other possible judicial avenues at this point are the European Court of Human Rights, which is a long shot, or putting Traore on trial in Israel under the Jewish states own anti-Semitism law, as some people have rather hopefully suggested; however, the French categorically dont do extraditions. At a recent online rally for Halimi, her son, Yonatan, delivered a stark message to French Jews. My mother always taught us to take responsibility. It is very difficult for us that today, the justice system, the authorities did not assume their own responsibility, he stated, adding each of us should guarantee his own security because, unfortunately, security in France is not assured. Some might interpret that last line as a call for more communal self-defense; others might hear in it a cry for more aliyah to Israel; and still others might take it as a mere statement of fact. After all, less than a year after Sarah Halimi was murdered, another Jewish woman living alone in Paris 85-year-old Holocaust survivor Mireille Knoll was robbed, stabbed to death and then burned by two young men who preyed on her based on the conviction that Jews, because they are rich and mean with their pennies, always have plenty of cash squirreled away in their homes. France is in no position to guarantee another atrocity of this kind wont happen again. Neither, frankly, is any other European country. True, because of Sarah Halimis terrible ordeal, its unlikely a future killer in France will be able to turn a drug habit into legal good fortune and that is to be welcomed. However, as far the law is concerned, that may be all the justice there is. Ben Cohen is a New York City-based journalist and author who writes a weekly column on Jewish and international affairs for JNS. Beachwood, OH (44122) Today Partly cloudy this evening followed by increasing clouds with showers developing after midnight. Low 64F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Partly cloudy this evening followed by increasing clouds with showers developing after midnight. Low 64F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%. Beachwood, OH (44122) Today Partly cloudy skies this evening will give way to occasional showers overnight. Low around 65F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies this evening will give way to occasional showers overnight. Low around 65F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%. A former Hillsong NYC staffer has accused ex-Hillsong pastor Carl Lentz of "bullying, abuse of power, and sexual abuse" while she was a nanny in his house for seven years. Lentz, according to Leona Kimes, sexually molested her on many occasions. She started working as the Lentzes' nanny and cleaner in 2011, spending up to 19 hours a day at their house. "While there were joyful moments during that time, no one knew that I also experienced a great deal of pain," in a Medium post. "During the years I spent serving them, I was subjected to manipulation, control, bullying, abuse of power, and sexual abuse. Having told almost no one before this, I am just now able to share what I experienced in their home as the result of intense therapy." "I was physically violated by his unwanted and repeated sexual touching of my intimate areas," she said. In response to Kimes' charges, a legal counsel for Carl and his wife, Laura Lentz, informed RNS that the Lentzes "vehemently deny the allegations and, in addition to that, have irrefutable proof the events did not happen as they are being described." The claims are the latest in a long line of issues that have plagued the multinational church which was founded in Australia in the 1980s by Brian and Bobbie Houston and has since grown into a multimedia empire with 130 locations across the globe. Laura Lentz had reportedly learned of her husband's alleged inappropriate conduct by 2016, and Kimes said that the couple discussed the problem with her. "I was blamed and silenced," Kimes said in her statement. "I was the problem." Repeatedly, she placed the responsibility on herself for the harassment. "I would leave church on Sunday full of shame after hearing his sermon. I would think it was all my fault, only to get a flood of messages from him that afternoon," she said. The Lentzes spoke with Kimes again in 2017 to discuss the problem. "He took full responsibility for taking advantage of me and putting me in a situation that was so heavy for me," said Kimes of Carl. He has even contemplated confessing to the leaders but concluded it wasn't necessary "after talking it through with his wife." They promised to set boundaries for her. Shortly after that, Lentz' wife informed Kimes that she "should repent and dismissed (her) from all of (her) duties in the house." Kimes said, "I'd been fired from their family, but not from their staff. I felt like it was my fault, leaving me full of shame. I wasn't given another role, and thought we could resolve it, though I wasn't sure how. I just knew we were all going to keep quiet." Kimes and her husband Josh went to Boston later that year to pioneer and oversee the Hillsong campus there. Josh was recruited as an assistant pastor at Hillsong NYC in 2013. Leona did not inform her husband of Carl's alleged sexual assaults and that she was hesitant to speak to higher-ups. She shared with RNS that she was scared of losing her family, which contributed to her anxiety. She also expressed concern that he might lose his job. In November, Carl was sacked for "moral failings." Leona then mustered the courage to tell her spouse and the Hillsong leadership about her case. Rachael Denhollander, an abuse advocate and attorney who has worked with religious groups to help victims of sexual abuse, said that in religious institutions where "abuse and power dynamics" are common, victims typically do not report their abuses. "When you have somebody who is ostensibly speaking as a spiritual authority, then it starts meshing with your beliefs, your convictions and how you define yourself," said Denhollander. "It makes it difficult to be able to point to something and say 'this is wrong,' because you've been conditioned to believe your godliness is dependent on your submission, essentially, to what is taking place." A statement was sent to the RNS about the charges against Carl by Leona, which was subsequently posted on the church's website. Since coming out, Leona felt that she has been "met with compassion, particularly by Brian and Bobbie Houston." "Even with all I've been through, I still love it. Hillsong is my church, and I will remain on staff, working toward a stronger future," she said. Celebrate the Class of 2020 Submit a profile of your favorite graduate to have them featured in our Virtual Graduation 2020 special section. Tout their accomplishments, share their photos, and wish them well! Submit profile The former Ella Smither hospital facility on 11th Street has been offered to the city from the Walker County Hospital District. The facility is for sale at an appraised value of $2 million. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 1) Rotating blackouts may persist until Monday, June 7, as power supply for Luzon remains limited, even falling into deficit levels at certain times compared to demand from industries and households, according to the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines. Parts of Metro Manila and provinces in Luzon have been experiencing power interruptions since Monday as the Luzon grid was placed on red alert because there's not enough supply to meet electricity consumption. "Ang outlook ay hanggang a-siyete dahil we would expect na 'yung mga nawalang malaking planta could come in... they could normalize by June 8 pero depende rin 'yun kung maaayos yung problema sa planta," NGCP Luzon system operator Beng Abadilla told reporters Tuesday. [Translation: Our outlook is until the 7th because we would expect that the big plants which went offline could come in... they could normalize by June 8 but it depends on whether they can fix the problems in their respective plants.] Four power plants are offline as of Tuesday afternoon, the Department of Energy said in a statement, taking away 1,579 megawatts of power from the grid. READ: Power outages likely in parts of Luzon for 2nd straight day with longer red alert hours Meanwhile, NGCP data showed there's a power deficit of 131 MW in Luzon. Power distributor Meralco said it started rotating supply interruptions at 1:05 p.m., lasting two hours per area. Other parts of Luzon may have no power at specific times in the coming days, although no blackouts are expected on Saturday and Sunday due to an expected decline in power demand. However, Meralco assured they exempt areas identified as vaccination centers and cold storage facilities for COVID-19 vaccines but were told to have power generators on standby. PhilExport President Sergio Ortiz-Luis said it's harder for businesses to plan now as power supply is a problem on top of the COVID-19 pandemic. He laments that authorities are slow to inform customers about the occurence of outages. Speaking to CNN Philippines' The Final Word, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, chair of the Energy Committee, said the agency may have had issues on planning and forecasting - the main factors that affect power supply. He recalled that in an April hearing, lawmakers were assured that blackouts will not happen, especially now at the time of the pandemic and vaccine distribution is ongoing. However, it still happened. "The victim here is the vaccination rollout, and we need to get something up and running in the next few days," Gatchalian said. "Power is about forecasting, and planning and you have to anticipate all of these things from happening especially when you know that vaccines are being rolled out." NGCP Spokesperson Cynthia Alabanza, however, said that the grid has no control over power plants and also receive notices about the unplanned shutdowns by the hour. She added that weather conditions also affect the supply and demand outlook. Hotter weather means power consumption will be higher as people turn on their fans and air conditioning units, while cooler air eases demand. "Nawalan po tayo ng halos...more than 4,000 megawatts that represents 30% ng demand for Luzon," Alabanza later explained to CNN Philippines' News.PH, citing data from the Energy Department."Nasa 400 plus lang 'yung planado, the rest or 93% of yung mga nawalang kuryente, 'yan ay unplanned or unscheduled so, hindi natin 'yan mape-predict." [Translation: We lost more than 4,000 megawatts that represents 30% of the demand in Luzon. Only around 400 plus was planned, the rest or 93% of the lost power were unplanned or unscheduled so we cannot predict it.] Alabanza said one solution is the entry of more base load power plants. "Talaga pong nakasalalay 'yung long-term solution dito with ensuring we have enough power plants coming onboard para to meet o sabayan 'yung tumataas na demand ng kuryente, because the demand for power doesn't ever go down," urged Alabanza. [Translation: The long-term solution here really depends on ensuring that we have enough power plants coming onboard to meet the rising demand for power, because the demand for power doesn't ever go down.] Gatchalian suggested the use of generators from establishments like malls to augment lack of power in the grid as a short term solution. A task force may be formed in the medium term to handle issues on power supply, which is important now to ensure the administration of vaccines will not be delayed, the senator added. As for the Visayas and Mindanao, Albanza said they remain unaffected - partly crediting it to the use of solar energy. "In fact, during the day, marami po kasing power plant na solar dito sa Visayas [because there are many solar power plants in the Visayas], they helped because they have interconnection between Luzon and Visayas," she said. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 1) An official of the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan on Tuesday said he has no problem with the leadership of its acting party president, Sen. Manny Pacquiao, but it will be up to members to decide next month whether or not to replace him. "Hayaan po natin iyong mga leaders at members ng PDP-Laban na magdesisyon niyan kapag po magaganap ang national assembly," PDP-Laban Vice President for External Affairs Raul Lambino told CNN Philippines' The Source, amid talks of a rift within the party. [Translation: Let's leave it to the leaders and members of the PDP-Laban to decide what will happen in the national assembly.] "Ako, personally kaibigan ko si Senator Pacquiao at happy naman ako sa kanya, wala naman akong nakikitang problema sa pamumuno niya ngayon bilang acting president ng partido," he added. "Ang gusto lang natin, magkaroon nitong malawakang konsultasyon at participatory democracy." [Translation: Personally, I see Senator Pacquiao as a friend and I am happy with him, I don't see any problems with his leadership as the acting president of the party. We just want to have a consultation and participatory democracy.] This comes a day after members and officials of PDP-Laban held a council meeting in Cebu, led by the party's vice chairman Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, where they urged President Rodrigo Duterte to run for vice president and to choose his running mate in the 2022 elections. The party is expected to tackle the issue further at its national assembly on July 17. Pacquiao earlier asked PDP-Laban members not to take part in the Cebu meeting, hinting of rival factions within the party. He said Cusi's invitation violates the party's rules since only he and Duterte could call for a council assembly. Lambino refuted this and stressed that Duterte, the party's chairman, already authorized the Cusi-led meeting. He said that even Pacquiao and former PDP-Laban president Sen. Koko Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel were invited. Lambino, however, downplayed speculations about the squabble within the party, saying there could be one if no consultation, dialogue or meeting takes place among its members. He noted the importance of convening their members as the party is also accountable for whatever happens under the Duterte administration. "Sinasabi namin sa PDP-Laban (We say at PDP-Laban that) we adhere to one of our major principles consultative and participatory democracy." PDP-Laban executive director Ron Munsayac, who also serves as a spokesman for Pacquiao, said the senator would set a meeting with Duterte to solve the issues within the party. After that, they can convene the national council and confirm the resolution pushing for Duterte's vice presidential bid, he added. Munsayac also said that the 107 party members who were present in the Cusi-led meeting can only be considered a "minority" since the party has more than 100,000 members. He claimed that majority of the members have expressed support for Pacquiao's leadership. "We will now follow the right process," he said. "Thats why we are requesting for a meeting so that our two top leaders can sit down, and finalize the agenda, and then properly call on the national council meeting. And then, kung ano man ang mangyari doon, yun ang magiging legitimate talaga (and whatever happens there, that will be the legitimate meeting)." A Pulse Asia survey in April showed that Pacquiao is the fifth choice for president in the 2022 elections. Presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, on the other hand, topped the opinion poll. CNN Philippines' Eimor Santos and Glee Jalea contributed to this report. 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. 6,273,676. The number of Jews killed during the Holocaust per the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. In case Eckstein was not enough of a giveaway, I am part Jewish. The first discussion I ever had with former Collegian great Jake Aferiat began with the question, Are you a fellow member of the tribe? My grandfather served in World War II, fighting back against the Nazi regime. According to my father, he never spoke about the war much. The one story he did bestow was of the time he and his squadron were surrounded in a barn by German soldiers. Had the Nazis stormed said barn, they would find Staff Sgt. Alvin Eckstein, with a dog tag branded with his religion: Jewish. For all I know, the aforementioned 6 million figure could have had an extra statistic, and I would not be here. Why do I bring this up? Because the countless Jews who lost their lives in concentration camps did not die to have their suffering be likened to refusing to get a vaccine. If you choose to be anti-vax, you have every right to do so. What you do not have the right to do is compare it to the Holocaust. Vaccinated employees get a vaccination logo just like the Nazis forced Jewish people to wear a gold star. Vaccine passports & mask mandates create discrimination against unvaxxed people who trust their immune systems to a virus that is 99% survivable. A tweet, from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgias 14th District. To correct Greene, it was the Yellow Star, a symbol that denoted who was Jewish in Nazi-occupied Europe, and according to the British Library, it was meant to humiliate Jews and to mark them out for segregation and discrimination. The policy also made it easier to identify Jews for deportation to camps. In the off chance that Greene ever reads this, I would like to let her and anyone who agrees with these asinine views know: You are not oppressed. You have the choice to not get the vaccine unlike those who were killed in the Holocaust. This is not out of character for Greene, whose antisemitism seems to be revealed the more she speaks. This is the same demented woman who blamed the California wildfires on a Jewish space laser. She can also be found in the limo with George Costanza pretending to be the leader of the Aryan Union. I am not sure what is scarier, the fact that a person like Greene is able to serve in government in a prominent position or the fact that the GOP has yet to reprimand her. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy condemned Greenes words something he has had to do multiple times in the past. But rather than actually do anything of substance, McCarthy blamed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Democratic Party for the apparent rise in antisemitism. In a word, cowardice. If McCarthy had a spine he would remove this lunatic from her position. If anything, this shows the morals of the GOP and what it stands for backing its deranged party member before making change. It is hard to determine who is more at fault here, as Greene continues to spew hatred while her party gives her a slap on the wrist each time. Greenes controversy since being elected goes beyond antisemitism. This is the same woman who put up a transphobic poster directly across the hall from Illinois Rep. Marie Newman, who has a transgender daughter. You can also find a plethora of times Greene liked Facebook posts that hinted toward killing certain Democratic figures, from the aforementioned Pelosi to Barack Obama. Thats not even mentioning Greenes infatuation with QAnon, the far-right conspiracy theory group that heralds Donald Trump as the answer to the pedophilic Democrats. Does anyone else see an issue with this? This is not the case of your average, everyday Sally Johnson in Idaho with 40 Twitter followers retweeting every questionable link she comes across (if Sally Johnson ever reads this I apologize.) Greene has over 600,000 followers combined between her two Twitter accounts, allowing for her comments to reach a rather large audience. From the perspective of McCarthy and other members of the GOP, letting Greene speak her controversial oratory is becoming a wildfire they cannot control anymore. The only words she should utter are those dealing with policies. And last time I checked, transphobia and antisemitism do not fall under that category. Sadly nothing will be done of this, and Greene will continue to convey her questionable thoughts to the public. I have mentioned all of her previous comments without bringing up how four days before her tweet she said Congress request for members to wear a mask if not getting vaccinated is exactly the type of abuse as Jews being killed by gas chambers. Ah yes, because being told to wear a mask if you opt out of a vaccine is the same as being put into a chamber where either carbon monoxide or Zyklon B is unleashed until you no longer can breathe. That is not even mentioning the tortuous treatment the Jews received before being sent to their deaths. Knowing Greene and her supporters, the term snowflake would be used to describe my feelings toward her. Ironic that the ones who call others sensitive are now trying to victimize themselves and appear to be the oppressed. I am not upset, rather perplexed that hateful rhetoric is so accepted. Since Greenes comment, a Tennessee hat shop began selling Yellow Star patches with the words Not Vaccinated branded on them. Incredible. For only $5 you can tell the whole world that not only are you antisemitic, but you also are an idiot. As I sit here typing this piece after receiving my final vaccine, I look at my vaccination card as a symbol of prosperity and a bright future to come. A vaccination logo for workers should be viewed as the same, not of something that represents bigotry, fascism and hatred. I ask those who connect these logos to the Yellow Star to remember a period of time that is still not yet 100 years old. From white supremacists groups to QAnon followers, the aforementioned bigotry is still polluting this world. To end this, I will go the route a la Danny Vinyard in American History X, a film of redemption and change of a radicalized neo-Nazi and a personal favorite of my fathers. Hate is baggage. Lifes too short to be pissed off all the time. Its just not worth it. Various legal scholars and professionals have asked the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom to intervene in persuading Finland's prosecutor general to drop his attempt to put a Christian lawmaker on trial for sharing her biblical ideas on sexuality and marriage. Both Paivi Rasanen and Bishop Juhana Pohjola are facing criminal charges in connection with Rasanen's Christian beliefs on marriage. If found guilty of three charges of "ethnic agitation," the mother of five may face up to six years in jail, reports Christian Post. The allegations originate from a 2004 publication in which she termed homosexual behavior "sinful" and endorsed same-sex marriage as a biblical imperative. Rasanen is convinced that her statements are "legal and should not be censored." The bishop-elect of the Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland, on the other hand, has been charged with publishing Ra'sanen's opinions on the topic. In a letter signed by professors from Princeton, Harvard, Yale and other universities to the U.S. Commission on Religious Freedom, law professors warn that the prosecution might require "Finland's clergy and lay religious believers to choose between prison and abandoning teachings of their various faiths." "The Prosecutor General's pursuit of these charges sends an unmistakable message to Finns of every rank and station," the letter states. The professors have volunteered to serve on a federally required committee on religious liberty, whose role is to help the United States devise better policies on religious freedom. The letter argues that the "no statue of limitations on human rights violations of this magnitude." "The prosecutions are straightforward acts of oppression," wrote the professors. They contend that the prosecutions "constitute serious human rights abuses," and that they demand that Finland's Prosecutor General Raija Toiviainen face penalties under the Global Magnitsky Act. The letter closes by saying: "Should calls by USCIRF to designate and sanction Prosecutor General Toiviainen and her accomplices fall on deaf ears, we respectfully request that USCIRF not simply let the matter drop. We ask you to continue to press our government to use its legal powers and fulfill its duties under U.S. law to aid victims of human rights violations, including Dr. Paivi Rasanen and Bishop Juhana Pohjola. We further ask USCIRF to take account of the violation of human rights by the Finnish Prosecutor General in its assessment of the state of religious freedom in nations around the globe in its Annual Report." Princeton University law professor Robert P. George, Harvard University's Learned Hand Professor of Law Emerita Mary Ann Glendon, and Harvard constitutional law professor Adrian Vermeule are among those who have signed the letter. In a March statement, Rasanen stated that she did not "threaten, slander, or insult anyone," but simply stated what the Bible teaches about marriage and sexuality. She made a solemn pledge to stand up for her right to "confess" her faith "so that no one else would be deprived of their right to freedom of religion and speech." "The more Christians keep silent on controversial themes, the narrower the space for freedom of speech gets," she said. The European Evangelical Alliance has come out in favor of Rasanen, questioning if the prosecution is "attempting to redefine human rights law." The group has proposed a map that would include a district that would group together the areas north and northeast of the Denver metro area, which includes a significant and growing Hispanic population. It would include portions of Adams County, southwest Weld County and Greeley, and northeast portions of Boulder County. It would be 26% Hispanic and in total 32% nonwhite. Are you a current print subscriber to Columbia Gorge News? If so, you qualify for free access to all content on columbiagorgenews.com. Simply verify with your subscriber id to receive free access. Your subscriber id may be found on your bill or mailing label. This year our dine and drink business locations throughout the Gorge have suffered with closures. You can help support your favorites by purchasing take out and gift cards. Many of these business will offer curb-side delivery and some will deliver to your home. Lets keep the Gorge going strong! Chris Reed, who serves as the lead pastor of Apostolic Revival Center in Peru, Indiana, has consented to assume the role of his senior colleague, Rick Joyner, at MorningStar Ministries in Fort Mill, South Carolina starting in late June. According to Charisma News, the two first met in the Spring of 2020, and it was at that time that they both recognized they shared the same ministry vision and the same vision about what God planned to accomplish in the world in the near future. Reed was appointed pastor of Apostolic Revival Center at the age of 25. He became the head pastor in 2009, and hundreds have been baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit since then. Since the 1930s, Reed's extended family has been active in the Pentecostal movement. Joyner was quite impressed with Reed when they first met via a mutual acquaintance, and this pleased him much since Reed seemed like the ideal successor to lead his ministry whenever he chose to retire. "We both felt like God was calling me there as to be his successor," said Reed. "It's just a natural fit. Not only am I the right age to be my biological son, but certainly a spiritual son, "Reed explained, adding that however long the transition takes, they will just let the Lord lead. Of course, his wife Melissa and their six children "were entirely on board." Reed has previously visited MorningStar several times and is now well-versed in the inner workings of the Joyners' prophetic ministry. Rick Joyner announced the leadership transition period, the duration of which remains unknown at the moment. Per Joyner, "we don't know how long the transition will take, and we both want it done right rather than fast. I have no doubt that he will be able to take MorningStar to new heights, and our team, staff and churches seem as excited as we are." What Reed thinks of Rick Joyner Joyner's personality and temperament were other factors in Reed's decision to join MorningStar. "The thing that really impressed me the most is just the integrity and character of how things were done when I was there, and just how people treated one another and the sincerity," Reed says of Joyner. "The thing I like about Rick, too, is something very important I've learned from him. In the last year, the way he has responded to conflict and criticism, to difficulty, is different than anyone I've ever met in my life. That has really stood out to me in a positive way-it has impacted me," he added. Future Plans By September, MorningStar Ministries is slated to expand its prophetic school. "We're expecting tremendous things for MorningStar with its prophetic roots and it being a prophetic ministry," Reed explains. He and the MorningStar ministries team aim to raise an army of prophetic voices for the Lord that will help revolutionize nations. "We want a company of people with integrity, who know how to hear the voice of God and that can speak to social leaders, social media leaders and political leaders, just like in the Bible," Reed stressed. "We are wanting to see God raise up a group of prophetic voices, not just one man standing out in a generation," he declared. For more details, listen to the podcast in which Chris Reed joins presenter Stephen Strang to discuss the shift and how it will affect God's Kingdom. Types of obituaries The Missourian publishes two types of obituaries family obituaries and life stories. A family obituary is the version submitted by a funeral home or family. Please see the submission form for details on cost and deadlines. Family obituaries A life story is a closer look at a person's life and involves a reporter contacting family and friends. Life stories are based on newsworthiness and consent of the family. Life stories. The Missourians Opinion section is a public forum for the discussion of ideas. The views presented in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Missourian or the University of Missouri. If you would like to contribute to the Opinion page with a response or an original topic of your own, visit our submission form Answering a genuine enterprise need, Jamf has launched a preview of cloud-based software that should make it easier to share iOS devices, such as iPads, within teams. Making iPad and iPhone sharing better This is a long-needed solution for many businesses, as existing tools to share iPads are imperfect and require constant logins to the device and applications. While Apple has made it somewhat easier to share iPads in work and school environments, it's fair to say the solution isn't quite yet seamless. The company is working to respond to this need with a new Single Login workflow supported by Jamf Setup and Jamf Reset (themselves launched in 2018). The workflow appears to be yet another enhancement made available by the companys recently announced support for Microsoft Azure. Bringing partnerships together Apples Enterprise and Education Product Manager, Jeremy Butcher, last year hinted at improvements to ID management on Apple devices when he described user enrollment as a balancing act between effective security protection and enterprise management. To illustrate the point, he ended his talk with a demonstration of Azure being used to set up an iPhone for secure business use. A few months later and Azure is helping Jamf deliver a solution that balances device security with real-world enterprise needs. It does so by letting a users cloud ID credentials be used to instantly provision and reprovision an iOS or iPadOS device. The great advantage is that it relies on a single sign-on and doesnt require the IT department to actually handle the device its all managed from a console-based system. How is this useful? So, how could this be used? A company might have 100 iPads it regularly shares between 150 members of staff. With this tool, a staff member can sign into a shared iPad with their unique cloud ID and all data, documents, and any apps assigned to that user will be downloaded and made available. The deployment is highly secur,e as the information is removed and replaced when another user logs in. Its a solution that should be of use to many enterprises that already rely on shared devices think airlines, logistics, and field services teams, for example. Jamf believes there are two types of iPhone and iPad deployments in business: devices for general productivity and devices for specific workflows. Devices for productivity are assigned to an individual and used to enhance daily efficiency. Devices for specific workflows are used for a purposeful activity, and often shared amongst users, like care providers, flight attendants, or sales teams, said Josh Jagdfeld, senior director of partnerships, Jamf. The solution makes it much easier to secure devices in your fleet as permissions, data, and app access are controlled on a per-user basis. It facilitates companies working to provide employees with personalized access to apps and means users dont need to remember multiple passwords to access all those apps. The workflow also allows device assignments to be audited for security and inventory management using the admin console, which lets management see which user is assigned to a device, and what apps and privileges are given to each user. Made for sharing Another pain point addressed in this release is what happens to the device and a users data when it is returned to the sharing pool. This is one of those common problems that can lead to data protection and security errors as people fail to reset their devices when they return them. Jamf Reset offers a one-touch tool that swiftly removes information from the devic,e making it ready for the next user in seconds. Modern warehouse operators use mobile computing to improve every area of their operations, and Apple helps us deliver on the shop floor. Because of this powerful platform, we can offer more efficient workflows, instant communications, error elimination, safety and regulatory compliance all with a great user experience, said Nate Brown, CEO of EVS, in a statement from Jamf. Jamf Setup and Jamf Reset apps require Jamf Pro and are available on the App Store. Please follow me on Twitter, or join me in the AppleHolics bar & grill and Apple Discussions groups on MeWe. Read the full article in the June 2021 digital edition. . . While the UK is now a third country to the European Union (EU), having left the European Common Market and Customs Union on December 31, 2020, the UK cosmetics industry and businesses in other international areas who wish to market cosmetic products in the EU are still affected by changes to the EU Cosmetic Products Regulation (CPR) and REACH (the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization of CHemicals) regulation. Several key ingredients or groups of chemicals are under review by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) via REACH; in particular, D4/D5/D6 and microplastics. Cyclic Siloxanes Cyclic siloxanes are important ingredients in many cosmetic products including hair care, skin care, deodorants and makeup. For many applications, no suitable alternatives exist. Under REACH in the EU, cyclotetrasiloxane (D4), cyclopentasiloxane (D5) and cyclohexasiloxane (D6) have been assessed for their potential environmental impact. The UK was designated the responsible authority for conducting this assessment. In June 2014, the UK authorities notified their intention to submit a restriction dossier under REACH, limiting the use of D4 and D5 in wash-off cosmetic products to less than 0.1%. In December 2016, the European Commission asked ECHA to prepare a dossier to also propose a restriction on the use of D4 and D5 in leave-on cosmetics. D6 was also added to the proposed restriction. However, by this time, D4 was being banned in cosmetics on different grounds, so it was no longer of interest. The deadline for placing wash-off cosmetic products containing D5 at a concentration greater than 0.1% on the EU and UK market under the REACH Restriction was January 31, 2020. Although data from environmental monitoring studies demonstrated that the existing restriction on wash-off products has significantly reduced the level of cyclic siloxanes in the aquatic environment, and is the most appropriate risk management measure, a REACH restriction on D5 and D6 in leave-on cosmetic products and D6 in wash-off products is being progressed. Annex XV REACH Dossier, investigating usage restrictions of D4, D5 and D6 in leave-on consumer or professional cosmetic products at a maximum concentration of 0.1%, was published in January 2019. This restriction proposal also includes the use of D6 in wash-off products, in line with the restriction that has already been published for D4 and D5. The two main committees of ECHA that review restriction proposals are the Committee for Risk Assessment (RAC) and the Committee for Socio-economic Assessment (SEAC). Both have supported the proposed actions. Publication of the restriction is expected in 2021. Once published, the transition periods for the EU will begin: 5 years for D5/D6 in leave-on formulations; and 2 years for D6 in wash-off formulations. For Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales), because the restriction will be published in the EU after the UK has completely left, this restriction will not automatically be included in the UK REACH. Great Britain must develop a separate proposal if it considers this appropriate. However, cosmetic products destined for the Northern Ireland market will need to comply with the EU REACH Restrictions. These actions are restrictions under REACH. However, in March 2020, ECHA launched a public consultation on its proposal to include seven substances identified as Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) to Annex XIV (the authorization list) of the EU REACH Regulation. These substances include D4, D5 and D6. Currently, no substances authorized under REACH are used in cosmetic products. The EU and UK cosmetic regulations ensure that only safe cosmetic products may be placed on the market. The strict processes in place under these regulations ensure safety for consumers and professional users are well-recognized because Article 56.5(a) of the EU and UK REACH regulations state that authorization requirements based on human health concerns do not apply when the substance is used in cosmetic products since its use is already regulated by the EU and UK cosmetic regulations. Any authorization requirements for D5 and D6 will likely further restrict the use of these vital ingredients. . . .Read more in the June 2021 digital edition. . . References European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). (2020, Dec 10). Committee for risk assessment (RAC) and committee for socio-economic analysis (SEAC): Opinion on an annex XV dossier proposing restrictions on intentionally-added microplastics. Available at: https://echa.europa.eu/documents/10162/a513b793-dd84-d83a-9c06-e7a11580f366 Yes, to an area over 100 miles away. Yes, to an area within 100 miles of home Yes, but it may be more of a staycation than anything else No Vote View Results Philadelphia is waiting on a Supreme Court Decision decision on the case Fulton v. City of Philadelphia, No. 19-123, which argues over city policy that prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation. The policy was the reason why Philadelphia cut ties with Catholic Social Services (CSS), a Roman Catholic foster agency that refused to allow same-sex couples to adopt children. CSS fought back with the help of legal experts, which argued the city violated the foster agency's First Amendment religious rights. According to CNBC, the arrival of the Supreme Court's decision is timely given that June is Pride Month. LGBT advocates are hopeful that the dispute that was launched in November can resolve in providing them rights to adopt. But religious groups are dissenting and for good reason. The upcoming Supreme Court decision will not only affect over 6,000 children in Philadelphia foster care, but also other governmental organizations that hire private contractors for public services. If the court rules for CSS, it means that taxpayer-funded public foster care services will be at risk for discrimination against LGBT couples. If the court rules otherwise, Philadelphia will be placed in a position where they violate the faith-based agencies' religious rights. Religion News argues that the Supreme Court decision will indeed affect religious minorities in the United States, as it "turns the free exercise clause into a license to discriminate could lead to more discrimination against religious minorities." CSS argued that the nondiscrimination policy of the state is "not neutral." In fact, it claims that no same-sex couple seeking adoption had visited them between its opening in 1917 and the start of the case in 2018. But if any same-sex couple had, they would endorse the same-sex couple to a foster agency that could accommodate them. However, "As a Catholic agency, CSS cannot provide written endorsements for same-sex couples which contradict its religious teachings on marriage," Mark Rienzi, an attorney who represents the agency, said in a filing. "The mayor, city council, Department of Human Services, and other city officials have targeted CSS and attempted to coerce it into changing its religious practices in order to make such endorsements," Rienzi argued. Lori Windham, another lawyer representing the agency, told Time that Philadelphia in fact "considers factors like race and disability when it's making foster care placements, something that's prohibited by the law." So why cannot the religious foster agency do the same for same-sex foster parents? "The question is whether Philadelphia can exclude longtime foster moms and the religious agency they partner with because of their religious beliefs," Windham explained. "We're talking about trying to take away an important support for foster parents and their children." Some who have focused on the needs of the children exemplify what the city of Philadelphia would've wanted as a result of this case. Bethany Christian Services, for example, announced in March this year that it would open its doors to same-sex couples who wish to adopt, despite having not allowed this practice since it started as a Christian adoption agency in 1951. The service's CEO Chris Palusky argued that they were caught between "caring for hurting children who need a safe family, or close our foster care program completely because we disagree with government requirements" and ultimately decided not to abandon the children in need. The adoption agency made the announcement in light of the controversial Equality Act. It's important to note, however, that most of the Fulton v. City of Philadelphia case has focused on its potential impacts on the LGBTQ community, not on the effects it might have to the religious freedoms of faith-based institutions. Rienzi, speaking of the case, argued that Philadelphia is shutting down CSS's foster care services merely "because the City disagrees with the Archdiocese about marriage." As mentioned, CSS doesn't make written endorsements if couples looking to foster children go against what the agency believes when it comes to marriage. These beliefs, Rienzi said, "haven't prevented anyone from fostering." "It is no mystery why Philadelphia has punished CSS," Rienzi continued. "Having worked in harmony with CSS for decades, Philadelphia is shutting down CSS because, it said, it wants to prohibit 'discrimination that occurs under the guise of religious freedom.' But well aware that it can't target religious exercise, Philadelphia started looking for a rationale to justify this predetermined result. " Continue Reading Below Advertisement William Craft was born in Macon at around the same time as Ellen, possibly in 1824, and had been sold to a bank cashier at the age of 16 to settle his previous enslaver's gambling debts. Even at such a young age, he was already a skilled cabinetmaker, and the bank cashier had Craft work in a local shop and pocketed most of the money he earned. The Liberator It made him feel unhinged. Like Ellen, he'd also experienced the terrible pain of family separation, witnessing the selling of his 14-year-old sister, a fate which had also befallen his parents and brother some years earlier, scattering his family throughout the South. Continue Reading Below Advertisement Ellen and William met and married when Ellen was 20. Her enslaver held a half interest in William and was intrigued by the income William's carpentry work could potentially bring to his estate. Unsurprisingly, he didn't exactly care about them as actual human beings. While Ellen and William were happy to be together and wanted to start a family of their own, but they were terrified of the very real possibility of their family being split up and understandably didn't want to bring children into the brutal world of slavery. In addition, they were all too aware of the danger of sexual abuse faced by enslaved women and girls. They were also both religious and wanted a formal church wedding, something not allowed to enslaved people. So there was only one option as far as they were concerned: They had to escape. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's wedding to his third wife, Carrie Symonds, was criticized by same-sex union advocate Fr. James Martin for allegedly being a "double standard" of the Catholic Church. The Christian Post reported that Johnson was married in a "secret" ceremony at the Westminster Cathedral on Saturday with only 30 family members and close friend in adherance to COVID-19 restrictions for mass gatherings. The news came as a shock to Johnson's staff since the couple have announced just days before that their marriage was set to July 30, 2022. A Bohemian-styled celebration, according to the Telegraph, followed the wedding at Downing Street complete with an acoustic trio, lanterns, and hay bales. As per The Christian Post, Johnson is the first prime minister of the United Kingdom to be married while in office in nearly 200 years. Johnson is currently 56 and already has a one-year-old son, Wilfred, with Symonds. Though the prime minister's spokesperson announced the couple's honeymoon will be set next summer. Johnson worked with Symonds during his reelection campaign as mayor and employed her as his party's communications head before she left to work for the marine conservation organization Oceana. Johnson has been divorced to his previous wives--Allegra Mostyn-Owen and Marina Wheeler-- who he was married to outside the Catholic church, prior to marrying Symonds over the weekend. The Roman Catholic Church's canon law allows the marriage of a divorcee if the prior union was not a Catholic one. Basically, any union engaged into by a Catholic that is not officiated in the Catholic church or is not officiated with rites acknowledged by the Catholic church does not actually make the person "married" in the eyes of the Catholic Church. Johnson, then, is considered "single" when he was married to Symonds. Yet, The Christian Post said, Martin criticized the prime minister's marriage in Twitter as something he wished to be granted to those wishing to have a same sex union. "#BorisJohnson, a twice-divorced man, whose girlfriend recently had a baby with him out of wedlock (and who also has another child out of wedlock) was married in a Catholic ceremony in Westminster Cathedral, the seat of English Catholicism," Martin said. "At the same time, a same-sex couple who are both Catholics (unlike Mr. Johnson, who was confirmed as an Anglican) cannot have their civil union blessed even in private by a priest because 'God does not and cannot bless sin...'" he added. Martin used the very lines of Pope Francis against same-sex union in his tweet in criticizing Johnson's wedding. In March, the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith released Pope Francis' final statement on the issue of blessing unions of the same sex, which is "not licit" for priests to do because the "Church has no power to bless" such unions, since it would go against what God has instituted from the beginning of time that "marriage" is between one man and one woman. However, the Catholic church cleared that it has nothing against persons with same-sex attraction who are actually welcomed with compassion into Her various ministries and communities, but it is the action they commit, as with any sin, that is condemned. Martin, author and editor-at-large of America Magazine, has been a consultor to the Vatican Secretariat for Communications. He has become a controversial priest due to his stance on same-sex unions that is contrary to the stand of the Catholic Church. He did affirm in his final tweet that Johnson's wedding was licit. "Mr. and Mrs. Johnson were married within the rules of the Catholic Church. And I wish them well. I also wish that the same mercy and compassion that was offered to them, recognizing their complex lives, could also be extended to same-sex couples who are lifelong Catholics," Martin said. Crossville, TN (38555) Today Scattered thunderstorms during the evening, with mainly clear skies after midnight. Low 61F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms during the evening, with mainly clear skies after midnight. Low 61F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%. A nation slowly emerging from social distancing measures imposed by the coronavirus pandemic honored generations of U.S. veterans killed in the line of duty on a Memorial Day observed without the severe pandemic restrictions that affected the day of tribute just a year ago. Memorial Day parades and events were held in localities large and small across the country Monday, many resuming after being canceled last year as the pandemic hit with full force. At Arlington National Cemetery's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, President Joe Biden delivered a solemn speech honoring the 1 million Americans killed in service of the nation and challenged that nation to carry on that fight by defending its democracy. This nation was built on an idea, Biden said. We were built on an idea, the idea of liberty and opportunity for all. Weve never fully realized that aspiration of our founders, but every generation has opened the door a little wider. The struggle for democracy is taking place around the world democracy and autocracy. The struggle for decency, dignity, just simple decency, Biden declared. This year's remembrances were as painful, if less restrictive, as those held on Memorial Day 2020, when Americans settled for small processions and online tributes instead of parades. The pandemic last year forced communities to honor the nations military dead with modest, more subdued ceremonies that also remembered those lost to the coronavirus. With restrictions lifting, Americans paid tribute in public gatherings this year and like last year, they also remembered the thousands of veterans who died from COVID-19. Still, there were some vestiges: An early morning wreath laying ceremony at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona was shared virtually. That wasn't the case at a long-delayed veterans and airmen's reunion in West Hills, California, a Los Angeles suburb where veterans gathered face to face for the first time Monday since their weekly reunions were shut down 14 months ago by the pandemic. This is a special group of veterans who are trying not to be homebound, Ed Reynolds, a Vietnam War and Air Force veteran, told KTLA-TV. "It's good to see these faces again. It's sort of emotional," he said, visibly emotional himself. Reynolds said some 12 members of the group had died over the past year, though none of them from COVID-19. For a select few, the Memorial Day weekend marked the final farewell, decades in the making, of the remains of fallen heroes from World War II. They included two Kentucky men U.S. Navy Fireman 3rd Class Welborn L. Ashby, who was killed at 24, and U.S. Navy Seaman 2nd Class Howard Scott Magers, killed at 18 who perished in the December 7, 1941, Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Some 2,403 Americans died in the attack. Magers remains arrived in Barren County on Saturday after they were identified by the federal Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency. He was laid to rest with full military honors, the Daily News reported. A Memorial Day service was being held for Ashby in Beaver Dam, followed by burial at Centertown Cemetery with full military honors, including a Missing Man flyover by vintage planes. In Tennessee, the body of U.S. Marine Capt. Glenn Walker, one of more than 1,100 Marines killed in the 1943 Pacific Battle of Tarawa, is coming home, his family told The Tennessean this weekend. The family plans a reunion and burial in July. I get emotional when I think of the life he could have had, said Walkers nephew Lane Martin. The good is that weve reached out to family all over the country and drawn us back together. In Florida, former President Donald Trump joined in remembering the countrys fallen heroes. The depth of their devotion, the steel of their resolve, and the purity of their patriotism has no equal in human history, Trump said in a statement posted on his website. About 20 miles north of Trump's Mar-a-Lago compound in Palm Beach, Florida, flags bearing Trump's name whipped in the breeze as dozens of boats held a Memorial Day parade along the waters of Jupiter. In Denver, veterans and their families paid silent tribute among thousands of polished marble headstones, each meticulously adorned with an American flag, at Fort Logan National Cemetery a scene marked at national cemeteries across the nation. But in Southern California, authorities said a huge American flag and several smaller flags were stolen from Los Angeles National Cemetery over the weekend. The theft of the flag, which measures 25 feet by 200 feet (7.6 meters by 9.1 meters), cannot detract in the slightest way from the honor and respect we pay on this Memorial Day to those service men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation, said Les' Melnyk, a spokesperson for the Department of Veterans Affairs National Cemetery Administration. Monday's commemorations were held as new data released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest that new cases of COVID-19 are plunging and that more than 40% of the U.S. population has been fully vaccinated. With the declines, most states have been reducing or dropping most social distancing restrictions. As of Saturday, the rolling seven-day average of new cases in the U.S. had dropped to 18,913, according to the CDC the first time that average had dipped below 20,000 a day since March 2020. ___ Associated Press writers Calvin Woodward in Arlington, Virginia, Travis Loller in Nashville, Tennessee, Bobby Caina Calvan in Tallahassee, Florida, Amy Taxin in Los Angeles and Cedar Attanasio in Santa Fe, New Mexico, contributed to this report. MILFORD It was a quiet Memorial Day afternoon at Gulf Beach in Milford, with cloudy skies looming over the shore. The holiday a day in recognition of military members who lost their lives as they served often also calls to mind sun-soaked time outdoors with family and friends, a nod to the days of warm weather to follow in the summer. But coming off a rainy weekend, there werent many people out and about on the shelly sand. Valerie Seely, a Milford resident and a caregiver, sat at a picnic table by Goodies Restaurant with Derby resident Ted Witek. They were watching the boats, she said. Not too many boats out either, she said. The holiday comes not long after those who are fully vaccinated were officially allowed to shed their masks in Connecticut. Seely said it still makes her more comfortable to wear a mask when she goes in stores, but she was comfortable outside without having a mask on. She had been surprised when a local diner she went to Sunday hadnt required masks, she said. Kara Carpenter a Medford, Mass., resident who had been in the area to visit family was on the beach with her husband and their 1-year-old son, as well as a friend and her daughter. Hoping for better weather, but were mostly here to see family so, still had a good time, Carpenter said, noting theyd spent a lot of time indoors. ... and this is our first visit to the beach this weekend. Carpenter, who said her family has been vaccinated, said she did partake in some Memorial Day shopping but still wore a mask inside. Despite the less-than-ideal weather over Memorial Day weekend, there were still events planned for Monday in different parts of the state. And leading up to the weekend, a state parks account tweeted on May 27 that state park campgrounds had been fully booked for Memorial Day Weekend. Seely said it was a nice day, and theyd had a little picnic too. Its just a nice ride coming out, and the water always makes you feel peaceful, Seely said. Such a nice atmosphere. Bailey Wright / For Hearst Connecticut Media DERBY Agata Herasimowicz has been hired as the citys finance director based on professional requirements, taking over a job that had been a political appointment. The mayor and the Board of Aldermen/women decided to increase the required credentials and market the position to a wide market of municipal finance professionals, said Chief of Staff Andrew Baklik during a special May 27 meeting where her hiring was unanimously approved. BERLIN (AP) German authorities are investigating allegations of fraud involving the massive rollout of free coronavirus tests, which are being carried out now in converted cellphone stores, beauticians and art galleries across the country. Germans have to present a negative test result in order to enter non-essential stores, visit restaurants or bars, or attend small-scale cultural events. The government pays for one free test per person each week, which has led to a proliferation of more than 15,000 businesses offering antigen tests that provide results within 20 minutes. There is the suspicion, a very well-founded suspicion after everything I've seen, that there's also been fraud, Jens Spahn, the country's health minister, said Tuesday. There need to be criminal consequences, he added, noting that prosecutors are investigating the allegations. The issue has once again raised questions of who is accounting for the German government's spending splurge in response to the pandemic. Last year, numerous applicants seeking government support for businesses affected by the lockdown were found to have made fraudulent claims, leading to a tightening of rules and severe delays in payments as further checks were conducted. Spahn said the government had spent about 660 million euros ($807 million) to cover the costs of providing up to 45 million free tests in a month more than any other country in Europe. His ministry was unable to say how many of those tests came back positive. Germany, like many other European nations, has seen a steady decline in new cases of COVID-19 in recent weeks. Its disease control agency on Tuesday downgraded the coronavirus risk level in the country from very high to high. The decision reflects the decline in new weekly cases, which now stands at about 35 per 100,000 inhabitants nationwide. Several of Germany's 16 states plan to allow larger private gatherings and indoor seating in restaurants in the coming days. More than 50 million people in Germany have received at least one dose of coronavirus vaccine, while 15 million in the country of 83 million are fully immunized. ___ Follow more of APs pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic and https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine Tara ONeill / Hearst Connecticut Media BRIDGEPORT It took city firefighters about 45 minutes to get a blaze on Park Avenue under control Monday night, according to officials. Units were dispatched to the 1100 block of Park Avenue around 9 p.m., said Scott Appleby, the citys director of emergency communications and emergency management. Police say a Southington man apprehended trying to flee authorities on the Arrigoni Bridge in Middletown could be responsible for at least eight weekend shootings firing dozens of bullets from a long rifle into residences, churches and businesses. No one was injured in the shootings that police say occurred in Southington and Cromwell. Douglas Floyd Gollnick, 74, of Grove Street, has been hospitalized since his arrest Sunday and is expected to be immediately charged with two Southington incidents when hes released, police said. The bond set for each warrant is $250,000. Police said Gollnick has no known criminal history. He only has two recent instances of police contact for welfare checks in December 2020, police said. Police did not provide a motive for the shootings, but said Gollnick had a connection with each of the locations. It is important to point out, all reported locations have reported some association with Gollnick, police said. For an incident at a North Star Drive residence in Southington, Gollnick is expected to be charged on a warrant with criminal attempt at first-degree assault, unlawful discharge of a firearm, reckless endangerment, criminal use of a firearm and first-degree criminal mischief, according to police. Police said a resident at a home in the 300 block of North Star Drive reported hearing four or five gunshots. For an incident at health care facility, a warrant will charge Gollnick with unlawful discharge, reckless endangerment, criminal use of a firearm, first-degree criminal mischief, interfering with an officer and engaging police in a pursuit, according to police. Police responding to an alarm activation from Hartford HealthCare Group at 70 Meriden Ave. saw a man matching the description from an earlier shooting standing outside his vehicle, holding a long rifle, Lt. Keith Egan said Monday. The man was later identified as Gollnick, police said. As officers established a perimeter around the Meriden Avenue building, Gollnick fired the rifle before fleeing, police said. Officers chased Gollnick to the Arrigoni Bridge in Middletown where police said he was taken into custody after his vehicle was disabled by stop sticks deployed by law enforcement. A .22-caliber long rifle was seized from the front passenger seat, police said. Police said they expect to charge Gollnick in connection with two other incidents at a Southington home and house of worship through arrest warrants once forensic analysis is completed. Police said a resident in the 2000 block of Meriden-Waterbury Turnpike reported hearing at least 16 gunshots fired at their house. Later Sunday, broken glass was reported at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 750 Meriden-Waterbury Road. Southington police on Tuesday said they believe Gollnick is responsible for three other shootings in town. Police said they discovered the locations a gas station and two more houses on Monday. Police said a School Street resident heard a noise outside and thought it was a tree branch breaking. Later, the homeowner found several bullet holes through a wall, into a second-floor bedroom, police said. Investigators believed 12 to 15 shots were fired into the room. A resident on Flanders Road heard a noise outside their home and saw a person sitting in a black truck on the road in front of their home. The homeowner thought someone mightve been getting a delivery, but later discovered 16 bullet holes fired into the garage door of the house, police said. The third incident was at Palumbo's 66 Service Center at 828 Meriden-Waterbury Turnpike, where officers found 12 bullet holes fired into the overhead doors of the business. Police in Cromwell said Tuesday they are investigating a Sunday afternoon incident that appears to be related to the incidents in Southington. Cromwell police said they responded to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 130 South St. at 2 p.m. Sunday and found multiple bullet holes in the glass doors and windows. Cromwell police said an arrest warrant is forthcoming. Anyone with any additional information is asked to call 860-621-0101. SANTA CLARITA, Calif. (AP) An off-duty Los Angeles County firefighter fatally shot a fellow firefighter and wounded another at their small community fire station Tuesday before going to his nearby home, setting it on fire and apparently killing himself, authorities said. A 44-year-old fire specialist died and a 54-year-old firefighter was shot when the gunman opened fire shortly before 11 a.m. at Fire Station 81, which is about 45 miles (72 kilometers) north of Los Angeles, Fire Chief Daryl Osby told reporters. The wounded man was in critical but stable condition at a hospital. The shooter was a firefighter specialist and engineer, authorities said. The fire chief said he could not speak to the motive for the attack and doesnt know about any disciplinary actions. He was not scheduled to work today. He came back and confronted the on-duty personnel, a visibly shaken Osby said. I cannot speak to the mindset of the shooter. I can say that its very tragic and sad that that would be a decision point of one of the members of the Los Angeles County Fire Department. The gunman, who was not identified, then went to his house less than 10 miles (16 kilometers) away, which authorities found engulfed in flames. He was later found dead in an empty pool. The shooter appeared to have a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said. All the firefighters worked at the small station in Agua Dulce, a rural community of about 3,000 people in the desert of northern Los Angeles County known for its rock formations and panoramic views. The shooting comes less than a week after a gunman killed nine of his co-workers at a rail yard in San Jose after rigging his home to burn down. He killed himself Wednesday after expressing hatred for his workplace for years. The man who died in Tuesday's shooting at the fire station was a more than 20-year veteran who had been promoted to firefighter specialist, the person who drives the firetruck, officials said. He was shot multiple times in the upper torso, according to authorities. The fire chief says family and co-workers described the victim, who was not identified, as truly dedicated, one of our better firefighters and a true loss to our department. As fire chief, I never thought when our firefighters face danger, they would face that danger at one of our community fire stations, Osby said. Neighbors watched black smoke pouring from the burned house in the nearby community of Acton, a dry, hilly area dotted with ranches with horses and other livestock. The fire burned for hours, gutting the home, with helicopters making multiple water drops to douse it. Michael May, 70, lives down the road and said he was sitting in his living room when he heard the buzz of helicopters flying low. Around here, that usually means a fire, he said. He saw a swarm of police cars racing up the street, and deputies emerged wearing bulletproof vests. May has been a resident of the community for 23 years but didnt know who lived at the gutted home. He said many people in law enforcement live in the area, as well as some in the film industry. Its a place people want to go for peace and quiet, he said. Brian Dalrymple, 79, lives across the street from May and said he thought the burned home had been sold recently. He and his wife went outside to see the thick smoke, initially concerned the flames might spread to their home. Dalrymple said he never heard gunshots but saw deputies rushing up to the property, long guns in hand. He said a friend called to tell them the news. We didnt know what she was talking about, Dalrymple said. Its usually pretty peaceful out here. ___ Associated Press writers Christopher Weber and Robert Jablon in Los Angeles contributed to this story. Nearly 19,000 illegal border crossers seized in China's crackdown Xinhua) 09:41, June 01, 2021 BEIJING, May 31 (Xinhua) -- A total of 18,639 individuals have been nabbed for illegal border crossing since December 2020, up 248 percent year on year, China's National Immigration Administration said Monday. Since the Ministry of Public Security launched a special campaign late last year, authorities have investigated 6,732 criminal cases involving actions that jeopardize border security and arrested 17,285 suspects nationwide, up 156 percent and 202 percent year on year respectively. Targeting criminal networks and organizers behind the scenes, Chinese police and border authorities have busted 242 groups disrupting border security, 42 dens functioning as transfer stations, 889 vehicles as well as 256 agencies and enterprises employing illegal immigrants. An official with the administration said Chinese police and border authorities will further strengthen the crackdown on border control-related crimes and safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of exiting and entering the country of Chinese nationals and foreigners. (Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun) A survey conducted by Active Group a month ago revealed that two-thirds of Ukranians call themselves "believers" but only a fourth actually attend religious gatherings. The Christian Telegraph reported that the sociological study "All-Ukranian Omnibus" revealed that 67%, or two out of three, of Ukranians consider themselves believers but only 21.3% actually go to divine services. While 13.1% say they are "not believers" and 2.8% are "undecided." The data show a decrease of Ukranian believers, as per the Christian Telegraph, because data from the prior year show that 73% of Ukranians consider themselves "believers" in May 2020. Meanwhile, 33.2% of respondents say they attend church once or twice annually, 19% do not attend at all, 11.6% attend once a month, and 9.7% attend once a week. The survey also revealed that 13.3% of respondents are undecided on the denomination they belong to, 17.1% are Orthodox Christians of the Kyiv Patriarchate, 27.4% are Orthodox Christians of the Metropolitan Onufriy, 35% Orthodox Christians of the Metropolitan Epiphanius, 5.5% say they do not belong to any faith, and 1.7% are Old Believers. As per Active Group, the study involved 1,200 respondents from across Ukrain conducted through telephone interviews on April 24-25, 2021 with confidence probability error of 0.95%-2.9%. The Pew Research Center, a internationally-renowned "fact tank," explained that Ukraine is 78% an Orthodox Christian nation that decided to separate from the Russian Orthodox Church in 2019. The Pew Research Center said this action reflected the major role Orthodox Christianity plays in Ukraine's politics and the continuing military conflict it has with Russia. Ukraine is said to be 10% Catholic, 7% unaffiliated, and 5% of other faiths. Ukrainians identify themselves as one if they are Orthodox Christians (51%) while some say to be Orthodox means to be Russian (57%). Meanwhile, the Eureporter said in April that the Ukrainian politics is further dissenting from the Ukranian Orthodox Church as divisions within the church and its identity is causing persecutions from the government. Former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko created an independent church, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, from the Ukranian Orthodox Church in 2019. The president's church has become powerful after winning the support of the Patriarch Bartholomew of Castinople who is known as a "peacemaker of all Christian world." The Orthodox Church of Ukraine was able to expand after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the Bartholomew in October 2020 with his wife. The creation of the new church has left the followers of the Ukranian Orthodox Church persecuted by the government who took over its temples. "The Ukrainian Orthodox Church has blamed Volodymyr Zelensky for pressure by the authorities. Its followers hoped to end persecution with the new Ukrainian President coming to power. Yet, Zelensky who stayed away from the Church affairs during the first months of his presidential term is taking on the course on further Church dissent started by the former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko," the Eureporter said. GENEVA (AP) The World Health Organization has issued an emergency use listing for the COVID-19 vaccine made by Sinovac for adults 18 and over, the second such authorization it has granted to a Chinese company. In a statement Tuesday, the U.N. health agency said data submitted to its experts showed that two doses of the vaccine prevented people from getting symptoms of COVID-19 in about half of those who got the vaccine. WHO said there were few older adults enrolled in the research, so it could not estimate how effective the vaccine was in people over 60. Nevertheless, WHO is not recommending an upper age limit for the vaccine, the agency said, adding that data collected from Sinovacs use in other countries suggest the vaccine is likely to have a protective effect in older persons. In April, a study published by a team of scientists in Brazil confirmed a previously reported efficacy rate of over 50% for Sinovac. A real-world study in Chile in April found an efficacy rate of 67%. Last month, WHO gave the green light to the COVID-19 vaccine made by Sinopharm. It has also licensed vaccines developed by Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. WHOs authorization means the vaccine can be bought by donors and other U.N. agencies for use in poorer countries, including in the U.N.-backed initiative to distribute COVID-19 vaccines globally known as COVAX. The effort has been slowed considerably after its biggest supplier in India said it would not be able to provide any more vaccines until the end of the year due to the latest surge of new infections now ravaging India. To date, there is no confirmed deal for Sinovac doses with COVAX. In May, Europe's drug regulator began an expedited review process for the Sinovac vaccine, but it's unclear when a decision might be made about its possible authorization for the 27-nation bloc. Hundreds of millions of Chinese vaccines have already been delivered to dozens of countries around the world through bilateral deals, as many nations scrambled to secure supplies after rich countries reserved the vast majority of supplies from Western pharmaceutical makers. While China has five vaccine shots in use, the majority of its exports abroad come from two companies: Sinopharm and Sinovac. The Chinese vaccines are inactivated vaccines, made with killed coronavirus. Most other COVID-19 vaccines being used around the world, particularly in the West, are made with newer technologies that instead target the spike protein that coats the surface of the coronavirus. ___ Follow APs pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic and https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine Remarking on last weeks mass shooting in San Jose, California Gov. Gavin Newsom asked, What the hell is wrong with us, and when are we going to come to grips with this? His unfiltered response is entirely understandable: nine coworkers were murdered by a disgruntled employee who was armed with semi-automatic handguns and high-capacity magazines. The tragic irony of the situation was not lost on Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-Calif.), who across the country in Washington, D.C., prefaced her questioning of David Chipman, President Bidens highly qualified nominee to lead the ATF, by saying, While we are sitting here, we have a gunman in San Jose shooting down people. That didnt stop Senate allies of the NRA from attacking the long-time veteran of the ATF because he supports stronger federal gun laws. Newsom went on to implore Americans to to do a little bit more and a little bit better. Thats what CT Against Gun Violence has done every year since 2015 by observing National Gun Violence Awareness Day with a Wear Orange rally. Wear Orange is a day to pause, honor the victims of gun violence, and ask ourselves, what more can I do? For Wear Orange this year, CAGV is partnering with the New Haven-based Connecticut Violence Intervention Program (CT VIP). The rally takes place on Wednesday, June 2, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at CT VIPs community center at 230 Ashmun St. in New Haven. Wear Orange was inspired by friends of Hadiya Pendleton, a 15-year-old Chicago student killed by gunfire just days after participating in President Obamas 2013 inauguration. Because orange was Hadiyas favorite color, and its the color hunters use to protect themselves, her friends decided to honor her life by wearing orange on June 2, her birthday. Hadiyas death on the streets of Chicago reminds us why we need to show up and wear orange on June 2: the crisis of community gun violence isnt getting enough attention. In New Haven alone, 12 people have been shot and killed this year, three times more than at this time last year. But unlike the recent mass shootings in San Jose, Atlanta and Boulder, urban gun violence rarely makes the headlines. Thats why CAGV is having this years Wear Orange event in New Haven: to bring attention to the trauma created by urban gun violence, trauma that disproportionately impacts people of color. But its also important to know there are solutions, and reasons to be hopeful: Community-based violence prevention programs like CT VIP are saving lives. CAGV supporters have sent thousands of emails to lawmakers asking them to launch the Connecticut Initiative to Prevent Community Gun Violence. As proposed by CAGV, and joined by more than 35 local and national partners, the CT Initiative seeks to establish a state-level grant-making authority to fund and implement evidence-based, community-centric, programs and strategies to reduce street-level gun violence. Elected officials are responding. Gov. Ned Lamont earmarked $3 million from the American Rescue Plan for community violence prevention programs. The Senate amended SB 1, the bill to address racial inequality in the health care system, to create an advisory committee to the General Assembly on establishing a Commission on Gun Violence Intervention and Prevention. Showing up to CAGVs Wear Orange New Haven Rally on June 2, or other Wear Orange events planned in Bridgeport and Stamford, is a simple way to do a little bit more as implored by Newsom. Get details and RSVP for the CAGV event at bit.ly/cagv-wear-orange-2021. Jonathan Perloe, of Greenwich, is communications director for CT Against Gun Violence. Entrepreneurship and innovation hold the keys to job creation, wealth creation and a bright economic future for Connecticut. The COVID-19 pandemic has seen a resurgence of millennials and other young people moving back to Connecticut. It is critical that we take advantage of this opportunity to grow the economy and secure our future. We believe that UConn is the linchpin in this effort. Currently a bill sits in front of the state Legislature, SB 1099, An Act Authorizing Bonds Of The State For A Research Faculty Recruitment And Hiring Program By The University Of Connecticut To Encourage The Creation Of New Business Ventures, that would allow UConn to hire 10 new innovation professors, who would be specifically recruited for their track record of turning their research and discoveries into new technologies, products and companies. This innovative new program would encourage entrepreneurship among our faculty and their students, leading to new ventures, new patents, job creation and immeasurable opportunity. Such a visible commitment by the state and the university would further attract top-notch faculty and students, excited to become Huskies and take part in groundbreaking research and innovation. It is not speculation that this approach works. Connecticut already has a demonstrated record of success. For example, UConns Technology Incubation Program with labs and offices in Farmington and Stamford, has incubated, helped to grow and supported over 50 start-up companies, all of which are strategically aligned with the technologies and industries that support Connecticuts economy now and in the future. These companies are on the cutting edge of advanced materials, medical devices, software, biotech and pharma. They have raised hundreds of millions of dollars, filed and issued hundreds of patents, created hundreds of jobs and will certainly be the source of thousands of the future jobs that will attract young people and others to Connecticut from throughout the United States. Just a few of the many TIP companies that are raising money and creating Connecticut jobs include Rallybio, Azitra, Carogen, Shoreline Biome, LambdaVision and Torigen. In addition, as they grow, many TIP companies are supported by the states venture capital firm Connecticut Innovations. As the board chair of CI, I know that UConn generally, and TIP in particular, are fertile sources for creative and important Connecticut startups that will figure prominently in the future of a growing Connecticut economy. State investment has been crucial to UConns growth and continued success. This spring, a record 38,000 students applied to UConn, nearly 2,000 more than applied this time last year. And this fall, the university welcomed its most diverse freshman class ever. We as a state must continue to build on this success. National benchmarking reveals that UConns current research faculty numbers are substantially smaller than our peers. An investment in 10 new innovation professors is exactly what is necessary to fill this gap and allow UConn to continue to be a key economic driver in the state. We should all be immensely proud that 73 percent of UConns in-state graduates stay in Connecticut, going on to live, work and contribute to various communities across the state. Of the out-of-state student body, 22 percent stay here in Connecticut. Given the tremendous geographic diversity of the student body, nearly a quarter of out-of-state student retention is an impressive start. But we know the state can do more to attract and retain the next generation of talent. It is this sort of innovative program that presents the opportunity for the state to make a high-yield investment in not just the future of UConn, but the future of Connecticut. Michael A. Cantor is the co-managing partner of intellectual property law firm Cantor Colburn LLP, the chair of the states venture capital firm, Connecticut Innovations, and a board member and founding chair of UConn Proud. Funeral service for Helen Francis Turner, 76, of Cullman will be Saturday, June 12, 2021 at 11 a.m. at Peck Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. James Watts and Rev. Keith Whitley officiating and Peck Funeral Home directing with burial in Bell Springs Cemetery. Visitation will be Friday, June 11, 2 Denmark Helped NSA Spy On European Union The Danish military intelligence agency Forsvarets Efterretningstjeneste (FE), has helped the US to spy on targets across northern Europe, Danmarks Radio (DR) has claimed. Several senior Danish officers have been suspended after a whistleblower said they enabled the National Security Agency (NSA) to monitor Internet traffic in France, Sweden, Germany, Norway and the Netherlands. DR report that the US National Security Agency (NSA), tapped the German chancellor, Angela Merkels phone and this was disclosed by Edward Snowden in 2013. In addition to Merkel, the NSA also spied on then-German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and former German opposition leader Peer Steinbruck. The DR probe, codenamed Operation Dunhammer, concluded that the NSA had eavesdropped on political leaders and officials in Germany, France, Sweden and Norway. The investigation found the NSA had access to extensive data streams that run through internet cables to and from Denmark and intercepted everything from text messages and telephone calls to internet traffic including searches, chats and messaging services. Merkels spokesman, Steffen Seibert, said recently that the German government had taken note of the reporting. It is in contact with all relevant national and international authorities for clarification. The espionage is understood to have begun during in 2013, when Edward Snowden the former NSA contractor revealed thousands of secret documents exposing the vast US surveillance operation mounted after the 2001 9/11 attacks. Snowden has accused Joe Biden, who was US vice-president at the time, of being deeply involved the first time around. Snowden has called for full public disclosure not only from Denmark, but their senior partner as well. The former NSA contractor has been charged in the US with theft of government property, unauthorised communication of national defence information and wilful communication of classified communications intelligence and is in Russia. According to the report, the Danish government had known about the surveillance of neighbouring European countries since 2015 at the latest. In response to the Snowden revelations, Danish intelligence and IT specialists had compiled the extent to which the Danish intelligence service cooperated with the NSA in the seceret report. Edward Snowden: Al Jazeera: Guardian: The Times: You Tube: European Views: Western Telegraph: DW: You Might Also Read: How Nation States Use Their Cyber Power Kankakee, IL (60901) Today Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 64F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 64F. Winds light and variable. Hundreds of believers gathered at the dedication of the prayer wall of Greenwood's Vernon African Methodist Episcopal Church on Monday to commemorate the Tulsa Race Massacre centennial. Salem Radio Network News (SRN News) reported that multiple local faith leaders gathered for an interfaith service during the dedication, which included national civil rights leader Rev. William Barber. "(I am) humbled to even stand on this holy ground. You can kill the people but you cannot kill the voice of the blood," SRN News quoted Barber in saying during the gathering. The Vernon African Methodist Episcopal Church, the "only standing black-owned structure in Historic Greenwood Avenue from the Black Wall Street era," was founded in 1905 by Rev. J.E. Roy. On May 31, 1921, around 300 Blacks that occupied the 35-square-block residential area that included the church were burned, killed, and looted before it was leveled to the ground. The church was nearly destroyed in the massacre except for the basement, which continued to serve parishioners for service. The place was rebuilt and became "a symbol of the resilience of Tulsa's Black community," such that it was added in 2018 to the National Register of Historic Places. As per SRN News, national legislators--California Representative Barbara Lee, Delaware Representative Lisa Brunt Rochester, and Delaware Senator Chris Coons were also present in show of support and sympathy. SRN News said Rochester is behind the efforts of a House legislation for the creation of a commission that will study and propose reparations for African Americans, including those for Tulsa. SRN News highlighted that the dedication of the wall is the first day of the centennial celebrations that will be culminated with a candle-light procession on the evening. Participants put their hands on the prayer wall while the song, "Lift Every Voice And Sing," was led by Santita Jackson to end the dedication of the wall ceremonies. Former Democratic presidential nominee Rev. Jesse Louis Jackson, as per the Vernon African Methodist Episcopal Church's Facebook account, also graced the event with two of their retired bishops. Jackson was said to give "words of encouragement" while the church's pastor, Rev. Robert Turner, preached "a mighty Word." "Amen! The Holy Spirit was truly in the place today! We were visited by some very special elected officials and special guests. The Rev. Jesse Jackson gave words of encouragement and we had (2) AME Bishops in the house, Rt. Rev. Michael L. Mitchell and Rt. Rev. Harry Seawright. Rev. Dr. Robert Turner preached a mighty Word 'Lest We Forget'. Alfre Woodard, a Tulsa Native was also in the area. To God be the Glory," the church said. The church has also posted a video, "1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial Revival: God Of Our Weary Years," in its Facebook account as part of the celebration. They also gave away groceries to members of the church three days before the dedication of the wall as part of the centennial celebration. The World News Group added that President Joe Biden will visit the church on Tuesday to join local leaders for a ceremony called "A Century Walk." The ceremony intends to reenact the event by walking "the same path along which the black residents of Tulsa Oklahoma fled an attack by an armed mob 100 years ago." The church's centennial celebration will end in June 5. It is inviting the public to join their ongoing petition on the reparations for the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre survivors and descendants. Local featured Honoring our fallen: Blanchards prepare to bury family hero jeure / Paul Nielsen/The Daily Advance Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6060 Honor Guard member Marv Rahmen salutes the Fallen Soldier Battle Cross display at the VFWs Memorial Day observance at New Hollywood Cemetery on Monday. About 100 people attended the event. jeure / Paul Nielsen/The Daily Advance Chris Perkinson of Camden explains the Fallen Soldier Battle Cross display to his two children during a Memorial Day observance at New Hollywood Cemetery on Monday. Memorial Day is always special for city resident Stephanie Blanchard but Mondays local Veterans of Foreign Wars Memorial Day observance had extra significance for the 20-year U.S. Army veteran. Blanchard read parts of letters her grandfather, William Eugene Blanchard, wrote to his family in the months before he was killed at Pearl Harbor during the VFWs annual observance honoring those members of the military who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. About 100 local residents attended the observance, one of several Memorial Day events held across the region to honor the nations fallen. Blanchard was standing just a few feet from where her grandfather will finally be laid to rest next week, almost 80 years after he was killed aboard the U.S.S. Oklahoma along with 428 other sailors during the Japanese sneak attack on Dec. 7, 1941. William Blanchards family always knew he died aboard the Oklahoma but his remains were only positively identified earlier this year. Blanchard will be buried at New Hollywood Cemetery on Monday, with his final resting place being near William Clarence Jackson, who also died in the attack on Pearl Harbor. Because I served my county, Memorial Day is extremely important anyway, Stephanie Blanchard said. But this does have more of a stronger meaning because I know how my grandfather perished. It wasnt good, but he did what every service member should do: prepare to sacrifice themselves for their country, for everyone. The Oklahoma, a Nevada-class battleship, was moored at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, the morning of the Japanese sneak attack on U.S. naval forces. The first of several aircraft-delivered torpedoes struck the Oklahoma amidship at 7:56 a.m., eventually sinking it. The U.S. Department of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, or DPAA, started working in 2010 to identify the remains of 429 sailors who had died while serving aboard the USS Oklahoma on Dec. 7, 1941. The agency contacted Stephanie Blanchards father, Bill, and a first cousin who lives in Georgia to request DNA samples to assist in the identification process. The family received written updates from DPAA every so often and they were contacted in February that a positive identification had been made. Funeral services with military honors for Blanchard will be held Monday at 1:56 p.m. in the Sam A. Twiford Veteran Park at 405 E. Church Street before the burial service at the cemetery. We are going to honor him because he has not been able to be honored, Blanchard said. We plan to finally lay him to rest here. This is not necessarily where he is from but my parents are here now. It will be wonderful to have my grandfather here with us finally after all this time. Blanchard said the letters her grandfather sent to his family from Pearl Harbor were filled with love. Bill Blanchard was born to his mother, Laura Ann Blanchard, in June 1941. The family has 15 letters written in October and November of 1941 from Blanchard to his wife and son. At the time, Blanchard was about six months from being discharged from the Navy. Genes letter dated 10 October 1941 reads, My dearest darling, how are you and our little angel getting along? Stephanie Blanchard said. The next time your daddy comes home, you wont have to read about him having to leave again. Wont that be wonderful, mommy. The next time I get home, I will be home to stay. Mondays Memorial Day observance included a symbolic Fallen Soldier Battle Cross ceremony. The ceremony is conducted on the battlefield or at the base camp of a soldier who has been killed in combat. It is made up of the soldiers rifle stuck into the ground with helmet on top. Dog tags are placed on the rifle and the boots of the dead soldier are placed next to the rifle. The purpose is to show honor and respect for the dead at the battle site, said local VFW official Daniel Serik. The Battle Cross honors every soldier who has paid the ultimate sacrifice, Serik said. The remaining soldiers can present their final honors to their fallen comrade. Three wreaths were also placed to honor the countrys war dead. Elizabeth City, NC (27909) Today Considerable cloudiness. Low near 65F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Considerable cloudiness. Low near 65F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Dalton, GA (30720) Today Thunderstorms during the evening will give way to partly cloudy skies after midnight. Low 68F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Thunderstorms during the evening will give way to partly cloudy skies after midnight. Low 68F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%. University of Oregon Foundation unexpectedly announced its plan to divest on its website on Sept. 8. We are proud to lead the Pac-12 in adopting the first ever environmental, social and governance considerations to help inform our investment decisions, a statement signed by Chief Investment Officer Jay Namyet said. UO The Many Nations Longhouse, located on the University of Oregon campus, serves as a meeting place for Indigenous/Native American students at UO. The UO Senate and Board of Trustees have approved a new Bachelors of Arts degree in Native American and Indigenous Studies. (Will Geschke/Emerald) After turning to Christ, the secretary for an organization that is working to spread atheism in Kenya has stepped down from his post. In what WND described as a "highly unusual announcement," the Atheists in Kenya (AIK) group said in a press release that Mr. Seth Mahiga is stepping down from his position because "he has found Jesus Christ and is no longer interested in promoting atheism in Kenya." On Saturday evening, Mahiga, who has been a member of the organization for one and a half years, submitted his resignation, reports the Star. This evening, regretfully, our Secretary Mr. Seth Mahiga made the decision to resign from his position as Secretary of our society. Seth's reason for resigning is that he has found Jesus Christ and is no longer interested in promoting atheism in Kenya. --- pic.twitter.com/G7sCCbytv2 Atheists In Kenya Society (@AtheistsInKenya) May 29, 2021 The president of AIK, Harrison Mumia, expressed his gratitude to Seth for dedicating his time to the organization, and also wished him the best as he embarks on his next phase of life. "We wish Seth all the best in his new found relations with Jesus Christ. We thank him for having served the society with dedication over the last one and half years," he said in the press statement. Mumia then urged Kenyans interested in the position to send in their resumes. "The position of the secretary of the Society has been rendered vacant. We are calling upon Kenyan atheists who would wish to join our Executive Committee to send their CVs," he wrote. Since the beginning of AIK, the organization has fought against the inculcation of Christian values in the Kenyan school system, and on an annual basis advocates for the abolishment of the National Day of Prayer, reports UG Christian News. According to NTV Kenya, the atheist organization urges Kenya to incorporate science and skepticism in its affairs, as well as a logical and humanistic approach to morality, citing the approximately 2.5 percent of Kenyans who claim having no religion or specifying no connection. Christians are celebrating After resigning, Mahiga's resignation generated various comments on social media, with the bulk of his fans thanking him for the daring choice. A few others suggested that Mumia do the same. "Thank you God you have done it again. You changed Paul, you changed Zacchaeus the tax collector, you have now changed Seth Mahiga. May you also change our corrupt politicians," one Christian commented. "Welcome to the world of reality and truth. The light shineth in the darkness and darkness cannot comprehend it!" Glory to Jesus," said another. Mahiga further said in a church gathering, which was taped by Elevate TV Kenya and posted online by AIK, that he had been having personal troubles prior to deciding to step down as the organization's secretary, noted Eternity News. In the short video, the pastor is seen in the pulpit with Mahiga and the audience, encouraging everyone to offer God glory by saying "Hallelujah!" He then declared that "the Bible says: 'Every knee shall bow ...'" Elevate TV posted the same video on Facebook with the caption, "Seth Mahiga, former Atheist Secretary General, confesses Jesus Christ at Life Church International Nairobi after resigning." According to Cultural Atlas, about 82% of Kenyans describe themselves as Christians, with the majority classifying themselves as Protestant or Catholic. There are 11.2% of the population that identify as Muslim, 1.7% as traditionalists, and 1.6% as "other." KINGSTON, N.Y. The city took 80 weapons off the street during its "Groceries for Guns" buy The following items are based on information provided by officials in law enforcement and the criminal justice system. In this March 12, 2020, photo, signs outside the emergency entrance at HealthAlliance Hospital's Broadway Campus in Kingston, N.Y., focus on COVID-19. A young pastor in North Carolina was killed just days after he was ordained. The 25-year old Robert Booth, founder of Hood Holiness Church in High Point, was shot outside his home on Tuesday evening. Authorities are still searching for the two suspects, WFMY reported. Associate pastor Dwayne Waden, Jr. said that the late minister walked up to young people who are wearing black ski masks but was gunned down. "He probably looked at those boys and saw himself. He wasn't encouraging gang violence. He wasn't selling dope. He was preaching the word of God. That's it. And they just took his life," Waden explained. He revealed that Booth started the church just a few months ago, hoping that it would end violence in the area. To spread the Gospel, they used street ministry and Christian rap music. Waden declared that he would continue the mission which Booth has begun. "It's crazy because he texted me two hours before it happened and just told me, if anything happens to me, keep a lookout for my church," he disclosed. Hood Holiness Church's most recent Facebook post, seemingly coming from the young pastor himself, says "If I hold my peace, and let the Lord fight my battles." This is accompanied by a photo that has the words "Let the Lord fight your battles, He hasn't lost one yet." The late pastor, who also proposed to his girlfriend on the day of his ordination, left behind his fiancee and a two-year old son. His friend, Brandon Smith, shared that they were already planning for the wedding last Sunday and never thought that days later, Booth's family would plan a funeral for him. Bishop Kerry Thomas, who ordained Booth, honored the late minister. "The streets were Robert's pulpit. Just the very fabric of who he was, outside of him being a pastor, outside of him being clergy, he was just a good human being," he told WXII 12. "He instantaneously had just this gift to know a stranger. He'd embrace that person, not for what they were at that moment, but for who they could be," the bishop added. Thomas said that the church would hold a memorial for Booth on Sunday afternoon at God's United House of Grace and Mercy in High Point. The High Point Police Department (HPPD) are looking for two suspects who are Black men, as well as a burgundy SUV, which is believed to be their getaway car. HPPD discovered a connection between someone close to Booth and the suspects of another killing. The department believes that the murder was a retaliation of a high-profile shooting in April on Eastchester Drive. The group, High Point Community Against Violence, is helping the search for the killers by giving out flyers to the residents of the East Village Apartment Condominiums. "We put the information in their hands so they can see and read what we're talking about. Some people didn't even know that it happened," Lt. Matt Truitt said. People with information on the incident are encouraged to call Crime Stoppers of High Point at 336-889-4000. Tips to the organization are confidential and it also offers cash reward for tips that lead to an arrest. The World Health Organization has failed time and again during the biggest public health emergency in a century. It failed to hold the Chinese communist government to account for covering up the origins of Covid-19. It failed to prepare the world for what had just been unleashed from China. And it failed to properly investigate the very legitimate theory the disease was leaked from a Wuhan lab. With over three million already dead, you'd hope and pray that by now the WHO had started to get its priorities straight. A worker inside the P4 laboratory at Wuhan in China's Hubei province in February 2017 But instead, like so many international organisations, despite the dire emergency the world faces it cannot abandon political correctness. That's the only explanation for yesterday's decision for the WHO to rename Covid variants after Greek letters of the alphabet - to avoid 'geographically stigmatising and discriminatory' discussion. So from here on in the Indian variant will be officially known as Delta. The Brazilian variant now becomes Gamma. South Africa's variant is transformed to Beta. And our very own Kent variant referred to internationally as the UK variant is named Alpha going forward. WHO's Covid-19 technical lead Maria Van Kerkhove admitted the change 'is aimed to help in public discussion'. In other words, the thought-police strike again. The P4 laboratory (centre left) on the campus of the Wuhan Institute of Virology in May 2020 Justifying the decision, Van Kerkhove said: 'No country should be stigmatised for detecting and reporting variants. The labels are simple, easy to say and remember, and are based on the Greek alphabet, a system that was chosen following wide consultation and a review of several potential systems.' What complete and utter cobblers. There's only one reason the variants have been named after the locations where they were identified: Because it's a geographical fact and easy to remember. It's been bad enough having to listen to terrified UK politicians and broadcasters go through their strangulated formula of 'variant B.1.617 the variant first identified in India' to avoid simply saying 'the Indian variant' like any normal human being. But now they are just going to be random Greek words? WHO's Covid-19 technical lead Maria Van Kerkhove admitted the change 'is aimed to help in public discussion' Throughout the long dark winter, with Great Britain suffering a brutal second wave and plunged into a draconian lockdown, the international media revelled in discussing the UK variant at every opportunity. Our EU neighbours, desperate to deflect from their pathetic failed vaccine rollout, couldn't stop talking about the dastardly British strain. In America, the media simply say the UK or British variant. And nobody complains. I never felt any racial hatred over that. We discovered the strain in the UK. End of story. Here at home we all, including politicians and broadcasters, have come to simply call it the 'Kent variant'. And I don't believe the good people of that county have felt particularly stigmatised by it. Likewise, the WHO was quite happy when South Africa became a byword for scary Covid transmissibility. So what's changed six months later? It's hard to avoid the conclusion that's what driving this now is the spectre of racism because India is a non-white country. Not that there have been any reported cases in the UK of Indians being abused over this new variant. The decision is particularly pointless because it won't change the realities of the variant that has seen countries like Australia ruthlessly ban all arrivals from India, even for their own citizens. So I'm going to keep on talking about the Kent variant, the Indian variant and the South African variant. There is absolutely nothing even slightly racist about it simply a practical decision so you know what the hell I'm talking about. Meanwhile, what the WHO position of avoiding geographical stigma really does is play into the hands of China. From day one of this virus, the Chinese government was engaged in a cover-up that makes Chernobyl look like a petty crime. It successfully hoodwinked the WHO, who have consistently lacked the balls to find out what actually went on. As I said last April, when the idiots at Facebook tried to claim it was a conspiracy theory, the Chinese government has serious questions to answer about whether the virus was leaked from a Wuhan lab. If that proves to be the case, why the hell should Covid-19 NOT be known as the China virus as Donald Trump used to call it publicly to th disgust of the woke world? The 1918 Spanish flu pandemic didn't cause long lasting reputational damage to Spain, even though there's no proof it even started there. Nor the Hong Kong flu that killed between one and four million souls in 1968, although somewhat ironically the first outbreak may have actually started in mainland China and spread to the island. The difference in this case is that China was actively engaged in covering up the origins of Covid-19, which at the very least helped it spread unchecked across the globe. There was typical pearl clutching from the great and the good when it was suggested that Dominic Cummings might claim Boris Johnson like Donald Trump, had privately referred to Covid in the early days as 'kung flu'. Again, I don't for a single second think that's racist. Simply a funny pun. But in these puritanical times, where officialdom looks for racism and phobias in every utterance, that's enough to get most people cancelled. In fact, if it wasn't for the political correctness and anti-Trump behaviour of organisations like the WHO and Facebook, we might know far more about the origin of this disease by now. Politically correct wokery has no place in the international politics of public health. The World Health Organization should stop worrying about what we call Covid-19 and start focussing on how and by whom - it was created. Even amid a pandemic, with the relentless focus on vaccines, medical science continues to push back boundaries. Thanks to dedicated researchers and investment by, among others, governments, pharmaceutical and biotech companies, and charities, revolutionary therapies are continually being developed to conquer or limit disease. We have seen no clearer illustration of this than the uplifting news this week about five-month-old Arthur Morgan. He is one of 40 babies born every year with the devastating genetic condition spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), which causes progressive loss of muscle control, paralysis and breathing problems. Without intervention, such children rarely live beyond the age of two. But a new therapy called Zolgensma offers Arthur, the first patient in England to receive it, at least a chance of a brighter future. The one-off infusion of gene therapy medication works by replacing the faulty gene that causes SMA with a healthy copy, halting the advance of the condition. DR MAX PEMBERTON: Thanks to dedicated researchers and investment by, among others, governments, pharmaceutical and biotech companies, and charities, revolutionary therapies are continually being developed to conquer or limit disease. We have seen no clearer illustration of this than the uplifting news this week about five-month-old Arthur Morgan (pictured with his father Reece) Studies show that a single dose can help babies with SMA to sit, crawl, walk and manage without a ventilator beyond their normal life expectancy. Some youngsters have even reached their fifth birthday. Arthurs father Reece, a plasterer from South London, spoke movingly about what it meant for the family. Our hope is that he can have the best possible life in terms of movement, he said. Those words will resonate with every reader and none of us can be anything but delighted that little Arthur will have some chance of normality and longer life. But this pioneering treatment does not come cheap. Although the NHS is said to have negotiated a substantial discount with the manufacturer, Novartis Gene Therapies, Zolgensma has a phenomenal market price of about 1.8 million per dose, leading to claims that it is the worlds most expensive drug. So this profoundly heartwarming story also raises deep questions about NHS expenditure and the future of state-funded healthcare. There is no escaping the vast cost implications of this gene therapy and others to come, along with ever more effective and expensive drugs to manage cancer, heart disease and diabetes. Such therapies could drastically affect the availability of other forms of treatment for more marginalised patients, particularly the elderly and chronically vulnerable and those with mental health problems. And in the wake of the Covid pandemic, which has created a huge backlog of patients waiting often in pain for vital help, the financial implications are even more acute. Contrary to the perception of some campaigners and many ordinary citizens, the NHS does not have unlimited resources to meet every new challenge. In truth, the overstretched system is in perpetual crisis, as I know only too well, working on the front line. I regularly see the needs of patients unmet because of budgetary restrictions and clinical shortages. It is not the fault of any particular government, but the reality of a publicly funded healthcare system. The only way it can keep going is through rationing to put the brakes on demand. Such rationing is implemented by waiting lists that strictly control access to treatment and by the decisions of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which has a robust method for evaluating the cost effectiveness of various therapies and can literally put a price on a patients life. That may sound harsh but, in a system where money is finite, it is inevitable. Arthurs father Reece (pictured), a plasterer from South London, spoke movingly about what it meant for the family. Our hope is that he can have the best possible life in terms of movement, he said But the great danger with rationing, especially in an age of heightened emotion fuelled by social media and political opportunism, is that decisions can end up being influenced by sentimentality or outrage. Like everyone, I rejoice in the hope for Arthur Morgan. But I also recognise that the cause of neonatal medicine is far more fashionable than geriatric care or mental health. Images of a sick child chime more strongly with people than testimony on the suffering of an octogenarian in a residential home, or a schizophrenic abandoned in a community care flat. That is why childrens charities so often have far more clout than those for the elderly and such societal attitudes partly explain why the institutional neglect of older people has become a national scandal. The equation between competing needs can be seen in stark terms when the 1.8 million cost of Arthurs Zolgensma treatment is considered. Based on figures from the Department of Health supplied in 2019 to the House of Commons, a cataract operation costs the NHS on average 803 so for 1.8 million, 2,241 such procedures could have been performed. And each successful operation not only improves the quality of the patients life dramatically but can enhance life expectancy and save the NHS a fortune because, by restoring proper sight, debilitating, expensive accidents such as falls can be avoided. And the same is true of hip replacement surgery, which costs the NHS on average 7,313 per operation, so 246 such procedures could have been carried out for 1.8 million or knee replacements, whose average cost of 6,315 would allow for 285 operations. What we need is an honest public conversation about the NHS. I still believe this is the fairest system ever created, delivering a high standard of healthcare for all at the lowest possible cost. But we must face up to some crucial facts. First, the NHS is not remotely free, as some supporters claim and many patients assume. It is paid for almost entirely from taxation and National Insurance. Those who advocate much higher expenditure must acknowledge that the consequence will be a significant increase in the tax burden. This pioneering treatment does not come cheap. Although the NHS is said to have negotiated a substantial discount with the manufacturer, Novartis Gene Therapies, Zolgensma has a phenomenal market price of about 1.8 million per dose, leading to claims that it is the worlds most expensive drug Secondly, we need to take more responsibility for our own health where possible, particularly by reducing our weight through eating less and taking more exercise. Easy access to healthcare has encouraged a culture of entitlement whereby too many patients think they can demand any treatment regardless of their lifestyle. Thirdly, it has to be recognised that demands on the NHS will keep increasing, due to a rising population, advances in science, the obesity crisis and longer life expectancy. When Clement Attlees Labour government created the NHS in 1948, ministers thought costs would shrink as the new service improved the health of the nation. The opposite happened. Demand escalated. Within two years, emergency cash injections were needed. And that has been the story ever since. The architects of the NHS could not foresee a service that would provide IVF treatment or a growing array of wonder drugs. Back then, obesity and dementia were rare but strokes, leukaemia and many common infections were a death sentence, which isnt the case now. I believe the NHS can survive and prosper if we are frank about its constraints. Wishful thinking and Utopianism are not the way forward. One practical step ministers could take would be to tell each taxpayer, perhaps via PAYE slips, how much of their own money is used to fund the NHS. Actually, Id go further: an NHS tax could become a vehicle for greater awareness and national pride. But we cannot carry on for much longer in the current fog of delusion. Lord Adams is a character in an online video. But I am no less angry about his antics because hes a fictional caricature, LORD HESELTINE writes Lord Adams is a lecherous old fool who harasses his staff. He should be evicted from the House of Lords with immediate effect, as a disgrace to Parliament. Except he isnt real, of course. Lord Adams is a character in an online video. But I am no less angry about his antics because hes a fictional caricature. This imaginary peer features in a series of filmed scenarios which all members of the Lords have been obliged to watch as part of compulsory behavioural training. And the reaction of my colleagues in the House has been universal exasperation. The course, run by the firm Challenge Consultancy, is a patent waste of time. And, at a reported cost of 880,000 for the Commons as well as the Lords, an utterly shocking waste of taxpayers money. My own anger runs even deeper because I was first threatened with censure and investigation for failing to attend a course about which I knew nothing at the time. I was one of 60 peers a list that included Baroness Betty Boothroyd who, at 91, was recovering from heart surgery who received a letter bristling with threats and heavy-handed language, which left me shocked and truly aggrieved. I was in hospital when the letter arrived on April 7. Recovering from an operation to furnish me with a new knee, I was frankly in no mood to endure harassment. The letter stated that I had failed to comply with a resolution of the House that all peers must attend a course on inappropriate behaviour and prejudice. I racked my brains. This was the first I was hearing of what the letter referred to as Valuing Everyone training. I am prepared to accept that the Commissioners office did write the three emails it claims to have sent to me and can only imagine they were buried in my secretarys inbox among the forest of messages I receive every day. According to the letter, I had missed the deadline of April 1 to complete this training, and so was in breach of the Houses code of conduct. Unless there were extenuating circumstances, the investigating commissioner would consider restricting my privileges and access to the House. I was expected to undergo immediate training as remedial action. I was also invited to respond with a full explanation. An attempt to obstruct an investigation would be a contempt of the House, the letter concluded, signed by the House of Lords Commissioner for Standards, Lucy Scott-Moncrieff. This was, by any measure, an extraordinarily hectoring letter. My first thought, given the April 1 deadline, was to wonder if it was some kind of joke but a phone call to the House of Lords library confirmed that both the resolution and the threats were real. The decision to oblige every peer to attend the course was taken last November. As the motion was not opposed, it was ratified without a vote. This was during the second lockdown, a time when all normal communications and dialogue between members were suspended. I suspect that almost none of us was ever aware of what was happening. Pictured: Members of the House of Lords sit in the chamber during the State Opening of Parliament by the Queen, in the House of Lords at the Palace of Westminster on December 19, 2019 in London [file photo]. Lord Adams is an imaginary peer who features in a series of filmed scenarios which all members of the Lords have been obliged to watch as part of compulsory behavioural training I called several colleagues, who all said the same thing: Michael, its an utter waste of time but its really not worth making a fuss. Just do it and get it over with. But they had not received the condescending and insulting letter I did. Those threats really did concern me. I was being bullied into taking an anti-bullying course. This raised serious questions. I am deeply proud to be a member of the Lords, an institution full of distinguished people. There is a rigorous vetting process, as is only right and proper, but once that is done, it is unacceptable in my view to suggest peers should undergo training on their use of language, behaviour and even thought processes. I dont dispute there has been the occasional shocking incident involving the odd bad apple, but it would be absurd to suggest such individuals would change their ways as a result of viewing these puerile videos. It also sets a precedent: what will be the next subject on which our thoughts and actions are trained? I agreed to do the two-hour course, because there was no choice. Along with others from the House, I logged on to a Zoom session one afternoon. I made it clear I was attending under duress and with one important condition: a journalist friend would be listening in. This news was met with a shocked silence. I did feel a little sorry for the invigilator she had no idea how to respond. In the end, she said nothing. She could hardly object. This training was being done in my home, not the Parliament building. Im free to do as I wish in my own house. As Id been forewarned by fellow peers, the training material was pitifully weak. We were shown a series of videos featuring Lord Adams, played by an actor named Antony Gabriel who looked to be in his 50s, and his young female researcher, Jess. Lord Adams was the type of man wed all male or female avoid like the plague. Certainly, any young woman would run a mile on sight. He began by asking Jess to book him theatre tickets. She didnt know what she should do. We trainees were asked to give our views on the situation and I said I thought it was perfectly obvious Jess should tell him straight away that running errands was not her job. Then she ought to flag up the request to her line manager, so it was on record. This was basic training for new recruits and certainly not a matter for some of the countrys most experienced legislators. Pictured: Former deputy Conservative Party Prime Minister, Michael Heseltine, speaks at a Liberal Democrat Party press conference on November 27, 2019 in London [file photo, 2019] The scenarios became increasingly ridiculous and unpleasant. By the end, Lord Adams had Jess cornered late at night in a lift, as I recall making sweaty comments about her dress and her hair. I felt uncomfortable and insulted that anyone could imagine my fellow peers and I needed guidance about such repulsive behaviour. We were asked for our reactions. I said that the likes of Lord Adams and Ive never encountered such a person in the Lords, by the way would not change their ways just because they were obliged to sit through a video. My colleague Lord Cormack stated in the Lords last month that the training course was clearly designed by someone who had no understanding of how we work. Lord Hamilton agreed, pointing out that the fictional predator was harassing poor Jess in public places, such as the library, where he would be seen and immediately dealt with by other peers. Lord Howard of Lympne, the former Conservative leader, has expressed his dismay at both the content and cost of the session he had attended. All this leaves me seriously concerned about the policy and the cost. How is it possible this course was commissioned, and why should it be mandatory? There is an equivalent course for the Commons, but no one is obliged to attend. How on earth can the package cost 880,000? Who agreed to that fee, and how can it be justified? Was the commission put out to tender? And if Challenge Consultancy submitted the winning pitch, what on earth were the other bids like? Finally, what does the Commissioner for Standards, Lucy Scott-Moncrieff, think she is playing at, to send aggressive and threatening letters to peers? Anyone guilty of the obnoxious behaviour under consideration should be deprived of access to the House. Training courses are no substitute for effective action. To believe that people who actually indulge in prejudice or bullying or harassment are going to have their behaviour changed by reading a set of platitudes is naive and, to a degree, irresponsible. This travesty of a training course is a waste of public money. It should be halted immediately. Lord Heseltine was Deputy Prime Minister, 199597 A Christian doctor in India has been barred from dealing with COVID-19 patients due to accusations that she is forcefully converting people to Christ, reports say. The Madhya Pradesh State launched the "Kill Corona" program, and they employed Dr. Sandhya Tiwari as part of it. She offered prayers of healing to all of her patients who were infected with the virus. The International Christian Concern (ICC) determined that the complainant, a local man, had filed a criminal complaint against her for what he considered inappropriate behavior. To this, police officials confiscated her mobile phone and Christian flyers as evidence. Although India has several prohibitions against conversion, the legislation is oftentimes exploited by Hindu radicals who want to oppress religious minorities. Christians are often accused of coercive conversions, typically used as a justification for attack and intimidation of believers. In a video that's now circulating on social media, Dr. Tiwari speaks out and defends her action. "What is wrong in telling them that God heals? I did not tell anybody to convert or forced anybody to pray to Jesus, I am being a Christian, I told them that Jesus heals," she said. The event happened in Bajna village in Ratlam district in India on Saturday, per news site New Indian Express. In a conversation with the Press Trust India on Sunday, tehsildar B S Thakur said that a citizen had informed the administration that Dr. Tiwari, a government contract doctor, was proselytizing Christianity during the 'Kill Corona' campaign. He went on to say that a report is being drafted, which would be given to the chief officials. In the video, the lady doctor, who is wearing a face mask, is seen conversing to a guy who was documenting the situation on his smartphone. The guy can be heard saying, "Why are you telling people that they will recover by praying Jesus? Why are you not saying that people should pray according to their own religion?" Dr. Tiwari replied that many people are getting well as a result of giving prayers to Jesus. On Twitter, Bhopal Huzur MLA Rameshwar Sharma (a BJP representative) and many other BJP politicians reposted the video along with their statements of condemnation. "In such a situation, the woman doctor is propagating a religion. This is condemnable," Sharma told PTI. When questioned about the incident, Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) Dr Prabhakar Nanaware said that a complaint had been forwarded to the district collector. According to the report, the contract doctor's services should be terminated. In command of the police station in Bajna Dilip Rajoriya said that the case would be registered following an investigation. "So far, no case has been registered," he said. An anonymous local Christian contact told ICC: "This is the state of religious freedom in our state, we can be booked for a conversion that we might have with people of other faith, in most cases the facts are twisted to suit to an agenda and sadly the state machinery are handy to victimize the minorities." "If the situation is such for a medical professional, the condition for the common Christian could be much worse," the source added. It's been a year like no other. After 12 months of lockdowns and social distancing, we're ready for life to get back to normal. And finally the end of restrictions is on the horizon, so we can look forward to being with friends and family once more. But one thing lockdown has taught us is the importance of sticking together and supporting each other, and that's why many of us feel even more passionate than ever about supporting our communities. In fact, recent research^ found that as many as 1 in 2 people are concerned about their communitys immunity with over half of British people placing the same importance on the health of their community, as they do on their own family. Help support our communities: Actimel is giving shoppers the chance to give back to the charities that are helping their local communities stay resilient. T&Cs apply, see below. FareShare has more than doubled the amount of food we distribute in response to the Covid-19 crisis," says Lindsay Boswell, CEO of Fareshare. Pictured: a Fareshare volunteer. Despite many challenges, communities have been coming together all over the country to care for those at risk. And that same spirit of support is behind Actimel's 'Give Our Communities Your Best Shot' campaign. Actimel has been working with food redistribution charities FareShare (UK) and FoodCloud (Ireland), so that shoppers can donate packs of Actimel to charities in their communities*. These donated packs are then distributed throughout FareShare and FoodCloud's network of charities and foodbanks, supporting the communities that keep us strong and resilient as restrictions start to ease. Plus, 78% of people are concerned about the health of the most vulnerable in their communities. Want to make a difference in your community? Here's how... Help Actimel support the heroic work of FareShare by donating a pack of Actimel to projects in your community. T&Cs apply, see below. This spring, Actimel is continuing to give shoppers the chance to give back to the organisations that are helping their communities to keep going and to stay resilient. Until 30th June you can donate a pack of Actimel to a charity in your area. And it's simple to do. Simply visit the Actimel community donation hub and follow three steps*: Select your country Select your local region and see the organisation your donation could help Add your name and email address Actimel will donate a pack to food redistribution charities FareShare (UK) or FoodCloud (Ireland), who will ensure a pack reaches the region you've chosen. The hub also allows you to see how many bottles have been donated to each community so far. *T&Cs apply, see below. ***Full terms & conditions can be viewed here. Actimel has been helping people to 'stay strong' ever since it first launched its delicious cultured yoghurt shots back in 1994. In fact, helping people 'stay strong' is the foundation of Actimel's culture. Back in May 2020 the Actimel Everyday Heroes campaign was launched to celebrate all those people who were working hard to keep the UK going through the pandemic. It was all about rewarding and acknowledging acts of resilience by our unsung heroes, with hundreds of nominations coming in from all around the country. So its latest collaboration with FareShare and FoodCloud was a natural progression in its aim to help communities in the UK stay resilient. Actimel has been helping people to 'stay strong' ever since it first launched its delicious cultured yoghurt shots back in 1994 FareShare has more than doubled the amount of food we distribute in response to the Covid-19 crisis," says Lindsay Boswell, CEO of Fareshare. "We're now supplying frontline charities with enough food to create 2 million meals each week with two thirds being accessed by children and families. "Now more than ever its vital to ensure vulnerable people can access balanced food, which is why we are grateful for Actimels support at this difficult time. This campaign gives shoppers a means to support the most vulnerable people in their communities, by simply buying a pack." At the start of the campaign, the target was to donate 1 million bottles and Actimel shoppers have already donated an impressive 419,920 to projects as diverse as a London social pantry and a women's centre in Belfast. This amazing figure goes to show that the people of the UK are still dedicated to helping others, as we move towards the end of the third national lockdown. A FareShare volunteer helping to redistribute food to those who need it Sarah Dossett, Marketing Director Actimel says: Were delighted with the success of our campaign so far and really inspired by the community spirit of the British public. "Helping those that need it most, such as the people helped by FareShare, is what we believe in as a company. As a certified B Corp its very much a part of what drives us every day. So why not get involved and donate a pack of Actimel to projects in your area?* Small but mighty**: The lowdown on Actimel! Discover Actimel's range of delicious cultured yoghurt shots (Pack shown contains naturally occurring sugars) Each Actimel shot is bursting with 10 billion L. casei cultures. It also contains 30 per cent of your daily Reference Intake (RI) for vitamin D and 15 per cent of your RI for vitamin B6, which both play a role in helping to support your immune system** There's a delicious range of flavours so just pick your shot! *T&Cs: 18+. UK & Republic of Ireland. Start date 00:01 on 06/05/21. Closing date 23:59 on 30/06/21. To participate, visit https://actimel-communitydonations.co.uk/ and select your community. Selection to be made from a list of different pre-defined regions that you can discover on our website. Limited to 61,918 packs donated in UK and 6,147 in ROI to food related charities. In the UK: FareShare (Charity No: 1100051), in ROI: FoodCloud (Charity No: CHY21177). Full terms and conditions can be viewed here. ^Danone General Health Attitudes Survey of 1000 adults in UK & Ireland Vitamin D and B6 contribute to the normal function of the immune system Halima Aden has hinted at a return to the fashion industry less than a year after announcing her decision to quit modelling because the work forced her to 'compromise' her religion. The Muslim model, 23, who was born in Somalia and lived at the Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya before moving to the United States at the age of seven, reflected on the high fashion industry in a series of Instagram posts in November last year. She was praised for speaking candidly about how she became 'uncomfortable' with her hijab becoming increasingly smaller during her time as a supermodel. However, Halima - who boasts more than a million Instagram followers - has now hinted at a return to the fashion industry in a new post alongside American fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger. Racking up almost 143,000 likes, Halima captioned the image: 'Shooting a super special project with one of my favorite designers @tommyhilfiger.' Halima Aden, 23, has hinted at a returned to the fashion industry less than a year after announcing that she had quit. Pictured: Halima and Tommy Hilfiger Posting on Instagram, she told her 1.3 million followers that she is working on a 'special project' with American fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger In the snap, she donned a black hijab with a chic striped dress as she beamed alongside the 70-year-old designer. Having been dubbed the world's first hijab-wearing supermodel when she shot to fame in 2016, Halima signed with IMG Models in February 2017 after being spotted as a semi-finalist in the Miss Minnesota USA pageant. She made her runway debut in Kanye West's Yeezy show that same month and went on to model for brands including Fenty, Marc Jacobs and Alberta Ferreti. The Muslim model has also appeared on the cover of British Vogue, Vogue Arabia and Allure magazine. In November 2020, Halima (pictured) explained she was quitting the industry because she was forced to 'compromise' her religious beliefs Fans were torn when she took to Instagram in November 2020 to explain her decision to leave the modelling industry. She told how she had sobbed in her hotel room after agreeing to pose with jeans draped over her head instead of her headscarf in a campaign for American Eagle Outfitter, claiming to feel as though she had lost a part of herself. 'But this isn't even my style?? Never was. Why did I allow them to put jeans on my head when at the time I had only ever worn skirts and long dresses?,' she wrote. 'I went back to my hotel room & just sobbed after this shoot because deep down I knew this wasn't it. But was too scared to speak up. 'The truth is I was very UNCOMFORTABLE. This just ain't me.' Halima said she was initially proud to represent Muslim women in the high fashion industry, but felt like she had made 'mistakes' when representing the traditional head veil for Muslim women. The model who decided to quit after the pandemic caused her to reflect, also said the timings for shoots would interfere with her times for praying - which meant she would miss her religious practice. Halima said she had less control over the clothes she wore and began to wear head coverings that she wouldn't have agreed to at the start of her career. Pictured: Halima walking the runway at the TommyNow show during London Fashion Week Halima revealed throughout her career, she was increasingly having less control over the clothes she wore and agreed to head coverings she would have ruled out at the beginning. She told the BBC that she began to 'look like a white man's fetishised version' of herself, and would barely recognise her own image on magazine covers. Halima said: 'I had zero excitement because I couldn't see myself. Do you know how mentally damaging that can be to be to somebody? When I'm supposed to feel happy and grateful and I'm supposed to relate, because that's me, that's my own picture, but I was so far removed. 'My career was seemingly on top, but I was mentally not happy.' Halima's followers supported her decision to take a break from the industry after the admission and have been eager to celebrate her proposed return. One wrote: 'Wish you the best Halima, you deserve more' Another said: 'Exactly! Doing you on your own terms Halima' A third added: 'Wonderful! Can't wait! Glad to see you're modelling again!' An American expat has revealed why she's convinced KFC and McDonald's in Australia 'tastes better' than the fast food chains in her home country. Sophia, who moved from California, Los Angeles to Sydney in February 2020, said she preferred KFC and McDonald's in Australia because the quality of the food is fresher than the American version. In her now-viral TikTok video, the 29-year-old shared her glowing review about KFC after she tried the Zinger Burger Box with Wicked Wings, fries, coleslaw and a Twister. Scroll down for video American expat Sophia (pictured left) has revealed why she's convinced KFC and McDonald's in Australia 'tastes better' than the fast food chains in her home country 'This is the first time I'm trying KFC in Australia and I swear the fast food in Australia is so much better than in America. The quality of food is just a lot better, like you can see it in the photos and the videos as well,' she said. 'The theory is that Australians are smaller than Americans because Australians charge for condiments and the portions are smaller. Sophia added: 'Everything just tastes more fresh here.' She said her American friends also agreed with her about the quality of food in Australia after she documented her experience at McDonald's on Instagram. 'All my friends back in California were like "wait, why does it look so good?"' the founder of swimwear label Siempre Golden said. Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, Sophia who works for a Sydney marketing agency, said she noticed the ingredients are 'remarkably more fresh than in the States'. 'The lettuce, tomatoes, the buns, each ingredient looks crisp and fresh unlike in America,' she said. 'I've ordered many McDonald's burgers in LA and was consistently disappointed by how a burger would turn out with one pickle here or there and the buns all soggy. 'In Australia, the buns are just perfectly puffy.' She said she preferred KFC in Australia because the quality of the food is fresher than the American version Sophia said you can see the quality and freshness of the Twister and chicken in her videos Her video has since been viewed more than 100,000 times, with a majority of people agreeing with Sophia's statement. 'I swear the first time I ate McDonald's in Australia, I was like wow, this is so much better. Maccas in America is literally the worst,' a US man wrote. One woman added: 'All fast food in Australia is so much better than in the US because we use fresh produce.' Many diners pointed out the food quality standards in Australia is 'better' than America because most of the fresh ingredients are sourced from Down Under. 'Australian KFC sources its chicken from an actual chicken producer in Australia,' one wrote, while another added: 'Our food safety standards are high and strict.' Many complained they felt sick after eating a fast food meal in America. Meanwhile, one person suggested: 'If you think KFC in Australia is good, wait till you try KFC in Japan, that will blow your mind. Best KFC I have ever had.' Kaymie Wuerfel (pictured) who relocated from Florida to Sydney in early 2020 revealed why she believes Australian McDonald's is better than the US And she isn't the only one to make a video raving about the fast food chains in Australia. Last week, American expat Kaymie Wuerfel revealed why she believes Australian McDonald's is better than the US. The young woman, who relocated from Florida to Sydney in early 2020, said the quality of the food Down Under was far superior. 'I never ate it much in America because when you eat McDonald's in America you genuinely feel like you are going to die,' she said. 'And I know here is probably not much better but it is so, so good. 'I'm eating those Chicken McPieces and downing my frozen Coke, the last thing on my mind is my health - which probably is a bad thing.' Viewers agreed, with plenty suggesting this could be down to Australia's premium ingredients such as grass-fed beef, or the oil chips and chicken nuggets are fried in. Trend-setting sisters aged three and five are taking Australian Fashion Week by storm with their adorable outfits and front row style. Mia, 5, and Tatiana Escalante, 3, stole the show at the Next Gen fashion parade in Sydney on Tuesday, when they arrived at Carriageworks in coordinating outfits and slicked-back buns. Dressed in puffer jackets, tracksuits and tiny sneakers, the pair looked every inch the influencers as they posed for photos and drew attention away from more seasoned Fashion Week veterans. Scroll down for video A sister duo aged three and five are taking Australian Fashion Week by storm with their adorable outfits and incredible front row style (pictured at the ghd pop-up) Mia, 5, Tatiana Escalante, 3 (pictured), have been impressing the style set at Australian Fashion Week 2021 in Sydney The girls, from Sydney, were the guests of luxury haircare brand ghd, who they have been filming content for on social media. 'Ready to take on Australian Fashion Week 2021 with ghd,' the sisters captioned a post on Tuesday. Mia and Tatiana have a combined following of 179,000 on Instagram, where they share almost-daily photos of their outfits that often feature Gucci sneakers, Burberry T-shirts and Culture Kings tracksuits. The pair's fashion career started 18 months ago when their mother Nga set up an Instagram account for them, after launching a kids' clothing brand under her daughters' names. Mia and Tatiana have an incredible combined 179,000 followers on Instagram (pictured), after their mother set up their profile 18 months ago It wasn't long before the pint-sized duo became social media stars and were recruited by brands to promote their clothes. 'The girls' were modelling some T-shirts for a small brand I created,' Nga told Daily Mail Australia. 'They had so much fun dressing up for the photo shoots and spending time together bonding. At the same time, our followers really loved how they were styled and it just took off from there.' The sisters appeared on the Today Show on Wednesday with their parents Nga and Sebastian, where host Karl Stefanovic was quick to say that kids this young 'shouldn't be doing this stuff'. 'They should be out there in the playground, in the park, with their trucks and doing their own thing and doing kids' things,' Karl said to Mia and Tatiana's parents. 'How would you respond to that?' They share almost-daily photos of their outfits including Gucci sneakers, Burberry T-shirts and Culture Kings tracksuits (pictured) 'We keep our private life very separate to everything else,' dad Sebastian explained. 'On Instagram, it's just photos, there's nothing else really there. Besides the photos, the girls live a very normal life. They go shopping, they go to school. 'Realistically, they don't even know what's going on. We don't try and put it in their head. We try and keep it very innocent.' The parents said while they do get a 'couple of negative comments here and there', 95 percent of feedback is positive. The pair stole the show at the the Next Gen fashion parade and ghd pop up in Carriageworks (pictured), where photographers were keen to take their photos Nga said she started posting more regular photos of her girls in July 2020, focusing on 'matching sister outfits' which instantly attracted a wider audience. 'At that time we had around 7,000 followers, then a few of our photos and reels went viral and that increased,' she said. Now, the pair command fees for appearances and collaborations. Now, the pair (pictured) are able to charge for appearances and collaborations, but their mum Nga would not say how much they are able to charge for a post Nga said brands reach out to them, never the other way round. She said coordinating tracksuits have quickly become Mia and Tati's signature look, while sleek ponytails, top knots or pigtails with hats are their trademark hairstyles. 'They love wearing anything that's comfortable where they can run and play around in,' she added. Their parents would not comment on how much the girls earn per post, and said they are not under pressure to continue modelling or working in the public sphere when they are older. 'It really comes down to what they want to do when they grow up,' Nga said. 'We are not pressuring them into anything.' Their mother Nga said they are not under any pressure to do anything with their lives when they are older (Mia and Tatiana pictured) While they are too young to understand that they are already 'Instagram famous', Nga said shooting in front of the camera has 'certainly helped' to build their confidence. She avoids posting personal photos online to protect her girls and ensure their feed remains a positive space. 'We don't post much of our personal life on the page,' she said. 'It focuses primarily on the girls' fashion and the way we style clothing that can inspire other kids and families.' To see more of Mia and Tati's looks, visit their Instagram here. A Good Morning Britain guest has said it's 'psychotic' to control other people's choices after co-host Adil Ray and TV presenter Nick Hewer admitted they would ditch friends who decided not to have the Covid vaccine. Political student and commentator Dominique Samuels, 22, from York, suggested The Apprentice star's decision to disinvite pals who hadn't had the jab reeked of 'middle-class snobbery'. The pair joined co-hosts Adil and Ranvir Singh to debate whether you should socialise with people who haven't been vaccinated once everyone has had the opportunity to get their jabs. During the heated discussion, Nick, 77, based in Northamptonshire, clashed with Dominique, who said the very idea was 'insane', while he fumed over her 'dramatic' comments. Adil also hit back at Dominique for being extreme after she said it was psychotic to decide on who to invite to events based on their vaccination status. Commentator Dominique Samuels (pictured left), 22, from York, suggested The Apprentice star's (pictured right) decision to disinvite pals who hadn't had the jab reeked of 'middle-class snobbery' A Good Morning Britain guest (pictured) has said it's 'psychotic' to control other people's choices after co-host Adil Ray and TV presenter Nick Hewer admitted they would ditch friends who decided not to have the Covid vaccine Speaking on the show, former Countdown presenter Nick confessed that he had contemplated not inviting a friend to dinner, fearing that she wasn't vaccinated. 'We're all of a certain age, I've certainly had both of mine, and indeed the others coming had all had it. But there was one person I had my doubts about, a great dear friend of ours,' he recalled. 'We checked, because if she had not had her vaccinations, I would've asked her politely that we'll see you another time. We have a responsibility not only to ourselves, but to our other guests, but unfortunately we're uninviting you, and I'm sure she would've been fine about it. 'But as it happens, we were wrong and she had had her vaccinations,' he revealed. Dominique blasted the decision as 'middle-class snobbery' during the heated clash on ITV's programme. The pair joined co-hosts Adil and Ranvir Singh to debate whether you should socialise with people who haven't been vaccinated once everyone has had the opportunity to get their jabs She said: 'I just think it reeks of middle-class snobbery. "I am having a dinner party but I shall not invite the unvaccinated". 'I think that most people will be worrying about clawing their businesses and their mental health back from the depths of hell. Not whether or not they are going to segregate someone from a dinner party.' However, Nick fumed over her dramatic comments and urged viewers to unite against the common enemy coronavirus. He said: Everyone is being rather dramatic about friendships being ruined. We are all sensible, we need to have a general care. During the war everyone got together to face a common enemy. We are poised on the very edge of a third wave. During the chaotic discussion, Nick, 77, based in Northamptonshire, clashed with Dominique (pictured), who said the very idea was 'insane', while he fumed over her 'dramatic' comments Just be persuaded to do the right thing for the common good. Think about the others, not just about your own precious human rights, he said, before appearing to sarcastically add: I wish I was young because the young know absolutely everything. Dominique also clashed with Adil. As the co-host challenged Dominique on her point of view, she went on to accuse him of being 'psychotic'. You have to be quite open and honest in those situations, don't you? Adil asked, as he suggested he would also put his friends who had been vaccinated first. However, Dominique insisted: No, I just think you don't need to be psychotic and treat people differently over their life choices. Adil snapped back: Dominique, I am sorry. Dominique, I am sorry. You cannot be extreme about this. Nothing I have said there is psychotic. What on Earth is psychotic about caring for people around you? It's controlling, it's psychotic, she replied. It's not caring. Some people may not want to be vaccinated, some people want to rely on their immune systems. It's not caring. It's not caring. It's controlling. Viewers of 24 Hours in A&E were left in tears after watching a young woman whose father fled Afghanistan to give her family a better life break down after learning he had motor neurone disease. In last night's episode of the Channel 4 show, Shiragha, 56, from London, was taken to St George's Hospital after suffering shortness of breath, while his daughter BK rushed to be with him. While doctors initially struggled to know what the cause of his respiratory problems were, they later diagnosed him with motor neurone disease, leaving his family devastated. Many of those watching were left in tears over the emotional moment BK and her brother were told the news, with one commenting: 'What an episode..so sad and such strong families for letting us watch their darkest days.' Viewers of 24 Hours in A&E were left in tears after watching BK, from London, whose father Shiragha fled Afghanistan break down after learning he had motor neurone disease Shiragha, 56 was taken to St George's Hospital after suffering shortness of breath while his daughter BK rushed to be with him Shiragha was rushed to St George's after collapsing at home with shortness of breath. Paramedics detected unusually high levels of CO2, with nurse Pedro explaining he looked 'pretty sick.' Pedro said: 'The first thing that changes when we have something going on with our body is respiratory rates. 'So something going wrong with our breathing is the first sign that something is not right.' Viewers were left weeping after watching the emotional episode in which BK described how her father had fought for a better life for her and her brothers 'If there is a high CO2 in someone's body, that is a really bad sign. We automatically assume it with high chest infections or fluid around the lungs.' BK said: 'I've just never seen my dad like that...On that day, he was like a dead person. It was early in the morning and my brother ran out to me and said, "Dad's not well and he's not responding to anything". 'We didn't know what was going on, I lost all the hopes I had.' WHAT IS MOTOR NEURONE DISEASE? Motor neurone disease is a rare condition that mainly affects people in their 60s and 70s, but it can affect adults of all ages. It's caused by a problem with cells in the brain and nerves called motor neurones. These cells gradually stop working over time. It's not known why this happens. Having a close relative with motor neurone disease, or a related condition called frontotemporal dementia, can sometimes mean you're more likely to get it. But it doesn't run in families in most cases. Early symptoms can include weakness in your ankle or leg, like finding it hard to walk upstairs; slurred speech, finding it hard to swallow, a weak grip, and gradual weight loss If you have these sympthoms, you should see a GP. They will consider other possible conditions and can refer you to a specialist called a neurologist if necessary. If a close relative has motor neurone disease or frontotemporal dementia and you're worried you may be at risk of it they may refer you to a genetic counsellor to talk about your risk and any tests you can have Source: NHS UK Advertisement BK added: 'He's everything we have in this country and we basically thought, god forbid, he was going to die.' Doctors were quick to organise a chest x-ray to look for signs of infection, but the results came back clear. Meanwhile his daughter said her father had fled Afghanistan to offer his children a better life. She explained: 'Dad was born in Afghanistan in 1964. He had a really happy upbringing, he was in a village and they were just living a simple life. 'He tells us stories from when he was young about how beautiful life was and people trusted each other. 'All Afghans had freedom to work, even women had a lot of freedom.' She continued to say that life had changed for her father after Russia invaded the country, explaining: My dad was 18 and he fought for a few years. 'Seeing his friends being tortured in front of him was really terrible for him.' She went on to say that the Taliban made life 'hell' for people in Afghanistan. She added: 'My dad wanted to provide a better life for our family so he came to England as a refugee.' She explained: 'When he came to the UK, he moved to London by himself. 'Not being able to speak a language in the country you live in is the hardest thing. He didn't want to go to college to learn the language because he wanted to provide for us. 'He worked in a pizza shop doing delivery, then he was a cab driver for more than 12 years. He used to stay up all night and sleep in the day.' She continued: 'He sacrificed a lot for us. In Afghanistan, we never ran out of money, so we always had clothing and food and everything.' BK said it had been 'tough' not having a father at home, but he would often come to visit and tell her stories of what life was like in the UK. She added: 'He used to ask me to sit on his lap and he would tell me, "One day I will take you as well." 'I never thought I would have a life in this country. I never thought that this would take place.' During the programme, BK described how she had grown up 'not knowing countries could be peaceful' before moving to the UK at the age of 11 BK explained that she 'never knew countries were peaceful and free', saying: 'I thought the whole world was full of war. 'When I heard the news he was going go move the whole family to the UK, I was 11. I cried all the way till I got here.' She continued: 'I remember seeing women walking by themselves and didn't have a man next to them. Then I saw a woman smoking and I asked Dad, "how is she allowed to smoke?" 'He said, "Here it's normal. You're going to have to learn. Everyone has the freedom to choose who they want to be."' Doctors became concerned Shiragha may have an underlying problem with his nerves, and a urologist assessed his muscles and reflexes before diagnosing him with motor neurone disease (pictured, Pedro, a member of his medical team) BK said she was initially 'nervous' about the change in life, but her father pushed to adapt and do well at school. She said he told her: '"It's important for a woman to educate herself."' She revealed she was bullied for 'being an immigrant and not speaking enough English', but her father kept encouraging her, revealing: 'Dad said, "Most of the girls who are bullying you only speak one language. You're learning another one, even though you already speak two. You're going to be successful, you've got to be positive."' 'He's always taught us to be proud of who we are, of being Afghan and being a woman. We've been through a lot and we should be proud of it. The children were left devastated by the diagnosis, with both BK and her brother breaking down into sobs as they heard the news Doctors became concerned Shiragha may have an underlying problem with his nerves, and a urologist assessed his muscles and reflexes before concluding he had motor neurone disease. The children were left devastated by the diagnosis, with both BK and her brother breaking down into sobs as they heard the news. The young woman rushed from the room and into the car park while her brother followed, and took her into his arms to offer her a hug. She said: 'Life is pretty unfair. nobody imagined it would be something so serious. After learning her father had motor neurone disease, BK rushed from the hospital and could be heard sobbing into her brother's arms 'But we get tested for a reason. so we have to accept it and be strong.' She continued: 'I'll be there for him, he knows I'll be there. We've all told him, no matter what he means everything in this world and I can't even imagine not having him in our lives.' At the end of the programme, it was revealed Shiragha had spent two weeks in intensive card and was given medication to control the spread of the disease. He returned home to be cared for by his family. Viewers were left devastated by the programme and confessed they'd been sobbing throughout the show. One person wrote: 'I am once again having my heart ribbed out by watching 24 Hours in A&E.' Another commented: 'Absolutely in BITS. Devastated for their whole family, but what amazing children he has to care for him.' After years of being snubbed by wine experts and enthusiasts, rose is having its moment in the spotlight. Since 2010, sales of the trendy pink tipple stamped rose de Provence, popular among millennial drinkers, have increased by 516 per cent, while its value has gone up by a whopping 963 per cent, according to the Interprofessional Wines Council of Provence. Le Monde reports that the value of Provencal vines has risen to prices of up to 258,800 a hectare. Provence rose is especially fashionable in the UK, with sales rising more than 51 per cent in 2020 compared to 2019. Much of the wine's burgeoning popularity can be attributed to an influx of glamorous celebrities and billionaire tycoons investing in Provencal winemaking. Much of the burgeoning popularity of rose wine can be attributed to an influx of glamorous celebrities and billionaire tycoons investing in Provencal winemaking (the Clooneys, pictured, are the latest Hollywood couple believed to have bought a vineyard in the area) The Clooneys are the latest Hollywood couple believed to have bought a vineyard - the Domaine du Canadel in Brignoles, a small town in Provence. Hollywood producer George Lucas owns Chateau Margui in Chateauvert down the road. In 2008 Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie paid around 40million (34m) for the Domaine du Miraval in Correns, while Sir James and Lady Dyson have owned the Domaine des Rabelles since in 1999. David and Victoria Beckham acquired the Domaine Saint-Vincent in 2003, but sold it in 2016, and Lord and Lady Bamford bought Chateau Leoube in 1997. But while the world's rich and famous taking an interest in the region has created unprecedented demand for its now chic and trendy pink plonk, there is concern it's making it difficult for young local winemakers starting out, reports The Times. Locals now struggle to afford the soaring cost of land and vines in the area, and those that own vineyards and wish to pass them on to their children fear being stung by the eye-watering inheritance tax it now generates. In 2008 Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie paid around 40million for the Domaine du Miraval in Correns Sylvain Audemard, deputy chairman of the Chamber of Agriculture in the Var, the departement at the heart of Provencal wine, told the publication that the 'traditional model' of a couple of dozen family-owned vineyards dotted around every village is under threat not so much by the celebrities that covet them, but the luxury groups in their wake that hope to capitalise on the area's newfound fame. 'The trend is evolving and what we are now seeing is the arrival of groups in the luxury sector who are investing millions of euros in the Var,' he said. 'These groups and investors frighten us... We are afraid they will crush everything in their path.' Provencal wine's new association with the super rich means its vineyards are becoming attractive prospects for firms like LVMH, the the world's largest luxury goods company owned by French centibillionaire investor Bernard Arnault - the wealthiest man in the world according to Forbes. Lord and Lady Bamford (left) bought Chateau Leoube in 1997, while Sir James (right) and Lady Dyson have owned the Domaine des Rabelles since in 1999 The company has already acquired two vineyards in Provence, while the fashion house Chanel has also bought two. Consequently, small independent winemakers have seen the value of their vineyards soar by millions, attracting persistent offers from investors keen to capitalise. Even if they manage to resist, out of a love for winemaking, they may find themselves forced to sell-up due to inheritance tax which is based on the value of the land. Matthieu De Wulf, who owns the Domaine du Jas dEsclans and Chateau de Vaucouleurs vineyards in Provence told Le Monde he is contacted every six months with offers and has already turned down two that 'one should not decently refuse'. Small independent winemakers in Provence have seen the value of their vineyards soar by millions, attracting persistent offers from investors keen to capitalise Audemard added: 'When you get old vineyards that have been in the family for seven or more generations and that are suddenly worth 2 million or more, it's sometimes impossible [to refuse an offer].' Didier Bremond, the mayor of Brignoles in Provence, previously expressed his delight that the Clooneys had bought a vineyard in the small town, declaring: 'When you have someone like George Clooney who is buying in your district, you can only congratulate yourself... with George Clooney, we are in a new dimension.' However the couple's purchase is currently being challenged in court by another buyer who claims to have been gazumped, which is banned in France, meaning the deal could fall through. An American woman living in the UK has gone viral with a video highlighting the British customs that 'would not work' in the US. Lisa Dollan, 39, is originally from Atlanta, Georgia, but now lives in Leeds, and has noticed key differences in the way people behave in the two countries. She shared her observations in a hilarious TikTok video that has been viewed more than 3.5million times. The mother-of-one, who posts under the handle @yorkshirepeach, claimed even straightforward practices like a car MOT 'wouldn't happen' across the pond. American abroad! Lisa Dollan, 39, is originally from Atlanta, Georgia, but now lives in Leeds, and has noticed key differences in the way people behave. She shared her thoughts on TikTok However the clip sparked some backlash from American viewers who claimed such things were only true in some parts of the US. Lisa kicked off the clip by discussing British people leaving packages with their neighbours. 'I didn't even know that was a thing until I moved here,' she said. 'No chance. Wouldn't work.' On the UK driving test she said: 'How hard it is. No chance. It wouldn't work in the States'. Big differences: The mother-of-one, who posts under the handle @yorkshirepeach, claimed even straightforward things like a car MOT 'wouldn't happen' across the pond Cultural differences? 5 things that 'wouldn't happen in the US' Car MOTs: 'You could drive around with your bumper hanging off, a flat tyre. It doesn't matter.' Serving alcohol in cinemas: 'No chance' Playing the 'knock and run' game: 'Please don't do this in America, because if you enter someone's property they can, you know...' UK driving test: It's too difficult Leaving a package with a neighbour: 'I didn't even know that was a thing until I came here' Advertisement Lisa also gave a jokey warning to children who might want to try the 'knock and run' game in the US, saying: 'Please don't do this in America, because if you enter someone's property they can, you know...' Lisa continued: ''Telling Americans they have to get their cars MOT'd every year. No chance. You should see the state of the cars we drive around. 'Maybe it's a thing in some states... not where I'm from. 'You could drive around with your bumper hanging off, a flat tyre. It doesn't matter.' Finally she added: 'Alcohol being served in a cinema, in a movie theater, no chance.' Viewers were divided over the observations, with some Americans insisting the equivalent of car MOTs or the knock-and-run game do exist in their hometowns. One posted: 'There's alcohol served in a lot of movie theaters in America...' Another wrote: 'Love these videos but how come you can't leave a package with a neighbour? American neighbours in movies look so friendly!' A third added: 'It's very interesting and your videos show just how different each state it. I've lived in NY and FL , I can leave packages with neighbours in both.' Queen Maxima of The Netherlands never fails to make an impact, thanks to her love of vibrant colours, and today the monarch was pretty in pink as she stepped out for a children's art engagement. The Dutch Queen, 50, travelled north to Groninger Museum to open the Children's Beinnale, and made sure she commanded attention in fuchsia. For the occasion, the lover of the arts and mother-of-three donned a hot pink ensemble with a raffia hat, her summer accessory of choice. The Biennale, which welcome the public back on June 5, marks the reopening of the museum, which temporarily shut due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Queen Maxima of the Nertherlands cut a stylish silhouette in a vibrant hot pink pant suit as she opened the Children's Biennale at Groninger Museum today Maxima donned a vibrant outfit to visit the museum, which is known around the world for its colourful exterior and quirky architecture. The wife of King Willem-Alexander picked a pink wide-legged pant suit with a matching blouse. She balanced her matching pink blazer on top of her shoulders, in one of her signature fashion moves. She strutted to the museum in a pair of swede blush pink heels, and was seen clutching a matching blush pink handbag, and a pair of peach gloves. Maxima paired her matching trousers, blouse and jacket with swede blush pink heels and a matching clutch bag, a sun hat and a Pashmina shawl, also in pink, pictured To complete the look, Maxima was sporting one of her favourite accessories, a sun hat tipped to the side, which matched the colour of her outfit. A pink and yellow Pashmina shawl hung casually from her arm as she made her way to the event. All smiles, Maxima had opted for fun jewellery, with a necklace made of three strings of matte pearls and earrings shaped like flowers, with a diamond centre. On her wrist, the queen donned a bracelet made of gold and diamonds she appeared to have received as a 50th birthday presents, where one can read her initials. It could be a replacement for Maxima's old bracelet, which sported the letters: A, A, A and M, a node to her husband Willem Alexander and their three daughters: Amelia, Alexia and Ariane. Making an entrance, King Willem-Alexander's wife seenmd delighted to take part in the event, for which she donned a colourful get up The mother-of-three paired the look with statement jewellery, pictured. She donned a necklace made of three strings of pearls and earring shaped like flowers, as well as a bracelet sporting her initials Maxima was also wearing a rigid gold bracelet next to it, and a hair tie around her wrist as well. She was sporting glamourous makeup, with eyeliner and mascara bringing sophistication to her hazelnut gaze, and pink lipstick bringing a top of pop to her friendly smile. She complimented her natural glow with a dash of bronzer on her cheeks, and a face mask was tied to her wrist, ready to be used during the event. The Netherlands's first ever Children's Biennale marks the reopening of the Groninger Museum, and packs a punch of fun activities relating to art for young and old. The event celebrates art made for and by children, and will take place from June 2 to January 22 - although it will only be opened to the wider public from Saturday June 5. Maxima was all smiles as she made her way to the event, holding her hat to make sure the playful breeze didn't send it flying, pictured The interactive exhibition aims to engage visitors in a variety of ways, through participation and encouraging participation through common activities. In the run up to the opening, children were part of the exhibition, writing descriptions for works of art that will be read by visitors, helped with the marketing strategy behind the event and even selected items that will be available to buy in the gift shop. Artists on show include Groninger native Chantalla Pleiter, designer and spatial artist Lambert Kamps and artist and collector Wiest Noest. Maxima's month of June seems like it will be as busy as May. Last week, the mother-of-three and her husband took part in a volunteering scheme picking up rubbish and sweeping the street for the NLDoet, a day promoting charity work across the Netherlands. Maxima donned a zip-up jacket with her look, while Willem matched her in the charity ensemble as the couple helped out in Oegstgeest. Playing coy. The Dutch Queen waved and greeted royal fans with her warm smile as she arrived in Groninger today Keeping the look relaxed, Maxima wore her blonde hair down and protected her eyes in dark sunglasses. She teamed the look with practical trainers and kept jewellery to a minimum for the day out. Not too far from her usual glamour, Maxima sported a pretty make-up look with a light layer of black mascara and a touch of foundation. Not afraid to join in on the action, Maxima picked up a power hose to clean a decking. It came as the country celebrated Queen Maxima's 50th birthday. Maxima turned 50 on May 17, and her subjects honoured her legacy in the weeks leading up to the celebration. Queen Letizia of Spain put on a sombre display in black as she inaugurated a memorial centre for the victims of terrorism in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain today. The Spanish royal, 48, donned a dark dress complete with white piping and waist belt detail, which she paired with black suede slingback heels and a matching clutch bag as she stood alongside husband King Felipe, 52, for the event this morning. The couple put safety first in protective face masks in keeping with coronavirus regulations in the country. The typically stylish royal opted for subtle makeup, adding just a light touch of blusher on her cheeks to complement her natural glow and a layering of mascara. Queen Letizia of Spain put on a sombre display as she and husband King Felipe VI inaugurated the Memorial Center for the Victims of Terrorism in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain today (pictured) The Spanish royal donned a dark denim dress complete with waist belt detail, which she paired with black suede slingback heels (pictured) King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia of Spain and President Pedro Sanchez inaugurate the Memorial Center for the Victims of Terrorism (pictured) Meanwhile she wore her glossy brunette locks loose and tucked behind her ears, revealing a pair of dainty gold hoops. It's been a busy few days for the royal, who on Saturday, joined King Felipe for a ceremony marking Armed Forces Day in Madrid. The Spanish royal donned a blush pink blazer dress with a pair of fuschia heels and a matching clutch bag. A day earlier, she joined the rest of her family to attend her daughter Leonor's confirmation. The couple put safety first in protective face masks in keeping with coronavirus regulations in the country (pictured) King Felipe VI of Spain and Queen Letizia of Spain unveil the sign at the Memorial Center for the Victims of Terrorism King Felipe VI of Spain (C), Queen Letizia of Spain (2R) President Pedro Sanchez (L) and Euskadi President IAigo Urkullo (R) inaugurate the Memorial Center for the Victims of Terrorism Typically stylish, the royal paired her slingback heels (pictured, left) with a matching clutch bag (right) as she stood alongside King Felipe for the event this morning The young Princess, 15, who is a student at Santa Maria de los Rosales school, opted for a royal blue dress which she coordinated with a pair of nude beige pumps, and wore a navy mask in keeping with coronavirus regulations. The royal, who was joined by her sister Princess Sofia and parents, King Felipe and Queen Letizia, was confirmed at the Parroquia de la Asuncion de Nuestra Senora de Aravaca, which is the same church where she made her First Communion in 2015. The teen, who turns 16 in October, will study at the renowned UWC Atlantic College, based at the 12th century St Donat's Castle in Wales, from September. Princess Leonor wore her shoulder-length blonde locks loose, and opted for no jewellery, while her younger sister, Infanta Sofia, 13, opted for a floral dress and wore her hair in loose curls which cascaded past her shoulders. Meanwhile, their effortlessly stylish mother Queen Letizia donned a monochrome ensemble, pairing a white blouse with smart black trousers. Queen Letizia of Spain's dress featured tassel detail along the hem line and cuff of the sleeves (pictured) King Felipe VI of Spain and Queen Letizia of Spain could be seen clapping as they attended the inauguration of the ceremony today The royal's dress featured intricate white stitching detail along the collarand large wooden buttons (pictured) The typically stylish royal opted for subtle makeup, adding just a light touch of blusher on her cheeks to complement her natural glow and a layering of mascara (pictured) Queen Letizia wore her glossy brunette locks loose and tucked behind her ears, revealing a pair of dainty gold hoops (pictured) And days ago, the royal chaired an event reflecting on female leadership in the workplace in Madrid. She opted for a recycled Hugo Boss dress for the meeting of the Spanish Federation of Businesswomen, which she first wore in 2019 during an event which marked Rare Diseases World Day. King Felipe VI's wife, who is the honourary president of the Federation, paired the favoured frock with black and white stiletto heels and added a white cross body bag, which she hung from her left shoulder. The event aimed to encourage female leadership in business and discuss ways to end gender discrimination at work. King Felipe VI of Spain placed his hand on his heart as he engaged in conversation during the inauguration King Felipe VI of Spain looked dapper in a pin-striped suit and light blue tie as he attended the inauguration It's been a busy few days for the royal, who on Saturday, joined King Felipe for a ceremony marking Armed Forces Day in Madrid. Pictured, at the inauguration today The typically stylish royal opted for subtle makeup, adding just a light touch of blusher on her cheeks to complement her natural glow and a layering of mascara Letizia banked on the recycled look to make an impression as she arrived at ESADE Auditorium in Madrid. The dress featured an asymmetrical neckline and a thin black belt which cinched the royal in at the waist. And Queen Letizia shows no signs of stopping down any time soon, as she's set to attend a working meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Foundation for Help Against Drug Addiction (FAD) tomorrow. On Wednesday, the royal will be accompanied by King Felipe to attend the annual meeting with the members of the Board of Trustees of the Princess of Asturias Foundation. The States of Arkansas, Idaho, and Oklahoma have previously implemented legislation to restrict teachers and school administrators from indoctrinating or propagating critical race theory in the classroom. Currently, at least 11 more states are in the process of drafting similar laws. According to the Daily Signal, this latest development comes as the U.S. Department of Education under the Biden administration has adopted a stance favoring the teaching of critical race theory in schools. Critical race theory, the way it's taught, is that people are oppressed or oppressors depending on their skin color. Arizona, Louisiana, Missouri, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah are among the states having laws pending that address critical race theory. The Utah State Board of Education is reviewing the notion of "equity" in education. "Equity" is a prominent phrase on the left and a component of critical race theory. "We are seeing a push here to get [critical race theory] in the curriculum," board member Jennie Earl said. Earl claims that politicians are more concerned with adhering to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 than with outlawing critical race theory. "We would just be upholding the laws that are already on the books," Earl says of proposed legislation. The head of the National Education Association's New Hampshire branch calls such legislation "repugnant." "The pandemic is laying bare systemic inequalities in education," says Megan Tuttle of the NEA. Utah won't be able to adopt similar legislation until 2022, when the state will no longer have the authority to do so. In South Carolina, Republican member Bill Taylor has suggested a legislation that promotes openness in order to enable parents to find out more about the educational curriculum in elementary and secondary schools. The South Carolina Academic Integrity Act has 25 co-sponsors, but he first filed it during the last week of the legislative session, which means it will take until January for the bill to be submitted in the official legislature. The state representative said: "What it really principally does is, it requires full transparency on the part of all the schools to ensure that parents are aware of the details of what is being taught to their children." The South Carolina measure forbids schools from utilizing certain instructional material, such as The New York Times' controversial 1619 Project, which claims that America's historical foundation date was 1619, when the first slaves were transported to Virginia from Africa, rather than 1776. The law requires the state to withdraw support from any school that fails to publish curriculum. "If parents are doing their job and are involved in their child's studies, they need to understand what is being taught to their kids," Taylor argued. Taylor, who had previously served on the California House of Representatives' Education Committee for 10 years, claims that the critical race theory curriculum is "more devious and not as well intended." "I'm for students in K-12 and the university level to learn everything, the good and bad," the lawmaker says of history. However, he contends that "if we pit people against each other in various groups and have this identity politics in schools, that does not serve America well." A Burger King employee has showed off the uniform that a female customer complained was a 'distraction' to her husband. Lala, a Sudanese woman living in the US, took to TikTok last week to pose in the black jeans, Burger King-branded polo shirt, and Burger King hat she wears while working shifts at the fast food chain. But while the outfit is remarkably unsexy, Lala says that a customer took issue with it when she saw her husband staring. A Burger King employee has showed off the uniform that a female customer complained was a 'distraction' to her husband When she turns around to show what it looks like from behind, it becomes clear that the customer's problem was not Lala's uniform, but her bod 'I had a lady complain today because my uniform was a "distraction" to her husband,' Lala says in her viral video, which has been liked 3.5 million times. She poses to show off the standard uniform, complete with name tag and black mask. When she turns around to show what it looks like from behind, it becomes clear that the customer's problem was not Lala's uniform, but her body. 'I guess I'll leave my a** at home next time?' she adds. While there is clearly nothing that Lala can do about her body to be less of a 'distraction,' the Burger King employee pointed out in the comments that some people will always have something negative to say. 'Karens always have the audacity & the nerve,' she wrote, while suggesting the woman throw her husband 'right in the trash' 'I guess I'll leave my a** at home next time?' she adds 'Karens always have the audacity & the nerve,' she wrote, while suggesting the woman throw her husband 'right in the trash.' The video has been flooded with supportive comments, including one shocked viewer who asked, 'Distract him from what?? Ordering from Burger King?' 'Apparently she was trying to tell him something and he wasn't paying attention so she got upset,' Lala replied. 'Judging by her reaction, I have a feeling that he's probably cheated on her once or twice.' She also noted that as per Burger King's uniform rules, she is supposed to have her polo shirt tucked into her jeans but she untucked hers to cover up a bit after the woman 'started yelling at me.' 'I'll come to work in a trash bag next time,' she quipped. Many commenters blasted the husband and pointed out that he is the one the customer should have been upset with Many commenters blasted the husband, with one writing: 'Nah, the husband gotta leave his eyes at home next time. 'She's mad at the wrong person!' said another, while a third chimed in: 'She should be mad at her husband, not you.' 'Tell her to be mad at her husband's wandering eyes,' said one more. Lala's remark that she should leave her butt at home also inspired jokes, with several women asking to borrow it. 'Girrrl you better be careful you don't forget where you put it, you know if you're going to leave it at home, been looking for mine for years now,' wrote one. Prince Albert II of Monaco took his children for a fun day out at the Oceanographic Museum today - after Princess Charlene was unable to return home from South Africa trip due to infection. Princess Gabriella, six, and her twin brother Prince Jacques stole the show as they gave each other a heartwarming hug as they took to their seats alongside their royal father, 63, who donned a sharp navy suit jacket and dark beige trousers. The young royal was wearing a gold floral headback and frilly pink dress and seemed enthralled by the afternoon's presentation, while Prince Jacques looked dapper in a smart blue blazer. The trio all donned protective face masks in keeping with the country's strict coronavirus safety guidelines. Prince Albert II of Monaco took his children for a fun day out at the Oceanographic Museum today (pictured, together) Princess Gabriella, six, and her twin brother Prince Jacques stole the show as they gave each other a heartwarming hug as they took to their seats (pictured) This year, children from the Roya valley were invited to discover the oceanographic museum and its treasures, a few months after the Alex storm which hit the valley and the entire Nice hinterland hard. The Principality immediately made a commitment, in particular financially, alongside the affected valleys and continues this commitment with actions such as the event held today. The pair could be seen sitting next to their father offering a round of applause, however their mother Charlene was notably absent - after she was unable to return home from a recent trip to South Africa after contracting an infection, according to Hello!. Charlene, who also missed out on last week's Monaco Grand Prix, was visiting the country where she was raised, to highlight the fight against rhino poaching - but is now battling an ENT (Ear, nose and throat) infection 'that does not allow her to travel', according to a statement from the Palace of Monaco. Prince Albert II of Monaco donned a sharp navy suit jacket and dark beige trousers. Pictured, with Princess Gabriella The young royal was wearing a gold floral headback and frilly pink dress and seemed enthralled by the afternoon's presentations, while Prince Jacques looked dapper in a smart blue blazer (pictured) This year, children from the Roya valley were invited to discover the oceanographic museum and its treasures, a few months after the Alex storm which hit the valley and the entire Nice hinterland hard. Pictured, with their father, Prince Albert II of Monaco The trio all donned protective face masks in keeping with the country's strict coronavirus safety guidelines. Pictured, applauding during the event On Saturday 22 May, the Palace of Monaco revealed Princess Charlene had extended her stay in South Africa after picking up an ENT infection 'that does not allow her to travel'. In a statement, the palace said: 'During a trip to the African continent as part of a wildlife conservation mission, SAS Princess Charlene contracted an ENT infection that does not allow her to travel. 'Unfortunately, she will not be able to attend the Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix. SAS The Princess Charlene sends her best wishes to the Automobile Club of Monaco, organizer of the event, as well as to the drivers and teams involved in this great automobile competition.' Prior to the announcement, Princess Charlene had been sharing images of her conservation efforts on Instagram. She appeared alongside a rhino that had its horns removed in a painless process to try and deter poachers, who would harm the animal for its horns. The royal, sporting a camouflage jumper, was photographed hugging one of the rhinos while it had bandages over its eyes and ears following the procedure. Prince Albert II of Monaco took his children for a fun day out but Princess Charlene was notably absent after being unable to return home from South Africa trip due to infection. Pictured, with Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella Prince Jacques reached out for his sister Princess Gabriella's hand as they arrived at the event without their mother today Prince Albert II of Monaco and his children Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella arrived at the museum earlier today The Oceanographic Museum, which was founded by Prince Albert II of Monacos great-great-grandfather Prince Albert I, has been watching over the oceans for more than a century. The Museum is renowned throughout the world for its expertise and has more than 6,000 specimens on display. According to its official website: 'From the flourishes on the facades to the decor in the halls, every aspect of the Museums architecture evokes the marine world. Since it was opened on 29 March 1910, this Temple of the Sea, 6,500 square metres of which are open to the public, has been an international benchmark for loving, protecting and raising awareness of the oceans.' Typically stylish, the young royal donned a gold floral headback and frilly pink dress and seemed enthralled by the afternoon's presentation Paulina Porizkova showed off her toned abs while posing at the beach in her 'favorite' gold string bikini after mysteriously sharing that she was going on vacation with 'someone special.' The supermodel, who is dating screenwriter-director Aaron Sorkin, took to Instagram on Tuesday to post a sultry snapshot of herself modeling her barely-there swimwear while leaning against a pillar at what appears to be a tropical resort. 'A vacation pick: doing my best impersonation of a wood pillar. In a string bikini. This one is probably about five years old, but its become a recent favorite,' the 56-year-old captioned the stunning photo. Strike a pose: Paulina Porizkova, 56, took to Instagram on Tuesday to post a sultry snapshot of herself modeling her 'favorite' gold string bikini With a famous screenwriter, perhaps? A week before, she posted a snapshot of herself in the airport, saying she was 'taking a small vacation somewhere special with someone special' 'This is why I hold on to all my clothing,' she added. 'I always seem to like it better a few years down the line. When its not longer fashionable or worn by everyone.' Porizkova, who has taken to using the hashtag #betweenjloandbettywhite, has a similar gold sequin string bikini that she wore on her pre-pandemic vacation to Costa Rica in early 2020. She also donned a gold gown to attend the Academy Awards with Sorkin in April, marking their red carpet debut as a couple. The author joked on her Instagram that she wanted to 'look like a female Oscar' so her date 'could still take one home' if he didn't win his category. Later, in a New York Times profile, she revealed that Sorkin, whom she called a 'great kisser,' invited her to the Oscars for their second date. The A-list couple's surprise pairing made a huge splash at the ceremony held at Los Angeles' Union Station, and Porizkova revealed she was nervous about making things official at such a huge event. 'This is going to kind of take me off the market for a little bit,' she told Sorkin, who won an Oscar for his 2009 Facebook biopic The Social Network. 'OK,' he replied. Look of love: Porizkova went public with her relationship with screenwriter-director Aaron Sorkin at the Oscars in April wearing a gold dress Throwback: Porizkova has a similar gold sequin string bikini that she wore on her pre-pandemic vacation to Costa Rica in early 2020 Porizkova never shared who she was going on vacation with last week or who took her most recent bikini photo, but it may have been Sorkin. On May 24, she posted a photo of herself with a red mask hanging from one ear in the airport, writing: 'Good morning Monday and also goodbye for the week. This one is taking a small vacation somewhere special with someone special. #lifeisgood I hope youll enjoy your week as much as I hope to enjoy mine!' The day before she left, she celebrated her 23-year-old son Oliver Ocasek's college graduation, sharing a photo of herself posed with him and her 27-year-old son Jonathan Ocasek. In the caption, she paid tribute to her late husband Ric Ocasek, who passed away less than two years ago at 75, months after doctors detected early-stage lung cancer. 'This weekend, I want to send out well-wishes and congratulations to everyone whose children are taking a big step into adulthood,' she began in the caption before making a reference to her sons' famous father. 'But my heart goes out to all of us who are attending such momentous occasions as graduations with someone crucial missing.' 'Their absence in these joyous occasions is probably even more keenly felt. They SHOULD be here. There is such a painfully felt hollow where they belong.' She went on to point out that both Oliver and Jonathan thrived in their studies at the University of Rochester and New York University, respectively, despite having to endure the death of their dad and the COVID-19 pandemic that followed just six months later. Tribute: The supermodel celebrated her 22-year-old son Oliver Ocasek's graduation last week. They posed for a picture with her 27-year-old son Jonathan Ocasek Loss: Porizkova's late husband, The Cars frontman Ric Ocasek (pictured in 2018), passed away less than two years ago in September 2019 at age 75 'Both of our boys graduated on time, with honors, after having the worst year and a half of their lives. I'm so incredibly proud of them. And I know he is too. 'Together, we've raised some outstanding human beings,' she concluded the post along with the hashtags: '#proudmama #graduation #missingyou.' Porizkova and Ocasek were going through a separation at the time of his death, and the next day she learned that she had been recently written out of his will. His sons from his first marriage were also not acknowledged, while her sons and two other stepsons were the main beneficiaries, creating conflict within the family. 'He left things in a mess with the will thing,' she told the Times. 'That was such a mean thing to do to us as a family because we're a fairly close-knit family and that's not his doing, nobody came away happy from this. 'Not the ones who were slighted and not the ones that supposedly won the lottery either. It just puts everybody into really awkward situations we're still trying to figure out.' In his will Ocasek wrote that his wife was not entitled to her legal marital portion of the estate, 'because she has abandoned me.' She is currently in litigation with Mr. Ocasek's estate, Porizkova told the Times. Yes, yes, yes, yes, YES! Ignore my panting exultations, please excuse my clammy hands, but this is such exciting news from the world of words. For after six books, three Hollywood films and countless thrashings in the red room of pain, the author E.L. James has put down her throbbing pen for good. You could say that she has finally reached a climax, tied up her ending and sailed off into a sunset that is coloured Fifty Shades Of Grey. Freed, published this week, is the long-awaited final part of the Fifty Shades series, which has sold over 165 million copies around the world. It is an incredible success! Only Harry Potter and J.K. Rowling have sold more books than E.L. James. But surely even she could not wring another drop of sweat-drenched passion from her lovers Christian and Anastasia and their trussed-up adventuring, which has become a global phenomenon. Pictured: A still of Dakota Johnson as Anastasia Steele in Fifty Shades of Grey To her devoted fans, James is the mistress of mummy porn, an author whose whip-cracking bondage bonkbusters are adored and revered. They were even turned into a trio of smash-hit Hollywood films, shot in full screen buttockarama and starring Jamie Dornan as Christian Grey and Dakota Johnson as his pliant lover, Anastasia Steele. Yet to purists and snobs like me! Miss James is responsible for some of the most deathless prose ever to make it into print. And part of her genius is that she does not disappoint any of us with her new book. Yet again she has created a carnal but corny world in which characters are wound up tighter than an old-fashioned watch and arousal is measured by tongues that greet each other in every language. Pictured: A still from the trailer of Fifty Shades Darker starring Marcia Gay Harden Not to mention apologies in advance nipples that lengthen and sometimes even pebble. SHRIEK! People not only do terrible things in her books, they say terrible things, too. Now thats my idea of Sunday worship, says Christian, after a bit of weekend rumpy-pumpy. Honestly. If you have been praying for it all to end, then your prayers have been answered. Freed is the last chapter in the six-book series chronicling the relationship between the handsome, sadomasochistic, Seattle-based billionaire Christian and the demure but captivatingly beautiful Anastasia. They met, married and now have a child called Teddy and give or take a few rubber clamps that is about the gist of it. The first three books were told from her perspective, while the last three tell the same story, but from his point of view. Pictured: E.L. James (Erika Leonard) attending the premiere of Fifty Shades Darker in 2017 Has that authorial gender switch been really successful? Is Greys take on events entirely authentic and believable? E.L. James might like to think she can write from a male viewpoint and inhabit every psychosexual crevice of Grey. However, would your everyday male bondage freak even know what a dream catcher was, let alone describe his fiancee as one, as Christian does on the opening page of Freed? Or pause to note on page 425 that the lamb chops from the Greek deli were transferred into a Pyrex bowl at the exact moment when his lust surges like a tidal wave, south? I do wonder. Especially as that was mere seconds before Christian wrangled Anastasia into a pair of leather cuffs and a blindfold before feeding her the best hummus in Seattle. What that girl has to go through to get a bite to eat! No wonder her pittas were toasted. I suppose a baklava is out of the question? Stop it. Freed begins with the pair of them blissed out in a boatshed, following a celebratory bout of lovemaking following his proposal of marriage, which she accepted. Come, put your panties back on and lets get back to the party, he says, in typical cringe-making fashion. But not before the author gives him a fresh spring clean with the woke feather duster. His character is perhaps the most toxic male since Casanova, but all of a sudden he is talking about re-purposing the party flower bower by sending the blooms off to an old folks home. So green and kindly! Many chapters later he compliments Anastasia on her post-baby body. She has lost weight since Teds birth and I know she wants to lose more, but to me she is as lovely as ever, he thoughtfully notes. Then it is straight back to peeling off her clothes and giving her a good old thrashing. Grey is gratifyingly obsessed with his fiancees hair, which is wild and glossy in the morning light and later tumbles around us both, creating a chestnut haven. As always the main thrust excuse me is their sexual relationship, so fevered at times that Greys manhood is almost a character all of its own. I mean, by the end of the book youd buy it a drink in a bar, if only you knew its name. At various junctures throughout the 755-page narrative it is impatient, heavy, bursting and eager. Sometimes it is still clothed. Now and again it is sated or serviced thank goodness for that. Elsewhere, it is bursting in anticipation and occasionally it is straining, because those potatoes arent going to rinse themselves. Sometimes it rejoices, sometimes it springs free, sometimes it is approving. Sometimes you think it is going to walk into Greys favourite sushi restaurant and order some spicy tuna rolls, all by itself. No one would be surprised if it did. Yet Fifty Shades deniers can mock all they like the figures speak for themselves. Translated into 52 languages, the initial erotic trilogy captured the imagination of women around the world so much so that the publishers even lay claim to a baby boom a greyby boom, with record numbers of babies born in February 2013. E.L. James veered from the Christian Grey path briefly. In 2019 she released a novel called The Mister, which featured a Cornish aristocrat who fell in love with his demure but captivatingly beautiful Albanian cleaning lady, as one does. The Honourable Maxim Trevelyan, aka Lord Trevelyan, the 13th Earl of Trevethick, had a winning way with women (As you wish, I growl and thrust inside her), but he was no Grey. It wasnt long before she returned to the goldmine that began as an exercise in escapism on her commute into London over ten years ago. And went on to turn her into one of the richest authors in the world, now said to be worth more than 120 million a fortune generated not just by the books and films but the Fifty Shades merchandise, ranging from lingerie and jewellery to whips and bottles of wine, which the author herself personally helped to design. Perhaps the secret of this incredible success lies in the fact that underneath the spankings and the bondage, Fifty Shades has a very conventional romantic narrative. E.L. James knows what her readers want Cinderella for a more sexualised age. In many respects, it is nothing new, for Freed like all her books boasts every rom-com cliche in the book. Christian Grey is not only dark and dangerous, but a troubled man with emotional wounds. He is broken and Anastasia is the only one who can fix him. On the surface she is strong and self-contained, but also harbours doubts about herself and her attractiveness. She is a vehicle for the insecurities of millions of women; a conduit for the old-fashioned desire for a dominant male, a knight in shining armour to sweep us off our feet and rescue us from our humdrum lives. Fifty Shades is nothing more than a fairy tale with added spanks. Will Freed finally free us all from the adventures of our broken hero and his oddly eagersome wife? For six books and three films they have been through a lot. He has survived a helicopter crash, she has somehow survived his cockpit. From terrible beginning to cringe-fest ending, they remain still crazy about each other after all these years. You are the three wishes from Aladdins lamp, the state lottery and the cure for cancer rolled into one, Anastasia tells him as the curtain comes down at last. No Ana, you are, says Grey. And they lived happily ever after. We hope. The end. FREED: Fifty Shades Freed As Told By Christian by E.L. James is published this week by Arrow at 8.99. I am waiting for a letter from my GPs surgery asking me whether I consent to having my medical data uploaded on to a national database and made available to researchers, but it doesnt seem it is going to come. In fact, I wouldnt be surprised if there are millions of people in Britain who are unaware that, unless they formally object by June 23, then a week later their health records will be added to an NHS Digital database, which could then be shared, in anonymised form, with universities, pharmaceutical companies and technology companies. The NHS says it has tried to make people aware of the move since 2018 when it launched a poster campaign in surgeries and hospitals and put the information on its website. Given that we have been discouraged from face-to-face appointments with our GPs over the past 15 months, I wonder how many people have ever seen such a poster. I certainly cant remember it. The past 15 months have shown us the importance of data collection in fighting a pandemic. Without the NHS being able to collect data on how many people are being infected, hospitalised and dying from Covid-19, we would have no way of knowing how the disease was spreading and therefore little hope of fighting it The NHS also says that you can opt out of sharing your health records via the NHS app the pre-Covid app it launched in 2018 to help people book appointments and access advice on health conditions. But then if you are the sort of person who is worried about the misuse of personal data there is a strong chance you havent signed up for the NHS app or, indeed, any app given that apps in general seem to be elaborate devices to harvest our personal data. Should I send in a letter to my surgery asking it to keep my data private? I am quite conflicted. The past 15 months have shown us the importance of data collection in fighting a pandemic. Without the NHS being able to collect data on how many people are being infected, hospitalised and dying from Covid-19, we would have no way of knowing how the disease was spreading and therefore little hope of fighting it. Moreover, without pharmaceutical companies having the ability to study personal data on symptoms and side-effects we would not now have the vaccines which are helping to beat the disease. Nor would we have found out that dexamethasone reduces the death rate in hospital patients. Many other medical breakthroughs, too, have been reliant on epidemiological studies which require the processing of vast quantities of personal medical data. When you think of the medical advances we have benefited from in the past generation alone, it seems a small price to pay to share anonymised data about your bunions and the slight pain in your left ear. The NHS says it has tried to make people aware of the move since 2018 when it launched a poster campaign in surgeries and hospitals and put the information on its website Yet there is a big difference between, say, a drug trial and what NHS Digital is proposing. Drug trials work with volunteers who have actively made the decision to participate in a piece of medical research. They know that their personal information is going to feed into a study which will be published for all to read. When it comes to developing a Covid vaccination, for example, huge numbers volunteered not just to share their data but to be injected with an unproven vaccine. Building a database containing our personal data with no specific purpose is a different matter. Such data has huge commercial value, and there are concerns that it could end up being used for, say, marketing purposes. The fact that data will be anonymised provides little comfort. To take one example of the potential of this data, it could identify, say, that your postcode had a high obesity rate and be used to target you and your neighbours with advertisements for slimming aids. More seriously, were the insurance industry able to get hold of this sort of data it could be used to blacklist certain postcodes for life insurance. The information that you had given your GP on your drinking habits or your depression could in theory at any rate come back to bite you in the form of higher insurance premiums or prevent you from getting a mortgage. NHS Digital rebuts any suggestion that the data could be used in this way. It has put out what it calls a myth-busting document stating that We do not sell health and care data and We do not share data with marketing and insurance companies. That is not very reassuring. Sceptics will already have noticed that it uses the present tense it doesnt promise that our data will not be sold to commercial interests in future. Moreover, it doesnt say that our data wont be shared with organisations other than marketing and insurance companies. Indeed, the whole purpose of the database is to collect data so that it might be used for developing new drugs and treatments. Pharmaceutical companies and the like will have to be able to access the data, otherwise there would be no point in collecting it. When challenged on these points, NHS Digital is a little more forthcoming. It is, it says, forbidden by law to sell patient data. Yet it admits that private companies might well profit from products developed using data that is shared with them for free. From the patients point of view it seems the worst of both worlds: we get our data used for private profit, yet the NHS is deprived of any revenue which could help subsidise services. The other justification which NHS Digital offers for setting up a national database of patients records is shocking. Individual GPs surgeries are already sharing anonymised patient records with commercial organisations and have been doing so for years. Moreover, they are allowed to enter into such agreements without seeking our permission although they are supposed to offer us a general opt-out from sharing our data. How many people are aware of that? Collecting the data in one place, I am told, will make it easier to enforce data-sharing agreements so that the information is not misused the argument being that NHS Digital has the resources to do this where individual GPs surgeries do not. Yet the NHSs record on data breaches does not inspire much confidence. In 2012, for example, someone who bought a second-hand computer on the internet was shocked to find that the hard drive contained confidential data on 3,000 NHS patients. In turned out that NHS Surrey had sold 40 computers without first destroying the hard drives or wiping the information on them. This sort of thing is still going on: just last year the NHS accidentally uploaded personal data relating to 18,000 patients who had tested positive for Covid-19. There are legitimate reasons why our healthcare records should be used, in some circumstances, for medical research. If it helps develop new drugs and treatments, why not? But it is unacceptable that we are not properly being asked for our consent and that the rules for using our data are not more clearly defined in law. We know what the world of Big Data is like give it half a chance and it will make a grab for vast quantities of material on us. The Government has failed to communicate to the public the creation of the new database. No wonder NHS Digital is complaining that there are a lot of myths circulating on the internet over its plans. If it wants the public on its side, the very least it could do is to write to every one of us explaining what it wants to do with our data and give us a proper chance to say no. Moderna Inc filed for full approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its coronavirus vaccine on Tuesday. The development comes weeks after rival Pfizer Inc and its German partner BioNTech SE sought full approval for their COVID-19 shot in the U.S. on May 7. Full approval for the vaccines, which are at the forefront of global immunization efforts, could be an important step in allaying vaccine hesitancy, a growing concern in the United States and other wealthy nations. It would also allow the vaccine makers to market their shots directly, as well as help companies and government agencies looking for vaccinations for their employees. Moderna Inc filed for full FDA approval of its coronavirus vaccine on Tuesday, which would allow vaccine makers to market directly to the public. Pictured: A healthcare worker holds a vial of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine in New York City, January 2021 Moderna's vaccine was authorized in December 2020 for emergency use authorization, which is a temporary designation that requires two month of safety data. However, full approval is a more rigorous process and requires at least six months of safety data. The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based company said it will continue to submit data to the FDA on a rolling basis over the coming weeks with a request for a priority review. On completion of the submission, the FDA will notify the company when it is formally accepted for review, it added - although the process is likely to take several months. Once the shot is fully approved, companies and schools are more likely to feel comfortable requiring their employees to get it, because there will be less uncertainty about the vaccine's safety. 'We are pleased to announce this important step in the U.S. regulatory process for a Biologics License Application (BLA) of our COVID-19 vaccine,' Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel said in a statement. 'We look forward to working with the FDA and will continue to submit data from our Phase 3 study and complete the rolling submission.' Moderna has an agreement with the U.S. government to supply 300 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine. More than 151 million doses of Moderna's vaccine have been distributed around the United States, with roughly 124.5 million shots administered as of Monday, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In April, Moderna said its vaccine showed strong protection against the coronavirus six months after people received their second shot, with efficacy of more than 90 percent against all cases of COVID-19 and more than 95 percent against severe COVID-19. Moderna had administered at least 124 million doses to the U.S. population, of which 50.5% has received at least one shot Full FDA approval and approval for children ages 12 to 17 could boost vaccination rates, which have fallen from an average of three million per day to 1.5 million per day Additionally, last month, the company said its vaccine appears to be safe and effective in children ages 12 to 17. Clinical trial data showed the immune response produced in children was similar to adults, and although the clinical trial did not examine efficacy, no children who were given the immunization fell ill with the virus within 14 of their second dose while four children given the placebo later tested positive. According to Moderna this is 'consistent with a vaccine efficacy of 100 percent.' The firm says it plans to apply to expand FDA emergency use authorization of its vaccine for use in kids in early June. Both full approval and approval for children could help pick the pace of vaccinations in the U.S. back up. After hitting more than three million doses administered per day in April, the seven-day rolling average of vaccinations has fallen to just 1.5 million per day. The company's shares were up 0.1 percent in premarket trading in New York upon news of the full approval application. Advertisement Daily coronavirus cases in the U.S. continue to fall to record low levels as more of the population gets immunized against the deadly disease. On Monday - Memorial Day, - the U.S. reported a record low, 5,735 infections of COVID-19, which is the lowest figure since March 21, 2020. Currently, there are an estimated 52 cases per million people, which is a 55 percent decline from the 117 per million reported three weeks ago, and a number not seen since March 20 of last year, according to Our World in Data. COVID deaths are also falling with just 138 recorded on Monday. Although the figure is slightly higher than the day before, it represents an 65 percent decline from the number reported one month ago. Health experts say the improving numbers are thanks to vaccination with more than half of the American population having now received at least one dose. Former hotspots like New York City and Los Angeles are now confidently reopening. In California, people headed to the beach and camping sites for the long weekend. And although vaccination rates have fallen in recent days, it appears the U.S. is on track to meet President Joe Biden's July 4 goal of at least 70 percent of the population with an initial vaccine dose. The U.S. reported a record 5,735 cases on Memorial Day, the lowest number since March 2020 There are an average of 52 infections per million people in the U.S, a 55% decline from 117 per million three weeks ago COVID deaths are also falling with 138 recorded on Monday and a weekly average now under 600, a figure not seen in a year COVID cases continued falling in the U.S. this weekend: on Memorial Day, the country reported just 5,735 cases. This is the lowest number since March 21, 2020, according to a DailyMail.com analysis of Johns Hopkins University data. The low number may be attributed partially to the holiday, as most Americans would not want to spend Memorial Day getting tested for COVID. But it still reflects promising COVID trends for the past few weeks. Cases are trending down in almost every state, according to the U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Almost every state saw fewer than 100 new cases for every 100,000 residents last week, between May 20 and May 26. Only Wyoming passed that threshold, but even that state reported only 101 new cases for every 100,000 people. The states with the lowest case numbers last week are California at nine new cases for every 100,000 people, Oklahoma with 15 new cases for every 100,000, and Hawaii with 25 new cases for every 100,000, according to HHS. The U.S. reported 138 deaths on Monday - more than Sunday's number (124), but still trending downward, according to Johns Hopkins. The seven-day average for new deaths is about 600, a level not seen since March 2020. About 20,000 Americans are currently in the hospital with severe COVID cases - a fraction of the 120,000-plus patients that the nation saw during the peak of the winter surge. These low numbers are thanks to vaccination. Just over half the U.S. population has now received at least one dose of a vaccine and 40 percent is fully vaccinated. Over half of the adult population is fully vaccinated - and almost three-quarters of seniors (over age 65) are fully vaccinated - per the CDC. More than half of the country has met that national benchmark: In 27 states and D.C., at least half of the adult population is fully vaccinated. Eight states have fully vaccinated more than 60 percent of their adult populations: Vermont, Maine, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Jersey, New Mexico, and Maryland. Vermont leads the pack at 67 percent. Vaccine lotteries have helped provide an extra incentive to those Americans who haven't gotten their shots yet. After Ohio's 'Vax-a-Million' program showed great success, other states followed Ohio's lead - including California, New York, Minnesota, Arkansas, West Virginia, and more. Lotteries for free college tuition in New York and Delaware are geared specifically towards teenagers, ages 12 to 17. Per the CDC, 5.6 million Americans in this age group have received at least one shot. They make up over one-fourth of shots in the past two weeks. Over half of Americans have now received at least one vaccine dose - though the rate is much higher in some states About 1.3 million Americans were vaccinated every day last week, per Bloomberg Last year, public health officials warned Americans to stay cautious over Memorial Day weekend. This year, the message was completely different. 'If you are vaccinated, you are protected, and you can enjoy your Memorial Day,' CDC Director Dr Rochelle Walensky said at a press conference last week. Still, Walensky stressed that anyone not vaccinated remains at risk. In southern California, residents celebrated the long weekend with trips to the beach, camping, and dining out. The state is preparing to lift social distancing and mask restrictions later in June. California's test positivity rate is now under one percent, according to Johns Hopkins. The state has come far since it was a COVID epicenter in early 2021. Los Angeles in particular has recovered significantly. The county is seeing under 1,500 cases a day - a huge drop from its peak of 15,000 cases a day in the winter. The test positivity rate is a low 0.3 percent, according to the Los Angeles Times, and over half the county has received at least one vaccine dose. California's new COVID case rates are now under 3,000 a day - after a peak of almost 50,000 during the winter surge New York, one of the country's first COVID epicenters, has also recovered. The positivity rate in all NYC ZIP codes is under 3 percent At Los Angeles International Airport, travel reached a 2021 record on Friday, AP reports. Over 78,000 passengers passed through Transportation Security Administration checkpoints. In former northeast hotspots New York and New Jersey, celebrations were more subdued thanks to the rainy weather. Still, as temperatures warm back up, New Yorkers have something to celebrate. The city hit 50 percent of residents vaccinated with at least one dose over the weekend. Every NYC ZIP code currently has a test positivity rate under three percent, according to local news site THE CITY. Nationwide, just over a month is left to hit President Biden's goal - 70 percent of adult Americans receiving at least one vaccine dose by July 4 - and the country is on track. About 1.3 million Americans are getting vaccinated every day. But the pandemic is far from over in other parts of the world. Higher-income countries are getting vaccinated at 30 times the rate of lowest-income countries, according to Bloomberg. Even in the U.S., some states in the South and Midwest have vaccination rates far below the national average. Continued vaccine incentives, sending doses abroad, and other efforts will be needed to truly end the pandemic. Very few doctors in the United States are prescribing a drug that combats opioid addiction, a new study suggests. Researchers from Johns Hopkins University and the RAND Corporation analyzed prescriptions given out by physicians in 2017 and 2018, and found that half of all prescriptions for buprenorphine, used to treat chronic pain and opioid-use disorder, are written by only five percent of doctors. What's more, primary care physicians were more likely to prescribe the drug as opposed to pain or addiction specialists. The team says the drug works and are calling on more doctors to develop strategies to increase buprenorphine's usage, which will help combat the country's severe opioid crisis. Health experts say the drug isn't being used for multiple reasons. Buprenorphine is an opioid itself and many fear it could cause a separate addiction, for example. In addition, many physicians do not have a waiver to prescribe an addictive drug like buprenorphine, and a large proportion that are waivered to do so do not prescribe to the allowed capacity. Researchers found that a few high volume prescribers are accounting for about half of all prescriptions of buprenorphine. They believe they can increase usage of the drug by focusing efforts on those physicians For the study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers used prescription data from IQVIA, which accounts for around 90 percent of all prescription data in the country, from retail pharmacies for the two years. They used three metrics to classify physicians: how many months they were actively prescribing the drug, the monthly amount of patients a physician had that they were actively prescribing the drug and the total months of care - which is the total amount of months the drug was prescribed across all patients, combined. They also separated out the physicians by their type, such as primary care physicians (PCPs), advanced practice practitioners (APPs), pain specialists, psychiatrists, emergency physicians, addiction specialists and others. PCPs, 43.8 percent of active prescription time, and APPs, 20.6 percent, prescribed the drug the most. In general, it was found that prescriptions of the drug seemed to be carried by a certain few providers who prescribe it often, called high volume prescribers. More than half of these high volume prescribers of buprenorphine were PCPs. Researchers determined that these high volume of prescribers were recommending the drug to an average of around 124 patients each, and that five percent of high volume prescribers them were accounting for 50 percent of total usage of the drug. HOW AMERICA GOT HOOKED ON OPIOIDS Prescription opioids and illicit drugs have become incredibly pervasive throughout the US, and things are only getting worse. In the early 2000s, the FDA and CDC started to notice a steady increase in cases of opioid addiction and overdose. In 2013, they issued guidelines to curb addiction. However, that same year - now regarded as the year the epidemic took hold - a CDC report revealed an unprecedented surge in rates of opioid addiction. Overdose deaths are now the leading cause of death among young Americans - killing more in a year than were ever killed annually by HIV, gun violence or car crashes. Advertisement To prescribe buprenorphine, doctors are required to undergo an eight-hour training course and receive a license, known as an 'X-waiver.' Many argue these regulations prevent thousands of doctors from being able to prescribe the drug to addiction patients. The researchers say that not only waiving the course but increasing the capacity of patients it is prescribing to could lead to increased usage of the drug. The maximum case load for each physician is 275, so only providing the drug to 124 patients each means there is still a lot of room for growth in the prescription of the drug. 'These findings have important implications for efforts to increase buprenorphine access,' said Dr Bradley Stein, the study's lead author, in a statement. 'Our study suggests that targeted efforts to encourage more current prescribers to become high-volume prescribers, and encourage existing high-volume subscribers to safely and effectively treat even more patients, may be a potent way to increase buprenorphine treatment capacity.' Some disagree with the assessment from the study, though, arguing that buprenorphine is listed by the federal government as a controlled substance A response published by the Journal of the American Medical Association said that increasing the usage of the drug may not quite be the noble goal the researchers believe it is. 'Benzodiazepines have limited short-term efficacy, lack efficacy in longer-term use, and have undoubted potential for addiction, physical dependence, and severe long-term harms,' said the respondent. 'Like opioids, benzodiazepine use causes tolerance, dependence, and, in some, addiction, and may result in considerable discomfort during withdrawal.' The response also pointed out that the drug is not to be used long term. 'We believe the perils of [the drug] were downplayed,' they said. Blood donations are safe during the pandemic and do not carry a risk of COVID-19 infection risk, a new study suggests. Earlier in the crisis, scientists worried that blood donors who were unwittingly infected with the virus may transfer the disease to patients. But researchers from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) tested blood samples from more than 250,000 donors and found only 0.001 percent included trace coronavirus DNA. Even in rare cases where small amounts of coronavirus were present in a blood sample, the virus was not transferred to a new patient. This is 'good news for thousands of patients who may need a blood transfusion,' says one of the doctors involved with the research. A new NIH study found that only 0.001% of blood samples from donors to recipients contained trace coronavirus DNA (file image) An estimated 6.8 million Americans give blood every year, according to the American Red Cross, with someone in the U.S. needing blood or platelets every two seconds. A patient might require a blood transfusion for surgery, cancer treatment, chronic illness, and other injuries. One condition, sickle cell disease, impacts 90,000 to 100,000 people in the U.S. - patients suffering from this disease require transfusions throughout their lives. In spring 2020, the healthcare system shifted focus to COVID - while limited testing meant that many Americans worried they might have become infected with the coronavirus, but weren't able to find out for sure. This worry was especially concerning for blood donation clinics and patients waiting on transfusions. If a donor gave blood - without knowing they were infected - could they transfer the coronavirus to a patient? Some spring 2020 studies showed low concentrations of coronavirus RNA in blood samples taken from hospitalized COVID patients, providing additional reason for concern. To investigate the issue, scientists at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) set out to study blood safety at the national level. They wanted to find how often the coronavirus was actually present in blood donations - and whether it could be transferred to patients. The NIH team looked at blood samples collected between March and September, 2020. Samples came from six major metropolitan areas: San Francisco, Boston, Minneapolis, Los Angeles, New York City, and Seattle. Seattle was the first COVID epicenter in the U.S., and both New York City and Los Angeles would become hotspots during the collection period - meaning unidentified COVID infections were common in these cities. To test samples more efficiently, the researchers used a technique called 'pooling.' They combined blood samples from multiple people and tested them together. Pool testing allows scientists to test samples more efficiently, analyzing many samples at once. The NIH researchers found only three COVID-positive pools out of almost 18,000 If a pool tests negative, every sample included in the pool is assumed to be negative. If a pool tests positive, scientists then re-test smaller groups of samples included in the pool in order to find the positive one. In total, the NIH researchers tested about 18,000 pools, including blood donations from 258,000 people. Only three out of those 18,000 pools included any coronavirus. That's a rate of one in 100,000, or 0.001 percent risk of coronavirus presence. When the researchers looked more closely at the COVID-positive samples, they found that very low levels of coronavirus DNA were present. Antibodies associated with an immune system fighting COVID weren't present, either. These findings mean that, even in the blood donations where trace coronavirus was present, a transfusion would be unlikely to transfer COVID to a patient. No case of a patient getting COVID through a blood transfusion has ever been reported, the researchers note in a summary of these findings (published Tuesday in the journal Transfusion). This new study adds additional evidence to support the safety of blood transfusions. 'This finding is good news for thousands of patients who may need a blood transfusion because of surgery or a disease that causes anemia, such as a rare blood-related condition or leukemia,' said Dr Simone Glynn, chief of the Blood Epidemiology and Clinical Therapeutics Branch at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, which conducted the study along with another NIH agency. Still, the researchers recommend that possible blood donors refrain from going to a donation clinic if they have COVID symptoms or have come into contact with anyone who recently tested positive. 'It appears safe to receive blood as a transfusion recipient and to keep donating blood, without fear of transmitting COVID-19 as long as current screenings are used,' said Dr Sonia Bakkour, a scientist on the study's research team. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a bid by Johnson & Johnson to throw out a $2 billion verdict against the company from 2018, in which it was alleged the company's talc-based baby powder caused ovarian cancer in some women. Johnson & Johnson requested the verdict be thrown out on Monday. The 22 women who filed a lawsuit against J&J were initially awarded $4.7 billion in 2018 in a state court in Missouri. A state appeals courts slashed $2.7 billion off the payment, but J&J hoped the rest would be thrown out as well. J&J claims the way the lawsuit was structured was unfair to the company because a judge allowed the plaintiffs to consolidate disparate baby powder-related claims meaning attorneys had to argue multiple claims in one suit. The company has since stopped selling its talcum-based powder in North America, now only selling the cornstarch-based version. Johnson and Johnson is hoping to throw out a $2 billion verdict reached against them in 2018 after it was ruled their talc based baby powder played a role in some women developing ovarian cancer. The company argues that the nature of the trial was unfair. Talc is a mineral similar in structure to asbestos, which is known to cause cancer, and they are sometimes obtained from the same mines. Last year, a U.S.-led analysis of more than 250,000 women found no strong link between talc and ovarian cancer. The study's lead author called the results 'ambiguous' though, saying there are no conclusive results to be drawn from the analysis. The cosmetics industry in 1976 agreed to make sure its talc products do not contain detectable amounts of asbestos. Talc has also been linked to mesothelioma, with Vanderbilt Minerals paying out a settlement for their use of the chemical to a tile worker who developed cancer after working for the company in 2018. WHY COULD TALCUM POWDER BE DANGEROUS? Talcum powder is made of finely ground talc, a mineral which forms underground as a clay-like rock. It is often mined from the same place as asbestos, a mineral known to cause lung disease. While talc is used for the skin due to its softness and moisture-absorbing properties, asbestos was used for insulation. Non-contaminated talc is completely safe but, if it is tainted with asbestos, there is a risk it could be damaging to health. In the past, tests have shown traces of asbestos in talcum powder products. About eight out of 10 people with mesothelioma - a type of lung cancer -have been exposed to asbestos. When asbestos fibers are breathed in, they travel to the ends of small air passages and reach the membranes of the thorax and lungs. They can cause inflammation and scarring, damage cells' DNA, or cause changes that result in uncontrolled cell growth. If swallowed, these fibers can reach the abdominal lining, where they can cause mesothelioma. Ovarian cancer is another cancer asbestos is believed to be linked to, and is at the heart of Johnson & Johnson lawsuits in which women have claimed talcum powder has given them the cancer. In some cases they have won and received million-dollar payouts from the company. It is not clear why or how asbestos travels to ovarian tissues. Advertisement Last year J&J recalled 33,000 bottles of its baby powder after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration found traces of asbestos in bottles purchased online. A 2018 investigation by Reuters found that the company had known its baby powder contained the chemical for decades, with the earliest record being from the 1950s. J&J denies that its talc products cause cancer and it called the verdict in the Missouri trial 'at odds with decades of independent scientific evaluations confirming Johnson's Baby Powder is safe, is not contaminated by asbestos and does not cause cancer.' Tiger Joyce, president of the American Tort Reform Association, pointed to how long it took the trial judge to read the jury its instructions as an indication of how unfair the trial was to J&J. 'When a defendant is facing a case where it takes over five hours for the judge to read the jury instructions to the jury, you just have to ask yourself what are we doing here,' said Joyce. The American Tort Reform Association often backs limits on liability lawsuits. The $1.6 billion in punitive damages is out of line and should be reduced, the company also argued in a brief that was written by Neal Katyal, a Washington lawyer who aligns with progressive causes and also represents corporate clients. Katyal, who was the acting top Supreme Court lawyer in the Obama administration, declined an on-the-record interview with the Associated Press. The Missouri Court of Appeals, an intermediate state appellate court, last year ruled against J&J's bid to throw out the compensatory and punitive damages awarded to the plaintiffs but reduced the total to $2.12 billion from the $4.69 billion originally decided by a jury. In addition to reducing the damages, the Missouri Court of Appeals dismissed two of the 17 out-of-state plaintiffs. J&J said in a statement that there are unresolved legal issues that will continue to be litigated. It previously has said it faces more than 19,000 similar claims. 'The matters that were before the court are related to legal procedure, and not safety. Decades of independent scientific evaluations confirm Johnson's Baby Powder is safe, does not contain asbestos, and does not cause cancer,' the company said. J&J shares were down about 1.2% at $167.23. Justice Samuel Alito did not participate in the Supreme Court's decision not to hear the appeal, likely because he owns J&J stock. Justice Brett Kavanaugh, whose father - now retired - was a longtime lobbyist for the toiletries industry, also did not take part. The justices do not explain why they step aside in certain cases. Evangelist Franklin Graham shared the relevance of remembering the soldiers who were lost, defending the United States. In his statement, published on the website of Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Rev. Graham said that it is important to remember the lives of those people who paid the price for the Americans' freedom. "It's extremely important that we remember the price that was paid for our freedom. And that's the lives that were lost fighting the wars of this country. And for us to be able to honor them and remember them, but also to remember to pray for [their] families," he said. "Especially [with] the recent wars, what we've seen in Afghanistan and 9/11 and all of the troops we have in that part of the world. We still have enemies out there that want to destroy this nation," the evangelist continued. He added that these individuals have sacrificed by shedding their blood and giving their lives just for freedom of the American people. "It's important that we remember those that have paid the ultimate sacrifice where they shed their blood and gave their life for our freedom," he stated. Mirroring their sacrifice, the evangelist also remembered how Jesus Christ gave His life on the cross for mankind's salvation, gaining spiritual freedom. "Christ laid down His life so that we could have eternal life. He gave His life and shed His blood for our sins. We deserve the cross; we deserve to die. We're the ones who are guilty. He's not guilty," he declared. Moreover, he stated that the death of Christ became the hope of man for eternal life. "But He loved us so much that He took our guilt. He took our shame; He took our sins. And He died in our place and shed His blood on the cross, was buried. But God raised Him to life. And that's our hope. That if we put our faith and trust in Christ, that we'll have eternal life," Rev. Graham concluded. Further to the website's information, it revealed that the Graham family has supported the military for years and ministered to the wounded veterans and their spouses, as well. Edward, the youngest son of Rev. Graham, is a retired Army Ranger himself. Initially called "Decoration Day," the observance of Memorial Day began in the years after the Civil War. History says that one of the earliest records of its commemoration was organized by the slaves of Charleston, South Carolina, after the Confederates surrendered in 1865. However in 1966, the government declared Waterloo, New York as the official birthplace of Memorial Day, which first celebrated it on May 5, 1866. But in 1868, General John A. Logan, an organization leader for Northern Civil War veterans, changed the date to May 30. He chose the date since it was not the anniversary of any particular war. In 1968, The Uniform Monday Holiday Act was passed in Congress, designating the last Monday of May as Memorial Day. The law, which also declared the day as a federal holiday, took effect in 1971. The first-ever drug to slow deterioration in brain function from Alzheimer's disease might receive approval for use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this week. Aducanumab is a medication developed by the company Biogen, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and meant for mild cognitive disability or early-stage dementia caused by Alzheimers. The FDA has until June 7 to make a landmark decision on the future of the drug after a rollercoaster few years of development and trialing. Patients with Alzheimer's says aducanumab has helped them and improved symptoms such as brain fog. But some dispute the drug's effectiveness and say the science on whether or not it actually works in shaky. If approved, it would be the first drug to receive FDA approval for Alzheimer's since 2003. Aducanumab, developed by Biogen, may be the first ever drug that can slow the cognitive decline of Alzheimer's. Critics believe more testing is needed before it gets approval from the FDA, though, due to ambiguous clinical trial results The drug is a monoclonal antibody that creates an immune response that attacks clumps of amyloid beta, a plaque scientists believe damages and kills brain cells. It's the plaque that causes Alzheimer's to deteriorate a patient's cognitive ability over time. Biogen launched two clinical trials for aducanumab in 2016, according to The Washington Post. Both were stopped midway because researchers concluded that neither trial would end up reaching its goal. Later, the company revealed updated data from the second study that showed patients had 22 percent decrease in speed of their cognitive decline. The company is hoping the data from the trial will be enough for the FDA to give approval for use because a third trial may take between four to six more years to complete. Advocates say that while the drug is not perfect, it can be the help delay the cognitive decline in the more than six million Americans who have Alzheimer's. The drug getting approval could also be a foothold for future research into developing treatments for the condition. 'This will give us a new biological foothold to build on,' Stephen Salloway, director of neurology and the Memory and Aging Program at Butler Hospital, told The Post. 'To get the best in class, you have to have the first in class.' FAST FACTS ABOUT ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE More than 6 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's The disease progressively destroys a patients memory and mental functions It is the leading cause of dementia in the United States The disease kills more than 100,000 Americans every year Alzheimer's deaths have increased by 16 percent during Covid-19 pandemic The disease costs the nation $355 billion every year in treatment, research and lost productivity There are no known cures for the disease Source: Alzheimer's Association, The Mayo Clinic Advertisement The Alzheimer's Association is supportive of the drug as well, hoping that it can provide temporary health for patients, while also calling for further trials to be conducted on the drug even after approval. 'We don't think this is the end all or be all,' Harry Johns, president and chief executive of the Alzheimer's Association, told The Post. 'It will take more advances, but it does appear from the science that people, especially at early stages, could be real beneficiaries and that the benefits accumulate over time.' Critics of the drug say that giving the drug approval too early could hurt patients more than it will help, due to the wasted time and resources that may go into delivering a product that does not work. They also criticize Biogen's data conclusion of the second trial, describing it as finding a conclusion then building the process to get there backwards in order to get the results they wanted. 'The worst thing for people with Alzheimer's would be to put out a product that doesn't work,' Aaron Kesselheim, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, told the newspaper. 'It will be sold at an extremely high price and waste resources that could go to other things.' It is estimated that the drug will cost $50,000 per year per patient that uses it, a large price tag for a drug whose effectiveness is still questionable. Howard Fillit, founding executive director and chief science officer of the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation, believes that more work is needed to determine the effectiveness of the drug as well. 'There is tremendous pressure on the FDA from the Alzheimer's community, but in this case, I think the science is unfortunately somewhat ambiguous,' he said. After three centuries, Britain's biggest general insurer RSA, Royal Sun Alliance, has finally vanished following the 7.2billion joint takeover by Canadian and Danish competitors. Canada's Intact takes charge of RSA's UK and Canadian operations and Denmark's Tryg is the new owner of the Scandinavian businesses. Chief executive Stephen Hester leaves an even richer person, with an estimated payday worth 16m. In his eulogy, departing chairman Martin Scicluna sheds crocodile tears noting that 'RSA has provided peace of mind to individuals and protected businesses from risk for more than 300 years'. Under scrutiny: After three centuries, Royal Sun Alliance has finally vanished following the 7.2billion joint takeover by Canadian and Danish competitors It has been hugely disappointing that long-term investors have failed to come to the defence of a company with similar origins in the coffee houses of 17th century London to the Stock Exchange, Lloyd's of London and the Bank of England. Hopefully, RSA has found a safe home among recognised insurance outfits even if the UK is sacrificing leadership in a vital industry and eroding the nation's tax base. Of more concern is the recent tendency for insurance assets to fall into private equity hands. In a short period of time, Bain Capital has acquired motor insurer Esure and is close to victory in a battle for life and pensions mutual Liverpool Victoria. Doubtless, Bain will prove a sound and safe owner. Across the Atlantic, however, there is increasing regulatory concern over the way in which private equity firms have swept up 286billion of insurance companies. New private equity owners have been switching out of traditional holdings of low-yield government bonds into riskier assets. Private equity can bring skills to the party in the shape of more efficient financial structures and more skilled portfolio management. But US regulators fear that insurers could face a cash shortage should financial conditions change rapidly. The new owners might have to face a rash of general insurance claims or withdrawals by investors. Events of this kind are not unknown in an era of unpredictable climate change or if investors run for cover as during the financial crisis. Refinitiv reports that Carlyle Group has placed approximately 3.6billion of insurance money it manages through its large 30.8billion Fortitude portfolio into buyout funds, credit and alternative investments. Another insurance investor, Apollo, has indirectly exposed offshoot Athene to structured loans including 1.4billion invested in bankrupt car rental group Hertz. Private equity interest in insurance could be beneficial for policyholders if returns are improved. The fear is that traditional approaches, which keep other people's money safe, are being diluted. Hanging on There is an unwritten rule about governance. If a company is doing brilliantly well, intrusive long-term shareholders do not wield the big stick unless something dreadful happens, such as Rio Tinto's wanton destruction of ancient caves in Australia. Peter Cowgill, the supreme leader of sneaker and sportswear champions JD Sports, is a beneficiary of this effect. He has been able to maintain his dual role of chairman and chief executive supported by a share price which stands at 949p, double where it was a year ago. He is also made safer by the 55 per cent shareholding of the Rubin family vehicle Pentland. Cowgill doesn't take criticism lying down and, following reports that he might be thinking of relinquishing a role to bring governance of the company in line with the City code, he has issued a stock market statement saying there was no recruitment process for either a new chairman or chief executive. The company does concede that it is constantly reviewing its leadership. With so much of the High Street struggling, JD receives the benefit of the doubt. But Cowgill's ruthless treatment of landlords during the pandemic won him few friends and has weakened his prospects of holding on to the reins. Space odyssey UK investors have few opportunities to invest in space with the sale of Inmarsat, Cobham and others to private equity. The launch in London of Yoda, a fund which invests in satellite operators and hardware, provides that opportunity. Hundreds of small shareholders have banded together in a bid to stop a lithium miner from being bought 'on the cheap' by Chinese predators. In a rare grassroots revolt, some 450 individual shareholders have slammed a 190m offer for Bacanora as 'derisory'. They say the bid by Ganfeng massively undervalues the London-listed business, which is on the cusp of starting a huge lithium mining operation, and will leave faithful backers nursing painful losses. Valuable: Bacanora's flagship Sonora mine in Mexico is already part-owned by Shanghai-based mining conglomerate Ganfeng They are calling on top City investors such as M&G for support, while some also want the Government to scrutinise the deal over concerns about China's grip on global lithium supplies. Lithium is a key material used to make batteries, with electronics and car manufacturers scrambling to secure provisions as demand surges. Shanghai-based Ganfeng is China's biggest producer of the metal and the world's third-largest, with its customers including BMW, Tesla, Panasonic, Samsung and LG. Its boss, Li Liangbin, has been dubbed 'Mr Lithium'. The company already owns a 50 per cent share in Bacanora's flagship Sonora mine, in Mexico, and is the firm's largest shareholder with 28.9 per cent. But now Ganfeng wants the entire business outright and has offered 67.5p per share to take control a figure small shareholders dismiss as 'low ball' and 'a steal'. Ganfeng's takeover needs 75 per cent shareholder support. The rebels, who have joined forces on social media to oppose it, claim to represent about 5 per cent of shares. The second-biggest investor on the register is M&G, with 13.7 per cent. Janus Henderson, another top UK asset manager, is seventh-biggest, with 1.8 per cent. Dawood Patel, one of the small shareholders opposing the deal who has a 60,000 holding in Bacanora, claimed that the offer price hugely undervalues the potential of the Sonora mine, due to start production in 2023. The 34-year-old insurance adviser, from Leicester, said: 'Everyone I have spoken to is looking at this bid and asking, 'How on earth is this possible and why is something this low even being considered?' 'This is a beyond-valuable deal for Ganfeng. It is going to be able to corner the market. 'It takes years to get these mines online and in this case most of the hard work is now done and the production is funded. What they are offering is peanuts compared to what it is really worth.' Stephen Woodall, from Pembrokeshire, said the offer is 'laughable'. The 27-year-old electrician, who owns about 14,000 worth of stock, added: 'Everyone loves a bargain but this is a low-ball offer.' And student Tom Mackintosh, 18, who is based in Scotland, said he and his family have invested roughly 70,000 in Bacanora. 'We liked the idea of the lithium play because of the trend towards electric vehicles and battery technology,' he said. 'But this bid just does not make any sense to us and is not even at the bottom end of what brokers had estimated the company is worth. We don't feel like the board is standing up properly for shareholders.' Euan Stewart, a financial adviser from Perth in central Scotland who has about 61,000 worth of shares, said he supported a continued joint venture with Ganfeng but not an outright sale to the Chinese due to security concerns. The 50-year-old, who would make a loss on his investment at the current offer price, added: 'Besides the financial aspect, my concern is that this is one of the largest lithium resources in the world and it is basically going to fall into Chinese hands for a steal. That cannot bode well for the western world or the UK economy. The Government should be scrutinising it on national security grounds.' Ganfeng has not yet made a formal offer but the deadline is tomorrow. Last month, Bacanora said independent directors on the board considered the bid to be 'an attractive proposal they would expect to recommend'. Executive chairman Mark Hohnen stands to get about 2m for his 3m shares. M&G would receive 35.5m, while Janus Henderson would get 4.7m. Richard Sneller, a retired former star fund manager at Baillie Gifford who is the ninth-biggest shareholder, would receive 2.6m. M&G has yet to declare a position, with a spokesman declining to comment yesterday. And Janus Henderson did not respond to a request for comment. But Cliff Weight, director of shareholders champion Share Soc, said: 'When foreign joint ventures are listed on the London Stock Exchange, it is very difficult for the rights of minority shareholders to be protected. 'Companies such as Bacanora need to be much more transparent, so it is easier for investors to understand the options and warrants that JV (joint venture) partners have. It looks like the Chinese are buying lithium assets on the cheap.' Yesterday Bacanora shares rose 1.1 per cent, or 0.6p, to 55p. Royal Mail will make a triumphant return to the FTSE 100 when Britain's blue-chip index is reshuffled this month. The latest shake-up, due to become effective from June 21, will be based on yesterday's closing prices. It means the postal service is set for automatic promotion following a huge rally in its shares during the pandemic. Happy returns: The postal service is set for automatic promotion following a huge rally in its shares during the pandemic Royal Mail's stock closed 2.6 per cent, or 15.2p, higher at 593.8p last night. At the same time, engineering giant Renishaw is set for demotion to the FTSE 250 index of mid-sized companies. The firm's shares dipped 0.3 per cent, or 15p, lower to 5520p yesterday. Other entrants to the FTSE 250 could include newly-listed tech firms Moonpig, Trustpilot, Auction Technology Group and Darktrace. But companies that missed out on the chance for promotion to the FTSE 100 include the commercial broadcaster ITV, which had been considered an outside contender by analysts. To secure automatic promotion from the FTSE 250 to the FTSE 100, a company must be the ranked the 90th most valuable overall, or higher. Meanwhile, FTSE 100 firms that fall below 110th in the rankings put themselves on course for demotion. Susannah Streeter, senior investment and markets analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: 'The FTSE reshuffle won't see the top flight move much with only Royal Mail likely to be delivered a coveted FTSE 100 seat. But there is some significant movement on the lower deck with changes to the FTSE 250. 'The new arrivals are likely to include newcomers like Moonpig, Darktrace and Trustpilot, which have all flown on to the London market in recent months.' Royal Mail's return to the prestigious FTSE 100 index crowns a roller-coaster year for the firm. The shares crashed to a record low of 124.3p in April 2020, as global stock markets were roiled by the coronavirus pandemic. But the price then recovered as lockdown restrictions turbocharged demand for internet shopping and parcels. That helped provide Royal Mail to record sales of 12.6billion for the 12 months to March 31 and bumper profits of 730m, quadruple the previous year's. Overall, the stock has now rallied more than 300 per cent higher since its low last year. The Washington Department of Corrections didn't respond to DailyMail.com's requests for comments One suspect claims in court documents he was assaulted. His lawyer said a guard allegedly attacked him The January 6 Capitol protestors are being held in 'restrictive housing' and designated 'maximum security' even before trial He said they eat 'slop' and keep up morale up by singing the national anthem and reciting the pledge of allegiance Richard 'Bigo' Barnett, who's known for putting his feet up on Pelosi's desk, spoke to DailyMail.com via email 'The DC Central Detention Facility has become Guantanamo Bay for American Citizens,' one lawyer told DailyMail.com They're held in solitary confinement for 23 to 24 hours a day in small cells and allegedly assaulted and degraded by jail guards Suspects connected to the January 6 storming of the Capitol are allegedly being mistreated in the Washington D.C. jail, according to DailyMail.com's investigation The Washington D.C. Jail - where dozens of Capitol rioters are housed before their trials - is like 'Guantanamo Bay', a lawyer representing one of the protestors told DailyMail.com. The suspects are held in solitary confinement in cells the 'size of a walk-in closets' for up 24 hours a day and treated like 'domestic terrorists' by jail guards after several law enforcement officers were injured and killed during the January 6 violence at the Capitol, lawyer Joseph McBride said. McBride, who represents Richard 'Bigo' Barnett, 60, of Arkansas - the man known for putting his feet up on Speaker Nancy Pelosi's desk - claimed that the guards are 'roughing up' the siege suspects to show solidarity with law enforcement who protected the Capitol. 'The DC Central Detention Facility has become Guantanamo Bay for American Citizens,' McBride told DailyMail.com. 'In the eyes of the Federal Government, the 2021 Trump supporter is the 2001 religious Muslim. This is demonstrated by the fact that Trump Supporters, type casted as extremists, are being illegally detained pretrial by the United States Government.' Nearly all of the Capitol protest suspects have spent time in the Washington D.C. Jail, where they await their trials. Richard 'Bigo' Barnett in Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office during the January 6 storming of the Capitol Richard 'Bigo' Barnett, picture in in Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office during the January 6 storming of the Capitol, told DailyMail.com that '(The jail guards) do their best to get guys to break us down mentally' Capitol riot suspects (not picture) and their lawyers say they've faced harsh, pre-trial conditions in the Washington D.C. jail The Department of Corrections Central Detention Facility is pictured in Washington D.C. Smoke fills the walkway outside the Senate Chamber as rioters are confronted by U.S. Capitol Police officers inside the Capitol in Washington D.C. on January 6 McBride said there were about 30 Capitol protest suspects in the jail in April when his client was released under house arrest - following three months at DC Central. Many of riot suspects have also been released under house arrest or moved to another jail. The Washington D.C. Department of Corrections didn't respond to multiple calls and emails for interview or say how many are currently being housed. McBride said guards told his client and other '1/6ers' that 'the world hates them,' 'they'll be forgotten' and 'they'll spend the rest of their lives in here,' among other disparaging remarks. There's a pending grievance against one of the guards who allegedly threatened to sexually assault Barnett's wife. Another Capitol rioter, Ryan Samsel, was allegedly beaten by a guard so badly that he may lose an eye and has had his jaw wired shut, his lawyer Elisabeth Pasqualini said in media interviews. Samsel is accused of attacking a law enforcement officer during the insurrection. The Department of Corrections deny their guards' involvement but Pasqualini is urging them to allow her client to be transferred to another jail for his own protection. 'Mr. Samsel's safety and medical wellbeing remains at risk as a result of his continued incarceration,' she said in a May 24 motion to transfer her client to another jail. In the May 24 court document, Pasqualini stated that her client was assaulted and that they're still waiting for medical records. Samsel, Barnett, and other Capitol protestors' human rights 'are routinely violated... absent meaningful objection from the legal community, academia, or the media,' McBride told DailyMail.com. '(The jail guards) do their best to get guys to break us down mentally,' Barnett said in an email to DailyMail.com. 'We did our best to help out whatever guy was suffering that day.' Anyone charged in connection with the January 6 siege of the Capitol is given 'maximum security' designation for their protection and placed in 'restrictive housing,' according to court documents from several Capitol protest suspects. Ryan Samsel, who was accused of attacking a law enforcement officer during the January 6 Capitol riot, was attacked in jail, according to court documents FBI wanted photo of Ryan Samsel before he was arrested Barnett showing off the personalized envelope he took from Speaker Pelosi's office. He insisted he didn't steal it - 'I left a quarter on her desk' Joseph McBride (left) represents Barnett, an accused Capitol rioter The '1/6ers' - a term coined in a four-page jailhouse letter written by Guy Reffitt referring to suspects connected to the Capitol protest on January 6 - have at most one hour a day when they're not in solitary, Barnett said. And that's if they're lucky. 'Obviously, if you go to the hole, you are in the box 24/7,' said Barnett, who became a public face of the incident when he propped his feet on Pelosi's desk in a viral photo. Otherwise, their days started at 3am when they were woken up and given 'slop' for breakfast, Barnett said. Lunch was 11am, and that 'is the best meal of the day,' he said. Dinner came at 6pm: 'It was 'baloney and cheese 70 percent of the time. Dinner was almost always not edible,' Barnett said. There wasn't much else to do in between, he said. They were locked down 23 hours a day with one one of recreation time, which could be anywhere from 9am to 9pm, Barnett said. Barnett said that only one of the self-described '1/6ers' were allowed out at a time during rec time. During that hour, they could to use the phone, take a shower or walk around. Depending on what guard was on duty, they could visit the door of 'one of the other guys to say hello,' Barnett said. At lunch time, the pledge of allegiance and signing of the National Anthem were the only thing keeping their heads above water while they were in jail, Barnett said. 'While our lawyers do our bidding and the judges do their duties, we remain resolute, reciting The Pledge of Allegiance and signing The National Anthem, all in unison, loud and proud most everyday,' Reffitt wrote in his jailhouse letter. That started during rec hour, Barnett told DailyMail.com. Someone 'would stand in the middle of our area and recite the Pledge of Allegiance. We would join in. It boosted moral,' Barnett said. 'At some point we started singing the National Anthem every night at 7pm. I would start it off because I had the loudest voice. We did it for unity, love of country, and because we are patriots.' Reffitt's full letter: Page 1 of 4 of Reffitt's letter Page 2 of 4 of Reffitt's letter Page 3 of 4 of Reffitt's letter Page 4 of 4 of Reffitt's letter Images, like this one, from Jan. 6 show Guy Reffitt wearing a helmet with a camera fastened to the front of it while he allegedly stormed the Capitol 'The Federal Government has a long history of scapegoating entire groups of people in order to erode our constitutional rights and protections while simultaneously grabbing power,' McBride said. The Washington DC Jail has a men's wing and women's wing. The same type of treatment was described in Lisa Eisnehart's court documents. She was in solitary 23 hours - sometimes 24 hours - a day, and she was shackled and chained when she left her cell, according to court documents. Her lawyer filed a motion to move her out of 'restrictive housing' and into general population. For one day, Eisenhart was accidently moved to general population, according to court documents. In that one day, she noticed 'a vast difference.' 'She had an ability to exercise on a treadmill that is present in the general population area, instead of being given just five hours per week (less than one hour per day) that she had to spend alone after simply being moved to a slightly larger cell to 'exercise,' court documents say. In the general population, she could shower whenever she wanted, wash clothes, heat up food, visit a library 'with far more books,' and begin legal research, according to court documents. 'She got her first good night's sleep since arriving (into general population), as the cells in the general population area are far warmer than her previous cell (where the temperature appears to be about 55 degrees Fahrenheit). 'And perhaps most importantly, she was able for the first time in weeks to interact and talk with other human beings who were not assigned to monitor her movements and activities as prison guards,' court documents say. After a day, she was transferred back to restrictive housing for her safety, according to court documents. Lisa Eisnehart, shown here on January 6 at the Capitol, described a harsh environment in the women's wing of the Washington D.C. jail and was accidentally put in general population for one day, which she said was a 'vast difference' South end hallway of the D.C. Central Detention Facility Aaron Holmes, a Washington D.C. government candidate, leads an 'Empowerment Session' at the D.C. Central Detention Facility, where accused Capitol rioters are held The Capitol insurrection on January 6 burned disturbing images of people climbing on the building with Trump flags and law enforcement being trampled and beaten on many Americans. Phrases like 'Hang Mike Pence' still echo today as the Republicans and Democrats battle of a 9/11-style commission to investigate the January 6 Capitol attack. The Senate Democrats were unable to override a Republican filibuster placed on the bill during a Friday vote of 54 to 35, with 60 votes needed. Metropolitan Police Department Officer Michael Fanone, who suffered injuries during the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection, and was seen on bodycam footage pleading, 'I got kids' while the mob brutalized him. He wrote a letter to the congressmembers describing the day he nearly lost his life. 'I was pulled from my fellow officers, beaten with fists, metal objects, stripped of my badge, radio and ammunition magazine, and electrocuted numerous times with a Taser,' Fanone said. He and his partner arrived on scene and immediately joined the fight to protect the Capitol. Other officers were bashed with flag poles and axe handles. 'The fight here was nothing short of brutal,' he said. He described seeing about 30 officers standing shoulder-to-shoulder to hold back the 'onslaught of violent attackers.' 'Many of these officers were injured, bleeding and fatigued, but they contained to fight,' he said, and his commander yelled, 'Hold the line.' He described that as 'the most inspirational moment of my entire life,' but since then he has struggled with the 'psychological trauma.' Fanone's full letter: Barnett, who wasn't wearing this or carrying the weapon on January 6, said he was there to 'Stop the steal' and exercising his First Amendment The violence Fanone and others have described - and what many people saw with their own two eyes on news stations - led to '1/6ers' being described a domestic terrorists. That question about whether it's fair to call the '1/6ers' domestic terrorists was posed to McBride. He said 'a vast majority showed up because they thought they were exercising their 1st Amendment and Patriot Duty to stop what they felt was a steal of the election,' McBride said. Like Barnett, he said, most aren't violent, and many are 'charged with glorified trespassing.' But some suspects appear to have gone to the Capitol to do harm, as evidenced by Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes' comments on November 9 - after the election was called for Biden. 'Were going to defend the president, the duly elected president. Because if you dont, guys, youre going to be in a bloody, bloody civil war and a bloody ... insurrection, or you can call it a war or fight. Im willing to sacrifice myself for that. Let the fight start there,' he said. So far, 16 Oath Keepers have been charged. They're among the 425 plus people connected to the storming of the Capitol who have been arrested. Of the 425, about 90 are charged with committing violent acts. Barnett, an Arkansas man who hasn't been connected to the Oath Keepers, was seen in pictures with a what looks like a gun on his left hip - McBride said it was a stun gun in court documents - and charged with: obstruction of an official proceeding aiding and abetting entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon entering and remaining in certain rooms in the Capitol Building disorderly conduct in a Capitol Building; parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol Building theft of government property In court documents that McBride filed, he said even Elizabeth Ann Duke, a member of the radical and 'extremely violent' M19 terrorist group that bombed the Capitol's Senate Chamber on November 7, 1983, was released on bail. She was charged with multiple crimes related to domestic terrorism, including the possession of stolen explosives, possession of instruments of forgery, and falsified identification documents. McBride said they're being held in a 'supermax' facility before any of them are convicted. The only time he's seen that is for international terrorists at Guantanamo Bay. Advertisement The UK today reported zero Covid deaths for the first time in 10 months and one of the top virus-tracking scientists in the country declared 'vaccines work' as SAGE experts and Tory MPs butt heads over whether June 21's 'Freedom Day' should be delayed in the face of the Indian variant. Department of Health figures saw the daily death toll tumble to a stop over the Spring Bank Holiday with six deaths reported on Sunday, one on Monday and none at all today, June 1. It doesn't mean nobody died of Covid yesterday but that any deaths that did happen haven't yet been registered, likely because it was a bank holiday and paperwork takes longer. There hasn't been a single day since March 7, 2020, on which nobody died with the virus, but seeing the daily fatality count drop to none is a milestone that Britain hasn't seen since the virus all but disappeared last summer. Another 3,165 cases were announced, marking a nearly 30 per cent spike on last Tuesday's 2,439 and the seventh day in a row that there have been more than 3,000. Increasing cases have stirred fears that the now-dominant Indian strain will trigger a third wave and throw the lockdown-easing off track. Professor Tim Spector, a King's College London epidemiologist who has been tracking the virus for more than a year, today said: 'Virtually all cases are aged under 50 or unvaccinated so vaccines work.' Speaking about the tumbling death toll, Open University statistician Professor Kevin McConway added: 'When you think that only two months ago we were averaging over 30 a day, and a month before that at the start of March it was over 200 a day, you can see weve come a really long way. A lot of that huge fall must be because of vaccines protecting against serious illness and death.' SAGE members have called for the June 21 'Freedom Day' to be put back by weeks or even a month to buy more time to get vaccines out to people. But business minister Paul Scully said he was 'cautiously optimistic' about the situation. He told Times Radio: 'We need to look at the data, we need to make sure [when] we are making such an important decision that we get it absolutely right. 'One thing that we saw last year, before Christmas, was the stop-start nature just didnt work for businesses and cost them more. 'So weve got to get it absolutely right. Peoples jobs and livelihoods depend on it.' Last night Tory MPs seized on the new data and accused the Government of 'moving the goalposts'. Iain Duncan Smith told MailOnline: 'There is a kind of panic taking place. Project Fear is coming to an end and it is as if the scientists now cannot bring themselves to understand exactly how life will be.' Former Cabinet member John Redwood added: 'I think they will go for it on June 21. I think the data will be perfectly reasonable. The worries about cases is not really the relevant thing. The worry is about serious cases, hospital admissions and deaths those figures all look under very good control as you would expect because of the success of the vaccines. I would be very surprised if they changed course.' But Nicola Sturgeon heaped pressure on Boris Johnson to delay or water down his roadmap by putting the brakes on Scotland's unlocking today. She is not going ahead with dropping all of Scotland down to level one restrictions from Monday, as was planned, and today decided not to lift lockdown restrictions for many parts of the country. NHS figures show that Covid hospital admissions have crept up up across England but nearly half of all trusts are still completely empty, with only one hotspot Bolton seeing more than one in 20 of its beds taken up by people with the virus. The UK today reported zero Covid deaths for the first time since July 30 last year Covid hospital admissions are slowly creeping up across England but nearly half of all trusts are still completely empty, official figures have revealed. Graph shows: Just one NHS trust in England had more than four per cent of its beds occupied by sufferers of the virus in the most recent week data is available for (week ending May 23) [Percentage on the right shows the change in patient numbers in a week] Slide me Heat map shows how the percentage of cases being made up by the Indian variant surged between May 8 (left) and May 22 (right). It was the dominant Covid strain in just 23 English local authorities in the first week of May compared to 102 a fortnight later Data from the Wellcome Sanger Institute in London, which analyses the spread of different variants, shows that in the later weeks of May the number of positive tests that were caused by the Indian variant (light blue line) overtook those caused by the Kent variant (purple line), which had been dominant since last winter HOVER OVER YOUR LOCAL AREA TO FIND OUT HOW PREVALENT THE INDIAN VARIANT WAS BY MAY 22 People have become less convinced that all social distancing will end on June 21 as planned 58 per cent of Brits thought it would when they were asked on May 23, compared to 73 per cent on May 2 Covid woes have been forgotten this week as the summer weather began in earnest and people enjoyed time outside after an unseasonably cold and wet spring. Pictured: A crowd at Warleigh Weir in Bath today People are pictured enjoying the sunshine in Margate, Kent, today on the warmest day of the year so far with temperatures stretching towards 77F (25C) across the country Today's zero death milestone is, according to the Department of Health's new definition of Covid deaths, the first time since March 2020 that it has been hit. It happened on July 30 but it was added in after that date when Public Health England stopped counting anyone who died more than 28 days after their positive test. The decline of death numbers, combined with low hospital admissions, offer confidence that vaccines are protecting people from the coronavirus and hopefully working well enough to prevent a massive third wave. Professor Spector suggested that the jabs are protecting even against infections caused by the Indian variant, which scientists weren't sure whether it would. Professor Spector said the fact that outbreaks appear to be confined to local clusters in hotspots in the Covid Symptom Study, and that the Indian variant is not yet spreading rife across the country, was proof that vaccines are working He said in a tweet today: 'The UK hotspots clearly tell the story. The Delta variant has taken a hold of these areas but numbers are around 4,000 per day and is not taking hold more widely. 'Virtually all cases are aged under 50 or unvaccinated so vaccines work.' A report produced by his Covid Symptom Study today found there were an average of 4,608 new cases of Covid per day over the past two weeks and that around 58,665 people had it at any time. The report showed that most places on England's outbreak watchlist had seen infection rates about stable or improving in the past week, including Leicester, Peterborough, Hillingdon, Gateshead, Bolton, Bury, Lancashire, Manchester, Tameside, Birmingham, Kirklees and Leeds. And it revealed that the majority of cases throughout May have been in the as-yet-unvaccinated under-40s, with the rate of infection highest among 20 to 29-year-olds, followed by 30 to 39-year-olds and then under-20s. While they all saw around 140 cases per 100,000 people in the most recent data, the figure for people in their 50s was around 30 in 100,000 and it was lower than 20 for over-60s, who are by far the most vaccinated age group. Tory MPs have grabbed hold of the positive data to shoot down calls from SAGE advisers for the end of social distancing to be delayed. Former party leader Iain Duncan Smith said: 'My worry is there seems to be a concerted push among scientists to stop June 21 taking place. They seem to have now moved the goalposts so we can't open up until everybody has had two jabs. That was never part of the event.' Covid Symptom Study data shows that in May, all the under-40 age groups saw infection rates rise to around 140 positive cases per 100,000 people. Meanwhile the figure for people in their 50s was around 30 in 100,000 and it was lower than 20 for over-60s, who are by far the most vaccinated age group. Professor Spector said: 'Vaccines work' SCOTLAND PUTS OFF ENDING LOCKDOWN Nicola Sturgeon heaped pressure on Boris Johnson today by putting the brakes on Scotland's unlocking as scientists warned he will have to 'carry the can' for a 'bad decision' to press ahead with June 21 'freedom day'. As the UK recorded no new deaths for the first time in 10 months, Ms Sturgeon told MSPs that vaccinations do appear to be 'weakening' the link between cases and serious illness, and she hoped that in future the virus can be dealt with in a 'less restrictive' way. But she warned that we are 'still not quite there yet' and must 'err on the caution' until more of the population has had both jabs - saying that some areas of Scotland will not go down to the lowest level of restrictions next week as planned. Ms Sturgeon insisted that a tentative approach now would mean there is more chance of 'staying' on the path to a full unlocking. The intervention came as the PM was assailed by a queue of experts warning against the full unlocking - with Prof Adam Finn among those entreating him to recognise that the UK is still 'vulnerable' and the 'job is not done'. Prof Ravi Gupta, a member of the government's Nervtag advisory panel, suggested the timetable should be pushed back 'at least a few weeks, probably a month' so more data are available and schools have started summer holidays. The British Medical Association insisted the battle against the disease is at a 'pivotal moment' and Mr Johnson must stick to his promise of being guided by 'data not dates'. One consultant respiratory physician referred to 'mini Covid volcanoes' erupting at hospitals around the country, which are threatening to 'explode'. However, others have said it is still too early to be sure what can happen, with the government not committed to making any final choices until June 14. Amid growing signs of alarm over the direction of the pandemic - even though no more deaths were recorded in the UK today - ministers have admitted that a surge of vaccine second doses is the only way to 'keep us on the roadmap'. But Ms Sturgeon effectively gazumped Mr Johnson - who is back at work after his 'secret' wedding on Saturday - as she announced she is not going ahead with dropping all of Scotland down to level one restrictions from Monday. In a chink of light for residents, Glasgow will be lowered from level three to level two from Saturday. But the vast majority of Scotland's central belt will remain in Level 2 restrictions, Ms Sturgeon said. The First Minister said that Edinburgh and Midlothian, Dundee, East Dunbartonshire, Renfrewshire, East Renfrewshire, North, South and East Ayrshire, North and South Lanarkshire, Clackmannanshire and Stirling did not meet the criteria to see restrictions ease. Ms Sturgeon told MSPs there could even be an argument to move these areas into Level 3 restrictions, given the raw figures, but the impact of the vaccination programme has meant this would not be needed. 'However, it is important to stress that this is a pause, not a step backwards,' the First Minister said. 'And Level 2 is not lockdown. It does have an impact on opening hours of pubs and restaurants and the numbers that can attend certain events.' She added: 'Taking a cautious approach now while more people get fully vaccinated gives us the best chance of staying on the right track overall.' Advertisement 'By and large everybody who is 50-plus has had two jabs now. It seems to me that everybody is trying to get in "I told you so" before the event. If it all goes well no-one will remember the scientists who said don't do it. 'If it goes wrong they will be up crowing "we told you". It is a win-win for them.' He added: 'There is a kind of panic taking place. Project Fear is coming to an end and it is as if the scientists now cannot bring themselves to understand exactly how life will be. 'What's happened now will almost certainly lead to us going back to lockdown again at some point and destroying our livelihoods, our health, for non-Covid reasons.' Conservative MP Desmond Swayne said: The disease is now endemic and we must have a proper sense of proportion learning to live with it. There will be new variants from now until kingdom come, we cannot go on suppressing human interaction and economic activity as a response or we will live in fear and penury.' And John Redwood told this website: 'I think they will go for it on June 21. I think the data will be perfectly reasonable. The worries about cases is not really the relevant thing. The worry is about serious cases, hospital admissions and deaths those figures all look under very good control as you would expect because of the success of the vaccines. 'I would be very surprised if they changed course. The numbers are considerably better than quite a lot of SAGE forecasts.' Sir John said he believed the 'bit of adviser pushback' would come to nothing and the public mood is shifting. 'You can see the way people are behaving,' he said. 'People now feel much less at risk because they are vaccinated or low risk categories, and they want a bit more normal life. And why not?' Thousands were pictured out with their friends and family over the bank holiday weekend and enjoying the sunny weather after an unseasonably wet and cold spring which made lockdown even harder to stomach. Daily admissions to hospital for Covid fell by 10 per cent over the course of May, despite fears the rapid spread of the Indian variant in the middle of the month would result in a spike in hospitalisations by the end of it. NHS England data today shows the seven-day average daily admission numbers fell from 95 to 85 from May 1 to May 30, having dropped to a low of 75 in the middle of the month. Average admissions began to rise again from May 17, reaching 89 by May 26, before falling again by the end of the month. The next few weeks will be crucial because cases have started rising and medics, scientists and ministers will be watching closely to see if hospital patient numbers rise at the same time it generally takes around one to two weeks for people to be admitted to a ward after testing positive for the virus. It is hoped that jabs will have severed the link between case numbers and hospital numbers, but there may still be a link MailOnline's analysis of the latest NHS England data shows more than half of hospital trusts saw the average number of Covid patients in beds rise in the week ending May 23. But the numbers are still extremely low, with just one trust having more than four per cent of its beds one in 20 occupied by people with the virus. For comparison, 27 trusts out of the total 131 had more than 40 per cent of their beds taken up at the peak of the second wave in late January. Indian variant hotspot Bolton which has now seen cases slow down and Blackburn with Darwen overtake it as the worst affected area in the country had five per cent of its capacity taken up by Covid patients, on average, in the week ending May 23, after an outbreak of the mutant strain put 25 more people in hospital. And the number of inpatients in Bolton is reported to have dropped since the most recent official data, with the Health Service Journal reporting there were 43 by this morning, down from 49 last Thursday. Of the 93 trusts where Covid hospitalisations increased in the most recent week, just 18 recorded double-digit inpatient numbers. Just three of the eight Indian variant hotspots identified by the Government recorded double-digit numbers during the week Bolton, Blackburn and Burnley. Blackburn and Burnley both come under the East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, which had an average of 10 Covid patients taking beds during the week. MAY 22: This map shows the local authorities where the Indian variant was the dominant strain made up the majority of cases by the number of infections with the mutant strain detected in their areas. It is for the two weeks to May 22. Areas coloured red had more than 50 cases, orange between 10 and 49 cases, and yellow had fewer than 10 cases Slide me MAY 15 LEFT, MAY 22 RIGHT: A heat map by the Sanger Institute shows that the Indian variant has become dominant in more areas over the past month, with it now accounting for more than half of cases the purple and black shades in considerably more places Experts said the promising data indicated that vaccines are keeping people out of hospitals even if they are infected with the Indian variant, which is spreading rapidly in pockets of the country. Scientists were today split on whether the June 21 'freedom day' total removal of lockdown restrictions can go ahead because of rising cases caused by the variant. Professor Adam Finn, of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), said there are still many people who are vulnerable to Covid as he warned 'the idea that somehow the job is done is wrong'. Professor Robert Dingwall, a sociologist at Nottingham Trent University, said the virus was now spreading predominantly in younger people for whom the disease causes mild illness. He warned the economy and non-Covid healthcare would continue to suffer if the unlocking does not go ahead. Public Health England estimates the vaccine drive has prevented around 39,700 hospitalisations in those aged 65 and over in England. It said approximately 4,900 admissions in those aged 65 to 74, 15,600 in those aged 75 to 84 and 19,200 in those aged 85 and above may have been prevented by the vaccine. MailOnline's analysis of 131 NHS trusts the total in England after discounting specialist hospitals shows the largest increase in beds being used for Covid patients for trusts where numbers were in double figures was the Hillingdon Hospitals Foundation Trust in North West London. HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS CREEP UP IN SCOTLAND Coronavirus hospital admissions have started to creep up in Scotland, according to official data. Covid occupancy rates in mid-May plunged to the lowest levels since before the second wave spiralled out of control in September, with just 63 infected patients needing care on average. But the figure now stands at around 91, having risen by around a third in the space of a week. For comparison, more than 2,000 Covid patients in Scotland were being treated by doctors during the darkest days of the second wave in January. Patients are scattered between just five of the 14 NHS boards, however. Close to fifty patients are currently being treated by medics at NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde, which has been hit hard by the Indian variant and was kept back from following the rest of the country into the next step of lockdown-easing because of a spike in cases. Patient numbers remain in single figures in NHS Grampian, NHS Lothian and NHS Lanarkshire. There are currently 11 coronavirus patients being treated at NHS Ayrshire & Arran. The other nine health boards have fewer than five patients. WHY ARE ADMISSIONS GOING UP IF SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN VACCINATED? Admissions were bound to creep up when restrictions were eased because the virus would spread easier, experts warned. The extra-transmissibility of the Indian variant has meant outbreaks are growing quicker than expected in some hotspots. Vaccines have severed the link between getting infected and becoming severely ill, meaning hospitals should not be overwhelmed by any future resurgence of the disease. But no jab is perfect. Therefore, the link has not been completely broken and admissions will still rise if infections are able to spiral. However, ministers have been given hope by early signs that the patients being admitted tend to be younger and unvaccinated, offering proof that the jabs - deployed to the oldest residents first - can keep any third wave under control. Scientists calling for a delay of lockdown-easing measures say ministers should wait for more people to have had both doses so that the country has more immunity against the disease. Two jabs offer more protection than just a single one. Fewer than half of Britain's adult population are fully vaccinated. Advertisement The figures only include numbers for how many general and acute beds are being used by Covid patients and do not take into account mechanical ventilation beds in intensive care. This means the overall number being used is likely to be slightly higher for most trusts. Hillingdon saw patient numbers nearly double from six to 11 during the week, although only 3.8 per cent of its total beds were in use for those who had been infected. The trust was followed by the Croydon Health Services Trust in the south of London, which saw a similar rise of 85.5 per cent from eight to 15 beds, and East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, which saw beds double from five to 10. East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust includes hospitals in Burnley and Blackburn with Darwen two of the eight hostpots for the Indian variant officially recognised by the Government. Bolton NHS Trust had the next largest rise in beds being used by Covid patients (76 per cent), with the highest number of beds in use by them (25) and largest proportion of beds being used by them (4.97 per cent). However those data only go up to May 23 and the Health Service Journal reported the number at the Royal Bolton Hospital had risen to 49 by last Thursday but has since started to fall again, to 43 this morning. The number of patients in hospital with the virus in the Greater Manchester town had doubled in a week towards the end of May but then levelled off and started to come down as the surge in cases faded out. The surge had been smaller and slower than in the major waves of April or November last year. Professor David Livermore, a medical microbiologist at the University of East Anglia, told MailOnline the low hospitalisation numbers suggest the vaccines are working. He said: 'What is telling is that so few beds are now occupied by Covid patients and that all the evidence points to vaccines being active versus the Indian variant. '72 per cent of the adult population have had at least one dose of vaccine and 43 per cent have had both doses. 'Vaccinated proportions are higher for the more vulnerable, older population previously at risk of hospitalisation. 'There has been no massive surge in Bolton total hospitalised remains small relative to capacity. 'We are moving into late spring, when winter respiratory viruses diminish anyhow. 'I can see no reason to fear any major spike in the near future. Any hazard will come in the autumn, if there is circulation of variants that partly escape the vaccines. 'It would be prudent to prepare to deploy adapted forms of vaccines, if necessary. This should be easiest with the mRNA types Pfizer and Moderna.' But Professor Kevin McConway, a statistician at the Open University urged caution into reading too much into weekly changes in hospitalisations for the week ending May 23. He told this website most people occupying beds by that date would likely have been infected before May 16, when only a few cases of the variant had been spotted across the UK and England had not gone through its most recent stage of lockdown easing. Professor McConway said: 'Only a few thousand cases of that variant had been identified across the whole country by 16 May, and fewer than that at times before 16 May when most of the people in hospital with Covid-19 would have been infected. 'What's more, the evidence so far is that most of the people infected with this variant, as with all previous variants, do not end up in hospital. 'So the people in hospital with Covid-19 on May 23 would mostly not have been infected with this variant, and the current concern is with possible rises in hospitalisations since then, and in particular with possible rises that haven't even occurred yet but might or might not arise in the near future. 'A second point about the date is that people in hospital on May 23 would have been infected before the third stage of the roadmap from lockdown in England on May 17, so if there were going to be any increases in hospitalisation because of that relaxation of restrictions, they couldn't possibly show up in these data again it's just too early. 'The numbers for individual trusts are mostly so low that you'd expect a fair amount of variation from one week to another, just by chance.' Peru on Monday more than doubled its official Covid-19 death toll following a government review, giving it the highest death rate per capita in the world. Authorities revised the toll from 69,342 to 180,764 after experts warned the true number of deaths was being undercounted in official statistics. The rise rocketed Peru to the highest per capita mortality rate in the world on 548 deaths per 100,000 people, overtaking Hungary on 304 per 100,000, according to Johns Hopkins University data. Peru has been among the hardest hit Latin America countries during the COVID-19 pandemic, with its hospitals overcrowded with patients and demand for oxygen outstripping availability. Questions about Peru's death toll surfaced soon after the beginning of the pandemic. Scenes of cemeteries filling up with new burials and and hospitals buying refrigerated containers to act as makeshift morgues suggested the situation was far worse than the official data showed. Peru on Monday more than doubled its official Covid-19 death toll following a government review, giving it the highest death rate per capita in the world Questions about the reliability of Peru's official death toll surfaced soon after the beginning of the pandemic after scenes of cemeteries filling up with burials surfaced online (pictured, a worker digs new graves in Iquitos, Peru) At the height of the pandemic, Peruvian hospitals were buying refrigerated containers to act as makeshift morgues, suggesting the situation was far worse than the official data showed The government said it will now update its death count in part because of a lack of testing that made it difficult to confirm whether a person had died due to the virus or some other cause. 'What is being said is that a significant number of deaths were not classified as caused by COVID-19,' Health Minister Oscar Ugarte said, adding that the criteria for assigning coronavirus as a cause of death were changed. Ugarte said that previously only those who 'had a positive diagnostic test' were considered to have died from the virus. The review panel said in a report the existing methodology generated 'an under-representation in the number of deaths due to Covid-19.' The criteria were broadened beyond people who tested positive for the virus to include 'probable' cases with 'an epidemiological link to a confirmed case.' They will also now include people thought to be infected with the virus who present 'a clinical picture compatible with the disease.' The government said it will now update its death count and change the criteria for assigning coronavirus as a cause of death following the review Funerary workers bury a coffin during the night at a cemetery for unidentified victims of Covid in Uchumayo, in the Andes of southern Peru Announcing the outcome of the review, Peru Prime Minister Violeta Bermudez said it was her 'duty to make public this update information'. The panel, convened in April, was composed of experts from public and private health entities in Peru and from the World Health Organisation. 'Thanks to the work of this team... we will have more exhaustive figures and figures that will be very useful to monitor the pandemic and take the appropriate measures to confront it,' Bermudez said. Peru's updated numbers are in line with so-called excess death figures, which researchers have used in Peru and other countries to measure possible undercounting during the pandemic. Excess deaths measures the total number of deaths over a period of time and compares it with the same period pre-pandemic. The new toll includes deaths reported between March 2020 and May 22 of this year. Among Latin American countries, only Brazil and Mexico have reported higher death tolls from the disease. Based on population, however, Peru's per capita death toll now more than doubles that of Brazil, according to the data. Peru started its vaccination campaign on February 9, but it has been slow (pictured, a nurse prepares a shot of the AstraZeneca jab for Peru residents on the Bolivian border) So far, Peru's vaccination rollout has reached five percent of the adult population with at least one shot (pictured, residents sit after receiving the Pfizer jab in Iquitos, Peru) Elderly residents in Iquitos, Peru, finally receive the Covid-19 vaccine after at least 64 people, including government officials, jumped the line in the remote region to receive early jabs Peru started its vaccination campaign on February 9, but it has been slow and has so far reached five percent of the adult population with at least one shot. In March, Peru was hit by allegations of 'VIP' preferential access for Covid-19 vaccines in the hard-hit region of the Amazon, just weeks after prosecutors said hundreds of top officials elsewhere in the Andean nation had received shots before they were available to the public. Loreto regional governor Elisban Ochoa told reporters at least 64 people, including government officials, had jumped the line in the remote region to receive early jabs. Peru's Deputy Minister of Public Health, Percy Minaya, said such access to inoculations was 'unacceptable' in a television interview, and vowed further investigation and possible criminal charges. Authorities launched a probe into a similar, but wider-reaching, scandal in February after prosecutors and media reports alleged that nearly 500 Peruvian officials received vaccine doses outside of clinical trials and before the national immunisation program began. Outrage over the revelations prompted Peru's health and foreign ministers to quit. In May, Peru President Francisco Sagasti announced a fresh deal with Pfizer to purchase an extra 12 million doses of the vaccine, adding the extra shots would be delivered by the end of the year. The Andean nation has battled a second pandemic wave since December, with a record of almost 13,000 infections on April 1. There are nearly 12,000 Covid-19 patients in hospital, but the health system has been able to breathe a little since the peak of 15,547 occupied beds recorded on April 20. The adjustment of the death toll came six days before Sunday's presidential runoff race between right-wing candidate Keiko Fujimori and leftist Pedro Castillo, both of whom have promised to speed up Peru's immunisation campaign. Police have released footage of the moment that a 16-year-old boy was pulled from his car after being fatally shot by an officer, after the teen allegedly drove at the cop following a seven-mile pursuit at 2am. The Stanislaus County Sheriff's office on Sunday released footage of the events surrounding the killing of Xander Mann in Modesto, California on May 18. Police officials also identified the shooter as Deputy Gerardo Zazueta - a four-year sheriff's office veteran. Mann had reportedly led police on seven-mile, 20-minute-long car chase through the streets of Modesto after fleeing a traffic stop. There were five teenagers in the car. Police say deputy Zazueta opened fire after Mann crashed his car into a curb, and then allegedly drove accelerated towards the officer. Zazueta did not have his body camera on at the time of the shooting, according to police, which officials said was, 'due to the rapid nature of how this critical incident unfolded. Officials released footage from another officer on the scene, showing the initial traffic stop as well as the aftermath of the shooting. Scroll down for video Officers appear to drag Mann out of his car after the shooting. Police identified Deputy Gerardo Zazueta as the shooter. Zazueta reportedly did not turn his body camera on before he opened fire Stanislaus County Sheriff's officers can be seen performing CPR on 16-year-old Xander Mann after police fatally shot him following a 20-minute car chase through the streets of Modesto, California on May 18 in bodycamera footage released Sunday by the sheriff's office An overhead view showing the events that led to Mann's shooting. Police say after they twice attempted to stop his car, he spun out of control before driving in reverse and crashing into a curb. Police officials said he then began driving toward Zazueta, who opened fire An officer can be seen approaching Mann during the stop and asking for him to turn his car off, when Mann begins to drive off. Police officials said officers tried to stop the car twice before Mann's car spun out of control, and began driving in reverse before crashing into a curb. The footage does not show the moment when Zazueta opened fire, but three shots can be heard in the background. Police said that after the initial crash Mann began driving toward Zazueta, who then opened fire. County Sherriff Jeff Dirkse said that 'Deputy Zazueta had no time or place to retreat.' Police released details of the chase that led up to Mann's death, including its start and end point An officer can be seen approaching Mann in a traffic stop before Mann drove off Officers approached Mann's car after it crashed into a train crossing pole The footage shows officers approaching Mann's car which had at that point crashed into a train crossing pole, and dragging him out of the driver's side door. Upon seeing Mann's injuries the officers begin administering CPR as one of the passengers can be heard screaming Mann's name. Mann was then rushed to a hospital with critical injuries where he died, KCRA 3 reported. Advertisement Canadian socialite Jasmine Hartin has been pictured in jail after she was charged with manslaughter by negligence in the shooting death of a prominent police officer in Belize - but could escape with just a fine, DailyMail.com can reveal. Jasmine Hartin, 32, who is married to the son of British billionaire Lord Michael Ashcroft, was taken into custody last Friday after Superintendent Henry Jemmott, 42, was shot behind the ear with his own revolver. Jemmott had arrived in San Pedro last week, enjoying a fishing trip and hitting some bars with a friend while staying at a downtown hotel. In her statement to police, Hartin claims she invited the veteran officer to her apartment where the pair drank and discussed her personal security. She told cops they later walked a short distance to the wooden pier by the Mata Rocks hotel, which was closed because of the pandemic. Hartin told police that Jemmott said he was suffering from shoulder pain so she offered him a massage while he placed his service weapon on the dock. It was when she picked it up to pass it back to him that that loaded gun fired accidentally, according to the statement. Hartin was found at the scene by a security guard 'hysterical' and covered in blood, but clammed up and summoned a lawyer once she was in police custody, sources said. The blonde socialite has spent the past four days holed up in a tiny concrete cell at the stiflingly hot police and magistrates court complex in San Pedro, the tropical resort's only town. She was seen pictured behind bars by local media in Belize on Monday evening. The blonde socialite has spent the past four days holed up in a tiny concrete cell at the stiflingly hot police and magistrates court complex in San Pedro, the tropical resort's only town. She was pictured behind bars by local media on Monday evening Jasmine Hartin is pictured with her husband Andrew Ashcroft at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for their new resort on May 7 Hartin was arraigned behind a cloak of secrecy on Monday in San Pedro, despite authorities insisting the glamorous mother-of-two would not receive any preferential treatment. Police abruptly ejected reporters and members of the public from the building before she was taken from the tiny, concrete holding cell to the court, one floor above, at around 3:30pm local time. Officers cited COVID social distancing rules that ban assemblies of more than ten people, though more than double that amount were stood in a waiting room earlier in the day. Hartin will spend another night in a squalid Belize jail cell after her attorney, Godfrey Smith, emerged from the courthouse late Monday saying his client had been denied bail. 'The charge is manslaughter by negligence. Bail has been denied. We appeal to the Supreme Court as is normal,' he said. Police Commissioner Chester Williams said on Sunday morning that Hartin had given a statement under caution and a file was passed on to the Director of Public Prosecutions, Cheryl-Lynn Vidal. The punishment for manslaughter can be 'life' in prison - up to 25 years - in the Belizean criminal system. However Hartin is facing a maximum of five years, sources told DailyMail.com. Sources with knowledge of the island's secretive justice system said the punishment could alternatively be just a fine of around $20,000 Belizean dollars, or $10,000 in US money. One of the officer's sisters, Marie Jemmott Tzul, told DailyMail.com on Sunday night that Hartin was about to be charged and would make her first court appearance within days. 'I got a call, but they did not say what she was going to be charged with,' said Marie, 55. Hartin told investigators the Glock pistol went off accidentally as she handed it to Jemmott, according to local reports. The Belize Police Department Police could not be reached to discuss the report. Police are trying to understand how Henry Jemmott ended up dead, shot with his own police service weapon; a single bullet hole piercing the skin behind his right ear Jasmine Hartin was drinking with Jemmott before he died. She was pictured handling a gun at a shooting range in an image local news outlets said was taken from her Facebook profile nine years ago An officer who was among the first on the scene suggested that Jemmott fell on to Hartin after he was shot, and he fell into the water when she pushed him off. Marie, a retired social worker, told DailyMail.com: 'I haven't seen the news because I'm so overwhelmed and devastated by my brother's death. 'I can't can speculate over whether they will bail her or she will stay in prison, because I don't know the charge yet. 'What I would say to Jasmine is, give closure to the family. Tell us what happened. We want to know for the benefit of our family. He was my only brother. 'He had five children and a partner for 14 years. Every time I look at my nieces and my nephews I break down and cry. Please tell us what happened.' Jemmott was said to have been taking a few days to relax at the resort after having relationship issues and taking leave from work for 'personal matters'. His family have denied any romantic connection between Jemmott and Hartin, and said the officer was good friends with the whole Ashcroft family. Hartin and Andrew Ashcroft are referred to as husband as wife on their hotels website but its not clear whether they are legally married, or are merely in what is often termed a common law marriage in Belize. Jemmott's family had previously rubbished suggestions that the officer took his own life, despite claims he was experiencing marital problems. His family said they do not know why the 'cautious' officer would have ventured out from his room after 10pm, breaching the country's COVID curfew. His sister Cherry Jemmott, 48, an Assistant Superintendent with Belize Police, told DailyMail.com: 'My brother would never ever kill himself. He had his plans. In September he was to be promoted to Senior Superintendent and he was to be transferred to another unit. My brother is a very top cop with a big dream. She added: 'He had a gunshot behind his ear like an assassination. He is so skillful after 24 years [as an officer], he would never have left his guard down. He was a top cop. I don't know how he let down his guard to be shot with his own gun.' Cherry said a security guard heard a single shot. Cherry said she believes her brother, whose nickname was King because he was his parents' only son, and Hartin knew each other because she does business in San Pedro and he was the officer in charge of the area two to three years ago. Hartin was in custody in a holding cell at the San Pedro police station jail which one local described as 'hell on earth' Police tape marks the area where the shooting took place on Friday morning Jemmott's body is seen being brought to shore on Friday morning after it was seen floating in the sea earlier that day Hartin's husband, Andrew Ashcroft, 43, has lived in Belize for over 20 years, he said. His father is Lord Ashcroft, a well-known British political donor and former deputy chairman of the British Conservative Party Meanwhile, Henry Jemmott's niece, Renisha Martinez, wrote on Facebook: 'I know for a fact my uncle would never do a suicide. He was murdered and we need justice. That man loved his job so much that he wouldn't even take days off!' She added: 'First and foremost my Uncle is a dedicated man when it comes to his job. He is a caring and supporting dad, uncle and friend. He loved being out and working hard. He believed that hard work came with a lot of discipline. 'My uncle was a great man in my eyes and anybody else who knows him would feel how I feel.' Hartin and her husband, Andrew Ashcroft, share two children together. They spend much of their time in Belize, where they own a luxury hotel named Alaia. It only opened for business earlier this month. Belize Police Commissioner Chester Williams confirmed the two were alone, drinking alcohol, and breaking the island's 10pm to 5am COVID curfew when the shooting occurred. 'They were both fully dressed,' he told reporters. 'They were known to each other. They were drinking for a couple of hours before the incident occurred.' He added that the incident appeared to be 'rather personal and not an attack' and the pair were friends who had been drinking at the time. Hartin was in custody in a holding cell at the San Pedro police station jail which one local described as 'hell on earth'. Henry Jemmott's sister, Assistant Superintendent Cherry Jemmott, 48, are pictured together at a holiday party in 2019. She told DailyMail.com that her brother would never have taken her own life He added: 'She is a lady who is used to luxury. Whenever you see her she is always perfectly dressed, her children are always perfect. She is a nice lady, very polite and beautiful. I can't imagine her in there. I have been inside that jail. The cell floors are made of dirt and the whole place smells of urine.' In the bars and coffee shops around downtown San Pedro, speculation about what had happened was rife. 'I've heard lots of theories,' one woman told Daily Mail. 'That they were drinking and maybe she was playing around with his gun and it accidentally went off. Or maybe they were playing a game and she didn't think it was loaded. I don't think he killed himself because you wouldn't shoot yourself behind your right ear.' According to one source, a local security guard raced to the scene when he heard the gunshot and alerted police who arrived to find Hartin 'deeply distressed and shaking'. The police commissioner confirmed Hartin had been found with blood on her hands, arms and clothing. Another unconfirmed report claimed she told the first officers on the scene the gunshot had come 'from a passing boat'. One source offered a potential explanation for Hartin being covered in blood. 'After the gun went off, Jemmott fell on top of her and so she pushed him off and that's how he ended up in the shallow water by the pier,' he suggested. 'His gun was found there on the pier. People have been speculating there was some sort of romantic relationship between them but I don't believe that, the family doesn't think that. I knew Henry [Jemmott], he was a big bear of a man, grossly overweight. 'He's a good guy and I know he was friends with several members of the Ashcroft family. He got to know them well when he was living here on the island. It's a small island, we all know each other.' Belize Police Commissioner Chester Williams said: 'The first person who arrived on the scene after the incident occurred said that she was in an emotional state. When she was detained last night she was not co-operating. 'She stated that she needed to have her attorney present in order for her to say what she needs to say, and it's her right by virtue of the constitution, but that raises a red flag. The situation is such that it does require an explanation from her. In the absence of an explanation then she would have to be treated as the killer and we will proceed accordingly. 'His body was recovered from the water. His weapon was recovered at the scene. The investigation is ongoing. It is too early to speculate but I can assure you that if any crime has been committed whoever did it will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.' Late on Thursday evening, Hartin left her luxury hotel, Alaia (pictured) and walked a short distance down a beach to a small wooden jetty to meet Jemmott Lord Ashcroft has business interests in Belize. Pictured: Lord Ashcroft and Lord Steinberg in the Robing Room of the House of Lords Lord Ashcroft, 75, a former deputy chairman of the British Conservative Party and philanthropist, has invested heavily in Belize for decades and has dual Belizean and British citizenship. Lord Ashcroft's long-time lawyer, the nation's former attorney general Godfrey Smith, was seen visiting the prison on Friday afternoon after flying in from mainland Belize. It is not known whether she will appoint her own criminal lawyer and provide an explanation. The shooting has stunned islanders who say the Ashcroft family has been part of the fabric of Belize formally British Honduras for generations. Lord Ashcroft was raised there as a child and returned in the early 1980s, took Belizean citizenship and built up a series of hugely successful businesses including banks, telecommunications firms and tourism ventures. 'Lord Ashcroft spent most of COVID here in Belize,' said a source. 'He only left a short while ago. 'The Ashcrofts are integral to Belize. Many people are grateful to Lord Ashcroft for all the millions he has invested in this country. 'He has created thousands of jobs but, like anywhere, there is also some resentment and a lot of politics going on. 'He is embedded in the culture and has made a lot of money from his businesses here and some people aren't happy about that.' The Ashcroft's latest venture in partnership with hotel giant Marriott is the gleaming new hotel Alaia, which was completed during lockdown and opened just three weeks ago. The Ashcrofts are also building a condominium building on nearby land. 'That hasn't broken ground yet,' said a source. 'But Andrew remains committed to Belize. This is his home and it is where he is raising his kids. 'He used to have a different accent but now he sounds like a local. He loves this island and he does everything to fit in. The new hotel has created 300 jobs for the island. We love him. This has all come as a terrible shock.' New Book from Word on Fire Looks at Pressing Questions About Catholicism in Light of Scripture "The Wisdom of the Word," by Michael Dauphinais and Matthew Levering, is the latest title from the Word on Fire Institute imprint NEWS PROVIDED BY Word on Fire Catholic Ministries June 1, 2021 IRVING, Texas, June 1, 2021 / Building on the call of the Second Vatican Council for a greater appreciation of Scripture, "The Wisdom of the Word: Biblical Answers to Ten Pressing Questions About Catholicism," a new book from the Word on Fire Institute, invites Catholics who are thinking about leaving the Church, or who are confused about elements of Catholic faith and practice, to pause and give the Bible a chance to illuminate their way. From the infighting among the Catholic faithful to the sins of Catholic leaders, and from Christ's sacrifice on the cross to the Church's emphasis on caring for the poor, theologians Michael Dauphinais and Matthew Levering explore common challenges to the faith in light of the timeless insights of the Word. "Many Catholics today are leaving the Church, at least in part, because they no longer believe the faith," Dauphinais explains. "To respond to the crisis of faith, this book seeks to help people discover that the Bible is understandable, true, and ultimately meaningful for their lives. We do so by considering ten common problems people have with the Catholic faith, showing how the biblical stories and teachings address these problems and offer a way back into the fullness of faith, a way back to God our Creator and Redeemer. The hope is that those who read the book will discover a greater sense of the meaning and truth of God's Word to us in the Bible and with perhaps more options to assist friends and family members who are leaving the Church." "Today, it is often assumed that the words of Scripture are unlikely to have much to say," Levering adds. "One finds the new atheists arguing that the Old Testament God is a moral monster, fundamentalist Christians arguing that the Bible is unrelated to the Catholic Church, and many Catholics no longer worrying about Scripture at all, except as testimony to Jesus' liberative spirit. All this is a mistake. Catholics should and must hear Scripture; and the joy of it is to discover that, actually, Scripture is not so bad and indeed is radical, extraordinary, joyful, and life-giving in the revelatory words and deeds that it records about the living Creator God, his holiness, and his unfathomably glorious mercy and love in Jesus Christ. This is good news indeedand it is worth being Catholic!" Word on Fire Catholic Ministries ( "The Wisdom of the Word: Biblical Answers to Ten Pressing Questions About Catholicism" by Michael Dauphinais and Matthew Levering May 17, 2021 Hardcover | 344 pages Word on Fire Institute wordonfire.org/wisdom FOR RELEASE ON: 06/01/2021 SOURCE Word on Fire Catholic Ministries CONTACT: Will Sipling, Communications Director, 866-928-1237, Related Links https://www.wordonfire.org/ Share Tweet NEWS PROVIDED BYJune 1, 2021IRVING, Texas, June 1, 2021 / Christian Newswire / -- Why believe God exists, or believe Jesus is God? Why listen to the Catholic Church? Why is the Church so strict about sex? Questions like these have propelled a crisis of disaffiliation and disbelief among Catholics in recent decades. Half of millennial Catholics have turned their backs on the Church, and at many churches, only a minority of parishioners believe in all of its teachings about faith and morality.Building on the call of the Second Vatican Council for a greater appreciation of Scripture, "The Wisdom of the Word: Biblical Answers to Ten Pressing Questions About Catholicism," a new book from the Word on Fire Institute, invites Catholics who are thinking about leaving the Church, or who are confused about elements of Catholic faith and practice, to pause and give the Bible a chance to illuminate their way. From the infighting among the Catholic faithful to the sins of Catholic leaders, and from Christ's sacrifice on the cross to the Church's emphasis on caring for the poor, theologians Michael Dauphinais and Matthew Levering explore common challenges to the faith in light of the timeless insights of the Word."Many Catholics today are leaving the Church, at least in part, because they no longer believe the faith," Dauphinais explains. "To respond to the crisis of faith, this book seeks to help people discover that the Bible is understandable, true, and ultimately meaningful for their lives. We do so by considering ten common problems people have with the Catholic faith, showing how the biblical stories and teachings address these problems and offer a way back into the fullness of faith, a way back to God our Creator and Redeemer. The hope is that those who read the book will discover a greater sense of the meaning and truth of God's Word to us in the Bible and with perhaps more options to assist friends and family members who are leaving the Church.""Today, it is often assumed that the words of Scripture are unlikely to have much to say," Levering adds. "One finds the new atheists arguing that the Old Testament God is a moral monster, fundamentalist Christians arguing that the Bible is unrelated to the Catholic Church, and many Catholics no longer worrying about Scripture at all, except as testimony to Jesus' liberative spirit. All this is a mistake. Catholics should and must hear Scripture; and the joy of it is to discover that, actually, Scripture is not so bad and indeed is radical, extraordinary, joyful, and life-giving in the revelatory words and deeds that it records about the living Creator God, his holiness, and his unfathomably glorious mercy and love in Jesus Christ. This is good news indeedand it is worth being Catholic!"Word on Fire Catholic Ministries ( wordonfire.org ) exists to draw people into the Body of Christ, which is the Church, and thereby give them access to all the gifts that Jesus wants his people to enjoy. To be most effective in this mission, Word on Fire places an emphasis and urgency on the use of contemporary forms of media and innovative communication technologies."The Wisdom of the Word: Biblical Answers to Ten Pressing Questions About Catholicism"by Michael Dauphinais and Matthew LeveringMay 17, 2021Hardcover | 344 pagesWord on Fire InstituteFOR RELEASE ON: 06/01/2021SOURCE Word on Fire Catholic MinistriesCONTACT: Will Sipling, Communications Director, 866-928-1237, communications@wordonfire.org Related Links Rolf Kaestel robbed an Arkansas taco shop when he was 30, in 1981 and has been behind bars ever since A man who was sentenced to life in jail after robbing a taco shop with a toy water gun in 1981 is hoping to have his application for clemency approved forty years later. Rolf Kaestel robbed the store in Fort Smith, Arkansas near the Oklahoma state line and stole $264. He was handed a life sentence having been charged with aggravated robbery. Nobody was injured during the incident, making his penalty of life behind bars unusually severe. Kaestel, who is now 70, has appealed to Republican Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson who previously denied him clemency in 2015. If he is rejected for a fourth time, he will not be eligible to make another application until 2025. State law means inmates given life sentences are not eligible for parole unless the governor specifically commutes their penalty. Kaestel showed the butt of a toy water pistol to Dennis Schluterman who was 17 at the time. He has since been campaigning for his release over the extremely harsh sentence Kaestel has requested clemency three times since 2012 but Governor Hutchinson and predecessor Mike Beebe have both rejected the application. On the night of the crime in 1981, Kaestel walked into Senor Bob's Taco Hut where Dennis Schluterman, who was 17 at the time, was working behind the counter. When he asked Kaestel and his accomplice, Terry Joe Spitler what they wanted to order, Kaestel pulled back his cost to reveal the butt of a toy gun. 'Do you know what that means?' Kaestel said. Schluterman handed the pair a stash of cash. 'I've never been robbed before. That's something you just don't forget,' Schluterman said to The Daily Beast. The decision rests with Republican Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson who has until September 3rd to make a decision having previously denied him in 2015 Kaestel was caught by police as he left a nearby convenience store about half an hour after the crime had been committed. Police recovered the money and found the toy gun on the floor of his car. Kaestel 'didn't do more than pull his coat back,' Schluterman said. 'He didn't seem dangerous to me. He seemed more desperate than dangerous. 'What they did was wrong, but man, they were just so far out of town and it was Sunday night and they were out of money, out of gas, it was cold outside. I felt sorry for them after I found out what they did and why they did it.' Schluterman has since spent years pleading for Kaestel's release. 'It's time for his break to come. He needs to be set free,' Schluterman said in a video message in 2013 directed at the Governor. 'And if you really want to know, I believe that the state owes him. I know you wouldn't see it that way, but this man has paid the price 10 times over, and it's time, it's time for you to let him go.' 'A man's life is worth a lot more than $264,' Jones, left, founding CEO of Reform Alliance, Van Jones, which looks to overhaul probation and parole programs. 'Statistically he's no longer a threathe's 70 years old. He should not die in prison because he robbed someone with a water gun. He paid his debt over and over again,' said Democratic State Rep. Vivian Flowers, right 'I just don't feel like Rolf should have to spend another day in prison. 'It's not right, is all I want people to know and, if possible, to stand up and support us to help him get out. His life's running out. His time is running out. God, give him a little bit of something. It wasn't that bad of a crime to be doing that kind of time,' Schluterman said in an interview with The Daily Beast. 'When I sit here by myself and think about it, think of all the years he's lost over it, that's what gets me down,' he said. 'I have not been able to make any sense of it,' Kaestel himself wrote in a letter to the publication, 'not because it's me or my case but because this kind of thing should not happen anywhere to anyone. 'I was guilty,' Kaestel wrote 'I simply hoped and believed that jurors would do real justice And I thought that a sentence of 10 years, or even 20 or 25 years would have been more than sufficient' Instead, jurors delivered a life sentence and a $15,000 fine. 'I have not been able to make any sense of it, not because it's me or my case but because this kind of thing should not happen anywhere to anyone.' Kaestel himself wrote in a letter to The Daily Beast Although he no longer has any living relatives fighting his case, local activists are lobbying for him. 'Statistically he's no longer a threathe's 70 years old. He should not die in prison because he robbed someone with a water gun. He paid his debt over and over again,' said Democratic State Rep. Vivian Flowers. Since being incarcerated, Kaestel has gained three associate's degrees and multiple college credits. He has also taught astronomy classes and has a job in the prison library. 'A man's life is worth a lot more than $264,' Jones, founding CEO of Reform Alliance, Van Jones, which looks to overhaul probation and parole programs. 'When people make bad decisions, society should make good decisions about how to correct them and get them back on their way. Obviously Rolf made a bad decision but society made a worse decision in throwing his entire life away over that one day.' Jones said 'I don't think anybody would think he hasn't more than repaid his debt to society after decades behind bars for an offense that didn't cost anyone their lives.' Governor Hutchinson has until September 3 to decide on Kaestels latest bid for clemency. A bitter two-year battle to force a mother to trim her 30m gum tree 'for safety reasons' has taken another twist after she sold her property, claiming her millionaire neighbour only wanted to enjoy city views. In 2019, former Channel Seven anchor Bill McDonald won a bitter two-year legal battle against his neighbour Tabitha Pendlebury over the eucalyptus tree. Ms Pendlebury was ordered to prune the tree for 'hazard reduction' after the matter found itself in front of the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal. Mr McDonald said he wanted the gum removed to keep his eight-year-old son James safe from falling branches at their Windsor home in Brisbane's inner-north. But Ms Pendlebury suggested otherwise, claiming the celebrity figure wanted to cut down the tree because it blocked his city views - something Mr McDonald denied. A former Chanel Seven anchor has won a bitter two-year legal battle with his neighbour over a 30-metre eucalyptus tree Tabitha Pendlebury was ordered to prune the tree for 'hazard reduction' after the matter found itself in front of the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal in 2019 Former news anchor Bill McDonald said he wanted the gum removed to keep his eight-year-old son James safe from falling branches at their Windsor home The mother has since pulled out of plans to subdivide after she and Mr McDonald applied to Brisbane City Council together in late 2017 for plans for 'detached residential purposes'. The council granted the permit during the pair's long-running dispute over the tree. But a letter has since been sent to the council asked to exclude Ms Pendlebury's lot. 'The proposed changes are functionally the same as the approved development, on a reduced scale,' the letter stated. The revised plans would provide room for Mr McDonald's car to access the back of the lot where Ms Pendlebury's tree was hanging over the yard. During their old row over the tree, Ms Pendlebury said the QCAT process had been very time consuming and she was forced to take time off work. 'To me the flaw (in the process) is the trees are an unfortunate pawn in process,' Ms Pendlebury told The Courier-Mail at the time. 'It's been there longer than I've been alive, what right do I have to remove it.' Ms Pendlebury, who has an eight-year-old daughter, submitted to the tribunal that said she did not see the tree, believed to be 80 years old, as a safety risk and the arborist said it was 'super healthy'. Mr McDonald said a seven-metre branch had fallen near his son, who has a cubby house sitting near the base of the tree. Ms Pendlebury said she was approached by Mr McDonald to prune the tree and sought a vegetation protection order 'They are called widow-makers for a reason,' he said. Ms Pendlebury said the falling branch was caught by another tree and Mr McDonald, who moved into the house in 2016, built his son's cubby after moving in. Ms Pendlebury said she was approached by Mr McDonald to prune the tree and sought a vegetation protection order. QCAT found there should be regular annual pruning of the tree following the 'hazard reduction' prune. A brave father has revealed the brave words he used to keep his young daughter alive during a dramatic four-hour-long ocean rescue when their boat sank at sea. Glenn Anderson, 41, and his young daughter Ruby, 11, were thrown from their boat while sailing from Western Australia's Rottnest Island to Sandy Cape at 11:30am on Sunday. The pair spent four agonising hours treading water just north of Jurien Bay, after their 11.4 metre yacht was capsized by a breaking wave in 40 knot winds, with the desperate dad constantly telling her 'we are going to make it'. The father and daughter were among five people on board the vessel who were forced to abandon the sinking ship. Glenn Anderson, 41, and his young daughter Ruby, 11, (pictured) were thrown from their yacht while sailing from Rottnest Island to Sandy Cape on Sunday Mr Anderson sustained a deep gash to his forehead as he fell from the yacht, while his young daughter Ruby broke her leg in two places Mr Anderson's crew members, a 32-year-old man and two women aged 32 and 35 had joined the pair on a three-month expedition to Exmouth from Busselton. Speaking of his ocean ordeal to reporters, the 41-year-old said he and his daughter were in the cockpit when the giant wave threw them out of the boat. Mr Anderson sustained a deep gash to his forehead during the fall while Ruby broke her left leg in two places, but luckily the pair were able to secure life-jackets. 'All of a sudden there was a breaking wave outside of the boat and we tried to take evasive action but it was too late, and the wave knocked the boat flat,' Mr Anderson told 9News. 'It was like something out of a movie, the mast just went down in a matter of minutes.' It took less than five minutes for the yacht to sink, with the family's nine-month-old puppy Banjo tragically taken down with the vessel. The brave father towed his young daughter for five kilometres as they waited to be rescued, desperately trying to keep Ruby's head above the rough swell. Mr Anderson said he and his daughter waved at the the rescue helicopter every time it flew overhead, estimating it was at least 20 times during the four hour ordeal (pictured, the helicopter in action) It took less than five minutes for the yacht to sink, which tragically took the familys nine-month-old puppy named Banjo with it (pictured) Mr Anderson said he encouraged his exhausted daughter to keep going by repeating a mantra. 'There was no way we could give up, stopping wasn't an option. I kept saying to her "(Ruby) we are going to make it, no matter what".' The experienced sailor said he tightly held his daughter throughout the ordeal, and told her when she needed to hold her breath under the breaking waves. Mr Anderson's crew members - who had been able to set off an emergency beacon - were rescued first just before 2pm. It was another hour before the father and daughter were rescued by a fisheries vessel who picked them up 200 metres from the shore. Mr Anderson said Ruby was barely able to speak or say her own name as she got onto the rescue boat. 'She was severely hypothermic to the point the paramedic said he couldn't get a temperature reading from her finger because there was no circulation at all.' Jurien Bay police, an Australian Maritime Safety Authority jet and the RAC Rescue helicopter (pictured) were involved in rescue effort Mr Anderson's crew members, a 32-year-old man and two women aged 32 and 35 were luckily able to set off an emergency beacon and throw life-jackets into the water Ruby is recovering in the Perth Children's Hospital in a stable condition. Jurien Bay police, an Australian Maritime Safety Authority jet and the RAC Rescue helicopter were involved in the rescue efforts. Maritime authorities have said the group's use of life-jackets and an emergency beacon were crucial in their safe return to shore. Mr Anderson has passed on his thanks to the rescue crews who saved their lives. 'I just can't be grateful enough, I can't express my gratitude in words', he said. An Australian single mother surviving on one meal a day has been left on the brink of homelessness as she desperately tries to find work. Adelaide mother Rita Sacchetta, 56, has been struggling to get by since losing her job in March 2019 and relies on government assistance to pay her rent. Last week she narrowly avoided losing the roof over her head after the government cut off the rent reduction scheme in her suburb. Housing South Australia stepped in to move Ms Sacchetta into another home just hours before her lease ended on May 25. She said she had never been wealthy but was now experiencing an unprecedented battle to make ends meet - even having to choose whether to buy food or medication for her diabetes. Northern Adelaide mother Rita Sacchetta, 56, last week narrowly avoided being left homeless and faces a daily battle choosing between buying food and essential medication for her diabetes An example of the type of meal the mother may only eat once a day to save money. She has taken to her Facebook account to protest about her situation and housing rights in Australia Ms Sacchetta is one of about 450,000 Australian women over the age of 45 at risk of being made homeless, according to the Australian Council of Social Service. Often eating just one day a week has taken its toll on the 56-year-old, with her weight falling from 100kg to 55kg since she has been out of work. She said she was taken to hospital earlier this year and nearly died because her financial situation meant she was unable to manage her medical condition. 'If you don't look after your diabetes, your sugar levels are unregulated. You go into ketoacidosis, your blood becomes toxic and your organs shut down,' she told 7News. She receives Jobseeker having tried and failed to even reach the interview stage for a job position for more than two years, but it's not enough. 'If you keep people in poverty, unable to eat and take medications, then people are going to get sicker and sicker,' she said. When Ms Sacchetta could no longer afford the rent for her home (pictured) , Housing South Australia stepped in to move her into another property She held a sign up in a Facebook post telling how her near-death experience in hospital was a direct result of her poverty 'I never experienced anything like this.' Ms Sacchetta has taken to her Facebook account to protest about her situation and housing rights in Australia. In one post, she held a sign up telling how her near-death experience in hospital was a direct result of her poverty. 'My body and organs had started to shut down,' the sign reads. 'It happened because I have a chronic condition and autoimmune disease and on Newstart/Jobseeker I cannot afford to eat or medicate properly. 'I was saved this time but next time I might not be so lucky.' Cafe said decision was a way to give back to 'supportive' local community A generous Melbourne cafe owner is giving away free coffees to anyone left jobless or 'having a hard time' during the state's tough fourth coronavirus lockdown. Jethro Canteen in Richmond, in the city's inner suburbs, put up a chalkboard sign on Monday offering free coffee for the next seven days in a heartfelt act of kindness. 'If you're a shift worker/casual employee who has been stood down, have lost shifts during the next week or just having a hard time, coffee for the next seven days is free,' the sign read. Jethro Canteen in Richmond put up a sign (pictured) offering free coffee for next seven days for people who have lost their jobs or 'having a hard time' The popular dining spot is encouraging customers to simply 'come to the counter' to receive their free beverage The popular dining spot is encouraging customers to simply 'come to the counter' to receive their free beverage. 'Let us know you need a hand and your coffee will be sorted,' the cafe said. Jethro Canteen said their decision was a way to give back to the community who supported the business during the state's previous lockdown orders. 'We've been supported by our community beyond what we could have imagined these last 12 months, as such we'd like to support those that need it in our own little way,' a spokesperson for the cafe said. The 'sense of community spirit' was praised online by regulars to the well-loved cafe. Jethro Canteen (pictured) put up the heartfelt sign on Monday as a way to give back to the community One person said the offer was an 'especially nice gesture because social isolation and just going stir-crazy has been a major issue during Covid times'. 'This will hopefully give some people an excuse to get up and out of the house,' the coffee lover wrote on Reddit. 'That makes me want to go there and pay it forward. Like give them a tip, to just help. What a wonderful idea,' another said. 'This is beautiful! Melburnians caring for Melburnians... as always,' another commented. Jethro Canteen (pictured) said their decision was a way to give back to the community who supported the business during the state's previous lockdown orders. The kind gesture comes as Victoria's chief health officer Brett Sutton described the virus as 'an absolute beast'. Mr Sutton said authorities were 'neck and neck' with the virus to trace cases and control its spread by Friday, or concede defeat and go for another hard lockdown. The number of cases in the state rose to 54 on Tuesday after three new local infections were confirmed overnight. Contact tracers are scrambling to identify about 4,200 close contacts and 279 exposure sites as the end of lockdown looms on Thursday. Acting Premier James Merlino said on Monday the decision on whether to lift or extend restrictions would not only depend on the number of new infections, but the 'types of cases'. 'There is no doubt the situation is incredibly serious,' Mr Merlino said. 'The next few days remain critical this outbreak may well get worse before it gets better.' A heartbroken daughter who lost her father to Covid-19 last year is terrified 'history will repeat itself' as the virus begins to ravage through the aged care sector. Melbourne health care worker Evagelia Takis farewelled her father during the city's deadly second wave last year that killed 800 people. It's since been revealed that a rule banning aged care staff from working at multiple facilities was quietly overturned in November - with many fearing this is putting those in the sector at greater risk of contracting the disease. As Melbourne is in the midst of another lockdown, four aged care homes have been linked to the recent cluster of cases. Ms Takis said she was in disbelief aged care workers were allowed to see residents at various homes. 'I feel bitter watching history repeating itself. It just seems like they (the state government) are not taking this pandemic seriously,' she told Sunrise on Tuesday morning. 'Aged care residents need to be prevented from this situation, because they're the most vulnerable, and we need to take care of our elderly residents and advocate for them.' Ms Takis said her family were still 'traumatised' and grieving the loss of their father who had been a resident at St Basil's where 45 people tragically died. 'Changes need to happen soon,' she said. In a heated exchange with Aged Care Minister Richard Colbeck, Sunrise host David Koch questioned the government's rules regarding the sector. When asking why staff were allowed to work at multiple facilities, Mr Colbeck said there was various reasons, including that it was 'not legal' to limit a person's working circumstances. Melbourne health care worker Evagelia Takis lost her father during Melbourne's deadly second wave of the virus last year The minister said the rules would come back into affect whenever there was community transmission. 'When there is a hotspot declared, it's automatically triggered, and triggered the one worker, one site process,' Mr Colbeck said. The Sunrise host then demanded answers regarding why all aged care workers hadn't been vaccinated and why getting the job wasn't mandatory. Mr Colbeck said he was unable to confirm the number of aged care workers that had received the jab. 'We all are concerned with respect to ensuring that we get the workforce vaccinated and that's why we made them a priority, as well as the residents,' he said. Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt have asked the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) to reconsider its advice for not making vaccinations mandatory for aged care workers. Vaccinations are not mandatory for those working in aged care facilities, with Health Minister Greg Hunt saying that was under review (pictured staff at aged care home in Melbourne) This decision had been made in January. 'That was not recommended at the time and we have asked the medical expert panel to review precisely that question,' Mr Hunt said. A resident at the Arcare facility in Maidstone, Melbourne caught the virus after an infected staffer worked while infectious, with another worker also testing positive on Monday. The staff member, despite working with vulnerable people and being eligible for the jabs since February, was not vaccinated and the resident has only had their first jab. Victoria's latest latest coronavirus outbreak has grown to 54 cases. Michael Flynn has backtracked on comments he made at a QAnon conference this weekend where he said a military coup similar to the one that occurred in Myanmar earlier this year 'should happen' in the United States. The retired general, who briefly served as national security adviser under President Donald Trump, made the comments in response to a question from an audience member at a conference organized by supporters of the QAnon conspiracy in Dallas, Texas. The man said he was a 'simple Marine' and asked 'why what happened in Myanmar can't happen here?' 'There's no reason', Flynn responded as the audience cheered. 'I mean, it should happen that's right.' Response to the exchange was furious, with some calling for his court martial. On Monday Flynn issued a frantic backtrack in a post on messaging app Telegram. He wrote: 'Let me be VERY CLEAR There is NO reason whatsoever for any coup in America, and I do not and have not at any time called for any action of that sort. He said his comments had been misconstrued, adding, 'I am no stranger to media manipulating my words and therefore let me repeat my response to a question asked at the conference: There is no reason it (a coup) should happen here (in America).' Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, President Donald Trump's former national adviser walked back comments he made over the weekend in which he supported the idea of a military coup similar to Myanmar's happening in the U.S. Flynn made the comments at a conference organized by supporters of the QAnon conspiracy in Dallas, Texas On Monday Army Col. Yevgeny 'Eugene' Vindman tweeted, 'With these seditious remarks Comrade Flynn may have crossed the line for recall to active duty and court-martial. As a JAG Im qualified and also happy to prosecute this case.' Vindman is the twin brother of Alexander Vindman, who was a key witness in Trump's impeachment over comments he made to the Ukrainian President. Both sat on the National Security Council before being fired shortly after the trial. Steve Vladeck, a professor in federal law at the University of Texas also wrote on Twitter that even retired Flynn was subject to the Army's Uniform Code of Military Justice. 'The constitutionality of jurisdiction over retirees for post-retirement offenses is something were currently challenging in the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces & the D.C. Circuit,' he tweeted. Army Col. Yevgeny 'Eugene' Vindman said that Flynn's comments could lead to a court martial. He is the twin brother of Alexander Vindman, who served as a key witness in Trump's Ukraine impeachment trial Federal law professor Steve Vladeck said that even retired, Flynn was subject to the Army's Code of Military Justice Myanmar's military-led coup saw the country's democratically-elected government overturned. Military chief Min Aung Hlaing was installed as the country's leader with the junta killing hundreds of civilians. Others also took to social media to blast Flynn's remarks. A number of Twitter users heard the comments and demanded that he be court-martialed 'Hello SecDef! Can we get a Court Martial? Call him back to duty and then dishonorably discharge him. My tax payer dollars shouldnt be paying for his benefits,' wrote one. 'Wow. It dont get much more traitory than this,' added another. 'Why isn't Michael Flynn behind bars of fomenting a treasonous insurrection against the United States? Surely treasonous words are not covered by Trump's pardon,' asked Muriel Burrows. 'Recall General Michael Flynn to active duty immediately for purposes of court-martial. This must be done ASAP.' tweeted Jeannette Stone. 'I think now might be a good time to call retired officer Michael Flynn back to active duty, court martial and strip him of his rank and benefits for conspiracy and committing seditious acts against the United States,' said another. 'Michael Flynn is clearly an enemy of the USA. Let's honor our veterans this Memorial Day by arresting this unamerican traitor.' 'Minimar? sounds like dude has been spending too much time at the minibar,' joked one Twitter user who noticed Flynn's mispronunciation. 'We now return you to the Republican coup, already in progress . . . THIS is why the GOP wants to block every investigation into the January 6th attack on the Capital: Because it starts and ends with them,' said DC Lascelle. As of April more than 700 civilians have been killed by military and police forces in Mayanmar since the coup Trump supporters clash with police and security forces as people try to storm the US Capitol in Washington D.C. 'Flynn hopefully will be prosecuted under 18 U.S. Code 2385 Astonishing if someone holding the rank of General in the United States Army who was also a National Security Advisor can get away with calling for a Myanmar-style coup,' wrote another user. 'FBI please arrest this man. He is asking Americans to turn against their government!', demanded another Twitter follower. In the past, QAnon supporters have aired their support for a coup to take place that would see Trump be placed back at the White House. One interview aired on CNN showed Trump supporters advocating for a military coup to take over and 'redo' the election, remove 'puppet president' Joe Biden and hold a new inauguration for Trump. President Trump pardoned Flynn last Thanksgiving. Flynn's conviction for lying to the FBI during the Russia investigation was wiped following the presidential pardon. In 2017, Trump fired Flynn after just weeks on the job after it was revealed he did not disclose his contacts with Russia's former ambassador to the US to Vice President Mike Pence. A confronting picture showing a flock of dead galahs apparently killed by rodent poison has sparked debate about the tragic but unintended consequences of efforts to control the mouse plague ravaging parts of regional eastern Australia. A Reddit user posted the disturbing photo on Monday of a flock of more than 50 dead galahs, plus one of a sole survivor and two they were trying to nurse back to health. He had been enjoying a bush walk when he came across the horrific site, right next to wear the birds usually hung out, who had apparently killed by chemicals laid to stop mice. Concerns have already been raised that poisons already in use could hurt many native animals, as a 'napalm-like' chemical also comes under consideration. This confronting image of a flock of over 50 dead galahs was shared to Reddit (pictured) with the birds apparently killed by chemicals used to battle the mouse plague The walker shared a sad but hopeful image of her efforts to save a surviving trio of galahs she says were poisoned There was one healthy survivor after the flock of galahs were apparently killed by poison The location of the photo posted to Reddit was not identified, but thread was titled: 'This is the reality of using baited grain to kill mice. Bait the mice, not our native animals.' The user claimed to have been caring for 'poisoned galahs for quite a while now', but spotted the 'beautiful flock' of dead galahs who usually lived around a local cemetery. 'This has utterly broken me,' the user wrote. 'This is just a devastating situation all around. Sick and completely heartbroken.' 'I agree with killing mice, but not spreading the poisoned grain, if this is being done?' Fierce debate raged in the Reddit thread over what to do about the mouse plague - which has devastated agriculture across southern Queensland and central New South Wales and terrorized regional communities for nearly a year - but also the harms done in efforts to halt it. Similar posts have appeared in Facebook groups focused on native animals. Farmers have collected scores of rodents across Australia (pictured above) who have been causing havoc with stock. Pictured is the plague in Dubbo in central-west NSW The extent of Australia's revolting mouse plague is shown in this alarming new map by the CSIRO (pictured) The government has secured 5000 litres of the super-deadly rodent poison bromadiolone - offering to provide it for free once federal authorities approve its use In the group Australian Wildlife, one concerned member posted, 'In the past week, I have counted four dead galahs and about 10 pigeons.' 'Their bodies have no apparent injuries. I am wondering if the dead birds ate the mouse bait that is being dropped in this area?' The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority issued a statement confirming it has issued five emergency permits for the use of zinc phosphide to control mice. Permits have also been sought for use of a poison that is considered 'napalm' to rodents, bromadiolone. The New South Wales government sought urgent approval in May for the use of bromadiolone, the strongest bait available. 'It'll be the equivalent of napalming mice across rural NSW Agriculture Minister Adam Marshall told the ABC when a $50million rescue package for affected communities was announced. That claim angered aquafarmers and environmentalists particularly concerned about the effect on the Murray Cod - which is officially endangered. 'If this poison is put out into the environment you might as well be directly poisoning threatened and vulnerable species like Murray cod, which is a vulnerable species under federal legislation,' Mel Gray, from Healthy Rivers Dubbo said. According to the National Pesticides Information Centre, bromadiolone causes animals that consume it a slow and painful death over several days, during which they 'bleed to death'. It is highly toxic to fish, birds and mammals - including dogs. A Cootamundra farmer also posted about the dangers of the poison to domestic pets. 'Just thought I'd put it out there that everyone should be paying attention to there dogs cats and poultry for bait poisoning, we had to take our dog to the vet today(fingers crossed we caught her early enough) with bromadiolone poisoning,' he wrote. People can report a program around the use of agricultural chemicals via APVMA's Adverse Reporting Experience Program. Penalties for improper use of agricultural chemicals are administered at state and territory level. Daily Mail Australia contacted Wires and the The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority for comment. A government source said carbon taxes only work if also adopted by other countries and could raise food prices for the consumer Environment Secretary George Eustice sparked a fresh Cabinet trade war yesterday as he suggested a carbon tax could be slapped on food imports. He said the levy could be used to protect British farmers against cheaper goods from polluting countries. But Mr Eustice who is already at loggerheads with International Trade Secretary Liz Truss over plans for an Australian trade deal faced a backlash from colleagues. Appearing on Radio 4's Today programme, he said: 'There are some quite complex difficulties with free trade deals which economists are grappling with at the moment right around the world. 'In a world where you want the sovereignty to set your own environmental standards and to mean what you say on that, you do have to consider what happens in the context of international trade. Environment Secretary George Eustice sparked a fresh Cabinet trade war yesterday as he suggested a carbon tax could be slapped on food imports. He said the levy could be used to protect British farmers against cheaper goods from polluting countries [Stock image] 'That is why a lot of people are looking the UK included on whether there should be, when we measure our carbon emissions, something much more around consumption... so that you measure the carbon of the food and other goods that you import not just what your emissions are.' But a Government source hit back, warning: 'Carbon taxes only work if other nations have them too, otherwise it just amounts to protectionism and limits consumer choice possibly raising the cost of food.' The source argued that a carbon tax would 'ironically do nothing to help the environment because countries will just send their food and goods elsewhere'. Mr Eustice's remarks come after former international trade secretary Liam Fox proposed a 'carbon border tax' to protect British companies. He said the policy would push states with lax environmental rules to emit less, while improving domestic support for decarbonisation. Mr Eustice and Miss Truss have clashed in recent weeks over plans for a trade deal with Australia that promises to sweep away tariffs and quotas on goods and services. The National Farmers Union has warned that hundreds of smaller family farms will be wiped out as the UK is flooded with cheap, mass-produced Australian beef and lamb. Its president, Minette Batters, has even claimed that the deal could destroy Britain's rolling countryside, turning 'our green and pleasant land' into the 'Australian outback', as small family farms are replaced with vast, Aussie-style cattle stations. For former Afghan translator Waheed, the news that he is set to be approved for relocation to the UK is a 'life-saving dream come true'. 'It lifts a shadow from our lives and means finally my family will be safe from the Taliban,' said the 29-year-old who worked for three years with military spies and frontline troops in Helmand Province. Like many other interpreters who risked their lives with British troops, he learnt yesterday that the Government is fast-tracking their cases and widening the criteria under which they can seek sanctuary in the UK. Hundreds of Afghans who worked for British forces are expected to relocate as Taliban insurgents step up attacks and the UK prepares to leave Afghanistan. It is estimated that around 3,000, including families, will be rescued. Pictured: Former Afghan UK military translator Waheed with British Forces in Helmand Under changes to the criteria revealed by the Daily Mail yesterday, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has opened the way for hundreds of interpreters whose contracts were terminated for minor offences to relocate. More than 1,000 35 per cent of translators employed by UK forces were dismissed without any entitlement to appeal and it is expected several hundred could now qualify for resettlement. One of them is Waheed, a father-of-two who worked for the highly sensitive Electronic Warfare Unit and Brigade Reconnaissance Forces between 2010 and 2013, but had his job terminated after a Kindle e-reader was found among his belongings in camp. It was a rule that no electronic devices, including mobile phones, could be taken on to base areas without special permission. Pictured: Waheed's wife and son in their home in Kabul 'This kind change in policy is correcting a great injustice,' Waheed said. 'I was given the Kindle as a gift by a British officer and had written permission for it but their regiment rotated out of Afghanistan and when the new team arrived they found the Kindle, refused to accept I had permission and I was dismissed. 'Since then we have lived in the shadows hiding from the Taliban, wondering if each knock at the door was insurgents coming for us. We felt terrified and abandoned but now there is hope.' Waheed's case is one of those highlighted by this newspaper's award-winning Betrayal of the Brave campaign, which has been credited with helping to bring about the major changes announced yesterday as part of a rewritten Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) to recognise the worsening situation in Afghanistan and the impending departure of international troops. In one of the most important changes, Mr Wallace directed that those dismissed for minor offences who would otherwise be eligible to come to Britain by default under ARAP can be considered for relocation with 'presumption of approval' where there are no other factors of concern. Colonel Simon Diggins, former military attache at the British embassy in Kabul and a founding member of the Sulha Alliance, which works to help translators, said: 'We're pleased with the Government announcement but still have concerns. 'We need assurance that the teams in place can cope with the demand to get the interpreters and their families out before our final troop withdrawal. We also seek clarity on the Government's definition of minor offences.' He added officials should also contact those who could benefit from the change in policy directly to let them know about it. Many interpreters have disputed the reasons for their employment being terminated, with some dismissed, for example, for being late for work when roads had been closed by Taliban checkpoints. The Ministry of Defence insists that all the contract terminations were justified. A former Afghan interpreter who fled the Taliban after death threats linked to his work for UK forces is stranded in limbo in a refugee camp in Greece, unable to relocate to Britain even though he qualifies. Nabi, 35, who spent four years with British troops in Helmand Province, has been told by email that he and his family are eligible to build a new life in the UK but only if they are in Afghanistan and can travel from Kabul. But he said he is unable to return to his homeland because he is on insurgent 'death lists' and urged the Government to show 'compassion' and allow him to apply for entry from Greece. Former translator Nabi in an Athens refugee camp where he lives. He has been told he is eligible for relocation to UK but fears having to go back to Kabul to process his case Nabi arrived in Athens in 2018 after receiving death threats signed by a Taliban commander who told him: 'You worked for the infidel forces your punishment is death.' The warning came after two of his colleagues were killed in Helmand and he was injured in an ambush. His wife and four children are in Afghanistan and Nabi said he left because of the danger he put them in as a result of his work for the UK. 'I am asking the Government, who say I deserve to locate, to allow me to do so via the embassy in Athens and then for my family to join me in the UK,' he said. 'I am in great danger if I return and I pose a danger to them.' Earlier this year former interpreter Nesar and his wife Nazanin came to the UK from a Greek refugee camp after the embassy in Athens processed their case when it was highlighted by the Mail's Betrayal of the Brave campaign. The mothers of three teenage tearaways who vandalised a miniature village have handed out a lesson in model parenting by forcing their children to do voluntary work at the attraction. The teenagers were caught red-handed on CCTV as they ran rampant around the popular Southsea Model Village in Hampshire last weekend. But they were quickly cut back down to size by their parents, who recognised them from the CCTV footage after it was circulated on social media. Their furious parents then marched them down to the 65-year-old tourist attraction to apologise to its owner and for them to volunteer at the site. Owner Mark Wilson said: 'We had three of the young lads came down to do some voluntary work and the police have spoken to them. 'They were a group of young lads - 13 or 14 years old - who broke in the second time. The trio were seen entering days after a group containing three boys and a girl were seen seen tossing around figurines, smashing tiny windows and ripping up train tracks in a King Kong-style wrecking spree at the miniature village The mothers of three teenage tearaways who vandalised a miniature village have handed out a lesson in model parenting by forcing their children to do voluntary work at the tourist attraction The teenagers were caught red-handed on CCTV as they ran rampant around the popular Southsea Model Village in Hampshire last weekend 'Their mums brought them down during the week. 'They were so embarrassed about what had happened. They said they opened Facebook and saw their sons' pictures plastered all over it from the break-in. 'They were mortified that they had to bring their sons down.' The teenagers said they trespassed out of 'boredom', according to Mr Wilson, who put them to work on Sunday. The 47-year-old, who has run the attraction for more than five years, said: 'They have been sweeping up the paths and carrying out some basic labouring tasks. 'The police also attended the village to speak to the teenagers.' The trespassing trio's unwelcome visit to the site came just days after another more damaging incident of vandalism at the attraction. The teenagers said they trespassed out of 'boredom', according to Mr Wilson, who put them to work on Sunday Mr Wilson said the first incident of vandalism cost the business more than 500 in broken figurines and 1,200 in ruined model railway tracks A group consisting of three boys and a girl were seen seen tossing around figurines, smashing tiny windows and ripping up train tracks in a King Kong-style wrecking spree at the miniature village. Mr Wilson said this cost the business more than 500 in broken figurines and 1,200 in ruined model railway tracks. Several people have now come forward with information and Mr Wilson added: 'They're the ones we really want to get.' The community has also rallied round the stricken venue, raising more than 8,500 on a GoFundMe page in less than a week. As a result, more than 10 new cameras which record in 4K quality and have automatic motion tracking have been installed. The model village was built on Southsea seafront in 1956. It only opened to the public for three weeks in 2021 due to Covid restrictions. Hampshire Constabulary said both incidents were being investigated and that extra patrols are taking place around the area. Dominic Raab will today criticise Russia's 'aggressive behaviour' at a NATO summit after Moscow threatened to increase its military presence in the west of the country amid soaring tensions in Europe. The Foreign Secretary will present a 'rap sheet' of UK objections to Russia's recent actions, including its enormous military build-up in annexed Crimea near Ukraine's border and policing of the Black Sea. He will also draw attention to the hijacking of a Ryanair flight by the Putin-backed Lukashenko regime in Belarus in May, for the purpose of arresting an opposition journalist and his girlfriend on a dubious pretext. Speaking ahead of the meeting of NATO allies, Mr Raab told the Telegraph: 'From Russia's aggressive behaviour towards Ukraine to Lukashenko's assault on civil aviation, democratic values are under attack. As one of the biggest contributors to NATO, UK support for the transatlantic alliance is unwavering. 'We will work with Allies and partners to defend our allies and our values.' Mr Raab will make his speech after Vladimir Putin's top security officials announced 20 new 'units and formations' would be deployed in western Russia and that the armoury of existing forces would be boosted. The NATO meeting comes ahead of a crunch summit between Mr Putin and US President Joe Biden later this month - which is thought to be the reason for recent military posturing by Russia in Ukraine. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab leaves 10 Downing Street on May 27, 2021 Vladimir Putin speaks during the opening ceremony of a new auto plant via video conference in the Bocharov Ruchei residence in the Black Sea resort of SochI 'It's hard to believe Kremlin wasn't involved in Belarus' Ryanair hijack': NATO Secretary General links Putin to arrest of dissident journalist as Russia blocks flights avoiding its ally The head of NATO has linked the Kremlin to the hijack of a Ryanair jet by Belarus as Russia begins blocking flights skirting around its ally's airspace. Jens Stoltenberg, speaking on the deck of British aircraft carrier Queen Elizabeth, said it is 'hard to believe' that the Kremlin was not involved in Sunday's operation to divert the Ryanair jet so a dissident journalist could be arrested. 'We know the very close relationship between Russia and Belarus and therefore it's hard to believe that the regime in Minsk could do something like this without any kind of coordination with Russia,' he told Sky News. Meanwhile European airlines revealed they have been blocked from flying into Russia because their flight plans involved skirting around Belarus in the latest tit-for-tat move between western leaders and powers in the east. Air France and Austrian Airlines both said they have been forced to cancel trips after flight plans submitted to Russia ahead of the journey which showed them diverted around Belarus were rejected. Stoltenberg spoke during NATO exercises which include drills close to Russia's border, and ahead of a meeting between Putin and Belarus dictator Lukashenko in Sochi later today as the two sides square off. Advertisement Last week, Russia offered political support to its ally Belarus, which diverted a Ryanair plane flying from Greece to Lithuania on a ruse to arrest a dissident journalist. The EU denounced the flight's diversion as piracy and responded by barring the Belarusian flag carrier from its airspace and advising European airlines to skirt Belarus's airspace. Mr Raab has already threatened Belarus with fresh UK sanctions over the seizure of the Ryanair airliner on May 23, which was flying from Greece to Lithuania - but was urged to go further by MPs. Tom Tugendhat, Tory chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, called for 'very strict' measures while Shadow Foreign Secretary Lisa Nandy said Britain should block flights from the Belarusian national airline. Mr Raab said there would be a 'coordinated response' from Britain and its allies. The Foreign Secretary will also slam Russia for designating key allies as 'unfriendly countries' and limiting staff at the US and Czech Embassies. The Government says Russia's actions are incompatible with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, while the Foreign Office said the meeting will also focus on climate security and stability in Afghanistan. Russia's ties with the West are strained over the jailing of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, a military build-up near Ukraine as well as allegations of election hacking. Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu yesterday threatened to send more troops to the west of the country until the end of the year following huge NATO drills. He said military units there are also expected to receive 2,000 new pieces of weaponry, but gave no details about the number of troops involved or the location of the new bases. 'The actions of our Western colleagues are destroying the world's security system and force us to take adequate countermeasures,' the Interfax news agency quoted Shoigu as saying. 'Around 20 military formations and units will be formed in the Western Military District by the end of the year,' he was quoted as saying. Last week thousands of NATO troops, several warships and dozens of aircraft took part in massive military exercises stretching across the Atlantic, through Europe and into the Black Sea region. The exercise, dubbed Steadfast Defender 21, was aimed at simulating the 30-nation military organisation's response to an attack on any one of its members. The alliance has in recent years deployed troops and equipment in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland to try to reassure its members neighbouring Russia that their partners will ride to the rescue should they come under attack. The NATO meeting comes ahead of a crunch summit between Mr Putin and US President Joe Biden later this month - thought to be the reason for recent military posturing by Russia Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu speaks during a meeting with hight level military officials in Moscow, Russia, Monday, May 31 Moscow's decision to send thousands of troops to the border area with Ukraine has raised concern at NATO, which launched one of its biggest defence spending initiatives after Russian troops annexed Crimea in 2014. The move sparked fears from Western leaders that the move could trigger an all-out war. NATO chiefs insist the military exercises, involving 9,000 troops from 20 nations, are not aimed at Russia specifically, but they focus on the Black Sea region, where Moscow stands accused of blocking the free navigation of ships. The alliance's secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg says the exercises send an important message to any potential adversary: 'NATO is ready.' 'NATO is there to defend all our allies, and this exercise sends a message about our ability to transport a large number of troops, equipment across the Atlantic, across Europe and also to project maritime power,' he told the Associated Press aboard a British aircraft carrier off the coast of Portugal. In April, a massive troop build-up in Russia's south and south-west near the Ukrainian border raised concerns in Ukraine and the West, which urged Moscow to withdraw its forces A Ukrainian armed forces member walks near the rebel-controlled city of Donetsk, Ukraine In April, a massive troop build-up in Russia's south and south-west near the Ukrainian border raised concerns in Ukraine and the West, which urged Moscow to withdraw its forces. Chilling footage on social media showed thousands of Russian tanks, missile trucks, armoured vehicles and long-range guns being transported on freight trains to Crimea and the border of the disputed eastern Ukrainian region of Donbass. Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014 following the ouster of the country's Moscow-friendly president and then threw its weight behind separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine. More than 14,000 people have been killed in seven years of fighting in eastern Ukraine. Russia has recalled some troops from its western part after sweeping manoeuvres in April, but Mr Shoigu ordered them to leave their weapons behind for Russia's Zapad (West) 2021 military exercises in September. He noted that preparations for the exercises, which will be conducted jointly with Belarus, are now in their final stage and emphasised that the manoeuvres have an 'exclusively defensive character'. It cant be easy to wind down after trying to sort out the economy, but Rishi Sunak has found a way by enjoying a box set. The Chancellor, 41, has revealed that hes just like the rest of us and has spent lockdown binge-watching Netflix hits. I spend a lot of time watching Bridgerton, he said, praising the Regency drama for its colour-blind casting. Hes also a fan of Emily in Paris, which sees Phil Collinss daughter Lily playing a young American who relocates to France. But Mr Sunak admits his tastes are probably not quite the same as his Cabinet colleagues. However, he spent his childhood watching typical British fare. We would eat on this picnic mat and watch The A-Team, Baywatch and Blind Date. That was a special part of growing up, he told Radio Times. The Chancellor, 41, has revealed that hes just like the rest of us and has spent lockdown binge-watching Netflix hits The Chancellor said I spend a lot of time watching Bridgerton, praising the Regency drama for its colour-blind casting He added: After school I watched Byker Grove, Blue Peter, Grange Hill - that was the TV I grew up with. One of my vivid memories is the way you knew Christmas was coming in our house. My dad would come home with a copy of the Radio Times Christmas issue. That was a big day. We would sit there and circle things and figure out what we were going to record if there was another movie on at the same time. Sunak said he also grew up watching Bollywood films and epic Indian mythological series Mahabharat. I watched Bollywood movies, but the big, defining TV thing for probably all Indian families was Mahabharat, he said. Its an Indian epic based on the ancient book the Mahabharata, and is nearly 100 episodes. It was a big cultural moment in India, then it came on TV here and took the best part of a year to watch. That was a big deal, a very special thing. He added: Its a rip-roaring story. There is a very famous bit in it, which is important for Hindus, where Lord Krishna and Arjuna, a champion warrior on the goodies side, have a big conversation. Its called the Bhagavad Gita, which is a sacred song, and that conversation contains a lot of advice and Hindu philosophy. My kids are probably a bit young to read the whole thing, but during lockdown my wife and I started reading bits of the Mahabharata to them every Sunday night. They love it. My younger daughter, shes only eight, but absolutely loves Greek mythology and this is like the Iliad. Hes also a fan of Emily in Paris, which sees Phil Collinss daughter Lily playing a young American who relocates to France Its got lots of battles, gods and a moral story as well. Sunak, lives in Richmond, Yorkshire, with his wife Akshata Murthy and their daughters Krishna and Anoushka, but has a flat on Downing Street. The weekend TV is more Yorkshire and the weekday TV is more Downing Street, he said. He launched the Film and TV Production Restart Scheme last year in a bid to get the industry moving again post-lockdown, but was criticised for ignoring the many freelancers who work in the arts. Not everyone got help in exactly the way they would have liked. I acknowledge that, he said. When I look back, could we have done a better job of communicating exactly how that was going to work? Perhaps we could have. Sunak admitted that he enormous fan of the BBC which probably comes from living in the States for a very long time. He said: When youre abroad, the BBC is your connection with home. I was living thousands of miles away in California, and the BBC was still my homepage. Theres an emotional attachment to it. I think its also right that national institutions reflect the values and diversity of people living within a society in its entirety. Its not about appearance, its about values and views as well, and I know thats something the BBC always strives to do. Students at a high school in Queensland have been left anxiously awaiting results from an HIV test after they were jabbed with a used needle by a classmate, police say. A 13-year-old boy from Murgon State School in north-west Brisbane is believed to have arrived at school with a device for finger blood tests on Monday. Throughout the day, the boy is believed to have used the device on multiple students, mostly aged 13, on different parts of their bodies. A 13-year-old boy is believed to have arrived at the South Burnett school with a device for finger blood tests (pictured) on Monday It was reported nearly a dozen students from Murgon State Highschool were pricked with the dirty needle on their thighs, arms and hands The Queensland Ambulance Service responded to the incident and treated the students, with the Courier Mail suggesting there were at least 11 involved. 'Preliminary information suggests the students, mostly aged 13, were pricked with a device used for finger blood tests by a 13-year-old boy', Queensland Police said in a statement. 'The affected students received first aid treatment and have been advised to seek further medical testing. 'Detectives from Murgon Criminal Investigation Branch are investigating, with the assistance of Education Queensland.' A mother of an affected student said she received a call from school staff at 2pm, who informed her a student had pricked her son with a 'used blood test kit'. She was told the students were pricked at various times of the day, on their thighs, arms and hands, with some receiving multiple needle stick injuries. '(When I got the call) I thought oh they're giving out vaccinations have they vaccinated my kid by accident because you don't think that child is going to bring a needle to school and start jabbing kids,' she said. 'You talk to your kids about stranger danger and "don't let people touch you and don't get in a car with strangers", but I guess one of the conversations you never have is don't let somebody prick you with a needle because you could get really sick. 'It's not something you think to mention to your child.' School staff advised the mother to take her son directly to the Murgon Hospital, who she praised for treating the students arriving 'absolutely brilliantly'. Now she and her son are just one of several families who face an agonising wait for results from an infection test screening. The students received first aid and are now anxiously awaiting test results from an infection screening undergone at Murgon Hospital A spokesperson from the Department of Education confirmed the Queensland Ambulance Service were called to assist in an incident involving a used blood test kit at the school. The spokesperson said the school will continue to work closely with Queensland Health and follow their advice, as well as assist police in their investigations. 'Parents have been encouraged to seek further medical testing of their children at a local GP or hospital as a precaution', a statement read. 'The incident will be dealt with in line with the student Code of Conduct. 'Guidance and counselling is available for any student requiring support.' School days could be extended by half an hour - to create a minimum 35-hour week - to help pupils catch-up under an ambitious 15billion Covid bounce back plan, it was reported last night. The governments education recovery commissioner, Sir Kevan Collins, has called for all children to receive an extra 100 hours of education per year from 2022, according to a leaked presentation. It comes after students across Britain were hit by huge disruptions to their education across much of last year and also this year due to Covid. Schools are likely to be allowed to choose how they accommodate the extra hours, which works out at around 30 minutes extra per day. The ambitious plan for England also proposes extra tutoring for five million pupils and additional training for 500,000 teachers. An extra year of sixth-form could also be on the cards if teenagers cannot complete A-level courses in time. The proposals centre around the principle of boosting the three Ts - time, teaching and tutoring. Using all 'three Ts' will be key to helping students recover from the disruption to their learning, the presentation is said to conclude. The 56-page presentation based on Sir Kevans report from mid-April, seen by The Times, is described as a draft that is 90 percent complete. School days could be extended by half an hour - to create a minimum 35-hour week - in a bid to help pupils catch-up under a 15billion Covid bounce back plan, it was reported last night Parents are already contacting lawyers getting ready to sue ahead of this year's expected A-level grades row Parents of pupils awaiting teacher-assessed A-level results have already begun contacting lawyers ahead of an expected row. With exams cancelled due to coronavirus, teachers are assessing grades, which has left some parents worrying about bias or whether special educational needs or disabilities will be properly accommodated for, the Observer reported. The unease follows the scrapping of an algorithm-based determination which caused chaos last year and has left teachers, unions, parents and students anticipating more issues this summer. The results are due on August 10, but lawyers like education specialist Amara Ahmad at Doyle Clayton are already receiving inquiries about challenging them. 'People want to start preparing for appeals now,' she told the Observer. 'Some are in the dark about the grades their child has achieved throughout the academic year or what evidence the teacher-assessed grades will be based on.' Many within teaching are frustrated at the time it took ministers to develop ways to ensure fair comparison of pupils between schools - something they had been calling for for months. 'My concern is that teachers will just be left in the lurch by a secretary of state who has created this situation and then walks away saying 'teachers clearly can't assess pupils,' Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, told the Observer. Advertisement While the plan would cost 15bn over three years - the equivalent of around 700 per pupil - the Treasury is thought to be offering only a tenth of this. But the report warns that the cost to the economy long-term of doing nothing to help pupils catch up on lost learning could be 1.5 trillion. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is reported to have been briefed on the findings, and, according to the Times, is believed to have expressed support. The Department of Education, headed-up by Education Minister Gavin Williamson, is also said to be supportive. It comes as academics warned last week that extending the school day 'won't improve results much' and is unlikely to narrow the gap for those who have missed out the most amid the coronavirus lockdown. Cambridge University researchers found that substantial increases in classroom teaching time would likely only lead to 'small improvements' among pupils and would do 'relatively little' to improve academic outcomes. Researchers said that teachers should instead re-evaluate 'how time is used in schools' and 'may find it more productive to consider carefully the range and quality of activities provided'. The study comes months after teaching unions demanded ministers reject proposals to extend the school day, claiming there are 'better methods' to help pupils catch up on lost time in the classroom. The analysis, used five years of Government data, collected from more than 2,800 schools in England, to estimate the likely impact of additional classroom instruction on academic progress, as measured at GCSE. For example, extending Year 11 pupils' classroom time by one hour per class, in English or maths, was associated with an increase of 0.12 and 0.18 in a school's 'value-added' score - a standard progress measure. This increase appears small, considering that most of the schools in the study had scores ranging between 994 and 1006. The research, which is published in the journal London Review of Education, also investigated the likely effect on disadvantaged pupils, whose education has been hardest hit by school closures. The governments education recovery commissioner, Sir Kevan Collins, has called for all children to receive an extra 100 hours of education per year from 2022, according to a leaked presentation. The Department of Education, headed-up by Education Minister Gavin Williamson, is said to be supportive of the wider proposals In keeping with the overall results, it again found that more of the same teaching was likely to do relatively little to improve academic outcomes. Vaughan Connolly, a doctoral researcher at Cambridge's Faculty of Education, said: 'Simply keeping all students in school for longer, in order to do more maths or more English, probably won't improve results much; nor is it likely to narrow the attainment gap for those who have missed out the most. 'This evidence suggests that re-evaluating how time is used in schools - for example, by trimming subject time and replacing it with sessions focusing on 'learning to learn' skills - could make a bigger difference. 'Quality is going to matter much more than quantity in the long run. Mr Connolly added: 'Rather than extending the school day to offer more instruction, a successful recovery agenda may well be one that tailors support and makes room for a wider range of learning within it, in line with the recent suggestions made by the Education Policy Institute. 'In that sense, less instructional time could actually be more. 'Certainly, these results suggest that giving children more of the same is unlikely to help if we want to recover what has been lost during the pandemic.' Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders' union the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), said: 'The marginal gains that might be possible through extending the school day must be weighed against the costs of such a strategy, including the impact on pupils' mental health, reduced family time, and less time for extra-curricular activities.' In February, the NAHT school leaders' union urged ministers to dismiss the 'superficially attractive' policy of an extended school day. Paul Whiteman, NAHT general secretary, said: 'Research evidence shows that there are better methods to help pupils than lengthening the school day. 'The Government must filter out loud calls for superficially attractive schemes and listen to the experts instead.' Australia could soon see travel bubbles open up with the United Kingdom and United States due to their highly-successful vaccination roll-outs, Alan Joyce has claimed. The Qantas boss appeared at the Future of Travel Forum on Monday, claiming international travel could soon be a realistic possibility thanks to the two nations' jab successes - but only if Australia follow their lead. Despite infection rates still being relatively high, a well-planned vaccine rollout has meant deaths have dropped dramatically in both nations. America's daily deaths have plummeted from 4,000 a day in early February to just 131 a day, while in the UK deaths fell from 1,300 a day in January to just 6. They still have around 7,000 and 3,000 new cases a day respectively, but with most of their vulnerable population vaccinated and therefore unlikely to die from the virus. 'We know the path to get international borders open is really the vaccine,' he said at the event. 'It's our passport to get international travel going again.' Mr Joyce identified the Pacific Islands, including Fiji and Vanuatu as the next bubble countries , claiming the USA, UK, Singapore, Taiwan and Japan are also in the pipeline. Australia could soon see travel bubbles open up with the United Kingdom and United States due to their highly-successful vaccination roll-outs (pictured, London) The USA is still experiencing 20,000 new cases per day but the death rate is rapidly dropping as millions receive their jabs (pictured, New York City) Poll WHERE WILL YOU TRAVEL FIRST? America Europe Bali/Asia I'd rather stay in Australia WHERE WILL YOU TRAVEL FIRST? America 64 votes Europe 202 votes Bali/Asia 54 votes I'd rather stay in Australia 87 votes Now share your opinion Qantas say they are preparing to re-introduce flights to the Pacific, including the Solomon Islands and Tonga, following Prime Minister Scott Morrison's admission they were in talks to introduce the new bubble. 'We are supporting our Pacific family and the idea of a bubble that goes beyond New Zealand and Australia is a real possibility,' he said Sunday. Flight crews travelling from the Pacific Islands to Australia are already seeing exemptions from quarantine if they and everyone onboard show a negative coronavirus test. The island nations have largely been unaffected by the pandemic, largely due to hard borders, but the lack of tourism has seen economies crash. An Australian bubble could boost local businesses and provide frustrated Australians with a much-needed holiday, after borders were shut in March 2020. Qantas are preparing to re-introduce flights to the Pacific, including Fiji (pictured) following Prime Minister Scott Morrison's admission they were in talks to introduce a new bubble Mr Joyce (pictured) identified the Pacific Islands, including Fiji and Vanuatu as the next bubble countries , claiming the USA, UK, Singapore, Taiwan and Japan are also in the pipeline The Morrison government has been widely criticised by state leaders and Australians for their slow vaccine roll-out, but a successful program could see international travel return sooner than expected. Mr Joyce says that long-haul travel is now a main topic of discussion, with the UK and USA in current discussions despite still recording 3,000 and 20,000 cases per day respectively. 'A few months ago, I thought maybe Singapore, Taiwan and Japan would be first cabs off the list but with the great progress that's been made in the US and the UK, you may see those markets opening up before the rest because the vaccine rollout has been so successful in both countries,' the Qantas CEO told Nine's on Monday. Mr Morrison is in New Zealand holding talks with Kiwi leader Jacinda Ardern about expanding the trans-Tasman travel bubble (pictured together on Monday) 'We're still talking to the government about it, we're still planning to be ready (to fly long-haul international) at the end of this calendar year.' Mr Morrison is in New Zealand holding talks with Kiwi leader Jacinda Ardern about expanding the trans-Tasman travel bubble to include the likes of Fiji, Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, and East Timor. Formal dialogue is scheduled to go ahead on Monday where both leaders are expected to hammer out the details of quarantine-free travel arrangements to other South Pacific countries. Any travel bubble extension will be welcomed news to Australian travellers after the federal government announced during the budget that international borders are expected to remain closed until mid-2022. An eagle-eyed woman has exposed a catfish on Tinder after discovering his feeble photo cropping attempt. Tanith Gregory called out the fake profile of self-described 'fun and loyal' 43-year-old 'Andrew' after finding his account on the popular dating app last week. In a TikTok video, the photographer and stylist proved she wasn't blind on her quest for love as she spotted a suspicious tagline on his profile. An eagle-eyed woman has exposed a catfish on Tinder after discovering he left his Google search of 'Tim Johnson model' above his display image 'If you're going to go to the effort of catfishing people on Tinder at least go to the effort of cropping the Google search out,' she said. In the footage she points to the top of the screen where 43-year-old 'Andrew' failed to crop out his Google search of 'Tim Johnson Model' from his display image. Her discovery made it clear the profile was a poor attempt at catfishing, where someone uses fake photos or even a complete false identity to lure romantic targets to them. In this case, the model Tim Johnson was used as the photo on the 'Andrew' profile to make the user look more attractive on the dating app. The hilarious footage left many dating app users unsurprised by the failed catfish attempt. 'Pretty sure I've seen this same pic listed as a James,' one user commented. 'This cracked me up, thank you for the laugh,' another wrote. 'That's hilarious, I hope he's been inundated with messages pointing out his mistake, unless he's done it as a talking point,' another suggested. A potentially troubling message was posted on Robertson's Instagram story recently, but has since disappeared Rapper Lil Loaded said he was 'ready for my heart and soul to join' God in a heartbreaking final Instagram post hours before his death aged 20. The Texas star, whose legal name is Dashawn Robertson, was facing a manslaughter charge for the shooting death of his friend Khalil Walker, 18, in October 2020 and was due in court for an admonishment hearing in Dallas on Tuesday, according to court records. The Medical Examiner did not specify a cause of death, The Dallas Morning News reported. Hours before his death on Monday, the musician posted a heartfelt message in which he asked God for forgiveness. He wrote: 'Dear most high, Please forgive me for my shortcomings and all of the times I've fell short of making you proud and being appreciative of the blessings that have been put in my life sometimes the lines are blurred between being solid and being heartless I want to thank you for how far I've come and the people you've put in my life to keep me grounded and humble through everything and I love every single one of those people that are genuinely for me I ask for entrance into your kingdom thru all of my mistakes I know you love all of your children and I'm ready for my heart and soul to Join you.' It's not clear when the story was posted, XXL reported, but it has since disappeared. Robertson is best known for his 2019 hit 6locc 6a6y which was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America last week. Texas hip hop artist Lil Loaded, whose legal name is Dashawn Robertson, died at 20 on Monday, officials confirmed. No cause of death has been specified Robertson was facing a manslaughter charge in the shooting death of his friend Khalil Walker, 18, in October 2020. Robertson was originally charged with murder in the killing but was later indicted on the lesser charge Robertson had originally been charged with murder in the killing of Walker, but in March was indicted on the lesser charge of manslaughter. His attorney Ashkan Mehryari argued that there was 'no malice' behind the shooting, according to the Morning News. Mehryari told the Morning News that the Wednesday court hearing was just an admonishment hearing, and had not been troubling the rapper. Robertson shot Walker in the stomach with a rifle, police reported, and then drove his friend to the hospital where he died from the injury. Police said there was a video on Walker's phone of Robertson shooting him. Robertson turned himself in 15 days after the shooting, and posted on Instagram his mugshot with the caption, 'I appreciate all y'all support . They try to make u look guilty wen u innocent regardless .. we going to get pass this . Rip my brother love u' Police said Robertson shot Walker in the stomach and drove him to the hospital where he would die shortly after Robertson was also known for the songs Gang Unit and Link Up Attorney Mehryari told Dallas News that Robertson's death was 'very tragic' and unexpected. He said: 'He had a very bright and promising music career ahead of him' Stanley Gabart, whose production company worked with the star's label, said: This kid was on a great path. He was struggling with some things we wish we would've known about, wish we could've intervened.' Hip hop fan social media accounts expressed their condolences over the death. 'Dallas rapper Lil Loaded has reportedly passed away at the age of 20. RIP Lil Loaded,' tweeted Hip Hop Ties Hip hop fan accounts took to Twitter to express their condolences 'R.I.P Lil Loaded R.I.P Turn Me Up Josh, Two tragic deaths have been reported today as 20 year old Dallas rapper Lil Loaded and Houston producer Turn Me Up Josh have both passed away. Prayers to their friends and family in this difficult time,' posted Hip Hop All Day. 'RIP LiL Loaded,' tweeted Polo G Fan Page 'Dallas rapper Lil Loaded has passed away. RIP' Saycheese TV wrote. A Nashville hat store owner has issued an apology for selling 'Not Vaccinated' patches reminiscent of those Nazis forced Jews to wear in the 1930s and 40s, after major hat producers announced they would stop doing business with the store. HatWRKS owner Gigi Gaskins had announced that the items were on sale Saturday in a post shared to Instagram. But she apologized on the social media site on Saturday night, and insisted she did not intend to 'exploit or make a profit' from the Holocaust, in which 6 million Jews were murdered. She insisted she wanted to 'share my genuine concern and fear, and to do all that I can to make sure that nothing like that ever happens again' when she announced the patches were on sale earlier that day. 'In no way did I intend to trivialize the Star of David or disrespect what happened to millions of people,' she wrote. 'That is now who I am and what I stand for.' 'I sincerely apologize for any insensitivity.' Her apology came after major hat brands Stetson, Goorin Bros and Kangol Headwear announced they would stop doing business with the Nashville store. HatWRKS owner Gigi Gaskins advertised her Jewish star 'Not Vaccinated' badges, reminiscent of those the Nazis forced Jews to wear in 1939, on Instagram Saturday Later that day, she issued an apology on Instagram saying she did not 'intend to trivialize the Star of David or disrespect what happened to millions of people' Anti-fascist protestors showed up at HatWRKS in Nashville, Tennessee on Saturday to protest the store's sale of the yellow 'Not Vaccinated' patches In an Instagram post earlier that day, she announced that the new patches were in stock and were selling for $5 each. She said 'they turned out great' and had 'strong adhesive backs.' The products are modelled on the yellow stars Jews were forced to wear in Nazi-occupied Europe during the 1930s and 40s. Those yellow stars were used to identify, isolate and humiliate Jewish people. The stars appear to have been inspired by a recent reference Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene made comparing Covid-19 guidelines to the Holocaust. 'Vaccinated employees get a vaccination logo just like the Nazi's forced Jewish people to wear a gold star,' Taylor Greene wrote on Twitter earlier this week. It promptly drew widespread criticism on Twitter, with some anti-fascists protesting outside the store. Major brands which supply the store also announced they were pulling their business. 'As a result of the offensive content and opinions shared by HatWRKS in Nashville, Stetson and our distribution partners will ease the sale of all Stetson products,' the Stetson company tweeted following Gaskins Instagram post advertising the yellow Jewish stars. Goorin Bros also wrote on Intagram that the company 'is horrified by the display and selling of the Jewish badge by HatWRKS, a store in Nashville, Tennessee, that sells some of our hats.' 'The Jewish badge was a key element used by Nazis beginning in 1939 who planned to persecute and eventually murder millions of Jews,' the company wrote. 'They used the badge to humiliate, segregate and control the movement of all Jews over 7 years old.' 'To make a mockery of the Holocaust in any form is unacceptable and completely insensitive.' And Kangol Headwear wrote on its Instagram page that it was done working with the Nashville store, saying, 'While we respect freedom of speech, respect for humanity must hold a higher place.' A protestor outside the store holding a sign depicting Gigi Gaskins with the yellow star badge she made. Stetson have since pulled their business from her shop The badges are modelled on the yellow stars Jews were forced to wear in Nazi-occupied Europe during the 1930s and 40s. Those yellow stars were used to identify, isolate and humiliate Jewish people Hat maker Stetson announced Saturday that it would stop doing business with the store Despite her apology, Gaskins later complained that she had become a 'target of the mob.' In another Instagram post one day after issuing her apology, she wrote: 'For the past 15 months, I have been pushing back on the government overreach, standing up to group-think, trying to find reason in a sea of irrational. 'It has 100 percent been fighting the totalitarian march and power grab we are seeing play out across the globe,' she continued. 'The power grab is coming in many forms on many fronts. I was willing to put my business on the line to stand up for the freedoms that we still have in our country.' 'What I didn't expect is being accused of the very things I was fighting against,' Gaskins wrote. 'Was the use of the yellow star an insensitivity? Obviously, so to many, but does that make me an anti-Semite Nazi? No, No it doesn't.' She continued: 'I don't know what's going to happen to me or this world, but they will be looking for the next target. Every time demands are met, it just emboldens.' Despite her apology, Gaskins posted on Sunday that she was a target and was not anti-Semitic Gaskins' decision to sell the stars had drawn major condemnation from public figures on Twitter. 'I am ashamed to know that I've given these people business in the past; I've sent people there. This is vile and repulsive. They trumpet that they're proud to 'Stand Up Against Tyranny' Well, I am proud to say GO F**K YOURSELF. I'll purchase my chapeaus elsewhere,' actor W. Earl Brown wrote. Republican commentator Ana Navarro concurred, writing: 'I could not believe this could be for real. I like to think such stupidity, insensitivity and ignorance in America cannot be commonplace. Its real.' Elsewhere, former Senior Advisor to Donald Trump, AJ Delgado, said that the products were 'beyond disgusting'. Ivo Daalder, the former US Ambassador to NATO, wrote: 'As a young school girl in Holland, my mother was forced to wear a yellow star by the Nazis to identify her as a Jew. Its beyond grotesque to sell this evil symbol to proclaim ones not vaccinated. Where does this end?' People quickly took to Twitter to condemn the store for selling the Jewish star badges The controversy comes after Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene was roundly condemned for comparing the discrimination unvaccinated people face to the discrimination Jews experienced in Nazi-controlled Europe. Earlier this week, she tweeted: 'Vaccinated employees get a vaccination logo just like the Nazi's forced Jewish people to wear a gold star. Vaccine passports & mask mandates create discrimination against unvaxxed people who trust their immune systems to a virus that is 99% survivable.' Attached to the tweet was a news article about Food City supermarkets dropping mask requirements for vaccinated workers. Greene said it was a slippery slope to require some sort of identification on whether a person is vaccinated against coronavirus or not. The Georgia representative also tweeted: 'Pretty soon it will be.. 'We only hire vaccinated people, show your vax papers.' 'We only admit vaccinated students, show your vax papers.' 'These bathrooms are only for vaccinated people, show your vax papers.' 'Then.....scan your bar code or swipe your chip on your arm,' she predicted. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene was roundly condemned for comparing the discrimination unvaccinated people face to the discrimination Jews experienced in Nazi-controlled Europe During Senate floor remarks on Tuesday, Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer also lashed out against Greene. 'This morning, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Republican congresswoman from Georgia, once again, compared preparations taken against COVID to the Holocaust,' Schumer, who is Jewish, said. 'These are sickening, reprehensible comments,' he added, 'and she should stop this vile language immediately.' Greene defended her comparison of Covid restrictions to Nazi Germany by claiming 'any ration Jewish person' doesn't like either. 'I think any rational Jewish person didn't like what happened in Nazi Germany and any rational Jewish person doesn't like what's happening with overbearing mask mandates and overbearing vaccine policies,' Greene told Arizona TV outlet 12 News. China has accused the United States of taking a 'dangerous stance' in calling for a full investigation into the possibility that COVID--19 escaped from a laboratory in Wuhan, warning that Washington 'could meet its Waterloo in this battle'. China's state newspaper, The Global Times, published an op ed on Sunday likening Joe Biden's search for the origins of the pandemic to U.S. efforts to find Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) in Iraq. In February 2003 Colin Powell, the then-Secretary of State, told the United Nations that Saddam Hussein's regime had developed weapons of mass destruction and posed an imminent threat, in a bid to justify invading the country. WMDs were never found. The column read: 'Washington is too arrogant to realize that its vicious accusations against China have become a political gamble for itself. 'It has staked too many bargaining chips on credit from international morality. It actually has no way to back down from this dangerous status. 'The US could meet its Waterloo in this battle: It might lose its credibility by abusing its soft power.' Biden on Wednesday ordered U.S. intelligence officials to 'redouble' their efforts to investigate the pandemic's beginnings, including any possibility the trail might lead to a Chinese laboratory. Xi Jinping (left), the Chinese president. On Sunday his state newspaper, The Global Times, published an op ed attacking Joe Biden for his decision last week to launch an investigation into the possibility that COVID-19 began when the virus escaped from a Wuhan laboratory Scientists are seen working inside the Wuhan lab in February 2017. The laboratory, known for its expertise in studying viruses, is now thought a possible source for the COVID-19 outbreak - China, meanwhile, insists that the virus simply mutated and passed naturally from animals to humans What does it mean 'to meet your Waterloo' China's threat that America would 'meets its Waterloo' refers to a powerful force being defeated by a superior foe. That's what happened to Napoleon Bonaparte on June 18, 1815 at Waterloo, in what is now Belgium. The arrogant French emperor was defeated by the Duke of Wellington, a British commander, and von Blucher, who led the Prussian forces. They decided to join forces and take on Napoleon together. The decisive battle of its age concluded the Napoleonic War that had raged for 23 years; ended French attempts to dominate Europe; and destroyed Napoleons power forever. The war saw a massive loss of life. Napoleon lost nearly 40,000 men killed, wounded or captured. The Allies suffered 22,000 casualties. Four days later Napoleon abdicated, and lived out his life in exile on St Helena in the South Atlantic. Advertisement After months of minimizing that possibility as a fringe theory, the Biden administration is now joining worldwide pressure for China to be more open about the outbreak - aiming to head off Republican complaints the president has not been tough enough as well as to use the opportunity to press China on alleged obstruction. British intelligence has reportedly assessed the theory recently and upgraded its likeliness from 'remote' to 'feasible', according to The Sunday Times. China, meanwhile, insists that the virus simply mutated and passed naturally from animals to humans, likely from a market in the city of Wuhan. Biden asked U.S. intelligence agencies to report back within 90 days. He directed U.S. national laboratories to assist with the investigation and the intelligence community to prepare a list of specific queries for the Chinese government. He called on China to cooperate with international probes into the origins of the pandemic. Zhao Lijian, foreign ministry spokesperson, said last week that Biden was not interested in 'serious' scientific origin tracing and doesn't care about 'facts or truth'. Zhao also called for the U.S. to open up its own labs for investigation. On Sunday the state-owned newspaper said Biden's investigation was entirely political, and predicted the team would likely 'produce a slanderous report that is in line with the US' anti-China campaign'. They wrote: 'The US government is full of arrogance and disrespects the first-phase work report of the WHO expert group.' The World Health Organization (WHO) visited Wuhan in late January, but their report only served to raise more questions after Beijing strictly controlled an on-site visit and who the researchers compiling the report spoke to. The WHO team was only allowed three hours inside the Wuhan lab and was unable to examine any of the Wuhan institute's safety logs or records of testing on its staff. Even Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the WHO, said that the visit was inconclusive, adding that 'all hypotheses are open' and warranted future study. The authors, however, attacked on Sunday 'the strong and tyrannical demand that the WHO should serve the political interests of the US.' Wuhan is accepted by all to be there place where the virus was first identified, and where the first known patients were documented The Wuhan Institute of Virology is seen guarded by police in February 2021. Scientists were allowed in, from the World Health Organization, in January but they were not granted free and unrestricted access to all they needed Guards stand outside the Wuhan lab in February, during the visit of the WHO. The head of the WHO later said that their report was inconclusive, and all options remined on the table They added: 'This is playing political games to hijack science.' China accused scientists who give the 'lab leak' theory credibility of 'trimming their sails according to the political circumstances'. 'The presumption of guilt imposed by the US against the Wuhan Institute of Virology has gone in opposite directions with the conventional cognition and normal traceability methods of the scientific community,' they said. The op ed pointed out that the U.S. intelligence community was catastrophically wrong on the issue of WMD in the early 2000s, insisting that the country's leaders 'have lost their credibility at the very beginning of this race'. 'It will be difficult for the US to do what it did 18 years ago when Washington fabricated evidence of Iraq possessing WMDs to fool the international community,' they write. 'So far, the US intelligence agencies can ask only the US media to help spread those rumors anonymously because they do not have any real proof that can be shared with the whole world. This traditional strategy of a frame-up is powerless in today's environment.' A pair of police officers bought a warm meal for a homeless man after finding him begging outside a Woolworths store in near-freezing conditions with only a bottle of chocolate milk to drink. Constables Sheridan Jones and Simon Jacobson had been called to the store in Ashwood, Melbourne on Sunday night to speak to the man who'd been sitting outside in temperatures as low as 3C. The officers didn't move along the man but instead asked him what he was doing out in the cold before learning he hadn't eaten since the night before. Then in a heartwarming act of kindness the pair walked into the supermarket and came back with a bag full of groceries - ensuring the man wouldn't go hungry for a second night. Speaking to Sunrise, Constable Jones said they had asked what the man wanted to eat but surprisingly he told them not to worry about buying him anything. 'I said, ''Well you've got two choices, you can come in with me or we'll surprise you'',' she said. Minutes later the officers came back outside with a full bag of food including a barbecue chicken, bread rolls, milk, bananas, chocolate and packet pasta. Unknown to the police officers, Melbourne-based blogger Adele Barbaro captured the whole encounter on video. Constable Jones said the homeless man was 'so sweet' and only had a bottle of chocolate milk with him that a lady had earlier bought. 'He's got a full belly for the next few days so it's nice to know we can make a difference for him,' she said. Constables Sheridan Jones (left) and Simon Jacobson (right) had been called to the store in Ashwood, Melbourne on Sunday night when they spotted the man sitting outside The two constables are seen speaking to the homeless man and giving him the bag of groceries on Sunday night Constable Jacobson said they were relieved to know the man had a place to sleep that night which was only a few minutes away from the Woolworths. 'He was a really nice guy and seemed extremely genuine so we thought we would just get him some food,' he said. Ms Barbaro shared the now viral footage on Facebook and said she had just parked her car outside the store when the officers caught her eye. 'A few steps ahead of me were two police officers heading straight for a homeless man sitting at the entry,' she wrote. 'He had a handwritten sign requesting spare change so he could get some food. 'As the officers approached him, instead of saying ''time to move on'' or ''you know you can't be here'', one of them said ''What brings you out in the cold tonight mate?'' The pair bought the man a roast chicken, rolls, chocolate, pasta and milk to ensure he wouldn't spend another night hungry Ms Barbaro said she overheard the homeless man say he was hungry before she walked into the store. 'As I made my way through the automatic doors I could hear the officers say, ''We just wanna make sure you're OK mate'''. Ms Barbaro said she started to walk up and down the aisles and fill her trolley with groceries when she noticed the officers pick up a few items themselves. She said both constables split the groceries at the checkout. The touching footage has pulled at the heartstrings of social media users who have heaped nothing but praise onto the officers. 'These are the kinds of police I have known in my 30 years of being married to one,' one person wrote. Another person commented: 'Being in that line of work it's disappointing that the good that is done is rarely acknowledged.' Others said they were fighting hard to hold back the tears. Nine has struck deals with tech giants Google and Facebook that will mean it gets paid for its news content. The media company announced the deals in a statement to the ASX on Tuesday. Facebook will pay Nine for news video clips and access to digital news articles on Facebook news products. The deal will initially last for up to three years. The parties have agreed on a minimum amount to be paid under the deal. Nine was reported to have inked a letter of intent with Facebook in March. Nine will supply news content to Google for its News Showcase and other news products. Under the five-year deal, Google will do more marketing across Nine's platforms. Nine says the amount payable is a fixed annual fee with modest growth in the early years. New Nine CEO Mike Sneesby has revealed the network is cashed up after deals with Google and Facebook ahead of Australia's world-first News Media Bargaining Code (above) Nine, which also owns Fairfax newspapers, is Australia's biggest Australian-owned media company Nine's own newspapers The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age are reporting that the deals are worth hundreds of millions of dollars. The deals will help Nine's publishing division boost its net income by $30 to $40 million in the coming financial year, the ASX statement says. The growth in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation is also aided by ongoing growth in subscriptions revenues for Nine's mastheads. The deal comes after the News Media Bargaining Code came into effect in March. The code forced Facebook and Google to negotiate with news publishers to pay them for their journalism. Google remains in talks with a range of regional and smaller publishers. It signed a letter of intent with the ABC last week. More than 100 publications are already featured on its Showcase product. Facebook is still in negotiations with a range of other publishers. The Victorian ministers and public servants presiding over the state's fourth lockdown which has crippled businesses and left families without income are enjoying some of the biggest payrises in the country. Just before the state's 112-day winter lockdown in July last year, Victorian politicians were handed an 11.8 per cent pay increase by an independent tribunal. The move pushed Acting Premier James Merlino's salary up $39,601 to $375,771 as Premier Daniel Andrews' paypacket increased by $46,522 to $441,439. Premier Daniel Andrews' paypacket increased by $46,522 to $441,439 in July last year The average Victorian earns $63,500, about one seventh of the premier's salary. In stark contrast, Scott Morrison froze salaries for federal politicians and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern gave herself a temporary $47,104 pay cut due to the pandemic. Meanwhile, Victorian public sector workers have enjoyed faster growing salaries than counterparts in other states since Mr Andrews was elected in 2014. Back then the average weekly wage of a Victorian public sector worker was just above $1,700 but now that figure is $2,083 - an increase of about 15 per cent. It means Victorian public sector workers earn on average $333 more than Victorian private sector workers and almost $200 more than counterparts in New South Wales where the cost of living is higher, according to analysis by the Financial Review. Furthermore, the public sector in Victoria has swelled under the Andrews Labor government, with 48,000 roles created in the six years to June 2020, taking the total number of employees to 381,200. In the state budget before the Andrews government took office, the wage bill for public sector workers was $21 billion but this will increase to $36 billion for next financial year, and to $39 billion for the 2024-25 financial year. It means that over two terms of government, Premier Andrews will have increased the wages bill for public servants by over 71 per cent. Robert Carling, senior research fellow at the Centre for Independent Studies, said this blowout was a major risk to the state's finances. Chief Health officer Brett Sutton (right) possibly earns up to $360,000, in line with his rank in the Victorian public service 'The pay rates in the Victorian public sector have outpaced the rest of the country,' he told Daily Mail Australia. 'It's a major contributing factor to the blowout in the deficit in Victoria and the blowout in public sector debt.' Victoria's net debt is expected to reach $156.3 billion by June 2025. 'If a state government wants to do something to bring its budget under control, you'd have to tackle this public sector payroll,' said Mr Carling. He also slammed the huge pay rise for politicians during the height of the pandemic, saying: 'If ever there was a wrong time to do it, it was then. 'The optics are never good on big rises in politicians' pay but they're particularly bad in the circumstances of last year.' A huge pay increase pushed Acting Premier James Merlino's salary up $39,601 to $375,771. Pictured: Mr Merlino getting vaccinated Cian Hussey, Research Fellow at the Institute of Public Affairs, said the Andrews government has created two Victorias with its policy of harsh lockdowns. 'Lockdown measures have destroyed businesses and cost private sector workers their jobs and wages while public sector workers have thrived,' he said. 'The entire Andrews ministry took a 12 per cent pay rise just days before implementing a devastating second lockdown which was an economic and humanitarian tragedy. 'As long as public sector workers, and politicians in particular, remain this detached from the real economy, they will keep imposing lockdown measures because it doesn't cost them anything,' he said. Chrissie Maus, Chapel Street Precinct General Manager said the latest lockdown was devastating for businesses. 'We were having a renaissance of businesses opening, especially in the hospitality sector, unparalleled anywhere in Australia. This is yet another blow,' she said. 'Our community's mental health and re-living the trauma from 2020 is of my highest concern.' Aged care staff at Royal Freemasons Coppin Centre receive COVID tests in the carpark on Monday. Victoria is enduring day four of a seven-day lockdown It comes after the Victorian government was accused of a series of failings over the latest outbreak which swelled to 54 cases on Tuesday. The Liberal-National Opposition believes the Victorian government - the only one in the country to put its whole state through four lockdowns - should be stumping up more cash to help stricken businesses and has pointed to several failures that have contributed to the latest shutdown. Those include not implementing a uniform QR code check-in system until Friday, six months later than New South Wales - and overseeing a struggling contact tracing regime which desperately recruited university students on the eve of lockdown on Thursday. The Labor government has also been criticised after it emerged quarantine boss Matiu Bush, who was suspended for allegedly refusing a Covid-19 test, is under investigation for hiring two gym trainers on $100,000 salaries to work as site leads in the quarantine program. And during the first four days of the lockdown, further failings in Victoria's pandemic response have been exposed. While north of the border NSW has an orderly and efficient internet booking system for getting the vaccine, Victoria is relying on a phone hotline, which crashed on Friday due to demand. The state is now rushing a new jab booking website, like NSW has had in place for at least a month. But that system was accidentally set live during the testing phase on Saturday night. Then on Saturday morning, hundreds were turned away from jab centres because the log-in system crashed. Ghost-town: Melbourne was eerily quiet on Monday morning as residents stayed at home under the orders of the state government People line up outside the Melbourne Exhibition Centre to get their Covid-19 vaccines on Friday Poll Who is to blame for the latest lockdown? State government Federal government It's just bad luck Who is to blame for the latest lockdown? State government 741 votes Federal government 138 votes It's just bad luck 63 votes Now share your opinion Medical experts have also questioned the state government's 'unsustainable' elimination strategy and preference for 'total lockdown', rather than localised restrictions, which has crippled thousands of regional businesses, despite no cases being recorded outside Melbourne. Victorian Liberal MP James Newbury said Australians in other parts of the country should not be asked to bail out a struggling state government. 'The Federal Government's job isn't to bail out failed State Governments, especially when they have tipped more money into Victoria than any other State,' he told Daily Mail Australia. 'The Victorian Labor Government has failed at contact tracing, bringing in a State QR Code, running a central hotline, and operating a vaccine computer system. 'Instead of owning up to these failures, Acting Premier Merlino has done a conjuring smoke and mirrors trick, and told Victorians to blame the Federal Government. What an outrageous attempt at misdirection. 'Instead of cheap parlour tricks, Labor should just admit they have locked down the State because they can't trust their own systems to manage the virus,' he said. The federal government says it has already provided $46 billion to Victoria over the course of the pandemic, the highest amount to any jurisdiction and three times more than the state government's $15 billion contribution. Victoria's alleged Covid-19 failings 1. Struggling contact tracing system 2. No uniform QR code until Friday 3. Covid hotline crashed 4. Vaccine log-in system crashed 5. Not enough business support 6. Blaming federal government 7. No message of support from Dan Andrews Source: State opposition MPs Advertisement Mr Morrison said on Sunday that if a state wants a lockdown then they must pay for the consequences - just as Queensland and Western Australia have done this year. Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said the federal response to the Victorian outbreak has been 'fair and appropriate'. LNP Senator Matt Canavan said the Victorian government should not demand money when it was locking down areas of regional Victoria with no cases. 'If the government wants to make decisions about locking down the entire state, and then just send the bill to the Commonwealth, that is not good enough,' he told the ABC. 'They need to actually have a consistent definition of hot spot because there doesn't seem to be an explanation why they have lockdown the whole state, there are no cases in regional Victoria. 'It clearly does not meet the definition of a hot spot. That is under the current National Cabinet guidelines. The Victorian government needs to explain why they are not adhering to those guidelines. 'While they are not are adhering to those agreed-upon guidelines, it is a little bit rich to come in and say we want Canberra to bail us out for the decisions we are making completely inconsistent with the guidelines.' Mr Newbury also took a swipe at absent premier Daniel Andrews - who is recovering from a broken back - for not sharing a message of support to Victorians during the lockdown. 'As we start lockdown day four, many want to know why Dan still hasn't done the decent thing and offered his support to our community,' he said. Mr Andrews has not posted on Twitter or Instagram since providing an update on his health on April 18. Meanwhile, Opposition MPs say the state government's $250 million plan to provide grants of either $2,500 or $3,500 to 90,000 locked-down businesses is inadequate. Liberal MP Tim Smith described the package as a 'sick joke' and said more support should be offered. 'The state government failed contact tracing and QR codes yet again and they're attempting to blame everyone else,' he said. 'The state government's support is woefully insufficient. Maybe now as the state govt has to pay for its own lockdown they'll improve their public health response.' Opposition leader Michael O'Brien said 87 per cent of businesses suffering through the lockdown would receive no support at all. 'That's a risk to the recovery that Victorians have worked so hard for. I'll back small business and local jobs,' he said. Mr Merlino insists it is unfair to blame the state government for the latest outbreak, which he warned would get worse before it gets better. He has pointed out that it stemmed from a returned traveller who caught the virus in quarantine in Adelaide before flying to Melbourne and testing positive, meaning Victoria's quarantine system is not to blame. Victoria is bracing for an extended lockdown with 40 infected, more than 180 exposure sites, and another looming aged care disaster Mr Merlino has blamed the Federal Government for not building safer quarantine facilities similar to the Howard Springs camp which has suffered zero leaks - and has demanded a faster vaccine rollout. 'We would be in a very different world if we had a successful rollout of the Commonwealth's vaccination program,' he said on Monday. 'It would be a very different world if we had alongside hotel quarantine alternative quarantine arrangements for our highest risk cohorts that travel in from overseas.' But business owners have also slammed the Labor government, including Jim Penman, the founder of lawn-mowing business Jim's Mowing, who said the fourth lockdown would 'destroy businesses and lives.' Lucas Restaurants CEO Chris Lucas roasted the state government's financial support as a 'kick in the guts' and said Labor should stop blaming the federal government. 'We cant expect taxpayers around the country to pay for our problems here in Victoria,' he told Sky News on Monday morning. Almost half of Victoria's aged care residents have not received both doses of a Covid vaccine despite the state being in the grip of an outbreak as Australia's health minister admits he has no idea how many health workers have had the jab. Aged Care Minister Richard Colbeck said he isn't sure how many aged care staff have been immunised in Victoria and concedes national data is unreliable. Meanwhile, senior health bureaucrat Caroline Edwards told a Senate estimates hearing on Tuesday that worker vaccination numbers were under-reported. Officials said in Victoria that 44,333 residents have received one dose, which offers significant protection, while 25,319 had a second. There is close to 50,000 residents across the state. Scroll down for video Almost half of Victoria's aged care residents are yet to receive both doses of the Covid-19 vaccine. Pictured: a healthcare worker leaves an aged care facility in Melbourne on Monday Aged Care Services Minister Richard Colbeck (pictured) has admitted the government do not know how many vaccinations have been distributed to aged care workers The admission comes as Victoria recorded three new Covid cases on Tuesday, bring the total number of active cases in the state's outbreak to 54. The list of venues exposed to positive cases ballooned to 329 overnight, as health authorities scramble to contact primary and secondary contacts. A 99-year-old Melbourne aged care resident and two staff are among those who have tested positive for coronavirus, forcing four facilities into high alert or lockdown. Nationally, 153,641 out of about 183,000 aged care residents have received their first jab and 116,688 a second dose. Ms Edwards said 85 per cent had consented to a vaccine but some residents and families declined due to illness, being close to death or for other reasons. 'We respect all of those decisions,' she told the hearing. Mr Colbeck said staff vaccination data was initially voluntary but providers were now required to give the federal government information. 'We have been working with the sector and the unions to ensure we have access to the data,' he said. A 99-year-old Melbourne aged care resident and two staff have tested positive for coronavirus at Arcare Aged Care facility in Maidstone (pictured) A resident gestures from inside the Arcare Aged Care facility after it was lockdown amid a Covid outbreak 'As workers are progressively vaccinated, that reporting data will come to us via the aged care providers.' Under sustained questioning from Labor frontbencher Katy Gallagher, Senator Colbeck said nationwide 36,710 staff had received both doses. But officials conceded a more accurate number would not be known until at least later in the week. 'It is a critical question - you should know the answer,' Senator Gallagher told the minister. 'It seems to me you have no urgency and no accountability for what's going on.' Of Australia's 910 coronavirus deaths, 685 have been aged care residents. The Morrison government is seeking advice on whether to mandate vaccines for all staff. It is also under pressure to explain why it lifted a ban on employees working at multiple facilities, which was imposed after Victoria's second wave. Senator Colbeck defended the delay in reimposing a ban on aged care workers moving between multiple sites. Pictured: A line for a Covid-19 test in Melbourne on Thursday. Only about 2.5 per cent of the Australian adult population have so far been fully vaccinated against the virus A staff member is seen entering Arcare Aged Care facility in Maidstone on Monday 'It is unlawful to restrict someone's capacity to earn a living,' he said. Despite Victoria's concerning outbreak, the rule wasn't reinstated until federal authorities designated Melbourne as a coronavirus hotspot on Thursday. The government argues less than five per cent of aged care staff work across multiple sites. Victoria recorded three new locally acquired cases of coronavirus overnight with none linked to the aged care sector. There are concerns the seven-day lockdown, which is due to end on Friday, could be extended. Staff are seen preparing vaccine doses inside the Melbourne Exhibition Centre on Friday. Sunrise host David Koch has hit out at Australia's slow Covid-19 vaccine rollout and the government's stance that the program 'is not a race' Meanwhile, the Victorian Department of Health added numerous Tier 1 venues to the list of public exposure sites overnight, including an Aldi store in South Melbourne, a Woolworths in Heidelberg, and a Vietnamese restaurant in Sunshine. Seven buses on Victoria's public transport network have also been placed on high alert, as well as the major shopping centres, several petrol stations, and fast food chains. Anyone who has visited a Tier 1 venue is required to immediately isolate, get a Covid test and quarantine for 14 days. There are now more than 300 exposure sites linked to the outbreak and 4000 close contacts self-isolating, of which about 80 per cent have returned negative tests. Of greatest concern to authorities are the three cases linked to an aged care facility in Melbourne's northwest. National cabinet will on Friday consider a proposal to make vaccination mandatory for all aged and disability care workers. A divorce or a relationship break-up could have the potential to jeopardise retirement savings. Australians are already struggling to save up the necessary $500,000 recommended so a single person can have a comfortable requirement. A relationship breakdown is even more of a hindrance to accumulating enough superannuation, especially when assets are combined under a super splitting arrangement. Women in Super chief executive Sandra Buckley said women were abandoning their superannuation because dividing up retirement assets were too tricky without legal advice. A divorce or a relationship break-up have the potential to jeopardise retirement savings. Women in Super chief executive Sandra Buckley said women were abandoning their superannuation because dividing up retirement assets were too tricky without legal advice. Stock image Tips for getting your super in a break-up Reach an agreement on super splitting if the break-up is amicable Hire a lawyer Wait until the law changes so the Family Court has access to Australian Taxation Office data Advertisement 'Too many women are walking away from their share of a relationship's assets as it is difficult to get information on superannuation assets held especially if a partner is refusing to co-operate,' she said. The federal government wants to change the law so divorce lawyers in the Family Court have access to Australian Taxation Office data. Attorney-General Michaelia Cash and Superannuation Minister Jane Hume are proposing to make it harder for estranged couples to hide or under-disclose superannuation assets in family law proceedings. They said the reforms would 'reduce the time, cost and complexity for parties seeking accurate superannuation information'. Tania Clarke, the manager of Policy and campaigns at the Women's Legal Service Victoria, said the changes would make it harder for controlling men to hide their super details. 'Once this legislation is passed, it will be harder for perpetrators of family violence to hide information about their superannuation accounts, as the court will be able to get that information directly from the ATO,' she said. Attorney-General Michaelia Cash (pictured) and Superannuation Minister Jane Hume are proposing to make it harder for estranged couples to hide or under-disclose superannuation assets in family law proceedings The Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia recommended a single Australian have $535,000 tucked away to live in a bit of style while couples needed $640,000 for an equivalent lifestyle. Many Australians are a long way from achieving that savings goal with official Australian Bureau of Statistics data showing average super balances of just $286,800 in the final decade before retirement. Tax office data showed women aged 60 to 64 had even less, with average balances of $280,000 compared with $345,000 for men in the years just before retirement. Across all age groups women have a lot less than men and are being urged to top up their superannuation. Their average balances stood at $73,139 in December 2020 - a 17.8 per cent gap compared with the average male balance of $88,934, Colonial First State data showed. Figures from Colonial First State's 750,000 accounts showed its average super balances for all age groups stood at just $82,163 in December 2020. Five men have been charged with the murder of a 23-year-old man who was knifed to death on a housing estate. Officers were called to an estate in Lincoln just before 11pm last Thursday to reports of a stabbing. They found Sam Davies with suspected knife wounds. Despite the best efforts of police and paramedics, he died a short time later. Five men, Joe Jameson, 23; Daniel Heydari 24; Eric Kesel, 18; Eimantis Gochman, 19; and Charlie Wakefield, 20, have been charged with murder. Five men have been charged with the murder of a 23-year-old man who was knifed to death on a housing estate in Lincoln (file image) They are due to appear at a Lincoln Magistrates' Court on Tuesday. Detective Chief Inspector Richard Myszczyszyn, of the East Midlands Special Operations Unit, said: 'This has been a fast-moving investigation and we are grateful to the public for their help. 'We are still appealing for information and I'd urge anyone who can assist us to get in touch.' The SUV which was used by three gunmen who opened fire at a rap concert Sunday, killing two and injuring more than 20 others, has been found submerged in a canal by police. The Nissan Pathfinder was found by divers from the Miami-Dade Police Department in Key Biscayne, east of Miami. The water is a notorious dumping ground. Surveillance footage showed the moment that the gunmen got out of the vehicle at El Mula Banquet Hall in the early hours of Sunday, before running back moments later. The shooters fired more than 100 rounds into the crowd before fleeing, and remain at large. The SUV was had been stolen May 15th, police said. Miami Police Department chief Art Acevedo on Sunday warned of 'a long summer' of bloodshed unless lawmakers take action against gun violence. He told CBS's Face The Nation: 'Unless we all start speaking up, speaking out and demanding our elected officials take action, we're going to see a lot more bloodshed, and I'm very sad to say that this summer is going to be a long summer for the American people'. Divers found the white Nissan Pathfinder that was involved in a mass shooting on Sunday morning was submerged in a canal in Miami-Dade County The SUV was reported stolen two weeks ago and found in a canal in Key Biscayne Surveillance footage was released earlier on Monday with the car being found hours later Miami Police Department chief Art Acevedo on Sunday warned of 'a long summer' of bloodshed unless lawmakers take action against gun violence. Acevedo said the shooting was 'an indication of the problem we have with the scourge of gun violence in this country that we need to do much more at a federal level to stop.' A snippet from surveillance video fron the Sunday shooting show the white SUV driving into an alley at the strip mall housing the El Mula Banquet Hall in northwest Miami-Dade, near Hialeah. The video shows three people getting out of the vehicle, one gripping a handgun, while the other two carried what police described as 'assault-style rifles.' The gunmen had waited in the car for between 20 and 40 minutes for concertgoers to come outside to the front. They sprayed bullets indiscriminately into the crowd, even though police said the assailants had specific targets in mind. A number of people in the crowd pulled out their own weapons and shot back. Two men, both 26, were killed, and more than 20 were injured. A 31-year-old woman and two men, ages 21 and 25 are still in critical condition. Three others have been released from hospitals, including a 17-year-old who was shot in the leg. .Detectives said on Monday that they had found the vehicle was in a canal in the area of 154th Street and Northwest Second Avenue Miami-Dade County Commissioner Keon Hardemon, center, delivers his remarks during a news conference about Memorial Day weekend mass shootings on Monday The gunfire erupted early Sunday at the El Mula Banquet Hall in northwest Miami-Dade County, near Hialeah, police told news outlets An estimated 20 to 25 people were injured in a shooting outside the banquet hall The video shows the three men returning moments later and driving off into the darkness. In all, 23 people were shot. In addition to the two fatalities, three others were in the hospital in critical condition. Because of privacy laws, police were not releasing the names of any of the victims. The SUV used in the shooting was later found Monday submerged in a canal. Police said the vehicle was reported stolen two weeks ago. 'We will do everything, everything we can and use every resource available to bring these people to justice. We will leave no stone unturned, we will leave nothing behind to bring these shooters to justice,' Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said at a news conference. 'We know that our intended target was most likely in front of the establishment when the shooting took place,' added Major Jorge Aguilar of the Miami-Dade Police Department. Mourning father, Clayton Dillard, is ushered to the lobby of Miami-Dade Police headquarters after emotionally interrupting a news conference hosted by Mayor Daniella Levine Cava about the shooting this weekend in Northwest Miami-Dade Clayton Dillard III was one of two people killed early Sunday morning outside of a Northwest Miami-Dade banquet hall during a mass shooting that sent 21 others to the hospital Clayton Dillard, center, was also seen outsider the scene of the shooting on Sunday Police Director Alfredo Ramirez III said on Sunday that he believed the attack was targeted, with police continuing to search for the suspects Police say they are now scrubbing through surveillance footage from the exterior of the banquet hall in an attempt to identify the three suspects who opened fire. No arrests have yet been made but authorities are offering a $130,000 reward for information on the shooting. Earlier on Monday, a grieving father interrupted a news conference just as the Miami-Dade Police Department's director, Alfredo 'Freddy' Ramirez III, was decrying the weekend's gun violence and appealing for the community's help in tracking down the shooters. 'You killed my kid with no reason,' the distraught man yelled out as he was escorted away from cameras. Police laterer confirm that the man, Clayton Dillard, is the father of one of two 26-year-old men who were gunned down outside. 'That is the pain that you see. That is the pain that affects our community right there before you,' Ramirez said. Police recovered almost 100 shell casings from outside the banquet hall, where party-goers fired back at the three suspects Two people were dead at the scene of the shooting and three are in critical condition Miami Police Chief Acevedo called for the justice system to 'throw the book' at criminals caught with illegal firearms. 'Most (of) these cowardly misfits don't fear death, they do fear long prison sentences,' Acevedo tweeted Sunday morning. 'Firearms belong in the hands of law-abiding Americans of sound kind, more (must) me done to keep them out of the wrong hands.' Florida Governor Ron DeSantis called for 'swift and severe' justice. 'We mourn the loss of the two victims and are praying for the recovery of the more than 20 people injured at El Mula Banquet Hall near Hialeah,' he wrote in a tweet. 'We are working with local authorities to bring justice to the perpetrators.' Gun-related homicides have surged across the United States over the past year. On Wednesday, a public transit worker shot dead nine people at a California rail yard before turning his gun on himself as police arrived. Mass shootings have occurred in recent months at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis, an office building in California, a grocery store in Colorado and at several spas in Atlanta. Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to contact CrimeStoppers at (305) 471-TIPS (8477) or (866) 471-8477. The world's largest meat supplier has been hit by a cyberattack, with hackers shutting down internal computer systems and forcing the company to suspend parts of its operations in Canada and Australia. JBS, a Brazilian meat company which operates in 15 countries and employs 250,000 people, announced on Sunday that it had been attacked - weeks after the Colonial Pipeline, transporting fuel from Texas to the East Coast, was shut down by hackers from Russian-based group Dark Side. That hack caused days of misery for drivers, as fuel pumps ran dry amid panic-buying of gas. A $4.4 million ransom was paid after the May 7 attack, their CEO confirmed. The announcement of the meat supply hack was made by its USA division, based in Colorado. They did not state whether a ransom was being negotiated. JBS USA oversees beef and lamb operations in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand - a huge operation that includes 18 beef processing units, six feedlots, two leather units, two lamb units and one pork unit, eight processed food units, nine logistics centers and eight distribution centers in the three countries. The U.S. was not affected by the hack, Bloomberg reported - but it was unclear whether that was because the plant was shut for Memorial Day. JBS, the world's largest meat supplier, said on Sunday that their U.S. division had been hacked. The U.S. itself is not believed to be affected, but Canada and Australia - which are part of the U.S. division - have reported being shut down. Workers are seen at a JBS plant in Lapa, Parana state, in Brazil in March 2017 It is not clear yet who is behind the JBS hack. In early May a Russia-based group took control of Colonial Pipeline and demanded a ransom, and received $4.4 million In Canada, their beef plant in Brooks, Alberta - around 120 miles east of Calgary - was not operational on Monday, a union representative told Bloomberg. Scott Payne, spokesman for United Food and Commercial Workers Canada Union Local 401, said: 'There are no unionized workers there. That means effectively the plant's operations have shut for the day.' The JBS packaging facility in Belleville, Ontario - where beef, pork and salmon are prepared for grocery stores - was operating normally, said Tim Deelstra, a spokesman for UFCW Canada Local 175. In Australia, JBS's entire beef and lamb kills were cancelled across the nation, affecting facilities in Queensland, Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania. JBS said in a statement that the 'organized cybersecurity attack' was detected on Sunday, 'affecting some of the servers supporting its North American and Australian IT systems.' The entrance to the JBS Australia's Dinmore meatworks facility, west of Brisbane. JBS operates in 15 countries worldwide, employing 250,000 people They continued: 'The company took immediate action, suspending all affected systems, notifying authorities and activating the company's global network of IT professionals and third-party experts to resolve the situation. 'The company's backup servers were not affected, and it is actively working with an Incident Response firm to restore its systems as soon as possible.' JBS said they did not believe that 'any customer, supplier or employee data has been compromised or misused as a result of the situation.' The company warned that delays may be likely. 'Resolution of the incident will take time, which may delay certain transactions with customers and suppliers,' they said. Butchers are seen working in a JBS facility. The company not only provides meat: it also trades in leather, biodiesel and collagen, in addition to running huge packaging facilities Paul Rosenzweig, a former senior Department of Homeland Security official, told USA Today that the attacks on an oil pipeline and then a meat supplier 'shows that nothing is safe.' 'Not the meatpacking industry, not the chemical industry, not the wastewater treatment industry, not Sony. Nothing,' he said. 'And the only way to be safe in this world is to unplug completely. And you can't do that and be economically competitive.' Rosenzweig, a Cybersecurity and Emerging Threats senior fellow at the non-partisan R Street Institute public policy research organization in Washington, said that the success of the Colonial Pipeline cyberattack has emboldened hackers. 'Until they actually pay consequences, they'll keep doing it,' he said. 'I mean, the Colonial guys got away with $50 million or whatever it was not bad for a week's work. 'Who knows what the JBS guys might get away with? 'So long as the internet is a place of anonymity, the criminals will be able to act with impunity. 'And why would they stop?' Shocking security footage shows the moment a man punches an Asian woman so hard in the face that she is knocked to the ground in a random attack in New York City's Chinatown on Monday afternoon. The daytime assault took place around 6.15pm in front of a restaurant, and was entirely unprovoked, police say. Assemblywoman Yuh-Line Niou, whose district encompasses Chinatown, shared surveillance video of the attack on Twitter. The footage shows the 55-year-old victim walking down the sidewalk when a man in an orange hoodie and denim vest suddenly strikes her in the face. The woman's hat is seen flying off her head, and she crumples to the pavement. Scroll down for video A seemingly crazed man punched a 55-year-old Asian woman in the face in Chinatown Monday afternoon in what police described as an 'unprovoked' attack The woman's hat is seen flying off her head, and she crumples to the pavement The woman sat motionless after she was hit. It came as attacks against Asians and Asian-Americans has surged in the city recently A handful of pedestrians come to her side while diners can be seen staring in silence. One can be heard asking if the victim was alright, but she remained motionless. Police said the woman was taken New York-Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital and is in stable condition. The attacker was taken Bellevue Hospital for psychiatric evaluation, and so far no charges have been filed. The violent incident came as attacks against Asians and Asian-Americans have been surging in the city, with at least 86 anti-Asian hate crimes being reported to authorities this year, according to the NYPD. There were only 19 such reports the same time last year. In a separate attack, surveillance footage captured a man sucker-punching an elderly Asian woman on Wednesday. NYPD working to identify the man who punched the 75-year-old Chinese mother in the face around 2:30 p.m. Wednesday near 57th Avenue and 97th Place in Queens The footage shows the man walking down the sidewalk before punching the woman, who falls to the ground as he walks away NYPD reported that it was working to identify the man who punched the 75-year-old Wing Wa Chin mother in the face around 2:30 p.m. that day near 57th Avenue and 97th Place in Queens. The footage shows the man walking down the sidewalk before punching the woman, who falls to the ground as he walks away. The vicious and unprovoked attack left the elderly woman with a broken nose, fractured eye socket and two black eyes. 'She was just coming back from the supermarket and she had her shopping cart,' the victim's son, who asked not to be identified in fear of retaliation, told CBS2. 'It's kinda obvious. He punched her because she was an Asian lady,' he added. The victim, who was treated for her injuries at a nearby hospital, has lived in the neighborhood for 40 years, her son told the news outlet. She will need further surgery to help heal her wounds. 'She said people around were nice enough to help her call the ambulance. They came to pick her up and stuff like that, so I'm glad people around here at least stick up for each other,' the victim's son told CBS2. A rally was held in Chinatown hours after the attack in solidarity against the ongoing and increasing assaults and hate crimes towards Asians, with actor and activist Danny Glover being in attendance. 'We had to stand for justice,' Glover said at the rally. 'We, at this particular moment, have to stand on the right side of history.' Additionally, on May 15 an Asian man was repeatedly punched and had the tip of his finger bitten off by an attacker who told him to 'go back to your country.' A man attacked a 48-year-old Asian man, and bit his finger off on May 15. attacker was captured on security footage walking away from the crime scene with a red sweatshirt in hand, donning black sneakers and was shirtless The 48-year-old Asian man was brutally attacked by a shirtless perpetrator that morning in the Hells Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan. The victim is a driver from Long Island who was in the area to pick up a customer, his family told ABC 7 News. The assailant allegedly approached the 48-year-old and randomly punched him in the face 'without provocation,' NYPD said in a statement. He then began raining punches on him before telling him 'go back to your country.' The man then bit the victim on his left hand, severing his middle finger, before fleeing the scene. The attacker, described by police as dark-skinned and in his 40s, was captured on security footage walking away from the crime scene shirtless, with a red sweatshirt in hand and wearing black sneakers. The victim was transported to a nearby hospital where he was treated for injuries to his face, arm and hand. His family says they are sick and tired of the rise in anti-Asian attacks and that these crimes have made them more aware of their surroundings, ABC 7 News reported. The incident occurred in the same neighborhood a 31-year-old Asian woman was attacked with a hammer by a woman who ordered her to take her mask off earlier this month. The woman suffered a cut to her head and was hospitalized and the attack was investigated by the NYPD as a potential hate crime. The incident also took place just two blocks from where a 65-year-old Asian woman was kicked and stomped by a 38-year-old man while she was on her way to church in late March. A report from the Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino, found that antiAsian hate crimes surged 149 per cent while overall hate crime dropped 7 per cent in 2020. The report indicated that the rise in anti-Asian crimes was attributed to 'a rise in COVID cases and negative stereotyping of Asians relating to the pandemic.' In light of all the recent citywide anti-Asian as well as anti-Semitic attacks, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced increased funding for anti-hate initiatives. 'We need to redouble our efforts to fight hate, and we've gotta work with outstanding community leaders and organizations to reach deep into the grassroots,' he said. De Blasio announced the creation of a new initiative called Partners Against The Hate, or P.A.T.H. Forward on Thursday, while committing $3 million in funding for Asian American and Jewish community groups, CBS reports. Fashion retailer Zara underpaid its Australian staff by $2.6million, its 2019-20 accounts had revealed. The underpayments were revealed in documents filed with Australia's corporate regulator which also show that the Spanish brand had been considering cost-cutting measures as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Famous for its affordable yet chic clothing, the internationally famous retailer arrived in Australia to great fanfare from fashion lovers in 2011. Zara is reviewing why its Australian in-store workers had been underpaid a total of $2.6million Zara's Australian stores remained in profit in 2019 but had been impacted by shutdowns during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic It quickly opened stores in Melbourne, Canberra, Adelaide, Perth, Gold Coast and Brisbane, including in premium shopping precincts such as Melbourne's Chadstone, Sydney CBD and Pacific Fair on the Gold Coast. The company currently had 19 stores in Australia. Zara Australia's revenue was $326 million in the 12 months to January 31, 2020, reported the Brisbane Times, a 4.8 per cent increase on the previous year. Profit also grew 7.5 per cent to $12.9 million. The increase in revenue was considerably down on the increases the brand posted in the first five years after it established in Australia. The company said an external consultant had been engaged to examine the underpayment of store workers both under award rates and in relation to other employee entitlements. The accounts revealed the Australian operation had borrowed a total of $44 million from its parent company, Inditex Group, since 2011, and may require yet more funding from Spain in order to remain in business in Australia following the gruelling effects on retail from the pandemic. The giant Spanish fast fashion retailer arrived in Australia in 2011 and quickly opened stores in busy shopping precincts along the eastern seaboard 'Although there is significant uncertainty surrounding future events, the companys directors are constantly monitoring the evolution of the situation in order to successfully address any possible impacts, both financial and non-financial, that may arise. 'Management have prepared forecasts based on various scenarios due to the impact of COVID-19 on the business, and on the basis of these scenarios the directors consider that the entity will continue as a going concern for at least 12 months.' Zara remains the world's largest fashion retailer by sales, ahead of H&M and UNIQLO. It's worldwide success began from a single store in Galicia, Spain opened by founder Amancio Ortega in 1975. It now numbers more than 6500 stores across the world and racks in US$25 billion in annual sales. Macron urges "clarity" over alleged U.S. spying on Merkel, others Xinhua) 11:09, June 01, 2021 German Chancellor Angela Merkel attends a question session of the German Bundestag in Berlin, capital of Germany, on March 24, 2021. (Florian Gaertner/photothek/Handout via Xinhua) PARIS, May 31 (Xinhua) -- French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that all must be clarified concerning reports that the United States intelligence agency had used the Danish infrastructure to spy on senior European officials, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel. This "is unacceptable between allies, even less between allies and European partners," Macron was quoted by French daily Le Monde following a French-German council of ministers. He urged "all the clarity." Denmark's national broadcaster DR News reported on Sunday that Danish Defense Intelligence Service (FE) has given the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) open internet access to spy on senior politicians of neighboring countries, including Merkel. DR News, in collaboration with Swedish, Norwegian, German and French media, found out some "startling conclusions" in a secret internal investigation on the FE dubbed as "Operation Dunhammer," which was concluded in May 2015. A significant conclusion in the Dunhammer report, according to DR News, is that the NSA has purposefully obtained data and thus been able to clandestinely spy on targeted heads of state, as well as neighboring Scandinavian leaders, top politicians, and high-ranking officials in Germany, Sweden, Norway, and France. Earlier in the day, France's Secretary of State for European Affairs Clement Beaune told Franceinfo radio that what has been found by the media investigation "is extremely serious." "We must verify these facts and denounce them if it is true," he said. (Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun) A young man who allegedly climbed a cenotaph memorial with his mates and posed inappropriately with the soldiers has issued an apology to Australia's diggers for having 'one too many drinks'. CCTV footage showed the alleged vandals clambering onto the heritage-listed First World War monument in Martin Place in Sydney's CBD about 3.10am on Saturday. Five young men have been charged after a bronze bayonet on the memorial was found bent out of shape during a memorial service later that day. On Monday afternoon, three men - aged 19, 20 and 21 - turned themselves in to Sutherland Police Station, in the city's south, and were charged with desecrating a protected place. A fourth man, 21, was charged with offensive conduct that afternoon, and a fifth, 21, was arrested two hours later. Pictured: Josh Gilbertson, who said he would like to apologise to Australia for allegedly vandalising Sydney's Cenotaph memorial in the early hours of Saturday morning Pictured: Two of the young men charged over the CCTV footage. Five young men have been charged after a bronze bayonet on the memorial was bent out of shape He was charged with destroying or damaging property and committing an offensive act on a war memorial, and was granted conditional bail. The 21-year-old will appear before Downing Centre Local Court on June 28. The remaining four men will appear before Downing Centre Local Court on June 30. NSW Police Minister David Elliott described the act as disrespectful on Sunday and vowed to 'leave no stone unturned' when looking for the culprits. Josh Gilbertson blamed the vandalism he is accused of on having too much to drink and said he wanted to 'apologise to Australia'. 'One too many drinks and before I knew it the boys were up there and I just decided to follow,' he told 7News. One of the men, dressed in a hooded jacket, is seen in the footage allegedly sitting on the shoulders of the bronze statue while the others climb up the sides of the cenotaph 'To all the diggers that served our country, Im very thankful for what youve done. 'If I could turn back time, I wouldnt do it again of course.' CCTV of the crime showed one of the men sitting on the shoulders of the bronze statue, while the others allegedly climbed up the sides of the cenotaph. The incident was condemned by police, veterans, and NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian. Ms Berejiklian said the people involved in the incident would face the 'full force of the law'. Police said the bayonet of the statue at Martin Place was damaged just before 3.10am on Saturday 'I think it's really hurtful that a small number of Australians don't appreciate the sacrifices many Australians made, who lost their lives and lost their livelihoods over many, many decades for our freedoms,' she said. 'It's incumbent on us to make sure that every single Australian citizen is aware and grateful for the sacrifices made by our ex-servicemen and women.' NSW Police Minister David Elliott called it 'disrespectful'. 'I don't know what type of sick individual would knowingly create such unnecessary anxiety among the defence family by showing such disrespect for our memorial. It's criminal and morally bankrupt,' he said. RSL New South Wales president Ray James said it was an attack on Australians. 'It's a personal attack on all members of the community,' he said. 'It's a very special memorial for all Australians. Not just veterans, but all Australians.' The cenotaph consists of a granite pedestal and is guarded by two bronze statues - one of a soldier and the other a sailor. The memorial was erected to honour the brave Anzac soldiers who had fought and died for their country. The location of the memorial holds immense significance as many Australians enlisted for the war at Martin Place. The memorial was erected following World War One to honour the brave Anzac soldiers who have fought and died for their country The location of the memorial holds immense significance as many Australians enlisted for the war at Martin Place Today it is used as a centrepiece for memorials to remember all soldiers who have served their country. It is not the first time the cenotaph has been disrespected with a French tourist caught swinging on the bayonet in 2013. CCTV footage captured the tourist placing a cone on the head while his friend took photos on his phone. The incident sparked outrage and the tourist was forced to issue a public apology. A second week of lockdown looms for 6.5 million Victorians amid growing concern that the latest coronavirus outbreak is spreading rapidly between complete strangers. The outbreak, which has been linked to the double mutant Indian strain, grew to 54 cases on Tuesday, including nine new locally-acquired cases. Concerned health officials have revealed 'four or five' of the cases emerged from 'brushing past' strangers who unwittingly transmitted the virus. Authorities also refused to rule out extending the state's seven day 'circuit breaker' lockdown as the list of exposure sites swelled to 329 venues. Victorians have been warned the virus is passing between strangers in fleeting moments in small spaces such as shops (pictured, commuters at Flinders Street Station) Authorities are concerned Victoria's new outbreak is spreading though complete strangers (pictured, healthcare workers at Arcare Aged Care facility on Tuesday) Melburnians (pictured on Tuesday) face the prospect of the week-long lockdown being extended if mystery links aren't traced 'What we're seeing now is people are brushing past each other in a small shop, they are going to a display home, they are looking at photos in a Telstra shop,' Victoria's Covid-19 testing commander Jeroen Weimar told reporters. 'This is relatively speaking, relatively fleeting. They do not know each other's names, and that is very different from what we have been before.' 'We are used to, with previous variants, transmission occurring in the home, in the workplace, where people know each other already, not all of those big social settings. These are quite different. The outbreak, which originated in hotel quarantine in South Australia last month, is 'playing out a bit differently to earlier outbreaks' in Victoria, which resulted in few cases and three-day circuit breaker lockdowns. 'There is evidence of casual acquisition instead of those in direct close contact like friends at a pub, family members,' Health Minister Martin Foley said. Victorians are seen queueing outside of a vaccination centre in Melbourne on Tuesday (pictured) Mr Weimar described the outbreak as the fastest moving seen anywhere in Australia during the pandemic. 'I am confident that we are doing everything we possibly can to get on top of this and Im confident that all of us as Victorians are out there willing this thing to be over and willing us all to get on top of it and by behaving in the right way,' he said. Anyone who visited busy shopping centres listed as exposure sites, including Craigieburn Central Pacific Epping, Epping North shopping centre and Broadway Reservoir is urged get tested. Mr Weimar refused to confirm whether lockdown will be longer, just two days out from a major decision due to be made on whether to extend the gruelling restrictions. Authorities have refused to rule out extending the state's seven day 'circuit breaker' lockdown as the list of exposure sites swelled to 329 venues (pictured, commuters in Melbourne) The lockdown is Victoria's fourth in 14 months. 'My job is to keep going hard until we have everybody positive under control, lockdown, isolating safety,' Mr Weimar said. 'As to what that means for the lockdown, that is for the chief health officer.' Two of Tuesday's three cases not reported previously were primary close contacts who were in isolation while infectious. A major concern to health authorities were three cases linked to an aged care facility in Melbourne's northwest on Monday after two workers at Arcare Maidstone and a 99-year-old resident tested positive for Covid-19. None of the latest cases announced on Tuesday are linked to aged care. Officials were pleased to find no more cases of Covid-19 in aged care settings on Tuesday (pictured, staff are swabbed for the virus at the Royal Freemasons Coppin Centre facility) Victorians are in the middle of their fourth lockdown since March, which could be extended beyond Thursday (pictured, Testing Commander Jeroen Weimar on Monday) Genomic sequencing has confirmed the first infected Arcare worker is directly linked to the South Australian hotel outbreak quarantine in early May. 'That is at least confirming in our mind that this is all the one related cluster from the South Australian hotel breach,' Mr Foley said. 'I'm also able to advise that all staff and residents at Blue Cross Sunshine aged care facility have tested negative other than that one case reported on yesterday, the crossover worker between Arcare Maidstone and Blue Cross Sunshine. There have been no further positive tests at Arcare Maidstone from 146 tests. Of the 4,800 close contacts currently self-isolating across Victoria, around 75 per cent have returned negative tests. But a missing link remains, which has authorities concerned. The strain, referred to as the 'double mutant Indian' variant, can transmit faster than the original virus (pictured, Victorians line up for vaccinations on Tuesday) All aged care staff are urged to get the Covid jab as part of a five day vaccination blitz. Staff are seen leaving Arcare Aged Care facility on Monday The outbreak started when a Melbourne man who completed two weeks of hotel quarantine in South Australia caught it as he was leaving the state on May 4. He boarded a plane and flew Melbourne that same day. 'He went to work on the fifth (of May) and the sixth, at Datapoint Melbourne, and that over the subsequent few days he went into the city, he had a curry, he visited a number of grocery stores,' Mr Weimar said. Almost 20,500 Victorians received the Covid vaccine on Monday to take the state's tally of doses administered past 494,000. All aged care and disability workers will soon be able to jump the queue at mass vaccination centres as part of a five day vaccination blitz announced on Tuesday. Express lanes will be opened for aged care and disability workers from Wednesday until Sunday at 10 of the state's vaccination centres, including the Royal Exhibition Building, the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, Sandown Racecourse, the Melbourne Showgrounds, Geelong's former Ford factory and several centres in regional Victoria. The lanes will operate from 9am to 4pm and workers will need to show proof of employment. People line up outside a Covid-19 vaccination centre in west Melbourne to receive the jab A high school teacher who was charged with the historical sexual assault of a student has been found dead along with his wife in a double suicide. The bodies of Rodney Charles Eather and his wife Joan Eather were found at their home in Morayfield, 45km north of Brisbane, last month. The gruesome discovery was made just three days after he was charged with 11 counts of sexual assault of a person under 16 years of age and carnal knowledge by a teacher of a girl aged between 10 and 17. The bodies of Rodney Charles Eather (pictured) and his wife Joan Eather were found at their home in Morayfield, 45km north of Brisbane, last month Police started investigating the Ballina school teacher on March 21 after being tipped off that a female student was allegedly sexually assaulted between the ages of 13 to 16 between 1981 and 1983. Pictured left: a younger Rodney Charles Eather It is believed the husband and wife left a suicide letter at the scene, The Courier Mail reports. 'Police will prepare a report for the Coroner following the sudden death of a 66-year-old man at Morayfield on May 30,' a QPS spokeswoman said. 'His death is not being treated as suspicious.' Police started investigating the Ballina school teacher on March 21 after being tipped off that a female student was allegedly sexually assaulted between the ages of 13 to 16 between 1981 and 1983. Mr Eather was granted bail on Thursday in Lismore Local Court to return to his property. The court heard Mr Eather suffered from several health problems including hypertension and cardiac issues. Annastacia Palaszczuk's salary will soar to $427,500 after a tribunal decision was made - despite the Queensland Premier last year calling for no pay rises for any state MPs until 2023. The premier's annual pay will be bumped up from $399,955 to roughly $427,561 thanks to a ruling by the Queensland Independent Remuneration Tribunal on Monday. Ms Palaszczuk had earlier asked for pay to be frozen while the coronavirus pandemic was ongoing, sharing a post to social media that read: 'Annastacia declares no pay rises for Queensland MPs until 2023'. The pay rise will make her the second highest paid premier in Australia, tailing just behind Victorian leader Daniel Andrews who sits on $441,439 a year. Annastacia Palaszczuk's salary will be bumped up from $399,955 to roughly $427,561 thanks to a decision made by the Queensland Independent Remuneration Tribunal on Monday Ms Palaszczuk had earlier asked for pay to be frozen while the coronavirus pandemic was ongoing, sharing a post to social media that read: 'Annastacia declares no pay rises for Queensland MPs until 2023' As part of the tribunal's decision, Queensland MPs will see a 2 per cent pay increase from September this year. Then in March next year there will be another 2.25 per cent and a further 2.5 per cent rise in September, 2022 - totaling to three pay rises in just 12 months. Ms Palaszczuk defended the tribunal's decision when questioned on Tuesday. 'I don't make these decisions, the Independent Remuneration Tribunal does and there's been a pay freeze for four years,' she said. Queensland Deputy Premier Steven Mile will see his salary climb from $351,788 to $376,000 AUSTRALIAN PREMIER SALARIES Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk - $427,561 NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian - $407,980 Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews - $441,439 South Australian Premier Steven Marshall - $418,000 Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan - $355,681 Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein - $301,397 Advertisement 'We've had the pay freezes and it's nothing more than what the public service are getting paid, in fact it's less.' In the tribunal's report released on Monday, they said the state's financial status appeared to be 'more positive' than it was a year ago. 'While the economic forecast and outlook continue to remain uncertain as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, it appears that the economy is rebounding, and the outlook is more positive than at the height of the pandemic in 2020 when the salary levels of members were last considered by the tribunal,' the tribunal report said. Queensland Deputy Premier Steven Mile will see his salary climb from $351,788 to $376,000. Leader of the Opposition David Crisafulli will also get a pay rise from $327,705 to $350,000. Meanwhile, New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian earns $407,980 a year, and South Australian Premier Steven Marshall pockets $418,000. Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan is paid $355,000 annually. A local postie has performed a heartwarming act of kindness for a woman trapped in isolation after she missed her package drop-off time. Queenslander Kirsten Sinnamon, 47, was forced to spend a fortnight isolating at home after visiting her grandchild in Melbourne just before the state's latest outbreak began. Mrs Sinnamon and her husband returned home to Townsville from the Victorian capital to find an Australia Post slip informing them they'd missed the delivery - a keto slow-cook recipe book. Unable to go to the Post Office, she wrote a letter politely asking the post officer if they would collect the parcel for them - and were stunned when she received a phone call that afternoon from their local postwoman. Kirsten Sinnamon was on the receiving end of a lovely act of kindness from her local postie after requesting help while she was stuck in isolation Mrs Sinnamon and her husband were forced to mimic the lockdown of Victoria after visiting a hotspot, which applies to all Queenslanders who had been in the state since May 13. 'We've had notices about picking up a parcel from the post office telling us if we don't come soon they'll return it to sender, but we're not allowed out,' she posted to Facebook. Fearing the prolonged isolation could see the package eventually sent back for not being collected, she decided to make the urgent appeal. 'Dear postie. We're stuck in iso after visiting 1st grandbaby in Melbourne last week,' the note reads. 'Is it possible to redeliver our parcel please? We'll be here all week. Understand if that's not possible. Thanks, Kirsten.' A matter of hours later she received a call from an unknown number, which turned out to be Lisa, their local postie. 'Our Postie (Lisa - who we've never met) phoned me from the mail centre (because she had to go back there to get the parcel to find my phone no) just to check if we needed it redirected to a different address,' Mrs Sinnamon said. Postwoman Lisa went and retrieved the item for Mrs Sinnamon - a keto slow-cook recipe book 'When I explained the home isolation situation she came back and delivered it this afternoon. 'We would have been completely happy if they'd just been able to hold it for the week until we're allowed out to collect, or even delivered the next day. 'We're over the moon with appreciation to receive it today!' Mrs Sinnamon and her husband can now spend the rest of their isolation slow-cooking keto recipes from their new book. Eleven men have been arrested after another man was allegedly kidnapped in the middle of the night and held hostage in a warehouse which was then set on fire. Police allege a group of men - one armed with a firearm - forced their way into a home in Bringelly in Sydney's far south-west about 3am on Tuesday and confronted a 37-year-old and a 61-year-old man who were inside. The gang allegedly assaulted the older man before bundling the younger man into a waiting vehicle outside the Jersey Road home. Pictured: The scene outside a Revesby, south-west Sydney warehouse after a man was allegedly kidnapped from a Bringelly home on Tuesday morning Tactical Operations Unit officers and police negotiators carried out inquiries and then converged on an industrial warehouse on Marigold Street in Revesby in the city's south-west. Officers established a perimeter around the warehouse and negotiated with the alleged kidnappers to release the 37-year-old Bringelly man into police custody. He was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries to his head and face. The 61-year-old man suffered minor injuries. New South Wales Police allege the Revesby warehouse was then set on fire before eight men were arrested by tactical officers. A further three men were arrested after arriving in a vehicle at the warehouse during the police operation. Pictured: Marigold Street in Revesby. Tactical Operations Unit officers and police negotiators carried out inquiries before converging on an industrial warehouse on the suburban road Fire and Rescue NSW are on site and working to extinguish the blaze. The men have been taken to Liverpool and Bankstown Police Stations, where charges are expected to be laid. Inquiries are continuing. Advertisement Crowds of pro-Palestine protesters took over a New York City bridge and clashed with police during a Memorial Day rally in The Bronx which called for the U.S. to stop sending aid to Israel. The demonstration took place in an area of the borough known as Little Yemen. Flag-waving protesters could be seen waving Palestinian flags and carrying banners saying 'Zionism is Nazism' and 'defund Israel'. At one stage, eight protesters climbed on to the structure of the bridge before police urged them to come back down and they were arrested. 'From The Bronx To Gaza, Palestine will be Free!' the Bronx group chanted. The protest began in the late afternoon, just over a week since a cease-fire ended 11 days of intense fighting between Israel and the Islamist movement Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and which has continued to hold. Hundreds of pro-Palestinian supporters showed up to a rally in the Bronx on Memorial Day Monday A number of protesters climbed a bridge to wave Palestinian flags from the top resulting in a standoff with police Police were powerless as protesters scaled a bridge in the Bronx to wave flags, despite the presence of electrical wires 'From The Bronx To Gaza, Palestine will be Free!' the group chanted with many protesters holding red, white, green and black Palestinian flags. A drone photo shows hundreds holding banners and Palestinian flags gather in the Little Yemen district of the Bronx 'From The Bronx To Gaza, Palestine will be Free!' the group chanted with many protesters holding red, white, green and black Palestinian flags The protest was organized by three New York based groups, Within our Lifetime, United for Palestine and NY4Palestine which want to see an end to the blockading of Gaza by Israel. The group hopes to press the US government to hold Tel Aviv accountable for its human rights violations and its occupation of Palestinian territories. At least 254 Palestinians were killed, including 66 children and 39 women, and 1,910 wounded, in Israeli strikes in Gaza according to the local Health Ministry. Twelve people in Israel were killed by Palestinian rocket attacks. Pro-Palestine protestors are arrested for climbing on a bridge whilst attending a protest in the Bronx, New York on Monday Several men were arrested after they decided to scale the bridge as part of the protests By the time the protesters decided to come down from the bridge, several police officers were ready and waiting for them One man who climbed up the bridge was frogmarched towards a waiting police car following his antics A family were able to watch from the doorstep of their home as the protesters passed by A protest similar in vein, but in far greater numbers also took place in Washington D.C. over the Memorial Day weekend as a march took place from the Lincoln Memorial, along the mall to the White House. 'We are hoping to send a clear message to the United States government that the days of supporting the Israeli state without repercussions are over,' one of the demonstrators, 39-year-old Washington lawyer Sharif Silmi, said to VOA. 'We will stand against any politician that continues to fund weapons to Israel. We will oppose them, we will vote against them, we will fund their opponents, until we vote them out of office,' Silmi said. Lama Alahmad, a resident of Virginia who is of Palestinian origin, said that U.S. public opinion is turning in favor of the Palestinian cause. Flags were waved proudly as protesters made their point on Monday evening in the Bronx area of Little Yemen Around eight people managed to scale various heights of the bridge despite overhead power lines being extremely close by Police can be seen waiting for two men to climb back down from the bridge during the protest Upon making it back down to solid ground, the men were arrested. It is not clear if they faced any charges Supporters of Palestine watched the protest from the sidewalk as the crowd marched by A family eating food in a Middle Eastern restaurant is ale to steer clear of the protests right outside their window 'There is a huge change' going on in the U.S. with regard to the Palestinian cause to secure a sovereign homeland, Alahmad said. 'We just want the world to recognize that we are human beings. We are not terrorists,' said Alahmad, a 43-year-old stay-at-home mother who grew up in the United Arab Emirates before moving to the U.S. about 20 years ago. Silmi insisted there was growing opposition in the U.S. to how Israel treats the Palestinians, which he likened to apartheid in South Africa. 'People have now woken up, and we're resisting. Whether young Jews, young Muslims, young blacks, young whites, there is a generational shift. And people are working across ethnic groups, racial groups, to work for change and freedom and liberation for Palestinian people,' Silmi said. Pro-Palestine protestors are arrested for climbing on a bridge whilst attending a protest in the Bronx Supporters of Palestine waved both the flag of Palestine and that of Yemen, seen right Supporters waved Palestinian flags in support of the Gazan people Women hold signs above heir heads showing their support for the Palestinian people Hundreds holding banners and Palestinian flags gather at the Little Yemen district of Bronx and take streets to protest Israeli aggression against Palestinians, in New York City Signs helped to make the supporters messages even clearer with various statements and statistics Colorful and creative signs filled the streets of Little Yemen on Monday afternoon during the protest An Ultra-Orthodox Jew, or Haredi, left, is pictured showing his support for Palestine alongside others at a protest in the Bronx A member of Neturei Karta, a fringe ultra-Orthodox Jewish movement within the anti-Zionist bloc, carries Palestinian flags A drone photo shows hundreds holding banners and Palestinian flags gather at the Little Yemen district of Bronx Supporters of Palestine hold a rally at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC earlier in the weekend Pro-Palestine protestors marched from the Lincoln Memorial during the ''National March for Palestine'' along Constitution Avenue as a small group of protestors gathered in front of the White House Thousands of supporters of the Palestinians rally during the National March for Palestine demonstration on Saturday Supporters of the Palestinians hold photographs of Palestinian children who where killed by Israel during the National March for Palestine demonstration at Lincoln Memorial, in Washington The 'National March for Palestine' is urging the Biden administration to end US weapons transfer to Israel, as well as sanctioning and holding Israel accountable for 'the war crimes it commits against the Palestinian people' A crew member from a ship docked at Western Australia's Fremantle Port has been placed in hotel quarantine after testing positive for coronavirus. The man in his 20s was placed into Perth hotel quarantine on Monday after fronting up at the Fiona Stanley Hospital, WA Premier Mark McGowan says. 'He came off Sunday because he was unwell with symptoms that apparently weren't COVID related,' he told reporters on Tuesday. Mr McGowan said the man then returned to the Kwinana Bulk Terminal where his ship, the Allegra, was docked and waiting to sail to Malaysia. 'He was then found to be positive and he has been taken off the ship and put into quarantine,' Mr McGowan said. None of the other 22 crew on the Liberian registered vessel are ill. The cargo ship is fully loaded with urea, a form of fertiliser. The WA government and the Commonwealth are in talks about the situation, with Mr McGowan saying he wants the ship out of WA waters. 'The state's very strong view is that the ship should sail as soon as possible,' he said. 'We'd like the ship to sail and go back to Malaysia with the cargo and leave WA as soon as possible. 'It reduces the pressure on WA if the ship sails immediately.' In a statement, the WA Health Department said the man wore appropriate PPE when he came off the ship and health staff followed infection control processes for maritime crew. Whale researchers are desperately trying to track the movements of an entangled juvenile humpback whale after it was spotted stuck in buoys and fishing lines. The young whale, around 7-8 metres in length, is believed to be offshore from Crescent Head, around 40km north of Port Macquarie in NSW and trailing a line as well as four buoys. The Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans is asking for help to track the whale via social media and its phone line. ORRCA is asking members of the public along the coast north of Port Macquarie to report any sighting of an entangled juvenile humpback whale (pictured above) to its rescue hotline on 9415 3333 It was reported as 210 metres offshore just south of Port Macquarie on Tuesday morning and moving southwards, but it has turned and is heading north. Humpback whales usually migrate north to mate and calve from June but the timing can vary depending on 'water temperature, sea ice, predation risk, prey abundance and the location of their feeding ground', according to the Environment Department. A spokesperson for ORRCA told Daily Mail Australia the whales can become disoriented when entangled and head in the wrong direction. 'ORRCA is asking members of the public, if you are out along the coastline in this area, please keep an eye out and report your sightings into the ORRCA Rescue Hotline on 9415 3333,' the group posted on Facebook. 'Importantly, please do not approach a whale or attempt to disentangle it. All Whales and Dolphins are protected in Australian waters.' Humpback whales separate from their mothers around seven months and the entangled whale in question is believed to be traveling on its own and may be seeking to join a pod of adults. They live to around 45 years of age. Up to 40,000 humpback whales are due to begin heading north along Australia's east coast from now - migrating to the southern Whitsundays area where they mate and calve An ORRCA spokesperson said it wasn't clear what type of line the whale is trapped in. Humpback numbers are thriving in Australian waters, with around 40,000 whales expected to head north to mate. Their destinations are thought to be along the Great Barrier Reef, concentrated around the southern Whitsundays area. A gunman attacked the home of an NYPD officer on Long Island in the early hours of Monday, spraying 30 bullets into the property and grazing her in the head in what police believe could have been a case of mistaken identity. Nathaly Gomez Iglesias, 23, was sitting at home eating when the shots tore through her house at 2.30am in Brentwood, but luckily escaped serious injury. Police suspect the gunmen were looking for her sister's boyfriend, who is believed to be a member of the MS-13 gang, The New York Daily News reports. Gomez, who joined the police in 2019, was taken to South Shore University Hospital in Bay Shore, where she was treated for non-life-threatening injuries. 'The investigation has revealed the incident was not random,' said Suffolk County Police, in a statement on Monday. Sources told the Daily News that the officer could now face disciplinary action following the gun attack if it emerges that she broke strict NYPD rules against associating with gang members and criminals. Nathaly Gomez Iglesias, 23, had a narrow escape in the early hours of Monday when a gunman riddled her home with 30 bullets. She was sitting in the house eating at the time of the 2:30am attack, and her head was grazed by a bullet but she was not seriously harmed Iglesias' home in Brentwood, Long Island, is pictured on Tuesday in the aftermath of the attack A hole from one of the 30 bullets fired at Iglesias' home is seen in the front door One of the bullets shot out the front door of a car parked outside the home The house was badly damaged in the wild attack. At least one bullet shattered the glass on the front door, and another went through a front window, as seen in photos snapped by DailyMail.com on Tuesday. More bullets pierced the mailbox, siding and brick on the front of the house and another blew out the window of a white sedan in the driveway. Neighbors told how they were woken by the shots as they tore through the officer's home. 'We heard the shots, but we don't know anything more because we were sleeping,' said Iris Hernandez, 44. She told The Daily News: 'At the beginning I did think they were shots, but there were so many that then I thought they were maybe fireworks. 'So that's what happened we stayed there, really thinking they were fireworks. Only when I went to the bathroom I realized that all the police were here. It's worrisome.' Gomez, seen holding her certificate, joined the NYPD in 2019 and is based at a precinct in Jamaica, Queens The 23-year-old lived at the Brentwood house with her mother and her sister, who was dating a man reportedly known to be a MS-13 gang member Bullet holes are seen in the side of Iglesias' home on Tuesday morning One of the bullets tore a hole in the mailbox by the front door Gomez, stationed at the 103rd Precinct in Jamaica, Queens, lives with her sister and mother. She told The New York Post she had nothing to say about the incident. 'I don't want to talk,' she said. Suffolk Police confirmed the incident. 'Shots were fired into a home on Morton Street at approximately 2:30am,' Suffolk County police said in a statement. 'Multiple people were inside the home at the time, and an adult female was grazed by a bullet. The woman was treated at a local hospital and released.' Long Island is known for its MS-13 violence. The street gang formed in Los Angeles prisons in the 1980s, and spread back in El Salvador, where most of the senior leaders are now based. In January The New York Times reported that MS-13 has been linked by federal prosecutors to more than 55 murders in New York City and Long Island in the last decade. In mid January federal prosecutors in Brooklyn announced charges against the leadership of the transnational gang, with terrorism charges leveled against what they called the criminal organization's 'board of directors' 14 of its highest-ranking leaders, most of them jailed in El Salvador. By 2015, MS-13 had tens of thousands of members in more than 200 different groups in El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico, the United States and elsewhere, the indictment said. The group's members also trafficked drugs, extorted individuals and businesses and wired the proceeds from their crimes back to MS-13 members in El Salvador, the indictment charged. A neglectful pet owner was fined $1,200 for leaving her starving dog named 'Bandit' to live in its own faeces while tied to a lead on the family's back veranda. Jay Leanne Watson, 37, surrendered Bandit to the RSPCA after the court heard an emaciated blue-merle coloured Louisiana Catahoula Leopard type dog was living in dire conditions at a Cranbrook property in Queensland on December 7, 2019. The mother-of-six alleged to inspectors that Bandit was skinny because she was 'depressed' despite being fed, the Townsville Bulletin reported. An emaciated dog named Bandit was found living in its own faeces on a back veranda in QLD The RSPCA said the sickly pooch had been 'tethered on the concrete for an extended period of time.' 'She was unable to display normal patterns of behaviour or move freely,' the RSPCA said. 'The area surrounding Bandit's tether was covered in faeces which appeared to have built up over an extended period of time, as some pieces had begun to grow mould.' The animal welfare organisation said while there was water nearby in a cooking pot it was also covered in black mould. RSPCA rescued the pooch from Cranbrook property in Queensland when Bandit weighed only 25.9kgs (pictured) Bandit reportedly weighed 25.9kg when the RSPCA rescued the pooch - before increasing her body weight to 35kg just a month later. The vet who examined the dog said the 'level of emaciation of Bandit would have taken place over many months as she has a nail condition, dental diseases and poor coat'. The starved pet also had a bilateral ear infection, ticks and a mild fever. Magistrate Kenneth Taylor charged Watson with breaching the Animal Care and Protection Act for failing to feed and treat animals. She was also charged with failing to provide living conditions and was ordered to pay $805.73 in costs alongside a three-year prohibition order. No convictions were recorded for the incident. A father-of-five has turned yellow after a mystery disease left him fighting for his life on a ventilator in intensive care. New Zealand dairy farmer Michael Hales, 36, is in excruciating pain all over his body but doctors still have no idea what caused his body to shut down. Mr Hales took ill after an accident on his property in Helensville, 40km north-west of Auckland, but carried on working afterwards. He had been hit in the back by spring cords used for fencing which seems to have sparked a catastrophic collapse of his immune system. Within days, he was bedbound with a high fever before his condition rapidly deteriorated. The 36 year old dairy farmer (pictured with wife Rosaline) took ill after an accident on his property in Helensville, 40km north-west of Auckland, but carried on working afterwards He was finally rushed to hospital last Saturday with his life hanging by a thread and doctors told his wife Rosaline to stay by his bedside in intensive care. 'It was touch and go,' revealed his sister, Shannon. 'We thought we could lose him. It all just happened so quickly. 'He couldn't breathe, his blood pressure dropped right down and his organs started to fail.' Doctors managed to save his life but they are still baffled by what is wrong with the dairy farmer whose skin has now turned yellow as he fights for survival. Michael, (pictured with youngest son, Hunter) was rushed to hospital last Saturday with his life hanging by a thread and doctors told his wife Rosaline to stay by his bedside in intensive care He also suffered a bout of sepsis while in hospital on Sunday, adding to the complications he's facing. He remains on a ventilator, drifting in and out of consciousness, with his liver and kidneys battling against organ failure - and in constant agony all over his body. 'He's in pain everywhere,' Shannon told Daily Mail Australia. 'The worst thing is his medication gives him hiccups - and every time he hiccups, it's excruciating pain. 'It's really strange that they still don't know what it is.' Doctors managed to save his life but they are still baffled by what is wrong with the dairy farmer whose skin has now turned yellow as he fights for survival The doctors at Auckland's North Shore Hospital are said to be experimenting with different treatments in a bid to save his life, but it can take days for effects to show. Shannon added: 'They think it could be one of two things, but it takes five days for the test results to come back. 'The doctors tells us his organs haven't failed yet - they're just very angry...but he could end up on dialysis.' His wife is trying to spend every moment at his bedside, with relatives helping to look after their four older children, aged eight to 17, while she cares for their 10-month old youngest son, Hunter. The dedicated father is described as a workaholic who puts everyone else first, to the detriment of his own health But the family relies on his wage for their income and doctors have warned it will be weeks before he can work again if he pulls through. Sister Shannon has now launched an online fundraiser to try to help the family and it's already raised more than $9,000. 'He works seven days a week - he's the hardest working person I know,' said Shannon. 'He has so much to live for and losing him is not an option. 'We don't think the accident caused the infection but it hit his immune system and he just went downhill - but he continued to work. Doctors have warned it could be weeks before he is able to work on the farm again once he is finally released from hospital 'When he wasn't working, he was just sleeping and had a fever for days, but he kept on working. 'My brother is quite stubborn and he didn't have anyone to cover for him so he kept on pushing through until it got so bad he had to go into hospital.' She added: 'He's just the most special guy. He's a family man who puts everyone else first, to the detriment of his own health. 'He's asleep most of the time now but I spoke to him on the phone and was able to talk to him and tell him I love him and he's been able to whisper it back.' Relatives are looking after the couple's four older children (pictured) - Jessica 17, Ashleigh 14, Matthew 10, and Joshua 8 - while wife Rosaline looks after Hunter, aged 10 months Shannon now hopes more people will help the family recover by contributing to their fundraiser. 'We thought it would just be for our friends and family,' she said. 'But the reaction to has been amazing. 'We all just want him to pull through. He has so much to live for and such a loving family to look after him.' Four men have been arrested across Sydney after police allegedly discovered and seized a stash of cash, fake guns, mobile phones and 1.1 kilograms of cocaine. Members of an alleged criminal syndicate involved in the supply of prohibited drugs were arrested in a police operation that led officers across Sydney on Monday. State Crime Command's organised crime squad detectives made their first stop in Austral, south-west of Liverpool, and arrested a 59-year-old man just after 12pm. Officers arrested a 40-year-old man at Carpenter Street in St Marys near Mount Druitt on Monday after investigations into activities of an alleged crime syndicate Police seized nearly 1.1 kilograms of cocaine (pictured) during a search of a 59-year-old man's vehicle in Austral, with an estimated street value of $330,000 Police allegedly seized $10,000 cash and nearly 1.1kg of cocaine during a search of the man's vehicle, with an estimated street value of $330,000. Officers next arrested a 40-year-old man at Carpenter Street in St Marys near Mount Druitt. Officers then arrested a 56-year-old man on Mactier Street in Narrabeen, on Sydney's Northern Beaches. Police executed search warrants at homes in Austral and Narrabeen from 2pm. From the home in Narrabeen officers seized $320,000 in cash, mobile phones and other electronic devices. Investigators arrested a 47-year-old man and seized two fake pistols, prohibited drugs, steroids and electronic devices during the search in Austral. The 59-year-old Queensland man was taken to Liverpool Police Station and received three charges, including supply of a large commercial quantity of a prohibited drug. He was refused bail to appear at Liverpool Local Court on June 1. The 47-year-old man from Austral was also taken to Liverpool Police Station and was charged with two counts of possession of an unauthorised pistol. He was granted strict conditional bail to appear at Liverpool Local Court on June 22. Investigators seized two fake pistols, prohibited drugs, steroids and electronic devices after executing a search warrant at a home in Austral, south-west of Liverpool The 56-year-old Narrabeen man was taken to Manly Police Station and charged with supply of a prohibited drug and knowingly deal with proceeds of crime. He was refused bail to appear at Manly Local Court on June 1. The 40-year-old St Clair man was taken to Penrith Police Station and charged with the supply of a large commercial quality of a prohibited drug. He was refused bail to appear at Penrith Local Court on June 1. Investigations by the Organised Crime Squad are continuing. Advertisement Nicola Sturgeon heaped pressure on Boris Johnson today by putting the brakes on Scotland's unlocking as scientists warned he will have to 'carry the can' for a 'bad decision' to press ahead with June 21 'freedom day'. As the UK recorded no new deaths for the first time in 10 months, Ms Sturgeon told MSPs that vaccinations do appear to be 'weakening' the link between cases and serious illness, and she hoped that in future the virus can be dealt with in a 'less restrictive' way. But she warned that we are 'still not quite there yet' and must 'err on the caution' until more of the population has had both jabs - saying that some areas of Scotland will not go down to the lowest level of restrictions next week as planned. Ms Sturgeon insisted that a tentative approach now would mean there is more chance of 'staying' on the path to a full unlocking. The intervention came as the PM was assailed by a queue of experts warning against the full unlocking - with Prof Adam Finn among those entreating him to recognise that the UK is still 'vulnerable' and the 'job is not done'. Prof Ravi Gupta, a member of the government's Nervtag advisory panel, suggested the timetable should be pushed back 'at least a few weeks, probably a month' so more data are available and schools have started summer holidays. The British Medical Association insisted the battle against the disease is at a 'pivotal moment' and Mr Johnson must stick to his promise of being guided by 'data not dates'. One consultant respiratory physician referred to 'mini Covid volcanoes' erupting at hospitals around the country, which are threatening to 'explode'. However, others have said it is still too early to be sure what can happen, with the government not committed to making any final choices until June 14. Amid growing signs of alarm over the direction of the pandemic - even though no more deaths were recorded in the UK today - ministers have admitted that a surge of vaccine second doses is the only way to 'keep us on the roadmap'. But Ms Sturgeon effectively gazumped Mr Johnson - who is back at work after his 'secret' wedding on Saturday - as she announced she is not going ahead with dropping all of Scotland down to level one restrictions from Monday. In a chink of light for residents, Glasgow will be lowered from level three to level two from Saturday. But the vast majority of Scotland's central belt will remain in Level 2 restrictions, Ms Sturgeon said. The First Minister said that Edinburgh and Midlothian, Dundee, East Dunbartonshire, Renfrewshire, East Renfrewshire, North, South and East Ayrshire, North and South Lanarkshire, Clackmannanshire and Stirling did not meet the criteria to see restrictions ease. Ms Sturgeon told MSPs there could even be an argument to move these areas into Level 3 restrictions, given the raw figures, but the impact of the vaccination programme has meant this would not be needed. 'However, it is important to stress that this is a pause, not a step backwards,' the First Minister said. 'And Level 2 is not lockdown. It does have an impact on opening hours of pubs and restaurants and the numbers that can attend certain events.' She added: 'Taking a cautious approach now while more people get fully vaccinated gives us the best chance of staying on the right track overall.' Coronavirus cases are on the rise UK-wide, and between May 24 and 30 there were 60 deaths reported within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test - an increase of 42.9 per cent compared with the previous seven days. It comes as a two-week targeted and enhanced testing programme for asymptomatic people began in two postcodes in the Canterbury area after the emergence of a number of cases of the Indian strain in the Kent city. On another crucial day in the coronavirus crisis: No-one was added to the UK's Covid death toll today for the first time in 10 months; Research by Ipsos MORI published today suggests that Britons are still confident June 21 will go ahead, with 58 per cent saying it is 'likely' - although the proportion has fallen from 73 per cent since early May; An alliance of politicians and global bodies has urged the sharing of Covid vaccines with poorer nations saying it is the only way to avoid deadly new variants emerging; The EU's ambassador to the UK said he is still hoping that large numbers of Britons will be able to go to the bloc on holiday in July; Analysis has suggested four more countries - including Trinidad and Costa Rica - could be added to UK's 'red list'; The WHO has called for coronavirus variants to be rebranded as Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta rather than using geographic locations such as Kent, Brazil and India amid claims it can fuel 'hate crimes'. Nicola Sturgeon told MSPs that vaccinations do appear to be 'weakening' the link between cases and serious illness, and she hoped that in future the virus can be dealt with in a 'less restrictive' way Boris Johnson, pictured with his wife Carrie Johnson at 10 Downing Street after their wedding on Saturday, was today urged by scientists to delay the Government's decision on whether to fully lift the national Covid-19 lockdown in three weeks' time MAY 22: The English local authorities where the Indian variant was the dominant strain - accounting for more than 50 per cent of all cases - in the two weeks to May 22. The data was provided by the Sanger Institute - one of Britain's largest variant-tracking labs - and analysed by MailOnline MAY 8: Local authorities where the Indian variant was dominant in the two weeks to May 8. Areas coloured red had more than 50 cases, orange between 10 and 49 cases, and yellow had fewer than 10 cases Indian variant cases in England's 12 hotspots are shown (red) compared to the Kent variant (orange) by May 22. The new strain has gone on to become dominant in all 12 of the above areas - and more than 100 in total - since cropping up for the first time in April. It is believed to be a fifth more infectious than the Kent variant which is propelling its spread Despite fears about the Indian variant, nearly half of all trusts are still completely empty, official figures have revealed. Graph shows: Just one NHS trust in England had more than four per cent of its beds occupied by sufferers of the virus in the most recent week data is available for (week ending May 23) [Percentage on the right shows the change in patient numbers in a week] Consultant respiratory physician Dr Lisa Spencer (left), from the University of Liverpool, referred to 'mini Covid volanoes' erupting at certain hospitals around the country, which are threatening to 'explode'. Prof Ravi Gupta (right), a member of the government's Nervtag advisory panel, suggested the timetable should be pushed back 'at least a few weeks, probably a month' so more data are available and schools have started summer holidays Data from the Wellcome Sanger Institute in London, which analyses the spread of different variants, shows that in the later weeks of May the number of positive tests that were caused by the Indian variant (light blue line) overtook those caused by the Kent variant (purple line), which had been dominant since last winter Slide me MAY 15 LEFT, MAY 22 RIGHT: A heat map by the Sanger Institute shows that the Indian variant has become dominant in more areas over the past month, with it now accounting for more than half of cases the purple and black shades in considerably more places Covid hospital admissions are slowly creeping up across England but nearly half of all trusts are still completely empty, official figures have revealed. Graph shows: Just one NHS trust in England had more than four per cent of its beds occupied by sufferers of the virus in the most recent week data is available for (week ending May 23) The number of daily positive tests in Britain has now been above 3,000 for six days in a row meaning the average has risen again after dipping to an eight-month low of just 2,000 per day at the start of May The number of people dying of Covid each day in the UK was zero today for the first time in 10 months An average of 124 people get admitted to hospital with coronavirus each day in the UK, down from over 4,000 a day at the height of the second wave but up from a low of 77 earlier this month Cases had dropped off in Bolton after peaking in mid-May, showing that efforts at mass vaccination and surge testing appear to have helped to keep the Indian variant under control even without lockdown although there are signs emerging of a second uptick Cases in Blackburn with Darwen, in Lancashire, have clearly been rising towards the end of May and the weekly average is now at the highest level of anywhere in the country Cases appear to have started rising in areas where the most individual Indian variant cases have been found in recent weeks, including Wigan, Central Bedfordshire, Manchester, Leicester and Birmingham Central Bedfordshire recorded 101 Indian variant cases between May 8 and May 22, and its infection rate rose by 23 per cent between May 18 and 25 Manchester recorded 178 Indian variant cases between May 8 and May 22, and its infection rate rose by 51 per cent between May 18 and 25 Leicester recorded 216 Indian variant cases between May 8 and May 22, and its infection rate rose by 51 per cent between May 18 and 25 Birmingham recorded 151 Indian variant cases between May 8 and May 22, and its infection rate rose by 74 per cent between May 18 and 25 ...but other experts say No10 must press on with June 21 unlocking or risk further 'collateral damage' to economy and nation's health Other scientists today accused SAGE experts calling for lockdown to be extended of completely ignoring the successful Covid vaccination drive. Three-quarters of adults have been given at least one dose of the jabs and nearly half have been fully inoculated. Ministers have said they are on track to fully vaccinate everyone over-50 with two doses before June 21 Freedom Day. Professor Robert Dingwall, a sociologist at Nottingham Trent University, said the virus was now spreading predominantly in younger people for whom the disease causes mild illness. He said SAGE and other pro-lockdown experts calling for a delay or watered down version of Freedom Day had failed to take this into account. Professor Dingwall warned the economy and non-Covid healthcare would continue to suffer if the unlocking does not go ahead. Others said there was 'no logical reason' not to ditch social distancing curbs as planned later this month. '(The virus) is really running into younger age groups who are intrinsically at much lower risk,' Professor Dingwall told Times Radio. 'Many of the scientists who've been talking over the weekend simply haven't adjusted their expectations to understand that for these people Covid is a mild illness in the community. 'As the Director of Public Health for Bolton said last week, the people who are going into hospital... it's not like January, these are not desperately ill people. 'They're people who need a little bit of extra support with oxygen, they need access to the dexamethasone treatment, which is very effective. 'They go in, stay in hospital for three or four days and they go out again. 'There is no realistic prospect of the NHS facing the sports of pressures that it faced in January and February. And that's why I think we have to push on with this.' Professor Tony Brookes, a health data scientist at Leicester University, told MailOnline there was no reason to delay June 21 so long as the vaccine programme kept pace. 'The focus should be on those who are not vaccinated, which are now people who are vulnerable and have chosen not to be vaccinated and the young,' he said. 'We know that this disease in the young is essentially trivial. Even Patrick Vallance said right from the start the vast majority of people will have this will just have a mild illness. 'And that's fact. In the young it has always been less severe than flu in the old, and that remains the case. 'So no, I cannot see any logical reason for not just proceeding as intended (with unlocking).' He claimed data suggested local outbreaks of the Indian variant were likely to peak and fall in the coming weeks. Indian variant hotspots Bolton and Bedford are both seeing cases start to fall, while the rise has slowed in other areas. 'My best guess on everything is that I would expect there to be a clear plateau, and for cases to be on their way down within the next two weeks,' he told MailOnline. 'If I'm wrong and it spikes to higher levels, this will not have major health consequences (because of vaccines).' Advertisement Going into bat for the government on the airwaves this morning, business minister Paul Scully said it was 'looking at what happens with hospitalisations'. He stressed that there was a focus on 'accelerating' of people getting second jabs - which are thought significantly to increase protection against variants. 'Those vaccinations can help us break the cycle of people having to go to hospital if they get Covid. 'That is what is going to keep us on the roadmap.' Downing Street indicated that Mr Johnson still sees nothing in the data to suggest the plan to end all legal lockdown restrictions on June 21 will need to be delayed. Asked about the roadmap, a No 10 spokesman said: 'I was going to point to what the PM said on Thursday. 'The Prime Minister has said on a number of occasions that we haven't seen anything in the data but we will continue to look at the data, we will continue to look at the latest scientific evidence as we move through June towards June 21.' Last Thursday, Mr Johnson said: 'I don't see anything currently in the data' to divert from the June 21 target for the next stage of exiting lockdown. But he did concede that 'we may need to wait' for more data. Prof Finn, a member of the government's Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'There's vulnerability across the country. The idea that somehow the job is done, is wrong. 'We've still got a lot of people out there who've neither had this virus nor yet been immunized, and that's why we're in a vulnerable position right now.' Prof Finn said he had been receiving a lot of messages from 'people telling me to shut up basically'. 'But the truth is that a more infectious virus, which is what it looks like we've got, will reach people who are vulnerable those who did not make a good response to the vaccine, those who have not yet had their doses and that will be a problem for everyone because in the end it will be worse economically as well as for public health if we end up having to shut down again,' he said. Asked whether the easing on June 21 should go ahead, Professor Finn told LBC radio: 'I fear it may be a bad decision to go with it.' He added: 'Scientists advise but they don't decide, and ultimately the politicians have to carry the can for whatever decisions are made.' However, Robert Dingwall, a SAGE adviser and professor of sociology at Nottingham Trent University, said 'critics' suggesting the June 21 easing should be delayed 'can't even agree on what delay they'd like'. He said the virus was now spreading predominantly in younger people for whom the disease causes mild illness, and pro-lockdown experts had failed to take this into account. Professor Dingwall warned the economy and non-Covid healthcare would continue to suffer if the unlocking does not go ahead. Others said there was 'no logical reason' not to ditch social distancing curbs as planned later this month. '(The virus) is really running into younger age groups who are intrinsically at much lower risk,' Professor Dingwall told Times Radio. 'Many of the scientists who've been talking over the weekend simply haven't adjusted their expectations to understand that for these people Covid is a mild illness in the community. 'As the Director of Public Health for Bolton said last week, the people who are going into hospital... it's not like January, these are not desperately ill people. 'They're people who need a little bit of extra support with oxygen, they need access to the dexamethasone treatment, which is very effective. 'They go in, stay in hospital for three or four days and they go out again. 'There is no realistic prospect of the NHS facing the sports of pressures that it faced in January and February. And that's why I think we have to push on with this.' He told Times Radio: 'By the time we get to June 21, everybody who is in the nine priority groups or the highest risk will have had both jabs, and would have had a period of time to consolidate the immunity. The government's former chief science adviser, Professor Sir Mark Walport, said that more data was needed before a final decision could be made about the June 21 easing of restrictions. 'We need to substitute speculation for scientific data that's the truth of the matter, as everyone has said in the last few days, the situation is very delicately balanced with some three sets of moving parts,' he told BBC Breakfast. 'Firstly we have got a new more transmissible variant, of that there is no doubt, though we don't know exactly how much more transmissible. 'Secondly, there's been a change in behaviour following the relaxation of measures on May 17, and the effects of that will just be starting to come through. Research by Ipsos MORI published today suggests that Britons are still confident June 21 will go ahead, with 58 per cent saying it is 'likely' - although the proportion has fallen from 73 per cent since early May. Public Health England data show the rate of admission to hospital was 0.79 per 100,000 people across the country in week ending May 23, only slightly increasing from 0.75 in the previous week People were out enjoying the summer weather in Bath today ahead of the expected loosening on June 21 'And thirdly, we've got a vaccination programme that is very successful, but with a lot of people that still need both their second dose of vaccine and vaccination from scratch. Sturgeon scales back Scotland unlocking Most of Scotland faces tougher coronavirus restrictions for longer due to spikes in Covid cases, Nicola Sturgeon said today. Updating MSPs, Ms Sturgeon said swathes of the country will remain in level two rather than going down to level one next week as planned. Edinburgh and Midlothian, Dundee, East Dunbartonshire, Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire, the three Ayrshire areas, North and South Lanarkshire and Clackmannanshire and Stirling will remain in Level 2. Glasgow, which was kept in Level 3 when measures eased in the rest of the country on May 17, will move to Level 2 on Saturday, with Ms Sturgeon saying the outbreak there had stabilised with case numbers falling slightly. Glaswegians will be able to drink alcohol indoors, meet in private residences, and hug loved ones from the weekend. Those in Level 1 areas can meet outside and indoors in public places in larger groups. Numbers at events, weddings and funerals can also increase, and pubs can open slightly later indoors. Scotland currently has the highest rate of new cases of Covid-19 of the four nations of the UK. But Ms Sturgeon said there are 'many parts of mainland Scotland where cases are at very low levels and broadly stable or where case numbers might appear to be rising, but we are assured that they relate to clusters that are being managed'. Advertisement 'I'm afraid that weeks before the Prime Minister has to make the difficult decision it is going to be necessary to bring in the data.' Dr Lisa Spencer, from the University of Liverpool, told Today: 'There are a few hotspots as we have been hearing on the news around the UK. 'These are areas where the variant first identified in India seem to be causing the majority of the infections spreading quickly. And these hospitals represent mini Covid volcanoes. That's the problem. And if we don't handle these volcanoes carefully, they could explode and send a massive gas plume across much more of the UK.' British Medical Association council chair Dr Chaand Nagpaul said today: 'The Government must hold off making a final decision on whether lockdown is fully lifted on June 21 until latest data can be scientifically considered. 'The Prime Minister had pledged he would be guided by 'data not dates', and it's vital that he now honours this commitment. 'We are at a pivotal moment in battling against the virus in the UK, and with the June 21 date signifying an end to all legal restrictions and allowing normal social mixing of people. 'Yet since the road map was announced, we have seen the emergence of a highly-transmissible new variant and significant escalation of cases - and in the last week a reversal of a downward trend into seeing increases in hospital admissions and deaths. At the same time, we know the second vaccine doses are critical to controlling the spread of the new variant. 'A premature ending of all legal restrictions which then resulted in a surge of infections would undermine our health service's efforts to tackle the biggest level of backlog of care it has ever faced. It would also add further demands on staff who are exhausted, both mentally and physically.' But scientists accused SAGE experts calling for lockdown to be extended of completely ignoring the successful Covid vaccination drive - while Tory MPs urged ministers to ignore them. Three-quarters of adults have been given at least one dose of the jabs and nearly half have been fully inoculated. Ministers have said they are on track to fully vaccinate everyone over-50 with two doses before June 21 Freedom Day. Professor Tony Brookes, a health data scientist at Leicester University, told MailOnline there was no reason to delay June 21 so long as the vaccine programme kept pace. 'The focus should be on those who are not vaccinated, which are now people who are vulnerable and have chosen not to be vaccinated and the young,' he said. 'We know that this disease in the young is essentially trivial. Even Patrick Vallance said right from the start the vast majority of people will have this will just have a mild illness. Covid cases are rising in variant hotspots Covid cases are rising in most of England's Indian variant hotspots, official figures show, but they have started to come down in the areas that were originally worst hit and before hospitals could start to fill up. Rises indicate that the variant appears to be triggering local clusters and outbreaks where it pops up although this would be true of any strain and the variant is now dominant so all hotspots would be Indian variant ones but if those outbreaks come under control before hospital admissions spike it will suggest the variant can be controlled with vaccines and testing. Parts of the country with the most cases of the B1617.2 variant in the two weeks up to May 22 were Bolton (1,517 cases), Blackburn with Darwen (497), Bedford (426), Leicester (216), Manchester (178), Birmingham (151), Wigan (150) and Central Bedfordshire (101). The Indian variant makes up the majority of cases in all those areas except Manchester (48 per cent) - nationally it accounts for between half and three quarters. All the areas except Bolton and Bedford, which were the first places to be Indian variant hotspots, have seen their case numbers rise by between 23 and 94 per cent in the most recent week, between May 19 and May 25. Cases have been increasing in hotspot areas even despite the numbers of tests staying level, official figures suggest, meaning surge testing is likely not behind the rise and there is a genuine increase. Department of Health data show that Blackburn, which has the second highest rate of Indian variant cases, now has the most infections per person of any local authority in the country after a 70 per cent spike in a week. The Lancashire town had 365 cases per 100,000 people in the week up to May 25, when a total of 546 people tested positive. It surpassed former hotspot Bolton, which had a rate of 362 and falling, with 1,041 cases. Advertisement 'And that's fact. In the young it has always been less severe than flu in the old, and that remains the case. 'So no, I cannot see any logical reason for not just proceeding as intended (with unlocking).' He claimed data suggested local outbreaks of the Indian variant were likely to peak and fall in the coming weeks. Indian variant hotspots Bolton and Bedford are both seeing cases start to fall, while the rise has slowed in other areas. 'My best guess on everything is that I would expect there to be a clear plateau, and for cases to be on their way down within the next two weeks,' he told MailOnline. 'If I'm wrong and it spikes to higher levels, this will not have major health consequences (because of vaccines).' Tory former leader Iain Duncan Smith told MailOnline: 'My worry is there seems to be a concerted push among scientists to stop June 21 taking place. They seem to have now moved the goalposts so we can't open up until everybody has had two jabs. That was never part of the event.' He said all the vulnerable groups had now been given two jabs. 'By and large everybody who is 50-plus has had two jabs now.' 'It seems to me that everybody is trying to get in 'I told you so' before the event. If it all goes well no-one will remember the scientists who said don't do it. 'If it goes wrong they will be up crowing 'we told you'. It is a win-win for them.' He went onL 'There is a kind of panic taking place. Project fear is coming to an end and it is as if the scientists now cannot bring themselves to understand exactly how life will be. 'What's happened now will almost certainly lead to us going back to lockdown again at some point and destroying our livelihoods, our health, for non-Covid reasons.' Speaking about 'mini Covid volcanoes' today, Dr Spencer told Radio 4: 'If we don't control those volcanoes and stop them overheating, surrounding them if you like with a ring of water which consists of a protective ring of vaccination, Covid restrictions, face masks, social distancing. 'Then of course test and trace to plug any leaks of that water running out and letting the volcano overheat. But though we're coping now in the NHS, if you let these areas overheat we can still end up in a serious problem in the NHS.' Asked about second doses of the jab, she said:'We're still not there with the second jab. If you imagine there's about 15 per cent of the people having the vaccination do not respond. Some people don't respond to the vaccine. Some of those will be patients who are on drugs, for example, to treat underlying medical conditions who have immunosuppressants on board, and their bodies can't respond to the vaccine. 'If every eligible person took the vaccine, immediately 15 per cent of the population wouldn't be protected, even though they tried to be. And on top of that, we don't know exactly what that number will be and we've got very good vaccine uptake in the UK and a great programme clearly. But let's say 10 per cent of the population decide not to have the vaccine. A crowded beach in Margate, Kent today as people bask in the summer sunshine that has finally reached the UK Where is surge testing now taking place? East Bedford Borough Council London Brent Council (targeted areas) Ealing Council (targeted areas) Harrow Council (targeted areas) Hillingdon Council (targeted areas) London Borough of Hounslow Redbridge Council (targeted areas within the IG1 and IG6 postcode areas and small parts of the IG5 and IG7 postcode areas) North East North Tyneside Council North West Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council (targeted areas within Shear Brow and Corporation Park, Billinge and Beardwood, and Bastwell and Daisyfield) Bolton Council (targeted areas within the BL3 postcode) Lancashire County Council Sefton Council (targeted in Formby, Sefton) South East Hampshire County Council (targeted areas across the Hart District, Rushmoor Borough and the Surrey border) Canterbury (CT1 and CT2 7 postcodes) West Midlands Warwickshire County Council (targeted areas within Nuneaton) Yorkshire and the Humber Kirklees Council Advertisement 'So even if every eligible person patient had the vaccine, you would have 25 per cent of the UK population not covered. Lets say there's 50 million people who would be of an adult age who might end up going to hospital. That would leave about 12million people still unprotected even if the vaccination programme was as complete as it could be. 'There's going to be a significant proportion of the population that won't be immune. So if the virus is released and not controlled in any way, and even over a period of weeks or months those people become infected. And then those 20 per cent then present to hospital. That could push the NHS over again very very easily.' Thousands more are set to be added to the UK's vaccine tally after organisers at a major walk-in vaccination centre at Twickenham Stadium opted yesterday afternoon to open up the jab offer to anyone aged over 18 in order not to waste doses, leading to lengthy queues in South West London. Professor Gupta, a member of the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (Nervtag), said the increased socialisation which has followed last month's phase of restriction lifting could be expected to lead to 'quite a lot' of hospital admissions. He said while the nation had performed 'amazingly well' in its vaccination programme, it was still too early 'to put the vaccine straight up against the virus'. Professor Gupta said a delay of a few weeks to the June 21 target could have a significant impact on Britain's battle against the pandemic, and recommended it should be made clear to the public that it would be a temporary measure based on recent events, chiefly the emergence of the Indian or B.1.617.2 strain of the virus. 'Even a month delay could have a big impact on the eventual outcome of this,' Professor Gupta told ITV's Good Morning Britain. The University of Cambridge academic continued: 'As long as it's clear to people this is not an unlimited extension of the lockdown but actually just a reassessment, that would be realistic. 'Because we didn't plan for the 617.2 variant when the initial roadmap was made, and actually things have gone really well except for the fact that we have this new variant to complicate things. 'We must remember this is a virus that does adapt, and faced with vaccines it will eventually start to make mutations to avoid them even further, and then we could be in an even more precarious situation after that.' Britons took matters into their own hands yesterday as they crammed beaches and parks on the hottest day of 2021 so far, with temperatures hitting 77.2F (25.1C). Seafronts at Lyme Regis, Bournemouth, Brighton, Weymouth and Camber Sands were all packed, and conditions are set to improve further this week. It comes as NHS chiefs warned that the lockdown-induced backlog of treatments for ailments other than Covid mean that even a small increase in the number of coronavirus patients could cause hospitals to be overstretched once again. MPs slam 'confusing' renaming of variants MPs today criticised a 'confusing' attempt to rename Covid variants to prevent potential 'hate crimes' - as Downing Street suggested it would follow the new rules. The World Health Organization plans to give different strains Greek names, with the Indian variant known as 'Covid Delta', while the UK's Kent variety becomes 'Covid Alpha'. Officials said naming variants after the places where they were first discovered led to those nations being 'stigmatised', with potential for 'hate crimes' to be carried out. But MPs questioned the change, saying that coming after 18 months of the current nomenclature permeating the public consciousness, the result may only be confusion. Tory former leader Iain Duncan Smith told MailOnline the renaming was 'a bit late in the day' and suggested it was the WHO that needed renaming after 'they failed to bring China to book for what they have done'. He added on the Indian variant: 'The public knows what it is now, so I don't know that it means very much. Fellow Conservative MP Desmond Swayne added: 'Changing names only confuses and frankly is a million miles from the real issue. Advertisement With both deaths and cases up significantly in the past week, experts and opposition politicians are urging the Prime Minister to keep to his 'data not dates' approach to easing lockdown. But Ms Sturgeon faced a backlash at Holyrood as she pulled back from the relaxation today. Tory leader Douglas Ross said: 'I had hoped to say today's statement is at least broadly a move in the right direction. And for the people of Glasgow a move to Level 2 from Saturday will be a most welcome step to bring to an end 277 days of our largest city living under some of the toughest restrictions. 'But for people all over the country, in 14 of 32 local council areas, today's statement is a disappointing setback. 'Half of the country will move forward while the rest remains stuck in limbo with no clear idea of when the restrictions will ease. 'We understand the need for caution but we also believe more emphasis needs to be placed upon the impact of these restrictions on businesses, on jobs and on people's mental and physical health. 'We believe a more local approach is necessary with targeted interventions to tackle local outbreaks instead of sweeping measures. The approach of council-wide restrictions is now out of date, it was designed before we had an effective, successful vaccination scheme.' Meanwhile, world leaders have been told Covid vaccines must be shared with poorer nations to prevent richer countries being hit by newly-imported deadly variants. Global bodies - along with MPs and peers - warned of fresh lockdowns if people in developing nations do not get a huge increase in jabs. In Scotland, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will confirm 'whether and to what extent' plans to further ease coronavirus restrictions can take place on June 7, amid extra controls in Glasgow to deal with rising cases. With vaccines seen as the main escape route from repeated lockdowns to control the pandemic, governments around the world are being urged to do more to ensure those in developing nations can access jabs. The heads of the World Health Organisation, International Monetary Fund, World Bank Group and World Trade Organisation warned of a 'dangerous gap' in the availability of jabs, with low-income nations receiving 'less than 1 per cent of vaccines administered so far'. 'Inequitable vaccine distribution is not only leaving untold millions of people vulnerable to the virus. It is also allowing deadly variants to emerge and ricochet back across the world,' they said in an open letter published in a number of global newspapers, including the Daily Telegraph. WHAT IS HAPPENING IN INDIAN VARIANT HOTSPOT AREAS? (Data from Department of Health and Sanger Institute) Area name Indian variant cases May 8-22 % of cases B1617.2 Infection rate May 18 (cases per 100,000 people) Infection rate May 25 (cases per 100,000 people) % change in a week Bolton 1,517 91% 435 362 DOWN 17% Blackburn with Darwen 497 95% 215 365 UP 70% Bedford 426 87% 142 190 UP 34% Leicester 216 71% 47 71 UP 51% Manchester 178 48% 53 80 UP 51% Birmingham 151 59% 19 33 UP 74% Wigan 150 82% 34 66 UP 94% Central Bedfordshire 101 93% 35 43 UP 23% In a separate letter, a cross-party group of more than 100 MPs and peers wrote to the Prime Minister with a similar message, calling for Britain to export more jabs to developing countries in a bid to prevent new variants from wrecking Britain's freedom plans. Urging Mr Johnson to show 'global leadership' in the run-up to the G7 in Cornwall next week, the parliamentarians - including former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey and Tory ex-health minister Dr Dan Poulter - urged him to commit to a one in, one out policy when it comes to vaccines. For every dose bought for use in Britain, the signatories want the UK Government to donate a dose to the United Nations-backed Covax scheme, which is providing vaccines to low and middle-income countries. 'The longer we wait to act, the more likely it is that dangerous variants could emerge that can evade the protections offered by current vaccines,' they told Mr Johnson, in a letter seen by the PA news agency. Meanwhile, schools could stay open half an hour longer each day as part of a 15 billion plan to help pupils catch-up after having their learning disrupted by coronavirus shutdowns, according to the Times. A model boasted to police about being on her way to buy drugs before officers found a bag of cocaine inside her bag she says she 'forgot' was there. Vali Clarke, 21, had been out with friends in Newton in Sydney's inner-west in April when she was overheard talking about buying drugs with a friend. She was later approached by the officers who asked her if she had bought the illegal substances. Ms Clarke then replied: 'You've come too early, we are literally just down here to buy them,' according to agreed facts heard in the Newtown Local Court, the Daily Telegraph reported. Vali Clarke, 21, had been out with friends in Newton in Sydney's inner-west in April when she was overheard talking about buying drugs with a friend Police checked her bag and found cocaine inside to which she admitted she 'forgot' was there Meanwhile her friend told police they were 'too late' and she had already had some. Police checked Ms Clarke's bag and quickly discovered there was cocaine inside her purse. The 21-year-old acted shocked and blurted out 'I forgot about that!', informing the officers she'd bought the drugs two weeks earlier. The two girls were described as being quite 'chatty' and 'animated' with police having little doubt they were under the influence, the Newtown Local Court heard on Tuesday. Ms Clarke pleaded guilty to possessing an illegal substance and was sentenced to a 12-month court order. She will also have to complete an addiction recovery program She has modelled for the likes of David Jones, The Iconic, P.E Nation and luxury brand Alice McCall. A conviction was not recorded. Advertisement London's Heathrow Airport's dedicated terminal for red list arrivals has been criticised as it opened today. Previously, those arriving from 43 high-risk countries - such as India, Brazil and South Africa - were mixing with others from lower-risk amber and green nations in airport queues sparking outrage. Now, London's busiest airport has converted Terminal 3 into a red-list only arrivals zone. The terminal was previously unused during the pandemic due to a reduction in international flights. Passengers travelling to the UK on connecting flights from red list locations continue to transit through the airport alongside those from green and amber countries. Flights are only permitted from a few of the red list nations - including India where the latest variant originates - and arrivals must be British and Irish nationals or UK residents. Passengers arriving in the UK after being in one of those destinations during the previous 10 days must spend 11 nights in a quarantine hotel, costing 1,750 for solo travellers. Those from amber list countries can quarantine at home, and green list arrivals - nations with the least risk of exported Covid cases - don't need to isolate at all. David Katende, 51, a cab driver from Feltham, west London, said: 'Travelling was okay, it just took a little more time that's all. 'I came from Uganda and connected through Amsterdam, so I could have been seated next to red list passenger. 'But I'm not concerned because they would have been tested like me before getting the plane. 'Some of the countries on the red list are actually safer, but because they are a flight hub, they get put on the red list. 'I think separating passengers is not really a very nice thing because it makes them feel different. David Katende, 51, a cab driver from Feltham, west London, said everyone was tested when they left so did not see the point Amir Jahandin, 28, an animator who is visiting his grandmother in hospital in London, said he came from Boston in the US Angie Ney, 37, a caretaker who had just arrived from Luxembourg to visit her boyfriend Sabir Ahmed, 36, from London 'They should have just left it as it is, because everyone is tested when they come in and again on days two and eight, so what's the point? 'I think travelling from an amber or red list country is basically the same thing, except you have to go to a hotel, which costs like 1,700. 'The hotel money is like another holiday.' 'I've been travelling quite a lot in the past few weeks - Istanbul, Malaga and Luxembourg. Amir Jahandin, 28, an animator who is visiting his grandmother in hospital in London, said: 'I just came from Boston in the United States and there is a lot of paperwork. 'And I had to fly through Portugal because there were no direct flights, which were affordable.' 'The airline doesn't tell you anything, so I only just found out I needed a passenger locator form and a negative covid test. 'I don't think I've ever been so stressed out about travel in my life - it felt like I was trying to enter a country that's difficult to get into like Iran or something. 'I think closing Terminal 3 is a good precaution to take, but I guess putting some countries on a list and isn't a good place to be starting from. 'Because it seems like green list countries aren't necessarily safer, they are just places people like travelling to. 'Also the fact that a lot of the red list countries are poorer nations is no coincidence in my opinion. 'I think it's indirectly discriminating against them, because these countries haven't been given the same access to vaccines, but that's a whole other problem. 'They were shouting at us saying 'are you from a red list country' and scooting them into the red list customs line. 'I'm not sure what the system is in place if they find someone who has got covid.' Coach parked outside Heathrow Terminal 3 ready to pick up 'red list' arrivals and ferry them straight to hotel quarantine 'Red list' arrival walks to coach where he will be taken for his 10-day stay at hotel quarantine, costing 1,750 Passengers queue up for the coach to hotel quarantine after landing at Heathrow's Terminal 3 - which has today became a desginated 'red list' arrival hub after fury over arrivals from safer nations mixing in airport queues Angie Ney, 37, a caretaker who has just arrived from Luxembourg to visit her boyfriend Sabir Ahmed, 36, from London said: 'I think a lot of these rules are illogical because, for example, if you look at Luxembourg, the R rate is barely above zero, yet Portugal's is much higher and it's on the green list. 'I don't think closing Terminal 3 is the right thing to do, because people can still transit through other places. 'And there are lot of people standing in the queues here in Terminal 2 with their masks pulled down or completely off. 'Also I needed to have two PCR tests, but I'm not even here on day eight. Still, I had to buy it anyways, so it's just a money making scheme.' Mr Ahmed said: 'I tried calling the healthcare service to explain the situation, but the woman was quite rude actually and said she needed anyway. 'It's a bit short sighted on the government to think people will be coming to the UK for a minimum of 10 days. It doesn't make sense.' Alex Papp, 34, an offshore worker who is travelling to Amsterdam said: 'I'm not that worried about coming into contact with red list countries because I work with so many different nationalities. 'I work with 59 different nationalities on my rig and I've been working all through covid and not one person has got covid. London's Heathrow Airport has converted Terminal 3 (file image, pictured) into a red-list only arrivals zone. The terminal was previously unused during the pandemic due to a reduction in flights London's busiest airport has converted Terminal 3 into a red-list only arrivals zone. The terminal was previously unused during the pandemic due to a reduction in international flights Travellers from red list countries must isolate for 10 days in a quarantine hotel A passenger arriving from red list India (left) and another arriving from New York in amber list US (right) in Heathrow last month Previously, those arriving from 43 high-risk countries - such as India , Brazil and South Africa - were mixing with others from lower-risk amber and green nations (pictured last month) in airport queues sparking outrage 'I think closing terminal 3 and the rules are all rubbish - if we're so confident in this vaccine, why are we bothering.' Heathrow is the only UK airport which has dedicated a terminal to red list arrivals so far. Other airports quizzed by the BBC - including Bristol, London's City Airport and Gatwick - have no direct red list flights coming in at this time, meaning similar measures would not be necessary. Heathrow insisted there were 'several layers of protection to keep passengers and colleagues safe', such as mandatory testing for all arrivals, segregation and ventilation. Gareth Brisbane, 66, a retired accountant said: 'I went to Iceland for two weeks on holiday, camping around the west fjords. 'Travelling was no problem, although there were quite a lot of hoops to jump through coming back. 'Even though Iceland is on the green list, I needed to take a test 72 hours before and will have to do another one in two days. I was dreading coming through customs here, but they took us straight off the plane and we went straight through. 'As you come into the customs hall they were asking people from red list countries to identify themselves. 'That was my major concern coming back - getting stuck in a customs hall with a load of red list passengers. 'So I think closing down Terminal 3 is a great idea.' Eleonore Poli, 26, a PhD student in material sciences at the University of Cambridge, said: 'I just arrived from Geneva and the airport is still pretty empty. 'My flight got cancelled this morning so I thought it was going to be really busy, but there were only 40 on the plane. 'When I arrived, my electronic passport did not work so I had to go to the desk. 'They did not check my passenger locator form or my PCR test - all they said was this is how long you need to quarantine for. 'They have specific lines for red list passengers to follow, but they are still mixing at the exit. 'There are also staff helping separate people, but you are only a metre apart really - like you could hug someone if you wanted to. 'I'm not too concerned though because everyone has been PCR tested before getting on the plane. 'I'm about to get on the tube with lots of people and it's probably a lot riskier than on a plane. 'I think making Terminal 3 red list only is a really good idea. 'But I guess you have to make sure the employees there are also tested and don't mix with others.' Others say even if it does not work it's worth trying if it means preventing covid from spreading. Simona Sarnachi, 34, who arrived from Romania and is travelling to Southampton where she works on a cruise ship, said: 'I flew from Romania to Frankfurt to London and now I'm waiting for the shuttle bus to Southampton. 'I just needed a PCR test before departing and to fill out my passenger locator form, and that's it. 'It is difficult to keep up with what countries are on the list, because it keeps changing. 'I saw they were separating people with UK and European passports from those coming from red list countries. 'If they think it's necessary to stop the virus, then they should do it. Whether it's silly or not doesn't really matter, they are just testing to see what works. 'Obviously it might ruin some people's holiday - it happened to a friend of mine. Flights are only permitted from few of the red list nations - including India where the latest variant originates - and arrivals must be British and Irish nationals or UK residents. Pictured: Heathrow Airport Daily coronavirus cases have risen by nearly 40 per cent in a week to 3,240 as deaths rose by 20 per cent 'I don't think it's going to stop the virus for at least another year. Then Covid will be just like the flu or any other disease.' It comes as ministers are preparing contingency plans to extend restrictions beyond June 21 - 'freedom day' - amid fears that a surge in cases of the Indian variant could lead to a spike in hospital admissions and deaths. Cambridge professor Ravi Gupta yesterday warned there are signs that the UK is in the early stages of a third wave of coronavirus infection and that the lifting of restrictions should be postponed. Meanwhile, Government minister George Eustice acknowledged England's 'Freedom Day' in June could be in jeopardy as the Indian variant spreads. Daily coronavirus cases rose by nearly 40 per cent in a week to 3,240 yesterday. The Government has faced mounting calls to ensure red list arrivals are separated from those coming in from other countries to limit the spread of Covid. Downing Street earlier insisted that it is down to airports to make sure border queues happen in a Covid-secure way, and that the Government is 'doing everything possible to make this process as efficient as possible'. Asked whether amber and red arrivals should be separated at airports, a spokesman for Prime Minister Boris Johnson last month said that 'all arrivals should be managed in a way that is as Covid-secure as possible.' A Heathrow Airport spokeswoman said today: 'Red list routes will likely be a feature of UK travel for the foreseeable future as countries vaccinate their populations at different rates. 'We're adapting Heathrow to this longer-term reality by initially opening a dedicated arrivals facility in Terminal 3 from June 1 for red list passengers arriving on direct flights. 'We will move this facility to Terminal 4 as soon as operationally possible. 'While opening this facility will be logistically very challenging, our hope is that it will enable Border Force to carry out its duties more efficiently as passenger volumes increase in line with the green list. 'Until then, the current red list system will remain in place. 'This system has been designed by the Government and has several layers of protection to keep passengers and colleagues safe including mandatory negative Covid tests for all international arrivals, mandatory use of face coverings, social distancing, segregation and enhanced cleaning regimes and ventilation in immigration halls.' An airport executive said in April that passengers are being forced to queue for up to six hours to be processed through immigration halls. It is the first time Terminal 3 has been used since April 2020, when it was closed to save costs amid the collapse in demand for travel. Britain's red, green and amber travel lists are due to be updated later this week after international travel was legalised on May 17. Robert Boyle - former director of strategy at British Airways' parent company IAG - has predicted that Bahrain, Costa Rica, Trinidad and Tobago, and Kuwait will be added to the red list 'shortly' due to rising infection rates. He wrote in a blog post: 'Given how much heat the Government is taking about the delays in adding India to the red list, you might wonder why the four red list candidates haven't already been added. 'But ministers are also under heavy pressure to open up travel, not only from beleaguered airlines and other travel companies, but also from parts of the media chafing against what many see as unjustified state restrictions on liberty.' It was last night revealed that Britons are still not banned from travelling to Vietnam even though a potentially dangerous new Covid variant has been found there. A strain of the virus appearing to be a hybrid of the UK and Indian variants, both of which are fast-spreading, has appeared in the country. The red list was drawn up to slash the risk of Britain importing new variants of the virus that could risk vaccines not working. There was uproar among scientists and politicians when it took weeks for India to be added despite it having the world's worst outbreak - and a variant that emerged there is now dominant in the UK and threatens to wreck plans to end lockdown. Despite this and the revelation that a new variant has sprung up in Vietnam, the country remains on the amber list, which means hotel quarantine isn't required. The variant is not yet internationally recognised so it is unknown whether it has spread to other countries. Vietnam's tough crackdown on the virus meant it has been largely untouched by Covid with a total of just 7,107 cases and 47 deaths since the start of the pandemic. But that number of cases has more than doubled from just 2,900 at the beginning of May, which the health minister said could be due to the new variant. Dr Nguyen Thanh Long said the new strain could be behind the variant now being in 30 of the country's 63 provinces. Ministers are preparing contingency plans to extend restrictions beyond June 21, amid fears that a surge in infections of the Indian variant could lead to a spike in hospital admissions and deaths. Left, Boris Johnson. Right, Nadhim Zahawi Public Health England analysis shows of the 12 people who have died with the variant in the country, eight were unvaccinated, two had a first dose, and two had both doses of a vaccine He did not specify the number of cases that have been recorded with the new variant, but said Vietnam would announce more details soon. It is likely to have been circulating for a month already, based on how Vietnam's cases surged, and scientists in Britain have said it's vital to act fast to try and keep out new variants - although they admit it is impossible to stop it forever. EUROPE HOLIDAY HOTSPOTS SET TO STAY ON AMBER LIST The UK is set to revise its holidays green list next week and parts of Spain and Greece could make the cut for summer freedoms. The lockdown ban on international travel came to an end on May 17 but only a handful of countries were on the no-quarantine travel list - namely Portugal, Iceland and Gibraltar. Next week, on June 3, ministers will reconsider whether it's safe for Brits to go to different destinations and any rule changes will come into action on June 10. Malta and the Balearic Islands, as well as some Greek islands, could find themselves on the list, The Independent reports, and Spain's tourism boss is hopeful that the travel to more of the country's territory could be on the cards soon. The mainland and Italy and France are unlikely to make it onto the green list this time, however, because they still have higher infection rates than the UK. Ministers are judging the safety of countries based on their numbers of cases, vaccination progress and risk of new variants emerging. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has hinted that the green list could be expanded in the coming weeks but has said only that it was a hope, not a certainty. Advertisement Boris Johnson was slated by MPs after allowing thousands of people to fly to the UK from India after the variant had emerged there. Yvette Cooper, Labour MP and shadow foreign secretary, said about the Indian variant spreading in Britain: 'This was not inevitable, it is just the latest in a long list of examples where the Government was too slow to act at the border,' The Telegraph reported. 'Instead of adding India to the 'red list' at the start of April, when it added neighbouring countries like Pakistan, the Government inexplicably waited another two weeks.' She added: 'If we had learned the lessons from the countries who got this right during the first wave, we would have taken precautionary action early to keep this new variant out. Yet the Government is still making the same basic mistakes at the border all over again.' Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth said yesterday: 'The single biggest threat to [ending lockdown] is ministerial incompetence. 'Today ministers remain engulfed and distracted by internal rows and blame shifting at just the moment we need a laser like focus on this variant. 'Weak, slow decisions on border policy let this variant in, continued lack of sufficient self-isolation support and a stand off with local public health directors over vaccination policy failed to contain it.' Vietnam, which is in South East Asia beneath China and on the South China Sea coast, is a popular travel destination and in normal years hundreds of thousands of Brits visit. Although the Government is advising people not to go there at the moment it is not illegal, if they can get a visa from the Vietnamese government, and hotel quarantine isn't required when arriving back in the UK. The purpose of the red and amber travel lists was to minimise the risk of a new variant being imported into Britain and countries were added to red if this risk was high. The Department for Transport says: 'You should not travel to amber list countries or territories.' However, people who are not British citizens or residents are allowed into Britain if they have been to an amber list country, which they aren't for red list nations. It comes Britain's hugely successful vaccine drive continues, with thousands of young people yesterday descending on Twickenham Stadium hoping to get a Covid jab as part of a special one-day event. A huge queue, described by some as being 'longer than those at Glastonbury', was seen outside the west London venue on Monday, as thousands of young vaccine hopefuls lined-up to get their Covid jab. Thousands of people are tonight making a mad dash to jump the Covid vaccine queue by taking part in a one-time only event at the home of English rugby Queues, described by some 'as long as those to get into Glastonbury', are tonight forming outside Twickenham Stadium in west London as people rush to get their Covid jab Organisers say there are now enough people in the queue to use up all 15,000 doses. Earlier today organisers had warned hopefuls to get to the stadium before 7.30pm in order to get a jab Earlier in the day, the under-30s had been given green light to get their vaccination at the special walk-in event at the 82,000-seater ground. Bosses behind the scheme had been aiming to shift 15,000 doses and push them above their vaccine targets for the Hounslow area - which has recently been involved in a surge testing and vaccination project due a spike in Indian variant cases. But after a steady start, organisers sparked a vaccine free-for-all by throwing open the doors anyone aged over-18 - even though the national roll-out is currently focused on the over-30s. This is the emotional moment a young girl screaming for help was rescued by RNLI heroes after her dinghy drifted out to sea. The youngster's inflatable boat had been tethered to the beach in Rhyl, Wales, to keep her safe. But the safety cord somehow came loose, causing her dinghy to be dragged out into the Irish Sea. Her terrified family immediately spotted the problem and phoned 999 for help, sparking the dramatic rescue in front of hundreds soaking up the sun on Bank Holiday Monday. The alarm was sounded at the RNLI inshore lifeboat in Rhyl, who launched and began their hunt for the girl. They found her sobbing and screaming 'I'm scared, please help me' as she drifted in the waters. On the way to the rescue: The RNLI volunteers are seen quickly powering through the waters Spotted: The dinghy is seen in the distance, but at first the youngster is nowhere to be seen Found: The youngster spots her rescuers and calls out to them to help her as she is scared Rescued: One of the volunteers reaches out to lift her to safety from the stranded dinghy Relief: A volunteer tells her that she is safe now and that she will be soon reunited with parents The rescuers pulled her to safety into their craft and she continues to cry, with one lifeboat man telling her 'You're safe now - we'll get you back to your parents, okay?' By now the little girl appeared to have realised she is not going to be lost at sea and gratefully replies 'okay'. The volunteer crew quickly located the young girl on the inflatable and took her safely back to shore to be reunited with her family, who give permission for the operation to be released to the media. It happened yesterday on Bank Holiday Monday just days after the RNLI lauched its beach safety campaign. Head of Water Safety Gareth Morrison said: We are expecting this summer to be the busiest ever for our lifeguards and volunteer lifeboat crews. We want people to enjoy the coast but urge everyone to respect the water, think about their own safety and know what to do in an emergency. Hundreds of people went to the beach in Brighton to enjoy the hot weather on Monday People enjoy the hot weather at Brighton beach, in Brighton on Bank Holiday Monday People enjoy the hot weather on Bournemouth beach yesterday as they flocked to Dorset Our main advice is to visit a lifeguarded beach and swim between the red and yellow flags. RNLI lifeguards will be patrolling around 245 beaches this summer to offer advice on how to stay safe and they are also there to help anyone who gets into trouble. Coastal areas provide a great opportunity to enjoy fresh air and open space but they can be an unpredictable and dangerous environment, particularly during early summer when air temperatures start warming up but water temperatures remain dangerously cold, increasing the risk of cold water shock. It came on the same day millions crammed onto parks and beaches across the country and basked in glorious sunshine on the hottest day of 2021 so far as the June heatwave gets underway. The Bank Holiday weekend saw temperatures of 76.7F (24.8C) in the capital and 77.2F (25.1C) at Kinlochewe in the Highlands - beating the previous 2021 high on March 30 when west London hit 76.1F (24.5C). Conditions are set to improve even more this week, with highs of 81F (27C) by Wednesday - making Britain hotter than Rome, which will reach just 77F (25C) on the same day. Lyme Regis, Bournemouth, Brighton, Weymouth and Camber Sands were packed as huge numbers of friends and families enjoyed their freedoms after months of lockdown. Thousands others lined up outside Twickenham Stadium in London to receive Covid jabs as ministers prepare contingency plans to extend restrictions beyond June 21. MPs today urged the UK to donate Covid vaccine doses to poorer countries to save lives and prevent dangerous new variants from cropping up. More than 100 cross-party politicians have signed a letter asking the Government to donate one vaccine to the United Nations-backed Covax scheme for every one bought in this country. Lib Dem MP Layla Moran, one of the signatories of the letter and chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Coronavirus, said until the worldwide pandemic is brought under control there will always be a 'global tragedy that is teetering on the edge'. The push has been timed ahead of the G7 summit in Cornwall, which begins on June 11. Disparity in vaccine allocation across the world is expected to be a key talking point at the summit. It comes after the World Health Organisation, the International Monetary Fund, World Bank Group and the World Trade Organisation released a proposal for countries to make up-front payments and vaccine donations to poorer countries. The organisations' appeal calls for immediate donations to prevent the 'untold millions' of vulnerable people around the world succumbing to the virus. Pressure has been mounting on global leaders for weeks to address what the WHO has branded a 'vaccine apartheid'. Countries like the UK and US have been able to roll the vaccines out to younger people and largely squash their crises thanks to having hundreds of millions of vaccine doses on pre-order. Yet developing nations in Africa, South America, the Middle East and Asia are recording record death tolls due to lagging rollouts. The UN children's agency Unicef which buys and distributes vaccines for Covax says its research suggests G7 nations and EU states could donate 153million doses and still meet their domestic commitments. Yet, so far, Britain has yet to donate a single dose abroad despite promising to do so in February. Layla Moran is among a group of 100 MPs calling for the UK to donate some of its vaccine doses to poorer countries How the proportion of all adults who have received a first dose of a Covid vaccine differs across the world - with nations like the UK and US vaccinating almost half of their populations while most of Africa, Asia and parts of South America lag behind. Russia, Australia and New Zealand have also struggled to get vaccine rollouts off the ground How the proportion of people who have had their first vaccine dose could change across the world over the next year if countries follow the International Monetary Fund's plan to provide Covax with an additional $4billion (2.8billion), donate all surplus vaccines immediately and restrictions on moving vaccines across borders are lifted High infection rates run the risk of new variants spawning and undermining lockdown and vaccination efforts around the globe, including the West. Most recently a variant which emerged in India now dubbed 'Covid Delta' as part of the WHOs new strain naming system has put the UKs lockdown-ending hopes in jeopardy. WHO renames Indian variant 'Covid Delta' as all mutant strains are rebranded to avoid 'geographic stigma' The World Health Organisation has announced plans to rename Covid variants with Greek alphabet letters in a bid to lose the 'stigma' of geographic titles. Under WHO's new plans, the Indian variant will now be known as 'Covid Delta', while the UK's Kent strain will be known as 'Covid Alpha'. South Africa's variant will become 'Covid Beta', while the Brazilian variant will be known as 'Covid Gamma'. WHO's Covid-19 technical lead Maria Van Kerkhove said the change 'is aimed to help in public discussion'. She said: 'No country should be stigmatized for detecting and reporting variants. 'The labels are simple, easy to say and remember and are based on the Greek alphabet, a system that was chosen following wide consultation & a review of several potential systems. 'They will not replace existing scientific names.' Advertisement Queues of experts and Government advisors today warned against the unlocking on June 21 due to that variant, with Professor Adam Finn of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation telling the Prime Minister 'the job is not done'. And over the weekend a variant was detected in Vietnam which is said to be a super-infectious hybrid of the strains that emerged in India and in Kent. Ms Moran said: 'We have been saying as a country for a long time that at some stage we would start donating actual doses to Covax. 'As yet, not a single dose has actually been donated. 'So we are calling on the Government to start donating those vaccines as a matter of urgency. And to also commit to technology transfer and coming to some kind of an agreement on intellectual property so that other countries elsewhere in the world are geared up to be able to manufacture their own vaccines. 'No dose is ever wasted. And certainly for all the young people desperate they will certainly not feel it was wasted. When we took evidence on this as an all party group, there was very clearly a moral dilemma, but also a public health message that was coming off clear and strong from those who are involved in the global cause for this.' Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, she said: 'The moral dilemma is that while we as a country have vaccinated 75 per cent of our population with our first dose, in 91 countries they've received less than 1 per cent of the total doses. 'That's 2.5billion people. Literally millions of people could die between now and September. 'And there is a global tragedy that is teetering on the edge. 'Those world leaders that you mentioned are calling it a 'dangerous gap' and there is this narrow window now for us to act. 'So yes, bluntly, we do think that this country should be donating doses. 'Carry on our programme here, but a proportion should go to Covax now. The short term solution is this vaccine donation. 'I would also put to people who are saying "but what about me". 'Well I would point out that the third wave that's potentially on our door. We're talking about delaying the June 21st opening is a result of a variant of concern that started elsewhere in the world. 'And because we are a global hub we found it wash up on our shores and now has taken hold. 'We cannot expect that this will be the last time that will happen. 'And every time you have seen a variant of concern emerge, it does seem to be less effective every time, those vaccines are less effective against it.' The letter was also signed by senior Tory MPs Sir Peter Bottomley the longest-serving MP and Dr Dan Poulter, a former health minister who has worked on the frontline during the pandemic. Others putting their name to the letter include former shadow chancellor John McDonnell, former archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey, former Green Party leader Caroline Lucas, Margaret Thatcher's former health minister Baroness Hooper and ex-leader of the Liberal Democrats Lord Campbell. As many as 25.5million people got two doses after 204,282 second jabs were administered Desperate Britons, most of whom were under 30 and at low risk of Covid, queued for coronavirus vaccine jabs in Twickenham yesterday evening Race to double-jab the over-50s: Huge NHS drive to give maximum Covid protection to older people before June 21 to secure our freedom date The NHS is racing to give millions of over-50s their second Covid vaccine shot by June 21 to allow England to open up on 'Freedom Day' as hoped. Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi yesterday set a deadline for the first time amid increasing concern at the highly transmissible new Indian variant of the disease. Around 5million people aged over 50 are waiting for their second dose, with the NHS needing to vaccinate 225,000 of them every day to meet the target. But second jabs were handed out at a rate of more than 400,000 a day most days last week, meaning it would take something catastrophic to knock the drive off course. Ministers hope that by hitting the target, it will help them avoid delaying the 'unlockdown date', which Boris Johnson has set for three weeks' time. Asked on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show whether the vaccine rollout was enough to ensure that all restrictions are lifted on that date, Mr Zahawi said: 'We are in a race between vaccinating at scale and making sure people get their two doses. 'We saw very good data from Public Health England around the protection from two doses, either of Pfizer or of AstraZeneca. We hope to be able to protect with two doses all 'one to nine' [first phase priority groups], all the over-50s before June 21. We will make sure we vaccinate at scale. 'But and here's the important thing we will share the evidence with the country on June 14 to basically explain exactly where we are on infection rates, hospitalisations and of course, sadly, of death.' Advertisement It comes as the WHO, International Monetary Fund, World Bank Group and World Trade Organisation urged richer countries to give more jabs to poorer nations or risk new variants emerging and forcing future lockdowns. The heads of the organisations warned a 'dangerous gap' is emerging between richer and poorer nations in the availability of coronavirus vaccines and risks creating a 'two-track' pandemic. They said yesterday: 'Increasingly, a two-track pandemic is developing. Inequitable vaccine distribution is not only leaving untold millions of people vulnerable to the virus, it is also allowing deadly variants to emerge and ricochet back across the world. 'Even countries with advanced vaccination programmes have been forced to reimpose stricter public health measures. It need not be this way.' The proposal seeks vaccinate at least 40 percent of the population in all countries by the end of 2021 and at least 60 percent by the first half of 2022. The IMF said: 'Importantly, the strategy requires not just commitments but upfront financing, upfront vaccine donations, and at-risk investment for the world to insure against downside scenarios.' The proposals total cost of around $50billion (35.3billion) would include grants, national government resources, and concessional financing. In the immediate term, the organisations have asked countries to provide Covax with an additional $4billion (2.8billion), donate all surplus vaccines immediately and restrictions on moving vaccines across borders are lifted. The IMF said: 'We project at least 500million vaccines courses equivalent to around 1 billion doses can be donated in 2021, even if countries give preference to their own populations. 'Donations, including for delivery costs, should be done through Covax so vaccines are shared on equitable and public health principles.' This morning a scientific adviser to the Government repeated calls to delay the June 21 lifting of pandemic restrictions by 'a few weeks', warning that the ability of coronavirus to adapt in the face of vaccines has still left the UK in a vulnerable position. Professor Ravi Gupta, a member of the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (Nervtag), said the UK's pandemic picture had changed since its road map to recovery was drawn up, chiefly through the emergence of the Indian of B1617.2 strain of the virus. Britain's daily coronavirus infections rose 40 per cent in a week after 3,383 cases were recorded amid a growing outbreak of the Indian variant, but only one death was registered He also warned the increased socialisation following last month's easing of restrictions could lead to 'quite a lot' of hospital admissions, and said while Britain had performed 'amazingly well' in its vaccination programme, it was still too early 'to put the vaccine straight up against the virus'. Expert who helped develop Oxford jab says it is 'morally wrong' to offer Covid vaccine to children in wealthy nations Offering the Covid vaccine to children in wealthy countries when high-risk groups in poorer nations remain unvaccinated is 'morally wrong', the director of the Oxford Vaccine Group has said. Professor Andrew Pollard said it felt 'completely wrong' that vaccines were being rolled out to children who had a 'near-to-zero' risk of severe disease or death from Covid-19 ahead of priority groups from poorer countries. The scientist, who helped develop the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 jab, went on to say the 'inequity' in the global vaccine rollout was 'absolutely plain to see at this moment in a very troubling way'. His comments came as it emerged that the UK had secured enough Pfizer vaccines to inoculate children aged 12 and older if it is clinically approved. Professor Pollard told the All Party Parliamentary Group on Coronavirus: 'When you look at the overall aim of a global vaccination programme in a pandemic, it's to stop people dying. 'And we know who those people are - that's the over-50s, it's those who've got health conditions and to some extent also healthcare workers and so those are the priority groups. 'We are in a situation at the moment where there are many unvaccinated people in the world but not enough doses for everyone yet. 'But there are many unvaccinated people in the world, whilst people whose risk is extremely low are being vaccinated, including children, who have near-to-zero the risk of severe disease or death. 'That inequity is absolutely plain to see at this moment in a very troubling way as we see the images from South Asia on our televisions of the awful circumstances now - colleagues that are just facing the most appalling circumstances, they're not working in a situation where there's an NHS to support them. 'And it feels completely wrong to be in a situation morally where we were allowing that to happen, whilst in many countries vaccines are being rolled out to younger and younger populations at very, very low risk.' Advertisement Professor Gupta told ITV's Good Morning Britain moving back the June 21 target date could have a significant impact on the fight against the pandemic, adding it should be made clear to the public this would be a temporary measure based on recent developments. More than 39 million people have been given a first jab and a further 25.3million have had both doses. Asked whether a three-week delay to the June 21 target would be sufficient while Britons were being vaccinated at a rate of four million per week, Prof Gupta said: 'Even a month delay could have a big impact on the eventual outcome of this. 'As long as it's clear to people this is not an unlimited extension of the lockdown but actually just a reassessment, that would be realistic. 'Because we didn't plan for the 617.2 variant when the initial road map was made, and actually things have gone really well except for the fact that we have this new variant to complicate things. 'We must remember this is a virus that does adapt, and faced with vaccines it will eventually start to make mutations to avoid them even further, and then we could be in an even more precarious situation after that.' Professor Gupta said the UK was in 'a really good position' in regard to its vaccination programme but caution remained crucial. 'The key thing here is that we're almost there,' he said. 'The problem is we don't want to put the vaccine straight up against the virus at a time when the vaccine coverage isn't quite high enough; it's not in young people, it's not in schoolchildren, and that's where the virus may potentially start circulating. 'We still have a lot of vulnerable people in the community who haven't responded to the vaccine.' Prof Gupta said it was concerning that hospital admissions could be about to rise following last month's easing of restrictions, at a time when hospitals were dealing with large backlogs of procedures and treatments delayed because of the pandemic. 'If we're fully unlocked on the 21st of June, we have a situation where over the next few weeks there will be a lot of mixing, there will be gatherings, because people have been waiting to do these things for a long time,' he said. 'So we will get an excess of mixing, especially in younger groups, and that will lead to some hospitalisations... quite a lot, at a time when the NHS is trying to distance within hospitals, so it does take time to get things done there, and the added pressure of having Covid cases, some of which will be severe of course, is going to have an effect on morale and clinical care for everybody.' In February, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised to donate most of the UK's vaccine supply surplus to poorer countries but no specific timescale has been given. Britain has ordered more than 500million doses of the most promising vaccines, enough to vaccinate the population many times over. France the only G7 nation to send vaccine doses abroad has already committed to donating 500,000 doses to India and Sweden 3million, with Switzerland considering a similar donation. Britain was due to receive 5million doses of AstraZeneca's jab being manufactured in India but they were blocked after India's second wave took off. The UK is not believed to be pursuing the doses, with experts previously telling MailOnline it would be 'ethically dubious' to do so. A five-year-old boy has no memory of the cable car crash in Italy that killed his entire family and is suffering from post traumatic amnesia, doctors have revealed. Eitan Biran, from Israel, miraculously survived the tragedy in the Alps, but his mother and father, younger brother and great-grandparents were all killed. Eitan, who is the sole survivor of the Mottarone disaster that killed 14 people, has no memory of the crash, Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera reported. The publication said that doctors believe the brave boy is suffering from post traumatic amnesia after tests ruled out any neurological damage. Five-year-old Eitan Biran (pictured bottom) from Israel, has no memory of the cable car crash in Italy that killed his entire family, doctors have revealed But Eitan is out of danger and he will be transferred from intensive care to an inpatient ward at the Regine Margherita Children's Hospital in Turin as he continues his recovery. In a statement translated from Italian, doctors said: 'Eitan's conditions are significantly improving both from the point of view of thoracic trauma and from the point of view of abdominal trauma.' It is believed Eitan has not yet been told that the crash killed his mother Tal, 26, father Amit, 30, two-year-old brother Tom and great-grandparents Itshak and Barbara Cohen, 82 and 70. His aunt Aya, 41, and his grandmother both travelled from Israel to sit at his bedside after the crash on May 23 and remain with him in hospital. Eitan miraculously survived the tragedy (pictured: site where cable car crashed to the ground) in the Alps, but his mother and father, younger brother and great-grandparents were all killed Although the boy's condition is improving, doctors believe Eitan (pictured bottom with family) is suffering from post-traumatic amnesia after tests ruled out neurological damage After the crash, prosecutors said that engineers 'tampered with' the braking system (circled) on the Italian cable car as part of a botched fix in order to avoid delays Eitan, who suffered head injuries and a broken leg in the cable car crash, started to eat solid food again over the weekend, soon after uttering his first words and taking his first independent breath. When he woke to see his aunt Aya by his bedside, he first said: 'I have a sore throat,' before asking where he was and why she was there. WHAT IS POST-TRAUMATIC AMNESIA? Post-traumatic amnesia (PTA) is the time after a period of unconsciousness when the injured person is conscious and awake, but is behaving or talking in a bizarre or uncharacteristic manner. The person has no continuous memory of day-to-day events, and recent events may be equally affected, so that they are unable to remember what happened a few hours or even a few minutes ago. To complicate the issue, PTA can sometimes occur without the person having been unconscious beforehand. The most obvious symptom is the loss of memory for the present time. The person may recognise family and friends but be unable to process the fact that they are in hospital or have had an injury of some kind. PTA is a stage of recovery that the person goes through after the injury and, while it is very distressing for family and friends, it is important to remember it is a phase that will pass. Source: Headway Advertisement But Eitan's improvement has been overshadowed by the news of the release of the two suspects - the owner of the cable car company Luigi Nerini and technical director Enrico Perocchio. The family said: 'We are saddened to know that the suspects are already at home, we would like those responsible to be brought to justice quickly and punished to the maximum extent permitted by law. 'We would like what happened to be a turning point so that similar tragedies do not happen again. 'There have been unimaginable accidents in Italy in recent years, all due to negligence and lack of maintenance. It's time to say enough.' Nerini, the owner of the Italian cable car company whose employees botched repairs and caused the death of 14 people, has vowed to 'pray at the victims' graves' following his release from custody. Luigi Nerini, who was released over the weekend after a judge found a 'total lack of evidence' against him and technical director Enrico Perocchio, said he will have a 'private visit' to the graves, if the families of the victims allow him. He added 'we need total respect for the pain' as he remains under investigation for suspected involuntary manslaughter and negligence over the tragedy alongside service manager Gabriele Tadini who was put under house arrest on Sunday. Three men were held over the crash on Wednesday after service manager Tadini admitted to investigators he had deactivated an emergency brake system that could have prevented the incident. He said he did it because the system was malfunctioning and had halted service several times, and insisted that he acted in agreement with the two other suspects. But Nerini and Perocchio have been released from custody because, in Italy, judges must approve continued detention of suspects and usually order pre-trial detention only under special circumstances, for example when the accused is a flight risk. Three men were detained on Wednesday after service manager Tadini (pictured) admitted to that he had deactivated an emergency brake system that could have prevented the crash Luigi Nerini (left) who has been released from custody along with manager Enrico Perocchio (right) said the first thing he will do is 'pray at the grave of the victims' The coffin with the body of Serena Cosentino arrives in the church of Gesu Buon Pastore in Costenza, southern Italy Pictured: The prison where the three men were being held in Verbania, Italy Judge Donatella Banci Bonamici found a 'total lack of evidence against Nerini and Perocchio', according to a ruling quoted by the Corriere della Sera newspaper on Sunday. According to the judge, Tadini tried to shift some of the blame on his two superiors after acting 'with total disregard for human life, with bewildering carelessness'. Tadini's lawyer Marcello Perillo said his client 'will have to face consequences' for his admission, adding that the extent to which the other two men had indeed being informed of his actions was yet to be established. 'There is no proof at present they were also responsible. They are people who should have known, but it's not clear if they did,' Perillo said. Perocchio has claimed he had no idea that the brakes had been blocked. 'I've got 21 years of experience with lifts that use cables, I know that's something you don't ever, ever do,' Perocchio said, according to La Repubblica. The cable car crashed near the top of the Mottarone mountain on May 24, after its pull cable snapped and the car flew backwards, dislodging itself from a second, supporting cable Graphic shows the cable car's route after the cable snapped as the car neared the station at the top of the mountain Local media reported that none of the men were ruled to be a flight risk and there was no risk of evidence being tampered with. Prosecutor Olimpia Bossi said she would 'carefully assess' the judge's ruling, noting that it could be appealed, and said it would not derail investigations. 'The suspects remain the same, our work goes on,' she told reporters. The cable car crashed near the top of the Mottarone mountain on May 24, after its pull cable snapped and the car flew backwards, dislodging itself from a second, supporting cable. Had the emergency brake worked, the car would have remained hanging on the supporting cable. Investigators are still trying to ascertain why the first cable broke. Alessandro Merlo and Silvia Malnati, 29 and 27, died in the tragedy. Friends said the couple had been engaged for 10 years and were planning to marry Angelo Vito Gasparro, 45, wife Roberta Pistolato (together left and right), died when the cable car plunged 65ft during a trip to the mountains to celebrate Roberta's 40th birthday Vittorio Zorloni and Elisabetta Persanini (together left, and Vittorio pictured right) were also killed in the accident, along with their five-year-old son Mattia. The couple were engaged and due to be married next month, Italian media reported Among the dead were Eitan's family - parents Tal, 26, and Amit, 30, brother Tom, 2, and great-grandparents Itshak and Barbara Cohen, 82 and 70 - Alessandro Merlo, 29, his fiance Silvia Malnati, 27; husband Angelo Vito Gasparro, 45, and wife Roberta Pistolato; Vittorio Zorloni, his fiancee Elisabetta Persanini, 38, and the couple's five-year-old son Mattia; and couple Serena Cosentino, 27, and Mohammadreza Shahaisavandi, 23. The Mottarone mountain served by the cable car is a popular tourist location, as it offers scenic views of Lake Maggiore and of the more distant Alps. On the website of the cable car, it is advertised as 'one of Italy's most beautiful natural balconies'. The northwestern region of Piedmont, where the accident happened, declared a day of mourning on Sunday, and urged its residents to observe a minute of silence at noon (1000 GMT) Home Secretary Priti Patel has slammed Metropolitan Police chief Dame Cressida Dick after she called for a form of positive discrimination in recruitment. Dame Cressida sparked fury after she called for a law change to let the force favour ethnic minority candidates over their equally qualified white applicants. Britain's most senior police officer made the plea after emphasising that police forces must reflect the community they serve. The Met is currently made up of 18 per cent black and ethnic minority officers, but is aiming to increase this to 40 per cent - the same proportion of black and ethnic minorities in London. But a Home Office source said today: Its fair to say positive discrimination is illegal for a reason. The source stressed lawful positive action could be taken but there was no need for positive discrimination to increase the diversity of the police. They pointed out the Home Secretary had clashed with Met assistant commissioner Neil Basu previously on the issue. Dame Cressida's lobbying today also provoked outrage among Tory MPs who branded the move 'discrimination against white people' and called for her to focus on recruiting 'the best person for the job.' Dame Cressida's rallying call for positive discrimination, reported by The Times, has been pushed forward by Mr Basu, a vocal supporter of the force's need for diversity. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith described the proposal as 'degrading', and demanded those from ethnic communities be treated 'the same as everybody else'. Tory MP Bob Blackman told MailOnline positive discrimination was completely wrong and the police should recruit the best person for the job. Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen said he is 'more interested in officers who can enforce the law rather than meeting a quota'. Cressida Dick (pictured) hopes positive discrimination will help officers gain the confidence of the ethnically diverse community they serve Mr Bridgen added: 'Its discriminatory the other way. Im very much of the opinion you have to have policemen who want the job. One volunteer is worth 10 pressed men as they say. 'The whole thing is ridiculous. Its not realistic and ultimately its policing by consent in this country, the force should reflect the society it is policing.' He accused Dame Cressida of 'heading off into dangerous territory' and added: 'She should make sure the Met Police is attractive to people from all parts of the community and ensure there is no racism in the force.' Mr Blackman said people 'from all walks of life' should be encouraged to apply for roles. He said: 'You employ the best person for the job, and you encourage people from all walks of life to come forward. But to then say you are going to positively discriminate for one set of people over another, you are saying to those people you are inferior. I regard that as an insult to people of different minority communities. It is demeaning. It says you are not good enough to get there on your own merits. He said the Met needed to encourage people from different communities but suggested that positive discrimination would breed resentment among colleagues. Mr Duncan Smith said: Dont you want to get the best? It is a bit degrading really to be told the only way you get very good people from ethnic backgrounds is by accepting lower standards. I have met lots and lots of people in the police of a very high standard from ethnic communities. They want to be treated the same as everybody else. They have a target to get higher ethnic participation that is great. But the way to do that is to go out and convince people from school onwards that having a career in the police is a good thing to do. He said he was not sure exactly what kind of positive discrimination Dame Cressida had in mind. If the police want to change they have to start earlier than just opening up this debate, he added. The director of a consultancy firm which helps companies improve diversity told MailOnline it was 'the wrong move'. Police detain a man during a Black Lives Matter protest rally in Hyde Park, London, on June 12 last year He said more needs to be done to tackle the 'root cause' of a lack of confidence with black and ethnic minorities towards officers. They added: 'It would be sensible to focus on the root causes of institutional racism and the culture of the Met and the lack of confidence as opposed to legislation. 'I think quotas are a sticking plaster and arent getting to the root cause. If the Government wants to amend the Equality Act it doesnt change perceptions of equality within the force once officers have started working there.' They warned the Met Police's plan to bulk its number of black and ethnic minority officers could be seen as 'lowering the bar'. They said: 'Cressida Dick is missing the point. What she needs to focus on is why ethnic minorities arent applying. Obviously there is an issue of trust around the culture of the Met.' Out of 7,800 complaints of racism against UK police forces - including some that referred to multiple officers - only 181 resulted in formal action, reported the I newspaper. Data from 38 out of 45 police forces in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland showed just 5,555 out of 7,837 complaints were subject to further investigation, with no data shared for the remaining 2,282 complaints. It comes in the wake of last year's Black Lives Matter protests, when thousands of people descended on Britain's cities to campaign for equality following George Floyd's murder by police office Derek Chauvin in Minneapolis. Pictured, a protest in Whitehall on June 7, 2020 Some 20,000 officers will be recruited in England and Wales by 2023 and the Met Police alone wants to bring 11,000 more employees into various job roles between now and 2025. It comes as London's crime rate rises dramatically. Killings involving a blade in the capital increased from 67 in 2018 to 86 in 2019 - a rise of 28 per cent in 12 months. Out of 20,000, just 9,000 officers have so far been recruited into roles in the UK. Of these, 10.6 per cent are from black and ethnic minorities. Dame Cressida now wants more legal scope to allow the force to choose black and ethnic minority applicants over their white peers. At the start of the year she revealed there were currently 32,300 officers in the Met and 1,300 more will be recruited this year. Some 3,000 are joining the force - but this includes those replacing officers who have left. Laws currently in place already allow the force to favour black and ethnic minority applicants for individual roles - it is only larger recruitment drives that would be affected by the proposed changes. A Met police spokesman said: 'The Met has not asked for changes to the law to allow us to apply positive discrimination, nor for any reduction in the standards of entry - we want the best of the best. 'What we are seeking is clarity that we can apply the existing 'equal merit' provision more routinely to police officer recruitment for a time-limited period, in order to expedite the entry of more applicants from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds and women, to meet our current recruitment aspirations more quickly. 'Given our role and purpose it is right that the Met does all it can to further increase the diversity of our workforce to better reflect Londons population.' Previous attempts to improve diversity have already failed with a considerable drop in candidates from black and ethnic minority backgrounds applying and then passing a competency-based questionnaire during a 2013 recruitment drive. Morgan Lobb, CEO at Vercida, a consultant firm used by Met Police, told MailOnline: 'We agree in principle but it would be good if the Met police continued the work they are doing to identify the issues that are limiting the amount of diverse applicants for positions at the Met.' There is 'entrenched racial bias in UK policing', according to Habib Kadin, research and policy manager at StopWatch, a charity campaigning for fair and effective policing. Meanwhile, Niamh Eastwood, the executive director of drug law group Release, said the complaint system was 'totally broken' with a 'severe lack of accountability'. Choosing recruits based on their ethnic background is not favoured by the Government, according to The Times. Dame Cressida stressed the quality of candidates would still be high, with recruits measured against strict standards set by the College of Policing - but ethnic minority candidates will be favoured where their qualities and skills match that of a white applicant. It comes in the wake of last year's Black Lives Matter protests, when thousands of people descended on Britain's cities to campaign for equality following George Floyd's murder by police office Derek Chauvin in Minneapolis. A Home Office spokesman said: 'Our police forces are more diverse than ever before, with 10,218 Black Asian and Minority ethnic officers employed in forces across England and Wales, the highest point on record. 'The recruitment of 20,000 additional police officers presents a once in a generation opportunity to ensure they are even more reflective of the communities they serve. 'We encourage the use of lawful positive action which is delivering real change and there is no need for positive discrimination to increase the diversity of the police.' Economist John Maynard Keynes held racist eugenic theories about human selective breeding, The Charleston Trust who run his country haunt have claimed. Keynes, who died in 1946, gave his name to 'Keynesianism' - a branch of economics based on the belief that government intervention can improve economic conditions. However new information provided to visitors via an app at his regular Sussex retreat, Charleston Farmhouse, suggests Keynes - considered a 'left-wing' thinker - subscribed to poisonous views that racial wars and global segregation would be needed to 'protect our standard of life from injury at the hands of more prolific races', the Telegraph reports. The unsettling history has come to light following a re-examining of the beliefs held by the 'liberal' Bloomsbury Group, an early 20th- 'bohemian' circle of friends, that included writers Virginia Woolf, EM Forster and critic Lytton Strachey. Economist John Maynard Keynes (pictured) held racist eugenic theories about human selective breeding, The Charleston Trust who run his country haunt have claimed The group started as a set of intellectuals who had studied at Trinity and King's Colleges, Cambridge, and began meeting at a salon in a house near Bloomsbury Square, central London - before spending more time at Charleston Farmhouse, Woolf's sister Vanessa Bell's home. The group defied Edwardian convention and shocked London society with their carousel of lovers, affairs and illegitimate children, however a darker side of history is now being highlighted. The Telegraph reports that new information given to visitors at the Sussex home, now reopened to the public, will read: 'Although many of John Maynard Keynes' ideas and theories are still respected today, we need to address the darker side of his beliefs. 'He was an active supporter of eugenics - a racist, ableist, and classist theory that the genetic quality of the human race could be improved through selective breeding and sterilisation. Charleston Farmhouse, the Sussex home of the Bloomsbury group E. M. Forster (1879-1970) the English novelist and critic (left), Virginia Woolf (1882-1941), British author, 1930s, a novelist, essayist and critic (right) 'He was particularly concerned with the growing populations of non-white people.' The Charleston Trust added that acknowledging individuals' 'problematic beliefs' was the only way to 'accurately assess their impact on history'. In his role as chairman of the Malthusian League for family planning Keynes stated that 'quality' of breeding of future populations should be considered. Critical of the re-examination Cambridge historian Professor Robert Tombs told the Telegraph: 'Keynes is the most important modern economist, whose arguments are the foundation of progressive economic policies to combat poverty and unemployment. 'He was also interested in eugenics, as were many leading progressive - it was one aspect of the utopian dream of a perfect society. Perhaps the "woke" will soon start to realise that not all objectionable views come from conservatives.' MailOnline has contacted The Charleston Trust for comment. Florida has threatened to slap cruise lines with tens of thousands of dollars in fines for requiring passengers to show proof of Covid-19 vaccines. The state could fine cruise lines $5,000 per customer required to show proof of vaccination. It comes after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a law banning bars, schools, restaurants and other businesses from asking customers whether they've been vaccinated against the virus. The mandate puts the state in a direct clash with cruise liners, who are required to check their customer's vaccination status. The state of Florida could fine cruise lines $5,000 per customer required to show proof of vaccination Explaining his decision at a bill signing last month, DeSantis said: 'In Florida, your personal choice regarding vaccinations will be protected and no business or government entity will be able to deny you services based on your decision.' He signed the law five days after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) gave the green light for cruise ships to begin sailing from U.S. ports this summer. The CDC announced cruise ships would be able to resume in July, as long as 98 per cent of their crew and 95 per cent of their passengers are vaccinated. The state ban on vaccine mandates is in opposition to the CDC's requirements for cruise industry to be allowed to resume following over a year of standstill. Gov. Ron DeSantis, pictured above, signed a law banning bars, schools, restaurants and other businesses from asking customers whether they've been vaccinated against the virus Industry executives have voiced their concern for DeSantis' ban on vaccine mandates, and have warned investors they might have to relocate operations out of Florida. DeSantis has shown no signs of backing down. Speaking to reporters on Friday, he said: 'We are going to enforce Florida law. 'I mean, we have Florida law. We have laws that protect the people and the privacy of our citizens, and we are going to enforce it.' Oxfordshire is set to ban smoking outside as lockdown comes to an end. The county, which has unveiled plans to become the first region in the country to go 'smoke-free' by 2025, will begin the crackdown on smoking later this month. The move will see smoking at outside bars, restaurants and offices banned and will also see the creation of spaces where people feel 'empowered' not to smoke. Employers are being encouraged to stop workers smoking outside offices and factories, while smoke-free areas will be created in al fresco dining areas. Local NHS Trusts have also been told to implement tougher policies encouraging smokers visiting or working in the NHS to quit. And 'smoke-free environments' will also be created in homes, cars, play parks and school gates - though it remains unclear how Oxfordshire County Council will enforce the stringent new rules. A spokesperson for Oxfordshire County Council told MailOnline that while strict timeframes for the proposed 'smoke-free' areas had not yet been agreed, it remained the responsibility of individual district councils to implement the plans. They also said there were no plans as of yet regarding enforcement or signage. Councillor Andrew McHugh had attempted to make all new pavement licenses smoke-free but the proposal was rejected by Cherwell District Council, which said the easing of coronavirus restrictions was 'not the time to impose more rules on businesses.' Following the move, a furious smokers' lobby group, The Freedom Organisation for the Right to Enjoy Smoking Tobacco (Forest), hit out at the plans, saying it was 'no business of local councils if adults choose to smoke.' Oxfordshire is set become the first county in England to become 'smoke-free', with outdoor dining areas and workplace break spots as the top targets to go smoke-free. (Stock image) The plans hope to change smoking culture and also aims to prevent deaths from diseases linked to tobacco. Pictured: Groups of people sit outside a Young's pub, called the Kings Arms in Oxford How will the proposal work? When will the ban come into force? Oxfordshire County Council has said there are no timeframes for plans and it has not yet been agreed. The decision to make outdoor seating 100 per cent smoke-free remains the responsibility of individual district councils - as part of the 2020 Business and Planning Act. There are no timeframes or plans regarding enforcement or signage. District councils have yet to agree on a timeframe that would be consistent with the county-wide ambition of smoke-free by 2025. The proposal Under the proposal by the Oxfordshire Tobacco Control Alliance, the council aims to have reduced the prevalence of smoking in the adult population to below five per cent by 2025. This would include encouraging employers to stop the habit outside offices and factories, or by creating smoke-free areas in newly created pavement dining areas. The authorities have said they will follow the four pillars of prevention, local regulation and enforcement, smoke-free environments and provide support for smokers to quit in order to see through their vision What the council hopes to achieve by 2025? Reduce the prevalence of smoking in the adult population to below 5 per cent by 2025. Reduce the prevalence of smoking in routine and manual workers to below 10 per cent. Reduce the prevalence of smoking in those with a serious mental illness to below 20 per cent. Reduce the prevalence of women who smoke at the time of delivery to below 4 per cent. Reduce the prevalence of smoking at age 15 below 3 per cent. Local Regulation and Enforcement The council said it will also support regional programmes to reduce illegal tobacco. Ensure effective prosecutions continue to be pursued in appropriate cases based on intelligence received. Take actions to reduce the sale of tobacco related products and electronic cigarettes to people underage. 'Smoke-free' areas Encourage workplaces to promote smoke-free environments and support staff to quit smoking Ensure that local NHS Trusts are smoke-free, including encouraging smokers working in the NHS to quit. Explore opportunities to protect both adults and children from the harm of secondhand smoke Support organisations working across the community to promote smoke-free environments, including homes, cars, play parks and school gates. rain and support staff working with families to promote smoke-free homes and cars. Supporting Smokers to Quit The council will reduce health inequalities by targeting those populations where smoking rates remain high, including routine and manual workers, unemployed and those living in the most deprived communities. Community-based client friendly Local Stop Smoking Services will target vulnerable groups. Frontline healthcare workers will be trained to raise the issue of smoking. Advertisement The campaigners added: 'If [workers] smoke outside during working hours that's a matter for them and their employer not the council.' Elsewhere Mark Oates, from the consumer advocacy group We Vape, said he feared the move would impact those who used vaping products in the future. He told MailOnline: 'Oxfordshire County Council should concentrate on educating current smokers of the alternatives and quitting tools, rather than just persecuting them further. 'We can see in five years this ban moving onto vapers when there is no evidence of passive vaping causing any harm and Public Health England and Cancer Research both stating vaping is an effective quitting tool and infinitely safer than smoking. 'This is just a further attack against smokers when we should be advising them on the best ways to quit tobacco, which we know causes more deaths from cancer than anything else.' Described as a 'long game to change smoking culture', the plans will see the creation of 'smoke-free environments' in the region, with outdoor dining areas in newly created pavement areas and workplace break spots as the top targets. The plans will also include encouraging employers to stop the habit outside offices and factories, or by creating smoke-free areas in newly created pavement dining areas. The council, which aims to prevent deaths from diseases linked to tobacco, also hopes to cut the prevalence of women who smoke at the time of delivery to below four per cent by 2025. The plan will see the council collaborate with other local authorities and the NHS to sign the Local Government Tobacco and the NHS Smokefree Pledge as a commitment to the reduction in the use of tobacco. In addition, the proposal will also see the local authority tackle the supply and demand of illicit tobacco, raise public awareness, support regional programmes to reduce illegal tobacco and take action to reduce the sale of tobacco related products and electronic cigarettes to those who are underage. Oxfordshire's public health director, Ansaf Azhar last week said the move aimed to 'create an environment in which not smoking is encouraged'. He said: 'It is not about telling people not to smoke. 'It is about moving and creating an environment in which not smoking is encouraged and they are empowered to do so. 'But that is not going to happen overnight.' Dr Adam Briggs, the public health official leading the strategy, added: 'We have got a condition that is entirely a commercially driven cause of death and disease. 'It is impossible to be on the wrong side of history with tobacco consumption.' He also referred to figures given by the chief medical officer Chris Whitty at a recent conference, who said more than 90,000 people died from tobacco related diseases in 2020, compared with 75,000 from Covid-19. Meanwhile head of Oxfordshire County Council's Trading Standards Service, Jody Kerman, said: 'Good regulation and effective enforcement can help stop young people from taking up smoking, whilst also helping those who want to quit to do so. 'In addition, the trade in illegal tobacco brings crime into our neighbourhoods, helps fund further criminality and puts honest businesses at risk. 'That's why we're determined to clamp down on it. 'We're exploring some innovative ways to dispose of the significant amount of illegal tobacco products we have seized in Oxfordshire, designed to maximise economic and environmental benefits for residents.' A report by Dr Briggs said smoking was the leading cause of preventable deaths in Oxfordshire, costing 120m to the public purse each year. While 12 per cent of Oxfordshire's population currently smoke, people earning lower incomes, those with mental illnesses, the homeless and travellers, all have a higher rate of smoking. Chief medical officer Chris Whitty said more than 90,000 people had died from tobacco related diseases in 2020, compared with 75,000 from Covid The plans will include encouraging employers to stop the habit outside offices and factories. Pictured: Diners sit outside on the terrace of Oxford's Trout Inn Andrew McHugh, a member of the health improvement partnership board, said he had asked Cherwell District Council, where he is a councillor, to make all new pavement licenses smoke-free. Pavement licenses allow restaurants and bars to place tables and chairs outside their premises. ARE SMOKING RATES FALLING FASTER THAN EVER? Smoking rates in the UK are falling faster than they have in more than a decade, according to official figures from the Government. Figures in September showed just 15 per cent of the population regularly smoked cigarettes at the end of July - down from 17.2 per cent in 2018. This meant 200 people quit the deadly habit every hour in 2019, cutting the number of smokers from 7.8million to 6.8million in a year. Statisticians said if the trend continued to the end of the year, it would be the biggest drop since 2008-2009 when it plummeted from 24.2 to 22 per cent. Around 7.4million people in the UK regularly smoke tobacco, along with about a billion people mostly men worldwide. Government initiatives to cut smoking rates have been introduced regularly over the past 15 years in the UK. Advertisement The council denied the request, saying that the easing of coronavirus restrictions was not the time to impose more rules on businesses. But Dr Briggs asked members of the board, who sit on different councils around Oxfordshire, to make similar requests in the near future. A pro-smoking campaign group called The Freedom Organisation for the Right to Enjoy Smoking Tobacco (Forest) has criticised the plans. Simon Clark, director of the smokers' lobby group Forest, said: 'It's no business of local councils if adults choose to smoke, and if they smoke outside during working hours that's a matter for them and their employer not the council.' We Vape director Mark Oates added: 'There are 3.2milion vapers in the UK and nearly every single one was a tobacco smoker. 'It is simple common sense to advise on these safer options rather than persecuting people for something they have been doing for years and ultimately fails in stopping them dying from a smoking related disease.' Mr Oates also warned England will miss its 2030 smoking free target by at least five years due to ineffective messaging. Nearly one in four people in manual jobs smoke compared to one in ten of those in professional roles, according to the Office for National Statistics. Cigarette packets currently show blackened lungs, amputated toes, depictions of erectile dysfunction and states the fact smoking kills. But this messaging is ineffective to smokers, according to campaigners, who are calling for a review of government measures to eradicate smoking. Mr Oates said: 'We are not going to hit the 2030 smoke free target because of ineffective messaging. The warnings on cigarette packets are stupid and don't work. 'Seeing a pair of blackened lungs on a table doesn't cut through with smokers. It's gory and if anything makes them smoke more through stress - they have told us this for years. 'What works is informing them of the success stories - the viable alternatives and how useful they can be. 'Fifty to 70,000 quit smoking each year in the UK with the help of vaping. That should be on packets.' Smoke-free is officially recognised by the Government when five per cent of the population or less are smokers. Last year, data from the charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), found 2,132 people died from smoking-related causes in Oxfordshire between 2012 and 2017. ASH also said 23 tonnes of waste, or enough to fill 421 wheelie bins, is gathered in the form of cigarette butts in Oxfordshire each year. It was also estimated that smoking related house fires cost the Oxfordshire economy 2.7million. Government initiatives to cut smoking rates have been introduced regularly over the years in the UK in an effort to reduce smoking. Health warnings on packaging became mandatory in 2002, adverts were banned in 2003 and smoking indoors was banned in 2007. And officials followed up the measures in 2017 with a policy that meant all branded packaging had to be replaced with plain greenish-brown boxes. There are currently 6.9million smokers and 3.2million vapers in the UK. Those aged 25 to 34 years had the highest proportion of current smokers (19 per cent), according to ONS. In 2019, the government set its 2030 smoke free target and in Scotland the target was set for 2034. Northern Ireland and Wales have yet to set a date. The EU's ambassador to London today stoked the row over Northern Ireland insisting there is 'no alternative' to the protocol that unionists want scrapped. Joao Vale de Almeida accused new DUP leader Edwin Poots of being 'unrealistic' after he raged that the rules were being used to 'punish' the UK for leaving the bloc. He said 'Brexit created the problem' and the only solution was to implement the new rules 'pragmatically'. There have been rising concerns that the post-Brexit rules agreed by Boris Johnson are fuelling sectarian tensions in Northern Ireland, amid unionist anger about obstacles to trade with the UK mainland. Challenged over the criticism from Mr Poots, Mr Vale de Almeida told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'First of all I don't think those statements have adherence to reality. The EU is politically, financially and emotionally, I would say, committed to peace and prosperity for everybody in Northern Ireland. 'The protocol is not the problem, Brexit created the problem in Northern Ireland. 'The protocol is a joint endeavour of the UK and the European Union, it is British law, European law, international law. There is no alternative to the protocol. 'Even those that criticise the protocol do not present an alternative which is compatible with the terms of Brexit so the protocol is the solution, we need to implement it and we want to implement it with pragmatism.' Joao Vale de Almeida (right) accused new DUP leader Edwin Poots (left) of being 'unrealistic' after he raged that the rules were being used to 'punish' the UK for leaving the bloc There have been rising concerns that the post-Brexit rules agreed by Boris Johnson are fuelling sectarian tensions in Northern Ireland. Pictured, Loyalist protests in Belfast in April On Sunday Mr Poots accused the EU of using the province as a 'plaything', pointing out that once grace periods end more checks will be carried out on goods from Britain than take place in Rotterdam. He accused the EU of doing 'demonstrable harm to every individual in Northern Ireland', warning that Boris Johnson has grounds to suspend the protocol automatically. Appearing on the BBC's Andrew Marr show, Mr Poots said the UK Government has grounds to trigger Article 16 to put the brakes on the Protocol due to 'economic and societal damage'. 'We have violence on our streets in Northern Ireland, which hasn't been the case for years, and that's on the back of this Protocol,' he said. Mr Poots also said while the European Commission over the years 'put their heart and soul into winning peace in Northern Ireland', they currently 'don't seem to care for the peace process that really needs to change, that attitude needs to change'. 'This is the European Union seeking to punish the United Kingdom. As a consequence, Northern Ireland is being used as a plaything for the European Union,' he said. 'I can assure you Northern Ireland should be nobody's plaything, we are citizens of the United Kingdom, we were citizens of the European Union and we deserve to be treated with the same respect as everyone else.' But European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic - who has been negotiating with Brexit minister Lord Frost over changing the rules - dismissed the criticism, making clear that axing the protocol is not on the cards. He also urged a focus on policies and politics that unite than divide and to look at the Protocol as an 'opportunity' for Northern Ireland. Mr Sefcovic said he wants to meet the Northern Ireland Executive parties before the next Joint Committee, which is expected to take place in the middle of June. 'I would like to hear from Mr Poots himself but also from other leaders of the political parties who form the Northern Ireland Executive and discuss with them what we can do better,' he said. Mr Sefcovic mooted a Switzerland-type agreement on a temporary basis which would 'get rid of 80 per cent of checks'. 'I think it would be the right thing to do, it would calm down the situation,' he said. He reiterated his opposition to a hard border on the island of Ireland and called for more co-operation between the EU and the UK. Heavily-armed police swooped on a burning factory before dragging eight men outside and arresting them over an alleged $2 million kidnapping of a former bikie. Police also slapped cuffs on three more men in the hours that followed after rushing to an industrial warehouse on Marigold Street in Sydney's Revesby in the city's south-west. Investigators allege a group of men - one armed with a gun - forced their way into a home in Bringelly in Sydney's far south-west about 3am on Tuesday and confronted a 37-year-old former Lone Wolf bikie Dillon Mancuso, and a 61-year-old man who were inside. The gang allegedly assaulted the older man before bundling the younger man into a waiting vehicle outside the Jersey Road home. Police set up a perimeter around the warehouse and negotiated with the alleged kidnappers to release the Mancuso into police custody, who was allegedly being held for a $2million ransom, the Daily Telegraph reported. He was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries to his head, ribs and face. The 61-year-old man suffered only minor injuries. NSW Police alleged the Revesby warehouse was then set on fire before eight men were taken down by tactical officers. Another three men were arrested after arriving in a vehicle at the warehouse during the police operation. Heavily-armed tactical police swooped on a burning factory before dragging eight men outside and arresting them over an alleged kidnapping Police also slapped cuffs on three more men in the hours that followed after being called to an industrial warehouse on Marigold Street in Sydney's Revesby in the city's south-west Fire and Rescue NSW was called to the scene to extinguish the blaze. The men were taken to Liverpool and Bankstown police stations, where charges are expected to be laid. A nearby office worker at an adjacent warehouse described the dramatic raid as it played out in the middle of the day. 'I looked out the window and three cop cars were blocking the driveway and calling for the people in the unit to come out,' the witness said. 'We sort of saw it coming. Those guys had been rolling around for a few months bringing in motorbikes and exotic cars and making a lot of noise.' Fire can be seen billowing from the warehouse where a 37-year-old was allegedly being held Investigators allege a group of men - one armed with a firearm - forced their way into a home in Bringelly in Sydney's far south-west at about 3am on Tuesday and confronted a 37-year-old and a 61-year-old man who were inside Detective Superintendent Andrew Koutsoufis, robbery and serious crime squad commander, said 'at this stage it appears there are some organised crime and bikie-related links'. 'The level of violence towards the alleged victim was quite severe and concerning. We believe it was completely targeted,' he added. He said inquiries were continuing and the investigation was still in its infancy. Pictured: Marigold Street in Revesby. Tactical Operations Unit officers and police negotiators carried out inquiries before converging on an industrial warehouse on the suburban road Police have launched an urgent search for two missing teenage boys after pair vanished on a Bank Holiday night out. Lewis Ashdown, 19, and Marc Williams, 18, went to Maresfield Recreation Ground in Uckfield, East Sussex, on Saturday evening where it is thought they met up before later going their separate ways. Marc called his family at around 11.30pm to let them know he was on his way home but never returned. Lewis was last seen in Crowborough around 11am on Sunday morning but he has not returned home since. Officers are now carrying out house-to-house enquiries, CCTV checks and local area searches as they work to establish their movements. Police have launched an urgent search for Lewis Ashdown, 19, (left) and Marc Williams, 18, (right) after pair vanished on a Bank Holiday night out Marc is white, 5ft 10ins, of slim build and with short blond hair. He was wearing a black T-shirt, trousers, walking trainers and carrying a black backpack. It is believed he may have had a hoodie attached to his backpack and a green mountain bike with him. Lewis is described as 5ft 8ins, with short brown hair and glasses. Chief Superintendent Nick May said last night: 'It has been nearly 36 hours since we have confirmed sightings of either of these two young men and we are increasingly concerned for their welfare. The pair went to Maresfield Recreation Ground (pictured) in Uckfield, East Sussex, on Saturday evening where it is thought they met up before later going their separate ways 'Our officers are working around the clock to establish the whereabouts of Marc and Lewis and we continue to appeal to the public to come forwards with any relevant information. 'If either Marc or Lewis are reading this then we would urge them to please make contact to let us or their families know that they are safe. 'Anyone who has seen Marc or Lewis or who has any information that may assist with our investigation is urged to report it to us immediately, quoting Operation Skittle.' Two serving members of the British Army, including the first black Coldstream Guards leader, have been charged with firearms offences and conspiracy to sell or transfer ammunition The Metropolitan Police said Kirtland Gill, 40, and Rajon Graham, 32, will appear in Westminster Magistrates' Court on July 1. Gill, who has met the Queen twice, is charged with conspiracy to sell or transfer ammunition and possession of a prohibited weapon - an imitation firearm capable of discharging noxious liquid. Graham has been accused of conspiracy to sell or transfer ammunition and four counts of selling or transferring ammunition. Regimental Sergeant Major Gill, aged 40 pictured on the long walk, Windsor, late last year A Guard of Honour of the Coldstream Guards for French president Emmanuel Macron in 2020 Gill, who was born in Jamaica, was trumpeted by the MOD last year as the first black soldier to lead the Queen's elite Coldstream Guards. He was been chosen to be its next Regimental Sergeant Major one of the most senior Army roles. The son of a fisherman, he flew to Britain to visit relatives aged 20 and ended up joining the Army. At the time he was a Warrant Officer Class 2, he served in Iraq and Afghanistan with the 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards, and had already met the Queen twice. Speaking about his new post, which he was due to take up in April, the 40-year-old said: 'I am honoured to have been given the opportunity to be the next Regimental Sergeant Major. Gill, who was born in Jamaica, was trumpeted by the MOD last year as the first black soldier to lead the Queen's elite Coldstream Guards 'It's not something that's just given to you because of who you are, it is something you need to achieve. 'Everyone who held this post before me would have gone through the same career path. I don't think it has much to do with colour.' The soldier, whose mother was a dressmaker, said: 'I had a poor family background, I wasn't well off where I could go to the top schools.' He said his parents were 'extremely proud' of his career, adding: 'I still remember the first time I went back in 2004, everyone was happy 'You've gone away and done something with your life. 'You weren't just going to sit down and watch the world go by'. 'My family and friends have always been really proud.' The warrant officer visited his family in Tooting, south London, in 2001, and became a British citizen in 2008. He now lives in Windsor with his wife Sashagay, 31, and daughter Hayley, four. An Army spokesperson said: 'We can confirm that two soldiers have been charged with firearms offences. 'This is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police and all inquiries should be referred to them. 'We are not able to release any personal information about the individuals.' Advertisement An interactive map today revealed where the Indian Covid variant was spreading fastest after data showed it was dominant in more than 100 local authorities in England. The mutant strain had overtaken the Kent variant in 102 out of 315 areas in the country (34 per cent) by May 22, the most recent date for which data is available. MailOnline's analysis showed it was also spotted in 206 authorities (65 per cent) by that date and is likely to have spread even further in the past week. UK Government scientists believe the mutant strain dubbed B.1.617.2 variant is at least 20 per cent more infectious than the Kent variant that sparked the devastating second wave. Just 29 local authorities were detecting cases of the mutant strain in the middle of April, the data from the Sanger Institute - one of Britain's largest variant-tracking labs - showed. But over the following five weeks this spiralled seven-fold, as it advanced from strongholds in London and the North West into the South East, South West and parts of the Midlands. The Indian variant - which was titled 'Covid Delta' by the World Health Organization today in an effort to remove geographical stigmas - is now behind at least three in five infections in Britain and makes up more cases than the Kent strain. Boris Johnson today faced mounting pressure over June 21 Freedom Day with some scientists warning he would have to 'carry the can' for a 'bad decision' comparing the Indian variant to a 'volcano' that could engulf the country. But other scientists say vaccines which studies show protect against mutant strains are providing strong protection to the most vulnerable. They added Covid is only a mild disease among young people, who are making up the bulk of new infections and are yet to be offered their first dose. MailOnline analysis shows Covid hospital admissions are slowly creeping up across England but nearly half of all trusts are still completely empty despite fears about the Indian strain. HOVER OVER YOUR LOCAL AREA TO FIND OUT HOW PREVALENT THE INDIAN VARIANT WAS BY MAY 22 Your browser does not support iframes. Slide me Heat map shows how the percentage of cases being made up by the Indian variant surged between May 8 (left) and May 22 (right). It was the dominant Covid strain in just 23 English local authorities in the first week of May compared to 102 a fortnight later Data from the Wellcome Sanger Institute in London, which analyses the spread of different variants, shows that in the later weeks of May the number of positive tests that were caused by the Indian variant (light blue line) overtook those caused by the Kent variant (purple line), which had been dominant since last winter Despite fears about the Indian variant, nearly half of all trusts are still completely empty, official figures have revealed. Graph shows: Just one NHS trust in England had more than four per cent of its beds occupied by sufferers of the virus in the most recent week data is available for (week ending May 23) [Percentage on the right shows the change in patient numbers in a week] The Sanger Institute's figures do not include infections picked up through surge testing and in travellers, meaning they reflect which troublesome strains of the virus are spreading in the community. The proportions are based on the number of Indian variant cases compared to other variants identified over the two weeks to May 22. Local authorities with no cases of the variant either had no cases identified from this particular strain or no data available. The interactive map has been presented by lower tier local authority, which splits up larger counties into smaller regions. For example, Suffolk has been divided into East Suffolk, Ipswich, Mid-Suffolk, Babergh and West Suffolk. Scientists can find out which variant is behind an infection by analysing a swab in a lab for key mutations. Bolton had the most Covid cases in England over the two weeks to May 22, after recording 1,517, with the new strain making up more than nine in 10 of the 1,663 positive tests. It was followed by Blackburn with Darwen (497 cases or 95 per cent), Bedford (426 cases or 87.3 per cent), Leicester (216 or 71 per cent) and central Manchester (178 cases or 47 per cent). But 147 local authorities where the variant was detected had less than ten cases including Southwark, Sevenoaks and Bassetlaw and about a third of these had just one case. There were 86 local authorities across England where the mutant strain was not detected yet, mostly in rural areas of the South West, home counties and North East. The Prime Minister has been coming under mounting pressure to consider delaying or watering down the end of all lockdown curbs on June 21 because of fears the Indian variant is so infectious it will eventually reach unvaccinated and vulnerable people. There are still about 5million over-50s who haven't been double jabbed, and studies have shown that while two doses of the vaccines are highly effective against the strain, one dose is less so. The UK today reported zero Covid deaths for the first time since July 30 last year MAY 22: This map shows the local authorities where the Indian variant was the dominant strain made up the majority of cases by the number of infections with the mutant strain detected in their areas. It is for the two weeks to May 22. Areas coloured red had more than 50 cases, orange between 10 and 49 cases, and yellow had fewer than 10 cases MAY 8: This map shows local authorities where the Indian variant was dominant in the two weeks to May 8 - a fortnight before the most recent data Covid hospital admissions are creeping up across England... but nearly HALF of trusts are still completely empty of the virus despite Indian variant fears Covid hospital admissions are slowly creeping up across England but nearly half of all trusts are still completely empty, official figures have revealed. MailOnline's analysis of the latest NHS England data shows more than half of hospital trusts saw the average number of Covid patients in beds rise in the week ending May 23. But the numbers are still extremely low, with just one trust having more than four per cent of its beds one in 20 occupied by people with the virus. For comparison, 27 trusts out of the total 131 had more than 40 per cent of their beds taken up at the peak of the second wave in late January. Indian variant hotspot Bolton which has now seen cases slow down and Blackburn with Darwen overtake it as the worst affected area in the country had five per cent of its capacity taken up by Covid patients, on average, in the week ending May 23, after an outbreak of the mutant strain put 25 more people in hospital. And the number of inpatients in Bolton is reported to have dropped since the most recent official data, with the Health Service Journal reporting there were 43 by this morning, down from 49 last Thursday. Of the 93 trusts where Covid hospitalisations increased in the most recent week, just 18 recorded double-digit inpatient numbers. Just three of the eight Indian variant hotspots identified by the Government recorded double-digit numbers during the week Bolton, Blackburn and Burnley. Blackburn and Burnley both come under the East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, which had an average of 10 Covid patients taking beds during the week. Experts said the promising data indicated that vaccines are keeping people out of hospitals even if they are infected with the Indian variant, which is spreading rapidly in pockets of the country. Advertisement Professor Adam Finn, a vaccinologist and member of the Government's JCVI, said today: 'We've still got a lot of people out there who've neither had this virus nor yet been immunised, and that's why we're in a vulnerable position right now.' He added: 'The truth is that a more infectious virus, which is what it looks like we've got, will reach people who are vulnerable those who did not make a good response to the vaccine, those who have not yet had their doses and that will be a problem for everyone because in the end it will be worse economically as well as for public health if we end up having to shut down again.' Asked whether the easing on June 21 should go ahead, Professor Finn told LBC radio: 'I fear it may be a bad decision to go with it.' He added: 'Scientists advise but they don't decide, and ultimately the politicians have to carry the can for whatever decisions are made.' But other scientists claim the fears are being exaggerated because the Government is on track to jab all over-50s by the middle of this month. Professor Robert Dingwall, a sociologist at Nottingham Trent University, said scientists suggesting June 21 easings should be delayed 'can't even agree on what delay they'd like'. He said the virus was now spreading predominantly in younger people for whom the disease causes mild illness, and pro-lockdown experts had failed to take this into account. Professor Dingwall warned the economy and non-Covid healthcare would continue to suffer if the unlocking does not go ahead. Others said there was 'no logical reason' not to ditch social distancing curbs as planned later this month. '(The virus) is really running into younger age groups who are intrinsically at much lower risk,' Professor Dingwall told Times Radio. 'Many of the scientists who've been talking over the weekend simply haven't adjusted their expectations to understand that for these people Covid is a mild illness in the community. 'As the Director of Public Health for Bolton said last week, the people who are going into hospital... it's not like January, these are not desperately ill people. 'They're people who need a little bit of extra support with oxygen, they need access to the dexamethasone treatment, which is very effective. 'They go in, stay in hospital for three or four days and they go out again. 'There is no realistic prospect of the NHS facing the sports of pressures that it faced in January and February. And that's why I think we have to push on with this.' He told Times Radio: 'By the time we get to June 21, everybody who is in the nine priority groups or the highest risk will have had both jabs, and would have had a period of time to consolidate the immunity. Professor Tony Brookes, a health data scientist at Leicester University, told MailOnline there was no reason to delay June 21 so long as the vaccine programme kept pace. 'The focus should be on those who are not vaccinated, which are now people who are vulnerable and have chosen not to be vaccinated and the young,' he said. 'We know that this disease in the young is essentially trivial. Even Patrick Vallance said right from the start the vast majority of people will have this will just have a mild illness. 'And that's fact. In the young it has always been less severe than flu in the old, and that remains the case. 'So no, I cannot see any logical reason for not just proceeding as intended (with unlocking).' SCOTLAND PUTS OFF ENDING LOCKDOWN Nicola Sturgeon heaped pressure on Boris Johnson today by putting the brakes on Scotland's unlocking as scientists warned he will have to 'carry the can' for a 'bad decision' to press ahead with June 21 'freedom day'. As the UK recorded no new deaths for the first time in 10 months, Ms Sturgeon told MSPs that vaccinations do appear to be 'weakening' the link between cases and serious illness, and she hoped that in future the virus can be dealt with in a 'less restrictive' way. But she warned that we are 'still not quite there yet' and must 'err on the caution' until more of the population has had both jabs - saying that some areas of Scotland will not go down to the lowest level of restrictions next week as planned. Ms Sturgeon insisted that a tentative approach now would mean there is more chance of 'staying' on the path to a full unlocking. The intervention came as the PM was assailed by a queue of experts warning against the full unlocking - with Prof Adam Finn among those entreating him to recognise that the UK is still 'vulnerable' and the 'job is not done'. Prof Ravi Gupta, a member of the government's Nervtag advisory panel, suggested the timetable should be pushed back 'at least a few weeks, probably a month' so more data are available and schools have started summer holidays. The British Medical Association insisted the battle against the disease is at a 'pivotal moment' and Mr Johnson must stick to his promise of being guided by 'data not dates'. One consultant respiratory physician referred to 'mini Covid volcanoes' erupting at hospitals around the country, which are threatening to 'explode'. However, others have said it is still too early to be sure what can happen, with the government not committed to making any final choices until June 14. Amid growing signs of alarm over the direction of the pandemic - even though no more deaths were recorded in the UK today - ministers have admitted that a surge of vaccine second doses is the only way to 'keep us on the roadmap'. But Ms Sturgeon effectively gazumped Mr Johnson - who is back at work after his 'secret' wedding on Saturday - as she announced she is not going ahead with dropping all of Scotland down to level one restrictions from Monday. In a chink of light for residents, Glasgow will be lowered from level three to level two from Saturday. But the vast majority of Scotland's central belt will remain in Level 2 restrictions, Ms Sturgeon said. The First Minister said that Edinburgh and Midlothian, Dundee, East Dunbartonshire, Renfrewshire, East Renfrewshire, North, South and East Ayrshire, North and South Lanarkshire, Clackmannanshire and Stirling did not meet the criteria to see restrictions ease. Ms Sturgeon told MSPs there could even be an argument to move these areas into Level 3 restrictions, given the raw figures, but the impact of the vaccination programme has meant this would not be needed. 'However, it is important to stress that this is a pause, not a step backwards,' the First Minister said. 'And Level 2 is not lockdown. It does have an impact on opening hours of pubs and restaurants and the numbers that can attend certain events.' She added: 'Taking a cautious approach now while more people get fully vaccinated gives us the best chance of staying on the right track overall.' Advertisement He claimed data suggested local outbreaks of the Indian variant were likely to peak and fall in the coming weeks. Indian variant hotspots Bolton and Bedford are both seeing cases start to fall, while the rise has slowed in other areas. 'My best guess on everything is that I would expect there to be a clear plateau, and for cases to be on their way down within the next two weeks,' he told MailOnline. 'If I'm wrong and it spikes to higher levels, this will not have major health consequences (because of vaccines).' Professor Tim Spector, a King's College London epidemiologist who has been tracking the virus for more than a year, today said: 'Virtually all cases are aged under 50 or unvaccinated so vaccines work.' His optimism stemmed from the regular Covid Symptom Study report he complied which showed outbreaks appear to be contained to local clusters and not spreading widely across the country. He said in a tweet today: 'The UK hotspots clearly tell the story. The Delta variant has taken a hold of these areas but numbers are around 4,000 per day and is not taking hold more widely. 'Virtually all cases are aged under 50 or unvaccinated so vaccines work.' A report produced by his Covid Symptom Study today found there were an average of 4,608 new cases of Covid per day over the past two weeks and that around 58,665 people had it at any time. The report showed that most places on England's outbreak watchlist had seen infection rates about stable or improving in the past week, including Leicester, Peterborough, Hillingdon, Gateshead, Bolton, Bury, Lancashire, Manchester, Tameside, Birmingham, Kirklees and Leeds. And it revealed that the majority of cases throughout May have been in the as-yet-unvaccinated under-40s, with the rate of infection highest among 20 to 29-year-olds, followed by 30 to 39-year-olds and then under-20s. While they all saw around 140 cases per 100,000 people in the most recent data, the figure for people in their 50s was around 30 in 100,000 and it was lower than 20 for over-60s, who are by far the most vaccinated age group. Tory MPs have grabbed hold of the positive data to shoot down calls from SAGE advisers for the end of social distancing to be delayed. Former party leader Iain Duncan Smith said: 'My worry is there seems to be a concerted push among scientists to stop June 21 taking place. They seem to have now moved the goalposts so we can't open up until everybody has had two jabs. That was never part of the event.' 'By and large everybody who is 50-plus has had two jabs now. It seems to me that everybody is trying to get in "I told you so" before the event. If it all goes well no-one will remember the scientists who said don't do it. 'If it goes wrong they will be up crowing "we told you". It is a win-win for them.' He added: 'There is a kind of panic taking place. Project Fear is coming to an end and it is as if the scientists now cannot bring themselves to understand exactly how life will be. 'What's happened now will almost certainly lead to us going back to lockdown again at some point and destroying our livelihoods, our health, for non-Covid reasons.' Conservative MP Desmond Swayne said: The disease is now endemic and we must have a proper sense of proportion learning to live with it. There will be new variants from now until kingdom come, we cannot go on suppressing human interaction and economic activity as a response or we will live in fear and penury.' And John Redwood told this website: 'I think they will go for it on June 21. I think the data will be perfectly reasonable. The worries about cases is not really the relevant thing. The worry is about serious cases, hospital admissions and deaths those figures all look under very good control as you would expect because of the success of the vaccines. 'I would be very surprised if they changed course. The numbers are considerably better than quite a lot of SAGE forecasts.' Sir John said he believed the 'bit of adviser pushback' would come to nothing and the public mood is shifting. 'You can see the way people are behaving,' he said. 'People now feel much less at risk because they are vaccinated or low risk categories, and they want a bit more normal life. And why not?' Thousands were pictured out with their friends and family over the bank holiday weekend and enjoying the sunny weather after an unseasonably wet and cold spring which made lockdown even harder to stomach. Male teachers in Spain have been wearing skirts to school as part of a campaign challenging gender stereotypes. The Clothes Have No Gender (#LaRopaNoTieneGenero) movement was launched by Maths teacher Jose Pinas in November after one of his students was expelled and forced to visit a psychologist after wearing a skirt to school. The drive gathered pace again last month when Manuel Ortega, 37, and Borja Velaquez, 36, of Virgen de Sacedon primary school in Valladolid ditched their trousers for skirts. The pair put their knees in the breeze for the month of May after seeing one of their students bullied with homophobic insults for wearing a t-shirt featuring an anime character, forcing him to change outfit. Borja Velaquez (pictured) last month joined male teachers across Spain who have been wearing skirts to school as part of a campaign challenging gender stereotypes Manuel Ortega (pictured) and of Virgen de Sacedon primary school in Valladolid ditched his trousers for a skirt for the month of May after seeing one of his students bullied with for wearing a t-shirt featuring an anime character, forcing him to change outfit Ortega said he was 'horrified' by the merciless teasing, which prompted him to team up with Velaquez and 'promote tolerance' by wearing a skirt for the month of May. He wrote on Twitter: A school that educates with respect, diversity, co-education and tolerance. Dress how you want! We join the campaign #clotheshavenogender. The pair told El Pais they had seen a noticeable a positive change in students' behaviour since they started wearing the skirts. But, they insist these results are only 'the tip of the iceberg' and say the school should do more to promote respect and tolerance in the classroom. The Clothes Have No Gender (#LaRopaNoTieneGenero) movement was launched by Maths teacher Jose Pinas in November after one of his students was expelled and forced to visit a psychologist after wearing a skirt to school Basque Country teacher Pinas launched the movement in November after realising little had changed from his school days 20 years ago. Posting a picture of him wearing a skirt in front of a chalk board, he wrote: '20 years ago I suffered persecution and insults for my sexual orientation in the institute where I am now a teacher. 'Many teachers, they looked the other way. I want to join the cause of the student, Mikel, who has been expelled and sent to the psychologist for going to class with a skirt.' Mikel Gomez, 15, has since taken to TikTok to document the flood of support he has received since November. The video, which has racked up millions of views, has prompted others, including students, to take the challenge and garnered praise from teachers and parents online. Others have criticised the teachers, questioning whether the movement is necessary. Mikel Gomez, 15, has since taken to TikTok to document the flood of support he has received from other students since November A chef attacked his fiancee and grabbed her in a chokehold in front of their four-year-old son in an airport after downing vodka during a flight back to the UK. Tibor Tornyai, 27, flew into a rage and attacked Petra Rumplikova on a walkway after earlier drinking four miniature bottles of the spirit on the plane to Manchester from Slovakia. Staff had to separate the pair as Tornyai grabbed Miss Rumplikova by the neck and lifted her off the ground. The little boy tried to intervene but ran away in fright as his father continued the assault. It later emerged Tornyai, of Harphurhey, Manchester, had been on a trip to see family in Slovakia over Christmas and to celebrate his birthday, but had been brooding over a burglary at his home two weeks earlier in which his house was stripped of their possessions. Despite the assault Miss Rumplikova is standing by him and the pair are due to marry. At Manchester magistrates court, Tornyai admitted assault and was ordered to complete two rehabilitation programmes entitled 'Healthy Relationships' and 'Responsible Me' as part of a 12 month community order. He will also have to undertake 200 hours of unpaid work. Tibor Tornyai, 27, (pictured) flew into a rage and attacked Petra Rumplikova on a walkway after earlier drinking four miniature bottles of the spirit on the plane to Manchester from Slovakia The incident took place on New Year's Eve last year as the couple and their son were walking along the 'Blue Tube' Corridor in Terminal One to pick up their luggage. Prosecutor Miss Leigh Morgan said: 'The crown says this is more serious harm because of the touching of the area around the throat and neck. 'He lifted the female off the ground. It's aggravated further that this was in a domestic relationship. The four-year-old child was present throughout and runs away at various stages. 'The defendant did make full admissions and there was genuine remorse during his interview. His partner did not support a prosecution. He was very teary during the police interview. He accepted that he had totally lost it and drank far too much alcohol.' In mitigation defence lawyer Miss Rebecca Clarke said: 'When I spoke to Mr Tornyai and showed the CCTV of the incident, he said it was like watching somebody else. He said alcohol had an effect on him, but he is not trying to use that as an excuse for his behaviour.' Probation officer Humayun Shouib told the hearing: 'He returned to England knowing there was nothing and the emotional impact was on his mind. 'He began to argue with his partner, resulting in the commission of the offences. He can't remember what brought on the argument but regrets his behaviour. 'He said he didn't realise that his child was there. However, on the CCTV, the child does go up to the defendant and touch him. The defendant does look down at him and then subjected his partner to ongoing physical violence. The attack took place on New Year's Eve on a walkway at Manchester Airport (pictured) 'They are planning to get married soon. The partner did not want to pursue the complaint and their relationship has very much improved. There's been nothing prior or since.' Tornyai will also have to pay 180 in costs and surcharges. A formerly LGBT-friendly bar has been accused of homophobia after banning public displays of affection from gay couples that will disrupt its 'straight clientele'. Guys and Dolls, in Douglas, Isle of Man, was flooded with outraged comments on Facebook after a post revealing its strict new PDA policy. It specified that any attempts to 'deliberately provoke' the policy will be classed as anti-social behaviour 'aimed directly to disrupt our straight clientele'. The bar was slammed for being 'homophobic' and accused of not treating LGBT customers the same as other patrons. Despite not being an official gay bar, locals say Guys and Dolls is well-known for being friendly to the LGBT community - with patrons sharing their anger at the bar's Facebook posts. Kara Varetto, 24, a former customer, claims to have experienced the PDA rule first-hand, when they were told to stop kissing girlfriend, Gina Kinrade, 23, on a visit in 2017. However, defiant owner Richard Wernham defended the PDA policy that bans 'heated' kissing and cuddling, claiming it is a 'blanket rule' for all that applies to both straight and gay customers. Responding to comments pointing out its history, the bar wrote on its Facebook page: 'Sadly some dont understand that with equality comes, well equality. 'We can no longer be a publicly gay place, only a safe and accommodating place for all. This is now the future, we all need to move on as equals, as is now the law which we fully embrace.' Kara Varetto (right), 24, a former customer, claims to have experienced the rule first-hand, when they were told to stop kissing girlfriend, Gina Kinrade, 23 (left), on a visit in 2017 Guys and Dolls, in Douglas, Isle of Man, was accused of homophobia after banning public displays of affection from gay couples that will disrupt its 'straight clientele' This post from the bar triggered outrage and it was accused of homophobia by shocked Facebook users The bar then posted a second statement insisting it was fully inclusive and welcomed all In a follow-up post the bar claimed they were 'inclusive to all' and clarified that any 'socially unacceptable' displays of affection - between anyone - would result in punters being kicked out. The furore comes as the Isle of Man prepares to host its first Pride event this year. The original Guys and Dolls Facebook post that triggered the outrage read: 'We are very pleased to welcome our new staff members and will now resume taking bookings. 'All staff are now aware of our PDA (public displays of affection) policy and why we apply it. Also the manor [sic] it's being used to undermine our community based function. 'Any further attempts to deliberately provoke it will be regarded as antisocial behavior aimed directly to disrupt our straight clientele, many of whom have family members who are from LGBT+ groups. 'We all support this approach and will enforce it. Welcome to equal rights and 2021.' After being flooded with hundreds of comments from angry social media users a second post was shared to the page. It read: 'We've been asked to post an explanation about our PDA (Public Displays of Affection) policy and why it's there. 'Our venue is fully inclusive, we welcome all, LGBT+, straight or of any ethnicity. Our target clientele is the more mature audience who enjoy older music but the door is open to all. 'We have high standards of public behavior in keeping with our type of license. 'This includes regulating behavior that would be considered by other guests as socially unacceptable. 'In a mixed environment this sometimes gets confused as being unfair when it isn't. Our rules apply to all regardless of sexuality etc. 'A simple kiss between two people wouldn't cause any issue, it happens frequently. 'However when things get a little more heated it's a different story and as in any public venue a request to cool it down will be made. This is usually all that happens. Kara (right) was told to stop kissing girlfriend Gina Kinrade (left) by a member of the bar staff 'If after warning it continues further action may result. It doesn't matter if it's two males, two females or a male and a female, it's something that applies to all. 'On some occasions we have encountered deliberately staged acts in prominent places, these are treated in the same manor [sic]. 'We will be very happy to explain the policy to any authority who approaches for review, and will happily cooperate fully. 'Much of the misunderstanding here comes from the name many remember from the previous administration, the 'no kissing rule', it isn't what it seems, we are doing nothing out of the ordinary.' Explaining how they were forced to stop kissing their girlfriend after visiting the bar in 2017, Kara said: 'It happened four years ago at a pride event me and my girlfriend had gone to. We were unaware of this PDA rule. 'I was just about to go to the bar and I kissed my partner briefly. One of the staff members very snappily said 'stop that'. We were both taken aback and we giggled, but then we realised she was being serious. 'We went up to her to get an explanation, and she told us that we weren't allowed to kiss on the premises, as it was their PDA rule. 'I thought it was strange that they'd have their rule in place on a Pride night, isn't that what Pride is about? She just scowled at us basically, and I remember us finishing our drinks and leaving quite quickly after that. 'I would totally understand if she had said 'I'm really sorry, but we have this PDA rule', but the fact she started it with 'stop that' made me feel like I was being spoken to by a teacher. 'When she said that, I remember looking around and seeing lots of couples kissing. 'I have a lot of friends who are straight and as far as I'm aware, they've never been chucked out of there for kissing. 'I think the recent Facebook posts were very badly worded, and the way they've gone about enforcing this role comes across as very homophobic. 'I don't know where these ideas about gay couples kissing to provoke straight people have come from, but it's just mad. 'There's a lot of good that's going on here, and it's a shame that this has cast a really bad light on the Isle of Man. 'It's been known for being quite backwards, but actually a lot of progress has been happening, especially in the last five to ten years. 'The island took a while to give same-sex couples their rights, but I've absolutely noticed a huge fast-pedalling. You can see some people from the older generation who are falling behind a little bit. Mr Wernham hit back: 'We're an all-inclusive venue, I've been running it for ten years. 'We do cater for the island's LGBT, but we also cater to an older audience, some of them straight, some of them gay. 'I've been accused of being homophobic, which is absolutely ridiculous, there's not a homophobic bone in my body. 'We have a policy which dates before I was involved, initially called a 'no-kissing' rule. I changed its name to make it more understandable. 'It's the same policy as you'd find in any hotel bar across the UK. Only difference is that it's blanket - it applies to gay people, straight people, lesbians. It doesn't matter. 'We don't throw people out for it, unless they're repeat offenders and it's a deliberate act. 'This [Facebook comments] is a malicious attack and seems highly orchestrated. 'We are an all-inclusive venue who welcomes all equally and not a gay bar as some infer. 'I open it to the public for free on a Saturday night only, all of us have full time occupations during the week. 'Our PDA policy has been in place for 20 years or so in one form or another, it's certainly not new and is very well known but disliked by some. 'It isn't in any way discriminatory, it applies to all and is completely legal. It's about keeping standards of behavior high and not about spoiling people's fun. 'Sadly people see this as somehow homophobic which it certainly isn't, we welcome all LGBT people as equals. 'It's awkward to comment further for now while the situation is being monitored but many of the claims made are false or not fully truthful. 'Our license is well respected by the authorities for maintaining high standards and causing no trouble, I'd like to keep it that way.' A representative for LGBT charity Isle of Pride said: 'Recent Facebook comments from a local bar have demonstrated that while we may have come a long way on the journey to equality, there is still more work to do. 'The ability to hold hands and kiss your partner in public is not restricted in law nor to being a specific gender or sexual orientation.' Dani pleaded for help online saying it was 'very out of character' Victoria Reece, also known as Victoria Moore, was last seen on Wednesday, May 26, in Bexleyheath, south east London A daughter has made a desperate plea for help finding her mother after she went missing nearly a week ago. Victoria Reece, also known as Victoria Moore, was last seen on Wednesday, May 26, in Bexleyheath, south east London. Her family have become increasingly worried and the Metropolitan Police has now issued an appeal to the public for information. Dani Moore, Victoria's daughter, shared a post appealing for help locating her mother, writing: 'Has anyone seen or heard from my mum Victoria Moore or Victoria Reece as she is known? 'She was last seen on Wednesday 26th May 2021 at around 11.30am in Bexleyheath Broadway, near the library. 'No one has seen or heard from her in four nights and for her to not contact her children for this long is very out of character. 'If anyone see's or hears anything please message me. We just want to make sure she is safe.' Dani added that her mother had called her earlier today, but refused to say where she was and has not yet been traced. 'She has not come home or been able to call us back and she is still missing. Please, spread the word we just want to know where she is so we know she is safe,' said Dani. Dani Moore, Victoria's daughter, shared a post appealing for help locating her mother, writing: 'Has anyone seen or heard from my mum Victoria Moore or Victoria Reece as she is known?' In a Tweet, Bexley Borough's local police division wrote: 'Have you seen Victoria Reece? 'She was last seen in the Bexleyheath area on 26/05/2021. Victoria's family and police are concerned about her. 'Please report any sights/information about Victoria to 101 with reference number 21MIS015085.' A former Victorian Premier has slammed Dan Andrew's government as 'pathetically unprofessional' over its handling of the latest Covid-19 outbreak. Jeff Kennett said the state had become 'the economic sinkhole for Australia' and claimed the latest lockdown would destroy many Victorian businesses forever. Residents in the state were ordered into lockdown at 11.59pm last Thursday after a rapidly spreading Covid-19 outbreak in the northern suburbs of Melbourne. The snap seven-day lockdown is likely to be extended for another week, as cabinet holds crisis talks after nine new infections were recorded today. Former Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett (pictured) has slammed the state government for the latest lockdown, calling Victoria 'the economic sinkhole for Australia' The former premier unleashed on the Victorian Labor government just as state leaders decided an extended lockdown was needed to stop the outbreak. 'We are the only state that has had four lockdowns and we were in lockdown for most of last year,' he told A Current Affair. 'The trouble here is the administration of this state is so pathetically unprofessional, the things that we should have learnt before and dealt with like contact tracing has not been learned.' Mr Kennett, who served as premier from 1992-1999, called Victoria 'the economic sinkhole for Australia.' 'Not only are thousands of businesses closed today but many have closed permanently, and a new range of businesses will close,' he said. Mr Kennett called Victoria 'the economic sinkhole for Australia' as thousands of businesses were shut down during the latest lockdown. Pictured: A near deserted street in the CBD He also said Victorians were too reluctant to get immunised. Rates were low in the state, but skyrocketed after the outbreak hit. 'The vaccination should have taken place. This is a reflection of the community as a whole. Victoria, maybe Australia, has been a very complacent about this issue of vaccination,' he said. Mr Kennett said the latest lockdown was not worth the economic cost. 'We are finding street upon street upon street with shops that are now vacant and up for lease,' he said. 'People have walked away from that businesses. Those other people who are suffering not only financial loss and cost but also the greatest depth of stress, anxiety and worse. 'Victorians are becoming exhausted.' Acting Premier James Merlino has defended the lockdown as a 'circuit breaker' and blamed the Covid outbreak on the national vaccine rollout. 'This nation's vaccine rollout has been slower than we have hoped. That is a fact. The vaccine rollout is not where we hoped it would be, it's not where it should be,' he said on Thursday when announcing the lockdown. 'And if more people were vaccinated, we might be facing a very different set of circumstances than we are today. But sadly we are not.' Advertisement A two-bed house in Cornwall which is narrower than a London bus has gone on sale - for almost 430,000. The quaint property, located just a street away from Padstow Harbour on the colourful Duke Street, includes two double bedrooms and one bathroom with an outside utility room. The charming blue-walled cottage is currently being advertised for 429,995, with the potential to make stacks of cash as a twee holiday let. Inside the property features a blue-tiled kitchen to match its exterior and a simple white-tiled bathroom. However living in the property may be a squeeze, with the widest part of the home - the master bedroom - just 8ft 2 inches wide, smaller than New Routemaster buses in London, which are 8 ft 3 1'4 inches wide. The charming blue-walled cottage is currently being advertised for 429,995, with the potential to make stacks of cash as a twee holiday let Despite being minuscule on the inside the property also boasts a sun-catching courtyard, if you're not willing to make the two-minute walk to the bustling harbour. The Rightmove listing describes the home as: 'Superbly presented and delightful, this iconic cottage offers modern conveniences without taking the charm and period features away. 'These include beamed ceilings and deep window sills, eco heating and a sunny courtyard. 'Outside a useful wash house and storage shed, within a sunny social space shared with other cottages, but each with a spacious area. A narrow living room as you enter the property on the iconic Duke Street, where many homes are painted different colours The master bedroom, which is the widest part of the house at 8ft 3 inches wide A very narrow second bedroom just about squeezes in two single beds, making it the perfect holiday let for a young family of four looking to explore Cornwall's coast The property is just 8ft 2 inches wide, smaller than New Routemaster buses in London, which are 8 ft 3 1'4 inches 'This property has featured in TV series as well as being part of the Padstow guides' walk. 'Currently a successful Holiday let with Cornish Horizons, with repeat bookings and great feedback. 70 per cent occupancy with owners using the rest of the year.' The property also includes a utility room outside and has room for both a washing machine and a shed. For such a small space, the property has done well to include a kitchen with a full-sized fridge, cooker and dining table big enough for four people. Inside a clean and crisp blue and white themed decor throughout helps to make the space feel wider. The bathroom is also quite spacious and there is room for two beds in the second bedroom, just about. Research, which polled 2,000 people, carried out by hotel chain Jurys Inn and Leonardo Hotels found that Padstow was the number one most dreamt of UK destination. With 18 per cent of those polled stating they're trying to schedule a first-time visit to the pretty Cornish town. The floor plan of the home, over three storeys. The property was featured in TV series as well as being part of the Padstow guides' walk Police today arrested a 20-year-old man on suspicion of murder after a flower seller was stabbed to death near his north London stall over the Bank Holiday weekend. The Metropolitan Police said the man is thought to be known to Tony Eastlake, who died from a knife wound after being attacked in Islington on Saturday afternoon. It comes after a vigil held for the 55-year-old 'flower man of Islington' made up of friends, family and locals saw loud applause break out in his honour. Tony Eastlake, 55, died from a knife wound after being attacked in Islington, north London near his market stall on Saturday just before 5.30pm Tony Eastlake's daughter Paige Eastlake at a vigil at his stall at Essex Road Station Tony Eastlake's daughter Paige Eastlake with his partner Lisa Maggs at a vigil at his stall Tony Eastlake's daughter Paige Eastlake at a vigil at his stall at Essex Road Station in London organised by the Islington Community Group on Facebook Detective Chief Inspector Vicky Tunstall, leading the investigation, said: 'Our dedicated team of officers have worked tirelessly since Saturday evening to identify the person suspected of the murder of Tony Eastlake. 'I hope this brings some reassurance to the community after what was an incredibly traumatic and unsettling incident that has cost the life of a well loved and respected man. 'I can confirm that this attack is not believed to have occurred as a result of a robbery. We continue to appeal to anyone who might have seen anything to please come forward to police. 'If you live within this area or were driving through, please check your CCTV and dashcam footage for anything which might help the investigation. No piece of information is insignificant.' At the vigil, Paige Eastlake, his daughter, said in an emotional speech: 'It was not only my dad, it was my twin, it was my best friend and this is what's going to get me through this? All of you here today. 'I'm speechless so thank you all.' A crowd of family, friends, customers, passers-by and neighbours had gathered for the vigil at the flower stall near Essex Road station, where he had worked since he was 14. A crowd of family, friends, customers, passers-by and neighbours gathered for a vigil at the flower stall near Essex Road station, where he had worked since he was 14 Tributes at a vigil for Tony Eastlake at his stall at Essex Road Station in London organised by the Islington Community Group on Facebook People at a vigil for Tony Eastlake at his stall at Essex Road Station in London Tony Eastlake's dog Ralph, a pug aged 15, at a vigil at his stall at Essex Road Station Tony Eastlake's daughter Paige Eastlake at a vigil at his stall at Essex Road Station in London organised by the Islington Community Group on Facebook Tributes at a vigil for Tony Eastlake at his stall at Essex Road Station in London The applause was led by friend Jody Graber, who told wellwishers: 'This has been a massive trauma for our community. It should not have happened. 'This is for Tony Eastlake - the loveliest man who could sell you a bunch of flowers.' He said Mr Eastlake was known by everyone in the community, including those who just passed by on the bus, and he was a good friend. To gentle laughter Mr Graber recalled that Mr Eastlake once refused to sell a bunch of flowers to a customer on Valentine's Day because he thought the occasion was a 'con'. Mr Graber led a chorus of 'there's only one Tony Eastlake' before the crowd released blue balloons into the warm evening sky. Tony Burke, who lives nearby, said: 'He was such a lovely man. He was not just the flower man of Islington, he was a friend. I will miss him terribly. 'He would not let me pay for the flowers for my father's funeral. I had to force him to take the money. He worked at that stall for 40 years. He always had a smile for everyone.' The Metropolitan Police said witnesses recalled seeing Mr Eastlake in 'an altercation' with another man before the assault. Tony Eastlake's daughter Paige at a vigil close to his stall at Essex Road Station in London Family and friends hold a vigil and pay tribute to flower seller Tony Eastlake in Essex Road Family and friends hold a vigil and pay tribute to flower seller Tony Eastlake Tributes at a vigil for Tony Eastlake at his stall at Essex Road Station in London Tony Eastlake's daughter Paige Eastlake looks at tributes at a vigil at his stall at Essex Road Station In a statement, his family said: 'Our hearts are broken forever at the loss of such a very special man. 'A man who was loved by everybody in the Islington community, who is remembered as kind and caring and always laughing, but most importantly, a father who leaves behind a devastated family, Lisa, Pauline, and his only daughter and best friend Paige, who he adored. 'Tony worked on the flower stall on Essex Road since he was 14 years old and was there through rain or shine, a smiling and friendly face to so many of us.' Mr Eastlake's family called on anyone who might have information to speak to police. A post-mortem examination is due to take place in the coming days. Detective Chief Inspector Vicky Tunstall said: 'We have a dedicated team of officers working around the clock to find the person or people responsible and I would like to hear from anybody who could help our investigation. 'I am particularly keen to hear from people who were in Halliford Road or Ecclesbourne Road between 5.20pm and 5.25pm. Did you see Tony? Or did you witness an altercation, or see anyone running away?' Ms Tunstall said officers were particularly keen to hear from people living in the houses and flats between Ecclesbourne Road, Halliford Road and Essex Road who may have private CCTV. Tributes at a vigil for Tony Eastlake at his stall at Essex Road Station in London Flowers were left at a vigil for Tony Eastlake at his stall at Essex Road Station in London Flowers were left at a vigil for Tony Eastlake at his stall at Essex Road Station in London Queens Park Rangers tributes were left at a vigil for Tony at his stall at Essex Road Station Candles at a vigil for Tony Eastlake at his stall at Essex Road Station in London She also urged drivers with dashcams who may have been in the area to check their footage. 'Lastly, I would like to hear from those within the community who may have information about why this murder has taken place,' she said. 'We are looking at several possible motives and I am keeping an open mind as to the circumstances behind the attack. Information given to police will be treated in the strictest confidence.' Many locals paid tribute to Mr Eastlake on the Islington Community Group on Facebook. Francis O'Brien said: 'Such sad news, my thoughts are with Tony's family and loved ones. 'Tony had a kind heart, served our community for a number of years and always put a smile on the faces of people across Islington. He was not just a local businessman, but a friend to many.' Andres Paniagua Toro said: 'What a very sad day, the community has lost a great human being who helped many people daily with his beautiful smile and willingness to listen to their woes. 'Tony would always make me smile every morning on my way to work.' Elsa Smurthwate posted: 'How very very tragic. RIP fella, a true islingtonian and a man who also had time to smile and say hello. Him and his stall have literally been one of the few things that stood the test of time x. I hope the council would consider his stall to be left as a shrine in his memory.' Garry Clowes said: 'God rest Tony, always enjoyed pulling up for a chat and a cuppa. London's slowly being crushed.' Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 quoting reference CAD 5562/29May or go online. To remain anonymous, contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. A man has admitted killing a woman whose body was found in the River Severn. Charles Byrne denied the murder of Christina Rowe in Worcester between February 9 and 10 this year but admitted her manslaughter. The 24-year-old, who appeared at Warwick Crown Court via video-link on Tuesday, also denied the attempted murder of another person on the same date. The model named locally as Christina Rowe was pulled from the icy waters of the River Severn Charles Byrne, 24, appeared in court charged with murder and attempted murder West Mercia Police were forced to close Worcester's Diglis footbridge after Ms Rowe's body was discovered in the south of the city on February 10. Byrne, of Waterworks Road, Worcester, spoke only to enter pleas to the charges of murder and attempted murder. Asked for his plea to the charge of Ms Rowe's murder, he said: 'I plead not guilty, but guilty to manslaughter.' Pictured: Ms Rowe, who is originally from the Philippines, was working as a model in Worcester Police said at the time Ms Rowe's family had been informed about her tragic death Judge James Burbidge adjourned the case for trial and said there would be an investigation into Byrne's mental state. Byrne, who was remanded in custody, is due to stand trial at Worcester Crown Court on November 29. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz has accused President Joe Biden of being soft on Israel's foes and inviting further violence during a deadly 11-day war that left Israelis rattled and turned parts of the Gaza Strip to rubble. One of four prominent Republicans in Israel in the conflict's aftermath, Cruz said in an interview that the Democratic president's policies, including a call for Israel to wind down the war, had 'emboldened' Hamas' militant rulers. He said the U.S. owes Palestinians no humanitarian aid as long as there's a danger of that money flowing to Hamas. 'The longer Joe Biden shows weakness to Hamas or Hezbollah or Iran, the more you're going to see terrorist attacks escalating,' Cruz said after a day of touring Israel's Iron Dome rocket-defense system and and viewing damage in Ashkelon. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz gestures as he speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Jerusalem, Monday, May 31. Cruz on Monday accused President Joe Biden of being soft on Israel's foes and inviting further violence during a deadly 11-day war that left Israelis rattled and turned parts of the Gaza Strip to rubble Cruz also refused to rule out another run for president in 2024, keeping alive the prospect of a new Republican brawl for the party's presidential nomination - and perhaps a rematch with former President Donald Trump. The fighting erupted May 10 when Hamas launched a barrage of rockets at Jerusalem after weeks of protests and clashes over Israel's policing of a flashpoint holy site. Before the cease-fire took effect May 21, Hamas had fired over 4,000 rockets toward Israeli cities, while Israeli warplanes struck some 1,000 targets in Gaza. More than 250 people were killed, the vast majority of them Palestinians living in the seaside enclave ruled by Hamas. Israel blames Hamas for the heavy civilian casualties because Hamas launches attacks from residential areas. Throughout the fighting, Biden and many other world leaders maintained that Israel has a right to defend itself even as concern - and protests in places like Turkey, Pakistan and Britain - mounted over the crippling use of force leveled at Gaza. Cruz also refused to rule out another run for president in 2024, keeping alive the prospect of a new Republican brawl for the party's presidential nomination - and perhaps a rematch with former President Donald Trump Cruz's remarks were a stark departure from a once-customary practice of refraining from talking domestic politics while overseas, particularly about the sitting U.S. commander in chief. At least two of the four American Republicans visiting Israel this week have apparent presidential ambitions - and all are in hot pursuit of support from pro-Israel evangelical voters that form a core part of the GOP's base. Besides Cruz, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who also served as Trump's CIA director, tweeted Sunday that he was in Tel Aviv attending the retirement party of Mossad chief Yossi Cohen. 'Great to be with good friends in Tel Aviv!' Pompeo tweeted. Sen. Lindsay Graham was also touring damage caused by rocket fire and meeting with Israeli leaders. One of four prominent Republicans in Israel in the conflict's aftermath, Cruz said in an interview that the Democratic president's policies, including a call for Israel to wind down the war, had 'emboldened' Hamas' militant rulers 'No one has done more for Israel than you, Sen. Lindsey Graham,' Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday. Graham, standing next to him, held up a sign that said, 'More for Israel.' In a tweet later, he explained, to 'help protect and defend from Hamas rocket attacks.' On Tuesday, Graham will tour rocket damage in Israel, he said in a press release. Netanyahu enjoyed warm relations with Trump, alienating many segments of the Democratic Party. His relations with Biden have been cordial, but cooler. Cruz and Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., toured the rubble in Ashkelon where a Hamas-fired rocket hit an apartment and killed the caregiver of an older woman. Cruz tweeted photos. Hagerty, who was Trump's ambassador to Japan, also criticized the various steps taken by Biden to reverse Trump's policies. Biden, for instance, has pledged some $360 million in aid to the Palestinians, including money to help repair war damage in Gaza. Trump cut off nearly all U.S. aid to the Palestinians. 'Any monies that go to the Gaza Strip that are quote, intended for infrastructure, can be easily diverted by Hamas,' Hagerty, seated next to Cruz, said. Where Hagerty was diplomatic, Cruz was blunt. 'Appeasing terrorists doesn't produce peace,' he said of Biden. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Asked whether he'd rule out running for president, Cruz demurred, replying that the 2016 campaign was 'the most fun I've ever had in my life.' Two Iranian fighter jet pilots were killed on Tuesday when their ejector seats activated before take-off, smashing them into the hangar roof. State broadcaster IRIB reported the F-5 fighter jet had a 'technical problem' that killed both the pilots, identified as as Kianoush Basati and Hossein Nami. The report said the incident unfolded at Dezful Vahdati Air Force Base, approximately 270 miles south of the capital Tehran, and near the Iraq border. According to BBC Persian, ejector seats were 'wrongly activated' for both the front and rear cockpit pilots. Both men 'lost their lives due to a severe impact with the roof of the hangar', the report added. Two Iranian fighter jet pilots were killed on Tuesday when their ejector seats activated before take-off, smashing them into the hangar roof State broadcaster IRIB reported the F-5 fighter jet had a 'technical problem' which caused the ejector seats to activate killing Kianoush Basati (right) and Hossein Nami (left) State TV channel IRNA said the incident happened before takeoff but did not elaborate. Social media users identified Basati as a colonel and Nami as a lieutenant. Authorities have fenced off the site pending an investigation in what caused the malfunction of the Iranian air force's jet, the report added. Several Twitter users shared images of the pilots, identifying the as Martyr Kianoush Basati (left) and Hossein Nami (right) Ali Farahmandpour, deputy governor and special governor of Dezful, told the broadcaster: 'This incident is being investigated by an assessment team from Teheran.' He denied any suggestion the plane was airborne at the time of the accident and said there were no flights scheduled from the base on Tuesday. The age of the plane was not immediately clear. Iran's air force still operates an assortment of US-made military aircraft purchased before the 1979 Islamic Revolution. It also has Russian-made MiG and Sukhoi planes but decades of Western sanctions have made it hard to maintain the ageing fleet. Police in Spain have arrested a bar worker for allegedly slicing off her boss's manhood with a knife while she claimed he was attempting to rape her. The woman told officers she was trying to resist a sex attack at a bar in Sant Andreu de la Barca, near Barcelona, at around midnight on Tuesday. The unnamed woman contacted police to admit to her assault and the slice victim was rushed to hospital for an emergency operation so medics could attempt to reattach his penis. It was not immediately clear this morning if the operation had been a success. Police in Spain arrested a bar worker for allegedly slicing off her boss's penis with a knife at a bar in Sant Andreu de la Barca on Tuesday. Pictured: Mossos d'Esquadra police unit The unnamed woman contacted police to admit to her assault and the slice victim was rushed to Bellvitge Hospital (pictured) for an emergency operation to attempt to reattach his penis The woman, described as a Bangladeshi national in her thirties, is being held at a nearby police station following her early-hours arrest. Detectives have opened an investigation into her claims she was acting in self-defence and have not ruled out the arrest of the bar owner once he is well enough to be quizzed. Well-placed police sources said the woman had told them she had been harassed for months and had been forced to have sex on several occasions by her boss before she assaulted him with a knife during a new 'rape attempt' late on Monday. A spokesman for the regional Mossos d'Esquadra police force confirmed on Tuesday: 'A woman has been arrested for a crime of wounding following an incident around midnight at a bar in Sant Andreu de la Barca. 'The arrest happened in the early hours of this morning.' A source added: 'The woman was the one who contacted police to explain what had happened. The woman told officers she was trying to resist a sex attack and detectives have opened an investigation into her claims she was acting in self-defence (above: Stock image of police unit) 'She said she had cut off her boss's penis as he tried to sexually assault her. 'Her claims are being investigated and the bar owner may be arrested once the hospital say he is well enough to be questioned.' The emergency operation was due to take place at Bellvitge Hospital, a public hospital in the town of l'Hospitalet de Llobregrat. The man's nationality has not been officially revealed, although he is also thought to be from Bangladesh or Pakistan. In March, Spanish rapper Aaron Beltran was acquitted at a trial in Zaragoza of slicing off a British flatmate's manhood after expat teacher Andrew Breach, 35, told judges he had mutilated himself. Beltran, 31, had been warned before his trial he could face more than four years in jail if found guilty of wounding his flatmate. Fishmongers' Hall terrorist Usman Khan was shot at 20 times and Tasered as armed police desperately tried to take him down, an inquest was told today. The attacker, who went on a bloody rampage in November 2019, killing two young people, finally died 10 minutes after he was first confronted by officers on London Bridge. Dramatic police body-worn camera footage and videos captured by horrified members of the public on their mobile phones showed 28-year-old Khan being shot twice at close range by a firearms officer after it was discovered he was wearing a suicide belt which later turned out to be a hoax. Two London tour guides had earlier tried to disarm the terrorist beneath a 'pile' of people. Khan was shot as he put his left arm down on the floor in order to begin standing up having been restrained by members of the public, but was felled by two shots fired roughly a second apart, again forcing him to the ground. Khan, from Stafford, was then seen trying to get his large coat - which he had used to conceal the fake explosive device - above his head. No shots were fired by any of the officers called to the scene until Khan again started to get up, just under 10 minutes later. He then sat up for 13 seconds during which at least nine fresh shots were fired at him, after officers requested permission for a 'critical shot'. Khan was later seen moving his knee off the ground, and later his left arm. In all, 20 shots were fired, as well as a Taser, by six officers, according to evidence given at Khan's inquest by Detective Chief Inspector Dan Brown, who led the investigation into the atrocity. It was not clarified at today's hearing whether all 20 shots directly hit the terrorist. Usman Khan on board a train to London, which was shown in court at the inquest into the terror attack at the Fishmongers' Hall Khan (below right) can be seen here in CCTV arriving at the prisoner rehabilitation event near London Bridge Fishmongers' Hall terrorist Usman Khan was shot at 20 times by armed police before he finally died on London Bridge following his bloody rampage which killed two young people, an inquest heard Steve Gallant carrying a tusk as he exits Fishmongers' Hall in pursuit of Usman Khan CCTV shown to the jury shows Gallant, carrying the tusk, in pursuit of Khan A bystander grabs a narwhal tusk to take down the terrorist on London Bridge shortly before he was shot dead by police Khan had stopped moving by 2.12pm, around 15 minutes after he began his stabbing spree which resulted in the deaths of Cambridge University graduates Jack Merritt, 25, and Saskia Jones, 23, at a prisoner education event inside Fishmongers' Hall to which Khan was invited, on November 29 2019. He was pronounced dead at 3.07pm after the scene was made safe. Mr Brown said police believe Khan shouted 'Allahu Akbar' during their confrontation with him, including moments before he was first shot and when they ordered him to stay on the floor. Footage also showed members of the public running to safety as Khan emerged from Fishmongers' Hall branding two kitchen knives. This included a woman with a young child who ran into the path of oncoming traffic to make good her escape while a man with a pushchair could be seen walking away from the scene just as Khan made his way onto the bridge. Meanwhile, two London tour guides described how they sought to disarm Khan beneath a 'pile' of people. Tom Gray and Stevie Hurst were each driving a Mini Cooper on London Bridge when they saw 'very distressed' people running into the road before the convicted terrorist was pinned to the floor by attendees of the prisoner education event. Giving evidence, Mr Gray said he initially thought the commotion was possibly 'a fight' due to a City trader losing 'a lot of money' that afternoon. But he said the gravity of the situation soon became clear as people began crossing the road to run to safety, so he and Mr Hurst got out of their cars to help. He told the inquest: 'There was the suspect in a turtle-like position, there were three or four gentlemen on top of the suspect, people yelling and screaming and shouting, and one chap hitting him with what is now perceived as a narwhal tusk. 'There were a lot of swear words, essentially that he had stabbed or killed two people. 'The suspect was asking everybody to get off him. 'I kicked what would be his left hand to try and free one of the knives. 'Someone in the pile on top of the suspect managed to free the knife.' His colleague Mr Hurst also described trying to put his foot on Khan's head while others sought to disarm and subdue him. Jurors concluded that 'missed opportunities' by the agencies contributed to the killing of Jack Merritt, 25, and Saskia Jones, 23, by jihadi Usman Khan Floral tributes are left for Jack Merritt and Saskia Jones, who were killed in the 2019 attack Usman Khan at Bank station on his way to attend a prisoner rehabilitation event He told the hearing: 'I remember him (Khan) having knives in either or both of his hands, and had silver electrical duct tape over his hand so no-one could dislodge it (the knife). 'Considering you see this stuff in films, it's quite difficult to process when you are thrown into a fight or flight situation. 'Seeing the blood on the knives, I wanted to help them subdue this man as best I can. I was trying to help these guys as best I could to make sure nothing bad happened.' The pair said armed police then arrived on scene and ordered members of the public to move, before later opening fire on Khan. He said: 'They (police) gave so many chances and warnings to the suspect to stay down. But the suspect had it in his mind that he didn't want to listen, at all.' Tuesday's evidence follows the conclusion of the inquests into Mr Merritt and Ms Jones last week, in which jurors identified a catalogue of failures and omissions contributed to the deaths. Khan struck 11 months after being released from prison for plotting a jihadi training camp in Pakistan. He had served eight years in prison when he was released into the community under licence. He had met Mr Merritt through Learning Together, a Cambridge University-affiliated education programme for prisoners during his time in jail. The inquest jury heard he travelled down to London, unaccompanied, on the day of the attack and secreted himself in a toilet cubicle before emerging to stab Mr Merritt, Ms Jones and three others who survived the ordeal. Khan was later pursued by three men who used a fire extinguisher, a narwhal tusk and their bare hands to restrain him on London Bridge. The inquest, held at the Guildhall in the City of London, is due to last for two weeks. Six people - including two young teenagers - have been arrested on suspicion of murder after a 14-year-old boy was stabbed to death in the street during a 'gang fight'. Police say two boys, aged 13 and 14, are among those arrested following the death of the teenager in the Kingstanding area, near Birmingham. The 13-year-old was detained in the Walsall area today, say police, while the 14-year-old was arrested along with a 38-year-old man in a vehicle in Cheshire. Two men, aged 36 and 35, surrendered to separate police stations in the West Midlands, police say. A 33-year-old man was also arrested in the Kingstanding area earlier today, according to West Midlands Police. All six suspects remain in custody, police said. It comes as witnesses claimed a 'gang of white lads' killed the 14-year-old boy like a 'pack of feral animals'. Witnesses say the boy who died was black. But police today ruled out a racially motivated attack but continue to hunt up to seven suspects. Emergency services rushed to the scene near to the McDonald's on College Road, Kingstanding, Birmingham, at around 7.30pm on Monday in the aftermath of a large street fight. It is thought that the schoolboy, who has not been identified, had previously been targeted by a gang at his school with his family due to meet police before he was fatally attacked. Police have launched a murder investigation after a 14-year-old boy was stabbed to death in the street during a large street fight. Pictured: Police at the scene on Monday afternoon He is believed to have been playing football with friends when he was jumped by yobs as he made his way home. The teenager was pronounced dead in the street from knife wounds despite the efforts of paramedics. One mother, who did not wish to be named, said: 'It was carnage when I looked out my window, there were kids everywhere. 'They were like a pack of feral animals the way they were swarming around him. 'Apparently a gang of white lads just jumped him, I don't know how many had knives but it is just terrifying. He was only a child.' Detective Chief Inspector Stu Mobberley, who is leading the investigation, said the force were aware there had been 'speculation in the community' but ruled out that this was a racially motivated attack. Community activist Desmond Jaddoo said: 'I was here last night with the boy's mother and friends who had gathered and they were naturally inconsolable. 'She has lost her 14-year-old boy who had his whole life ahead of him and will never return home. 'There are questions being asked of the police and an incident which happened last week at school. 'I can't say any more than that but there are major concerns about how that was handled. 'If this does reveal itself to be a racially motivated crime, West Midlands Police need to treat it with the utmost seriousness. 'Tensions are already high in the community.' Other residents living near the scene reacted with horror to the brutal stabbing on their doorstep. One, who wished to remain anonymous, said: 'I didn't see what happened but I'm told a car pulled up at some point and loads of blokes jumped out. 'There was absolutely loads of people around in the aftermath. I just saw people running in all different directions. 'If it's racially motivated, it's like the Stephen Lawrence thing. It wouldn't surprise me around here. 'I've been in tears for his family, he was just 14-years-old, his life had not even begun.' The death of the schoolboy has prompted an angry response in the city with many calling for stricter knife crime laws following the tragedy. One social media user wrote: 'That poor boy! He is just a child... I hate the thought of his final moments. Thoughts with the family! Such a tragedy.' Another added: 'RIP yet again another young person has been taken from his family. What is this country coming to? No one deserves this, I hope the people who have done this get caught and have the book thrown at them. Name and shame them.' 'Absolutely terrible news 14 is no age. I have a child almost this age, breaks your heart our kids are growing up in such a messed up world. RIP little man thoughts are with his family and friends at such a sad time', a third commented. Another said: 'Evil scumbags. RIP to the poor soul and heartfelt condolences to the family who now have to deal with this utter heartbreak.' Emergency services rushed to the scene near to a McDonald's on College Road, Kingstanding, Birmingham, at around 7.30pm on Monday evening. Pictured: Police at the scene Police have since said that a group of up to seven people ran off in the direction of Chester Road. The force said they had immediately launched a murder investigation and flooded the area with officers in a search for those responsible. Officers are also speaking to witnesses and fast-tracking CCTV enquiries. Detective Chief Inspector Stu Mobberley, who is leading the investigation, has since said: 'We've made rapid progress in the investigation already and are following up a number of really strong lines of enquiry. 'We know there tensions and emotions are high, and we're aware that there is some speculation in the community that this was a racially motivated attack. 'At the moment, there is nothing to suggest that this is a racially motivated attack. 'What we do know is that this was appalling violence which has cost a young lad his life. 'We still have witnesses to speak to, and I'd urge anyone with information to get in touch with us as quickly as possible so that we can arrest those involved in this appalling attack.' The force said a post-mortem will be held this afternoon. Officers have also been supporting the boy's family, after what police earlier called a 'shocking and senseless tragedy'. Detectives vowed to leave no stone unturned in their hunt for the 'callous individuals responsible - or for anyone harbouring them, knowing what they've done'. Labour MP Jack Dromey, whose Erdington constituency includes the area where the stabbing happened, said: 'Truly shocking that a 14-year-old teenage boy in Kingstanding was stabbed to death this evening. 'Anyone with any information should contact West Midlands Police. My condolences to his family.' Anyone with information is asked to contact police via Live Chat via their website or by calling 101 quoting log number 3313 of 31/5. Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. A post-mortem has found Sarah Everard died from compression of the neck, Scotland Yard said today. The 33-year-old marketing executive went missing as she walked home from a friend's house in Clapham, South London, on March 3. A major Metropolitan Police investigation was launched and her body was found a week later in woodland in Kent. Sarah Everard, a 33-year-old marketing executive, went missing as she walked home from a friend's house in Clapham, South London, on March 3 Serving Met Police officer Wayne Couzens (above), 48, from Deal, Kent, has been charged with the kidnap and murder of Miss Everard. A provisional date has been set for his trial in October Police officers clash with people as they form a gathering in Clapham Common, South London, after the Reclaim These Streets vigil for Sarah Everard was officially cancelled on March 13 The post-mortem was held at William Harvey Hospital in Ashford. A police spokesman said today: 'A post-mortem examination into the death of Sarah Everard held at the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford has given cause of death as compression of the neck. 'Sarah's family have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers.' Serving Met Police officer Wayne Couzens, 48, from Deal, Kent, has been charged with her kidnap and murder. A provisional date has been set for his trial in October. Ted Cruz on Monday accused President Joe Biden of going too easy on Israel's enemies and 'emboldening' Hamas during the 11-day conflict in May as he claimed any aid money could be redirected to fund terrorists. 'The longer Joe Biden shows weakness to Hamas or Hezbollah or Iran, the more you're going to see terrorist attacks escalating,' the Texas senator told the Associated Press in an interview Monday. 'Appeasing terrorists doesn't produce peace,' Cruz said of Biden. The comments came after Cruz spent Memorial Day Weekend touring Israel's Iron Dome rocket-defense system and surveying damage from rocket-fire in Israeli coastal town of Ashkelon, which is less than 10 miles from the border with Gaza. Cruz, along with Tennessee GOP Senator Bill Hagerty, also visited with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the trip to the Middle East. 'Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with US Senator (R-TX) Ted Cruz and US Senator (R-TN) Bill Hagerty,' a Tuesday post from Bibi's official government account reads along with an image of him with Cruz and Hagerty. 'The Prime Minister thanked the senators for coming to Israel and said that he was always glad to see two of the State of Israel's best friends.' Cruz posted images on Monday of a bombed-out home following Israel's 11-day war with Hamas. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (center) posted an image on Tuesday with U.S. GOP Senators Ted Cruz of Texas (left) and Bill Hagerty of Tennessee (right) Cruz said it was a pleasure meeting with his 'friend' Netanyahu to double-down on the U.S. support for Israel He also released a video Tuesday morning to Twitter showing him amid the rubble of a destroyed home in Israel. 'This is all of the damage that came from one Hamas rocket, one terrorist who murdered a woman here is Ashkelon,' Cruz said as the camera panned to show the destruction. The Texas lawmaker, who refused in his interview with the AP to rule out a 2024 presidential run, argues that the US. doesn't owe Palestinians any humanitarian aid considering the risk the money could flow to Hamas. Hagerty, who joined Cruz for the Israel trip, told the AP in a more diplomatic tone: 'Any monies that go to the Gaza Strip that are 'intended for infrastructure', can be easily diverted by Hamas.' Cruz released a video Tuesday morning from a home in Ashkelon, Israel that was destroyed by a rocket from Hamas operating in Gaza The video panned the scene to show the rocket's destruction, which also killed an elderly woman's caretaker from India The video showed the crumbling walls of the home, from which the neighbor's unharmed home could be seen outside 'Heartbreaking,' Cruz wrote, in a comment he attached to a picture of the bombed out vestiges of a home where he said the caregiver to an elderly woman was killed by a Hamas rocket attack. 'Countless times, I've seen a Mezuzah hanging on a door frame. This is the first time I've seen one on a home bombed by terrorists. A Hamas rocket killed the caretaker of the elderly lady who lived here in Ashkelon, in southern Israel. This is all that remains,' Cruz wrote. 'Here's her walker,' Cruz continued in a subsequent post, which showed a walker and a fan atop a pile of rubble. The conflict broke out on May 10 when Hamas launched a barrage of rockets at Jerusalem and the unrest continued for 11 days before a ceasefire was reached. Before the ceasefire, however, Hamas had fired 4,000 rockets at Israeli cities and Israel struck around 1,000 targets in Gaza. More than 250 people were killed, mostly Palestinians in Gaza, which is ruled by Hamas. Cruz said in an interview with the Associated Press on Monday that President Joe Biden 'emboldened' Hamas during the 11-day conflict with Israel by going to easy on the Jewish nation's enemies Cruz and Hagerty spoke with the AP for an interview during a trip to Israel on Monday, May 31 2021 Other than Cruz and Hagerty, two other U.S. Republican politicians visited Israel over the federal holiday weekend Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and former Trump CIA Director and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Graham met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday and vowed more protection from Hamas. Talks come as the Israeli PM is facing an ousting after 12 years in office from a left-wing coalition. Netanyahu's rivals are seeking to finalize a unity coalition between secular centrist opposition chief Yair Lapid, ultranationalist Naftali Bennett, and other left-wing parties for a 'change' government of ideologically disparate rivals. Netanyahu told Graham 'there is no person who has done more for Israel than you' and thanked him for being an 'excellent friend and devoted ally' as the South Carolina senator said he would help protect Israel from Hamas rocket attacks. Beore posting the video on Tuesday, Cruz posted images on Monday from his trip to Israeli settlements following the 11-day war between Israel and Hamas showing destruction in Ashkelon, Israel He said the caregiver to an 'elderly lady' was killed in the attack He said a Hamas rocket took out the home Israel Columnist Caroline Glick (center) posted this photo after a dinner in Israel with Cruz (right) and Hagerty (left) Defense Minister Benny Gantz also met Graham in Jerusalem and thanked him for the 'great support for Israel and for maintaining its security and qualitative advantage over its enemies and in the Middle East in general,' the Jerusalem Post reported. Cruz traveled with Tennessee Republican Hagerty, whose spokesman told DailyMail.com the senator planned to meet with embattled Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli cabinet members during the visit. A Cruz spokesperson said Cruz would be meeting with leaders but would not share details, citing security reasons. In a post on his official Senate account, Cruz retweeted an image by Israeli conservative columnist Caroline Glick thanking Cruz and Hagerty for a 'terrific dinner with 2 true friends of Israel and the Jewish people in Jerusalem tonight.' That post also tagged the right-wing Kohelet forum, an influential group in the Israeli Knesset. Cruz sent out the images of the settlement wreckage from his separate personal account. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham also visited Israel over Memorial Day weekend and met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowing more protection from Hamas offensives Graham and Netanyahu held talks as the Israeli PM faced an ousting after 12 years in office from a left-wing coalition The visit comes during a tumultuous time in Israeli politics. Longtime Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was on the brink of losing power, as right-wing Naftali Benett engaged in talks with centrist Yair Lapid over a new 'change' alliance seeking to form a new government, following a series of inconclusive elections. Israel and Hamas reached a cease fire May 21 after an 11-day war that featured a barrage of Hamas attacks fired from Gaza, and an Israeli bombing campaign. Cruz also tweeted out a video appeal for President Biden to immediately replace the missiles to replenish Israel's Iron Dome defenses. Hagerty tweeted that he visited the country with Cruz 'to visit Israel and stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our allies after they endured the worst terrorist attacks in recent years because I want to see firsthand what more the U.S. can do to strengthen our vital alliance with Israel ... at a time when terrorists like Hamas & terror-sponsoring regimes in Iran & Syria are making the Middle East more dangerous.' 'I also want to discuss with Israeli leadership what the U.S. can do to maintain the momentum for peace that the landmark Abraham Accords started,' Hagerty wrote although he did not specifically mention a meeting with Netanyahu. Cruz is calling on Biden's administration to immediately replenish Israel's Iron Dome missile system Neighbors gather to watch the cleanup of a crater full of water and sewage after the home of Ramez al-Masri was destroyed by an air-strike prior to a cease-fire reached after an 11-day war between Gaza's Hamas rulers and Israel, Sunday, May 23, 2021, in Beit Hanoun, the northern Gaza Strip Palestinian volunteers continue to clean up the debris with brooms and cleaning supplies after last Israeli attacks following the Gaza Municipality's slogan 'We will reconstruct' in the Gaza Strip, where great destruction occurred due to 11-day intense bombardment of Israel in Gaza City, Gaza on May 26, 2021 Cruz is a potential presidential candidate who like other top Republicans has embraced the Israeli government and joined with Netanyahu in blasting the Iran nuclear deal. When AP asked whether he would rule out running for president, Cruz deflected, saying the 2016 Republican primary campaign was 'the most fun I've ever had in my life.' The war between Israel and Hamas forced a public split among Democrats, as Biden held repeated conversations with Netanyahu in private, while some Democratic House members said the U.S. should push an immediate cease fire. The founder of far-right militia Oath Keepers started rallying men who eventually stormed the Capitol January 6 as far back as November 9, after Biden won the election, telling them on a conference call: 'We want Trump to declare an insurrection and call us up as the militia. Let the fight start there.' The new details were included in an indictment against four rioters - Joseph Hackett, 50, Jason Dolan, 40, William Isaacs, 21, and another, unnamed defendant, filed on Monday. They are among 16 Oath Keeper members who have been charged so far. The others are Thomas Caldwell, 65, Donovan Crowl, 50, Jessica Watkins, 38, Sandra Parker, 60, Bennie Parker, 70, Graydon Young, 54, Laura Steele, 52, Kelly Meggs, 52, Connie Meggs, 59, Kenneth Harrelson, 40, Roberto Minuta, 36, Joshua James, 33, Joseph Hackett, 50. Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes has not been charged, but he was mentioned repeatedly in the newly unsealed indictment as 'Person One'. It's unclear why he has not been arrested. Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes has not been charged, but he was mentioned repeatedly in the newly unsealed indictment as 'Person One'. It's unclear why he has not been arrested Members of Oath Keepers were shown protecting Roger Stone on January 5and 6 at the Capitol According to prosecutors, on November 9 - after the election was called for Biden -Rhodes told the men in an online GoToMeeting conference call: 'Were going to defend the president, the duly elected president. Because if you dont, guys, youre going to be in a bloody, bloody civil war and a bloody...insurrection, or you can call it a war or fight. 'Im willing to sacrifice myself for that. Let the fight start there. That will give President Trump what he needs, frankly. 'If things go kinetic, good. If they throw bombs at us and shoot us, great, because that brings the president his reason and rationale for dropping the Insurrection Act. 'I do want some Oath Keepers to stay on the outside, and to stay fully armed and prepared to go in armed, if they have to...So our postures gonna be that were posted outside of DC, um, awaiting the Presidents orders. . . . We hope he will give us the orders. 'We want him to declare an insurrection, and to call us up as the militia.' By then, claims from Trump's camp about voter fraud were widespread and millions thought he'd been robbed of victory. Over the coming months, members of the group allegedly plotted the attack. Watkins is said to have recruited people in Ohio, telling them he was organizing a week-long training camp and saying: 'I need you fighting fit by inauguration.' On November 17, when asked what his prediction was for the coming year, Watkins allegedly told a recruit: 'I cant predict. I dont underestimate the resolve of the Deep State. 'Biden may still yet be our President. If he is, our way of life as we know it is over. Our Republic would be over. 'Then it is our duty as Americans to fight, kill and die for our rights.' The men who have been arrested continued to exchange texts and emails until the riot. Rhodes encouraged them online, according to the indictment. On January 4, he posted online: 'It is CRITICAL that all patriots who can be in DC get to DC to stand tall in support of President Trumps fight to defeat the enemies foreign and domestic who are attempting a coup, through the massive vote fraud and related attacks on our Republic. 'We Oath Keepers are both honor-bound and eager to be there in strength to do our part.' In another, he said: 'As we have done on all recent DC Ops, we will also have well armed and equipped QRF1 teams on standby, outside DC, in the event of a worst case scenario, where the President calls us up as part of the militia to to assist him inside DC. 'We dont expect a need for him to call on us for that at this time, but we stand ready if he does (and we also stand ready to answer the call to serve as militia anytime in the future, and anywhere in our nation, if he does invoke the Insurrection Act).' Despite his alleged role in organizing the men who have been charged, Rhodes has not. He claimed in March that he and other Oath Keeper members were the victims of a conspiracy. 'I may go to jail soon, not for anything I actually did, but for made-up crimes,' he said. Four more members of the far-right militia have been charged with federal criminal conspiracy, bringing to 16 the total number facing prosecution Members of the Oath Keepers on the steps of the Capitol during the January 6 riots. A total of 16 have now been charged with federal conspiracy The Oath Keepers are a far-right, anti-government militia group who claim they have a membership of around 35,000 Jessica Watkins (left) and Donavan Crowl, both military veterans, are among the 16 people who have been arrested from Oath Keepers over their role in the riot This superseding indictment, part of a larger federal government criminal conspiracy case, now includes a total of 16 Oath Keepers. The other 12 co-defendants have pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors have said in recent weeks that other members of the militia group planned to commit violence and brought firearms into the city. The Oath Keepers accept anyone, the recent court filing notes, but 'explicitly focus on recruiting current and former military, law enforcement, and first-responder personnel.' Senate Republicans last week voted down a House-passed bill that would create a 9/11-style commission to investigate the January 6 Capitol attack. Democrats were unable to override a Republican filibuster placed on the bill during a Friday vote of 54 to 35, with 60 votes needed. Republican Sens. Mitt Romney, Susan Collins, Bill Cassidy, Lisa Murkowski, Rob Portman and Ben Sasse voted alongside 48 Democrats. The bill is now essentially dead - though Democrats may launch other investigations and some are ongoing in Senate committees. Last month, a founding member of the far-right group Oath Keepers has pleaded guilty to two felony charges over the January 6 riot at the US Capitol. Jon Ryan Schaffer, 53, struck a plea deal with prosecutors Friday, becoming the first person charged in relation to the attack to plead guilty. Schaffer was initially slapped with six charges over the violent incident, but pleaded guilty to two charges as part of the deal: obstruction of an official proceeding and entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon. Police said Schaffer - who hails from Indiana - was armed with bear spray when he barged into the Capitol following a 'Stop the Steal' rally held earlier in the day. As part of the plea deal, Schaffer has agreed to cooperate with investigators - prompting rumors he may 'turn' on some of his fellow Oath Keeper members. The Oath Keepers are a far-right, anti-government militia group who claim they have a membership of around 35,000. New South Wales has been put on high alert after an interstate traveller from Melbourne tested positive for Covid-19 one week after a 1,765km roadtrip. The confirmed case was in Jervis Bay, Goulburn, Hyams Beach, and Vincentia while potentially infectious on May 23 and 24. NSW Health said the holidaymaker reported the onset of symptoms on May 25 and was only tested on Monday, almost a week later. The Covid case had left for their trip just days before Victorias snap seven-day stay-at-home measures took effect on May 27. The confirmed case was in Jervis Bay, Goulburn, Hyams Beach and Vincentia while potentially infectious on May 23 and 24 NSW VENUES EXPOSED TO COVID - Goulburn - Shell Coles Express Big Merino, 1/3 Sowerby Street: Monday 24 May, 10-11.30am. - Goulburn - Trappers Bakery, 4 Sowerby Street: Monday 24 May 10.30-11.30am. - Hyams Beach - Cooked Goose Cafe (formerly Hyams Beach Cafe), 76 Cyrus Street: Sunday 23 May, 10am-12pm. - Jervis Bay - Green Patch campground, Booderee National Park, Village Bay Road: Sunday 23 May all day, Monday 24 May until 9am. - Vincentia - Coles Vincentia Shopping Village, 21 The Wool Road: Sunday 23 May, 12-1pm. If you were at any of the following venues of concern at the times listed, please immediately call the NSW Health contact tracing team on 1800 943 553, get tested and isolate until you receive further information from NSW Health. Advertisement The roadtripper began their journey on May 23 first stopped off at Cooked Goose Cafe in picturesque Hyams Beach at 10am to 12pm after a long drive. They then drove a little farther to Coles in Vincentia at 12pm to 1pm to get supplies for their overnight camping trip. Next they pitched a tent at Green Patch campground in Booderee National Park on Jervis Bay and stayed there until about 9am on May 24. On the way home to Melbourne they stopped at Shell Coles Express in the shadow of the Big Merino in Goulburn sometimes between 10.30am and 11.30am. Across the road they munched on some tasty pies from the legendary Trapper's Bakery between 10.30am and 11.30am, before driving home. About 6.5 million Victorians were ordered into lockdown at 11.59pm last Thursday after a rapidly-spreading Covid-19 outbreak in the northern suburbs of Melbourne. Although the Gladys Berejiklian's government has been reticent to introduce border closures or lockdowns, there are now fears the state may be forced to impose similar restrictions to Victoria. The outbreak facing Melbourne, which has been linked to a highly infectious double mutant Indian strain, grew to 54 cases on Tuesday, including nine new locally-acquired infections. Anyone who visited Trapper's Bakery on Monday May 24 between 10:30-11.30am is urged to self-isolate and get tested immediately Anyone who visited the Shell Coles Express Big Merino, at Goulburn on Monday May 24 between 10-11.30am is urged to self-isolate and get tested immediately Health authorities across the country remain on edge after it was revealed that complete strangers had been infected by walking past Covid-positive cases. Victoria's Department of Health said 'four or five' cases emerged from 'brushing past' strangers who unwittingly transmitted the virus. The state's Covid-19 testing commander Jeroen Weimar told reporters earlier today the outbreak is the fastest moving seen anywhere in Australia during the pandemic. 'What we're seeing now is people are brushing past each other in a small shop, they are going to a display home, they are looking at photos in a Telstra shop,' he said. 'This is relatively speaking, relatively fleeting. They do not know each other's names, and that is very different from what we have been before. 'We are used to, with previous variants, transmission occurring in the home, in the workplace, where people know each other already, not all of those big social settings. These are quite different.' The outbreak, which originated in hotel quarantine in South Australia last month, is 'playing out a bit differently to earlier recent outbreaks' in Victoria, which resulted in few cases and three-day circuit breaker lockdowns. Although the Gladys Berejiklian's government has been reticent to introduce border closures or lockdowns, there are now fears the state may be forced to impose similar restrictions to Victoria The famous Big Merino in Goulburn was listed as one of the sites that was exposed to the virus Despite the concerns, Health Minister Martin Foley said contact tracers will be able to 'get on top' of the outbreak. 'I am confident that we are doing everything we possibly can to get on top of this and Im confident that all of us as Victorians are out there willing this thing to be over and willing us all to get on top of it and by behaving in the right way,' he said. NSW Health said they are continuing to investigate the movements of the interstate traveller in and around the Jervis Bay - and the department expects the list of venues to grow very soon. On Wednesday morning, NSW will announce a number of new Covid-testing facilities in the exposed areas. 'NSW Health is in the process of increasing testing capacity in the area, including a drive-through pop-up COVID-19 testing clinic in Huskisson,' the department said. This is the first picture of the pregnant mother-of-four who was killed alongside her unborn child in a horrific car smash over the Bank Holiday weekend. Dulce Lina Mendes Pereira, 39, was knocked down by a Nissan Pathfinder as she walked alongside the A508 in Northampton. She was rushed to Coventry's University Hospital after the crash, which happened at about 2pm on Saturday. But medics were unable to save Ms Pereira, who was six months pregnant, while attempts to save her unborn child were also unsuccessful. The loss has been branded a 'tragic waste of life'. Northamptonshire Police said relatives of Ms Pereira, who leaves behind four children aged 21, 14, eight and one, had been left 'devastated' by the tragedy. Dulce Lina Mendes Pereira, 39, who was knocked down by a Nissan Pathfinder as she walked alongside the A508 in Northampton has been pictured for the first time The mother-of-four, who was also six months pregnant was rushed to Coventry's University Hospital after the crash, which happened at about 2pm on Saturday (pictured, emergency services at the scene) The victim was understoodto be wheeling an empty pushchair while her partner was carrying their one-year-old boy in his arms when she was mown down by the vehicle (pictured, emergency services at the scene) Tributes have poured in for the 39-year-old, who is understood to be Portuguese. The victim was said to have been wheeling an empty pushchair while her partner was carrying their one-year-old boy in his arms when she was mown down by the vehicle. Her heartbroken friends today described her as a 'a beautiful woman' who was 'always smiling and lived for her children', according to The Sun. A local taxi driver told the publication: 'It's a terrible accident and such a tragic waste of life. 'The poor woman didn't stand a chance. I'm just relieved that police have arrested a suspect.' A 30-year-old man from Stoke Bruerne has appeared before Northampton Magistrates' Court charged with causing death by dangerous driving and child destruction. James Craigie was released on conditional bail to appear before Northampton Crown Court on Monday, July 14. Northamptonshire Police said the incident happened at the junction of Greyfriars and Horsemarket (pictured above) at 2pm on Saturday James Craigie, 30, from Stoke Bruerne has appeared before Northampton Magistrates' Court (pictured, stock image) charged with causing death by dangerous driving and child destruction Police are still appealing for witnesses to the collision on the junction of Greyfriars and Horsemarket on the A508. A police spokesperson previously said: 'Dulce Lina Mendes Pereira, aged 39, leaves behind four children aged 21, 14, 8 and 1. 'Dulce's family are understandably devastated and have asked that their privacy is respected at this immensely difficult time. 'Officers are appealing for any witnesses to the collision to get in touch and want to hear from anyone who may have relevant dash-cam footage taken prior to, during or after the collision. 'Anyone with information is asked to call the Drivewatch Hotline on 0800 174615 regarding incident 283 of May 29, 2021.' An Oregon middle school teacher was exposed by furious parents after likening her colleagues to pedophiles and warning them they'd be fired if they refused to teach critical race theory. Katherine Watkins, an 8th grade humanities teacher at Cedar Park Middle School in Beaverton, Portland, told colleagues during a Zoom 'equity conference' that if they were 'going to keep up those old views of colonialism, it's going to lead to being fired'. Watkins, who said she was half African-American in a 2020 interview, also equated teachers who 'do racist things' with pedophiles, during an inflammatory statement that her colleagues were forced to listen to. She said: 'If you're not evolving into an anti-racist educator you're making yourself obsolete in this field of profession. 'Our district is only getting browner and browner with our children and so obviously you can't change your melanin alright? But you can change your mind, so that you can actually function in a district that is full of BIPOC (black, indigenous, people of color) children. 'So, if you're being resistant I understand that, but you're going to have to eventually come to the light. 'Because if you're going to keep with those old views of colonialism it's going to lead to being fired because you're going to be doing damage to our children, trauma. 'And so, as we fire the teachers who sexually abuse our children, we will be firing the teachers who do racist things to our children and traumatize them.' Katherine Watkins, a teacher at Cedar Park Middle School in Portland, told colleagues they would be 'fired' if they kept up 'old views of colonialism'. Her social media accounts, right, show the Black Lives Matter sign and invite people to donate to her Cash App, PayPal and Venmo accounts Teachers at Cedar Park Middle School in Beaverton, Portland, above, had to attend the $5,500 'equity summit' where Watkins made her comments 'So as we fire the teachers who sexually abuse our children, we will be firing the teachers who do racist things to our children and traumatize them.' Watkin made the comments on February 10 during a virtual conference of teachers in the Beaverton School District, called 'Equity ABAR (anti-bias anti-racist) Summit: If Not You Then Who?'. The Beaverton school district said the summit cost $5,500 to organize, and was required for all licensed staff, and encouraged for classified staff. A video of the private Zoom conference came to light in late April when it was leaked to YouTube by a group called Parents Defending Action (PDE). It was shared on Twitter last week, and quickly went viral. If America had 1/10 the amount of teachers, wed be so much better off. pic.twitter.com/d5ebnm3kpK David Reaboi (@davereaboi) May 27, 2021 Twitter Privacy Policy CRITICAL RACE THEORY: WHAT DOES IT MEAN? The fight over critical race theory in schools has escalated in the United States over the last year. The theory has sparked a fierce nationwide debate in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests around the country over the last year and the introduction of the 1619 Project. The 1619 Project, which was published by the New York Times in 2019 to mark 400 years since the first enslaved Africans arrived on American shores, reframes American history by 'placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of black Americans at the center of the US narrative'. The debate surrounding critical race theory regards concerns that some children are being indoctrinated into thinking that white people are inherently racist or sexist. Those against critical race theory have argued it reduces people to the categories of 'privileged' or 'oppressed' based on their skin color. Supporters, however, say the theory is vital to eliminating racism because it examines the ways in which race influence American politics, culture and the law. Advertisement Asra Nomani, a former Georgetown professor who has spoken out against CRT, told Fox News 'equity warriors' were laying siege to schools such as Cedar Park. 'Teachers and staff who self-describe as "equity warriors" harass colleagues until they submit to the new ideological indoctrination of critical race theory, the controversial philosophy that looks at all societal issues through a racial lens and pits people against each other. It's dangerous and it's destructive.' A Beaverton School District spokeswoman refused to comment when contacted by the DailyMail.com, although recent district elections saw an anti-CRT candidate defeated by liberal competitors. But in previous comments to media Beaverton School District has both distanced itself from Watkins' and defended her. The district's own website boasts of its 'Culturally Relevant Teaching,' which appears to share many of the same ideals as critical race theory. A social media account belonging to Watkins showed her posing under a Black Lives Matter sign with a clenched fist, and invited people to send her money via digital payment apps Cash App, PayPal and Venmo. It's unclear why she was soliciting donations, or what they would go towards. Watkins' Linkedin profile shows she graduated from the University of Idaho in 1998 with a Bachelor's degree in English. After working for a high schools in Yuma, Arizona, and Scappoose, Oregon she started working for the Beaverton School District in August 2004. Watkins has also completed Master's degrees in education and creative writing. Parent groups, educators and commentators blasted Watkins' comments on social media. James Lindsay wrote: 'This video is a perfect example of why we need to start taking back education from these so-called 'anti-racist' racists and manipulators who are abusing our kids to push their political agenda. Beaverton, OR, is out of control. Unbelievable.' Allie Beth Stuckey said: 'This kind of mind virus is highly contagious and deadly. The best known remedy is to get your kids out of government schools immediately.' 'Fun little dangerous cult we have cooking!' said Tim Dillon Dave Reaboi said: 'If America had 1/10 the amount of teachers, we'd be so much better off.' James Lindsay wrote: 'This video is a perfect example of why we need to start taking back education from these so-called 'anti-racist' racists and manipulators who are abusing our kids to push their political agenda. Beaverton, OR, is out of control. Unbelievable' 'This kind of mind virus is highly contagious and deadly. The best known remedy is to get your kids out of government schools immediately' 'This 8th Grade teacher in Beaverton Oregon is comparing Anti Racism to Sexuality Abusing children if you are not teaching the BS Critical Race theory to kids. And America wants to know what is wrong with kids today. What is wrong you have IDIOTS teaching like' 'Fun little dangerous cult we have cooking!' said Tim Dillon. Greg Bates wrote: 'This 8th Grade teacher in Beaverton Oregon is comparing Anti Racism to Sexuality Abusing children if you are not teaching the BS Critical Race theory to kids. And America wants to know what is wrong with kids today. What is wrong you have IDIOTS teaching like'. Dave Reaboi said: 'If America had 1/10 the amount of teachers, we'd be so much better off.' Another Twitter user said: 'Katherine Watkins from Beaverton school district near Portland, Oregon is merely a symptom. The entire district is filled with these critical race theory pronoun users lead by Beaverton Superintendent Don Grotting.' The Beaverton School District's public communications officer Shellie Bailey-Shah defended her comments in a statement to Newsweek. 'Throughout this past year, institutions have been called upon to re-evaluate their role in the perpetuation of implicit bias and systemic racism,' Bailey-Shah said. 'The Beaverton School District is no exception. It's our responsibility to identify and change inequitable practices that harm our students and staff of color,' she said. 'In the comments, we hear Ms. Watkins expressing her expectation that all our educators authentically engage in anti-bias, antiracist work for the benefit of our students,' she added. The comments appear to contradict an earlier statement the school district made to Fox News, in which a spokeswoman distanced the district from Watkins' comments. 'Katherine Watkins does not speak for the Beaverton School District. All disciplinary or dismissal procedures are governed by state statute and our collective bargaining agreements with our unions, Beaverton Education Association (BEA) and Oregon School Employees Association (OSEA).' The district confirmed that the district-wide summit was required for all licensed staff, encouraged for classified staff, and cost approximately $5,500. The Beaverton school district held elections in May, with candidates fiercely split down ideological lines. Conservative challenger Jeanette Schade ran on a slogan of 'Kids Over Politics' and campaigned for the elimination of lesson plans on sexual orientation and gender identity, KGW8.com reported. Schade also said she wanted to do away with critical race theory in schools, and railed against the controversial teaching method in online posts. She received $1,000 from a group called Free Oregon founded by Ben Edtl, who said he had become horrified to learn what was being taught to his children after overhearing virtual lessons during the pandemic. Beaverton school district candidate Jeanette Schade, left, ran on a slogan of 'Kids Over Politics' during last month's elections and said she wanted to eliminate critical race theory. She was defeated by liberal incumbent Susan Greenberg,right Ben Edtl, co-founder of activist group Free Oregon, donated $1,000 to Schade's campaign after becoming alarmed about the way gender issues were being taught to his first grade son Edtl described listening to a teacher tell children during an online art lesson to draw themselves 'as they identify'. 'It was in the context of "If you're a boy, you can draw a short hair or a hat. If you're a girl, a ponytail, or however you identify,'" he told KGW8. 'And I thought 'Wow, that's weird. They're first graders.' Schade was defeated in the May elections by liberal incumbent Susan Greenberg, who was re-elected along with three new members who are all women of color, KGW8 reported. When asked about critical race theory last month by KGW8, a Beaverton school district spokeswoman denied it was taught in schools. The school district does promote something called Culturally Relevant Training, which encourages teachers to know the 'historical legacy of oppressions and its impact on learning' of their students. It says the qualities of 'culturally relevant educators' include the 'courage to stop blaming the victims of school failure and to admit that schools are set up to replicate the disproportionate results we currently see'. During the February 10 Zoom conference, another Beaverton school district teacher Stephanie Yelder said white educators should be as bold as the January 6 Capitol rioters in their pursuit of anti-racism ideology. 'My lovely white people, be as bold as those idiot invaders, insurrectionists about storming that Capitol,' Yelder says. 'Go about this change like them. They are wacky, but you know what to do, so have that same energy.' Parents Defending Education (PDE) said they had uploaded the videos to YouTube in to bring transparency to a matter of huge public interest. It described 'ABAR' as the 'latest buzzword for the 'anti-bias, anti-racism' teachings of critical race theory'. Eight aged care homes in NSW have not received a single vaccination and 207 facilities have only had first jabs. Only about eight per cent of aged care workers in New South Wales have been fully immunised, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. Overall there are residents in 21 aged care homes across the country that have not been vaccinated, despite that group being the first priority in the rollout that started three months ago. So many elderly residents being unvaccinated raised concerns the state may face an outbreak among elderly residents if the virus made its way into nursing homes. The virus seeped into residential homes in Victoria, with four of the latest Indian strain cases linked to aged care in the state. Eight aged care homes in New South Wales have not received a single vaccination and 207 facilities have only had first jabs. Pictured: Pop-up Covid-19 testing clinic in Sydney About 10,900 aged care residents in NSW have been visited by nurses with the vaccine but did not receive a jab. NSW Health Department associate secretary Caroline Edwards told a Senate hearing on Tuesday many residents were not consenting to being immunised. 'There may be people who have arrived since, there might be people who were sick at the time or for another reason,' she said. 'Were swinging back round to get those people who havent consented previously in the hope they will now consent.' Only about eight per cent of aged care workers in New South Wales have been fully immunised. Pictured: People lining up for Covid-10 testing clinic in Sydney A female resident in her 90s at Victorian aged care home Arcare Maidstone Aged Care who tested positive to Covid-19 had only received the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine. A staff member at the same facility who was on personal leave when other workers were getting their jab on May 12 has tested positive. 23 of 76 of the residents at the home did not consent to being vaccinated before Monday, when the others received their second dose of Pfizer. Overall there are residents in 21 aged care homes across the country that have not been vaccinated. Pictured: Woman receives AstraZeneca vaccine in Sydney Vaccine hesitancy among Australians has risen since last year, and less than 15 per cent of the country's population have been vaccinated as of May 28. One in five Australians said they probably or definitely would not get a vaccine, a survey from the Australian National University from January this year found. 90.6 per cent of Australians over 75 said they wanted the jab. Over 55s and under 24-year-olds had the highest levels of willingness to get immunised. Women, indigenous Australians, people who speak a language other than English, and people who have not completed Year 12 are less willing to get vaccinated. A Los Angeles-based competitive eater attempting to complete a pizza-eating challenge was kicked out of a Colorado pizzeria by the owner who she says called her a 'dirty, lying wh***' trying to scam his business. Raina Huang, 27, went to StevO's Pizza n Ribs in Aurora Sunday to take on the OMG 28'' pizza challenge which requires participants to eat the large pizza within an hour with no breaks for a $100 prize. But surveillance footage obtained by ABC 7 Denver captured restaurant owner Steve Wieand turning Huang away after she asked to record herself eating. Huang said Wieand called her explicit names and accused her of being a professional food competitor trying to scam his business before kicking her out of his business. 'He called me a ''dirty, lying wh***'' straight to my face,' Huang says tearfully in a video posted to her Instagram stories. 'I've never had a restaurant experience this bad, I was just here to do a pizza challenge. I don't understand.' Surveillance footage captured restaurant owner Steve Wieand (left) turn Huang (pictured) away after she asked to record herself eating Raina Huang, went to StevO's Pizza n Ribs in Aurora (pictured) on Sunday to take on the OMG 28'' pizza challenge which requires the competitor to eat a large pizza within an hour with no breaks for a $100 prize 'He called me a dirty, lying wh*** straight to my face,' Huang says tearfully in a video posted to her Instagram stories. 'I've never had a restaurant experience this bad, I was just here to do a pizza challenge. I don't understand.' The pizzeria does not have any rules posted in the restaurant or online stating who specifically can partake in the challenge. Huang, who weighs just over 130lbs, has amassed 1.7million followers on her TikTok page Rainaiscrazy because of videos of eating challenges where she eats mass amounts of food in impressive times. The 27-year-old travels across the U.S. tackling food challenges and competitions, and has won hundreds, but is not a certified food competitor. 'I'm not a professional eater because I'm not part of the professional eating league, and I don't compete the Nathan's Hot Dog (Eating Contest)' Huang told ABC 7 Denver. Some of Huang's impressive feats include devouring an 18-inch, four topping pizza and a 40-ounce drink in just 8.03minutes. Wieand's daughter, Stephanie Wieand, works at the family restaurant and told Denver7 that she was present for the confrontation between her father and Huang, and disagreed with how her father handled the situation. 'I think that it could have been handled better,' Stephanie Wieand said. 'All I want to say is that I apologize to Raina and to everyone.' While Wieland himself has not commented on the situation, his daughter said he is regretful. 'I would say that he definitely feels bad,' she told Denver7. Since Huang shared her experience online, Stephanie Wieand said people have called StevO's Pizza n Ribs and hung up, and more than 50 people gave the pizzeria one-star reviews on Yelp before they were forced to turn reviews off on the app. The restaurant already had a bad track record on Google, with reviewers accusing an unnamed man at the restaurant of using foul language and threats, Denver7 reported. Wieand said that her dad is not afraid to stand up to customers when he feels it's necessary. Huang has amassed 1.7million followers on her TikTok page Rainaiscrazy because of her stellar eating challenges where she eats mass amounts in impressive times Wieand's daughter, Stephanie Wieand, works at the family restaurant and told Denver7 that she saw the confrontation between her father and Huang, and disagreed with how her father handled the situation Huang said she shared her negative experience at StevO's because she felt she was treated unfairly and hopes Weiland will not treat others the way he treated her. 'I just want him to have more respect for his customers, toward other people in general,' Huang told Denver7. One silver lining for Huang is that several restaurant owners have since reached out to her offering food challenges. Huang did not let the incident deter her. On Instagram, Huang posted more food challenges the following day in other Colorado restaurants, including a large plate of curly fries and a large nacho plate. She thanked her followers for their support following the ordeal and said she is 'feeling better.' A five year-old boy was filmed wailing in distress after being dumped at the edge of the US-Mexico border by two migrant smugglers who were expecting his parents to pick him up. The cellphone footage shows the boy, who is believed to be Mexican, standing steps away from where the steel, barbed wired wall came to an end under an overpass at the international borderline between the border town of Ciudad Juarez and El Paso, Texas, last Thursday night. The distraught boy clutched on to a teddy bear and yelled, Where are you going? Over here. No, no, no. Dont leave. The child was accompanied by the couple who crossed him over a section of a nearly dry Rio Grande, a waterway thats constantly used by migrants attempting to reach the U.S. Amidst tears, the boy attempted to draw the their attention by waving at them as they walked away. Still image of a five-year-old boy who was abandoned by a man and a woman last Thursday near a steel, barbed wire wall at the United States-Mexico international crossing between Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, and El Paso, Texas. The woman who helped smuggle the child told AFP that his parents reside in the U.S. The child is said to be a native of Mexico A man (left) and woman (right) head back to Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, moments after they were captured on video abandoning a five-year-old boy at section of the United States-Mexico border wall in Texas The woman and her accomplice subsequently fled towards Ciudad Juarez. Moments later, a U.S. Border Patrol unit arrived and took the boy to a nearby station. The woman who smuggled the boy to the border wall told AFP that his parents resided in the United States. DailyMail.com reached out to U.S. Customs and Border Protection for comment. It is unclear if the child has since been reunited with his family. The harrowing scene of the child crying is the latest chapter of the ongoing saga at the southwestern border between U.S. Border Patrol agents and unaccompanied children as well as individuals and families seeking asylum from the United States government. Arrests of undocumented migrants trying to cross the international borderline increased gradually during the last 12 months under former President Donald Trump's administration and his successor, President Joe Biden. The child tried to draw his smugglers' attention by waving at them before U.S. Border Patrol agents arrived and took him to a nearby station U.S. Border Patrol agents tend to a five-year-old boy after he was spotted alone at the side of a border wall in El Paso, Texas, last Thursday A monthly report released by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in May showed that border agents detained 17,171 unaccompanied children at the southwestern border in April, down 9 percent from 18,890 in March when a record number of unaccompanied migrant children entered U.S. custody. In all, the border patrol reported 178,622 undocumented immigrants were stopped for unlawful entry from Mexico to the United States in April, surpassing March's total by 5,274. The Biden administration, which has shown a willingness to allow migrants at the southwestern border to apply for asylum, has permitted unaccompanied minors to remain in the U.S. under the Title 42 policy. The measure was put into place March 21, 2020 by Trump and pushed U.S. Customs and Border Protection to immediately removed migrants who were intercepted at the southwestern border due to the COVID-19 pandemic without granting them the opportunity to request asylum. The agency would send adults back to Mexico and the children would be placed in hotels and then deported to their home countries. Under Biden, CBP continues expel most of the migrant families and single adults, ultimately forcing parents to send their children alone across the border in hopes of joining them later. In other cases family members already in the U.S. are given custody of the children. Nicaraguan Wilto Obregon, 10, who in April was seen in a video begging an off-duty U.S. Border Patrol to help him after he had been left behind by a group of migrants near the Texas desert, was reunited with his mother Meylin Obregon at a shelter for migrant children last Friday. Two Guatemalan sisters, Asheli Sanchez, 5, and Valeria Padilla, 11 months, were placed in the custody of their aunt Yolanda Sanchez in Texas, after the married couple discovered the two children and three other girls on their farmland the morning of May 9. President Joe Biden on Tuesday announced plans to build black wealth and narrow the racial income gap ahead of a trip to Oklahoma to mark the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre. Biden's plan focuses on two key creators of wealth: homeownership and small business ownership. Under his proposal, the Department of Housing and Urban Development will propose new regulations 'to root out discrimination in the appraisal and homebuying process,' according to a White House fact sheet, in a bid to boost black home ownership. The administration also is seeking to address disparities that result in black-owned homes being appraised at tens of thousands of dollars less than comparable homes owned by whites. And the president vowed to use the power of federal contracts to invest $100 billion over five years into minority-owned businesses by increasing the share of federal contracts awarded to those businesses by 50% by 2026. Additionally, under his American Jobs Plan that has yet to be passed by Congress, Biden has proposed giving $10 billion in grants to under served communities along with an additional $20 billion in grants for infrastructure and affordable housing. Survivors of the Tulsa Race Massacre - Hughes Van Ellis, 100, Lessie Benningfield Randle, 106, also known as Mother Randle, and Viola Fletcher, 107 - at a ceremony Memorial Day weekend The Greenwood neighborhood of Tulsa on June 1, 1921, during the riot The wealth gap between whites and blacks has grown over the past two decades: from about $100,000 in 1992 to $154,000 in 2016, according to a recent study from McKinsey. The study also found that almost 70 percent of middle-class black children are likely to fall out of the middle class as adults. Biden plan to combat racial wealth gap To combat discrimination in housing market, the Biden administration will address inequity in home appraisals and conducting rulemaking to aggressively combat housing discrimination Use the federal governments purchasing power to grow federal contracting with small disadvantaged businesses by 50 percent, translating to an additional $100 billion over five years Under the American Jobs Proposal, which is still being negotiated with Congress: -$10 billion Community Revitalization Fund to support community-led civic infrastructure projects -$15 billion for new grants and technical assistance to support the planning, removal, or retrofitting of existing transportation infrastructure that creates barriers for opportunities -A new Neighborhood Homes Tax Credit to attract private investment in the development and rehabilitation of affordable homes -$5 billion for the Unlocking Possibilities Program, a grant program to reduce needless barriers to producing affordable housing and expand housing choices for people with low or moderate incomes -$31 billion in small business programs that will increase access to capital for small businesses and provide mentoring, networking, and other forms of technical assistance Source: White House fact sheet Advertisement The White House announcement Tuesday morning comes ahead of Biden's trip to Tulsa, where he will be the first president to take part in remembrances for the Tulsa Massacre, one of the worst - and largely overlooked - acts of racial violence in American history. On May 31 and June 1, 1921, mobs of white residents, many of them deputized and given weapons by city officials, attacked black residents and burned businesses in a largely African-American neighborhood in the city. Called the Tulsa Race Massacre or Black Wall Street Massacre, as many as 300 people were killed, more than 10,000 were homeless, and, according to the Tulsa Race Riot Report of 2001, an estimated $1,470,711 was incurred in damage - equal to about $20 million today. In the aftermath, thousands of survivors were forced into internment camps overseen by the National Guard before being released. Of the more than 30-block black neighborhood, burned bricks and a fragment of a church basement are all that stand. In a White House proclamation on Monday in honor the 100th anniversary of the massacre, Biden called on Americans to reflect on the 'roots of racial terror.' 'I call upon the people of the United States to commemorate the tremendous loss of life and security that occurred over those 2 days in 1921, to celebrate the bravery and resilience of those who survived and sought to rebuild their lives again, and commit together to eradicate systemic racism and help to rebuild communities and lives that have been destroyed by it,' the president declared a day before his planned visit to Tulsa. 'Today, on this solemn centennial of the Tulsa Race Massacre, I call on the American people to reflect on the deep roots of racial terror in our Nation and recommit to the work of rooting out systemic racism across our country.' Biden's visit on Tuesday takes place during a national reckoning on racial justice and as Congress debates police reform in the wake of George Floyd's murder. His trip is also in stark contrast to the most recent visit to Tulsa by a president, when Donald Trump resumed his campaign rallies there last year amid a surge in coronavirus cases. Trump was criticized for originally scheduling his return rally on the date of Juneteenth - the anniversary of the end of slavery - and he battled local health officials who worried about the pandemic. Additionally, his rally was announced in the weeks following the murder of George Floyd by white cop Derek Chauvin, which reignited the Black Lives Matter movement last summer. The rally was a bust - with the stadium filled with rows of empty seats and the overflow area outside shut down when the crowds didn't materialize. Three weeks after the rally Oklahoma saw a record rise in COVID cases. During his visit, Biden will give remarks at the Greenwood Cultural Center, where he will talk about his proposal to close the racial wealth gap. He will also meet privately with survivors of the massacre. One of those survivors is a 107-year-old grandmother named Viola Fletcher. She was just seven years old when she witnessed the carnage. 'The night of the massacre, I was awakened by my family. My parents and five siblings were there. I was told we had to leave and that was it. I will never forget the violence of the White mob when we left our home,' Fletcher said at a House Judiciary hearing earlier this month. Some lawmakers have ramped up calls for reparations for survivors and their families in the lead-up to the 100th anniversary. 'I still see black men being shot, black bodies lying in the street. I still smell smoke and see fire. I still see black businesses being burned. I still hear airplanes flying overhead. I hear the screams,' she said. Fletcher and the two other survivors still alive today, 100-year-old Hughes Van Ellis and 106-year-old Lessie Benningfield Randle, as well as victims' descendants, were honored at a ceremony in Tulsa on Monday. Fletcher and Ellis, who are siblings, were present. In a speech in Tulsa on Tuesday, President Joe Biden will detail plans to build black wealth and narrow racial income gap Survivor Viola Fletcher is given flowers during a soil dedication ceremony for victims of the 1921 Tulsa Massacre on Monday President Donald Trump was the last president to visit Tulsa - he restarted his campaign rallies at a poorly attended event on June 20, 2020, during the height of the COVID pandemic On his trip, Biden will be joined by members of the Congressional Black Caucus. The Tulsa visit comes a week after Rep. Hank Johnson, a Georgia Democrat, introduced the 'Tulsa Greenwood Massacre Claims Accountability Act,' which would help victims and their descendants seek reparations from the government. A homeless man arrested eight times in the last year for assaults and setting fires has now been charged with sucker-punching an Asian woman in the face as she walked down a Manhattan street. Alexander Wright, 48, was arrested shortly after the unprovoked attack, which took place in broad daylight on Monday afternoon. He has been arrested a total of 40 times, it was revealed Tuesday. Wright was taken into custody and charged with assault, assault as a hate crime and possession of controlled substance. The victim, who was rushed to hospital for treatment, has not been publicly named. She is said to be in a stable condition. NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea told CBS New York condemned local laws that set Wright free even after numerous other serious allegations were made against him. Shea blasted New York City's bail laws- hailed by liberal Mayor Bill de Blasio - for repeatedly letting the serial offender straight back out on the street. '[Wright] lives in a shelter, arrested eight times in the last year, randomly assaulting people, setting fires. The guy that was arrested on Friday setting fires. What are we doing in society, we're releasing these people right back onto the street?' Shea told the news network. DailyMail.com has contacted the NYPD for further information on Wright's previous arrests. Wright's latest brush with the law comes amid spiraling crime in New York, and criticism of Mayor Bill de Blasio's soft-on-crime approach. He slashed $1 billion from the NYPD's operating budget last year. De Blasio says crimes have soared because the world was 'turned on its head' with COVID - but Big Apple residents aren't buying that excuse. His 2020 bail reforms were intended to tackle the disproportionate number of poor people jailed for not being able to afford to pay bail. Those reforms see many suspects charged with serious crimes released back onto the streets without having to pay bail - with many subsequently reoffending while free. One local told the New York Post: 'We have a problem here, and the mayor is not going to pull the wool over every New Yorker's eyes and say crime is down and we have homelessness under control. Let's look at what's happening here'. Felony assaults - such as the one Wright now stands accused of - rocketed by more than a third over the last week to 483. That was a 35.3 per cent increase on the 357 recorded during the same week in 2020. Police have charged a man with a hate crime over a sickening assault on a 55-year old Asian woman in New York City's Chinatown area. The victim (in pink) is seen strolling along minding her own business before Wright (in the orange hoodie and denim vest) punches her in the face Bystander Jin Zhen posted to Instagram, saying he ran to a nearby police precinct to alert officers who were then able to track Wright down several blocks away This chart shows how serious crimes - including felony assaults and murders - have soared in NYC over the last 12 months They are up by more than a quarter - 27.7 per cent - this month, with 1,771 recorded in 2021, compared to 1,387 reported over the same 28 days in 2020. The latest information from the New York Police Department's CompStat website showed murders were up 28.6 per cent last week over the same week in 2020, with nine homicides in 2021, and seven in 2020. Murders have risen by 70.8 per cent this month compared to the same four weeks in 2020, with 41 recorded so far in 2021, compared to 24 in 2020. Serious crime overall was up 49 per cent over the last week, with a total of 234 reported - 77 more than the 157 flagged to cops for the same seven days in 2020. Police say the Asian woman was walking along bustling Bayard Street in Chinatown minding her own business on Monday afternoon, before she was sucker-punched by Wright as he came along in the opposite direction. Surveillance camera captured the attack, which shows the woman falling to the sidewalk due to the force of the punch. Several pedestrians were seen rushing to help to her as she lay motionless on the pavement afterwards. Wright was taken into custody and charged with assault, assault as a hate crime and possession of controlled substance Assemblywoman Yuh-Line Niou, whose district encompasses Chinatown, shared the video of the attack on Twitter, which quickly went viral. Bystander Jin Zhen posted to Instagram, saying he ran to a nearby police precinct to alert officers who were able to track Wright down several blocks away. The Chinatown attack came after other terrifying crimes were captured on camera in New York City over the Memorial Day Weekend and in recent weeks. Unsuspecting Big Apple residents have been violently set upon on sidewalks and in subways. Compstat statistics show transit crimes - those taking place on NYC public transport - rocketed by almost 162 per cent in the last seven days. A total of 55 transit crimes were recorded between May 17 and May 23 - far more than the 21 recorded over the same week in 2020. On Sunday, a 64-year-old man was cornered by a pair of robbers at a Midtown subway turnstile at East 59th Street and Lexington Ave. Surveillance video showed the two in distinctive, flashy footwear jumping the victim before punching him and cutting his face with a knife. The Brooklyn native says he is done commuting to Manhattan following the robbery and assault. He had just finished praying at a mosque in Midtown and was on his way home prior to the vicious attack Identified only as Brooklyn-resident H.M., the victim said he is done commuting to Manhattan after the vicious and unprovoked attack, ABC7NY reports. 'I feel angry and upset and sad,' he said. He had just finished praying at a Midtown mosque. 'Hit me two times here, in this eye and this eye, and the other guy, he brought a razor,' he added. 'And the blood start coming and took the money from me and disappeared.' He required 12 stitches on his forehead and other two stitches near one of his eyes. He wore a COVID-19 mask during the Eyewitness News interview to obscure his identity out of fear that his attackers might come after him again. Meanwhile, a teenage boy was killed and 11 others were left injured after a series of shootings in New York City across the weekend. The 15-year-old, identified by NBC New York as Amir James of the Bronx, was shot in the chest and killed in East Harlem around 10:30pm on Monday night at Lexington Ave. and E. 123rd St. Last week, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo admitted New Yorkers don't feel safe in their own city. 'We have a major crime problem in New York City. Everything we just talked about, with the economy coming back, you know what the first step is? People have to feel safe. 'We're building new projects, stimulating new business - what comes before that is public safety, otherwise none of it works. 'New Yorkers don't feel safe and they don't feel safe because the crime rate is up. It's not that they are being neurotic or overly sensitive - they are right. 'Subways are cleaner than they've been, operating better - but they're not as safe and people are afraid to take the train,' he ranted. He said that defunding the police - which Bill de Blasio agreed to last summer by taking $1bn from the NYPD budget amid pressure from BLM activists - was not the answer. There have been 531 shootings in the city this year, an 80 percent surge from 2020. This map shows the location of all of the year's shooting incidents through May 23 Cuomo said New Yorkers no longer feel safe taking the subway after a string of violent attacks Meanwhile, hate crime attacks against Asians and Asian-Americans are also surging in New York. At least 86 anti-Asian hate crimes being reported to authorities this year, according to the NYPD. There were only 19 such reports over the same period of 2020. In a separate attack, surveillance footage captured a man sucker-punching an elderly Asian woman last Wednesday. NYPD reported that it was working to identify the man who punched 75-year-old Wing Wa Chin near 57th Avenue and 97th Place in Queens. The vicious and unprovoked attack left the elderly woman with a broken nose, fractured eye socket and two black eyes. 'She was just coming back from the supermarket and she had her shopping cart,' the victim's son, who asked not to be identified in fear of retaliation, told CBS2. 'It's kinda obvious. He punched her because she was an Asian lady,' he added. NYPD reported that it was working to identify the man who punched 75-year-old Wing Wa Chin near 57th Avenue and 97th Place in Queens last Wednesday A report from the Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino, found that antiAsian hate crimes surged 149 per cent across the US while overall hate crime dropped 7 per cent in 2020. The report indicated that the rise in anti-Asian crimes was attributed to 'a rise in COVID cases and negative stereotyping of Asians relating to the pandemic.' Former President Donald Trump was blamed for stoking anti-Asian sentiment by repeatedly branding COVID-19 'the China virus,' and even 'kung flu.' In light of all the recent citywide anti-Asian as well as anti-Semitic attacks, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced increased funding for anti-hate initiatives. De Blasio announced the creation of a new initiative called Partners Against The Hate, or P.A.T.H. Forward last Thursday, while committing $3 million in funding for Asian American and Jewish community groups, CBS reports. A Belarusian prisoner detained in a crackdown last year stabbed himself in the throat during a court hearing in Minsk on Tuesday after being told his family and neighbours faced prosecution if he did not plead guilty. Footage showed Stepan Latypov, 41, lying on a wooden bench inside a prisoner's cage in the courtroom, with police officers standing over him and onlookers screaming. Viasna, an independent rights group monitoring the trial of Stepan Latypov, said it believed the activist had tried to commit suicide following pressure in detention. A second video showed Latypov being carried out to a waiting ambulance with what appeared to be blood spots on his shirt. Local media and Viasna said he was still alive but was put in an induced coma in hospital. Local reports have suggested Latypov took 'an object, maybe a pen' from a folder with some documents before stabbing himself. Viasna, which along with other groups declared him a political prisoner last year, said he appeared in court with bruises and that after his father was questioned Latypov climbed on a bench and stabbed himself in the neck with what appeared to be a pen. Stepan Latypov told the court authorities had threatened to bring criminal charges against his family and friends unless he confessed to 'opposition activity', before attempting to stab himself in the throat with a pen in court on Tuesday Belarusian political prisoner Stepan Latypov just stabbed himself in the throat with a pen in the middle of his hearing. The courtroom is being evacuated and paramedics are inbound. There is very disturbing video footage. pic.twitter.com/l2SMl318YJ Kevin Rothrock (@KevinRothrock) June 1, 2021 Latypov was arrested on September 15, during mass protests against Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko Latypov was pictured being put into an ambulance after he tried to stab himself in the throat during a court hearing on Tuesday 'Belarusian activist, political prisoner Stsiapan Latypau cut his throat in the courtroom today,' exiled opposition figure Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya wrote on Twitter, using a different spelling of Latypov's name. 'He was threatened with the persecution of his family if he didn't admit himself guilty. This is the result of state terror, repressions, torture in Belarus. We must stop it immediately!' The nearby guards could not open the prisoner's cage immediately because they did not have the right keys, independent media outlet Nasha Niva reported. 'By the time the cell was opened, Stepan had already lost consciousness,' it said. The interior ministry spokeswoman could not immediately be reached for comment. Thousands of opposition activists and protesters have been arrested and gone on trial in a harsh crackdown on anti-government demonstrations that erupted last year. Latypov, 41, was detained in September and went on trial in the capital Minsk on Tuesday on multiple charges including creating protest symbols and resisting law enforcement. Prominent opposition politician Andrei Sannikov said it was an 'act of desperation' and another demonstration of the 'murderous nature' of President Alexander Lukashenko's regime. A second video posted to social media shows a bloodied and barely moving Latypov being carried in a stretcher to a waiting ambulance It was not immediately clear what condition he was in, but local reports said he taken to hospital and put in an induced coma Latypov was arrested last September during an intensifying security crackdown by President Alexander Lukashenko on mass protests following a contested election the month before. He was arrested in a Minsk courtyard that came to be known by some local residents and media as the 'Square of Change'. Latypov had stood in front of a mural there to try to prevent state workers, accompanied by police, from painting over opposition graffiti. He was charged with organising riots, resisting police and fraud, and also accused on state television of planning to poison the police. He denies any wrongdoing. Belarus, a former Soviet republic closely allied with Russia, was rocked by strikes and weekly street protests after authorities announced that Lukashenko, who has ruled in authoritarian fashion since 1994, had secured re-election on August 9 with 80 per cent of votes. Lukashenko, who has been in power for 26 years, has shrugged off the scale of protests, saying they are sponsored by the West, and shown little signs of willingness to start a dialogue with the opposition. Security forces cracked down hard on the protests, detaining and imprisoning thousands of demonstrators and pushing opposition leaders into exile. Several people died in the unrest. Another Belarusian political activist, 50-year-old Vitold Ashurok, died in jail in the east of the country last month, reportedly of cardiac arrest. In January, he was sentenced to five years in a penal colony for violating public order and violence against police. Belarus, a former Soviet republic closely allied with Russia , was rocked by strikes and weekly street protests after authorities announced that Lukashenko, who has ruled in authoritarian fashion since 1994, had secured re-election on August 9 with 80 per cent of votes More than 35,000 activists were detained and thousands beaten in protests in major cities across Belarus late last year Lukashenko, who has been in power for 26 years, has shrugged off the scale of protests, saying they are sponsored by the West, and shown little signs of willingness to start a dialogue with the opposition It comes only weeks after Belarusian journalist Roman Protasevich, 26, and his girlfriend Sofia Sapega, 23, were arrested after a Ryanair flight from Athens to Vilnius was diverted to Minsk. The plane was forced to turn back mere miles from the Lithuania border after Belarus scrambled a fighter jet and allegedly threatened to shoot in a bold ploy to detain the pair. Protasevich and Sapega have both admitted to several crimes since their arrest, but their confessions have widely been rubbished as false and likely extracted under torture. Roman Protasevich (left), a journalist who reported on protests against Lukashenko, and his girlfriend Sofia Sapega (right) have been in jail in Minsk since May 23 A barber from suburban Chicago has been charged with murder for allegedly shooting and killing a customer who refused to pay for his haircut. The deadly incident took place at around 4pm last Thursday at the Studio 914 barbershop at 914 South 5th Avenue in the Chicago suburb of Maywood. Deshon Mcadory, 40, the owner of the business, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in connection with the killing of 31-year-old Christian McDougald. Mcadory's business charges around $15 for a haircut, and it is unclear why he and McDougald came to blows over McDougald's new look. Illinois barber Deshon Mcadory, 40 (left), has been charged with first-degree murder for the killing of his customer Christian McDougald, 31, whom he shot during an argument about payment. Mcadory's business partner Samuel Williams (right) was charged with unlawful use of a weapon by a felon for being in possession of multiple guns at the barbershop The shooting took place at Mcadory's business, Studio 914 barbershop in Maywood, Illinois Mcadory's business partner, 43-year-old Samuel Williams, was also arrested on a charge of unlawful use of a weapon by a felon for being in possession of multiple guns, reported Chicago Sun-Times. Cook County Assistant State's Attorney Kevin Meehan said that McDougald refused to pay for his haircut and began arguing with Mcadory and other barbers. According to the barbershop's Facebook page, men's haircuts there cost between $15-$25. As the dispute escalated, McDougald allegedly followed Mcadory to the back door of the barbershop, where the barber shot the irate customer twice in the chest, killing him, the prosecutor said. McDougald was taken to Loyola University Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. Further details on that argument have not been shared. Responding police officers searched the barbershop and found the suspected murder weapon inside a coat believed to be Mcadory's. Ammunition matching the spent shell that was collected from the crime scene was discovered inside the barber's car. A further search of the business turned up three additional guns that were found at Williams' workstation. As a convicted felon, Williams is not allowed to own or possess firearms. McDougald allegedly refused to pay for his haircut and began arguing with Mcadory (left and right). The customer then followed the barber to the back door, where Mcadory allegedly shot him twice in the chest A lawyer representing Mcadory (center) claimed self-defense and described the victim as the aggressor During Mcadory's court appearance on Sunday, his attorney argued that his client was acting in self-defense. He noted that the 40-year-old has both a concealed carry permit and a Firearm Owners ID card. Defense lawyer Antony Burch claimed that Mcadory, whom he described as a business owner and a father of two sons in college, claimed that his client was retreating back into the barbershop when he shot McDougald, whom he described as the 'aggressor' during the confrontation. Meehan pointed out that Mcadory has two prior convictions. Mcadory had his bail set at $250,000, while Williams was ordered jailed on $25,000. Both men are due back in court on Wednesday. A suspected serial killer who preyed on young girls and women was found guilty of murdering a 19-year-old newlywed in Oklahoma more than 20 years ago. William Lewis Reece, 61, was convicted last week in the killing of Tiffany Johnston in July 1997 after he kidnapped her from an Oklahoma City carwash, sexually assaulted her in a horse trailer and then strangled her. The sentencing phase is expected this week. Johnston's partially nude body was found dumped nearby the following day. Years later, DNA testing advances eventually tied Reece to Johnston's killing and he confessed to murdering her in an interview with a Texas Ranger. His confession came while he was already in prison for kidnapping another 19-year-old woman at knifepoint. Reece was charged with first-degree murder and kidnapping in Johnston's cold case killing. Reece also confessed to killing a woman and two girls in Texas around the same time Johnston was murdered. William Lewis Reece, 61, was convicted last week in the killing of Tiffany Johnston in July 1997 after he kidnapped her from an Oklahoma City carwash, sexually assaulted her in a horse trailer and then strangled her. He is pictured in 2017 He has since been charged with killing Kelli Cox, 20; Jessica Cain, 17; and Laura Smither, 12. Reece is awaiting trial in Texas for those murders. In 2016, Reece led police to the area where Cain and Cox's remains were found. The bodies of Johnston and Smither had already been found in the days after they were killed. Reece was charged with first-degree murder and kidnapping in Tiffany Johnston's 1997 cold case killing During his recent trial for Johnston's slaying, it emerged that Reece confessed after the Texas Ranger told him he would be treated like a 'rock star' when the bodies were found. As part of his plea deal, Reece wanted a guarantee that he would not be given the death penalty in Texas. Oklahoma prosecutors are still seeking the death penalty for his recent conviction in Johnston's slaying. The sentencing phase of Reece's Oklahoma trial is expected to begin Tuesday. Johnston and the three other females Reece is suspected of killing were all murdered within a four-month period in 1997. At the time, Reece had only just been released from an Oklahoma prison for prior kidnapping and rape convictions. The youngest victim, 12-year-old Laura Smither, vanished on April 3, 1997, while she was jogging in Friendswood, Texas. Her body was found dumped in a pond 17 days later. Smither was found wearing only her socks but Reece denied ever sexually assaulting her. Reece also confessed to killing a woman and two girls in Texas around the same time as Johnston was murdered. He has since been charged with killing Laura Smither, 12; Kelli Cox, 20; and Jessica Cain, 17 (left to right) In 2016, Reece led police to the area where Cain and Cox's remains were found (above). The bodies of Johnston and Smither had already been found in the days after they were killed. During his recent trial for Johnston's slaying, it emerged that Reece confessed after the Texas Ranger told him he would be treated like a 'rock star' when the bodies were found During his confession, Reece told authorities he accidentally hit the girl with his truck while driving in the rain. He allegedly told the Texas Ranger that he panicked and turned her neck until it popped. Reece allegedly told a local police officer that he then dumped her body in the pond. As part of his plea deal, Reece wanted a guarantee that he would not be given the death penalty in Texas. Oklahoma prosecutors are still seeking the death penalty for his recent conviction in Johnston's slaying Kelli Cox, a 20-year-old University of North Texas student, vanished on July 15, 1997 after her criminology class went on a tour of a jail facility in Denton, Texas. She called her boyfriend and told him that she had locked her purse and keys in her car but wasn't there when he arrived at her location. Reece allegedly confessed to getting into a fight with Cox at a store before he choked her and put her body in his truck Her remains were only uncovered and identified in 2016 near Houston when Reece led authorities to her body. He denied sexually assaulting her. Jessica Cain, a 17-year-old Catholic school student, disappeared on August 17, 1997 when she was on her way home from a restaurant in Galveston County, Texas. Her truck and purse were found on the shoulder of the I-45. Reece allegedly confessed to arguing with her outside the restaurant and had another confrontation on the interstate after they both pulled over. He allegedly admitted to choking her and then burying her body in a Houston field. Cain's remains were only uncovered and identified in 2016. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is launching a new plan to address the 'crisis' shortage of workers that is says it holding back economic recovery from the pandemic. The Chamber on Tuesday unveiled its 'America Works' program to mobilize government and industry resources to boost the number of qualified job seekers across the country. 'This is Operation Warp Speed for jobs,' Suzanne Clark, the Chamber's president and CEO, told Axios. 'As we stand on the cusp of what could be a great American resurgence, a worker shortage is holding back job creators across the country.' The Chamber says that there are now just 1.4 workers available for each new opening, down from 4 in 2012, as a huge wave of Millennials was hitting the workforce, and half the 2.8 average over the past 20 years. The Chamber says that there are now just 1.4 workers available for each new opening In May, the Chamber surveyed state and local chambers of commerce leaders about workforce challenges in their area, with 90% citing lack of workers as the main challenge The worker shortage is perplexing because some 8 million fewer Americans are still out of work after their jobs were eliminated in the pandemic, suggesting that many may have dropped out of the workforce. Republicans have blamed federal supplements to unemployment benefits as overly lavish, saying workers have little incentive to seek work. Most Republican governors are now rejecting the extra $300 monthly federal supplement to state unemployment aid. Others blame mass workforce dislocation from the pandemic, pointing out that many Americans moved or sought to switch industries during the chaos. According to the Chamber, the worker shortage is most dire in the government sector, including public education, with just 0.16 workers available per opening. Private schools and health services are also hard-hit, with a worker availability ratio of just 0.88, while professional and business services also have fewer workers available than there are jobs, according to the Chamber. Most Republican governors are now rejecting the extra $300 monthly federal supplement to state unemployment aid, saying it is encouraging potential workers not to seek jobs A man walks into a restaurant displaying a 'Now Hiring' sign in New Hampshire in March Geographically, South Dakota, Nebraska and Vermont are the states with the biggest worker shortages, and all three have fewer job seekers than there are job openings. 'The worker shortage is realand it's getting worse by the day,' Clark said in a statement. In May, the Chamber surveyed state and local chambers of commerce leaders about workforce challenges in their area, and 90 percent reported 'lack of available workers' as the main factor slowing the economy in their area. Two-thirds reported it was 'very difficult' for employers in their community or state to hire workers. Less than 1 percent said it was easy to fill open jobs. The Chamber also surveyed economists at some of the nation's top trade associations, and 76 percent of the respondents reported that businesses in their industries find it 'difficult' (52 percent) or 'very difficult' (24 percent) to hire workers right now. When asked how businesses in their industry are doing finding workers now compared to five years ago, an overwhelming 83 percent of respondents said it was 'harder' or 'significantly harder' to hire. Two-thirds of local chambers of congress reported it was 'very difficult' for employers in their community or state to hire workers The Chamber also surveyed economists at some of the nation's top trade associations A vast majority of the trade groups said hiring is more difficult now than it was five years ago To tackle the worker shortage, the U.S. Chamber is proposing a range of training programs and immigration reforms. A key proposal strongly supported by the Chamber would grant amnesty to more than a million agricultural workers who are present in the country illegally. The Chamber is also calling on Congress to provide citizenship to millions of so-called 'Dreamers' who entered the country illegally as children. Other proposals include more investment in employer-led workforce training programs, and calls to increase hiring programs targeting military veterans and ex-cons. Federal data shows that there were a record 8.1 million vacant job openings in the United States in March 2021, the latest month for which data is available, up more than 600,000 from February. So far, in 2021, employers have added 1.4 million new jobs, but data shows that there are some 8 million fewer people working today than there were when the pandemic started. 'The worker shortage is a national economic emergency, and it poses an imminent threat to our fragile recovery and America's great resurgence,' Clark told Axios. The Chamber's partners in the new America Works program include Google, Microsoft, JP Morgan Chase and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Kamala Harris told Morning Joe host Mika Brzezinski on Tuesday she 'eats 'no' for breakfast' and told women to ignore people who have said they are 'too young' or it's 'not their turn'. 'I eat 'no' for breakfast,' the vice president said when asked about ever thinking she would achieve such success in her MSNC interview', which Brzezinski co-hosts with her husband Joe Scarborough. 'So have I been told many times during my career things from 'oh, you're too young, it's not your turn, they're not ready for you, no one like you has done it before.' I've heard all of those things many times over the course of my career, but I didn't listen,' she continued in a pre-recorded sit-down interview. Brzezinski, 54, partnered with Forbes to create the first-ever '50 Over 50' list, which highlights 50 women who accomplished success later in life including 56-year-old Harris. In a Forbes essay about her economic vision dubbed 'Kamalanomics', the VP called for more investment in 'care infrastructure' to help women entrepreneurs and said the pandemic had exposed 'flaws and fissures in the economy'. 'I would encourage anyone who's been told that [you're too young], whatever their gender, to not listen, because again, don't be encumbered by the inability of others to see the potential of who you are,' Harris said in the MSNBC interview. Brzesinski responded with: 'We get set back by 'no's', I think.' 'You get a 'no' and I think some women a lot of them take it really personally,' she added. 'And I love that you eat them for breakfast. I'm going to take that with me.' Harris responded, and was met with an awkward chuckle from Brzezinski: 'Here's the piece that's at it's core: Who has the authority to tell you who you are? No, you don't let people tell you who you are. You tell them who you are.' Scroll down for video Vice President Kamala Harris said in a clip that aired Tuesday morning that she 'eats 'no' for breakfast' Harris, 56, is part of the first-ever '50 Over 50' Forbes list for women who gained success later in life. The list was created in partnership with MSNBC host Mika Brzezinski, 54 'I think it's really important to recognize the limitations that other people have based on their expectations and not to impose that on oneself,' the vice president said during the interview. Harris was wildly unpopular when it came to the 2020 Democratic primary campaign, earning very little in the polls. She dropped out of the race on December 3, 2019 two months before the first-in-the-nation primary contest kicked off with the caucuses in Iowa in February 2020. Harris was later selected, however, to run on eventual nominee Joe Biden's ticket and on January 20, 2021 was sworn in as the first female and minority vice president. The daughter of immigrants from India and Jamaica, Harris became district attorney of San Francisco in 2004, putting her on track for a long political career in the Golden State. In 2011, she became attorney general of California. 'So have I been told many times during my career things from 'oh, you're too young, it's not your turn, they're not ready for you, no one like you has done it before.' I've heard all of those things many times over the course of my career, but I didn't listen,' Harris told MSNBC host Mika Brzezinski From 2017 to 2021, Harris served as the junior senator from California before taking office as Biden's No. 2. As part of her selection as a '50 Over 50' honoree, Harris created a post with Forbes on Tuesday titled 'Kamalanomics,' where she detailed her vision for more inclusive economic prosperity. 'The pandemic has exposed the flaws and the fissures in our economy,' Harris wrote in the essay for Forbes. 'One in three small businesses have closed. Nearly two million women have been forced out of the workforce. And millions of families have struggled to buy groceries and cover rent.' 'In this moment, more than repair, we must reimagine. And after providing $60 billion in relief to small businesses, we must work to broaden access to capital and remove other barriers to success for entrepreneurs across the country.' In her capacity as vice president, Harris has traveled the country over the last few months promoting Biden's $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, which included more funding to help small businesses. She has also worked to help garner support for the president's upcoming nearly $4 trillion in infrastructure and welfare proposals. Advertisement Kevin Spacey has arrived in Turin with his live-in manager where he is making a return to the big screen in a low budget Italian film about a wrongly-accused paedophile. The actor, 61, is playing a detective in L'uomo che disegno Dio (The Man who drew God), in his first role since he was the subject of multiple sexual misconduct allegations in 2017. The House of Cards star walked alongside his constant companion Evan Lowenstein, 47, a divorced father of four who used to be in boyband Evan and Jaron with his identical twin. Evan, who has only one client and reportedly directed Spacey's bizarre Christmas YouTube videos, moved to London with Spacey and the pair were previously seen together on a 2019 jaunt to Portugal and Serbia. Lowenstein's former wife, Kassini, is unamused by his closeness to Spacey and in a petition filed in 2019 requested a court ruling that Spacey should not be allowed to 'interact' with the couple's children. In Turin, Spacey was ushered into a car outside the Mole Antonelliana in the northern Italian city on Tuesday after taking a stroll down Carlo Alberto street. He and his pals - including actor Robert Davi - then stopped off at a cafe for afternoon drinks and snacks. He is returning to acting after nearly four years away from the screen sparked by Star Trek actor Anthony Rapp's allegations that Spacey made a sexual advance aged 26 on the then 14-year-old Rapp in 1986. Others have come forward with similar claims of sexual assault and groping on the set of House of Cards and while Spacey was artistic director of the Old Vic in London. Kevin Spacey was pictured Tuesday in Turin, Italy, where he is making a return to the big screen in a low budget Italian film about a wrongly-accused paedophile Spacey and his pals stopped off for afternoon cocktails and snacks as they settled into the city on Tuesday Spacey was joined by his manager, Evan Lowenstein (left), 47, a divorced father of four who used to be in a boyband with his identical twin The actor landed in Italy where he is making a return to the big screen in a low budget film about a wrongly-accused paedophile A companion tried to shield the Hollywood star's face as he got into the car after a private visit of the historic building Mole Antonelliana Spacey was all smiles as he sat down for afternoon drinks at a cafe in the heart of Turin on Tuesday Spacey and actor Robert Davi toast during their afternoon outing on Tuesday Spacey and Davi - who has appeared in more than 130 films - clink glasses while enjoying a cocktail outside Spacey takes a selfie with a fan passing by their table on Tuesday afternoon in Turin Spacey kept a low profile by donning sunglasses but still caught the attention of photographers on Tuesday Spacey and his friends chatted as they were served by a masked waiter in an outdoor courtyard on Tuesday Evan (pictured with the actor in Rome in 2017) who has only one client and reportedly directed Spacey's bizarre Christmas YouTube videos, moved to London with Spacey Lowenstein's former wife, Kassini, is unamused by his closeness to Spacey and in a petition filed in 2019 requested a court ruling that Spacey should not be allowed to 'interact' with the couple's children (pictured at the US Open in 2016) The accusations against Kevin Spacey Kevin Spacey had been one of Hollywood's biggest stars but faced scandal after claims he sexually assaulted Star Trek actor Antony Rapp, who was 14 at the time. The pair were both in Broadway shows and met at a party in 1986 where, Rapp told Buzzfeed: 'My impression when he came in the room was that he was drunk. 'He picked me up like a groom picks up the bride over the threshold. But I don't, like, squirm away initially, because I'm like, 'What's going on?' And then he lays down on top of me. 'He was trying to seduce me. I don't know if I would have used that language. But I was aware that he was trying to get with me sexually.' On the day Rapp made his allegations, Spacey came out as gay and apologized to the actor, saying: 'I honestly do not remember the encounter, it would have been over 30 years ago. 'But if I did behave then as he describes, I owe him the sincerest apology for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behavior.' Others have since come forward with more claims of sexual misconduct, including Heather Unruh who alleged her 18-year-old son was sexually assaulted by the star in 2016. A civil lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice after it was revealed Unruh deleted texts off her son's phone before giving it to police, while a criminal assault charge was also dropped. Documentary filmmaker Tony Montana claims Spacey groped his penis in the Coronet Pub in Los Angeles in 2003, while Roberto Cavazos, a former actor at the Old Vic theater, said that he had fended off two 'unpleasant' advances made by the star in 2008 which 'bordered on harassment'. Harry Dreyfuss, the son of actor Richard, also claimed Spacey groped him when he was 18 years old. Spacey has also been accused of a number of sexual assaults in England between 1996 and 2013, including one claim he performed a sex act on someone asleep. Police have handed over their investigation to prosecutors who will decide whether to charge him. Spacey has denied the accusations. Advertisement He was pictured alongside his manager, Evan Lowenstein, 47, a divorced father of four who used to be in a boyband with his identical twin. Evan moved to London with Spacey and the pair were previously seen together on a 2019 European jaunt to Portugal and Serbia. Lowenstein's former wife, Kassini, is unamused by his closeness to Spacey and in a petition filed in 2019 requested a court ruling that Spacey should not be allowed to 'interact' with the couple's children. During his outing on Tuesday, Spacey wore a face mask showing Banksy's Girl With Balloon mural, a charcoal jacket, white t-shirt and corduroy trousers. A companion tried to shield the Hollywood star's face as he got into the car after a private visit of the historic building. The movie will also star Vanessa Redgrave, and be directed by her husband, the prestigious Italian filmmaker, Franco Nero. The plot sees director Nero playing a blind artist who is able to use people's voices to draw their exact physical features. But as his fame and popularity grows, he wrongly becomes accused of sex abuse. Nero, 79, said: 'It's a true story the story of a man who, though blind, creates sculptures of people's faces. 'Among the actors, I made contact with Kevin Spacey. We're waiting for the end of the pandemic to pick up from where our preparatory work was interrupted.' Spacey had been one of Hollywood's biggest stars but faced scandal after claims he sexually assaulted Star Trek actor Antony Rapp, who was 14 at the time. It sparked accusations by other men about his behaviour but none have ever reached court and have been denied. Rapp's public comments about him prompted Spacey to come out as gay in 2017. He said he did not remember such an encounter with Rapp but apologised if the allegations were true. After the actor's fall from grace, amid multiple accusations of sexual assault on both sides of the Atlantic, Spacey chose to sell his 10million LA mansion and quit Hollywood and live under the radar in the UK. Last month, Met Police officers probing Spacey over six historic sex attacks passed files to the Crown Prosecution Service who will now decide whether to charge him. The actor was interviewed under caution by the Metropolitan Police's Complex Case Team in America back in 2019. He was never arrested but spoke to detectives about the allegations which span between 1996 and 2013. Now they have finished their investigations and passed their findings to the criminal prosecutions agency for consideration. During his outing on Tuesday, Spacey wore a face mask showing Banksy's Girl With Balloon mural The actor, 61, is playing a detective in L'uomo che disegno Dio (The Man who drew God), in his first role since he was the subject of multiple sexual misconduct allegations in 2017 The plot sees director Nero playing a blind artist who is able to use people's voices to draw their exact physical features Last month, Met Police officers probing Spacey over six historic sex attacks passed files to the Crown Prosecution Service who will now decide whether to charge him Last year he compared his fall from grace to the coronavirus pandemic, and complained about losing his job following the accusations. Spacey described his 'painful' journey and said he could relate to workers who had been laid off during the Covid-19 spread. In comments for an interview for the Bits & Pretzels podcast, said: 'I don't think it will come as a surprise for anyone to say that my world completely changed in the fall of 2017. 'My job, many of my relationships, my standing in my own industry were all gone in just a matter of hours.' Last year he compared his fall from grace to the coronavirus pandemic, and complained about losing his job following the accusations Not only did he get fired from Netflix hit House Of Cards, he was also removed from the completed movie All The Money In The World, which was reshot with actor Christopher Plummer in his role. Spacey, who has not appeared in a professional movie or series since the accusations were made, said: 'I don't often like to tell people that I can relate to their situation because I think it undermines the experience that they may be having which is their own unique and very personal experience.' Spacey added: 'But in this instance I feel as though I can relate to what it feels like to have your world suddenly stop. 'And so while we may have found ourselves in similar situations, albeit for very different reasons and circumstances, I still believe that some of the emotional struggles are very much the same. 'And so I do have empathy for what it feels like to suddenly be told that you can't go back to work or that you might lose your job and that it's a situation that you have absolutely no control over.' As the daughter-in-law of a British lord, she is accustomed to a life of luxury, rubbing shoulders with billionaire ex-pats and hosting lavish parties at her luxury resort on a wealthy Caribbean island. But socialite Jasmin Hartin - dubbed the 'Queen of the Alaia', the swank hotel she operates with her partner, Andrew Ashcroft, the son of Lord Michael Ashcroft - will soon be swapping her idyllic surroundings for a squalid cell in one of Central America's toughest jails. The Belize Central Prison in Hattieville is the nation's only prison and has been slammed for its inhumane conditions and overcrowding. Nicknamed the 'Hattieville Ramada', it currently houses 1,041 prisoners, many of whom are forced to wait months or even years for trial, in austere, concrete cellblocks, undergoing strict religious instruction. As of today they had one sole Caucasian inmate, DailyMail.com can reveal. Canadian socialite and resort owner Jasmine Hartin (left) was drinking with Belize Police Superintendent Henry Jemmott (right) before he died early Friday. She has insisted she accidentally shot the officer while handing him his service weapon DailyMail.com has learned Hartin, who is charged with manslaughter by negligence, could soon be moved to Belize Central Prison, in Hattieville, the only correctional jail in the country 'Thus far she stands accused and will be dealt with just like any other untried prisoner. And I will leave it at that,' said Virgillio Murillo, CEO of the Kolbe Foundation, a nonprofit that runs the notorious facility. Mother-of-two Hartin, 32, insists she fired by accident as she was handing Superintendent Henry Jemmott back his service weapon last Friday morning. The two friends had been drinking on a wooden jetty close to her hotel when a single bullet struck Jemmott in the back of the head, causing the 6ft officer to topple off a pier in the luxury coastal enclave of Ambergris Caye. Hartin has been charged with manslaughter by negligence rather than murder or full-fledged manslaughter which means she could be let off with a short prison sentence or more likely a fine. Her influential attorney Godfrey Smith implored a magistrate in San Pedro, the island's only town, to release her during a closed-doors arraignment Sunday but the official sided with cops who said she was a major flight risk. Hartin will be transferred to the Belizean mainland by plane or boat in the next day or so, where she will settle into life in prison while Smith, the former attorney general of Belize, appeals to the Supreme Court to overturn the decision. Hartin has spent the past four days holed up in a tiny concrete cell at the stiflingly hot police and magistrates court complex in San Pedro, the tropical resort's only town. The jail houses both men and women, as well as youths, and has been featured on Netflix documentary series, Inside the World's Toughest Prisons. Pictured: Inmates at the BCP Nicknamed the 'Hattieville Ramada', it currently houses 1,041 prisoners, many of whom are forced to wait months or even years for trial, in austere, concrete cellblocks Inmates at the facility, which is run by the the Kolbe Foundation, are made to do farm work or other laborious tasks as they undergo strict religious instruction She was seen pictured behind bars by local media in Belize on Monday evening. Hartin, the common-law-spouse of the son of British billionaire Lord Michael Ashcroft, was taken into custody last Friday after Jemmott was fatally shot behind the ear with his own revolver. It comes as DailyMail.com revealed that Hartin, who was pictured in jail on Monday evening, could escape with just a fine. Local news reports indicate that Hartin had initially told police Jemmott had been shot by someone passing them in a boat. She clammed up when she was in police custody and summoned a lawyer, sources say. Hartin started cooperating with police after being told she was facing cocaine charges, according to 7 News Belize. Jemmott, who had arrived in San Pedro last week and was staying at a downtown hotel, had been fishing and visiting bars with a friend. In her statement to police, Hartin claims she invited the veteran officer to her apartment where the pair drank and discussed her personal security. She told cops they later walked a short distance to the wooden pier by the Mata Rocks hotel, which was closed because of the pandemic. Hartin told police that Jemmott said he was suffering from shoulder pain so she offered him a massage while he placed his service weapon on the dock. It was when she picked it up to pass it back to him that that loaded gun fired accidentally, according to the statement. The blonde socialite has spent the past four days holed up in a tiny concrete cell at the stiflingly hot police and magistrates court complex in San Pedro, the tropical resort's only town. She was pictured behind bars by local media on Monday evening Hartin was in custody in a holding cell at the San Pedro police station jail (pictured) which one local described as 'hell on earth' Hartin was found at the scene by a security guard 'hysterical' and covered in blood, but clammed up and summoned a lawyer once she was in police custody, sources said. The blonde socialite has spent the past four days holed up in a tiny concrete cell at the stiflingly hot police and magistrates court complex in San Pedro, the tropical resort's only town. Hartin was arraigned behind a cloak of secrecy on Monday in San Pedro, despite authorities insisting the glamorous mother-of-two would not receive any preferential treatment. Police abruptly ejected reporters and members of the public from the building before she was taken from the tiny, concrete holding cell to the court, one floor above, at around 3:30pm local time. Officers cited COVID social distancing rules that ban assemblies of more than ten people, though more than double that amount were stood in a waiting room earlier in the day. Hartin will spend another night in a squalid Belize jail cell after her attorney, Godfrey Smith, emerged from the courthouse late Monday saying his client had been denied bail. 'The charge is manslaughter by negligence. Bail has been denied. We appeal to the Supreme Court as is normal,' he said. Late on Thursday evening, Hartin left her luxury hotel, Alaia (pictured) and walked a short distance down a beach to a small wooden jetty to meet Jemmott Belize Police Superintendent Henry Jemmott, who had arrived in San Pedro last week and was staying at a downtown hotel, had been fishing and visiting bars with a friend before he was killed Police Commissioner Chester Williams said on Sunday morning that Hartin had given a statement under caution and a file was passed on to the Director of Public Prosecutions, Cheryl-Lynn Vidal. The punishment for manslaughter can be 'life' in prison - up to 25 years - in the Belizean criminal system. However, Hartin is facing a maximum of five years, sources told DailyMail.com. Sources with knowledge of the island's secretive justice system said the punishment could alternatively be just a fine of around $20,000 Belizean dollars, or $10,000 in US money. Another returned Australian has caught coronavirus from a next-door neighbour in hotel quarantine. The traveller caught the virus at the Pan Pacific hotel in Perth's CBD in Western Australia, becoming the latest victim of cross-contamination in quarantine. A man who arrived from Colombia via the US tested positive on May 23, and his neighbour returned a positive result with the same strain on May 29. Covid-19 has been passed to a returned Australian from a next door neighbour in hotel quarantine. The traveller caught the virus at the Pan Pacific hotel (pictured) in Perth's CBD in Western Australia Genomic sequencing confirmed the link between the two travellers, but authorities are still trying to establish how it was transferred, the West Australian reported. Staff and 12 other travellers on that floor tested negative to the virus, and the security guards are all vaccinated. 'It is just confined to that gentleman in the room next door,' WA chief health officer Andy Robertson said on Tuesday. 'Other travellers] were some distance away so it's fairly unlikely that they would have been infected. But we will be retesting them at day 17 and again at day 21 just to make sure as a precaution.' A chemical tanker (pictured) cook in Perth who was thought to have the virus has returned a negative result, as its revealed he was actually infected in April Meanwhile, a chemical tanker cook on a vessel moored in Perth who was thought to have the virus was revealed to have actually been infected in April. He was earlier reported by Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan to have tested positive to Covid and being an active case. 'Everyone wore the appropriate PPE,' Mr McGowan said at the time. 'We're advised the risk to Western Australia is very low, but the ship sailing obviously will reduce the pressure on our state.' He was taken off the ship and put in hotel quarantine, before further tests showed it was an old infection and he was no longer contagious. The sailor was discharged on Tuesday, with Mr McGowan saying plans for the tanker to leave port were underway. The Pan Pacific Hotel case is the second transmission that has occurred in the quarantine centre. A security guard at the hotel caught the virus at work and passed it on to two of his housemates last month. A ventilation report commissioned by the health department rated the hotel at 'moderate risk' of transmission because of its positive pressure rooms earlier this year. That was disputed by the hotel, which said every room is either negative or neutral pressure. What's Included With a Digital Only subscription, you'll receive unlimited access to our website and e-edition. Our digital products are available 24/7 and are accessible anywhere, anytime. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please call our customer service team at 319-283-2144 or email circ@oelweindailyregister.com. Grisly footage has emerged of stray dogs eating human remains washed up on the banks of an Indian river as crematoriums continue to buckle under the strain of the Covid crisis. Body parts, some of them half burnt, drifted onto banks of the river Bhagirathi in the town of Uttarkashi in Uttrakhand. One local resident said he was doing some painting by the river on Monday when he noticed the dogs 'gnawing and feeding on' the dead. 'I feel it's the death of humanity,' the man told NDTV as he appealed to the local government to address the pile up of corpses. Locals are worried that they may be Covid victims and that the disease could spread through the water or via the dogs which have been eating the bodies. Although India's infection rate has declined since it peaked in early May, with daily cases at more than 127,000 on Monday the daily death toll, averaging 3,500 over the last week, is believed to be a drastic underestimate. A dog is seen chewing on what is claimed to be human remains A stray dog is seen among human remains on the banks of the river Bhagirathi in the town of Uttarkashi in Uttrakhand Local workers in PPE attend to the crisis on the banks of the river Bhagirathi in the town of Uttarkashi in Uttrakhand The town of Uttarkashi lies on the banks of the river Bhagirathi in Uttrakhand state, northern India Many of the countries ghats, the steps at the edge of river where Hindus traditionally burn their dead, the crematoriums and cemeteries, have become overwhelmed. Crematoriums in New Delhi were last month running out of wood, such was the volume of dead each day. Ramesh Semwal, the municipality president in Uttarkashi, yesterday said he had ordered the local authorities to take care of the bodies in the river. 'During the last few days, the number of deaths has been increased in our area. I also came to know that bodies are not burnt properly so I have directed the administration to arrange at Kedar Ghat for the cremation of half-burnt bodies,' Semwal told NDTV. There was a similar instance of suspected coronavirus victims washing up on the banks of the River Ganges in the northern states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh last month. Footage also emerged yesterday which showed relatives wearing full PPE dumping a body into the Rapti River in Balrampur, Uttar Pradesh. Authorities believe that families of the dead may have been unable to find space to cremate their loved ones or not been able to afford the last rites. India has been fighting a serious third wave of coronavirus for the past month, and although the number of cases are starting to decline, the country faces an in increasing daily death toll for weeks to come. India has reported an official death toll of 331,895 - but analysis published by the New York Times last week said this figure was more likely to be 1.6 million. The paper projected that while this was the likely toll, the worst-case scenario could be as high as 4.2 million Covid deaths in the country of 1.4 billion. By comparison, Britain recorded just nine deaths on May 27 and more than 127,000 fatalities in total. The US has recorded about 590,000, also suspected to be an undercount, in a population of about 330 million. Vinod Paul, head of India's coronavirus task force, dismissed the study and said it was 'not backed by any evidence and is based on distorted estimates. 'Our [fatality] number is 0.05 per cent of those infected. They've said 0.3 per cent. Why? On what basis have you decided that it's 0.3 per cent of that large infection universe? There is no basis at all. Five people get together, make phone calls to each other and then throw this number. That's how this report has been done,' Mr Paul told NDTV. 'There may be some late reporting of deaths but there's no intent of any state or the Centre. If I apply the same three times yardstick to New York, then there would be 50,000 deaths. But they say it's 16,000. So this is distorted,' he added. Stephen Cole, 32, has been detained indefinitely A Schizophrenic Travelodge guest who had stopped taking his medication when he bludgeoned a receptionist to death with a set of hair-clippers has been detained indefinitely. Marta Vento was 'taken entirely by surprise' when Stephen Cole launched the attack in the foyer of the hotel in Bournemouth, Dorset, during her night shift. Today it emerged Cole had been released from jail two months before the Travelodge attack in December 2020 and had a history of violence. Cole, 32, grabbed the 27-year-old receptionist then chased her into an alcove before repeatedly punching and kicking her to death during the 'senseless' assault. The hotel guest, who has severe schizophrenia, had run out of his medication and suffered from delusions including believing 'smoke detectors were surveying him'. Doctors assessing Cole suggested his attack 'was a sudden and impulsive decision and caused by the way she smiled and looked at him'. The prosecutor also said that Cole had been staying at the hotel, with his bill being paid by his parents, only after being kicked out of another after attacking two guests just days earlier. Judge Angela Morris ordered the defendant to be detained without limit under the Mental Health Act and highlighted the 'irreversible failures' made by those who did not spot his deteriorating psychiatric state in the weeks beforehand. Sentencing Cole at Winchester Crown Court today, the judge: '[Ms Vento] was killed by you in what can only be described as a brutal, sustained and horrific attack in circumstances where she was utterly defenceless in the 42 minutes it took you to extinguish her life. 'She died alone, with no one able to help or save her.' Miss Vento's father has since demanded answers from authorities as to how Cole was allowed to carry out the attack. Receptionist Marta Vento, 27, was 'taken entirely by surprise' when Cole launched the attack in the hotel foyer during her night shift 'He has taken the greatest treasure that any family can have': Heartbreaking reaction of Miss Vento's family Miss Vento (pictured) was originally from Valencia in Spain Luis Elena-Blas, Miss Vento's father, said the death has traumatised their tight-knit family. His wife Rosa, Miss Vento's mother, had such a 'powerful connection' with her that they 'knew what each other was thinking' and has been left devastated. Mr Elena-Blas said: 'I have little to say about myself because I'm empty, I have no desire to keep living. 'We try to keep the ruins of a happy family still going. 'After my first shift [back at work] I suffered a nervous breakdown, I've lost my self esteem and had suicidal thoughts.' Mr Elena-Blas also told how he wants to 'identify the people responsible for protecting [Cole] and allowed him to carry out that attack'. Miss Vento's brother, Luis Elena Vento, added: 'I have no words to describe the pain I have endured. 'It's one of the worst forms of torture I can think of. 'Nothing will ever be the same again. A family's youngest girl is gone, they have taken the greatest treasure that any family can have.' Advertisement Miss Vento, originally from Valencia in Spain, was pronounced dead having been found covered in blood by horrified guests at 7.30am. Distressing CCTV played to the court showed the 'prolonged' attack. Cole, who could be seen with the back of his head shaved, was holding a pair of hair clippers during the assault. Prosecutor Tom Wright said: 'She was taken entirely by surprise... There was a lot of blood in the aftermath of the incident.' Citing the evidence of a doctor who assessed Cole, Mr Wright added: 'He was suffering with schizophrenia which led to abnormal functioning. 'He was suffering persecutory delusions, auditory hallucinations and disorganised thinking and behaviour and that abnormality would have impaired his judgement and self control. 'He [doctor who assessed Cole] implied it was a sudden and impulsive decision and caused by the way she smiled and looked at her. 'He was annoyed and believed that she looked down on him. 'He thought he was being looked down on by staff and the guests and it seemed to manifest in how he behaved to the deceased. 'He thought that the smoke detectors were surveying him and people were knocking on his window.' Mr Wright added that Cole also said the act was a way of alerting the emergency services so 'he would get the treatment he needed'. Cole remained in the foyer for no apparent reason after the attack, returned to his room to clean himself up, then reported himself at Bournemouth police station before later being sectioned under the Mental Health Act. Cole told officers: 'I have just killed someone in a hotel, I think she worked there... I haven't been getting any sleep, I've had no sleep in six days.' Mr Wright said Cole had been checked on by an offender management team in the weeks before the incident and had been described as 'becoming agitated'. Robert Grey, defending, said: 'It's plain he demonstrated remorse as he went to the police station and told them what he had just done.' Mr Grey said when Cole ran out of medication he and his father tried to source more but were unable. 'He knew he needed it but ran into difficulties getting it, he did try and get it but it was not easy for him', Mr Grey said. He added: 'There's no doubt that he suffers from a very serious illness.' Distressing CCTV played to the court showed the 'prolonged' attack at the Travelodge in Bournemouth, Dorset It was heard Cole was released from jail in October, having been convicted of three indecent exposures in the summer of 2020, and 'struggled to function'. He also had a previous offence of battery on his mother in 2018. The Recorder of Winchester Angela Morris said there were 'irreversible failures' in the lead up Cole's 'brutal, sustained and horrific' assault on Miss Vento. She had 'no idea of the fate which was to befell her', Judge Morris said. Judge Morris said: 'She was relentlessly beaten and violently attacked in such a manner that she was not able to breathe while unconscious. She died alone, with no one able to help or save her. 'How this young woman who had all of her life ahead of her came to be in your path on that fateful morning is a combination of circumstances and an irreversible failure by some to spot the signs of your psychiatric deterioration, despite you and your father trying to obtain the anti-psychotic medication you so desperately needed. 'Sadly the warning signs were not heeded in time to stop this tragedy. 'It goes without saying that the consequences for her family are devastating. They now have to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives. 'She was a bright and vibrant human being and her loss will be felt forever.' Judge Morris imposed a hospital order without limits. She added: 'You will need to be treated in a secure hospital for a very long time.' Cole, who admitted manslaughter on the basis of partial diminished responsibility, will remain at a unit in Fareham, Hampshire. Advertisement Canadian socialite Jasmine Hartin only confessed to accidentally shooting dead a prominent police officer in Belize after authorities told her she would be charged with cocaine possession, local news reports say. Hartin, who is married to the son of British billionaire Lord Michael Ashcroft, is charged with manslaughter by negligence in the shooting death of 42-year-old Superintendent Henry Jemmott. The 38-year-old was taken into custody last Friday after Jemmott was fatally shot behind the ear with his own revolver. It comes as DailyMail.com revealed that Hartin, who was pictured in jail on Monday evening, could escape with just a fine. Local news reports indicate that Hartin had initially told police Jemmott had been shot by someone passing them in a boat. She clammed up when she was in police custody and summoned a lawyer, sources say. Hartin started cooperating with police after being told she was facing cocaine charges, according to 7 News Belize. Jemmott, who had arrived in San Pedro last week and was staying at a downtown hotel, had been fishing and visiting bars with a friend. The blonde socialite has spent the past four days holed up in a tiny concrete cell at the stiflingly hot police and magistrates court complex in San Pedro, the tropical resort's only town. She was pictured behind bars by local media on Monday evening Jasmine Hartin is pictured with her husband Andrew Ashcroft at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for their new resort on May 7 Belize Police Superintendent Henry Jemmott, who had arrived in San Pedro last week and was staying at a downtown hotel, had been fishing and visiting bars with a friend before he was killed In her statement to police, Hartin claims she invited the veteran officer to her apartment where the pair drank and discussed her personal security. She told cops they later walked a short distance to the wooden pier by the Mata Rocks hotel, which was closed because of the pandemic. Hartin told police that Jemmott said he was suffering from shoulder pain so she offered him a massage while he placed his service weapon on the dock. It was when she picked it up to pass it back to him that that loaded gun fired accidentally, according to the statement. Hartin was found at the scene by a security guard 'hysterical' and covered in blood, but clammed up and summoned a lawyer once she was in police custody, sources said. The blonde socialite has spent the past four days holed up in a tiny concrete cell at the stiflingly hot police and magistrates court complex in San Pedro, the tropical resort's only town. Hartin was arraigned behind a cloak of secrecy on Monday in San Pedro, despite authorities insisting the glamorous mother-of-two would not receive any preferential treatment. Police abruptly ejected reporters and members of the public from the building before she was taken from the tiny, concrete holding cell to the court, one floor above, at around 3:30pm local time. Officers cited COVID social distancing rules that ban assemblies of more than ten people, though more than double that amount were stood in a waiting room earlier in the day. Hartin will spend another night in a squalid Belize jail cell after her attorney, Godfrey Smith, emerged from the courthouse late Monday saying his client had been denied bail. 'The charge is manslaughter by negligence. Bail has been denied. We appeal to the Supreme Court as is normal,' he said. Police Commissioner Chester Williams said on Sunday morning that Hartin had given a statement under caution and a file was passed on to the Director of Public Prosecutions, Cheryl-Lynn Vidal. The punishment for manslaughter can be 'life' in prison - up to 25 years - in the Belizean criminal system. However, Hartin is facing a maximum of five years, sources told DailyMail.com. Sources with knowledge of the island's secretive justice system said the punishment could alternatively be just a fine of around $20,000 Belizean dollars, or $10,000 in US money. Police are trying to understand how Henry Jemmott ended up dead, shot with his own police service weapon; a single bullet hole piercing the skin behind his right ear Jasmine Hartin was drinking with Jemmott before he died. She was pictured handling a gun at a shooting range in an image local news outlets said was taken from her Facebook profile nine years ago One of the officer's sisters, Marie Jemmott Tzul, told DailyMail.com on Sunday night that Hartin was about to be charged and would make her first court appearance within days. 'I got a call, but they did not say what she was going to be charged with,' said Marie, 55. Hartin told investigators the Glock pistol went off accidentally as she handed it to Jemmott, according to local reports. The Belize Police Department Police could not be reached to discuss the report. An officer who was among the first on the scene suggested that Jemmott fell on to Hartin after he was shot, and he fell into the water when she pushed him off. Marie, a retired social worker, told DailyMail.com: 'I haven't seen the news because I'm so overwhelmed and devastated by my brother's death. 'I can't can speculate over whether they will bail her or she will stay in prison, because I don't know the charge yet. 'What I would say to Jasmine is, give closure to the family. Tell us what happened. We want to know for the benefit of our family. He was my only brother. 'He had five children and a partner for 14 years. Every time I look at my nieces and my nephews I break down and cry. Please tell us what happened.' Jemmott was said to have been taking a few days to relax at the resort after having relationship issues and taking leave from work for 'personal matters'. His family have denied any romantic connection between Jemmott and Hartin, and said the officer was good friends with the whole Ashcroft family. Hartin and Andrew Ashcroft are referred to as husband as wife on their hotels website but its not clear whether they are legally married, or are merely in what is often termed a common law marriage in Belize. Jemmott's family had previously rubbished suggestions that the officer took his own life, despite claims he was experiencing marital problems. His family said they do not know why the 'cautious' officer would have ventured out from his room after 10pm, breaching the country's COVID curfew. Hartin was in custody in a holding cell at the San Pedro police station jail which one local described as 'hell on earth' Police tape marks the area where the shooting took place on Friday morning Jemmott's body is seen being brought to shore on Friday morning after it was seen floating in the sea earlier that day His sister Cherry Jemmott, 48, an Assistant Superintendent with Belize Police, told DailyMail.com: 'My brother would never ever kill himself. He had his plans. In September he was to be promoted to Senior Superintendent and he was to be transferred to another unit. My brother is a very top cop with a big dream. She added: 'He had a gunshot behind his ear like an assassination. He is so skillful after 24 years [as an officer], he would never have left his guard down. He was a top cop. I don't know how he let down his guard to be shot with his own gun.' Cherry said a security guard heard a single shot. Cherry said she believes her brother, whose nickname was King because he was his parents' only son, and Hartin knew each other because she does business in San Pedro and he was the officer in charge of the area two to three years ago. Hartin's husband, Andrew Ashcroft, 43, has lived in Belize for over 20 years, he said. His father is Lord Ashcroft, a well-known British political donor and former deputy chairman of the British Conservative Party Meanwhile, Henry Jemmott's niece, Renisha Martinez, wrote on Facebook: 'I know for a fact my uncle would never do a suicide. He was murdered and we need justice. That man loved his job so much that he wouldn't even take days off!' She added: 'First and foremost my Uncle is a dedicated man when it comes to his job. He is a caring and supporting dad, uncle and friend. He loved being out and working hard. He believed that hard work came with a lot of discipline. 'My uncle was a great man in my eyes and anybody else who knows him would feel how I feel.' Hartin and her husband, Andrew Ashcroft, share two children together. They spend much of their time in Belize, where they own a luxury hotel named Alaia. It only opened for business earlier this month. Belize Police Commissioner Chester Williams confirmed the two were alone, drinking alcohol, and breaking the island's 10pm to 5am COVID curfew when the shooting occurred. 'They were both fully dressed,' he told reporters. 'They were known to each other. They were drinking for a couple of hours before the incident occurred.' He added that the incident appeared to be 'rather personal and not an attack' and the pair were friends who had been drinking at the time. Hartin was in custody in a holding cell at the San Pedro police station jail which one local described as 'hell on earth'. Henry Jemmott's sister, Assistant Superintendent Cherry Jemmott, 48, are pictured together at a holiday party in 2019. She told DailyMail.com that her brother would never have taken her own life 'This is not justice.' Sister of Belize cop shot dead by Jasmine Hartin slams decision to only charge her with manslaughter by negligence The sister of the prominent police officer shot dead by socialite Jasmine Hartin has slammed the decision to charge her with manslaughter by negligence - telling DailyMail.com: 'this is not justice.' 'It's not right. It's not right. The family will feel really bad. This is not justice,' said his sister Cherry Jemmott, who is also an assistant superintendent in the Belize Police. 'My brother will have a state funeral on June 12. He gave 24 years to the police. And this is the value they put on his life?' Cherry, 48, said Hartin should have been charged with murder then taken to trial where it would be up to a jury to determine whether the killing was manslaughter. 'Within seven working days she will get bail, I predict it. She can afford it. 'The people can see what is going on here, they are already saying it,' she added, referring to a flood of social media posts complaining that Hartin was 'let off' because of her connections to the ultra-rich expat community. 'I can't say too much because of my position but it's not fair. Something is not right. 'He was our only boy. She took his life. She deprived him of his family. She deprived us of his love.' Advertisement He added: 'She is a lady who is used to luxury. Whenever you see her she is always perfectly dressed, her children are always perfect. She is a nice lady, very polite and beautiful. I can't imagine her in there. I have been inside that jail. The cell floors are made of dirt and the whole place smells of urine.' In the bars and coffee shops around downtown San Pedro, speculation about what had happened was rife. 'I've heard lots of theories,' one woman told Daily Mail. 'That they were drinking and maybe she was playing around with his gun and it accidentally went off. Or maybe they were playing a game and she didn't think it was loaded. I don't think he killed himself because you wouldn't shoot yourself behind your right ear.' According to one source, a local security guard raced to the scene when he heard the gunshot and alerted police who arrived to find Hartin 'deeply distressed and shaking'. The police commissioner confirmed Hartin had been found with blood on her hands, arms and clothing. Another unconfirmed report claimed she told the first officers on the scene the gunshot had come 'from a passing boat'. One source offered a potential explanation for Hartin being covered in blood. 'After the gun went off, Jemmott fell on top of her and so she pushed him off and that's how he ended up in the shallow water by the pier,' he suggested. 'His gun was found there on the pier. People have been speculating there was some sort of romantic relationship between them but I don't believe that, the family doesn't think that. I knew Henry [Jemmott], he was a big bear of a man, grossly overweight. 'He's a good guy and I know he was friends with several members of the Ashcroft family. He got to know them well when he was living here on the island. It's a small island, we all know each other.' Belize Police Commissioner Chester Williams said: 'The first person who arrived on the scene after the incident occurred said that she was in an emotional state. When she was detained last night she was not co-operating. 'She stated that she needed to have her attorney present in order for her to say what she needs to say, and it's her right by virtue of the constitution, but that raises a red flag. The situation is such that it does require an explanation from her. In the absence of an explanation then she would have to be treated as the killer and we will proceed accordingly. 'His body was recovered from the water. His weapon was recovered at the scene. The investigation is ongoing. It is too early to speculate but I can assure you that if any crime has been committed whoever did it will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.' Late on Thursday evening, Hartin left her luxury hotel, Alaia (pictured) and walked a short distance down a beach to a small wooden jetty to meet Jemmott Lord Ashcroft has business interests in Belize. Pictured: Lord Ashcroft and Lord Steinberg in the Robing Room of the House of Lords Lord Ashcroft, 75, a former deputy chairman of the British Conservative Party and philanthropist, has invested heavily in Belize for decades and has dual Belizean and British citizenship. Lord Ashcroft's long-time lawyer, the nation's former attorney general Godfrey Smith, was seen visiting the prison on Friday afternoon after flying in from mainland Belize. It is not known whether she will appoint her own criminal lawyer and provide an explanation. The shooting has stunned islanders who say the Ashcroft family has been part of the fabric of Belize formally British Honduras for generations. Lord Ashcroft was raised there as a child and returned in the early 1980s, took Belizean citizenship and built up a series of hugely successful businesses including banks, telecommunications firms and tourism ventures. 'Lord Ashcroft spent most of COVID here in Belize,' said a source. 'He only left a short while ago. 'The Ashcrofts are integral to Belize. Many people are grateful to Lord Ashcroft for all the millions he has invested in this country. 'He has created thousands of jobs but, like anywhere, there is also some resentment and a lot of politics going on. 'He is embedded in the culture and has made a lot of money from his businesses here and some people aren't happy about that.' The Ashcroft's latest venture in partnership with hotel giant Marriott is the gleaming new hotel Alaia, which was completed during lockdown and opened just three weeks ago. The Ashcrofts are also building a condominium building on nearby land. 'That hasn't broken ground yet,' said a source. 'But Andrew remains committed to Belize. This is his home and it is where he is raising his kids. 'He used to have a different accent but now he sounds like a local. He loves this island and he does everything to fit in. The new hotel has created 300 jobs for the island. We love him. This has all come as a terrible shock.' Republican Rep. Pete Meijer appeared to condemn members of his own party as 'treacherous snakes' in a Memorial Day message that accused them of 'salivating for civil war.' Meijer, a U.S. Army veteran who served in Iraq and as a conflict analyst in Afghanistan, voted to impeach President Trump after the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol and his latest broadside followed calls by some Trump supporters to secede from the United States. 'I struggle with Memorial Day,' he wrote in the first of string of tweets that criticized the 'holier than thous' deploying 'hot takes.' 'And then there are those who take this sacrifice for granted, waxing patriotic while salivating for civil war. 'Claiming they need to destroy the Republic in order to save it in the ultimate betrayal of oaths sworn. Those treacherous snakes can go straight to hell.' Meijer was among those urging Republican Senators to back a 9/11-style commission to investigate the Jan. 6 violence. Rep. Pete Meijer used a Memorial Day message to apparently unload on members of his own party, describing them as 'treacherous snakes' for claiming they had to 'destroy the Republic in order to save it Meijer, who served in Iraq as a non-commissioned officer and as a conflict analyst in Afghanistan, hit out at people taking 'sacrifice for granted, waxing patriotic while salivating for civil war.' He said rejection would set back the aim of healing party divisions. 'A lot of folks might dismiss [the inquiry] as a product of the swamp, as tainted in one way, shape or form, but it would be the closest we could get to something that may be factual, that may clear away some of the fantasies, some of the fictions surrounding January 6 and the events preceding it,' he told CNN last month. In the wake of the attack, he said he was altering his routine and thinking about buying body armor for his protection. 'I have colleagues who are now traveling with armed escorts out of fear for their safety. Many of us are altering routines,' he told MSNBC at the time. 'I'm working to get body armor, which is a reimbursable purchase that we can make.' His latest comments come amid continuing fall-out from Jan. 6 and as former President Trump continues to exert a tight hold over the party. House Republicans dumped Liz Cheney out of her leadership position last month because of her continuing criticism of Trump. In the aftermath of the Jan. 6 attack, Meijer said he had altered his daily routine and was looking into buying body armor for his protection And for every attack by the likes of former House Speaker Paul Ryan - who last week said: 'If the conservative cause depends on the populist appeal of one personality, or on second-rate imitations, then we're not going anywhere' - there is a string of Trump loyalists ready to punch back. But Meijer 33-year-old congressman from Grand Rapids, Michigan, may have been targeting someone close to home with his tweets. Michigan Republican Party co-chair Meshawn Maddock played with the idea of Michigan seceding in a Facebook post that showed her posing for a photograph with Brexit leader Nigel Farage. 'Maybe it's time for a #MIexit,' she wrote, describing Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer - a favorite target of Trump supporters - as 'tyrannical.' Richard 'Bigo' Barnett was arrested on January 8 for his role in the US Capitol riots two days prior A Capitol rioter is appealing for donations for his legal fund by selling photos of himself with his feet in Nancy Pelosi's desk for $100. Richard 'Bigo' Barnett, 60, from Gravette, Arkansas, set up a website asking for money where he will send personally inscribed autographed photos of himself from the January 6 insurrection. The website states: 'Richard Barnett's picture at Speaker Pelosi's desk has become the face of the new anti-federalist movement.' In addition, 'as a token of his appreciation for contributions of $25 or more', Barnett will email a copy of the court filing that led to his release in jail, The Arkansas Democrat Gazette reported. His attorney Joseph McBridge said: 'We are raising money to ensure a robust defense against the biggest prosecution in the Department of Justice's storied history because the poor and middle class should not lose on the legal battlefield for lack of money.' Barnett was allegedly armed with a stun gun when he broke into Pelosi's office and left her a note calling her a 'biatch'. Barnett is appealing for donations for his legal fund by selling photos of himself with his feet in Nancy Pelosi's desk for $100 On his fundraising website, he claims: 'On Jan. 4, 2021, Richard Barnett set out for Washington, D.C., to make his case for independence from tyranny because like many other Americans he believed the result of the November 2020 presidential election was an intolerable one. 'On Jan. 6, Richard marched over to the Capitol building after President Trump's speech ended, not because President Trump asked him to, but because Richard wanted to exercise his First Amendment right to petition his government for redress of grievance and have his voice heard.' He said he was 'swept inside the open doors' by the crowd and 'ended up' in Pelosi's office where he 'put his feet up on one of the desks, smiled for the reporter's camera, and left her a non-threatening note that the prosecutors purposely misquoted in court papers'. Barnett claims his actions were not criminal and was merely a legitimate protest, claiming he did not injure anyone or cause any damage. He went through the Democratic speaker's mail and left her a message He continued: 'Richard is also asking for the support of persons who object to the narrative that the 75 million people who voted for President Trump are uneducated, non-sophisticated, ignorant, voiceless, penniless and afraid. 'He's asking for the support of those [who] agree with the absolute fact that the vast majority of the people who went to the Capitol on January 6th did so peacefully and did not participate in an insurrection. In fact, no one was ever charged with insurrection.' Last month, he was freed from jail after filing a bizarre motion comparing himself to Black Lives Matter protesters. 'The events that took place on January 6, 2021, did not occur in a vacuum,' Barnett's legal motion reads. 'On May 25, 2020, the world watched as George Floyd was murdered by the government on national television. 'Immediately thereafter, protest broke out across the United States. People simply had enough, and for a moment, the entire world agreed that Black Lives Mattered more than ever before.' Defense attorneys representing Barnett are now claiming he wrote 'biatch' instead of 'b****,' which they said is not as bad The legal motion continued: 'Out of tragedy, something very beautiful began to take place. Change was coming - and it would happen through us.' The judge asked McBridge to 'clear up' the connection with BLM protests, and McBride responded that the MAGA riot at the US Capitol was preceded by several protests throughout 2020. He said that those arrested during BLM demonstrations were granted release. The judge responded that he didn't see the relevance to Barnett's case but he ruled Tuesday that Barnett should be granted house detention. In seeking to reverse an earlier court ruling that kept Barnett in jail pending his trial, his attorney claimed that he is not a threat to society because he used the word 'biatch' and not 'b****' in his letter to the speaker. The government is claiming the letter read, 'Hey Nancy, Bigo was here b****',' but the defense attorneys are arguing it actually said, 'Hey Nancy, Bigo was here 'biatch.' 'On information and belief, the 'd' was meant to be two letters a 'c' and 'h'; with the 'c' connected to the 'h' to spell 'biatch', which is a slang and less offensive word for 'b****',' the lawyers write. They included a link to a definition for the term from FreeDictionary.com in their motion. The website defines 'biatch' as 'rude slang, a variant of b**** used as a term of endearment or disparagement from another person.' 'As such,' the motion continues, 'Richard now asks this court to look past and ultimately disregard the government's distorted representations, which do not rise to the level of showing "dangerousness" and grant Richard pretrial release as required by law.' The claim directly contrasts a video taken after the raid in which Barnett, of Arkansas, could be seen proudly proclaiming that he wrote, 'Nancy, Bigo was here b****.' But the lawyers representing Barnett in federal court further claimed in their motion on Friday that the government purposely distorted the verbiage of the note because it could not legally keep him detained. 'The government's misrepresentation of Exhibit 7 is its latest deliberate attempt to mislead this court by casting Mr. Barnett in the worst possible light in order to ensure that pretrial release is not granted in this case,' the lawyers wrote in the motion. 'The government has also utterly failed in demonstrating a specific articulated future threat of danger to the community.' Barnett did not coordinate or plan the attack on the Capitol, they argue, and alleged the stun gun he is said to have carried was really just a 'collapsible walking stick.' The two lawyers asked for him to be released until his trial on federal charges of knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, violent entry and disorderly conduct. US District Judge Christopher Cooper agreed with Barnett's attorneys that federal prosecutors failed to show that he was a threat to public safety. Barnett's release comes with several conditions, including home detention. He is to wear an ankle monitor at all times and is not permitted to travel outside a 50-mile radius from his hometown of Gravette, Arkansas. Barnett is also not permitted to possess firearms or any other weapons. His passport has been revoked and he is barred from applying for a new one. He is also not permitted to associate with anyone from the January 6 riot at the US Capitol. In arguing for Barnett's release, McBride also claimed that Barnett removed the batteries out of a walking stick stun gun that he allegedly carried with him to the Capitol. Cooper challenged McBride's assertion, asking how he would know that. McBride said that the government has yet to present evidence that the stun gun, which was never recovered, had its lights on on January 6. Barnett was arrested for his role in the riots on Jan. 8 in Bentonville, Arkansas, and has remained in a federal detention center in D.C. ever since. A muscle-bound bikie dressed only in his tight white underwear has been rescued from an alleged six-hour kidnapping ordeal by heavily-armed police. Tactical officers swooped on a burning factory before dragging eight men outside and arresting them over the alleged $2 million abduction plot. Police also slapped cuffs on three more men in the hours that followed after rushing to an industrial warehouse on Marigold Street in Sydney's Revesby in the city's south-west. The man at the centre of the bizarre raid was former Lone Wolf bikie Dillon Mancuso, 37, who calmly rested on a police vehicle wearing white briefs when the ordeal was over. The man at the centre of the bizarre raid was former Lone Wolf bikie Dillon Mancuso, 37, who calmly rested on a police vehicle wearing white briefs when the ordeal was over Investigators allege a group of men - one armed with a gun - forced their way into a home in Bringelly in Sydney's far south-west about 3am on Tuesday and confronted Mancuso, and a 61-year-old man who were inside. The gang allegedly assaulted the older man before bundling the younger man into a waiting vehicle outside the Jersey Road home. Police set up a perimeter around the warehouse and negotiated with the alleged kidnappers to release the Mancuso into police custody, who was allegedly being held for a $2million ransom, the Daily Telegraph reported. He was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries to his head, ribs and face. The 61-year-old man suffered only minor injuries. NSW Police alleged the Revesby warehouse was then set on fire before eight men were taken down by tactical officers. Another three men were arrested after arriving in a vehicle at the warehouse during the police operation. Heavily-armed tactical police swooped on a burning factory before dragging eight men outside and arresting them over an alleged kidnapping Police also slapped cuffs on three more men in the hours that followed after being called to an industrial warehouse on Marigold Street in Sydney's Revesby in the city's south-west Fire and Rescue NSW was called to the scene to extinguish the blaze. The men were taken to Liverpool and Bankstown police stations, where charges are expected to be laid. A nearby office worker at an adjacent warehouse described the dramatic raid as it played out in the middle of the day. 'I looked out the window and three cop cars were blocking the driveway and calling for the people in the unit to come out,' the witness said. 'We sort of saw it coming. Those guys had been rolling around for a few months bringing in motorbikes and exotic cars and making a lot of noise.' Fire can be seen billowing from the warehouse where a 37-year-old was allegedly being held Investigators allege a group of men - one armed with a firearm - forced their way into a home in Bringelly in Sydney's far south-west at about 3am on Tuesday and confronted a 37-year-old and a 61-year-old man who were inside Detective Superintendent Andrew Koutsoufis, robbery and serious crime squad commander, said 'at this stage it appears there are some organised crime and bikie-related links'. 'The level of violence towards the alleged victim was quite severe and concerning. We believe it was completely targeted,' he added. He said inquiries were continuing and the investigation was still in its infancy. Mancuso is facing charges including dealing with the proceeds of crime after Federal Police seized more than $1 million cash and three luxury cars valued at more than $100,000 each last year. Pictured: Marigold Street in Revesby. Tactical Operations Unit officers and police negotiators carried out inquiries before converging on an industrial warehouse on the suburban road The US could be hit with beef shortages and price rises after the world's largest meat producer was forced to close all of its plants due to a cyber attack which the White House has blamed on Russian hackers. JBS - which supplies 20 per cent of all beef and pork in the US - warned the Memorial Day weekend hack could disrupt its supply chains and increase prices up up to 30 per cent. JBS received a demand from 'a criminal organization likely based in Russia' following the attack that has affected its operations in Australia and North America, White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said on Tuesday. The Department of Agriculture has asked other major meat processors to increase capacity and mitigate potential beef supply issues due to the country's reliance on JBS production lines. All nine of the company's beef plants in the country have shut down as a result of the cyber attack, according to the United & Food and Commercial Workers, which represents employees at the plants. It is unclear when those plants will resume operations. The company has two plants in Nebraska, and one each in Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Utah, Texas and Arizona. 'We have cybersecurity plans in place to address these types of issues... the vast majority of our beef, pork, poultry and prepared foods plants will be operational tomorrow,' Andre Nogueira, JBS chief in the United States, said in a statement Tuesday. The company statement did not say if any ransom had been paid. The Greeley, Colorado-based JBS meat packing plant is photographed in April 2020. It is one of nine company plants in the United States that announced that it canceled its shifts on Tuesday due to a cyber attack allegedly launched by hackers in Russia The image above shows an aerial view of the JBS meat processing plant in Ottumwa, Iowa, which was also forced to suspend operations on Tuesday due to the attack The attack also caused JBS's Australian operations to shut down on Monday. JBS sells meat under 52 different brand names in the US, including Certified Angus Beef, 5 Star Reserve, Blue Ribbon Angus Beef and Pilgrim's. A spokesman said the firm notified the Biden administration and that the Federal Bureau of Investigation has launched an inquiry. 'On Sunday, May 30, JBS USA determined that it was the target of an organized cybersecurity attack, affecting some of the servers supporting its North American and Australian IT systems,' it said in a Monday statement. The Department of Agriculture said in a statement: 'USDA has reached out to several major meat processors in the United States to ensure they are aware of the situation, encouraging them to accommodate additional capacity where possible, and to stress the importance of keeping supply moving.' The Biden administration, meanwhile, has reportedly offered assistance to JBS. White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that the administration is 'engaging directly with the Russian government on this matter and delivering the message that responsible states do not harbor ransomware criminals.' DailyMail.com has reached out to the Russian government seeking comment. JBS controls about 20 per cent of the slaughtering capacity for US cattle and hogs, according to industry estimates. A JBS meat packing facility in seen above in Cactus, Texas in this February 2018 file photo The JBS meat processing facility in Worthington, Minnesota is pictured above in September 2019. It, too, suspended shifts on Tuesday due to the cyber attack JBS reported the incident a few weeks after a ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline, the largest fuel pipeline in the United States, crippled fuel delivery for several days in the US Southeast. That hack caused days of misery for drivers, as fuel pumps ran dry amid panic-buying of gas. A $4.4 million ransom was paid after the May 7 attack, their CEO confirmed. The attack on JBS also comes at a time of rising meat prices as China increases imports, food costs rise and plants continue to face labor shortages that started during the COVID-19 pandemic. The cyberattack could push US beef prices even higher by tightening supplies, said Brad Lyle, chief financial officer for consultancy Partners for Production Agriculture. The average unit price for US fresh beef in April rose by 5 per cent from March and was up about 10 per cent from a year earlier, according to NielsenIQ data. Pork and chicken prices are each up about 5.4 per cent from last year. US inventories of frozen beef at the end of April were 5 per cent lower than a year earlier, while frozen pork supplies were down 26 per cent, according to the US Department of Agriculture. Any impact on consumers would depend on how long production is impacted, said Matthew Wiegand, a risk management consultant and commodity broker at FuturesOne in Nebraska. 'If it lingers for multiple days, you see some food service shortages,' Wiegand said. 'The good thing is that this happened after Memorial Day. You are on the downhill side of summer demand and summer bookings.' Two kill and fabrication shifts had been canceled at JBS's beef plant in Greeley, Colorado, due to the cyber attack, representatives of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union Local 7 said in an e-mail. JBS Beef in Cactus, Texas, also said on Facebook it would not run on Tuesday - updating an early post that had said the plant would run as normal. The United States Cattlemen's Association, an industry group, said on Twitter that it had reports of JBS redirecting livestock haulers who arrived at plants and were to unload animals for slaughter. Last year, cattle and hogs backed up on US farms and some animals were euthanized when meat plants shut due to COVID-19 outbreaks among workers. JBS Canada said in a Facebook post that shifts had been canceled at its plant in Brooks, Alberta, on Monday and one shift so far had been canceled on Tuesday. White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre (pictured on May 26) said that the administration is 'engaging directly with the Russian government on this matter and delivering the message that responsible states do not harbor ransomware criminals.' Scott Payne, spokesman for United Food and Commercial Workers Canada Union Local 401, said: 'There are no unionized workers there. That means effectively the plant's operations have shut for the day.' The JBS packaging facility in Belleville, Ontario - where beef, pork and salmon are prepared for grocery stores - was operating normally, said Tim Deelstra, a spokesman for UFCW Canada Local 175. In Australia, JBS's entire beef and lamb kills were cancelled across the nation, affecting facilities in Queensland, Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania. JBS said in a statement that the 'organized cybersecurity attack' was detected on Sunday, 'affecting some of the servers supporting its North American and Australian IT systems.' JBS's pork production facility in Beardstown, Illinoi They continued: 'The company took immediate action, suspending all affected systems, notifying authorities and activating the company's global network of IT professionals and third-party experts to resolve the situation. 'The company's backup servers were not affected, and it is actively working with an Incident Response firm to restore its systems as soon as possible.' JBS said they did not believe that 'any customer, supplier or employee data has been compromised or misused as a result of the situation.' The company warned that delays may be likely. 'Resolution of the incident will take time, which may delay certain transactions with customers and suppliers,' they said. JBS, which has its North American operations headquartered in Greeley, Colorado did not respond to additional questions about the cyberattack. A representative in Sao Paulo said the company's Brazilian operations were not impacted. A JBS beef plant in Grand Island, Nebraska, said only workers in maintenance and shipping were scheduled to work on Tuesday due to the cyberattack. Colonial CEO Joseph Blount admitted to paying the hackers $4.4 million just hours after the attack crippled key systems in the company - yet the pipeline remained offline for a week The attack on Colonial Pipeline, which transports 45 percent of the East Coast's fuel supply, was the largest assault on US energy infrastructure in history 'We continue to work through the situation and will keep you informed regarding production on Wednesday,' the Facebook post from Grand Island, Nebraska, said. The JBS cyberattack spurred a new round of support for improved cyber security. Congressman Rick Crawford, an Arkansas Republican, called for a bipartisan effort to secure food and cyber security. 'Cyber security is synonymous with national security, and so is food security,' he wrote on Twitter. Paul Rosenzweig, a former senior Department of Homeland Security official, told USA Today that the attacks on an oil pipeline and then a meat supplier 'shows that nothing is safe.' 'Not the meatpacking industry, not the chemical industry, not the wastewater treatment industry... Nothing,' he said. 'And the only way to be safe in this world is to unplug completely. And you can't do that and be economically competitive.' Rosenzweig, a Cybersecurity and Emerging Threats senior fellow at the non-partisan R Street Institute public policy research organization in Washington, said that the success of the Colonial Pipeline cyberattack has emboldened hackers. 'Until they actually pay consequences, they'll keep doing it,' he said. 'I mean, the Colonial guys got away with $50 million or whatever it was not bad for a week's work. 'Who knows what the JBS guys might get away with? 'So long as the internet is a place of anonymity, the criminals will be able to act with impunity. 'And why would they stop?' Italian mafia boss Giovanni Brusca, whose grisly crimes include dissolving a boy's body in acid, has been released from prison this week after a 25-year reduced sentence. The notorious Sicilian mafia turncoat, 64, has confessed his role in more than 100 murders, including the assassination of anti-mafia judge Giovanni Falcone in 1992. He was arrested in 1996 and became an informant for the state four years later, helping prosecutors in their crackdown against the Cosa Nostra - the Sicilian Mafia group. He was given a reduced sentence as a result of his collaboration. Brusca, who was known as the 'people slayer' and was a key operator in the Cosa Nostra, was released on Monday from Rome's Rebibbia prison. But his release has left many Italian people outraged, while the relatives of his victims have been left grieving and in anguish. Italian mafia boss Giovanni Brusca (pictured), whose grisly crimes included dissolving a boy's body in acid, has been released from prison this week after a 25-year sentence Brusca, who had already been granted temporary leave from prison on several occasions, will be on parole for four years, Italian media reported. The mobster, who went by the nickname 'the Pig', detonated the car bomb that killed legendary prosecuting magistrate Falcone, who dedicated his career to overthrowing the mafia. Falcone's wife and three police bodyguards were also killed in the attack after their car drove over a section of highway outside Palermo packed with 400 kilos of explosives. The wife of one of the bodyguards killed, Tina Montinaro, told Repubblica she was 'indignant' at Brusca's release. She said: 'The state is against us - after 29 years we still don't know the truth about the massacre and Giovanni Brusca, the man who destroyed my family, is free.' The notorious mafia boss (left and right), 64, who turned state informant has confessed his role in more than 100 murders, but his release has left many Italian people outraged Brusca, who was known as 'the Pig', detonated the car bomb that killed legendary prosecuting magistrate Borsellino (pictured), who dedicated his career to overthrowing the mafia While Rosaria Costa, the widow of another policeman, told Corriere della Sera: 'He [Brusca] has collaborated with justice only to get the benefits, it was not a personal, intimate choice.' And Maria Falcone, the sister of the esteemed anti-mafia judge, said she was 'saddened' by the news of Brusca's release. She said although she was distressed by the news, 'it's the law, a law moreover wanted by my brother and that should be respected'. The brutal killing of Falcone was followed two months later by that of anti-mafia magistrate Paolo Borsellino, which is now termed 'the massacre of Via D'Amelio'. Borsellino and five members of his police escort were killed when a car bomb went off, and it was deemed one of the most notorious episodes in Italy's long and violent struggle against organised crime. One of Brusca's most horrifying crimes included the death of Giuseppe Di Matteo, who was dissolved in acid because he was the son of a mafia informant. Giuseppe was kidnapped at age 12 in 1993 in retaliation for his father collaborating with authorities and was held in a house for more than two years. The mobster, who went by the nickname 'the Pig', detonated the car bomb (scene pictured) that killed legendary anti-mafia judge Falcone, his wife and three police bodyguards The brutal killing of Falcone (left) was followed two months later by that of anti-mafia magistrate Paolo Borsellino (right), which is now termed 'the massacre of Via D'Amelio' The order to kidnap Guiseppe came from notorious mafia boss Salvatore 'Toto' Riina, who died in an Italian prison in 2017, aged 87. He was serving 26 life sentences for at least 150 murders. The boy was held in squalid conditions and brutally tortured for nearly 800 days between 1993 and 1996 in an attempt to force his father, Santino di Matteo, to withdraw his anti-mafia testimony. Giuseppe, then 14, was strangled and his body was thrown into acid in what police called 'one of the most heinous crimes in the history of the Cosa Nostra'. The final order to 'get rid of the puppy' was given by Brusca, who was Riina's right-hand man. Guiseppe's father Santino di Matteo had been a member of the Cosa Nostra clan, but turned against them following his arrest for taking part in the murder of Falcone. Brusca later became a state informant on several deadly Cosa Nostra attacks carried out in the 1980s and 1990s, and testified in a trial over alleged negotiations between Italian officials and mobsters to stop the bombings. After becoming an informant, he told prosecutors: 'I'm an animal. I worked all my life for Cosa Nostra. 'I have killed more than 150 people. I can't even remember all their names.' Speaking of Brusca's release, chief anti-mafia prosecutor Federico Cafiero De Raho said: 'Regardless of what one may think of the atrocities he committed at the time, there was a collaboration... 'Let us not forget that he gave information on bombings both in Sicily and in mainland Italy.' One of Brusca's most horrifying crimes included the kidnap and killing of Giuseppe Di Matteo (pictured), 14, who was dissolved in acid because he was the son of a mafia informant 'Clearly, the judges believed this was the appropriate jail term,' he added. But several politicians from both sides of Italy's political divide have still condemned the release of the ruthless mafia boss. The leader of the centre-left Democratic Party, Enrico Letta, called it a 'punch in the stomach that leaves one speechless'. 'This is not the 'justice' that Italians deserve,' said Matteo Salvini, head of the right-wing League which leads in opinion polls. Meanwhile, Claudio Fava, the president of Sicily's anti-mafia commission, doubted the value of Brusca's information provided to authorities about the 1992 attack on Falcone. He said: 'Certainly Brusca could have said much more than he did, he could have contributed much more to get to the truth of that period. 'Certainly now he won't do it anymore.' Representative Nancy Mace's Charleston home was vandalized on Monday by Antifa members who wrote 'f*** you Nancy' and 'all politicians are b*****ds.' The vandals wrote in black spray paint on the South Carolina congresswoman's path leading up to her porch and the street outside her home. They sprayed several Antifa 'A' symbols on the walkways symbolizing the criminals were members of the decentralized and mostly violent far-left anti-fascist movement. 'In the early morning hours of Memorial Day, my home, where I'm raising my two children, was vandalized with Antifa symbols and profanity,' Mace wrote on her personal Twitter account. 'Although my kids and I are thankfully fine, these criminal acts are unacceptable no matter your politics.' She continued in her thread on Tuesday: 'We should all be able to feel safe in our own homes, regardless of our political beliefs.' When not in Washington, D.C., Mace lives at her home in Charleston, South Carolina with her two children who she shared with ex-husband Curtis Jackson, whom she divorced in 2019. South Carolina Representative Nancy Mace posted to Twitter on Tuesday that her family home was vandalized on Memorial Day. She posted images of the black spray paint messages, which included Antifa symbols. Her two children's bikes can be seen in frame One message said: 'F*** you Nancy' Another piece of spray paint demanded Mace 'pass the pro act,' which she voted against in March 2021 Mace lives in Charleston, South Carolina with her two children whom she had with ex-husband Curtis Jackson It appeared the vandalism was related to Mace's 'nay' vote in March this year on the 'The Protecting the Right to Organize', otherwise known as the PRO Act. 'This is the 2nd time I've been targeted for vandalism in the last few months,' she continued, adding that law enforcement is working to find the vandals. 'There is a significant difference between nonviolent protests and criminal acts of intimidation and vandalism,' Mace wrote. 'I'm concerned too for my neighbors who've been impacted by this appalling criminal behavior.' Some other notes in the graffiti said 'no gods, no masters' and demanded Mace 'pass the pro act.' Mace appeared to address the supposed reason for the vandalism and said she is working hard to conduct her congressional career in a bipartisan manner and represent those of South Carolina's 1st congressional district The PRO Act stands for 'The Protecting the Right to Organize', and is a proposed bill that would amend previous labor laws to help expand 'various labor protections related to employees' rights to organize and collectively bargain in the workplace'. Mace took office as a representative for South Carolina's 1st congressional district on January 3, 2021. In March 2021, the PRO bill was re-introduced and passed the Democrat-controlled House. Mace voted 'nay' on HR 842. 'I also hope people realize just how hard I'm working for the 1st Congressional District and also how hard I'm working across both sides of the aisle - a particularly difficult task - given the vitriol of our current political environment,' she wrote of the vandalism in expressing her efforts in Congress. The congresswoman continued in her lengthy Twitter post a thanks to her neighbors who 'reached out to offer their assistance and support. I cannot thank the Charleston community enough.' 'As I've had time to digest what has happened over the last 24 hours, I also wanted to take a moment to urge people to think about their words and their actions,' she added. 'It's not just social media, but our words impact real people and impact real lives. We should take it down a notch.' 'We can and we should do better for our kids and for our country.' She posted the images of the vandalism, where her children's bikes can be seen in frame, to her congressional Twitter, as well. She wrote: 'Early on Memorial Day, my home was vandalized w/ spray-painted ANTIFA graffiti. This kind of illegal act of intimidation shows the destructive division in our country and just how dangerous it can be. We can and must do better.' President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris kicked off pride month on Tuesday by touting their efforts to boost diversity in the military and to fly the gay pride flag at US outposts around the world. Already some embassies and consulates are flying the signature rainbow flag. 'The U.S. Embassy to the Holy See celebrates #PrideMonth with the Pride flag on display during the month of June,' wrote the embassy on Twitter with a picture of the flag on their building. 'The United States respects the dignity and equality of LGBTQI+ people. LGBTQI+ rights are human rights.' In a statement on Gay Pride Month, which begins June 1, Biden noted in his first weeks in office he signed several executive orders that expanded the definition of discrimination to include LGBTQ people and one that prohibits discrimination against transgender servicemembers, which over turned a Trump-era policy. The president also noted his administration announced it will allow U.S. diplomatic outposts around the world to fly the Pride flag on the same flagpole as the U.S. flag, also over turning a Trump-era ban. And he touted his diverse cabinet and political appointees in his administration, including Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, who is the first openly gay Cabinet Secretary confirmed by the Senate, and Assistant Secretary for Health Dr. Rachel Levine, who is the first openly transgender person ever confirmed by the Senate. In the Biden administration, 14 percent of all appointees identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer, according to the White House. The US Holy See in Rome posted a picture of the Gay Pride Flag flying in honor of Gay Pride Month President Joe Biden touted his diverse Cabinet including Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, who is the first openly gay Cabinet Secretary confirmed by the Senate, and Assistant Secretary for Health Dr. Rachel Levine, who is the first openly transgender person ever confirmed by the Senate. On January 25th, his fourth day in office, Biden reversed the ban on transgender people openly serving in the military. LGBTQ activists called the policy cruel. It was announced by President Trump via Twitter in July 2017. The ban specifically blocked individuals who have been diagnosed with gender dysphoria from being recruited, with limited exceptions. It also specified that individuals without the condition can serve, but only if they do so according to the sex they were assigned at birth. For Pride Month, President Biden touted his efforts to boost diversity in the military and to fly the gay pride flag at US outposts around the world It did not affect anyone who was serving and recognized as transgender, but affected new recruits and also said that currently serving troops who started to transition would be discharged. It is unknown how many new recruits were rejected, or how many were not recruited. In 2019 the Washington Blade reported that all branches of the military said they had discharged zero service members and the Coast Guard said it had rejected two recruits. In 2016, a Department of Defense study found that enabling transgender individuals to serve openly in the United States military would have only a minimal impact on military readiness and healthcare costs. The study also concluded that open transgender service has had no significant impact on operational effectiveness or unit cohesion in foreign militaries. In April, the State Department announced that the Biden administration would allow US embassies and consulates around the world to fly the Gay Pride flag on the same flagpole as the American flag, reversing a Trump-era policy. In 2019, then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo blocked embassy requests to fly the symbol of support for LBGTQ people on the same pole as the Stars and Stripes. But Biden's Secretary of State Anthony Blinken gave approval to fly the flag at diplomatic outposts around the world. The move came before May 17, the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, and before June, which many nations recognize as Gay Pride month. Embassies are required to get permission from the State Department when flying anything besides the American flag on their main flagpoles. But Blinken's order gave them carte blanche to fly the pride flag. In February, Biden issued a presidential memorandum aimed at expanding protection of the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer and intersex (LGBTQI) people worldwide. The memo directed U.S. agencies working abroad to work harder to combat the criminalization of LGBTQ people by foreign governments and ordered the State Department to include anti-LGBTQ violence, discrimination and laws in its annual human rights report. At least 69 countries around the world have laws that criminalize same-sex relations, according to Human Rights Watch. President Joe Biden signed an executive order to reverse a ban on transgender people serving in the U.S. military on January 25th - Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley, Vice President Kamala Harris and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin were on hand for signing The US national flag and an LGBT pride flag on the front facade of the US Embassy in Moscow in June 2020 Flying the Pride flag - with its distinctive rainbow stripes - became an issue during the Trump era, when diplomatic outposts were told they could not do so but were allowed to display Pride symbols elsewhere in embassies. Several embassies simply hung the flag on the building's facade to show support for LGBTQ rights. Then Vice President Mike Pence defended the move in an June 2019 interview with NBC News, saying 'when it comes to the American flagpole, and American embassies, and capitals around the world, one American flag flies.' Under the Obama administration, embassies were given permission to fly the flag. Former President Donald Trump is telling people that he will be reinstated as president by August according to a report, after his original National Security Advisor Michael Flynn said a Myanmar-style coup 'should happen.' The New York Times' Maggie Haberman commented Tuesday on a CNN story that showed Trump supporters expressing support for a Myanmar-style coup to bring Trump back. 'Trump has been telling a number of people he's in contact with that he expects he will get reinstated by August (no that isn't how it works but simply sharing the information),' the journalist wrote on Twitter. Haberman added that Trump has been 'laser focused' on election audits - including the state Senate Republican-led one in Maricopa County, Arizona, as well as another audit expected in Georgia's Fulton County - as the Manhattan district attorney has convened a grand jury that is expected to decide whether to indict the former president. Former President Donald Trump is spotted in front of Trump Tower in New York last week. Trump has been telling people he expects to be reinstated as president by August, according t The New York Times' Maggie Haberman The New York Times' Maggie Haberman tweeted Tuesday morning that former President Donald Trump has been telling people he expects to be reinstated as president by August The former president lost legal protections once he left office in January, with Haberman reporting that Trump is pushing the idea of reinstatement as he faces potential indictment over his business dealings Haberman also reported that Trump has been 'laser focused' on audits happening in Arizona with another expected in Georgia, as the former president continues to push the 'big lie' Trump lost legal protections afforded to the president once he left the White House in January. He's continued to falsely push that he didn't lose the 2020 race to President Joe Biden. Supporters have glommed on to that message, with a number of Trump fans sporting 'Trump won' flags at a large boat parade in Florida over Memorial Day weekend. And some of his allies have given Trump's most vehement supporters false hope that he could be reinstated. Over the weekend, lawyer Sidney Powell told an audience in Dallas that Trump could be back. The former first couple paid their respects as MAGA fans took to the water in Jupiter, Florida , for a boat parade The huge flotilla of boats with a sea of Trump flags takes part of the parade in Jupiter, Florida Staunch Trump ally Roger Stone posed with his trademark peace sign alongside wife Nydia as boaters drifted by. Nydia was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer last week 'It should be that he can simply be reinstated, that a new inauguration day is set,' she said to cheers. 'And Biden is told to move out of the White House. And President Trump should be moved back in.' Powell is known for spreading a number of conspiracy theories to Trump supporters about the 2020 race. The Washington Examiner's Byron York, sharing Powell's comments and Haberman's tweet, speculated there could be problems for Trump if the former president brought reinstatement up publicly. Trump is expected to start holding rallies this month, including in the swing states of Florida, Georgia, Ohio and North Carolina. 'If Trump brings this up in public, will likely increase number of Republicans who say they are ready to move on,' York said. Flynn was forced to backtrack on comments he made at the same Dallas conference Powell appeared at this weekend. The retired general, who briefly served as national security adviser under Trump, made the comments in response to a question from an audience member at a conference organized by supporters of the QAnon conspiracy in Dallas, Texas. The man said he was a 'simple Marine' and asked 'why what happened in Myanmar can't happen here?' 'There's no reason', Flynn responded as the audience cheered. 'I mean, it should happen that's right.' Response to the exchange was furious, with some calling for his court martial. On Monday Flynn issued a frantic backtrack in a post on messaging app Telegram. He wrote: 'Let me be VERY CLEAR There is NO reason whatsoever for any coup in America, and I do not and have not at any time called for any action of that sort. He said his comments had been misconstrued, adding, 'I am no stranger to media manipulating my words and therefore let me repeat my response to a question asked at the conference: There is no reason it (a coup) should happen here (in America).' Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, President Donald Trump's former national adviser walked back comments he made over the weekend in which he supported the idea of a military coup similar to Myanmar's happening in the U.S. Flynn made the comments at a conference organized by supporters of the QAnon conspiracy in Dallas, Texas On Monday Army Col. Yevgeny 'Eugene' Vindman tweeted, 'With these seditious remarks Comrade Flynn may have crossed the line for recall to active duty and court-martial. As a JAG Im qualified and also happy to prosecute this case.' Vindman is the twin brother of Alexander Vindman, who was a key witness in Trump's impeachment over comments he made to the Ukrainian President. Both sat on the National Security Council before being fired shortly after the trial. Steve Vladeck, a professor in federal law at the University of Texas also wrote on Twitter that even retired Flynn was subject to the Army's Uniform Code of Military Justice. 'The constitutionality of jurisdiction over retirees for post-retirement offenses is something were currently challenging in the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces & the D.C. Circuit,' he tweeted. Army Col. Yevgeny 'Eugene' Vindman said that Flynn's comments could lead to a court martial. He is the twin brother of Alexander Vindman, who served as a key witness in Trump's Ukraine impeachment trial Federal law professor Steve Vladeck said that even retired, Flynn was subject to the Army's Code of Military Justice Myanmar's military-led coup saw the country's democratically-elected government overturned. Military chief Min Aung Hlaing was installed as the country's leader with the junta killing hundreds of civilians. Others also took to social media to blast Flynn's remarks. 'Hello SecDef! Can we get a Court Martial? Call him back to duty and then dishonorably discharge him. My tax payer dollars shouldnt be paying for his benefits,' wrote one. 'Wow. It dont get much more traitory than this,' added another. 'Why isn't Michael Flynn behind bars of fomenting a treasonous insurrection against the United States? Surely treasonous words are not covered by Trump's pardon,' asked Muriel Burrows. 'Recall General Michael Flynn to active duty immediately for purposes of court-martial. This must be done ASAP.' tweeted Jeannette Stone. 'I think now might be a good time to call retired officer Michael Flynn back to active duty, court martial and strip him of his rank and benefits for conspiracy and committing seditious acts against the United States,' said another. 'Michael Flynn is clearly an enemy of the USA. Let's honor our veterans this Memorial Day by arresting this unamerican traitor.' 'Minimar? sounds like dude has been spending too much time at the minibar,' joked one Twitter user who noticed Flynn's mispronunciation. 'We now return you to the Republican coup, already in progress . . . THIS is why the GOP wants to block every investigation into the January 6th attack on the Capital: Because it starts and ends with them,' said DC Lascelle. 'Flynn hopefully will be prosecuted under 18 U.S. Code 2385 Astonishing if someone holding the rank of General in the United States Army who was also a National Security Advisor can get away with calling for a Myanmar-style coup,' wrote another user. 'FBI please arrest this man. He is asking Americans to turn against their government!', demanded another Twitter follower. In the past, QAnon supporters have aired their support for a coup to take place that would see Trump be placed back at the White House. The intrview Haberman shared from CNN showed Trump supporters advocating for a military coup to take over and 'redo' the election, remove 'puppet president' Biden and hold a new inauguration for Trump. Trump pardoned Flynn last Thanksgiving. Flynn's conviction for lying to the FBI during the Russia investigation was wiped following the presidential pardon. In 2017, Trump fired Flynn after just weeks on the job after it was revealed he did not disclose his contacts with Russia's former ambassador to the US to Vice President Mike Pence. President Trump pardoned Flynn last Thanksgiving. Flynn's conviction for lying to the FBI during the Russia investigation was wiped following the presidential pardon. Pictured in 2016 Who's who in New York criminal probe into Trump New York state has opened a criminal investigation into former US president Donald Trump (pictured November 2020) A Democratic prosecutor nearing the end of his term, a loyal lieutenant of the Trump family and a lawyer determined to sink his former boss: AFP details some of the players in New York's criminal probe into Donald Trump. Cyrus Vance The 66-year-old Democrat has been Manhattan District Attorney since 2010. He was the first to launch a criminal investigation into the Republican ex-president. Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance (pictured May 2020) has doggedly pursued Donald Trump, winning a years-long battle to obtain his tax records and deploying significant human and financial resources to the politically sensitive investigation Vance, whose father was US Secretary of State under President Jimmy Carter, has sometimes been accused of a reluctance to prosecute the rich and powerful. He delayed filing charges against disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein before securing a landmark conviction last year. Vance has doggedly pursued Trump, though, first by winning a years-long battle to obtain his tax records and secondly by deploying significant human and financial resources to the politically sensitive investigation. He has announced that he will not run for a fourth term when his current one expires in December, and many observers expect him to go out with a bang by filing what would be the first indictment against a former US president. Letitia James The Democrat became the first Black woman to become New York state attorney general in 2018. Since then, the 62-year-old has forged a reputation as a combative and independent prosecutor, filing countless civil actions against large companies, particularly tech giants, and the National Rifle Association (NRA). In addition to Donald Trump, Letitia James (pictured August 2020) is also investigating New York's governor, Andrew Cuomo, over sexual harassment allegations and his response to the coronavirus pandemic When Trump was in the White House, James launched dozens of civil actions against his government. She is also investigating New York's powerful Democratic governor, Andrew Cuomo, over sexual harassment allegations and his response to the coronavirus pandemic. James has been cited as a possible successor to Cuomo, particularly if her investigation forces him to resign. Allen Weisselberg The 73-year-old is the Trump Organization's long-serving chief financial officer and one of the family's most loyal servants. He began as an accountant for Trump's father's company before joining the Trump Organization as financial controller in the 1980s when Donald established himself as a Manhattan real estate mogul. Allen Weisselberg, pictured standing behind former president Donald Trump and his son Donald Jr. in January 2017, has served as the chief financial officer of the Trump Organization since the 1980s Weisselberg has been around for all of Trump's entrepreneurial adventures, including when his Atlantic City casinos went bust. According to Barbara Res, a former executive vice president at the Trump Organization, Weisselberg 'thought Trump was a god,' she told the Daily News. Investigators believe Weisselberg knows all of the Trump family secrets and have been putting pressure on him for months to cooperate with their investigation. Observers are closely watching whether Weisselberg will turn against his former boss. Michael Cohen Trump's ex-personal lawyer was sentenced to three years in prison in 2018 for tax evasion and violating campaign finance laws relating to Trump's 2016 vote win. Cohen was one of Trump's closest henchmen for a decade, once proudly boasting that he was prepared to 'take a bullet' for the real estate mogul-turned-president. Michael Cohen, pictured March 2021, openly rejoices in former boss Donald Trump's legal troubles on Twitter and through his podcast He turned against his former boss, though, deciding to collaborate with federal investigators in Manhattan. During a Congressional hearing in February 2019, Cohen alleged -- among other things -- that Trump regularly undervalued or overvalued his assets, both with banks and insurance companies. Cohen openly rejoices in Trump's legal troubles on Twitter and through his podcast 'Mea Culpa.' Source: AFP Advertisement 'We want Trump to declare an insurrection and call us up as the militia': Oath Keepers founder rallied Capitol rioters on a conference call on November 9 - just six days after the election, new indictment reveals The founder of far-right militia Oath Keepers started rallying men who eventually stormed the Capitol January 6 as far back as November 9, after Biden won the election, telling them on a conference call: 'We want Trump to declare an insurrection and call us up as the militia. Let the fight start there.' The new details were included in an indictment against four rioters - Joseph Hackett, 50, Jason Dolan, 40, William Isaacs, 21, and another, unnamed defendant, filed on Monday. They are among 16 Oath Keeper members who have been charged so far. The others are Thomas Caldwell, 65, Donovan Crowl, 50, Jessica Watkins, 38, Sandra Parker, 60, Bennie Parker, 70, Graydon Young, 54, Laura Steele, 52, Kelly Meggs, 52, Connie Meggs, 59, Kenneth Harrelson, 40, Roberto Minuta, 36, Joshua James, 33, Joseph Hackett, 50. Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes has not been charged, but he was mentioned repeatedly in the newly unsealed indictment as 'Person One'. It's unclear why he has not been arrested. According to prosecutors, on November 9 - after the election was called for Biden -Rhodes told the men in an online GoToMeeting conference call: 'Were going to defend the president, the duly elected president. Because if you dont, guys, youre going to be in a bloody, bloody civil war and a bloody...insurrection, or you can call it a war or fight. 'Im willing to sacrifice myself for that. Let the fight start there. That will give President Trump what he needs, frankly. 'If things go kinetic, good. If they throw bombs at us and shoot us, great, because that brings the president his reason and rationale for dropping the Insurrection Act. 'I do want some Oath Keepers to stay on the outside, and to stay fully armed and prepared to go in armed, if they have to...So our postures gonna be that were posted outside of DC, um, awaiting the Presidents orders. . . . We hope he will give us the orders. 'We want him to declare an insurrection, and to call us up as the militia.' By then, claims from Trump's camp about voter fraud were widespread and millions thought he'd been robbed of victory. Over the coming months, members of the group allegedly plotted the attack. Watkins is said to have recruited people in Ohio, telling them he was organizing a week-long training camp and saying: 'I need you fighting fit by inauguration.' On November 17, when asked what his prediction was for the coming year, Watkins allegedly told a recruit: 'I cant predict. I dont underestimate the resolve of the Deep State. 'Biden may still yet be our President. If he is, our way of life as we know it is over. Our Republic would be over. 'Then it is our duty as Americans to fight, kill and die for our rights.' The men who have been arrested continued to exchange texts and emails until the riot. Rhodes encouraged them online, according to the indictment. On January 4, he posted online: 'It is CRITICAL that all patriots who can be in DC get to DC to stand tall in support of President Trumps fight to defeat the enemies foreign and domestic who are attempting a coup, through the massive vote fraud and related attacks on our Republic. 'We Oath Keepers are both honor-bound and eager to be there in strength to do our part.' In another, he said: 'As we have done on all recent DC Ops, we will also have well armed and equipped QRF1 teams on standby, outside DC, in the event of a worst case scenario, where the President calls us up as part of the militia to to assist him inside DC. 'We dont expect a need for him to call on us for that at this time, but we stand ready if he does (and we also stand ready to answer the call to serve as militia anytime in the future, and anywhere in our nation, if he does invoke the Insurrection Act).' Despite his alleged role in organizing the men who have been charged, Rhodes has not. He claimed in March that he and other Oath Keeper members were the victims of a conspiracy. 'I may go to jail soon, not for anything I actually did, but for made-up crimes,' he said. This superseding indictment, part of a larger federal government criminal conspiracy case, now includes a total of 16 Oath Keepers. The other 12 co-defendants have pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors have said in recent weeks that other members of the militia group planned to commit violence and brought firearms into the city. The Oath Keepers accept anyone, the recent court filing notes, but 'explicitly focus on recruiting current and former military, law enforcement, and first-responder personnel.' Senate Republicans last week voted down a House-passed bill that would create a 9/11-style commission to investigate the January 6 Capitol attack. Democrats were unable to override a Republican filibuster placed on the bill during a Friday vote of 54 to 35, with 60 votes needed. Republican Sens. Mitt Romney, Susan Collins, Bill Cassidy, Lisa Murkowski, Rob Portman and Ben Sasse voted alongside 48 Democrats. The bill is now essentially dead - though Democrats may launch other investigations and some are ongoing in Senate committees. Last month, a founding member of the far-right group Oath Keepers has pleaded guilty to two felony charges over the January 6 riot at the US Capitol. Jon Ryan Schaffer, 53, struck a plea deal with prosecutors Friday, becoming the first person charged in relation to the attack to plead guilty. Schaffer was initially slapped with six charges over the violent incident, but pleaded guilty to two charges as part of the deal: obstruction of an official proceeding and entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon. Police said Schaffer - who hails from Indiana - was armed with bear spray when he barged into the Capitol following a 'Stop the Steal' rally held earlier in the day. As part of the plea deal, Schaffer has agreed to cooperate with investigators - prompting rumors he may 'turn' on some of his fellow Oath Keeper members. The Oath Keepers are a far-right, anti-government militia group who claim they have a membership of around 35,000. President Biden is heading to his Delaware beach home on Wednesday for a midweek break to celebrate the first lady's 70th birthday. It is his first trip to his vacation home since becoming president. Details emerged with a Federal Aviation Administration notice restricting air operations around Rehoboth Beach from Wednesday to Friday because of a VIP. Coming in the middle of the week so soon after the Memorial Day weekend, the timing initially seemed odd. However, Dr Jill Biden will turn 70 on Thursday, suggesting the trip is a birthday celebration. President Biden is heading for his Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, home on Wednesday, the day before Dr Jill Biden turns 70. It marks his first trip to his beach home since becoming president Biden and his wife were spotted riding their bikes at Cape Henlopen State Park near Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, in November as they prepared for their move to the White House The couple spent $2.7 million on the six-bedroom house with a swimming pool, located about two blocks from the beach, in 2017. 'Throughout our careers, Jill and I have dreamed of being able to buy a place at the beach at home where we can bring the whole family,' said Biden at the time. 'We feel very lucky that we're now able to make that happen and are looking forward to spending time with our family in the place that matters most to us in the world.' While the president has spent frequent weekends at his home just outside Wilmington, Delaware, since moving into the White House he has yet to spend time at his Rehoboth Beach house as president. He did, however, visit twice as president elect. A reporter with CNN tweeted that he was expected to leave the White House on Wednesday after talks with a senior Republican senator about his infrastructure proposals. 'President Biden is visiting Rehoboth Beach this week, per two aides,' wrote Kaitlan Collins. 'He leaves tomorrow following a meeting with Sen. Capito and is scheduled to return Friday.' Details of the trip leaked out on Tuesday morning as aides said he was due to leave after an infrastructure meeting on Wednesday President Biden and the first lady spent Memorial Day weekend paying tribute to members of the country's armed forces Rehoboth Beach has about 1,500 full-time residents but swells to 25,000 during peak summer months. Throughout his career as a senator, Biden was known for commuting home from Washington to Delaware every evening to be with his family. And as president, he has escaped the White House at every opportunity. Out of the 19 weekends, Biden has only spent five at his official residence. Biden and first lady marked Memorial Day weekend in their home state, where he delivered an emotional speech in New Castle, Delaware where he invoked his late son and military veteran Beau Biden. Lawyers for disgraced Theranos ex-CEO Elizabeth Holmes want prospective jurors to answer 112 questions about their social media habits, whether they subscribe to Netflix, and if they called into a radio show. They also want to know if jurors have read books about the Theranos scandal, like John Carreyrous 2018 work Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup, and watched critical documentaries like HBOs The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley. Theranos has also demanded to know if prospective jurors regularly read any of 46 publications including The Wall Street Journal, DailyMail.com and the New Yorker, which have extensively covered the blood testing scandal she is engulfed in. And her lawyers also want to know if any jurors take medications such as Xanax - an anti-anxiety medication which can cause drowsiness - which could impede their ability to hear the case. The list of questions was submitted on Thursday by attorneys for Holmes, who has pleaded not guilty in federal court to charges that she and former Theranos President Ramesh Sunny Balwani defrauded investors, doctors, and patients. The questionnaire was first reported last week by The Wall Street Journal. Federal prosecutors assigned to the case slammed Holmes questionnaire as far too long, deeply intrusive in unnecessary ways, argumentative, [and] repetitive. Lawyers for disgraced Theranos ex-CEO Elizabeth Holmes want prospective jurors to answer 112 questions about their social media habits, whether they subscribe to Netflix, and if they called into a radio show. Holmes is seen above on her way to San Jose federal court on May 4 They also want to know if jurors have read books about the Theranos scandal, like John Carreyrous 2018 work Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup Prospective jurors are also asked whether they have seen critical documentaries like HBOs The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley The 45-page questionnaire quizzes prospective jurors on whether they know of family members or close acquaintances who have experience with 26 different professional fields and government agencies. Prospective jurors are also asked if their spouses are employed and whether they have ever been fired from a job. They are also asked if their loved ones have ever belonged to certain organizations and groups. Would-be jurors are also asked in the questionnaire if they subscribe to blogs, podcasts, or newsletters from journalists and media figures who have covered the Theranos case extensively. The questionnaire specifically lists some 50 different media organizations, including DailyMail.com, TechCrunch, Engadget, USA Today, Business Insider, Law360, and The New Yorker. Federal prosecutors assigned to the case slammed Holmes questionnaire as far too long, deeply intrusive in unnecessary ways, argumentative, [and] repetitive. Prospective jurors are also asked if their spouses are employed and whether they have ever been fired from a job. They are also asked if their loved ones have ever belonged to certain organizations and groups Prospective jurors are also quizzed about their social media habits The questionnaire specifically lists some 50 different media organizations, including The Daily Mail, TechCrunch, Engadget, USA Today, Business Insider, Law360, and The New Yorker The questionnaire asks prospective jurors if they have seen Theranos-related documentaries produced by ABC News as well as a TED Talk by Erica Cheung, whose lecture was titled Theranos, Whistleblowing and Speaking Truth to Power. Prospective jurors are also asked to indicate their television viewing habits and whether they subscribe to streaming services like Hulu, Netflix, or HBO. The questionnaire asks prospective jurors if they have seen Theranos-related documentaries produced by ABC News as well as a TED Talk by Erica Cheung, whose lecture was titled Theranos, Whistleblowing and Speaking Truth to Power. Holmes attorneys write in the filing that the questions are necessary to root out biased candidates from the jury pool. Ms. Holmes is routinely referred to in derisive and inflammatory terms that are directly relevant to the wire-fraud charges in this case, the lawyers wrote in the filing submitted to San Jose federal court last week. The filing notes that more than 400,000 results appear for Google searches of Theranos AND Holmes. Holmes and Balwani are said to have falsely claimed Theranos could revolutionize medical lab testing with technology that could enable a wide array of tests with a few drops of blood. Holmes, who started Theranos at the age of 19 after dropping out of Stanford, was widely celebrated in tech circles until it became clear that many of the claims about the company's supposedly revolutionary blood test were bogus. It was revealed Theranos had been completing blood analysis on regular testing machines, rather than using the revolutionary new technology its bosses touted. Holmes attracted investors and venture capital firms and the company was valued at $9billion before crashing in 2015. Now, she and her ex-boyfriend Balwani are awaiting their day in court after being accused of falsely claiming the company's machines could perform breakthrough blood tests with a single drop of blood, duping investors out of millions and misleading doctors and patients. Theranos executives are said to have asked Elizabeth Holmes to step down in the start-up's last days, but she refused because she 'saw herself as the company'. The expectant mother was pictured with her baby bump for the first time on May 4 when she appeared at the Robert F. Peckham Federal Building for a pre-trial federal court date The 37-year-old, who is due to stand trial for fraud in August, appeared at a federal court hearing in California, when she showed off her bump in a black dress Holmes, who is married to hotel heir Billy Evans, 29, neglected to answer reporters' questions as she walked into the building while flanked by two lawyers Holmes is married to hotel heir Billy Evans, 27, but has not confirmed he is the father of her child, and has shared little information about the pregnancy One former exec, who asked to remain anonymous, told CNBC : 'Anyone who knows Elizabeth knows she saw herself as the company and I don't think she could see the company continuing without her.' They described her stepping down as CEO as 'a non-starter'. But said it had been discussed several times Prior to the latest postponement for her pregnancy, her trial date had already been pushed back three times as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic - and the news that it would have to be delayed once again was met with backlash from prosecutors. She is pictured with Evans She and Balwani are accused of scamming investors out of more than $700million. Prosecutors submitted a filing in January claiming that Theranos executives destroyed data that proved their blood-testing product was inaccurate. Knowingly misleading investors by providing false data is a federal crime. The company knew about its inaccurate testing data that was collected over a period of three years, according to The Register. The data 'was stored on a specially-developed SQL database called the Laboratory Information Systems (LIS),' according to the court filing. The database 'even flagged blood test results that might require immediate medical attention, and communicated this to the patient's physician'. Before allegations of fraud surfaced, she was celebrated as a young visionary and success story. She became known for her black turtlenecks, once boasting that she owned more than 150 of the items in an effort to emulate Apple's Steve Jobs. Earlier this month, the expectant mother was pictured with her baby bump for the first time when she appeared at the Robert F. Peckham Federal Building for a pre-trial federal court date. In March, her lawyers revealed that she was expecting. Last week, a federal judge ruled that prosecutors in the case will be allowed to present evidence to the jury highlighting Holmes glamorous lifestyle. Her attorneys tried to keep her luxurious CEO lifestyle out of her upcoming trial because it 'risks invoking class prejudice.' The government has alleged that before Holmes' fall from grace she employed personal assistants to run her luxury shopping sprees, traveled by private jet and stayed at exclusive hotels. Prosecutors have argued that such a lifestyle was fueled by her fraud. But her lawyers wrote that she earned a salary and benefits commensurate with her position as the blood-testing startup's CEO. They argue that the evidence says nothing about her motive, 'if it did any CEO could be said to have a motive to commit fraud.' 'Rather the real value of the evidence to the government is to paint a (misleading) picture of Ms Holmes as a woman who prioritized fashion, a luxurious lifestyle, and fame, and to invite a referendum on startup and corporate culture,' the attorneys said. Holmes is married to hotel heir Billy Evans, 27, but has not confirmed he is the father of her child, and has shared little information about the pregnancy, other than the month of her due date. Her appearance on May 4 marked the first time in more than a year that Holmes has been seen at court. Prior to the latest postponement for her pregnancy, her trial date had already been pushed back three times as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic - and the news that it would have to be delayed once again was met with backlash from prosecutors. Holmes and former Theranos President Ramesh 'Sunny' Balwani have pleaded not guilty to charges they defrauded investors, doctors and patients by falsely claiming Theranos could revolutionize medical lab testing with technology that could enable a wide array of tests with a few drops of blood Holmes was indicted in 2018 and her federal trial in San Jose, California, was originally scheduled for July 28, 2020. Assistant US Attorney Robert Leach said that prosecutors, who were told about Holmes' pregnancy via Zoom, were 'frustrated and disappointed' to learn about it at such a late date, CNBC reported. Lawyers for Holmes, once a rising star of Silicon Valley, informed the government on March 2 of the pregnancy, according to the filing. Her husband is the heir to the Evans Hotel Group, which was founded by his grandparents William and Anne Evans in San Diego in 1953. Currently, the business has three resort properties on the West Coast. Evans graduated from MIT in 2015 with a Bachelor's Degree in Science and Economics, at which point he took a post at LinkedIn. In 2017, he became the director of special projects at Luminar Technologies, a company which develops sensors for driverless cars, although it appears he left the company in 2019. Prosecutors allege that Theranos executives knew their product was only half-reliable, as the failure rate for the tests was 51.3 per cent. A notoriously secretive company, Theranos shared very little about its blood-testing machine with the public or medical community. Holmes said she was inspired to start the company in response to her fear of needles. But an investigation by The Wall Street Journal in 2015 found that Theranos' technology was inaccurate at best, and that the company was using routine blood-testing equipment for the vast majority of its tests. Federal authorities also allege Holmes and Balwani used funds from investors to subsidize an extravagant lifestyle while peddling a fraudulent product. Balwani's case is being handled separately and his trial is scheduled to begin January 18, 2022. Former Deputy National Security Adviser K.T. McFarland has slammed the media and Big Tech for ignoring the possibility that COVID-19 escaped from a lab in China for a year. 'The damage has been done, you know, by the mainstream media, social media, the tech titans, the Democrats, by all of those people refusing to allow the stories to come out about China,' she told Fox News on Tuesday. 'The damage is done, China has gotten away with it,' said McFarland, who served on the Trump administration's National Security Council in 2017. 'We may do investigations now into the origins but do you think the Chinese are going to let us into that lab? Absolutely not. They've had a year to cover their tracks, they've had a year to push their agenda,' she said. Former Deputy National Security Adviser K.T. McFarland has slammed the media and Big Tech for ignoring the possibility that COVID-19 escaped from a lab in China It comes as evidence mounts supporting the theory that the pandemic began as an accidental leak from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, seen above in a file photo 'Their agenda is to take over the world to replace the United States as the dominant world power and to be seen as deserving to do it,' she said. 'They're not going to take the rap for what they've done, which I think is to unleash, perhaps unwittingly, on the world a pandemic that has caused more devastation than a world war,' added McFarland. It comes as evidence mounts supporting the theory that the pandemic began as an accidental leak from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, with President Joe Biden last week ordering a 90-day intelligence review to investigate the possibility. The media and academics long heaped scorn on the lab leak hypothesis, insisting that it was a fringe conspiracy theory and even racist after Donald Trump embraced the idea. But new evidence, including reports of three workers at the Wuhan lab who fell seriously ill with COVID-like symptoms in November 2019, has forced a sober reassessment among doubters. 'I think a lot of people have egg on their face,' ABC News Washington correspondent Jonathan Karl admitted on Sunday. 'Some things may be true even if Donald Trump said them.' 'Because Trump was saying so much else, that was just out of control... but now serious people are saying it needs a serious inquiry,' he said. New evidence, including word of three workers at the Wuhan lab who fell seriously ill with COVID-like symptoms in November 2019, has forced a sober reassessment among doubters Facebook has also been forced to reverse its policy censoring posts speculating that the virus was engineered in a lab, amid serious questions about the 'gain of function' experiments being done on coronavirus strains at the Wuhan lab. China continues to furiously deny that the virus behind COVID-19 escaped from its lab in the original epicenter, accusing the United States of taking a 'dangerous stance' in calling for a full investigation into the possibility. 'Washington is too arrogant to realize that its vicious accusations against China have become a political gamble for itself,' China's state newspaper, The Global Times, wrote in an editorial on Sunday. 'The US could meet its Waterloo in this battle: It might lose its credibility by abusing its soft power,' the editorial said. Biden on Wednesday ordered U.S. intelligence officials to 'redouble' their efforts to investigate the pandemic's beginnings, including any possibility the trail might lead to a Chinese laboratory. After months of minimizing that possibility as a fringe theory, the Biden administration is now joining worldwide pressure for China to be more open about the outbreak - aiming to head off Republican complaints the president has not been tough enough on China. British intelligence has reportedly assessed the lab leak theory recently and upgraded its likeliness from 'remote' to 'feasible', according to The Sunday Times. British intelligence has reportedly assessed the lab leak theory recently and upgraded its likeliness from 'remote' to 'feasible'. The Wuhan lab is seen above last year China, meanwhile, insists that the virus simply mutated and passed naturally from animals to humans, likely from a market in the city of Wuhan. Biden asked U.S. intelligence agencies to report back within 90 days. He directed U.S. national laboratories to assist with the investigation and the intelligence community to prepare a list of specific queries for the Chinese government. He called on China to cooperate with international probes into the origins of the pandemic. Zhao Lijian, foreign ministry spokesperson, said last week that Biden was not interested in 'serious' scientific origin tracing and doesn't care about 'facts or truth'. Zhao also called for the U.S. to open up its own labs for investigation. Liberal media FINALLY admit they made a mistake dismissing Wuhan Lab leak theory just because Trump backed it: Washington Post, New York Times and ABC pundits say some 'have egg on their face' By Melissa Koenig For Dailymail.Com Liberal media reporters and pundits admitted over the weekend they were wrong to dismiss the Wuhan lab leak theory just because it was espoused by former President Donald Trump. Mainstream reporters had pushed back at the idea that COVID-19 may have originated in a virology lab in Wuhan, China, and openly ridiculed the idea as Trump spoke openly about it in the early days of the pandemic. But now, those same reporters have admitted that it is possible that the virus came from a lab leak as more scientists and political officials openly question the virus' origins. 'I think a lot of people have egg on their face,' ABC News' Jon Karl told Martha Raddatz Sunday morning. 'This was an idea that was first put out by Mike Pompeo, secretary of state, [and] President Donald Trump,' he continued on ABC's This Week, 'and some things may be true even if Donald Trump has said them.' Jon Karl told ABC This Week host Martha Raddatz on Sunday that he thinks reporters 'have egg on their face' for originally refusing to consider the lab leak theory He noted that the idea was widely dismissed at the time, but now 'serious people are saying it needs a serious inquiry.' New York Times reporter David Leonhardt also said on CNN that he thinks people 'leapt to dismiss' the theory too quickly because it was being espoused by then-President Trump and Republican Senator Tom Cotton, who has also said that the 2020 election was stolen. 'I think a lot of people on the political left and people in the media made this mistake and said 'Wow, if Tom Cotton is saying something it can't be true,' Leonhardt said. 'Or they assumed that. And that's not right. 'Tom Cotton does deal in misinformation about things like election fraud, he's said some things that are just wrong,' Leonhardt continued. 'But that doesn't mean that everything he says is wrong, and it seems like a lot of people, including a lot in the media, leaped to dismiss the lab leak theory because of where it was coming from, and the reality is we don't yet know how COVID started.' New York Times reporter David Leonhardt said journalists were quick to dismiss the theory because it was being espoused by former President Donald Trump and Senator Tom Cotton In a series of tweets on Saturday, Washington Post columnist Josh Rogin slammed journalists for making a sudden U-Turn on their coverage of the lab leak theory. 'Most MSM reporters didnt 'ignore' the lab leak theory, they actively c****** all over it for over a year while pretending to be objective out of a toxic mix of confirmation bias, source bias (their scientist sources lied to them), group think, TDS [Trump Derangement Syndrome] and general incompetence,' Rogin wrote in his first tweet Saturday morning. He added that the lab leak theory has not changed and 'suddenly become credible.' 'The theory has always been the same,' Rogin wrote. 'The people who got it wrong changed their minds. They are writing about themselves, with zero self awareness. 'All these reporters scrambling to defend their own records on the lab leak theory are exposing their own hypocrisy and ignoring their basic error,' he continued. 'Just report the facts. Dont act like its your job to tell us what's OK to think or talk about. 'Own up to it when you fail your readers,' he wrote. The Twitter thread was re-tweeted more than 1,000 times, garnering several thousand likes. In a series of tweets on Saturday, Washington Post columnist Josh Rogin slammed the mainstream media for trying to defend their initial reporting which refuted the lab leak theory The lab leak theory has gained traction over the past few weeks, as more and more politicians and scientists start to question the origins of the virus and how it mutated to infect humans. The Huanan wet market, where scientists say the first cluster of infections were officially reported, is just a few hundred yards from the Wuhan Centers for Disease Prevention and Control and only a few miles from the the Wuhan Institute of Virology Lab, where scientists were reportedly conducting experiments on bats before the pandemic began. The lab is one of only a handful in the world that is cleared to handle Class 4 pathogens dangerous viruses that pose a high risk of person-to-person transmission. Three researchers from the institute sought medical care in November 2019, before the virus began to spread, according to a recent report from the Wall Street Journal. Three researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology reported COVID-like symptoms in November 2019, before the virus began to spread around the world The Institute is one of only a handful in the world that is cleared to handle Class 4 pathogens dangerous viruses that pose a high risk of person-to-person transmission The newspaper said the report - which provides fresh details on the number of researchers affected, the timing of their illnesses, and their hospital visits - may add weight to calls for a broader probe of whether the COVID-19 virus could have escaped from the laboratory. It reported that current and former officials familiar with the intelligence about the lab researchers expressed a range of views about the strength of the report's supporting evidence, with one unnamed person saying it needed 'further investigation and additional corroboration.' Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has since said he was 'not convinced' that COVID-19 developed naturally and called for an open investigation. 'I think we should continue to investigate what went on in China until we continue to find out to the best of our ability what happened,' he said at a PolitiFact event on May 11 entitled: United Facts of America: A Festival of Fact-Checking. President Joe Biden has also called for an investigation into the origins of the virus. The former head of the Food and Drug Administration said on Sunday that the likelihood COVID-19 originated in a lab is growing while the odds that the coronavirus was transmitted from animals to humans grow longer. The challenge is that the side of the ledger that suggests that this could have come out of a lab has continued to expand, Dr. Scott Gottlieb, who served as then-President Trumps FDA commission from 2017 until 2019, told CBS News. And a side of the ledger that suggests that this could have come from a zoonotic source, come out of nature, really hasn't budged. Gottlieb said that there is enough evidence to rule out the earlier theory that coronavirus originated from a wet market in Wuhan. Gottlieb added: And if anything, you can argue that that side of the ledger has contracted because we've done an exhaustive search for the so-called intermediate host, the animal that could have been exposed to this virus before it spread to humans. The World Health Organization has requested that samples from a study into when Covid-19 first surfaced in Italy be re-tested. Samples from the study, which suggested the virus was circulating outside China by October 2019, have been re-tested at the global health body's request, two scientists who led the Italian research said. The move comes amid growing pressure in the West to reexamine the origins of the virus, which has killed more than three million people worldwide. The WHO said on Friday that experts were preparing a proposal on the next studies to be carried out into the origins of the virus, but that there was no set timeline. The UN body reacted to US President Joe Biden's announcement that intelligence agencies were pursuing rival theories, including the possibility of a laboratory accident in China, by saying the search was being 'poisoned by politics'. Covid-19 was first identified in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019, while Italy's first patient was detected on February 21 last year in a small town near Milan. However, a study published last year suggested antibodies to either the virus or a variant were detected in Italy in 2019. Covid-19 was first identified in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019, while Italy's first patient was detected on February 21 last year in a small town near Milan. Pictured: Medical personnel transport Italy's first coronavirus patient to an ICU in Cremona [File photo] That prompted Chinese state media to suggest the virus might not have originated in China, although the Italian researchers stressed the findings raised questions about when the virus first emerged rather than where. 'The WHO asked us if we could share the biological material and if we could re-run the tests in an independent laboratory. We accepted,' Giovanni Apolone, scientific director of one of the lead institutions, the Milan Cancer Institute (INT), said. The WHO's request has not previously been reported. 'WHO is in contact with the researchers that had published the original paper. A collaboration with partner laboratories has been set up for further testing,' a WHO spokesman said. The spokesman said the WHO was aware that the researchers are planning to publish a follow-up report 'in the near future'. He said the UN agency has contacted all researchers who have published or provided information on samples collected in 2019 that were reported to have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, but does not yet have the final interpretation of the results. The Italian researchers' findings, published by the INT's scientific magazine Tumori Journal, showed neutralising antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in blood taken from healthy volunteers in Italy in October 2019 during a lung cancer screening trial. Most of the volunteers were from Lombardy, the northern region around Milan, which was the first and hardest hit by the virus in Italy. 'None of the studies published so far have ever questioned the geographical origin,' Apolone told Reuters news agency. 'The growing doubt is that the virus, probably less powerful compared to later months, was circulating in China long before the reported cases,' Apolone added. The move comes amid growing pressure in the West to reexamine the origins of the virus, which has killed more than three million people worldwide. Pictured: A lab in Wuhan where some have suggested that Covid-19 may have originated [Stock photo] The WHO chose the laboratory of the Erasmus University in Rotterdam for the re-test, Emanuele Montomoli, co-author of the original study and professor of Public Health at the Molecular Medicine Department in the University of Siena, said. The Erasmus University did not reply to requests from Reuters for comment. Italian researchers sent the team in Rotterdam 30 biological samples from October-December 2019 that they had found positive, 30 samples from the same period they had tested negative and 30 samples from as far back as 2018, which also tested negative. 'We sent them blind, that means our colleagues did not know which samples were positive and which negative,' Apolone said. 'They rechecked our samples with commercial tests, which are much less sensitive than the ones we devised and validated,' Montomoli said. Despite the differences in the two detection methods, both Italian scientists said they were satisfied with the results, delivered to them in late February, adding that they could not comment further until the team of Italian and Dutch scientists have published their findings. 'We did not say in our study that we could establish without a doubt that the coronavirus, later sequenced in Wuhan, was already circulating in Italy in October,' Montomoli said. 'We only found the response to the virus, namely the antibodies. So we can say that this coronavirus or a very similar one, perhaps a less transmissible variant, was circulating here in October,' he added. A former Black Lives Matter leader in Minnesota who quit after 18 months says he learned the 'ugly truth' about the organization's stance on family and education after working on the inside. Rashad Turner, who founded the local BLM chapter in St. Paul in 2015, released a video last week titled 'The Truth Revealed about BLM'. In the video, the 35-year-old said he eventually came to the realization that BLM had 'little concern for rebuilding black families'. Speaking about becoming the founder of the local BLM chapter, Turner said: 'I believed the organization stood for exactly what the name implies black lives do matter. 'However, after a year on the inside, I learned they had little concern for rebuilding black families and they cared even less about improving the quality of education for students in Minneapolis.' Rashad Turner, who founded the local BLM chapter in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 2015, released a video last week titled 'The Truth Revealed about BLM' in which he revealed that he quit after learning the 'ugly truth' Turner, who now campaigns heavily for education, said his stance on BLM became clear when the organization called for a freeze on the growth of charter schools and further investment in public schools in 2016. 'I was an insider in Black Lives Matter and I learned the ugly truth... 'The moratorium on charter schools does not support rebuilding the black family but it does create barriers to a better education for black children. 'I resigned from Black Lives Matter after a year and a half but I didn't quit working to improve black lives and access to a great education.' His video also highlighted how BLM's website once stated that it wanted to 'disrupt the nuclear family structure'. That phrase was removed from the national website last year. The video was published online by an organization called TakeCharge Minnesota. It serves as a promotion for Turner's new role as with the Minnesota Parent Union, which he says is dedicated to helping black parents find successful schools for their children. He said that in his new role he was 'up against forces that don't want us to succeed' but didn't not elaborate further. Turner, who ran as a Democrat for the state legislature back in 2016, was born and raised in St. Paul. Turner's comments about the BLM organization come less than a week after its national co-founder Patrisse Cullors revealed she was stepping down. Cullors, who has been at the helm of the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation for nearly six years, had faced criticism in recent weeks after it emerged she had amassed a $3 million property portfolio despite describing herself as a 'trained Marxist'. Turner said he eventually came to the realization that BLM had 'little concern for rebuilding black families' after being an insider at the organization. He is pictured above leading protesters in a BLM rally in St Paul Speaking about becoming the founder of the local BLM chapter, Turner said: 'I believed the organization stood for exactly what the name implies black lives do matter WHAT IS BLM'S STANCE ON FAMILY? The BLM website used to contain a section titled what we believe but it was deleted last year. In relation to family and education, an archived view of that page shows the group believes in: 'We make our spaces family-friendly and enable parents to fully participate with their children. We dismantle the patriarchal practice that requires mothers to work double shifts so that they can mother in private even as they participate in public justice work.' 'We disrupt the Western-prescribed nuclear family structure requirement by supporting each other as extended families and villages that collectively care for one another, especially our children, to the degree that mothers, parents, and children are comfortable.' Advertisement The 37-year-old activist told The Associated Press that she is leaving to focus on other projects, including the upcoming release of her second book and a multi-year TV development deal with Warner Bros. 'I've created the infrastructure and the support, and the necessary bones and foundation, so that I can leave,' Cullors stated. 'It feels like the time is right.' Cullors faced fierce backlash over revelations about her personal spending - including the recent purchase of a $1.4 million home in a ritzy L.A. neighborhood. It prompted many to question what percentage of BLM donations were actually going towards social justice programs. She insisted, however, that her resignation was in the works for more than a year and had nothing to do with the personal attacks she has faced. 'Those were right-wing attacks that tried to discredit my character, and I don't operate off of what the right thinks about me,' Cullors told the Associated Press. Last month, she described the criticism as 'racist and sexist' smears deliberately put out by the 'right-wing media'. But it wasn't just conservatives who pressed Cullors over her finances. The head of New York City's BLM chapter called for an independent investigation into the organization's finances after revelations about the property portfolio surfaced. Turner's comments about the BLM organization come less than a week after its national co-founder Patrisse Cullors revealed she was stepping down Cullors faced fierce backlash over her personal spending - including the recent purchase of a $1.4 million home in a ritzy L.A. neighborhood (pictured above) 'If you go around calling yourself a socialist, you have to ask how much of her own personal money is going to charitable causes,' BLM organizer Hawk Newsome told the New York Post. 'It's really sad because it makes people doubt the validity of the movement and overlook the fact that it's the people that carry this movement.' Meanwhile, it was also revealed that a jail reform activist group founded by Cullors spent $26,000 for meetings and 'appearances' at a luxury Malibu resort. Reform LA Jails paid $10,179 for 'meetings and appearances' at the Calamigos Guest Ranch and Beach Club, and a further $15,593 at the Malibu Conference Center, which is owned by the resort, between July and September 2019. A single night in a two-bedroom 'cozy ranch chic' suite in July costs $1,200, and guests at the 200-acre resort have access to a private five acre beach on the Malibu coast. After the spending was revealed by the Daily Caller, former Fox host Megyn Kelly Tweeted: 'BLM must stand for... Babes Lounging in Malibu? Big Loads of Money? Blatant Lies about Marxism?' The BLM foundation revealed in February that it took in just over $90 million last year, following the May 2020 murder of George Floyd, a black man whose death had the hands of a white police officer inspired global protests. The foundation said it ended 2020 with a balance of more than $60 million, after spending nearly a quarter of its assets on operating expenses, grants to black-led organizations and other charitable giving. Critics of the foundation contend more of that money should have gone to the families of black victims of police brutality who have been unable to access the resources needed to deal with their trauma and loss. Cullors and the foundation have said they do support families without making public announcements or disclosing dollar amounts. An Australian landlord who sank his life savings into saving a 200-year-old British pub from closure is now facing deportation from the UK for taking a pay cut to save the failing business. Russell Young, 62, and his wife Tracie, 56, bought the Sun Inn in Failsworth, Greater Manchester in 2018 for 250,000 and paid wages of just 100 per week to ensure the enterprise survived. Russell, who moved to the UK in 2016 and sold his home in Melbourne to help finance the purchase, increased the pub's turnover from 99,000 to 218,000 before lockdowns ravaged the hospitality industry. But the Home Office has rejected the Australian grandfather's application for a five-year visa because he did not meet the Government's financial criteria of earning 18,600 per year to remain in the UK. Russell Young, 62, and his wife Tracie, 56, bought the Sun Inn in Failsworth, Greater Manchester in 2018 for 250,000 and paid wages of just 100 per week to ensure the enterprise survived Russell, who moved to the UK in 2016 and sold his home in Melbourne to help finance the purchase, increased the pub's turnover from 99,000 to 218,000 before lockdowns ravaged the hospitality industry But the Home Office has rejected the Australian grandfather's application for a five-year visa because he did not meet the Government's financial criteria of earning 18,600 per year to remain in the UK UK rules on family visa applications, extensions or switches Foreign nationals applying or extending family visas must prove they and their partner have a combined income of at least 18,600 per year. The Government's website on the rules states that 'income' classes as: Income from employment before tax and National Insurance; Income earned from self-employment or as a director of a limited company in the UK; Cash savings above 16,000' Money from a pension; Non-work income, for example from property rentals or dividends. Those who are using income from self-employment or employment will need to prove they or their partner received that income for six months or more. Foreign nationals need to show they and their partner meet the minimum income requirement if they want to settle in five years as a partner. The partner must also either be British or Irish, have settled in the UK, be from the EU and have pre-settled, or have refugee status in the UK. Foreign nationals also need to prove they are in a civil partnership or marriage that is recognised in the UK, and have been living together in a relationship for at least two years by the time of the application. Advertisement Last week tribunal judges rejected the pub landlord's appeal, leaving him with just 14 days to try to overturn the result or leave the country. The move means Russell now faces having to leave Tracie and his family in the UK behind and being left homeless in Australia. However, thousands of locals and pub regulars have signed an online petition calling on the Government to see sense on the issue. It comes in stark contrast with the failure to deport one of the Rochdale child abuse groomers, who lives in the area and remains in the UK. Russell, who worked as a graphic designer in Australia, said: 'The system just appears really inconsistent and I feel really hard done by. 'I am not a criminal; I don't have a criminal record, yet I am being deported. 'I just don't know what is going to happen. All my money is in this pub and I have nothing else. I have a life here and I don't want to leave. 'We were informed that immigration officials would take into account the pub's turnover but they didn't. It was a new business and we only paid ourselves 100-a-week and put the rest back into the business. 'If we'd have known the 18,600 was going to be crucial, we'd have made sure that I met it. I can either apply to appeal the appeal or leave.' He added: 'I have been offered a job but I can't accept it when I don't know what is going to happen. It is all very unsettling.' Russell met Tracie met online in 2004 and began a long-distance relationship. He moved to Manchester in March 2016 on a six-month visa before the pair wed in August and he was granted a two-year stay. In October the following year, they started R&T Young Ltd and bought the Sun Inn eight months later. Tracie, who first worked in the pub as a barmaid in 1986, before returning as bar manager in 2015, said: 'The owners decided to sell so we did our best to raise the funds to buy it. 'It was a case of we had to buy it or we faced being left homeless and out of a job. 'Things were going well until Russell applied for a five-year visa in May 2019, which was rejected for not meeting the financial criteria.' Tracie added: 'I am absolutely devastated. The regulars face losing a landlord but I face losing my husband. 'Russell has not taken a penny out of the country and has actually put in. We have waited 12 years to get here and now it going to be blown apart for 18,600. Last week tribunal judges rejected the pub landlord's appeal, leaving him with just 14 days to try to overturn the result or leave the country The move means Russell now faces having to leave Tracie and his family in the UK behind and being left homeless in Australia Russell met Tracie met online in 2004 and began a long-distance relationship He moved to Manchester in March 2016 on a six-month visa before the pair wed in August and he was granted a two-year stay 'I can't go with him because my mother, who lives with us, is very ill and I am her carer. Officials said my daughters could look after her but they have families and jobs of their own. 'Russell has no home to go back to in Australia. His children live in shared accommodation and so he can't live with them. 'It is terrible and I am not sleeping because I don't have an answer as to how to resolve this. I try to help everyone but now I can't help my husband because there is no answer.' Pub regulars have now set up a petition and a GoFundMe page to help with the legal fees. Tracie added: 'We have been overwhelmed by the support we have received. 'The regulars have been really supportive and loyal. They have really warmed to Russell. The pub is part of their life and community. They don't want to lose it or Russell.' In October the following year, they started R&T Young Ltd and bought the Sun Inn eight months later Pub regulars have now set up a petition and a GoFundMe page to help with the legal fees Greater Manchester's night time economy adviser, Sacha Lord, is supporting Russell and Tracie. She said: 'He has been really, really helpful in trying to sort out legal advice.' Dismissing Russell's appeal, judges ruled: 'Given the lack of funds available and the lack of medical or other evidence about the appellant's mother-in-law and taking into account the fact the appellant (Russell) used to live in Australia where his family continue to live, I have concluded that the removal of the appellant would not be disproportionate and in the circumstances I dismiss the appeal under ECHR (European Convention on Human Rights) legislation.' A Home Office spokesperson told MailOnline: 'All applications are carefully considered at the time on their individual merits, on the basis of the evidence provided and in accordance with the immigration rules. 'It is up to applicants to demonstrate they meet the requirements of the route they apply under. 'While we have taken a compassionate and pragmatic approach to cases during the pandemic, it is right that there are minimum income thresholds for family migration to prevent burdens being placed on the taxpayer.' The moment a man was accused by police of staging his wife's kidnapping and rape in what they thought was a 'Gone Girl' hoax plays out for the first time on camera in a new TV special about the ordeal. Denise Huskins and Aaron Quinn became known as the 'Gone Girl' hoaxer couple in 2015 after she was kidnapped from their home in Vallejo, California. Denise was snatched from their bed and Quinn was tied up by Matthew Muller, 41, who is now serving 40 years in prison. He had been watching the couple in their home with drones. For two days, he drugged and raped her in a remote house hours away, before letting her go again near her parents home. At first, police didn't believe Aaron's far-fetched story. When Denise, then 29, appeared again they thought it was even less believable. She sued the police department for defamation and won after Muller pleaded guilty to the crime. He turned himself in to police several months after the kidnapping. Denise Huskins and Aaron Quinn became known as the 'Gone Girl' hoaxer couple in 2015 after she was kidnapped from their home in Vallejo, California. They are shown in an ABC 20/20 special about their ordeal that will air on Friday night The couple made headlines around the world in 2015 after Denise was safely returned to her family, two days after being kidnapped The ABC special includes new footage of Aaron being told by cops that he was lying Now, the vindicated couple are sharing their full ordeal in a book - Victim F: From Crime Victims To Suspects To Survivors. To promote it, they have also appeared in an ABC 20/20 special that will air on Friday night. Matthew Muller, 41, handed himself in to police months after the kidnapping. He had been watching Denise at her home In a preview of that special obtained by DailyMail.com, they reveal what it was like to reunite after Denise, now 35, was set free, and how they were aghast when suspicion turned on them. The special also includes footage of Aaron's first police interviews, where a cop tells him emphatically: 'I'm telling you it did not happen the way that you're describing it. It did not. Period.' In another clip, Denise talks about realizing that Muller had set her free, dropping her off in an alley next to her parents home in Huntington Beach after drugging and raping her for two days. 'I heard him drive off, I counted slowly to 10, I peeled the tape off my eyes and I was by myself in this alley. I grabbed my bags and started walking and looked at the corner street name and saw Utica which is the street I grew up on. "I thought, "oh my God." It's a street I've walked down hundreds of times in my life. 'As I'm stumbling, still sedated, just stumbling down the street, all I wanted to do was to hug my mom and dad. And finally feel safe.' She described how Muller dragged her across a cold, concrete floor after driving several hours away with her in the trunk of his car. 'He was awkwardly trying to get me out of the trunk, when he grabbed me he stumbled and fell. Denise's attorney said he believed her immediately when she told her story. She sued the police department and won He just drug me, it was a cold, really cold concrete floor. He put a blanket over me and said he had to go inside and clean. 'I told myself, no matter what they do, I'm not going to beg and scream. If it is the last moments that I am going to be living, I am just going to stay calm and be grateful for the life I had.' Douglas Rappaport, her attorney, said he was convinced of her innocence from the beginning. 'When she was going through the story the emotion was so real... by the time I was finished interviewing her, I was absolutely convinced that she was telling the truth.' Denise and Aaron also recalled reuniting for the first time. She said she thought about feeling 'safe in his arms' when she was in captivity. 'Every moment in captivity I kept picturing him, I kept just visualizing what that feeling must be like to finally feel safe in his arms again. 'When he knocked on that door and I opened it, we just embraced...we were crying and holding each other.' 'I knew our lives had changed forever and we'd go through more struggles but at least we had each other,' Aaron added. ABC's 20/20 special featuring the couple will air on Friday June 4 at 9pm EST. Horrifying video footage shows the moment a Mexican mayoral candidate was shot dead while meeting voters - as her grieving son vehemently denied links to a drugs cartel. Alma Barragan, 61, was campaigning in the Guanajuato city of Moroleon last Tuesday afternoon when gunmen opened fire and fatally wounded her. 'Sports have been abandoned,' Barragan is seen telling her prospective voters in Spanish while another woman stood beside her. 'The streets, all of us as citizens have abandoned for many years,' the businesswoman added, right before she appeared to be struck by a bullet. At least 10 other shots were heard being fired, with the person who was filming Barragan dropping to the ground as the bullets flew. The video footage was released Monday and filmed by a person who attended the outdoors event. Still image from a video released Monday showed the terrifying moment Mexican mayoral candidate Alma Barragan was assassinated in the central state of Guanajuato on May 25. Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador announced Tuesday that two suspects linked to the murder were arrested Monday. Ama Barragan was running under the Citizen's Movement (Movimiento Ciudadano) party ticket. She is the 88th political candidate murdered ahead of Sunday's midterm elections On Tuesday, Mexican President Andre Manuel Lopez Obrador announced that two suspects linked to the assassination were arrested Monday. 'Do not think that you are going to commit crimes and nothing will happen,' Lopez Obrador said. 'To those who misbehave, who are not thinking that they are going to commit an offense and nothing is going to happen because they are well supported, they have bought authorities, because they have influence, it no longer works, it no longer applies, those were other times. Whoever commits a crime will be punished, we will continue to act like this.' The president's announcement came on the heels of authorities alleging that Barragan's son, Fernando Sanchez, 36, is a high-ranking leader for the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. Newspaper Heraldo de Mexico reported on Saturday that Sanchez oversees cartel cells that operate in the Guanajuato cities of Yuriria, Uriangato, Moroleon, Salvatierra, Santiago, Maravatio, Jaral del Progreso and Valle de Santiago. Fernando Sanchez and his sister, Denisse Sanchez, were at the campaign event in Moroleon, Guanajuato, on May 25 when their mother, Alma Barragan, a candidate for the city's mayoral seat, was assassinated. Fernando Sanchez told Imagen Television that he is not a member of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. Newspaper El Heraldo de Mexico reported on Saturday that it accessed a document from the Guanajuato State Attorney General's Office that indicates he had been elevated in the cartel's leadership structure in June 2020 Alma Barragan was killed May 25 in Guanajuato, Mexico, during an outdoors campaign event The newspaper obtained an investigation report from the Guanajuato State Attorney General's Office that indicates that Sanchez had been elevated in the cartel's leadership structure in Guanajuato following the arrest of Jose 'La Tripa' Martinez in June 2020. Martinez was linked to a series of kidnappings, murders, car robberies, and the theft of oil from refinery pipelines. Investigators also tied him to several clandestine graves that were discovered in the municipalities of Yuriria, Uriangato and Moroleon. In an interview with Imagen Television, Sanchez denied he had any dealings with the cartel. The US Drug Enforcement Administration's 2020 National Drug Threat Assessment Report says the group is second behind the Sinaloa Cartel in exporting of narcotics from Mexico to the United States. He stated that Barragan's assassination was a direct result of the disagreements she had with her political rivals and rejected the notion that a criminal organization plotted his mother's murder. Both he and his sister, Denisse Sanchez, were at the campaign event where Barragan was executed. 'She said and emphasized a lot that upon arrival (as mayor), the corruption was going to end,' Fernando Sanchez said. 'That she was going to audit the current government and since she started with this topic, the attacks began, the dirty war that they call in politics.' Barragan was running under the Citizen's Movement (Movimiento Ciudadano) party ticket and became the 88th political candidate murdered ahead of Sunday's midterm elections. A newcomer to the political spectrum, Barragan did a Facebook Live stream and invited residents from the La Manguita, El Ombligo and Pico de Pajaro neighborhoods to attend the campaign event. 'If you like to join me, come and hear my proposals. Come to spend a moment together,' she said. 'Together we do better. Thank you. I'll wait for you here.' She was murdered shortly afterwards. It remains unclear if Barragan's killers used that livestream to track her down. On Sunday, Barragan's daughter accepted the Citizen's Movement party's request to replace her mother and run for mayor of Moroleon. 'There are several feelings I have: it is fear, it is anger, it is pain, it is sadness, it is a lot of helplessness. But today I am here for my mother, I am here for her people, I am here for all that she has always fought for, to support, to walk the communities, to walk shoulder to shoulder with each one of you and with myself, because we have done so and you know it,' Denisse Sanchez said in a video statement. With the elections just five days away, she opted not to campaign in public. British Vogue cover star Malala Yousafzai has said she enjoyed 'each and every moment' at Oxford University including visiting McDonald's and playing poker. The activist and Nobel Prize laureate, 23, made the comments in an interview with British Vogue and features on the cover of the July issue of the magazine. She completed her philosophy, politics and economics degree at Oxford University last year. Discussing her time at university, she told the publication: 'I was excited about literally anything. Going to McDonald's or playing poker with my friends or going to a talk or an event. 'I was enjoying each and every moment because I had not seen that much before.' The activist and Nobel Prize laureate, 23, made the comments in an interview with British Vogue and features on the cover of the July issue of the magazine Ms Yousafzai was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman at the age of 15 after campaigning for girls to be educated in her native Pakistan. She said she had 'never really been in the company of people my own age because I was recovering from the incident, and travelling around the world, publishing a book and doing a documentary, and so many things were happening'. 'At university I finally got some time for myself.' Ms Yousafzai said her fame affected her schooling in Birmingham, where she was educated after leaving Pakistan. 'People would ask me things like, 'What was it like when you met Emma Watson, or Angelina Jolie or Obama?'' she said. 'And I wouldn't know what to say. It's awkward, because you want to leave that Malala outside the school building, you want to just be a student and a friend.' Ms Yousafzai, who was pictured on the British Vogue cover in a red headscarf, also discussed the importance of the garment for her culturally. She completed her philosophy, politics and economics degree at Oxford University last year 'It's a cultural symbol for us Pashtuns, so it represents where I come from,' she said. 'And Muslim girls or Pashtun girls or Pakistani girls, when we follow our traditional dress, we're considered to be oppressed, or voiceless, or living under patriarchy. 'I want to tell everyone that you can have your own voice within your culture, and you can have equality in your culture.' See the full feature in the July issue of British Vogue, available via digital download and on newsstands from Friday. A speeding 18 year-old with seven other people in his car crashed and killed himself, two of his passengers who were 13, and two other people in an oncoming Mercedes. The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office said that 18-year-old Ramiro Gomez was driving too fast when he lost control of his 2013 Hyundai Genesis carrying seven children between the ages 12-14 in Boca Raton early Sunday morning. Six of Gomez's passengers who were riding in the backseat were ejected when the car careened across the median along Camino Real. It smashed into a concrete light pole and rolled into oncoming traffic, where it landed upside down onto a Mercedes-Benz near the intersection of Sanibel Drive. Scroll down for video Ramiro Gomez, 18, was behind the wheel of a Hyundai Genesis carrying seven children when he lost control and wrecked the speeding car, resulting in five deaths Brielle Snowden and Sebastian Rivas, both aged 13, were killed in the Sunday morning crash in Boca Raton, Florida, which also killed Gomez and two occupants of another car The two-vehicle crash took place along Camino Real in Boca Raton, where Gomez's car smashed into a pole, rolled over and landed on top of a Mercedes The two occupants of the 2014 Mercedes C250, described only as a 58-year-old man and 55-year-old woman, from Boca Raton, were taken to a hospital, where they later died. Gomez was killed in the wreck, along with his passengers Sebastian Rivas and Brielle Snowden, both aged 13. Five other passengers from Gomez's car, between ages 12-14, were hospitalized with various injuries. One of the survivors was initially listed in critical condition. Officials stated that alcohol and drugs did not play a role in the crash, but speed was likely a factor. Family members are friends are seen at a makeshift memorial made up of flowers and balloons near the spot where five people, including two children, lost their lives, and five others were injured On Monday, family and friends, including a girl who was injured in the collision, gathered at the debris-strewn scene of the accident to lay flowers at a makeshift memorial and pay tribute to the victims. 'He made everybody feel like brothers and sisters,' Sebastian's friend Joey Balsamo told CBS12 News. 'He gave so much love.' Dariya Hill was one of the six passengers in Gomez's car who was ejected when his Hyundai rolled over Rivas's sister, Amelie, described her brother as her protector who always supported and comforted her. 'He always helped me when I was down,' she said. Amelie Rivas said that Sebastian was expected to get home early on Saturday night, but never made it. At 5am on Sunday, the family got a call from Sebastian's best friend, telling them about the crash. Brielle Snowden was an eighth-grader at Boca Raton Community Middle School, where counselor Marie Karl described her as an 'amazing young lady.' 'She was loved by many and will be missed dearly,' Karl told Sun-Sentinel. ' [I am] blessed to have known her and been her school counselor.' Snowden's best friend, Juliana Passarelli, told the newspaper she was the kind of girl who would go out of her way to help anyone. 'She was the kind of girl that lit up a room and made everyone smile as soon as she walked in,' Passarelli said of her late friend. 'She was the kind of girl that always made everyone laugh.' Snowden's best friend, Juliana Passarelli (right) described the eighth-grader as compassionate and kind Dariya Hill was one of the six passengers in Gomez's car who was ejected when his Hyundai rolled over. She told WPBF that she woke up to find herself lying on the grassy median, suffering from injuries to her arm and leg. Hill said when she walked over to Gomez's mangled car, she broke down crying. Marcela Gomez, the mother of the deceased 18-year-old driver, described Ramiro as a 'great soul' who had a habit of kissing his father every morning before heading out, and every night after getting home. The mother said Ramiro was about to graduate from Monarch High School in Coconut Creek. He started driving a year ago. 'When youre a kid, you get your first car, you like to drive everywhere,' Marcela Gomez said. Lyndsey Kennedy, 43, was found in a six-foot drain pipe in Grand Prairie, Texas on Saturday night and was taken to a nearby hospital where she was placed on a psychiatric hold A woman who was rescued from a Florida storm drain two months ago has now been found in a Texas drain pipe after wandering off from a rehab facility. Lyndsey Kennedy, 43, was found in a six-foot drain pipe in Grand Prairie on Saturday night and was taken to a nearby hospital where she was placed on a psychiatric hold. Kennedy had been reported missing by local police after checking out of a Dallas rehabilitation facility about a week earlier. Her family told CBS12 News that police spotted Kennedy near a creek but she jumped into a storm drain when they tried to approach her. The missing woman's relatives started searching for her after tracking her last known location on her phone. They said they started leaving bags of food and Gatorade at the entrance to the drain and nearby manholes. She climbed out of the drain pipe Her family told CBS12 News that police spotted Kennedy near a creek but she jumped into the storm drain (above) when they tried to approach her. She climbed out of the drain pipe on Saturday night and was immediately taken to the hospital Her family said she suffered from psychosis and PTSD from a previous abusive relationship. They also previously revealed that she had a history of drug use. Kennedy's recent incident in the Texas drain pipe comes just weeks after fire crews pulled her naked from an eight-foot deep storm drain in Delray Beach, Florida. According to a police report, Kennedy told officers she had been trapped for 20 days after deciding to explore a tunnel when she went for a swim in a canal near her boyfriend's house. Kennedy said she had been walking around the sewer system for about three weeks before she saw some light in the storm drain and settled there because she could see people walking above her. In the Delray Beach case, Kennedy had been missing for three weeks before she was found. Delray Beach Fire and Rescue posted photos of firefighters lifting Kennedy out of the drain using a harness and ladder. The photos showed Kennedy, who was mostly covered by white sheets due to her lack of clothing, dirty, with leaves in her hair and too weak to stand. Kennedy's recent experience in the Texas drain pipe comes just weeks after fire crews pulled her from an eight-foot deep storm drain in Delray Beach, Florida According to a police report, Kennedy told officers she had been trapped for 20 days after deciding to explore a tunnel when she went for a swim in a canal Delray Beach Fire and Rescue posted photos of firefighters lifting Kennedy out of the drain using a harness and ladder She was taken to Delray Medical Center for treatment of minor cuts and bruises. Kennedy also underwent a mental health evaluation after her mother noted her history. At the time, Delray Beach Fire Rescue spokeswoman Dani Moschella said Kennedy was lucky to be alive. 'I don't know how much longer she would have been okay down there,' Moschella said. 'The idea that somebody might be down there for any length of time is disturbing. It's dirty, dangerous, there's snakes, rats, garbage, dirt and leaves, anything that's on the street that washes into a sewer, and it smells terrible.' Moschella noted that the drain opening was likely too small for Kennedy to have squeezed into from the sidewalk. 'Firefighters go to storm drain calls a lot,' Moschella said. 'We rescue ducklings and kittens and puppies, and this is the first time anybody can remember actually seeing a person down there.' An ex-Britain First deputy will contest a by-election in the former constituency of murdered MP Jo Cox. Jayda Fransen, the former deputy leader of the far-right fascist group, is to stand for election in the West Yorkshire seat of Batley and Spen. The seat was once that of former Labour politician Jo Cox - who was murdered by far-right knifeman Thomas Mair in 2016 while she was a sitting MP. Mair, who had links to neo-Nazi group National Alliance, shouted 'Britain first' before attacking and killing Ms Cox. Far-right groups the British National Party (BNP) and the National Front contested the 2016 by-election in the wake of Ms Cox's murder. Labour's Tracy Brabin won the seat - with the other major parties declining to field candidates out of respect for Ms Cox. And she was later re-elected in the 2019 General Election. But Ms Brabin is now stepping down from her role as an MP after winning the West Yorkshire mayoral seat in last month's local elections. Far-right Fransen, 35, will stand against Ms Cox's sister, Kim Leadbeater, who is representing Labour, while the other major parties have also announced candidates. Jayda Fransen (pictured), the former deputy leader of the far-right fascist group, is to stand for election in Batley and Spen The constituency was once that of former Labour politician Jo Cox (pictured) - who was murdered by far-right knifeman Thomas Mair (pictured right) in 2016 while she was a sitting MP The history of the Batley and Spen constituency - once the seat of murdered MP Jo Cox Batley and Spen is a parliamentary seat located in the rolling Pennines area of West Yorkshire. The seat, which has an electorate of around 80,000 people, was created in 1983 and incorporates towns such as Batley and Cleckheaton. It was previously covered by the parliamentary seats of Batley and Morley, Brighouse and Spenborough and Dewsbury. The seat was initially Conservative, and was held by MP Elizabeth Peacock until she was ousted by Labour in the 1997 landslide. It has been Labour ever since, but the party has recently seen a decline in its majority and it is now considered a key target for the Conservatives. In 2015 the seat was won by Jo Cox, with a majority of 6,000. Mrs Cox was murdered by far-right knifeman Thomas Mair in 2016. Tracy Brabin, a former Coronation Street actress, was elected to the seat in the same year with a 16,000 majority - after major parties chose not to contest the by-election in the wake of Ms Cox's death. Far-right groups such as the BNP and the National Front did run candidates, but neither achieved more than 600 votes. Ms Brabin's majority was cut to 8,000 when the major parties did run candidates against her in the 2017 General Election, and to 3,500 in 2019. Advertisement Fransen revealed the news that she would stand in next month's by-election in an email, saying: 'Jayda Fransen is standing for the forgotten people of British, Christian, Batley and Spen! For God and Britannia.' Her bid, as a representative of the British Freedom Party, comes only weeks after she unsuccessfully stood against Nicola Sturgeon in Glasgow Southside. Fransen received a paltry 46 votes, which is even less than the 56 she attracted in the 2014 Rochester and Strood by-election, when she was outpolled by the Monster Raving Loony Party. Ahead of last month's election, Sturgeon described her opposition, who is permanently banned from Twitter, as a 'racist' and a 'fascist'. Fransen entered the public's gaze around a decade ago due to her involvement with the English Defence League, a far-right, Islamophobic organisation. She then joined the fascist political organisation Britain First, serving as deputy leader under Paul Golding between 2014 and 2019. As well as the 2014 by-election and the 2021 Scottish Parliament election, Fransen also unsuccessfully stood in the 2016 London Assembly election. In addition to online anti-Islamic activism, she has marched while holding a white cross through predominantly Muslim populated areas of Britain. In March 2018, she was sentenced to 36 weeks imprisonment after being convicted of three counts of religiously aggravated harassment. The tragic Labour politician was shot and stabbed to death by far-right extremist Thomas Mair who shouted 'Britain first' during the attack in June 2016. Mair's trial was told a witness heard him shouting: 'Britain first, this is for Britain, Britain will always come first' as he launched into his fatal assault. Mrs Cox, a mother-of-two, was on her way to a meeting with voters at a library when Mair attacked her. She had only been an MP for around a year, having won the Batley and Spen seat in the 2015 General Election. It had previously been held by Labour stalwart Mike Wood, who won the seat from Conservative Elizabeth Peacock. Far-right Fransen will stand against Ms Cox's sister, Kim Leadbeater (pictured), who is standing for Labour, while the other major parties have also announced their candidates Broadcaster and ex-Labour party politician George Galloway (pictured) will run for the independence Workers Party of Britain, while Corey Robinson will stand for the Yorkshire Party In the upcoming by-election, which is due to take place on July 1, Ryan Stephenson is the Conservative candidate, while Jo Conchie will run for the Liberal Democrats. Broadcaster and ex-Labour party politician George Galloway will run for the independence Workers Party of Britain, while Corey Robinson will stand for the Yorkshire Party. Labour is defending a majority of 3,525 over the Conservatives from the 2019 general election. And the by-election will be seen as a key test for Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer after the party's devastating by-election defeat in Hartlepool. The seat has been red since 1997 and another by-election defeat will likely turn up the heat on already under-pressure Sir Keir. Derek Chauvin was back in court on Tuesday to face federal charges of violating George Floyd's civil rights by pinning him to the pavement with his knee. Chauvin, 45, appeared via videoconference from Minnesota's maximum-security prison in Oak Park Heights, where he's being held as he awaits sentencing following his April conviction on murder and manslaughter charges. Chauvin was asked by the judge whether he understood that he could legally contest his being held in detention on the federal charges, while the trial continued. 'In light of my current circumstances, I believe that would be a moot point,' Chauvin replied. The judge said the next step was Chauvin being formally arraigned, and said a date would be issued soon. The federal charges allege Chauvin violated Floyd's rights as he restrained him face-down while he was handcuffed, not resisting and gasping for air. Derek Chauvin, seen during closing arguments in his trial for the murder of George Floyd in April, made his initial appearance on Tuesday to face federal charges of violating Floyd's civil right to be free from unreasonable seizure and from unreasonable force by a police officer Chauvin, center, is taken into custody on April 21 as his attorney, Eric Nelson, left, looks on, after the verdicts were read at Chauvin's trial for the 2020 death of George Floyd. Those charges were filed by the state. He is now facing federal charges of violating his civil rights. If convicted, he will serve any prison sentence concurrently to his murder sentence, which will be handed down on June 25 Three other former officers - J. Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao - face similar federal charges. Chauvin is also charged in a separate indictment alleging he violated the rights of a 14-year-old boy in 2017. Floyd, 46, repeatedly said he couldn't breathe as Chauvin pinned him to the ground. Kueng and Lane helped restrain Floyd - Kueng knelt on Floyds back and Lane held down Floyds legs. Thao held back bystanders and kept them from intervening during the nine and a half-minute restraint that was captured on bystander video and led to worldwide protests and calls for change in policing. While all four officers are charged broadly with depriving Floyd of his rights while acting under government authority, the counts that name Chauvin allege he violated Floyd's right to be free from unreasonable seizure and from unreasonable force by a police officer. They also allege he and the others deprived Floyd of liberty without due process when they failed to provide him with medical care. Derek Chauvin knelt on George Floyd's neck for nine and a half minutes on May 25, 2020; Floyd fell unconscious and died. His death sparked protests across the United States and around the world Chauvin's attorney, Eric Nelson, argued during Chauvin's murder trial that the officer acted reasonably and Floyd died because of underlying health issues and drug use. He has filed a request for a new trial. To bring federal charges in deaths involving police, prosecutors must believe an officer acted under the 'color of law,' or government authority, and willfully deprived someone's constitutional rights. That's a high legal standard. An accident, bad judgment or simple negligence on the officer's part is not enough to support federal charges; prosecutors have to prove the officers knew what they were doing was wrong in that moment but did it anyway. The federal case sends a strong message about the Justice Department's priorities. When President Joe Biden was elected, he promised he would work to end disparities in the criminal justice system. Federal prosecutors have also brought hate crimes charges in the death of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia, and the Justice Department has launched sweeping investigations into the police departments in Minneapolis and Louisville, Kentucky. The other indictment against Chauvin alleges he deprived a then-14-year-old boy, who is black, of his right to be free of unreasonable force when he held the teen by the throat, hit him in the head with a flashlight and held his knee on the boy's neck and upper back while he was prone, handcuffed and not resisting. According to a police report from that 2017 encounter, Chauvin wrote that the teen resisted arrest and after the teen, whom he described as six-foot-two and about 240 pounds, was handcuffed, Chauvin 'used body weight to pin' him to the floor. The boy was bleeding from the ear and needed two stitches. That encounter was one of several mentioned in state court filings that prosecutors said showed Chauvin had used neck or head and upper body restraints seven times previously dating back to 2014. In four of those instances, state prosecutors said he went too far and held the restraints 'beyond the point when such force was needed under the circumstances.' George Floyd, 46, originally from Houston, had moved to Minneapolis for work. His death a year ago sparked soul-searching and revulsion across the nation Chauvin was convicted in April on state charges of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in Floyd's death. Experts say he will likely face no more than 30 years in prison when he is sentenced June 25. If convicted in the federal case, any federal sentence would be served at the same time as his state sentence. The other former officers face charges of aiding and abetting both second-degree murder and manslaughter. They are free on bond and face state trial in March. Pub and restaurant bosses have warned they are facing a staggering shortfall of 188,000 workers when hospitality venues fully reopen on June 21. Jobs lost in hospitality account for 43 per cent of the national total during the coronavirus crisis, with many staff who have lost their employment moving into retail - and others heading back to their home countries in Europe. Some restaurant bosses told MailOnline that furloughed staff had left to get a better-paid job at an agency, while another said he had not had a single response to an advert for a bar worker on a salary of 22,000 a year. Those trying for a job in hospitality said they were grateful for the 'abundance' of jobs available at the moment, but bosses have 'concern' about the exodus of Eastern European workers following the pandemic and post-Brexit. Jobs lost in hospitality account for 43 per cent of the national total during the coronavirus crisis, with many staff who have lost their employment moving into retail - and others heading back to their home countries in Europe Those trying for a job in hospitality said they were grateful for the 'abundance' of jobs available at the moment, but bosses have 'concern' about the exodus of Eastern European workers following the pandemic and post-Brexit Among the chains facing a big recruitment effort is Pizza Express which is trying to hire 1,000 staff to join its 360 sites across the UK before indoor hospitality returns on May 17, having spent much of the past year closed. Hospitality workers have returned to Poland after businesses went bust Damian Wawrzyniak, who owns the House of Feasts restaurant, a bakery, street food kiosk and retail shop in Peterborough, Mr Wawrzyniak told MailOnline: 'Recruitment is a massive issue, but it's not from today, not because of Brexit, it's an ongoing problem. 'The biggest problem why people don't want to work in hospitality is because it's not treated like a profession. If it was then people would like to work. 'I had a lady who quit just before the pandemic kicked off and then now she wants to come back to me. She was a chef, then she went to work in an NHS testing centre, and now because the testing centre is closing she wants to come back into hospitality.' Mr Wawrzyniak, who is from Poland, said some of his employees left to go to Poland during the pandemic but they are already back, adding: 'Hospitality is in much worse shape in Poland than in the UK.' He said: 'If the place is bankrupt in England where they used to work, maybe they went back, but we didn't and are operating. Mainly the people who left to Poland used to work in businesses that went bankrupt.' Mr Wawrzyniak said his business was expanding and he had gone from eight staff before the Covid-19 crisis to 27 now, but added: 'I'm struggling to fill up my posts currently. Bar staff is a problem and waiting staff is a problem. My kitchen is fully staffed at the moment.' Asked about waiters from Eastern Europe who have moved back to their home countries during the pandemic, he added: 'Yes that's the problem as well - we have all nationalities, English, you name it, Polish. 'But obviously lots of people switched their profession during the pandemic. Some got training and went to work in retail, basically they took their future in their own hands.' He admitted he was 'worried' about the recruitment situation, but added: 'Obviously I'm positive as well. We need to get it done. I'm not going to (stop) expanding because I cannot find staff. Maybe expansion will take a bit longer.' Advertisement Wages are on the rise with businesses telling of their struggle to find bar staff despite offering higher rates - and waiters commanding 15 an hour in South East England, equating to nearly 30,000 a year if full-time. Many workers from Eastern Europe are said to have gone back to their home country before the third Covid-19 lockdown with no reason to return to Britain because much of the hospitality industry has remained closed since. And one in five companies with furloughed staff now say they are unlikely to keep all of them on, according to a YouGov study released last week. The UK Government estimates 4.9million workers were furloughed in February. Matthew Holland , who co-owns Willmore's 1938 in Penarth, South Wales, with his partner Charlotte Court, told MailOnline yesterday: 'Right through furlough we kept a member of staff in full time employment, he was almost doing his hours but was on flexi furlough. 'He's been offered a job now with an agency where the pay is considerably more. He can get an extra 5 or 6 an hour at the agency. We made his salary up to the maximum during lockdown so we're a bit frustrated.' Hospitality businesses, which includes hotels, bars and anywhere which serves food and drink are looking at a massive vacancy list from waiters to chefs with 85 per cent of venues currently reporting staff shortages. The list of unfilled positions also includes housekeepers and bar staff said trade body UKHospitality but they are calling on the government not to abandon or downgrade the plans to reopen all businesses later this month because of the boost it gives to struggling firms. It has also called for an 'Australian-style' visa systems to raise the threshold and allow more overseas workers to come here and fill the vacancies, reported the online journal Big Hospitality. Bosses are worried that many will not take up jobs because they do not see it as stable employment until there is more certainty that lockdown will fully end on the 21st. UKHospitality chief executive, Kate Nicholls, said: 'The government must restore confidence in the sector so that it is again seen as a stable employer and provider of fulfilling careers. 'To facilitate this, it must stick to the re-opening roadmap, lifting all restrictions from June 21st. This will restore consumer confidence and give a strong signal to workers that hospitality will bounce back strongly.' She added: 'Beyond this, the single biggest act of support that Government could give would be to encourage mor UK-based workers to join the hospitality sector. 'It is also time for the Government to review its list of shortage occupations and consider the introduction of an Australian-style visa scheme to enable the workers we need, who don't meet the point-based system, to come and work here.' Many of those overseas workers left when lockdown was introduced but, with travel restrictions and uncertainty, are not able or willing to return. In the first quarter of this year 34.9 per cent of new employees in hospitality were from the EU compared to 48.6 per cent in the first quarter of 2019 before the pandemic. A single-engine plane was forced to make an emergency landing on a busy California freeway on Memorial Day after a flight instructor and student encountered engine problems during a lesson, according to authorities. The Cessna aircraft was flying near Los Angeles around 7pm when flight instructor Brian Carson of Laguna Niguel made a mayday call shortly after departing from Camarillo Airport. The plane then landed on the notoriously traffic-packed 101 Freeway in Westlake Village. No injuries were reported and Carson managed to land the plane without hitting any vehicles, CHP officer Weston Haver confirmed to the Los Angeles Times. 'The freeway had to be shut down,' Haver said of the incident, which disrupted traffic at the tail end of the Memorial Day weekend. Air traffic controllers at Van Nuys Airport intercepted the 32-year-old flight instructor's mayday call after he radioed that he might need to make an emergency landing in the Calabasas area. The reason for the emergency landing was not immediately clear, Haver told the news outlet. The small aircraft radioed a mayday call shortly after departing from Camarillo Airport on Monday. Authorities say a flight instructor and pilot trainee were on-board the plane during the emergency landing Carson was with 29-year-old pilot trainee Trevor Peterson of Huntington Beach at the time of the wild landing. 'The officer in command was able to take over and safely land the plane,' California Highway Patrol officer Craig Martin told ABC News near the scene of the landing. 'The only thing we got was that the pilot was coming down low and fast, so we were able to get officers to slow down traffic,' Martin added. The flight instructor, 32-year-old Brian Carson, managed to guide the plane, which was experiencing engine problems, on to the 101 Freeway in California, disrupting traffic and travelers over the Memorial Day weekend Carson managed to land the plane in the cleared-out southbound lanes of the freeway before emergency personnel guided the craft down a nearby exit ramp Carson landed in the cleared-out southbound lanes of the freeway, according to authorities. The Times reports that rescue workers were able to move it down one of the freeway's exit ramps in nearby Agoura Hills in less than an hour, however authorities said several highway signs had to be removed in order to make space for its wings. Traffic was forced to a standstill as personnel worked to move the plane off of the freeway. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating, according to ABC News. China has confirmed the world's first case of a person being infected with a rare strain of bird flu known as H10N3. The 41-year-old, from Zhenjiang in the eastern province of Jiangsu, has spent more than a month in hospital after falling ill with the virus in late April. He was admitted on April 28 after suffering from fever and other flu-like symptoms, China's National Health Commission (NHC) said. The patient was diagnosed with H10N3 avian influenza virus on May 28 and is said to be in stable condition and due to be discharged. The NHC said the infection was 'an accidental cross-species transmission' and claimed there was no indication H10N3 can spread easily in humans. Many different strains of bird flu are present in China and some sporadically infect people, usually those working with poultry in chicken factories. Only a small subset of bird flus can jump between people. An investigation of his close contacts found no other cases, the NHC said. No other cases of human infection with H10N3 have been reported globally, it added. Playing down fears about the case, China said H10N3 was a mild strain of bird flu and the risk of it causing a large scale outbreak 'is low'. There have been no significant numbers of human infections with bird flu since the H7N9 strain killed around 300 people globally during 2016-2017. British experts told MailOnline it was of 'great concern' whenever a flu strain jumps from animals to humans and urged China to be transparent about its findings. They said the fact the patient had been in hospital for a month put the case at 'the serious end of the spectrum'. China has confirmed the world's first case of a person being infected with the H10N3 strain of bird flu. Pictured: Slaughtered chickens are displayed for sale at a wholesale poultry market in Shanghai [file photo, 2014] The 41-year-old, from Zhenjiang in the eastern province of Jiangsu (shown), has spent more than a month in hospital after falling ill with the virus in late April According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, H10N3 can infect chickens and other domestic poultry species. People sometimes catch the virus when infected birds shed the flu in their saliva, mucus or excrement. Humans may become infected if they inhale enough viral particles or infected droplets or dust get in their eyes Dr Simon Clarke, a microbiologist at the University of Reading, told MailOnline: 'It is a great concern whenever a strain of flu from an animal jumps into humans. 'We need to now for sure whether or not it can jump from human to human. WHAT IS H10N3? The virus is a type of avian flu common in wild birds worldwide. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, H10N3 can infect chickens and other domestic poultry species. The family of viruses that H10N3 belongs to do not normally infect humans but cases of cross-species infections sometimes do happen. For example, Russia reported the first human case of the H5N8 bird flu virus at a poultry farm in the south of the country in February. Seven people caught that virus but the outbreak was contained. Only a small subset of bird flus have the ability to jump between humans. The CDC says people sometimes catch the virus when infected birds shed the flu in their saliva, mucus or excrement. Humans may become infected if they inhale enough viral particles or infected droplets or dust get in their eyes. WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS AND SHOULD WE BE WORRIED? The fact the Chinese patient was hospitalised has raised some concern because most strains of bird flu cause only mild disease. It's unclear exactly what symptoms the H10N3 patient had but the CDC lists these as possible symptoms: Pink eye Fever Cough Sore throat Muscle aches Nausea Stomach pain Diarrhea Vomiting Shortness of breath Difficulty breathing Pneumonia Altered mental status Seizures Advertisement 'If it can then that could present us with big problem and the Chinese authorities would have a lot of work on their hands.' Dr Clarke said most bird flu strains that jump to people do not have the ability to spread from person to person. But he urged China to be transparent about the circumstances about the case, after the nation was accused of withholding information about Covid early in the pandemic. Dr Clarke added: 'These sort of animal flus, they are not unheard of, so it is not a time to panic. They usually cause only mild illness. 'But, in this instance, he [the patient] has been in hospital for a month so it would seem that is on the serious end of the spectrum this time. But he could of course have underlying health conditions.' According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, H10N3 can infect chickens and other domestic poultry species. The family of viruses that H10N3 belongs to do not normally infect humans but cases of cross-species infections sometimes do happen. For example, Russia reported the first human case of the H5N8 bird flu virus at a poultry farm in the south of the country in February. Seven people caught that virus but the outbreak was contained. The CDC says people sometimes catch the virus when infected birds shed the flu in their saliva, mucus or excrement. Humans may become infected if they inhale enough viral particles or infected droplets or dust get in their eyes. But only a small subset of bird flus have the ability to jump between humans. The fact the Chinese patient was hospitalised has raised some concern because most strains of bird flu cause only mild disease. The strain is 'not a very common virus,' said Filip Claes, regional laboratory coordinator of the Food and Agriculture Organization's Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases at the Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific. Only around 160 isolates of the virus were reported in the 40 years to 2018, mostly in wild birds or waterfowl in Asia and some limited parts of North America, and none had been detected in chickens so far, he added. Analysing the genetic data of the virus will be necessary to determine whether it resembles older viruses or if it is a novel mix of different viruses, Claes said. Many different strains of avian influenza are present in China and some sporadically infect people, usually those working with poultry. No other cases of human infection with H10N3 have previously been reported globally, the NHC said. The news from China comes as evidence mounts supporting the theory that the Covid pandemic began as an accidental leak from China's Wuhan Institute of Virology and that the Chinese Government has tried to suppress the true origin of the disease. Western intelligence agencies had seemingly written off the 'remote' chance that the laboratory - where research into bat-derived coronaviruses is conducted - had played a role. Pictured: Researchers in a lab at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in Wuhan in central China's Hubei province, February 2017 In an interview earlier this month President Joe Biden's chief medical adviser, Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, agreed that a lab escape was 'a possibility'. He said he would also back a second investigation by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Pictured: The Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) British intelligence operatives now believe the theory, once discarded as a conspiracy theory, is 'feasible'. They are now investigating the possibility that a leak from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, a Chinese research facility, sparked the global crisis which has sparked more than 3.5 million deaths. Western intelligence agencies had seemingly written off the 'remote' chance that the laboratory - where research into bat-derived coronaviruses is conducted - had played a role, but a recent reassessment has meant the leak theory is considered 'feasible', sources say. The development, which Beijing has angrily denied, has prompted US diplomatic sources to share their concerns 'we are one wet market or bio lab away from the next spillover', The Sunday Times reports. Chairman of the foreign affairs select committee, Tom Tugendhat, said: 'The silence coming from Wuhan is troubling. We need to open the crypt and see what happened to be able to protect ourselves in the future. That means starting an investigation, along with partners around the world and in the WHO.' Last week US President Joe Biden told intelligence agencies to look into the lab leak theory, along with other possible origins for the coronavirus, and deliver a report to him within 90 days. British intelligence is working alongside their US counterparts. A western intelligence source familiar with British involvement said: 'There might be pockets of evidence that take us one way, and evidence that takes us another way. 'The Chinese will lie either way. I don't think we will ever know.' Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi said a World Health Organisation investigation must be able to fully investigate the origins of the pandemic. He told Sky News this week: 'I think it's really important that the WHO is allowed to conduct its investigation unencumbered into the origins of this pandemic and that we should leave no stone unturned to understand why - not only because of the current pandemic that has swept the world but also for future-proofing the world's capability to deal with pandemics.' Scientists who had called for an inquiry into the lab leak theory say they have been silenced by colleagues and journals over the past year. Jamie Metzl, human genome editing advisor to the WHO, said: 'Since the earliest days of the pandemic there were a small number of leading scientists who took it upon themselves to enforce this kind of orthodoxy. 'We were ostracised and called conspiracy theorists.' The origins of the virus are under fresh scrutiny with the collapse of the scientific consensus that it emerged from human contact with an infected animal, with some experts now arguing that the virus was man-made. David Asher, who led a task force investigating the origins of Covid, said evidence pointed to a leak from a biological weapons program at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which the Chinese government has repeatedly denied. President Biden ordered the intelligence community to re-examine how the virus originated, including the lab accident theory. He ordered a 90-day intelligence push to get to the bottom of the question. His announcement followed the revelation that a previously undisclosed intelligence report had been made to the White House, claiming that several researchers at the Wuhan institute were hospitalized with illness in November 2019. The document was uncovered this week by the Wall Street Journal. Both the US and Britain are stepping up demands for the World Health Organisation to take a closer look into the origins of the virus, including a new visit to China where the first human infections were detected. US health officials have also come under fire for allegedly funding researchers' controversial and risky experiments at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. US House Republican Whip Steve Scalise and more than 200 of his GOP colleagues have also called for Nancy Pelosi to direct her Democrat-led committees to investigate China's complicity in causing the Covid pandemic. In a letter to the Democratic House Speaker, the Republicans said there is 'mounting evidence the pandemic started in a Chinese lab' and the Chinese Communist Party 'covered it up'. 'If that is the case, the CCP is responsible for the deaths of almost 600,000 Americans and millions more worldwide. These questions about the CCP's liability are not a diversion, as you falsely claimed,' the letter reads. Meanwhile, an explosive new study claims Chinese scientists created Covid in a Wuhan lab, then tried to cover their tracks by reverse-engineering versions of the virus to make it look like it evolved naturally from bats. The paper's authors, British Professor Angus Dalgleish and Norwegian scientist Dr. Birger Srensen, wrote that they have had 'prima facie evidence of retro-engineering in China' for a year - but were ignored by academics and major journals. Dalgleish is a professor of oncology at St George's University, London, and is best known for his breakthrough creating the first working 'HIV vaccine', to treat diagnosed patients and allow them to go off medication for months. Srensen, a virologist, is chair of pharmaceutical company, Immunor, which developed a coronavirus vaccine candidate called Biovacc-19. Dalgleish also has share options in the firm. The shocking allegations in the study include accusations of 'deliberate destruction, concealment or contamination of data' at Chinese labs, and it notes the silencing and disappearance of scientists in the communist country who spoke out. The journal article, obtained by DailyMail.com, is set to make waves among the scientific community, as the majority of experts have until recently staunchly denied the origins of COVID-19 were anything other than a natural infection leaping from animals to humans. While analyzing COVID-19 samples last year in an attempt to create a vaccine, Dalgleish and Srensen discovered 'unique fingerprints' in the virus that they say could only have arisen from manipulation in a laboratory. They said they tried to publish their findings but were rejected by major scientific journals which were at the time resolute that the virus jumped naturally from bats or other animals to humans. Even when former MI6 chief Sir Richard Dearlove spoke out publicly saying the scientists' theory should be investigated, the idea was dismissed as 'fake news'. Over a year later, leading academics, politicians and the media finally flipped, and have begun to contemplate the possibility that COVID-19 escaped from the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China - a lab where experiments included manipulating viruses to increase their infectiousness in order to study their potential effects on humans. Dalgleish and Srensen have authored a new study, which concludes that 'SARS-Coronavirus-2 has no credible natural ancestor' and that it is 'beyond reasonable doubt' that the virus was created through 'laboratory manipulation'. In the 22-page paper which is set to be published in the scientific journal Quarterly Review of Biophysics Discovery, the scientists describe their months-long 'forensic analysis', looking back at experiments done at the Wuhan lab between 2002 and 2019. Chase Poust, 7, helped save his dad and little sister who were stuck in the water A young boy swam for more than an hour to get help for his family who were stuck treading water in a Florida river, after being swept away by a strong current. Chase Poust, seven, was swimming with his four-year-old sister Abigail in St John's River, by Jacksonville, on Friday, while their father Steven fished from his boat. The boat was anchored, but a strong current suddenly ripped the little girl away, Steven told Jax4 TV station. Chase was clinging on to the boat but let go to grab his sister. He then got caught in the current. 'The current was so strong that my sister she usually hangs out at the back of the boat and she let go,' said Chase. 'So, I let go of the boat and grabbed her, and then, I was stuck. 'I felt really scared.' He was not wearing a life vest, but his little sister was. Chase and Abigail's mom posted a picture of the two receiving medical attention after their ordeal Steven Poust, pictured with seven-year-old Chase and Abigail, four. The Poust family survived a harrowing Friday afternoon after they were swept apart by currents in a Jacksonville river St. John's River, seen at Mandarin Point in Jacksonville. The Poust family were fishing off the point on Friday when their ordeal begun Steven immediately dove into the water and caught up to them, but Abigail drifted away from him. He yelled to his son to keep swimming to shore, which was about a mile away. 'I told them I loved him because I wasn't sure what's going to happen,' Steven said. His voice cracked as he choked back tears. 'I tried to stick with both of them. I wore myself out. She drifted away from me.' Chase told Jax4 that would doggie paddle then float on his back, to make sure he wouldn't tire himself out. 'The current was going the opposite way of going to the boat and the shore so it was very hard to swim that way,' Chase said. He finally reached shore an hour later, and raced to the nearest home - screaming that he needed helped, Jax4 reported. Chase managed to get to the shore after an hour and raced to the nearest home - screaming that he needed helped. He is pictured with his sister Chase's father and sister were in the water for about two hours before they were rescued The Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department, Sheriff's Office and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission helped rescue the Poust family who was in the water for about two hours Someone heard Chase's cries, and the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department, Sheriff's Office and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission helped rescue his family. 'I screamed for help at the top of my lungs and waved my arms and sure enough someone heard us,' said Steven. 'Little man also made it to shore and got help and that's what saved our lives.' Chase's father and sister were in the water for about two hours before they were rescued, Jax4 reported, and the pair had drifted a mile from their boat. Everyone was rescued safe and well. 'We're here. By the grace of God, we're here,' said Steven. When asked how he became such a skilled swimmer, Chase replied: 'I have no idea.' Newly uncovered emails reveal Dr. Anthony Fauci's cozy relationship with China's top infectious disease expert during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Digital exchanges between Fauci and Dr. George Gao - the director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention - were discovered among a trove of Fauci's emails obtained by The Washington Post. The newspaper was granted access to 866 pages of Fauci's messages through a Freedom Of Information request. On Tuesday, they published several exchanges that took place between Fauci and Gao in March and April of last year, as the coronavirus pandemic hit America with full force. Fauci took a warm and friendly tone with Gao, and did not ask any questions about the origins of the virus. Last week, the top doctor conceded that there should be further investigation into the theory that the virus leaked from a laboratory in Wuhan known to perform experiments on bat coronaviruses. He did so despite spending much of the last year playing down that suggestion. Newly uncovered emails reveal Dr. Anthony Fauci's cozy relationship with China's top infectious disease expert during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic Fauci told Americans in March 2020 that face masks were not an effective tool to prevent the spread of COVID-19. He reversed track the following month In March, Gao told Science magazine that it was a 'big mistake' for United States experts (including Fauci) to tell their citizens that they did not need to wear face masks. A subsequent email shows that Gao was anxious as to how Fauci would interpret the remark. He messaged Fauci on March 28 saying: 'I saw the Science interview... That was journalist's wording. Hope you understand. Lets work together to get the virus out of the earth.' Fauci warmly replied: 'I understand completely. No problem. We will get through this together.' On April 3, Fauci formally reversed his stance on mask-wearing, telling Americans that they should cover their noses and mouths to stop the spread. The top doctor was slammed by numerous pundits and millions of Americans for giving mixed messages. He later said he did so to try and prevent members of the public panic-buying masks when hospitals were struggling to obtain adequate supplies of PPE. Less than a week later, Gao emailed Fauci again. expressing his support amid the onslaught of attacks. 'I saw some news (hope it is fake) that you are being attacked by some people. Hope you are well under such a irrational situation,' Gao wrote on April 8. 'Thank you for your kind note. All is well despite some crazy people in this world,' Fauci replied three days later. The Washington Post was granted access to 866 pages of Fauci's emails through a Freedom Of Information request. The doctor is pictured in February 2020 Meanwhile, The Washington Post published several others e-mails Fauci sent and received in the early months of the pandemic. A message sent on April 1 reveals Fauci spoke by phone with Bill Gates about the possibility of the government working together with The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation on a potential coronavirus vaccine. Several other messages show that the doctor was in turn alarmed and amused by the fact he had become a household name overnight. One colleague also sent a link to another article detailing that Fauci themed socks and donuts had been put up for sale. 'Truly surrealistic. Hopefully, this all stops soon,' Fauci replied. 'It is not at all pleasant, that is for sure.' However, in one email the 80-year-old doctor bemused by the fact he had become an unlikely sex symbol. On April 8, Fauci received a Google News alert for his name, which included a link to an article titled, 'Cuomo Crush and 'Fauci Fever' Sexualization of These Men Is a Real Thing on the Internet.' Fauci forwarded the link to an unidentified acquaintance and wrote: 'It will blow your mind. Our society is really totally nuts.' Messages show that the doctor was in turn alarmed and amused by the fact he had become a household name overnight Meanwhile, the newly-released emails reveal safety concerns for Fauci in the early months of the pandemic. While many swooned over the infectious diseases expert, others were taking aim at him for his flip-flopping messages. In April, the federal government hired full-time security for the top doctor after he became the subject of threats by publicly contradicting then-President Trump about the virus. Freddie Barnes, a military veteran and chaplain with North Carolinas Department of Public Safety, wrote to Fauci on April 26 warning the expert to watch his back using police terminology. 'Take care,' Barnes wrote. 'And cover your six'. The mother of a 15-year-old boy who was shot in the face as he walked to school told a court that the teenager accused of his attempted murder had been to sleepovers with her son before. She told Ipswich Crown Court that the boys met at primary school and that the accused 'had been to our house a number of times over the years'. In a police interview played to the court, the injured boy's mother said her son had been 'excited' to return to school in Kesgrave, near Ipswich, on September 7 last year. The 15-year-old boy was shot and wounded on his way to Kesgrave High School near Ipswich on September 7, 2020 A boy, 16, is on trial at Ipswich Crown Court accused of the attempted murder of the boy The court heard that the boy held up the gun towards the injured boy's mother She said there was 'nothing untoward' and that on that morning her son was 'in the brightest and most pleasant of form', adding: 'He was happy.' She said that after he left for school she heard a 'huge bang' then saw her son on the ground injured and a youth stood nearby with a gun in his hand. 'He held the gun up to me,' the injured boy's mother said. 'I was screaming "what have you done".' She said the youth 'held the gun up with a very kind of smug' look about him. She said he did not say anything, 'but the face was like a righteous, "I've done it now" sort of thing'. 'It was a very significant gesture,' she said. 'It wasn't done in speed or haste or fumbling. 'It was very controlled and looking straight up at me.' She said that afterwards the youth got into the driver's side of a parked car, taking the weapon with him, and drove away 'in a very orderly fashion'. She said there was 'not even a high-speed screech or a frantic 'I can't get this car in gear', nothing, just straight in and off'. She said she held her son's shoulder and told him 'you're going to be OK'. Defence barrister Diana Ellis QC said to the injured boy's mother: 'I'm suggesting to you that there was a conversation between you and (the defendant's mother) about the fact (the accused) was saying he had been bullied by your son.' The woman replied: 'I can't recall it was anything significant and I know if it was I would have acted on it.' Jurors at Ipswich Crown court were shown messages sent from the accused's Snapchat account to the injured boy around a week before the shooting The injured boy's brother said his sibling and the accused were 'inseparable at primary school, they did everything together'. He said the pair 'always got on well, they would always have boyish messing around'. Asked in his police interview if he was aware of anything that caused his brother and the accused not to be friends, he said: 'I'm not aware, no.' He said that 'to my knowledge they were still friends'. Jurors were also shown messages sent from the accused's Snapchat account to the injured boy around a week before the shooting. One message read: 'Catfishing is a dangerous business.' In a later series of messages, the defendant's account wrote: 'How is my fav little fatty doing/ Answer/ Me/ Boy/ Mmmmm so you have chosen death.' A 16-year-old boy denies the attempted murder of a 15-year-old boy and four further charges. The trial continues. The global smart LED lighting market size is expected to reach USD 34.18 million by 2025, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. It is projected to expand at a CAGR of 24.6% during the forecast period. High demand for smart home appliances as a result of improved standard of living of working class professionals is expected to drive the market. Furthermore, the governments of various countries including U.S., U.K., Germany, and Spain are encouraging corporate houses and industries to use smart LED lighting as they can save up to 90% of energy. Wireless product is expected to be the fastest growing segment, at a CAGR of 26.6% from 2019 to 2025. The usage of Internet of Things (IoT) based smart sensors for smart city applications has been increasing as a result of the advancement of wireless communication systems. Furthermore, product innovation in terms of introduction of voice recognized LED lights is expected to open new market avenues in near future. Hybrid technology is expected to remain the leading segment in near future. The predominant use of smart LED lighting systems with hybrid technology in corporate houses, manufacturing industries, and government organizations on account of their easy availability from various distribution channels is expected to have a strong impact on the market growth. This technology is also very helpful in greenhouse farming for providing adjustable light intensity and heat. Browse Details of Report @ https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/smart-led-lighting-market Online channel is projected to remain the key distribution channel over the next few years. Amazon, Flipkart, and AliExpress are some of the e-commerce portals offering a wide range of products. Various value-added services including cash-on-delivery, discounted prices, and coupon benefits offered by e-commerce portals are expected to prompt the buyers to use offline channels as selling medium over the next eight years. North America is anticipated to register the fastest CAGR of 28.4% from 2019 to 2025. Supportive government policies for energy conservation coupled with increasing per unit electricity cost in U.S. and Canada is expected to promote the product sales in the region over the forecast period. Smart LED Lighting Market Report Highlights Wired products segment generated a revenue of USD 6.02 billion in 2018 ZigBee technology is expected to expand at a rapid CAGR of 32.3% from 2019 to 2025 Europe led the global smart LED lighting market in 2018 with a revenue of USD 2.69 billion Some of the key players operating in smart LED lighting market are Cree Inc.; Eaton Corporation; Koninklijke Philips NV; ABB Limited; Wipro Limited; TVILIGHT B.V.; The SSK Group; Digital Lumens, Inc.; Acuity Brands Inc.; Bridgelux, Inc.; and OSRAM Licht Group. Product innovation is expected to remain the key competitive strategy for the industry participants Smart LED Lighting Market Segmentation Grand View Research has segmented the global smart LED lighting market on the basis of product, technology, distribution channel, and region: Smart LED Lighting Product Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2015 - 2025) Wired Wireless Smart LED Lighting Technology Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2015 - 2025) Hybrid Dali Wi-Fi Bluetooth ZigBee Police have discovered the decomposing body of a woman said to have been partially eaten by her pet cats. Five of the seven animals were also found dead when officers entered the property in the northern Madrid neighbourhood of Fuencarral. The dead woman has been named as Clara Ines Tobon. Police have discovered the decomposing body of a woman said to have been partially eaten by her pet cats. Pictured: The block of flats in in the northern Madrid neighbourhood of Fuencarral where the woman was found on Monday Neighbours told local press they believe the 79-year-old Colombian may have died from Covid. One reportedly raised the alarm because of the strong smell coming from her flat and the number of flies. Police got firefighters to force entry to the apartment on Monday through one of the windows and found Clara dead in one of the rooms during a subsequent search. The upper part of her body is said to have been partially eaten by the animals. The two surviving cats have been taken to an animal rescue centre. One unnamed neighbour told Spanish daily El Mundo: "A police officer said it was the worst thing he had ever seen since in his job." Clara's body is believed to have laid undiscovered for around three months, although the results of a post-mortem have not yet been released. She had been living alone in the flat where she was found dead since 1996. All her family are said to live in Colombia. Five of the seven animals were also found dead when officers entered the property in the northern Madrid neighbourhood of Fuencarral. The dead woman has been named as Clara Ines Tobon. Pictured: The door to the woman's apartment In September 2019 it emerged a dog survived the death of his cancer-stricken owner by eating part of his body as he lay undiscovered in his Madrid flat for around a month. The dead man reportedly had no flesh left on his legs where the animal devoured his lower limbs to stay alive. A neighbour raised the alarm after returning from holiday to discover a rancid smell she mistook at first for a dead rat. The dog was sedated before being taken to an animal rescue centre after police got firefighters to force their way into the ground-floor flat in the Madrid neighbourhood of Ciudad Lineal and made the gruesome discovery. Doctors were said at the time to have estimated the dead man, a 56-year-old prison chef known only as Matias, had died around a month earlier after succumbing to lymphatic cancer. Former President Barack Obama took credit for President Donald Trump's economic success saying it came from the 'stability and the growth that we initiated' and said President Joe Biden is 'essentially finishing the job.' Obama was talking to journalist Ezra Klein for his New York Times podcast about whether partisanship has taken over or Americans could be persuaded to vote differently based on policies the party or candidates support. 'I think it's not as immediate,' Obama answered, explaining that some people might be confused about what policies they're seeing benefits from - pointing to the Trump economy as a prime example. Former President Barack Obama said in a podcast interview with Ezra Klein that President Donald Trump's economy 'had nothing to do with Donald Trump's policies,' but instead was a continuation of the Obama economy 'I think that what we're seeing now, is Joe and the administration are essentially finishing the job,' Obama said about President Joe Biden's (left) administration, not giving President Donald Trump (right) any credit for the pre-coronavirus economy 'Well, gosh, unemployment's 3.5 percent under Donald Trump,' Obama recalled people saying. 'Now I would argue, and I think a lot of economists that I know would suggest, that mostly that had nothing to do with Donald Trump's policies, and mostly had to do with the fact that we had put the economy on a footing where he essentially just continued the longest peacetime recovery and sustained job growth in American history,' Obama said. Obama pointed out how the economy had been in freefall when he got elected, thanks to the 2008 financial crash, but had been humming along by the 2016 presidential race. 'And the truth is that if Donald Trump doesn't get elected - let's say a Democrat, a Joe Biden or Hillary Clinton had immediately succeeded me, and the economy suddenly was 3 per cent unemployment, I think we would have consolidated the sense that, oh actually these politices that Obama put in place worked,' Obama said. 'The fact that Trump interrupts essentially the continuation of our policies, but still benefits from the economic stability and growth that we had initiated, means people aren't sure,' the former president continued. Obama added, 'If you're the average voter you're kind of thinking, well, you know, looks like Republican policies are working for me to some degree.' Obama explained that's why he believed Trump was able to make inroads 'among non-white voters,' who typically would have voted for the Democratic nominee. Trump, for instance, saw improvements among Hispanic voters in Florida, which helped him win that state. 'Things feel pretty good,' for those voters, Obama suggested they believed. 'So that clouds what I think would have been a more impactful shift in political views toward Democrats as a result of my presidency,' he added. Biden's administration, Obama believed, could have a more permanent effect. 'I think that what we're seeing now, is Joe and the administration are essentially finishing the job,' Obama said. 'And I think that's an interesting test.' Obama pointed to a number of policies that the Biden administration is building on - such as the Affordable Care Act - Obama's signature healthcare law - rejoining the Paris climage agreement - negotiated during Obama's tenure. 'If they're successful over the next four years, as I think they will be, I think that will have an impact,' Obama said. 'Does it override that sort of identity politics that has come to dominate Twitter, and the media, and that has seeped into how people think about politics? Probably not completely.' 'But at the margins, if you're changing 5 per cent of the electorate, that makes a difference,' Obama continued. Obama also gave himself some credit for keeping millennials and Gen Zers in the Democratic Party. 'I think my presidency helped to solidify a huge tilt in the direction of progressive politics among young people that is now continuing into their 30s,' the ex-president said. Obama talked extensively with Klein about the new partisan reality. He recalled being able to campaign in 2007 and 2008 as a relatively unknown U.S. senator. 'The prototypical example is I show up in a small town in Southern Illinois, which is closer to the South than it is to Chicago, both culturally as well as geographically,' Obama said. 'And usually, the local paper was owned by a modestly conservative, maybe even quite conservative usually, guy. He'd call me in. We'd have a cup of coffee. We'd have a conversation about tax policy, or trade, or whatever else he cared about,' Obama said. 'And at the end of it, usually I could expect some sort of story in the paper saying, 'Well, we met with Obama. He seems like an intelligent young man. We don't agree with him on much. He's kind of liberal for our taste, but he had some interesting ideas.'' 'So then I could go to the fish fry, or the V.F.W. hall, or all these other venues, and just talk to people. And they didn't have any preconceptions about what I believed. They could just take me at face value,' he said. 'If I went into those same places now - or if any Democratic who's campaigning goes in those places now - almost all news is from either Fox News, Sinclair news stations, talk radio, or some Facebook page. And trying to penetrate that is really difficult.' Obama also pointed out the evolution of the Republican Party noting how while George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, versus Bill Clinton and Obama, might have slightly differed in approach on the handling of a pandemic and vaccines. 'It's hard to imagine a previous Republican administration completely ignoring science, right?' Obama said of Trump, who didn't care much for masking and held superspreader events. 'So that is a fundamental shift.' 'And I think people's identities have become far more invested as a result in which side are you on politically. It spills over into everyday life,' Obama continued, noting that he 'small issues' today have become political. Obama also pointed a finger at the media, saying that he-said, she-said journalism of balancing the two political sides, 'taught somebody like Mitch McConnell that there is no downside for misstating facts, making stuff up, engaging in out-and-out obstruction, reversing positions that you held just a few minutes ago.' He said the journalism wasn't reaching the public 'in a way where the public could make a judgment about who's acting responsibly and who isn't.' 'I think that the media was complicit in creating that dynamic in a way that understandably is difficult, because, as we discovered during the Trump administration, if an administration is just misstating facts all the time, it starts looking like, gosh, the media's anti-Trump,' Obama also pointed out. 'And this becomes more evidence of a left wing conspiracy and liberal elites trying to gang up on the guy.' A passenger captured the moment a Yellowstone National Park ranger shot at a grizzly bear as it charged toward him and a road filled with cars, the latest of several close encounters with a grizzly at the Wyoming park this month. The footage of the Friday afternoon incident, just south of Roaring Mountain and north of the Norris Geyser Basin, was uploaded to YouTube on Monday by user named Jaydog R. A park ranger is shown directing Wyoming traffic before being taken by surprise by a grizzly bear. A Yellowstone Park ranger (pictured) acted fast after a grizzly bear charged toward him on Friday The park ranger shot blanks at the grizzly bear who ran back toward the trees immediately The bear charges suddenly at the ranger who was standing by the side of the road. He takes cover behind his truck, then starts shooting what are believed to be blanks at the bear. Once the grizzly hears the loud shots, it turns around and runs into the woods. The ranger continued shooting into the air even after the bear was gone. Photographer Deby Dixon told USAToday.com she obtained information from a Yellowstone bear manager, and posted the video of the incident on her Facebook page. 'This is why visitors should maintain their distance from the bears,' she wrote. 'This guy meant business!' Yellowstone National Park regulations state that visitors should keep a minimum 100-yard distance from bears at all times and to never feed or approach a bear to take a photo Dixon said she was told park visitors make the situation worse by getting too close to the bears, who are all over the national park feeding in the meadows. They occasionally cross the packed roads. Park regulations state that visitors should keep a minimum 100-yard distance from bears at all times and never feed or approach them to take a photo. Dixon posted on Facebook that the grizzly captured on footage had been chasing a female bear. 'This boar (male bear) had been following a girl around all day, in Yellowstone, and was reported to have charged about 6 cars throughout the day when people blocked the bear's path,' she wrote. 'Apparently, the sow (female bear) would cross the road and then people would pull their car up in front of the boar to get photos, blocking him from reuniting with his girlfriend.' 'As you can see, getting between a grizzly and what he wants can be bad news,' she added. 'Even after this boar charged the ranger, several visitors and photographers were standing along the road, watching the sow leave, despite not knowing where the boar had gone.' The incident occurred the same day a 39-year-old man was seriously injured by a grizzly bear while hiking alone on a trail near Mammoth Hot Springs. The hiker encountered two grizzly bears and one attacked him, causing serious injuries to his lower extremities, USAtoday.com reported. The man was able to hike out on his own and was taken to a local hospital by ambulance. Earlier this month Yellow Stone National Park launched an investigation into a woman caught on footage getting too close for comfort to a sow and her two cubs near the Roaring Mountain parking lot. The mother bear chases off the woman, who says, 'Oh my, god, Oh my, god,' before taking off nervously, News18.com reported. A teenager has been charged over the stabbing of a railway employee after an alleged dispute over an unpaid rail fare. The Southeastern railway staff member was knifed after approaching the suspect and apparently challenging him over a ticket at Bromley South Station, south-east London, police say. The employee was rushed to hospital with non-life threatening injuries, but was discharged later that day. Two other staff were also attacked during the incident and were treated at the scene for their injuries. Police say a 17-year-old boy was arrested at the scene within minutes of the attack on Bank Holiday Monday. The Southeastern railway staff member was knifed after approaching the suspect and apparently challenging him over a ticket at Bromley South Station, south-east London, police say. Pictured: Police cordoned off the station on Bank Holiday Monday following the incident The Southeastern railway staff member was knifed after approaching the suspect and challenging him over a ticket at Bromley South Station, south-east London. Pictured: Police forensic teams at the scene on Bank Holiday Monday He has since been charged with grievous bodily harm, actual bodily harm, assault, possession of a class A drug with intent to supply and possessing a knife. He was due to appear today at Bromley Youth Court. The incident itself was reported at 1.09pm on Monday 31 May. It is understood the incident began after the suspect was challenged over a ticket. The suspect, a 17-year-old, was arrested at the scene within minutes of the attack. He has since been charged with grievous bodily harm, actual bodily harm, assault, possession of a class A drug with intent to supply and possessing a knife. He is due to appear today at Bromley Youth Court. Detective Inspector Granville Sellers said: 'This was a serious incident which will understandably leave front line staff concerned. Police say there will be an increased police presence at the station following the incident. Pictured: Police at the scene on Bank Holiday Monday 'Officers were quickly at the scene, the suspect was detained, and the injured staff were treated. 'Fortunately, the injuries of the member of staff who was taken to hospital were not as serious as first thought and he returned home the same day. 'We take any assaults against members of railway staff extremely seriously. 'Throughout this week there will be an increased policing presence at Bromley South station to support and reassure staff members, as well as the public using the railway network in the area.' Madison Cawthorn introduced a new bill on Tuesday calling on Democrats to pass a separate broadband bill to get internet service to rural communities without making it contingent on Bidens $4 trillion infrastructure plan. 'There are very few bipartisan issues in Washington, but putting Americans first and providing accessibility to high speed broadband ought to transcend establishment politics,' Cawthorn told DailyMail.com. 'The American people, especially those in rural areas, need access to critical infrastructure, like broadband, in order for them to compete in a post COVID-19 economy,' he said of his new legislation. 'This bill, the ROBUST act, puts people over politics and pragmatic policy over partisan politicking.' Cawthorn represents a mostly rural district in North Carolina's 11th congressional district. Representatives Madison Cawthorn (left) and Trent Kelly (right) are co-sponsoring a broadband bill that will get high-speed internet to rural communities like the districts they represent The ROBUST Act is separate legislation that aims to pressure Congress to pass it individually instead of lumping it into Joe Biden's $4 trillion infrastructure plan The Rural Opportunities for Broadband in Underserved Settlements and Towns Act, or ROBUST, will require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) check where internet spectrum is lacking and provide more opportunities for smaller providers to compete. The bill is co-sponsored by Cawthorn and GOP Representative Trent Kelly of Mississippi's 1st congressional district. Specifically, the bill looks to address rural broadband discrepancies when compared with it's suburban and urban counterparts. Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, the vast majority of America's workforce has shifted to teleworking or some sort of hybrid work-from-home situation. This has exacerbated issues with sparse and sometimes nonexistent internet service in rural areas in the U.S. President Joe Biden's administration is looking to expand broadband as part of the American Job's Plan, which includes more than $2.6 trillion in new spending. A factsheet on the plan says Biden plans to 'invest resources wisely to deliver infrastructure projects that produce real results' and one way of doing that is delivering 'high-speed broadband to all Amricans.' 'President Biden's plan will bring affordable, reliable, high-speed broadband to every American, including the more than 35 per cent of rural Americans who lack access to broadband at minimally acceptable speeds,' the plan details. Cawthron and Kelly, however, are calling on separate action regarding internet access. The ROBUST Act would make funds available for United States Department of Agriculture ReConnect Program loan applicants and make sure they are able to provide appropriate speeds. The FCC current benchmark for high-speed internet is download speeds of 25 megabits per second and upload speeds of 3 megabits per second. Biden admits in a fact sheet on his infrastructure plan: 'Broadband internet is the new electricity.' 'It is necessary for Americans to do their jobs, to participate equally in school learning, health care, and to stay connected,' it says. 'Yet, by one definition, more than 30 million Americans live in areas where there is no broadband infrastructure that provides minimally acceptable speeds. Americans in rural areas and on tribal lands particularly lack adequate access.' Cawthron believes lawmakers should be committed to delivering broadband to Americans regardless of a separate, larger infrastructure plan. 'America's greatest resource is its people,' the 25-year-old North Carolina congressman said in a statement on the legislation. 'The ROBUST Act will help ensure we're being good stewards of that resource and leaving no one behind.' A firefighter who was shot dead by a 'disgruntled' co-worker at a Santa Clarita fire station has been named as 44-year-old veteran of the department. Tory Carlon, a married father-of-one, was mourned by friends and family last night after the shooter, who has not been identified, stormed into Fire Station 81 in Agua Dulce and opened fire on Tuesday morning. The killer also wounded a 54-year-old fire captain before driving home, barricading himself inside, setting his house on fire and then shooting himself dead. Carlon's father Larry posted on Facebook: 'Today we lost out beautiful Son, Tory Carlon, 21 year LA county Fire Fighter Specialist to a crazed Fire Department Worker. His family will never be able to replace him, and we enjoyed his life of 44 years. May he RIP forever in Gods Hands.' A vigil was held in Acton Park close to the fire station last night for Carlon attended by hundreds of friends, colleagues and family members. 'He was a brave, committed, loyal member of our department,' county Fire Chief Daryl Osby said, according to KABC. The wounded captain, who was shot multiple times, was airlifted to Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital in Valencia where he underwent surgery and is reportedly in a critical but stable condition. No motive has yet been established, with Chief Osby saying of the shooter: 'He was not scheduled to work today. He came back and confronted the on-duty personnel. 'I cannot speak to the mindset of the shooter. I can say that it's very tragic and sad that that would be a decision point of one of the members of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.' After the horrifying attack the shooter drove ten miles to his home in Acton where he barricaded himself inside and set the building alight. Cops found the gunman's body in an empty pool outside the burning property with a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said. Tory Carlon, a married father-of-one, was mourned by friends and family last night after the shooter, who has not been identified, stormed into Fire Station 81 in Agua Dulce and opened fire on Tuesday morning. Carlon's father Larry posted on Facebook: 'Today we lost out beautiful Son, Tory Carlon, 21 year LA county Fire Fighter Specialist to a crazed Fire Department Worker. His family will never be able to replace him, and we enjoyed his life of 44 years. May he RIP forever in Gods Hands.' The shooter drove ten miles to his home where he barricaded himself inside then set the property on fire The gunman drove to this home - believed to be his - in Acton then set it on fire. A relative of slain firefighter Tory Carlon shared this last photograph with her 'baby brother' An emotional Osby told reporters: 'When I received the news it was some of the worst news I've heard in my career. 'As a fire chief, I have dealt with a lot of death, and a lot of fallen members of my department. I've always prayed that we would never have a line of duty death. I never thought that if it occurred it would occur in this fashion.' Carlon was a 21-year veteran of the fire department, and was married with a son, the chief revealed. He was described as 'truly dedicated' to his role. All the firefighters worked at the small station in Agua Dulce, a rural community of about 3,000 people in the desert of northern Los Angeles County known for its rock formations and panoramic views. The home which was set on fire is registered to a 45-year-old California man, but it's unclear if that man lives in the property or rents it out. The Los Angeles Times said the owner is a veteran firefighter, but police have not confirmed that. Records indicate it was sold in July. There is no indication that anyone else was inside when it was set on fire. The shooter opened fire at 10.55am on Tuesday at the fire station, then he drove 10 miles to his home. He set it on fire then shot himself Medics rush a firefighter who was shot multiple times but survived onto an air ambulance An emotional LA County fire chief Daryl Osby described the shooting as some of the worst news he had ever received in his career A helicopter was brought in to help extinguish the house blaze In a tweet on Tuesday shortly after noon, the fire department said: 'It is with heavy hearts that the LACoFD confirms that a tragic shooting occurred at approximately 10:55 a.m. today at FS 81 in Agua Dulce. 'The Dept. is still in the process of gathering additional information & are cooperating with law enforcement throughout this ongoing incident. 'We will provide updated information when available.' Neighbors told local outlets they weren't familiar with who lives in the home and that it recently sold. Locals watched black smoke pouring from the burned house in the nearby community of Acton, a dry, hilly area dotted with ranches with horses and other livestock. The fire burned for hours, gutting the home, with helicopters making multiple water drops to douse it. Michael May, 70, lives down the road and said he was sitting in his living room when he heard the buzz of helicopters flying low. Police at the scene of Fire Station 81 on Tuesday after a gunman opened fire, killing one firefighter and injuring another, before fleeing 'Around here, that usually means a fire,' he said. He saw a swarm of police cars racing up the street, and deputies emerged wearing bulletproof vests. May has been a resident of the community for 23 years but didnt know who lived at the gutted home. He said many people in law enforcement live in the area, as well as some in the film industry. 'Its a place people want to go for peace and quiet,' he said. Brian Dalrymple, 79, lives across the street from May and said he thought the burned home had been sold recently. He and his wife went outside to see the thick smoke, initially concerned the flames might spread to their home. Dalrymple said he never heard gunshots but saw deputies rushing up to the property, long guns in hand. He said a friend called to tell them the news. 'We didnt know what she was talking about,' Dalrymple said. 'Its usually pretty peaceful out here.' Nancy Fridley, 44, was arrested on May 4 and charged with snatching Noah Gabriel Trout from the Riverview Baptist Church in Ripplemead, Virginia, the day before A woman accused of kidnapping a two-year-old boy from a church nursery was likely plotting to abduct another child in the days after, authorities say. Nancy Fridley, 44, was arrested on May 4 and charged with snatching Noah Gabriel Trout from the Riverview Baptist Church in Ripplemead, Virginia, the day before. Noah was found safe - and with a newly shaved head - less than 24 hours later at Fridley's mobile home 75 miles away from the church in Clifton Forge before being reunited with his mother. Fridley made an appearance in court last week, where prosecutors revealed she was suspected of planning to swipe other kids - including a smaller child after Noah. 'She intended to take not just one, but multiple children,' Giles County Commonwealth Attorney Bobby Lilly told the Montgomery County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court. Lilly said inside Fridley's trailer police found a onesie that was too small for Noah - along with a stash of sippy cups and small beds meant for children. The Giles County Sheriff's Office had previously said Fridley had allegedly been seen outside two other churches in nearby Narrows - New Valley Fellowship Church and Mountain View Ministries - in the weeks before the kidnapping and on the day Noah went missing. Noah Gabriel Trout was found safe in Clifton Forge on May 4- a day after he went missing. His head had been shaved by the suspects, police said. He is pictured back with his mother In court last Thursday prosecutors said Fridley had stopped by one of the churches on May 3 and told staff she wanted to pick up her son 'Larry' because he was ill. She was turned away because there was no child there by that name, according to The Roanoke Times. Fridley pulled the same stunt at a church across the street, but was again turned away. Finally on May 4 Fridley went to the Riverview Baptist Church, where she spoke to nursery workers and pointed out Noah, saying she was there to pick him up. An image taken from surveillance footage showed Noah being led out of the church building by a woman later identified as Fridley. Police said it appeared she targeted the boy at random. She was driving a charcoal 2007 Chevy Trailblazer with a 'BOOBER' sticker on the windshield when she abducted Noah, police said in a statement. An image taken from surveillance footage showed Noah being led out of the church building by a woman later identified as Fridley An Amber Alert was issued for Noah at about 7pm that night before investigators tracked a person of interest to Fridley's home in Clifton Forge, where they discovered the boy. During her time with Noah, Fridley showed him off to her neighbors and introduced him as 'Bobby Jr', claiming he was the son of her boyfriend Bobby Lee Taylor. She also told neighbors she was gearing up to gain custody of her two boys, one aged two and one younger, possibly setting the circumstances for a second abduction, according to prosecutors. Fridley's boyfriend, Bobby Lee Taylor, 42, was also charged with one count of abduction Taylor, 42, was also arrested and charged with one count of abduction. Investigators later learned that Fridley had allegedly sent fake tips to police in an effort to get them to search further south in Tennessee instead of toward the north where she lived. Although Noah 'seemed fine', he was taken to a local hospital for evaluation. Fridley was found to be in possession of methamphetamine at the time of her arrest. In court last week Fridley testified that she has suffered mental health problems including depression over her last month in jail. She also said that she would go live with one of her many relatives in Craig County if a judge granted her release ahead of trial. However the judge ultimately denied bail and ordered that Fridley be held in custody at least until her preliminary hearing on June 25. 'I can't think of anything that would guarantee the safety of the public at this point,' Judge Robert Viar said in issuing his ruling. Prosecutors said sippy cups and children's beds were found inside Fridley's trailer. Police are pictured outside the trailer on the day Noah was found there Fridley allegedly brought Noah (pictured) to meet her neighbors after shaving his head Meanwhile officials at the Riverview Baptist Church, where Noah was abducted, vowed to start 'examining ways to make our campus and facilities even more safe and secure for families wishing to come worship with us' in a statement to WAVY 10 last month. 'We hope that this criminal act on our campus allows other churches to evaluate their own childcare safety procedures,' the statement read. 'We believe that transparency, child safety, and accountability are essential for successful ministry, and we are fully committed to ministering to your children in a safe and responsible manner.' A 911 call has been released on which Casey Anthony can be heard summoning police to a Florida bar where she says her romantic rival had hurled a drink at her. News of Anthony's recent altercation with Thelma Moya at O'Shea's Irish Pub in West Palm Beach first emerged last week, but on Tuesday TMZ obtained the recording of the 911 call reporting the incident. When asked by an emergency dispatcher what had happened, Anthony, 34, replies that she was the victim of 'an assault' involving an airborne drink. Casey Anthony (left) is heard on a 911 call reporting that her romantic rival, Thelma Moya (right), threw a drink at her at O'Shea's Irish Pub in West Palm Beach, Florida. Anthony has been a regular at the bar, having been pictured there several times in recent years. She is pictured above in 2019 Anthony called West Palm Beach cops while she was at O'Shea's Irish Pub, pictured 'It was a repeated incident. It was harassment on top of the [thrown] drink,' she explains. The argument was apparently over a man Anthony and Moya had once both dated. Further details on the row were not shared. Anthony, who was acquitted of murdering her two-year-old daughter, Caylee, a decade ago, goes on to claim that the incident involved a verbal assault outside the bar, which was followed by the drink-throwing inside. 'And I would like to make an official report,' Anthony tells the dispatcher, 'just so if it happened again... so I can file a restraining order. It has happened repeatedly, okay?' The 1 minute, 34 second call concludes with the dispatcher assuring Anthony that officers will be sent to the bar as soon as possible. Thank you so much, I appreciate it,' Anthony replies. Anthony stayed at the drinking establishment and spoke to the responding officer, but ultimately she decided to not press charges against Moya, according to her spokesperson. The pair's feud was a longstanding one over their mutual former lover. Anthony, 34, said Moya has repeatedly harassed her. The two had once dated the same man Anthony is said to have got into a row with another woman about an ex the pair had both dated. She is pictured here in 2016 At one stage Anthony was reportedly good friends with Moya, pictured. The pair appear to have fallen out over a boyfriend both the women dated Thelma Moya confirmed to DailyMail.com on last week that she was the woman at O'Shea's bar in West Palm Beach Anthony (pictured in 2008) was branded the most hated mom in America during her six-week trial in 2011. Her daughter, Caylee, was reported missing in July 2008. The two-year-old had not been seen by her mother for a month when she was reported missing by her grandmother Anthony was seen at the same West Palm Beach bar in 2018 and 2019. She was branded the most hated mom in America during her six-week murder trial in 2011. Her two-year-old daughter, Caylee, was reported missing in July 2008. Caylee had not been seen by her mother for a month when she was eventually reported missing by her grandmother, Cindy. The child's skeletal remains were discovered in a wooded area near the Anthony family's home in Florida that December. Casey changed her story several times before her sensational 2011 trial, suggesting at times that Caylee drowned in the family's pool and appearing to implicate her own father who she claimed molested her as a child. Anthony's two-year-old daughter, Caylee, was reported missing in July 2008. Caylee had not been seen by her mother for a month when she was eventually reported missing by her grandmother, Cindy George Anthony vehemently denies having any involvement in his granddaughter's death and ferociously disputes Casey's sexual assault allegations. He believes she killed Caylee accidentally with chloroform, traces of which were found in Casey's abandoned car during police investigations. Casey has staunchly maintained she has no idea how the toddler died, telling the Associated Press that she does not 'give a s***' what people think of her and that she 'sleeps pretty good at night'. She has since admitted lying to the police, but described herself as 'one of the unfortunate idiots who admitted they lied'. Prosecutors had alleged that she was a party girl who had killed her daughter to live a carefree life free of parental responsibility, but a jury found her not guilty. Anthony was sentenced to four years in jail, but was released just weeks later, in July 2011, due to credit for time served. She was acquitted of murdering the child in 2011 and has since been living the good life and is often spotted hitting up happy hours at bars in Florida. Fewer American babies were named 'Karen' last year than any year since 1932, after the name became a pejorative slur for white women who throw fits in public. Data released by the Social Security Administration shows that last year, just 325 newborns were named Karen, which represents 0.019 percent of total female births in 2020. Karen, which had already been declining in popularity for years, plunged from the 660th most popular female name to number 831, tying for the 13th sharpest decline among all female baby names. The name Karen peaked in popularity in 1965, when 32,873 Karens were born, representing 1.799 percent of all female births. Fewer American babies were named 'Karen' last year than any year since 1932 'Soho Karen' Miya Ponsetto was charged after falsely accusing a black teenager of stealing her iPhone in a Manhattan hotel lobby last year The origins of 'Karen' as an insult are murky, but by 2017 memes mocking entitled women with the name had gone viral on Reddit, the earliest known one from a user mocking his ex-wife Karen. Some also say that the Karen slur originated in the black community, following a history of various names used to mock unreasonable white women. Before the Civil War, black people used the term 'Miss Ann' for arrogant white women, while in the 1990s 'Becky' had a similar connotation. The most often cited characteristic of the 'Karen' is a desire to 'speak to the manager' of an establishment. Heather Suzanne Woods, a meme researcher at Kansas State University, told The Atlantic that a Karen's defining qualities are 'entitlement, selfishness, a desire to complain.' A Karen 'demands the world exist according to her standards with little regard for others, and she is willing to risk or demean others to achieve her ends,' said Woods. The term went viral around the world after the 'Central Park Karen' incident on May 25, 2020. The term 'Karen' as a slur for white women went viral around the world after the 'Central Park Karen' incident on May 25, 2020 In the incident, Amy Cooper was seen in a video falsely telling police that a black birdwatcher was threatening her while gripping her dog's leash so tightly that the pup was lifted off the ground. Cooper was charged with a misdemeanor for filing a false police report, but the charge was dropped after she completed a diversion program. She is currently suing her former employer, Franklin Templeton, saying the company fired her without doing a fair investigation and falsely portrayed her as racist. 'Karen' quickly became a faddish insult for white people describing any behavior perceived as obnoxious or racist, even extending to 'male Karens.' During the pandemic, it also became associated with people who pitched fits about mask mandates, or expressed doubts about vaccines. According to the SSA, the most popular baby names last year were Liam for boys and Olivia for girls. The editor-in-chief of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) is stepping down after a tweet promoting a podcast that questioned whether systemic racism exists in medicine stoked harsh backlash on Twitter. Dr. Howard Bauchner will leave his job at the end of June after a decade at the helm of the prestigious journal and its network of publications run by the AMA. A statement released by AMA quotes Bauchner as saying that he did not write the controversial tweet or have any role in the creation of the podcast that triggered the uproar. 'I remain profoundly disappointed in myself for the lapses that led to the publishing of the tweet and podcast,' he said in the statement. 'Although I did not write or even see the tweet, or create the podcast, as editor-in-chief, I am ultimately responsible for them.' Dr. Howard Bauchner (pictured in 2015) will leave his job as editor-in-chief of the Journal of the American Medical Association at the end of June after a decade at the helm of the prestigious publication Bauchner is stepping down after a February 24 tweet promoting a podcast that questioned whether systemic racism exists in medicine stoked harsh backlash on Twitter On February 24, a tweet from the journal's official account read: 'No physician is racist, so how can there be structural racism in health care?' The tweet was promoting a podcast episode featuring two white doctors discussing how structural racism worsens health outcomes and what health systems can do to address it, JAMA said in an online description. However, it sparked an outcry from other medical professionals, who called the tweet and podcast 'cringeworthy' and 'appalling.' The AMA's chief equity officer, Dr. Aletha Maybank, who is black, called the JAMA tweet and podcast 'absolutely appalling.' The podcast was billed as a discussion for skeptics and featured two white doctors: a deputy journal editor, Edward Livingston (left), and Dr. Mitch Katz (right), a physician who runs a New York City health system. 'Structural racism is an unfortunate term,' said Livingston, the deputy editor, said on the podcast. 'Personally, I think taking racism out of the conversation will help. Many people like myself are offended by the implication that we are somehow racist.' On the JAMA Network web site where the podcast was posted, the episode was pulled. Bauchner posted an audio clip less than a minute long in which he apologized. 'The podcast on structural racism based on the discussion between Dr Ed Livingston and Dr Mitchell Katz has been withdrawn,' Bauchner says in the clip. 'Comments made in the podcast were inaccurate, offensive, hurtful, and inconsistent with the standards of JAMA' Dr Brittani James, a black Chicago physician who co-founded the Institute for Anti-Racism in Medicine, accused the journal of 'whitesplaining racism.' The podcast was billed as a discussion for skeptics and featured two white doctors: a deputy journal editor, Edward Livingston, and Dr. Mitch Katz, a physician who runs a New York City health system. Livingston argued that racism is illegal and a term that should be avoided because it evokes negative feelings. 'Structural racism is an unfortunate term,' said Livingston, the deputy editor, said on the podcast. 'Personally, I think taking racism out of the conversation will help. Many people like myself are offended by the implication that we are somehow racist.' Livingston later resigned at Bauchner's request and JAMA created a new associate editor position for someone with expertise in racism in health care. CDC statistics show black, Native American and Alaskan Native women are up to three times more likely to die of pregnancy-related illnesses than white women. They also found that black and Native American people were up to twice as likely to die of COVID-19 than white people, with Hispanic people 2.4 times more likely to be killed by the virus. On the JAMA Network web site where the podcast was posted, the episode was pulled. Bauchner posted an audio clip less than a minute long in which he apologized. 'The podcast on structural racism based on the discussion between Dr Ed Livingston and Dr Mitchell Katz has been withdrawn,' Bauchner says in the clip. 'Comments made in the podcast were inaccurate, offensive, hurtful, and inconsistent with the standards of JAMA. The tweet and the podcast episode sparked outrage among those who lambasted the notion that the American medical community is devoid of structural racism 'Racism and structural racism exist in the U.S. and in health care. 'After careful consideration, I determined that the harms caused by the podcast outweighed any reason for the podcast to remain available on the JAMA Network. 'I once again apologize for the harms caused by this podcast and the tweet about the podcast. 'We are instituting changes that will address and prevent such failures from happening again.' The Chicago-based American Medical Association owns and publishes JAMA and had called the podcast 'wrong' and 'harmful.' It has no editorial control over JAMA's content but Bauchner reports to the oversight committee, a seven-member board. Six of the board members are white. Katz released a statement in March in which he said: 'Systemic and interpersonal racism both still exist in our country - they must be rooted out. 'I do not share the JAMA hosts belief of doing away with the word "racism" will help us be more successful in ending inequities that exists across racial and ethnic lines. 'Further, I believe that we will only produce an equitable society when social and political structures do not continue to produce and perpetuate disparate results based on social race and ethnicity. 'As I said during the podcast, if we are to eliminate structural racism, we must first acknowledge that it is real and take full accountability for the racial injustices of our countrys past. 'Discriminatory racist ideologies are still embedded within many societal systems and policies that continue to negatively impact all persons, especially people of color in our nation. 'As clinicians, we must understand how these structures and policies have a direct impact on the health outcomes of the patients and communities we serve. 'Therefore, I firmly believe that both interpersonal and structural racism still exists in our country and it is woefully naive to say that no physician is a racist just because the Civil Rights Act of 1964 forbade it.' DailyMail.com has reached out to Livingston for comment. JAMA's executive editor, Dr. Phil Fontanarosa, who will serve as interim editor-in-chief until a new editor is appointed, praised Bauchner for his 'diligence, perseverance, evidence-based approach, and keen instincts.' Fontanarosa said Bauchner was 'committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion.' During his tenure at the helm of JAMA, the journal 'published more than 650 articles on race and racial and ethnic disparities and inequities in the last 5 years' and 'increased substantially the number of women, Asian, Black, and Hispanic members of the editorial boards and among decision-making editors,' Fontanarosa wrote. 'It's a reasonable first step but it should not be seen as mission accomplished,' Dr Raymond Givens, a black cardiologist in New York, said on Friday. 'He has been a vocal online critic of a lack of diversity among editors of JAMA and other prominent medical journals.' World Health Assembly urges stronger public health emergency preparedness, WHO response Xinhua) 13:38, June 01, 2021 Photo taken in Brussels, Belgium on May 24, 2021 shows the live stream of the 74th World Health Assembly held at the World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong) The attending countries came to the conclusion that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has fully exposed the weaknesses of mankind's health emergency response system at national, regional and global levels. GENEVA, June 1 (Xinhua) -- The World Health Assembly (WHA) on Monday called on the World Health Organization (WHO) to reinforce its preparedness for and response to public health emergencies worldwide and suggested that a specific working group be established for this purpose. During the meeting, the attending countries came to the conclusion that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has fully exposed the weaknesses of mankind's health emergency response system at national, regional and global levels. Photo taken on May 20, 2021 shows the World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. (Xinhua/Chen Junxia) COVID-19 REVEALS SERIOUS SHORTCOMINGS IN PREPAREDNESS Member states at the WHA agreed that COVID-19 has revealed serious shortcomings in the world's preparedness for timely, effective prevention of potential health emergencies, and its response capability is also in urgent need of improvement. Before the WHA, the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response (IPPPR), established by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, submitted its final main report on the COVID-19 response by the WHO and its member states. Admitting that COVID-19 was a preventable global disaster, the IPPPR report largely attributes the outbreak of the pandemic to inconsistent and underfunded preparation, which has long been crippled by an alert system too slow and too mild. "February 2020 was a lost month, when steps could and should have been taken to curtail the epidemic and forestall the pandemic," the panel said, adding that it resulted from two things. One was that countries did not fully recognize the threat, and the other was that they chose a wait-and-see attitude rather than concerted public health actions, failing to understand how serious the new pathogen could be. Even after the WHO declared the COVID-19 outbreak as a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) on Jan. 30, 2020, a large number of countries still did not adopt a strong containment strategy, which could have forestalled the global pandemic. Meanwhile, the spread of the pandemic shows that the WHO was underpowered to fully fulfill its duty, and the uncoordinated actions by countries confronting the pandemic have aggravated the inequality in access to response tools, such as personal protection equipment, diagnostic kits, therapeutics and vaccines, which all need global political leadership to address. Workers disinfect medical supplies donated by the World Health Organization at Juba International Airport in Juba, South Sudan, on Sept. 4, 2020. (Photo by Gale Julius/Xinhua) WORKING GROUP TO STRENGTHEN WHO PREPAREDNESS, RESPONSE The WHA proposed establishing a member states working group on strengthening WHO preparedness for and response to health emergencies. The group will consider the findings and recommendations in three reports submitted respectively by the IPPPR, the International Health Regulations (IHR) Review Committee, and the Independent Oversight and Advisory Committee for the WHO Health Emergencies Program. Concerning the IHR in particular, the review committee holds that lack of compliance of states with certain obligations under the IHR, particularly on preparedness, has caused the COVID-19 pandemic to evolve into a protracted global health emergency. Hence, it highlighted the need of governmental responsibility to implement the IHR to the highest level. The committee recommends a robust accountability mechanism for evaluating and improving compliance with IHR obligations to strengthen preparedness, international cooperation and timely notification of public health events. While urging member states to strengthen their core public health capacities and adopt an all-hazard, multi-sectoral approach in preparedness for health emergencies, the WHA resolution calls on countries to notify WHO of public health events within their territories according to IHR (2005), and continue to convey to the WHO timely, accurate and sufficiently detailed public health information. One of the priorities of the working group will be undertaking a WHO convention, agreement or other international instruments on pandemic preparedness and response. The working group is expected to provide a report to a WHA special session scheduled for November, which will be dedicated to establishing an intergovernmental process to draft and negotiate a relevant convention or agreement. Delegates attend the 74th World Health Assembly (WHA) via video link in Beijing, capital of China, May 24, 2021. (Xinhua/Zhang Yuwei) NEW MECHANISM BASED ON SOVEREIGN EQUALITY, CONSULTATIONS Addressing the WHA, Chinese delegate Yang Feng, also deputy director of Health Emergency Response Office affiliated with National Health Commission of China, appreciated the WHO for the tremendous work it has done. Noting that the virus knows no borders and the pandemic no race, he called for global solidarity and cooperation in building a community with a shared future for mankind. "China agrees with the reports' concept of building 'One Health' surveillance system and the 'whole of government, whole of society' pandemic response approach, which aims at improving the IHR and other international legal systems," he said. "China believes that promoting the equitable distribution of and access to COVID-19 vaccines globally is crucial to outbreak prevention and control, and has fulfilled its commitment of providing COVID-19 vaccines as a public good by offering medical assistance to 80 countries, exporting vaccines to 43 countries and supplying 300 million doses of vaccines worldwide," he added. Photo taken on May 12, 2021 shows China-donated COVID-19 vaccines unloaded from a military transport plane in Dhaka, Bangladesh. (Xinhua) "China will continue to make its own contribution to promoting the accessibility and affordability of vaccines in developing countries," Yang stressed. He also mentioned that China has noted the recommendation presented in the reports on establishing a new international expert investigation mechanism and a national capacity review mechanism, and generally agrees with it. "However, we emphasize that the new mechanism must follow the basic principle of sovereign equality, be based on the consensus of relevant States Parties, and require dedicated studies and consultations," he added. "China also takes note of the recommendation to establish the Global Health Threat Council, takes an open attitude and is ready to work with the international community to study the proposal," Yang noted. (Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun) Market Overview and Growth Factors: Cinnamic Aldehyde is also known as cinnamaldehyde, an organic compound occurring naturally in the bark of cinnamon trees and other species of cinnamon such as camphor and cassia. It can be produced naturally by forming reaction between benzaldehyde such as isovanillin and acetaldehyde. Cinnamaldehyde is mainly used as flavor and fragrance agent in the food & beverage and cosmetics & personal care industries. Growing demand for organic agricultural activities with escalating demand for nutritious food products among health-conscious consumer is influencing the market growth. Moreover, the product use is increasing in oral care and heart diseases due to anti-bacterial and anti-diabetic properties. Get a Free sample @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/6018 Competitive Analysis: Some of the key players in the global cinnamic aldehyde market are: Kao Corporation Emerald Performance Materials Finoric Jayshree Aromatics Pvt Ltd Muby Chemicals Payan Bertrand S.A. LANXESS Yingcheng Wuhan Organic Material Co., Ltd Merck KGaA Sigma-Aldrich Graham Chemical Market Segmentation: The global COVID 19 Impact on Cinnamic Aldehyde Market is segmented into nature, application, end use industry, and region. On the basis of nature, the market is segregated into organic and synthetic. The synthetic cinnamic aldehyde is produced by reacting benzaldehyde with acetaldehyde. Based on the application, the market is segmented into fragrance agent, flavor agent, insecticides, anti-microbial, anti-cancer, oral care, animal feed, and others. Flavor agent accounted for the largest market share as a result of increasing use in the households and food & beverage industry. The product use, as a fragrance agent, is increasing in deodorants, detergents, cleansers, and cosmetics. Cinnamic aldehyde helps to fight against tooth decay, bad breath, cure diabetes and reduce infections owing to antibacterial and antifungal properties. Based on the end use industry, the market is divided into household, food & beverages, cosmetic & personal care, agriculture, healthcare, and others. The food & beverage industry accounted for the largest market share as a result of increasing demand for nutritious food products and beverages. The product consumption is rising in cosmetics & personal care industry with growing prevalence of various cosmetics brands in the market such as LOreal, Avon, and Lakme across the regions. Regional Analysis: Based on the region, the cinnamic aldehyde market is segregated into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa. Asia Pacific is the fastest growing region in the cinnamic aldehyde market owing to the increasing demand for nutritious food and energy drink with rising health consciousness among the consumers. Increasing spending on the cosmetics & personal care industry is driving the market growth further. North America is the second largest region in the cinnamic aldehyde market with increasing spending on personal care products coupled with high per capita income. Moreover, growing aging population coupled with rising health awareness is uplifting the market growth. Europe is another significant region in the market due to growing food & beverage industry with increasing consumption of packaged food products among working population. Latin America and the Middle East & South Africa regions are likely to witness moderate growth during the review period with significant growth of cosmetics and personal care industry. Browse key industry insights spread across 100 pages with 47market data tables & 12 figures & charts from the report, Cinnamic Aldehyde Market Information: by Nature (nature and synthetic), Application (fragrance, flavor, insecticides, household, and animal feed), by End Use (food & beverages, cosmetics & personal care, healthcare), by Region: Forecast till 2023 in detail along with the table of contents @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/cinnamic-aldehyde-market-6018 A branch of the scandal-hit Sackler family has launched a lavish website to deny claims they are to blame for the opioid crisis - despite agreeing to pay a multi-billion dollar settlement to its victims. The site, called judgeforyourselves.info, claims the Sackler's firm Purdue Pharma is the victim of a smear campaign, even though the company admitted misleading the public about the strength of prescription painkiller OxyContin. It was created by late co-founder Raymond Sackler's branch of the family. Raymond - one of three brothers to found Purdue - went on to become the company's chief executive officer, and died aged 97 in 2017. He had two sons - Jonathan, who died of cancer last year, as well as Richard. Richard's son David was on the Purdue board of directors from 2012 to August 2018. Their new site has six sections - including information on the history of the opioid crisis, and another section called 'Correcting the Record' which attacks alleged errors in lawsuits filed against Purdue, media stories and even scientific studies. It also includes a section listing the many national publications the Sacklers claim have been required to correct inaccurate coverage of Purdue, OxyContin and the Sacklers themselves. The website's claims of misinformation come despite the Sackler family paying out nearly $9 billion to settle lawsuits in over claims they shouldered a large part of the blame for the opioid crisis. That crisis has so-far seen 500,000 Americans die after becoming addicted to powerful painkillers. The site says the 'Sackler family regrets that OxyContin.... unexpectedly became part of the opioid crisis' and offers what it describes as 'publicly available, verifiable information' that 'corrects falsehoods and sets the record straight'. The site buries any mention of the company's guilty pleas to federal crimes between 2007 and 2020 for which it was fined $8.6 billion in total. No mention of the guilty pleas appears on the site's homepage. A page entitled 'guilty pleas' is accessible through a sub menu, but it does not mention the fines. It does point out that the Sacklers themselves were not charged, and mentions that the family 'vigorously denies any wrongdoing'. Purdue has been hit with hundreds of civil lawsuits, class actions and criminal charges in state and federal courts since the early 2000s. In 2007, the family firm pleaded guilty to misleading the public about OxyContin's risk of addiction and paid a $600 million fine to Department of Justice - one of the largest pharmaceutical settlements in history. Three senior executives - none of them members of the Sackler family - pleaded guilty to the criminal charges, and the firm pledged to follow strict new ethics guidelines. In October 2020, the company agreed to pay a further $8 billion in a deal with the Justice Department to settle civil and criminal investigations into Purdue Pharma's aggressive marketing of OxyContin. The deal allowed members of the family and company officials to avoid jail time. The Sacklers were one of the wealthiest families in the US, but fell from grace after their role in the opioid epidemic emerged. Pictured above is: Dr Richard Sackler, standing second from left and Jonathan Sackler standing second from right. Seated is co-founder Raymond and his wife Beverly Sackler Jonathan Sackler, left, who died of cancer in June last year aged 65, was the son of Raymond Sackler and a key executive of the company as it fueled the opioid epidemic. Richard Sackler, 76, right, the eldest son of Raymond Sackler, who was chairman and president of Purdue Pharma The Purdue Pharma headquarters are seen in downtown Stamford, Connecticut in 2019 Raymond and his wife, Beverly Sackler, of the Sackler family are pictured in an undated photo. Raymond is a brother of Mortimer; he died in 2017. She died in 2019 at 95 Raymond Sackler was the youngest of three brothers who formed Purdue Pharma; the eldest Arthur died in 1987 before OxyContin was invented, and middle brother Mortimer Sackler. All three went to medical school and became psychiatrists before they became pharmaceutical entrepreneurs. Raymond's son Jonathan Sackler, who died aged 65 last year, served as an executive and board member and was named as a defendant in key opioid lawsuits. His other son Richard Sackler, 76, was chairman and president of Purdue Pharma. David Sackler, 40, son of Richard and grandson of Raymond, appeared before Congress's House Oversight Committee last year along with his cousin, Dr. Kathe Sackler, 72. Both had served on the company's board for years. Addressing them both, Representative Jim Cooper, Democrat of Tennessee, said: 'Watching you testify makes my blood boil. I'm not aware of any family in America that is more evil than yours.' The new site claims the Purdue Pharma board acted 'ethically and lawfully' and that a proposed resolution to reorganize the company would see the Sacklers relinquish ownership of Purdue and donate $4.275 billion to 'communities and people in need'. Under the terms of the deal with the Department of Justice, the company is being wound up formed into a new not-for-profit company and the family is not permitted to be involved with it. That would shield them from further lawsuits - but not criminal prosecution. The deal struck in October 2020 did not satisfy the two dozen state attorney generals nor Democratic lawmakers who had been urging the DoJ to punish Sackler to the full extent of the law. Nearly three dozen Democratic members of Congress sent a letter to then Attorney General Bill Barr insisting any deal to resolve Purdue Pharma's role in the opioid crisis result in prison time for company owners and executives. 'Purdue and the Sackler family perpetrated one of the most egregious criminal acts in American history,' the lawmakers said. Some two dozen US state attorney generals have also taken legal action against Purdue, and warned any deal to control the company as a public entity risked having 'special ties' to a company that 'caused a national crisis'. The new website states it was launched by members of Raymond Sackler's family. Bottles of prescription painkiller OxyContin pills, made by Purdue Pharma. The high-strength prescription painkillers earned the family billions of dollars, and also contributed to the deaths of some 500,000 people (file photo) The Sackler family used their extraordinary wealth to launder their reputations through generous endowments to renowned art institutions such as New York's Guggenheim and Metropolitan Museum of Art, above, The Louvre in Paris, and the Smithsonian in Washington DC, a new book claims The website was launched just weeks after the publication of a new book Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe, which paints a damning portrait of of the family's history. It showed the most intimate portrait yet of a family who used their extraordinary wealth to launder their reputations through generous endowments to renowned art institutions such as New York's Guggenheim and Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Louvre in Paris, and the Smithsonian in Washington DC. The Louvre has since scrubbed the Sackler name from its walls, with calls for New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art to follow suit. The book also claimed the family tried to erase the 1975 suicide of family heir Bobby Sackler, 24, who was addicted to heroin. The death and drug addictions of Bobby, the son of pharmaceutical giant Mortimer Sackler, were 'an inconvenient truth and a huge embarrassment' to the family, the book claimed. The OxyContin pills the Sackler family would invent and market 20 years after his death are a semi-synthetic derivative of heroin, the drug Bobby was addicted to. Bobby left his apartment on East 64th Street in New York City on the morning of July 5, 1975 to visit the home of his mother, Muriel Sackler, on East 86th Street, who was divorced from his powerful father. Muriel died in 2009, according to her obituary. He fought with the elevator operator when he arrived in the lobby before storming into his mother's two-bedroom on the ninth floor, Radden Keefe revealed. Bobby was overheard arguing with her while demanding money in the moments before he broke a window and fell to his death. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt star Ellie Kemper is facing backlash online after it emerged she was crowned the 1999 pageant winner for a Missouri organization that once banned black members and celebrated the wealthy white elite. A photo of the actress being crowned at the St Louis-based Veiled Prophet Ball when she was 19 started going viral on Twitter last week. The image, which was originally printed in the St Louis Dispatch newspaper, sparked controversy after a person referred to Kemper as the 'KKK queen' for being crowned the winner. While a historic Veiled Prophet image showing a person dressed in a hood and robe has drawn comparisons to the KKK, there are no known links between the organization and Klansmen. The image, which was originally printed in St Louis Dispatch newspaper, sparked controversy after a person referred to Kemper as the 'KKK queen' Kemper, whose real name is Elizabeth, was a 19-year-old Princeton University student when she was crowned Queen of Love and Beauty in 1999 Historians have previously pointed to how the organization started in the late 1870s, which is decades before the KKK formed in the early 1900s. The Veiled Prophet Organization has, however, been criticized in the past for its racist history and ties to white supremacy. It banned black and Jewish members until 1979. Veiled Prophet started as a secret society in St Louis back in 1878 by a group of wealthy white businessmen. Its founder Charles Slayback was a grain executive and former Confederate cavalryman. It still holds its annual Veiled Prophet Ball each year, which is similar to a debutante event where members present their daughters to society. During the ball, one woman is crowned Queen of Love and Beauty. The winner is crowned by the 'Veiled Prophet' - a member of the organization who covers their face with a white veil so their identity remains secret. The member who is the Veiled Prophet is believed to change each year. The ball's website says 60 to 70 young women are chosen each year for 'their outstanding community service efforts. They 'walk down the magnificent 72-foot-long Veiled Prophet runway in fashionable couture gowns, and in front of family and friends, are presented and honored for their contributions'. While a historic Veiled Prophet image showing a person dressed in a hood and robe has drawn comparisons to the KKK, there are no known links between the organization and the white supremacists The actress, who has starred in The Office and Bridesmaids, was the organization's 105th winner. She hails from one of Missouri's wealthiest banking families and her father, David Kemper, is the chairman of Commerce Bank The annual Veiled Prophet Ball is still held each year where the winner is crowned by a 'Veiled Prophet' (pictured on left) - a member of the organization who covers their face with a white veil so their identity remains secret Kemper, whose real name is Elizabeth, was a 19-year-old Princeton University student when she was crowned Queen of Love and Beauty in 1999. The actress, who has starred in The Office and Bridesmaids, was the organization's 105th winner. She hails from one of Missouri's wealthiest banking families and her father, David Kemper, is the chairman of Commerce Bank. Twitter erupted after the resurfaced image of Kemper started going viral and some branded her a racist, white supremacist and a 'KKK queen'. They drew comparisons to her role in Kimmy Schmidt in which she plays a young woman who escapes an Indiana cult and restarts her life in New York City. Others, however, argued that Kemper had no known history of being racist. Those with knowledge of the Veiled Prophet said it was a stretch to compare Kemper to a white supremacist just because she was crowned queen. Kemper has not publicly addressed her involvement with the Veiled Prophet Organization since it went viral at the weekend. The organization still hold the ball and a parade each year but the latter has been rebranded as the 'America's Birthday Parade'. 'Many things have changed since 1878, but the Veiled Prophet Organization will always continue its largest gift to the community: a spectacular parade that has become one of St. Louis most enduring family traditions,' its website reads. A Brazilian taxi driver has had his left eye surgically removed after being struck by a rubber bullet while watching a protest over President Jair Bolsonaro's handling of COVID-19. Daniel Campelo was in the downtown area of the Pernambuco city of Recife on Saturday afternoon when he was hit by the projectile. The 51-year-old Campelo had an operation Altino Ventura Foundation clinic on Monday, but remained hospitalized at Hospital Restauracao. 'My eye has been removed. I have no vision,' Campelo said, according to Brazilian online news portal G1. 'In the situation we are in, we have to thank God, but I do not wish (bad) for anyone.' Organized by leftist political parties, unions and student associations, Saturday's protests in the capital Brasilia and in Rio de Janeiro were peaceful, unlike in Recife. Demonstrators carried signs that read, 'Out with Bolsonaro' and 'Impeachment now.' Daniel Campelo, who is employed as taxi driver, was in the downtown area of the Pernambuco city of Recife on Saturday afternoon when he was hit by a rubber bullet that was fired by a military police officer who was dispersing demonstrators who gather to protest Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic President Jair Bolsonaro's popularity has plummeted during the coronavirus crisis, which has killed more 462,791 Brazilians as the far-right leader played down its severity, dismissed mask wearing and cast doubt on the importance of vaccines Jonas Correia, 29, was on his way back home when he suddenly got caught in the middle of the protest. The married father was also struck by a rubber bullet, causing him to lose sight in his right eye Bolsonaro's popularity has plummeted during the coronavirus crisis, which has killed more than 450,000 Brazilians as the far-right leader played down its severity, dismissed mask wearing and cast doubt on the importance of vaccines. Most protesters wore masks and tried to observe social distancing protocols, not always successfully, as they called for faster vaccinations countrywide. Jonas Correia, 29, was also blinded in one eye in after he suddenly got caught in the middle of the same protest in Recife while traveling home. Demonstrators react amid tear gas against riot policemen during an anti-President Jair Bolsonaro protest in Recife, Brazil, on Saturday Daniel Campelo is aided by bystanders after he got hit on the left eye by a rubber bullet. He had surgery Monday to remove the eye Jonas Correia receives help from others after sustaining injury as riot police and anti-Bolsonaro protesters clash in Recife, Brazil Correia was shot in the right eye had to be rushed to the Altino Ventura Foundation clinic's urgent care wing before he was transferred to Hospital Restauracao. He learned Monday that he had lost sight in his right eye, and was awaiting for swelling to go down and is scheduled to meet with doctors at the clinic Wednesday. Surgeons say they have no plan to remove his injured eye, and it is unclear if it will remain permanently blind. 'Only God knows what I went through and I am going through,' Correia told G1 on Tuesday. 'Today I woke up very sad, anguished, because I am a young man, healthy, independent, I like to work. I am very family (oriented), I think a lot about my children, and what is going to be of me now? 'My children and my wife, who need me. I don't even know what to say, it's just the desperation of a father who goes after the family's livelihood. I've cried a lot,' added Correia, who said government officials have yet to contact him. His wife Daniela Barreto met the Pernambuco Secretary of Justice and Human Rights to determine his legal steps. A man lies down as riot police and anti-Bolsonaro protesters clash in the northeastern Brazilian city of Recife on Saturday Riot policemen stand with their shields at a demonstration in Recife, Brazil, as protesters took to the streets to call out President Jair Bolsonaro's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic The Altino Ventura Foundation released a statement indicating that while no surgery is required at the moment, it 'may change based on the evolution of the patient and the results of the new exams.' Pernambuco governor Paula Camara on Saturday suspended the Recife Military Police commander and four police officers after it was reported that councilwoman Liana Cirne, who took part in the protest, was hit with pepper spray. Video recorded by a protester showed Cirne approaching a police cruiser to talk to an officer and identify herself before one of the agents inside the vehicle sprayed her. 'They are and were cowards, because they not only assaulted me, but they assaulted protesters who weren't doing anything,' Cirne told G1. 'They fired rubber bullets at people who weren't doing anything, were trying to protect themselves. I have no reason to be afraid. I will not be afraid.' The body of a 13-year-old boy was recovered from a river in West Yorkshire today on the hottest day of the year. The victim had been playing with friends in Brighouse beside the River Calder when he got into difficulties in the water. Emergency services were alerted at 2.38pm and a specialist team of fire fighters entered the water and retrieved the young boy's body. The body of a 13-year-old boy was recovered from the River Calder in Brighouse around 3pm today A specialist team of firefighters recovered the boy's body from the scene. West Yorkshire Police said they have informed the boy's family of the tragedy West Yorkshire police have launched an investigation into the circumstances of the young boy's death. Specially trained police officers are with the family who have been informed about the boy's tragic death. Chief Superintendent Sarah Baker, District Commander of Calderdale Police said: 'We are continuing our enquiries with partners. Whilst investigations into what took place are at an early stage, indications are that this is a tragic incident in which a teenage boy has lost his life. 'Specially trained officers are working to support the victims family at this devastating time, and our thoughts are with them. 'I would ask anyone who saw what happened and who may have not yet spoken with authorities, to contact Calderdale CID on 101 referencing police log 989 of June 1st.' Temperatures reached 78F at Heathrow Airport at 2pm on Tuesday, making it the hottest day of 2021 so far - toppling a top temperature set just the day before. Bank holiday Monday's maximum temperature was 77F in Kinlochewe, Scotland, as sunseekers enjoyed the long weekend and newly restored freedoms following the lifting of many lockdown restrictions. The UK has seen its fourth highest amount of rainfall on record for May, with an average of 120mm. Meanwhile, England had its fifth wettest May on record, and its wettest since 1967, with 111mm of rain. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell ridiculed the idea of defunding the police as 'one of the dumbest ideas ever surfaced by anyone' in the United States in a speech on Tuesday. He stood by his decision not to back the commission into the Capitol riot on January 6, by saying it's 'not necessary.' McConnell spoke after a Memorial Day weekend of violence where cities including Houston, Miami and New Orleans saw a spate of murders. Three people were killed and 27 were shot in Chicago, there were 10 murders in Houston and a mass shooting outside a Miami banquet hall left two dead and 23 others injured. Speaking at an event about a federal anti-drug program in Owensboro, Kentucky, the Republican senator told a seemingly friendly crowd that included law enforcement officers that it had been a 'really tough year for law enforcement' while also slamming the 'completely unwarranted' abuse he says they have grappled with. 'I am a strong supporter of law enforcement across America. I think the abuse that's been heaped on law enforcement over the last year is unfortunate,' McConnell said. 'We need what you're doing.' McConnell told a seemingly friendly crowd that included law enforcement officers that it had been a 'really tough year' for them He circled back to the anti-drug program as an example of why he says police are necessary. 'Drug abuse is certainly a disease, but there's a law enforcement aspect of it. It's pretty darn important where they're getting it, and what are we gonna do about it. And so we can't do it without you and we're grateful for you,' he said. 'Defund the police' has been a popular rallying cry with progressives and far-left activists ever since the murder of George Floyd, a black Minneapolis man, at the hands of white police officer Derek Chauvin. Floyd's death in May 2020 sparked national outrage and protests for racial justice, occasionally marked by the destruction of private businesses and clashes between demonstrators and police in cities like Minneapolis, New York and others. 'Defund the police' has been a popular rallying cry with progressives and far-left activists ever since the murder of George Floyd, a black Minneapolis man, at the hands of white police officer Derek Chauvin Subsequent and highly-publicized killings of black Americans by police fueled activists and some progressive lawmakers' calls to defund the police Subsequent and highly-publicized killings of black Americans by police fueled activists and some progressive lawmakers' calls to defund the police, though the idea has not picked up steam with mainstream Democrats like President Joe Biden. But despite their apparent hesitance to align themselves with far-left Democrats, moderates from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer have criticized police departments over use-of-force incidents. McConnell said Tuesday it was important for lawmakers to 'make it absolutely clear, we respect law enforcement, we think you're essential within our country.' 'I hope these various cities around the country that are flirting with reducing law enforcement funding will sober up here at some point,' he said. And it appears they have - major cities including New York City, Baltimore and Los Angeles have backpedaled on pledges to defund police departments. Surging violent crime rates across the nation's big urban centers have forced mayors to reinstate or increase police funding that some reallocated in a show of activism last year. Major cities including New York City, Baltimore and Los Angeles have backpedaled on pledges to defund police departments Out of the country's 20 largest police departments, budgets submitted for at least nine of them show requests to increase police funding by 1 to 6 percent, according to the Wall Street Journal. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio reversed course on a promised $1 billion budget cut to the NYPD, now looking to allocate $92 million for a new precinct. In Baltimore, Mayor Brandon Scott is asking for a $27 increase to police funding after leading efforts to cut the budget by $22 million as a city councilman. Despite his full-throated pledge to support law enforcement communities - including a stance against ending qualified immunity that recently gained steam among some House Democrats - McConnell maintained that calls for a commission exploring why Captiol police were left outnumbered on January 6 and without National Guard support for hours were superfluous. 'This is probably the most comprehensive Justice Department investigation in the history of the country going on right now - multiple people have been arrested, many will be prosecuted, nobody's going to get away with anything who was involved in the incident at the Capitol on January the 6,' he said. 'With regard to it not happening again, changing our security plan, that's being done internally in the Senate by two different committees right now' The Kentucky Republican also said he stands by everything he has previously said on the incident, including condemnations against former President Trump. 'I think we'll know everything we need to know - we were all witnesses, we were right there when it happened, and I simply think the commission is not necessary,' he said. Shortly after 2pm on Tuesday, May 11, a 35-year-old man from Dunvegan, on the north-west coast of Skye, was driving to the next-door village of Claigan when he spotted something grisly by the side of the road. About 20 yards away, in the heather above Loch Suardal, was the decomposing carcass of a heavily pregnant female deer. She was lying on her side, eyes wide open and neck twisted backwards, with what looked like a bullet wound in her belly. It stank to high heaven and had probably been there a few days because the stomach and belly had been eaten out by birds and foxes, the man tells me. I tried to turn her over to see whether there was an exit wound from the bullet but when I went to pull the back legs, the body of her calf came slipping out. A few hundred yards up the hill, also lying on its side, was the carcass of a second hind (female deer). She also appeared to have been shot, in the shoulder. Elsewhere on the heather, over the ensuing few days, the man found the decomposing remains of five more deer. WARNING GRAPHIC IMAGE - In the heather above Loch Suardal, was the decomposing carcass of a heavily pregnant female deer. A few hundred yards up the hill, also lying on its side, was the carcass of a second hind Its more than a month after the end of the stalking season, when hinds are likely to be carrying young and its illegal to kill them, he says. So I was outraged that someone would shoot so many, and do it so incompetently that they missed vital organs and left the animals to run off and suffer a long, painful death. I was also disgusted that, having done this, the people responsible left the carcasses to rot, rather than removing them from the hill so they could end up in the food chain. 'Its completely wrong and unethical and I say that as someone who stalks myself. The man took photographs. Later that day, he uploaded ten of them to Facebook, with an angry caption. Fast-forward a couple of weeks and those graphic pictures have been circulated far and wide, generating thousands of shares and furious comments on social media platforms. They are also causing ructions in this remote community and are now the subject of a police investigation. The criminal inquiry revolves around claims the deer were killed as part of an experiment in a trendy, but at times controversial, form of land management known as rewilding. Detectives are trying to establish whether the seven deer (maybe more) were shot illegally to prevent them damaging small trees due to be planted near Loch Suardal as part of a taxpayer-funded native woodland creation project. Killing any female deer after April 1 is illegal in Scotland unless a special licence has been secured from NatureScot, the countrys environment agency, under rules designed to ensure that dependent young are not left orphaned. No such licence was issued on Skye this year. At the centre of the probe into what happened and who may be responsible is the well-connected owner of the hill where this massacre seems to have taken place. He is Hugh Magnus MacLeod, 30th hereditary chief of the MacLeod clan and one of Scotlands highest-ranking toffs, who owns 42,000 acres around 13th-century Dunvegan Castle, which is both his family seat and a popular tourist attraction. Police are interviewing locals to discover who was responsible for shooting the deer in the photographs. The clan chief will neither confirm nor deny responsibility for their deaths, a spokesman insisting only that he has not authorised an illegal mass cull in recent weeks. Behind the scenes is a simmering row with political overtones. It began last December, when MacLeod, a 47-year-old divorce and former TV director who divides his time between London and Skye, secured a 1 million grant from the Scottish Government to plant 371,875 trees on farmland near the castle that was previously used for grazing sheep. The scheme, covering 600 acres, was publicised as a pioneering exercise in rewilding, in which agricultural land is taken out of production and allowed to return to its natural state. At the time, MacLeod said in an interview that he had come across the modish concept a couple of years ago at a rewilding salon hosted by Lisbet Rausing, heir to the Tetra Pak fortune. His initial tree-planting was, he said, to be the first phase in a gradual plan to transform the moorland landscape into a forest that would support such threatened species as pine martens, red squirrels and beavers. Nature needs a little bit of a helping hand, he said. If you start planting native woodlands that belong in a place, they start to self-seed and natural regeneration kicks off. High-profile proponents of rewilding rushed to endorse him. Ben Goldsmith, a Tory donor and director of the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra), declared: Hugh MacLeods groundbreaking nature restoration project at the historic Dunvegan Castle is one of the most exciting rewilding stories in Britain today. The criminal inquiry revolves around claims the deer were killed as part of an experiment in a trendy, but at times controversial, form of land management known as rewilding Like most rewilding supporters, who are often well-meaning, Goldsmith believes the process brings myriad benefits to plants, animals, insects and birds, may assist in alleviating climate change and will help to reverse the decline of species threatened by modern intensive agriculture. His brother Zac, who also backs rewilding and is a close ally of Boris Johnsons wife Carrie, was appointed a junior Defra minister by Johnson after the 2019 election. And, thanks in part to his efforts, large amounts of government money are expected to be diverted from traditional farming into rewilding the countryside via schemes such as the Skye project. Yet in practice, such endeavours often end in bitter controversy. Opponents point out that taking farmland out of production means the UK needs either to cultivate its remaining land more intensively or import more food, neither of which helps the environment. They also argue that the concept usually involves wealthy metropolitan types seeking to interfere with and in some cases destroy the way of life of farming communities, causing ugly disputes in the process. Last year, Ben Goldsmith was at the centre of one such dispute when he decided to release more than 30 red deer on his 250-acre estate in Somerset, which he is rewilding. He failed to fence them in, so the animals promptly left his land and caused widespread damage on adjacent farms. He then told a series of lies to his neighbours and fabricated several photographs to try to show he had rounded them up. But the hoo-ha on Skye appears possibly to revolve around efforts to eliminate, rather than reintroduce, red deer on the site of his fellow eco-toffs rewilding project. At the heart of the story is a simple truth: that deer love eating small trees, especially their leaves. Indeed, a small herd will, in a few weeks, more or less destroy a juvenile woodland of the sort taxpayers are handing MacLeod 1 million to create. With this in mind, contractors from Scottish Woodlands Ltd, a firm that will plant the small saplings in the coming months, spent the winter erecting a deer-proof fence around the 600-acre site. Hugh Magnus MacLeod, 30th hereditary chief of the MacLeod clan and one of Scotlands highest-ranking toffs, who owns 42,000 acres around 13th-century Dunvegan Castle However, as the fence neared completion, it became apparent that a large number of deer had become enclosed inside it. Before April 1, MacLeod and his employees did their best to reduce the population. Indeed, as a condition of their Scottish Government grant, they are required to shoot 45 each year (but only during the legally defined season) to help keep the overall population of deer on Skye in check. Similar deer eradication projects are under way in other corners of Scotland. Unfortunately, efforts to remove deer from inside MacLeods fence were not enough, and dozens remained once the legal season had ended. A stalker employed by the Dunvegan Estate, Davie Urquart, made efforts to herd the deer out of a gap that remained in the fence. What a day for moving deer, he declared on Facebook on April 26, posting a picture of his dog sitting in bright sunshine on a hillock by Loch Suardal. A shame, but a better option than culling them out. It is unclear how many deer were persuaded to leave. But they are wild animals which, unlike sheep, are not known for their ability to follow the instructions of one man and his dog. About a fortnight later, the first two illegally shot deer were photographed near by. Both had died inside the fence, within yards of it. Their deaths are now the subject of fierce debate, with several theories doing the rounds. Some observers have speculated that they may have been shot by poachers, who often target deer close to main roads. This is the Wild West of Skye and the fact that they have been so poorly shot makes me wonder if it was a botched job by a poacher, maybe working after dark using car headlights, says a stalker with connections to a nearby estate. That said, poachers want to sell the carcass and make money, and that obviously didnt happen here. Others wonder if the deer may instead have been killed by disgruntled crofters as part of an attempt to create ugly headlines for the clan chief. There is certainly ill-feeling between MacLeod and the community over the rewilding scheme, as there seems to be with so many such initiatives. This dates back to an interview MacLeod gave to The Times newspaper, in which he said he wanted to restore Skyes unnatural wet desert landscape, which is a legacy of centuries of depredation caused by over-grazing. The remarks prompted a furious riposte from Hebridean farmers upset at being lectured by, as one put it, a rich aristocrat who divides his time between Scotland and Chelsea. There is certainly ill-feeling between MacLeod and the community over the rewilding scheme, as there seems to be with so many such initiatives Iain Beaton, a nearby crofter, told reporters: The language used to describe the land on Skye unnatural wet desert and a lunarscape is deeply offensive to local farmers and crofters who make a living from the land. The Scottish Crofting Federation said the scheme was pandering to green tokenism with public money that could be better spent. Yet informed locals are also sceptical that upset crofters would have either the time or the inclination to kill the deer illegally as part of a counter-offensive. People are angry with the estate, right enough, but the idea that a crofter would pull this sort of stunt is not to my mind credible, a local councillor tells me. Aside from anything else, its lambing time and they are way too busy for that. The Dunvegan Estate is also keen to play down that suggestion. A source with knowledge of its affairs said they were at this stage not in a position to say definitively whether the deer whose images went viral on Facebook had, or had not, been shot by MacLeod or one of his employees. But they thought it unlikely that crofters or poachers were to blame. In a statement, MacLeods spokesman said he was aware of the images that have been in circulation on social media and the estate is still looking into the incident in detail. While that is ongoing, the estate does not intend to fuel some of the speculation and rumour that has been circulating on social media. The estate takes its commitments under deer management regulation and legislation very seriously and we can confirm that no mass culling has taken place out of season. Crucially, the statement failed to deny responsibility for the deaths of the deer in the photos, and it is fair to say that killing a few animals does not constitute a mass cull. Why carcasses would be left to rot rather than taken away so their meat could enter the human food chain is also a mystery. However, selling venison out of season can be problematic, and some proponents of rewilding do endorse such practices because they believe the venison can provide food for birds of prey and other species. Mr Urquart, the estates stalker, said he had written a full report on the whole thing, which has been sent to the estate office. However, he denied being personally responsible for shooting the deer, saying: I do not and will not shoot hinds out of season. Folks that know me know where I stand on this. Some believe Mr Urquarts report will identify the real culprit. Doubtless the police will be anxious to get their hands on a copy and work out whether the pregnant deer shot and left to die slowly on a Hebridean hill does, or does not, represent a vivid example of rewilding in action. Harvey Norman has been brutally mocked by satirical comedy group The Chaser as backlash grows over working conditions at the popular retailer. The group sent a 'surprise spruiker' armed with a microphone to a Harvey Norman store to 'help them out' after a week of bad publicity. The electrical goods and appliances giant faced outrage on Sunday after its official Twitter account replied dismissively to a suicidal ex-staffer. The same Twitter account reportedly went on a blocking spree to silence critics for making reference to nationwide protests outside Harvey Norman stores last week. The retailer's billionaire founder Gerry Harvey has come under fire for keeping $22million in JobKeeper benefits despite his chain enjoying record profits. 'Alright shoppers, come on down to Harvey Norman, where it's JobKeeper madness,' The Chaser spruiker announced in front of the store in the viral clip. 'We're on a total Twitter blocking bonanza,' he joked. Harvey Norman's been having a bit of a rough week so we sent the Surprise Spruiker to help them out pic.twitter.com/UkGEb0ijLN The Chaser (@chaser) June 1, 2021 The Chaser has mocked Harvey Norman as backlash grows over its working conditions The satirical comedy group sent a man to the front of a store armed with a microphone to make fun of a string of controversies to hit the retailer this week The spruiker said the store had discounts galore. 'Hell we've even got discounts on our workers,' he continued. 'We've gone absolutely crazy on Twitter, blocking anyone. We'll even block our workers, we'll block union members, hell we'll even block ourselves.' 'There's absolutely no one off limits when it comes to blocking!' Surprised staff were seen coming out to check out the commotion at the sore entrance before heading back inside as shoppers watched on. The video ended with the man mocking the backlash over minimum wages. 'With pay rates like these you literally cannot afford to leave the store,' the spruiker said. 'No folks, we've gone absolutely insane. Just make sure you don't mention the union or you'll be sent walking out the door.' Gerry Harvey with wife Katie Paige. Harvey had opposed minimum wage increases The exchange with @Sisyphysical which began the boycott campaign against Harvey Norman The Chaser stunt comes after a former Harvey Norman employee claimed he was driven to suicidal thoughts after six months working at the store. He made the bombshell claims while discussing how the company had blocked accounts which made reference to protests outside a number of its stores. 'Lol @HarveyNormanAU blocking people for talking about the wage strikes. Working for your god forsaken company drove me to suicide in 6 months,' the ex-staffer wrote. The official account responded with a facepalm and a waving emoji. User Andrew Read called the company 'greedy turds' after being blocked, which the official account responded to with a kiss emoji. The social media spat followed a blocking spree by the account in which the ACTU, its Secretary Sally McManus, Victorian government minister Martin Pakula and hundreds of other Twitter users were prevented from seeing Harvey Norman's tweets. A #boycottharveynorman hashtag began trending on Twitter on Sunday and continued on Monday, as users unleashed on the company's responses. 'This is most revolting, irresponsible response to a tweet containing sensitive health information I've seen from a corporate entity,' replied one Twitter user. 'I will never spend a cent with your company ever.' 'Keep going, Harvey Norman,' wrote another. 'The more people that see this, the less customers you will have.' The company Gerry Harvey co-founded in 1961 is under fire from workers and Tweeters Union protestors campaigned for minimum wage increases outside Harvey Norman stores in Queensland, New South Wales and Tasmania last week The electrical goods and appliances giant founded by Harvey and Ian Norman in 1961 had been the subject of recent headlines about its performance since the COVID-19 pandemic broke in early 2020. The retailer's sales boomed during Australia's stay-at-home months last year, reporting net profit of $462million in the second half of 2020, a jump of 116 per cent on the same period in 2019. But the fact the company, including its franchisees, received more than $20 million in JobKeeper benefits to subsidise the wages of employees, has drawn criticism from workers and unions. Harvey Norman had said it will not pay back the money to the government. 'We took a view that the businesses that got that JobKeeper money desperately needed it and the ones that didn't get it didn't need it,' Mr Harvey said. 'That went to areas of our business that were suffering at the time. It's not as if it went to Harvey Norman regular shop, that didn't happen.' The business posted a COVID-19-boosted 116 per cent rise in profit in the second half of 2020 Harvey Norman's refusal to return JobKeeper payments despite a big profit increase had created controversy Workers with signs and protestors campaigned outside Harvey Norman stores in Queensland, New South Wales and Tasmania last week for minimum wage rises. Mr Harvey had previously expressed support for a freeze on the rate of minimum pay. There are about 200 Harvey Norman stores in Australia, and another 96 stores overseas. The company is yet to comment on the social media spat, including to Daily Mail Australia, leaving users wondering whether the account had been hacked. It's Twitter bio claims that the account is 'unmanned', and that the platform is no longer a customer service channel for Harvey Norman. If you or someone you know needs support, contact Lifeline 13 11 14, Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 or Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636. An American-born, bilingual Muslim woman wearing a hijab was forced to move from a Southwest Airlines exit row seat after a flight attendant told her she 'couldn't speak English' and 'would bring the whole plane down in an emergency.' The woman - referred to only by her first name Fatima - and her sister spoke Arabic when they boarded the plane from Fort Lauderdale to Dallas on May 22, after seeing their mom in hospital. That's when they were approached by the flight attendant who reportedly told Fatima to move. The sisters switched to English, which they speak fluently, and tried to reason with the steward,' Fatima's lawyer Marwa Elbially said. But the staff member would not change her mind and allegedly told them, 'It doesn't matter.' To make the issue worse, the flight attendant said Fatima had to move but allowed her sister, who wasn't wearing a hijab, to sit in the seat, Elbially said. 'The hardest part was keeping my composure for three hours after being insulted,' Fatima said. Fatima (left) takes the podium, next to her sister, as she discusses the incident on the Southwest Airlines flight Fatima's lawyer Marwa Elbially discusses the situation on the plane and said the difference between the two sister was one wore a hijab and one didn't Southwest Airlines have not yet commented on the allegations The Dallas-Fort Worth chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a chapter of the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, filed a lawsuit on behalf of Fatima. 'I'm doing this on behalf of myself and everyone else in my position,' Fatima said. In the lawsuit, CAIR-DFW Executive Director Faizan Syed said they're looking to make sure the flight attendant is disciplined, an apology and for more training for Southwest employees. 'This young lady Fatima was targeted not because she did anything wrong, but simply because of the same she looks and her faith and her religious tradition,' Syed said. 'This is textbook religious discrimination and profiling. You have two sisters, one who wears the hijab and the other who does not, and both board at the same time. One is denied the right to sit where she wants, while the other is encouraged to take a seat based on nothing else then perceived religiosity.' Southwest Airlines couldn't be reached for comment. West Virginia is planning to give away custom hunting rifles and shotguns as part of a lottery to convince reluctant residents to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Governor Jim Justice announced the full list of prizes for the state's first vaccine lottery on Tuesday, with a top prize of $1 million and a slew of other incentives for vaccinated residents. The first drawing will be held on Father's Day, June 20, and more drawings will be held weekly though August 4. To be eligible, residents of The Mountain State must have received at least one dose of any approved COVID vaccine before the date of the drawing. West Virginia Governor Jim Justice announced the full list of prizes for the state's first vaccine lottery on Tuesday, with a top prize of $1 million, and guns also in the drawing West Virginia gun shop owner Chad Mercer is seen in a file photo. Lottery prizes for getting vaccinated in West Virginia will include custom hunting rifles and shotguns 'There are going to be so many wonderful prizes that you can win, it will blow you away,' Justice, a Republican, said last week, announcing the lottery. 'We are going to make a few West Virginians millionaires before this is over. Some people will win trucks and scholarships and on and on, but we've got to get you vaccinated first,' he said. The list of prizes for the first drawing includes: One prize of $1 million Two full four-year scholarships to any West Virginia institution (must be aged 12-25) Two custom F-150 trucks 25 weekend getaways to West Virginia state parks Five lifetime hunting and fishing licenses Five custom hunting rifles Five custom shotguns Hunting is hugely popular in West Virginia, and generates hundreds of millions annually for the state's economy, much of it benefitting small rural communities. Last week, Justice brought his English Bulldog, Babydog, to his briefing and said that Babydog will serve as the mascot of the vaccination incentive lottery program Early in the vaccine rollout, West Virginia led the nation, a success attributed to the state's reliance on local mom-and-pop pharmacies that are trusted in their communities. But over time, West Virginia has fallen behind a number of other states in vaccination rates. According to state data, 51 percent of West Virginians have received at least one does of coronavirus vaccine, and 41 percent are fully vaccinated. That's still slightly above the national average, but Governor Justice hopes that the state funded vaccine lottery will spur holdouts to take the shot. First lady Jill Biden and actress Jennifer Garner, right, speak to people being vaccinated for COVID-19 at Capitol High School in Charleston, West Virginia last month 'Not only are a bunch of people going to win all kinds of great stuff, but, by getting vaccinated, it'll protect your life and it'll protect your family and friends all around you,' Justice said of the lottery. The slogan for the program will be 'Save a life; change your life.' The date of the first prize drawing, June 20, is also the 158th anniversary of West Virginia's admission to the Union as a new state. Last week, Justice brought his English Bulldog, Babydog, to his briefing and said that Babydog will serve as the mascot of the vaccination incentive lottery program. 'If you won't do it for me, if you won't do it for your family, you've got to get vaccinated for Babydog,' Justice said. 'She wants you vaccinated so badly.' The firm that owns the National Enquirer has agreed to pay a fine of $187,500 for its role in paying $150,000 hush money to a former Playboy model who claimed she had an affair with Donald Trump. American Media Inc. and its former president David Pecker struck a deal with Trump campaign officials to buy Karen McDougal's story in order to suppress it and 'prevent it from influencing the election,' according to a ruling by the Federal Election Commission. But, in a summary of its findings, the FEC said it would not pursue any other respondents and had closed the matter. The FEC ruling, seen by DailyMail.com, lays bare how Pecker and AMI met with Trump's former fixer Michael Cohen to help make negative stories about Trump and his relationships go away. And it concludes that AMI 'co-ordinated' with the Trump campaign in paying $150,000 to McDougal. Federal Election Commission found that American Media Inc, owner of National Enquirer, and David Pecker (pictured) 'knowingly and willfully' broke election finance law by making undeclared payment to former Playboy model Karen McDougal of $150,000 to help Donald Trump's 2016 campaign McDougal said she met Trump in 2006 at the Playboy mansion when he was filming an episode of Celebrity Apprentice. She said she broke off the affair because she felt guilty. Trump has always denied the relationship The FEC released details of its vote, revealing that two other respondents - known to be former President Trump and the Trump Campaign - will not face further action The FEC found that the money, paid ahead of the 2016 election, should have been declared as an 'in kind' campaign contribution. But it also said there were insufficient votes among the commissioners to take action against the Trump campaign and Trump himself. Paul Ryan, vice president for policy and litigation of Common Cause, which brought the case, said: 'It's disappointing that Donald Trump has still not been held accountable 'Michael Cohen went to prison, American Media Inc pays a fine, but the mastermind of an illegal scheme, Donald Trump, has not been held accountable,' he said. 'That's bad news for democracy and a bad precedent for campaign finance law.' Cohen said New York investigators were closing in on Trump. Despite the FEC again allowing Trump, the Trump Organization and others to escape campaign finance violations, their luck has run out with the pending cases by the NY district attorney and attorney general, he told DailyMail.com. The case was one of a number of payments made as part of a 'catch and kill' program to protect Trump's reputation. Last month the FEC said it was dropping an investigation into whether Trump violated election law with a payment of $130,000 to porn star Stormy Daniels. And on Friday it also emerged it was not taking any further action on allegations the National Enquirer paid $30,000 to a former doorman at one of Trump's New York City buildings, effectively silencing Dino Sajudin and his story about Trump fathering a child with an employee at Trump World Tower. AMI paid McDougal $150,000 for her story in August 2016, a month after Trump secured the Republican nomination for president, in an effort to 'suppress her story from becoming public before the 2016 presidential election for the purpose of influencing that election,' according to the Federal Election Commission Karen McDougal (second left) posing with Hugh Hefner (center) during her career as a Playboy bunny. AMI is now known as A360 after a merger But the FEC is working its way through a string of other 2016 campaign allegations, including Trump's public invitation for the Russian government to 'find' Clinton's emails and accusations that the former president illegally endorsed a super PAC backing his run McDougal has said she first met Trump in 2006 at the Playboy Mansion. The result was a 10-month affair, she claimed, which ended when she felt guilty about Trump cheating on his wife. Trump has always denied the affair. In June 2016, an attorney for McDougal reportedly contacted the National Enquirer with a story about the model's alleged relation with Trump. A month later he secured the Republican nomination for president. And in August, according to the FEC document, AMI bought the rights to McDougal's life story including her relationship with 'any then married men' for $150,000. They were later transferred to a company set up by Cohen. 'Further, AMI admits that its principal purpose in entering into the agreement was to suppress the models story so as to prevent it from influencing the election and that at no time during the negotiation for or acquisition of [McDougals] story did AMI intend to publish the story or disseminate information about it publicly,' said the document. It also detailed how a year earlier, Pecker had met with members of the Trump campaign and Cohen. 'Pecker offered to help deal with negative stories about [Trumps] relationships with women by, among other things, assisting the campaign in identifying such stories so they could be purchased and their publication avoided,' according to a non-prosecution agreement reached by AMI earlier. Cohen later admitted arranging payments to two women during the 2016 race. He was sentenced to prison for campaign finance violations as well as tax evasion and lying to Congress. A360, which succeeded AMI after a merger as the owner of the National Enquirer, did not respond to a request for comment. A Trump spokesman declined to comment. Market Research Future Published a Half Cooked Research Report on Global Waterborne Coating Additives Research Report. Market Scenario Waterborne coating additives are added to improve the rheological properties of water-based coatings. They serve various functions such as wetting & dispersion, defoaming, surfactant, deaeration, hydrophobic agent, and rheological improver among other. The stringent regulation by E.P.A and REACH against the use of solvent based coatings, is expected to be the major driver to the growth of waterborne coating additives market during the forecast period. Free Sample @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/5892 Competitive Analysis Some of the key players of global waterborne coating additives market are Akzo Nobel NV (Netherlands), Allnex group (China), BASF SE (Germany), BELAMI FINE CHEMICALS PVT. LTD.(India), ALTANA (Germany), Evonik Industries AG (Germany), Dow Corning Corporation (U.S.), Falcon Technologies Inc. (U.S.), Harmony Additive Pvt. Ltd. (India), and UL LLC (U.S). Market Segmentation The Global Waterborne Coating Additives Market is segmented based on product type, end-use industry, and region. On the basis of the product type, the global waterborne coating additives market is segmented into wetting agent & dispersing agent, defoamers, surface control additives, deaerators, rheology modifier, hydrophobic agents, and others. Wetting & dispersion agents market is estimated to be the largest market due to high requirement for dispersing and wetting of resins and pigments in paints & coating industry and is expected to continue dominance over the forecast period. Other product types are also expected to show significant demand due to varied application in construction, automotive, and, the packaging industry. On the basis of the end-use industry, the global waterborne coating additives market is segmented into building & construction, automotive, packaging, and others. Building and construction industry is expected to have the major market share of waterborne coating additives due to high consumption of paints & coatings. Automotive industry is also expected to show rising demand over the forecast period due to strong automotive industry particularly in Europe and China of Asia Pacific region. Access Report Details @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/waterborne-coating-additives-market-5892 Regional Analysis The global waterborne coating additives market is spanned across five regions namely Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa. Asia Pacific is expected to have the major market share of waterborne coating additives in terms of market size. North America and Europe markets are relatively mature and expected to show steady demand in the forecast period. Middle East and Africa is expected to show rising demand during the forecast period from growing construction industry of Middle East. Latin America is also expected to join hand with other regions and is expected to show rising demand from construction industry. President Joe Biden has given Vice President Kamala Harris another assignment, announcing during a speech in Tulsa, Oklahoma Tuesday that she would be leading the administration's efforts to protect voting rights. 'I'm asking Vice President Harris to help these efforts and lead them, among her many other responsibilities,' Biden said at an event marking the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa massacre. 'With her leadership, and your support, we're going to overcome again, I promise you. But it's going to take a hell of a lot of work.' Harris reiterated the assignment in a statement: 'President Joe Biden asked me to help lead our Administrations effort to protect the fundamental right to vote for all Americans.' President Joe Biden gave Vice President Kamala Harris another job: preserving the right to vote, which he announced Tuesday in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at an event marking the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa race massacre Vice President Kamala Harris is now charged with voting rights, which will make her back to her old stomping grounds, the U.S. Senate, as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has pledged a floor vote on the For the People Act later this month During Tuesday's speech, President Joe Biden alluded to 'two members of the Senate that vote more with my Republican friends' a slight jab at Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin (left) and Kyrsten Sinema (right) 'In the days and weeks ahead, I will engage the American people, and I will work with voting rights organizations, community organizations, and the private sector to help strengthen and uplift efforts on voting rights nationwide,' Harris continued. 'And we will also work with members of Congress to help advance these bills,' the vice president said. That means Harris will be back at her old stomping grounds - the U.S. Senate - as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has already pledged to give the House-passed H.R. 1, the For the People Act, a vote when Congress returns from its Memorial Day break later this month. 'And June should be a month of action on Capitol Hill,' the president said, before laying out his political reality. 'I hear all the folks on TV saying, "Why doesn't Biden get this done?" Well, because Biden only has the majority of affectively four votes in the House and a tie in the Senate, with two members of the Senate that vote more with my Republican friends,' Biden said, a slight jab at Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema. Both Manchin and Sinema have been resistant to change the Senate's filibuster rules, allowing Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Republican senators to hold up any piece of legislation that doesn't have 60 votes. Last week that meant a likely end to a House-passed bill that would have created a 9/11-style commission to investigate the January 6 Capitol attack. Democrats were unable to find four additional Republicans to vote in its favor and break the GOP's filibuster. Biden vowed that the For the People Act wouldn't meet the same fate. 'I'm going to fight like heck with every tool at my disposal for its passage,' Biden said. Biden also called out state-level laws that aim to make voting more difficult, calling them 'simply un-American.' 'It's not however, sadly, unprecedented,' the president added. The vice president's fresh task comes less than a week before she's due to make her first trip abroad to deal with another aspect of her portfolio - point person to the Northern Triangle counties to deal with the 'root' causes of the migration flow. Harris will travel to both Guatemala and to Mexico next Monday and Tuesday. Critics of Harris have pointed out she hasn't made a trek to the southern border, which has seen unprecedented crossings due to the typical seasonal rise, but also a pandemic unbottling. Harris also has in her portfolio broadband internet and space. Harris was also criticized recently for not doing enough to help India, her mother's birth country, as it has seen a massive COVID-19 spike. Rishi Sunak last night faced a growing clamour to scrap the VAT stealth tax on Covid travel tests. MPs, campaigners and travel chiefs all urged the Chancellor to immediately axe the levy, which adds 20 per cent to what is already described as a rip-off fee. Critics said the tax was not only pricing ordinary families out of foreign holidays, but also damaging the economy by stifling the rebound of the UKs beleaguered travel industry. Yesterday, the Daily Mail launched a campaign calling on ministers to deliver on their pledge to reduce the price of travel testing in time for peak summer holiday season. MPs, campaigners and travel chiefs all urged the Chancellor to immediately axe the levy, which adds 20 per cent to what is already described as a rip-off fee. Pictured: Ross Lovelock and his wife who have forked out 396 for tests that never happened Many have complained that the exorbitant cost of Covid testing, which is required when we travel abroad under the traffic light quarantine system, can add hundreds of pounds to the price of the average family holiday. As a starting point, the travel industry is demanding that the Treasury scrap VAT on the tests. Last night, there was growing fury at the Treasurys refusal to act. Officials have claimed that they could not scrap the levy on testing without having to raise taxes elsewhere. Critics immediately pointed out that ministers could not possibly be relying on revenues from the tax because it has only started bringing in money in the past few months. Meanwhile, ministers were unable to point to any progress they had made on the Governments pledge to cut costs yesterday. Earlier this month, 17 Tory MPs wrote to the Chancellor to call for a VAT cut for tests. Yesterday, they repeated their demands as they criticised the counter-productive system that was making flights the preserve of the rich. Tory MP Henry Smith, chairman of the all-party Future of Aviation group of MPs and a signatory to the letter, said: They know that aviation is a major economic enabler that will be central to our economic recovery so it is counter-productive to allow our sky-high testing costs to remain a barrier to international travel. Ex-minister David Davis said: The Government should do everything it can to incentivise people to liberalise the economy. They should certainly look at scrapping VAT as a way of mitigating the costs of the restrictions theyve put on people, and a way of making things safer. Sir Graham Brady, lead author of the letter and chairman of the Tory backbench committee, lent his support to the Mails campaign, adding: As we approach the summer holidays, it must be a priority to ensure that travel does not become the preserve of the rich. Pictured: Konrad Tapp and his wife Carol who are now unable to visit their new grandchild Several travel chiefs also intervened. Heathrow Airport chief John Holland-Kaye said: The Daily Mails campaign for cheaper Covid tests is exactly the type of thing the aviation and tourism industry needs. A lot of progress to reduce the cost of Covid tests has already been made by industry, and now its time for ministers to step up and do their part. He called for VAT to be scrapped and for the use of lateral flow tests for arrivals from low risk countries, instead of the more expensive PCR tests. Tim Alderslade, CEO of trade body Airlines UK, said: This is not a revenue line that has been on the Treasury scorecard for years and years, its a classic stealth tax that has been imposed since Covid hit. A Government spokesman said officials were working with the travel industry and private testing providers to see how they can further reduce the cost of travel. A man was chased through Londons Hyde Park by a gang wielding machetes last night before being hacked to the ground with foot-long blades in front of screaming onlookers. Shocking footage posted on social media shows a sprawling confrontation between a large group of youths and what appears to be a single victim in a black tracksuit. As members of the public fled in terror, the gang pursued the victim through the park before he slipped and fell to the ground enabling them to punch and kick him in the head. On one video that was widely shared, a hysterical woman watching on screams: He got stabbed! Theres a knife, theres a knife! Oh my God, oh s***, oh God oh God! The terrifying blade could be clearly seen in shocking footage of the attack yesterday This is the shocking scene as a man was stabbed at 9pm yesterday in Hyde Park in London The attack unfolded in the popular London hotspot, terrifying passersby and visitors One man has been stabbed following a fight in Hyde Park at 9pm. The victim has been rushed to hospital for treatment One person videoing the attack followed one of the suspected knife men Police cordoned off an area of the park ahead of a forensic examination of the scene Police confirmed at this stage they have not made any arrests following last night's incident There were at least five knife attacks in London since Saturday, including two murders and an assault on a police dog Another clip, when the man is already lying prone, shows a man standing over him deliver a blow to his midriff. Using street slang for a stabbing, a male voice in the crowd says: He bored him! Oh s*** he bored him! As the clip finishes, the victim is lying motionless on his back. He was rushed to a central London hospital and police said last night they believed he would survive. Hyde Park, Londons biggest, was still busy after the hottest day of the year when the shocking incident unfolded at around 9pm last night. Several of the gang attacking the man appeared to be wielding long weapons, which witnesses described as swords and machetes. Officers are appealing for the public's help in trying to identify the attackers. A Scotland Yard spokesman said: 'Police were called at 21:00hrs on Tuesday 1 June to reports of an assault in Hyde Park. 'Officers and the London Ambulance Service attended. They found a male suffering from stab injuries. 'He has been taken to hospital for treatment.' The MPS Westminster Twitter account added: 'Officers remain in Hyde Park following a stabbing earlier this evening. 'At this early stage there have been no arrests and enquiries are ongoing.' A later update said the man's injuries are not thought to be life threatening. Dozens of people fled the scene when they spotted the group of men carrying long knives One of the witnesses claimed the men were carrying 'zombie-style' knives Shocking footage showed a group of people attacking a man. One person was rushed to hospital for emergency treatment A cordon remained in place in the park through the night, with forensics officers scouring for evidence and uniformed officers interviewing witnesses. The Met said an increased police presence would continue into this morning. It was the latest violent attack in London since Friday, which has seen two people murdered and a police dog stabbed in the head in unrelated incidents. Earlier, a 23-year-old man was left fighting or his life after being stabbed in the face in Lewisham, south London. Police were approached by the victim at 7.38pm yesterday in Hither Green Lane. He was rushed to a south London hospital where his condition is described as 'life-threatening'. Forensics officers have secured the scene in order to search for evidence. Scotland Yard confirmed no arrests have yet been made in connection with the incident. A Section 60 Order has been placed across Lewisham until 7am allowing police additional stop and search powers. Anyone with information is asked to call 101 with reference CAD 7106/1 June. In a weekend of violence, a police dog was stabbed in the head while a 55-year-old flower seller was murdered close to his stall in North London. Police dog Kaiser was stabbed five times in the top of his head and a further wound under his eye while trying to detain a suspect in Orpington on Sunday night Tony Eastlake, 55, known as the 'flower man of Islington' was knifed to death shortly before 5.30pm on Saturday. Police said on Tuesday that a 20-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of his murder and that at this early stage, it is believed that the suspect was known to the victim. On Sunday night in Orpington Police Dog Kaiser was patrolling with his handler Pc Mark Woolcott when they are tasked with investigating reports of an intruder in the back of a house. According to Scotland Yard, while trying to subdue the man, Kaiser was stabbed up to five times on the top of his head and once below his eye. The man responsible for the attack has been detained under the mental health act. A police officer also suffered a broken wrist in the incident. Superintendent Emma Richards, from the Met's Taskforce said: 'The events of Sunday night are a reminder of the risks that our men, women and animals face on the frontline. We ask them to go towards danger and uncertainty on a daily basis in order to keep the public safe and I am proud that they do so with such commitment and bravery each and every time.' Tony Eastlake, pictured, was stabbed to death around 5.30pm on Saturday near his flower stall in Islington, north London. A 20-year-old man has been arrested in connection with his death Mr Eastlake's dog, Ralph, pictured, was brought to a vigil for his owner organised by the Islington Community Group Mourners left floral tributes near the scene where Mr Eastlike was killed on Saturday Mr Eastlake's daughter Paige, left, supported his partner Lisa Maggs, right, during the vigil In Edgware, north London ten males aged from their teens to early 20s have been arrested after a teenager was knifed to death in a north London park. Police are appealing for information after officers were called at 5.54pm on Bank Holiday Monday to Montrose Park, Edgware, following reports of a group of males fighting. An 18-year-old male was found suffering from a stab injury in a tennis court area of the park. He was treated by London's Air Ambulance and London Ambulance Service at the scene but despite the best efforts of paramedics, he was pronounced dead at 7.19pm. Ten youths have been arrested after an 18-year-old man was stabbed to death in Edgware on Monday. The suspects, aged from their early teens to early 20s were arrested of offences ranging from affray and murder A post-mortem examination is expected to be held on Thursday and while officers believe they know the identity of the deceased, efforts to inform his next of kin continue. The 10 males aged from their early teens to early 20s have been arrested in connection with the incident on suspicion of offences including affray and murder and are all being questioned in police custody. Scientists have developed a robotic head that matches the expressions of nearby humans in real time, thanks to its pliable blue face. Called Eva, the autonomous bot uses deep learning, a form of artificial intelligence (AI), to 'read' and then mirror the expressions on human faces, via a camera. Eva can express the six basic emotions anger, disgust, fear, joy, sadness, and surprise, as well as an 'array of more nuanced' reactions. Artificial 'muscles' cables and motors to be precise pull on specific points on Eva's face, replicating muscles beneath our skin. The scientists, at Columbia University in New York, say human-like facial expressions on the faces of robots could build trust between humans and their robotic co-workers and care-givers. HOW DOES EVA WORK? The human makes the different facial expressions at a camera, which relays the image in real time on a small screen, directed at the robot's face. Eva then relies on a library of facial emotions, to replicate the particular facial expression. This is achieved by artificial 'muscles' - computerised cables and motors - beneath its blue skin. Researchers say Eva can mimic the movements of the more than 42 tiny muscles attached at various points to the skin and bones of human faces. Advertisement Most robots today are developed to replicate human capabilities such as grasping, lifting and moving from one place to another. A detail that therefore tends to be lacking is human-like facial expressions. The researchers point out that robots tend to 'sport the blank and static visage of a professional poker player'. Eva's bright blue face was inspired by the Blue Man Group an American performance art company featuring three mute, blue faced performers. 'The idea for EVA took shape a few years ago, when my students and I began to notice that the robots in our lab were staring back at us through plastic, googly eyes,' said Hod Lipson, director of Columbia University's Creative Machines Lab. Lipson observed a similar trend in a grocery store, where he encountered restocking robots wearing name badges, and in one case, a bot decked out in a hand-knitted cap. 'People seemed to be humanising their robotic colleagues by giving them eyes, an identity or a name,' he said. 'This made us wonder, if eyes and clothing work, why not make a robot that has a super-expressive and responsive human face?' The first phase of the project began in Lipson's lab several years ago when the team constructed Eva's disembodied bust, with different muscle points controlled by a computer. The team used 3D printing to manufacture parts with complex shapes that integrated seamlessly with Eva's skull. Researchers then used a multi-stage training process to enable Eva to read and replicate the faces of nearby humans in real time. Firstly, they had to teach Eva what her own face looked like. To do this, the team filmed hours of footage of her making a series of faces at random. Eva is seen here during the training phase - making facial expressions at random while recording them on a camera Then, like a human watching herself on Zoom, Eva's internal neural networks learned to pair the different faces in the video footage with the muscle movements required to make them. In other words, Eva became able to see herself making a particular face (such as a happy face) and learn how to replicate it. The final stage was to essentially replace Eva's own face with a human face in the process, captured on camera, which employed a second neural network. After several refinements and iterations, Eva acquired the ability to read human face gestures from a camera, and to respond by mirroring that human's facial expression. After weeks of tugging cables to make EVA smile, frown, or look upset, the team noticed that Eva's blue, disembodied face could elicit emotional responses from their lab mates. The human makes the different facial expressions at a camera, which relays the image in real time on a small screen, directed at the robot's face. Eva's bright blue face was inspired by the Blue Man Group an American performance art company featuring three mute, blue faced performers (pictured) 'I was minding my own business one day when Eva suddenly gave me a big, friendly smile,' Lipson said. 'I knew it was purely mechanical, but I found myself reflexively smiling back.' While Eva is still currently a laboratory experiment, such technologies could one day have beneficial, real-world applications. For example, robots capable of responding to a wide variety of human body language would be useful in workplaces, hospitals, schools and homes. 'There is a limit to how much we humans can engage emotionally with cloud-based chatbots or disembodied smart-home speakers,' said Lipson. 'Our brains seem to respond well to robots that have some kind of recognisable physical presence.' Amazon has been ridiculed over plans to put 'wellness chambers' in its warehouses so that stressed workers can meditate and watch relaxation videos. The US retail giant announced the move in a video on its Twitter account, only to swiftly delete the post after it was mocked by social media users. Many likened the cubicle-sized 'AmaZen' pod to a coffin, a 'crying booth', and even a Portaloo. Scroll down for video It's AmaZen! Amazon has been ridiculed over plans to put 'wellness chambers' in its warehouses (pictured) so that stressed workers can meditate and watch relaxation videos Amazon, which has faced repeated criticism about the working conditions at its facilities, said the chamber was aimed at helping staff focus on their mental health. Inside, there are leaflets and a fan to cool down the employee, plus a few small potted plants on a shelf. There is just enough room for a chair and small computer table against one wall, while the top of the booth is painted as a blue sky with clouds. In the now-deleted video, the chamber's creator Leila Brown said: 'With AmaZen I wanted to create a space that's quiet, that people could go and focus on their mental and emotional well-being. 'The ZenBooth is an interactive kiosk where you can navigate through a library of mental health and mindful practices to recharge the internal battery.' Last month Amazon announced a scheme called WorkingWell which it said would focus on giving staff 'physical and mental activities, wellness exercises, and healthy eating support'. Inside there are leaflets and a fan to cool down employees, plus a few plants on a shelf and a computer to watch relaxation videos. The top of the booth is painted as a blue sky with clouds Backlash: In the now-deleted video, the pod's creator Leila Brown said she 'wanted to create a space that's quiet, that people could go and focus on their mental and emotional well-being' Last month Amazon announced a scheme called WorkingWell which it said would focus on giving staff 'physical and mental activities, wellness exercises, and healthy eating support' Describing the AmaZen pods, the company said: 'During shifts employees can visit AmaZen stations and watch short videos featuring easy-to-follow well-being activities, including guided meditations, positive affirmations, calming scenes with sounds.' It also announced separate 'wellness zones' where employees can stretch out and focus on body mechanics with the help of interactive videos and written guidance. The wellness pod has been heavily mocked on social media, with Twitter users comparing it to a coffin, crying booth and even a portaloo. The wellness pod has been heavily mocked on social media, with Twitter users comparing it to a coffin, crying booth and even a portaloo One user said: 'I just mentioned the Amazon Health Booth thing as "a coffin for your dignity" in irl conversation and I'm very proud of it.' Another joked: 'Having a peaceful break in the mental health closet in the dead center of the factory floor where all my coworkers can visually observe that I'm having a bad mental health day & stare at the lower half of my body through the partially-windowed door.' MailOnline has approached Amazon for a comment. Due to Iceland's location on the Mid-Atlantic ridge, a divergent tectonic plate boundary, and its location over a hot spot, the northern Nordic island country has a high-concentration of active volcanoes. Known as the land of fire and ice, the island currently has 32 active volcanic systems, 13 of which have seen eruptions since the settlement of Iceland in AD 874. The most active system is Grimsvotn. Iceland is Europe's biggest and most active volcanic region, home to a third of the lava that has flowed on Earth over the past 5,000 years - since the Middle Ages, according to Visit Iceland. The vast North Atlantic island borders the Arctic Circle where it straddles the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a crack on the ocean floor separating the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates. The shifting of these plates is in part responsible for Iceland's intense volcanic activity. Despite being located in the far north near the arctic circle, Iceland's volcanoes can have far-reaching consequences for the rest of the globe. in 2010, an eruption at the Eyjafjallajokull volcano sent huge clouds of smoke and ash into the atmosphere, causing the biggest air traffic disruption in peacetime until the Covid-19 pandemic. The disruption lasted for more than a week with the cancellation of more than 100,000 flights worldwide and leaving some 10 million passengers stranded. Pictured: The Northern Lights are seen above the ash plume of a volcano in Eyjafjallajokull, Iceland, April 22, 2010 934 The eruption of Eldgja - which means 'canyon of fire' in Icelandic - is the biggest basalt lava eruption the world has ever seen. Part of the same volcanic system as the mighty Katla volcano, the Eldgja fissure is 75 kilometres long, stretching to the western edge of Vatnajokull. The eruption led to two large lava fields covering 301 square miles. 1783 The eruption of the Laki volcanic fissure in the south of the island is considered by some experts to be the most devastating in Iceland's history, causing its biggest environmental and socio-economic catastrophe: 50 to 80 percent of Iceland's livestock was killed, leading to a famine that left a quarter of Iceland's population dead. The volume of lava, nearly 15 cubic kilometres (3.6 cubic miles), is the second-biggest recorded on Earth in the past millennium. The meteorological impact of Laki's eruptions had repercussions for several years in the Northern Hemisphere, causing a drop in global temperatures and crop failures in Europe as millions of tonnes of sulphur dioxide were released. Some experts have suggested that the consequences of the eruption may have played a part in triggering the French Revolution, though the issue is still a matter of debate. The volcano's 130 still-smoking craters were placed on UNESCO's World Heritage list in 2019, along with the entire Vatnajokull national park to which it belongs. Pictured: Laki Volcanic cones left behind after its eruption in 1783. The volume of lava, nearly 15 cubic kilometres (3.6 cubic miles), is the second-biggest recorded on Earth in the past millennium 1875 Virtually unknown at the time, Askja, Iceland's second-biggest volcano system, erupted in three distinct phases. Two of the three ash clouds rose more than 20 kilometres (12 miles) into the sky. The toxic fallout across Iceland, which in some places reached a thickness of 20 centimetres (eight inches), killed livestock, contaminated the soil and sparked a wave of emigration to North America. Isolated in a plateau and far from civilisation, Askja is today a popular tourist attraction and its lava fields were used to train astronauts for the 1965 and 1967 Apollo missions. 1918 Considered one of Iceland's most dangerous volcanoes, Katla's last eruption added five kilometres of land mass to the country's southern coast. Located under the Myrdalsjokull glacier, when Katla erupts it ejects large quantities of tephra, or solidified magma rock fragments which are disseminated in the air and carried by the powerful glacier flooding caused by melting ice. Averaging two eruptions per century, Katla has not erupted violently for more than 100 years and experts say it is overdue. Satellite image of Katla Volcano situated in Iceland. Image taken 20 September 2014. Considered one of Iceland's most dangerous volcanoes, Katla's last eruption added five kilometres of land mass to the country's southern coast 1973 In one of the most dramatic eruptions in the country's recent history, the island of Heimaey in the Westman Islands awoke one January morning to an eruption in a fissure just 150 metres (yards) from the town centre. The eruption of the Eldfell volcano occurred not only in a populated area - one of the country's then most important fishing zones - but it also surprised locals at dawn. A third of homes in the area were destroyed and the 5,300 residents were evacuated. One person died. 2010 2010 In April 2010, enormous plumes of ash billowed into the sky for several weeks during the eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano, causing the biggest air traffic disruption in peacetime until the Covid-19 pandemic. Some 100,000 flights were cancelled, leaving more than 10 million travellers stranded. Pictured: Horse graze as a cloud of volcanic matter rises from the erupting Eyjafjallajokull volcano, April 16, 2010 in Fimmvorduhals, Iceland. A major eruption occurred on April 14, 2010 which resulted in a plume of volcanic ash being thrown into the atmosphere over parts of Northen Europe, disrupting air travel. Some 100,000 flights were cancelled, leaving more than 10 million travellers stranded 2011 The Grimsvotn volcano, also located under the Vatnajokull glacier, is Iceland's most active volcano. Its latest eruption was in May 2011, its ninth since 1902. Over one week, it spouted a cloud of ash 25 kilometres (15 miles) into the sky, causing the cancellation of more than 900 flights, primarily in the UK, Scandinavia and Germany. 2014 - 2015 The awakening of Bardarbunga, a volcano located under the Vatnajokull glacier - Europe's largest ice cap - in the heart of southern Iceland's uninhabited highlands, was the most recent eruption before Friday's. The volcano erupted for five months, both under the ice and breaching the surface in a fissure at the Holuhraun lava field, creating Iceland's biggest basalt lava flow in more than 230 years but causing no injuries or damages. A ceramic jar covered in inscriptions and filled with the bones of a dismembered chicken may represent a curse made 2,321 years ago, a study has concluded. The creepy container was unearthed in 2006 along with a bronze coin from under a corner of the Classical Commercial Building in the Ancient Agora of Athens. The agora, or 'gathering place', was the central public space in ancient Greek city states, serving as the heart of artistic, business, social, spiritual and political life. The presentation of the pot suggests it was intended as a binding curse that would have paralysed its 55 intended victims, whose names are carved across the artefact. The jinxing jar was found near several burned pyres that also contained animal remains a placement which may have been thought to increase the curse's power. A ceramic jar covered in inscriptions and filled with the bones of a dismembered chicken may represent an curse made 2,321 years ago, a study has concluded. Pictured: an illustration of the pot and its text as seen from one side (right) and underneath (left) The presentation of the pot (left) suggests it was intended as a binding curse that would have paralysed its 55 intended victims, whose names are carved across the artefact. Pictured, right: a name carved prominent near the rim of the jar reads '' THE CURSE'S VICTIMS According to Professor Lamont, there are 30 names clearly inscribed across the cooking pot, with faint signs of another 25 more. Many of the names were of women and some are unknown from the ancient written record, although many are recognisable as names used by the residents of Athens. Among those targeted by the curse, for example, was someone called , whose name is inscribed near the rim of the jar. This likely refers to a famous courtesan who belonged to the harem of Demetrios Poliorketes of Macedonia. Pictured: Demetrios Poliorketes, whose courtesan appears to have been targeted by the curse Advertisement 'The pot contained the dismembered head and lower limbs of a young chicken,' explained paper author and classicist Jessica Lamont of Yale University, Connecticut, who recently analysed the jar and deciphered its many inscriptions. Analysis of the bones has indicated that the unfortunate chicken was no older than seven months at the time it was killed, which would have held special meaning. 'The chick's helplessness and inability to protect itself, like the motherless puppy and baby fox [of other known curse objects], would have been symbolically transferred to the named individuals,' explained Professor Lamont. 'Perhaps by twisting off and piercing the head and lower legs of the chicken the curse composers sought to incapacitate the use of those same body parts in their victims. 'Thus the dozens of individuals cursed on the chytra would have been prevented from using their minds, mouths, noses, ears, tongues, and lower limbsimportant cognitive and sensory faculties, especially for craftsmen.' The other aspect that makes the artefact recognisable as a curse assemblage specifically, an Athenian binding curses that aimed to 'bind' or inhibit its victims is that the jar had been driven through by a large iron nail, Professor Lamont explained. 'The pot was thus subjected to the same ritual nailing as hundreds of lead curse tablets which, after incision, were pierced prior to deposition and burial,' she wrote. 'For lead curse tablets and surely our chytra, the nail had an inhibiting force and symbolically immobilized or restrained the faculties of its victims. 'All exterior surfaces of the chytra [a form of unglazed cookery pot] were originally covered with text.' 'It once carried over 55 inscribed names, dozens of which now survive only as scattered, floating letters or faint stylus strokes.' According to Professor Lamont, difference in the handwriting seen on the jar suggests that it was written by two or more individuals. 'It was certainly composed by people with good knowledge of how to cast a powerful curse,' she told Live Science. Among the writing covering the pot are the characters '', which Professor Lamont has speculated might be transcribed as '', or 'we bind', further hinting at the writers' malevolent magical intent. 'The pot [left] contained the dismembered head and lower limbs of a young chicken [centre],' explained paper author and classicist Jessica Lamont, who recently analysed the jar and deciphered its many inscriptions. It had also been driven through by a large iron nail (right) which would have symbolised the binding of the curse's 55 victims 'All exterior surfaces of the chytra [a form of unglazed cookery pot] were originally covered with text,' Professor Lamont added. 'It once carried over 55 inscribed names, dozens of which now survive only as scattered, floating letters or faint stylus strokes' Pictured: the inscriptions seen on two of the sides of the ceramic pot According to Professor Lamont, difference in the handwriting seen on the jar suggests that it was written by two or more individuals. Pictured: one inscription reads . According to Professor Lamont, the scribe made a mistake while carving the second part of the name Among the writing covering the pot are the characters '' (pictured), which Professor Lamont has speculated might be transcribed as '', or 'we bind', further hinting at the writers' malevolent magical intent According to Professor Lamont, the sheer number of names carved onto the outside of the pot hints at the circumstances that likely prompted the curse's fabrication. 'Curses that target this many individuals are often judicial in nature,' she wrote. 'Composers might cite all imaginable opponents in their maledictions, including the witnesses, families, and supporters of the opposition.' In the late 4th century, trials were commonplace in Athens and galvanised considerable public interest, Professor Lamont explained. If this interpretation is correct, the fact that the pot was found buried under a building used by craftspeople could suggest that the lawsuit in question involved a workplace dispute. 'The curse could have been created by craftspersons working in the industrial building itself, perhaps in the lead-up to a trial concerning an inter-workplace conflict,' Professor Lamont wrote. The creepy container was unearthed in 2006 along with a bronze coin from under a corner of the Classical Commercial Building in the Ancient Agora of Athens The agora, or 'gathering place', was the central public space in ancient Greek city states, serving as the heart of artistic, business, social, spiritual and political life. Pictured: the remains of the Agora of Athens as seen in the present day 'It is also possible that the assemblage was politically motivated and aimed to curse members of rival political factions and their associates,' Professor Lamont noted. Assuming it was contemporaneous with the nearby pyre deposit, the chytra dates back to around 300 BC, mere decades after the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC, which threw his erstwhile empire into chaos. Several factions were left fighting for control of Athens at this time a period which Professor Lamont said was 'plagued by war, siege and shifting political alliances.' The full findings of the study were published in Hesperia: The Journal of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens. The fact that the pot was found buried under a building used by craftspeople could suggest that the lawsuit in question involved a workplace dispute. Pictured: a map of the remains of the Ancient Agora of Athens. The star represents the location where the chytra was found 'The curse could have been created by craftspersons working in the industrial building itself, perhaps in the lead-up to a trial concerning an inter-workplace conflict,' Professor Lamont wrote. Pictured: a map of the Classical Commercial Building in the Agora of Athens. The chytra was found in the northeast corner of 'Room 6', as labelled by the black circle SpaceX founder Elon Musk has confirmed ambitious plans to build an 'ocean spaceport' that will be used to launch a Starship rocket to Mars in 2022. It was reported in July 2020 that the firm had acquired a pair of former oil drilling rigs for $3.5 million (2.47 million) each that they planned to convert into floating spaceports. Musk retweeted a concept image of the ocean port, confirming that one of the platforms, named Deimos after the smallest of the two Martian moons, is under construction 'for launch next year.' Starship is the massive reusable rocket and spaceship undergoing testing in Texas, with the first orbital test scheduled for July, and longer-distance missions in 2022. No specific details about how much the refit of the platforms is costing, or when operations will begin have been released, but it is thought Starship will fly out to the floating platforms under its own steam, before taking off for space. Deimos is currently being refit at the Port of Brownsville in Texas, but no details over its final destination have been revealed by SpaceX or any of its partners. However, it is thought that a fleet of floating 'ocean spaceports' operated by the firm will eventually be positioned within easy reach of major transport hubs but far enough away to minimise risk and noise pollution near major populated areas. Scroll down for video Ocean spaceport Deimos is under construction for launch next year https://t.co/WJQka399c7 Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 30, 2021 No specific details about how much the refit of the platforms is costing, or when operations will begin have been released, but it is thought Starship (pictured) will fly out to the floating platforms under its own steam, before taking off for space SpaceX has ambitious plans to send the first uncrewed flight to the Red Planet next year, a crewed flight as early as 2024, and have a settlement on Mars by 2050. They also plan to use the Starship spacecraft to send Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa on a trip around the moon, and ferry passengers around the Earth. The SN15 Starship prototype was the first to successfully take off, fly up six miles, turn for re-entry and then safely land back on the launch pad. It was reported in January that the firm had acquired a pair of former oil drilling rigs (not these, picture for illustration only) for $3.5 million each This happened on May 5, and since then Musk has escalated plans in a bit to launch for Mars next year, when the planet is in a better alignment with Earth. First the prototype has to show it can reach Earth orbit, come back through the fiery re-entry of Earth's atmosphere and splash down near Hawaii. Future tests may include a controlled landing after coming from orbit, as well as a take off from a floating ocean spaceport such as Deimos. Musk has previously tweeted that 'SpaceX is building floating, superheavy-class spaceports for Mars, moon, & hypersonic travel around Earth.' Starship will fly from one port to another under their own steam, able to get from one side of the Earth to another in about half an hour, the firm claims. He first showed the use of these ports, likely to be positioned near major coastal cities and transport hubs, in 2017, confirming the purchase of two retired oil rigs in 2020 that would be converted to launch a spaceship on top of a heavy lift rocket. Lone Star Mineral Development, a SpaceX subsidiary, purchased the semi-submersible rigs for $3.5 million (2.7 million) each in July 2020, reports claim. Musk confirmed on Twitter that one of the platforms, named Deimos after the smallest of the two Martian moons, was under construction 'for launch next year' SpaceX has ambitious plans to send the first uncrewed flight to the Red Planet next year, a crewed flight as early as 2024, and have a settlement on Mars by 2050 WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM DEIMOS AND HOW BIG IS IT? The smallest moon of Mars, Deimos, is named after the Greek mythological character for terror or dread. Deimos has an odd shape and more in common with an asteroid Diameter 7.8miles Orbital period: 30.35 hours Distance from Mars: 14,580miles Discovered: 12 August 1877 Is slowly moving away from Mars Tidally locked to Mars Advertisement Originally called ENSCO/Valaris 8500 and 8501, SpaceX renamed them after the two moons of Mars - Phobos and Deimos. The firm moved Phobos to Pascagoula Mississippi, and Deimos to the Port of Galveston in Texas in January to be refit for future Starship operations. Musk hinted in February that the platforms may be 'partially operational' by the end of this year, suggesting they could be used for future Starship test flights. To reach Deimos or Phobos Starship would fly from the testing site in Boca Chica, Texas up into space and land back down on the launch pad out to sea. Deimos will likely be the first to be operational for full launch services in 2022. Both platforms have a main deck measuring 240 ft by 255 ft and are designed to operate at ocean depths as much as 8,500ft, with living space for 150 people. SpaceX has previously revealed that these platforms would make it possible to operate a global network of 'hypersonic point-to-point travel' services. This would see Starships ferry people from places like Beijing to New York in about 30 minutes, a flight that currently takes at least 18 hours. Those Earth-to-Earth flights would operate from these platforms, as well as flights to other worlds like the moon and Mars. The ocean platforms would help SpaceX offset any concerns about noise and the risk of a large blast from the Super Heavy lift vehicle if operating near populated areas. Before that can happen SpaceX has to show that Starship can reach orbit, so will be strapped to the Super Heavy rocket in July and fired into space from Boca Chica. Waking up just one hour earlier could reduce the risk of depression by 23 per cent, a new genetic study reveals. Researchers at University of Colorado Boulder analysed the genetic data of nearly 840,000 adults of European ancestry. They found a link between earlier sleep timing patterns getting up and going to bed early and lower risk of a 'major depressive disorder'. It's possible that the greater exposure to light during the day results in 'a cascade of hormonal impacts' that can influence mood. Scroll down for video The study suggests those suffering from depression would benefit by getting up just an hour earlier (stock image) RECOMMENDED SLEEP DURATION - Preschool (3-5 years): 10-13 hours - School-age (6-13 years): 9-11 hours - Teen (14-17 years): 8-10 hours - Young adult (18-25) 7-9 hours - Adult (26-64): 7-9 hours - Older adult (65 or more) 7-8 hours Source: Sleep Foundation Advertisement 'We have known for some time that there is a relationship between sleep timing and mood,' said study author Celine Vetter, an assistant professor of integrative physiology at CU Boulder. 'But a question we often hear from clinicians is, "how much earlier do we need to shift people to see a benefit?" 'We found that even one-hour earlier sleep timing is associated with significantly lower risk of depression.' For those wanting to shift themselves to an earlier sleep schedule, Vetter says: 'Keep your days bright and your nights dark. 'Have your morning coffee on the porch. Walk or ride your bike to work if you can, and dim those electronics in the evening.' For their study, the team focused on genetics, which collectively explains somewhere between 12 to 42 per cent of our sleep timing preferences, they say. Using data from the DNA testing company 23 and Me and the biomedical database UK Biobank, the researchers assessed deidentified genetic data on these variants from the 840,000 adults. This total included data from 85,000 people who had worn wearable sleep trackers for seven days and 250,000 who had filled out sleep-preference questionnaires. In the largest of these samples, a third of surveyed subjects self-identified as morning larks (someone who goes to bed early and gets up early) and nine per cent as night owls (goes to bed and gets up late). The rest were somewhere in the middle. Overall, the average sleep mid-point was 3am, meaning they went to bed at 11pm and got up at 6am. Researchers then looked at genetic information along with anonymised medical and prescription records and surveys about diagnoses of major depressive disorder. It's possible that the greater exposure to light during the day results in 'a cascade of hormonal impacts' that can influence mood (stock image) Getting less than five hours of sleep a night can DOUBLE your risk of developing dementia, study warns Getting five hours or less of sleep a night doubles the risk of getting dementia, a new study warns. Researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston looked at data from 2,812 US adults aged 65 and over. 'Very short' sleep duration, defined as five hours or less, doubled the risk of dementia compared to the 'recommended' duration of seven to eight hours, they found. The study backs up previous research that too little sleep essentially 'sets the stage' for forms of dementia like Alzheimer's. While this study didn't look at the reason behind the link, it's possible that a lack of proper rest prevents the brain from clearing out the toxins that trigger an ongoing decline in brain function. Advertisement The individuals with genetic variants predisposing them to be early risers also had a lower risk of depression, the team found. Each one-hour earlier sleep midpoint (halfway between bedtime and wake time) corresponded with a 23 per cent lower risk of major depressive disorder. This suggests that if someone who normally goes to bed at 1am goes to bed at midnight instead and sleeps the same duration, they could cut their risk by 23 per cent. If they were to go to bed at 11pm, they could cut depression risk even more by about 40 per cent. It's unclear from the study whether those who are already early risers could benefit from getting up even earlier. But for those in the intermediate range or 'nightowl' range, shifting to an earlier bedtime would likely be helpful. The team used the 'mendelian randomization' for their study an epidemiological technique that uses differences in genetic to distinguish a simple correlation from causation (one factor directly causing another). 'Our genetics are set at birth so some of the biases that affect other kinds of epidemiological research tend not to affect genetic studies,' said lead study author Iyas Daghlas at Harvard University. 'This study definitely shifts the weight of evidence toward supporting a causal effect of sleep timing on depression.' Previous research has advanced understanding of the circadian rhythm or 'clock', which regulates when exactly we become sleepy and when we're more alert. One of the proteins critical for determining the timing of the clock, as well as the timing of sleep, is Period2, or PER2. PER2 is a protein in mammals encoded by the PER2 gene. More than 340 common genetic variants, including variants in the so-called 'clock gene' PER2, are known to influence a person's chronotype a propensity to sleep at a certain time. The research team believe theirs is some of the strongest evidence yet that chronotype influences depression risk. A large randomised clinical trial is necessary to determine definitively whether going to bed early can reduce depression, Daghlas added. The study has been published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry. An enormous 'potentially hazardous' asteroid bigger than the Space Needle the size of the Eiffel Tower will zip past Earth safely on Tuesday at a distance of roughly 4.5 million miles, NASA JPL said. The space rock 2021 KT1 has a diameter between 492 and 1,082 feet, according to NASA. At the mid-point of 787ft, the near-Earth object (NEO) is smaller than the size of the Eiffel Tower (1,063ft at its top), but significantly larger than Seattle's Space Needle (605ft). It will fly by Earth on June 1 at a speed of 40,000mph, at 10:24 EDT, NASA said on its website. 2021 KT1 is known as a 'potentially hazardous object' because it has a diameter larger than 492ft and will come within 4.6 million miles of Earth, according to NASA's definition. Following its flyby later today, 2021 KT1 will next make a close approach to Earth on May 19, 2058 and then again on June 20, 2061. Although dangerous sounding, most NEOs do not pose a threat to Earth. There are, however, a 'small percentage of Potentially Hazardous Asteroids' that draw extra scrutiny. Space rock 2021 KT1 has a diameter between 492 and 1,082 feet, much larger than the Space Needle and almost as tall as the Eiffel Tower Asteroid 2021 KT1 will zip past Earth safely on Tuesday at a distance of roughly 4.5 million miles It will fly by Earth at a speed of 40,000mph, at 10:24 EDT. It is known as a 'potentially hazardous object' because it has a diameter larger than 492ft and will come within 4.6 million miles of Earth These objects are the ones that fly past Earth at a distance of less than half that between the Earth and the Sun. Last month, asteroid 2021 GT3, which is roughly 108ft long or three times the size of a London bus, flew past Earth safely at a distance of just 159,000 miles. By comparison, the distance from the Earth to the moon is approximately 238,900 miles. Asteroids are defined as 'rocky fragments left over from the formation of the solar system about 4.6 billion years ago,' NASA notes. Most of them live in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter and it's widely believed there are 'millions of asteroids' in different shapes and sizes. Although 'potentially hazardous' NEOs have not yet posed a threat to Earth, NASA has been preparing for an asteroid strike for years. In 2018, the space agency unveiled a plan outlining the steps the US should take for preparation. So far, more than 25,000 NEOs have been discovered, up from 18,000 as of 2018, according to NASA. The global disposable cups market size is expected to reach USD 20.21 billion by 2028 according to a new study by Polaris Market Research. The report Disposable Cups Market Share, Size, Trends, Industry Analysis Report, By Product (Paper, Plastic, Foam), By Form (Dry, Liquid), By End-Use (Commercial, Institutional, Household); By Region (North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East & Africa); Segment Forecast, 2021 2028 gives a detailed insight into current market dynamics and provides analysis on future market growth. Disposable cups are a suitable alternative to mugs, glasses, or any other utensil, especially if consumers are seeking any kind of outdoor activity like picnic, camping, or traveling to some other places. Social gatherings and family celebrations are also likely to propel the market growth. Single service disposable cups have many uses in homes, as they are perfect for serving samples, serving refreshments such as expresso, and cappuccino, and child-friendly options. Most homes across the globe are keeping disposable cups in kitchen cabinets to prevent the spread of germs. Small cups are also handy when mixing paints, adhesives for home recreational activities. Such foreseen factors likely to fuel the market growth. Get Sample Copy : https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/disposable-cups-market/request-for-sample With the current outbreak of COVID-19, most food service companies all over the globe have taken significant measures to ensure the safety of their employees. Fast food behemoths such as Starbucks, McDonalds, and Dunkin have announced the suspension of their bring your container program in the line of the pandemic. These cups are considered hygienic when it comes packaging of food and drink. Thus, many small and big food operators rely on disposables, as there are very limited deliveries. It is being predicted that, as COVID-19 spreads, such practices are expected to remain dominant in the coming years. Asia Pacific is projected to witness a lucrative market growth over the study period. This is primarily due to the rise in urban population, emergence of food chains and outlets, rising disposable income. Western food chains are witnessing remarkable growth in these emerging countries, such as China, India, and South Korea. Moreover, according to the article published by the Financial Express, the Indian food industry is likely to expand manifold. Such market factors are projected to foster the market demand for disposable cups over the forecast period. Get Discount Offer : https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/disposable-cups-market/request-for-discount-pricing Market participants operating in the disposable cups industry include Go-Pak UK Ltd., Huhtamaki Oyj, Berry Global Group Inc., Pactiv LLC, DUNI AB, Dart Container Corporation, WestRock Company, Genpak, LLC, ConverPack Inc., and Benders Paper Cups. Polaris Market Research has segmented the disposable cups market report on the basis product, end use, and region: Disposable Cups, Product Outlook (Revenue USD Million, 2016 2028) Paper Plastic Foam Disposable Cups, End Use Outlook (Revenue USD Million, 2016 2028) Apple could finally reveal its augmented reality (AR) glasses at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC 2021) next week. The conference, which is being held online for the second year in a row due to the coronavirus pandemic, runs from June 7 to 11. Apple will reveal a range of new hardware products, as well as its major annual software update, live-streamed from its Apple Park HQ in Cupertino, California. The Worldwide Developers Conference, which happens every summer, typically serves as Apple's opportunity to reveal new hardware and its next big software update Here's a look at all the potential announcements expected to be made at WWDC 2021. AR glasses When Apple confirmed the date of WWDC 2021 at the end of March, it shared an intriguing image that hinted at its of long-rumored AR glasses finally being announced. The image shows a memoji character wearing a pair of glasses, which have a reflection of a laptop in the lenses. A promo image released by the tech giant in March shows a memoji character with glasses and a reflection of the laptop in the lenses - possibly a reference to AR glasses WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AR AND VR? Virtual reality is a computer-generated simulation of an environment or situation It immerses the user by making them feel like they are in the simulated reality through images and sounds For example, in VR, you could feel like you're climbing a mountain while you're at home In contrast, augmented reality layers computer-generated images on top of an existing reality AR is developed into apps to bring digital components into the real world For example, in the Pokemon Go app, the characters seem to appear in real world scenarios Advertisement Of course, this could be a mere coincidence but, if rumours are to be believed, the product is long overdue. Last year, leaker and technology analyst Jon Prosser said he saw two prototypes of the AR glasses at the company's premises one white and one black. Both models, which are described as 'clean' and 'slick' in appearance, will be 5G-compatible, Prosser said. The AR glasses, simply called Apple Glasses, are allegedly not sunglasses but normal prescription glasses that display an interface on the inside of the lens not dissimilar to what's depicted in Apple's promo image. Wearers would be able to simply use their gaze to select apps on the AR display, which would be similar to a smartphone homepage, rumours suggest. Anyone facing an Apple Glasses-wearing user will not be able to see the AR display, which will overlay digital images over the users real-life surroundings. Apple Glasses will have its own operating system called Starboard according to Prosser, who is described as an Apple leaker 'with sources throughout the company and supply chain' by Apple Insider. A 2019 patent application from Apple suggests the firm is considering technology described as a 'Display Device' that uses a 'reflective holographic combiner. This holographic technology could more seamlessly blend objects rendered in the headset's display, increasing the depth-of-field and reducing the resulting eyestrain and nausea often associated with AR and VR. Apple has long been rumoured to be developing its own pair of AR glasses. The tech giant filed a patent in 2019 (pictured above) that gives a glimpse into what it may be developing behind closed doors iOS 15 Apple reveals a new software update at WWDC every year, which rolls out the following autumn, so iOS 15 is certain to be announced next week. According to Bloomberg, Apple is 'readying a major revamp of its mobile software' for iOS 15, which would be released in time for Apple's next flagship iPhone (likely to be called iPhone 13). Prominent changes for iOS 15 will be an updated Lock Screen and 'additional privacy protections', Bloomberg said, citing 'people with knowledge of the matter'. iOS 14.6, Apple's most recent software update, was made generally available at the end of May, featuring tweaks to Apple Card Family and Podcasts. It came a month after the release of iOS 14.5, which includes support for unlocking an iPhone with Apple Watch while wearing a face mask, as well as a controversial feature called App Tracking Transparency. iOS 14.5 has made it easier for mask-wearing users to unlock their iPhone in the pandemic era AirPods Apple may reveal its third-generation AirPods the wireless Bluetooth headphones that come with their own charging case. The second-gen AirPods, which were unveiled two years ago, start at 159. AirPods Pro, with additional noise cancellation technology and water resistance, cost 249. For the third-generation, Apple is working on more affordable 'entry-level' AirPods, according to MacRumors albeit with a lack of higher-end features like active noise cancellation. The decision not to include wired EarPods in the box of the iPhone 12 should turn consumers towards its 250 AirPods Pro (left) and AirPods (right) Apple is already pushing consumers towards AirPods. iPhone 12, released last October, didn't include a pair of standard wired headphones (EarPods) in the box, unlike its predecessors, prompting outrage from some buyers. Cheaper AirPods will therefore come as good news for iPhone fans although consumers can still buy EarPods for an extra 19. MacBook Pro Prosser has also claimed that Apple will introduce two new sixth-generation MacBook Pro models at WWDC 2021 one with a 14-inch screen and another with a 16-inch screen, and both powered by Apple's own M1 chips. According to MacRumors, there will be a redesigned thermal system to accommodate M1 chips, an HDMI port and an SD card reader. 'The 2021 MacBook Pro models will feature an HDMI port and an SD card reader in addition to a trio of Thunderbolt/USB-C ports, and multiple color options are a possibility,' it reports. Apple's first lineup of Mac computers powered by its in-house-designed M1 computer chip was revealed last November. Apple had previously relied on Intel chips for its Macs, but these have been ditched in favour of M1. Mac Mini According to 9to5 Mac, Apple will also reveal a new model in its Mac Mini desktop line, also powered by its M1 chip line, featuring a stylish glass-like top finish. 'It will seemingly use the same style of magnetic power connector that Apple debuted in the M1 iMac,' the report says. Apple's latest update to the Mac Mini, powered by M1, was also released last November, along with the M1-powered MacBook Air and MacBook Pro. In November, Apple revealed its first lineup of Mac computers - MacBook Air, MacBook Pro and Mac Mini - to feature its in-house-designed M1 computer chip. Pictured, Mac Mini Although WWDC is scheduled to last throughout the week, the first day is the one to watch. This is when Apple CEO Tim Cook will take the stage to share the latest and greatest Apple devices and software to-date. The other days are designed for developers to participate and learn about software and other technologies. 'We are working to make WWDC 21 our biggest and best yet, and are excited to offer Apple developers new tools to support them as they create apps that change the way we live, work, and play,' said Susan Prescott, Apple's vice president of worldwide developer relations. If the presence of extraterrestrial life is confirmed, former President Barack Obama said the US might have to 'spend a lot more' to defend ourselves and 'new religions would pop up.' In a wide-ranging interview on The Ezra Klein Show podcast, Obama said that he 'absolutely' wants to know what the unidentified objects seen in the videos that have been released by the Pentagon are. 'And so I would hope that the knowledge that there were aliens out there would solidify peoples sense that what we have in common is a little more important,' Obama said in response to a hypothetical question that humanity has become aware of intelligent life beyond this planet, but is unable to get in touch with them. 'But no doubt there would be immediate arguments about like, well, we need to spend a lot more money on weapons systems to defend ourselves,' the 44th President continued. 'New religions would pop up. And who knows what kind of arguments we get into. Were good at manufacturing arguments for each other.' Obama's comments come just days after he told James Corden that he had viewed footage of UFOs harassing US military targets and they must be taken seriously. 'What is true... is that there's footage and records of objects in the skies that we don't know exactly what they are,' Obama told the host of The Late Late Show. 'We can't explain how they moved, their trajectory they did not have an easily explainable pattern,' he added. If aliens do indeed exist, President Obama said there would be arguments in favor of more weapons spending and new religions would pop up Obama made the comments on The Ezra Klein Show, a podcast hosted by New York Times journalist Ezra Klein (pictured) 'So I think that people still take seriously trying to investigate and figure out what that is. But I have nothing to report to you today.' In May, a video was released appearing to show a UFO buzz a US stealth ship near San Diego before diving under the water back in July 2019. Former US Navy Lieutenant Ryan Graves, who flew an F/A-18 fighter off the Virginia coast between 2015 and 2017, said his fighter squadron spotted the 'maneuverable' spherical objects flying in restricted airspace near Virginia Beach almost every day from 2015 to 2017. In May, a video was released that appeared to show a UFO buzz a US stealth ship near San Diego before diving under the water back in July 2019 'I am worried, frankly. You know, if these were tactical jets from another country that were hanging out up there, it would be a massive issue,' Graves recently told 60 Minutes. 'But because it looks slightly different, we're not willing to actually look at the problem in the face. We're happy to just ignore the fact that these are out there, watching us every day.' A report on the US government's secret files on UFOs will be in the hands of lawmakers this month after years of sightings and videos suggesting that highly advanced extraterrestrials are, indeed, out there. One of the videos was captured off the coast of Jacksonville, Florida, in 2015 (pictured) The other video shows the notorious 2004 'Tic Tac' incident (pictured) that was recorded over the Pacific Ocean But the report from the Director of National Intelligence, pulled together with classified military files, could fall short of explaining scores of purported unidentified flying object incidents over decades. While not clearly rejecting the alien theory, Pentagon officials make clear their real interest is in whether UFOs, or unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) in the US military's parlance, could represent actual threats from adversaries here on earth. The US spy chief is required to turn over to Congress by the end of June. An unclassified version will be made public, while a more detailed classified one will remain secret. Separately in May, a new survey showed that nearly two-thirds of all Americans now believe that extraterrestrial life exists and that the US government isn't telling the public the full truth. The term UFO has been more recently replaced by unidentified aerial phenomenon, especially in light of the U.S. Pentagon declassifying three videos in April 2020. The footage had been previously acknowledged as real by the Navy, and captured what pilots recorded on their video sensors during training flights in 2004 and 2015. Two of the clips were first published in 2017 by the New York Times and the third by the To The Stars Academy in 2018 - a group that specializes in unexplained phenomenon and was founded by Blink-182 guitarist Tom DeLonge. A 1,500-year-old amulet that was once believed to protect women and children from the 'evil eye' is being unveiled by archaeologists for the first time since its discovery 40 years ago. Known as 'Solomon's Seal,' the amulet has a triangle shape, with one side featuring 'the figure of a rider whose head is surrounded with a halo riding a horse,' the Israel Antiquities Authority wrote in a Facebook post. The rider is seen throwing a sphere at a female figure known as Gello, along with an inscription in Greek that translates to 'The One God who Conquers Evil.' A necklace pendant dating back around 1,500 years ago was uncovered 40 years ago in the village of Arbel in the Galilee... Posted by Israel Antiquities Authority on Wednesday, May 26, 2021 One side of the amulet features 'the figure of a rider whose head is surrounded with a halo riding a horse,' according to the Israel Antiquities Authority. The rider is seen throwing a sphere at a female Greek mythological figure known as Gello, along with an inscription in Greek that translates to 'The One God who Conquers Evil' On the opposite side is an eye pierced by four arrows, along with lions, a snake, scorpion and a bird. There is also another Greek inscription that reads, 'One God' Known as 'Solomon's Seal,' the amulet was originally discovered 40 years ago in Arbel, roughly two hours north of Jerusalem WHAT WAS ARBEL LIKE? Arbel is a moshav (a type of Israeli town) located in the northern part of the country. It is roughly two hours north of Jerusalem and had a population of just over 730, as of 2019. It was established in 1949 by soldiers as a type of cooperative village, but by 1959, it had become a full-fledged moshav. Arbel is noted for the ruins of an ancient synagogue, on the western part of the moshav. It's believed the synagogue was built in the 4th century A.D., rebuilt in the 6th century and used continuously until the 8th century when it was destroyed. Advertisement Under the inscription are the Greek letters I A W , which translates to Y-H-W-H, or Yahweh, in Hebrew. Gello was a mythological figure in Greece who threatened women and children by causing infertility and miscarriage, and is widely associated with the evil eye. On the opposite side is an eye pierced by four arrows, along with lions, a snake, scorpion and a bird. There is also another Greek inscription that reads, 'One God.' 'The amulet is part of a group of fifthsixth-century CE amulets from the Levant that were probably produced in the Galilee and Lebanon,' Dr. Eitan Klein, the deputy director of the IAA Antiquities Theft Prevention Unit, said in the post. 'This group of amulets is sometimes called 'Solomon's Seal' and the rider is depicted overcoming the evil spirit in this case, a female identified with the mythological figure Gello/Gyllou, who threatens women and children and is associated with the evil eye. The eye on the reverse is identifiable as the evil eye, being attacked and vanquished by various means.' Dr. Klein continued: 'The amulet was therefore probably used to guard against the evil eye, possibly to protect women and children.' The amulet was discovered in Arbel, roughly two hours north of Jerusalem. During the Byzantine period, Arbel (frequently mentioned in the Talmud) was a Jewish settlement. It's unclear who wore the amulet, with Dr. Klein telling Haaretz that 'anti-demon pendants of this type' were worn by Jews, Christians and Gnostics, a mystic group related to early Christianity. It is being handed over to the Israel Antiquities Authority by a family member of one of the first residents in Arbel, the late Tova Haviv. Scientists used a Fitbit and a spy mic to gain new insights into the secret lives of the Canada lynx, one of the most elusive big cats. The findings, published in British Ecological Society, allowed researchers to learn more about their hunting, fighting and sleeping methods. The experts -- stemming from McGill University, University of Alberta, and Trent University -- were able to capture more than 14,000 hours worth of audio of the lynx to study. 'Working on one of the boreal forest's top predators, the Canada lynx, we found that two different technologies, accelerometers and audio recording devices, can be used to remotely monitor the hunting behavior of predators, even documenting the killing of small prey,' the study's lead author, Emily Studd, said in a statement. 'A lot of people want to know what wild animals do when we can't see them,' the study's co-author, Allyson Menzies, added. 'The ability to continuously record their movements and sounds in their natural environment can provide insight into mating rituals, parental care, social interactions even how individuals differ from one another or change over time.' The Canada lynx (pictured) is one of the most elusive big cats in North America. Researchers were able to gain more insight using a Fitbit and a spy mic to capture 14,000 hours worth of audio The 14,000 hours worth of audio included 'captured chases, screams of the prey as they were caught, calls of the prey as they escaped, and bones crunching' Study co-authors Emily Studd (right) and Allyson Menzies (left) examining a lynx The experts were able to get 39 collars on 26 different lynx over a period of five years, Studd, a postdoctoral fellow at McGill University and the University of Alberta, told Canadian news outlet CBC. Of the more than 14,000 hours worth of audio, Studd and the other researchers 'captured chases, screams of the prey as they were caught, calls of the prey as they escaped.' They also heard 'bones crunching, along with friendly and aggressive interactions between different lynx,' she added in the statement. The researchers used the GPS of the Fitbit to track the behavior of a male lynx over one day. They looked at acoustic (right) and acceleration (bottom) signatures from each of hte devices. An actogram of a male lynx with continuous behavior over 1 month, as measured by the Fitbit and the spy mic Weighing between 15 and 30 pounds and 30-35 inches in length, lynx are spread broadly across Canada and Alaska. As of March 2000, they were listed as threatened in the contiguous 48 states by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, due to human activities, according to the National Wildlife Federation. Researchers do not have an estimate on how many are left in North America, given how stealthy they are. In March, a Canadian farmer filmed himself grabbing a lynx by the scruff its neck and yelling at it for killing his chickens. American Serena Williams survived a scare in the first ever night session match at the French Open as she edged out Romanian Irina-Camelia Begu 7-6(6) 6-2 in the first round on Monday. Organisers have introduced night matches under the Philippe Chatrier Court lights this year - emulating the US Open and Australian Open - to provide some late drama for the fans but the match was played in an empty stadium because of a COVID-19 9pm curfew in the French capital. The flat atmosphere hardly helped the 39-year-old Williams who squandered a 5-2 lead in the first set against a tricky opponent who battled back to move into a tiebreaker. Serena Williams survived a scare to win her first round match of the French Open The 39-year-old therefore became the first ever winner of a night match at Roland Garros Begu then led 6-4 and Williams got lucky with a return that clipped the tape, before rattling off four points to win the opener with a drive volley she celebrated with a roar that echoed around the empty stands. Three-time Roland Garros champion Williams, who has been stuck on 23 Grand Slam titles, one behind Margaret Court's all-time record, was far more assured in the second set and managed to claim the victory without further fuss. Williams has been agonisingly close to matching Court's record since winning the 2017 Australian Open in her last Grand Slam event before becoming a mother. She has fallen in four Grand Slam finals and earlier this year lost in the semi-finals at the Australian Open. Following that she underwent oral surgery and has played only three Tour-level matches since, winning one. She overcame dicey moments to edge out Romanian Irina-Camelia Begu (above) 7-6(6) 6-2 Despite her first set wobble against Begu, however, the seventh seed showed enough of her old firepower and fight to suggest that she can make a deep run in Paris. 'Ironically enough night sessions are not my favourite matches, but I do have a good record at it,' Williams said of her first taste of action under the Roland Garros lights. 'Clearly something about it gets me hyped. I have to say it was pretty cool to be able to play the first night session ever here at Roland Garros. That was something I thoroughly enjoyed. 'I'm happy that I was able to save those moments. I did not want to lose that first set. I wasn't thinking at that moment. I was just thinking to get that ball out the air, because I've been hitting some good swing volleys in practice.' Williams will face another Romanian in round two in the shape of 174th-ranked Mihaela Buzarnescu. SPAIN is ready to welcome us back and its got plenty of surprises in store if you want a holiday to remember. Yes, Spain still has all its world-class beaches, hip hotels, sunny swimming pools and relaxed, family-friendly resorts. But its also got a treasure trove of secret corners, ancient interiors, natural wonders and unexpected pleasures. Add them all up, and theres no place like Spain in the summer, the autumn or any time youre ready to travel again. The real joy of Spain is its variety. You may have a favourite spot by the beach that your family has been visiting for years. You may have a bucket-list sight youve been longing to see in one of Spains cosmopolitan, art-filled cities. Or read on if you want to leave the crowds behind and discover somewhere completely different. Here are four fabulous new places to consider. The warm coast Head to the Costa Calida the warm coast for more than 300 days of sunshine a year. Take a hike along some of the countrys wildest and most dramatic coastlines and youll stumble across secluded coves and hidden beaches galore. Its the perfect place to get close to nature, not least amidst its well-protected regional parks. Rent a car to see the real Spain, found in the little villages and ancient port towns such as Cartagena. Here, Roman ruins abound, and include mosaics and an amphitheatre that puts any in Italy in the shade. Kids love exploring caves that date back to Neolithic times. Birdwatchers flock to the area to see everything from cormorants to curlews. And theres no shortage of small, family-friendly places to stay. Classic Cadiz Seafood tapas is the star of the show in Cadiz, a sun-kissed gem of a city. Expect fish caught daily in boats that bob around in the harbour at night. Or join the locals in a chiringuito, a beachside bar with a relaxed, summer vibe. In the city itself, youll see Instagram-ready art and architecture at every turn. Some claim that Cadiz is the oldest city in Europe, and youll walk past walls dating back thousands of years. Stylish pavement cafes are all around and the people-watching is as good as the ice-cold Spanish beer. Or head around the coast to try another local drink in Jerez. Its the home of sherry, and youll step into the past when you enter a world-famous sherry bodega for a unique tasting session. Island life Theres something very special about Formentera. Its the smallest and least known of the Balearic Islands, but it packs quite a punch as a place to go on holiday. Sleepy, whitewashed houses cluster in picture-perfect villages. White sandy beaches lead down to warm, turquoise waters. Its a little piece of paradise and its determined to stay special forever. The island has said no to large-scale developments, so youll be staying somewhere small and friendly. There is no airport, so you arrive by boat from a nearby island, which adds hugely to the fun. Everywhere theres a slow-motion, laid-back charm that makes it incredibly easy to relax. Some say the hippie vibe reminds them of the Caribbean but without the long flight to get there. A top tip if you want real peace and quiet is to head to Playa Migjorn on the islands southern coast. The long beach is famous for isolated corners and little coves all surrounded by sand dunes and beautifully scented pine trees. Better still, there are plenty of beach bars where you can grab a coffee or a cocktail as you sit back and congratulate yourself on picking the perfect place for summer. Heritage chic The jet set have always flocked to Palma on Mallorca and its easy to see why. The city is a stunner and is ideal for mini-breaks and longer stays. All eyes are on the architecture at first, including the gothic-style cathedral La Seu, which makes Notre Dame in Paris look small. Then stroll down classy, tree-lined boulevards for top-notch window-shopping in very expensive boutiques. Take a side trip down some cobbled streets for artisan craft markets and tiny shops selling gifts youll find nowhere else. The pocket-sized city also offers world-class museums. A must-see for contemporary art fans is Es Baluard, where youll also find a gloriously cool cafe. Stay long enough to explore more of Mallorca and youll be rewarded with sea and country views at every turn. A top tip is to head to the town of Pollenca, described as one of the ancient jewels of the Balearics. Nestled on the edge of a mountain range, its a fairy tale of twisting streets and honey-coloured stone buildings many of them transformed into boutiques, galleries and craft shops. Its a town that has more locals than tourists, so its the place to go for a true taste of island life. As with the rest of Spain, Pollenca has been waiting to dust down its welcome mat for visitors. Its one more reason why Spain is the place to be this summer and beyond. IN SAFE HANDS ITS natural to be nervous about booking a holiday after the year weve all had but youre in safe hands in Spain. The country has implemented best-in-class protocols to guard against coronavirus in hotels, bars, restaurants, galleries, museums and more. Better still, every visitor gets free insurance in Andalucia that offers up to 4,000 to cover medical bills, extended stays or repatriation costs due to coronavirus. Its the perfect top-up for your own cover, and it means all you have to do is enjoy sunny Spain and relax. Es Baluard, where youll also find a gloriously cool cafe. Stay long enough to explore more of Mallorca and youll be rewarded with sea and country views at every turn. A top tip is to head to the town of Pollenca, described as one of the ancient jewels of the Balearics. Nestled on the edge of a mountain range, its a fairy tale of twisting streets and honey-coloured stone buildings many of them transformed into boutiques, galleries and craft shops. Its a town that has more locals than tourists, so its the place to go for a true taste of island life. As with the rest of Spain, Pollenca has been waiting to dust down its welcome mat for visitors. Its one more reason why Spain is the place to be this summer and beyond. Sheridan Smith has starred in the first look trailer of her new Channel 5 psychological thriller Teacher. In the upcoming TV drama, the actress, 39, plays school educator Jenna who is accused of a drunken sexual encounter with one of her pupils. During the chilling trailer, it sees Sheridan as Jenna confronted with a series of allegations to which she protests: 'I didn't!' FIRST LOOK: Sheridan Smith has starred in the first look trailer of her new Channel 5 psychological thriller Teacher The trailer then shows the character talking to a student in the classroom while another pupil accuses her of being 'creepy'. They say off-camera: 'You're so creepy, always trying to be friends with the kids.' The trailer also sees the character in a nightclub setting with a student while at the end of the first look teaser, it sees an emotional Sheridan as Jenna say: 'I can live again and I will.' Channel 5 released a synopsis of the upcoming show earlier this year, writing: 'With no memory of the night in question, Jenna's only hope of redemption lies in uncovering the truth about a dark event in her past that returns to haunt her.' Accusations: In the upcoming TV drama, the actress, 39, plays school educator Jenna who is accused of a drunken sexual encounter with one of her pupils Allegations: During the chilling trailer, it sees Sheridan as Jenna confronted with a series of allegations to which she protests: 'I didn't!' The four-part series, that also includes Strictly Come Dancing star Kelvin Fletcher as well as My Mad Fat Diary's Sharon Rooney, is expected to broadcast later in 2021. As well as Teacher, Channel 5 will also be airing the following dramas in 2021 - Dalgliesh starring Bertie Carvel, Lie With Me starring Charlie Brooks, The Holiday starring Jill Halfpenny and The Reluctant Madame Blanc starring Sally Lindsay. Talking about the upcoming shows, Sebastian Cardwell, SVP, Deputy Director of Programmes said: 'I'm excited to be bringing this wealth of talent to the channel and this trailer only gives a taste of what's to come from our upcoming Dramas in 2021. 'I can't wait for audiences to watch them later on this year.' 'Creepy': The trailer then shows the character talking to a student in the classroom while another pupil accuses her of being 'creepy' More dramas: As well as Teacher, Channel 5 will also be airing the following dramas in 2021 - Dalgliesh starring Bertie Carvel (pictured) New drama: Lie With Me starring Charlie Brooks will also be released later this year Sheridan revealed she had finished filming Teacher earlier this year and it is her first acting role since becoming a mother to son Billy, 12 months. The actress uploaded an snap from the final day of filming to her Instagram in April as she posed with It's A Sin star David Fleeshman. The BAFTA and Olivier award-winning entertainer looked amazing in a short, blue wrap dress as she excitedly pointed to her co-star, 68, who plays her father in the upcoming series. It's a wrap: Sheridan revealed she had finished filming Teacher earlier this year and it is her first acting role since becoming a mother to son Billy, 12 months (pictured with co-star David Fleeshman) She paired it with a brown suede leather jacket and nude heels that elongated her perfect pins. In the caption, Sheridan tagged Coronation Street star Richard Fleeshman, writing: 'Me and @rfleeshmans lovely talented dad! Playing my pretend dad! What a great actor to finish a great job with.' Sheridan welcomed her first child, Billy, in May last year with her fiance Jamie Horn. Jamie reportedly proposed to Sheridan in May 2018 with a 10,000 ring, and the couple now reside in a rented property in North London. Motherhood: Sheridan welcomed her first child, Billy, in May last year with her fiance Jamie Horn The first-time mum spoke to the Mail On Sunday's YOU Magazine in December, where she opened up about motherhood, saying: 'I don't think I've ever felt like this before. 'Regardless of anything going on in my career I've always felt insecure, worried about what people thought of me. And now I feel happy. That is a novelty. 'I never knew I would be this person a mum. Things used to seem so complicated, and now suddenly everything is so simple. I love Billy so much. I hold him and he's looking at me and I know he loves me back and he needs me. 'I've been looking for this all my life. I've looked in the wrong places in nightclubs, going out drinking, pushing myself with work. Now in this little baby I've found that I'm at peace with everything.' She was spotted leaving a London bar holding hands with TOWIE's James Lock, 34, recently. But former Love Island star Rachel Fenton appears to have moved on as she was spotted putting on a cosy display with co-star Tommy Cole in London on Monday. The 29-year-old wrapped her arms around the handsome newbie as she left a boozy drinking session at Neverland with Clelia Theodorou and pal John Slater, before joining Francesca Allen, 25, at Tower Hills rooftop bar. Close: Love Island's Rachel Fenton appears to have moved on from TOWIE's James Lock as she put on a cosy display with co-star Tommy Cole while out with Clelia Theodorou on Monday Rachel commanded attention as she wore a figure-hugging green dress for the bank holiday festivities. She also wore a tanned jacket over her shoulders and carried a leather handbag for her day out. With the bank holiday providing scorching temperatures, Rachel donned a large pair of sunglasses to keep the sun at bay. Strutting her stuff: Clelia put on a leggy display in a stone coloured co-ord and a white bra which highlighted her toned abs New interest? The Love Island star left a boozy drinking session at Neverland with Clelia Theodorou and pal John Slater Bank holiday fun: The pair were seen cosying up next to each other as they stood against a brick wall, with Tommy even putting his arm around the nurse at one point Sporty: The pair were joined by Francesca Allen who rocked a pair of black leggings and a tight-fitting white shirt to the festivities Time to go: The reality star, 25, teamed the look with white trainers as she left Tower Suits roof top bar Tommy opted for a simple ensemble consisting of a white t-shirt and blue denim jeans, with a pair of sunglasses. The pair were seen cosying up next to each other as they stood against a brick wall, with him even putting his arm around the nurse at one point. It appears Rachel made a late arrival to the get-together as Clelia uploaded a number of images onto her Instagram story showing her spending time at the venue and wrote: 'Here she f*****g is @rachelfenton1.' Francesca, meanwhile, rocked a pair of black leggings and a tight-fitting white shirt as she joined the girls later in the day. The reality star teamed the look with white trainers as she left Tower Suits roof top bar and put on an animated display as she headed home in a taxi. Smoking: Rachel puffed on a cigarette as she stood chatting outside the venue It comes a few weeks after Rachel was spotted leaving the Dorsett City hotel in London with TOWIE star James Lock. The pair were seen holding hands as they left the venue in a taxi together. They were joined by a group of friends on the night out including James' TOWIE co-star Pete Wicks. James and Rachel were seen in close conversation outside the venue, with Rachel placing her hand on the reality star's waist. All eyes on her: Rachel commanded attention as she wore a figure-hugging green dress as she left the bar However, a source told MailOnline: 'They are just friends, James is single and not dating anyone.' The reality star has recently turned her back on life in the spotlight and works as an NHS nurse Rachel caught Coronavirus twice during the pandemic while working on the front line. Friendly: Clelia uploaded a video onto her Instagram story on Monday to celebrate Rachel arriving at the venue Boozy day out: Francesca put on an animated display as she headed home in a taxi Moving on: It comes a few weeks after Rachel was spotted leaving the Dorsett City hotel in London with TOWIE star James Lock (pictured) In February the Orthopaedic Clinical Nurse Specialist shared a selfie to Instagram receiving the Covid-19 vaccine. She thanked the medical field and hoped that 'it's the beginning of the end'. In the caption she wrote: 'The beginning of the end. thank you to all the incredible doctors and scientists for creating this vaccine and helping us become one step further to beating this virus' (sic) . Rachel took to her social media just before Christmas in 2020, to reveal her 'scary' experience with Covid, explaining that anyone who has been infected before is not immune to catching the virus again. She wrote on Twitter: 'I've been re-infected with COVID-19. I tested positive back in March and also had the antibodies. 'I knew reinfection did happen but I didn't think it was that common? I think it's important people know that reinfection is happening, it could be the new strain? 'I've had another positive swab recently. I had very mild symptoms which were not like the symptoms I had before. 'Has anyone else experienced a second positive Covid-19 swab?' Then taking to her Instagram Story, Rachel discussed her positive test result further and said that luckily she had been on annual leave and hadn't been in contact with patients. Married At First Sight's Cameron Merchant and Jules Robinson are doting parents to eight-month-old son Oliver. But on Monday, the couple enjoyed a date night as they attended a special screening hosted by streaming platform Binge at Chin Chin in Surry Hills, Sydney. The reality stars were joined by a host of media personalities at the exclusive event, during which guests watched the final episode of Mare of Easttown. Date night! Married At First Sight's Jules Robinson and Cameron Merchant attended a special screening hosted by streaming platform Binge at Chin Chin in Surry Hills, Sydney, on Monday Jules, 38, looked sensational in an all-black ensemble comprising a ribbed top with leather trousers and a sparkling blazer. The new mother teamed her look with red heeled boots covered with studs. Cameron, 37, looked suave in a navy checked blazer, a white shirt, jeans and loafers. Red carpet ready: The reality TV lovebirds were joined by Triple M producer Jana Hocking at the exclusive event, during which guests watched the final episode of Mare of Easttown The couple were joined on the red carpet by Triple M radio producer Jana Hocking. The 36-year-old dating columnist teamed an animal-print coat with a chic little black dress that featured a keyhole detail above her cleavage. Kyle and Jackie O producer Peter Deppeler also stepped out for the event, posing alongside Jana for a photo by the media wall. Handsome: Kyle and Jackie O producer Peter Deppeler also stepped out for the event, posing alongside Jana for a photo by the media wall Effortlessly chic: Journalist and TV presenter Jo Casamento flaunted her curves in a figure-hugging brown dress, which she teamed with cream boots The KIIS FM prankster, known to listeners as 'Intern Pete', looked stylish in a pink button-up shirt and jeans. Journalist and TV presenter Jo Casamento flaunted her curves in a figure-hugging brown dress, which she teamed with cream boots. Cameron and Jules' night out comes after they received an apology from their former MAFS co-star Martha Kalifatidis on The Kyle and Jackie O Show on Monday. 'I'm sorry': Cameron and Jules' night out comes after they received an apology from their former MAFS co-star Martha Kalifatidis (pictured) on The Kyle and Jackie O Show on Monday Martha publicly criticised Jules both during and after filming the now-infamous sixth season of Nine's social experiment. 'I'm sorry. I apologise. I'm clearing the air, I just wanted to put that out there,' she told Jules, after calling her up out of the blue. But despite two years passing, Jules wasn't ready to accept her apology. She said: 'We've run into each other a few times in the last year at events. There have always been opportunities to say sorry then.' Not having it: Despite two years passing, Jules (pictured with her son Oliver) wasn't ready to accept her apology, arguing that Martha had had many opportunities to say sorry Jules went on to say that Martha's apology didn't feel genuine because they hadn't settled their differences at any of the events they'd attended together. 'I don't think [apologising] in a public place is really, you know...' Martha began, to which Jules replied sarcastically: 'Okay, because the radio is much better!' Cameron took the high road, however, and accepted Martha's apology. 'Martha, you know what, thank you, that takes a lot,' he told her. Almost two years have passed since he ended his five-year marriage to wife Nadia. And former AFL star Jimmy Bartel took a literal trip down memory lane on Monday as he strolled past the marital home the former couple used to share. The Geelong great, 37, appeared rather stony-faced as he took his dog for a walk in Melbourne amid the city's fourth lockdown. Thanks for the memories? Former AFL star Jimmy Bartel took a literal trip down memory lane on Monday as he strolled past the marital home he used to share with ex-wife Nadia Clad in a black tracksuit and matching face mask, the father of two stared pensively into the distance as he meandered down the footpath, perhaps lost in thoughts about his former life as a married man. He completed his lockdown look with a pair of grey sneakers, white crew socks and acetate sunglasses which hung from his collar. Jimmy listened to music via earphones as he revisited his old stomping ground, and at one stage gazed intently at his phone. Echoes from the past: The father of two stared pensively into the distance as he meandered down the footpath, perhaps lost in thoughts about his former life as a married man Blast from the past: Jimmy listened to music via earphones as he revisited his old stomping ground, and at one stage gazed intently at his phone Jimmy and Nadia sold their marital home for $4million last year. Once considered a golden couple of footy, the Bartels married in February 2014 in a lavish ceremony on the Bellarine Peninsula, before welcoming two children together. The pair, who share custody of sons Aston, five, and Henley, two, announced their separation in August 2019 but are believed to have split two months prior. The Brownlow Medal winner subsequently went public with new girlfriend Lauren Mand, a Melbourne socialite and office worker. How they were: Once considered a golden couple of footy, the Bartels married in February 2014 in a lavish ceremony on the Bellarine Peninsula, before welcoming two sons together Split: The pair, who share custody of sons Aston, five, and Henley, two, announced their separation in August 2019 but are believed to have split two months prior Nadia has was linked to personal trainer Nathan Brodie last year, but it's unclear if they are still together. In late April, Nadia shared a cryptic Instagram post about personal growth and 'forgetting the past'. She reposted an inspirational quote, which read: 'Think less about past and future because your life only happens in the present.' 'The past already happened. The future has not yet happened. All we have is the present,' it continued. New flame: Brownlow Medal winner Jimmy subsequently went public with new girlfriend Lauren Mand (right), a Melbourne socialite and office worker USA, 1 June 2021 In recent times, not only overweight individuals but also many other individuals are struggling with high blood sugar levels that could be quite dangerous for health. A majority of individuals are struggling with type2 diabetes that creates several health problems, like blurry vision, frequent urination, hunger, and much more. Nobody wants to spend their whole time in the bathroom due to high blood sugar levels. It has been observed that thousands of diabetes patients are utilizing several approaches to reduce their high blood sugar levels, but they fail to achieve the desired results. There are several methods available that can reduce blood sugar levels, but most individuals are looking for one of the best methods to get rid of high blood sugar levels. 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To get rid of the blood sugar pills scam, individuals should use their official website to buy blood sugar pills. Even individuals get some discounts on the official website when they buy multiple bottles. Better is to click here or visit our official website to know more about buy blood sugar supplements. Website : https://www.heraldnet.com/marketplace/best-blood-sugar-pills-2021-top-diabetes-support-supplements/ She had her breast implants removed last year after she started suffering from minor health issues following her surgery. But now, in a strange twist, Ashley Tisdale has 'natural boobs' after becoming pregnant with daughter Jupiter last year. The actress, 35, posted a snap of herself showing some cleavage in a plunging tank top as she marveled at the predicament. 'Life is funny': Ashley Tisdale revealed her 'natural boobs' after getting her breast implants removed last year 'Got my implants taken out a year ago, got pregnant and now have natural boobs. (laughing crying emoji). life is funny,' she wrote in the photo, posted to her Instagram Stories on Monday. Ashley revealed in April 2020 she had her breast implants removed after suffering several health issues, which she believed were triggered by the implants. In the caption of a photo capturing her post-surgery body, Ashley revealed she initially felt more secure about her body after the procedure. However, she could not help but notice some odd health issues that started popping up following the surgery. 'Prior to the surgery, I constantly felt my body was less than, and thought this change would make me feel more whole and more secure about myself. And for a short period of timeit did. Candid: Tisdale revealed she had her breast implants removed last year in the caption of this bikini photo capturing her post-surgery body That was then: Tisdale with her fuller chest at the Amazon Golden Globes afterparty in 2019 'Little by little I began struggling with minor health issues that just were not adding upfood sensitivities as well as gut issues (full story on @frenshe) that I thought could be caused by my implants. So, last winter I decided to undergo implant removal. 'This journey has been one of growth, self discovery, self acceptance and most importantly self-love. This picture above was taken two months after my explant surgery and I think you can tell just how happy I am to finally be fully me.' A few months later, Ashley revealed she was expecting her first child with husband Christopher French. Baby makes three! Tisdale shared a plethora of bump snaps after announcing her pregnancy with husband Christopher French Doting dad: The couple welcomed their first child, a baby girl named Jupiter Iris French, in March 2021 The couple welcomed daughter Jupiter Iris French on March 23rd, and Ashley announced her arrival with a heart-melting black-and-white snap of her tiny hand. In an interview with Forbes, Ashley gushed about life with her newborn baby. 'Life is great. I mean, she's so cute,' the High School Musical star told the magazine. 'It's so wild she's finally here. You spend so long with her inside of you and then you're just like "Oh my God, she's here!" I'm past the more difficult things that you go through. 'You go through a lot when you come home from the hospital. It's just an adjustment for everyone in the family. You're learning about each other and as a mom, going through physically and mentally a lot. Now I'm on the other side of it, which is great!' Meet Jupiter! Ashley announced her arrival with this sweet black-and-white snap capturing her tiny hand Hollywood vet Naomi Watts cut a stylish figure in black and blue as she took her dog Izzy for a stroll in New York City. The 52-year-old Mulholland Drive star looked effortlessly put together as she rocked stylish flared trousers and a black sweater with combat boots. Watts previously shared that her ideal day begins with 'being woken up by [her] dog,' before getting in 'some exercise.' Making moves: Naomi Watts, 52, looks super chic in black and blue while walking her dog Izzy in New York City Though she usually spends long weekends and much of summer in The Hamptons, Watts was seen pounding the pavement in the city on Memorial Day Weekend. The British-born Australian actress slipped her petite frame into a pair of silky ankle length trousers and donned a black ribbed sweater with gold button detailing. She rocked was a pair of stylish combat-inspired boots and slicked her blonde tresses back into a bun, adding a touch of berry lipstick for color. And just this week she shared she was excited to wear lipstick again now that the CDC allows fully vaccinated people to go without face coverings outdoors and in some indoor settings. City stroll: The British-born Australian actress slipped her petite frame into a pair of silky ankle length trousers and combat boots as she pounded the pavement Lipstick moment: The actress shared her joy at being able to wear lipstick again now that she can go without a face mask, divulging that she likes 'berry pinks and tomato reds'; pictured May 27 'Lipstick is back! Go big or go home, right?,' she wrote on Instagram as she posted a selfie. 'I'm a fan of berry pinks and tomato reds,' she continued to divulge. She had previously expressed her gratitude for the vaccine as she posted a photo while getting her second shot. 'Got that second dose! Thank you!! Here's to getting back to biz!,' she wrote. And though she was seen flying solo for the outing, the King Kong star previously said that she likes 'a busy house,' and a bit of 'gentle chaos.' Vaccinated: 'Got that second dose! Thank you!! Here's to getting back to biz!,' she wrote 'I like a busy house, kids' friends over, mums over...Unstructured, gentle chaos is comfort to me - but somehow the best days always follow the same rhythm,' she told Hamptons.com. She did however tell the New York Times earlier this month, that she enjoys quality time for herself sans-kids. 'Being a mom, I do love that moment at the end of the day when the kids are in bed, where I'm taking time for a ritual for me. Watts shares two children with ex-husband Liev Schreiber: Sasha, 13, and Kai, 12. She and the Ray Donovan actor called it quits on their 11-year-relationship in 2016. Naomi is both an actress and a beauty enthusiast, founding ONDA beauty and subsequently opening up three different outposts one in Tribeca, one in Sag Harbor and one in Sydney. Her latest movie Goodnight Mommy recently kicked off production in Bedminster, New Jersey and is slated to shoot through the end of June. The Amazon Studios horror movie is a remake of the 2014 Austrian movie by the same name. Lucy Hale took to social media to share images from her Harper's Bazaar Vietnam cover shoot. The 31-year-old actress posted the magazine cover on Instagram on Sunday and also shared other snaps from the Palm Springs photoshoot by photographer Hudson Taylor on her Instagram Stories. Lucy reclined barefoot in a white chair in a sleeveless pink dress in the cover image. Cover star: Lucy Hale took to social media to share images from her Harper's Bazaar Vietnam cover shoot 'Thank you @hudsontaylor & @bazaarvietnam,' she wrote as a caption for her roughly 24.5 million followers. She also shared a close-up photo that Hudson posted showing her in full makeup with her arms folded and both hands to the side of her face. Lucy displayed her 'I love you' tattoo on her forearm in the image. 'Grateful to have been given the opportunity to reunite with friends for this shoot. :),' Hudson wrote in the caption for his roughly 38,000 followers. Social media: The 31-year-old posted the magazine cover on Instagram and also shared other snaps from the Palm Springs photoshoot by Hudson Taylor on her Instagram Stories. Lucy in another snap from the Harper's Bazaar Vietnam shoot flashed her flat abs in a tan crop top with matching drawstring shorts. She had her short brown hair down and smiled while leaning on a bike. 'THIS DAY WAS SO FUN THANK YOU @HUDSONTAYLOR,' she wrote along with the image. Fun day: Lucy in another snap from the Harper's Bazaar Vietnam shoot flashed her flat abs in a tan crop top with matching drawstring shorts The Pretty Little Liars star also shared some high-fashion looks including a robin egg blue sleeveless gown. Lucy in another snap wore a pretty floral print wrap-around dress. She credited her hair and makeup team as well as the Korakia Pensione hotel in Palm Springs with hashtags. Sleeveless gown: The Pretty Little Liars star also shared some high-fashion looks including a robin egg blue sleeveless gown Lucy starred in the popular TV series Pretty Little Liars as Aria Montgomery from 2010 to 2017. She has a starring role in the upcoming TV series Ragdoll based on the novel of the same name by Daniel Cole. Lucy also can be seen in the upcoming romantic comedy film The Hating Game co-starring Austin Stowell, 36, based on the novel of the same name by Sally Thorne. Following the buzzworthy finale of Mare of Easttown, series star Kate Winslet is opening up about the potential to return as the title character. HBO has billed Mare of Easttown as a 'limited series,' meaning the show was not crafted to go multiple seasons. While HBO hasn't officially said one way or another whether a new season will happen, Winslet, 45, revealed in an interview with TV Line that she would love to play Detective Mare Sheehan again. Possible return: Following the buzzworthy finale of Mare of Easttown, series star Kate Winslet is opening up about the potential to return as the title character Season 2: While HBO hasn't officially said one way or another whether a new season will happen, Winslet, 45, revealed in an interview with TV Line that she would love to play Detective Mare Sheehan again 'I would absolutely love to play Mare again. I miss her. I really do. Its the strangest thing. I feel like Im in mourning,' Winslet said. She added, 'It was an absolutely wonderful role,' adding there was, 'something very addictive about Mare, because shes so outrageous and lovable and brilliant and real, you know? I loved playing her.' HBO is still calling Mare of Easttown a limited series, and they intend to have it compete in the Limited Series category at the Emmy Awards this year. Mourning: 'I would absolutely love to play Mare again. I miss her. I really do. Its the strangest thing. I feel like Im in mourning,' Winslet said Limited series: HBO is still calling Mare of Easttown a limited series, and they intend to have it compete in the Limited Series category at the Emmy Awards this year Still, executive producer/director Craig Zobel revealed in an interview that he is torn, since he likes the character so much. '(Mare Sheehan) is an amazing character, so I would be excited to see (a second season). I also like it as a miniseries,' Zobel said. If HBO did decide to bring Mare of Easttown back for a second season, it wouldn't be the first time they've extended a limited series. Amazing character: '(Mare Sheehan) is an amazing character, so I would be excited to see (a second season). I also like it as a miniseries,' Zobel said Extended: If HBO did decide to bring Mare of Easttown back for a second season, it wouldn't be the first time they've extended a limited series The network's hit drama Big Little Lies, based on the novel of the same name by Lianne Moriarty, which was a hit with critics and audiences alike, earning Emmy Awards for Outstanding Limited Series and a directing award for Jean-Marc Vallee. The show was officially brought back for a second season, with series creator David E. Kelley adapting the show from a new novella by Moriarty. Another factor favoring a potential renewal is the show's ratings increased significantly, going from 600K viewers tuning in for the premiere and 1.2 million watching the show's penultimate episode. Ratings boost: Another factor favoring a potential renewal is the show's ratings increased significantly, going from 600K viewers tuning in for the premiere and 1.2 million watching the show's penultimate episode The penultimate episode was watched by over 2 million viewers across all platforms, including HBO Max, HBO Go and HBO Now. Mare of Easttown was created by Brad Ingelsby (Out of the Furnace), set in a fictionalized version of the creator's hometown, Easttown Township in Chester County, Pennsylvania. The show follows Detective Mare Sheehan, a local Easttown detective who is investigating a young girl's murder, also starring Julianne Nicholson, Jean Smart and Angourie Rice. Created: Mare of Easttown was created by Brad Ingelsby (Out of the Furnace), set in a fictionalized version of the creator's hometown, Easttown Township in Chester County, Pennsylvania They were replaced as MasterChef judges last year by Melissa Leong, Jock Zonfrillo and Andy Allen. But Matt Preston, George Calombaris and Gary Mehigan are set to reunite for a good cause: raising money for India amid the country's deadly wave of Covid-19. The celebrity chefs announced the initiative via a joint Instagram video on Monday. Back behind the counter: Matt Preston (pictured), George Calombaris and Gary Mehigan are reuniting for a good cause: raising money for India amid the country's deadly wave of Covid-19 Gary, 54, appealed directly to his Instagram followers, citing India's 'more than 400,000 [coronavirus] cases a day and thousands dying every day'. The British-born chef urged his fans to 'join @mattscravat @gcalombaris and me and many of our friends for a massive 12 hours of delicious cooking, food and fun... 'Cooking4India is a a one of a kind live stream event via YouTube with one goal in mind....to raise as much money as we can..!' Cooking4India will be live-streamed on YouTube from 3pm on Saturday, 19 June. Dream team: Gary, 54, appealed directly to his Instagram followers, citing India's 'more than 400,000 cases a day and thousands dying every day'. Pictured with George Calombaris (left) Coming soon: Cooking4India will be live-streamed on YouTube from 3pm on Saturday, 19 June The plea comes just days after Channel 10 revealed Celebrity MasterChef would be returning to screens after a 12-year hiatus. And on that same Tuesday, former judge Gary shared a throwback photo on Instagram alongside Matt and George. 'Couldnt help myself @mattscravat @gcalombaris this photo just popped up one of those reminder thingys! New York season two MasterChef... What a great lunch we had at Balthazar!' he captioned the picture of the trio. Happier times! The plea comes just days after Channel 10 revealed Celebrity MasterChef would be returning to screens after a 12-year hiatus. And on that same Tuesday, former judge Gary shared this throwback photo on Instagram alongside Matt and George The photo quickly accumulated more than 22,000 likes and positive commentary. This isn't the first time fans have been sent into a frenzy when a former MasterChef judge has taken a trip down memory lane. In July 2020, George shared an epic throwback photo to Instagram of himself starting out in the industry as a chef. The best of friends: 'Couldnt help myself @mattscravat @gcalombaris this photo just popped up one of those reminder thingys! New York season two MasterChef... What a great lunch we had at Balthazar!' he captioned the picture of the iconic trio George, 42, who is now bald, had fans remarking about his full head of hair in the comments. 'Simple back then. Cook... and just cook well,' George captioned the photo alongside several hashtags including 'younger' and 'throwback'. In the picture, the restaurateur wore his white chef's uniform, showing off a full head of dark hair, a contrast to his current day look. Back then: George shared a picture of himself starting out in the industry as a chef. Fans remarked in the comments section about his full head of hair. Pictured on another occasion in 2003 'God George! You had a lot of hair back then,' one follower commented alongside a laughing face emoji. Another added: 'By George, you've got a mop of hair there!' One even asked whether George got a helping hand, writing: 'OMG, is that a wig, George?!' Last year, Channel 10 took a gamble by replacing George, Gary and Matt as judges with Melissa Leong, Jock Zonfrillo and Andy Allen. The three were initially popular with fans in the Back to Win season, but this year the ratings appear to have taken a dive. On Monday, The Australian revealed the network was looking to revive Celebrity MasterChef in lieu of last year's Junior MasterChef, which delivered poor ratings. Jessica Rowe has spoken about her health fears and how she prioritises nutritious meals for her family. The former Channel 10 presenter revealed in a Q&A this week she has concerns about bowel cancer, due to a history of the disease in her family. The 50-year-old undergoes regular colonoscopies to keep on top of her health, after her father and grandfather both battled the disease. Health: Jessica Rowe has spoken about her health fears, saying she gets regular colonoscopies due to a family history of bowel cancer 'I'm making sure I have regular colonoscopies,' Jessica said. 'I began having them younger, at around 40, because of the increased risk factors in my family. My dad John, who's 73, was diagnosed with bowel cancer at 55, and my mum's dad died of bowel cancer.' She endures the test - and the prep beforehand - because it can 'save your life'. Keeping on top of things: The former Channel Ten star revealed in a Q&A this week that she has bowel cancer fears, due to a history of the disease in her family. 'I'm making sure I have regular colonoscopies,' Jessica said. Pictured with husband Peter Overton 'Sure, the idea is irksome, but it could save your life,' Jess said. 'The last time I did a colonoscopy I drank the laxative prep in a wine glass thinking it might make it slightly more palatable.' Jessica revealed her cancer fears in a Q&A to coincide with her collaboration with Meat and Livestock Australia. Meat and Livestock Australia is honouring Australian butchers this winter. New collab: Jessica revealed her cancer fears in a Q&A to coincide with her collaboration with Meat and Livestock Australia Jessica said she always likes to provide nutritious meals for her husband, Peter Overton, and their two daughters, Allegra, 14, and Giselle, 12. 'I also learnt through MLA [Meat and Livestock Australia] that lean mince actually has the same nutritional value of more expensive cuts, so it's really healthy,' she said. 'Whether it's tacos, Mexican in a pot or shepherd's pie, I love it.' She added: 'The girls love it, and Pete is "getting used" to it considering I'm not the world's greatest cook. But he does eat my meals, if he didn't he'd go hungry!' Healthy: Jessica said she always likes to provide nutritious meals for her husband, Peter Overton, and their two daughters, Allegra, 14, and Giselle, 12 (all pictured) Earlier this month, Jessica underwent a routine colonoscopy, which involves a doctor examining the bowel with a camera to detect any abnormalities or changes. She shared a Boomerang video to Instagram of herself holding the glycoprep solution in a wine glass, and wrote: 'Bottom's up!' 'So important to get these health checks. I've got a family history of bowel cancer so this is my third one,' she added. 'See your GP for more info.' Kate Winslet revealed she fought to keep an unflattering sex scene with her Mare of Easttown costar Guy Pearce, which exposed a 'bulgy bit of belly.' In order to realistically portray a middle-aged woman in her new HBO limited series, the 45-year-old Oscar winner said her character is 'a fully functioning, flawed woman with a body and a face that moves in a way that is synonymous with her age.' 'I think we're starved of that a bit,' she said of the scarcity of unfiltered and realistic female bodies on film and television during an interview with the New York Times. Striving for authenticity: Kate Winslet revealed she fought to keep an unflattering sex scene with her Mare of Easttown costar Guy Pearce, which exposed a 'bulgy bit of belly' (seen in 2017) While acknowledging her 'unglamorous' appearance in the show may be surprising to some viewers, she said she turned down director Craig Zobel's offer to edit out 'a bulgy bit of belly.' 'Dont you dare,' she recalled telling him after he assured her the angle wouldn't air. Additionally, she raised eyebrows for sending back the series' promo poster twice 'because it was too retouched' and she knows how 'many lines' she really has by the sides of her eyes. Unfiltered: The 45-year-old Oscar winner said her character is 'a fully functioning, flawed woman with a body and a face that moves in a way that is synonymous with her age' 'I think we're starved of that a bit,' she said of the scarcity of unfiltered and realistic female bodies on film and television during an interview with the New York Times Winslet, who turns 46 in four months, also noted her 'days are getting a little bit numbered of doing nudity.' 'I'm just not that comfortable doing it anymore. It's not even really an age thing, actually. There comes a point where people are going to go, 'Oh, here she goes again,' she explained to the outlet. Previously, the actress said she got 'very fit' for the role since she had to do 'a lot of running' in the show. No retouching: While acknowledging her 'unglamorous' appearance in the show may be surprising to some viewers, she said she turned down director Craig Zobel's offer to edit out 'a bulgy bit of belly' 'It's nice to sense that Mare was once strong in her youth, but I didn't want to make her an impossible, superhuman forty-something-year-old,' she told Emmy Magazine last month. She added: 'Mostly women aren't like that. We do what we can in the midst of the juggle of everything else.' As for the possibility of her returning to play Detective Mare Sheehan again, the star told TV Line she would love the opportunity. Taking a stand: The star also sent back the series' promo poster twice 'because it was too retouched' and she knows how 'many lines' she actually has by the sides of her eyes No longer comfortable: Winslet, who turns 46 in four months, also noted her 'days are getting a little bit numbered of doing nudity' Hard work: Previously, the actress said she got 'very fit' for the role since she had to do 'a lot of running' in the show 'I miss her. I really do. Its the strangest thing. I feel like Im in mourning,' Winslet said. 'It was an absolutely wonderful role.' HBO is still calling Mare of Easttown a limited series, and they intend to have it compete in the Limited Series category at the Emmy Awards this year. The show follows Detective Mare Sheehan, a local Easttown detective who is investigating a young girl's murder, also starring Julianne Nicholson, Jean Smart and Angourie Rice. Australian fashion icon Carla Zampatti died in April. And the legendary designer has now been honoured at Afterpay Australian Fashion Week with organisers naming a runway after her. In a touching photo shared on Instagram on Tuesday, Carla's daughter Bianca Spender posed in front of the runway with her brother Alex and sister Allegra. Tribute: Carla Zampatti's daughter Bianca Spender (right) has responded as Fashion Week names a runway in her honour. Pictured with brother Alex (centre) and sister Allegra (left) 'Thank you so much for the honour of naming this the Carla Zampatti runway we are deeply touched,' Bianca, 42, wrote in the caption. 'Having grown up in the industry we have an incredible sense of the importance of shows. They are the moment where everything comes together and the clothes come alive. These shows take you on a journey. 'So thank you on her behalf, and while it is in her name, it is a testament to the teams that supported her throughout all her shows those at the front, and those behind the scenes that you may never see.' Bianca also said she hoped that 'by naming this runway after her, a little bit of her drive, her determination, her self belief will be part of the journey of the designers that show here'. An inspiration: Australian fashion icon Carla Zampatti died in April On March 26, the designer suffered a catastrophic injury when she fell down steps on the opening night of the opera La Traviata at Mrs Macquaries Point in Sydney. The 78-year-old was then taken to St Vincent's Hospital and died eight days later, on April 3, without ever regaining consciousness. Her designs have been worn by some of Australia's most influential women, including Princess Mary of Denmark, Australia's first female prime minister Julia Gillard, Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman and Gladys Berejiklian. Carla Zampatti's name is synonymous with Australian fashion. Strike a pose! Carla and one of her models pose together during a fashion show in 2008 The high-end designer was born in Italy and immigrated to Western Australia in 1950 when she was about eight years old. She previously said her desire to show her adopted country her talents was the driving force behind her successful career. 'Economically, socially, lifestyle - migration has been a huge benefit for this country. Story: The high-end designer was born in Italy and immigrated to Western Australia in 1950 when she was about eight years old 'This country today is an economic force and I do believe it's primarily because of the wonderful contributions that hardworking ambitious [immigrants bring].' She added: 'It's interesting coming to a new country, you're an outsider, and you want to prove to the country that has adopted you how good you are. 'That was my driving force and I do believe everyone who arrives in this country has an ambition on how they could add value to the country.' The Veronicas' Jessica and Lisa Origliasso and Shaynna Blaze will go to war on tonight's Celebrity Apprentice. In a trailer for Tuesday's episode, the pop twins are shown breaking down in tears over an issue during one of the challenges. The sisters, 36, tell producers 'we have to win this task', but The Block's interior design judge, 58, has other ideas, declaring: 'I just want to kick their a**.' Determined: The Veronicas' Jessica and Lisa Origliasso (pictured) and Shaynna Blaze will go to war on tonight's Celebrity Apprentice Tensions run high during the challenge as an emotional Jessica weeps to Lisa: 'If it's all just a big joke to people, why are we here?' In the background, Shaynna watches the drama unfold. She says: 'They may be five-foot tall but god, they are frightening.' Ready to fight: The sisters tell producers 'we have to win this task', but Shaynna (pictured) has other ideas, declaring: 'I just want to kick their a**' Drama: Tensions run high during the challenge as an emotional Jessica weeps to Lisa: 'If it's all just a big joke to people, why are we here?' 'God, they are frightening'': In the background, Shaynna watches the drama unfold 'Why would I want any of those people as friends,' Jessica adds, wiping away tears, as another contestant says in a voice over: 'The Veronicas are so p**sed at me.' The trailer then cuts to the boardroom, where the nervous-looking celebrities await their verdict - knowing two of them are going to be sent home. Lord Alan Sugar sombrely notes that backstabbing was always going to happen. Double dumping: The trailer then cuts to the boardroom, where the nervous-looking celebrities await their verdict - knowing two of them are going to be sent home Inevitable: Lord Alan Sugar sombrely notes that backstabbing was always going to happen At the end of the trailer, Lord Sugar fires two celebrities and admits it's a hard decision, saying: 'I felt like the bloke who shot Bambi.' The double elimination comes after the British billionaire, 74, made the surprising decision not to fire anyone at the end of Monday's episode. 'This goes against my principle. You're all off scot free!' he told Martha Kalifatidis, Shaynna, Josh Gibson, Camilla Franks and Michael Wipfli from the losing team. Mercy: The double elimination comes after the British billionaire, 74, made the surprising decision not to fire anyone at the end of Monday's episode The businessman said he couldn't bear the idea of sending someone home as he was so impressed by both teams in Monday's challenge. The celebrities are competing for $100,000 for their chosen charity, in addition to the money raised on the show. Celebrity Apprentice continues Tuesday at 7.30pm on Channel Nine She gave birth to her first child - a daughter named Elle - in February. And former Bachelor star Anna Heinrich took a well-deserved day off parental duties to enjoy Australian Fashion Week on Tuesday. The 34-year-old criminal lawyer showed off her incredible post-baby body in a sheer blue top and satin skirt as she sat front row at the Ginger & Smart show. Baby blues! Anna Heinrich showed off her slender post-pregnancy figure in a sheer blue top and satin skirt at Australian Fashion Week on Tuesday Anna let her chic outfit do the talking, accessorising with a Louis Vuitton handbag and simple beige heels. The brainy blonde caught up with fellow fashionistas, former E! Australia host Ksenija Lukich and model Nikki Phillips, at the event. Ksenija looked incredible in a bright yellow trench coat and thigh high boots while Nikki was edgy in peach Capri pants and a midriff-baring red sweater. Chic: Anna let her chic outfit do the talking, accessorising with a Louis Vuitton handbag and simple beige heels Anna and her husband Tim Robards recently celebrated their daughter Elle reaching six months. Anna shared an adorable insight into their home life, posting a photo to Instagram on Tim, 38, cuddled up in bed with the tot. The Bachelor star absolutely beamed as little Elle got comfortable next to her beloved dad. Glowing: The new mother opted for simple and no-fuss hair and makeup Fashionistas: The brainy blonde caught up with fellow fashionistas - former E! Australia host Ksenija Lukich and model Nikki Phillips - at the event Red hot: Nikki was edgy in peach Capri pants and a midriff-baring red sweater Aww! Anna and her husband Tim recently celebrated their daughter Elle reaching six months Anna wrote in her captioned: 'Cuddles with these two cuties #myloves'. She also shared a picture of Elle giggling while sitting in her pram. 'YOU can only celebrate SIX months once, so here it is. HAPPY SIX MONTHS ELLE. Your hair has come a long way,' she wrote. Tim also posted a sweet tribute to his daughter on Instagram, writing: '6 months with my little angel today! Being your Dadda is da bestest eva! (In my best baby voice).' Love! Anna shared an adorable photo of Elle to Instagram and gushed over her daughter Aww! 'YOU can only celebrate SIX months once, so here it is. HAPPY SIX MONTHS ELLE. Your hair has come a long way,' the criminal lawyer wrote Anna and Tim announced their daughter Elle's birth on Instagram on November 14. 'Introducing the newest addition to our family, Elle Robards,' Anna wrote, alongside a photo of herself cradling the newborn. Meanwhile, Tim also shared some sweet family pictures on his feed and said he's 'fallen in love twice all over again'. Growing family: Anna and Tim announced Elle's birth on Instagram on November 14 'I've fallen in love twice all over again with these two!!! I just love, love, love our little Elle Robards,' he wrote. He added: 'How bloody amazing!!!! I never knew my wife was a superhero... what a woman!!' Tim and Anna fell in love on The Bachelor Australia in 2013 and married in a stunning ceremony in Italy in 2018. Market Highlights According to MRFR analysis, Aortic Valve Market is expected to register a CAGR of 11.1% during the forecast period of 2019 to 2025 and held a value of USD 6,454.91 Million in 2018. GET FREE SAMPLE COPY @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/8632 An aortic valve is surgically implanted in the heart to replace a valve that has damaged due to heart valve diseases such as stenosis, regurgitation, and atresia. The replacement of damaged valves with prosthetic heart valves reduces the morbidity and mortality associated with aortic valve disorders. The growth of the global aortic valve market is boosted by various factors such as the rising geriatric population, surge in prevalence of cardiac disorders, in conjunction with the introduction of innovative products in the market. According to the Heart Valve Voice, approximately 1.5 million people over the age of 65 years are currently affected by heart valve disease in the UK, and the number is expected to increase up to 19 million by 2050. Moreover, increasing product approvals are likely to provide favorable conditions for the growth of the market. For instance, in June 2017, the US FDA granted market clearance for aortic and mitral valve-in-valve procedures using the Edwards Lifesciences Sapien 3 transcatheter heart valve (THV). However, product recalls due to safety reasons and changing regulatory landscapes are likely to hamper the growth of the market during the forecast period. Several market players currently dominate the global aortic valve market. The key players are engaged in product launches and strategic collaborations to strengthen their market positions. Regional Analysis The market has been divided, by region, into the Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East & Africa. The Americas held the maximum share in the base year 2018, owing to the presence of established key players in countries such as the US and Canada. The aortic valve market in the Americas has further been branched into North America and Latin America, with the North American market is further divided into the US and Canada. The European aortic valve market has been categorized as Western Europe and Eastern Europe. The Western European market has been classified as Germany, France, the UK, Italy, Spain, and the rest of Western Europe. The aortic valve market in Asia-Pacific has been segmented into Japan, China, India, South Korea, Australia, and the rest of Asia-Pacific. The aortic valve market in this region is anticipated to be the fastest growing during the assessment period due to the booming geriatric population, rising prevalence of cardiovascular diseases, and favorable government initiatives for disease treatment. The aortic valve market in the Middle East & Africa has been divided into the Middle East and Africa. Aortic Valve Market Segmentation The Global Aortic Valve Market has been segmented based on Type of Valve, Suture, Surgery, and End User. The market, based on valve type, has been divided into mechanical and biological. The mechanical valve segment is likely to be the largest due to the high adoption of mechanical valves in replacement procedures. The biological valves segment is predicted to be the fastest-growing due to the increasing awareness about the advantages of biological valves in replacement procedures. Magna Ease (Edwards Lifesciences Corporation), Hancock II (Medtronic), Trifecta (Abbott) are some of the well-known biological valves brands currently present in the market. READ MORE @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/aortic-valve-market-8632 The Global Aortic Valve Market has been segmented, based on the surgery type, into minimally invasive surgery and open surgery. The minimally invasive surgery segment is further divided into transfemoral, transaortic implantation, transapical, and trans-subclavian. It is expected to hold majority share of the market owing to shorter hospital stay, less pain, and faster recovery as compared to open-heart surgery. The end users of the market are hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers. The hospital segment is likely to hold the maximum share during the forecast period Former Home and Away star Jodi Gordon turned heads on day two of Afterpay Australian Fashion Week in Redfern, Sydney, on Tuesday. The actress and model, 36, donned a tan Oroton pantsuit as she posed for photos before the day's runway showcase at Carriageworks. She later documented the catwalk on Instagram. Bronze goddess! Former Home and Away star Jodi Gordon turned heads on day two of Afterpay Australian Fashion Week in Redfern, Sydney, on Tuesday Jodi accessorised with a beige handbag, also from Oroton, as well as tan and white heels with fringing on the ankle. She added a gold chain bracelet and necklace to her look, in addition to a gold ring. During the runway show, Jodi was joined in the audience by model Tahnee Atkinson. Pals: During the runway show, Jodi was joined in the audience by model Tahnee Atkinson The Australia's Next Top Model star, 29, wore a grey and white striped cropped jumper and matching maxi skirt. She also layered on a white jacket. The outing comes after reports alleged Jodi had quietly split from her boyfriend Sebastian Blackler after just six months of dating. However, a recent sighting suggests they may still be on. Striking: The actress and model, 36, donned a tan Oroton pantsuit as she posed for photos before the day's runway showcase at Carriageworks The Sunday Telegraph reported last month the couple had parted ways after the relationship 'fizzled out'. But on the same day the paper hit newsstands, they were pictured arriving at Jodi's eastern suburbs home alongside her seven-year-old daughter, Aleeia. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Jodi Gordon for comment. Romance: The outing comes after The Sunday Telegraph reported last month Jodi had quietly split from her boyfriend Sebastian Blackler after just six months of dating Kourtney Kardashian enjoyed Memorial Day with her youngest son Reign, six, and boyfriend Travis Barker, which included a pool day and inflatable water slide. While documenting her lively afternoon, the 42-year-old reality star posed for a stunning selfie in a barely-there floral bikini, which barely contained her busty assets. She could not resist showing off her surgically-enhanced cleavage in the sexy snap, as she lived it up with her nearest and dearest and her beau. Bombshell: Kourtney Kardashian enjoyed a fun-filled Memorial Day with her youngest son Reign, six, and boyfriend Travis Barker, which included a pool day and inflatable water slide 'Happy weekend,' the mother-of-three captioned a series of pictures with her man and little boy, who appeared to have a really close-knit relationship. Barker, 45, and the Poosh founder's little boy, Reign, appeared to be having the time of their lives as they lid down a water slide and rolled down a hill together. In addition to posting a photo of herself from behind as she served herself at a buffet by the pool, Kardashian shared a snap of a note from one of her littles ones, which read: 'I would like a toy please and I want to fly' in green marker. On his own account, the Blink-182 drummer could be seen climbing up the inflatable slide as he raced against Reign as Kourtney's eight-year-old daughter, Penelope, watched from the side. Goofing around: While documenting her lively afternoon, the 42-year-old reality star posed for a stunning selfie in a barely-there floral bikini, which barely contained her busty assets 'Happy weekend,' the mother-of-three captioned a series of pictures with her man and little boy, who appeared to have a close-knit relationship Blissful: Barker, 45, and the Poosh founder's little boy, Reign, appeared to be having the time of their lives as they lid down a water slide and rolled down a hill together Barker also appeared to go for an impromptu dip in the water as he splashed around wearing a pair of black jeans and boxer briefs. Over the long holiday weekend, Kourtney rolled around in the grass, likely right outside of Kris Jenner's palatial Palm Springs compound, with her son. On Sunday, she took to Instagram later in the evening to boast about Barker's impressive braiding skills post shower. A source close to the brunette beauty who also shares her son Mason, 11, with ex Scott Disick recently told E! News: 'Kourtney has become very close with Travis' kids recently, especially when it comes to Alabama.' Fun times: The Blink-182 drummer could be seen climbing up the inflatable slide as he raced against Reign as Kourtney's eight-year-old daughter, Penelope, watched from the side A source close to the brunette beauty who also shares her son Mason, 11, with ex Scott Disick recently told E! News : 'Kourtney has become very close with Travis' kids recently, especially when it comes to Alabama' Palm Springs: Travis is a father to Alabama and Landon, 17, with his ex-wife Shanna Moakler, and also co-parents her daughter Atiana, 21, from a previous relationship with Oscar De La Hoya Travis is a father to Alabama and Landon, 17, with his ex-wife Shanna Moakler, and also co-parents her daughter Atiana, 21, from a previous relationship with Oscar De La Hoya. And even though he's only been dating Kourtney for a few months, she's already proven to be a 'huge support system' for the teenage duo. By contrast, Alabama recently discussed her relationship with Shanna in a candid post on social media, suggesting she's not an 'amazing mom.' She wrote on Instagram: 'My mom has never completely been in my life. Can you guys stop painting her out to be an amazing mom?' Yum! She posted a photo of herself from behind as she served herself at a buffet by the pool Funny: Kardashian also shared a snap of a note from one of her littles ones, which read: 'I would like a toy please and I want to fly' in a green marker But Shanna, 46, subsequently hit back at the suggestion, insisting she's doing her best for her children amid difficult circumstances. She said in a statement to People: 'Co-parenting is hard, but I have always and will continue to prioritize my children's happiness and well-being.' Shanna later went to TMZ where she thanked the Kardashians for 'destroying my family, twice' after she claimed Kim slept with Travis. Helping hand: On Sunday, she took to Instagram to boast about Barker's impressive braiding skills post shower She's no Mariah Carey, but that didn't stop Martha Kalifatidis from having a diva moment on day two of Australian Fashion Week in Sydney on Tuesday. The Married At First Sight bride, 33, raised eyebrows among the celebrity guests at Carriageworks when she snubbed a reporter who politely asked her for an interview. Martha flipped the bird at the journalist and accused them of writing 'mean stories' about her, before rolling her eyes at event photographers. Meltdown: She's no Mariah Carey, but that didn't stop Martha Kalifatidis from having a diva moment on day two of Australian Fashion Week in Sydney on Tuesday While Martha's coverage in the media isn't always positive, most people would agree she's done fairly well for herself in the two years since starring on MAFS. The attention she has received on news websites such as Daily Mail Australia has no doubt helped her become one of the country's most in-demand influencers. After losing her temper with the young reporter, the reality star rolled her eyes at photographers and huffed when asked to pose for pictures. She also showed up just five minutes before the runway show began - even though guests were required to arrive at least 30 minutes early. Prima donna: The Married At First Sight bride, 33, raised eyebrows among the celebrity guests at Carriageworks when she snubbed a reporter who politely asked her for an interview Biting the hand that feeds: Martha flipped the bird at the journalist and accused them of writing 'mean stories' about her, before rolling her eyes at event photographers Meanwhile, the self-proclaimed 'Kmart Kardashian' suffered a rather unfortunate wardrobe fail while attending Tuesday's fashion showcase. Looking very busty in an oversized shirt and matching skirt co-ord, she almost spilled out of her top. However, the Celebrity Apprentice star didn't seem bothered by her fashion mishap as she mingled with other A-list arrivals. Perk up, Martha! While Martha's coverage in the media isn't always positive, most people would agree she's done fairly well for herself in the two years since starring on MAFS Peek-a-boob! Meanwhile, the self-proclaimed 'Kmart Kardashian' suffered a rather unfortunate wardrobe fail while attending Tuesday's fashion showcase. Pictured with Michael Brunelli Martha's eyebrow-raising display comes two years after her infamous 'elbowgate' saga, which began at the Logie Awards on June 30, 2019. The morning after the ceremony, Sunrise host David 'Kochie' Koch accused Martha of elbowing him in the ribs and being 'pushy' while trying to get to the media wall. She strongly denied any wrongdoing, but did acknowledge she may have accidentally bumped into someone. Making headlines: Martha's eyebrow-raising display comes two years after her infamous 'elbowgate' saga, which began at the Logie Awards on June 30, 2019 Jesse Metcalfe and girlfriend Corin Jamie-Lee Clark stocked up on provisions during a Memorial Day outing to a grocery store in Los Angeles. The 42-year-old actor kept it casual in a black Harley-Davidson T-shirt and cut-off denim shorts along with orange sneakers. Jesse accessorized with a watch and bracelet and had black sunglasses dangling from his shirt collar. Stocking up: Jesse Metcalfe and girlfriend Corin Jamie-Lee Clark stocked up on provisions during a Memorial Day outing to a grocery store in Los Angeles He also covered his mouth and nose with a blue medical mask amid the waning coronavirus pandemic. The Desperate Housewives star was accompanied by Corin, 28, who stepped out in a short-sleeved yellow top, denim cut-off shorts and red boots. Jesse and Corin climbed into his green and white 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS muscle car after loading up their groceries. It was recently reported that Jesse has joined Bruce Willis, 66, and Chad Michael Murray, 39, in the new action trilogy titled The Fortress. Cut-off shorts: The 42-year-old actor kept it casual in a black Harley-Davidson T-shirt and cut-off denim shorts along with orange sneakers Production began in early May in Puerto Rico with the first two films being shot back-to-back, according to Deadline. The story centers around a 'top-secret resort for retired US intelligence officers,' which gets breached by a group of daring criminals lead by Balzary, played by Chad. The group targets a retired officer named Robert, played by Bruce, who is forced into action along with his son, portrayed by Jesse. Muscle car: Corin climbed into his green and white 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS muscle car after loading up their groceries Jesse and Corin made their relationship Instagram official back in December 2020. He was previously engaged to Cara Santana, 36, but they split in January 2020. Jesse competed on season 29 of Dancing With The Stars in 2020 and finished in 12th place with pro partner Sharna Burgess, 35. She is usually seen sauntering down the catwalk. But this week model Samantha Harris opted to attend Australian Fashion Week as a spectator. The 30-year-old was seated front row at the annual event on Tuesday. Biker chic! Model Samantha Harris rocked a leather motorcycle jacket and a bright red Prada handbag as she attended Australian Fashion Week at Carriageworks on Tuesday The Indigenous beauty opted for a casual look, rocking a leather motorcycle jacket and a pair of cropped jeans. She also wore a tiger print T-shirt and a pair of matching animal print loafers. But her most standout accessory was by far her shiny red leather Prada handbag, which she toted in the crook of her arm. Samantha showed off her natural beauty by wearing barely any makeup and had her locks down and around her shoulders. Natural beauty: Samantha showed off her natural beauty by wearing barely any makeup and had her locks down and around her shoulders The Aussie stunner is usually joined by her husband Luke Hunt at events, but this time attended Fashion Week solo. The former Dancing With The Stars contestant famously stuck by her beau's side after he was sentenced to four years in prison, of which he served two years, for the death of a grandfather following a fatal car crash in 2012. Samantha secretly married Luke in 2014, two months before he began serving his prison sentence for his involvement in the crash that caused the death of 78-year-old grandfather Kenneth Lay. News that the couple had married wasn't revealed until April 2016, after her husband had finished serving his prison term. The lovebirds chose not to make an announcement at the time out of respect for the Lay family. Married At First Sight's Beck Zemek has made her first public appearance with boyfriend Ben Mitchell. The reality TV villain and her beau stepped out for premiere of The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It in Perth on Monday. The 28-year-old showed off her toned midriff in a white midriff top and a pair of three-quarter length jeans. Stepping out: Married At First Sight's Beck Zemek has made her first public appearance with boyfriend Ben Mitchell. The pair attended a movie premiere in Perth on Monday She also flaunted a hint of cleavage in the top, which featured a keyhole cut-out in the middle. Beck wasn't the only reality star there, with former Bachelorette runner-up Todd King attending with his girlfriend. Meanwhile, Beck is currently focused on her post-MAFS career as a social media influencer. After signing with a talent agency in Perth, the blonde beauty has started booking endorsements with brands like Booby Tape and BooHoo clothing. Public display: Beck wasn't the only reality star there, with former Bachelorette runner-up Todd King attending with his girlfriend Boohoo is known for using influencer marketing to sell its affordable range of clothes to young female consumers. 'Success comes to those who have the willpower to win over their snooze buttons,' she captioned a recent post. Beck has also launched a separate Instagram account focused on food and gut health. Despite her success on Instagram thus far, it's unclear if she has actually resigned from her pre-fame job as a manager at a 'growing company' in Perth. Beck was 'married' to Jake Edwards on the most recent season of MAFS, but the pair split up by the time the reunion was filmed. On Sunday night viewers watched as MasterChef Australia contestant Pete Campbell narrowly escaped elimination. While he ended up getting past the judges with his 'interesting' tasting quail, his journey towards choosing the bird was entertaining in itself. During the MasterChef challenge, Pete had to decide which meat was quail when faced with a variety of options. Puzzling: On Sunday, a MasterChef Australia challenge left fans AND contestant Pete Campbell [pictured] completely stumped 'There's a few different birds there, I know which one is a quail,' he confidently said to begin with. But it wasn't long before the Pete was forced to admit, 'I really don't know my game.' Although he pulled through and plated up what appeared to be a good-looking bird in the end, things weren't as dandy for Pete. Confident at first: 'There's a few different birds there, I know which one is a quail,' he confidently said to begin with The happy-go-lucky contestant was shocked when the judges told him his quail was well cooked, however it needed more seasoning. He was also hit hard when judges suggested that the dipping sauce he made was overpoweringly fruity. After the show aired, Pete posted a picture of the completed meal, fittingly captioning it: 'Me and this dish arent talking.' Food for thought: After the show aired, Pete posted a picture of the completed meal, fittingly captioning it: 'Me and this dish arent talking.' Pete's quail drama comes after it was revealed former MasterChef judges Matt Preston, George Calombaris and Gary Mehigan will reunite for a good cause: raising money for India amid the country's deadly wave of Covid-19. The celebrity chefs announced the initiative via a joint Instagram video on Monday. Gary, 54, appealed directly to his Instagram followers, citing India's 'more than 400,000 [coronavirus] cases a day and thousands dying every day'. The British-born chef urged his fans to 'join @mattscravat @gcalombaris and me and many of our friends for a massive 12 hours of delicious cooking, food and fun... 'Cooking4India is a a one of a kind live stream event via YouTube with one goal in mind....to raise as much money as we can..!' Cooking4India will be live-streamed on YouTube from 3pm on Saturday, 19 June. The plea comes just days after Channel 10 revealed Celebrity MasterChef would be returning to screens after a 12-year hiatus. MasterChef Australia continues Wednesday at 7.30pm on Channel 10 18 months after theaters closed around the world due to COVID-19, Lily Collins returned to the movie theater. The 32-year-old daughter of Phil Collins and actress Jill Tavelman took to her Instagram story on Monday afternoon, sharing a snap inside a movie theater. 'First movie theater in 18 months,' she said in the caption of her Instagram story post, though she did not reveal what movie she went out to see. Movie return: 18 months after theaters closed around the world due to COVID-19, Lily Collins returned to the movie theater First theater: 'First movie theater in 18 months,' she said in the caption of her Instagram story post, though she did not reveal what movie she went out to see Collins has been in Paris since early this month to film the second season of the Netflix series Emily in Paris. It isn't clear what movie theater Collins visited for her first trip back to the cinema in a year and a half. Filming is expected to continue until mid-July, with production taking place in Paris and on location in Saint-Tropez and other French locales. New season: Collins has been in Paris since early this month to film the second season of the Netflix series Emily in Paris Her movie outing also comes exactly two weeks after revealing she is fully vaccinated on her Instagram. 'Fully vaccinated and could not be happier or more relieved. We might take it for granted, but as Americans we are so beyond privileged to have access to the Covid-19 vaccines,' she began. 'Not every country has this luxury, and my heart is heavy thinking about those communities who are still struggling to keep each other safe and healthy. I urge everyone who can, please get vaccinated - for the people around you, and to help this country and the world start to move forward,' she added. Vaccinated: Her movie outing also comes exactly two weeks after revealing she is fully vaccinated on her Instagram 'If 2020 showed us anything its that we are all more connected than ever and its not just about us as individuals, but all of us as a whole, looking out for each other and doing the right thing. Sending love and light to you all,' she continued. The series follows Emily Cooper, an ambitious twenty-something marketing executive from Chicago, unexpectedly lands her dream job in Paris when her company acquires a French luxury marketing company - and she is tasked with revamping their social media strategy. The show is described as following Emily's 'intoxicating adventures and surprising challenges as she juggles winning over her work colleagues, making friends, and navigating new romances.' Connected: 'If 2020 showed us anything its that we are all more connected than ever and its not just about us as individuals, but all of us as a whole, looking out for each other and doing the right thing. Sending love and light to you all,' she continued Collins returns as the title character alongside Ashley Park as Mindy Chen, Lucas Bravo as Gabriel, Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu as Sylvie Grateau. This season will also bring a slew of new characters and cast members, who were announced by Netflix last week. Jeremy O. Harris has signed on to play an, 'iconic fashion designer, while Lucien Laviscount plays, 'a Brit who gets under Emilys skin before she starts to like sarcastic charm,' while Arnaud Binard guest stars as the, 'party boy owner of a popular Saint Tropez nightclub.' She just celebrated turning 40. And Australian model Tina Louise proved she simply gets better with age as she showcased her sensational figure on Tuesday. The blonde bombshell shared an image of herself clad in skimpy blue lingerie set while standing in a bedroom. Wowsers! Aussie model Tina Louise showed off her insane figure in racy lingerie on Tuesday following her 40th birthday celebrations in Costa Rica The beauty put her sensational tattoo collection on display as she posed next to a dresser and a large houseplant. Tina let the raunchy photo speak for itself by choosing not to caption the heavily filtered snap. It comes after the tattooed bombshell showcased her curves on a trip to Costa Rica to celebrate turning 40. Glamazon: Tina also flaunted her curves as she celebrated turning 40 in Costa Rica last month Tina looked like she's still the life of the party as she donned a bikini and jumped in a pool for the shoot. She frolicked in the pool while celebrating alongside a female friend at the stunning location. 'Birthday trip,' she wrote, adding the hashtag #costarica. Tina confirmed her relationship with Selling Sunset's Brett Oppenheim in April when they went Instagram official on holiday. Rock it: The Australian model proved she's still the life of the party as she donned a bikini and jumped in a pool for the shoot for her birthday The swimsuit-clad duo looked playful as they strolled along the golden sand in photos shared to Instagram. It's unclear how long they have been a couple. The social media star's outing came not long after she pulled the plug on her fling with ex Brian Austin Green. Time to party: Tina looked sensational as she frolicked in the pool while celebrating alongside a female friend at the stunning location The former couple were first linked in May 2020 after the actor separated from his estranged wife Megan Fox. In October, Tina was spotted making out with rap mogul Sean Combs on a Malibu beach, but it's unclear if they were ever an official item. Tina hasn't spoken about her past high-profile relationships. She's been busy promoting her directional debut, Rare Beasts. And Billie Piper was seen spending some time with her daughter, Tallulah, two, as she stepped out cradling the little girl on her hip on Monday. The actress, 38, cut a casual figure in a slouchy pink jumper which she teamed with a pair of wide-legged white jeans and Nike sliders. Cuddled up! Billie Piper was seen spending some time with her daughter, Tallulah, two, as she stepped out cradling the little girl on her hip on Monday The I Hate Suzie star wore her brunette locks snatched back into a bun, and opted for soft touches of make-up. She shielded her eyes from the sun in a pair of round shades, while also accessorising with a colourful beaded bracelet. Tallulah looked adorable in a black hoodie with leggings and Adidas trainers. Stepping out: The actress, 38, cut a casual figure in a slouchy pink jumper which she teamed with a pair of wide-legged white jeans and Nike sliders Low-key: The I Hate Suzie star wore her brunette locks snatched back into a bun, and opted for soft touches of make-up Billie was later seen toting a bottle of boxed Champagne under her arm as she stepped out without her little one. The outing comes after she put on a loved-up display with her beau Johnny Lloyd as he took to Instagram to share the hilarious snaps they took in a photo booth. The couple, who first started dating in 2017, shared a kiss in one of the fun snaps as Johnny praised the actress following the long-awaited release of her passion project. Solo: Billie was later seen toting a bottle of boxed Champagne under her arm as she stepped out without her little one Glam: Billie sported a stylish maroon French tip manicure on her nails and a band on her ring finger In the collection of snaps, Billie and Johnny struck a pair of fun poses before leaning in for a kiss together. Clearly proud of his girlfriend following Rare Beasts' release, which was marked with a screening at the Everyman Broadgate theatre on Friday, Johnny penned the caption: 'What a week #rarebeasts.' The former frontman of The Tribes also supported Billie at the film's red carpet gala screening last week, which saw a star-studded turnout including Jenna Coleman and Emilia Clarke. Details: She shielded her eyes from the sun in a pair of round shades, while also accessorising with a colourful beaded bracelet Sweet: The outing comes after she put on a loved-up display with her beau Johnny Lloyd as he took to Instagram to share the hilarious snaps they took in a photo booth Billie directed and stars in as single mum Mandy in Rare Beasts, who is navigating her failed love story with Pete [Leo Bill]. The star's character is said to be a modern woman in a crisis who is also trying to raise her son, Larch )Toby Woolf) in the midst of a female revolution. Mandy is also seen mining the pain of her parents' separation when she falls upon a troubled man, Pete, who is searching for belonging and 'restored' male identity. Rare Beasts was written back in 2012 when Billie was pregnant with her second son, Eugene, who she shares with her ex husband Laurence Fox. Watch I Hate Suzie exclusively on Stan in Australia. Hemoglobinopathies Market Research Report 2020 and Industry Analysis by Type (Thalassemia (Alpha Thalassemia, Beta Thalassemia), Sickle Cell Disease and other Hb Variant Diseases), Treatment (Stem-cell Transplantation, Blood Transfusions, Analgesics, Antibiotics, ACE inhibitors, Hydroxyurea), End User (Hospitals & Clinics, Diagnostics Laboratories and others) Global Forecast till 2025 Hemoglobinopathies Market Overview: Market Research Future (MRFR) recently revealed that the global hemoglobinopathies market is making significant progress from its previous valuation of USD 5800 million in 2018 and in the forecast period of 2019 to 2025, it could reach a 10.2% CAGR. The report also included several factors like growing patient awareness regarding the disease, increasing market contributions made by various players and governments to boost the research funding, the inclusion of top-class technologies, the growing prevalence of diseases like thalassemia, and others can boost the global market surge. However, this growth can be deterred by unhygienic and poor healthcare structures in various developing and underdeveloped regions. Get a FREE Sample with Complete TOC @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/8098 Hemoglobinopathies Market Segmentation: The global hemoglobinopathies market report has several segments like treatment, type, and end users. These segmental studies are loaded with various figures gathered from an understanding of the factors and market dynamics. A close analysis of these would ensure better market understanding and would assist in better development of strategies. By type, the global market for hemoglobinopathies can be segmented into sickle cell disease, thalassemia, and other Hb variant diseases. The Thalassemia segment further encompasses alpha-thalassemia and beta-thalassemia. The sickle cell disease segment has the opportunity to control the largest market share. By treatment, the global study of the market includes blood transfusions, analgesics, stem-cell transplantation, ACE inhibitors, antibiotics, and hydroxyurea. The blood transfusion segment is controlling a substantial part of the global market as its reach is penetrating in several associated treatments. By end user, the global market for the hemoglobinopathies can be segmented into diagnostics laboratories, hospitals and clinics, and others. The hospitals & clinics segment would gain traction as their superlative infrastructure and demand from patients back up the growth. Hemoglobinopathies Market Regional Analysis: The Americas has the opportunity to control the global market as the regional market is fetching the maximum market revenue. This region would benefit from the presence of countries like the US and Canada in the northern part. Their superlative infrastructure would help the market in ensuring decent growth. At the same time, a high number of sickle cell disease patients would influence market growth. In Europe, this growth in the market would be similar. Both these regions are expected to garner revenues by launching latest innovations to speed up processes and increasing their research-related funding. In the Asia Pacific region, overhauling healthcare structures in several countries could boost global growth. Growing awareness regarding several diseases associated with the therapies and increasing funding from government and private bodies are expected to promote growth. In addition, top players are targeting the region to explore various growth possibilities and expand their business. Hemoglobinopathies Market Competitive Landscape: Global Hemoglobinopathies Market depends on various strategic details launched by eminent players like Global Blood Therapeutics, Bluebird Bio Inc., Sanofi, Sangamo Therapeutics Inc., Prolong Pharmaceuticals, Emmaus Life Sciences Inc., Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Gamida Cell, Celgene Corporation, Mast Therapeutics, HemaQuest Pharmaceuticals, Acceleron Pharma, and Invenux. These market players are making notable contributions by launching several tactics like mergers, acquisitions, increasing investments in research and development facilities, and others. MRFRs listing highlights recent moves to facilitate understanding of the market progress. Hemoglobinopathies Industry News: In March 2020, IMARA Inc. announced the pricing of their 4,700,000 shares, which they would soon launch. The company has made a name for itself in the pharmaceutical sector by developing drugs to combat hemoglobin disorders. The novel therapies used for the treatment are known as hemoglobinopathies and the company has substantial expertise in such endeavors. OBTAIN PREMIUM RESEARCH REPORT DETAILS @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/hemoglobinopathies-market-8098 Related Reports Astigmatism Market Research Report- Global Forecast to 2027 Keratoacanthoma Market Research Report- Global Forecast to 2027 Bone Pain Treatment Market Research Report- Global Forecast To 2027 About Market Research Future: At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services. MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by Components, Application, Logistics and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions. She is never one to shy away from the camera. And Sophie Kasaei set pulses racing as she posed for a sizzling lingerie snap she shared on Monday. The Geordie Shore star, 31, left almost nothing to the imagination as she donned black lingerie with a sheer detail. Wow: Sophie Kasaei set pulses racing as she posed for a sizzling lingerie snap she shared on Monday The two piece highlighted Sophie's incredible figure while she also wore a black cap and a pair of white trainers. Styling her brunette locks into a ponytail, the reality star also donned an eye-catching silver necklace. Displaying her sun-kissed hue, Sophie wrote alongside the snap: 'Tastes like pineapple'. Sophie is currently holidaying in Portugal alongside her Geordie Shore pals Chloe Ferry and Bethan Kershaw. Abroad: Sophie is currently holidaying in Portugal alongside her Geordie Shore pals Chloe Ferry and Bethan Kershaw Dubai lifestyle: Sophie was among a host of reality stars and influencers who took 'working' trips to Dubai while the UK was plunged into another COVID-19 lockdown Sophie was among a host of reality stars and influencers who took 'working' trips to Dubai as the UK was plunged into another COVID-19 lockdown. The reality star previously enjoyed a sun-soaked trip to Dubai before returning home to spend Christmas with her loved ones. But she returned to the celeb-favourite city to wave in the New Year alongside her reality star pals, including Chloe and Bethan. Sophie first revealed her return to the UK from Dubai by sharing a video on her Instagram Stories from her home, which was still adorned with Christmas decorations. The TV star revealed it was her 'karma' to return to a fully-decorated house as she admitted she doesn't even like. Sofia Vergara looked picture perfect in a clinging turquoise dress as she enjoyed a sunny Memorial Day with family and friends. The Modern Family star, 48, showcased her enviable figure in a series of snaps she posted on Instagram on Monday. She commanded attention in the bright coloured dress as she posed for pictures with her dog Bubbles and wished her 21.7million followers a 'Happy Memorial Day Weekend'. Picture perfect: Sofia Vergara, 48, stunned in a clinging turquoise dress as she enjoyed a sunny Memorial Day with family and friends and her dog Bubbles (pictured) on Instagram on Monday Sofia was joined by her smouldering husband Joe Manganiello, 44, son Manolo, 29, and some friends to commemorate Memorial Day in their sprawling back yard. Memorial Day honors those who have fallen during military action in the United States. The actress wore a chunky turquoise necklace to match the dress and styled her long tresses straight and down the centre. Making the most of the sunshine, Sofia took the opportunity to get a sultry snap of herself sipping some wine beside the pool. Commanding attention: The Modern Family star showcased her enviable figure in the bright coloured dress as she enjoyed her day sipping on wine beside the pool Chic: The actress wore a chunky turquoise necklace to match the dress and styled her long tresses straight and down the centre Captioning the picture, she wrote: 'So ready for my favorite time of the year! Ready for sun dresses, sunblock and [cocktail emoji].' As always, she showcased her natural beauty, wearing a pared-down makeup look with a light pink lipstick to complete it. Sofia later took to her Stories to share a clip of herself dancing barefoot with a drink her hand. Joe, who opted for a casual shorts and T-shirt look, was pictured cooking up a storm on the barbecue before the couple and their guests tucked into the spread they had put on, pausing to take a group photograph. Quality time: Sofia was joined by her smouldering husband Joe Manganiello, 44, (top right) son Manolo, 29, (second from left) and some friends to commemorate Memorial Day in their sprawling back yard Chef: Joe, who opted for a casual shorts and T-shirt look, was pictured cooking up a storm on the barbecue under the watchful eye of the couple's dogs Joe and Sofia have been married since 2015, tying the knot at the Palm Beach resort The Breakers which is an historic hot spot for high society parties. The sitcom diva has a son named Manolo, 29, by her first husband Joe Gonzalez who had been her high school sweetheart in her native Colombia. Modern Family made stars out of its cast particularly Sofia whom Forbes ranked as the world's highest-paid TV actress for several years during its run. Last year Sofia made so much money on her various projects that Forbes reported she was the world's highest paid actress in any medium. Summer fun: Sofia looked to be having the time of her life as she sipped her drink by the pool before getting up and busting a move All 11 seasons of Modern Family became available simultaneously on both Hulu and Peacock beginning this February 3 less than a year after airing its finale. Modern Family enjoyed its long 250-episode broadcast run on ABC which has the same parent company as Hulu - Disney. Meanwhile Peacock is the streaming arm of NBCUniversal which of course own's one of ABC's main broadcast rivals ABC. Disney and NBCUniversal have struck a multiple-year deal that has allowed for both company's streamers to share the program, according to The Hollywood Reporter. He is one of the most successful UFC stars of all time. And Conor McGregor has been sharing his success with his nearest and dearest as he bought his niece Taylor a Range Rover for her 20th birthday. Taylor said she was 'forever grateful' to her uncle, whose net worth is reportedly around 181million, for the gift as she shared snaps of herself posing alongside her swanky new set of wheels which are thought to cost around 32,115. Gift: Conor McGregor has been sharing his success with his nearest and dearest as he bought his niece Taylor a Range Rover for her 20th birthday The Dublin native, who is the daughter of Conor's sister Erin, proudly held up her new car keys as she beamed at the camera. Alongside the snaps, she wrote: 'My dream car at 20 @thenotoriousmma 'Thanks for bringing me on this crazy journey with you Im forever grateful for everything you do for me '. It comes after Conor announced he's a dad once again in May, after his fiancee Dee Devlin gave birth to their third child, a son called Rian. Generous: Taylor said she was 'forever grateful' to her uncle Conor for the gift UFC champ McGregor, 32, took to Instagram to make the announcement and shared a snap of himself posing with his new bundle of joy. Captioning the adorable snap, he wrote: 'The McGregor Clan is now a family of 5 Healthy baby boy delivered! Baby and Mammy Wonder Woman are doing great! 'God I thank you for everything you give to me and my family in this world. My new born son, Rian McGregor .' Late last year, McGregor announced Dee's pregnancy as he posted a picture of the family clad in matching Christmas pyjamas holding an ultrasound scan. She wrote: 'Thanks for bringing me on this crazy journey with you Im forever grateful for everything you do for me ' The Irish mixed martial artist uploaded the snap alongside longtime love Dee, 33, and their two children on Instagram. He captioned the picture: 'Happy Christmas everyone, from my family to yours. So much to look forward to in 2021'. The retired MMA fighter has two older children son Conor Junior, who turned four last month, and daughter Croia, two. It's a boy! It comes after Conor announced he's a dad once again in May, after his fiancee Dee Devlin gave birth to their third child, a son called Rian In the picture, the family posed in front of Christmas decorations with their dog to show off their new arrival. The elder of the two children appeared to be holding the scan picture as the family beamed at the news. The couple announced their engagement on August 8 after being in a relationship for 12 years. Ross Kemp appeared less than impressed when Good Morning Britain host quizzed him on whether he was planning a return to EastEnders. The presenter and actor, 56, shut down the show's host and told him it 'wasn't his decision to make', as he questioned a possible return to Albert Square. Ross appeared on the programme via video link to encourage viewers to raise a glass to volunteers to thank them for their efforts throughout the pandemic. Shut down: Ross Kemp appeared less than impressed when Good Morning Britain host quizzed him on whether he was planning a return to EastEnders During the chat, Ross told Adil and co-host Ranvir Singh that the event which takes place at 5pm on July 4 would be the UK's 'biggest ever' thank you party. After discussing the initiative, Adil was keen to know what was coming next for Ross, as he asked if he would soon be making a return to acting. Adil said: 'It's been amazing watching your career, fantastic documentaries. Unimpressed: The presenter and actor, 56, shut down the show's host and told him it 'wasn't his decision to make', as he questioned a possible return to Albert Square 'I want to ask you though, bit similar to my career, I did a bit of presenting and also acting, but I haven't seen you act for a while, have you put that on the back burner? 'Are you looking at scripts? Could we see you on our screen acting again very soon?' Ross replied: 'All I will say you know, I've got a mortgage to pay like everybody else... so whatever comes my way.' Good work: Ross appeared on the programme via video link to encourage viewers to raise a glass to volunteers to thank them for their efforts throughout the pandemic Adil added: 'So you could be back on Albert Square, if it's the right script, the right role? Who knows...' 'Who knows, that's not my decision, that's somebody else's I have to say,' Ross replied, not looking overly enthused. Ross last appeared on the programme in 2016 for a brief stint and before that he reprised the role in 2005. Thank you! During the chat, Ross told Adil and co-host Ranvir Singh that the event which takes place at 5pm on July 4 would be the UK's 'biggest ever' thank you party He originally joined the soap in 1990 for a period of nine years as Grant Mitchell, the son of Peggy Mitchell and brother of Phil. In a new interview in March, Ross revealed that he's supporting Dame Barbara Windsor's widower Scott Mitchell, following her death. In December, Ross appeared on GMB where he emotionally discussed his final conversation with Dame Barbara days before her death. Family: Ross played Grant Mitchell, Peggy's hardman son in EastEnders (left), pictured alongside her other onscreen son, Steve McFadden, who plays Phil Mitchell, (right) The soap actor revealed that the iconic actress had wished for 'everything to be good in his life.' Recounting their last phone call, he said: 'I asked Scott [Mitchell, her husband] if she had a window because the nature of the illness is it comes and goes and as you get closer to the end, you lose more and more consciousness. 'She had a window, he rang me on a Sunday afternoon and she just turned round to me and said, "I just want everything to be good for you in your life" and that is something that will stay with me for the rest of my life.' 'She was a genuinely good person and she was very, very lucky to have someone like Scott who stayed by her side and who was a rock for her.' In December, Ross appeared on GMB where he emotionally discussed his final conversation with Dame Barbara days before her death (Pictured together in 1996) Ross, who along with Scott, has endeavoured to raise awareness around dementia and improve care for the condition, urged the government to spend more money on research. He said: 'I know we're headed for a dreadful economic time, Brexit, COVID. But bear in mind someone develops dementia every three minutes in the UK and its still considered a social care issue 'It's a medical issue which affects people mentally and slowly takes over their entire bodies. It's part of Barbara's legacy, Scott wants the government to fulfill their promise 'I would like to see a dementia tax. There is no cure, there is no vaccine and its getting worse Awareness: Both Dame Barbara and her husband campaigned to raise awareness of Alzheimer's following her diagnosis (pictured in December 2017) 'There are 850,000 people with dementia in the UK. By 2050, they estimate there will be 2million people with dementia, we need to spend more money on research and find out how to prevent this. 'Because of the friends and family around people with dementia, it's estimated because of the care they provide, they save the government in the region of 11.7billion a year'. Ross praised Barbara's intelligence and 'rapier wit' during his interview, adding: 'she'd stop and talk to every person when we'd go out for lunch. She had time for everybody. He also recalled a humorous anecdote of the pair's first ever scene together on EastEnders, revealing Barbara had thrown up due to nerves, before nailing the scene. He said: 'No-one knew who we were, she turned around and said "hold my hand dear", she said she was going to be sick, was sick and then switched it on.' Heavily pregnant Binky Felstead stepped out in a loose-fitted black jumpsuit in London on Tuesday, just days ahead of her due date. The expectant former Made In Chelsea star, 30, was spotted scrolling on her mobile phone before chatting and laughing with friends in Barnes, Richmond Upon Thames. After admitting she was struggling with the soaring British heat the day before, Binky stayed cool and comfortable in her one-piece, complete with a scooped neckline, and cream Birkenstocks. Expecting: Binky Felstead wore a loose-fitted black jumpsuit as she stepped out in London on Tuesday, just days ahead of her due date She tucked her brunette tresses up in a relaxed bun while deciding to go make-up free for the outing. Instead, Binky framed her visage with oversized tortoiseshell shades and she added a delicate touch with gold jewellery. The mother-of-one was seen clutching various leaflets and paperwork as she congregated with pals by a parking machine for a quick catch-up. Binky is set to welcome her second child, a baby boy, with fiance Max Darnton. Staying connected: The former Made In Chelsea star, 30, was spotted scrolling on her mobile phone before chatting and laughing with friends in Barnes, Richmond Upon Thames And on Monday, she suggested she was finding her 39-week bump uncomfortable in the UK heat as she lifted up her black T-shirt to show off her stomach, writing on Instagram: 'Only a few days of feeling like this,' alongside a sweltering face emoji. Posing in a bathroom mirror, Binky teamed her top with a pair of yellow shorts and sported a big smile for her social media followers, despite finding the sunshine uncomfortable. The Made In Chelsea star wore her glossy brown hair in a half-up, half-down style and rested her hand on her hip. Hours later, the mother-of-one revealed she was being treated to an early birthday dinner by Max, writing on social media: 'Max taking me out for a surprise early birthday dins.' Natural: She tucked her brunette tresses up in a relaxed bun while deciding to go make-up free for the outing Finishing touches: Instead, Binky framed her visage with oversized tortoiseshell shades and she added a delicate touch with gold jewellery She added: 'We will be a little tired with a two-week old for my actual bday evening.' (sic) Binky also shared a radiant selfie, pouting for the camera in a full face of glam and wearing her hair loose. On Saturday, the TV personality revealed her 'hospital bag is packed' as she shared another snap of her 39-week-old bump on Instagram. She counted down the days until she, Max, and her three-year-old daughter India - who she shares with ex Joshua Patterson - become a family of four. Roaring laughter: The mother-of-one was seen clutching various leaflets and paperwork as she congregated with pals by a parking machine for a quick catch-up Conversation: Binky appeared entertained as she talked to her friends who rocked athleisure wear Baby on the way: Binky is set to welcome her second child, a baby boy, with fiance Max Darnton Sweltering: And on Monday, she suggested she was finding her 39-week bump uncomfortable in the UK heat Binky protected her modesty with her right arm and let her long brown hair cascade around her shoulders. '39 weeks... very different shape bump with India!' the reality star told her followers alongside the baby bump snap. In another photo, Binky cuddled India and wrote: 'We have brought India back to Sussex, where I grew up - the hospital bag is packed and in the back of the car... just in case.' She continued: 'It was so nice bringing her to the hotel I used to work at as a waitress & we sat at the table Max & I sat at for dinner the day he proposed. 'Means so much and is so important coming back to where I had the most amazing childhood .. find it so grounding & love the fact Max "gets it" - he knows to get me back every so often! Final countdown: She lifted up her black T-shirt to show off her stomach, writing on Instagram: 'Only a few days of feeling like this,' alongside a sweltering face emoji Dinner: Hours later, the mother-of-one revealed she was being treated to an early birthday dinner by her fiance as she wrote: 'Max taking me out for a surprise early birthday dins' '39 weeks': The mother-of-one shared a snap of her 39-week-old bump in a naked mirror selfie on Instagram on Saturday as she counted down the days until they become a family of four 'Got such a gorgeous weekend planned - let's just hope the little guy is snug & pretty content staying in there until we are back in London!' Binky announced she was expecting her second child back in December. While she co-parents India with her ex and former Made In Chelsea co-star Josh, she will welcome her baby boy with her partner Max. The reality star announced she and Max were engaged last September after 19 months of dating. Cute: Binky recently enjoyed a staycation in Sussex with Max and her three-year-old daughter India, who she shares with ex Joshua Patterson She's been busy filming season two of Bridgerton and her new project, The Colour Room. And Phoebe Dynevor ensured to take some time off to rest as she kicked back and relaxed while soaking up the sunshine in London on Tuesday. The actress, 26, put on a busty display in a red top and showed off her current read, Simone De Beauvoir's The Second Sex, as she posed a snap to Instagram. Kicking back: Phoebe Dynevor put on a busty display in a plunging red top as she relaxed while soaking up the sunshine in London in a snap shared to Instagram on Tuesday Phoebe looked sensational while lounging outside on a comfortable chair with a grey cushion, holding up her phone to snap a picture of the sunbathing session. The beauty styled her bright plunging tee with some denim dungarees and a pearl necklace which boasted a chic gold clasp detail at the front. The Bridgerton star has been making the most of the warm weather and was seen cutting a relaxed figure in a Fiorucci vest and distressed jeans as she grabbed a juice in central London on Monday. Phoebe wrapped a blue jumper around her waist and wore Birkenstocks as she strolled through the capital and checked her mobile phone. Laid-back look: The Bridgerton star, 26, also cut a relaxed figure as she stepped out in a Fiorucci vest and distressed jeans to grab a juice drink in central London on Monday She shielded her eyes from the sun with tinted orange shades and she added a golden touch with different necklaces. The star, who is dating comedian Pete Davidson, swept her auburn tresses back in a sleek ponytail and appeared to wear minimal make-up for the outing. Phoebe also took to Instagram over the Bank Holiday weekend to post her current choice of reading material, as well as a behind-the-scenes snap from the project she filmed between seasons one and two of Bridgerton, The Colour Room. Snapped fully-clothed in a bath, she was dressed as iconic ceramicist Clarice Cliff whom she portrays in the Sky original, sporting a curly cropped hairdo. Outing: The actress wrapped a blue jumper around her waist and wore comfortable Birkenstocks as she strolled through the capital and checked her mobile phone While Phoebe showed fans she enjoys a thought provoking read as she revealed she's currently making her way through The Second Sex, about the treatment of women throughout history, as well as The Cost Of Living, a memoir and feminist manifesto by Deborah Levy. Last week, Phoebe was seen for the first time on the set of Bridgerton season two, filming at Ranger's House in Greenwich, London. The actress looked the picture of elegance in a regal ivory gown and matching elbow-length gloves as she climbed down the steps of the Bridgerton household and into a waiting carriage. In stark contrast, Phoebe was spotted in a dowdy baggy cardigan filming with co-stars Matthew Goode and Darci Shaw for The Colour Room over Easter. Transformation: Phoebe took to Instagram over the weekend to post a behind-the-scenes snap from the project she filmed between seasons one and two of Bridgerton, The Colour Room Literature: Phoebe took to Instagram over the weekend to post her current choice of reading material- The Second Sex and The Cost Of Living Her character, Clarice, is a vivacious young factory worker in the industrial British midlands during the 1920s. Phoebe's outing comes after she broke her silence on Bridgerton co-star Rege-Jean Page's exit from their hit Netflix series, admitting it 'put a spanner in the works'. The pair became household names after landing the roles, but Page, 31, broke hearts across the globe when he confirmed in April that he would not be reprising his role as the Duke of Hastings. Speaking about her co-star's decision on Variety's Awards Circuit podcast this week, Phoebe reflected on learning the news with just a 'bit of a heads up.' 'I knew but yeah, I guess it is a spanner,' she noted. 'But again, the show centers around the Bridgertons and there are eight books.' The actress - who became a household name over Christmas as Daphne Bridgerton on Netflix [L] - transforms into iconic ceramicist Clarice Cliff in the stunning image from her next project, The Colour Room [R] Star: Phoebe recently said co-star Rege-Jean Page's exit from the next series of Bridgerton 'put a spanner in the works' (pictured in show) The Younger star explained: 'I think maybe the fans of the books were more aware of that happening than the fans of the show. I think fans of the books know that every episode is about a different sibling.' Despite her pal's departure, she reminded listeners that the second installment of the popular period drama, based on Julia Quinn's novels and produced by Shonda Rhimes, was always set to star 'the lovely Johnny, who plays Anthony.' 'Were very much passing the baton,' the beauty said. 'Obviously its sad to to see [Page] go but Im looking forward to being reunited with my family.' Meanwhile, in her personal life, Phoebe is dating comedian Pete who reportedly fell for her after watching her raunchy love scenes on Bridgerton. The Saturday Night Live star, 27, is said to have told pals he thought the actress was 'hot as hell' over her character Daphne's intimate scenes with The Duke of Hastings. A Los Angeles based friend of Pete's told The Mirror: 'Pete just loved Bridgerton and just got totally tripped out by Phoebe. 'She was totally his type - fresh faced, youthful, innocent looking beauty. 'We all joked with him about the naughty scenes, and of course he confessed he found them hot. He binge watched the show and felt it was his destiny to meet her.' MailOnline contacted a representative for Pete Davidson for comment at the time. Alison Hammond exposed Dermot O'Leary for failing to watch her social media videos during their 'first tiff' live on-air on Tuesday. Ahead of This Morning's travel segment, the Birmingham native, 46, called out her co-host, 48, for getting 'bored' of her clips before questioning: 'Have you not got a minute of my time?' The quarrel comes after ITV production sent Alison to Madeira to film a segment on the Portugese island amid an ease in travel restrictions. Bicker: Alison Hammond exposed Dermot O'Leary for failing to watch her social media videos during their 'first tiff' live on-air on Tuesday She shared a video for Dermot to watch on the way back from the trip, in which she told the cabin crew she was Covid-19 negative, and captioned on Twitter: 'When you sneeze out loud !!' However, it failed to grasp his attention as she said on the show: I know for a fact you didnt watch the video to know that I didnt sneeze,' referring to the clip. Shifting her gaze towards the camera, she remarked: He always watches my videos but he doesnt watch until the end because he gets bored. I watch the first five seconds so I get the gist, Dermot said as he tried to defend himself. Unimpressed: Ahead of This Morning's travel segment, the Birmingham native, 46, called out her co-host, 48, for getting 'bored' of her clips before questioning: 'Have you not got a minute of my time?' Alison was not satisfied by his response as she continued: 'Thats not enough. If youre going to watch my videos, youve got to watch them until the end, babes.' How long are they all? Dermot questioned, to which she replied: Most of the time just a minute. 'Have you not got a minute of my time?' Alison said before her co-host fired back: 'Well [now] you've got two and a half hours!' 'I feel like this is our first tiff live on-the-air to the nation,' Alison continued. 'You've got to watch all my videos babe, I watch all your videos!' Jetsetter: The quarrel comes after ITV production sent Alison to Madeira to film a segment on the Portugese island amid an ease in travel restrictions Sore spot: She shared a video for Dermot to watch on the way back from the trip, in which she told the cabin crew she was Covid-19 negative, and captioned on Twitter: 'When you sneeze out loud !!' The day before, Alison revealed she is 'so worried' about getting the coronavirus vaccine due to links to blood clots. The TV presenter discussed her fears about getting vaccinated on Monday's episode of This Morning and said she was even more worried about possible side effects her son Aiden, 15, could have when he is called for the jab. Two vaccines, one manufactured by Oxford-AstraZeneca and the other by Johnson & Johnson, have been linked to rare clotting disorders, particularly among women under the age of 50. AstraZeneca's has been linked to 309 clots and 56 deaths in the UK out of 33million shots. The J&J single-dose vaccine has been linked to 28 cases in the US out of more than 10.4million shots. Criticism: However, it failed to grasp his attention as she said on the daytime show: I know for a fact you didnt watch the video to know that I didnt sneeze' Speaking to Professor Tim Spector from King's College London, Alison said: 'I'm so worried about the vaccine because I don't want to get a blood clot, I'm really enjoying this job. 'Because I'm worried about myself, I'm even more worried about my son. I don't want him to get ill from the vaccine if he wasn't going to get ill anyway.' However, Professor Spector reassured Alison that chances of a blood clot from the vaccine are low and you are more likely to get sick for several months from catching long Covid. He said: 'Your risk if you got Covid is very much more than having a blood clot which is around one in 300,000, it's extremely low. Facepalm: She added: He always watches my videos but he doesnt watch until the end because he gets bored 'You're much more likely to get long Covid and be sick for several months. For kids, we're not seeing problems with the vaccine in those countries that are doing it so far. 'We've got to make this balance between wanting to get schools back to normal. It's never going to be 100pc safe.' In Europe, some countries have stopped using AstraZeneca's jab completely, while others, including Britain, recommend that younger women get a different vaccine. It comes after data showed a growing number of people are suffering from blood clotting disorders after their second dose of AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine, when scientists originally noticed most cases were linked to the first. Fears: The day before, Alison revealed she is 'so worried' about getting the coronavirus vaccine due to links to blood clots The UK's medical regulator found 15 cases in people given their booster dose by May 12, up from six at the start of the month. So far more than 9million Britons have been given two doses of AstraZeneca's jab, meaning the extremely rare clots are occurring in around one in 600,000 people. Scientists told MailOnline it was 'disappointing' the extremely rare complication was becoming more frequent in double-jabbed patients. The clots are happening alongside abnormally low platelet levels, a condition known as thrombocytopenia. But the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency said symptoms were 'milder' and less frequent than after the first dose. As of May 12, the MHRA had spotted 294 cases of the clots in Britons given an initial injection, affecting about one in 80,000. The conditions were found to be occurring more frequently in young people, which has led to the British jab being restricted for use in under-40s. Real Housewives Of Miami alumna Lea Black is pulling up stakes from her Miami mansion in tony Star Island. The 65-year-old reality star and her husband Roy, a well-known defense lawyer, are currently asking $34million according to TMZ. Roy and Lea picked up the sprawling seven-bedroom house, which is spread across 10,636-square feet, in 2011. Off she goes: Real Housewives Of Miami alumna Lea Black is pulling up stakes from her Miami mansion in tony Star Island Side by side: The 65-year-old reality star and her husband Roy, a notorious defense lawyer, are currently asking $34 million according to TMZ; the couple are pictured in 2013 Star Island is an upscale neighborhood in Biscayne Bay known for playing host to multiple celebrity homes past and present. Famous names who live or lived there include Rosie O'Donnell, Gloria and Emilio Estefan, Shaquille O'Neal, Sean 'Diddy' Combs and Don Johnson. Along with the seven-bedroom, seven bathroom main residence there is a guest house that itself contains two bathrooms and three bedrooms. All in all the property - which comes with dock and nearly 200 feet of oceanfront - racks in at a luxurious 46,429 square feet. How the other half live: Famous names who live or lived there include Rosie O'Donnell, Gloria and Emilio Estefan, Shaquille O'Neal, Sean 'Diddy' Combs and Don Johnson Roy has become infamous as a lawyer for a clientele that has included such names as Jeffrey Epstein and William Kennedy Smith. Lea happened to be on the William Kennedy Smith jury and she met Roy the evening that the accused was acquitted of rape, according to the Sun Sentinel. Months later they began to date and then in 1994 - three years after the trial - they embarked on a marriage that continues to this day. Lea starred on the entire three-season run of The Real Housewives Of Miami until it was canceled in 2016 - though it is now being rebooted. Swank: Roy and Lea picked up the sprawling seven-bedroom house, which is spread across 10,636-square feet, back in 2011 The revival of the show is apparently being developed for Peacock but TMZ reported in February that Lea and her old co-star Joanna Krupa will not be part of it. Apparently Lea's decision was influenced by the fact she spends part of her time across the country at her Los Angeles home. Although she and Roy have listed the Star Island property they also retain two homes in Florida - one in Miami and another in the Florida Keys. Alessandra Ambrosio turned 40 years old in April but time does not seem to keep up with this Brazilian supermodel. On Monday the leggy wonder - who has two children with ex Jamie Mazur - showed off her long, lean legs and sculpted arms as she put her abs on display while in an orange bikini from her own GAL Floripa swimwear line she launched with her sister and best friend. The cover girl said she was at the Montage in Los Cabos, Mexico, which has a special place in her heart. Hola! Alessandra Ambrosio turned 40 years old earlier this year but time does not seem to keep up with this Brazilian supermodel. On Monday the leggy wonder - who has two children with ex Jamie Mazur - showed off her long, lean legs and sculpted arms as she put her abs on display while in an orange bikini At ease: The cover girl said she was at the Montage in Los Cabos, Mexico, which has a special place in her heart The resort looked stunning with views of the sea and a large swimming pool with rocks all around it. 'Today in celebration of the 3 year anniversary of @montageloscabos, I am sending one lucky follower to one of my favorite resorts for a three night stay in a luxurious suite, one dinner for two at Mezcal, two signature Spa Montage 60-Minute Massages and a selection of summer essentials from @galfloripa,' she said to her Instagram followers. The star, who is dating Richard Lee, shared three photos from the location: two were in the water as she cooled down and one was out where she put her frame on display. Floating fun: 'Today in celebration of the 3 year anniversary of @montageloscabos, I am sending one lucky follower to one of my favorite resorts for a three night stay in a luxurious suite, one dinner for two at Mezcal, two signature Spa Montage 60-Minute Massages and a selection of summer essentials from @galfloripa,' she said to her Instagram followers The lingerie model, who goes by Ale to her friends, is 5ft9in and her measurements are 34-25-35in according to her resume online. She also is said to be 121lbs and a size four dress in the US. Alessandra - who has daughter Anja Louise, aged 12, and son Noah Phoenix, aged nine - has done well with her swimwear line which has impressive sales in her native Brazil. She launched her own lifestyle brand, GAL Floripa, in March 2019 with best friend Gisele Coria and sister Aline. Before she went to Mexico: The stunner was seen in Malibu playing volleyball 'We always had this dream. We grew up in Florianopolis, which is an island south of Brazil, and swim was always like our second skin,' Ambrosio told People magazine. 'We were always in a swimsuit going from one beach to another and always wanted to have a bikini shop there one day. That was our dream when we were 18.' The star is best known for her work with Vogue magazine, Versace and Fendi brands and Victoria's Secret. That's a way to go: After working out she laid tummy down on her beach towel She became a mother for the very first time just nine months ago when she gave birth to daughter Daisy Dove Bloom. And Katy Perry not only gushed about her new life as a mother but also praised her partner Orlando Bloom for his role as a father. The 36-year-old pop megastar is featured on the cover of the summer issue of L'Officiel USA as she praised the 44-year-old actor for not only the way he treats their daughter but also how he acts as a dad to son Flynn. Scroll down for video Dynamic duo: Katy Perry not only gushed about her new life as a mother but also praised her partner Orlando Bloom for his role as a father, as they are seen in August 2019 in Hollywood Sweet: The 36-year-old pop megastar is featured on the cover of the summer issue of L'Officiel USA as she praised the 44-year-old actor for not only the way he treats their daughter but also how he acts as a dad to son Flynn Perry gushed about Orlando's relationship with the 10-year-old he shares with model Miranda Kerr as she said: 'I was able to witness him and his fatherhood. 'The way that he showed up for him and continues to show up for him, and the efforts that he makes and the distance he goes, I think thats one of the reasons I made that conscious decision. 'I was like, "Heres the father of my future children." I could see his kindness, empathy, care, and tenderness. I courted that. I was like, "Okay, this is different." Bliss: Katy and Orlando welcomed little Daisy together in August 2020, 18 months after announcing that they were engaged Wonder in white: Katy looked gorgeous in the accompanying shoot including one snap where she donned a low-cut white Salvatore Ferragamo dress featuring a very high split 'And this is his first girl, so its a totally different feeling for him. Im really, really grateful to have him. And he really shows up in a huge emotional way, which is unique for me.' Katy and Orlando welcomed little Daisy together in August 2020, 18 months after announcing that they were engaged. Orlando proposed on Valentine's Day 2019 and in an interview with Vogue India last year she gushed about their 'spiritual journey' and called him 'a saint.' 'The way that he showed up for him and continues to show up for him': Perry gushed about Orlando's relationship with the 10-year-old he shares with model Miranda Kerr Simply stunning: Katy looked gorgeous in a light brown coat by Hermes 'Its just...everything I think I was looking for': The Roar hitmaker also said that her relationship with her child has brought her the unconditional love she had always been searching for Katy looked gorgeous in the accompanying shoot including one snap where she donned a low-cut white Salvatore Ferragamo dress featuring a very high split. The Roar hitmaker also said that her relationship with her child has brought her the unconditional love she had always been searching for. She explained: 'As a performer Ive always relied on the love and acceptance and validation of the outside world and that ultimately can waver at times. Lovely in leather: Katy looked stylish as always in a jacket and skirt combination by Proenza Schouler 'Theres a wholeness that has happened': Katy - who has previously had high-profile relationships with Russell Brand and John Mayer - even said that the birth of her daughter and relationship with Lord Of The Rings star Orlando even healed wounds she gained from past relationships 'When you have a child, you have someone who looks at you and doesnt know anything on your resume, doesnt know anything about your bank account, doesnt know anything, doesnt care, and just loves you. Unconditional love. Its just...everything I think I was looking for.' Katy - who has previously had high-profile relationships with Russell Brand and John Mayer - even said that the birth of her daughter and relationship with Lord Of The Rings star Orlando even healed wounds she gained from past relationships. She said: 'I always felt like I was walking around with a little bit of pain in my heart concerning love. Fashion forward: She donned a black mini dress, shoes, socks and bucket hat by Prada Colorful character: She looked stunning in a multicolored knit sweater and vest by The Elder Statesman along with white Birkenstock double strap sandals 'And my fiancee has done a great job at really helping to mend that. But this just went underneath all that and got so deep. Its just there, that love is there. 'Id heard about unconditional love, but now Im really experiencing it. Theres a wholeness that has happened.' Despite American Idol season 19 wrapping last week, Perry has shown no signs of slowing down as tickets went on sale for a Las Vegas residency called Play just a day later. In the details: She sprawled across a leather couch while wearing a Hermes coat, Skims bodysuit, Versace pants, and a necklace from Harry Winston The highly-anticipated run of shows will kick off December 29 as she will hit the stage at Resorts World Las Vegas. It will be her return to the stage since the COVID-19 global pandemic but she doesn't seem too phased by that as she said: 'I know that when I go back on the stage, Im going to do my best and give it my all as I always do with my projects. 'Ive been professionally busy since I was 13, and now Ive really stopped to smell the roses.' Friends of Children United Society (FOCUS) has announced the dates for one of the largest rummage sales in San DIego County. This non-profit organization helps San Diegos disadvantaged kids. FOCUS will be accepting donations on Thursday and Friday, June 10 and June 11, between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Items can be delivered to 505 Grand Caribe Causeway, in the Coronado Cays. No clothes or old electronics will be accepted. All items being submitted must be in useable condition. The actual date for the rummage sale has been set for Saturday, June 12, between the hours of 7 a.m. and 12 p.m. Some of Australia's most stunning models attended the Michael Lo Sordo show at Afterpay Australian Fashion Week 2021 on Tuesday. Leading the fashion pack was Georgia Fowler, 28, who opted for an unusual pyjama-style leisure suit. The pregnant beauty looked chic in the satin two-piece, which featured a deep v-neck that showed off a hint of cleavage, and was double-buttoned under the midriff. Wow! Some of Australia's most stunning models attended the the Michael Lo Sordo show at Afterpay Australian Fashion Week 2021 on Tuesday. Leading the fashion pack was Georgia Fowler, 28, (pictured) who opted for an unusual pyjama-style leisure suit The stunner, who is expecting her first child with boyfriend Nathan Dalah later this year, paired the top with matching, wide-legged pants in the same pearl fabric. Georgia added a pair of black stilettos with a thick strap across the toes, and accessorised with a long, rope chain, dainty earrings and a number of rings. For makeup, she opted for defined brows, a matte nude lip, warm blush, and had her brunette hair pulled off her face. A look: The pregnant beauty looked chic in the white, satin two-piece, which featured a deep v-neck that showed off a hint of cleavage, and was double-buttoned under the midriff Bed time: The stunner paired the top with matching, wide-legged pants in the same slinky pearl fabric Jessica Gomes, 35, also opted for a matching clothing set, consisting of an olive-toned midriff top with long sleeves, which showed off a hint of cleavage. The top was adorned with a glistening, diamante chain that was belted at the waist and dangled down. The beauty added a pair of bell bottom pants in the same colour and fabric, as well as pointed black heels. Green machine: Jessica Gomes, 35, (pictured) also opted for a matching clothing set, consisting of an olive-toned midriff top with long sleeves, which showed off a hint of cleavage Details: The top was adorned with a glistening, diamante chain that was belted at the waist and dangled down Jessica opted for a peachy makeup palette and wore her brunette hair down in soft waves. Mimi Elashiry, 23, turned heads in a pale yellow, satin gown with a thigh-high split and halter neck. She wore her hair up with tendrils around her face, carried a chain bag and wore a pair of glittering heels. Mellow yellow: Mimi Elashiry, 23, (pictured) turned heads in a pale yellow, satin gown with a thigh-high split and halter neck Advertisement She's been enjoying a sun-soaked break with her pals and new boyfriend, Hollyoaks actor Owen Warner. And Chloe Ferry was sure to turn heads when she headed out to lounge by the pool during another glorious day in the sun in Albufeira, Portugal, on Tuesday. The Geordie Shore star, 25, put her sensational figure on display in a tiny orange bikini which she paired with a bronze sarong for a stylish beach look. Beach babe: Chloe Ferry showed off her sensational figure in a TINY orange bikini and a bronze sarong as she soaked up the sun during her Portugal break on Tuesday Chloe's barely-there bikini top showed an ample glimpse of her cleavage as she spread out her towel on a sun lounger for her day of sunbathing. Her thong bikini bottoms were tied high on her waist to accentuate her peachy posterior and slender legs, while she used the sarong to cover her modesty before she sat down by the pool. The brunette beauty brushed her locks into sleek waves that fell over her shoulders, and she added a glittering touch to her look with a gold necklace and hoop earrings. Chloe completed her look by shielding her eyes with a pair of aviator shades and she also wore gold bracelets, while stepped out in white open-toe sandals that showed off her French manicure. Revealing: Chloe's barely-there bikini top showed an ample glimpse of her cleavage as she spread out her towel on a sun lounger for her day of sunbathing Comfy: Chloe stepped out in white open-toe sandals that showed off her French manicure Tanning time: Chloe looked relaxed as she soaked up the sun at the picturesque location Portugal is one of the 12 countries currently on the UK's 'green list' following the easing of lockdown restrictions in Britain last week. It comes after Chloe went public about her romance with Hollyoaks' Owen Warner, 21, on Saturday, sharing a series of loved-up snaps to Instagram. The beauty even hinted that she is engaged as she shared a picture of the duo putting on a very cosy display up on a sun lounger. She appeared to confirm they are set to tie the knot as she penned in the caption: 'Now I no what love feels like @_owenwarner,' (sic) alongside a diamond ring emoji. Stylish: The brunette beauty brushed her locks into sleek waves that fell over her shoulders, and she added a glittering touch to her look with a gold necklace and hoop earrings Derriere: Her thong bikini bottoms were tied high on her waist to accentuate her peachy posterior and slender legs Accessorise: Chloe completed her look by shielding her eyes with a pair of aviator shades and she also wore gold bracelets Her Geordie Shore pals were left confused by the apparent engagement news while others congratulated her on the announcement. Charlotte Crosby penned on the post: 'Right confusion is high right now if your gunna get a boyfriend can you please watsapp me and tell me all about it.' (sic) Meanwhile Sophie Kasaei, who is also staying in Portugal with Chloe, wrote: 'Hahahahahahahahaha how many lads can 1 gal be in love with.' (sic) Owen also declared his feelings as he shared a video of Chloe playing around with a vacuum cleaner in a hotel lobby as he wrote: 'Love of my life'. Allowed: Portugal is one of the 12 countries currently on the UK's 'green list' following the easing of lockdown restrictions in Britain last week Outing: Chloe was seen walking around with her phone in hand before smiling and waving at a friend Chloe is believed to have been single for more than a year following a turbulent relationship with Sam Gowland which began in 2017. The on-and-off couple parted ways for good in February 2020. Since then, the reality star has been embracing the single life and dating, having appeared on the 2020 series of Celebs Go Dating. She built a connection with Kieran Bishop and they reportedly spent time together when they left the show's mansion. However, the alleged romance didn't last long as Chloe failed to confirm they were ever dating. Adjusting: Chloe was seen pulling her bikini bottoms up so that she got her ideal tan lines Keeping safe: Chloe was seen rubbing lotion onto her bronzed legs while out in the sun She even shared a series of flirty exchanges with her Celebs Go Dating co-star Wayne Lineker, 59, who sent fans wild when he posted a fake engagement photo. Appearing on FUBAR Radio with host TOWIE's Bobby Norris in May, Wayne was asked who his celebrity crush was, responding: 'Oh, that's Chloe [Ferry] obviously!' TOWIE star Bobby then said: 'Miss Ferry. I saw all about this engagement! How did it come about Wayne?' Club owner Wayne went on to explain: 'Me and Chloe just have a laugh all the time. We're in the mansion and she had a wedding ring. Lounging: Chloe was seen spreading out on two sun loungers as she topped up her tan 'She went, "Come on, Wayne, let's pretend we're getting married". And we took all the pictures and everything and we didn't end up doing it, we just forgot about it. 'And she phoned me up last week. Because, I mean, we are seeing each other a little bit and having a bit of flirtatious banter and we'll see what happens in the summer. 'But she said, "Come on let's post it! Let's have a laugh!" I said, "You know it's going to go viral don't you?" She went, "Yeah of course I do!" Owen, meanwhile, was previously in a relationship with his Hollyoaks co-star Stephanie Davis but the pair split in 2019. Big news? It comes after Chloe hinted that she is engaged after making her relationship to Hollyoaks hunk Owen Warner Instagram official on Saturday Lori Loughlin was spotted wearing a summery chic ensemble while stepping out in Los Angeles early this week. The 56-year-old Full House actress, who has become infamous for her role in the college admissions scandal dubbed Varsity Blues, wore a fashionable white sundress and a straw hat. Her sighting comes after she and her husband Mossimo Giannulli were granted permission by a judge to travel to Los Cabos for a summer vacation in June. Off she goes: Lori Loughlin was spotted wearing a summery chic ensemble while stepping out in Los Angeles early this week Lori's outfit on her latest outing featured a bias-cut neckline and a bit of embroidery around the skirt, as well as short sleeves to help her beat the heat. She complemented the dress with a wide-brimmed straw hat and a pair of aviator sunglasses, rounding off the ensemble with slide sandals. Because Lori and Mossimo are both under supervised release after emerging from prison over their part in the scandal, they had to ask permission to travel. Late in May a judge officially decreed that they could holiday to San Jose Del Cabo from June 16 to June 21 with their family, TMZ reported. Sleek and chic: The 56-year-old Full House actress, who has lately become infamous for her role in the college admissions scandal, wore a fashionable white sundress Free to go: Her sighting comes after she and her husband Mossimo Giannulli were granted permission by a judge to travel to Los Cabos for a summer vacation in June Part of Lori's argument for being permitted to travel was that she has done her required community service and forked over the $150,000 fine she owed. Mossimo meanwhile argued that his community service was in progress and that his $250,000 fine had also been paid. Lori succeeded this February in getting her passport returned - having had to surrender it in 2019 amid her legal troubles. She spent two months in federal prison at CI Dublin in California before being released in December just before New Year's. The look: Lori's outfit on her latest outing featured a bias-cut neckline and a bit of embroidery around the skirt, as well as short sleeves to help her beat the heat On the move: She complemented the dress with a wide-brimmed straw hat and a pair of aviators, rounding off the ensemble with slippers Meanwhile Mossimo had to spend five months in prison for his role in the bribery scheme and was ultimately released in early April. It emerged in 2019 that Lori and Mossimo bribed their daughters Olivia and Isabella's way into University Of Southern California. Lori and her fashion designer husband paid $500,000 to falsely pass the girls off as potential college rowers on USC's team. Although they initially claimed to be innocent Mossimo pled guilty last May to conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and honest services and mail fraud, while Lori pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud. Embattled: Lori succeeded in getting her passport returned to her this February after having to surrender it in 2019; she and Mossimo are pictured emerging from court in April 2019 Ronnie Ortiz-Magro has put a united front on with Saffire Matos just a month after his arrest for 'domestic violence' following his girlfriend calling police. The 35-year-old Jersey Shore star took to Instagram on Monday to share PDA-filled snaps with Matos as he carried her while she straddled him. This comes just weeks after Ortiz-Magro stepped away from his MTV reality show to deal with mental health issues and he revealed that he would not be facing charges stemming from that domestic violence arrest in April. Interesting: Ronnie Ortiz-Magro has put a united front on with Saffire Matos just a month after his arrest for 'domestic violence' following his girlfriend calling police The two have seemingly put the incident behind them as they cuddled up in snaps including one featuring a .GIF which read: 'Wifey for lifey.' On May 13, Ortiz-Magro had announced that he's stepping back from Jersey Shore: Family Vacation to address 'mental health issues' just hours after it was reported that he wouldn't face felony charges after his arrest. The reality star shared a statement to his Instagram Stories in which he said he would be seeking 'medical treatment' with the support of the 'team at MTV.' Earlier that day, TMZ reported that he wouldn't face felony charges for a domestic violence arrest in April, though he could be found in violation of his parole. 'Wifey for lifey': The 35-year-old Jersey Shore star took to Instagram on Monday to share PDA-filled snaps with Matos as he carried her while she straddled him Tough times: This comes just weeks after Ortiz-Magro stepped away from his MTV reality show to deal with mental health issues and he revealed that he would not be facing charges stemming from that domestic violence arrest in April; seen in 2017 In his text-only post, Ronnie wrote: 'After talking to the team at MTV, we have mutually agreed that I will step away from the show while I seek medical treatment for mental health issues that I've ignored for too long.' Ronnie added that his family was a major factor in his decision to seek treatment. 'My number one goal now is facing my struggles head on. This process will be difficult, but my #1 priority is to get healthy and be the best man and the best father I can for my daughter,' he concluded. Although he filmed scenes for the upcoming second half of Jersey Shore: Family Vacation's fourth season, he didn't appear to be featured in the recently released trailer, and it's unclear if his scenes will be cut. Ortiz-Magro's statement didn't clarify if he was seeking treatment again for alcohol abuse, as he previously did in early 2019, or if he'll also be getting behavioral treatments in the wake of his multiple domestic violence incidents. In treatment: He claimed he had 'ignored' his issues 'for too long,' though he didn't specify if he would be getting behavior treatments to curb his long-running domestic violence incidents Ortiz-Magro had previously been booked in October of 2019 for kidnapping the three-year-old daughter he shares with his ex Jen Harley. Harley reportedly ran out of a Los Angeles Airbnb the couple were staying in after alerting the police to their argument, at which point Ortiz-Magro chased after her while brandishing a knife and carrying their young daughter, according to TMZ. After he dropped the knife and gave up on chasing Harley, he locked himself inside the Airbnb with their daughter and refused to open up once police arrived. After police broke the door down the reportedly tased him when he refused to come along peacefully. The violent confrontation allegedly occurred after Ortiz-Magro had been using cocaine. Frightening: In October 2019, Ortiz-Magro chased his ex Jen Harley with a knife while carrying their three-year-old daughter, then had to be tased by police after he barricaded himself in their LA Airbnb with his daughter; seen in 2019 in NYC He got a mix of good and bad news earlier on May 13, when it came to his most recent incident of alleged domestic violence. The reality star won't be facing any charges over an alleged incident with his girlfriend, Saffire Matos, in late April, but he will have to head to court over violating his probation. In the incident the previous month, Saffire contacted authorities and alleged that Ortiz-Magro had gotten physical with her following an argument. The Los Angeles City Attorney's Office informed TMZ that the reality star would not be charged with a misdemeanor over the alleged incident. Legal woes: Ortiz-Magro won't be facing any charges over an alleged incident with his girlfriend in late April, but he will have to head to court over violating his probation, according to TMZ on Thursday (Pictured 2018) However, since Ronnie was on probation at the time of his arrest from a previous brush with the law, the City Attorney said he will have to head to court in June. The outlet previously reported that the District Attorney's Office declined to charge Ronnie with a felony due to insufficient evidence. Despite facing no charges over the ordeal with Saffire, Ronnie could still find himself behind bars due to the potential probation violation. Good and bad: The Los Angeles City Attorney's Office informed TMZ that the reality star would not be charged with a misdemeanor, however, since Ronnie was on probation at the time of his arrest from a previous brush with the law he will have to head to court in June 'We are very happy that after further investigation both the LA County District Attorney's office and the LA City Attorney's office determined that criminal charges were not warranted against Ronnie related to the incident that occurred in April,' Ronnie's attorney, Scott Leemon told TMZ. 'We will review the alleged violation of probation claim and deal with it accordingly,' he added. Leemon went on to say that Ronnie was in the process of getting treatment for 'psychological issues that he has ignored for a long time.' 'His only present goal is to address these issues professionally and make himself and better person and the best father he can be to his loving daughter,' the lawyer said. Incident: In April, Ronnie's girlfriend phoned cops claiming she'd been physically harmed by Ronnie and police, citing injuries on Matos, took Ortiz-Magro into custody on suspicion of felony domestic violence In April, Ronnie's girlfriend phoned cops claiming she'd been physically harmed by Ronnie and police, citing injuries on Matos, took Ortiz-Magro into custody on suspicion of felony domestic violence. Matos later took to Instagram Stories with a statement clarifying her take on the incident, and seemingly solidarity with Ortiz-Magro. 'Ronnie and I are fine there is a lot misleading information floating around out there,' she said. 'With anybody who reached out with concern I appreciate it with all my heart, but everything that's being portrayed out there are not facts. 'I don't think it's fair that people are using false accusations to gain attention. Please leave Ron and I alone. You don't know what someone is going through at the end of the day. Don't believe everything you hear or read online.' 'We are very happy that after further investigation both the LA County District Attorney's office and the LA City Attorney's office determined that criminal charges were not warranted against Ronnie related to the incident that occurred in April,' Ronnie's attorney, Scott Leemon told TMZ. In his statement, Ortiz-Magro thanked his 'real friends' for standing by him amid the troubled times. 'Thank you for being by myself the last few [weeks],' he said. 'I take all experiences as lessons. You learn who really cares about you when [you're] down and out and [then] you see who doesn't! But I guess they call it the weeding process. Thank you to my real friends who haven't left my side and haven't betrayed me!' Prior to this incident, Ronnie was on probation stemming from a separate domestic violence case he was involved with October 4, 2019 involving his ex-girlfriend Jen Harley, 32, with whom he shares daughter Ariana Sky, three. In that case, the MTV personality made a plea deal, entering a guilty plea to seven misdemeanors in the incident, including domestic battery and resisting arrest. She spent these last few days basking in the sunshine with her friends. And Sofia Richie shared a plethora of snaps chronicling her summery adventures on Instagram on Tuesday. The photo series, which appeared to be taken during her recent Palm Springs trip, captured the bikini-clad model, 22, receiving a tender embrace from her new beau, Elliot Grainge, 27. Fun in the sun! A bikini-clad Sofia Richie received a tender embrace from her boyfriend Elliot Grainge in new snaps posted Tuesday Sofia beamed with joy as her boyfriend wrapped his arms around her shoulders, his face intimately nestled by her cheek. The influencer looked fab in her purple string bikini and white waist-high shorts which showcased her phenomenal body. That wasn't the only photo that showed off Sofia's figure. In another snap, Sofia flashed her toned torso as she snacked on a small taco at the margarita bar. Snack break! In another snap, Richie flashed her toned torso as she treated herself to a small taco at the margarita bar Vroom vroom: The 22-year-old model showed off her legs as she manned a bright blue vehicle The daughter of Lionel Richie looked stunning wearing a black crop top and pleated white maxi skirt. Among the images also included an overheard shot of her driving a bright blue vehicle beside her friend. Everything seems to be going well for Sofia nowadays following her split from long-term boyfriend Scott Disick last year. The model has found love again with the son of Universal Music Group CEO Lucian Grainge, music executive Elliot. Mirror, mirror: The influencer took a selfie from the car's side mirror Soaking up the sun: She included this fashionable and summery snap of her golden sunglasses and hairclip resting on a pink towel The couple have continued to grow closer and reports have said that the relationship is 'getting serious.' 'They started out as friends before they became a couple, and are now getting serious,' an US Weekly insider said. 'Their relationship took off and they have been getting closer and closer and spend practically every day together.' On the same day her ex Scott turned 38, Sofia and Elliott were spotted house hunting together in LA. The Talentless designer has officially moved on with much younger model, Amelia Gray Hamlin, 19, who posted a gushing tribute to her 'love,' on his special day after gifting him a Harley Davidson. 'happy birthday my love. you light up my life, and make my world better. i can't imagine what i would do without you. thank you for being you. the most caring, loving, special person on this planet. i'm so lucky. i'm so blessed to have met you. i love you,' Hamlin wrote. Love is in the air! Sofia confirmed her relationship with the music executive the son of Universal Music Group CEO Lucian Grainge in March as she shared a mirror selfie of the pair Eva Green was seen filming a mystery project near Tower Bridge in London on Tuesday. The French actress, 40, cut a stylish figure while filming alongside a male co-star for scenes that saw them traverse up a walkway together. Putting on a chic display, Eva slipped into a bronze mac coat that she teamed with a black turtleneck top for a professional look. And, action! Eva Green cut a stylish figure in a bronze coat and a black turtleneck top as she filmed a mystery project with a male co-star near Tower Bridge, London, on Tuesday Eva complemented her edgy ensemble by stepping out in a pair of black skinny jeans and wellington boots despite the hot weather. Her raven tresses were brushed into a loose, tousled style that fell over her shoulders, and she wore a light palette of make-up for the shoot. Eva and her male co-star were seen engaging in a deep conversation before she then walked ahead of him up a ramp. Busy: The French actress, 40, cut a stylish figure while filming alongside a male co-star for scenes that saw them traverse up a walkway together Wrapped up: Eva complemented her edgy ensemble by stepping out in a pair of black skinny jeans and wellington boots despite the hot weather Stunning: Eva's raven tresses were brushed into a loose, tousled style that fell over her shoulders, and she wore a light palette of make-up for the shoot Scenes: Eva and her male co-star were seen engaging in a deep conversation before she then walked ahead of him up a ramp The Penny Dreadful star's fellow actor put on a dapper display in a black jacket that he donned over a crisp white shirt and blue tie. His smart look was completed with a pair of black trousers that he teamed with matching brogue shoes. Crew were seen filming the pair from a distance while keeping face masks on to adhere to coronavirus restrictions. Beaming: Eva appeared to be in good spirits as she filmed during the sun-soaked day Attire: The Penny Dreadful star's fellow actor put on a dapper display in a black jacket that he donned over a crisp white shirt and blue tie It is not clear what Eva is filming, but it is believed to be an as-yet-unannounced show for Apple TV+. MailOnline has contacted Eva's representatives and Apple TV spokespeople for further comment. Eva currently has three films in pre-production, including a two-part French adaptation of The Three Musketeers which she is set to star in alongside Vincent Cassel and Romain Duris. Ensemble: His smart look was completed with a pair of black trousers that he teamed with matching brogue shoes Safety first: Crew were seen filming the pair from a distance while keeping face masks on to adhere to coronavirus restrictions She is also listed to be in pre-production stages for A Patriot, a sci-fi thriller starring Charles Dance and Helen Hunt, but film producers pulled the plug on this project in 2019. In June last year it was revealed that Eva was poised to sue film company White Lantern $1 million over the decision. The film was due to begin shooting A Patriot over seven weeks in the summer of 2019. Mystery project: It is not clear what Eva is filming, but it is believed to be an as-yet-unannounced show for Apple TV+ Busy schedule: Eva currently has three films in pre-production, including a two-part French adaptation of The Three Musketeers which she is set to star in alongside Vincent Cassel Delays: Eva is also listed to be in pre-production stages for A Patriot, a sci-fi thriller starring Charles Dance and Helen Hunt but film producers pulled the plug on this project in 2019 But after filming in Dublin was repeatedly postponed, film company White Lantern Film (Britannica) Ltd shut down the production, according to documents filed by the actress. In June it was reported the Bond star, who played Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale, was suing the firm for $1 million (800,000) which she claims is held in an escrow account under a 'pay or play' agreement a movie industry arrangement that means an actor will receive the negotiated fee even if the film fails to go ahead. Set in a futuristic authoritarian state, A Patriot was to follow the story of a Border Corps captain played by Ms Green who begins to question her allegiance to the regime. In her writ, the actress, who lives in London, said she agreed to star in A Patriot on May 15 2019, and shooting was originally scheduled to start in August but was delayed twice. Good spirits: The star appeared in good spirits as she shot scenes with a male co-star Picturesque: The day of filming took place near Tower Bridge in London Crowds: Busy crowds were seen forming as they watched on during the day of filming Eva claimed she was entitled to the money, but the film company alleged in October 2019 that she had materially breached the agreement so was not eligible for it. The writ alleged the company failed to give any information about the alleged breach. In February last year, Eva was told Sherborne Media Finance had taken over White Lantern and 'purported to give notice of termination of the artist agreement' but she argued that was too late. At the time, the French actress asked Londons High Court to rule she is entitled to the money and that the film company pay her legal costs. Sienna Miller appeared to be in great spirits as she stepped out holding hands with her longtime pal Archie Keswick on Tuesday. The actress, 39, put on a very leggy display in a pair of tiny denim shorts and a green jacket for the stroll around Hudson River Park in New York City. It comes nine months after Sienna split from her third fiance Lucas Zwirner back in September 2020. Cosy: Sienna Miller appeared to be in great spirits as she stepped out holding hands with Archie Keswick in New York City on Tuesday Sienna cut a stylish figure in her short bottoms and a cream shirt before completing her ensemble with some black sandals. Not forgetting her accessories, Sienna donned a pair of sunglasses and toted a large white handbag as she strolled along the sidewalk. The blonde beauty wore her locks down and naturally wavy, adding a slick of makeup to accentuate her pretty features. Pals: The actress, 39, put on a very leggy display in a pair of tiny denim shorts and a green jacket for the stroll Break up: It comes nine months after Sienna split from her third fiance Lucas Zwirner back in September 2020 (pictured 2019) Businessman Archie also kept things casual for the outing, wearing a grey polo shirt and jeans with trainers and shades. The actress is thought to be an old friend of Archie, with him being named in legal documents relating to the 2010 phone hacking scandal, reports the Guardian. The Old Etonian is the son of Simon Keswick, former director of multi-billion pound Hong Kong conglomerate Jardine Matheson - owner of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group. Archie himself is listed as a board member of the Mandarin Oriental Intl Ltd, the company behind the international chain of luxury hotels, on Bloomberg's website. The family has a private fortune of 6.35bn, according to the Sunday Times Rich List, and own a 18,000-acre estate in Angus. The Keswicks have controlled Jardine Matheson for five generations. Chatting away: Sienna and Archie appeared deep in conversation as they held hands during the walk Now the group's interests range from prime Hong Kong real estate and brands to Vietnam's largest dairy producer. Archie, who was described as a 'demon on the tennis court' who 'loves house music' by Tatler, is the son of Simon and Emma Chetwode, daughter of Major George David Chetwode and Lady Willa Elliot-Murray-Kynynmoun. Like his father, Archie was educated at Eton. He received an undergraduate degree from Edinburgh University. Beaming: They both flashed smiles while making their way along the sidewalk Despite being from a billionaire family, Archie and his siblings - he has one brother, Ben, who is chairman of Jardine Matheson, and two sisters, Willa and Poppy - were made to understand the value of hard work growing up. 'He is the most incredible person in the world but he's just not the kind to give out money at all,' Willa said of her father in a 2011 interview with the Evening Standard to promote the opening of her Notting Hill shop, The Village Bicycle. It comes nine months after Sienna and her ex beau Lucas ended their relationship in September last year. Quick stop: Sienna looked effortlessly stylish over lunch, pairing her denim shorts with a cream blouse Stunning: Not forgetting her accessories, Sienna donned a pair of sunglasses and toted a large white handbag The actress and her ex, the son of art dealer David Zwirner, got engaged in January after a year of dating, but Page Six revealed they had called things quits. The report claimed that it was the thespian who broke it off with the editor, though no reason for the separation was given. Representatives for both Miller and Zwirner did not respond to requests for comment from MailOnline at the time. Sienna was previously engaged to actors Jude Law, 47, in 2004 and Tom Sturridge, 34, the father of her daughter Marlowe, eight, in 2012. Safety first: Archie donned a white face mask during one part of their outing Off they go: The actress is thought to be an old friend of Archie, with him being named in legal documents relating to the 2010 phone hacking scandal Matching: Both Sienna and Archie donned sunglasses while out in New York City on Tuesday In a 2017 interview with Harper's Bazaar, Sienna spoke about maintaining a friendship with her ex, saying of Tom: 'We still love each other.' 'I think in a break-up somebody has to be a little bit cruel in order for it to be traditional, but it's not been acrimonious in a way where you would choose to not be around that person.' 'We don't live together, as has been reported recently, but we do half the time,' she added. 'Everybody will stay over or we'll all go on holiday and that's because we genuinely want to be around each other.' 'It's great for our daughter that she has two parents who love each other and are friends. He's definitely my best friend in the entire world.' They shared a steamy smooch on stage at the MTV Movie & TV Awards just weeks ago as they accepted the best kiss award. And Madelyn Cline and Chase Stokes recently touched down in a much different way. The 23-year-old actress and 28-year-old actor arrived together at LAX Airport on Sunday night after a Memorial Day weekend trip to The Hamptons in New York. Scroll down for video Touching down: Madelyn Cline and Chase Stokes arrived together at LAX Airport on Sunday night after a Memorial Day weekend trip to The Hamptons in New York Red hot: They shared a steamy smooch on stage at the MTV Movie & TV Awards at the Hollywood Palladium just weeks ago as they accepted the best kiss award The thespians have been dating since April of last year, and they went Instagram official with their relationship two months later. The two opted for comfort when it came to their outfits as Madelyn sported a navy blue sweatsuit with grey Balenciaga Triple S sneakers. Her blonde locks were put into a messy updo as she wore minimal make-up on her face. Relaxed: The two opted for comfort when it came to their outfits as the 23-year-old actress sported a navy blue sweatsuit with grey Balenciaga Triple S sneakers She held onto a large white floral patterned bag as the donned a blue surgical face mask. Chase donned a brown sweater with blue skinny jeans, black socks, brown double-strapped Birkenstock sandals, and a beanie. Cline and Stokes have been dating ever since April of last year, although they first met while working on the first season of Outer Banks in 2019. Chill: Chase donned a brown sweater with blue skinny jeans, black socks, brown double-strapped Birkenstock sandals, and a beanie The two notably exchanged flirty messages on several Instagram posts for the first few months of their relationship, although the pair did not confirm anything publicly for a few months. During this period, the couple, who portray John B and his love interest Sarah Cameron respectively on the Netflix show, gave several joint interviews to promote the series. After several months of speculation, the two eventually caved into the pressure of their fans and made a public announcement regarding their relationship in June. In the photo's comment section, the actress made a joking reference to her character's onscreen ex-boyfriend Topper, portrayed by Austin North. Going strong: Cline and Stokes have been dating ever since April of 2020, although they did not go Instagram official until June of that year The two have gone strong as a couple ever since then and often pop up in each other's posts. The performers celebrated their first anniversary earlier this year with a post made to the actor's Instagram account where he wrote '365 w/u' in the picture's caption, with Cline responding, 'And I'd do it again.' Stokes elaborated on how his real-life relationship translated to the screen during an interview with Nylon and noted that the two desired to make their connection visible to Outer Banks' viewers. On and off screen: The real-life couple portray lovers John B and Sarah Cameron on the Netflix teen drama series 'Maddie...and I wanted to do justice to shows of the past and create a really authentic love experience,' he expressed. He also noted that the two genuinely worked hard in getting to know each other in an effort to provide the best portrayal of an onscreen relationship as possible. 'We just really wanted to make sure that Maddie and I became good enough friends to where we knew each other and find little ticks and nuances that would make each other laugh, and make sure we translated that into the performance,' he remarked. Green certainly is his favorite color. Seth Rogen's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reboot - in partnership with Nickelodeon - is set to hit theaters on August 11, 2023 as it will be the seventh film in the feature franchise based on the 1984 comic of the same name. The 39-year-old actor took to Twitter to announce the release date for the highly-anticipated project along with a fun image to tease the feature film. Scroll down for video Man with the plan: Seth Rogen's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reboot - in partnership with Nickelodeon - is set to hit theaters on August 11, 2023, as he is seen at the 2021 MTV Movie & TV Awards in Hollywood last month Reboot: The movie will be the seventh film in the feature franchise based on the 1984 comic about four teen turtles named after Italian Renaissance painters, who thanks to an accidental swim in some mysterious ooze, were transformed into crime-fighting mutant superheros Rogen posted a snap of a page of the science notebook of Leonardo who wears the blue eye mask and is the leader of the crime-fighting turtle group. The image is full of several Easter eggs including a sketch of one of Leonardo's katanas with the words 'honor' and 'loyalty' written around it. As Leonardo and his brothers - Michelangelo, Donatello, and Raphael - were spawned by a lab experiment gone awry, one part of class the eldest of the group seemed to listen to was about mutation. In the notebook mutation is defined by 'changes in the genetic sequence, and they are a main cause of diversity in organisms.' 'Who am I?': Rogen posted a snap of a page of the science notebook of Leonardo who wears the blue eye mask and is the leader of the crime-fighting turtle group Heroes in a half-shell: Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael and Michelangelo live in the sewers, eating pizza and battling criminals under the guidance of their sensei Splinter - an anthropomorphic rat (Pictured: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: The Secret Of The Ooze, 1991) Below that was a small chart detailing the types of mutation including deletion, duplication, and translocation with the note '*unintended mutations?' The studio is betting on turtle power raking in big bucks in revenue, continuing the trend of the long running Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles feature film franchise which has grossed over a billion dollars in the last 30 years. Based on the popular comic book characters created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, the four anthropomorphic teens last graced the silver screen in 2016 a revival of the 1990s films. In 1984, Laird and Eastman published the first issue of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics as a parody of Marvel's popular comics of the era. Turtle power: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles got their first animated series in 1987 and a version of the cartoon has seen several iterations from then on They created the four teen turtles named after Italian Renaissance painters, who thanks to a fortunate and accidental swim in some mysterious ooze, were transformed into walking, talking, crime-fighting mutant superheros. Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael and Michelangelo live in the sewers, eating pizza and battling criminals under the guidance of their sensei Splinter - an anthropomorphic rat. Splinter is a master of ninjutsu, which he teaches to the boys. Their sidekick is red-headed human reporter April O'Neil. In the comics and subsequent shows, films and games, the TMNT go up against their perpetual nemesis, Shredder, a ninjutsu and his 'foot clan.' Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles got their first animated series in 1987 which continued on for nearly a decade, airing its last new episode in 1996. Party dudes: The first of the feature films, titled Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, premiered in 1990, followed by Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze in 1991, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III in 1993 - the four Turtles were played by actors in costumes with moving green animatronic heads created by Jim Henson studios (Henson pictured with the TMNT in 1990) That series popularized the characters love for using surfer lingo like 'cowabunga', 'dude' and 'bodacious.' A short-lived live action series soon followed in 1997 but only lasted a year. And, starting in 2003, a second, third and fourth animated TMNT series aired. The first of the feature films, titled Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, premiered in 1990, followed by Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze in 1991, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III in 1993. Revivals: The first CGI film, TMNT, was released in 2007. A later revival, the second one titled Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was produced by Michael Bay in 2014, followed by a 2016 sequel, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (Megan Fox pictured in 2014's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) In those iconic 90s flicks, the four Turtles were played by actors in costumes with moving green animatronic heads. These films got the reboot treatment several times in subsequent years. The first CGI film, TMNT, was released in 2007. A later revival, the second one titled Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was produced by Michael Bay in 2014, followed by a 2016 sequel, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows. The last TMNT film released in the decades-long running franchise was 2019's crossover, Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. No casting details have been released yet for the upcoming CG reboot. Vanessa Bryant took to Instagram Monday with a series of pictures as she observed Memorial Day with her daughters as they visited the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. Vanessa, 39, shared pictures of her day at the Southern California amusement park with daughters Natalia, 18, Bianka, four, and Capri, one, which comes more than 16 months after the tragic January 2020 helicopter crash in which her husband Kobe Bryant, 41, and daughter Gigi, 13, died with seven others. She posted images of a number of the animal exhibits at the zoo, including an exotic bird, a giraffe, a gorilla, a tiger and a rhinoceros. Family fun: Vanessa Bryant, 39, took to Instagram Monday with a series of pictures as she observed Memorial Day with her daughters Natalia, 18, Bianka, four, and Capri, one, as they visited the San Diego Zoo Safari Park She captioned one shot of Bianka and Capri, both looking focused on their surroundings, 'Game Faces- Daddys twins.' On the outing, Vanessa donned an all-black ensemble of a top and jeans while Natalia wore a blue T-shirt with denim shorts. Bianka wore a white top, while Capri wore a black top and pants. The fun day came to cap off a weekend in which the family enjoyed an excursion south of their Orange County, California home base, also visiting SeaWorld San Diego. Focused: She captioned one shot of Bianka and Capri, both looking focused on their surroundings, 'Game Faces- Daddys twins' Too cute! The proud mom shared a shot of her daughter Capri as she wore black framed glasses Vanessa spoke to People this past March about moving forward less than two years after her husband and daughter perished in the crash in Calabasas, California along with pilot Ara Zobayan, 50, Alyssa Altobelli, 14, Keri Altobelli, 46, John Altobelli, 56, Payton Chester, 13, Sarah Chester, 46, and Christina Mauser, 38. 'This pain is unimaginable [but] you just have to get up and push forward,' she told the outlet. 'Lying in bed crying isn't going to change the fact that my family will never be the same again. 'But getting out of bed and pushing forward is going to make the day better for my girls and for me. So that's what I do.' The girls took in a gaze of a giraffe while touring the zoo park Eye of the tiger: The girls took in a tiger exhibit at the Southern California zoo Coronado, CA (92118) Today A few passing clouds. Low 61F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight A few passing clouds. Low 61F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. They're two undeniable stunners. And Sara Sampaio and Olivia Culpo revealed one more thing they had in common while seen leaving the same workout studio in West Hollywood on Tuesday. Portuguese beauty Sara, 29, kept her sculpted supermodel figure in shape while donning a pair of blue leggings which emphasized her endless pins. Later in the day smoldering beauty queen Olivia Culpo was seen leaving the very same Pilates studio. Looking fab: Sara Sampaio (left) and Olivia Culpo (right) were spotted keeping their sculpted supermodel figures in shape in West Hollywood on Tuesday Olivia flaunted her enviably svelte midriff in a crop top as she stepped out into the sun and pounded the pavement. She teamed a black bra-lette with a pair of matching tight shorts that showed off her statuesque legs to full advantage. Miss Universe 2012 let her luxurious dark hair down and made sure to prepare for any drop in temperatures by wrapping a cream sweater round her waist. Off she goes: Sara proved she was a natural beauty while going makeup-free Sensation: Olivia flaunted her enviably svelte midriff in a crop top as she stepped out into the sun and pounded the pavement The modeling sensation warded off the California rays with a pair of sleek sunglasses and rounded off the look with black slippers. Sara is recently back in Los Angeles after sizzling up a storm for Instagram during her vacation to the celebrity hot spot Turks And Caicos. Meanwhile Olivia recently returned to her beauty queen roots by co-hosting the 69th Miss Universe pageant in the middle of last month. When you got it: She teamed a black bra-lette with a pair of matching tight shorts that showed off her statuesque legs to full advantage She was accompanied by dashing Hollywood heartthrob Mario Lopez who can currently be seen hosting the show Extra. Steve Harvey, who had compered the festivities every year from 2015 until the coronavirus pandemic, promised fans he will be back next year. When the official Miss Universe account tweeted that Olivia and Mario were hosting Steve replied: 'Ill miss you guys but Ill see you for the 70th!' Fans fell in love with his character all over again during the highly anticipated show, Friends: The Reunion. And David Schwimmer appeared to be in great spirits as he made his way around New York City on Tuesday afternoon, arm in arm with a mystery woman. The 54-year-old actor masked up while out and about just one week after he reunited with his former co-stars to talk about one of the most beloved sitcoms. Just the two of us: David Schwimmer appeared to be in great spirits as he made his way around New York City on Tuesday afternoon, arm in arm with a mystery woman Schwimmer sported a signature black collared shirt with a pair of navy blue shorts and pounded the pavement in matching trainers. He hid his salt-and-pepper hair underneath a green camouflage cap and wore a black face mask to protect himself and others amid COVID-19. David's friend rocked a long-sleeved crop top with black jeans, and carried a black leather Chanel bag by her side. Making their way round town: The 54-year-old actor masked up while out and about just one week after he reunited with his former co-stars to talk about one of the most beloved sitcoms Safety first: He hid his salt-and-pepper hair underneath a green camouflage cap and wore a black face mask to protect himself and others amid COVID-19 Schwimmer was previously married to Zoe Buckman, whom he legally separated from in April 2017 before finalizing a divorce later that year. The British artist has since moved on to date musician Max Milner, and the former couple remains a united front in co-parenting their daughter 10-year-old daughter Cleo. 'Anyone would say the same thing, but of course its heartbreaking,' he told The Guardian of the end of his marriage. 'You feel somewhat responsible and a sense of failure and you grieve. I certainly didnt get married with the idea that it wouldnt last. I really believed it would. In the past: Schwimmer was previously married to Zoe Buckman, whom he legally separated from in April 2017 before finalizing a divorce later that year; seen in 2016 Family: The British artist has since moved on to date musician Max Milner, and the former couple remains a united front in co-parenting their daughter 10-year-old daughter Cleo 'The first year and a half, it was really my daughters adjustment that I was most concerned about. I knew Id be fine, Id be OK, and I knew she would be OK, the mom. Were still great friends and, touch wood he bangs the table weve worked out a way to be really respectful and loving and caring and flexible in terms of our co-parenting. Jennifer Aniston shared a few behind-the-scenes snaps from Friends: The Reunion to her Instagram account on Tuesday. Perhaps the most humorous of all was a snap of David's reaction to meeting Justin and Hailey Bieber who made a surprise appearance during the HBO Max special. Of the 54-year-old actor's funny reaction, Aniston wrote to her 37.2million followers: 'When two TOTALLY different worlds collide - @_schwim_s face says it all [smiley face emoji].' On Tuesday, Foo Fighters and Guns N' Roses both announced they were hitting the road this summer (separately) on tours postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic last year. Tickets go on sale this Friday for the 11-time Grammy-winning rock band's - formed in Seattle circa 1994 - six-date 26th Anniversary Tour. It kicks off July 28 at Ohio's ICON Festival Stage at Smale Park in Cincinnati. Ready to rock? On Tuesday, Foo Fighters (L) and Guns N' Roses (R) both announced they were hitting the road this summer (separately) on tours postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic last year The Foo Fighters - who dropped their 10th album Medicine at Midnight on February 5 - also headline Chicago music festival Lollapalooza, which runs July 29-August 1 at Grant Park. And on October 30, the Shame Shame rockers will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame during the ceremony at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse arena in Cleveland. 'I just recently realized it's been half my life since I've been in this band,' Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl told Rolling Stone last month. 'I feel, in a way, that I've almost neglected how much we've done in the past 25 years. I think because I'm always working in a forward motion, I don't spend too much time sitting down and looking back at what we've done or reflecting on our past achievements. I just kind of look forward to the next thing. So today has been a bit more reflective than before.' Radkey opening: Tickets go on sale this Friday for the 11-time Grammy-winning rock band's - formed in Seattle circa 1994 - six-date 26th Anniversary Tour, which kicks off July 28 in Ohio Running July 29-August 1 at Grant Park: The Foo Fighters - who dropped their 10th album Medicine at Midnight on February 5 - also headline Chicago music festival Lollapalooza Honored: And on October 30, the Shame Shame rockers will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame during the ceremony at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse arena in Cleveland Meanwhile, Guns N' Roses will kick off their 36-date We're F'N'Back Tour on July 31 at the Hersheypark Stadium in Pennsylvania. Opening the tour will be the late great Eddie Van Halen's bassist son Wolfgang, whose band is called Mammoth WVH. The Nightrain Fan Club pre-sale starts on Tuesday while public tickets go on sale this Friday. The hard rock band - formed in LA circa 1985 - might not have any Grammys but they've sold over 100M records worldwide (45M in the States). Meanwhile, Guns N' Roses will kick off their 36-date We're F'N'Back Tour on July 31 at the Hersheypark Stadium in Pennsylvania Legacy: Opening the tour will be the late great Eddie Van Halen's (L, pictured in 2015) bassist son Wolfgang (R), whose band is called Mammoth WVH Seattle, WA (98195) Today Cloudy with periods of rain. Low around 60F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch.. Tonight Cloudy with periods of rain. Low around 60F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch. Seattle, WA (98195) Today Periods of rain. Low 59F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch.. Tonight Periods of rain. Low 59F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch. WASHINGTON (AP) A judge has thrown out a lawsuit from a former Marine who was jailed in Iran for more than four years and then denied a multimillion-dollar payout from a special U.S. government victims' fund after an FBI espionage investigation into his travels. Judge Richard Hertling of the Court of Federal Claims said in a ruling dated Friday that the court lacked jurisdiction to overturn decisions of the special master who oversees the fund. A lawyer for Amir Hekmati said Tuesday that he was disappointed by the ruling. We will, of course, pursue a prompt and vigorous appeal, and we are confident that ultimately the facts will prevail, said the attorney, Scott D. Gilbert. Hekmati, who in 2016 was released as part of a prisoner swap, was initially awarded a default judgment after Iran failed to contest his allegations that he was wrongfully imprisoned and brutally tortured there on suspicion that he had been spying for the CIA. Such awards are made from a fund for victims of state-sponsored terrorism that is administered by the Justice Department through a special master and that caps payments at $20 million, the amount Hekmati and his lawyers say he was entitled to receive. He was told in late 2017 that his claim was eligible for payment from the fund. But no money came, and the Justice Department told Hekmati's lawyers in 2019 that it planned to reconsider its earlier position that Hekmati was eligible for an award. Kenneth Feinberg, renowned for overseeing payments to victims of the Sept. 11 attacks, was reappointed special master of the fund for the purpose of reconsidering Hekmati's claim. In January 2020, he told Hekmati's lawyers that he had concluded that Hekmati was ineligible for a payout. He cited documents revealing a decade-old FBI espionage investigation into whether Hekmati had traveled to Iran with the intent of selling classified information. Feinberg said the records raised questions about whether Hekmati had misled the U.S. government when he said his primary purpose in traveling to Iran was to visit his ailing grandmother. Hekmati has vigorously disputed the espionage suspicions and has never been charged. Lawyers for Hekmati, who was raised in Michigan and served as an infantryman and interpreter in Iraq before being honorably discharged from the Marines in 2005, say any suggestion he could have been a spy for Iran is impossible to square with the way he was imprisoned and tortured there. They note that he was initially awarded payment from the fund well after the FBI investigation was underway, and that he's never faced any charges. The judge's 18-page order did not delve into the specifics of the dispute and instead simply turned on a legal question of jurisdiction. The special master administers the Fund, and only the special master has the authority to determine when a claim is an eligible claim, Hertling wrote. Hekmati's lawyers plan to keep fighting before a federal appeals court to reverse what Gilbert described as the Justice Departments disgraceful attempt to deny him the compensation to which he is clearly entitled. Make no mistake, Amir Hekmati is an American hero, and the actions of our Department of Justice in this matter are anathema to everything we hold dear and that Amir and all other members of our armed forces risk their lives for every day. Gilbert said in a statement. "We will never stop until justice for Amir Hekmati has been achieved. ___ Follow Eric Tucker on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/etuckerAP WASHINGTON (AP) The Supreme Court is leaving in place a $2 billion verdict in favor of women who claim they developed ovarian cancer from using Johnson & Johnson talc products. The justices did not comment Tuesday in rejecting Johnson & Johnson's appeal. The company argued that it was not treated fairly in facing one trial involving 22 cancer sufferers who came from 12 states and different backgrounds. A Missouri jury initially awarded the women $4.7 billion, but a state appeals court dropped two women from the suit and reduced the award to $2 billion. The jury found that the companys talc products contain asbestos and asbestos-laced talc can cause ovarian cancer. The company disputes both points. Johnson & Johnson, which is based in New Brunswick, New Jersey, has stopped selling its iconic talc-based Johnsons Baby Powder in the U.S. and Canada, though it remains on the market elsewhere. But the company faces thousands of lawsuits from women who claim asbestos in the powder caused their cancer. Talc is a mineral similar in structure to asbestos, which is known to cause cancer, and they are sometimes obtained from the same mines. The cosmetics industry in 1976 agreed to make sure its talc products do not contain detectable amounts of asbestos. The lead attorney for the women during the trial, Mark Lanier, praised the court's refusal to hear Johnson & Johnson's appeal. "This decision sends a clear message to the rich and powerful: You will be held to account when you cause grievous harm under our system of equal justice under law, Lanier said. Justices Samuel Alito and Brett Kavanaugh took no part in the court's action. Alito owns $15,000 to $50,000 in Johnson & Johnson stock. Kavanaugh's father headed the trade association that lobbied against labeling talc a carcinogen and including a warning label on talc products. Ethicists contacted by The Associated Press said they did not think E. Edward Kavanaugh's role required his son to step aside from the case. remaining of SUPPORT LOCAL JOURNALISM! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription and are still unable to access our content, please link your digital account to your print subscription If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. Throughout the weekend of enhanced state police enforcement, there were 5,636 calls for service. State police said troopers issued 939 total violations, including 379 for speeding and 64 for seat belts. Even as the state government gave its nod for distribution of Anandaiahs herbal concoction, except eye drops, as many as 160 Covid patients who consumed the herbal medicine a few days back, are undergoing treatment at the GGH in Nellore. (Representational image) NELLORE: Thanking Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy for granting permission to distribute B. Anandaiahs herbal concoction, Sarvepalli legislator K. Govardhan Reddy said that they are planning to decentralise the distribution to avoid crowding at Krishnapatnam. Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, he said that it will take three to four days for Anandaiah to procure the ingredients and prepare the medicine. He hinted that people interested in the medicine may provide the herbs and other ingredients to enable Anandaiah to concentrate on the production. During a visit to Krishnapatnam on Monday, Govardhan Reddy greeted Anandaiah for succeeding in his mission to secure government nod for his medicine. He said the state government considered the issue as a priority after noticing unprecedented support for the concoction from all sections of people. He said they ignored the negative comments on the issue and waited for the final decision of the government. He appreciated Jagan Mohan Reddy for respecting the sentiments of people and allowing preparation for public distribution which made him the peoples leader. Meanwhile, TD senior leader Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy thanked the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) for approving the medical preparations categorized as P, L, and F for distribution. He suggested issuing time-slot tokens in Nellore to avoid the huge rush and distribution-related problems at Krishnapatnam. Even as the state government gave its nod for distribution of Anandaiahs herbal concoction, except eye drops, as many as 160 Covid patients who consumed the herbal medicine a few days back, are undergoing treatment at the GGH in Nellore. Superintendent of the hospital Dr J. Prbhakar disclosed this while interacting with media persons over the death of retired Headmaster B. Kotaiah at the GGH on Monday. Kotaiah had also used the eye drops produced by Anandaiah 10 days back. He said that eight out of 160 patients are in ICU and a majority of them are on oxygen. Referring to their practice in GGH to record the previous history of the patients coming to the hospital, he said that they came to know about consumption of Krishnapatnam medicine while eliciting information before admitting the patients. The NPPA director submitted that the ceiling prices of all scheduled formulation medicines were normally fixed by it as per the provisions of Drugs (Price Control) Order 2013. DC Image HYDERABAD: The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) submitted to the High Court that the prices of drugs for treatment of Covid-19 and black fungus infection were under a price ceiling and therefore the manufacturers cannot not hike prices as per their will. It submitted that the manufacturing of drugs for black fungus and Covid has been ramped up to the highest level. The NPPA said the price of drug used for treatment of black fungus - amphotericin-B (Liposomal) is fixed at Rs 7,484 per 50 grams, excluding GST. Amphotericin B in its powdered form is fixed at Rs 310 per 50 grams. Rajesh Kumar T, deputy director of the NPPA, filed a memo before the High Court and said the Authority and the department of pharmaceuticals of the Union ministry for chemical and fertilisers were monitoring management of supply of medicines during the peak pandemic period. The memo was filed on the directions of the division bench of the Telangana High Court. On May 17, the bench headed by Chief Justice Hima Kohli had issued notices to the NPPA and sought to know its contentions, as there was a shortfall of life-saving drugs for Covid-19 in Telangana state. The NPPA director submitted that the ceiling prices of all scheduled formulation medicines were normally fixed by it as per the provisions of Drugs (Price Control) Order 2013. For non-scheduled formulation medicines, the manufacturers have the liberty to fix the prices provided there should not be an increase more than 10 per cent per year. Favipiravir, remdesivir and others fall under non-scheduled medicines, and their maximum price was Rs 5,400 per vial. With the Intervention of the government, it was reduced to Rs 3,500, Rajesh Kumar submitted. Officials asked farmers to submit a copy of their Aadhaar card, new bank's passbook, agriculture land passbook immediately to agriculture officers or agriculture extension officers of respective mandals failing which they will lose out on Rythu Bandhu benefits. Representational image HYDERABAD: The merger of some public sector banks (PSU) banks in April 2020 has created troubles for farmers availing Rythu Bandhu benefits across Telangana. The state government has decided to deposit Rythu Bandhu amount for kharif season from June 15 to 25. The state government has been crediting Rythu Bandhu amount of Rs 5,000 per acre directly into the bank accounts of farmers since December 2018. For this, farmers have to provide IFSC codes of their bank branches to the agriculture department. However, farmers having accounts in Andhra Bank, Corporation Bank, Syndicate Bank, Oriental Bank of Commerce, Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank, which were merged into other banks, failed to provide new IFSC codes to the agriculture department. Following the merger, the IFSC codes of all these bank branches changed in April 2020. Despite this, farmers did not face any trouble for the past one year and received Rythu Badhu even after the merger because the banks had allowed old IFSC codes until March 31 this year. Officials of the agriculture department stated that if farmers fail to provide revised bank details before June 10, they will lose Rythu Bandhu benefit as online money transfer will not be possible with old IFSC codes. They say farmers, who are mostly from rural and interior areas, were not aware of banking and IFSC codes due to illiteracy and Rythu Bandhu Samithis constituted by state government from village level to state level should take the initiative to educate farmers and ensure they submit revised bank details to agriculture department before June 10. It was found that most of the farmers have accounts in Andhra Bank, Syndicate Bank and Vijaya Bank, who now stare at losing Rythu Bandhu benefits. Officials asked farmers to submit a copy of their Aadhaar card, new bank's passbook, agriculture land passbook immediately to agriculture officers or agriculture extension officers of respective mandals failing which they will lose out on Rythu Bandhu benefits. HYDERABAD: A Hyderabad-based software engineer who had crossed over into Pakistan on his way to meet his lover in Switzerland, and was arrested by the police in Bhawalpur, Pakistan, was repatriated through the Wagah border on Monday. Waindam Prashant, a resident of Madhapur and a native of Vizag, was brought back to Hyderabad on Tuesday evening, said Cyberabad police commissioner V.C. Sajjanar. On April 29, 2017, a missing case was lodged at the Madhapur police station by Prashants family. They said he had gone missing on April 11. Later, a video purportedly posted by him saying that he was in a Pakistani prison while trying to go to Switzerland to meet his girlfriend, was found in social media sites. After the video went viral, his father Babu Rao approached the Cyberabad police and the state and Central governments for help. After continuous follow up by the Telangana state government with the minister of external affairs and the ministry of home affairs, Prashant was released and handed over to Indian authorities on May 31, who in turn handed over him to Madhapur inspector P. Ravindra Prasad, in Attari, Punjab, said Sajjanar. Prashant, 32, had allegedly planned to impress the girl he was in love with by walking till Switzerland and showing up at her doorstep. The amateurishly planned adventure cost him four years of his life, he told the Madhapur inspector on his way back to the city. Prashant could not speak Hindi before his escapade, but came back fluent in the local Urdu dialect and conversed easily with the authorities at the border, said Prasad, adding that the techie said he was overjoyed to speak in Telugu, his mother tongue, after four years. The IT professional, who was around 28 when he jumped the fence and entered Pakistan, was found by the local authorities without a wallet or a mobile phone. They were very sure that I was a spy connected to RAW, Prashant said. Prashant had met the girl for whom he crossed the border when he was working in Bengaluru. She was his colleague and was a native of North India who shifted to Switzerland. Hoping that he would win her heart by walking to Switzerland, he took off from home. He was staying with his brother Srikanth in Kukatpally before he left the state, said the Madhapur police inspector. Prashant said there was a land route to Switzerland via Pakistan which takes about 60 days. Replying to a query in Punjab on Tuesday morning, he claimed he was beaten up by the Pakistani police, but did not want to fault them. He said he was treated well in the Lahore prison. On Tuesday afternoon, as we were heading back to the city, he asked me in Hindi if we could eat something as he had not eaten anything since morning. After I replied in Telugu that we will stop for lunch, he had this glow in his eyes and was expressing how happy he is to speak in his mother tongue after four years. He shared how he regrets the decisions and how he wasted four years of his prime youth behind a quest of a one-sided love, added the official. Prashant, while thanking the Telangana government and external affairs ministry for their efforts to bring him back, said he did not expect that he would come back to India so soon. I owe a lot to the Telangana government and the Centre," he said. The family members of Prashant profusely thanked the Telangana government, the Centre and officials for getting Prashant released safely. The court also directed the Advocate General to submit the governments stand on not issuing new GOs fixing the price cap for Covid treatment. (Representational Photo: AFP) HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court directed the state government to immediately initiate steps to refund the excess amount collected by private hospitals from Covid-19 patients. The division bench comprising Chief Justice Hima Kohli and Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy asked Advocate-General B.S. Prasad, to convey the government about the court`s concern and ensure that it would be implemented. The advocate general submitted that he would convey the message and come up with the response of the government on Wednesday. The bench was dealing with the batch of PILs on Covid-19. During the adjudication, several counsels raised concerns that the government has not so far issued new GOs on fixing a cap on prices for the treatment of Covid-19, and for tests like CT scan. The bench specifically directed the government in May, to issue fresh GOs fixing the maximum prices to all the medical services, tests and medical equipment. Despite the court orders, the government has not issued a single GO in this regard. When this was questioned by the bench, the Advocate-General replied that showcause notices were issued to the private hospitals on the 115 complaints received against fleecing of money. He also submitted that licences to treat Covid -19 to a few private hospitals had been cancelled, after the enquiry reports mentioned that excess amounts were charged by them. Reacting to it, Justice Kohli questioned, How will these steps help the victims, who already have been fleeced? Of course, issuing of show cause notices, and cancellation of licences are parts of work. But, what is the position of the poor patients who paid lots of money to save their lives? We are aware of the situations where the relatives of Covid patients are mortgaging gold, and approaching money lenders to pay hospital bills to save their kins life. We are well aware that the hospitals are not discharging the patients or handing over the dead bodies unless the bill amount is paid fully. The government should control it. Cancelling of licences cannot give any relief to the aggrieved patients. At least, the amount, collected excessively, should be returned, the court said. The court also directed the Advocate General to submit the governments stand on not issuing new GOs fixing the price cap for Covid treatment. External affairs minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankars five-day visit to the United States needs closer examination, not for what was publicly articulated but their real intentions. In the middle of the raging second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in India, the considerations must have been really weighty. US secretary of state Antony J. Blinken tweeted that the two leaders had a productive discussion on regional security and economic priorities to include Covid-19 relief efforts, the India-China border situation and our support for Afghanistan. The tweet ended by saying that as friends the two nations will address these areas of shared concern. US national security adviser Jake Sullivan, who also met Mr Jaishankar, emphasised people-to-people contacts and shared values as the foundation of the US-India partnership, and finally listed three issues:pandemic elimination, leading on climate change and support for an open and free Indo-Pacific. The emphasis on Covid-19 by both close advisers to President Joe Biden assumes significance. The rest are only a reiteration of the usual subjects on the US agenda, including China. President Bidens foreign policy priorities, as adumbrated from the start of his presidency, are: China, climate change, US withdrawal from Afghanistan despite a paltry face-saver and reaffirmation of the trans-Atlantic alliance. Now, the Israel-Palestine standoff has got added due to the sudden outbreak of hostilities in the Middle East. Mr Blinken not even being in Washington for much of Mr Jaishankars stay in the US capital underscores the sudden importance of the Mideast crisis. They met literally on the last day of Mr Jaishankars visit. Mr Jaishankar in turn described his meeting with Mr Blinken as having further solidified our strategic partnership and enlarged our agenda of cooperation. Ignoring the usual hyperbole, its unclear how the agenda has enlarged when all the issues are old. India has been cautious to prioritise, keeping in mind the need not to provoke China, while working with the US and its partners in the four-nation Quad and carefully balancing Indias traditional ties with Russia with closer US engagement. Mr Jaishankar also met the defence secretary, US trade representative and congressional leaders, but there was no contact with either President Biden, who has been known to dropby when key ministers are at the White House to meet the NSA, or Indian-origin vice-president Kamala Devi Harris, with whom Mr Jaishankar has had differences during the Trump presidency over Indias handling of Kashmir. What then was the real purpose behind the visit, as indeed its timing? Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government have been on the backfoot since the BJPs embarrassing defeat in West Bengal and the Covid-19 second wave, which the government clearly did not foresee or simply ignored despite warnings. To Mr Modis consternation, he has also lost face internationally, damaging his carefully nursed post-Godhra image as a statesman. The government seriously erred in resting its Covid handling strategy on the premise that neither the Kumbh Mela nor the endless election rallies would exacerbate the lingering pandemic. The vaccination strategy was tailored to this assumption, with increased vaccine supply, treble the current production capacity of the two indigenous manufacturers, becoming available only after August. The aim was to ratchet up the daily vaccination rate in the period September-December to 10 million jabs a day, to in theory vaccinate the entire 45-plus and bulk of the over-18 population before the Uttar Pradesh election in February next year. This tendency to have even our health policy bend to electoral priorities rather than medical science has proven disastrous. A C-Voter survey indicates that for the first time since the Prime Minister assumed office seven years ago those dissatisfied with his performance exceed those who are satisfied. With pictures of overflowing cremation grounds and even bodies dumped in the Ganga or buried along its banks, and the international media carrying those pictures on their front pages, the governments immediate need was twofold --get an emergency supply of vaccines to bridge the gap till September and mend the Prime Ministers shattered image. Mr Jaishankar began his visit to address these two issues in particular. But instead of facing the editorial boards of major newspapers like the New York Times and the Washington Post, he chose the easier option of a calibrated chat at a thinktank to answer the critics of his government. Unlike someone like late PM Atal Behari Vajpayee who would have allowed an urbane Jaswant Singh leeway to meet the media halfway to allay their concerns, Mr Jaishankar simply dug in stubbornly. He went on the offensive on the Modi government being portrayed in a certain way. In a tweet I asked if the minister understood whether this way was actually the media simply speaking truth to power? Which is their right, if not their duty, in a democracy. The US state department released its 2020 Report on Religious Freedom on May 12, as the BJP-appointed administrator of Lakshadweep was busy imposing the Hindutva agenda on the Muslim-majority islands. The minister may pummel the Indian media all he wants, but such actions bring international focus back on whether India under todays BJP any longer shares values with the US? Mr Jaishankars other agenda item was the emergency procurement of vaccines, out of the 80 million doses the US promised to release for international use. Two hurdles are in the way. One, some AstraZeneca stock is feared contaminated during production and thus needs an audit. Two, the US may not divert the bulk to one nation, to maintain equity and its image. Interestingly, not a word was heard about the US pressing for a waiver at the World Trade Organisation on intellectual property. In the coming days, Americas willingness to bail out India will be known. Global Times, the Chinese governments English mouthpiece,is taunting that Mr Jaishankars US visit was just fanfare and blank checks. The US will help but may extract greater alignment with its interests in the Indo-Pacific against China, on climate change and trade. It may also force India to curtail its Russian arms purchases, especially the S-400 missile system. The US would also want India to not rock the boat in Afghanistan and meet Pakistan halfway on Kashmir. Meanwhile, the US is silent on restoring the Generalised System of Preferences, revoked by President Trump. Thus, the vaccines may come at a strategic cost, as global hegemons dont run charities. Mr Modis image is another matter, to recover which he needs more than aggressive wolf ministers. He needs a reality check. FOR a terrible 11 days in May, the world watched hellfire rain upon the worlds largest open-air prison camp, otherwise known as Gaza. The dazed, bleeding survivors crawling out of the rubble of collapsed buildings have experienced this before. Everyone knows this tragedy will repeat. In faraway Arab cities, people glumly watched the unhindered, televised bombing by Israeli jets. But the most they could manage was a few toothless resolutions and a few impotent slogan-chanting demonstrations trampling upon the Israeli flag. What makes Israel with nine million people a Goliath of biblical proportions? Equally, notwithstanding their fabulous oil wealth, why are 427million Arabs the pygmies of international politics? Before Israel --which has almost zero natural resources --the Arab kings and sheikhs can only bow their heads. Blame the West if you want and, in particular, America. Indeed, from 2000-2019 armaments supplied to Israel by the Western powers (US, UK, France, Spain, Germany) are documented at a hefty $9.6 billion. But within that 20-year period the same document shows this amount is dwarfed by arms sold by the same suppliers to Saudi Arabia ($29.3bn), UAE ($20.1bn), Egypt ($17.5bn), Iraq ($9.1bn), and Qatar ($6bn). And yet these expensive weapons will provide little protection if Israel ever chooses to attack the Arab lands again. While the nine-country Saudi-led coalition has created a humanitarian catastrophe in Yemen, it is failing dismally against the ragtag Iran-supported Houthi forces. Okay, so then lets blame Palestines ill-fortune upon Arab disunity. Theres truth in this: Arabs are indeed bitterly divided. But when were they not? From about AD-634 to AD-750 is the only period in history when they stood together. Then, after Nasser won the Suez War against Britain, Arabs united again for a brief, euphoric moment. But this unity did nothing to avert their crushing defeat in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, that which forever changed borders. And while friends and activists for Palestine would love to see Fatah and Hamas patch up their differences, doing so will not change things fundamentally. The secret of Israels strength is not hidden in its weaponry. Instead, this still-expanding and still-colonising apartheid settler state uses the same magic that enabled just a handful of 18th-century Englishmen to colonise the entire Indian subcontinent. Lets recall that in ruling over 200 million natives for 250 years, at no time did Britain have more than 50,000 white soldiers on Indian soil. Although better guns and cannons gave them an edge, in fact their real not-so-secret weapon was much bigger. That weapon was a system of organised thought based upon a rational and secular approach to life, a modern system of justice, and a new set of social relations. This was sustained and enhanced by Enlightenment-era education that de-emphasised rote learning of the scriptures, was this-worldly and future-oriented, and which focused upon problem-solving skills using systematic, scientific thinking. Having invented modern means of communication such as the railways and telegraph, an island in the North Sea could boast of an empire over which the sun never sets. In a nutshell, imperialist conquests showed that brains would rule over brawn: a stark truth that got still starker with time. But where are brains produced? Obviously in the womb but its in schools, colleges and universities where minds are shaped and sharpened. Hence, these days everyone and their uncle rush to one single conclusion: fix education and this will level the playing field, greatly diminishing or perhaps ending the inequalities of power. Thats so much easier said than done. To have buildings and classrooms with teachers is one thing but to coax the potential out of a student is altogether different. With their vast wealth, Arab countries have built impressive university campuses with well-equipped laboratories and well-stocked libraries. They have even imported professors from America and Europe. Yet, the needle has barely flickered so far. Thats because attitudes towards learning take forever to change; and only if they are somehow forced to change. Pakistan follows the Arab model as best as it can, and no university has a bookshop, a centre for students that hums with open debate and discussion, or a theatre where classic movies are screened. Looking for a philosopher or a high-grade pure mathematician will be in vain. For 20 years, papers and PhDs have been churned out at a frantic rate. But I suspect many of the countrys distinguished national professors with hundreds of research publications would be judged unfit to teach in a high-end Israeli high school for lack of scholarship. The problem is not genetics -- Arabs have a brilliant past and may be just as smart as Ashkenazi Israelis. But the two groups have different attitudes towards success and different role models. The Ashkenazi child wants to be Albert Einstein, Niels Bohr, John von Neumann, George Wald, Paul Samuelson, Gertrude Elion, Ralph Lauren, George Soros, or a thousand other such names that fill textbooks on physics, philosophy, technology, medicine, and business. Compare this with the Arab boy who wants to be Salahuddin Ayubi. We live in a cruel world which, of course, we must try our best to make less cruel and more humane. But making a socially just world requires much more than condemning oppressors and crying with the oppressed. Instead, the weak must be made stronger. That strength does not derive from oil or nuclear bombs. Instead, it springs from the human brain, but only when that superb gift of nature is appropriately tutored and trained within a system of secular values that cherishes and rewards logical thinking, questioning and creativity. China-donated medicines, kits handed over to Bangladesh for postnatal mother care Xinhua) 14:11, June 01, 2021 DHAKA, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Partners in Population and Development (PPD) has handed over China-donated medicines and kits to the Bangladeshi government for better postnatal care of mother's health in the country. Mohammad Sharif, a senior official of Bangladesh's Directorate General of Family Planning (DGFP), received the medical supplies in a ceremony held both in-person and virtually on Monday in capital Dhaka. Adnene Ben Haj Aissa, PPD executive Director, Shahan Ara Banu, director general of DGFP, Nitish Chandra Sarkar, additional secretary of Bangladesh's Medical Education and Family Welfare Division, Liu Zhenhua, Economic and Commercial Counsellor of the Embassy of China in Dhaka, among others, were present at the ceremony in capital Dhaka. Officials have expressed gratitude to China for the donation of medicines and kits, saying the medical supplies will help doctors to treat better women in need for postnatal care. Shahan Ara Banu, director general of DGFP, said they are attaching great importance to timely and adequate postnatal care to reduce both maternal and newborn mortality. She thanked related partners for supporting the project PPD launched in rural Bangladesh areas in collaboration with the government, saying this is a great initiative for saving more lives of mothers and their newborns. Liu Zhenhua said public health has historically been a closely cooperative field between China and Bangladesh. As part of its deep commitment to promote the south-south cooperation, he said China is supporting countries in the region and beyond to improve maternal health. (Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun) You understand how people feel, but you never expect it to come to your doorstep. Youve just got to at some point, youve got to suck it up and move on and keep doing the work, Hardrick said. We know weve got a lot of work to do and even me. You cant make me weaker. Its got to make me stronger. Weve just got to keep fighting this violence in the streets for young folks, and even though you think your kids are all right, you never know when it hits your house, your home, and youve just got to pray for the best. A new short film has been produced by the Nerve Centre in Derry in partnership with young people from the North West Ministry of Youth project. 'Voices for Change' highlights the hopes and aspirations for a better way of life for young people. The film calls for young people to become change makers for the future by getting involved through the power of democracy. The film is the culmination of an 18-month programme which communicates the vision behind a Manifesto for Change created by a working group of 35 young people as part of the Peace IV project that was delivered by Co-operation Ireland, the Education Authority and Pennyburn Youth Club on behalf of Derry City and Strabane District Council from September 2019. The North West Ministry of Youth Youth Voices Project engaged young people aged between 14 to 18 years from Strabane, Derry and Donegal to represent the voice of young people at a political level. Co-operation Ireland Programme Manager Barry Fennell praised everyone in the project. The short film can be viewed on the Nerve Centre's Youtube channel. The traditional pilgrimage on Donegal's Lough Derg will not go ahead this summer, it has been confirmed. The public health measures still in place within the phased relaxation of restrictions do not go far enough at this time to enable Station Island to reopen for the safe return of pilgrims, an organsier for the event said. In a normal season, over 10,000 pilgrims would make their annual pilgrimage or retreat during the summer months to Station Island. This year again the Prior, Fr La Flynn, will move out to the Island on the first of June to begin his witness of a daily Station Prayer on behalf of pilgrims who otherwise would themselves be coming on pilgrimage over the ten weeks until August 15. This offers also a pledge of assurance to the many who send their petitions and prayers to Lough Derg, that these will be remembered before God on this holy ground. Fr La commented on how it feels, this second time around, knowing that we will be into a third year before the return of a full pilgrimage programme in 2022: Here at Lough Derg we accept that the steady roll-out of the vaccine programme is something that is a priority for people at this time, offering hope and joy. "We respect the wisdom of a phased and stable relaxing of restrictions. The timing is just not on our side this year. "Lough Derg sees itself with a responsibility towards its thousands of faithful pilgrims and friends, to help them keep connected to the momentum of prayer that I hope to maintain from today until August 15. "The tradition of prayer and intercession is part of the fabric of this place. As I take up the daily Station Prayer of the Pilgrimage I do so with a glad heart, carrying the prayer of our pilgrim family near and far. Fr La continued: Many areas of society are returning to some normality. I particularly rejoice at the welcome return of faithful people to their places of worship. I want to say that Lough Derg is still here. "I am very confident that, with a further easing of restrictions on outdoor gatherings in the coming weeks, Lough Derg will be able to offer the Pilgrimage along the Lakeshore with a possibility of open-air Mass. "Our regular pilgrims will be glad to learn that the Pilgrimage from Afar, offered in response to the pandemic last year, will be held on 3-5 July. "From their own home, pilgrims will be able to join with me and some members of our pastoral team to do their Three Day Pilgrimage from where they are, with a live stream link. Participation in Do Lough Derg from wherever you are will be open to anyone across Ireland and indeed worldwide who is up for the challenge of the traditional pilgrimage. "Last year we were joined across timelines by pilgrims from Beijing to Vancouver, all sharing in a continuum of prayer that has been kept alive by families from generation to generation back through the centuries. Mid Ulster District Council is to form a working group on the issue of Irish unity after councillors backed a motion on the issue at last week's full council meeting. A motion from Sinn Fein councillor John McNamee said the council had a duty to consult with rate payers on the issue of Irish reunification and suggested the council form a working group. The suggestions drew the ire of unionist councillors in the chamber, and a lengthy debate on the pros and cons of a united Ireland followed. Magherafelt DUP councillor Paul McLean criticised the approach taken by the council themselves and said it did not augur well for unionists in a united Ireland. If what we have seen within Mid Ulster Council, is what we would face within a united Ireland, then as unionists, we don't have a lot to look forward to, he said. We have seen this council, that is Sinn Fein orientated and led, absolutely annihilate, at every time, everything we have put forward. You have undermined our culture, our creed, our class and everything else. To be honest, the message Sinn Fein are giving tonight is 'Brits Out'. I'm a British subject, and I'm proud to be in the Union. I don't even believe this motion is legal and I would ask the Chief Executive to get a legal opinion to see if his officers can implement it, said Cllr McLean. Chair Cathal Mallaghan said all motions brought to council had to be checked by council officials. Every motion submitted to council is checked by Democratic Services to see if it meets the standing orders, and on this occasion, it did, he said. Carntogher Sinn Fein councillor Cora Corry said everything should be on the table in discussions, and supported the establishment of the working group. That's all on the table. That's what we want to have in the workshops; everybody involved laying out what they envisage, she said. We would have full access to the EU, as they have said we could go straight back in there. There is a lot of discussion on a Bill of Rights. I want healthcare reform. There is a two-tier healthcare system creeping in in the North already. There has been under-funding in the NHS for decades under austerity. Economists are telling us if we had a united Ireland, there would be a 38 million euro boost to the economy. The motion to set up a working group on Irish unity passed by 25 votes to 15. The first year we did this, there was this gentleman named Patrick who I fit him for shoes and he went on, and the next year, he showed up and said I dont know if you remember me, and I was like Oh youre here for another pair of boots! And he said No Im here to volunteer. The boots [you gave me] got me a job and that job got me an apartment and that apartment got me a steady salary, Stephanie Blozy, of Fleet Feet, said. We know theres some people who are going to come and sell the shoes we give them, but theres enough people that it changes their lives. A parent of three children at a County Derry primary school earmarked for closure has hit out at a lack of communication from relevant authorities. Desertmartin Primary School will close its doors for a final time in August 2021 after Education Minister Peter Weir approved plans for its closure in October 2020. One parent, who has requested anonymity, said parents had sent two letters to the Department of Education (DE), Education Authority (EA) and the Derry Diocesan Board of Education (DDBOE), but had not received any reply. "We have requested a meeting with the DDBOE and EA but to no avail. DE have been in limited contact with regards to this matter," they said. "There have been two letters sent by parents to all these parties raising questions and concerns regarding how proceedings have been handled and how very much out of the loop the parents have been. "None of them have responded, which we feel is very unfair and just downright rude. It's not too much to ask for some answers, instead we get radio silence. "We are very aware that the school can't be maintained as it stands at the minute and completely accept that it will be closing at the end of this term. "We just can't fathom how the educational governing bodies and a religious organisation can be so evasive and feel that they are very under handed in their tactics. "We feel that their silence is in the hope that if they don't respond to us by the end of June 2021 then we will have to shut up and forget about it, that they won't have to answer our questions or concerns." The parent praised Desertmartin Primary School for the effect they have had on her children, one of whom has special educational needs. "One of my children has special needs and will now be attending a new school. The progress my child has made since attending Desertmartin has been extraordinary, the staff have been unbelievable in how they have helped him. "He is reading and writing, something at one time I never thought he'd be able to do, they have encouraged him, supported him and helped in so many ways that words could not describe how grateful I and my family are for them. "It is just an absolute shame that in its final weeks of being open, the organisations involved at a higher level couldn't be a bit more open and honest with the families and people involved in the day to day of the school. "It is a disgrace that these kinds of small rural schools won't be kept open due to financial reasons, when in so many cases the benefits of these smaller schools for so many children by far outweighs any amount of money." Last year, the Department of Education said all evidence had been taken into account regarding the decision to close the school. "On 5 October 2020, Education Minister Peter Weir approved the Development Proposal (DP 599) for Desertmartin Primary School to discontinue with effect from 31 August 2021 at the latest," said a DE spokesperson. "In reaching his decision the Minister gave careful consideration to the full range of evidence presented; including all comments received during the statutory objection period and any pertinent statutory duties. "A copy of the submission, on which the Minister based his decision, can be accessed on the Departments website at: https://www.education-ni.gov.uk/node/DesertmartinPS." When contacted this week by Derry Now, the Department added: "The Department has taken appropriate action in relation to a Development Proposal published in relation to the school closure and in relation to a Judicial Review Pre-Action Protocol letter." The Education Authority said they were providing support to the school's Trustees. "Desertmartin Primary School is a Church of Ireland school with the discontinuance of the school brought forward by the Trustees, the Derry Diocesan Board of Education," said a spokesperson. "While the Education Authority is not the managing authority for Desertmartin Primary School it is providing support, on request, to the Trustees of the school. A 39-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of a number of offences including assisting offenders, attempting to pervert the course of justice and withholding information. Police said the arrest is part of an ongoing investigation into the murder of a 21-year-old Katie Simpson who died at Altnagelvin Hospital on August 9, 2020, following an incident at an address in Gortnessy Meadows on the outskirts of Derry. The woman is currently in police custody assisting with enquiries. A man has been charged with Katie's murder. A new crisis support service for people experiencing mental health issues was today launched in Derry. PIPS Suicide Prevention Ireland (PIPS Charity) have started a new face-to-face mental health service for people experiencing mental health or emotional wellbeing problems. People of all ages will be able to access support, free of charge, from the PIPS Counselling team based at The Playhouse in Derry's city centre. The services aims to promote positive mental health and emotional wellbeing to support clients to move from 'surviving to thriving'. The service has been operating in the Belfast area for nearly 20 years with excellent results and has always ensured that people receive the right support at the right time and dont need to wait unnecessarily on long waiting lists. PIPS is a community- based charity that supports and promotes positive mental health for anyone who has been affected by suicide or self-harm. PIPS services are for people who are experiencing depression, grief and loss, loneliness, anxiety, low self-esteem, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, anger, stress, suicidal ideation, self-harming or abuse issues. The charity also support children with their emotional and behavioural issues. Renee Quinn, Executive Director, PIPS Suicide Prevention Ireland, said they wanted to broaden their reach across Northern Ireland. We have always provided services right across Northern Ireland but we are now extending our reach physically by embarking on a new counselling service in Derry area. We want to ensure that if someone reaches out to their GP or hospital or indeed directly with us, when experiencing mental health problems, that they can get appropriate, timely, professional and effective psychological support. With the restrictions on funding for mental health, however, that is not always possible and the NHS cant always see everyone all of the time. We believe that we can deliver a much needed free counselling service to those that need us, with no waiting times and with long standing excellent outcomes in other parts of the country we want to work to strengthen the local mental health system and help those that need us. We firmly believe that you cannot ask people to put a pause on their mental health and languish on waiting lists, just as we dont believe that clients should be restricted to six counselling sessions before being discharged, we will hold a client for as long as it takes to help them with their issue. Deep seated trauma and historical abuse issues can only be dealt with after building a rapport with the PIPS Counsellor, so we will be with the client for as long as it takes to go gently at their pace on their recovery journey. Kevin Murphy , CEO at The Playhouse, said he was delighted to be working in partnership with the crisis support service. If making art is said to be helping people express themselves without having to use words, we cant cannot think of a more fitting partner to help people find those words too. The health and wellbeing of individuals and communities is a measure of how we function and thrive as a society. When people are given a voice, are made powerful, and a supported with positive physical and mental health, they connect to their surroundings, their built environment and each other. Our mission is to use art and creativity to strengthen the voice of vulnerable people and marginalised communities, to enrich the lives of the people that we serve. The equality of access to the essential services PIPS Charity offer does exactly this, offering help, promoting well-being and creating a space for social connection and exploration. In doing this, they help young people manage mental ill health and support recovery not just for individuals, but ultimately for our communities. How to reach PIPS: PIPS Charity offers a no appointment needed service to ensure there is always someone to contact for a chat when a person might feel vulnerable, might be at risk of suicidal behaviours or is simply in need of assistance/guidance, just walk in. PIPS Counsellors are available between: 9am 9pm Monday to Friday and 10am - 6pm Saturday and Sundays, (including school holidays and excluding bank holidays) People can contact the new service in Derry on 02871 224 133. PIPS also operate in Enniskillen (02866 339 004) and Belfast (02890 805 850). A UUP appeal for a local council to reconsider its position in placing Irish above English on placename signs within the area has been branded a 'complete nonsense' by one Sinn Fein councillor. Over recent weeks, the council have discussed the issue of signage, with UUP councillor Meta Graham calling for an 'English first' policy at a committee meeting last month. She told this month's meeting that nobody was listening to unionist concerns. We live in a diverse society and everyone coming to live in Northern Ireland speaks English to some degree. It is confusing to not have English placed properly, she said. The reality is that it causes tension, division and bad feeling among people who previously lived in relative harmony. Every time it is brought up, we have a vote, and every time we are out-voted. I would like our nationalist colleagues to actually hear what we are saying and asking, and not just vote us down again. Sinn Fein councillor Sean McPeake, however, citicised the latest motion to come before the council. On reading the wording of the motion and listening to what has been said about Irish being something that is threatening, it simply needs to be called out for what it is, he told the council. This is complete nonsense. It demonstrates both an inability to tolerate the language itself and to understand the rationale and need for minority language policies in the first instance. Irish is a minority language, under threat, and that's why specific measures are needed to protect the language. I don't think anyone would believe the English language is in any way being threatened with extinction. SDLP councillor Martin Kearney disputed a claim by Cllr Graham that everyone in the council used English as their first language. Within Mid Ulster, there is a significant Irish language community, he said. 440 people living in Mid Ulster speak Irish as their first language: 8,063 or 6.1% can speak, write and understand Irish: 22,986 or 17% of the population have some ability in Irish. There is a challenge for everyone here - for Nationalists of all shades do not alienate Unionists from cultural capital which rightfully belongs to both traditions. The defacing of English language signage is no more acceptable than the defacing of Irish language signs. The Irish language is not and must not be allowed to be the possession of any one section or group within our community. It is a heritage belonging to and shared by all on this island. In the neighbouring nations of Wales and Scotland the native language sits clearly at the top of the signage. British pluralism has no problem with the use of Welsh or Scots Gallic on signage within these countries. Surely whats good enough for Wales and Scotland is good enough for us. The proposed motion to reconsider the council's policy on Irish language placename signage was defeated by 25 votes to 15. Plans to remember the legacy of LGBTQ campaigner Mark Ashton in Portrush have taken a step closer to completion after a consultation proposal was granted approval at a full meeting of Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council. The proposal had been passed at the April meeting of the council's Corporate Policy and Resources Committee, but ratification of the minutes had been deferred for a month after councillors only received the documents on the day of the May council meeting. Mark Ashton was a co-founder of the Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners (LGSM) support group and was a prominent campaigner for LGBTQ rights throughout the 1980s. Ashton studied for a period at the former NI Hotel and Catering College in the town before moving to London in 1978. Council were asked to vote on an amendment from independent councillor William McCandless not to ratify the decision on account of Ashton's communist links. Cllr McCandless stressed Mark Ashton's sexuality was not a factor in his opposition. "What I am concerned about though, is his links with the Communist Party of Great Britain," he said. "He was, in fact, the general secretary of the Communist Youth Wing. As for the miner's strike, it is a recorded fact that the NUM had no ballot, so the 1984 strike was illegal. "Communism is one of the most evil ideologies in the world. I wish to examine all the aspects of his ideology and all he was involved with. "Because of this young man's involvement, I cannot in all conscience support this motion." Cllr Darryl Wilson of the UUP reiterated his position from the committee stage, and said having political freedoms within a 'diverse' United Kingdom was important. "What a dull and uninspiring place it would be if we did not have political differences in our ideologies," he said. "What I want to try to focus on is what Mark did try to promote, which was the advancement of LGBTQ rights in the 1980s, at a time when being part of an LGBTQ community was frowned upon and had a devastating impact on so many young people across the UK at that time. "The work Mark carried out was commendable and should be recognised." Bann councillor for Sinn Fein, Sean Bateson, said Mark Ashton's achievements were 'second to none'. "For his involvement in fighting for equality for LGBTQ communities and workers' right, he should be commended." The council will now consult with members of Mark Ashton's family, as well as LGBTQ campaign groups, who have raised over 6,500 to fund a memorial in Portrush. Two trade unions have also pledged over 2,800 to the cause. SDLP councillor Margaret Anne McKillop, whose party brought the original motion, said she was delighted the motion had been ratified. I am delighted that the SDLP proposal for a memorial to Mark Ashton has been ratified by Causeway Coast and Glens Council, she said. It is fitting that our motion received ratification at the beginning of Pride month and I hope that it sends a message to LGBT+ people across our district that they are valued and loved. Mark dedicated his life to activism and the pursuit of equal rights. Whether it was for workers or the LGBT+ community, his passion for justice was an inspiration. I hope that a lasting memorial will inspire a new generation and demonstrate our immense pride in his lifes work. Local activists and trade unions have already raised a significant sum to help deliver the project. I am looking forward to working with Marks family to help create a lasting tribute to his immense legacy. LGBTQ campaigner Jude Copeland welcomed the decision and said it would put Portrush on the map throughout the world. "Portrush is on course to have the first blue plaque in the 9 counties of Ulster to a voluntarily openly LGBT+ person," he said. "We have received messages of support from places as diverse as Wales, Nairobi, Australia and America; from wives of miners who remember Marks kindness from trade union members from all over," he said. "They now know that Mark, who they respect greatly was from Portrush. "His legacy transcends nationality or politics - he was about helping people who need help. When faced with bitterness and prejudice, Mark was passionately compassionate." Maniesh Paul Extends Support To BMC Safai Karamcharis Post Cyclone Tauktae Indian actor and one of the most celebrated hosts, Maniesh Paul extended his help to contribute towards BMC Safai Karamcharis working at beaches post the Cyclone. Post the cyclone Tauktae hit the west coast, Mumbai witnessed the beaches and roads littered with waste spewed by the sea back at the city. As an aftermath, BMC workers have cleared over 2000 tons of garbage, in a single day. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Maniesh Paul (@manieshpaul) Offering a helping hand to the selfless workers, Maniesh has extended his support by donating an undisclosed amount along with ration kits (daal, rice, alongwith other daily grocery items), across 9 beaches in Mumbai including, Juhu, Versova, Mahim, Bandra, Girgaon, Shivaji Park, amongst others. Maniesh associated with Chinu Kwatra, founder of Khushiyaan Foundation to organize the donation drive in order to help the BMC Safai Karamcharis working on the beaches post the cyclone. Sharing insights into the same, Chinu Kwatra shared, "It was extremely thoughtful of Maniesh to extend his support for the BMC workers and we are glad to be a part of his contribution. It is heartening to witness people like Maniesh coming forward to help the BMC Safai Karamcharis of Beach who had been toiling to clear up the waste spewed by the ocean back on the land after the cyclone. He provided ration kits to the families as a mark of respect and admiration for their hardwork towards the society." In addition, Maniesh has also donated shoes for underprivileged kids to the NGO Khushiya Foundation. Rubina Dilaik On 5 Years Of Shakti: I Am Very Attached To My Character Soumya Actress and Bigg Boss 14 winner Rubina Dilaik recently celebrated 5 years of her popular show Shakti- Astitva Ke Ehsaas Ki along with her co-stars Kamya Punjabi, Sudesh Berry and others. The cast and crew had a cake cutting ceremony on the sets and Rubina and Kamya took to their social media handles to share sneak peeks from the party. Rubina, who plays the role of Soumya, had quit the show in 2020 after a giant leap was implemented. However, she reprised her beloved character in March after returning from the BB house. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rubina Dilaik (@rubinadilaik) In a recent chat with Spotboye, Rubina opened up about how Shakti has been a game changer in her life. She was quoted saying, Shakti gave my career a second chance and this show drastically changed my career graph. Shakti helped me build myself as an actor in many ways, and helped me showcase my versatility as an actor and a performer. Shakti gave me so much recognition and fame that people actually went back a good 6 -7 years to see the kind of work I had been a part of back then. So yes, Shakti helped me change my life in a bigger and better way. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rubina Dilaik (@rubinadilaik) Talking about her character Soumya, the actress shared, I am very attached to my character Soumya. The role has emotionally and mentally connected so well with me that I don't have to act it out, but I instead just portray it and there truly is a huge difference between the two. Rubina went on to add that playing the character always came out of natural instinct to her, from within her heart. Well, it is safe to say that nobody can play Soumya as well as Rubina. Karan Mehra Released On Bail After Getting Arrested For Allegedly Beating Wife Nisha Rawal In A Fight Popular television actor Karan Mehra was arrested for allegedly beating up his wife at their residence in Mumbai, a police official said on Tuesday. The incident took place on Monday night following which the actor was taken into custody. He was released on bail from the police station in the early hours of Tuesday, the official said. The Goregaon police received a call from their control room about the incident around 11 pm on Monday, he said. The police went to the actor's house and brought him to the police station. His wife Nisha Rawal, who is also a TV actor, lodged a police complaint against him after they had a fight, the official said. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Karan Mehra (@realkaranmehra) A case was registered against Mehra under IPC sections 336 (endangering human life or personal safety others), 337 (causing hurt by an act which endangers human life), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation), he said. After the completion of legal formalities, the actor was released on bail from the police station, he said. Mehra is known for his role in the TV serial "Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai". The couple has appeared in various TV serials, including dance reality show "Nach Baliye". 5 Things To Know About Samantha Akkineni Before Watching Her In The Family Man Season 2 If you havent heard about her, youve certainly been living under a rock. Well, were talking about the scintillating Samantha Akkineni, whos one of the most established actresses in the Tamil and Telugu film industry. With her good looks, her stellar acting skills, impeccable screen presence and unmatched versatility she has won hearts down South. Her wish of playing a role in a mainstream Hindi title is finally coming true as she is all set to make her digital debut with the new season of The Family Man. While we cant wait to see her portray the role of Srikant Tiwaris arch nemesis Raji in the new season, here are 5 interesting facts about the actress: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Samantha Akkineni (@samantharuthprabhuoffl) 1. A humanitarian at heart - Along with being a great artist, Samantha also runs an NGO which she started in 2012. The non-governmental organization is called Pratyusha Support that provides support to women and children. She believes in humanity and is doing her bit to make the society a better place. Along with providing aid to her NGO, she also provides aid to other NGOs for women and children as well as helping those NGOs that focus on welfare for the street animals. 2. The zeal to learn and give her 100% - Samanthas character in the new season of The Family Man is named Raji, who besides playing Srikants opponent, works in a garment factory. To showcase and make the role as realistic as possible, she actually learnt the art of weaving in a real garment factory and took aid from the workers to ace her role. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Samantha Akkineni (@samantharuthprabhuoffl) 3. Underwent intense physical training - Samantha went through intense and rigorous physical training and transformation to portray the role of Raji, as realistically as possible. She did hours of physical training every day and literally invested her blood and sweat for this character in the series. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Samantha Akkineni (@samantharuthprabhuoffl) 4. A method actor - To understand and try to be as true to the character of Raji, Samantha did intense research on how she wanted the character to look on the screen. She locked herself in a room for three days and watched multiple documentaries to get under the skin of Raji. View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Family Man (@familymanamazon) 5. Her debut on OTT as well as doing action scenes - Samanthas digital debut in The Family Man will see her in a totally new avatar. This is her first deglamorized role where she is doing hardcore action stunts and is tough enough to save herself and fight back with her enemy. For the first time in Samanthas acting career, we will see her holding a gun. Watch Samantha Akkineni in the new season of The Family Man on Amazon Prime Video from 4th June. 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But the breadth and persistence of the shortages reveal the extent to which the Just in Time idea has come to dominate commercial life. This helps explain why Nike and other apparel brands struggle to stock retail outlets with their wares. Its one of the reasons construction companies are having trouble purchasing paints and sealants. It was a principal contributor to the tragic shortages of personal protective equipment early in the pandemic, which left frontline medical workers without adequate gear. Subscriber content preview SEATTLE An industrial property at 820 S. Adams St. sold for a bit over $11.1 million, according to King County records. The seller, through an LLC, Lift Partners of San Francisco, which acquired the property in 2019 for $6.9 million. . . . Subscriber content preview KENT Avana West Hill, at 24849 46th Ave. S. in Kent, sold for a little over $56.9 million, according to King County records. The seller was Lake Fenwick Partners LLC, which acquired the property in 2015 for almost $32 million. It was then known as Lake Fenwick Estates. . . . Take Five - This is your final free article during this 30 day period. Stay in touch with all of the news. Sign up today for complete digital access to The Daily News-Record. Twitter selectively polices users in India, dictates terms to govt Social media app Twitter thinks it has grown larger than the state and has assumed policing roles and started dictating terms to a democratically elected government and its elected representatives. The social media platform has refused to comply with government regulations on customer protection and instead started a campaign stating that it was concerned about the "potential threat to freedom of expression" and "core elements" of new digital rules. The government clearly told the social media app that it should "stop beating around the bush and comply with the laws of the land" instead of "dictating terms" to the government. "Twitter needs to stop beating around the bush and comply with the laws of the land. Law making and policy formulations is the sole prerogative of the sovereign and Twitter is just a social media platform and it has no locus in dictating what should India's legal policy framework should be," the Ministry of Electronics and IT said in an abrasive takedown, denouncing Twitter's statement as "totally baseless, false and an attempt to defame India". All this after the app Twitter started a controversy with its marking of posts by BJP leaders on an alleged "Congress toolkit" as "manipulated media", perhaps on an assessment based on its opaque rules. The government last week asked Twitter to remove the tag. The Delhi Police visited Twitter India's offices on Monday evening to serve notice asking for an explanation. The Delhi Police described Twitter's statement as mendacious and designed to impede a lawful inquiry into the Congress complaint against allegations levelled by BJP leaders of a toolkit plot to malign the Prime Minister and the government. On Sunday, police visited Twitter's offices in Delhi and Gurgaon to serve notice asking the company's top executives to reveal information that led them to label tweets alleging the toolkit plot as manipulated media. To this Twitter reacted sharply and issued a statement about a potential threat to freedom of expression for its users in India, and intimidation by Delhi Police, the union IT ministry accused the social media platform of scuttling free speech with its opaque policies that result in accounts being suspended and tweets deleted arbitrarily without response. Twitters statement is an attempt to dictate its terms to the worlds largest democracy. Twitter refuses to comply with those very regulations in the Intermediary Guidelines on the basis of which it is claiming a safe harbour protection from any criminal liability in India, the government said. The IT ministry condemned Twitters statement as totally baseless, false and an attempt to defame India to hide their own follies. It said that the only instance of scuttling free speech on Twitter is Twitter itself and its opaque policies, as a result of which peoples accounts are suspended and tweets deleted arbitrarily without response. Law making and policy formulations is the sole prerogative of the sovereign and Twitter is just a social media platform and it has no locus in dictating what Indias legal policy framework should be, the ministry said. It said that Twitters employees are and will always remain safe in India and there is no threat to their personal safety and security. Delhi Police PRO Chinmoy Biswal, said: Twitter Inc has taken upon itself, in the garb of terms of service, to adjudicate the truth or otherwise of documents in public space. Twitter Inc is purporting to be both an investigating authority as well as an adjudicating judicial authority. It has no legal sanction to be either. The only legal entity, so empowered by the duly laid down law, to investigate is the Police and to adjudicate is the Courts. Referring to Twitter labelling the toolkit plot allegations as manipulated media, Biswal said: While placing the cart before the horse, Twitter went ahead and declared that the toolkit was Manipulated Media. This clearly demonstrates that Twitter Inc. was acquainted with the facts of the case and it had material information which was germane to the inquiry by a duly recognized law enforcement agency. Therefore, Twitter was asked, by way of multiple communications, to join the inquiry to provide the information it possesses. Accusing Twitter of engaging in unfounded and misplaced fear-mongering, Biswal said: The entire conduct by Twitter Inc, including its Indian entity, in the last few days, has been obfuscatory, diversionary, and tendentious. There is one simple thing to do which Twitter refuses to do. That is, cooperate with the law enforcement and reveal to the legal authority the information it has. Claiming that Twitter India executives said they are merely employees of the India office and have no role in the operations related to the probe, the police spokesperson said: Twitter Indias convoluted stance is similar to a deer caught in the headlights. That is very acute here in Connecticut, where public health surveillance and certain components of the Department of Public Health have been critically underfunded for decades, said Dr. Albert Ko, chair of the Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases at the Yale School of Public Health. This isnt a problem from the last year or the last administration or even the last 10 years. US, WHO launch simultaneous probe into Wuhan virus origins US President Joe Biden has ordered US agencies to probe the origins of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that probably originated and spread across the world from China's Wuhan Virology Lab, even as the World Health Organisation (WHO) is reported to have initiated a fresh study into the "dominant theory" on the origins of the pandemic that has taken the world by storm. India termed the global study on the origin of the Wuhan Virus convened by the World Health Organisation (WHO) an important first step and stressed the need for next phase studies to reach robust conclusions. Indias ministry of external affairs stressed the need for next phase studies as also for further data and studies to reach robust conclusions. ''The follow-up of the WHO report and further studies deserve understanding and cooperation of all,' it said. According to a report by CNN, the WHO is expected to restudy the "dominant theory" that the SARS-CoV-2 probably originated and spread across the world from China's Wuhan lab. The WHO team investigating the origins of Wuhan virus had visited the Hubei Center for animal disease control and prevention in Wuhan, on 2 February 2021. However, China effectively scuttled the probe by withholding data from the early days of the outbreak, according to a member of the team. Meanwhile, a leading scientist on the WHO's probe mission to China recently said that a follow-up trip could be helpful to gather additional research on the origins of the disease. The comments from Dutch virologist Marion Koopmans comes after the United States called on Tuesday for international experts to be allowed to evaluate the source of the Wuhan virus and the early days of the outbreak in a second phase of the WHO's investigation into the origins of the coronavirus, Reuters reported. On Thursday, the Biden administration asked the US intelligence community to "redouble their efforts" to come to a conclusion on the origins of virus. 'Need transparent process from China' on virus origin, says White House COVID-19 adviser'Need transparent process from China' on virus origin, says White House COVID-19 adviser The Wuhan lab-leak theory which was considered a controversial hypothesis has now gained traction in the West, especially after a classified US intelligence report recently claimed that three researchers at the Wuhan laboratory received treatment in a hospital in November 2019. This was even before the virus began infecting the people in the city. Beijing termed the US President's statement as "disrespect for science" saying it is undermining global unity in the fight against the epidemic. None of the reports had touched the most sensitive subject - the link between the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) and the PLA, which is now coming out. Also, according to S Gurumurthy, a spokesman for the ruling BJP in India, respected science writer Nicholas Wade uncovered more about how the anti-Trump US media kept silent and the divided US polity let the culprit escape. Book Excerpt A car cruises along National Highway 44. The weather is nice and balmy, and the traffic is mild. The man behind the wheel is humming to the sound of a Bollywood track. His companion, Nisha, doesnt appear as relaxed as him;in fact, she looks nervous, scared. She peers at him, watching him for a minute or two. He continues humming and drumming the steering wheel with his thumbs. Finally, she says, Rishi, are you acting calm, or are you really so at ease? The drumming stops. Rishi looks sideways at Nisha. To be honest, Im trying. He looks back at the road and takes a deep breath. I . . . I know what happened is very unsettling my ex-girlfriend threatening to kill my present girlfriend . . . He shakes his head. Except she wasnt my girlfriend at all. Ha! He lets out a short laugh. Shes a psycho! Nisha spits out. Why does she say she is your ex-girlfriend? Rishi raises his arms in despair. Shes just my neighbour. Alright, we went out for movies, coffee occasionally, but thats it! There was never anything between us. And she feels Im responsible for she makes quotation marks with her fingers coming between you guys? Rishi lets a short hiss escape through his lips. Im sorry for what happened, for what she said to you. He gives her hand a tight squeeze. Nisha, looking out the window, doesnt reply. They are passing Ambala. There is a row of dhabas to her left and she contemplates asking Rishi to stop for a quick bite. Theyd left Delhi in the wee hours of the morning and she hasnt eaten anything. And now her stomach is grumbling. But she ignores the hunger pangs and decides to eat lunch at their destination. They are headed to Writers Hill, a quaint, secluded tourist spot in the mountains of Himachal Pradesh. This isnt a planned vacation, but a last-minute, get-your-stuff- together getaway. They want some peaceful time together, but primarily, they want to be away from Avni Rishis ex-girlfriend, or whoever she is. Suddenly, Nisha feels a chill rising in her spine at a memory. She shivers. The way she . . . she screamed at me! she says, horrified anew. How she pounced on me like a rabid animal . . . She trails off, her face contorting as she relives the episode. We need to stay far away from her. When Rishi turns to her, he sees the fear in her eyes. She still looks frightened after almost twelve hours of the incident. Justified to an extent, he thinks. Avni has been a revelation. He had known her for more than three years but saw the real Avni only yesterday. How difficult it is to truly know someone! Nisha is right, he agrees Avni is a psycho. I get a strong feeling that something horrible is going to happen on this trip, Nishas voice is shaking when she speaks again. Ah, come on now, Nisha, Rishi says, waving a carelessarm. Youre thinking way too much about it. Am I really? What if She lets the sentence hang. Alright, last evenings events were . . . unnerving, even frightening, Rishi admits, but they dont warrant the stress Nisha seems to be suffering. Its over now. He knows it wasnt the best decision to invite Nisha to his place last evening that had been the catalyst. They had their entire lives ahead of them for intimacies. Rishi and Nisha have been dating for a few months. Rishi works in a prominent IT company in Gurgaon. One day, Rishi had a bad toothache. It was a Sunday and he stayedin bed until noon. When the pain got too much to bear, he went to the nearest dental clinic, his left hand firmly pressing the jaw. It was the dentists assistant, Nisha, who had told Rishi that a root canal therapy was required. He remembers how scared he was at the prospect, and the subtle, reassuring way Nisha calmed him down. She explained to him that it is the discomfort experienced before one seeks dental care that is truly painful, not the procedure itself. In the end, he thought Nisha was right. It was no more painful than having a filling placed. Hed been avoiding a root canal for a long time despite occasional bouts of pain, and now he knew the reason. It was how everything in theworld worked out.Destiny. He was destined to meet Nisha. To be cured by her. And then fall in love with her. They kept in touch, went out on weekends, and laughed about his mild panic attack when hed spotted the surgical tools during his treatment. He remembers that look on her face well, how shed smiled first and then laughed, covering her mouth. Shed enjoyed torturing him a bit, and then calmed him. Through the pain, his subconscious mind told him she was pretty, and that he should ask her out if he managed to make it out of the treatment alive. He did, and he knew it was the best thing he would doin his life. And now, a few months later, he had done a stupid thing, inviting her to his place when he knew full well Avni would be watching. Stupid. Stupid. Rishi knows two things about Avni that she loves him obsessively and that she is a little nuts. Avni lives next door to him and is always keen on going out for a movie or coffee with him, coming to his flat, inviting him to her flat, any activity that involves only the two of them. Out of politeness, Rishi has obliged on a few occasions but lately he has started avoiding her. Simply because she is crazy. She doesnt seem to have family or any other friends he has never seen her with anyone else. Sometimes when he returns from his office, he spots Avni furtively watching him in the hallway through the chink in her apartments door. He watches her from the corner of his eye and ignores her. But sometimes he makes it obvious that he knows she is spying on him by suddenly appearing at her door. She only smiles coyly it doesnt deter her. Avni does what she wants to, and Rishi knows better than to confront her. He wonders why she is attracted to him. He never thinks of himself as attractive alright, hes a decent-looking guy, of medium height and medium built, but definitely not handsome in the classic sense of the word. Hes not rich either; he doesnt drive fancy cars or live in a fancy house hell, half the time he finds it difficult to pay the rent for his flat. His parents live in Kanpur, and he hasnt taken any money from them ever since he turned eighteen. A few months earlier, he had casually asked her, Avni, listen, its flattering, really it is, but why do you like me so much? Love you, she corrected him. Rishi, you are such a cool guy, you have such a nice beard! Whats not to love about you? Beard? Doesnt everyone have a beard these days? Outright nonsense the girl is insane. When he walked into the hallway with Nisha yesterday, Avni was peering through the door as usual and slammed out of her apartment at once, showing up before them like an apparition. Who is this girl? she demanded. Nisha, he replied. Yeah, but who is she? Why is she here? Shes my girlfriend. Avni was already fuming by then and her nostrils flared at his reply. She fixed Nisha with an icy glare. Her fists tightened, and even from that distance, Rishi could feel her nails burrowing into her palms. Then her breathing became fast and shallow. She muttered something to herself to calm down, he thought, and started pacing up and down the hallway in front of them. Rishi and Nisha watched her with unease for a minute. Rishi then stepped towards his flat, took out the keys from the pocket of his trousers, and began unlocking the door. Avni jumped between them and the keys jingled in his hand in shock. You are not taking this slut inside! she commanded. Excuse me? said Nisha. Avni wagged an admonitory forefinger at her. Do not interrupt! Then she turned to Rishi and said in a calmer tone, You never let me in. How does she get a chance? Rishi took a deep breath. He considered the words in hismind first. Avni, look, he began cautiously, you are a very good friend of mine. Youve done a lot for me, I know, and I am very thankful for it. But I dont love you You love this bitch? Avni interjected, nodding towards Nisha. Please, Avni, mind your language. Yes or no? I do. That set her off. She launched herself at Nisha, and taken unawares, Nisha staggered backwards, lost her balance, and fell on the floor. Her head hit the floor and she winced from the sharp pain radiating in all directions from the point of impact. But there was no time to assess the injury; the next moment Avni was on top of her, her pudgy hands pressing down her neck, choking her. Ill kill you, bitch! Avni screamed. Ill kill you! Nisha started to feel dizzy. Where was Rishi? she thought. Why wasnt he helping? As her vision slowly cleared, she saw Rishis arms around Avnis waist, trying to drag her away. Let me kill her, Rishi! Avni continued screaming. Then well be together! Rishi continued to pull at Avni but failed to get her to move even a little. She was short but stout and Rishi realized he would have to change his strategy. He saw Nisha was trying to wrench herself free from Avnis grip but Avnis arms were steadfast. All Nisha managed was to move her head from side to side. Rishi could see the colour draining from Nishas face. Panic clawed at his throat and he felt beads of sweat beginning to form on his forehead. He shook his head vigorously and positioned himself in front of Avni now. He placed his hands on Avnis forearms, and with all the energy he could muster, tried to dislodge her hold on Nishas neck. He could see it was beginning to work; Avnis grip was loosening. Just as he braced himself to apply more force, help arrived in the form of two men crossing the hallway. Finally, the three men jerked away Avnis hold, and with the sudden impact, Avni was propelled backwards. But before she fell back, Avnis right hand, intentionally or inadvertently, Rishi would wonder later, connected with the collar of Nishas cream top, tearing off a thin strip of cloth right to the bottom. Embarrassed with her bra on display, Nisha rolled over, away from Avni, coughing and gagging. Rishi dropped to her side and rubbed her back. SARS-CoV-2 virus can only be traced to China's Wuhan lab: study The so-called novel coronavirus or SARS-CoV-2 or Covid-19 has no credible natural ancestor and was created by Chinese scientists while working on gain-of-function' research in a Wuhan lab, according to a Daily Mail report which cited a new study. According to the report, the scientists at the Chinese lab took a natural coronavirus backbone found in bats and added a new spike, which turned it into deadly and highly transmissible SARS-CoV-2. The study authored by British Professor Angus Dalgleish and Norwegian scientist Dr Birger Srensen is set to be published in the Quarterly Review of Biophysics Discovery, as per Daily Mail. The study reportedly claimed that the Chinese scientists also tried to cover their tracks by reverse-engineering the viruses to make it look like they naturally arose from bats. A natural virus pandemic would be expected to mutate gradually and become more infectious but less pathogenic which is what many expected with the Covid-19 pandemic but which does not appear to have happened," the scientists wrote in the paper, according to the Daily Mail report. "The implication of our historical reconstruction, we posit now beyond reasonable doubt, of the purposively manipulated chimeric virus SARS-CoV-2 makes it imperative to reconsider what types of Gain-of-Function experiments it is morally acceptable to undertake. Because of the wide social impact, these decisions cannot be left to research scientists alone," they added. There were cases of Wuhan scientists seeking care before coronavirus outbreak, says a Wall Street Journal report. Quoting the authors, Daily Mail said that the duo had prima facie evidence of retro-engineering in China for a year but was ignored by academics and major journals. The study also accuses Chinese labs of deliberate destruction, concealment or contamination of data. Gain-of-function research is used to alter an organism or disease in a way that increases the transmissibility and/or virulence of pathogens. Scientists work on gain-of-function projects to study their potential effects on humans in order to stay ahead of the curve of potential new diseases. But it also carries a risk of an outbreak if not conducted safely. The US Senate on Tuesday passed an amendment to permanently ban the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other federal agencies from funding gain-of-function research projects in China. We dont know whether the pandemic started in a lab in Wuhan or evolved naturally, Republican senator Rand Paul, who sponsored the amendment, said in a statement. The NIH had released a statement last week, saying neither the research agency nor the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) ever approved any grant to support gain-of-function research on coronaviruses that would have increased their transmissibility or lethality for humans. The US agency also urged the World Health Organisation (WHO) to begin the second phase of their investigation without delay. While many still deny funding gain-of-function research in Wuhan the passage of my amendment ensures that this never happens in the future, said Paul. As of now there is no certainty about the origin of the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and the fact that the renewed demand by the United States to reinvestigate the source has angered China is proof enough for its complicity. In a video message to the 74th World Health Assembly (WHA), US health secretary Xavier Becerra demanded independence for international experts to fully assess the source of the virus, which has claimed more than 3.5 million lives so far. The speculation around the virus origin was fuelled by top US infectious disease expert Dr Anthony Faucis comment during a virtual event hosted by Poynter Institute. Fauci said that he was not convinced with the theory that the virus developed naturally, stressing that the world should continue to investigate what went on in China. US President Joe Biden on Wednesday ordered intelligence officials to redouble efforts to probe the origins of the pandemic, including the possibility of a Chinese laboratory link. Biden said in a statement that the majority of the intelligence community had coalesced around two scenarios but do not believe there is sufficient information to assess one to be more likely than the other. Reports also cite the 2002 SARS1 epidemic, when a bat virus had spread first to civets and from them to people. A similar bat virus also caused a second epidemic of MERS in 2012. Human H1N1 virus - the same flu that caused the 1918 pandemic - leaked in 1977 in the Soviet Union and China and spread worldwide, AFP reported. A Fine Gael Senator has said that the Climate Bill must not undermine the viability of sustainable farming for Louth farmers. It comes as the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021 is currently working through the Oireachtas. Senator John McGahon said that it was important that farming families are supported by the bill, saying that Louth farmers are very climate aware. Farmers in County Louth are very climate aware, they want to pass on a sustainable and viable farm to the next generation and they have taken measures to ensure increased sustainability in their production, said McGahon. It is absolutely crucial that commercial farm families are supported by the Climate Bill to ensure the very group that can most affect change and strengthen sustainability are not alienated by this legislation, he continued. McGahon accepted that farming practices contribute to emissions but said that farmers are working to rapidly change their farming processes to be more sustainable. However, McGahon says that there is little attention paid to the work farmers are currently doing to combat climate change. There is often scant consideration given to the mitigation and carbon sequestration measures already being implemented by farmers across County Louth, said McGahon.Carbon budgets will play a real role in helping us achieve our emissions targets, but these budgets must take into account the measures that farmers are already taking, he continued. He also raised concerns over Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) reforms, saying that they should prioritise viability for Louth farms. CAP reform must prioritise viability also, to allow County Louth farming continue to be the best it can be. We dont want to see a situation where viable County Louth farms become non-viable because of measures adopted in either the current round of CAP negotiations or the Climate Bill, said McGahon. According to McGahon, the agri-food industry is one of the most important in the country, calling it crucial to the rural economy. The most certain way to achieve balanced rural development is to ensure the viability of family farming in County Louth, and across the country. We must keep people farming, ensure that farms remain profitable and that farm succession is more viable to protect the family farm model for future generations, and guarantee the protection of our rural environment. Non-profit organisations in Louth can now sign up to be considered for the Good Governance awards 2021. The awards, run by Carmichael, are now in their sixth year and are done to recognise responsible governance by non-profits all across Ireland. Last year, the awards received their highest ever number of applications, with over 100 non-profits applying. Diarmaid O Corrbui said that he was delighted to open the nominations for this year's awards. We look forward to receiving more entries from organisations in Louth this year, said O Corrbui. Strong governance is essential in maintaining public trust and support for the vital work non-profit organisations do. Public trust in the sector in recent years has been damaged by a number of high-profile cases of bad governance. These cases are unacceptable and not the norm in our sector, he continued. O Corrbui said that throughout the pandemic, many non-profit organisations have worked hard to help support marginalised and vulnerable communities across society, with strong governance within these organisations being key to their success. The main factors that are judged during the awards are transparency, governance, performance and impact and financial information. O Corrbui said that the awards are helping to raise the standards of governance within non-profits, saying that it will ensure that all organisations within the industry are meeting best practice and reforming constantly. Last year, award winners included Concern, Laura Lynn, BeLong To and Childrens Rights Alliance. Details on how to enter are available at www.goodgovernanceawards.ie. Dundalk TD Ruairi O Murchu has called on the government to consider creating capability for the state to strike back against hackers who attack Irish public systems. The Sinn Fein TD for Louth was speaking following a meeting of a Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications after the committee heard from experts in cybersecurity. According to one expert, Pat Larkin, CEO of Ward Solutions, one of the best defences is to have the capability to strike back against hackers. It comes as the HSE continue to work to restore IT systems in the wake of a devastating cyberattack that left most systems shut down. O Murchu called for the government to increase funding to the National Cyber Security Centre from 5 million to 50 million a year after experts told the committee Irelands cybersecurity capabilities were under-resourced. From the comments of expert witnesses, it is clear that a much wider focus on the structure, governance, funding and resourcing of cybersecurity is now needed, said O Murchu. There has been a more than 300% increase in cyber attacks on systems over the last year. Experts at the committee have said they were previously dealing with one attack a week on average, which has increased to one a day now, according to Minister Ossian Smyth. he continued. O Murchu also wants to see the States National Cyber Security Centre placed on a statutory footing and to be enshrined in legislation. New legislation is needed to underpin the states cybersecurity capabilities, said O Murchu. They [the government] have to be creative and innovative when coming up with solutions and that includes thinking about counterstriking capacity. O Murchu also called for a security assessment of other key IT systems across the country, including the electricity grid and Irish banking services, to help identify and plug any weaknesses. The Irish Cancer Societys annual Living Well with and Beyond Cancer conference, hosted by Dr. Eddie Murphy takes place online on this week. The Society encourages cancer patients, survivors and those that care for them to join us for this free online event, all from the comfort of your own home. The conference will cover topics like self-care, healthy eating, exercise as well as advances in cancer treatment. A range of speakers will share their experiences, stories and expert knowledge on living well during and after a cancer diagnosis through a mix of virtual presentations, interactive workshops and Q&A sessions. Registration is completely free. Go to www.cancer.ie/livingwell to confirm your attendance. Living Well with and Beyond Cancer is kindly supported by Bristol Myers Squibb, Amgen and Janssen. The Special Criminal Court has rejected arguments that it has no jurisdiction to hear the trial of four men accused of causing serious harm to Quinn Industrial Holdings director Kevin Lunney. Michael O'Higgins SC, for one of the four accused, said the court has become a "permanent and perpetual" structure that is not permitted by the legislation that brought it into existence. He said the democratic process "has been rescinded and replaced by an ad hoc expansion" whereby the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), a civil servant, decides who should be tried before the three-judge, non-jury court. Mr Justice Tony Hunt, presiding, with Judge Gerard Griffin and Judge David McHugh, dismissed the arguments, saying that the court's jurisdiction is established by legislation and that the documents relied on by the DPP in bringing the men before the Special Criminal Court were in order. He further found that arguments suggesting the Oireachtas has not revisited the question of the 1972 proclamation, which brought the Special Criminal Court into existence, cannot be dealt with by the court. He added: "That invites us into the political thicket where we are not permitted to go and it is arguable that no court is permitted to go there." He said the court's jurisdiction has been established and the trial will go ahead in the ordinary way tomorrow (WED) morning. Luke OReilly (67), with an address at Mullahoran Lower, Kilcogy, Co Cavan; Darren Redmond (27), from Caledon Road, East Wall, Dublin 3; Alan OBrien (40), of Shelmalier Road, East Wall, Dublin 3 and a fourth accused man aged 40 are all charged with false imprisonment and causing serious harm to Mr Lunney at Drumbrade, Ballinagh, Co Cavan on September 17, 2019. The fourth man cannot be named by order of the court as he is due to face trial on other, unrelated matters. Mr Lunney (51), a father of six, was abducted close to his home in Co Fermanagh on the evening of September 17. The businessman's leg was broken, he was doused in bleach and the letters QIH were carved into his chest during the two-and-a-half hour ordeal before he was dumped on a roadside in Co Cavan. In submissions made today on behalf of the unnamed accused and adopted by the other three, Mr O'Higgins said the fact that the DPP now decides whether a person should be tried before the special court "inadvertently achieves a result where the Oireachtas is no longer applying its mind" to the question. The government and the Oireachtas, he said, is disengaged from the process whereas when the court was first envisaged it was recognised by the government that it would be a "serious and significant departure from the norm." Counsel further submitted that in 1972 the Oireachtas issued a proclamation on foot of the 1939 Offences Against the State Act to create the Special Criminal Court as a temporary emergency measure that would be used "from time to time". That has now changed, Mr O'Higgins said, as the court has "grown organically on an ad hoc basis" for almost 50 years. There is, he said, no reason to think it won't continue for another 25 to 50 years. Counsel added: "Giving words their ordinary meaning, this is now a permanent structure." He said such a permanent structure is not permitted by the legislation that brought the court into existence and therefore his client is not lawfully before the court. Mr O'Higgins continued: "The court cannot operate on a permanent basis, and if it accepts it is permanent and has changed from temporary emergency legislation, then it doesn't have a lawful basis for conducting a trial." There should, he said, be a fresh proclamation from the Oireachtas if the Special Criminal Court is to continue to hear cases. In response Sean Guerin SC for the DPP said the legislation that created the Special Criminal Court does not use the word "temporary". He also argued that the decision to enact legislation bringing the court into being is a "political power" and not within the jurisdiction of any court. Mr Guerin submitted documents to the court that showed, he said, that the applications to bring the men before the Special Criminal Court were done in accordance with the legislation. Readers Survey As our valued readers, we want to hear from you. Please take a moment to fill out the survey below. - Thank you, Eastern Arizona Courier Click Here After suspending his campaign rallies because of the coronavirus pandemic, Trump, a Republican, chose Tulsa as the place to mark his return. But his decision to schedule the rally on June 19, the holiday known as Juneteenth that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States, was met with such fierce criticism that he postponed the event by a day. The rally was still marked by protests outside and empty seats inside an arena downtown. Methuen - Michael V. Finn, a longtime resident of Lawrence, passed away unexpectedly and peacefully on May 25, 2021, at the age of 72 while doing something that he loved, playing golf. Known to many as "Mickey", he was born in Lawrence on April 20, 1949 to James L. and Margaret (Bateman) Fin Each child and teen who registers for summer reading will get a book for signing up, she said. At the end of the summer, participants will be entered in a grand-prize drawing, funded by the Friends of the Bloomfield Public Library. Librarians will also be present at town-wide events to sign up residents for library cards, although the cards are not required to participate in the summer reading programs. A Canadian teenager accused of making a phony bomb threat to an Ivy League university in New Jersey last year has pleaded guilty to creating a false public alarm and was sentenced to two years of probation If you're interested in submitting a Letter to the Editor, click here. Submit People would just say something that was pretty racist, and in a group of 50 people, no one is going to say anything, he said. It makes you feel like maybe next week, youre not going to go to any of these gatherings, or maybe you just up and leave that one, which is something Ive done. If you dont feel like people want you there, why are you going to stick around there? Effingham, IL (62401) Today Scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Partly cloudy skies after midnight. Low around 70F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Partly cloudy skies after midnight. Low around 70F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%. Mrs. Alberta Hamley Griffin, 97, of Athens, Alabama, died Wednesday, June 9, 2021, at Athens Health and Rehab. A Graveside Service will be 1:30 p.m. Sunday in Copeland Cemetery with Keith Griffin officiating. No visitation is planned. Spry Funeral Home in Athens is directing the services. Mr Executive Director Tina Cook of the Athens-Limestone County Family Resource Center presents Theresa Chambers with a $25 check to help fund her Ed U Boxes, repurposed cereal boxes filled items and given to children at the center. Chambers and her mother Mary began donating the boxes in 2016. FILE - In this April 15, 2011, file photo, a bottle of Johnson's baby powder is displayed. Johnson & Johnson is asking for Supreme Court review of a $2 billion verdict in favor of women who claim they developed ovarian cancer from using the company's talc products. So it has been a long time since we last posted comments guidelines and standards. To put it in perspective, the last time we talked comments with y'all, the iPhone 5 hadn't been released, Android fans were using Jelly Bean and Facebook had just gone public. A lot can change in the course of nearly five years, but one thing that's remained constant is our dedication to our readers. To that end, we wanted to take a minute to answer some questions, explain some features and, frankly, lay down the law when it comes to the comments section and our social channels. Pull up a chair and read on to find out what you need to know about Engadget's comments and community. Why do we have a comments section? Comments sections get a bad rap: Everyone is familiar with the adage "Don't read the comments," and that didn't become a common refrain because comments sections are full of hugs and puppies. Even so, there are some genuinely interesting conversations happening in our comments section, from personal experiences with gadgets to incredibly technical explanations of hardware, and we're often impressed by what you have to say. We have a comments section because we sincerely enjoy having a place for our readers to discuss the articles we write -- and our readers often provide us with insights that add to the story, shed light on new angles or help us update the facts in the post. Many of you rely on the comments for additional information and alternative opinions, all while many other publications have opted to shutter their comments sections (or just use Facebook). We've kept ours open because it's valuable to you as readers, which makes it important for us too. While the rules of internet interactions naturally vary from one website to another (and in some cases are unclear), we took the time to rethink our guidelines and have laid out a detailed policy on what does and doesn't fly here. Commenting basics: features and functions First, a few technical details. While the basics of logging in and posting a comment are largely the same as they've always been, there are a few handy features in our current system that are worth highlighting. Editing and deleting. The options to edit or delete your comment can be found in a drop-down menu; the arrow for the drop-down menu appears when you mouse over the upper-right area of your comment. (Mousing over the upper-right of someone else's comment will allow you to report that comment; more on that below.) All links require approval. This means that any comment containing a URL will be held in "pending" until it has been approved by a moderator. Moderators will refuse comments with links that are broken or that direct to spammy or inappropriate content. We know the delay in approving comments with links isn't ideal, but it helps keep a large amount of spam from getting through. Also, please don't resubmit a link over and over again; each one will still wind up in pending. Banned words. We have a list of banned words that will automatically remove a comment. No, you cannot see this list -- but we will tell you that it largely consists of insults, swears and name-calling-type stuff. Any comment with an f-bomb is going to get pulled (no matter how you spell it), but we're pretty lax about the other "blue" words as long as you're not swearing at somebody. Notifications. If you do not want to get an email notification when other commenters like your comment, reply to your comments or mention (@) you, you can disable all of that in your profile settings. (You can access settings by clicking your username next to the alert bell.) Commenting basics: behavior There is pretty much one golden rule here, and it's "don't be a jerk." Please, don't be rude or mean or nasty. We appreciate that you care about these topics and our stories (hey, we care too). But no matter how fired up the discussion, please be civil. Don't jump down people's throat because they made a mistake or disagree with you. Don't be insulting. Don't call people names. Don't make personal attacks. Give people the benefit of the doubt. Try not to jump to conclusions or make assumptions. Have some patience and compassion; everyone comes here to be a part of the community. No one comes here to be ridiculed or belittled. Treat your fellow community members and the Engadget staff with respect. Be nice, and if you can't be nice, then at least be tolerant. There's a comment that is offensive. What can I do? Please report it! The "report" button can be found on any comment by mousing over the upper-right corner of that comment; a drop-down arrow will appear, and from there you can select the "report" button to alert our staff. (We don't currently have tools for community moderators, but we haven't ruled out the idea.) Every comment that's reported to us is vetted by moderators; we delete those that we deem inappropriate or feel are in violation of our guidelines. Rest assured, we will not delete comments just because they're argumentative or because someone has a different opinion than you. For more details on why comments get deleted, see the list below. There's a problem with the article Every single writer and editor for Engadget does their best to produce stories that are clearly written, concise and informative, not to mention error free. However, every writer and editor at Engadget is also a fallible human being capable of making the occasional misstep. If you see a mistake in an article, be it a typo, an imprecise technical detail or a broken link, please do us a solid and let us know (because we'd obviously like to fix it!). You can holler at us by adding #articleerror to your comment, which will flag your comment for our moderators. There's a problem with the comments section If, however, you are experiencing a problem with the comments system or functionality itself, then please let us know by emailing us with as much detail as possible at commentsupport@engadget.com, so we can alert the developers. Comment deletion We prefer to keep a light hand when moderating, but there are still several reasons we might remove your comment. Here are some of the most common reasons for deletion. Spam of any kind (human or robot) is always deleted. Trying to sell something in the comments, pitching us about your product or repeatedly posting discount links and referral codes all count as spam. Posting the same comment over and over again also constitutes spamming. We don't currently ban all swearing by default, but all f-bombs are going to get caught automatically by the banned-words filter. Profanity directed at another person -- be it a commenter or staff member -- will pretty much always be deleted. Comments that are racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic or otherwise hateful will be removed. Suggestions that someone is mentally ill, disturbed or should "take their meds" will be removed. (Let's just assume everyone's already taken their meds, OK?) Any comment that contains a threat, that threatens violence or that encourages self-harm or violence toward someone will be deleted. Comments that threaten other commenters or staff members will result in that member being banned from the community. Name-calling. Perhaps unsurprisingly, name-calling in a comments thread does not encourage a positive response. You should be able to have a conversation without resorting to name-calling --- and that includes Engadget's writers and staff members. Our banned-words filter will automatically pull comments with a variety of ruder terms, so keep it classy. You're just slagging on us. If all you have to contribute to the conversation is how much we suck, are biased, don't deserve our jobs, can't perform our jobs, are shills and/or have been bought out by Apple/Samsung/Microsoft/Google, then don't be shocked if your comment disappears (or, in extreme cases, if you are banned altogether). We're perfectly willing to hear constructive criticism, but we are also under no obligation to let you insult us without merit. Comments that are unnecessarily political, polarizing or incendiary are at risk for removal. Please don't jump into a thread just to say things to incite other people or tick them off; that's pretty trolly (and boring). Please don't make generalizations or stereotypes to draw conclusions about another commenter (i.e., "all you millennials/liberals/Trump voters"). We reserve the right to delete comments that are off topic. This includes comments that complain about comments being closed on another story; hijacking the thread to a different article only reinforces the feeling that we were right to keep comments closed on the initial article. In short, we want the comments section to be like an interesting conversation happening in a college classroom: thoughtful, respectful, insightful, funny and interesting. What we don't want is a comments section that's like a fight on a kindergarten playground: pushy, mean, spiteful and requiring adult intervention. We want our comments section to be a place where our readers and staff can interact civilly, learn from one another and participate in an awesome community. And as much as we know some of you like to break out the popcorn and watch the fanboy fights, that's not really the kind of community we're looking to host. Articles without comments Here's the real deal, straight up: We are not required to have a comments section on Engadget. Likewise, we're not obligated to have comments open on every article. While we strongly prefer to give the benefit of the doubt and leave comments open on all stories, there are going to be some instances where it makes more sense to leave comments closed. Our desire to leave comments open comes down to a number of factors, including the proportion of comments that have violated our rules or guidelines, how many moderators are available and how contentious the comments section has gotten on articles on similar topics. A closed comments section is not an invitation to call us names, hijack other threads or otherwise pout about it. We don't want to close comments and will only do so when absolutely necessary. Please respect that and know that the best way to make sure comments sections stay open is to treat one another respectfully and follow our guidelines. "This is just censorship and you're afraid of hearing feedback" This is a common complaint we hear when we delete comments or close comments sections. And to this we have to say: Nah, man. Let's be clear about this: Commenting on our site is not a right of law passed down to you in the Constitution, and Engadget's comments section is not an open forum where you can say whatever you please. Engadget is a news site and a business, which along with its parent company, AOL, allows commenting in order to further the discussion, engage our readers and let interested parties have a good time. Commenting here is a privilege, not a right, and if you must be nasty, well, then ... it's a big internet and you can do that on your own website. And to be frank, if we really didn't want to hear feedback from our readers, we wouldn't have a comments section at all. Banning If you create a user history of trolling, harassment or offensive behavior, or if you only visit our comments section to act like a total jerk, congratulations! You will get banned. That means your user name, email and potentially IP address will all be barred from our system and you will no longer be able to comment. What do we mean by "trolling, harassment or offensive behavior"? Hate speech of any kind is always unacceptable. If you just dropped by to say something nasty concerning someone's race, gender, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, disability or age, don't be surprised when you find your privileges revoked. If your only purpose in life is to comment on all of our articles to tell us how much we suck and deserve to be fired, then bye, Felicia. If you can't seem to have a discussion without attacking another commenter, using insults, calling people names or cursing at someone, then you're outta here. If at any point you threaten another user or an editor with any form of physical violence or encourage them to commit acts of self-harm, you are no longer welcome here. In conclusion We know that the comments section has been through a lot of bumps and bruises over the past few years, and we're dedicated to making upgrades and changes that will improve the experience for all of our users. You can help make the comments a better place by observing our guidelines and reporting comments that show disregard for our community. We don't want Engadget to be just another site where people "don't read the comments" -- we want the comments to be a reason to come to Engadget. They have to wait much later in the morning, sometimes 10 oclock or 11 oclock, to get up. And its not because the staff isnt working incredibly hard. Its because they need to take care of the people who might be at a higher risk first, she said. If [a resident] might fall, they take care of that person first, which means other residents have to wait. They dont get up for breakfast; they dont get to go to the first programs in the morning. And it impacts their quality of life, their dignity, their ability to live to their fullest potential. NASA had been working toward an October 31st launch date for the James Webb Space Telescope, but it's having to delay the science observatory's trip into space once again. Thankfully, the launch might take place just a few weeks later, in November or early December. A rescheduled date is unlikely to be confirmed until later this summer or perhaps in the fall. There are several factors that are key to determining a new launch date, according to Ars Technica . The telescope's director for launch services Beatriz Romero told reporters that shipping Webb and the readiness of the rocket and spaceport were all important considerations. Following extensive testing , NASA and the primary contractor on the project, Northrop Grumman, are edging closer to packing up the telescope into a shipping container, according to the agency's chief of science Thomas Zurbuchen. That will likely happen towards the end of August. After Webb arrives at the spaceport in French Guyana, it will take 55 days to prepare it for launch. That means the launch window will be mid-November at the earliest. There's also the issue of the Ariane 5 rocket that's scheduled to transport Webb away from terra firma. It has been grounded since last August because of an issue with the payload fairing. Launch provider Arianespace says the problem has been addressed with a redesign. Tests are scheduled for July and August to ensure the issue has been truly resolved before the Webb launch, but there's always the possibility of delays with those too. Meanwhile, the impact of COVID-19 has affected operations at the spaceport. Vaccines are not yet broadly available in French Guyana, as Ars Technica notes. Activity could be further hampered by a significant spread of the coronavirus. Let's pretend, for a second, that the GPU market isn't a trash fire of scalpers, miners and overpriced GT 1030s. Even in that alternative reality where you can buy a GPU without hassle, NVIDIA has some pretty large holes in its product lineup right now. Today at Computex in Taipei, a couple of those gaps have been filled by the RTX 3070 Ti and RTX 3080 Ti. First, a quick refresher on where we're at in this alt. reality: For desktop PCs, NVIDIA sells the RTX 3060 for $329, the 3060 Ti for $399, the RTX 3070 for $499, the RTX 3080 for $699 and the RTX 3090 for $1,499. Given, historically, the best selling cards are the ones that go for around $250, the most glaring hole remains gaping, but there are other important price points unfilled: The $500-$698 range and every price point between $699 and $1,499. The new RTX 3070 Ti will cost $599, and fills the first hole as a fairly mild upgrade over the RTX 3070, while the RTX 3080 Ti sits neatly between the 3080 and the super-pricey 3090 at $1,199. Problems solved! RTX 3080 Ti In gaming terms, the RTX 3080 Ti is a lot closer in spec to the 3090 than the 3080. All three cards are based on the same GPU the GA102 just with different numbers of active cores, divergent clock speeds and wildly disparate memory configurations: Card RTX 3080 RTX 3080 Ti RTX 3090 SM count 68 80 82 CUDA cores 8,704 10,240 10,496 RT cores 68 80 82 Tensor cores 272 320 328 Boost clock 1,710MHz 1,665MHz 1,695MHz Memory 10GB GDDR6X 12GB GDDR6X 24GB GDDR6X Memory bandwidth 760 GB/s 912 GB/s 936 GB/s TDP 320W 350W 350W Price $699 $1,199 $1,499 Well have to review the 3080 Ti to discern its real-world performance, but we can do some basic math to get an idea of where the Ti sits. For rasterization putting pixels on a screen the RTX 3080 has 29.8 teraflops of power, the RTX 3080 Ti has 34.1 and the RTX 3090 has 35.6. (You derive these numbers, which arent really comparable to anything but RTX 30-series GPUs, by multiplying the number of cores by their max clock speed, and then multiplying that by the number of operations each core can handle per clock.) So, the 3080 Ti has about 96 percent of the power of the 3090, while the 3080 has about 84 percent. As hinted at, memory is where the cards really differ: The 3090 has 24GB of 9,750MHz* GDDR6X on a 384-bit bus, while the 3080 has 10GB of 9,500MHz GDDR6X on a narrower 320-bit bus. The 3080 Ti, as youd expect, sits somewhere between, pairing 12GB of 3080-like 9,500MHz memory with a 3090-like 384-bit bus. This puts it very close to the 3090 in terms of memory bandwidth, although obviously it has only half of the actual memory capacity, which could rule it out for professionals like 3D animators and those who work with complex video projects. *This figure isnt actually the memory clock its the effective memory speed but who are we to argue with NVIDIA? What does this all mean, then? NVIDIA has made clear that the target audience for the 3080 Ti is gamers. (Specifically, the press materials have lots of comparisons to the 2080 Ti.) That makes a lot of sense: youre likely, in games, to get extremely close to the 3090s performance, which, given the price differential, means the 3090 only really makes sense to professionals. That was already the case due to how well the 3080 performs, but theres a certain type of gamer who cant help but buy the best the 3080 Ti gets so close that even they might be swayed. NVIDIA The value decisions facing gamers now are pretty similar to when I was deciding to become a 2080 Ti owner last generation. Those looking for high-end performance at a somewhat reasonable price can pick up a 3080 at $699, the same price as last generations 2080, while idiots like me who are willing to pay 40% more for a tiny uptick in performance can grab the 3080 Ti in the same price range that the 2080 Ti launched in. Things differ at the rainbow-wrapped Aventador end of the equation, as the 3090 at $1,499 has the same use-case as the 20-series RTX Titan, which for some reason launched at $2,499. The 3090 is definitely a more viable halo card for flush gamers than that ever was. For those who do own a 2080 Ti and want the best so long as the best doesnt cost $1,500 the 3080 Ti will be a meaningful upgrade across the board. We dont have real-world figures yet, but the 3080 already outperforms the 2080 Ti in almost every situation. Given the 3080 Ti has more memory than the 2080 Ti, those extremely fringe cases are over, and with the increased cores we should be looking at a large gap in performance generationally. For those with older flagship cards like the 1080 Ti or Titan Xp, the difference will be even more pronounced, although the 3080 still makes a lot of sense as a cheaper upgrade there if you can find one. NVIDIA Lets step out of our mining isnt a thing bubble real quick to address hash rates: All NVIDIA gaming cards produced now, save the 3090, are hash limited, meaning they have their mining potential impeded as a way to dissuade folks from taking away GPUs from gamers. (Or, if were being cynical, as a way to sell mining-specific cards at a markup and prevent thousands of second-hand gaming GPUs flooding the market when theyre no longer viable for mining.) This doesnt apply to older cards, as NVIDIA has promised it wont retroactively nerf mining, but if you buy any RTX card that shipped from the factory after May or either of the new Ti cards itll have that limit applied, along with an LHR or Lite Hash Rate badge on the box. NVIDIA had a torrid time with its first attempt to prevent mining on the RTX 3060, and nothing is unhackable, but if it sticks this time, the hash limiting should go a way to improving the current supply situation. Things arent going to get fixed overnight: The shortage has lasted so long, theres pent-up demand that is going to outstrip supply for the foreseeable future, and scalpers are still gonna scalp. Theres at least a tiny glimmer of light at the end of the a 2080 Ti just went for $2,500 on eBay tunnel, though. Enid, OK (73701) Today Mostly clear this evening. Scattered thunderstorms developing after midnight. Low around 70F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Mostly clear this evening. Scattered thunderstorms developing after midnight. Low around 70F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%. Ben Winston, the director of HBO Max's "Friends: Reunion" is expressing his support towards Matthew Perry's health. Winston recently appeared as a guest on The Hollywood Reporter's TV's Top Five podcast to discuss the secrets behind the "Friends" reunion as well as his reactions to the show's cast members. He then went and talked about Matthew Perry and how he perceived the negative comments thrown at the actor. "People can sometimes just be unkind. I wish they weren't. I loved working with him. He's a brilliantly funny man and I thought he had some great one-liners in the show. I felt just happy and lucky to be in his presence and directing him on something like this." the director slams negative comments against the actor. He mentioned that it was great working with the actor again after years, "It was great to see him. And I think he's very funny on the show. But yes, I think he's OK. He seems stronger and better since the last time I saw him, and excited about going forward." READ NOW: Cody Simpson Clears Miley Cyrus Relationship After Break Up, Calls it a 'Phase' The reaction came after Matthew Perry's past struggles dealing with drug and alcohol abuse. In a 2013 issue of People, the actor candidly opened up his problems. The actor mentioned that after "Friends" had ended, he drank alcohol on a routine basis. He had also suffered a jet ski accident in 1997 that made him addicted to prescription medication, "I had a big problem with pills and alcohol, and I couldn't stop." he stated. The actor also revealed in 2002 that he can relate with his character, Chandler Bing, as both of them are hiding behind human emotions with laughter. Perry was hospitalized in 2002 because of pancreatitis caused by his alcohol abuse. The actor went to rehab twice and has been sober ever since. Perry had also opened "The Perry House" in Malibu, a home that caters sober men for them to recover well. "Friends", a popular sitcom in the 90s that stars Matthew Perry alongside Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer, and Lisa Kudrow, recently got together after two decades in a HBO Max-produced reunion special titled "Friends: The Reunion" which was directed by Ben Winston. READ ALSO: Kim Kardashian, Kanye West Divorce Cancelled: KUTWK Star Open to Reconciliation? It's Possible! See Now: Famous Actors Who Turned Down Iconic Movie Roles Amber Heard's camp debunked the rumors that the actress underwent an investigation for potential perjury. According to multiple news outlets, Heard might face a perjury charge for abusing Johnny Depp. She could reportedly face jail time if proven guilty of committing the said act. After staying silent, her representatives came forward and denied any investigation of the actress. In an exclusive report by RadarOnline, Heard's lawyer Elain Bredehoft revealed that her client is currently free from any potential charges. "The statute of limitations for perjury in California is three years and has long since expired, so an investigation, much less charges, much less a conviction, much less jail time, are impossibilities," the legal representative said. She accused the "Pirates of the Caribbean" actor's legal team of igniting the press of the alleged perjury claims. The Los Angeles Police Department also clarified that the unit had not investigated such a case in the past. Rumors on Amber Heard's Perjury Case The German outlet BILD first reported the allegations. It revealed that Heard allegedly faked the information about her big fight with Depp. It also alleged that Depp's attorney, Adam Waldman, reportedly confirmed the investigation's existence and said that Heard staged the crime scene. "Amber Heard and her friend Rocky Pennington staged the May 21 crime scene to prove the abuse allegation against Johnny Depp," the news site claimed. Amber Heard vs. Johnny Depp's Case More Intense This new development made the whole defamation case between the estranged couple more complicated. Initially, Depp filed a lawsuit against the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) as he sought proof that his ex-wife indeed donated half of their divorce settlement. In 2016, the ACLU released a statement thanking Heard for choosing the organization as the recipient of the $3.5 million. A few months after, the organization announced that they already received $350,000 directly from Heard. Depp believed none of these. READ ALSO: Blair Underwood, Desiree DaCosta Divorce: Was a Third-Party Involved? Was the Decision Mutual? Instead, Depp believes Elon Musk donated and made all the other transactions under her name. Before these events, the actor lost a case to overturn the wife-beater ruling against him. His lawyers tried to convince the court to look into the evidence about Heard's false claims about the $7 million divorce settlement. His barrister Andrew Caldecott QC said that Heard's statement was "a calculated and manipulative lie." READ MORE: Jason Dupasquier's Crash Video Shows Last Moments Before Tragic Death During MotoGP Race See Now: Famous Actors Who Turned Down Iconic Movie Roles "Arrest Bill Gates" trended on Twitter over the weekend for the reportedly illegal testing of vaccines on tribal girls in India. News outlets also posted about the claim, alleging the fourth richest person in the world might be facing trial for the said crime. People Calling Out Authorities to Arrest Bill Gates According to several Twitter users and news outlets, Bill Gates and his foundation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, funded an NGO to do trials for HPV vaccine in over 14,000 Tribal girls in 2009. These girls were from southern India's Telangana, in its fourth-largest city, Khammam. The HPV vaccines being tested were reportedly from Merck, the "Gardasil," and GlaxoSmithKline for "Cervarix." The trial was supposed to determine if the vaccines were effective against HPV, also known as Human papillomavirus, the most common sexually transmitted infection in the US. However, news reports claimed that the trial was unauthorized and illegal. The girls recruited to be part of the clinical trial were all said to be underage, with girls ages ranging from 10 to 14. Bill Gates' NGO also reportedly failed to get the tribal girls' approval to use their kids to be the test subjects of these vaccines. Unfortunately, the parents weren't informed of the possible risk of the vaccine, so many of the recruited girls suffered from several symptoms, including headaches, fatigue, stomachaches, and giddiness. Additionally, these girls also suffered from "early onset of menstruation" as well as "heavy bleeding." Reports also said that there was no follow-up or constant monitoring of the girls vaccinated with the HPV prevention. NEW: Massiv calls for arrest Bill Gates in USA! pic.twitter.com/HwP9Hyb4qo Eat love Pray (@EatlovePray11) May 31, 2021 READ ALSO: 'Arrest Bill Gates' Trends on Twitter For Allegedly Unauthorized Clinical Trials In India [REPORT] Spokesperson for the Gates Foundation Releases Statement According to Reuters, the articles posted by several outlets and Twitter trends are all misleading. A spokesperson for the Gates Foundation confirmed to the outlet that the allegations are false and that there is no pending lawsuit against the Microsoft founder nor his foundation. They also claimed that the clinical vaccine trial in question was not illegal. However, it was stopped later, which also prompted a source of controversy in India. In 2010, the study was cancelled because local media reports highlighted the death of seven girls that were part of the trial. There was an investigation that a committee carried out by the Indian Government. However, it was later determined that the girls' causes of death were not related to the HPV vaccine trial. Per ScienceMag.org, the first girl died from drowning; the second died from a snake bite; two girls committed suicide; while another died from malaria. Additionally, in 2013, the Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare claimed that the clinical trial by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation's NGO named PATH had committed several irregularities, including gross violation of the consent and legal requirement of support. Their foundation released a statement saying they strongly disagree with the prior's report. But as of writing, there's no arrest warrant or pending lawsuit for Bill Gates in India. His foundation continues to work in the country up to this day. DISCLAIMER: The accuracy of the statements are yet to be verified. Bill Gates has not yet commented on the issue. READ MORE: Melinda Gates' Ultimate Revenge: Ex Doesn't Want Bill Gates' Billions But Wants His 'Greatest Achievement' See Now: Famous Actors Who Turned Down Iconic Movie Roles Former NSYNC member and TV personality Joey Fatone opened up about NSYNC in a recent interview, revealing he is game in making a new album with his ex-bandmates. In an article posted by Us Weekly, the 44-year-old star promoted his new series for Game Show Network called "Common Knowledge" and casually said it would be "fun" to reunite with fellow NSYNC members. It can be recalled that the band is made up of Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, Lance Bass, and Chris Kirkpatrick. This time, Fatone is up to making a new album with them, two decades after the group disbanded. NSYNC, named as the biggest band of all time in America, is known for their memorable hits, including but not limited to "Bye Bye Bye," "Pop," "Tearin' Up My Heart," "This I Promise You." Joey Fatone Speaks On Separation Between NSYNC Members According to Fatone, "I can't speak for anybody else, but for me, it would be fun. Why not? I mean, let's be real here." "Everybody kind of separated to do their own thing, and now we've done our own thing and are still doing our own thing, but you know what, I think it'd be kind of fun to do something like that and get back together," he added. Fatone went on to say that they are at a point in their lives where awards and charts are not so essential for them anymore. Instead, he would rather experience having fun with whom he considers brothers onstage, for old times' sake. READ MORE: Coldplay, BTS Collaboration Album Hinted, ARMY Going Wild Looking for Clues Joey Fatone After NSYNC Disbandment According to Fatone, in talks with NBC Chicago, the group has worked together even as the band disbanded. For instance, they came together on stage as a group when they performed with Ariana Grande at the music festival. Justin Timberlake, unfortunately, was not there. However, in 2013, they reunited for Timberlake's Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award set at the MTV Video Music Awards. They got together again in 2018 for their Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony. Since the split, Fatone has appeared in the "Big Fat Greek Wedding" franchise, an emcee for "Family Feud," and even appeared on "Dancing With the Stars." And on much recent news, he is currently hosting "Common Knowledge," a show that tests two teams with simple "common knowledge" questions. Can the world be finally getting an actual NSYNC Reunion? READ ALSO: Justin Timberlake Shows Crazily Intense Workout for 'Palmer' Movie [VIDEO] See Now: Famous Actors Who Turned Down Iconic Movie Roles 2021-05-31 Maeci Today the World Health Assembly has adopted by consensus a resolution presented by Italy for the formal recognition of the Holy See's status as a non-Member State Observer to the World Health Organisation. The resolution - co-sponsored by 70 countries from all geographic areas - provides for the Holy See's status at the WHO to be aligned with that granted by the United Nations in 2004. It is a recognition of the vital role played by the Holy See in the humanitarian and health fields, particularly in developing countries and most recently in the fight against the pandemic. In a telephone conversation today with the Vatican Secretary for Relations with States, Monsignor Paul Richard Gallagher, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Luigi Di Maio has expressed great satisfaction for the result achieved in Geneva by Italy and the Holy See, which represents an unquestionable success for multilateralism and will contribute to strengthening cooperation in the field of health. The Yakushima sika deer (yakushika: Cervus nippon yakushimae), a subspecies of the Japanese sika deer (Cervus nippon), evolved without natural predators on the island of Yakushima, in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. It inhabits the forests on the island which were declared a World Heritage Site in 1993. Within the site, the yakushika has not been hunted in the past 50 years; however, since 2014, their population has been decreasing. This phenomenon is especially curious, as Japanese researchers believed that sika deer populations in Japan would not decrease without human intervention. A group of three scientists, including Hokkaido University's Associate Professor Naoki Agetsuma, have discovered indications that the reduction in the population of the yakushika is due to natural regulation, a first in Japan. Their findings were presented at the 68th meeting of the Ecological Society of Japan in March 2021, and were published in the Japanese Journal of Conservation Ecology. The team conducted onsite research every summer between 2001 and 2018 by designating two areas--the Hanyama and Kawahara districts, each encompassing about 80 hectares--for surveys, and counted the deer present while they trekked 5-kilometer census routes. Further, they tracked 19 marked deer in the Hanyama district for four years from 2014 to determine whether they have moved out of the district. The scientists found that the number of deer increased at an average annual rate of 9 percent from 2001 through 2014 but began to decrease at an annual rate of 15 percent after then. The number of deer to have migrated to areas outside Hanyama district is estimated at no more than 3.5 percent of the population, annually. The team has frequently witnessed deer dying of unknown causes since 2016. The overall decline is attributed to natural factors, the first time that a natural decline of sika deer has been observed in Japan. The exact causes have yet to be determined, and may require monitoring the population for several decades while prohibiting culling. Currently, most sika deer populations in Japan, including other areas of Yakushima, are controlled by culling, in line with the government's deer management policy. Thus, intact populations that exist without human intervention, such as the one in the World Heritage Site, are very rare and valuable. However, in late 2020, the government initiated culling to manage deer populations in a part of the World Heritage Site. "If the population can be naturally regulated, Japan should consider following the example of U.S. national parks that have adopted the natural regulation approach for many years, while further unlocking secrets of the unknown aspects of sika deer inhabiting Japan," says Naoki Agetsuma. ### Given what we believe, it probably happened in an overnight time over the holiday weekend, said Brian Foley, an aide to public safety Commissioner James Rovella. We dont believe theres a threat at this time to the general public or any of the lawmakers. A new extensive genetic resource of rat-infecting malaria parasites may help advance the development of malaria prevention and treatment strategies. This trove of genome and phenome information has been published1 by a team of KAUST researchers, along with colleagues in Japan, and the datasets have been made publicly available for malaria researchers. Rodent malaria parasites are closely related to human parasites but are easier to study because they can be grown in laboratory mice. "Investigations on rodent malaria parasites have played a key role in revealing many aspects of fascinating biology across their life-cycle stages," says KAUST bioscientist Arnab Pain, who led the sequencing effort, in collaboration with Richard Culleton of Nagasaki University's Institute of Tropical Medicine. Most research on these parasites to date has involved three specific species, but a fourth, called Plasmodium vinckei, hasn't received much attention. Pain, Culleton and the team generated a comprehensive genetic resource for this species and also sequenced genomes of seven isolates belonging to two of the other species, P. yoelii and P. chabaudi. Sequencing the genomes of ten isolates from five subspecies of P. vinckei from tropical Africa revealed that they have widely diverged from their common ancestor. The evolutionary pressures on each of the subspecies varies greatly according to the regions where they are mainly found. The sequencing efforts clarified aspects of the evolutionary tree of rat malaria parasites and also led to the naming of three new subspecies: P. yoelii cameronensis, P. chabaudi esekanensis and P. vinckei baforti. The research describes in detail genetic and phenotypic variations between the subspecies, which is likely to help studies that aim to understand the functions of malaria parasite genes. The scientists were also able to genetically modify a subspecies of P. vinckei to carry a fluorescent protein. This demonstrates that investigations on gene function, which involve modifying or removing a target gene, can be conducted in this subspecies. "We hope our resource will provide the research community with a diverse set of parasite models to play with. This resource can be put to use to identify genes that influence the malaria parasite's virulence, drug resistance and transmissibility in mosquitoes," says Abhinay Ramaprasad, the first author of this study, which he conducted during his Ph.D. at KAUST. The resource has been well received by the research community: "What a rich set of resources," wrote2 Jane Carlton, Director of New York University's Center for Genomics & Systems Biology. "The development of a model system once took decades, but with the aid of next-generation sequencing ... and enhanced molecular biology techniques, Ramaprasad et al. have fast-tracked the establishment of P. vinckei as a useful additional experimental model for malaria." ### Leipzig. The smoke from the extreme forest fires on the US West Coast in September 2020 travelled over many thousands of kilometres to Central Europe, where it continued to affect the atmosphere for days afterwards. A comparison of ground and satellite measurements now shows: The forest fire aerosol disturbed the free troposphere over Leipzig in Germany as never before. An evaluation by an international research team led by the Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS) revealed an extraordinary optical thickness on 11 September 2020, which attenuated sunlight by a third. The study, published in Geophysical Research Letters, is the first publication to show that ESA's novel Aeolus satellite can not only reliably measure global wind profiles but also aerosols in the atmosphere as it was shown by comparing Aeolus measurements with lidar measurements from the ground. The Centre National de Recherches Meteorologiques (CNRM) of the University of Toulouse, the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the European Space Agency (ESA) were involved in the study. Since August 2018, a new type of research satellite has been orbiting the Earth, named after a Greek wind god - Aeolus. The aim of Aeolus is to actively measure wind from space and thus improve weather forecasting. On board of this satellite of the European Space Agency (ESA) is the "Atmospheric Laser Doppler Instrument" (ALADIN), a high-performance laser. ALADIN is the first instrument in space that can actively measure vertical profiles of wind speed. It uses the principle of a light radar (short: Lidar from "LIght Detection And Ranging"). A signal is emitted and the reflection provides information about location and distance. The Doppler effect is then used to measure the wind speed at different heights in the atmosphere. To validate the laser measurements in space, they are compared with laser measurements from the ground. Several research groups from Germany are involved in this effort within the framework of the EVAA initiative (Experimental Validation and Assimilation of Aeolus observations). TROPOS, for example, measures with its lidar devices every Friday evening and Sunday morning when the Aeolus satellite flies over Leipzig. The data from ground and space can then be compared. On 11 September 2020, this resulted in the rare constellation that the extraordinary plume of smoke from the Californian forest fires could be measured over Leipzig simultaneously from ground and from space. "Using revolutionary laser technology, Aeolus is currently the only satellite in the world that can measure profiles of horizontal wind speed as well as the backscatter and extinction of aerosols and clouds independently. The satellite thus provides valuable information on the radiative properties of these smoke aerosols," emphasises Dr Sebastian Bley of TROPOS, who has been involved in the Aeolus project at the European Space Agency's (ESA) ESRIN research centre for the past three years. "It is expected that this unique configuration will contribute to improved predictions of such global smoke dispersion but also of weather in general." In September 2020, the heat from the extreme forest fires on the US West Coast transported the smoke to high altitudes. Once high up, it was then transported with the jet stream across North America and the Atlantic to Europe. In Leipzig, Germany, the smoke layer appeared at an altitude of around 12 kilometres on the morning of 11.09.2020 and sank to an altitude of around 5 kilometres in the course of the day. This is shown by the data from the PollyXT lidar at TROPOS. Lidar measurements in Leipzig confirmed the strong attenuation of the direct sunlight on this Friday: "It was - measured by the Aerosol Optical Thickness (AOT) - the strongest influence of forest fire aerosol on the free troposphere above Leipzig ever observed since the beginning of regular lidar observations in 1997", reports Dr Holger Baars from TROPOS, "The free troposphere is the region of the atmosphere in which the weather takes place but the direct influence from the ground is low. We were able to estimate an average mass concentration of forest fire aerosol of 8 micrograms per cubic metre between 4 and 11 km altitude. At the peak it was even 22 micrograms per cubic metre - that's quite remarkable for these altitudes." Saturday and Sunday were hazy days despite cloudless skies. The UV index of the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS), among others, also showed how strongly the smoke layers dampened solar radiation in Saxony: the TROPOS station in Melpitz near Torgau registered about a quarter less UV radiation at noon on 12 September 20 than would have been possible under clear sky. The unusual state of the atmosphere was particularly striking at sunset with a distinctive milky-yellow light. The researchers were able to confirm the origin of the smoke using a computer model: The backward simulation proves that the air masses that arrived at noon on 11 September at an altitude of 8.5 km above Leipzig originated from the west coast of North America, where intense fires took place days before. The frequency and intensity of fires in California continued to increase during the first week of September as satellite images show. Slightly weaker fires were observed in Oregon, Washington and Montana. "Due to the prevailing winds, the travel time of the smoke from the US West Coast to Europe was only about 3 to 4 days. The air masses even made the approximately 3000 kilometres across the Atlantic Ocean between Newfoundland and Ireland at high speed in only one day (9 September)," explains Martin Radenz from TROPOS. Earth observation satellites have become an important tool for environmental research in recent decades, documenting climate change globally. However, the need for continuous data on the one hand and the limited lifetime of satellites on the other hand pose major challenges to research: "Measuring the lidar ratio (a measure of backscatter behaviour and thus an indication of aerosol type) with Aeolus directly from space is a novelty and catapults research on aerosol-cloud interactions into a new era," underlines Dr Ulla Wandinger. "The results presented here show that Aeolus is partially able to bridge the gap between NASA's CALIPSO mission, which is being phased out, and the upcoming EarthCARE mission." EarthCARE is a joint Japanese-European mission that aims to study the effects of clouds and aerosol particles on the Earth's radiation budget. The satellite is scheduled for launch in early 2023. "Aeolus was designed to measure wind. The fact that it also provides data on particles is a very welcome by-product. However, in situations where the composition of the aerosol layers is less clear, it would be helpful to be able to measure the polarisation as well. Since the laser light is rotated differently when reflected on mineral dust, volcanic ash or forest fire aerosol, it is easier to determine where the particles originate that influence solar radiation and cloud formation. EarthCARE (Earth Clouds, Aerosols and Radiation Explorer) will be able to do this. We are therefore keeping our fingers firmly crossed for this satellite as well," says Dr Ulla Wandinger. Tilo Arnhold ### Links: Smoke from Pacific forest fires spreads over Germany - TROPOS lidar detects American smoke particles over Leipzig. (Short news, updated 14 Sep 2020) https:/ / www. tropos. de/ en/ current-issues/ press-releases/ kurzmitteilungen/ rauch-von-us-waldbraenden-zieht-ueber-deutschland Smoke from Australia: Forest fires from Australia felt in Chile (Short news, 06 Jan 2020): https:/ / www. tropos. de/ en/ current-issues/ press-releases/ kurzmitteilungen/ rauch-aus-australien Lidar network PollyNet https:/ / polly. tropos. de/ ADM Aeolus - Measuring the wind from space with a laser for the first time (DLR press release, 21 Aug 2018): https:/ / www. tropos. de/ en/ current-issues/ press-releases/ details/ adm-aeolus-measuring-the-wind-from-space-with-a-laser-for-the-first-time ESA Mission Aeolus: https:/ / earth. esa. int/ eogateway/ missions/ aeolus Aeolus Tropical Campaign June/August 2021: https:/ / emme-care. cyi. ac. cy/ wp-content/ uploads/ Aeolus_Tropical_campaign_digital_200603. pdf EVAA - Experimental Validation and Assimilation of Aeolus observations https:/ / www. meteo. physik. uni-muenchen. de/ evaa/ doku. php?id= en:start EarthCARE (Earth Clouds, Aerosols and Radiation Explorer) https:/ / www. d-copernicus. de/ daten/ satelliten/ satelliten-details/ news/ earthcare/ ?tx_news_pi1%5Bcontroller%5D= News&tx_news_pi1%5Baction%5D= detail&cHash= 13af38e507fc449124f1b269aaca9daf Further Information: Dr Holger Baars Scientific staff, Department Remote Sensing of Atmospheric Processes, Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS) Phone +49 341 2717-7314 https:/ / www. tropos. de/ en/ institute/ about-us/ employees/ holger-baars and Dr Ulla Wandinger Scientific staff, Department Remote Sensing of Atmospheric Processes, Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS) Phone +49 341 2717-7082 https:/ / www. tropos. de/ en/ institute/ about-us/ employees/ ulla-wandinger and Dr Sebastian Bley Scientific staff/ PhD student, Department Remote Sensing of Atmospheric Processes, Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS) Phone +49 341 2717-7171 https:/ / www. tropos. de/ en/ institute/ about-us/ employees/ sebastian-bley or In past studies, researchers have found that C. elegans gonads generate more germ cells than needed and that only half of them grow to become oocytes, while the rest shrinks and die by physiological apoptosis, a programmed cell death that occurs in multicellular organisms. Now, scientists from the Biotechnology Center of the TU Dresden (BIOTEC), the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG), the Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life (PoL) at the TU Dresden, the Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems (MPI-PKS), the Flatiron Institute, NY, and the University of California, Berkeley, found evidence to answer the question of what triggers this cell fate decision between life and death in the germline. Prior studies revealed the genetic basis and biochemical signals that drive physiological cell death, but the mechanisms that select and initiate apoptosis in individual germ cells remained unclear. As germ cells mature along the gonad of the nematode, they first collectively grow in size and in volume homogenously. In the study just published in Nature Physics, the scientists show that this homogenous growth suddenly shifts to a heterogenous growth where some cells become bigger and some cells become smaller. The researcher Nicolas Chartier in the group of Stephan Grill, and co-first author of the study, explains: "By precisely analyzing germ cell volumes and cytoplasmic material fluxes in living worms and by developing theoretical modeling, we have identified a hydraulic instability that amplifies small initial random volume differences, which causes some germ cells to increase in volume at the expense of the others that shrink. It is a phenomenon, which can be compared to the two-balloon instability, well known of physicists. Such an instability arises when simultaneously blowing into two rubber balloons attempting to inflate them both. Only the larger balloon will inflate, because it has a lower internal pressure than the smaller one, and is therefore easier to inflate." This is what is at play in the selection of germ cells: such pressure differences tend to destabilize the symmetric configuration with equal germ cell volumes, so-called hydraulic instabilities, leading to the growth of the larger germ cell at the expense of the smaller one. By artificially reducing germ cell volumes via thermoviscous pumping (FLUCS method: focused-light-induced cytoplasmic streaming), the team demonstrated that the reduction in cell volumes leads to their extrusion and cell death, indicating that once a cell is below a critical size, apoptosis is induced and the cell dies. By using confocal imaging, the researchers could image the full organism of the living worm to receive a global and precise picture of the volumes of all the gonad cells, as well as the exchange of fluids between the cells. Stephan Grill, Speaker of the Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life (PoL) and supervisor of the multidisciplinary work, adds "These findings are very exciting because they reveal that the life and death decision in the cells is of mechanical nature and related to tissue hydraulics. It helps to understand how the organism auto-selects a cell that will become an egg. Furthermore, the study is another example of the excellent cooperation between biologists, physicists and mathematicians in Dresden." ### Centuries-old smoke particles preserved in the ice reveal a fiery past in the Southern Hemisphere and shed new light on the future impacts of global climate change, according to a research led by Harvard University and a group of international researchers from the Desert Research Institute in Nevada and the University of Hong Kong, etc. recently published in Science Advances. "Up till now, the magnitude of past fire activity, and thus the amount of smoke in the preindustrial atmosphere, has not been well characterised," said Pengfei LIU, a former graduate student and postdoctoral fellow at the Harvard John A Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) and first author of the paper. "These results have importance for understanding the evolution of climate change from the 1750s until today, and for predicting future climate." One of the biggest uncertainties when it comes to predicting the future impacts of climate change is how fast surface temperatures will rise in response to increases in greenhouse gases. Predicting these temperatures is complicated since it involves the calculation of competing warming and cooling effects in the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases trap heat and warm the planet's surface while aerosol particles in the atmosphere from volcanoes, fires and other combustion cool the planet by blocking sunlight or seeding cloud cover. Understanding how sensitive surface temperature is to each of these effects and how they interact is critical to predicting the future impact of climate change. Many of today's climate models rely on past levels of greenhouse gasses and aerosols to validate their predictions for the future. But there's a problem: While pre-industrial levels of greenhouse gasses are well documented, the amount of smoke aerosols in the preindustrial atmosphere is not. To model smoke in the pre-industrial Southern Hemisphere, the research team looked to Antarctica, where the ice trapped smoke particles emitted from fires in Australia, Africa and South America. Ice core scientists and co-authors of the study, Joseph MCCONNELL and Nathan CHELLMAN from the Desert Research Institute in Nevada, measured soot, a key component of smoke, deposited in an array of 14 ice cores from across the continent, many provided by international collaborators. "Soot deposited in glacier ice directly reflects past atmospheric concentrations so well-dated ice cores provide the most reliable long-term records," said McConnell. What they found was unexpected. "While most studies have assumed less fire took place in the preindustrial era, the ice cores suggested a much fierier past, at least in the Southern Hemisphere," said Loretta MICKLEY, Senior Research Fellow in Chemistry-Climate Interactions at SEAS and senior author of the paper. To account for these levels of smoke, the researchers ran computer simulations that account for both wildfires and the burning practices of indigenous people. "The computer simulations of fire show that the atmosphere of the Southern Hemisphere could have been very smoky in the century before the Industrial Revolution. Soot concentrations in the atmosphere were up to four times greater than previous studies suggested. Most of this was caused by widespread and regular burning practiced by indigenous peoples in the pre-colonial period," said Jed KAPLAN, Associate Professor from the Research Division of Earth & Planetary Science at the University of Hong Kong and co-author of the study. This result agrees with the ice core records that also show that soot was abundant before the start of the industrial era and has remained relatively constant through the 20th century. The modelling suggests that as land use changes decreased fire activity, emissions from industry increased. What does this finding mean for future surface temperatures? By underestimating the cooling effect of smoke particles in the pre-industrial world, climate models might have over-estimated the warming effect of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses in order to account for the observed increases in surface temperatures. "Climate scientists have known that the most recent generation of climate models have been over-estimating surface temperature sensitivity to greenhouse gasses, but we haven't known why or by how much," said Liu. "This research offers a possible explanation." "Clearly the world is warming but the key question is how fast will it warm as greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise. This research allows us to refine our predictions moving forward," said Mickley. ### Other co-authors include Yang Li, Monica Arienzo, John Kodros, Jeffrey Pierce, Michael Sigl, Johannes Freitag, Robert Mulvaney and Mark Curran. It was funded by the US National Science Foundation's Geosciences Directorate under grants AGS-1702814 and 1702830, with additional support from 0538416, 0538427, and 0839093. For media enquiries, please contact Ms Casey To, External Relations Officer (tel: 3917 4948; email: caseyto@hku.hk / Ms Cindy Chan, Assistant Director of Communications of HKU Faculty of Science (tel: 3917 5286; email: cindycst@hku.hk). Note: press release adapted from the one prepared by Leah BURROWS from Harvard John A Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Humans are exposed to a bath of chemicals every day. They are in the beds where we sleep, the cars that we drive and the kitchens we use to feed our families. With thousands of chemicals floating around in our environment, exposure to any number is practically unavoidable. Through the work of researchers like Dr. Deborah Kurrasch, PhD, the implications of many of these chemicals are being thoroughly explored. "Manufacturers follow standards set by regulatory bodies, it's not up to the manufacturers to prove the chemicals in consumer products are safe," says Kurrasch, a researcher in the University of Calgary's Hotchkiss Brain Institute (HBI) and Alberta Children's Research Institute at the Cumming School of Medicine. "Scientists play a critical role and do the meticulous work of determining where the risks lie." Kurrasch's research over the past decade has focused on a chemical that is broadly recognizable: Bisphenol A, also known as BPA. This chemical is commonly found in plastics, canned food linings, and even thermal receipts. Studies from Kurrasch's lab contribute to the collective research that shows the harms of exposure to this industrial compound. The latest study out of Kurrasch's lab, published in Science Advances, suggests that continued vigilance is needed. A postdoctoral researcher in her lab, Dr. Dinu Nesan, PhD, examined the impact of low levels of BPA exposure to pregnant mice and the brain development of their offspring. "Our goal was to model BPA levels equivalent to what pregnant women and developing babies are typically exposed to," says Kurrasch. "We purposefully did not use a high dose. In fact, our doses were 11-times and nearly 25-times lower than those deemed safe by Health Canada and the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration), respectively. Even at these low levels, we saw effects on prenatal brain development in the mice." Using this BPA exposure model, Nesan found striking changes to the brain region responsible for driving circadian rhythms, the suprachiasmatic nucleus, located in the hypothalamus. When prenatally exposed to these low levels of BPA, the suprachiasmatic nucleus failed to develop properly. This change can have implications for sleep, activity levels, and other behaviours. "Previously we showed embryonic exposure to low-dose BPA can affect the timing of when neurons develop in zebrafish, but it was unclear whether a similar effect would be observed in a mammalian model with more similarities to humans," says Nesan, first author on the study. When neurons develop, they rely on proper signals to guide them. If neurons develop too early, the cues they experience are different, which can lead to developmental errors such as migrating to the wrong location, becoming the wrong type of neuron, or forming inappropriate connections. These errors can lead to altered behaviors later in life. "Our study shows that in pregnant mice, prenatal exposure to BPA affects the timing of neuron development in the fetal brain, which has lasting effects on behaviours. Offspring that are exposed to BPA during gestation are awake longer and exhibit hyperactivity. The prenatal BPA exposure seems to change the brain's circadian cues, causing the animals to have elevated energy levels and spend less time resting," says Nesan. The researchers are hopeful their findings will add continued pressure on regulatory bodies to keep revisiting their determinations around safe levels of BPA. "We think there's an incredible abundance of data showing BPA exposure guidelines are not yet at the appropriate level, which includes even the EU (European Union) who is leading on this front, but their 'safe' levels are still twice the dose we used in our study" says Kurrasch, "We hope our research serves as a reminder that low dose BPA is still capable of causing changes that are measurable and significant." Her message of how to interpret this research is simple: Limit your exposure to BPA the best you can. Maintain smart practices with plastics in your kitchen, for example not heating them, and using glass or stainless steel when possible. This research was conducted in collaboration with Dr. Michael Antle, PhD, professor of psychology and member of the HBI. ### Women carrying human papillomavirus (HPV) run an elevated risk of preterm birth, a University of Gothenburg study shows. A connection can thus be seen between the virus itself and the risk for preterm birth that previously has been observed in pregnant women who have undergone treatment for abnormal cell changes due to HPV. A Swedish study now published in the high-ranking journal PLOS Medicine comprises data on more than a million births. Accordingly, the researchers have compared very large groups. They emphasize that the findings do not support any assessment of risk levels in individual women of childbearing age. Johanna Wiik, a PhD student in obstetrics and gynecology at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, and also a gynecologist and obstetrician at the Department of obstetrics and gynecology at Sahlgrenska University Hospital, is the first author of the study. "I would like to point out that the increase in risk for preterm birth is small for the individual woman carrying HPV. But our results support that young people should get into the vaccination program against HPV," she says. Vaccination against HPV might not only prevent HPV related cancer but also be beneficial for pregnancy outcome. Treatment for abnormal cervical cell changes due to HPV infection had previously been known to increase risk of preterm birth -- defined as birth before 37 weeks' gestation. The present study shows that HPV as such is linked to a raised risk of preterm birth, and of complications for the child. The study is based on birth particulars registered in the Swedish Medical Birth Register, which have been merged with the country's National Quality Registry for Cervical Cancer Prevention and the Swedish Cancer Register. Altogether, 1,044,023 births between 1999 and 2016 were included. Of the women concerned, 23,185 had previously received treatment, while 11,727 were untreated and had a positive HPV screening test immediately before or during their pregnancy. Of the women previously treated for CIN, 9.1 percent gave birth prematurely. The corresponding proportion in the group with HPV infection in conjunction with their pregnancies was 5.9 percent. This was a statistically significant increase compared with a reference group of women whose cervical screening test had always been normal, of whom 4.6 percent gave birth prematurely. Verena Sengpiel, Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Sahlgrenska Academy and obstetrician at Sahlgrenska University Hospital, is the study's last author. "Our study is register-based and, although we've adjusted for various factors in the analyses, we can't reliably answer the question of whether it's the virus itself that causes the pregnancy and childbirth complications. All we can do is show a statistical association," she says. "Soon we''ll be able to see how the incidence of preterm birth is affected after the vaccination program against HPV has been introduced. That will give us more information about whether there's a causal connection between HPV infection itself and delivery outcome." The researchers emphasize the importance of heeding calls for gynecological cell sampling, in order to detect any cervical cell changes due to HPV infection. Johanna Wiik again: "The earlier these abnormal cell changes are detected, the better we can follow and treat them. And when you're admitted to maternity care, it's a good idea to tell your midwife if you've had cervical cell changes, and whether you've been treated for them. Then the maternity health staff can take that information into account when planning the monitoring of your pregnancy." ### In a paper published in NANO, researchers from Guizhou Meiling Power Sources Co., Ltd., China have reviewed the recent progress in biopolymer-based electrolyte. The biopolymer materials with unique characteristics including water solubility, film-forming capability and adhesive property played a key role in the design of zero pollution lithium battery. The biopolymers mentioned in this review were polysaccharide, protein, natural rubber and other polymers. For polysaccharide, cellulose with good wettability, low cost and good mechanical properties can enhance the mechanical strength of membranes and improve interfacial stability between electrolyte and electrode. However, the porosity control of cellulose-based membranes was still a challenge. Therefore, cellulose derivatives has been studied as electrolyte materials including alkyl cellulose, hydroxyalkyl cellulose, carboxyalkyl cellulose, cellulose esters and bacterial cellulose. In addition, chitin acted as filler of polymeric matrix to increase ionic conductivity. Anionic structure of pectin resulted in the interaction between lithium ions and polymer matrix, which favored the dissolution of lithium salts in electrolyte. Starch can improve the thermal stability of electrolyte. Chitosan contained -NH2 and -OH groups, which favored the formation of complexes with other components and promoted ionic migration. Tamarind seed polysaccharide was a highly branched polymer, which possessed film-forming nature and film transparency. For protein, soy protein isolate (SPI) and gelatin were emphasized due to their strong interactions with electrodes. Various different functional groups of SPI facilitated the fast transport of lithium ions and effective immobilization of sulfur species. Gelatin possessed electrochemical stability and it can react with the degradation products of the liquid electrolyte to stabilize the interfaces. Epoxidized natural rubber possessed the glass transition temperature of -20 oC, high flexibility and good elasticity for contacting well with electrodes. Some other biopolymers such as agar, iota-carrageenan and eggshell membranes have also been mentioned for the electrolyte fabrication. In summary, the starting point of choosing biopolymer as battery material is still limited to the physico-chemical consideration such as their functional groups, chain structures and intermolecular interactions. The real biological effects and ideas are still rejected or ignored during the design of lithium battery. ### This work is supported by S&T Planning Project of Guizhou Province (nos. [2017]1411). Corresponding author for this study is Jiayuan Shi (jiayshi@163.com). Additional co-authors of the NANO paper is Bin Shi (ml3401@126.com). For more insight into the research described, readers are invited to access the paper on NANO. The paper can be found in NANO journal. Researchers world-wide are focused on clearing the toxic mutant Huntingtin protein that leads to neuronal cell death and systemic dysfunction in Huntington's disease (HD), a devastating, incurable, progressive neurodegenerative genetic disorder. Scientists in the Buck Institute's Ellerby lab have found that the targeting the protein called FK506-binding protein 51 or FKBP51 promotes the clearing of those toxic proteins via autophagy, a natural process whereby cells recycle damaged proteins and mitochondria and use them for nutrition. Publishing in Autophagy , researchers showed that FKBP51 promotes autophagy through a new mechanism that could avoid worrisome side effects associated with rapamycin, an immune-suppressing drug which also extends lifespan in mice. They show both rapamycin and the small pharmacological inhibitor of FKBP51, SAFit2, protect HD neurons but that the mechanisms of the two drugs are distinct. The possibility of avoiding the negative side effects of rapamycin Researchers focused on a family of binding proteins called FKBP's and specifically on FKBP51, which was most changed in mouse and human stem cell models of HD. During the course of the study scientist found that FKBP51 acts on a pathway independent of mTOR (mammalian Target of Rapamycin), which is associated with rapamycin. Scientists also identified a small molecule, SAFit2, which crossed the blood-brain barrier and promoted autophagy and reduced the toxic disease-causing protein through that mTOR-independent pathway. "Rapamycin can have both positive and negative effects and this new molecule could give us a way to go after the toxic proteins without those complications," said Buck Professor Lisa Ellerby, PhD, director of the study, who added that the findings are also significant for the aging field. "We know that FKBP's get dysregulated during aging, a phenomena which likely contributes to the accumulation of toxic proteins associated with other age-related diseases. SAFit2, which is neuroprotective, could give us another option to promote autophagy and clear out disease-causing proteins or proteins accumulated during disease and aging which are correlated with other conditions." FKPB51 has been implicated in Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases as well as post-traumatic stress disorder and schizophrenia. The first author of the work, Barbara Bailus, PhD, is a former postdoc in the Ellerby lab. "The fact that SAFit2 crosses the blood brain barrier is significant," said Bailus, who is now an Assistant Professor of Genetics at the Keck Graduate Institute in Claremont, CA. "In our mouse models of HD, the small molecule interacted with FKPBP51 and cleared toxic proteins in both the cortex and the striatum which is part of the neural circuit necessary for voluntary movement." The Ellerby lab will do pre-clinical work with SAFit2, which was developed by a collaborator, Dr. Felix Hausch, PhD, at the Technical University in Darmstadt, Germany. Current status of clinical trials for HD The recent failure of an experimental drug tested in Europe and Canada against HD highlights the desperation of patients who are forced to deal with a malady that usually sees it victims dying about 20 years following the onset of observable symptoms. The drug was developed by Ionis and Roche, and is an antisense oligonucleotide (ASO). It was designed to silence the gene responsible for HD, and had to be injected into the fluid-filled space between the thin layers of tissue that cover the brain and spinal cord. While the details of the failed trial are not published yet, Ellerby says the drug appeared not to diffuse into the entire brain, the ASOs may have unanticipated toxic effects and the ASOs do not reach all affected peripheral tissues. HD affects coordination and leads to cognitive decline and psychiatric problems. "While we had hoped that this drug would ultimately work for patients in desperate need of treatment, those of us in the field have been aware that we need less invasive treatments for HD that are more likely to be easily tolerated," said Ellerby. "I don't know if we'll be able to do that with this small molecule, but at this point it does show potential and we look forward to evaluating its effects in pre-clinical experiments." ### Citation: Modulating FKBP5/FKBP51 and Autophagy Lowers HTT (huntingtin) Levels DOI: 10.1080/15548627.2021.1904489 Other Buck Institute collaborators include: Stephen Scheeler, Jesse Simons, Maria A. Sanchez, Swati Naphade, Alejandro Lopez-Ramirez, Ningzhe Zhang, Kuruwitage Lakshika Madushani, Stanislav Moroz, Ashley Loureiro, Kathrine H. Schreiber, and Brian Kennedy; Jordi Creus-Muncunill and Michelle E. Ehrlich, Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NY, NY; Feliz Hausch, Institute for Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Technische Universitat Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany. Funding for this research was provided by the National Institutes of Health (T32 AG000266, RO1-NS-100529; ERA-1B7 TACRODRUGS (031B0269B); Pioneer Grant Fund (ENTEGA/Technische Universitat Darmstadt); Buck Institute Double X Fellowship, The Taube Family Program in Regenerative Medicine Genome Editing for Huntington's Disease. Announcing a new article publication for BIO Integration journal. In this article the authors Craig S. Carlson and Michiel Postema, from University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa and Tampere University, Tampere, Finland discuss deep impact of superficial skin inking: acoustic analysis of underlying tissue. Skin tattoos are a common decoration, but profound scientific study on whether a skin tattoo alters the acoustic response from superficial tissues, and therefore from underlying tissue, was previously lacking; thus, any quantitative effects were unknown. This study is the first to investigate the nature of artifacts in ultrasound images, which have been observed to originate from tattooed skin. The work was conducted theoretically and experimentally using extremely simplified cases of perfectly flat and homogenous layered media and in tattooed pork. The measured speeds of sound of tattooed materials were higher than those of their uninked counterparts. The authors concluded that the artifacts observed in in vitro and in vivo brightness-mode scans were explained from near-vertical transitions between areas of different sound speeds. In addition, phantom material is a suitable acoustic alternative for live human skin. In summary, the presence of superficial tattoos has a small but quantifiable effect on the acoustic response from deeper tissues. The study integrated acoustic physics, biomaterials research, mechanical engineering, and medical imaging to increase knowledge on tattooed skin. ### Article reference: Craig S. Carlson and Michiel Postema, Deep impact of superficial skin inking: acoustic analysis of underlying tissue. BIO Integration, 2021, https:/ / doi. org/ 10. 15212/ bioi-2021-0004 BIO Integration is fully open access journal which will allow for the rapid dissemination of multidisciplinary views driving the progress of modern medicine. As part of its mandate to help bring interesting work and knowledge from around the world to a wider audience, BIOI will actively support authors through open access publishing and through waiving author fees in its first years. Also, publication support for authors whose first language is not English will be offered in areas such as manuscript development, English language editing and artwork assistance. BIOI is now open for submissions; articles can be submitted online at: https:/ / mc04. manuscriptcentral. com/ bioi Please visit http://www. bio-integration. org to learn more about the journal. Editorial Board: https:/ / bio-integration. org/ editorial-board/ Please visit http://www. bio-integration. org to learn more about the journal. Editorial Board: https:/ / bio-integration. org/ editorial-board/ BIOI is available on the IngentaConnect platform (https:/ / www. ingentaconnect. com/ content/ cscript/ bioi ) and at the BIO Integration website (http://www. bio-integration. org ). Submissions may be made using ScholarOne (https:/ / mc04. manuscriptcentral. com/ bioi ). There are no author submission or article processing fees. Follow BIOI on Twitter @JournalBio; Facebook (https:/ / www. facebook. com/ BIO-Integration-Journal-108140854107716/ ) and LinkedIn (https:/ / www. linkedin. com/ company/ bio-integration-journal/ ). ISSN 2712-0074 eISSN 2712-0082 Keywords: Artificial tissue for ultrasound, critical refraction highlighting, speed of sound in skin, tattoo pigment dispersion sonication, tattooed pork, tissue-mimicking phantom PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania PA - June 1, 2021 - CorePower Magnetics Inc. announced today the finalization of an exclusive intellectual property licensing agreement with both Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) and the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) covering advanced magnetics technologies. The company also appointed Dr. Samuel J. Kernion to serve as Chief Executive Officer effective June 1, 2021. "The team is excited to bring this technology to market for the next generation of power dense, highly efficient power electronics components, and CMU and NETL are terrific launch partners," said Dr. Paul Ohodnicki, CorePower Magnetics' Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer. "We're also thrilled to bring Sam back to Pittsburgh to lead this next phase of CorePower's journey. As a student at CMU, Sam was one of the original inventors of CorePower Magnetics' patented strain-annealing technology. Since that time, his industry track record in building programs, commercializing and delivering product to customers, and leading successful teams gives us full confidence in his abilities to take CorePower Magnetics to the next level." With the execution of these licensing agreements, CorePower Magnetics is officially launching with a broad portfolio of soft magnetics technologies developed by teams led by CMU's Dr. Michael McHenry, Co-Founder and Chief Scientist of CorePower Magnetics and University of Pittsburgh's Dr. Ohodnicki. CorePower Magnetics' technology can have broad implications across grid modernization efforts and electric land, air and sea vehicles through its smaller, lighter, more efficient components. The combination of novel magnetic materials and advanced manufacturing capabilities enable a level of control in magnetics engineering not currently available. With the underlying CMU and NETL inventions awarded the R&D100 and Carnegie Science Awards in 2019, CorePower Magnetics technology delivers a step change in magnetic core performance with up to 10x weight reduction, up to 5x volume reduction, up to 2x loss reduction and without the need for rare earth materials. Burcu Akinci, Associate Dean for Research in Carnegie Mellon University's College of Engineering, said, "This technology license represents the culmination of over a decade of CMU-led magnetics R&D, and I can't wait to see the impact CorePower Magnetics makes in the market." "Our role at NETL is to pursue research and development from idea to market and to play a pivotal role in the energy innovation ecosystem," said NETL Director Brian Anderson, Ph.D. "This technology, which includes innovations NETL developed in partnership with CMU, offers multiple benefits to the American people, from power generation to transportation and beyond. To see the technology advance from concept to commercialization with CorePower Magnetics is very rewarding." Prior to joining CorePower Magnetics, Dr. Samuel J. Kernion, held multiple leadership roles in R&D and Operations at Carpenter Technology Corporation including launching a multi-million dollar Soft Magnetics Center of Excellence. "It's an honor to join CorePower Magnetics' talented leadership team in writing the next chapter of our story, bringing to market high performance magnetics to power the future," said Kernion. "Customers are seeking solutions for smaller, lighter power electronics and we have the right team, the right technology and the passion to make it happen." CorePower Magnetics is currently seeking investors for its initial seed funding round. ### About CorePower Magnetics, Inc Established in Pittsburgh, PA, in 2020, CorePower Magnetics is bringing high performance power electronics components to market, building upon soft magnetics technologies invented at Carnegie Mellon University and the National Energy Technology Laboratory. Finished power electronics components including inductors and transformers operate with increased temperature stability in smaller, lighter packages. The CorePower Magnetics founding team includes the inventors of the underlying technology, combined with the necessary business expertise to bring this technology to market. With deep experience across soft magnetics, manufacturing and commercializing technologies, CorePower Magnetics is ready to power the future. About Carnegie Mellon University Carnegie Mellon is a private, internationally ranked research university with programs in areas ranging from science, technology and business, to public policy, the humanities and the arts. More than 14,000 students in the university's seven schools and colleges benefit from a small student-to-faculty ratio and an education characterized by its focus on creating and implementing solutions for real problems, interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation. Under the direction of Professor Michael E. Mchenry, both Paul Ohodnicki and Sam Kernion received their Ph.d's from Carnegie Mellon. About the National Energy Technology Laboratory NETL is a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory that produces technological solutions for America's energy challenges. From developing creative innovations and efficient energy systems that make coal more competitive, to advancing technologies that enhance oil and natural gas extraction and transmission processes, NETL research is providing breakthroughs and discoveries that support domestic energy initiatives, stimulate a growing economy, and improve the health, safety, and security of all Americans. Highly skilled men and women at NETL's sites in Albany, Oregon; Anchorage, Alaska; Houston, Texas; Morgantown, West Virginia; and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania conduct a broad range of research activities that support DOE's mission to advance the national, economic, and energy security of the United States. The First Flight Foundation is funding a reproduction of the 1908 aircraft, to be built by vintage airplane builders Rick and Sue Young of Chester. The couple has constructed several Wright models over 40 years, Rick Young said in an email. Their work has helped them uncover some of the brothers methods, he said. Boulder, Colo., USA: Article topics include Zealandia, Earth's newly recognized continent; the topography of Scandinavia; an interfacial energy penalty; major disruptions in North Atlantic circulation; the Great Bahama Bank; Pityusa Patera, Mars; the end-Permian extinction; and Tongariro and Ruapehu volcanoes, New Zealand. These Geology articles are online at https:/ / geology. geoscienceworld. org/ content/ early/ recent . Mass balance controls on sediment scour and bedrock erosion in waterfall plunge pools Joel S. Scheingross; Michael P. Lamb Abstract: Waterfall plunge pools experience cycles of sediment aggradation and scour that modulate bedrock erosion, habitat availability, and hazard potential. We calculate sediment flux divergence to evaluate the conditions under which pools deposit and scour sediment by comparing the sediment transport capacities of waterfall plunge pools (Qsc_pool) and their adjacent river reaches (Qsc_river). Results show that pools fill with sediment at low river discharge because the waterfall jet is not strong enough to transport the supplied sediment load out of the pool. As discharge increases, the waterfall jet strengthens, allowing pools to transport sediment at greater rates than in adjacent river reaches. This causes sediment scour from pools and bar building at the downstream pool boundary. While pools may be partially emptied of sediment at modest discharge, floods with recurrence intervals >10 yr are typically required for pools to scour to bedrock. These results allow new constraints on paleodischarge estimates made from sediment deposited in plunge pool bars and suggest that bedrock erosion at waterfalls with plunge pools occurs during larger floods than in river reaches lacking waterfalls. View article: https:/ / pubs. geoscienceworld. org/ gsa/ geology/ article-abstract/ doi/ 10. 1130/ G48881. 1/ 598762/ Mass-balance-controls-on-sediment-scour-and Pace, magnitude, and nature of terrestrial climate change through the end-Permian extinction in southeastern Gondwana T.D. Frank; C.R. Fielding; A.M.E. Winguth; K. Savatic; A. Tevyaw ... Abstract: Rapid climate change was a major contributor to the end-Permian extinction (EPE). Although well constrained for the marine realm, relatively few records document the pace, nature, and magnitude of climate change across the EPE in terrestrial environments. We generated proxy records for chemical weathering and land surface temperature from continental margin deposits of the high-latitude southeastern margin of Gondwana. Regional climate simulations provide additional context. Results show that Glossopteris forest-mire ecosystems collapsed during a pulse of intense chemical weathering and peak warmth, which capped ~1 m.y. of gradual warming and intensification of seasonality. Erosion resulting from loss of vegetation was short lived in the low-relief landscape. Earliest Triassic climate was ~10-14 C warmer than the late Lopingian and landscapes were no longer persistently wet. Aridification, commonly linked to the EPE, developed gradually, facilitating the persistence of refugia for moisture-loving terrestrial groups. View article: https:/ / pubs. geoscienceworld. org/ gsa/ geology/ article-abstract/ doi/ 10. 1130/ G48795. 1/ 598763/ Pace-magnitude-and-nature-of-terrestrial-climate Controls on andesitic glaciovolcanism at ice-capped volcanoes from field and experimental studies R.P. Cole; J.D.L. White; T. Durig; R. Buttner; B. Zimanowski ... Abstract: Glaciovolcanic deposits at Tongariro and Ruapehu volcanoes, New Zealand, represent diverse styles of interaction between wet-based glaciers and andesitic lava. There are ice-confined lavas, and also hydroclastic breccia and subaqueous pyroclastic deposits that formed during effusive and explosive eruptions into meltwater beneath the glacier; they are rare among globally reported products of andesitic glaciovolcanism. The apparent lack of hydrovolcanically fragmented andesite at ice-capped volcanoes has been attributed to a lack of meltwater at the interaction sites because either the thermal characteristics of andesite limit meltwater production or meltwater drains out through leaky glaciers and down steep volcano slopes. We used published field evidence and novel, dynamic andesite-ice experiments to show that, in some cases, meltwater accumulates under glaciers on andesitic volcanoes and that meltwater production rates increase as andesite pushes against an ice wall. We concur with models for eruptions beneath ice sheets showing that the glacial conditions and pre-eruption edifice morphology are more important controls on the style of glaciovolcanism and its products than magma composition and the thermal properties of magmas. Glaciovolcanic products can be useful proxies for paleoenvironment, and the range of andesitic products and the hydrological environments in which andesite erupts are greater than hitherto appreciated. View article: https:/ / pubs. geoscienceworld. org/ gsa/ geology/ article-abstract/ doi/ 10. 1130/ G48735. 1/ 598764/ Controls-on-andesitic-glaciovolcanism-at-ice How cementation and fluid flow influence slip behavior at the subduction interface J.N. Hooker; D.M. Fisher Abstract: Much of the complexity of subduction-zone earthquake size and temporal patterns owes to linkages among fluid flow, stress, and fault healing. To investigate these linkages, we introduce a novel numerical model that tracks cementation and fluid flow within the framework of an earthquake simulator. In the model, there are interseismic increases in cohesion across the plate boundary and decreases in porosity and permeability caused by cementation along the interface. Seismogenic slip is sensitive to the effective stress and therefore fluid pressure; in turn, slip events increase porosity by fracturing. The model therefore accounts for positive and negative feedbacks that modify slip behavior through the seismic cycle. The model produces temporal clustering of earthquakes in the seismic record of the Aleutian margin, which has well-documented along-strike variations in locking characteristics. Model results illustrate how physical, geochemical, and hydraulic linkages can affect natural slip behavior. Specifically, coseismic drops in fluid pressure steal energy from large ruptures, suppress slip, moderate the magnitudes of large earthquakes, and lead to aftershocks. View article: https:/ / pubs. geoscienceworld. org/ gsa/ geology/ article-abstract/ doi/ 10. 1130/ G48741. 1/ 598765/ How-cementation-and-fluid-flow-influence-slip Conservative transport of dissolved sulfate across the Rio Madre de Dios floodplain in Peru Emily I. Burt; Markus Bill; Mark E. Conrad; Adan Julian Ccahuana Quispe; John N. Christensen ... Abstract: Mineral weathering plays a primary role in the geologic carbon cycle. Silicate weathering by carbonic acid consumes CO2 and stabilizes Earth's climate system. However, when sulfuric acid drives weathering, CO2 can be released to the atmosphere. Recent work has established that sulfuric acid weathering resulting from sulfide mineral oxidation is globally significant and particularly important in rapidly eroding environments. In contrast, if SO42- produced by sulfide oxidation is reduced during continental transit, then CO2 release may be negated. Yet, little is known about how much SO42- reduction takes place in terrestrial environments. We report oxygen and sulfur stable isotope ratios of SO42- in river waters and mass budget calculations, which together suggest that SO42- released from pyrite oxidation in the Peruvian Andes mountains is conservatively exported across ~300 km of the Amazon floodplain. In this system, floodplain SO42- reduction does not counteract the large SO42- flux from Andean pyrite weathering or measurably affect the stable isotope composition of riverine SO42-. These findings support the hypothesis that uplift and erosion of sedimentary rocks drive release of CO2 from the rock reservoir to the atmosphere. View article: https:/ / pubs. geoscienceworld. org/ gsa/ geology/ article-abstract/ doi/ 10. 1130/ G48997. 1/ 598766/ Conservative-transport-of-dissolved-sulfate-across First U-Pb dating of fossilized soft tissue using a new approach to paleontological chronometry Heriberto Rochin-Banaga; Donald W. Davis; Tobias Schwennicke Abstract: Previous U-Pb dating of fossils has had only limited success because of low uranium content and abundance of common Pb as well as element mobility during late diagenesis. We report the first accurate U-Pb dating of fossilized soft tissue from a Pliocene phosphatized bivalve mold using laser ablation-inductively coupled mass spectrometry (LA-ICPMS). The fossilized soft tissue yields a diagenetic U-Pb age of 3.16 0.08 Ma, which is consistent with its late Pliocene stratigraphy and similar to the oldest U-Pb age measured on accompanying shark teeth. Phosphate extraclasts give a distinctly older age of 5.1 1.7 Ma, indicating that they are likely detrital and may have furnished P, promoting phosphatization of the mold. The U-Pb ages reported here along with stratigraphic constraints suggest that diagenesis occurred shortly after the death of the bivalve and that the U-Pb system in the bivalve mold remained closed until the present. Shark teeth collected from the same horizon show variable resetting due to late diagenesis. Data were acquired as line scans in order to exploit the maximum Pb/U variation and were regressed as counts, rather than ratios, in three-dimensional space using a Bayesian statistical method. View article: https:/ / pubs. geoscienceworld. org/ gsa/ geology/ article-abstract/ doi/ 10. 1130/ G48386. 1/ 598767/ First-U-Pb-dating-of-fossilized-soft-tissue-using Direct measurement of fungal contribution to silicate weathering rates in soil Bastien Wild; Gwenael Imfeld; Damien Daval Abstract: Chemical weathering produces solutes that control groundwater chemistry and supply ecosystems with essential nutrients. Although microbial activity influences silicate weathering rates and associated nutrient fluxes, its relative contribution to silicate weathering in natural settings remains largely unknown. We provide the first quantitative estimates of in situ silicate weathering rates that account for microbially induced dissolution and identify microbial actors associated with weathering. Nanoscale topography measurements showed that fungi colonizing olivine [(Mg,Fe)2SiO4] samples in a Mg-deficient forest soil accounted for up to 16% of the weathering flux after 9 mo of incubation. A local increase in olivine weathering rate was measured and attributed to fungal hyphae of Verticillium sp. Altogether, this approach provides quantitative parameters of bioweathering (i.e., rates and actors) and opens new avenues to improve elemental budgets in natural settings. View article: https:/ / pubs. geoscienceworld. org/ gsa/ geology/ article-abstract/ doi/ 10. 1130/ G48706. 1/ 598768/ Direct-measurement-of-fungal-contribution-to Detrital chromites reveal Slave craton's missing komatiite Rasmus Haugaard; Pedro Waterton; Luke Ootes; D. Graham Pearson; Yan Luo ... Abstract: Komatiitic magmatism is a characteristic feature of Archean cratons, diagnostic of the addition of juvenile crust, and a clue to the thermal evolution of early Earth lithosphere. The Slave craton in northwest Canada contains >20 greenstone belts but no identified komatiite. The reason for this dearth of komatiite, when compared to other Archean cratons, remains enigmatic. The Central Slave Cover Group (ca. 2.85 Ga) includes fuchsitic quartzite with relict detrital chromite grains in heavy-mineral laminations. Major and platinum group element systematics indicate that the chromites were derived from Al-undepleted komatiitic dunites. The chromites have low 187Os/188Os ratios relative to chondrite with a narrow range of rhenium depletion ages at 3.19 0.12 Ga. While these ages overlap a documented crust formation event, they identify an unrecognized addition of juvenile crust that is not preserved in the bedrock exposures or the zircon isotopic data. The documentation of komatiitic magmatism via detrital chromites indicates a region of thin lithospheric mantle at ca. 3.2 Ga, either within or at the edge of the protocratonic nucleus. This study demonstrates the applicability of detrital chromites in provenance studies, augmenting the record supplied by detrital zircons. View article: https:/ / pubs. geoscienceworld. org/ gsa/ geology/ article-abstract/ doi/ 10. 1130/ G48840. 1/ 598769/ Detrital-chromites-reveal-Slave-craton-s-missing Pityusa Patera, Mars: Structural analyses suggest a mega-caldera above a magma chamber at the crust-mantle interface Hannes Bernhardt; David A. Williams Abstract: Pityusa Patera is the southernmost of four paterae in the 1.2 106 km2 wrinkle-ridged plains-dominated Malea Planum region of Mars. Based on their texture, morphology, and uniqueness to Pityusa Patera, we interpret layered, folded massifs as pyroclastic deposits emplaced during patera formation as a collapse caldera. Such deposits would not be expected in a previously suggested scenario of patera formation by subsidence from lithospheric loading. Our structural measurements and modeling indicate that the folding and high relief of the massifs resulted from ~1.3%-6.9% of shortening, which we show to be a reasonable value for a central plug sagging down into an assumed piston-type caldera. According to a previously published axisymmetric finite-element model, the extent of shortening structures on a caldera floor relative to its total diameter is controlled by the roof depth of the collapsed magma chamber beneath it, which would imply Pityusa Patera formed above a chamber at 57.5-69 km depth. We interpret this value to indicate a magma chamber at the crust-mantle interface, which is in agreement with crust-penetrating ring fractures and mantle flows expected from the formation of the Hellas basin. As such, the folded massifs in Pityusa Patera, which are partially superposed by ca. 3.8 Ga wrinkle-ridged plains, should consist of primordial mantle material, a theory that might be assessed by future hyperspectral observations. In conclusion, we do not favor a formation by load-induced lithospheric subsidence but suggest Pityusa Patera to be one of the oldest extant volcanic landforms on Mars and one of the largest calderas in the solar system, which makes the folded, likely mantle-derived deposits on its floor a prime target for future exploration. View article: https:/ / pubs. geoscienceworld. org/ gsa/ geology/ article-abstract/ doi/ 10. 1130/ G48903. 1/ 598740/ Pityusa-Patera-Mars-Structural-analyses-suggest-a Evidence for iron-rich sulfate melt during magnetite(-apatite) mineralization at El Laco, Chile Wyatt M. Bain; Matthew Steele-MacInnis; Fernando Tornos; John M. Hanchar; Emily C. Creaser ... Abstract: The origins of Kiruna-type magnetite(-apatite) [Mt(-Ap)] deposits are contentious, with existing models ranging from purely hydrothermal to orthomagmatic end members. Here, we evaluate the compositions of fluids that formed the classic yet enigmatic Mt(-Ap) deposit at El Laco, northern Chile. We report evidence that ore-stage minerals crystallized from an Fe-rich (6-17 wt% Fe) sulfate melt. We suggest that a major component of the liquid was derived from assimilation of evaporite-bearing sedimentary rocks during emplacement of andesitic magma at depth. Hence, we argue that assimilation of evaporite-bearing sedimentary strata played a key role in the formation of El Laco and likely Mt(-Ap) deposits elsewhere. View article: https:/ / pubs. geoscienceworld. org/ gsa/ geology/ article-abstract/ doi/ 10. 1130/ G48861. 1/ 598741/ Evidence-for-iron-rich-sulfate-melt-during Surface-wave tomography of the Emeishan large igneous province (China): Magma storage system, hidden hotspot track, and its impact on the Capitanian mass extinction Yiduo Liu; Lun Li; Jolante van Wijk; Aibing Li; Yuanyuan V. Fu Abstract: Large igneous provinces (LIPs) are commonly associated with mass extinctions. However, the precise relations between LIPs and their impacts on biodiversity is enigmatic, given that they can be asynchronous. It has been proposed that the environmental impacts are primarily related to sill emplacement. Therefore, the structure of LIPs' magma storage system is critical because it dictates the occurrence and timing of mass extinction. We use surface-wave tomography to image the lithosphere under the Permian Emeishan large igneous province (ELIP) in southwestern China. We find a northeast-trending zone of high shear-wave velocity (Vs) and negative radial anisotropy (Vsv > Vsh; v and h are vertically and horizontally polarized S waves, respectively) in the crust and lithosphere. We rule out the possibilities of rifting or orogenesis to explain these seismic characteristics and interpret the seismic anomaly as a mafic-ultramafic, dike-dominated magma storage system of the ELIP. We further propose that the anomaly represents a hidden hotspot track that was emplaced before the ELIP eruption. A zone of higher velocity but less-negative radial anisotropy, on the hotspot track but to the northeast of the eruption center in the Panxi region, reflects an elevated proportion of sills emplaced at the incipient stage of the ELIP. Liberation of poisonous gases by the early sill intrusions explains why the mid-Capitanian global biota crisis preceded the peak ELIP eruption by 2-3 m.y. View article: https:/ / pubs. geoscienceworld. org/ gsa/ geology/ article-abstract/ doi/ 10. 1130/ G49055. 1/ 598742/ Surface-wave-tomography-of-the-Emeishan-large Diverse marine fish assemblages inhabited the paleotropics during the Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum Sanaa El-Sayed; Matt Friedman; Tarek Anan; Mahmoud A. Faris; Hesham Sallam Abstract: The Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum (PETM) was a short interval (120-220 k.y.) of elevated global temperatures, but it is important for understanding biotic responses to climatic warming. Consequences of the PETM for marine fishes remain unclear, despite evidence that they might have been particularly vulnerable to increasing temperatures. Part of this uncertainty reflects a lack of data on marine fishes across a range of latitudes at the time. We report a new paleotropical (~12N paleolatitude) fish fauna from the Dababiya Quarry Member of Egypt dating to the PETM. This assemblage--Ras Gharib A--is a snapshot of a time when tropical sea-surface temperatures approached limits lethal for many modern fishes. Despite extreme conditions, the Ras Gharib A fauna is compositionally similar to well-known, midlatitude Lagerstatten from the PETM or later in the Eocene. The Ras Gharib A fauna shows that diverse fish communities thrived in the paleotropics during the PETM, that these assemblages shared elements with coeval assemblages at higher latitudes, and that some taxa had broad latitudinal ranges substantially exceeding those found during cooler intervals. View article: https:/ / pubs. geoscienceworld. org/ gsa/ geology/ article-abstract/ doi/ 10. 1130/ G48549. 1/ 598743/ Diverse-marine-fish-assemblages-inhabited-the Facies control on carbonate 13C on the Great Bahama Bank Emily C. Geyman; Adam C. Maloof Abstract: The carbon isotopic (13C) composition of shallow-water carbonates often is interpreted to reflect the 13C of the global ocean and is used as a proxy for changes in the global carbon cycle. However, local platform processes, in addition to meteoric and marine diagenesis, may decouple carbonate 13C from that of the global ocean. We present new 13C measurements of benthic foraminifera, solitary corals, calcifying green algae, ooids, coated grains, and lime mud from the modern Great Bahama Bank. We find that vital effects, cross-shelf seawater chemistry gradients, and meteoric diagenesis produce carbonate with 13C variability rivaling that of the past two billion years of Earth history. Leveraging Walther's Law, we illustrate how these local 13C signals can find their way into the stratigraphic record of bulk carbonate. View article: https:/ / pubs. geoscienceworld. org/ gsa/ geology/ article-abstract/ doi/ 10. 1130/ G48862. 1/ 598744/ Facies-control-on-carbonate-13C-on-the-Great Quantifying bankfull flow width using preserved bar clinoforms from fluvial strata Evan Greenberg; Vamsi Ganti; Elizabeth Hajek Abstract: Reconstruction of active channel geometry from fluvial strata is critical to constrain the water and sediment fluxes in ancient terrestrial landscapes. Robust methods--grounded in extensive field observations, numerical simulations, and physical experiments--exist for estimating the bankfull flow depth and channel-bed slope from preserved deposits; however, we lack similar tools to quantify bankfull channel widths. We combined high-resolution lidar data from 134 meander bends across 11 rivers that span over two orders of magnitude in size to develop a robust, empirical relation between the bankfull channel width and channel-bar clinoform width (relict stratigraphic surfaces of bank-attached channel bars). We parameterized the bar cross-sectional shape using a two-parameter sigmoid, defining bar width as the cross-stream distance between 95% of the asymptotes of the fit sigmoid. We combined this objective definition of the bar width with Bayesian linear regression analysis to show that the measured bankfull flow width is 2.34 0.13 times the channel-bar width. We validated our model using field measurements of channel-bar and bankfull flow widths of meandering rivers that span all climate zones (R2 = 0.79) and concurrent measurements of channel-bar clinoform width and mud-plug width in fluvial strata (R2 = 0.80). We also show that the transverse bed slopes of bars are inversely correlated with bend curvature, consistent with theory. Results provide a simple, usable metric to derive paleochannel width from preserved bar clinoforms. View article: https:/ / pubs. geoscienceworld. org/ gsa/ geology/ article-abstract/ doi/ 10. 1130/ G48729. 1/ 598745/ Quantifying-bankfull-flow-width-using-preserved Revisiting stepwise ocean oxygenation with authigenic barium enrichments in marine mudrocks Guang-Yi Wei; Hong-Fei Ling; Graham A. Shields; Simon V. Hohl; Tao Yang ... Abstract: There are current debates around the extent of global ocean oxygenation, particularly from the late Neoproterozoic to the early Paleozoic, based on analyses of various geochemical indices. We present a temporal trend in excess barium (Baexcess) contents in marine organic-rich mudrocks (ORMs) to provide an independent constraint on global ocean redox evolution. The absence of remarkable Baexcess enrichments in Precambrian (>ca. 541 Ma) ORMs suggests limited authigenic Ba formation in oxygen- and sulfate-deficient oceans. By contrast, in the Paleozoic, particularly the early Cambrian, ORMs are marked by significant Baexcess enrichments, corresponding to substantial increases in the marine sulfate reservoir and oxygenation level. Analogous to modern sediments, the Mesozoic and Cenozoic ORMs exhibit no prominent Baexcess enrichments. We suggest that variations in Baexcess concentrations of ORMs through time are linked to secular changes in the marine dissolved Ba reservoir associated with elevated marine sulfate levels and global ocean oxygenation. Further, unlike Mo, U, and Re abundances, significant Baexcess enrichments in ORMs indicate that the overall ocean oxygenation level in the early Paleozoic was substantially lower than at present. View article: https:/ / pubs. geoscienceworld. org/ gsa/ geology/ article-abstract/ doi/ 10. 1130/ G48825. 1/ 598746/ Revisiting-stepwise-ocean-oxygenation-with Widespread glacial erosion on the Scandinavian passive margin Vivi K. Pedersen; Asne Rosseland Knutsen; Gustav Pallisgaard-Olesen; Jane Lund Andersen; Robert Moucha ... Abstract: The topography in Scandinavia features enigmatic high-elevation low-relief plateau regions dissected by deep valleys and fjords. These plateau regions have long been interpreted as relict landforms of a preglacial origin, whereas recent studies suggest they have been modified significantly by glacial and periglacial denudation. We used late Pliocene-Quaternary source-to-sink analyses to untangle this scientific conundrum. We compared glacier-derived offshore sediment volumes with estimates of erosion in onshore valleys and fjords and on the inner shelf. Our results suggest that onshore valley and fjord erosion falls 61%-66% short of the offshore sink volume. Erosion on the inner shelf cannot accommodate this mismatch, implying that the entire Scandinavian landscape and adjacent shelf have experienced significant glacial erosion. View article: https:/ / pubs. geoscienceworld. org/ gsa/ geology/ article-abstract/ doi/ 10. 1130/ G48836. 1/ 598226/ Widespread-glacial-erosion-on-the-Scandinavian Clay minerals modulate early carbonate diagenesis N. Tanner Mills; Julia S. Reece; Michael M. Tice Abstract: Early diagenetic precipitation of authigenic carbonate has been a globally significant carbon sink throughout Earth history. In particular, SO42- and Fe3+ reduction and CH4 production create conditions in pore fluids that promote carbonate mineral precipitation; however, these conditions may be modified by the presence of acid-base buffers such as clay minerals. We integrated the acid-base properties of clay minerals into a biogeochemical model that predicts the evolution of pore-water pH and carbonate mineral saturation during O2, Fe3+, and SO42- reduction and CH4 production. Key model inputs were obtained using two natural clay mineral-rich sediments from the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program as well as from literature. We found that clay minerals can enhance carbonate mineral saturation during O2 and SO42- reduction and moderate saturation during Fe3+ reduction and CH4 production if the pore-fluid pH and clay mineral pKa values are within ~2 log units of one another. We therefore suggest that clay minerals could significantly modify the environmental conditions and settings in which early diagenetic carbonate precipitation occurs. In Phanerozoic marine sediments--where O2 and SO42- have been the main oxidants of marine sedimentary organic carbon--clay minerals have likely inhibited carbonate dissolution and promoted precipitation of authigenic carbonate. View article: https:/ / pubs. geoscienceworld. org/ gsa/ geology/ article-abstract/ doi/ 10. 1130/ G48713. 1/ 598227/ Clay-minerals-modulate-early-carbonate-diagenesis The interfacial energy penalty to crystal growth close to equilibrium Fred Gaidies; Freya R. George Abstract: Understanding the origin of rock microstructure is critical for refining models of the geodynamics of the Earth. We use the geometry of compositional growth zoning of a population of garnet porphyroblasts in a mica schist to gain quantitative insight into (1) the relative growth rates of individual crystals, (2) the departure from equilibrium during their growth, and (3) the mobility of the porphyroblast-matrix interface. The driving force for garnet growth in the studied sample was exceedingly small and is comparable in magnitude to the interfacial energy associated with the garnet-matrix interface. This resulted in size-dependent garnet growth at macroscopic length scales, with a decrease in radial growth rates for smaller crystals caused by the penalty effect of the interfacial energy. The difference in growth rate between the largest and the smallest crystal is ~45%, and the interface mobility for garnet growth from ~535 C, 480 MPa to 565 C, 560 MPa in the phyllosilicate-dominated rock matrix ranged between ~10-19 and 10-20 m4 J-1 s-1. This is the first estimation of interface mobility in natural rock samples. In addition to the complex structural and chemical reorganization associated with the formation of dodecahedral coordination polyhedra in garnet, the presence of abundant graphite may have exerted drag on the garnet-matrix interface, further decreasing its mobility. View article: https:/ / pubs. geoscienceworld. org/ gsa/ geology/ article-abstract/ doi/ 10. 1130/ G48715. 1/ 598228/ The-interfacial-energy-penalty-to-crystal-growth A hidden Rodinian lithospheric keel beneath Zealandia, Earth's newly recognized continent R.E. Turnbull; J.J. Schwartz; M.L. Fiorentini; R. Jongens; N.J. Evans ... Abstract: We present a data set of >1500 in situ O-Hf-U-Pb zircon isotope analyses that document the existence of a concealed Rodinian lithospheric keel beneath continental Zealandia. The new data reveal the presence of a distinct isotopic domain of Paleozoic-Mesozoic plutonic rocks that contain zircon characterized by anomalously low 18O values (median = +4.1) and radiogenic Hf(t) (median = +6.1). The scale (>10,000 km2) and time span (>>250 m.y.) over which plutonic rocks with this anomalously low-18O signature were emplaced appear unique in a global context, especially for magmas generated and emplaced along a continental margin. Calculated crustal-residence ages (depleted mantle model, TDM) for this low-18O isotope domain range from 1300 to 500 Ma and are interpreted to represent melting of a Precambrian lithospheric keel that was formed and subsequently hydrothermally altered during Rodinian assembly and rifting. Recognition of a concealed Precambrian lithosphere beneath Zealandia and the uniqueness of the pervasive low-18O isotope domain link Zealandia to South China, providing a novel test of specific hypotheses of continental block arrangements within Rodinia. View article: https:/ / pubs. geoscienceworld. org/ gsa/ geology/ article-abstract/ doi/ 10. 1130/ G48711. 1/ 598229/ A-hidden-Rodinian-lithospheric-keel-beneath Immediate temperature response in northern Iberia to last deglacial changes in the North Atlantic J.L. Bernal-Wormull; A. Moreno; C. Perez-Mejias; M. Bartolome; A. Aranburu ... Abstract: Major disruptions in the North Atlantic circulation during the last deglaciation triggered a series of climate feedbacks that influenced the course of Termination I, suggesting an almost synchronous response in the ocean-atmosphere system. We present a replicated 18O stalagmite record from Ostolo cave in the northern Iberian Peninsula with a robust chronological framework that continuously covers the last deglaciation (18.5-10.5 kyr B.P.). The Ostolo 18O record, unlike other speleothem records in the region that were related to humidity changes, closely tracks the well-known high-latitude temperature evolution, offering important insights into the structure of the last deglaciation in the Northern Hemisphere. In addition, this new record is accompanied by a clear signal of the expected cooling events associated with the deglacial disruptions in North Atlantic deep convection during Heinrich event 1. View article: https:/ / pubs. geoscienceworld. org/ gsa/ geology/ article-abstract/ doi/ 10. 1130/ G48660. 1/ 598230/ Immediate-temperature-response-in-northern-Iberia ### GEOLOGY articles are online at https:/ / geology. geoscienceworld. org/ content/ early/ recent . Representatives of the media may obtain complimentary articles by contacting Kea Giles at the e-mail address above. Please discuss articles of interest with the authors before publishing stories on their work, and please make reference to GEOLOGY in articles published. Non-media requests for articles may be directed to GSA Sales and Service, gsaservice@geosociety.org. TAMPA, Fla. - Moffitt Cancer Center, a national leader in cancer care and research and the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center based in Florida, is presenting new data from dozens of clinical research studies at this year's American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, the world's largest clinical cancer research meeting. Moffitt investigators will lead 25 abstract presentations, five education sessions, two cancer-based panels and two clinical science symposia. The virtual meeting is June 4-8. Highlights include: Oral Presentations: Dr. Bijal Shah will present phase 2 results from the ZUMA-3 trial evaluating CAR T-cell therapy for adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a challenging malignancy to treat in this patient population. - Abstract 7002 - Phase 2 results of the ZUMA-3 study evaluating KTE-X19, an anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, in adult patients (pts) with relapsed/refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (R/R B-ALL). Dr. Taiga Nishihori will present phase 2 results evaluating the efficacy of ixazomib maintenance therapy after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation using reduced intensity fludarabine/melphalan/bortezomib-based conditioning regimen to treat patients with high risk multiple myeloma. - Abstract 7003 - The results of multicenter phase II, double-blind placebo-controlled trial of maintenance ixazomib after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (alloHCT) for high-risk multiple myeloma (MM) from the Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network (BMT CTN 1302). Dr. Kosj Yamoah will present results of a prospective study evaluating a genomic classifier in a subset of African American men with prostate cancer. The classifier provides information on underlying biology and independently predicts individual patients' risk of metastasis. - Abstract 5005 - A prospective validation of the genomic classifier to define high-metastasis risk in a subset of African American men with early localized prostate cancer: VanDAAM study. Dr. Jonathan Zager will present results of a phase 3 trial evaluating the use of percutaneous hepatic perfusion for ocular melanoma patients with liver metastasis. To date, there is no standard of care for this patient population. - Abstract 9510 - Percutaneous hepatic perfusion (PHP) with melphalan for patients with ocular melanoma liver metastases: Preliminary results of FOCUS (PHP-OCM-301/301A) phase III trial. Posters: Dr. Bijal Shah will present initial results of a novel allogeneic CAR T product that incorporates gene editing technology to delete any donor genes that may cause a patient's immune system to attack the donor CAR T cells. - Abstract 7516 - Preliminary safety and efficacy of PBCAR0191, an allogeneic, off-the-shelf CD19-targeting CAR-T product, in relapsed/refractory (r/r) CD19+ NHL. Dr. Hatem Soliman will present phase 2 results evaluating the use of a modified form of the herpes simplex 1 virus that is injected directly into triple-negative breast cancer tumors while patients are undergoing chemotherapy. - Abstract 578 - A phase 2 trial of talimogene laherparepvec (TVEC) in combination with neoadjuvant chemotherapy for the treatment of nonmetastatic triple-negative breast cancer. Dr. Frederick Locke will present data from the ALPHA2 study evaluating ALLO-501, an allogeneic CAR T therapy product, in combination with ALLO-647, a monoclonal antibody that depletes lymphocytes in the body to help prepare the patient for the new immune cells, in patients with large B-cell lymphoma. - Abstract 2529 - First-in-human data of ALLO-501A, an allogeneic chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy and ALLO-647 in relapsed/refractory large B-cell lymphoma (R/R LBCL): ALPHA2 study. ### Brief videos with each presenter and a complete list of Moffitt's ASCO presentations are available at http://www. moffitt. org/ ASCO . Experts are available to discuss their research. Please direct media inquiries to Kim Polacek, 813-745-7408, Kim.Polacek@moffitt.org. About Moffitt Cancer Center Moffitt is dedicated to one lifesaving mission: to contribute to the prevention and cure of cancer. The Tampa-based facility is one of only 51 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers, a distinction that recognizes Moffitt's scientific excellence, multidisciplinary research, and robust training and education. Moffitt is the No. 11 cancer hospital and has been nationally ranked by U.S. News & World Report since 1999. Moffitt's expert nursing staff is recognized by the American Nurses Credentialing Center with Magnet status, its highest distinction. With more than 7,000 team members, Moffitt has an economic impact in the state of $2.4 billion. For more information, call 1-888-MOFFITT (1-888-663-3488), visit MOFFITT.org, and follow the momentum on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. AMES, Iowa - An unexpected discovery by an Iowa State University researcher suggests that the first humans may have arrived in North America more than 30,000 years ago - nearly 20,000 years earlier than originally thought. Andrew Somerville, an assistant professor of anthropology in world languages and cultures, says he and his colleagues made the discovery while studying the origins of agriculture in the Tehuacan Valley in Mexico. As part of that work, they wanted to establish a date for the earliest human occupation of the Coxcatlan Cave in the valley, so they obtained radiocarbon dates for several rabbit and deer bones that were collected from the cave in the 1960s as part of the Tehuacan Archaeological-Botanical Project. The dates for the bones suddenly took Somerville and his colleagues in a different direction with their work. The date ranges for the bone samples from the base of the cave ranged from 33,448 to 28,279 years old. The results are published in the academic journal Latin American Antiquity. Somerville says even though previous studies had not dated items from the bottom of the cave, he was not expecting such old ages. The findings add to the debate over a long-standing theory that the first humans crossed the Bering Land Bridge into the Americas 13,000 years ago. "We weren't trying to weigh in on this debate or even find really old samples. We were just trying to situate our agricultural study with a firmer timeline," Somerville said. "We were surprised to find these really old dates at the bottom of the cave, and it means that we need to take a closer look at the artifacts recovered from those levels." Somerville says the findings provide researchers with a better understanding of the chronology of the region. Previous studies relied on charcoal and plant samples, but he says the bones were a better material for dating. However, questions still remain. Most importantly, is there a human link to the bottom layer of the cave where the bones were found? To answer that question, Somerville and Matthew Hill, ISU associate professor of anthropology, plan to take a closer look at the bone samples for evidence of cut marks that indicate the bones were butchered by a stone tool or human, or thermal alternations that suggest the bones were boiled or roasted over fire. He says the possible stone tools from the early levels of the cave may also yield clues. "Determining whether the stone artifacts were products of human manufacture or if they were just naturally chipped stones would be one way to get to the bottom of this," Somerville said. "If we can find strong evidence that humans did in fact make and use these tools, that's another way we can move forward." Year-long journey to even find the bones Not only was this discovery unexpected, but the process of tracking down the animal bones to take samples was more than Somerville anticipated. The collection of artifacts from the 1960s Tehuacan Archaeological-Botanical Project was distributed to different museums and labs in Mexico and the United States, and it was unclear where the animal bones were sent. After a year of emails and cold calls, Somerville and his collaborator, Isabel Casar from the National Autonomous University of Mexico, had a potential lead for a lab in Mexico City. The lab director, Joaquin Arroyo-Cabrales, agreed to give Somerville and Casar a tour to help search for the missing collection. The tour proved to be beneficial. Among the countless boxes of artifacts, they found what they were looking for. "Having spent months trying to locate the bones, we were excited to find them tucked away on the bottom shelf in a dark corner of the lab," Somerville said. "At the time, we felt that was a great discovery, we had no idea it would lead to this." Once he located the bones, Somerville got permission from the Mexican government to take small samples - about 3/4 inch in length and 1/4 inch in width - from 17 bones (eight rabbits and nine deer) for radiocarbon dating. If closer examination of the bones provides evidence of a human link, Somerville says it will change what we know about the timing and how the first people came to America. "Pushing the arrival of humans in North America back to over 30,000 years ago would mean that humans were already in North America prior to the period of the Last Glacial Maximum, when the Ice Age was at its absolute worst," Somerville said. "Large parts of North America would have been inhospitable to human populations. The glaciers would have completely blocked any passage over land coming from Alaska and Canada, which means people probably would have had to come to the Americas by boats down the Pacific coast." ### Isabel Casar, a professor at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, and Joaquin Arroyo-Cabrales, a researcher with the National Institute of Anthropology and History in Mexico, contributed to this research. The work was funded by the National Science Foundation and the Wenner-Gren Foundation. ASCE's Environmental and Water Resources Institute honors Lehigh University water resources engineering professor for outstanding contributions to the study of hydraulics and waterways Panayiotis "Panos" Diplas, P.C. Rossin Professor of Water Resources Engineering in Lehigh University's P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science, has been named as the recipient of the 2021 Hunter Rouse Hydraulic Engineering Award. The award is presented annually by the Environmental and Water Resources Institute (EWRI) of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) to honor an individual who has made outstanding contributions to hydraulics and waterways. Diplas was recognized for "fundamental contributions to the role of turbulence in sediment transport, ecohydraulics, stream restoration and scour." The EWRI is a branch of ASCE that seeks to advance water resources and environmental solutions. Over the course of his distinguished career, Diplas has focused his research on river mechanics and sediment transport, scour around bridge piers and other hydraulic structures, stream restoration, wetland hydrodynamics, watershed management, sustainable development, and marine hydrokinetic energy generation. He will present the Hunter Rouse Hydraulic Engineering Lecture at the 2021 EWRI World Environmental & Water Resources Congress, which will be held virtually, June 7-11, 2021. The award, which is noted as one of the ASCE's most prestigious recognitions, is named in honor of the late Hunter Rouse, a pioneer in modern engineering hydraulics and fluid mechanics. The lecture is traditionally published in the Journal of Hydraulic Engineering, the flagship ASCE journal for research in this field. Diplas joined the Rossin College faculty in 2013 as chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering in 2013, and served in that capacity until 2020. During that time, he led the renovation and expansion of Lehigh's Imbt Environmental Hydraulics Laboratory. Earlier in his career, he spent 25 years teaching at Virginia Tech, where he founded the Baker Environmental Hydraulics Laboratory (1999) and served as its director for 14 years. Diplas is a Fellow of ASCE (2018) and the EWRI (2015). His work has been recognized by a number of awards, including the National Science Foundation (NSF) Young Investigator Award and ASCE's Hans Albert Einstein Award and Karl Emil Hilgard Hydraulic Prize. Additionally, he has received several other recognitions for his teaching, including a certificate of teaching excellence. During the spring semester of 2007 he was the J.S. Brown Intertec Visiting Professor at the University of Minnesota. Diplas has served on the editorial board of many journals and chaired several EWRI and ASCE technical committees. He has published widely and his work has been cited extensively. He has given invited and keynote presentations at many universities and conferences in countries around the world. He earned a PhD in civil engineering from the University of Minnesota in 1986 and was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand and IIHR-Hydroscience & Engineering of the University of Iowa. Related Links: ### Global brain activity seen on fMRI, and its connection with cerebrospinal fluid flow weaker in brains of individuals with Alzheimer's disease risk or related toxin buildup Evidence of sleep-dependent low-frequency (<0.1 Hz) global brain activity in the clearance of Alzheimer's disease-related toxin buildup is presented in research published on 1st June 2021 in the open access journal PLOS Biology by Xiao Liu and colleagues at The Pennsylvania State University. This neuronal activity was more strongly linked with cerebrospinal fluid flow in healthy controls than higher risk groups and patients, and the findings could serve as a potential imaging marker for clinicians in evaluating patients. The development of Alzheimer's disease is believed to be driven by the buildup of the toxic proteins amyloid- and tau in the brain. The brain's glymphatic system plays a crucial role in clearing these toxins and previous work has shown a possible relationship between sleep-dependent global brain activity and the glymphatic system by showing this activity is coupled by cerebrospinal fluid flow essential for the glymphatic system. Using 118 subjects in the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative project, the researchers measured this global brain activity and cerebrospinal fluid flow as well as looking at behavioral data. Individuals underwent resting-state fMRI sessions two years apart, and the team compared their findings with neurobiological and neuropsychological markers related to Alzheimer's disease, such as levels of the toxic protein amyloid-. The strength of the connection between brain activity and cerebrospinal fluid flow was weaker in individuals at a higher risk or who had already developed Alzheimer's disease. Additionally, this weaker connection was associated with higher levels of amyloid- and disease-related behavioral measures two years later. This suggests an important role for sleep-dependent global brain activity in the clearance of brain waste, and its connection to cerebrospinal fluid flow could be helpful as a future marker for clinical evaluation. Dr. Liu adds, "The study linked the coupling between the resting-state global brain activity and cerebrospinal fluid flow to Alzheimer's disease pathology. The finding highlights the potential role of low-frequency (<0.1 Hz) resting-state neural and physiological dynamics in the neurodegenerative diseases, presumably due to their sleep-dependent driving of cerebrospinal fluid flow to wash out brain toxins. Future studies are warranted to fully understand the global brain activity and associated physiological modulations and their role in glymphatic clearance and neurodegenerative diseases." ### Research Peer reviewed; Experimental; Humans In your coverage please use these URLs to provide access to the freely available articles in PLOS Biology: http://journals. plos. org/ plosbiology/ article?id= 10. 1371/ journal. pbio. 3001233 Citation: Han F, Chen J, Belkin-Rosen A, Gu Y, Luo L, Buxton OM, et al. (2021) Reduced coupling between cerebrospinal fluid flow and global brain activity is linked to Alzheimer disease-related pathology. PLoS Biol 19(6): e3001233. https:/ / doi. org/ 10. 1371/ journal. pbio. 3001233 Funding: This work is supported by funding from the National Institutes of Health Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00 5R00NS092996-03 to X.L.), the Brain Initiative award (1RF1MH123247-01 to X.L.), the NIH R01 award (1R01NS113889-01A1 to X.L.), and NIA R03 award (1R03AG070812-01 to L.L.). O.M.B. received subcontract grants to Penn State from Proactive Life LLC (formerly Mobile Sleep technologies) doing business as SleepScape (NSF/STTR #1622766, NIH/NIA SBIR R43- AG056250, R44-AG056250), received honoraria/travel support for lectures from Boston University, Boston College, Tufts School of Dental Medicine, New York University and Allstate, and receives an honorarium for his role as the Editor in Chief of Sleep Health. Data collection and sharing for this project was funded by the ADNI (National Institutes of Health Grant U01 AG024904; Principal Investigator: Michael Weiner) and DOD ADNI (Department of Defense award number W81XWH-12-2-0012; Principal Investigator: Michael Weiner). ADNI is funded by the National Institute on Aging, the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), and through generous contributions from the following: AbbVie, Alzheimer's Association; Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation; Araclon Biotech; BioClinica, Inc.; Biogen; Bristol-Myers Squibb Company; CereSpir, Inc.; Cogstate; Eisai Inc.; Elan Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Eli Lilly and Company; EuroImmun; F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd and its affiliated company Genentech, Inc.; Fujirebio; GE Healthcare; IXICO Ltd.; Janssen Alzheimer Immunotherapy Research & Development, LLC.; Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development LLC.; Lumosity; Lundbeck; Merck & Co., Inc.; Meso Scale Diagnostics, LLC.; NeuroRx Research; Neurotrack Technologies; Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation; Pfizer Inc.; Piramal Imaging; Servier; Takeda Pharmaceutical Company; and Transition Therapeutics. The Canadian Institutes of Health Research is providing funds to support ADNI clinical sites in Canada. Private sector contributions are facilitated by the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (http://www. fnih. org ). The grantee organization is the Northern California Institute for Research and Education, and the study is coordinated by the Alzheimer's Therapeutic Research Institute at the University of Southern California. ADNI data are disseminated by the Laboratory for Neuro Imaging at the University of Southern California. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. Observational studies have suggested that increased vitamin D levels may protect against COVID-19. However, these studies were inconclusive and possibly subject to confounding. A study published in PLOS Medicine by Guillaume Butler-Laporte and Tomoko Nakanishi at McGill University in Quebec, Canada, and colleagues suggests that genetic evidence does not support vitamin D as a protective measure against COVID-19. The ability of vitamin D to protect against severe COVID-19 illness is of great interest to public health experts, but has limited supporting evidence. To assess the relationship between vitamin D levels and COVID-19 susceptibility and severity, researchers conducted a Mendelian randomization study using genetic variants strongly associated with increased vitamin D levels. The authors analyzed genetic variants of 4,134 individuals with COVID-19, and 1,284,876 without COVID-19, from 11 countries to determine whether genetic predisposition for higher vitamin D levels were associated with less-severe disease outcomes in people with COVID-19. The results showed no evidence for an association between genetically predicted vitamin D levels and COVID-19 susceptibility, hospitalization, or severe disease, suggesting that raising circulating vitamin D levels through supplementation may not improve COVID-19 outcomes in the general population. However, the study had several important limitations, including that the research did not include individuals with vitamin D deficiency, and it remains possible that truly deficient patients may benefit from supplementation for COVID-19 related protection and outcomes. Additionally, the genetic variants were obtained only from individuals of European ancestry, so future studies will be needed to determine the relationship with COVID-19 outcomes in other populations. According to the authors, "Vitamin D supplementation as a public health measure to improve outcomes is not supported by this study. Most importantly, our results suggest that investment in other therapeutic or preventative avenues should be prioritized for COVID-19 randomized clinical trials". Dr. Butler-Laporte notes, "Most vitamin D studies are very difficult to interpret since they cannot adjust for the known risk factors for severe Covid-19 (e.g. older age, institutionalization, having chronic diseases) which are also predictors of low vitamin D. Therefore, the best way to answer the question of the effect of vitamin D would be through randomized trials, but these are complex and resource intensive, and take a long time during a pandemic. Mendelian randomization can provide more clear insights into the role of risk factors like vitamin D because they can decrease potential bias from associated risk factors like institutionalization and chronic disease. In the past Mendelian randomization has consistently predicted results of large, expensive, and timely vitamin D trials. Here, this method does not show clear evidence that vitamin D supplementation would have a large effect on Covid-19 outcomes." ### Research Article Peer reviewed; Observational study; Humans In your coverage please use this URL to provide access to the freely available paper: http://journals. plos. org/ plosmedicine/ article?id= 10. 1371/ journal. pmed. 1003605 Funding: The Richards research group is supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR: 365825; 409511), the Lady Davis Institute of the Jewish General Hospital, the Canadian Foundation for Innovation, the NIH Foundation, Cancer Research UK, Genome Quebec, the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Fonds de Recherche Quebec Sante (FRQS). GBL is supported by the CIHR, and a joint scholarship from the FRQS and Quebec's Ministry of Health and Social Services. TN is supported by Research Fellowships of Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) for Young Scientists and JSPS Overseas Challenge Program for Young Researchers. JBR is supported by a FRQS Clinical Research Scholarship. Support from Calcul Quebec and Compute Canada is acknowledged. TwinsUK is funded by the Welcome Trust, Medical Research Council, European Union, the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)-funded BioResource, Clinical Research Facility and Biomedical Research Centre based at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust in partnership with King's College London. VM is supported by the Canada Excellence Research Chair Program. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Competing Interests: I have read the journal's policy and the authors of this manuscript have the following competing interests: JBR has served as an advisor to GlaxoSmithKline and Deerfield Capital. These companies had no role in the design, implementation, or interpretation of this study. No other authors have competing interests. Some men reach the risk threshold to start screening up to 11 years sooner than guidelines recommend A nationwide study in Sweden estimates the elevated risk of advanced or fatal prostate cancer among relatives of men with the disease, providing new data that could help refine guidelines for the age at which screening should begin. Mahdi Fallah and Elham Kharazmi of the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg, Germany, and colleagues present these new findings in the open-access journal PLOS Medicine. Clinical guidelines for the age to start prostate cancer screening aim to ensure that the benefits of identifying the disease early outweigh the risks of diagnosing and treating cancer that will not harm the patient. Current guidelines note that men with a family history of prostate cancer have a greater risk and should begin screening early. However, due to lack of sufficient data, the age at which early screening should begin has been unclear. To address this problem, Fallah and colleagues conducted an analysis of all male residents of Sweden born after 1931, as well as their fathers. Between 1958 to 2015, 88,999 out of a total of 6,343,727 men were diagnosed with advanced stage (III or IV) prostate cancer, or died from the disease. The researchers used these data to calculate the age at which men who had a father, brother, or son diagnosed with prostate cancer reached the "screening risk threshold;" i.e., the same level of prostate cancer risk as at the age of 50 years across the entire population. (Many guidelines recommend that screening begin at 50 years.) The researchers found that men with a family history of prostate cancer reached the screening risk threshold up to 12 years earlier. However, different men reached this threshold at different ages, depending on how many of their first-degree relatives had prostate cancer and the age at which the relatives were diagnosed. By comparing their calculations with various guidelines, the researchers determined that men with a family history of prostate cancer reach a high enough risk to start screening anywhere from 2 to 11 years earlier than currently recommended. These findings could lead to greater personalization of screening guidelines. Further research could help validate these results in populations of different ethnicity, while also accounting for genetics and lifestyle. "The one-size-fits-all policy in medicine belongs to the past; more and more risk-adapted approaches are needed instead to optimize use of restricted resources in health care", said Dr. Kharazmi, co-leader of this study. "The aim of our group is to fill this gap (a personalized approach in screening) for various cancers, such as prostate, breast, and colorectal cancer, using long-standing high-quality large-scale register-based data, to provide robust evidence to support screening guidelines", Mahdi Fallah, professor of Medicine (Epidemiology) in the University of Bergen, Norway, and leader of Risk-Adapted Cancer Prevention Group, DKFZ, Germany. ### Research Article Peer reviewed; Observational; Humans In your coverage please use this URL to provide access to the freely available paper: http://journals. plos. org/ plosmedicine/ article?id= 10. 1371/ journal. pmed. 1003616 Funding: XX received scholarship from the China Scholarship Council (http://www. chinesescholarshipcouncil. com/ ). KS (grant number 2018-02400) and JS (grant number 2020-01175) were supported by grants from the Swedish Research Council (http://www. vr. se/ english. html ). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. The Covid-19 pandemic has introduced us to expressions like 'lockdown', 'isolation' and 'social distancing', which became part of social conduct all over the world. Now it appears that bats also maintain social distancing which might help prevent the spread of contagious diseases in their colonies. In a new study published in Annals of the New York Academy of Science, researchers from Tel Aviv University demonstrate that sick bats, just like ill humans, prefer to stay away from their communities, probably as a means for recovery, and possibly also as a measure for protecting others. The study was conducted by postdoctoral researcher Dr. Kelsey Moreno and PhD candidate Maya Weinberg at the laboratory of Prof. Yossi Yovel, Head of the Sagol School of Neuroscience and a researcher at School of Zoology at the George S. wise Faculty of Life Sciences. The study monitored two colonies of Egyptian fruit bats - one living in an enclosure and the other in its natural environment. To examine the behavior of bats when they get sick, the researchers injected several bats in each group with a bacteria-like protein, thereby stimulating their immune response without generating any real danger to the bats. Tests revealed symptoms such as a high fever, fatigue and weight loss, and the 'ill' bats' behavior was tracked with GPS. The researchers discovered that the 'sick' bats chose to keep away from the colony. In the first group, they left the bat cluster of their own accord and kept their distance. In the second group the 'ill' bats likewise moved away from the other bats in the colony, and also stayed in the colony and did not go out in search of food for two successive nights. Research student Maya Weinberg explains that this social distancing behavior is probably caused by the need to conserve energy - by avoiding the energy-consuming social interactions in the group. Weinberg emphasizes, however, that this behavior can also protect the group and prevent the pathogen from spreading within the colony. Moreover, the fact that sick bats don't leave the cave, prevents the disease from spreading to other colonies. "The bats' choice to stay away from the group is highly unusual for these animals. Normally these bats are extremely social creatures, living in caves in very crowded conditions," says Weinberg. "In fact, the 'sick' bats' behavior is very reminiscent of our own during recovery from an illness. Just as we prefer to stay home quietly under the blanket when we are ill, sick bats, living in very crowded caves, also seek solitude and peace as they recuperate." Prof. Yovel adds that the study's findings suggest that the likelihood of bats passing pathogens to humans under regular conditions is very low, because sick bats tend to isolate themselves and stay in the cave. "We observed that during illness bats choose to stay away from the colony and don't leave the cave, and thus avoid mixing with other bats. This suggests that in order to encounter a sick bat, people must actually invade the bats' natural environment or eliminate their habitats. In other words, if we protect them, they will also protect us." ### Researchers working under the leadership of the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have conducted the first precise and comprehensive measurements of sea level rises in the Baltic Sea and the North Sea. A new method now makes it possible to determine sea level changes with millimeter accuracy even in coastal areas and in case of sea ice coverage. This is of vital importance for planning protective measures. For the billions of people who live in coastal areas, rising sea levels driven by climate change can pose an existential threat. "To protect people and infrastructure - for example by building flood protection structures, securing ports or making dikes higher - we need reliable forecasts on sea level trends," explains Prof. Florian Seitz, the Director of the German Geodetic Research Institute at TUM. "However, this requires precise data with high spatial resolution. And until now, the required wide-area coverage was not available." Especially near coastlines - where so many cities, ports, industry facilities and residential areas are located - the quality of data collected by the radar satellites orbiting the Earth for decades was compromised by high signal-to-noise ratios. The reason: Mountains, bays and offshore islands scatter the signals and distort the reflected echoes. Another problem is sea ice, which covers parts of the oceans in winter, and is impenetrable to radar. In the Baltic Sea Level project (Baltic SEAL), a team of researchers at TUM worked with international partners to develop algorithms to process the measurement data from radar satellites to permit precise and high-resolution measurements of sea level changes even in coastal areas and beneath sea ice. Penetrating ice and islands with radar The researchers chose the Baltic Sea as the model region: "Data from this region are especially suitable for developing new methods because multiple factors make analysis difficult: The complex shape of the coastline, sea ice and wind. At the same time, there are plenty of local sea level measurements to corroborate the results," says project leader Dr. Marcello Passaro. "An analytical method that works in the Baltic Sea can be easily adapted to other regions." To handle hundreds of millions of radar measurements taken between 1995 and 2019, the team developed a multi-stage process: In the first step, they calibrated the measurements from the various satellite missions so that they could be combined. With specially developed algorithms, they were then able to detect signals from the ice-covered sea water in the radar reflections produced along cracks and fissures. This made it possible to determine sea levels for the winter months. With new computational methods they also achieved better resolution of radar echoes close to land. As a result, it is now possible to measure sea levels in coastal areas and compare the results with local tidal records. The processed data were then fitted to a fine grid with a resolution of 6 to 7 km using an algorithm developed by the team. The result: A highly precise data set covering the entire region. The largest rises in sea levels are occurring in the Bay of Bothnia The analysis of these data for the Baltic Sea shows the regional effects of the rise in sea levels over the past quarter century: The sea level has risen at an annual rate of 2 to 3 millimeters in the south, on the German and Danish coasts, as compared to 6 millimeters in the north-east, in the Bay of Bothnia. The cause of this large rise: Strong south-westerly winds that drive the waters to the north and eastward. This above-average increase in sea level does not pose a threat to coastal dwellers, however, because the land has been rising since the end of the last Ice Age - currently at an annual rate of up to 1 cm. "Through the newly developed processes for analyzing and combining radar data, we are now in a position to arrive at precise and reliable conclusions on sea level changes in recent decades for other coastal regions as well," adds Dr. Denise Dettmering. The researcher has also created a comprehensive data set for the North Sea region: The sea level there is rising by 2.6 millimeters per year, and by 3.2 millimeters in the German Bight. Local trends can be determined using the data set and the user manual - both of which are freely accessible online. "With the data, researchers can verify their climate models, for example, and public authorities can plan suitable protective measures," says Dr. Seitz. ### Publications: * Passaro M, Muller FL, Oelsmann J, Rautiainen L, Dettmering D, Hart-Davis MG, Abulaitijiang A, Andersen OB, Hyer JL, Madsen KS, Ringgaard IM, Sarkka J, Scarrott R, Schwatke C, Seitz F, Tuomi L, Restano M and Benveniste J: Absolute Baltic Sea Level Trends in the Satellite Altimetry Era: A Revisit. Frontiers in Marine Science 8:647607, 2021. https:/ / doi. org/ 10. 3389/ fmars. 2021. 647607 * Dettmering, D., Muller, F. L., Oelsmann, J., Passaro, M., Schwatke, C., Restano, M., Benveniste, J., Seitz, F.: NorthSEAL: A new Dataset of Sea Level Changes in the North Sea from Satellite Altimetry, Earth System Science Data [preprint], 2021. https:/ / essd. copernicus. org/ preprints/ essd-2021-103/ More information: * The European Space Agency (ESA) provides funding for the development of monitoring programs for various parameters of the Earth system, in particular to measure and analyze essential climate variables (ECVs). The ECVs are key criteria describing changes in the Earth's climate. One of them is the sea level. In 2018 the ESA launched a regional study on the Baltic Sea region (Baltic+ Initiative), including aspects of the marine ecosystem. DGFI-TUM is leading the Baltic SEAL project. Other participants are the Technical University of Denmark's National Space Institute, the Finnish Meteorological Institute, the Danish Meteorological Institute and University College Cork in Ireland. Contact: Dr. Marcello Passaro Technical University of Munich German Geodetic Research Institute (DGFI-TUM) Tel.: +49 (89) 23031-1214 marcello.passaro@tum.de Dr. Denise Dettmering Technical University of Munich German Geodetic Research Institute (DGFI-TUM) Tel.: +49 (89) 23031-1198 denise.dettmering@tum.de Army scientists working as part of an international consortium have developed and tested an antibody-based therapy to treat Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV), which is carried by ticks and kills up to 60 percent of those infected. Their results are published online today in the journal Cell. Using blood samples donated by disease survivors, the study's authors characterized the human immune response to natural CCHFV infection. They were able to identify several potent neutralizing antibodies that target the viral glycoprotein--a component of the virus that plays a key role in disease development. Several of these antibodies, administered individually or in combination, protected mice from CCHFV when given prior to virus exposure. To treat mice that had already been infected, the team created "bispecific" antibodies that combined potency with the ability to bind to two separate sites on the CCHFV glycoprotein. One of these bispecific antibodies, called DVD-121-801, overcame CCHFV infection in mice with just a single dose administered 24 hours after challenge with live virus. Efforts are underway to develop DVD-121-801 as a potential therapeutic for human patients, according to co-first author Andrew H. Herbert, Ph.D., of the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID). CCHFV is the most prevalent tick-borne virus that causes human disease, and is endemic in countries across Europe, Asia, and Africa. Despite its high lethality and widespread distribution, no vaccines or specific treatments are available. It has been designated a priority pathogen by the World Health Organization. "Rodent models of CCHFV infection are useful in testing and down-selecting neutralizing antibodies," commented Herbert. "However, to advance a lead candidate for therapeutic use, it will be necessary to conduct studies in larger animal models that more faithfully recapitulate human disease." ### In addition to USAMRIID, other institutions participating in the study were Adimab, LLC; Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York; Mapp Biopharmaceutical, Inc.; the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston; the University of Texas at Austin; Institut Pasteur in Paris, France; Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Beer-Sheva, Israel; and Uganda Virus Research Institute in Entebbe, Uganda. About the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases: For over 50 years, USAMRIID has provided leading edge medical capabilities to deter and defend against current and emerging biological threat agents. The Institute is the only laboratory in the Department of Defense equipped to safely study highly hazardous viruses requiring maximum containment at Biosafety Level 4. Research conducted at USAMRIID leads to medical solutions - vaccines, drugs, diagnostics, information, and training programs - that benefit both military personnel and civilians. Established in 1969, the Institute plays a key role as the lead military medical research laboratory for the Defense Threat Reduction Agency's Joint Science and Technology Office for Chemical and Biological Defense. USAMRIID is a subordinate laboratory of the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command. For more information, visit http://www. usamriid. army. mil . Reference: Chandran, Kartik et al. "Protective neutralizing antibodies from human survivors of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever." DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.05.001 https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(21)00584-5\ Authors: J. Maximilian Fels, Daniel P. Maurer, Andrew S. Herbert, Ariel S. Wirchnianski, Olivia Vergnolle, Robert W. Cross, Dafna M. Abelson, Crystal L. Moyer, Akaash K. Mishra, Jennifer T. Aguilan, Ana I. Kuehne, Noel T. Pauli, Russell R. Bakken, Elisabeth K. Nyakatura, Jan Hellert, Gregory Quevedo, Leslie Lobel, Stephen Balinandi, Julius J. Lutwama, Larry Zeitlin, Thomas W. Geisbert, Felix A. Rey, Simone Sidoli, Jason S. McLellan, Jonathan R. Lai, Zachary A. Bornholdt, John M. Dye, Laura M. Walker, and Kartik Chandran. Funding: This work was supported in part by a National Institutes of Health grant to the Prometheus Center for Excellence in Translational Research, a consortium of academic, industry, and government partners working to develop antibody-based therapies against CCHFV and other highly lethal viruses. A complete list of funding organizations appears in the publication. 'Lollipops for smokers' activity held in Chongqing before World No Tobacco Day Ecns.cn) 14:16, June 01, 2021 Photo taken on May 30, 2021 shows people take part in a volunteer activity held before World No Tobacco Day which falls on Monday. Forty children advocated giving up smoking by exchanging lollipops for tourists' cigarettes in a local scenic area. (Photo: China News Service/Chen Chao) (Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun) After losing his breath, Rios sat down on the bed that Hendricks mother was lying on, landing on her legs, the complaint said. It was at that time that Callahan came into the room and handcuffed Hendricks. He was taken before a magistrate and then the city jail. A clinical trial examining the efficacy of two devices to monitor and detect atrial fibrillation (AF), or an irregular heartbeat, in ischemic stroke patients--one an implantable device that monitors over 12 months, the other an external device that monitors over a 30-day period--found the implantable device is more than three times more effective in detecting AF, and both are a significant improvement over the current standard of care in Alberta, Canada. The Post-Embolic Rhythm Detection With Implantable Versus External Monitoring (PER DIEM) study, led jointly by University of Alberta and University of Calgary researchers, was published today in the journal JAMA. The findings are expected to significantly change practice in how clinicians look for AF in Albertan patients following ischemic stroke. "We know that (the current method of monitoring) isn't as effective as it could be in picking up atrial fibrillation from this study because regardless of which arm of the study patients went into, we were picking up anywhere from five to 15 per cent extra atrial fibrillation," said Brian Buck, a stroke neurologist and associate professor of medicine at the U of A. "We found in the study there were a lot of patients with undetected atrial fibrillation, even after they received the standard cardiac monitoring." Atrial fibrillation causes about one in four strokes in Alberta. Detecting it early is key to preventing further disabling strokes in patients who have already experienced ischemic stroke, a type of stroke caused by a blockage in an artery that supplies blood to the brain. If atrial fibrillation is detected, clinicians have treatments--mainly blood thinners--that can reduce the risk of stroke by almost 70 per cent. The standard test in Alberta for AF is a 24-hour electrocardiogram monitor. In the PER DIEM trial, 300 Albertan patients who had suffered a stroke were randomized to one of two new devices that can monitor for AF for longer durations. The study showed that the implantable device picked up three times more new AF than the 30-day monitor (15 per cent versus five per cent). All of the patients in the clinical trial with new AF were started on blood thinners. "We didn't expect that we would get such a dramatic increase with the longer recording, even though it intuitively makes sense," said study co-author Michael Hill, professor of neurology at the University of Calgary and senior medical director for stroke with Alberta Health Services' Cardiovascular and Stroke Strategic Clinical Network. "Most people suspected that detection rates apply to only certain subtypes of ischemic stroke. This study showed that theory is not correct." "We believe that those patients that were identified with atrial fibrillation are now, for the rest of their lives, going to have a much lower risk of having a stroke in the future," added Buck, who is also a member of the U of A's Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute. One of the patients who took part in the trial was Norman Mayer, the sitting mayor of the central Alberta community of Camrose for the past 32 years. Mayer recalls being admitted to the emergency department about five years ago after not feeling well and experiencing sudden pain. After examination, the clinicians on duty informed him that he had likely experienced a minor stroke. After being stabilized, Mayer was informed of the clinical trial and given the option of participating. After giving his consent, he was randomly assigned to the group of patients who were given the implantable monitoring device. "It was the luck of the draw, and the advantage of it was that it's inconspicuous and wearing (an external device) would not have been very appealing to me," said Mayer. "So I had (the implantable device) tucked into my chest. It's there and nobody knows about it except for me and my doctor. "It gives you a bit of a comfort level, I guess. It's not bothering you. It's just there and a part of life," he added. "It gives you the feeling that if something was to go wrong, somebody's going to be in touch to let you know (what steps need to be taken)." With better monitoring, clinicians may be able to diagnose much more AF after stroke and dramatically reduce the risk of future disabling stroke. According to the Canadian Coordinating Office for Health Technology Assessment (CADTH), the external device costs about $1,000 per patient to administer, while the implantable device typically costs over $5,000 per patient. The implantable device had the added advantage of remote monitoring, reducing the need for trips to the hospital--an important consideration for rural Albertans. The team says an in-depth cost-benefit analysis is needed to determine the best approach to providing superior care while also providing savings for the health-care system. "The biggest problem with stroke is that it dramatically impacts people's lives. So you take a healthy, independent person with a big disabling stroke, and they often end up being dependent on others for help with care. So that's terrible for patients and it's very expensive for the system. If you can prevent even a few of those big disabling strokes per year, it helps the person and reduces the burden on the health system," said Buck. "This new evidence will help guide selection of what strategy is best going forward," added Hill. "We need to go beyond (24-hour monitoring) for Albertan patients. But if the system is going to pay for this technology, we need to know more definitively that patients are going to end up with lower stroke rates in the future." The researchers say studies to this point have shown a trend in that direction, but more work is needed to prove it definitively. They hope to address those questions in future research. ### The PER DIEM study was conducted as one part of the overarching Performance Evaluation & Rhythm Follow-up Optimization with Remote Monitoring (PERFORM) project led by the University of Calgary's Derek Exner with the Libin Cardiovascular Institute. The research was funded through Alberta Innovates' Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Health System (PRIHS) program and in part through the Alberta Innovates CRIO grant program (QuICR Alberta Stroke Program). Industry partner Medtronic also gave in-kind support to the study. In October 2019, a group of scientists unveiled history in the form of 53 entangled quantum qubits, the first to solve -- in mere minutes -- a problem considered intractable for classical computers. This feat of quantum supremacy signaled a new era of ultrafast computing, allowing us to approach problems previously considered impossible. For UC Santa Barbara physicist John Martinis(link is external), who led that team of Google/UC Santa Barbara scientists, it was decades of work come to fruition. For "his innovations in the design and control of superconducting devices, in particular his leadership in devising low-error multi-qubit superconducting chips, which has resulted in the first plausible claim of quantum supremacy, ushering in a new era of computing," the University of Toronto's Centre for Quantum Information and Quantum Control (CQIQC) has awarded Martinis the John Stewart Bell Prize for Research on Fundamental Issues in Quantum Mechanics and Their Applications. "I am deeply honored to receive the Bell Prize," Martinis said. "I wish to thank the many scientists and UCSB students that I have had the pleasure to collaborate with during the past decade. Only by working together as a team was this possible." "I congratulate John Martinis on this prestigious recognition," said Pierre Witlzius, dean of mathematical, life and physical sciences at UC Santa Barbara. "He is a true pioneer in his field, building computers that allow unprecedented access to quantum computation, quantum cryptography and quantum control. We are thrilled to be able to call him an esteemed member of UC Santa Barbara's faculty." At the heart of Martinis' accomplishment is the superconducting Josephson-junction qubit, an architecture that realizes the complex and powerful quantum nature of an atom with all its possible states and superpositions, but in a form that can be fabricated, controlled, tuned and aggregated into a circuit. By cooling these qubits to within absolute zero, the materials in them lose their normal electrical resistance and enter a superconducting state, which is essential for maintaining the coherence of the system -- its ability to reliably and rapidly compute. In a series of milestones over several decades, Martinis and his research team have built and demonstrated the capabilities of their quantum system, with findings and improvements that have advanced the field. His research picked up speed in 2014 when he joined Google, leading a large team in the creation of a multi-qubit programmable processor. According to CQIQC, "this team has excelled in its relentless focus on optimizing device performance by implementing successful engineering choices for qubit design, couplers and scalable input/output." These successful engineering choices have also resulted in high-fidelity quantum circuits, using redundant qubits to check for errors; as well as reducing crosstalk between qubits via the development of a tunable coupling, in addition to developing fast multiplexed quantum measurement. The outcome of all this groundbreaking research? Fifty-three entangled qubits in the Sycamore chip -- "a crowning achievement of John Martinis' many-year commitment to building multi-qubit superconducting processors," according to CQIQC. The device set a new bar for quantum computers and earned its creators the distinction of being the first to develop a quantum computer that can outperform the best modern classical computer. Martinis will receive the Bell Prize and will present a talk at the virtual 2021 Bell Prize ceremony on June 1. The biennial John Stewart Bell Prize for Research on Fundamental Issues in Quantum Mechanics and their Applications was established in 2009, and is awarded every odd-numbered year, for significant contributions first published in the preceding six years. The award is meant to recognize major advances relating to the foundations of quantum mechanics and to the applications of these principles -- this covers, but is not limited to, quantum information theory, quantum computation, quantum foundations, quantum cryptography and quantum controls. ### Invasive species, beware: Your days of hiding may be ending. Biologists led by the University of Iowa discovered the presence of the invasive New Zealand mud snail by detecting their DNA in waters they were inhabiting incognito. The researchers employed a technique called environmental DNA (eDNA) to reveal the snails' existence, showing the method can be used to detect and control new, unknown incursions by the snail and other invasive species. "eDNA has been used successfully with other aquatic organisms, but this is the first time it's been applied to detect a new invasive population of these snails, which are a destructive invasive species in fresh waters around the world," says Maurine Neiman, associate professor in the Department of Biology and the study's co-author. "eDNA can be used to find organisms at really early stages of invasion, so it can detect a population even when there are so few of the organisms that traditional methods would never find them." The biologists traveled to central Pennsylvania seeking evidence of the presence of the mud snail, which for decades has been spreading in fresh waters in the continental United States, beginning in the Northwest, moving to the Great Lakes, and now migrating along the Eastern Seaboard. The tiny aquatic snails' population densities can balloon to more than 500,000 individuals in a square yard, covering the water bottom and crowding out native species. The researchers collected samples from eight sites spread across six rivers in the Susquehanna River watershed, which feeds into Chesapeake Bay and the Mid-Atlantic watershed. Six of the sites had no reported cases of the mud snail, despite physical surveys, while the other two locations had not been studied. The researchers used the eDNA technique to look for DNA the snails would leave as tracers in sloughed-off skin cells or bodily waste. They discovered the snails were there, after all: The eDNA results confirmed the mud snails were at one site where none had been detected previously, and were likely at low population levels at other sites as well. "This study presents an important step forward in demonstrating that eDNA can be successfully applied to detect new P. antipodarum invasions and will allow us to more accurately track and potentially halt ongoing range expansion of this destructive invasive species," wrote James Woodell, a research support technician at University of Hawai?i at Manoa who performed the research while a master's student in biology at Iowa and is the study's corresponding author. The eDNA technique was developed less than a decade ago. It has been used to ferret out invasive species, including fish, frogs, and crustaceans, in aquatic ecosystems. For this study, the biologists refined the filtering protocols from an existing eDNA sampling system for mud snail detection and tested it for the first time in the field. ### The study, "Matching a snail's pace: Successful use of environmental DNA techniques to detect early stages of invasion by the destructive New Zealand mud snail," was published online on June 1 in the journal Biological Invasions. Edward Levri, from Pennsylvania State University-Altoona, led the project proposal and is a study co-author. The Mid-Atlantic Panel on Aquatic Invasive Species funded the research. Siberian jays are group living birds within the corvid family that employ a wide repertoire of calls to warn each other of predators. Sporadically, however, birds use one of these calls to trick their neighbouring conspecifics and gain access to their food. Researchers from the universities of Konstanz (Germany), Wageningen (Netherlands), and Zurich (Switzerland) have now examined how Siberian jays avoid being deceived by their neighbours. The study, published in the journal Science Advances, shows that these birds have great trust in the warning calls from members of their own group, but mainly ignore such calls from conspecifics of neighbouring territories. Thus, the birds use social information to differentiate between trustworthy and presumably false warning calls. Similar mechanisms could have played a role in the formation of human language diversity and especially in the formation of dialects. Deception and lies Deception and lies are surprising aspects of human communication and the use of language in which false information is intentionally communicated to others, allowing an individual to gain an advantage over the recipient of such false information. However, language is actually highly pro-social and cooperative and is mainly used to share reliable information. Thus, language can only function properly and be maintained if deception is kept to a minimum or other mechanisms are in place to recognize and avoid deception. People do judge the reliability of communication partners based on personal experience. "If someone repeatedly lies to you, you will most likely stop trusting this person very quickly," says Dr Michael Griesser, a biologist at the University of Konstanz. Griesser authored the study together with Dr Filipe Cunha, whose doctoral thesis he supervised. But do we observe deception in animals as well, and, if so, which mechanisms do animals use to avoid being deceived? Warning calls of the Siberian jay Indeed, a number of species are able to deceive their conspecifics, including some species of primates and birds like the Siberian jay (Perisoreus infaustus). Siberian jays live in territorial groups and have an elaborate communication system: A wide range of calls allow them to warn each other of the presence of different predators as well as the behaviour of their fiercest enemy, the hawk. Occasionally, however, neighbours intruding into a group's territory use the same calls that would otherwise indicate the presence of a perched hawk for a different purpose. Their aim is to deceive the members of the group about the presence of the predator, thus scaring them away to get access to their food. "It is a commonly observed phenomenon in the animal kingdom that warning calls are used to deceive others. Clearly, the recipients of the false information potentially pay a high price if they ignore the warning," says Cunha. Only trust those you know? To find out how Siberian jays identify and respond to this type of deception, the researchers examined a population of wild Siberian jays in northern Sweden. They attracted experienced individuals to a feeding site and recorded video footage of what happened. As soon as such an experienced individual visited the feeder, a loudspeaker played recordings of Siberian jays' warning calls designating a perched hawk. These calls were recordings from former members of the visitor's own group, birds from neighbouring territories, or birds that the visitor had never encountered before. Using the video recordings, the researchers measured how long it took the visitor to leave and return to the feeder. These "playback experiments" demonstrated that experienced Siberian jays responded quicker and took longer to return to the feeder when hearing warning calls of a former member of their own group than when exposed to warning calls of neighbouring groups or previously unknown individuals. "Siberian jays thus have a simple rule to avoid being tricked: They only trust the warning calls from members of their own group, meaning cooperation partners. Familiarity alone is not enough, otherwise the birds would also have trusted the calls of their neighbours," Griesser explains. Deception as a possible factor in language and dialect formation Michael Griesser draws a comparison to humans and their languages and dialects. Just like Siberian jays, humans preferentially trust others who belong to the same group as themselves and therefore more likely are cooperation partners. "It could thus very well be the case that vulnerability to deception has been a driver of the rapid diversification of human languages and facilitating the formation of dialects as they allow the identification of local cooperation partners," Griesser considers. ### Key facts: Study: Filipe C. R. Cunha, Michael Griesser (2021) Who do you trust? Wild birds use social knowledge to avoid being deceived. Science Advances; DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aba2862 Siberian jays use social information to avoid being deceived by neighbours. The birds reacted exclusively to the warning calls of cooperation partners from their own group and ignored the warning calls of others. Similar mechanisms could have played a role in the diversification of human languages and especially in the formation of dialects. Dr Michael Griesser is an affiliate member of the "Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour" and a researcher in the Department of Biology at the University of Konstanz. The study was completed when Griesser worked as a researcher at the University of Zurich. Funding was provided by the Swiss National Science Foundation, via the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, Horizon 2020, the University of Zurich and the Science Without Borders Programme in Brazil. Note to editors: You can download a photo here: https:/ / cms. uni-konstanz. de/ fileadmin/ pi/ fileserver/ 2021/ vertrauen_bei_rabenvoegeln. jpg Caption: A pair of Siberian jays foraging in the study population in Swedish Lapland. Copyright: Michael Griesser Contact: University of Konstanz Communications and Marketing Phone: + 49 7531 88-3603 Email: kum@uni-konstanz.de BALTIMORE, MD (June 1, 2021)-- University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science President Peter Goodwin has awarded the annual President's Award for Excellence in Application of Science to Rosemary Jagus, a professor in molecular genetics at the Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, for her contributions to increasing the diversity of scientists working in the marine sciences over the past two decades. As Project Director for NOAA's Living Marine Resources Cooperative Science Center (LMRCSC) at the Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology (IMET), as Director of the summer internship program at IMET, and as a mentor to students in her lab, Professor Jagus has used her eminence in the science field where she studies translational control of gene expression to inspire and rigorously train young scientists from under-served communities to pursue careers in science and worked towards improving the lack of diversity in marine sciences. "We have made diversity, equity, and inclusion high priorities at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science," said President Peter Goodwin, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES). "Professor Rose Jagus has been a dedicated and innovative champion for diversity in science throughout her career. She has leveraged her and her colleagues' excellence in scientific research to inspire and transform young lives. " Since 2001, Professor Jagus has served as IMET Project Director of the Living Marine Resources Cooperative Science Center (LMRCSC), a training partnership with the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and other minority serving institutions to increase the pool of young people from underrepresented communities in the marine sciences. It is funded by NOAA's Educational Partnership Program and at IMET provides support for graduate students from underrepresented communities in marine and environmental science for careers in research, management, and public policy that support the sustainable harvest and conservation of our marine resources. Over the last twenty years, this program has graduated eight Ph.D. and four master's students from historically underrepresented backgrounds and currently supports three Ph.D. and two Master's students. "There are so few people of color in marine and environmental sciences, and that's something we need to work towards fixing. What is special at IMET is that we bring in the innovation of molecular techniques to tackle questions in fisheries and marine sciences. It really is making a difference in the field, and we have alumni who have done incredibly well following the program," said program director Rose Jagus. "As we have come to understand, all students from institutions of inclusiveness are better equipped to go out and function well in our diverse world. By providing this training and helping underrepresented groups enter the marine sciences, hopefully upcoming generations will see themselves represented and be motivated to do the same," she said. The IMET Summer Undergraduate Internship Program also directed by Jagus since 2001 arose as a powerful way to introduce diverse students to careers in marine and environmental sciences and to provide a conduit for graduate school. Through the summer program, students who are from historically underrepresented backgrounds in marine and environmental science have the opportunity to conduct their own research projects while working with some of the world's leading scientists at the Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology. The summer program works to increase diversity and prepares students for entering Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields. The internship provides an orientation to working in a lab, seminars on the use of molecular techniques relevant to fisheries, energy production, and environmental research, a research project with an IMET faculty mentor, and tutoring in science visualization by the science communicators at the UMCES Integration and Application Network (IAN). IMET's summer interns not only learn from leaders in the marine science community but meet with a wide range of inspirational leaders who each have niche advice to help them succeed. "There continues to be underrepresentation of several groups entering graduate programs in the fields of marine and environmental science," said Russell Hill, director at the Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology ."This program provides training opportunities to a diverse body of undergraduates with a long-term goal of providing a strong pipeline of students continuing to higher degrees in these fields." More than 220 students from across the country have participated in IMET's summer program, which emphasizes both scientific skills and building confidence. These students have gone on to pursue careers in science and become leaders in academia, government, and industry. Many internship alumni have gone on to become LMRCSC graduate fellows at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES), and several students who pursued graduate degrees at UMCES after the internship were later awarded prestigious Knauss Fellowships. This competitive fellowship matches students interested in marine science policy with positions in Washington D.C. in either the legislative or executive branches of government for one year. In 2017, Jagus was awarded the Wilson H. Elkins Professorship by the University System of Maryland for her contributions to increasing the diversity of scientists working in the marine sciences. She received the University of Maryland Regents Award for collaboration in teaching in 2005. A native of Swanwick, Derbyshire, England, Jagus received her B.Sc. in zoology from the University College of North Wales, Bangor, U.K., and her Ph.D. in biochemistry from University College, London, U.K. ### Located in Baltimore's Inner Harbor, the Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology is a strategic alliance involving scientists at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, the University of Maryland Baltimore and the University of Maryland Baltimore County. Scientists are engaged in cutting-edge research in microbiology, molecular biology and biotechnology, using marine organisms to develop new drug therapies, alternative energy and innovations to improve public health. IMET contributes to sustainable marine aquaculture and fisheries in the Chesapeake Bay and marine ecosystems. IMET fosters early-stage companies and industry partnerships, contributing to economic development in Maryland UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE Guiding our state, nation, and world toward a more sustainable future The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) is a leading research and educational institution working to understand and manage the world's resources. From a network of laboratories spanning from the Allegheny Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean, UMCES scientists provide sound advice to help state and national leaders manage the environment and prepare future scientists to meet the global challenges of the 21st century. It is one of the first studies to research real-time intervention methods to improve the home food environment MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL (06/01/2021) -- A research team led by the University of Minnesota Medical School has been awarded a $5 million grant from the National Institute of Health (NIH) to conduct a clinical trial that hopes to identify the most effective approach to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in childhood obesity. Lead investigator of the study, Jerica Berge, PhD, MPH, LMFT, CFLE, is a professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at the U of M Medical School and will lead an interdisciplinary team of researchers at the U of M and the University of Georgia. The study will use combinations of intervention methods - including ecological momentary intervention, home visiting and video feedback in partnership with community health workers. The ecological momentary intervention method, defined as real-time treatments provided to people via their smartphones during their everyday lives, will provide parents with stress reduction tips and resources. Virtual or hybrid home visits and video feedback will be delivered by community health workers to provide counseling on the home food environment. The team will use the intervention methods to examine whether or not increasing the quality and quantity of family meals reduces childhood obesity disparities. "With the low-to-moderate success with childhood obesity interventions to date and the persistent obesity disparities across race, ethnicity and socioeconomic status, there is a need to approach childhood obesity in a new and innovative way," Berge said. "We hope this study will change clinical practice by creating a new model of treatment to be used in primary care settings to reduce childhood obesity disparities." ### The five-year grant is supported by the NIH National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Co-investigators of the team include U of M researchers Dianne Neumark-Sztainer, PhD, MPH; Katie Loth, PhD, MPH; Tai Mendenhall, PhD; Michael Miner, PhD; Angela Fertig, PhD; and University of Georgia researcher Allan Tate, PhD. About the University of Minnesota Medical School The University of Minnesota Medical School is at the forefront of learning and discovery, transforming medical care and educating the next generation of physicians. Our graduates and faculty produce high-impact biomedical research and advance the practice of medicine. Visit med.umn.edu to learn how the University of Minnesota is innovating all aspects of medicine. This is the main finding of new research involving more than 50,000 participants in 97 samples, published in the prestigious journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS). The findings show that the more extreme choices and decisions of men can be both positive and negative. "The question of whether men and women make systematically different choices and decisions is one on the most fundamental (and controversial) questions in psychological research," Associate Professor Stefan Volk from the University of Sydney Business School said. "We found men were much more likely than women to be at the extreme ends of the behavioural spectrum, either acting very selfishly or very altruistically, very trusting or very distrusting, very fair or very unfair, very risky or very risk averse and were either very short-term or very long-term focused." The findings could impact policies aimed at regulating extreme behaviours such as the recent GameStop trading frenzy after retail traders on Reddit heavily shorted the stock. "Our research suggests policies aimed at reducing extreme behaviours should be more tailored towards men," said Dr Volk. The researchers suggest the differences might have evolutionary roots, but there are also alternative explanations for the existence of what is often referred to as greater male variability. "Parental investment theory explains that men, in contrast to women, invest less in parenting, are less selective in their partner choice and compete more for sexual partners," Associate Professor Volk explained. "This evolutionary theorising suggests that men had to deviate from the average to stand out and be attractive to women to reproduce, while women were able to attract sexual partners without deviating from the average. "Another explanation could be norms and expectations of acceptable gendered behaviour and that men's extreme behaviours are socially constructed and reinforced. "This alternative theory suggests that the socially constructed patriarchy in many societies has managed to constrain women and the opportunity for them to display the same level of variability as men." Associate Professor Stefan Volk, worked with an international team to examine sex differences in altruism, cooperation, trust, fairness and attitudes towards time and risk in economic decision-making. The researchers found systematic evidence for greater male variability. He added these gender differences in variability are difficult to detect in research focused on gender differences in average behaviours. This is why they have been overlooked in most previous research, which traditionally focused on mean gender differences rather than the range of behaviours. But we need to look at differences in extreme behaviours to understand what might be driving those outliers. The PNAS paper is the second in a series by Associate Professor Volk on greater male variability; the first was just published in the internationally leading psychological journal Psychological Science. This earlier research involved two large-scale meta-analyses of economic decision-making studies and studies of organisational citizenship behaviour with more than 20,000 participants. While the researchers found no differences in the degree to which men and women behaved cooperatively on average, they did find strong evidence for greater male variability in cooperation. ### University of South Florida researchers recently developed a novel approach to mitigating electromigration in nanoscale electronic interconnects that are ubiquitous in state-of-the-art integrated circuits. This was achieved by coating copper metal interconnects with hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), an atomically-thin insulating two-dimensional (2D) material that shares a similar structure as the "wonder material" graphene. Electromigration is the phenomenon in which an electrical current passing through a conductor causes the atomic-scale erosion of the material, eventually resulting in device failure. Conventional semiconductor technology addresses this challenge by using a barrier or liner material, but this takes up precious space on the wafer that could otherwise be used to pack in more transistors. USF mechanical engineering Assistant Professor Michael Cai Wang's approach accomplishes this same goal, but with the thinnest possible materials in the world, two-dimensional (2D) materials. "This work introduces new opportunities for research into the interfacial interactions between metals and angstrom-scale 2D materials. Improving electronic and semiconductor device performance is just one result of this research. The findings from this study opens up new possibilities that can help advance future manufacturing of semiconductors and integrated circuits," Wang said. "Our novel encapsulation strategy using single-layer hBN as the barrier material enables further scaling of device density and the progression of Moore's Law." For reference, a nanometer is 1/60,000 of the thickness of human hair, and an angstrom is one-tenth of a nanometer. Manipulating 2D materials of such thinness requires extreme precision and meticulous handling. In their recent study published in the journal Advanced Electronic Materials, copper interconnects passivated with a monolayer hBN via a back-end-of-line (BEOL) compatible approach exhibited more than 2500% longer device lifetime and more than 20% higher current density than otherwise identical control devices. This improvement, coupled with the angstrom-thinness of hBN compared to conventional barrier/liner materials, allows for further densification of integrated circuits. These findings will help advance device efficiency and decrease energy consumption. "With the growing demand for electric vehicles and autonomous driving, the demand for more efficient computing has grown exponentially. The promise of higher integrated circuits density and efficiency will enable development of better ASICs (application-specific integrated circuits) tailored to these emerging clean energy needs." explained Yunjo Jeong, an alumnus from Wang's group and first author of the study. An average modern car has hundreds of microelectronic components, and the significance of these tiny but critical components has been especially highlighted through the recent global chip shortage. Making the design and manufacturing of these integrated circuits more efficient will be key to mitigating possible future disruptions to the supply chain. Wang and his students are now investigating ways to speed up their process to the fab scale. "Our findings are not limited only to electrical interconnects in semiconductor research. The fact that we were able to achieve such a drastic interconnect device improvement implies that 2D materials can also be applied to a variety of other scenarios." Wang added. ### This project was in collaboration with researchers from the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) of Japan and was supported in part by the University of South Florida (USF) New Researcher Grant (NRG), USF Nexus Initiative (UNI), the ORAU Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award, and the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1944638. Support was also provided in part by the National GEM Consortium Fellowship, Alfred P. Sloan Minority Graduate Scholarship Program, and USF University Graduate Fellowship. Extensive experimental work was completed at the USF Nanotechnology Research and Education Center (NREC). Over 50% of adults surveyed across six different countries report experiencing weight stigma, and those who engage in self-stigma and self-blame for their weight are more likely to avoid healthcare, obtain less frequent checkups, and perceive less respect from doctors, according to two new studies from the UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity. These studies, which compared experiences of adults in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the UK, and the US are the first multi-national studies to examine the link between weight stigma and negative healthcare encounters. Across each of the six countries investigated, participants who had experienced weight stigma reported more frequent judgment from doctors due to their weight and felt that their doctors less frequently listened carefully to them or respected what they had to say. The researchers also found that internalization of weight bias may be especially detrimental for healthcare behaviors like obtaining less frequent checkups and avoiding healthcare altogether. "Despite decades of studies on weight stigma, international comparative research is lacking," says Rebecca Puhl, lead author of the study and deputy director at the Rudd Center. "The time is overdue to recognize weight stigma as a legitimate social injustice and public health issue in many countries around the world, and multinational research can inform efforts to address this problem on a global scale." Building on a 2020 international consensus statement calling for the elimination of weight stigma, supported by more than 100 medical and scientific organizations worldwide, researchers partnered with WW International, Inc., a global behavioral weight management program, to survey 13,996 of its members in six Western countries about weight stigma, internalized weight bias, and healthcare experiences. Key findings include: - At least half (56-61%) of people in each country reported they had experienced weight stigma. - High percentages of participants in each country experienced weight stigma from family members (76%-88%), classmates (72%-81%), doctors (63%-74%), coworkers (54%-62%), and friends (49%-66%). - In all countries, weight stigma experiences were most frequent in childhood and adolescence, with associated distress highest during these time periods. - Across all six countries, those with higher levels of self-blame for their weight were more likely to avoid healthcare, obtained less frequent checkups, and perceived their healthcare quality to be lower. Study findings, published in the International Journal of Obesity and in PLOS ONE, highlight that there are many more similarities than differences across countries in the nature, frequency, and interpersonal sources of people's experiences of weight stigma, with clear consistencies in stigma experienced in both close relationships and across different settings, such as healthcare and employment. "The fact that family members are such common sources of weight stigma across these countries indicates a collective need to address weight stigma within the family environment, and to help families engage in more supportive communication with their loved ones. For many people, these experiences begin in youth from parents and close family members, and they can last for many years and have long-term negative consequences," says Puhl. "Our results also provide a compelling reason to step up international efforts to reduce weight biases held by medical professionals. We must prioritize efforts to establish a healthcare culture free of weight stigma, and we also need to work collaboratively to develop supportive interventions to help people when they do experience this stigma." These studies were supported by a grant from WW International Inc. Study co-authors include Leah Lessard of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at the University of Connecticut, Mary Himmelstein of Kent State University, Rebecca Pearl of the University of Pennsylvania, and Gary Foster of WW International. ### An enhanced learning environment during the first five years of life shapes the brain in ways that are apparent four decades later, say Virginia Tech and University of Pennsylvania scientists writing in the June edition of the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience. The researchers used structural brain imaging to detect the developmental effects of linguistic and cognitive stimulation starting at six weeks of age in infants. The influence of an enriched environment on brain structure had formerly been demonstrated in animal studies, but this is the first experimental study to find a similar result in humans. "Our research shows a relationship between brain structure and five years of high-quality, educational and social experiences," said Craig Ramey, professor and distinguished research scholar with Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC and principal investigator of the study. "We have demonstrated that in vulnerable children who received stimulating and emotionally supportive learning experiences, statistically significant changes in brain structure appear in middle age." The results support the idea that early environment influences the brain structure of individuals growing up with multi-risk socioeconomic challenges, said Martha Farah, director of the Center for Neuroscience and Society at Penn and first author of the study. "This has exciting implications for the basic science of brain development, as well as for theories of social stratification and social policy," Farah said. The study follows children who have continuously participated in the Abecedarian Project, an early intervention program initiated by Ramey in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, in 1971 to study the effects of educational, social, health, and family support services on high-risk infants. Both the comparison and treatment groups received extra health care, nutrition, and family support services; however, beginning at six weeks of age, the treatment group also received five years of high quality educational support, five days a week, 50 weeks a year. When scanned, the Abecedarian study participants were in their late 30s to early 40s, offering the researchers a unique look at how childhood factors affect the adult brain. "People generally know about the potentially large benefits of early education for children from very low resource circumstances," said co-author Sharon Landesman Ramey, professor and distinguished research scholar at Fralin Biomedical Research Institute. "The new results reveal that biological effects accompany the many behavioral, social, health, and economic benefits reported in the Abecedarian Project. This affirms the idea that positive early life experiences contribute to later positive adjustment through a combination of behavioral, social, and brain pathways." During follow-up examinations, structural MRI scans of the brains of 47 study participants were conducted at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute Human Neuroimaging Lab. Of those, 29 individuals had been in the group that received the educational enrichment focused on promoting language, cognition, and interactive learning. The other 18 individuals received the same robust health, nutritional, and social services supports provided to the educational treatment group, and whatever community childcare or other learning their parents provided. The two groups were well matched on a variety of factors such as maternal education, head circumference at birth and age at scanning. Analyzing the scans, the researchers looked at brain size as a whole, including the cortex, the brain's outermost layer, as well as five regions selected for their expected connection to the intervention's stimulation of children's language and cognitive development. Those included the left inferior frontal gyrus and left superior temporal gyrus, which may be relevant to language, and the right inferior frontal gyrus and bilateral anterior cingulate cortex, relevant to cognitive control. A fifth, the bilateral hippocampus, was added because its volume is frequently associated with early life adversity and socioeconomic status. The researchers determined that those in the early education treatment group had increased size of the whole brain, including the cortex. Several specific cortical regions also appeared larger, according to study co-authors Read Montague, professor and director of the Human Neuroimaging Lab and Computational Psychiatry Unit at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, and Terry Lohrenz, research assistant professor and member of the institute's Human Neuroimaging Laboratory. The scientists noted the group intervention treatment results for the brain were substantially greater for males than for females. The reasons for this are not known, and were surprising, since both the boys and girls showed generally comparable positive behavioral and educational effects from their early enriched education. The current study cannot adequately explain the sex differences. "When we launched this project in the 1970s, the field knew more about how to assess behavior than it knew about how to assess brain structure," Craig Ramey said. "Because of advances in neuroimaging technology and through strong interdisciplinary collaborations, we were able to measure structural features of the brain. The prefrontal cortex and areas associated with language were definitely affected; and to our knowledge, this is the first experimental evidence on a link between known early educational experiences and long-term changes in humans." "We believe that these findings warrant careful consideration and lend further support to the value of ensuring positive learning and social-emotional support for all children - particularly to improve outcomes for children who are vulnerable to inadequate stimulation and care in the early years of life," Craig Ramey said. ### The study was supported by a Principal Research Fellowship from the Wellcome Trust, Virginia Tech, the School of Arts and Sciences Research Fund, University of Pennsylvania, and the William N. Sternberg Fund for Human Information-Processing Research. Its like checking the flow of a stream of water, and sometimes you might have a lot of pressure in the water system, and sometimes you dont have a lot of pressure, its just trickling out, she said. So then we realize, Wait a minute, we should be receiving more than this. Anwesh Bose, CEO of Whisper Media, has called it quits after a 1.5-year stint. Bose, who was previously with Havas Group, has shifted base to Jakarta since March 2014. Whisper Media is an ad-tech company that helps broadcasters in monetising in-content advertising. "Yesterday, was officially my last day at Whisper Media. I start a new inning tomorrow & will continue to be based in Jakarta. However, today is about Whisper Media. My stint at Whisper has been my shortest professionally but a very successful & meaningful one, despite Covid-19. Every team member contributed their bit with passion and commitment to make it happen & we were ably supported in equal measure by the management. Thank you team Whisper Media," Bose said in a LinkedIn post. Anwesh has two decades of learning & practice in the advertising and marketing industry. Bose moved to Indonesia in 2014 after being based in India for 16 years. Between January 2018 and December 2019, he was the CEO of Havas Group Indonesia (part of Vivendi Group), responsible for managing all the group brands in Indonesia. Anwesh was previously the Group CEO of Havas Media Group Indonesia. Prior to moving to Indonesia, Anwesh was the Senior Vice President & Business Head at DDB India, where he was responsible for their media and digital business. He has also previously worked as a Chief Growth Officer for Dentsu Media in India. In the course of his career, Anwesh has managed leading brands such as Canon, Honda, Yamaha, Panasonic, and FedEx. Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India) GBP/AUD Exchange Rate Relinquishes Overnight Gains The Pound to Australian Dollar (GBP/AUD) exchange rate is trading at AUD1.8319 this morning, with the pairing having shed around half a cent since the start of Tuesdays trading session. Pound (GBP) Undermined by Coronavirus Concerns The Pound (GBP) is on the defensive against the Australian Dollar (AUD) and the majority of its other peers this morning, amidst growing concerns that the UK government will have to delay plans to open up the final parts of the UK economy on 21 June. Rising cases of the Delta (formally known as the Indian) variant throughout parts of the UK has prompted a number of experts to urge caution in opening up the economy any further, with some even going so far as to suggest the UK is experiencing a third wave of coronavirus cases. Martin McKee, a professor of European public health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, comments: We can already see that the current measures are not stopping cases rising rapidly in many parts of the country. This looks very much as if we are now early in a third wave. Unless there is a miracle, opening up further in June is a huge risk. The rise in cases we are seeing now should cause a reassessment of the most recent relaxation. Also slightly weighing on Sterling sentiment this morning is the publication of the UKs finalised manufacturing PMI reading for May. This saw the manufacturing index revised down from a preliminary reading of 66.1 to 65.6 although this was still above the previous months reading of 60.9 and was still ultimately a record high. The UK PMI surged to an unprecedented high in May, as record growth of new orders and employment supported one of the steepest increases in production volumes in the near 30-year survey history. Growth is being boosted by the unlocking of economies from COVID restrictions and ongoing vaccination programs. This is being felt across the globe, as highlighted by a record rise in new export business during the latest survey month. Australian Dollar (AUD) Wobbles Following RBA Meeting At the same time, the Australian Dollar (AUD) has fluctuated this morning, following the Reserve Bank of Australias (RBA) latest policy meeting. As was widely expected the RBA opted to leave its monetary policy unchanged this month. However, the RBA did hint at potentially expanding its bond buying programme in July, which alongside its pledge to maintain its highly accommodative monetary policy until at least 2024, prompted some weakness in AUD exchange rates. GBP/AUD Exchange Rate Forecast: Australian GDP Release in the Spotlight Looking ahead, the main catalyst of movement in the Pound to Australian Dollar (GBP/AUD) exchange rate in the second half of this week will no doubt be the publication of Australias latest GDP release. The latest reading is expected to report that growth slowed in the first quarter of 2021, although a still healthy expansion may see the figures remain supportive of the Aussie. Also influencing AUD exchange rates in the second half of the week will be Australia's latest trade balance, in which an expected expansion of the nations trade surplus in April may boost the Australian Dollar. Meanwhile, GBP investors are likely to remain primarily focused on domestic coronavirus developments, with the Pound vulnerable to some selling pressure if health experts continue to warn against reopening more of the economy later this month. Tuesday, June 1, 2021 A few conspiracy theorists believe that one of the two men with Rose Cherami in 1963, when she was thrown out of a car, was Sergio Arcacha Smith. James DiEugenio, writes in Destiny Betrayed: (page 182) "Garrison now instructed Fruge to find the saloon that Rose had stopped in before she was abandoned. This place was called the Silver Slipper and the bar manager was a man named Mac Manual. After visiting with him once, Fruge came back with some photos that Garrison had given him. Manuel identified the two men with Rose as Sergio Arcacha Smith and Emilio Santana." As usual, DiEugenio's source is Probe Magazine. Here is the actual source - from Francis Fruge's interview with the HSCA: Garrison gave his investigators a stack of photos to show people. Mostly the same people, over and over again, which is why you got strange identifications of people. Was Thomas Beckham in Clinton with Shaw and Oswald? Was Jack Ruby in Clinton with Clay Shaw and David Ferrie? There are no statements on file from Mack Manuel, and so we know nothing about his identification except what was remembered by Fruge in 1978. Interestingly, Fruge told the HSCA that Cherami said the men were Italians, or resembled Italians (what does that mean?): But, did Fruge not ask Cherami the names of the people she was traveling with? It would seem like an obvious question, no? Could Sergio Arcacha Smith have been in that car with Rose Cherami? It's highly doubtful. Here is what Stephen Roy, the biographer of David Ferrie, said on the Education Forum: "Others will probably disagree with me: You mentioned Arcacha in your topic line. We're basing this identification of Arcacha on an ID made some 3 1/2 years after the fact, by a bartender no longer alive to answer questions, after Arcacha's name and picture were all over the Louisiana and Texas news media. And if true, it would suggest that Arcacha led a double life: a quiet family man selling air conditioners in Texas, but secretly driving late at night around Louisiana, involved with strippers, drugs and worse." Even a conspiracy theorist like Larry Hancock finds this all hard to swallow : "As it turns out given the information available it seems very unlikely that Rose actually heard any more than some general gossip that was running through certain networks out of Miami. It's unlikely the two men with here had anything to do with the conspiracy and very unlikely that they were Arcacha Smith or Santana." and: "First off, Mac Manual commented that he was very familiar with the two men as they had been routinely transporting prostitutes on the Miami to Texas route for an extended period of time; his terms suggest for at least a year if not longer. Arcacha's movements are fairly well known during the latter part of 62 and into 63 as he first moved to Tampa and then to Galveston and on to Dallas. One of the reasons they are fairly well known is that he borrowed a car to go to Florida, did not return it in time and the car owner brought charges against him. Regardless of that, he had been employed in Texas for several months in air conditioning sales and unless that was a cover for transporting prostitutes then it seems unlikely that he is a fit for one of Manual's two men. Beyond that, Smith looked similar enough in appearance to have been misidentified by other individuals during the Garrison investigation so it seems at least reasonable that Manuel simply picked his photo because Arcacha looked similar to the Odio incident individual. Beyond that, I've found nothing in Arcacha's history (which is pretty detailed as a lot of people have looked into him) that suggests he would have been a small-time gangster transporting prostitutes for an extended period in 1963." We also know that Sergio Arcacha Smith was in Houston on the day that Kennedy was assassinated: Sergio Arcacha Smith is James DiEugenio's number one suspect in the JFK assassination: (Probe Magazine, July - August, 1999) "As has been shown here, newly released evidence strongly implies that Arcacha's involvement was likely operational." What is that evidence? Well, it's the identification shown above; a Richard Case Nagell claim that he has a tape recording of the conspirators; and a map of the Dealey Plaza sewer system that was supposedly in Arcacha's possession. Non-existent evidence is enough, in James DiEugenio's world, to convict a man of killing the President. Here is a blog post that looks at all of that in more detail: CONTACT: Pamela D. Wilson +1 303-810-1816 Email: Inquiry_For_Pamela@pameladwilson.com Golden, Colorado June 1, 2021 What is a Caregiver Subject Matter Expert? Golden CO - Pamela D Wilson, MS, BS/BA, CG, CSA is a caregiver subject matter expert. Caregiving is a topic not readily discussed within families or in society until the need arises. Adult children are shocked when an unexpected event tosses their lives upside down and results in daily care responsibilities for aging parents or a spouse. Adult children and spouses who are retirees, Baby Boomers, and Millenials are becoming caregivers at a more rapid rate due to the pandemic. The needs of aging parents concerned about the virus are demanding more time and attention from families. Why Companies Benefit From a Bona Fide Caregiver Subject Matter Expert Caregivers are concerned about trusting interactions with the healthcare system and caregiver services. At the same time, information for caregivers is available in increasing quantities on the Internet. Accessing information but not having the knowledge or experience to put it to practical use is one reason Wilson offers 1:1 eldercare consultations for family caregivers. Caregivers are looking to establish relationships with experts that have similar experiences they can trust. Wilson receives feedback from caregivers that support developing relationships and breaking down complex topics into relatable information. A website visitor recently shared this with Pamela: "Solutions offered by well-meaning ones are often empty and unrealistic. Out of all articles I've ever read, you have hit the nail on the head. Thank you. I can tell you have been thru all of these things. Your advice I value. Others who just shoot from the hip . . . not so much. Thank you for publishing these caregiving thoughts." Specific to work with corporations and groups, Wilson: Creates and offers unique education programs on-site or on-line for employees, customers or potential clients Engages audiences through storytelling and sharing real-life professional experiences Places audiences at easeeven when speaking about uncomfortable topics Presents as poised, trustworthy, credible, and balanced Offers unique experience to respond to timely caregiver issues and questions at events and for the media Relates in a practical, down to earth matter that establishes a comfort level to support two-way communication The Care Navigator Becomes the Caregiver Subject Matter Expert Wilson transitioned from president and owner of her company, The Care Navigator, in July 2018 to speak, educate and develop educational content for caregivers after twenty years as a direct service provider for aging adults and caregivers. Wilson's website and content for caregivers are extensive and feature:: The Caring for Aging Parents Blog The Caring Generation podcast The Caring Generation library for family and professional caregivers Wilson's book, The Caregiving Trap: Solutions for Life's Unexpected Changes Access to a membership site that hosts the caregiver library and online eldercare courses: Taking Care of Elderly Parents Stay at Home How to Get Guardianship of a Parent Caregiver videos from Wilson's YouTube Channel Personal experience with family caregiving issuesthe loss of both parents, a brother, a sister, grandparents, aunts, and unclescombined with her interest in helping the elderly was the impetus that began a career that Wilson continues to pursue with passion today. Corporations, public relations, or content marketing agencies interested in discussing projects related to Wilson as a caregiver subject matter expert or interest in caregiver spokesperson opportunities may contact Wilson at +1 303-810-1816 or through the Contact Me page on her website. San Antonios two theme parks are allowing employees to drop their masks if they have been vaccinated but are taking different approaches to determine which workers have received shots to protect themselves from COVID-19. SeaWorld San Antonio isnt relying on an employees word; Six Flags is. Our employees have to bring proof of vaccination to the human resources department, said SeaWorld spokesman Chuck Cureau. When they do, they get a little sticker they put on their employee name tag that indicates they have been fully vaccinated and are not required to wear a mask. The new policy, which went into effect last week at SeaWorld parks both in Orlando and San Antonio, comes after the company dropped mask requirements for vaccinated guests May 15 but with a significance difference. We are on an honor system for guests, Cureau said of the parks rules for visitors. On ExpressNews.com: SeaWorld San Antonio eases COVID-19 rules after CDC revises guidance on masks and social distancing At Six Flags Fiesta Texas, spokesman Jeffrey Filicko said the parks removal of mask requirements for vaccinated guests on May 22 also extended to vaccinated employees, but no proof is required of either group. Filicko said employees are still required to undergo temperature checks, which the theme park dropped for guests when it ended mask requirements for them. SeaWorld dropped temperature checks for guests and employees on May 6. Robin Jerstad, San Antonio Express-News / Contributor Both parks dropped mask requirements and social distancing on rides and at shows for visitors after federal health officials said people who are fully vaccinated could stop wearing face masks in most places outdoors or indoors. Neither SeaWorld nor Six Flags officials would explain their differing approaches on verifying whether employees are vaccinated. Allowing vaccinated employees to forgo masks should help both parks with their labor shortages, given that wearing a mask all day in the hot Texas summer sun can be uncomfortable, said Martin Lewison, an associate professor of business management at Farmingdale State College in New York, who teaches courses about theme parks. Both parks have had dozens of unfilled positions, particularly for seasonal workers. The parks should be able to recruit more workers with the lifting of mask rules, he said. SeaWorld spokesman Cureau said many vaccinated park employees have said they are relieved they dont have to wear masks working at the theme park in the hot weather. Cureau, who is vaccinated, can relate. Its a bit more comfortable without a mask when youre walking around in 100 degree weather, he said. randy.diamond@ express-news.net Warm oxygen traveled through a tube up to her nostrils and into her tired lungs. It felt heavy at first, but her body got used to it eventually. Three days later, Dora Farias could finally talk without losing her breath. She could video chat with her children again, and they saw the color had returned to her face. The COVID-19 symptoms started mildly. At first, Farias just had a runny nose. She was sick for almost a week, and her body had gotten weak before she realized something was really wrong. It was like gasping for air, Farias recalled. Now, Farias credits her daughter, Shekinah Barrientez, an experienced respiratory therapist, for recognizing that her sickness was more than allergies and rushing her to the hospital in July. The high-flow nasal therapy likely saved her life. First used about 17 years ago on babies, the treatment involves sending high levels of humidified oxygen through nasal prongs its a step up from the technology of the CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) masks used for sleep apnea. High-flow nasal therapy is helping patients avoid intubation and life support machines that were in short supply at the height of the pandemic and required extra specialized staff to operate. While Farias was hospitalized, 35-year-old Barrientez did everything she could to help her mom. Hospital staff came in to find Barrientez on the speakerphone with Farias, who was following her daughters instructions to move into different positions, such as lying on her belly instead of her back to breathe better. On ExpressNews.com: 1 in 5 coronavirus patients in Bexar County work in health care Anybody who walked into my room knew my daughter was an RT because I let everybody know, Farias said. She was my saving grace. Matthew Busch /For The San Antonio Express-News Farias calls Barrientez, her oldest of five daughters, a hero in more ways than one. Two years ago, Barrientez saved her fathers life by donating one of her kidneys. Still, even for Barrientez, who has been a health care worker for years, COVID-19 was tough. It felt almost like a never-ending funeral, she said. We didnt know what we were in for when we signed up for this. We were trained to make people feel better, not to send people to their graves, and thats all we were doing. William Luther /William Luther Last summer, as hospitals buckled under a surge of coronavirus patients, frontline health care workers were confronted with patients whose health did not improve despite their best efforts. Barrientez saw this first-hand inside COVID-19 units in the San Antonio area, which in July saw more than 1,200 coronavirus-positive patients on a single day. Later, in January the number of hospitalized patients peaked at 1,520. Nearly a quarter of these hospitalized patients relied on ventilators to breathe. Ventilators force air into the lungs of patients who have been intubated a tube is inserted into their mouth or nose and snaked down into their windpipe. Many patients need to be sedated during this treatment. Every shift, Barrientez worked to bring patients back to health in the hopes that they would be discharged from the hospital and return home to their families. The situation was made worse by infectious disease restrictions that kept patients families from being physically near them. On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio nurse returns from COVID-19 hot zone It was a lonely existence for COVID-19 patients, and at some hospitals, family members camped outside in the parking lot or peered into windows, trying to see their loved ones before they died. Barrientez was working at the Guadalupe Regional Medical Center, a community hospital in Seguin, when she saw a familiar face on one of the hospital beds. The patient was her fathers cousin and outside the hospital windows looking in were her aunts and uncles. An hour after her shift ended, Barrientez heard that she had died. It was devastating to see that, she said. While this was happening, my mom was in the hospital in New Braunfels, but I had to try to stay positive. This was no time to tell her my horror stories. While hospitalized, Farias was on high-flow nasal therapy for three days, but some patients need to be on it for weeks. Matthew Busch /For The San Antonio Express-News Early on in the pandemic, medical experts knew little about the contagious coronavirus and struggled with how best to treat patients experiencing acute respiratory distress syndrome. Dr. James Henderson, medical staff president at Christus Santa Rosa, said the standards of care were changing month by month as the medical community learned more about the disease. Initially, it was all about using ventilators to keep patients alive. The demand for these devices skyrocketed, and so did the prices, with some ventilators costing up to $50,000 each. Henderson, a pulmonary and critical care specialist who primarily practices at the Christus Santa Rosa Hospital-Westover Hills, said it wasnt long before high-flow nasal therapy became a go-to treatment on the front lines. His hospital had between five to 10 of these devices, he said, but they have since tripled their supply. The Texas Division of Emergency Management which helped supply medical equipment and personal protective equipment, such as masks and gowns, to critical care hospitals across the state during the pandemic also stocked up on the machines. A state official said 2,000 systems were purchased at $5,600 apiece from Fisher & Paykel Healthcare, a New Zealand-based company and one of two major manufacturers of the devices. Sam Frame, marketing manager for Fisher & Paykel, said their respiratory support device differs from a conventional oxygen mask. It provides humidified respiratory gases that keep a patients airways hydrated. But its biggest advantage is that patients could undergo the therapy while eating, drinking and taking medication. Other devices tend to cover a patients entire nose and mouth and can be noisy. This was something that could be placed on a patients face and taken off, so it was much more comfortable, Henderson said. By the time we were deep into COVID, everyone was looking for them. Despite being 65 years old with diabetes, Farias avoided intubation, being placed on a ventilator and staying in the intensive care unit. She went home without needing supplemental oxygen after spending 12 days in respiratory distress inside the COVID-19 unit at Christus Santa Rosa Hospital-New Braunfels. This disease disproportionately kills older people, especially those with chronic health conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease. Their family lost younger, stronger relatives and acquaintances to COVID-19. Barrientez said there seems to be no rhyme or reason why COVID-19 takes some people and not others. Nobody is safe, she said. You dont know how youre going to react to the virus. It attacks perfectly. laura.garcia@express-news.net Ruby City, the $16 million museum that was forced to close about five months after its big-buzz debut because of the pandemic, will reopen June 17. Weve been monitoring a lot of our citys data, and weve seen such a consistently low period of infection for over two months that we felt that was a trigger to reopen, said Director Elyse A. Gonzales. Were taking the first two weeks of the month of June to get ourselves together so that we are completely ready, working out the bugs, so to speak, of our new protocols. The protocols are familiar. Masks will be required, and groups will be asked to keep six feet between themselves and others. Capacity will be capped at 50 percent, which is around 40 people. Whats really special about this moment is that one can have a really incredibly direct experience with the art with very little distraction, Gonzales said. Itll be a very intimate experience for visitors. Admission is free. Reservations are encouraged and can be made at rubycity.org or by calling 210-227-8400. Walk-ins will be accommodated as long as the capacity cap has not been met. While the museum was closed, it created a lot of online programming, including virtual discussions with artists. Some of those offerings will continue, Gonzales said, to make sure Ruby City is accessible regardless of whether visitors are able to step foot in the physical space. Thats the great lesson of this moment, she said. Weve found out how important access is, and I think what we also know is thats equally as important as having that in-person ability to see a work of art. On ExpressNews.com: Ruby City opened to plenty of buzz Ruby City opened in October 2019. It was designed by noted architect Sir David Adjaye to house and exhibit the collection of artist and philanthropist Linda Pace, who died in 2007. The collection continues to grow. The most recent additions were works by Deborah Roberts and Milagros de la Torre. Gonzales stepped into her role as the spaces first director in February 2020, just three weeks before measures put in place to fight the COVID-19 pandemic forced Ruby City to shut its doors. William Luther /Staff Having just opened Ruby City, I think everyone on staff was really heartbroken, she said. We have this amazing, beautiful building with incredible art and we couldnt share it. So now, its feels like such a pleasure and a joy to be able to throw open the doors. The spaces inaugural exhibition, Waking Dream, is still up, though a pair of installations have been added. Isaac Juliens 2007 multi-screen film Western Union: Small Boats deals with African migration and diaspora. It will replace Juliens film Playtime in the museums small theater. And Margarita Cabreras The Craft of Resistance, which comprises 1,500 copper butterflies, is installed throughout the exhibition space. It, too, deals with immigration. Chris Park, which is part of the Ruby City campus, is reopening June 17 as well. Studio, the small gallery tucked into a corner of the park, will remain closed a while longer. While Ruby City has been shuttered, staffers have used it as a work space as they digitized archives and updated the collection database, among other things. Its that behind-the-scenes work that does often get put aside when youre busy and open, Gonzalez said. Those projects will wrap up just in time for the installation of Ruby Citys part of the 2021 Texas Biennial, a contemporary art survey. The massive exhibition will be divided between spaces in San Antonio and Houston. It will include artists whose work has been inspired by the state as well as those who are from here or live here. On ExpressNews.com: Briscoe Western Art Museum show looks at the Hollywood Western Ruby Citys part of the exhibit will be up Aug. 1-Jan. 30. The rest of the exhibit will be up at Artpace Aug. 5-Dec. 26; the McNay Art Museum Sept. 1-Jan. 9; and the San Antonio Museum of Art Aug. 19-Dec. 5. In Houston, it will be part of FotoFest from Sept. 2-Nov. 13. Gonzales and the rest of the Ruby City crew are looking forward to sharing that exhibit and Waking Dream with visitors. Its been an incredibly strange, inspiring, uplifting and crazy moment, she said. Now were into the next chapter. dlmartin@express-news.net | Twitter: @DeborahMartinEN LONDON (AP) Nik Gerajs voice fills with pain as he talks about how he struggled to help his daughter study during the coronavirus lockdowns that shut her school for more than four months over the past year. Before the pandemic, 6-year-old Mia was doing well. But she had a hard time during lockdown, missing her friends and teachers at Holy Family Catholic Primary in southeast London. Geraj, a former refugee from Albania, and his wife Mai Vu, who comes from Vietnam, werent able to fill the gaps. She really missed out, he said. I dont think I did such a good job. I tried. The missus tried. ___ Plagues, fires, war London has survived them all. But it has never had a year quite like this. The coronavirus has killed more than 15,000 Londoners and shaken the foundations of one of the worlds great cities. Amid a fast-moving mass vaccination campaign, The Associated Press looks at the pandemics impact on Londons people and institutions. ___ Schools across Britain are racing to offset the disruptions caused by COVID-19, which has hit kids from low-income and ethnic minority families the hardest. At Holy Family, an after-school math club, a new reading area and a focus on exercise and fresh air are some of the ways the staff is making up for lost time. I dont believe in saying that Theyve lost, theyve lost, theyve lost, Executive Principal Colette Doran-Hannon said. My mantra is that for a period of time, they lost out. Its up to us to give them the toolkit to build themselves back up again. Students across England lost an average of 115 days of in-school instruction to the pandemic, curtailing academic progress and hampering the social and emotional development of students from all backgrounds. But children stuck inside cramped apartments without easy access to computers suffered the most, fueling concerns about rising inequality in a country where 800,000 people have lost their jobs and food bank use is soaring. Even before COVID-19, students from disadvantaged backgrounds were about 18 months academically behind their wealthier classmates by the end of secondary school. That gap is likely to have widened over the past year, according to the Education Policy Institute, a London-based think tank. This may be one of the longest-lasting impacts of the pandemic, said Arun Advani, an assistant professor of economics at the University of Warwick whose research focuses on inequality. It is going to create a kind of set of knock-on effects that will continue in the years to come, because it will be these kids who had very different experiences and different amounts of learning, Advani said. There will be kids who just are further behind. That focuses the agenda for schools like Holy Family, a state-funded Catholic school in the London borough of Greenwich, home of the historic Cutty Sark clipper ship and Greenwich Mean Time. Some 28% of Holy Familys students qualify for free school meals. English is the second language for almost two-thirds of the children, who have roots in Africa, the Caribbean, South Asia, South America and other European countries. While every school has its own pandemic story, Holy Familys is marked by pain. Months before anyone had ever heard of COVID-19. Doran-Hannon was dispatched to get the school back on track amid turmoil from previous management. Funds were spare. The school had eight laptops for more than 160 students. Her sidekick was Sarah Hancock, who had 22 years of experience in nearby Bexleyheath. But then Hancock died on the first day of lockdown in March 2020. Though it was not COVID-19, the bereavement shook them all. That was really quite hard, Doran-Hannon said, her voice trembling. That added a whole dimension to COVID that we just genuinely didnt expect. Amid grief, the staff set to work. After initially sending paper study packs home with students, they adjusted to online learning as the first lockdown stretched through April and May 2020. Staff members regularly phoned students and parents, letting them know they werent alone. Doran-Hannon and new headteacher Amanda O'Brien kept adjusting. When they realized kids were going hungry over Christmas, the school organized a food bank that helped more than 60 families. Since the hardship didnt end with the holidays, they created a permanent food cupboard with long-life products for anyone who needs help, no questions asked. And when students needed laptops for home learning, they went looking for a benefactor. Lindsey Parslow, founder of a charity called Business2Schools, answered their call. An events manager who found herself without much work during the pandemic, Parslow persuaded businesses to donate old computers when they upgraded. The project exploded, and now about 20% of Englands schools have asked to be on her donation database. If you give schools everything they need to do the best possible job that they can, then grades have to go up,'' she said. The Education Policy Institute estimates that schools in England need an extra 10 billion to 15 billion pounds ($14 billion to $21 billion). So far, Prime Minister Boris Johnsons Conservative government has authorized 1.7 billion pounds, or about 250 pounds ($354) per student. In contrast, the U.S. has allocated about 1,600 pounds ($2,268) per student, the institute said. The Times of London, citing a leaked report, said Tuesday that the U.K. government is planning a 15 billion-pound education recovery program focused on extra class time, teaching and tutoring. But creativity can be as important as money. Holy Family's pandemic response includes a new addition to its campus: a bright green shack decorated with yellow letters that is the Little Pop-up Book Hut. Stocked with titles like Hyena Ballerina and Polka Bats and Octopus Slacks, it sits under a shady tree next to a new deck where students can read outdoors with their friends. Hancocks family helped raise the money for the project, passing along her love of literature. Then theres the math club, which helps kids build confidence with numbers. On a recent afternoon, the club gathered on the playground for a game that mixed bean bag tossing with multiplication practice. When a sudden downpour struck, the 11-year-olds played on, laughing and tossing sodden bean bags at a chalk target even as the lines bled into rivulets of color. Behind it all is Doran-Hannons prescription that teachers must get to know each child individually and show them the school cares. Walking through the halls, she notices a student whose shoe is untied. Although shes wearing a skirt and heels, the principal immediately drops to his level and pats her knee for him to put his foot there so she could tie the offending laces. The boy ducks his head sheepishly. He ties the shoe himself. It is very much about knowing those children, knowing what they are, what they stand for and what they can achieve, she said later. I think if I build that into them, if I build that desire to be great at whatever they do, then we will succeed. The Geraj family has weathered the pandemic better than many. Nik Geraj, 41, kept his job at a supermarket and Mia had a tablet. They also had Mias teacher, Ruth Monkman, who called every week just to see how everyone was getting on. Now that Mia is back in school, her dad can think of the future. He hopes her life will be easier than his. Parents say I want my kid to be prime minister. I dont want to say she should be prime minister,'' he said. I just want her to be happy. ___ https://apnews.com/article/london-beyond-the-pandemic-837183578755 ___ On Twitter: @DanicaKirka (The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) Nicholas Tampio, Fordham University (THE CONVERSATION) The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has proposed that the federal government create a database that includes information on outcomes for individual college graduates, such as how much money they earn after they get a degree in a particular major. Thats according to a report that a commission sponsored by the foundation released in May 2021. I asked the U.S. Education Department if they plan to adopt the proposed database, but did not get a yes-or-no answer. There are currently statutory prohibitions against the department developing a new national database on student information, said Melanie Muenzer, chief of staff for the Under Secretary of Education James Kvaal. Muenzer said the department is reviewing the commissions recommendations. We anticipate more conversations with commission members to learn even more, Muenzer said. In some ways, those conversations have already begun. Michelle Asha Cooper, a former member of the commission, now serves as deputy assistant secretary for higher education under Biden. As a political theorist who specializes in education policy and its impact on society, I think that a national student database would change the focus of much of American higher education. Many people understand the university experience as an opportunity for a variety of educational and enriching experiences. I believe this proposed database will shift the focus to ensuring that college graduates earn a certain level of income and wealth. Although the commission says the purpose is to address racism, classism and sexism, I think that it is more accurate to say that the commission wants to frame the value of higher education in largely economic terms. Defining value The Gates Foundation created the Postsecondary Value Commission precisely to define the value of a college degree. As commission member Margaret Spellings has said: people dont spend $80,000 or borrow lots of money because they want to be better people. The report nods to the value of the liberal arts in sustaining a healthy democracy. However, according to commission member Jose Luis Cruz, the report concentrates on easily quantifiable measures of value. The report creates a framework to rate the economic payoff of colleges, majors and certificate programs. At the bottom of the scale, graduates are not financially better off than if they had simply graduated high school. Higher scores suggest that students of color, students from low-income backgrounds and women are getting an earnings premium. The highest score indicates that a program is helping all of its graduates gain the same wealth as their white, male peers. Database details For this framework to work, it needs more data than presently available. Thus, the commission calls upon policymakers to create a federal student-level data network to track students pathways and post-college outcomes. The national database would collect information on students race, gender, major, income, wealth and debt. The existing College Scorecard collects information about the income of college graduates who received federal financial aid. The University of Texas data system provides information about alumni earnings and debts up to five years after graduation. The commission, however, wants to have data on all students up to 30 years after graduation to determine if a program achieves wealth parity. One hurdle to the proposed database is that Section 134 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 prohibits the U.S. Department of Education from developing a national database on student information. This spring, a bipartisan group of senators has introduced the College Transparency Act that would repeal this statue and permit the federal government to create a post-secondary student data system. Obama 2.0 President Obama wanted the federal government to rate colleges on whos offering the best value so students and taxpayers get a bigger bang for their buck. Former members of Obamas education staff and the Gates commission now work for the Biden administration. Tamara Hiler, director of education at the think tank Third Way, explains that federal policymakers could use this proposed database to determine if programs and institutions are worthy of student or taxpayer investment. Students at schools with sizable endowments like Yale may still major in subjects like history. But schools dependent on federal and state aid may need to streamline pathways into the workforce. The commission says that its recommendations will help the country dismantle systemic racism. I see this as part of a longstanding debate about the purposes of higher education. For instance, Booker T. Washington, the founder of the Tuskegee Institute, the famed historically Black land-grant university in Alabama, argued that Black people needed to acquire economic power if they were to challenge white supremacy. For Washington, Black students should not waste their time and energy studying French grammar and instrumental music. His famous advice to African Americans was to cast down your bucket where you are, meaning that they should take advantage of the economic opportunities available right now. Today, he might recommend that Blacks major in the lucrative fields mentioned in the report such as engineering and computer science. W.E.B. Du Bois, one of the founders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, countered that the liberal arts are necessary to train Black leaders to write, think, speak and mingle with leaders of other races. Du Bois maintained that the longing of black men must have respect. He wanted Black people to strive for that higher individualism which the centers of culture protect. If the proposed database becomes a reality and colleges focus on their graduates incomes, this could have a limiting effect on low-income students. Whereas students at elite colleges will still have the luxury to major in the liberal arts, I anticipate that students at community colleges and state universities will feel pressure to earn more vocational degrees. Bill and Melinda Gates could use their fortune to award scholarships to students who then choose their own major. Instead, their foundation may make it harder for all but the wealthy and privileged poor to major in anything that does not seem to lead to a solid return on investment. [Over 106,000 readers rely on The Conversations newsletter to understand the world. Sign up today.] This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/how-a-national-student-database-could-cheapen-the-college-experience-161228. WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) New Zealand announced Tuesday it was the latest country to sign a space agreement with NASA, just as New Zealand's nascent space industry begins to take off. New Zealand became the eleventh signatory to the Artemis Accords, a blueprint for space cooperation and supporting the U.S. space agency's plans to return humans to the moon by 2024 and to launch a historic human mission to Mars. Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta said New Zealand was one of only a handful of nations able to launch rockets into space. New Zealand is committed to ensuring the next phase of space exploration is conducted in a safe, sustainable and transparent manner and in full compliance with international law, Mahuta said. New Zealand said it's particularly interested in making sure that minerals taken from the moon or elsewhere in space are used sustainably. California-based company Rocket Lab, which specializes in putting small satellites into orbit, made history in New Zealand four years ago when it launched a test rocket into space from the remote Mahia Peninsula. It began commercial launches in 2018. Rocket Lab founder Peter Beck, a New Zealander, said signing the accords was testament to the countrys growing role in the space industry and opened the door for collaboration and mission opportunities with NASA. There could also soon be a second New Zealand launch site. The government announced Tuesday it was partnering with Indigenous Maori to buy land in the Canterbury region to develop a space launch site. Estimates indicate the New Zealand space industry is worth 1.7 billion New Zealand dollars ($1.2 billion) and that space manufacturing generates about NZ$250 million a year. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a statement that New Zealand was one of seven nations that helped craft the principles in the accords and he was delighted they had signed up. Outer space is getting crowded," said Kevin Covert, the acting U.S. ambassador to New Zealand. As more countries establish a presence in outer space, via research stations, satellites, or even rocket launches, these accords provide a set of principles to create a safe and transparent environment that inspires exploration, science, and commercial activities. The other signatories to the accords are the U.S., Australia, Britain, Canada, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, and Ukraine. Brazil also said it plans to sign. This story has been corrected to attribute quote to Acting Ambassador Kevin Covert rather than NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. This engraving published in 1857 is a representation of Bacons burning of Jamestown. At the time it was believed that the church tower was built in the late 1630s. Thus, this depiction shows the tower in the middle of the background. The tower is now believed to have been built after the town was burned. Courtesy of A School History of the United States from the Discovery of America to the Present Time (1857) (HANDOUT) Lynda M. Gonzalez, MBR / TNS In a tweet Monday, Gov. Gregg Abbott called to cut off funds to the state Legislature a day after Texas House Democrats made sure an elections bill was defeated by walking out of the chambers late Sunday night. The walkout ensured there were not enough members to hold a vote. The hashtags #TexasDeservesBetter and #AbbottFailedTexasAgain trended across the state, and nationally on Twitter, calling out some of the governor's abandoned responsibilities in response to his threat. A supporter of the Boogaloo Bois extremist group in San Antonio pleaded guilty Tuesday to a federal charge of illegally possessing firearms. Tyler Joseph Light, 25, came on the radar of the FBI last year amid reports of extremist activity. He allegedly made threats to kill Elmendorf police and his ex-wife, who later obtained a family violence protective order against him. As part of a plea deal, Light admitted to illegally possessing guns that law officers found in separate incidents in November and December. One of the weapons was an AK-47. The protective order barred him from having guns. Elmendorf Police Chief Marco Pena said Tuesday that his office responded to calls from Lights then-wife for help in domestic violence incidents. The woman told police that Light said he would kill officers, Pena said. I personally contacted the FBI and asked them to please look into this individual, Pena said. I didnt want any of my officers or any other law enforcement officer getting hurt. Charging documents against Light said FBI agents listened to recordings Lights ex-wife made in which Light reportedly threatened to kill police, Hispanics and his then-wife. It is assessed that these threats centered on law enforcements actions taken during the Covid-19 pandemic, the civil unrest in the wake of the death of George Floyd, and an ongoing child custody dispute with Lights wife, an FBI agent wrote in a criminal complaint affidavit. Five days after Lights wife obtained the protective order on Nov. 3, Light was stopped in a rented vehicle by Texas Department of Public Safety troopers. They found a loaded handgun in Lights waistband during a pat-down search, according to Lights plea deal. The troopers also found an AK-47 and marijuana and drug paraphernalia in the car. The troopers seized the drugs, but let him keep the guns for unexplained reasons. On Dec. 1, Bexar County sheriffs deputies and the FBI raided Lights apartment and found a loaded handgun, a loaded AK-47 and 10 magazines for the guns, the plea deal said. In the affidavit, government prosecutors listed a series of incidents involving Light that were part of FBI investigations into the activities of Boogaloo Bois across the country. Among the allegations were that Light prepared tactical plans with Cameron Rankin, a Boogaloo Bois member from the San Antonio area who has pleaded guilty to federal gun charges, ahead of a May 2020 protest in Odessa at Big Daddy Zanes. Amid the pandemic, the bar opened ahead of the Gov. Greg Abbotts schedule for bars. That incident, allegedly led by Philip Archibald a bodybuilder from Dallas, ended with the arrests of armed protesters. More protests ensued that were aimed against Sheriff Mike Griffis in retaliation. The affidavit said Light and Rankin had discussions about making Molotov cocktails that they would use in potential confrontations with police in Odessa. In one video Light made and shared with Rankin, Light...identifies that there will be a QRF or Quick Reaction Force, and outlines flanking positions for potentially engaging police, the FBI agent wrote in the affidavit. The affidavit also said Light was in communication with Archibald ahead of another protest in San Antonio in June 2020. Light planned to introduce Archibald to This is Texas Freedom Force, a group the FBI describes as an extremist militia. Archibald was under FBI investigation for making terroristic threats to commit a mass shooting and was known to have ties to the Boogaloo movement, the affidavit said. Archibald, 27, has since been arrested on federal charges of distributing steroids, and plans to plead guilty in July, records show. Light faces up to 10 years in federal prison when U.S. District Judge Fred Biery sentences him on Aug. 31. In another development involving an alleged extremist, the Kerr County Sheriffs Office announced over the weekend that its deputies and other law officers in Kerrville had foiled the plans of Coleman Thomas Blevins, 28, of carrying out mass casualties at a Walmart. Blevins was arrested Friday on a charge of terroristic threat to create public fear of serious bodily injury. The sheriffs office said it found guns, ammo and other items at his apartment. guillermo.contreras@express-news.net | Twitter: @gmaninfedland Long before Judge Carlos Quezada went to law school, he was a kid from the South Side working at the courthouse, guiding citizens called for jury duty through a process in which they might or might not end up deciding trial outcomes. Now hes a judge and back in that process, helping qualify panelists for in-person jury trials that resumed this week for the first time since COVID-19 slowed the wheels of justice 14 months ago. Presiding over the sorting of potential jurors into smaller pools for judges to draw from was a first for Quezada, 39, who was elected in 2018. Judges rotate that job, and he was next on the list as the coronavirus suspended proceedings. State District Judge Ron Rangel remembered Quezada missed that opportunity, so he tapped him for the first group and worked with him on Friday. Panels of hundreds of potential jurors will be processed daily. I thought it would be fun to start back with him, Rangel said. It was exciting. He is such a humble, goodhearted person. Vaccinated people will be told they dont need to wear masks or practice social distancing in court, while those who have not received the shot will be asked to continue the safety protocols. This process will be on the honor system, Rangel said. We have to rely on what people tell us, and for individuals to protect themselves. On ExpressNews.com: COVID froze the machinery of justice - now, in-person jury trials could resume in June Gov. Greg Abbott has banned governmental mask mandates in Texas, but judges possess broad inherent authority to control orderly proceedings in their courtrooms, and that includes requiring masks, the Texas Supreme Court said in an order last week. It extended local courts ability to modify or suspend deadlines and procedures through Aug. 1. Concerns about COVID-19 were among the topics potential panelists brought up to the judges as reasons to be exempt from jury duty. But Rangel said more people than expected answered the summonses. Jerry Lara /San Antonio Express-News Of the 388 who showed up Friday, 375 did so via Zoom, while 13 individuals reported to the Central Jury Room, like the old days. In the end, 192 people were chosen, split into four in-person jury panels for municipal court, probate, civil, criminal and misdemeanor cases and told to report back Tuesday. One jury was picked for a trial set to begin today, a second-degree felony case of indecency with a child. On ExpressNews.com: New JUNTOS gang court docket doing well in Bexar County, officials say Quezada, 39, was on the Harlandale ISD board before he was elected as a Democrat to the 289th Juvenile District Court bench. Sitting in the Central Jury Room, he recalled taking a nutrition class at Palo Alto College from instructor Susan Kazen. I always dreamed of being a lawyer, Quezada said. She said, If you ever need anything, call me. Quezada did, and it wasnt long after that he found himself in an unpaid internship with her husband, Philip Kazen, then the presiding judge of the 227th District Court. I got to meet so many people, Quezada said. Lawyers, judges, people in the jury room. Thats how this all started. When the internship was over, Kazen told Quezada to stick around. Jerry Lara /San Antonio Express-News In 2004, Quezada was hired to work in the jury room, answering questions for prospective jurors, helping send out summonses, stamping parking tickets, and shaking hands with all the judges and lawyers he could find. Top hits: Get San Antonio Express-News stories sent directly to your inbox Kazen, now first assistant to District Attorney Joe D. Gonzales, concurred with Rangel about Quezadas humble nature. Thats Carlos, Kazen said. It renews my faith in the idea of judges as public servants above all else. Kazen said Quezada is the only intern he ever had who rose to the judiciary. He has worked really hard and has had his eyes on the prize a really long time, he said. Quezada grew emotional when asked to reflect on having come full circle. I used to look up at the pictures of the judges and I thought and prayed, one day. ... Well, here it is, he said, holding back tears that seemed to surprise him. His pride was shared by Faviola Cheeks, deputy jury bailiff, who supervised Quezada when he worked there 17 years ago. Cheeks recalled Quezada always would hit the office potlucks, grabbing a cookie or two and scrambling to meet as many people as he could. He promised to work for a year, then come back some day, either as a lawyer or a judge, she said. He was like, This is what I am going to do, she said. And we told him, Go do it, Carlos! On Friday, Cheeks helped Quezada set up Zoom on his laptop. He still addresses her with a yes, maam, when she asks him a question. After they finished Friday, Quezada breathed a sigh of relief. Ive been waiting for this forever, he said. I came down yesterday to check things out. It is a big moment for me, something I have always wanted. ezavala@express-news.net | Twitter: @elizabeth2863 When Rio Grande Valley retiree Robert Chapa finally got his COVID-19 vaccine in March after months of trying to secure an appointment, it was a nearby school district that came through for him. After a year of living in a national hot spot for the virus, where death rates at one point were among the highest in the nation, Chapa, 59, was anxious to get the shot. I was at high risk, with one kidney, said Chapa, who lost the organ in a car accident decades ago. I stood in line for three hours, I think. But if you gotta get it, you gotta get it. A friend who worked at the Mission Independent School District helped him secure an appointment at Doctors Hospital at Renaissance in Edinburg as part of a drive to vaccinate district employees and their families, when demand was still high and vaccine supplies were low. Counties on the Texas-Mexico border that were among the hardest-hit by COVID-19 are now seeing some of the highest vaccination rates in the state. From El Paso to Brownsville, every county along the border is outpacing the state average for the percentage of residents fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Of the 39 Texas counties currently above the state average, more than a third of them are border counties, according to state numbers. Statewide, 35% of the total population has been fully vaccinated, including 42% of eligible Texans 12 and older. In the Rio Grande Valley, three of the four counties have already surpassed 40% of their total population fully vaccinated, including Hidalgo County with 43%, Cameron at 45% and Starr County with nearly 50%. In Webb County, which includes Laredo, 47% of residents are fully vaccinated, and El Paso County has fully vaccinated about 45% of its population. The biggest motivator for residents to show up in such large numbers for the shot, locals say, is the fact that the region suffered so much death during COVID-19 surges. In El Paso County, more than 2,700 residents were reported to have died from the virus, and COVID-19 deaths were so frequent in the fall that inmates were used as labor to help deal with the bodies. Hidalgo County reported more than 2,800 deaths at one point last summer, one in 10 COVID-19 deaths in Texas had happened in the county of nearly 900,000 people. Everybody knew someone that had died from COVID here in this region, said Dr. Michael Dobbs, vice dean of clinical affairs at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine. I think there were very few people who were COVID skeptics or deniers. Strong family ties help vaccine acceptance Some say the trend was unexpected, mainly because most border counties are 85% or more Hispanic, and in the early days of the vaccination effort, Hispanics were being vaccinated at lower rates than whites. Border counties also are home to some of the poorest communities in the country; lower-income Texans tend to have less access to vaccines. Im proud, but more than anything else, Im grateful, said Dr. Ivan Melendez, Hidalgo County Health Authority and a COVID survivor. All the pre-vaccine hype about how minorities were more hesitant to get the vaccine than the rest of the population hasnt really panned out. Another factor that has contributed to a high rate of vaccine acceptance along the border, locals residents and officials said, is the strong family ties among Hispanics in the region. In Hidalgo County, for example, one in 10 families has at least three generations living in the home. The same culture that made distancing and isolation from families particularly difficult to bear as the virus was hammering border counties now is leading families to get vaccinated so they can safely see each other again, and adult children to push their parents and relatives to get vaccinated to avoid more deaths, said Frank Arredondo, a pharmacist at a CVS Pharmacy in Pharr and a COVID-19 survivor. I think thats probably kind of the secret sauce the strong familial bonds, said Arredondo, who estimates that he has administered up to 4,000 COVID-19 vaccines since February. When Arredondo caught the virus last year, doctors twice told his wife that he was about to die, he said. Now that hes recovered, he tells that story to his patients who pass that on to their families. One man heard the story from his wife and told Arredondo: I would hate for my family members to get that phone call. Leveraging that bond in public health messages about the vaccine to younger generations health officials modeled their Starr County Strong campaign after the anti-smoking ads of the 1980s that urged kids to push their parents to quit smoking was a vital part of the effort to convince the areas most vulnerable elderly residents to get the shot, said Dr. Antonio Falcon, a local doctor for more than 40 years whose final day as Starr County Health Authority was Monday. In Starr County alone, about 97% of residents 65 and older have gotten at least one shot. It was for the love of grandkids that the grandparents wanted to get vaccinated, Falcon said. I think that was very effective, priming grandma and grandpa to get the vaccine when it came out. It helped to get the word out through the kids. This is what we really do well As demand for vaccines soared, state health officials also tapped into existing relationships locals already had with state health department field offices, schools, community clinics, civic leaders and state and local health programs, including long-standing efforts to boost health care along the border, said Elizabeth Cuevas, the preparedness, response and epidemiology manager for the Texas Department of State Health Services in South Texas. For example, Operation Lone Star has run an annual disaster preparedness exercise in the Rio Grande Valley for more than 20 years that lets emergency responders practice setting up and operating clinics that could be used during a public health emergency. The participants health workers for the state health department, Valley counties, the city of Laredo, the Texas Military Department, Texas A&M University and community volunteer organizations provide free child immunizations, hearing and vision screenings, diabetes and blood pressure screenings, and physicals that draw nearly 10,000 people each year. We really have built deep roots and relationships, so now that there is an emergency where we need to get vaccines and do health assessments or make referrals, the community knows my team, Cuevas said. Locals picked up the effort themselves and have run with it, Cuevas said. In the Starr County city of Roma, the fire department opened its bay doors and offered a drive-thru vaccination clinic. We have not done a large number of clinics that are DSHS-run, Cuevas said. Weve partnered with people, but mostly its local physicians, its local school districts, the county judge, the local hospital. Theyre all working together. In McAllen, Arredondo has spent hundreds of hours fulfilling what he calls my personal mission to vaccinate residents at El Milagro Clinic, a community health center serving the indigent for the past 25 years, which has partnered with CVS as one of the chains strategies for working to increase access for vulnerable populations and go deeper into communities, said CVS spokesperson Monica Prinzing. Over the past six years, the University of Texas Rio Grande Valleys new School of Medicine has also become a trusted source of health information and services for the community, making it a key player in the vaccination effort for area residents, said Dobbs, the schools chief medical officer. About 80,000 shots have been administered through the medical school, he said, but another important role has been in communicating the safety and effectiveness of the vaccines to the public. Were used to teaching and doing community advocacy, Dobbs said. This is what we really do well. School districts have also been phenomenal partners in encouraging vaccination and distributing the shots, Cuevas said. With an average of one-third of residents under 18 years old, border communities have a much higher share of children than the state as a whole and the school districts maintain a stature in these communities that became instrumental in boosting vaccination rates, local officials said. Melendez said thats because people stay in the Valley for generations and are still strongly connected to their high school alma maters. In Hidalgo County, more than one-third of them are connected to the schools through students, volunteerism, alumni groups and employment, he said. El Paso Independent School District began offering vaccines to its staff in January and, in early May, launched a program called Vaccinate Before You Graduate that drew hundreds of students on its first day. The La Joya school district in Hidalgo County sent school nurses to clinics, offered vaccinations to students and staff and partnered with police and other civil service groups to get locals vaccinated, spokesperson Blanca Cantu said. The success of the various vaccination efforts comes as a relief to Melendez, who recalls getting teary-eyed in the waiting area of a mass vaccination clinic in Hidalgo County in January while watching older people lining up for the shot. For the first time in a year, he said, I left with some hope. The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues. They arrived in San Antonio with the future on their minds and worldly possessions slung on their backs. They disembarked from buses and vans from South Texas detention centers at San Antonio International Airport and the downtown Greyhound Bus Terminal. The sliding glass doors at the airports Terminal B whisked open, and Barbara Edens, 67, greeted the arrivals with a hearty Bienvenidos a San Antonio! Each week, volunteers from the Interfaith Welcome Coalition help men, women, children and families from across the world navigate the immigration process. Jerry Lara /San Antonio Express-News Edens, team leader for the coalition, and volunteers Sally Andrade, 78, Ruth Bryan, 33, and Diana Doria, 76, took their places beyond a 16-foot-high suitcase wheel sculpture and explained the upcoming journey to the group of immigrants who had arrived from family detention centers in Dilley and Karnes City. The migrants, some of whom have experienced trauma and danger, were wary. They relaxed when Edens explained that volunteers were there to help with paperwork and boarding times and in locating departure gate numbers. Each family received a free backpack filled with snacks, water and toiletries. The little ones got stuffed toys. Everyone was given a box lunch before heading to their flights. On ExpressNews.com: Interfaith Welcome Coalition on the front lines of migrant aid in San Antonio Wearing blue vests with the coalitions name printed in white letters on the back, the volunteers recorded connecting flights and final destinations on a pink information sheet the travelers carry on their trip. The form also includes details about immigration court dates, phone numbers for legal counsel and a U.S. map. Jerry Lara /San Antonio Express-News Nexalida, Frances and Frances Leonardo Jr. were surprised to see the helpful volunteers. You were the first person to look at us with love and welcome, Nexalida Leonardo said. We have been treated like royalty, and we thank you for all of your help. Doria sat with a young couple and explained a document outlining how to change planes in English and Spanish. She recalled helping a young mother who walked for three months from Honduras to the Mexican border after a hurricane swept away her home and crops in the area. She volunteered with the Peace Corps in the Dominican Republic last year until the spread of the coronavirus cut her two-year assignment to seven months. Volunteering with the coalition is her way to continue helping others. The volunteers have worked with immigrants from Cuba, Guatemala, Haiti and Honduras. Theyve also helped immigrants from Africa, Romania and Ukraine. Sometimes, Doria said, communication can be a challenge when the immigrants dont speak English or Spanish. Jerry Lara /San Antonio Express-News Even though were bilingual, there are times its a lot of sign language, Doria said. By noon, the four volunteers had assisted 33 people. Its very calming to them when they learn were from local churches, Edens said. They feel so much better knowing whats ahead for them. Just to get here has been a journey. Victoria Salas, 54, coordinating director, said the humanitarian initiative began in the summer of 2014 to help unaccompanied minors from Central America detained at the U.S.-Mexico border. The Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement notify the coalition daily about how many families and individuals to expect at the airport and bus station. The coalition also works with other agencies coordinating migrant services within the community. The organization uses donations and grants to pay for immigrants in need of tickets or a place to stay until their departure. Salas said the group often sends funds to border organizations to help them provide services for immigrants. Jerry Lara /San Antonio Express-News Our volunteers have the migrants at the center of their hearts to be able to give so much time without expecting anything back, Salas said. Some of them are working eight-hour days volunteering to make sure the job is done so immigrants arent suffering or experiencing hardship. On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio group helps families released from detention Edens, a retired Spanish teacher, learned about the coalitions mission at a Bible study class. When she learned the nonprofit was looking for volunteers, it was the perfect way to use her talents. The coalition includes community organizations, students and various faith groups. Edens said the nonprofit is always seeking volunteers, especially with the increased number of immigrants being released from detention centers. Most volunteers speak Spanish or another language, but its not a requirement. Shifts are from 10 p.m. to midnight at the bus station and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the airport. Volunteers work two-hour shifts, but some stay as long as eight hours to help late arrivals. Jerry Lara /San Antonio Express-News Bryan found the coalition when she Googled for volunteer opportunities in the area. She said the families they help are fleeing a dire situation, sometimes leaving children, spouses and parents behind. Bryan said shes familiar with what the immigrants are feeling in a new land: Her family came to the United States from northern Mexico when she was 8 years old. I know what its like to be foreign, Bryan said as her daughter knelt beside two of the travelers children to color in coloring books. I know what its like to be poor in a country where you dont know the language. The thought of what immigrants go through for a better life prompted Andrade to volunteer. A retired administrator at the University of Texas at El Paso, she worked for three years helping asylum-seekers in the region. Each person the volunteers help makes her wonder: Who would help her, her daughter and granddaughter stay safe in a similar situation? When you do that, its easier to understand and appreciate so much, Andrade said. They are so brave and have such faith in our country, even more than we do. Its a privilege to help. vtdavis@express-news.net A line of cars waited to get inside the gates of Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery on Monday, filled with families who wanted to honor and remember their loved ones sacrifice on Memorial Day. Amid the rows of gleaming white gravestone markers were small American flags, bouquets of flowers and people in mourning. On Memorial Day, a federal holiday commemorating U.S. military personnel who died in service to their country, families crowded into the cemetery to pay their respects. A MacArthur High School graduate, still wearing her blue gown from that mornings commencement ceremony, walked toward her grandfathers grave with family members in tow. It was important she see him that day. This is where Javier and Sylvia Gutierrez spent most of the day, chatting about sacrifice and freedom with visitors near their sons final resting place. Mostly, they wanted people to know who their son was. On ExpressNews.com: One of San Antonio's own killed in Afghan attack U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Javier Jaguar Gutierrez, a senior radio operator, was one of two U.S. soldiers killed during an ambush on Feb. 8, 2020 in the Nangarhar province of Afghanistan. He was shot nine times. Gutierrez, of San Antonio, and Antonio Rodriguez, of Las Cruces, N.M., were both assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group, out of Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. and were among the last to die in battle in Afghanistan. Weeks after the firefight, the U.S. and Taliban signed a deal in which the U.S. would fully withdraw its forces. President Joe Biden has said he will withdraw remaining troops before Sept. 11, marking the end of a 20-year war. Gutierrezs parents, who are spending their second Memorial Day weekend without their only son, are still learning how to honor his memory. Their son was only 28 when he died. He left behind a wife and four small children. Sylvia Gutierrez, a South San ISD teacher, said she has mixed emotions. She says the daily sacrifices made by our military men and women are a blessing. But for her, time stopped the day her son died. Over the past 15 months, as the world grappled with the coronavirus pandemic, she mourned. They recently moved into a new home in the city. One of the bedrooms has been set up like a museum. There are paintings of him sent by strangers, a letter from the president and other things on display that remind them of him. Their son was known by his middle name, Jaguar. The Burbank High School graduate joined the U.S. Army at 17. Serving was a dream hed had since he was a young boy. His great-grandfather, Thomas Ortiz, served in the Army Air Forces as a bombardier in World War II and was taken prisoner by the Nazis after his plane was shot down. Russian soldiers liberated him. Javier Gutierrez, a U.S. Marine Corps. veteran himself, says the holiday was always important to him to remember the men and women who lost their lives in battle, but now its more sacred. We know the true meaning of sacrifice, he said. Freedom isnt free. We gave up our most precious commodity for our country. laura.garcia@express-news.net One hundred years ago, Woolworth opened a three-story San Antonio store to the public with promises that no item would cost more than 15 cents. On Friday afternoon, June 3, 1921, the store opened with a preview to allow customers the opportunity to browse. The next morning, it opened for business, selling everything from kitchenware to lawn chairs. Public is Invited to Inspect Handsome Quarters on Alamo Plaza, the San Antonio Light announced in a June 2 headline. At the time, Americas premier five-and-dime store chain billed the new Woolworths lunch counter as the citys largest. In its new home, the Woolworth store probably has as modern quarters as any merchandising establishment in the city, the Light reported. On ExpressNews.com: Bexar County commissioners commit $25 million to Alamo museum Bexar County commissioners, the Conservation Society of San Antonio and community groups who worked together to save the Woolworth Building will gather to celebrate its centennial Tuesday. Theyll recognize the buildings role in civil rights history and reflect on plans to preserve the structure and incorporate it into an Alamo museum and visitors center. Commissioners have committed up to $25 million in matching funds for the museum, incorporating the Woolworth Building and the 1882 Crockett Building. Woolworth, a leader in five-and-dime retail, started its first location in Lancaster, Pa., in 1879. The San Antonio site had been part of the west wall of the Alamo fort. But after the famous battle in 1836, it became a lumber yard owned by businessman Samuel Maverick Jr. In the 1880s, the site held the five-story Maverick Bank Building, which had balcony detailing resembling New Orleans architecture. It was considered the citys first skyscraper and the tallest building west of the Mississippi. The Woolworth Building, constructed after the Maverick building was razed, was designed by local architectural firm Adams and Adams. The same firm later developed plans for the nearby 1930s Alamo Cenotaph. The local Woolworth, which had been in San Antonio since 1912, was then relocated from its location at 108 E. Commerce St. The new store on San Antonios most prominent corner, built by local contractors and labor, was one of the most modern in the city, with a lunch counter offering the last word in sanitary equipment, an ad stated. At the rear of the stores first floor, the serpentine lunch counter was just a stones throw from the spot where Alamo commander William Barret Travis is believed to have written his stirring victory or death letter, calling for reinforcements during an 1836 siege for independence. In 1960, the site would take on a new historical significance. The Woolworth brand was tied closely to the national lunch counter desegregation movement that began with a sit-in in Greensboro, N.C. To celebrate San Antonios peaceful integration of lunch counters at the height of the national movement, the Conservation Society, in partnership with the San Antonio African American Community Archive and Museum, is posting three short videos on its website, saconservation.org/sit-ins_tx. The first two videos, posted Friday, tell the story of activists who worked with religious leaders, business owners and city and police officials to negotiate a voluntary, peaceful integration of seven lunch counters in San Antonio when many cities across Texas and the South were experiencing demonstrations and violence. A third video, to be posted in early June, will spotlight the broader civil rights movement in San Antonio. The video series, produced in consultation with eight advisers and scholars, is supported by grants from Humanities Texas and World Monuments Fund. On ExpressNews.com: Alamo reports advocate reuse of Woolworth Building By the end of the 20th century, the Woolworth chain could no longer compete with discount megastores, malls and outlet centers. 1n 1997, it closed many of its stores, including three in San Antonio. Since then, the Woolworth Building has housed Foot Locker and other businesses. It now has Jimmy Johns, Ripleys Haunted Adventure and Tomb Rider 3D on its first floor. But under updated plans for an Alamo museum, the building will be revived with retail space, museum galleries and an 800-square-foot exhibit commemorating ties to the civil rights movement. Because the state-owned Crockett, Palace and Woolworth buildings have basements, archaeologists believe there are no remaining remnants of the Alamos west wall within or below those structures. But a conceptual museum design would use distinctive flooring in an open front atrium and lobby to define the location of that wall. The museum is expected to open in 2025. shuddleston@express-news.net I am a Quaker now, but I was born and raised in a military family. As the saying goes, I got to Texas as soon as I could, some 14 years ago. As a child, I moved often. But as an adult, Georgia was my home of many years. It was there, in 1988, I learned that nearby, new neighbors found a cross burning on their front lawn. I came to know that within the white power structure, Southern hospitality has its limits. I am now also a grandmother of three young adults who grew up in a biracial military family. Ive watched as people made faces, swore or hissed at my daughter and son-in-law while asking to be re-seated in a restaurant. I remember telling my beautiful, innocent grandchildren it was hard to know why some people were like that. Systemic racism makes sad, soul-searching headlines daily. As violent encounters between law enforcement officers and Black Americans have received more attention, a horrible realization dawned on me: My youngest grandchild is at serious risk. He is an honor student working part time preparing for college a smart, funny, goodhearted guy. But because of my grandsons appearance his father had the talk with him: Keep your hands on the wheel, no sudden movements, yes sir, no sir, Im sorry, sir. My three brothers never heard the talk. Of course, a cross never burned in front of our home. This is an uncomfortable subject, but it is more uncomfortable when law enforcement and legal systems sometimes fail the people they are sworn to protect. For me, it is simply uncomfortable. For others, it can be deadly. This April, my Quaker worship community, Friends Meeting of San Antonio, and others in this region unified for a message concerning racial injustice. It reads, in part, The Quakers of South Central Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends of Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas acknowledge a sad truth people die as a result of specific police training and tactics. Historically, it is also true that there is little to no accountability when law enforcement officers take lives. As a result, I wrote to U.S. Sen. John Cornyn encouraging him to take more of a lead on matters of racial reconciliation and injustice in our country. This starts with supporting the bipartisan George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. At minimum, a ban on chokeholds and no-knock warrants should be included in the final version. There should be a serious restriction of the 1033 program, the policy that distributes military equipment from the Pentagon to police. Yes, I support our military and our police, but weapons of war have no place in our communities. Lastly, a serious and thorough review of qualified immunity for police officers is needed. Mistakes are one thing; blatant misconduct is another. Without blanket immunity, officers wont be so quick to act with impunity. Political power is transitory and political theater does not interest me. There is no excuse for continued inaction. I want to hope things can be better for my family, grandchildren and country. I want to believe I am not alone in this. For all. Brenda Thibault is a grandmother who lives in San Antonio and a member of Friends Meeting of San Antonio. When the federal building in Oklahoma City was blown up in 1995, killing 168 people, it was called the worst act of domestic terrorism in U.S. history. Those knowing better shook their heads and said, Tulsa. When planes flew into the World Trade Center in New York City in 2001, it was said to be the first time that planes had been used as weapons of attack in an American city. Again, those knowing better shook their heads and said, Tulsa. What happened 100 years ago today in Tulsa, Okla., werent mere whispers in families or rumors rustling through grapevines. The Tulsa massacre was a racist mob assault by white Tulsans against Black Tulsans, a domestic terrorist attack against American citizens. On May 31, 1921, a teenage Black male was arrested after being falsely accused of assaulting a 17-year-old white girl. That night, armed white men swarmed the courthouse. In response, more than two dozen armed Black men, some of them World War I veterans in uniform, marched to the courthouse to support the sheriff and protect the teen from being lynched. Early on June 1, an estimated 10,000 white Tulsans attacked Tulsas African American community, including Greenwood, the commercial district so prosperous that it was hailed as Black Wall Street. Black Tulsans were fired on from the street, hills and air as they fled their homes with nothing but the clothes they wore. The mob looted their houses and businesses before setting them on fire. They not only used pistols, shotguns and machine guns to shoot any Black Tulsan, but also airplanes from which they shot and dropped incendiary devices. Destroyed, in less than 24 hours, were 35 square blocks, more than 1,250 homes, 31 restaurants, two dozen grocery stores, a dozen churches, eight doctors offices, four drugstores, a hospital, a library and a new school. As many as 300 people were killed, most of them Black and many buried in mass graves; 8,000 to 10,000 people were left homeless; and 6,000 would be detained in internment camps. The financial damage was $1.8 million, about $27 million in todays dollars. A young journalist and teacher, Mary E. Jones Parrish, fled Tulsa with her daughter on June 1. They returned the next morning. Soon, we reached the district which was so beautiful and prosperous when we left, Parrish wrote in The Nation Must Awake: My Witness to The Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921, recently published by Trinity University Press. This we found to be piles of bricks, ashes, and twisted iron representing years of toil and savings. This seminal work of journalism, which includes interviews with other victims, was the first book about the massacre, but only a few copies were published in 1923, reflecting the lack of interest in pursuing justice for Black Tulsans. No one was punished, and no reparation was paid to victims. For decades, white Tulsa officials covered up the worst explosion of racial violence on American soil. The erasure of lives and a community was compounded by the erasure from public record and official acknowledgment of the crimes. But whispers in families, rumors of death raining down from the sky, of slaughter in the streets, and stories of incalculable pain and loss kept alive the memory of the Tulsa massacre. Its centennial is a national event. Three of its survivors, 107, 106 and 100 years old, testified before Congress on May 19. Since 2002, learning about the Tulsa massacre has been mandatory in Oklahoma public schools. But the centennials commemoration comes as statehouses, including in Texas, are restricting what can be taught about slaverys legacy and racism. This history shouldnt be buried as deeply as Black bodies in mass graves. History guides us to what we can aspire and what we should avoid. Writing a century ago, Parrish warned, When mob violence first began, it originated in the South, and its victims were Black men and women. Today the hand of King Mob is being felt in all parts of the United States and he is no respecter of persons, race or color not even sparing white women. Voter suppression harms all Texans and threatens democracy. Senate Bill 7, authored by Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, may have died over Memorial Day weekend, thanks to a dramatic walkout by Texas Democrats. But a special session looms, and SB 7, and all of its monstrous intent, will be back. One of the most restrictive voting bills in the country, SB 7 sought to limit how Texans will register to vote, as well as how and when they vote and, of course, this just might limit if Texans vote. Voting rights advocates have said it would have further disenfranchised Black and brown people, as well as the elderly and disabled. Following a heated presidential election in which there was no widespread voter fraud and Republicans fared extremely well across Texas SB 7 and the talking point of voter integrity loomed over the legislative session, culminating (for now) in a dramatic partisan showdown. Fierce partisan debate came to a halt Sunday night when House Democrats staged a dramatic exit, breaking quorum and killing the bill just before the midnight deadline. After being silenced by Republicans during the House floor debate, the walkout was the only tool left for the outnumbered Democrats. President Joe Biden called SB 7 wrong and un-American, and the ACLU of Texas has called it ruthless. We call it a threat to democracy. Everything about this bill from the exclusionary way it was written and made more extreme behind closed doors to the last-minute secret process to ram it through before the chambers could review the changes is tyrannical. The measures final version would have empowered partisan poll watchers to intimidate voters. It would have banned drive-thru voting pioneered in Harris County during the pandemic, and restricted absentee ballots and voting hours with increased civil and criminal penalties. The bill would have restricted early voting on Sundays, not opening polls until 1 p.m. Most alarmingly, the measure would make it easier to overturn elections. We wonder how that might benefit Republicans who hold all the levers of power? From the steps of Mt. Zion Baptist Church in east Austin during a news conference after the walkout, Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, D-San Antonio, called for federal action to broaden voting rights. Meanwhile, Gov. Greg Abbott has pledged a special session to revive this bill, even though he didnt call one for the COVID-19 pandemic; mass shootings, despite Texas having four of the 10 largest mass shootings in America; or Hurricane Harvey. We know how we got here. Republicans are responding to the false allegation of widespread voter fraud in the presidential election the Big Lie with very real voter suppression. This is the real voter fraud. More than 20 laws restraining voting in 14 states have been enacted. And they couldnt even seek to do it in full view of the public. The stunning lack of transparency in not providing members in both chambers adequate time to participate in or review the last-minute 180-page conference committee report was unacceptable. The 20-page resolution included more than 20 changes to SB 7 that neither chamber had seen. State Sen. Beverly Powell, D-Fort Worth, a member of the conference committee, said she and other Democratic members were not included in final negotiations and their signatures were missing. Our view on this is quite simple: There was no widespread voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election. Democracy is best served when people have greater access to the polls. To limit that access is an assault on democracy. Win elections. Dont strangle them. Abbott was livid, vowing Monday to defund the Legislature. Hes not a monarch. This is a temporary win for Democrats as SB 7 will be back in a special session. But Democrats should capitalize on momentum to raise awareness of the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act in Congress. And no matter the obstacles before them, they should turn out big in 2022. It will be much more than a typical midterm. I will say, out of the three candidates, I probably knew him the least going in, so for me, it was a good time for me to get to know him and I will tell you his enthusiasm and dedication and preparation seemed to shine through to me and everyone involved, Stevens said. Im really excited to have him leading our police department. Bexar County commissioners backed a plan Tuesday to create a system that would track and reform indigent defense. Commissioners supported a proposal to apply for a five-year grant to pay for a managed assigned counsel program, or MAC, to improve the quality of legal representation for indigent defendants. If approved, the Texas Indigent Defense Commission would provide 80 percent of the $1.86 million cost in the first year of the grant program, with the county paying the remaining $372,577. The countys share would gradually increase each year to the full amount in the fifth year. A study last year from the Texas A&M Public Policy Research Institute recommended a new department that would oversee caseloads and training for attorneys appointed to indigent defense cases. The proposed program, scheduled for the 2022 fiscal year, would provide mentorship, training, continuing education and resources, such as social workers and other professional support services, for appointed defense attorneys. Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff said the program could offer an extraordinary opportunity to improve the court system, especially if a newly created 16-member staff, including a director to oversee the program, could be housed in proximity to the countys public defenders office. On ExpressNews.com: Jury letters going out as trials resume in Bexar County District Judge Ron Rangel framed it as the next step in criminal justice reform in Bexar County. He said it would improve efficiency in the justice system and reduce the inmate population in the Bexar County Jail. The program models one system used in Lubbock County. Rangel, local administrative judge, said the county has 10 criminal district courts, 13 county courts and three juvenile courts that each have their own way of handling cases, processing paperwork and paying vouchers to lawyers. In 2019, the county spent over $15 million in indigent defense expenses, and at that time, we had no way of conducting the oversight that a MAC will provide. Bexar County spent the least amount per indigent defense case among the five largest Texas counties that year, he said. Rangel showed commissioners a chart that put the average expenditure per case at $356 in Bexar County, compared with $494 in Travis County the next-lowest among the five. Harris County had the highest at $890, followed by $689 in Dallas County and $654 in Tarrant County. The problem with Bexar County currently, in the system that we use is that we dont have an opportunity to gather the metrics required in order to see exactly what it is that we can improve, Rangel said. On ExpressNews.com: New judge is sifting through potential jurors Commissioner Trish DeBerry, addressing a pervasive problem with attorneys taking more cases than they can handle, called it shameful that statistics revealed lawyers in about 40 percent of cases dont see the clients theyre representing in person. She wants commissioners updated regularly if the grant is awarded. Its not enough for us to appropriate the money. Youve got to come back to us and let us know how youre moving the needle, DeBerry said. Tax abatement Commissioners also supported a 75 percent, 10-year tax abatement for North Carolina-based Heat Biologics to be negotiated by the county staff. A company subsidiary, Scorpion Biological Services, a maker of oncology drugs, plans to invest about $24 million on a 21,000-square-foot facility near the East Side that will provide 41 new full-time jobs paying over $50,000 annually. shuddleston@express-news.net With the makeup of half of San Antonios City Council set to be decided Saturday, money is pouring into candidates campaign coffers as the races tighten. In Saturdays runoff elections, candidates a mix of incumbents, political newcomers and perennial candidates have raised and spent more than $600,000 this year to win a council seat, city campaign finance filings show. Half of that has come in the weeks leading to the runoff as the money race accelerates. The 10 candidates vying for five council seats on Saturday collectively raised nearly $400,000 and spent $342,000 in late April and early May. The highest dollar amounts have flocked to races in the citys urban core and on the North and East sides where insurgent challengers are trying to knock off incumbents. The cost of each of those races has ballooned past six figures a more common reality as a hyper-polarized political environment drives more eyeballs and stokes passions even toward historically low-turnout local races. This is what happens when things become very polarized and people become passionate about the issues and who represents them, especially if your message resonates, local political strategist Demonte Alexander said. San Antonio Council Runoffs Districts 1, 2, 3, 5 and 9 Election Day 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday, June 5 To view a sample ballot or find your polling location, visit bexar.org/elections. See More Collapse In the past, council candidates have needed at least $50,000 to have a viable candidacy, political analysts said. Money isnt everything when candidates can walk up to their neighbors houses to win votes. Its one of the very last campaigns where you can still knock on enough doors and talk to people to win a race, veteran political strategist Christian Archer said. But the money candidates raise and spend has been on the rise. Two years ago, candidates dropped $1.1 million across the board for the chance to win a spot on council. This year, thats ticked up to $1.3 million as wannabe council members needed more money to break through crowded fields several of which had more than 10 candidates. District 9 The fight to represent the citys North Side is proving the most expensive council race as incumbent Councilman John Courage tries to keep the District 9 seat from conservative challenger Patrick Von Dohlen. Between the two campaigns, the spending tab has surged past $223,000 for the general election and the runoff. The majority of that spending has come from Von Dohlen, head of the socially conservative San Antonio Family Association, who has outraised and outspent the liberal two-term councilman in the final stretch of the campaign. According to his latest campaign finance filing, Von Dohlen raised nearly $63,000 from April 22 to May 26 and spent nearly $72,000 in that time. Ronald Cortes/Contributor Candidates and political action committees, or PACS, must file a finance report to the city eight days before the election. In a general election, reports also are required Jan. 15 and 30 days before Election Day. In that same span, Courage brought in more than $45,000 and spent more than $40,000. Von Dohlen had slightly more in his war chest than Courage heading into the last week of the election about $30,000 to Courages $24,000. But Von Dohlen is also getting help from the political arm of the San Antonio Family Association. Friends of San Antonio Family Association Texas spent more than $6,000 on advertising for Von Dohlen and gave $1,000 to the association leaders campaign. To date, the associations PAC has spent more than $19,000 on Von Dohlens behalf. District 1 In the citys urban core, District 1 Councilman Roberto Trevino has spent heavily to fend off a challenge from environmental activist Mario Bravo and secure a fourth and final term. The two campaigns have collectively spent more than $200,000 to win the downtown seat. In the latest go-round, Trevino outraised Bravo by nearly a 2-to-1 margin. The three-term councilman brought in more than $63,000 while Bravo raised just over $35,000. Kin Man Hui, San Antonio Express-News / Staff photographer But Bravo, project manager for the Environmental Defense Fund, is closing the gap with Trevino on the spending front. Trevinos campaign expended more than $48,000, while Bravo spent about $45,000. Trevino had more than $19,000 in his campaign coffers as of last week. Bravo had north of $12,000 in his bank account. District 2 Money is pouring into a contentious race on the citys East Side where incumbent Councilwoman Jada Andrews-Sullivan and challenger Jalen McKee-Rodriguez have together spent more than $119,000 on the fight for the District 2 seat. Robin Jerstad /Robin Jerstad For much of the general election, McKee-Rodriguez heavily outraised and outspent Andrews-Sullivan, his former boss. Now, Andrews-Sullivans fundraising operation has kicked into high gear. The first-term councilwoman raised more than $60,000 in the most recent finance period and spent more than $35,000 in her bid for a second term. McKee-Rodriguez, meanwhile, raised more than $20,000 and spent $22,000. Andrews-Sullivan had the cash advantage going into the final week of the election, reporting nearly $42,000 in her war chest. McKee-Rodriguez, a high school math teacher, had $6,500 in his bank account. Open seats Campaigns for two open seats on the citys West and South Sides have attracted high-dollar amounts though not as much as the other runoffs. The race to replace outgoing District 3 Councilwoman Rebecca Viagran has neared $74,000 more than two-thirds of it to elect her sister, Phyllis Viagran, to the Southeast Side seat. Courtesy / Phyllis Viagran / Phyllis Viagran who works at Senior Planet, which teaches elders how to use technology has outraised and outspent opponent Tomas Uresti, a former state representative, by about a 3-to-1 margin. From April 22 to May 2, she raised almost $37,000 and spent nearly $25,000. Tomas Uresti brother of Bexar County Tax Assessor-Collector Albert Uresti and former state Sen. Carlos Uresti brought in about $11,000 and expended nearly $12,000 in that time. Courtesy photo / Viagrans war chest dwarfs Urestis coffers. She had more than $22,000 in the bank as of last week. Uresti had about $880 in his piggy bank. Candidates vying to fill a West Side seat soon to be vacated by District 5 Councilwoman Shirley Gonzales have together spent nearly $62,000 on their bids. Rudy Lopez, a former civilian employee in the San Antonio Police Department, came in second to Teri Castillo, an educator and member of the Historic Westside Residents Association, in the May 1 election. / But in the weeks leading up to the runoff, Lopez has raised and spent than Castillo. He raked in nearly $43,000 in campaign contributions and spent more than $32,000 with more than $10,000 leftover. Castillo, on the other hand, reported almost $14,000 in contributions and $9,500 in spending. But she had more in her coffers than Lopez more than $14,000. Castillo as well as Trevino and McKee-Rodriguez has had the help of the Texas Organizing Project, a progressive grassroots group that specializes in community and election organizing in the form of block-walkers and online advertising. Since the beginning of the year, the groups political arm has spent more than $272,000 to help all three candidates. While Texas Democrats killed the GOPs massive election bill in a dramatic midnight flurry, Republicans helped sow the seeds of their own defeat days even weeks earlier. Just before a midnight deadline on Sunday, Democrats in the Texas House led a mass walkout, leaving the House without enough members to hold a vote on the controversial elections package that was a top priority for the Republican leaders of the Legislature. Now top Republicans are finger-pointing over what went wrong when they had what appeared to be a certain victory in their hands. Instead of a bill going to Gov. Greg Abbott for his signature, lawmakers are headed back to the drawing board. I cant even blame it on the other party for walking out, said Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the Republican from Montgomery County who runs the Senate. They got an opportunity to walk out because of the deadlines. Though Patrick suggested that House Republicans helped derail the legislation by taking too many days off and delaying it, Democrats say the walkout was also a response to Republican maneuvers in the Senate. TEXAS TAKE: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox As much as Democrats were angry at the election bills, state Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, D-San Antonio, said that as recently as Tuesday of last week they had no plan for how they would attack the legislation that aimed to cut early voting hours in many large urban counties and take away the authority of local elections officials to enact their own strategies to drum up turnout. But as the week went on, Democrats say the Republicans in the Senate disrespected them by withholding information on the final version of the bill and with the timing of its unveiling which was calculated to eliminate even token input from Democrats. It became increasingly clear, Martinez Fischer said, that his party was being cut out of negotiations on the bill. He and his colleagues knew theyd have to come up with a strategy to respond to the new, heavier hand Republicans were applying. The four-day delay Starting May 19, the House and Senate met in what is called a conference committee to work out major differences on Senate Bill 7, which had been amended in both chambers before they passed it. Some of the differences were striking. The Senates version, for instance, called for cutting early voting sites in some Black and Hispanic communities, which wasnt in the House version. But while the public and the three Democrats on the conference committee did not get to see the final wording of the bill until Saturday, a Republican on the committee claimed to have seen it four days earlier. Republican senators on the committee had received copies of the legislation as early as Tuesday, according to a tweet from State Sen. Dawn Buckingham, R-Lakeway. When the text was finally made public and Democrats on the conference committee saw it for the first time it included the 20 pages of new language that had not been vetted by the House or the Senate. A deal without Democrats On Thursday, Sen. Bryan Hughes, a Republican from northeast Texas who was the lead sponsor of the bill, told Hearst Newspapers that a deal had been struck with House Republican leaders. We have an agreement in principle, he said. But that was news to Rep. Terry Canales, a Democrat from Edinburg, who was on the conference committee and was supposed to be part of the negotiations. Im on the conference committee and this is NOT true, Canales said on Twitter when it was first reported that a deal had been struck. The lone Senate Democrat on the panel, Sen. Beverly Powell, D-Burleson, said she hadnt been given any details regarding this bill before it suddenly appeared on the Senate floor for a vote with the 20 new pages. Republicans followed that by releasing a conference committee report the next day that included signatures of the Republicans but none of the three Democrats, an unusual tactic even in the partisan Texas Legislature. A thwarted filibuster Democrats in the Texas Senate were increasingly concerned about the changes in the bill including one provision that would limit early voting on Sundays a move Democrats said was directly aimed at Souls to the Polls, a campaign to encourage Black voters to go vote as a group after church. It showed intent, said State Sen. Royce West, a Democrat from Dallas. West said by not even mentioning that provision to Democrats before publishing the bill, Republicans signaled the final weekend of the session would be anything but amicable. Democrats on Saturday huddled in the third floor of the Texas Capitol in a conference room to plan a full-out filibuster on Sunday when Senate rules dictated that the bill would be introduced for a final vote in that chamber. I thought we were ready, said State Sen. Carol Alvarado, D-Houston, who as chair of the Democratic caucus was chosen to lead the effort to stall the bill. But instead of waiting overnight, Republicans launched a pre-emptive strike. Just after 6 p.m. on Saturday a few hours after the Democrats opposing the bill had received a copy Hughes moved to suspend the Senates rule requiring a 24-hour waiting period before taking it up. State Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, said the GOP caucus didnt know the Democrats were planning a filibuster, but were determined to move up earlier to prevent any trouble on Sunday. The Democrats went ahead with their plan. It wasnt a formal filibuster, but starting at 10 p.m. the Democratic senators would talk as long as they could to slow the bill down. Sunday dawns on Democratic outrage Just after midnight, every Democrat in the Texas Senate began taking turns peppering Hughes with questions about the bill and objections to the new text and the surprise launch. The debate lasted eight hours before the Senate voted 18-13 along party lines, jamming the bill through at just after 6 a.m. State Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr., a Democrat from Cameron County who has been in the Senate since 1991, said he had never seen a debate that lasted until sunrise the next day. House members watching the Senate began poring through rule books for anything they could use against the bill. Essentially, in these final days, it seemed like that Republicans just wanted us to sit in our chairs, take our medicine and vote when it was time to vote, Martinez Fischer said. It was around 2 p.m. that Democratic members representing Black and Hispanic communities first started talking about a walkout that could halt the proceedings and kill the bill, Martinez Fischer said. At 5:30 p.m., as the House prepared to take up the legislation, Democrats called a sudden caucus meeting in the back corner of the chamber in a conference room. But they had a visitor, House Speaker Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, who went along to discuss both SB 7 and the session at large, members said. He left about a half-hour later. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas, said frustrations had mounted as Republicans introduced the bill, which was now 20 times worse than the legislation that the House had approved. Breaking quorum is an exceedingly rare obstructive tactic, and if it had been the SB 7 that left the House, we wouldnt have walked, Crockett said. By 9 p.m., Democrats were gathering their things and stepping out of the chamber. Rep. Chris Turner, D-Grand Prairie and the head of the House Democratic Caucus, gave members the final order to go at 10:35 p.m. Phelan announced what was going on shortly after they left. Today, on the second-to-last day of session, a number of members have chosen to disrupt the legislative process by abandoning the legislative chamber before our work was done, Phelan said. Patrick blamed the House Republicans for not taking up the bill sooner. Bettencourt said by not dealing with SB7 a day or two earlier, House Republicans were inviting trouble. But for Democrats, the Senate was asking for it by ignoring its own rules, adding 20 pages to the bill, and cutting out Democrats on the conference committee. With Republicans trying to move toward their nuclear option, we had to be prepared to respond in kind, Martinez Fischer said. jeremy.wallace@chron.com cayla.harris@express-news.net A national home builder wants to fill 250 vacant acres on the Southwest Side with more than 1,200 single-family homes many of which are projected to be priced at less than $265,000 and is seeking reimbursement from the city for public upgrades. Lennar Corp. is eyeing two projects in the area with a combined pricetag of more than $170 million. It wants to build 603 houses with two-car garages on nearly 130 acres at 9400 Somerset Road and across Interstate 35. The project is expected to cost upward of $77 million, Veronica Soto, director of the citys Neighborhood and Housing Services Department, recently told the Planning and Land Development Committee. And, on 122 acres west of I-35 and Fischer Road, Lennar is seeking to build 657 houses. The projects anticipated cost is $94 million, she said. At both communities, half of the houses would be priced between $225,000 and $265,000, 25 percent would be between $175,000 and $244,000 and 25 percent would be above $265,000. In April, Miami-based Lennar applied for creation of tax increment reinvestment zones for both developments and sought $44.4 million in reimbursements for public infrastructure including sewer, water and drainage work, and street and sidewalk construction. Increases in property tax revenue from land within the zone would be used to reimburse the developer for public improvements. Both the Lennar zones would have 25-year terms with the city participating at an 85 percent rate, meaning 85 percent of the increment is put into the zone funds. At the time the application was filed, the range of home prices was projected to be from $150,000 to more than $241,000. Since then, housing costs have risen about 40 percent and Lennar has adjusted its projected selling prices, Soto said. District 9 Councilman John Courage said his back-of-the-napkin calculations indicated Lennar would have a sizable potential profit with each house and asked why the company is not covering the infrastructure costs itself. City staff and John Lohr, vice president of land acquisition at Lennar, disputed Courages conclusion. Lohr said the cost of building the houses would be quite a bit above Courages calculation. While the developer requested about $44.4 million worth of reimbursements, the city estimated the company will recapture about $10 million for each community, said Ian Benavidez, assistant director of Neighborhood and Housing Services. The company has started construction on the first phase of the Somerset community, Lohr said. It typically takes from 10 to 12 months to perform horizontal work and construction would begin after that, with from 50 to 60 houses projected to be sold per year. Job growth stemming from Toyotas plant, TJX Companies Inc.s distribution center, Navistars future facility and a planned Amazon delivery station is increasing demand for housing on the South Side, he added. The lack of sewer infrastructure in the area is among the reasons theres still ample undeveloped land. At least one of the areas where a Lennar community would be built is in an opportunity zone under a program established as part of former President Donald Trumps 2017 tax overhaul. Its intended to generate investment in underserved neighborhoods. Investors and companies can get tax breaks on capital gains if they put their capital in long-term investments with the designated tracts. The program has been criticized for primarily benefiting investors instead of residents, and research has shown mixed economic conditions within some of the zones. Lennar declined to comment. The creation of both TIRZs will next go to City Council for approval. Rural land sales skyrocket People are snapping up large parcels of land in rural Texas, a surge one economist attributes in part to cabin fever caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Rural land sales in the first quarter increased 37 percent statewide from a year ago, pushing prices 9.5 percent higher to a record $3,251 per acre. Total volume reached $1.99 billion, an increase of more than 38 percent, as buyers nabbed 612,699 acres. These developments mark one of the most active times in the history of Texas land markets as urban-based buyers seek out rural retreats, said Dr. Charles Gilliland, research economist and rural land expert at the Texas Real Estate Research Center at Texas A&M University. The pandemic-inspired lockdown prompted a growing number of individuals to review their lives and seek out a more relaxed mode of living. Anecdotal reports from market participants have pointed to a desire to escape the problems faced by cities mired in political and social unrest, he added. In addition, some buyers seem to be concerned about governments ability to sustain its debt burdens. Depending on the region, the minimum acreage for a large parcel varies from about 40 acres to 500 acres, Gilliland said. Transactions in South Texas, which includes Bexar County, increased 73.5 percent but prices remained fairly steady, dropping 0.35 percent to $3,950 per acre. In a region encompassing Austin, Waco and the Hill Country, sales jumped 39.81 percent and prices increased 7.07 percent to $4,424 per acre. Activity surged 103.97 percent in West Texas, 48.34 percent in the Gulf Coast-Brazos Bottom area, 31.6 percent in northeast Texas and 17.76 percent in the panhandle and South Plains. Far West Texas was the outlier, with transactions declining 22.61 percent because of fallout from the pandemics effects on the oil and gas industry. HARTFORD A well-known community activists grandson has been identified by police as the latest person to be killed by gun violence in the city following a shooting late Monday afternoon. Lt. Aaron Boisvert on Monday identified the victim as 19-year-old Makhi Buckly of Westland Street. Buckley was shot around 3:45 p.m. in the 100 block of Amherst Street. Officers responded to the area after a 911 call about shots fired. Arriving officers found Buckley suffering from gunshot wounds. He was rushed to Hartford Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The investigation is ongoing, Boisvert said. The victim was a grandson of Carl Hardrick known in the Hartford area as Brother Carl. For decades, Hardrick has devoted his life to youth violence prevention. The Urban League of Greater Hartford has credited Hardrick with changing the lives of thousands of Hartford youth through his work. So sorry for Brother Carl, his family and their loss, said Brian Foley, a former deputy police chief in Hartford and aide to Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner James Rovella. Brother Carl is an anchor for so many. Hardrick told the Hartford Courant on Tuesday that he was working to learn more information about his grandsons death. He said the family is devastated. Praying for my close friend, mentor, and community leader Brother Carl Hardrick for the loss of his grandson Makhi last night because of gun violence, said Joe Young, vice chair of the Board of Trustees for the University of Bridgeport. Its hard to make sense of this as his lifes work has been uplifting the community, and saving lives. Please send up prayers for Brother Carl and his family during this difficult time. Anyone with information on the homicide is asked to call 860-722-TIPS. If you didnt see A Quiet Place (2018), youll be bewildered because John Krasinskis sci-fi sequel begins where the first left off. Instead of the peace and tranquility theyve sought, the Abbott family must once again run and hide from vicious extraterrestrial creatures that hunt by sound. In a prologue/flashback on Day 1, Lee Abbott (Krasinski) drives into the seemingly deserted upstate New York town of Millbrook to pick up oranges, etc. to take to a Little League game where his son Marcus (Noah Jupe) waits for his turn at bat. Suddenly, a fireball shoots through the sky. Grabbing Marcus, Lees wife Evelyn (Emily Blunt) speeds off with their newborn baby, while Lee loads their deaf teenage daughter Regan (Millicent Simmonds) into his truck. Tragedy strikes and Evelyn is left to care for the kids on her own. Day 474: Taking refuge in an abandoned steel mill with a cynical, misanthropic, despondent neighbor (Cillian Murphy), they hide in an airless but sound-proof furnace, where Evelyn deposits her infant in a portable case with a tiny oxygen mask wrapped around its head to muffle its wails. Self-reliant, resourceful Regan toting a radio, amp and microphone, plus a homemade hearing aid uses these devices to pick up a broadcast of the song Beyond the Sea, playing repeatedly. If she can locate its source, shes sure thats a clue to finding other survivors. Opening with writer/director/actor John Kraskinski thanking theatergoers for coming back to the multiplex, this is a horror/thriller that should be seen as a communal experience in that silent, darkened space. Deaf actress Millicent Simmonds delivers a pivotal performance, combining grit and vulnerability, supported by Noah Jupe, displaying terror, empathy and courage. Editor Michael P. Sawyer incessantly cuts between multiple storylines, albeit utilizing far too many jump-scares, with the sound dropping in and out, as cinematographer Polly Morgan captures the chaotic, post-apocalyptic wasteland, punctuated by Marco Beltramis anxiously pulsating score. On the Granger Gauge, A Quiet Place II is a subtly suspenseful 7, opening the door for yet another installment. Susan Granger has been an on-air television and radio commentator and entertainment critic for more than 25 years. Raised in Hollywood, Granger appeared as a child actress in movies with Abbott & Costello, Red Skelton, Lucille Ball, and Lassie. She currently resides in Westport. INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Indiana University modified its COVID-19 vaccination requirement on Tuesday, making it optional that students and employees provide proof of getting the shots as school officials changed a policy that had drawn protests from many state officials. IU said that under the revised requirement students and employees would be able to attest to their vaccination without having to provide immunization documentation as was required under the previous policy announced May 21. The university also said a form would be available Wednesday for those requesting exemptions from the vaccine requirement for medical or religious reasons. Requiring the COVID-19 vaccine for IU students, faculty and staff with appropriate exemptions continues the universitys comprehensive science and public health-driven approach to managing and mitigating the pandemic on our campuses, IU President Michael McRobbie said in a statement. Throughout the pandemic our paramount concern has been ensuring the health and safety of the IU community. This requirement will make a return to normal a reality for the fall semester. The changes come after the state attorney general issued last week a non-binding opinion that the policy was illegal under a new state law banning the state or local governments from requiring vaccine passports. The university had said vaccinations would be required before fall semester in order for students to attend classes and employees to keep their jobs. Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb had said he wouldnt block IUs requirement despite a letter from 19 Republican Indiana House members asking him to prohibit any state university from mandating vaccines that dont have full U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval. I think this will work its way out and theres more than one way to skin a cat, Holcomb told WTHR-TV on Sunday. The conversations are ongoing right now. But I dont plan on doing an executive order. Holcombs office declined additional comment Tuesday. IU said it considered responses from students, parents, faculty, staff members and state officials in making the changes to the vaccine verification policy for its some 90,000 students on seven campuses around the state. University spokesman Chuck Carney said officials had discussed the policy with the governors office and legislators up to this point and will continue to do so. That would be standard practice for us with such a significant policy decision. Nearly all Republican members of the Indiana Senate sent a letter to McRobbie last week calling IUs policy a heavy-handed mandate goes against many of the liberties on which our founders built our democratic republic. The opinion from Republican state Attorney General Todd Rokitas office said the state universities may require COVID-19 vaccinations but cant force students or employees to provide proof of immunizations. It distinguished between Indiana Universitys policy and that of Purdue University, which plans to require students and employees to either provide proof of vaccination for the fall semester or participate in frequent COVID-19 testing. The attorney generals office didnt immediately reply to a request for comment Tuesday on whether it believed the IU changes would put its policy in compliance with state law. No vaccine requirements have been implements for Ball State, Indiana State or Southern Indiana universities or Ivy Tech Community College. The Indiana Democratic Party, meanwhile, is calling the Republican opposition to IUs vaccine policy a manufactured battle. Luckily, Gov. Eric Holcomb is using common sense by stopping his extreme partisan colleagues in the Indiana General Assembly and the attorney generals office from blocking such protections from taking place, a party statement said. WASHINGTON (AP) The Justice Department said Tuesday that it has seized two domain names used in a cyberespionage campaign that targeted U.S. and foreign government agencies, think tanks and humanitarian groups. The campaign was disclosed last week by Microsoft, which linked it to the same group of Russian intelligence operatives responsible for the massive SolarWinds intrusion that breached federal agencies and private corporations. The company said over the weekend that it was still not seeing evidence of any significant number of compromised organizations at this time." The White House on Friday similarly downplayed the cyber assault as basic phishing, in which hackers use malware-laden emails to access networks, and said U.S. agencies had largely fended it off. Still, officials say the U.S. government's action on Friday was aimed at preventing any further exploitation of victims, though the Justice Department also warned that the hackers may have used additional backdoor accesses to get into networks between when the hacking first began and the time that the domains were seized. Last weeks action is a continued demonstration of the departments commitment to proactively disrupt hacking activity prior to the conclusion of a criminal investigation, Assistant Attorney General John Demers, the Justice Departments top national security official, said in a statement. He said the department would "continue to evaluate all possible opportunities to use our unique authorities to act against such threats. In the case disclosed last week, hackers gained access to an email marketing account of the U.S. Agency for International Development, and masquerading as the government body, targeted about 3,000 email accounts at more than 150 different organizations. The company did not say what portion of the attempts may have led to successful intrusions but said that most were blocked by automated systems that marked them as spam. _____ Follow Eric Tucker on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/etuckerAP Five years ago the Haywards began growing blocks of nectar rich wildflowers which have helped to boost bee numbers and grow their high-end pork brand. Dingley Dell Pork was created by brothers Mark and Paul Hayward in 1999 with the aim of producing high quality pork as a way of bringing stability to their business during what was a financially challenging period for the sector. Since then, the Suffolk business has gone on to develop a unique, heavily marbled, pork that is popular within high-end restaurants across the world. Marks daughter Grace is now heavily involved in the business and has played a key role in strengthening the brand in recent years. When my dad and uncle first created Dingley Dell it was primarily because they wanted to make themselves, as the producer, a more important player in the supply chain at a time when selling pork commercially was very difficult, she said. Initially they sold into retail, but they quickly realised that they were competing against a large number of products and were producing at a higher cost because their animals were kept outdoors. They built a strong relationship with catering butcher and food processor, Direct Meats, and the bulk of their animals now go into restaurants as a high-end product. Grace said: They decided that there was potential for Dingley Dell to become the go to brand for top chefs, and this has proven ideal for the business because it gives more power to us as a producer by cutting out the middle man. This means that it is beneficial for our business to focus on the quality of the meat, the welfare, and conservation because it is not just about us maximising our output. Boosting bee populations As a result, around five years ago the Haywards began planting wildflower mixes across their farm in an attempt to boost bee populations and wider biodiversity. Grace said: Bee numbers are decreasing year on year and they are suffering particularly from a problem called the June gap, because there is a real shortage of nectar rich species that flower during that month. Grace is heavily involved in the farm and has played a key role in strengthening the brand "So, the primary aim of our project has been to ensure that there is an abundance of nectar available for bees at that time of year. The family did a lot of research into what species would support bees the best and have mainly been planting mixes that are thick with a plant called phacelia, which flowers during the June gap. We plant 83 acres of these nectar rich mixes around the farm each year, Grace explained. We have developed a rotational system where we move the pigs onto land where the flowers have just died off and then drill the mix in behind where the pigs have just moved from. Grace said that the results have been plain to see: Last summer we did a bee count to see how successful the project has been and found that we had over a million bees on the site in one day, which is considerably more than we were expecting. The focus on bees is something that we would like to see other farmers getting involved in, but it is about changing the mindset, even just small strips around headlands can make a real difference. This is all part of a joined up approach to the environment around the farm: "Bees are our signature creature, but it is all part of a holistic approach," she added. "For example, when the seeds die off we get huge numbers of swifts coming in, so what we are doing for the bees has a knock-on effect on the rest of the environment. The focus on bees is something that the family would like to see other farmers getting involved in A unique product As part of growing the Dingley Dell brand, the Haywards have been developing a type of pork that has high levels of marbled fat. In beef, marbling is a really big thing that chefs are looking for, so we saw an opportunity to bring that to the pork sector," Grace said. We teamed up with a meat scientist and now scan each live animal, rating them on a marbling scale, so that we can breed the most heavily marbled males and females together. "This means that our levels of marbling increase each year, so much so that the Red Durocs we farm have now developed into their own breed recognised by Defra, called the Suffolk Red. The unique nature of Dingley Dells marbled pork has enabled them to push into new markets. We operate nationwide, and a lot of our meat goes into London, but we also export to 21 countries across the world, Grace explained. It began with my Dad and Uncle going to a trade show in Hong Kong a number of years ago and from there it really snowballed. The unique nature of Dingley Dells marbled pork has enabled them to push into new markets "Our product is so unusual, in a similar way to Wagyu beef, that it really stands out, and because chefs talk to each other a lot, once your name is out there it can spread quite quickly." The Covid impact With so much of their business going into the food service sector, the Haywards were forced to adapt when the pandemic hit and hospitality ground to a halt. Grace said: We had to adapt quite drastically to realign our business back to retail, but now that things are opening up again we are hopefully going to see a really strong summer for both sides of our business. The family have also started making cured meats: Just before the pandemic hit we had completed a new factory full of Italian machinery to launch a new charcuterie range. "Our market for that in catering disappeared overnight and we launched an online store called Dingley Dell Cured in June 2020 to make the most of our new facility and sell direct to the consumer, Grace said. In the future we can see a lot of uncovered potential in the charcuterie range, and we have just taken on a new member of staff who is an expert in that sector to really push those products into restaurants and hospitality. "With the rest of our pork range we want to continue to expand our export base and become a brand that is renowned across the globe, whilst farming in a sustainable manner. HYDERABAD: Though the state has witnessed a slight reduction in the number of new admissions of black fungus patients, it does not mean there is a respite, opined ENT specialists in the city. The number of Covid-19 recovered patients suffering from black fungus continues to be high and admissions in city hospitals are mostly from districts. The patients are from the age-group of 30 to 50 years and the maximum of those who are suffering from the disease are males. Dr Janardhan Rao Jagini, head of the department and consultant ENT surgeon at the Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) Hospital, Secunderabad, says, Patients are still coming with pain in the cheek, discoloration of the eyeballs and also invasion in the palate. We now have to give them amphotericin B in hospital setup only according to the new rules. For this reason, the stay of the patient is 15 days and they have to be monitored for reactions of medicines." Apart from surgical interventions, amphotericin B and Posaconazole are being administered via injections only for better outcomes. Serious patients require monitoring of kidney, liver and heart functions also. The Government ENT Hospital has completed a total of 370 surgeries of which 198 were on male patients and 172 females. Most of the patients had involvement in the eyes, nose and jaws region. There are a total of 281 in-patients and there were 32 new admissions on Monday. Doctors say that there are admissions late at night also as some patients who are coming from far flung districts are reaching after 6 pm to the hospital. The night shelter outside the hospital has been set up for that reason. There are also doctors from the emergency section to attend to those who come late at night, said senior doctors at the ENT Hospital. There are 250 patients in Gandhi Hospital of which 100 have undergone surgeries in the last one week. Meanwhile, the Central government has allotted 1,200 vials of amphotericin B to the state. There is a need to judiciously use these medicines, stated senior health officials, adding that the dispensation is only to hospitals based on reports of the patient. A senior ENT doctor in a multi-speciality hospital says, "I have 30 patients and require 150 vials per day. It is tedious but there is no option right now for us and the patients attendants. There are also alternative injections used in hospitals set up after the first line of treatment is completed." Amphotericin B Emulsion will be available in the market by next week, according to Celon Laboratories Private Limited. The drug will be supplied to hospitals and is being priced at Rs 4,000 to Rs 4,500 per vial. Experts state that they will see a rush of black fungus cases till June as more and more patients recover from Covid-19. A charity supporting people in Scottish agriculture has been left a 3 million estate in the legacy of an Aberdeenshire farmer. The vast estate was gifted to RSABI by Marykirk farmer Sheila Erskine with the wish to help the farming community. The charity currently spends around 1m annually on providing a service for hundreds of people who are struggling. But since the start of the pandemic last year, it has seen a reduction in its annual investment income of around 86,000. RSABIs chair David Leggat said the gift was 'incredibly humbling': Were all moved by Sheilas generosity and her choice to help RSABI support people in Scottish agriculture with this legacy. This amazing gift not only gives the charity financial security for a number of years, it will also enable us to support more people. "Were always looking at ways to improve our services and these funds will help us do even more on this, he said. Plans for the legacy funds will be to provide an annual income for the charity 'for many years to come'. Some funds will also be allocated to the RSABI's Crisis Fund to enable them to ramp up support to the industry in the case of future crises. The charity's finance manager and company secretary Harry Seran explained more about the positive impact the legacy would have. This extremely generous legacy helps secure the future of our support in the medium-term," he said. We are lucky to have reserves, which have been crucial in enabling us to expand our services in recent years and to weather difficult times like the pandemic. After the turmoil of 2020 weve seen a reduction in our annual investment income of around 86,000, with no sign of recovery for the 2021 financial year. Dividends from the investment of this legacy will be an important source of income for the charity in the years to come. The annual religious service to honor the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. was held Monday at Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Warrenton. Now in its 32nd year, the celebration is usually held on the January federal holiday honoring King, but was delayed this year because of concerns around the pandemic. COVID thought it had the victory. Amen? Mount Zion Pastor Keith McCullough told the small crowd gathered in the church (in-person attendance was restricted due to public health protocols) and those watching the livestream online. But just like oppression couldnt keep the Rev. King down, a pandemic cant keep us down. The keynote speaker, Pastor Tyrone Green of Hearts Delight Baptist Church in Catlett, and others focused on Christianitys role in pursuing unity daily, the events theme. We are Christians, preached Green to applause and shouts of amen! We are not Black or white. There is no color. We are saved by the blood of Christ. Added McCullough: We recognize we are all connected by our creator. We are all created in the image of God. We must remember this. Mount Zion Deaconess Paulette Garner read a poem she wrote for the occasion. Years of oppressive systems, the misery of poverty and the suffering of lack conjure up the image of Atlas with the globe on his back, the poem says. Hope seems small, fragile and weak. Unitys prospects seem bleak. But a remnant clings to hope, willing to protest, stand up and speak. Green, who also serves as a chaplain with the Fauquier County Sheriffs Office, challenged listeners to address racial injustice using the Christian faith as their foundation. I am the great, great grandson of a slave. And I am a slave. But let me clarify: I am a slave for Jesus Christ. Green challenged Christians to have courage to stand up to injustice, even when its inconvenient or not culturally popular to do so. You can do nothing without courage, he said. Noting ongoing racial disparities in health outcomes and the disproportional impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Black Americans in particular and incarceration rates, Green said: It is the church that blessed slavery. It was the church that blessed segregation. He urged Christians to address current issues of what he described as systemic racial prejudice in the United States. Green also decried what he described as certain factions of Christianity becoming associated with political parties in the present day. The church of Jesus Christ doesnt have a party, he preached. He was hopeful, however. He referenced the 1976 novel Roots, which chronicles a fictional story of a Black African man being captured and sold into slavery in Virginia, eventually starting a new life as a free man after the Civil War. Green turned to the audience. If there were a part two to Roots, it would show you. You have overcome. As he has for more than three decades, the Rev. L.A. Montgomery of Mount Moriah Baptist Church in Amissville led the community choir assembled annually for the event, performing rousing spirituals like Lift Every Voice and Sing and We Shall Overcome. Video of the service is posted on Mount Zions Facebook page. Reach Coy Ferrell at cferrell@fauquier.com 2021 Martin Luther King Jr. Awards Each year, a committee selects local individuals or organizations for particularly outstanding service to the community in five categories. This years award recipients are: Business: Peter Beale Peter Beale Community Service: The Rev. Vinicent Holland The Rev. Vinicent Holland Education: Melissa Bland Melissa Bland Political action: Hearts Delight Baptist Church in Catlett and its pastor, the Rev. Tyrone Green Hearts Delight Baptist Church in Catlett and its pastor, the Rev. Tyrone Green Religion: The Rev. Verdice Stribling, pastor of Beulah Baptist Church in Broad Run Related coverage: How to vote in the Democratic primary Voters will choose the Democratic Party candidates for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and House of Delegates in an open primary election on Tuesday, June 8. Because Virginia does not register voters by party, any registered voter is eligible to cast a ballot in the primary. The countys 20 precinct polling places will be open June 8 from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eligible voters must bring an acceptable form of identification with them to cast a ballot. Alternatively, eligible voters may choose to cast an absentee ballot. Under a law passed by the state legislature before the pandemic, eligible voters no longer need an excuse to cast an absentee ballot. The absentee voting period for the Democratic primary began April 23 and will continue through Saturday, June 5. Registered voters who wish to cast an absentee ballot between now and primary Election Day may do so in person at the Fauquier County Office of the General Registrar located at 528 Waterloo Road Suite 200, in Warrenton. The office is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (excluding holidays) and will be open Saturday, June 5 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. As of Tuesday morning, 230 Fauquier County residents had cast an absentee ballot in person at the registrars office. Another 399 had returned completed ballots by mail, with a total of 826 Fauquier residents having requested ballots be sent to them by mail. During the 2017 Democratic gubernatorial primary, a total of 3,495 Fauquier residents voted. Eligible Fauquier residents who requested an absentee ballot be sent to them by mail may return their completed ballots either by mail or by returning them directly to the registrars office through June 5, or to a regular precinct polling place on June 8. Ballots returned by mail must be postmarked on or before June 8 and received by June 11 to be counted. All registered voters in Virginia are eligible to cast a ballot to decide the partys nominees for statewide office. Additionally, voters who live in the 31st House of Delegates District, which includes portions of Fauquier and Prince William counties, may cast a ballot in the Democratic primary for that seat. Eligible citizens may register to vote, check their registration status, find their polling place, apply for an absentee ballot and check the status of their absentee ballot at vote.elections.virginia.gov. Specific questions from Fauquier County residents should be addressed to the countys registrars office. The office may be reached by phone at 540-422-8290. If not already registered to vote, an individual must have registered by by Monday, May 17 to be eligible to cast a ballot in the primary; additionally, no changes to a voters registration for instance, their address may be made after this deadline. Only U.S. citizens who will be 18 years old or older on Nov. 2, 2021 (the day of this years general election) are eligible to vote this year. Residents may check their registration status at vote.elections.virginia.gov or by calling the registrars office at 540-422-8290. Republican candidates for statewide office were chosen last month at a party-run unassembled convention, with delegates screened by local GOP committees casting ballots at about three dozen drive-thru locations around the state. Glenn Youngkin is the Republican nominee for governor, Winsome Sears is on the ticket for lieutenant governor and Jason Miyares will run for attorney general under the GOP banner. Category Select Category Apparel/Garments Textiles Fashion Technical Textiles Information Technology E-commerce Retail Corporate Association Press Release SubCategory Select Sub-Category Jacqueline Fernandez has had a pretty busy year. The actress was shooting for films like Bhoot Police, Cirkus and Bachchan Pandey when the second wave of COVID-19 hit. Jacqueline is also a part of Ram Setu where she stars along with Akshay Kumar and Nushrratt Bharuccha. Akshay Kumar had also tested positive for the coronavirus and reportedly so did a few crew members. Like most actors, Jacquelines schedule too has been thrown off the track, thanks to the pandemic and the lockdown. I think in 2020, the outbreak of the virus shocked everyone. This time around, while we were under-prepared for the second wave, people came out in large numbers to actively help those in distress," the actress told ETimes. Jacqueline also shares that her parents are concerned for her well-being and want her back home. My friends from Sri Lanka and my parents, who live in Bahrain, watch the news and panic when they see the situation in India. My parents desperately want me to live with them in Bahrain even my uncles and cousins in Sri Lanka are asking me to come and stay with them. However, I am pretty intent on staying put here and continuing the work I am doing," she said. The filing will enable Plurilock to raise up to $50 million in growth capital Victoria, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 31, 2021) - Plurilock Security Inc. (TSXV: PLUR) (OTCQB: PLCKF) ("Plurilock" or the "Company"), an identity-centric cybersecurity solution provider for workforces, announced today it has filed and obtained a receipt for its final short form base shelf prospectus (the "Shelf Prospectus"). The Shelf Prospectus was filed with securities regulators in each of the provinces and territories of Canada, other than Quebec. The Shelf Prospectus will enable Plurilock to offer, issue and sell up to $50 million of common shares, warrants, subscription receipts, debt securities and units or a combination thereof from time to time, separately or together, in amounts, at prices and on terms to be determined based on market conditions at the time of the offering and as set out in an accompanying prospectus supplement, during the next 25 months. The net proceeds from any offerings under the Shelf Prospectus may be used unless otherwise specified in the prospectus supplement relating to a particular offering of securities, for general corporate purposes, capital projects, internal expansion, or for the acquisition of other businesses, assets, or securities by the Company or one of its subsidiaries. The terms of such future offerings, if any, will be established at the time of such offerings. At the time any of the securities covered by the Shelf Prospectus are offered for sale, a prospectus supplement containing specific information about the terms of any such offering will be filed with applicable Canadian securities regulators. A copy of the Shelf Prospectus can be found on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. About Plurilock Plurilock provides identity-centric cybersecurity for today's workforces. Plurilock offers world-class cybersecurity solutions paired with AI-driven, cloud-friendly security technologies that deliver persistent identity assurance with unmatched ease of use. The Plurilock family of companies enables organizations to operate safely and securely-while reducing cybersecurity friction. For more information, visit https://www.plurilock.com or contact: Ian L. Paterson Chief Executive Officer ian@plurilock.com 416.800.1566 Roland Sartorius Chief Financial Officer roland.sartorius@plurilock.com Prit Singh Investor Relations prit.singh@plurilock.com 905.510.7636 Forward-Looking Statements This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") which relate to future events or Plurilock's future business, operations, and financial performance and condition. Forward-looking statements normally contain words like "will", "intend", "anticipate", "could", "should", "may", "might", "expect", "estimate", "forecast", "plan", "potential", "project", "assume", "contemplate", "believe", "shall", "scheduled", and similar terms. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, actions, or developments and are based on expectations, assumptions, and other factors that management currently believes are relevant, reasonable, and appropriate in the circumstances. Although management believes that the forward-looking statements herein are reasonable, actual results could be substantially different due to the risks and uncertainties associated with and inherent to Plurilock's business. Additional material risks and uncertainties applicable to the forward-looking statements herein include, without limitation, impact of general economic conditions, success of the Company in obtaining new or extended contracts or orders; the Company's ability to maintain existing customers or develop new customers; the Company's ability to successfully integrate acquisitions of other businesses and/or companies or to realize on the anticipated benefits thereof; and unforeseen events, developments, or factors causing any of the aforesaid expectations, assumptions, and other factors ultimately being inaccurate or irrelevant. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect the Company's forward-looking statements. Many of these factors are beyond the control of Plurilock. All forward-looking statements included in this press release are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as at the date hereof, and Plurilock undertakes no obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable securities laws. Risks and uncertainties about the Company's business are more fully discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in its most recent Annual Information Form and are otherwise disclosed in its filings with securities regulatory authorities, which are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/85944 Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh seems to be heading for a health crisis with nearly 5,000 medical students gearing up to boycott all duties including Covid care in protest against an inordinate delay in stipend hike. Already 300 senior residents along with over 800 final year PG have served a strike notice on the government and others are expected to join them. Their list of demands include: hike in stipend to senior residents to Rs 80,000 with retrospective effect from January, 2020; TDS waiver on stipend; and, incentives for Covid duty, especially for ground-level medicos like interns, postgraduates and senior residents. The contention of senior residents is that they are getting just a monthly stipend of Rs 45,000. Even though it is mandatory to hike it every two years, the hike has been kept pending since January 2020. They say this is resulting in getting less stipend than their junior postgraduates. They claim the neighbouring Telangana state is paying Rs 80,500 as stipend to the senior residents and other states like Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are providing Covid incentives, while AIIMS is offering Rs 1.05 lakh as stipend to the senior residents. They say that though they submitted several representations to the health authorities since November 2019 for hike in their stipend and other incentives, there had been no response. AP Senior Resident Doctor Association president Dr Ravi Banoth said, As the state health authorities are not responding to our long-pending demand for hike in stipend and sanction of Covid incentives, we are forced to boycott all our duties by alerting the authorities concerned in advance to make alternate arrangements. As CM Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy appreciated the healthcare workers for Covid care recently and wanted any issues to be taken to his notice, we want to meet CM and apprise him of our problems. We have confidence that he would resolve them. We have no intention to trouble the patients. Meanwhile, junior doctors including the PG first, second and final year students and house surgeons are also getting ready to boycott all duties with the same demands. They say that the first year students are getting a monthly stipend of Rs 48,000, second year Rs 46,500, final years Rs 44,075 and house surgeons Rs 18,000. Though they received a communication from the office of director of medical education to consider them for senior residentship, there was no mention about hike in stipend. AP Junior Doctors Association president Dr Rahul Roy said, We are also going to boycott all duties along with senior residents for hike in stipend and other incentives if the health authorities fail to respond to our pleas. The state government relies upon the services of junior doctors and senior residents for providing all health care including Covid treatment. Senior doctors take care of critical cases and any strike will have a major impact on the entire health care in the state at a time when the caseload of Covid cases is showing a gradual dip and vaccination is going on at a brisk pace. Gross Revenue of $4.40 Million and Cash Cost of US1,315/Oz VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 31, 2021for full financial results). President and CEO Cathy Zhai commented: "Q3 sets a milestone with Monument restructuring its asset portfolio to focus on gold development and production by spinning off the Mengapur base metal project. The proceeds of $30M has been received to advance gold portfolio. The market has reacted favorably to this move with trading volumes lifted in 2021 and the market capitalization raised significantly." Ms. Zhai continued: "The flotation construction at Selinsing was accelerated in the Q3 to place the sulphide project into production. In transition the oxide plant continues to process the leachable gold. It is exposed to the risk of bearing higher cash cost and AISC from time to time as reported in the current quarter. Peranggih oxide mineralized materials may help to improve profit margin. However, there is no guarantee to sustain positive cash flow especially when the mine shuts down due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. At Murchison work continued to optimize regional exploration targets as part of an extensive two-year exploration program, with the goal to turn Murchison into a cornerstone project for Monument. We will keep the market updated as practical as we can." Third Quarter Highlights: 2,523 ounces ("oz") of gold sold for $4.40 million (Q3 2020: 7,323oz for $11.62 million); Average quarterly gold price realized at $1,830/oz (Q3 2020: $1,604/oz); Cash cost per ounce sold was $1,315/oz (Q3 2020: $892/oz); Gross margin decreased by 79% to $1.08 million (Q3 2020: $5.08 million); 1,977oz of gold produced (Q3 2020: 5,369oz); All-in sustaining cost ("AISC") increased to $1,509/oz (Q3 2020: $1,070/oz); Two stage Selinsing plant expansion initiated with flotation plant phase; Restructure assets portfolio spinning off Mengapur base metal project. Production Analysis Three months ended Nine months ended March 31, 2021 March 31, 2021 March 31, 2021 March 31, 2021 Operating Results Unit Ore mined t 161,805 85,691 355,454 220,743 Waste removed t 930,216 780,935 2,952,235 2,424,213 Stripping ratio 5.75 9.11 8.31 10.98 Ore stockpiled t 122,495 137,442 122,495 137,442 Ore processed t 165,361 157,413 484,629 606,742 Average ore head grade g/t Au 0.72 1.49 0.86 1.12 Process recovery rate % 57.5 76.2 60.2 71.3 Gold recovery oz 2,210 5,746 8,113 15,529 Gold production oz 1,977 5,369 8,444 15,048 Gold sold oz 2,523 7,323 9,377 16,119 Q3 2021 gold production of 1,977oz, a 63% decrease as compared to 5,369oz for Q3 2020. The decrease mainly resulted from a large quantity of super low-grade ore with lower leachability being fed into the mill and triggered lower recoveries. Q3 2021 ore processed increased to 165,361t from 157,413t for Q3 2020. The increased mill feed was mainly due to increased ore supply from transitional leachable sulphide ore from Selinsing, Peranggih oxide material, and super-low-grade oxide ore from Selinsing, while the same quarter last year was affected by the Malaysia Movement Control Order suspension for two weeks from the Covid-19 pandemic. Average mill feed grade was 0.72g/t Au as compared to 1.49g/t Au of Q3 2020. Q3 2021 processing recovery rate decreased to 57.5% from 76.2% for Q3 2020. The decrease in processing recovery rate was mainly due to lower recoveries obtained from processing low-grade leachable sulphide ore from Selinsing and Peranggih oxide material. Q3 2021 cash cost per ounce increased by 47% to $1,315/oz from $892/oz for Q3 2020. This increase was primarily due to a significant reduction in the mill feed grade from 1.49g/t Au to 0.72g/t Au and a decrease in recovery to 57.5% (Q3 2020: 76.2%) as a result of processing significantly more low-grade leachable sulphide ore and low-grade Peranggih material. Ore stockpile has reduced mainly due to adverse impact from shortage of explosive supply resulting in a lower mining rate that has yet to be caught up. The Covid-19 pandemic has not helped in achieving the target. The Company has devoted its effort to improve the stockpile balance. Financial Analysis Three months ended Nine months ended March 31, 2021 March 31, 2021 March 31, 2021 March 31, 2021 Financial results Unit Gold sales US $'000 4,397 11,618 17,151 24,567 Gross margin US $'000 1,079 5,081 6,832 10,294 Weighted average gold price London Fix PM US $/oz 1,837 1,609 1,885 1,538 Monument realized US $/oz 1,830 1,604 1,884 1,539 Cash costs per ounce sold Total cash cost per ounce US $/oz 1,315 892 1,100 886 All-in sustaining costs per ounce Total all-in sustaining cost per ounce US $/oz 1,509 1,070 1,356 1,112 Q3 2021 gold sales generated revenue was $4.40 million as compared to $11.62 million from Q3 2020. Gold sales revenue was derived from the sale of 2,523oz (Q3 2020: 7,323oz) of gold at an average realized gold price of $1,830 per ounce (Q3 2020: $1,604 per ounce) and the delivery of 723 oz (Q3 2020: 723oz) in fulfilling gold prepaid obligations at an average London Fix PM gold price of $1,525 per ounce (Q3 2020: $1,429 per ounce). Q3 2021 total production costs decreased by 49% to $3.32 million as compared to $6.54 million from Q3 2020. Cash cost per ounce increased by 47% to $1,315/oz as compared to $892/oz of the same period last year. The increase was attributable to a 52% decrease in the mill feed grade from 1.49g/t to 0.72g/t and a decrease in recovery to 57.5% (Q3 2020: 76.2%) as a result of processing significantly more leachable sulphide ore and other low recovery ores. Gross margin for Q3 2021 was $1.08 million before operation expenses and non-cash amortization and accretion. That represented a 79% decrease as compared to $5.08 million from Q3 2020. The decrease in gross margin was attributable to lower volume of gold sold and increased cash costs offset by an increase in a higher average realized gold price. Net loss for Q3 2021 was $96.10 million, or ($0.30) per share as compared to net gain of $1.87 million or $0.01 per share from Q3 2020. The net loss was mainly caused by the impairment of the Mengapur assets to the value that will be realized when the sale of the Mengapur project is completed. Cash and cash equivalents balance as at March 31, 2021 was $7.98 million, a decrease of $2.14 million from the balance at June 30, 2020 of $10.12 million. As at March 31, 2021, the Company had positive working capital of $50.64 million as compared to that at June 30, 2020 of $18.79 million. Development Selinsing Gold Mine During the third quarter, the Selinsing gold mine prioritized flotation plant construction as the first phase of the sulphide gold production project. Orway Mineral Consultants (WA) Pty Ltd. was engaged to optimize flotation conceptual design based on the feasibility study work completed in January 2019 in order to produce saleable gold concentrates. On site laboratory continued testwork at bioleach inoculum adaptation and propagation stage on flotation concentrate. Subsequent to the quarter, testwork was completed by Orway in May pending final report to be issued. Testwork on external concentrates continued through the current oxide processing plant. Murchison Gold Project Development work at Murchison focused on optimizing regional exploration targets and assessing the opportunity for early production. The mine plan was completed by management and the independent review conducted by SRK has been received in May with recommendations. It is under review by management and the board. The scope of the SRK review had been extended to cover geotechnics, hydrology, environmental compliance, as well as resource modelling, mining optimization and scheduling, and metallurgical recoveries. Exploration Progress Malaysia At Selinsing, an RC drilling program was completed which consisted of 1,128m over 19 holes at Pits 4, 5, and 6. A total of 1,051 samples were collected. The drill program aimed to identify mineralization areas with average grades that can be mined economically in the short run. Once those areas are defined, materials will be mined to feed into the processing plant. At Peranggih, during the quarter, 19,033m of closed-spaced, 5x5m shallow GC holes with a maximum depth of 10m were drilled to infill the existing gap and extend the coverage of the surface mineralization along the 540m strike length. Western Australia The Company commenced work on a 2-year extensive exploration strategy and budget, aiming to add significant additional resources to the current resource base. The strategy will involve testing down dip of high-grade mineralization underneath existing pits as well as test some of the high priority regional targets through greenfield exploration of the land package at Burnakura and Gabanintha targeting the discovery of shallow stand alone or satellite gold deposits. Field work permitting activities had commenced with ground preparation activities underway to facilitate deployment of the AC rig to site as it becomes available. Mengapur Transaction During the quarter, on January 8, 2021, Monument entered into a definitive Purchase and Sale Agreement with Fortress Minerals Limited ("Fortress") to sell to Fortress 100% of the shares in Monument Mengapur Sdn Bhd ("MMSB"). On the same date, Monument also entered into a royalty agreement with Fortress and a supplemental escrow agreement with Fortress and Madison Pacific PTE. Limited. The sale of Mengapur was closed subsequent to the end of Q3, and Monument received US$30.00 million cash consideration, and is also entitled to a royalty of 1.25% of gross revenue on all products produced at the Mengapur Project. Covid-19 Update Subsequent to the quarter, the mine has been temporarily shut-down for two weeks from May 18th to May 28th, 2021, as a result of positive Covid-19 cases and resumed with no more positive case being tested. A new movement control order was announced in Malaysia national wide due to rising Covid-19 cases to new high, including constraining manufactory activities to essential services only from June 1st to June 14th, 2021, during which Selinsing Gold Mine will maintain a 10% workforce only at the mine site for essential services. The Company is continuously monitoring the situation and implementing the Company's standard operating procedures for the Covid-19 pandemic. About Monument Monument Mining Limited (TSX-V: MMY, FSE:D7Q1) is an established Canadian gold producer that owns and operates the Selinsing Gold Mine in Malaysia. Its experienced management team is committed to growth and is also advancing the Murchison Gold Projects comprising Burnakura, Gabanintha and Tuckanarra JV (20% interest) in the Murchison area of Western Australia. The Company employs approximately 200 people in both regions and is committed to the highest standards of environmental management, social responsibility, and health and safety for its employees and neighboring communities. Cathy Zhai, President and CEO Monument Mining Limited Suite 1580 -1100 Melville Street Vancouver, BC V6E 4A6 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION visit the company web site at www.monumentmining.com or contact: Richard Cushing, MMY Vancouver T: +1-604-638-1661 x102 rcushing@monumentmining.com "Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release." Forward-Looking Statement This news release includes statements containing forward-looking information about Monument, its business and future plans ("forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements are statements that involve expectations, plans, objectives or future events that are not historical facts and include the Company's plans with respect to its mineral projects and the timing and results of proposed programs and events referred to in this news release. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". The forward-looking statements in this news release are subject to various risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These risks and certain other factors include, without limitation: risks related to general business, economic, competitive, geopolitical and social uncertainties; uncertainties regarding the results of current exploration activities; uncertainties in the progress and timing of development activities; foreign operations risks; other risks inherent in the mining industry and other risks described in the management discussion and analysis of the Company and the technical reports on the Company's projects, all of which are available under the profile of the Company on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Material factors and assumptions used to develop forward-looking statements in this news release include: expectations regarding the estimated cash cost per ounce of gold production and the estimated cash flows which may be generated from the operations, general economic factors and other factors that may be beyond the control of Monument; assumptions and expectations regarding the results of exploration on the Company's projects; assumptions regarding the future price of gold of other minerals; the timing and amount of estimated future production; the expected timing and results of development and exploration activities; costs of future activities; capital and operating expenditures; success of exploration activities; mining or processing issues; exchange rates; and all of the factors and assumptions described in the management discussion and analysis of the Company and the technical reports on the Company's projects, all of which are available under the profile of the Company on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 31, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. ("Fortuna" or the "Company") (NYSE: FSM) (TSX: FVI) and Roxgold Inc. ("Roxgold") (TSX: ROXG) (OTCQX: ROGFF) have each filed and commenced mailing the management information circulars and related meeting materials for their respective shareholder meetings to be held on Monday, June 28, 2021 in connection with the proposed business combination between Fortuna and Roxgold announced on April 26, 2021, (the "Transaction"), as well as annual general meeting matters. To proactively deal with the ongoing public impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and to mitigate risks to the health and safety of communities, shareholders, employees, directors and other stakeholders, the respective shareholder meetings will be held in a virtual-only format conducted by live audio webcast. Registered Fortuna shareholders and Roxgold shareholders, regardless of their geographic location, will have an equal opportunity to participate in the applicable shareholder meeting. In connection with the Transaction, and in accordance with the interim order of the Supreme Court of British Columbia granted on May 25, 2021, Roxgold will hold a special meeting of Roxgold shareholders (the "Roxgold Special Meeting") on June 28, 2021 at 9:00 a.m. (Pacific time) to seek approval of the Transaction, the details of which are set forth in Roxgold's management information circular (the "Roxgold Circular") dated May 26, 2021. The Roxgold Special Meeting will be held in a virtual-only format via live audio webcast at https://web.lumiagm.com/205515857, password "roxgoldspecial2021" (case sensitive). Shareholders will not be able to attend the Roxgold Special Meeting physically. At the Roxgold Special Meeting, registered Roxgold shareholders and duly appointed proxyholders will be able to participate, ask questions and vote in "real time" through the online portal. Fortuna will hold an annual and special meeting of Fortuna shareholders (the "Fortuna Meeting") on June 28, 2021 at 9:00 a.m. (Pacific time) at which Fortuna shareholders will be asked to approve, among other things, the issuance (the "Share Issuance") of common shares of Fortuna ("Fortuna Shares") in exchange for common shares of Roxgold ("Roxgold Shares"). The details of all matters proposed to be put before the Fortuna shareholders at the Fortuna Meeting are set forth in Fortuna's management information circular (the "Fortuna Circular") dated May 26, 2021. The Fortuna Meeting will be held in a virtual-only format via live audio webcast at https://web.lumiagm.com/208799817, passcode "fortuna2021" (case sensitive). Shareholders will not be able to attend the Fortuna Meeting physically. Registered Fortuna shareholders and duly appointed proxyholders can attend the Fortuna Meeting online, where they can participate, vote, and submit questions. Fortuna is also pleased to announce that upon completion of the Transaction, it is anticipated that Kate Harcourt, a current director of Roxgold, will be appointed to the board of directors of the combined company. Ms. Harcourt has indicated her willingness to be appointed as a director at such time and Fortuna looks forward to welcoming her to the board of the combined company. Under the terms of the Transaction, Fortuna will acquire all the issued and outstanding Roxgold Shares pursuant to a plan of arrangement under the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia). In exchange, Roxgold shareholders will receive 0.283 Fortuna Shares and C$0.001 for each Roxgold Share held. Upon completion of the Transaction, Roxgold will be a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fortuna and existing Fortuna shareholders and former Roxgold shareholders will own approximately 63.6% and 36.4% of the pro forma company, respectively. Mailing of the Fortuna Circular and the Roxgold Circular and related meeting materials has commenced and shareholders of Fortuna and Roxgold should expect to receive their respective meeting materials shortly. In the meantime, Fortuna's meeting materials can be downloaded from Fortuna's website at https://fortunasilver.com/investors/agm-materials/ (https://fortunasilver.com/investors/agm-materials/). Roxgold's meeting materials can be downloaded from Roxgold's website at www.roxgold.com (http://www.roxgold.com). In addition, each company's meeting materials can be accessed from their respective company profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com (http://www.sedar.com). Board of Directors' Recommendations The Transaction has been unanimously approved by the boards of directors of each of Fortuna and Roxgold, following, in the case of Roxgold, the unanimous recommendation of a special committee of independent directors. Both boards of directors unanimously recommend that their respective shareholders vote in favour of (i) the Share Issuance, in the case of the Fortuna Meeting and (ii) the Transaction, in the case of the Roxgold Special Meeting. In connection with the Transaction, officers and directors of Roxgold collectively holding 3.52% of the total Roxgold Shares have entered into voting support agreements with Fortuna, pursuant to which they have agreed, among other things, to vote their Roxgold Shares in favour of the Transaction. Appian Natural Resources Fund, Roxgold's largest shareholder which at April 26, 2021 (the date the Transaction was announced), controlled 13.2% of the issued and outstanding Roxgold Shares, has also provided its support in favour of the Transaction. In addition, officers and directors of Fortuna collectively holding 1.6% of the total Fortuna Shares have entered into voting support agreements with Roxgold pursuant to which they have agreed, among other things, to vote their Fortuna Shares in favour of the Share Issuance. Subject to obtaining shareholder approval to the Share Issuance and the Transaction at the Fortuna Meeting and Roxgold Special Meeting, respectively, and satisfaction of the other conditions to completion of the Transaction, including final approval of the Court, all as more particular described in the Fortuna Circular and the Roxgold Circular, the Transaction is expected to close in early July 2021. To be effective, the Share Issuance must be approved by a simple majority of the votes cast on such resolution by Fortuna shareholders present (virtually) or represented by proxy at the Fortuna Meeting. In addition, the Transaction must be approved by (i) at least 66 ?% of the votes cast on such resolution by the Roxgold shareholders present (virtually) or represented by proxy at the Roxgold Special Meeting; and (ii) a majority of the votes cast by the Roxgold shareholders (virtually) or represented by proxy at the Roxgold Special Meeting, excluding the votes cast by certain persons in accordance with section 8.1(2) of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions. Strategic Rationale and Transaction Highlights: In unanimously determining to recommend the Share Issuance and Transaction to shareholders for approval, the boards of directors of each of Fortuna and Roxgold considered a number of factors as described in the Fortuna Circular and Roxgold Circular, including, but not limited to: Combination of Quality Assets Creates a premier growth-oriented intermediate gold and silver miner, with four producing mines and anticipated annual gold equivalent combined production of approximately 450,000 ounces. 1,2, 3 Highly Complementary and Diversified Portfolio Expanded diversified production, development, and exploration platform: four operating mines supporting a robust free cash flow profile, a permitted development project at the feasibility stage, and an extensive growth pipeline of high-upside exploration assets in West Africa and the Americas. Organic Growth Potential Construction expected to be launched at the Seguela Gold Project in the third quarter of 2021; continue the accelerated pace of advanced exploration at the Boussoura Project and on the extensive 250,000-hectare land package in West Africa. Multiple brownfields and greenfields options across the Americas and West Africa. GeographicalDiversificationinMiningJurisdictions Creates a low-cost platform for precious metals production and growth in two premier mining friendly regions. Bringing Together Two Highly Experienced Management Teams with Track Records of Value Creation in the Americas and in West Africa Fortuna will benefit from the in-region operating experience of key members of Roxgold's team. SilverContributiontoRevenue Silver production is expected to be largely in-line with its silver producer peer group. Pro Forma Fortuna will continue to pursue opportunities for the discovery and acquisition of quality silver assets in the Americas. Strong Balance Sheet Pro Forma Fortuna will benefit from significant free cash flow generation, high EBITDA margins, and a stronger balance sheet with significant liquidity and low debt; 4 all of this will contribute towards a lower cost of capital and increased funding capacity for the development at the Seguela Gold Project and to advance exploration at the Boussoura Project and the larger land package in West Africa. Fairness Opinions The boards of directors of each of Fortuna and Roxgold, as well as the special committee of Roxgold's board of directors, have each received fairness opinions from their respective financial advisors. Notes: Gold equivalent based on the following commodity price assumptions: US$800/oz Au, US$22/0z Ag, US$1,900/t Pb and US$2,300/t Zn. Production profile estimation assumes the successful construction of the Seguela Gold Project based on the Feasibility Study announced by Roxgold on April 19, 2021 (https://www.sedar.com/GetFile.do?lang=EN&docClass=8&issuerNo=00005999&issuerType=03&projectNo=03206217&docId=4935950) . For technical disclosure, as contemplated in National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"), related to production refer to the following technical reports: Lindero Mine (https://www.sedar.com/GetFile.do?lang=EN&docClass=24&issuerNo=00006221&issuerType=03&projectNo=02689529&docId=4202958), San Jose Mine (https://www.sedar.com/GetFile.do?lang=EN&docClass=24&issuerNo=00006221&issuerType=03&projectNo=02893209&docId=4486940), Caylloma Mine (https://www.sedar.com/GetFile.do?lang=EN&docClass=24&issuerNo=00006221&issuerType=03&projectNo=02893156&docId=4486897), Yaramoko Mine (https://www.sedar.com/GetFile.do?lang=EN&docClass=24&issuerNo=00005999&issuerType=03&projectNo=02690768&docId=4234195) and Seguela Gold Project (https://www.sedar.com/GetFile.do?lang=EN&docClass=24&issuerNo=00005999&issuerType=03&projectNo=03229132&docId=4973008). Free cash flow and EBITDA are financial measures with no standardized definition under IFRS. In order to provide the combined business performance of Fortuna on a pro forma, basis, certain non-IFRS financial performance measures, including free cash flow and EBITDA, of each of Roxgold and Fortuna have been combined. For further information regarding non-IFRS measures, please see, in respect of Fortuna, the "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" section of Fortuna's MD&A (https://www.sedar.com/GetFile.do?lang=EN&docClass=7&issuerNo=00006221&issuerType=03&projectNo=03218892&docId=4956684) dated as of May 7, 2021 and for Roxgold, Note 18 "Non-IFRS Financial Performance Measures" of Roxgold's MD&A (https://www.sedar.com/GetFile.do?lang=EN&docClass=7&issuerNo=00005999&issuerType=03&projectNo=03182441&docId=4901370) dated March 3, 2021, available under Fortuna's and Roxgold's respective profiles on www.sedar.com (http://www.sedar.com). Fortuna Qualified Person Eric Chapman, Vice President of Technical Services is a Professional Geoscientist registered with the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of the Province of British Columbia (Registration Number 36328) and a Qualified Person as defined in NI 43-101. Mr. Chapman has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information pertaining to Fortuna contained in this news release. Roxgold Qualified Person Paul Criddle, FAusIMM, Chief Operating Officer for Roxgold Inc., a Qualified Person as defined in NI 43-101, has reviewed, verified and approved the technical disclosure pertaining to Roxgold contained in this news release. Do Not Delay - Your vote is very important regardless of the number of shares you own. Whether or not you expect to attend the Roxgold Special Meeting and/or Fortuna Meeting, shareholders are encouraged to vote well in advance of the voting deadlines. Roxgold Shareholder Vote Deadline: On Monday, June 28, 2021, Roxgold is separately holding both the Roxgold Special Meeting to approve the Transaction and its annual meeting of shareholders (the "Roxgold Annual Meeting") to approve the election of directors and reappoint PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as auditor. The deadline to vote for the Roxgold Special Meeting is 9:00 a.m. (Pacific time) on Thursday, June 24, 2021. Roxgold shareholders eligible to vote at the Roxgold Special Meeting will receive a management information circular accompanied by a yellow form of proxy or voting instruction form. Roxgold shareholders can access the Roxgold Special Meeting materials at https://www.roxgold.com/investors/special-meeting/default.aspx (https://www.roxgold.com/investors/special-meeting/default.aspx). The deadline to vote for the Roxgold Annual Meeting is 10:00 a.m. (Pacific time) on Thursday, June 24, 2021. Roxgold shareholders eligible to vote at the Roxgold Annual Meeting will receive a management information circular accompanied by a white form of proxy or voting instruction form. Roxgold shareholders can access the Roxgold Annual Meeting materials at https://www.roxgold.com/investors/annual-general-meeting/default.aspx (https://www.roxgold.com/investors/annual-general-meeting/default.aspx). Fortuna Shareholder Vote Deadline: The Fortuna shareholder deadline to vote is 9:00 a.m. (Pacific time) on Thursday, June 24, 2021. Fortuna shareholders can access meeting materials at https://fortunasilver.com/investors/agm-materials/ (https://fortunasilver.com/investors/agm-materials/). Shareholder Questions: Fortuna shareholders with questions or who require voting assistance can contact Laurel Hill Advisory Group toll free at 1-877-452-7184 or by email at assistance@laurelhill.com (mailto:assistance@laurelhill.com). with questions or who require voting assistance can contact Laurel Hill Advisory Group toll free at 1-877-452-7184 or by email at assistance@laurelhill.com (mailto:assistance@laurelhill.com). Roxgold shareholders with questions or who require assistance voting, can contact Roxgold's strategic shareholder advisor and proxy solicitation agent, Kingsdale Advisors, toll-free in North America at 1-888-518-1563, (1-416-867-2272 for collect call outside North America), or by email at contactus@kingsdaleadvisors.com. About Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. is a Canadian precious metals mining company with operations in Peru, Mexico, and Argentina. Sustainability is integral to all our operations and relationships. We produce silver and gold and generate shared value over the long-term for our shareholders and stakeholders through efficient production, environmental protection, and social responsibility. For more information, please visit Fortuna's website (https://www.fortunasilver.com/). About Roxgold Inc. Roxgold is a Canadian-based gold mining company with assets located in West Africa. Roxgold owns and operates the high-grade Yaramoko Gold Mine located on the Hounde greenstone belt in Burkina Faso and is also advancing the development and exploration of the Seguela Gold Project located in Cote d'Ivoire. Roxgold trades on the TSX under the symbol ROXG and as ROGFF on OTCQX. For information about Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. Carlos Baca Investor Relations Manager info@fortunasilver.com For information about Roxgold Inc. Graeme Jennings, CFA Vice President Investor Relations gjennings@roxgold.com The Toronto Stock Exchange has neither reviewed nor accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. Forward-looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements which constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (collectively, "Forward-looking Statements"). All statements included herein, other than statements of historical fact, are Forward-looking Statements and are subject to a variety of known and unknown risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those reflected in the Forward-looking Statements. The Forward-looking Statements in this news release may include, without limitation, statements about the Company and Roxgold's current expectations, estimates and projections for the pro forma company, the structure of the transaction and the anticipated timing of the respective shareholders meetings and the closing of the Transaction, the anticipated benefits of the Transaction to shareholders and the combined company, including corporate, operational and other synergies, the anticipated growth and exploration opportunities for the combined company, the timing and success of development projects and the combined company's financial position, including expectations regarding liquidity, expected pro forma financial outlook and other similar statements. Often, but not always, these Forward-looking Statements can be identified by the use of words such as "anticipated", "estimated", "potential", "open", "future", "assumed", "projected", "used", "detailed", "has been", "gain", "planned", "reflecting", "will", "anticipated", "estimated" "containing", "remaining", "to be", or statements that events, "could" or "should" occur or be achieved and similar expressions, including negative variations. Any financial outlook and forward-looking information contained in this news release regarding prospective financial performance or financial position is based on reasonable assumptions about future events, including economic conditions and proposed courses of action based on the assessment by management of each of Fortuna and Roxgold of the relevant information that is currently available. Projected operational information contains forward-looking information and is based on a number of material assumptions and factors, as are set out above. These projections may also be considered to contain future-oriented financial information or a financial outlook. Forward-looking Statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond the ability of the Company and Roxgold to control or predict and which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the Forward-looking Statements. Such risks, uncertainties and factors include, among others, the completion and timing of the Transaction, the ability of the Company and Roxgold to receive, in a timely manner, the necessary approvals to satisfy the conditions to closing of the Transaction; the ability to complete the Transaction on terms contemplated by the Company and Roxgold, or at all; the ability of the combined company to realize the anticipated benefits of, and synergies and savings from, the Transaction and the timing thereof and other factors referred to under the heading "Risk Factors" in each of the Company's and Roxgold's annual information form for the year ended December 31, 2020 located on SEDAR. Although Forward-looking Statements contained in this news release are based upon what each of the Company and Roxgold believe are reasonable assumptions at the time they were made, such statements are made as of the date hereof and the Company and Roxgold disclaim any obligation to update any Forward-looking Statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, except as required by law. There can be no assurance that these Forward-looking Statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, investors should not place undue reliance on Forward-looking Statements. - Patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), who achieve sustained remission, benefit from continued CIMZIA (certolizumab pegol) treatment either at the full or reduced maintenance dose, a post-hoc analysis of the C-OPTIMISE study confirms - Further information for healthcare providers considering certolizumab pegol treatment, if clinically needed, for their patients who are women of childbearing age, is being presented from one of the largest cohorts of prospective pregnancies with known outcomes in patients with axSpA, Crohn's disease (CD), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), psoriasis (PSO) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) - Long-term safety, efficacy and patient-reported outcomes and quality of life data on UCB's investigational IL-17A and IL-17F inhibitor, bimekizumab, show its potential to make a meaningful difference for people living with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and PsA BRUSSELS, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- UCB, a global biopharmaceutical company, today announced that it will present new data for its Fc-free anti-TNF, CIMZIA (certolizumab pegol), and its investigational IL-17A and IL-17F inhibitor, bimekizumab, at the European Congress of Rheumatology (EULAR) 2021 on June 2-5, 2021. A total of seven abstracts were accepted for this year's E-Congress, all of which highlight UCB's dedication to innovation in rheumatology and ongoing commitment to address unmet patient needs. Three of the seven abstracts will be presented as posters with guided narrations and live Q&As. "The information we are presenting at EULAR captures our innovative research in rheumatology and sets us up for a promising future. This important meeting gives us the opportunity to connect our science and innovation to the gaps and barriers that exist in the rheumatology patient journeys," said Emmanuel Caeymaex, Executive Vice President, Immunology Solutions and Head of U.S., UCB. CIMZIA (certolizumab pegol) Data Highlights Certolizumab pegol data include a post-hoc analysis of the Phase 3b C-OPTIMISE study in axSpA. The analysis evaluated disease activity and clinical markers of inflammation in patients who did not experience a disease flare following randomization to certolizumab pegol full maintenance dose (200 mg every two weeks [Q2W]), certolizumab pegol reduced maintenance dose (200 mg every four weeks [Q4W]) or placebo during weeks 48-96 of C-OPTIMISE.1 The analysis identified consistently higher disease activity and increases in serologic and inflammatory biomarkers in placebo-randomized patients who did not experience a flare during weeks 48-96 of C-OPTIMISE, compared to those who remained on certolizumab pegol.1 The findings confirm that patients with axSpA who achieve sustained remission benefit from continued certolizumab pegol treatment, either with the full or reduced maintenance dose - over treatment withdrawal.1 Additional certolizumab pegol data include two-year results from the Phase 4, open-label C-VIEW study investigating the impact of certolizumab pegol treatment on acute anterior uveitis (AAU) flares in patients with axSpA and a recent history of AAU flares2, and a post-hoc analysis from an interventional 52-week placebo-controlled study in nr-axSpA (C-axSpAnd) to identify positive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or sacroiliac joints and human leukocyte antigen-B27 (HLA-B27) positive carrier at baseline as predictive factors of 52 weeks of clinical response to certolizumab pegol treatment.3 UCB will share an analysis that includes more than 1,000 prospective pregnancies with certolizumab pegol exposure in at least the first trimester, representing one of the largest cohorts of pregnancies with known outcomes in patients living with axSpA, CD, PsA, PSO and RA who were exposed to a biologic.4 No increase in adverse pregnancy outcomes or specific congenital malformations was observed in certolizumab pegol-exposed pregnancies compared to the general population.5,6 Our data further confirmed the influence of confounding factors, such as specific chronic inflammatory diseases (CIDs), concomitant drugs or comorbidities, on pregnancy outcomes. Taken together, these data offer further information for healthcare providers considering certolizumab pegol treatment, if clinically needed, for their patients who are women of childbearing age. Bimekizumab Data Highlights New Phase 2b data from the BE AGILE and BE ACTIVE open-label extension (OLE) studies investigating the long-term safety and efficacy of bimekizumab treatment (160mg Q4W) in patients with AS and PsA, respectively, show that the safety profile of bimekizumab was in line with previous observations.7,8 There were no new signals, and exposure-adjusted incidence rate decreased with longer exposure.7,9 In both studies, clinical efficacy outcomes observed at week 48 were sustained through up to three years of treatment.7,8 Additional data from the BE AGILE OLE study in patients with active AS treated with bimekizumab over three years demonstrate sustained and consistent efficacy in patient-reported outcomes, in disease activity, physical function, spinal pain, fatigue, morning stiffness and health-related quality of life (ASQoL).10 Across all reported outcome measures, efficacy was maintained from week 48 to week 144 or 156.10 The safety and efficacy of bimekizumab have not been established, and it is not approved by any regulatory authority worldwide. UCB data presentations at EULAR 2021: CIMZIA e-Posters with Guided Poster Tour: Disease Activity and Inflammation Following Withdrawal of Certolizumab Pegol Treatment in Axial Spondyloarthritis Patients Who Did Not Experience Flares during the C-OPTIMISE Study , L. Gensler, X. Baraliakos, L. Bauer, B. Hoepken, T. Kumke, M. Kim, R. Landewe (abstract POS0229) , L. Gensler, X. Baraliakos, L. Bauer, B. Hoepken, T. Kumke, M. Kim, R. Landewe (abstract POS0229) Pharmacovigilance Pregnancy Data in a Large Population of Patients with Chronic Inflammatory Disease Exposed to Certolizumab Pegol: Pregnancy Outcomes and Confounders, M. Clowse, R. Fischer-Betz, C. Nelson-Piercy, A. Scheuerle, T. Kumke, B. Lauwerys, R. Kasliwal, F. Forger, Landewe (abstract POS0022) CIMZIA e-Posters: Reduction of Anterior Uveitis Flares in Patients with Axial Spondyloarthritis During Certolizumab Pegol Treatment: 96-Week Results from the C-VIEW Study , I. Van der Horst-Bruinsma , R. Van Bentum , F. Verbraak, T. Rath, B. Hoepken, O. Irvin-Sellers, T. Kumke, L. Bauer, M. Rudwaleit (abstract POS0897) , I. , R. , F. Verbraak, T. Rath, B. Hoepken, O. Irvin-Sellers, T. Kumke, L. Bauer, M. Rudwaleit (abstract POS0897) Predictors of Response in Patients with Non-Radiographic Axial Spondyloarthritis Receiving Certolizumab Pegol in the C-axSpAnd Study, W. Maksymowych, T. Kumke, S. Auteri, B. Hoepken, L. Bauer, M. Rudwaleit (abstract POS0896) Bimekizumab e-Poster with Guided Poster Tour: Bimekizumab Long-Term Safety and Efficacy in Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis: 3-Year Results from a Phase 2b Study, D. van der Heijde, A. Deodhar, L. S. Gensler, D. Poddubnyy, A. Kivitz, M. Dougados, N. de Peyrecave, M.Oortgiesen, T. Vaux, C.Fleurinck, X.Baraliakos (abstract POS0226) Bimekizumab e-Posters: Bimekizumab Shows Sustained Long-Term Improvements in Patient-Reported Outcomes and Quality of Life in Ankylosing Spondylitis: 3-Year Results from a Phase 2b Study , X. Baraliakos, M. Dougados, K. Gaffney, R. Sengupta, M. Magrey, N. de Peyrecave, M. Oortgiesen, T. Vaux, C. Fleurinck, V. Ciaravino, A. Deodhar (abstract POS0919) , X. Baraliakos, M. Dougados, K. Gaffney, R. Sengupta, M. Magrey, N. de Peyrecave, M. Oortgiesen, T. Vaux, C. Fleurinck, V. Ciaravino, A. Deodhar (abstract POS0919) Bimekizumab Safety and Efficacy in Patients with Psoriatic Arthritis: 3-Year Results from a Phase 2b Open-Label Extension Study, L. Coates, R. Warren, C. Ritchlin, L. Gossec, J. Merola, D. Assudani, J. Coarse, J. Eells, B. Ink, I. Mcinnes (abstract POS1022) About Bimekizumab Bimekizumab is an investigational humanized monoclonal IgG1 antibody that selectively and directly inhibits both IL-17A and IL-17F, two key cytokines driving inflammatory processes.11 IL-17F has overlapping biology with IL-17A and drives inflammation independently of IL-17A.12,13,14,15,16 Selective inhibition of IL-17F in addition to IL-17A suppresses inflammation to a greater extent than IL-17A inhibition alone.15,16 The safety and efficacy of bimekizumab are being evaluated across multiple disease states as part of a robust clinical program. About CIMZIA in the EU/EEA In the EU, CIMZIA in combination with methotrexate (MTX) is indicated for the treatment of moderate to severe active RA in adult patients inadequately responsive to disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) including MTX. CIMZIA can be given as monotherapy in case of intolerance to MTX or when continued treatment with MTX is inappropriate. CIMZIA in combination with MTX is also indicated for the treatment of severe, active and progressive RA in adults not previously treated with MTX or other DMARDs. CIMZIA has been shown to reduce the rate of progression of joint damage as measured by X-ray and to improve physical function, when given in combination with MTX. CIMZIA, in combination with MTX, is also indicated for the treatment of active psoriatic arthritis in adults when the response to previous DMARD therapy has been inadequate. CIMZIA can be given as monotherapy in case of intolerance to MTX or when continued treatment with MTX is inappropriate. CIMZIA is also indicated in the EU for the treatment of adult patients with severe active axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), comprising: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) - adults with severe active AS who have had an inadequate response to, or are intolerant to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) without radiographic evidence of AS - adults with severe active axSpA without radiographic evidence of AS but with objective signs of inflammation by elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) and/or Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) who have had an inadequate response to or are intolerant to NSAIDs. CIMZIA is also indicated for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in adults who are candidates for systemic therapy. Cimzia (certolizumab pegol) EU/EEA* Important Safety Information Date of revision March 2021 Cimzia was studied in 4,049 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in controlled and open label trials for up to 92 months. The commonly reported adverse reactions (1-10%) in clinical trials with Cimzia and post-marketing were viral infections (includes herpes zoster, papillomavirus, influenza), bacterial infections (including abscess), rash, headache (including migraine), asthenia, leukopenia (including lymphopenia, neutropenia), eosinophilic disorder, pain (any sites), pyrexia, sensory abnormalities, hypertension, pruritus (any sites), hepatitis (including hepatic enzyme increase), injection site reactions, and nausea. Serious adverse reactions include sepsis, opportunistic infections, tuberculosis (including miliary, disseminated and extrapulmonary), herpes zoster, lymphoma, leukaemia, solid organ tumours, angioneurotic oedema, cardiomyopathies (includes heart failure), ischemic coronary artery disorders, pancytopenia, hypercoagulation (including thrombophlebitis, pulmonary embolism), cerebrovascular accident, vasculitis, hepatitis/hepatopathy (includes cirrhosis), and renal impairment/nephropathy (includes nephritis). In RA controlled clinical trials, 4.4% of patients discontinued taking Cimzia due to adverse events vs. 2.7% for placebo. Cimzia was initially studied in 325 patients with active axial spondyloarthritis (including ankylosing spondylitis and non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis) in the AS001 clinical study for up to 4 years, which includes a 24-week placebo-controlled phase followed by a 24-week dose-blind period and a 156-week open-label treatment period. Cimzia was subsequently studied in 317 patients with non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis in a placebo-controlled study for 52 weeks (AS0006). Cimzia was also studied in patients with axial spondyloarthritis (including ankylosing spondylitis and non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis) in a clinical study for up to 96 weeks, which included a 48-week open-label run-in phase (N=736) followed by a 48-week placebo-controlled phase (N=313) for patients in sustained remission (C-OPTIMISE). In all 3 studies, the safety profile for these patients was consistent with the safety profile in rheumatoid arthritis and previous experience with Cimzia. Cimzia was studied in 409 patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in a clinical study for up to 4 years which included a 24-week placebo-controlled phase followed by a 24-week dose-blind period and a 168-week open-label treatment period. The safety profile for axSpA and PsA patients treated with Cimzia was consistent with the safety profile in RA and previous experience with Cimzia. Cimzia was studied in 1112 patients with psoriasis in controlled and open-label studies for up to 3 years. In the Phase III program, the initial and maintenance periods were followed by a 96-week open-label treatment period. The long-term safety profile of Cimzia 400 mg every 2 weeks and Cimzia 200 mg every 2 weeks was generally similar and consistent with previous experience with Cimzia. *EU/EEA means European Union/European Economic Area Cimzia is contraindicated in patients with hypersensitivity to the active substance or any of the excipients, active tuberculosis or other severe infections such as sepsis or opportunistic infections, and moderate to severe heart failure. Serious infections including sepsis, tuberculosis and opportunistic infections (e.g. histoplasmosis, nocardia, candidiasis) have been reported in patients receiving Cimzia. Some of these events have been fatal. Before initiation of therapy with Cimzia, all patients must be evaluated for both active and inactive (latent) tuberculosis infection. If active tuberculosis is diagnosed prior to or during treatment, Cimzia therapy must not be initiated and must be discontinued. If latent tuberculosis is diagnosed, appropriate anti- tuberculosis therapy must be started before initiating treatment with Cimzia. Reactivation of hepatitis B has occurred in patients receiving a TNF-antagonist including Cimzia who are chronic carriers of the virus (i.e. surface antigen positive). Some cases have had a fatal outcome. Patients should be tested for HBV infection before initiating treatment with Cimzia. Carriers of HBV who require treatment with Cimzia should be closely monitored and in the case of HBV reactivation Cimzia should be stopped and effective anti-viral therapy with appropriate supportive treatment should be initiated. TNF antagonists including Cimzia may increase the risk of new onset or exacerbation of clinical symptoms and/or radiographic evidence of demyelinating disease including multiple sclerosis; of formation of autoantibodies and uncommonly of the development of a lupus-like syndrome; of severe hypersensitivity reactions. If a patient develops any of these adverse reactions, Cimzia should be discontinued and appropriate therapy instituted. With the current knowledge, a possible risk for the development of lymphomas, leukaemia or other malignancies in patients treated with a TNF antagonist cannot be excluded. Rare cases of neurological disorders, including seizure disorder, neuritis and peripheral neuropathy, have been reported in patients treated with Cimzia. Adverse reactions of the haematologic system, including medically significant cytopenia, have been reported with Cimzia. Advise all patients to seek immediate medical attention if they develop signs and symptoms suggestive of blood dyscrasias or infection (e.g., persistent fever, bruising, bleeding, pallor) while on Cimzia. Consider discontinuation of Cimzia therapy in patients with confirmed significant haematological abnormalities. The use of Cimzia in combination with anakinra or abatacept is not recommended due to a potential increased risk of serious infections. As no data are available, Cimzia should not be administered concurrently with live vaccines. The 14-day half-life of Cimzia should be taken into consideration if a surgical procedure is planned. A patient who requires surgery while on Cimzia should be closely monitored for infections. Please consult the full prescribing information in relation to other side effects, full safety and prescribing information. European SmPC date of revision March 2021. https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/product-information/cimzia-epar-product-information_en.pdf Last accessed: May 2021. About UCB UCB, Brussels, Belgium (www.ucb.com) is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of innovative medicines and solutions to transform the lives of people living with severe diseases of the immune system or of the central nervous system. With more than 7,600 people in approximately 40 countries, the company generated revenue of 5.3 billion in 2020. UCB is listed on Euronext Brussels (symbol: UCB). Follow us on Twitter: @UCB_news. Forward looking statements UCB This press release contains forward-looking statements including, without limitation, statements containing the words "believes", "anticipates", "expects", "intends", "plans", "seeks", "estimates", "may", "will", "continue" and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are based on current plans, estimates and beliefs of management. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements, including estimates of revenues, operating margins, capital expenditures, cash, other financial information, expected legal, arbitration, political, regulatory or clinical results or practices and other such estimates and results. By their nature, such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions which might cause the actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements of UCB, or industry results, to differ materially from those that may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Important factors that could result in such differences include: the global spread and impact of COVID-19, changes in general economic, business and competitive conditions, the inability to obtain necessary regulatory approvals or to obtain them on acceptable terms or within expected timing, costs associated with research and development, changes in the prospects for products in the pipeline or under development by UCB, effects of future judicial decisions or governmental investigations, safety, quality, data integrity or manufacturing issues; potential or actual data security and data privacy breaches, or disruptions of our information technology systems, product liability claims, challenges to patent protection for products or product candidates, competition from other products including biosimilars, changes in laws or regulations, exchange rate fluctuations, changes or uncertainties in tax laws or the administration of such laws, and hiring and retention of its employees. There is no guarantee that new product candidates will be discovered or identified in the pipeline, or that new indications for existing products will be developed and approved. Movement from concept to commercial product is uncertain; preclinical results do not guarantee safety and efficacy of product candidates in humans. So far, the complexity of the human body cannot be reproduced in computer models, cell culture systems or animal models. The length of the timing to complete clinical trials and to get regulatory approval for product marketing has varied in the past and UCB expects similar unpredictability going forward. Products or potential products which are the subject of partnerships, joint ventures or licensing collaborations may be subject to disputes between the partners or may prove to be not as safe, effective or commercially successful as UCB may have believed at the start of such partnership. UCB's efforts to acquire other products or companies and to integrate the operations of such acquired companies may not be as successful as UCB may have believed at the moment of acquisition. Also, UCB or others could discover safety, side effects or manufacturing problems with its products and/or devices after they are marketed. The discovery of significant problems with a product similar to one of UCB's products that implicate an entire class of products may have a material adverse effect on sales of the entire class of affected products. Moreover, sales may be impacted by international and domestic trends toward managed care and health care cost containment, including pricing pressure, political and public scrutiny, customer and prescriber patterns or practices, and the reimbursement policies imposed by third-party payers as well as legislation affecting biopharmaceutical pricing and reimbursement activities and outcomes. Finally, a breakdown, cyberattack or information security breach could compromise the confidentiality, integrity and availability of UCB's data and systems. Given these uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on any of such forward-looking statements. There can be no guarantee that the investigational or approved products described in this press release will be submitted or approved for sale or for any additional indications or labelling in any market, or at any particular time, nor can there be any guarantee that such products will be or will continue to be commercially successful in the future. UCB is providing this information, including forward-looking statements, only as of the date of this press release and expressly disclaims any duty to update any information contained in this press release, either to confirm the actual results or to report or reflect any change in its forward-looking statements with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based, unless such statement is required pursuant to applicable laws and regulations. Additionally, information contained in this document shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any offer, solicitation or sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of such jurisdiction. For further information, contact UCB: Corporate Communications Laurent Schots, Media Relations, UCB T+32.2.559.92.64, laurent.schots@ucb.com Investor Relations Antje Witte, Investor Relations, UCB T +32.2.559.94.14, antje.witte@ucb.com Brand Communications Andrea Christopher, Immunology Communications, UCB T + 1.404.483.7329 andrea.christopher@ucb.com Investor Relations Isabelle Ghellynck, Investor Relations, UCB T+32.2.559.9588, isabelle.ghellynck@ucb.com References: ___________________________ 1 Gensler L, Baraliakos X, Bauer L, et al. Disease Activity and Inflammation Following Withdrawal of Certolizumab Pegol Treatment in Axial Spondyloarthritis Patients Who Did Not Experience Flares during the C-OPTIMISE Study. Abstract to be presented at EULAR 2021, June 2-5. 2 Van der Horst-Bruinsma I, Van Bentum R, Verbraak F, et al. Reduction of Anterior Uveitis Flares in Patients with Axial Spondyloarthritis During Certolizumab Pegol Treatment: 96-Week Results from the C-VIEW Study. Abstract to be presented at EULAR 2021, June 2-5. 3 Maksymowych W, Kumke T, Auteri S, et al. Predictors of Response in Patients with Non-Radiographic Axial Spondyloarthritis Receiving Certolizumab Pegol in the C-axSpAnd Study. Abstract to be presented at EULAR 2021, June 2-5. 4 Clowse M, Fischer-Betz R, Nelson-Piercy C, et al. Pharmacovigilance Pregnancy Data in a Large Population of Patients with Chronic Inflammatory Disease Exposed to Certolizumab Pegol: Pregnancy Outcomes and Confounders. Abstract to be presented at EULAR 2021, June 2-5. 5 Ventura SJ, Curtin SC, Abma JC, et al. Estimated pregnancy rates and rates of pregnancy outcomes for the United States, 1990-2008. Natl Vital Stat Rep. 2012;60(7):1-21. 6 Lee H, Okunev I, Tranby E, et al. Different levels of associations between medical co-morbidities and preterm birth outcomes among racial/ethnic women enrolled in Medicaid 2014-2015: retrospective analysis. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2020;20:33. 7 Van der Heijde D, Deodhar A, Gensler L.S., et al. Bimekizumab Long-Term Safety and Efficacy in Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis: 3-Year Results from a Phase 2b Study. Abstract to be presented at EULAR 2021, June 2-5. 8 Coates L, Warren R, Ritchlin C, et al. Bimekizumab Safety and Efficacy in Patients with Psoriatic Arthritis: 3-Year Results from a Phase 2b Open-Label Extension Study. Abstract to be presented at EULAR 2021, June 2-5. 9 Mcinnes I, Merola JF, Mease PJ, et al. SAT0403 EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF 108 WEEKS' BIMEKIZUMAB TREATMENT IN PATIENTS WITH PSORIATIC ARTHRITIS: INTERIM RESULTS FROM A PHASE 2 OPEN-LABEL EXTENSION STUDY. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. 2020;79:1153-1154. 10 Baraliakos X, Dougados M, Gaffney K, et al. Bimekizumab Shows Sustained Long-Term Improvements in Patient-Reported Outcomes and Quality of Life in Ankylosing Spondylitis: 3-Year Results from a Phase 2b Study. Abstract to be presented at EULAR 2021, June 2-5. 11 Glatt S, Helmer E, Haier B, et al. First-in-human randomized study of bimekizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody and selective dual inhibitor of IL-17A and IL-17F, in mild psoriasis. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2017;83(5):991-1001. 12 Yang XO, Chang SH, Park H, et al. Regulation of inflammatory responses by IL-17F. J Exp Med. 2008;205(5):1063-1075. 13 Hymowitz SG, Filvaroff EH, Yin JP, et al. IL-17s adopt a cystine knot fold: structure and activity of a novel cytokine, IL-17F, and implications for receptor binding. EMBO J. 2001;20(19):5332-5341. 14 van Baarsen LG, Lebre MC, van der Coelen D, et al. Heterogeneous expression pattern of interleukin 17A (IL-17A), IL-17F and their receptors in synovium of rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and osteoarthritis: possible explanation for nonresponse to anti-IL-17 therapy? Arthritis Res Ther. 2014;16(4):426. 15 Maroof A, Okoye R, Smallie T, et al. Bimekizumab dual inhibition of IL-17A and IL-17F provides evidence of IL-17F contribution to chronic inflammation in disease-relevant cells. Ann Rheum Dis. 2017;76(2):213. 16 Glatt S, Baeten D, Baker T, et al. Dual IL-17A and IL-17F neutralisation by bimekizumab in psoriatic arthritis: evidence from preclinical experiments and a randomised placebo-controlled clinical trial that IL-17F contributes to human chronic tissue inflammation. Ann Rheum Dis. 2018;77(4):523-532. GL-N-BK-axSpA-2100011 Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/677397/With_Tag_Logo.jpg Victoria, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 31, 2021) - Plurilock Security Inc. (TSXV: PLUR) (OTCQB: PLCKF) and related subsidiaries ("Plurilock" or the "Company"), an identity-centric cybersecurity solution provider for workforces, today announces its financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2021. All dollar figures are stated in Canadian dollars, unless otherwise indicated. "Fiscal Q1 2021 saw us accelerate our growth by achieving multiple operational initiatives that have positioned us well for the remainder of the year," said Ian L. Paterson, CEO of Plurilock. "Despite the challenging economic environment, we were able to raise over $5M in growth capital from leading Canadian investors, add notable personnel to our advisory board with global cybersecurity experience and put ourselves in the best position we have been in as a Company since we began trading in September 2020." "As part of our stated strategy of acquiring accretive assets to complement our existing high margin artificial intelligence products, we completed our first acquisition of cybersecurity solutions provider Aurora Systems Consulting Inc., a company with revenue of $35.82 million in 2020 and strong presence in the U.S. government vertical," said Mr. Paterson. "With Aurora, we have dramatically increased our distribution, by adding an experienced sales force, contracting vehicles with access 174 California State agencies and a Government-Wide Acquisition Contract with the US Federal Government, as well as a base of over 140 customers." "With cybersecurity threats continuing to rise globally, we will look to accelerate our presence in the industry by expanding our product portfolio and pursuing additional M&A opportunities that can expand our sales pipeline and deliver needed solutions to this fast-growing industry," continued Mr. Paterson. First Quarter Fiscal 2021 Financial Highlights Total revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2021 was $75,761, a decrease of 27% over the same period in the prior fiscal year. Electronic software license and maintenance sales revenues accounted for 89% (81% for the same period in 2020) of total revenues. Professional services revenue accounted for 11% (19% for the same period in 2020) of total revenues. Electronic software license and maintenance sales revenue was $67,756 for the three months ended March 31, 2021, compared to $83,968 over the same period in the prior year. Professional services sales revenue was $8,005 for the three months ended March 31, 2021, compared to $19,371 over the same period in the prior year. Gross margin was 88.3% in Q1 2021, compared to 88.9% over the same period in the prior year. Adjusted EBITDA was $(1,056,397) for the three months ended March 31, 2021 compared to $(494,514) over the same period in the prior year. Cash & cash equivalents on March 31, 2021 was $5,848,598 compared to $1,721,179 on the same date in the prior year. Cash used in operating activities for the three months ended March 31, 2021 was $1,158,455, compared to $205,579 during the same period in the prior fiscal year. Note: As the acquisition of Aurora Systems Consulting Inc.'s ("Aurora") was completed on March 31, 2021, Plurilock's first quarter fiscal 2021 condensed interim consolidated financial statements include Aurora's statement of financial position, including but not limited to cash and cash equivalents, trade and other receivables as well as trade and other payables but exclude items from Aurora's statement of loss and comprehensive loss for the three months ended March 31, 2021. First Quarter Fiscal 2021 Operational Highlights On January 13, 2021, the Company announced that it has received a patent pending with the United States Patent and Trademark Office to document a new form of continuous authentication. The application covers a continuous authentication method to validate and confirm the identity of a user during remote work. The process involves comparing the digital user's distinct and unique patterns (i.e. keystrokes) with patterns previously collected, while enabling the user to work on a remote device and/or in a remote setting without any interruption. Plurilock's latest continuous authentication method, as documented in the patent pending application, will enable companies to constantly authenticate the identity of their employees and staff even though the user is completely 'invisible' to them. On January 15, 2021, the Company announced that it has entered into a non-exclusive Reseller Agreement with X10 Networks Inc., ("X10") a leading provider of network engineering solutions. On January 18, 2021, 1,262,000 restricted common shares that had a four-month holding period since the completion of the 2020 QT expired and were released. On January 21, 2021, Plurilock began trading on the Over-the-Counter Market OTCQB Venture Market ("OTCQB") under the ticker "PLCKF". On March 1, 2021, Plurilock received approval from the Depository Trust Company ("DTC") to make their shares eligible on the OTC, allowing United States investors to clear their trades seamlessly under the ticker "PLCKF". On January 29, 2021, the Company announced that it had entered into a Reseller Agreement with Tantallon Ltd. ("Tantallon"), a UK-based distributor of cyber defense solutions. On February 4, 2021, Plurilock announced the appointment of retired US Vice Admiral, Dr. Jan E. Tighe, to the Company's Advisory Board. Dr. Tighe was commissioned as a cryptologist in the Navy and holds a Doctorate in Electrical Engineering, and currently serves on the boards of Goldman Sachs, IronNet Cybersecurity, Progressive Insurance, and Huntsman Chemical. On February 18, 2021, Plurilock announced the closing of its non-brokered private placement consisting of the issuance of 7,914,732 units at a subscription price of $0.45 per unit, for aggregate gross proceeds to the Company of approximately $3.56 million. On February 26, 2021, due to strong investor demand, Plurilock closed a second non- brokered private placement consisting of the issuance of 3,326,004 units at a subscription price of $0.48 per unit, for aggregate gross proceeds to the Company of approximately $1.6 million. On March 15, 2021, Plurilock announced the addition of Molly Falconer de Ramel to its board of directors. Ms. de Ramel has over 20 years of experience advising executives in the financial services industry. On March 25, 2021 the Company announced that it had entered into a master OEM agreement with Baco Holdings, doing business as "Untangl", a leading contact center technology solutions provider to integrate and resell Plurilock's products. On March 31, 2021, Plurilock, completed the acquisition of Aurora Systems Consulting Inc., a provider of advanced cybersecurity technology and services based in California, USA. The Company acquired all of the outstanding securities of Aurora. Pursuant to the terms of the definitive agreement, Plurilock paid Aurora and the shareholder of Aurora, an aggregate consideration of US$1.5 million, which includes a performance-based earnout of US$300,000 in common shares of Plurilock. In addition, upon closing of the acquisition, US$90,000 of the consideration was placed in escrow for 12 months to satisfy any indemnification obligations to the Company, as well as any purchase price adjustments pursuant to the terms of the definitive agreement. Summary of Key Financial Metrics Three months ended March 2021 2020 $ $ Revenue 75,761 103,339 Electronic software license and maintenance sales 67,756 83,968 Professional services 8,005 19,371 Cost of sales (8,889 ) (11,482 ) Gross profit 66,872 91,857 Gross margin 88.3% 88.9% Net loss and comprehensive loss for the period (1,580,680 ) (561,802 ) EBITDA(1) (1,572,512 ) (536,552 ) Adjusted EBITDA(1) (1,056,397 ) (524,944 ) Basic and diluted loss per share - for the period (0.03 ) (0.02 ) Common & preferred shares outstanding 58,396,428 25,530,978 Reconciliation of EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA: Netl loss and comprehensive loss for the period (1,580,680 ) (561,802 ) Amortization 7,944 5,212 Interest expense 224 20,038 EBITDA(1) (1,572,512 ) (536,552 ) Share-based compensation 258,944 11,608 Listing expenses 1,911 - Financing expenses 7,752 30,430 Acquisition related expenses 247,508 - Adjusted EBITDA(1) (1,056,397 ) (494,514 ) March 31, December 31, 2021 2020 $ $ Cash & cash equivalents 5,848,598 1,721,179 Trade and other receivables 2,808,263 118,796 Prepaid expenses and deposits 364,080 207,559 Goodwill 1,623,263 - Total Assets 11,040,630 2,228,524 Trade payables and other payables 3,736,373 409,616 Unearned revenue 345,760 94,700 Short-term loans 628,246 - Total current liabilities 4,723,009 521,173 Total non-current liabilities 224,505 30,000 Total liabilities 4,947,514 551,173 Non-IFRS measures This news release presents information about EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA, both of which are non-IFRS financial measures, to provide supplementary information about operating performance. Plurilock defines EBITDA as net income or loss before interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization. Adjusted EBITDA removes non-cash share-based compensation and listing expenses from EBITDA. The Company believes that EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA is a meaningful financial metric for investors as it adjusts income to reflect amounts which the Company can use to fund working capital requirements, service future interest and principal debt repayments and fund future growth initiatives. EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are not intended as a substitute for IFRS measures. A limitation of utilizing these non-IFRS measures is that the IFRS accounting effects of the adjustments do in fact reflect the underlying financial results of Plurilock's business and these effects should not be ignored in evaluating and analyzing Plurilock's financial results. Therefore, management believes that Plurilock's IFRS measures of net loss and the same respective non-IFRS measure should be considered together. Non-IFRS measures do not have any standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS and are therefore unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. Readers should refer to the Company's most recently filed MD&A for a more detailed discussion of these measures and their calculation. Quarterly Filings Management's Discussion and Analysis and Interim Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and the notes thereto for the fiscal period ended March 31, 2021 can be obtained from Plurilock's corporate website at www.plurilock.com and under Plurilock's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com About Plurilock Plurilock provides identity-centric cybersecurity for today's workforces. Plurilock offers world- class cybersecurity solutions paired with AI-driven, cloud-friendly security technologies that deliver persistent identity assurance with unmatched ease of use. The Plurilock family of companies enables organizations to operate safely and securely-while reducing cybersecurity friction. For more information, visit https://www.plurilock.com or contact: Ian L. Paterson Chief Executive Officer ian@plurilock.com 416.800.1566 Roland Sartorius Chief Financial Officer roland.sartorius@plurilock.com Prit Singh Investor Relations ir@plurilock.com 905.510.7636 Forward-Looking Statements This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") which relate to future events or Plurilock's future business, operations, and financial performance and condition. Forward- looking statements normally contain words like "will", "intend", "anticipate", "could", "should", "may", "might", "expect", "estimate", "forecast", "plan", "potential", "project", "assume", "contemplate", "believe", "shall", "scheduled", and similar terms. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, actions, or developments and are based on expectations, assumptions and other factors that management currently believes are relevant, reasonable, and appropriate in the circumstances. Although management believes that the forward-looking statements herein are reasonable, actual results could be substantially different due to the risks and uncertainties associated with and inherent to Plurilock's business. Additional material risks and uncertainties applicable to the forward-looking statements herein include, without limitation, unforeseen events, developments, or factors causing any of the aforesaid expectations, assumptions, and other factors ultimately being inaccurate or irrelevant. Many of these factors are beyond the control of Plurilock. All forward-looking statements included in this press release are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as at the date hereof and Plurilock undertakes no obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable securities laws. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/85949 Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - May 31, 2021) - Pathway Health Corp. (TSXV: PHC) (formerly Colson Capital Corp.) ("Pathway" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has received conditional approval from the Exchange for the closing of, and has completed its previously announced "Qualifying Transaction" (as defined in Policy 2.4 of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange") involving a share exchange transaction (the "Transaction") pursuant to which the Company acquired all of the issued and outstanding shares of Pathway Health Services Corp. (formerly Pathway Health Corp.) ("Old Pathway") in exchange for common shares in the capital of the Company. As a result of the Transaction, Old Pathway became a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company. In addition, the Company is pleased to announce the exchange of the subscription receipts ("Subscription Receipts") issued by Old Pathway in connection with the previously announced private placement offering of Subscription Receipts undertaken in connection with the Transaction as detailed in the Company's news release dated March 16, 2021. The Subscription Receipt offering was made through a syndicate of agents, led by Canaccord Genuity Corp., and included iA Private Wealth Inc. and Leede Jones Gable Inc., for aggregate gross proceeds of $13,800,000. In accordance with the terms of the agreement governing the Subscription Receipts, the net proceeds of approximately $12.6 million were released to the Company upon completion of the Transaction. A Filing Statement in respect of the Transaction has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Exchange and has been filed under the Company's issuer profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Prior to the Transaction, the Company consolidated its issued and outstanding common shares on a 2.941 to 1 basis (each post-consolidation common share, a "Common Share") and changed its name from "Colson Capital Corp." to "Pathway Health Corp." The Company's new CUSIP number for the Common Shares is 70324L105 and the new ISIN for the Common Shares is CA70324L1058. Shareholders of the Company are not required to take any action with respect to the name change or consolidation, and are not required to exchange any existing certificates bearing the Company's old name. The Company's transfer agent, AST Trust Company (Canada), will send registered shareholders a new Direct Registration System advice ("DRS") representing the number of Common Shares held by such shareholders. The Transaction was completed pursuant to the terms of the Share Exchange Agreement dated January 29, 2021, as amended, pursuant to which 90,252,819 Common Shares were issued to former shareholders of Old Pathway (including 27,600,000 Common Shares to former holders of Subscription Receipts), at a deemed price of $0.50 per Common Share. Final acceptance of the Transaction will occur upon the issuance of the Final Exchange Bulletin by the Exchange. Subject to final acceptance by the Exchange, the Common Shares are expected to commence trading on the Exchange under the symbol "PHC" on or about June 10, 2021, and the Company will be classified as a Tier 2 issuer pursuant to Exchange policies. In connection with the Transaction, the Company's incumbent board of directors has been reconstituted and is now comprised of the following individuals: Michael Steele, Kenneth Howling, Alison Wright and Ken Yoon. Additionally, the board has appointed Ken Yoon as Chief Executive Officer and Corporate Secretary, Aura Balboa as Chief Financial Officer, Wayne Cockburn as President, Kim Wei as Chief Commercial Officer, Renee John as Vice President - Clinic Operations, and Pram Sandhu as Vice President - Pharmacy Programs and Regulatory Affairs. Capital Structure Upon completion of the Transaction, including the conversion of the Subscription Receipts, the issued and outstanding share capital of the Company consists of 93,108,990 Common Shares, including the 27,600,000 Common Shares issued upon conversion of the Subscription Receipts. A total of 53,043,334 Common Shares will be subject to escrow agreements, including 816,048 Common Shares originally issued to the Company's principals upon listing the Company as a "capital pool company" (the "CPC Escrow Shares"), and 52,227,286 Common Shares issued to principals in connection with the Transaction (the "Value Escrow Shares"). All CPC Escrow Shares will be released from escrow as to 25% upon the date of the Final Exchange Bulletin, with an additional 25% every six months thereafter. The Value Escrow Shares are subject to a Tier 2 value security escrow agreement, and will be released from escrow over 36 months from the date of the Final Exchange Bulletin, with 10% released upon listing. A total of 52,227,286 Common Shares (the "Lock-up Shares") are subject to voluntary lock-up agreements (the "Lock-up Agreements") entered into in connection with the Subscription Receipt financing. Under the terms of the Lock-up Agreements, the Lock-up Shares are restricted from transfer and will be released in accordance with the following schedule: (i) 50% of the Lock-up Shares will be released on the date that is six months from the completion of the Transaction; and (ii) 50% of the Lock-up Shares will be released on the date that is one year from the date of the Transaction. The Company also has 16,188,228 Common Shares reserved for issuance pursuant to exercise or conversion of: 13,800,000 Common Share purchase warrants; 2,096,228 broker warrants; 292,000 Common Shares that may be issued as contingent consideration payable pursuant to the terms of: (i) a convertible grid promissory note dated January 18, 2021 issued by Old Pathway in the name of NACM Management Ltd.; and (ii) an assumption and amending agreement dated January 18, 2021 between Old Pathway and National Access Canada Corporation. For additional information concerning the Transaction and the foregoing matters, please refer to the Company's filing statement dated May 31, 2021, or the Company's press releases dated March 16, 2021, February 2, 2021 and November 30, 2020. Investor Relations Contract The Company also announces that it has engaged The Howard Group Inc. ("TGHI") for the provision investor relations consulting services to the Company, consisting of marketing communications and advisory services, in compliance with the policies and guidelines of the Exchange. THGI will focus on expanding the Company's investor audience and online media management. Under the terms of the agreement, THGI will receive fees in the amount of $8,000 per month, for a one year term expiring in February, 2022. TGHI is a Calgary, Alberta based company, providing investor and financial relations, business development solutions and in-depth strategic planning to public companies since 1988. The agreement with TGHI will be filed and available on the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. Results of Colson Shareholder Meeting Respecting Transition to Certain New CPC Policy Provisions The Company also announces certain amendments to the escrow provisions undertaken by Colson Capital Corp. ("Colson") prior to and in connection with the Transaction, as summarized below. Removal of the Consequences of Failing to Complete a Qualifying Transaction within 25 Months of the Listing Date Prior to changes to the Exchange's Policy 2.4 - Capital Pool Companies on January 1, 2021 (the "New CPC Policy"), there were certain consequences if a Qualifying Transaction was not completed within 24 months of the listing date of the capital pool company. These consequences included the potential for shares to be delisted or suspended, or, subject to the approval of the majority of the Company's shareholders, transferring shares to list on NEX and cancelling certain seed shares. The New CPC Policy has removed these consequences assuming disinterested shareholder approval is obtained. Disinterested shareholders of Colson voted in favour of the resolution to remove such consequences at its shareholder meeting held on March 31, 2021. Amendments to the Escrow Agreement Prior to changes to the New CPC Policy, "Seed Shares" of a capital pool company were subject to a 36 month escrow in the event the Resulting Issuer (as defined in the New CPC Policy) was a Tier 2 issuer. The New CPC Policy permits such escrow period to be 18 months in duration assuming disinterested shareholder approval is obtained. At the March 31, 2021 meeting, disinterested shareholders of Colson voted in favour of the resolution to make certain amendments to the CPC escrow agreement, including allowing the Company's escrowed securities to be subject to an 18 month escrow release schedule as detailed in the New CPC Policy, rather than the 36 month escrow release schedule in the former CPC Policy. The amendments only apply to the escrowed securities issued prior to the completion of the Transaction, and the escrow agreement was amended and restated on May 28, 2021. For further information, please contact: Pathway Health Corp. Wayne Cockburn, President Telephone: (905) 505-0770 CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation, which may include by are not limited to statements with respect to obtaining the final bulletin from the Exchange. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; delay or failure to receive board, shareholder or regulatory approvals; and the results of operations. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Colson and Pathway disclaim any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Neither the Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this Press Release. The TSX Venture Exchange Inc. has in no way passed upon the merits of the Transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. Not for distribution in the U.S. or to U.S. newswire services. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/85956 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 31, 2021) - Pure Energy Minerals (TSXV: PE) (OTCQB: PEMIF) (the "Company" or "Pure Energy") is pleased to report that it has acquired a net smelter returns ("NSR") production royalty applicable to certain properties owned by Pure Energy at the Clayton Valley project, Nevada. The 2% NSR royalty, previously held by a private trust, covers 345 placer claims in Esmeralda County, Nevada. The purchase of the underlying royalty removes any future obligation by Pure Energy Minerals for royalty payments on these properties. The purchase price consists of 75,000 common shares in Pure Energy stock and payment of US$30,000 to TR Trust in consideration for TR Trust's right, title and interest, as well as a 2% NSR royalty interest, in a Share Purchase Agreement dated February 15, 2016 between Lithium X Energy Corp. ("Lithium X"), 1061582 B.C. Ltd. and LT Capital Holdings, LLC ("Agreement"). Pure Energy became a party to this agreement in conjunction with the acquisition of the mineral claims and a $2 million strategic investment in Pure Energy from Lithium X in May of 2017. The issuance of shares is subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. "Pure Energy is pleased to have retired the underlying royalty obligation covering part of the Clayton Valley Project by amicable arrangement with the previous royalty holder," commented Mary Little, Pure Energy's director. "The royalty purchase further streamlines the Company's ability to maximize shareholder value." About Pure Energy Minerals Pure Energy Minerals is a lithium resource developer that is driven to become a low-cost supplier for the growing lithium battery industry. Pure Energy has consolidated a pre-eminent land position at its Clayton Valley ("CV") Project in the Clayton Valley of central Nevada for the exploration and development of lithium resources, comprising 950 claims over 23,360 acres (9,450 hectares), representing the largest mineral land holdings in the valley. Pure Energy's Clayton Valley Project adjoins and surrounds on three sides the Silver Peak lithium brine mine operated by Albemarle Corporation. Drilling of bore holes CV-01 through CV-08 were completed together with a revised mineral resource and a Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") for the Clayton Valley Project (news releases of June 26, 2017 and April 5, 2018). Pure Energy's strategic investor, Schlumberger Technology Corp. ("SLB"), is the operator of the Clayton Valley Project. On May 29, 2019, Pure Energy and SLB signed an Earn-In agreement over the CV Project which requires significant investment by SLB at the Project, to include the design and construction of a pilot plant capable of processing lithium-bearing brines for high-quality lithium hydroxide monohydrate ("lithium hydroxide" or "LiOHH2O") and/or lithium carbonate products at a specified rate. SLB plans to utilize both in-house and commercially available technology in the design of the CV pilot plant. SLB's costs, technical parameters and ultimate technology are anticipated to differ from the published PEA. For further details regarding SLB's earn-in, please refer to Pure Energy's Annual General and Special Meeting Management Information Circular dated April 4, 2019, available on SEDAR.com. On January 3, 2019, the Nevada Division of Water Resources ("NDWR") approved and granted a Finite Term Water Right to Pure Energy, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Esmeralda Minerals LLC, for the extraction of up to 50 acre-feet of water during a 5-year period from the CV properties. This water right is deemed sufficient for brine testing requirements and SLB's future pilot plant facility. In July of 2020, the CV-09 well was completed and results were published by Pure Energy on October 14, 2020. Quality Assurance Walter Weinig, Professional Geologist and Qualified Person, MMSA registration #01529QP, has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information presented in this news release for Pure Energy Minerals Ltd. He is a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. On behalf of the Board of Directors, "Mary L. Little" Director, Pure Energy Minerals Ltd. CONTACT: Pure Energy Minerals Limited (www.pureenergyminerals.com) Email: info@pureenergyminerals.com Telephone - 604 608 6611 Cautionary Statements and Forward-Looking Information The information in this news release contains forward looking statements that are subject to a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in our forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause such differences include: changes in world commodity markets, equity markets, costs and supply of materials relevant to the mining industry, change in government and changes to regulations affecting the mining industry. Forward-looking statements in this release may include future exploration and development on the CV Project. Although we believe the expectations reflected in our forward-looking statements are reasonable, results may vary, and we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except as required by applicable laws. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/85965 Pan-Asia Impact Fund to back high-growth emerging champions developing smart platforms that enhance access to affordable quality healthcare and education for sustainable post-Covid recovery, in line with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Builds on successful track record of earlier Growth Funds which have deployed US$150 million to back emerging category leaders including omni-channel healthcare and education solutions, next generation therapeutics, and precision medicine With first close anchored by impact-conscious investors Tsao Family Office and IMC Group, Fund III will go beyond seeking commercial returns to align intentionality and track material impact metrics that are collinear to scaling business and impact goals at the same time. SINGAPORE, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Heritas Capital ("Heritas") announces the first close of its third private equity fund, Heritas Growth Fund III (Fund III), at US$60 million. The first close follows Heritas Capital's announcement early this year of its plan to launch a US$150 million Fund III as a Pan-Asia Impact Fund focusing on high impact sectors within Healthcare, Education and Technology for building back better post-Covid-19. Fund III seeks to back 10-15 emerging Asian champions with innovative and impactful solutions aligned with selected UN SDG Goals. Ticket sizes for each Fund III investment may range from US$5 million to US$20 million, targeting high growth businesses seeking Series B financing and beyond to advance their solutions at-scale. The launch of Fund III builds on Heritas' successful track record of earlier Growth Funds which have deployed US$150 million to back smart platform solutions such as omni-channel healthcare and education solutions, next generation therapeutics, and precision medicine. Heritas has achieved post-investment value creation by supporting founders and management teams in their growth journey, leveraging Heritas' domain expertise, industry networks, sound governance and sustainable ESG / impact practices. Examples of Heritas-backed category leaders which have shown strong traction and resilience notwithstanding Covid-19 and continued to serve their respective communities with purpose include: Q&M Dental (dental chain, Singapore), Timberland Medical Centre (private hospital, Malaysia), Alodoktor (telehealth, Indonesia), MFine (telehealth, India), and BHL Education (K-12 education, Vietnam). The latest investment by Heritas Capital was its follow-on participation in the US$125 million Series C round of Hummingbird Bioscience announced in May 2021 through Fund II, having been an early backer since Series A and B rounds via its Heritas Venture Fund (HVF) since 2019. Fund III is set up as the first sub-fund under Heritas-managed Variable Capital Company (VCC), a new corporate structure tailored for investment funds using Singapore as a base for fund management and domiciliation. As a Capital Markets Services License Holder regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore, Heritas values the operational flexibility, sound governance and tax advantages offered by VCC and will be evaluating additional impact-oriented sub-funds such as Venture Capital, SPACs and Development Impact Bonds in the future. With its first close anchored by impact-conscious investors Tsao Family Office and IMC Group, Fund III will go beyond seeking commercial returns to align intentionality and track material impact metrics that are collinear to scaling business and impact goals at the same time. Such impact considerations are integrated within Heritas' investment processes and aligned with its thesis of achieving impactful change, centered mainly on shifting consciousness, enhancing access and quality, and catalyzing market development through collaboration. "IMC Group's mission is to serve humanity well-being while creating economic wealth. We are pleased to back Heritas' launch of its Growth Fund III as an Impact Fund to facilitate the shift of consciousness in business to be in alignment with the development of humanity in the new era of wellbeing," said Mr Frederick Chavalit Tsao, Chairman of IMC Group. "Tsao Family Office, representing one of Asia's most enduring business families, with over a century of history, is pleased to support Heritas Growth Fund III, an impact fund investing in businesses contributing to the benefit of society," said Bryan Goh, CEO of Tsao Family Office. "The first close of Heritas Growth Fund III is timely as Covid-19 has widened existing inequalities and devastated lives and livelihood; but also offered the opportunity to reconstruct more sustainable growth paradigms. With the accelerated innovation and adoption of new technologies and business models, we see new investment opportunities to back high growth businesses across Asia delivering scalable access to affordable quality healthcare and education, in line with UN SDGs. We are thankful for the support of impact-conscious anchor investors Tsao Family Office and IMC Group, and look forward to collaborating with like-minded impact investors, founders and stakeholders to achieve sustainable commercial success as well as impact creation," said Chik Wai Chiew, CEO and Executive Director at Heritas Capital. About Heritas Capital Heritas Capital is a Singapore-based private equity and venture capital investment firm that invests in fast-growing companies across the healthcare, education and technology sectors. Guided by its investment philosophy, "Invest with Purpose, Impact Across Generations", Heritas Capital backs innovative companies to become emerging champions and drive inclusive growth that improves the lives of local communities while delivering sustainable returns to investors. Heritas Capital's impact-in-action platform Heritas Cares is an initiative to raise awareness of unmet social needs and to catalyze positive impact to the community through partnerships with its portfolio companies for the benefit of the local communities in which it operates. Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - May 31, 2021) - INDVR Brands Inc. (CSE: IDVR) (the "Company" or "INDVR Brands" or "INDVR"), a premier cannabis brand, consolidator and edibles retailer, announces it has published its Financial Statements and MD&A for the 12 months ended January 31, 2021. The Financial Statements and accompanying MD&A are available on SEDAR. INDVR has also granted, effective after market close on May 29, 2021, an aggregate of 8,550,000 stock options (each, an "Option") to certain executive, board member and consultants of the Company in accordance with the Company's stock option plan. Each Option is exercisable for one Class A Subordinate Voting Shares share in the capital of the Company (a "Share") at a price of $0.065 per Share, being the closing price of the Shares on the Canadian Stock Exchange (CSE) on May 29, 2021. This is a normal-course grant that comprises part of the Company's long-term compensation and employee retention incentives program. About INDVR Brands Inc. INDVR is focused on aggregating and optimizing popular cannabis brands throughout North America. We are committed to the pursuit of becoming a premier, globally recognized "House of Brands," holding a client portfolio of award-winning products with an extensive market footprint. For consumers, INDVR seeks to become the definitive source for unparalleled product selection, a tireless commitment to quality, exceptional craftsmanship and lifestyle. Whatever the occasion, INDVR's has an inspired cannabis product tailored to meet every taste. INDVR's management team brings expertise in operations, cannabis cultivation and mergers and acquisitions to support its U.S. expansion through accretive acquisitions and organic growth. Additional Information Additional information regarding INDVR is available under INDVR's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com.This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities. Investor Information Company Contact: Scott Koyich, Investor Relations Scott@briscocapital.com Phone: +1 (403) 619-2200 Disclaimer and Forward-Looking Information Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking information. These statements relate to future events or future performance. The use of any of the words "anticipate", "could", "intend", "expect", "believe", "will", "projected", "potential", "estimated" and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on the parties' current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. Actual future results may differ materially. In particular, but without limiting the foregoing, this news release contains forward-looking statements pertaining to the following the closing of the Offering, closing of future tranches of the Offering, the use of proceeds of the Offering and the benefit of the Offering to the Company. These statements are only predictions. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. The Company assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. The forward-looking information contained in this release is made as of the date hereof and the parties are not obligated to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. Because of the risks, uncertainties and assumptions contained herein, investors should not place undue reliance on forward looking information. The foregoing statements expressly qualify any forward-looking information contained herein. To the extent any forward-looking information in this press release constitutes "future-oriented financial information" or "financial outlooks" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws, such information is being provided to demonstrate the anticipated product sales of the Company and the reader is cautioned that this information may not be appropriate for any other purpose and the reader should not place undue reliance on such future-oriented financial information and financial outlooks. Future-oriented financial information and financial outlooks, as with forward-looking information generally, are, without limitation, based on the assumptions and subject to the risks set out above under the heading "Disclaimer and Forward-Looking Information". Cannabis is legal in certain States in the United States ("U.S."), however cannabis remains illegal under U.S. federal laws. INDVR Brands intends to conduct its U.S. cannabis operations in a manner consistent with the applicable State laws and in compliance with regulatory and licensing requirements applicable in the applicable State. However, the readers should be aware that any change in federal guidance on enforcement actions could adversely affect INDVR Brand's ability to access private and public capital required in order to support continuing operations and its ability to operate in the U.S. Unlike in Canada which has Federal legislation uniformly governing the cultivation, distribution, sale and possession of cannabis under the Cannabis Act (Federal), readers are cautioned that in the U.S., cannabis is largely regulated at the State level. Notwithstanding the permissive regulatory environment of medical cannabis at the State level, cannabis continues to be categorized as a controlled substance under the Controlled Substances Act in the U.S. and as such, cannabis-related practices or activities, including without limitation, the manufacture, importation, possession, use or distribution of cannabis are illegal under U.S. Federal law. Strict compliance with State laws with respect to cannabis will neither absolve INDVR Brands of liability under the U.S. Federal law, nor will it provide a defense to any Federal proceeding, which may be brought against INDVR Brands. Any such proceedings brought against INDVR Brands may materially adversely affect its operations and financial performance in the U.S. market. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/85975 TOKYO (dpa-AFX) - The Japanese stock market is notably lower after paring early gains in choppy trading on Tuesday, extending the losses of the previous session, with the benchmark Nikkei index above the 28,700 level, following the absence of fresh cues from Wall Street. Traders remain concerned and cautious after the Japanese government on Friday extended the COVID-19 state of emergency in Tokyo, Osaka and seven other prefectures by three weeks to June 20. The benchmark Nikkei 225 Index is losing 149.37 points or 0.52 percent to 28,710.71, after touching a high of 29,075.47 and a low of 28,611.25 earlier. Japanese shares closed notably lower on Monday. Market heavyweight SoftBank Group is losing more than 1 percent and Uniqlo operator Fast Retailing is edging down 0.2 percent. Among automakers, Honda is losing 0.5 percent, while Toyota is gaining almost 2 percent. In the tech space, Advantest is losing more than 1 percent and Tokyo Electron is edging down 0.3 percent, while Screen Holdings is up almost 2 percent. In the banking sector, Mizuho Financial is edging up 0.4 percent, while Mitsubishi UFJ Financial and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial are edging down 0.2 percent. The major exporters are mixed, with Sony and Canon edging down 0.2 percent, while Panasonic and Mitsubishi Electric are losing almost 1 percent. Among the other major losers, JFE Holdings, Tokai Carbon and Casio Computer are losing more than 2 percent each, while NSK, Kajima, Pacific Metals, Kirin Holdings, Citizen Watch, GS Yuasa, Nippon Steel and Nikon are all down almost 2 percent. M3, recruit Holdings and Toppan printing are declining more than 1 percent each. Conversely, IHI is gaining more than 4 percent and Toray Industries are up almost 3 percent, while Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Sumco and Sumitomo Electric Industries are adding more than 2 percent each. In economic news, the manufacturing sector in Japan continued to improve in May, the latest survey from Jibun Bank revealed on Tuesday with a revised manufacturing PMI score of 53.0. That's up from 52.5 in April and it moves further above the boom-or-bust line of 50 that separates expansion from contraction. In the currency market, the U.S. dollar is trading in the lower 109 yen-range on Tuesday. Overnight, the U.S. markets were closed for Memorial Day holiday. European stocks closed weak on Monday with markets in the U.K. closed for Bank Holiday. However, Germany's DAX slid 0.64 percent and France's CAC 40 ended lower by 0.57 percent. Crude oil futures climbed higher on Monday amid expectations that demand will outstrip supply. The West Texas Intermediate Crude oil futures for July climbed $0.39 or 0.9% to $66.91 a barrel. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de Many are keeping their social and economic background in mind before opting for the vaccine. PTI HYDERABAD: Only a few doses are being made available for Covid-19 vaccinations being carried out in gated communities of Kondapur, Gachibowli, Kompally, Yapral, Trimulgherry, Nacharam and other areas on outskirts of the city. As a result, priority groups are being vaccinated first. For example, in Secunderabad, Trimulgherry and Kompally, senior citizens are being given preference. In gated communities of Nacharam, preference is being given to those who venture out, like shopkeepers, traders and company employees. Mohammed Mustafa, a shopkeeper says, "We decided to vaccinate young people first, as they are the ones venturing out. Once the lockdown is lifted, there will be business commitments, which will force us to travel. We can get vaccinated at that time." A lot of members, however, prefer getting vaccinated at local public health centres, as they feel those are safe with regard to the quality of vaccination. At other places, they may get duped with something else being given in the name of vaccination. C. Shanker of Neredmet says, "For vaccination, we want to visit only government centres as they are safe. If government sets up camps in residential societies, a lot more people can get vaccinated at the earliest." Meanwhile, societies have formulated guidelines for implementing the vaccination process. They are focusing on the most vulnerable groups like senior citizens and those with co-morbid conditions. Dr Harish Rao, senior general physician, says, "There are people coming up with lots of requests. Many are keeping their social and economic background in mind before opting for the vaccine. There are also Covid-19-recovered patients, who will have to wait for three months before they can take the vaccine." Press Release 1 June 2021 Espoo, Finland - Daimler and Nokia sign patent licensing agreement Daimler and Nokia announced today that they have signed a patent licensing agreement. Under the agreement, Nokia licenses mobile telecommunications technology to Daimler and receives payment in return. The parties have agreed to settle all pending litigation between Daimler and Nokia, including the complaint by Daimler against Nokia to the European Commission. The terms of the agreement remain confidential as agreed between the parties. About Nokia We create technology that helps the world act together. As a trusted partner for critical networks, we are committed to innovation and technology leadership across mobile, fixed and cloud networks. We create value with intellectual property and long-term research, led by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs. Adhering to the highest standards of integrity and security, we help build the capabilities needed for a more productive, sustainable and inclusive world. For our latest updates, please visit us online www.nokia.com and follow us on Twitter @nokia. Daimler at a glance Daimler AG is one of the world's most successful automotive companies. With its Mercedes-Benz Cars & Vans, Daimler Trucks & Buses and Daimler Mobility divisions, the Group is one of the leading global suppliers of premium and luxury cars and one of the world's largest manufacturers of commercial vehicles. Daimler Mobility offers financing, leasing, fleet management, investments and insurance brokerage, as well as innovative mobility services. The company founders, Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz, made history by inventing the automobile in 1886. As a pioneer of automotive engineering, Daimler sees shaping the future of mobility in a safe and sustainable way as both a motivation and obligation. The company's focus therefore remains on innovative and green technologies as well as on safe and superior vehicles that both captivate and inspire. Daimler continues to invest systematically in the development of efficient powertrains - from high-tech combustion engines and hybrid vehicles to all-electric powertrains with battery or fuel cell - with the goal of making locally emission-free driving possible in the long term. The company's efforts are also focused on the intelligent connectivity of its vehicles, autonomous driving and new mobility concepts as Daimler regards it as its aspiration and obligation to live up to its responsibility to society and the environment. Daimler sells its vehicles and services in nearly every country of the world and has production facilities in Europe, North and South America, Asia and Africa. In addition to Mercedes-Benz, the world's most valuable luxury automotive brand (source: Interbrand study, 20 Oct. 2020), and Mercedes-AMG, Mercedes-Maybach, Mercedes-EQ and Mercedes me, its brand portfolio also includes commercial vehicle brands Mercedes-Benz Trucks Freightliner, Western Star, BharatBenz, FUSO, Setra and Thomas Built Buses as well as the brands of Daimler Mobility: Mercedes-Benz Bank, Mercedes-Benz Financial Services, Daimler Truck Financial and Athlon. The company is listed on the Frankfurt and Stuttgart stock exchanges (ticker symbol DAI). In 2020, the Group had a workforce of around 288,500 and sold 2.8 million vehicles. Group revenues amounted to 154.3 billion and Group EBIT to 6.6 Media Inquiries: Nokia Communications Phone: +358 10 448 4900 Email: press.services@nokia.com Daimler Silke Mockert, Daimler Communications Phone: +49 160-8672007 Email: silke.mockert@daimler.com PRESS RELEASE NMD Pharma Initiates an Observational Pilot Study Investigating the Effects of Sarcopenia on Neuromuscular Transmission in Older Adults Aarhus, Denmark, 1 June2021 - NMD Pharma A/S, a biotech company developing novel therapeutics for neuromuscular disorders, today announces that it has initiated a pilot observational study to assess whether sarcopenia, a condition characterized by age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass and function, is associated with neuromuscular junction (NMJ) transmission deficits in older adults. The US study will be led by Professor Brian Clark, PhD of Ohio University and Professor William David Arnold, MD, of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and will involve 16 subjects: eight older sarcopenic individuals over the age of 70 and eight healthy young and middle aged individuals between the ages of 18 and 50. Subjects will undergo electrophysiological testing (repetitive nerve stimulation and single fibre electromyography (EMG) analyses) and different assessments of muscle mass (magnetic resonance imaging) and function (involving tests of muscle strength, power, fatigability, and balance). NMD Pharma is developing first-in-class small molecule inhibitors of the muscle specific chloride ion channel, the ClC-1 ion channel and has already demonstrated that ClC-1 inhibition can strengthen neuromuscular transmission and ultimately skeletal muscle function. This study is intended to establish whether NMJ transmission deficits occur in sarcopenic individuals, and to investigate whether these deficits correlate with reduced physical performance. This data will be used to inform potential future clinical trials of one of NMD Pharma's ClC-1 inhibitors for the treatment of mobility limitations in sarcopenic individuals. Thomas Holm Pedersen, Chief Executive Officer of NMD Pharma, said:"This is the firstclinical study that NMD Pharma has coordinated in older adults with sarcopenia. The investigators leading the study have already demonstrated NMJ transmission deficits are present in aged mice but whether this translates in older human individuals is yet unknown. We are grateful to the world-leading clinical teams in Ohio, and their prospective study participants, for making this study possible." Professor Brian Clark, PhD, from Ohio University commented: "The exact causes of sarcopenia are still unknown but factors affecting the strength of muscle contraction independent of mass, such as NMJ transmission, are increasingly suspected ascontributors to the development of age-related physical disability.This study will seek to assess that hypothesis and provide data which could lead to much needed clinical trials of this particular condition in the future." Professor William David Arnold, MD, from The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center added: "Sarcopenia is a common condition in older adults that contributes to functional decline, disability, frailty and falls and is one of the most important reasons for loss of independence in older adults. There is a need to raise awareness of this condition in order to aid earlier detection and treatment and, as such, it is vital that research in this area continues. We are pleased to discover more about this condition through this pilot study." NMD Pharma's lead candidate, NMD670, is currently being evaluated in a combined Phase I/IIa trial to treat the symptoms of Myasthenia Gravisor 740-593-2354. -END- Contacts NMD Pharma A/S Thomas Holm Pedersen, CEO E-mail: contact@nmdpharma.com Consilium Strategic Communications Mary-Jane Elliott / Ashley Tapp / Lindsey Neville E-mail: NMDPharma@consilium-comms.com Tel: +44 (0)20 3709 5700 About NMD Pharma NMD Pharma A/S, is a private biotech company leading in the development of novel first-in-class therapies for severe neuromuscular disorders. The Company was incorporated as a spin-off from Aarhus University, Denmark in 2015 and was founded on more than 15 years of muscle physiology research with a focus on regulation of skeletal muscle excitability under physical activity. NMD Pharma has built a world-leading muscle electrophysiology platform leveraging the in-depth know-how of muscle physiology and muscular disorders, small molecule modulators, enabling technologies and tools as well as in-vivo pharmacology models for discovering and developing proprietary modulators of neuromuscular function. NMD Pharma received seed financing from Novo Seeds, Lundbeckfonden Emerge and Capnova in 2016, and in 2018 raised a 38 million Series A financing, led by new investor INKEF Capital, together with new investor Roche Venture Fund and existing investors Novo Seeds and Lundbeckfonden Emerge. Find out more about us online at http://www.nmdpharma.com/. About TheOhio State University Wexner Medical Center One of the nation's leading academic health centers, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center offers health care services in virtually every specialty and subspecialty in medicine. Thousands of patients come to us each month for treatments and services they can't find anywhere else. Providing access to health care information is central to our research, education and patient care mission. At Ohio State Wexner Medical Center, we're dedicated to improving health in Ohio and across the world through innovation in research, education and patient care. Find out more about us online at www.wexnermedical.osu.edu About Ohio University Ohio University strives to be the best student-centered, transformative learning community in America, where students realize their promise, faculty advance knowledge, staff achieve excellence, and alumni become global leaders. OHIO is committed to fostering, embracing, and celebrating diversity in all its forms. Our Athens Campus offers students a residential learning experience in one of the nation's most picturesque academic settings. Additional campuses and centers serve students across the state, and online programs further advance the University's commitment to providing educational access and opportunity. Visit www.ohio.edufor more information. Ohio University is a research-intensive institution with a record of advancing knowledge through discovery and innovation in the natural and biomedical sciences, humanities and arts, and engineering. About Sarcopenia Sarcopenia is a syndrome characterized by progressive and generalized loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength and it is strictly correlated with physical disability, poor quality of life and death. Risk factors for sarcopenia include age, gender and level of physical activity although the exact causes of the disease are unknown at present. On average, it is estimated that 5-13% of elderly people aged 60-70 years are affected by sarcopenia1. 1https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3060646/ (Fornebu, 1 June) Kaaren Hilsen, current CEO of Telenor Sweden, is appointed CEO of Telenor Tower Holding AS from 1 September 2021. Hilsen will become the first CEO of Telenor Group's newly established tower company, a holding company to gather all of Telenor's tower activities in the Nordics under one unit that will report directly to the Group CFO. Ambitions to identify and carve out tower and infrastructure assets as separate business lines were communicated at Telenor's Capital Markets Day in 2020. The establishment of the new tower company is the next step in the previously stated ambitions of driving operational improvements and unlock value in the tower infrastructure portfolio. "Tower infrastructure is a strategically important area for Telenor. We need a dedicated CEO and management team to drive value creation, and Kaaren is the right person to take on this challenge," says Tone Hegland Bachke, EVP and CFO of Telenor Group. Hilsen has served as CEO of Telenor Sweden since 1 March 2019 and has since her appointment steered the company on a transformation journey modernising the company's network, platforms and way of work as well as beginning the 5G rollout in Sweden. "I am excited to take on the position as CEO of Telenor Tower Holding AS as the new company will play an important part for Telenor Group's ability to drive and unlock value going forward. At the same time, it's with a heavy heart I have decided to leave Telenor Sweden. In some ways, I feel that I am leaving too early as I would have liked to see more of the results of the new strategy and the big transformation we have gone through over the past few years," says Hilsen. "I want to thank Kaaren for leading Telenor Sweden in a challenging period characterised by strong competition in the market. As CEO she has laid the foundation for a solid turnaround, and the strategy she and her management team has put in place has started to yield the desired results in Sweden," says Sigve Brekke, President and CEO of Telenor Group. Telenor is in the process of hiring Hilsen's successor as CEO of Telenor Sweden. Media contact: Tormod Sandst, Director Media Relations, Telenor Group +47 90 94 32 15 | Tormod.Sandsto@telenor.com WOKINGHAM, UK / ACCESSWIRE / June 1, 2021 / In accordance with DTR 5.6.1, the Company hereby notifies the following: The Company's issued share capital as at May 31, 2021 consisted of 232,171,182 ordinary shares of 10 pence each ("Ordinary Shares"), of which 8,734,347 Ordinary Shares were held in treasury as at the date of this disclosure. The voting rights of treasury shares are automatically suspended. Therefore, the total voting rights in the Company is 223,436,835. This figure may be used by shareholders as the denominator for the calculations by which to determine if they are required to notify their interest in, or a change to their interest in, the Company under the FCA's Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules and the Company's Articles of Association. Enquiries: Graham Middlemiss, Group Company Secretary (0118 927 3800) June 1, 2021 This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact rns@lseg.com or visit www.rns.com. SOURCE: Ferguson PLC View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/649845/Ferguson-PLC-Announces-Total-Voting-Rights Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 1, 2021) - Lynx Global Digital Finance Corporation (CSE: LYNX) (OTC Pink: CNONF) (FSE: 3CT0) ("Lynx" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that its subsidiary Direct Agent 5 Inc. ("DA5"), has entered into a strategic global technology partnership agreement with Pipit Global ("Pipit"). The active Pipit network will now provide DA5 the ability to leverage over 320,000 integrated physical cash-in/cash-out settlement facilities and locations at post offices, kiosks, ATM's, agent and retail locations throughout North & South America, Europe, Africa & Asia. Pipit offers DA5 and the Lynx Network integration to an International B2B Cash Payments Platform. With this platform, the unbanked (52% of the world's population) can transact internationally, digitally, online with cash. Without the need of a bank account, the unbanked now have the ability to send and receive cash, make payments, send remittances, and load an ewallet. This technology integration agreement opens up the global cash market for online merchants, not just domestically, but worldwide. Globally, the equivalent to US$7.6 trillion cash is in circulation. In 40 of 42 major economies - from Europe and Asia to Latin America and the United States - the growth of cash in circulation outpaced economic growth over the last 10 years. With the DA5 and Pipit agreement now solidified, it provides for the deployment and integration of the DA5 traditional remittance rails and the DA5 Mobile App and eWallet throughout the Pipit Global integrated network. "From the Pipit Global perspective," stated Ollie Walsh, CEO of Pipit, "The partnership with DA5 is perfect in terms of achieving our stated corporate mission, to help the global unbanked population to support their financially underserved families at home and abroad, in a cheaper and safer way. By working with DA5, we can make a significant impact by helping people with the huge trans-global movements of cash they need to send, by enabling for them a low cost and reliable source to load and disburse their cash. The DA5 model will improve this service dramatically by enabling consumers to deposit cash and then make ecommerce transactions from the DA5 ewallet." According to Ray Babst, CEO of DA5, "This technology platform integration with Pipit, is yet another step in the evolution of the goals I had set forth for DA5 when I founded the Company 15 years ago. It has always been my desire to build an international brand and network - since the recent acquisition to become a member of the Lynx Global organization, I have already directly expanded my brand to Vietnam, Canada, Australia, and Singapore. With this exciting partnership with Pipit, we can now take the DA5 brand name all around the World and provide ourselves with capability to digitize the global cash markets. I consider myself an expert in the 'cash' business have focused on supporting massive remittance and forex transactional volumes since I began DA5, so the ability to now integrate the DA5 remittance rails and the DA5 mobile app into the Pipit network touching over 320,000 physical cash-in/cash-out locations, really is a monumental achievement." Morocco, Vietnam, Egypt, Philippines, Mexico: these are the top 5 countries, according to a just-released study by the British research platform Merchant Machine, where the unbanked population is the largest. On a global level, the regions with the highest proportion of developing or emerging economies, quite predictably, top the list: in the Middle East and Africa the 50% of the population is financially excluded, South and Central America follow at 38%, Eastern Europe and the former Soviet republics at 33%, Asia Pacific's share stands at 24%. While the ecommerce market is growing rapidly - Mexico is projected to be the 8th largest ecommerce market in the world by 2023. A survey released last year by the central bank of the Philippines-explains why. With over 50 million individuals unbanked out of a total adult population of 72 million, the bank reported, almost half of them (45%) mentioned the lack of enough money as the top reason for not qualifying to have an account. ABOUT LYNX DIGITAL GLOBAL FINANCE: Lynx seeks to become a leader in financial technology, solutions, and services for large-scale merchants, financial institutions and other B2B industry partners by way of integration to the Lynx digital payment platform. The Company's payment solutions are powered by a broad suite of payment technologies and services. The Company has targeted banking and fintech relationships in ASEAN and Oceania, a region with a population approaching 700 million, that can provide Lynx a financial network hub location to service and operate a global traditional and digital financial infrastructure. By working with selected banking and/or licensed EMI partners, the Company will be able to offer a digital payment platform with a full suite of payment solutions, which may include merchant acquiring solutions; card issuing; remittance and forex; and custodial digital asset services, including digital wallet services. The Company seeks organic growth while investigating potential strategic acquisitions that may contribute critical technology applications, additional services, and revenue streams, and that can complement or enhance existing offerings and potentially increase or expedite the path to future profitability. While Lynx believes that significant near-term opportunities exist for the Company's strategic initiatives, there can be no assurance that goals and objectives will be reached or that any such underlying efforts or agreements will provide successful or positive outcomes should they be implemented. For more information, please contact: Michael Penner, CEO (604) 396-9974 mpenner@lynxglobal.io www.lynxglobal.io NEITHER THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATIONS SERVICES PROVIDERS HAVE REVIEWED OR ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS: Certain information contained herein may constitute "forward-looking information" under Canadian securities legislation, including the described initiatives of DA5 and the goals and objectives of Lynx. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as, "will be", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events, or results "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the Company's estimates and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance, or achievements of Lynx to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, including capital expenditures, other costs, or implied future forecasts. The Company further again cautions that all forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain, and that actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control. Such factors include, among other things: risks and uncertainties relating to the Company's limited operating history and the need to comply with environmental and governmental regulations. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and information. Lynx will not update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information that are incorporated by reference herein, except as required by applicable securities laws. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/85968 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 1, 2021) - Bam Bam Resources Corp. (CSE: BBR) (OTC Pink: NPEZF) (FSE: 4NPB) ("Bam Bam" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that an extensive soil sampling program is underway at Majuba Hill. Previous soil sampling outlined numerous large copper, silver, zinc, molybdenum, and gold anomalies that had extended to the edge of the sampling area. New sample coverage is laid out to expand these existing anomalies. Figure 1 To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6332/85927_bambam1jpg A property-wide drone magnetic survey completed in 2021 extended and enlarged the alteration footprint at Majuba Hill (Bam Bam News Release dated May 12, 2021). The magnetic signature of the Tertiary Intrusive Assemblage and the larger Majuba Intrusive Complex are both strongly coincident with the soil geochemical anomalies. The Company also has a Deep IP survey underway to expand previous work completed by the Company. David Greenway, President and CEO, commented: "The large-scale potential for the Majuba project is shown by the geophysical signatures and the associated copper and silver geochemistry. The completion of the soil geochemistry, the Deep IP survey and the recently completed drone magnetic survey will allow us to better understand the size and scope of Majuba Hill and to target more accurately our drill programs." DeSoto Target Detailed follow-up work is underway for the DeSoto Target which contains a large copper, silver, molybdenum, and zinc soil anomaly west of the current known oxide area. Recent recognition and understanding of the significant copper and silver enrichment in the Majuba-Known Oxide Zone suggests that near surface enrichment at DeSoto should be evaluated. Historic core drilled in this area is being relogged. Significant shallow intercepts from drillholes on the northern end of the copper in soils anomaly returned: MM-18: 105.7 ft (32.3 m) of 0.62% Cu and 25.16 g/t Ag from 72 to 177.7 ft (21.9-54.2 m) DSM-02: 25.5 ft (7.8 m) of 0.57% Cu and 28.09 g/t Ag from 152.5 to 178 ft (46.5-54.3 m) Figure 2 To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6332/85927_bambam2.jpg About Majuba Hill Property Majuba Hill is a large contiguous land position controlling the emerging Majuba Hill Copper District, located Northeast of Reno, Nevada. The "Majuba Hill District" is comprised of extensive mineral and surface rights held by private ownership, patented mining claims, and Federal Lode Mining claims that are 100% controlled by Bam Bam Resources Corp. The land package is approximately 15.1 square miles (39.2 square km)/9,678 acres (3,917ha). The property is easily accessed by 23 miles of well-maintained roads leading from U.S. Interstate 80. Reno and Elko are the major supply centers for exploration and mining activities in Nevada. The existing highways are sufficient for transportation of exploration-size heavy equipment. Development logistics would use the 4 lane Interstate 80 highway, Union Pacific railroad tracks and adjacent power, natural gas, and fiber optic transmission lines in the rail - highway corridor. Mining is a common occupation in the area with several small to world class mines operating in the Winnemucca - Lovelock area over the past several decades. A well-trained and experienced mining workforce pool is available in Nevada when labor and expertise are required. The excellent location of Bam Bam's Majuba Hill District, with already existing mining friendly infrastructure, will significantly reduce costs for exploration programs and future mining activities. Qualified Person The scientific and technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed by E.L. "Buster" Hunsaker III, CPG 8137, a non-independent consulting geologist who is a "Qualified Person" as such term is defined under National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43- 101"). About Bam Bam Resources Corp. Bam Bam Resources Corp. (CSE: BBR) (OTC Pink: NPEZF) (FSE: 4NPB) is engaged in the identification, review and acquisition of latter stage copper and copper/silver/gold assets. This is in direct response to the growing worldwide demand and lack of supply for precious metals fueled by the Green New Deal in the US and most other developed nations with similar programs aimed at addressing climate change. Such programs are heavily reliant on silver, gold and especially copper to produce Electric Vehicles and other renewable power sources, as well as building infrastructure to provide clean and affordable electricity. The flagship project is the Majuba Hill copper, silver and gold District located 156 miles outside Reno, Nevada, USA. Management has been mandated to focus on safe, mining friendly jurisdictions where government regulations are supportive of mining operations. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. On Behalf of the Board of Bam Bam Resources Corp. "David Greenway" David C. Greenway President & CEO For further information, please contact: Joel Warawa VP of Corporate Communications E: jw@bambamresources.com P: 1 (855) 475-0745 Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking" statements. Forward looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although Bam Bam Resources Corp. believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in forward looking statements. Forward looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of Bam Bam Resources Corp. management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by law, Bam Bam Resources Corp. undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. ### To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/85927 SHANGHAI, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Arctech, a leading manufacturer and supplier of solar trackers, fixed-tilt structures and BIPV systems, remained the fourth place in the global PV tracker market share rankings in 2020 with a market share of 8%, according to new data from Wood Mackenzie. The ranking is the recognition of Arctech's industry-leading 1P and 2P trackers, as well as its quality services. Wood Mackenzie's new report shows that Arctech maintained strong momentum in China, India, the Asian Pacific region and the Middle East in 2020, and expansion in Latin America and North America also started to bear fruit. According to the report, Arctech topped the ranking in the Asian Pacific region with a 35% market share, aided by the unparalleled leadership in the Indian solar market. The company maintained the number 1 tracker supplier in the region for three consecutive years. Despite the pandemic disruption in India, Arctech struck a deal with one leading Indian developer to supply 1.7 GW of 1P SkyLine trackers to two projects in Rajasthan. In particular, the 860MW AEML solar power plant is the largest bifacial+tracker power generation project in India. In the Middle East, Arctech rose to the second largest tracker supplier with a 33% market share, up a whopping 25% from 2019, according to Wood Mackenzie. The firm supplied 575 MW of SkyLine to the largest bifacial+tracker solar park in Oman last year. Arctech ranked as the top tracker supplier in LATAM for the third year, and it continued to take the third spot in the Mexican market ranking in 2020. The sales momentum for Arctech's signature 2P tracker, SkySmart II, remains strong in the region, especially in Chile, Colombia and Argentina. The report notes that Arctech was still the unchallenged leader in China's solar tracker sector, claiming a dominant market share of 46% in 2020. The company delivered SkyLine to a 3.2GW solar park, the world's largest solar PV plant in Qinghai province. Compared with some rivals who outsource manufacturing, Arctech boasts the combination of in-house product design, development and manufacturing, enabling it to have an edge in the cost-controllable production, quality control and delivery process. "While the global solar market kept growing in 2020, we could still feel the impact of the pandemic. The fact that Arctech remained as the world's fourth-largest tracker vendor justifies our global initiatives and highlights the competitiveness of Arctech's trackers in the global market. The ranking speaks to our culture of innovation and technical leadership, and is also the result of our valued customer-first approach," said Guy Rong, President of Global Business. "But we still have a long way to go. We will unwaveringly push ahead with the global strategy and continue to establish competitive strengths in the talent pool, supply chain, branding, service networks, among others. By pushing boundaries, Arctech is looking forward to building further on this success in 2021." Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1520070/1.jpg Order follows alignment of U.S.- and U.K.-based helicopter travel operator Halo Aviation and Associated Aircraft Group under the Halo brand Halo, the first global provider for private urban air mobility, has placed a firm order of 200 Eve Urban Air Mobility vehicles, making it the launch customer for this aircraft. The electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft have an expected delivery date in 2026. One hundred of the vehicles will be used for operations in the United States and 100 will operate in the United Kingdom. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005279/en/ Halo becomes the first global provider for private urban air mobility with a 200 eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) aircraft order from Embraer's Eve urban air mobility solutions. The order follows Directional Aviation's alignment of U.S.- and U.K.-based helicopter travel operators Halo Aviation and Associated Aircraft Group under the Halo brand within the OneSky Flight Portfolio of private aviation travel providers. The electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft have an expected delivery date in 2026. One hundred of the vehicles will be used for operations in the United States and 100 will operate in the United Kingdom. (Photo: Business Wire) Halo becomes Eve's launch partner in building the world's first comprehensive urban air mobility system. The order establishes Eve, an independent company formed by Embraer S.A. (NYSE: ERJ; BM&FBOVESPA: EMBR3), as the leader in a global eVTOL market that is growing rapidly in response to enthusiasm around sustainability and vertical mobility. In addition, Halo announced the alignment of U.K.-based Halo Aviation Ltd. (Halo) and U.S.-based Associated Aircraft Group (AAG) under the Halo brand. Both companies had been acquired earlier this year by OneSky Flight, a member of the Directional Aviation family. The alignment ensures consistent service for Halo's clients traveling in two of the world's leading global centers of business. In addition, Halo will provide streamlined experiences for world-traveling clients of sister companies in the Directional Aviation family of brands: Flexjet, Sentient Jet, PrivateFly and FXAIR. "Bringing together two companies, which are leading providers of vertical lift and urban mobility services in two of the most important markets, will create a phenomenal vertical mobility platform," said Kenneth C. Ricci, Principal, Directional Aviation. "And in placing this order for a revolutionary breakthrough in urban air mobility, we are advancing toward safe, efficient and sustainable travel in and between our cities. eVTOL urban air mobility is the greatest opportunity, and the greatest challenge, I have seen in my 40 years in aviation, and Eve is positioned to make it a reality." Andrew Collins will be leading the vertical lift transition for One Sky and said, "Where private aviation was previously thought of in terms of moving people from airport to airport, today's travel is becoming a doorstep-to-doorstep concept. With the Halo and AAG leadership team's core competency, we are particularly well-positioned to create that new reality better than any other provider. We are on the cusp of global aviation innovations that you can't even imagine." Nearly a dozen eVTOL aircraft designs were evaluated before Halo selected Eve as its launch product to deliver its vertical lift vision. In selecting this aircraft and manufacturer, Ricci said he assessed several elements that pointed to its future success. "We believe Eve has designed an aircraft that not only is well-prepared for initial certification but also has a proven track record of production," Ricci said. "The outstanding lineage of aircraft design, certification and production that Embraer brings to this aircraft positions Eve with significant advantages in the competitive landscape. And our background as operators has taught us that product support is absolutely vital to the overall success of new programs. The relationship between Embraer and Eve will create one of the most successful global product support infrastructures in the industry. Finally, the work that Eve and Embraer have completed around their traffic management system is just one more example of how uniquely positioned Eve is to help us deliver on our vision." Eve instantly becomes a global leader in eVTOL Incubated by Embraer, Eve combines a startup mentality with Embraer's 50 years of aerospace expertise to address the singular challenges of eVTOL travel. Eve is taking a holistic approach to creating an urban air mobility ecosystem that combines not only new aircraft technology but also a comprehensive global services and support network and a unique air traffic management solution. With a unique and valuable market proposition, Eve will advance vertical lift to the next level. The 200 aircraft that Halo has ordered will begin delivery in 2026. Until then, Halo will continue to operate its Leonardo and Sikorsky helicopters as the eVTOL aircraft are phased into service, providing a natural bridge to the next generation of vertical lift. "This partnership is an important step for Eve to assume its position as a global leader in the UAM industry. We are ready to build the future of mobility with our partners in an extremely collaborative way. Halo is aligned with our mission to create comprehensive urban air mobility solutions, and this order marks an important milestone for Eve in key markets. We are confident that this mutually beneficial relationship will have a positive impact for many future users and enable both companies to grow their businesses exponentially," said Andre Stein, President and CEO of Eve Urban Air Mobility. Halo becomes the leading premium helicopter travel provider in the U.K. and U.S. and the first global vertical lift provider In May, 2021, OneSky Flight acquired Halo Aviation, a leading helicopter travel operator in the U.K., and in February, 2021, it acquired Associated Aircraft Group (AAG), the premier operator of executive Sikorsky helicopter service in the Northeastern U.S. Combining the two companies under the Halo brand creates a vertical mobility powerhouse, providing a foundation in the U.S. and U.K. for the establishment of eVTOL service. Halo will operate the fleets of the former Halo Aviation and AAG, giving it full control of their assets and ensuring that its vertical lift operations can be aligned with those of other OneSky companies including luxury fractional jet provider Flexjet; jet card pioneer Sentient Jet; and on-demand jet charter providers FXAIR and PrivateFly. The synergies will include a door-to-door air travel solution for users of private aviation so that, no matter how people prefer to fly, these companies will have solutions for them. Partnership between Eve and Halo will advance private urban air mobility In addition to offering a simple and intuitive eVTOL design that continues to reach development milestones, including the first flight of the engineering simulator in July 2020 and proof of concept in October 2020, Eve is working with Embraer and Atech, a subsidiary of the Embraer Group, to develop an Urban Air Traffic Management (UATM) system that will set the standard for safety, efficiency and performance. Eve has been advancing vertical lift in the U.K. through its leadership of a consortium that is clearing the regulatory and operational issues to bringing eVTOL operations to London. Eve and Halo will work together with the U.K. Civil Aviation Authority and U.S. regulators to advance the first international eVTOL operator partnership of its kind, a key to creating a true urban air mobility ecosystem. About Halo Halo provides bespoke helicopter and private urban air mobility travel services in the United States and the United Kingdom. Formed through the alignment of Halo Aviation Ltd. in the U.K. and Associated Aircraft Group (AAG) in the U.S., Halo offers transportation in the leading helicopter types in their class piloted by instrument-rated pilots. In the U.K., Halo offers vertical lift via charter, card, fractional ownership and full ownership-management programmes. Its fleet of Agusta/Leonardo AW109 and AW169 helicopters dispatch from bases in the south of England, around London, the Midlands and in the Channel Islands. In the U.S., Halo provides helicopter charter, fractional ownership and helicopter maintenance services from its New York, Teterboro, Bridgeport, Providence and Philadelphia installations. For more information, visit www.fly-halo.com. About Eve Urban Air Mobility Solutions (Eve) Eve is a new, independent company dedicated to accelerating the Urban Air Mobility (UAM) ecosystem. Benefitting from a startup mindset, backed by Embraer's more than 50-year history of aerospace expertise, and with a singular focus, Eve is taking a holistic approach to progressing the UAM ecosystem, with an advanced electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle (eVTOL) project, a comprehensive global services and support network, and a unique air traffic management solution. Eve is the first company to graduate from EmbraerX. For more information, visit www.eveairmobility.com. About Directional Aviation and OneSky Flight Directional Aviation is a private investment firm whose singular focus is private business aviation. Directional's OneSky Flight portfolio of private jet travel providers includes shared/fractional jet ownership, jet card, membership, on-demand charter and vertical lift providers. Industry leaders representing MRO, private jet remanufacturing, aviation parts distribution and more also make up the Directional family. Directional Aviation is charting the course of private aviation, worldwide. For more information, visit www.directionalaviation.com and www.onesky.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005279/en/ Contacts: Nicholas Parmelee The Hubbell Group, Inc. +1-216-406-5602 (mobile) nparmelee@hubbellgroup.com LONDON, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- MCAN Health, a pioneering medical travel company in Turkey providing affordable hair transplant, plastic surgery, weight loss, and dental treatments for international patients, is opening its first international office in London, Liverpool Street. Gulsultan Dogan, the founder of MCAN Health, proudly announces the opening of MCAN Health's London office on June 1. "In line with its motto 'beauty for everyone,' MCAN Health has been supporting thousands of international patients every year most of whom are travelling from the UK. An increasing number of patients required a presence here. Therefore, MCAN Health London was founded in January 2020 and planned to be open in March 2020 but due to Covid-19, the opening had been postponed to June 2021. And here we are, excited to be in London for further expansion in the UK," Dogan shares. MCAN Health's London office will be assisting patients in the UK who would like to have their treatments with MCAN Health in Turkey. Patients can now access information and ask their questions related to their treatments and travel plans in person and get support for their aftercare needs. MCAN Health London will also organize consultation days across the country to be able to reach patients living in other parts of the UK. Ozlem Hangul, a graduate of the University of Essex who had worked as a Sales and Content Manager at MCAN Health previously, had been appointed as the Head of London office. "I am excited about my new role and will do my best to support our patients in their medical travel journeys," Hangul states and adds, "we were planning a grand opening by getting together with our patients each of whom we see as a member of big MCAN family. We postpone the big party with our MCAN Babes and Lads until Covid-19 free days. In the meantime, we will be welcoming each patient on appointment to support them in their transformation journeys." For more information about MCAN Health's London office, please visit www.mcanhealth.com or call +44 (0)7522 776060. About MCAN Health MCAN Health is a medical travel company founded in 2015 in Istanbul - Turkey. In November 2020, MCAN Health received a global healthcare accreditation by TEMOS International GmbH that is only given to companies with exceptional patient care and became the one and only medical travel company in Turkey having TEMOS GmbH accreditation. Atos supercomputer to help unlock secrets of the Universe Paris (France), London,(UK)1 June 2021 - Atos today announces it has been awarded a contract by the University of Edinburgh to deliver its most efficient supercomputer, the BullSequana XH2000, the most energy-efficient supercomputing system on the market. This is the largest system dedicated to GPU computing deployed at a customer site in the UK. The new system will constitute the Extreme Scaling Service of the UK's DiRAC HPC Facility. The state-of-the-art platform will allow scientists across the STFC theory community to drive forward world-leading research in particle physics, among other areas, using NVIDIA Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) and AMD processors. It represents a major boost to DiRAC's computing capacity, significantly increasing the power of the Extreme Scaling service. DiRAC is a distributed facility with high performance computing resources hosted by the Universities of Edinburgh, Cambridge, Durham and Leicester. These systems support fundamental research in particle physics, astrophysics, nuclear physics and cosmology. This agreement forms part of a 20 million investment by the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) World Class Laboratories scheme, through the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), to fund an upgrade of the DiRAC facility. The investment is delivering new systems which are up to four times more powerful than the existing DiRAC machines, providing computing capacity that can also be used to address immediate and emerging issues such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The upgraded DiRAC-3 facility will also be much more energy efficient than previous generations. The new BullSequana XH2000 will be able to handle converged workloads simultaneously (HPC simulation, Artificial Intelligence, Deep Learning) on one single system, and therefore enable DiRAC to overcome the limits of traditional computing simulation and explore new applications and innovation. With cutting-edge networking standards and the latest processing components, it provides extreme power, speed and accuracy. It consumes less energy than current systems as it is 100% water-cooled using Atos' patented DLC (Direct Liquid Cooling) solution, which minimises global energy consumption by using warm water up to 40C. Agnes Boudot, Senior Vice President, Head of HPC & Quantum at Atos, said, "We are pleased to be partneringwith the University of Edinburgh and the DiRACcommunityto provide a high-performance computing platform to support their world-class science programme. Our BullSequana XH2000 supercomputer will use both CPUs and GPUs and has been configured to meet the Extreme Scaling requirements of their scientists.This agreement continues to demonstrateour strategic commitment to design and build powerful and innovative supercomputers as wefast approach the exascale era." Professor Mark Wilkinson, Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Leicester and Director of theDiRAC Facility, said, "It is fantastic that Atos has been successful in the DiRAC-3 procurement at Edinburgh and will become a valued partnerof the DiRAC community. As well as delivering a highly capable solution, we are talking to Atos about the additional value they will bring in terms of industry collaboration and opportunities to enhance the training of our students to prepare them for careers in both academia and industry." Professor Luigi Del Debbio, Professor of Theoretical Physics at the University of Edinburgh and Project Lead for the DiRAC-3 procurement at Edinburgh, said, "We are delighted that the delivery of this state-of-the-art supercomputing system will allowour scientific community in the fields of particle physics, astronomy, cosmology and nuclear physicsto pursue cutting-edge research on a broad range of topics. Atos' equipment and expertise will bolster our HPC system offering at the upgraded DiRAC-3 facility, strengthening our research activity andsupporting the education and training of our students." As part of on-going partnership activities, Atos will also help sponsor one student's PhD, support a Hackathon and deliver a series of best practice training workshops for scientists. Atos is committed to supporting closer collaboration between academia and industry through the power of supercomputing and deep learning. In the UK, the company works in partnership with centres of excellence including The Science and Technology Facilities CouncilGenome Campus, the University of Oxford's JADE service, and The Pirbright Institute, among others. *** About Atos Atos is a global leader in digital transformation with 105,000 employees and annual revenue of over 11 billion. European number one in cybersecurity, cloud and high performance computing, the group provides tailored end-to-end solutions for all industries in 71 countries. A pioneer in decarbonization services and products, Atos is committed to a secure and decarbonized digital for its clients. Atos operates under the brands Atos and Atos|Syntel. Atos is a SE (Societas Europaea), listed on the CAC40 Paris stock index. The purpose of Atosis to help design the future of the information space. Its expertise and services support the development of knowledge, education and research in a multicultural approach and contribute to the development of scientific and technological excellence. Across the world, the Group enables its customers and employees, and members of societies at large to live, work and develop sustainably, in a safe and secure information space. About DiRAC DiRAC stands for Distributed Research Utilising Advanced Computing. The DiRAC High Performance Computing facility provides cutting-edge supercomputing resources for UK researchers working on world-leading scientific calculations across a wide range of areas including particle physics, astrophysics, cosmology and nuclear physics. It comprises supercomputers at Cambridge, Durham, Leicester and Edinburgh, each designed to support specific types of calculations. DiRAC also provides access to a team of expert research software engineers to help researchers make the most efficient use of the available computing resources. For more details see: https://dirac.ac.uk/. Press contacts: UK&I: Helena Shadbolt helena.shadbolt@mhpc.com+44+44 (0)20 3128 8897 Global: Laura Fau | laura.fau@atos.net| +33 6 73 64 04 18 | @laurajanefau Attachment Private colleges have also been asked to create online facility, including for payment of fee. Representational image/DC Hyderabad: Students wanting admission in intermediate first year course run by government junior colleges in Telangana will have to first self-enrol online in view of Coronavirus pandemic. Online self-enrolment forms will be available on official website of Telangana State Board of Intermediate Education (TSBIE) www.tsbie.cgg.gov.in from June 1 onwards. Apart from details, students will also need to mention their aggregate percentage of marks. The governments move to first enrol students online is for preventing students or their parents from physically going to colleges for collecting admission forms. TSBIE came up with the idea of online enrolment after it was found that post declaration of SSC results, students and their parents have been approaching private and government colleges physically during lockdown relaxation hours seeking admission forms. It has also been found that while admission forms are being collected on a day, they are being submitted on another day. This poses a risk for students and parents. To avoid any threat from the disease, the state government has opted for online mode of submitting forms. Private colleges have also been asked to create online facility, including for payment of fee. Many junior colleges are also allowing monthly payment of fee, as Covid-induced economic distress has been high among people. Dr. R. Raghu, manager of a private junior college in Habsiguda, says, "We have created two types of forms one where full fee of the year is paid with a discount of 10 per cent; the other in monthly instalments. Maximum parents have opted for the instalment option. The 10 percent discount has attracted only a few, he stated. Annual fee will be in the range of Rs 50,000 to Rs 60,000 per year. Owing to financial distress, most parents are finding it difficult to pay such an amount at one go. SAN FRANCISCO, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The global distributed fiber optic sensor market size is expected to reach USD 2.27 billion by 2028, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The market is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 8.4% from 2021 to 2028. Factors, such as significant demand from the civil engineering vertical and rising adoption in the oil & gas sector, boost product adoption. Fiber optics can withstand rough handling, such as in pipes, streams, and reactors, where manual inspection is not feasible. Furthermore, they help in structural health monitoring at dangerous workplaces and can also be used for border security purposes to prevent intrusion. Thus, its high durability and ability to withstand a challenging environment are also projected to propel market growth. Key suggestions from the report: The market is estimated to grow at a significant CAGR from 2021 to 2028 due to the high product demand as a result of the rising need for efficient and optimized processes, across enterprises and manufacturing sectors The temperature sensing application segment dominated the market in 2020. Temperature sensors find solicitations in the oil & gas and civil engineering segments Suppliers and manufacturers of fiber optic equipment are looking forward to achieving higher bandwidth, 100 GBPS, by undertaking intense research activities North America dominated the global market and accounted for the largest revenue share in 2020 dominated the global market and accounted for the largest revenue share in 2020 However, Asia Pacific is estimated to be the fastest-growing regional market during the forecast period. Read 154 page research report with ToC on "Distributed Fiber Optic Sensor Market Size Share & Trends Analysis Report By Vertical (Oil & Gas, Industrial), By Technology (Raman Effect, Rayleigh Effect), By Application, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2021 - 2028" at: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/distributed-fiber-optic-sensor-sensing-dfos-market Increasing demand for sophisticated infrastructure and rising per capita income is predicted to lead to industrial automation, urban mobility, and growth in high-end residential projects. Various governments are focusing on conserving their prevailing infrastructure and developing new ones. They are under constant pressure to provide the necessary infrastructure, amenities, and connectivity to people. This has enabled increased spending on projects, such as roads, railways, and dams. This rapid growth in the advanced civil engineering vertical is expected to boost market development. The wide usage of DFOS has promoted manufacturers and suppliers to increase R&D expenditure to offer better products to their customers. Service providers are trying to regulate efficiencies and optimize their production process to capture maximum market share and eliminate all other substitutes of the fiber optics technology. The high production & installation price of DFOS products is forcing manufacturers to develop cheaper and reliable optic inspection products. Technological complexities, along with other challenges raise the price of fiber optics deployment, which further hampers the market growth. Grand View Research has segmented the global distributed fiber optic sensor market on the basis of application, technology, vertical, and region: DFOS Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2028) Temperature Sensing Acoustic/Vibration Sensing Other DFOS Technology Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2028) Rayleigh Effect Brillouin Scattering Raman Effect Interferometric Bragg Grating DFOS Vertical Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2028) Oil & Gas Power & Utility Safety & Security Industrial Civil Engineering DFOS Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2028) North America U.S. Canada Mexico Europe U.K. Germany Asia Pacific China Japan India South America Brazil Middle East & Africa & List of Key Players of Distributed Fiber Optic Sensor Market Halliburton Schlumberger Ltd. Yokogawa Electric Corp. OFS Fitel, LLC Qinetiq Group PLC Omnisens SA Brugg Kable AG Luna Innovations, Inc. AP Sensing GmbH. Find more research reports on Sensors & Controls Industry, by Grand View Research: Hybrid Fiber Optic Connectors Market - The global hybrid fiber optic connectors market in terms of size was valued at, USD 550.0 million in 2016 & is projected to reach USD 1,067.8 million by 2025, growing at a CAGR of 7.7% from 2017 to 2025. The global hybrid fiber optic connectors market in terms of size was valued at, in 2016 & is projected to reach by 2025, growing at a CAGR of 7.7% from 2017 to 2025. Fiber Optic Preform Market - The global fiber optic preform market size was valued at USD 2.5 Billion in 2018 & registering a CAGR of 19.6% from 2019 to 2025. Attributed to the Growing popularity of high-bandwidth internet connections, healthcare industry, & investments in telecommunication infrastructure. The global fiber optic preform market size was valued at in 2018 & registering a CAGR of 19.6% from 2019 to 2025. Attributed to the Growing popularity of high-bandwidth internet connections, healthcare industry, & investments in telecommunication infrastructure. Fiber Optic Connector Market - The global fiber optic connector market size was estimated at USD 3.22 billion in 2016 and is expected to gain traction over the forecast period. The global marketplace is majorly driven by the growing adoption of fiber optic technology. Gain access to Grand View Compass, our BI enabled intuitive market research database of 10,000+ reports About Grand View Research Grand View Research, U.S.-based market research and consulting company, provides syndicated as well as customized research reports and consulting services. Registered in California and headquartered in San Francisco, the company comprises over 425 analysts and consultants, adding more than 1200 market research reports to its vast database each year. These reports offer in-depth analysis on 46 industries across 25 major countries worldwide. With the help of an interactive market intelligence platform, Grand View Research helps Fortune 500 companies and renowned academic institutes understand the global and regional business environment and gauge the opportunities that lie ahead. Contact: Sherry James Corporate Sales Specialist, USA Grand View Research, Inc. Phone: 1-415-349-0058 Toll Free: 1-888-202-9519 Email: sales@grandviewresearch.com Web: https://www.grandviewresearch.com Follow Us: LinkedIn | Twitter Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/661327/Grand_View_Research_Logo.jpg Publicly Traded SpaceTech Companies Completely Profiled for the First Time in Landmark Analysis SpaceTech Analytics, a new spin-off of Deep Knowledge Group's flagship subsidiary, Deep Knowledge Analytics, announces the release of an open-access 40-page special analytical case study, "Publicly Traded Companies in SpaceTech Industry 2021 Q2," designed to provide tangible insights and trends on companies and investors. Report: www.spacetech.global/case-studies Dashboard: www.spacetech.global/dashboard The release delivers information about major industry trends and sector insights on 350+ SpaceTech publicly traded companies and 700 investors. This is a part of an inaugural 165-page case study 'SpaceTech Industry Landscape Overview', dedicated to providing information about other segments of the space industry. It has a special analytical case study, interactive mindmaps, and associated IT-Platform, which distil the major trends and key insights of the project for easy consumption by strategic decision makers. The report characterizes the publicly traded companies from the space industry by a variety of financial factors. These public companies became the most discussed: Virgin Galactic (SPCE), Boeing (BA) and others [incl. NOC; IRDM; LMT; AJRD] Some of the analysis's takeaways include the following: The growing number of IPOs in the SpaceTech industry shows a high level of interest among investors in this sector. The space industry will grow by $10 trillion in the next decade. With a total of $28B received investments, American companies are winning sixfold in terms of SpaceTech investments. The company will also be releasing an analytically sophisticated second edition of the report and dashboard later in 2021 which will incorporate big data analytics, machine learning, AI engine, and investment analytics technologies already developed and validated by SpaceTech Analytics' parent company, Deep Knowledge Group. About SpaceTech Analytics SpaceTech Analytics is a strategic analytics agency focused on markets in the Space Exploration, Spaceflight, Space Medicine, and Satellite Tech industries. The range of activities includes research and analysis on major areas of high potential in the SpaceTech industry, maintaining profiling of companies and governmental agencies based on their innovation potential and business activity, and providing consulting and analytical services to advance the SpaceTech sector. For press and media inquiries, cooperation, collaboration and strategic partnership proposals, please contact: info@spacetech.global View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005235/en/ Contacts: Oleksii Rud info@spacetech.global The Creative Cities Challenge calls on innovators to develop solutions to support the cultural and creative sectors recovery LONDON, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Global Innovation Collaborative (GIC) announced the launch of its Creative Cities Challenge to speed economic recovery in the cultural and creative sectors as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The GIC is a partnership between the Cities of Berlin, London, New York and Paris, along with Bloomberg Associates, Nitrous and Microsoft. The GIC is looking for long-term, sustainable and equitable solutions that will support these critical sectors rebound from the pandemic. The creative and cultural sectors have long represented the DNA and economic engines of cities, and in the early days of the pandemic, it was one of the first to shut down. The GIC is inviting innovators and entrepreneurs across digital, technology and financial industries from the four cities to submit ideas that will help restore each city's culture, identity and economy. The goal of this challenge is to find functional solutions that will drive economic growth as well as meet and address new public health, legal, technological and social challenges caused by the pandemic. The challenge will act as a blueprint for other cities around the world to address their own recovery efforts. The proposal should focus on how cities can rebuild their culture and creative sectors so they can be more prosperous, sustainable, and equitable for all. Winning proposals will: Reimagine systems-which may include new technological platforms, digital tools, in-person or virtual gatherings, markets, or festivals-to ensure creative individuals, industries, and activities can be connected, made financially sustainable, and thrive as a critical part of each cities' cultural landscape; or Help small and independent businesses in the creative economy to adapt quickly to changing community needs and consumer behavior. All proposals must also address environmental sustainability concerns and advance social equity in these sectors. Submissions must be made online through https://citiesinnovation.global , and must be completed by 23:59 BST on July 20, 2021. Submissions will be evaluated by an international jury of city and industry leaders on the maturity of the concept and evidence of success in early pilots. At least two finalists from each city will be selected on September 8, 2021 and will be provided with support to further develop, validate and trial their solutions in urban testbed environments alongside city partners. One winner from each city will be announced by the GIC in December 2021, and their solutions will be promoted by the Cities and founding partners. These efforts are supported by strategic partners who provide in-kind assistance, knowledge, expertise and access to testbeds to the Cities and innovators who participate in the challenge. The founding partners include Bloomberg Associates, Mike Bloomberg's pro-bono, municipal consulting service; Nitrous, an urban impact business; and supported by challenge partners University College London and Microsoft. More information on the competition can be found here: https://citiesinnovation.global Please direct all inquiries regarding this open call to info@citiesinnovation.global Dr. Stefan Franzke, CEO, Berlin Partner for Business and Technology, said: "Berlin's economy is inconceivable without its culture. This is another reason why the Global Innovation Collaborative is sending the right signals: Together we are stronger. Jointly with our friends in London, New York and Paris, including also Kulturprojekte Berlin and visitBerlin, we are looking for innovative ideas for the unique creative landscape of our capital. Culture belongs to Berlin like the Brandenburg Gate and the television tower. I am grateful that we tackle these challenges together with our partner cities and I am sure that something good will come of it. The way out of the pandemic is not a 'back to square one': We want to be better, happier, more colorful and more creative than before." The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: "The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: "London is home to some of the world's most dynamic innovators and entrepreneurs. Through this exciting new partnership with other world cities I'm confident we will be able to harness their creativity and help those sectors hardest hit by the pandemic - such as arts and culture - adapt and thrive as we emerge from lockdown and into our economic recovery." Rachel Loeb, President and CEO, New York City Economic Development Corporation said: "New York City is home to some of the world's most iconic arts institutions. Supporting our cultural and creative sectors is essential to restoring jobs and reopening our businesses. We are proud to join the Global Innovation Collaborative to work with our partner cities and launch the Creative Cities Challenge. We look forward to bringing the creative industry back to life." Todd Asher, Media and Digital Strategies Lead at Bloomberg Associates said: "Cities collaborating and sharing best practices is at the heart of what we do. We are extremely excited to be part of this important and impactful effort. We look forward to seeing the innovations created in London, Paris, Berlin and New York as well as helping to bring these solutions to cities around the world." George Johnston, Founder and CEO, Nitrous, said: "We believe that true civic innovation occurs when we bring together the public and private sectors to collaborate. We're thrilled to be part of this vital initiative and look forward to supporting solutions to rebuild the world-leading creative economies in our four global cities, and beyond." Clare Barclay, CEO Microsoft UK, said: "Technology has the potential to vastly transform cities, with data and analytics to improve decision making and collaboration across industries. We look forward to working closely with entrepreneurs and innovators to re-imagine the future of London through the Creative Cities Challenge." Prof. Christoph Lindner, Dean of The Bartlett, University College London, said: "Creativity, culture, and nightlife are all vital to the future of cities, and global collaboration is the best way to build that future." The Global Innovation Collaborative (GIC), launched by the Cities of Berlin, London, New York and Paris in March 2021, is a network of partners developing and championing long-term, sustainable and equitable solutions to support the cities' economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Supported by Bloomberg Associates, Nitrous and Microsoft, GIC leverages the knowledge, skills and ingenuity of its residents to create new tools, systems and approaches that reignite and strengthen each of their cities. For more information on the Global Innovation Collaborative, please visit https://citiesinnovation.global . Media Contact: Erin Gordon Email: egordon@currentglobal.com Tel: +1.608.279.2947 MELBOURNE, Australia, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Australia's Viraleze anti-COVID nasal spray is active against the highly infectious UK variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, reducing infectivity of the virus by >98%, it was announced today in a major development for the product. Melbourne-based biopharmaceutical company Starpharma found there was no loss of potency compared to an earlier US strain of the virus, which is irreversibly inactivated by Viraleze within one minute of exposure. The results hold out significant promise for the product given concerns with the public health impacts of new variants of SARS-CoV-2. Starpharma is also testing the Japan/Brazil and South African variants of COVID, with the results expected in the coming weeks. Testing of the Indian variant will also be undertaken when virus availability allows. The antiviral testing was conducted by the renowned Scripps Research Institute in the US, with the UK variant of SARS-CoV-2, which has been classified as a variant of concern. The UK variant was recently reported to be responsible for over 98% of the positive COVID infections in England and linked to multiple outbreaks worldwide. Internationally recognised virology researcher, Professor Philippe Gallay, at the renowned Scripps Research Institute in the US, commented: "We are impressed with the antiviral activity of SPL7013, and that it retains potent activity against the SARS-CoV-2 UK variant B.1.1.7. "It is particularly exciting to see a product with this level of antiviral activity against a variant of concern that is much more transmissible than earlier SARS-CoV-2 strains. The latest data are consistent with our previous data showing antiviral and virucidal effects of SPL7013 against the US strain of this highly infectious virus, and suggest a mechanism of action that is not affected by mutations in the virus spike proteins." Viraleze complements other prevention strategies, including vaccines, and has special relevance where social distancing is not possible such as in high-risk environments like travel, hotel quarantine, sporting and social events. Starpharma CEO Dr Jackie Fairley said the company was pleased to confirm the potency of Viraleze against the UK variant, given the enormous public health challenges posed by the global escalation of SARS-CoV-2 variants. "SPL7013 (the active ingredient in Viraleze) has consistently shown high levels of antiviral activity, not only against multiple COVID-19 strains but also against a broad spectrum of other respiratory viruses including influenza," Dr Fairley said. "These recent findings further support why Viraleze is an ideal and complementary product to use alongside vaccines and other protective measures." Dr Fairley said: "The UK variant has been reported to be 43% to 90% more transmissible than preceding strains, and has been responsible for more than 98% of positive SARS-CoV-2 infections in England since early 2021.[1] The spread of this variant also led to a surge in COVID-19 cases and deaths in the UK." Dr Fairley said the UK variant has been identified to have caused 200,000 cases in the UK and is known to have spread to more than 100 countries to date. Viraleze is registered for sale in Europe and the UK, and is available through one of the UK's largest pharmacy chains, LloydsPharmacy. Viraleze is also available online through the viraleze.co website. More information is available in the detailed announcement https://starpharma.com/news/589 [1] Davies, N.G., et al. Estimated transmissibility and impact of SARS-CoV-2 lineage B.1.1.7 in England. Science 2021;372(6538):eabg3055 (https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abg3055) Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1522590/210208_Starpharma18590.jpg BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - German stocks rallied on Tuesday after a survey showed strong demand kept German factories humming in May. IHS Markit's Final Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) for manufacturing rose to 64.4 from a flash reading of 64.0, but below March's record high 66.6. Meanwhile, Germany's jobless rate fell marginally to adjusted 4.4 percent in April from 4.5 percent in March, labor force survey results from Destatis revealed. On an unadjusted basis, the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.6 percent in April. The number of unemployed decreased 29,000 or 1.4 percent on month to 2.01 million. The benchmark DAX jumped 181 points, or 1.2 percent, to 15,602 after declining 0.6 percent in the previous session. Daimler AG shares climbed 2.4 percent. The German automaker and Finland's Nokia Corp. have signed a patent licensing agreement. Under the deal, Nokia licenses mobile telecommunications technology to Daimler and receives payment in return. Volkswagen advanced 2.8 percent. Speculation is rife that Porsche Automobil Holding SE, Volkswagen's majority voting shareholder, would be separately listed. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Innovate UK funded project enabled Drayson Technologies to develop "Plug-n-Play" reference designs of its Freevolt radio frequency energy harvesting technology, delivering 3x more power for biometric smart card applications in secure access, cryptocurrency, healthcare and finance Drayson Technologies today announces the completion its Smart Grant project, funded by Innovate UK, the UK's innovation agency. During the 6-month project, the business received over 112,000 of funding in order to develop "Plug-n-Play" reference designs of its Freevolt proprietary radio frequency (RF) energy harvesting technology for smart card applications in secure access, cryptocurrency, healthcare and finance. The Innovate UK project enabled the Drayson Technologies team to take the latest Freevolt Generation 3 solution and develop a set of standardised reference designs which integrators can use. This gives significantly reduced integration times and minimises bespoke work across multiple applications, further cementing the Company's technology leadership position in the field of RF energy harvesting to power biometric smart cards. Furthermore, the output from this project has enabled Drayson Technologies to begin development of a new in-house design for biometric smart cards that combines third generation Freevolt technology with a novel adaptive capacitor-bank-on-card storage element (which was developed as part of the Innovate UK project), as well as a high-efficiency RF communications switching mechanism. This has unlocked new potential applications in the secure access and cryptocurrency verticals. This R&D work not only improved energy harvesting efficiency and system designs, but has also generated new novel inventions, leading to new patent applications. The Company now owns 21 granted patents internationally within a portfolio of 17 patent families protecting the Freevolt technology and associated system blocks relevant for biometric smart card applications. Lord (Paul) Drayson PhD FREng Chairman of Drayson Technologies said: "We are very pleased with the results of our first InnovateUK project. The main goal was better standardisation of our biometric smart card energy harvesting technology, creating optimised, ready-to-use designs. This makes it easier for biometric smart card integrators to adopt and use Freevolt RF energy harvesting. After 6 months of work, we have 2 new baseline designs ready to use and have also created a whole host of new IP, further enabling us to support the development of fully integrated biometric smart cards with advanced features. We are now seeing new commercial applications in cryptocurrency wallets, health passports and security access. We would like to thank Innovate UK and UKRI for their support throughout this project." Following almost a decade of development, the main benefit of Drayson Technologies' Freevolt RF energy harvesting technology is to provide the additional energy needed to power advanced processing and security capabilities for the latest generation of contactless biometric smart cards. This uses energy harvested directly from the card reader, without requiring changes to the existing card reader infrastructure. With 3x energy harvesting performance over competing technologies, Freevolt enables greater functionality to be built into the card, such as greater processing power to run enhanced security systems or larger, more secure, data stores. The higher energy harvesting efficiency enables highly personal biometric data to be stored securely on the card, and not in central server databases, such as required by competing systems, which may make them vulnerable to hackers. This also addresses current privacy and GDPR concerns surrounding ID cards that use personal biometric data, such as vaccine passports, allowing users to control and retain possession of their private data. About Drayson Technologies Freevolt Drayson Technologies is a UK technology company developing Freevolt energy harvesting solutions that convert radio frequency (RF) energy into usable direct current. Freevolt is an award-winning suite of proprietary, patented, and patent-pending technologies that recycle and harvest RF energy from radio transmission networks (NFC, cellular, Wi-Fi, etc.) in order to power electrical devices such as smart cards, sensors, and wearables. Biometric smart cards are the lead commercial application. Drayson Technologies' mission is to enable advanced smart cards that feature fraud protection and improved security without any impact on existing infrastructure or user experience. Drayson Technologies is based in London, UK, with a team of international engineers bringing a wealth of experience in RF energy harvesting and associated power and control technologies. For more information, please visit: www.getfreevolt.com About Innovate UK Innovate UK drives productivity and economic growth by supporting businesses to develop and realise the potential of new ideas. We connect businesses to the partners, customers and investors that can help them turn ideas into commercially successful products and services and business growth. We fund business and research collaborations to accelerate innovation and drive business investment into R&D. Our support is available to businesses across all economic sectors, value chains and UK regions. Innovate UK is part of UK Research and Innovation. For more information visit www.innovateuk.ukri.org View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005052/en/ Contacts: Gonzalo de Gisbert gonzalo.degisbert@draysontechnologies.com An image from Ranganath Sadasiva's keynote at Big CIO Show - India INDIA, June 1, 2021 - (ACN Newswire) - As the leaders in the edge-to-cloud platform, Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Team Computers Co-Powered the 10th edition of Big CIO Show - India. The show virtually connected over 300 online participants from across India, including major stakeholders of India's technology ecosystem such as government think-tanks, technology experts and leading technology solution providers.The virtual conference explored sectors of critical infrastructure where Digital Transformation can help the nation boost economic competitiveness with the region's top technology leaders and the global technology fraternity.One of the top technology leaders and speakers who joined the conversation was Ranganath Sadasiva, Chief Technology Officer, Hybrid IT, HPE. Ranganath is responsible for bringing in thought leadership across HPE's Hybrid IT business and delivering the best-in-class technology experience for customers.He enlightened the audience through the technical session on 'Fuelling edge to cloud Digital Transformation with Hewlett Packard Enterprise'.His presentation covered the macro trends leading to accelerated Digital Transformation and Digital Technologies enabling this transition. He spoke of "HPE Ezmeral software" portfolio that enables the transformation of apps, data, and operations by running modern containerized applications and optimally manage their environments from infrastructure up the stack, allowing customers to harness data and turn it into insights with enterprise-grade security, and cost and compliance visibility.While talking about HPE's latest announcements, he spoke of how it was time to reimagine Data Management and how this will be a game-changer. HPE's vision of Unified DataOps empowers customers to break down the silos and complexity to accelerate data-driven transformation. He introduced the audience to their new offerings called Data Storage Cloud Central - a Unified cloud data services and HPE Alletra - cloud-native data infrastructure.While talking about HPE's new Compute Launch for the data-driven transformation, he stated, "HPE essentially focuses on workloads that prevail in the marketplace today and ensure that it delivers the right kind of compute resources for everything as a service." He concluded the keynote by stating that, "It is your data, it is your agility, it is your innovation, and we will ensure that you unleash it till the last."He was also a part of an interesting panel discussion about 'How SDX enables Digital Transformation' where the panellists discussed how the rising customer expectations and global trends are forcing shifts in computing, storage, security, and networking; and how the evolution of the cloud is fuelling the software-defined revolution and driving the need for next-gen, "cloud-first" infrastructures and much more. He remarked "Software-Defined help's deliver SCALE + AGILE = SCAGILE enterprises".The panellists who joined him in the discussion include Golok Kumar Simli - CTO, Ministry of External Affairs, Govt of India; Kaushik Majumder - Head of IT, Digital Services & Information Protection Officer, South Asia BASF India Ltd; Milind Khamkar - Group CIO, SUPER-MAX; and Prasanna Lohar - Chief Innovation Officer, DCB Bank.The show was hosted on the virtual events platform Vmeets to help participants network and conduct business in an interactive and immersive virtual environment. Participants could also engage with speakers in Q&A sessions and network with solution providers in virtual exhibition booths, private consultation rooms and private networking rooms.Here are a couple of upcoming events you might be interested in attending: Event calendar. (bit.ly/2S3eJ29)About Big CIO Show - IndiaBig CIO Show is a thought-leadership-driven, business-focused initiative that provides a platform for CIOs who are looking to explore new-age technologies and implementing them in their organisations.For further details, please contact:Monith M ShettyCorporate Communication Executivemarketing@tresconglobal.comSource: Big CIO ShowCopyright 2021 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved. FLSmidth has been selected to supply the majority of the key mineral processing technologies for a major copper producer in the Atacama Region of Chile. The range of equipment and technologies includes the primary gyratory crusher, SAG mill, ball mill, traditional flotation cells, column cells, thickeners, cyclones and pumps. The flotation tailings and slimes thickeners will be designed to optimise the recovery of process water to the maximum extent possible. In total, it is expected that around 4700m3/hr overflow water will be available for reuse, a saving that supports FLSmidth's MissionZero sustainability goal of moving the mining industry towards zero water waste. FLSmidth will also be able to provide comprehensive, long-term operational support at the site, which is located 400km south from the FLSmidth Service Supercenter in Antofagasta. The order was partially booked in Q1 2021, with the majority of the amount, close to DKK200m, booked in Q2 2021. The equipment is expected to be delivered by end H1 2022. Our customer is Ausenco Chile Ltd., who are the lump-sum turnkey contractor for the Mantoverde Development Project, which is owned by Mantos Copper Holding ("Mantos Copper"). "We are delighted that Ausenco have recognised the benefits of selecting FLSmidth as their primary supplier for Mantoverde. It is a crystal-clear endorsement of FLSmidth's strength through the mineral processing flowsheet, and in service. This approach will maximise project execution efficiencies and de-risk process performance. We look forward to delivering the equipment to Mantoverde and providing service support from erection to start-up, and through to final commissioning," comments Mikko Keto, Mining President at FLSmidth. Keto focused on the MissionZero sustainability aspect of the order, as it will help reduce energy and water waste at the site. "We are looking forward to working with Ausenco and their Environment & Sustainability team in South America. As the provider of the equipment and service, we will ensure optimised throughput and the efficient commissioning of the project in an environmentally friendly manner. This project will transform Mantoverde into a long-life, low-cost operation," adds Mikko Keto. Mantoverde will produce 106,000 tons of fine copper and 33,000 ounces of gold annually. Contacts Media Relations Rasmus Windfeld, +45 40 44 60 60, rwin@flsmidth.com Investor Relations Nicolai Mauritzen, +45 30 93 18 51, nicm@flsmidth.com FLSmidth provides sustainable productivity to the global mining and cement industries. We deliver market-leading engineering, equipment and service solutions that enable our customers to improve performance, drive down costs and reduce environmental impact. Our operations span the globe and we are close to 10,200 employees, present in more than 60 countries. In 2020, FLSmidth generated revenue of DKK 16.4 billion. MissionZero is our sustainability ambition towards zero emissions in mining and cement by 2030. www.flsmidth.com/MissionZero Attachment 1 June 2021 ANANDA DEVELOPMENTS PLC ("Ananda" or the "Company") TOTAL VOTING RIGHTS In accordance with the Financial Conduct Authority's Disclosure and Transparency Rules, Ananda announces that the Company has 793,872,220 ordinary shares of 0.2p each in issue ("Ordinary Shares"), each share carrying the right to one vote. This figure of 793,872,220 Ordinary Shares may be used by shareholders in the Company as the denominator for the calculations by which they will determine if they are required to notify their interest in, or a change to their interest in, the share capital of the Company under the FCA's Disclosure and Transparency Rules. -Ends- The Directors of the Company accept responsibility for the contents of this announcement. ANANDA DEVELOPMENTS PLC Chief Executive Officer Melissa Sturgess Investor Relations Jeremy Sturgess-Smith +44 (0)7463 686 497 ir@anandadevelopments.com PETERHOUSE CAPITAL LIMITED Corporate Finance Mark Anwyl Allie Feuerlein Corporate Broking Lucy Williams Duncan Vasey +44 (0)20 7469 0930 Market Abuse Regulation (MAR) Disclosure The information contained within this announcement is deemed by the Company to constitute inside information. Upon the publication of this announcement via a Regulatory Information Service, this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain. The new medical device company enters the market today with state-of-the-art surgical solutions to fight structural heart disease CORCYM the new, independent, medical device company dedicated to providing patients and heart surgeons with the best solutions to fight structural heart disease, announces today the launch of operations globally. Born from the acquisition of the LivaNova PLC (LivaNova) heart valve business by Gyrus Capital (Gyrus), an investment firm dedicated to investments in the healthcare and sustainability sectors, CORCYM enters the market with a comprehensive portfolio of products to fit the needs of heart surgeons and patients worldwide. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005463/en/ Christian Mazzi CORCYM CEO (Photo credits: Christian Mazzi) "We are glad to announce the global launch of CORCYM" said Christian Mazzi, CORCYM CEO. "We enter the market today with the strong legacy and heritage of a product portfolio that spans over 50 years. We are committed to becoming the leading company dedicated to heart surgeons and their patients ". From the Latin COR (heart) and CYM (valve, shortened from Cymbalon) the company name defines its focus: to provide heart surgeons with the best solutions to fight structural heart disease. CORCYM has a presence in over 100 Countries and counts on two main production sites, in Saluggia, Italy, and Burnaby, Canada. With approximately 850 employees globally, the company ensures a strong presence to continuously support patients, healthcare professionals and healthcare systems worldwide. "Our mission is to help heart surgeons treat patients better today and in the future. Our plan is to leverage our foundations in mechanical valves and build our growth engine with our leading product platforms Perceval and Memo, while investing in research and development to pursue new products and partnerships. We intend to build CORCYM as a focused, customer-centric and agile company, backed by Gyrus, a strong sector-focused partner that is ready to invest in our future." said CEO Mazzi. Clinical evidence will play a vital role in the future of CORCYM heart valve technologies. CORCYM will support a vibrant clinical program in collaboration with leading professionals in heart surgery, to develop clinical studies and investigator-initiated research activities. CORCYM is also committed to continuing and expanding its robust educational and training programs for all its heart valve solutions. Legal Note As of today, LivaNova and CORCYM completed the initial closing relating to CORCYM's acquisition of the LivaNova heart valve business. In the initial closing, CORCYM acquired LivaNova manufacturing facilities in Saluggia and Burnaby (Vancouver) and related assets in other geographies, representing most of the heart valve business. During the course of 2021, the parties expect to complete the transfer of the commercial operations in various local jurisdictions. About CORCYM CORCYM is a global, independent, medical device company entirely focused on state-of-the-art surgical solutions to fight structural heart disease. CORCYM has a presence in more than 100 countries with approximately 850 employees and ensures strong continuous support to patients, healthcare professionals and healthcare systems worldwide. For more information, please visit www.corcym.com About Gyrus Capital Gyrus Capital is an investment firm focused on transformational investments in the healthcare and sustainability sectors. Based in Geneva, Switzerland, the firm specializes in $50-500m carve outs of businesses with great product and people, which are non-core to their parent corporates. The LivaNova HV carve out follows the acquisition of DuPont Sustainable Solutions (global leader in occupational health and risk and safety consulting) from E.I. DuPont de Nemours in 2019. To learn more, visit www.gyruscapital.com. About LivaNova LivaNova PLC is a global medical technology and innovation company built on nearly five decades of experience and a relentless commitment to provide hope for patients and their families through innovative medical technologies, delivering life-changing improvements for both the Head and Heart. Headquartered in London, LivaNova employs approximately 3,000 employees and has a presence in more than 100 countries for the benefit of patients, healthcare professionals and healthcare systems worldwide. For more information, please visit www.livanova.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005463/en/ Contacts: For media information: Marina Curci, CORCYM Communication Gemma Vergara, CORCYM Communication communication@corcym.com The news channels challenged the FIR before the Supreme Court, arguing that the Andhra government had violated a recent court order that restrained governments from punishing citizens for flagging Covid-related grievances. (Photo: PTI) New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday put on hold Andhra Pradesh government's action against two TV channels and issued a notice to the state government asserting, "It's time we define limits of sedition." The Andhra Pradesh government should not take any coercive steps against Telugu news channels TV5 and ABN Andhra Jyoti, the Supreme Court said. "The Andhra Pradesh government's act of filing sedition cases against the channels is muffling channels. It is time the court defined sedition," said Justice D.Y. Chandrachud. The court also said, "We are of the view that provisions of 124A and 153 of the IPC (Indian Penal Code) require interpretation, particularly on the issue of rights of press and free speech." Section 124 A deals with sedition and 153 with provocation for riots. At a separate hearing on Covid and vaccination before a two-judge bench, when senior advocate and amicus curiae Meenakshi Arora raised the issue of dignified handling of bodies of victims of the deadly virus, "sedition" came up again, with Justice Chandrachud making a caustic remark on the repeated invoking of the sedition law by the Centre and state governments to curb news and views that are critical of them. "Yesterday we saw pictures of a dead body being thrown into a river," Justice L. Nageswara Rao observed. "Yes. There was a picture of a body being thrown into a river. I do not know whether a complaint of sedition (has been) filed against the news channel for showing it," Justice Chandrachud replied. The exchange came hours before a three-judge bench, including the same two judges and Justice S. Ravindra Bhat, put on hold the Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy-led Andhra Pradesh government's action against the two TV channels. The issue in court pertains to an FIR on their reportage of the Covid-19 pandemic in the state. The news channels challenged the FIR before the Supreme Court, arguing that the Andhra government had violated a recent court order that restrained governments from punishing citizens for flagging Covid-related grievances. TV5, represented by senior advocate Shyam Divan and advocate Vipin Nair said, The attempt of the FIR is to create a chilling effect for news channels in the State, so that every news channel is wary of hosting any content which is critical of the government. By filing a vague FIR and abusing the process of law, the State intends to silence its critics and the media. The apex court had earlier taken strong note of registration of criminal cases against those who sought help for Covid-19 related problems on social media and were critical of the government's handling of the pandemic. SCHAFFHAUSEN, Switzerland, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Occlutech AG ("Occlutech" or the "Company") today announces that the planned recruitment of 180 patients has been reached in the Company's trial in China for its ASD Occluder. The Occlutech ASD Occluder is used in the treatment of Atrial Septal Defects (ASD), which is a congenital heart condition. The completion of the patient recruitment represents a significant milestone in the process towards approval of Occlutech's ASD Occluder in China. The trial is conducted as a multicenter, randomized, prospective trial. It is commencing now and is supporting Occlutech's application for market approval of the ASD Occluder in China. Once the 12 months follow-up for all patients is completed the Company expects to file for regulatory approval by the Chinese National Medical Products Administration (NMPA). An approval in China will be an important addition to Occlutech's global expansion. The ASD Occluder is today approved in more than 60 countries worldwide, among others Canada, Japan, South Korea and CE marked countries like Germany, France and Sweden. Furthermore, the ASD Occluder is in its final review with the FDA in the premarket approval (PMA) application in the United States. Sabine Bois, CEO Occlutech Group, comments: "To reach the intended recruitment goal despite the challenging impact of the Corona pandemic is an important milestone for Occlutech. The expansion towards China is a key part of our strategic ambition to drive sales growth over the coming years and the trial is another important step to bring us closer to file for market approval by the Chinese National Medical Products Administration (NMPA), once the 12 months follow up for all patients is completed." About Atrial Septal Defect (ASD) Occluders Atrial septal occluders are minimally invasive cardiac devices, addressing congenital heart defects. Atrial Septal Defect (ASD) is one of the most common types of congenital heart diseases and formed due to an unclosed connection between the upper chambers of the heart appearing during fetal development. For additional information about the Company's products, the Occlutech ASD, or to inquire about participation in our patient registries, please visit Occlutech's website at www.occlutech.com, or contact us directly at info@occlutech.com. About Occlutech Occlutech is a leading specialist in minimally invasive cardiac devices, addressing congenital heart defects, stroke prevention and heart failure. Since 2003, we have been developing, manufacturing, and commercializing structural heart and interatrial shunt products. We have a track record of over 15 years of gaining market share, developing and launching innovative products and building solid market positions. Occlutech has a broad and proven portfolio with 10 CE marked products covered by over 200 patents. We market and sell our products to hospitals and clinics in over 85 countries. Occlutech maintains manufacturing and R&D facilities in Germany and Turkey, with a global supply, customer support hub located in Sweden. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1522595/Occlutech_International_AB_Logo.jpg Contact Claudia Scalia Marketing Communications Manager Occlutech Group Tel: +46 735 199782 Email: claudia.scalia@occlutech.com Stefan Kleidon Vice President Sales & Marketing Occlutech Group Tel: +49 176 31514136 Email: stefan.kleidon@occlutech.com BLACKROCK LATIN AMERICAN INVESTMENT TRUST PLC (the "Company") LEI: UK9OG5Q0CYUDFGRX4151 Voting Rights and Capital (Article 15 Transparency Directive, DTR 5.6) In conformity with the FCA's Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rule 5.6.1R, the Company would like to notify the market of the following: As at 31 May 2021, BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust plc's capital consists of 39,259,620 Ordinary Shares of 10 cents each, carrying one vote each, excluding 2,181,662 ordinary shares held in treasury. As at 31 May 2021, the total number of voting rights for Ordinary shareholders in BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust plc is 39,259,620. Shareholders should use 39,259,620 as the denominator for the calculations by which they will determine if they are required to notify their interest in, or a change to their interest in, the Company. All enquiries: Sarah Beynsberger BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited, Company Secretary Tel: 0207 743 2639 1 June 2021 Today, Quant Infinity Solutions AG, a leading Switzerland-based quantitative FinTech company, has launched arty a web-based artificial intelligence portfolio advisor. arty will show investors of any size how to create professional, reliable investment portfolios. The technology uses Quant Infinity's sophisticated systems and research, usually only available for professional investors and institutions. With more pressure than ever on young people to save for retirement and bank rates at all-time lows, arty offers everyday savers access to personalized, AI-powered investment portfolios, helping them achieve consistent, stable investment returns. Unlike other providers, arty is advice-only. Customers will not need to open an additional brokerage account with hidden fees. On top of that, customers will maintain control of their investments with the ability to opt-out of any specific trade if they so choose. Millions of people turn to the stock market to invest their savings in preparation for retirement or large purchases. However, the evidence suggests that small scale investors tend to underperform the market or even lose money. Not to mention the time and effort to analyse and select a stock and the anguish of deciding what to do if things go wrong. arty uses established principles, optimized via AI, to recommend the ideal portfolio for each investor, and continuously update that portfolio as market conditions change. Data-driven AI decision making and strategic diversification offer investors lower risk portfolios and greater expected returns than they are likely to achieve independently. The technology is also smart enough to take an investor's existing stocks into account and build an optimised portfolio around them. Free trials will be available during June 2021. Following that, customers will be charged a flat monthly fee according to their chosen service: Essential Tailored Professional. AI and ML We hope to offer the benefits of professional quality AI investment advice to everyday investors through arty, rather than only the largest clients. Since the 1980s, Artificial Intelligence has become the gold standard for managing portfolios, delivering better returns and lower risk than could be expected from a human manager. Now we are democratising this technology and giving all investors the chance to access personalised, data-driven advice. We hope that investors see this as an alternative to risky stock-picking and a way to achieve sustained, long-term returns for their money, said Fabrice Tischhauser, CEO Quant Infinity Solutions AG. To facilitate this advice, Quant Infinity has developed a web application that allows customers to interact directly with arty and tailor their advice to their personal preferences. arty offers a ready-to-implement solution, allowing users to select their current investments from a universe of 4,000 individual stocks and then receive the perfect blend of ETFs to balance out the portfolio. arty delivers: low correlation approach to portfolio construction monthly rebalancing risk-tolerance tailoring incorporation of existing stocks access to actively managed, systematic ART fund reliable returns with low risk. We are also delighted to offer investors, with funds starting from CHF 200k, a human touch. In this case, arty will team up with our expert financial advisors to provide personalised advice, said Fabrice Tischhauser, CEO Quant Infinity Solutions AG. About arty arty is an artificial intelligence Investment Advisor designed to help you to achieve higher investment returns. arty recognises the challenges everyday investors face. To address these, Quant Infinity has developed a web application that allows customers to access professional, real-time, personalised investment advice. Headquartered in Zurich, arty can advise you on structuring your personal portfolio or investing directly into one of arty's own managed funds. For clients with liquid assets over CHF 200k, arty will team up with our human advisors to offer a broader personalised range of services. arty is owned by Quant Infinity Solutions AG, a PolyReg Member. Please visit www.arty.fund for more information. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005197/en/ Contacts: James W. Montlake arty@arty.fund Trade organization Solar Energy UK has called for the government to mandate that solar target in a co-ordinated rallying cry issued with two peers. One of them, the Nuclear Industry Association, is a membership body sure to raise hackles in some quarters of the energy transition movement.While the news a solar industry trade body has called for national generation capacity targets may appear unsurprising, the fact Solar Energy UK decided to issue its rallying cry shoulder to shoulder with the Nuclear Industry Association of the same country could prove divisive among proponents of the energy transition. ... Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Acquisitionwould strengthen Accenture's position in the EPM market, leveraging cloud innovation and the power of data to help clients navigate digital transformation Accenture (NYSE: ACN) has entered into an agreement to acquire Nell'Armonia, a leading consulting and technology company specialized in enterprise performance management (EPM) solutions, headquartered in Paris, France. Financial terms of the transaction are not being disclosed. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005101/en/ (Photo: Business Wire) Founded in 2005, Nell'Armonia has more than 135 highly skilled professionals with experience in Oracle EPM cloud solutions, as well as Anaplan, CCH Tagetik and OneStream solutions, serving clients across France and Israel with services that cover the entire EPM spectrum, from advisory to implementation and maintenance. Nell'Armonia complements Accenture's existing capabilities and would enhance its ability to address clients' needs for analytics-based insights to support finance and end-to-end enterprise planning. As a result, CFOs would be able to move with greater speed and take on more responsibility for strategy, execution, and the sustainable future of the enterprise. "Robust EPM capabilities that bring together data, technology and talent are critical for creating a more dynamic, agile and actionable performance management process," said Olivier Girard, market unit lead, Accenture France and Benelux. "Accenture is committed to providing the best resources and capabilities to meet the needs of our clients, and the combination of Accenture and Nell'Armonia would allow us to deliver the latest, most comprehensive solutions to help organizations succeed in their EPM transformations." Stephanie Jandard, managing director and Technology lead, Accenture France, said, "Many large French companies will engage in EPM transformation powered by cloud innovation and motivated by their commitment to sustainability. This is driven by leaders' increasing need for a holistic, real-time view of their company's critical functions, such as finance, HR and supply chain management, reliable insight on their Environmental, Social and Governance performance and the potential value that integrating sustainability into their business decision making can bring." Eric Leroy, CEO and founder of Nell'Armonia, added, "Many clients have undertaken projects to transform their EPM model. Reporting, planning, budgeting and forecasting processes are critical components for the success of such major technological and business transformations. Combining our strengths with Accenture would allow us to extend EPM beyond the finance function and strengthen our innovation capabilities by using the latest technologies such as artificial intelligence, predictive analytics and robotics. The opportunity to join Accenture would open up tremendous opportunities for our company and our people. Together, we would be able to support a larger number of companies in successful management transformation projects, integrating all the key functions of the company." The acquisition requires prior consultation with the relevant works councils and would be subject to customary closing conditions. About Accenture Accenture is a global professional services company with leading capabilities in digital, cloud and security. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries, we offer Strategy and Consulting, Interactive, Technology and Operations services-all powered by the world's largest network of Advanced Technology and Intelligent Operations centers. Our 537,000 people deliver on the promise of technology and human ingenuity every day, serving clients in more than 120 countries. We embrace the power of change to create value and shared success for our clients, people, shareholders, partners and communities. Visit us at www.accenture.com. Forward-Looking Statements Except for the historical information and discussions contained herein, statements in this news release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "may," "will," "should," "likely," "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "projects," "believes," "estimates," "positioned," "outlook" and similar expressions are used to identify these forward-looking statements. These statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. Many of the following risks, uncertainties and other factors identified below are, and will be, amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic. These risks include, without limitation, risks that: Accenture and Nell'Armonia will not be able to close the transaction in the time period anticipated, or at all, which is dependent on the parties' ability to satisfy certain closing conditions; the transaction might not achieve the anticipated benefits for Accenture; Accenture's results of operations have been significantly adversely affected and could in the future be materially adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic; Accenture's results of operations have been, and may in the future be, adversely affected by volatile, negative or uncertain economic and political conditions and the effects of these conditions on the company's clients' businesses and levels of business activity; Accenture's business depends on generating and maintaining ongoing, profitable client demand for the company's services and solutions including through the adaptation and expansion of its services and solutions in response to ongoing changes in technology and offerings, and a significant reduction in such demand or an inability to respond to the evolving technological environment could materially affect the company's results of operations; if Accenture is unable to keep its supply of skills and resources in balance with client demand around the world and attract and retain professionals with strong leadership skills, the company's business, the utilization rate of the company's professionals and the company's results of operations may be materially adversely affected; Accenture could face legal, reputational and financial risks if the company fails to protect client and/or company data from security incidents or cyberattacks; the markets in which Accenture operates are highly competitive, and Accenture might not be able to compete effectively; Accenture's profitability could materially suffer if the company is unable to obtain favorable pricing for its services and solutions, if the company is unable to remain competitive, if its cost-management strategies are unsuccessful or if it experiences delivery inefficiencies or fail to satisfy certain agreed-upon targets or specific service levels; changes in Accenture's level of taxes, as well as audits, investigations and tax proceedings, or changes in tax laws or in their interpretation or enforcement, could have a material adverse effect on the company's effective tax rate, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition; Accenture's ability to attract and retain business and employees may depend on its reputation in the marketplace; as a result of Accenture's geographically diverse operations and its growth strategy to continue to expand in its key markets around the world, the company is more susceptible to certain risks; Accenture's business could be materially adversely affected if the company incurs legal liability; Accenture's work with government clients exposes the company to additional risks inherent in the government contracting environment; Accenture's results of operations could be materially adversely affected by fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; if Accenture is unable to manage the organizational challenges associated with its size, the company might be unable to achieve its business objectives; if Accenture does not successfully manage and develop its relationships with key alliance partners or fails to anticipate and establish new alliances in new technologies, the company's results of operations could be adversely affected; Accenture might not be successful at acquiring, investing in or integrating businesses, entering into joint ventures or divesting businesses; if Accenture is unable to protect or enforce its intellectual property rights or if Accenture's services or solutions infringe upon the intellectual property rights of others or the company loses its ability to utilize the intellectual property of others, its business could be adversely affected; Accenture's results of operations and share price could be adversely affected if it is unable to maintain effective internal controls; changes to accounting standards or in the estimates and assumptions Accenture makes in connection with the preparation of its consolidated financial statements could adversely affect its financial results; Accenture might be unable to access additional capital on favorable terms or at all and if the company raises equity capital, it may dilute its shareholders' ownership interest in the company; Accenture may be subject to criticism and negative publicity related to its incorporation in Ireland; as well as the risks, uncertainties and other factors discussed under the "Risk Factors" heading in Accenture plc's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and other documents filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Statements in this news release speak only as of the date they were made, and Accenture undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statements made in this news release or to conform such statements to actual results or changes in Accenture's expectations. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005101/en/ Contacts: Velislava Le Fevre Accenture France +33 1 53 23 46 18 velislava.lefevre@accenture.com Bonnie Olivier Accenture France +33 1 53 23 54 61 bonnie.olivier@accenture.com The company that pioneered the field of virtual orthodontics and has been the market leader since 2014 is revolutionizing the industry once again with the only available AI-based virtual monitoring solution applicable to both aligner and braces treatments of all types and brands. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005494/en/ Taking a scan with the DM ScanBox (Photo: DentalMonitoring) In an industry where a vast majority of practices are mixed users, the DentalMonitoring's solution now allows dental professionals whether in private practices or DSOs to take full control of not only their aligner and but also all their braces cases. As a result DentalMonitoring expands its addressable market by close to 75%, helping more practices scale up their business, become more efficient and deliver an outstanding patient experience. "Our solution has made yet another major breakthrough, and we are proud to unveil a new suite of functionalities of our platform," says Philippe Salah, CEO of DentalMonitoring. "Dental professionals can now monitor all their aligner and braces cases independent of brand with the same, highly scalable AI-driven workflow. In addition to monitoring treatment progress, they can now actively define and monitor clinical goals for each patient. This results in more active control, productivity and a new level of safety and confidence for their practice: a real mindset shift for our industry." Salah continues: "Doctors now have complete control over all orthodontic treatment and can automatically track inter arch parameters such as the overbite, the overjet, the transverse or class correction of patients or detect the archwire and auxiliaries passivity in addition to the intra arch parameters they were already able to track with our solution. Dental professionals can virtualize and automate all non-clinical procedures and schedule appointments only when needed. At the same time, the patients' compliance and engagement are improved, thanks to the complete revamping of our highly rated patient app." As the demand for remote care technology increases within the dental industry, DentalMonitoring continues to lead the way with its virtual practice solutions designed to engage, convert and monitor patients. Powered by AI and a database of over half a billion patient photographs, the virtual practice solutions are designed to give dental professionals the flexibility and convenience they need to safely address all sorts of orthodontic patient cases and optimize chair time. About DentalMonitoring: DentalMonitoring's promise is to help all dental professionals improve their practice efficiency, optimize orthodontic treatment plans and enhance the patient experience thanks to its virtual practice solutions: SmileMate, maximizes lead engagement and patient conversion, with the ability for dental professionals to triage and qualify patients even before they step into the practice. DentalMonitoring, its flagship solution, monitors all treatments remotely, from aligners and braces of all brands to retention and hygiene. DentalMonitoring operates across the United States, Europe and Asia with five offices: in Austin, TX, London, Paris, Hong Kong and Sydney. To learn more about DentalMonitoring, visit www.dental-monitoring.com DentalMonitoring, Smilemate and Vision are products designed and manufactured by Dental Monitoring SAS, under the DentalMind branding for Health Care Professional. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005494/en/ Contacts: Press contact: Charlotte Garzino c.garzino@dental-monitoring.com Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - June 1, 2021) - Generic Gold Corp. (CSE: GGC) (FSE: 1WD) (OCTQB: GGCPF) ("Generic Gold" or "Generic" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that drilling is underway on the Company's inaugural diamond drill program on its Belvais Project, located in the Abitibi Greenstone Belt of Quebec, along the Normetal Fault Zone. This large, fully funded 7,500m drill program will be drilled in two phases and will target both orogenic gold and gold-rich VMS targets. The initial 3,000m for Phase 1 has commenced, with the additional 4,500m of Phase 2 planned upon receipt of Phase 1 assays. As previously announced (see release dated May 6, 2021), drill targets were generated following compilation of all available data, including recently completed VTEM and soil sampling surveys, as well as historical drilling analysis and geophysical work. As shown in Figure 1, the Belvais project lies directly south-east of Amex Exploration's Perron Project, which recently announced a new high-grade gold discovery (the 210 Zone) along the Normetal Fault (Amex Press Release dated February 17th, 2021), and is also directly east and south-east of Starr Peak's NewMetal Project, which recently announced high-grade VMS mineralization on their Normetmar target (Starr Peak Press Release dated May 4th, 2021). Both of these new discoveries occur along the Normetal Fault which is of particular significance for Generic Gold, as the Company holds over 20 km of the Normetal Fault on its Belvais claims and is one of the largest landholders in the area with 12,563 hectares. Figure 1: Generic Gold's Belvais project with respect to Amex Exploration's Perron project and Starr Peak's NewMetal project. Note the Normetal fault zone, which extends for approximately 20 km along the Belvais project. To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3923/85961_0d4dd1d9744dbb31_001full.jpg Aaron Stone, Vice President Exploration of Generic Gold, said, "We are very excited to begin this drill program having made fantastic progress in advancing this project to the drill-ready stage. We have modelled some very prospective and high-priority EM plates using multiple data points. Some of our targets are surrounding and along strike to the historic Normetal mine and Starr Peak's new discovery on their NewMetal project. A full structural interpretation of the property has also been completed by an external geophysicist utilizing MAG data which has also provided additional gold and VMS targets (see Figure 2 below)." Interpretation and modelling of MAG and EM data has provided an additional 14 gold and 10 VMS targets to be tested by the Company, as seen in Figure 2 below. In addition, Generic has interpreted historical drilling across the property which the Company believes missed EM conductor plates. Some of these historical results show anomalous silver and base metal values. The majority of targets are in proximity to the historical Normetal mine and important major structures, such as the Normetal and Fermont faults. Figure 2: TMI (Total Magnetic Intensity) Map of the Belvais property showing the 14 gold and 10 VMS targets selected across the project generated from a combination of magnetic and EM anomalies. To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3923/85961_ggc.jpg The Company will continue to keep the market updated with drill results once they become available and are compiled. Qualified Person Hugues Guerin-Tremblay P.Geo, (OGQ - 1584), an Independent Qualified Person ("QP") as such term is defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, has reviewed and approved the geological information reported in this news release. The Qualified Person has not completed sufficient work to verify the historic information on the Property and in the vicinity, particularly in regards to historical drill results and historical mine production. However, the Qualified Person believes that these results were completed to industry standard practices. The information provides an indication of the exploration potential of the Property but may not be representative of expected results. Also, mineralization hosted on adjacent and/or nearby properties is not necessarily indicative of mineralization hosted on the Company's property. About Generic Gold Generic Gold is a Canadian mineral exploration company focused on gold projects in the Tintina Gold Belt in the Yukon Territory of Canada and the Abitibi Greenstone Belt in Quebec, Canada. The Company's Quebec exploration portfolio consists of four properties covering 12,563 hectares proximal to the town of Normetal, and east of Amex Exploration's Perron project and the past-producing Normetal mine. The Company's Yukon exploration portfolio consists of several projects with a total land position of greater than 35,000 hectares, all of which are 100% owned by Generic Gold. Several of these projects are in close proximity to significant gold deposits, including Goldcorp's Coffee project, Victoria Gold's Eagle Gold project, White Gold's Golden Saddle project, and Western Copper & Gold's Casino project. Generic Gold's board of directors and management team is led by experienced mining industry professionals, with expertise in exploration, finance, capital markets, and mine development. For information on the Company's property portfolio, visit the Company's website at genericgold.ca. For further information contact: Generic Gold Corp. Aaron Stone, VP Exploration Tel: (514) 235-6012 astone@genericgold.ca NEITHER THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE NOR THEIR REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDERS ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. Certain statements in this press release are "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon the current belief, opinions and expectations of management that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and other contingencies. Many factors could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information that are incorporated by reference herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Investors are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein. We seek safe harbour. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/85961 VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / June 1, 2021 / Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd. (TSX:NDM)(NYSE American:NAK) ("Northern Dynasty" or the "Company") reports that the US Army Corps of Engineers ("USACE") has completed the 'administrative record' ("AR") that will serve as the basis for its official review of the negative Record of Decision ("ROD") issued for Alaska's Pebble Project last fall. The USACE completed the AR and provided a copy to Northern Dynasty's 100%-owned, U.S.-based subsidiary Pebble Limited Partnership ("Pebble Partnership") last week. The Pebble Partnership and its legal counsel are currently reviewing the voluminous record for completeness and relevance to the USACE's permitting decision, and its sufficiency to support a fair, transparent and efficient review. "While we have been and continue to be very concerned about the USACE's schedule and timeline for advancing our administrative appeal of the Pebble permitting decision, we are pleased to pass this important milestone and look forward to completing our review of the AR," said Northern Dynasty President & CEO Ron Thiessen. "Pebble is a high-profile project with significant public and stakeholder interest, and great import to the Alaska and U.S. economy. Accordingly, we fully expect the administrative record and the review process it supports to be robust, objective and fact-based, and to achieve the principles of regulatory fairness the USACE is sworn to uphold." The Pebble Partnership also recently learned the USACE is naming a new Review Officer ("RO") to lead the Pebble Project appeal. Once in place, the Company expects the new RO to set a detailed timeline for the administrative appeal process, including scheduling a potential site visit and appeal conference. "There are guidelines in federal regulation governing these appeals that suggest they should be completed within 90 days," Thiessen said, noting the Pebble Project appeal has already passed the 90-day mark. "But we've advised our investors and project stakeholders, consistent with prior comments made by the USACE, that 90 days is probably not a realistic timeline for our appeal given the significance of the Pebble Project, and our expectation that the USACE's review is thorough and complete. "That said, we believe this project has been subject to inappropriate political interference in the past, so we will be extremely vigilant to prevent such forces from affecting the appeal process in any way - even through delay." There are several dimensions of the Pebble Partnership's appeal that U.S. and global business interests will be watching closely. Chief among them is the fact that the Final Environmental Impact Statement ("EIS") for the Pebble Project found the proposed mine would: co-exist with healthy fish and wildlife populations in southwest Alaska; have no impact on commercial, subsistence and sport fisheries in Bristol Bay; and, make an important socioeconomic contribution to the State of Alaska. Despite publishing these findings in its July 2020 Final EIS, the USACE issued a ROD in November 2020 based on contradictory findings and diametrically opposed conclusions. "The fundamental basis of our appeal is a belief that the ROD doesn't square with the EIS," Thiessen said. "If the Final EIS isn't the most comprehensive, relevant and science-based assessment of the Pebble Project, and the foundation upon which all permitting decisions should be made, we want the USACE to tell us what is." Events of the past several months have thrown even greater doubt on another, already questionable dimension of the USACE's permitting decision - the agency's conclusion that Pebble is not in the public interest. With the Biden Administration's recent pronouncements concerning renewable energy, electric vehicles and other policies designed to achieve carbon-neutrality in the United States by 2050, and governments around the world pursuing similar policies, pundits are predicting unprecedented refined copper shortages in the decades ahead. "We considered the USACE's findings in its Public Interest Review to be indefensible when they were published last fall," Thiessen said. "What has been widely acknowledged since that time, and well known within the mining and metals sector for the past several years, is the U.S. must develop its own copper resources if it is to achieve its ambitious goals with respect to climate change. "How can safely and responsibly developing the world's largest undeveloped copper resource, a project on U.S. soil and designed to U.S. health, safety and environmental standards, NOT be in the public interest?" Another aspect of the Pebble permitting decision that bears scrutiny relates to compensatory mitigation. Although the USACE's demands for mitigation at Pebble are unprecedented, the Pebble Partnership invested more than $2.5 million and 1000 person-days last year to prepare a Compensatory Mitigation Plan ("CMP") to meet the lead federal regulator's requirements. The Pebble Project CMP would protect almost eight times more wetlands than the proposed mine would affect, but was summarily rejected by the USACE based on largely minor deficiencies, without giving the proponent an opportunity to respond. "After a tremendous investment of professional time and resources, and ongoing discussions with the regulator about its expectations and demands, we submitted a CMP that demonstrably satisfies the USACE's requirements," Thiessen said. "It was rejected just five days later after what we believe to be a perfunctory review, and one we believe merits further investigation by the RO." Thiessen said Northern Dynasty will continue to fight on behalf of its shareholders to ensure the Pebble Project ultimately receives a fair and unbiased permitting decision. About Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd. Northern Dynasty is a mineral exploration and development company based in Vancouver, Canada. Northern Dynasty's principal asset, owned through its wholly owned Alaska-based U.S. subsidiary, Pebble Limited Partnership, is a 100% interest in a contiguous block of 2,402 mineral claims in southwest Alaska, including the Pebble deposit, located 200 miles from Anchorage and 125 miles from Bristol Bay. The Pebble Partnership is the proponent of the Pebble Project, an initiative to develop one of the world's most important mineral resources. For further details on Northern Dynasty and the Pebble Project, please visit the Company's website at www.northerndynastyminerals.com or contact Investor services at (604) 684-6365 or within North America at 1-800-667-2114. Review Canadian public filings at www.sedar.com and U.S. public filings at www.sec.gov. Ronald W. Thiessen President& CEO U.S. Media Contact: Dan Gagnier, Gagnier Communications (646) 569-5897 Forward Looking Information and other Cautionary Factors This release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements" under applicable law. All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, which address permitting, development and production for the Pebble Project are forward-looking statements. These statements include statements regarding (i) the mine plan for the Pebble Project, (ii) the social integration of the Pebble Project into the Bristol Bay region and benefits for Alaska, (iii) the political and public support for the permitting process, (iv) the ability to successfully appeal the negative Record of Decision and secure the issuance of a positive Record of Decision by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the ability of the Pebble Project to secure state permits, (v) the right-sizing and de-risking of the Pebble Project, (vi) the design and operating parameters for the Pebble Project mine plan, (vii) exploration potential of the Pebble Project, (viii) future demand for copper and gold, (ix) the potential partnering of the Pebble Project, and (x) the ability and timetable of NDM to develop the Pebble Project and become a leading copper, gold and molybdenum producer. Although NDM believes the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements should not be in any way be construed as guarantees that the Pebble Project will secure all required government permits, establish the commercial feasibility of the Pebble Project or develop the Pebble Project. Assumptions used by NDM to develop forward-looking statements include the assumptions that (i) the Pebble Project will obtain all required environmental and other permits and all land use and other licenses without undue delay, (ii) studies for the development of the Pebble Project will be positive, (iii) NDM's estimates of mineral resources will not change, (iv) NDM will be able to establish the commercial feasibility of the Pebble Project, and (v) NDM will be able to secure the financing required to develop the Pebble Project. The likelihood of future mining at the Pebble Project is subject to a large number of risks and will require achievement of a number of technical, economic and legal objectives, including (i) obtaining necessary mining and construction permits, licenses and approvals without undue delay, including without delay due to third party opposition or changes in government policies, (ii) finalization of the mine plan for the Pebble Project, (iii) the completion of feasibility studies demonstrating that any Pebble Project mineral resources that can be economically mined, (iv) completion of all necessary engineering for mining and processing facilities, (v) the inability of NDM to secure a partner for the development of the Pebble Project, and (vi) receipt by NDM of significant additional financing to fund these objectives as well as funding mine construction, which financing may not be available to NDM on acceptable terms or on any terms at all. NDM is also subject to the specific risks inherent in the mining business as well as general economic and business conditions, such as the current uncertainties with regard to COVID-19. The National Environment Policy Act Environmental Impact Statement process requires a comprehensive "alternatives assessment" be undertaken to consider a broad range of development alternatives, the final project design and operating parameters for the Pebble Project and associated infrastructure may vary significantly from that currently contemplated. As a result, the Company will continue to consider various development options and no final project design has been selected at this time. For more information on the Company, Investors should review the Company's filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and its home jurisdiction filings that are available at www.sedar.com. SOURCE: Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/649821/Northern-Dynasty-US-Army-Corps-of-Engineers-finalizes-Administrative-Record-for-Pebble-Project-appeal Online Brokerage Continues to Bring Innovation to Futures by Offering "No-Fees" Approach, with Commission-Free Trading of New FairX Futures COLUMBUS, Ohio, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Tradovate, LLC, a leading online brokerage firm for active, self-directed futures traders, announced today that it will be one of the first brokers to offer futures trading on FairX from day one when the new exchange launches this month. Tradovate is also the first firm to announce commission-free trades for FairX market participants. Tradovate's mission is to deliver new technology, the latest futures products and new pricing models designed to reduce a trader's total costs. The FairX futures offering will be its most significant achievement to date in that mission, as the firm will provide commission-free trades with no market data fees, subscription fees, lifetime license fees, inactivity fees or platform fees. Through the end of the year, Tradovate will cover any exchange and clearing fees on FairX transactions for its clients. Rick Tomsic, Founder & CEO of Tradovate Holdings, LLC, said: "From inception, Tradovate's vision was to change the futures industry through technology and pricing innovation. Our team built a brokerage firm focused on powerful, yet easy-to-use technology to reduce costs while providing the features and tools that futures traders desire. We have worked tirelessly to make sure we meet the needs of active traders - whether they already trade futures or want to participate in the burgeoning futures market based on their stock, options or forex trading experience. Tradovate is excited to help level the playing field for active retail traders by bringing FairX contracts to our clients commission-free and with zero fees." FairX will launch futures that are designed for retail traders, offering new opportunities to get exposure to the stock market with indexes that are highly correlated to some of the most actively traded instruments. FairX intends to offer products on a small, simple and accessible basis. These smaller contracts will be commission-free at Tradovate, making them easier to build and scale in and out of positions with more flexibility. Neal Brady, CEO of FairX, said: "Tradovate has a strong following among active traders, and we appreciate the firm's enthusiasm for our product lineup and our shared commitment to a quality, low-cost offering. The Tradovate team has placed great emphasis on providing a robust platform which traders can easily use from anywhere, making it a great fit for our contracts that are designed to trade around the clock, with product specifications tailored to individual investors." Tradovate's modern, cloud-based platform powers individuals' trading with access to desktop (both Mac- and PC-compatible), web and mobile platforms for research, analysis and trading. For more information, please visit FairX Futures at Tradovate. About Tradovate Operating out of Columbus, Ohio, Tradovate, LLC launched in April 2016 as an online futures brokerage firm dedicated to meeting the needs of active traders. The firm offers a modern, cloud-based futures trading platform and subscription-based, commission-free trading. Tradovate powers futures trading from anywhere, with complete access to download the platform for Windows and/or Mac, log in on the web with Chrome and other browsers, and trade via mobile Apple or Android devices. For more information, visit www.tradovate.com. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/356656/Tradovate_Logo.jpg Get 25% off of the regular $65 annual All Access rate. With this subscription you will get: Digital access to ElPasoInc.com and archives (value $45) Print subscription home or business delivered (value $65) Book of Lists (annual rate only, value $50) El Paso Inc. Magazine (value $20) El Paso Kids Inc. Special sections - OR - Get 15% off of the regular $45 annual Digital-only rate. With this subscription you will get: Complete digital access to ElPasoInc.com. NASHVILLE, TN / ACCESSWIRE / June 1, 2021 / Thermic Science International Corporation, formerly known as Omnicanna Health Solutions, Inc. aka Endocan Corporation. (WKN:A1W61J) (ISIN:US29271J1097) (OTC PINK:ENDO), is proud to announce it has officially received OTC Markets registration confirmations, completing its new OTC Markets registration ready to upload all newly updated State of Nevada registered corporate information. Thermic Science has made full payment of its OTC Markets exchange filing fees to begin uploading its financials and reporting requirements to bring the company current and in compliance with the Amended Rule 15c2-11. The Company believes the finish line is within sight. Mr. Robert Kane, Thermic Science CFO, stated "I am very happy with all the progress we are making with the OTC Markets Exchange. We just received registration confirmation and OTC Markets account access and we made all the exchange fees payments in full. This certainly brings us one step closer and seems to be now completed. Next step is to start uploading our financials and corporate reporting requirements so we can be current in our OTC Markets Exchange reporting requirements. To us, this is of the upmost importance, having our financials filed with full compliance and transparency. Investors' confidence is paramount and can easily be increased two-fold as our audience widens across North America while coinciding and compounding our upcoming new product releases in North America." Mr. Raymond C. Dabney Stated, "We are excited because we are Finally here! Of course, our main focus has been to bring these Cannabis Science CBIS/CSi shares back up to trade again as fast as possible and it certainly is happening right now, step by step, through the Thermic Science (OTC: ENDO) share exchange/acquisition. Now that we have successfully completed our OTC Markets account registration and exchange fees payments the next steps are all about uploading our compliance documents trading eligibility Amended Rule 15c2-11, this is when the real fun begins, introducing our corporate culture, brand marketing, and operations/revenue growth. We are here and it is now! Step by step, regulatory filings and approvals, every step required along the way to bring these Cannabis Science shares back up trading again through Thermic Science." What is Rule 15c2-11? First adopted nearly fifty years ago in 1971, long before the existence of electronic trading, Rule 15c2-11 was originally designed to deter fraudulent quoting activity by broker-dealers in OTC securities by requiring brokers to obtain and review specified information about the issuer before initiating a quoted market. The SEC's recent amendments overhaul the Rule's existing framework, with the goal of enhancing investor protection and deterring deception in the OTC market through transparent and timely reporting. The amended Rule, which will be applicable in September 2021, will require OTC-traded companies to make current disclosure publicly available in order to have a publicly quoted market. The Rule also streamlines the pathway to the public market for companies meeting their disclosure requirements and allows OTC Markets Group to play a greater role in bringing companies on our markets. Thermic Heating Paint and Portable Thermic Heating Units Paint any wall, ceiling or floor into an infrared heating panel! Large sized Infrared heaters on low temperature on walls and ceilings are the future. Thermic Paint provides the highest infrared heat radiation and lowest energy consumption. Portable Thermic heating units are coming soon: Get ready for the revolutionary portable heating unit that can change your life, the environment and your pocketbook. Actually, Thermic Paint holds a world record: It's the Infrared heating system with the lowest consumption needed to heat with a constant temperature. Large sized Infrared heaters on low temperature on walls and ceilings are the future. More than 50% of the required heat load can be saved with an efficient layout and intelligent control of the infrared heating system. Portable Thermic Self-Generating Electrical Power Units Right on time for the changing living environments and sporadic and emergency energy consumption: Thermic self-generating electrical power units can generate power for a wide variety of applications and uses, including cars, houses, streetlights, retail stores, agriculture grow operations, backup and primary power for computer networks, portable thermic heating units, lighting, TV's, stereos and more. The Company is excited to release the first generation of self-generating electrical power units to the public. Renewable Thermic Solid-State Ceramic Cu2+ Battery Power Units Renewable Thermic Solid-State Batteries are a thing of the future, and they are here now! Imagine electric cars, houses, campsites, buildings, electric bikes, portable battery-operated toys, radios, flashlights - the list goes on and on. The future is here with Thermic renewable batteries. This game-changing technology will revolutionize your power consumption and usage. Thermic Graphene Concrete Concrete Thermic Mix for any type of concrete: 96% compressive strength increase, 56% heat capacity increase and 150% water permeability reduction. Electroluminescent Coating System Asia goes wild over electroluminescent paint, Japan being the biggest buyer as evidenced by the wide variety of uses and media coverage. The LitCoat Airbrush Paint System, ideal for use on cars, motorcycles, or bicycles, allows users to airbrush on LitCoat electroluminescent paint for an even application and coverage on almost any coverage or material. This airbrush paint system works similarly to many other systems for airbrushing paint; however, it is specialized for the application of LitCoat's electroluminescent varieties. Lighting surfaces improves visibility and can be lifesaving, especially on clothing, motorcycles, bicycles, cars and helmets. It provides also functional lighting, and aesthetic lighting. Automotive interior & exterior parts Motorcycles Aerospace Helmets Signage Technical textile Buildings Houses Bicycles Clothing About Thermic Coating Systems Thermic Heating Paint Construction Applications (Current European market) Thermic Heating Paint Portable Units (First Goal; USA targeted distribution) Thermic Heating Fog Free Mirror and Basic Glass (USA & International release) Thermic Portable Self-Generating Electrical Power Units (USA & International release) Thermic Cu2+ Solid-State Ceramic Super Charge Renewable High-Performance Battery Units (USA & International release) Thermic Agriculture (USA & International Agriculture Applications) Concrete Thermic Mix for any type of concrete 96% Compressive strength increase, 56% Heat capacity increase and 150% Water permeability reduction. Revolutionary heating with the advanced Thermic technology, infrared thermic paint systems and so much more. North American expansions through manufacturing and job opportunities pushes the CSi-EDP to continue to flourish, while creating jobs, educating the public on new Thermic heating advanced technologies and the implementation of such advanced technology worldwide. Not only a revolutionary key to the environment and heating industry, the profound effects on the agriculture industry, home heating and appliance applications are overwhelming. The Thermic business & medical applications are immense and with some infrastructure integration for large- and small-scale construction, you are changing the environment to the favor of many. The individual Thermic unit applications target so many different industry applications; only your lack of imagination will stop the flow of viable applications. Please visit: https://thermicpaint.com/ https://thermicpaint.com/shop Cannabis Science Inc. Acquisition: (formerly Cannabis Science OTC: CBIS) Thermic Science International has begun updating the financials and accounting, reporting and filings to complete the process to complete the acquisition and share exchange transaction with CSi-EDP. The name change process has begun, company structure changes are underway, company management changes are underway, and the CSi-EDP shareholder first rights are underway. Somewhat similar to the Cannabis Science structure before it went private, all Cannabis Science shareholders are on track to receive what Cannabis Science had been planning all along. All shareholder notices on track to send out in the second quarter of 2021. All shareholder certificates will be confirmed through the transfer agent. All proposed share changes will be reclassified under the following structure changes: Preferred Shares (Voting Shares) Common Shares (Current Trading Shares) Common Class A (Cannabis Science New Shares) About Thermic Science International (TSi) Thermic Science International Corporation (OTC: ENDO) has recently acquired Cannabis Science Inc., (CSi-EDP), Thermic Coating Systems Ltd. (UK), and now, Litcoat Electroluminescent Paint Systems. The Company has voted to change its name to Thermic Science International. The firm is being coined the newest North American Entrepreneurial SPAC. Targeting the creation of a very strong corporate conglomerate SPAC themed CSi-EDP; Bringing it All Together & just as laid-out in the Harvard Award winning Cannabis Science CSi-EDP, as presented for four years in a row at the Harvard GHC Summit. A conglomerate SPAC Group designed to bring affordable and free education, traditional and entrepreneurial job creation, and cannabinoid drug development internationally. About Omnicanna Health Solutions, Inc. Omnicanna Health Solutions, Inc. is currently developing new natural hemp-based products based on innovative formulations to utilize the unique and potent benefits of the hemp plant. Medicinal properties of hemp have been known and applied for thousands of years. With the aid of scientific research, Omnicanna Health Solutions is translating such knowledge into development of effective hemp formulation-based health and wellness solutions as well as cosmeceutical, nutraceutical, and food brands throughout the world. The Company's health and wellness, nutritional, and cosmetics lines will address personal needs and will evolve with the introduction of new formulations and products, advancing the Company within the expanding multibillion-dollar global market. Forward-Looking Statements This Press Release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Act of 1934. A statement containing words such as "anticipate," "seek," intend," "believe," "plan," "estimate," "expect," "project," or similar phrases may be deemed "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Some or all of the events or results anticipated by these forward-looking statements may not occur. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include the future U.S. and global economies, the impact of competition, and the Company's reliance on existing regulations regarding the use and development of cannabis-based drugs and products. The Company does not undertake any duty, nor does it intend to update the results of these forward-looking statements. Contact Information: Thermic Coating Systems Ltd. www.thermicpaint.com Anthony Spring tony@thermicpaint.com Cannabis Science Inc. www.icannabinoid.com www.cannabisscience.com http://edp.cannabisscience.com/ Raymond C. Dabney President & CEO raymond.dabney@cannabisscience.com Thermic Science International Corporation Omnicanna Health Solutions, Inc. ENDOCAN Corporation www.Omnicanna.com www.ihemp.omnicanna.com Robert Kane, CFO (910) 515-2917 info@Omnicanna.com robert.kane@omnicanna.com https://www.accesswire.com/users/newswire/images/647764/tsi.png https://www.accesswire.com/users/newswire/images/647764/AQ3Pic.jpg https://www.accesswire.com/users/newswire/images/647764/AQ1Pic.jpg https://www.accesswire.com/users/newswire/images/647764/AQ2Pic.jpg SOURCE: Thermic Science International Corporation View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/649878/Thermic-Science-Proudly-Receives-OTC-Markets-Registration-Confirmation-Makes-Payment-of-Initial-Exchange-Fees-to-Begin-Uploading-its-Financials-and-Reporting-Requirements-to-Bring-the-Company-Current-and-in-Compliance-with-the-Amended-Rule-15c2-11 2021 Core Drilling Program is Planned to In-Fill and Expand Graphite Resources at Largest Known and Highest-Grade Graphite Deposit in the United States VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / June 1, 2021 / Graphite One Inc. (TSXV:GPH)(OTCQX:GPHOF) ("Graphite One" or the "Company") announced today that it plans to execute a 2021 Drilling Program (the "2021 Drilling Program") at its Graphite Creek Property located near Nome, Alaska. The drill program follows the Company's funding of CA$10M to advance Graphite One's Preliminary Feasibility Study ("PFS"), scheduled for completion in the 4th Quarter of 2021. Approximately 3,000 meters of HQ core drilling is planned for the program to in-fill and expand the Measured and Indicated resources of graphitic carbon for the Feasibility Study ("FS"). Additional geotechnical drilling is planned for open pit mine design and to advance the understanding of ground conditions in proposed infrastructure sites. In addition to the proposed 2021 Drilling Program, site visits and field work by the engineering team will be completed, additional environmental baseline data will be collected, and community outreach activities will continue during the 2021 field season. The Drilling Program and other field work are expected to begin in July. Appropriate COVID-19 management protocols will be implemented by all field personnel to ensure the health and safety of everyone involved as well as the surrounding communities. "We are encouraged to be on track to complete our PFS this year and we are excited about the planned field programs that will inform the more detailed FS once the PFS is completed. The 2021 Drilling Program will provide the additional information required to continue advancing the design and engineering for the proposed mine, the flotation process facility, the Secondary Treatment Plant for producing Coated Spherical Graphite and other graphite products, and all associated infrastructure", said Stan Foo a veteran Alaska mining executive and the Chief Operating Officer of Graphite One (Alaska) Inc., "These investigations will allow Graphite One to firm up our understanding of the project as we unlock the full value of this unique large flake graphite deposit". Anthony Huston, President and CEO of Graphite One states, "With the growing demand for graphite in electric vehicle batteries and other energy storage applications - and recent actions by the Biden administration to secure US supply chains for critical minerals -- we see Graphite One's aim to produce a U.S.-based supply chain solution becoming increasingly significant as a new potential source of advanced graphite products for decades to come. While the 2017 Preliminary Economic Analysis indicated excellent economics, we are very excited about the potential for the PFS to show a clear path for further development." Graphite One is also pleased to announce its employment of Zhengli (Andrew) Tan as Director, Graphite Products Manufacturing effective April 1, 2021. Mr. Tan is focused on the Company's plan to manufacture high grade Coated Spherical Graphite, primarily for the lithium-ion electric vehicle battery market and energy storage systems, as well as other value-added products. Since 2013, Mr. Tan has been an independent consultant to the carbon and graphite materials industry advising companies on graphite materials manufacturing. From 2011 to 2013, Mr. Tan was General Manager of an expanded graphite foil manufacturing facility in China for SGL Group. Prior to that, he had industry positions in the U.S. and Canada. Mr. Tan has a master's degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of New Brunswick and a bachelor's degree in Materials Science from China's Hunan University. The United States remains 100% reliant on foreign supply of natural graphite, despite the U.S. Government listing the resource as one of the 35 critical minerals and metals vital to the United States' security and economic prosperity1. Graphite One's deposit in western Alaska remains the largest known source of natural graphite in the United States. According to the World Bank, global graphite demand for clean energy applications alone - primarily electric vehicle batteries and energy storage systems -- is expected to rise by 494% between now and 20502. About Graphite One Inc. GRAPHITE ONE INC. (GPH: TSX-V; GPHOF: OTCQB) (the "Company"), is a developing advanced graphite materials company. Planning continues on its Graphite One Project (the "Project"), whereby it could become an American producer of high grade Coated Spherical Graphite ("CSG") integrated with a domestic graphite resource. The Project is proposed as a vertically integrated enterprise to mine, process and manufacture high grade CSG primarily for the lithium-ion electric vehicle battery market and energy storage systems as well as other value-added products. As set forth in its Preliminary Economic Assessment, graphite mineralization, mined from the Company's Graphite Creek Property, would be processed into concentrate at a plant to be located on the Graphite Creek Property situated on the Seward Peninsula about 60 kilometers north of Nome, Alaska. CSG and other value-added graphite products would be manufactured from the concentrate at the Company's proposed advanced graphite materials manufacturing facility whose location is being investigated. The Company is progressing the Project's Pre-Feasibility Study and intends to make a production decision once a Feasibility Study is completed. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS "Anthony Huston" (signed) For more information on Graphite One Inc. please visit the Company's website, www.GraphiteOneInc.com or contact: Anthony Huston CEO, President & Director Tel: (604) 697-2862 Email: AHuston@GraphiteOneInc.com Investor Relations Contact 1-604-684-6730 GPH@kincommunications.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This release includes certain statements that may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, are forward-looking statements. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "proposes", "expects", or "is expected", "scheduled", "estimates", "projects", "intends", "assumes", "believes", "indicates" or variations of such words and phrases that state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward-looking information in this release includes, but is not limited to, statements regarding the stage and progress of development of the Graphite One Project including the ability to actually produce spherical graphite and other value-added products, ultimate further and final results of additional test-work, estimated capital and sustaining costs and the availability of equipment, labour and resources required, the anticipated applications of graphite in high-tech, clean tech, energy storage and national security applications and all other anticipated applications, international demand and ability to transport and enter into such markets, successful completion of the Pre-Feasibility Study and a subsequent Feasibility Study, successful completion of the 2021 Field Program, assessment of the results from the 2021 field program, the ability to produce new potential source of advanced graphite products, are all forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include: (i) volatile stock price, (ii) the results of the product development test work may not be indicative of the advancement of the project as anticipated, or at all, (iii) market prices, (iv) exploitation and exploration successes, (v) continuity of mineralization, (vi) uncertainties related to the ability to obtain necessary permits, licenses and title and delays due to third party opposition, (vii) changes in government policies regarding mining and natural resource exploration and exploitation, (viii) competition faced in securing experienced personnel, access to adequate infrastructure to support mining, processing, development and exploration activities and (ix) continued availability of capital and financing, and (x) general economic, market or business conditions. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on this forward-looking information, which is given as of the date it is expressed in this press release, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking information, except as required by applicable securities laws. For more information on the Company, investors should review the Company's continuous disclosure filings that are available at www.sedar.com. 1 https://www.usgs.gov/news/trump-administration-announces-strategy-strengthen-americas-economy-defense 2 https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/infographic/2019/02/26/climate-smart-mining SOURCE: Graphite One Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/649791/Graphite-One-Announces-2021-Drill-Program-Plans-Progress-Towards-Pre-Feasibility-Study-Completion-and-Hiring-of-Graphite-Products-Manager DIDCOT, UK / ACCESSWIRE / June 1, 2021 / Altus Strategies Plc (AIM:ALS)(TSXV:ALTS)(OTCQX:ALTUF) announces that it was informed on 28 May 2021 of the following director share dealings: On 28 May 2021 Steven Poulton (Chief Executive Officer and Director) purchased 112,939 Ordinary Shares of 0.05 each ("Ordinary Shares") at an average price of 61.93p per share; and On 28 May 2021, Mrs Anna Grainger, the spouse of Matthew Grainger (Executive Director), purchased a total of 10,000 Ordinary Shares at an average price of 63.52p per share. Following the transactions as described above: Mr Poulton's and persons' closely associated with Mr Poulton, total shareholding has increased to 5,870,000 Ordinary Shares, representing 7.30% of the Company's outstanding issued Ordinary Share capital. Mr Grainger's and persons' closely associated with Mr Grainger, total shareholding has increased to 2,108,899 Ordinary Shares, representing 2.61% of the Company's outstanding issued Ordinary Share capital. The information set out below is provided in accordance with the requirements of Article 19(3) of the EU Market Abuse Regulation No. 596/2014. Notification and public disclosure of transactions by PMDR and persons closely associated with them. 1 Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities / person closely associated a) Name Steven Poulton 2 Reason for the notification a) Position / status Chief Executive Officer & Director b) Initial notification / Amendment Initial notification 3 Details of the issuer emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor a) Name Altus Strategies plc b) LEI 2138001P93D9LMFIUA28 4 Details of the transaction(s): section to be repeated for (i) each type of instrument; (ii each type of transaction; (iii each date; and (iv) each place where transactions have been conducted a) Description of the financial instrument, type of instrument Ordinary Shares of 0.05 each b) Identification code GB00BJ9TYB96 c) Nature of the transaction Purchase of Ordinary Shares d) Price(s) and volume(s) Purchases Price Volume 63.52p 7,939 64.00p 15,000 62.90p 10,000 61.30p 10,000 61.40p 15,000 61.80p 25,000 60.75p 30,000 e) Aggregated information Aggregated volume 112,939 Ordinary Shares Price 61.93p (purchase) f) Date of the transactions 28 May 2021 g) Place of the transactions AIM Notification and public disclosure of transactions by PMDR and persons closely associated with them. 1 Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities / person closely associated a) Name Matthew Grainger 2 Reason for the notification a) Position / status Executive Director b) Initial notification / Amendment Initial notification 3 Details of the issuer emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor a) Name Altus Strategies plc b) LEI 2138001P93D9LMFIUA28 4 Details of the transaction(s): section to be repeated for (i) each type of instrument; (ii each type of transaction; (iii each date; and (iv) each place where transactions have been conducted a) Description of the financial instrument, type of instrument Ordinary Shares of 0.05 each b) Identification code GB00BJ9TYB96 c) Nature of the transaction Purchase of Ordinary Shares d) Price(s) and volume(s) Purchases Price Volume 63.52p 10,000 e) Aggregated information Aggregated volume 10,000 Ordinary Shares Price 63.52p (purchase) f) Date of the transactions 28 May 2021 g) Place of the transactions AIM Altus Strategies Plc Steven Poulton, Chief Executive Tel: +44 (0) 1235 511 767 E-mail: info@altus-strategies.com SP Angel (Nominated Adviser) Richard Morrison / Adam Cowl Tel: +44 (0) 20 3470 0470 SP Angel (Broker) Grant Barker / Richard Parlons Tel: +44 (0) 20 3470 0471 Shard Capital (Broker) Isabella Pierre / Damon Heath Tel: +44 (0) 20 7186 9927 Yellow Jersey PR (Financial PR & IR) Charles Goodwin / Henry Wilkinson Tel: +44 (0) 20 3004 9512 E-mail: altus@yellowjerseypr.com About Altus Strategies Plc Altus Strategies (AIM: ALS, TSX-V: ALTS & OTCQX: ALTUF) is a mining royalty company generating a diversified and precious metal focused portfolio of assets. The Company's focus on Africa and differentiated approach, of generating royalties on its own discoveries as well as through financings and acquisitions with third parties, has attracted key institutional investor backing. The Company engages constructively with all stakeholders, working diligently to minimise its environmental impact and to promote positive economic and social outcomes in the communities where it operates. For further information, please visit www.altus-strategies.com. TSX Venture Exchange Disclaimer Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organisation of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Market Abuse Regulation Disclosure This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) 596/2014 as it forms part of UK domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 ("MAR"), and is disclosed in accordance with the Company's obligations under Article 17 of MAR. **END** SOURCE: Altus Strategies Plc View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/649823/PDMR-Dealings VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / June 1, 2021 / Searchlight Resources Inc. ("Searchlight" or the "Company") (TSXV:SCLT)(OTC PINK:CNYCF)(FSE:2CC2) is pleased to announce the TSX Venture Exchange has accepted the filing of the option agreement to acquire 100% interest in the Robinson Creek Gold Project located approximately 15 kilometres west of Creighton, Saskatchewan, in the historic Flin Flon mining camp. Highlights Over 75 historical drill holes Multiple historical high grade gold intersections Gold assays of 2.5 grams per tonne over 55 meters obtained in 1981 drilling by the Saskatchewan Mineral Development Corporation Searchlight paid $5,000 on the signing of the agreement and is now paying an additional $20,000 and issuing 500,000 common shares on the Exchange acceptance. The future obligations under the Option Agreement are set forth in Searchlight's news release dated May 17, 2021. The Robinson Creek Gold Project consists of 7 claim blocks covering 1.84 square kilometres located approximately 15 kilometres northwest of Searchlight's Bootleg Lake claims (Map 1). The Robinson Creek target area lies within a structurally controlled mesothermal lode gold system, with considerable historical exploration which includes geologic mapping, trenching, soil surveys, airborne and ground geophysical surveys, and over 75 diamond drill holes. "Searchlight has begun detailed compilation of the historical Robinson Creek drilling and trenching, and is in the planning stage for an initial site visit. There are good quality drill logs for the majority of the past drilling, and a 3D drillhole model will be created to aid future drillhole planning to establish a 43-101 resource estimate", stated Stephen Wallace, CEO of Searchlight. The Robinson Creek target comprises three gold zones - the Vein, Bleiler, and Quartz Zones - over a strike length of approximately one-kilometer. Exploration in the area began in 1915. In 1946, Hudson Bay Exploration drilled 15 holes in the Vein and Quartz zones. From 1970 to 1978, additional trenching of the quartz veins was completed, with trench samples returning gold assays ranging from 0.01 to 1.5 oz./ton. In the 1980s, Suneva and the Saskatchewan Mineral Development Corporation ("SMDC") joint venture completed over 60 drill holes with exploration ending in 1989 during a period of low gold prices. Mineralization is open to depth, and there is limited drill testing on multiple additional gold showings. "Robinson Creek falls within our focus area within 20 kilometers of Flin Flon, and stands to benefit from the nearby mining infrastructure which includes roads, hydro-electric power and mining support services. By focusing on multiple known gold deposits with substantial prior exploration in close proximity to each other, Searchlight hopes to build a significant gold project more quickly and cost effectively than through grassroots exploration. The property is only 15 kilometers from our Bootleg Gold property which has four past-producing gold mines", stated Alf Stewart, Chairman of Searchlight. Map 1: Location Map of Robinson Creek Claims Management cautions that the sample results discussed here are historical in nature, and Searchlight has not undertaken any independent investigation of the sampling, nor has it independently analyzed the results of the previous exploration work in order to verify the results. Searchlight considers these sample results relevant, as the Company uses historical reports to evaluate and historic sample results as a guide to plan future exploration programs. The drill intercept discussed is a drill indicated length. Insufficient technical information exists to demonstrate the true width of the intersection. The technical information is derived from public documents available through the Saskatchewan Government Ministry of Energy and Resources. Qualified Person Stephen Wallace, P.Geo., is Searchlight's Qualified Person within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical information contained in this news release. About Searchlight Resources Inc. Searchlight Resources Inc. (TSXV:SCLT, US:CNYCF, FSE:2CC2) is a Canadian mineral exploration and development company focused on Saskatchewan, Canada, which has been ranked as the top location for mining investment in Canada by the Fraser Institute. Exploration focus is on gold and battery minerals throughout the Province, concentrating on projects with road access. Searchlight holds a 427.6 square kilometre land position within the gold and base metal rich Flin Flon - Snow Lake Greenstone Belt. The Company is currently advancing its Bootleg Lake Gold Project which hosts four past-producing high-grade gold mines, located in Saskatchewan, less than 10 km from Flin Flon, Manitoba. On behalf of the Board of Directors, "Stephen Wallace" Stephen Wallace, President, CEO and Director SEARCHLIGHT RESOURCES INC. For further information, visit the Company's website at www.searchlightresources.com or contact: Searchlight Resources Inc. Alf Stewart, Chairman (604) 331-9326 info@searchlightresources.com Forward-Looking Statements Information set forth in this news release contains forward-looking statements that are based on assumptions as of the date of this news release. These statements reflect management's current estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations. They are not guarantees of future performance. The Company cautions that all forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain and that actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control. Such factors include, among other things: risks and uncertainties relating to the Company's limited operating history and the need to comply with environmental and governmental regulations. Accordingly, actual and future events, conditions and results may differ materially from the estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information. NEITHER TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. SOURCE: Searchlight Resources Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/649836/Searchlight-Resources-Receives-Regulatory-Acceptance-of-the-Robinson-Creek-Gold-Option-Agreement VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / June 1, 2021 / BeMetals Corp. (TSXV:BMET)(OTCQB:BMTLF)(Frankfurt:1OI.F) (the "Company" or "BeMetals") is pleased to announce commencement of its 2021 exploration program at the Pangeni Copper Project (Pangeni" or the "Project" or the "Property"), located on the western extension of the Central African Copperbelt in Zambia (the "Zambian Copperbelt"). This year's primary objective is to expand and vector into higher-grade areas of the two priority copper prospects discovered during the 2019 and 2020 exploration programs, and to test other priority targets on the Property. John Wilton, President and CEO of BeMetals stated, "Given the encouraging results from last year's drilling program, we are very excited to begin accelerated fieldwork with our new partner, Japan, Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation ("JOGMEC") at the Pangeni Copper Project. We have two very compelling prospects for additional drilling and we look forward to testing a number of new priority targets. The style of copper mineralization we are seeing at both the D and SW prospects are similar to that of known copper mines in the region, and our drilling is planned to determine the scope and grade of the mineralization beneath the shallow sand cover. With global copper demand forecast to grow appreciably due to this metal's vital role in increasing renewable energy production and utilization, we view exploration at Pangeni to represent a great opportunity with its potential for the discovery of a significant copper deposit. Our recently acquired Kazan Gold Project in Japan, advanced stage, high-grade zinc-silver-gold-copper, South Mountain Project in Idaho, U.S.A., and Pangeni Copper Project provide an excellent and building portfolio of exploration and development projects with exciting growth potential for the Company." Highlights of the Planned 2021 Pangeni Aircore and core Drilling Campaign: To further follow-up on encouraging copper intersections made at the high priority D and SW prospects which included: At D Prospect (1) : Core Hole D3-C1 intersected 3.98 metres ("m") grading 0.39% Copper ("Cu") and 3.7m grading 0.37% Cu in 2020, and Core Hole D2-C1 intersected 5.50m grading 0.53% Cu and Core Hole D2-C2 5.56m grading 0.47% Cu in 2019 : Core Hole D3-C1 intersected 3.98 metres ("m") grading 0.39% Copper ("Cu") and 3.7m grading 0.37% Cu in 2020, and Core Hole D2-C1 intersected 5.50m grading 0.53% Cu and Core Hole D2-C2 5.56m grading 0.47% Cu in 2019 At SW Prospect (1) : Core Hole E2-C2 intersected 4.50m grading 0.39% Cu including: 0.5m of 1.59% Cu & 0.5m grading 1.22% Cu in 2019 Core Hole E2-C2 intersected 4.50m grading 0.39% Cu 0.5m of 1.59% Cu & 0.5m grading 1.22% Cu in 2019 To drill a total of approximately 4,000 metres of shallow aircore holes and approximately 1,500 metres of core holes to determine the continuity and extent of copper mineralization at the D and SW areas as well as to test the priority C, G2 and P targets areas (See Figures 1 and 2). Note (1): Intertek Genalysis completed the analytical work with the core samples processed at their preparation facility in Kitwe, Zambia. All analytical procedures were conducted in an Intertek Genalysis laboratory in Australia. Reported widths are drilled core lengths as true widths are unknown at this time. Based upon current data it is estimated true widths range between 80 to 90% of the drilled intersections. PANGENI PROJECT 2021 EXPLORATION PROGRAM The 2021 exploration program will comprise of an airborne electromagnetic ("AEM") survey to enhance stratigraphic and structural geological mapping under the sand cover and the completion of approximately 4,000 metres of aircore drilling. (See Figure 1 for planned aircore line drilling locations). The positions of the aircore lines are subject to adjustment as interpretation of the AEM is received. Resultant targets will be tested with approximately 1,500 metres of core drilling in some 6 to 8 core holes. The aircore holes will be spaced at various distances along the lines from 400-metre, to 200-metre and 100-metre infill centres based upon field results and geological observations of the drill cuttings. The program will run from late May and initial aircore results will determine targets for core drill testing to be completed before yearend. D PROSPECT At the D Prospect this year, drilling will follow-up on extensions and test for potential higher-grade areas proximal to copper mineralization discovered during the 2019 and 2020 drill seasons where core hole D3-C1 intersected intervals of 3.98 metres at 0.39% copper and 3.70 metres at 0.37% copper. These two shallow copper intersections occur some 850 metres along the same interpreted strike of mineralized zones intersected in holes D2-C1 and D2-C2 during the 2019 field season where D2-C1 intersected 5.50 metres grading 0.53% copper, and D2-C2 intersected 5.56 metres grading 0.47% copper (See Figure 2). Aircore drilling will infill test between holes D3-C1 and D2-C1/D2-C2 to determine the continuity of mineralization between those areas. Two additional aircore lines will step out to the northeast of hole D3-C1 and another line to the southwest of holes D2-C1/D2-C2 to test the extent of mineralization along the interpreted strike (See Figure 2). SW PROSPECT At the SW Prospect, a number of significant copper intersections have been returned in the core drilling, including hole E2-C2 which intersected 4.5 metres grading 0.39% copper during the 2019 drilling program. Due to rainy season logistical conditions at the end of 2020, BeMetals decided not to aircore drill at this target last year. Now at the start of the field season, five additional lines of aircore drilling are planned to test for extensions and higher-grade areas of copper mineralization at this prospect. The core drilled intersections to date indicate that a number of anomalous zones of predominantly copper sulphide mineralization are present at both the D and SW prospects. This mineralization is related to broader zones of anomalous copper, all of which are associated with the same alteration minerals known to occur at various copper deposits and large scale mines within the Zambian Copperbelt. The mineralized zones relate to chalcopyrite and minor amounts of bornite copper sulphides, and are associated with kyanite, an alteration mineral, which has important associations with the mineralization found at other significant copper mines in Zambia. Figure 1: Location Map of Main Prospects, and Targets with Planned 2021 Aircore Line Positions. Existing Drill Hole Collars at Pangeni Copper Project on a Satellite Image with Current Aircore Copper Results. Figure 2: Planned Aircore Drilling Line Locations for D Prospect Area THE PANGENI COPPER PROJECT The Pangeni Project is located on the western extension of the Zambian Copperbelt, within the Lufilian Arc, underlain by Katangan Supergroup metasediments situated unconformably on basement schists and gneisses, which are covered by a thin veneer of Kalahari sands. The open pit Sentinel Copper Mine is operated by First Quantum Minerals Ltd. some 130 kilometres to the northeast of the Pangeni Project. A number of major international mining companies have identified this region of the Zambian Copperbelt to be prospective for the discovery of tier one copper mines and are conducting extensive exploration work in this area. The Pangeni Project property is geologically prospective for the following deposit types; Basement-hosted Cu (analogues: the Lumwana Deposit, Nyungu Prospect), Sediment-hosted stratiform Cu-Co (analogues: Nchanga, Konkola, Nkana, and Mufulira Deposits), other Domes Region Deposits e.g. Sentinel, and Kansanshi and DRC Copperbelt Deposits e.g. Lonshi, Frontier, Kamoa-Kakula). Figure 3. Pangeni Copper Project Location Map in Zambia Table 1. Drill hole, Azimuth, Dip, EOH depth, collar co-ordinates of historical core drill holes. Drill Hole ID Azimuth Degree Dip Degree End of hole Depth (m) Easting (m) Northing (m) Elevation (m) D2-C1 310 -70 197.9 177281 8601289 1301 D2-C2 310 -70 197.9 177313 8601190 1302 D3-C1 310 -65 165.9 178056 8601638 1178 E2-C2 310 -70 213.6 170428 8586453 1233 QUALITY ASSURANCE AND QUALITY CONTROL The results reported here for core and aircore drilling were analyzed by Intertek Genalysis, an independent and accredited laboratory. Samples were prepared at their facility in Kitwe, Zambia and analytical work conducted in Australia. The results were determined using multi-acid, near total digest, and analyzed by Inductively Coupled Plasma ("ICP") Optical (Atomic) Emission Spectrometry ("OES"). The core and aircore sampling was conducted with robust sampling protocols that included the appropriate insertion of standard reference material, duplicates, and blanks into the sample stream. Field operations and management have been provided by Remote Exploration Services ("RES") an independent geological consulting and contracting company. The core and aircore drilling was conducted by Blurock Mining Services, of Kitwe, Zambia. stock option grant The Company also announces that an aggregate of 5,775,000 incentive stock options have been granted to directors, officers and consultants of the Company exercisable at a price of $0.425 per share for a term of 10 years, vesting over a two year period and subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. ABOUT BEMETALS CORP. BeMetals is a precious and base metals exploration and development company focused on becoming a leading metal producer through the acquisition of quality exploration, development and potentially production stage projects. The Company has recently established itself in the gold sector with the acquisition of certain wholly owned exploration projects in Japan. BeMetals is also progressing both its advanced high-grade, zinc-silver-gold-copper polymetallic underground exploration at the South Mountain Project in Idaho through a preliminary economic assessment, and its tier-one targeted, Pangeni Copper Exploration Project in Zambia. Guiding and leading BeMetals' growth strategy is a strong board and management team, founders and significant shareholders of the Company, who have an extensive proven record of delivering considerable value in the mining sector through the discovery, construction and operation of mines around the world. The technical information in this news release for BeMetals has been reviewed and approved by John Wilton, CGeol FGS, CEO and President of BeMetals, and a "Qualified Person" as defined under National Instrument 43-101. ON BEHALF OF BEMETALS CORP. "John Wilton" John Wilton President, CEO and Director For further information about BeMetals please visit our website at bemetalscorp.com and sign-up to our email list to receive timely updates, or contact: Derek Iwanaka Vice President, Investor Relations & Corporate Development Telephone: 604-609-6141 Email: diwanaka@bemetalscorp.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains "forward-looking statements" and "forward looking information" (as defined under applicable securities laws), based on management's best estimates, assumptions and current expectations. Such statements include but are not limited to, statements with respect to future exploration, development and advancement of the South Mountain Project, the Pangeni project and the Japan properties, and the acquisition of additional base and/or precious metal projects. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "expects", "expected", "budgeted", "forecasts", "anticipates", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "aims", "potential", "goal", "objective", "prospective", and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "can", "could" or "should" occur. These statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such statements, including but not limited to: the actual results of exploration activities, the availability of financing and/or cash flow to fund the current and future plans and expenditures, the ability of the Company to satisfy the conditions of the option agreements for the South Mountain Project and/or the Pangeni Project, and changes in the world commodity markets or equity markets. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. The forward-looking statements and forward looking information are made as of the date hereof and are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The Company disclaims any obligation to revise or update any such factors or to publicly announce the result of any revisions to any forward-looking statements or forward looking information contained herein to reflect future results, events or developments, except as require by law. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and information. Please refer to the Company's most recent filings under its profile at www.sedar.com for further information respecting the risks affecting the Company and its business. SOURCE: BeMetals Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/649814/BeMetals-Commences-2021-Exploration-Program-at-the-Pangeni-Copper-Project Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - June 1, 2021) - Final drill results from the Company's 2,000-meter drill program at the Haukiaho Trend, a distinct zone approximately 20 kilometers south of the Company's primary target area Kaukua South, have returned significant widths and grades, including 48 meters at 2.2 g/t Palladium-equivalent ("Pd_Eq") with a wider 116 meters zone grading 1.2 g/t Pd_Eq (Hole LK21-074), on the Lantinen Koillismaa ("LK") PGE-Ni-Cu project in Finland, said Palladium One Mining Inc. (TSXV: PDM) (FSE: 7N11) (OTCQB: NKORF) ("Palladium One" or the "Company") today. A total of 12 holes (1,943 metres) were drilled on the Haukiaho trend. This release contains the results from the final 5 holes of this program. The drilling was designed establish sufficient drill density to prepare a National Instrument 43-101 resource estimate at Haukiaho. "The final batch of Haukiaho results is highly encouraging, not only has it filled in a key 200m gap in the historic resource drilling but also found average grades and widths above those of the historical resource estimate. These latest results also extended the core Haukiaho zone to the east and into a second large IP anomaly that was delineated in 2020. This extension indicates substantial near-term upside at Haukiaho," said Derrick Weyrauch, President and CEO. Highlights A 200m gap in the middle of the Haukiaho historic resource has been infilled and found to contain above average grades and widths (Figure 3.) in the middle of the Haukiaho historic resource has been infilled (Figure 3.) Holes LK21-077 and 078 located, 50 and 100 meters east of the historic resource indicate strong mineralization continues to the east in the Central Drill Target area (Figure 2.) (Figure 2.) 116.0 meters grading 1.20 g/t Pd_Eq in hole LK21-074 starting 99 meters down hole Including 48.5 meters grading 2.15 g/t Pd_Eq Including 7.3 meters grading 3.09 g/t Pd_Eq in hole LK21-074 starting 99 meters down hole 70.3 meters grading 1.11 g/t Pd_Eq in hole LK21-075 starting 12 meters down hole including 23.2 meters grading 1.84 g/t Pd_Eq Including 4.5 meters grading 3.26 g/t Pd_Eq in hole LK21-075 starting 12 meters down hole 43.0 meters grading 1.27 g/t Pd_Eq in hole LK21-077 starting 5 meters down hole including 14.5 meters grading 2.01 g/t Pd_Eq in hole LK21-077 starting 5 meters down hole 39.2 meters grading 1.63 g/t Pd_Eq in hole LK21-078 starting 144 meters down hole including 11.6 meters grading 2.73 g/t Pd_Eq in hole LK21-078 starting 144 meters down hole The historic Haukiaho resource is shallowly drilled, mostly above 200m below surface and very amendable to open pit extraction methods. Haukiaho Historic Resource Estimate In the 1980's, Outokumpu (a Finnish State-run mining company) prepared a resource estimate using very widely spaced holes along much of the Haukiaho trend, which estimated 7 million tonnes grading 0.38% Cu and 0.24% Ni, however importantly, no PGE assays were undertaken. The cut-off grade used was a 0.7% Copper_equivalent (defined as Cu% + 2 x Ni%). Subsequently, in 2013, Finore Mining Inc. completed a non-pit constrained NI43-101 historic resource estimate, over a much smaller strike length. This resource encompassed widely spaced drilling with a focus on maximizing tonnage, not grade. Using a 0.1 g/t Pd cut-off, they estimated a resource of 1.13 million Pd_Eq ounces within 23.2 million tonnes grading 1.51 g/t Pd_Eq* (0.31 g/t Pd, 0.12g/t Pt, 0.10 g/t Au, 0.21% Cu, and 0.14% Ni) (See news release August 12, 2019 and May 7, 2020). For comparison purposes using recent spot prices the historic Haukiaho resource has a Pd_Eq** grade of 0.97g/t Pd or 1.37g/t Au_Eq** grade. The Haukiaho trend is 17 kilometers long and the historic 2013 Haukiaho resource prepared by Finore only covers less than 2 kilometers of this trend. This knowledge coupled with the historic work by Outokumpu point to the enormous potential to significantly add resources at Haukiaho with disciplined execution of exploration activities. While similar to the Kaukua deposit (See new release, September 30, 2019), the Haukiahio trend is more copper-nickel rich. At Kaukua, approximately ~1/3 of the in-situ value per tonne is copper-nickel, while at Haukiaho copper-nickel represent approximately ~2/3s of the in-situ value. Figure 1. LK Project location map showing 43-101 compliant Kaukua deposit and historic Haukiaho resource along with 2020 IP grids (blue lines) and current 2021 IP grid areas (black boxes). Yellow lines represent Exploration Permits, red lines represent Exploration Reservations held by the Company. To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6502/85932_c9cc096f045b9931_001full.jpg Figure 2. Plan map of Haukiaho 2020 IP chargeability anomalies, drill target areas and 2020 & 2021 DDH locations. To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6502/85932_c9cc096f045b9931_002full.jpg Figure 3. Plan map of the Haukiaho historic 2013 Finore resource estimate represented by the 0.5g/t Pd_Eq shape with Palladium One drill holes labelled. To view an enhanced version of Figure 3, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6502/85932_c9cc096f045b9931_003full.jpg Figure 4. Haukiaho Cross section showing holes LK21-074, and 1960's era Outokumpu hole R614 which was incompletely sampled and was not analysed for PGEs. To view an enhanced version of Figure 4, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6502/85932_c9cc096f045b9931_004full.jpg Table 1: Palladium One Haukiaho drill results Hole From (m) To (m) Width (m) Pd_Eq g/t* Spot Pd_Eq g/t** Spot Au_Eq g/t** Pd g/t Pt g/t Au g/t Cu % Ni % LK20-008 17.3 33.5 16.2 1.99 1.25 1.78 0.38 0.15 0.14 0.26 0.20 Inc. 20.3 23.3 3.0 2.55 1.61 2.29 0.48 0.19 0.22 0.33 0.25 LK20-009 161.5 168.1 6.6 2.34 1.47 2.09 0.47 0.20 0.13 0.26 0.25 LK20-010 118.7 202.0 83.3 1.27 0.78 1.10 0.24 0.09 0.05 0.12 0.16 Inc. 166.8 201.0 34.3 2.09 1.33 1.89 0.47 0.20 0.10 0.20 0.22 Inc. 167.8 173.0 5.3 3.08 1.97 2.80 0.66 0.25 0.20 0.38 0.30 LK21-067 No Significant values (collared in footwall rocks) LK21-068 81.5 122.0 40.6 0.65 0.35 0.50 0.05 0.02 0.02 0.04 0.11 Inc. 106.2 120.0 13.9 0.80 0.47 0.67 0.12 0.05 0.02 0.06 0.12 Inc. 106.2 112.7 6.6 0.91 0.54 0.76 0.13 0.05 0.03 0.09 0.13 LK21-069 48.5 64.1 15.7 2.26 1.44 2.05 0.47 0.18 0.18 0.27 0.22 Inc. 48.5 60.0 11.6 2.53 1.61 2.28 0.52 0.19 0.18 0.30 0.25 Inc. 48.5 52.0 3.6 3.11 1.96 2.78 0.60 0.22 0.23 0.37 0.32 LK21-070 103.5 131.0 27.5 0.65 0.33 0.47 0.01 0.00 0.02 0.04 0.12 Inc. 113.0 119.0 6.0 0.83 0.44 0.62 0.02 0.00 0.04 0.09 0.14 LK21-071 55.8 128.0 72.2 1.79 1.14 1.62 0.37 0.15 0.14 0.22 0.17 Inc. 72.0 77.0 5.0 2.33 1.50 2.14 0.53 0.21 0.18 0.27 0.22 Inc. 74.0 75.5 1.5 3.20 2.08 2.96 0.75 0.29 0.23 0.39 0.29 And 86.2 94.0 7.8 2.74 1.73 2.45 0.53 0.21 0.23 0.32 0.27 And 111.0 128.0 17.0 2.23 1.46 2.07 0.53 0.21 0.18 0.28 0.18 Inc. 112.5 118.0 5.5 2.84 1.85 2.62 0.64 0.25 0.23 0.36 0.25 LK21-072 No Significant values (ended before zone) LK21-073 75.8 127.0 51.2 1.07 0.64 0.90 0.15 0.06 0.06 0.13 0.13 Inc. 90.0 113.1 23.1 1.51 0.94 1.33 0.25 0.10 0.10 0.21 0.16 Inc. 90.8 99.9 9.1 2.10 1.31 1.86 0.37 0.15 0.16 0.27 0.21 Inc. 98.0 99.0 1.0 3.21 2.04 2.90 0.61 0.27 0.29 0.47 0.28 LK21-074 99.0 215.0 116.0 1.20 0.75 1.06 0.23 0.09 0.07 0.14 0.13 Inc. 113.6 162.0 48.5 2.15 1.36 1.94 0.44 0.17 0.13 0.25 0.22 Inc. 115.8 137.7 21.9 2.50 1.57 2.24 0.49 0.19 0.18 0.30 0.25 Inc. 130.3 137.7 7.3 3.09 1.94 2.75 0.59 0.23 0.21 0.38 0.32 Inc. 130.3 132.3 1.9 4.66 2.89 4.11 0.86 0.34 0.33 0.50 0.51 LK21-075 11.7 82.0 70.3 1.11 0.66 0.94 0.15 0.06 0.06 0.13 0.14 Inc. 43.3 80.2 36.9 1.52 0.95 1.35 0.26 0.11 0.11 0.21 0.16 Inc. 43.3 66.5 23.2 1.84 1.15 1.63 0.32 0.13 0.14 0.25 0.18 Inc. 43.3 53.5 10.2 2.41 1.51 2.14 0.42 0.17 0.19 0.33 0.24 Inc. 49.0 53.5 4.5 3.26 2.05 2.92 0.61 0.24 0.26 0.44 0.32 Inc. 50.5 52.0 1.5 3.97 2.50 3.55 0.73 0.29 0.33 0.53 0.38 LK21-076 167.0 208.0 41.0 1.17 0.71 1.00 0.18 0.07 0.08 0.13 0.14 Inc. 184.3 200.0 15.7 2.16 1.36 1.93 0.40 0.15 0.20 0.28 0.21 Inc. 185.5 191.5 6.0 3.01 1.90 2.70 0.56 0.21 0.32 0.39 0.28 LK21-077 5.0 48.0 43.0 1.27 0.79 1.13 0.23 0.10 0.06 0.17 0.14 Inc. 9.5 44.0 34.5 1.39 0.87 1.24 0.25 0.11 0.07 0.19 0.15 Inc. 11.0 25.5 14.5 2.01 1.25 1.77 0.34 0.15 0.12 0.28 0.21 Inc. 19.4 21.0 1.6 3.13 1.95 2.77 0.55 0.26 0.20 0.42 0.32 LK21-078 123.9 183.0 59.1 1.30 0.78 1.11 0.20 0.08 0.09 0.14 0.16 Inc. 143.8 183.0 39.2 1.63 1.01 1.44 0.29 0.13 0.13 0.20 0.17 Inc. 143.8 155.5 11.6 2.73 1.71 2.43 0.52 0.22 0.17 0.33 0.28 Inc. 153.0 154.5 1.5 3.48 2.24 3.18 0.79 0.29 0.21 0.40 0.34 * Reported widths are "drilled widths" not true widths. **Italicised orange highlighted results are previously released results see news release September 15, 2020 and May 26, 2021. *Palladium Equivalent Palladium equivalent is calculated using US$1,100 per ounce for palladium, US$950 per ounce for platinum, US$1,300 per ounce for gold, US$6,614 per tonne for copper, and US$15,4332 per tonne for nickel. This calculation is consistent with the calculation in the Company's September 2019 NI 43-101 Kaukua resource estimate. Additionally, US$1,100 per ounce for palladium is consistent with the UBS January 2021 long-term consensus price forecast even though the current price of palladium is approximately US$3,000 per ounce. **Spot Palladium and Gold Equivalent Spot palladium and gold equivalents are calculated using recent spot prices for comparison purposes using US$2,700 per ounce for palladium, US$1,200 per ounce for platinum, US$1,900 per ounce for gold, US$10,141 per tonne for copper, and US$17,857 per tonne for nickel QA/QC The Phase I drilling program was carried out under the supervision of Neil Pettigrew, M.Sc., P. Geo., Vice President of Exploration and a director of the Company. Drill core samples were split using a rock saw by Company staff, with half retained in the core box and stored indoors in a secure facility, in Taivalkoski, Finland. The drill core samples were transported by courier from the Company's core handling facility in Taivalkoski, Finland, to ALS Global ("ALS") laboratory in Outokumpu, Finland. ALS, is an accredited lab and are ISO compliant (ISO 9001:2008, ISO/IEC 17025:2005). PGE analysis was performed using a 30 grams fire assay with an ICP-MS or ICP-AES finish. Multi-element analyses, including copper and nickel were analysed by four acid digestion using 0.25 grams with an ICP-AES finish. Certified standards, blanks and crushed duplicates are placed in the sample stream at a rate of one QA/QC sample per 10 core samples. Results are analyzed for acceptance at the time of import. All standards associated with the results in this press release were determined to be acceptable within the defined limits of the standard used Qualified Person The technical information in this release has been reviewed and verified by Neil Pettigrew, M.Sc., P. Geo., Vice President of Exploration and a director of the Company and the Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. About Palladium One Palladium One Mining Inc. is an exploration company targeting district scale, platinum-group-element (PGE)-copper nickel deposits in Finland and Canada. Its flagship project is the Lantinen Koillismaa or LK Project, a palladium dominant platinum group element-copper-nickel project in north-central Finland, ranked by the Fraser Institute as one of the world's top countries for mineral exploration and development. Exploration at LK is focused on targeting disseminated sulfides along 38 kilometers of favorable basal contact and building on an established NI 43-101 open pit resource. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD "Derrick Weyrauch" President & CEO, Director For further information contact: Derrick Weyrauch, President & CEO Email: info@palladiumoneinc.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This press release includes "forward-looking information" that is subject to a few assumptions, risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. Statements regarding listing of the Company's common shares on the TSXV are subject to all of the risks and uncertainties normally incident to such events. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future events and that actual events or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements represent management's best judgment based on information currently available. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include regulatory actions and general business conditions. Such forward-looking information reflects the Company's views with respect to future events and is subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including those set out in the Company's annual information form dated April 29, 2020 and filed under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The Company does not undertake to update forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, except as required by law. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/85932 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 1, 2021) - Oculus VisionTech Inc. (TSXV: OVT) (OTCQB: OVTZ) (FSE: USF1), an emerging data compliance innovator, today announced it has joined the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Independent Software Vendor (ISV) Partner Path program. This enables Oculus, through its brand ComplyTrustTM, to market and sell its software-as-a-service products through AWS. The AWS ISV Partner Path process includes certification and test against industry-standards to ensure security, reliability, and operational excellence for software companies offering integrations on AWS. "Our participation in AWS ISV Partner Path demonstrates our commitment to build exceptional cloud-native technology for current and future Forget-Me-Yes data privacy solution customers," said Michael Johnson, co-founder at ComplyTrustTM , a 100% wholly-owned brand subsidiary of Oculus VisionTech. The recently released Forget-Me-Yes's data privacy solution, hosted on AWS, offers cost-effective insurance to ensure DSAR deletion-request compliance for California's CCPA/CPRA, Nevada's SB220, Virginia's CDPA, Brazil's LGPD, and Europe's GDPR, data privacy legislation. To more information, please visit https://complytrust.com/ today. About Oculus VisionTech Oculus VisionTech Inc. (OVT), www.ovtz.com, is a development-stage technology company focused on cyber security and data privacy compliance solutions for Enterprise business customers. With offices in San Diego, California and Vancouver, British Columbia, the company is currently expanding its' new ComplyTrustTM, www.complytrust.com, product suite which includes the ComplyScan cloud backup reporting tool and Forget-Me-YesTM B2B data privacy Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform, optimizing CCPA, CDPA, GDPR, LGPD, SB220 and other regulatory compliance legislation for Salesforce organizations worldwide. OVTZ's legacy Cloud-DPS digital content protection solution implements invisible forensic watermarking technology that seamlessly embeds imperceptible tracking components into documents and video-frame content that enables tamper-proof legal auditability for intellectual property protection. Learn more about Oculus at www.ovtz.com or follow us on Twitter (https://twitter.com/OculusVT) or Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/OculusVisionTech/ ) About ComplyTrustTM ComplyTrust Inc. https://complytrust.com/, a 100% wholly-owned subsidiary of Oculus VisionTech, is specifically focused on providing enterprise organizations and individuals with secure data privacy tools that provide sustained and continuous global regulatory compliance of data subject rights. Headquartered in San Diego, California, ComplyTrust was founded by industry veteran storage technology experts and is operated by an experienced management team. Learn more about ComplyTrust at https://complytrust.com/. For further information, contact: Anton Drescher Telephone: (604) 685-1017 Fax: (604) 685-5777 Website: http://ovtz.com/ TSXV: https://money.tmx.com/en/quote/OVT US OTC Markets (OTCQB): https://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/OVTZ/security Berlin Borse: https://www.boerse-berlin.com/index.php/Shares?isin=US67575Y1091 Frankfurt Borse: https://www.boerse-frankfurt.de/equity/oculus-visiontech Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release contains forward-looking statements and information within the meaning of applicable securities laws (collectively, "forward-looking statements"), including the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements in this news release which are not purely historical are forward-looking statements and include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Such forward-looking statements include, among others, statements as to the intended uses of the proceeds received from the Offering. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as "pro forma", "plans", "expects", "may", "should", "budget", "schedules", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", "believes", "potential" or variations of such words including negative variations thereof and phrases that refer to certain actions, events or results that may, could, would, might or will occur or be taken or achieved. Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors including risks and uncertainties relating to, among others, the change of business focus of the management of Oculus, the inability of Oculus to pursue its current business objectives, the ability of the Company to obtain any required governmental, regulatory or stock exchange approvals, permits, consents or authorizations required, including TSXV final acceptance of the Offering and any planned future activities, and obtain the financing required to carry out its planned future activities. Other factors such as general economic, market or business conditions or changes in laws, regulations and policies affecting the Company's industry, may also adversely affect the future results or performance of the Company. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and Oculus assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in these forward-looking statements. Although Oculus believes that the beliefs, plans, expectations and intentions contained in this news release are reasonable, there can be no assurance those beliefs, plans, expectations, or intentions will prove to be accurate. Investors should consider all of the information set forth herein and should also refer to the risk factors disclosed in Oculus' periodic reports filed from time-to-time with the United States Securities Exchange Commission and Canadian securities regulators. These reports and Oculus' public filings are available at www.sec.gov in the United States and www.sedar.com in Canada. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/85938 Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - June 1, 2021) - BELGRAVIA HARTFORD CAPITAL INC. (CSE: BLGV) ("Belgravia Hartford", "Belgravia" or the "Company") provides an update on the share buy-back. Deena Siblock, COO, comments, "Belgravia continues to buy-back its shares as the share price does not reflect the current NAV." During the month ended May 31, 2021, Belgravia Hartford purchased through its normal course issuer bid ("NCIB") for cancellation, a total of 62,024 common shares at an average price of $0.18 per share. As of May 31, 2021, the Company has purchased for cancellation a total of 767,024 common shares. The NCIB will terminate on the earlier of February 23, 2022 and the date on which the maximum number of Common Shares that can be acquired pursuant to the NCIB have been purchased. About Belgravia Hartford Belgravia Hartford Capital Inc. ("Belgravia" or the "Company") is a publicly traded investment holding company listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange. Belgravia is focused on growing its assets and holdings and increasing its net asset value (NAV). Belgravia invests in a portfolio of private and public companies located in jurisdictions governed by the rule of law. It takes a multi-sector investment approach with emphasis in the resources and commodities sector. Belgravia and its investments are considered high risk holdings and it may expose shareholders to significant volatility and losses. Belgravia owns a USD$12.2 million royalty interest from its formerly owned Ochoa asset in the state of New Mexico which the Company sold in 2017. The royalty includes the initial 75% of potential water revenue sales and a mining royalty whereby the Company is entitled to receive 1% of polyhalite production sales for any shortfall in payment of the total USD$12.2 million. Belgravia owns 100% of Belgravia Hartford Gold Assets Corp. (formerly Intercontinental Potash Corp.), a Canadian company involved in mining and metals resource exploration and development. Belgravia owns 100% of Belgravia Hartford Estates Corp. (formerly, Trigon Exploration Utah Inc.), a US-based company registered to do business in the States of Utah and Florida involved in real estate acquisitions and development. For more information, please visit www.belgraviahartford.com Forward-Looking Statements Certain information set forth in this news release may contain forward-looking statements that involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include statements that use forward-looking terminology such as "may", "will", "expect", "anticipate", "believe", "continue", "potential" or the negative thereof or other variations thereof or comparable terminology. Such forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements regarding planned investment activities & related returns, the timing for completion of research and development activities, the potential value of royalties, and other statements that are not historical facts. These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the control of the Company, including, but not limited to, changes in market trends, the completion, results and timing of research undertaken by the Company, risks associated with resource assets, the impact of general economic conditions, commodity prices, industry conditions, dependence upon regulatory, environmental, and governmental approvals, and the uncertainty of obtaining additional financing. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. For More Information, Please Contact: Mehdi Azodi, President & CEO Belgravia Hartford Capital Inc. (250) 763-5533 mazodi@blgv.ca To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/85942 Victoria, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 1, 2021) - Plurilock Security Inc. (TSXV: PLUR) (OTCQB: PLCKF), and related subsidiaries ("Plurilock" or the "Company"), an identity-centric cybersecurity solution provider for workforces, has signed a US$133,000 contract with a California state agency. Plurilock is working closely with the agency to determine the project scope, establish stakeholders, a timeline, and expectations. The contracted statement of work included a security assessment, application analysis and testing, application penetration testing, policy and procedure review and development, network penetration testing, and remediation testing. "Plurilock is working with the California agency to ensure their system is secure, particularly as we've seen an increase in government agencies targeted by cyberattacks across the United States," said Ian L. Paterson, CEO of Plurilock. "This contract is part of our long-term plan to expand across industry verticals, and further solidifies our work to capture additional opportunities within the U.S. government sector." About Plurilock Plurilock provides identity-centric cybersecurity for today's workforces. Plurilock offers world-class cybersecurity solutions paired with AI-driven, cloud-friendly security technologies that deliver persistent identity assurance with unmatched ease of use. The Plurilock family of companies enables organizations to operate safely and securely-while reducing cybersecurity friction. For more information, visit https://www.plurilock.com or contact: Ian L. Paterson Chief Executive Officer ian@plurilock.com 416.800.1566 Roland Sartorius Chief Financial Officer roland.sartorius@plurilock.com Prit Singh Investor Relations prit.singh@plurilock.com 905.510.7636 Forward-Looking Statements This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") which relate to future events or Plurilock's future business, operations, and financial performance and condition. Forward-looking statements normally contain words like "will", "intend", "anticipate", "could", "should", "may", "might", "expect", "estimate", "forecast", "plan", "potential", "project", "assume", "contemplate", "believe", "shall", "scheduled", and similar terms. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, actions, or developments and are based on expectations, assumptions and other factors that management currently believes are relevant, reasonable, and appropriate in the circumstances. Although management believes that the forward-looking statements herein are reasonable, actual results could be substantially different due to the risks and uncertainties associated with and inherent to Plurilock's business. Additional material risks and uncertainties applicable to the forward-looking statements herein include, without limitation, impact of general economic conditions, success of the Company in obtaining new or extended contracts or orders; the Company's ability to maintain existing customers or develop new customers; the Company's ability to successfully integrate acquisitions of other businesses and/or companies or to realize on the anticipated benefits thereof; and unforeseen events, developments, or factors causing any of the aforesaid expectations, assumptions, and other factors ultimately being inaccurate or irrelevant. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect the Company's forward-looking statements. Many of these factors are beyond the control of Plurilock. All forward-looking statements included in this press release are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as at the date hereof and Plurilock undertakes no obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable securities laws. Risks and uncertainties about the Company's business are more fully discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in its most recent Annual Information Form and are otherwise disclosed in its filings with securities regulatory authorities which are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/85970 WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Schnitzer Steel Industries, Inc. (SCHN) expects its third-quarter Ferrous volumes to be about 25% higher than 977000 Long Tons reported in the second quarter of 2021, the company said in an SEC filing dated June 1, 2021. This preliminary result is higher than the outlook it provided in its second quarter earnings call on April 7, 2021. Schnitzer said it will be participating at certain upcoming investor conferences, including the KeyBanc Industrials & Basic Materials Virtual Conference on June 1, 2021 and the Goldman Sachs Steel and Aluminum Field Trip Virtual Conference on June 7, 2021, during which, the company said, it may discuss the preliminary results. Schnitzer also expects its finished steel sales volumes for the third quarter to be greataer than the earlier outlook and about 10% higher than 136000 Short Ton reported in the last quarter. For the third quarter, net income per ferrous ton is expected to be in a range between the $47 achieved in the second quarter of fiscal 2021 and up to 5% higher. Adjusted EBITDA per ferrous ton for the third quarter is expected to be in a range between the $73 achieved for the second quarter of fiscal 2021 and up to 5% higher. The company also revealed that the fire at its Cascade Steel Rolling Mill in McMinnville, Oregon, occurred on May 22, 2021 does not expect to have impact on its third-quarter results, as the incident happened near the end of the quarter. The company is scheduled to report its third quarter earnings on June 30. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX SCHNITZER STEEL-Aktie komplett kostenlos handeln - auf Smartbroker.de Vice premier calls for intensified preparations for college entrance exam Xinhua) 14:45, June 01, 2021 BEIJING, June 2 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan on Tuesday inspected preparations for the national college entrance examination, or the Gaokao, to be held on June 7 and 8. Sun, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, visited a middle school and an examination authority in Beijing during her inspection. A total of 10.78 million students across China have registered for this year's Gaokao, hitting a new record. Sun urged efforts to implement the anti-COVID-19 measures to prevent a resurgence in cases. COVID-19 patients and their close contacts will be allowed to sit their exams in medical facilities or isolation venues if conditions permit, said Sun. She also called for strengthened preparations for potential emergencies including extreme weather, adding that convenience should be provided for exam participants with disabilities or difficulties. Noting that the Gaokao is crucial to ensuring equality in education and social fairness, Sun demanded intensified efforts to prevent cheating in exams, and the strict implementation of enrollment policies and plans. (Web editor: Shi Xi, Hongyu) GUANGZHOU, China, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- MINISO, a leading lifestyle product retailer, has opened 364 brick-and-mortar stores globally in the last 12 months, an average pace of one per day - bucking pandemic retail trends. The latest was the mid-May new store opening in the cultural hub and university city of Lille, France. It is the country's third MINISO location, and the 10th opening in Europe this month alone- indicative of both the retailer's accelerated global expansion and its buildout into smaller cities. Fueled by a boom in toy sales and e-commerce in its home market of China, MINISO is looking to replicate and localize these successes overseas. Toy and online sales are key growth drivers "Online business had been accelerated by the pandemic and will be one of the priorities for the future development of MINISO," said Robin Liu, Chief Marketing Officer and head of e-commerce at MINISO. "In addition to the existing collaborations with all major e-commerce platforms, MINISO is also digitalizing in other ways." Liu pointed to MINISO's use of social apps to keep closer contact with customers, implementing an advanced membership system, stationing vending machines, and planning to have more shopping livestreams in and outside of mainland China. "By implementing these digital retail technologies, we are making shopping at MINISO more convenient and with less physical contact required," said Liu. MINISO's total revenue for Q3 2021 reached US$340.3 million, representing a year-over-year increase of nearly 37%, as posted in the brand's unaudited financial results for the third quarter of fiscal year 2021, which ended on March 31, 2021. Net profit was US$22.7 million, representing an increase of 77% from the previous quarter - beating Wall Street analysts' estimates and setting a new high for MINISO since the outbreak of COVID-19. The revenue contribution from online channels, including e-commerce and O2O (online to offline) sales, exceeded 10% for the first time this quarter, reflective of MINISO's continued efforts to further develop its omnichannel marketing. The retailer's e-commerce business contributed around US$26.1 million in revenue, increasing 86% year-over-year, with a revenue contribution of 7.7%. The O2O business contributed nearly US$10.7 million in revenue, accounting for 3.1% of total sales. The toy category became another new growth engine for MINISO. Toy sales in the China market nearly doubled (189%) compared to last year, and the brand is to duplicate that success in overseas markets. In response to the strong market demand, MINISO launched its first independent sub-brand called TOP TOY to serve the higher-end collectibles and art toy markets. Since its debut in late December 2020, TOP TOY has launched over 2,000 products ranging from US$9 to upwards of a thousand dollars, geared for children to adults. TOP TOY is angling to become a leader in China's booming toy market, and has opened 25 stores in the last five months - breaking its own sales record in each Chinese market in which it opens. TOP TOY is poised to make its international debut in the second half of 2021. MINISO store expansion strategy: think smaller Since the pandemic hit, MINISO has opened 364 stores in the past 12 months - at a pace of nearly one store per day - contributing to its total of 4,587 stores in China and across 94 overseas markets, according to the retailer's Q3 earnings report. MINISO has performed strongest in China, a market which has rebounded rapidly from COVID-19 implications. In a nod to the retailer's expansion strategy, notably, nearly 70% of MINISO 's new stores were opened in Tier 3 and Tier 4 cities in China. MINISO's domestic business rebounded strongly in Q3, with physical store and online e-commerce revenue exploding 69% and 86% respectively, compared to the same quarter in 2020. Similarly, MINISO continues to explore smaller international markets. "We will continue to make efforts in overseas markets, not only to further develop new markets and existing markets, but also to further localize," said Vincent Huang, MINISO's Vice President of International Business. MINISO recently opened stores in Iceland, Malta, New Caledonia, the Canary Islands and new emerging markets like Vietnam and Laos. The retailer has also further enhanced its presence in existing key markets across Southeast Asia, Europe, the US and Mexico. About MINISO: MINISO is a lifestyle product retailer, offering high quality household goods, cosmetics, food, and toys at affordable prices. Since its first store opened in Guangzhou in 2013, MINISO has opened more than 4,587 stores in over 95 countries and regions. With a focus on sleek design and fun trends, its mission is to enable everyone to enjoy life's little surprises. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1522780/1.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1522781/20210601173640.jpg LONDON, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Wealth at Work Group Limited ("Wealth at Work"), a UK-based specialist provider of workplace financial education, guidance and regulated financial advice for individuals, is pleased to announce that it has agreed to an investment from Aquiline Capital Partners ("Aquiline"), a private investment firm based in New York and London with $6.4 billion in assets under management. Wealth at Work, which employs approximately 250 people, works with over 450 private and public sector employers including Marks & Spencer, BT, Experian and the NHS, delivering financial wellbeing programmes and retirement services. Since its 2015 management buyout backed by Equistone Partners Europe ("Equistone"), Wealth at Work has continued to achieve rapid growth to meet the significant demand for its services, which are now offered to over a million employees across the organisations with whom it works. The technology-driven service is uniquely tailored to each client's requirements through a complete suite of services ranging from seminars and digital tools such as the Financial Healthcheck through to virtual or telephone guidance services and regulated financial advice. Wealth at Work's management team, which continues to be led by CEO David Cassidy, will retain a significant equity stake. Equistone will retain a minority stake in the Company alongside Aquiline and management. David Cassidy, Chief Executive Officer of Wealth at Work, said: "This investment will allow us to continue to grow and meet the rapidly increasing demand for our services which are used by a number of the largest companies and organisations in the UK. I very much look forward to working with Aquiline whose deep understanding of the UK and US retirement market and track record of supporting technology-driven growth will help us further develop our offering to clients, deliver innovation and set new standards of best practice. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank Equistone for the support they have provided so far, and we look forward to continuing our work with them as we take our business to the next chapter." Jeff Greenberg, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Aquiline, said: "Individuals are facing increasingly complex and important financial decisions as they plan for retirement, which Wealth at Work helps them navigate. We believe that David and his team have built a platform that can deliver high-quality, personalised financial guidance and advice to a growing number of workplace savers across the UK in a highly scalable and technology-enabled manner. We are excited about partnering with them in the next phase of their journey." Dominic Geer, Senior Partner at Equistone, said: "We are delighted that, after five years of working closely with David and his team at Wealth at Work, the company is in a strong position to explore exciting new opportunities. Wealth at Work has grown significantly since 2015, and through investment in organic and acquisitive growth has emerged as a clear market leader. Equistone has a successful track record of investing in financial services businesses in the UK and internationally and we look forward to remaining involved in this next phase of the company's development." Closing of the investment is subject to the parties obtaining relevant regulatory approval. Evercore provided corporate finance advice and Herbert Smith Freehills provided legal advice to Aquiline. Due diligence was performed by Oliver Wyman (commercial), Deloitte (financial and tax), West Monroe (technology) and Howden (insurance). Deloitte's Manchester and London-based Financial Services teams provided corporate finance advice and Travers Smith provided legal advice to Wealth at Work in relation to the transaction. About Wealth at Work Wealth at Work is a workplace specialist - providing financial education, guidance and regulated financial advice for individuals. Its services help employees make informed decisions to improve their financial wellbeing throughout their career and to maximise income at retirement. Its services are also available for Trustees to help their members fully understand their retirement income options and how to mitigate associated risks. For more information, visit www.wealthatwork.co.uk. About Aquiline Aquiline Capital Partners, founded in 2005, is a private investment firm based in New York and London investing in businesses across financial services and technology, business services, and healthcare. The firm had $6.4 billion in assets under management as of March 31, 2021. For more information about Aquiline, its investment professionals, and its portfolio companies, please visit https://www.aquiline.com/. About Equistone Equistone is an independent investment firm wholly-owned and managed by its executives. The company is one of Europe's leading investors in mid-market buyouts with a strong, consistent track record spanning over 40 years, with more than 400 transactions completed in this period. Equistone has a strong focus on change of ownership deals and aims to invest between 25m and 200m+ of equity in businesses with enterprise values of between 50m and 500m. The company has a team of over 40 investment professionals operating across France, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the UK, investing as a strategic partner alongside management teams. Equistone is currently investing its sixth buyout fund, which held a final closing at its 2.8bn hard cap in March 2018. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 1, 2021) - Santacruz Silver Mining Ltd. (TSXV: SCZ) (FSE: 1SZ) (the "Company" or "Santacruz") reports on its financial and operating results for the first quarter ("Q1") of 2021. The full version of the financial statements and accompanying management discussion and analysis can be viewed on the Company's website at www.santacruzsilver.com or on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. All financial information is prepared in accordance with IFRS and all dollar amounts are expressed in thousands of US dollars, except per unit amounts, unless otherwise indicated. Revenues increased by 43 per cent to $11.1-million during Q1 2021 ($7.8-million in Q1 2020); Gross profit improved by $4-million to $2.2-million during Q1 2021 (Q1 2020 -- loss of $1.9-million); Cash and marketable securities increased by 1,580 per cent to $6.8-million at March 31, 2021 (Dec. 31, 2020 - $0.4-million); Subsequent to Q1 2021 the Company closed a private placement for CAD$14-million. Carlos Silva, CEO of Santacruz, stated: "The first quarter of 2021 has been a pivotal quarter for Santacruz as we started to see the results of our efforts to increase production at Zimapan both as to throughput tonnage and head grades as we ramp up production from the Lomo del Toro mineralized zone. We expect further improvements during the second quarter which we anticipate will lead to stronger cash flow generation." Mr. Silva continued; "Our working capital has significantly improved during Q1 2021 and should further improve as a result of our investment in Zacatecas Silver Corp and our successful private placement completed on April 13, 2021." Financial Results Selected financial information for the three-month periods ended March 31, 2021 and December 31 and March 31, 2020 is presented below: Q1 Q4 Q1 Q1 2021 % Change vs 2021 2020 2020 Q4 2020 Q1 2020 Revenue - Mining Operations 11,168 9,905 7,816 13% 43% Gross Profit (Loss) (1) 2,181 807 (1,874) 170% 216% Net Income (Loss) 6,518 (607) (87) 1,174% 7,592% Net Income (Loss) Per Share - Basic ($/share) 0.02 (0.00) (0.00) 100% 100% Adjusted EBITDA (1) 983 (3,536) (2,909) 8,092% 134% Working Capital Deficiency (at period end) (16,478) (22,514) (31,293) 27% 47% (1) The Company reports additional non-IFRS measures which include Gross Profit (Loss) and Adjusted EBITDA. These additional financial disclosure measures are intended to provide additional information. See the Company's MD&A filed on SEDAR or its website for a reconciliation of these amounts to the unaudited interim financial statements for the respective periods. Selected financial information for each of the Zimapan Mine and Rosario Project for the three-month periods ended March 31, 2021 and December 31 and March 31, 2020 is presented below: Q1 Q4 Q1 Q1 2021 % Change vs 2021 2020 2020 Q4 2020 Q1 2020 Revenue - Zimapan Mine 10,442 8,772 6,532 19% 60% - Rosario Project 1,011 1,461 698 -31% 45% Gross Profit (Loss) - Zimapan Mine 2,581 496 (363) 420% 811% - Rosario Project (115) 220 (433) -152% 73% With respect to the working capital deficiency of $16,478 at March 31, 2021, subsequent to period end gross proceeds of CAD$14,094 (USD$11,240) were raised from the completion of a non-brokered private placement and certain outstanding warrants and stock options were exercised for gross proceeds of CAD$525 (USD$435). Of these total funds, US$3,000 were used in connection with the Company's acquisition of the Zimapan Mine and the rest will be used for general corporate and working capital purposes. Operating Results Selected operating results for each of the Zimapan Mine and Rosario Project for the three-month periods ended March 31, 2021 and December 31, September 30, June 30 and March 31, 2020 is presented below: 2021 2020 Q1 2021 % Change vs Q1 Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1 Q4 2020 Q1 2020 Material Processed (tonnes milled) (4) Zimapan Mine 156,433 180,003 164,846 106,725 139,903 -13% 12% Rosario Project 19,806 21,582 11,794 10,074 17,497 -8% 13% Consolidated 176,239 201,585 176,640 116,799 157,400 -13% 12% Silver Equivalent Produced (ounces) (1) (3) (4) Zimapan Mine 646,085 909,379 920,985 639,021 829,514 -29% -22% Rosario Project 60,893 90,863 56,693 70,744 73,251 -33% -17% Consolidated 706,978 1,000,242 977,678 709,765 902,765 -29% -22% Silver Equivalent Sold (payable ounces) (4) Zimapan Mine 553,450 545,580 625,036 500,486 626,984 1% -12% Rosario Project 52,520 74,511 36,628 30,018 61,111 -30% -14% Consolidated 605,970 620,091 661,664 530,504 688,095 -2% -12% Cash Cost of Production per Tonne (2) (4) Zimapan Mine 49.04 48.90 39.91 38.79 45.96 0% 7% Rosario Project 57.86 59.68 87.08 69.49 79.61 -3% -27% Consolidated 50.03 50.06 43.06 41.44 49.70 0% 1% Cash Cost per Silver Equivalent Ounce (2) (4) Zimapan Mine 19.91 23.21 17.45 14.47 16.04 -14% 24% Rosario Project 27.19 21.82 34.13 28.15 28.47 25% -5% Consolidated 20.54 23.04 18.38 15.25 17.15 -11% 20% All-in Sustaining Cash Cost per Silver Equivalent Oz (2) (4) Zimapan Mine 21.03 24.95 18.54 15.60 17.08 -16% 23% Rosario Project 52.57 47.63 42.07 38.61 34.02 10% 55% Consolidated 23.76 27.67 19.85 16.90 18.59 -14% 28% Average Realized Silver Price per Ounce (2) (4) Zimapan Mine 25.07 23.98 21.01 16.47 16.38 5% 53% Rosario Project 25.00 24.56 24.08 16.89 16.38 2% 53% Consolidated 25.06 24.05 21.18 16.49 16.66 4% 53% (1) Silver equivalent ounces produced in 2021 have been calculated using prices of $25.00/oz., $1,925/oz., $0.85/lb, $1.05/lb and $3.00/lb. for silver, gold, lead, zinc and copper respectively applied to the metal content of the concentrates produced by the Rosario Project and the Zimapan Mine. Silver equivalent ounces produced in 2020 have been calculated using prices of $17.85/oz., $1,480/oz., $0.92/lb, $1.09/lb and $2.80/lb. for silver, gold, lead, zinc and copper respectively applied to the metal content of the concentrates produced by the Rosario Project and the Zimapan Mine. (2) Silver equivalent sold ounces have been calculated using the realized silver prices stated in the table above, applied to the payable metal content of the concentrates sold from the Zimapan Mine and Rosario Project in 2021 and 2020. (3) The Company reports non-IFRS measures which include Cash Cost per Silver Equivalent, All-in Sustaining Cash Cost per Silver Equivalent, Cash Cost of Production per Tonne, and Average Realized Silver Price per Ounce. These measures are widely used in the mining industry as a benchmark for performance, but do not have a standardized meaning and may differ from methods used by other companies with similar descriptions. See the Company's MD&A filed on SEDAR or its website for a discussion of these amounts. (4) The Company is not including production and unit cost results from the Veta Grande Project in this MD&A as operations at Veta Grande were suspended during Q1 2020 and to date have not recommenced. Discussion of Financial Results The mill throughput challenges at both the Zimapan and Rosario operations were caused by an unstable power supply from Mexico's Comision Federal de Electricidad (Mexico's power supply Company) in February that caused damage to the electric motors for the ball mills at both milling facilities. The matter was resolved in early March but mill availability was materially reduced for eight days and this in turn negatively impacted tonnes of mineral material processed, silver equivalent production, silver equivalent ounces sold, revenues and gross margin at both operations. Notwithstanding this matter, the Company recorded net income of $6,518 for Q1 2021 (2020 - net loss $87) and a gross operating profit of $2,181 (2020 - operating loss of $1,874). During Q1 2021 the Company completed the sale of its Zacatecas Properties to Zacatecas Silver Corp. for consideration of $1,500 cash and 5 million shares of ZAC. This transaction resulted in a net gain on sale of $911 plus an unrealized gain at quarter end on the 5 million ZAC shares of $3,070. The increased revenues reported in Q1 2021 reflect improved metal prices as compared to Q1 2020. Discussion of Operational Results and Costs Zimapan Mine On April 21, 2020, in response to the global Covid-19 pandemic, the Company temporarily suspended its mine, mill and exploration activities at the Zimapan Mine in Zimapan, Hidalgo, Mexico. The suspension of operations was strictly proactive as no cases of Covid-19 had been documented at the Zimapan mine. On May 19, 2020, the Mexican government authorized the resumption of non-essential activities in municipalities that present low or no known cases of transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, subject to criteria defined by the Secretariat of Health. The municipality of Zimapan, Hidalgo State, Mexico was classified as a low risk municipality. As compared to Q4 2020, the Q1 2021 silver equivalent production decreased 29% due in part to the power supply issue and in part to the impact of using different metal price decks for the respective 2021 and 2020 fiscal years (see MD&A filed on SEDAR of at www.santacruzsilver.com for a more detailed discussion). The Q1 2021 silver equivalent production decreased by 4% (after adjusting for the metal price deck) as compared to Q1 2020. Cash cost of production per tonne of mineralized material processed increased by 7% in Q1 2021 to $49.04/t as compared to Q1 2020. This resulted from a 19% increase in the cash cost of production while the tonnes of mineralized material processed increased by 12%, notwithstanding the negative impact of the unstable power supply during Q1 2021. Management expects this metric to improve moving forward in connection with a planned increase in mill throughput tonnage. Cash cost of production per silver equivalent ounce sold increased by 24% to $19.91/oz in Q1 2021 compared to Q1 2020. This resulted from a 10% increase in the cash cost of sales of silver equivalent ounces while the silver equivalent payable ounces produced decreased by 12%. The unfavourable change in the silver equivalent payable ounces sold in Q1 2021 as compared to Q1 2020 largely reflects the negative impact of the unstable power supply in Q1 2021 referenced earlier. Again, management expects this metric to improve moving forward in connection with a planned increase in mill throughput tonnage and an increase in mill feed from the Lomo del Toro mineralized zone. All-in sustaining cash cost of production per silver equivalent ounce sold increased by 23% in Q1 2021 to $21.03/oz as compared Q1 2020. This resulted from an 9% increase in the cash cost of sales while the silver equivalent payable ounces produced decreased by 12%. This negative change is largely for the same reasons as referenced above in the discussion regarding cash cost of silver equivalent ounces sold. Production at the Zimapan Mine is not supported by a feasibility study on mineral reserves demonstrating economic and technical viability or any other independent economic study under NI 43-101. Accordingly, there is increased uncertainty and economic and technical risks of failure associated with production operations at the Zimapan Mine. Production and economic variables may vary considerably due to the absence of a complete and detailed site analysis in accordance with NI 43-101. Rosario Project As compared to Q1 2020, the Q1 2021 silver equivalent production decreased 33% due in part to the power supply issue and in part to the impact of using different metal price decks for the respective 2021 and 2020 fiscal years (see MD&A filed on SEDAR of at www.santacruzsilver.com for a more detailed discussion). The Q1 2021 silver equivalent production was essentially the same as for Q1 2020 after adjusting for the metal price deck. Cash cost of production per tonne of mineralized material processed decreased by 27% in Q1 2021 to $57.86/t as compared to Q1 2020. This change reflects an 18% decrease in cash cost of production combined with a 13% increase in tonnes milled on a quarter over quarter basis. Management expects the Rosario Project to increase mill throughput tonnage to approximately 320 tpd by mid-2021 at improved operating economics arising from changing to horizontal mining of veins from vertical mining during Q1 2021. Cash cost of production per silver equivalent ounce sold decreased by 5% in Q1 2021 to $27.19/oz as compared to Q1 2020. This change in unit costs reflects in part a 14% decrease in silver equivalent payable ounces sold combined offset by an 18% decrease in cash cost of sales. The reasons for these changes are as referenced above. All-in sustaining cash cost of production per silver equivalent ounce sold increased by 55% in Q1 2021 to $52.57/oz as compared to Q1 2020. This change in unit costs reflects in part a 14% decrease in silver equivalent payable ounces sold and a 33% increase in all-in sustaining cash cost of sales. The increase in all-in sustaining cash cost of sales is largely due to a one-time consulting fee incurred during Q1 2021 as compared to Q1 2020. The decrease in silver equivalent payable ounces sold occurred for the reasons described above with respect to cash cost per silver equivalent ounce. The decision to commence production at the Rosario Mine and Membrillo Prospect were not based on a feasibility study with mineral reserves demonstrating economic and technical viability. Accordingly, there is increased uncertainty and economic and technical risks of failure associated with this decision. Production and economic variables may vary considerably due to the absence of a complete and detailed site analysis according to and in accordance with NI 43-101. About Santacruz Silver Mining Ltd. Santacruz is a Mexican focused silver company with two producing silver projects (Zimapan and Rosario) and two exploration properties, the La Pechuga property and Santa Gorgonia prospect. The Company is managed by a technical team of professionals with proven track records in developing, operating and discovering silver mines in Mexico. Our corporate objective is to become a mid-tier silver producer. 'signed' Arturo Prestamo Elizondo, Executive Chairman For further information please contact: Mars Investor Relations Telephone: (778) 999 4653 scz@marsinvestorrelations.com Arturo Prestamo Santacruz Silver Mining Ltd. Email: info@santacruzsilver.com Telephone: (528) 183 785707 Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward looking information Certain statements contained in this news release constitute "forward-looking information" as such term is used in applicable Canadian securities laws, including statements relating to production at the Zimapan Mine and Rosario Project and the Company's plans to grow it. Forward-looking information is based on plans, expectations and estimates of management at the date the information is provided and is subject to certain factors and assumptions. In making the forward-looking statements included in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including that the Company's financial condition and development plans do not change as a result of unforeseen events and that future metal prices and the demand and market outlook for metals will remain stable or improve. Forward-looking information is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause plans, estimates and actual results to vary materially from those projected in such forward-looking information. Factors that could cause the forward-looking information in this news release to change or to be inaccurate include, but are not limited to, the risk that any of the assumptions referred to above prove not to be valid or reliable; market conditions and volatility and global economic conditions, including increased volatility and potentially negative capital raising conditions resulting from the continued COVID-19 pandemic and risks relating to the extent and duration of such pandemic and its impact on global markets; risk of delay and/or cessation in planned work or changes in the Company's financial condition and development plans; risks associated with the interpretation of data (including in respect of third party mineralized material) regarding the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits; the uncertainty of the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits and the risk of unexpected variations in mineral resources, grade and/or recovery rates; risks related to gold, silver, base metal and other commodity price fluctuations; risks relating to environmental regulation and liability; the possibility that results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations, as well as the other risks and uncertainties applicable to mineral exploration and development activities and to the Company as set forth in the Company's continuous disclosure filings filed under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com. There can be no assurance that any forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, the reader should not place any undue reliance on forward-looking information or statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information or statements, other than as required by applicable law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/85973 54 Auger Holes Average 2.9m at 72 g/t AgEq at surface Drill Program Featuring Minimum of 10,000 m Progressing Well Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 1, 2021) - Summa Silver Corp. (TSXV: SSVR) (OTCQB: SSVRF) (FSE: 48X) ("Summa" or the "Company") is pleased to announce results from a 54-hole auger drill program completed in 2019 and 2020 which tested the tailings pile from the historic Belmont Mine. Key Highlights Widespread Mineralization: All 54 holes were mineralized from top to bottom with an average thickness of 2.9 m and average grade of 72 g/t AgEq* (44 g/t Ag and 0.28 g/t Au). The thickest section of tailings was in BH19-1 where 6.35 m returned 75 g/t AgEq* (49 g/t Ag and 0.27 g/t Au). The thinnest section of tailings was in BH20-21 where 0.10 m returned 74 g/t AgEq* (50 g/t Ag and 0.24 g/t Au). Extensive Historic Production: The tailings are the by-product of historic mine and mill production from underground operations in the Belmont Mine, which was a premier producer in the Tonopah mining district and is currently an integral target of Summa's exploration efforts. Large Area and Simple Access: The tailings are situated on patented mining claims and cover an area of approximately 1,200 m by 280 m (84 acres), located immediately adjacent to US Highway 6 (see attached figure). Evaluation is On-Going: The Company is initiating both density and bench-scale metallurgical testing with results expected later this year. Core Drilling Continues: The previously announced 10,000 m drill program is well underway with 6 holes completed. Two core rigs are now fully operational on the project. All holes have intersected zones of quartz veins, stockworks and breccias featuring visible silver-sulfosalt minerals, which is often a strong indication that the core is mineralized. Upon receipt of assays, the results will be compiled and announced in a timely manner. *AgEq based on 100 (Ag):1 (Au) Galen McNamara, CEO, stated: "The historic Belmont Mine tailings were the original focus of Howard Hughes and his Summa Corporation when he owned the property in the 1970's, and for good reason. The tailings cover a large area and are extensively mineralized. Although work from the 1970's can't be utilized in any modern assessment of reprocessing potential, the historical work gives us a great road map of what to expect from modern study. In the coming months, and in parallel to our extensive drill programs, we will be working on assessing key metallurgical and permitting questions with respect to the tailings." Silver & Gold Mineralization in Tailings To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/7983/85960_summamap1.jpg Table 1: Belmont Tailings Assay Results Auger Hole Easting Northing Total Depth (m) Au (g/t) Ag (g/t) AgEq* (g/t) BH19-1 482171 4213941 6.4 0.27 49 76 BH19-2 481625 4213845 1.7 0.22 38 60 BH19-3 481716 4213848 3.4 0.24 43 66 BH19-4 481820 4214029 1 0.35 29 64 BH19-5 481820 4213955 2.9 0.22 41 62 BH19-6 481821 4213846 4.35 0.31 49 80 BH19-7 481820 4213804 2.2 0.23 42 64 BH20-01 481578 4213701 3.5 0.29 57 87 BH20-02 481670 4213702 4.95 0.33 51 84 BH20-03 481489 4213699 2.35 0.26 54 81 BH20-04 481668 4213801 3.75 0.22 55 78 BH20-05 481580 4213801 4.7 0.27 57 84 BH20-06 481756 4213802 1.75 0.21 43 64 BH20-07 481852 4213799 2.8 0.22 44 66 BH20-08 481944 4213802 5.3 0.26 45 71 BH20-09 482041 4213801 3.8 0.25 48 73 BH20-10 482127 4213802 3 0.27 42 68 BH20-11 481491 4213802 4.6 0.34 46 80 BH20-12 482032 4214065 3.8 0.22 40 61 BH20-13 481944 4214069 3.2 0.28 52 80 BH20-14 481851 4214072 2.73 0.27 36 63 BH20-15 481759 4213983 1.7 0.46 44 89 BH20-16 481858 4213981 2.43 0.24 34 58 BH20-17 481944 4213985 5.75 0.28 48 76 BH20-18 482033 4213988 4.55 0.26 41 67 BH20-19 482125 4213983 4.8 0.25 47 72 BH20-20 481577 4213892 2 0.37 46 83 BH20-21 481674 4213894 0.1 0.24 50 74 BH20-22 481759 4213891 2.2 0.22 39 61 BH20-23 481854 4213893 2 0.23 37 59 BH20-24 481946 4213895 1.8 0.23 40 64 BH20-25 482035 4213892 2.75 0.26 43 69 BH20-26 482125 4213893 2.6 0.33 48 80 BH20-27 482221 4213891 4.25 0.28 42 70 BH20-28 482316 4213891 6 0.29 54 83 BH20-29 482222 4213979 4 0.26 52 78 BH20-30 482318 4213984 4.45 0.29 56 85 BH20-31 482403 4213979 3 0.28 47 75 BH20-32 481398 4213649 2 0.21 43 64 BH20-34 481422 4213799 2 0.22 33 54 BH20-35 481500 4213871 1.45 0.39 44 82 BH20-36 481691 4213980 1.55 0.25 34 58 BH20-37 481808 4214067 2 0.25 43 68 BH20-38 481860 4214140 1.55 0.23 38 61 BH20-39 481909 4214180 1.58 0.35 31 66 BH20-40 481967 4214152 2 0.29 30 59 BH20-41 481409 4213723 1 0.29 49 78 BH20-42 482218 4214069 2 0.24 39 63 BH20-43 482244 4214115 1 0.29 47 76 BH20-44 482345 4214069 1 0.38 53 91 BH20-45 482407 4214013 1.67 0.28 49 77 BH20-46 482509 4213983 2 0.31 47 78 BH20-47 482185 4213926 5.95 0.26 48 74 BH20-48 482084 4213843 2.38 0.34 47 81 AgEq based on 100 (Ag):1 (Au), Metal recoveries are assumed to be 100% Coordinates are NAD27, Zone 11N Table 2: Belmont Tailings Assay Statistics Statistic Thickness (m) Au (g/t) Ag (g/t) Average 2.9 0.3 44 Median 2.5 0.3 45 Standard Deviation 1.5 0.1 7 Maximum 6.4 0.5 57 Minimum 0.1 0.2 29 Auger-Hole Program Description Holes were auger-drilled by hand at a vertical orientation and at approximate spacings of 50 to 90 m between holes. Samples were collected at systematic intervals which ranged from 0.25 to 1 m. Each hole was sampled from top to bottom. Holes were terminated at the bottom of the tailings pile as indicated by the presence of ground soil or bedrock. Analytical and QA/QC Procedures Samples were sent to ALS Global Ltd. (ALS) in Reno, NV for preparation and then to North Vancouver, Canada for analysis. ALS meets all requirements of International Standards ISO/IEC 17025:2005 and ISO 9001:2015 for analytical procedures. Samples were analyzed for gold via a 30 gram fire assay with an AAS (Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy) finish (AU-AA23). Silver was analyzed via ICP-AES (Inductively Coupled Plasma - Atomic Emission Spectroscopy) after a four-acid digestion (ASY-4A01 followed by ME-OG62). In addition to ALS quality assurance / quality control protocols, Summa Silver implements an internal QA/QC program that includes the insertion of sample blanks, duplicates and certified reference materials at systematic and random points in the sample stream. Qualified Person The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Galen McNamara, P. Geo., the CEO of the Company, and a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. About Summa Silver Corp Summa Silver Corp is a Canadian junior mineral exploration company. The Company has options to earn 100% interests in the Hughes property located in central Nevada and the Mogollon property located in southwestern New Mexico. The Hughes property is host to the high-grade past-producing Belmont Mine, one of the most prolific silver producers in the United States between 1903 and 1929. The mine has remained inactive since commercial production ceased in 1929 due to heavily depressed metal prices and little to no modern exploration work has ever been completed. Follow Summa Silver on Twitter: @summasilver LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/summa-silver-corp/ ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS "Galen McNamara" Galen McNamara, Chief Executive Officer info@summasilver.com www.summasilver.com Investor Relations Contact: Kin Communications Nima Shafigh 604-684-6730 SSVR@kincommunications.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements This news release contains certain "forward looking statements" and certain "forward-looking information" as defined under applicable Canadian and U.S. securities laws. Forward-looking statements and information can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may", "will", "should", "expect", "intend", "estimate", "anticipate", "believe", "continue", "plans" or similar terminology. The forward-looking information contained herein is provided for the purpose of assisting readers in understanding management's current expectations and plans relating to the future. These forward-looking statements or information relate to, among other things: expectations regarding results of metallurgical testing, mobilization of drill rigs, the release of assays, and the exploration and development of the Company's mineral exploration projects. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual actions, events or results to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to: the requirement for regulatory approvals; enhanced uncertainty in global financial markets as a result of the current COVID-19 pandemic; unquantifiable risks related to government actions and interventions; stock market volatility; regulatory restrictions; and other related risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking information are based on management of the parties' reasonable assumptions, estimates, expectations, analyses and opinions, which are based on such management's experience and perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, and other factors that management believes are relevant and reasonable in the circumstances, but which may prove to be incorrect. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information except as required by applicable law. Such forward-looking information represents management's best judgment based on information currently available. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed, and actual future results may vary materially. Accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/85960 Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands--(Newsfile Corp. - June 1, 2021) - Talon Metals Corp. (TSX: TLO) ("Talon" or the "Company") is pleased to provide an update on the Tamarack Nickel-Copper-Cobalt Project ("Tamarack Nickel Project"), located in Minnesota, USA. The Tamarack Nickel Project comprises the Tamarack North Project and the Tamarack South Project. Figure 1: Drill hole 21TK0311 showing 4.3 meters (14.1 feet) of mixed massive mineralization starting at only 234 meters depth To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2443/85951_2042f63544903b77_001full.jpg HIGHLIGHTS Drilling is progressing extremely well at the Tamarack Nickel Project, as Talon has consistently (now in 15 more drill holes) intersected nickel-copper mineralization at shallow depths in two areas that both lie outside of the Tamarack Nickel Project's resource area. The areas are referred to as the CGO East area and the CGO Bend area (previously referred to as the SMSU Extension area). The new drill holes demonstrate that the CGO East area has continuous nickel-copper mineralization over a strike length of more than 500 meters, with mineralization of 50 to 85 meters in width. Some of the notable results in the CGO East area so far are as follows: Drill hole 21TK0302 intersected 23.11 meters (75.8 feet) of nickel-copper mineralization starting at only 196.6 meters, including 1.13 meters (3.7 feet) of mixed and massive sulphide mineralization starting at only 218.58 meters; Drill hole 21TK0304 intersected 57.95 meters (190.1 feet) of nickel-copper mineralization starting at only 188.98 meters, including 1.67 meters (5.5 feet) of mixed massive sulphide mineralization starting at only 245.26 meters; Drill hole 21TK0305 intersected 31.45 meters (103.2 feet) of nickel-copper mineralization starting at only 186.05 meters, including 0.78 meters (2.6 feet) of mixed massive sulphide mineralization starting at only 216.72 meters; Drill hole 21TK0306 intersected 27.22 meters (89.3 feet) of nickel-copper mineralization starting at only 229.45 meters, including 1.39 meters (4.6 feet) of mixed massive sulphide mineralization starting at only 255.28 meters; Drill hole 21TK0309 intersected 50.1 meters (59.0 feet) of nickel-copper mineralization starting at only 232.85 meters, including 2.66 meters (8.7 feet) of mixed massive sulphide mineralization starting at only 248.17 meters; Drill hole 21TK0311 intersected 17.98 meters (164.4 feet) of nickel-copper mineralization starting at only 188.7 meters, including 4.3 meters (14.1 feet) of mixed massive sulphide mineralization starting at only 234.5 meters; Assays remain pending for all of the above-noted drill holes. To date, nickel-copper mineralization has been intersected in more than 60 holes within the CGO East, CGO West and CGO Bend areas. The Company plans to deliver a new resource estimate later this year or early next year. "We are excited to now be consistently hitting nickel-copper mineralization at shallow depths in areas that lie outside of our resource area," said Brian Goldner, Vice President of Exploration for Talon. "As has been demonstrated by our recent press releases, this year is all about growing the size of the resource at the Tamarack Nickel Project, so we are in a much better position to assess and update the proposed mine plan by the end of this year. Drilling is ongoing at the Tamarack Project, with additional results coming out shortly." SUMMARY CGO East The CGO East target area is large, stretching over an area of 500 meters (east-west) by 900 meters (north-south) outside of the Tamarack Nickel Project's resource area (see Talon's press releases dated November 2, 2020, December 15, 2020 and March 31, 2021 for further details). Continued drilling coupled with Borehole Electro-Magnetic ("BHEM") surveys (geophysics) confirm this area hosts shallow, wide sheets of mineralization consistent with the previously reported drill results. The new holes announced in this press release extend mineralization to the east and west and show additional continuity of the mineralized sheet between drill holes in the southern portion of the CGO East area: (all assays remain pending) Drill hole 21TK0302 intersected 23.11 meters (75.8 feet) of nickel-copper mineralization starting at only 196.6 meters, including 1.13 meters (3.7 feet) of mixed and massive sulphide mineralization starting at only 218.58 meters; Drill hole 21TK0304 intersected 57.95 meters (190.1 feet) of nickel-copper mineralization starting at only 188.98 meters, including 1.67 meters (5.5 feet) of mixed massive sulphide mineralization starting at only 245.26 meters; Drill hole 21TK0305 intersected 31.45 meters (103.2 feet) of nickel-copper mineralization starting at only 186.05 meters, including 0.78 meters (2.6 feet) of mixed massive sulphide mineralization starting at only 216.72 meters; Drill hole 21TK0306 intersected 27.22 meters (89.3 feet) of nickel-copper mineralization starting at only 229.45 meters, including 1.39 meters (4.6 feet) of mixed massive sulphide mineralization starting at only 255.28 meters; Drill hole 21TK0307 intersected 1.82 meters (6.0 feet) of nickel-copper mineralization starting at only 206.7 meters, including 0.40 meters (1.3 feet) of mixed massive sulphide mineralization starting at only 208.12 meters; Drill hole 21TK0308 intersected 27.83 meters (6.0 feet) of nickel-copper mineralization starting at only 206.7 meters, and 0.78 meters (2.6 feet) of mixed massive sulphide mineralization starting at only 223.18 meters; Drill hole 21TK0309 intersected 50.1 meters (59.0 feet) of nickel-copper mineralization starting at only 232.85 meters, including 2.66 meters (8.7 feet) of mixed massive sulphide mineralization starting at only 248.17 meters; Drill hole 21TK0311 intersected 17.98 meters (164.4 feet) of nickel-copper mineralization starting at only 188.7 meters, including 4.3 meters (14.1 feet) of mixed massive sulphide mineralization starting at only 234.5 meters; and Drill hole 21TK0318 intersected an upper zone of 6.1 meters (20.0 feet) of nickel-copper mineralization starting at only 230.73 meters, and a lower zone of 7.88 meters (25.9 feet) of nickel-copper mineralization starting at only 243.84 meters, including 1.39 meters (4.6 feet) of mixed massive sulphide mineralization starting at only 250.33 meters. These results provide further confirmation of the continuous trend of nickel-copper mineralization modelled by Talon using surface and BHEM data (geophysics). This consistent mineralized zone typically begins with large, shallow and thick disseminated sulphide mineralization above a sheet of higher-grade massive sulphide mineralization. Previously reported assay results (see the Company's press release dated May 4, 2021) have intervals with nickel grades up to 5.2% Ni combined with copper grades up to 1.7% Cu in the massive and mixed massive sulphide sheet. Talon plans to continue drilling the CGO East area with the goal of delineating a resource that could be added to the current mine plan. CGO Bend The CGO Bend is a zone that lies between the CGO East and CGO West areas that is composed of low grade mineralized coarse-grained olivine ("CGO"). Historically 6 holes were drilled into this area along the strike-length of the CGO Bend, so Talon set out to drill holes towards the edges to determine where the contact is between the CGO East/West and the CGO Bend and to identify if it is mineralized. The drilling conducted showed that not only did the CGO Bend extend further east than expected, but it also contained thicker zones of mineralization than expected with holes intersecting up to 42 meters of disseminated mineralization as shown below. In summary: Drill hole 21TK0280 intersected 8.22 meters (27.0 feet) of nickel-copper mineralization starting at only 98.23 meters and 17.43 meters (57.2 feet) of nickel-copper mineralization starting at only 125.12 meters. Drill hole 21TK0281 intersected 42.06 meters (138.0 feet) of nickel-copper mineralization starting at only 127.71 meters and 1.36 meters (4.5 feet) of mixed and massive nickel-copper mineralization starting at only 195.54 meters. Drill hole 21TK0284 intersected 27.69 meters (90.8 feet) of nickel-copper mineralization starting at only 100.36 meters. Drill hole 21TK0297 intersected 5.1 meters (16.7 feet) of nickel-copper mineralization starting at only 247.45 meters. Drill hole 21TK0300 intersected 18.29 meters (60.0 feet) of nickel-copper mineralization starting at only 127.71 meters and 0.41 meters (1.3 feet) of mixed and massive nickel-copper mineralization starting at only 196.28 meters. Drill hole 21TK0310 intersected 42.52 meters (139.5 feet) of nickel-copper mineralization starting at only 170.08 meters. The mineralization in the CGO Bend area appears to be shallow and bulky, over a strike length of 300 meters. Figure 2: Plan view geological map of the northern portion of the Tamarack Project showing the new Ni-Cu mineralization intervals in green text boxes in the CGO East and CGO Bend areas. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2443/85951_2042f63544903b77_002full.jpg QUALITY ASSURANCE, QUALITY CONTROL AND QUALIFIED PERSONS Please see the technical report entitled "NI 43-101 Technical Report Updated Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) #3 of the Tamarack North Project - Tamarack, Minnesota" with an effective date of January 8, 2021 prepared by independent "Qualified Persons" (as that term is defined in National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101")) Leslie Correia (Pr. Eng), Andre-Francois Gravel (P. Eng.), Tim Fletcher (P. Eng.), Daniel Gagnon (P. Eng.), David Ritchie (P. Eng.), Oliver Peters (P. Eng.), Volodymyr Liskovych (P.Eng.), Andrea Martin (P. E.) and Brian Thomas (P. Geo.) for information on the QA/QC, analytical and testing procedures at the Tamarack Project. Copies are available on the Company's website (www.talonmetals.com) or on SEDAR at (www.sedar.com). The laboratory used is ALS Minerals who is independent of the Company. Lengths are drill intersections and not necessarily true widths. True widths cannot be consistently calculated for comparison purposes between holes because of the irregular shapes of the mineralized zones. Drill intersections have been independently selected by Talon. Drill composites have been independently calculated by Talon. The geological interpretations in this news release are solely those of the Company. The locations and distances highlighted on all maps in this news release are approximate. Dr. Etienne Dinel, Vice President, Geology of Talon, is a Qualified Person within the meaning of NI 43-101. Dr. Dinel is satisfied that the analytical and testing procedures used are standard industry operating procedures and methodologies, and he has reviewed, approved and verified the technical information disclosed in this news release, including sampling, analytical and test data underlying the technical information. ABOUT TALON Talon is a TSX-listed base metals company in a joint venture with Rio Tinto on the high-grade Tamarack Nickel-Copper-Cobalt Project located in Minnesota, USA, comprised of the Tamarack North Project and the Tamarack South Project. Talon has an earn-in to acquire up to 60% of the Tamarack Project. The Tamarack Project comprises a large land position (18km of strike length) with numerous high-grade intercepts outside the current resource area. Talon is focused on expanding its current high-grade nickel mineralization resource prepared in accordance with NI 43-101; identifying additional high-grade nickel mineralization; and developing a process to potentially produce nickel sulphates responsibly for batteries for the electric vehicles industry. Talon has a well-qualified exploration and mine management team with extensive experience in project management. For additional information on Talon, please visit the Company's website at www.talonmetals.com or contact: Sean Werger President Talon Metals Corp. Tel: (416) 361-9636 x102 Email: werger@talonmetals.com FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This news release contains certain "forward-looking statements". All statements, other than statements of historical fact that address activities, events or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements reflect the current expectations or beliefs of the Company based on information currently available to the Company. Such forward-looking statements include statements relating to the timing and results of the exploration program, including mineralization, potential, assay results and grades, geophysical results and drilling plans; the Company's plans to deliver a new resource later this year and update to the mine plan. Forward-looking statements are subject to significant risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements, and even if such actual results are realized or substantially realized, there can be no assurance that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on the Company. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. Although the Company believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein. Table 1: Collar Locations of New Drill Holes Referred to in this Press Release CGO EAST HOLE ID Easting (m) Northing (m) Elevation (masl) Azm Dip End Depth (m) 21TK0302 491165.7 5168989.1 388.0 50.0 -61.5 240.8 21TK0303 491165.0 5168989.0 388.0 70.0 -60.0 57.6 21TK0304 491068.6 5169033.4 388.0 84.4 -52.8 268.2 21TK0305 491168.3 5168989.8 388.0 68.1 -61.0 264.3 21TK0306 491070.0 5169034.0 388.0 184.9 -73.8 283.5 21TK0307 491171.0 5168990.0 388.0 88.1 -67.3 240.2 21TK0308 491169.0 5168990.9 388.0 42.8 -56.5 246.6 21TK0309 491067.4 5169035.6 388.0 158 -67.5 277.4 21TK0311 491067.6 5169034.1 388.0 121 -67.8 264.4 21TK0318 491009.0 5168962.0 388.0 139 -74.0 333.0 21TK0283 491303.8 5169144.8 388.0 259.2 -78.0 203.3 21TK0288 491298.5 5169148.4 388.0 311.9 -75.2 198.3 21TK0289 491178.0 5168988.0 388.0 23.6 -79.5 233.9 21TK0290 491300.3 5169144.9 388.0 214.1 -71.8 209.7 21TK0291 491178.2 5168985.8 388.0 237.5 -80.1 247.5 21TK0294 491178.0 5168985.0 388.0 222.3 -72.9 301.1 21TK0295 491294.0 5169149.9 388.0 345.3 -67.3 188.5 21TK0296 491176.0 5168998.0 388.0 49.5 -73.9 236.7 20TK0266 491022.0 5168949.1 388.0 110.0 -82.5 283.5 20TK0267 491021.2 5168949.1 388.0 78.7 -70.1 295.5 20TK0268 491021.9 5168951.8 388.0 218.1 -66.2 388.8 20TK0271 491019.0 5168955.0 388.0 111.0 -78.5 299.6 CGO BEND 21TK0280 491190.4 5169241.7 388 163 -77.04 163.4 21TK0281 491194.4 5169140.4 388 140 -73.23 221.3 21TK0284 491190.2 5169241.1 388 129 -60.74 205.7 21TK0297 491193.8 5169144.9 388 220.3 -67.8 277.1 21TK0300 491192.8 5169144.7 388 34.3 -77.64 224.9 21TK0310 491168.7 5168990.3 388 5.56 -70.38 249.3 Collar coordinates are UTM Zone 15N, NAD83. Azimuths and dips are taken from survey record at collar unless otherwise noted. Table 2: Quick Lithology Log for New Drill Holes in the CGO East Area CGO EAST Hole ID From (m) To (m) Length (m) Lithology % Sulphides 21TK0302 0 47.85 47.85 Overburden 47.85 196.6 148.75 FGO/MZNO Traces 196.6 218.58 21.98 FGO/MZNO 5 to 8% 218.58 219.71 1.13 MMS/MSU 10-85% 219.71 240.79 21.08 SED Traces 21TK0303 Hole abandoned at 57.6 meters in FGO/MZNO 21TK0304 0 44.81 44.81 Overburden 44.81 188.98 144.17 FGO/MZNO Traces 188.98 245.26 56.28 FGO/MZNO 3-7% 245.26 246.93 1.67 MMS 75% 246.93 268.22 21.29 SED 21TK0305 0 48.16 48.16 Overburden 48.16 186.05 137.89 FGO/MZNO Traces 186.05 216.72 30.67 FGO/MZNO 2-5% 216.72 217.5 0.78 MSU 30% 217.5 264.26 46.76 SED 21TK0306 0 45.62 45.62 Overburden 45.62 229.45 183.83 FGO/MZNO Traces - 2% 229.45 254.93 25.48 FGO/MZNO 2-3% 254.93 255.28 0.35 SED 3% 255.28 256.67 1.39 MMS/MSU 60% 256.67 264.57 7.9 SED 21TK0307 0 46.3 46.3 Overburden 46.3 206.7 160.4 FGO/MZNO Traces 206.7 207.74 1.04 FGO/MZNO 5% 207.74 208.12 0.38 SED 7% 208.12 208.52 0.4 MMS/MSU 35% 208.52 240.18 31.66 SED Traces 21TK0308 0 48.21 48.21 Overburden 48.21 191.02 142.81 FGO/MZNO 191.02 218.85 27.83 FGO/MZNO 5% 218.85 223.18 4.33 FGO/MZNO 2% 223.18 223.96 0.78 MMS/MSU 65% 223.96 246.58 22.62 SED 21TK0309 0 41.98 41.98 Overburden 41.98 232.85 190.87 FGO/MZNO traces-2% 232.85 248.17 15.32 FGO/MZNO 7% 248.17 250.83 2.66 MMS/MSU 70-85% 250.83 277.37 26.54 SED 21TK0311 0 45.6 45.6 Overburden 45.6 188.7 143.1 FGO/MZNO Traces-3% 188.7 234.5 45.8 FGO/MZNO 5-7% 234.5 238.8 4.3 MMS/MSU 40-80% 238.8 264.41 25.61 SED 21TK0318 0 35.97 35.97 Overburden 35.97 230.73 194.76 FGO/MZNO Traces-3% 230.73 236.83 6.1 FGO/MZNO 5% 236.86 243.84 6.98 FGO/MZNO Traces 243.84 250.33 6.49 FGO/MZNO 7% 250.33 251.72 1.39 MMS/MSU 40% 223.96 246.58 22.62 SED Quick lithology log of drill holes: Fine-grained orthocumulate/Mixed Zone (FGO/MZNO); Mixed massive sulphides (MMS); Massive sulphides (MSU); Meta-sedimentary rocks (SED); Coarse-graned Orthocumulate (CGO) Table 3: Quick Lithology Log for New Drill Holes in the CGO Bend Area CGO BEND Hole ID From (m) To (m) Length (m) Lithology % Sulphides 21TK0297 0 48.34 48.34 Overburden 48.34 143.84 95.5 FGO/MZNO Traces 143.84 151.49 7.65 CGO Traces-3% 151.49 247.45 95.96 CGO Traces -2% 247.45 252.55 5.1 CGO 5% 252.55 277.06 24.51 CGO Traces 21TK0280 0 54.86 54.86 Overburden 54.86 98.23 43.37 FGO/MZNO Traces 98.23 106.45 8.22 CGO 5% 106.45 125.12 18.67 CGO Traces 125.12 142.55 17.43 CGO 2-7% 142.55 163.37 20.82 CGO Traces 21TK0281 0 45.48 45.48 Overburden 45.48 127.71 82.23 FGO/MZNO Traces 127.71 169.77 42.06 CGO 6% 169.77 195.54 25.77 CGO 1% 195.54 196.9 1.36 MMS 45% 196.9 221.28 24.38 SED Traces 21TK0284 0 65.14 65.14 Overburden 65.14 100.36 35.22 FGO/MZNO Traces 100.36 128.05 27.69 CGO 5% 128.05 180 51.95 CGO Traces-2% 180 205.74 25.74 SED 21TK0300 0 48.82 48.82 Overburden 48.82 105.24 56.42 FGO/MZNO Traces 105.24 136.86 31.62 CGO Traces-3% 136.86 155.15 18.29 CGO 5-7% 155.15 190.1 34.95 CGO 1-3% 190.1 196.28 6.18 SED 196.28 196.69 0.41 MMS 35% 196.69 215.19 18.5 CGO Traces 215.69 218.85 3.16 SED 218.85 224.94 6.09 CGO 21TK0310 0 48.29 48.29 Overburden 48.29 170.08 121.79 FGO/MZNO Traces-2% 170.08 212.6 42.52 CGO 3-5% 212.6 232.37 19.77 CGO Traces 232.37 232.87 0.5 SED 4% 232.87 239.87 7 CGO 1% 239.87 249.33 9.46 SED Quick lithology log of drill holes: Fine-grained Orthocumulate/Mixed Zone (FGO/MZNO); Mixed massive sulphides (MMS); Massive sulphides (MSU); Meta-sedimentary rocks (SED); Coarse-grained Orthocumulate (CGO) Table 4: Assay Results from Drill Holes within the CGO East and CGO Bend Areas Drill Hole From To Length Results # (m) (m) (m) Ni (%) Cu (%) Co (%) Pd (g/t) Pt (g/t) Au (g/t) NiEq (%) CuEq (%) 20TK0267 232 248.99 16.99 0.87 0.50 0.03 0.17 0.33 0.18 1.23 3.29 including 247.66 248.99 1.33 3.35 0.89 0.13 0.44 0.79 0.29 4.18 11.15 21TK0283 146 176.36 30.36 1.30 0.59 0.04 0.15 0.27 0.13 1.68 4.49 including 171.26 176.36 5.1 4.99 1.66 0.14 0.31 0.57 0.20 6.03 16.09 21TK0290 153 184.73 31.73 1.00 0.58 0.03 0.15 0.28 0.17 1.39 3.70 including 183.14 184.73 1.59 5.21 1.73 0.16 0.33 0.42 0.62 6.37 17.00 21TK0295 139.06 148 8.94 0.59 0.38 0.02 0.11 0.18 0.09 0.84 2.23 and 155.45 165.9 10.45 1.99 0.85 0.05 0.19 0.33 0.19 2.53 6.75 including 161.35 164.53 4.55 3.39 1.26 0.09 0.28 0.43 0.22 4.19 11.17 20TK0266 203 236 33 Assays pending 20TK0266 236 247.75 11.75 1.03 0.72 0.03 0.14 0.31 0.25 1.5 3.99 including 246.5 247.75 1.25 2.3 1.09 0.09 0.15 0.27 0.3 2.99 7.96 20TK0268 287.12 312.59 25.07 Assays pending 20TK0271 236 245.55 9.55 2.12 0.97 0.06 0.14 0.28 0.23 2.71 7.22 Including 242.84 245.55 2.71 5.13 1.70 0.16 0.20 0.35 0.21 6.15 16.41 21TK0280 Assays pending 21TK0281 Assays pending 21TK0284 Assays pending 21TK0288 Assays pending 21TK0289 Assays pending 21TK0291 Assays pending 21TK0294 Assays pending 21TK0296 Assays pending 21TK0297 Assays pending 21TK0300 Assays pending 21TK0302 Assays pending 21TK0304 Assays pending 21TK0305 Assays pending 21TK0306 Assays pending 21TK0307 Assays pending 21TK0310 Assays pending Length refers to drill hole length and not True Width. True Width is unknown at the time of publication. All samples were analysed by ALS Minerals. Nickel, copper, and cobalt grades were first analysed by a 4-acid digestion and ICP AES (ME-MS61). Grades reporting greater than 0.25% Ni and/or 0.1% Cu, using ME-MS61, trigger a sodium peroxide fusion with ICP-AES finish (ICP81). Platinum, palladium and gold are initially analyzed by a 50g fire assay with an ICP-MS finish (PGM-MS24). Any samples reporting >1g/t Pt or Pd trigger an over-limit analysis by ICP-AES finish (PGM-ICP27) and any samples reporting >1g/t Au trigger an over-limit analysis by AAS (Au-AA26). NiEq% = Ni%+ Cu% x $3.00/$8.00 + Co% x $12.00/$8.00 + Pt [g/t]/31.103 x $1,300/$8.00/22.04 + Pd [g/t]/31.103 x $700/$8.00/22.04 + Au [g/t]/31.103 x $1,200/$8.00/22.04 CuEq% = Cu%+ Ni% x $8.00/$3.00 + Co% x $12.00/$3.00 + Pt [g/t]/31.103 x $1,300/$3.00/22.04 + Pd [g/t]/31.103 x $700/$3.00/22.04 + Au [g/t]/31.103 x $1,200/$3.00/22.04 No adjustments were made for recovery or payability. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/85951 Thunder Bay Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - June 1, 2021) - Metals Creek Resources Corp. (TSXV: MEK) (OTCQB: MCREF) (FSE: M1C1) (the "Company" or Metals Creek) is pleased to announce that the company has been informed by Manning Ventures Inc. ("Manning" or CSE: MANN) of the results from a recent ground exploration program at the Flint Lake gold project, located in Ontario, Canada. The Flint Lake property is subject to an option agreement with Metals Creek Resources whereby Manning has the right to earn a 100% interest of Metals Creeks 81.3 % interest in the Flint Lake project. The other 18.7% is owned by Endurance Gold Corp. In order to exercise the Flint Lake Option, Manning must: (1) make cash payments to MEK of $145,000 over three years ($20,000 paid); (2) issue a total of 2,200,000 common shares of Manning to Metals Creek over three years (300,000 issued); and (3) incur work expenditures of $775,000 over three years. Upon exercise of the Flint Lake Option, MEK will retain a 1% NSR royalty, Manning will retain the right to purchase 50% of such NSR royalty from MEK upon payment of $500,000 at any time. Geologists conducted a sampling program focused on modest sized rock piles representing "stockpiles" from historic underground excavations at the Flint Lake Mine (Thomas Edison Occurrence) as well as prospecting and soil sampling within the Flint Lake claim block. The program was designed to sample and test the gold grades of the 'underground rock stockpiles' that remain at the west end of the historic mine. Three separate piles of broken quartz/carbonate material were sampled. A fourth pile of material is composed mainly of host chlorite schist from trenching in 2016 and was not sampled in this program. Ten (10) random, unbiased samples were grabbed from each of the three quartz/carbonate piles with an additional five samples collected from loose muck lying on the ground for a total of thirty-five samples. Samples were bagged and labelled individually for assay and sent to Actlabs in Thunder Bay for gold analysis. The stockpile sampling program resulted in assays from detection limit (<5 ppb) to 350.0 grams-per-tonne ("g/t") gold ("Au"). The piles are considered to be well mixed and therefore the random sampling from each is considered to represent approximate grades of each. Based upon the assay results and type of material the gold is hosted in, it appears the gold is coarser free gold that should be amenable to extraction via normal milling methods. All samples were processed at Actlabs by fire assay. The fire assays have an upper limit of 5 g/t. Protocol used for gold analysis at Actlabs ensure that any samples >1 g/t Au are to have gravimetric analysis and any samples >5 g/t Au are to have pulp metallic analysis to determine if any coarse gold is getting caught in the screens. Sample location breakdown in the following table: SP1 - SP10: Stockpile 1 SP11 - SP20: Stockpile 2 SP21 - SP30: Stockpile 4 SP31 - SP35: from outside the piles The 35 individual samples were sent to Actlabs in Thunder Bay for gold analysis. Note: The surface grab samples described in this news release are selective by nature and are unlikely to represent average grades of the property. Table of Sample #'s, UTM Coordinates and Assay Values: Sample ID Easting Northing Au PPB Fire Assay Au g/t Gravimetric Au g/t Metallic Au g/t SP1 440372.7 5466281.2 225 0.225 SP2 440373.1 5466282.1 < 5 < 0.005 SP3 440373.1 5466281.5 70 0.07 SP4 440373.6 5466281.9 100 0.1 SP5 440374.6 5466282.1 39 0.039 SP6 440375.1 5466282.5 3320 3.32 2.47 SP7 440375.1 5466282 24 0.024 SP8 440377.2 5466281.9 3220 3.22 3.59 SP9 440375.7 5466281 > 5000 > 5.000 19.5 22.7 SP10 440375.9 5466281.4 4270 4.27 4.43 SP11 440380 5466281.3 4030 4.03 3.21 SP12 440379.4 5466281 320 0.32 SP13 440379.8 5466280.7 1580 1.58 2.05 SP14 440379.6 5466280.2 24 0.024 SP15 440380.5 5466280.9 61 0.061 SP16 440378.8 5466279 > 5000 > 5.000 14.6 15 SP17 440379.3 5466279.4 2820 2.82 SP18 440379.3 5466278.9 > 5000 > 5.000 6.13 9.52 SP19 440378.4 5466279.5 37 0.037 SP20 440378.9 5566280.4 50 0.05 SP21 440374.1 5466276.8 > 5000 > 5.000 37.4 46.3 SP22 440375.6 5466276.5 1440 1.44 1.68 SP23 440376.4 5466275.9 2540 2.54 2.88 SP24 440373.1 5466275.9 > 5000 > 5.000 13 14.6 SP25 440374.4 5466275.8 > 5000 > 5.000 36.6 40.4 SP26 440373.2 5466275.7 > 5000 > 5.000 46 54.2 SP27 440373.6 5466275.8 2730 2.73 2.46 SP28 440375.4 5466275 2040 2.04 2.33 SP29 440375.9 5466275.3 > 5000 > 5.000 4.49 4.78 SP30 440376.5 5466275 > 5000 > 5.000 8.58 8.76 SP31 440371.7 5466275.1 > 5000 > 5.000 28.9 32.3 SP32 440371.6 5466276.1 250 0.25 SP33 440371.2 5466275.3 > 5000 > 5.000 324 350 SP34 440370.5 5466276.1 > 5000 > 5.000 87.7 115 SP35 440370.5 5446276.5 358 0.358 Based upon the analytical evidence, it appears the gold is coarser free gold, as gold grades increased with gravimetrics and furthermore by metallic analysis. The results show an average increase in gravimetric grade of 3.7% over fire assay results. When comparing gravimetric results of samples >5 g/t Au to the pulp metallic analysis, the average gold grade increases by 13%. Prospecting took place along strike of the historic mine (trench) by traversing in a zipper pattern; back and forth across what is thought to be the extension of the high-grade quartz/carbonate veining. There is a coincident and fairly moderate northwest striking magnetic low along strike that is interpreted to be the deformation zone hosting the quartz/carbonate veining. The traverse was entirely in thick cedar swamp with no knobs of outcrop. The Technical Information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Wayne Reid, who is a "qualified person" as defined by National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. About Metals Creek Resources Corp. Metals Creek Resources Corp. is a junior exploration Corporation incorporated under the laws of the Province of Ontario, is a reporting issuer in Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario, and has its common shares listed for trading on the Exchange under the symbol "MEK". Metals Creek has earned a 50% interest in the Ogden Gold Property from Newmont Corporation, including the former Naybob Gold mine, located 6 kms south of Timmins, Ontario and has an 8 km strike length of the prolific Porcupine-Destor Fault (P-DF). In addition, Metals Creek has signed an agreement with Newmont Corporation, where Metals Creek can earn a 100% interest in the past producing Dona Lake Gold Project in the Pickle Lake Mining District of Ontario. Metals Creek has multiple quality projects available for option in Ontario and Newfoundland which can be viewed on the Corporation's website. Parties interested in seeking more information about properties available for option can contact the Corporation at the number below. Additional information concerning the Corporation is contained in documents filed by the Corporation with securities regulators, available under its profile at www.sedar.com. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Alexander (Sandy) Stares, President and CEO Metals Creek Resources Corp Telephone: (709)-256-6060 Fax: (709)-256-6061 Email: astares@metalscreek.com www.MetalsCreek.com Twitter.com/MetalsCreekRes Facebook.com/MetalsCreek To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/85998 CHICAGO, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- HITEC, the globally recognized premier executive leadership organization of senior-level business and technology executives, announced today the award recipients of the 2021 HITEC 50 . "We're very proud to recognize the top 50 technology leaders across the Ibero-America. This is an outstanding and diverse group of executives that is contributing to the digital transformation of the region," said JC Gutierrez , HITEC Board Member and Co-Chair of the Awards Committee. "During the incredible changes we have all experienced last year, these leaders have shown resilience to succeed and inspire the Hispanic community. We are honored in HITEC to recognize these global technology leaders," Gutierrez said. The HITEC 50 award program recognizes and celebrates the contributions and accomplishments of the most influential and notable Hispanic executives and entrepreneurs in the technology industry across Latin America, Spain and Portugal. Honorees are evaluated on their accomplishments in the ever-changing global landscape of technology and for their mentoring and professional development activities. Board Member and Co-Chair of the Awards Committee, Lucia Soares stated, "Technology has been a critical part of business transformation in the last decade, but in the last year, we've seen digital initiatives accelerate and help businesses thrive through a critical period. These leaders motivate and realize technology value in their companies, and they are an inspiration to us all." "Being a leader is more than just a title. These 50 awardees represent technology leadership and innovation but also reflect the values of perseverance, determination and talent development. By recognizing these 50 outstanding leaders, we continue to push up and pull up talent in our communities," adds Soares. HITEC 50 - Latin America/Ibero-America Objectives: Recognize talented individuals and highlight their achievements. Foster business and professional growth for our members. Build and develop strategic business relationships that will encourage growth within the industry globally. Click here to view the full list of the HITEC 50 . Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/726204/HITEC_logo_color_01_Logo.jpg JACKSON CENTER, PA / ACCESSWIRE / June 1, 2021 / Halberd Corporation (OTC PINK:HALB) announced the filing of a U. S. joint provisional patent application titled, "Antibody Conjugated Nanoparticle Assay And Treatment For SARS-CoV-2." The innovation is a result of Halberd's Sponsored Research conducted at Arizona State University (ASU). The provisional patent application covers technology developed to facilitate conjugation of metallic nanoparticles with antibodies against various bacteria and SARS-CoV-2, for elimination via radio waves. Additionally, the patent discloses the use of such a conjugated moiety as a means of detecting the presence and level of the SARS-CoV-2 viral load in a patient. Dr. Mitchell S. Felder, Halberd Corporation's Chief Technical Officer and co-inventor of the technology, stated, "The conjugation of a metallic nanoparticle with either a bacterial or viral antibody which produces a stable moiety is not an obvious procedure. The researchers at ASU did a phenomenal job in a short period of time, allowing our extracorporeal disease eradication testing to go forward as planned. A side benefit of this work is that the moiety is potentially capable of detecting not only the presence of SARS-CoV-2, or a bacterial infection - but also of detecting the level of disease load in the patient." William A. Hartman, Chairman, President & CEO of Halberd Corporation, added, "Although our research was prompted by and focused on Covid-19, the technology developed has demonstrated far reaching benefit towards the detection and elimination of other viruses and bacterial infections. Through Halberd's patented extracorporeal process of exposing the infected blood or cerebral spinal fluid to tuned radio waves or laser emissive energy, we believe we will be able to successfully treat a wide range of illnesses and diseases." To get the latest news on Halberd's exciting developments, including our ongoing disease eradication accomplishments, subscribe by submitting this form. (http://halberdcorporation.com/contact-us/) For more information please contact: William A. Hartman w.hartman@halberdcorporation.com support@halberdcorporation.com www.halberdcorporation.com Twitter:@HalberdC About Halberd Corporation. Halberd Corporation (OTC PINK:HALB), is a publicly traded company on the OTC Market, and is in full compliance with OTC Market reporting requirements. It holds the exclusive worldwide rights to several patent- and PCT-pending extracorporeal treatments for COVID-19 and other medical maladies: Title Patent/ Application No. Filing Date Status/Document *Method for Treating and Curing Covid-19 Infection US 62/989981 03/16/2020 Provisional PCT/US21/22541 03/16/2021 International PCT *Method for Treating Covid-19 Inflammatory Cytokine Storm for the Reduction of Morbidity and Mortality in Covid-19 Patients US 63/007207 04/08/2020 Provisional Covid-19 Inflammatory Cytokine Storm Treatment PCT/US21/26386 04/08/2021 International PCT *Method for Treating and Curing Covid-19 Infection by Utilizing a Laser to Eradicate the Virus US 63/013104 04/21/2020 Provisional Treating and Curing Covid-19 Infection Utilizing a Laser PCT/US21/28368 04/21/2021 International PCT *Method For The Rapid Identification Of Covid-19 Infection US 63/049441 07/08/2020 Provisional *Nasal Spray To Prevent The Transmission Of Covid-19 Between Humans US 63/080735 09/20/2020 Provisional *Nasal Spray To Prevent The Transmission Of The Covid-19 Virus US 63/108301 10/31/202 Provisional *Method For Treating And Curing Covid-19 Infection By Utilizing Radiofrequency Extracorporeally To Eradicate The Virus US 63/111043 11/08/2020 Provisional *Medication For The Reduction Of Morbidity And Mortality In Persons Infected By Sars-Cov-2 (Covid-19 Virus) US 63/135695 01/10/2021 Provisional Halberd also holds the exclusive rights to the underlying granted U.S. Patent 9,216,386 and U.S. Patent 8,758,287. Safe Harbor Notice Certain statements contained herein are "forward-looking statements" (as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). The Companies caution that statements, and assumptions made in this news release constitute forward-looking statements and makes no guarantee of future performance. Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and opinions of management at the time statements are made. These statements may address issues that involve significant risks, uncertainties, estimates made by management. Actual results could differ materially from current projections or implied results. The Companies undertake no obligation to revise these statements following the date of this news release. Investor caution/added risk for investors in companies claiming involvement in COVID-19 initiatives On April 8, 2020, SEC Chairman Jay Clayton and William Hinman, the Director of the Division of Corporation Finance, issued a joint public statement on the importance of disclosure during the COVID-19 crisis. The SEC and Self-Regulatory Organizations are targeting public companies that claim to have products, treatment or other strategies with regard to COVID-19. The ultimate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Company's operations is unknown and will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted with confidence, including the duration of the COVID-19 outbreak. Additionally, new information may emerge concerning the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic, and any additional preventative and protective actions that governments, or the Company, may direct, which may result in an extended period of continued business disruption, reduced customer traffic and reduced operations. Any resulting financial impact cannot be reasonably estimated at this time. We further caution investors that our primary focus and goal is to battle this pandemic for the good of the world. As such, it is possible that we may find it necessary to make disclosures which are consistent with that goal, but which may be adverse to the pecuniary interests of the Company and of its shareholders. SOURCE: Halberd Corporation View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/649743/Halberd-Corp-Files-Provisional-Patent-Application-Complementing-Patented-Extracorporeal-Radio-FrequencyLaser-Projects VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / June 1, 2021 / BTU METALS CORP. ("BTU" or the "Company") (BTU-TSX:V; BTUMF-OTC PINK) today announces the completion of drill hole BTU-21-66 in the TNT target area which was drilled to 589 meters. The hole is currently being logged, cut, and samples are being sent for fire assay (gold) and geochemical analysis (multi-element). Of the 10 drill holes targeting gold in the recently completed program, all have now been logged, and all but two have been sampled and are in the lab for analysis. Samples from the remaining two holes will be in the lab for analysis shortly. Highlights On the gold targets - arsenopyrite mineralization, up to 40m thick, intersected along a magnetic low geophysical trend. Arsenopyrite intersected in all holes on this structure, including holes 800m apart along strike, samples are in the lab and results are expected shortly. The arsenopyrite bearing geophysical structure has 2.4km of strike on BTU ground and extends north-west onto Great Bear's property where it follows the Dixie Creek for ~1.8km to the area of the LP Fault gold mineralization. Drilling of hole BTU-21-66 in the TNT target area completed, minor sphalerite and chalcopyrite mineralization intersected supporting a possible VMS ("Volcanogenic Massive Sulphide") thesis. The strongest geophysical targets from the TNT geochemical-geophysical study are on the Pakwash North property and plans are being made to drill these targets in the coming months. Field program underway to generate new targets on the 230 square km property. Paul Wood, BTU CEO, said, "We are looking forward to receiving lab results from our most recent drill program, particularly from the holes which intersected the arsenopyrite-bearing structure which appears to be structurally connected to the LP Fault and that could be be a splay off of it. The drill will be turning again in short order on a number of our already identified targets and we continue to identify more prospective targets on Dixie Halo, one of the most extensive land packages in Red Lake as the exploration team combs through more of our now 230 km2 of claims." Figure 1: BTU drill holes over 2VD magnetics, property boundary in orange, Great Bear Resources LP gold mineralization in yellow at top left, area of figure 2 outlined in black. Drill holes BTU-21-56 to BTU-21-65 were drilled in the Dixie Creek area (northeast corner) targeting gold mineralization (see Figure 1). The Dixie Creek area is 'up-ice' from several high gold-grain-in-till anomalies, many of which have a high proportion of pristine gold grains indicating a potential bedrock source is nearby. The area is also on trend with Great Bear Resources' LP Fault gold discoveries, where they recently reached 300 reported drill holes and are spending $45M on exploration this year. Sulphide mineralization and quartz carbonate veining was intersected in all holes, and of particular interest is the arsenopyrite mineralization that was intersected in holes BTU-21-58 to BTU-21-61, along a magnetic low trend that follows the Dixie Creek topographic lineament and that extends in a northwesterly direction into the LP Fault area. This structure has never been drill-tested before and every hole in it has intersected at least some arsenopyrite mineralization with the most extensive intersection of ~40 meters of pyrite-arsenopyrite in quartz veining coming in hole BTU-21-59. Holes 58 & 59 are approximately 800 metres apart from holes 60 & 61 (see Figure 2). Due to technical challenges holes 56 and 57 did not reach their target depths. Figure 2: Close up of the area of arsenopyrite mineralization. Drill hole BTU-21-66 in the TNT area targeted two electrically conductive bodies located in an area which is interpreted to be a potential pathway for the migration of metal-rich fluids from depth towards the paleosurface (where lenses of massive sulphides often accumulate in VMS systems). The presence of copper and zinc minerals (chalcopyrite and sphalerite) in hole BTU-21-66 lends further support to the thesis that the system is a potentially VMS system. Significant intervals of the hole are strongly mineralized with pyrite and minor pyrrhotite. Minor chalcopyrite and sphalerite were also noted in several sections of the hole. Geological, geochemical, and geophysical studies and evaluations by geological consultant Harold Gibson, Professor of Volcanology and Ore Deposits at Laurentian University, Company personnel, as well as geophysical consultant Alan King were recently completed for the TNT and Pakwash North area. The studies indicate that the TNT area mineralization clearly has direct copper-silver correlation, similar to some known high temperature base metal mineralization and the studies indicate the mineralization is associated with strong alteration including some areas with sodium depletion and strong potassium enrichment rather typical of VMS systems. Work by the group has identified several targets with the potential to be base metal bearing and that warrant drill testing. Induced Polarization ("IP") geophysical survey work on Pakwash Lake identified a significant chargeability target and a coincident resistivity low feature that extend for at least 600 metres in a generally northerly direction and the target remains open to the north. Time Domain Electromagnetic ("TDEM") survey data on the target confirmed the interpretation from the IP survey. Such features are often an indication of the presence of accumulations of sulphide minerals. Additionally, the TDEM survey identified a secondary weaker target just to the west of the strong new target. There is no geological information available within 1 km of the new targets. These targets will be drilled in the coming months. Other field work is underway on the Dixie Halo property and this work will continue throughout the summer months in support of generating new gold exploration targets that will be drill tested later in the summer and into the fall of this year. Red Lake Activities The Red Lake mining area is extremely busy with the highlights being the purchase of the Newmont Mining assets in the camp by Evolution Mining, Evolution's recent purchase of Battle North Gold Corporation, the progression of several local properties toward commercial production, as well as the establishment of the gold discoveries of Great Bear as significant new areas and styles of gold mineralization that have the potential to rewrite the geology of this high-grade gold camp that has already produced more than 28 million ounces of gold. The area where Great Bear has been busy outlining strong gold mineralization on the Dixie property is not far from the BTU Dixie Halo property in an area that was historically under-explored and poorly understood largely due to the extensive overburden cover. As exploration by Great Bear and others progresses in the area, and the geology as well as controls on gold mineralization are better understood, new gold discoveries will almost certainly be outlined. Great Bear continues to define gold mineralization along the LP Fault as they prepare for upcoming resource evaluation work which clearly makes the Dixie area a focus for gold exploration in Ontario. BTU is the largest landholder in the immediate area of the Great Bear discoveries. COVID-19 The Company's exploration work at its Red Lake, Ontario projects remains largely on schedule with no major disruption due to the COVID-19 government guidelines. The Company continues to monitor this situation, continues to be careful to conduct all work in compliance with COVID-19 guidelines, and will adjust its activities and timelines as deemed appropriate. Bruce Durham, P. Geo., a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 has reviewed and approved the technical information in this press release. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD "Paul Wood" Paul Wood, CEO, Director pwood@btumetals.com FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Andreas Curkovic, Investor Relations Telephone 1-416-577-9927 BTU Metals Corp. Telephone: 1-604-683-3995 Toll Free: 1-888-945-4770 Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS: This news release contains forward-looking statements, which relate to future events or future performance and reflect management's current expectations and assumptions. Such forward-looking statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on assumptions made by and using information currently available to the Company. Investors are cautioned that these forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees, and they are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause future results to differ materially from those expected. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and, except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. All forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements and by those made in our filings with SEDAR in Canada (available at WWW.SEDAR.COM). SOURCE: BTU Metals Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/649863/BTU-Exploration-Update TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / June 1, 2021 / Ripple Therapeutics Corporation ("Ripple"), a clinical stage, ophthalmology-focused developer of novel pharmaceuticals, announced today that the article Polymer-Free Corticosteroid Dimer Implants for Controlled and Sustained Drug Delivery was recently published in Nature Communications. The article describes Ripple's Epidel technology platform which is founded on a discovery that drugs can be engineered into drug delivery implants without the use of polymers or excipients. The proprietary prodrugs are new chemical entities (NCEs) that have unique properties that allow them to be processed into standalone drug delivery implants (e.g. implantable cylinders, micro/nanoparticles, etc.) or as coatings for medical devices without a polymeric carrier. Ripple Therapeutics' implants and coatings are made up entirely from the prodrug so when the drug is gone the implant is gone. The implants and coatings undergo surface erosion achieving tightly controlled and reproducible release kinetics. Drug release profiles are highly engineerable (e.g. different forms, shapes, and sizes) to tailor drug dose and duration for the specific indication of interest. The flexibility in molecular design results in drug doses that are within the therapeutic window for a specified duration, delivering the right amount of drug for the right amount of time. This has the potential to improve patient safety and clinical outcomes. "Surface erosion-based drug release enables the most controllable way to precisely design pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics for a target indication," commented Dr. Wendy Naimark, Chief Technology Officer, Ripple Therapeutics. "We purposely design for simplicity to meet both safety and manufacturing goals. The less material the better from a physiological perspective and manufacturing simplicity is important for ensuring process control and ultimately a lower cost of goods." Ripple recently announced that the first patients have been enrolled in RIPPLE-1, a Phase II clinical trial evaluating IBE-814 IVT, a proprietary intravitreal dexamethasone implant targeting DME (diabetic macular edema) and RVO (retinal vein occlusion) patients. The trial seeks to provide a much-needed treatment option: a safer steroid implant with an extended clinical benefit. Ripple is developing a full product pipeline including sustained release therapeutics for glaucoma, post cataract surgery and AMD. Ripple's glaucoma product (RTC-1119) is an intracameral prostaglandin implant for primary open-angle glaucoma. The target product profile for RTC-1119 is to provide controlled, predictable drug release for 6-12 months and to allow retreatments as required. The product is currently in preclinical development and the company is on target to submit a pre-IND in the second quarter of 2022. To read the article visit: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-23232-7 About Ripple Therapeutics Ripple Therapeutics Corporation is a clinical stage, privately held company that is focused on ophthalmic therapeutics with controllable, sustainable drug delivery. The core feature of Ripple's Epidel technology is the ability to engineer sustained-release pharmaceuticals with zero-order release kinetics without the use of polymers or excipients. Ripple has a full product pipeline in development. www.rippletherapeutics.com Media Contact Julie Fotheringham, V.P. Marketing, People & Culture M: 416-951-7988 E: jfotheringham@rippletherapeutics.com SOURCE: Ripple Therapeutics Corporation View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/649805/Ripple-Therapeutics-Research-on-Polymer-Free-Drug-Delivery-Published-in-Nature-Communications Eighteen-month follow-up data from pivotal CARTITUDE-1 study, including progression-free-survival data, to be presented at ASCO and EHA Annual Meetings Findings from the Phase 2 CARTITUDE-2 study will be presented for the first time The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson Johnson today announced that new data for ciltacabtagene autoleucel (cilta-cel), an investigational B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA)-directed CAR-T therapy, demonstrated sustained efficacy and durable responses in heavily pretreated patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM).1 Updated results from the Phase 1b/2 CARTITUDE-1 study (n=97) with a longer-term follow-up at a median of 18 months (range, 1.5-30.5) showed an overall response rate (ORR) of 98 percent, with 80 percent of patients achieving an increasing rate of stringent complete response (sCR), highlighting a deepening response over time (increasing from 67 percent sCR presented at ASH 2020).1,2 These data also showed 66 percent of patients were progression free and alive at 18 months (95 percent Confidence Interval [CI], range, 54.9-75.0).1 The latest findings, to be presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, showed 18 month overall survival (OS) of 81 percent (95 percent CI, range, 71.4-87.6)1 and response rates comparable (range, 95-100 percent) across prespecified subgroups and lines of treatment (Abstract #8005).1 Data from the CARTITUDE-1 study supported the filing of a marketing authorisation application to the European Medicines Agency in April 2021.3 "The efficacy results observed in heavily pre-treated patients with multiple myeloma receiving cilta-cel are remarkable," said Saad Z. Usmani, M.D.*, Division Chief of Plasma Cell Disorders, Levine Cancer Institute, and principal study investigator. "With the possibility of achieving the progression-free-survival reported and responses deepening as observed in the longer-term follow-up, I'm hopeful that cilta-cel will be part of the armamentarium in the future for patients in need of an additional treatment option." The study included patients who had received a median of six prior treatment regimens (range, 3-18).1 All patients were triple-class [immunomodulatory agent (IMiD), a proteasome inhibitor (PI) and an anti-CD38 antibody] exposed, while 42 percent of patients were penta-drug refractory and 99 percent of patients were refractory to the last line of therapy.1 Fourteen percent of patients achieved a very good partial response (VGPR) and 3 percent achieved a partial response (PR).1 Median time to first response was one month (range, 0.9-10.7 months) and responses deepened over time.1 Among minimal residual disease (MRD) evaluable patients (n=61), 92 percent achieved MRD negativity status at 10-5 at a median of one month (range, 0.8-7.7 months) post infusion.1 The data demonstrated a consistent safety profile for cilta-cel and no new safety signals were observed with longer follow-up.1 The most common haematologic adverse events (AEs) observed in the CARTITUDE-1 study were neutropenia (96 percent); anaemia (81 percent); thrombocytopenia (79 percent); leukopenia (62 percent); and lymphopenia (53 percent).1 Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) of any grade was observed in 95 percent of patients with a median duration of four days (range, 1-97), and 99 percent of which resolved within 14 days of onset.1 Of the 92 patients with CRS, 95 percent experienced Grade 1/2 events.1 Neurotoxicity of any grade was observed in 21 percent (n=20) of patients, with Grade 3 or higher neurotoxicity observed in 10 percent (n=10) of patients.1 First Results from the CARTITUDE-2 Study Findings from Cohort A (n=20) in the Phase 2 CARTITUDE-2 (NCT04133636)4 study evaluating the safety and efficacy of cilta-cel in patients with multiple myeloma whose disease progressed after one to three prior lines of therapy, and who were lenalidomide refractory, will be presented for the first time at ASCO (Abstract #8013) and as an oral presentation at the European Hematology Association (EHA) Congress (Abstract S190).5 Results from this cohort showed early and deep responses at a median of 5.8 months of follow-up, and an ORR of 95 percent with 45 percent of patients achieving a sCR, 30 percent of patients achieving a CR, 10 percent of patients achieving a VGPR, and 10 percent of patients achieving a PR.5 The overall safety profile, including incidence of CRS and most common haematologic AEs, was consistent with observations in the CARTITUDE clinical development programme.5 Results in a separate poster (Abstract #8028) will detail the incidence, mitigation and management of neurologic AEs in patients in Cohort A from the CARTITUDE-2 study.6 Neurotoxicities occurred in 20 percent (n=4) of patients; however, there were no movement and neurocognitive treatment-emergent AEs or Grade 3 neurotoxicity events observed in patients of Cohort A.6 "Our aim is to develop therapies that improve patient outcomes, and importantly in patients with heavily pre-treated multiple myeloma who have no other options," said Sen Zhuang, M.D., Ph.D., Vice President, Clinical Research and Development, Janssen Research Development, LLC. "These results from the CARTITUDE clinical development programme continue to show the promise of cilta-cel and support our efforts to bring this important treatment to patients in need in the near future." "Following last month's submission of a marketing authorisation application to the EMA for cilta-cel, we are pleased to be able to share these significant results with the wider oncology community," said Edmond Chan, EMEA Therapeutic Area Lead Haematology, Janssen-Cilag Limited. "At Janssen, through our innovation we strive to redefine what it means to receive a cancer diagnosis and I hope that one day, with cilta-cel, we may be able to offer a new treatment option for people in urgent need." ENDS About CARTITUDE-1 CARTITUDE-1 (NCT03548207)7 is an ongoing Phase 1b/2, open-label, multicentre study evaluating the safety and efficacy of cilta-cel in adults with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma, including 99 percent who were refractory to the last line of treatment and 88 percent of who were triple-class refractory, meaning their cancer did not respond, or no longer responds, to an immunomodulatory agent (IMiD), a proteasome inhibitor (PI) and an anti-CD38 antibody. 7 The primary objective of the Phase 1b portion of the study is to characterise the safety and confirm the dose of cilta-cel, informed by the first-in-human study with LCAR-B38M CAR-T cells (LEGEND-2).7 Based on the safety profile observed in this portion of the CARTITUDE-1 study, the Phase 2 portion further evaluated the efficacy of cilta-cel at the recommended Phase 2 dose with overall response as the primary endpoint.1 About CARTITUDE-2 CARTITUDE-2 (NCT04133636)4 is an ongoing, multi-cohort Phase 2 study evaluating the safety and efficacy of cilta-cel in patients with multiple myeloma. CARTITUDE-2 Cohort A evaluates patients who had progressive multiple myeloma after 1-3 prior lines of therapy, including a PI and an IMiD, were lenalidomide refractory, and had no prior exposure to BCMA-targeting agents. The primary endpoint is minimal residual disease (MRD) 10-5 negative rate.5,6 About Ciltacabtagene Autoleucel (cilta-cel) Cilta-cel is an investigational chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy that is being studied in a comprehensive clinical development program for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma and in earlier lines of treatment.2 The design consists of a structurally differentiated CAR-T with two BCMA-targeting single domain antibodies.1 In December 2017, Janssen Biotech, Inc. (Janssen) entered into an exclusive worldwide license and collaboration agreement with Legend Biotech to develop and commercialise cilta-cel.8 In April 2021, Janssen announced its submission of a Marketing Authorisation Application to the European Medicines Agency seeking approval of cilta-cel for the treatment of patients with relapsed and/or refractory multiple myeloma.3 In December 2020, Janssen announced initiation of a rolling submission of its BLA to the U.S. FDA for cilta-cel, which was completed in Q1 2021.9 In addition to U.S. Breakthrough Therapy Designation granted in December 2019, cilta-cel received a PRIority MEdicines (PRiME) designation from the European Commission in April 2019, and a Breakthrough Therapy Designation in China in August 2020.10,11 Janssen also received Orphan Drug Designation for cilta-cel from the European Commission in February 2020.12 About Multiple Myeloma Multiple myeloma (MM) is an incurable blood cancer that starts in the bone marrow and is characterised by an excessive proliferation of plasma cells.13 In Europe, 50,918 people were diagnosed with MM in 2020, and more than 32,400 patients died.14 Around 50 percent of newly diagnosed patients do not reach five-year survival,15 and approximately 10 percent of patients with multiple myeloma will die within one year of diagnosis.16 Although treatment may result in remission, unfortunately, patients will most likely relapse as there is currently no cure.17 Refractory MM is when a patient's disease progresses on or within 60 days of their last therapy.18 Relapsed cancer is when the disease has returned after a period of initial, partial or complete remission.19 While some patients with MM have no symptoms at all, others are diagnosed due to symptoms that can include bone problems, low blood counts, calcium elevation, kidney problems or infections.20 Patients who relapse after treatment with standard therapies, including protease inhibitors and immunomodulatory agents, have poor prognoses and require new therapies for continued disease control.21 About the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson Johnson At Janssen, we're creating a future where disease is a thing of the past. We're the Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson Johnson, working tirelessly to make that future a reality for patients everywhere by fighting sickness with science, improving access with ingenuity, and healing hopelessness with heart. We focus on areas of medicine where we can make the biggest difference: Cardiovascular Metabolism, Immunology, Infectious Diseases Vaccines, Neuroscience, Oncology, and Pulmonary Hypertension. Learn more at www.janssen.com/emea. Follow us at www.twitter.com/janssenEMEA for our latest news. Janssen Pharmaceutical NV, Janssen Research Development, LLC, and Janssen-Cilag Limited are part of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson Johnson. *Saad Z. Usmani, M.D. has been a paid consultant to Janssen; he has not been paid for any media work. Cautions Concerning Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding ciltacabtagene autoleucel (cilta-cel). The reader is cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations of future events. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or known or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from the expectations and projections of Janssen Pharmaceutical NV, any of the other Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies, and/or Johnson Johnson. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: challenges and uncertainties inherent in product research and development, including the uncertainty of clinical success and of obtaining regulatory approvals; uncertainty of commercial success; manufacturing difficulties and delays; competition, including technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges to patents; product efficacy or safety concerns resulting in product recalls or regulatory action; changes in behaviour and spending patterns of purchasers of health care products and services; changes to applicable laws and regulations, including global health care reforms; and trends toward health care cost containment. A further list and descriptions of these risks, uncertainties and other factors can be found in Johnson Johnson's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 3, 2021, including in the sections captioned "Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" and "Item 1A. Risk Factors," and in the company's most recently filed Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, and the company's subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Copies of these filings are available online at www.sec.gov, www.jnj.com or on request from Johnson Johnson. None of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies nor Johnson Johnson undertakes to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information or future events or developments. References 1 Usmani, S. Ciltacabtagene autoleucel, a B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA)-directed chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy, in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (R/R MM): Updated results from CARTITUDE-1. Abstract #8005 [Oral]. To be presented at the 2021 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting. 2 Madduri, D et al. Cartitude-1: Phase 1b/2 Study of Ciltacabtagene Autoleucel, a B-Cell Maturation Antigen-Directed Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cell Therapy, in Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma. Oral Presentation. Presented at 2020 American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting. 3 Janssen Pharmaceutica NV. Janssen Submits Marketing Authorisation Application to the European Medicines Agency Seeking Approval of BCMA CAR-T Therapy Ciltacabtagene Autoleucel (cilta-cel) for the Treatment of Relapsed and/or Refractory Multiple Myeloma. Available at: https://www.janssen.com/emea/sites/www_janssen_com_emea/files/janssen_seeking_approval_of_bcma_car-t_therapy_ciltacabtagene_autoleucel_cilta-cel_for_the_treatment_of_relapsed_and_or_refractory_multiple_myeloma_1.pdf. Last accessed May 2021. 4 ClinicalTrials.gov. A Study of JNJ-68284528, a Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cell (CAR-T) Therapy Directed Against B-cell Maturation Antigen (BCMA) in Participants With Multiple Myeloma (CARTITUDE-2). Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04133636. Last accessed May 2021. 5 Agha, M. Efficacy and Safety of the BCMA-Directed CAR-T Cell Therapy, Ciltacabtagene Autoleucel, in Patients With Progressive Multiple Myeloma After 1-3 Prior Lines of Therapy: Initial Results From CARTITUDE-2. Abstract #8013 [poster]. To be presented at the 2021 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting. 6 Einsele H. Incidence, mitigation, and management of neurologic adverse events in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) treated with ciltacabtagene autoleucel (cilta-cel) in CARTITUDE-2. Abstract #8028 [poster]. To be presented at the 2021 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting. 7 ClinicalTrials.gov. A Study of JNJ-68284528, a Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cell (CAR-T) Therapy Directed Against B-Cell Maturation Antigen (BCMA) in Participants With Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma (CARTITUDE-1). Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03548207. Last accessed May 2021. 8 JnJ.com Janssen Enters Worldwide Collaboration and License Agreement with Chinese Company Legend Biotech to Develop Investigational CAR-T Anti-Cancer Therapy. Available at: https://www.jnj.com/media-center/press-releases/janssen-enters-worldwide-collaboration-and-license-agreement-with-chinese-company-legend-biotech-to-develop-investigational-car-t-anti-cancer-therapy. Last accessed May 2021. 9 JnJ.com. Janssen Initiates Rolling Submission of a Biologics License Application to U.S. FDA for BCMA CAR-T Therapy Ciltacabtagene Autoleucel (cilta-cel) for the Treatment of Relapsed and/or Refractory Multiple Myeloma. Available at: https://www.janssen.com/janssen-initiates-rolling-submission-biologics-license-application-us-fda-bcma-car-t-therapy. Last accessed May 2021. 10 JnJ.com. Janssen Announces BCMA CAR-T Therapy JNJ-4528 Granted U.S. FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designation for the Treatment of Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma. Available at: https://www.janssen.com/janssen-announces-bcma-car-t-therapy-jnj-4528-granted-us-fda-breakthrough-therapy-designation. Last accessed May 2021. 11 JnJ.com. Janssen Announces Investigational CAR-T Therapy JNJ-68284528 Granted PRIME Designation by the European Medicines Agency. Available at: https://www.jnj.com/janssen-announces-investigational-car-t-therapy-jnj-68284528-granted-prime-designation-by-the-european-medicines-agency Last accessed May 2021. 12 European Medicines Agency (EMA). Public summary of opinion on orphan designation Available at: https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/orphan-designation/eu/3/20/2252-public-summary-positive-opinion-orphan-designation-autologous-human-t-cells-genetically_en.pdf. Last accessed May 2021. 13 American Society of Clinical Oncology. Multiple myeloma: introduction. Available at: https://www.cancer.net/cancer-types/multiple-myeloma/introduction. Last accessed: May 2021. 14 GLOBOCAN 2020. Cancer Today Population Factsheets: Europe Region. Available at: https://gco.iarc.fr/today/data/factsheets/populations/908-europe-fact-sheets.pdf. Last accessed: May 2021. 15 Cancer.Net. Multiple Myeloma: Statistics. Available at: https://www.cancer.net/cancer-types/multiple-myeloma/statistics. Last accessed: May 2021. 16 Jung SH et al., Risk factors associated with early mortality in patients with multiple myeloma who were treated upfront with a novel agents containing regimen. BMC Cancer. 2016;16:613. 17 Abdi J, Chen G, Chang H, et al. Drug resistance in multiple myeloma: latest findings and new concepts on molecular mechanisms. Oncotarget. 2013;4:2186-2207. 18 Richardson P, Mitsiades C, Schlossman R, et al. The treatment of relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma. Hematology Am Soc Hematol Educ Program. 2007:317-23. 19 National Cancer Institute. NCI dictionary of cancer terms: relapsed. Available at: https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms?CdrID=45866. Last accessed: May 2021. 20 American Cancer Society. Multiple myeloma: early detection, diagnosis and staging. Available at: https://www.cancer.org/content/dam/CRC/PDF/Public/8740.00.pdf. Last accessed: May 2021. 21 Kumar SK, Lee JH, Lahuerta JJ, et al., Risk of progression and survival in multiple myeloma relapsing after therapy with IMiDs and bortezomib: a multicenter international myeloma working group study. Leukemia. 2012;26:149-57. CP-235666 May 2021 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005594/en/ Contacts: Media Enquiries: Noah Reymond Mobile: +31 621-385-718 Email: NReymond@ITS.JNJ.com Investor Relations: Christopher DelOrefice Office: +1 732-524-2955 Jennifer McIntyre Office: +1 732-524-3922 ENDO.AGENCY have launched a first for UK media advertising with an informational cannabis campaign that aims to educate the public on the Endocannabinoid system LONDON, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- For the first time ever, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) & Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP) has approved an educational cannabis message to be advertised in the public domain - a huge step forward for the existing cannabis industry due to extremely restrictive advertising rules around cannabis. We have set a new precedent for cannabis marketing, pioneering a fresh objective view of the contested plant. Launching this week in multiple prime Central London locations including Westminster, Trafalgar Square, and Oxford Street - the bold campaign is on display for 2 weeks. This news welcomes a new chapter of growth for cannabis companies, as figures have shown the industry is worth 690m in 2021, while fighting through an already challenging environment. Opening the door for advertising "For years cannabis companies have struggled to make any footprint through paid advertising, with very few brands able to have their campaigns cleared even globally. Confidence is starting to grow however, with the ASA & CAP allowing us to officially submit, and challenge old restrictions currently stopping the rest of the industry, we are confident of a new wave of growth for the space," said Marwan Elgamal from THC & Endo. "Allowing these new forms of advertising media helps the communication of complex ideas to become 'intelligible and comprehensive', by breaking the psychological shackles disallowing potential consumers the right to make well informed decisions," said Helaku Whyles from Endo Agency. YouGov polling data has shown that the UK is now broadly in support of cannabis legalisation, with 53% in favour, 32% in opposition and the rest undecided. London Mayor, Sadiq Khan, recently said he wants to have experts 'examine the latest evidence' to see whether the decriminalisation of cannabis would benefit the capital and country at large. Endo's publication on the Endocannabinoid system is available on request. For more information & images, please click here Notes to editors : About Marwan Elgamal Bio: Marwan Elgamal - Founder of THC & ENDO is featured as one of the top 100 most influential people in the cannabis industry today. He has a hand in creatively building some of the industry's leading companies across Europe, and is developing one of the largest lifestyle brands taking on cannabis reform today. About Helaku Whyles Co-founder of endo.agency Helaku Whyles has dedicated his design practice to the systematic re-contextualisation of cannabis. His work aims to communicate to the untapped future potential consumers of cannabis based products, where he sees huge benefits both economically and environmentally. About ENDO.AGENCY ENDO are your strategy, branding, & digital cannabis design solution specialists, we offer a range of expert services, and are pioneering the most impactful campaigns the cannabis industry has ever seen. ENDO promises to creativity, inform big media, and most importantly benefit the people. For more, email: team@endo.agency, +44 (0)7515266676 Thunder Bay, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - June 1, 2021) - White Metal Resources Corp. (TSXV: WHM) (FSE: CGK1) (OTC Pink: TNMLF) ("White Metal" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that ongoing research by the Company has uncovered historical percussion drilling that reported 27.0 m of 1.47% Cu and 11.7 g/t Ag at the Epunguwe Target area, located about 5 km north-northwest of the northern end of the Okohongo Cu-Ag Deposit, northwest Namibia. Details of the historical drilling results from the Epunguwe Target area are provided in Table 1. Historical reporting describes the Epunguwe Target area as a northwest trending, roughly three kilometre by half kilometre area of soil geochemical anomalies, as well as copper mineralization exposed at surface and in trenches along a significant syn-sedimentary, basinal growth fault. Mineralization is described as structurally-controlled and hosted by conglomerates (sandstones) of the basal Nosib Group at or near the contact with overlying Ombombo Subgroup rocks; Lower Omao Formation siltstone and Lower Omao Formation dolostone also host mineralization (INV Metals Inc. Report, March 21, 2012, filed on SEDAR). To the Company's knowledge, no work has been completed in this area since 2012. Table 1. Summary of historical drilling results from the Epunguwe Target area, EPL 7071, Namibia. *Drill Hole From (m) To (m) **Interval (m) Cu (%) Ag (g/t) Length (m) TCD-019 19.00 41.60 22.60 0.34 3.2 65.10 incl. 19.90 31.40 11.50 0.49 4.7 and 55.80 65.10 9.30 1.64 122.6 incl. 55.80 61.80 6.00 2.23 171.4 TCD-021 10.00 42.00 32.00 0.14 2.0 81.34 incl. 22.00 26.60 4.60 0.37 5.4 and 59.90 78.20 18.30 0.72 13.6 incl. 61.00 65.30 4.30 1.84 37.9 TCD-023 107.30 123.50 16.20 0.35 175.80 incl. 107.30 108.30 1.00 1.89 17.1 TCP-002 0.00 27.00 27.00 1.47 11.7 45.00 incl. 0.00 21.00 21.00 1.76 14.1 incl. 0.00 8.00 8.00 2.80 18.9 KAP-130 0.00 20.00 20.00 0.94 14.1 75.00 incl. 1.00 9.00 8.00 1.58 30.0 *TCD = diamond; TCP = percussion; KAP = percussion **drill hole intervals are not considered true widths and are being treated as core lengths. Michael Stares, President & CEO of the Company, stated, "I am extremely pleased to report this additional data and information from the Okohongo Copper-Silver Project, which gives me further assurance that there is still room to grow and find additional resources on the Property. Although there is sparse historical drilling north of the Okohongo Copper-Silver Deposit, these stratiform sedimentary hosted copper systems have a tendency to pinch and swell, and knowing from the historical data that there is a 3 km by half a km wide soil geochemical anomaly in the area of the Epunguwe Target area, leads me to think that there is still a lot of potential to find more copper silver mineralization. I should add that White Metal will remain focused on progressing the Tower Stock Gold Property in Ontario Canada, but that the Okohongo Copper-Silver Property is still one of our key assets." Historically, exposed copper mineralization in the Epunguwe Target area attracted the attention of exploration groups since the 1970s. Previous work includes General Mining soil surveys from the 1970s, Mount Isa Mining ("MIM") drilling in the late 1990s (KAP series holes), and Teck mapping, sampling, geophysics and drilling (TC series holes) in approximately 2006-2007. The primary target of surface work and historical drilling in the Epunguwe Target area has been the down-dip extension of copper-silver mineralization exposed in trenches that straddle the Nosib Group-Ombombo Subgroup contact (INV Metals Inc. Report, March 21, 2012, filed on SEDAR). Copper mineralization at the Epunguwe Target area occurs in similar stratigraphy to that described at the Okohongo Cu-Ag Deposit. At Okohongo, mineralization is concentrated in a dark-grey to grey-green phyllitic siltstone-shale interbedded with dolomite of the Lower Omao Formation that is conformably sandwiched between the underlying red beds of the Nosib Group and overlying carbonates of the Lower and Upper Omao Formations, referred to colloquially as the Okohongo Horizon (INV Metals Inc. Report, March 21, 2012, filed on SEDAR). The Company views this new data and information as significant in its continuous exploration efforts to trace copper-silver mineralization north and south from the Okohongo Cu-Ag Deposit. The Company has already initiated exploration work on the Property to evaluate the Epunguwe Target area and several other copper showings along the greater northern trend. A qualified person has not done sufficient enough work to verify the historical assay results and technical information reported herein. Qualified Person Technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Dr. Scott Jobin-Bevans (P.Geo.), Vice President Exploration and a Director of White Metal, who is a Qualified Person under the definitions established by the NI 43-101. About White Metal Resources Corp: White Metal Resources Corp. is a junior exploration company exploring in Canada and southern Africa. The company's two key properties are the Flagship Tower Stock Gold Project in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada and the Okohongo Copper-Silver Project in Namibia, Africa. For more information about the Company please visit www.whitemetalres.com. On behalf of the Board of Directors "Michael Stares" President & CEO For further information contact: Michael Stares President & CEO White Metal Resources Corp. Phone: +1 (807) 358-2420 Nancy Massicotte Investor Relations White Metal Resources Corp. Phone: +1 (604) 507-3377 TF: +1 (866) 503-3377 ir@whitemetalres.com THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE HAS NOT REVIEWED AND DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. The information contained herein contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements relate to information that is based on assumptions of management, forecasts of future results, and estimates of amounts not yet determinable. Any statements that express predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance are not statements of historical fact and may be "forward-looking statements." Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation: risks related to failure to obtain adequate financing on a timely basis and on acceptable terms; risks related to the outcome of legal proceedings; political and regulatory risks associated with mining and exploration; risks related to the maintenance of stock exchange listings; risks related to environmental regulation and liability; the potential for delays in exploration or development activities or the completion of feasibility studies; the uncertainty of profitability; risks and uncertainties relating to the interpretation of drill results, the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits; risks related to the inherent uncertainty of production and cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses; results of prefeasibility and feasibility studies, and the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations; risks related to gold price and other commodity price fluctuations; and other risks and uncertainties related to the Company's prospects, properties and business detailed elsewhere in the Company's disclosure record. Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. Actual events or results could differ materially from the Company's expectations or projections. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/85926 Market projected to grow at 11% CAGR to reach $16 Billion by 2026 Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - June 1, 2021) - SusGlobal Energy Corp. (OTCQB: SNRG) ("SusGlobal" or the "Company"), the developer of SusGro, a revolutionary pathogen free organic liquid fertilizer and LEADERS IN THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY is pleased to be included in a new comprehensive research market report compiled and published by Lucintel, a premier global market research and management consulting firm. The report analyzes growth opportunities in the organic fertilizer market by product type, form, end use, and region and is called, "The Global Organic Fertilizer Market 2021-2026." According to the new market report, the future of the global organic fertilizer market looks promising with opportunities in both the dry and liquid form segments. The organic fertilizer market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.2% over the forecast period 2021-2026 to US$15.894 Billion. The major drivers for this market are increasing consumption of organic food and products such as cannabis and wine and favorable government rules and regulations. In this market, dry and liquid fertilizer are the major product types. Based on its comprehensive research, Lucintel forecasts that the leading growth markets in organic fertilizer by form, from 2021-2026, with their growth rates (CAGRs), are estimated to be as follows: Dry: 11.0% by value Liquid: 11.8% by value The advantages of organic fertilizers are as follows: Soil Structure: The structure of the soil is improved due to the organic matter present in the organic fertilizer and increases the soil's ability to retain water and nutrients. Microbes Thrive: Organic fertilizers are rich in organic matter which helps microbes thrive. They contain carbon along with nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium that feeds microbes and enables them to make nutrients available for plants in a naturally occurring biological process. Environment Friendly and Sustainable: Organic fertilizers promote healthy soil and are considered a more environmentally friendly solution. They decompose very quickly without any negative effects on the surface and groundwater; and are safer for humans, animals, and birds. Reduces Chemical Fertilizers and Pesticides: Organic fertilizers reduce the need for pesticides and the overall nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium requirements. Plant Damage Threat Avoided: Organic fertilizers are less toxic and do not cause damage to leaves and roots. "We are pleased to have been included in this market report, as it validates our model and our growth initiatives, namely, producing regenerative products such as organic fertilizers," stated Marc Hazout, Executive Chairman, President and CEO of SusGlobal Energy Corp. "We will continue to introduce new organic products for several segments of our business in order to drive revenues and maximize shareholder value." About SusGlobal Energy Corp. SusGlobal Energy Corp., the developer of SusGro, a revolutionary pathogen free organic liquid fertilizer is a renewables company focused on acquiring, developing and monetizing a portfolio of proprietary technologies in the waste to energy and regenerative products application globally. It is management's objective to grow SusGlobal into a significant sustainable waste to energy and regenerative products provider, as Leaders in The Circular Economy. For more information, please visit the Company's website at: https://susglobalenergy.com. About Lucintel Lucintel, the premier global Management Consulting and market research firm, creates winning strategies for growth. It offers market assessments, competitive analysis, opportunity analysis, Growth Consulting, M&A, and Due diligence services to executives and key decision makers in a variety of industries. For further information, visit www.lucintel.com. Safe Harbor Statement This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding the Company's objectives. Forward looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "projects," "aims," "potential," "goal," "objective," "prospective," and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will," "would," "may," "can," "could" or "should" occur. The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking statements by the Company are not guarantees of future results or performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward looking statements as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to, lack of sufficient financial resources; variations in market conditions, currency and our stock; the Company's ability to obtain any necessary permits, approvals, consents or authorizations required for its activities; the Company's ability to produce energy, biogas, compost or organic fertilizer from its properties successfully or profitably, to continue its projected growth, or to be fully able to implement its business strategies and other risk factors described in the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which may be viewed at www.sec.gov. Contact SusGlobal Energy Corp. Marc Hazout, President and CEO (416) 223-8500 or Toll Free: 1-866-512-7374 Email: info@susglobalenergy.com SOURCE: SusGlobal Energy Corp. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/85898 Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - June 1, 2021) - US Copper Corp (TSXV: USCU) (OTCQB: USCUF) (FSE: C730) ("US Copper" or the "Company") is pleased to report that its previously announced 7,000 - 10,000 foot core drilling program has recently begun at its Superior deposit, one of 3 deposits at the 100% owned Moonlight-Superior Copper Project in Plumas County, California. The drill program, will take approximately 2-3 months to complete and is designed to accomplish three main objectives: Verify historic copper assays from the 1960's drilling by Placer Amex; Test the deposit for silver and gold credits (these precious metals were not properly assayed by Placer in the 1960's); and Upgrade portions of the resource from inferred to indicated status. Stephen Dunn, President and CEO, commented: "We intend to move our Moonlight-Superior project towards the production-stage as quickly as possible, and the current drilling program is the first step. A recovery in copper prices and the global transition to sustainable energy through electrification with non-fossil fuel alternatives have created an ideal environment for new copper development in the United States." About US Copper Corp US Copper controls approximately 13 square miles of patented and unpatented federal mining claims in the Light's Creek Copper District in Plumas County, NE California; essentially, the entire District. The District contains substantial copper (silver) sulfide and copper oxide resources in three deposits - Moonlight, Superior and Engels, as well as several partially tested and untested exploration targets. The Superior and Engels Mines operated from about 1915-1930 producing over 161 million pounds of copper from over 4 million tons of rock containing 2.2% copper with silver and gold credits. The Moonlight Deposit was discovered and drilled by Placer Amex during the 1960's. Details of the resources on US Copper's property and the parameters used to calculate them can be found in the "Technical Report and Preliminary Economic Assessment for the Moonlight Deposit, Moonlight-Superior Copper Project, California, USA" dated April 12, 2018, on both the company's website at www.uscoppercorp.com or on www.sedar.com under the US Copper Corp profile. Mr. George Cole is the Qualified Person pursuant to NI 43-101 responsible for the technical information contained in this news release, and he has reviewed and approved this news release. For Further Information Contact: Mr. Stephen Dunn, President, CEO and Director, US Copper Corp (416) 361-2827 or email info@uscoppercorp.com. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable Canadian and U.S. securities laws and regulations, including statements regarding the future activities of the Company. Forward-looking statements reflect the current beliefs and expectations of management and are identified by the use of words including "will", "hopes", "anticipates", "expected to", "plans", "planned", "intends" and other similar words. Actual results may differ significantly. The achievement of the results expressed in forward-looking statements is subject to a number of risks, including those described in the Company's management discussion and analysis as filed with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities which are available at www.sedar.com. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon forward-looking statements. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/85919 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 1, 2021) - Tembo Gold Corp. (TSXV: TEM) ("Tembo" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the initial results of the work being conducted by GoldSpot Discoveries Corp. ("GoldSpot"), in conjunction with the Tembo geological team. The Company announced the collaboration agreement with GoldSpot on August 20th, 2020 (https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/62139/Tembo-Gold-Technical-Collaboration-Agreement). GoldSpot is applying the broad experience and knowledge of their multidisciplinary team of geoscientists and data scientists, coupled with artificial intelligence computing technology to re-interpret the Tembo data and any other available data that is relevant to the Tembo project area, to generate structural targets for ongoing gold exploration. Highlights of the Outcomes to Date GoldSpot has primarily focused on geophysics (airborne magnetics and ground induced polarization), soil and rock geochemistry, satellite imagery (ASTER data), structural interpretation, LithoLens (analysing core photography), gold distribution modeling and regional prospectivity mapping using the Random Forrest algorithm. The data analysis and interpretation has provided an updated geophysical interpretation and improved structural understanding. The work has resulted in confirmation of multiple targets on the Tembo property and, most importantly, has facilitated the spatial definition and prioritisation of the targets that is now the basis for planning a programme of systematic and focused exploration with a high degree of confidence. In total, the GoldSpot Smart targeting approach was able to identify and rank 54 new targets on the property (Figure 1). Arising out of this a number of recommendations regarding further work programmes have been provided. The Company has prepared an initial drilling programme to provide further intersections of newly prioritized zones of mineralization with particular focus on generating detailed structural information. Wider exploration activity has also been recommended, including geochemical and geophysical surveys, and will be prioritized after evaluation of all lithological, structural, and assay data generated from this initial drill programme. The budget for this drilling will provide for 2,000m of diamond drilling, 5,500m of reverse circulation drilling and 7,500m of RAB/Aircore. Figure 1. 54 new targets have been generated through the GoldSpot-Tembo collaborative re-interpretation To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2214/85939_c042dcfa84f16ac4_002full.jpg Smart Targeting Approach The GoldSpot team of experts undertook the interpretation and analysis of each individual type of dataset available. Systematic evaluation of the various geophysical (magnetic and IP) datasets, in conjunction with high resolution LIDAR orthophotography and the detailed digital elevation model has led to the recognition of two important deformation events that appear to have played critical roles in the localization of many of the targeted zones of mineralization. Numerous northwest-southeast trending structures, the same orientation of those hosting the 20M oz Bulyanhulu gold deposit, together with northeast-southwest and east-west structural were identified by the GoldSpot study. Key path-finder elements were identified from the existing Tembo geochemical database, and, together with the Muscovite Saturation Index, were demonstrated to be of potential value in highlighting structural zones of interest in drill core and will play an important role in the evaluation of the new drill programme. The integration of all these variables and the resulting new interpretations have led to a greatly enhanced geological understanding of the area. Importantly, this Smart geological model has not only demonstrated strong similarities with the adjacent Bulyhanhulu gold deposits but also highlighted the additional mineralized structural trends and multiple targets within the Tembo Project area. David Scott, President & CEO, stated, "This collaborative re-interpretation and enhancement of the technical consideration of the Tembo data has greatly improved the overall understanding of the geological setting within this greenstone fragment, has identified invaluable characteristics that are interpreted to accompany gold mineralization, and allowed us to identify what the future work programmes will consist of and prioritise these programmes on each of the targets to be tested. The work has confirmed our prior view that the Tembo project contains many targets characterized by structural attributes that may host gold mineralization. The detailed work programmes and budgets are now under preparation and will be launched shortly." A stringent QA/QC practice is being applied to all sample batches. A Verified Reference Material standard is inserted in every 20th sample, a known blank or blank standard every 20th sample and all samples with assays greater than 0.5g/t are re-assayed. 1% of all samples are submitted to an alternative laboratory for check analysis. In addition to this practice, the laboratory adheres to an internal QA/QC procedure, including standard samples and repeats and blanks inserted independently. The above information has been prepared under the supervision of David Scott, Pr. Sci. Nat., who is designated as a "Qualified Person" with the ability and authority to verify the authenticity and validity of the data. About Tembo Gold Corp. Tembo is a Canadian publicly listed mineral exploration company with a 100% interest in the Tembo Gold Project. Tembo's focus is the discovery and development of gold projects in Africa. The Company has assembled a highly experienced team with a proven history of developing, financing, and operating mining projects in Africa. The Company's exploration strategy is to discover mineral resources as well as continue to look for additional opportunities that can bring value to the Company and shareholders. The above information has been prepared under the supervision of David Scott, Pr. Sci. Nat., who is designated as a "Qualified Person" with the ability and authority to verify the authenticity and validity of the data. On Behalf of the Board of Directors of Tembo: David Scott President & CEO Phone: 255-767-366146 Email: dscott@tembogold.com For more information please contact: Simon Benstead Director & VP Corporate Development Phone: 604-685-9316 Email: investors@tembogold.com Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Certain information set out in this news release constitutes forward-looking information. Forward looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "seek", "anticipate; "plan", "continue; "estimate; "expect", "may, "will", "intend", "could", "might", "should", "believe" and similar expressions. This news release contains forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, the anticipated filing date for the Required Filings. Forward-looking statements are based upon the opinions and expectations of management of the Company as at the effective date of such statements and, in certain cases, information provided or disseminated by third parties. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, and that information obtained from third party sources is reliable, they can give no assurance that those expectations will prove to have been correct. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from results contemplated by the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include that the Company does not file its Required Filings by the anticipated date. Accordingly, the actual events may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. When relying on forward-looking statements to make decisions, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements, except as may be required by applicable securities laws. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its regulation services provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/85939 Delta, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 1, 2021) - Desert Gold Ventures Inc. (TSXV: DAU) (FSE: QXR2) (OTCQB: DAUGF) (the "Company") is pleased to present new gold-in-auger and gold-in-soil exploration targets on its SMSZ Project. The untested auger anomalies lie both under shallow laterite cover proximal to the projected location of the regional scale Main Transcurrent Shear Zone, along the western portion of the property package. The Company's 2021 exploration program is now more than 75% completed on its flagship Senegal Mali Shear Zone project in Western Mali (the "SMSZ Project"). The 410 km2 SMSZ Project is both named after and overlies a 38 km section of the prolific Senegal Mali Shear Zone (the "SMSZ"). The SMSZ is related to 5 large mines located both to the north and south, along strike of the Company's SMSZ Project, including B2 Gold's Fekola Mine, Barrick's Gounkoto and Loulo Mines and Allied Gold's Sadiola and Yatela Mines1. To the Company's knowledge, the SMSZ Project is the largest, contiguous, non-producer land package over this highly prospective structural feature (see Figure 1). Field work recommenced at the SMSZ Project in early December, 2020. The goal of the exploration program is to develop/discover a stand-alone Tier 1 gold deposit(s). Exploration comprises of drilling to advance known gold zones and soil, auger and IP surveys to identify new targets, with real-time follow-up of drill testing of newly developed targets. The SMSZ exploration program is fully underway with one multipurpose drill and a geological mapping team. Highlights - (see Figure 2) Strong gold-in-auger anomaly discovered north, along trend, of the Gourbassi West Deposit with auger values of 1,937, 1,736, 581, 570 and 460 ppb gold , on three separate, 500 metre-spaced lines. northernmost gold-in-auger anomaly, located 1.8 km north of the Gourbassi West Deposit. Combined with the Gourbassi West deposit, the zone of high perspectivity is now 3 km long. Seven new gold-in-soil anomalies , up to 2.4 km long, have been discovered to the north of the Gourbassi West Zone. Gold-in-soil values range up to 9,394 ppb gold . New gold zone discovered with a grab sample returning 8.95 g/t gold . Associated with new 800 m long, northwest-trending, gold-in-soil anomaly trend. Jared Scharf, President and CEO Desert Gold Ventures commented, "The new auger results north of Gourbassi West are very exciting, and if confirmed by drilling, could more than double the strike length of the existing deposit. To date, Gourbassi West has yielded some of the best drill results on the property with intercepts as high as 3.52 grams per ton gold over 33 metres demonstrating the potential for a strong gold system along this geological feature. First pass drill testing over the best auger anomalies along this highly prospective trend will begin in the month of June, weather and drill rig availability permitting." Figure 1 - SMSZ Project Location and Major Deposits in Western Mali and Eastern Senegal To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4954/85946_45ecc5de44c47974_001full.jpg Figure 2 - Summarized gold-in-auger and gold-in-soil results To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4954/85946_45ecc5de44c47974_002full.jpg Technical data - Gold-in-auger and gold-in-soil results Summary results from 64 auger holes and 6,028 soil samples are presented in this release (see Figure 3). All of the samples were collected over the two westernmost concessions of the SMSZ Project. Three, 500 to 550 metre long lines of 25-metre spaced auger holes, on lines 500 metres apart, were completed along the projected northern strike extent of the Gourbassi West Zone, in an area of weak soil anomalies and thin (3-5 metres at anomalous sample sites) laterite cover. Highly anomalous gold-in-auger values of 1,937, 1,736 and 460 ppb gold, were returned on three separate lines with northernmost gold-in-auger anomaly, located 1.8 km north of the modelled Gourbassi West Deposit. In addition to these anomalous high points, auger data indicates weak to strongly anomalous gold values, in adjacent holes. These anomalies will be tested during the current program and, due to their highly anomalous values and location along trend, demonstrate good potential to extend the Gourbassi West Gold zone to the north. A total of 6,028 soil samples were collected over three areas to the north and west of the Gourbassi gold zones. These areas, to the best of the Companies' knowledge, never been systematically explored. While collecting the samples, several new artisanal mining areas were discovered, one of which, returned a gold value of 8.95 g/t gold, from a grab sample. As well, new gold-in-soil results indicate seven new trends of anomalous gold in soils with the longest trend extending for approximately 2.4 km and the best gold-in-soil value returning 9,384 ppb gold. The interpreted gold anomalies appear to be aligned along northerly and northwesterly trends, which is consistent to the airborne tilt-angle magnetic data. Mapping of the area indicates a mix if sandstone/greywacke, ironstones, hydrothermal breccias and large areas of thin to thick laterite cover. Auger drilling may be required to validate the soil anomalies in laterite-covered areas. Also highlighted in Figure 2, are two, northwest-trending, gold-in soil trends, located north of the Gourbassi East Deposit. With the success of using auger surveys to the north of the Gourbassi West Deposit, it is expected that a similar auger program, followed by testing of the gold-in-auger anomalies, with AC holes, would be worthwhile. Exploration Progress to May 28, 2021 Drilling - 59% complete. Drilling pace has again picked up after a series of breakdowns with 11,788 metres drilled to date. A 2 nd AC drill rig is due to arrive on site in June to speed up the drill program and follow up on new auger targets. Assay turnaround has increased from 3 to 8 weeks due to high sample volumes at the lab. 9,764 sample assays pending 4,724 metres AC, 5,513 metres RC, 1,551 metres of DD/RCD completed The 2021 drill holes are designed to follow-up on Gourbassi West, Gourbassi East and Barani East Zones, to continue to trace gold mineralization from Barani East northeast to Soa and south to Keniegoulou, follow up drill testing at Gourbassi NE, Goubassi SE, Berola, Frikidi, KE, Komana and Manakoto zones and to test newly developed gold-in-auger targets. Drilling pace has again picked up after a series of breakdowns with 11,788 metres drilled to date. Auger Drilling - 107 % complete Testing for gold mineralization along thinly-covered laterite, and/or, not yet evaluated, regional scale structures. 21,111 metres drilling in 2,262 holes completed. Program deemed very successful with more metres drilled than originally planned. Assays for 1,070 auger samples pending. IP Geophysical Surveys - 121% complete 90.8-line kilometres completed. Historic and new IP data have been merged with new targets identified. Historic drilling and shows over 90% correlation to IP targets. Soil Sampling - 110 % complete with 7,703 samples collected Tested 3 areas comprising ~100 km2, that had not been soil sampled, mapped or drilled. Program deemed a success as several new areas of gold anomalism were discovered including a new 2.4 km gold trend and a best gold-in-soil value returning 9,384 ppb gold. Mapping and prospecting ongoing Underway with approximately 45% of the property still requiring mapping and prospecting. Community Support Program in progress Medical and school supplies to be donated to 9 communities in the SMSZ Project region. Complete a 43-101 compliant report in Q4, 2021 Next Steps Approximately 170 additional air core drill holes, totaling 8,500 metres have been proposed to test most of the new auger anomalies. Drilling to test these targets will be carried out in due course as part of the current 20,000 metre drill program and likely future programs. Currently, 21,630 metres of drilling are planned and proposed. It is expected that this number will increase as more results come in. Drill results are still pending for the Gourbassi West and East Zones, Barani East, Barani Gap and the newly discovered Sorokoto prospect. QAQC All auger samples are delivered to SGS in Bamako, Mali where they are prepped. The prepped samples, were then shipped by truck to SGS's facility in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso for Au determination by 24 hours CN bottle roll leach. Standards, assay blanks and sample duplicates, are inserted into the assay stream every 25, 23 and 22 samples, respectively equaling one control sample for every 8 assay samples. All assay batches are reviewed for quality with re-assays requested for standards that assay more than 2 to 3 SD from an excepted value and for blanks that contain more than 10 ppb gold. This press release contains certain scientific and technical information. The Company is solely responsible for the contents and accuracy of any scientific and technical information related to it. Don Dudek, P.Geo. a director of Desert Gold and a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information contained in this press release. On Behalf of the Board "Jared Scharf" ___________________________ Jared Scharf President & CEO About Desert Gold Desert Gold Ventures Inc. is a gold exploration and development company which holds 2 gold exploration permits in Western Mali (SMSZ Project and Djimbala), its Anumso project in Ghana's Ashanti Belt and its Rutare gold project in central Rwanda. For further information please visit www.SEDAR.com under the company's profile. Website: www.desertgold.ca. Contact Jared Scharf, President and CEO Email: jared.scharf@desertgold.ca This news release contains forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements entail various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in these forward-looking statements. Such statements are based on current expectations, are subject to a number of uncertainties and risks, and actual results may differ materially from those contained in such statements. These uncertainties and risks include, but are not limited to, the strength of the capital markets, the price of gold; operational, funding, liquidity risks, the degree to which mineral resource estimates are reflective of actual mineral resources, the degree to which factors which would make a mineral deposit commercially viable, and the risks and hazards associated with mining operations. Risks and uncertainties about the Company's business are more fully discussed in the company's disclosure materials filed with the securities regulatory authorities in Canada and available at www.sedar.com and readers are urged to read these materials. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from such statements unless required by law. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its regulation services provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities described herein in the United States. The securities described herein have not been and will not be registered under the united states securities act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to the account or benefit of a U.S. person absent an exemption from the registration requirements of such act. ____________________ 1 Mineralization hosted on adjacent and/or nearby properties is not necessarily representative of mineralization hosted on the Company's SMSZ Property. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/85946 WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - COVID-19 metrics in the United States fell to the levels seen during the initial stages of the pandemic. New cases and deaths recorded on Sunday and Memorial Day were the lowest in more than a year. While 131 new deaths and 7428 new cases were reported on Sunday, the figures were 150 and 5235 respectively, the following day. These are far lower than the current weekly avearages in both metrics. With this, the number of people infected with coronavirus in the U.S. increased to 34,113,14, and the total COVID death toll in the country reached 609,767. Illinois reported the most number of deaths - 38, while New York reported the highest number of cases - 524. The lower metrics are attributed to reporting delays on weekends and holidays. A total of 27,863,840 people have so far recovered from coronavirus infection in the country, according to the latest data from Johns Hopkins University. With more than 40 percent of the U.S. population fully vaccinated, the country celebrated Memorial Day close to normal with crowds flocking to beaches and bars, reports say. US airports experienced busy traffic during the holidays. However, the World Health Organization warned against complacency. 'We're very encouraged that cases and deaths are continuing to decline globally, but it would be a monumental error for any country to think the danger has passed,' WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in closing comments to the WHO's annual week-long high-level assembly. Although COVID cases and deaths are declining globally, Tedros insisted that the way out was through 'tailored and consistent' public health measures in combination with equitable vaccination. The UN health agency chief urged all Member States to commit to vaccinating at least 10 percent of the global population by the end of September and at least 30 percent by the end of the year. Tedros said that a potential international pandemic preparedness treaty will be discussed in a special session of WHO members in November. The World Health Organization also announced that it has assigned new simple labels for key variants of the coronavirus, using letters of the Greek alphabet. For example, the B.1.617.2 variant of concern initially identified in India will be labeled now as 'Delta'. The one identified in the U.K. will be called 'Alpha'. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de AUSTIN, TX / ACCESSWIRE / June 1, 2021 / SmallCapVoice.com Inc. ("SCV") announces the availability of a new interview with Shannon Wilkinson, co-founder and CEO of Tego Cyber Inc. (OTCQB:TGCB), to discuss how the Company's cyber threat intelligence application captures exponential growth opportunity within the $170 billion global cyber security market. Tego's innovative intelligence platform reduces risk, prevents cyber-attacks, and protects intellectual property and data. Given the heightened frequency and severity of security breaches in recent years, Tego addresses a market hungry for proactive solutions that stay ahead of criminal attacks. Speaking with SCV's Stuart Smith, Wilkinson described the tactical history of Tego and how its corporate structure enables the Company to advance its platform and deliver scalable solutions. "We're really filling the gap and ending some of the frustrations that are out there for cyber intelligence," she stated. "We purpose-built the company to go public from the very get-go in order to help fund research and development of our platform through getting friends and family involved in the company." According to Accenture, the average cost of a malware attack on a company is $2.6 million. Dismal to this statistic is that it typically takes organizations 206 days to realize they're even under attack. In the interview, Wilkinson offered a deeper dive into the magnitude of cybercrime in modern business. "It's staggering, and of course through the pandemic we've seen an exponential rise in cybercrime," she stated, referring to a report that cybercrime has increased 300% since the start of the COVID pandemic. For Tego, this creates a wealth of opportunity in the emerging cyber threat intelligence market, which is growing at twice the rate of the overall cybersecurity market, Wilkinson noted. The Tego Threat Intelligence Platform (TTIP) collects disparate, vetted threat data from different sources and utilizes a proprietary process to compile, analyze and deliver data to an enterprise in a timely, informative and relevant manner. The first version of the platform will integrate with the widely accepted SPLUNK platform while future versions will incorporate with other established SIEM systems and platforms such as Elastic, IBM QRadar, AT&T Cybersecurity, Exabeam and LogRhythm. What makes the TTIP especially unique is that it provides specific details - the who, what, when and where - to quickly identify and enable appropriate action against the threat. "We take the very important step of adding context and adding additional information that security operations teams need," said Wilkinson. "That's something that's missing from a lot of threat intelligence platforms, is that context, the information that the special operations teams need when an incident occurs." The CEO then explained how Tego integrates into an enterprise's existing platform to increase efficiency and the return-on-investment of the cybersecurity tools the enterprise currently uses, and then discussed the Company's scalability and experience of the main drivers of its leadership team. "Technology within a company is great, but without a good management team behind it, the company will struggle," she said. "That's one of the reasons why at Tego we decided that we needed to have a strong management team with a good network and a lot of experience in the industry." The interview also highlighted Tego's accelerated path toward revenue and profitability - with licensing tagged at $75,000 per license per year - as well as its ability to build a sustainable and scalable business model. "One of the nice things is that we're not having to go out and create a customer base, but we're building on top of existing customer bases," Wilkinson told Smith. "That makes our sales and marketing strategy a little bit easier than going out and custom building a customer base from scratch." Wilkinson concluded the interview by explaining how Tego, as a cloud-based Software-as-a-Service (Saas) provider, enjoys high gross profit margins. The Company also boasts a low share count held by friendly investors; a highly efficient management team; and an enviable position as a prime acquisition target for cybersecurity and technology companies. The full interview can be heard at: https://www.smallcapvoice.com/june-interview-tego-cyber-tgcb/ About Tego Cyber Inc. Tego Cyber Inc. (OTCQB:TGCB), "the Company," was created to capitalize on the emerging cyber threat intelligence market. The Company has developed a cyber threat intelligence application that integrates with top end security platforms to gather, analyze, then proactively identify threats to an enterprise network. The Tego Threat Intelligence Platform (TTIP) takes in vetted and curated threat data and after utilizing a proprietary process, the platform compiles, analyzes, and then delivers that data to an enterprise network in a format that is timely, informative, and relevant. The threat data provides additional context including specific details needed to identify and counteract threats so that security teams can spend less time searching for disparate information. The first version of the TTIP will integrate with the widely accepted SPLUNK platform to provide real-time threat intelligence to macro enterprises using the SPLUNK architecture. The Company plans on developing future versions of the TTIP for integration with other established SIEM systems and platforms including: Elastic, IBM QRadar, AT&T Cybersecurity, Exabeam, and LogRhythm. For more information, visit the company's website at https://TegoCyber.com/ Forward-Looking Statements The statements contained in this press release, those which are not purely historical or which depend upon future events, may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Statements regarding the Company's expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future constitute forward-looking statements. Prospective investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, and that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements because of various factors. All forward-looking statements included in this press release are based on information available to the Company on the date hereof and the Company assumes no obligation to update any such forward-looking statement. Prospective investors should also consult the risks factors described from time to time in the Company's Reports on Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K and Annual Reports to Shareholders. About SmallCapVoice.com SmallCapVoice.com, Inc. is a recognized corporate investor relations firm, with clients nationwide, known for its ability to help emerging growth companies, small cap and micro-cap stocks build a following among retail and institutional investors. SmallCapVoice.com utilizes its stock newsletter to feature its daily stock picks, podcasts, as well as its clients' financial news releases. SmallCapVoice.com also offers individual investors all the tools they need to make informed decisions about the stocks in which they are interested. Tools like stock charts, stock alerts, and Company Information Sheets can assist with investing in stocks that are traded on the OTCMarkets. To learn more about SmallCapVoice.com and its services, please visit https://www.smallcapvoice.com/small-cap-stock-otc-investor-relations-financial-public-relations/. Socialize with SmallCapVoice and their clients at Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SmallCapVoice/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/smallcapvoice Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smallcapvoice/ Contact Information: Tego Cyber Inc. 8565 S Eastern Avenue, Suite 150 Las Vegas, Nevada 89123 USA Tel: 855-939-0100 Email: Info@TegoCyber.com Web: TegoCyber.com Facebook: facebook.com/tegocyber LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/tegocyber Twitter: twitter.com/tegocyber Investor Relations: Crescendo Communications, LLC Tel: 212-671-1020 Email: TGCB@crescendo-ir.com SmallCapVoice.com Stuart T. Smith 512-267-2430 Info@SmallCapVoice.com SOURCE: SmallCapVoice.com View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/649690/Tego-Cyber-Inc-Discusses-its-Solution-to-Mounting-Cybersecurity-Threats-in-Audio-Interview-with-SmallCapVoicecom VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / June 1, 2021 / Wedgemount Resources Corp. (CSE:WDGY) ("Wedgemount" or the "Company"), is pleased to announce that it has entered into an option agreement (the "Agreement") to acquire the Red Copper property located in the prolific southern Toodoggone copper belt of north-central British Columbia (the "Red Property"). Under the terms of the Agreement, Wedgemount can acquire a 100% interest in the Red Property subject to a 2% net smelter return ("NSR"). Mark Vanry, President & CEO of Wedgemount commented, "Wedgemount is excited to add a second highly prospective copper-gold target in the heart of British Columbia's porphyry copper country. Similar to our Eagle property, the terms outlined in the Red Property Agreement adhere to our strategy of strict capital discipline with a focus on accretive acquisition terms and prudent capital expenditures for initial exploration phases. The Red Property in combination with the recently staked Cookie Claims (the Red Property and the Cookie Claims the "Property") give the Company one of the largest land packages in what is quickly becoming one of BC's most sought-after copper districts." The 2,000-hectare Red Property and the adjacent Cookie Claims (staked by Wedgemount) collectively comprise over 20,000 hectares. The center of the Property is approximately 40 kilometers south of Centerra Gold's past producing Kemess copper-gold mine and approximately 200 kilometers north of Smithers B.C. Historical work from the late-1960s to the early 2000's, including geological mapping, geophysical and geochemical surveys and limited drilling have outlined numerous porphyry-related copper-gold targets defined by widespread hydrothermal alteration zones, copper and gold mineralization and strong, yet untested copper-in-soil geochemical anomalies. These targets as well as numerous other Property-wide targets will be rigorously investigated utilizing modern exploration techniques and equipment for the first time, during the summer 2021 exploration season with the goal of defining new drill targets. The core of the Red Property is underlain by Triassic Takla Group volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks cut by a northwest trending intrusive complex varying from porphyritic monzonite to gabbro. Copper and gold mineralization is reportedly associated with these intrusive rocks and define a 2 by 1.6 kilometer area of local surface mineralization (Harris, 2005). Strong copper-in-soil geochemistry define an approximately 4.6 kilometer, northwest trending corridor spatially associated with surface mineralization as well as an open ended northwest-trending chargeability IP (induced polarization) anomaly (Harris, 2005). This corridor remains largely un-tested and represents a priority area for evaluation including geological mapping, confirmation soil geochemistry and possible deep penetrating IP geophysical surveys. Transaction Details Cash payments totalling $220,000 over five years ($20,000 paid); Issuance of 1,800,000 common shares (150,000 issued); Exploration expenditures of $1,075,000 over four years ending December 31, 2025; A 2% NSR payable on claims comprising the Red Property, which the Company can reduce by 50% for $1,000,000; and A 1.25% NSR an any additional staked property within the area of interest, which Wedgemount can reduce to 0.25% by paying $1,000,000. The Red Property has been under an exclusivity agreement since November 19, 2020. The Agreement is subject to Canadian Securities Exchange approval, any common shares issued in connection with the Agreement, will be subject to a hold period expiring four months and one day from the date of issuance. Data Verification and National Instrument 43-101 Disclosure Some data disclosed in this news release relating to sampling and drilling results are historical in nature. Neither the Company nor a Qualified Person, as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"), have verified the data, and, therefore, investors should not place undue reliance on such data. In some cases, the data may be unverifiable due to lack of drill core. Mineralization hosted on adjacent and/or nearby and/or geologically similar properties is not necessarily indicative of mineralization hosted on the company's property. The technical information disclosed in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Christopher Leslie, P.Geo., a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. References Harris, S., 2005, 2004 Geological, geochemical, geophysical and diamond drilling report on the Red property, Assessment Report 27622, Assessment Report Indexing System, aris.empr.gov.bc.ca, 179 p. About Wedgemount Resources Corp. Wedgemount Resources is a junior mineral exploration company focused on maximizing shareholder value through the acquisition, discovery and advancement of high-quality copper - gold projects in North America. On behalf of the Board of Directors, WEDGEMOUNT RESOURCES CORP. Mark Vanry, President and CEO For more information, please contact the Company at: Telephone: (604) 343-4743 info@wedgemountresources.com www.wedgemountresources.com Reader Advisory This news release may contain statements which constitute "forward-looking information", including statements regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs and current expectations of the Company, its directors, or its officers with respect to the future business activities of the Company. The words "may", "would", "could", "will", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect" and similar expressions, as they relate to the Company, or its management, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Forward looking statements made in this news release include the Company's plans for exploration of the property and anticipated exploration results. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future business activities and involve risks and uncertainties, and that the Company's future business activities may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to, availability of funds, personnel and other resources necessary to conduct exploration programs, successes of the Company's exploration programs, availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions. There can be no assurances that such information will prove accurate and, therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such uncertainties. The Company does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking information except as required under the applicable securities laws. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE: Wedgemount Resources Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/649856/Wedgemount-Announces-Closing-of-Strategic-Red-Copper-Property-Acquisition Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - June 1, 2021) - LevelJump Healthcare Corp. (TSXV: JUMP) (OTCQB: JMPHF) (FSE: 75J) ("LevelJump" or the "Company"), a Canadian leader in B2B telehealth solutions, is pleased to announce today it has reported financial results for the first fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2021. All amounts are expressed in Canadian dollars. Financial and Operational Highlights Revenues from Canadian Teleradiology Services, Inc. ("CTS") operations hits record level with $1,560,720 in revenues for the first quarter. Gross profit from CTS operations was $305,955 for the quarter, a 19.6% margin; Year over Year Q1 revenue increase of $276,854 an increase of 21.6%. Revenue increased despite Covid 19 lockdowns that continued to limit hospital activity during the quarter. Leveljump completed a private placement for $1.5 million to enhance its cash positions; Clean balance sheet with almost no long-term debt 2021 Q1 Financial Results for Leveljump Total operating expenses were $1,010,591, including approximately $400,000 of non-cash items including stock based compensation, as well as $175,000 in marketing and advertising expenses and deferred salaries of approximately $120,000. Management Comments "We had a record quarter for revenue from operations," said Mitch Geisler, CEO. "CTS continues to see increased volume from current clients, as well as the new hospital network that was added in Q1. We were able to increase reading revenue while COVID-19 lockdown measures stayed in effect. We believe our strong revenue has positioned the Company well for full year 2021 results. From a corporate perspective we worked hard on looking at ways to expand operations and potential new revenue streams looking at growth opportunities. The recent private placement strengthened our cash position and aligned strategic investors with our long-term corporate vision." Non-IFRS Financial Measures This news release contains financial terms (such as adjusted EBITDA) that are not considered in IFRS. Such financial measures, together with measures prepared in accordance with IFRS, provide useful information to investors and shareholders, as management uses them to evaluate the operating performance of the Company. The Company's determination of these non-IFRS measures may differ from other reporting issuers, and therefore are unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. Further, these non-IFRS measures should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance or cash flows prepared in accordance with IFRS. These financial measures are included because management uses this information to analyze operating performance and liquidity. Adjusted EBITDA & Annual Revenue Run Rate Management believes adjusted EBITDA is a useful supplemental measure to determine the Company's ability to generate cash available for working capital, capital expenditures, debt repayments, interest expense and income taxes. EBITDA refers to net income (loss) determined in accordance with IFRS, before depreciation and amortization, net interest expense (income) and income tax expense (recovery). The Company defines adjusted EBITDA as EBITDA, plus stock-based compensation expense, restructuring, fair value adjustments, listing expense and transaction costs, impairment and finance income. A reconciliation of adjusted EBITDA to net income (loss) is as follows: Three Months ended March 31 ($ in thousands) 2021 2019 Net income (loss) and comprehensive income (loss) (709 ) 49 Add back: Depreciation and amortization 8 8 Net interest expense 3 19 Stock-based compensation 393 - Misc and foreign exchange - 1 EBITDA (305 ) 77 Add back: One time Professional Fees related to Listing and fundraising 95 14 Adjusted EBITDA (210 ) 91 For further details on the results, please refer to Leveljump's Interim Management, Discussion and Analysis and Unaudited Condensed Interim Consolidated Financial Statements for the quarter ended March 31, 2021, which are available on the Company's website (www.leveljumphealthcare.com) and under the Company's profile on SEDAR (www.sedar.com). About LevelJump Healthcare Leveljump Healthcare Corp., (TSXV: JUMP) is building a national medical diagnostic imaging company and brand, primarily by providing teleradiology (remote radiology) services to its client hospitals and imaging centers. Additionally, JUMP plans to expand through the acquisition of independent healthcare facilities focused on diagnostic imaging as well as acquiring new disruptive imaging technologies. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF LEVELJUMP HEALTHCARE CORP. Mitchell Geisler, Chief Executive Officer info@leveljumphealthcare.com (833) 840-2020 CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws relating to the Company's business plans and the outlook of the Company's industry. Although the Company believes, in light of the experience of its officers and directors, current conditions and expected future developments and other factors that have been considered appropriate, that the expectations reflected in this forward-looking information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on them because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by these statements. The statements in this press release are made as of the date of this release and the Company assumes no responsibility to update them or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances other than as required by applicable securities laws. The Company undertakes no obligation to comment on analyses, expectations or statements made by third-parties in respect of the Company, Canadian Teleradiology Services, Inc., their securities, or their respective financial or operating results (as applicable). Neither the Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/85972 2020-21 drill program returned consistently anomalous gold values and highly prospective geology Victoria, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 1, 2021) - GoldON Resources Ltd. (TSXV: GLD) ("GoldON" or the "Company") reports final assays and provides a summary of Phase II diamond drilling at its West Madsen gold property (the "Property") that adjoins Pure Gold's new Red Lake mine. Program Highlights: The Balmer Assemblage rock package hosts most of the current gold resources and historical gold production in the Red Lake Greenstone Belt, and Phase II drilling was successful in identifying rocks of the Balmer Assemblage in ten of the sixteen holes. Predictable intersections of Balmer Assemblage extrusive mafic to ultramafic volcanic rocks that display textures, alteration and mineralization identical to those hosting gold mineralization at the Pure Gold mine. Observed thicknesses of this stratigraphy suggest a widening to the west and down-dip. Gold values within the Balmer rocks are consistently elevated above background levels with assays up to 5.72 g/t over 0.50m returned from a newly recognized corridor of highly strained and altered basalt that structurally, mineralogically and geochemically resemble other gold-bearing rocks within the Red Lake Greenstone Belt. Porphyritic felsic volcanic rocks within the Confederation Assemblage that returned a broad intercept of anomalous gold values (up to 0.51 g/t over 10.90m within hole WM-21-22, Table 1) are similar to those that host the No. 1 Vein target on the Pure Gold property (see Pure Gold's news release of March 4, 2021). This may indicate the presence of broad low-grade gold mineralization, which is becoming increasingly relevant in the Red Lake Camp. Newly documented high-strain felsic volcanic rocks in the Confederation Assemblage rock package contain sphalerite and arsenopyrite mineralization and bear textural, mineralogical and genetic similarities to other gold-bearing felsic volcanic rocks. The Phase II program was designed to test the newly identified corridor of Balmer Assemblage stratigraphy that was recently discovered to host high-grade gold (see GoldON's news release of July 22, 2020) by expanding on the reconnaissance drill program carried out in the summer of 2020. A total of 7,041 metres (m) were drilled over the course of sixteen drill holes and targeted an east-west structural corridor interpreted to be separating the Balmer and Confederation assemblages (see GoldON's news release of April 6, 2021 for drill hole details and location map). This break is a significant geologic structure in the Red Lake Greenstone Belt and is strongly associated with gold mineralization at the neighbouring Pure Gold mine, which produced its first gold in over a decade in December 2020. This phase of drilling was successful in identifying rocks of the Balmer Assemblage in ten of the sixteen holes. Table 1: Notable gold assays from West Madsen Phase II drill program Hole From (m) To (m) Gold (g/t) Width* (m) WM-21-19 259.70 260.20 5.72 0.50 WM-21-13 411.90 412.60 3.055 0.70 WM-21-23 344.50 346.90 0.75 2.40 WM-21-14 235.50 236.20 0.509 0.70 WM-21-15 396.50 397.00 0.438 0.50 WM-21-22 156.00 166.90 0.51 10.90 * Widths are drill indicated core lengths. True widths are interpreted to be 80-95% of core length. The increasingly well-defined package of Balmer rocks presents abundant targets for future diamond drilling. A notable increase in the intensity of biotite alteration, which is strongly associated with gold mineralization at the Pure Gold mine, is observed moving eastward of WM-20-05 towards WM-20-19 where the highest assay of this phase was intersected. Moving west of the high-grade intercept of WM-20-05, the thickness of Balmer Assemblage apparently widens and coincides with a large magnetic high underlying Tack Lake. Additionally, a large fault zone (up to 60 m apparent thickness) was encountered in WM-21-17 and may have acted as a conduit for gold-bearing fluids within this area of the Property. Due to the multitude of other targets included in this phase, this area did not receive further drilling and remains one of the most interesting regions on the Property. The complex structural geology and geochemistry of this area warrant a more detailed analysis before further drilling may be optimized. Plans are in progress for a structural evaluation of the data gathered from oriented core to help determine if there are structural controls on the gold intercepts returned so far. Geochemistry for the latter batches of assays is still pending and it is expected that the trace-element data will help define further prospective corridors that may not have been highlighted in the gold assay results. Surface exposures of the Balmer Assemblage are limited on the Property, only being recorded within a series of historic trenches in a block of claims acquired from Bounty Gold last year (see GoldON's news release of July 29, 2020). The structural data gathered from these trenches will be compared with the oriented drill core measurements for further comparisons to be drawn. The felsic volcanic rocks of the Confederation Assemblage are receiving a renewed focus of exploration efforts (e.g., Pure Gold's No. 1 Vein; see Pure Gold's news release of March 4, 2021) since the discovery of Great Bear Resources' LP stratigraphy at the Dixie Lake property in 2019. The large size of the West Madsen land package allows for abundant surface work to be conducted within the Confederation Assemblage. Several new styles of strained and mineralized felsic volcanic rocks were documented during Phase II drilling and GoldON may take the opportunity to explore these rocks while the data from the drilling in the Balmer Assemblage is being interpreted. "Although the gold values returned from this program are not as high as in our initial discovery, this phase of drilling further defined a previously unexplored package of the highly prospective Balmer Assemblage. This mafic package paired with the highly anomalous gold values and increased focus of exploration in the Confederation Assemblage presents an excellent opportunity for exploration within our West Madsen project," said Mike Romanik president of GoldON. "As we plan our next step for fieldwork at West Madsen, we are continuing to advance our other projects and are fully funded to drill our next Red Lake property." QA/QC and Core Sampling Protocols Drill core was logged and sampled in a secure core storage facility located in Red Lake Ontario. Core samples were cut in half, using a diamond cutting saw, and are analyzed at Activation Laboratories Ltd. (Actlabs) in Thunder Bay, ON. All samples are analyzed for gold using a standard 50g Fire Assay-AA technique. Samples returning over 10.0 g/t gold are analyzed utilizing standard 50g Fire Assay-Gravimetric methods. Certified gold reference standards and blanks are routinely inserted into the sample stream, as part of GoldON's quality control/quality assurance program (QAQC). No QAQC issues have been noted during this program. About the West Madsen Gold Project Covering 5,862 hectares in the heart of the Red Lake Camp, the West Madsen Project is comprised of the original Block A and B claim groups, where GoldON has the right to earn a 100% interest through an option agreement with Great Bear Resources (see news release of May 28, 2019); the Flat Lake and Madsen-Medicine Stone claim groups that GoldON acquired a 100% interest in from Bounty Gold (see news release of January 7, 2021); and claims GoldON acquired via staking in December (see Red Lake regional map). Ian Russell, P. Geo., an independent qualified person as defined in National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical contents of this news release on behalf of the Company. About GoldON Resources Ltd. GoldON is an exploration company focused on discovery-stage properties located in the prolific gold mining belts of northwestern Ontario, Canada. Our current project portfolio includes five properties in the Red Lake Mining Division (West Madsen, Red Lake North, Pipestone Bay, McDonough and Pakwash North) and a sixth property in the Patricia Mining Division (Slate Falls). For additional information: please visit our website at goldonresources.com, you can download our latest investor presentation by clicking here and you can follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/GoldONResources. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD Signed "Michael Romanik" Michael Romanik, President GoldON Resources Ltd. Direct line: (204) 724-0613 Email: info@goldonresources.com 179 - 2945 Jacklin Road, Suite 416 Victoria, BC, V9B 6J9 Forward-Looking Statements: This news release may contain "forward-looking statements" that involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this news release and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/85918 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 1, 2021) - BioMark Diagnostics Inc. (CSE: BUX) (FSE: 20B) (OTC Pink: BMKDF) ("BioMark") is pleased to announce today that its wholly-owned subsidiary BioMark Diagnostic Solutions Inc. ("BDS") received funding to develop an early-stage lung cancer screening assay using BioMark's proprietary liquid biopsy platform. The total sponsored research grant is about $825,000 and a major portion of the funding is being provided by the Consortium for Industrial Research and Innovation in Medical Technology (MEDTEQ+) and Spark grant from the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS, grant # 707073), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research - Institute of Cancer Research (CIHR-ICR, grant # 0590008438), and Brain Canada Foundation. This initiative entitled "A Pan Canadian initiative for the development of a liquid biopsy assay for lung cancer screening" is being led by Dr. Philippe Joubert and a team of leading clinicians, academic researchers, and data scientists. The grant is part of a two-year initiative through which BioMark, in collaboration with Phytronix Technologies Inc. ("Phytronix"), and researchers from the Institut Universitaire de Cardiologie et de Pneumologie de Quebec - Universite Laval (IUCPQ-UL), the Metabolomics Innovation Centre (TMIC), Saint-Boniface Research Center and the CHU de Quebec - Universite Laval, will be validating the firm's liquid biopsy platform and proprietary biomarker panel for the detection of early-stage lung cancer in over 1200 individual samples coming from the IUCPQ 's Quebec Respiratory Health Research Network site. The overarching goal is to develop a low-cost, high-throughput test that will make early-stage lung cancer screening feasible and affordable for at-risk population. The large sample size will help include important clinical parameters and identify additional metabolites that might be incorporated in the assay to further improve the test specificity. "This is an important project for BioMark as it gears up for the introduction of lung cancer biomarkers that can be incorporated into a screening program across Canada, beginning in Quebec, and later globally. The teams are formed around a vibrant cluster which focus on validation and accelerated translation of the outcome to enable physicians have better access to diagnostic tools designed to positively impact cancer care management. This cross pollination of team members will mitigate scientific risks and ultimately drive clinical adoption required for commercialization," says BioMark's CEO Rashid Ahmed Bux. In addition, Rashid Ahmed Bux states that BioMark is also working on other sponsored research studies in Quebec that will be important and integrative with its long-term strategy related to early diagnosis of lung cancer. "MEDTEQ+ welcomes this research project since it has the potential to deliver on the great potential of real personalized medicine for the benefit of the patient, their families and public and private payors across the globe. We are delighted to financially support this innovative project through our Impact program, funded by the Ministry of Economy and Innovation of Quebec (MEI)," said Diane Cote, President and Chief Executive Officer of MEDTEQ+. About Phytronix Technologies Inc. Phytronix Technologies Inc. is a privately-owned company based in Quebec City, Canada, and was founded in 2000. Phytronix invented and patented the Laser Diode Thermal Desorption (LDTD) technology for mass spectrometry. The company introduced the Luxon Ion Source, which is the second-generation apparatus based on the patented-LDTD technology and currently the fastest technology for mass spectrometry. This innovative technology enables ultra-high-speed analysis in less than 4 seconds per sample. The company will provide the optimized internal standards that are necessary for use in clinical settings, along with technical expertise required with high-throughput mass spectrometry. About MEDTEQ+ MEDTEQ+ (www.medteq.ca) is the pan-Canadian Consortium for Industrial Research and Innovation in Medical Technology. Its mission is to accelerate the development of innovative technological solutions to improve patients' health and quality of life. MEDTEQ+ supports their validation and integration in the healthcare system and their impact, both locally and globally, by bringing together the complementary skills of industrial and academic partners, and with those of healthcare providers. MEDTEQ+ relies on the financial support of the Government of Quebec, the Government of Canada (delivered through the Centres of Excellence for Commercialization and Research (CECR)), the private sector and complementary partners to foster research-industry relations. About Sparks Grant. The Canadian Cancer Society (CCS), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research - Institute of Cancer Research (CIHR-ICR), and Brain Canada Foundation (BC) have committed a total of $150K for Novel Technology Applications in Cancer Prevention and Early Detection. Spark Grants will support the development of new partnerships and the exploration of highly novel concepts, involving researchers from any research area, and particularly from non-traditional cancer fields, such as engineering, AI, robotics, physics, nanoscience, statistics, informatics, computer and data sciences, behavioural science, and any other discipline poised to seed the next generation of disruptive technologies in cancer control. BioMark would like to thank all the supporting agencies for their support (CCS grant # 707073/CIHR-IRSC grant # 0590008438) will acknowledge them in publications or events related to the use of the funds. About BioMark Diagnostics Inc. BioMark is developing proprietary, non-invasive, and accurate cancer diagnostic solutions which can help detect, monitor, and assess treatment for cancer early and cost-effectively. The technology can also be used for measuring response to treatment and potentially for serial monitoring of cancer survivors. Further information about BioMark is available under its profile on the SEDAR website www.sedar.com and on the CSE website https://thecse.com/. For further information on BioMark, please Contact: Rashid Ahmed Bux President & CEO BioMark Diagnostics Inc. Tel. 604-370-0779 Email: info@biomarkdiagnostics.com Forward-Looking Information: This press release may include forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, concerning the business of BioMark. Forward-looking information is based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the management of BioMark. Although BioMark believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking information is based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking information because BioMark can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release. BioMark disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events, or results or otherwise, other than as required by applicable securities laws. The CSE has not reviewed, approved, or disapproved the content of this press release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/85945 Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - June 1, 2021) - Aurwest Resources Corporation (CSE: AWR) ("Aurwest" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that due to significant market demand for its previously announced non-brokered private placement (the "Private Placement"), the Company has increased the size of its Private Placement to up to $5,000,000. The Private Placement will be completed through the issuance of Flow-Through Units ('FT Units") at a price of $0.18 per Unit and Ordinary Units ("Ordinary Units") at a price of $0.15 per Ordinary Unit. The Private Placement may close in one or more tranches and the final amounts raised and number of units issued will be disclosed at the time of closing, which is expected to be on or about June 11, 2021. Each FT Unit will consist of one flow-through share at a price of $0.18 and one share purchase warrant (each, a "FT Warrant"). Each Warrant will entitle the subscriber to purchase one additional Common Share of the Company at a price of $0.24 for 24 months from the closing date. Each Ordinary Unit will consist of one common share at a price of $0.15 and one share purchase warrant (each, a "Ordinary Warrant"). Each Ordinary Warrant will entitle the subscriber to purchase one additional Common Share at a price of $0.20 for 24 months from the closing date. Mr. Eric Sprott, personally and through 2176423 Ontario Ltd., a corporation which is beneficially owned and controlled by him, plans to increase his investment from the previous disclosed amount of $1,500,000 to $2,000,000 in the Private Placement, and plans to acquire approximately 5,555,555 FT Units and 6,666,666 Ordinary Units. Mr. Cameron MacDonald, Chairman of Aurwest commented, "We are pleased to announce an upsizing of our previously disclosed Private Placement due to strong market demand for the offering. Mr. Sprott has also indicated to the Company that he plans to increase his investment in the Private Placement from $1,500,000 to $2,000,000. The proceeds of the Private Placement will be used primarily to fund Aurwest's continuing exploration program in Newfoundland on its expansive 47,800 hectares 100% owned projects at Paradise Lake and Stony Caldera. A portion of the proceeds will also be used to further the Company's exploration program at Stellar, B.C. and for general working capital purposes. The company will pay a 7% finder's fee in respect to the Private Placement. Securities issued as a result of the Private Placement will be subject to a statutory hold period of four months and one day. Closing of the Private Placement remains subject to regulatory approval, including approval of the Canadian Securities Exchange. The securities offered have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any U.S. state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, United States persons absent registration or any applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable U.S. state securities laws. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of any offer to buy securities in the United States, nor in any other jurisdiction. On Behalf Of Aurwest Resources Corporation "Colin Christensen" President and Chief Executive Officer For additional information please contact: Colin Christensen Telephone: (403)483-8363 Email: cchristensen@aurwestresources.com Website: www.aurwestresources.com About Aurwest Resources Corporation Aurwest is a Canadian-based junior resource company focused on the acquisition, exploration and development of gold, silver and other precious and base metal properties in North America. The Company currently has an option to earn a 100% interest in the Paradise Lake and Stony Caldera gold project in Central Newfoundland totaling 47,800 hectares. In addition the company owns a 100% interest in the 22,255 hectare Stellar copper/gold porphyry project, located approximately 25 kilometers southwest of Houston British Columbia. Forward-Looking Information Statements included in this announcement, including statements concerning our plans, intentions and expectations, which are not historical in nature are intended to be, and are hereby identified as "forward-looking statements". Forward looking statements may be identified by words including "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "expects" and similar expressions. The Company cautions readers that forward-looking statements, including without limitation those relating to the Company's proposed private placement, future operations and business prospects, are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such risks and uncertainties and should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and the Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, except in accordance with the applicable laws. The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/85966 Company accelerates its platform growth, SaaS program development and receives approval to trade in the US on the OTCQB. TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / June 1, 2021 / Liquid Avatar Technologies Inc. (CSE:LQID)(OTC PINK:TRWRF)(FRA:4T51) ("Liquid Avatar Technologies" or the "Company"), a global blockchain, digital identity and fintech solutions company is excited to announce that as of the end of May, Phase 4 , the final major release of the initial launch strategy of its Liquid Avatar Mobile App program, is available in the Apple App Store and on Google Play. The Company is also expanding its Liquid Avatar Verifiable Credentials Ecosystem to create what management believes is one of the world's first digital identity consumer centric Software as a Service (SaaS) platforms that supports all verifiable credentials stakeholders, including Holders, Issuers and Verifiers of verifiable credentials within a "Trust Triangle" transaction environment, compliant with W3C standards. In addition to this, the Liquid Avatar trademark has been granted registration approval by the USPTO and the Company has now received approval to trade its publicly listed securities in the United States of America on the OTCQB and will be providing further information on the commencement of trading expected but not assured, by mid-June. Phase 4 is an update to the first 3 phases launched in February, March, and April respectively and provides users with further gamification and engagement experience through a customized Augmented Reality SDK integration with ImagineAR Inc. (CSE:IP / OTCQB:IPNFF) announced earlier this year. Liquid Avatar's AR integration will also support the Oasis Digital Studios Augmented Reality NFT program which is ramping up its digital collectible programs. To showcase the AR platform, Liquid Avatar Technologies and ImagineAR are working on an integration to deliver select Liquid Avatars from the Liquid Avatar Marketplace at no cost when a user engages the Liquid Avatar AR lens at any one of approximately 30,000 Tim Hortons, McDonald's, Dunkin' or Starbucks locations in the US and Canada. The rollout should, although there are no guarantees, occur by mid-June. Phase 4 also includes further fixes and updates and will pave the way for a full digital wallet rollout and integration of the mobile card app for the KABN Visa Card. The Company is also planning further language integration to serve the increasing global marketplace for Digital Identity. With over 13,000 downloads of the Liquid Avatar Mobile App, the Company has begun ramping up its marketing programs with The Campus Agency, as previously disclosed, to onboard college and university students in the US, starting with Boston University, UC Berkeley, Arizona State University, Florida International University, Rutgers, Columbia, and others, as well as other app marketing agencies to reach specific online audiences. With the launch of its pilot program for digital credentials wallets, the Company is also working on future updates of its Liquid Avatar's Verifiable Credentials Ecosystem ("LAVCE") for its users and enterprise clients. LAVCE enables users ("Holders") to hold, and is adding functionality to allow institutions, facilities, workplaces, eCommerce providers, healthcare, educators, and governments ("Issuers"), to create and issue verifiable credentials, such as health testing and validation, official identity documents, registrations, memberships, eCommerce confirmations and other electronic credentials. These credentials can be attached to a user's identity and managed digitally by the Holder through the Liquid Avatar Mobile App, and then validated by an organization (a "Verifier") to prove the status of the credential. With this platform, the Company is developing recurring and transactional revenue programs on an enterprise level. Potential future developments of the platform, intended but not guaranteed for late 2021 and into 2022, include secure peer to peer communications and other tools and services that leverage verification technologies, enhancing current global communications infrastructures. The Liquid Avatar beta app, which features user created digital icons that allow users to manage, control and create value from their biometrically verified digital identity, officially launched globally in the Google Play and Apple App Store on February 18, 2021. Now with the foundational first four phases available, the Liquid Avatar app will continue to provide regular monthly launches which will include additional updates, features and phases. Regular releases and updates will provide users with the opportunity to familiarize themselves with existing features before moving on to more comprehensive services such as the management of their digital identity using verifiable credentials. If you would like to join our mailing list and receive updates from the Company, please click here About Liquid Avatar Technologies Inc. - www.liquidavatartechnologies.com Liquid Avatar Technologies Inc., through its wholly owned subsidiary KABN Systems North America Inc., focuses on the verification, management and monetization of Self Sovereign Identity, empowering users to control and benefit from the use of their online identity. The Liquid Avatar App, available in the Apple App Store and Google Play is a verified Self Sovereign Identity platform that empowers users to create high quality digital icons representing their online personas. These icons allow users to manage and control their digital identity and Verifiable Access and Identity Credentials, and to use Liquid Avatars to share public and permission based private data when they want and with whom they want. www.liquidavatar.com Liquid Avatar Technologies has a suite of revenue generating programs that support the Liquid Avatar program, including KABN KASH a cash back and reward program that has over 400 leading online merchants and coming soon, an integrated offering engine. In Canada, KABN also has the KABN Visa Card, a card and mobile app platform that allows users to manage and control a range of financial services for traditional and digital currencies. The Company is currently exploring expansion of the KABN Visa program to other geographic regions, including the USA. Oasis Digital Studios is a creative and development agency that supports a wide range of artists, talent, and enterprises with Non-Fungible Token (NFT) solutions. Liquid Avatar Technologies Inc. is publicly listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) under the symbol "LQID" (CSE:LQID). The Company also trades in the US under the symbol "TRWRF" and in Frankfurt under the symbol "4T51" If you have not already joined our mailing list and would like to receive updates on Liquid Avatar Technologies Inc., please click here to join! For more information, please visit www.liquidavatartechnologies.com For further information, please contact: David Lucatch Chief Executive Officer 647-725-7742 Ext. 701 ir@liquidavatar.com US and Canadian Media Contact: Nicole Rodrigues NRPR Group nicole@nrprgroup.com The CSE has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. All websites referred to are expressly not incorporated by reference into this press release. Forward-Looking Information and Statements This press release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation and may also contain statements that may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking information and forward-looking statements are not representative of historical facts or information or current condition, but instead represent only the Company's beliefs regarding future events, plans or objectives, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and outside of the Company's control. Generally, such forward-looking information or forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or may contain statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "will continue", "will occur" or "will be achieved". The forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained herein may include, but is not limited to, information concerning the timing for the launch of Liquid Avatar apps, the plans for future features of the Liquid Avatar apps, expected geographic expansion, the ability of the Company to generate revenues, roll out new programs and to successfully achieve business objectives, and expectations for other economic, business, and/or competitive factors. By identifying such information and statements in this manner, the Company is alerting the reader that such information and statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance, or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such information and statements. In addition, in connection with the forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained in this press release, the Company has made certain assumptions. Among the key factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information and statements are the following: failure to obtain necessary approvals in a timely manner or at all; lack of sufficient capital to expand the Company's geographic footprint or to add new features to the Company's offerings; changes in general economic, business, and political conditions, including changes in the financial markets; changes in applicable laws; COVID-19, and the impact of economic, competitive and other factors affecting the Company and its operations; compliance with extensive government regulation. Should one or more of these risks, uncertainties or other factors materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information or statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated, or expected. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing, and the expectations contained in, the forward-looking information and statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information and statements, and no assurance or guarantee can be given that such forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information and statements. The forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information and/or forward-looking statements that are contained or referenced herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. All subsequent written and oral forward- looking information and statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf is expressly qualified in its entirety by this notice. SOURCE: Liquid Avatar Technologies Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/649819/Liquid-Avatar-updates-Mobile-App-with-Augmented-Reality-initiates-enterprise-SaaS-programs-and-approved-for-US-trading SAN FRANCISCO, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- ElectroNeek, a leading robotic process automation (RPA) platform for managed service providers (MSPs) and IT teams, has announced that it raised $20 million in a Series A funding round led by Baring Vostok with participation of AICPA and existing investors - YellowRockets.vc, Dragon Capital, I2BF, Angelsdeck, Gokul Rajaram and others. Following the new funding influx, ElectroNeek's valuation now exceeds $100 million. ElectroNeek offers a comprehensive suite of software solutions to help companies of all sizes automate repetitive tasks, which simplifies IT processes and reduces costs. ElectroNeek has democratized complex RPA technology making it accessible and affordable to all businesses. It has done so by using a unique approach to deployment and scalability of RPA workflows. MSPs use ElectroNeek to build and deploy RPA bots for their customers while retaining full control over the pricing of their RPA projects for end users. They can also take care of bot development and administration and offer RPA-as-a-Service subscriptions which can provide a source of recurring revenue for them. Enterprises use ElectroNeek to replace legacy RPA vendors, save on costly bot licenses and automate a myriad of routine business processes so that they can focus on more high-priority IT tasks. "The Covid-19 pandemic has forever reshaped companies' priorities. Optimizing costs and reducing unnecessary mundane work to shift focus onto key issues has become top of mind for business leaders. This is exactly what ElectroNeek has been created to help with. Partnering with Baring Vostok and the continuous support of our existing investors will enable us to bring more MSPs and companies of all sizes to the ElectroNeek hyperautomation ecosystem. This will put us at the forefront of accelerating adoption of RPA technology, allow us to create meaningful change and provide real help to companies of all sizes," said Sergey Yudovskiy, ElectroNeek's CEO and co-founder. ElectroNeek now has 250 customers ranging from Fortune 500 companies and global consulting firms to smaller size MSPs in more than 40 countries. It has established technology and go-to-market partnerships with Microsoft, Oracle and Nvidia. "ElectroNeek is a great example of a company using a unique product and distribution strategy in an already established market. Its founders are set on democratizing access to RPA technology which has already proven its bulletproof value in more than 80% of Fortune 500 companies. ElectroNeek significantly lowers entry barriers for the whole market and supports new RPA developers by building an easy-to-use low-code platform, which is a mission we were drawn to from the start. As a fund with a long history of betting on underdogs turned industry trailblazers, we hope that with this new funding ElectroNeek will now be one step closer to fulfilling its vision of bringing much needed innovation into the RPA industry," said Maxim Loginov, Partner at Baring Vostok. ElectroNeek plans to use the proceeds of the funding round to significantly expand its engineering, product and support teams in North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and India. About ElectroNeek ElectroNeek is a leading robotic process automation platform for managed service providers and IT teams. Founded in 2019 by RPA industry veterans, ElectroNeek became the fastest-growing RPA platform in 2021. It now has 250 customers ranging from Fortune 500 companies and global consulting firms to smaller size MSPs in more than 40 countries. ElectroNeek has been named Market Leader in G2's Market Momentum Report for two consecutive quarters alongside UiPath and Automation Anywhere. ElectroNeek is an alumnus of Y Combinator, Plug and Play, a preferred partner of Sage, and has established technology and go-to-market partnerships with Microsoft, Oracle and Nvidia. About Baring Vostok Established in 1994, Baring Vostok is the most successful and well-known investment advisory firm focusing on investing in companies with founders who have roots in emerging countries. It invests in companies across geographies that span Europe, North America and Asia. Today Baring Vostok has invested more than $3.7 billion in 87 trailblazing companies across these regions. They include leading multi-category e-commerce platform OZON, fintech company Kaspi, food retailer VkusVill, off-price retailer Familia, pharmaceutical company Solopharm, edtech company Skyeng, global communications company Viasat and many others. Contacts: Alex Astafyev (co-founder, CIO) - Eastern Europe Email: Alexey.a@electroneek.com Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1179162/ElectroNeek_Logo.jpg Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - June 1, 2021) - Stakeholder Gold Corporation (TSXV: SRC) ("Stakeholder" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has achieved first time profitability in Q1 of 2021. The Company has reported sales of $506,342 CAD and gross margin of $352,282 CAD for the first quarter. The Company expects to increase production and profitability throughout the remainder of 2021. About Stakeholder Stakeholder Gold Corp. is a junior resource company developing cash flow from the production and sale of exotic Blue Quartzite at its wholly owned Blue Quartzite quarry in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Stakeholder Gold Corp. also has 100% ownership of the Ballarat Gold Project which holds 7,442 hectares of claims located in the heart of the White Gold District of the Yukon Territory, Canada. The Company's Ballarat Project claim group includes an area extending over 10 km of the road construction route for the Northern Gateway Road which is being built to service the White Gold District. The Ballarat claim group also includes title to 10 claims located within the nearby Coffee Project which is being developed by Newmont Corp. south of the Yukon river. For further information please contact: Stakeholder Gold Corporation Telephone: (416) 525 - 6869 cberlet@stakeholdergold.com Forward Looking Information This news release contains forward-looking information. All information, other than information of historical fact, constitute "forward-looking statements" and includes any information that addresses activities, events, or developments that the Corporation believes, expects, or anticipates will or may occur in the future including the Corporation's strategy, plans or future financial or operating performance. When used in this news release, the words "estimate", "project", "anticipate", "expect", "intend", "believe", "hope", "may" and similar expressions, as well as "will", "shall" and other indications of future tense, are intended to identify forward- looking information. The forward-looking information is based on current expectations and applies only as of the date on which they were made. The factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in such forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, the ability of the Corporation to fund the exploration expenditures required under the Agreement. Other factors such as uncertainties regarding government regulations could also affect the results. Other risks may be set out in the Corporation's annual financial statements, MD&A and other publicly filed documents. The Corporation cautions that there can be no assurance that forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. Accordingly, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Except as required by law, the Corporation does not assume any obligation to release publicly any revisions to forward-looking information contained in this press release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/85914 Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - June 1, 2021) - Omai Gold Mines Corp. (TSXV: OMG) ("the Company") is pleased to announce that it will be presenting at the Virtual Investor Day IV ("VID IV") June 8-10, 2021 hosted by IR.INC and FTMIG. Mario Stifano, Chief Executive Officer of Omai Gold Mines, will provide an in-depth update on the Company at 1:00pm EST, June 10, 2021. VID IV is a completely interactive experience for feature companies and stakeholders. Feature companies will have 30 minutes to outline their investment opportunity, while stakeholders and the audience will be invited to engage via direct Q&A, polls and other interactive tools after and during each presentation. To register for VID IV, please click the link: https://www.bigmarker.com/series/virtual-investor-day-iv/series_summit About Omai Gold Mines Corp. Early prospectors identified Guyana's vast mineral wealth 130 years ago, and at the heart of the country's gold mining history is the Omai mine: a multi-million-ounce deposit that was once South America's largest producing gold mine. We're building on this past success with new tools, relationships and vision to bring this under-explored gold district back to life, providing a unique opportunity for all stakeholders to participate in value creation. Avalon Gold Exploration Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Omai Gold Mines Corp., holds a 100% interest in the Omai Prospecting License covering 4,590 acres, including the past producing Omai gold mine. For further information, please see our website www.omaigoldmines.com. About IR.INC IR.INC Capital Markets Advisory & Services works with its clients to develop and deploy strategic plans and build industry alliances while providing shareholder introductions and solutions. The Company also provides a number of traditional Investor Relations Services. You can find out more about IR.INC here: www.irinc.ca. About FTMIG Follow the Money Investor Group is a financial portal that provides content and information needed to navigate the ever-changing capital markets. Our global community of visitors and investors are able to use our platform to discuss and collaborate daily on all facets of their current and potential investments. Our goal is to help retail investors make the right financial decisions that fit their individual needs. You can find out more about FTMIG here: www.ftmig.com. Disclaimer Follow the Money Investor ("FTMIG") is an online investor community that connects investors and public companies. Both FTMIG and IR.INC are not registered as a broker, dealer, exempt market dealer, or any other registrant in any securities regulatory jurisdiction and will not be performing any registerable activity as defined by the applicable regulatory bodies. Both FTMIG and IR.INC and their affiliates do not endorse or recommend any securities issued by any companies identified on, or linked through, this conference. Please seek professional advice to evaluate specific securities or other content discussed during this event. Links, if any, to third party sites are for informational purposes only, and not for trading purposes. FTMIG and IR.INC. and their affiliates have not prepared, reviewed or updated any content on third party sites and assume no responsibility for the information posted on them. For further information, please contact Joanne Jobin, Principal IR.INC | Capital Markets Advisory & Services jjobin@irinc.ca www.irinc.ca Karl Boyd, President Follow the Money Investor Group kboyd@ftmig.com www.ftmig.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/85936 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 1, 2021) - Spey Resources Corp. (CSE: SPEY) (OTC: SPEYF) ("Spey" or the "Company") announces that further to its news release dated April 29, 2021, the Company has closed its oversubscribed $0.25 unit private placement (the "Private Placement") for gross proceeds of $2,611,750. The Company issued 10,447,000 units (the "Units"), each unit consisting of one common share in the capital of the Company (a "Share") and one transferable Share purchase warrant (a "Warrant"). Each Warrant will entitle the holder, on exercise thereof, to purchase one additional Share of the Company at a price of $0.40 per Share for a period of 24 months from the date of issuance, subject to acceleration. The funds raised in the Private Placement will be used for general corporate expenses and for the exploration of the Company's Silver Basin and Kaslo properties as well as the Candela II Project, Lithium Triangle, Argentina, where, following the close of the transaction, Spey will continue to carry out its comprehensive exploration program consisting of sampling, trenching, geophysics, drilling, data compilation and a National Instrument 43-101 Technical Report describing the Candela II Property. Nader Vatanchi, CEO and Director said, "We are humbled by the interest in our private placement. This financing will allow us to fulfill not only our obligations for our Argentina project, but also gives us the necessary capital for our projects in British Columbia. We are excited that our exploration program is under way in Argentina and look forward to the results from SGS." Finders' fees of $68,000 cash, 256,000 non-transferable finders' warrants (the "Finders' Warrants") and 16,000 compensation options (the "Compensation Options") were paid to certain finders on a portion of the Private Placement. Each Finders' Warrant will entitle the holder, on exercise thereof, to purchase one additional Share of the Company at a price of $0.40 per Share for a period of 24 months from the date of issuance, subject to acceleration. Each Compensation Option entitles the holder to purchase one unit of the Company (the "Compensation Units") on the same terms and conditions as the Units, at $0.40 per Compensation Unit for a period of 24 months from the date of issuance thereof, with each Compensation Unit being comprised of one Share and one non-transferable Share purchase warrant (a "Compensation Unit Warrant"). Each Compensation Unit Warrant shall be exercisable into one Share at $0.40 per Share for a period of 24 months from the date of issuance, subject to acceleration. Additionally, and in the connection with the Private Placement, the Company entered into a finance services agreement (the "Ascenta Agreement") with Ascenta Finance Corp. ("Ascenta"), pursuant to which the Company appointed Ascenta as its non-exclusive financial services agent. Pursuant to the Ascenta Agreement, the Company paid Ascenta $86,560 cash and 346,240 compensation options (the "Ascenta Options") on a portion of the Private Placement. Each Ascenta Option entitles the holder to purchase one unit of the Company (the "Ascenta Units") on the same terms and conditions as the Units, at $0.25 per Ascenta Unit for a period of 24 months from the date of issuance thereof, with each Ascenta Unit being comprised of one Share and one non-transferable Share purchase warrant (an "Ascenta Unit Warrant"). Each Ascenta Unit Warrant shall be exercisable into one Share at $0.40 per Share for a period of 24 months from the date of issuance, subject to acceleration. In accordance with applicable securities laws, all securities issued pursuant to the Private Placement will be subject to a four-month hold period. About Spey Resources Corp. Spey Resources is a Canadian mineral exploration company which holds an option to acquire 100% interest in the Candela II lithium brine project located in the Incahuasi Salar, Salta Province, Argentina. Spey also holds an option to acquire a 100% undivided interest in the Silver Basin Project located in the Revelstoke Mining Division of British Columbia as well as an option to acquire a 100% interest in the Kaslo Silver project, west of Kaslo, British Columbia. For more information, please contact: Nader Vatanchi CEO, Director nader@speyresources.ca 778-881-4631 www.speyresources.ca Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: Certain disclosure in this release may constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. In making the forward-looking statements in this release, the Company has applied certain factors and assumptions that the Company believes are reasonable. However, the forward-looking statements in this release, including without limitation, statements pertaining to the Company's exploration programs, the Company's mineral property development plans and the use of funds raised in the Private Placement, are subject to numerous risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause future results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. Such uncertainties and risks include, without limitation, financing risks, delays in obtaining or inability to obtain required regulatory approvals, legislative, environmental and other judicial, regulatory, political or competitive developments, exploration and operational difficulties, the timing of future business expenditures, the potential of the Company's mineral properties and changes in economic conditions or financial markets. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company does not intend, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to, update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. The Canadian Securities Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/85979 - Titan Trust Bank, one of the newest banks in Nigeria, has won the "Best New Commercial Banking Brand" and the "Fastest Growing Digital Banking Brand" in Nigeria for the year 2021. - The felicitation ceremony will be held at the Palm Jumeirah - Waldorf Astoria on the 3rd of December 2021 in Dubai LONDON, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Global Brand Awards is an annual event held by Global Brands Magazine (GBM), an international publication headquartered in the UK. The award aims to recognize global brands achieving excellence in performance across a broad range of sectors while keeping its readers updated on key trends surrounding the branding world. Titan Trust Bank was evaluated based on customer service, satisfaction, digital innovation, strategic relationships and new business development. Commenting on winning the award, Mr. Mudassir Amray (MD/CEO) of Titan Trust Bank said, "In a demonstration of our commitment to deliver superior, convenient, and innovative banking solutions to our customers, we have invested substantially in technology and developed fully integrated service models that enable our customers enjoy banking services through a wide range of channels. These have also placed the Bank on an upward trajectory. "As a bank, we are focused on delivering digital and fintech solutions that will position us as Africa's most trusted financial institution. The flawless execution of our digital strategy has seen the introduction of several innovative solutions, new partnerships, digital integration of customer value chains and the development of new revenue lines from pure digital solutions. We are pleased and proud of this award because it highlights our continued strive for excellence in who we are and what we do, and this will give us the drive as a bank to continue providing the best-in-class services." This award relates to the Bank's leadership and its positioning within the global financial community. This defines the future of banking and its commitment to delivering the purpose beyond banking to create a more sustainable future. Though the year faced a worldwide pandemic that has upended commerce and made forecasting even more complicated, yet business must continue. Titan Trust Bank exemplifies a bank that was ready for the sharp rise in demand for alternative channels for banking services during the pandemic. Titan Trust Bank is committed to leveraging technology to ensure convince for clients. . In addition, the Bank is committed to building lasting relationships by ensuring transparency in dealings and winning trust from clients. With its selective network of operations in Nigeria and emphasis on engaging and empowering its staff, Titan Trust Bank presents exciting career opportunities. The Bank acknowledges the passion, commitment, and can-do spirit. About Titan Trust Bank Titan Trust Bank Limited is an emerging financial service group in Nigeria, established on the 12th of December 2018 and obtained its National Banking license on the 26th of April 2019. It operates as a commercial bank with national authorization to facilitate people for their better future. Titan Trust Bank aims to serve retail, SME and corporate customers whilst providing value-oriented, technology-driven and customer-centric services in an efficient yet seamless manner. Titan Trust Bank started its commercial operation in October 2019 from the bank's headquarters in Lagos state, the commercial hub of Nigeria. As a profound and trusted financial institution, Titan Trust Bank has continued to set a trail on its core values, state of the art digital innovations and a strong corporate governance to bridge the gap in the banking sector and address the unmet needs of the retail mass market, SME and corporates. The bank constantly strives to improve its capacity to meet the increasing financial needs of its customers through a well-equipped and robust information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure, simple and reliable payment platforms and providing a refined customer service experience like no other. Titan Trust Bank's expansion since the start of its operation shows its resilience and razor-sharp focus on its vision to be Africa's most trusted financial institution. Today, we continue to thrive on our best-in-class Bankers, brand equity, and corporate culture of professionalism, trust and service excellence which are the foundations upon which the bank was built. About Global Brands Magazine (UK) Global Brands Magazine (GBM) has been at the forefront, bringing news, views and opinions on brands that are shaping the future of their industry. The UK-based magazine provides its readers with the latest news and information on 'best-in-class brands across the globe. Each year, GBM develops a series of awards for companies that stood out having a unique vision, exceptional service, innovative solutions and consumer-centric products, among their industry leaders. About Global Brand Awards Global Brand Awards honours brands for their excellence in performance and rewards companies across different sectors for the quality of their services. The Brand Awards highlight accomplishments of organizations that have performed remarkably well in the field of Finance, Education, Hospitality, Automobiles, Lifestyle, Education, Real Estate, Technology and several more. Global Brand Awards recognize key players who make progress toward excellence by providing a platform to acknowledge their efforts. In addition, GBM strives to create awareness concerning the significance of such organizations and reward them for their notable efforts with the ultimate global recognition. Follow us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/globalbrandsmagazine and Linkedin at https://www.linkedin.com/company/global-brands-magazine or hashtag us on Twitter @globalbrandsmag globalbrandsmag Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1508879/GBM_Final_Logo.jpg Global valuation of high purity quartz sand market for UVC lighting to surpass US$ 200 Mn by 2030, sales of UVC disinfection equipment underpins bulk of revenues Asia Pacific to contribute sizable revenues through 2030, players advancing quartz sand purifying technologies ALBANY, N.Y., June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Production and distribution of high purity quartz sand has been growing over the years to meet the need for various high-tech industries including semiconductors, photovoltaic (PV) solar panels, and wide spectrum of electronics applications. The purity is determined usually according to regulations set forth by IOTA. They are typically of 99.99% purity, and cater to meet various performance characteristics for high purity fillers, specialty glass, molding compounds, and ceramics. Rise in demand for high purity quartz market for UVC lighting solar in panels and semi-conductors is bolstering worldwide consumption. By the end of 2030, the globally valuation of high purity quartz market for UVC lighting is projected to cross worth of US$ 200 Mn. Rise in popularity of use of the products in HVAC systems of buildings and public transport against disinfection of Covid-19 pathogens has expanded the canvas for players in the value chain. In 2019, the valuation was pegged at ~US$ 104 Mn. Request for Covid-19 Impact Analysis on High Purity Quartz Sand Market for UVC Lighting: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/Covid19.php Key Findings of High Purity Quartz Sand Market for UVC Lighting Study Rapidly Growing Traction of Quartz UV Germicidal Lamps in Disinfection Propels Growth : UV-C radiation or lighting technology has over four decades been extensively used in disinfection of surfaces and objects in activating microbes and pathogens. In recent times, the technology has gained high preference in healthcare institutions in the wake of mounting risks of infections from the SARS-CoV-2 virus (novel coronavirus). Thus, the revenues from the high purity quartz market for UVC lighting has risen sharply in recent months. A number of producers of high purity quartz sand are getting into contracts to meet the rising demands for UVC equipment for microbial disinfection applications. The growing adoption of UV germicidal lamps in purifying indoor air is one of the key trends in the high purity quartz market for UVC lighting. : UV-C radiation or lighting technology has over four decades been extensively used in disinfection of surfaces and objects in activating microbes and pathogens. In recent times, the technology has gained high preference in healthcare institutions in the wake of mounting risks of infections from the SARS-CoV-2 virus (novel coronavirus). Thus, the revenues from the high purity quartz market for UVC lighting has risen sharply in recent months. A number of producers of high purity quartz sand are getting into contracts to meet the rising demands for UVC equipment for microbial disinfection applications. The growing adoption of UV germicidal lamps in purifying indoor air is one of the key trends in the high purity quartz market for UVC lighting. Diverse Disinfection Applications Propels Growth: there is a growing demand for UV-C in medical applications, counterfeit testing, and air and water purification. Thus, the rise in wastewater treatment in industrialized nations is a key trend bolstering the expansion of the market. Thus, the market has witnessed rise in investments for improving the performance parameters with the help of state-of-the art manufacturing technologies and production units. Focus of the optoelectronics industry on improving the UVC products has also spurred a spirit of innovation. One key trend is the advances in purification technology to unveil cost-efficient quartz sand of high purity and ultra-high purity grade. Download PDF Brochure - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php High Purity Quartz Sand Market for UVC Lighting: Key Driving Factors and Avenues Worldwide growing awareness about the health of peoples has led to the use of robust, easy-to-use disinfection technology aimed at mitigating risks of infection from viruses and bacteria Substantial uptake of UV lighting in air purification and sterilization of water applications has boosted revenue generation Growing investments by governments on water and wastewater treatment by emerging economies is spurring the demand for UVC lighting View Detailed Table of Contents at https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/report-toc/78277 High Purity Quartz Sand Market for UVC Lighting: Regional Avenues On the global front, Asia Pacific has emerged as a highly attractive market. has emerged as a highly attractive market. The growth in revenues is propelled by the vast manufacturing base, particularly in China , which holds the dominant share of the regional market. The vast consumer base in Asia Pacific is another factor that is likely to offer steady momentum growth to opportunities through 2030. , which holds the dominant share of the regional market. The vast consumer base in is another factor that is likely to offer steady momentum growth to opportunities through 2030. North America is a promising regional market. is a promising regional market. The presence of a few globally prominent companies in the region has helped the aforementioned regional market gain a prominent position. Purchase Premium Research Report on High Purity Quartz Sand Market for UVC Lighting @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/checkout.php Explore Transparency Market Research's award-winning coverage of the global Chemicals and Materials Industry, HDPE Pipes Market - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/hdpe-pipes-market.html High-performance Anti-corrosion Coatings Market - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/high-performance-anticorrosion-coatings-market.html Explore More Upcoming Reports: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/upcoming.htm About Transparency Market Research Transparency Market Research is a global market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. 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Contact Mr. Rohit Bhisey Transparency Market Research State Tower, 90 State Street, Suite 700, Albany NY - 12207 United States USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453 Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.com Press Release Source: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/pressrelease/uvc-lighting-high-purity-quartz-sand-market.htm Website: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1085206/Transparency_Market_Research_Logo.jpg LONDON, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Arqit, the quantum encryption company, has signed a collaboration agreement with Northrop Grumman in the UK. Through the collaboration, Arqit, which is developing end-to-end quantum encryption using satellite distribution, will work with Northrop Grumman to develop and understand this novel technology for potential use in defence and national security settings. The collaboration work programme has already begun in order to assess technological possibilities. The next phase of the collaboration agreement is to assess technical performance on project applications, to be agreed to as early as next month. Arqit Founder, David Williams, said: "Northrop Grumman is an important and respected supplier in aerospace, satellite technology and mission critical cyber solutions - on both sides of the Atlantic. The partnership will rapidly accelerate the delivery of products to government and defence end-users across the 5 Eyes territories." Nick Chaffey, Chief Executive of Northrop Grumman UK, Europe and Middle East said: "Working with advanced and highly innovative British technology companies like Arqit is central to our UK partnership strategy. Leveraging our U.S. expertise related to market access for quantum encryption technology has the potential to add significant value to our customer solutions." Contact Arqit Nick Miles, Montfort PR, +44 (0)7739 701634 miles@montfort.london Northrop Grumman Claire Scotter, +44 (0) 20 7747 1944 Claire.Scotter@euro.ngc.com About Arqit Arqit has invented a unique quantum encryption technology which makes the communications links of any networked device secure against current and future forms of cyber attack - even an attack from a quantum computer. Arqit's product, called QuantumCloud creates unbreakable software encryption keys which are easy and efficient to use remotely with no hardware or disruption to software required. The software has universal application to every edge device and cloud machine in the world. Headquartered in the United Kingdom with subsidiaries in the United States, Arqit was founded in 2017 by UK satellite industry veteran David Williams. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 1, 2021) - Martin Vydra, President of Giga Metals Corp. (TSXV: GIGA) (OTCQB: HNCKF) (FSE: BRR2) announced today that testwork conducted on Turnagain mineralized material at the University of British Columbia (UBC) has demonstrated significant mineral sequestration of CO 2 . The greenhouse gas is absorbed by exposing tailings or other waste rock to the atmosphere, which converts the host rock minerals to carbonate minerals, locking away the CO 2 for geological time periods. "This is exciting news," said Mr. Vydra. "We now have empirical data that supports our ambition to build the world's first true carbon neutral nickel mine, meaning a project that achieves carbon neutrality without purchasing carbon credits. As the only North American undeveloped nickel deposit of this scale solely focussed on the Class I and the battery chemical market, we think our emphasis on low carbon and other ESG principles will make us a desirable source of battery metals for electric vehicles." The test work was conducted by a team led by UBC's Dr. Greg Dipple, who has been studying mineral sequestration of CO 2 in mine tailings around the world for more than 15 years and whose work has recently been cited in the MIT Technology Review outlining the potential for mineral carbonation processes to permanently sequester vast amounts of CO 2 and the interest that is being shown in generating carbon credits through this form of sequestration. "The initial testing of the Turnagain material took place over a 4-week period and showed average absorption rates of 2.7 kg CO 2 /m2/y for the control sample, with absorption continuing at this rate over the 4-week test period," said Dr. Dipple. "A second sample was tested with periodic mixing of the tailings layer, reflecting potential active management of a tailings facility; this second sample showed a sustained increase in carbon sequestration rates of 25%. During periods of optimal moisture and mixing, the sequestration rates increased up to 3 times the long-term average. We look forward to working with Giga Metals to conduct additional tests on larger samples." In the 2020 Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA), Giga Metals disclosed expected emissions from a commercial operation of less than 2.5 tonnes CO 2 e/tonne of nickel produced in concentrate with a diesel haul fleet (Scope 1 + 2), and less than 0.75 t CO 2 e/t Ni with an electrified haul fleet. This is an order of magnitude lower than the global weighted average of 25.6 tonnes of CO 2 e/tonne of finished nickel reported by Wood Mackenzie. At the demonstrated basic sequestration rate of 2.7 kg/m2/y and factoring in the tailings management facility size used in the PEA, Giga Metals estimates that approximately 900,000 tonnes of CO 2 would be sequestered over the mine life, or 0.72 tonnes CO 2 per tonne nickel produced. Seasonal variations and management strategies may cause CO 2 sequestration rates to vary. This sequestration rate would make Turnagain a carbon neutral project if an electrified haul fleet becomes available as depicted in the chart below. Annual Average GHG Emissions (t CO 2 e/t Ni) To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/856/85931_3d33682ad4308863_002full.jpg The CO 2 sequestration rate used above is equivalent to 0.8 kg CO 2 /tonne tailings, which is 40% below the 1.4 kg CO 2 /tonne tailings recorded in the control sample. The tests showed that only about 10% of the contained brucite was consumed in the sequestration reaction after 1 month, and that the reaction was continuing, indicating a potential for increasing sequestration over time provided continued access to atmospheric or dissolved CO 2 . This upside was not incorporated in the calculations. "We recognize the growing importance of strong ESG performance from commodity producers," said Martin Vydra. "Europe is already introducing a strong carbon policy which could provide economic incentives to low carbon sources of raw materials. We are proud that our project is at the forefront of being able to contribute to a carbon free industry. We are also looking forward to continuing work with Dr. Dipple as we see a potential for Turnagain to actually generate carbon credits under the right scenario, however there is still significant work ahead before we can address this potential." About Giga Metals Corporation Giga Metals Corporation is focused on metals critical to modern batteries, especially those used in Electric Vehicles and Energy Storage. The Company's core asset is the Turnagain Project, located in northern British Columbia, which contains one of the few significant undeveloped sulphide nickel and cobalt resources in the world. Turnagain is the only undeveloped Canadian nickel project of this scale that is focussed on the battery market rather than the steel market. On behalf of the Board of Directors, "Martin Vydra" MARTIN VYDRA, PRESIDENT GIGA METALS CORPORATION Tel - 604 681 2300 Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Qualified Persons The technical content of this news release has been prepared and reviewed by Lyle Trytten, P.Eng., a Qualified Person under NI 43-101 standards. Forward-looking Statements Certain statements in this news release are forward-looking statements, which reflect the expectations of management regarding the Turnagain Project. Forward-looking statements consist of statements that are not purely historical, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the future financial or operating performance of the Company and its mineral projects, the estimation of mineral resources and mineral prices, the amount of CO 2 that could be sequestered under real world conditions, steps to be taken towards commercialization of the resource, the timing and amount of estimated future production and capital, operating and exploration expenditures. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or developments to differ materially from those contained in the statements. No assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will occur or, if they do occur, what benefits the Company will obtain from them. These forward-looking statements reflect management's current views and are based on certain expectations, estimates and assumptions which may prove to be incorrect, including the list of additional work prior to requisitioning a Pre-feasibility study, and statements relating to future exploration and development of the Project and mineral resource and mineral reserve estimations relating to the Project. A number of risks and uncertainties could cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including: (1) the mineral resource estimates relating to the Project could prove to be inaccurate for any reason whatsoever, (2) Giga is unable to finance the Project, (3) prices for nickel and cobalt or project costs could differ substantially and make any commercialization uneconomic, (4) inferred and indicated resources may not materialize, (5) permits, environmental opposition, government regulation, cost overruns or any of many other factors may prevent the Company from commercializing the Turnagain Project, (6) additional but currently unforeseen work may be required to advance to the pre-feasibility stage, and (7) even if the Project goes into production, there is no assurance that operations will be profitable. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and, except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results differed from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Additional information about these and other assumptions, risks and uncertainties are set out in the "Risks and Uncertainties" section in the Company's most recent MD&A filed with Canadian security regulators. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/85931 Union creates an agile advisory firm backed by a powerful data engine Top human behavior and analytics advisory firm Escalent announces today it has acquired Grail Insights from NewQuest Capital Partners. The union accelerates growth for its clients by creating a seamless flow between primary, secondary, syndicated, and internal business data streams, providing consulting and advisory services from insights through implementation. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005662/en/ Escalent announces today it has acquired Grail Insights from NewQuest Capital Partners. (Graphic: Business Wire) Escalent's and Grail's client rosters include many of the world's top brands across fast-growing industries such as Automotive Mobility, Consumer, Energy, Financial Services, Health, Technology and Telecom. They are deeply embedded inside these industries to help build brands, enhance customer experiences, inspire product innovation and transform business. "In a world marked by disruption-where information, analysis, knowledge or guidance isn't always enough-Escalent and Grail have joined forces to advance insights through implementation," said Escalent CEO Melissa Sauter. "Working side-by-side with our clients as an extension of their team, we move insights along the entire business continuum to streamline processes and accelerate productivity. The result is smarter decisions and stronger performance." The union creates a powerful global presence with 850 consultants, researchers, data scientists, technologists and operational experts in 11 countries. "This acquisition is a big win for Escalent and Grail employees," added Grail's Rob Stone, PhD, who will become Escalent's Chief Strategy Officer. "Our cultures are very much aligned, and everyone is laser focused on helping clients get closer to their customers and boost productivity. Employees will be able to offer more complete solutions that will continue to nurture their professional growth while helping clients solve their complex business and marketing challenges." Clients can expect a seamless transition and will continue to work with the same experienced teams with an even stronger united company behind them. All Grail locations will remain the same. There will be no change to the Grail name in the near term, but Grail will be transitioned to the Escalent brand in the coming months. About Escalent Escalent is a top human behavior and analytics advisory firm specializing in industries facing disruption and business transformation. As catalysts of progress for more than 40 years, we transform data and insight into a profound understanding of what drives human beings and markets. And we help businesses turn those drivers into actions that build brands, enhance customer experiences, inspire product innovation and transform business. Escalent is headquartered in Livonia, Michigan with offices in the UK, China and Canada. Visit escalent.co to see how we are helping shape the brands that are reshaping the world. About Grail Grail is a strategic insights consultancy founded by Monitor Group in 2006 that helps clients seize opportunities and respond decisively to market change by applying insights to any aspect of their business. Grail is located across the US and in Canada, China, India, Ireland, Italy, the Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, UAE and the UK. About NewQuest Capital Partners NewQuest is the leading dedicated secondary private equity platform focused on the Asia-Pacific region with offices in Singapore, Hong Kong, Beijing, and Mumbai. NewQuest specializes in providing strategic liquidity solutions to private equity asset owners, including private equity funds, financial institutions, corporations, hedge funds and family offices. NewQuest was established in 2011 and currently manages four funds with capital commitments of over US$2.4 billion. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005662/en/ Contacts: Lisa Viselli, 734.779.6851 lisa.viselli@escalent.co GCL-Poly will provide JA Solar with 148,000 metric tons of polysilicon over the next five years. Tongwei produced its first 210mm PERC cell at its Jintang factory.Module maker JA Solar has signed a long-term agreement to buy polysilicon from the Jiangsu Zhongneng unit of manufacturer GCL-Poly. The latter will provide JA Solar with 148,000 metric tons of polysilicon over five years, JA Solar said yesterday. The shipments will be made from next month to June 2026 with the purchase price to be set monthly. JA Solar has now signed six agreements since the start of last year, to secure a supply of ... Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. With a valuation near $600 million dollars, Kushki becomes one of the most valuable Fintechs in Latin America. The payment company created by two Ecuadorian serial entrepreneurs transplanted into LATAM, is rapidly disrupting financial infrastructure in Latin America with the objective of facilitating the movement of money across the region. QUITO, ECUADOR / ACCESSWIRE / June 1, 2021 / Only four years since its foundation, Kushki, the Latin American fintech company revolutionizing payment infrastructure in the region, made news again with a surprising $86 million USD in series B funding round. With this investment the payment platform has become a dominant player with a valuation of approximately $600 million dollars, the highest figure of its kind for a venture-backed financing in Latin American history. The company's fundraise included the participation of SoftBank Latin America Fund and an undisclosed global growth equity firm, as well as previous investors including DILA Capital, Kaszek Ventures, Clocktower Ventures, and Magma Partners. SoftBank Partner Carlos Medeiros said, "Kushki's long-term vision and advanced technology infrastructure are well aligned with SoftBank's vision of digital transformation in Latin America. We are impressed by the company's rapid developments and recent accomplishments, including the outstanding number of large enterprises across the region leveraging its infrastructure." The investment will be directed to fuel an aggressive team expansion throughout Latam; this includes the hiring of one of the largest developer teams in the region, with over 200 roles currently open for new software engineer roles. The company will also focus on growing into new markets including Brazil and Central America and consolidating its enterprise capabilities and product offering. Kushki's CEO Aron Schwarzkopf explains: "We've spent several years laying the groundwork and rebuilding local payment pipes in Latam. Our vision is to provide cutting edge, standardized, and regionalized infrastructure so that Latin America's digital economy can be installed on top of it for decades to come. Utilizing payments throughout the region has typically been a fragmented and primitive process because of the lack of investment in banking infrastructure. With this new funding, we'll be able to accelerate the power of the Kushki infrastructure throughout Latam, democratizing the movement of money for both businesses and consumers." Founded in 2017 by Ecuadorian serial entrepreneurs Sebastian Castro and Aron Schwarzkopf, Kushki's platform has standardized payments interoperability throughout Latam, enabling both local and cross-border payment players in credit and debit cards, bank transfers, digital cash, mobile wallets and other alternative payment methods. As a result, the company has experienced exponential growth, tripling the size of its team in 2021. Find out more at: Kushki, Linkedin, Twitter and Facebook. Press Contacts: GDC Consulting Maria Jose Gonzalez de Cossio mariajose@gdcconsulting.com.mx +52.55.5167.6086 SOURCE: Kushki View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/649734/Kushki-Raises-the-Highest-Valuation-Series-B-in-the-History-of-Latin-America Regulatory News: Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE: PM) will host a live audio call of a presentation and question and answer session by Emmanuel Babeau, Chief Financial Officer, at the Deutsche Bank Global Consumer Conference on Tuesday, June 8, 2021, at approximately 8:00 a.m. ET. The call will be held in a virtual format and provide a live audio of the entire PMI session in a listen-only mode. You may register for the call at www.pmi.com/2021deutschebank, in order to receive dial-in instructions and numbers. Presentation slides will be available on the same site. An archived copy of the call will be available at www.pmi.com/2021deutschebank until 5:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, July 7, 2021. The archived call may also be accessed on iOS or Android devices by downloading PMI's free Investor Relations Mobile Application at www.pmi.com/irapp. Philip Morris International: Delivering a Smoke-Free Future Philip Morris International (PMI) is leading a transformation in the tobacco industry to create a smoke-free future and ultimately replace cigarettes with smoke-free products to the benefit of adults who would otherwise continue to smoke, society, the company, its shareholders and its other stakeholders. PMI is a leading international tobacco company engaged in the manufacture and sale of cigarettes, as well as smoke-free products, associated electronic devices and accessories, and other nicotine-containing products in markets outside the U.S. In addition, PMI ships versions of its IQOS Platform 1 device and consumables to Altria Group, Inc. for sale under license in the U.S., where these products have received marketing authorizations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the premarket tobacco product application (PMTA) pathway; the FDA has also authorized the marketing of a version of IQOS and its consumables as a Modified Risk Tobacco Product (MRTP), finding that an exposure modification order for these products is appropriate to promote the public health. PMI is building a future on a new category of smoke-free products that, while not risk-free, are a much better choice than continuing to smoke. Through multidisciplinary capabilities in product development, state-of-the-art facilities and scientific substantiation, PMI aims to ensure that its smoke-free products meet adult consumer preferences and rigorous regulatory requirements. PMI's smoke-free product portfolio includes heat-not-burn and nicotine-containing vapor products. As of March 31, 2021, PMI's smoke-free products are available for sale in 66 markets in key cities or nationwide, and PMI estimates that approximately 14.0 million adults around the world have already switched to IQOS and stopped smoking. For more information, please visit www.pmi.com and www.pmiscience.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005716/en/ Contacts: Philip Morris International Investor Relations: New York: +1 (917) 663 2233 Lausanne: +41 (0)58 242 4666 Email: InvestorRelations@pmi.com Media: Lausanne: +41 (0)58 242 4500 Email: Iro.Antoniadou@pmi.com London, England--(Newsfile Corp. - June 1, 2021) - Net Savings Link, Inc. (OTC Pink: NSAV), a cryptocurrency, blockchain and digital asset technology company, today announced that its prized stake holding, VirtuaBroker https://virtuabroker.com, has launched its revolutionary Cryptocurrency Trading Platform. VirtuaBroker, whose platform is based on Artificial Intelligence (AI), offers a full range of trading services, such as portfolio management, price search function and much more. Their platform supports nearly all the major cryptocurrency exchanges, including Coinbase ($2 billion Revenue in 2019), Binance ($4.2 billion Crypto Assets), Bitfinex ($404 million Net Profits in 2018) and Kraken ($1.25 billion estimated Annual Revenues). With the recent announcements of Tesla and Mastercard joining the Crypto revolution, the management of NSAV believes that this will be a major step in fulfilling the Company's ambition of being a leading player in the over $200 billion annual cryptocurrency market. VirtuaBroker's proprietary High-Performance Computing (HPC) system allows real time transactions to occur with all connected exchanges at high speeds without lag time. VirtuaBroker's proprietary Price Search (PS) algorithm allows real time price searches across all connected exchanges to determine the best purchase prices and worst purchase prices per exchange. VirtuaBroker's proprietary Engine combines its HPC and PS to conduct real time transactions based on the best prices across all connected exchanges. VirtuaBroker has six exchanges connected to its Price Search algorithm: Binance, Bittrex, Bitfinex, Kraken, Hitbtc, Coinbase Pro. VirtuaBroker, whose platform is based on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and offers a full range of trading services, such as portfolio management, price search function, and much more. VirtuaBroker's Cryptocurrency Trading Platform is your 24/7 account manager. Customers will save time and be provided with an optimal trading experience. The AI Platform allows users to optimize the trades that they require according to their selected objectives and allows them to make decisions based on market sentiment data. VirtuaBroker's security policy is its pillar and is based on a five-tiered security stack, including Fraud Protection, Privacy Protection, Encryption and Network Defenses, VirtuaBroker Security ID and Security Alerts. NSAV also announced today the appointment of Mr. Eric Ma as Vice President of Decentralized Finance (De-Fi). Mr. Ma is an Associate Director of leading Investment Banking firm, Silverbear Capital Inc. (SBC) https://www.sbcfinancialgroup.com.hk . Mr. Ma will be working closely with SBCDF Investment, Inc. on the previously announced and soon to be launched, SBC Token Unix X, a 50/50 partnership with NSAV. Dani Garcia, founder and CTO of VirtuaBroker stated, "After three years of continuous development and testing, I am proud of the global launch of Virtuabroker. This launch is just another step in Virtuabroker's product roadmap that will revolutionize the way casual traders and crypto enthusiasts will relate to crypto. Our end vision is to provide a non- custodial seamless experience across all exchanges and leverage technology to maximize profitability and become the go to place to find the best prices for cryptos. This vision will be implemented with the deployment of new features throughout the upcoming months." Eric Ma, Vice President of NSAV stated, "I am truly pleased to be able to announce the global launch of VirtuaBroker and its one-of-a-kind, Cryptocurrency Trading Platform." Mr. Ma went on to state, "As head of Decentralized Finance for NSAV, I am extremely proud of the efforts that the Company has put forth so far and our achievements, in such a short period of time. In the near future, with the establishment of the SBC Token Unix X, we can further enlarge the business scale of NSAV and SBC in the cryptocurrency arena." NSAV's vision is the establishment of a fully integrated technology company that provides turnkey technological solutions to the cryptocurrency, blockchain and digital asset industries. Over time, the Company plans to provide a wide range of services such as software solutions, e-commerce, advisory services, financial services and information technology. For further information please contact NSAV at info@nsavholdinginc.com. The NSAV Twitter account can be accessed at https://twitter.com/nsavtech. This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, which are intended to be covered by the safe harbors created thereby. Investors are cautioned that, all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including without limitation, the ability of Net Savings Link, Inc. to accomplish its stated plan of business. Net Savings Link, Inc. believes that the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements contained herein are reasonable, any of the assumptions could be inaccurate, and therefore, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking statements included in this press release will prove to be accurate. In light of the significant uncertainties inherent in the forward- looking statements included herein, the inclusion of such information should not be regarded as a representation by Net Savings Link, Inc. or any other person. Contact Net Savings Link, Inc. info@nsavholdinginc.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/86020 New drug regimens to target chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients, players accelerate clinical trials for better treatment options High disease morbidity and mortality rate concern for global health system, companies aim at commercialization of novel therapeutics ALBANY, N.Y., Jun 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Bronchitis, including acute and chronic, has a high health burden worldwide, especially in patients suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a type of chronic bronchitis. The risk factors associated with chronic bronchitis are numerous-the exposure to industrial pollutants, that include toxic chemicals, is viewed as the key risk factor. Chronic bronchitis has a higher risk of morbidity and mortality in otherwise healthy young and old adults, as a growing body of epidemiological studies confirm. This aside, the high prevalence of chronic bronchitis in people who are active smokers and in elderly people is a key trend. This has constantly propelled drug makers and medical device manufacturers in the bronchitis treatment market to focus on developing better therapeutics. The presence of a substantial number of aged tobacco smokers Asia Pacific and the growing awareness about the risk factors of COPD have fueled extensive R&D for novel therapeutics in the regional market. Worldwide also, there is a high demand for pharmacological treatments to reduce the growing burden of chronic and acute bronchitis. Geographically, North America and Europe have been prominently lucrative markets for several years. Clocking CAGR of 3.6% from 2018 to 2026, the global bronchitis treatment market is projected to touch the mark of US$ 4,719.02 Mn by the end of 2026. Request for Analysis of COVID-19 Impact on Bronchitis Treatment Market - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/covid19.php Key Findings of Bronchitis Treatment Market Study Long-Acting Bronchodilators to Reduce Morbidity in Elderly: Bronchodilators and mucolytics are anti-inflammatory drugs, and have attracted intensive research with the objective of improving the pharmacological interventions. The bronchitis treatment market has seen new revenue streams from the sales of long-acting bronchodilators. The segment has vast latent opportunities for market players. An array of LAMA/LABA fixed dose combination inhalers have been found to be effective in managing COPD exacerbations. The high prevalence of COPD has thus spurred research in this direction. Request Brochure of Bronchitis Treatment Market Report - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/brochure.php Incidence of Chronic Bronchitis in Asia Pacific Stimulates Retail Distribution: The growing incidence of chronic bronchitis has led to high mortality and morbidity in patients, especially in Asia Pacific . A key trend associated with this is presence of active smokers. Over the past few years, various initiatives have been taken by governments as well as not-for-profit organizations to promote smoking cessation. These emphasize the equal importance of non-pharmacological interventions as the drugs and devices. On the other hand, despite tobacco control policies, the prevalence of smoking is alarming. Consequently, companies aspiring for steady gains from the uptake of pharmacological interventions are enthusiastically expanding their sales through retail distributions. These industry trends are likely to offer a decent momentum to the market's growth during the forecast period. Purchase the Bronchitis Treatment Market Report - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/checkout.php Players Ramp up Research for Evaluating Risk Factors: Over the decades, medical researchers are epidemiologists are extensively engaged on studies to evaluate the various risk factors of bronchitis. COPD presents an exciting avenue for them. The findings have helped drug makers world over to unveil novel therapies that aim at reducing the mortality. A case in point is the mortality in patients with chronic bronchitis symptoms, especially COPD. Request for Custom Research - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/custom-research.php Key Driving Factors and Avenues Substantial number of people who active tobacco smokers is a key epidemiological accelerator Growing public and private funds on epidemiological studies boost demand prospects for novel therapies The rise in geriatrics in the developing world is a key trend bolstering the prospects High burden of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) occupies a central position for driving revenues growth Browse Our Latest Reports - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/latest.htm Key Participants in Bronchitis Treatment Market AstraZeneca plc GlaxoSmithKline plc Novartis AG Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd. Melinta Therapeutics Sanofi Aventis Explore Transparency Market Research's award-winning coverage of the global Healthcare Industry: Remote Patient Monitoring Devices Market: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/remote-patient-monitoring-devices-market.html Oxygen Conserving Devices Market: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/oxygen-conserving-devices-market.html About Us Transparency Market Research is a next-generation market intelligence provider, offering fact-based solutions to business leaders, consultants, and strategy professionals. Our reports are single-point solutions for businesses to grow, evolve, and mature. Our real-time data collection methods along with ability to track more than one million high growth niche products are aligned with your aims. The detailed and proprietary statistical models used by our analysts offer insights for making right decision in the shortest span of time. For organizations that require specific but comprehensive information we offer customized solutions through adhoc reports. These requests are delivered with the perfect combination of right sense of fact-oriented problem solving methodologies and leveraging existing data repositories. TMR believes that unison of solutions for clients-specific problems with right methodology of research is the key to help enterprises reach right decision." Browse More Upcoming Reports by Transparency Market Research: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/upcoming.htm Contact: Mr. Rohit Bhisey Transparency Market Research State Tower, 90 State Street, Suite 700, Albany NY - 12207 United States USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453 Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.com Press Release Source: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/pressrelease/bronchitis-treatment-market.html Website: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1085206/Transparency_Market_Research_Logo.jpg BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - Residential property company Deutsche Wohnen SE (DWHHF.PK) said that all of the motions put by the Management and Supervisory Boards were passed with a large majority at its annual general meeting. The meeting took place in a virtual format for the second time due to the pandemic. The AGM decided on a dividend payment in the amount of 1.03 euros per share for the financial year 2020 after it had voted in favour of a reduced dividend last year to enable the Corona relief fund to be set up. In addition, Florian Stetter was appointed once again to the Supervisory Board of the company. On 24 May, Vonovia SE and Deutsche Wohnen SE signed an agreement to combine the two companies. Vonovia will launch a voluntary public takeover offer for all outstanding shares in Deutsche Wohnen. Deutsche Wohnen Shareholders will receive a total of 53.03 euros, consisting of an offer price of 52.00 euros in cash per share and a cash dividend of 1.03 euros per Deutsche Wohnen share. The Management and Supervisory Boards of Deutsche Wohnen support the offer made by Vonovia. Both bodies are assuming that - pending a careful examination of the documentation for this offer -they will recommend to the shareholders that they accept. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX DEUTSCHE WOHNEN-Aktie komplett kostenlos handeln - auf Smartbroker.de Reference is made to the stock exchange notice of April 29, 2021, stating that Norsk Hydro ASA has received the necessary approvals for the sale of Hydro Rolling to KPS Capital Partners. The transaction has today closed. In addition, Hydro has signed a separate agreement to sell its Bonn property, which has been part of the Hydro Rolling, but outside the perimeter of the above transaction, to Cube Real Estate for EUR 27 million. The total enterprise value for Hydro Rolling, including the Bonn property, is EUR 1,407 million. Investor contact: Line Haugetraa +47 41406376 Line.Haugetraa@hydro.com Press contact: Halvor Molland +47 92979797 Halvor.molland@hydro.com Announcement on the Change in Share Capital of H-Share Qingdao / Shanghai / Frankfurt / Hongkong, 01 June 2021 - Haier Smart Home Co., Ltd. (the "Company" or "Haier Smart Home", D-share 690D.DE, A-share 600690.SH, H-share 06690.HK) published an announcement on the Shanghai Stock Exchange with regard to the Change in Share Capital of H-Share: The details are as follows: Conversion status of H-share related convertible bonds: In May 2021, a cumulative amount of HKD 493,000,000 H-Share convertible bonds were converted into H-Shares of the Company, and the cumulative number of H-Shares formed as a result of the conversion was 26,172,031 shares, accounting for 0.28% of the total share capital of the Company before the conversion of H-Share convertible bonds in this month. As of 31 May 2021, a cumulative amount of HKD 7,095,000,000 H-Share convertible bonds were converted into H-Shares of the Company, and the cumulative number of H-Shares formed as a result of the conversion was 376,654,274 shares, accounting for 4.02% of the total share capital of the Company before the conversion of H-Share convertible bonds in this month. Status of outstanding convertible bonds: As of 31 May 2021, the amount of H-Share convertible bonds not yet converted was HKD 898,000,000, accounting for 11.23% of the total number of H-Share convertible bonds issued. Progress of the repurchase of H-shares: In May 2021, the Company has repurchased a total of 11,908,000 H- shares, representing 0.13% of the total share capital of the Company, with the highest price of HKD 33.20 per share and the lowest price of HKD 29.55 per share, and the amount paid was HKD 376,538,675.00. As at the end of May 2021, the Company has repurchased a total of 11,908,000 shares, representing 0.13% of the total share capital of the Company, with the highest price of HKD 33.20 per share and the lowest price of HKD 29.55 per share, and the amount paid was HKD 376,538,675.00. The aforementioned repurchased shares will be cancelled (as of the end of May 2021 6,335,800 shares have been cancelled). I. Background of the issuance and listing of convertible bonds On 27 October 2020, the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) issued the Approval of Haier Smart Home Co.,Ltd. to Issue Overseas Listed Foreign Shares and Convertible Corporate Bonds (CSRC License [2020] No. 2768), approving: (1) Haier Smart Home Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as the "Company") to issue not more than 2,856,526,138 overseas listed foreign shares (including additional shares issued upon exercise of conversion rights by holders of convertible bonds of not more than HKD 8 billion or equivalent in foreign currencies), with a par value of RMB 1 per share, all of which are ordinary shares. Upon completion of this issuance, the Company may list on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (hereinafter referred to as "HKSE"); (2) The Company's wholly-owned overseas subsidiaries, guaranteed by the Company, will issue overseas corporate bonds not exceeding HKD 8 billion or its equivalent in foreign currency convertible into overseas listed foreign shares of the Company (hereinafter referred to as "H-share convertible bonds"). On 23 December 2020, 2,448,279,814 H-Shares of the Company were listed and traded on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited and the relevant exchangeable bonds to convertible bonds program became effective and operational after the listing, the total amount of effective H-share convertible bonds was HKD 7,993,000,000. II. Background of the repurchase of H-shares On 05 March 2021, the First Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders in 2021 and the First Class Meetings of Shareholders in 2021 considered and approved the Proposal to Grant the General Mandate for the Repurchase of H-Shares upon Completion of the Listing. III. Changes in Share Capital From 01 May 2021 to 31 May 2021, the changes in the Company's shares were as follows: Class of shares Before the changes 30 April 2021 Number of the current changes (shares) After the changes 31 May 2021 Number of shares (shares) Proportion Number of convertible bonds to shares Number of repurchased shares cancelled* Number of shares (shares) Proportion Listed domestic shares (A shares) 6,308,552,654 67.27% - - 6,308,552,654 67.13% Overseas-listed shares (D shares) 271,013,973 2.89% - - 271,013,973 2.88% Overseas-listed shares (H shares) 2,798,762,057 29.84% +26,172,031 -6,335,800 2,818,598,288 29.99% Total number of shares 9,378,328,684 100.00% +26,172,031 -6,335,800 9,398,164,915 100.00% * The remaining 5,572,200 H-shares that have been repurchased but not yet cancelled will be cancelled within the prescribed period. Note: This Announcement has been prepared in both Chinese and English. Should there be any discrepancies or misunderstandings between the two versions, the Chinese version shall prevail. About Haier Smart Home Co., Ltd.: Haier is one of the world's leading manufacturers of household appliances with a focus on smart home solutions and customized mass production. Haier Smart Home Co., Ltd. develops, produces and distributes a wide range of household appliances. These include refrigerators, freezers, washing machines, air conditioners, water heaters, kitchen appliances as well as smaller household appliances and an extensive range of intelligent household appliances. The Company distributes its products through leading household brands such as Haier, Casarte, Leader, Candy, GE Appliances, AQUA and Fisher & Paykel. Haier Smart Home Co., Ltd. has launched Smart Home Experiential Cloud, which connects homes, users, enterprises and ecosystem partners, and facilitates the integration of Haier's online, offline and micro-store businesses and supports user interaction to further optimize the user experience. IR Contact: Yao Sun (Sophie) - Haier Smart Home Germany T: +49 6172 9454 143 F: +49 6172 9454 42143 M: +49 160 9469 3601 Email: y.sun@haier.de GSTS is providing enhanced Maritime Domain Awareness HALIFAX, NS, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Global Spatial Technology Solutions ("GSTS" or "the Company") an Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Maritime Analytics company, announced today that it has been selected by Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) to provide advanced Maritime Risk Detection and Assessment capabilities in support of maritime border security and surveillance. The solution will identify ships in an area of interest and using the cutting-edge techniques of artificial intelligence and machine learning, consolidate a ship's identity, movement history, and risk status with information collected from multiple sensors. Fusing the intelligence into a single operating picture, GSTS's solution enables users to improve Maritime Domain Awareness. The total contract is funded under the Canadian Safety and Security Program. This powerful solution will leverage OCIANA, an AI-based platform developed by GSTS that rapidly processes data from multiple sensor sources to provide intelligence in near real-time. Using various satellite data sets, coupled with machine learning algorithms for object analysis, OCIANA enables customers to detect, assess and respond to maritime threats rapidly and effectively. "This contract will enable GSTS to demonstrate the capability to satisfy many of the world's most challenging maritime risk and threat detection issues pertaining to security, environmental and commercial risks. It will provide next-generation capabilities to satisfy the requirements of security, customs and immigration, defence, coast guard and environmental agencies on a global scale," said Richard Kolacz, CEO of GSTS. "It is another example of the versatility of the maritime AI solutions developed by GSTS, and of the continually increasing revenue stream enabled by the OCIANA roll out. The project is unique in that it will demonstrate the ability to use the proprietary AI algorithms developed by GSTS, with a country's own surveillance data sets to provide enhanced Activity Based Intelligence. This enables nation states to use the GSTS solution within their existing maritime surveillance systems, to extract additional intelligence, or combine them with the OCIANA platform capabilities to provide enhanced Maritime Domain Awareness. OCIANA is an AI-based platform developed by GSTS that rapidly processes satellite data with other data sets harvested from ocean, weather, and port activity to provide decision-making information in near real-time. OCIANA will provide enhanced situational awareness, decision-making and inter-agency communications capability to enable governments and agencies to respond to any maritime threat or incident. About GSTS GSTS is a leader in Artificial Intelligence solutions for the maritime domain. Our solutions are designed to save lives, energy, and the environment on a global scale through the use of innovative applications based on emerging data sets and analytics. Our solutions enable enhanced decision-based operations for civil, commercial and defence and security agencies and industries. For more information, visit www.gsts.ca. About DRDC Canada DRDC is Canada's national leader in defence science and technology and develops and delivers new technical solutions and advice to the Department of National Defence, the Canadian Armed Forces, other federal departments, and the safety and security communities. Media Contacts: Stephen Martins, GSTS, Email: info@gsts.ca, Twitter: @gsts_info DUBAI, U.A.E, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- ESOMAR-certified consulting firm Future Market Insights' report has projected the global wearable medical devices market to grow at a healthy CAGR between 2021 and 2031. Rising prevalence of diabetes and cardiovascular disease have been fuelling the demand of wearable devices across the globe. Innovations in biopharmaceutical industry and rising prevalence of chronic diseases such as diabetes are favoring the market growth. Surging consumer demand for health and fitness solutions and technological developments in the medical field are major factors bolstering the demand for wearable therapeutic medical devices. Integration of artificial intelligence with the smartphones and wearable medical devices have increased the adoption, furthering the demand. Burgeoning cases of diabetes across the glove have improved the adoption of glucose monitoring devices, especially among the geriatric population. Also, due to the penetration of online platforms and increasing awareness about health, the demand for home healthcare wearable medical devices have increased exponentially. Furthermore, increasing expenditure in the healthcare industry across countries such as India, US, China, and UK have propelled the market demand. According to the latest insights of Future Market Insights, the global wearable devices market is poised to expand at over 7% CAGR throughout the forecast period of 2021 and 2031. "Growing demand for portable and advanced medical devices to monitor the glucose level and heart rate, due to the increasing cardiovascular diseases and diabetes cases, has been encouraging manufacturers to incorporate technologies such as artificial intelligence and Internet of Thinking (IoT). This will pave way for the expansion of the wearable devices market over the forecast period," says the FMI analyst For more Insights into the Market, Request a Sample of this Report https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-826 Key Takeaways Wearable therapeutic medical devices accounted for more than 50% of global market share in terms of product type Home healthcare wearable devices segment is expected to be the largest contributor in the market revenue, accounting for over 60% of market share Clinics are anticipated to be the primary distribution channel for wearable medical devices market, followed by hospital pharmacies Increased healthcare expenditure across the U.S. are expected to foster the wearable devices sales Germany is expected to lead the Europe's wearable medical devices market through 2021 is expected to lead the wearable medical devices market through 2021 Favorable policies and high investment in the medical field across China are expected to bolster market growth Competitive Landscape Future Market Insights projects the market is moderately consolidated with the leading players focused on product innovation and new launches to maintain a strong foothold in the industry. Strategic mergers, collaborations and acquisition are some of the other few strategies to solidify their position in the industry. In May 2021, Nemaura Medical Inc. announced the purchase of 5000 sugarBEAT transmitters and 200,000 sugarBEAT sensors from a leading company in UK, DB Ethitronix Ltd., that launched sugarBEAT non-invasive daily wear glucose monitoring device in UK. Some of the prominent wearable medical devices manufacturers profiled by FMI are: Siemens AG Medtronic PLC Bayer AG Fitbit Inc. Animas Corporation Panasonic Corporation Smiths Medical Johnson & Johnson Owlet Baby Care Koninklijke Philips NV Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. OMRON Corporation Rest Devices Inc. Get Customization on this Report for Specific Country https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/customization-available/rep-gb-826 More Insights on the Global Wearable medical devices Market Future Market Insights, in its latest study, provides an unbiased analysis of the wearable medical devices market, presenting historical demand data (2016-2020) and forecast statistics for the period from 2021-2031. The study divulges compelling insights on the wearable medical devices market with a detailed segmentation on the basis of: Product Type: Wearable Monitoring and Diagnostic Devices Fetal and Obstetric Devices Wearable Fetal Monitors Infant Motion Sensing Monitors Continuous Glucose Monitoring Devices Cardiac Monitoring Devices Wearable Heart Rate Monitors Wearable Pulse Oximeters Wearable Blood Pressure Monitors Wearable Therapeutic Medical Devices Hearing Aid Insulin Pump Respiratory Therapy Devices Sleep Apnea Devices Non-invasive Ventilation Health & Fitness Devices Application: Patient Monitoring Home Healthcare Health and Fitness Distribution Channel Hospital Pharmacies Clinics Online Channels Hypermarkets Region: North America Latin America Eastern Europe Western Europe Japan The Asia Pacific excluding Japan excluding Middle East and Africa For any Queries Linked with the Report, Ask an Analyst@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ask-question/rep-gb-826 Key Questions Covered in the Report How will the market for wearable medical devices will expand through 2031? Which top companies are leading the global wearable medical devices market? What are the key drivers and trends that will stimulate the wearable medical devices sales? What are the challenges that will affect the sales of wearable medical devices market? Which region will remain the most lucrative throughout the forecast period? What is the impact of Covid-19 on wearable medical devices market? Explore FMI's Extensive Coverage on the Healthcare Domain Wearable Pregnancy Devices Market: The wearable pregnancy devices market study by Future Market Insights (FMI) provides a deeper insights on the new trends while incorporating the impact of ongoing trends, and growth & restraining factors during the forecast period of 2021 to 2031. Market dynamics have been presented on the basis of prominent drivers, trends and opportunities prevailing across key geographies for the aforementioned decade. Wearable Medical Robots Market: ESOMAR-certified market analysis and consulting company Future Market Insights (FMI) provides insights driving wearable medical robots market demand in latest report. Additionally, to find the effect of COVID-19 on the wearable medical robots market in general, the study monitor global wearable medical robots sales in 20+ high-growth markets and addresses their end-user in particular. Wearable Glucometers Market: In its latest study, ESOMAR-certified market research and consulting firm Future Market Insights (FMI) offers in-depth insights on key factors that influence the demand for wearable glucometers. The report covers global demand for wearable glucometers in more than 20 high potential markets, in addition to an in-depth analysis of the impact of COVID-19 on the global wearable glucometers market. About Future Market Insights (FMI) Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in Dubai, and has delivery centers in the UK, U.S. and India. FMI's latest market research reports and industry analysis help businesses navigate challenges and make critical decisions with confidence and clarity amidst breakneck competition. Our customized and syndicated market research reports deliver actionable insights that drive sustainable growth. A team of expert-led analysts at FMI continuously tracks emerging trends and events in a broad range of industries to ensure that our clients prepare for the evolving needs of their consumers. Contact: Abhishek Budholiya Future Market Insights, 1602-6 Jumeirah Bay X2 Tower, Plot No: JLT-PH2-X2A, Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai, United Arab Emirates For Sales Enquiries: sales@futuremarketinsights.com For Media Enquiries: press@futuremarketinsights.com Website: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ Report: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/wearable-medical-devices-market Press Release Source: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/press-release/wearable-medical-devices-market Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/947618/Future_Market_Insights_Logo.jpg Tualatin, Oregon, June 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- June 1, 2021 - iGrafx, a leader in Business Process Management and automation solutions for the world's leading enterprises, announced today that Banneker Partners, an enterprise software-focused investment firm, has invested in the company. Banneker's software expertise, extensive track record and deep capital will enable iGrafx to pursue a strategy focused on delivering exceptional customer value and innovation by investing in sales, marketing, product development, professional services and customer support, as well as strategic acquisitions. Customers have long trusted iGrafx to help them understand and improve their business processes to increase agility, find efficiencies, enhance customer experiences, and ensure compliance. Over the last 30 years, iGrafx's solutions have been used by companies to save billions of dollars in operational efficiencies and unnecessary compliance penalties while becoming a key building block for business transformation and automation initiatives. "We believe the market is at a significant inflection point," said Andrew McFarland, CEO of iGrafx. "The global pandemic that we all experienced over the last year was a wake-up call for many organizations and has driven increased demand for software like ours that enables organizations to respond to disruption with agility. Business Process Management, Process Mining, Workflow Automation and RPA are coming together today to give organizations incredible power to drive forward digital transformation initiatives and become more responsive to market conditions. iGrafx plays an essential role in this and the iGrafx team and I are thrilled to be partnering with Banneker to help our customers to evolve, transform, and succeed in a constantly changing business environment." Ed Maddock, co-founder of iGrafx and Chief Evangelist said "Our success has been founded on our intense focus on the success of our customers and partners. In Banneker Partners, we've found a partner who is aligned with our mission, vision and culture. With this new relationship, we will be able to advance our long-term vision and accelerate our roadmap, benefiting our employees, customers and partners across the world." "iGrafx is widely recognized as a pioneer and innovator in the BPM space and we're excited to support the iGrafx team to build a market-leading suite of software solutions for business process improvement and automation initiatives while maintaining outstanding customer support," said Hugh Kirkpatrick, Vice President at Banneker Partners. Matt McDonald, Partner at Banneker, added "iGrafx has built world-class solutions and proven they are able to operate as a trusted partner to global enterprises. With our proximity to the company in Portland, Oregon, we are uniquely positioned to partner with iGrafx in its next phase of growth." About iGrafx iGrafx provides a comprehensive Business Transformation platform to the world's leading enterprises to help model, improve, and manage processes and technologies that support, simplify, and automate their operations. Whether aligning business objectives with IT systems, complying with industry regulations, automating business processes, or undertaking initiatives such as Six Sigma and Lean, iGrafx provides the ability to leverage results, improvements, and controls across these efforts, resulting in increased return on investment. iGrafx industry-leading solutions are used by thousands of organizations world-wide in their efforts to achieve process excellence and effective business transformation. For more information, please visit www.igrafx.com. About Banneker Partners Banneker Partners invests in growing enterprise software businesses to drive sustainable long-term value. Banneker takes a partnership approach to support founders and management teams to achieve their goals by implementing proven best practices and making additional investments across functional areas, including sales, marketing, product management, product development, professional services, and customer success, and we complement these growth initiatives with strategic acquisitions that are focused on enhancing customer value. For more information, please visit www.bannekerpartners.com. Attachment Singapore, Singapore--(Newsfile Corp. - June 1, 2021) - Luxury luggage brand Rimowa has partnered with material design creative house NUOVA on a collection of four unique digital artworks: a food cart, a lamp, a set of sound system and a table. The series, named "Blueprints from the Metaverse" has been auctioned on May 18 through Rarible. The non-physical products have contributed US$30,000,000 trading volume to Rarible every month. Figure 1 To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/7987/86037_134ad7af84957a70_001full.jpg In the past few months, NFT transactions have grown exponentially worldwide. NFT is a unit of data stored on a digital ledger, called a blockchain, that certifies a digital asset to be unique and therefore not interchangeable. Unlike Bitcoin, dollar and ETH, which are identical and worth the same, NFTs are unique. Figure 2 To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/7987/86037_134ad7af84957a70_002full.jpg The Growth and Breakthrough of NFT The total market value and transaction scale of NFT have increased rapidly since 2021, but the concept of NFT still remains unknown to many people. As for the insiders, it is also difficult to participate and earn the early dividends. The inadequate liquidity of NFT assets, low incentives and poor user experiences are the three obstacles that hinder the ecological development of NFT and discourage many participants. Therefore, the important direction for NFT now is to find the solutions to improving NFT asset liquidity, incentives and users' experiences. Figure 3 To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/7987/86037_134ad7af84957a70_003full.jpg Paragon came into being as demanded by the times, which is an independent project in the distributed community and committed to NFT fragmentation. Paragon is the NFT platform based on multiple-chains including BSC, HECO and Polkadot, covering NFT creation, transaction, auction, mortgage and other ecological applications. The fragmentation technology in Paragon protocol can improve both the liquidity and incentives of NFT assets. Fragmentation of NFT Assets How does Paragon improve the liquidity of NFT assets? If a picture is worth 1,000 ETHs, the price will be too high to be afforded by the users though it is sought after by many. After the fragmentation of NFT assets, more users can buy the shards at a lower price; average investors can buy a small number like liquidity tokens. Figure 4 To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/7987/86037_134ad7af84957a70_004full.jpg Paragon's technical team focuses on the R&D of fragmentation technology, splitting the NFT assets into several shards. The fragmentation protocol has fully registered Paragon's highlights and advantages. NFT shards can connect with DEX platforms and perform liquidity mining. Besides, Paragon supports owners to split their NFT into different shards so that they can enjoy the price appreciation and receive dividend, directly channeling incentives of NFT to more people. Figure 5 To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/7987/86037_134ad7af84957a70_005full.jpg NFT fragmentation can also bring more benefits to the creators, enabling their supporters to possess parts of the works and establishing the bonds among the shard owners. The bonds can encourage supporters to make contributions to community sales, influencing NFT values. With massive owners and strong liquidity, more people will participate in the supervision of patents and combat counterfeits, which benefits both the creators and NFT owners. NFT Content Universe NFT Content Universe provides optimum solutions to improving the users' experiences of NFT asset collection and transaction, committed to sound interaction and rich presentation of NFT content. First, Paragon will offer tools that support immersive experiences of NFT including multi-medias like 3D model, music, video, VR picture and VR video, which best presents NFT works in the optimum environment and offers better experiences through high-end NFT technologies. Second, Paragon supports rich NFT interactions and seamlessly integrates the interactions with mobile operations. Third, Paragon provides NFT-customized decentralized mobile wallets, which enables users to receive the latest and valuable news of NFT on the mobile terminal. Figure 6 To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/7987/86037_134ad7af84957a70_006full.jpg The values of Paragon protocols and its fragmentation technology which promote the rapid development of the overall NFT ecology should be further explored. NFT transaction, just like that of other cryptocurrencies, will become the rigid demand. Paragon is expected to become the breakthrough in NFT market, which deserves close attention! Media Contact Company Name: Paragon Contact: Bill James Email: bill.james@paragon.cool Website: www.paragon.cool To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/86037 TOKYO, June 1, 2021 - (JCN Newswire) - The joint venture between Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. and Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, NMKV Co., Ltd., has marked ten years since its founding.Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors established NMKV on June 1, 2011 as a 50/50 joint venture engaged in product planning and project management for minivehicles sold in the Japan market. NMKV, with the combined strengths of Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors in fields such as product planning and development, design, and purchasing, aims to consistently deliver competitive products to customers.As of May this year, combined sales of vehicles produced under the joint venture have reached a cumulative total of 1.52 million units.Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors collaborate closely from the product planning stage while pursuing distinct designs that embody the two brands. This results in models with a high level of competitiveness that fuse the knowhow and advanced technologies of the two companies. Models from both brands have earned high acclaim, with many winning prestigious awards. The latest Nissan ROOX and Mitsubishi eK space and eK X space were awarded "K Car of the Year" in the 2020-2021 Car of the Year Japan awards.Mitsubishi Motors' Mizushima Plant has made an investment of around eight billion yen, which is the first collaboration between Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors toward starting production of new electric minivehicles, and NMKV is working with both companies to promote this project. Going forward, NMKV will continue to contribute to strengthening the domestic competitiveness of Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors through the planning of new and attractive products and project management.Commenting on NMKV's 10 years of operations, Nissan President Makoto Uchida said, "The minivehicles planned and developed through NMKV have evolved greatly over the past 10 years. The latest models from Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors feature many Nissan advanced technologies and are designed to make customers' lives more comfortable and exciting. We will continue to adopt electrification and autonomous driving technologies to further strengthen the appeal of our products, and we will significantly advance our business collaboration with Mitsubishi Motors."Mitsubishi Motors President Takao Kato said, "The latest model in the eK series, celebrating its 20th anniversary, is a reliable, comfortable mini-wagon that combines Mitsubishi Motors' 60 years of expertise in minivehicle manufacturing with Nissan's advanced technologies under the project management of NMKV. Going forward, we will continue to strengthen cooperation with Nissan and NMKV to provide products that delight our customers."NMKV President Junichi Endo said, "NMKV is combining the best of Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors to create appealing vehicles for Japan's national car, the minivehicle. Going forward, the three companies will continue to strengthen the source of their strength, Japanese manufacturing capabilities, and cross-company and cross-functional collaboration to promote even better vehicle manufacturing through the teamwork of the Alliance."About Mitsubishi MotorsMitsubishi Motors Corporation (TSE:7211), MMC--a member of the Alliance with Renault and Nissan--, is a global automobile company based in Tokyo, Japan, which has more than 30,000 employees and a global footprint with production facilities in Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, mainland China, the Philippines, Viet Nam and Russia. MMC has a competitive edge in SUVs, pickup trucks and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, and appeals to ambitious drivers willing to challenge convention and embrace innovation. Since the production of our first vehicle more than a century ago, MMC has been a leader in electrification--launched the i-MiEV - the world's first mass-produced electric vehicle in 2009, followed by the Outlander PHEV - the world's first plug-in hybrid electric SUV in 2013. MMC announced a three-year business plan in July 2020 to introduce more competitive and cutting-edge models, including the Eclipse Cross PHEV (PHEV model), the all-new Outlander and the all-new Triton/L200.For more information on MMC, please visit the company's website at https://www.mitsubishi-motors.com/en/.Source: Mitsubishi MotorsCopyright 2021 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved. EQS Group-Ad-hoc: HBM Healthcare Investments AG / Key word(s): Monthly Figures Key Figures 31.05.2021 01-Jun-2021 / 17:45 CET/CEST Release of an ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 KR The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. in CHF Performance in % 31.05.2021 MTD FYTD CYTD NAV CHF 308.49 2.8% -0.2% 5.2% Share Price CHF 341.00 4.0% 2.6% 11.8% Total Net Assets (in million) 2'146 HBM Healthcare Investments AG Bundesplatz 1 CH-6300 Zug - Switzerland Tel. +41 41 710 75 77 Fax +41 41 710 75 78 E-Mail: hbm@hbmhealthcare.com Web: www.hbmhealthcare.com Wenn Sie keine Mitteilungen von HBM Healthcare Investments mehr wunschen, konnen Sie diese hier abbestellen. Should you wish to unsubscribe from all HBM Healthcare Investments news, please unsubscribe here. Disclaimer: This message may contain confidential or privileged Information and is intended only for the use of the addressee named above. If you are not the intended recipient of this message, you are hereby notified that you must not use, copy, disclose or take any action based on this message or information herein. If you have received this message by error, please advise the sender immediately and delete this message. The publication is for information purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy or subscribe for securities. Past performance is not a reliable indicator or guarantee of future results, prices of shares and the income from them may fall as well as rise and investors may not get back the amount originally invested. The investor must be aware of the investment risk and personal risk ability. Some information quoted was obtained from external sources HBM considers to be reliable. HBM cannot guarantee the adequacy, accuracy, timeliness or completeness of or be held responsible or liable for errors of fact regarding such data and information obtained from third parties, and this data may change with market conditions. If the email looks unformatted, please use this alternative link. End of ad hoc announcement HAIKOU, China, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- How long does it take for a ship to finish port registration procedures? China's Hainan Free Trade Port gave a new answer: One day! On September 23, 2020, the 319,000-ton "Yuanhuayang" shipping vessel completed formal registration at the China Yangpu Port in just one day, smashing all previous records, thanks to Hainan's innovative "One Step" ship registration system. On June 1, 2020, the Chinese government issued a master plan for the Hainan FTP, which focused on facilitating free trade investment, establishing a policy system suitable for a high-level Free Trade Port, and creating an internationally influential special customs administration area. In the year following the publication of the master plan, 791 projects kicked off in Hainan, with a total investment of 223.48 billion yuan (about $35.06 billion). In the first quarter of 2021, Hainan achieved a regional GDP of 139.6 billion yuan (about $21.9 billion), a year-on-year increase of 19.8%, the second-highest growth rate of any Chinese province. Several key policies have been implemented in the FTP, including a 15% income tax for both individuals with high-level and in-demand expertise working in Hainan and eligible Hainan-registered companies in certain industries, zero tariffs on listed imported raw materials, zero tariffs on listed imported vehicles and yachts, and a negative list for zero tariffs on manufacturing equipment for internal production use. As of the end of 2020, a total of 45,940 companies had opened in Hainan's province-level key industrial parks, increasing total company numbers by 74.5%. Hainan's 11 key Free Trade Port industrial parks were home to a total of 38,899 companies, an increase of 89.8%. On May 1, 2018, Hainan implemented a policy allowing citizens of 59 countries to enter without a visa. In the first quarter of 2021, 419 foreign invested companies were set up in Hainan, a year-on-year increase of 525.37%. Actual use of foreign investment funds totaled 555.8 million USD, a 432.98% increase over the previous year's numbers, and Hainan saw new foreign invested companies from 66 countries and regions set up in the province. As the world's largest Free Trade Port, as well as an international tourism island brimming with tropical romance, Hainan had attracted 232,000 talented individuals as of April 12, 2021, and is turning into one of the hottest new places for investment on the planet as well as a new home for young people from near and far. Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiH7afr1V-k Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1522835/An_aerial_photo_showed_bustling_China_Yangpu_Port_located_west.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1522836/An_aerial_view_Haikou_City_China_s_Hainan_Free_Trade_Port.jpg Regulatory News: NOXXON Pharma N.V. (Euronext Growth Paris: ALNOX), a biotechnology company focused on improving cancer treatments by targeting the tumor microenvironment (TME), announced today that it has received two batches of bulk NOX-A12 drug substance and has made additional manufacturing commitments. As such, NOXXON has drawn down additional financing tranches from its financing agreement with Atlas Special Opportunities, LLC (ASO), for a total consideration of 2.325 million, and issued 2,368 convertible bonds (including 43 convertible bonds issued in relation to the transaction fee) with a nominal value of EUR 1,000 each. As NOXXON advances its pipeline with upcoming start of clinical trials this additional liquidity will mostly focus on the following developments: Manufacturing of NOX-A12 clinical trial supply in anticipation of upcoming clinical trials; - Manufacturing of NOX-E36 clinical trial supply in anticipation of the planned upcoming clinical trial; - Purchase of stocks of starting materials at more cost-effective scale which will also allow more rapid production of future batches of NOX-A12 or NOX-E36. The tranches are split as follows: Issuance of the remainder of the Drug Manufacturing tranche for a consideration of 900,000; - Issuance of 3 additional tranches for a total consideration of 1,425,000. The additional cash brings NOXXON's runway into Q1 2022 without additional financing or use of the ASO convertible bond vehicle. NOXXON maintains an updated summary table of issued convertible bonds in the Investors' section of its website. The characteristics, terms, conditions and dilutive potential of the ASO financing may be found in the Annex to the press release published on October 14, 2020 available on the company's website. About NOXXON NOXXON's oncology-focused pipeline acts on the tumor microenvironment (TME) and the cancer immunity cycle by breaking the tumor protection barrier and blocking tumor repair. By neutralizing chemokines in the TME, NOXXON's approach works in combination with other forms of treatment to weaken tumor defenses against the immune system and enable greater therapeutic impact. NOXXON's lead program NOX-A12 has delivered final top-line data from a Keytruda combination trial in metastatic colorectal and pancreatic cancer patients published at the ESMO conference in September 2020 and based on the trial results, including overall survival and safety profile, further studies are being planned in pancreatic cancer. NOXXON is also studying NOX-A12 in brain cancer in combination with radiotherapy which has been granted orphan drug status in the US and EU for the treatment of certain brain cancers. A trial of NOX-A12 in combination with radiotherapy in newly diagnosed brain cancer patients who will not benefit from standard chemotherapy has delivered preliminary data from the first cohort showing consistent tumor reductions. The company's second clinical-stage asset NOX-E36 is a Phase 2 TME asset targeting the innate immune system. NOXXON plans to test NOX-E36 in patients with solid tumors. Further information can be found at: www.noxxon.com Keytruda is a registered trademark of Merck Sharp Dohme Corp https://www.linkedin.com/company/noxxon-pharma-ag https://twitter.com/noxxon_pharma Disclaimer Certain statements in this communication contain formulations or terms referring to the future or future developments, as well as negations of such formulations or terms, or similar terminology. These are described as forward-looking statements. In addition, all information in this communication regarding planned or future results of business segments, financial indicators, developments of the financial situation or other financial or statistical data contains such forward-looking statements. The company cautions prospective investors not to rely on such forward-looking statements as certain prognoses of actual future events and developments. The company is neither responsible nor liable for updating such information, which only represents the state of affairs on the day of publication. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005769/en/ Contacts: NOXXON Pharma N.V. Aram Mangasarian, Ph.D. Chief Executive Officer Tel. +49 (0) 30 726247 0 amangasarian@noxxon.com Investor and Media Relations: LifeSci Advisors Guillaume van Renterghem Tel. +41 (0) 76 735 01 31 gvanrenterghem@lifesciadvisors.com NewCap Arthur Rouille Tel. +33 (0) 1 44 71 00 15 arouille@newcap.fr Conditions of availability of the preparatory documents and the composition of the bureau Regulatory News: ESI Group (Paris:ESI), Paris, France, (ISIN Code: FR0004110310, Symbol: ESI) hereby informs its shareholders that the Combined General Meeting of the company will be held on first notice, on Tuesday, June 22nd, 2021, at 4 pm (CET) at the company's headquarters, 3 bis rue Saarinen, Batiment Le Seville, 94528 Rungis Cedex. In view of the declaration of a health emergency due to the Covid-19 pandemic until June 1st, 2021 and the extension to July 31, 2021 of the derogatory measures applicable to shareholders' meetings, and in order to avoid exposing shareholders to health risks and to guarantee equal access to this meeting, the Combined General Meeting will be held behind closed doors. All information on how to attend the meeting live and watch the webcast is available on: https://investors.esi-group.com/shareholders-meeting In order to encourage shareholders dialogue, shareholders are invited to send their questions by email: investors@esi-group.com, until June 18, 2021. The notice of meeting, including the agenda and the draft resolutions to be submitted to the vote of the shareholders, was published in the Bulletin des Annonces Legales Obligatoires (BALO) on May 14, 2021. The notice of meeting will be published in the BALO and in a legal gazette on June 4, 2021. The preparatory documents and information for the meeting referred to in Article R. 225-73-1 of the French Commercial Code may be consulted and downloaded from the company's website: https://investors.esi-group.com/shareholders-meeting The documents and information referred to in Article R.225-83 of the French Commercial Code are available to shareholders at the above-mentioned Internet address. Pursuant to Article 8 of Decree no. 2020-418 of April 10, 2020, the Board of Directors has appointed two scrutineers from among the shareholders holding the greatest number of voting rights of which the Company is aware at the date of the meeting, who are able to attend the General Meeting and who have accepted this function. These are Long Path Partners and Briarwood Chase Management. Upcoming event Annual General meeting June 22, 2021 (4pm CET) Half year results September 7, 2021 (6pm CET) About ESI Group Founded in 1973, ESI Group envisions a world where Industry commits to bold outcomes, addressing high stakes concerns environmental impact, safety comfort for consumers and workers, adaptable and sustainable business models. ESI provides reliable and customized solutions anchored on predictive physics modeling and virtual prototyping expertise to allow industries to make the right decisions at the right time, while managing their complexity. Acting principally in automotive land transportation, aerospace, defense naval, energy and heavy industry, ESI is present in more than 20 countries, employs 1200 people around the world and reported 2020 sales of 132.6 million. ESI is headquartered in France and is listed on compartment B of Euronext Paris. For further information, go to www.esi-group.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005814/en/ Contacts: ESI Shareholder Relations Florence Barre investors@esi-group.com +33 1 49 78 28 28 Verbatee Press Shareholder Relations Jerome Goaer, j.goaer@verbatee.com, +33 6 61 61 79 34 Aline Besselievre, a.besselievre@verbatee.com, +33 6 61 85 10 0 Regulatory News: Pascal Vinet, a member of the Executive Committee of the Air Liquide Group (Paris:AI), is appointed Group Vice President supervising the operations in Europe Industries, Africa, Middle-East and India starting September 15, 2021. He will also supervise the Safety function at Group level. CEO of Airgas, Inc. since its acquisition in 2016, and up to July 1, 2021, Pascal Vinet led its successful integration and development within the Air Liquide Group. Marcelo Fioranelli is appointed as the new CEO of Airgas Inc., effective July 1, 2021. After joining the Group in 2001, Marcelo Fioranelli was appointed Director of Operations of Air Liquide Brazil in 2006, and subsequently General Manager in 2008. In 2013, Marcelo was appointed CEO and President of Air Liquide China, as well as becoming Vice President for the Greater China Cluster in 2016. In 2019, Marcelo Fioranelli joined the Americas hub as Senior Vice President, in charge of the Industrial Merchant, Large Industries and Healthcare Business Lines as well as leading the Large Projects Implementation team, Procurement, and Digital IT. Marcelo Fioranelli is Brazilian. He holds a Master's degree in materials and metallurgical engineering from FEI (Faculdade de Engenharia Industrial) in Sao Paulo, and a MBA in Marketing from ESPM (Escola Superior de Propaganda e Marketing) in Brazil. A world leader in gases, technologies and services for Industry and Health, Air Liquide is present in 78 countries with approximately 64,500 employees and serves more than 3.8 million customers and patients. Oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen are essential small molecules for life, matter and energy. They embody Air Liquide's scientific territory and have been at the core of the company's activities since its creation in 1902. Air Liquide's ambition is to be a leader in its industry, deliver long term performance and contribute to sustainability with a strong commitment to climate change and energy transition at the heart of its strategy. The company's customer-centric transformation strategy aims at profitable, regular and responsible growth over the long term. It relies on operational excellence, selective investments, open innovation and a network organization implemented by the Group worldwide. Through the commitment and inventiveness of its people, Air Liquide leverages energy and environment transition, changes in healthcare and digitization, and delivers greater value to all its stakeholders. Air Liquide's revenue amounted to more than 20 billion euros in 2020. Air Liquide is listed on the Euronext Paris stock exchange (compartment A) and belongs to the CAC 40, EURO STOXX 50 and FTSE4Good indexes www.airliquide.com Follow us on Twitter @airliquidegroup View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005831/en/ Contacts: Corporate Communications media@airliquide.com Investor Relations IRTeam@airliquide.com Stay on target with revolutionary low latency and optimized response time BREA, Calif., June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- ViewSonic Corp., a leading global provider of visual solutions, unveils ELITE professional gaming monitors armed with the latest NVIDIA Reflex and G-Sync technology. Delivering maximized latency improvements for high-velocity, graphics-intensive games, ELITE's XG251G and XG271QG monitors also boast precise, competitive frames-per-second (FPS), highest refresh rate of 360Hz, and industry-leading 1ms (GTG) response time. "ELITE monitors are designed by and for gamers, and we're proud to work with NVIDIA to create a range of professional esports monitors equipped with their latest NVIDIA Reflex technology," says Oscar Lin, Head of Monitor Business Unit at ViewSonic Corporation. "Whether from 24.5" to 32", competitive gamers can expect an ultra-smooth, stutter-free, and immersive gaming experience in a sleek, modern display with innovative gamer-forward design elements. We look forward to continuing our work with NVIDIA to advance ELITE monitors with their latest technology." Outgun rivals with ultra-high shot accuracy and bleeding-edge responsiveness on ViewSonic ELITE's professional gaming monitors - the ELITE XG251G is the first 24.5" ELITE monitor with the highest refresh rate of 360Hz, and 27" ELITE XG271QG unlocks buttery-smooth gameplay with 240Hz. Integrated with NVIDIA Reflex and G-Sync capabilities, both displays are paired with blistering-fast refresh rates and hyper-quick response time for seamless kills and exact click-timing action. Gamers can also gaze upon alien jungles and sweeping landscapes in true-to-life color from 99% Adobe color coverage and brightness of 400 nits. The NVIDIA Reflex ecosystem is engineered to reduce latency and input lag to give gamers higher aiming precision, more accurate hit registration, and faster tactical advantage. System latency is the time it takes for an action on an additional peripheral, such as a mouse or keyboard, to happen onscreen in real-time. In gaming where responsiveness and accuracy are key to winning a battle, a delay in movement or unregistered shots will result in major defeat. The technology features Reflex Latency Analyzer which captures end-to-end system latency and delivers a precise reading of CPU and GPU performance, allowing gamers to register every click in millisecond accuracy and achieve the desired peeker's advantage with ease. The optional Low Latency Boost lets the GPU overclock without affecting the picture quality, so gamers can crank up performance settings and still enjoy cinematic visuals at the same time. Drawn from gamers' insights, these monitors are geared with intuitive ELITE Design Enhancements (EDE) to elevate the gaming desk setup. The minute details such as mood-enhancing ambient RGB light, friction-free mouse anchor, and reinforced clutter-free headphones hook will banish any distractions for a truly immersive gaming experience. Equipped with full ergonomic features, gamers can tilt, swivel, and adjust the screen's height to their comfort and focus on ruling the arena. Key Features of ViewSonic ELITE XG251G monitor: 24.5" FHD VESA DisplayHDR 400 IPS Non-Glare display True-to-life colors from 99% Adobe Color Gamut Highest refresh rate of 360Hz and 1ms (GTG) response time NVIDIA Reflex and G-Sync technology TUV-Certified Eye Comfort Ultimate connectivity with HDMI, DisplayPort, and USB ports Ergonomic features and ELITE Design Enhancements (EDE) Key features of ViewSonic ELITE XG271QG monitor: 27" QHD VESA DisplayHDR 400 IPS display Brilliant, vibrant imagery from 99% Adobe Color Gamut Lightning-fast refresh rate of 240Hz and 1ms (GTG) response time NVIDIA Reflex and G-Sync technology Ergonomic features and ELITE Design Enhancements (EDE) Availability ViewSonic ELITE XG251G and ELITE XG271QG monitors will be available worldwide in Q3, 2021. About ViewSonic Founded in California, ViewSonic is a leading global provider of visual solutions and conducts business in over 100 countries worldwide. As an innovator and visionary, ViewSonic is committed to providing comprehensive hardware and software solutions that include monitors, projectors, digital signage, ViewBoard interactive displays, and myViewBoard software ecosystem. With over 30 years of expertise in visual displays, ViewSonic has established a strong position for delivering innovative and reliable solutions for education, enterprise, consumer, and professional markets and helping customers "See the Difference." To find out more about ViewSonic, please visit www.viewsonic.com. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1517857/ELITE.jpg Effective 1. June 2021, Jtul Holdings SA's wholly owned direct subsidiary, Jtul AS, has acquired all shares in AICO S.p.A. ("AICO"), an Italian manufacturer of residential stoves, fireplaces, boilers and cookers. The selling shareholder is Stove Investments Holdings S.a r.l. being the ultimate majority owner of Jtul Holdings SA and Jtul AS (the "Acquisition"). The Acquisition considerations were not disclosed but were immaterial. AICO offers a wide range of premium home heating products that are energy efficient and utilize pellets, a renewable energy source. The pellet-based heating technology offers a less expensive and cleaner alternative to traditional oil-based heating pumps and complements the wood and gas based Jtul product range. The business features two well-established brands, Ravelli and Elledi. For the period ended 2020, AICO reported net revenues of 20.4 million. Following the Acquisition, AICO will be incorporated into the Jtul group and EBITDA is expected to be neutral in the remainder of 2021. In addition to the Acquisition, Stove Investments Holdings S.a r.l. will grant a 5 million subordinated loan to Jtul Holdings SA for further distribution to the Jtul group which is to be used for general corporate purposes. Jtul group has also extended their existing RCF until October 31st, 2021 Attachment - Clinical trial shows patients prescribed the geko device experienced shortened hospital stays by more than one day after a kidney transplant - The device reduced surgical site infections by almost 60 per cent - It also reduced swelling by 31 per cent - due to greater urine output producing less fluid retention LONDON, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In a published study, a team from Lawson Health Research Institute (LHSC), in Ontario Canada, has found that a simple medical device can reduce swelling after kidney transplantation. The wearable geko device, manufactured by UK-based, Sky Medical Technology Ltd and distributed in Canada by Trudell Healthcare Solution Inc., is a small muscle pump activator that significantly increases blood flow via painless electrical pulses. Patients using the device following kidney transplantation experienced shorter hospital stays and reduced surgical site infections by nearly 60 per cent. Kidney and simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantations can significantly reduce mortality and improve the quality of life for patients with end stage renal disease. Dr. Alp Sener, Lawson Scientist and Transplant Surgeon in the Multi-Organ Transplant Program at LHSC, who lead the study explains: "After surgery, many of these organ recipients require a longer hospital stay due to delayed kidney function, infection, lack of mobility or oedema." Oedema is swelling caused by excess fluid trapped in the body's tissues which can impact wound healing. The current standard of care for managing lower-limb oedema and improving blood flow in Canada healthcare systems recommend thrombo-embolic-deterrent (TED) stockings, used alongside a boot-like cuff that compresses the leg to increase blood flow, called intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC). Both can be uncomfortable to wear, and IPC can inhibit early mobility and disrupt sleep after surgery. In a randomised controlled clinical trial spanning two years, 221 transplant recipients at LHSC were prescribed either TED stocking and IPC, or the geko device for six days after surgery. The research team found that wearing the device increased urine output by 27 per cent and lowered weight gain by over a kilogram. With more urine produced and less fluid retention, patients experienced 31 per cent less swelling and the duration of costly hospitalisation was shortened by more than one day after kidney transplantation, compared to the standard of care. A 60 per cent reduction in wound infection rates was a striking observation. "Transplant patients are at a higher risk of infection due to the immunosuppressant medications needed after surgery," explains Dr. Sener, who is also the President of the Urologic Society for Transplantation and Renal Surgery, a global organization affiliated with the American Urological Association. "Reducing infection means a much better outcome for the patient and considering that recent data shows wound infections can cost the health care system thousands of dollars per person, it's a win-win situation." Some of the study participants wore pedometers to track their steps, and those using the geko device also had improved mobility after surgery. The team suspects this may be due to reduced swelling which could improve ease and comfort when moving. Dr Sener adds: "The study results have been both surprising and exciting. Not only have we cut down wound infection rates, but we have also seen a considerable improvement in the new organ's function following transplantation. Patients reported feeling more satisfied with the transplant process and are more mobile." The geko device has been adopted into the care pathway and is now being offered to patients at LHSC in recovery after receiving a new kidney. Ruben Garcia, 68 years old, recently received a new kidney from his daughter, Ruby, who was a match as a living kidney donor. Following his surgery, Garcia found it difficult to get out of bed due to the pain and swelling, and the function of his new kidney was very low. "My surgeon explained in very simple terms that it was as if my new kidney wasn't awake yet," describes Garcia. Dr. Sener recommended that Garcia use the geko device to help stimulate blood flow in a way that is similar to walking. Garcia was soon able to sit up on a chair and by the next day he was walking. "My kidney woke up and started working again! I could feel the device working and it was comfortable to wear, almost like a massage for my legs. I'm very grateful for the care that I received." Dr. Sener adds: "Using a muscle pump activator, like the gekoTM device, could be a game changer for other procedures like orthopedic implants, where wound infection can have disastrous consequences, or in surgeries where wound infections are more common, such as in cancer and intestinal surgery." The geko device is non-invasive, self-adhering, battery-powered and recyclable. It generates neuromuscular electro-stimulation and unparalleled systemic blood flow that equates to 60 per cent of that achieved by walking. Pain-free muscle contraction compresses deep veins in the lower legs to create increased blood flow in these vessels and return blood to the heart. George Baran, Director of Sky Medical Technology Ltd, concludes: "The results of the study provide further evidence that the geko device is an effective treatment option that can improve outcomes for patients and help them return home sooner, while reducing costs for healthcare systems." Media Contact Sue Davenport +44 (0) 7771667170 Sky Medical Technology Ltd Hawk House Peregrine Business Park Gomm Road High Wycombe Bucks UK HP13 7DL About the geko device NICE guidance (MTG19) recommends use of the geko device for VTE prophylaxis in all hospital patients where standard prophylaxis treatments are impractical or contraindicated. The geko is a neuromuscular electrostimulation device which prevents blood stasis in the deep veins of the calf by activation of foot and calf muscle pumps via stimulation of the common peroneal nerve.? Weighing just 10g, silent in operation and with no wires or leads, the battery powered geko is a daily disposable device that is self-adhesive and comfortable to wear.? www.gekodevices.com Lawson Health Research Institute: Lawson Health Research Institute is one of Canada's top hospital-based research institutes, tackling the most pressing challenges in health care. As the research institute of London Health Sciences Centre and St. Joseph's Health Care London, our innovation happens where care is delivered. Lawson research teams are at the leading-edge of science with the goal of improving health and the delivery of care for patients. Working in partnership with Western University, our researchers are encouraged to pursue their curiosity, collaborate often and share their discoveries widely. Research conducted through Lawson makes a difference in the lives of patients, families and communities around the world. To learn more, visit www.lawsonresearch.ca. About Sky Medical Technology Ltd Sky Medical Technology, the parent of Firstkind Ltd, is a UK-based medical devices company.? Through its innovative mechanism of neuromuscular electrostimulation, Sky has developed a non-invasive, ground-breaking technology platform, OnPulse, embedded in its industry-leading brand, the geko device. Sky's products are tailored to different medical application areas, selling through strategic partnerships or distributors in each major clinical area. Clinical areas of focus include?life threatening blood clots, complications related to swelling after orthopaedic surgery and vascular conditions related to wound healing.?The goal in each pathway is to partner with healthcare professionals to improve clinical outcomes and patient care whilst saving health system resources.? www.skymedtech.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1523202/Sky_Medical_geko_device.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1523203/Sky_Medical_geko_device.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1340942/Sky_Medical_Logo.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1395567/Geko_Logo.jpg ARLINGTON, VA / ACCESSWIRE / June 1, 2021 / Today, Radio America and Audacy announced a multi-station deal that will broadcast Dana Loesch's nationally syndicated 'The Dana Show' in eleven (11) Audacy markets; most will replace the late Rush Limbaugh in the 12 p.m.-3 p.m. ET time slot. This move will expand her show to more than 230 stations nationwide. Audacy will also become the exclusive audio streaming provider for The Dana Show. In addition, Audacy and Loesch will collaborate on the co-development and production of her first-ever original on-demand podcast. The Dana Show will replace Rush Limbaugh's program in Kansas City, Las Vegas, Richmond, Wichita, Gainesville, and Greenville-Spartanburg, with additional station clearances in Philadelphia, Austin, Buffalo, St. Louis and Hartford, in a move that further solidifies her role at the top of talk radio. "I look forward to working with the great team at Audacy. Their digital platform is a great fit for my streaming and podcast audience and their top-rated radio stations are a phenomenal addition to my loyal radio fan base," said Dana Loesch. "During this pivotal moment in talk radio, the partnership with Audacy and Dana's Show is exciting because it represents our shared vision on radio's future for the news-talk format,' said Mike Paradiso, Chief Operating Officer for Radio America. "Audacy's leading digital platform is also the perfect fit for Dana's growing digital audience. We look forward to working closely with Audacy's content team, led by Jeff Sottolano, to make 'The Dana Show' a key element on each of their hugely successful Audacy news-talk stations. This announcement with Audacy comes just weeks after Axios broke news that Radio America secured a new multi-year deal with the award-winning talk show host [Loesch], who has dominated talk radio during the 12 p.m.-3 p.m. ET weekday time slot, where she competed against Rush Limbaugh until his passing earlier in the year. Her audience is currently in the top 10 of syndicated programs nationwide, according to TALKERS Magazine. Dana is the #1 female radio talk show host in the country and the only woman among the top 10 hosts, making her a trailblazer in an industry long dominated by men. "We're thrilled to partner with Radio America and welcome Dana Loesch to our broadcast and digital platform," said Jeff Sottolano, Executive Vice President of Programming, Audacy. "Dana is a leading conservative voice and influencer and both her daily live show and future original podcast are terrific additions to our best-in-class news and talk offerings." For press inquiries, contact Kenny Cunningham at Kenny@CunninghamCommunication.com. Related Images SOURCE: Radio America View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/649933/Audacy-and-Radio-America-Reach-Multi-Platform-Deal-to-Expand-Dana-Loeschs-Award-Winning-Radio-Show NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWS SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / June 1, 2021 / HAWKEYE Gold & Diamond Inc. (the "Company" or "HAWKEYE") (TSXV:HAWK) (Frankfurt: HGT; WKN: A12A61 ISIN: CA42016R3027): is pleased to announce it has received TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSX.V") conditional acceptance for a $1,650,000 (CDN) non-brokered private placement to sell up to 33,000,000 Units ("Units") in the capital of the Company at a price of $0.05 per Common Unit, for gross proceeds of up to $1,650,000 (CDN). This placement was previously announced on May 18, 2021 (news release No. 357 - 2021). Each Common Unit will consist of one common share of the Company (a "Common Share") and one half of a share purchase warrant, with each such warrant entitling the holder to acquire one Common Share at a price of $0.10 per Common Share for a period of twenty-four (24) months following closing of the Offering. If at any time after the Closing Date the Corporation's Common Shares have a closing price of $0.15 (CDN) or more per share for ten consecutive trading days on the TSX.V, the Corporation shall be entitled to give notice to the holders of the warrants issued pursuant to the Common Units that such warrants will expire thirty days from the date of mailing of such notice or the news release of such notice, unless such warrants are exercised before the expiry of that period, and in such event all unexercised warrants will expire at 4:30 p.m. (Vancouver time) on the last day of such thirty day period. None of the warrants issued pursuant to the Offering will be listed for trading. The Common Units and the underlying securities issued pursuant to the private placement Offering will be subject to a four month plus one day hold period from closing of the Offering in accordance with applicable securities legislation and completion is subject to receipt of applicable regulatory approvals, including the approval of the TSX.V. Finder's fees may be paid on all or a portion of the Offering. Proceeds will be used for work programs, possible acquisition(s), trades and general working capital purposes. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available. About HAWKEYE HAWKEYE Gold & Diamond Inc. is a junior mineral exploration and development company based in Vancouver, British Columbia (BC), Canada. The Company's precious and base metals properties are located in the prolific Golden Triangle of northwest BC, in the world-class Barkerville gold camp situated in the historic Cariboo Mining District of central BC, and on Vancouver Island, BC, Canada. HAWKEYE's corporate mandate is to build strong asset growth and shareholder value through the acquisition of low-cost, high-potential opportunities with discovery potential, and to manage its business in an environmentally responsible manner while contributing to the local community and economy. HAWKEYE GOLD & DIAMOND INC. Per: "Greg Neeld" President & CEO Vancouver: (604) 908-8511 Email: greg@hawkeyegold.com Web Site: www.hawkeyegold.com Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Notes Regarding Forward Looking Statements This News Release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that relate to future events. These statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our or our industry's actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. While these forward-looking statements, and any assumptions upon which they are based, are made in good faith and reflect our current judgment regarding the direction of our industry, actual results will almost always vary, sometimes materially, from any estimates, predictions, projections, assumptions or other future performance suggested herein. Except as required by applicable law, the Company does not intend to update any of the forward-looking statements to conform these statements to actual results. SOURCE: HAWKEYE Gold & Diamond Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/649949/HAWKEYE-Receives-TSXV-Conditional-Acceptance-for-a-1650000-Non-Brokered-Private-Placement Regulatory News: ABIONYX Pharma (FR0012616852 ABNX PEA PME eligible), a new generation biotech company dedicated to the discovery and development of innovative therapies for patients. In the context of the Covid-19 pandemic and in order to protect all shareholders, the Board of Directors has decided to hold the Combined General Meeting of June 11, 2021 at 9:00 am at the headquarters, in camera, without the physical presence of the shareholders and other persons entitled to attend. On June 1st, 2021, the Chief Executive Officer, upon delegation of the Board of Directors, proceeded, in accordance with the provisions of article 8 of the extended and modified decree n 2020-418 of April 10, 2020, to appoint Mr. Luc Demarre and Mr. Cyrille Tupin as scrutineers for the next Combined General Meeting of Shareholders of ABIONYX PHARMA. In accordance with the regulations, they are among the ten shareholders with the highest number of voting rights of which the company is aware at the date of convening the meeting. The Shareholders' Meeting will be webcasted (in French) at: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ZBl-hvI-RticThbW6Wjkiw The shareholders' presentation will be released on the company's web site at 8:45 am (CEST) on the day of the meeting. About ABIONYX Pharma ABIONYX Pharma is a new generation biotech company dedicated to the discovery and development of innovative therapies for patients. The biotech assets inherited from CERENIS Therapeutics constitute a rich portfolio of valuable programs for the treatment of metabolic diseases as well as with a HDL targeted drug delivery platform. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005940/en/ Contacts: NewCap Investor relations Louis-Victor Delouvrier abionyx@newcap.eu +33 (0)1 44 71 98 53 NewCap Media relations Nicolas Merigeau abionyx@newcap.eu +33 (0)1 44 71 94 98 BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - The Switzerland stock market hit a fresh record high on Tuesday and posted a new closing high as well, as the mood remained upbeat amid rising optimism about global economic recovery. Data showing a sharp jump in Swiss retail sales in the month of April contributed as well to the bullish mood in the market. The benchmark SMI, which rose to 11,501.35, ended the session with a strong gain of 71.43 points or 0.63% at 11,434.88. Holcim and Richemont surged up 2.75% and 2.65%, respectively. Lonza Group, Swatch Group, UBS Group, Credit Suisse, Alcon and ABB gained 1.2 to 1.6%. Swiss Life Holding advanced nearly 1%. Geberit, Sika, Zurich Insurance Group and Swiss Re also ended notably higher. Partners Group shed about 0.8% and SGS ended 0.36% down, while Roche Holding and Nestle ended flat. In the Swiss Mid Price Index, Dufry, up 2.5%, was the top gainer. Adecco gained about 2.15%, while AMS, OC Oerlikon Corp, VAT Group, Julius Baer, Georg Fischer and Logitech gained 1.6 to 2%. On the other hand, Tecan Group, Sonova and Temenos Group declined by more than 1%. Barry Callebaut and Lindt & Spruengli shed 0.97% and 0.87%, respectively. On the economic front, preliminary data from the Federal Statistical Office showed Switzerland's retail sales increased in April, growing by 35.7% year-on-year. Sales of food, beverages and tobacco gained 13.3% yearly in April and those of non-food sector surged 73.5%, the data showed. On a monthly basis, seasonally adjusted retail sales declined 4.4% in April. In nominal terms, retail sales increased 34.8% annually in April and fell 4.3% from a month ago. The latest nominal annual growth in retail sales was the sharpest since the start of the series in January 2000, the agency said. Meanwhile, Switzerland has further relaxed its Covid-19 restrictions following a drop in infection rates, and an acceleration in vaccination rollout across the country. According to fresh guidelines, restaurants can open indoor and outdoor areas, the requirement to work from home has been downgraded to a recommendation, and public events can be held with larger numbers than before. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Gold futures settled slightly lower on Tuesday as investors chose to pick up riskier assets thanks to encouraging data on U.S. manufacturing activity, and a slew of strong data from Europe and Asia. Higher bond yields contributed as well to gold's decline. The yield on U.S. 10-year Treasury Note rose to 1.613% today. A weak dollar limited gold's downside. Gold futures for August ended down $0.30 or about 0.02% at $1,905.00 an ounce. Silver futures for July closed higher by $0.088 or 0.3% at $28.102 an ounce, while Copper futures for July settled at $4.6535 per pound, down $0.0240 or $0.5% from the previous close. Data from Markit Economics showed that the IHS Markit U.S. manufacturing index in May was at 62.1, versus an initial 61.5. Manufacturing activity in the U.S. expanded at a slightly faster pace in the month of May, according to a report released by the Institute for Supply Management. The ISM said its manufacturing PMI inched up to 61.2 in May from 60.7 in April, with a reading above 50 indicating growth in the manufacturing sector. The uptick surprised economists, who had expected the index to come in unchanged. The modest increase by the headline index reflected an acceleration in the pace of new orders growth, as the new orders index climbed to 67.0 in May from 64.3 in April. In economic news from overseas, surveys earlier in the day showed Asia's factory activity continued to expand in May, thanks to an ongoing recovery in global demand. China's manufacturing sector expanded at a faster pace in May on robust new orders and production. The Caixin manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index rose to 52.0 in May, the highest level since December and inching up from 51.9 in April. Euro zone manufacturing activity expanded at a record pace in May despite supple bottlenecks, a separate survey showed. IHS Markit's final Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) rose to a new record high of 63.1 in May from April's 62.9. This was up from a prelim 62.8. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 1, 2021) - NEO Battery Materials Ltd. (TSXV: NBM) (OTC: NBMFF) ("NEO" or the "Company") is pleased to announce it welcomes Dr. Jinhyuk Lee to the Scientific Advisory Board. Dr. Jinhyuk Lee is an expert in the field of rechargeable batteries and is currently an Assistant Professor of Materials Engineering at McGill University. Dr. Lee received his Ph.D. from MIT in 2015 and performed postdoctoral research at UC Berkeley (2016-2017) and MIT (2017-2019) before he joined McGill in 2020. Dr. Lee's research is discovering sustainable battery materials based on experimental and theoretical materials research and has published numerous high-impact papers such as in Science, Nature, Nature Chemistry, and Nature Communications. He is widely known as the inventor of the disordered-rock salt Li-ion battery cathodes, which is being currently highlighted as one of the highest-energy-density and cheapest cobalt-free cathode materials for Li-ion batteries. He also owns five key patents and patent-applications related to battery materials. In recognition of his research achievement, Dr. Lee was chosen as one of the five finalists of the Science Award Electrochemistry (2019) by Volkswagen and BASF and received the NSERC Discovery Accelerator Supplement Award (2020). He was also selected as the Samsung Presidential Scholar (2010-2015) and received the prestigious MRS Graduate Student Gold Award (2014) during his Ph.D. Dr. Lee currently serves as a journal reviewer for Nature Communications, Joule, Chemistry of Materials, and other academic journals. Spencer Huh, President and CEO, commented, "I am excited to welcome Dr. Jinhyuk Lee to the Scientific Advisory Board at NEO. We are currently in a critical stage of expediting our corporate initiatives to commercialize our silicon nanocoating technology. Dr. Lee's experience and network in the rechargeable battery field will be an invaluable asset which will bolster NEO's research capabilities." About NEO Battery Materials Ltd. NEO Battery Materials Ltd. is a Vancouver-based junior resource company focused on battery metals exploration in North America. The Company is focusing on developing silicon anodes through nanocoating an ion-conductive polymer layer, which provides improvements in capacity and efficiency over lithium-ion batteries using graphite in their anode materials. The Company intends to become a silicon anode materials supplier to the electric vehicle industry. The Company has staked new mining claims in Golden, BC, along a strike with a quartzite bed, targeting silica in the quartzites for a total of 467 hectares. For more information, please visit the Company's website at: https://www.neobatterymaterials.com/. On behalf of the Board of Directors Spencer Huh President and CEO 604-697-2408 shuh@neobatterymaterials.com Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. THIS NEWS RELEASE IS NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/86077 NEW BRUNSWICK (dpa-AFX) - Pharma giant Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) is in deeper waters after the Supreme Court rejected the company's appeal to review the $2.14 billion reparations awarded against the company in June 2020. The original verdict of $4.7 billion was awarded by a Missouri jury in 2018 after 22 women blamed Johnson and Johnson for using asbestos in their talcum powders and baby products, which has led to their ovarian cancer. While the amount of the verdict was reduced to $2.14 billion, the present amount is going to stay unchanged as the company is entangled in 21,800 cases regarding the same issue. The company said that it has already rolled back the baby-powders due to the allegations and has been facing a drop in demand due to the filings. The prosecutor for the women, Mark Lanier, praised the decision and said, 'This decision sends a clear message to the rich and powerful: You will be held to account when you cause grievous harm under our system of equal justice under law.' Justice Brett Kavanaugh and Samuel Alito took no part in the case as the former's father was vocal against labeling the talc with a carcinogenic warning and the latter owns stock in the company. The company released a statement saying, 'Decades of independent scientific evaluations confirm Johnson's Baby Powder is safe, does not contain asbestos, and does not cause cancer.' Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX JOHNSON & JOHNSON-Aktie komplett kostenlos handeln - auf Smartbroker.de MONTREAL, QC / ACCESSWIRE / June 1, 2021 / Sphinx Resources Ltd. ("Sphinx" or the "Corporation") (TSXV:SFX) announces that Lawrence Cannon has resigned from the Board in order to pursue other opportunities. "I want to express our Board's deep appreciation for the opportunity to work with Lawrence and benefit from his experience. We are thankful for his involvement and wish him success in his new ventures", said Mr. Jeremie Ryan, president and CEO of the Corporation. About Sphinx Sphinx is a mineral exploration company that focuses its activities in southwestern Quebec in search of deposits of precious metals (gold, silver, palladium and platinum) and base metals (copper, zinc and lead). Sphinx is particularly active in the MRC Pontiac where its President resides. It has a strong local shareholding that contributes towards social acceptability. For further information, please consult Sphinx's website or contact: Jeremie Ryan President and Chief Executive Officer 819.664.2632 info@sphinxresources.ca www.sphinxresources.ca Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This press release may contain forward-looking statements that are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and activities to vary materially from targeted results and planning. Such risks and uncertainties include those described in Sphinx's periodic reports including the annual report or in the filings made by Sphinx from time to time with securities regulatory authorities. All forward-looking statements in this press release are made as of the date of this press release. Sphinx does not undertake to update any such forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. SOURCE: Sphinx Resources Ltd. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/649920/Sphinx-Corporate-Update Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - June 1, 2021) - Bucephalus Capital Corp. (CSE: BCA) ("Bucephalus" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that further to its press release of April 28, 2021, the Company has closed a non-brokered private placement through the issuance of 10,000,000 units (each, a "Unit") at a price of $0.30 per Unit for aggregate gross proceeds of $3,000,000 (the "Offering"). The net proceeds of the Offering will be used by the Company for working capital and for other general and administrative costs. Each Unit is comprised of one common share (each, a "Common Share") and one Common Share purchase warrant (each, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant entitles the holder thereof to acquire one Common Share at an exercise price of $0.50 per Common Share for a period of 36 months from the closing of the Offering. In the event that the closing price of the Common Shares of the Company on the Canadian Securities Exchange is greater than $1.00 for ten consecutive trading days, the Company may give notice to the holders of the Warrants that the expiry time of the Warrants has been accelerated and the Warrant will expire on the thirtieth (30th) business day following the date of such notice at the price of $0.50 for each warrant exercised. In connection with the Offering, the Company paid certain eligible persons (the "Finders") a cash commission of $210,000 and issued 700,000 broker warrants ("Broker Warrants"). Each Broker Warrant entitles the holder thereof to acquire one Common Share at an exercise price of $0.50 for a period of thirty-six months from closing of the Offering and subject to the acceleration provision noted above. All securities issued under the Private Placement are subject to a four month hold period in accordance with applicable securities laws. The Offering constituted a "related party transaction" as defined in Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Securityholders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"), as an insider of the Company acquired an aggregate of 200,000 Units. The Company is relying on the exemptions from the valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 contained in sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101, as the fair market value of the participation in the Private Placement by insiders does not exceed 25% of the market capitalization of the Company, as determined in accordance with MI 61-101. The Company did not file a material change report in respect of the related party transaction at least 21 days before the closing of the Offering, which the Company deems reasonable in the circumstances in order to complete the Offering in an expeditious manner. The Offering was approved by all independent directors of the Company. About Bucephalus Capital Corp. Bucephalus Capital Corp. (CSE: BCA) is an investment company that is seeking investment opportunities in private and publicly listed entities. Additional information about the Company can be found on the Company's website at www.bucephaluscapital.ca For further information, please contact: John McMahon, CEO Tel: (416) 786-9031 Email: jmcmahon@bucephaluscapital.ca Forward-Looking Information Certain information set forth in this news release may contain forward-looking information that involves substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties. This forward-looking information is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the control of the Company, including, but not limited to, the impact of general economic conditions, industry conditions, and dependence upon regulatory approvals. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking information. The parties undertake no obligation to update forward-looking information except as otherwise may be required by applicable securities law. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. THIS NEWS RELEASE IS INTENDED FOR DISTRIBUTION IN CANADA ONLY AND IS NOT INTENDED FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/86101 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 1, 2021) - Ameriwest Lithium Inc. (CSE: AWLI) (FSE: 5HV0) (the "Company" or "Ameriwest") is pleased to announce the closing of its previously announced (as to then $5,000,000) non-brokered private placement (the "Private Placement") pursuant to which the Company has now issued an aggregate of 12,083,000 units of the Company (each, a "Unit"), at a subscription price of $0.50 per Unit, for gross proceeds of $6,041,500. Company COO, Glenn Collick, commented, "We are thrilled with the strong support shown from investors in our Private Placement which, after increased demand, we determined to increase from our initial announcement. This financing exemplifies the enthusiasm towards the discovery potential of our Clayton valley and Railroad Valley lithium projects. We are now strongly positioned to execute our exploration plans and look forward to continuing down the path of potentially discovering North America's next lithium operation." Each Unit is comprised of one common share (each, a "Common Share") and one non-transferable share purchase warrant (each, a "Unit Warrant") of the Company, and each such Unit Warrant now entitles the holder thereof to acquire one additional common share of the Company (each, a "Warrant Share") for a period of two years from the closing of the Private Placement at an exercise price of $0.75 per Warrant Share. There were $250,725 in broker cash finders' fees paid and 261,450 in broker warrants (each, a "Broker Warrant") issued in connection with the completion of the Private Placement, and the Broker Warrants have the same terms and conditions as the Unit Warrants. The proceeds of the Private Placement will continue to be used for the Company's general corporate and working capital purposes. The Common Shares, the Unit Warrants, and the Broker Warrants, together with any Warrant Shares issuable upon exercise thereunder, are now subject to a hold period of four months and a day from the date of closing in each instance. About Ameriwest Lithium Inc. Ameriwest Lithium Inc. is a Canadian-based exploration company with a focus on identifying strategic lithium mineral resource projects for exploration and development. The Company is currently focused on exploring the Deer Musk East Property, located in the prolific Clayton Valley, Nevada, totaling 5,500 acres, and the Railroad Valley property, totaling 6,163.1 acres. Additionally, Ameriwest's current resource portfolio includes the ESN Project, located in White Pine County, Nevada, and the Koster Dam property, located in the Clinton Mining Division of British Columbia, in which Ameriwest has a 45% interest. Glenn Collick Chief Operating Officer, Director For further information, please contact: Glenn Collick Chief Operating Officer, Director (778) 868-2226 The Canadian Securities Exchange has not in any way passed upon the merits of the matters and Private Placement referenced herein and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Information Certain statements contained in this news release may constitute forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "anticipate", "plan", "estimate", "expect", "may", "will", "intend", "should", and similar expressions. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in this forward-looking information as a result of regulatory decisions, competitive factors in the industries in which the Company operates, prevailing economic conditions, changes to the Company's strategic growth plans, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. The Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking information should not be unduly relied upon. Any forward-looking information contained in this news release represents the Company's expectations as of the date hereof, and is subject to change after such date. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities legislation. Not for distribution to U.S. Newswire Services or for dissemination in the United States. Any failure to comply with this restriction may constitute a violation of U.S. Securities laws. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/86098 Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - June 1, 2021) - Interactive Capital Partners Corporation (the "Company") announces the resignation of Ms. Jessica Whitton as a director of the Company, effective immediately. The Company wishes to thank Ms. Whitton for her contribution to the Company and wishes her all the best in her future endeavors. The Company is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Chris Irwin as a director of the Company. Mr. Irwin practices securities and corporate/commercial law and is the managing partner of Irwin Lowy LLP focused on securities and corporate/commercial law. Mr. Irwin represents several public companies on a variety of matters including continuous disclosure and regulatory matters, reverse takeover transactions, initial public offerings and takeover bids. Mr. Irwin is also an officer and/or director of several public companies. For further information, please contact: Jennifer Thor Chief Executive Officer Tel: (416) 361-2820 Email: jthor@irwinlowy.com This news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "may", "will", "would", "potential", "proposed" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. These statements are only predictions. Forward-looking information is based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the information is provided, and is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information. For a description of the risks and uncertainties facing the Company and its business and affairs, readers should refer to the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change, unless required by law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/86117 VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / June 1, 2021 / Brigadier Gold Limited (the "Company" or "Brigadier") (TSXV:BRG) (FSE: B7LM) (USA:BGADF) announces that Mr. Matthew Wright has tendered his resignation as Chief Financial Officer of the Company. Mr. Wright's departure is effective immediately, but he will assist in facilitating a smooth transition once a new Chief Financial Officer is appointed, the Board of Directors has identified several qualified candidates. Robert Birmingham, President and Chief Executive Officer, comments: "On behalf of Brigadier, I wish to thank Mr. Wright for his service to the Company and wish him well in his future endeavours." About Brigadier Gold Brigadier was formed to leverage the next major bull market in the natural resource sector, particularly precious metals. Our mandate is to acquire undervalued and overlooked projects with demonstrable potential for advancement. Led by a management team with decades of experience in mineral exploration and capital markets development, we are focused on advanced exploration opportunities in politically stable jurisdictions. For further information, please contact: Brigadier Gold Limited www.brigadiergold.ca Ranjeet Sundher, Chief Executive Officer corporate@brigadiergold.ca Leah Hodges, Corporate Secretary (604) 377-0403 Reader Advisory This news release may contain statements which constitute "forward-looking information", including statements regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs and current expectations of the Company, its directors, or its officers with respect to the future business activities of the Company. The words "may", "would", "could", "will", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect" and similar expressions, as they relate to the Company, or its management, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future business activities and involve risks and uncertainties, and that the Company's future business activities may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to, fluctuations in market prices, successes of the operations of the Company, continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions. There can be no assurances that such information will prove accurate and, therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such uncertainties. The Company does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking information except as required under the applicable securities laws. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE: Brigadier Gold Limited View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/649936/Brigadier-Provides-Corporate-Update Luminate Capital Partners, a San Francisco, CA-based private equity firm, closed its third fund, at $1 billion. A broad group of global institutional investors such as endowments, foundations, public and corporate pensions, asset management firms, and family offices, participated in the raise of Luminate Capital Partners III, which brought the firms total assets under management to $1.7 billion. Led by Founder and Managing Partner Hollie Haynes, Luminate Capital Partners is a private equity firm investing in growth software companies. Its portfolio of market leaders has included AMTdirect, AutoQuotes, Axonify, Comply365, Conexiom, Fintech, Oversight Systems, LiquidFrameworks, MSI, PDI, StarCompliance, Quantivate, and Thought Industries. FinSMEs 01/06/2021 sennder, a Berlin, Germany-based digital road freight forwarder, raised $ 80m, through the second closing of its Series D funding round. The funding follows the first close in January 2021 and brings the total amount of the round to $240m. New backer Baillie Gifford invested in sennder, which has has raised more than $350m; valued in excess of $1 billion. The company intends to use the funds to accelerate growth across Europe strengthening its position in core markets and further expanding into new regions, via strategic growth opportunities, both organically and via acquisitions, and drive research and development into the automation, digitalization and decarbonization of road freight. Founded in 2015 by David Nothacker, Julius Kohler and Nicolaus Schefenacker, sennder is a digital freight forwarder, offering shippers access to a connected fleet of thousands of trucks. The platform comprises 12,500 trucks servicing ten German DAX 30 and eleven Euro Stoxx 50 shippers moving more than 1 million truckloads in 2021. sennder employs more than 840 employees across its eight international offices. Since 2015, sennder has grown exponentially. In 2020, they consolidated the market by acquiring digital freight forwarders Uber Freight Europe and Everoad. The company also entered into a joint venture with the Italian postal service, Poste Italiane, making sennder Italia the largest domestic FTL (full truck load) freight forwarder. The business is now targeting additional acquisitions of local road freight companies to enhance truck supply and increase network density on its sennOS platform. The announcement follows recent acquisition of Dutch logistics player, Cars&Cargo, and strategic partnership with Zeitfracht. FinSMEs 01/06/2021 Sentinels, a Dutch AI-powered transaction monitoring startup, raised 5.7M in seed funding. The round was led by Inkef Capital, complemented by strategic angel investors and industry leaders including several members of the early Adyen team, including its former EVP sales Thijn Lamers and Head of Growth Maikel Lobbezoo. The startup, which has now raised a total of 7.3m (8.4m) to date, intends to use the funds to further build out the product and expand its operations into the UK and beyond Europe, to North America, LatAm and APAC. Launched 18 months ago by Joost van Houten, Sentinels provides fintech companies with a cloud-based intelligent transaction monitoring solution dedicated to data-driven compliance for the financial industry and help them crack down on money laundering and other illegal activity passing. It is a spin-out from Slimmer AI, a European B2B AI venture studio which builds businesses that use AI to innovate markets. Customers include Mollie, Terrapay, Online Payment Platform, Ginger Payments and ManoBank, among its roster of clients. FinSMEs 01/06/2021 wefox, a Berlin, Germany-based digital insurance company, raised US$650m in Series C funding, resulting in a post-money valuation of US$3 billion. The round was led by Target Global with participation from existing investors OMERS Ventures, Gsquared, Merian, Horizons Ventures, Eurazeo, Mubadala, Creditease, Salesforce Ventures, Speedinvest, Alma Mundi Ventures, Victory Park Capital, GR Capital, Mountain Partners, Seedcamp, and Sound Ventures and new investors LGT, Partners Group, Jupiter, and FinTLV. The company intends to use the funds to expand into the US and Asia within the next two years while strengthening its presence in its existing markets in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Poland. Launched in 2015 by CEO Julian Teicke and founders Fabian Wesemann, and Dario Fazlic, wefox is a full-stack digital insurance company that sells insurance through intermediaries and not directly to customers. In 2020, wefox reported a profit for its insurance business, Furthermore, the companys revenue increased to $143M in 2020, doubling its 2019 revenue. FinSMEs 01/06/2021 Tampa, FL (33646) Today A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 76F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 76F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Unlimited website access 24/7 Unlimited e-Edition access 24/7 The best local, regional and national news in sports, politics, business and more! With a Digital Only subscription, you'll receive unlimited access to our website and e-edition. Our digital products are available 24/7 and are accessible anywhere, anytime. Back in 2019 AMD and Samsung Electronics announced a multi-year strategic partnership to allow Samsung to license AMD graphics IP to use it in its future SoCs. Samsung later confirmed its plans to launch SoCs with AMD Radeon graphics as early as 2021. Earlier this year when introducing the Exynos 2100, Samsung once again teased its next-gen Exynos processor with AMD graphics. Today at the Computex 2021, AMD President and CEO Dr. Lisa Su announced that AMD has partnered with Samsung on its next generation Exynos SoC which will feature custom AMD RDNA 2 architecture-based graphics IP that brings raytracing and variable rate shading capabilities to flagship mobile devices. AMD CEO also said that Samsung will provide more details about the processor later this year. Based on recent rumours, the upcoming flagship Exynos chip which could be Exynos 2200 with AMD GPU will power Samsungs Windows 10 PC. Samsung Galaxy Book Go with Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c chip that surfaced recently could be introduced in coming weeks, and the next-gen Galaxy Book Go with the chip could arrive later this year. The chip should also power the Galaxy S22 that will launch early next year. After rumours, iQOO today confirmed the launch of iQOO Z3 5G smartphone in India on June 8th. It will be the first smartphone in the country to be powered by Snapdragon 768G SoC. It will be sold on Amazon.in, similar to iQOO 7 series. Earlier rumours revealed that the phone will be priced around Rs. 25,000. Even though we have started seeing a lot of phones with mid-range MediaTek Dimensity 5G SoC, Snapdragon-powered mid-range 5G smartphones are less since the number of mid-range Snapdragon 5G SoC are less. It is not clear if the company plans to launch all the versions of the phone in India that includes 6GB + 128GB, 8GB + 128GB and 8GB + 256GB. iQOO Z3 5G specifications 6.58-inch (2408 1080 pixels) Full HD+ LCD 20:9 aspect ratio screen with HDR10+, 96% NTSC Colour Gamut, 120Hz refresh rate Octa Core (1 x 2.8GHz + 1 x 2.2GHz + 6 x 1.8GHz Kryo 475 CPUs) Snapdragon 768G 7nm EUV Mobile Platform with Adreno 620 GPU 6GB / 8GB LPDDR4x RAM with 128GB (UFS 2.2) storage / 8GB LPDDR4x RAM with 256GB (UFS 2.2) storage Android 11 with iQOO UI 1.0 Dual SIM (nano + nano) 64MP primary camera with LED flash, Samsung ISOCELL GW3 sensor, f/1.79 aperture, EIS, 8MP ultra-wide camera with f/2.2 aperture, and 2MP macro camera with f/2.4 aperture 16MP front-facing camera with f/2.0 aperture Side-mounted fingerprint sensor 3.5mm audio jack Dimensions:163.9575.308.5mm; Weight:185.5g 5G SA/NSA, Dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 ac (2.4GHz + 5GHz), Bluetooth 5.1, GPS/GLONASS, USB Type-C 4400mAh (Typical) battery with 55W fast charging We should know the price when the phone is launched next week. Yes, I have been vaccinated Not yet, but I plan to get vaccinated No, I don't want to get vaccinated Vote View Results Paxton, IL (60957) Today Clear to partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 67F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Clear to partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 67F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Person of interest in May 9 fatal shooting indicted for evading arrest in a vehicle Veteran and his daughter get new start in Lubbock, opening reptile pet shop Your Holiday Shopping Magazine to Emporia and area businesses. Also visit ShopEmporiaKansas.com to shop Emporia businesses who are online. Start your online shopping here. VIEW NOW Yes! I think the restaurants should keep as much outdoor seating as possible now and after the pandemic ends It depends on the setup. I like some outdoor options a lot more than others I always prefer to eat inside the restaurant I dont really care Vote View Results Have any questions? Please give us a call at 907-352-2250 Rodeo Alaska riders back in the saddle and ready for more after historic weekend at Alaska State Fairgrounds Lab-leak theories of COVID-19 have political origins in America, says media Xinhua) 14:46, June 01, 2021 LONDON, June 1 (Xinhua) -- As U.S. President Joe Biden last week demanded an explanation of the origins of COVID-19 from the U.S. intelligence community, it has become increasingly evident that only politics can substantiate the virus origins story America likes. This is agreed by multiple American officials and experts, who believe that conspiracy theories that the virus was leaked from a lab are fundamentally rooted in politics, according to an article carried by the Financial Times on Monday. Current and former officials said an important factor in the Biden administration's acceptance of the lab leak theories, which Democrats used to refute, is that former U.S. President Donald Trump, who embraced the fabrication, was out of office. The Democrats therefore no longer need to worry that Trump's efforts to vilify China and deflect blames would help him in election. Biden said last week that a third of the 18 branches of the intelligence community were more inclined towards the lab-leak theories, for which they do not have enough evidence, according to Financial Times. "The community as a whole is far away from reaching anything that we could call even a halfway firm conclusion," the article quoted Paul Pillar, a former senior Central Intelligence Agency official, as saying. "The fact that many of the agencies involved have not reached a consensus even for a 'low confidence' judgment tells you they're a long way away from anything conclusive," he added. The World Health Organization (WHO) said in March that COVID-19 introduction through a laboratory incident was considered to be an "extremely unlikely" pathway, refuting lab-leak theories. The lab-leak theories are dismissed by scientists as being false. German biologist Matthias Glaubrecht, scientific director and professor from the Department of Animal Diversity at the University of Hamburg, recently told German media outlet Der Spiegel that the theory is falsely claimed, and some media reports from the United States are based on hearsay. In an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation last week, University of Sydney Professor Dominic Dwyer, who along with scientists from other countries spent four weeks in Wuhan of China on a COVID-19 origin-tracing mission of the WHO, said there was no evidence to back up lab leak theories. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was not convinced by lab-leak theories, according to an exclusive CBC interview aired on Sunday. "I've got an open mind on this, but I'll be clear with you -- so far, the stuff I've seen does not suggest that the ... number one candidate for this is a lab leak," Johnson told CBC News chief political correspondent Rosemary Barton. "So the stuff I've seen suggests that at the moment, the number one suspect for the origin of this disease is still a zoonotic disease that occurred as a result of the farming of wild animals in some way," he added. (Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun) Galveston, TX (77553) Today Mainly clear. Low 79F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Mainly clear. Low 79F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph. This is a community calendar. To accommodate demand for the print edition, we ask that items be brief and include time, date, place, address, admission cost and a contact number for publication. Inclusion of items is at the discretion of the newspaper. Further information is available at 541-812-6078 or jane.stoltz@lee.net. Assistance WEDNESDAY Food distribution, by appointment, food pantry, North Corvallis Ministry Center, home of the Gathering Church, 5050 NE Elliott Circle. Call the church office at 541-220-1040 to make arrangements to pick up a box of food. Emergency food box distribution, 9 to 11:30 a.m., Sweet Home Emergency Ministries, 1115 Long St. Greater Albany Public Schools offers free grab-and-go sack breakfasts and lunches for all children ages 1 to 18. See entry above. Food pantry for veterans and active military members and their families, American Legion Post 10, 1215 Pacific Blvd. SE, Albany. Call 541-926-0127 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Mondays through Fridays for more information. This blog covers software patent news and issues with a particular focus on wireless, mobile devices (smartphones, tablet computers, connected cars) as well as select antitrust matters surrounding those devices. Lauren Boebert is known for her far-right Republican views. But Republicans alone didnt send her to Congress. Where would we be without GOCO What's Included With a Digital Only subscription, you'll receive unlimited access to our website and e-edition. Our digital products are available 24/7 and are accessible anywhere, anytime. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please call our customer service team at 574-583-5121 or email cgrace@thehj.com. From left, Soobin, Huening Kai, Beomgyu, Yeonjun and Taehyun of K-pop boy band Tomorrow X Together (TXT) pose during an online press conference, Monday. Courtesy of Big Hit Music By Dong Sun-hwa K-pop boy band Tomorrow X Together (TXT) is on the up. The five-piece act's second studio album, "The Chaos Chapter: Freeze," conquered iTunes's top album charts in 45 countries, including Canada, Japan and Brazil, upon its release on Monday. Given that its 2020 mini-album, "minisode1: Blue Hour," reigned atop the same chart in 30 countries, the group's latest musical feat can be seen as a clear sign of its growing popularity beyond Korea. In addition, as of Monday, the number of pre-orders for the album hit 700,000, the highest-ever volume for the group so far. The new album's lead single, "0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You)," is also going strong the trendy hybrid pop track dominated iTunes' top song charts in 31 countries and is grabbing the top spots on local streaming charts like Genie. "This time, we strived to showcase the music that only TXT can pull off," the group's leader Soobin said during an online press conference, Monday. The event was initially set to take place at YES24 Live Hall in Gwangjin-gu, eastern Seoul, but TXT's record label Big Hit Music moved it online after a staff member from an outsourced company tested positive for COVID-19. All TXT members tested negative, Big Hit Music said. Soobin elaborated on the making of the album, "All of us participated in the creative process of the album and showed our own 'colors' in the numbers, without completely ditching TXT's style." Soobin took part in penning the lines of "Ice Cream," while Yeonjun, Taehyun and Beomgyu contributed to the lyrics of "Balance Game." For the first time since TXT's debut in 2019, member Huening Kai participated in producing the track, "Dear Sputnik." The members also have writing credits on the pieces "No Rules" and "Frost." "In the beginning of our careers, we were just happy to sing our songs," Taehyun said. "But now, we have changed we actively put forward our ideas when gearing up for an album." The lead single, "0X1=LOVESONG," is a song about a boy who becomes "frozen" because of the chaotic world. "The boy runs into a savior and comes to realize love is the only definite thing on earth," Huening Kai said. "The song brings dramatic melodies to the fore, and the lyrics remind people of a teen movie. But above all, I hope people pay attention to the ways we express our emotions in a song." RM of BTS, a K-pop juggernaut also represented by Big Hit Music, made its lyrics in collaboration with the company's founder Bang Si-hyuk and other acclaimed lyricists. During the event, TXT members showed their appreciation to the BTS leader and revealed the behind-the-scenes stories. "I heard Bang asked RM for help after struggling for three weeks to come up with good lyrics," Soobin said. "RM also helped us decide on the title of the track." "The Chaos Chapter: Freeze" offers the quintet's first English-language song, "Magic," too. "We focused on our pronunciation while recording 'Magic,'" Beomgyu said. "We also tried our best to make it sound groovy. I hope a lot of people will like it." The group ended the session by disclosing their collective ambition. "We want to be a group that best speaks for teenagers around the world," Huening Kai said. Soobin added, "It would be great if we can clinch the No. 1 spot on music shows, but above all, we hope our followers love our music and performances." You asked. We listened. Your daily crossword, Sudoku and dozens of other puzzles are now available online. Play them or print them here. Play now Citibank Korea headquarters in Seoul. Courtesy of Citibank Korea 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. The Real Jackie Kennedy Her style and grace were legendary, and her image came to define the 1960s. She captured the hearts of world leaders, fashion icons and people all over the planet, who knew her as Jackie Kennedy, Jacqueline Onassis, or simply Jackie O. But who was the real Jacqueline Lee Bouvier Kennedy Onassis? Take our quiz and find out. Take The Quiz Daniel Ricciardo was lapped by Lando Norris during the Monaco Grand Prix. Not what the Australian had hoped for at his new team. Ricciardo however is working hard to become better. Ricciardo was brought in as the big man by McLaren. Lando Norris was previously active there, but with victories and numerous podiums to his name Ricciardo is of course the intended leader. The first five races, however, it is Norris who pulls the weight. Norris took a podium in Monaco, where Ricciardo failed to score any points. Ricciardo under pressure "Monaco wasnt my weekend but Im looking to bounce back. Its been important to take time to reset and refocus before heading to Baku. The team and I have been working hard in the sim to understand, analyse and pinpoint the key areas we need to improve,'' Ricciardo said in McLaren's preview. ''We know the car has good potential, we just need to put all pieces together to unlock it. Theres still that element of adapting to a new car which Im sure will come with the more time and mileage behind the wheel. Im going to keep working at it, build on the progress we made in Portugal and Spain and try to feel as one with the car'', concludes the former Renault and Red Bull Racing driver. With the point that Alfa Romeo took in Monaco, the team hopes to repeat that performance in Baku, also a street circuit. Drivers Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi are seeing progress and head to Azerbaijan with confidence. Stronger with every race With 334 race starts, Kimi Raikkonen is the most experienced man on the grid. How long his career will last, no one knows, but in all likelihood Alfa Romeo will be the last team he drives for. Fighting for wins is no longer an option for the 2007 world champion. Raikkonen does see the progression. "It's nice to see the team getting stronger with every race and I hope this weekend can be a good one for us," the Finn told a team press release. "Races in Baku can be very chaotic and it's always a good chance to get a good result if we do our job well. We have shown that we can fight with anyone in the midfield, so let's see how it goes." Full of confidence going into Baku Giovinazzi managed to secure the only point so far this season for Alfa Romeo, meaning the Italian will head to Azerbaijan full of confidence. "We are confident that we can transfer this form here and continue to reap the benefits of the progression we have made." Moreover, the Italian feels very good in Baku. "It's one of my favourite circuits to race on, I love it. I have some very good memories here from my time in GP2 and I had a strong Saturday when I first came here in F1, in 2019. I had my first Q3 on that day and I'm keen to have a repeat of that performance this weekend." Submit An Obituary Funeral homes often submit obituaries as a service to the families they are assisting. However, we will be happy to accept obituaries from family members pending proper verification of the death. Go to form Laid off Gates Korea workers hold a rally in front of the Daegu City Hall, May 13, to protest the management's shutdown of its factory in the city last year. Courtesy of the Korean Metal Workers' Union By Park Jae-hyuk The former workers of Gates Korea, who lost their jobs a year ago following the decision by Gates Global owned by the Blackstone Group to close its automotive mechanical rubber plant in Daegu, are planning to hold a sit-in near the U.S. private equity firm's (PEF) Seoul office. The Blackstone Group's Seoul office is set to reopen seven years after its closure in 2014. Their probable protest in Seoul is emerging as a potential threat to Blackstone, which is seeking to expand its presence in the Korean market lately. Earlier this year, private equity industry insiders said that Blackstone was trying to reopen its Seoul office by the end of this year in collaboration with a law firm, as it is enticed by opportunities in Korea's competitive alternative investment markets. Although the foreign firm has yet to make any official announcement about the reopening of its Seoul office, it recently recruited analyst-level investment professionals, who will work here to handle Korea-focused transactions. Blackstone Group's recent job posting on LinkedIn. Screenshot from LinkedIn Seen is Yeondae Island in Tongyeong City, South Gyeongsang Province, where the Korea Tourism Organization will run a zero-emissions tour program on June 18 and 25. Courtesy of the Korea Tourism Organization By Jun Ji-hye The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) will launch a tour program aimed at eliminating carbon emissions, in cooperation with Tongyeong City in South Gyeongsang Province, in a bid to join worldwide efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions in order to resolve the climate change crisis. The "Carbon-free Trip" is a trial tour program that will take place twice, on June 18 and 25, on Yeondae Island in Tongyeong City. The KTO has begun recruiting participants for the program, with the goal of recruiting 20 teams with each team being comprised of two to four people. It is a two-day trip that will take place at an eco-friendly park on the island, where solar energy generation facilities were established in 2011. Each team will camp out at the park, complying with the government's social distancing guidelines aimed at stemming the spread of COVID-19. During their stay, the participants will be asked not to use fossil fuels or disposable products, as well as not to dispose of non-recyclable waste, in the aim of traveling without producing carbon emissions. A chef from a local restaurant will offer a cooking class, teaching how to cook eco-friendly dishes using local ingredients. Participants will also be encouraged to collect plastic waste while walking around the island, and to upcycle such waste for use in decorating the island. Other events include an "unplugged concert" that will use solar power generated on the island, walking eco trails with ecologists and observing the stars at night. Park Cheol-beom, head of the KTO's South Gyeongsang Province branch who planned the trial tour program, said, "We tried to organize a tour program that will help participants continue to practice living without carbon emissions, even after they return to their normal lives." The tour program comes at a time when the government here is making efforts to cut the emissions of greenhouse gases in order to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. During his opening ceremony speech for the P4G Seoul Summit on May 30, President Moon Jae-in reaffirmed Korea's commitment to further raising its carbon emissions reduction target ahead of achieving its goal of going carbon neutral by 2050, and unveiled Seoul's plan to bid on hosting the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP28) in 2023. P4G stands for "Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030," and is a public-private initiative to tackle climate change and other sustainable development challenges. In 2019, Korea was selected as the host of the biennial climate summit, which was initially slated for 2020. The event was postponed to this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The air in the United States and Western Europe is much cleaner than even a decade ago. Low-sulfur gasoline standards and regulations on power plants have successfully cut sulfate concentrations in the air, reducing the fine particulate matter that harms human health and cleaning up the environmental hazard of acid rain. Despite these successes, sulfate levels in the atmosphere have declined more slowly than sulfur dioxide emissions, especially in wintertime. This unexpected phenomenon suggests sulfur dioxide emission reductions are less efficient than expected for cutting sulfate aerosols. A new study led by Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech), Hokkaido University and the University of Washington explains why. The open-access paper on the results is published in Science Advances. Sulfur dioxide from anthropogenic activities follow various chemical paths to form hazardous sulfate particulates. The multiphase path (inside the shaded box) becomes more important under less acidic conditions, resulting in a weaker response of sulfate to SO 2 emission reduction. When concentrations of acidic sulfate from fossil fuel emissions decrease while the concentration of more basic ammonium molecules in the atmosphere stay constant, liquid water droplets in clouds become less acidic. This makes conversion of sulfur dioxide to sulfate more efficient. So, even though air quality regulations have reduced the supply of sulfur dioxide from power plants and shipping, the total amount of sulfate particulates that harm human health has dropped more slowly. This does not mean that the emissions reductions aren't working. Its just that there is a reaction which partially mitigates the reductions. We need to understand this multiphase chemistry in the atmosphere to design an efficient strategy to manage air pollution and accurately predict future air pollution and climate change impacts. ,co-author Becky Alexander, UW professor of atmospheric sciences During most of the 20th century, sulfur dioxide emissions increased with industrialization in many parts of the world. But recently that trend has reversed in response to regulations, while ammonium emissions from animals and agriculture continue at the same rate. These trends are expected to continue. Data from an ice core in Greenland that preserves past years atmospheres show that the proportion of sulfate containing oxygen with one extra neutron, or oxygen-17 (17O), increased in the 1980s after countries began to regulate emissions. The authors analysis shows this is due to faster sulfate formation in the liquid phase in the atmosphere, which occurs largely within clouds, under less-acidic conditions. After the SO 2 emission control, relatively lower atmospheric acidity promotes the efficiency of sulfate production in the atmosphere, which weakens the response of sulfate level to the SO 2 reduction. Our unique isotopic techniques applied for the Greenland ice core records identify the key process of the weakened response of sulfate to SO 2 emissions reduction. lead author Shohei Hattori, Tokyo Tech The data came from an ice core drilled in southeast Greenland (SE-Dome) as part of a project led by Hokkaido University. The oxygen trapped in this ice provided evidence of sulfate composition from 1959 to 2015, without contamination from local pollution. Based on a continuous and high-resolution ice core record from SE-Dome, we could obtain reliable records for atmospheric aerosols without second modification after deposition. We plan to drill a second ice core at the same location this year, and try to reconstruct the aerosol history back to the 1750s. co-author and leader of SE-Dome ice core project Yoshinori Iizuka, Hokkaido University The ice core does not contain separate data for summer and winter, but models show that other, gas-phase chemical reactions for sulfur dioxide become more important in summer, reducing the summertime impact of changing cloud acidity. Knowing how these molecules react will help improve the atmospheric models used to forecast air quality and project climate change. This work was supported by Japan Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) and Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) KAKENHI (grant numbers JP16H05884, JP18H05292, JP17H06105, JP18H03363, JP20H04305). This study was a part of Joint Research and the Leadership programs of the Institute of Low Temperature Science, Hokkaido University, and Arctic Challenge for Sustainability II (ArCS II; Program Grant Number JPMXD1420318865) research project. Resources Designer Yuna Yang, right, and Maye Musk in this 2016 file photo / Courtesy of Suo Books By Kang Hyun-kyung Korean fashion designer Yuna Yang praised business tycoon Elon Musk's mother, Maye, portraying her as an inspiring woman and highly-successful model. In her recently published autobiography, "Fearless: World-Class Korean Fashion Designer's Way to Succeed," Yang described Maye Musk as "a strong woman who chose to migrate all the way to Canada from South Africa for her three children's education." Mentioning her brief work experience with Maye Musk during the 2016 Met Gala, the Korean fashion designer lauded the model for her work ethic. Yang said Musk chose to live a life as a model, instead of as a mother of the billionaire son, saying she was amazed by her way life and professionalism. In "Fearless," Yang shares her impression of some of her models and celebrity clients. Maye Musk is one of the celebrities Yang has fond memories of. The designer said Musk is also a strong woman. Noting she was a single mom who successfully raised her three children, Yang said the celebrity once juggled five jobs to send her children to school. "Surprisingly, she managed to squeeze her academic career into her already extremely busy schedule and earned two masters' degrees. I was inspired by her strength as a mother and woman with a career," Yang said. Born Yang Jung-yoon in Seoul in 1978, she debuted as a designer in 2010 at the New York Fashion Week. Her debut collection received positive responses from fashion experts. In a collection review article, one American journalist described Yang as "a sure winner" of the 2010 New York Fashion Week. Despite her successful debut, Yang's decade-long career as a designer has been far from being smooth. As an Asian with limited English, she was a stranger in the New York fashion industry. Facing racism and discrimination, however, she didn't give up. "Knock, and the door will be opened." This biblical phrase seems to best capture her life as a fashion designer. "Fearless" by Suo Books As its title suggests, her book is "self-promotional." It focuses a lot on her personal journey in the fashion industry since her accidental, "eye-opening experience" in fashion in Italy two decades ago when she was learning Italian on a student visa, and what she learned from her successful career while interacting with her clients and business partners in Europe and the United States. The author invites readers to explore her mindset and how she achieved a breakthrough after overcoming myriad challenges since launching her label, YUNA YANG, in New York's swanky fashion district. She said she's an effective problem solver and hates avoiding tough situations or playing the blame game. Introducing her experience with an Italian sales director who was initially unwilling to sell his company's limited, much-coveted fabric to the Asian designer, she said she confronted him when he lied to her about their fabric, which she figured out while listening to his conversation in the Italian language with other Italian. She said she directly told him she understood what he said in his conversation with other Italian and convinced him to sell his company's fabric to her, a request that was accepted. Yang describes the fashion industry as a battlefield, because so many designers launch their labels, but only a very small number of them manage to survive while the vast majority end up closing down their businesses. "Once certain labels were launched, designers are advised with almost the same pieces of advice. They compete with each other while taking the path that their predecessors took," her book reads. "I think fashion is not something where designers compete to take a certain position. Designers are supposed to be creative and pull off their products based on their own ideas We are living in an era where the paradigm shift is underway from the scale of economy to a value economy. Individuals' creativity has become even more important than before." Yang identifies her label as a niche high-end designer brand. She said her target clients are ones who are tired of the same old styles that existing luxury labels offer and are looking for new creative ones. Recalling her encounters with several clients from Europe, she said one of the questions she often heard from them is if there's anything new. "One of the clients told me that she felt bad because she met a woman who had the same bag as her. People like her always look for fashion or accessories that are different from those of other luxury brands or things that others don't have," she said. "I was confident that I could create a whole new category in fashion which didn't exist before. It may take time to pull off such a label, but I was sure that I could do that." She released the book ahead of her new fashion project in Seoul. Support local journalism We are making critical coverage of the coronavirus available for free. Please consider subscribing so we can continue to bring you the latest news and information on this developing story. GREENWICH In recognition of its commitment to promoting equitable and respectful learning environments, Greenwich High is one of eight schools in Connecticut to receive a No Place for Hate designation from the Anti-Defamation League. To earn the distinction, each of the schools had to participate in and complete the ADLs No Place for Hate program, which will be expanded to more schools in the coming year. The initiative is a school climate improvement program that provides staff, students and their families with a framework to take a stand against all forms of hate and communicate a clear, unified message that all students have a place where they belong, according to a statement from the ADL on Tuesday. The program was launched in Connecticut in the 2019-20 school year with a pilot program at Hamden High. At each participating school, students, teachers and administrators must complete school-wide initiatives designed to build more inclusive and equitable communities. Each school was required to form a committee, host a school-wide pledge signing and hold at least three activities that involved active learning and focus on recognizing differences and promoting respect, according to a statement. It truly was a team effort to bring this designation to Greenwich High School, under the tutelage of Mr. Bowbeer and Ms. Pugliese, the advisers, who did a tremendous job moving us forward, headed in the right direction, and focused on the end goal bringing No Place for Hate to Greenwich High School, said Thomas Pereira, dean of student life at GHS. The student committee was also instrumental as they did a tremendous job of putting together a website, getting the activities up and running, and making those all-important morning announcements signifying what No Place for Hate is and its importance at our school, Pereira said. Im immensely proud of the teams efforts, especially during a pandemic. In addition to Greenwich High and Hamden High, the ADL honored Hamden Middle School, Hamden Hall Country Day School, Trumbull High School, Ridgefield High School, Gideon Welles School in Glastonbury and Fairfield College Preparatory School as other schools to earn the distinction. I am enormously proud of the commitment these eight schools made to keep their school communities focused on addressing bias and bullying in the midst of a global pandemic, ADL Connecticut Education Director Michelle Pincince said. Educating our young people is an important step toward eradicating hate. In the coming year, we hope to expand the initiatives outreach to more schools in our region to ensure that Connecticut will be No Place for Hate. The announcement came the same day that Gov. Ned Lamont announced the formation of the Connecticut Hate Crimes Advisory Council, on whose board the ADL Connecticuts Regional Director Steven D. Ginsburg will serve. According to a Tuesday statement from Lamonts office, the advisory council will be responsible for encouraging and coordinating programs that increase community awareness and reporting of hate crimes and to combat such crimes. You have to fight every day and thats what this commission is about, Lamont said, recalling the anniversary of the 1921 massacre of at least 300 Black residents of Tulsa. If you dont stand up every day to this type of hatred, it will continue. Its not going to continue in Connecticut and its not going to continue in America. This type of hatred is a different type of hatred, where we target people. People are targeted because of their race, color, creed, sexual orientation, gender, and that is so contrary to everything we stand for in Connecticut and everything we stand for as Americans. justin.papp@scni.com; @justinjpapp1; 203-842-2586 ATLANTA (AP) Georgia's highest court on Tuesday upheld a man's death sentence for killing his ex-fiancee's adult son, saying he failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he is intellectually disabled. Rodney Young, 53, was convicted of murder and sentenced to die in the 2008 slaying of Gary Jones in Covington. The Georgia Supreme Court upheld his convictions and sentences, though some of the justices questioned the constitutionality of the state's tough burden of proof of intellectual disability to avoid execution. Georgia in 1988 was the first state to pass a law prohibiting the execution of intellectually disabled people, and the U.S. Supreme Court in 2002 ruled that the execution of intellectually disabled people is unconstitutional. But the nation's highest court left it up to the states to determine the level of proof required. Georgia has the toughest standard in the nation for proving that someone is ineligible for execution because of intellectual disability, requiring it to be proved beyond a reasonable doubt. Chief Justice Harold Melton wrote in an opinion released Tuesday that Young failed to meet that bar. We are not called upon here to make a pronouncement on the wisdom of Georgias burden of proof from a policy perspective, and to do so would be beyond this Courts constitutional power, Melton wrote. Instead, we are called upon to apply the Georgia Constitution and the United States Constitution. Brian Stull, a lawyer with the ACLU Capital Punishment project who represents Young, called the Georgia high court's ruling devastating. Georgias uniquely high and onerous burden means that people with intellectual disability will be executed," he said in an emailed statement, adding that Young's legal team plans to take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court and ask it to correct the injustices coming out of Georgia once and for all. Three other justices joined Melton's opinion completely, and all but one agreed with its ultimate result. Presiding Justice David Nahmias wrote a concurring opinion, joined by two other justices, saying that while he agrees with upholding Young's convictions and sentences, he doesn't agree with all of Melton's analysis. Justice Charlie Bethel dissented. Nahmias wrote that he is not confident that Georgia's unique law requiring that intellectual disability be proven beyond a reasonable doubt has continued viability under the U.S. Constitution. He wrote that if the U.S. Supreme Court says the Georgia high court ruled incorrectly, he would obediently accept and forthrightly apply such a decision. Nahmias also wrote that Young and his advocates could ask Georgia legislators to change the burden of proof required by law in light of extensive developments in the science of intellectual disability and the law in this area in the past three decades. He wrote that if the General Assembly takes a further humane step with regard to criminal defendants who are potentially intellectually disabled, I would embrace that change. In his dissenting opinion, Bethel wrote that he would send Young's case back to the trial court for a new jury trial on the question of intellectual disability and resentencing consistent with the outcome of that trial. Bethel cited a 2014 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in which, he wrote, we have learned that States are not authorized to enforce legislative rules or judicial tests that by design or operation create an unacceptable risk that persons with intellectual disability will be executed. With Georgia's highest-in-the-nation standard of proof, the existence of such a risk seems plain, he wrote. Young, who lived in New Jersey, had been in a relationship with Jones' mother, Doris Jones. Doris Jones had moved to New Jersey to be with Young, but they fought often and she moved back to Georgia and lived with her son, court documents say. Young often wrote to her to ask her to come back. In March 2008, he went to Georgia and stayed with his half-sister and her husband, driving repeatedly to Gary Jones' house, where Doris Jones was staying, according to evidence and testimony. Late the night of March 30, 2008, Doris Jones discovered her son's body at his home. He was tied to a chair with a bloody knife and hammer next to his body. He had multiple injuries, including skull fractures. At trial, Young's attorneys tried to convince the jury he was intellectually disabled, but a jury in February 2012 convicted him on all charges against him and recommended the death penalty. GREENWICH - It was too quiet on Greenwich Avenue early Memorial Day morning in 2020. But Monday, the sounds of a large group of runners racing down the Avenue and making their way around several areas of town, were back. Indeed, the hustle and bustle that comes with a popular road race returned to Greenwich in a significant way, as 255 competitors tested their speed and endurance in the Jim Fixx Memorial Day Run. The race, which commenced on Greenwich Avenue and ended on the track at Havemeyer Park in Greenwich, celebrated its 57th anniversary Monday, much to the delight of the participants and the events organizers. Its awesome, everything went perfect today, said Mickey Yardis, the owner of Treads & Threads in Greenwich, who helped coordinate and organize the Jim Fixx race. Its like opening day at Yankee Stadium. This is the grand re-opening of outdoor fun in Greenwich, in Connecticut. Its a symbol of what America has coming up this summer. Along with Yardis, Don Mohr, the Supervisor of Greenwich Parks and Recreation also organized the event, which was sponsored by Betteridge. It was great to see this race take place and the tradition continue, Yardis said. So many people looking forward to competing in this race every year. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, last years Jim Fixx Run was held virtually and certainly didnt have the same feel as in years past. Adhering to health precautions, the race was held with certain modifications. Normally a 5-mile run through Greenwich, Mondays race was a 5K (3.1-mile) event. The race also included several staggered starting times, so not as many runners as in past events bunched up with each other. Matthew Rizzo, a Bronxville, N.Y., resident, was this years Jim Fixx Runs overall winner, crossing the finish line in 16 minutes, 7 seconds. Nathan Lee, a talented young runner from Greenwich, finished second in the race, overall. Lee, a seventh-grader at Brunswick School, posted a time of 17:04.2. He also won his 13-19 year-old boys division. It was really fun with the down hills, but in the middle part, the up-hills were really hard, Lee said. The course was different this year, but I really liked it. It was fun, because it reminded me of cross country and it was also fun because the hills provided a challenge. At Brunswick, Lee is a cross country and track and field runner. Ive been running for a while and this past summer I trained a lot more than normal, Lee said. I have improved a lot. His sister Maddy Lee was the second female finisher overall. She won her 13-19 year-old division with a time of 19.46.7 over the 5K course good for 19th overall in the race. The race conditions were really nice, said Maddy Lee, a Greenwich Academy freshman. I thought it was the perfect temperature, because it was like 50 degrees and not sunny. It was a little hilly at the end, but I kind of like the hills. Overall, I thought it was a good race. Like her brother Nathan, Maddy Lee competes and hones her skills with the Tailwind Track Club in Westchester County, N.Y. She is also a member of the cross country and track and field teams at Greenwich Academy. I train six days a week, Maddy Lee said. My whole family runs, so sometimes our workouts match up and we run together with our dogs too. Its something we do as a family that we really enjoy. Rizzo, the races overall winner, certainly made his mark in his first appearance in the Jim Fixx Run. This was fun, the course is great, I didnt have an opportunity before the race to test it out, but was exactly 5K, which was great, Rizzo said. There were some hills there to test my ability to get up those hills. I thought it was pretty exciting. An All-American runner during his high school days at Bronxville (N.Y.) High School, Rizzo runs cross country and competes on the track and field team at Georgetown University. He recently completed his sophomore year at Georgetown, after attending Stanford University his freshman year, where he too, was a runner. Ive been running for my whole life and my mom has been running for a long time, said Rizzo, whose mother Charlotte also ran in the Fixx race and was one of the top womens finishers. Shes the one that got me into the sport. I love running and have been doing it my whole life and I thought Id come out here today and test out the legs. I was super excited to come out this year and have an opportunity this year to race. Rizzo, who won the one-mile event at the 2019 Millrose games, will make his way back to the cross country and track teams at Georgetown, after being sidelined. I did not participate in either season, because I had two knee injuries, one on each of my knees, he said. But now Im 100 percent and Ive been training for the last two months. Peter Kapp III of Greenwich placed third overall, clocking in at 17:06.4. He was also second in the 13-19 year-old boys division. Greenwichs Matthew Chiesara was fourth (18:02.0) and Brenton Arnaboldi, also of Greenwich finished fifth (18:06.8). Chiesara is a seventh-grader at Eastern Middle School. It was a very diverse course, because there were many hills and it was definitely a challenge, said Chiesara, who also runs for Tailwind Track Club. I started running when I was eight and since COVID has been around there is not a lot of races going on, so Ive been trying to find one and this one happens every Memorial Day. So, Im glad I raced here today. Emily Spradling from Hartsdale, N.Y., was the womens champion, clocking in at 19:41.7. This was my first time here, so I didnt know what to expect, said Spradling, who also finished first in the 30-34 year-old female division. The first mile was downhill, so I took it out pretty fast. The second mile was a lot harder than I expected. It was a long climb and the last mile I went as hard as I could, going downhill. Indeed, she enjoyed her first Jim Fixx Run. I had good competition that paced me to the end, Spradling said. There were people cheering us on, it was great. Devin Mehra, a 2012 Brunswick School graduate, is a Jim Fixx Memorial Day Run veteran. Currently living in Manhattan, the Greenwich native always clears his Memorial Day Schedule to compete in the Jim Fixx event. Its nice to see people from all around town, said Mehra, who posted a time of 24.11.7. I saw one of my teachers from Brunswick, which was really nice, especially after what weve all been through. Its nice to interact with strangers, see acquaintances and people Ive known from childhood. I came to Greenwich mainly so I could attend this event. The exhibition, "The Art of Banksy: Without Limits," will be showcased for the first time in Asia from July 30 in Seongsu-dong, Seoul. Courtesy of The Art of Banksy By Park Han-sol This summer, Korea will welcome the Asian premiere of "The Art of Banksy: Without Limits," a celebrated showcase of more than 130 works associated with arguably the most fascinating and enigmatic British graffiti master and activist at present. The Seoul exhibition will be mounted in the Seouliteum in Seongsu-dong from July 30 and will run until Feb. 6 of next year. Since its debut in Istanbul in 2016, "The Art of Banksy" has already generated buzz and excitement in other major cities worldwide, including Amsterdam, Berlin, Melbourne and Vienna. Now, Seoul steps up as its first host in Asia. A variety of original and recreated pieces of Banksy's work murals, photos, prints, sculptures and installations will be presented both in physical form and video projection mapping. An accompanying 13-minute-long documentary will offer a glimpse into the life and work of the artist beyond the veil. Some of the most iconic pieces on display include "Girl with Balloon," which was voted in 2017 as the nation's number one favorite artwork in the U.K., "Bomb Hugger," "Jack and Jill (Police Kids)," "Pulp Fiction" and "Flower Thrower," among other compelling pieces. "The Art of Banksy" is known for having a unique visual setting in each of its host cities. In Seoul, the 1,500-square-meter gallery space at the Seouliteum will be transformed into an immersive street graffiti scene, offering a rare opportunity for people in Korea to witness in one place a large collection of Banksy's art with their trademark tongue-in-cheek statements. The U.K. artist, who has ventured from street graffiti to paintings, installations and even film, is best known for remaining anonymous while refusing to shy away from depicting often anti-establishment, politically charged slogans in his works. Disturbing, controversial subjects appear throughout the cities and on his canvas in a poetically ironic and humorous way. Sometimes, his subversive message is performed through stunts, when the iconic "Girl with Balloon" was self-shredded just moments after it was auctioned off for more than a million euros at Sotheby's in London in 2018. His immediately recognizable works are observed on city walls and in streets from Bristol to San Francisco, Barcelona, Paris and Sydney. The iQOO Z3 announced in China in March was supposed to arrive in India in early May, but plans were changed due to the second COVID-19 wave in the country. However, with the situation getting better, the phone maker today announced it will introduce the Z3 in India on June 8. The iQOO Z3 will come with the Snapdragon 768G 5G SoC at the helm, making it India's first smartphone to be powered by Qualcomm's 7nm chipset. And if the rest of the specs remain the same as the Chinese model (we say so because Indian iQOO 7 is a rebranded Neo5), you will get a 6.58" FullHD+ 120Hz LCD, side-mounted fingerprint reader, and a 4,400 mAh battery with 55W charging. The smartphone will run Android 11, likely with Funtouch OS 11 on top, and the company has confirmed it will have 8GB LPDDR4X RAM onboard, which can be further expanded up to 3GB using the Extended RAM feature that uses the smartphone's internal storage. iQOO Z3 For photography, the iQOO Z3 comes with a total of four cameras - a 16MP selfie shooter inside the notch and a triple camera setup on the back consisting of 64MP primary, 8MP ultrawide, and 2MP macro units. iQOO hasn't revealed the Z3's pricing in India, but the smartphone's base variant with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage costs CNY1,699 ($265/220) in China, which translates to around INR19,400 at current exchange rates, so expect it to be priced in the same range in India. Haiti - FLASH : Alarming situation in the country, towards the extension of the state of health emergency On Monday, the acting Prime Minister Claude Joseph, met, by videoconference, with the members of the Scientific Unit for the management of the Coronavirus crisis in Haiti. Monday in the Council of Ministers following the recommendations of the scientific unit, the Government plans to extend beyond 8 days the state of health emergency provided for in the order of May 22 https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-33811-haiti-covid-19-state-of-health-emergency-text-of-the-order.html . Specifying that the situation will also require the strengthening of health measures to fight against the spread of Covid-19 and its variants (English "Alpha" and Brazilians "Gamma"), including the curfew and the limitation of gatherings of people among others, unpopular measures but essential in the cisconstance. With the sharp rise in new Covid cases and deaths, Prime Minister Jospeh does not hesitate to call the situation alarming. Note that from May 1 to 26, 2021 (latest data made available by the Ministry of Health), Haiti recorded 1,395 new cases and 52 deaths in 26 days https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-33861-haiti-covid-19-new-increase-of-10-of-cases-in-24-hours-52-deaths-in-26-days.html , whereas the previous month from April 1 to 26, 2021 the Ministry of Health reported 2 deaths and 229 cases in 26 days... Dr Laure Adrien Director General of the Ministry informs that according to the data reported by the institutions and that collected by the Ministry, there is a strong upward trend in severe cases, complications and consequently deaths. Cause of this sudden and intense rebound in Covid cases, Saint Luc hospital informed the population on Sunday May 31 that its acute respiratory infection treatment unit receiving Covid-19 cases had reached its saturation level and invited the population to go to other care centers. For its part, the Ministry of National Education informs the educational community in general and the directors of schools, in particular, that it has been decided to prohibit graduation ceremonies until further notice, end-of-year celebrations and recreational days in all schools in the Republic. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-33861-haiti-covid-19-new-increase-of-10-of-cases-in-24-hours-52-deaths-in-26-days.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-33859-haiti-covid-19-haiti-special-report-437.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-33811-haiti-covid-19-state-of-health-emergency-text-of-the-order.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-33789-haiti-flash-president-moise-declares-a-state-of-emergency-in-haiti.html SL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - News : Zapping... Arrest of a young criminal On Saturday May 29, the Central Directorate of the Judicial Police (DCPJ) proceeded to Delmas 51, to the arrest, of the named Wilford Jean (22 years) aka "Cleef-Ford" accused of threats of death, fire, death kidnapping with order or condition and criminal association. The bandit was arrested in connection with a DCPJ investigation into the origin of the phone numbers making threatening calls with the aim of extracting money from individuals. Constitution : The Haitian Pastors' Conference opposes The Haitian Pastors' Conference opposes constitutional change. In a note published on May 31, 2021, it explains that "[...] the will expressed by individuals lacking in title, quality and legitimacy to change the 1987 Constitution and replace it with an undemocratic document enacted by groups of stateless and anti-Haitian interests [...]" Covid : vaccination campaign preparation meetings Dr. Guiteau Jean-Pierre, President of the Haitian Red Cross (CRH) congratulates the Ministry of Public Health for the resumption of meetings to prepare for the anti-Covid-19 vaccination campaign. Did you know ? Haiti has been a founding member of the UN since 1945. In 1948, Haiti played a key role in the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), thanks to Haitian Senator Emile Saint-Lot, rapporteur of the Committee drafting of the UDHR. On the other hand, the reading of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was made for the first time before the UN General Assembly by its rapporteur, Haitian Senator Emile Saint-Lot. Tennis : Naomi Osaka withdraws from the French Open The world #2 of tennis, the Japanese Naomi Osaka proud of her Haitian origins, announced on Monday that she was withdrawing from the French Open at Roland Garros in order to protect herself, after the controversies caused by her decision to not participate to the press conferences. On her Twitter account Naomi writes (extracts) "The best thing for Roland-Garros, the other players and my well-being is that I forfeit, so that everyone can refocus on tennis [...] I am going to retire some time off the courts but when the time comes I really want to work with the Circuit to discuss ways to improve things for the players, the press and the fans [...]" reacting to this decision Serena Williams #8 in the world said "I sympathize with Naomi. I wish I could give her a hug, because I know what it is. I've been there too. [...] Everyone is different, and manages what comes differently. Let her handle the best for her, as she thinks she can do the best." See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-33664-haiti-sports-naomi-osaka-will-open-a-tennis-academy-in-haiti.html HL/ HaitiLibre South Africa: Society called to avail opportunities for youth Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, has called on society to play its part in availing opportunities for the youth to ensure an inclusive and transformed society. We cannot ignore our youth, if we are to see our society progress. Therefore, all of us must play our part in creating an inclusive society that allows engagement, improves the mental health of youth and people with disabilities, and increase access to economic opportunities for the youth, Nkoana-Mashabane said. The Minister made the call during the launch of Youth Month 2021, on Tuesday. The Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities and the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA), in partnership with the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, launched this years Youth Month, which marks 45 years since the June 16 student uprising of 1976. Youth Month 2021 is commemorated under the theme, The Year of Charlotte Mannya Maxeke: Growing youth employment for an inclusive and transformed society. Nkoana-Mashabane said government recognises the power and ability of the youth, hence it continues to invest in youth development programmes through agencies, including the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA), to bring positive changes to the lives of the young people of South Africa. She said the NYDA is well-placed to recognise the challenges faced by the youth, and to spot the potential of young people. It is for this reason that the agency continues to implement programmes that bring change in the lives of our youth. The Presidency, working with the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, continues to work across government and private and social partners to coordinate and drive an integrated plan to create two million new jobs for young people during the next decade, over and above average job growth, the Minister said. Seek entrepreneurial and skills opportunities During Youth Month, the Minister said government will encourage young people to seek entrepreneurial and skills opportunities. We believe that with the available opportunities, young people can become job-creators and not only become jobseekers. We also need the women, youth, and people with disabilities to explore the possibilities and opportunities that our country has. We encourage young women to look up to the struggle stalwarts and emulate the values of the likes of Mme Charlotte Mannya Maxeke, a human rights activist whose ambitions led her to become the first Black South African woman to earn a university degree. Mme Charlotte Mannya Maxeke paved the way for all of us who followed to become leaders and we want to do the same for young girls in our communities, Nkoana-Mashabane said. Invest in knowledge production President of the South African National Youth Council, Thembinkosi Josopu, said the challenges the 1976 youth faced are different to the ones faced by todays youth. Todays youth dont need petrol bombs, they dont need stones, but they need knowledge. As young people, we must now invest in knowledge production, in finding solutions in the problems facing our country. We cant be critics of government without providing solutions. The strategies we use currently cannot be the strategies informed and used in 1976. We hope and trust that the department [of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities] will continue to be open, inclusive and consult society, Josopu said. National Youth Day The 2021 Youth Day celebration will be held at Harry Gwala Stadium in Pietermaritzburg on 16 June 2021, in the form of a Presidential youth dialogue. President Cyril Ramaphosa will on the day reflect on the progress made in the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention, launched during the 2020 State of the Nation Address. As part of Youth Month, South Africans are invited to nominate young people, who have been doing extraordinary things in their lives, communities, and professional capacities to be recognised and showcased to the rest of South Africa. The nominations can be forwarded between 1 and 11 June 2021 to the NYDA. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2021-06-01. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Experts urge sharper supply chain edge (China Daily) 14:53, June 01, 2021 Workers assemble vehicles at the assembly workshop of FAW-Volkswagen Automobile Co., Ltd. in Changchun, northeast China's Jilin Province, Nov. 23, 2020. (Xinhua/Zhang Nan) Officials say new steps can help boost SMEs despite production relocations China should enhance its global supply chain advantages, despite some inevitable production relocations, and promulgate new financial measures to strengthen the competitive advantages of small companies, officials and experts said. The nation will improve supply chain finance regulations and factor the changes in industrial organizations, while effectively supporting the development of enterprises in supply chains, a senior official of the People's Bank of China, the central bank, said at a forum over the weekend. Wang Xin, head of the PBOC research bureau, said the central bank will improve the supply chain bill platform and promote the nation's unified registration and publicity of warranty of title, so as to effectively broaden the financing channels for small and medium-sized enterprises and ensure more capital can flow into the real economy. A warranty of title is a guarantee by a seller to a buyer that the seller has the right to transfer ownership and no one else has rights to the property. "We encourage major enterprises to finance through the accounts receivable and confirm the rights by service platforms," said Wang, adding the measures could reduce financing costs of small and medium-sized enterprises. In China, the standards of account receivable financing and transparency need to be further improved, and there are risks such as false transactions, the central bank official said at the forum held by the Finance 40 Forum in Xi'an, Shaanxi province. The forum published a report named "Qujiang ReportGlobal Industrial Chain Restructure and China's Choices". It said that the comparative advantage pattern of global division of labor will be redefined. China has advantages in the digitalization and capitalization of global industrial chains, along with some challenges, it said. The process of multinational companies' diversification of production to hedge against new risks may lead to industrial relocation to some extent, and some businesses may move out of the country. Further improving the business environment in China and strengthening confidence and guarantees for the global manufacturers in the downstream of the industrial chain will be key to determining China's future position in global supply chains, said the report. Service industry globalization will be further strengthened, while industries like automobiles, electronic products, textiles and clothing may focus on regional allocation of industrial chains, driven by factors like technology, government, market and costs, it said. Zhou Yu, deputy head of the PBOC's international department, said with China entering a new phase of development, industrial development will further follow the rules of comparative advantages, while there will be some business relocation of labor intensive and low value-added industries. (Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun) Unification Minister Lee In-young reiterated his commitment Tuesday to resume a long-suspended tourism project to North Korea's Mount Geumgang when he met with the head of Hyundai Group, which used to run tours to the scenic mountain. "We remain unwavering in our commitment to push ahead with projects like allowing individual tours to Mount Geumgang as soon as the coronavirus situation improves," Lee said during the meeting with Chairwoman Hyun Jeong-eun of Hyundai Group. Lee voiced hope that the two Koreas could expand the cross-border project to allow individuals, beginning with families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War, to visit other regions, such as the eastern coastal town of Wonsan. He also said the recent summit meeting between President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Joe Biden has created "sufficient" conditions to resume the long-stalled dialogue with North Korea. In response, Hyun said her group has "great expectations" since the latest summit meeting and voiced hope that the two Koreas can resume tours to Mount Geumgang and reopen the Kaesong Industrial Complex at an early date. Launched in 1998, the tour program to Mount Geumgang was regarded as a major inter-Korean cooperative project. Hyundai Asan, an affiliate of Hyundai Group, had been an operator of the tour program to the mountain until tours came to a halt in 2008, when a South Korean tourist was fatally shot by a North Korean soldier. At a 2018 inter-Korean summit, the leaders of the two Koreas agreed to resume the tour program as soon as conditions are met but little progress has since been made. North Korea has demanded South Korea remove the long-abandoned facilities at the mountain since late 2019, saying it plans to build its own international tourist zone in the area. (Yonhap) By William Schwartz | Published on 2021/05/31 On May 31st CJ ENM held an event at the CJ ENM Center in Seoul called the CJ ENM Vision Stream. At this event, CJ ENM formally announced that they would be investing 4.5 billion dollars over the next five years to the production of new cultural content. The bold new direction is being justified on the grounds that far from just being a domestic industry, CJ ENM is now confident they can build a global brand and become the Marvel of Asia. The most distant impetus providing a grounding for this moment was CJ ENM's 2016 deal with Studio Dragon. However, according to the relevant CJ ENM representatives, new streaming markets have widely outperformed the initial expectations of this deal. CJ ENM also has multiple outlets through which it can obtain streaming revenue, having since managed new deals not just with local streaming service TVING but also the international streaming service Netflix. CJ ENM also claims that their intellectual property also has grown in value. Purportedly the film "Mission: Possible" and the television drama "Hotel Del Luna" are both being optioned for remakes in other markets. CJ ENM also claimed that they have signed a deal with Apple TV to produce a project for the streaming service which is expected to begin service in South Korea later this year. In regards to TVING, CJ ENM hopes that by 2023 they will have one hundred original programs on the service and eight million domestic subscribers. CJ ENM believes such a goal is realistic owing to the recent increase in subscribers. Such an achievement would put them roughly at par with the current subscriber level for Netflix, which has seen a downturn in recent months. By spreading its own content with competitors, CJ ENM is also hedging its own risk. Likewise, the sheer number of projects CJ ENM is currently producing is so broad the company considers it unlikely that all of them will fail, or even any of them. Among these are "The Devil Judge", "You Are My Spring", "Jirisan", "The Tragedy of One", and "Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha". A large number of variety programs are also being factored into the company's long-term cultural contents strategy. Written by William Schwartz A Senate panel voted Wednesday to give themselves and their colleagues a big increase in their allowance and do it as soon as possible. You voted: Havre Police Department A 13-year-old Havre girl was arrested on charges of obstructing a peace officer or other public servant, underage tobacco possession or consumption, juvenile curfew violations and criminal mischief vandalism and on a pick up and hold order after a caller on Third Street reported a runaway juvenile Friday at 8:38 a.m. -- A hit and run crash was reported Friday at 11:20 a.m. on Washington Avenue -- Avery Jordan Boe of Hays, 36, and Monica Jo Gjesdal of Hays, 26, were each arrested on a state District Court warrant and charges of obstructing a peace officer or other pubic servant and endangering the welfare of children after an officer stopped to investigate suspicious activity on Second Street Friday at 11:43 a.m. -- Koshay Elizabeth Walker of Valier, 25, was arrested on charges of careless driving, driving with a suspended or revoked driver's license, failing to carry proof of vehicle insurance and open container in the city after a motor vehicle stop in the alley south of First Street Friday at 6:07 p.m. -- Officers investigated a vehicle reported on First Street Friday at 8:10 p.m. -- A 15-year-old girl was issued a summons on a minor in possession charge after a 10th Street West caller reported Friday at 9:59 p.m. that a teen was drinking. -- A caller reported Saturday at 7:20 a.m. that a bulk water station had broken pipes. -- Kiauna Lynn Sutherland of Havre, 21, was arrested on a Justice or City court warrant and charges of speeding and driving with a suspended or revoked driver's license after a vehicle stop on First Street Saturday at 11:10 a.m. -- A caller on First Street Northeast reported Saturday at 3:22 p.m. finding a bag with white residue and asked officers for extra patrols for the weekend. -- Justine Philomene Bauer of Havre, 30, was arrested on charges of violation of a protective order and obstructing a peace officer or other public servant after a Third Street caller reported Saturday at 5:28 p.m. that someone had crashed into the front end of the caller's car. -- A caller reported at 9:38 p.m. Saturday that a van had been sideswiped on First Avenue. -- Officers investigated a 3 a.m. Sunday report of a complaint about someone heading to Washington Avenue from Sixth Avenue. -- Brett Alan Southworth of Havre, 37, was arrested on charges of aggravated driving under the influence and careless driving after a vehicle stop on Second Street West Sunday at 8:28 a.m. -- Adrian Joe Cochran of Harlem, 46, was arrested on a disorderly conduct charge and on two Justice or City court warrants after a caller at a First Street business reported a man was passed out in front of the building. -- A Sunday 5:11 p.m. caller reported a smoker was stolen from the side of a house on 10th Street. -- Celestine Rose Plante of Havre, 39, was arrested on charges of disorderly conduct and resisting arrest after officers assisted another agency on Third Street Sunday at 6:06 p.m. -- A caller requested a well-being check on someone in the Havre area Sunday at 8:34 p.m. -- A sexual assault report was made in Havre Monday at 6:51 a.m. -- Monday at 2:54 p.m., a 10th Street West caller reported a check was stolen out of a car. -- A possible scam was reported by a Third Street caller Monday at 4:12 p.m. -- An arrest was made in an incident with a vehicle theft and pursuit that started after a theft was reported at 6:57 p.m. Monday. See story in today's page 1. -- Officers investigated a 9:02 p.m. Monday report from a First Avenue caller about a vehicle being keyed. -- A caller at a Fourth Avenue church reported some glass had been broken by three young juveniles climbing on a building Monday at 9:14 p.m. -- Joshua Steven Kirkaldie of Havre, 32, was arrested on charges of obstructing a peace officer or other public servant and violation of a protective order, after a Sixth Street caller made a complaint about a protection order violation Monday at 11:46 p.m. Hill County Sheriff's Office An arrest was made in an incident with a vehicle theft and pursuit that deputies became involved with at 7:37 p.m. Monday. See story page 1. Havre Fire Department Emergency medical personnel responded to seven calls Friday, four calls Saturday, five calls Sunday and two calls Monday. -- Firefighters and an ambulance responded to a vehicle crash on the 3100 Block of Highway 2 West at 1:52 a.m. Friday. Patients were assessed on scene and transported to the hospital. -- Firefighters, an ambulance and a water tender with a total of 12 personnel responded to a structure fire on 1000 Block of 15th Street North Friday at 5:20 p.m. A single family dwelling sustained extensive damage and one occupant who attempted to suppress the fire was taken to the hospital with burns and smoke inhalation damage. -- Firefighters and an ambulance responded to a vehicle crash Friday at 7:37 p.m. See story in today's page 1. Havre Animal Shelter The shelter this morning held two 8-week-old kittens of unknown gender, eight female cats, one female and two male 12-week-old kittens, one female and two male 10-week-old kittens, and three male cats. -- The shelter also held two female 10-week-old mixed-breed puppies, a male St. Bernard-mix dog, two female mixed-breed dogs, a male and a female 9-month-old mixed-breed puppies, a female 12-week-old mixed-breed puppy and one male 12-week-old Australian cattle dog-blue heeler-husky cross puppy. People can find online where vaccines are available in their area through https://vaccinefinder.org, operated by Bostons Childrens Hospital and supported by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the United States Digital Service. The total number of cases of COVID-19 in Montana on the state map after todays update was 11,844 with 13 new cases, 732 active. The number of active hospitalizations was 57. The number of deaths was 1,613. Blaine County, reported on the state update this morning, no new cases, 794 total, 12 active, 24 deaths. Hill County, reported on the state update this morning, no new cases were reported with 1,999 total, 5 active, 45 deaths. Rocky Boy No updated information since April 2. Fort Belknap, also reported on either Blaine or Phillips County numbers, current data not available. Liberty County, reported on the state update this morning, had no new cases, 117 total, none active, 1 death. Chouteau County, reported on the state update this morning, had no new cases, 510 total, 1 active, 6 deaths. People can visit the state tracking map, normally updated between 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. each day, online through links at https://montana.maps.arcgis.com and at https://covid19.mt.gov . LEXINGTON, Ky., June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. Medical Glove Company, signed a $63.6 million dollar contract with the Department of Defense (DOD), on behalf of Health and Human Services (HHS), to expand the domestic industrial base for nitrile glove production in the United States. U.S. Medical Glove Inks $63.6 Million Pentagon Deal to Build US Nitrile Glove Machines. This effort allows US Medical Glove to increase production capacity of nitrile glove production by 2.31B million gloves per year by May 2023. The Pentagon contract ensures the resources necessary to guarantee quality, safety, technology improvement, customer service in the United States for medical-grade nitrile gloves. The Pentagon grant further creates independence from foreign made medical devices for Americans by building the machines themselves in America and decoupling from China as the company brings the business of making high-performance industrial manufacturing equipment back to the United States. U.S. Medical Glove will purchase as much as 1 billion pounds of US steel, 535 miles of US made copper wire, 3 million US made cotter pins and a litany of other American made components. "We are honored to be called upon by our government to lead the solution to this problem," said USMGC Managing Partner Dylan Ratigan. "Industry and government leaders across the country have unified with us to ensure we exceed expectations on behalf of DoD and HHS for our country." As many as 3000 direct jobs and 10000 indirect jobs will be created as US Medical Glove expands to as many as of 6 regional hubs, increasing availability, reducing costs to end users across America. Staffing will be driven by a Veterans First program, to offer not just jobs -- but livelihoods to our nations transitioning military personnel. DOD's Defense Assisted Acquisition Cell (DA2) led this effort in coordination with the Department of the Air Force's Acquisition COVID-19 Task Force (DAF ACT). HHS' Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) funded this effort through the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act to support industrial base expansion for critical medical resources. U.S. Medical Glove Company strategic partners and key advisors include Richter Engineering; Qualex Manufacturing; Mazars; Klehr, Harrison, Harvey, Branzburg; and Cushman & Wakefield. Link to Defense Contract: https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2637207/ Link to U.S. Medical Glove: www.usmedicalglove.com View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/us-medical-glove-signs-63-6-million-deal-with-pentagon-to-secure-domestic-ppe-301303066.html SOURCE U.S. Medical Glove Company This file photo taken on Nov. 18, 2020, shows a syringe and a bottle reading "Vaccine COVID-19" next to the Moderna biotech company logo. The first batch of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, enough for 27,500 people, arrived in Korea, authorities said Tuesday. AFP-Yonhap The first batch of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, enough for 27,500 people, arrived in South Korea on Tuesday, health authorities said. The first batch of 55,000 bottles is part of a contract for 40 million doses signed between the Seoul government and the U.S. pharmaceutical company. The vaccine was initially scheduled to be delivered Monday but was delayed one day due to "local circumstances" in the United States. The vaccine will be administered to health care workers under the age of 30 starting in mid-June. Free access for current print subscribers As a home delivery subscriber, you get free unlimited digital access to premium content on HenryHerald.com, including local news, local sports, obituaries, legal notices, local features, and the e-edition. All you need is your print subscription account number and your last name. Don't know your subscription number? Email access@henryherald.com with your delivery address. Activate your account now. Huntington, WV (25701) Today Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 67F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 67F. Winds light and variable. 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 customercare@heraldandnews.com for help creating one. A mother, right, who has been at a geriatric hospital in Daejeon, and her daughter meet in person, Tuesday, for the first time since March 20 last year when the authorities banned in-person meetings between patients at such facilities and their families to prevent COVID-19 infection among patients. They began to allow the meetings if either the patient or the family member has been fully vaccinated. Yonhap By Lee Hyo-jin Korea's nationwide vaccination program against the coronavirus is gathering speed, with two more vaccines set to be introduced this month, bringing the country closer to its goal of reaching herd immunity by November. In addition to the AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines currently being administered here, the single doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and initial doses of Moderna's vaccine will be put to use as soon as this week, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Tuesday. First doses of the Moderna vaccines enough for 27,500 people were delivered through Incheon International Airport on Tuesday afternoon. The Korean government contracted the U.S. pharmaceutical company for the provision of enough doses to vaccinate 20 million people. They will be administered to medical workers under the age of 30 who weren't already immunized in the first quarter. Although medical personnel have been receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine since February, those aged under 30 were exempt due to possible side effects related to blood clotting in younger people. In addition, 1 million doses of Johnson & Johnson's Janssen vaccine provided by the United States are scheduled to arrive on Saturday. The volume is nearly double the amount pledged for the vaccination of Korean military personnel by President Joe Biden during his summit with President Moon Jae-in, May 21. Beginning on June 10, the Janssen vaccine will be administered to military-related personnel aged over 30. The age restriction was set by the country's drug regulator following reports of possible side effects related to blood clotting in younger people. The ministry also noted that 879,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine have been released from its plant in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, Tuesday, while the shipment of 650,000 doses of Pfizer's vaccine is set for Wednesday. People wait after receiving coronavirus vaccinations in case of any possible side effects at a vaccination center in Dongjak District, Seoul, May 29. Yonhap Some walked for loved ones who were lost, others walked for friends but all walked with purpose through the streets of Greenville as part of Carry The Load on Saturday. Last week, Greenville ISD Superintendent Demetrus Liggins was announced as one of five finalists for the position of superintendent for Fayette County Public Schools in Lexington, Kentucky. By Kim Rahn Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong has expressed regret over a video showing Pyongyang instead of Seoul in an introduction of the host country for the P4G Seoul Summit. "I expressed deep regret over the blunder, which took place as the preparatory office failed to check it thoroughly," Chung said, Tuesday, in a joint briefing of the foreign affairs and environment ministries on the two-day summit, which had ended the previous day. "I was briefed that there was a mistake, as the video clip had been in the process of being edited, right down to the last minute." In the controversial video that was screened at the opening ceremony on Sunday to introduce the summit host city, a satellite image was shown of Pyongyang instead of Seoul. The camera then zoomed out to show the entire Korean Peninsula. The opposition bloc has heavily criticized this error, with the conservative main opposition People Power Party calling it a "diplomatic disaster and international humiliation." "I believe that the video must have gone through numerous checks by the organizing staff, as well as rehearsals, so it is too suspicious to regard it as a mere mistake," Rep. An Byung-gil said in a statement, Monday. Minister Chung said the ministry will conduct a detailed investigation into how the mistake happened in order to prevent any such mistakes in the future, adding that the ministry changed the problematic part of the video immediately. A former Pakistani-origin Islamic terrorist has lodged a complaint with the police in the United Kingdom against his parents for radicalising him during his childhood days, reported The Daily Mail. The 29-year-old former terrorist has revealed that his parents had begun his radicalisation when he was just 5. They followed Salafism, a radical sect of Islam and taught their children to fight against the country they were living in, that is the United Kingdom. The former terrorist has also informed that he was brainwashed by his parents to never accept non-Muslims as friends. He informed that he attended study sessions conducted by Al-Qaeda terrorist Anwar Al-Awlaki, who was later neutralised during a drone strike in the war-torn country of Yemen. They told me there is a war going on with Islam and I have to train and be ready to fight this country, the former terrorist narrated. He further revealed that his siblings were radicalised in a similar fashion. Ex-terrorists accuses parents of physical and mental abuse The ex-terrorist, who was raised in a London council estate, added that he has had no contact with his family members for more than 5 years. He emphasised that his radicalism at the hands of his parents has caused him physical and mental abuse. Forced by circumstances, he has filed a complaint with the police about 2 weeks ago against his own parents. Former terrorist to be moved to safe house before cops interrogate his parents The counter-terrorism officers have interviewed the 29-year-old and they will shift him to a safe house before interrogating his parents. It is believed to the first of a kind case in the United Kingdom, where a man has accused his parents of Islamist radicalisation during his formative years. Interestingly, UK has laws to protect children from abuse at the hands of their parents but no existing law prosecutes parents for radicalising their children. Source : OpIndia Please be aware that Cache Valley Publishing does not endorse, and is not responsible for alleged employment offers in the comments. Recommended for you Because of low water levels in the Blacksmith Fork River, the Division of Wildlife Resources will now allow anglers to keep eight trout caught between the Nibley Diversion and the confluence with the Logan River. Last Monday, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz severely criticized President Joe Biden's weak grasp of crucial foreign policy. He blamed the Democrat President's notorious decisions that led to the Israel-Hamas conflict, reported Newsmax. Biden's indecision led to the deadly 11-day war started by the Palestinian extremists attacking Jewish settlements and the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) hitting back, said Cruz. The latest conflict between Israelis and Palestinians turned the Gaza Strip into a pile of wreckage. Sen. Cruz is one of several Republican critics who view the conflict in Israel as caused Biden's weak stance against Israel's opponents. The more that Biden shows weakness, the more terrorist attacks will happen, said Cruz, noted AP News. Democrats are enabling more terrorism attacks He added that the US would not aid Palestine if Hamas uses the money to attack Israel again, unlike the past administration that kept groups like them in check with a better foreign policy. The Republican senator personally went to Israel in Askelon that saw action in the recent rocket attacks. Using the Iron Dome defense proved very successful in defending the Jewish settlement. According to ABC News, "The longer Joe Biden exposes weakness against Hamas, Hezbollah, or Iran, the more terrorist attacks will lead to increasing violence," Senator Cruz said. He added that Iran is another adversary supporting the terrorist organization. Read also: Iron Dome Stops Hamas Rockets and Shields Israel from Repeated Barrages Cruz's statements made a dramatic break from a long-standing policy of avoiding addressing internal affairs when abroad, specifically when it comes to the current commander-in-chief of the United States. In the conflict, Biden and many other foreign leaders reaffirmed that Israel should defend itself, as concern grew with protests in Turkey, Pakistan, and the United Kingdom because Israeli's fought back against the Hamas aggressors. After weeks of protests and riots protesting Israel's enforcement of a key holy site, the violence escalated on May 10 as Hamas unleashed a volley of rockets towards Jerusalem. Before the ceasefire, Hamas had launched over 4,000 rockets at Jewish cities, and Israeli jets had bombed around 1,000 targets in Gaza. Over 250 individuals were killed; many were Palestinians living in Hamas's beachfront enclave. Since Hamas attacked from the residential areas, Israel blamed them as the ones responsible for many civilian victims. US leaders who have an eye on 2024 elections Two of the four Republicans touring Israel this week might be running for president and vying for support from pro-Israel evangelical voters, that make up a large portion of the GOP's base. In addition to Cruz, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who previously served as Trump's CIA director, tweeted last Sunday that he was in Tel Aviv for Mossad leader Yossi Cohen's retirement event, mentioned Politico. Senator Lindsay Graham also took a tour of the damage caused by rocket fire and conferred with Israeli authorities. Many members of the Democratic Party were enraged by Netanyahu's warm relationship with Trump. His rapport with Biden has been cordial but strained. Senator Cruz said that President Biden's failed leadership and Democrats' indifference to US allies negatively affect world events. Related article: Qatar to Pledge $500 Million To Restart Rehabilitation of Gaza Strip After the Recent Israel-Hamas Conflict @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. By Jon Dunbar Warren Kidd runs a bar in a city so new, it isn't even old enough to drink. Songdo International City is said to have officially "opened" in 2009, and The Cinder Bar opened there in early 2013. Kidd took it over from its first owner, a fellow New Zealander, in December 2014. "At that time, Songdo was dead really dead," Kidd told The Korea Times. "I joke that back then, you could pick a lane on that eight-lane main street, lie down for half an hour, and you probably wouldn't have died." Songdo was envisioned as a futuristic megacity on reclaimed land off Incheon's coast. It wasn't like other Korean cities that can trace their history back centuries nothing had been here before, just tidal flats and seawater. All of Songdo was new, from the streets and buildings to the people that slowly started to populate it and the community they built. For years, the ambitious city project was seen prematurely as a failure, even called a " " resembling a ghost town with its empty roads and low occupancy rate. But Kidd, who has been an Incheon resident since 2001, saw opportunity in Songdo, the chance to build a niche in a new urban, global community that would certainly grow. "Why, you ask?" Kidd said. "In a nutshell, I got given the opportunity, thought it could work, proposed the idea to the wife, got declined a number of times, finally after one last crack, she asked, 'Well, do you think you can do it?', replied, 'Of course!' But in my mind I was like, 'How hard could it be?' (famous last words). And we signed the contract! After two days of observation, I was the new owner of The Cinder Bar in Songdo!" The bar is built right into the base of one of the city's many impersonal office towers, in an otherwise quiet corner of the city. "I cannot lie," Kidd admitted, "it's not easy running a bar with a bunch of families living above you. At first, it was a bit of a tug of war with noise infractions, but I soon learned how to navigate safely through the night. I personally don't believe that being an expat and having other expats particularly bothered them so much. I actually think it might have piqued people's interests more!" Entering the bar transports one to another world. The interior is textured differently from the surrounding city, with bricks, a blackboard over the bar showing the drinks menu and characterful reclaimed wood everywhere. The bar also has been known to host live music performances, at least before the pandemic, enhancing the atmosphere even more. The bar feels more like it could be in any small town anywhere in the world. "The vibe is everything at Cinder," Kidd said. "But the largest piece of the vibe pie, in our opinion, comes from the people who work for you. Your staff set the tone from that very first interaction right through to the moment you gratefully say goodbye to each and every guest. Selim, Otash, Amir and Diyor are the current Cinder crew, and these guys have Cinder Gold seriously racing through their veins." Kidd displayed a fierce loyalty to his staff, singing their praises multiple times throughout the interview. His employees over the years have come from all over Korea, as well as far-flung cities around the world, such as Rotterdam, Mapua and Kansas City. Many have been students, working holidayers and migrants. With this staff, they offer a handsome menu of liquor and beer, as well as good pub grub including Philly cheesesteaks, wings and fish and chips. Kidd is especially proud of the Juicinder, a portmanteau of juicy and Cinder, which is a hazy New England IPA brewed with Australian malts and oats, then dryhopped with New Zealand and Australian hops. He said the beer was designed with Nick at Chillhops Brewing Company, located further south in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province. A map hanging in the bar is poked full of countless orange pins showing the hometowns of customers who have had a drink at The Cinder Bar. The typical clientele coming here are "Students, educators, business men and women, travelers, pilots and crews, professional sportspeople, mums and dads," as Kidd described. "That's what makes visiting Cinder so awesome," he said. "Every night you can strike up a conversation with someone from a different place who does something completely different to what you do. Some nights, the staff could be the only non-Koreans at Cinder, whereas other nights you might even forget for a moment that you are actually in South Korea. Usually, it's a great mix!" In the last few years, Songdo's population has been growing, as more Koreans and foreigners come from outside to make the city their new home. As more universities, research institutes and international bodies set up shop on the island, the population is young, sophisticated and cosmopolitan. "I love living here," Kidd said. "Watching it develop year by year, and constantly meeting new people that are moving here is really exciting. The Songdo community is really tight, too. Online, there is a lot of support for residents of Songdo, and lots of activities for residents to get into! As a resident, you can feel the constant change, and are happy to be a part of the Songdo community, and happy to be part of that change. Songdo is becoming super diverse, and it's a place where people want to be." Kidd also praised the city's closeness to the sea, as well as its open design and green spaces. He and his wife moved from Incheon's mainland to Songdo a couple years ago to be closer to the bar. A couple of years ago, he opened a second Cinder Bar on Yeongjong Island near Incheon International Airport, a 21-minute drive away across the 21.38-kilometer Incheon Bridge, so he will see how the community develops there, as well as probably maintaining an eye on the airport and the airline staff coming and going through there post-pandemic, many of whom stay on Songdo when in Korea. Songdo had a bad rap early on due to its extended development phase, but now it is undeniably taking form, as even more glistening towers rise out of the mud, the streets fill with traffic and the commercial spaces fill with world-class establishments. And Kidd has been there at The Cinder Bar's counter to see it all, as a city was born, learned how to walk and took its first sip of (hazy IPA) beer. "When development of this city gets close to completion, it is going to be one hell of a place," he said. "For locals and expatriates alike, there is something unique and awesome for everybody here, and Songdo is only going to get better and become a more attractive place to live in." Visit or for more information. A video released last week revealed the creator of a Black Lives Matter (BLM) chapter in Minnesota has resigned. He claimed that the movement is not interested in aiding black communities or improving education quality in Minneapolis. Rashard Turner said he launched the group in 2015 but became disillusioned after becoming an "insider" within the left-wing movement of Black Lives Matter a year later. TakeCharge, an organization that opposes numerous principles advocated by Black Lives Matter, including critical race theory-linked allegations that the United States is inherently racist, released a video detailing the revelations. "After a year on the inside, I discovered they were unconcerned with reuniting black families, and even less so with enhancing the quality of education for Minneapolis students," Turner said, as per The Epoch Times. Support for BLM dropped in the US According to a recent Morning Consult survey, support for the organization has dropped in the United States around a year after George Floyd died in Minneapolis. Only 48 percent of people think the organization is good, down from 61 percent in May. The USA Today poll showed that only 36 percent of Americans now consider Floyd's death a murder, down from 60 percent last summer. In a poll conducted by the newspaper in May, the Black Lives Matter movement's call to defund the police has even less support, with only 18 percent of respondents agreeing to it. Read Also: George Floyd's Death Anniversary: Family Meets With Joe Biden, Kamala Harris as Congress Considers Police Bill BLM Co-founder was first involved in controversy It comes in the wake of a recent controversy involving Patrisse Cullors, the organization's co-founder, who resigned following a series of exposes regarding her real estate holdings and money. Following the release of the findings last month, Cullors claimed that she had not misused any money of the Black Lives Matter. "With knowledgeable, experienced, and devoted people supporting the organization through this transition, I believe that BLMGNF is in excellent hands," Cullors, a self-described "trained Marxist," said in a statement last week. The foundation's mission remains unchanged: to fight white supremacy and create life-affirming institutions. Cullors told The Associated Press that she had planned her resignation for more than a year. It had nothing to do with the stories about her money and several homes, which she said were "right-wing assaults" designed to discredit her reputation. Patrisse Cullors, who has led the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation for over six years, announced her resignation to focus on other projects, including publishing her second book and a multi-year television development agreement with Warner Bros. Friday is her last day at the foundation. Cullors told The Associated Press, "I've constructed the infrastructure and support, as well as the essential bones and foundation, so that I can leave. It appears like the moment has come." Cullors' resignation comes after the BLM movement, which was founded about eight years ago in reaction to injustice against Black Americans, has seen a significant spike in popularity and political clout in the United States and throughout the world. The resignation comes amid a public outcry over the foundation's finances and Cullors' fortune. Following the May 2020 murder of George Floyd, a Black man whose final breaths were taken beneath the knee of a white Minneapolis police officer, the BLM foundation revealed in February that it received just over $90 million last year. After spending roughly a quarter of its assets on operation expenditures, grants to Black-led organizations, and other charitable contributions, the foundation concluded 2020 with a balance of more than $60 million. Related Article: BLM Co-Founder Patrisse Khan-Cullors Receives Backlash for Buying Million Dollar House in LA @YouTube @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. According to state police, students from a Niger school in Nigeria were indiscriminately gunned and kidnapped on Sunday by a team of "armed bandits," according to state police. At least one individual was confirmed killed in the most recent school kidnapping raids the country has witnessed this 2021. According to Yaro Alhassan, the Salihu Tanko Islamic School's headmaster, the specific number of students kidnapped from the school is still unclear. However, he said that over 150 remain missing or unaccounted for. No Ransom for Nigerian Children Niger State Deputy Gov. Alh Ahmed Mohammed Ketso stated on Monday that efforts by security agencies to ensure the release of the children had been amplified. According to Ketso, "We don't pay ransom to abductors. We are trying to negotiate to see how we can bring them back safely," reported CNN. Abubakar Tegina, the school owner, said he witnessed the siege and surmised an estimated 150 students had been kidnapped. "I personally saw between 20 and 25 motorcycles with heavily armed people. They entered the school and went away with about 150 or more of the students. We can't be exact because most of them have not reported to the school as at that time," reported The Guardian. Reports indicated that an estimated 200 children were seized during the siege. However, an official number has yet to be provided. The gunmen reportedly attacked Tegina's town in the Rafi local government area of the state. They were riding on motorcycles while shooting indiscriminately. They then kidnapped the students from the Salihu Tanko Islamic school, reported Vatican News. Read Also: Nigerian Governor: 279 Schoolgirls Kidnapped by Extremists Freed State police officials remarked that tactical teams were urgently mobilized as part of efforts to rescue the victims. The Command calls for calm as police officials and other security agencies will exert everything humanly possible to affirm that the children are rescued unharmed. According to Ketso, the government has temporarily changed Tegina region schools to day schools in response to the incessant strikes. They made sure each primary and secondary school has a group that could respond immediately to security issues. Ketso added the government had contacted several parents of the identified kidnapped children to assure them of their safe return. Tegina remarked an estimated 300 students attend the school. They are aged from 7 to 15 years old. He added that students live at home and merely attend classes at the site. According to authorities, a second person was severely injured aside from the recorded fatality. The Niger state governor, Abubakar Sani Bello, expressed hatred at the "escalating level of banditry in the state." He called on the federal government for immediate intervention. A spokesperson for Niger State Government, Mary Noel-Berje, spoke on Monday saying that at least 11 of the children kidnapped during the raid were later freed. They were released due to their "tenderness." Those are the very few who could not go through the bush path, the kidnappers' escape route. Related Article: African Priest Wearing COVID-19 Face Mask Suddenly Collapsed and Died Amid Sermon @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Vietnamese health minister reveals a COVID-19 variant has been identified in Vietnam that is a hybrid of strains initially detected in India and the United Kingdom. Scientists investigated the genetic composition of the virus that had infected some recent patients and discovered a new variant of the virus, said Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long. The lab tests indicated it appears to spread more quickly than other strains of the virus. As viruses multiply, they typically have small genetic changes, and new variations of the coronavirus have been spotted almost since it was initially discovered in China in late 2019. The World Health Organization has identified four global concerns, including the two initially found in the United Kingdom and India and those discovered in South Africa and Brazil. Long claimed that the current variant is to blame for a significant rise in Vietnam, which has spread to 30 of the country's 63 municipalities and provinces. Vietnam was an early standout in the fight against the virus, with just over 3,100 confirmed cases and 35 deaths since the outbreak began in early May, as per MarketWatch. Vietnam races to increase testing and restrictions However, in the previous weeks, Vietnam has reported over 3,500 new cases and 12 deaths, bringing the overall death toll in the nation to 47. The majority of the new transmissions were discovered in Bac Ninh and Bac Giang provinces, densely populated with industrial zones where hundreds of thousands of people work for large corporations like Samsung, Canon, and Luxshare, an Apple manufacturing partner. Despite strict health and safety standards, one-fifth of a company's 4,800 employees tested positive for the virus in Bac Giang. According to the Health Ministry, at least 85 people have tested positive as part of a cluster at a Protestant church in Ho Chi Minh City, the country's largest city with 9 million people. Worshippers sung and chanted while seated close together, wearing no masks or taking any other safety measures. Since then, Vietnam has imposed a statewide ban on all religious gatherings. Large gatherings in closed public spaces, and non-essential businesses, such as in-person bars, clubs, restaurants, and spas, have all been banned in major cities. According to the Associated Press, the government also aims to test the city's whole population, despite having a daily testing capacity of 100,000 samples. Since the outbreak, Vietnamese officials have moved quickly to limit infections, with just 3,100 cases and 35 fatalities reported by early May. However, a concerning pattern had emerged at that time, with additional cases being discovered in 31 municipalities and provinces. Only approximately 1 million of Vietnam's 96 million people have been vaccinated, raising fears that this newest hybrid variety would be difficult to manage. As the pandemic has progressed, Vietnam has joined the ranks of many low- and middle-income nations with limited access to coronavirus vaccinations. However, multiple highly transmissible COVID-19 variants continue to circulate across the world. Scientists claim that a variant in India is to blame for the country's unprecedented increase in cases and deaths, which have shattered previous world records. Read Also: Joe Biden Believes China is Hiding COVID-19 Origin Info; Task Force Leader Says Chinese Government Should Be Punished Vietnam still not on Britain's travel red list Despite discovering a potentially harmful new COVID-19 variant in Vietnam, the United Kingdom is still allowed to visit. Over the weekend, it was revealed that a virus strain in Vietnam seemed to be a combination of the UK and Indian strains, both rapidly spreading. The red list was created to reduce the possibility of novel viral types being imported into the UK, causing vaccinations to fail. Scientists and politicians were outraged when India delayed weeks to be added to the list despite having the world's worst outbreak. A variant that arose there is now dominating the UK, threatening to derail preparations to lift the lockdown. Despite this and discovering a hybrid variant in Vietnam, the country remains to be not on the amber list, meaning hotel quarantine is unnecessary. Because the variant has not yet been recognized worldwide, it is uncertain whether it has spread to other nations. Jonathan Ashworth, a Labor MP and shadow health secretary condemned the government's poor, delayed judgments on border policy for allowing the Indian strain to enter. After foreign travel became authorized on May 17, the travel lists will be revised later this week, Daily Mail reported. Related Article: Viral Video of Man in India Carrying Dead Body of 11-Year-Old Daughter Is Proof of India's Poor Health System @YouTube @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. China's ruling Communist Party will relax birth limitations to allow couples to have three children instead of two to stave off risks to its economy from a rapidly aging population. It follows census data that displayed China's working-age population diminished from the previous decade as the number of individuals older than 65 increased. China's yearly births are on the decline. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, it fell to a record low of 12 million in 2020. It poses a potential demographic crisis as too few people of working age can support the expected hundreds of millions of elderly citizens by 2050. It has alarmed the ruling Communist Party spearheaded by Chinese President Xi Jinping, reported Aljazeera. Women Need More Support to Birth More Children In an interview with Reuters, Zhang Xinyu, a 30-year-old tourist from Zhenzhou and a mother of one, offered a possible explanation for declining birth rates. She said, "it's mostly women bearing the responsibility of raising children, for the most part. And this society hasn't provided women with much support. So actually, if men could do more to raise the child, or if families could give more consideration for women who had just had children, actually a lot of women would be able to have a second child. Because it would be a bit better if a child has siblings. But thinking of the big picture, realistically, I don't want to have a second child. And a third is even more impossible." Read Also: Wuhan Lab Scientists Divulge They Were Bitten by Bats, Disregard Gloves, Masks, and Other PPE While Handling Bats China is trying to address the economic impact of an aging society. According to a statement in Xinhua News Agency, it was underscored they would impose a delay in retirement age. The agency also stated that allowing all couples to have three children and imposing related support policies will help bolster the population's structure. Boost to Population Structure In a meeting with the CPC leadership on Monday, including Xi, guidelines to actively address the aging of the population in the following five years were discussed. Party leaders underscored implementing the policy of one couple having three children, optimizing the fertility policy, and supporting measures conducive to bolstering the population structure. Birth limits in China were initially introduced in 1980 to limit population growth, reported People. Restrictions for most couples to only have one child were eased in 2015 to allow all to have two. Following a brief rise the next year, birth rates continued to fall. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, China's fertility rate stands at 1.3. This is below the level required to maintain a stable population. The 2020 census results also published in April showed that China's population grew at its slowest rate since the 1960s. It reached 1.41 billion, while the number of people of working age significantly dropped. Related Article: China's Population Growth Slowest In Decades Despite Reversing One-Child Policy @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Experts warn that if Congress approves federal aid, fewer Americans might receive a fourth stimulus check payment. More than 80 Democratic lawmakers have signed a letter pushing for more stimulus money, but President Joe Biden has yet to announce any plans for the fourth round of stimulus payments. Experts advise the government to focus primarily on the poorest Americans if a payment comparable to the $1,400 checks under his America Rescue Plan is approved. According to the Tax Policy Center research, "If Congress intended to further reduce poverty or distribute greater resources more generally, the increased payments might achieve it," The Sun reported. Are there plans for a fourth stimulus payment? Experts believed the funding would be phased off under the proposal, meaning Americans would get varying payouts depending on their income. This strategy is part of President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion America Rescue Plan. If a fourth check is granted, the eligibility line will undoubtedly be lower than the $75,000 level set in the last round. The Urban Institute (UI) performed a study that found that African-American and Latino areas would benefit the most from another wave of federal aid. According to the group, this payment would assist in lifting 6.6 million people out of poverty. If a fifth-round amount is allowed, UI estimates that poverty rates will drop between 4.9 and 5.2 percent, depending on the payment's qualifying criteria. So far, it appears that Biden has no plans to approve more stimulus funding while he works to eliminate poverty through infrastructure and family plans. The clamor of voices pushing for more direct payments, on the other hand, continues to grow. Read Also: Are You Eligible to Get a Bonus Stimulus Check on Top of Your Third IRS Payment? Here's How and Why Congress pushes for a fourth stimulus check Nearly 2.25 million people have signed an online petition created by an unemployed Denver restaurant owner, requesting new $2,000 stimulus checks for individuals and $1,000 payments for children as well as regular checks throughout the length of the pandemic. President Biden has received letters from more than 80 members of Congress encouraging him to sustain recurrent payments until the outbreak is over. While many Americans would undoubtedly benefit from more financial assistance, evidence shows that the pandemic's worst days are behind us, making a fourth stimulus check unnecessary. The IRS is still distributing third stimulus payments, but the money will only get Americans so far. Some lawmakers are advocating for extra pandemic-related funding in 2021, whether in the form of a one-time or recurring payment. Although Biden has not committed to a fourth stimulus check, some members of Congress are urging the White House to grant further aid to low-income families, citing strong popular support and financial analysts. Others in Washington have claimed that no new relief payments are required as the economy improves, as per CNET. The American Rescue Plan, which was approved in March and featured $1,400 checks, $300 more in weekly jobless compensation, and an increased child tax credit that would last until 2022, is the Biden administration's first stimulus plan. Since then, the American Families Plan and the American Jobs Plan have been offered as additional stimulus bills. A White House fact sheet on the budget for the fiscal year 2022 released on May 28 showed that none of these proposed bills asks for a new stimulus check at this time. However, one of these would extend or add extra money in direct payments to specified categories of individuals, such as parents who earn less than a particular amount or unemployed. Will Joe Biden approve a fourth stimulus check? Per The National Interest, the American Rescue Plan is over 250 pages long and includes various initiatives to combat the pandemic and boost America's economic recovery. However, Biden has shown that this massive spending bill - which cost taxpayers roughly $1.9 trillion - is not the end of his COVID-19 relief. On the eve of his 100th day in office, he told Congress that he would pursue a second set of relief plans, the "American Jobs Plan" and the "American Families Plan," in the long term. These ideas have been debated extensively and hailed as a significant extension of America's social safety net. Yet, one of its most talked-about elements is something they do not have. Neither plan includes a fourth stimulus check, which has been requested by about 80 Democratic members in the House and Senate. Biden has so far avoided queries about a fourth stimulus check. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki has also deflected inquiries about it. It implies that if Democratic legislators wanted to advance the topic, Congress should take the initiative. However, pro-stimulus Democrats have a strong support base in the United States. According to surveys, 60 percent or more of Americans approve a fourth stimulus package. Since March 2020, a Change.org petition seeking a regular $2,000 stimulus payment has gathered 2.3 million signatures. There is some indication that the money would be wisely spent. An analysis by the Economic Security Project showed that further stimulus checks might keep as many as 12 million more Americans out of poverty. Related Article: Fourth Stimulus Check: Another Round of Direct Payments Depends on Congress; Lawmakers Urge for More @YouTube @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. President Joe Biden proclaimed on Monday to recognize the 1921 Tulsa race massacre. He called on Americans to help in eradicating systemic racism and vowed to set forth racial justice. The President indicated in the proclamation, "I call upon the people of the United States to commemorate the tremendous loss of life and security that occurred over those 2 days in 1921, to celebrate the bravery and resilience of those who survived and sought to rebuild their lives again, and commit together to eradicate systemic racism and help to rebuild communities and lives that have been destroyed by it," reported Politico. What Transpired in the Siege? Biden called on the federal government to consider and acknowledge the role that it has played in stripping opportunity and wealth from Black communities. From May 31 to June 1, 1921, rioters obliterated dozens of buildings in the Greenwood neighborhood of Tulsa, which is a thriving Black majority neighborhood. Biden's proclamation commemorates the attack on Greenwood and the devastating and permanent effects of the incident. He is reportedly committed to recognizing the Federal policy's role in Greenwood and other Black communities and addressing long-term racial inequities, reported KTUL. He called for unity among Americans prompting people to reflect on the deep roots of racial terror in the United States. He also called to reiterate commitment to rooting out systemic racism throughout the US. Hundreds gathered on Monday for an interfaith service dedicating a prayer wall outside the historic Vernon African Methodist Episcopal Church in Greenwood, Tulsa, on the centennial of the first day of one of the fatal racist massacres in the nation, reported Fox 13. Read Also: 107-Year-Old Tulsa Massacre Survivor Testifies, Incident Believed To Have Caused the Deaths of 300 Blacks The President announced that the Biden-Harris administration is committed to making historic investments in the economic security of children and families. Black Wall Street was an active community in Tulsa's Greenwood District in the early 20th century. Lawyers, business owners, and more contributed to building the area into one of the most prominent Tulsa neighborhoods. Biden also stated that families and children were killed in cold blood. As many as 300 Black Americans were recorded as fatalities as the white mob torched churches, buildings, homes, and businesses. It destroyed 35 square blocks of the district and left 10,000 Black people homeless. The President referred to the testimony of 107-year-old survivor Viola Fletcher before Congress last week. According to Fletcher, "I will never forget the violence of the white mob when we left our home. I still see Black men being shot, Black bodies lying in the street. I still smell smoke and see fire. I still see Black businesses being burned. I still hear airplanes flying overhead. I hear the screams. I have lived through the massacre every day. Our country may forget this history, but I cannot," reported KRMG. Related Article: Joe Biden Wants COVID-19 Origins Report in 3 Months, Tasks Intelligence Community To Conduct Probe @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A video uploaded by a New York congresswoman shows a Black man brutally punching a 55-year-old Asian woman in the face in what has been labeled yet another suspected hate crime incident in the Asian-American community. The woman is seen walking along a sidewalk outside 65 Bayard St., wearing a pink shirt and a white hat and carrying a bag. A man in a hoodie approaches the poor woman in the frame, moves up to her, and punches her in the face. The woman's hat flies off, and the force throws her backward. She then slumps against an outdoor dining structure's column. NYPD responds to alleged hate crime involving a 55-year-old Asian woman A crowd gathers around the unconscious woman, checking to see whether she is okay. The woman is "conscious, attentive, and alert," according to Yuh-Line Niou, who represents the state's 65th Assembly District and posted the footage. "Things are being probed," she added, adding that the hate crime task team had been brought in, Fox News reported. This was just sent to me from my constituent. This just happened in my district in Chinatown. He has been arrested and our precinct is investigating. pic.twitter.com/sxNfCbrlza Yuh-Line Niou (@yuhline) May 31, 2021 Officers responded on the scene and brought the suspect into custody, according to an NYPD spokesperson. He was then sent to Bellevue Hospital for psychiatric assessment. He stated the victim was brought to a local hospital and is doing well. The incident occurs amid an upsurge in hate crimes against Asian-Americans in recent months. Congress passed legislation earlier this month to reduce the spike of hate crimes that have occurred due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Read Also: Arizona Boy, 11, Faces Felony Charges for Starting Brush Fire, Causes $30,000 Damage Upsurge in Asian-American hate crimes in New York continues According to a report from the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino, police in New York City investigated 42 attacks on Asian-Americans in the first quarter of 2021, a 223 percent increase over the 13 incidents recorded in the first quarter of 2020. Per Newsweek, the increase in attacks coincides with a countrywide increase in anti-Asian hate crimes. The Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University said 122 incidences of such crimes occurred in 16 of the country's most populated cities in 2020, a roughly 150 percent increase over 2019. Since the beginning of the pandemic in March, another organization, Stop AAPI Hate, has monitored almost 6,600 reported assaults against Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders. "Enough of the insulting uses of terms like 'Chinese virus,' 'Wuhan virus,' and 'Kung-flu,' especially from our nation's leaders, such as President Donald Trump, GOP leader Kevin McCarthy, and others." Democratic New York Representative Grace Meng stated in September 2020, citing an increase in anti-Asian-American hate crimes. Russell Jeung, the co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate, told NBC News that he doesn't believe every attack is motivated by anti-Asian racism. He said the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in increasing violent crime across the country. Jeung is also concerned that coverage of such attacks in the media might fuel "copycat" assaults. Late last year, the NYPD established an Asian Hate Crime Task Force to counter escalating violence. However, over 25 community organizations issued an open letter opposing the task force's formation in September 2020. Over-policing and increasing imprisonment have severe consequences for people of color, as per the signers. Click here for resources if you or someone you know is suffering anti-Asian discrimination. By clicking here, anyone who sees an incident may learn more about bystander intervention. You can leave a tip by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, downloading the NYPD Crime Stoppers mobile app or texting TIP577 to 274637 (CRIMES). Callers who speak Spanish should dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). Related Article: Asian Hate Crime in New York: Man in Critical Condition at Hospital Following Attack @YouTube @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The US economy is on the path to growing at its fastest pace in almost four decades this year. The growth is because of increased vaccination rates and unprecedented levels of government stimulus. The US gross domestic product (GDP), the broadest measure of goods and services manufactured by a nation, is expected to rise to 6.9% in 2021. If true, this figure represents the fastest increase since 1984. The predicted economic gains in the US are based on a report released by the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) last Monday. According to its website, the OECD is a Pasig-based organization made up of experts from 38 nations that aim to build better economic policies for improved lives. The US GDP The GDP is often an indicator of a country's economic health. In 2020, the GDP in the US contracted at a 3.5 percent annualized rate. This shrinkage was due to business closures and curfews placed at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The economy was at a near standstill to slow the prevalence of COVID-19. The virus has infected over 33 million Americans and recorded more than 594,000 fatalities. The OECD's new US prediction is an upgrade from March's prediction of 6.5% growth. This number is a further improvement from a December estimate of 3.2%. The successive upgrades depict the impact of both President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion stimulus bill and of the dissemination of vaccines, which are enabling states to reopen their economies, reported Business Insider. The American Rescue Plan disseminated a $1,400 stimulus check to American adults, allocated $350 billion to state and local governments, and expanded unemployment benefits by $300 per week. The group also forecast the global economy to grow 5.8% in 2021. However, the OECD cautioned the recovery would be uneven. In several OECD nations, living standards are slated to remain well below pre-crisis levels, even by the end of 2022. Read Also: Gas Prices to Increase on Memorial Day, Dubbed Highest in 7 Years as Potential Supply Shortage of Gas Looms According to Laurence Boone, chief OECD economist, the surge in inoculations will correlate to higher confidence in the economy while protecting susceptible populations from new or varied strains of the novel coronavirus. Boone stated in the Daily Mail, "it is very disturbing that not enough vaccines are reaching emerging and low-income economies. This is exposing these economies to a fundamental threat because they have less policy capacity to support activity than advanced economies." Over half of the US population has now received at least one shot of the vaccine. The authors of the OECD report noted that the recovery has picked up speed. Indicators of consumption activity have increased. The gradual relaxation of containment measures during the pandemic is already starting to boost spending and household income growth. However, the likelihood of a renewed coronavirus threat could cause increases in "acute poverty" and the likelihood of "sovereign funding issues" as far as financial markets are concerned. Boone adds, "more broadly, as long as the vast majority of the global population is not vaccinated, all of us remain vulnerable to the emergence of new variants." Confidence could be severely eroded by more lockdowns and a stop-and-go of economic activities, reports Fox Business. Related Article: Joe Biden Wants COVID-19 Origins Report in 3 Months, Tasks Intelligence Community To Conduct Probe @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A burial mound shaped like a pyramid in Syria wherein 30 bodies of warriors are piled on top of each other could be the oldest war memorial ever discovered. Scientists claim that it dates back to 4,300 years ago, and gives a glimpse of military life in the ancient civilization. The mound was discovered at the site of Tell Banat that is now submerged. According to archeologists, it is a rare type of monument with ancient writings dating to Mesopotamia. The warriors could either be that of enemies or Syrians. Anne Porter, who studies Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations at the University of Toronto, said that those slain in battle were honored, just like now. She added, "We do not know whether they were triumphant or vanquished in that war. We do understand that they (the people of Tell Banat) collected the bodies of the dead from elsewhere, probably long after the incident, and placed them on a huge mound visible for miles," as per the Archeological News. Pyramid-shaped mound gives more information about ancient Syria According to Porter, the memorial matches the Djoser's step pyramid in Egypt. However, the mound layers are constructed of dirt and gypsum instead of stone, wrote archaeologists in an article published in the journal Antiquity on May 28. Read also: First-Known Pregnant Mummy With Fetus Still Inside Her from 155 Years Ago Discovered This mound was called the "white monument" by modern inhabitants because gypsum causes the monument to glisten in the sun, remarked the archaeologists. Even though the monument was dug between 1988 and 1999 by a team led by Porter and Thomas McClelland, two archaeologists connected with the Euphrates Salvage Project, researchers did not fully understand its implications until now. One site they were digging was affected by the flooding caused by the construction of the Tishreen Dam. After some study and speculation, the scientist was able to find out that the mound was an old war memorial. But they found another layer under it. An army of corpses Researchers saw the bodies were not placed randomly but organized. They described human bones in the fill that were placed in horizontal layers from top to bottom. Everything was built ground-up from the soil layer, with a specific grouping of the human remains. All remains are incomplete, and the age and gender of the dead are uncertain. Those identified were all males, ages ranging from adults to eight or ten years old. It is unknown why a child was included in a war memorial. "Patterns emerge suggesting that the men memorialized are not only engaged in war, also did so in a formalized way: they were part of a coordinated army, divided into wagoneers and foot soldiers," said archeologists as reported by Eminentra. The Discovery of the mound shaped like a pyramid with 30 bodies is a first in science, and more might be discovered by more diggings. Related article: Archaeologists Discover Rare Egyptian Artifacts: Over 300 Rock-Cut Tombs of Akhmim Leaders @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. According to a report by Defense News, Croatia will be buying 12 second-hand Rafale F3-R fighter jets, formerly part of the French Air Force, said its Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic. Plenkovic, in a statement, said, "As a NATO member and European Union partner will be reinforced by the acquisition of the multi-role fighter aircraft. For the very first time, we will spend 2% of GDP to upgrading our defense systems," as per a Yahoo report. The purchase will cost 999 million (US$1.2 billion), which will include weaponry systems, replacement parts, logistics, and instruction, in addition to the aircraft. After the cabinet's agreement, Zagreb will negotiate terms with Paris on the contract's details. According to the agreement, France will send the first six twin-engine fighters in 2024 and the remaining six Rafales the following year. Ten of the fighters will be single-seaters, while two will be twin-seaters. Croatia also considered offers from the US, Sweden, and Israel Croatia also considered buying F-16 Block 70 fighter jets from the US, JAS-39 Gripen C/D fighter jets from Sweden, and F-16C/D Block 30 fighters from Israel. Croatia's Air Force wants to reinforce its old Soviet-designed Mikoyan MiG-21 fighters with just this procurement. The Defense Ministry announced in 2018 that it intended to buy old Israeli F-16 jet fighters, but then in early 2019, the government changed its decision and revised the contract to instead by used Rafale fighter jets. Read also: Why India Is Ready To Tussle With Rafale Jets Against China's People's Liberation Army Air Force Manufactured by Dassault Aviation, the Rafale fighter jet is a twin-jet combat aircraft with a multi-role as it is capable of carrying out a wide range of short and long-range missions. It is capable of ground, and sea attacks, reconnaissance, high-accuracy strikes and could be a nuclear strike deterrent. Developed by the French aerospace firm to serve as the backbone of the French Navy and French Air Force, the 4.5 generation fighter is at par with the F-16 Viper and F-15 Eagle II. It has already proven its worth in actual conflicts showcasing its excellent delta wing performance. It served in Afghanistan, Mali, Libya, Syria, and Iraq campaigns with coalition forces. Several other countries like Egypt, Qatar, and India also bought the Rafales. Nations want the Rafale for its payload of weapons used for many missions, with 14 hardpoints for the air force and 13 hardpoints on the naval version. It can carry several types of air to air or ground to air missiles or bombs, cited the Air Force Technology. It can mount a Sidewinder, ASRAAM and AMRAAM air-to-air missiles. For ground attacks and ship targets, it uses HARM, Maverick, Exocet, Penguin, and Harpoon missiles. The fighter jet can deploy the MBDA (previously Aerospatiale) ASMP stand-off nuclear missile for a strategic mission. It is equipped with the latest sensors like the electronic warfare system called Spectra made by Thales, which has a transmitter technology, a DAL laser warning receiver, missile warning, detection systems, and jammers to counter electronics systems in electronic countermeasures mode. The most important part of the fighter is the RBE2 passive electronically scanned radar, which has look-down and shoot-down capabilities. It is capable of acquiring eight targets and three enemies for attack and identification. These advantages of the Rafale fighter jets are one of the reasons why Croatia opted to purchase them over the others. Related article: India versus China Air Superiority: Chinese Stealth Jets Can Beat India's Newest Fighter Jets @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. By Bahk Eun-ji The military has launched a full-scale investigation into the allegation that a master sergeant of the Republic of Korea Air Force killed herself after the Air Force tried to cover up her accusation of sexual harassment made against a male colleague. Defense Minister Suh Wook attends a session of the National Assembly National Defense Committee in Seoul, Monday. Yonhap According to the bereaved family of the master sergeant and multiple media reports, Tuesday, the woman, stationed at a unit in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province, was allegedly sexually harassed by her colleague, identified only by his surname Jang, inside a car on their way back to the base from a private dinner she was forced to attend in early March. She reported the incident to her senior officers the next day, but they allegedly tried to cover it up and persuade her to reconcile with Jang, instead of taking adequate measures to protect her such as separating her from the alleged perpetrator. They even allegedly contacted her boyfriend, a fellow military service member she later married, to ask him to persuade her to drop the accusation. The victim took two months of leave, and requested to be transferred to another base after being diagnosed with anxiety disorder and insomnia. She returned to the unit at the end of her leave May 18 but was found dead in her residence inside the base four days later. gettyimagesbank By Yoon Ja-young Amid the virtual currency investment boom in Korea, cryptocurrency-related fraud cases have been increasing. The scammers, in many cases, lure investors with the promise of huge returns once their coins are listed on the exchange, but then disappear with the money, in a type of Ponzi scheme. The Gyeongnam Provincial Police said May 31 that it had detained two people from a ring that had swindled 63 investors out of 1.5 billion won ($1.3 million). The suspects had held presentations around the region starting in January 2017, telling potential investors falsely that global companies such as Amazon and Alibaba were jointly investing in their coin. They had claimed that the coin would jump more than five times in value once listed on an exchange. They also said that if an individual were to buy 30,000 coins, amounting to 10.8 million won ($9,700), that this person would receive 240 new coins every day. In this scheme, the suspects encouraged the investors to bring in new people, offering the initial investor 10 percent of the new person's investment as a "commission." But according to police, the global companies had no such plan, and the ring did not have, nor was it familiar with, blockchain technology, which cryptocurrencies are based on. The suspects allegedly used the money for their own things, including making investments in better known cryptocurrencies. Most victims were low-income people, and one of them lost 108 million won ($97,500). In a separate case, on Monday, the Daegu District Prosecutors' Office indicted members of a group that had swindled 20 people out of 4 billion won ($3.6 million) by offering high returns for investments into their cryptocurrency. The suspects allegedly told the people that the coin developed in Japan would be listed on a Korean coin exchange, and that the coin would be allowed to be used to buy luxury goods from duty-free stores around the world at low prices. With the money, the head of the ring bought an apartment in Seoul for 1 billion won ($903,000), according to the prosecution. Senior citizens, who lack information, often fall prey to such swindlers. They typically say that they plan to list new coins on a crypto exchange and that high investment returns are guaranteed. But what really happens next is they simply give money to the first investors with the money they received from the new ones. It thus takes time until the victims realize that the scheme was fraud. According to the Korean National Police Agency, 333 fraud cases related to cryptocurrency were caught last year, which is more than three times the 103 cases caught during the previous year. Support local journalism Now, more than ever, the world needs trustworthy reportingbut good journalism isnt free. Please support us by making a contribution. Contribute gettyimagesbank By Yoon Ja-young A 13-year-old boy was found dead following an apparent blackmail threat connected to webcam phishing. According to the Incheon Metropolitan Police the middle school student's body was found in a flowerbed at the base of a 19-story apartment building in Incheon on May 31. The police are continuing the investigation after discovering circumstantial evidence that indicates the teenager was threatened by webcam phishing blackmailers in an anonymous chat room of a messenger app. The police are carrying out digital forensics on the boy's smartphone to uncover further details. Phishing scammers use fake identities and induce victims to take off their clothes or perform sexual acts in front of the webcam during a video chat. They then coerce victims to download malware under the guise of providing clear images, but it in fact steals the user's contact list from their smart device. Criminals then threaten to spread the footage to those in the victims' contact list unless they meet the blackmailers' demands. Last month, police imprisoned eight people from a ring based in China, for phishing having scammed 75 victims out of around 700 million won ($630,000) through a range of online crimes including the webcam phishing scam. Among them, 28 males aged between 20 and 70 were threatened with the release of such footage, for which they sent a total 300 million won in response. According to police, such webcam phishing crimes increased by 17.8 times last year compared with 2015. A total of 926 male victims sought support last year from the digital sex crime victim support center under the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, up 3.6 times compared to 2019. To avoid webcam phishing, one should exercise great caution when a stranger initiates a conversation with them on SNS or chatting applications. One should also adjust settings in smartphones to block the installation of apps from unverified software developers. The police stress that one should immediately report such blackmail scams to the police and never send criminals money, because in most of the cases they will be demanding further payments. *If you need expert help due to depression or other difficult concerns, you can receive 24-hour counseling at the Korean Suicide Prevention Center's hotline at 1393. Pipeline 1 June 2021 Radisson Hotel Group is proud to announce the Group's strategic expansion in South-Eastern Europe with the signing of its first hotel in Albania, Radisson Collection Morina Hotel, Tirana scheduled to open in the summer of 2021 and the signing of the Radisson Blu Resort, Dhermi, Albania projected to open in 2023. Radisson Blu Resort, Dhermi, will be located on the front beach line of one Europes most beautiful beaches. Scheduled to open in 2023, the seaside resort will have 157 spacious rooms and suites, where guests can enjoy the Ionian Sea and sunset view. The hotel also features an outdoor and indoor pool, fitness area and spa, a restaurant with local seafood options and international dishes, and bar and outdoor terrace to feel the breeze of the Albanian Riviera. The opening of Radisson Blu Resort Dhermi is another key milestone for Radisson Blu following the brand's recent recognition as the largest upper upscale brand in Europe for 10 consecutive years. Now Open 1 June 2021 Far East Village Hotel Yokohama is located in the city centre of Yokohama, Japan. This international harbour city provides visitors the convenience of sightseeing with easy access to Minato Mirai, Pacifico Yokohama, Yokohama Stadium and Chinatown. The hotel's location makes it an ideal base for couples who wish to create holiday memories, or for a group of friends exploring Yokohama. This hotel is also the perfect choice for business travellers or for travellers who are attending an event held in Pacifico Yokohama. Relax and unwind in a cosy hideaway after a long day of exploring the city. Stay in our Superior Plus or Deluxe Plus rooms to enjoy exclusive access to the Village Lounge with complimentary light refreshments. Press Release 1 June 2021 Absolute Hotel Services India has announced the signing of Management Agreements with Valia Hospitality And Realty Private Limited for two of its brands and has added to its portfolio, Eastin Residences Suryamal and U Resort & Spa Suryamal. With this sign up Absolute Hotel Services will offer the district its first International hotel, resort brand. Advertisements Suryamal, one of the tallest peak in the region, is a place in the Palghar district of Maharashtra, which is situated at a distance of 85 km from Nashik and 120 km from Mumbai. It is a hill station located at an altitude of 1800 ft above sea level and is amongst the less explored hill stations. Often acclaimed as a trekker's paradise, it is considered to be the starting point by mountain bikers and trekking enthusiasts. Verdant atmosphere, pristine location, opulent valleys and lush forests including a wildlife Sanctuary (Amala Wildlife Sanctuary) close by, the pleasant climate makes it a picturesque spot to hang out with loved ones and view Mother Nature at her best. With close proximity to towns likes Thane, Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Nashik as well as Vapi, Suryamal is one of the best sought after uncharted getaway destinations not just for leisure seekers but could be an ideal destination for corporates and groups. These cities are home to major corporate companies as well as host industrial zones with the spread of both large scale and small scale industries. Both our brands Eastin and U Hotels & Resorts with their unique features respectively cater aptly to leisure seekers, corporate segments and will add new great options of offerings world-class hospitality to the region. Eastin Residences Suryamal and U Resort & Spa Suryamal are nestled amidst a span of 8 acres of lush green landscape surrounded by mountains and will be developed in phases. Eastin Residences Suryamal offers 150 guest rooms with facilities like an all-day dining restaurant, bar, banquets, lawn and gym. U Resort & Spa Suryamal features 50 Villa suite rooms and a luxury Wellness centre with Spa, swimming pool, library, activity area with indoor and outdoor games, all-day dining restaurant, bar etc. Talking about this development, Mr. Sameer Dharkar, Managing Director, Absolute Hotel Services South Asia & Middle East region said, This is our third management sign up in the year 2021 in Maharashtra and we are delighted to contribute to Maharashtra tourism in creating a new destination in driving distance from Mumbai, Suryamal is an unmatched, pure virgin acre of forest & hilly destination which will become a fascinating tourist hot spot. Press Release 1 June 2021 Global DMC Partners (GDP), the premier global resource for virtual, hybrid and in-person events, has recently partnered with new DMCs from throughout the U.S. and international market world, strengthening its incomparable network. GDP remains the leading global sales and marketing engine for independently owned-DMCs that are eager and ready to take on the new normal for face-to-face meetings. With a global sales team strategically located across the Americas and Europe, the GDP team is eager to connect planners around the world with the best in class, expert DMCs that encompass over 500 destinations. Advertisements We are highly selective when adding new partners and look for those that are capable of evolving, adapting and growing with us during these changing times, said President and CEO of Global DMC Partners Catherine Chaulet. Remaining fully active throughout the entire pandemic to keep the entire industry engaged and informed, we used this time to strengthen our relationships, hosting more than 100 webinars as well as our first-ever Virtual Connection. We also launched our popular panel series, which involves client discussions around our quarterly pulse surveys and current trends. Further, we listened to our clients and adapted with innovative ideas and creative solutions that have made us stronger than ever before. Were excited and ready to get back to face-to-face business, while continuing with virtual and hybrid needs, and we cant wait to introduce our clients to the new DMCs in our global partnership! GDPs newest partners include: 2B UK - Delivering unforgettable, tailored events across England and Scotland, the team at 2B UK is based in two strategically located offices in London and Edinburgh. In addition to event management, their services include venue sourcing, transportation, hotels and accommodation, and tours and excursions. Details NYC - Founded in 2002, Details NYC was created with the desire to share the hidden gems of the city with others. The teams hands-on, personalized approach allows the company to adapt to new challenges and opportunities, for example, the launch of its Green Scene NYC Events division, creating eco-friendly, healthful, community-focused events for clients. E5 Events - A hybrid model combining an event planning company with an experiential branding agency, E5 Events serves the best of Colorado, from bustling Denver to charming mountain towns. The team strives to provide enlightened hospitality and inspired events. Furlong Incoming - Established in 1887, Furlong Incoming is a tour operator serving Argentina and Uruguay. The team specializes in providing top quality services and experiences for FITs, groups, incentives and ground services for cruise lines. Their mission is to create unique experiences that contribute to the sustainable development of Argentina and Uruguay through tourism, while promoting respect for local communities and the environment. HD Premier - With over 15 years of hospitality and destination management experience across Hawaii, the HD Premier team comprises locals born and raised on the Hawaiian islands. Playfully referring to themselves as wow architects, they seek to create moments of awe and amazement, while remaining culturally conscious. Releve Unlimited - Releve Unlimited , serving Northern California, Wine Country and Lake Tahoe, specializes in bringing all Northern California experiences to life for small and large groups alike. Releve is the French ballet term for on your toes and reach higher, exemplifying the elevated sense of excitement and dedication to excellence that the Releve Unlimited team embraces. Weichlein Tours + Incentives Expanding upon its existing presence in Germany, GDP has added Weichlein Tours + Incentives in this increasingly popular destination. Based in Munich and Berlin since 1956, Weichleins experienced multilingual staff combines its knowledge and experience with the latest information about new locations and activities throughout Germany to create customized meetings, conventions and incentive programs. News from existing GDP partners: Maple Ridge Events, Powered by Evolution Events Solutions Current GDP partner Evolution Event Solutions has merged with Maple Ridge Events. The merger fuses two successful Nashville based DMCs together to better serve those coming to Music City. Maple Ridge Events powered by Evolution Events Solutions turns every event into an experience, bringing broad reach and in-depth experience in strategic meeting management, special event production and DMC expertise. For more information on Global DMC Partners, its services and network, please visit www.globaldmcpartners.com. gettyimagesbank The justice ministry's plan to lower the barrier for children of permanent residents to gain citizenship has triggered protest from people who suspect the move was a ploy to benefit Chinese living here. An early draft of the revision to the Nationality Act allows children of permanent residents with "close ties" to South Korea to easily acquire citizenship. In detail, children up to the age of 6 will be able to immediately gain citizenship without preconditions and those aged 7 and above will be required to have lived here for at least five years. Under the current law, they can apply for citizenship at age 18, which involves a written test and interview, unless their parents have already naturalized. Since the ministry made an advance notice of the legislative plan, a petition opposing the revision has drawn more than 317,000 signatures on the Cheong Wa Dae website. The online petition claimed Chinese people living in the country, believed to be the biggest potential benefiters from the revision, were already enjoying "many rights," including voting in local elections. It is "not acceptable" to grant citizenship to hundreds of foreigners each year "as a way to tackle the country's low birthrate and aging population," the petition read. Rather, the government should try to make the country a better place to live for its people in order to solve the problems, it said. In the face of growing complaints, which could potentially fan anti-Chinese sentiment, the ministry has intensified a public relations campaign, by holding an online hearing last week and explaining the legislative plan on a popular radio show. The ministry emphasized priority will be given to families that have lived here for several generations and permanent residents with otherwise deep historical or ethnic ties to the country. The specific criteria for eligibility will be established through an enforcement ordinance after sufficient public discussions, the ministry said. According to the ministry, approximately 3,930 people are currently eligible to apply for citizenship and nearly 95 percent, or 3,725 people, are Chinese nationals. Facing suspicions that the revision was in line with the Moon Jae-in government's pro-Chinese policy, the ministry said that the revision was drafted after carefully considering various factors for "national interest" and "social cohesion." "A permanent resident gives birth to a child here and the child later gets citizenship through the naturalization process," Song So-young, head of the ministry's nationality division, said on a local radio show Monday. "Advancing the process will be helpful for both the child and the country." "Children who are born in Korea receive public education here and mostly want to live here for the rest of their lives," she said, adding the revision will help them establish a Korean identity early on, adjust to society and grow into Korean citizens who fulfill national duties like mandatory military service. She also said the concentration on a certain nationality will be "gradually eased over time." During the public hearing last week, Park Jeong-hae, a lawyer, stressed that citizenship was not only about benefits and rights but also about responsibilities. "It is wrong to say that the country is giving benefits through citizenship," she said. Still, public sentiment toward the revision remains sour. The YouTube video of the online hearing attracted overwhelmingly negative comments. Many suspected that the ministry invited panels who were in favor of the plan. "It is not that we don't have a system. We do have the naturalization test. If they want, they can take it to become a Korean citizen, so what is the point of the revision?" Lee Tae-ha asked in a comment on the video. The ministry said it will continue hearing and gathering opinions on the issue until Monday for a final draft of the revision. (Yonhap) Opinion Article 1 June 2021 Is wine a work of art and if so, does this mean the winemaker is an artist? At first glance, this question might seem incongruous or even futile, but for connoisseurs of wine or art, the question can be relevant and worthy of discussion since both have much in common. Advertisements Wine and esthetics Esthetics is playing an increasing role in how we drink wine and prices are increasing even faster (a bottle of Romanee Conti from 1945 was auctioned off in 2020 for nearly 482,000). These two factors, among others, have made the question perfectly legitimate. Wine is not drunk solely for its intrinsic qualities; buying and drinking wine is also a way of communicating. Wine is purchased for the symbols that it represents (financial, social, cultural) and not just for how it tastes or looks. It is not surprising that many winemakers increasingly associate wine and art to promote their business. And its not just the major wine houses that are jumping on the bandwagon; more and more wineries are injecting esthetics into their marketing strategies, drawing an analogy between their wine and art in various forms. One particularly successful example of this phenomenon is the cooperative at St. Chinian in France. Wine is NOT a work of art Let's look at the argument from the opposite side: Wine is not a work of art. The German philosopher, Emmanuel Kant, stated: esthetic judgments are contemplative and therefore cannot be practical. For Kant, wine is unequivocally banished from the realm of art. Wine can be appreciated, but its something you drink; not something you contemplate. Moreover, although a bottle of wine can potentially be beautiful it doesnt necessarily mean its art. An object or even nature can, for example, can be esthetically unique without necessarily being works of art. Art and esthetics are not necessarily synonyms. The most convincing argument is undoubtedly that wine is a product that can be reproduced and is - at best - a craft. An artwork must absolutely be unique, at least for the visual arts. After all, if the Mona Lisa is so famous its because there is only one of her. How can you argue that youre making a work of art if youre producing thousands of bottles of it? Originality is one factor separating art from craft. Furthermore, wine is not exhibited in museums for people to scrutinize. In a work of art there is often a message, which is sometimes quite hidden, but which asks the spectator questions. Artworks are often used to communicate, whether its Hieronymus Boschs Last Judgment or the street art of Banksy. While wine communicates information to our limbic system (the part of our brain governing emotions and memory), it doesnt ask provoking questions. It doesnt try to send us an underlying message to reach our subconscious, to take a particular social or political position or even to stimulate reflection. For all kinds of art, the prevailing trend of the times is often challenged by an emerging movement, which grows out of its opposition to the status quo (e.g., realism vs. romanticism). This automatically creates positive emulation, thus enabling other artists to break certain codes and offer a new vision of their art. Artistic innovation often occurs after an artist has reflected on social, economic, political and religious issues. What revolutions have we seen emerge from the world of wine in recent years? Notwithstanding the fledgling emergence of organic and biodynamic wines, the revolution seems a little soft. The realm of wine is grounded in academism and were waiting with bated breath for a movement that will genuinely break with this rampant conformism. In sum, the wine world is still waiting for its own version of the Salon des Refuses, the 1859 show in Paris where emerging artists, who would later form the heart of Impressionism, were shut out by the powers that be. One of those artists was a certain Edouard Manet who wasnt allow to show his iconic Dejeuner sur lherbe, yet would go on to international acclaim anyway. Wine IS a work of art After unapologetically arguing against wine as art, lets take the opposite tack. The theme of contemplation is not limited to just two senses (sight and sound), and sometimes a special food or beverage can have effects that go beyond quenching thirst or sating an appetite. Our limbic system generates, when we drink certain wines, an emotional reaction that is analogous to the reaction after viewing art or listening to music, for example. Tasting wine can sometimes trigger emotions that are very personal and individual, and can recall images from our past or create a mood. There is undeniably an esthetic component to special wines, at least in the way theyre - artfully - described by marketers. The specific vocabulary that is used to describe a bottle of wine is like (and borrowed from) artistic discourse; the same inter-sensorial metaphors linked to our 5 senses are used when talking about wine (elegant, balanced, refined, lively). If youre familiar with musical terms then stop a minute and listen to how a sommelier talks about wine, youll see a lot of linguistic similarities. Art cant be reproduced? This argument is debunked as well by the example of music. Indeed, millions of people can hear the same song over and over again yet is the Beatles Let it Be not a singular work of art? Turning to the visual arts, Andy Warhol, by inventing Pop Art, disproved the diktat that art cant be reproduced, making art more accessible in the process. It can also be argued that each vintage is the unique expression of a seasons harvest. Regarding museums: While looking at wine bottles in a museum doesnt make much sense, more and more wineries are hiring artists to create unique works such as labels that are shown in art exhibitions. Mouton Rothschild, Leeuwin Estate in Australia, the aforementioned St. Chinian as well as Chateau Puech Haut are just a few examples. To paraphrase Yayoi Kusama: Art does not necessarily send a message, which is also the case for wine. However, despite the lack of social or political message, the idea of intention is critical for a prestigious wine, just as it is for every artist. The winemaker has at their disposal a raw material that is the terroir, and decides how to interpret it. The final composition of the wine depends on the terroir (i.e., the combination of soil, exposition, weather among other natural factors), and like painters from the realism movement who reproduced their surroundings as precisely and soberly as possible, some winemakers intervene as little as possible, letting nature do most of the work. Others take a different approach, shaping their terroir and its grapes based on their own vision (impressionism, post-impressionism?) while others take a more scientific tack. Take, for example, the case of two talented winemakers, working with the same exact terroir but who have diametrically opposed philosophies about winemaking: the result will invariably be two very different wines. An outstanding wine is the translation of an emotion based on the perception of a terroir. The winemaker will attempt to translate his or her own truth. As for the wine drinkers, their perception of the winemakers' message - just like a painting or a sculpture - is subjective and can deviate from what the winemaker was trying to express or produce. Both artistic and wine experiences are idiosyncratic, i.e. singular and highly personal. Through their work, artists try to send a message but this can be distorted by the simple fact that spectators are casting their own gaze on the work and making their own interpretation of it. The same happens with wine. This degree of latitude in how a work of art or a glass of wine is interpreted is critical in this discussion. Regarding the various movements, you dont need to be an expert to see that more and more professionals are adapting to environmental changes and to the needs of customers who seek healthier and more environmentally-friendly wines. Many producers have transitioned to organic, biodynamic or natural wine. Take a stroll through Prowein in Dusseldorf or Vinexpo in Paris, and youll see that the percentage of organic or biodynamic wines has increased markedly. Many wineries, particularly in Switzerland, are stepping back from the scripture of modern winemaking. Thankfully, there are wine producers willing to deviate from the norm, to the delight of adventurous connoisseurs. Personally, I believe that some wines are like an ephemeral work of art, such as an artistic performance. Certain winemakers are undoubtedly artists, both in the way they express their terroir and how they apply their own sense and sensibility. The way in which winemakers interact with the terroir and other basic inputs is sometimes so personal that their wine depends less on having a good terroir to work with but rather how they interpret that terroir. Winemakers answer the question I asked several winemakers and industry professionals the question Is wine a work of art and the winemaker an artist?" Unsurprisingly, the responses vary tremendously, which underscores the fact that there is no one right answer to this fascinating question. For Vincent Careme, wine is a craft and winemakers are craftsmen. Our work is to understand a complex system: weather, plant, environment and tradition in which man obviously has a sizeable influence but must work within all these tight parameters. While important, the curators imagination does not have free reign, his ability to create something is thus limited. Raymond Paccot insists on the concept of humility linked to the condition of the winemaker The vine, wine and its long history have taught us to be humble. Thats why Im not particularly concerned about whether Im considered an artist. Jean-Guillaume Prat is fairly reserved about the idea that the winemaker is an artist, I believe the winemaker is above all else someone who helps a terroir express itself, including its constraints (grape varietal, soil, weather, etc.) that are difficult to overcome. By definition, an artist starts with a blank canvas and it is his inspiration alone that determines what the painting will look like. The winemaker, on the other hand, cannot completely ignore his environment or genetic heritage (terroir, storehouse, financial considerations, and neighbors). For some of them, wine can be an artwork but the winemaker is rather a craftsmen. Thats the case for Lalou Bise Leroy: Wine is a work of art, winemakers are craftsmen. We dont make the wine. The vine is the artist but also an animal. Wine producers are craftsmen and must really apply themselves to make wine happy and stress-free. The interaction between the winemaker and the vine is essential. For Anselme Selosse: "I dont consider myself an artist. Id say Im like the curator of an art exhibit in a gallery. No, Id say nature is the real artist. Once a year, I wade through my vineyards (the artists workshop if you will) and harvest what the artist has produced. The same applies for Thomas Duroux: Wine can be a work of art when it unites a place, a terroir or a savoir-faire. Im doubtful a winemaker can be an artist because it takes a lot of different people to create a bottle of wine. Cyrielle Rousseau also considers wine as an artwork and adds: Were the ones who decide if its a work of art, from the moment it triggers an emotion. Our emotional responses to wine are the same as the ones we see in museums when were stopped in our tracks by a painting, when were hypnotized by a work of art and stare at every brushstroke. Peter Gago, for whom the work of a winemaker is the work of a craftsman, uses artistic metaphors to talk about his work: Metaphorically, the techniques employed by the winemaker are the colours on an artists palette. The type of fermenter, the strain of yeast, the use of oak, time in barrel these decisions stylistically nudge a wine one direction or another just as a painter uses colour and texture to create an aesthetic on canvas. The terroir is ultimately the real artist The interpretation of the terroir is a recurring notion for many wine makers (sometimes analogies with famous composers are drawn) with the implicit condition that that terroir is of top-notch quality. The wine producer has an influence on the way in which the wine will reflect the terroir. To quote Vincent Careme Wine resembles its producer. Wine wouldnt exist without the numerous operations that the wine creator must carry out for the terroir to produce the wine states Aubert de Villaine. Lalou Bise Leroy points out that "the interaction between the winemaker and the vine is essential. For Marie Therese Chappaz, "for me wine is a work of art because fermentation is magical every time and expresses the will of the land in a different way each year. For her, the winemakers are also craftsmen: The winemaker serves the only real artist, the terroir For both Aubert de Villaine and Arthur Ostertag, if the wine can be an artwork, the winemaker can also be an artist. For Aubert de Villaine: The terroir (or climate as we say here in Burgundy) can be seen as a work created by nature and defined by its soil, subsoil, its micro-climate and myriad biological factors that cannot be measured. Regarding the winemaker: A composer creates a piece of music from his or her inspiration and talent. The piece is played by musicians who interpret the intentions of the composer. Their take on the score is influenced by their own personalities and talents. Everyone agrees that the composer and the musician are both artists that bring to life - together - a piece of art." For Arthur Ostertag: Is wine really a work of art?its hard to say. A bottle of wine is a living work of art because it changes over the years. Wine, like gastronomy, is an ephemeral work of art. Yes, I think winemakers are artists because wine is obviously influenced by its producer. This doesnt stem from some technical aspect but rather from the fact that winemakers intentionally shape their product when in direct physical contact with the vines and grapes. Unlocking the wine's artistic potential A question has not yet been raised in this text: At what point does a wine become an artwork and the winemaker an artist? The answer given by Aubert de Villaine is very interesting: Are works of art reserved exclusively for the grands crus from the most well-known appellations? I dont think so, although it would be a crime for a wine producer entrusted with such prestigious vineyards to not strive for excellence. Perhaps then, wine from a more modest appellation could indeed be a work of art and its producer an artist. Striving for and reaching excellence with a more ho-hum appellation is more impressive than producing great wine from a great vineyard. Of course, extracting excellent wine from an average vineyard is much more impressive than a grand cru that falls short of its potential. Therefore, this debate depends entirely on the philosophy of the wine producer who alone can unlock the artistic potential of a terroir wine. This potential can only be reached through the work of the wine producer who is therefore also an artist." OPEC discussions and Iran will influence crude oil prices at the beginning of the week, although indicators of fuel demand over the Memorial Day weekend the kick-off to the peak summer driving season will play a role, analysts said. Members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, along with allies such as Russia, meet Tuesday to review the state of a market slowly returning to normalcy. The group, known as OPEC+, is widely expected to stand by a decision to slowly ease back on production curbs until July. Tuesdays meeting is not expected to yield major policy shifts, but the prospects of an imminent breakthrough in Iranian nuclear negotiations could make for a tense meeting as ministers assess supply and demand equations. If the Iran, the United States and other western powers reach an agreement, it could lift sanctions on Iran and pump hundreds of thousands of additional barrels of oil on the market. Paul Hickin, a director at energy research and analysis firm S&P Global Platts, said Iranian crude exports are expected to increase from 600,000 barrels per day in May to 1.5 million barrels per day by December, assuming Tehran secures sanctions relief in exchange for scaling back its nuclear ambitions. The potentially imminent prospect of sanctions relief will be at the top of the OPEC+ coalitions agenda, he said from London. While there is clear evidence of (supply and demand) rebalancing, question marks over Asian demand, especially India and Japan, and extra Iranian barrels in the months ahead, could mean the alliance may have to have a little bit more patience with production restraint. OPEC economists revised Japans economic growth forecast lower in their monthly market report for May. With ongoing challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic, Indias economy too is expected to expand more slowly than initially forecast. Neither economy is expected to fall back into recession this year, however, with Indias economy still forecast to grow by 9.7 percent, compared to a 7 percent contraction last year. With the overall economic picture improving, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, an influential voice on oil, said last week that he expects demand to exceed supply in the months ahead, although Moscows penchant for increasing production allowances should be considered alongside his comments. Apart from any fireworks at the OPEC+ meeting, Giovanni Staunovo, a commodities analyst at Swiss investment bank UBS, said U.S. oil inventory levels, which serve as a proxy for demand, could be close to pre-pandemic levels after falling steadily in recent months, adding a premium to the price of oil. For me, the thing to track remains oil inventories, and I expect them to fall back to pre-COVID levels by mid-year, he said. Drive time After the OPEC+ meeting concludes, analysts will look ahead to the Thursday release of U.S. data on commercial inventories of petroleum and refined petroleum products. Consumer demand for gasoline in general is on the rise states ease back on the social restrictions and activity returns with widespread vaccinations. In last weeks report, the U.S. Energy Department reported that gasoline demand was indeed near pre-pandemic levels. Travel club AAA, meanwhile, said it expected U.S. travel during the long Memorial Day holiday weekend will show a 53 percent increase from year-ago levels. The strength of the U.S. economy will also influence the direction of oil prices. On Thursday, analysts will get broad-based snapshot of the U.S. economy when the Federal Reserve releases its Beige Book, an anecdotal assessment of business conditions, In its April report, the Fed said its outlook was more optimistic than earlier this year, though the outlook for the energy sector remained mixed. After a slowdown of hiring in April, analysts will look to Fridays report on May employment and unemployment. The question is whether Aprils disappointing job growth was a one-time blip or the beginning of slowdown in the recovery. There is much to be said in favor of the pending buyout by Pemex of the half interest in the refinery at Deer Park that since 1993 has been held by Shell Oil Company. Pemex would control 100 percent of the refinerys crude oil purchases and output. But on balance it is a mistake. The full cost, including environmental and pension liabilities, would far exceed its $600 million price. The case in favor was presented during the two-hour, online press conference held by President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Wednesday. Speakers were the director-general of Pemex, Octavio Romero, and Laura Itzel Castillo, an independent board member (and daughter of the late, pro-democracy activist Herberto Castillo). AMLO quoted an apocryphal letter from 1960 in which a former president hints at a future Mexican investment in refining in the United States. The technical metrics may be favorably compared to those of the Dos Bocas refinery, which is under construction. Where the cost for each barrel for the additional capacity at Deer Park is $3,500, the projected cost of the same barrel at Dos Bocas may exceed $30,000. The Houston-area refinery, which dates from 1929, is technologically superior to any Pemex refinery. But the technical metrics are not those that matter most to AMLO. What counts is the acquisition of Shells share of the refinery will advance his goal to make Mexico self-sufficient in refined products and increase the countrys energy security. The timing of the announcement has electoral overtones: AMLO vows to control prices of gasoline and diesel to protect the household economy of supporters who are expected to vote in the June 6 midterm elections. On HoustonChronicle.com: AMLOs oil commandments to vex Texas commerce There are many arguments against this purchase, starting with the questionable validity of its Soviet-era premise of the need for self-sufficiency in refined products. Why not also natural gas? His mantra of energy sovereignty is a head-scratcher. The second counterargument is that Pemex lacks the executive, managerial and technical talent to operate the refinery safely and efficiently. At home, Pemex operates its six refineries at an average of 40 percent of capacity, where Deer Park runs at 80 percent. Shell announced that it would reassign some employees to the chemical plant at the site and Pemex has said that it would offer jobs to refinery employees. High-value Shell refinery careerists would be reassigned. Shells press release dated May 24 assures the public that we will continue to work with them in an integrated way whatever that means. Shell has every incentive to make sure that the refinery is operated safely and efficiently as its chemical unit within the 800-acre site will need feedstocks such as ethane, naphtha and ethanol that are produced by the refinery. As Shell will not continue to be the operator, the legal responsibility for the refinery would fall on Pemex through its subsidiary PMI Holdings North America Inc., which has offices in downtown Houston. The president of PMI Holdings is Manuel Flores, a chemical engineer with an MBA from UT Austin, who is an AMLO appointee. In the dark Mexico has no counterpart to the Deer Park refinery, and PMI and Pemex lack the professionals needed to operate an integrated refinery in the United States. Its also doubtful that PMI and Pemex have more than a tourists knowledge of EPA compliance or how to negotiate with American labor unions. When I visited the refinery 20 years ago, among the visitors with Pemex Director-General Raul Munos Leos, I was asked, confidentially, by a Pemex executive in the refining division to alert Munoz that Shell was not sharing its technology and that Pemex onsite staff was not getting training and experience in the operations of the refinery. On HoustonChronicle.com: Why millions of residents in North-Central Mexico were freezing on Feb.15 As Shell carefully protects its intellectual property, PMI/Pemex technical staff may be as much in the dark today about Deer Park refinery operations as they were then. In short, Pemex appears unprepared to take operational control of the Deer Park refinery, potentially increasing the risks of industrial accidents and environmental degradation. The nationalization-by-purchase of Shells interest in the refinery wont make the situation any better, cutting off whatever flow of innovation and managerial expertise came for Shells worldwide refinery operations. For the Houston area, Pemex ownership poses enough of a risk that local officials and business leaders, including the Greater Houston Partnership and American Petroleum Institute, should ask the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, which reviews transactions involving foreign investors, to block the buyout. Baker is the platform director of Energia.com and publisher of Mexico Energy Intelligence, an industry newsletter based in Houston Tellurian could begin building its $16.8 billion liquefied natural gas terminal in Lake Charles, La., within the next few months as the Houston LNG company rebounds from the lows of the pandemic. Co-founder and executive chairman, Charif Souki, said in a podcast posted on Tellurians website Tuesday that he was highly confident construction would get underway this summer, an important milestone for the company. Driftwood, Tellurians first project, would process and export a total of 27.6 million metric tons of LNG per year upon its expected completion in 2026. I can't describe the high that we feel at Tellurian today because we have caught the wave and we're getting ready for the ride of a lifetime, Souki said in the podcast. SOLAR POWER: BP to buy $220 million of solar projects, expanding renewables footprint Tellurian, founded in 2016 by Souki and Vice Chairman Martin Houston, was hurt by the pandemic as energy demand plummeted and investors balked at financing LNG projects proposed along the Gulf Coast. Tellurian slashed costs and laid off more than 40 percent of its 176 employees in March 2020 as it struggled to win long-term contracts that would allow it to finance the massive Driftwood LNG project. The company also changed leadership. Meg Gentle, who had served as CEO since the year the company was founded, stepped down near the end of last year, succeeded by Octavio Simoes, previously the CEO of Sempra LNG & Midstream, a unit of the California energy company Sempra. The LNG market began to rebound in September as demand grew in Asia, where countries such as China and South Korea brought COVID-19 under control and economic activity increased. Frigid weather in North Asia boosted demand for natural gas. The outlook for Tellurian improved, too. The company trimmed its losses in the first quarter of 2021 to $27 million from $41 million in the first three months of 2020. In April, the company, which had made debt reduction its focus, made a voluntary $17 million repayment to pay off its loans. That same month, the company resumed gas drilling at Louisiana's Haynesville Shale after a two-and-a-half-year hiatus. Driftwood held permits but lacked contracts and financing to begin construction. At the Citi Global Energy & Utilities Virtual Conference in April, Souki said the company was just weeks from finishing commercialization for phase one of the plant. During the commercialization process, a company secures LNG sales and purchase agreements, or sales contracts, to gain financing for construction. Souki said Tellurian lined up contracts for 12 million to 15 million metric tons per year, including a recent deal with commodity trader Gunvor Singapore. Tellurian said Thursday that it has signed an LNG sales and purchase agreement with Gunvor for 3 million tons per year over 10 years. Home tours are usually meant to fill visitors with design ideas or inspire a remodel. The Rice Design Alliances annual architecture tour wants Houstonians to think about important issues, too. Recent tours have focused on resilience and building in flood plains, women in architecture and adapting to changing conditions. This years tour to be held virtually June 5-19 focuses on urban density, a timely topic as the Houston areas population seems to be exploding in every direction. Maria Nicanor, executive director of the Rice Design Alliance, said taking the tour virtual allowed the group to consider a topic that includes multifamily housing, an option thats logistically difficult for an in-person tour. Over the years, weve done single-family homes, and its been about aesthetics, but theres always been a theme, Nicanor said. This year, given the different situation, we thought wed do something weve never been able to do getting into multifamily units has been logistically hard. We want to educate Houstonians about how the city needs to transform into a more dense model. We thought it was an important idea to do, she said. Houston has grown by leaps and bounds, both geographically and in population. In 2010, the metropolitan Houston area had nearly 6 million people and now has close to 7 million. Its been estimated that the population could grow by another million by 2030. So where do all of those people live, and how do they get around? At what point does public transportation become as important as our ever-expanding roads and highways? Leonid Furmansky, Photographer/Owner / Mark Hiebert, Hiebert Photograph These are the questions that the RDAs density topic covers. The five stops on the virtual tour run the gamut: from the luxury high-rise The Huntingdon in River Oaks to New Hope Housing on Harrisburg in the East End for those near poverty. In between, theres Isabella Court, a 90-year-old Spanish Colonial Revival courtyard-style apartment complex in Midtown; modern townhouses in the Near Northside; and the Elder Street Artist Lofts, housing adapted from the former Jefferson Davis Hospital. Both Isabella Court and the Elder Street Artist Lofts are on the National Register of Historic Places. New Hope Housing for people who otherwise might experience homelessness has won numerous awards for its design and high-energy-efficiency standards. Troy Schaum of Schaum/Shieh Architects, who designed the quartet of townhouses on Quitman, said he thinks townhouses done well are a viable option for cities that need to find places for more people to live in the same geographic footprint. Rice Design Alliance 2021 Architecture Tour When: June 5-19 Where:ricedesignallliance.org Cost: free to RDA members; $35 nonmembers Sites: Isabella Court, The Huntingdon, Elder Street Artist Lofts, New Hope Housing Harrisburg and Quitman Street townhouse See More Collapse Some developer-based townhouses are up to four stories tall and are visually disruptive to traditional neighborhoods. In some places, such as First Ward, townhouses start replacing all of a neighborhoods original inventory and eventually erase an areas architectural history. Then there are neighborhoods where existing homeowners simply dont want them or high-rises and launch protests or change deed restrictions. For his townhouse project with developer Fadi Albana, Schaum said they tried to create a sense of community and maintain greenspace that would contribute to the neighborhood not disrupt it. A fence encloses the whole property, and a line of trees and small greenspace take the place of a front yard and make the paved parking less obvious. We are famous for a history of relative laissez-faire planning, said Schaum, whose firm also designed the White Oak Music Hall. Were a city of no zoning, live-and-let-live and do-what-we-want. To build neighborhoods that consider these issues preserving the historical fabric and balance of diverse incomes and backgrounds and not erasing what was there before planning for the future involves all of the stakeholders. Its more work, but its worth it. Courtesy of GSMA To Schaum, that means addressing minimum lot sizes, deed restrictions (when you can) and parking requirements, since more young people prefer to bicycle, ride share and use public transportation. He noted that even some airports that count on a revenue from parking are planning for new income streams as people use shuttles and ride-sharing options instead of parking their cars at airports for extended periods. The models we have, and this is my larger point, is that Houston is blanketed and outdated, Schaum said. You wont take Uber to work from (the suburbs), but if you live in the Near Northside, taking Uber to appointments is a viable option. And its viable for older people who dont want to be (driving) in traffic. Its an interesting topic, and I think were going to see more focus on it. The Elder Street loft project is part of Avenue CDC, and its executive director, Mary Lawler, said they converted that building 15 years ago partly because it was an interesting idea but also because the dilapidated building had become a blight to the neighborhood where Avenue CDC was building single-family homes. Im from the East Coast and lived in New York City and Boston, and I think of density as a good thing for lots of reasons, Lawler said. Environmentally, creating a sense of community, bringing people and houses closer to the businesses they want to go to. I think density is important, but infrastructure has to keep up with it public transportation, roads and drainage, those are some of the struggles Houston is having, how to balance it. Look at the Kinder Institutes annual survey; youve seen through the years a growing embracing of density and a more urban lifestyle in Houston, she said. Theres just something really great when you bring together people who want to be together. diane.cowen@chron.com Becky Leongs golden doodle, Huey, is the biggest dog at day care. On a recent afternoon, Huey stood tall over the pack of 35-pound-and-under dogs at The Best Little Doghouse in Texas. Hes not the pack leader, but more the goofy little brother to his chihuahua, corgi and French bulldog friends. Huey is one of thousands of pandemic pets adopted across Houston this past year. Leong adopted him as a puppy a year ago when she first started working from home. The 30-pound pooch is her first pet, and hes been a close companion to her during an otherwise-isolating pandemic. About a month ago, Leong returned to the office full-time. Its been a tough adjustment, the accountant said. At first, it was really rough even for my dog, Leong said. We had to wake up earlier, extra drive time and just more interruptions in the day. THE GREAT COMEBACK: Life hacks to sneak healthy habits into your office routine For Leong, day care filled a few voids: socialization for Huey and a safe place for him to stay while she was at work. At first, she took him a few times a week; now he goes Monday through Friday. More Information Editor's note: This is the fifth installment of an eight-week series geared toward helping Renew readers prepare their bodies and minds to return to normal life this summer, as the pandemic wanes. See More Collapse As more Texans become vaccinated and COVID-19 restrictions lift, many pet parents who have worked from home during the pandemic are at a crossroads: What do you do with your pet for several hours a day while youre away? Having a plan for your dog will be an important part of returning to a post-vaccinated world, said Kerry Adams, co-owner of Best Little Doghouse. In some ways, the pandemic months have been paradise for dogs. Hours of uninterrupted pet parent time created special bonds between older pets and newly adopted ones, too. Now is the time to think about how to wean your pooch from constant pet parent exposure. The alternative will be overwhelming for your pets, Adams said. Business at Best Little Doghouse started booming again in March, said Adams and her husband and co-owner Luke Garbenis. Old and new clients showed up in droves with their small dogs, and now there are close to 70 dogs on any given work day. But the dogs are different than they were before, Adams said. Theyre exhibiting more separation anxiety and are less social with dogs who dont live in their household so probably not that different from their humans. Even dogs who did great before the pandemic if they stayed at home with their parents for over a year with no other contact and then they try to come back were seeing higher rates of anxiety, Adams said. They work back through it, but they need guidance to do that. Pets dont understand vaccination rates or return-to-work orders, she said, and these major shifts in their owners daily schedule confuses them. All they know is I spend all my time with my owner, and now theyre gone. Are they ever going to come back? Doggy day cares are one option, and Houston is rife with facilities that handle small, medium and large animals of most breeds. The Best Little Doghouse is totally cage-free, which means dogs can roam or snooze indoors or in the back patio area. Parties and dog training are two services offered, as well. RETURN TO OFFICE: A guide for back-to-office anxiety and awkwardness Dog-walking cellphone apps, like Wag, Rover and Fetch!, are also rising in use among pet owners. Bloomberg reported a 50 percent increase in Wag bookings from February to March of this year. While it can be nerve-wracking to allow a stranger into your home to walk your dog, Ashley Aleman said dog walkers typically undergo a vigorous vetting process, including a deep background check, before being hired. Aleman, a behavior coordinator and adoption supervisor at Houston Humane Society, has seen what happens when people do not adjust their pets to a new routine. Pet adoptions and fostering increased during the pandemic, but it coincided with an large number of pet surrenders. In April, a nationwide pet insurance company found that owner surrenders increased by 82.6 percent over last year. Surrenders are typically fueled by a return to the office, an unplanned move or job loss. But even as these shifts happen in ever-increasing numbers, the humane societys return rate has not be as high as Aleman predicted it might be post-pandemic. The pandemic made life unstable for many people, including pet parents, said Adams, who owns and operates Houston Cares Animal Rescue in addition to the day care. Weve had a lot of people come in with puppies they got at 8-weeks-old because they were home all the time, Adams said. And because it was COVID, they didnt socialize it at all. Now, theyre giving back an adult pit bull with behavior issues. Its not the dogs fault, Adams said. But it is the owners responsibility to make sure their pets needs are met and routine is fixed according to what their new life will be like. For some, that means a return to office will require investing in training for their anxious pups or slowly reintroducing them back to the world at dog parks or play dates. For others, it means a transition to longer crate times. THE GREAT COMEBACK: Building a home gym is easy. Here's how to do it. Crating a dog also called kenneling is OK if the pet owner is back home in less than eight hours, Aleman said. But it has to be a gradual increase, and its important that water and stimulating toys are left in the crate with the dog. You want to experiment with being away for longer periods of time, as the pets and you become more comfortable, Aleman said. Leave your pet with a lot of stimulating things toys with different textures things that will entertain them throughout the day when youre not there. If you crate your dog, plan to spend quality time with them when you return to the house. Go for a long walk, play fetch, let them lounge in the late-day sun if you can. Aleman recommends talking to a veterinarian, pet trainer or behaviorist to determine whether its appropriate to crate your animal. Dont wait until the weekend before you return to a 9-5 Monday through Friday schedule to transition your pet, Adams said. Find a doggy day care, hire a dog walker or ready your house and pet for the days when youre away for hours. Leong started bringing Huey to day care two or three days a week when she was still working remotely, before transitioning to five days a week. It helped alleviate some of his boundless energy, she said. It helps that hes in day care, because I dont have to worry about letting a person in my home to walk him during the day, she said. I dont have to worry if hes getting into things back home either. After work, it helps a lot that hes tired. I couldnt do it without daycare. julie.garcia@chron.com Twitter.com/reporterjulie Harris County Emergency Services District No. 48 has a new fire chief. On HoustonChronicle.com: Katy ISD to begin enrolling students for virtual high school Fire Chief George McAteer joins ESD 48 from the Houston Fire Department and starts in the new role today. McAteer worked for the city of Houston for 36 years. His most recent role was deputy chief of aircraft rescue and firefighting. A Katy-area resident and past volunteer firefighter in the community, McAteer holds a bachelors degree of business administration from the University of Texas at Arlington. As a current and founding member of HFD Pipes & Drums, he has represented HFD at community and department events. He has also represented HFD at the International Association of Fire Fighters National Firefighter Memorial in Colorado Springs, Colo., and at National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Md. Im very thankful to the ESD 48 commissioners for their faith and confidence in me to guide this department forward, McAteer said, in a news release. The fire service is about serving the community and being there to help during someones worst day ever. On HoustonChronicle.com: Fort Bend County recognizes mental health leaders I feel like the training and experience accumulated over 36 years with HFD in EMS, emergency operations and special operations has prepared me for this assignment and Im very honored to have this opportunity, he continued. This Katy community is where I found my calling to the fire service and raised a family here for almost 40 years. I am eager for the opportunity to serve my home area with such a jewel of a fire department. tracy.maness@hcnonline.com Many questioned Judge Jimmie C. Edwards III wanting to put Montgomery Countys new Veterans Memorial Park in what they considered a ditch at Texas 105 and Interstate 45 in Conroe. But thats exactly where Edwards, a Marine, Vietnam veteran, former county judge and former state representative, wanted it to be. He knew the highly visible location would draw many to the park, creating not only a local memorial but a national platform to honor both local soldiers and those who served from across the country. He lead the effort to form a Montgomery County Veterans Memorial Commission in early 2017 with the plan to move the former Veterans Memorial Park that was dedicated in 1976 to a more visible location. On Memorial Day morning, through Edwards determination and dedicated leadership, his vision became a reality as the members of the Montgomery County Veterans Memorial Commission dedicated Phase 1 of the park before a large audience of supporters. With the help of the good citizens of Montgomery County we have created a gift to the nation, Edwards told the large crowd gathered Monday. I was told there was no way 13 incorporated cities (in the county) will come together to support this. I said Yeah they will, and they did. Montgomery Countys original Veterans Memorial Park was located next to the Montgomery County Tax Office in downtown Conroe. It was dedicated in 1976 when President Gerald Ford made a campaign stop in Conroe. But Edwards wanted more for the 166 fallen soldiers of Montgomery County and for those who served their country. He launched the idea to move and expand the park in January 2017. The cooperation of several state agencies, local and state officials, many volunteers and local businesses getting involved brought the park to its dedication on Monday. Edwards said many of their contractors worked 24/7 in preparation for the memorial dedication. Music from the Conroe Jazz Connection welcomed visitors as Duke Coon, a Conroe city councilman and Navy veteran, and Howard Wood, a Marine veteran, kicked off the ceremony as emcees for the morning. Multiple memorials were dedicated Monday including The Founders Monument for those involved in the parks creation; The Remembered Whispers Monument which is a tribute to Women Airforce Service Pilots in Worlds War II; Victory Lane; Victory Row, The Line which features the submitted names of veterans, the Montgomery County Veterans Memorial Monument and The Montgomery County Veterans Memorial Monument. Special readings and poems, patriotic music from the Jazz Connection, a flyover from the Commemorative Air Force, Houston Wing and cannon salutes from The Lone Star Volunteers and Rolling Thunder were special highlights of the day. It was an emotional moment when the Remembered Whispers monument was dedicated to the WASPS. Several of their family members held photos of their WASP loved one at Mondays ceremony. Retired Army Lt. Col. Roxy Montgomery spoke about getting to meet many of these feisty ladies most who were in their 90s when she helped with legislation and their ceremony for their Congressional Gold Medal in Washington D.C., in 2010. These women heeded their countrys call to serve and did so proudly with honor and vigor, Montgomery said. Then the names of WASP casualties were read with a bell sounding after each name. Also, the name of each Montgomery County fallen soldier was read, followed by the sounding of a bell after their name. Celeste Graves, 101, from Magnolia worked with and was friends with many WASP members. Graves wrote the book, A View from the Dog House, which covered the early days of the Womens Ferrying Training Detachment training program, which eventually became the WASP program. The had to have 200 hours of flying time. They paid all their expenses. You dont hear that, but I want you to hear that, Graves said. The first three classes and half of the fourth class were trained in Houston. They went to Sweetwater once they ran out of room in Houston, Graves said. I do want you to know about that first class. They were the guinea pigs. If they had failed, then there wouldnt have been so many, she said. Another emotional moment came when 12 young men and women were sworn into the Army as a part of the ceremony. Multiple local officials spoke and had parts in the ceremony as did veterans and active Marine Maj. Courtney Boston. Today is more than a simple holiday. she said. Its more than a day off from work, its more than getting to the store to get that for-sale item. Although the beer will be cold and the barbecue delicious, lets remember that today is about the service of these members who in Abraham Lincolns words gave their last full measure of devotion. For Henry Calyen, Vietnam veteran and member of the Veterans Park Commission, Monday was a day to honor his brothers who fell in battle. There were so many guys who were better soldiers than I who didnt make it back, he said. I cherish this moment and I cherish them for their service. Some gave some but some gave all. Its been a privilege, said Edwards of leading the charge to expand and move the park. The ceremony closed with a solemn playing of Taps by Steve Kloesel, a Conroe High grad and Caney Creek High School band director. The Montgomery County Veterans Memorial Park is meant to be a living park. Names will be added to The Line in cycles. To include a name for The Line, visit honoredmission.org. The deadline for the next cycle is Oct. 15. The next dedication for The Line will be on Veterans Day. The next phase of the park will include building an education center at the park. Visit honoredmission.org for more information. shernandez@hcnonline.com The fourth annual Memorial Day event at Taminas Sweet Rest Cemetery came with a much-anticipated announcement. After nine months of work, the cemetery has now been officially designated as a historic place by the state of Texas. Taminas Sweet Rest Cemetery is the final resting place of around 200 bodies, including former slaves, Native Indigenous people, law enforcement officers, and veterans. It is these four groups that The Tamina Cemetery and Community Project CDC honor each year on Memorial Day. This year was no exception. It opens up so many different avenues and opportunities for the community as well as the cemetery, Elijah Easley, chairman of the board for the Tamina Community Development Corporation, said of the historical designation. Community members gathered at Lone Star Baptist Church, just around the corner from the cemetery, Monday morning. When it was time to start the event community members made their way to the cemetery or to Tamina Community Park to watch the event on Facebook Live. Guests were invited to represent each of the groups buried in the cemetery. Roland Poncho of the Alabama-Coushatta Reservation spoke of the sacrifices indigenous Americans had made in past wars and conflicts. Members of Precinct 3 Constables office were present to represent law enforcement officers. Rhennard Alexander performed a spoken word piece in honor of the former slaves buried in the cemetery. To close the program, Easley chose to remember not just the veterans who had died, but also a local veteran of the community. Pfc. Romie Hollins is a 91-year-old veteran who lives right in the Tamina community, not far from the cemetery itself. To honor Hollins, the community is currently fundraising to build a new home for him and his wife Eva. Hollins and his wife were given a special escort at the event from Warrant Officer Gregory Illich, from the Second Brigade Texas State Guard. To close the ceremony Hollis rang a special bell to remember veterans who have passed and those who are still with us. We must never forget. We can never, ever forget the sacrifices made by so many, Easley said. Sacrifices by law enforcement, sacrifices by veterans, sacrifices by just individuals in general who have contributed to American history. you always want to remember and recognize that. The cemetery is as old as Tamina, a former freedmans community. For the past 10 years, it has remained dormant and fallen into disrepair. Flooding in the cemetery has buried many of the gravestones, but Easley and the corporation have been working for several years to restore it. The next step is to drain the cemetery and start doing ground penetrating radar to figure out if any graves were missed in the most recent survey of the cemetery. Recently, the Cemetery and Community Project announced a new fundraising opportunity; community members can purchase a remembrance brick to be laid at the cemetery to memorialize their work with the project. Eventually, Easley said they would like to see the cemetery restored completely. Following the ceremony at the cemetery, the community was invited to Tamina Community Park for a chalk art festival with local artists and vendors. Both the festival and the local vendors were new elements to this years remembrance event. James Leveston, a veteran who served in Korea in the 1960s and was born and raised in Tamina, said it felt wonderful to see people still remembering and caring about veterans on Memorial Day. He is a supporter of the cemetery project and was glad that Mondays event brought more attention to the cemetery project. Its just a wonderful thing, Leveston said. Our cemetery, theres some veterans out there that the cemetery has grown up and over, we cant find the graves. Its a wonderful thing that theyre doing. Joseph Wiltz Sr., an Army veteran, said these events were needed to let the community know what was going on. So we all can come together and maybe produce something that will be worthwhile, or something that is needed, Wiltz said. To me, a cemetery is something that is very sacred. It should have never really gotten to the point of where it is now. So, hopefully and were all praying that things will be moved a little more in a positive direction. It hurts, Leveston said, to see communities around Tamina grow and flourish, as Tamina, and its cemetery, struggle to do the same. jamie.swinnerton@chron.com A former Houston police officer pleaded guilty Tuesday to federal charges in the deaths of two homeowners killed in a 2019 drug raid, admitting he lied and obstructed the resulting investigation. Steven Bryant former partner to lead narcotics officer Gerald Goines was charged in late 2019 with falsifying records when he allegedly lied on an offense report. He claimed he had helped Goines with a heroin buy at a home on Harding Street home a purchase authorities say never happened. The fabricated drug deal was part of the justification for the raid, which ended in gunfire that took the lives of Dennis Tuttle and Rhogena Nicholas and left five police officers injured. Bryant pleaded guilty shortly after a brief video court hearing before U.S. District Judge George Hanks. The guilty plea marks the first time a law enforcement officer connected to the case has pleaded guilty or been convicted of any crime stemming from the scandal. He is not the first person convicted in the case however. In March, a neighbor who called police initially alleging that Tuttle and Nicholas were drug dealers pleaded guilty in federal court to making false 911 calls. The woman, Patricia Ann Garcia, is set for sentencing next week, court records show. CHRONICLE INVESTIGATION: Botched Houston drug raid was not the first During the Tuesday hearing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Alamdar Hamdani read out a long narrative of the allegations that he believed he would have been able to prove in court. Hamdani said that the night before the Jan. 28, 2019, raid, Goines called Bryant and told him he was going to do a buy, and that Bryant knew Goines would likely untruthfully list him as present at the drug buy. The next day, Bryant and some other officers began working at 8 a.m. on a buy bust, but Bryant lied on overtime paperwork and said he had been working as early as 6 a.m. Hamdani also provided several other details that have never before been made public, explaining that Bryant breached the door of the Harding Street home. Within seconds of breaching the door, Bryant heard gunfire, which he assumed was an officer shooting the Tuttles dog with a shotgun. In fact, Goines and several other officers were wounded by gunfire. It wasnt until after the shootout that Bryant read a copy of the search warrant for the first time, Hamdani said, including the affidavit in which Goines had lied and said Bryant had witnessed Goines use a confidential informant to buy drugs at 7815 Harding Street. Bryant had not witnessed any purchase of any drugs from anyone at 7815 Harding Street on that date or any other time, Hamdani said. In the wake of the raid, Bryant knew police would likely investigate the failed operation and probe the drug buy that served as the basis for the raid. Bryant called an officer and asked him to look up the police report Goines had filled out. Bryant wanted to learn the details of the purchase and what Goines had said hed done, Hamdani said. On Jan. 30, 2019, a police officer called Bryant and told him HPDs crime lab couldnt find the drugs Goines said he had bought at the home. Bryant called another officer, who said the drugs were in Goines car. Bryant called a superior and told him the drugs were in the car and not tagged as evidence. Bryant believed he could help Goines by covering up the late submission of the drugs, Hamdani said, explaining that at the time, Bryant had believed Goines actually had bought the drugs at Tuttles house. Bryant drove to a south Houston police station on Mykawa Street, searched Goines car, and found the drugs he believe the officer had bought. Then, he weighed and tagged them and submitted them into evidence. As police investigated the case, they had trouble verifying Goines story about using a confidential informant to buy drugs from the Harding Street home, Hamdani said. That day, a sergeant asked Bryant which informant had made the buy. Bryant said he didnt know, and the two visited Goines at the hospital, where Goines gave them a name. After orders came down from Houston police leadership to find the informant, Bryant contacted another officer and asked her to not find the informant by knocking on the wrong door. But that officer had already found the informant, as ordered, Hamdani said. That person dubbed CI#1 denied ever buying drugs from Harding Street, Hamdani said. That night, Bryant was summoned to HPD headquarters, where a commander met with Bryant and told him he was going to need a lawyer. Cold Case: Genealogy, DNA testing lead Beaumont police to Ohio in effort to solve woman's brutal 1995 murder Later that night, Bryant visited Goines at the hospital, Hamdani said, and the two scrolled through Goines phone, and Goines gave him the name and another of another confidential informant, so that Bryant could contact her and give her the fabricated details of the drug buy, which she could then tell investigators when they interviewed her. Bryant relayed this information to another officer, and said he wasnt going to do what Goines wanted, Hamdani said. The next day, Bryant spoke with another officer, who Hamdani labeled Officer C. That officer told Bryant that Goines had made a similar request to him, and that he had decided he wasnt going to go along with Goines request. Bryant spoke moments later. I plead guilty, your honor, he said. After the hearing, his attorney, Andy Drumheller, declined to discuss the case in detail. In a brief statement, he said that Bryants plea was a reflection of his decision to take responsibility for his conduct. He very much regrets what happened, Drumheller said. The raid and subsequent fallout led to local and federal investigations. Goines and Bryant, who both retired from HPD, were arrested in November 2019 and charged in federal court. Goines was charged with violating the couples civil rights and tampering with government records by lying on a search warrant affidavit, an offense report and the tactical plan made in preparation for the bust that turned into a gun battle. Bryant was hit with the falsifying records charge. Prosecutors subsequently brought charges against Goines and Bryant numerous other current and former HPD officers in state court, with Goines and another officer charged with the deaths of Tuttle and Nicholas. The scandal also led to four overturned convictions so far and a lawsuit against the city. A Houston police spokesman declined to comment on the case, citing continued court fights and noted Bryant no longer works at HPD. Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg, who watched the court hearing, vowed to get to the truth of what happened in the Harding Street raid. By pleading guilty and accepting responsibility for his actions, former police officer Steven Bryant became the first domino to fall in our push to follow the evidence and deliver justice for Dennis Tuttle and Rhogena Nicholas, Ogg said. Mike Doyle, who is representing the Nicholas family in its suit against Goines and the city, said Bryants guilty plea opens the door for him to tell what truly happened about the Harding Street raid. He does not have to continue participating in the city's million dollar continuing cover-up of how and why Rhogena Nicolas and Dennis Tuttle were murdered in their own home by HPD's officers, Doyle said. The Nicholas family will continue to fight to uncover the rest of the concealed facts. Iron River: A shootout in Mexico left 23 dead and led ATF agents to Houston Goines lawyer, Nicole DeBorde, said Bryants plea doesnt change anything for us. He has been working with law enforcement for quite some time, she said. We expected it would be inevitable he would enter plea of guilty. It doesnt impact our position in the case in any way. Police reform advocates hailed the news of the guilty plea. Had this been an earlier time, there likely would have been no conviction at all, said Randall Kallinen, a local attorney who has frequently sued the police department for excessive force or other misconduct. At least we are seeing some accountability from the Houston Police Department for some of its officers. Hai Bui, an organizer who founded the police accountability group We the People Organize, said Bryants plea comes as Houston city officials have refused to be transparent about the raid, noting the citys recent decision to authorize spending up to $1.2 million to fight a civil rights lawsuit that the victims relatives had filed. Bryants plea provided a small measure of accountability, he said. With Bryant, we've got for sure one officer saying he's guilty, he said. Its justice for the Tuttles. st.john.smith@chron.com Lee Jun-seok, right, a 36-year-old politician running for the conservative main opposition People Power Party's leadership race, shakes hands with a merchant during his visit to a traditional market in Daegu, May 24. Yonhap By Jun Ji-hye Calls are growing from both the ruling and opposition parties to amend the Constitution, as it disallows people under 40 years old from running for a presidential election. These calls come amid a young politician's rise in the conservative main opposition People Power Party's (PPP) ongoing leadership race, and ask the political circles to embrace a generational shift. Lee Jun-seok, 36, who was a former Supreme Council member of the PPP, has emerged as a leading candidate to become the conservative party's next chairman. Since 1962, a year after the May 16 military coup through which former President Park Chung-hee seized power, the country's Constitution has stipulated that a candidate's minimum age on the day of the presidential election must be at least 40. Rep. Lee Kwang-jae, a three-term lawmaker of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), who officially declared his bid for the next presidential election scheduled for March, wrote on his Facebook page Monday, "Discussions should begin to improve an outdated system so that people in their 20s and 30s can also become the leader of this country." The ruling party noted that abolishing the minimum age requirement for presidential candidates was included in President Moon Jae-in's 2018 proposals to amend the Constitution. The minor opposition Justice Party called the minimum age requirement for presidential candidates "a discriminatory and unfair rule." During a press conference at the National Assembly, Sunday, Kang Min-jin, the leader of the party's youth chapter, said, "Every presidential candidate talks about the young generation and the need for a generational shift, but none of these candidates are young." She said that the presidential election should not be monopolized by a certain generation, but instead be open to everyone. Rep. Ryu Ho-jeong of the party also said, "If 36-year-old Lee Jun-seok can become the chairman of the main opposition party, he should also be able to become the president, even if he is younger than 40." Rep. Ha Tae-keung of the conservative main opposition PPP agreed with Rep. Ryu, calling on the ruling and opposition parties to join hands to amend the Constitution. He said that the amendment would be quite possible, as it could be done by revising just one clause of the Constitution. Independent lawmaker Yoon Sang-hyun noted that the minimum voting age was lowered from 19 to 18 last year, while the National Election Commission suggested lowering the minimum age for joining a political party from 18 to 16. Considering these trends, limiting the age for candidates to run in the presidential election to 40 and above is inappropriate, he said. "The current Constitution makes it difficult for Korea to see young and sensational leaders, such as French President Emmanuel Macron, who was elected president at the age of 39," Yoon said. Experts said that growing calls for abolishing the minimum age for presidential candidates seem to be related to young people's anger over the unfair reality, which they believe results from older politicians pursuing their vested interests. "Young people believe that abolishing the minimum age for presidential candidates will loosen the grip of well-entrenched privileged groups," said Shin Yul, a political science and diplomacy professor at Myongji University. Three Houston men from a ring of suspected child sex traffickers were ordered to remain in federal custody Tuesday in a case triggered when a 15-year-old Houston ISD student told her school counselor shed been the victim of a trafficking operation on the notorious Bissonnet Track. Clarence Christopher Crazy Chris Chambers, 29, Damarquis Lilblue McGee, 23, and Javon Glizzy Yaw Opoku, 20, appeared at individual Zoom hearings before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sam Sheldon and will be detained until trial at the Joe Corley federal detention facility. Opoku, who is separately accused of capital murder in Pasadena, and McGee declined through their lawyers on Tuesday to challenge their detention on the charges. Others accused of pimping several teenage girls in a gang-affiliated scheme are expected to appear this week in federal court, including Andres Andro Serrano Portillo, who had his first court appearance last week. Portillo has a detention hearing set for Friday. Chambers, McGee and Opoku and others were awaiting trial in Harris County on trafficking allegations. In federal court, they now face much steeper sentences of up to life in prison on child trafficking charges that involve the repeated use of electronic media and cell phones. Anuj A. Shah, who is representing McGee, said his client will be entering a not guilty plea. We will vigorously pursue justice in the legal process so that his case is tried in a court of law and not in the court of public opinion, Shah said. Defense attorneys for the other three men declined to comment or did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the allegations. Chambers came to the attention of authorities after a 15-year-old girl who had been absent from her alternative school for awhile returned to campus. On Oct. 4, 2019, a school counselor and teacher at Disciplinary Alternative Education Program in north Houston contacted the Houston Police Department to report shed told them she had been trafficked to johns in the Bissonnet area between July and September of that year. A detective from HPDs human trafficking and vice unit began an investigation. Federal investigators have since linked the trafficking crew to at least a dozen child and adult victims. Chambers is accused of recruiting the 15-year-old at a party in Irvington attended by pimps and young girls. The student told the school psychologist she had earned $400 to $500 a week for sex acts in cars and motels around Bissonnet and she gave most of that money to Chambers. She also told school staff she had recruited other female schoolmates to work for Chambers. Chambers defense attorney, Joshua Lake, questioned HPD Detective Melanie Jones at the hearing Tuesday about this timeline and the 15-year-olds history of prostitution prior to meeting Chambers. Jones corrected the record, explaining that Chambers allegedly recruited her after the party. She admitted police were not able to confirm that young girls attended the party. The detective also said, under questioning, that she believed the girl had been involved in the sex trade prior to meeting Chambers. The detective found three other minor trafficking victims whose cases she believed were linked to the same crew of pimps, according to court documents. Chambers used social media and texts to allegedly advertise the victim to customers. McGee belongs to the Forum Park Crips, according to allegations. Opoku and Portillo whose hearing is forthcoming are younger gang members who are also loyal to the Crips. All three are accused of working together in various capacities to prostitute young girls on the Track. Police learned of McGees involvement in December when after the mother of a 14-year-old told the Pct. 1 Harris County Constable her daughter had run away in July 2019 and had been missing ever since. The teens sister had seen images of the missing girl on social media where she appeared to be walking on the Track in the Forum Park area. The posts also showed images of her with McGee and piles of money, according to court documents. The 14-year-old told police she had been trafficked by McGee and that he had beaten her on numerous occasions. Police noted that she had a tattoo under her eye of his first name, Damarquis, documents say. Portillos involvement came to the attention of HPD in October 2019 when the mother of a 16-year-old said her child was being held against her will by a sex trafficker, according to court documents. The mother said her daughter texted asking to be rescued. Police found the girl at a house and later told them in an interview she been trafficked and raped, according to allegations. Her pimp, she said, was a guy she knew from Instagram as Andro. Police linked texts between her and the pimp to Portillo. Among the messages were texts where her pimp told her how much to charge for various sex acts and admonished her not to tell anyone her age. Other texts came from a cell phone linked to McGees mother. In addition to Chambers, Portillo and Opoku are also accused of trafficking the 15-year-old who alerted her school counselor in October 2019. The student told investigators in 2020 that Opoku hit her because McGee, a more senior gang member, had told him she had been trying to gain the attention of other pimps, documents say. Opoku had also hit her, she said, because shed said she was tired and she did not want to walk the Track, which this crew referred to as The Blade. gabrielle.banks@chron.com GALVESTON BAY Sepp Haukebos fishing line pulled taut as he stood on a boat in front of the Texas City refineries and reeled in a 15-inch trout. He wrapped it in a Ziploc, sealed it and labeled it May 1. It was a fish one might have liked to eat but not on this fishing trip. The trout, red fish and black drum caught that day were part of a wide-ranging, multi-year research project led by the Environmental Defense Fund, a nonprofit that addresses environmental issues. Their focus with this work: What pollution is making its way into Galveston Bay, especially during storms, and how can it best be mitigated? Fishing is one part of the endeavor. And Haukebo, along with fishing guide L.G. Boyd, had already been out a handful of times for the project. They were hitting different spots around the bay, with varying exposure to potential pollution, reeling in fish. Texas A&M researchers in College Station are analyzing the fillets for various contaminants. Scientists will consider where the pollution could have come from, how facilities could bar against chemical releases and what nature-based infrastructure, such as oyster reefs or restored wetlands, could help reduce such incidents. To connect all these dots on such a broad scope hadnt been done before, said Charlotte Cisneros, whos contributing to the project as community programs manager with the Galveston Bay Foundation. Look, we dont even know all of the risks that are out there, said Elena Craft, an EDF toxicologist and senior director for climate and health, who had been out on the boat herself. We want to minimize and mitigate to the biggest extent possible any possible contamination of our ecosystem. A $1.2 million grant from the National Academy of Sciences is funding the work. As the globe warms, hurricanes are expected to be stronger, adding urgency to what theyre studying. Haukebo had meant to get out on this trip a week earlier, but strong rains dashed those plans. While he fished Friday, storm clouds neared and caused him and Boyd to cut the day slightly short. But it was peaceful while they cast, the boat drifting. Birds sang. The water was calm. It was unexpectedly tranquil for the middle of the city. The Interstate 45 causeway could be seen at a distance. The refineries were up close, something Haukebo said never quite felt normal, though one could see them almost anywhere in the bay. It was members of industry and others in the community that Haukebo was most excited about working with through this effort, believing thats how they will find solutions. He and Boyd, who grew up fishing, both worked at plants at one point. They could look at them and see the potential for hazards but also know the economic benefit. This isnt meant to be a gotcha kind of project, Haukebo said. Then he and Boyd cast their lines and waited, cast and waited, cast and thought they got one, or got one too small, or the wrong type, and cast again. Then Boyd, in flip flops, started to reel in his line. Hed snagged a black drum. Thatll keep, huh? Haukebo asked. I think so, Boyd said. Steve Gonzales, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer At the lab, the fish will be tested for what are known as trace metals, PFAS chemicals and PAH chemicals. PFAS chemicals are referred to as forever chemicals, because theyre so difficult to break down. They come from sources such as firefighting foam. PAH chemicals are found in petroleum and creosote. Trace metals could come from industrial plants or other sources. None of it would be in the fish naturally. Broadly speaking, if the exposure is significant enough, there is evidence the compounds can affect human health. (The state issues warnings where they find it could be unsafe to consume fish.) And figuring out which are present offers researchers a chance to inform other pieces of the work. If I know what youre being exposed to by the way of these contaminants, we can help maybe minimize or identify opportunities to minimize risk, said Tommy McDonald, a professor in the school of public health at Texas A&M. McDonald drove up Friday morning to meet the two fishermen as they motored back to the dock. They transferred the fish from the boats cooler to McDonalds, which he would take straight to the lab. On the way back north on I-45, the rain was pounding . emily.foxhall@chron.com A convicted rapist and kidnapper who authorities say confessed to abducting and killing four women in separate attacks in 1997 in Texas and Oklahoma has been found guilty of murder in one of the slayings. William Lewis Reece, 61, was convicted Friday in Oklahoma City of first-degree murder and kidnapping in the death of 19-year old Tiffany Johnston, who in 1997 vanished from the Sunshine Car Wash in Bethany, Okla. Prosecutors said Johnston was the daughter of his mothers best friend and that Reece may have been stalking her, according to news reports. Jurors reportedly took only an hour to find him guilty of murdering Johnston. More from Nick Powell: Three years after Santa Fe shooting, victims' families and community still seeking answers Even Reeces attorney, public defender Jacob Benedict, did not question the verdict, acknowledging that Reece killed Johnston. But he argued that Reece only confessed because a Texas Ranger told him that the death penalty would be off the table. A promise he couldnt keep, but still a promise, Benedict told The Oklahoman. The jury will hear more testimony on Tuesday before deciding on Reeces punishment, but prosecutors are pushing for the death penalty. Reeces conviction and sentencing in Oklahoma will have ripple effects for two outstanding 2016 murder charges in Galveston County, where he admitted to abducting and killing two girls in 1997. Jack Roady, the Galveston County district attorney, said on Tuesday he would consult with authorities in Oklahoma, as well as the victims families, after Reeces sentencing to decide whether to proceed with a trial. I know that both of (the Galveston County) murders and the other cases as well have taken a tremendous toll on the families of the victims, as well as the all of the investigators that have worked on this case, going back to 1997, Roady said. I'm certain that they're all glad to see the results that happened in Oklahoma. Investigators in 2016 began to zero in on Reece as a possible suspect in multiple decades-old cases after advances in DNA testing connected him to Johnstons murder. But his acts of violence towards young women and girls date back more than 30 years. A true predator, I guess you could say, said Manvel Police Cpt. James Lovel, who, as a Webster patrol officer, worked a kidnapping case in 1998 that put Reece behind bars for 60 years. Reece was a 28-year-old truck driver when he was convicted of assaulting his first known victim, in 1987. He kidnapped, raped and sodomized a University of Oklahoma freshman, using the lure that he was going to help her with her car trouble, records show. He then bound her with duct tape and zipped her into a sleeping bag that he shoved inside the sleeper compartment of his truck. She testified that when she asked Reece why he was doing this, he told her it was because he was "crazy." At the same time, he told her he loved and wanted to marry her. She played along until she talked him into letting her use the restroom, allowing her to escape. While out on bond awaiting trial for the attack, Reece struck again - meeting another young woman at an Oklahoma bar, following her home and raping her. He spent almost the next 10 years in an Oklahoma prison for his attacks on both women before being released on Oct. 5, 1996, records show. Soon after that release, Reece embarked on a series of attacks that would not be resolved for decades. More from Nick Powell: 'Do we have a bullseye?': Gulf Coast residents brace for storm season after Hurricane Laura recovery He was identified by police as the "prime suspect" in the kidnap-murder of 12-year-old Laura Smither, who vanished while jogging on April 3, 1997, in her quiet Friendswood neighborhood not far off the Interstate 45. A massive search was mounted through boggy swamps and woods for the aspiring ballerina, among a select few who had been accepted into the Houston Ballet Academy the year before. Her face was flashed over the nightly news for 17 days until her body, clad only in a pair of socks, was found 12 miles from her home in a Pasadena retention pond. Reece became a suspect after investigators learned he was a registered sex offender working off Moore Ranch Road, where the 12-year-old was last seen jogging. On that particular day, Reece had been let go from work early because of rain. But Reece would remain a free man until Sandra Sapaugh, a pregnant 19-year old exotic dancer, was abducted six weeks after Smither disappeared. Sapaugh had stopped to use a pay phone at a convenience store on NASA Road 1 and noticed Reece staring at her while he was looking under the hood of his car, court records show. Sapaugh testified that Reece put a knife to her throat and forced her into his truck. They drove around and he ordered her to undress, but while she pretended to take off her shoes, she leaped from the fast-moving truck onto I-45, court records show. Lovel was one of the first officers at the scene for the Webster Police Department when Sapaugh called in the attempted kidnapping. On Tuesday, he recalled his superiors telling him to be as detailed as possible in his police report because this guy could be a serial murderer. Lo and behold, he was, Lovel said. Five months after the attempted kidnapping of Sapaugh, Reece was arrested. He was eventually convicted of aggravated kidnapping and sentenced to 60 years in prison. In 2000, Reece lost his appeal to the 14th Court of Appeals to overturn his conviction in the attack on Sapaugh. Nearly 20 years later, Reece in February 2016 was pulled from his Texas prison cell, and brought back in shackles to Galveston County for interviews. Texas Ranger James Holland had DNA evidence that linked Reece to Johnston, and used that to extract confessions from Reece that he killed four different women in 1997. He later led police to sites in Houston and Brazoria County where the remains of Jessica Cain, a 17-year old from Tiki Island, and another woman, 20-year old Kelli Cox from Denton, were found. He also admitted to killing Johnston and Smither. Holland testified at a hearing in 2017 that Reece told detectives about pulling into the Sunshine Car Wash after his oil filter came loose and began spraying oil on his horse trailer. While washing his trailer, Reece got Johnston wet, starting an argument, Holland testified. Reece said he hit Johnston, grabbed her and threw her in his trailer, then sexually assaulted her, Holland testified. Afterward, Johnston hit Reece in the head with a horseshoe, Holland said, and then choked her until she was dead with a rope in the trailer. Johnston vanished about three weeks after he is believed to have abducted and killed Cain. Cain was driving home from a Clear Lake restaurant on Aug. 17 1997, when she vanished without a trace. Only her truck, with her purse locked inside, was ever found, on the shoulder of Interstate 45 on the route to her Tiki Island home. Cox, a University of North Texas honor student, went missing after a tour of the Denton jail with her criminology class. The 20-year-old had telephoned her boyfriend that she'd accidentally left her purse and keys locked in her car, but when he arrived to help, he found only the abandoned car. Nearly 20 years after their disappearance, Reece led investigators to a remote field in southeast Houston, directing backhoes and bulldozers to plow the area. Cain's remains were found there in March 2016. Cox's remains were found shortly afterward in Brazoria County. La Marque Police Chief Kirk Jackson, whose office has investigated the Cain case and assisted in finding her remains, told the Houston Chronicle it was bittersweet that Reece was finally convicted for killing Johnston. The loss of these victims was tragic for everybody, for the families and, and, and everybody in the communities, Jackson said Tuesday. Justice has been served, but the pain still is still there. Several of the victims families spoke to news reporters after Reeces conviction, expressing relief at the outcome. Gay Smither, Laura Smithers mother, told ABC13 that she was in court every day Reece was on trial. Smither previously told the Houston Chronicle in 2016 that one day shed like to sit down and look into Reeces eyes and ask for the truth. This case was for Tiffany Johnston, but it was also for all the girls and yeah, I felt tremendous relief to finally have that day in court, Smither said. Kathy Dobry, Johnstons mother, told news reporters in Oklahoma that she hoped Reece would be punished to the fullest extent. We want to make certain he gets the death penalty, he deserves it, Dobry said. And if he could be killed more than one time, that would be fine too. nick.powell@chron.com In recent days, Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush has said his office is not to blame for failing to award Houston or Harris County a single penny of $1 billion in flood mitigation funding last week. Bush and his spokeswoman alternately blamed the snub on criteria Texas was forced to use by President Donald Trumps housing department, complex regulations by the Biden administration and the failure of the city and county to submit better applications. A Houston Chronicle analysis of the Department of Housing and Urban Development flood mitigation program revealed a different reality: Not only does the federal government grant states significant discretion to decide how to spend their funds, but the criteria Bushs General Land Office developed discriminated against populous areas. On HoustonChronicle.com: Bush is pledging $750M in flood aid to Harris County. But will it arrive? The state agency ignored advice from the city of Houston, which warned in a January 2020 letter that its rules effectively would penalize urban areas for having large populations. And several scoring metrics the GLO designed drew criticism from engineers, who said they do a poor job evaluating the merits of a particular flood protection project. To miss it in the development of the criteria is one thing, said Melvin Spinks, a past president of Houstons American Council of Engineering Companies. But then to receive the applications and not let it dawn on you how flawed they are is the other part that we go on scratching our heads. Who could be that senseless? After heavy criticism from local Republican and Democratic elected officials, whose constituents rank flood protection as among their top issues, Bush on Wednesday said he had heard the overwhelming concerns and would ask HUD to allocate $750 million directly to Harris County. He provided no clarity, however, on how long that would take nor where that money would come from. HUD officials in Washington said they could not comment on a proposal Texas had yet to formally make. For now, the funding landscape remains the same: Despite Harris County having a greater population than the other 48 eligible recipient counties combined, GLO last week awarded just 9 percent of its $1 billion here, for projects in the municipalities of Pasadena, Galena Park, Jacinto City and Baytown. Right now, the city is under the assumption we have no money for any of our projects, said Steve Costello, Houstons chief recovery officer. Steve Gonzales, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Unfair metrics? Texas communities have waited more than three years for this aid to arrive from Washington. Congress in February 2018 awarded Texas $4.3 billion in Housing and Urban Development funding to help the state recover from Hurricane Harvey six months earlier. HUD required $2.1 billion to flow directly to the 23 hardest-hit counties, including Harris; Texas added additional counties to bring that total to 49. The federal agency required the nine states who received funding through the same appropriation to submit plans for spending it in accordance with HUD guidelines. These include a requirement that low-income areas be prioritized and that recipients install adequate controls against waste and abuse. The HUD guidelines provide recipients great leeway, however, to decide how to spend funds a recognition that communities and infrastructure needs may be quite different in California than they are in West Virginia. Since funds often were inadequate to pay for all of the proposed projects, states, including Texas, held competitions and developed scoring criteria to find the best applicants. Projects could earn a total of 105 points on the Texas rubric, which considers factors such as the number of low-income residents served, an applicants management abilities and available matching funds. The average score of projects awarded by GLO last week was 82.99. None of Houston or Harris Countys 13 proposed projects scored higher than 75. Alan Black, operations manager for the Harris County Flood Control District, said it was virtually impossible for any of the city or countys projects to score higher than 82 because of the GLO criteria. For instance, each local proposal received five of a maximum 10 points in the social vulnerability category that identifies an areas wealth using 14 social factors, including poverty, access to transportation and education levels. The criterion, however, considers the city or county as a whole rather than the area being served by a particular project. That meant, for example, the Houston Heights neighborhood along White Oak Bayou, which has a median household income of $108,000, was averaged together with East Houston long Halls Bayou, which has a median household income of $29,000. In January 2020, after the Land Office released a draft of its scoring criteria, city officials warned the GLO in a letter that the SVI metric would disadvantage their projects in low-income areas. The citys recommendation that state officials amend the metric to focus on the social vulnerability of the area being served rather than the entire city or county went unheeded. Using this model, Black said proposals for the Halls, Greens and Sims bayou watersheds, which traverse some of the countys lowest-income communities, likely would have scored much higher. A similar 10-point category for per capita property value, for which all local projects received two points, suffered from the same flaw, Black said. Though the local governments proposed no projects on Houstons west side, which has some of the most expensive neighborhoods in Texas, property values in River Oaks and Memorial counted against those in Sunnyside and Fifth Ward, where the city had proposed projects. Steve Gonzales, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer The most problematic, he said, was a 10-point category that divided the number of people a project would benefit by the total population of the applying entity. This meant that even a proposed Brays Bayou project that would benefit 774,000 residents more people than even live in any other eligible county would score less than 1 point. Three Houston civil engineers told the Chronicle they had never seen such a metric used in a government funding competition. In the January 2020 letter, city officials advised the GLO to consider the raw number of residents who would benefit from a project instead of dividing that total by Houstons population of 2.3 million, which is spread across more than 20 watersheds. The GLOs preferred metric penalizes larger jurisdiction(s) in which many residents may benefit from projects but represent only a small percentage of the jurisdictions population, the city wrote. Other states took a more tailored approach in an attempt to ensure mitigation dollars flowed to the best applicants. For example, South Carolina measured the number of low-income residents in a projects service area, rather than the entire jurisdiction. Missouri allowed exceptions to the maximum award amount. Louisiana awarded the most points to the projects that protected the greatest number of structures. Only Texas used a criterion that considered what percentage of an applicants residents would benefit from a project. Our biggest issue with these particular metrics is they have nothing to do with the merits of a project, Black said. Youd like to think youd put all the projects shoulder to shoulder and the best ones are the ones that stand out, and serve the areas that most need it. ERICA GRIEDER: George P. Bush's explanation on Harvey funds shutout doesn't hold water Brittany Eck, Bushs spokeswoman, told the Chronicle last week that the city and county could have scored higher if they had combined projects into a single application, thus increasing the number of residents served. Black said that was not realistic because the GLO had capped the maximum award amount at $100 million, regardless of the size of a jurisdiction. Since Harris County is desperately trying to close a $700 million funding gap in its flood bond program, Black said the flood control district concluded the best strategy was to submit three projects that each asked for the full amount, in the hopes one would win. All three came within five points of the lowest winning score. Unequal awards Houston and Harris County had hoped to receive roughly half of the $1 billion the GLO announced last week, proportional to the amount of damage Harvey wrought here compared to the rest of the state. Instead, the average recipient county won $530 per resident compared to $19 for Harris County. Bipartisan criticism from local leaders came quickly. The only point they could not agree on was whether the Republican-run GLO was politically biased against Houston-area Democratic officials, as Mayor Sylvester Turner charged, or merely incompetent, as Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey concluded. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said GLO officials conceded to her privately that the metrics were unfair to populous areas, a claim Eck said she could neither confirm nor deny. Mark Mulligan, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Wayne Klotz, an engineer whose firm was a vendor for Houston and Harris County for more than 30 years, said the General Land Office should have realized at the outset that its criteria would funnel mitigation dollars to smaller applicants at the expense of the largest ones. In a contest where every point matters, he said automatically losing nine in one category likely doomed Houston and Harris County. Sometimes things happen by accident and sometimes they happen by design, Klotz said. The minute I saw the criteria, I knew they never had a chance. Klotz said he was most concerned that poor residents, the highest-priority recipients under HUD guidelines, would be penalized simply because they happened to live in the states most populous city and county. The GLO plans to award the remaining $1.2 billion in HUD funds reserved for Harvey-damaged counties later this year. Neither Bush nor the agency, so far, has made a commitment to changing its criteria. zach.despart@chron.com jasper.scherer@chron.com One of the top Republican negotiators behind a failed Texas voting bill said it would have mistakenly limited early voting on Sundays, when many Black voters typically turn out. Call it a mistake if you want to, but what should have been 11 was actually printed up as 1, state Rep. Travis Clardy said in an interview with NPR, adding that he plans to fix the error before it is voted on again. Under current law, voting hours on the last Sunday before an election are decided by local officials. But in the final version of Senate Bill 7, unveiled this weekend, voting would have had to start after 1 p.m. Democrats and voting rights advocates said the move was directly aimed at Souls to the Polls, a campaign to encourage Black voters to go vote as a group after church. By doing this, you inhibit the ability to have those types of programs run the length of time they normally would, from early in the morning until the afternoon, Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas, said during a floor debate Saturday. Republicans have not previously claimed that the addition was a typo. The provision was inserted into the bill in the final days of drafting and without input from Democrats or public testimony. The bill, a priority for the national G.O.P. and Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, failed to pass the House Sunday after Democrats staged a dramatic walkout, denying a quorum for a final vote before the end of the regular legislative session. Abbott has vowed to call lawmakers back to Austin later this year to take up the bill again. In the debate with West on Saturday, Sen. Bryan Hughes, a Republican from northeast Texas and an author of the bill, said the changes were meant to give poll workers time to attend church, not to target Black voters or any other group. He also noted that the bill would expand the total number of hours that polls were required to stay open on the last Sunday, from five to six. I believe the intent was to keep this a Sunday afternoon activity, he said, adding that in his experience churchgoers typically go to lunch before heading to the polls. I dont think the intent was to keep anyone from (voting). West, who is Black, said voters in his community dont do that. He asked Hughes, who is white, whether he had talked to other Black lawmakers or voting experts before making the change. Hughes said he had not. jeremy.blackman@chron.com Hours after Democrats in the Texas House blocked sweeping new voting restrictions, Gov. Greg Abbott vowed to retaliate by stripping funding for all lawmakers and legislative staff from the coming two-year budget. I will veto Article 10 of the budget passed by the Legislature. Article 10 funds the legislative branch, he tweeted Monday. No pay for those who abandon their responsibilities. Stay tuned. The governors threat comes as legislators are already preparing to reconvene for a special interim session at some point this year to take up redistricting and some conservative priority items that have stalled, including the voting measure. Democrats reacted incredulously, questioning how or why the governor would want to cut funding to an entire branch of state government that, in addition to themselves, funds Republican lawmakers and nonpartisan agencies. ?, tweeted Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin. This would eliminate the branch of government that represents the people and basically create a monarchy. TEXAS TAKE: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox Abbott offered no other details and his press secretary did not respond to a request for more information. A spokesman for House Speaker Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, declined to comment. The governor has until late June to veto legislation. Legislators make $7,200 annually, and most either work other jobs, are retired or are independently wealthy. They also receive stipends to hire staff. The Republican-controlled Legislature on Monday was wrapping what many consider to be among the most conservative sessions in years. Lawmakers were able to roll back gun regulations, enact stiff new abortion restrictions, strip budgeting authority from Democrat-led cities and limit how teachers talk about racism in America. But adding new voting restrictions to the states already strict election laws remains a central priority, building on former President Donald Trumps false claims that he lost last years election because of fraud. Democrats and voting rights advocates have denounced the legislation as discriminatory, particularly against voters of color, and staged a dramatic walkout on Sunday night, delaying a vote on the election bill before a midnight deadline. Brandon Rottinghaus, a political science professor at the University of Houston, said the governors response showed the intense pressure he has come under from conservative factions in his party as he prepares for reelection next year. I think the message is that hes going to be the party leader, and hes not afraid to burn some bridges, Rottinghaus said, though he questioned why the governor wouldnt target other budget articles that could more clearly undercut Democrats. jeremy.blackman@chron.com A free chance to win $1 million or more in lottery Free tickets to sporting events A paid day off work I'm anti-vax and think incentives are a distraction Vote View Results ST. LOUIS There are adjectives that are used time and again when colleagues speak of Judge Robin Ransom. They talk of her calming nature, how courteous she is and how shes compassionate. These attributes and her broad legal experience, they say, will serve her well as Missouris newest Supreme Court justice a St. Louis native who broke racial and gender lines last week by becoming the first Black woman to ascend to the states high court. While I may be the first African American woman to be part of this court, Id also like to say that I have never lived by a label or by any identity that anyones tried to put upon me, she said last week in accepting Gov. Mike Parsons appointment. When I look in the mirror, Ive always been Robin, and Ive always lived my life to be kind to everyone and to be the best person that I can be. With Ransoms appointment, Missouri will join 21 other states with a woman of color on its supreme court, according to the Brennan Center for Justice, a New York-based nonpartisan law and policy group. White men fill more than half of all state supreme court seats nationwide compared to 7% held by women of color. Twenty-two states have no minority high court justices while 12 states have one female justice. Ransom, 54, the daughter of a St. Louis firefighter who died in 2007, has served the Missouri Court of Appeals in St. Louis since 2019 and previously had been a St. Louis circuit judge since 2008. Her colleagues in 2018 elected her the 22nd Circuits first Black female presiding judge, a role she held only briefly until she won an appointment to the appeals court. In her application to the high court, Ransom credited her father with encouraging her long ago to seize any opportunity to get a job at the juvenile court in St. Louis, where he was a social worker after leaving the fire department. Little did I know at the time that I would work there in the capacity of a judicial officer, Ransom wrote. Her six years there as the St. Louis Family Court commissioner followed a decade of work as a lawyer in St. Louis Countys family court, and for the offices of the prosecuting attorney and public defender. The Missouri Plan In picking Ransom for the seat vacated in March by the retiring Judge Laura Denvir Stith, Parson said last week that he was confident Ransom will be a fair enforcer of the law whose diverse legal career and north St. Louis upbringing made her the best candidate for the job. I know theres a lot of history being made, but at the end of the day, its the hard work shes done as she went through the system, Parson said. Unlike the federal government, Missouris system for selecting judges does not lie solely in the hands of the chief executive and the Senate. Rather, in 1940, the state became the first to adopt what is now called the Missouri Plan for selecting judges. The process for filling a vacancy begins with a nonpartisan commission that reviews candidates for state judgeships, creating a list of potential nominees based on merit. The governor fills vacancies on the bench by choosing from this list. The Senate plays no role in confirming the nominee because the pick has already been vetted by the nonpartisan commission. State Supreme Court Chief Justice George Draper III, the head of the commission, signaled it wasnt an easy lift. The panel spent more than eight hours interviewing 25 candidates. The members then spent four hours deliberating on the finalists and had to conduct nine rounds of balloting to sign off on the three names sent to Parson. Along with Ransom, others in the running included Don Burrell, 61, who is a judge on the Missouri Court of Appeals, Southern District, in Springfield; and William Corrigan, 63, who is a circuit judge in the 21st Judicial Circuit in Clayton. Parson made his decision quickly. Although he had 60 days to select a judge from the three offered, he announced Ransom as judge just one working day after Draper had announced the finalists. The governor, who was making his first pick for the court, said there was no need to draw out the process. He chose Ransom, he said, largely because he was familiar with her work from when he picked her for the appeals court position two years ago. There was no need to linger on this, Parson said. Her professional career stands on its own merits. Political consultant James Harris, an adviser to Parson, said the speed with which the governor made the decision shows that he felt really comfortable with her after he met with Ransom in 2019 when he appointed her to the appeals court. I dont think there was politics involved, Harris said. The chair of the Missouri Legislative Black Caucus said the group was pleased to see a Black woman on the high court. But she said it took too long to occur. Although this is a historic day, the fact that it took two centuries to happen highlights the continued need to address inequities in all aspects of Missouris judicial system, said Rep. Ashley Bland Manlove, D-Kansas City. The states system for selecting judges, however, has detractors in the Legislature. Some Republican lawmakers say trial attorneys have too much influence over the process, resulting in judges who are more inclined to rule against businesses. Under legislation filed by Sen. Rick Brattin, R-Harrisonville, Missouri would jettison its nonpartisan system and give the governor the ability to pick judges, with the Senate signing off on the selection. A hearing on the proposal was held in April. The lone witness testifying in favor of Brattins legislation was Jeremy Cady, a lobbyist representing Americans for Prosperity. Americans for Prosperity is a Virginia-based conservative political advocacy organization founded by Charles and David Koch. Those testifying against the proposal were a cross-section of the states legal community, including the Missouri Bar Association, prosecutors and defense attorneys. The measure did not advance beyond the committee hearing before the Legislature adjourned May 14. Brattin said last week he plans to continue pushing for a revamp of the system, saying unelected attorneys should not be choosing judges. My bill would mirror the federal model. I think that would be a good move for the state, Brattin said. A calming effect Ransom declined to speak with the Post-Dispatch about her rise in the judiciary, but her colleagues told the newspaper that her appointment as the states first Black Supreme Court judge shouldnt overshadow her diverse legal career. Still, they noted that she likely will bring a unique perspective to the bench amid a nationwide racial justice movement following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis in 2020. St. Louis University law professor Patricia Harrison, a friend of Ransoms, said the St. Louis community and country are realizing that we need to have African American people in leadership roles in our government, in our judiciary. They need to be an important presence because their work is just as valuable, if not more valuable in this current climate, for our children to have role models such as her for our entire community. Steve Harmon, president of the Mound City Bar Association, said he wasnt surprised Ransom got the job based on her qualifications, but sees the appointment as part of Parsons efforts to make inroads with Black constituents and political groups in Missouri. Harmon said its thrilling to have a second African American serve the high court the other being Chief Justice Draper, who was appointed in 2011. African American women are making strides all over the place from the mayors office to Congress, now to the Supreme Court, Harmon said. Her background, it speaks for itself. Its going to be very interesting to watch her excel and I dont think that this is going to be the last weve heard of her. SLU law professor John Ammann said the timing is key for Ransom to join the Missouri Supreme Court, as it could lead to a broader array of cases focused on policing and social justice. I would love to see the court take additional cases and deal with some of these society issues, he said. Shes in a unique position to cause the court, maybe, to expand the number and types of cases. Mike Wolff, a former Supreme Court chief justice, said he thinks Ransom will help the high court by relying on her decades of trial and family court experience where she decided difficult cases that often determined the fate of children. I think she truly understands how cases are tried, Wolff said. Having at least 10 years as a staff attorney and commissioner on the family court, I think it speaks to a real sense of humanity. That shows some heart. Jerry Hunter, a lawyer at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner in St. Louis, called Ransoms appointment extremely significant in 2021. He described Ransom as a steady hand who he believes will decide cases based soundly on facts and the law. Shes worked at every level of the judiciary whereas some individuals were appointed without that very broad-base experience, Hunter said. You cannot pigeon-hole her to assume shes going to come out one way or another on a case. Hunter described Ransom as private and modest to such an extent that members of her own bowling team dont know shes a judge. I call her judge all the time but she does not wear that on her sleeve, Hunter said. Ransom has been bowling competitively for decades, a passion she has said that began with her father signing her up for a league at age 11. St. Louis Circuit Judge Rex Burlison, who bowls with her at the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis annual tournament, said Ransom helped their team win more than once. In March, she bowled a perfect game. Shes the real deal on the bowling lanes, Burlison said. Missouri is really blessed to have her on the high court because shes thoughtful and a good listener, he said. Shes a calming effect on a contentious society right now, Burlison said. With her abilities and her background, were all going to benefit. Among the last cases Ransom presided over with the St. Louis Family Court were November 2018 certification hearings for a 15- and 16-year-old charged with fatally shooting retired St. Louis police Sgt. Ralph Harper a month earlier in the citys Tower Grove South neighborhood. After hearing testimony, Ransom set down her glasses and wiped tears from her eyes. I have a son who is 18, Ransom said at the time. Most of the kids that come through here remind me of my kid, and I cant imagine being in the position of either family involved in something like this, the family of the juvenile or the victims family. Its really tough to preside over these kids who have their whole lives in front of them. The community is suffering because of this. We know that kids make impulsive decisions, she said. It just seems like today, its ramped up. It used to be that the main crime was car theft, and now we have very heinous offenses, and I just dont know how to fix it. Young sisters turn to farming, sheep raising to help cancer-stricken father People's Daily Online) 15:18, June 01, 2021 Photo taken on May 25 shows Shi Yue (L) and Shi Lu resting. (Photo/Xinhua) Shi Yue, born after 1995, and her younger sister Shi Lu signed contracts to rent more than 133.33 hectares of land for farming this year, a substantial increase from about 4.67 hectares, in a village in Shangdu county, Ulanqab, north China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region. The elder sister had previously worked outside her hometown after graduating. In 2018, she returned home to take care of her father as he suffered from cancer. To pay for the expensive medical fees, the young woman had to learn how to farm from scratch from her father and nearby villagers. A year later, her younger sister also returned to join her. Since then, they have run a cooperative, expanded the planting area, and shifted to mechanized farming. In addition to wheat, they have also planted crops with higher economic value, such as sunflowers and quinoa, and raised more than 300 sheep. In 2020, their annual income exceeded 400,000 yuan (about $62,899). As long as you work hard, you can make your life worthwhile in the countryside. More importantly, we can take care of our family members, said Shi Lu. (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) President Moon Jae-in called Tuesday for new Prosecutor-General Kim Oh-soo to play a role in his administration's tumultuous drive to reform the state prosecution service. Presenting Kim with a letter of appointment during a Cheong Wa Dae ceremony, Moon said he expects him to "play a great role in transforming the prosecution to become a fair organization that meets the people's expectations," according to presidential spokesperson Park Kyung-mee. Kim, a veteran prosecutor, served as vice justice minister for nearly two years under the Moon administration before assuming the post. It had been vacant since the sudden resignation of Yoon Seok-youl in early March in apparent protest against the Moon administration's prosecution reform drive. Kim said, "Since the prosecution's authority has been granted by the people, it should be used for the people. With that in mind, I'll try to make a chance to transform the prosecution into an organization centered on the people." Reform of the prosecution, long accused of having excessive power and authority, is one of Moon's campaign pledges and a top policy task. There have been fierce political controversies over the issue, including overt and thinly-veiled backlash from a number of senior prosecutors. (Yonhap) Mental health orgs for music industry professionals As part of Mental Health Awareness Month, were looking at several organizations focused on providing mental health support for musicians and other industry professionals, in a field where mental health is a major concern, but often low priority. Guest post by Meredith Nadeau of The Orchards The Daily Rind May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Within the music industry, there are many factors that contribute to the deprioritization of mental health. To top it off, the line between emotion and production is often blurred or completely erased in many creative fields. Below is a collection of mental health organizations all of which provide a variety of services to meet your needs. Check them out, connect, and remember, you are not alone. The Backline mission is to connect music industry professionals and their families with a trusted network of mental health and wellness providers. The organization host events and often engages in speaking opportunities to spread awareness, create a space of belonging within the music industry and encourage those who need help to seek it. What they offer: Case management, Support Groups, Resources How to contact: Email hello@backline.care or sign up for the email newsletter Stay connected: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook A program run by the Recording Academy, MusiCares supports artists and music industry employees in crisis. The program is primarily focused on providing financial assistance for those struggling with health or other unavoidable concerns that could threaten their livelihood. What they offer: Financial support, addiction recovery, health programs How to contact: Find contact information here or email MusiCaresRelief@MusiCares.org for general support Stay connected: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook Sound Mind Live aims to to end the stigma that surrounds mental health and mental illness through the power of music. By tapping into the music industry and harnessing the power and influence of music, Sound Mind Live hopes to go beyond spreading awareness to help those with mental health illnesses thrive. What they offer: Events (discussions, festivals and more), access to therapy, support groups and helplines How to contact: Send them a question here Stay connected: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook Founded by music industry executive, marketing consultant, entrepreneur, philanthropist and author, Shanti Das, Silence the Shame aims to do just that, normalize the conversation, peel back the layers of shame, eliminate stigma, and provide support for mental well-being. What they offer: Crisis Response Trainings, Community Conversations, Wellness Trainings, digital content, outreach events How to contact: Send them a note here Stay connected: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook Founded by two musicians based in Denver, Colorado, Music Minds Matter is a protective, safe space for the artists that make the music we love. Their vulnerability is what we value so dearly but they also need to protect their own mental wellness, not just take care of their listeners. What they offer: Crisis hotlines, Crisis Response Course, Events, Community How to contact: Connect with them here Stay connected: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook Share on: After years of service to Iberia Parish, president and CEO of the Greater Iberia C Cheshire was able to put together on parade on Monday for Memorial Day while other communities went with simpler ceremonies. Memorial Day Observances Brings Communities Together Again MC Paul Hutchinson gives speaker Francis Bourdon a hand in keeping his speech at chilly and blustery Memorial Day ceremony in Adams on Monday. ADAMS, Mass Memorial Day is usually filled with parades featuring local veterans, addresses by various officials, student essays and high school marching bands. Those observances were canceled last year but the abbreviated versions held Monday were a sign that the community is getting back to normal after 14 months under a public health emergency. The ceremonies ranged from private gatherings at cemeteries to low-key public rituals to a couple short parades thrown together at the last minute as pandemic restrictions were lifted on Saturday. "In my opinion, our nation has just endured an event, COVID-19, that rivals World War II and the overreaching impact that it has had on our entire U.S. society," said retired National Guard Lt. Col. Francis Bourdon at a cold and windy Maple Street Cemetery in Adams. "The number of deaths in the United States in slightly over one year is over 590,000 people from COVID, as compared to 409,000 deaths for the four-plus years involving World War Two." In both cases, these deaths affected "nearly every family and every town in this country," disrupted business and challenged social norms, he said, changed a recovering country. "Just as a country did after World War II, we will evolve and adapt to a new sense of purpose and emerge stronger and more resilient," Bourdon said. "I believe this, because we have a strong and proven Constitution, and people who believe in the American dream, and one nation, under God." He encouraged citizens to live the principles of justice, freedom and democracy by contributing in their communities, voting, paying taxes and "making the hometown a better place in which to live." "The many parades and services throughout this nation give testimony to our respect and appreciation for these brave souls," Bourdon said. "I propose that is equally important that we today acknowledge our responsibilities to perpetuate those freedoms, which they died to secure, through our own actions, as we continue to be challenged by actual and potential adversaries, both at home and abroad." Adams had dispensed with a parade given the short notice for assembly but the observance still included a nod to local veterans, an honor guard and attendance by local officials and Bourdon as guest speaker. Deacon Gregory LaFreniere of Sts. Patrick & Raphael Parish in Williamstown gave the prayers. Master of Ceremonies Paul Hutchinson also noted the loss of U.S. Capitol Police Officer William Evans, who was killed in an attack at the Capitol in April and laid to rest in Bellevue Cemetery. "Freedom is not free. Every generation answers freedom's call," Hutchinson said. "All gave some gut some gave all. And it's those who gave their all that we remember today." Students Kylee Legg read the Gettysburg Address and Molly McClear read the poem "In Flanders Fields." Hoosac Valley High School band director Jacob Keplinger stepped in to play "The Star-spangled Banner" and also taps, which he repeated later in Cheshire. Cheshire selectmen hand out flags at the start of the parade on School street. Cheshire was one of few communities to hold a parade one that almost got canceled because of the cold and rainy weather. The shortened route went around the small downtown and ended at the Honor Roll at Town Hall where Selectmen Chairwoman Michelle Francesconi placed a wreath. Fire trucks, police, Shriners and a host of kids with decorated bikes were greeted with applause and waving American flags. "Today is a holiday given to the people to commemorate the sacrifice that over a million men and women made to establish and protect our freedom," said Francesconi. "It is vitally important that we remember the reasons behind the sacrifice that these men and women made for our country." Quoting from President Reagan's 1982 address at Arlington National Cemetery, Francesconi reflected on the obligation for their sacrifice to be honored. "So today as you leave the ceremony, continue to be mindful of those who gave their lives, and of the loved ones, friends and fellow soldiers that they left behind," she said. "Theirs is a sacrifice that has been made by those who remain standing and we have a commitment to honor the loss they suffered." Fire Chief Thomas Francesconi read the names of Cheshire's fallen and the Rev. William D. Furey, pastor of Berkshire Union Chapel, gave the prayers. In North Adams, a small ceremony was held at the American Legion Post 125. Keynote speaker Maj. Jacob Schutz of the Army National Guard said it is common practice to attend Memorial Day ceremonies, place flags on graves, and to visit memorials. He added that it was also common to look to the past. "It is easy for most of us to get drawn slowly into the past. We think of great battles of long ago, areas or lands far away. Like the patriots in the revolution, the bygone trauma of the Civil War, the sinister acts of the Great War, or the reverberations of World War II," he said. "More recently, we think of places like Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan ... typically we recall tales or images of our great great grandparents, our great grandparents, our grandparents, and our parents alike." North Adams held its observances at the POW/MIA memorial at the American Legion. See photos for all ceremonies here. Schutz recalled Gen. Logan's Memorial Day order and said many heed the call every year and attend ceremonies and services. He noted it is still hard for many to "testify" or completely empathize with the lost and those left behind. This is at no fault of their own. "How can you relate without firsthand experience? Mourning and testifying about the loss of life is hard and something once out of mind is not especially welcomed to return," he said. "... From 1775 to today, almost 250 years, the United States has suffered nearly 700,000 combat-related deaths. In recent history, many Americans have not experienced the suffering and agony of a loved one who made the ultimate sacrifice. Soberingly this does hit close to home and some of these grieving families are our neighbors." Schutz named Green Beret Sgt. 1st Class Daniel Petithory of Cheshire who was killed in action in 2001 in Afghanistan, Army Spc. Michael R. DeMarsico II of North Adams who was killed in action in Afghanistan in 2012, and U.S. Capitol Police Officer William Evans of Clarksburg who was killed at the Capitol this year. "I suggest that we strive to comprehend the pain, anguish, and suffering actually paid by the deceased and passed to their families paid to maintain our free and undivided republic," he said. "That painful work all too familiar to the families of the fallen can not be lost to the passage of time." Though there was no parade this year, the Drury High band did play a few selections. Local Boy Scouts lead the Pledge of Allegiance around the POW-MIA monument adorned with flowers provided to the Legion by Mount Williams Greenhouse. The Boy Scouts also lead a flag retirement ceremony the flags were burned at the conclusion of the ceremony. Mayor Thomas Bernard could not attend the ceremony because his daughter's graduation was scheduled at the same time. He wrote in a letter read during the ceremony that he was there in spirit and thanked all veterans for their service. "As we enter into a new phase of recovery and renewal in North Adams and throughout our nation, remember that testing and trial involves service and sacrifice. I know this is a price our service members have worn all too often and one that those who lost comrades, fathers, mothers brothers, and sisters pay daily. The sacrifice of our fallen service members is a legacy carried by those who pick up the torch of freedom from those who came before them and carry it brightly into the future. I join you in honoring their memory." Nearly 100 people attended a Memorial Day Ceremony at the Pittsfield Cemetery. The rain held off and the temperature was a chilly-but-manageable 50 degrees. Keynote speaker Staff Sgt. P.J. Hunt quoted President Kennedy in saying that as we express our gratitude for soldiers who have given the ultimate sacrifice for their country, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them. Hunt participated in the placing of flags next to graves of service members at the Pittsfield and St. Joseph Cemeteries. He said this "tremendous honor" gave him the opportunity to spend a brief moment with veterans of every conflict from the American Revolution to the Gulf War. "It gives me a great sense of pride in what I do, to know that long after I'm gone, and as long as America remains, someone like me will be out here on a day just like this," He said. "Today, we honor our fallen heroes, those brave men, and women who possess the pride, courage, and dedication to selflessly serve our nation when called upon our service members have served proudly and distinctively in every major conflict, our nation has faced, and they ask for little, yet they inspire so much through their selfless service, they portray the values and ideals on which this country was founded as Kennedy said, the highest appreciation we can provide is to live by the ideals of those that have gone before us." Hunt also spoke on the "variety of unforeseen challenges" that the year has provided the military with between civil unrest across the nation, massive wildfires, hurricanes, and of course, COVID-19. "In every instance, they have honored their predecessors by stepping up and tackling every new challenge head-on with professionalism and dedication," Hunt said. "We can all take pride in having been a part of such a tremendous effort. This past year has been challenging, not just on the military, but all Americans, as the country continues to battle and climb out of COVID-19." He sent out a special "thank you" to the National Guard, who were on the front line from the beginning helping the nation fight this battle. Pittsfield held its observances at Pittsfield Cemetery. Mayor Linda Tyer expressed gratitude for being able to see the crowd's smiling faces as the county recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. "It's really lovely to see all of you here today for this solemn occasion, all of your faces, without your masks," she said. "We've reached a milestone, and seeing your smiles, is a very special moment for all of us as we emerge from this global pandemic." This year's ceremony did not include a parade and last year's event was a small, private gathering that was televised because of the onset of the pandemic. At the ceremony, Pastor Tom Bridgman of Grace Church Congregational gave the invocation and benediction; Fran Tremblay was emcee, Mike Bradley sang the national anthem; Marine veteran Mike Ancora read the Gen. Logan's Memorial Day Order; posting of colors were by Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 448 Cdr. Arnie Perras; the Rev. Peter Gregory read the names of departed veterans from 2020-2021; there were taps and a volley, and Berkshire Veterans Coalition commanders and representatives threw poppies of honor into the urn. Staff Writers Jack Guerino, Brittany Polito and Tammy Danlels contributed to this report. Fishermen to set up political movement to highlight 'decline of rural Ireland' by NEIL MICHAEL June 01,2021 | Source: Irish Examiner Fishermen are planning to set up their own political movement, saying they are sick and tired of being ignored by politicians when raising concerns about the decline of rural Ireland. There is no name yet for the movement, but organisers are planning to hold a series of public meetings in coastal towns and villages. They aim to encourage local communities to field candidates in the next general election who will stand on a rural Ireland ticket. Patrick Murphy, CEO of the Irish South and West Fish Producers Organisation, said the ambition is to organise a national roadshow to gauge opinion and to promote the need for more TDs dedicated to rural Ireland. He said: We are sick of politicians promising us the earth while in opposition, only for them to ignore us when they get into power. "The fishing industry is dying in this country but so too is rural Ireland. We have to do something to stop the decline. We need more rural TDs who stick up for rural issues and to find a middle ground between Sinn Fein, Fianna Fail and Fine Gael. He cited delays over the implementation of rural broadband, rural housing issues, as well as the crisis facing the fishing industry and the farming community. Mr Murphy was speaking just days after a flotilla of around 70 fishing vessels steamed into the Port of Cork to highlight issues affecting the industry. They include the impact of Brexit, new EU rules on weighing fish as soon as it comes ashore, and the ban on Irish fishing within 12 nautical miles of Rockall. They are now planning a bigger flotilla for Dublin Port. While vessels came from a variety of counties for the Cork demonstration, they are hoping to attract a much large number of vessels for the next flotilla. The initiative is a sign of the growing frustration felt by the Irish fishing industry. Union Hall fisherman Joe Walsh said: We, as an industry, are constantly being asked to jump through one legislative hoop after another by Europe. In the past, we have done as we were told. But now its all becoming impractical and unrealistic and weve had enough. While it wouldn't be something for me, I know plenty of guys who feel strongly enough about what is happening to stand as a TD. Too few of the current crop of politicians are fighting for rural communities, and that needs to change. Irish Examiner Ltd, Linn Dubh, Assumption Road, Blackpool, Cork. Registered in Ireland: 523712. Theme(s): Fisheries Development and Aquaculture. Nigeria: Illegal fishing - Ibom deep seaport to save Nigeria US$70 mn by Eromosele Abiodun June 01,2021 | Source: AllAfrica The Ibom deep seaport located in Ibaka, Mbo local council of Akwa Ibom State would save Nigeria approximately $70 million that would have been allegedly lost to illegal fishing by the Chinese and European trawlers in Nigeria's territorial waters, Akwa Ibom State Director of National Orientation Agency, (NOA), Mr. Enoh Uyoh has said. Uyoh, disclosed this while addressing a Maritime Business/International Trade Sensitisation Forum in Uyo. This is just as the Chairman, Technical Committee on Ibom deep seaport Actualisation and Development and former Director General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Mrs. Mfon Usoro, has explained that the federal government decided the location of the port based on recommendations by the consultants, Maritime & Transport Business Solutions (MTBS) in its Outline Business Case (OBC). Usoro, stressed that all evidence confirmed that the federal government located the deep seaport in Ibom based on the fact that approval for location and construction of deep seaports was constitutionally the exclusive preserve of the Federal Government of Nigeria. Citing the critical role of the maritime industry in Nigeria's economic growth, Uyo explained that the location of the Ibom Deep Seaport is critical to national security. According to him, "Nigeria loses approximately $70 million to illegal fishing by the Chinese and European trawlers in our territorial waters. The citing of Ibom Deep Seaport at Ibaka in Mbo Local Government will, to a large extent, provide the much-needed security in the region as much attention will be paid to the security of vessels, and maritime activities by local fishermen will receive a boost." He added, "Maritime trade has played a key role in Nigeria's economic development. It accounts for about 95 per cent of the vehicular means of Nigeria's International Trade." Uyoh expressed hope that the seaport when operational would provide job opportunities to indigenes. He called on the host communities to do everything in their power for business to thrive in the area for their benefit and that of the state, and of the nation at large. Usoro who is the immediate-past Secretary General of the Abuja Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control for West and Central African Region, stressed that all evidence confirm that the federal government located the deep seaport in Ibom as approvals for location and construction of deep seaports is exclusive preserve of the government. She recalled that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved the Outline Business Case and Commencement of Procurement Phase of Ibom deep seaport in May 2015. "This was based upon the presentation of the Outline Business Case to the FEC by the then Minister of Transportation upon recommendation by the Ministerial Project Development Steering Committee (MPDSC), "she stated. The MPDSC, she added, is chaired by the Ministry of Transportation and comprises several relevant federal government agencies including the project proponent, Akwa Ibom State. 2021 AllAfrica Theme(s): Fisheries Development and Aquaculture. 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@idahopress.com for help creating one. By Kim Ae-ran According to a COVID-19 response activities research study that came out on Nov. 30, 2020, volunteer work to overcome COVID-19 during the first period of the pandemic was carried out with the help of 246 volunteer centers nationwide. A total of 760,000 volunteers participated in various fields, such as: disinfection, publicity campaigns, quarantine support, the distribution and production of goods, the making and distribution of masks, the local farm product consumption movement, food assistance to the underprivileged and fundraising. In one instance, eleven doctors, 100 nurses, 32 nursing assistants, 40 administrative staff, and 32 clinical pathologists from Gwangju went to support Daegu voluntarily during the pandemic. Every time we face a crisis in our society, people display their goodwill and do their best to contribute to the common good. Thanks to these volunteers, our society goes on despite many obstacles. Living in our nunnery north of the Han River, visiting hospitals can be a financially demanding problem. With the help of merciful grace, however, we benefit from our greater community. Thanks to the generous spirit of charity and donations, we have several local doctors supporting our congregation. Large-scale Catholic hospitals in other districts give us discounts, but some of the little clinics nearby also give us free medical care. To name a few, Bright Saint Mary's Eye Clinic, Gangbuk Internal Medicine Clinic, Saramin Dental Clinic and Gangbuk Yeonse Otorhinolaryngology are constantly providing us free medical care. Beyond religion, they give us healthcare without taking any payment. When we give them payment for medical care, they donate it back to us. About a month ago, I had an eye examination, and our ophthalmologist advised me to go to a bigger clinic due to a serious condition in my left eye. Heeding his recommendation, I went to Apgujeong St. Mary's Eye Clinic for retinal detachment surgery. I was going to come back to the congregation after surgery, but Doctor Jeong Stefano let me stay one night in the hospital room to ensure my recovery. The next day was Saturday, but he came to see me again, even though he was off-duty. Looking back, my eyes were often tired. About a year ago, floaters appeared from time to time, but I didn't pay much attention to them. Recently, I bumped into a bookshelf while trying to get up from my bed to go to the bathroom during the night. My head was bleeding a bit on the right side. I applied pressure to my head hard with my palm to stop any further bleeding, but I could barely sleep with a towel tightly wrapped around my head. In the morning when I got up, I felt like curtains were drawn over my field of vision. There was something like a tint in the upper part of my left eye's field of vision. It was still the same the next day. So I went to a nearby eye clinic to have my eyes checked. I learned that retinal detachment could lead to blindness if not immediately surgically treated. Thanks to the accident, I took a month-long rest to ensure my full recovery. It was truly a blessing in disguise! It is wonderful to be able to see the marvelous beauty of people and things around us. The author is a member of the Daughters of St. Paul (fsp.pauline.or.kr.), living and giving good news to the world by means of social communication. 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 circulation2@journalnet.com for help creating one. BOISE This years Idaho legislative session, the longest in state history, was marked by dissension and bitter debates over hot-button issues, yet it yielded some startlingly major accomplishments including the biggest transportation infrastructure investment in state history along with a slew of missed opportunities. Despite a lot of noise, distractions, and of course the unfortunate, unprecedented duration of this years legislative session, we were able to act on the issues that matter most in the day-to-day lives of the people we serve, Gov. Brad Little said in a May 19 statement. House Minority Leader Ilana Rubel, D-Boise, had a much different take. Story continues below video Never has it been more clear that there is a total disconnect between the agenda of the Republican politicians running this Statehouse and the majority of Idahoans, regardless of their party, she said. Idahoans value education, and they wanted meaningful property tax help. And that is the opposite of what GOP leadership delivered this session. Supermajority Republican lawmakers spent much of the record 122-day session rehashing splits with GOP Gov. Brad Little over his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and debating cutting education funding the Legislatures main charge under the Idaho Constitution due to what turned out to be unfounded reports of indoctrination of students into a leftist agenda at Boise State University. An investigation released recently showed a report of a BSU student being harassed over race during a class was entirely unfounded, turning up no evidence of any such incident. No student specifically raised concerns about being indoctrinated or being instructed on the tenets of critical race theory, the investigation found; it was conducted by the Hawley Troxell law firm. Nevertheless, lawmakers cut $2.5 million from the higher education budget over the concerns during this years session, including a $1.5 million cut specifically for BSU. The state was awash in cash, with a record budget surplus building amid far better than expected economic performance coming out of the pandemic, even as hundreds of millions in federal aid flowed out to states including Idaho. That led to a buildup of the largest rainy-day funds ever in state history lawmakers even lifted the cap on the states main rainy-day fund, the Budget Stabilization Fund, from 10 percent of the state general fund budget up to 15 percent. Among the missed opportunities were: Failure to address a widespread outcry across the state for property tax relief, particularly for homeowners in the states fastest-growing communities. No move to invest in funding for optional full-day kindergarten in every Idaho school district, despite near-universal support and a rare opportunity to commit millions in ongoing funding from the general fund due to the states unprecedented revenue position. No consideration of lifting the states 6 percent sales tax from groceries, or raising the income tax credit that offsets that for residents. Lawmakers also allowed tens of millions in federal aid to go unclaimed. That included $40 million for voluntary COVID-19 testing in Idahos public and private schools next year, which the House rejected in an unprecedented move, along with numerous other federal aid proposals. Rep. Barbara Ehardt, R-Idaho Falls, read the House a message from a constituent who said her son had to quarantine at home for 10 days three times because he was exposed to someone at school who tested positive positive for COVID-19; she opposed the testing funds. Its not getting them back to school, its finding reasons to keep them out, she said. Legislature03.JPG Rep. Tammy Nichols, R-Middleton, speaks during a press conference on Wednesday, May 12, 2021, at the Idaho State Capitol Building in Boise. Rep. Tammy Nichols, R-Middleton, claimed during the same debate, Its been proven time and time again scientifically that children are not carriers. Actually, state figures at the time showed 20,893 COVID-19 infections among children under 18 in Idaho; as of Friday, that had risen to 21,749, including 26 child cases of multi-system inflammatory syndrome, a rare but very serious complication of COVID-19 that forced one Idaho teen to undergo a heart transplant. Rubel said, Our colleagues across the aisle put wild conspiracy theories above facts. Heres a rundown of some of the highlights, and perhaps lowlights, of this years Idaho legislative session: HEMP LEGALIZATION After fighting over this for years and rejecting it for two straight years despite strong support from the states farmers lawmakers this year agreed to legalize the production and transportation of industrial hemp, which lacks the intoxicating effects of its more potent cousin, marijuana. That made Idaho the very last state to do so; industrial hemp was legalized at the federal level under the 2018 Farm Bill passed by Congress. Idaho law previously made no distinction between industrial hemp and marijuana. As a result, the state has arrested several truck drivers hauling loads of industrial hemp through Idaho and threatened them with drug trafficking charges that carry mandatory minimum prison terms. TRANSPORTATION Lawmakers approved a major increase in transportation funding, passing legislation that more than quadruples the amount of state sales tax revenues to be shifted from the states general fund to road and bridge projects, from 1 to 4.5 percent each year. The successful legislation guarantees an $80 million annual funding stream to the Idaho Transportation Department that can be used to bond for $1.6 billion in major road and bridge projects over the next 20 years. Idaho governors have sought this kind of major boost for decades; a Boise State University study last summer found Idaho needed to spend $241.8 million more a year just to maintain its current transportation system as-is. As the states sales tax revenues continue to grow in future years, all funds over the $80 million mark from the 4.5 percent annual shift will go to local highway jurisdictions for local road and bridge improvements. House Speaker Scott Bedke, R-Oakley, counted the transportation bill among the sessions top accomplishments, along with tax cuts and emergency powers legislation. Little noted that it boosted transportation funding without raising taxes. EDUCATION FUNDING Education funding debates in this years session were marked by claims, fanned by the Idaho Freedom Foundation, that Idahos schools, colleges and even early childhood education programs were indoctrinating the states children into woke-ism or a leftist or Marxist agenda, despite a dearth of evidence. The concerns prompted the House to kill the main public school budget to fund teachers, only later passing it after an additional law passed banning child indoctrination in schools and colleges, including through critical race theory. The higher education budget suffered the same fate, but when the new version returned, it contained a $2.5 million cut aimed at removing funding for social justice programming, $1.5 million of the cut specific to Boise State University. A $6 million federal grant approved by the Trump administration to help 15 local collaboratives around the state focus on improving early learning was killed in the House, and when a new version passed the Senate that included sideboards preventing any dictating of curriculum, the House allowed it to die without a vote. The public schools budget did include a 3.8 percent boost in general funds, plus millions more from federal aid; it restored teacher raises cut last year due to concerns over the pandemics impact on state revenues, which in the end proved unfounded. INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS Little pressed his Building Idahos Future initiative to boost infrastructure investments on everything from roads to water projects to broadband, drawing on $35 million in federal aid funds and also tapping $330 million in state funds trimmed from the budget last year in anticipation of revenue drops. The one-time spending included $50 million for water projects; nearly $50 million for broadband; and $20 million for summer reading programs for young students who lost ground during the pandemic. INITIATIVE LAW CHANGES Two years after Little vetoed even more far-reaching anti-initiative legislation, lawmakers passed SB 1110 and Little signed it into law. It ups the signature requirements to qualify any voter initiative or referendum for the Idaho ballot from 6 percent of registered voters in 18 of the states 35 legislative districts, to 6 percent of the registered voters in all 35 legislative districts. Two lawsuits already are pending with the Idaho Supreme Court, charging that the legislation unconstitutionally makes it impossible for Idahoans to exercise their right to initiative and referendum, which has been guaranteed to them in the Idaho Constitution since 1912. EMERGENCY POWERS Lawmakers and the governor feuded openly over pandemic-driven moves to pare back the governors emergency powers and enlarge the role of the state Legislature in disaster emergencies. Little vetoed two major bills, joined by every living former Idaho governor, calling the changes dangerous to Idahoans and unconstitutional. But when lawmakers passed four watered-down versions late in their session, he signed all four into law. Among other things, they forbid the governor from making any changes to Idaho laws during a state of emergency; forbid suspending of constitutional rights; and end extreme peril declarations after 90 days unless the Legislature convenes and extends them. Idaho State Legislature (Sen. Chuck Winder) Sen. Chuck Winder at work in the Idaho State Capitol, Thursday, April 8, 2021. Theres a role for the Legislature, said Senate Presidsent Pro Tem Chuck Winder, R-Boise, who made emergency-powers legislation a top priority for the session. Theres a role for the representatives of the people to be involved in this process when you have ongoing emergencies. CHILD CARE With Idahos child care industry in crisis due to the pandemic, losing a quarter of its child care providers in the state, the House waited until May 4 to pass long-stalled legislation authorizing the state to spend $140 million in federal aid for child care in Idaho, including $104 million to stabilize the struggling industry both this year and next year, and $36 million for block grants to support programs that support kids age 5-13 such as the Boys & Girls Club, 4-H and the YMCA. Additional federal aid funds awarded for future years drew no legislative action, though they could be taken up next year. The aid bills finally moved after concerned child care providers and parents, many with babies, toddlers or young kids in tow, filled the Capitol rotunda and gathered with strollers on the Capitol steps a day earlier to urge lawmakers to approve the funds. Day care centers across the Treasure Valley closed for the day to focus on getting the message to lawmakers. All three bills were signed into law. SOCIAL ISSUESTAXES The Legislature approved the biggest income tax cut in state history, slashing tax rates for individuals and corporations from a top rate of 6.925 percent to 6.5 percent while also reducing tax brackets from seven to five, and also funding a $220 million one-time tax rebate for every Idaho taxpayer who filed a state return in 2019. The rate changes will cut state general fund revenue by $163 million a year permanently. Legislature06.JPG Rep. Mike Moyle, R-Star, speaks on the House floor during a legislative session on Wednesday, May 12, 2021, at the Idaho State Capitol Buildin Many lawmakers had come to this years session with property tax relief as a top focus, but numerous bills to address a growing shift in the property tax burden onto the states homeowners, particularly in fast-growing communities, werent allowed hearings by House GOP leaders. In a three-day period at the end of the session, House Majority Leader Mike Moyle, R-Star, introduced HB 389 and it passed both houses, enacting a conglomeration of property tax changes, from a 25 percent increase in the homeowners exemption to big new tax breaks for businesses and developers to budget limits for fast-growing cities around the state. Local government leaders blasted the bill, saying it would prevent growth from paying for itself, but Little signed it into law. ETHICS A freshman state representative from Lewiston faced an ethics inquiry after a 19-year-old legislative intern charged that he raped her after a dinner date; Rep. Aaron von Ehlinger, 38, acknowledged sexual contact but claimed it was consensual. The House Ethics Committee unanimously recommended he be charged with conduct unbecoming a state representative, and be suspended from office without pay or benefits for the remainder of his two-year term. Von Ehlinger resigned before the full House could vote on the committee recommendation. Several GOP lawmakers supported von Ehlinger and testified in his favor at the ethics hearing, including Rep. Priscilla Giddings, R-White Bird, who twice sent out links to a far-right blog post containing the interns name, photo, and personal information, and calling the incident a blatant liberal smear job, in constituent newsletters and on her Facebook page. Giddings then faced calls for an ethics inquiry into her conduct, though nothing developed before the session essentially ended on May 12. GOVERNMENT FUNCTIONS The reason the session essentially, rather than certainly, ended on May 12 was that the Idaho House refused to adjourn sine die, or without a day, as it always does at the end of the legislative session. Instead, the House opted to recess indefinitely to any time between then and Dec. 31, while the Senate adjourned sine die. The Idaho Attorney Generals office issued a legal opinion saying it interpreted the unprecedented move as resulting in both houses recessing; but former Idaho Attorney General Jim Jones, a former chief justice of the Idaho Supreme Court, reached the opposite conclusion, opining that the move meant both houses effectively were adjourned sine die. The Idaho Constitution doesnt let one house adjourn for more than three days without the consent of the other house; the House consented to letting the Senate adjourn sine die. Lawmakers also faced a possible government shutdown when the next fiscal year starts July 1 after their session ran so long that it would have conflicted with the Idaho Constitutions requirement that new legislation, including budgets, not take effect until 60 days after lawmakers adjourn sine die. That forced lawmakers to pass a lengthy, last-minute bill that added emergency clauses to every bill that had already passed this year, more than 200 bills in total. All those machinations were aimed at lawmakers desire to be able to return for a special session at any time without waiting for the governor to reconvene them; the Idaho Constitution allows only the governor to call a special session of the Legislature, and also allows him to restrict its topics. Both houses passed a proposed constitutional amendment, which will go to voters in the November 2022 general election, to change the Constitution to let lawmakers call themselves back into session whenever 60 percent of the members of each house want to, with no limit on session length or frequency. The Legislature also failed to enact the so-called drop-dead bill extending all state administrative rules at the end of the session, forcing, for the third straight year, re-promulgation of thousands of pages of rules, all of which will again return to lawmakers for review next January. Yet, despite failing to accomplish those basic functions, the Legislature did fulfill its constitutionally required duties this year, setting a balanced budget for the state, including funding schools. Lawmakers also approved three badly needed new judges for Canyon County, including one district judge and two magistrates; and authorized more than $90 million in state building and facility maintenance and repair work. Bedke said, I think we did pretty good against the backdrop of the pandemic. There was a lot of uncertainty, and it just added to the length of the session. He noted that if the 18-day recess were subtracted from the sessions length, it wouldnt be the longest-ever; itd rank as the 3rd-longest in state history. Boise State University political scientist Jaclyn Kettler said she was struck by how much of the session was devoted to pulling for power, whether against the executive branch, against voter-driven initiatives, or against other government officials in the state. Bills that got much debate, though they eventually failed, sought to insert lawmakers into local government decisions on renaming of streets and purchasing local public art; and to authorize all state agencies to hire private attorneys at state expense rather than use the services of the states chief legal officer, the Idaho Attorney General. Lawmakers also hired their own private attorneys, and allocated $4 million in taxpayer funds this year to their own Legislative Legal Defense Fund for that purpose. Some of this goes back to core legislative debates on who should have authority, Kettler said. Im really curious over whether this is a unique session, or whether these are things were going to continue to see into the future. Nuclear plant fire shows operators' poor management It is beyond deplorable when examining the causes of a fire at the Shin-Kori 4 nuclear reactor in Ulsan, Saturday. The accident demonstrated that the nuclear power plant operators' infamous ignoring of safety measures has not changed at all. At the time of the accident, the plant's generator turbine stopped running, four explosions rang out and a great deal of smoke (water vapor in actuality) was released. These showed it could not be dismissed as a minor accident but one requiring a swift and effective response. However, the operators tried to put out the fire for about 20 minutes. After these efforts did not work, they then reported it to a fire station. That was why it took as long as an hour to put it out. What if the accident led to a fatal accident? Even more astonishing, almost all residents nearby were quite unaware of what was going on because neither the operators nor local officials notified them. If there had been a radiation leak or other grave situation, residents might have suffered irreparable damage, not even knowing the cause. Accidents, large and small, have occurred in the nation's nuclear power plants because of operators' chronic neglect of safety measures and poor management. Another case occurred at the Hanbit 1 reactor in Yeonggwang in May 2019. While testing the reactor's controls, they showed an abnormality in thermal output. But the operators neglected the problem for nearly 12 hours. A hike in thermal power could lead to a reactor runaway, meltdown or explosion. A similar accident caused the Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine, in 1986. The authorities say nuclear power is safe energy, and fears about it are groundless. However, no one can entirely rule out the possibility of unexpected accidents. The public's fear is bound to grow if accidents like the one at Shin-Kori happen more frequently. A special investigation team of experts to be dispatched by the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission should find out the exact cause of the fire and work out steps to prevent a recurrence in order to quell public anxiety. Gihan Amarasiriwardena doesn't believe in multitasking. The 32-year-old president and co-founder of Boston-based business apparel company Ministry of Supply says using the same part of your brain to do similar tasks--like reading emails during meetings--makes it hard to get anything done. Still, he hates wasting time. So Amarasiriwardena says he embraces parallel processing, a computing method that entails using separate parts of a machine (in this case, your brain) to achieve multiple goals. Example: Every morning, he works both his mind and body simultaneously because he says neither goal distracts from the other. The MIT alum goes on what he calls his "triple-layer active" commute: run to work while listening to an audiobook or podcast--he's learning to speak Norwegian. In pre-pandemic times, Amarasiriwardena would jog the five-and-a-half miles to his office, but now most days he ends up back home. In March 2020, Ministry of Supply responded to the pandemic by temporarily shuttering its six retail stores across the U.S., which Amarasiriwardena says depended heavily on tourists and generated a third of revenue. "We're a company that makes clothes for the office, business travel, commuting, weddings," he says, "Those are all things that weren't happening last year." Like a lot of clothing companies, Ministry of Supply started making masks and tweaked its line of products for the work-from-home environment, turning dress pants into joggers. The company ended the year with $12 million in revenue in 2020, down from $14 million in 2019. In some ways, the shift to working remotely was the tougher challenge to solve. For a self-proclaimed productivity geek like Amarasiriwardena, initially, the move was unsettling. His team found it difficult to sync their work, which was important for a company where one person's role is often dependent on another's, and tried to schedule more online meetings. But upping screen time led to more fatigue, he says: "At the end of the day, you've had six hours of Zoom meetings, and you haven't had any time to actually get your real work done." Now, more than a year into the pandemic, Amarasiriwardena says the 16-person team at Ministry of Supply has a highly effective workflow that has, among other things, helped his team stay motivated and avoid burnout. Here are three hacks Amarasiriwardena plans to keep to ensure that his team stays productive. 1. Change up the pace. The kind of work that happens at Ministry of Supply depends on the week. To stay on the same page during the pandemic, the company adopted Scrum--the workflow framework that emerged in 1995 and became popular in the tech industry over the past decade. The company rotates between "sprint" weeks, which involve focused, asynchronous work on projects, and "operate" weeks when the team handles most of its logistics communication. "One week you may have more meetings, but then the other one is like deep work," he says. "It's engaging a different part of your brain." Amarasiriwardena says alternating weeks keeps things moving. "When every week looks like the week before," he adds, "it becomes monotonous. And that drives a lot of burnout." The Scrum framework looks different at different companies. "You inspect, you adapt on what could be better, and you eventually find a way that everything gels together," says Avi Schneier, a principal consultant at Scrum Inc., the teaching organization founded by a co-creator of the concept. 2. Motivate and celebrate. Every Monday morning, during a 15-minute all-staff Zoom call, the team kicks off the week by watching a prerecorded customer interview put together by the company's customer experience manager. Amarasiriwardena says it helps remind the team of their purpose while also inspiring new ideas. "It's a good way to ground ourselves because our inspiration for our product comes from the lives that our customers are living, particularly right now," he says. "We want to know what's changing, what their closet looks like." On Fridays, the team closes out the week with a creative session, during which members can pitch new ideas or share about a passion project. Amarasiriwardena says celebrating accomplishments reenergizes the team while winding down for the weekend. 3. Embrace the best of both worlds. During the pandemic, operate weeks, which are more social, have been important for maintaining a human element to work, says Amarasiriwardena. Now, as most of the team is vaccinated, he says they're planning for a partial return to in-person work. Once that happens, Amarasiriwardena says everyone will go back to the office for operate weeks, but sprint weeks will stay remote. China on Tuesday reported the first confirmed case of a person infected with the H10N3 strain of bird flu. A 41-year-old man in the eastern province of Jiangsu was diagnosed on 28 May with the H10N3 avian influenza virus a month after he was hospitalised following high fever and other symptoms, said China's National Health Commission (NHC). The Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conducted a genome sequence on a blood sample taken from the patient last week, confirming the strain. The man found to be infected with the virus has been stable and is ready to be discharged from the hospital, reported Reuters. The NHC, however, did not elaborate on the cause of infection. "This infection is an accidental cross-species transmission," its statement said. "The risk of large-scale transmission is low." The medical observation of his close contacts has so far not found any other cases of infection. The NHC added that H10N3 is a relatively less severe strain of the virus and has a low risk of it spreading on a large scale. However, experts have advised people in the region to avoid contact with sick or dead poultry as well as avoid direct contact with live birds. Explaining the nature of the strain, Filip Claes, regional laboratory coordinator of the Food and Agriculture Organization's Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases at the Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, told Reuters that it is "not a very common virus. He said, that 160 isolates of the virus were reported in the 40 years till 2018, mostly in wild birds or waterfowl in Asia and some limited parts of North America. He added that genetic data of the virus would be necessary to examine if it resembles older viruses or is a novel mix of different viruses. Additional reporting from the wires Medics in South Korea have reported the countrys first case of rare blood clotting linked to the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine. A medical facility worker in his 30s was taken to hospital on 12 May after receiving the jab on 27 April. He developed a headache on 9 May before falling seriously ill, and also suffered muscle cramps. Jeong Eun-kyeong, director of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), said in a statement: His condition has improved since then and we understand there is no big problem though he still needs monitoring. The symptoms of blood clotting are curable if detected early and treated properly, she added. About 3.27 million people in South Korea have been given at least one dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine so far. Seoul limited its use to the over-30s following the initial reports of blood clotting elsewhere in the world. Those reports have mainly concerned a type of blood clot called cerebral venous sinus thrombosis. The condition has been seen in combination with low blood platelet levels, called thrombocytopenia. Medical regulators in the US and Europe have concluded that there appears to be a link between AstraZeneca's vaccine, as well as one made by Johnson & Johnson, and the clots, but they say the shots are safe and that the benefits of being vaccinated outweigh the risks. AstraZeneca has said it is working to understand individual cases and possible mechanisms that could explain these extremely rare events, while J&J has said that no clear causal relationship has been established between the vaccine and the clots. The KDCA reported 430 new coronavirus cases as of Sunday, for a total of 140,340 cases with 1,959 deaths. Additional reporting by Reuters June marks Pride month, a time for us to celebrate and reflect on our LGBTQ+ lives, history and experiences. Pride is a time to commemorate our elders and the continued resistance of LGBTQ+ folks to harassment, discrimination and abuse. While this years Pride month may be a little different for most people around the globe, books remain an essential way to connect us with our communities, learn and grow. Weve selected some of the best LGBTQ+ books of the last few years that will hopefully do just that. Read more: You can trust our independent reviews. We may earn commission from some of the retailers, but we never allow this to influence selections, which are formed from real-world and expert advice. This revenue helps us to fund journalism across The Independent. The best LGBTQ+ books for 2021 are: Best overall Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters, published by Serpents Tail, 12.99, Waterstones.com Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters, published by Serpents Tail, 12.99, Waterstones.com Best for romance Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo, published by Hachette, 7.99, Blackwells.co.uk Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo, published by Hachette, 7.99, Blackwells.co.uk Best coming-of-age tale The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta, published by Hachette, 6.99, Waterstones.com The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta, published by Hachette, 6.99, Waterstones.com Best for LGBTQ+ history Sensible Footwear: A Girls Guide by Kate Charlesworth, published by Myriad Editions, 13.35, Hive.co.uk Sensible Footwear: A Girls Guide by Kate Charlesworth, published by Myriad Editions, 13.35, Hive.co.uk Best for laughs Wow, No Thank You by Samantha Irby, published by Faber & Faber, 9.99, Waterstones.com Wow, No Thank You by Samantha Irby, published by Faber & Faber, 9.99, Waterstones.com Best for learning about gender Non-Binary Lives: An Anthology of Intersecting Identities edited by Jos Twist, Ben Vincent, Meg-John Barker and Kat Gupta, published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 12.79, Amazon.co.uk Non-Binary Lives: An Anthology of Intersecting Identities edited by Jos Twist, Ben Vincent, Meg-John Barker and Kat Gupta, published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 12.79, Amazon.co.uk Best literary read In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado, published by Graywolf Press, 14.99, Waterstones.com In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado, published by Graywolf Press, 14.99, Waterstones.com Best poignant read Who Killed My Father by Edouard Louis, published by Penguin, 8.99, Waterstones.com Who Killed My Father by Edouard Louis, published by Penguin, 8.99, Waterstones.com Best new British novelist Rainbow Milk by Paul Mendez, published by Hachette, 12.26, Amazon.co.uk Rainbow Milk by Paul Mendez, published by Hachette, 12.26, Amazon.co.uk Best memoir I'm Afraid of Men by Vivek Shraya, published by Penguin Random House Canada,9.56, Amazon.co.uk I'm Afraid of Men by Vivek Shraya, published by Penguin Random House Canada,9.56, Amazon.co.uk Best for understanding the migrant experience Patsy by Nicole Dennis-Benn, published by Oneworld Publications, 8.99, Waterstones.com Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters, published by Serpents Tail Best: Overall Devastating, hilarious, tender, ambitious, provocative there simply arent enough superlatives to heap upon this masterful work of fiction. Longlisted for the 2021 Womens Prize for Fiction, Detransition, Baby interrogates the messy themes of motherhood just some vague test to ensure that everyone feels inadequate queerness, family and womanhood to expert effect. Focusing on three people cisgender and transgender at a crossroads in life, whose unorthodox solution to a surprise pregnancy exposes the vulnerabilities and hopes buried beneath the steeliest exteriors, this smart and thoughtful book skewers heteronormative ideas around gender. While Peters has made clear that the book was not written with a cisgender audience in mind, the universal themes of love and sorrow transcend gender and sexuality; these flawed characters feel like friends. Buy now 12.99 , Waterstones.com {{#hasItems}} Price comparison {{/hasItems}} {{#items}} {{ merchant }} {{ price }} Buy now {{/items}} {{#hasItems}} {{/hasItems}} Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo, published by Hachette Best: For romance When 17-year-old Lily Hu spots an advert for a male impersonator act in her local paper at the enigmatic Telegraph Club, it marks the start of a journey of self-discovery and burgeoning sexuality that permeates every aspect of her life. Set in San Franciscos Chinatown in the 1950s against a backdrop of McCarthyism and red scare paranoia, Hu begins to live a secret double-life that requires her to re-evaluate everything she thinks she knows, while discovering a thrilling underground queer community. In this delightful book, Lo captures the headiness and thrill of first love exquisitely and the risks we take for love. Last Night at the Telegraph Club is a thoughtful semi-fictionalised account of an important and overlooked period in queer, American history. Buy now 7.99 , Blackwells.co.uk {{#hasItems}} Price comparison {{/hasItems}} {{#items}} {{ merchant }} {{ price }} Buy now {{/items}} {{#hasItems}} {{/hasItems}} The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta, published by Hachette Best: Coming-of-age tale Told in verse, this beautiful coming-of-age story focuses on Felix, a Jamaican-Greek Cypriot teenager, coming to terms with his identity as a gay man. From leaving his home in London, to finding a home to explore and celebrate himself in his universitys drag society, this joyful tale is full of heart and hope. Winner of a Stonewall Book Award, respected poet Atta said of the novel: I would like this book to show people some of the many ways you can f*** with gender rather than always being f***ed over by it. While this may be a book written for young adults, its a delight to read, whatever your age. Buy now 6.99 , Waterstones.com {{#hasItems}} Price comparison {{/hasItems}} {{#items}} {{ merchant }} {{ price }} Buy now {{/items}} {{#hasItems}} {{/hasItems}} Sensible Footwear: A Girls Guide by Kate Charlesworth, published by Myriad Editions Best: For LGBTQ+ history Part memoir, part LGBT history book, this substantial graphic novel takes a witty and creative approach to this seminal part of British history. From humble beginnings in the South Yorkshire town of Barnsley, to her transition into a self-proclaimed dyke about town, this is a heart-warming and humbling look at the remarkable fight for equality LGBTQ+ people have been forced to endure simply for being their authentic selves. Highlighting the lives of lesser known figures from the community, such as Jackie Forster and Nancy Spain, to pivotal players such as Lady Phyll and Peter Tatchell (who continue to be major voices in the equalities movement), this important book combines key moments from LGBTQ+ history, such as Section 28, the first Pride march and the arrival of Aids, with personal and professional anecdotes that reflect the era. While the pain of parental rejection and bigoted media reports sadly continue to be felt today, theres much to celebrate in this entertaining and educational tome. Buy now 13.35 , Hive.co.uk {{#hasItems}} Price comparison {{/hasItems}} {{#items}} {{ merchant }} {{ price }} Buy now {{/items}} {{#hasItems}} {{/hasItems}} Wow, No Thank You by Samantha Irby, published by Faber & Faber Best: For laughs This flawless collection of essays by US comedian and author Samantha Irby combines candid emotional output with laugh-out-loud humour to triumphant effect. Written on the brink of her fortieth birthday, Irby contemplates the shifts in a life that has shifted from riotous all-nighters to girls gone mild. Subjects under scrutiny include making friends as an adult, smartphone addiction, lesbian bed death the most Ive been asked to do before f****ng a woman is shoo the cat off the bed beforehand incontinence, loathing (of oneself and the wider populous) and life itself a mistake and everyone is trash. A welcome hiatus from the cacophony of millennial voices eulogising about skincare regimes I dont drink water and my blood type is pizza this book makes you feel less alone. Misanthropy might not be cool, but Irby makes it funny as hell. Buy now 9.99 , Waterstones.com {{#hasItems}} Price comparison {{/hasItems}} {{#items}} {{ merchant }} {{ price }} Buy now {{/items}} {{#hasItems}} {{/hasItems}} Non-Binary Lives: An Anthology of Intersecting Identities edited by Jos Twist, Ben Vincent, Meg-John Barker and Kat Gupta, published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers Best: For learning about gender This beautifully curated collection of essays is a welcome tonic in a cultural climate that seems hellbent on misunderstanding and misrepresenting those who do not fall into gender binaries. With a focus on intersections, this anthology specifically aims to examine the ways in which a persons other identities such as being a parent, having a faith, being black or having a disability intersect with their non-binary identity. Some writing on gender can often be inaccessible and academic, so it was a pleasure to read a collection of essays that were highly personal, thoughtful and immensely insightful. From gender euphoria to radical softness, working through each contribution felt like having an illuminating conversation with the most informed and thoughtful person you know. This diverse group of individuals have done the work in picking apart the norms that prevail in many societies and discovered how prescriptive and stifling these can be. The overriding message is that non-binary people exist in multiple forms that there is no right way to be non-binary but there is plenty more to learn besides. Essential reading for anyone wishing to learn more about the wonderful diversity of humans. Furthermore, profits from the sale of this book will go to organisations supporting marginalised trans and non-binary folks. Buy now 12.79 , Blackwells {{#hasItems}} Price comparison {{/hasItems}} {{#items}} {{ merchant }} {{ price }} Buy now {{/items}} {{#hasItems}} {{/hasItems}} In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado, published by Graywolf Press Best: Literary read Winner of the 2021 Rathbones Folio Prize and 2020 Lambda Literary LGBTQ Nonfiction award, Carmen Maria Machados astonishing account of the abuse she was subjected to by her ex-partner is equal parts poetry and horror. With unwavering frankness, Machado describes the initial rapture of her first same-sex relationship and its subsequent distortion into violence and fear. Deftly chronicling the shame, disbelief and immobilising nature of abuse, Machado utilises different literary forms to describe her experience, such as folk tale tropes and genres, an approach that only serves to add to the unsettling sense that permeates the book. Some chapters are a single sentence dream house as epiphany: most types of domestic abuse are completely legal and her ability to make language sing is absolutely remarkable. The book also exists as an essential addition to a limited archive documenting same-sex abuse. A towering achievement from a truly outstanding writer. Buy now 14.99 , Waterstones.com {{#hasItems}} Price comparison {{/hasItems}} {{#items}} {{ merchant }} {{ price }} Buy now {{/items}} {{#hasItems}} {{/hasItems}} Who Killed My Father by Edouard Louis, published by Penguin Best: Poignant read Louis devastating memoir reflects on his relationship with his father who, at the age of 50, is close to death. In less than 90 pages, Louis describes the casual violence, poverty, homophobia and shame that blight both father and son, while laying full responsibility at the feet of a political elite whose policies mean the difference between life and death for societys most vulnerable. Its no coincidence that the books title lacks a question mark; Louis has receipts and names names. But its not all horror tenderness, growth and honesty all feature, but its the lack of autonomy, the predictability of poverty and the anger this invariably generates thats the real gut punch. A masterful work from an underrepresented voice, which reminds us that the political is intrinsically personal. Buy now 8.99 , Waterstones.com {{#hasItems}} Price comparison {{/hasItems}} {{#items}} {{ merchant }} {{ price }} Buy now {{/items}} {{#hasItems}} {{/hasItems}} Rainbow Milk by Paul Mendez, published by Hachette Best: New British novelist A fearless and hopeful account of one black mans entry into adulthood that explores identity, family and sexuality against the backdrop of the Windrush legacy. Beginning with the arrival of his ancestors from Jamaica to the UK in the 1950s, Mendez deftly portrays the systemic discrimination and violence faced by black people, both then and now. The story then moves to Jesse, a young man brought up as a Jehovahs Witness, coming to terms with his sexuality in a family and religion that refuses to accept him. The novel follows him to London where he learns about independence, sex, love and class in often heart-breaking and joyful ways. Featuring one of the best Christmas Day scenes devoted to print, this is a wonderful read from an exciting new voice in British fiction. Buy now 12.26 , Amazon.co.uk {{#hasItems}} Price comparison {{/hasItems}} {{#items}} {{ merchant }} {{ price }} Buy now {{/items}} {{#hasItems}} {{/hasItems}} I'm Afraid of Men by Vivek Shraya, published by Penguin Random House Canada Best: Memoir As a trans woman of colour, Shraya writes with painful authority about the avalanche of violence she is subjected to. From her clothing, to her usage of exclamation marks in communication to soften her message and avoid agitating or offending men, Shrayas experiences lead her to conclude that the only time I can make choices about how I want to look, act [and] communicate is when Im inside my apartment. In addition to the transmisogyny she faces, Shraya writes with clarity about boundaries and queer spaces, the epidemic of male violence, and how we need to discard the archetype of the good man for a more nuanced conversation around masculinity. Accessible, essential and all too relatable, this is a thought-provoking discussion of vital issues that affect us all. Buy now 9.56 , Amazon.co.uk {{#hasItems}} Price comparison {{/hasItems}} {{#items}} {{ merchant }} {{ price }} Buy now {{/items}} {{#hasItems}} {{/hasItems}} Patsy by Nicole Dennis-Benn, published by Oneworld Publications Best: For understanding the migrant experience Sacrifice and survival are the major themes in this absorbing novel that follows Patsy as she leaves behind her five-year-old daughter in Jamaica in the hope of a better life (and love) in the US. Instead of the American dream and a romantic reunion with her childhood sweetheart, Patsy quickly discovers the reality of life as a black, undocumented immigrant in a racist world. Left with her absent biological father, the book also charts her daughter Trus struggles as she grows up with her own secrets. As well as examining the specific challenges faced by those at the intersection of race and class, Patsy also represents those women who fail to conform to societal expectations be it as mothers, carers, or through sexuality and gender. A thoughtful and enjoyable portrayal of a woman seeking freedom, at all costs and the 2020 Lambda Lesbian Fiction award winner. Buy now 8.99 , Waterstones.com {{#hasItems}} Price comparison {{/hasItems}} {{#items}} {{ merchant }} {{ price }} Buy now {{/items}} {{#hasItems}} {{/hasItems}} IndyBest product reviews are unbiased, independent advice you can trust. On some occasions, we earn revenue if you click the links and buy the products, but we never allow this to bias our coverage. The reviews are compiled through a mix of expert opinion and real-world testing. Most of us have needed a good laugh over the last 12 months. Searches on Netflix for horror dipped at the peak of the first lockdown, while stand-up comedy saw a huge jump in viewers. In the world of social media, accounts poking fun at responses to the virus have also gained enormous followings, with accounts like Quentin Quarantino and the Reddit thread CoronavirusMemes surging in popularity in the past year. Weve spent a significant amount of time joking about Zoom meetings, hand-washing songs, and home haircuts. But what makes us switch so quickly between panicking at death tolls and chuckling at a video sent by a friend? As a scholar whos spent much of my career studying laughter and comedy, I often come across surprising functions of humour. Ive studied Italian comedy and its reception in 16th-century France, the political consequences of laughter in the Wars of Religion, and the historical antecedents to todays main theories of humour. Much of my research has revealed fascinating things about how humour appeals to us in times of hardship. But the pandemic has really amplified the roles that comedy can play and brought home our reliance on humour. When the boundary between laughter and derision is respected, comedy can play a key role in helping us to recover from disaster Our need to laugh in the face of disaster is by no means new. In ancient Rome, gladiators would leave humorous graffiti on barrack walls before going to their deaths. The ancient Greeks also sought new ways to laugh at deadly disease. And during the Black Death pandemic in 1348, the Italian Giovanni Boccaccio wrote the Decameron, a collection of often funny tales told by storytellers isolating from the plague. The need to avoid offence with humour is just as ancient. In 335BC, Aristotle advised against laughing at anything painful or destructive. The Roman educator Quintilian also outlined in AD95 the very fine line between ridere (laughter) and deridere (derision). Its still generally accepted a common position that humour shouldnt hurt, and this is particularly true when the object of laughter is already vulnerable. When the boundary between laughter and derision is respected, comedy can play a key role in helping us to recover from disaster, providing benefits which explain our tendency to seek humour in serious situations, especially in terms of enhancing our sense of physical and mental wellbeing. Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases endorphins (Getty/iStockphoto) Laughter serves as a great workout (laughing 100 times burns as many calories as 15 minutes on an exercise bike), helping to relax our muscles and promote circulation. Combinations of exercise and laughter such as the increasingly popular laughter yoga can also provide significant benefits to patients with depression. Laughter also decreases stress hormones and increases endorphins. In tough times, when we have thousands of thoughts a day, a bout of giggling provides our brains with respite we desperately need. In the same way, we seek humour in a crisis because it is difficult to feel scared and amused at the same time, and most often, the combination of these emotions result in feeling thrill and not terror. Sigmund Freud explored this in 1905 when revising the so-called relief theory, suggesting that laughter feels good because it purges our system of pent-up energy. Even in the 1400s, clerics argued that mirth was vital for keeping up spirits, explaining that people are like old barrels which explode if they arent uncorked from time to time. As levels of loneliness reached a record high during the winter lockdown (in November, one in four UK adults reported feeling lonely), laughter has also been crucial in bringing people together. Not only is it typically a communal activity some scientists believe that our human ancestors laughed in groups before they could speak its even more contagious than yawning. Given that were far more likely to laugh at topics we find personally relatable, humour has helped people to identify with one another during lockdowns. This in turn creates a sense of unity and solidarity, alleviating our sense of disconnectedness. Literature scholar and author Gina Barreca maintains that laughing together is as close as you can get without touching. Laughter can also be a means of easing our worries. Joking around a fear, especially during a pandemic, can make it more manageable, a phenomenon known by comedians as finding the funny. This is linked to superiority theory, the idea that we laugh because we feel superior to something or someone else (for example, its funny when someone slips on a banana because we ourselves havent). We laugh because we are superior, unthreatened, and in control. In this way, joking about a virus heightens our sense of power over it and relieves anxiety. Joking can also be useful because it enables us to talk about our problems and to express fears we may otherwise find hard to put into words. Though many of us have felt guilty for seeking humour in the pandemic, lets not add this to our list of worries. Certainly, our situation may not always be a laughing matter. But laughing itself matters, and when used appropriately, it can be one of our most effective coping mechanisms during a crisis, allowing us to find a healthier balance with others, with ourselves, and even with events beyond our control. Lucy Rayfield is a lecturer in French at the University of Bristol. This article first appeared on The Conversation. When rangers stormed a wildlife traffickers hideout in a remote corner of western Uganda, a caged chimpanzee stared back at them, her human-like limbs bound by heavy chains. Africa as the chimp was later named by her rescuers was about to be sold to the highest bidder at a lucrative price. Large numbers of chimpanzees are being captured in Uganda and flown to zoos as far away as Russia, and prices can reach $10,000 (a little over 7,000). Some are sold as pets, shipped to labs, or killed for bushmeat. Over the course of a few decades, their population is estimated to have dropped from tens of thousands to around 5,000. Changpeng Zhao, the CEO of cryptocurrency exchange website Binance, has taken to Twitter to take on criticisms of the digital moneys energy use and apparently subtweet Tesla CEO Elon Musk. When you use electricity to run cars, its environmentally friendly. When you use electricity to run the most efficient financial networks in the world, its an environmental concern, Zhao tweeted. The statement appears to be referencing the recent announcement from Mr Musk that Tesla would no longer be accepting bitcoin payments in exchange for its electric cars which caused a minor cryptocurrency crash. Tesla did not respond to a request for comment from The Independent before time of publication. Tesla has suspended vehicle purchases using Bitcoin, a statement, tweeted from Elon Musks account, read. We are concerned about rapidly increasing use of fossil fuels for Bitcoin mining and transactions, especially coal, which has the worst emissions of any fuel. Cryptocurrency is a good idea on many levels and we believe it has a promising future, but this cannot come at a great cost to the environment. Tesla will not be selling any Bitcoin and we intend to use it for transactions as soon as mining transitions to more sustainable energy. We are also looking at other cryptocurrencies that use <1% of Bitcoins energy/transaction. Mr Musks criticisms are long-standing. Analysis by the University of Cambridge suggests the bitcoin network uses more than 121 terawatt-hours (TWh) annually, which would rank it in the top 30 electricity consumers worldwide if it were a country. Recently, it has been estimated to use nearly as much energy as the entire country of Argentina. The British banking system has been found to be using nearly double the UKs annual carbon emissions, according to a report by Greenpeace and the WWF, however, that system maintains an economic network which is currently more essential than the development of bitcoin. The governor of the Bank of England recently said that cryptocurrencies have no intrinsic value and people who invest in them should be prepared to lose all [their] money. Such concerns are exacerbated by the wildly-fluctuating value of cryptocurrency, with investors pleading with Mr Musk to stop tweeting as every message can affect the price of digital currencies drastically. SpaceX tycoon Elon Musk has shared a picture of his latest Starship prototype, the SN16, which is being readied for the projects biggest test yet: the first orbital flight of a Mars-bound ship, due for blast off in July. The towering 50-metre-long stainless steel craft is seen in a hangar at Mr Musks Starbase facility at Boca Chica in Cameron County, Texas, its sci-fi nose cone and fins cast against the night sky. Starships development brings the Tesla billionaire closer to realising his dream of landing an astronaut on the hostile surface of Mars this decade, with a view to ultimately colonising the Red Planet and even constructing cities among its craters by 2050, a project that has already seen him secure a multi-billion dollar contract with Nasa. SpaceX has ambitions to launch crewed missions to Mars as early as 2024 and currently has the field to itself, with no government agency or rival private company on course to challenge it. Such a plan would involve Mr Musks company building up to 100 Starships a year, with each one capable of housing 100 crew members and boasting private cabins, large common areas, centralised storage, solar storm shelters and a viewing gallery, according to SpaceXs user guide for the rocket. The firm only began testing Starship prototypes in January 2020 but has so far set about its task at an astonishing rate. After two successful 150-metre hops at its Starbase centre, SpaceX began a series of high-altitude flight tests at a frequency of nearly one a month. Although the first four of these ended in explosions, each represented a milestone in Starships progress. Alongside Starship, the company is also building a 70-metre Super Heavy booster that will also be fully reusable and capable of supporting regular rocket launches from Earth. When combined, this two-stage rocket will stand at 120 metres and make for the worlds most powerful launch vehicle ever developed. The craft features six Raptor engines fed with liquid methane and liquid oxygen by propellant tanks, producing methalox in a combustion process that takes place in several stages, the engine design serving to minimise waste, according to the BBC. Mr Musk hopes the use of methane as its fuel will mean it can be synthesised with subsurface water and atmospheric carbon dioxide should it eventually reach Mars, creating a Sabatier reaction that would enable it to power its way back to Earth self-sufficiently. The Super Heavy rocket will meanwhile be filled with 3,400 tonnes of cryogenic methalox and be powered by a further 28 Raptor engines, providing 72 Meganewtons of maximum thrust and rendering it more powerful than the huge Saturn V launcher that was used for the Apollo Moon missions in the 1960s and 70s. Speaking at a Nasa panel event in April, Mr Musk observed that it is now almost 50 years since man last landed on the Moon and commented: We need to have a big permanently occupied base on the Moon, and then build a city on Mars and become a spacefaring civilisation. We dont want to be one of those single planet species, we want to be a multi-planetary species. The tech developer has previously described his motivation as lying in the prospect of existential threats to our planet, telling a conference in Mexico in 2016 that the future for the human species amounts to staying on Earth and awaiting some eventual extinction event - like the planet succumbing to the effects of the climate crisis or being struck by an asteroid - or establish new colonies elsewhere to increase humanitys chances of survival. Mr Musk has been serious about cultivating life on Mars since at least 2001, when he attempted to buy three intercontinental ballistic missiles for $20 million in order to blast a robotic greenhouse to the planet in order to grow plants in its soil. Moon hit for trying to control prosecution President Moon Jae-in appointed former Vice Justice Minister Kim Oh-soo as prosecutor general Monday, despite strong objections from the main opposition People Power Party (PPP). It is disappointing that Moon pressed ahead with the appointment without a bipartisan endorsement of Kim. Regrettably, he has become the 33rd ministerial-level official to take office without the consent of the opposition bloc under the Moon administration. The President should take the blame for breaking his repeated promise to promote bipartisanship by forging cooperative ties with minority parties. Most recently he even proposed the resumption of a consultative body between the government and the ruling and opposition parties. Kim's appointment once again demonstrated Moon's unilateral governing style has not changed even after the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) suffered a crushing defeat in the April 7 mayoral by-elections in Seoul and Busan. Moon and his party members have remained arrogant and self-righteous, refusing to respect the different voices from the opposition parties and the public. Kim's confirmation hearing was held at the National Assembly, May 26. But the hearing ended inconclusively due to wrangling between the DPK and the PPP over his qualifications. The PPP made the case against Kim, arguing that he was unfit for the top prosecution post. It pointed out that Kim's pro-government inclination could hinder fair investigations, particularly into corrupt officials and politicians of the ruling bloc. Kim has faced allegations that he once worked as a lawyer to defend suspects involved in massive investment fraud cases surrounding the asset management firms Lime and Optimus, and that he received an "undue amount" in legal fees from his clients. For these reasons, the PPP demanded an additional confirmation hearing on Kim to look further into his qualifications. But the DPK turned this down and unilaterally adopted a report on the hearing Monday in the absence of PPP lawmakers, enabling Moon to name Kim immediately. What's more worrisome is that Kim's appointment could lead to a breach of the political neutrality and independence of the prosecution. Kim proved his loyalty to the Moon government while serving as vice justice minister between June 2018 and April 2020. He might have played a role in blocking then Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl from investigating former Justice Minister Cho Kuk and other confidants of President Moon over allegations of corruption, influence-peddling and election-rigging. Yoon resigned in March to protest the government's move to tame the law enforcement agency in the name of prosecutorial reform after coming into conflict with the powers that be for his anti-corruption campaign. There is a high possibility that the government will double down on controlling the prosecution to protect core members of the political elite from criminal charges. Skepticism is growing over whether Kim will do his best to promote the prosecution's political neutrality and independence. His two-year term will expire in June 2023, more than a year after Moon's presidency ends in May 2022. It is questionable whether he can remain politically neutral and ensure fair and free competition in the run-up to next year's presidential election. Armed police fired 20 bullets and a Taser at Usman Khan, the Fishmongers Hall terrorist, before he eventually died following his bloody rampage that killed two people. The 28-year-old jihadis inquest heard that he was initially shot twice at close range after shouting that he had a bomb. After that he lay prone on the ground on London Bridge for just under 10 minutes, before starting to get up. During the 13 seconds he was sat up, a further nine shots were fired at him. Khan, from Stafford, was later seen moving his knee off the ground, and also his left arm. Body-worn camera footage of Khan's final moments was played to jurors at his inquest, held in City of London's Guildhall, on Tuesday. Detective Chief Inspector Dan Brown, who led the investigation into the terror attack on 29 November 2019, said a total of 20 shots were fired at Khan and a Taser was also discharged. A firearms officer could be heard saying: We've got the suspect, he's on the bridge. Come on boys, this is it. Khan stopped moving by 2.12pm, about 15 minutes after he began his stabbing spree which led to the deaths of Cambridge University graduates Jack Merritt, 25, and Saskia Jones, 23, at a prisoner education event inside Fishmongers' Hall to which Khan had been invited. He was pronounced dead after the scene was made safe. The evidence comes after the conclusion of the inquests into Mr Merritts and Ms Joness murders last week, in which jurors found that a catalogue of failures and omissions by the UKs security and policing apparatus had contributed to their deaths. The management of Khans release from prison was seriously deficient and spies missed chances to share what they knew about him with those responsible for his supervision, the inquests heard. Mr Merritts father, Dave Merritt, described MI5 and West Midlands counter-terrorism police as complacent and passive in the face of Khan's extreme and continuing threat. Khan attacked 11 months after being released from prison for plotting a jihadi training camp in Pakistan. He had served eight years behind bars when he was released into the community on licence. He had met Mr Merritt through Learning Together, a Cambridge University-affiliated education programme for prisoners during his time in jail. The inquest jury heard he travelled down to London, unaccompanied, on the day of the attack and hid in a toilet cubicle before emerging to stab Mr Merritt, Ms Jones and three others who survived the ordeal. Khan was later pursued by three civilians who used a fire extinguisher, a narwhal tusk and their bare hands to restrain him on London Bridge. The inquest is due to last for two weeks. Additional reporting by PA The UK ranked last in an index of Europes cleanest swimming waters in 2020 largely because the pandemic led to a drop in the number of samples collected. Just 110 (17 per cent) of the countrys more than 600 coastal and inland bathing sites were rated excellent, while 32 (5 per cent) were classified as good and 29 (4.5 per cent) as sufficient. Twelve (1.9 per cent) had poor bathing water quality. However, the data was skewed since the vast majority of locations 457, or 71.4 per cent were unclassified, meaning an inadequate number of samples were collected, owing to Covid restrictions. The figures, compiled by Europes environmental watchdog, put the UK in last place in terms of countries with excellent bathing water quality. Many of the locations in the UK that were tested were along the Welsh and Northern Irish coasts, the majority of which were rated excellent. They included Caerfai Bay, Amroth and Morfa Bychan beach. Elsewhere, Joss Bay in Broadstairs and Herne Bay also received the highest score. Beaches rated poor for water quality included Hunstanton Beach in Norfolk, Scarboroughs South Bay beach and Combe Martin in Devon. The UK has seen a huge surge in popularity of open water swimming in the sea, rivers and lakes, which has been linked to multiple lockdowns and an increasing interest in spending time outdoors. The ranking assessed the water quality in all 27 EU Member States, as well as the UK, Albania and Switzerland, in 2020, giving an indication of the areas where the quality of bathing is expected to be good this year. First placed Cyprus (with 100 per cent of its swimming waters designated excellent) beat Austria, Greece and Malta which came in second (97.7 per cent), third (97.1 per cent) and fourth (96.6 per cent). Popular holiday destinations such as Spain, Italy and Portugal ranked among the highest across the continent with excellent water quality detected in 88.5 per cent, 88.6 per cent and 89.2 per cent of cases respectively. Proportion of bathing waters with excellent quality in Europe in 2020 (European Environment Agency) Virginijus Sinkevicius, European commissioner for the environment, fisheries and oceans, said: Bathing water quality in Europe remains high and its good news for Europeans, who will be heading to beaches and bathing sites this summer. Hans Bruyninckx, executive director of the European Environment Agency, said: The quality of European bathing waters remains high after four decades of action aimed at preventing and reducing pollution. EU law has not only helped raise the overall quality, but also helped identify areas where specific action is needed. In 2020, 296 or 1.3 per cent of bathing water sites in Europe were of poor quality. While the share of poor quality sites has dropped slightly since 2013, the watchdog said problems persisted both in assessing the sources of pollution and putting in place measures to address the problem. Bathing water quality is classified depending on the levels of faecal bacteria detected. Where water is classified as poor, countries are urged to ban bathing or at least advise against it. The full list of tested bathing sites can be found here. Universities should ban relationships between academics and students because such liaisons amount to an abuse of power, according to one of Britains leading experts on campus sexual harassment. University College London (UCL) became the first Russell Group university to ban sexual and romantic relationships between lecturers and their students last year, but it is one of only six institutions in the UK which prohibits such relationships. Dr Anna Bull, co-founder of the 1752 group, which campaigns to stop sexual misconduct in higher education, told The Independent relationships between academics and students are highly risky and should be barred at all universities. Her comments are backed by the National Union of Students, which says staff-student relationships should be banned in universities across the UK. Dr Bull, a lecturer in sociology at the University of Portsmouth, said: Students are more likely to be targeted by other students, but lecturers and academics do sometimes abuse their position, which can be really damaging for students. Sometimes particular departments have a culture of staff having sexual and intimate relationships with students and it is seen as totally normal. There is a high risk to it and the abuse of power having a negative effect on students ability to engage in studies. The risk is so much that they should be prohibited. Dr Bull, who has carried out research on these issues, noted most universities have a policy where they strongly discourage staff-student relationships or ask their employees to declare them. But it is hard to tell what happens it varies from institution to institution, she added. A previous study found four-fifths of students were not comfortable with staff engaging in relationships, with some pupils branding them predatory. The poll of 1,839 current and ex-students by the 1752 Group and the NUS also found four in 10 students saying they had been subjected to assault, sexual remarks, unwanted touching or rape. The guidelines on sexual misconduct drawn up by Universities UK, the representative body for all such institutions, does not mention relationships between university staff and students. A Universities UK spokesperson said: All universities should have policies in place that define expectations of professional behaviour between staff and students including behaviour that breaches professional standards or crosses boundaries between professional and personal relationships and which safeguard against abuses of power and sexual misconduct. The full scope of any policy is a matter for individual universities to decide, but it is vitally important that all acknowledge the power imbalances that exist between members of staff and students who rely on their teaching, supervision and support. Sara Khan, the vice president of Liberation and Equality at NUS, told The Independent: A system which believes survivors would be a huge help to all students, but specifically to students who face misconduct from staff. These students are often particularly hesitant and unlikely to report or seek support precisely because, not only is there a risk they will not be believed, but also a risk that a staff member responsible for misconduct against them will negatively impact their grades or their entire degree. Therefore a system which believes student survivors and prioritises their well-being, as well as ensuring mitigation and a safety net to their degree and grades would be the best approach. Women from 15 higher education institutions last month signed a letter saying universities made a mess of their sexual assault claims, while calling for a compulsory policy for handling such allegations in universities. The graduate who spearheaded the letter, Sydney Feder, told The Independent she was subjected to sexual assault in her last year at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. The 23-year-old added: I was alone in the womens changing rooms at 10 at night. College was really empty. He lunged at me, shoved me down, and pinned my face and chest down on the desk, and was aggressively massaging my back and shoulders. It was so painful. I could not move. He was so strong. He is a big, strong, really tall guy. He stayed there for a few minutes and then left. She said she later found out a complaint by another woman had been filed against him but had been ignored - adding that her own experience of reporting the incident was a disaster. Ms Feder added: The way higher education is set up is allowing selfish, incompetent individuals to run biased investigations and re-traumatise survivors rather than support them. The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama told the BBC all allegations they received were investigated thoroughly, adding that these specific allegations and questions raised are the subject of a sensitive and ongoing civil compensation claim to which the college has filed a robust defence. Boris Johnsons independent ethics adviser has said the PM acted unwisely in the handling of his flat refurbishment but found that despite a significant failing in his approach, there was no breach of the ministerial code. Mr Johnson pressed ahead with the lavish renovation of the 11 Downing Street flat without knowing how it would be paid for, and remained in the dark about its funding until controversy blew up in the media, found Christopher Geidt. But despite bills totalling tens of thousands of pounds being handed over by the Conservative Party and wealthy Tory donor Lord Brownlow, the adviser found that Mr Johnson was not aware of the payments and there was no reasonably perceived conflict of interest. The report sparked calls for reform of the system of oversight of ministerial interests from the former head of the government legal service, Sir Jonathan Jones, who quit last year over Mr Johnsons threat to break international law over post-Brexit arrangements for Northern Ireland. Sir Jonathan said: I have no basis for questioning Lord Geidts approach to his task or to the evidence. But there is something unsatisfactory about a process that concludes things went wrong, people acted unwisely, but no rules were broken ... the system failed but no one is responsible. Which confirms we need a better process. And Labours deputy leader Angela Rayner said: "The Conservatives think its one rule for them and another for everyone else. It's staggering that the prime minister could rack up a 200,000 bill for a luxury refurbishment yet have no knowledge of how it was eventually paid. We know this isn't the only aspect of the prime minister's lifestyle that may be being funded by Tory donors No 10 must now come clean about how far this goes." She called for the publication of all government documents relating to Lord Brownlow to establish whether any conflict of interest existed. The report into the flat was published alongside the much-delayed register of ministerial interests, five months overdue after its publication date in December was missed because of the ressignation of Lord Geidts predecessor Sir Alex Allan when Mr Johnson overruled his bullying finding against Priti Patel. The new adviser made clear he is ready to accept the scrapping of the principle that breaches of the ministerial code of conduct should automatically result in resignation or dismissal, describing the convention as disproportionate. Neither the report nor the register reveal the actual cost of the refurb, carried out for Johnson and his fiancee Carrie Symonds to plans by interior designer Lulu Lytle and reported to have run to as much as 200,000. Lord Geidt said that the financial assistance from Conservative Campaign Headquarters and Lord Brownlow, who is known to have signed a cheque for 58,000, amounted to a private interest. But he added: I have considered the nature of that support and am content that no conflict (or reasonably perceived conflict) arises as a result. Assistance from his party put the prime minister under no additional obligation, while there was no evidence that Lord Brownlow acted with anything other than altruistic and philanthropic motives, he ruled. Lord Geidt said that plans to create a trust to fund the PMs share of the maintenance and refurbishment of the flat were not subjected to a scheme of rigorous project management by officials. And he added: Given the level of the prime ministers expectations for the trust to deliver on the objects he had set, this was a significant failing. Instead, the prime minister unwisely, in my view allowed the refurbishment of the apartment at No 11 Downing Street to proceed without more rigorous regard for how this would be funded. Over recent years, the taxpayer has provided up to 30,000 a year for maintenance and renovation of the PMs private quarters in Downing Street, with the prime minister footing any additional bill from his or her own pocket Lord Geidts report confirmed there were discussions soon after Mr Johnsons arrival in Downing Street in July 2019 about creating a Downing Street Trust to cover the extra costs. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 9 June 2021 Adam Chamberlain, 45, general manager of Big Tree pub in Sheffield, has put up over 500 flags, taking 36 hours, in preparation for Euro 2020, which kicks off this weekend Tom Maddick / SWNS UK news in pictures 8 June 2021 REUTERS UK news in pictures 7 June 2021 A pedestrian wearing a face covering walks over Westminster Bridge near the Houses of Parliament in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 6 June 2021 Isobel Salamon, founder of the Edinburgh Cinema Club, poses alongside the Leith Trainspotting murals in Quality Yard, Leith, Edinburgh, for the programme launch of the Cinescapes Festival which starts on July 4 with a Trainspotting 1 and 2 double bill PA UK news in pictures 5 June 2021 A long exposure photograph captures the rotation of the earth as the stars blur into circles over Knowlton church ruins in Dorset Nick Lucas/SWNS UK news in pictures 4 June 2021 Balloonists take flight during the opening of the Midlands Air Festival in Alcester, Warwickshire PA UK news in pictures 3 June 2021 Members of the Household Cavalry during the Major General's annual inspection of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment in Hyde Park, London PA UK news in pictures 2 June 2021 Hannah Vitos of the Blenheim Art Foundation, poses for a photograph next to artist Ai Weiwei's Gilded Cage (2017) sculpture in the grounds of Blenheim Palace in Woodstock, Britain Reuters UK news in pictures 1 June 2021 People swim in the Sky Pool, a transparent swimming pool bridge across two exclusive residential blocks standing next to the US Embassy in Nine Elms, in London, Tuesday, June 1, 2021 AP UK news in pictures 31 May 2021 People enjoy the hot weather at Brighton beach Reuters UK news in pictures 30 May 2021 People venture into the sea as they enjoy themselves during a hot day on Brighton Beach AP UK news in pictures 29 May 2021 Swimmers at the Stonehaven Open Air Pool in Aberdeenshire, which reopens after lockdown restrictions were eased PA UK news in pictures 28 May 2021 Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures as he meets Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban at Downing Street in London REUTERS UK news in pictures 27 May 2021 White Pelicans in the sunshine in St James's Park, London PA UK news in pictures 26 May 2021 Boats are seen at Southsea Moorings in Portsmouth Reuters UK news in pictures 25 May 2021 York Glaziers Trust employees Kieran Muir (left) and Emily Price (right) remove a stained glass window panel at the start of a new five year, 5m project to conserve York Minsters South East Transept and its medieval St Cuthbert Window PA UK news in pictures 24 May 2021 Dark rain clouds above an oast house at Bewl Water reservoir near Lamberhurst in Kent during one of the rainiest Mays on record, with the UK seeing 131 per cent of the usual months rainfall already PA UK news in pictures 23 May 2021 The Premier League trophy with the Manchester City club colour ribbons on, at Etihad Stadium, prior to the last Premier League match of the season. City will finally pick up the trophy after they won the league on 11 May Getty UK news in pictures 22 May 2021 Gary Kenny lifts the Buildbase FA Vase Trophy after Warrington Rylands won the FA Vase Final against Binfield at Wembley Stadium Getty UK news in pictures 21 May 2021 A family buffeted by the wind whilst crossing the the Millennium Bridge in London, with wind and rain forecast to ravage the UK on the first Friday that people have been allowed to meet in large groups outside in England PA UK news in pictures 20 May 2021 Devon And Cornwall Police Demonstrate Their Skills For Policing The G7 Summit Getty Images UK news in pictures 18 May 2021 An employee stands before a costume for the Queen of Hearts by Bob Crowley on display at the Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London PA UK news in pictures 17 May 2021 Passengers prepare to board an easyJet flight to Faro, Portugal, at Gatwick Airport after the ban on international leisure travel for people in England was lifted following the further easing of lockdown restrictions in England PA UK news in pictures 16 May 2021 Emergency workers at the scene of a suspected gas explosion, in which a young child was killed and two people were seriously injured, on Mallowdale Ave Heysham which caused 2 houses to collapse and badly damaged another PA UK news in pictures 15 May 2021 Pro-Palestinian activists and supporters let off smoke flares, wave flags and carry placards during a demonstration in support of the Palestinian cause as violence escalates in the ongoing conflict with Israel, in central London AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 14 May 2021 Member of staffs tighten screws and paint a Marlin skeleton, before it goes on display at the Natural History Museum in London, as the museum prepares to reopen to the public on 17 May, following the further easing of lockdown restrictions in England PA UK news in pictures 13 May 2021 A worshipper at the Baitul Futuh Mosque in Mordon, south London, ahead of Eid al-Fitr. The celebration marks the end of the Muslim month of fasting, called Ramadan. PA UK news in pictures 12 May 2021 A couple have wedding photos taken in Westminster, London Getty UK news in pictures 11 May 2021 The sun rises on Coquet Island, off Amble on the Northumberland coast, where as many as 35000 seabirds cram onto this tiny island to breed PA UK news in pictures 10 May 2021 Newly elected for a second term Mayor of London Sadiq Khan during his signing in ceremony at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre on Londons Southbank PA UK news in pictures 9 May 2021 People mill around St. Michael's tower on top of Glastonbury Tor as it is seen through blooming yellow rapeseed on a day of mixed weather in Glastonbury, Somerset PA UK news in pictures 8 May 2021 Wales First Minister Mark Drakeford elbow bumps newly elected MS Labour candidates Elizabeth Buffy Williams, Rhondda, left, and Sarah Murphy, Bridgend & Porthcawl Labour, right, as they meet in Porthcawl, Wales PA UK news in pictures 6 May 2021 A group of five Sisters from Carmelite Monastery in Dysart cast their vote in the Scottish Parliamentary election at Dysart Community Hall, West Port, Dysart PA UK news in pictures 5 May 2021 Leader of the Labour Party Sir Keir Starmer (centre) with West Midlands Metro Mayor candidate Liam Byrne (far right) and Labour Deputy Leader, Angela Rayner (far left) during a visit to Birmingham, whilst on the election campaign trail PA UK news in pictures 4 May 2021 Artists Heather Ackroyd and Dan Harvey stand within 100 oak saplings which form part of a living art installation entitled Beuys' Acorns by the UK-based artist duo, outside the Tate Modern in London PA UK news in pictures 3 May 2021 Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie feeds the Gentoo penguins during a visit to Edinburgh Zoo on the campaign trail for the forthcoming Scottish Parliamentary Election on May 6 PA UK news in pictures 2 May 2021 Chelsea players celebrate their fourth goal during the Womens Champions League semi-final second leg against Bayern Munich, at Kingsmeadow Stadium in south west London. The Blues won the game 4-1, (and the tie 5-3 on aggregate) sending them through to their first Champions League final AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 1 May 2020 Demonstrators during a march through London during a 'Kill the Bill' protest Angela Christofilou UK news in pictures 30 April 2021 Shoppers queue outside Primark in Belfast as shops reopen and hospitality is able to open outdoors in Northern Ireland where lockdown restrictions have begun to gradually ease PA UK news in pictures 29 April 2021 Specialist operators at the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford, near Telford, Shropshire, clean the Hawker Hunter aircraft displayed within the museum's National Cold War Exhibition, during annual high-level aircraft cleaning and maintenance PA UK news in pictures 28 April 2021 Millions of tulips in flower near Kings Lynn in Norfolk, as Belmont Nurseries, the UK's largest commercial grower of outdoor tulips, offers socially-distanced visits to its tulip fields at Hillington to raise funds for local charity The Norfolk Hospice Tapping House PA UK news in pictures 27 April 2021 Paula Laughton checks one of the newly installed Lego models in the new Lego Mythica land at Legoland Windsor Resort PA UK news in pictures 26 April 2021 A red panda rests on a tree at Manor Wildlife park, which reopened its doors as lockdown restrictions continue to ease, in Tenby, Wales Reuters UK news in pictures 25 April 2021 Sheep climb the hillside as flames from a moor fire are seen on Marsden moor, near Huddersfield AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 24 April 2021 Supporters protest against Manchester United's owners, outside English Premier League club Manchester United's Old Trafford stadium in Manchester AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 23 April 2021 People enjoy the warm weather at City Hall near Tower Bridge in central London PA UK news in pictures 22 April 2021 Uyghurs during a demonstration in Parliament Square, London, which is being held ahead of a House of Commons debate, bought by backbench MP Nus Ghani, on whether Uyghurs in China's Xinjiang province are suffering crimes against humanity and genocide PA UK news in pictures 21 April 2021 People walk at the Taihaku Cherry Orchard in Alnwick REUTERS UK news in pictures 20 April 2021 People stand in front of anti Super League banners outside Anfield as twelve of Europe's top football clubs, including Liverpool, launch a breakaway league Reuters UK news in pictures 19 April 2021 Women enjoy sunny weather in Greenwich, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in London, Britain, Reuters As the body had not been established by the time work began on the flat in April of last year while Mr Johnson was in hospital with Covid invoices were paid for by the Cabinet Office and then charged to the Conservative Party in anticipation of the trust repaying the amount. The report found no evidence of Mr Johnson being aware either of the existence of these invoices or how they were settled. Official advice was initially that the trust plan while not straightforward, could be made to work. But legal advice in June raised doubts over the idea. Multimillionaire businessman Lord Brownlow was appointed to chair the trust in July and in October settled a suppliers invoice himself, the report found. Both Mr Johnson and the others involved assured Lord Geidt that at no point in the eight months until press reports appeared in February this year was the prime minister made aware of either the fact or the method of the costs of refurbishing the apartment having been paid. It was only as controversy blew up in the media that Mr Johnson became aware of the arrangements and settled the full amount himself on 8 March. Lord Geidt former private secretary to the Queen said that under normal circumstances, a prime minister might reasonably be expected to be curious about the financial arrangements. But he said that in the midst of the pandemic, Mr Johnson simply accepted that the trust would be capable of satisfactorily resolving the situation without further interrogation. He was ill-served by officials, and cabinet secretary Simon Case has recognised shortcomings in the management of the project and in the failure to advise Mr Johnson earlier of the problems with the establishment of the trust. Lord Geidt ruled: Having advised that the interests declared by the prime minister present no actual or perceived conflict, I consider them to be consistent with the provisions of the ministerial code. He said that the interests had now been properly declared by Mr Johnson and accepted that any delay in making the declaration was due to the fact that the PM reasonably assumed that the issue was dealt with by the creation of a trust. A No 10 spokesperson said: Lord Geidts independent report shows the prime minister acted in accordance with the ministerial code at all times. The prime minister has made a declaration in his list of ministerial interests, as advised by Lord Geidt. Cabinet Office officials were engaged and informed throughout and official advice was followed. Other than works funded through the annual allowance, the costs of the wider refurbishment of the flat are not being financed by taxpayers and have been settled by the prime minister personally. Wealthy countries like the UK need to give more vaccines to developing countries in order to stop a new Covid-19 variant emerging and destroying progress against the virus, leading international bodies have warned. The World Health Organisation, World Bank, World Trade Organisation, and International Monetary Fund are among organisations warning of a "two-track" pandemic and a "dangerous gap" between countries. It comes a day after more than 100 MPs and peers from across the parties urged Boris Johnson to commit to matching every dose bought for the UK with a donation to the WHO's Covax scheme. The international organisations made their call an article authored jointly by Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of the WHO; Kristalina Georgieva, the managing director of the IMF; David Malpass, the president of the World Bank Group, and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the director-general of the WTO. It appeared in newspapers across the world including Der Spiegel in Germany, la Repubblica in Italy, the Daily Telegraph in the UK, Le Monde in France, and the Washington Post in the United States. "Increasingly, a two-track pandemic is developing," the authors say, adding: "Inequitable vaccine distribution is not only leaving untold millions of people vulnerable to the virus, it is also allowing deadly variants to emerge and ricochet back across the world. "Even countries with advanced vaccination programmes have been forced to reimpose stricter public health measures. It need not be this way." They call call for $50 billion (35 billion) in new spending commitments including grants to help developing nations with vaccination schemes. And they further suggest that the target of vaccinating 30 per cent of the world's population by the end of 2021 should be increased to 40 per cent, and 60 per cent by the first half of 2022. World news in pictures Show all 51 1 /51 World news in pictures World news in pictures 8 June 2021 AFP via Getty Images World news in pictures 7 June 2021 Gondoliers help tourists to get on the gondolas, as the region of Veneto becomes a white zone, following a relaxation of Covid-19 restrictions with only masks and social distancing required, in Venice, Italy Reuters World news in pictures 6 June 2021 A military brass band plays during the international ceremony on the 77th anniversary of D-Day, at Omaha Beach in Vierville-sur-Mer, northwestern France AFP/Getty World news in pictures 5 June 2021 An explosives expert from Hamas lays out unexploded projectiles from the aftermath of the May 2021 conflict with Israel, at a local police precinct in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip AFP/Getty World news in pictures 4 June 2021 A couple take photos of each other on a rainbow flag-themed path during pride month at Samyan MRT station in Bangkok, Thailand Reuters World news in pictures 3 June 2021 Sebastien Ogier steers his Toyota Yaris WRC with co-driver Julien Ingrassia during the shakedown at the Rally of Sardegna and fifth round of the FIA World Rally Championship AFP/Getty World news in pictures 2 June 2021 Smoke rises from a fire onboard the MV X-Press Pearl vessel as it sinks while being towed into deep sea off the Colombo Harbour, in Sri Lanka June 2, 2021 Sri Lanka Airforce via Reuters World news in pictures 1 June 2021 A girl runs through a fountain outside a shopping mall on International Children's Day in Beijing on June 1, 2021, a day after China announced it would allow couples to have three children. AFP/Getty World news in pictures 31 May 2021 In this handout image courtesy of the US Coast Guard the Coast Guard Cutter Resolute small boat crew rescues 8 people from the water approximately 18 miles southwest of Key West, Florida AFP/Getty World news in pictures 30 May 2021 A fishing boat sails in the sea-snot covered Marmara sea near Istanbul, Turkey EPA World news in pictures 29 May 2021 Smoke billowing from the Singapore-registered container ship MV X-Press Pearl, which has been burning for the tenth consecutive day in the sea off Sri Lanka's Colombo Harbour, in Colombo Sri Lanka Air Force/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 May 2021 Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis accompanied by his dog Peanut welcomes European Council President Charles Michel at the Maximos Mansion in Athens, Greece Reuters World news in pictures 27 May 2021 A man waits to receive a dose of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine, in the rooms of the Claudia Comte exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art Castello di Rivoli near Turin AFP/Getty World news in pictures 26 May 2021 A girl, with her face painted with the colours of the opposition flag, looks on during a demonstration against Syria's President Bashar al-Assad and presidential elections, in the opposition-held Idlib, Syria Reuters World news in pictures 25 May 2021 A Buddhist monk climbs atop a giant statue of Buddha, to wash and decorate on the eve of Buddha Purnima, a holiday traditionally celebrated for Buddha's birthday also known as Vesak celebrations, in Bhopal AFP/Getty World news in pictures 24 May 2021 Lava from the eruption of Mount Nyiragongo cuts through Buhene north of Goma, Congo AP World news in pictures 23 May 2021 Cyclists at the start of the 15th stage of the Giro dItalia, a 147km race between Grado and Gorizia AFP/Getty World news in pictures 22 May 2021 Swiss Guards take their position prior to the arrival of the European Commission President at San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican for a private audience with the Pope AFP/Getty World news in pictures 21 May 2021 A dog that has been trained to sniff out the coronavirus disease, screens a sweat sample at Chulalongkorn University, in Bangkok, Thailand Reuters World news in pictures 20 May 2021 Ferrari's Carlos Sainz Jr in action during a F1 practice session at the Circuit de Monaco in Monte Carlo Reuters World news in pictures 18 May 2021 Horse-drawn carriages drive through the mudflats near Cuxhaven, northern Germany dpa via AP World news in pictures 17 May 2021 Kanoya Onishi in action during the Cycling BMX Free Style of Tokyo 2020 Olympics test event at Ariake Urban Sports Park in Japan EPA World news in pictures 16 May 2021 Rescuers carry Suzy Eshkuntana, 6, as they pull her from the rubble of a building at the site of Israeli air strikes, in Gaza City Reuters World news in pictures 15 May 2021 A ball of fire erupts from the Jala Tower as it is destroyed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza city AFP/Getty World news in pictures 14 May 2021 Muslims offer Eid al-Fitr prayers inside the Baitul Mukarram Mosque in Dhaka, Bangladesh AP World news in pictures 13 May 2021 Muslim girls ride on a mini train after attending the Eid Al-Fitr prayer that marks the end of the Holy month of Ramadan at Uhuru Park in Nairobi, Kenya AFP/Getty World news in pictures 12 May 2021 Israeli artillery fire as the escalation continues between Israeli army and Hamas at the Gaza Border EPA World news in pictures 11 May 2021 Maya Nakanishi competes in the womens long jump - T64 category during a para-athletics test event for the 2020 Olympics at the National Stadium in Tokyo AFP/Getty World news in pictures 10 May 2021 A Palestinian man helps a wounded fellow protester amid clashes with Israeli security forces at Jerusalems Al-Aqsa mosque compound, ahead of a planned march to commemorate Israels takeover of Jerusalem in the 1967 Six-Day War AFP/Getty World news in pictures 9 May 2021 Falconer Giovanna Piccolo performs with her Eurasian eagle-owl at 'Roma World' theme park, during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, in Rome Reuters World news in pictures 8 May 2021 Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury (29) is introduced as a starter against the St. Louis Blues at T-Mobile Arena. USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 6 May 2021 Buddhist monks and believers attend a lantern parade in celebration of the upcoming birthday of Buddha at a temple in Seoul, South Korea Reuters World news in pictures 5 May 2021 Russian MiG-29 jet fighters of the Strizhi (Swifts) and Su-30SM jet fighters of the Russkiye Vityazi (Russian Knights) aerobatic teams fly in formation over the Cathedral Square of the Kremlin in Moscow during a flypast rehearsal for the WWII Victory Parade AFP/Getty World news in pictures 4 May 2021 An elevated metro line collapsed in the Mexican capital on Monday, leaving at least 23 people dead and dozens injured as a train came plunging down, authorities said AFP/Getty World news in pictures 3 May 2021 Lightning bolts strike buildings during a thunderstorm in Bangkok AFP/Getty World news in pictures 2 May 2021 Samaritan worshippers arrive to take part in a Passover ceremony on top of Mount Gerizim, near the northern West Bank city of Nablus AFP/Getty World news in pictures 1 May 2021 A Gilet Jaune, or yellow vest, protestor stands in front of a burning barricade holding his hand up with an inscription calling for President Macron to resign as May Day Protest turn violent near Place de la Republique in Paris, France Getty World news in pictures 30 April 2021 A demonstrator from the Rio de Paz human rights activist group digs a symbolic grave in front of rows of bags symbolising bodybags on Copacabana beach, during a protest against the Brazilian governments handling of the coronavirus pandemic, in Rio de Janeiro AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 April 2021 An aerial picture shows dead carp fish flushed to the shores of al-Qaraoun reservoir in Lebanons Western Beqaa District in the countrys east. Tonnes of fish have washed up dead on the shoreline of the highly polluted artificial reservoir in eastern Lebanon in recent days AFP/Getty World news in pictures 28 April 2021 Health workers wearing PPE attends to coronavirus patients inside a banquet hall temporarily converted into a covid care centre in New Delhi AFP/Getty World news in pictures 27 April 2021 The full moon, known as the Super Pink Moon rises behind the Statue of Liberty in New York City, Reuters World news in pictures 26 April 2021 Balinese people lay wreaths with names of the crew on board the sunk Indonesian Navy submarine KRI Nanggala during a prayer at the sea near Labuhan Lalang, Bali, Indonesia EPA World news in pictures 25 April 2021 An Ethiopian Orthodox Christian worshipper walks around the Edicule, the place believed to be where Jesus Christ was buried, during Palm Sunday celebrations at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem AFP/Getty World news in pictures 24 April 2021 Fans of Wuhan Three Towns FC cheer for their team during the 1st round match Wuhan Three Towns FC and Beijing Institute of Technology FC during Chinese Football League One in Wuhan, China Getty World news in pictures 23 April 2021 A girl prays in front of the Dome of the Rock, in the compound known to Muslims as Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as Temple Mount, in Jerusalems Old City, on the second Friday of the holy month of Ramadan, as coronavirus restrictions ease around the country, in Jerusalem Reuters World news in pictures 22 April 2021 People walk through the art work 'THE SPIRITS OF THE PUMPKINS DESCENDED INTO THE HEAVENS' by Yayoi Kusama, during the press preview of a retrospective exhibition of the Japanese artist at the Martin Gropius Bau museum in Berlin, Germany AP World news in pictures 21 April 2021 Hungary's Sara Peter competes in the Women's floor qualifications during European Artistic Gymnastics Championships at the St Jakobshalle, in Basel AFP/Getty World news in pictures 20 April 2021 South Korea university students gets their heads shaved during a protest against Japan's decision to release contaminated water from its Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea, in front of the Japanese embassy, in Seoul Reuters World news in pictures 19 April 2021 A spectator wearing a football jersey of Argentina's forward Lionel Messi attends the ATP Barcelona Open tennis tournament singles match between Japan's Kei Nishikori and Argentina's Guido Pella at the Real Club de Tenis in Barcelona AFP/Getty World news in pictures 18 April 2021 People raise their fist during a demonstration near the George Floyd Memorial in Minneapolis, Minnesota AFP/Getty World news in pictures 17 April 2021 Security personnel stand guard outside a polling station during the 5th phase of West Bengal's state legislative assembly elections in Kolkata AFP/Getty These "doses need to be donated immediately", the authors argue in an article timed to coincide with G7 finance ministers convening in London and G7 health ministers in Oxford ahead of a major leaders' summit in Cornwall on June 11. Scientists worry that new, more virulent or deadly variants are more likely to emerge in countries where the virus has run out of control because there are more instances of infection where mutations can happen. These new variants have the potential to make existing vaccines less effective, which would be a disaster for the UK which has invested heavily on protecting its population through vaccination. The daughter-in-law of a Tory peer has been charged with manslaughter by negligence over the death of a police officer in Belize. Jasmine Hartin, the partner of Lord Ashcrofts son, was taken into custody after the body of a superintendent was discovered on a dock in the central American country on Friday. Police said Henry Jemmott, who was found dead in the town of San Pedro, had been fatally shot. His body was found in the water with an apparent gunshot wound behind his right ear, a police commissioner was quoted as saying in local media. Ms Hartin has been charged with manslaughter by negligence in connection with the death, her lawyer said on Monday. Bail has been denied, Godfrey Smith told local media outside court. We appeal to the Supreme Court, as is normal. Ms Hartin is married to Andrew Ashcroft, the son of former Conservative treasurer and deputy chairman Lord Ashcroft. Her father-in-law holds Belizean citizenship and was once its representative at the United Nations. Lord Ashcroft, who is also a Tory donor, sat in the House of Lords until 2015 and has retained his peerage since stepping down. Ms Hartins lawyer is expected to release a statement concerning the case later on Tuesday. Speaking about the events surrounding the discovery of Mr Jemmotts body, police commissioner Chester Williams previously said a single gunshot was heard "and upon investigating, police found the female on a pier, and she had what appeared to be blood on her arms and on her clothing". The gun involved belonged to police superintendent Mr Jemmott and police understand he and Ms Hartin were friends, according to local broadcaster Channel 5 news. Additional reporting by Associated Press A cult-like group that incorporates AR-15s into its worship ceremonies and embraces Donald Trump's MAGA politics has bought a compound for its "patriots" 40 miles from Waco in Texas. The compound is meant to be a place of refuge for members of the Sanctuary Church which is also called Rod of Iron Ministries ahead of a "war" and "genocide" that will supposedly be brought against them by the "deep state. Vice News reported that the church is led by Pastor Hyung Jin "Sean" Moon, who is often referred to as "King" by his followers. The Sanctuary Church has an unusual pedigree; while it incorporates American resentment politics and syncretic-Christian ideology, the group is also a direct descendant of the Unification Church, who were also known as the "Moonies. Rev. Sun Myung Moon, the self-proclaimed messiah and leader of the Moonie cult, is the father of "Sean" Moon, who founded the Sanctuary Church in 2017. While the younger Moon embraced and included Moonie ideology in his Sanctuary Church, what makes the group notable is its focus on firearms as objects of worship. Sean Moon claims his inclusion of AR-15s into his church's worship ceremonies is Biblically based, citing a passage in the Book of Revelation that speaks of Jesus using a "rod of iron" to assert his authority during the End Times. Traditional readings of the verses interpret the "rod of iron" to be a shepherd's staff, which was a symbol of authority, particularly when in reference to Jesus. Under Sean Moon's reading, the rod of iron was not a scepter or staff, but an American-made AR-15. Now the rifles are used in regular church services and wedding ceremonies, with Sean Moon presiding over it all while wearing a crown of bullets, a camouflaged suit, and holding his gold-plated AR-15. Sean Moon's brother, Kook-jin "Justin" Moon, just so happens to be the CEO of Kahr Arms, which manufactures guns and is headquartered near the church's original base of operations in Pennsylvania a convenient connection for a church that worships firearms. Members of the Sanctuary Church holding firearms in a promotional video for the religious group (YouTube screengrab) The groups stated purpose for buying a compound in Texas is to "expand God's Kingdom to the Western and Southern regions of the United States, and hope it will become "home to over 100 sites that will serve our community and Patriots from Texas and around the country. It's a dangerous time, and this is a place of refuge and retreat if our community needs it, Mr Moon said during a recent sermon. Of course, in worst-case scenarios. When Vice News reached out to leaders of nearby communities, the leaders told the outlet that they were not aware the group was moving in, and asked if they were "going to be a problem. While the church has not made any overt threats, its ideology has become increasingly militant in recent years. In Sean Moon's sermons which are called King's Reports and are live-streamed on Twitch he has called for his members to prepare for war and issued dark warnings that the federal government and the "globalists" were out to get to them. The internationalist Marxist globalists are trying to start a civil war here, so that they can bring in the U.N. troops and Chi-Com Chinese military to come in and destroy and kill all gun owners, Christians, and any opposition, i.e., Trump supporters, he said in a sermon. We are in the death of America right now, and thats why, of course, God is allowing for our expansion. The Sanctuary Church quickly embraced Mr Trump after it came into existence in 2017, and in 2019 Sean Moon told Vice News that he believed God was using the former president to scrub the world of "political Satanism" and to restore the world to its original state of paradise as described in the Bible. The church eagerly parroted the former president's lies that he lost the 2020 election due to voter fraud, warning its members in a post three days before the Capitol riot that some of them may die in a potential upcoming battle with the feds. Some federal agents operate as a criminal cartel and are in the process of stealing this presidential election," the post said. We need to prepare and train for the fight. The church said that it was "obviously better if we can use our rights to freedom of speech, assembly, to seek redress of grievances," but said if those avenues failed, "we will have to fight physically, with many dying. Three days later, Mr Moon was outside the Capitol with members of church as Trump loyalists attempted to undermine the 2020 election. The church maintains that none of its members entered the building on the day of the riot, but the church does not shy away from its support of the insurrection attempt. Sean Moon said he believes the Capitol riot will one day hold the same reverence in American history that the Boston Tea Party of 1773 does. While Mr Trump has had plenty of undesirable fans like the KKK's David Duke some prominent individuals within MAGA world actually reciprocated Sean Moon's endorsement. Steve Bannon, a former adviser to Mr Trump, spoke at the group's second annual "Rod of Iron Freedom Festival" last October, and Pennsylvania state Senator Dough Mastriano who also helped organise "Stop the Steal" events also spoke at an event for the church. In recent months, Sean Moon's sermons have taken on a more urgent tone, warning that "danger" was "coming for Trump supporters" and that the Biden administration was planning to round "patriots" up and put them in "reeducation camps." We have to understand the enemy we are dealing with, Sean Moon said. We have to be ready to pray very, very hard, move fast, and of course, to resist on many levels, all the evil that they are trying to perpetrate on the world. Sean Moon has even fully leaned into the Mad Max-esque "church of the gun" aesthetic he has cultivated; he now dresses like a biker, wearing a black jacket with patches that include a crown, the words "Rod of Iron Ministries," and one that represents the "Black Robed Regiment." In at least one photo he appears wearing a skull facemask while on his motorcycle. Since its formation in Pennsylvania, the group has moved into Delaware and Florida, and now Texas. The Texas property was listed at just under $1m, and includes a general store, a fishing outfitter, an industrial-sized kitchen, hook ups for RVs, cabins and camping sites. President Joe Biden has issued an official proclamation recognising Pride Month after Donald Trump neglected to do so throughout his term. Pride is a time to recall the trials the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer community has endured and to rejoice in the triumphs of trailblazing individuals who have bravely fought and continue to fight for full equality, Mr Biden said in a statement on Tuesday. Mr Trump became the first Republican president to acknowledge Pride Month in 2019, but he didnt do so through an official presidential proclamation, as Barack Obama had done every year during his time in office. In June 2019, Mr Trump tweeted: Let us also stand in solidarity with the many LGBT people who live in dozens of countries worldwide that punish, imprison, or even execute individuals on the basis of their sexual orientation. It was later issued as a White House press release. Mr Trump did however issue official presidential proclamations declaring June to be National Homeownership Month, Great Outdoors Month and Caribbean-American Heritage Month, in addition to others. Noting recent progress for the LGBT+ community, Mr Biden added on Tuesday: Historic Supreme Court rulings in recent years have struck down regressive laws, affirmed the right to marriage equality, and secured workplace protections for LGBTQ+ individuals in every State and Territory. Mr Biden said that almost 14 per cent of his 1,500 appointees to various government agencies identify as LGBT+. I am particularly honoured by the service of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, the first openly LGBTQ+ person to serve in the Cabinet, and Assistant Health Secretary Dr Rachel Levine, the first openly transgender person to be confirmed by the Senate, Mr Biden said. But the president also noted the struggles many LGBT+ individuals still go through, such as lacking fundamental rights and dignity in hospitals, schools, public accommodations, and other spaces. He also acknowledged that the country is still seeing a tragic spike in violence against transgender women of colour. People who identify as LGBT+, especially youth who defy sex or gender norms, experience bullying and discrimination at school and are at a higher risk of self-harm and death by suicide, Mr Biden said. Mr Biden criticised some conservative states who have decided to actively target transgender youth through discriminatory bills that defy our nations values of inclusivity and freedom for all. The president noted that he reversed the ban on transgender individuals serving in the military, which was reinstated by Mr Trump. Mr Biden noted that he has signed an Executive Order affirming all qualified Americans will be able to serve in the Armed Forces of the United States including patriotic transgender Americans who can once again proudly and openly serve their Nation in uniform. To those on the front lines of the equality and democracy movements around the world, Mr Biden said: We see you, we support you, and we are inspired by your courage to accept nothing less than full equality. He said he would continue to pressure Congress to pass the Equality Act, in order to ensure civil rights protections for LGBTQ+ people and families across our country. Pride Month was established in 1999 by President Bill Clinton. At the time, it was called Gay and Lesbian Pride Month. Mr Clinton said he was proud of his administrations work to end discrimination against gays and lesbians and ensure that they have the same rights guaranteed to their fellow Americans. Mr Clinton issued another proclamation in June 2000, before George W Bush declined to recognise June as Pride Month, leaving the tradition dormant until the election of Barack Obama. June 1 is the start of Pride Month, but on that date in 2020, scenes of chaos were taking place outside the White House. Police and members of the National Guard forcefully cleared peaceful protesters from Lafayette Square on the north side of the presidential compound using teargas. Racial justice protesters were moved so that Mr Trump could walk to a nearby church and pose in front of the building with a Bible. In a wide-ranging interview, former President Barack Obama reflected on right-wing backlash to the election of the nations first Black president that saw the emergence of Donald Trump and acceleration of a shift in the Republican Party. Thats been the history of America, right? he told Ezra Klein in The New York Times. There is abolition, and the Civil War, and then theres backlash, and the rise of the KKK, and then Reconstruction ends, and Jim Crow arises, and then you have a civil rights movement, a modern civil rights movement, and desegregation, he said. Mr Obama added: What I take comfort from is that in the traditional two steps forward, one step back, as long as youre getting the two steps, then the one step back, you know, is the price of doing business. The 44th presidents election and actions in office helped precipitate a shift in the Republican Party that was already there and probably accelerates it, he said. He also suggested that the current right-wing culture war is parallel with incremental social progress, particularly on issues relating to identity, race and gender, which invariably will release some energy on the other side by folks who feel threatened by change. Mr Obama discussed how those confrontational exchanges have shaped the cancel culture debate and teachable moments including the murder of George Floyd and police reform, disingenuous concerns from deficit hawks over the federal deficit against a tide of socioeconomic inequities, and the asymmetrical governance in Congress with effective GOP control of a Democratic agenda that wont touch the filibuster. Asked whether he believes Americans have become less persuadable in the face of intense polarisation, he pointed to the media ecosystem, the Trump presidency and the way both sides went to their respective fortresses. I think that the media was complicit in creating that dynamic in a way that understandably is difficult, because, as we discovered during the Trump administration, if an administration is just misstating facts all the time, it starts looking like, gosh, the medias anti-Trump, Mr Obama said. And this becomes more evidence of a left wing conspiracy and liberal elites trying to gang up on the guy. Michael Flynn, a former national security adviser under the Donald Trump administration, has said that a Myanmar-like coup in which the military overthrew a democratically elected government should happen in the US. Appearing in Dallas, Texas, at a QAnon conference, Mr Flynn was asked during a Q&A session by a member of the audience: I want to know why what happened in Myanmar cant happen here? The video circulating on Twitter shows the question receiving cheering from the crowd. In response, Mr Flynn said: No reason. I mean, it should happen here. QAnon supporters are allegedly demanding in the US a repeat of a deadly coup by the army, which overthrew Myanmars democratically elected government on 1 February on the basis of unproven allegations of voter fraud. The coup was met with resistance from people and mass protests have take place against it since then, in which at least 800 civilians, including at least 40 children, have been killed and thousands have been arrested, according to Myanmar's Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. Mr Flynn, a former army general, has a tainted track record. He was fired by former president Donald Trump in 2017 after serving less than a month as his national security adviser, over allegations of lying to vice president Mike Pence about his communications with Russia. He pleaded guilty to the FBI during the Mueller investigation. He was pardoned by Mr Trump last November before Justice Department could announce its verdict on dropping of the criminal case against him, as per his plea. Mr Flynn has become a prominent figure in the QAnon conspiracy theory. Last year, he posted a video on Twitter reciting QAnon slogans, after which the social media platform banned him, along with a few others others in January during a mass disabling of accounts promoting QAnon conspiracy theories. The photograph accompanying this article was changed on 1 June 2021. It originally featured an image of the wrong person. By Song Kyung-jin The Republic of Korea-the United States summit was held May 21, a day before the 139th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations. Aimed at strengthening the long-time alliance and bilateral cooperation for the future on all fronts, the bilateral summit also paved the way for a strong free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific rapidly becoming the center of global geopolitics, geo-economics and geo-strategy. Toward that end, the two leaders agreed to expand Korea's role beyond the peninsula into the Indo-Pacific and the world. It is in fact not just the two leaders' aspiration but that of the world for Korea to re-engage more actively in global affairs as it did before under the banner of "Global Korea." The two countries agreed to closely cooperate on a wide range of infrastructure programs, including the KORUS Global Vaccine Partnership, water and waste management, energy security, enhanced digital capacity, 5G and 6G, climate, health, and education. Central to this infrastructure cooperation is the Indo-Pacific with ASEAN centrality, by aligning the Korea's New Southern Policy (NPS) and the US vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific, in particular. It is indeed a step in the right direction. Despite being the most populous region and accounting for 60 percent of the global gross domestic product, the Indo-Pacific has been suffering from perennial infrastructure financing deficits, failing to meet the infrastructure demand to support growth. According to the estimate of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in 2017, the funding need for infrastructure in Asia's developing countries would be $1.34 trillion per year from 2016 until 2030; however, the actual amount the developing Asia spends is only about $881 billion per year. Quickly aware of this gap was China that seized the opportunity for infrastructure diplomacy. It pressed ahead with the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and later led the establishment of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). Through the BRI, China invested around $25 billion in Asia last year alone. Many developing countries in the Indo-Pacific in dire need of funding have welcomed China's loan assistance, despite the alleged risk of debt traps. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen's remark at a recent international forum, "China is a great help. Where else can we find such help?," is a testament to it. Nonetheless, China alone cannot meet the infrastructure demand in the region. And the countries in the region have the responsibility to make the infrastructure investment accountable, transparent, free of coercion and debt traps, and align with the rules-based order. Such a backdrop, while effectively turning the Indo-Pacific into a test-bed for ensuring the rules-based international order, calls for a natural partner Korea, for its non-threatening leadership and coordination. Korea is a democracy with a fairly recent development success story, and it respects the rules-based international order. It thus can relate with the developing Indo-Pacific better than its western counterparts. Also, it was Korea that brought development into the multilateral G20 agenda in 2010 with nine pillars including infrastructure and governance, and so on. So, it was dubbed a "Korea initiative" or the "Seoul Development Initiative" then. While the objectives of NPS built on the Seoul initiative are laudable, it failed to succeed multilateralism enshrined in it. Going bilateral with limited resources is difficult to sustain; therefore, it should diversify into pluri-lateral and multilateral programs with like-minded partners. The same is true of Korea's other ASEAN initiatives. ASEAN has become critically important on Korea's economic and diplomatic fronts in its endeavor to reduce its dependence on China. As a consequence, ASEAN now is Korea's second largest trading partner with a trading volume of $153.4 billion as of 2019, only next to China. It is Korea's third largest investment destination next to the US and EU, with $9.54 billion in 2019. It is also Korea's largest overseas construction market, growing to $8 billion in total orders in 2019. Pension funds with deep pockets can set a good example as a long-term investor. There is a lack of long-term investors, public or private, in the region due to various reasons, such as the regional savings invested elsewhere including in the US Treasuries and the regulatory constraints. Korea's National Pension Fund, world's third largest, can and should make more and bolder investments in infrastructure bilaterally and multilaterally. Multilateral development banks such as the ADB, the World Bank and even the AIIB are good partners to work with. Alarmists may instantly flash a yellow card to the idea of inviting the AIIB. But they should not forget that the region needs to pool resources available as far as possible and that the AIIB is not China-owned but a multilateral organization run by experts of diverse nationalities. Korea's infrastructure engagement in the Indo-Pacific is good for making a stronger Indo-Pacific and enhancing its image as a credible, balanced partner in the region and the world. Dr. Song Kyung-jin (kj_song@hotmail.com) led the Institute for Global Economics (IGE), based in Seoul, and served as special adviser to the chairman of the Presidential Committee for the Seoul G20 Summit in the Office of the President. Now, she chairs the international cooperation committee called the Innovative Economy Forum. A 31-year-old woman living in Washington has been charged with assault and domestic violence after it was revealed that she allegedly put her adopted six-year-old daughter through 473 unnecessary surgeries. Sophie Hartman, a white woman, adopted two Black daughters in May 2019 from Zambia. On 17 March this year, the two children were taken away from her. Doctors at a hospital where Ms Hartman had taken one daughter, alerted authorities of the suspicious medical history of the child. Court documents reviewed by Business Insider say that Ms Hartman admitted her six-year-old daughter to the Seattle Childrens Hospital in February for a 16-day stay. However, doctors found the child to be healthy and alerted the states department of children, youth and families. Dr Rebecca Wiester, the director of the Seattle Children's Hospital, in her letter to the authorities said that the child was facing profound risk at the hands of her caretaker. She also asked the authorities to dig deeper in investigating Ms Hartman. Dr Wiester said: All the available evidence obtained during the course of her admission suggests [the child] is a healthy young six-year-old who would continue to benefit from a de-escalation of medical support and normalisation of her childhood experience. The six-year-old has, meanwhile, been weaned off all medication and is recovering with no support of a feeding tube or a wheelchair or braces. Ms Hartman had allegedly forced the child to use braces and a wheelchair despite doctors recommending that she didnt need them in the first place. The court documents also claimed that Ms Hartman kept a journal in which authorities found a sentence that reads: When it comes to suffering, I am a compulsive liar/exaggerator. Ms Hartmans attorneys deny the allegations against her. In a statement from her attorneys Adam Shapiro and Jessica Goldman, Ms Hartmans child was diagnosed with a rare neurological disease, alternating hemiplegia of childhood (AHC), by one of the few expert paediatric neurologists in the world from Duke University and by a neurologist at Mary Bridge Hospital in Tacoma. Ms Hartmans attorneys allege that the child has been evaluated and treated by the doctors at Duke for three years. The King County prosecuting attorneys office said: This is not based on one investigator. It's not based off of a quick investigation. This was months of investigation by police and several experts who weighed in. But her attorneys say that contrary to the allegations of the King County Prosecuting Attorney, the child's diagnosis was made by more than one doctor, is legitimate, and is based on a substantial record beyond the reports and information provided by Ms Hartman. Ms Hartman had chronicled her work in Africa in a book that she claims led her to her adoptions. When she made public that her youngest adopted child had been diagnosed with AHC, more attention came her way. A GoFundMe page was set for a wheelchair. The list of procedures on the child dates back to 2016, the court documents reveal. It also said that on her iPad and iPhone, she had allegedly searched for cochlear implants Black child, how to get paid to take care of a member of the family with a disability, making a pretend model of hearing aid, and funeral songs. The man who detonated a bomb that killed Italian anti-mafia judge Giovanni Falcone in 1992 has been released from jail after serving a 25-year sentence. Giovanni Brusca, a former member of the Cosa Nostra Sicilian mafia and known as the people-slayer, walked out of Romes Rebibbia jail yesterday. Brusca remains unable to quantify the exact number of murders he was involved in. Many more than 100, but certainly less than 200, he said in a statement in a book about him titled I Killed Giovanni Falcone. These murders included Falcone, his wife, and three police escorts who were killed in the 1992 bombing. They also included 14-year-old Giuseppe Di Matteo who was killed in 1996. Di Matteo was the son of a former member of the Cosa Nostra who had become a state informant. The boy was held hostage for more than two years before he was strangled; his body was then dissolved in acid. Brusca was arrested shortly after Di Matteos death, and received a 30-year sentence for his involvement in the murder. In 1997 he was sentenced to 26 years in prison for the 1992 bomb attack. In order to avoid life in prison, Brusca became a turncoat, helping state prosecutors crack down on organised crime in Italy. He provided details of deadly attacks from the 1980s and 1990s, and testified about alleged negotiations between mobsters and Italian officials to try to stop the surge of bombings across Italy in the early 1990s. Because of his cooperation with the authorities, Bruscas sentence was reduced and he was granted early release on 31 May this year. Maria Falcone, the sister of Judge Falcone, said that she was saddened by the news, but added: This is the law, a law that my brother himself wanted, and therefore it should be respected. The widows of the police escorts who were killed in the 1992 bombing were less understanding. I am outraged, truly outraged, said Tina Montinaro, widow of officer Antonio Montinaro, speaking to Italian news agency Adnkronos. The whole of Italy should be indignant. Rosario Costa, another police widow whose husband was killed in the same attack, told daily newspaper Corriere della Sera: He has collaborated with justice only to get the benefits. Politicians were also disappointed by Bruscas release. Matteo Salvini, the head of the right-wing political party Lega Nord, said: This is not the justice that Italians deserve. The mayor of Rome, Virginia Raggi, called Bruscas release an unacceptable disgrace, an injustice for the whole country. Federico Cafiero de Raho, chief anti-mafia prosecutor, struck a more neutral tone, telling Reuters: Regardless of what one may think of the atrocities he committed at the time, there was a collaboration. Let us not forget that he gave information on bombings both in Sicily and in mainland Italy. Clearly, the judges believed this was the appropriate jail term, he added. Brusca, now 64, will be on parole for four years and will be placed under state protection. Send to Email Address Your Name Your Email Address Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Email check failed, please try again Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. remaining of Thank you for Reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. He also known as 'Google Boy' is a child prodigy from a Kohand Village of Karnal district in the indian state of Haryana. He displays good memory power regarding current affairs, general knowledge and geographical statistics. At the age of five Kautilya Pandit participated in the popular TV show Kaun Banega Crorepati and since then he has blown people over with his endless knowledge on a sea of subjects. The boy is a wonder kid and he may have an IQ around 130 which is rare for his age group. Twitter has reiterated that it would comply with the new IT intermediary guidelines in India in response to a notice issued by the Delhi High Court on a plea by claiming otherwise. Reuters Also Read: WhatsApp Sues Indian Govt, Claims New Intermediary Rules Would End User Privacy The plea was moved by advocate Amit Acharya who had requested the Delhi High Court to issue direction to the Centre to pass necessary instruction to the microblogging platform, asking them to appoint a resident grievance officer under Rule 4 of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Ethics Code) Rules 2021 as soon as possible. The High Court then issued a notice to the Centre and Twitter asking them about their stand to the plea. A Twitter spokesperson in a conversation with IANS has said that as stated earlier, Twitter wishes to comply with the applicable law of the land, We continue to be strictly guided by principles of transparency, a commitment to empowering every voice on the service and protecting freedom of expression and privacy under the Indian law. As of now, Facebook, WhatsApp, Telegram, LinkedIN have either partially or fully complied with the new rules laid out by MeitY. Twitter isnt one of them, yet. Last week, Twitter sought an at least a three-month extension in order for the company to implement the new intermediary guidelines. Last week, it was engulfed in controversies after it flagged a tweet by BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra as manipulated media which even resulted in the Delhi Police raiding its offices in the country. Reuters Soon after, Twitter released a statement where it stated that it felt concerned for the safety of its employees as well as the freedom of expression in India. Also Read: Twitter Is Dictating Terms To World's Largest Democracy, Says Indian Govt Replying to this, MeitY issued a 3-page press release stating that Twitter was a social media platform and that Lawmaking and policy of the formulations are the sole prerogative of the sovereign. Twitter had no locus in dictating what Indias legal policy framework should be, MeitY added. A robotic arm attached to the exterior of the International Space Station has been hit by small space junk, but agencies monitoring ISS said it hasn't caused any major damage to the robotic arm and that it would continue to carry out the near-term operation. The robotic arm "canadarm2" was provided by Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and has been in orbit since 2001. Its primary function is to move objects outside the station and to help in maintaining and repairing works in the station. NASA Scientists say the damage to the canadarm2 has been caused by small debris which has caused a "lucky strike" given the relatively small size of the arm, which is 57.7 feet (17.6 meters) long and has a diameter of just 14 inches (35 cm). The hole was noticed by the observers on May 12 when they went out for inspection and was informed about it in a blog post on May 28. However, the size of the hole is not apparent in the pictures, nor if the debris went all the way through. Also Read: Pune Man Takes Stunning Picture Of International Space Station Transiting Full Moon Both NASA and CSA have said the ISS will continue to do its assigned work. Space Junk is a major issue of concern among the space scientists community as numbers of CubeSat launches arrive there in fleets for broadband services and other applications. To give some perspective, just SpaceX sends Starlinks to ISS almost every week. NASA/Twitter Also Read: US Air Force Wants To Collect Solar Power From Space, Beam It Down To Earth Some of the leftovers of the satellites then start orbiting intersecting with where ISS operates. Besides, natural dust and other objects are also a cause of concern. "A number of tiny objects ranging from rock or dust particles to flecks of paint from satellites are too small to be monitored," CSA said about debris in the blog post. Nonetheless, ISS is constantly observed by the US Space Surveillance Network which keeps a close track of at least 23,000 known pieces of space debris in orbit. The agency alert ISS of any junk that comes in the way of its orbit or NASA can instruct astronomers to take shelter in case there is a grave concern. Mumbai-born Jilly Gokalgandhi is the first Indian American to be elected to public office in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Gokalgandhi secured a seat on the Milwaukee Public School Board in an election held April 6. (jillyformps.org photo) Cloudgen took a percentage of the worker's salary, which amounted to nearly $500,000 from 2013 to 2020 when the scam took place, according to a federal prosecutor. (representative image/wikimediacommons.org photo) ST Pharm's headquarters in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province / Captured from ST Pharm's webpage By Baek Byung-yeul, Kim Yoo-chul Korean biotechnology firm, ST Pharm, is in talks with Moderna to produce messenger RNA (mRNA) COVID-19 vaccines, sources familiar with the matter told The Korea Times, Tuesday. "ST Pharm is in talks with Moderna to produce its mRNA vaccines following approval by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety," one source said on condition of anonymity. ST Pharm declined to comment on the possibility of signing a contract manufacturing organization (CMO) deal with Moderna. "ST Pharm plans to apply liquid nanoparticle (LNP)-based drug substance technology for its RNA vaccines. The government will assist ST Pharm and other local biotech firms in their plans to develop mRNA vaccines," a government official said. mRNA vaccines are widely known for their improved safety and rapid scalability in terms of manufacturing and these vaccines were among the first COVID-19 vaccines that were authorized for use in the U.S. Also, mRNA vaccines are known to have a higher efficacy rate than other vaccines that are made of different methods and seldom cause blood clots. Lipid nanoparticle technology (LNP) is required to make mRNA vaccines, involving tiny lipid droplets that effectively transport and protect the vaccine's components. LNP is used in the manufacture of Moderna's mRNA vaccines. ST Pharm is an affiliate of local biopharma giant Dong-A Socio Group. Industry analysts have been paying close attention to ST Pharm as the company is among only a few players here that are capable of manufacturing mRNA technology-based vaccines. Since Pfizer and Moderna vaccines produced using mRNA technology have taken the lead in the COVID-19 vaccine race, shares of ST Pharm have risen more than 20 percent over the last two months amid expectations that the company may end up producing mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. ST Pharm has been preparing for some time to produce mRNA vaccines. In April, the company obtained LNP mRNA delivery technology, a core method of transporting mRNA vaccines into human cells, after signing a technology transfer deal with Swiss biotech firm, Genevant Sciences. With this technology, ST Pharm aims to develop its own COVID-19 vaccines that are also effective against new variants, according to a disclosure submitted to the Financial Supervisory Service, April 8. The company noted that it is now capable of producing mRNA vaccines. Some said the recent block sale of ST Pharm shares held by Dong-A Socio Group Chairman Kang Jeong-seok also shows that the company is close to announcing the details of vaccine development. Chairman Kang sold 35 billion won worth of ST Pharm stocks. While it remains unclear who purchased the chairman's shares, industry watchers believe that he sold his shares to a company that possesses a drug production facility. While the government has been trying to secure enough COVID-19 vaccine supplies, Samsung Group's drug-making arm, Samsung Biologics, signed a contract with Moderna during President Moon Jae-in's recent visit to Washington, D.C. Under the contract, the Samsung affiliate is slated to produce the Moderna vaccine at its plant here starting in the third quarter. On a related note, Samsung Biologics said it plans to add an mRNA vaccine manufacturing line at its core facility in Songdo, southwest of Seoul, by the first half of 2022. Real-time social media posts from local businesses and organizations across Northern Virginia, powered by Friends2Follow. To add your business to the stream, email cfields@insidenova.com or click on the green button below. Alvin Anceravage (second from left), a 99-year-old resident at The Virginian in Fairfax, receives the John P. Holland Club Award on May 20, 2021, for his service as a U.S. Navy submariner. Pictured with him are Chuck Martin, Mike Varone and Howard Chatham. (Photo contributed) People sexually abused as adults would have a chance to sue the perpetrators even if the usual deadline to bring a lawsuit had expired under a bill gaining momentum in New Yorks legislature. The bill, called the Adult Survivors Act, would give abuse survivors a one-year window in which to bring lawsuits that would otherwise be barred by the states statute of limitations. A similar window created in 2019 for victims of childhood sexual abuse led to an avalanche of lawsuits over decades-old allegations of abuse against priests, teachers, Boy Scout leaders and others. Supporters of doing the same thing for adults include Marissa Hoechstetter, 41, who said shes among more than 200 women who say they were sexually assaulted by former New York gynecologist Robert A. Hadden. Other Hadden accusers include Evelyn Yang, the wife of New York City mayoral candidate Andrew Yang. Hadden surrendered his medical license in a 2016 plea deal with Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr. that didnt require him to serve any jail time. Federal prosecutors charged Hadden in September with attacking girls and women for nearly two decades under the cover of medical examinations. Hadden pleaded not guilty. His attorney didnt immediately respond to request for comment Thursday. His trial is scheduled for next year. Some of Haddens accusers who were minors at the time of the alleged abuse have been able to pursue litigation in courts under New Yorks landmark Child Victims Act. Hoechstetter said its time for New York to move past the arbitrary 18-year-old limit, and allow adults to have their day in court. The legislature has already recognized that it takes time to come forward and report trauma, Hoechstetter said. I believe it is only fair to now include those who were assaulted over the age of 18 Were not asking for the state, for the Legislature to weigh in on the merit of our accusations. Were asking for access to the courts. In 2019, New York extended the statute of limitations to 20 years for lawsuits over rape and certain other criminal sexual acts, up from the previous five years. But that legal change didnt apply retroactively to offenses that occurred years ago. The Senate is set to vote on the Adult Survivors Act sometime this week, according to a spokesperson for Senate Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins. Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Cuomos office didnt immediately respond to request for comment Thursday. Survivors and advocacy groups, including Safe Horizon and New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault, are lobbying on behalf of victims to urge the Legislature to pass the bill before it wraps up its session on Thursday, June 10. More than 5,200 New Yorkers have filed lawsuits against abusers under the Child Victims Act, according to Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Brad Hoylman and Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal. Both Democrats are now sponsoring the Adult Survivors Act. Those lawsuits have financially devastated several Roman Catholic dioceses in the state, which have filed for bankruptcy, as has the Boy Scouts of America, which had also faced a flood of suits. Its unclear whether theres much organized opposition to the bill. Historically, time limits exist for civil lawsuits because it becomes hard to hold a fair trial as time goes by. Memories fade. Evidence is lost. Witnesses die or become hard to find. Hoechstetter said she hopes lawmakers will act. People keep coming forward and its heartbreaking when I have to say to them: Theres nothing you can do,' she said. Hoechstetter first began to see Hadden who was the uncle of her best friend from college in her early thirties during her pregnancy with twins. His behavior was increasingly bizarre, she said. Really invasive questions, really long breast exams, often nobody in the room. She said he once licked her during an exam: I froze and I never went back. Later on, she learned other women had accused him of sexual assault: At that point, I really knew I wasnt all alone. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits New York Abuse Molestation Applicants for a chaplains job at a Maryland county jail had to sign a statement affirming that they are Christians, a Muslim man claims Thursday in a federal lawsuit accusing the county and a contractor of religious discrimination. Lawyers from the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Muslim civil rights group, sued Prince Georges County on behalf of Edrees Bridges, who has been a volunteer chaplain at a county jail in Upper Marlboro since 2018. Bridges, 49, learned in April that the county was hiring a paid chaplain. He asked for an application but couldnt complete it because all applicants were required to sign a Statement of Applicants Christian Faith that would force him to abandon his religious beliefs as a Muslim, his lawsuit says. Prison Ministry of America, which also is named as a defendant in the suit, has a contract with the county to provide religious services to jail inmates. The statement on its job application says Prison Ministry of America employees are committed to a lifestyle of Christianity and agree with our statement of faith. It also asks applicants to affirm that they believe in one God, Creator and Lord of the Universe, that Jesus Christ, Gods Son, was conceived by the Holy Spirit and that the Bible is Gods authoritative and inspired Word. The lawsuit says that kind of religious test is illegal under the First Amendments Establishment Clause, which prohibits government from establishing a state religion. It also claims the statement violates Bridges religious freedom rights. Bridges said he was shocked and saddened to learn that his Muslim faith would exclude him from the applicant pool. I have always encountered people that have been open to that diversity of ideas, diversity of thought, he said in an interview Thursday. As a chaplain, one of the core ingredients to being a chaplain is to be there for all. Prison Ministry of America Executive Director Mark Maciel said non-Christians arent disqualified from applying. The nonprofit already has Muslims who work as chaplains under its umbrella, he added. We dont exclude anybody, Maciel said. Spokespeople for Prince Georges County Executive Angela Alsobrooks didnt immediately respond to an email or phone call seeking comment. Bridges is an assistant imam at the Ali Khan Islamic Center in Maryland. He has a masters degree in divinity with a concentration in Islamic chaplaincy from the Claremont School of Theology in California and is pursuing his doctorate in ministry from the same school. Prison Ministry of America is a nonprofit based in Paramount, California. CAIR attorney Gadeir Abbas, one of Bridges lawyers, said he doesnt know if Prison Ministry of America includes the same statement on applications for jobs in other jurisdictions. But if its going on in (Prince Georges) County, I bet theyre doing it in other places as well, he added. At Prison Ministry of America, their objective is to is to bring Christianity to the folks who are incarcerated. Bridges says he told Maciel during a telephone call last month that he was interested in applying for the chaplains position. Maciel emailed him a copy of an application and a job description. Maciel said he told Bridges on May 3 that they were conducting interviews if he was interested in the job. Maciel said Bridges never told him he is Muslim. It didnt matter. And I didnt even ask him, Maciel said. The lawsuit asks the federal court in Greenbelt, Maryland, to rule that limiting the applicants to Christians is illegal and to block the county from using the Statement of Applicants Christian Faith in the jails job application process. Bridges also is seeking unspecified monetary damages. Bridges doubts he would apply for the job if he does prevail in his lawsuit. I dont think so at all because I really dont have a lot of faith in whether or not I will be accepted, he said. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits Talent Maryland Italys largest insurer Assicurazioni Generali SpA launched a 1.2 billion-euro ($1.4 billion) bid to buy all the shares it doesnt already own in smaller rival Societa Cattolica di Assicurazioni, as part of a strategy to cement its already-commanding presence in the home market. Generali, which has a stake of about 24% in the company, is offering investors 6.75 euros per Cattolica share in an all-cash transaction, the insurer said in a statement on Monday. The offer represents a 15% premium on the last closing price and values the smaller rival at 1.5 billion euros [$1.8 billion]. Generali reorganized its top leadership earlier this year to focus on driving profitability growth. The deal adds to a flurry of transactions in the domestic insurance sector that has totaled more than 10 billion euros [$12 billion] in the past year, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Read more: Generali Completes Purchase of AXAs Greek Units, Forms Bancassurance Agreement The acquisition would allow Generali to become the first in the non-life insurance market and to strengthen its presence in the life market, the insurer said in a statement. The transaction is fully aligned with business plans disciplined approach to M&A and its commitment to deliver profitable growth and create value for customers and shareholders. Cattolica rose as much as 14% and was up 13% at 6.83 euros as of 12:32 p.m. [on May 31] in Milan, above the offer price. Generali shares also rose, trading at 16.93 euros. Generali is also seeking cost cuts, digitalization, and expansion in more lucrative products and high-margin insurance to boost profitability. Chief Executive Officer Philippe Donnet said last month the firm would consider mid-size deals in the insurance companies and asset management sectors. After the the Cattolica transaction, the company has cash left over from an originally-earmarked 2.3 billion euros [$2.8 billion] for acquisitions. Sector Moves The insurer is in exclusive talks to buy non-life insurance businesses in Malaysia from AXA and Affin Bank, people familiar with the matter said in April. In Europe, Generali was in the running to buy the Polish operations of Aviva Plc, though rival Allianz SE emerged as winner. Cattolica is an insurance company with a market capitalization of almost 1.4 billion euros [$1.7 billion]. The firm agreed to convert to a joint stock company in July, and planned to raise 500 million euros [$610.4 million]. Assicurazioni Generali subscribed to 300 million euros [$366 million], becoming the main shareholder in October. The second biggest investor in Cattolica is a unit of Warren Buffets Berkshire Hathaway Inc., which holds a stake of about 9%. Zurich Insurance Group is considering selling a chunk of mostly life insurance assets in Italy, while Apollo Global Management is planning sale of Italian life insurance business Amissima Vita. Cinven is selling life-insurance company Eurovita. Generalis board unanimously approved the deal. The company said it sees annual synergies exceeding 80 million euros before tax from the Cattolica tie-up, while total integration costs are estimated in a range between 150 million euros [$183 million] and 200 million euros [$244 million]. Generalis offer was conditional on at least 66.7% of the shares being held after the tender, though it had said it would consider whether to proceed with acceptances if will own at least 50% plus one share. Rothschild & Co., Bank of America Corp, and Mediobanca SpA are advising Generali on the deal. Photograph: The headquarters of Assicurazioni Generali SpA in Rome, Italy. Photo credit: Alessia Pierdomenico/Bloomberg. Copyright 2021 Bloomberg. Topics Mergers Generali Life Assurance (Thailand) Plc. ZURICH Large Swiss banks and insurance companies will have to provide qualitative and quantitative information about risks they face from climate change, Swiss financial watchdog FINMA said on Monday as it released an amended publication on disclosure. FINMAs updated circular on the new obligations, to take effect on July 1, follows similar moves by the European Central Bank, which last year announced plans to ask lenders in the 19-country currency union to disclose their climate-related risks. The Swiss watchdog said it is fulfilling its strategic goal of contributing to sustainable development of the Swiss financial center, by laying out how it will supervise banks and insurers on climate-related financial risk. FINMA said it crafted the disclosure requirement after talking with industry representatives, academics, NGOs and the federal government last year. The watchdog has previously said the risks such as natural catastrophes are substantial for the sector and merited new disclosure standards. Banks and insurance companies are required to inform the public adequately about their risks, FINMA said in a statement. These also include the consequences of climate change, which could pose significant financial risks for financial institutions in the longer term. Credit Suisse has been in the crosshairs of climate activists, including protesters who blocked access to its Zurich headquarters over complaints of its financing of fossil fuel-related projects. Reinsurer Swiss Re said in April the global economy could lose nearly a fifth of economic output by 2050 should the world fail to check climate change. (Reporting by John Miller; editing by Michael Shields) Topics Carriers Climate Change President Moon Jae-in, second from right, speaks during a roundtable meeting with Korean and U.S. business leaders at the U.S. Department of Commerce in Washington, D.C., May 21. Yonhap By Yi Whan-woo Observers are paying attention to a luncheon meeting, Wednesday, between President Moon Jae-in and the leaders of the country's "top four" conglomerates, over whether the President will drop a hint on pardoning or paroling imprisoned Samsung chief Lee Jae-yong. The meeting is the first in Moon's final year in office, and will be participated in by Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Euisung, LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won and Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Kim Ki-nam. Expectations for a "special measure" are high as the four groups contributed to the successful May 21 summit between Moon and his U.S. counterpart President Joe Biden by pledging massive investments in the semiconductor, electric vehicle battery and automobile sectors in America. "Under the circumstance, there's a fair chance that the release of Lee, in the form of either a pardon or on parole, will be brought up during the luncheon," commented Shin Yul, a political science professor at Myongji University. He noted that Moon personally has been open to releasing Lee, as seen in his remarks during a nationally-televised press conference, May 10, when he said he would take into account the public consensus regarding the Samsung chief. Just before Moon's summit with Biden, Samsung, Hyundai, LG and SK pledged to invest a combined $39.45 billion in the U.S. economy, prompting Biden to openly express his gratitude at the White House summit. Samsung's $17 billion investment plan for a semiconductor facility was especially prominent in Biden's proposed roadmap to rebuild American manufacturing and to establish a U.S.-led global supply chain for high-tech industries. Moon accordingly noted that the summit "could not get any better" in consolidating the countries' bilateral alliance. Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong has been serving a two-and-a-half year prison term since January after being found guilty in a corruption trial involving former President Park Geun-hye who is also imprisoned. Korea Times file Generali has completed the acquisition of AXA Groups Greek subsidiary, AXA Insurance S.A., for 167 million ($204 million) in cash. The acquisition, which comprises AXAs life & savings and property/casualty businesses (P/C), was first announced on Dec. 31, 2020. As a result of the deals completion, Generali has also commenced a 20-year exclusive distribution agreement with Alpha Bank (which previously had the bancassurance arrangement with AXA). Generali Launches $1.4 Billion Bid to Buy Remaining Shares of Italy Rival Cattolica The deal is in line with Generalis strategy to strengthen its leadership position in Europe as Generali becomes a leading player in both P/C (now at number 2) and health (at number 3), while also strengthening its position in life insurance. In addition, the deal opens up an important bancassurance channel in partnership with Alpha Bank, which is a leader in the Greek banking sector, serving approximately 3.1 million customers through a network of more than 300 branches, explained Generali in a statement. The partnership with Alpha Bank supports Generalis ambition to enhance its bancassurance channel, which will help boost P/C sales. Panos Dimitriou will become the CEO of the insurance entities of the Generali Group in Greece. This acquisition is in line with Generalis strategy to consolidate its leadership position in Europe. We have secured a leading role in the Greek insurance market, becoming a top-three player in P/C and health while strengthening the life segment, commented Jaime Anchustegui Melgarejo, CEO International of Generali. Vassilios Psaltis, CEO of Alpha Bank, said: Our strategic partnership with Generali is a cornerstone of our ambition to consolidate our competitive position in the bancassurance space. Source: Generali and AXA Topics AXA XL Generali Life Assurance (Thailand) Plc. Federal employment laws do not prevent an employer from requiring all employees physically entering the workplace to be vaccinated for COVID-19, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has affirmed. Also, employers may offer incentives for employees to get vaccinated and must keep any vaccination information they obtain from employees confidential. The EEOC posted updated and expanded technical assistance related to the COVID-19 pandemic, addressing questions arising under the federal equal employment opportunity (EEO) laws. The EEOC also released a new resource for job applicants and employees, explaining how federal employment discrimination laws protect workers during the pandemic. The expanded technical assistance provides new information about how the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) apply when an employer offers incentives for employees to provide documentation or other confirmation of vaccination when an employee gets a vaccine in the community or from the employer or its agent. Employment Practices Insurance in Age of COVID, Vaccines, Shutdowns and Hard Market EEOC emphasized that the technical assistance answers COVID-19 questions only from the perspective of the EEO laws. Other federal, state, and local laws come into play regarding the COVID-19 pandemic for employers and employees. The key updates to the technical assistance are summarized below by EEOC include: Federal EEO laws do not prevent an employer from requiring all employees physically entering the workplace to be vaccinated for COVID-19, so long as employers comply with the reasonable accommodation provisions of the ADA and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and other EEO considerations. Other laws, not in EEOCs jurisdiction, may place additional restrictions on employers. According to the EEOC, employers should keep in mind that because some individuals or demographic groups may face greater barriers to receiving a COVID-19 vaccination than others, some employees may be more likely to be negatively impacted by a vaccination requirement. Other laws, not in EEOCs jurisdiction, may place additional restrictions on employers. According to the EEOC, employers should keep in mind that because some individuals or demographic groups may face greater barriers to receiving a COVID-19 vaccination than others, some employees may be more likely to be negatively impacted by a vaccination requirement. Federal EEO laws do not prevent or limit employers from offering incentives to employees to voluntarily provide documentation or other confirmation of vaccination obtained from a third party (not the employer) in the community, such as a pharmacy, personal health care provider, or public clinic. If employers choose to obtain vaccination information from their employees, employers must keep vaccination information confidential pursuant to the ADA. obtained from a third party (not the employer) in the community, such as a pharmacy, personal health care provider, or public clinic. If employers choose to obtain vaccination information from their employees, employers must keep vaccination information confidential pursuant to the ADA. Employers that are administering vaccines to their employees may offer incentives for employees to be vaccinated, as long as the incentives are not coercive. Because vaccinations require employees to answer pre-vaccination disability-related screening questions, a very large incentive could make employees feel pressured to disclose protected medical information. as long as the incentives are not coercive. Because vaccinations require employees to answer pre-vaccination disability-related screening questions, a very large incentive could make employees feel pressured to disclose protected medical information. Employers may provide employees and their family members with information to educate them about COVID-19 vaccines and raise awareness about the benefits of vaccination. The technical assistance highlights federal government resources available to those seeking more information about how to get vaccinated. Most employers are not requiring every employee to be vaccinated, although there have been reports of workers losing their jobs for refusing to be vaccinated. Michelle S. Strowhiro, a lawyer at McDermott Will & Emery, told The Associated Press that many employers want to avoid the administrative burden of tracking compliance and managing exemption requests. They also worry that legal claims could result. The Houston Methodist Hospital network in Texas is one employer that is requiring all employees to get vaccinated by June 7 or risk losing their jobs or being suspended. More than 100 employees have joined a lawsuit challenging the mandate on the grounds it violates Nuremberg Code provisions meant to prevent drug experimentation on humans without their consent. States often allow people to opt out of vaccination requirements for medical or religious reasons. Some states also require vaccinations for college students and certain health care workers, also with exemptions. Some states including Ohio, West Virginia and New York have offered financial incentives for citizens to get vaccines and some employers including Walmart, American Airlines, McDonalds and Trader Joes are also offering incentives. More than 20 states have considered legislation to ban employers from requiring vaccines but they have encountered opposition from employers citing their need to maintain safe workplaces. Related: Topics COVID-19 USA Commercial Lines Business Insurance Privacy The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to hear Johnson & Johnsons bid to overturn a $2.12 billion damages award to women who blamed their ovarian cancer on asbestos in the companys baby powder and other talc products. The justices turned away a J&J appeal and left in place a Missouri state court ruling in litigation brought by 22 women whose claims were heard together in one trial. The Missouri Court of Appeals, an intermediate state appellate court, last year ruled against J&Js bid to throw out the compensatory and punitive damages awarded to the plaintiffs but reduced the total to $2.12 billion from the $4.69 billion originally decided by a jury. J&J said in a statement that there are unresolved legal issues that will continue to be litigated. It previously has said it faces more than 19,000 similar claims. The matters that were before the court are related to legal procedure, and not safety. Decades of independent scientific evaluations confirm Johnsons Baby Powder is safe, does not contain asbestos, and does not cause cancer, the company said. J&J shares were down about 1.2% at $167.23. J&J has argued that a decision by a Missouri circuit court judge to consolidate disparate baby powder-related claims from the plaintiffs including 17 women from outside the state for a trial before a single jury violated the New Brunswick, New Jersey-based companys due process rights under the U.S. Constitution. J&J also has argued that the size of the jurys damages award violated its due process rights. The Missouri Supreme Court, the states highest court, in November declined to hear J&Js appeal of the Missouri Court of Appeals ruling, prompting the company to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. This was a victory not just for the amazing women and their families who we were privileged to represent, but a victory for justice, said Mark Lanier, a lawyer for the plaintiffs. DISPUTE OVER JURISDICTION The plaintiffs, nine of whom have died and are now represented by their estates, have argued that Missouri courts have jurisdiction over out-of-state claims like those brought in this litigation. One of the products that the out-of-state plaintiffs said they had used was manufactured in Missouri. Lawyers for the plaintiffs also have argued that the large punitive damages awarded by the jury in this case were justified by J&Js conduct. Lawyers for the plaintiffs said in court papers it is common practice for courts to consolidate cases at trial when the facts in each claim are essentially the same. The Missouri Court of Appeals concluded that it was reasonable to infer from the evidence that J&J disregarded the safety of consumers in its drive for profit despite knowing its talc products caused ovarian cancer. It also found significant reprehensibility in J&Js conduct. In addition to reducing the damages, the Missouri Court of Appeals dismissed two of the 17 out-of-state plaintiffs. In court papers, J&J said the case followed a winning formula devised by plaintiffs lawyers of bringing claims in jurisdictions where they can get dozens of out-of-state plaintiffs to testify in a single trial, prejudicing the jury and resulting in outsized damages awards. In the Missouri trial, the company said, the jury awarded each plaintiff an identical punitive damages award of $25 million, regardless of the facts specific to each plaintiff or whether they were alive or dead. The company also said the jury awarded punitive damages much larger than the already staggering compensatory damages, which J&J has called a further violation of its due process rights. Justice Samuel Alito did not participate in the Supreme Courts decision not to hear the appeal, likely because he owns J&J stock. Justice Brett Kavanaugh, whose father now retired was a longtime lobbyist for the toiletries industry, also did not take part. The justices do not explain why they step aside in certain cases. A 2018 Reuters investigation found that J&J knew for decades that asbestos, a carcinogen, was present in its talc products. Internal company records, trial testimony and other evidence showed that from at least 1971 to the early 2000s, J&Js raw talc and finished powders sometimes tested positive for small amounts of asbestos. The company said in May 2020 it would stop selling its baby powder talc in the United States and Canada, citing changes in consumer habits and what it called misinformation about the products safety amid numerous legal challenges. (Reporting by Lawrence Hurley; Additional reporting by Manojna Maddipatla; Editing by Will Dunham) Alphabet Inc.s Google failed to persuade a judge to block class-action status for a gender-pay disparity lawsuit brought on behalf of almost 11,000 women. A San Francisco state judge certified the class action Thursday, allowing the four lead plaintiffs to represent 10,800 women over claims that Google pays men more for doing the same job. A previously disclosed analysis showed that the case seeks more than $600 million in damages. The women allege violations of Californias Equal Pay Act, one of the strongest measures of its kind nationwide. This is a significant day for women at Google and in the technology sector, and we are so proud of our brave clients for leading the way, Kelly Dermody, a lawyer representing the women, said in an email. This order shows that it is critical that companies prioritize paying women equitably over spending money fighting them in litigation. Dermody said the next move is to get the case to trial, which she expects could start in 2022. Google said that for the past eight years it has conducted an analysis to ensure salaries, bonuses and equity awards are fair. If we find any differences in proposed pay, including between men and women, we make upward adjustments to remove them before new compensation goes into effect, the company said in an emailed statement. Last year, 2,352 employees were paid more across nearly every demographic category, according to Google. Read More: Oracle Women Score Major Win in Court Battle Over Equal Pay The decision follows a similar ruling last year in a case against Oracle Corp. Women at other technology companies who have turned to the courts to transform their pay and treatment in the workplace have faced difficulty gaining traction, just like their female counterparts in more traditional industries, from retail to finance. The U.S. Supreme Court set a high bar in its 2011 decision that blocked 1.5 million female workers at Walmart Inc. from pursuing their discrimination claims as a group. Female engineers at both Twitter Inc. and Microsoft Corp. failed to win class-action status for their gender-bias cases and those rulings were upheld on appeal. The women leading the Google suit said in a July court filing that the company paid female employees approximately $16,794 less per year than the similarly-situated man, citing an analysis by David Neumark, an economist at University of California at Irvine. Google paid women less base salary, smaller bonuses, and less stock than men in the same job code and location, they said. Google is also accused in the lawsuit of violating the states Unfair Competition Law with a policy from 2011 to 2017 of asking job candidates for prior salaries, perpetuating lower pay and seniority for women. The suit was filed in 2017. The company sought to dismiss the case but a judge denied the request in 2018. Google argued that defending itself against Equal Pay Act claims in a class-action case requires boundless individualized testimony for different kinds of work performed by more than 33,000 employees. San Francisco Superior Court Judge Andrew Y.S. Cheng disagreed. For work to be substantially similar under the Equal Pay Act, Cheng wrote, jobs do not need to be identical or require exactly the same duties. In February, Google agreed to pay almost $2.6 million to settle U.S. Labor Department allegations that the technology company potentially underpaid thousands of female workers in software engineering positions, and discriminated against women and Asian job applicants. The case is Ellis v. Google Inc., CGC-17-561299, California Superior Court, San Francisco County. With assistance from Max Abelson and Malathi Nayak. Top Photo: A pedestrian walks past signage at Google Inc. headquarters in Mountain View, California. Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg Copyright 2021 Bloomberg. Topics Lawsuits Legislation Two key groups that offer automobile safety ratings are yanking their top endorsements from some Tesla vehicles because the company has stopped using radar on its safety systems. Consumer Reports pulled its Top Pick status for Teslas Model 3 and Y vehicles built after April 27, while the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety plans to remove the vehicles Top Safety Pick Plus designation. The U.S. governments National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is no longer giving the Models 3 and Y check marks on its website for having forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning and emergency brake support. That prompted the ratings groups actions. Both require electronic safety systems for the top safety designations. Consumer Reports says that removing radar and relying on cameras means the safety features may not be there when needed. A message was left Thursday seeking comment from Tesla, which has disbanded its media relations department. If a driver thinks their vehicle has a safety feature and it doesnt, that fundamentally changes the safety profile of the vehicle, David Friedman, Consumer Reports vice president of advocacy, said in a statement. It might not be there when they think it would save their lives. IIHS on Thursday confirmed that it pulled the Top Safety Pick Plus designation, but said it remains for vehicles built with radar. The institute said it plans to test Teslas new system. Tesla says on its website that its making a transition to a new system called Tesla Vision that uses cameras, on Model 3s and Ys to be delivered starting in May. The new system will use cameras and Teslas neural network computer processing for safety systems, as well as Teslas Autopilot and Full Self-Driving partially automated driver-assist systems. Tesla also has short-range sonar sensors. CEO Elon Musk has said that the eight-camera vision system works better than the best human drivers, and is a step toward the companys self-driving ambitions. But critics have said that even with radar, Tesla doesnt have the right sensors for self-driving vehicles. It doesnt have laser sensors called lidar, which can see through darkness and bad weather, they say. Most other companies testing autonomous vehicles use lidar. Teslas Autopilot system has had trouble spotting fixed objects and tractor-trailers turning in front of its vehicles. At least three people have been killed while driving on Autopilot when their cars crashed beneath trailers or into a highway barrier. In addition, Teslas on Autopilot have struck police cars and firetrucks parked on freeways with their flashing lights on. NHTSA, the government safety agency, has investigated 29 incidents involving Teslas, but so far the agency has not taken action on Autopilot. The National Transportation Safety Board has recommended that NHTSA and Tesla limit Autopilot to roads where it can operate safely, and that Tesla install a better system to make sure drivers are paying attention. Tesla, which is based in Palo Alto, California, says on its website that some vehicles may be delivered with some safety features temporarily limited or inactive. Those include Autosteer, which keeps cars in their lanes. It will be limited to 75 miles per hour (120 kilometers per hour) and a longer distance from traffic in front of the vehicle. Musk also has been criticized by Consumer Reports and others for calling his systems Autopilot, which implies that a car can drive itself, and Full Self-Driving, which the company says cannot drive on its own. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Tesla Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards has asked President Joe Biden to declare a federal disaster for the state after severe weather and flash flooding caused damage to at least 2,000 homes in May. Edwards request is for individual assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for five parishes Ascension, Calcasieu, East Baton Rouge, Iberville and Lafayette. Such help from FEMA includes housing and other needs. Edwards also asked for Small Business Administration aid and Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funding statewide. The severe weather that quickly affected Louisiana in mid-May caused flash flooding and at least one tornado. Five people died, thousands were without power and many businesses and schools were forced to close, Edwards said in a news release We are coming off of an incredibly active hurricane season, an ongoing pandemic and facing down the next hurricane season in just a few days. I am hopeful the President will grant this disaster declaration to assist our people with their rebuilding process. Edwards declared a state of emergency for the disaster on May 17. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Louisiana Flood A bill passed by the Florida Legislature to address the states property insurance crisis has created optimism among some stakeholders, while others say it will not reduce rates over the next 18 to 24 months or stop the states out-of-control claims litigation. This years effort to pass property insurance reforms came down to the wire with the passage of Senate Bill 76 on the last day of session. The bill attempts to solve some of the issues plaguing the states homeowners insurance market in which insurers lost more than $1.5 billion last year. Consumers are facing double-digit rate increases, restricted coverage, or having to turn to the states insurer of last resort, Citizens Property Insurance. Shortly after the bill passed, the state regulator approved three Florida insurers requests to drop more than 50,000 homeowners policies as the state heads into hurricane season. The passed bill includes changes to the states one-way attorney fee statute, the eligibility and glidepath of Citizens, and the deadline to file claims. It also places new requirements and restrictions on roofing contractors. But two pieces the industry and experts identified as critical to addressing cost drivers and stabilizing the market were left out of the final bill the elimination of the states attorney fee multiplier and a provision allowing insurers to implement policy language to mitigate roof replacement costs. The provisions were sticking points in both legislative chambers. Its a watered-down bill that wont restore market stability. It will not curb rate increases, said American Integrity CEO Robert Ritchie. Everybody is set up for these expectations and everybodys going to be mad at each other. In my view, the most important provisions are the ones that didnt get in it, said Joseph Petrelli, president and founder of ratings analysis firm Demotech, which rates more than 40 Florida domestic insurers. Petrelli previously warned that it will be harder for several companies to enhance their financial results, and sustain their A ratings, if the Florida Legislature did not pass meaningful reform this year. Sen. Jim Boyd, also an insurance broker and owner of Boyd Insurance & Investments in Bradenton, Fla., acknowledged that what passed didnt have everything he or the industry wanted, but he is confident what did pass will make a difference in stabilizing the market, encourage the return of insurance investment capital into the state, and cut down on contractor and litigation abuse in the system. Rates arent going to go down tomorrow, of course, Boyd said. But I firmly believe this will have a definite downward impact on what has been continually rising homeowners rates in Florida I really, truly believe we have done a lot of good toward getting at the root causes of the problem. Sen. Jeff Brandes, who co-sponsored the legislation, voted to pass the bill but said it was only a 40% solution for what is needed in Florida to bend the cost curve. Hopefully, it stabilizes rates, but really will ultimately do nothing to actually lower them, he told his Senate colleagues. If signed by the governor, the legislation would take effect July 1 and includes: Changes the eligibility, rate glidepath and actuarily sound rate indication for Citizens Property Insurance Corp. Replaces the one-way attorney fee-statute to make the recovery of attorney fees and costs contingent on obtaining a judgment for indemnity that exceeds the pre-suit offer made by the insurance company. Reduces the claims deadline on all claims to two years from the date of loss, except for on supplemental claims which will have an additional year. Requires plaintiffs to file a pre-suit demand at least 10 days before filing a lawsuit against an insurer that includes an estimate of the demand, the attorney fees and costs demanded and the amount in dispute; disallows pre-suit notices to be filed before the insurance company can to make a determination of coverage; and allows an insurer to require mediation or other form of alternative dispute resolution after receiving notice. The bill also makes several changes to tackle what insurers claim has been an explosion of roofing claims and litigation, including making it illegal for roofing contractors or any person acting on their behalf to make a prohibited advertisement, including an electronic communication, phone call or document that solicits a claim. Offering anything of value for performing a roof inspection, an offer to interpret an insurance policy or file a claim or adjust the claim on the insureds behalf will also be prohibited. Additionally, contractors are prohibited from providing repairs for an insured without a contract that includes a detailed cost estimate of the labor and materials required to complete the repairs. Violations could result in fines of $10,000. Floridas insurance regulator is optimistic the new reforms will have a positive effect on the states marketplace over the longer term. I think its a pretty meaningful step forward, in terms of stabilization, but certainly as with most things, theres no quick fix, and this is going to take some time to implement, said Insurance Commissioner David Altmaier. Were going to be very carefully monitoring a lot of different data points most importantly, the impact to consumer rates. Locke Burt, chairman and CEO of Florida-based insurance company Security First, said the bill will ultimately change the way that roofers do business, the way public adjusters do business, the way plaintiffs attorneys do business, and the way that insurance companies do business, which is significant. But it is not going to cause rates to go down [now]; the best that can happen is it will flatten the curve in 2023 or 2024, he said. Its not going to make agents life easier in the foreseeable future. Litigation Reform Altmaier called the reforms to the one-way attorney fee statute one of the more impactful features of the bill. The new statute stipulates that if a claimant recovers at least 50% of the disputed amount (the difference between the pre-suit demand excluding attorney fees and costs and the indemnity award obtained at trial), full attorney fees would be awarded to the plaintiff attorney. If the indemnity award obtained is less than 20% of the amount in dispute, then no attorney fees are awarded to the plaintiff attorney. Indemnity awards between 20% and 50% of the disputed amount would merit the same proportional award of attorney fee and costs as the percentage of the disputed amount obtained at trial. The fee reforms were modeled after the assignment of benefit legislation that passed in 2019, Altmaier said, which appears to be having a meaningful impact in reducing the incentive for some of the excessive litigation that we were seeing with AOB. The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation sent a report to lawmakers during session that found while Florida homeowners insurance claims accounted for just over 8% of all homeowners claims opened by U.S. insurers in 2019, homeowners insurance lawsuits in Florida accounted for more than 76% of all litigation against insurers nationwide. Litigation trends in Florida have been consistently many times higher than any other state, the report stated, citing data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) showing that Florida lawsuits rose steadily from 64.4% of all nationwide homeowners lawsuits in 2016, to 68% in 2017, to 79.9% in 2018 and 76.4% in 2019. I really think that [attorney fee reform] is going to go a long way in helping to disincentivize some of the excessive litigation, while still allowing the opportunity for consumers to pursue civil remedies against their insurance companies if they feel as if theyve run out of other options, Altmaier said. Burt said changes to the one-way attorney fee statute, which has been in place for 125 years, are a big deal, but noted it is hard to quantify at this point what litigation savings companies will see. The pre-suit demand requirement will also be very significant for insurers. It is usually very difficult to extract that information from plaintiff attorneys, he said. Now we will know what we are dealing with in terms of a demand. Roofing Claims Abuse Many in the industry, like American Integritys Ritchie, said addressing roofing claims was a critical element left out. Seventy percent of my lawsuits are for uncovered roof claims. Will this curb the lawsuits for roofs? I say no, Ritchie said. Sen. Boyd said roofing claims are one of the biggest drivers of rate increases for Florida homeowners, but the House rejected provisions in the passed Senate bill aimed at stemming these losses by allowing insurers to only offer homeowners policies that adjust roof claims to actual cash value if the roof is older than 10 years. Also rejected was allowing property insurers to offer homeowners to purchase a stated value limit for roof coverage and implement a reimbursement schedule for total losses to a primary structure. OIR did not support the roof ACV provisions, Altmaier said. He expects carriers will see positive results from the combination of curbing roof claims solicitations and the one-way attorney fee reforms. I think those two things combined are going to make the absence of those other two items much less significant in the overall impact of the bill, he said. State agencies will be responsible for enforcement of the roofing provisions in the law. The Florida Department of Professional Regulation will handle licensing and the Florida Department of Financial Services will investigate and work to prosecute insurance fraud related to roofing solicitations and claims. As we await the Governors signature on consumer protection legislation passed this session, the Department is preparing to implement measures to curb unlicensed adjusting by holding anyone accountable who looks to profit off of a business model of improperly soliciting insurance consumers and coming between them and their insurance claims, DFS Communications Director Devin Galetta said in a statement to Insurance Journal. Todays Market For the insurers that are struggling now, there isnt time to wait and see if the bill goes far enough. Demotechs Petrelli said Florida companies are taking action to nonrenew and cancel policies to lower their exposure in particular geographic areas and their reinsurance costs. Southern Fidelity Insurance, Universal Insurance Co. of North America and Gulfstream Property & Casualty were recently approved by OIR to drop more than 50,000 policies because of hazardous financial conditions. Between the geographical issues and the disproportionate reinsurance cost issues, we think thats a smart move on behalf of companies, Petrelli said. Without addressing the other major cost drivers for insurers going forward, Petrelli said the passed legislation is merely nibbling around the edges. He does not expect more investment capital or competition in the state and said there soon could be less. Demotech is waiting to review the first quarter results and final reinsurance programs of the companies it rates, but Petrelli noted about five companies could be downgraded. The ratings firm would have been more lenient if Florida had passed meaningful reforms, and there was a true light at end of a litigation tunnel, Petrelli said. What would have saved companies, in terms of their rating, is reforms that had immediate teeth. I dont see these as being immediate nor having the sharpest of teeth. Florida Association of Insurance Agents (FAIA) President and CEO Kyle Ulrich said while the association is encouraged and supportive of the reforms that passed and thinks it will have a positive impact on the market, significant changes arent likely for at least 18 to 24 months. FAIA is advising agents to become comfortable with placing business with Citizens, if they arent already, as it is likely more policies are headed that way. Unfortunately, as much as agents dont want to have to do it, there are going to be some relying on Citizens in ways that they either never have, or havent had to in probably 10 years, Ulrich said. The good news is, at least from our perspective, is that Citizens is in a much better place right now to handle that and are easier to do business with than they have been in the past. Related: Topics Florida Property A lawsuit filed over a dock fire that killed eight people at a county marina in north Alabama last year contends officials failed to ensure the safety of the structure. The wrongful death suit names Jackson County commissioners at the time of the blaze; the city of Scottsboro; insurers and others. Fire, electrical and safety codes werent followed at Jackson County Park, where the marina was located on a wide creek off the Tennessee River, it claims. Combustible materials on the dock increased the danger, the suit contends, and officials failed to perform annual inspections, fire response training, fire drills or develop a plan for dealing with a blaze. The suit was filed last Tuesday by the families of two of the fire victims, Amanda Nicole Foster and Yancy Tyler Roper, al.com reported. It seeks an unspecified amount of money to both compensate estates of the dead and punish the plaintiffs. None of the defendants has filed a response to the lawsuit, court records showed Friday. Fire broke out a dock early on Jan. 27, 2020, and eight people died as wind blew the flames from one vessel to another. About two dozen people had lived in boats tied to a long wooden dock at the marina, and five children were among the dead. A federal investigation released in September determined the fire was accidental, most likely starting near the electrical panel of a houseboat called Dixie Delight, and was worsened by what it called limited safety practices at the marina. Fire inspection reports from 2012 and 2016 did not cite any structural problems with the dock., Both reports said the docks were clean, well-kept and had fire extinguishers, but they also noted the presence of items including gasoline containers and grills. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits Carriers Alabama A south-central Montana man who pleaded no contest to hiring someone to burn down his house for the insurance money so he could pay a debt to the federal government in a drug case has been ordered to pay restitution. District Judge Jessica Fehr last week sentenced Jimmie Richard James, 78, to five years on probation and ordered him to pay over $172,000 to the insurance company for the August 2016 fire in Ballantine, The Billings Gazette reported. James, then 73, offered his girlfriend $5,000 to burn down his house according to recorded phone calls made from a Colorado prison in 2016, while James was serving time for meth trafficking, prosecutors said. A federal judge had also ordered James to pay the federal government $164,000 from the sale of his house as part of his sentence. James was concerned the house would only sell for $130,000 and he would have to pay another $30,000 in storage costs for his belongings, so he called his girlfriend to arrange a fire. He also called his attorneys to make sure the home was still insured, court records said. The insurance company paid out $168,000 after the fire, which James used to satisfy his forfeiture order, court records said. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Carriers Arson Wearing soot-smudged, fire-resistant clothing and helmets, several wildland firefighters armed with hoes moved through a stand of ponderosa pines as flames tore through the underbrush. The firefighters werent there to extinguish the fire. They had started it. The prescribed burn, ignited this month near the scenic mountain town of Bend, is part of a massive effort in wildlands across the U.S. West to prepare for a fire season thats expected to be even worse than last years record-shattering one. The U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management have thinned by hand, machines and prescribed burns about 1.8 million acres of forest and brushland since last season, officials from the agencies told The Associated Press. They typically treat some 3 million acres every year. All that activity, though, has barely scratched the surface. The federal government owns roughly 640 million acres in the U.S. All but 4% of it lies in the West, including Alaska, with some of it unsuitable for prescribed burning. All these steps are in the right direction, but the challenge is big and complex, said John Bailey, professor of silviculture and fire management at Oregon State University. And more needs to be done to even turn the corner. The efforts face a convergence of bleak forces. Severe drought has turned forests and grasslands into dry fuels, ready to ignite from a careless camper or a lightning strike. More people are building in areas bordering wildlands, expanding the so-called wildland-urban interface, an area where wildfires impact people the most. Invasive, highly flammable vegetation is spreading uncontrolled across the West. Im seeing probably the worst combination of conditions in my lifetime, said Derrick DeGroot, a county commissioner in southern Oregons Klamath County. We have an enormous fuel load in the forests, and we are looking at a drought unlike weve seen probably in the last 115 years. Asked how worried he is about the 2021 fire season, DeGroot said: On a scale of 1 to 10, Im a 12. Nothing looks good. In other prevention measures in the West, utility companies are removing vegetation around power lines and are ready to impose blackouts when those lines threaten to spark a fire. Armies of firefighters are being beefed up. And communities are offering incentives for residents to make their own properties fire-resistant. Still, much work remains to change the regions trajectory with fire, particularly in two key areas, said Scott Stephens, professor of wildland fire science at the University of California, Berkeley. One is getting people better prepared for the inevitability of fire in areas like the wildland-urban interface. That includes new construction, he said. And the second is getting our ecosystems better prepared for climate change and fire impacts. On the local level, individuals and communities need to create defensible spaces and evacuation plans, he said. On the government level, more resources need to go toward managing forests. I think weve got one to two decades, Stephens said. If we dont do this in earnest, were frankly just going to be watching the forest change right in front of our eyes from fire, climate change, drought, insects, things of that nature. Part of the issue is that increasing wildfire resilience often requires trade-offs, said Erica Fleishman, professor at Oregon State Universitys College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences. Cities or states could require defensible spaces around homes. Building codes could call for fire-resistant materials. That would drive up construction costs but also mean homes would be less likely to burn and need rebuilding, she said. The insurance industry and the building industry and communities and lawmakers are all going to need to have the will to create these changes, she said. Fleishman also believes more prescribed fires could be conducted in the wildland-urban interface, but said society is risk averse. Right now, theres not, in many cases, a whole lot of will to do it, she said. Prescribed burns target vegetation that carries flames into forest canopies, where they can explode into massive wildfires. Planning and preparing for them can take two to five years. And carrying them out is a never-ending task, said Jessica Gardetto, spokeswoman for the National Interagency Fire Center, in Boise, Idaho. While targeting one forest, other forests continue to grow, creating this vast buildup across the landscape, she said. Besides overgrown forests, the West faces a newer threat: cheatgrass, which grows prolifically after a wildfire and becomes incredibly flammable. Gardetto said trying to get rid of the invasive grass is like the endless toil of Sisyphus, the Greek mythological figure who was forced to roll a boulder up a hill, only for it to roll down as it neared the top, over and over again. After a fire is put out, the first thing to come back is cheatgrass. It starts this horrible cycle that is really difficult to combat, she said. California Gov. Gavin Newsom and U.S. Forest Service Chief Vicki Christiansen signed an agreement last August committing the state and the federal agency to scale up treatment of forest and wildlands to 1 million acres annually by 2025. They have a long way to reach that goal. Cal Fire, a state agency responsible for protecting over 31 million acres of Californias privately owned wildlands, treated some 20,000 acres with prescribed fire and thinning from last summer through March. Meanwhile, California increased the number of seasonal firefighters by almost 50%, according to Lynne Tolmachoff, spokeswoman for Cal Fire. With the fire season getting longer each year, Colorado lawmakers last spring allocated about $3 million to increase staffing at the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control, said Mike Morgan, its director. Historically, wildland firefighters were college students. Theyd get out of school on Memorial Day, theyd go fight fire, and theyd go back to school on Labor Day, Morgan said. Well, now were having fires every month of the year, and so we need firefighters year-round. The Bureau of Land Management is transforming its seasonal firefighting force to full-time with a $13 million budget increase, Gardetto said. Despite all these efforts, warnings are going out telling people to be ready for the worst. The Oregon Office of Emergency Management advised residents on Monday to have a bag packed and have an evacuation plan. Abnormally dry conditions and pre-season fires on the landscape are causing concern for the 2021 wildfire season, the agency said. Now is the time for Oregonians to prepare themselves, their families and their homes for wildfire. Associated Press writers Don Thompson in Sacramento, California; Thomas Peipert in Denver; and Daisy Nguyen in San Francisco contributed to this report. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics USA Catastrophe Natural Disasters Wildfire In this May 3 file photo, a man and child wearing masks visit Tiananmen Gate near the portrait of Mao Zedong in Beijing. China's ruling Communist Party announced Monday that it will ease birth limits to allow all couples to have three children instead of two to cope with the rapid rise in the average age of its population. AP-Yonhap China announced on Monday it would allow every couple to have three children after its two-child policy failed to boost the country's flagging fertility rate over the past five years. Last year, it dropped to its lowest level since the Great Famine in early 1960s. But the new measure will have limited effect because the cause of falling births in China has little to do with the restrictions. The problem with China's falling fertility rate - the average number of children per woman - is due to social and economic factors. As in other parts of the world, the willingness of women to have kids declines as education and income improves. China's fertility rate has dropped steeply over the past several decades thanks to its controversial one child policy, which was enforced through hefty fines, social pressure and forced abortions and sterilization. But the birth restrictions are only one factor. It is futile to think an expanded birth quota will dramatically increase the number of children Chinese women are willing to have. Relaxation of the policy is too little, too late. First of all, a three-child policy is meaningless for those couples who do not want more kids. Secondly, a quota no matter how big is still a policy aimed at restricting births and so sends a mixed message to citizens in the world's most populous country. Residents bring their children to play in a compound near a commercial office building in Beijing, May 10. AP-Yonhap Burma At Least 80 Myanmar Soldiers Killed: Kayah Resistance Members of the Karenni Nationalities Defense Forces, an alliance of armed groups and township-based Peoples Defense Forces in Kayah State. / KNDF At least 80 junta soldiers were killed during the latest shootouts between regime troops and Karenni civilian resistance fighters in Demoso, Kayah State, leading to air strikes on Monday evening. The Karenni Nationalities Defense Force (KNDF), a new group of civilian fighters including the existing state-based ethnic armed groups in Kayah State, said the shootouts happened when some 150 junta troops from Loikaw, the state capital, advanced into Demoso at around 1pm on Monday. A civilian resistance fighter said one of their comrades and six others were injured on Monday which lasted into the evening. By 5pm on Monday, more than 80 soldiers were confirmed dead and, in retaliation, the military used jet fighters, helicopters and launched artillery into Demoso, he said. A female resistance fighter said: Our forces gathered more than 40 dead junta soldiers on [Tuesday] morning and seized some 20 to 30 guns and magazines. The junta soldiers fired at the civilian sentries at the entrance of the village and then resistance forces surrounded them and inflicted heavy casualties. Military air support came soon after the shooting, she said. They said the air raid on Dawt Ngan Kha at around 5pm, and a prolonged artillery barrage lasted until night time. Military drones dropped at least six bombs. Fighting between regime soldiers and the Karenni resistance broke out in Demoso on May 21 and has since spread beyond. Last week, the Karenni Peoples Defense Force (KPDF) destroyed police stations in Demoso Township and Shan States Pekon Township and Moebyel town and killed over 40 junta troops and police. At least eight resistance fighters and 23 civilians were killed by junta forces in 10 days. Due to fighting, some 100,000 residents have fled their homes. Some took shelter in religious buildings while most are staying in the hills and jungles, where they lack food and shelter. A relief worker said the displaced need food, tarpaulin for shelter, equipment for sanitation and medicine as the rainy season starts. Some have had flu and diarrhea and need medicine, said the relief worker. However, those helping civilians are at risk of being killed and arrested by junta forces. Two villagers, who went back to their village to gather food, were shot dead on May 27, while three other volunteers helping the displaced were detained the next day, the relief worker said. Artillery firing continued in Demoso and Loikaw on Tuesday. Junta forces also restricting movement in Loikaw, where residents say they could be arrested at any time. Telecommunications and internet is often cut and two bridges in Hpruso Township on the Loikaw-Demoso-Bawlakhe highway were destroyed on May 30. The military and resistance accuse each other of the destroying the bridges. You may also like these stories: Myanmar Coup Leader Renames Controversial Mon State Bridge Myanmars Shadow Govt Deeply Concerned for Safety of Detained NLD Leaders Myanmar Junta Jets Bomb Civilian Resistance Fighters in Sagaing Region Burma Five Accused of Being Myanmar Junta Informants Found Dead in Magwe Police on Tuesday arrive at the location where a burned-out vehicle and five dead bodies were found in Gangaw, Magwe Region on Monday. Five civilians accused of being military informants from two villages in Gangaw, Magwe Region were found dead on Monday afternoon, according to local residents. A local anti-junta civilian resistance group said it targeted the five as they were collaborating with junta forces operating in the area. The bodies of the five were found with an injured woman and a burned-out vehicle by local residents between Ye Hla and South Khayan villages, some 32 miles from Gangaw, said a Yaw resident who spoke on condition of anonymity. The five deceased comprised two administrators from Hantharwady and Thintaw villages, a teacher, a nurse and an administrative office clerk. The teacher and nurse were on their way back together with the administrators after they collected their salaries. Only one was alive, but she sustained severe injuries, the Yaw resident said. Another local said, The victims were targeted because they didnt join the CDM [civil disobedience movement] of striking civil servants who are refusing to work for the military regime following the Feb. 1 coup. However, a source close to the Yaw Defense Force (YDF), a local civilian resistance group, said the victims were targeted not merely because they were not participating in the CDM, but because they were military informants who had assisted junta forces operations in the area. They were turncoats, traitors and informants. They informed the junta forces about striking civil servants and got them arrested. They received junta forces into their homes, he said. The YDF said in a statement on Monday that it ordered the vehicle to stop for a security check after receiving a tip-off that it was carrying explosive materials. The YDF stopped them to conduct a check, but they refused and fought back. We heard that junta forces are trying to arm Pyu Saw Htee members. They were transporting arms. We took advantage, said a source close to the incident. Locals believe the six were informants belonging to a Pyu Saw Hteegroups established, reportedly with support from the military, to counter pro-democracy activists and anti-regime protesters. Mondays killings are thought to have their roots in an incident in Gangnaw on May 28 in which a number of regime troops were killed in a shootout with the YDF. After that incident, the military raided Ye Hla Village and set three houses ablaze. Three people died, including a disabled person who could not speak. It was those killed on Monday who brought the junta forces to the village, the Yaw resident said. Locals said the police did not arrive at the scene of Mondays killings until around 5 p.m. on Tuesday. Since then, a number of residents of surrounding villages have fled their homes, fearing reprisals. Following junta forces lethal crackdowns on peaceful anti-coup protesters, armed resistance to the military regime has become increasingly common in Myanmar. The juntas battalions, police stations and general administration offices have been attacked in various ways, and killings of people deemed to be military informants are on the rise. You may also like these stories: KIA Uses Artillery on Airport in Northern Myanmar Suspected Myanmar Military Informants Killed in Kale At Least 80 Myanmar Soldiers Killed: Kayah Resistance Burma KIA Uses Artillery on Airport in Northern Myanmar Putao airport The Kachin Independence Army (KIA) launched an artillery attack on Putao airport on Tuesday morning. The KIA fired three artillery shells into the airport compound at around 4am but missed the runway. KIA information officer Colonel Naw Bu said had not yet received a report on the attack. He said the armed group would attack the regime at any time possible and the airport attack might have been opportunistic. On May 30, fighting broke out between the KIA and regime forces in Putao Township. Military tensions have been running high since March 11 following the KIAs refusal to recognize the regime. Military aircraft later bombed KIA outposts. In May the regime tightened security in Putao and made inspections and arrests of young men on suspicion they were returning home from military training with the KIA. A Putao resident said: At midday on May 30, heavy artillery was heard near Tang Ja village, 28 miles from Putao. Some civilians have been hiding since. Everyone is worried and watching the situation. People are collecting food and medicine. You may also like these stories: Suspected Myanmar Military Informants Killed in Kale At Least 80 Myanmar Soldiers Killed: Kayah Resistance Myanmar Coup Leader Renames Controversial Mon State Bridge Burma Myanmar Daily Post-Coup Update: May 31 The military regime carries out air strikes in Demoso. To keep you updated on what happened in Myanmar in the last 24 hours, here are the main events of the day more than three months after the putsch. In Demoso Township, Kayah State, the Karenni National Defense Force (KNDF) clashed with junta troops. The KNDF said one of its fighters died and six others were injured, while the junta suffered at least 80 casualties. The military regime used fighter jets and artillery in the fighting. In Kutkai in northern Shan State, the Brotherhood Alliance, which groups the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, Taang National Liberation Army and Arakan Army, attacked a military camp in Namt Phat Kar Village. At least 11 junta soldiers, including a deputy battalion commander, were killed in the predawn attack. In Kyaukme, junta forces rammed anti-regime protesters with cars and fired live rounds and rubber bullets at protesters. In Sagaing Region, the military junta used jet fighters to bomb Moetargyi Village-tract near Katha-Bhamo Road, where the Peoples Defense Force of Katha Township attacked junta soldiers on Sunday. Junta forces raided Thazi Village in southern Kale (Kalay) to search for striking government employees, weapons and ammunition, leading to a clash with the Peoples Defense Force of the town in which at least three junta troops were killed and a civilian resistance fighter was injured. Junta forces fired shots at random in wards in Kale after three bombs exploded near a public hospital, a CB Bank branch and a 100-bed military hospital. Female National League for Democracy (NLD) lawmaker Daw Khin Hmwe Lwin was arrested while in hiding in Shwe Taung Oo town across the Chindwin River from Monywa. She is the eighth female NLD lawmaker arrested by junta forces since the February coup. In Tanintharyi Regions Dawei, a young man died of blood loss after being shot in the knee by junta troops. In Mandalay Region, the military-appointed administrator and the secretary of Kyaukphyukan Villages administrative body in Myingyan were stabbed to death by unknown attackers. In Myotha, a group of unknown attackers stabbed to death the military-appointed administrator of No. 4 Ward at a beer pub opposite the police station. In Chin States Mindat, junta forces fired artillery at some displacement camps marked with white flags, forcing some 1,000 people already displaced by fighting to flee again. In Kachin States Hpakant, a former village administrator was shot dead by an unknown motorbike rider. He had been in hiding due to his involvement in the anti-regime movement. In Yangon Region, bomb explosions were reported in South Dagon and Hlaing townships. In Ayeyarwady Region, the office of the Thabaung Township education officer was attacked with a homemade bomb, leaving one injured. Anti-regime protests took place in various forms in locations across Myanmar including Yangon, Mandalay, Magwe, Sagaing and Tanintharyi regions and Shan State. You may also like these stories: Myanmar Regime Isolates Western Town of Paletwa Following Bomb Blasts Chin National Front Signs Deal with Myanmars Shadow Govt Pregnant Myanmar Woman Dies of COVID-19 in Town on Indian Border Burma Myanmar Junta Jets Bomb Civilian Resistance Fighters in Sagaing Region Junta planes bombed PDF fighters in Katha. / CJ Military regime fighters bombed villages in Katha Township, Sagaing Region on Monday evening, a day after the Katha Peoples Defense Force (PDF) ambushed a convoy of junta soldiers in the area. They dropped two bombs in Moetargyi and Moetarlay villages on Monday, said the information officer of the Katha PDF. The civilian resistance fighters attacked a military convoy in Moetargyi village-tract, near the Katha-Bhamo road, on Sunday. One of the bombs landed in the compound of a Buddhist monastery in Moetarlay village, but no casualties have been reported so far. On Sunday, the Kachin State-based ethnic armed group the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) joined the fighting between the Katha PDF and junta troops in Moetargyi village-tract. Eight regime soldiers were killed and 13 seriously injured, while five civilian resistance fighters were killed and one was captured by the military during the fighting, according to the Katha PDF. We opened fire on the military as they came in two vehicles. It was difficult as we only had old firearms and rudimentary hunting rifles, said the Katha PDF information officer. We asked the KIA for reinforcements after we had fought for 45 minutes. A local platoon from KIA Brigade 8 came and helped us. We would have suffered without the help of KIA Brigade 8, he added. The Katha PDF has been operating independently and has not yet received any weapons from the National Unity Government, a shadow government formed to rival the military regime, said the information officer. KIA forces are active in Shwegu and Mohnyin townships in Kachin State and Mabein in northern Shan State, all of which border Katha. The Katha PDF attacked the regime forces because junta reinforcements have arrived in the area and are combing Katha for anti-regime activists and deploying troops in villages along Katha-Bhamo road, said the Katha PDF officer. Military informants are also giving the names of local youths who have been receiving military training from the KIA. We heard gunfire. We dare not go to Katha. There are military checkpoints on the way and there are also informants monitoring our activities, said a local resident who lives near the Katha-Bhamo road. The KIAs Brigade 8 has been engaged in intense fighting with junta troops in Bhamo Township for the last two months. Junta troops have been trying to retake control of the Alaw Bum base near the border with China in Bhamo since the KIA captured the outpost in late March. The regime has used fighter and helicopter airstrikes against the KIA, but has suffered heavy casualties. The KIA has attacked military and police outposts in Momauk and Shwegu townships as a preemptive measure to hamper military offensives. Regime food convoys being shipped from Katha to Bhamo along the Ayeyarwady River were also attacked by the KIA on May 11 and May 21. The Irrawaddy was unable to contact the KIA information department for a comment on the May 30 fighting in Katha. You may also like these stories: Myanmar Daily Post-Coup Update: May 31 Myanmar Regime Isolates Western Town of Paletwa Following Bomb Blasts Chin National Front Signs Deal with Myanmars Shadow Govt French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday that they expected the U.S. and Danish governments to present explanations over allegations Washington spied on European allies with Copenhagen's aid. "This is not acceptable between allies, and even less between allies and European partners," said Macron after a French-German summit meeting held via video conference between Paris and Berlin. "I am attached to the bond of trust that unites Europeans and Americans," Macron said, adding that "there is no room for suspicion between us." "That is why what we are waiting for complete clarity. We requested that our Danish and American partners provide all the information on these revelations and on these past facts. We are awaiting these answers," he said. Giving her position, Merkel said she "could only agree" with the comments of the French leader. In an investigative report on Sunday, Danish public broadcaster Danmarks Radio (DR) and other European media outlets said the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) had eavesdropped on Danish underwater internet cables from 2012 to 2014 to spy on top politicians in Germany, Sweden, Norway and France. The NSA was able to access text messages, telephone calls and internet traffic including searches, chats and messaging services including those of Merkel, then-foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and then-opposition leader Peer Steinbruck, DR said. Merkel said at the summit that she was "reassured" by statements by the Danish government, especially Defence Minister Trine Bramsen, condemning such actions. "Apart from establishing the facts, this is a good starting point to arrive at relations that are truly based in mutual trust," she said. (AFP) Burma Myanmar Regime Isolates Western Town of Paletwa Following Bomb Blasts Paletwa was also cut off in 2020 during fighting between the military and the Arakan Army. The military regime has isolated Chin States Paletwa following bomb blasts in the town last week, restricting the movement of local residents. Two bombs exploded outside the townships General Administration Department and Myanma Economic Bank at around 7 a.m. on May 28 in downtown Paletwa. Since then, the regime has arrested some local residents and isolated the town. In response to the bomb blasts, locals are not allowed to leave the town. And people from elsewhere are also not allowed to enter. The military has blocked the roads. Theyre also not allowing boats from other villages to come to the town. They have cut our town off by road and by water, a Paletwa resident told The Irrawaddy. A military officer met departmental officials and some local residents on May 29 and angrily informed them that the military would cut the town off in order to conduct an investigation into the bomb blasts, and told locals to cooperate with the investigation. The military arrested 16 local residents including the chairman of the Khumi Literature and Culture Committee. It has released six of them, but the other 10 remain in detention. Food prices have soared since the military regime restricted access to the town, a female resident of Ywama ward said. They have even prohibited boats from crossing the river to the opposite bank of Paletwa. Food prices have soared. While we are experiencing financial hardship [due to the post-coup turmoil in the country], we have to pay 1,000 kyats [about US$0.60] for three eggs here, she said. The normal price in Yangon is between 100 and 150 kyats per egg. The prices of basic foodstuffs including rice, oil and salt have all increased. I am afraid we wont be able to buy food soon, she said. Paletwas three wards are home to 20,000 mostly ethnic Chin, Khumi and Rakhine people. The Civilian Defense Force (Paletwa) formed by local civilian resistance fighters released a statement on Monday denying responsibility for the bomb blasts. The defense force said it would not engage in activities that cause public panic. It also called for the immediate release of local residents arrested by the military regime on suspicion of involvement in the blasts. Paletwa experienced killings and arrests of local residents in 2020 during fighting between Myanmars military and the Arakan Army. The town was also cut off during the fighting. You may also like these stories: Chin National Front Signs Deal with Myanmars Shadow Govt Pregnant Myanmar Woman Dies of COVID-19 in Town on Indian Border At Least 11 Junta Troops Killed as Ethnic Alliance Attacks in Northern Shan Burma Myanmar's Shadow Govt Deeply Concerned for Safety of Detained NLD Leaders State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and President U Win Myint at the Union Parliament building in Naypyitaw. / Htet Naing Zaw / The Irrawaddy The National Unity Government (NUG) has expressed serious concerns about the safety of Myanmars ousted leaders, who are being held in unknown locations by the junta. The NUG is deeply concerned for the safety of the state leaders, said the NUG in a statement released on Monday. The statement condemned the juntas ill treatment of State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, President U Win Myint and other detained leaders of the former National League for Democracy (NLD) government. In her first face-to-face meeting with her legal team last week, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi told her lawyers that she doesnt know where she is being detained and that she was isolated from the outside world. Until recently, she was being held at her residence on Mya Nan Bontha Street, Zabuthiri Township in Naypyitaw, Myanmars capital. However, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi told her lawyer U Khin Maung Zaw that she was moved to another unknown location on May 23. The 75-year-old pro-democracy leader is also subject to an information blackout with no access to newspapers, TV, radio, internet or phone. She has been provided with a bare minimum of information by the regime since her arrest on Feb. 1, the day of the juntas coup. Daw Aung San Suu Kyis arrest, and that of President U Win Myint on the same day, came a few hours before the convening of what was to be the first session of a new Parliament following the NLDs landslide victory in the November 2020 general election. President U Win Myint also told his legal team that he has been completely isolated from the outside world since Feb. 1. The two leaders, both former political prisoners of previous military regimes, face various charges and potentially long prison sentences. Following the meetings with their legal teams, the two democratically-elected leaders made their first appearance in court in Naypyitaw. Previous hearings were all held via video link. The unprecedented hearing of the cases of the most high-profile prisoners in Myanmars recent history took place in a special court inside a disused building in the Naypyitaw Council compound. Regime-controlled television aired the first pictures of the leaders to emerge since they were overthrown in the coup, showing them sitting in the dock of the court with police officers standing behind them. Also on trial with them is detained Naypyitaw Council Chairman Dr. Myo Aung. The NUG denounced the military regimes release of the images as propaganda and as insulting the human dignity of the ousted leaders. The NUG noted also that, like the NLD leaders, several civilians were also being unlawfully detained at unknown places around the country. We will try our utmost to make sure to serve justice and ensure accountability for every single unjust case brought by the military since the coup and also those brought against ethnic minorities for years before, said the NUG in their statement. You may also like these stories: Myanmar Junta Jets Bomb Civilian Resistance Fighters in Sagaing Region Myanmar Daily Post-Coup Update: May 31 Myanmar Regime Isolates Western Town of Paletwa Following Bomb Blasts Burma Suspected Myanmar Military Informants Killed in Kale Kale Township. / Kale University Facebook Two suspected military informants from Thazi village in Kale Township, Sagaing Region, were found dead with stab wounds at their houses on Tuesday morning, according to residents. Three villagers accused by their neighbors of being informants were reportedly attacked on Monday night and one managed to escape. The two killed are Ko Pwar Gyi and Ko Ye Win. The latter allegedly guided junta troops to Thazi on Monday, leading to around eight villagers being detained. Ko Pwar Gyis family collected his body this morning. It is not clear when they were killed. No one has yet collected Ko Ye Wins body. We heard three informants were targeted and one escaped, said a Kale resident. Junta forces detained villagers and took some 5 million kyats (US$3,050) from residents during the Thazi raid, according to the townships Peoples Defense Force. It said at least two junta troops died and a civilian resistance fighter was slightly injured in a shootout at Thazi. Three bombs exploded outside a public hospital, CB Bank and a 100-bed military hospital in Kale on Monday at noon. Kale is one of the first towns that took up arms against the military regime. Over 30 residents have died and more than 100 have been detained by junta forces in Kale. You may also like these stories: At Least 80 Myanmar Soldiers Killed: Kayah Resistance Myanmar Coup Leader Renames Controversial Mon State Bridge Myanmars Shadow Govt Deeply Concerned for Safety of Detained NLD Leaders A rustic wooden boat carrying up to 17 Cubans came ashore at Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park near the Lighthouse late Monday afternoon, and those aboard ran onto the shoreline vegetation celebrating their arrival in the US. Local resident and Univision producer David Adams visited the beach after being notified by some friends. He described the boat as well made. Ines Lozano, Adams wife and president of the Key Biscayne Rotary Club, said friends told her It appears there were 10. Once on land, the group quickly hid in the vegetation to avoid being captured and deported. Through his social networks, Yusnaby Perez, a journalist from Telemundo, shared a video where a raft is seen reaching the beach as people watched from the beach. Perez said about 11 people jumped from the precarious boat, ran and celebrated their arrival on the US coast. Before they arrived, the group was approached by several boaters to see if they needed food or water. The Cubans responded: "No, no. What we need is to arrive; we are fine." Dr. Elsa Dominguez, of Key Biscayne, who was at the park celebrating with family, said 20 people scattered around the park. Dominguez described the boat as terrifying to see: all handmade, cardboard, cans etc, adding that only God could make it land without that boat falling apart in the ocean. An Instagram post by Elia G. De La Torre wrote: Memorable experience on this Memorial Day seeing this raft just arrive from Cuba. 17 rafters safe and sound. God's work. In a second post Sunday, De La Torre added that the occupants got off so quickly. Half hour later the guards and helicopter were roaming. Adams, in a video he shared with Islander News, said he has seen many boats arrive from Cuba but found this one to be curious in that it had no motor. Adams also pointed out that it had water bottles branded with the Navarro Pharmacy, the local pharmacy chain now owned by CVS, label. The bottles had not been open or consumed. Adams said the bottles originated from Canada. In the video, he speculated that perhaps some from Miami went to Cuba to bring the refugees to the U.S. In his social media channels, Perez said that, according to sources, the group are ok and they are with family. So far this fiscal year, Coast Guard crews have intercepted 298 Cubans at sea, compared to only 49 in 2020. According to Channel 8 News, last week, Coast Guard crews led an extensive search for survivors of a capsized boat off Key West. Eight Cuban migrants were rescued, two bodies were recovered, and 10 others were never found. We will provide more information as it becomes available. Motorola has made its presence felt in the mounting 5G space with an inherent strength: stylus support. Actually, only a few handsets come to mind thinking about the best phones that come with a stylus. As such, Motorola's Moto G Stylus 2021, which the phone manufacturer announced in January, is indeed a huge come-on. What's more, the new model is getting a nifty 5G variant. Moto G Stylus 5G 2021 Specs: Quad Camera, 256 GB storage According to leaks from TechnikNews' Niis Ahrensmeier, the Moto G Stylus 5G will have a US-only release, and it will carry 256 GB of internal storage. Design-wise, the Moto G Stylus 5G will be similar to the just rolled-out Moto G100. A quad-camera setup is seen at the rear residing in square-shaped module, together with a fingerprint scanner that is rear-embossed, XDA-Developers revealed. Motorola Moto g Stylus 5G (US only), it's the one @OnLeaks released in January and everyone was confused. Has decent Storage (256 GB) pic.twitter.com/LCaZ15vtwM Nils Ahrensmeier (@NilsAhrDE) May 30, 2021 The renders shown in his tweet reveal the Moto G Stylus 5G as viewed from all angles. A hole is seen in the left corner of the display, showing slim side bezels and a thicker chin than its predecessor models. Located at the bottom of the Moto G Stylus 5G are a USB Type-C port, speaker grille, stylus bay, and a 3.5-millimeter jack port. Read Also: Motorola Defy: Water Resistance Early On The 5G model's quad cameras look differently arranged, compared to the 4G version, although the leaks did not indicate the actual sensors used--which may or may not be similar to the 4G Stylus, GSM Arena noted. Moto G Stylus 5G 2021: Snapdragon 480 Chipset-Powered Obviously, the new Moto G Stylus 5G has a new chipset to support 5G, but the leaks--which mainly showed renders of the phone--did not specify its new system on a chip (SoC) or any other specs or features, except for the amount of onboard storage. Currently the non-5G Moto G Stylus carries the Snapdragon 678 SoC, Gizmo China reported. But rumors have it that the Snapdragon 480 chipset will run the Moto G Stylus 5G. This is the entry-level Qualcomm chipset seen such handsets as the Vivo Y52, OPPO A74 5G, Nokia X10 and X20. Reports further said that it offer 4GB or 6GB of RAM, and other variants with 64GB or 128GB of internal storage, Gizmo China further bared. Other speculated hardware part of the Moto G Stylus 5G include a 48MP primary lens in the quad cam with an 8MP ultrawide angle camera, 5MP macro camera and a 2MP depth sensor. A 6.8-inch 60Hz full HD display and a 5,000mAh battery are also provided. Rumors said that the Moto G Stylus 5G was codenamed "Denver." And while leaks mentioned that the phone will be exclusive to the US, Motorola might decide to release it to other markets under a different name. Moto G Stylus 5G 2021: Launch Date Still Unknown Its launch date remains unknown and fans are awaiting for Motorola's official announcement But for a budget 5G handset with a stylus, this is definitely a good choice. Related Article: Moto G100 US Release Date, Specs: New Database Says Snapdragon 870 Included 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: Were working to cover how COVID-19 is affecting our region. Tell us your story. Have you or someone close to you been monitored, quarantined or tested and can you share about the process? Are you a medical professional dealing with this who wants to share your experience and needs at this time? Are you a student or worker affected by closures? Are there questions you have about the coronavirus and COVID-19 response that havent been answered? We want to hear about your experience. We understand this is a sensitive and private issue and we are willing to protect your identity if you request it. SoftBank Robotics Singapore (SBRSG), Asia Pacific headquarters of SoftBank Robotics, partners with Australian pathogen mitigation company, GERMii, to fight the COVID-19 virus in Australia, with the launch of a 2-in-1 automated commercial floorcare cleaning and disinfection solution GERMii UV-C for Whiz. The partnership sees SBRSG combine the capabilities of its AI-powered flagship robot vacuum cleaner, Whiz, with GERMiis ultraviolet-C (UV-C) technology that kills bacteria on contact. GERMiis collaboration with Whiz allows the robotic device to capture and kill pathogens both on the floor and in the air by harnessing UV-C technology to sterilise its path. This solution is already being used and embraced by both cleaning services companies and their customers due to its ability to disinfect not only the COVID-19 virus, but all known, everyday viruses and pathogens such as gastro, influenza, and staphylococcus aureus (golden staph). Whiz not only cleans and sterilises floors, but also can reach GERMii UV-C handhelds across high touch areas such as elevators, workstations, and electronics to instantly sterilise surfaces. GERMii specialises in the application of proven UV-C sanitisation or sterilisation technology, designed, engineered, and locally manufactured in Australia. GERMiis technology, it claims, has enabled the sterilisation of high-risk, unventilated areas such as aeroplanes in 12 minutes, and hotel quarantine rooms in just five minutes. Whiz works autonomously and is said to deliver consistency in cleaning standards. It allows staff to focus on other tasks and frees them from laborious large-scale cleaning. Kenichi Yoshida, SoftBank Robotics chief business officer, shares: We are proud to be collaborate with an Australian-born innovator in the fight against COVID-19 in region. Our flagship robot, Whiz, in partnership with GERMii, will help tackle the real risks Australians face every day in quarantine hotels and other high-risk areas. He adds: With a heightened focus on eliminating any transmission from quarantine hotels and international flights, we are committed to plugging this gap by eradicating pathogens directly at the source to save time and help cleaners focus on areas unreachable by machines. Harold Van Haltren, GERMii CEO, claims: This marriage of two best-in-class products will be instrumental in the eradication of the COVID-19 virus in Australia. Although UV-C is not a new technology, pre-Covid it was inefficient at removing bacteria from surfaces due to its low, slow exposure times. The GERMii team has developed a design that allows the mobilisation of UV-C, enabling effective sterilisation in just seconds rather than hours, he shares. Van Haltren concludes: Our mobile device can now be bolted onto Whiz to create an AI-powered sterilisation machine, and were excited to see this collaboration making Australian communities safer among the pandemic. For more information on SoftBank Robotics and Whiz, click here and watch the video below, which comes from November 2020 and pre-dates the GERMii annoucement above: The two companies say their merged solutions will strengthen Aushield Defend, Australias national threat investigation and sharing platform, which protects organisations against the latest cyber threats. The entire APAC region is inundated with cyber attacks. Businesses are keenly aware of how damaging threats like Olympic Destroyer can be and know that Advanced Persistent Threats, backed by hostile nations such as North Korea, are always looking for ways to penetrate networks, said Stree Naidu, Anomalis General Manager for Asia Pacific and Japan (APJ). Im excited to be aligning with a company known and trusted for defending Australian networks against the most sophisticated cyber attacks. Canberra-based Cybermerc says it is committed to lifting the cyber capability of all Australian organisations. The companys mission is to build a collective cyber defence by connecting Australian government, industry and academia. Aushield Defend provides an enhanced intelligence feed of analysed data from a wide range of sources, including Cybermercs own sovereign security technologies. Defend provides organisations with information on the latest attacks, key risks and the Indicators of Compromise (IoC) needed to protect Australian networks. The recipient of two rounds of federal funding through the AustCyber Project Fund, Aushield Defend brings government, business and industry together to share intelligence and protect against cyber threats. Cybermercs Director of Aushield, Andrew Slater, says: Australian organisations have been defending themselves in isolation. Cyber security is not a me and you problem it is an us problem and we can be far more effective together...we can be secure together. Aushield Defend evolves the traditional cyber threat intelligence consumption model by generating intelligence of the latest attacks and constantly updating security devices, creating a defensive cyber collaboration across the country. Cybermerc leverages machine-learning and Artificial Intelligence to strengthen Aushield Defend and provide defence grade cyber security detection and protection to Australian small to medium businesses and enterprise organisations at an "affordable price point". Mnet's upcoming reality-survival show, "Girls Planet 999," is already facing backlash after it was revealed that Chinese trainees who supported China's military involvement in the Korean War would be joining the show. Keep on reading to know more. Mnet's "Girls Planet 999" Draws Flak for Featuring Chinese Trainees Who Support China's Involvement in the Korean War On May 25, KST, Mnet had announced that they were able to finalize the contestants of their upcoming reality-survival show, which will feature 99 female contestants, with 33 South Koreans, Chinese, and Japanese contestants each to represent their country. According to Mnet and the video that they had uploaded on their official Youtube channel, Mnet K-POP, it took around five months, from January to May, to recruit and finalize the 99 contestants for the show out of more than 13,000 who applied. The new show is also confirmed to kick off its first broadcast sometime in August. However, as the show is gaining more attention, so are its contestants. On May 30 KST, both Mnet and the show are already drawing immense backlash from Korean netizens after it was revealed that Chinese trainees who openly supported China's military involvement in the Korean War would be joining the show in the hopes of making their debut in South Korea. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Mnet Finalizes 99 Contestants for 'Girls Planet 999', to Premiere in August According to reports, Chinese trainees Wang Yale, who participated in the second season of the Chinese version of the "Produce" series, "Youth With You," Chen Xinwei from DAYLIGHT, and Wang Qiu Ru, a member of SNH48, had made posts back in October 2020 on their personal social media accounts that paid tribute to the 70th anniversary of China's military involvement in the Korean War. In their posts, they share a picture that pays tribute to the anniversary, alongside the captions "Cherish peace, pay tributes to heroes and remember history." In 2020, Chinese idols who are active as K-Pop idols and had posted a tribute to China's military involvement received backlash from Korean netizens as well. The criticism came to a point where netizens had filed a petition to the Blue House, asking for punishment and sanctions against the Chinese idols' activities in South Korea. YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN: These are the Best Looking Idols, According to Music Show Staff In addition to the Chinese trainees' support for China's military, netizens are also showing criticism on Mnet's decision to include Chinese trainees in general on the show due to the Northeast Project, the distortion of Korean history in dramas, and excessive Chinese product placements (PPL). According to Korean history, the war Korean War was caused by North Korea's invasion of South Korea in June 1950. While Chinese history depicts it as the Chinese military providing aid to North Korea against the United States, who were allies with South Korea during the war. It is highly likely that those who have shown their support for the "Anti-American Aid" in the Korean War will face strong opposition from its Korean viewers. What are your thoughts on the issue? For more K-Pop news and updates, always keep your tabs open here on KpopStarz. KpopStarz owns this article. Written by Robyn Joan Vodafone has been given a conditional go-ahead to use Huawei's 5G radio access network in Italy, the news agency Reuters reports . The report said the deal had been signed on 20 May by the government of national unity led by Prime Minister Mario Draghi. Last year, the US under-secretary of state for economic affairs, Keith Krach, was reported to have warned both Italy and Germany to reconsider the use of Huawei gear in their 5G networks. Washington has campaigned for close to three years to try and push countries it considers allies to avoid using 5G equipment from Huawei in their networks. The Chinese company has suffered heavy losses as a result. It denies that its networks are in any way less secure than those of its rivals. Under a previous prime minister, Giuseppe Conte, Italy did not allow telecommunications vendor Fastcom to sign a deal for 5G equipment with Huawei. Comment has been sought from Huawei Australia. Get unlimited access to all content and features at ivpressonline.com with our Full Online Access Subscription. Read our E-Edition, the digital replica of the print newspaper online, access content in exclusive sections including Family, Teen, Business, Databases, Farm and more. This option does not include daily home delivery of the Imperial Valley Press newspaper. For home delivery service, please select Premium or Premium Plus. In this undated photo provided by the Phoenix Police Department is Officer Ginarro New. The Phoenix police officer died after being hit by a driver who ran a red light and also died, authorities said Tuesday, June 1, 2021. The crash happened Monday night after 27-year-old Officer New entered an intersection and his police SUV was hit by another car, Phoenix police said in a statement. This Week in Review A weekly review of the best and most popular stories published in the Imperial Valley Press. Also, featured upcoming events, new movies at local theaters, the week in photos and much more. After using IMDb to look at the filmographies of the six principal cast members of Friends, Stacker identified their best and worst feature films. Click for more. The Southern Way (lots of sugar) The Yankee Way (no sugar or sweetener) The Arnold Palmer (lemonade added) Plantation Iced Tea (with fruit) Half sweet and half unsweet mixed together. Unsweet with a no calorie sweetener. With fruit garnishment such as a lemon or lime. I drink my iced tea in different way than listed here. I don't drink iced tea. Vote View Results MiMi-Sandra of Fort Worth, born 7 September 1945 in Jacksonville to Joe Selman Gore and Jeffie Gwendolyn (Lazenby) Gore. Preceded by her parents and five siblings. Survived by her husband, daughters, four siblings, nieces and nephews. Chinese FM holds talks with Hungarian counterpart Xinhua) 16:03, June 01, 2021 GUIYANG, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday held talks with Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto, in Guiyang, capital city of southwest China's Guizhou Province. Noting that China-Hungary bilateral ties have achieved remarkable results in recent years, Wang said the friendly cooperation between the two countries has jointly created many firsts, which include Hungary becoming the first European nation to sign a memorandum of understanding with China involving the Belt and Road Initiative and the opening of the first RMB clearing center of the Bank of China in Hungary. The Hungarian-Chinese bilingual school in Hungary is the first such kind of school in Europe, and Hungary is the first European Union (EU) member state to purchase and authorize the use of Chinese vaccines, Wang added. "This fully demonstrates the high level and quality of bilateral relations," Wang noted, calling on both sides to seize the opportunity, take advantage of the situation to seek cooperation and overcome challenges together. With regards to vaccine cooperation, Wang said China supports Chinese enterprises to explore joint filling and production of vaccines with Hungarian enterprises, and is willing to promote high-level and broader cooperation in healthcare between the two countries. Szijjarto thanked China for the timely and advanced delivery of several batches of vaccines to Hungary despite high domestic demands in China, which helped protect the lives of Hungarian people. Speaking against politicizing the epidemic, he said viruses neither have any political background nor ideology, and stigmatization or blame-shifting is the last thing that should be done. Talking about EU-China relations, Szijjarto said China is a cooperative partner of Europe, and Hungary firmly supports the development of EU-China relations and the cooperation mechanism among Central and Eastern European Countries. Wang and Szijjarto also addressed a joint press briefing after the meeting. Noting that European foreign ministers of Poland, Serbia, Ireland and Hungary have paid successive visits to China from May 29 to 31, Wang said this is the first face-to-face meeting between Chinese and European foreign ministers this year and also a strategic communication between China and the EU in the face of the new international situations and challenges. Wang added that they have engaged in in-depth and candid communication and reached a broad consensus that strengthening dialogues and cooperations in the post-epidemic era should be the common choice of China and European countries. Noting that current challenges in China-EU relations deserve attention and should be calmly reflected upon, Wang said upholding multilateralism is always the most important consensus between China and Europe. (Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun) Donate Now As a public service during this pandemic, the Jewish News is providing free, unlimited access to all articles. Jewish News is a nonprofit publication that is owned by the community and relies on community support. Mike has reported on the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem's wildlife, wildlands and the agencies that manage them since 2012. A native Minnesotan, he arrived in the West to study environmental journalism at the University of Colorado. Della A. (Kinkade) McGuire, 85, passed away at 12:15 a.m. on Thursday, June 10th, 2021 at the Presbyterian Manor in Parsons, KS, where she had lived for almost three years. On July 28, 1953, Della married Max E. McGuire. He preceded her in death on January 21, 1999. Della is survived by her Scott County Community Outreach Officer Under the direction of the Quality Improvement Manager, this position will engage with non-governmental agencies, businesses, and organizations to innovate, imagine, and create new means to address community needs and achieve strategic goals of the County. A community-based service orientation provides new alternatives, perspectives, and capacities to improve outcomes for individuals and communities in Scott County. This positions core purpose is to engage strategic partnership development, identifying high quality partners, and together creating new program avenues and opportunities. Work will be focused on services development, leveraging funding, broadening and strengthening the use of creative and innovative ideas, and enhancing well-being within the community. The position is funded for a three-year time-period, with continuation based on successful achievement of specific activities and outcome objectives. MQs : Requires equivalency of a bachelors degree and 3 years experience in community engagement and/or outreach, program development, marketing, or conducting program assessment and evaluation. A valid Drivers License is required for the performance of work-related travel. A Masters degree is desired. Hiring Range : $58,352 - $72,940 DOQ. Closing : 6/14/21 Apply Online : www.scottcountymn.gov/jobs EOE Lets work together. recblid lrctt5au2nfcb5olpvc417cdanq9px Aaron Raines, left, owner of Shenandoah Metal Fab., shows Devils Due Distillery owner Wylie McDade a dinosaur for which the metal shop is well known. Raines, along with several other vendors, was part of the first craft and vendor show hosted at Devils Due. Town Reporter Adam joined the JI in November 2020. He graduated in 2019 from the University of Connecticut. He enjoys reading, playing soccer and basketball, as well as piano and drums. He is a fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Penguins, and Pirates. Town & Country Painting Other Existing work authorization required for United States Direct Hire, Full-Time ****** See below Not specified Other Unspecified from anywhere English - Fluent See below See below English No cover letter requested zXooP8PTqsJRnCE67PclGhNzDkB0ip / Latpro-3795649 May-29-2021 Maryland, 21742 Today Mostly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 63F. Winds light and variable. Tonight Mostly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 63F. Winds light and variable. Tomorrow Mostly cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy in the afternoon. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High around 85F. Winds light and variable. The leader of Western Saharas independence movement, whose presence in Spain has angered the Moroccan government, will appear before a Spanish court Tuesday to answer allegations of torture and genocide. Brahim Ghali, who heads the Algeria-backed Polisario Front, will testify by video conference from a hospital in Logrono in northern Spain where he has been treated for Covid-19 since mid-April. The closed-door hearing at Spains National Court in Madrid is scheduled to get underway at 10:30 am (0830 GMT). Ghali, who is also the president of the Sahrawi Democratic Arab Republic, a self-declared state since 1976, is the subject of two investigations in Spain. The presiding judge will decide after he completes his investigation whether to charge the Polisario leader or dismiss the lawsuits against him. The hearing comes amid heightened tensions between Rabat and Madrid over Ghalis presence in Spain. Last month Spain was caught off guard as up to 10,000 people surged into its tiny north African enclave of Ceuta as Moroccan border guards looked the other way in what was widely seen as a punitive political gesture. The Polisario Front has long fought for the independence of Western Sahara, a desert region bigger than Britain which was a Spanish colony until 1975. Morocco controls 80 percent of the territory, while the rest an area bordering Mauritania that is almost totally landlocked is run by the Polisario Front. War criminal One of the investigations relates to allegations of torture at Sahrawi refugee camps in Tindouf, a town in western Algeria. The accusations were made in 2020 by Polisario dissident Fadel Breika, who also holds Spanish nationality. While a Spanish court initially rejected the complaint, earlier this year it agreed to reopen the case. The second investigation relates to allegations of genocide, murder, terrorism, torture and disappearances made in 2007 by the Sahrawi Association for the Defence of Human Rights (ASADEDH), which is based in Spain. The Spanish judge handling this case has refused to impose any precautionary measures such as seizing the Polisario leaders passport as requested by the complainants arguing there are no clear indications of his involvement in the crimes of which he has been accused. Rabat has already warned the Spanish government that allowing Ghali to go home, bypass Spanish justice and ignore the victims would further worsen ties. In 2016 Ghali was summoned for questioning in relation to the second complaint when he was due to attend a conference in Spain in support of the Sahrawi people. He eventually cancelled his trip. Rabat considers Ghali to be a war criminal, and Moroccos foreign ministry warned Monday that the crisis over his presence in Spain would not be resolved with a single court hearing. It once again demanded a transparent investigation over Ghalis arrival in Spain with what it said was a forged passport. The crisis, it said, was a test of the reliability of Morocco-Spain ties. Attack the borders In reply, Spains Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said it was unacceptable that Morocco attack the borders of Spain by letting migrants into Ceuta due to differences in foreign policy. Citing diplomatic sources, Spains El Pais newspaper said Ghali was critically ill when he arrived on a medicalised Algerian government plane on April 18, bearing a diplomatic passport. It said he was admitted to the hospital under a false name for security reasons. The UN refers to Western Sahara as a non-self-governing territory. Morocco is willing to offer it autonomy within Morocco but not independence. After 16 years of war, Rabat and the Polisario signed a ceasefire in 1991, but a UN-backed referendum on self-determination has been repeatedly postponed. Hostilities resumed last November when the Polisario declared the ceasefire to be over after Morocco sent troops into a UN-patrolled buffer zone to reopen a key road. Canberra, Australia -After AGL accused environmental organizations of abusing copyright and trademark laws, Greenpeace Australia Pacific will confront Australias largest power generator AGL Energy Limited in court on Wednesday. Greenpeace Australia Pacific used the AGL logo in a satirical advertising campaign launched in early May 2021. The event aims to promote a new report from Greenpeace Australia Pacific, which aims to raise public awareness of the fact that AGL is Australias largest climate polluter. The event features the AGL logo and Greenpeace logo. AGLs legal team will argue in court that this violates Australias trademark and copyright laws. Greenpeace Australia Pacific stated that these advertisements are obviously ironic, and no one will mistake them for the official promotional materials of AGL. By imitating the AGL brand in our advertising campaigns, we hope to attract the attention of the public. Although AGL shows the public a front-facing front with a focus on renewable energy, it is more responsible for climate pollution than any other company. To the country, Greenpeace Australia Pacific senior activist Glen Walker told Al Jazeera. Although AGL is Australias largest operator of coal-fired power stations, it has an undeserved reputation as an organization that is a leader in renewable energy. The AGL brand is a false frontline and a mature ironic target. Australias dirty polluter AGL generates and provides electricity in several states in Australia. It provides electricity to nearly one-third of Australian households, generating more than 11,000 megawatts, accounting for approximately 20% of Australias national energy market. But it relies heavily on coal-fired power plants to generate electricity. General counsel Katrina Bullock and senior activist Glenn Walker with CEO David Ritter (middle) [Courtesy of James Zobel/Greenpeace] According to its own data, as much as 85% of the companys electricity comes from coal. Only 10% will come from renewable energy in 2020. Nevertheless, AGL, which is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX), is increasingly promoting itself as an environmentally responsible company. Its promotional materials boast that it follows renewable energy and is the largest renewable energy investor listed on the Australian Stock Exchange. The activities of Greenpeace Australia Pacific specifically address these propositions. The organization believes that AGL is actually Australias largest domestic contributor to climate change, causing more than 42 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions in 2019-2020. These claims are supported by data from the Australian Governments Clean Energy Regulatory Agency[1]. Statistics from the agencys National Greenhouse and Energy Report show that AGLs emissions account for more than 8% of Australias total emissions, more than double the second largest emissions in Australia. Katrina Bullock, general counsel of Greenpeace Australia Pacific, said that it is worth noting that AGL has not denied these allegations. AGL did not refute the headlines that they are Australias dirtiest polluter, Bullock told Al Jazeera. AGL claims that their logo is [Greenpeace Australia Pacific] Campaigning is an abuse of trademarks, she said. But in Australia, the trademark law is only violated when the specific trademark is used in the course of trade. This is an environmental movement that does not sell products or services. In addition, the lawyer pointed out that Australia has a fair trade exception to copyright to allow satire and criticism. This means that copyrighted brand elements (such as logos) can be used in the public comment process. Bullock described this case as a silent strategy used to suppress criticism and suppress criticism. SLAPP Suite This is a strategic litigation against public participation (SLAPP), said Rebecca Gilsonnan, Morris Blackburns chief attorney, which provides legal support for Greenpeace Australia Pacific. From a legal point of view, you have to ask yourself: Does AGL really care about the use of their logo? Gilsonan asked. Or is it because Greenpeace called on them to wash greens? Workers at the AGL Liddell Power Station in Muswellbrook, New South Wales, Australia. According to its website, the company plans to close the plant by 2022, but has extended its service life to April 2023. [File: Dan Himbrechts/EPA] The SLAPP lawsuit is a lawsuit designed to intimidate critics into self-censorship, because legal defense will bring a heavy financial burden. The main goal is to get key individuals or organizations to abandon the attack. SLAPP litigation is widely known in other countries, but it is not common in Australia, Gilsonnan explained. TheseSLAPP suits have a chilling effect on the campaign and anyone else who might want to criticize. [AGLs] activity. AGL refuted these claims, arguing that the case was purely to prevent illegal use of the AGL brand. AGL does not intend to kill public debate, an AGL spokesperson said in a comment on Al Jazeera. However, we reserve the right to defend our brand in accordance with Australian law. AGL initially contacted Greenpeace Australia Pacific one day after the event started and sent a stop and termination letter. Soon after, AGL took legal action to request an emergency injunction against Greenpeace Australia Pacific to stop using the AGL brand. The matter was heard within a few days, but the court rejected the application and did not order the removal of the materials. What happens next depends on the outcome of the hearing on June 2. SLAPP suits are rare in Australia The last major SLAPP lawsuit in Australia was in 2005. Forestry company Gunns took 20 individuals and organizations to court, accusing them of disrupting its business through vandalism and assaults on workers. Gunns claimed that the defendant caused the company to lose its jobs and profits. Defendants, including Bob Brown, the leader of the Australian Green Party at the time, argued that they were only protecting the environment. Five years later, Gunns finally abandoned the claims against several critics, and the Supreme Court of Victoria ordered the defendants to be paid. All other claims have been resolved. Brown stated in 2007: This action harms freedom of speech and the well-being of the forest. Its not that the logging industry is subpoenaed. [for breaching environmental law]Those who go to court are those who want to uphold our countrys environmental legislation. Former Green Party leader Bob Brown (left) is a veteran environmentalist. In 2005, the SLAPP lawsuit filed by forestry company Gunns became the target.Five years later, the company dropped the lawsuit [File: Erik Anderson/EPA] Only the Australian Capital Territory has legislation to prevent SLAPP litigation. Potentially strong precedent The outcome of AGL v. Greenpeace Australia Pacific may have a significant impact on public criticism in Australia. Winning this case will set a strong precedent for how the court can use the fair trade exception, said Bullock of Greenpeace Australia Pacific. She explained: This case can determine what is considered fair use. This will allow people to satire and imitate without worrying about litigation. Other environmental and climate organizations are closely monitoring developments. Thirteen groups, including the Australian Conservation Foundation and Friends of the Earth Australia, signed a letter to AGL in late May, calling on the company to abandon legal proceedings. The letter said: We think this is a direct affront to freedom of speech and our organizations ability to hold companies accountable for emergency climate action. We firmly believe that it is important for charities, non-profit organizations, comedians and community members to reserve the right to criticize, imitate and ridicule companies for using their logos and threatening litigation. The party official stated that the former president will return to Ivory Coast on June 17 after acquitting of crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court. The former President of Cote dIvoire, Laurent Gbagbo, plans to return home on June 17. Release According to his party, he was charged with crimes against humanity in the International Criminal Court (ICC). The General Secretary of the Peoples Front of Ivory Coast (FPI) Asoa Adu announced Gbagbos return date in front of a crowd celebrating the former presidents birthday in Abidjan on Monday. Gbagbo served as president in 2000 until his arrest in 2011, turning 76 on Monday. The International Criminal Court confirmed in March that Gbagbo and his assistant Charles Ble Goude had a clear understanding of the devastating post-election violence that shook West African countries in 2010 and 2011. After the 2010 election, Gbagbo disputed the voting results won by the current President Alassane Ouattara and refused to step down. In months of fighting, more than 3,000 people were killed. Gbagbo was eventually forced to step down. He was arrested in April 2011 and was held in northern Ivory Coast before being transferred to the International Criminal Court. He became the first head of state to be tried in court, although he and Blygood have always insisted that they did not commit crimes against humanity. Despite being imprisoned in a Dutch city for several years and waiting for the outcome of his acquittal appeal in Brussels in 2019, the former president still has strong domestic support. He is the son of Cote dIvoire, and after 10 years in unfair conditions, he will come back, said Leon Emmanuel Monnet, who organized the committee for his return. We will do everything possible to ensure that President Gbagbo returns peacefully and achieve reconciliation. The Ivorian court sentenced Gbagbo to 20 years in prison in absentia in November 2019 for embezzling funds from the regional central bank, so his return may still be complicated. Ouattara stated in April that Gbagbo is Welcome back From The Hague, but did not say whether his predecessor has been pardoned. Ouattara stated at a cabinet meeting that his government will bear Gbagbos travel expenses and will take steps to ensure that he receives the benefits and allowances available to the former president. The leader of the San Isidro protest movement, Luis Manuel Otero Alcantara, was admitted to the hospital on May 2 after a hunger strike. Havana public health authorities said on Monday that a dissident Cuban artist who had gone on a hunger strike for eight days had been discharged from hospital. The 33-year-old San Isidro protest movement (MSI) leader Luis Manuel Otero Alcantara (Luis Manuel Otero Alcantara) started a hunger strike last month in protest against the confiscation of his wife. Pieces of work. he is Admission On May 2, he went on a hunger strike for eight days. Iris Ruiz, a friend and activist of Otero Alcantara, told Reuters: Im really happy and relieved. At least he is in his home now. There was too much uncertainty before. The General Calisto Garcia University Hospital where he was treated declared he is fully recovered and said Otero Alcantara reiterated his gratitude to the people who took every opportunity to take care of him. In the early days of his hospitalization, the authorities released a video of his health, but people close to Otero Alcantara said they were unable to communicate with him. Earlier this month, Amnesty International described him as a prison of conscience, saying that national security appeared to have supervised and quarantined him in the hospital. US State Department official Julie Zhong expressed concern about Otero Alcantaras condition when he was admitted to the hospital and urged the Cuban government to take immediate measures to protect his life and health. The US Embassy in Cuba also stated at the time that Otero Alcantara, like all Cubans, deserves dignity and respect. After being arrested last month, he was released, but was arrested many times for trying to leave his home surrounded by police. During his hunger strike, his internet service was cut off and the police prevented people including two priests from visiting Otero Alcantara. MSI claimed that he was forcibly taken to the hospital and the official medical report on his condition was confusing and contradictory. As a sign of solidarity, about 20 Cuban artists last week asked to hide their work at the Havana Museum of Fine Arts from the public. The museum rejected this request, saying it was not in the public interest. 73-year-old painter Tomas Sanchez wrote on Facebook: Cuban art is going through dark timesconvicting differences is notand never willis the path to coexistence. Held by members of the San Isidro Movement Rare protest In November, the Ministry of Culture opposed restrictions on freedom of speech and the detention of artists and activists. Since then, the authorities began to denounce its members and allies to the state-run media as instigators of cooperating with the United States to destabilize the government. The organization denied these allegations. San Francisco (Associated Press)-A conservation organization is planting more than 30,000 milkweed plants in California, hoping to provide a new breeding ground for Western monarch butterflies. San Francisco Chronicle Reported On Monday, the River Partners team worked with others and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to plant along the Sacramento, Feather and Kern Rivers. These plants are considered vital because orange and black butterflies lay eggs on them. Their caterpillars also eat them. Every winter, butterflies fly south from the Pacific Northwest to California. Earlier this year, researchers stated that there are fewer than 2,000 butterflies each wintera sharp drop. Francis Ulep, a restoration biologist at River Partners, said: Now is the critical time to do this. Scientists said that due to the expansion of housing and the increase in the use of pesticides and herbicides, the milkweed habitat of butterflies along their migration routes has been destroyed, so the number of butterflies in western states is extremely low. LA Jolla, California A lifeguard issued a warning to the public on Monday that a shark had been found near Black Beach in La Jolla. According to a San Diego lifeguard, after a sea lion bitten by a shark was spotted on a surfing line at around 2:30 pm on Monday, a shark was believed to be in the Torresson area. The agency sent a boat and spotted a 7-foot-long great white shark north of Black Beach outside the citys waters. The beach is still open, but swimmers are being warned of witnessing the incident. The lifeguard also said that due to sightings, Torrey Pines State Beach may have been temporarily closed. This is a developing story. Check back for updates. Megan said she was cruel in her 20s Meghan Markle revealed how cruel her experience in her teens and 20s was, where she struggled to be happy and fit in. This Duchess of SussexThe 39-year-old 39-year-old admitted that as a young woman, she was in a constant battle and saw her judging her own weight. No one can eat lunch at school. The 24-year-old casting director Tell her to wear less makeup. In August 2014, on her 33rd birthday, the former actress wrote on her now-defunct lifestyle blog The Tig that she finally found happiness, but it took a while to realize it. She revealed: My 20s are cruel-constantly struggling with myself, judging my weight, my style, and I aspire to be as cool/fashionable/smart/casual as everyone else. My teenagers are even worse-trying to figure out how to adapt and even what it means. My high school has factions: black girls and white girls, Filipino girls and Latin girls. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that a mass grave containing 215 childrens remains was found in a former school in Canada. This is not an isolated incident. This month, the body of a three-year-old indigenous child was found on the grounds of an ancient Kamloops Indian boarding school. 6 More than 200 children were found buried at Kamloops Indian Boarding School in British Columbia 6 Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the discovery was not an isolated incident Credit: Reuters Tkemlups te Secwepemc First Nation used radar to detect that their long-presumed remains were located somewhere on the school property in British Columbia. Trudeau slammed the shameful policy of seeing children kidnapped from their families and sent to schools that prohibit them from practicing indigenous culture He also stated that this is not an isolated incident and that the authorities must recognize the truth. Trudeau said: As prime minister, I am shocked by the shameful policy of stealing indigenous children from the community. Sadly, this is not an exceptional or isolated incident. We will not hide this. We must admit the truth. Boarding school is a reality-it is a tragedy that exists in our country, and we must admit it. 6 Photo of the former Kamloops Indian Boarding School after the remains of 215 children were found at the scene Credit: Reuters 6 Kamloops Boarding School is one of many schools designed to force Aboriginal children to integrate into Canadian society The children were taken away from their families, damaged or not returned at all. Trudeaus remarks came as indigenous leaders called for inspections of every former boarding school that accommodated children taken from families across the country. Kamloops Indian Boarding School was established in 1890 by the Roman Catholic Church to force the integration of indigenous children Canadian society. Tkemlups te Secwepemc Kukpi7 (Chief) Rosanne Casimir said that before the proof, the community suspected that the school had a cemetery for a long time. We know in the community that we can verify. As far as we know, these missing children are undocumented deaths, Casimir said in a statement CBS. Casimir said that some of the remains were the remains of children as young as 3 years old. Plans are under way to hire forensic experts to identify and repatriate the remains of buried children found at the Kamloops site. Boarding school is a reality-a tragedy that exists in our country, and we must admit it. Justin Trudeau Casimir said: Out of the deepest respect and love for the missing children and their families, we have found a way to confirm that Tkemlups te Secwepemc is the last resting place of these children. Trudeau said he will discuss with ministers what his government needs to do to support survivors and communities. The flags of all federal buildings are at half mast. The leader of the opposition New Democratic Party, Jagmit Singh, called for an urgent debate in Parliament on Monday. This is not surprising. This is the reality of boarding schools, Singh said. 215 indigenous children were found in an unmarked mass grave. Whenever we think of unmarked mass graves, we think of a distant country where genocide occurred. This is not a distant country. The children were taken away and forced to abandon their mother tongue and cultural customs. It is very common for children brought to these schools to never see their families again. Schools are rife with physical and sexual abuse and forced labor. A student who studied in the 1920s said, Every Indian student smells of hunger, according to guardian. 6 Aboriginal communities suspected that indigenous children in Kamloops were buried on a large scale for a long time before obtaining evidence Credit: Rex From the 1830s to the 1990s, more than 150,000 children enrolled in such institutions across the country. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission established to investigate boarding schools described these institutions as part of a cultural genocide against indigenous people. The commission found in 2015: The Canadian government pursues this cultural genocide policy because it wants to get rid of legal and financial obligations to the indigenous people and control their land and resources. The chief Harvey McLeod of Upper Nicholas, like many in his community, attended Kamloops boarding school. There was so much hurt and pain in a few seconds. Its just to feel sorry for all our family members who have been there, McLeod says About the discovery of mass graves. McLeod attended this school in the 1960s, and he said the harm, pain and shame of this experience still linger. McLeod said: We have always known where this happened, but it was in our own minds. Apart from our own experience, we have no evidence. We heard terrible stories about what happened and dealing with our dead and what they were forced to do to bury them. Not adults, but babies. 6 The children were kidnapped from their homes and sent to boarding schools across Canada Credit: Rex Kamloops Boarding School operated until 1969, when the federal government took over its management from the Catholic Church. The school finally closed in 1978. Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, who studies the history of Indian boarding schools, said there are huge ongoing problems with the historical records of these schools. She said that some key records are held by certain Catholic entities and they will not release them. They did not correctly record the death toll, did not receive dignity and respect. This may be for a reason, because this is the whole purpose of the boarding schoolTo completely control Indian children and eliminate their culture, identity and family relations. contact, Turpel-Lafond told CBC on Friday. Trudeau Said that the discovery of mass graves broke (his) heart. This is a painful reminder of that dark and shameful chapter in our countrys history, he said. Tweet. I am thinking about everyone affected by this sad news. We are here to serve you. When dealing with the news in the Canadian aboriginal community, Casimir called on the federal government to admit his guilt. Casimir said: The federal governments gesture of goodwill and support for this tragedy is all good. The death of the rapper Rapper Lil Loaded died at the age of 20 after he was arrested for shooting by an 18-year-old friend Rap tragedy Rapper Lil Loaded died a few months after he was arrested for shooting by a friend at the age of 20 Florida Hunt The gunman took a shot of running towards the concert before killing 3 and wounding 30 Cowardly attack Man SUCKER-PUNCHING is 12 years old 7 years after being photographed by camera Despicable abuse Mother forces adopted daughter to receive 500 unnecessary treatments due to false illness Its been 3 days Candice blasted Prince Harry and Meghan for complaining about the royal family again Tkemlupste Secwepemc and all affected communities and families have important ownership and responsibility. This needs to happen and happen. The Governor of British Columbia, John Hogan, issued a statement on Friday condemning the historical violence. This is an unimaginable tragedy. This is a stark example of the violence perpetrated by the Canadian boarding school system against indigenous people and how the consequences of these atrocities continue to this day, Hogan said. Executive Assistant to the President & Board of Trustees The Executive Assistant serves as a key team member of the President's Office providing support in a close one-to-one working relationship with the President. The Executive Assistant also serves as a liaison to the Board of Trustees and Senior Leadership Team with routine responsibilities for coordination of executive and board activities in external community relations and conducting internal College business. The Executive Assistant attends meetings of the College Senior Leadership Team and the Board of Trustees. The Executive Assistant performs administrative functions that require a thorough knowledge of College policies, procedures, and operations and an understanding of the College's role within the community. Required Qualifications: Associate's Degree or equivalent. At least five years of increasingly responsible secretarial or administrative experience is required which must include an extensive knowledge of general office procedures and practices. Excellent notetaking capabilities. Proficient in MS Office Suite, specifically Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Proven ability to manage confidential information and sensitive situations with emotional maturity, professionalism, and integrity. recblid oyry3ey15vcijjvkkru1aimvov0heq Some business owners believe that they do not have to take any additional actions after forming a limited liability company. In many cases, creating your limited liability company is just the first step in ensuring that your business complies with the various laws and regulations that affect it.Here are some issues you may still need to solve, even if Form your limited liability company. Need help with business formation, compliance and protection? Rocket Lawyer provides the necessary services to help your business succeed. 1. Obtain additional licenses and permits. If your company operates in a department that requires a license, the license needs to be in the name of LLC. This means that you usually cannot apply for any licenses or permits before creating an LLC. However, you also need these licenses and permits to operate your company. The most common licenses and permits involve the distribution of food and alcohol. However, many industries require local licenses. General business licenses, zoning licenses, and other health sector licenses are good examples. 2. Obtain permission from your seller. Many states require your company to have a sellers license or something similar before you can operate as a business. It is sometimes called a sales tax permit. Before you start selling, you must have such a license; sales tax is required to be collected and paid. Many states that require a sellers license use a simple application process and hope to charge a typical fee to complete the registration. 3. Obtain an employer identification number (EIN). EIN is also called a federal tax number. This number will be used to file tax returns and provide tax documents to employees. If you intend to hire only one person, you must obtain an EIN. If you dont have employees, you dont need to, but getting an EIN may still be a good idea.You can use EIN to provide Customers and suppliers For tax purposes, not to provide your personal social security number or tax ID. 4. Open a bank account for your LLC. You may have opened a bank account for your business. If this is the case, you should change the name on your account to reflect the name of your LLC. Keep a separate bank account for your limited liability company for continuing Asset protection interest Provided by this type of business entity. 5. Create your operating agreement. The operating agreement of your limited liability company sets out the day-to-day operations and longer-term issues of the limited liability company. It can cover things as important as what happens when members want to leave the company to do simpler things, such as who has the authority to sign checks on behalf of the LLC. Have a LLC Operating Agreement Not every state needs it, but its still good to have one. Setting rules and expectations in the development of a limited liability company can avoid a lot of conflicts and troubles. Even if you are the sole owner of the LLC, you may want to consider establishing an operating agreement.A kind Single member limited liability company operating agreement It involves many of the same issues as other types of operating agreements. Investors and financial institutions may require you to provide this document before providing funds to your company. 6. Buy insurance. In most industries, getting some general liability, commercial insurance is a good idea. No matter how careful you are, accidents will happen. Having adequate insurance can solve many types of accidents and protect your companys assets when terrible things happen. If you have employees, you usually need to purchase work-related injury insurance and unemployment insurance. Check your states rules and regulations regarding this type of coverage. 7. Appoint a registered agent. Your business usually needs to have a registered agent in each state where you do business. A registered agent is a person who accepts legal documents and information on behalf of a limited liability company. In many cases, you can become a registered agent. However, in some states, registered agents must meet certain requirements. For example, some states require registered agents to receive services during normal working hours. If you only want to work on Mondays and Tuesdays, you may not be able to become a registered agent. In these cases, you can hire a registered agent through the service or ask a bank or law firm to become your registered agent. Rocket Lawyer has a registered agent Provide you with timely, convenient and confidential services in all 50 states. 8. Make a plan to keep up with the requirements of the LLC. Most states require you to submit annual or biennial documents to maintain your LLC status. Make sure you understand and understand the requirements of each state in which you do business. Then, make a plan to remind yourself to archive these important documents before they expire. If you have specific questions about your business and the laws of your state, please contact Rocket lawyers on call lawyer Get affordable legal advice. This article contains general legal information and does not contain legal advice. Rocket Lawyer is not a law firm, nor is it a substitute for a lawyer or a law firm. The law is complex and changes frequently.For legal advice, please Ask a lawyer. The Russian authorities arrested a well-known opposition activist. After he was towed away on the plane, Attacked the homes of several other people. Before taking off on Monday night, Andrei Pivovarov, the head of the Open Russia Movement, got off a plane bound for Warsaw at St. Petersburg Airport. Pivovarovs team stated that the police interrogated him on Tuesday, searched his apartment, and filed criminal proceedings against him on the grounds that he was suspected of violating Russian legislation on bad organizations. These situations show us that they are afraid of us, and we are in the majority, Pivovarovs Twitter account said. The Krasnodar branch of the investigation committee responsible for investigating major cases stated in a statement that Pivovarov released materials supporting unpopular organizations in August 2020. The statement also accused the activist of trying to escape investigators on Monday. Pivovarov said he was on vacation when he was detained. Unusual actions On May 23, the Belarusian authorities transferred a Ryanair flight from Greece to Lithuania to the capital Minsk, and arrested a journalist on the plane, after which Pivovarov was taken away from the plane. Polish airline LOT, which operates the Pivovarov flight, said the plane was taxiing when Russian air traffic control ordered the crew to return to the stand. The pilot must comply with this order because he is within the jurisdiction of Russia, the Polish news agency PAP quoted the company as saying. Poland said it is investigating this issue. This is an unusual operation because if the Russians want to detain this person, they can do it before boarding the plane. The question is why it happened at that time, Deputy Foreign Minister Piotr Wawrzyk told the state broadcaster TVP. The standards of the civilized world do not apply there. Open Russia is marked as unpopular Open Russia is funded by tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who moved to London after 10 years in prison in Russia. He is considered by some to challenge the rule of President Vladimir Putin. Political revenge. Russia declared the organization unpopular in 2017, effectively banning its activities. Its allies in Russia continue their activities under a separate legal entity in an attempt to protect themselves from prosecution. But the organization ceased its activities in Russia last week to prevent its supporters from facing criminal prosecution, as the parliament is preparing to pass legislation to increase the criminal liability of anyone who cooperates with bad organizations. Russia said it needs the law to protect its national security from external interference. Police raid Also on Tuesday, the police raided the country house of opposition politician Dmitry Gudkov, a former member who was eager to run for parliament in September. The homes of at least two of his colleagues have been searched. I dont know the official reason for doing this, Gudkov wrote on the Telegram social media platform. But the real (reason) is clear. Gudkovs father, Gennady, was also critical of the Kremlin. He described the search as a special operation to eliminate the Gudkov team. The authorities have not yet commented on Gudkovs ongoing operations. Suppress dissent This move is because Russia appears to be suppressing political opposition ahead of the September parliamentary elections. Due to economic difficulties, Putins United Russia Party has recently lost support. The presidents main political enemy, Alexey Navalny, was arrested after returning from Germany in January, where he spent five months recovering from the nerve agent poisoning he blamed on the Kremlin -Russian officials refused to accept the accusation. He was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for violating the probation clause of a 2014 conviction for corruption, and he condemned him for political motivation. With Navalnys imprisonment, prosecutors have asked Moscow courts to designate Navalnys Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) and its network of regional offices as extremist organizations. At the same time, a bill approved by the Lower House of the Russian Parliament prohibits members, donors and supporters of extremist groups from seeking public office-a measure that will prevent Navalnys colleagues from running for parliament in September. Tehran, Iran As the nuclear negotiations to resume Irans 2015 nuclear agreement may be extended, a report by the global nuclear regulatory agency highlights its complicated supervisory relationship with Iran. In a report released on Monday, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) stated that Iran failed to fully explain the traces of uranium found in several previously undeclared locations. A few months later, Iran did not provide the necessary explanations for the presence of nuclear material particles in any of the three locations that the agency conducted supplementary visits. [inspections], the International Atomic Energy Agency told member states. Earlier this year, Britain, France, and Germany, the three European powers of the Iran nuclear deal, tried to condemn Iran on the IAEA board of directors with the support of the United States but abandoned their plans after Iran agreed to cooperate with the world. expert. Another board meeting will be held later this month, but the implementation of similar plans by European powers may directly jeopardize Viennas ongoing negotiations to resume the Joint Comprehensive Action Plan (JCPOA), as the nuclear agreement has been officially announced. After the latest agency report was published, the head of Irans nuclear issue, Ali Akbar Salish, wrote a letter to Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency. According to Irans special envoy to Vienna, Kazem Gharibabadi, he pointed out in the letter that Iran recently agreed to record its nuclear facilities for another month in order to continue technical negotiations with the agency. In terms of safeguard measures, Iran has so far tried its best to cooperate with the agency in substance and provide necessary clarifications and responses, Garibabadi wrote on Twitter, adding that Iran will continue to cooperate. In response, Russias chief negotiator in Vienna, Mikhail Ulyanov, stated that the relationship between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency is currently complex, but we have reason to believe that the current difficulties are temporary. Possible round 6 At the same time, the fifth round of talks in Vienna aimed at lifting U.S. sanctions on Iran and making it fully comply with the JCPOA may not be the last round of talks that delegates hoped for. Irans Supreme Negotiator and Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghci said on Monday that he believes the delegates may need to return to the capital for consultations. We have reached a consensus on the main issues in dispute. We are at a point where we are only dealing with obvious differences and have drafted most of the necessary text, he said. Former U.S. President Donald Trump unilaterally abandoned the nuclear agreement in May 2018 as part of his governments maximum pressure campaign on Iran and launched a wave of relentless sanctions. With Irans upcoming elections on June 18, efforts to restore the agreement continue, with Ebrahim Raisi, the head of the conservative judiciary, leading. Natanz Nuclear Enrichment Plant [File: Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA] Natanz destruction The International Atomic Energy Agencys report on Monday also learned in detail for the first time the consequences of the destruction of Irans main nuclear facility in Natanz one of several nuclear facilities in the past year which the country blamed on Israel. The agency stated that in the three months ended May 22, Irans total stocks of enriched uranium of various grades were estimated to have increased by 273 kg (600 lbs), only slightly more than half of the 525 kg increase in the previous quarter. The power outage in Natanz occurred halfway through that period, on April 11. After the incident, Iran began to enrich uranium to a purity of more than 60%, the highest so far, prompting IAEAs Grossi to call it very worrying last month. According to regulators, 60% of Irans enriched uranium stocks now weigh only 2.4 kg. However, the IAEA also stated that Irans total stocks are now estimated to be about 3,241 kg, which is about 16 times higher than the stocks allowed by JCPOA, which also limits the concentration to 3.67%. The daughter-in-law of British billionaire Lord Ashcroft was charged with manslaughter in the death of a Belize police officer and may avoid imprisonment and may be fined. On Friday, after the body of Henry Jemmott was found in the sea near San Pedro, 38-year-old socialite Jasmine Hartin faced manslaughter. 8 Jasmine Hartin faces charges of manslaughter Image Credit: Alaia Belize / YouTube 8 Henry Germots body was found floating on the sea near San Pedro Credit: San Pedro Sun According to reports, 42-year-old Germot was shot and killed while drinking with Lord Ashcrofts daughter-in-law and wounded to the head like an assassination, his sister Mary Germot Zul told the media Daily mail. She was charged with manslaughter and the penalty could be life imprisonment-up to 25 years. However, Harding faces up to five years, Daily mail report. What we know: Henry Germots body was found floating near San Pedro in Belize. Jasmine Hartin faces charges of manslaughter. Harting allegedly Interact with the police when the shooting happened. Harting has blood on his arms and clothes. His sister said that the police had been assassed on the head. According to reports, the penalty may only be a fine of about US$10,000. Ms. Jemmott Tzul said that her brother knew Hartin, but revealed that There is no romantic relationship between the two There are reports that they were drinking alone at the pier before the shooting. Harting told the authorities that she was giving the police chief Germot, Shoulder massage when he asked her to hand him the pistol, According to local media reports. According to sources, the socialite subsequently claimed that Glock accidentally escaped and shot him in the back of the head. Hartin claimed that Jemmott then fell on her, and she pushed him away, causing his lifeless body to fall into the water from the dock. 8 According to reports, Harding said that the gun accidentally escaped. Credit: Facebook 8 Harting is the daughter-in-law of billionaire Lord Ashcroft Credit: AFP 8 Harting married Andrew Ashcroft Credit: YouTube / AlaiaBelize Germot was shot in the head, and it was reported that Harding was hysterical when he was found at the shooting scene. Belize police said that only one shot was heard, and then the police found the woman on the pier with blood stains on her arms and clothes. Hartings lawyer Godfrey Smith told reporters after she was accused of being denied bail. The charge was manslaughter. Bail was denied. We appealed to the Supreme Court as usual, he said. After Hating was detained on Friday, the police said she was not helpful when they tried to investigate what happened. When she was detained last night, she did not cooperate, Commissioner Chester Williams said after her arrest. She said that she needs to have her lawyer present so that she can say what she needs to say. According to the Constitution, it is her right, but this raises red flags. 8 According to reports, Harding and Germot met each other socially Image Credit: Facebook/Henry Jemmott 8 Hartin and her husband run a luxury hotel company in Belize 8 The policemans body was found on Friday Image Courtesy: San Pedro Sun This situation really requires her to explain, he said. The police said Harting and Germot should be friends. Williams said: As far as we know, they are drinking. From the investigation, they are alone on the dock. Yes, they are all dressed. According to Williams, Harding left a hotel run by her and her husband Alea late on Thursday night and met with Germot at the dock. The couple apparently broke the Covid curfew on the island from 10pm to 5am. Hartin is the mother of two children and is currently being held in San Pedro Prison. Smith is Lord Ashcrofts long-term lawyer and a former U.S. Attorney General. She was seen visiting her for the first time on Friday afternoon. Lord Ashcroft lives in Belize but is still active in British politics. He has not yet commented on the incident. British Broadcasting Corporation. The death of the rapper Rapper Lil Loaded died at the age of 20 after he was arrested for shooting by an 18-year-old friend Important clues Miami police found that the SUV used for mass shooting was dumped in the canal hours after the video of the attack caveat Savage slug During the hate crime epidemic, the man beat a 55-year-old Asian woman in New Yorks Chinatown You killed him! The father of the Miami shooting victim screamed at the police and begged to catch his sons body Social media charges Billionaires daughter-in-law charged with manslaughter in police shooting More graves The corpses of 215 children on Canadian campuses are not isolated incidents Jasmine and her husband Andrew lead a luxury hotel company in Belize. 43-year-old Andrew is the youngest of three children born in Lord Ashcrofts first marriage. He is a citizen of Belize and lives and works with Jasmine. The family said that Jermott is the father of five children and he will be promoted to the senior superintendent of the Belize Police Department. On Tuesday, Joe Biden will be the first sitting US president to visit the scene of the massacre of hundreds of black Americans by white mobs in Tulsa, Oklahoma, because he marked one of the worst chapters in the countrys history of racial violence. . White House officials said that Democrat Biden will meet with the few surviving members of the Greenwood community on the 100th anniversary of the killing and announce measures to eliminate inequality. They will include plans to expand federal contracts with small and disadvantaged companies, invest tens of billions of dollars in communities suffering from persistent poverty such as Greenwood, and take new efforts to combat housing discrimination. White House spokesperson Karin Jean-Pierre told reporters on a flight to Oklahoma on Tuesday: What these survivors endured is tragic and devastating. She said that he plans to listen and learn. And express my heartfelt thanks to them for sharing the story. A woman looked at a mural depicting the 1921 Tulsa Genocide during a memorial event held in Tulsa, Oklahoma on Monday. (Mike Simmons/Tulsa World/Associated Press) A government official said that the president will address the legacy of racist violence in the United States and the challenges of future unity. The official said that Biden could not fulfill his promise of restoring the soul of the country without acknowledging the complexity of American history. In Mondays announcement, Biden asked all Americans to reflect on the deep roots of our countrys racial terror and recommit ourselves to eradicating systemic racism in our country. His visit was to the Minneapolis police during the racial liquidation in the United States, which triggered a nationwide protest. Biden won the presidency with the support of black voters. He made the fight against racial inequality a key platform for his 2020 campaign and did the same during his short term in the White House. Last week, on the anniversary of Freuds death, he met with Freuds family and is pushing for the passage of a police reform bill named after Freud. People gathered outside Vernon AME Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Tuesday, before US President Joe Bidens visit to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Holocaust. (Lawrence Bryant/Reuters) Public awareness of the Holocaust has increased Public awareness of the killings in Tulsa on May 31 and June 1, 1921 has increased in recent years. These events have not been taught in history classes or reported in local newspapers for decades. After a white woman accused a black man of assault, white residents shot and killed as many as 300 black people, burned and looted houses and businesses, and destroyed a thriving African-American community. Confirmed. Insurance companies are not responsible for losses, and no one has been charged for the attack. On Tuesday, a woman walked in front of a mural in the Greenwood district of Tulsa, Oklahoma. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images) Bidens visit encourages unity and brings hope, said Francis Jordan-Laxtro, executive director of the Greenwood Cultural Center, a museum about the Holocaust. It is necessary for us to share the major flaws of the past and inequality with each generation. William Darity Jr., professor at Duke University, co-author From here to equality: compensation for black Americans in the twentieth century, The trip to Tulsa will be a meaningful moment to announce that the Presidential Committee explores the history of American racial atrocities and proposes racial justice. On Tuesday, people were looking at a poster with a letter to the black community in the Greenwood district of Tulsa in 1921. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images) Jean-Pierre said that Biden supports research on compensation, but believes that the first task before us is to eradicate systemic racism. The issue of racial justice is also reflected in the increasingly fierce battle for voting rights. Several Republican-led states have claimed that they need to strengthen election security and have passed or proposed voting restrictions. Biden and other Democrats said that these restrictions are designed to make it more difficult for black and other minority voters to vote. SCOTUS News after Amy How 12:55 PM The Supreme Court agreed on Tuesday to hear a copyright conflict over fashion design and refused to re-examine the power of the police to enter the home without a search warrant. in a Order At the justices private meeting on May 27, the justices only added one new case to the dossier for the next term: Unicolors, Inc. v H&M Hennes & Mauritz, In which the judge agreed to weigh the copyright law and procedural technical issues caused by the dispute between the Los Angeles fabric designer and fast fashion retailer H&M. Designer Unicolors argued that H&M started using fabric designs it created four years ago in 2015. Unicolors went to court, and the jury awarded it nearly US$900,000 in damages for tort. However, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit overturned the ruling in favor of Unicolors, which led to this appeal. The judge will hear oral arguments on the case in the fall and may make a decision sometime next year. Two weeks after the ruling Canilla v. Strom Considering that the community care principle cannot justify the decision to remove a Rhode Island man and his gun from his home without an arrest warrant, the Supreme Court sent the case of an Iowa man Back to the lower court, according to its decision Canilla.Tuesdays order came in The case of Kenneth SandersWhile arguing with his girlfriend Karina LaFrancois (Karina LaFrancois), the police came to check on the couple. La Francois talked to the police officers outside and told them that she and her children were also at home, they were okay and she would tell Sanders to come out. When La Francois returned to the house, the police saw her daughter crying and decided to go in. After entering the house, the police found a gun; Sanders was charged as a felon with a gun. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Sanders argued that he could not be dealt with with a gun because the police entered the house without an arrest warrant. But these officials argued that the Federal District Court agreed that they were justified under the principle of community care.After the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit upheld the ruling, Sanders went to the Supreme Court, and the Supreme Court set aside his case until it Canilla. Justice Brett Kavanaugh agreed on Tuesday to send Sanders case back to the Eighth Circuit, but he wrote Separate opinion He emphasized the courts ruling in it Canilla It is clearly stated that there is no independentcommunity care principle to allow undocumented entry into the family. However, Kavanaugh added that this does not mean that the Court of Appeals will inevitably come to the wrong result in the Sanders case. Kavanaugh suggested that when the case goes back to the 8th Circuit, the court can still consider whether to allow the police to enter the home, even without an arrest warrant, because they believe someone in the home is threatened with serious harm. Also on Tuesday, the court Rejected the request of the medical giant Johnson & Johnson In a lawsuit filed by women, reviewing the US$2 billion in damages against the company, these women claimed that they had contracted after using two Johnson & Johnson talcum powder products: the iconic Johnson & Johnson baby powder and Shower to Shower. Ovarian cancer. Two judges avoided the decision: Judge Samuel Alito, who owns shares of Johnson & Johnson; and Kavanaugh, whose father was the head of the Cosmetics, Toiletry and Perfume Association, which opposed the request for warnings on talc products. s hard work. [Disclosure: Goldstein & Russell, P.C., whose attorneys contribute to SCOTUSblog in various capacities, was among the counsel to the plaintiffs in the case.] The next meeting of the justices is scheduled for Thursday, June 3. We expect the meeting to be held on Monday, June 7. This post is Originally published in Howe on the Court. A cyber attack on JBS SA, the worlds largest meat producer, has forced some slaughterhouses around the world to close, and there are signs that the closure is spreading. According to the companys Facebook posts, employees, and labor union, JBSs five largest beef processing plants in the United States process a total of 22,500 head of cattle a day and have stopped meat processing after Sundays attack on the companys computer network. According to a trade organization, slaughter operations in Australia have ceased, and one of Canadas largest beef processing plants closed on Tuesday for the second day. As hackers increasingly target critical infrastructure, the prospect of a larger global shutdown has disrupted the agricultural market and raised concerns about food security. In the United States alone, JBS accounts for nearly one-quarter of all beef production capacity and nearly one-fifth of all pork production capacity. Livestock futures fell. The company said in an email that the Brazilian meat giant shut down its computer networks in North America and Australia after an organized attack on some of its servers on Sunday. JBS did not comment on the operations of its factory, but stated that the incident may delay certain transactions with customers and suppliers. Retailers and beef processors have a long weekend and need to catch up with orders, Steiner Consulting Group said in its daily livestock report. If they suddenly receive a call, stating that they may not be able to deliver the product this day or this week, it will pose a very significant challenge to maintaining the backlog of factory operations and retail inventory. According to union officials and employees, JBS closed meat processing facilities in Utah, Texas, Wisconsin, and Nebraska on Tuesday, and cancelled shifts at factories in Iowa and Colorado. The Union Facebook post also stated that some killings and manufacturing shifts in the United States have also been cancelled. According to union officials and employees, the owner of Pilgrims Pride Corp., the nations second-largest chicken producer, also closed pork and chicken facilities nationwide. JBS did not comment on the closure of the US plant, but the company stated that its Brazilian plant is operating normally. JBS shares in Sao Paulo rose 1.4%, while the Brazilian Ibovespa benchmark index rose 1.5%. Chicago Bull Futures fell 3.4% to the lowest level since January 12, and then narrowed the decline to around 1%. The possible closure of the slaughterhouse at the JBS plant has exacerbated the existing oversupply and the number of cattle exceeds the processing capacity. Due to packers submitting issues, the US Department of Agricultures noon beef and pork report did not disclose prices. However, CME Groups pork futures contract rose more than 2%. According to an investor report by Tyson, JBS is the largest beef producer in the United States, accounting for 23% of the largest production capacity in the United States, while rival Tyson Foods share is 22%. According to company documents, JBS USAs beef and pork division and Pilgrims Pride will have net income of approximately US$40 billion in 2020. The division includes operations in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Europe. Only three weeks after Colonial Pipeline Co., the largest gasoline pipeline operator in the United States, became the target of a ransomware attack, the JBS attack occurred in the sight of hackers. This also happened as the global meat industry struggled with the lingering Covid-19 lack of work after recovering from a massive outbreak of factory closures and supply disruptions last year. Allan Liska, a senior security architect at the network security analysis company Recorded Future, said: Although JBS has not confirmed that this is a ransomware attack, it has all the characteristics of a ransomware attack, he said. There have been more than 40 publicly reported ransomware attacks. Up. Food company since May 2020. The actual number may be higher. According to Scott Payne, a local 401 spokesperson for the Canadian Food and Commercial Workers Federation, the cyber attack affected the Canadian beef factory in Brooks, Alberta, about 190 kilometers (118 miles) east of Calgary. The shift on Tuesday was cancelled. According to the Canadian Animal Husbandry Association, 30% of federally inspected cattle in Canada are processed. Tim Deelstra of UFCW Canada Local 175 said Monday that the JBS packaging facility in Belleville, Ontario is operating normally, which prepares beef, pork and salmon for grocery stores. In the United States, UFCW Local 7 posted on Facebook that the killing and manufacturing of Class A and Class B were cancelled on June 1. Local 7 members include 3,000 workers from JBS in Greeley, Colorado. JBS has facilities in 20 countries. According to company data, the United States accounts for half of the companys revenue, while Australia and New Zealand account for 4%, and Canada accounts for 3%. The company also has operations in South America and Europe. Backup server is good According to a statement from JBS USA on Monday, the backup server was not affected and the company is working to restore the system as soon as possible. The processor stated that it is not aware of any customer, supplier or employee data being leaked or misused. The Australian Cyber ??Security Centre is providing technical assistance to JBS, and Agriculture Minister David Littleproud said the government is working with international partners to try to track, correct and prosecute those who launched the attack when possible. According to its website, JBS is Australias largest meat and food processor, with a portfolio of beef, lamb, pork and value-added brands. It exports to more than 50 countries, and its Dinmore plant is the largest beef plant in the southern hemisphere. In the domestic market, the Australian Meat Industry Council stated that there is no indication that the attack will have a significant impact on the supply of red meat and pork products. However, Thomas Elder Markets Commodity Market Insights Manager Matt Dalgleish (Matt Dalgleish) said that if the shutdown continues, it will still be a big problem for exports. He pointed out that Australia will be about 70% to 75% Red meat products from sheep and cattle are shipped overseas. Global supply is also at risk. Dalgleish said: If this is a short-term situation, just a week or the time they are offline, then it may be the smallest minor issue. But considering the global scale of JBS, if they are offline for more than a week, then we must You will see the supply chain is disrupted, he said. With the assistance of Jason Scott, Sybilla Gross, Michael Hirtzer, Marcy Nicholson, Alyza Sebenius and Lydia Mulvany. I am writing this article now, and a month later the Mexican Senate actually ignored (yes, ignored) the social and commercial task of regulating recreational and industrial hemp. Yes, it took me almost a whole month to calm myself enough that I wrote a post that didnt sound like just a rant. Dont get me wrong, Im very clear that, according to the Supreme Courts authorization, Congresss only obligation is to regulate the cultivation and consumption of cannabis for personal use, but for a long time, members of Congress have publicly stated that they will try to establish a framework to establish a cannabis industry. . More importantly, as I said publicly before, through these opaque, last-minute decisions, the country has created instability for domestic and foreign merchants and all areas of the economy, not just those involving marijuana. people. At the time of writing, I am not sure when the Cannabis Act will be discussed again. Some people say that there is still political will to legalize marijuana. The reality tells me otherwise. Even though, as I have heard so far, the Marijuana Act will simply be postponed to the next legislative period, if the almost unabashed contempt for the April 30 deadline has taught me anything, it is our interests as an industry Stakeholders must push the government to do the right thing for the benefit of the ultimate consumer and the entire Mexican economy. In other words, none of the above changes the fact that what happened in April last year was the spill of milk under the bridge. The real question now is, what should we do? To answer this question, let us review the current legal situation and how you and your business can make the most of it. General statement that marijuana is unconstitutional? If you ask meor anyone in the industryits obvious that the Mexican senator just decided In fact Put the marijuana law bill in the freezer for fear that voting on what is considered highly controversial might cost them the most important intermediate election in Mexicos recent history. Let me repeat, Congress has never restrained the entire industry. The politicians expressed their willingness to do so. The problem is, now that Congress has failed to regulate the self-cultivation and self-consumption of marijuana due to the failure to pass the Cannabis Act, which includes a bill for adult use. In this case, we are faced with three possible situations: First, Congress may request the Supreme Court to extend the deadline again (very unlikely: this should be officially proposed, and I have never heard of such a request by the Senate). Second, in view of the failure of Congress to regulate the self-consumption of cannabis, the Supreme Court may decide to issue a general unconstitutional statement to remove from the Mexican legal system regulations that prohibit the cultivation and consumption of cannabis by individuals.Found unconstitutional by the court Jurisprudence (Binding court precedents). In order for the above to happen, at least eight Supreme Court justices must support. The third situation is when the Supreme Court meets, but it does not reach the majority required to issue general unconstitutional declarations.In this case, it will continue to operate as usual: consumers will have to continue to apply for self-cultivation/self-consumption licenses and file with COFEPRIS protection Action taken without response or rejection. In fact, although the main benefit of the General Unconstitutional Declaration is that by removing the prohibition clause, consumers no longer need to submit protection The real problem with the action to exercise the right to consume cannabis is to delete the legal gap left by these clauses and the legal uncertainty that this will bring to consumers and cannabis companies. In other words, if there are no regulations to regulate the cultivation and consumption of cannabis for personal use after the General Unconstitutional Declaration is issued, how do people know what is legal and what is illegal? This is a task that Congress must prove to establish a legal Mexican cannabis industry-if the Supreme Court decides for any reason that it is inappropriate to issue a general unconstitutional declaration at this time. Talking about business: what are you were able do it now How can companies make the most of the current Mexican cannabis landscape?How they power Create an industry in a context where the political class seems unwilling to do so? To answer these questions, let us re-examine what we can do under the current legal framework. 1.- Medical marijuana is still the only fully legal in Mexico (that is, not only stipulated in general regulations, but also with implementing regulations): as we reported Here, Medical Regulations related to the control, promotion and health supervision of raw materials, pharmacological derivatives and drugs, standardizing production and supply of primary production and other activities; production of raw materials for research and seed production; health and pharmacological research; pharmacological derivatives and drugs Manufacturing; medical activities related to diagnosis, therapeutic care, rehabilitation and palliative care, and; import, export and marketing of medical cannabis products. Individuals and companies can carry out all these activities through relevant licenses or permits. The medical regulations themselves stipulate that existing institutions issue implementation guidelines. This has not happened so far.Although as we mentioned Here, This is not only legally possible, but you have the right to any Among the activities where the existing institutions are not allowed to issue the guidelines for the grace period, so far we believe that the most feasible is to apply for a) health registration authorization (Health Register) For special drugs (Special medicine: Products that can be mass-produced according to the specifications contained in the above authorization); b) Hygiene license that allows you to sell composite products (Master formula: Prepared medicine Former professor According to the instructions specified in the medical prescription, the doctor provides the patient); c) Prescription manual: Qualified surgeons, veterinarians and dentists can apply for special prescription manuals that enable them to prescribe cannabis medical products, and; d) Research Agreement: A document containing a research proposal involving cannabis for obtaining pharmacological derivatives for pharmaceuticals. In the latter case, the tricky part is of course to find a reputable individual or institution that has the scientific expertise needed to help your company draft the agreement, but they are there. Finally, its worth noting that cannabis supplements are unlikely to be considered drugs (drug) Is provided by COFEPRIS, so companies are unlikely to obtain the health registration authorization required to import and sell in Mexico. Considering the number of times we have been exposed to the idea of ??importing and/or selling these products in Mexico, I cant insist on it enough. 2.- You can also apply for a cannabis cultivation/consumption license for personal use through COFEPRIS protection Action: Why do I say through a protection Action? Because, according to our experience, COFEPRIS usually either does not answer your application or simply refuses it. Simply put, by submitting a copy protection In the lawsuit, you argued in the Federal Court that the Supreme Court has declared that the prohibition of personal use is unconstitutional because it violates your right to the free development of your personality (Right to Free Development of Personality, Or your inherent right to find the best way to achieve the best version of yourself and achieve happiness thereafter, thereby rejecting any external interference with your decision on these best ways). This right has been ruled by the Supreme Court as a human right contained in the Constitution. Therefore, COFEPRISs failure to issue a cannabis cultivation/consumption license for personal use violates your constitutional rights. 3.- You can apply for a cannabis license.As i reported HereIn 2017, the General Sanitation Law was amended to stipulate that any product that contains hemp derivatives with a THC concentration of not more than 1% and has sufficient industrial use can be sold, exported and imported in accordance with the requirements of the applicable sanitation law. . Regulations. These regulations should come in the form of a marijuana law (yes, it was the delay of the bill that prompted me to write this article). Therefore, marijuana as an industry is still legal but not regulated in Mexico, which in turn This means that activities related to cannabis (commodity sales, import and export, but we have increased production and processing) are legal in Mexico-even if there is no cannabis regulation, there is no application for a specific license for such activities. We still recommend that our customers apply to COFEPRIS for general authorization to carry out these activities, just for safety reasons, and are prepared to put pressure on the authorities by pursuing protection Action taken in federal court. In short, what is the moral of the story about the current state of cannabis in Mexico?What we reported Last December: If possible, start with medical marijuana. When everything else is legal, you will have the infrastructure, market insight, and business acumen, but if this is beyond your possibility or does not fit your business strategy at all, then there is always more work to do.In other words, how should companies prepare do something? continue reading! Life goes on-what are you doing should do it now 1.- Set up your company in Mexico and register your trademark as soon as possible. This may seem simple, but please consider that we are all living in the COVID era, most government agencies are understaffed and underfunded, all of which greatly extend their response time. For international cannabis companies, the time required to translate and legalize any documents should also be considered. Since cannabis permits/licenses are not transferable, a cannabis company must be established and operated before considering an application. 2.- Draft a damn business plan. Yes, I know this sounds like a cliche, but I cant tell you how many times Ive dealt with actual or potential customers who just want to do something with marijuana now because marijuana is going to be legalized. Hire a cannabis business consultant and work with your legal counsel to draft a plan based on 1) the actual legal content in Mexico and 2) your actual resources and capabilities. 3.- Consider marijuana, I mean more than supplements, food, etc. (In any case, marijuana was illegal before the passage of the Marijuana Act-thanks again to Congress).Think of a practical manufacturing Industry: Unlike medical or adult cannabis use industries, industrial cannabis is less politicized, easier to establish and insert into Mexicos existing value chain, and has regional influence, such as the textile or automobile industries. Dont forget that the lack of supervision may be a blessing in disguise (trust me: as I said at the beginning of this article, it took me almost a month to calm down and write this article) if we know how to make it work for us. No regulation means lower application costs, because the requirements to be met are the lowest compared to more regulated industries (such as medical marijuana). In addition, the absence of regulation means that there is no cap on foreign investment. So what are you waiting for? Start your cannabis business now! The first day of June marks the beginning of Pride Month. Celebrate pride month every year June on a global scale. This month is celebrated in June to commemorate the riots at the Stonewall Hotel in New York City in 1969. The first pride parade took place in June 1970. Celebrations during Pride Month include parades, seminars, parties and concerts. The annual Pride Parade in New York City attracts millions of people every year. This year, the parade will be held on Sunday, June 27. However, due to the pandemic, the event will be face-to-face and virtual. because Coronavirus pandemic, Many pride events were cancelled. However, many cities are hosting face-to-face and virtual events this year. President Joe Biden recognized Pride Month on Tuesday, June 1, and called on Congress to pass the Equality Act. Biden said in a statement: Although I am proud of the progress my government has made in advancing the protection of the LGBTQ+ community, I will not rest until the full equality of LGBTQ+ Americans is finally achieved and codified into law. The statement continued: This is why I continue to call on Congress to pass the equality bill, which will ensure that the civil rights of LGBTQ+ people and families across the country are protected. Read the Pride Month live blog below for the latest news and updates In the early years of high school, Keith Baybayon spent one of the most difficult periods of his life. In the process of trying to reconcile his sexual identity with the Catholic faith, he shut out his friends and family. . I think I really have a problem, said Bebayon, a bisexual student at Toronto Marshall McLuhan Catholic High School. It took me a while to realize that this is who I am. I am part of this community. I should feel pride. The 16-year-old Baybayon has found the power to turn personal struggles into propaganda. Now a student trustee of the Toronto Catholic Education Bureau (TCDSB), his campaign called for the pride flag to be raised at the committees schools throughout June to commemorate Pride Month. A motion to do so was passed last month. Breaking with tradition, at least eight Catholic school boards in some of Ontarios most populous areas voted for this, and advocates say it will help LGBTQ students feel more welcome. But there was also some resistance, and some appointed members of the church condemned the decision, believing that it went too far. Baybayon said that raising the pride flag in Catholic schools might help other LGBTQ students escape the personal unrest he endured. It just shows their solidarity with other students like me, he said. Make sure our voices are heard, share that we are well represented and we are really loved. A big step in the right direction The pride flag will be flying in schools in Ottawa, Durham, Niagara, Waterloo, Wellington, and Toronto. Some people will fly the pride flag throughout the month, while others will only fly it in the first week. The Thunder Bay District Catholic School Board and the Northern Lights District Catholic School Committee in France started this trend, hoisting the pride flag outside their main office building for the first time in 2019. Ontario is one of three provinces that use taxpayer money to fund the Catholic school system; the others are Alberta and Saskatchewan. After the flag-raising ceremony was held in Ottawa on Wednesday, June 20, 2018, the pride flag flew in front of the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill. (Patrick Doyle/Canada Press) Pride month commemorates 1969 Stonewall Uprising In New York City, this is a groundbreaking moment for LGBTQ people to fight for equal rights. The rainbow flag was created ten years later as a symbol of community pride. It was flown by others as a symbol of support. Terry Finucan is a retired teacher who has worked at TCDSB for more than 30 years. He said he never thought he would see it in front of a Catholic school. This is a big step in the right direction, said FInucan, who teaches at St. Louis Catholic Elementary School in Etoboicoke, Ontario. In fact, they put it in front of every office, every school building on the school board-its a big deal. Finucan is gay. He said that around 2000, about 16 years before retirement, he considered transferring to the public school board because of his gender identity. But he chose to continue his efforts to help support LGBTQ students who feel uncomfortable in Catholic schools. There are not many allies there, he said. Terry Finucan, a retired Catholic school teacher, said raising the pride flag in some Catholic schools in Ontario was a big step in the right direction. (Mitsui Evan/CBC) Although Finucan said there is more work to be done to ensure that LGBTQ students feel accepted, he said that hoisting the pride flag is a crucial step. He plans to watch the flag raising ceremony at the school where he teaches. Looking forward, students who feel discounted feel bullied, feel not included have something to look forward to: stay in the community where they grew up and feel included. Protest is expected But support for raising the flag in Catholic schools in Ontario has not received universal support. School board meetings for voting are often filled with clergy and community members expressing opposition. Catholic teachings say that members of the LGBTQ community must be dignified and respected, but the Vatican says that sexual relations between the same sex are a sin. The Archbishop of Ottawa-Cornwall, Marcel Damhousse, said he received dozens of e-mails from members of the Catholic community in the area who were angry at the decision. Marcel Demps, Archbishop of Ottawa-Cornwall, opposed hoisting the proud flag in Catholic schools, believing that this flag could promote the Vaticans unforgiving lifestyle. (Alan Mauro/Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) According to our Catholic values, parents-if they send their children to a Catholic school-they expect to receive a Catholic education, he said. Those people email me now and say,We are hijacked.' It is expected that on Tuesday, the provinces Catholic school board offices will hold protests against the flying of the flag. Demps said that the school must be inclusive and ensure that all students feel welcome, but he believes that the pride flag can represent a lifestyle that is not forgiven by the church. Let them say,Well, I want to live a life based on the content promoted by the Gay Pride flag and the movement,Well, Im sorry, but this is not in line with our Catholic teachings. You can go to our Catholic school. This is a choice for you to come to our school, but we must know that we have certain values ??that we rely on for survival, and this is what we will teach. But Brendan Browne, director of education at TCDSB, said that raising the pride flag is the right thing to do. Brownie said: If this thing makes a student feel safe and tolerant, this is what we are committed to doing. If it affects a student, that is something we are truly proud of. The board voted against the pride flag Several school boards chose not to raise the flag.Officials come from Windsor-Essex And the Hamilton Catholic District School Board stated that the Canadian flag represents all Canadians, including the LGBTQ community. A long debate last month at the board meeting of the Holton Catholic District School near Toronto resulted in a majority of the trustees voting against the motion. Actually Im glad they refused, because it forced me [Halton] The trustee takes a stand, said Nicole Hotchkiss, a 12th-grade student at St. Ignatius Catholic School in Oakville, Ontario, who first made the proposal in April. Nicole Hotchkiss, a grade 12 student, was filmed near St. Ignatius of Loyola Catholic High School in Oakville, Ontario on May 28, 2021. Hotchkiss said that LGBTQ students may feel hidden in the Catholic school system. (Mitsui Evan/CBC) But it is clear that there is a sense of sadness when we learn that many trustees do not want to support queer students in the way we hope to be supported. The non-dualistic Hotchkiss said that LGBTQ students may feel that the school wants them to hide without obvious support symbols-and this moment represents the broader intergenerational struggle of the Catholic school board. This external reminder is a bit like saying,We are proud of you, and we are not afraid that people will know that you exist and you come to our Catholic school,' they said. Our generation will make this positive change. The point is to show love to your neighbors Marcos Fonseca, a grade 11 student at Michael Power High School in Etobicoke, said that raising the flag made TCDSB on the right side of history. For Fonseca, a 16-year-old bisexual, after years of inner turmoil and difficulties in self-acceptance, seeing it there means a sigh of relief for the individual. In my life, I have experienced too much inner pain and internal conflicts, he said. This is very wrong-a person thinks they are abnormal, thinks they are not loved, thinks they are not alone in their environment. He said that raising the flag will not weaken Catholicism-it highlights the other side of Catholicism. Raising the pride flagwill not affect anyones Catholicism. I am a Catholic, and this will not affect my Catholicism. The point is solidarity. We dont have to agree with what everyone says, that is the teachings of Catholicism, he said. But the point is respect. The point is to show love to your neighbors. I join Healthcare design About 12 years ago, just a few weeks before attending my first healthcare design expo and conference. I immediately learned that this is a passionate, mission-driven and inspiring group. I also noticed during the catwalk that the attendees were mainly white men. Over the years, I have seen more and more women enter the field and lead healthcare design in meaningful efforts; however, in my work and travel, I still havent met many people of color. I think my experience is no different from yours. This is an unacceptable reality, but the industry must face one reality: Generally, the individuals who provide healthcare programs do not represent the complex communities they serve. Many organizations have been working hard to solve this problem, but the exposure of social injustice and health gaps in the past year has stimulated new vitality to solve this problem. its here Healthcare design, We decided to dedicate part of the content of this issue to discussing the theme of diversity and celebrating trend-setting people, projects and plans. As a part, I invited a group of industry members to join my roundtable discussion. These people are personally concerned about the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) program for some reason. I know that I have gathered the right group, but I am still struck by what they share. The companys internal efforts to attract young people into the field, promote workplace equity and leadership diversity, and apply all these efforts to improve healthcare and improve the well-being of our communities are impressive, to say the least. I left our conversation and was encouraged, but there was also a clear feeling that things were indeed changing. As they shared, the healthcare system already exists-confronting health disparities, having disturbing conversations about the causes of these disparities, and ensuring they have the right people to help solve these problems. This is where the project team comes in. Designers should not only be able to participate in these conversations, but they should also be able to prove that they are also promoting DEI within their organizations. As Victoria Navarro of Advocate Aurora Health said, she will ask for details of the companys DEI program to ensure that the organizations working with them reflect the system and its community. As we move forward as an industry, I am thinking about roles Healthcare design Play a role in this process. We have worked hard to consider the projects we cover, the individuals we interviewed, and the participants in our plans. But I know we can do more-part of it is just the opportunity to meet and interact with different industry members. I encourage all of you to consider the same question: nominate different staff members for our awards, identify them as the source of the articles, and send them to our event. We recognize everyones contribution here, and I cant wait to see what this industry will look like in another 12 years. Source link It's only fair to share... Pinterest Linkedin email Print The two ships seem to be stacked on top of each other in a puzzling optical illusion. The ships were captured while floating in Selsey, West Sussex, and left residents on the land dumbfounded on Monday morning. 8 People were stunned and saw the two boats stacked on top of each other Credit: Bav Media 8 This optical illusion is called Fata Morgana Credit: Bav Media This kind of deception is called a mirage, called Morgana girl. It is produced when the sun heats the atmosphere above the land or ocean. A layer of warmer air sits on top of a layer of cold air, causing the light on the boat to bend and mix colors together. For Fata Morgana to appear, atmospheric conditions must be just right. It begins with a mass of cold air near the ground or water, and on top is a higher layer of warm air in the atmosphere. Although this phenomenon may occur on land, they are more common at sea because water helps to form the required layer of cold air. It can distort, distort and blur images-squeeze them so that they blend into the horizon, and even produce creepy reflections that appear above objects. Last month, a ship looked like it was floating on the water of Kents Maritime Cathedral. The ship seemed to be floating in the sky, far above the horizon, and seemed to be out of the water. The same thing It happened to the Minister of the Sea in April. A man in Falmouth, Cornwall is very confused Just a few weeks ago, he found a large ship apparently floating above the waves. A few days ago, several cruise ships were seen circling in the waters off the coast of Paignton, Devon. BBC meteorologist David Blaine said that this phenomenon is caused by Atmospheric conditions that bend light. He said: Due to the weather condition called inversion, a mirage appeared. The cold air was close to the sea and there was warm air on it. Heroes who go forward courageously 35-year-old father was beaten to death to protect his girlfriend from robbery gangs Release fee Ashcrofts daughter-in-law may escape jail due to a fine due to a police shooting work in team According to the plan to help children catch up, the school day will be extended by 30 minutes On the verge of collapse Call for the postponement of June 21 to MONTH because the hot spot of the variant is volcano erupting soon Emergency search After the woman and child were found dead at home, the police hunted down the 29-year-old man Social media charges Billionaires daughter-in-law charged with manslaughter in police shooting Because cold air is denser than warm air, it will deflect light toward the eyes of people standing on the ground or on the coast, thereby changing the appearance of distant objects. The name of the Mirage comes from Morgan Lefy, the witch in the legend of King Arthur, who is said to use her witchcraft to lure unsuspecting sailors into her trap. The Mirage is believed to be the reason for seeing the flying Dutchman, a 17th century ghost ship destined to sail forever at sea. 8 For Fata Morgana to appear, the atmospheric conditions must be just right Credit: Bav Media This floating tanker was found off the coast of Banff, Aberdeenshire It looks more like a painting by Salvador Dali, this bizarre scene was shot in Paignton, Devon Saw a ship completely suspended on the water in Falmouth The organizers of Hong Kongs annual Tiananmen Square candlelight vigil have started an annual exhibition featuring photos and equipment of Beijings bloody suppression of those who called for democracy in China in 1989. At the opening, the Hong Kong authorities have banned the annual June 4th vigil for the second year in a row, which usually attracts tens of thousands of people to the streets. The authorities mentioned the risk of the coronavirus, although the cancellation of the event coincided with the citys broader repression of political activists and dissidents. The museum is organized by the Hong Kong Alliance for the Support of the Chinese Patriotic and Democratic Movement. It exhibits photos of the 1989 democracy movement and photos of candlelight commemorative events held in Hong Kong each year. This year, visitors to the museum will also be able to lay flowers to commemorate the victims who lost their lives in the massacre that took place on June 4, 1989. For decades, the two semi-autonomous Chinese cities, Hong Kong and Macau, were the only places in China that allowed public commemorations of repression. The Macau authorities also cancelled the vigil for the second year in a row. Despite the ban, thousands of people showed up in Hong Kongs Victoria Park last year to light candles and sing songs. Subsequently, the police arrested more than 20 activists accused of participating in unauthorized gatherings. Hong Kongs crackdown on dissidents followed months of anti-government protests that swept the former British colony in 2019 and shocked Beijings leaders. BATON ROUGE, La. The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) announces its preparations for the 2021 hurricane season, which begins June 1. Emergency preparedness is not limited to hurricane season, said DOTD Secretary Shawn Wilson. With the increasing severity of the weather and the possibility of industrial-related emergencies, we have full-time staff dedicated to emergency response preparedness to ensure the safety of the traveling public. Our success during severe weather events is a result of the continued training and readiness of DOTD as a whole. Prior to the start of hurricane season, DOTD personnel participated in and conducted virtual state and department-wide hurricane readiness and response exercises, and meet to review and discuss evacuation and contraflow operations. Additionally, DOTD conducted the Annual Mississippi/Louisiana Contraflow meeting on May 27, 2021 in Louisiana. Representatives from DOTD, Louisiana State Police, Mississippi Department of Transportation, Mississippi Highway Patrol, and Florida Highway Patrol met to discuss effective operation plans should contraflow be activated. To maximize response efforts, DOTD has also decentralized many of its response activities to the district level, including vehicle staging areas for emergency evacuation efforts and debris management. In addition to hurricane preparedness, DOTD has refined its emergency response plans to include response efforts for multiple hazardous threats and the incorporation of emergency operation response preparedness into normal day-to-day operations. In an emergency situation, DOTD is responsible for assisting parish emergency operations personnel with transporting people who cant transport themselves. DOTD is also responsible for public works and engineering functions on the state infrastructure system such as contraflow, debris management, damage assessment on state routes, and emergency repairs to the transportation infrastructure. Since 2005, DOTD has developed a process to assist parishes with moving people without transportation from at-risk areas. DOTD also has established a fully equipped Emergency Operations Center, which includes a call center, an information center, a traffic and transportation team, and a public works and engineering team. The information center includes stations to monitor weather and all modes of transportation (marine traffic, rail, airports, and highways). Additionally, DOTD managers remain in frequent contact with parish emergency operation directors throughout the impacted regions, assessing local needs and immediately responding with buses. If the possibility of heavy rain, tropical storm force winds and flooding is forecasted, DOTD will monitor the roadways for possible flooding, to remove fallen trees from the roadway, and to close any roads as needed. For more information on severe weather preparedness, please visit www.getagameplan.org. Evacuation and Contraflow DOTD and Louisiana State Police have contraflow plans ready for the New Orleans area. During contraflow operations, DOTD district personnel assemble needed materials, including barricades, cones, variable message board signs and any other signage required to implement a contraflow evacuation. Contraflow is initiated when there is a Category 3 or greater in the Gulf and New Orleans/Jefferson Parish is under mandatory evacuation. For more information, please visit www.dotd.la.gov, email dotdcs@la.gov, or call DOTDs Customer Service Center at (225) 379-1232 or 1-877-4LADOTD (1-877-452-3683). Business hours are 7:30 a.m. - 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. MADISONVILLE, La. John Neely Kennedy has launched his re-election campaign as U.S. Senator for Louisiana. Louisianians elected the Zachary native in 2016 with 61% of the vote. Five years ago, I made a promise, a promise that I took seriously. I told you that I would work to put our country back on track and make America great again, said Kennedy. In the last five years, weve accomplished a lot, but now the socialists are racing to undo it all. So, my jobour jobisnt finished. Today, Im announcing that Im running for re-election for the United States Senate. With this announcement, I want to make you a new promise: I promise that I will always be your voice during the good times and the bad. I promise I will be a voice against the socialism thats now overtaken Washington, D.C. I promise thatcome hell or high wateryour values will be my values, and I will never be silentneverwhen the nut jobs tell me to sit down and shut up. I will not let you downId rather drink weed killer, Kennedy pledged. John Kennedy U.S. Senate With $9.5 million raised and over $7.2 million cash on hand, Kennedys fundraising operation is in full swing. The numbers come on the heels of news that Kennedys legislative wins made him one of the top 10 most effective Republican senators last Congress, according to the Center for Effective Lawmaking. A volunteer substitute teacher, former law professor and champion of job creation, Kennedy was the most effective Republican senator on the issues of education, commerce and trade. Seven of Kennedys bills have been signed into law in his first term, including two extensions of the National Flood Insurance Program. By that count, Kennedy has been more productive than any first-term Louisiana senator since the 19th century. President Donald Trump endorsed Kennedy for re-election this March, calling him a tireless advocate for the people of his State who stands strongly with the forgotten men and women of our Country. Louisianians cast votes for the U.S. Senate again on Nov. 8, 2022. Qualifying is set for July 20-22, 2022. The Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph launched its biggest campaign to encourage parishioners to return to in-person services across its 98 parishes. The Come Home to Communion campaign can be seen in handouts, social media, and on billboards across the KC metro. With elected leaders acros KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) -- On Tuesday afternoon, lawyers for the City of Kansas City and the Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners will appear before a Jackson County Circuit Court judge. The board filed suit against the city last week over a recent change to the police budget. The board says the citys recently passed ordinances that circumvent the current funding structure are in violation of state law. Theres no guarantee the judge will start hearing evidence on the most pressing piece, which is a request for an injunction that would temporarily return the $42 million removed by the city, but the clock is ticking loudly because the changes made by the city happened after the current fiscal year was already underway. Police board sues Kansas City, calls for Lucas to withdraw ordinances The battle over the budget for the Kansas City Police Department is headed to court. A lawsuit has been filed challenging the plan to shift millions of dollars. The swift move eleven days ago by eight of 12 council members and the mayor was contentious from the start, with four opposing members from the Northland feeling railroaded. This is wrong! Councilman Dan Fowler shouted on the council floor. The two ordinances were passed without being referred to committee. The first ordinance retroactively reduced the police budget to the minimum required by state law by removing $42 million, then placed it in a fund to be negotiated in a contract between the city and the Board of Police Commissioners. The second ordinance provided an additional $3 million for a new academy class. KCPD Budget Battle: Northland residents, officials pack town hall to express concerns over changes According to speakers at a town hall event in the Northland, the Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners may file a lawsuit as soon as Friday to challenge controversial changes to the police budget. A week later, residents lashed out as well. That is the exact reason there should not be local control, if these kinds of actions are going to happen! resident Tim Johnson declared at a public forum, met with cheers of applause Local control is a concept that rules every police department in the nation except the KCPD. For almost a century, lawmakers in Jeff City have granted the state-appointed Board of Police Commissioners exclusive authority over how the police budget is spent. You have no voice in it. That is unconscionable in many ways, said Mayor Quinton Lucas on the day the board voted to sue. I dont think theres a judge in America that would stand up for that. The mayor and his supporters say the move is an effort to take an active role in crime prevention. Police funding battle now includes legal action and community groups picking sides Multiple community and religious leaders gathered at city hall Tuesday afternoon to criticize expected legal action from the Kansas City Police Board of Commissioners. Once and for all, to have some level of change, is how the Lucas phrased it, adding, The status quo does not work. The boards lawsuit claims the method he and his allies used to buck the status quo is a violation of state law. The suit notes that when the money was removed, it itemized what funds were being removed, but it didnt itemize what would be included in the replacement fund described only as Community Services and Prevention. That, the mayor has said, is because that replacement fund still needed to be negotiated. The lawsuit claims the city is in violation of state law by re-classifying budgeted funds without Board approval, and their ordinances hinder and obstruct the Boards control of the police department budget. The suit claims a June 10th deadline is fast approaching for the next month of expenses to be reconciled. The city has had precious little time to file its response in court, with the suit filed on Friday before a three-day weekend, and a hearing on Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. That response hasnt appeared in court records yet. A court ordered the city to file a response by June 1st, but its not uncommon for a respondent to seek more time. Heres a breakdown of the timeline leading up to this action as presented in the lawsuit: Korean drama "Youth of May" starring Go Min Si and Lee Do Hyun, showcases a heartbreaking chapter in the lives of Hwang Hee Tae and Kim Myung Hee. The latest episode starts with Hee Tae's father, Hwang Gi Nam, who is the head of the security defense, hands them a list and instructs the soldiers to arrest everyone. They believe that North spies have infiltrated the Gwangju to start a coup; therefore, they were given orders to capture suspicious individuals. As a result, the government has decided to enforce martial law nationwide, leaving Gwangju in a state of chaos. Hwang Hee Tae Saves Kim Myung Hee "Youth of May" episode 9 also showed the strong connection between Hwang Hee Tae (Lee Do Hyun) and Kim Myung Hee (Go Min Si), who would rather face challenges together than be separated. As Hee Tae returns to Gwangju, he manages to rescue Myung Hee from soldiers. Just in the nick of time, he covered Myung Hee from the paratrooper who was about to beat her with a baton. Unfortunately, he sustained head injuries while fighting a fierce battle with a soldier. Myung Hee had no choice but to hit the officer with a large wood at the back to defend Hee Tae. With Hee Tae's injuries, she opted to go straight to the Gwangju hospital and insisted on conducting a CT scan for him. In "Youth of May" episode 9, Kim Myung Hee also introduced Hwang Hee Tae to her colleagues as her boyfriend. As the duo was about to leave the hospital, they got caught by an earlier curfew as martial law was declared nationwide, which left them spending the night in an empty treating room. Lee Soo Chan Defends a Civilian The chaos in Gwangju prompted not just Hwang Hee Tae to return but also Lee Soo Ryun, who was concerned about her friends. In "Youth of May" episode 9, Soo Ryun discovered that his friend, Jung Hye Gun ( Lee Kyu Sung), was missing and sought help from officer Choi Jeong Haeng (Jung Wook Jin.) As she was about to give her info, she heard that martial law had been declared in the area and fled to look for Hye Gun. The latest episode also showed how Lee Soo Chan knew her sister very well. Upon receiving a call from her, he mentioned that he knew that Lee Soo Ryun was not in Seoul but in Gwangju. The older brother then warned her that things could not be changed and nothing she could do with society. Following his heated talk with her sister, Soo Chan witnessed a group of soldiers harassing a young student. He went to defend the student but got beaten by a soldier. Police Officer Choi Jeong Haeng's Devastating Death "Youth of May" episode 9 illustrates the challenging situation for the civilians and some police officers who don't share the same values with the government. After helping Lee Soo Ryun and the rest of the individuals who were caught by the soldier, she found police officer Choi Jeong Haeng in the alley, who was tortured and beaten to death after helping the civilians. Hwang Hee Tae Saves Lee Jin Ah Hee Tae was forced to help and attend to patients at the hospital after Myung Hee insisted on staying due to the influx of patients. In the latter part of episode 9, Hwang Hee Tae saw Lee Jin Ah (Park Se Hyun) lying in the hospital hallway and unconscious. He faced his fears and saved her by doing CPR. Luckily Jin Ah responded and was immediately brought to the surgery room for her head injury. KDramastars owns this article. Written by Geca Wills Myul Mang (Seo In Guk) disappeared after he kissed Tak Dong Kyung (Park Bo Young). He was dragged by Son Yeo Shin (Jung Ji So) and went to the past where Tak Dong Kyung lived to warn him about her fate. Son Yeo Shin Warns Myul Mang about Tak Dong Kyung's Wish Seeing Tak Dong Kyung miserable made Myul Mang think of another way on how he could save her. Son Yeo Shin then warned the male deity that he could no longer bring everything to normal once he granted Tak Dong Kyung's wish. Meanwhile, Life Story's CEO was back and invited all the writers and editors to attend the dinner party. On the same day, Jung Min (Nam Da Reum) went to see Tak Dong Kyung to tell that he will continue writing even though he is busy preparing to become a celebrity. Jung Min decided to pursue writing again due to his weird dreams. After telling what his dreams are all about, Tak Dong Kyung knew that it was Myul Mang behind it. Another writer went to see Tak Dong Kyung to officially quit writing because of her stage 3 Ovarian cancer. During their dinner party, Tak Dong Kyung accidentally talked about her illness and said that she just have three months to live. Everyone was shocked to hear her story. Tak Sun Kyung's Newfound Friends Inside the coffee shop, Lee Hyun Kyu (Kang Tae Oh) was busy staring on his phone and his new recruit employee Tak Sun Kyung (Da Won) was curious who the woman his boss kept on looking at. The two started to get along and Tak Sun Kyung offered to give love counselling to his boss. Lee Hyun Kyu brought Tak Sun Kyung in his apartment and met Cha Joo Ik (Lee Soo Hyuk). They began to share their personal life stories and establish a good impression of one another. Later on, Cha Joo Ik found out that Tak Sun Kyung is Tak Dong Kyung's younger brother. Na Ji Na (Shin Do Hyun) reached for help to Cha Joo Ik because she was stuck in her writing and invited him if he could go over to her place but the male editor refused. Tak Dong Kyung and Myul Mang Miss Each Other Tak Dong Kyung did everything to make Myul Mang appear in front of her, but she failed everytime. On the other hand, Myul Mang was also preventing himself in meeting Tak Dong Kyung after what Son Yeo Shin told him. She looked for him, then he came. Doom at your service ep 7, this whole ep really hurt me#DoomAtYourService #DoomAtYourServiceEp7 pic.twitter.com/XNGY3uolpE rizkuo (@ailurophile_fnt) May 31, 2021 Desperately wanting to see Myul Mang again, Tak Dong Kyung removed the red bracelet from her wrist which caused her to be in deep pain. She was rushed to the hospital by Tak Sun Kyung. Doom at your service ep 7 really gave us a rollercoster of emotions Myul Mang decided to risk everything for Dong Kyung, risking his life to save her pic.twitter.com/oGHQpEpNfb darlinaaa (@Dharsyyy) May 31, 2021 Later that night, Tak Dong Kyung went for a walk outside her room and to her surprise, Myul Mang appeared. She nagged for not showing himself for a long time, but Tak Dong Kyung stopped when she heard him call her name and gave her a warm hug. She felt happy after hearing someone calling her name. Will this be a new start for their blossoming feelings for each other? Let's all find out in "Doom at Your Service" Episode 8! Have you watched "Doom at Your Service" Episode 7? What's your favorite scene so far? Don't forget to 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 During the broadcast of "Running Man" last May 30, the cast's reactions towards the news of Lee Kwang Soo leaving the show was featured and they offered the best farewell. "Running Man" Cast Continues to Tease Lee Kwang Soo Before He Leaves the Show In one of their challenge segments, "The Tact Race," the cast started to call Lee Kwang Soo to ask where he would be having his breakfast. Yang Se Chan was the first one to call Lee Kwang Soo, followed by Yoo Jae Suk, and Song Ji Hyo, and instead of mentioning their first task, the members all asked the same question: "You are leaving the show?" The actor and host Lee Kwang Soo can't help but to laugh at his co-stars for mentioning his departure during the broadcast. He replied to each of them saying "Why are you guys talking about the same thing? What does my departure have to do with the choice?" Their first challenge was to look for a restaurant where they can have their breakfast in, the members who will be in the same resto would get the least coins. It turned out that Lee Kwang Soo, Yoo Jae Suk, Haha, Kim Jong Kook, and Yang Se Chan all ended up in the Chinese restaurant. The said episode was filmed last May 24 and a day before the "Running Man" members proceed for the shooting, that was the day where the news articles about Lee Kwang Soo's departure was released on the online community. Instead of having an emotional farewell for one of their beloved cast members, Yoo Jae Suk, Kim Jong Kook, Yang Se Chan, Haha, Song Ji Hyo, Ji Suk Jin, and Jeon So Min acted the same as usual and made jokes. Yoo Jae Suk and "Running Man" Cast Start to Drop Names of Who to Include in Their Group Most of the time, Lee Kwang Soo gets angry because of the cast that keeps on pestering him, and even though the theme of the episode was about his farewell, nothing has changed about their actions towards each other. Even in the middle of their shooting, the cast funnily talked about Lee Kwang Soo and playfully pretended to be sad and decided to give all their coins to Lee Kwang Soo since he is leaving soon. They also made impromptu acrostic poems with the word 'ha-cha' (stepping down). Meanwhile, Yoo Jae Suk made everyone laugh when he mentioned who to add as their newest member, "If we should include a new member, it will be Cha Eun Woo." HaHa said it should be Cha Tae Hyun, Yang Se Chan wanted Cha In Pyo. And after teasing who to add in their group, Lee Kwang Soo funnily burst out his emotions and said "Stop it!". The "Running Man" cast and crew had a humorous farewell for their member Lee Kwang Soo. He made lots of memories with the show and viewers, his presence will surely be missed by everyone. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Lee Kwang Soo Films His Last Episode in 'Running Man' + Release Statement Regarding His Exit from the Longtime Running Show Are you also an avid viewer of "Running Man"? What's your favorite "Running Man" scene of Lee Kwang Soo? Don't forget to 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 PHOENIX, Ore. -- Its been more than seven months since the Almeda Fire tore through the city of Phoenix and Talent, leaving destruction in its path, and some residents who lost their homes to the fire have at last gotten the chance to rebuild. Basically, they came down to us in the afternoon and they had a loud speaker . . . they were coming out because they informed us earlier that people may be coming down and the guy was coming down on a loud speaker and said, the quote was, 'get out and get out now,' said Almeda Fire survivor Ronald Croy. Ronald Croy has lived in the Rogue Valley since the 1980s and he now calls Phoenix home. He has seen everything that this town has to offer, but the night of September 8 is one that he won't soon forget. The night of the fire, Croy says that he went to a family member's house on the other side of Medford to stay temporarily while the fire raged. "The firefighter guy said they estimated that the temperature inside my home was 6000 degrees, Croy said. Croy, like many others, lost his home the night of the Almeda Fire. After those first few days, Croy spent about two weeks living in motels before settling in again with family. That flag out there on that pole, that was flying the night my house burnt . . . that was on national TV. That's the only time I saw my house burn was on national TV, Croy said. Over the weekend Croy had the opportunity to take the first steps back in his rebuilt home. "When they told me that I was going to get in here I was just pumped for several days really and so its all clear now," Croy said. Old Glory still stands tall at the house that Croy now calls home. That flag stayed. And I said, when I get all built up, I'm going to have me a picture taken underneath that old flag. You can tell it's been through a fire; all charcoal, old, dirty . . . and I'm going to be out there shaking my fist at the sky saying I'm still here, Croy said. GRANTS PASS, Ore. An intoxicated couple came armed to a Grants Pass park on Monday evening, threatening people with violence, according to the Grants Pass Department of Public Safety. Shortly before 8 p.m. on Monday, GPDPS dispatch started getting 911 calls about an armed man at Tussing Park who was reportedly threatening to shoot people. Within 12 seconds of the original call, the callers reported that the man was pointing a handgun at people in the park "and was now actively shooting." Police responded to Tussing Park and found the man, still carrying a gun, as he left the parking lot. GPDPS said that he complied with officers' demands and was detained within five minutes of the first call. Officers also detained an intoxicated woman "armed with a large knife," who turned out to be the male suspect's wife. The two were identified as 56-year-old David Denver Dapper and 58-year-old Fawn Elysa Dapper. Once officers had the couple in custody, they went through the park to see if anyone was injured. According to GPDPS, the park was filled with people, including children and a pregnant woman. Finding that there were no injuries, officers interviewed several witnesses to the incident. "From the investigation, it was determined the Dappers were angry with noise from the park and Fawn Dapper walked there to confront citizens," GPDPS said. "Fawn used a large knife to put numerous citizens in fear, to include the pregnant woman, and even made stabbing motions. David Dapper then arrived at the park and pointed his handgun at several citizens before firing it into the air. It is fortunate that no one was injured during this incident." The Dappers were taken to the Josephine County Jail on a number of charges, including multiple counts of Unlawful Use of a Weapon and Menacing. GPDPS asked that anyone who witnessed the incident call (541) 450-6260 and reference case #21-23986. "We would like to thank our citizens for their continued support," the agency said. Less: Just look at London, Ont. Same: We hear more bad news. More: Canada is on the right path. Vote View Results The former Kamloops Indian Residential School is seen on Tkemlups te Secwepemc First Nation in Kamloops, B.C. on Thursday, May 27, 2021. Federal New Democrats are calling for an emergency debate in the House of Commons on the recent discovery of the remains of 215 children on the grounds of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Snucins Carolyn Bennett (centre right), Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations poses for a photograph with members of the Native Women's Association of Canada after a signing ceremony in Ottawa, Friday, Feb.1, 2019, to ensure the organization can fully participate in efforts to address Indigenous issues. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Fred Chartrand On the day he was scheduled to be sentenced, Edward Pendleton Jr. convicted of first-degree intentional homicide by a jury instead fired his attorney and continued to insist he is innocent. I take it very offensive to be charged with this. I am not a murderer, Pendleton said. From day one in this case, I was railroaded. Pendleton, 59, was convicted March 12 of killing 42-year-old Marlon Allen of Kenosha in what prosecutors argued was a botched drug robbery. Allen was killed in the second-floor hallway of his apartment building, 3514 50th Street, shot to death with his own gun. On Tuesday, as the sentencing hearing began, defense attorney Terry Rose told Kenosha County Circuit Court Judge Bruce Schroeder that Pendleton wanted him to withdraw as counsel and that he wanted to represent himself at the hearing. Schroeder stated that Pendleton had sent him a letter indicating that he felt Rose did not adequately represent him at trial. Asked by Schroeder what he would like to do, Pendleton continued to argue that he was innocent. He said he believed other people who were in the apartment building were involved in Allens killing and that Rose did not present information at trial that he felt should have been presented. Rose disputed Pendletons arguments about his defense. Hopkinsville, KY (42240) Today Mostly cloudy with scattered thunderstorms mainly during the evening. Low 71F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Mostly cloudy with scattered thunderstorms mainly during the evening. Low 71F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%. 11 Shares Share Modern-day discrimination still has elements of slavery, segregation, and inaccurate assumptions about people of color. Just last month, a Texas high school principal sent a letter to parents explaining her dismay about a recent racist act where students pretended to sell their Black classmates in a social media slave trade. Chris Johnson a Black student targeted in the incident told school board officials, it was not a game. His story is my story. The final year of my physical therapy program greeted me with a similar racist experience when my professor segregated our class into two student groups for a competitive learning activity: The White Guys vs. The Janitors. The janitor group consisted only of students of color. I was in the janitors group, and I echo Chris Johnson: It did not feel like a game. How did my discriminatory classroom incident impact the students? How did the dismantled civility impair information exchange and shared decision-making for students in the classroom? How did this encounter affect academic outcomes? The incident led to poorer grades for the students of color due to stress and isolation from being pushed to the margins of the academic environment. I hope this outcome is not the case for Chris Johnson and his classmates in Texas. My experience and Chris Johnsons experience were incidents of racial microaggressions. Microaggressions are conscious or unconscious discriminatory acts directed toward people based on gender, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, disability, race, and any other marginalized status. Chester Pierce coined the term in the 1970s, and its occurrence has been found in everyday social interactions. While some people can survive microaggressions without lasting impact, these acts are a known contributor to negative outcomes, including negative health outcomes. Racial microaggressions cause increases in blood pressure; difficulty managing self-care and diabetes, also known as diabetes distress; and more frequent heart attacks and hospitalizations. We know this to be the case in other health care fields, but there is little evidence within the field of physical therapy. What we know thus far within physical therapy is: People of color have raced-based outcome disparities, such as longer lengths of stay in rehabilitation facilities following a stroke People of color have a lower improvement in their ability to walk and care for themselves after having a stroke People of color have higher rates of residual disability following inpatient rehabilitation for spinal cord injuries. The mechanisms that give rise to these poor outcomes are understudied. A few weeks ago, a white physical therapy colleague of mine unconsciously committed a racial microaggression. She was interviewing her patient, a middle-aged Black male, about his living environment. She asked him if his daughter was at home with him all day or if she went to work. He asked her why she would even assume that his daughter did not work. The patient was so upset that a third party intervened to help the therapist finish the assessment. How did this incident impact his care? How did their dismantled communication impair information exchange and shared decision-making? How might this encounter affect his physical therapy outcomes? My colleague and I discussed the incident, and she realized that her manner of questioning resurfaced deeply rooted unconscious and inaccurate assumptions about people of color, particularly the Black community. Her intention was to gain an understanding of his home environment; the impact was a painful reminder of poor, systemic assumptions. My current research is centered around these experiences of racial microaggressions for people of color during their physical therapy encounters. I am conducting one-on-one interviews with people who have had these experiences to understand how these events have impacted their outcomes and lives. The goal is to offer recommendations and train health professionals to critically consider their own conscious and unconscious assumptions and foster matured sensitivity to their patients perspectives. It is our duty to foster true liberty for all and not just for some. Let us harmonize around dialogue and behaviors that honor us equally. In the words of Chris Johnson, the only apology Im accepting is changed behavior. When will you make the changes needed to ensure all of us feel treated fairly. Jerenda Bond is a physical therapist and postgraduate student. She can be reached on Twitter @jerendabond. Image credit: Shutterstock.com SPRINGFIELD, Ore. -- A historic war artifact has been returned to the Veterans' Memorial Plaza in Springfield after a tragic incident nearly three months ago. During the American Legion's 72nd annual Memorial Day ceremony, two period-correct, military vehicles, a jeep and an M37, rolled up to the ceremony with the repaired 75mm pack howitzer in tow. "For me, it's now part of the cannon's story," Nick Gillaspie, the commander of the American Legion, said. Police said a drunk driver crashed into the howitzer on the corner of Mohawk Boulevard and I Street on March 7. RELATED: ALLEGED DRUNK DRIVER SMASHES INTO SPRINGFIELD WAR ARTIFACT Crews removed it, and since then, the Springfield community stepped up to repair the howitzer. "When it was hit, the axle broke, the pintle hook was bent, and the city, particularly Ryan and Cole took care of it, straightened it all out and repainted it for us," Gillaspie said. Many people who attended the Memorial Day ceremony were relieved to see the howitzer back in the spot it's rested for as long as the event's organizers could remember. "The cannon being put back in place is a time of healing for us," Brian Descutner said. This also marked the first holiday since the CDC released new guidance deeming outdoors gatherings of fully vaccinated people safe. Many people at the ceremony said they enjoyed observing the holiday alongside others in their communities. RELATED: EUGENE MASONIC CEMETERY, NAACP OBSERVE MEMORIAL DAY "After all we've been through, we're better together," Springfield's mayor Sean VanGordon said. "Here we are standing among a group of people who've given everything for this country." By Benjamin Jumbe The Archbishop of the Church Of Uganda Dr Stephen Kazimba is set to launch a new fundraising campaign. The campaign to be officially launched this coming Sunday at All Saint Cathedral Nakasero is part of activities to mark the 60 years anniversary celebrations of the church. Addressing the media, Dr Kazimba said the campaign is targeting atleast one Million Anglicans to contribute atleast 60,000 towards the fundraising drive with the money to be used to pay back loans taken to construct the church house. He says that such projects are a new move for the church to exhibit financial independence. Meanwhile, the Archbishop emphasized that the church is to hold a scientific martyrs day event on 3rd June with only 200 guests invited. By Ritah Kemigisa Gen Katumba Wamala has thanked God for the second chance he has given him after surviving an attempted assassination this morning. In a courtesy video recording with his children on his hospital bed, Gen Katumba has called for calm saying he is fine and will recover from injuries which he sustained on both shoulders. He has condemned the killing of his daughter Brenda Nantogo whom he says had done nothing wrong to this world. He has asked Ugandans to pray for his wife whom he says is in a terrible state. All my children, I will be fine, I have survived, we have lost Brenda, thats Gods plan. She had nothing, she did nothing to this world but the bad guys have done it. God has given me a second chance, I will pull through. Dont worry I dont have bad injuries, only the arms but I will be fine. I am with the doctors, I love you guys, please pray for mummy, she is in a terrible state. Bye. Katumbas words in the video. By KFM Team President Yoweri Museveni has revealed that they have clues about the attackers who shot at Gen Katumba Wamalas vehicle injuring him and killing his daughter Brenda Nantongo and driver Haruna Kayondo dead. The two were in the vehicle with the minister when it was sprayed with bullets from the sides and front by gunmen riding in motorcycles. In a statement posted on social media by his press secretary Lindah Nabusayi, Museveni has described Gen Katumbas attackers as pigs who do not value life. Museveni who wishes the General a quick recovery says he has talked to him and says he is being well managed. According to Museveni, Gen Katumbas bodyguard should have shot to kill the criminals instead of shooting in the air. He however says much as the act of shooting in the air scared away criminals it also saved the Generals life. The former works and transport minister is currently admitted at Medipal International Hospital where he is receiving treatment for injuries in the shoulder. Speaking from his hospital bed Katumba the former army chief thanked God for the second chance he has given to him after surviving an assassination attempt this morning. In a courtesy video recording with his children on his hospital bed, Gen Katumba has called for calm saying he is fine and will recover from injuries which he says are not bad. Army Spokesman Brig Gen Flavia Byekwaso says security forces have taken interest in a number of phone calls that seem to be related to planning the attempted assassination of the transport minister. The army has deployed heavily at the hospital where he has been admitted. Earlier today, the archbishop of the church of Uganda Dr Stephen Kazimba strongly condemned the continued killings of Ugandans asking all those behind the act to respect the right to life and repent. The opposition Democratic Party has sent condolences to the family of former works and transport minister Gen Katumba Wamala for the loss of their daughter. Party spokesperson Okoler Okello was addressing the media at the partys head offices in Kampala this morning Relatedly, A section of members of parliament has expressed grief over the attack on the outgoing Minister of Works and Transport. Busiro East MP Merdad Ssegona questioned why General Katumba Wamala had no security lead car like other top security officers. Ndorwa East MP Wilfred Niwagaba says this attack on the General shows inefficiencies in the countrys security system and no one is safe urging government to investigate and apprehend the assassins. Meanwhile Lt Col (Rtd) Rwamirama Bright MP Isingiro County North says the enemy could have been trailing Gen Katumba Wamala for a long time. In the last year we've lost thousands of family members, friends and co-workers to COVID-19. We'd like to give you a chance to honor their memory. Share a Memory Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account to continue reading. To subscribe, click here. Already a subscriber? Click here. June is Scoliosis Awareness Month and two brave children with their families are taking on 5KbyNOONinJUNE to help raise funds for another child on the HSE waiting list. The funds will go towards an operation to help a child become pain free this summer. Aryn Kelly, founder of 5kbynooninjune Aryn Kelly (15) from Dublin and Hannah Donohoe (11) from Kilkenny both have scoliosis, thankfully after a hard battle their conditions are improving. Now they want to give back and are pledging to help those who are waiting for vital surgery through the charity Straight Ahead Ireland. Hannah Donohoe with pony Bonnie Straight Ahead Ireland is a medical support group affiliated to the CMRF, which provides surgery, support and medical equipment for children with orthopaedic conditions. They were set up in 2011 by a team of voluntary Orthopaedic Surgeons and Nurses. It is a much needed charity group that performs surgeries for free on children that have orthopaedic deformities and have been on the public waiting lists for a long time. These children are often in severe pain and their condition is deteriorating further while waiting for their surgery. Straight Ahead Ireland select the children with the greatest need and offer them their surgery for free in a private hospital. They cover the costs to use the private hospital facilities and purchase components for each surgery, it is vital that they receive funds to help a child, no child should have to wait. According to Pat Kiely, Orthopaedic Spinal Surgeon and co-founder of the charity, Waiting is not an option. Children with major orthopaedic problems are often forced to wait for much needed surgery which would significantly and rapidly change their lives for the better. Straight Ahead aims to help these time-critical cases who are deteriorating while on HSE waiting lists. To date we have taken 145 children off HSE waiting lists. Young Aryn Kelly told the Kilkenny People about his scoliosis discovery when his mother became his barber during the pandemic. He recalls last March my mum was giving me a lockdown haircut when she saw a rib raised on my back. A few weeks later I was diagnosed with progressive scoliosis with a curve of over 58 degrees. I needed surgery. Hannahs story is similar, and thankfully her ballet teacher picked it up when Hannah was wearing a leotard for a ballet exam. Her teacher noticed a rib was sticking out more on one side than the other and advised her parents to get it checked out. Both Hannah and Aryn are lucky as they are working with an amazing medical team Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon Pat Kiely and Niamh McGowan who is a Spinal Specialist Physiotherapy at the Scoliosis Academy in the Beacon. Thankfully they both have had positive results working with this team. Ayrn is currently going through rehab after two spine surgeries and Hannah wears a body brace for 20 hours a day, with a physio programme to try to avoid the surgery. Aryn says My main sport was rugby, so I was angry at the beginning, overnight my life had changed. When I was diagnosed, I increased my training and conditioning and improved my core strength. Everything I was doing, from at-home workouts, to physio plans, was to increase spine flexibility which was to give me my best outcome post-surgery. These two young spokespeople know they are among the fortunate ones and want to help another child on the HSE waiting list for vital surgery, so they have pledged to fundraise for Straight Ahead Charity by doing 5k by noon in June. As you can see from their photographs both children are active and love sport. Their families have also promised to come on board to help out and I suppose thats where I come in! Hannah is my daughter and we have spent the past year attending hospital appointments to treat her scoliosis. It came to crunch time when her curve reached 28 degrees and her consultant asked if she would wear a brace to try to avoid surgery. This was a massive task for a 10 year old but she took it head on and accepts this is life until she is in her mid to late teens. Like Aryn she is throwing everything she has at it and the hard work is starting to pay off. Last month we were told her curve had decreased to 16 degrees. We see how hard she works with her medical team and the results are outstanding, so we want to help more kids with scoliosis achieve this. My whole family are getting involved to complete the 5k every day and we would appreciate your support for the Straight Ahead Ireland. Siobhan Donohoe completing her first 5kbynooninjune for Straight Ahead Ireland 5KbyNoonInJune Since Ayrns diagnoses and hearing about the public waiting list situation for other children, he wanted to do something to help. This inspiring young man started a new initiative 5KbyNoonInJune in June 2020 and raised over 10,000 to assist a child to receive their much needed spinal correction surgery last summer. Needless to say Ayrn is running the campaign again this June and is attempting it himself even though he is going through post-surgery rehab. Get involved Starting on Tuesday the June 1st, you can Run/Walk/Cycle a 5k every day. Please share your updates by tagging them on Instagram/Facebook/Twitter @5KbyNoonInJune or send your photos as Aryn will be posting a daily update throughout the month. Please share their donation link www.idonate.ie/5KbyNoonInJune Prison officiers, prisoners and all staff should be vaccinated according to a TD who says just 2% of people in prisons have received the jab. Sinn Fein spokesperson on Justice Martin Kenny TD has called on the Minister for Justice and Minister for Health to co-operate on a vaccine programme for staff and prisoners in Irish Prison Service jails. I am shocked today at reports that only 2% of the prison population have been vaccinated. Their specific circumstances make them particularly vulnerable in comparison to the general population, so the age-related progress of the vaccination programme should not apply to those working in prison or prison inmates. The National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) has defined groups who meet the criteria of living and/or working in conditions which make social distancing difficult. But although it specified addicts, members of the Travelling Community and the Roma community, it has not included prisoners and prison staff nor those in Direct Provision. So far, the Irish Prison Service has done a good job in trying to keep Covid-19 out of the prisons, but at the cost of contact between prisoners and their families. Some prisoners have not had any contact with their children for 14 months. The prison officers staged an industrial action by withdrawing goodwill, due to not being prioritised for vaccination. They have paused this now and hopefully the vaccination programme amongst them will be speedily implemented. It makes sense that people working and living in prisons, who are by necessity in such close contact daily, should be given vaccines to prevent a disaster within the system. I call on the two ministers to review the Vaccine Allocation Strategy to include prison staff and inmates and to co-operate to have them vaccinated as soon as possible, he said. There have been limited outbreaks of in Irish prisons largely due to an internationally recognised prevention and containment strategy involving staff and prisoners. ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) President Joe Biden honored Americas war dead at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day by laying a wreath at the hallowed burial ground and extolling the sacrifices of the fallen for the pursuit of democracy, the soul of America. Biden invoked the iconic battles of history and joined them to the present as he implored Americans to rise above the divisions straining the union, which he described in stark terms. The president was joined Monday by first lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff in a somber ceremony at the Virginia cemeterys Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which is dedicated to deceased service members whose remains have not been identified. His face tight with emotion, Biden walked up to the wreath, cupping it in his hands in silent reflection, then making the sign of the cross. His eyes were wet. The gathered dignitaries and military families were hushed and solemn; the chattering of cicadas loud. In remarks that followed, Biden called on Americans to commemorate their fallen heroes by remembering their fight for the nations ideals. "This nation was built on an idea, Biden said. We were built on an idea, the idea of liberty and opportunity for all. Weve never fully realized that aspiration of our founders, but every generation has opened the door a little wider. He focused much of his speech on the importance of democracy, saying it thrives when citizens can vote, when there is a free press and when there are equal rights for all. Generation after generation of American heroes are signed up to be part of the fight because they understand the truth that lives in every American heart: that liberation, opportunity, justice are far more likely to come to pass in a democracy than in an autocracy, Biden said. These Americans werent fighting for dictators, they were fighting for democracy. They werent fighting to exclude or to enslave, they were fighting to build and broaden and liberate." But he suggested these ideals are imperiled. The soul of America is animated by the perennial battle between our worst instincts, which weve seen of late, and our better angels, he said. "Between Me First and We the People. Between greed and generosity, cruelty and kindness, captivity and freedom. After the ceremony, the Bidens stopped by a row of gravestones in a cemetery where some 400,000 are buried in the gentle hills and hollows. The Bidens held hands and strolled along the rows of Section 12, one of the primary burial locations of service members killed overseas and repatriated to the United States after World War II and the Korean War. They stopped to chat with several families visiting the graves of their loved ones or searching for them one family came to find a great-uncle missing in action from the world war. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, joined Biden and Harris in the ceremony. On Sunday, Biden addressed a crowd of Gold Star military families and other veterans in a ceremony at War Memorial Plaza in New Castle, Delaware. Earlier in the day, he and other family members attended a memorial Mass for his son Beau Biden, a veteran who died of brain cancer six years ago to the day. MASON CITY, Iowa - As Memorial Day comes to a close, it's important for us to remember those who have sacrificed so much to make this country what it is today. Retired Navy Captain Joan Platz, a native of Lake Mills, was part of the second graduating class from the U.S. Naval Academy that included women, in 1981. As part of her career, she flew helicopters, as well as serving on oceanographic ships, and was primarily stationed in Italy and the Persian Gulf. In addition, she was the commanding officer at Naval Air Station Whiting Field in Florida. After she retired, Platz taught in Pensacola, Florida before moving to Mason City. During her keynote speech as part of Monday's ceremony at Elmwood-St. Joseph Cemetery, Platz says it's important to understand the sacrifices brave men and women have made to protect our nation. "Young men and women are going to be called upon to defend our country for all eternity. We must remember what it takes to be free, and it takes their bloodshed. We came here today to honor them and thank their families, and remind ourselves how painful it can be, but how important it is." For those who are considering a career in the Armed Forces, she shares some advice. "Study our democracy, study our government, study how absolutely blessed we are to live in this land. If you feel the call, put on the uniform and serve." Below is the transcript of Platz' keynote speech: Thank you. Senator Ragan Congresswoman Steckman Mayor Schickel Members of the City Council Good morning to all! Just as President Lincoln spoke to honor those who lost their life in service. As on the very first Decoration Day, observed in 1868, when graves of the Grand Army of the Republic were decorated through the end of the War to End all Wars, when Decoration Day became Memorial Day and after all the wars that have followed the War to End all Wars and every Memorial Day since, we gather to honor those who gave their lives in service to our Nation. Their sacrifice is why we are here. We gather to honor them and cherish their lives. America called and they answered the call. Young men and women donned the uniform of our Nationraised their right hand and swore to support and defend the Constitution against all enemies. They served, at home and in far-off lands, they defended our democracy and American ideals. They made the ultimate sacrifice. We gather here to remember their sacrifice to protect their legacy..to cherish these brave American sons and daughters. American heroes. However, the true demonstration of our respect for these American heroes is demonstrated not only today, but in the other 364 days of the year. We must show our respect by protecting and caring for their familiesAmericas Gold Star families. We can never fathom their pain..nor the agony of the hole in their lives. But as a Nation, we wrap them in our love and ATTEMPT to help carry their enormous burden. We thank them each and every day. We lovingly cherish our Gold Star families. President Lincoln charged us to honor our heroes with a dedication to their unfinished work and an increased devotion to the cause they fought for The United States of America. We show our respect by the way we live our lives. By holding dear, the great America they defended and truly treasuring the great freedoms we enjoyby cherishing all it means to be an American. As Americans, we are blessed with freedoms, rights and privileges that people in other countries only dream of. The freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of religion, freedom to assemble. We have many protected rights the right to own property, to a job, to equal justice, to marry and raise a family, the right to an education. Unlike many other nations, in America, EVERY child has the right to an education. It matters not their gender or the parents station in life. We value our childrens education. As a Nation, we invest in the education of every one of our sons and daughters our Nations greatest asset for we know they are our future. We invest in their education, so they will be able to continue this great experiment called democracy. Today, as throughout our history, Americas sons and daughters have stepped forward and volunteered to wear the uniform of our Nation. They continue to proudly defend America and allow us to enjoy our freedoms in the greatest land on earth. We must never forget our responsibility to them. For when our American ideals are challenged and our diplomacy fails..our leaders are faced with the heavy burden .. the decision to send our greatest asset into harms way. We send our sons and daughters..our future. America must remain mindful of that decision and cherish our sons and daughters sacrifice. With all our rights and freedoms..it is our duty to remember our enormous inherent responsibility. We can not take these freedoms for granted we must always hold them dear. And above all, we must never forget our sons and daughters who defended our great democracy..and ALWAYS, ALWAYS, in their honor, cherish the privilege of being an American. In his January 1941 address to Congress, President Franklin Roosevelt articulated his vision for America and a post-war world founded on four basic human freedoms: freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear. When we hear these freedoms recited, many of us think of the Norman Rockwell paintings. On this Memorial Day may we each take a moment to think about the America we live in today. Is America fulfilling President Roosevelts vision, the American ideals? Is EVERY AMERICAN blessed with - Freedom of speech and religion Freedom from want and from fear. It is our obligation to those who made the ultimate sacrifice for these freedoms to carry on their unfinished work to ensure EVERY AMERICAN enjoys the four basic human freedoms and the life depicted by Rockwell. As we go about our daily lives, we should HARBOR IN YOUR MIND DEEPLY AND RESOLUTELY Americas bright future. America must continue to shine as a beacon of light and remain dedicated to the hard work of maintaining world peace. Honor the American heroes by living as proud Americans, thankful for the freedoms they fought to defend. Let us leave here with a RENEWED dedication to TRULY honor them by continuing to dedicate our Nation to her most challenging task of leading the world in ensuring freedoms, allowing all to live in peace and prosperity. May America continue to shine and may God Bless America! ROCHESTER, Minn. An accused liquor store robber is pleading guilty to assaulting two people. Izack Lee-Allen Wells-Crockett, 25 of Stewartville, was first arrested for allegedly trying to rob Honest Liquors on January 29, 2020. The Olmsted County Sheriffs Office says Wells-Crockett tried to run off with a bottle of Bacardi after two of his credit cards were declined. Investigators say a male clerk ran after Wells-Crockett and the bottle was dropped and smashed on the ground during a struggle. More charges were then filed on February 7, 2020, accusing Wells-Crockett of choking a woman and threatening to kill her. He has now pleaded guilty to fifth-degree assault and domestic assault by strangulation. Charges of simple robbery and threats of violence will likely be dismissed when Wells-Crockett is sentenced, which is scheduled for July 19. Jasper, TX (75951) Today Some clouds and possibly an isolated thunderstorm late. Low around 75F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Some clouds and possibly an isolated thunderstorm late. Low around 75F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%. HARTFORD TOWNSHIP, LICKING COUNTY If a solar farm is ultimately approved for Hartford and Bennington townships, Licking County would reap $3.1 million a year in revenue. The project, Harvey Solar, covers 2,200 acres. Most of the acreage is in Hartford Township; some is in Bennington Township. Both townships abut Knox County's Hilliar and Miller townships to the south. Doug Herling, vice president of development for Open Road Renewables, the project's developer, said the project is still in the study phase. We have not submitted an application yet. We expect to do so sometime later this summer, he said. It's a 12-month review process by the Ohio Power Siting Board staff. We are in the very early stages. Herling said Open Road Renewables has signed up all of the acreage needed but declined to tell the lease amount per acre. The solar farm is 350 megawatt (MW) in size. If the siting board approves the solar farm, Licking County will receive $9,000 per MW each year. The arrangement is Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT). The $9,000 is the standard default amount for solar farms in Ohio. For Harvey, that is $3.1 million per year that will go to the county and the tax jurisdictions where the project's located, said Herling. Right now, the acreage generates about $84,000 every year under CAUV (current agricultural use value). Taxing jurisdictions that will receive money include the schools, county, townships, and emergency services. The project is expected to have a 40-year lifespan. Herling said other benefits include university and vocational school workforce development and a requirement that 80% of the labor be from Ohio workers. Although the project is not located in any part of Knox County, it is possible that Knox County roads will be used to access the solar farm parcels. We are working on a route evaluation study now, Herling said. Any use of Knox County roads will likely have to be cleared with the county. We identify roads we need to use and limit traffic to those roads. We have a road use and maintenance agreement typically operating during the construction period and after to make sure the roads are maintained. He added that the trucks carrying solar panels and used in construction are not unlike agriculture vehicles. The land is zoned agricultural. Herling said that under Ohio Power Siting Board regulations, solar projects greater than 50 MW are not subject to local zoning regulations. That ground at the end of the day goes back to agriculture, he said. While the siting board makes the ultimate decision whether the project is a go, county and township officials, as well as residents, can be involved. They can be as involved as they like. The siting board accepts input. We've had counties and townships get involved and help write the guidelines, Herling said, adding that the whole process is extremely rigorous. Noting that construction on any scale is disruptive, Herling said that when the solar farm is operating there is essentially no sound. There are no noxious odors like with poultry or a confined livestock operation, he said. [The panels] have a very low profile. Most solar projects are under 10 to 12 feet tall; you can plant trees and block the view. During construction, there is some degree of impact, but the siting board has noise, time of day, and other regulations that workers must abide by. The Harvey Solar team developed the 200 MW Hillcrest solar farm in Brown County. Daryll Gray, Brown County commissioner, said the commissioners started discussing the project in 2016. The siting board approved the project in 2018, and construction began in May 2020. It is not completely done. It's close, Gray said. It changed hands a couple of times. Another company took over and is moving it forward now. Hillcrest encompasses about 1,400 acres. Brown County is getting the same $9,000 per MW but has not yet seen the economic benefit. It's after it's started, cranked up and running. That's when we're scheduled to get the $9,000 per MW a year. If they don't produce the full megawatts, we still get the $9,000, he said. Gray said that Brown County also has a road agreement. The only problem so far is the roads are muddy and dirty and ditches are messed up, he said. As far as what Licking County might expect, Gray said, While they are building it, you are going to have quite a lot of traffic. Once it gets up and running, it only takes two or three full-time people. It doesn't take too many to keep it running. It is noisy, he continued. "The people that signed the lease agreement were happy with it, but some of the neighbors are not. But you can't tell a property owner he can't sign a lease. Gray said that in addition to Hillcrest, which is on one end of the county, another solar farm is going in on the other end of the county. Of the final outcome, he said, time will tell. In one way it's a good thing for the county because it's a little bit more tax revenue. But your next-door neighbor might not like looking at a bunch of solar panels, he said. Of the power generated by Harvey Solar in Licking County, Herling said that it is typical that the electricity is sold to one or more big industrial users. American Electric Power is the energy company operating in that area. There's a sub-station on Clover Valley Road, so some portion of the electricity will go local, Herling said. It's likely the same transmission line that goes into the greater Columbus area as well. More information can be found at harveysolar.com. Herling encouraged anyone with questions to email harvey@openroadrenewables.com. Messages left with Thomas Cooperrider, Hartford Township trustee, were not returned. Two Easy Ways To Subscribe! The Kodiak Daily Mirror offers full-service, five-day a week subscriptions with home delivery in addition to unlimited access to our online services (including our e-Edition). Online-access-only subscriptions include unlimited access to the Mirror's online services without delivery of the printed newspaper. (Note: New users: You must register and login before purchasing a subscription. Senior Product Manager, Search Ads Relevance Austin , Texas , United States Software and Services Summary Posted: May 25, 2021 Weekly Hours: 40 Role Number: 200246989 At Apple, we work every day to create products that enrich people's lives. Our Advertising Platform enables people around the world to discover informative and imaginative content on their devices while helping publishers and developers promote and monetize their work. Our technology and services power advertising in the App Store Search and Apple News. Our platforms are highly performant, deployed at scale, and set new standards for enabling effective advertising while protecting user privacy! We are seeking a world-class Senior Product Manager to join the team and lead the next generation of search advertising marketplace. Are you looking for a technically challenging product management position? Do you get excited turning insights from large data sets into product improvements? We are searching for you with a proven track record of enabling cross-functional teams to deliver complex systems. The ideal candidate would have built products related to online advertising, search, recommendation systems, and human ratings with experience in data driven product management. We are looking for someone who can orchestrate a product plan and schedule, then successfully manage the execution from development to launch and continued optimization and operation of the product. Key Qualifications 5+ years of product management or related experience, preferably in advertising Fundamentally analytical - ability to collect and analyze data from a variety of sources, identify key insights, spot product optimization opportunities, and inform product decisions Strong track record of collaborating with ML engineers and data scientists on technical design discussions and proposing simple, creative solutions Outstanding communication and presentation abilities, with an ability to influence and collaboratively build consensus Self-motivated and proactive, with demonstrated creative and critical thinking capabilities Description - Accountable for ads relevance product capabilities, features and SLAs - Analyze marketplace metrics, propose improvement actions, design, and deploy successful A/B experiments - Collaborate with business partners to understand business direction, customer needs, product structure, and requirements - Define, prioritize and deliver marketplace product roadmap and product features based on business requirements - Oversee the development, delivery, and deployment of solutions - This role involves a fair amount of hands-on data analysis on big datasets Education & Experience - BS, MS in Computer Science, Statistics, Operations Research, Economics or related areas Here's what you need to know: Tuesday, June 1 China welcomes science-based COVID-19 origins study, rejects vested interest: chief of thinktank Xinhua) 16:05, June 01, 2021 BEIJING, June 1 (Xinhua) -- China has not been obstructing the study on COVID-19 virus origins, but would firmly oppose those with the vested interest in accusing China of being responsible for the pandemic, Victor Zhikai Gao, vice president of the Center for China and Globalization, a Beijing-based nongovernmental thinktank, has told Al-Jazeera. "I don't think China is being obstructive. China does not welcome people with the vested interest in accusing China or trying to hold China responsible for this pandemic. That's what China is firmly opposed to," he said while giving a video interview with Al-Jazeera's "Inside Story" on study on the virus's origins on Friday. "China wants to oppose those people who refuse to put science above everything else and wants to really shirk their own responsibility for their failure of containing the virus in their own country. And also leading to so many deaths of the good-hearted American people. Almost 600,000 of them. That's I think the shame that we witness in the world," Gao noted. During the interview, Gao urged the United States to "cooperate with the WHO (World Health Organization) as much as China has already done" in finding origins. The WHO on Friday reiterated its call for a "de-politicized environment" for the study on COVID-19 virus origins, as the whole process of the study is being "poisoned by politics." Speaking at a WHO press briefing, Mike Ryan, executive director of the WHO Health Emergencies Program, called on "everyone out there to separate, if they can, the politics of this issue (COVID-19 origin study) from the science." (Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun) Software Engineer - UI Santa Clara Valley (Cupertino) , California , United States Software and Services Summary Posted: May 29, 2021 Weekly Hours: 40 Role Number: 200251898 At Apple, extraordinary ideas have a way of becoming excellent products, services, and customer experiences very quickly. Bring passion and dedication to your job and there's no telling what you could accomplish! Are you passionate about designing and developing solutions to visualize and analyze data? Would you like to work in a fast-paced environment where your technical abilities will be challenged on a day-to-day basis? If so, Apple's Global Business Intelligence (GBI) team is looking for highly motivated, detail oriented, technical savvy, upbeat professionals who like to think in an unexpected way! Key Qualifications A great foundation with web technologies: JavaScript, HTML, CSS, etc. A solid base in Computer Science fundamentals such as data structures and algorithms is required Familiarity with ES6/7 Familiarity with React and the React ecosystem (Redux/MobX) Familiarity with TypeScript is a plus UI/UX design experience is a plus Full stack experience is a plus Working knowledge of the full SW development lifecycle Proven ability to develop and ship high quality software products Description The GBI UI Frameworks team is responsible for building UI tools and frameworks to visualize and analyze Apple's big data. We use the latest JavaScript and web technologies including React and TypeScript. We're looking for someone who is passionate about working in the team to build platforms which live up to Apple's high standards. As a part of our team you'll be responsible for designing and developing well engineered creative solutions to solve our business needs. You'll be working at the framework and application level. Education & Experience BS CS, BS MIS or equivalent Four South Korean nationals have been kidnapped in an apparent pirate attack in waters off the western African country of Benin, officials said Tuesday. The kidnapping happened at about 7:30 p.m. (Benin time) when the group approached a fishing boat carrying a total of 36 crew members aboard, Seoul officials said. The pirates took off only with the four Koreans and another foreign crew member. A foreign ministry official here said the ministry is working with the diplomatic missions near the location and related authorities to figure out the situation thoroughly and take necessary steps. The latest abduction came after a Korean captain and four other crew members of a fishing boat were taken by pirates in the sea off Ghana last month. (Yonhap) Migrant workers and local civic activists demand that the government give migrant workers the freedom to switch jobs, at a rally held near Cheonggye Stream in central Seoul, April 25. The event was held to mark Labor Day which falls on May 1. Yonhap This article is the first in a four-part series to highlight and address issues surrounding marginalized residents of foreign nationality who are living in legal blind spots in Korean society. ED. By Lee Hyo-jin Chiranjibi Rijal, 31, a migrant worker from Nepal, entered Korea in May 2019 under the Employment Permit System (EPS), which assigned him to work at a leather factory in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province. Despite the heavy workload and the employer's frequent refusal to pay for overtime, Rijal said his first year at his workplace was "bearable." But things changed after a fire broke out due to a boiler explosion at the factory in January 2020. The fire killed two of his coworkers and severely injured eight others. Rijal survived, but he was left with serious psychiatric trauma. "I had nightmares about the explosion and felt anxious all the time. I was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, but as my boss refused to give me any support, I had to receive mental health treatment at my own expense," Rijal told The Korea Times. But even before he could fully recover from the trauma, he had to go back to work. "Although the labor authorities warned us that we should not go inside the facility for a month due to safety issues, our boss ordered us to go back in there. We were so scared that another explosion might happen again," Rijal recalled. In addition, exposure to the toxic chemicals used in leather production, without proper protective equipment, affected his health. "After feeling a lump in my throat, I went to the hospital, where I was told that it could develop into a chronic disease or cancer if I continue to work there," he said. Fire department authorities investigate the ruins of a leather factory in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province, where Chiranjibi Rijal used to work, after a fire broke out due to a boiler explosion, Jan. 31, 2020. Yonhap As a result, Rijal wanted to find another job. But under EPS rules, he couldn't switch jobs without the consent of his employer, who threatened to send him back to Nepal if he didn't show up for work. It took over seven months for Rijal to change jobs. With the help of civic activists, he was able to find another position at his current workplace a car component manufacturing plant in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province. "Rijal was lucky. Many other mistreated migrant workers fail to switch jobs because it requires their employer's consent," said Kim Dal-seong, head of the Pocheon Migrant Support Center, who helped Rijal during the procedure. "It's like modern-day slavery." Workplace accidents and injuries, delayed payments and mistreatment by employers are common reasons to switch jobs for workers of both Korean and foreign nationalities. But unfortunately, switching jobs is difficult for migrant workers who enter Korea under the EPS, a system run by the Ministry of Labor and Employment. Launched in 2004, the EPS has been bringing in a steady number of foreign workers from 16 countries to fill quotas needed in industries, such as agriculture, fishing and manufacturing. So-called "diligent workers," who have maintained employment here with the same employer without changing jobs for four years and 10 months, are granted another chance to re-enter the country after a three-month waiting period. During their initial stay, migrant workers under the EPS are technically allowed to change jobs up to five times, in the case of contract termination or expiration. They may also "request" to end their contracts for other reasons, such as assault or sexual harassment by employers, payment delays or substandard housing conditions. Upon making the request, the workers need to submit evidence proving they have been mistreated, and receive employer approval in order to end the contract. Such tough requirements make it virtually impossible for workers to switch jobs, according to migrant workers' rights groups. Migrants' rights activists call for better accommodation for migrant workers at a press conference held in front of Cheong Wa Dae, Feb. 9. Yonhap Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau / AFP-Yonhap Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Monday it's not an isolated incident that over 200 children were found buried at a former Indigenous residential school. Trudeau's comments come as Indigenous leaders are calling for an examination of every former residential school site institutions that held children taken from families across the nation. Chief Rosanne Casimir of the Tk'emlups te Secwepemc First Nation in British Columbia said the remains of 215 children, some as young as 3 years old, were confirmed this month with the help of ground-penetrating radar. She described the discovery as ''an unthinkable loss that was spoken about but never documented'' at the Kamloops Indian Residential School, the largest such school in the country. ''As prime minister, I am appalled by the shameful policy that stole Indigenous children from their communities,'' Trudeau said. ''Sadly, this is not an exception or an isolated incident,'' he said. ''We're not going to hide from that. We have to acknowledge the truth. Residential schools were a reality a tragedy that existed here, in our country, and we have to own up to it. Kids were taken from their families, returned damaged or not returned at all." From the 19th century until the 1970s, more than 150,000 First Nations children were required to attend state-funded Christian schools as part of a program to assimilate them into Canadian society. They were forced to convert to Christianity and not allowed to speak their native languages. Many were beaten and verbally abused, and up to 6,000 are said to have died. The Canadian government apologized in Parliament in 2008 and admitted that physical and sexual abuse in the schools was rampant. Many students recalled being beaten for speaking their native languages. They also lost touch with their parents and customs. Indigenous leaders have cited that legacy of abuse and isolation as the root cause of epidemic rates of alcoholism and drug addiction on reservations. Plans are underway to bring in forensics experts to identify and repatriate the remains of the children found buried on the Kamloops site. Trudeau said he'll be talking to his ministers about further things his government needs to do to support survivors and the community. Flags at all federal buildings are at half-staff. Opposition New Democrat leader Jagmeet Singh called Monday afor an emergency debate in Parliament. ''This is not a surprise. This is a reality of residential schools,'' Singh said. ''215 Indigenous kids were found in an unmarked mass grave,'' he said. ''Anytime we think about unmarked mass graves, we think about a distant country where a genocide has happened. This is not a distant country.'' Flowers, shoes, and moccasins sit on the steps of the main entrance of the Mohawk Institute, a former residential school for First Nation kids, to honor the 215 children whose remains were recently discovered in a mass grave, Ontario, Canada, May 31. AFP-Yonhap Kendallville, IN (46755) Today A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 65F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 65F. Winds light and variable. Angola, IN (46703) Today Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 65F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 65F. Winds light and variable. Sr Softw Engineer (Charlotte, NC) Translate complex cross-functional business reqs & functional specifications into logical program designs, code modules, stable application systems, & softw solutions. Job reqs Bachelors* in Comp Sci, CIS, Eng or rltd & 5 yrs of exp in softw dvlpmnt or systems eng or analysis. *Employer will accept combination of degrees, diplomas, and/or experience equivalent to Bachelors. Qualified applicants should mail cvr ltr & resume to: Donna Fellinger, Manager, Global Mobility, Lowes Companies, Inc., 1000 Lowes Blvd, Mooresville, NC 28117. Reference #PV recblid b9ljuisqawv1sdz8vjxnr8arlach1k Over the years, the Peach Festival has attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors to Lincoln Parish and pumped millions back into the local economy. CODY, Wyo. - Ask Senator John Barrasso, and hell tell you that one of the best parts of his job is coming home to Wyoming every weekend from Washington D.C. and meeting with constituents all over the state. The senator was in Cody on Monday as a keynote speaker at the Wyoming State Veterans Park for the communitys Memorial Day ceremony. At the event, he was approached by many who offered their concerns about whats happening in Washington D.C. and the country right now. Folks talk about defunding the police and opening the border for more and more illegal immigrants to come in, he explains. People want to make sure that I'm protecting the nation against assaults that are coming from all around. One of the senators focuses right now is to advocate for the energy industry in Wyoming. You know, the concerns that I have are that right now, today, the United States is using more oil from Russia than we are from Alaska, he points out. And that's because of the war going on with this administration over energy.... (Biden has) attacked our energy jobs, which is the lifeblood of Wyoming, it is our bread and butter. He says he is also concerned about how foreign powers like Russia and China are flexing their muscles - which is why he says hes advocating for a strong military. The ongoing fights with China and their efforts to undermine us and their goal to become the military and the economic and the technological superpower of the world, are of high concern right now, according to Barrasso. The ongoing threats from Vladimir Putin, who is cunning and opportunistic, and aggressive. But mostly, he says, the people of Wyoming are asking him to fight. Patriotic Americans, people that love this great nation, and want me to just keep fighting for the people of Wyoming fighting for our country fighting for our freedoms, the senator notes. The values that we in Wyoming were raised with, believe in, and care about, which we hold dear. BILLINGS - St. Vincent Healthcare received the American College of Cardiologys NCDR Chest Pain MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award for 2021. This places St. Vincent as one of only 212 hospitals nationwide to receive the honor, as stated in a press release. The award recognizes St. Vincents commitment in implementing a higher standard of care for heart attack patients and signifies that St. Vincent has reached the goal of treating these patients to standard levels of care as outlined by the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association clinical guidelines and recommendations. We are honored to receive the American College of Cardiologys NCDR Chest Pain MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award for 2021, Director of Cardiovascular Services Theresa Ketterling said. It reflects the dedication, commitment and clinical excellence of our cardiologists, nurses, technicians and the entire St. Vincent Cardiovascular Team. We are firmly committed to providing the best, state-of-the-art therapies to our patients in Montana, northern Wyoming and the western Dakotas. To receive the award, St. Vincent has demonstrated sustained achievement in the Chest Pain MI Registry for two consecutive years (2019 & 2020), and performed at the highest level for specific performance measures. Full participation in the registry engages hospitals in a quality improvement process using data in adherence to guideline recommendations and overall quality of care provided to heart attack patients. As a Platinum Performance Award recipient, St. Vincent has established itself as a leader in setting the national standard for improving quality of care in patients with acute myocardial infarction, Michael C. Kontos, MD, FACC, chair of the NCDR Chest Pain MI Registry Steering Subcommittee, Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, said. By meeting the award requirements set forth in the registry, St. Vincent has demonstrated a commitment to providing reliable, comprehensive treatment for heart attack patients based on current clinical guideline recommendations. The Center for Disease Control estimates that almost 700,000 Americans suffer a heart attack each year. A heart attack occurs when a blood clot in a coronary artery partially or completely blocks blood flow to the heart muscle. Treatment guidelines include administering aspirin upon arrival and discharge, timely restoration of blood flow to the blocked artery, smoking cessation counseling and cardiac rehabilitation, among others. St. James Healthcare in Butte, a fellow SCL Health Montana hospital, was also recognized with the Platinum Award in 2021. Chest Pain MI Registry empowers health care provider teams to consistently treat heart attack patients according to the most current, science-based guidelines and establishes a national standard for understanding and improving the quality, safety and outcomes of care provided for patients with coronary artery disease, specifically high-risk heart attack patients. WASHINGTON, D.C. - Less than three months after hearing the case, the Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that tribal police officers are able to stop and search non-Natives on tribal lands on suspicion of a violation of state or federal law. Justice Stephen Breyer delivered the opinion of the court. Breyer said allowing a tribal police officer to stop and detain a potential offender temporarily so other state or federal authorities can be called will enhance public safety. Cooley was arrested in 2016 by Indian Safety Officer James Saylor, after several guns and 356 grams of meth were found in his car during a traffic stop on the Crow Indian Reservation. Lower courts granted a motion to suppress evidence collected at the scene, stating Officer Saylor did not have probable cause to search the vehicle or the authority to detain a non-Indian. The Supreme Court ruling reverses the lower court's decision. A copy of the opinion can be read below: NAPLES CENTRAL SCHOOL is looking to fill the following position: ONE Full-timeTYPIST position. Hours: 7:30 a.m. 3:30 p.m. (including hour paid lunch); Minimum Qualifications: One years clerical experience which involves typing; Possess a High School Diploma or equivalent; Ability to follow directions; Ability to work well with others; Ability to work well on own; and you must be willing to take the Ontario County Exam forTypist to be qualified for this position. Salary: $12.50-$15.00/hour based on experience Applications and information on the application process are available on the Naples Central School Website at http:// www.naplescsd.org and must be submitted by Friday, June 4, 2021 to Naples Elementary School, 2 Academy Street, Naples, NY 14512 Attn: Kristina Saucke. EOE CA-00098610 recblid xlfcjr4vmzbyivtlw7yjg9yz3g3cuw Maintenance Assistant About Tulsa Community College Tulsa Community College is committed to creating equitable and inclusive work environments to support the success of the full range of our employees. We believe that employees who feel valued and respected will create policies, programs, practices and services to effectively meet the needs and exceed the expectations of our increasingly diverse student populations. We encourage candidates to apply who have demonstrated capacity to create inclusive work environments, to work effectively on increasingly diverse teams, and to serve the increasingly diverse college community. We are committed to hiring and retaining a racially diverse, culturally competent staff at all levels of the organization who not only reflect the demographics of our students, but also continue to deepen their skills and competencies to serve the full range of our community. Job Summary: Perform minor maintenance activities such as light bulb changes, filter replacements and drain cleaning; maintain equipment lubrication and perform minor fabrications. Assist in the maintenance and/or repair of various plumbing and electrical systems. Campus: West Classification: Staff Position Type: Full-time Curricular: If Faculty, Contract Length: Job Code Number: 3647F-02-21 Minimum Qualifications: High school diploma or GED. Ability to work on one's own initiative with general supervision. Ability to interact effectively with others. Demonstrated mechanical aptitude with education, training or experience related to large A/C or boilers including general maintenance and electrical systems preferred. Preferred Qualifications: Ability to move heavy (50 pounds) objects. Starting Salary Range: $12.23 - $13.79 Work Schedule: Monday-Thursday 6 am 4 pm Posting Date: 02/22/2021 Closing Date: Open Until Filled: No Special Instructions to Applicants: Advertised Department: Facilities recblid 21wh2a545rzwa2yofd5ze4o5mecp8k Australians have reacted in horror to discovering their beloved Snickers are made in China. The revelation was laid bare in a TikTok video, where a shopper was perusing through the shopping aisles at his local Woolies and landed on the famous chocolate. Melbourne man Jeremy Toh uploaded the video to his social media account asking whether anyone else knew the nutty chocolate bar was no longer being produced Down Under. He picked up one of the bars at the supermarket and twisted it to the backside. Sure enough, it says it as clear as day: 'Made in China. Imported by Mars Chocolate Australia'. Jeremy wasn't alone in being shocked by the revelation, with the comments section showing many viewers saying they will boycott the brand now that it's being brewed overseas. One person wrote: "I bought some yesterday and they are made in China. I will never buy another Snickers again. I'm sure many people feel this way." Another added: "No more Snickers for me now." It appears this has been going on for months as the company upgrades its production house in Ballarat, Victoria. Credit: TikTok To remedy the partial shutdown, Mars Wrigley has switched to importing the choccy from their Jiaxing facility near Shanghai, China, according to a statement from December last year. A statement from the company (via Perth Now) said: "A Mars production site looks and operates the same no matter where it is in the world - and our Jiaxing facility is no exception. "No jobs have been impacted as we carry out these upgrades, and we are working hard to return SNICKERS production to Australia early next year," they said. The spokesperson added that the Australian facility remains an 'important manufacturing base'. During the pandemic last year, many Australians called on each other to pick foods and products that were made in the country to support homegrown producers. Credit: Australian Made An overwhelming majority of people who responded to a YouGov survey last year said they want more products made in Australia. Nearly 90 per cent of people reckon Australia needs to be less reliant on imported products from places like China. A further 68 per cent of respondents said they would be actively looking for products that have the Australian Made logo attached to it. In Room Dining Servers - FT/PT - $1000 SIGN ON BONUS Job Category: Food and Beverage Requisition Number: INROO02497 Posting Details Posted: May 24, 2021 Full-Time LocationsShowing 1 location Park City-Stein Eriksen Lodge, UT, USA Job Details Description Hourly wage is $11(AM shift) or $8.25(PM shift) plus 25% automatic gratuity. 6 months 1 years experience in a full service hotel as a room service attendant wait person. Job encompasses receiving and delivery of food orders to hotel guests. Job requirements include a high level of responsibility as well as organizational and communication skills. Qualifications Experience Required 1 year: Server BENEFITS Stein Eriksen Lodge Management Corporation offers a variety of benefits to meet the needs of our team members and their families. These benefits are a major part of the team member compensation. Recognizing this, it is our goal to offer a benefits package that is comprehensive in design and cost-effective for team members. ELIGIBILITY FOR BENEFITS VARIES DEPENDING ON POSITION CLASSIFICATION. You may apply for a position online or in person Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. For more information, please contact our Human Resources Department at (435) 645-6463. recblid pacn7bg31nnomrypdpjzhetrix6z2p Larose, LA (70373) Today Isolated thunderstorms early, then mostly cloudy overnight with heavy thunderstorms becoming likely. Low near 75F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%.. Tonight Isolated thunderstorms early, then mostly cloudy overnight with heavy thunderstorms becoming likely. Low near 75F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. ROME, JUN 1 - Turin's Regina Margherita children's hospital has said that Eitan Biran, the five-year-old Israeli boy who was the sole survivor of the Mottarone mountain cable-car disaster in Piedmont last month, is no longer in a life-threatening condition. The boy's parents, great grandparents and two-year-old brother were among the 14 victims of the disaster. (ANSA). PALERMO, JUN 1 - Three men were arrested Tuesday for a Mafia murder in Palermo on Monday night, local sources said. The three are suspected of being the hitmen, police said, who assassinated with three shots 26-year-old Emanuele Burgio, son of the boss Filippo Burgio. The arrests were made by the local flying squad, led by Rodolfo Ruperti. The men have been charged with premeditated murder. An autopsy has yet to be carried out on Burgio Jr. (ANSA). PORDENONE, JUN 1 - A 38-year-old factory worker was crushed to death by a forklift truck in an aluminium-working factory near Pordenone on Tuesday morning, in the latest in a spate of fatal workplace accidents in Italy. The man was driving he forklift when it suddenly overturned and crushed him in the plant at San Vito al Tagliamento. He was rushed to hospital but died of his injuries there. The forklift and the area of the accident have been cordoned off by police. Italy has seen a rash of workplace deaths in the last month. The death of the 22-year-old mother of a five-year-old boy, Luana D'Orazio, in a textile mill accident near Prato on May 3, placed the issue at the centre of public debate once again. Another five people died at work in the first week of May, in accidents. Premier Mario Draghi said that more must be done on workplace safety. Over 2,000 additional workplace safety inspectors will be hired adding to the 4,500 now on duty, he said. In the most recent incident, two factory workers died Friday after a steam pipe broke in the plant they were working in near Pavia and they were hit by a stream of ammonium. (ANSA). ROME, JUN 1 - President Sergio Mattarella and other officials had to abandon a ceremony to unveil the new sign of a Rome street that has been named after ex-president Carlo Azeglio Ciampi following the realization that there was a spelling mistake. Azeglio had been spelled 'Azelio', without the letter 'g'. Mattarella left the ceremony without unveiling the plaque. Soon after Rome Mayor Virginia Raggi said a new sign with the ex-president's name correctly spelt had already been put up. Former Bank of Italy governor and Italian premier Ciampi was the head of State from 1999 to 2006. He died in 2016 at the age of 95. (ANSA). ROME, JUN 1 - Eitan Biran, the five-year-old Israeli boy who was the sole survivor of the Mottarone mountain cable-car disaster in Piedmont last month, was transferred from the intensive-care unit of Turin's Regina Margherita children's hospital to an ordinary ward on Tuesday. On Monday doctors said the boy was no longer in a life-threatening condition. Eitan's parents, great grandparents and two-year-old brother were among the 14 victims of the disaster. (ANSA). LAKE OF THE OZARKS, Mo. A man shot and killed Saturday night at a busy waterfront bar at the Lake of the Ozarks has been identified as Vonza Watson, a 27-year-old aspiring musician and visual artist, according to multiple news reports. Watson, who grew up in Michigan and Jefferson City, Missouri, had most recently been living in the Kansas City area, a friend said. Tributes to Watson, who used the stage name VNZA, began appearing on social media Sunday. The Camden County Sheriff's Office identified Watson as the victim. Watson was shot in the chest shortly before 11 p.m. at Lazy Gators, a waterfront venue next to the popular Shady Gators bar and grill near Lake Ozark, Missouri. Three people have been arrested in connection with the killing. Investigators put out a plea to people who captured the killing on camera to submit those images to the sheriff's office. "We know for a fact there was probably 25 people with camera videos videoing this," Sheriff Tony R. Helms told Springfield, Missouri TV station KY3. "I know you think that's great but we think it's even better if you can get that to us." According to a bio on his soundcloud.com account, Watson was originally from Detroit and described his music as a mix of hip hop and rap. It says he was inspired by Nipsey Hussle, Kendrick Lamar and Jay-Z. Watson, whose Instagram handle was vonthevisualgod, also produced videos. View his Facebook Page here. ___ (c)2021 The Kansas City Star (Kansas City, Mo.) Visit The Kansas City Star (Kansas City, Mo.) at www.kansascity.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Magnolia, AR (71754) Today A few clouds. Low around 75F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight A few clouds. Low around 75F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Weather turns pleasant The event got off to a rough start Friday night when cold, rainy conditions put a damper on opening night. But when Saturday brought sunny skies and temperatures in the 60s, a crowd filled the festival grounds with children and adults who were eager to cut loose after inactivity during the pandemic. Gene Shannon of Burlington, who brought his two daughters, aged 10 and 11, said he loved ChocolateFest and he wishes organizers would consider bringing it back. Shannon, however, said the Jamboree has its appealing qualities, too. With smaller crowds than ChocolateFest, the festival grounds are less congested and the lines are shorter. Shannon said he is happy to support the communitys efforts to make Jamboree a new Memorial Day weekend tradition, especially as Burlington and the rest of the world focus on rebounding from COVID-19. Its a good start, he said of the new festival. Getting back to where we were. Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Bil Scherrer, president of the festival organizing committee, said he was relieved to see pleasant weather arrive for the weekend after Friday, and to see crowds turning out to give the Jamboree a chance. This terrifying footage shows the moment a group of sightseers took a boat out to look for hippos, only to end up being chased by one of the huge animals. Dicken Muchena, 27, and three of his friends hopped in a speedboat on Friday to go and see if they could spot any of the water-dwelling safari animals at Lake Victoria in Kenya. But the group soon got more than they bargained for when one of the hippos took a dislike to them being on the water, and gave chase after the speedboat. Hair-raising footage shows the massive animal gliding through the water in the wake of the speedboat mostly underwater, but occasionally rearing its head to breathe as it continues to follow the boat. There are many things to mention as reasons why we should celebrate Pennsylvanias dairy industry during National Dairy Month. As I have shared before, our dairy industry is the largest sector in Pennsylvanias agriculture industry, which just happens to be the largest industry in the commonwealth. Our system of milk pricing helps ensure that small farms (85% of Pennsylvania dairy farms have herds smaller than 100 cows) have a more even playing field when marketing their milk. We are second in the U.S. in ice cream production and I say it is the best ice cream in the world and are also in the top five in several types of cheese production. The Pennsylvania Cheese Guild has over 30 members, small companies that provide the best of artisan cheeses to local and online markets. Just about every small town and village has a family-owned ice cream parlor where we can find the best milkshakes and sundaes. I live within 10 miles of two major farms that produce their own ice cream and sell to the public from both farm stores and other retail outlets. All Pennsylvania consumers when buying Plant Code 42 or PA Preferred-labeled milk are assured that they are buying the freshest and safest product available for their families. Dairy Gives Back While all of the above would be enough to celebrate our dairy industry, it is important to cite the contribution made by the industry to help reduce food insecurity among our citizens. Milk is one of the most requested items at food banks, yet it is rarely donated. Through the Fill a Glass With Hope program, industry has partnered with Feeding Pennsylvania to connect suppliers who may be able to donate milk with their local food banks. The industry partners include the American Dairy Association North East and the Pennsylvania Dairymens Association. Through a wide network of media communications, the partnership has also raised awareness of the problem of food insecurity in the commonwealth. Fill a Glass With Hope is a statewide charitable milk program. It raises funds for milk purchases from grants, and through charitable donations from individuals and corporations. The funds are used by food banks to purchase milk directly from local processors. The board has approved a mechanism within its accounting system so that processors can donate and sell milk at below minimum prices to food banks, which can then distribute to families using their services. The program began as a pilot program, introduced during the 2015 Pennsylvania Farm Show. Since then, 14 million servings of milk have been provided to families across the state. In addition to providing milk to clients, food banks in Pennsylvania serve approximately 2 million people per year. Each member food bank is licensed by the board as a milk subdealer, allowing it to purchase milk at a discounted price; donations and sponsorships, as noted above, provide additional resources. Feeding Pennsylvania reports that each $1 donation allows member food banks to purchase eight servings (or one-half gallon) of fresh milk. Beyond the milk offered by Feeding Pennsylvania and its partners through Fill a Glass With Hope, other companies participate in charitable activities. Dairy Farmers of America has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars nationally and has donated large quantities of fresh milk to community food banks. Other companies such as Land OLakes and Danone have donated yogurt and cheese. Good nutrition provides the best foundation for healthy individuals. I think there is no other food or food product that provides the nutritional value of dairy high protein, calcium, potassium, and vitamin D. People who regularly consume dairy products have reduced incidence of type 2 diabetes and heart diseases. Better bone health is another key benefit. The Milk Marketing Board applauds all those in the dairy industry who provide our fresh, nutritional beverages, treats such as ice cream, and other healthy products such as yogurt and cheese. We particularly appreciate the efforts of Feeding Pennsylvania, its partners, and other dairy businesses that help provide milk and dairy products to those in need. Celebrate Pennsylvania dairy along with us in June, National Dairy Month. The Milk Marketing Board is always available to respond to questions and concerns. I can be reached at 717-210-8244 or by email at chardbarge@pa.gov. Statement by Hon. Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka Agenda Item 2: Interactive Dialogue on the OHCHR Report Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka (A/HRC/46/20) 24th February 2021 Madam President, Madam High Commissioner, Excellencies, Ladies and gentlemen, The OHCHR Report which is presented today, emanates from the Resolution 30/1 and 40/1, from which the Government of Sri Lanka announced its withdrawal of co-sponsorship, at the 43rd Session of this Council last year. Sri Lanka rejects the High Commissioners Report which has unjustifiably broadened its scope and mandate further, incorporating many issues of governance and matters that are essentially domestic for any self-respecting, sovereign country. This is in complete violation of Article 2 (7) of the Charter of the UN that states: Nothing contained in the present Charter shall authorize the United Nations to intervene in matters which are essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of any state The trajectory that has emerged with regard to the recommendations and conclusions reflects the preconceived, politicized and prejudicial agenda which certain elements have relentlessly pursued against Sri Lanka. These recommendations are based on ill-founded allegations. Sri Lanka categorically rejects the conclusions and recommendations in the High Commissioners Report. The call for asset freezes, travel bans, references to the ICC and the exercise of universal jurisdiction by individual States, based on evidence that up to date has been denied access to and retained by the High Commissioners Office with some of it unreleased for thirty years, particularly in relation to a country like Sri Lanka which has consistently and constructively engaged with the UN and its mechanisms, points to a distinct and eminent danger which the international community as a whole need to take note of. Such unilateral actions by certain countries are unacceptable and a violation of the principles of natural justice. In addition to the progress made since last March, Sri Lanka has provided written comments on instances of erroneous information, misconceived and arbitrary assessments in the Report. It is regrettable that the High Commissioners Office published its Report, accompanied by an unprecedented propaganda campaign on it and refused to publish our Comments on the report as an addendum. This has deprived Sri Lanka and members of equal visibility of Sri Lankas views on the report. Sri Lanka refutes the allegations that have been reproduced in the High Commissioners report, from the highly contentious Report of the Panel of Experts (PoE) on Accountability and the Report of the High Commissioners Office Investigation on Sri Lanka (OISL), which have been rejected by Sri Lanka for reasons explained to this Council before. The contents of the Report which have been drawn from the said disputed reports are rife with factual inaccuracies that appear to equate atrocities committed by the LTTE, a terrorist organization proscribed internationally, with legitimate action taken by the government to safeguard the territorial integrity of the country and the right to life of our people. Madam President, Insistence on ever-expanding externally driven prescriptions, notwithstanding our continuous cooperation and engagement with this Council and all UN bodies, can pose numerous challenges and such processes could set a dangerous precedent affecting all member states of the UN. We regret the disproportionate attention drawn to Sri Lanka by this Council, driven by political motivations. Sri Lanka calls upon the members of this Council that any resolution which is based on this Report, be rejected by the Council and be brought to a closure. In conclusion, We remain open to engaging constructively with the UN, including this Council, and the international community in mutually agreed areas, in conformity with the Constitution and in keeping with domestic priorities and policies. Ayubowan View PDF Seoul, May 31: South Korea's science minister said on Monday that the country will expand investment and focus on the development of its space programme after the United States lifted all restrictions on the country's missiles. During a bilateral summit on May 21, South Korea and the U.S. agreed to scrap the restrictions on South Korean missiles, which was first put in place in 1979 and had limited Seoul's development of even non-military space projectiles. World News | US, South Korea Willing to Reduce Tensions by Diplomatic Steps Towards N Korea The guidelines, which have undergone revisions over the years, had restricted Seoul's development of solid-fuel space rockets until last year, reports Yonhap news agency. The latest decision to terminate the guidelines ensures complete autonomy for South Korea's space launch vehicle developments, the Ministry of Science and ICT said in a statement. As follow-up measures to the recent summit, South Korea has also signed the Artemis Accords, a U.S.-led international agreement for lunar exploration, as well as an agreement with the United States for cooperation on civil global navigation satellite systems. "The South Korea-U.S. summit and subsequent measures have presented South Korea an opportunity to become a leading country in the space industry," said Science Minister Lim Hye-sook during a meeting with space industry companies and institutes. "Through the Artemis Accords, we will also expand investment into space exploration," Lim said. South Korea, a relative latecomer to the global space development race, is preparing to launch its first homegrown three-stage space rocket, named Nuri, in October this year. The Nuri uses four 75-ton liquid engines in its first stage, a 75-tonne liquid engine in the second stage and a 7-ton liquid engine in the third stage. The country also plans to launch its first lunar orbiter next year to conduct an observation mission of the moon throughout 2023. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 01, 2021 11:20 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). Peru revised the official number of its death tool related to COVID-19 on Monday that showed multiple increases than the initial records. Al Jazeera reported that the initial data with 69,342 significantly increased to 180,764 death toll since the pandemic hit the country last year. Because of the number of fatalities, the country is now labeled with the worst death rate per capita in the world. The revision of the COVID death toll comes as Peru braced itself for the upcoming second round of its presidential elections. READ NEXT: Kamala Harris Taps Microsoft, Mastercard and Other Private Firms to Promote Economic Opportunity in Central America Peru COVID Death Toll The announcement of the revised death toll was presented by a working group that was commissioned to analyze and update the country's death toll. The revised data was presented in Peru's presidential palace. The new figures showed that more people died in Peru relative to its population than in Hungary and the Czech Republic, which has the highest official death tolls per person, according to The New York Times citing their database. Peru can be one of the countries forced to re-evaluate its COVID death records and the true impacts of the pandemic. The New York Times mentioned The World Health Organization, saying that the death tolls from coronavirus globally "would probably be much higher" than what was recorded. Peru's Health Minister Oscar Ugarte shared that the change in the figures was the result of the change in the criteria for assigning coronavirus as the cause of death. "What is being said is that a significant number of deaths were not classified as caused by COVID-19," said Ugarte. The revision of the country's COVID death toll was based on four methods in determining the cause of death of an individual. "The first criterion is one with the greatest certainty, the virological one," said Mateo Prochazka one of the researchers. Prochazka furthered that the second method used is the rapid test, as well as the serological tests pointing out that this method was used in "the beginning of the pandemic." The fourth method the researchers taken into account is the radiological and epidemiological test. Prochazka noted that in epidemiological and radiological tests, "compatible symptoms" were found, which is why they considered that these tests shall also be included in the methods. The revised death toll of the country included deaths between March last year and May 22, this year. Peru Death Toll, Highest in the World The New York Times data revealed that the official death toll of Peru before announcing the revised figures already placed ninth-highest per capita in the world. This means that Peru struggled to contain the virus since the pandemic began. Basing on Peru's population, Al Jazeera emphasized John Hopkins data, that the country's per capita death toll is now the highest globally. Furthermore, the death toll of the country also surpassed Brazil's death toll. "We think it is our duty to make public this updated information," said Violeta Bermudez, Peru's prime minister. Apart from Peru, which announced their revised death toll, Brazil and Mexico also reported higher death tolls among Latin American countries. READ MORE: Brazil Protesters Slam President Jair Bolsonaro Over COVID-19 Response WATCH: Global COVID-19 death toll passes 3-million mark - from DW News Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has said that he plans to cut off salaries of state lawmakers after House Democrats blocked voting restrictions bill proposed by their Republican counterparts. A large group of Democrats had walked out of the House chamber in Austin in late Sunday. This prevented a final vote on the proposal. Senate Bill 7 would aim to cut back polling hours, reduce access to mail-in voting, as well as give more authority to partisan poll-watchers, according to an NPR report. Voting rights advocates said that the proposal under the measure would make voting more difficult in Texas, adding that it would disproportionately burden people of color. In a tweet, Abbott said that there would be no pay for those who leave their responsibilities, according to a Texas Tribune report. READ MORE: Texas Senate OKs Bill Allowing Permitless Carry of Handguns Lawmakers' Salaries Abbott referred to Article X of the budget. This refers to salaries of not only lawmakers and staff but also funds legislative agencies, including the Legislative Budget Board. The legislative is funded through the end of August. Abbott was pointing out the fiscal year starting September 1. The Texas Republican governor has until June 20 to carry out the veto. State lawmakers earn $600 a month or $7,200 annually. In addition, lawmakers get a per diem of $221 for every day that they are in session, covering regular and special sessions. Abbott's intentions were met with criticism, particularly from the Democratic legislators. Rep. Donna Howard of Austin said that this would eliminate the branch of government that represents the people. Howard added it basically creates a monarchy. State Rep. Chris Turner, chair of the House Democratic Caucus, said he and his colleagues will continue their fight. Turner then called on Congress to pass legislation on the national level that would protect voting, according to an NBC News report. He noted that they are going to fight Republicans every step of the way and continue to slow down and mitigate the legislation. Meanwhile, a former Georgia Democratic gubernatorial nominee, Stacey Abrams, congratulated Texas Democrats, activists, and advocates for protecting the freedom to vote until the very last hour. Abrams noted that this is what happens when they fight. Senate Bill 7 Aside from limiting access to mail-in voting, the provision would also prohibit Sunday voting before 1 p.m. Critics said that this was an attack on what is commonly known as "souls to the polls." Democratic state Rep. Nicole Collier, chairwoman of the Texas Legislative Black Caucus, said the change would "disengage, disenfranchise" those who use the so-called souls-to-the-polls opportunity. Democrats claimed that they were left widely in the dark as last-minute changes and entirely new provisions were pushed through. Republican state lawmakers claim that the proposal is designed to crack down on vote fraud. Lawmakers in other states had also launched similar legislation, which was motivated at least in part by former U.S. President Donald Trump's continued claims that the 2020 election was somehow stolen, despite evidence showing the opposite. READ NEXT: Mexican Drug Cartels Use TikTok to Smuggle Migrants, Recruit Them for Crimes, Abbott Says WATCH: Gov. Abbott threatens to veto legislative funding after House Democrats walk out on voting bill - from KSAT 12 Zara is among the fashion brands accused of cultural appropriation by Mexico's minister, who said they had used patterns from Mexican indigenous groups in their designs. According to a Reuters report, Zara, Anthropologie, and Patowl had allegedly used the patterns from indigenous Mexican groups in their designs without benefiting the communities. In a statement, Mexico's Ministry of Culture said it had sent letters signed by Culture Minister Alejandra Frausto to all three retail companies. The letter asked each of the known retail brands for a public explanation on what basis "it could privatize collective property." READ NEXT: Want to Know Your Land's History? This App Tells You Your Land's Indigenous Heritage Mexico Accuses 3 Retail Companies of Cultural Appropriation The Ministry of Culture said that Zara used a pattern distinctive to the indigenous Mixteca community of San Juan Colorado located in Oaxaca state. Zara is owned by Inditex and is considered to be the world's largest clothing retailer. Inditex released a statement to Reuters and said that the design in question is not intentionally borrowed from or influenced by the Mixtec people of Mexico. On the other hand, URBN-owned Anthropologie was said to have used a design developed by the indigenous Mixe community of Santa Maria Tlahuitoltepec. Patowl had reportedly copied a pattern from the indigenous Zapoteco community in San Antonino Castillo Velasco, according to an Aljazeera report. URBN and Patowl have yet to release statements regarding the matter. Fashion designer using cultural designs without properly compensating communities has been a topic of opposition for years. The Mexican government had earlier accused fashion house Carolina Herrera of cultural appropriation in 2019. The said fashion house had used indigenous patterns and textiles from Mexico in its collection. Its parent company Puig did not issue a comment regarding the matter. Mexico has also challenged French fashion designer Isabel Marant in November. The issue took place in her latest collection, saying it commercially exploited indigenous motifs, The National News reported. Marant had noted in 2020 that Purepecha textiles had influenced her latest collection. She added that future designs would fairly pay tribute to their sources of inspiration. Cultural Appropriation in Fashion Cultural appropriation can be a celebration of that cultural exchange. However, it can also take cultures and people's heritage without including them in the narrative. Dr. Benedetta Morsiani, a research fellow at the University of Westminster in London in the department of Modern Languages and Cultures, said that the phenomenon refers to exploiting marginalized cultures by more dominant and mainstream cultures, WWD reported. While designers receive worldwide attention, the community does not receive the same spotlight. Mexico's secretary of culture said that it could be opportunities for cooperation only if the communities behind the creations agree and want to be part of it. Frausto said that the coming generation is much more aware of ethical fashion, of listening to the community first before, according to another WWD report. Frausto had made international headlines when he sent letters to Michael Kors, Louis Vuitton, and other big-name brands to point out the unacknowledged use of Mexico's material culture. READ MORE: Mexican Serial Killer Admits to Slaying 15 Women in Mexico City and Eating His Victims WATCH: Dior Faces Criticism Over New Mexican-Inspired Clothing Line - From Daily Blast Live Fourteen months after the closure of the U.S.-Canada border, a foreign policy expert from the U.S. believed that Canada would ease its border restrictions this month. Border Policy Research Institute director at Washington University, Dr. Laurie Trautman, told MyNorthwest her prediction of an announcement of the coming change. The U.S.-Canada border has been closed to non-essential travel since March 21, 2020 to help slow the spread of COVID-19. Since its closure, a 30-day extension has happened every month. It can be recalled that earlier last mo, Montana and Alberta had partnered in vaccinating around 2,000 truck drivers from Canada, who regularly drive and deliver goods into the U.S. READ NEXT: Tesla Semichargers to Be Installed in California's FritoLay Site; Bob Katter in Awe Over Tesla Model 3 Performance Expert Expects U.S.-Canada Border Restrictions to Ease This June Trautman noted that "she heard" from the Canadian side that there will be "something happening." Trautman said it would likely be announcing an actual plan, which has yet to be developed, on easing the border restrictions. Trautman cited a Canadian expert advisory panel on COVID testing and quarantine requirements at the borders of Canada that convened last week, tackling specific strategies that could be applied to begin easing restrictions. Trautman and her Border Policy Research Institute's colleagues contributed information on the same panel encouraging Canada to permit vaccinated people to enter the country without undergoing quarantine. The information involved identifying the travelers into five types: exempt travelers or those essential workers and other certain exempt people who are allowed in now; fully-vaccinated non-exempt travelers; partially-vaccinated non-exempt travelers or those who have received one dose of a vaccine; non-exempt travelers who had recovered from COVID; and non-exempt travelers who are unvaccinated. "There have been a lot of people working hard on this issue, there are so many different moving parts," said Trautman, adding that she thinks that restrictions are going to be eased "in a very thoughtful and safe way on the Canadian side." At present, the only people who can cross the U.S.-Canada borders are essential workers or those who will visit relatives in emergency cases. Those who will enter Canada by air or land, including Canadians, are required to quarantine for at least 14 days. Despite the waiting time for Canada's decision on the U.S.-Canada border, Trautman highlighted that the United States would likely open their side of the border faster due to federal officials who are vocal about "getting things moving again." Justin Trudeau on U.S.-Canada Border The clamor about the opening of the U.S.-Canada border intensified, as both countries have also increased their respective vaccine coverage. Despite the pressure to reopen, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on The Canadian Press that easing the restrictions "needs to be done carefully" for the safety of their citizens. "We all want to reopen, we all want to go back to traveling to see friends, take vacations, on trips," said Trudeau. However, the prime minister pointed out that it is undesirable if the reopening will force them to close again because of another wave of COVID-19. Justin Trudeau's comment comes as Ontario and Quebec reported high numbers of COVID-19 infections. "We are on the right path, but we'll make our decisions based on the interests of Canadians," said Justin Trudeau, adding that they will not open based on what other countries want. READ MORE: Mexico's Sor Juana 100-Peso Bill Wins 'Banknote of the Year' WATCH: What Will it Take to Open the U.S.-Canadian Border? - From WXYZ-TV Detroit | Channel 7 A small passenger plane made an emergency landing on the southbound 101 Freeway in Agoura Hills Monday, May 31. Based on the report of the Los Angeles County Fire Department, they received a call at around 7:00 p.m. regarding a small, single-engine Cessna 150 plane that landed on the 101 Freeway. The agency spokesman shared that it was found just north of Lindero Canyon Road. Aaron Figueroa, identified dispatcher with the California Highway Patrol, shared that the plane touched down shortly before 7 p.m. local time on U.S. 101 roughly 35 miles north of Los Angeles. According to KTLA, the Upland Police Department stated that the emergency landing was a result of engine problems. The plane landed safely on the busy California highway, and no major injuries were reported. Moreover, Upland Police said that the aircraft pilot was treated at the scene after acquiring minor injuries, but he was immediately released. Further information on the number of passengers was not immediately disclosed. Due to the unexpected landing, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department stated they closed the southbound lane of the 101 Freeway at the Reyes Adobe off-ramp. The LA County Sheriff's Department said that they eventually pushed off the freeway at Reyes Adobe Road. A video posted on social media appeared to capture the incident. The plane could be seen driving on the major thoroughfare. During that time, it was surrounded by cars. Another image of it showed that it is on the side of the highway. The National Transportation Safety Board responded to the scene to do the investigation regarding the emergency landing incident, while the California Highway Patrol was handling the whole incident. The pilot notified Van Nuys Airport Traffic Control that the aircraft was in trouble and needed to make an emergency landing. At the time, it was not immediately clear what went wrong. Aside from the National Transportation Safety Board, the landing will be investigated separately by the Federal Aviation Administration, NBC Los Angeles reported. ALSO READ: Pres. Joe Biden Pays Tribute To Fallen Service Members on Memorial Day Emergency Landings Meanwhile, a small, two-seater plane also made an emergency landing in a field located in San Benito County on Wednesday, May 26. The emergency landing took place around 2:10 p.m, KSBW reported. Based on the California Highway Patrol Hollister-Gilroy report, the pilot shared with the law enforcement that he started to experience mechanical issues while ascending and had to make the emergency landing. The pilot landed his aircraft with minor damage to the lower wing, but no injuries were reported, similar to the latest emergency landing incident. On the other hand, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration reported weeks ago that the pilot of a small single-engine aircraft had reported engine trouble after he took off from an airfield in Mesa, Arizona. The report shows that there was one passenger on board. State troopers immediately surrounded the area using their vehicles in order to keep traffic in line, Stuff reported. RELATED ARTICLE: California Police Say Threat of Mass Violence a 'Social Media Prank'; Cops Blame 'Swatting' WATCH: Plane Makes Emergency Landing On 101 Freeway In Westlake Village, No Injuries Reported - from CBS Los Angeles Jasmine Hartin, who is the daughter-in-law of British billionaire Lord Michael Ashcroft, has been pictured by local media in jail after being charged with manslaughter by negligence in the shooting death of a Belize cop. Jasmine Hartin was reported to have the possibility of escaping prison sentencing by just paying a huge fine, Daily Mail reported. The daughter-in-law of British billionaire Lord Michael Ashcroft has been in custody since Friday after Superintendent Henry Jemmott was found floating dead in the water off San Pedro island. The 32-year-old socialite, in her statement to police, said that she invited the veteran Belize cop to her apartment, where they drank and discussed her security. Hartin was arraigned in clandestine on Monday in San Pedro despite authorities insisting that she would not receive any special treatment. RELATED ARTICLE: Jasmine Hartin, Daughter-in-Law of British Billionaire Lord Michael Ashcroft, Set To Be Charged Over the Death of Belize Cop Jasmine Hartin's Case Police removed reporters and members of the public from the building before she was taken from a concrete holding cell to the court. Officers said that COVID social distancing rules prohibit assemblies of more than 10 people. More than double that number stood in a waiting room earlier in the day. Hartin's attorney Godfrey Smith exited the courthouse and said his client had been denied bail. Thus, he noted that the socialite would remain in a Belize prison, according to a Sky News report. Smith said they would be appealing to the Supreme Court. Jasmine Hartin is the wife of Andrew Ashcroft, the youngest son of Lord Michael Ashcroft. Belize Cop's Shooting Henry Jemmott was found in the water with a gunshot wound behind his ear. Police said that the weapon used was his service pistol, Daily Beast reported. Henry Jemmott and Jasmine Hartin were said to be playing around with the gun before the shooting took place. The socialite reportedly had "what appeared to be blood on her arms and on her clothing" when she was found on a dock near where the Belize cop's body was discovered. Local reports said that Jasmine Hartin suggested to responding officers that the Belize cop might have been shot by a passing boat. She then stopped cooperating with investigators while one of the Central American nation's top lawyers was retained for her. Belize Police Commissioner Chester Williams said that Jasmine Hartin did not want to cooperate with authorities at first and insisted on waiting for her lawyer to be present. Williams said that the incident appeared to be not an attack as the two were friends and had been drinking at the time. Investigation also revealed that they were alone on the pier, but the Belize cop and the socialite were both fully clothed. Jasmine Hartin and Andrew Ashcroft Jasmine Hartin and her husband, who had two kids, were connected with a local resort in Belize, according to their LinkedIn accounts. Andrew's father, Lord Michael Ashcroft, is a billionaire known to be the top donor to the United Kingdom Conservative Party. He was also known to have massive businesses in Belize. The billionaire had also recently donated a fully equipped gym to the police department. Jasmine Hartin was reportedly a Director of Lifestyle & Experience at the newly opened Alaia Belize Resort developed by her husband. The punishment for manslaughter can be life in prison up to 25 years based on the Belizean criminal system. However, Hartin was reported to be facing a maximum of five years. Sources familiar with the island's secretive justice system said that the alternative punishment could be a fine of about $20,000 Belizean dollars or $10,000 in U.S. dollars. Meanwhile, the Belize Police Department has yet to issue a statement regarding the matter. READ MORE: Mexican Serial Killer Admits to Slaying 15 Women in Mexico City and Eating His Victims WATCH: Daughter-in-Law of Lord Ashcroft Questioned Over Police Death in Belize - From Newzee Portland, TN (37148) Today Partly to mostly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 69F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Partly to mostly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 69F. Winds light and variable. Prison officiers, prisoners and all staff working a jails in Laois and the rest of the country should be vaccinated according to a TD who says just 2% of people in prisons have received the jab. Sinn Fein spokesperson on Justice Martin Kenny TD has called on the Minister for Justice and Minister for Health to co-operate on a vaccine programme for staff and prisoners in Irish Prison Service jails. I am shocked today at reports that only 2% of the prison population have been vaccinated. Their specific circumstances make them particularly vulnerable in comparison to the general population, so the age-related progress of the vaccination programme should not apply to those working in prison or prison inmates. The National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) has defined groups who meet the criteria of living and/or working in conditions which make social distancing difficult. But although it specified addicts, members of the Travelling Community and the Roma community, it has not included prisoners and prison staff nor those in Direct Provision. So far, the Irish Prison Service has done a good job in trying to keep Covid-19 out of the prisons, but at the cost of contact between prisoners and their families. Some prisoners have not had any contact with their children for 14 months. The prison officers staged an industrial action by withdrawing goodwill, due to not being prioritised for vaccination. They have paused this now and hopefully the vaccination programme amongst them will be speedily implemented. It makes sense that people working and living in prisons, who are by necessity in such close contact daily, should be given vaccines to prevent a disaster within the system. I call on the two ministers to review the Vaccine Allocation Strategy to include prison staff and inmates and to co-operate to have them vaccinated as soon as possible, he said. There have been limited outbreaks of in Irish prisons largely due to an internationally recognised prevention and containment strategy involving staff and prisoners. The policy of a state agency responsible for speed limits is absolutely ridiculous, a county councillor has claimed. Sudden and contradictory changes to speed limits between two estates and close to a planned development in Ballylinan need to be addressed, according to Cllr Padraig Fleming. However, the Fianna Fail representative believes such problems cannot be dealt with because of the policy taken by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) to rural roads. Cllr Fleming said the authority is behind international standards in the drive to make cars go faster on the approach and exit to towns and villages. It's absolutely ridiculous, their principle is to keep the traffic moving faster, he said. The councillor tabled a motion at the recent meeting of the Portarlington Graiguecullen Municipal District meeting. He called for safety measures to be taken to slow traffic on the Milltown Road, Ballylinan as well as considering the estates on this road as follows, i.e. Kilkenny Road Estate and Doireann Alainn in the interest of health and safety for all. He told the meeting that there are rapid changes between the 50 and 80 km speed limit sections. The road is narrow and the entrance to one estate is in an 80km zone. In reply, Mr. Philip McVeigh, Senior Executive Engineer said the Council has inspected this location with a view to installing traffic calming measures on this road both within the 80kph and 50kph speed limit zones. Cllr Aisling Moran said it is more evidence of the need for a review of speed zones in Laois. Director of Service Gerry Murphy suggested she raise it with the councils Corporate Policy Group meeting. However, Cllr Fleming was not satisfied with this. He said there have been other roads with inconsistent speed limits and which have been raised. We brought it up at council meetings for the last eight to 10 years, we got nowhere, he said. He said Transport Infrastructure Ireland is in charge. Cllr Moran agreed. Speed zones in counties should be the responsibility of the local authority. The TII dont even come to inspect the roads, she said. The Fine Gael representative said she has had issues with the agency making desktop decisions. It's people sitting at a desk looking at a map and saying that road will be grand at 80. They need to come down and visit these roads and make an educated assessment, she said. Cllr Aidan Mullins said speed limits may not slow drivers in any case. Its a physical barrier like a raised table that is needed on these smaller roads, he suggested. Cllr Moran added that more enforcement and fines in particular are important in slowing traffic. Plans have been lodged to convert a stable and shed into a yoga studio near Kildare town. A planning application was submitted to Kildare County Council change of use of the existing stable building/loft and out-building in the Bishopsland area. The designs include proposed alterations to remaining floor layouts. Also proposed is the installation of roof lights to existing roofs. The documents are currently being examined by the Planning Section of the Council. A newly established Patient Advocacy Service is offering support to people in the Kildare area who want to make a complaint about the care they have received in a public hospital. The Patient Advocacy Service provides free, independent and confidential information and support to people making a formal complaint about their care in a Health Service Executive (HSE) funded public acute hospital. People in the Kildare area looking for support can contact the Patient Advocacy Service confidential helpline on 0818 293003 to speak to a trained advocate who will help them to get information on the HSEs complaints investigation process, called Your Service, Your Say. The professionally trained independent advocate will support and empower the person making the complaint, with the aim of highlighting their views and concerns. The advocate will explain to the person how to write a formal complaint and what to include in it. They will also help the person prepare for meetings with the HSE about their complaint, and they will help the person explore their options following a response from the HSE to their complaint. Service Manager for the Patient Advocacy Service, Claire Lehane, said: Until now, people in Kildare and across Ireland who experienced difficulties in the Irish health service often felt there was nowhere for them to turn. The newly established Patient Advocacy Service offers patients the guidance and information they need to make a complaint when they are unhappy with the care they receive. It is free, independent and run by our professionally trained patient advocates, who will use their compassion and knowledge to guide people through the HSE complaints process. For people in the Kildare area looking for advocacy support to make a formal complaint, you can contact the Patient Advocacy Service helpline on 0818 293003. The helpline is open Monday to Friday from 10am until 4pm, including lunchtimes. You can also email info@ patientadvocacyservice.ie. The Patient Advocacy Service was commissioned by the National Patient Safety Office in the Department of Health and is provided by the National Advocacy Service for People with Disabilities. The Patient Advocacy Service receives no funding from the HSE and is therefore fully independent of the HSE. More info about the Patient Advocacy Service is available at: patientadvocacyservice.ie A politician has expressed concerns at outdoor drinking in the Market Square area of Kildare town. Several people drinking alcohol have been gathering there in recent days. Local gardai dispersed a large group of people in the area on Saturday evening. Cllr Suzanne Doyle said: "I am also very concerned about activity on Market Square with regard to Covid-19 and the potential of a fourth wave. "Unfortunately Kildare has had relatively high Covid-19 numbers throughout the pandemic and we cannot be complacent. "We are coming close to the end of severe restrictions and we need to navigate the final furlongs carefully otherwise we could fall at the last hurdle. "We should all be looking forward to using Market Square throughout the Summer and I am hopeful as restrictions lift we can have a range of community activities for everyones enjoyment." Cllr Doyle added: "But the behaviour of a small number of people could put that at risk." A WOMAN who was arrested by gardai investigating a burglary in Limerick city last week has been charged in connection with multiple theft offences. The suspect was arrested in the early hours of Monday in relation to an incident which occurred in the Thomondgate area on May 24. "Shortly before 4.30pm a woman called to a house selling cards. A youth answered the door and left the woman unattended while he went to get an adult. The woman then entered the house, into the sitting room and stole a handbag containing cash. The handbag was later recovered but the cash had been taken," said a garda spokesperson. Following her arrest, the woman was taken to Henry Street garda station where she was detained and questioned under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984. She has since been charged in relation to the burglary offence and four other theft incidents which also occurred last week. The woman is due to appear before Limerick District Court later this Tuesday. LIMERICK Institute of Technology is marking the beginning of Pride Month with a series of webinars and online events celebrating the LGBT+ community. On Monday, the Pride Flag was raised at all five LIT campuses by its President Professor Vincent Cunnane and LIT Student Union President Dylan Ryan. Here at LIT we are committed to ensuring a culture of inclusivity, where diversity is celebrated and equality promoted. LIT strives to build an environment with mutual respect and dignity, free from harassment and bullying, for all our community. As we move to becoming a technological university with our colleagues in AIT, we aim to ensure that diversity and inclusion are very much lived values within TUS: Midlands Midwest, said Prof Cunnane. LIT Vice President for Academic Affairs Marian Duggan added, We are committed to an inclusive environment in LIT and are delighted to recognise Pride this year. It is an important occasion allowing allies and community members to reflect on how to continue to support the LGBT+ community in LIT. Events such as the webinars we are hosting this week are important to help us consider what we can do to ensure that our college environment is safer and more respectful for all. Ahead of Pride Month, Dr Carol Wrenn - LIT's Equality Diversity and Inclusivity Manager - has been working with Shout Out and four other Higher Education Institutes including Mary Immaculate College, IT Carlow, Waterford IT and St Patricks College Carlow and to pilot a training programme for staff which will lead to the development and launch of a permanent resource for all staff. The Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Champions here in LIT have played an important role in participating in and providing feedback to this pilot initiative. We have also been working closely with our colleagues in AIT to develop a Gender Expression and Identity Policy as we move to becoming a technological university, she said. As part of Pride Month in LIT staff and students have been invited to take part in seminars and talks including an event to discuss How to Be an Ally to the LGTB+ community Tuesday) hosted by LIT Alumni and International Rugby Referee Joy Neville and the LGBT+ Student Society. On June 3, Dr Vanessa Lacey from TENI and Patrick McElligott from GOSH will share information on the support services available nationally and internationally to the LGBT+ community. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has cancelled the licence of Shivajirao Bhosale Sahakari Bank, Pune as the lender does not have adequate capital and earning prospects. "Consequently, the bank ceases to carry on banking business, with effect from the close of business on May 31, 2021. The Registrar of Cooperative Societies, Maharashtra has also been requested to issue an order for winding up the bank and appoint a liquidator for the bank," RBI said in its release. RBI lists the reasons for the cancellation of the licence of Shivajirao Bhosale Sahakari Bank, Pune 1) The bank does not have adequate capital and earning prospects. As such, it does not comply with the provisions of section 11(1) and section 22 (3) (d) read with section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, 2) The bank has failed to comply with the requirements of section 22(3) (a), 22 (3) (b), 22(3)(c), 22(3) (d) and 22(3)(e) read with section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949. 3) The continuance of the bank is prejudicial to the interests of its depositors. 4) The bank with its present financial position would be unable to pay its present depositors in full. 5) The public interest would be adversely affected if the bank is allowed to carry on its banking business any further. As per data submitted by Shivajirao Bhosale Sahakari Bank, more than 98 per cent of the depositors will receive the full amount of their deposits from the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC), the RBI said in a release. On liquidation, every depositor would be entitled to receive deposit insurance claim amount of his/her deposits up to a monetary ceiling of 5 lakh from the DICGC. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. The board of Zerodha Broking Ltd has passed a resolution to pay up to 100 crore in salary to three directors. The move has led to much chatter, causing the firms founder Nithin Kamath to clarify matters on Twitter. In a nutshell, one of his main defences is that for a bootstrapped firm that doesnt want to sell shares to outside investors, receiving high salaries is one of the most flexible ways for founders to take liquidity out. Another option is to receive dividend, although from a taxation perspective, this is now the most inefficient way for a promoter to take out liquidity. The profits generated by Kamaths firm will be first subject to corporation tax of around 25%. The remainder, if paid out as dividend, will be subject to tax in the hands of the promoters at the rate of around 36%. View Full Image Great divide All put together, about 52% of the firms income would be paid as taxes. One way to reduce the tax burden is to take a higher salary income from the firm, which will be taxed at a lower rate of 42.7%. From a tax perspective, things would have been much simpler for Kamath and his co-directors if they were willing to sell a marginal stake in the firm. After all, capital gains tax is much lower, at 28.5% for unlisted shares, before accounting for indexation benefits. This is the route startup founders typically takeearlier this year, for instance, Deepinder Goyal sold a fraction of his holding in Zomato and raised 238 crore from outside investors. Zerodhas founders, however, are resolute about being a privately held firm, with no plans of even issuing non-voting shares at this point. They could still consider a buyback of shares, where the tax incidence is relatively lower compared to dividend income. Importantly, all of this highlights the anomalies in Indias tax policies. Nearly two decades ago, the Vijay Kelkar task force on direct taxes had recommended bringing taxation on dividend and capital gains on par. A differential treatment of income from dividend/interest and capital gains introduces opportunities for distorted arbitrage arising between different maturities and different coupons and also leads to window dressing opportunities for tax purposes. Ideally, total return should form the basis for taxation," the committees report had said, recommending the abolition of taxes on both dividend and capital gains receipts. But rather than bring uniformity, nearly all of the governments budgets introduce new arbitrage opportunities. There are all forms of structuring that take place in some Indian firms to pass off salary income as capital gains income, simply because of the current tax anomaly," says a professor of finance, requesting anonymity. A uniform policy would have enabled Zerodhas promoters to take out liquidity by receiving dividend and avoid the negative publicity of receiving unusually high salaries. But when seen in the backdrop of adverse tax implications of receiving dividend, the news doesnt so much reflect poorly on Zerodhas remuneration policies, as it does on Indias tax policies. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. He is Israels longest-serving leader, having been in power for 12 years. But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus tenure could come to an end with far-right party leader Naftali Bennett saying he will support a unity government". Mint looks at the recent twists in Israeli politics: The background to the political drama No political party has managed to win a clear mandate in last four elections in the span of two years. In the last elections held in March 2021, 71-year-old Netanyahus right-wing Likud party led with 30 seats in the 120-member parliament. However, he failed to form a governing coalition after far-right partners refused to work with Arab factions. Former finance minister and an ex-TV personality Yair Lapids centre-left party Yesh Atid (which means There is a Future) came second with 17 seats. Wednesday is the deadline for Lapid, who was given four weeks to form a government. What are the odds of a unity" government? The chances of the opposition forming a unity coalition of 61 lawmakers brightened after far-right politician Naftali Bennett whose Yemina (Rightward") party has seven seats, said he would join hands with Lapid. The ex- Netayahu aide said his decision was aimed at preventing Israel from sliding into a fifth poll in two years. News reports, however, warn that an anti-Netanyahu alliance would be fragile and require backing by Palestinian-Israeli MPs who oppose much of Bennetts agenda. It includes settlement expansion in occupied West Bank and its partial annexation. View Full Image political instability Who besides Bennett could join Lapids coalition? A Lapid government would also include the centrist Blue and White party of Netanyahus rival Benny Gantz and the hawkish New Hope party of Gideon Saar. Avigdor Liebermans pro-settlement Yisrael Beiteinu party, as well as historically powerful Labour Party and the dovish Meretz party, are also expected to join. So, is it curtains for Netanyahu? Hard to say. Netanyahu faces trial on fraud, bribery, and breach of trust charges. The cases concern his ties between 2008-2017 with businessmen: Arnon Milchan, a Hollywood filmmaker, Australian billionaire James Packer, Arnon Mozes, who controls Yedioth Ahronoth media group, and Shaul Elovitch, controlling shareholder of Israels biggest telecom firm Bezeq. Under Israeli law, a sitting PM is not obliged to resign when chargedonly when convicted. He could still split Lapids coalition to form a government. The challenges before the new government Post-covid economic recovery for one. Dealing with the new US administrations policy towards the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and a return to the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran are others. Ties with India are unlikely to change whoever becomes prime minister in Israel, say analysts, citing the breadth and depth of the relation-ship two nations have forged since 1992. Last week, India abstained on a UN resolution calling for a permanent commission to probe human rights violations in Gaza, West Bank, and Palestine. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Why did some gold prospectors strike it rich with a bonanza gold vein, while others came up empty-handed? The credit may go to nanoparticles. New research reveals that high-grade veins of gold contain clusters of gold nanoparticles, which is important because it explains how these impossibly rich aggregations of gold can form in fractures below the earth . Laboratory experiments have long found that it's impossible to dissolve enough gold in hydrothermal fluids to ultimately crystallize out to form thick, high-grade veins of the glittering stuff. Hydrothermal fluids are heated liquids, warmed by magma in the earth's crust, which carry complex stews of dissolved minerals and gases. The new study, which was published May 18 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , suggests that these veins don't come from dissolved gold at all. Instead, they may be accumulations from so-called colloidal fluids, in which the particles of gold aren't dissolved, but instead suspended. Related: 10 ways Earth revealed its weirdness "We're the first people to get an image to essentially prove that, yes, these nanoparticles, these colloids, exist," in geothermal systems, said study lead author Duncan McLeish, a doctoral candidate in Earth sciences at McGill University in Montreal. Striking gold Gold can be deposited in many ways, but gold veins are a miner's dream: solidified streams of high-grade mineral, ripe for the picking. These veins form in rock fractures, but their formation has always stubbornly eluded explanation . The concentration of gold in the veins is simply too high to explain by the crystallization of the gold out of dissolved hydrothermal fluid. These fluids can hold only 10 to 30 parts per billion of gold. At those concentrations, it would take unrealistically long to lay down a vein of the sparkling metal. "This has been this long-standing problem that has been an issue for economic geologists," geologists who work in mining and extraction, McLeish told Live Science. "If you can't understand how the veins are formed, then you are limited in how well and efficiently you can explore for them, find them, mine them, etc." McLeish and his colleagues used transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to explore the question. TEM uses a single beam of electrons trained on a specimen to form an image; it can detect details down to a few nanometers. The researchers studied specimens of gold from the Brucejack gold deposit in northwestern British Columbia, where the average gold vein has the diameter of a drink coaster: about 4 inches (10 centimeters). Nanoparticles flocking The TEM images revealed tiny spheres of gold just 1 to 5 nanometers across, often aggregated in larger clusters 30 to 150 nanometers in diameter. For reference, a nanometer is a billionth of a meter, which is very, very small: A single nanometer is less than half the diameter of a strand of DNA , and 100 nanometers is around the same diameter as the SARS-CoV-2 virus . These findings proved, for the first time, that such aggregations do occur in real gold-bearing geological systems, not just in the laboratory. The research also provides evidence that the smallest gold nanoparticles clump, or flocculate, McLeish said. This changes the rules on how gold veins form, he said. There's no longer any need to worry about how much dissolved gold a fluid can hold in solution. Instead, the question is about how suspended gold particles act in a colloid, which is a liquid with similar-sized particles dispersed throughout. Milk is a colloid: The proteins and fats in the liquid don't settle out and are smoothly distributed. In the case of hydrothermal gold colloids, though, the suspended gold nanoparticles do ultimately clump together, eventually accumulating enough to fill an entire rock fracture. The new study couldn't answer that question, he said, though the researchers did offer some ideas. Something about the mixing of seawater and hydrothermal fluids might do the trick, McLeish said. The boiling of the hydrothermal fluids could also contribute. The team studied gold from only one bonanza mine, so the next step is to find out if the same nanoparticles exist in high-grade gold deposits around the world, McLeish said, or if some other process explains these bonanza strikes in different geological environments. "We're in the early days of this," he said. Originally published on Live Science. As you are aware, the Ministry of Health and Wellness in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO Mauritius) is conducting the Vaccination Campaign against Corona Virus (Covid-19). In this context, the vaccination for the 2nd dose is being implemented as from the 10th April 2021. Please note that the date and venue for those who had their 1st dose of Sinopharm on 04 to 11 May 2021, thescheduled dates, venues and time (in alphabetical order) All persons attending the respective vaccination sites are kindly requested to bring their National Identity Card and COVID-19 Vaccination Card on the date of appointment. Partager et informez vous aussi...... 0 shares Share Tweet LinkedIn A man in China caught the first case of H10N3 bird flu ever reported in a human, China's National Health Commission (NHC) announced Tuesday (June 1). The H10N3 strain of avian influenza normally causes mild disease in birds, and until now, no cases of the viral infection had been reported in humans, according to a statement on the NHC website, as translated by Reuters . But on April 23, a 41-year-old man in the city of Zhenjiang developed a fever that progressed over the following days, and on April 28, he went to a local hospital for treatment. (Although H10N3 only causes mild disease in its natural hosts, that may not hold true when the strain jumps to people.) On May 28, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CCDC) performed a genetic analysis on specimens from the infected man and determined he was infected with H10N3, according to the statement. The CCDC then monitored the surrounding province of Jiangsu for additional cases of infection and specifically sought out the man's close contacts, but they discovered no additional cases. The man is now in stable condition and ready for discharge from the hospital, the statement notes. Related: 11 (sometimes) deadly diseases that hopped across species Scientists will need to thoroughly examine the genetic material of the strain that infected the man to see how it differs from H10N3 samples collected in the past, Filip Claes, regional laboratory coordinator of the UN's Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases at the Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, part of the agency's Food and Agriculture Organization, told Reuters. In general, H10N3 doesn't crop up very often in its natural hosts, birds, Claes noted. From the late 1970s to 2018, scientists isolated about 160 samples of the viral strain from infected animals, mostly from wild birds and waterfowl, and the strain hadn't been detected in chickens, he said. The CCDC did not specify how or when the infected man may have picked up the virus from a bird, Reuters noted. But based on the CCDC's assessments so far, there's little risk of the virus spreading on a large scale, the agency said. When avian influenza viruses make the leap from birds to humans, they usually don't spread between humans, and when they do, their transmission is typically "limited, inefficient and not sustained," according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . However, in rare instances, avian flu can indeed spark major outbreaks among people, so monitoring for new cases of infection remains very important for public health, according to the CDC. For instance, the last bird flu to cause significant outbreaks among humans was H7N9, which killed more than 300 people in 2016 and 2017, Science magazine reported . That virus strain has a case-fatality rate of about 40%, according to a 2016 issue of the CDC journal Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report . And back in 1957, the avian influenza virus H2N2 swapped genes with human flu viruses and sparked a full-blown pandemic, Gizmodo reported . Evidence suggests that the flu strain that caused the 1918 pandemic, H1N1, also came from birds, refuting some older studies that suggested it originated from a mix of human and swine viruses, Nature reported in 2014 . Earlier this year, Russian authorities reported the first known cases of an avian influenza virus called H5N8 passing from poultry to humans, Live Science previously reported . Seven workers at a poultry plant caught this strain, but there was no evidence of human-to-human transmission, meaning the virus spread directly from birds to the workers and did not spread from the workers to other humans. Originally published on Live Science. Space is big really big. And if you want to successfully navigate the interstellar depths of our Milky Way galaxy, you're going to need some sort of reliable system. A new proposal tries to keep the method as simple as possible: use pairs of stars to provide a galactic reference frame. Within our solar system, interplanetary spacecraft rely on Earth -based systems for navigation. When we send a radio signal to a spacecraft and it replies, we can use the time delay of the reply to calculate a distance. We can also monitor the spacecraft in the sky, and by combining all that information (position in the sky and distance from Earth), we can pinpoint the spacecraft's location in the solar system and provide that information to the spacecraft itself. Gallery: Visions of interstellar starship travel We can also use the Doppler shift of those radio waves to estimate the speed at which the spacecraft is moving away from Earth. By using dishes scattered across our planet, we can measure the delay from a spacecraft's signal reaching one dish versus another. When we combine that data with the position information, we have a complete six-dimensional lock on the spacecraft: its three dimensions of position and its three dimensions of velocity. This method relies on a network of ground-based radar systems, all in constant communication with the spacecraft. The technique works for spacecraft within the solar system, and, just barely, NASA's twin Voyager probes . But any interstellar missions will need a new approach: They will have to navigate autonomously. In principle, these spacecraft could use onboard systems, like clocks and gyroscopes, but interstellar missions will last for decades at a minimum, and tiny errors and uncertainties in those onboard systems will undoubtedly cause those spacecraft to stray off course. There's also the option of using pulsars , rotating objects that appear to flicker, or pulsate, at regular intervals. Because each pulsar has a unique rotation period, these objects can serve as reliable beacons for deep-space missions. But this only works within a relatively small bubble near our solar system, because measurements of the rotation period can get contaminated by interstellar dust, and once you lose track of which pulsar is which, you're lost. Second star to the right So interstellar spacecraft need a simple, reliable method of estimating their position within the galaxy. A new paper recently posted to the preprint server arXiv.org offers such a solution: the stars themselves. The technique is based on a very old concept: parallax . If you stick your finger in front of your nose and alternate closing eyes, your finger will appear to wiggle. The change in its apparent position comes from the new viewpoint as you switch from eye to eye. If you do the same exercise while looking at a distant object, that object will appear to wiggle much less. It was through parallax that scientists were first able to measure the distance to stars , and it's through parallax that a spacecraft wandering far from home can get its bearings. Before launch, we load up the spacecraft with an accurate map of all the known stars in our galactic vicinity. Then, as the craft speeds away from the solar system, it measures the relative distances between multiple pairs of stars. As it moves, stars closer to the spacecraft appear to shift significantly, while more distant stars remain relatively fixed. By measuring multiple pairs of stars and comparing the measurements with the original Earth-based catalog, the spacecraft can figure out which stars are which, and how far away it is from those stars, giving the spacecraft an accurate 3D position in the galaxy. A relative effect Getting the velocity of the spacecraft is a little trickier, and it relies on a weird quirk of special relativity. Because of the finiteness of the speed of light , if you're moving quickly enough, objects can appear to be in different locations than they really are. Specifically, an object's position will appear to be shifted in the direction of your motion. The effect is called aberration, and it's measurable from Earth: As our planet orbits the sun, the stars appear to gently sway back and forth in the sky. As long as the spacecraft is moving quickly enough (and if we want an interstellar mission to last decades, not millennia, it must), onboard systems will be able to measure this aberration. By noting which stars are shifted away from their expected position and by how much, the spacecraft can work out its 3D velocity. Taken with the parallax measurements, the spacecraft can then recover its complete six-dimensional coordinates within the galaxy; it knows where it is and where it's going. How precise is this technique? According to the paper, if the spacecraft can measure the positions of just 20 stars to within 1 arc second of accuracy (an arc second is 1/60 of an arc minute, which itself is 1/60 of a degree), it can determine its position within the galaxy to an accuracy of 3 astronomical units (AU) and its velocity to within 2 kilometers per second (1.2 miles per second). One AU is equal to the average distance between Earth and the sun roughly 93 million miles (150 million km) so 3 AU is about 279 million miles (450 million km). That sounds like a lot, but it's peanuts compared to the thousands of AU between stars. We have accurate positions to way more than 20 stars, so we could load up the spacecraft with a catalog of hundreds of millions of stars to use on its voyage. Each one the spacecraft can measure would help pinpoint its location with even more precision. Now all we need is an interstellar spacecraft. Paul M. Sutter is an astrophysicist at The Ohio State University, host of Ask a Spaceman and "Space Radio," and author of "Your Place in the Universe." Sutter contributed this article to Space.com's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. A small asteroid barreled through the sky and burned up over the Kalahari Desert of Botswana in the summer of 2018 and now, scientists suspect that the space rock originated from Vesta, the second largest asteroid in the solar system . The small asteroid , named 2018 LA, was first observed through a telescope at the University of Arizona's Catalina Sky Survey and looked like a speck of light whizzing through the stars, according to a statement from the SETI Institute . "This is only the second time we have spotted an asteroid in space before it hit Earth over land," Peter Jenniskens, a SETI Institute meteor astronomer, said in the statement. "The first was asteroid 2008 TC3 in Sudan 10 years earlier." Related: The 7 strangest asteroids: Weird space rocks in our solar system Mere hours after being spotted, 2018 LA came tumbling out of the sky and burned up in the atmosphere over Botswana, transforming into a brilliant fireball . Remarkably, the SkyMapper Telescope at Australian National University (ANU) captured the moments just before the rock broke through Earth's atmosphere, and CCTV camera footage caught the final moments of the meteor's explosive descent in black-and-white. "These last images before the asteroid entered Earth's atmosphere were SkyMapper's biggest contribution. They helped to pinpoint both the search area for the meteorite fragments on Earth and the meteor's origin in space," Christopher Onken, the ANU SkyMapper Project Scientist, said in a statement from ANU . Pulling from the available astronomical observations, an international team of scientists pinpointed the region where the meteor likely disintegrated, scattering space rock fragments on the ground below; this region happened to fall within the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, a national park in the Kalahari Desert. "The meteorite is named 'Motopi Pan' after a local watering hole," Mohutsiwa Gabadirwe, a geoscientist at the Botswana Geoscience Institute (BGI) in Lobatse, said in the SETI statement. After searching the park on several field expeditions, the team uncovered 23 fragments of the Motopi Pan meteorite; they then analyzed the isotopes, or versions of elements with different numbers of neutrons, within the meteorite bits. These isotopes hint at the chemical composition and size of the original asteroid, prior to when it burst through the atmosphere. 2018 LA originally measured about 5 feet (1.5 meters) in diameter and had been zooming around in space for about 22 to 23 million years before crash-landing on Earth, the team determined. The rock was traveling about 37,280 mph (60,000 km/h) before entering the planet's atmosphere, according to the ANU statement. Further analysis of the rocky fragments showed that they closely resembled another set of meteorites called Saricicek that fell in Turkey in 2015. Both sets of meteorites were categorized as howardite-eucrite-diogenite (HED) meteorites, which are the only class of meteorites to be traced back to Vesta , according to the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH). The bits of eucrite in the HED meteorites contain hardened lava from Vesta's surface; diogenites contain minerals from rocks buried below the surface of the asteroid; and howardites are a unique mix of the two other rock types, formed when objects collided with Vesta. Related: What's the difference between asteroids, comets and meteors? "Overall, we classified the material that asteroid 2018 LA contained as being howardite, but some individual fragments had more affinity to diogenites and eucrites," Jenniskens said. The asteroid formed as a breccia, or a cemented mixture of distinct rock pieces that originated from different parts of Vesta. "The oldest known materials found in both Vesta and in the meteorite are zircon grains that date back to more than 4.5 billion years ago, during the early phase of the solar system," Onken noted. The orbital path that 2018 LA took around Earth also points to Vesta as the asteroid's origin point, the authors found. Despite both being HED meteorites, though, Motopi Pan and Saricicek differed in several ways. For instance, the team estimated that the material in both meteorites likely solidified on Vesta's surface about 4.563 billion years ago, but phosphate grains in Motopi Pan showed evidence of having melted in more recent history, while Saricicek did not bear these markings. This hinted that Motopi Pan formed close to the center of a large impact event that took place about 4.324 billion years ago, the team concluded. They suspect that the same event formed a giant dent, known as the Veneneia impact basin, on Vesta's surface. "We now suspect that Motopi Pan was heated by the Veneneia impact, while the subsequent Rheasilvia impact," which occurred later and partially obscures the Veneneia impact basin, "scattered this material around," Jenniskens said. "Because the team tracked the rock from space all the way down to the impact site, they were able to calculate a very precise orbit that is consistent with an origin near Vesta, providing one of the best links we have between an asteroid and meteorites," Ashley King, a planetary scientist at the Natural History Museum who was not involved in the work, told The Guardian . The team described their findings in a new study published in the journal Meteoritics and Planetary Science. Originally published on Live Science. A piece of space junk smacked into the robotic arm on the International Space Station, but near-term operations should not be affected, according to the agencies involved. Robotic operators noticed a hole in the station's Canadarm2 provided by the Canadian Space Agency, which has been in service in orbit since 2001, during a routine inspection on May 12, the CSA officials said in a blog post Friday (May 28). Officials called the hole a "lucky strike" given the relatively small size of the arm, which is 57.7 feet (17.6 meters) long and has a diameter of just 14 inches (35 centimeters). The size of the hole is not apparent in the pictures; the photo also doesn't make clear whether the debris went all the way through the arm. However, it does appear Canadarm2's role in keeping the space station properly maintained can continue without interruption, following careful work from both CSA and NASA. These images from NASA and the Canadian Space Agency show the location of a space debris strike on the International Space Station's Canadarm2 robot arm spotted on May 12, 2021 and released on May 28. (Image credit: NASA/Canadian Space Agency) "Results of the ongoing analysis indicate that the arm's performance remains unaffected. The damage is limited to a small section of the arm boom and thermal blanket," the CSA said in the blog post. Canadarm2 was scheduled soon to move a Canadian robotic hand, Dextre, into a spot to replace a faulty power switchbox called the Remote Power Control module; CSA added that operation should not be affected whatsoever. Both Canadarm2 and Dextre are usually operated from CSA headquarters near Montreal, Quebec. Orbital debris is a growing concern in low-Earth orbit due to the number of CubeSat launches arriving there in fleets for broadband service and other applications. (Indeed, SpaceX now sends batches of Starlinks to space almost every week, including on Wednesday, May 26.) Some of these orbits intersect where the space station operates at an inclination of 52 degrees, roughly 200 miles (450 km) in altitude, but natural space dust and other objects are also a threat. "A number of tiny objects ranging from rock or dust particles to flecks of paint from satellites are too small to be monitored," CSA said in the blog post. Orbiting crews have seen holes in space station solar arrays before, such as a "bullet hole" that Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield tweeted about during his last mission in 2012-13. "Bullet hole a small stone from the universe went through our solar array," Hadfield wrote in April 2013, suspecting the hole was caused by a tiny space rock called a micrometeoroid. "Glad it missed the hull." The U.S. Space Surveillance Network keeps close track of at least 23,000 known softball-size or larger pieces of space debris in orbit; if any get close to the ISS, the station can alter its position slightly or NASA can instruct its crews to take shelter, which last happened in September. Damage from space rocks or orbiting debris is one of the principal threats to ISS operations, along with natural aging (as parts have been in orbit since 1998). NASA combats the aging problem through regular maintenance and replacements. The Canadarm series of robotic arms has near-iconic status within the country that created the technology. Canadarm2 graces the back side of the Canadian $5 bill, along with Dextre and an astronaut. The original Canadarm, which served the space shuttle program between 1981 and 2011, deployed numerous satellites and space missions, such as the Hubble Space Telescope, with one of the arms later adapted into a robotic boom to assist with looking for broken tiles beneath the space shuttle. Dextre, for its part, launched in 2008 as a "handyman" for equipment or component installation and replacements, along with serving as a testbed for robotic technologies, the CSA says on its website. More recently, the Canadian government announced plans for an advanced Canadarm3 in 2019 that would serve as a robotic, artificial intelligence-adaptive assistant on NASA's planned Gateway space station. Canada's robotic contributions allow the country to fly astronauts and science into space using U.S. hardware; the Canadarm3 pledge secured a promise from NASA to put a Canadian on the Artemis 2 moon-orbiting mission. Follow Elizabeth Howell on Twitter @howellspace. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook. Click here to read the full article. Arlene Golonka, a veteran character actor best known for playing Millie Swanson on Mayberry R.F.D., died Monday in West Hollywood, Calif. She was 85. Her niece Stephanie Morton, said she had been suffering from Alzheimers. She lived and breathed being an artist, being an actress was who she was born to be, said her niece, She was a very wise woman who I was lucky to call my aunt. She loved to teach, said Morton, who said her acting students over the years included Halle Berry. With a career spanning over 45 years, Golonka played recurring roles on The Doctors, Joe & Valerie and 1st & 10 and appeared in episodes of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, M*A*S*H and The King of Queens. On The Andy Griffith Show, Golonka played Millie Hutchins, the girlfriend of Sam Jones (Ken Berry) on two episodes, and she reprised the role as Millie Swanson on Mayberry R.F.D. across 34 episodes. Born on January 23, 1936, Golonka spent her childhood in Chicago, hopping between singing and acting classes and studying at the prestigious Goodman Theatre. At age 19, she moved to New York and began a career on Broadway and in films made in New York City, studying under Lee Strasberg, Sanford Meisner and Uta Hagen. As a member of The Actors Studio, Golonkas first major production was The Night Circus with Ben Gazzara, which started in Connecticut and then moved to Broadway for seven performances. In the late 1960s, Golonka relocated to Los Angeles, where she continued playing small roles on the big screen while also venturing into television. Golonka soon established herself as one of the hardest-working character actors in Hollywood, appearing in dozens of series over the next three decades. In shows like That Girl, The Streets of San Francisco, Fantasy Island and Murder, She Wrote, Golonka even reappeared as different characters. Her film roles included Airport 77, Hang Em High with Clint Eastwood and The In-Laws. Golonkas voice appeared on the 1965 comedy album You Dont Have to Be Jewish and in animated TV programs such as Speed Buggy, The New Yogi Bear Show, Capitol Critters, Yogis Treasure Hunt and The New Scooby-Doo Movies. She is survived by a sister and nieces and nephews. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. As with so many festivals, its easy to feel a little overawed when first glancing at the full program of films on offer at Sheffield DocFest (June 4-13). Despite the challenges of programming during a pandemic, the Sheffield team has pulled together an impressive lineup of 78 features and 88 shorts in its films program. Among the 55 world premieres are Oscar winner Steve McQueens 1981-set race relations series Uprising, Leaving Neverland: Michael Jackson and Me director Dan Reeds latest In the Shadow of 9/11, Peabody Award winner Mark Cousins meditation on sight, The Story of Looking, and Nick Greens biopic of the fugitive former CEO of Renault-Nissan Carlos Ghosn: The Last Flight. Its the second edition of DocFest to be led former DocLisboa director Cintia Gil, both of them realized during the pandemic. Casting her eye over a lineup that has offerings from Senegal to Latvia, Iraq to Denmark, and Haiti to Scotland, Gil says the biggest challenge of programming a big collective event like DocFest is doing so while in isolation. The concern this year was relevance, says Gil. How could we somehow put together a festival that would have complementary programs with different ways of approaching the questions we want to tackle, and at the same time be as welcoming to as many people as possible? In a bid to welcome people, this years DocFest is more of a hybrid event than 2020s digital only experience: the festival takes place both in Sheffield and online and with a number of titles showing at 16 cinemas around the U.K. These include opening film The Summer of Soul by Ahmir Questlove Thompson, Mayye Zayeds Lift Like a Girl, about female weightlifters in Egypt, and Betsy West and Julie Cohens My Name Is Pauli Murray, a portrait of the Black attorney, activist, priest, poet and memoirist. As for the questions DocFest wants to tackle, a number seem to stand out. One is political: how cinema responds to ideas of resistance. Gil says DocFest has sought to build resonances across the program around issues such as racial justice, economic inequality, the rise of fascism and climate change. This political outlook runs deep through the program. For example, theres the world premiere of Sran Kovacevics Factory to the Workers, which sees workers in a collectively run factory in Croatia struggle to weather the economic forces and organizational disputes that have battered them since they took over in 2005. Meanwhile, theres the international premiere of Brazilian film Nuhu Yag Mu Yog Ham: This Land Is Our Land! by indigenous filmmakers Isael and Sueli Maxakali and their collaborators, made after their land was taken from them. In Raj Patel and Zak Pipers The Ants and the Grasshopper, a Malawian campaigner travels to the U.S. to persuade Americans that climate change is real, while the world premiere of Anam Abbass This Stained Dawn tells the story of a feminist movement struggling to assert itself on the streets of Pakistan. Another issue that Gil says DocFest was keen to explore through its program was film language. What we can see from our program is that documentary is a very, very broad show, she says, referring to the many different ways of telling factual stories that are showcased in the DocFest lineup. But a major challenge for the genre, thinks Gil, is how to preserve and expand this richness as not all forms of storytelling are backed by funders. Our selection is also a question to funders and decision makers and gatekeepers to think about what documentary is, and what they can take from this wide variety of voices and storytelling, says Gil. By way of example, she cites Ephraim Asilis The Inheritance, which weaves fiction and documentary together in telling the story of a young man who inherits his grandmothers house and turns it into a Black socialist collective. At the same time, Gil says DocFest has sought to build on its ambition to be an internationalist film festival. Its not just about showing films from many territories. Its really about showing a very plural vision of what film can be and what the world is. Many of these themes are clearly evident in DocFests opening and closing films, as well as its special screenings. Opening film Summer of Soul seeks to reframe history by throwing a spotlight on the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, a largely forgotten, but culturally important celebration of Black history, culture and fashion which took place just 100 miles away from the much better-known Woodstock festival of the same year. Similarly, Steve McQueens Uprising focuses on three often overlooked events from 1981 the New Cross Fire, which killed 13 Black teenagers; mass protest the Black Peoples Day of Action; and the Brixton riots. Uprising is not just a question of rebuilding historical justice, but also understanding where we are at now, says Gil. Mark Cousins closing film The Story of Looking, meanwhile, plays with the conventions and language of documentary, and is billed by Gil as a beautiful, intimate film about looking. The selection also speaks to the big theme of the past year, COVID 19. Gil says its a subject the festival wanted to address, but only with very special films, and not too much. In Special Selection is the world premiere of Brian Hills Where Did the World Go, which sees people from across the U.K. talk about their own experiences of living through a pandemic, with the poetry of Simon Armitage providing a narrative spine to the film. Elsewhere, the world premiere of Charlotte Ginsborgs Songs for the River sees the director film the London housing co-operative that she lives in, charting the residents diverse experiences of the pandemic. The 20th anniversary of 9/11 is also a focus, with four films addressing the event in the Special Screenings section. Three are world premieres: Dan Reeds In the Shadow of 9/11, Phil Grabsky and Shoaib Sharifis My Childhood, My Country 20 Years in Afghanistan, and Arthur Carys Surviving 9/11. The fourth is the U.K. premiere of Daniel Bogados 9/11: One Day in America. Elsewhere, there are talks and panels from speakers such as David Olusoga, Campbell X, Betsy West and Julie Cohen, not to mention retrospectives, and distinct film sections including the International Competition, U.K. Competition, Into the World, Rebellions, Rhyme & Rhythm, and Ghosts & Apparitions. Seeking to sum it all up, Gil says: More than telling what the world is, our program points out how many different things the world can be, and how there are many different ways we can make documentary films. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. SPOILER ALERT: Do not read if you have not yet watched the penultimate episode of Pose, which aired May 30 on FX. Its been a journey to get here, Angel (Indya Moore) says to Lil Papi (Angel Bismark Curiel) on the penultimate episode of FXs Pose. Its the opening line of her wedding vows, but it also describes the creation of the very dress she is wearing. We were down for seven months and I had a lot of time to think about the wedding dress, costume designer Analucia McGorty tells Variety. When I finally got the script, I had this insane idea that Id been ruminating [on] for a while about making a dress that was mechanical and that would physically bloom. When Angel first tries on the dress at the bridal salon, it is more in line with 90s fashion trends than the extravagance typically seen on Pose: an asymmetrical, strapless v-neck satin gown. Though beautiful, its simplicity (combined with a run-in with a transphobic shop owner) hints that more is to come on the big day. Cut to the wedding and as Angel sets foot onto the aisle, her entrance is not just announced by music, but the blooming of soft, fuchsia petals; flowers embellish the front of the gown and its train. Before McGorty received the final season scripts, she spent much of her time filling sketchbooks with endless wedding dress possibilities. Her conversations with Moore and constantly gazing at the blossoming tree outside her house left the costume designer inspired by nature. With how Pose is written and the arc of everybodys stories, theyre blooming into who they are. Its a process of seeding that flower until it blooms to be the beauty, the potential it always had, McGorty says. But to build a fashion moment of this magnitude required all hands on deck. Particularly in light of the pandemic, McGorty sought to incorporate small businesses in any big project she and her team did in New York City. For the functional component, they worked with Monkey Boy Productions known for working with Saturday Night Live to locally build the dress mechanics. As for the floral design, they collaborated with M&S Schmalberg Flowers, a family-run business that is the oldest fabric flower company in the United States. We knew they were struggling because the wedding industry had gone away, and we knew that all of the fashion industry had gone away, McGorty explains. So we wanted to make sure we incorporated them in helping us make all of the handmade individual flowers for the dress. The dress development took two months to finalize, and required a lot of testing. McGorty worked with the dress a number of times to ensure the mechanics were in working order, but it didnt prepare her for the magic of when Moore did a rehearsal of the full look. Describing it as a cosmic connection, McGorty recalls everyone crying, hugging and dancing. This is sort-of a love note to Indya Moore, McGorty says. We have a lot of conversations about finding serenity and nature and growth, and I feel like [Indya] has taught me a lot about growth and the world and listening, and I wanted to create something that was a tribute to that and to [them] as a person. In addition to portraying a larger narrative significance and meeting Poses typical standards of grandeur, the escalation of Moores wedding dress was also necessary for the bride to stand out in a crowd of dozens of other bridal gowns. Elektra (Dominique Jackson) gifts all the women guests all from the ballroom community wedding dresses of their own. Its an extension of her gift given to Angel and Papi to throw them a lavish ceremony. She explains the need for such indulgence in Episode 5, also capturing the significance of why Angels dress had to be so special. Your bride is unlike any other. She will be the first, the first from a community that has been excluded from happily ever after. Youve been to the balls and seen the girls walk bridal runway, Elektra tells Papi. That category was invented, like all other categories, in order to give us a chance to experience what the outside world gets to live. Blanca (Mj Rodriguez) adds, When all those girls sit in that fancy ballroom, they get to watch one of their own walk down a real aisle in a real wedding dress, not for some plastic trophy, but to marry a real man who loves her. They will realize they can do it too. Angels attainment of the ultimate romantic fantasy is moment of unencumbered joy for the whole ball community. One of the characters biggest struggles throughout the show has been accepting that she is worthy of love. The wedding finally serves as confirmation of this sealed by an I Swear serenade and that Papi is not going anywhere. This season has had a lot of ups and downs for her. You see her kind of falling apart a little bit, McGorty says. And then you slowly see her start to come back into herself and have that fun, flirty, innocent love that is always pouring out of Angel. And we really wanted to show that with the wedding dress, and have that pop and fun. That moment, it does make her look like a woman. Its not a princess dress. Its very much like she looks like a woman ready to walk into the rest of her life. Pose airs on Sundays at 9 p.m. on FX. The series finale will air on June 6. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. (EDITORS: This post contains spoilers for the finale of HBO's "Mare of Easttown." It also discusses plot details from Freeform's "Cruel Summer" and Netflix's "Who Killed Sara?") - - - Less than 15 minutes into the finale of HBO's "Mare of Easttown," it appeared that Kate Winslet's small-town police detective had solved the show's biggest murder mystery: Who killed young Erin McMenamin (Cailee Spaeny)? But with just under an hour left in the episode, you didn't have to be Stephen King to know a plot twist - or several - was still ahead. (For what it's worth, the prolific author and self-professed "Mare" fan had already dismissed at least one theory going into Sunday night's episode). In the end, the killer wasn't the cruel ex-boyfriend or the church deacon with a dubious alibi. And as King (along with many other viewers) had anticipated, it wasn't Billy Ross (Robbie Tann) - the cousin who seemed primed to confess in the show's penultimate episode - or Billy's brother, John (Joe Tippett), who had looked good for the crime during the finale's first few scenes. The killer turned out to be Ryan Ross (Cameron Mann), the 13-year-old son of John and Lori (Julianne Nicholson), Mare's best friend. It was a thrilling if grim twist that upended what we thought we knew about Erin's death. But it also made a lot of sense. In an earlier episode, Lori had happened upon an emotional, hushed conversation between her husband and son. Ryan had also gotten into a brutal fight at school. While John's murder confession turned out to be false, he had already confessed to at least one disturbing crime - sleeping with Erin, his underage first cousin once removed - and admitted he was the father of her child. Their illegal relationship turned out to be Ryan's motive in confronting Erin with a gun he didn't know how to use, accidentally killing her in the process. When Mare finally arrests the babyfaced Ryan, she doesn't just do so as a police detective. She's a mother - one who is attempting to confront her unresolved grief over the death of her own son. At the root of her empathy and agony is the knowledge that parents cannot always protect their children. The satisfying finale was notable for being just that: satisfying. The twist was surprising enough to viewers who had invested eight weeks into the show, while still being plausible. Television has had no shortage of mystery thrillers like this show in recent years, but not all of them have been able to balance their whodunits with such meaningful plot or character development. Think of another recent HBO miniseries, "The Undoing," which contained its fair share of plot twists but ended with the anticlimactic reveal that the killer was exactly whom we suspected all along. For many viewers, that was a profound disappointment. You could call it the "Pretty Little Liars" effect. The Freeform series, based on books by Sara Shepard, may not have been the first to sprinkle a plot twist or two per episode - as any "Twin Peaks" fan can attest - but it introduced a frenetic approach to its unraveling mystery that reverberated for better and for worse across TV. Shows including "Scandal" and "True Detective" employed frequent plot twists to great effect - until they didn't. Even "PLL," which aired for seven seasons, went off the rails in its final few seasons. "Mare of Easttown" is billed as a limited series and thus not expected to be back for a second season, but that could be good news. An unnecessary sophomore installment is arguably where another HBO series ("Big Little Lies," based on Liane Moriarty's bestseller) went wrong, superficially overextending its already resolved plot - and compounding some of its biggest character issues in the process. Freeform hasn't yet announced a second season for its engrossing new teen drama, "Cruel Summer," but there's an argument that it should stand as a taut 10-episode thriller. The mystery at the heart of the Jessica Biel-produced series isn't about who committed a heinous crime (the kidnapping of a popular small-town girl, in this case), but whether the victim could have been saved earlier by the less-popular classmate she says witnessed her captivity. "Cruel Summer" deftly uses that setup to examine the lives of Kate Wallis (Olivia Holt) and her nemesis Jeanette Turner (Chiara Aurelia). Even with all of its intriguing loose threads, the mystery is ultimately secondary to the show's more relatable plot point: the ways the identities of these young women are unfairly defined by the people around them. In that regard, "Cruel Summer" takes more cues from "PLL" in its sharp portrayal of teenage girls than its proliferating plot twists. The thrills are grounded in characters who seem real - even when the scenarios they find themselves in don't. There are ways to apply the DNA of a show to other scenarios or perspectives for a fresh take - an approach with which Biel is familiar from her work on "The Sinner." The well-reviewed USA anthology, which has been renewed for a fourth season, has tailored each of its installments to a new, seemingly unlikely murder suspect. The first featured Biel in that role, but the show is as much about Bill Pullman's Detective Harry Ambrose as it is about the cases he solves. There's a time and place, of course, for narratives to become overwrought with plot pretzels. CW's "Jane the Virgin" was a twist-filled delight that took several cheeky pages from the wildly popular telenovela genre - and refreshingly pushed the boundaries of TV comedy. Pushing boundaries can be what makes watching these stories so fun, as long as they strike the right balance of over-the-top and entertaining. Netflix has recently seen international success with "Who Killed Sara?," a Mexican thriller that introduces an ever-multiplying roster of suspects in a crime that initially seemed simple enough to tie up in a handful of episodes. The Spanish-language series has maintained a presence in Netflix's Top 10 rankings despite serious issues with its plot and character development, which is so undercooked that the answer viewers receive at the end of Season 2 relies on telenovela tropes (faked death, secret siblings, etc.) and little else. But it works if you can ignore the show's deeper faults (namely, portrayals of gender violence that lack both context and accountability) and lean into the craziness. The streamer also found a hit in "Behind Her Eyes," a psychological thriller based on a novel by Sarah Pinborough. The series begins with a questionable affair before veering into the supernatural for a unique, if problematic, ending. Whether they pulled it off successfully or veered into the ridiculous is an answer best left to the viewer: Tolerance for a bonkers plot twist depends largely on your expectations and willingness to blindly suspend your disbelief. "Mare of Easttown" built a fan base that can appreciate the show's attempts to thrill, while also taking its narrative somewhat seriously. The ending, though titillating, fit with the groundwork the series laid out. The conclusion is heartbreaking and shocking. More importantly, it works. Click here to read the full article. Taylor Swift has joined GLAADs Summer of Equality campaign to urge the U.S. Senate to pass the Equality Act and ensure comprehensive protections against discrimination for every LGBTQ American. The pop star posted a message on Twitter announcing her partnership with the media advocacy organization and thanking the courageous activists, advocates and allies for their dedication to fighting against discrimination and hatred. And as always, today I am sending my respect and love to those bravely living out their truth, even when the world we live in still makes that so hard to do, Swift said in a statement. Who you love and how you identify shouldnt put you in danger, leave you vulnerable or hold you back in life. I proudly join GLAAD in their #summerofequality and add my voice to those who support The Equality Act. Happy Pride Month! Click here to read the full article. In a last-ditch effort to prevent a restrictive voting bill from being passed in the state legislature, Texas Democrats walked out of the statehouse around midnight Sunday night before a final vote could be held. By walking out on the vote on Senate Bill 7 (S.B. 7), Democrats prevented a quorum, which is required before calling a vote. If passed, S.B. 7 would severely suppress the vote in Texas. Provisions in the bill would limit voting hours, eliminate 24-hour polling stations and restrict access to mail-in voting. It also would allow partisan poll watchers unprecedented access and introduce new criminal penalties for election workers who limit their movement. Election officials who send mail-in voting applications to anyone who did not request one could also face felony charges. Now, Governor Greg Abbott is threatening to withhold pay for the legislative branch by vetoing Article 10 of the budget. Article 10 funds the legislative branch. No pay for those who abandon their responsibilities, Abbott tweeted. Stay tuned. Texas legislators make $600 per month plus a $221 per diem each day the legislature is in session. State Rep. Donna Howard responded to Abbotts threat, tweeting, This would eliminate the branch of government that represents the people and basically create a monarchy. Abbott is also saying he will call a special session of the legislature to ensure the bills passage, but Democrats are not backing down. Appearing on CNN, State Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer said Democrats have options to respond even if Abbott calls a special session, although he declined to specify what those options might be. Martinez Fischer also called on Congress and President Biden to respond by passing nationwide voter protections. This is ripe for federal intervention, he said. And I hope our leaders are taking notice. On Saturday, Biden came out against the Texas voting bill, saying, Its wrong and un-American. In the 21st century, we should be making it easier, not harder, for every eligible voter to vote. The business Markowitz founded more than eight decades ago, Allen Organ Co., has been synonymous with the beautiful sounds emanating from wind-blown, fine pipe organs, according to Basmadjian, vice president of sales. Its products are sold worldwide, from local churches and thousands of community houses of worship to St. Peters Basilica in the Vatican. He liked to call himself "Diamond Dick." Dick Rowland, a tall teenager with velvet skin, wore a diamond ring as he shined shoes in downtown Tulsa. Rowland, 19, had recently dropped out of Booker T. Washington High School, where he was a star football player, because he was making so much money polishing the shoes of oilmen in a city that billed itself as the "oil capital of the world." On May 30, 1921, Rowland took a break from his shoe stand inside a pool hall and walked to the Drexel Building to use the only public restroom for Black people in segregated Tulsa. Rowland passed Renberg's, a department store that occupied the first two floors of the Drexel Building, and stepped into an open wire-caged elevator operated by a 17-year-old White girl named Sarah Page. What happened next remains murky, according to historians and reports about one of the worst episodes of racial violence in U.S. history. Rowland may have accidentally stepped on Page's foot, prompting her to shriek. Or tripped and bumped into her. When the elevator doors reopened, Dick Rowland ran, and a clerk in Renberg's called police. Rowland was arrested and accused of assaulting a White girl. Though the charges were eventually dropped and Page later wrote a letter exonerating him, the accusation was enough to infuriate White Tulsa. Three hours after the Tulsa Tribune hit the street with the headline "Nab Negro for Attacking Girl in Elevator," hundreds of White men gathered at the Tulsa courthouse, where Rowland was being held. Black World War I veterans who wanted to protect Rowland from being lynched rushed to the courthouse to defend him. A shot was fired and "all hell broke loose," a massacre survivor recalled later. "As the whites moved north, they set fire to practically every building in the African American community, including a dozen churches, five hotels, 31 restaurants, four drug stores, eight doctor's offices, more than two dozen grocery stores, and the Black public library," according to a 2001 report by the Oklahoma Commission to Study the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921. "By the time the violence ended, the city had been placed under martial law, thousands of Tulsans were being held under armed guard, and the state's second-largest African American community had been burned to the ground." As many as 300 people were killed, 10,000 were left homeless and 35 square blocks of Greenwood, one of the country's most prosperous Black communities, were destroyed. Witnesses reported seeing bodies tossed into the muddy Arkansas River or dumped into mass graves, making it impossible to count the dead. While smoke still rose from the ashes of Greenwood, Tulsa's sheriff, Willard McCullough, and his deputy, Barney Cleaver, one of the first Black lawmen in Oklahoma, hustled Dick Rowland out of town. Rowland, the central figure in the race massacre, would disappear, adding to the uncertainties that surround the century-old attack. As Tulsa commemorates the centennial of the massacre this weekend, the city is still haunted by unresolved questions about it: How many people were killed? What happened to the bodies? Who were the White perpetrators? Are there mass graves? What happened to Dick Rowland? "It is mysterious because we just don't know [much] about Dick Rowland, the teenager whose arrest was a catalyst for the massacre," said Kristi Williams, an educator and a community organizer in Greenwood. In Tulsa, Rowland has become almost a mythical figure and a subject of legend and folklore. "Who is Dick Rowland in history? We know he was a hard-working Black man, whom racists falsely accused," said Black Oklahoma state Rep. Regina Goodwin (D). Goodwin said from her research that she believes Sarah Page never accused Rowland of anything. And Page disappeared, too. Dick Rowland and Sarah Page survive the massacre, "all the pain and the turmoil," Goodwin said, "and they leave Tulsa with not even the smell of smoke on them." So who was Dick Rowland? One fact many historians agree upon is Dick Rowland was not his original name. "He was born Jimmy Jones," around the year 1903, said Marc Carlson, director of special collections at the University of Tulsa's McFarlin Library. "He and his two sisters were orphans in Vinita," a small Oklahoma town about 60 miles from Tulsa, Carlson said. "They were unofficially adopted by a woman named Damie Ford." He was probably 3 or 4 years old when she took him in. Ford eventually moved to Tulsa and married Dave Rowland, whose last name is sometimes spelled Roland or Rolland in public records. A John Roland is listed in the 1920 Census in Tulsa on East Archer Street with Damie Rowland and Dave Rowland. John Roland, historians say, was still a child when he told people he wanted his first name to be Dick. "He liked the name Diamond Dick, which is what he was calling himself," Carlson said. Dick Rowland is pictured in the 1921 yearbook for Booker T. Washington High School. "He could have dropped out after picture taken," Carlson said. Ellouise Cochrane-Price, the daughter of massacre survivor Clarence Rowland and a cousin of Dick Rowland, claims Dick and Sarah not only knew each other before he stepped on the elevator but were in love and were planning to defy Oklahoma's ban on interracial marriage. "They were planning on getting married," she told an audience at the Oklahoma Black Caucus gala last month. "They had spent many Sundays over my grandma's house, at family dinners." When the White mob gathered outside the Tulsa courthouse, she said, "the mayor, the sheriff and the marshal were aware that Dick had not attacked Sarah. There had been no attempted rape of any kind. However, that information was not given up or not received by the mob that was gathered to hang Dick Rowland." In September 1921, the charges against Dick Rowland were dropped, according to records. Charles Franklin Barrett, the Oklahoma National Guard adjutant general whose troops were called into Tulsa during the rampage, concluded the massacre was caused by "an impudent Negro, a hysterical girl and a yellow journal." On Sept. 28, 1921, the Topeka Plaindealer newspaper reported: "It was brought out in the investigation that he was entirely innocent, the girl never having complained that such were the facts as published in a local WHITE PAPER. Sarah Page has vanished and has never been apprehended since the day she made a statement refuting the charges alleged against Rowland." Most historians agree Rowland escaped Tulsa. Where he landed is another story. Several reports say Sheriff McCullough took Rowland to Kansas City. But Rowland may have secretly returned to Tulsa in the fall of 1921. He came to the tent where Damie Rowland was living after her boardinghouse was burned down in the massacre. "She fed him and they talked some and Dick said he was so sorry, but there were only so many ways he could express his remorse," Tim Madigan wrote in his book "The Burning." "What was done was done, Damie said." In a 1970 interview with Tulsa historian Ruth Avery, Damie Rowland said he had asked her about people who died in the massacre and those who survived. He left the tent before dawn. "He wrote to her every month from Kansas City," Madigan wrote. He told her that Page was in Kansas City, too. "Dick said that Sarah felt terrible that the police had arrested him for something he didn't do, but she never talked at all about the burning and killing set in motion by her lies," according to Madigan. "If Dick still loved Sarah, he didn't say." Then her name disappeared from Dick's letters and not long after that, he moved to Oregon, where he found work in shipyards along the coast. Damie Rowland told Avery that she continued to receive letters from Dick, until the 1960s. Finally, Damie told Avery, she received a letter from a friend of Dick, saying he had been killed in an accident on the wharf. Carlson said Rowland may have been killed in a port explosion in Oregon. But Dick Rowland's name does not appear on the list of people killed in that explosion. "He was probably using a different name altogether," Carlson said. "I suspect when you are in the center of something like this, he was probably terrified to be more public. We have no documentation whatsoever. That's part of the folklore around the whole massacre. There is a lot of stuff we don't know. Unless something concrete shows up, we will never know." JERUSALEM (AP) Israels defense minister on Monday distanced himself from comments made by his military chief after Israel bombed a Gaza Strip high-rise housing an Associated Press office and other news outlets, saying the remarks were not meant to be taken literally. In an article published on the website of Channel 12 news over the weekend, the military chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Aviv Kohavi, was quoted as saying that the building was destroyed justly and he did not have a gram of regret. The article claimed that the Hamas militant group that rules Gaza used various floors of the Jalaa Tower for significant electronic warfare meant to disrupt Israeli air force GPS communications. The article then said Kohavi had told a foreign source that AP journalists drank coffee each morning in a cafeteria in the buildings entrance with Hamas electronics experts, whether they knew it or not. The AP called the comments patently false, noting that there was not even a cafeteria in the building. Asked about Kohavis comments, Defense Minister Benny Gantz told foreign journalists that the military chief was only speaking in figurative terms. When the chief of staff talked about it, he was trying to portray the atmosphere, not the actual aspects," Gantz said. Gantz again alleged that there was Hamas infrastructure in offices that operated from this building. Asked to respond to Gantz's comments, the military spokesman's office also said Kohavi's statements were meant to be figurative. It was never claimed that AP journalists were knowingly interacting with Hamas personnel. On the contrary, due to the nature of Hamas' activities, AP journalists had no means of knowing that Hamas personnel were in the building, it said. The chief of the general staff explained the possible circumstances of such an encounter where the terrorist organization Hamas embeds itself within the civilian population and uses civilian buildings for military purposes, it said. The Israeli army gave occupants of the building one hour to evacuate before the May 15 airstrike. No one was injured, but the high-rise was flattened into a pile of rubble. The AP has said it had no indication of a Hamas presence in the building and was never warned of any possible presence before that day. It has called for an independent investigation and urged Israel to make public its intelligence. Gantz said Israel has shared its intelligence with the U.S. government. But he indicated that Israel has no intention of making the information public, saying it did not want to divulge its sources. / Laredo police are asking the community for assistance in identifying a man in relation to a theft. Authorities released a surveillance image of the suspect. He is seen wearing a cap backwards, a white, red and blue Nike T-shirt and blue jean shorts. VATICAN CITY (AP) Pope Francis has changed Catholic Church law to explicitly criminalize the sexual abuse of adults by priests who abuse their authority and to say that laypeople who hold church office also can be sanctioned for similar sex crimes. The new provisions, released Tuesday after 14 years of study, were contained in the revised criminal law section of the Vaticans Code of Canon Law, the in-house legal system that covers the 1.3 billion-member Catholic Church and operates independently from civil laws. The most significant changes are contained in two articles, 1395 and 1398, which aim to address shortcomings in the churchs handling of sexual abuse. The law recognizes that adults, not only children, can be victimized by priests who abuse their authority. The revisions also say that laypeople holding church positions, such as school principals or parish economists, can be punished for abusing minors as well as adults. The Vatican also criminalized priests grooming minors or vulnerable adults to compel them to engage in pornography. The update represents the first time church law has officially recognized as a criminal act the method used by sexual predators to build relationships with victims they have targeted for sexual exploitation. The new law, which is set to take effect on Dec. 8, also removes much of the discretion that long allowed bishops and religious superiors to ignore or cover up abuse, making clear those in positions of authority will be held responsible if they fail to properly investigate or sanction predator priests. A bishop can be removed from office for culpable negligence" or if he does not report sex crimes to church authorities, although the canon law foresees no punishment for failing to to report suspected crimes to police. Ever since the 1983 code first was issued, lawyers and bishops have complained it was inadequate for dealing with the sexual abuse of minors since it required time-consuming trials. Victims and their advocates, meanwhile, argued the code left too much discretion in the hands of bishops who had an interest in covering up for their priests. The Vatican issued piecemeal changes over the years to address problems and loopholes, most significantly requiring all cases to be sent to the Holy See for review and allowing for a more streamlined administrative process to defrock a priest if the evidence against him was overwhelming. More recently, Francis passed new laws to punish bishops and religious superiors who failed to protect their flocks. The new criminal code incorporates those changes and goes beyond them, while also recognizing accused priests are presumed innocent until proven otherwise. The Vatican has long considered any sexual relations between a priest and an adult as sinful but consensual, believing that adults are able to offer or refuse consent purely by the nature of their age. But amid the #MeToo movement and scandals of seminarians and nuns being sexually abused by their superiors, the Vatican has come to realize that adults can be victimized, if there is a power imbalance in the relationship. That dynamic was most clearly recognized in the scandal over ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, the former archbishop of Washington. Even though the Vatican knew for years he slept with his seminarians, McCarrick was only put on trial after someone came forward saying McCarrick had abused him as a youth. Francis eventually defrocked McCarrick in 2019. According the new law, priests who engage in sexual acts with anyone not just a minor or someone who lacks the use of reason can be defrocked if they used force, threats or abuse of his authority to engage in sexual acts. Previously the Vatican only considered it a crime if the priest used force or threats, and lumped the provision alongside sexual abuse of a minor. Monsignor Juan Ignacio Arrieta, secretary of the Vatican's legal office, said the new version would cover any rank-and-file member of the church who is a victim of a priest who abused his authority. That provision is contained in a section detailing violations of the priest's obligation to remain celibate. Another section of the law concerns priestly crimes against the dignity of others, including sexual abuse of minors and vulnerable adults. The law doesnt explicitly define which adults are covered, saying only an adult who habitually has an imperfect use of reason" or for whom the law recognizes equal protection. Arrieta said the Vatican chose not to define precisely who is covered but noted that the Vatican previously defined vulnerable adults as those who even occasionally are unable to understand or consent because of an physical or mental deficiency or are deprived of their personal liberty. The Rev. Davide Cito, a canon lawyer at the Pontifical Holy Cross University, said the broadness of the law allows it to protect many people" who might not necessarily fall under the strict definition of vulnerable" but are nevertheless deserving of protection. In a novelty aimed at addressing sex crimes committed by laypeople who hold church offices, such as the founders of lay religious movements or even parish accountants and administrators, the new law says laypeople can be punished if they abuse their authority to engage in sexual or financial crimes. Since these laypeople cant be defrocked, penalties include losing their jobs, paying fines or being removed from their communities. But Kurt Martens, a canon lawyer and professor at Catholic University of America, wondered how the church would enforce the payment of fines, suggesting the penalty might be an example of wishful thinking" on the Vatican's part. You can have the most perfect legislation and the lousiest enforcement," Martens said in a phone interview. Unlike civil authorities, what is the power of the church to enforce penalties she ultimately chooses to enforce?" The need for such a lay-focused provision was made clear in the scandal involving Luis Figari, the lay founder of the Peru-based Sodalitium Christianae Vitae, a conservative movement that has 20,000 members and chapters throughout South America and the U.S. An independent investigation concluded Figari was a paranoid narcissist obsessed with sex and watching his underlings endure pain and humiliation. But the Vatican and local church dithered for years on how to sanction him since he wasn't a priest and couldn't be defrocked - the worst penalty foreseen for sexual abusers. Ultimately the Vatican decided to remove him from Peru and isolate him from the community. WARSAW, Poland (AP) Two men accused of spying for China went on trial Tuesday in Warsaw a Chinese citizen who is a former sales director of Huawei in Poland and a Polish cybersecurity expert. The men, Weijing Wang and Piotr Durbajlo, have both pleaded not guilty. At the start of Tuesday's session in Poland's capital, a prosecutor requested that the trial be held in secret because of the classified nature of some of the evidence. Defense lawyers objected, saying the nature of the charges requires that the proceedings be transparent. Both Wang, speaking in fluent Polish, and Durbajlo said they wanted an open trial. But after a brief recess, the three-judge panel announced the proceedings would be held behind closed doors, citing state interests, and journalists were told to leave. Wang and Durbajlo were arrested by Polish authorities in January 2019 and accused of spying for China under the cover of seeking business deals for Chinese technology company Huawei. The pair were arrested amid a wider geopolitical battle between the U.S. and China over technology and trade supremacy. Former President Donald Trump's administration lobbied European allies to boycott Huawei's next generation mobile phone networking gear over concerns that it could be used by Beijing to facilitate cyberespionage or digital sabotage. Wang has been in custody since his arrest. Durbajlo, a former cybersecurity expert for government agencies including the Internal Security Agency, was released on bail after six months in custody. According to the Gazeta Wyborcza daily, the indictment is partly classified, but its public section alleges that Wang is a Chinese intelligence agent and from 2011-2019 sought high-ranking contracts for Huawei that would give the Chinese company insight into, and influence over, state and local government data systems in Poland. Both men face criminal charges of taking part in a foreign intelligence operation and threatening Poland's interests. If convicted, they face a minimum of three years in prison. Wang studied in Poland and later served at the Chinese Consulate in Gdansk before moving over to a senior position at Huawei. He is also known by a Polish first name, Stanislaw. The Pole is suspected of helping him establish contacts and providing him with documents. Some observers say the documents were public and not classified. The trial is expected to take months and there is no date yet for the final verdict. Huawei declined to comment because the case was ongoing. It has repeatedly denied the U.S. allegations but since the pairs arrest, Huaweis fortunes in Europe have tumbled because of the U.S. campaign. Countries such as Britain and Sweden have banned Huawei equipment from their networks. Others, such as France, say they favor homegrown rivals like Ericsson and Nokia for security reasons. Balkan countries, meanwhile, have signed up to a U.S.-led Clean Network agreement aimed at excluding Chinese hardware providers. Huawei gear has been effectively blocked by the U.S. since 2012 and has also been shunned by Australia, New Zealand and Japan. ___ Kelvin Chan contributed to this report from London. The 87th Texas Legislature concluded Monday, and the Senate's highest-ranking woman and Hispanic member, Senator Judith Zaffirini, DLaredo, was the Senate's highest bill-passer for the fourth consecutive session. Despite challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, a significant budget deficit, and Winter Storm Uri, Senator Zaffirini passed 106 bills and extended her career-long voting record past 65,000 consecutive voteswell beyond that of any other legislator in the country. Her bills address the priorities of Senate District 21, which stretches from the Rio Grande to the Colorado River and from the Port of Corpus Christi to the Valley. "Although my district enjoys rich cultural diversity, we all share several universal needs," she said. "Our quality of life depends on economic vibrancy, access to health care, and excellent and affordable educational opportunities for all including early childhood and higher education." After the pandemic illuminated and exacerbated inequities in our health care system, Senator Zaffirini introduced legislation proposing important health and human services reforms. Among those passed by the Legislature were measures to help persons with disabilities enrolled in Medicaid find competitive, integrated employment (Senate Bill 50); require health insurers to cover ovarian cancer screenings (House Bill 428); authorize telehealth offerings for health occupations regulated by the Texas Department of Licensing and Registration (SB 40); establish a bone marrow donor recruitment program (SB 780); excuse absences for students diagnosed with or undergoing treatment for severe illness (HB 699); and prohibit organ transplant recipient discrimination on the basis of disability (HB 119). After persons were denied information regarding the state of the pandemic at their loved ones' nursing homes, Zaffirini filed and passed SB 930, which makes this information available to the public. "Never again will Texans be left in the dark about the health and safety of their families," said the senator. She also passed HB 1423, which requires long-term care facilities to submit to regular inspections and maintain an emergency power source. Senator Zaffirini advanced legislation improving higher education in Texas. Her SB 36, for example, incentivizes reporting of hazing and establishes a task force to study campus mental health statewide; SB 959 includes workforce education courses in criteria for student success-based funding for community colleges; HB 33 allows military experience to be considered for college course credit; and SB 884 transfers management of the Regional Campus at Laredo to The University of Texas System to operate as a multi-institution health education center. "Making higher education more accessible and affordable not only benefits students, but also ensures our economic future remains bright," she said. Last year's dramatic rise in unemployment inspired two bills to help persons more easily access their benefits: SBs 1801 and 2099, which modernize forms of payment accepted by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) and improve communication between unemployment compensation claimants and TWC, respectively. The senator's longstanding passion for advancing access to justice is reflected in additional bills passed this session. HB 4344 ensures the State Commission on Judicial Conduct processes complaints against judges timely; HB 79 provides for appointment of associate judges for guardianship proceedings and protective services proceedings; SB 41 consolidates civil court filing fees; SB 692 grants access to certain financial records by the Guardianship Abuse, Fraud, and Exploitation Deterrence Program; HB 295 funds indigent defense services; and SB 49 ensures that officials responsible for incarcerated persons can access their mental health records. As the eighth of 23 women elected to the Texas Senate since 1927, Senator Zaffirini has a distinct interest in advocating for protections for women, especially survivors of sexual assault and harassment. Her SB 45, for example, protects employees of companies with fewer than 15 employees from workplace sexual harassment. (Current law extends legal protections only to persons who work at companies with more than 15 employees.) HB 21 changes the deadline for filing a sexual harassment complaint with the Texas Workforce Commission from 180 to 300 days; HB 39 clarifies that agreed-to protective orders (POs) are enforceable, regardless of whether courts find that family violence occurred or is likely to occur in the future, allows adults to apply for POs related to human trafficking on behalf of children or persons under guardianship, and makes updates regarding expiry dates; SB 1458, which adds "indecent assault" to the list of offenses for which a court may issue a protective order; and HB 1172 establishes trauma-informed investigation procedures for sexual assault cases. Zaffirini's additional priority bills passed by the 87th Legislature include the following: HB 103, which establishes the Texas Active Shooter Alert System SB 43, which protects lenders against predatory wrap mortgage lending practices HB 375, which makes the sexual abuse of a disabled person a first degree felony SB 1772, which incentivizes solar power facilities to conserve habitats for bees and other pollinators SB 44, which allows state employees to volunteer with additional relief organizations after a disaster, rather than only with the American Red Cross HB 1301, which will create a study to improve living conditions in colonias "This session presented unique challenges and unique opportunities to make a difference for the families of Senate District 21," Senator Zaffirini said. "I look forward to continuing to work with constituents and stakeholders during the interim to develop meaningful solutions for the problems facing our district." Three murder cases and two capital murder cases will be in the Webb County courts this week. On Tuesday, Adolfo Villalobos is scheduled for a status hearing in the 406th District Court. Villalobos was indicted in October 2016 for the death of Vicente De La Rosa and the assault of Lauro De La Rosa. On April 6, 2014, the Laredo Police Department said it responded to a report of a shooting at about 2:30 a.m. in the 2900 block of Chestnut Street, located off South Ejido Avenue. Police said they arrived at the scene and found one man dead in the front passenger seat of a sport utility vehicle. He was identified as Vicente De La Rosa. His brother, Lauro De La Rosa, was in the drivers seat and had multiple gunshot wounds. He was taken in serious condition to a hospital. LPD said that shortly after arriving at the scene of the shooting, officers learned that a man, Villalobos, in the 3200 block of Chestnut, had a gunshot wound to his thigh. Through interviews with De La Rosa and witnesses, police said they learned that Villalobos had shot the brothers. LPD initially said Villalobos gunshot wound appeared to be self-inflicted. After his wound was treated, police arrested and charged Villalobos with murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. On Thursday, the second of three defendants in a murder case dating back to November 2018 will be in the 111th District Court for a motion hearing. Hector Rivera Jr., Victor Sauceda and Norberto Adame were each charged with murder and aggravated assault in connection to a double shooting that left Jose Jesus Martinez, 24, dead and Lesther Julian Castro Jr., 25, wounded. Adame was found guilty last week and sentenced to 20 years in prison. The online court docket states Rivera filed a motion on specific or missing discovery for the extraction of an iPhone by the Laredo Police Department and its agents. According to Laredo Police, officers received a call regarding shots fired near the 800 block of Olive Street and the intersection of McClelland Avenue and Travis Street. When officers arrived at the scene, they found Martinez in the back seat with multiple gunshot wounds and Castro in the drivers seat with a shot to the arm and abdomen. In the 111th District Court, Colton Quade Branning will be in court for a hearing on a motion to reduce his bond. Branning was arrested in connection with the body found with a gunshot wound to the head near the Texas Department of Public Safety Crime Lab, east of Bob Bullock Loop. Branning is accused of taking Justin Allen Heath, 25, to a dead end in the 4500 block of Clark Boulevard and shooting him in the head, according to the Webb County District Attorneys Office. The DAs office said Branning came from Vicksburg, Mississippi, to Laredo to participate in smuggling people and drugs. Branning has been at the Webb County Jail since he was booked on March 16. Heaths death marked the citys second homicide in 2021. Capital murder After a motion for disinterment was denied, Samuel Enrique Lopez is scheduled to be in the 406th District Court for a pretrial hearing on Thursday. Lopez was arrested in April 2020 in connection to the deaths of Zayra Marlen Fuentes, 33, Lesly Sarahy Hernandez, 18, Pedro Cruz, 12, and Julian Saracho, 2. Earlier in May, 406th District Court Judge Oscar J. Hale Jr. denied defenses motion to exhume a body. Hale found that Lopezs constitutional rights were not being denied based on the fact that evidence from Webb County Medical Examiner Dr. Corinne Stern and the state has been provided to the defense. On April 21, Kimberly Gonzalez, Lopezs attorney, filed a motion for disinterment of a body stating that the defense team has come to the conclusion that Webb County Medical Examiner Dr. Corinne Sterns findings are flawed and unreliable. In the states response, prosecutors add that defense fails to make a clear argument on the necessity to justify an exhumation. The proposed expert does not support the motion to exhume by any evidence: there is no affidavit, report or any other expert evidence supporting the motion, prosecutors state. On Friday, Cesar Rene Terrazas is scheduled for a plea status hearing in the 49th District Court. Terrazas was arrested on November 2019 on the charges of two counts of capital murder, one count of burglary of habitation with intent to commit other felony, and three counts of aggravated assault of a date, family, household member with a weapon, Webb County Jail records show. The case unfolded at about 5:42 a.m. Nov. 26, 2019 in the 100 block of Knoll Avenue, when Terrazas had allegedly gone looking for his ex-girlfriend of 2 years. Then, Terrazas allegedly used his AR-15 to ambush responding cops and wounded Officer Anthony Whitehawk Cabello, a seven-year veteran, in the right leg. He then broke into his ex-girlfriends home on Knoll and shot a locked bedroom door where the 19-year-old ex-girlfriend, her 52-year-old mother and her 21-year-old brother were seeking shelter, according to the affidavit. Police said they fought and disarmed Terrazas. Terrazas allegedly shot the mother twice in the upper torso during the physical altercation. Shots fired inside the home went out from the dwelling in the direction of police officers, authorities said. After several minutes, a male subject then exited the home with an assault weapon in his hands and charged toward LPD officers. At this point, an LPD officer discharged a single shot at the male subject carrying the assault rifle in an attempt to end the threat. It was later confirmed that the man carrying the assault rifle was the 21-year-old brother of the former girlfriend and not Terrazas, police had said in a statement. Officers Cabello; Eduardo Benavides, a 1-year rookie; and David Hinojosa, a 27-year veteran, are on administrative duties, pending the outcome of the criminal and internal investigations. Police believe that the three cops discharged their weapons 14 times throughout the incident while Terrazas fired more than 80 rounds. msalas@lmtonline.com NEW YORK (AP) An equal blend of black and white thread, the gray uniform worn by the New York State Police stands for the impartiality of justice. But this attire belies disparities within the agency, which for generations has failed to fill its ranks with troopers who reflect New York's diverse population. The agency remains overwhelmingly white an imbalance some troopers say is rooted in a legacy of racism. Of more than 4,700 troopers, only 4% are Black and 6% are Hispanic paltry proportions compared to the 16% and 19% of the state population those groups constitute. A half-dozen minority troopers told The Associated Press discrimination has flourished within the ranks, despite the agency having been ordered to diversify by a judge in the 1970s. One Black former State Police investigator, Michael Marin, recalled a white colleague admonishing him in 2008 to take the cotton youve been picking out your ears. It was like I was still on the farm, said Marin, who retired in 2019. It didnt seem extraordinary to me because thats how that job was. Trooper Lethonia Miller filed a complaint against a white supervisor for using racial slurs more than a dozen times in his presence. He said the culture in the State Police was systemically racist. No matter where I was or what I was doing, I was always reminded that I was Black, said Miller, who retired in 2016 and is suing the agency for retaliation. Its depressing to work as hard as you can and still be considered less than your white male counterparts. Every time I heard the word it was as if I was being told, Youre second class. Current leaders acknowledge the agency's lack of diversity has become more urgent amid a national reckoning over racial injustice. You cant just keep doing the same thing and expect different results, acting Superintendent Kevin Bruen said in an interview. We patrol the state, so our ethnic breakdown should roughly mirror that. To say its a priority for me would be an understatement. New Yorks is not the only state police force far whiter than its state population. All 38 state police departments that provided demographic data to the AP had a disproportionately high number of white troopers, when compared to each state's population. The Maryland State Police, for instance, is over 80% non-Hispanic white; that demographic group makes up only half the state's population. And although 30% of the Maryland population is non-Hispanic Black, only 12% of the state police force is Black. The U.S. Justice Department sued New York in 1977 for discriminating against minorities in promoting and hiring troopers, who patrol New Yorks highways, and, in some parts of the state, respond to 911 calls and investigate crimes. At the time, just 13 of the agencys 2,712 troopers were Black. A federal judge mandated that 40% of recruits entering the State Police training academy be Black or Hispanic, seeking to bring minority representation in line with the state's workforce. The same judge dissolved the remedial hiring goals in 1989 after the agency managed to increase its Black and Hispanic representation to 9% and 6%, respectively. The consent decree was quietly lifted in its entirety in 2015 after the state argued it had made great strides. The percentage of Black troopers had fallen to 6% by mid-2014 and has continued to decline. Pedro Perez, a former New York State Police deputy superintendent who retired in 2010, said the consent decree was dissolved without any inquiry into whether the attitudes of the officers and leadership was sufficiently changed. Those percentages of minorities, who are also underrepresented in senior leadership positions, are as good as almost nothing, said Michael Jenkins, a policing expert who teaches criminal justice at the University of Scranton. The agency is in a tough position to argue otherwise. Bruen, who assumed command of the State Police last year, agrees the agency's minority recruitment program needs work. In one step, the agency is abandoning a requirement that potential recruits take tests in person at state police buildings that can be difficult to reach and allowing candidates to do the exams electronically. You could take this test in Okinawa, Japan, and still get onto our list, Bruen said. What we need to do is reach people who dont necessarily picture themselves as troopers," Bruen added. "I firmly believe that being a great trooper is working for social justice and working for positive change. State Police brass acknowledge change won't come easily, particularly at a time when law enforcement agencies seek to rebuild trust in minority communities. The same challenges exist within the agency. Kim Bryson, a senior State Police investigator on Long Island, provided AP a copy of an image a white colleague hung in her office. Superimposing her face on that of a Black woman at work in a kitchen, it was captioned House of Chitlins a reference to food scraps given to slaves. It basically solidified for me who I was dealing with, Bryson said, adding the incident happened eight or nine years ago. I look forward to the day when I can honestly say the State Police takes racism seriously. Part and parcel of the problem is that its not punished. You might suspend someone, but theres no educational arm to that. Another former deputy superintendent, Anthony Ellis, recalled a disciplinary case involving a white trooper who pulled over a Black motorist driving with a young white woman asleep in his passenger seat with a pillow and blanket. The trooper ordered the woman out of the vehicle to ensure she was alright. Ellis, who led the State Police internal affairs bureau at the time, said a fellow ranking officer found no issue with the trooper's directive, explaining it could have been a carjacking. I wasn't as upset at the trooper we can train him, said Ellis, who is Black. "But I told my (colleague), If you think someone doing a carjacking brings a pillow and a blanket, youre in the wrong line of work. Tensions built last year after the heads of both the troopers and investigators unions backed Donald Trump for reelection. Troopers for Trump T-shirts began circulating at New York State Police barracks. It created this real problem for members of color," who weren't consulted before the endorsements, Bryson said. It was then Bryson decided to revive an organization known as the Guardians Association to represent the voice of minority troopers. Were really at a crossroads, Bryson said. I still think that gray in the uniform can be impartial. We just have to strive to make it a perfect blend." ___ Fassett reported from San Francisco. MELBOURNE, Australia A pandemic lockdown in Australias second largest city will be extended for a second week due to concerns over a growing cluster of coronavirus infections. Victoria state acting Premier James Merlino on Wednesday confirmed that Melbourne will remain in lockdown for seven more days from Friday, but pandemic restrictions will be eased elsewhere in the state. Merlino says that if we let this thing run its course, it will explode. Victoria officials said Wednesday that the state recorded six new locally acquired coronavirus cases in the latest 24-hour period, bringing the latest outbreak to 60 active infections. The lock down is the fourth for Melbourne, which has 5 million residents. ___ MORE ON THE VIRUS OUTBREAK: Peru raises COVID-19 death toll sharply, up to over 180,000 from previous count of nearly 70,000 Sons grief, guilt become tribute honoring COVID-19 victims Japans vaccine push ahead of Olympics looks to be too late Businesses close in Malaysia's second lockdown as surge puts health care system on verge of collapse ___ Follow more of APs pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic and https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine ___ HERES WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING: MEXICO CITY Mexico says a clinical review of past deaths has led officials to raise the countrys confirmed COVID-19 death toll by 4,272, to a total of 227,840. The adjustment announced Tuesday is largely one of record keeping, because even government officials acknowledge the true death toll is far higher. Because the country of 126 million people does so little testing, many Mexicans have died at home or never got a test. So the government searches death certificates for mentions of symptoms related to COVID-19. Those analyses of excess deaths related to COVID-19 now stand at over 348,750, which gives Mexico one of the highest per capita rates in the world. ___ JUNEAU, Alaska Alaska has begun offering coronavirus vaccinations at airports in a move that had been expected for the start of the summer travel season. The state health department said that as of Tuesday, vaccine eligibility has been expanded to include anyone in Alaska who is at least 12 years old, including visitors from other states or countries. Prior eligibility was for those who live or work in Alaska. Vaccines will be offered outside the areas secured by the federal Transportation Security Administration at airports in Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau. The health department says plans call for the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport to have available all three vaccines authorized for emergency use in the U.S., including the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. ___ INDIANAPOLIS Indiana University modified its COVID-19 vaccination requirement, making it optional that students and employees provide proof of getting the shots as school officials changed a policy that had drawn protests from many state officials. Indiana University said that under the revised requirement students and employees would be able to attest to their vaccination without having to provide immunization documentation as was required under the previous policy announced May 21. The university also said a form would be available Wednesday for those requesting exemptions from the vaccine requirement for medical or religious reasons. President Michael McRobbie said in a statement that the universitys primary concern has been ensuring the health and safety of its students and staff. He added: This requirement will make a return to normal a reality for the fall semester. The changes come after the state attorney general issued last week a non-binding opinion that the policy was illegal under a new state law banning the state or local governments from requiring vaccine passports. ___ TORONTO Canadas National Advisory Committee on Immunization says people who got the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine for the first dose can be offered either Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna for the second. The advice affects more than two million Canadians who received the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine before provinces stopped using it for first doses last month. The vaccine is potentially linked to a rare but serious blood clotting syndrome. In Canada, 41 confirmed or suspected cases of vaccine-induced thrombotic thrombocytopenia have been diagnosed and five people have died. Several European countries are giving Pfizer or Moderna as second doses to AstraZeneca recipients, including Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Sweden, Norway and Spain. NACIs published report says AstraZeneca recipients can be offered the same vaccine if they want it, or can be given either Pfizer or Moderna. They say they are basing their advice on the risk of VITT, and emerging evidence that mixing and matching different types of vaccines is not only safe but may produce a better immune response. The guidance is not binding but most provincial governments have indicated they were waiting for the information before setting their policies for second doses. ___ NEW YORK Health researchers estimate that during the early months of the U.S. COVID-19 epidemic, 7,000 to 10,000 more kidney disease patients died than normally would. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published the report Tuesday. The researchers focused on about 800,000 patients who early last year had kidney failure. About 60,000 of them died between the beginning of February and the end of August last year. The researchers compared those numbers to trends in the same patient population during other recent years, and concluded such deaths had risen by as much as 10,000. Patterns of where the patients died were similar to maps of where COVID-19 hit the United States in the first months of the pandemic. But the authors say more research is needed to determine what drove the increase whether it was due to coronavirus infections, difficulty accessing medical care or other reasons. Overall, between Feb. 1, 2020 and May 15, 2021, the CDC reports that the nation saw about 643,000 more deaths than usual. ___ WASHINGTON The Memorial Day weekend has produced the two busiest days for U.S. air travel since early March 2020. The U.S. Transportation Security Administration said about 1.96 million people passed through U.S. airport security checkpoints on Friday, and 1.90 million did so on Monday. Tuesday was also expected to be busy, as travelers returned home after the Memorial Day weekend. Analysts expect travel to continue rising slowly now that many Americans are vaccinated against COVID-19 and airlines are adding more flights. In May, an average of 1.6 million people a day were screened at U.S. airports, down one-third from the 2.4 million people a day who went through TSA checkpoints in May 2019. ___ LONDON Londons Heathrow Airport has reopened a terminal that was mothballed during the coronavirus pandemic to handle passengers now arriving from high-risk countries. Critics say the action should have been taken sooner. Britain has barred travelers from a red list of 43 coronavirus hotspots including India, Brazil and Turkey. U.K. nationals and residents returning from those countries face a mandatory 10-day quarantine in a hotel. Other travelers coming from amber list countries like the United States can do their mandatory 10-day quarantine at home in the U.K. Critics have complained that red list passengers have been using the same massive airport arrivals hall as travelers from other destinations, though in separate lines, since the hotel quarantines were introduced in February. Starting Tuesday, red list arrivals will pass through the airports Terminal 3, which was closed in April 2020 as international air travel plummeted. ____ CAMBRIDGE, Mass. American pharmaceutical company Moderna says it has begun the process to win full U.S. regulatory approval for the use of its COVID-19 vaccine in adults. Moderna announced it has begun a rolling submission to the Food and Drug Administration of data from its studies of the two-dose vaccine. Modernas vaccine already has been cleared for emergency use by the FDA and regulators in numerous other countries. So far, more than 124 million doses have been administered in the United States. Large-scale studies of the shots continued after Modernas emergency authorization. The FDA will scrutinize the information to see if the vaccine meets stringent criteria for full licensure. Moderna is the second COVID-19 vaccine maker to seek full approval, following Pfizer and German partner BioNTech. Last week, Moderna also announced that its vaccine appears safe and effective in kids as young as 12. The company plans to seek emergency authorization for teen use this month. ____ GENEVA The World Health Organization has issued an emergency use listing for the COVID-19 vaccine made by Sinovac in adults aged 18 and over, the second such authorization it has granted to a Chinese company. The U.N. health agency said on Tuesday that data submitted to its experts showed that two doses of the vaccine prevented people from getting symptoms of COVID-19 in about half of those who got the vaccine. WHO said there were few older adults enrolled in the research, so it could not estimate how effective the vaccine was in people over age 60. WHOs authorization means the vaccine can be bought by donors and other U.N. agencies for use in poorer countries, including in the U.N.-backed initiative to distribute COVID-19 vaccines globally known as COVAX. Last month, WHO gave the green light to the COVID-19 vaccine made by Sinopharm. It has also licensed vaccines developed by Pfizer-BioNTech, Johnson & Johnson, Moderna Inc and AstraZeneca. The COVAX effort has been slowed considerably after its biggest supplier in India said it would not be able to provide any more vaccines until the end of the year. To date, there is no confirmed deal for Sinovac doses with COVAX. ____ ALGIERS, Algeria Algeria partially reopened its skies to flights after a 14-month shutdown to try to keep out the coronavirus. A first flight of the national carrier Air Algerie took off for Paris on Tuesday and another was expected to land in Algiers, the capital. Great caution governed the reopening, with limited flights, tests for COVID-19 and a required quarantine. Those heading to Algiers must have a negative test less than 36 hours before boarding, and all passengers must undergo a five-day quarantine in a hotel requisitioned by the state. A negative test result is required to leave the hotel. ____ LONDON Britains government said no new coronavirus deaths were reported Tuesday, the first time this has happened since July 2020. The positive news came amid concern about increasing cases in the U.K. of the coronavirus variant first identified in India, and uncertainty about whether authorities will press ahead with the final stages of easing social restrictions later this month. As of Tuesday there have been a further 3,165 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the U.K., compared to about 2,500 cases last week. Some parts of northwestern England have seen a steep rise in infections. Officials have said that up to three-quarters of these new cases are the Indian variant, which they say appear to be more transmissible. Official figures showed no deaths within 28 days of testing positive for the coronavirus were reported Tuesday. The U.K. total death toll stood at 127,782, the highest in Europe. ____ GENEVA The European Medicines Agency said it has recommended approving two additional manufacturing and finishing sites for the coronavirus vaccine made by Pfizer and BioNTech. The EU drug regulator said in a statement on Tuesday that the additional vaccine production and filling sites were at Pfizers factory in Puurs, Belgium. The EMA said its decision, based on a review of manufacturing data submitted by BioNTech, is expected to have a significant and immediate impact on the supply of the vaccine for the 27 countries in the EU made by Pfizer and BioNTech. Last month, the EU Commission signed a third contract with Pfizer-BioNTech to obtain an additional 1.8 billion doses of their vaccine from 2021 to 2023. That contract stipulated that vaccine production be based in the EU and that delivery to the EU be guaranteed in 2022. In April, the EU sued AstraZeneca for its failure to deliver on the hundreds of millions of doses Europe had been promised in its contract. ____ NEW YORK A play about young Black men trapped on a street corner has positioned itself as the first Broadway show audiences can watch live when the Great White Way restarts. Antoinette Chinonye Nwandus Pass Over will begin performances Aug. 4 at the August Wilson Theatre, several weeks before any other show. Riffing of Waiting for Godot, the play is seemingly perfect for a post-COVID-19 Broadway: Just three actors and an intermission-less 85-minute running time. The play was first staged in 2017 in Chicago and was filmed by Spike Lee. It was most recently produced at Lincoln Centers off-Broadway theater in 2018 and that cast will make the leap to Broadway. The Trading Post donated $5000. Teresa Smyth and Heather Free. Seasons for Growth is putting more resources into its grief support sessions for adults, due to an increase in demand for its services. It has been aided by a $5000 donation by the Mahurangi Community Trading Post, awarded last month. The next intake for group meetings for adults begins on June 22 and there are still spaces remaining. Heather Free and Teresa Smyth say Seasons for Growth teaches techniques and skills to allow people to adapt to significant changes or loss in their life. This could include an illness, a death of a loved one, the end of a significant relationship or any other kind of major loss. The small groups are a safe place to explore grief. It can be a benefit to hear what other people are going through in their lives, Heather says. The groups are run by trained volunteer companions, who come from a variety of backgrounds, from counsellors to teachers. Heather says Seasons for Growth is always looking for new volunteers and the only firm criteria is that companions must have experienced grief or loss themselves. Meetings are held at the Anglican Churches in Warkworth and Wellsford, however, it is not a religious programme. Seasons for Growth has been in Mahurangi since 2011, and has mostly concentrated on providing support for children in schools. Heather and Teresa say many of the children in the programme are coming to terms with the separation of their parents. Some have parents who have recently been put in prison. Others have had to come to terms with a parent having a terminal illness. One woman who was in the process of passing away was able to sit with her daughter. They were able to talk to each other about how they were feeling. Heather says one of the aims with young people is to build resilience so that when they encounter big changes or loss they have more tools to deal with that experience. The changing seasons metaphor speaks to the fact that in the winter it can seem dark and lonely, but spring arrives and it is a time for new growth and opportunities, she says. Contact Heather Free at seasonswarkworthwellsford@gmail.com Cafe witnesses development of Yangtze River Delta Xinhua) 16:18, June 01, 2021 SHANGHAI, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Huang Liyan gets up at 6:30 a.m., arrives at Suzhou High-speed Railway Station at 8 a.m., and pulls in at Shanghai Hongqiao High-speed Railway Station between 9 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. Since 2015, white-collar worker Huang has been working across provinces. "The cost of living in Suzhou is relatively low and the city is livable. Shanghai has a close work circle and there are many opportunities there," she said, adding that she hopes that there will be more trains between the two cities, and that there will be preferential policies for inter-provincial workers. "It's about a 10 minute walk (from the train station) to my workplace, and I'll buy a cup of coffee at INK on my way," she said. INK, a small cafe located in the Hongqiao Business District of Shanghai, does not have many drink options but it still attracts customers from Shanghai and the Yangtze River Delta region. The cafe has witnessed the integration of the Yangtze River Delta region over the past five years. "Five years ago, we chose to open a cafe here because we were optimistic about the prospects of the Hongqiao Business District," said Wu Minjie, the cafe's owner. Wu recalled that back then, nearby shopping malls and office buildings had not yet been built. "In the first two years, very few people would pass by my cafe, and those who passed by were construction workers." During the worst period, only one cup of coffee was sold a day. Wu once entertained the idea of giving up. "But it's the first store my wife and I opened and we had put a lot of effort into it, so we didn't want to close it. Also, we firmly believed the district would see good development," he said. It was announced in 2017 that China would hold the China International Import Expo from 2018, and the venue, the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), is about 1 km from the cafe. "After the news was released, many companies settled in the district. Our business gradually got better," he said. In December 2019, an outline of the regional integration development plan for the Yangtze River Delta was released. It said that Hongqiao would be developed into an international open hub, promoting the deep integration of high-end business, exhibition and transportation functions, and further enhancing the hub function of serving the Yangtze River Delta and connecting it with the world. In February 2021, the overall plan for the construction of the Hongqiao international open hub was released, aiming to build Hongqiao into a high-standard international central business district. Zhang Liang, a frequent visitor at the cafe, has settled in Hongqiao. "It's close to the airport and high-speed railway station, making it convenient for me to travel. I'm thinking about moving my office here to reach the Yangtze River Delta region more easily," said Zhang. (Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun) Most of the parks that put out overcrowding alerts are on the eastern side of the state, closer to large population centers, she said. Though some other parks do get high visitation at times, its not like the day use in the parks closer to where more people live. Click the image above to view slideshow Whangaparaoa MP Mark Mitchell had a special memory from his days on the police force to share recently with NZ media personality David Hartnell. David, 77, visited Orewa to unveil his new star on the Walk of Fame on May 22. His original star, which has been in place since 2011, had to be replaced with the new design because the stars were considered too similar to the ones in Hollywood. Before David unveiled his new star, Mark reminded him of when they last met. When I was a new policeman at Balmoral, I was called to a serious motor vehicle accident, Mark said. There were two people trapped in the car it was David, along with broadcaster Alice Worsley. My partner and I were able to get them both out of the vehicle and then paramedics took over. So I guess you could say I helped save Davids life, and I havent seen him since. Unveiling the new star, David said he is proud to be in the company of so many fine New Zealand entertainers. Davids original star was pulled up and given to him by the Walk of Fames owner, Hibiscus and Bays Local Board chair Gary Brown. Frank Allen, UB student turned solar fact-checker, talked about misinformation, scholarly tactics and the technological and environmental issue that's turned into an us versus them political show in Niagara County. (Photograph by Benjamin Joe) The beginning of the school year when you got to show off your new duds, new cars, new looks! Sports! Playing, cheering, watching high school athletics. The arts: Dramatic arts, musical groups and shows, graphic arts groups, debate, etc. The prom! No dancing the night away or punch bowl antics. The daily interactions. Just being with the group, hanging with friends and classmates. Access to college recruiters and advisors its harder to line up higher education. Walking onstage to get a diploma while all the family is watching with everyone elses family. Vote View Results Omniplex Cinemas have announced a phased re-opening plan for cinemas in the Republic of Ireland as follows: June 7 - Arklow, Cork, Dundalk, Galway, Limerick, Rathmines, Sligo, Tralee, Wexford June 11 - Carlow, Balbriggan, Drogheda, Monaghan, Roscommon, Waterford June 18 - Shannon, Longford July - Killarney (new cinema) September - Nenagh (following major renovations) Omniplex will continue with safety measures introduced last year including. In-Cinema Seat Separation 2 metre bubble around each cinema booking. Families and friends may sit beside each other up to a maximum of 5 guests. Online Ticketing and Shop tickets may be purchased online and pre-ordering of cinema treats online, for collection, is encouraged. Limited capacity maximum of 50 per screen, with social distancing also in place in foyers and toilets. Enhanced cleaning regimes including screen protection at all customer touchpoints. Sanitisation stations in foyers Reduced showtimes only one movie will start and end at a time to facilitate social distancing and extra cleaning. Mark Anderson, Director of Omniplex Cinemas commented, The re-opening of cinemas in Ireland, after nearly 6 months closed, is a seminal moment for cinema lovers. Were delighted to start re-opening our doors next week with a selection of brand-new movies. In order to enjoy a safe cinema going experience we will continue with measures introduced last year like online ticketing, reduced auditorium capacity and self-scanning of tickets. Ireland is the highest cinema attending nation in Europe and at a time when escapism is needed, Omniplex hopes that cinemas can fill that need. This is an exciting time as the country opens up after a challenging and prolonged period of restrictions. The number of cases of Covid-19 in the Midlands (Longford, Westmeath, Laois, Offaly) is steady at approximately 20 cases per day. While the rate of Covid-19 does not appear to be increasing, there is a risk that lifting restrictions too quickly will cause an increase in numbers. 50% of our adult population have had one dose of vaccine and 20% have had two. This means that most Irish people are still vulnerable to infection and can still be potentially harmed by the virus. There is no guarantee of safety, even for a young person. Young people can still become severely unwell and may require hospitalisation or ICU treatment. We are not quite sure yet whether Covid variants of concern (VOCs) are going to be a problem in Ireland. Dr Una Fallon, Director of Public health in the Midlands said, "as the HSE copes with the recent cyber-attack, we are asking the community to do everything they can to prevent preventable illnesses such as Covid. This does not mean we cannot enjoy getting out and about again. But please do so carefully. Please do not have big social gatherings INSIDE and please be incredibly careful outside where you should still keep your distance." Within our communities, there are still a few unvaccinated groups that need to be protected. Leaving Cert exams start on June 9 and any student who becomes a case or a close contact, from now on, is at risk of missing an exam and relying on predicted grades. They will have to isolate or restrict their movements for at least 10 days and may miss more than one exam. Dr Fallon said, "It is really important for students who want to sit exams and their families to cocoon themselves and not expose themselves to any possibility of Covid infection. Leaving Cert students should not meet up in the 14 days before exams and avoid in-person study groups. In particular, they should avoid super-spreading events such as parties." Leaving Cert students and everyone around them need to practice basic prevention measures; keep a 2-metre distance, wear a face-covering, keep all indoor spaces well ventilated and practice good hand hygiene. This will help prevent becoming a case or a close contact. Dr Abigail Collins, Consultant in Public Health Medicine, HSE Schools lead, who has been working closely with the Department of Education, stated, "While only 3.4% of school-going children have had Covid, 100% of children have had their education significantly interrupted. Primary school children and some children with special education needs will continue to go to school until the end of June. It is important they do not miss any more of the school year." All schools have been advised not to have school tours unless they can walk to an outdoor venue. If classes are going out, please stick to pods and do not mix classes. Dr Collins went on to say, "We do not recommend that photographers attend schools to take school photographs. Persons attending schools should be limited to those required for education purposes, inspections, health and safety/welfare requirements. "Right now, it is important that we protect opportunities for children and keep schools open and as low risk an environment as possible. Parents, students, and all school staff, please keep following public health guidelines, minimise your exposures to Covid and stay at home if you have symptoms." Gardai are seeking the public's help in tracing the whereabouts of Joseph (Joe) McMorrow, 67 years, who is missing from his home in Kinlough, Co. Leitrim since 17th May 2021. He is described as being 5' 7" in height with a slim build. Joseph has blue eyes and has grey, balding hair. It is not known what Joseph was wearing at the time he went missing. Anyone with information on Josephs whereabouts is asked to contact Manorhamilton Garda Station on 071 982 0620 or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111. Longford Association in Dublin remembers 'beautiful lady' Shirley Cunningham The members of the Association were left reeling in complete disbelief and sadness on hearing the news of passing of Shirley Cunningham, Glasnevin North, a lovely young woman in her prime. Ensure you get a print copy of the Loudoun Times-Mirror delivered weekly to your home or business! Complete online access is included with all print subscriptions purchased online. Plus, up to four other members of your household can share online access through this subscription with their own, individual linked accounts at no additional charge. (Are you a current advertiser? Ask your sales rep for our special advertiser rate code!) In a split decision last fall, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that mail ballots must be signed and dated to count. But that decision also allowed undated ballots to be counted in the 2020 election. And a local Democratic election lawyer has said there may be some wiggle room in the courts decision, since the deciding vote, from Justice David Wecht, came with an expectation that voters would have more warning of the need to date their ballots before the next election. (Alliance News) - The following is a round-up of London-listed company director and manager changes announced on Tuesday and not separately reported by Alliance News: Tekmar Group PLC - provider of technology and services for offshore energy markets - Hires Derek Bulmer as new chief financial officer. Sue Hurst, the current CFO, steps down from the role on Tuesday but will remain on the board for a transition period. Bulmer was CFO and in-house counsel for AIM-listed radiation detection technology firm Kromek Group PLC from 2010 until last year. Prior to Kromek, he had worked at brick maker Ibstock PLC, among other employers. Tekmar also announced its annual results on Tuesday. For the 12 months ended March 31, it swung to pretax loss of GBP2.5 million from a profit of GBP2.0 million the year before, on revenue which declined 29% to GBP29.1 million from GBP40.9 million. Redx Pharma PLC - Macclesfield, England-based discovery of treatments for cancer and fibrotic disease - Chair Iain Ross steps down as a director immediately "to pursue other business opportunities". Redx makes Independent Non-Executive Director Peter Presland the interim chair as it starts search for new chair. "Iain has been the lynchpin in the turnaround of Redx, and we are very grateful for his innumerable contributions as chairman over the last four years," says Chief Executive Officer Lisa Anson. Ross says he remains "a supportive shareholder". Chamberlin PLC - West Midlands-based castings and engineering - New CEO Kevin Price and new Finance Director Alan Tomlinson join the board on Tuesday. Non-Executive Director Trevor Brown moves to executive director, responsible for company strategy, effective immediately, while David Flowerday resigns as non-executive director from Monday. Challenger Energy Group PLC - assets in Bahamas, Uruguay, Trinidad & Tobago and Suriname, previously known as Bahamas Petroleum Co PLC - Eytan Uliel formally takes up role as CEO. Simon Potter steps down as CEO but remains as non-executive director. Stephen Bizzell joins board as non-executive director, replacing Ross McDonald. Longboat Energy PLC - North Sea-focused exploration and production - Hires Nick Ingrassia as corporate development director. Ingrassia had joined Longboat back in September. Among other roles, he had worked at Faroe Petroleum PLC, whose former management team are behind Longboat Energy. Ingrassia's appointment comes alongside Longboat's announcement on Tuesday of three acquisitions to develop an exploration drilling programme on the Norwegian continental shelf. The acquisitions will be accompanied by a GBP35 million equity raise and are classified as a reverse takeover of Longboat under AIM rules. Trustpilot AS - Copenhagen-based online consumer reviews platform - Hires Joe Hurd as independent non-executive director. California-based Hurd is an independent public board director and adviser. India Capital Growth Fund Ltd - invests directly, or indirectly, in companies based in India - Hires Lynne Duquemin as non-executive director, effective immediately, as successor to Peter Niven, who will retire from the board at the end of 2021. Duquemin is a Guernsey resident with "deep experience of investment management and advisory services". By Tom Waite; thomaslwaite@alliancenews.com Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. (Alliance News) - Ocado Group PLC is considering expanding its retail operations to new markets outside the UK, the Financial Times reported Tuesday. The online grocer will consider launching operations in regions where it does not have an existing supermarket customer, leaving several large markets in western Europe as possible targets. "The pandemic, we believe, has permanently accelerated the channel shift [to e-commerce] and some of those markets that were behind the UK are more attractive for somebody to enter aggressively now than they were before the pandemic," Ocado Chief Executive & Co-Founder Tim Steiner told the newspaper in an interview. "If we haven't got the right potential partner there, then they're more attractive for us to think about ourselves." While Ocado's primary focus remains on expanding its large out-of-town warehouses, Steiner told the FT that, in the coming years, it may open up to 20 of its smaller Zoom sites, which support the company's one-hour-delivery service. https://www.ft.com/content/e0e1e9a2-b617-45a6-8dfe-06feeff0b6de By Will Paige; willpaige@alliancenews.com Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. (Alliance News) - The following is a round-up of updates by London-listed companies, issued on Tuesday and not separately reported by Alliance News: CML Microsystems PLC - Maldon, England-based radio frequency semiconductor maker - Plans to move from London Stock Exchange's Main Market to AIM market. Believes shift is in best interests with AIM a "more appropriate regulatory environment" for firm. Adds that there is no immediate need to appoint a financial director and, as a result, Nigel Clark will become executive chair effectively immediately, while retaining overall responsibility for the finance function at board level. Since former financial director departed in February 2020, Clark has held dual role of chair and finance director on interim basis. IronRidge Resources Ltd - Australia-based minerals exploration company - Concludes that Cape Coast Lithium Portfolio is "materially undervalued" in IronRidge's current structure and requires a "distinct, separate focus to release its true value". Plans demerger of gold assets in Ivory Coast and Chad into new gold focused entity structured to permit quotation on a recognised stock exchange. "Whilst it is in the intention of the company to progress with a demerger of the company's gold assets, there will be a number of steps and conditions that will need to be addressed as part of finalising the demerger structure and there can be no guarantee that the demerger will complete," it adds. Oxford Cannabinoid Technologies Holdings PLC - cannabinoid medicine company - On Friday last week enters into a new consultancy agreement with Voisin Consulting Sarl to support and develop a regulatory strategy and roadmap for the UK and the US markets, and provide analysis of Oxford Cannabinoid's development plan to support first time in humans clinical trials. Avingtrans PLC - company which provides engineered components - Says its subsidiary Stainless Metalcraft has agreed to exercise the option to enter into the second phase of the contract to provide stainless steel storage boxes for Sellafield Ltd. The three metre cubed box contract is now worth up to GBP70 million and represents a GBP20 million uplift to the original contract awarded in 2015. The agreement to exercise the option marks Metalcraft's transition to the second phase of the three metre cubed box work with Sellafield. The boxes will be used to store intermediate level waste retrieved from silos at legacy locations in Cumbria. As part of this transition, Metalcraft will be producing circa 1,000 boxes over phase two of the programme, which is currently expected to take six years. Angle PLC - biopsy company - Reports research by Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri, US, into the utility of the Parsortix system to isolate rare cancer cells present in the bone marrow of breast cancer patients. Analysis of disseminated tumour cells in breast cancer patients may help to inform treatment decisions and potentially prevent relapse for patients in remission. The Parsortix system was evaluated alongside multiple other approaches and found to be the most effective for harvesting disseminated tumour cells. Furthermore, the Parsortix system was found to have several other advantages over alternative approaches investigated including ease of operation, minimal handling of samples and easy recovery of viable cells. Nuformix PLC - pharmaceutical development company - Confirms it has started the planned studies on its pipeline assets NXP002 and NXP004. For NXP002, additional pre-clinical activities on inhalation feasibility data package commenced, the company says, while, for NXP004, additional research into new physical forms commenced. "We are expecting results later in the year and further updates will be communicated when appropriate data are available," says Chief Executive Anne Brindley. Harvest Minerals Ltd - remineraliser producer - Buys at nominal value the mineral rights over an area prospective for the exploration of agriculture limestone, a critical soil input used to neutralise soil acidity by raising its pH levels. Located in the municipality of Iguatama, Minas Gerais, the project is 168 kilometres from Harvest's Arapua fertiliser project. No financial details of the deal were disclosed. Ariana Resources PLC - exploration and development company operating in Europe - Reports the commencement of exploration activities in eastern Europe through its investee Western Tethyan Resources Ltd. Ariana says it will hold 75% interest in Western Tethyan, following at least EUR100,000 of exploration funding during the remainder of 2021, with the local team holding the reminder. "As part of the project generative work being undertaken by our in-house specialists, we have already commenced an extensive remote-sensing study utilising ASTER and Sentinel-2 multispectral satellite datasets initially across Kosovo and North Macedonia. This work utilises various image processing algorithms to target key alteration minerals associated with mineral deposits. In addition, geophysical datasets are being acquired and reprocessed, which, when coupled with the remote-sensing studies, will improve exploration targeting," says Ariana Managing Director Kerim Sener. Power Metal Resources PLC - metals exploration and development company - Subsidiary Golden Metal Resources Ltd and GR Silver Mining Ltd agree on an option for Golden Metal to earn-in to 100% of the Golconda Summit gold property located in central Nevada, US. Golconda Summit is an early-stage gold exploration project, which is considered prospective for the identification of additional near-surface gold mineralisation. "We recently formed Golden Metal to act as a holding company for new acquisitions of precious and base metal projects located in North America and I am pleased to announce this first transaction within the mining friendly state of Nevada," says Chief Executive Paul Johnson. Ironveld PLC - exploration and development company - Says its subsidiary Luge Prospecting & Mining Pty Ltd has had a mining right application accepted in respect of vanadiferous-titaniferous magnetite over the farms Luge 697 LR and Non Plus Ultra 683 LR. Following completion of the standard environmental and water use licence work, as well as community engagement, it is expected that the mining right will be granted in the second half of 2021. Savannah Resources PLC - resource development company - Reports increasing interest from groups seeking to strategically undertake investment in its Mina do Barroso project in Portugal. The interest reflects the increasing appetite for exposure to the lithium value chain within the wider investment community. Savannah says it intends to leverage this degree of commercial interest in Mina do Barroso to create an economic platform to support the project's development and to maximise shareholder value. Savannah says it is now evaluating its strategic options. This process may include alternative or supplementary offtake contracts, with or without investment from the offtaker in Savannah or the project directly. Scotgold Resources Ltd - company which invests in gold mining industry - Says its Cononish project, located in Scotland, has been producing both gold concentrate and gravity separated gold dore, following the resolution of various outstanding technical issues affecting the processing plant. The company also says it is "pleased" with the quality of ore that has been mined and produced through the process plant. Going forward, Scotgold says its focus is to further enhance safe production through consistency and stability of mine and process plant operations in parallel with the opening of multiple faces of ore in the underground mine itself. Avacta Group PLC - Yorkshire-based drug and medical equipment maker - Says it is anticipated that Mologic will receive confirmation of registration of the AffiDX SARS-CoV-2 antigen lateral flow test for the UK market from the Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency shortly. Avacta is partnering with Mologic for the test. "The regulatory submissions to both the MHRA and to a competent authority in a European Union member state were sub-contracted by Mologic to an independent regulatory consulting agency. An error made by that agency, for which it was solely responsible, resulted in a delay to the MHRA submission which was finally made on 28 May," says Avacta. Adds that submission of the declaration of conformity has also been made to a competent authority in an EU member state to enable marketing and sale of the AffiDX test in the EU. Omega Diagnostics separately notes publication of manuscript which provides positive study data relating to Mologic's lateral flow antigen test for Covid-19. The study concludes that the Mologic test, which has been commercialised by Omega as the Visitect Covid-19 Antigen test, has fulfilled the WHO target diagnostic accuracy with a high sensitivity detecting individuals with high viral load infections. Omega says this is "great news" for the Mologic test. Secured Income Fund PLC - specialist secured lending income investment trust - Is undertaking review of its Film Production Financing portfolio, which had a book value for all six loans of GBP9.6 million as of April 30. "The portfolio comprises six film financings and the Fund Manager, KKV, has established that the restrictions and changed operating practices resulting from the Covid pandemic are likely to have a significantly bigger detrimental impact on these assets than originally anticipated," it says. Thus, review of portfolio expected to result in a substantial increase in provisioning against the book values of all six loans. Sensyne Health PLC - Oxford, England-based clinical technology using artificial intelligence - Signs production contract with the UK's Department of Health & Social Care to use firm's MagnifEye AI technology for reading Covid-19 lateral flow diagnostic tests as part of the UK government's asymptomatic testing programme. Revenue from contract will be shared with Excalibur Health Systems under the terms of the exclusive agreement between the two companies. "This is a significant commercial milestone in Sensyne's development and underlines the potential of our world-class expertise in clinical AI applied to diagnostic testing. We are delighted to be working with the Department of Health & Social Care to support the UK's national Covid testing programme, which is making a huge impact in helping the nation to recover from the pandemic," says Chief Executive Paul Drayson. Marble Point Loan Financing Ltd - investment firm - Reports net asset value per share of USD0.73 as at March-end, up from USD0.71 at end of December 2020. CAP-XX Ltd - Australia-based supercapacitors and energy management systems manufacturer - Says Everactive selects the CAP-XX HA230F supercap as the energy storage component for its batteryless Eversensors. "Everactive chose the CAP-XX prismatic supercapacitors for their ability to efficiently collect and store harvested energy and release burst power as required to power the IoT device," it says. Trinity Exploration & Production PLC- Trinidad & Tobago-focused oil exploration and production company - Signs memorandum of understanding with the University of the West Indie, St Augustine Campus, to explore and develop new projects to enable energy transition in Trinidad and Tobago, and, potentially, in the wider Caribbean and beyond. "The MoU covers a range of business opportunities, renewables or otherwise, which may be mutually beneficial to the parties. The inaugural output from this partnership will be a Wind Resource Assessment project situated in the southeast of Trinidad," it says. Diurnal Group PLC - Cardiff, Wales-based pharmaceutical company focused on hormonal diseases - Triggers payments totalling USD1.3 million from Citrine Medicine Inc, its partner in China, relating to the recent European Commission's approval for Efmody and the attainment by Citrine of certain development milestones in China for Alkindi. Asiamet Resources Ltd - focused on the development of copper-gold deposits in Indonesia - Says Value Enhancement works related to transitioning the BKM copper mine development from a heap leach to tank leach processing route is "making solid progress". Asiamet expects to receive revised capital and operating spending estimates by mid-late July 2021 and will then complete an update of the project economics. FastForward Innovations Ltd - investor in life sciences and technology businesses particularly within the medical cannabis field - Notes that investee Yooma Wellness Inc plans to seek dual-listing on the Aquis Stock Exchange Growth Market and, in connection with this, plans financing of up to GBP10.0 million to help fund three proposed acquisitions. Shares will be dual-listed on Canadian Securities Exchange and the AQSE Growth Market. FastForward holds 5.1% stake in Yooma. TomCo Energy PLC - unconventional hydrocarbon development in US - Has received draft of the Front-End Engineering and Design study that has been previously outlined. Says study will be finalised following company's and Greenfield's review with the third-party verification exercise on the process also nearing completion, with all planned on-site activities having been undertaken. Currently anticipated that the study and the third party verification work will be finalised by early July. "Further to the lifting of the Cessation Order on 25 May 2021 and resumption of operations at the POSP, the rate of production has been increasing such that Greenfield anticipates that it will shortly reach the targeted production level of 250 barrels of oil per day," it says. Castillo Copper Ltd - base metal explorer primarily focused on copper across Australia and Zambia - Has geology team has finalised the drilling campaign for the Big One deposit which will comprise 26 drill-holes for 2,828 metres. This includes 108 metres of HQ diamond coring in two drill-holes to collect detailed assay, density, and geotechnical measurements. "In line with the Castillo's strategic intent to evolve into a mid-tier copper group, the board remains optimistic 2021 will be a transformative year," it says. Ferro-Alloy Resources Ltd - developer of Balasausqandiq vanadium deposit in Kazakhstan - Reports completion of the initial investment by Vision Blue Resources, triggering receipt of a further investment of USD1.6 million in addition to the USD1.5 million already made, bring total invested by Vision Blue and its coinvestors to date to USD3.1 million. Investment to be made via the issue of 12.8 million shares. Mick Davis to assume role of chair, with current chair, Chris Thomas, to assume the role of non-executive director following Davis's appointment. Davis was previously chief financial officer of Billiton and chair of Billiton Coal. Cambium Global Timberland Ltd - plantation forest owner - Says talks over potential sale of financial assets have terminated. "The company is reviewing alternatives in relation to how it will seek to implement its strategy of returns to shareholders following the sale of its forestry assets previously announced," it says. Echo Energy PLC - Latin American focused upstream oil & gas company - Says disbursements totalling ARS48.4 million, around USD500,000, owed to subsidiary Eco Energy TA Op Ltd have now been received. "This cash payment demonstrates the continuing successful processing of VAT refunds owed to the Company by the Argentine authority, AFIP, as it resumes normal activity following months of Covid-19 related shut down," it says. Adds that the 2020 PP&E VAT claim of ARD54.8 million for Eco Energy TA Op as been accepted by the Argentine VAT office. Eco Energy CDL Op Ltd has also had its 2020 PP&E VAT claim of ARS8.1 million approved. The Argentine VAT office has also separately now approved the Free VAT application Eco Energy CDL Op Ltd of ARS9.5 million and Echo has completed a sale of this VAT credit in exchange for cash. "The unlocking of the Argentine VAT refund process is, and is expected to continue, to provide material cash funds in the coming months and provides further evidence of the normalisation of in country activities following delays in 2020 caused by Covid-19 restrictions," company says. By Evelina Grecenko; evelinagrecenko@alliancenews.com and Lucy Heming;A lucyheming@alliancenews.com Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. Take a few minutes and scroll through some of the local news from the past week: The Warren Education Association (WEA) Scholarship Fund has awarded $9,000 in scholarships to seven upcoming high school graduates of Warren Consolidated Schools. Winners of the award were recognized at the May 19 Warren Consolidated Schools Board of Education meeting. The WEA Scholarship Fund awarded scholarships to seniors from union-supported families who demonstrated a commitment to continuing their education at a Michigan public university, college or trade school. Award winners are graduates of Warren Mott High School, Sterling Heights High School, and Cousino High School. - Advertisement - This year's winners include: Thomas Milanov, who graduated from Warren Mott High School, was awarded $1,500. His parents are represented by the Warren Education Association (WEA), the Michigan Education Association (MEA), and the National Education Association (NEA). He plans to attend Macomb Community College & Wayne State University and study business. Gabriella Serafimoski, who graduated from Sterling Heights High School, was awarded $1,500. Her grandmother and uncle are represented by the United Auto Workers (UAW). Gabriella plans to attend the University of Detroit and pursue a nursing degree. Ainsley Miller was awarded $1,500 for her work in Career Technical Education (CTE). Her father is represented by the The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers IBEW Local 58. Ainsley plans to attend Ferris State University and pursue studies in history. Elise Lubiarz, who graduated from Cousino High School, was awarded $1,500. Her aunt is represented by The American Federal of Teachers (AFT) and the MEA. Elise plans to attend Grand Valley State University. Isabella Rinaldi, who graduated from Cousino High School, was awarded $1,000. Her grandfather is represented by the UAW. Isabella plans to attend Michigan State University. Jacquelyn Wrubel, who graduated from Cousino High School, was awarded $1,000. Her father is represented by Millwrights Local 1102. Jacquelyn plans to attend the University of Michigan and pursue a degree in psychology. Eric Mudd, who graduated from Warren Mott High School, was awarded $1,000. His mother is represented by the WEA, MEA, and NEA. Eric plans to attend Central Michigan University. For the past 12 years, the WEA Scholarship Fund has been building an endowment primarily from the financial support of the nearly 850 teachers who make up the Warren Education Association (WEA). The WEA sponsors this scholarship fund as a direct way of supporting the students we educate and the community that values the work that we do and the public schools that serve us all, WEA President Bob Callender said. We are proud to contribute to the higher education of some of our graduating students, especially during this most challenging school year. The WEA Scholarship Fund awarded scholarships to seniors from union-supported families who demonstrated a commitment to continuing their education at a Michigan public university, college or trade school. The Warren Education Association Scholarship Fund is a 501c3 non-profit organization funded by voluntary contributions and fundraisers organized by WEA members. +3 Performance arts students stay the course as Broadway plans to reopen Broadways recent announcement that it will reopen this fall was music to the ears of thousands of arts workers who make their living in New York City as well as artists around the country who work onstage and behind the scenes. +7 Police: 2 dead, over 20 injured in banquet hall shooting HIALEAH, Fla. (AP) Two people died and an estimated 20 to 25 people were injured in a shooting outside a banquet hall in South Florida, police said. +2 Mask wearing to prevent COVID also impacts allergy sufferers If you have seasonal allergies, dont be too quick at tossing your masks when the COVID-19 threat subsides. PHILADELPHIA, May 27, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Reeds at Shelter Haven, New Jersey's most luxurious boutique hotel, is partnering with Anthropologie, the beloved apparel and home goods retailer, to host a summer pop-up shop from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Anthropologie at The Reeds is the Philadelphia-based brand's first hotel pop-up and will feature Anthropologie's beach favorites, as well as a curated retail experience meant to inspire the excitement and joy of travel. The pending legislation also would allow for the licensing fee to be raised without requiring legislative action. The Department of Agriculture would be authorized to adjust the fee through regulations, with the requirement that the charges meet the reasonable expenses of funding dog wardens. Exton, PA (19341) Today Mainly cloudy. Low near 60F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Mainly cloudy. Low near 60F. Winds light and variable. Jefferson, GA (30549) Today Scattered thunderstorms early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low 68F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low 68F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%. Nokia is selling an operator-focused business so it can pay attention to building its smartphone presence. Mobile messaging services provider Synchronica is acquiring Nokia?s email and instant messaging services for mobile operators in North America. While the deal is not expected to have a big impact on Nokia?s business it enhances Synchronica?s position in this space. ?From Nokia?s perspective the operator branded email service was a low margin business and is not central to its strategy,? said Nitesh Patel, senior analyst of the global wireless practice at Strategy Analytics, Boston. ?Operator branded services are not a focus area as Nokia aims to drive its own direct-to-consumer services brand,? he said. ?I don?t expect it to have a major impact to Nokia?s North American business.? Smartphones a factor Nokia's partnership with Microsoft could be a factor here as well. "It makes sense that Nokia steps back from offering a white-labeled messaging service to mobile operators in the event that its partnership with Microsoft ultimately results in competitive messaging services on Windows Phone based Nokia devices," said Pamela Clark-Dickson, a senior analyst at Informa Telecoms & Media, London, Britain. "By divesting itself of the OBM assets, Nokia clears the way for this to happen ? if it happens," she said. Messaging developments for smartphones have changed the mobile space, with companies such as Nokia focusing on building out their own services instead of supporting operators. ?The move is not a surprise given that in the past Nokia has made acquisitions of several companies such as Loudeye, Gate5 and Novarra which focused on operator branded services, but used these companies to develop its own propositions ? for music, navigation and proxy browsing respectively? rather than continue to support operators,? Mr. Patel said. Nokia could have also been looking to get out this space because of the low margins. However, for Synchronica the deal provides scale. ?It is a very low-margin business,? said Andrew Brown, director of wireless enterprise strategies at Strategy Analytics, Boston. ?Synchronica had to expand because the only way they can survive is through scale.? Synchronica said this week that it has reached a conditional agreement to acquire Nokia?s Operator Branded Messaging business. The business provides white label email and instant messaging services across a wide range of devices to operators in North America. The deal brings Synchronica contracts with ten operators, including AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and Sprint. The company currently has more than 80 carrier contracts in Europe, Latin America, Africa, Russia and Asia. Synchronica will also provide the messaging software that Nokia will preload on Nokia Series 40 phones. The company plans to continue to develop Nokia?s messaging platform and to merge it with the company?s own messaging infrastructure software. Synchronica?s software provides operators and device manufacturers with services such as push email, instant messaging and social networking. Additionally, Synchronica is looking to be a leader is this space as the mobile marketplace continues to evolve. ?The carriers I speak to in North American and Europe haven?t given up on valued added services,? said Carsten Brinkschulte, chief executive officer of Synchronica, Tunbridge Wells, Britain. ?What we are providing is a device-neutral messaging infrastructure that can put the carrier back into control of the value proposition,? he said. ?The times are over when it was enough for carriers to differentiate based on what smartphone they had in their portfolio. We are going back to how it was before smartphones, when what value-added services operators can offer are important.? Final Take Chantal Tode, Assoc. Editor, Mobile Marketer I once wrote an article on the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. As I observed then, quoting Nadav Safran, I believe that fundamentally both Arabs and Jews have an unassailable moral argument. A person who cannot see how this is possible does not understand the essence of tragedy; much less does he realize that his position serves only to assure that the Palestine tragedy should have another sequel, and yet another. Viola Caudill, 85, a resident of the Gowen Community passed away Thursday June 10, 2021 at home. A Graveside service will be held a 11:00 AM Monday June 14, 2021 in the Pavilion at Bache-Red Oak Cemetery. There will be a family and friends visitation on Sunday June 13, 2021 from 5:00pm to 7: Atlanta, GA (30303) Today A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 68F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 68F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Atlanta, GA (30303) Today Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 69F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 69F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. When I went to the courthouse years ago to get my permit, I was amazed that in Pennsylvania not only do you not have to take a training course to carry a concealed weapon for safety purposes, but you dont even need to take a drug test. Submit A Press Release $25.00 / for 2 days Ensure your press release runs prominently on our website and in our E-mail Newsletter. Gauranteed placement on these platforms is $25. Note: All submissions will go through our editorial approval process before being posted. As a current print subscriber, you receive 24/7 access to our website and online e-edition at no additional charge. All you have to do is activate your access. To activate digital access, you will need your account number. You can find your account number on any recent subscription notice or bill. Note: We have changed our commenting system. If you do not have an mdjonline.com account, you will need to create one in order to comment. Meadville, PA (16335) Today Partly cloudy this evening followed by mostly cloudy skies and a few showers after midnight. Low 62F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Partly cloudy this evening followed by mostly cloudy skies and a few showers after midnight. Low 62F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%. Page Content WA is set to host AusBiotech 2022 - Australia's largest life science conference The WA Government and Business Events Perth has committed $450,000 to bring the event to the State The conference is expected to attract over 1,000 attendees Western Australia will host Australia's largest life sciences conference, when the annual AusBiotech conference comes to Perth in October 2022. Funded through the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation, the WA Government has committed $450,000 to bring the event to the State, co-sponsored by Business Events Perth with additional support from the City of Perth. Speakers at AusBiotech 2022 will address issues essential to growing commercial opportunities for the local health and medical life sciences industry, including regenerative medicine, gene therapies, biotech investing, precision medicine and clinical trials. Running in conjunction with the conference, the Australia Biotech Invest & Partnering event will provide opportunities for local companies and professional service providers to connect with key stakeholders and investors from across the country and around the world. There are currently around 40 biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies and more than 50 medtech and digital health companies based in WA, along with 22 research institutions and almost 65 services and support organisations. The 2022 AusBiotech conference and the Australia Biotech Invest & Partnering event is expected to attract over 1,000 attendees, including international delegates. Comments attributed to Science and Medical Research Minister Roger Cook: "The annual AusBiotech conference is an exciting opportunity for our medical and life science community to showcase its competitive advantages, build networks and secure new partnerships. "This conference will bring together national and international biotech leaders and stakeholders, attracting speakers from around the globe and showcasing more than 100 companies. "Life sciences is a rapidly growing industry in WA, so it's more than fitting that AusBiotech 2022 is held right here in Perth. "Medical technology that has the potential to improve lives internationally is being developed right here in Western Australia, and we look forward to sharing our industry knowledge and success with the world." Comments attributed to Tourism Minister David Templeman: "With a rapidly growing life sciences industry, there has never been a better time for WA to host AusBiotech 2022. "We cannot wait to welcome international delegations back to Perth and show what the city, and our local life sciences sectors have to offer to the world." Science and Medical Research Minister's office - 6552 6500 Tourism Minister's office - 6552 5400 Early performance of tracheostomy or inserting breathing tubes can reduce Covid-19 patients stay in the ICU by a week, reveals a new study. The study, led by researchers at McMaster University and the University of Toronto in Canada, looked at tracheostomies, which are a procedure that helps patients breathe through tubes, the Daily Mail reported. Covid patients tend to be at a higher risk of infecting others within the first two weeks of their disease. Therefore, doctors should be extremely cautious during tracheostomies, as it is a riskier process. One of Covid's severe symptoms is the inability to breathe on one's own. The virus causes mucus and other fluids to block patients' lungs, making it difficult for air to get through. In the usual scenario, doctors insert a breathing tube into a patient -- in a procedure called tracheostomy -- on patients after spending two weeks on a ventilator. The procedure involves cutting a hole into a patient's neck -- connected to their windpipe -- and hooking that tube up to the ventilator. It helps air flow more easily into the lungs. But, the medical community has different opinions on performing the procedure -- and its timing. To examine what benefits the procedure may have for patients, the team conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of 69 studies. The results conflict with past guidance to physicians, which recommends waiting 14 days to give a patient breathing tubes so that the doctor can ensure they really do need breathing help for an extended period of time. Another concern, especially when it's done earlier is that it can endanger the healthcare workers tending to ICU patients. While cutting into a patient's neck or moving a ventilator during this procedure, coronavirus particles will escape from the patient. This is a riskier process when it's done soon after a patient has arrived at the hospital, since Covid patients tend to be at a higher risk of infecting others within the first two weeks of their disease. The National Institute of Health recommends extreme caution during tracheostomies for this reason. The researchers found, however, that only five percent of studies in their summary analysis reported healthcare workers testing positive after a breathing tube procedure, the report said. Source: IANS In addition, the procedure didn't pose a significant risk to healthcare workers if they use personal protective equipment, the report said.One of Covid's severe symptoms is the inability to breathe on one's own. The virus causes mucus and other fluids to block patients' lungs, making it difficult for air to get through.In the usual scenario, doctors insert a breathing tube into a patient -- in a procedure called tracheostomy -- on patients after spending two weeks on a ventilator. The procedure involves cutting a hole into a patient's neck -- connected to their windpipe -- and hooking that tube up to the ventilator. It helps air flow more easily into the lungs.But, the medical community has different opinions on performing the procedure -- and its timing.To examine what benefits the procedure may have for patients, the team conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of 69 studies.The results conflict with past guidance to physicians, which recommends waiting 14 days to give a patient breathing tubes so that the doctor can ensure they really do need breathing help for an extended period of time.Another concern, especially when it's done earlier is that it can endanger the healthcare workers tending to ICU patients.While cutting into a patient's neck or moving a ventilator during this procedure, coronavirus particles will escape from the patient. This is a riskier process when it's done soon after a patient has arrived at the hospital, since Covid patients tend to be at a higher risk of infecting others within the first two weeks of their disease.The National Institute of Health recommends extreme caution during tracheostomies for this reason.The researchers found, however, that only five percent of studies in their summary analysis reported healthcare workers testing positive after a breathing tube procedure, the report said.Source: IANS The findings, published in the peer-reviewed medical journalshowed that tracheostomy shortened Covid patients' stay in the ICU when it was done within two weeks of their arrival. Actor Parineeti Chopra played the lead role in Dibakar Banerjees latest release Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar and was praised by fans for her performance in the film. Recently, she talked about experiencing sexism in her life, and talking to Film Companion she said, "This film is uniquely written. People have become so immune to the patriarchy that they dont even think about it. Women in India face this every day. When Im getting my house renovated, the contractors dont talk to me properly because Im a woman. They ask if theres someone else at home they can talk to. I say, No, I bought this house, Ive made the payments. Its mine so I will choose the tiles. When I tell them to talk to me, they refuse. This film has a lot of similarities to my personal life. Talking about her favourite scene in the film, she said, "My favourite scene is the paratha achaar one in which all the men are seated while the women are standing. Neena Guptas character is also standing. Shes so used to the patriarchy that shell never ask Arjuns character to pass the pickle, but shell ask me why Im seated. She added, While shooting this scene, I was reminded of the small town I grew up in, where the women werent allowed to eat till the men went to sleep. They couldnt eat while the men were still seated at the dining table. Even at my house, my mother wasnt allowed to sit and eat. Its not that my father made her do this, but it was an unspoken rule in the house. The most important thing about this film was the marriage between my character, Sandy, and me this mixture of real and reel life. This was me saying, Lets smash the patriarchy. We were trying to show how accepted the patriarchy is in India and how much we wish that would change. What do you think? Let us know in the comments section below! This is the year of superhero movies again and we have two of the most exciting characters coming back to the big theatres. Marvel Studios While Tom Holland returns as Spider-Man in the third installment of Marvel Studios' Spider-Man: No Way Home, on the other hand, the other Tom, Tom Hardy comes back as the fearsome yet likable anti-hero, Venom, in Sony Pictures' Venom: Let There Be Carnage. Marvel Studios Sony Pictures Now, while we fans don't really mind having two different films about these super-power heroes, the fact remains that Spider-Man and Venom are both vital cogs of the Spider-Man universe, and seeing them not come up against each other is something we still cannot fathom. Sony Pictures Well, what if that were to change? It'd be quite amazing, right? In a new development that will certainly excite fans of the franchise, Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group President, Sanford Panitch, has hinted at the possibility of the two heroes sharing the same universe in the movies as well. Marvel Studios Stating that the studio does have a long-term plan for Spider-Man in the future, Panitch said that things will start becoming clearer after the release of the Spider-Man 3 film. "There actually is a plan. I think now maybe its getting a little more clear for people where were headed and I think when No Way Home comes out, even more will be revealed," said Panitch, while speaking with Variety. Fans have been left confused over what the future holds for Spider-Man with Sony and Marvel Studios both still undecided on what's to come. As per reports, it is the understanding of Sony that fans currently view the Venom franchise differently from the Spider-Man franchise, however, according to Panitch, fans won't be asking questions about Spider-Man when Venom 2 hits the theatres. "We dont really think of our 900 characters as the Spider-verse. We have a Marvel universe. The volume of characters we have you know, wait until you see this next Venom. You dont miss Spider-Man." said Panitch. Comic Book Now, with the upcoming Spider-Man 3 film rumored to bring in some old faces like Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man as well Andrew Garfield's, there is a big chance of Marvel Studios and Sony actually beginning to conjure up a reality that we thought only lived in our dreams. Well, We sure cannot wait! If there was a sequel to Crazy Rich Asians, called the Crazy Rich Europeans, then this story would fit in perfectly. A Russian oil tycoon recently got his brand new Rolls-Royce Phantom seized by the Italian customs, because of how insanely crazy the interiors of the car were. Agenzia ADM Do you know what separates the rich from the ultra-rich? Their cars. More specifically, how they bling their cars out. And for some, the sky is the limit on how crazy they can go with customisations, and premium carmakers, such as Rolls-Royce, often oblige happily. With that being said, even they wouldn't have approved something this ludicrous. However, there are a select few who arent simply happy with what is on offer, and really want to stand out. They turn to aftermarket shops to get their needs catered. Agenzia ADM The Russian Tycoon in question had a bespoke leather upholstery made entirely out of crocodile leather. Super exotic and premium cars often have some of the most blinged-out interiors, made with some of the most exquisite materials. However, this is the first that Phantom has been reported to have seats and panels covered in crocodile leather. Agenzia ADM Crocodile leather is actually banned in a number of countries, especially around Europe because of the endangered status that they have been bestowed with. Hunting crocodiles for their leather is also prohibited in many parts of the world, and it usually attracts some hefty fines and insane jail sentences. iStock With that being said, using crocodile leather isnt entirely illegal. Outlets that work with such exotic leathers need a special certification, and each batch of crocodile leather needs to have a clearance certificate from CITES or the Washington Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. CITES is one of the organisations that determine whether or not a particular animal is endangered. Hermes Coming back to the Rolls-Royce that was seized, rumor has it that the reupholstered Phantom was being imported into Italy from Russia. Gone undetected, it would have been on its way to an exotic car dealership in Rome to be resold. According to several reports, the custom upholstery was priced at about 250,000 Euros, just 50,000 Euros shy of the price of the Phantom itself. The Rolls-Royce, along with the customised interiors would have been priced well over 550,000 Euros. Now thats a really expensive car. Rolls-Royce Phantom usually go for about Rs 10 Crores in India, without such audacious custom work. Do the maths yourself, on how much would the car cost for an Indian buyer. Our conservative estimate puts it around Rs 19 crores. In all probability though, the custom upholstery will be going to waste. As per a statement from the Italian officials, the leatherwork might be destroyed if the regulatory paperwork fails in their further inspection, or if the regulatory paperwork is not in place. They are also searching for the outlet that made the interiors of the car. Yes, you read that right. As a Delhiite, two sets of emotions have probably hit you with this headline. You are either elated, your Whatsapp family/friends groups are already buzzing, or, like most of us, you are wondering if this just another ploy to divert the attention from the living hell that the capital city turned into, courtesy the deadly Covid wave that attacked us. The Delhi government has announced that home delivery of Indian and foreign liquor will now be allowed through an app and a web portal. The delivery will not be done at a hostel, office or an institution. As soon as the news came in, people on social media were divided in their opinion. A lot of people are actually happy about this and to mark this celebration, memes have obviously started floating. Le sharabi 2 kejriwal pic.twitter.com/Zghn0zRqpF Prof Caravan (@Being_caravan) June 1, 2021 Some were quick to remind the state government that the promise of delivering oxygen was being met by delivering alcohol now. Lavanasur @ArvindKejriwal Ji Promised to Deliver Oxygen but ended up with Alcohol Delivery... pic.twitter.com/HykrlvL6Ut Sanjay Solanke (@SolankeSanjay) June 1, 2021 Ab Paani toh de nahi raha he. Daaru piyo mast raho. Paani ka kya he aata rahega Batra Ji (@ji_batraji) June 1, 2021 However, the other side of the coin has residents wishing the government had made more efforts in delivering oxygen and vaccines, which are more important than alcohol at this point of time. wish you could have got home delivery of O2 instead thorough the same mobile app or online portal which could have saved many Subho Ghosh (@imsubhoghosh) June 1, 2021 A govt who couldn't arrange oxygen for patients when corona was at peak will be arranging liquor for everyone. Priorities. Desi Engineer (@Certified90sKid) June 1, 2021 I guess giving people what they want? But great idea, there should be an option to get a vaccine at home too - why not? Regina Dulanjali (@ReginaDulanjali) June 1, 2021 Maharashtra also allowed liquor for being home delivered. Not all traders will be eligible for delivering alcohol in Delhi as it requires a certain license. Looks like some people will be happy with this decision at least. After the second wave of coronavirus seems to be declining slowly, the black fungus cases have seen a huge spike in India lately. Also known as mucormycosis, it is a fungal infection that has emerged as a post-Covid complication, mainly patients treated with steroids and having diabetes. iStock The rate of increasing cases is alarming. Pertaining to this, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi took to Twitter to pose some questions to the central government about their strategy to tackle the black fungus crisis. Twitter He put up three questions about how the government plans to deal with the black fungus. This included the plan of action to deal with the shortage of Amphotericin B drug and the process to make these drugs available to the patients. The last question he shooted was why is the Modi Government entrapping the public in formalities, instead of giving treatment? Black fungus - 1. Amphotericin B ? 2. ? 3. ? Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) June 1, 2021 Heres what Twitter users had to say about the situation of black fungus and the three questions asked by Gandhi. 11,700 cases of black fungus disease, had been identified in India. Going by this number, the required number of vials for the six-week therapy would be over 29 lakh. Even with imports and boost to domestic production, what will be available could be way below what is required, KUMUD MISHRA (@KUMUDMI48005094) June 1, 2021 Rahulji, this is rare decease, medecine requirement and stock is minimum in normal time, It's June now. GOI is working since beginning of May. BSV, BDR, Sun, Cipla & life care are working on production. Please ensure there is no black marketing of this. Find some other issue. apurva parikh (@apurvaparikh18) June 1, 2021 YOU can ask such questions to Doctors who have expertise in treating BLACK FUNGUS. CENTRE has already explained via media about the availability & manufacture of AMPHOTERICIN B. Where were you then? It's an injection & everyone is aware of ,it can be intramuscular or intravenous. PN Singh (@PNSINGH131312) June 1, 2021 Centre is yet to announce any policy against black fungus, while cases of white fungus and yellow fungus are already being reported. pic.twitter.com/2r8vxEn809 Rofl Republic (@i_the_indian_) June 1, 2021 Amphotericin-B drug treats the nose, eyes and brain which is affected by the black fungus. It is being observed that severely ill Covid patients who were given steroids or oxygen supply as part of the treatment are prone to being infected by mucormycosis. Reuters/Danish Siddiqui Last week, India crossed more than 11000 cases of the rare infection while five states namely Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Telangana accounted for 65% of cases in the country. The pandemic has not been easy for anyone. However, it has been certainly harder for the kids who lost the best years of their lives cooped up in the four walls of their homes, because of the lockdown. The online classes and homework that leave them overburdened only make things worse for the poor kids. iStock It doesnt only affect their health and productivity, but studying over the screens for hours also causes mental stress in children. A little girl from Kashmir took it upon herself to make sure the plight of children does not go unnoticed. iStock She made a video addressing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and brought the issue to the notice of the entire nation. The six-year-old asks PM Modi, who she calls Modi Saab in the video, why teachers give so much homework to little kids who are her age. She goes on to explain how she has to attend back-to-back classes for hours as soon as she wakes up and then has to work on the schoolwork given by her teachers. Modi saab ko is baat par zaroor gaur farmana chahiye pic.twitter.com/uFjvFGUisI Namrata Wakhloo (@NamrataWakhloo) May 29, 2021 The video has garnered more than 30k likes and over 1.7k comments. She keeps her points across so adorably and innocently in the video that it is winning the hearts of Twitterati who also couldnt help but sympathise with her. So adorable ... But it is a matter of fact that the duration of the online classes are prolonged which makes the children tired and there should be some considerations on the durations of the classes against the backdrop of certain concerns such as health,tiring h/w,etc. Imad Kirmani (@KirmaniImad) May 29, 2021 My heart just exploded with the amount of mental labor little kids have to go through. Justice for 6 year olds. Neha (@motherofjargons) May 29, 2021 Uff I have watched her at least 50 times and still cant get enough. Ab kyaa kareiinnnnn?! The only place where even that vicious name sounds tolerable! Qissago (@Kahaanikaar) May 30, 2021 So innocent and adorable. May God bless her always. Why dont our governments carry out regular audits in the education dept to check if the courses are appropriate- & there is holistic development of the child rather than rote system, huge burden on children. Rajesh (@RKdelhi1963) May 31, 2021 Our education system is have to change because these kids are our future. And because of this education system there are lots of little kids who have so much burden in a very small age. If everything goes with this education system it can be dangerous for our future kids. Saurav Pal (@SauravP23315954) June 1, 2021 Safe to say that this little girl single-handedly managed to start a conversation about the pressure school kids have upon them in the pandemic regarding studies. Her video reached Jammu and Kashmirs Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha who agreed with her. Twitte He ordered the school education department to roll out a policy that lessens the burden within two days. Very adorable complaint. Have directed the school education department to come out with a policy within 48 hours to lighten burden of homework on school kids. Childhood innocence is gift of God and their days should be lively, full of joy and bliss. https://t.co/8H6rWEGlDa Office of LG J&K (@OfficeOfLGJandK) May 31, 2021 This is so great! Well done, kid! Remember the time when you could go out in peace without wearing an irritating face mask or before dying a thousand deaths of just having the idea of shaking hands with a friend or hugging them? iStock Ever since the outbreak of Covid-19 in China, things certainly haven't been the same for anyone in the world, and from what we are getting to learn now, they aren't going to get better in the future either. According to reports, China has now reported a new case of human bird flu infection with a 41-year-old man in the country's eastern Jiangsu province being the first human to be infected with the H10N3 strain of bird flu. iStock China's National Health Commission (NHC), while announcing the news on Tuesday (June 01) said, "The man, a resident of the city of Zhenjiang, was hospitalized on April 28 after developing a fever and other symptoms." iStock While it did not give any details of how the man contracted the virus, it did say that he was later diagnosed having the H10N3 avian influenza virus on May 28. "H10N3 is a low pathogenic, or relatively less severe, strain of the virus in poultry, and the risk of it spreading on a large scale was very low," NHC added. As per reports, the man is now stable and was on the course of being discharged from the hospital. However, despite the reports, many people, who are already bearing the brunt of the Coronavirus, took to Twitter to share their disbelief on hearing that a new virus had been conjured up in the country again. Just ban China usg88 (@usg882) June 1, 2021 Daiii give a break. Even though the article says its not a serious one and does not spreqd easily, the combination of words like China Flu virus is not giving any good reason not to be worried. (@iamkirank86) June 1, 2021 yeah we suffered enough keep something for the future generations too Jeeree (@0nenoone) June 1, 2021 Le entire world pic.twitter.com/70wbEMzQHT Lohit Goyal (@Lohit__Goyal) June 1, 2021 Are you crazy bat se pet ni bhra tha kya??? Abhishek Jindal (@Abhishek6866) June 1, 2021 Every new virus is originating from China. Seems like they have set up a big R&D lab. Sandy Buddy (@Sanddybuddy) June 1, 2021 Bas kar yaar. Hadd hain. Arpo Ghosh (@arpo_ghosh) June 1, 2021 A new study compiled by British expert Angus Dalgleish and Norwegian scientist Birger Sorensen claims that Chinese scientists created the virus in a laboratory in Wuhan and tried to cover their tracks. Conspiracy theories around the lab have been growing ever since the coronavirus broke out in China last year. However, this new study claims that the virus was not only created in a lab, but scientists tried to manipulate the virus and make it look like it evolved naturally from bats. Reuters We think that there have been retro-engineered viruses created. Theyve changed the virus, then tried to make out it was in a sequence years ago, Dalgleish told The Daily Mail. Gain-of-function projects involving tweaking natural occurring viruses to make them more infectious and lethal were banned in the US. However, the study claims Chinese scientists may have partaken in similar projects where they took a natural coronavirus backbone found in Chinas cave bats and spliced it onto a new spike. The researchers also mention in their study that they found unique fingerprints in COVID-19 samples that may have arisen from manipulation in a laboratory. The authors claim they have prima facie evidence that shows Chinese scientists may have retro-engineered the virus for a year. The study alleged "deliberate destruction, concealment or contamination of data at Chinese labs. Wikipedia Commons The research by the two authors was obtained by The Daily Mail and is set to be published in the scientific journal Quarterly Review of Biophysics Discovery. Dalgleish and Sorensen worked with American Universities to piece together the information and concluded that Chinese scientists built tools to create the coronavirus. Sorensen told The DailyMail that four amino acids on the spine have a positive charge. This causes them to cling to the negatively charged parts of a human, in turn making it more infectious. Positively charged amino acids can also repel each other and Sorensen said that it was rare to find even three in a row in naturally occurring organisms. The laws of physics mean that you cannot have four positively charged amino acids in a row. The only way you can get this is if you artificially manufacture it, Dalgleish told The Daily Mail. The implication of our historical reconstruction, we posit now beyond a reasonable doubt, of the purposively manipulated chimeric virus SARS-CoV-2 makes it imperative to reconsider what types of Gain of Function experiments it is morally acceptable to undertake, they wrote. Sorensen believes the virus escaped from lower security areas of the Wuhan institute where he believes gain-of-function projects were being handled and performed. We have seen lab leaks and we know its happening. We also know from the reports weve seen, that coronavirus is worked on in Biosafety Level 2 or 3 labs. If they do Gain of Function in such labs, what do you expect? he said. Source: Daily Mail Services for Bonita Deweese will be held on Monday, June 14, 2021, at 15th Avenue Baptist Church, at 10:30 am. Visitation will be Sunday, 4-6 p.m., at Webb Funeral Home. View the obituary at www.jamesfwebb.com. Click here to log in and see all of our other subscription options for the Mesabi Tribune, including online only & auto-renewal subscriptions. In summer 2020, The New York Times coordinated a nationwide project to document the lives of Americans out of work because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study involved collaborating with 11 other local newsrooms around the U.S. The Messenger-Inquirer was the only newspaper from Kentucky in the collaboration. The resulting collection of stories was published Oct. 23, 2020, in the New York Times print edition and at nytimes.com/outofwork. The following list is the Messenger-Inquirer's local unemployment coverage from that time period; read more by clicking the "New York Times Project" header. Click on "Out Of Work In America" to go to the full In a joint statement issued at the virtual G7 Trade Track meeting on May 28, the governments of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States called for the start of talks to develop stronger international rules on market-distorting industrial subsidies and trade-distorting actions by state enterprizes.We reaffirm the importance of the Global Forum on Steel Excess Capacity (GFSEC) as a forum that can help address the issue of global steel excess capacity in a multilateral framework, the statement said.We believe that dialogue, transparency, and cooperation at a global level represents a crucial means to address the imbalances created by worsening excess capacity. We deem it paramount that the GFSEC can count on the active participation of all major producer states, it added.According to the World Steel Association (Worldsteel), crude steel output reached 1.86 billion tonnes in 2019, with China producing 996.3 million tonnes of that total, or 53.3%, and consuming 907.5 million tonnes, or 51.3%, of finished steel products out of a total global consumption of 1.76 billion tonnes.Fastmarkets calculated its daily steel hot-rolled coil index, domestic, exw Northern Europe at 1,136.25 per tonne on Friday May 28, up by 19.58 per tonne week on week and by 148.75 per tonne month on month.The G7 statement also noted ongoing concerns over the increased use of non-market policies and practices like subsidies, which it alleges distort competition and reduce fairness and trust.Of particular concern are harmful industrial subsidies, including those that lead to severe excess capacity, a lack of transparency regarding the states role in the economy and the role of state enterprizes in unfair subsidization and forced technology transfer, the statement said.Founded in 2016 and facilitated by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the GFSEC is an open platform for all G20 member countries and interested OECD members. Its members include most of the 10 largest steel-producing economies in the world, with the notable exception of China.According to GFSEC, excess steelmaking capacity creates significant difficulties for steel producers globally, including depressing prices, undermining profitability, generating damaging trade distortions, creating regional imbalances, and destabilizing world trading relations.One of GFSECs stated aims is to eliminate subsidies and other government support measures that sustain uneconomic steel plants, encourage investment in new steelmaking capacity that would otherwise not be built, facilitate exports of steel products, or otherwise distort competition by contributing to excess capacity.The G7 statement also welcomed work by the OECD that had identified an apparent relationship between government support - in the form of below-market financing - and excess capacity in several sectors.This extends to the aluminium industry, where producers have long-criticized China for producing around 57% of global primary aluminium, compared with just 11% in 2004.In January 2019, an OECD report alleged that while government support is commonly found throughout the aluminium value chain, it is especially heavy in China and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.This has been refuted by companies in those regions including Aluminium Bahrain (Alba) and China Hongqiao Group.Industry associations have also been vocal in criticizing what they believe to be unfairly subsidized Chinese aluminium production , which they argue has led to excess capacity and a growing influx of underpriced Chinese exports They have also called on the G7 to take action against unfairly subsidized overcapacity and other market-distorting behavior that they allege undermines the sustainable growth of the aluminum industry. Where does EGLE' s budget money go? More than half is returned back to communities, as new grants and loans dashboard shows Where does EGLE' s budget money go? More than half is returned back to communities, as new grants and loans dashboard shows Most of EGLE's budget flows back to Michigan communities in the form of grants, loans and other support. The department recently unveiled a new Grants and Loans Dashboard that shows exactly where the funding goes. This interactive dashboard provides access to a rich dataset of information. Fiscal Years 2019 and 2020 data is currently available with plans to add additional Fiscal Years so users can search for projects funded in their community and look at funding trends. The money flowing back to municipal governments and other entities help those communities protect the environment and public health through projects as diverse as water treatment equipment upgrades to flood control infrastructure. "This furthers our commitment to transparency, accountability, and to the communities we partner with to help improve the systems critical to the environment and the health of Michiganders," said Amy Epkey, senior deputy director with EGLE. "We're excited to share this new and useful tool with the public." Check out the story map that explains the dashboard. Photo caption: Lead line removal. Like this content? Follow us on Twitter at @MichiganEGLE or on Youtube.com/MichiganEGLE Take a short survey and let us know what you think about MI Environment. AG Nessel Commends Gov. Whitmer's Elder Abuse Awareness Proclamation AG Nessel Commends Gov. Whitmer's Elder Abuse Awareness Proclamation Lynsey Mukomel 517-599-2746 Attorney General June 1, 2021 LANSING - Michigan Attorney General commended Governor Gretchen Whitmer for proclaiming June 2021 as Elder and Vulnerable Adult Abuse Awareness Month. One in ten older adults in the United States experiences abuse, neglect and exploitation. Elder and vulnerable adult abuse often goes unnoticed and unreported. Attorney General Nessel brought together the Elder Abuse Task Force to combat this complex issue. "Older adults are a particularly vulnerable group, making them susceptible to physical abuse, financial exploitation, emotional abuse and/or neglect. In order to properly protect our senior and vulnerable adult population, we must be able to recognize the signs of abuse," Nessel said. "Our Elder Abuse Task Force has a number of resources available online to help identify mistreatment. During this month - and beyond - I encourage everyone to learn more about how to protect those in need." "This month, I am proud to partner with the Attorney General and the Department of Health and Human Services to raise awareness of the abuse of older and vulnerable adults here in Michigan," said Governor Gretchen Whitmer. "The Elder Abuse Task Force has done terrific work, gathering resources that help identify physical and emotional abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation of older residents. I encourage all Michiganders, regardless of their age, to educate themselves this month on the often ignored or underreported issue of elder abuse." "MDHHS is pleased that our Adult Protective Services is able to work hand-in-hand with Attorney General Nessel and Gov. Whitmer to address a serious problem that affects Michigan's aging population and other vulnerable adults," said MDHHS Director Elizabeth Hertel. "In June and every month, MDHHS is dedicated to protecting vulnerable adults by investigating complaints of abuse, neglect and financial exploitation and taking action." The Task Force launched in 2019 and consists of more than 55 different organizations in the public, private and nonprofit sections - all working together to combat elder abuse. Most recently, Nessel launched The Sentinel Project - an initiative that focuses on protecting vulnerable adults residing in nursing facilities. This initiative uses specially trained staff to examine long-term care facilities for evidence of abuse or neglect through unannounced visits, which are determined by performance metrics, complaints and other data. If you or someone you know is being abused or neglected in a nursing facility, contact the Michigan Attorney General's Health Care Fraud Hotline at (800) 24-ABUSE (2-2873) or file a complaint online through the Michigan Attorney General Patient Abuse Complaint Form. For more information on the Elder Abuse Task Force, visit the Task Force's webpage. To report elder abuse, call 855-444-3911. AG Nessel, MSP Launch Boy Scouts of America Investigation AG Nessel, MSP Launch Boy Scouts of America Investigation Lynsey Mukomel 517-599-2746 Attorney General June 1, 2021 LANSING - Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is launching a joint investigation between the Michigan Department of Attorney General and Michigan State Police targeting the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). While the AG and MSP work to obtain information surrounding sex abuse allegations that came to light during recent civil litigation, the agencies are asking the public to report instances of abuse that would assist in this statewide investigation. "My department has proven our commitment to accountability through similar sex abuse investigations and I believe-with the public's help-we can secure justice for survivors who endured abuse through Boy Scouts of America," said Nessel. "We stand ready to fight for those wronged by people they should have been able to trust." "We're pleased to partner with the Attorney General's office on this important investigation," said Col. Joe Gasper, director of the Michigan State Police. "We understand the critical role our investigators will play in supporting survivors who may come forward in this case, and are prepared to leverage resources statewide to address any allegations we receive." In addition to utilizing resources from MSP, the team assigned to the BSA investigation will include prosecutors, special agents and victim advocates from the Department. If you have information about the Boy Scouts of America that you think would help us, please call the investigation hotline at 844-324-3374 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Tips can be left anonymously. Portions of this project were supported in part by Grant No. WE AX 0030 awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this publication/program/exhibition are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women. Chinese vaccines help Cambodia fight against COVID-19 Xinhua) 16:50, June 01, 2021 PHNOM PENH, June 1 (Xinhua) -- "I received my first dose of China's Sinovac vaccine. I'm really happy because the vaccine is very important to protect my life from this highly contagious disease," Phnom Penh resident Touch Sokhak, 41, told Xinhua recently. "I feel pretty fine after receiving the jab. I totally trust the safety and efficacy of the Chinese vaccines," Sokhak said. Cambodia's COVID-19 cases has surged to 30,710 last Tuesday after 616 fresh infection cases were reported nationwide in the last 24 hours, the Ministry of Health (MoH) said in a statement. As the Southeast Asian nation ramps up its pace of vaccinations amid a surge in new cases, China's help has been tremendous and unforgettable, said the MoH's secretary of state and spokeswoman Or Vandine. "China has been the key vaccine supplier to protect Cambodian people's lives against the pandemic," she said. HELP SPEEDS UP INOCULATIONS Cambodia began a COVID-19 inoculation drive on Feb. 10, with China being the key vaccine supplier. Vandine said the country has so far received more than 6 million doses of vaccines including 1.7 million doses of Sinopharm vaccine, 4 million doses of Sinovac vaccine, and 324,000 doses of AstraZeneca's Covishield jab. To date, more than 2.6 million out of the 10 million targeted population have already been vaccinated, she said, adding that the kingdom is speeding up its pace of vaccinations, in order to reach all the 10 million targeted population by the end of this year or by the first quarter of 2022. "The main supplier of vaccines in Cambodia is China," Vandine told Xinhua during an interview on Friday. "China's effort to help Cambodia is really amazing. It's really remarkable, it's really unforgettable, and this is really much appreciated by the people of Cambodia," Vandine said. Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Wang Wentian said it truly reflected China's unwavering commitment to making its COVID-19 vaccines a "global public good." "I sincerely hope that Chinese vaccines will be able to build a healthy firewall for the Cambodian people against the COVID-19 and can play a positive role in helping Cambodia prevail over the pandemic," he said. PROTECT CAMBODIAN LIVES Health workers and vaccine recipients said that Chinese vaccine is like a bulletproof vest to protect lives from the COVID-19. "Thank China for always helping us in difficult times and we will remember this generous assistance forever," 39-year-old Nhim Chamroeun said after receiving the first dose of Sinovac vaccine. "I believe that the relationship between our two countries will root deeper in the hearts of our two peoples," he added. "The provision of vaccines by China is very valuable to protect our people's lives and to rebuild the economy," Chheang Somaknearika, a 22-year-old volunteer health worker at an inoculation site in Phnom Penh, told Xinhua. "At this vaccination site, we inoculate them with China's Sinovac vaccine," she said. "The vaccine is safe and effective because we have never heard any reports of serious side effects after inoculations," she added. Vandine said both Sinopharm and Sinovac are very safe and effective and the country has not heard any reports of serious side effects after inoculations. "We have more than 2.2 million people inoculated with Chinese vaccines, and among this number, only 101 reported some side effects, for example, fatigue, a little bit rash, palpitation, dizziness and fever, and all these disappear within one or two days only." TESTAMENT TO IRON FRIENDSHIP The joint COVID-19 fight between Cambodia and China truly reflects the unbreakable iron-clad friendship between the two Asian nations, said Vandine. China and Cambodia have been helping each other like brothers, she said. "I would like to express my deep appreciation for the support provided by the Chinese government. This vaccine is really helping Cambodian people to cope with the pandemic," she noted. In addition to vaccines, Chinese medicine has also been playing an important part in Cambodia's fight against the pandemic. In April, China donated 88,000 boxes of Lianhua Qingwen Capsules to Cambodia to help treat COVID-19 patients after the patented traditional Chinese medicine was licensed by Cambodia's Ministry of Health. Cambodia's Health Minister Mam Bunheng told media last week that Lianhua Qingwen Capsules is "effective" to treat COVID-19 patients with mild symptoms." "Many patients with mild symptoms at the COVID-19 treatment centers have recovered due to this medicine and very few of them have developed to severe illness," he said. Mutual help between Cambodia and China in the time of COVID-19 pandemic has uplifted the bilateral relations to new heights. When China was facing its difficult time in fighting the virus in early 2020, Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen paid a special visit to Beijing to show solidarity, and Cambodia donated medical supplies to China. After the situation of COVID-19 in China has been brought under control, China sent medical experts, providing medical equipment and supplies, built COVID-19 test labs, donated and sold vaccines in time to Cambodia to contain the new coronavirus. "Cambodia and China are true friends who always help each other in difficult times," A 22-year-old health worker Say Chanpichsakada told Xinhua. "The Cambodia-China joint COVID-19 fight should be a role model for international cooperation," he added. (Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun) April's Home Prices Grew by 13% and Broke More Records CoreLogic says that April saw further acceleration in the growth of housing prices. The company, which reported an 11.3 percent annual increase in housing prices in March now says that appreciation grew to 13 percent in April. It was the third consecutive month of double digit gains and the highest rate of annual appreciation since February 2006. The increase from March to April was 2.1 percent. The company, in its monthly report on its Housing Price Index (HPI) says, "Sparse inventory and high demand continues to place upward pressure on home prices, creating challenges across generations as buyer preferences shift. Younger Millennials continue to enter the market in droves while older Millennials look to upgrade and upsize their homes." A recent CoreLogic consumer survey found that 64 percent of both older and younger Millennials said they were looking to buy because they needed more space. Seventy-two percent of Baby Boomers listed the desire for a new location as the main reason for wanting to purchase a new home. However, in response to rising prices, Boomers-who own 54 percent of the nation's homes-may wait to sell, creating further inventory pressures for older millennials seeking move-up purchases. "As older homeowners become more comfortable with listing their homes, they are faced with the reality that if they sell, they may get a smaller home for the same price as what they already have," said Frank Martell, president and CEO of CoreLogic. "Rather than decreasing their financial burden and cashing out equity to support their retirement, baby boomers may choose to stay put - which could exacerbate inventory challenges." "Baby boomers are staying in their homes longer, slowing the pace with which existing homes come on the for-sale market," said Dr. Frank Nothaft, chief economist at CoreLogic. "Owner occupants today have been in their homes for a median of 13 years, about 50 percent longer than the previous generation." In another indication that the pandemic is having an impact on housing preferences, the company found that detached properties appreciated at twice the rate of attached properties in April, 14.7 percent versus 7.2 percent, as prospective buyers continue to seek out more space. Price gains remain highest in the West. Two Idaho cities, Coeur d'Alene and Boise City, had the highest annual appreciation in April, with increases of 31.4 percent and 28.6 percent, respectively. Idaho (27.2 percent) and Arizona (20.4 percent) were numbers one and two among the states, but South Dakota also ranked high at 19.3 percent as new home buyers seek out more affordable options, space, and low property taxes. CoreLogic says it expects that affordability and supply challenges will soon drive potential buyers out of the market. The company's forward looking HPI projects price growth will slow to 2.8 percent by April 2022. LANSING Changes are afoot for Michigan workers. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer recently announced Michigan workers who have been working remotely for more than a year will be able to return to the office. In addition, the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) updated its emergency rules. Changes include no longer requiring fully-vaccinated employees to wear face masks or social distance, except in certain health care settings; eliminating regulations for specific industries, such as bars and restaurants; and loosening cleaning requirements. But what these changes look like will depends on how each employer implements them. "Employers are going to have a lot of leeway on how they manage relaxing standards," Michigan COVID-19 workplace safety director Sean Egan said during a recent webinar. He said MIOSHA's updated emergency rules set "broad parameters of how we contain COVID in our workplaces" and gives "employers a lot of flexibility to be creative on how they implement these things. These broad parameters focuses on mitigation strategies, such as having preparedness and response plan; health screenings; social distancing and face coverings, where required; and training and keeping records. To clear up any confusing, Egan fielded questions during the webinar. Below are some of the summitted questions and his answers. Responses have been edited for space and clarity. Can employers collect and file a copy of an employee's vaccine care? (Employers) have to find a way that, in good faith, will ensure that those that aren't vaccinated are wearing face coverings and socially distancing. To the best of our knowledge, that's perfectly fine for an employer to ask and get that information and file it away. Many employers, I've talked with are adding it to their daily health screening protocol, whether that's on paper or in a app. Some are doing "yes, nos," all that kind of stuff, at the door so they can manage it. How long do employers need to retain the employee screening sheet? Updated in the emergency rules was a requirement to maintain records for six months. Those record-keeping requirements includes the training pieces that you had in there, as well as that daily health screenings for a six-month period. Can this list be shared with frontline supervisors who will be managing enforcement? So our understanding in MIOSHA and their FAQ is that that's not protected health information. I think there are some guidance pieces from the EEOC (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) on the extent that you may be able to share that. But simply vaccination status does not get into medical issues. It's just a yes or a no. So I think, employers would be able to manage that in a way but definitely want to check in with their own legal counsel the extent of the information that they may be providing but I think the log sheet of "yeses" and "nos" would not contain any health records. Should employers have employees, take temps and answer COVID questions every day before work? Yes. You're still trying to catch those symptoms and keep it out of the workplace. ... Screening is intended to identify quickly and isolate people that may be exhibiting symptoms. Is there an end date in site for temperature checks for employees and customers? On the update to the rules ... all of the industry specific pieces that were listed separately prior are no longer in the rules. And the temperature screening pieces that were included were also eliminated from the rules. So employers can choose if that's an effective method for them to try to identify and eliminate that hazard. If it is and they want to keep it, they are more than welcome to do that; MIOSAH is a minimum standard. If they are in a position where they don't want to continue temperature, screenings, they don't need to do that either. What do you do if staff or residents refused to wear a mask indoors? This is one of, certainly one of the challenges with COVID, is that it's a public health crisis that impacts workplace safety. So you're going to look at some of the DHHS information with the extent to which sort of customers and visitors and others might be wearing face coverings. I think that it's important for employers to use their management discretion to ensure that employees are following the rules and using these safety mitigation strategies the way that they're supposed to. Can employers segregate employees by vaccination status? That's a great question, and I think one that I wouldn't want to try to answer off the top of my head. I would definitely want to look at the EEOC guidance. They have a great FAQ. Frankly, If you just Google EEOC COVID, there's a long Q&A that they've been doing all throughout the crisis and questions related to the Americans with Disabilities Act and how that may apply in certain situations, and more than likely, that's a question that they have answered in that space. How do I verify a customer has been vaccinated? Is it just using the honor system? That would fall under the DHHS epidemic order. And I would tell you that while we don't generally interpret those, the general gist is that you can post a poster instructing unvaccinated people to wear face coverings, or in the alternative, fully vaccinated people don't need to wear face coverings. Can physical barriers be removed? What kind of distancing is required for guests at bars and tables at restaurants? Employers are going to have flexibility within their own plans now, their preparedness response plans, ... to determine if barriers continue to be necessary in certain environments or certain spaces. ... We took out industry-specific requirements for the emergency rule update, so we no longer have those requirements that include table separation, how you manage customers, and some of those types of things. If Michigan is fully open with no COVID restrictions starting July 1, will MIOSHA also remove all emergency orders on July 1? I think we're going to be watching the science and updating accordingly. There are some differences between the workplace and sort of just going shopping, where you're going to be in the workplace for longer periods of time, you're going to have less control of it as an employee over how you manage your safety within the work environment. The employers are going to have more control over how that safety is managed in the work environment. We will have to see when we get closer. North Huron superintendent calls this school year an 'awakening' When it comes to reflecting on how the North Huron School District handled the 2020-21 school... Bad Axe man works to transform old military tower into... Since the late 1980s, the Port Austin military radar tower has sat dormant. During that time, its... Drier: Flag Day should be a recognized holiday June 14 is Flag Day. It will come and go without fanfare. Some calendars dont even have it... HOUSTON (AP) Residents of the East Aldine neighborhood of Houston are tired of their homes flooding during hurricanes and of worrying every time it rains because their streets and waterways don't drain well. Like the rest of the Houston area, East Aldine was hammered in 2017 by Hurricane Harvey, which caused an estimated $125 billion in damage throughout the state but nowhere more than in the nation's fourth-largest city and surrounding Harris County. East Aldine residents had to flee their homes through chest-high water, many carrying their children on their shoulders as they sought higher ground. The working class, predominantly Latino neighborhood that straddles Houston and unincorporated parts of the county was flooded again two years later during Tropical Storm Imelda. Whether you flooded or not, whether you had to evacuate or not, you are traumatized by the fact that rain is coming and you dont know whats going to happen and you dont know how its going to impact your family, Shirley Ronquillo, a community activist who grew up in East Aldine, said Thursday. That's why she and many other Houston residents were outraged when a state agency recently announced that Houston wouldn't get a cent of the initial $1 billion in federal funding that was promised to Texas following Harvey to help pay for flood mitigation projects, including drainage improvements and the widening of bayous. The Harris County government was also iced out, though four smaller cities in the county were awarded a total of $90 million. The awarding of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development funding led to a rare show of solidarity by local Democratic and Republican officials, who condemned how the Texas General Land Office, or GLO, picked its winners and losers. Ronquillo called it a slap in the face to communities of color who have historically been denied assistance. Some officials and residents accused the GLO of playing politics, given that Houston and Harris County are Democratic strongholds in a state controlled by the GOP and have been at odds with the state's Republican leaders since Harvey over issues related to recovery funding. The land office said the competition for the initial distribution of funding was fair and not political, and that it used scoring criteria based on HUD guidance. But a HUD spokesman, Michael Burns, said the federal agency didnt require the criteria used by Texas and that it believes all areas of the state, including Houston and Harris County, should receive the resources they need to recover from Hurricane Harvey. Faced with the criticism, Land Commissioner George P. Bush a Republican grandson of former President George H.W. Bush said he would ask HUD to approve $750 million for Harris County, though none of it would be given directly to Houston and it's unknown if HUD would approve that outlay. Bush suggested that red tape requirements and complex regulations under President Joe Biden's administration were responsible for Houston and Harris County not being awarded any of the funds. During a news conference Thursday, some Democratic members of Houston's congressional delegation accused Bush of politicizing the awards process by criticizing the Biden administration even though delays in establishing rules to use the funding and the creation of criteria for awarding it happened during the Trump administration. The lack of flood mitigation funding has left many Houstonians seething. During a meeting of the Harris County Commissioners Court last week, Pastor Rick Martinez, with Bethel Community Church in the East Aldine area, said residents were being used as political pawns and he asked GLO officials to visit his community after the next storm. Drive on past as our children are wading in disgusting flood waters, all because not a dime was spent to improve our drainage systems, said Martinez, a lifelong Republican whose church has flooded during four hurricanes and tropical storms in the last 20 years. The lack of flood mitigation funding is also aggravating a $1.4 billion shortfall Harris County faces in fully funding flood control projects that Houston-area voters approved in 2018 in response to Harvey. During a tour of East Aldine and surrounding neighborhoods, Ronquillo, 42, highlighted the streets that flood when it simply rains and how the bottom of her SUV is rusting because she keeps having to drive through high water. Standing along Halls Bayou, a few blocks from her home, she said the lack of funding would likely endanger the families who live along the waterway, which has experienced major flooding 14 times since 1989. Many of these families cant afford flood insurance and have little savings because theyre focused on day-to-day survival, said Ronquillo, who co-founded the community group Houston Department of Transformation. In the Allen Field subdivision north of East Aldine, houses and mobile homes are raised 6 to 8 feet (1.8 to 2.4 meters) off the ground because of perpetual flooding. But many residents, including Dolores Mendoza, are being forced to move because of a mandatory flood buyout program. Six generations of Mendozas family have lived in the subdivision and she would rather stay, but the flooding is getting a lot worse. Her home is near Greens Bayou, and the open drainage ditches that line her street are often clogged by debris and do little to remove water when it floods. Heavy rainfall last week made the roads leading to her home impassable. Mendoza, a 34-year-old accountant, said the GLOs funding decision was frustrating but not surprising because people dont really understand what it really is like out here. With the lack of support from the state, the fear is that once again, were not going to get the funding that we need and therefore we will continue to flood, Ronquillo said. ___ Follow Juan A. Lozano on Twitter: https://twitter.com/juanlozano70 An increase of UFO talk occurring after legalization of recreational cannabis use in Michigan is a pure coincidence. No longer can accounts of flying objects and possible Earth visitation from another planet be dismissed as stoner talk now that the U.S. government released multiple military video recordings of unexplained objects defying the laws of physics as humans know them. So everyone is now free to discuss sightings or experiences involving what are now called UAPs (unidentified aerial phenomenon), without being questioned about what substances theyve recently been consumed. Despite the stigmata of recent decades, Ive never been shy to share an unexplained event in my hometown of Kawkawlin when I was in elementary school. The tones and call came across the Bearcat scanner of my father, who was a volunteer firefighter, announcing a possible PI (personal injury) event on a stretch of I-75 that was just barely within sight from our backdoor. Some lights were visible through the darkness as the fire department vehicles and their flashing lights approached. But those vehicle lights soon closed and the rescue vehicles dispersed. My father returned less than 20 minutes after leaving the house, with a quizzical expression on his face. He and the other firefighters, some of whom also were relatives of ours, arrived to see an object surrounded by folks who were certainly human, but met the description of neither firefighters nor police officers. These people apparently were a collection of military personnel and folks in suits with either badgers or other identification on their breast pocket, who told the firefighters they were free to leave and werent needed at the scene. The combination of my fathers accounts of whom and what was there, along with his demeanor of disbelief, were frightening. We watched in the distance as those people and the object that were about two miles away with just a plowed field separating us, gradually dispersed. To my recollection, no story was printed in the newspaper and no mention of this was made on television, but a rumor spread that a weather balloon had crashed on the highway that night. A few years later while speaking with classmates in junior high I mentioned the episode and got an unexpected response from a friend. My dad was driving south on I-75 that night and he said that wasnt no weather balloon! he said. We still have found no stories or official explanations of the event but it may have made me more open to the idea of alien visitors and believing such accounts from other people. It also eventually led to me learning about Project Blue Book. This government operation supposedly investigated UFO reports from 1952-1969 and its results certainly didnt lend credence to the possibility of alien visitors. The group led by Air Force general Charles Cabell and astronomer J. Allen Hynek found reasons to dismiss an overwhelming number of reported UFO sightings, often with rather dubious explanations such as the witnesses saw military flares from miles away. Apparently these were the type of flares that quickly changed direction and elevation at will. If their questionable explanations werent enough to cause doubt, a bit more research into those two individuals cemented my opinion on the subject. Cabell was later forced by President John F. Kennedy to resign his post following the Bay of Pigs fiasco. Less than a year later, Cabells brother Earle was mayor in Dallas when JFK was assassinated and reportedly played a role in making the late change to the motorcade route, which then took the jaunt through Dealey Plaza. Possibly even more incriminating, I learned Hynek went to Ohio State University. So its obvious neither of these men could be trusted and UFOs indeed exist. Troy Bruzewski is a staff writer for the Huron Daily Tribune. He can be reached at troy.bruzewski@hearstnp.com. MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay (AP) When Eduardo Rey celebrated his 69th birthday at home with 10 family members in Uruguay's capital, he didn't suspect it would start a mortal race to find medical care amid a surging pandemic Two days after the party, the farmer came down with a fever, was coughing and felt weak. At first he and his family thought nothing of it, but then a relative who had been at the party tested positive for the coronavirus. When Rey tested positive his family tried repeatedly to get help from a doctor on the public health care telephone, but they couldn't get one to visit his home. His family eventually took him to a hospital themselves but they were told his lungs were badly damaged. On April 21, a month after his birthday, Rey died of respiratory insufficiency in an ICU in Montevideo, joining more than 3,000 people who have died of COVID-19 in Uruguay since March. While the number may seem small for other countries, it is huge in this South American country of just 3.5 million inhabitants and gives it one of the highest per capita coronavirus death rates in the world, according the Our World in Data. It is a sharp turnaround for Uruguay, which for most of 2020 seemed to have the virus under control. Like many other countries, it declared a health emergency in March 2020 and the government quickly took precautionary measures, including closing its borders, limiting public transportation and closing shopping malls and offices. Authorities rushed to control outbreaks, isolating infected people and having medical personnel track their previous contacts. But by mid-2020, authorities started reopening and for months there were no major changes. Then in November infections began to surge with the country being hard hit by the highly contagious P.1 variant, first identified in neighboring Brazil. The saturation of the country's health care system began. So far, about a third of Uruguay's people have been fully vaccinated. Meanwhile, the country has reported more than 280,000 coronavirus cases and more than 4,000 deaths from COVID-19 since the pandemic began up until this March only about 1,000 people had died. If you do not limit the mobility, do not do more PCR tests and do not track the contacts, the vaccine alone wont help, said Zaida Arteta, an infectious disease expert and general secretary of the Uruguayan Medical Union. Arteta said for the number of cases to drop, vaccination has to reach a high percentage of the population. President Luis Lacalle Pou, who has refused to tighten lockdown restrictions, has said his pandemic policy is that of responsible liberty, meaning every individual is responsible for avoiding the virus. But people are not limiting their social interactions. A case in point is Rey's birthday party. His wife, Graciela Diaz, recalls her husband's first symptoms. We didnt give them such an importance, she said. When Rey didnt improve, his family called the public health system phone number to report cases and request a doctor's visit. When they got through, they were told that if he hadn't been diagnosed with COVID-19, they couldn't assign anybody. By April 1st, he had tested positive for the coronavirus, and Diaz called the line again, but nobody answered. After several attempts, she decided to explain her husband's situation to different doctors, and they recommended asthma medication. She kept calling the help line. Finally a doctor picked up and told her that he couldn't go to her home because there were 900 people before her husband and his case did not seem worrisome because he was already taking medication. But the doctor also suggested: If you see that he gets worse, call 911, she recalled. The family finally decided to take Rey on their own to a hospital and he was immediately accepted on April 3. They were told that all of one of Rey's lungs and a quarter of the other were damaged. Inside the hospital, he was infected by three bacterium, Diaz said. His condition never improved. He was taken to the ICU, where he died. Uruguay has doubled the ICU beds to 1,022 during the pandemic. Last week, 785 out of them were occupied. Some of the sick in Uruguay were never able to get health care while others saw their condition deteriorate so quickly they never made it to a hospital. Martin Dure became sick on March 17, and five days later he began having serious problems breathing. His sister, Graciela, said they called the official coronavirus assistance line 17 times, but nobody was sent. Dure died that same night in his bed. A doctor came hours later only to confirm his death. Uruguay's Health Services Administration, in charge of the help line, said eight people were assigned to the telephone switchboard, but last week they hired 50 medical students to help answer the increasing calls. The slow or deficient response by the system literally puts lives at risk because the disease evolves rapidly, said Dr. Jaqueline Ponzo, an Uruguayan epidemiologist. Some experts attribute the rising number of cases and the speed of the infections to the increasing social mobility and the P.1 variant. We dont know how it will evolve the P.1 variant, said Arteta, the infectious disease expert. Its an uncertain scenario. TULSA, Okla. (AP) An emotional President Joe Biden marked the 100th anniversary of the massacre that destroyed a thriving Black community in Tulsa, declaring Tuesday that he had come to fill the silence about one of the nations darkest and long suppressed moments of racial violence. Some injustices are so heinous, so horrific, so grievous, they cannot be buried, no matter how hard people try," Biden said. Only with truth can come healing. Biden's commemoration of the deaths of hundreds of Black people killed by a white mob a century ago came amid the current national reckoning on racial justice. Just because history is silent, it does not mean that it did not take place," Biden said. He said "hell was unleashed, literal hell was unleashed. And now, he said, the nation must come to grips with the subsequent sin of denial. "We cant just choose what we want to know, and not what we should know," said Biden. I come here to help fill the silence, because in silence wounds deepen. After Biden left, some audience members spontaneously sang a famous civil rights march song, Aint Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around." The events Tuesday stood in stark contrast to then-President Donald Trump's trip to Tulsa last June, which was greeted by protests. Or the former president's decision, one year ago, to clear Lafayette Square near the White House of demonstrators who gathered to protest the death of George Floyd, a Black man, under the knee of a white Minneapolis police officer. In 1921 on May 31 and June 1 a white mob, including some people hastily deputized by authorities, looted and burned Tulsa's Greenwood district, which was referred to as Black Wall Street. As many as 300 Black Tulsans were killed, and thousands of survivors were forced for a time into internment camps overseen by the National Guard. Burned bricks and a fragment of a church basement are about all that survive today of the more than 30-block historically Black district. On Tuesday, the president, joined by top Black advisers, met privately with three surviving members of the Greenwood community who lived through the violence, the White House said. Viola Mother Fletcher, Hughes Uncle Red Van Ellis and Lessie Mother Randle Benningfield Randle are all between the ages of 101 and 107. Biden said their experience had been a story seen in the mirror dimly." But no longer," the president told the survivors. Now your story will be known in full view." Outside, Latasha Sanders, 33, of Tulsa, brought her five children and a nephew in hopes of spotting Biden. Its been 100 years, and this is the first weve heard from any U.S. president," she said. "I brought my kids here today just so they could be a part of history and not just hear about it, and so they can teach generations to come. John Ondiek, another Tulsan in the crowd following Biden's speech on cellphones, said he was encouraged that "There arent just Black people here. That tells me theres an awakening going on in this country. Several hundred people milled around Greenwood Avenue in front of the historic Vernon African Methodist Episcopal Church awaiting Bidens arrival at the nearby Greenwood Cultural Center. Some vendors were selling memorabilia, including Black Lives Matter hats, shirts and flags under a bridge of the interstate that cuts through the district. The names and pictures of Black men killed by police, including Eric Harris and Terrence Crutcher in Tulsa, hung on a chain-link fence next to the church. Biden briefly toured an exhibit at the center, at times stepping closer to peer at framed historic photographs, before he was escorted into a private meeting with the three survivors. America's continuing struggle over race will continue to test Biden, whose presidency would have been impossible without overwhelming support from Black voters, both in the Democratic primaries and the general election. He announced Tuesday that he was appointing Vice President Kamala Harris to lead efforts on voting rights as the GOP carries out efforts to pass laws restricting access to the ballot. Republicans portray such legislation as aimed at preventing fraudulent voting, but many critics believe it is designed to limit the voting of minorities. Biden has pledged to help combat racism in policing and other areas following nationwide protests after Floyds death a year ago that reignited a national conversation about race. Biden called on Congress to act swiftly to address policing reform. But he has also long projected himself as an ally of police, who are struggling with criticism about long-used tactics and training methods and difficulties in recruitment. The Tulsa massacre has only recently entered the national discourse and the presidential visit put an even brighter spotlight on the event. Biden, who was joined by Housing Secretary Marcia Fudge and senior advisers Susan Rice and Cedric Richmond, also announced new measures he said could help narrow the wealth gap between races and reinvest in underserved communities by expanding access to homeownership and small-business ownership. The White House said the administration will take steps to address disparities that result in Black-owned homes being appraised at tens of thousands of dollars less than comparable homes owned by white residents as well as issue new federal rules to fight housing discrimination. The administration is also setting a goal of increasing the share of federal contracts awarded to small disadvantaged businesses by 50% by 2026, funneling an estimated additional $100 billion to such businesses over the five-year period, according to the White House. Historians say the massacre in Tulsa began after a local newspaper drummed up a furor over a Black man accused of stepping on a white girls foot. When Black Tulsans showed up with guns to prevent the mans lynching, white residents responded with overwhelming force. Reparations for Black Americans whose ancestors were enslaved and for other racial discrimination have been debated in the U.S. since slavery ended in 1865. Now they are being discussed by colleges and universities with ties to slavery and by local governments looking to make cash payments to Black residents. Biden, who was vice president to the nations first Black president and who chose a Black woman as his own vice president, backs a study of reparations, both in Tulsa and more broadly, but has not committed to supporting payments. Trump visited Tulsa last year under vastly different circumstances. After suspending his campaign rallies because of the coronavirus pandemic, Trump, a Republican, chose Tulsa as the place to mark his return. But his decision to schedule the rally on June 19, the holiday known as Juneteenth that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States, was met with such fierce criticism that he postponed the event by a day. The rally was still marked by protests outside and empty seats inside an arena downtown. ___ Lemire reported from New York. Associated Press writer Sean Murphy contributed to this report. ___ For more AP coverage of the Tulsa Race Massacre anniversary, go to https://apnews.com/hub/tulsa-race-massacre. HARTFORD The new Connecticut Hate Crimes Advisory Council gathered with Gov. Ned Lamont in front of the Capitol on Tuesday morning, underscoring the rise in dangerous speech and crimes, and vowing to take a grass roots approach to the growing threat. On the other side of the Capitol, police were investigating an overnight shooting in which three bullets were fired into the south side of the building. The goal of the group is to raise awareness, increase the reporting of hate crimes and make recommendations for new laws, including enhanced penalties, and alternative sentences for first-time offenders, as well as restitution for victims. You have to fight every day and thats what this commission is about, Lamont said, recalling the anniversary of the 1921 massacre of at least 300 Black residents of Tulsa. If you dont stand up every day to this type of hatred, it will continue. Its not going to continue in Connecticut and its not going to continue in America. This type of hatred is a different type of hatred, where we target people. People are targeted because of their race, color, creed, sexual orientation, gender, and that is so contrary to everything we stand for in Connecticut and everything we stand for as Americans. The diverse, 25-member panel, which was recently created by a new state law, is part of a national movement to stop hate speech and actions that in recent days has most notably targeted Asian-Americans, but also Jews, Blacks, Muslims and others including gay and transgender people Attorney General William Tong said this moment has created urgency on the issue, similar to hate crimes that emerged during 2017. Weve been here before and Im sorry to say were here again, Tong said. Were seeing a surge in hate crimes against all people, but against Asians American 150-percent surge across the country, and more than 800 percent in New York City. These are members of our family, our neighbors and we really have to fight for them. Tong spoke in favor of pending legislation that would allow his office to investigation allegations of civil rights abuses. Another bill, which passed the Senate and awaits action in the House, would create a new State Police unit to probe hate crimes. Tong said language difficulties and legal residential status should not become barriers to reporting incidents, Tong said. Thats one of the biggest challenges in hate crimes law enforcement, Tong said, adding that immigrant communities in particular may be wary of reporting incidents, even if the people reporting incidents are without proper documentation. Douglas Lavine, a former state judge who is co-chairman of the council, said that the diverse group will be helping protect the vulnerable. Unfortunately we all there has been an uptick in the rhetoric in the country and some of the conduct has been extremely concerning, said Lavine, who is now a judge trial referee. Amy Lin Meyerson, president of the Connecticut Bar Association, who is the other co-chairwoman, said that remedying the damages from hate crimes in a big challenge, but she trusts that working with the governor and the legislature should create common action. U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal said the surge of hate crimes across the country is unacceptable. Hate crimes against any group endangers every one, Blumenthal said, noting that the council will be one of the few in the country. We are all different and we an all be victims at one point or another. This council is going to have a national role. Steven Ginsburg of the Anti-Defamation League of Connecticut, said hate crimes in Connecticut are mirroring national trends, and that he supports another pending bill on online hate speech. Weve got hate crimes and weve got hate incidents, Ginsburg. Sometimes hate spreads in the form of protected speech and still makes people feel uncomfortable and like they dont belong in our country. What can we do about that? Later in the afternoon, dozens of House members joined Lamont on the Capitols south lawn to witness the ceremonial signing of a bill that will make it easier for many people, including unmarried couples and the LGBTQ community and those without genetic connections, to have access to parenting in the eyes of the law. Hospitals will have forms for non-biological parents to attest to their status. Although Lamont signed the bill on May 26, the moment, a sunny afternoon that was a welcome recess during a dull afternoon debate, was timed for the start of LGBTQ & Pride Month. Lamont noted that a time of rising hate, understanding is particularly needed. The legislation passed the House with only one opponent, so the crowd of lawmakers behind Lamont was particularly bipartisan. When it comes to parents, when it comes to kids, when it comes to making sure that they have a community, a family to take care of them, and they are allowed to be who they are, this is what this is all about and this is what Connecticut is about, Lamont said. This is such an important day, what it says for our kids, what it says for Connecticut, what it says for respecting everybody and who they are. Then, the rainbow Pride flag was hoisted atop the south side of the Capitol building. kdixon@ctpost.com Twitter: @KenDixonCT PARIS (AP) The new head of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development said Tuesday that he is quietly optimistic about reaching an international deal on taxing multinational companies, and he called U.S. President Biden's recent proposal a game changer." OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann made the remarks at a news conference after taking over from Angel Gurria, who left office after leading the Paris-based organization since 2006. Cormann, asked about the prospects for a global taxation deal, replied, "Clearly there are a lot of conversations still on the way. You know, you dont get too far ahead of yourself, but Im quietly optimistic. More than 140 countries are taking part in talks convened by the OECD that focus on a global minimum for corporate taxation to deter big companies from shifting their profits to low-tax jurisdictions, and on taxing multinationals that earn substantial revenue in countries where they have no physical presence, such as internet retailing and digital advertising companies. The talks had stalled over issues such as whether companies could choose to opt in to any new system, a proposal put forward by the United States under the administration of former President Donald Trump. Biden has proposed setting at least a 15% minimum global corporate tax that would put a floor under tax rates and end what Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has called a race to the bottom in which tax havens use low rates to attract revenue. The global rate, part of a tax proposal aimed at helping pay for Biden's infrastructure program, also would raise the U.S. corporate tax rate from 21% to 28%. I think the approaches taken by the Biden administration in relation to this issue have been a game changer," Cormann said following a ministerial-level. meeting of the OECD Council. I think that we are in a much better position than we were towards the end of last year," he said. "Im quietly optimistic that with the level of goodwill that was demonstrated by all during the meeting today, if we continue to carry this forward, that there will have an opportunity for a sensible consensus. The OECD, an international organization with 38 member countries, estimates that governments lose up to $240 billion a year to companies that shift earnings among countries to lower their tax bills. Competition to cut corporate tax rates has been undermining the United States and other countries ability to raise the revenue needed to make critical investments, according to the U.S. Treasury. ___ McHugh contributed from Frankfurt, Germany. There have been seven cases of capillary leak syndrome, in which blood escapes into the body from tiny blood capillaries. The MHRA has stated that they would "continue to closely monitor this situation." Is it hazardous? Attacks, according to the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD), frequently need "emergency treatment," therefore, it appears to be dangerous. A sudden drop in blood pressure can occur when blood leaks out of capillaries, which can be "life-threatening." "The existing data does not show that AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccination causes capillary leak syndrome," the MHRA noted. "The vaccinations' projected advantages in reducing COVID-19 and significant COVID-19 consequences substantially surpass any presently known negative effects." Other Side Effects Other negative effects that have been reported include: Discomfort or pain in the injection area Fatigue Terrible headaches Muscle aches Chills Pains in the joints Fever These adverse effects were often mild to moderate in severity, and they all went away within a few days of the injection. The second dosage of the AstraZeneca jab was thought to have "milder" adverse effects than the first. Furthermore, side effects were recorded "less often" as well. Correlation The MHRA has confirmed a "stronger correlation" between the AstraZeneca vaccination and blood clots since April 7. The blood clot is known as cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST), and it occurs when platelet levels are low (thrombocytopenia). People who have this exceedingly unusual adverse effect after their first AstraZeneca injection should avoid getting another one. Related Article: Fake Pfizer Covid Vaccines Found in Poland and Mexico Due to Increasing Demand Worrying Symptoms If any of the following symptoms appear four days after your initial AstraZeneca injection, get medical help immediately: A terrible headache that won't go away with over-the-counter pain relievers or that gets worse or feels worse when you lie down or bend over. An uncommon headache that might include impaired vision, disorientation, trouble speaking, weakness, sleepiness, or convulsions (fits) Rash or bleeding under the skin beyond the injection site that resembles tiny bruises Shortness of breath, chest discomfort, leg swelling, or persistent abdominal (tummy) pain are all symptoms of a heart attack. Those who haven't had any negative side effects from the AstraZeneca vaccination are urged to obtain a second shot. An alternative to the AstraZeneca vaccine will be provided to anyone under the age of 40. Immunization in the UK More than 24 million individuals have already received their second immunization, according to the government. This might have been an AstraZeneca, Pfizer, or Moderna vaccination, all of which are available in the United Kingdom. Active Cases The number of persons testing positive for the condition has increased by 20.5 percent in the last seven days after the Covid limits were eased. The number of fatalities has also climbed by 14% in the last week, indicating that the number of infections has grown. With 826 new patients admitted to the hospital, the number of persons admitted to the hospital has also increased. These patterns might be seen as concerning, implying that the June 21 deadline will be postponed. Also Read: The Fight Against Climate Change May Be Compromised Due to the Global Vaccine Crisis For more health & medicine news, don't forget to follow Nature World News! COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) Three Democratic members of Congress are asking the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to investigate the foster care experience of Ma'Khia Bryant that preceded the 16-year-old's fatal police shooting in Ohio. U.S. Rep. Joyce Beatty and U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, along with U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, penned a letter last week on behalf of Bryant's parents, asking the federal agency to look into the teen's experience through the foster care system. When a child dies in foster care, the system has failed," the lawmakers wrote. It failed MaKhia Bryant, who lived in her foster family home for about two months before a police officer shot and killed her in front of that home on April 20, 2021." Bryant was shot four times in April by Columbus police officer Nicholas Reardon as she swung a knife at a young woman, just seconds after pushing another woman to the ground. Bryant was Black and Reardon is white. Police were responding to a 911 call made from Bryant's foster home about a group of girls threatening to stab members of the household. Bryant's family previously told The Associated Press that the teen and her younger sister were the ones who called for help. While Bryants killing further heightened tensions in Ohio's capital city over the fatal police shootings of Black people, her death also cast a light on the states foster care system. An attorney representing the slain teens family called for an investigation of the system and whether girls in the foster home were properly supervised. In the letter, the Democratic lawmakers urged for the HHS Administration for Children and Families to provide assistance to the Franklin County Children Services, where Bryant was in foster care, during their review of the case. The letter, which was released today, also asks the federal agency's Office of Civil Rights to launch its own independent investigation to examine if the state and the county foster care systems were in compliance with federal non-discrimination services. Among the parts of her foster care experience under scrutiny include Bryant being placed in five different foster homes within two years. The foster home she was staying at at the time of her death was the scene of more than a dozen 911 calls since 2017. The majority of the calls were made by Angela Moore the homes foster mother seeking help with foster girls who had left without permission or didnt return after being out, according to documents and 911 calls obtained by AP. The whole world has placed MaKhia on trial based on this one incident where they see her swinging a knife, the family's attorney Michelle Martin said in late April. But why arent we looking further and figuring out who were those girls? How did they get there? How did this develop so quickly? What trauma was not being addressed within the home?" she added. "I mean so many questions that have to be answered. Days after Bryant's shooting, Franklin County Children Services said it had an obligation to make changes. We are committed to ensuring that our programming and services most appropriately address the needs and concerns of those we serve, the agency said. Requests for comment were sent to HHS, Franklin County Children Services and the state. But the lawmakers who penned the letter, as well as child welfare advocates, say the foster care system in Ohio and nationally is broken, especially when it comes to the treatment of Black children. A review released in March, ordered by Republican Gov. Mike DeWine, found the state's system was infused with racial inequity. The review also showed examples of where the system failed to value Black voices and experiences and poorly equipped foster parents to raise multiracial families, which sometimes results in the children in their care experiencing racism. These inequities played out in MaKhias life and are all too familiar for children and young people in the foster care system, particularly Black and brown children who are overrepresented in the child welfare system, the lawmaker stated in the letter. ___ Farnoush Amiri is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. CLINTON Clinton Public Schools is moving forward with a plan to work with the Wheeler Clinic to increase support for students when they return to The Morgan School in the fall. Principal Keri Hagness presented the plan to the Board of Education May 17. After a difficult pandemic year and remote schooling, Hagness said the administration has been seeing issues with trauma among families, and that a higher level of support will be needed. Weve seen across the nation the increase in the therapeutic needs for families and our students, Hagness said, according to a recording of the Board of Education meeting. We are concerned in terms of the support services, and are we meeting the needs of students in a comprehensive way? This is not a new discussion for Clinton Public Schools Hagness and Special Services Director Kim Pearce have been working on looking for alternative models for increased support for years, according to the audio. This specific conversation has been going on for two years, they said. The pair discussed chronic absenteeism and family-based support, which Pearce said they had struggled to address for a long time. And then the pandemic was upon us, Pearce said, referencing how the conversation surrounding support shifted. We saw the new challenges upon us, not only with the students who are back in front of us, thankfully, but, also the students who are continuing to be at home and struggling through the pandemic. While exploring options that would increase support, the pair began meeting with the Wheeler Clinic, which has trained staff and consults with school districts across Connecticut. When looking for a partner, Pearce said that collaboration was important so administrators could eventually take over the program themselves. They looked at having a clinician who would be dedicated to work with a set group of students, allowing the school psychologist and social worker to focus on the remaining student population, Pearce said. Wheelers team is also trained in trauma-based approaches, which Hagness said will help teachers and staff in their work with students. They also spoke with Wheeler about adding a special education teacher to the team. If the plan goes through, Wheeler would supply one such teacher and one of Clintons teachers would continue to work in the program. Whats really important here is the clinical supervision that would be provided to those staff members, including our staff members and the Wheeler staff members in terms of oversight, Pearce said during the meeting. Something that drew the district to working with Wheeler is the fact that families can work directly with staff and the clinician, establishing a relationship that can provide both students and parents with needed support, Hagness said I think thats really a piece that weve been looking to have thats integral to the success of a lot of the students who struggle the most, she said at the meeting. This work should help keep students in the district, as students will not need to be sent elsewhere to receive the help they need, said Hagness, who is also looking to increase trauma-based approaches as time goes on. Work will be completed over the summer to create an entry plan so staff can hit the ground running. If approved, the program will be partially funded by the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief fund, which is aimed at helping address the impact the pandemic had on students. The contract, agreement, and official costs will be brought to the Board of Education for final approval once an initial agreement has been reached. christine.derosa@hearstmediact.com Don't Miss West Haven homicide victim remembered for kindness, voice The Rev. Boise Kimber said he and his church urge the community to share any information they have about the homicide. Its been just more than a year since authorities took Peter Manfredonia into custody in connection with two deaths, an assault, a home invasion and a kidnapping after a multi-state manhunt following an alleged crime spree in Connecticut. The crimes the 2015 Newtown High School grad and University of Connecticut student was accused of began in Willington on Friday, May 22, 2020 the start of Memorial Day weekend. He was taken into custody in Maryland five days later. Manfredonia, who has three separate cases pending from two incidents in Willington and one in Derby, is next expected in court on July 1 at 2 p.m. for the Willington case. For the Derby case, the next court hearing is July 14 at 11:30 a.m. The hearings will be held remotely, court records show. His alleged crime spree started at 9 a.m. on May 22 in Willington. Police responded to a Mirtl Road home and found two men suffering from injuries after being assaulted. One of the victims, Ted DeMers, died from his injuries. John Franco, a neighbor who intervened when he saw DeMers being attacked, was critically injured but survived. The next day, authorities named Manfredonia as a potential suspect in the Willington attacks. By night, state troopers notified the landlord of Manfredonias Storrs apartment building that they broke down the door to search his unit. He lived in the apartment alone and had been there about four months. On May 24, Willington police were called to a Tunrpike Drive residence by a homeowner who told officers he was held against his will by Manfredonia before he stole the victims food, guns and truck. The victim was uninjured. At 6:45 a.m. on May 24, the Willington mans truck was found near Osbornedale State Park in Derby. Police traced Manfredonias movements from the park to a residence on Roosevelt Drive using surveillance footage and found the body of Nicholas Eisele, also a 2015 Newtown High grad. Manfredonia allegedly kidnapped Eiseles girlfriend and fled in her car, allowing her to drop him off at a New Jersey truck stop near the Pennsylvania border. From there, he hailed a rideshare. Late afternoon on May 24, authorities reported sightings of Manfredonia in East Stroudsburg, Pa. On May 25, an advisory was issued to law enforcement agencies in Pocono Summit, Pa., for Manfredonia. His attorney took to the media to urge Manfredonia to surrender to authorities. Police in Duryea, Pa., reported a possible sighting of Manfredonia around 11:15 p.m. on May 26. On May 27, Pennsylvania authorities reported Manfredonia had been possibly sighted at a convenience store in Chambersburg. At 9:42 p.m. on May 27, Connecticut State Police announced Manfredonia was taken into custody at a truck stop in Hagerstown, Md. Viktoria Sundqvist / Hearst Connecticut Media HARTFORD A city man involved in a shooting in 2020 received the maximum sentence on a federal supervised release violation last week in Hartford court, according to prosecutors. Judge Alvin W. Thompson sentenced 33-year-old Brandon Spun Spence to 24 months in prison on May 27. Schools across Connecticut are focusing on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in different ways, through curricula, training sessions and board of education committees. Recent backlash about Guilford Public Schools social justice plan, aimed at teaching students that institutional racism is a part of American history, shines a light on changes being enacted by these districts. Some parents in Guilford claim the district is teaching their children critical race theory, which school officials have denied. Critical race theorys core principle is that racism is a social construct, and is embedded in policies and legal systems, not just the product of biases or prejudice. Changes are also happening at the state level beginning for the 2022-23 school year. In 2019, Gov. Ned Lamont signed Public Act 19-12, which requires all regional and local boards of education to include a high school elective that provides students with a better understanding of the African-American, Black, Puerto Rican and Latino contributions to U.S. history. The course will not be required, but will be offered to high schools students. High schools can start offering the electives as a pilot program in 2021-22. Regional School District 17 Haddam-Killingworths school district has created an action plan to address multiculturalism, Black history, including racism and systemic racism as well as diverse perspectives. It includes training for staff, updating curricula to include identity work, people-centered history, systems analysis, and engaging with the community. The district also plans to continue to promote respect, caring, problem-solving, conflict resolution and anti-bullying. This will be done through assemblies, small group conversations and discussion groups throughout the year, according to the district. A new elective course will be added for the 2021-22 school year for Black and Latino studies at the high school in accordance with Public Act 19-12, even though it is not required for another year. Waterford Public Schools Waterford Public Schools has been participating in training on these topics. In January, the Board of Education worked with the Capital Region Education Council to help the members think about equity. In March, the district completed equity training to help staff recognize and react to microaggressions in the classroom. Another goal of the training was to give staff more confidence when speaking about racial issues, and allow them to better understand concepts around systemic racism, white privilege, and unconscious bias, according to the spring newsletter. This in alignment with the Board of Education set goals and expectations as we move forward as a district to meet the needs of all students, Superintendent Thomas Giard said during the training, according to the newsletter. Words alone will not create change. Change takes action. Lasting change takes commitment, and our commitment to our district goal and priority of advocate for and build a district that promotes equity needs to be foundational to everything we do, and staff professional learning is integral, Giard said. Old Saybrook Public Schools This summer, Old Saybrook Public Schools will offer several enrichment courses. One of the discussion-based courses is called Racism, Anti-Racism and You. It is offered for those entering grades nine through 12. Colchester Public Schools Colchester Public Schools has a diversity, equity and inclusion committee reviewing training and potential lessons for students, according to its website. The district has also partnered with EdRising, an organization that works with aspiring teachers who reflect the communities they serve. The partnerships goal is to increase the diversity of the teaching staff. In April, the Equity Institute worked with the district to conduct a focus group to understand perceptions and beliefs about educational equity. The district is also conducting an institutional audit and curricula changes. Regional School District 13 Regional School District 13, which includes Durham and Middlefield, has a Well-Being Committee, launched in 2018, which supports equity and diversity efforts. It also deals with student and teacher social and emotional health, especially the impact the pandemic may have had on them, according to the website. The committee created an equity policy and it was approved by the Board of Education May 12. The BOE has also been involved in training. In fall 2020, they hosted guest speakers who offered education on systemic racism and equity. Plans have not necessarily been going smoothly, however. During Februarys committee meeting, student representative Gage Rovelli said some progress has been made this year, such as a new class about inequality, according to meeting minutes. He noted that a lot of kids make jokes about it, and suggested that every student be required to watch a video. christine.derosa@hearstmediact.com SAN FRANCISCO (AP) A first-in-the-nation task force in California to study and recommend reparations for African Americans held its inaugural meeting Tuesday, launching a two-year process to address the harms of slavery and systemic racism despite the federal government's inaction. The nine members of the task force, appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders, include the descendants of slaves who are now prominent lawyers, academics and politicians. The group's newly elected chair is a young lawyer who specializes in intellectual property, and their vice-chair is a longtime civil rights activist arrested with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at a lunch counter sit-in in 1961. Im so thankful to my ancestors, who survived so much trauma, so much pain, so much tragedy, so much brutality, so that I could live, said Lisa Holder, a civil rights attorney in Los Angeles. And I am ready to fight to deliver them our ancestors justice. Tuesday's meeting of the first state reparations committee in the U.S. came as President Joe Biden commemorated the lives of hundreds of Black people killed by a white mob in what was then a thriving African-American community in Tulsa, Oklahoma, a century ago. It also comes just over a year after George Floyd, a Black man, was murdered by a white police officer in Minnesota. Secretary of State Shirley Weber, who as a state assemblywoman authored the state legislation creating the task force, noted the solemnity of the occasion as well as the opportunity to right an historic wrong that continues today, in the form of large racial disparities in wealth, health and education. African Americans make up just 6% of Californias population yet were 30% of an estimated 250,000 people experiencing homelessness who sought help in 2020. Your task is to determine the depth of the harm, and the ways in which we are to repair that harm, said Weber, whose parents were sharecroppers forced to leave the South. Critics have said that California did not have slaves as in other states and should not have to study reparations or pay for it. But Weber said the state is an economic powerhouse that can point the way for a federal government that has been unable to address the issue. It would not replace any reparations agreed to by the federal government. Members of the task force pointed out that Black Americans have heard all their lives that they need to improve themselves, yet the truth is that theyve been held back by outright racism and discriminatory laws that prevented them from getting conventional bank loans and purchasing homes. Their neighborhoods in San Francisco and Los Angeles were razed in the name of development. We have lost more than we have ever taken from this country. We have given more than has ever been given to us, said task force member and state Sen. Steven Bradford. He would like to model a reparations program on the GI bill, allowing for free college and assistance with home-buying. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan signed legislation providing $20,000 in redress and a formal apology to every surviving Japanese American incarcerated during World War II. But a federal slavery reparations bill, commonly referred to as H.R. 40, has languished in Congress since it was first introduced in 1989. It passed out of the House Judiciary Committee in April, but it faces steep odds. The bill refers to the failed government effort to provide 40 acres (16 hectares) of land to newly freed slaves as the Civil War wound down. Some people who called into the virtual meeting implored the group to come up with targeted proposals and cash payments to make whole the descendants of Black slaves specifically. This is really about lineage, it's not just about color. The government owes a debt that's long overdue, said Harriet Barton, a longtime resident of San Fernando Valley in Southern California. The task force's duties include summarizing discrimination against Black people in law, and in the private and public sectors; calculating compensation and educating the public on its findings; and crafting an apology. Newsom, a Democrat, issued a formal apology to Native American tribal leaders in 2019. He also announced the creation of a council to examine the state's role in campaigns to exterminate and exploit indigenous people in the state. Cryptocurrency now utilizes as much electricity as Argentina but analysts assert technology will soon be mainly powered by renewable energy. Bitcoin has risen from a fringe technology well known with cryptographers in little over a decade, to the ninth most valuable asset in the world by market cap. Energy Demands of Bitcoin The dramatic ascent of cryptocurrency has made millionaires, reinterpret money, and launched an industry worth multi-billion dollars inspired by its revolutionary decentralised technology. But it has also brought some undesired side effect with it. The computing power needed to support the underlying network of bitcoin now requires almost as much energy as the whole country of Argentina, thereby causing criticism about its environmental footprint. Analysis made by the University of Cambridge proposes the bitcoin network uses over 121 terawatt-hours (TWh) yearly, which would rank it in the top 30 consumers of electricity all over the world had it been it was a country. The demands of energy have been stoked up by the surging cost of bitcoin in recent months, which has seen it increase from below 3,600 ($5,000) last March to almost $50,000 today. Concerns about the energy demands of bitcoin have been present since the very beginning, with Hal Finney, a crypto pioneer tweeting about possible future CO2 emissions on the 27th of January 2009 - just about two weeks after he received the first ever bitcoin transaction from the cryptocurrency's pseudonymous creator Satoshi Nakamoto. Also Read: Why Does The Price Of Bitcoin Fluctuate: 5 Things You Should Know? Bitcoin DNA The amount of energy consumed by bitcoin's network did not increase to serious prominence until 2017, when a great price rally extremely pushed up its energy requirements to the level of a small country. As the market cooled off in some years after, so did the energy demands, but the most recent all-time high hit during the middle of May is higher than double that of three and a half years ago. And this time its energy needs are even much greater. CEO of leading cryptography firm IOHK, Charles Hoskinson, said to The Independent: "Since the start of its last peak in 2017, the energy consumption of Bitcoin has more than quadrupled and it is set to get worse due to the fact that energy inefficiency is built into the DNA of bitcoin." He added that Bitcoin's carbon footprint will get drastically worse because the more its price increase, the more the competition for the currency. It then tends to consume more energy. Environmental Impact of Bitcoin Bitcoin's environmental impact is aggravated by the fact that most miners are based in China, where more than two-thirds of power is from coal. The mining process needed to create new units of the cryptocurrency has to do with solving complicated but arbitrary mathematical equations, which presently requires large amounts of computer processing power. Therefore Bitcoin miners move to where electricity is very cheap, implying the fundamental issue is not with bitcoin but with an absence of cheap renewable energy production. Related Article: Understanding the Different Types of Bitcoin For more news, updates about bitcoin mining and similar topics don't forget to follow Nature World News! NEW YORK (AP) Though Brian Walter knows he tried to protect his parents from the coronavirus, doubts torment him. Did he grab a wrong bottle of orange juice, one covered with infectious droplets? Did he get too close to his dad? What if he had worked a different shift would things have been different? Did he bring about his fathers death? The New York City Transit employee was deemed an essential worker needed to keep the city running last year when it became the epicenter of the pandemic. He shared a meal for St. Patricks Day with his parents, then decided that he should stay away for their safety. They kept a sanitizing station outside their shared home where he would leave groceries that his mom would disinfect. Still, they got sick. And he cant escape the gnawing feeling that he exposed his father to the virus. I constantly feel guilty that I was the one going out every day, he said. I mean, Im the only person leaving the house all the time. So you know, it almost seems logical that I was the one that brought it in. These are common questions in a world beset by a pandemic that has killed about 600,000 people in the United States alone. Survivors wonder whether small decisions they made had catastrophic consequences. In the year since John Walter died on May 10, 2020, Brian has often returned to their last moment together, when he drove his 80-year-old father to a Manhattan hospital. Id give anything to have it back, because theres so many things that I didnt say that Id love to have that time again, he said, choking back tears. The family was unable to hold a wake. Instead, they buried John Walters ashes months later in a small ceremony at All Faiths Cemetery in Queens. Dad used to say: Oh, no ones going to come to my funeral. And in the end, he was right we didnt have one. ... No one could come, Walter said. But Dad thinking that he wouldnt be remembered, hes wrong he couldnt be more wrong. A plaque outside John Walters home in the Middle Village neighborhood of Queens reads: On this site in 1897 nothing happened. He loved that sign! his son said, chuckling. He was just such a goof. In the living room, surrounded by Johns collection of history books, toy soldiers and Laurel and Hardy memorabilia, his wife, Peg, and son re-enacted scenes from Johns favorite Pink Panther films. I loved seeing him laugh! Peg Walter said. They were married 57 years. They recalled how John would often carry a clowns nose that hed wear to elegant dinners on cruises the couple took around the world. His lifelong passion for Civil War history and the New York Mets, after the Dodgers broke his heart by leaving Brooklyn. His dedication for Autism Speaks in support of his grandson James. The way he guided teenagers at his parish youth group for nearly three decades. John, a historian who also ran genealogy and military research businesses, would not want us sitting around dressed in black, mourning forever, his son said. Hed want us to go out and have the experiences that he cant have anymore. Walter tried to turn his guilt and grief into positive deeds, honoring victims of the pandemic. He traveled in October to Washington where he spoke at the National COVID-19 Remembrance Day about his dads life and death, and how he has coped with survivors guilt. He also joined online support groups. He and his mother planned their own memorial for COVID-19 victims in Queens, one of the nations hardest-hit places. They teamed up with 16-year-old artist Hannah Ernst, who began to draw portraits of COVID-19 victims after her grandfather, Calvin Schoenfeld, died from the virus. On May 1 of this year, hundreds of her paintings on a yellow heart background were placed on empty benches at the bandshell at Forest Park for Queens COVID Remembrance Day. Today these empty benches which stretch before us are some of the Queens residents taken away with my father way too soon, Walter said onstage in front of an image of his father clad in a plaid shirt and a Mets hat. Theyre a stark representation of those who should be here today. Participants recited Catholic, Islamic and Sikh prayers; the bereaved shared their painful stories and sang Amazing Grace. Walter smiled as families sat on the benches, took photos and even kissed the paintings of their lost loved ones. Ive been dreaming about this day for months, he said. You finally feel that maybe youve done something for them, he said, at the same time relieving some of his own guilt. Its a way of not letting go, but kind of letting some of it go. Youre never going to forget the person. But its a big healing factor. ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support from the Lilly Endowment through The Conversation U.S. The AP is solely responsible for this content. The Army is investigating a Reserve officer and U.S. House candidate after he made an appearance on a partisan media show in uniform and later denied that President Joe Biden is the legitimate commander in chief. First Lt. Alex Stovall is a chaplain candidate assigned to the Army Reserve's 91st Training Division; he enlisted in January 2013. He's running as a Republican in Arizona's 9th Congressional District, which is in the Phoenix area. "We are aware of the situation and are investigating," Lt. Col. Simon Flake, an Army Reserve Command spokesperson, said in a statement. "The U.S. Army Reserve follows the Department of Defense's long-standing policy regarding service member involvement in partisan political campaigns to avoid the perception of DoD sponsorship, approval, or endorsement of any partisan political candidate, campaign, or cause." Read Next: Navy Restarts Regular Pee Tests as Pandemic Winds Down Flake said he could not comment on any specifics in the investigation. On a show in April, Stovall said he didn't believe Biden was president. In a separate interview on One America News Network, he appeared in uniform discussing his campaign. OANN has given airtime to multiple conspiracy theories, including that the presidential election was illegitimate. The interview with OANN was rescheduled to a time when Stovall was on his way home from military duty and did not have a change of clothes, according to Joel Bailey, a campaign spokesman. However, Stovall could have taken off the camouflage top he wore and conducted the interview in the coyote brown T-shirt that serves as the uniform's underlayer. In his first major campaign ad, Stovall appears multiple times in uniform, but disclosure text appears at the bottom of the screen, stating that the images do "not imply endorsement by the U.S. military or DoD." Two other soldiers, a major and a noncommissioned officer, also appear in the ad. It isn't clear whether Stovall got their consent to feature them in a partisan advertisement. During the ad, Stovall identifies himself as an Army chaplain and says, "Socialists like AOC hate two things, 'God and America,'" referring to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. In an interview with Military.com, Stovall said he is a candidate to become a chaplain; chaplains must earn various credentials to be certified. Stovall told Military.com he hasn't broken any rules and that the regulations are on his side. In that interview, he refused to comment on whether the 2020 election was legitimate. The interview was terminated quickly after Military.com pressed on specifics. The deadly Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol by a pro-Trump mob reportedly was motivated in part by conspiracy theories that former President Donald Trump, not Biden, won the election. Stovall's first major campaign ad prominently featured Ocasio-Cortez. He told Military.com he's primarily running against her, despite her district being more than 2,400 miles away from where he is campaigning. When asked what specific policies he's running against, he replied, "All of them." If Stovall makes it through the Republican primary, he would likely face incumbent Rep. Greg Stanton, D-Ariz., who handily won his previous race with 61% of the vote. Mikey Weinstein, president of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, or MRFF, said he believes Stovall potentially could be found guilty of several violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, including "contempt toward officials," which states that commissioned officers cannot use "contemptuous words against the president." Stovall also could be guilty of violating DoD Directive 1344.10, which states that troops are generally forbidden from partisan activities while in uniform, Weinstein said. "If this isn't an example of contempt of officials, nothing is. Just get rid of the rule at that point," he said in an interview with Military.com. Weinstein told Military.com that MRFF pushed the Pentagon to investigate Stovall and sent a letter to Biden urging him to take swift disciplinary action against the Army officer. "Our armed forces have the UCMJ for a reason," Weinstein wrote to the president Tuesday. "Without it, the requisite good order, morale, discipline, and unit cohesion needed to optimally command our military forces disintegrates into lethal chaos." The Defense Department is also investigating former Army Capt. Harold Earls over whether he abused his position or misused military media assets for a partisan political ad in his own congressional bid. Earls, who's running as a Republican in Georgia's 6th Congressional District, announced his campaign in a video using footage of Gold Star families mourning at Arlington National Cemetery and close-up images of graves. The advertisement focuses almost exclusively on his service at the cemetery. After Military.com's report, Earls' campaign took the ad off YouTube. -- Steve Beynon can be reached at Steve.Beynon@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @StevenBeynon. Related: DoD Investigating Former Army Officer Who Used Arlington Cemetery Footage in Campaign Ad The Biden administration is addressing extremism in the ranks, as well as climate change, in its first proposed Defense Department budget. The budget would set aside $30.8 million to help the Pentagon improve tools to identify and address extremism among troops, and enhance training at all levels. It also includes $9.1 million to take initial steps to fight extremism and insider threats, building on findings from the military's report on the 2019 shooting at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, by a Saudi pilot; it was determined he had self-radicalized. Read Next: Army Grunts May Get More Guns, But Less Ammo Next Year The budget also declares climate change a "national security priority." The military must adapt to the ways the natural environment is changing, the Pentagon said, and take action to reduce how the military contributes to negative effects on the climate. The prominence the two issues play in the Pentagon's budget represent a marked change from the Trump administration, which sought to downplay climate change and the threat of domestic extremists. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made rooting out extremism among service members a priority soon after taking over the Pentagon in January. His actions came a few weeks after extremists -- including several people with ties to the military -- ransacked the U.S. Capitol in an effort to stop the certification of President Joe Biden's election victory. "The DoD places the highest importance on treating all personnel with dignity and respect, in an inclusive environment free from impermissible discrimination, harassment, and maltreatment," the budget proposal states. "While we believe the vast majority of those who serve in the military and the civilian workforce that supports them do so with honor, dignity and respect, recent events have taught us that we must be ever vigilant in our efforts to identify and combat extremist behavior within our ranks." The military is planning to create a new regulation for punishing extremist activities, the Pentagon's budget request adds. It also wants to improve how it vets people and screens publicly available social media to find signs of extremism. And it hopes to create a case management tool for tracking concerning activities. The Pentagon also plans to roll out an improved, standardized training program on fighting extremism in the ranks, and strengthen insider threat programs to find and deter extremist threats within the military. The military intends to use a screening process called continuous evaluation to monitor security clearance holders for signs of extremism, the budget proposal states. Austin announced plans in April for the military to increase its screening of recruits for extremism during the accession process. He launched a working group to make sure changes are enacted and look at whether the Uniform Code of Military Justice and other policies need to be updated to address the problem. Addressing Climate Change The Pentagon's budget request highlights several natural disasters in recent years that directly hurt the military. In October 2018, Hurricane Michael devastated Tyndall Air Force Base and damaged multiple F-22 Raptor fighters as it tore through Florida. Five months later, severe flooding from the Missouri River and a nearby creek swamped parts of Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska. The budget also cites wildfires in California that forced multiple evacuations, and "black flag days" with unsafe 90-plus degree heat that have hurt training efforts. "The department is not immune to the impacts of climate change," the budget states. As climate change melts the Arctic, it will prompt growing competition for resources and influence in the region, according to the Pentagon. And shifting environments elsewhere -- including rising temperatures and increasingly extreme weather events contributing to governmental instability and mass migrations -- are also creating more challenges for the military to respond to. The military is asking for $617 million in new investments to help it prepare for and respond to climate change. This includes renovating installations to improve their ability to operate during severe weather conditions, and be able to recover more quickly after disruptive natural or man-made emergencies. It also calls for more funding for energy and climate science and technology, particularly looking for ways to reduce and manage the military's demand for energy. Figuring out ways to operate with lower fuel requirements would also help the services keep operating in a conflict where the ability to deliver fuel resupplies is constrained. And the military wants funding to prepare for increasing competition in the Arctic. Russia, for example, is trying to expand its reach in the Arctic as melting ice sheets open up new transit routes and opportunities to drill for oil and other natural resources. -- Stephen Losey can be reached at stephen.losey@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @StephenLosey. Related: Pentagon Announces Tougher Extremism Screenings for New Military Recruits ALEXANDRIA, Va. A former Army Green Beret sentenced to more than 15 years in prison for spying for Russia has filed paperwork seeking to withdraw his guilty plea. Peter Debbins of Gainesville, Virginia, filed the handwritten motion earlier this week from his jail cell in Alexandria. He gave no reason for doing so, but the filing came less than two weeks after he was sentenced to 188 months in prison for violating the federal Espionage Act. The sentence he received was significantly longer than the five-year term his lawyer had requested. At his sentencing hearing, Debbins said he was blackmailed by Russian intelligence agents who threatened to expose his same-sex attractions. Prosecutors said he concocted the excuse, and cited earlier admissions that Debbins considered himself a loyal son of Russia. They say he provided details about activities of his Special Forces unit overseas and the names of fellow Special Forces members, among other classified information. Prosecutors say Debbins has no basis to withdraw his guilty plea. On Friday, two days after Debbins filed his handwritten motion, his lawyer, David Benowitz, filed a motion seeking to negate it. This article was written by The Associated Press from The Associated Press and was legally licensed through the Industry Dive publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@industrydive.com. An airman from the 341st Missile Wing at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, wore a Gadsden flag patch in place of the American flag on his uniform without authorization, according to a base spokesperson. U.S. Strategic Command on Saturday tweeted a news release promoting nuclear launch security measures, along with a photo of Capt. Alexander Garland, a 341st Operations Support Squadron nuclear cryptographic operator, inserting a floppy disk into equipment at the base, according to the photo caption. He was wearing the patch on his Operation Camouflage Pattern, or OCP, uniform in the photo. "The incident has been addressed with the member's chain of command, and regulations regarding the wear of authorized patches -- in accordance with Air Force standards -- are being reinforced throughout the wing," a spokesperson from the 341st said Tuesday, adding that the patch in question is not authorized to be worn on Air Force uniforms. Read Next: Pentagon Eyes New Bombs for War With China, Not ISIS "Proper wear of the uniform is a vital element of good order and discipline, which guides our Strikers daily in the execution of our no-fail mission," the spokesperson said in an email statement, referring to the global strike mission. As of Tuesday afternoon, the photo had been removed from the news release, but remained on Twitter. Per OCP wear instruction, it is mandatory for airmen to wear a U.S. flag cloth patch on the right sleeve. Over the weekend, social media users were quick to note the Gadsden patch, which features a coiled snake and "Don't Tread on Me" slogan, questioning its use on an official military uniform. The meaning of the Gadsden flag, designed by Christopher Gadsden in 1775, has seen a shift over the years. Once understood to represent limited government, it has been used as a rallying symbol for the right-wing Tea Party movement; by white supremacist groups; and most recently, by individuals who participated in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. In 2016, the Navy had to clarify to sailors that the Gadsden patch isn't authorized, though it bears similarities to another patch that features a snake and the same slogan. That image, which is approved for wear only with the Navy's woodland-pattern camouflage working uniform, features an uncoiled snake on a striped background and is based on the First Naval Jack. It also was designed in 1775, but historically has been used only for Navy purposes. In 2002, then-Navy Secretary Gordon England authorized all Navy warships and auxiliaries to fly that flag during the Global War on Terrorism. -- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214. Related: Navy's 'Don't Tread on Me' Patch Avoids Race Controversy For most Americans, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommendations on returning to "activities halted during the pandemic" means making dinner reservations, planning parties with friends or buying concert tickets. For sailors, the guidance also signals the return of a requirement to make sure they aren't using drugs -- the random indignity of the urinalysis test. In a Navy-wide message issued last week, the service canceled a March 27, 2020, order that gave commanders leeway in conducting drug tests, to include pausing the process or reducing the number of people tested or the frequency of tests. The cancellation of the guidance "aligns with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announcement supporting the safe return to many activities halted during the pandemic," wrote Navy officials in NAVADMIN 100/21. According to the message, commands are to return to normal testing procedures and requirements; if they can't do so as a result of COVID-19 restrictions in their locations, they must provide their reasons to higher-ups. Read Next: Climate Change, Extremism Among Military Threats Targeted in DoD Budget Request The message states that those who telework are still subject to testing, but adds that commands are not to test sailors who are quarantined or in restriction of movement status, "except in cases of probable cause." Drug testing will be conducted under safe hygiene practices, which may include wearing a mask, social distancing and handwashing, according to the message. Those conducting the tests should wipe down all surfaces contacted and should "avoid personal touch as necessary," the message states. The service issued the relaxed guidance last year as COVID-19 was rapidly spreading on board the carrier Theodore Roosevelt -- an outbreak that infected more than 1,200 sailors. The Navy's drug detection and deterrence program manager, LaNorfeia Parker, said the process needed to be modified to limit person-to-person contact and exposure. "As we see individuals who are impacted, whether it's testing positive, or being required to self-quarantine or [having limited movement], it makes it very difficult for us to be one-size-fits-all," Parker told Military.com. The Navy conducts random urinalysis tests roughly four times a month, with 15% of a unit selected for testing at any given time. The service tests for illicit drugs as well as legal medications for which a sailor may not have a prescription. The service said that it maintained some urinalysis testing during the pandemic to enforce its zero-tolerance policy on drug use. The reinstatement of previous drug testing guidance is the "Navy's best deterrence to misuse of illicit and prescription drugs," the message states. -- Patricia Kime can be reached at Patricia.Kime@Monster.com. Follow her on Twitter @patriciakime. Related: Military Members Are Now Being Tested for Deadly Synthetic Drug Fentanyl The Air Force will buy fewer Joint Direct Attack Munitions, or JDAMs; Hellfire missiles; and small-diameter bombs as it prepares to invest in state-of-the art, long-range weapons that are better-suited for operations in the Pacific, according to its fiscal 2022 budget request. The service has requested $161 million to buy an initial production of 12 Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon, or ARRW (pronounced "Arrow"), hypersonic weapons to move it out of the research and development phase. Despite the service shifting more resources toward the ARRW program last year, the missile failed its first flight test a few weeks ago. The Air Force also wants to increase its procurement of the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile-Extended Range, or JASSM-ER, stealth cruise missile, an advanced weapon with a range of roughly 600 miles, the budget documents state. Officials have previously stated the JASSM and its cousin, the Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile, or LRASM, can be used for stand-off precision strikes throughout the vast expanses of the Pacific region. Read Next: Navy Will Get Air Force F-16 Fighter Jets to Fill Super Hornet Gap To fund those efforts, the service will reduce its purchases of JDAMs, the first iteration of the small-diameter bomb, and Hellfire missiles, said Maj. Gen. James D. Peccia, the Air Force deputy assistant secretary overseeing the budget at the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Financial Management and Comptroller. Peccia told reporters Friday that the service has reached "healthy inventory levels" of those munitions and now will focus on the more advanced weapons. The Air Force will ask Congress for about 1,900 JDAM munitions, according to the documents, compared to 16,800 last year. The service wants to buy only 1,176 AGM-114 Hellfire missiles this year, down from 4,517 last year. And it plans to reduce its buy of GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb I, or SDB I, to 998 from 2,462 last year. To bolster its inventory of conventional munitions that allow aircraft to stay outside the range of enemy air defenses, the service's funding request for JASSM-ER, which incorporates low-observable technology, has increased by $211 million "to grow production line capacity." The Air Force wants to buy 525 missiles this year, up from 400 last year, the budget states. Over the years, the Air Force has added thousands more JDAMs, SDBs and Hellfire missiles in its effort to build up its precision-guided munition inventory. In 2017, the service raced to buy more JDAMs and the SDB I as the Pentagon grappled with a bomb shortage driven in part by the war against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. The arsenal was further strained when the joint force began sharing weapons with coalition partners engaged against the terrorist group in the Middle East, then-Lt. Gen. John Raymond, deputy chief of staff for operations at Headquarters Air Forces, said in 2016. Raymond is now chief of the U.S. Space Force. To boost its stockpiles, the service worked with defense companies to procure precision-guided bomb packages, including tail-kits that use GPS to guide the bombs to their intended targets. The Air Force purchased about 27,800 JDAM munitions a year between fiscal 2018 and 2020. It slowed JDAM procurements for the first time last year. -- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @oriana0214. Related: Air Force Will See Substantial Cuts to Aircraft Fleets in Biden's First Budget LEBANON, Tenn. The body of a U.S. Marine captain killed in World War II is coming home to Tennessee, more than 70 years after a body misidentified as Capt. Glenn Walker was buried there. Walker was killed in 1943 at age 26 during the Battle of Tarawa, one of more than 1,100 Marines who died during the fight for control of that Pacific island, the Tennessean reported. Remains of 532 Marines were recovered after the war in 1946, Hattie Johnson, head of the Marine Corps POW/MIA section, told the paper. Walker's two dog tags were found near remains that reportedly had a dental match for Walker. Those remains and the dog tags were returned to Lebanon, Tennessee, in 1947 and laid to rest at Wilson County Memorial Park at a family plot. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency was given authorization in 2016 to investigate and dig up 94 sets of remains that were never identified and had been buried in Hawaii. Among them was Walker. Lane Martin, Walkers nephew who lives in Lebanon, initially thought the voice message from Johnson in March 2020 saying the remains sent to Wilson County werent actually his uncles was a hoax. I think its great its resolved, Martin said. But I also think about my mother and grandmother not knowing. It would never happen today with todays science, Johnson said of the misidentification. Im happy for service members who are being returned for proper burials and homecomings they so rightly deserve. I know his mother went to her grave believing her son was buried next to her. But she was buried next to a serviceman. Now the job is to find out who that service member is. Walker graduated from the University of Tennessee and was attending Harvard Law School when he volunteered for the Marine Corps. He had been awarded a Purple Heart at the Battle of Guadalcanal before he was killed. He was a true blue hero, said another nephew, Jimmy McDowell, of Lebanon. Walker's final return home was delayed by COVID-19 but his remains are now tentatively scheduled to be delivered to Nashville on July 22, with full military honors conducted at the airport, Johnson said. The family is planning a memorial service and Martin expects around 70 family members to attend. I get emotional when I think of the life he could have had, Martin said. The good is that weve reached out to family all over the country and drawn us back together. Were gathering pictures and letters he wrote. Well display as much of the artifacts that we can, and well go to the gravesite. But it will be a huge family reunion. This article was written by The Associated Press from The Associated Press and was legally licensed through the Industry Dive publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@industrydive.com. Members of the 173rd Airborne Brigade accidentally seized a civilian-occupied business in Bulgaria during a training event, U.S. Army officials said Tuesday. In May, paratroopers conducted a training exercise to simulate seizing an airfield in Cheshnegirovo, Bulgaria, according to a statement from U.S. Army Europe. During the event, soldiers entered and cleared multiple structures and bunkers across the airfield. However, troops also entered a Bulgarian engineering plant next to the airfield that was not in play, thinking it was part of the training area. "It is inadmissible to have the lives of Bulgarian citizens disturbed and put at risk by military formations, whether Bulgarian or belonging to a foreign army," said Bulgarian President Rumen Radev, according to the Novinite news outlet. RT, a Russian state-controlled media network, shared what it said was surveillance video of the soldiers simulating securing the building. The video shows soldiers with magazines in their weapons, but they appeared to be equipped with blank ammunition. With blanks, no projectile is fired when the trigger is pulled, but it still will make a loud noise. Blanks are commonly used in military training and are considered safe. Read Next: Army Officer Investigated After Campaigning in Uniform, Calling Biden an Illegitimate President Army officials said that no weapons were fired during the incident. "We sincerely apologize to the business and its employees. We always learn from these exercises and are fully investigating the cause of this mistake," U.S. Army Europe said in a statement. "We will implement rigorous procedures to clearly define our training areas and prevent this type of incident in the future." -- Steve Beynon can be reached at Steve.Beynon@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @StevenBeynon. Related: Army Fields First New Air Defense Strykers in Europe A scathing investigation into the culture of the Virginia Military Institute released Tuesday found severe racial and gender problems, including an "atmosphere of hostility towards minorities;" regular use of racial slurs and jokes; widespread sexual assault; and "outdated [and] idealized" reverence for the Confederacy. The report, which was ordered by Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam and commonwealth lawmakers last October and conducted by the law firm Barnes & Thornburg, found that problems at the nearly 182-year-old public military college run deep. For a long time, the report adds, the school has been unwilling to take a hard look at itself -- or even admit it has a problem. "The Virginia Military Institute, founded in 1839, is a historically important institution that has produced generations of respected citizen soldiers and leaders," the report begins. "VMI has also traditionally been run by white men, for white men." Read Next: Gadsden Flag Patch on Airman's Uniform Wasn't Authorized, Officials Say VMI has been unwilling to change or even question whether it should do so, which has left it lagging far behind other military schools, the report states. "If VMI refuses to think critically about its past and present, and to confront how racial and ethnic minorities and women experience VMI, it will remain a school for white men," it adds. Perceptions of whether there even is a racial climate problem at VMI vary wildly depending on someone's ethnicity, the report found. For example, half of Black cadets strongly or somewhat agreed that VMI has a culture of racial intolerance, and 42% felt that Black cadets were often discriminated against there. But only 10% of White cadets believed the school is racially intolerant, and only 4% felt Black cadets were discriminated against at VMI, the report states. In interviews, some White cadets "insisted that the real racial issue at VMI is racism against whites." "These responses and perceptions paint a picture of a VMI where African Americans experience racism but Caucasian cadets do not or choose not to see it," according to the report. VMI's superintendent, retired Army Maj. Gen. Cedric Wins, pledged to enact a plan to root out institutional racism and intolerance at the school; improve diversity, equity and inclusion there; and work to fix its culture over the long term. "There is no place at VMI for racism, sexism, homophobia, xenophobia, or any other type of discrimination," said Wins, who is Black, in a message to the VMI community. "During my time as superintendent, the Institute will be a place where each and every member of the Corps of Cadets, faculty, staff and alumni feels a part of the VMI legacy regardless of race, gender, religion, ethnicity, nationality or orientation." In a statement about the investigation, VMI's Board of Visitors said, "These are serious allegations and are being treated as such." Board President John Boland and President-elect Thomas Watjen, both VMI grads, said the school has already been taking steps to improve things. They added that the board is studying the report and will develop a plan of action. The report states that VMI's response is lacking when cadets are reported for racial slurs or jokes. Administrators sometimes excuse those who use slurs by saying they weren't brought up in a diverse environment, it explains. Black cadets -- several of whom reported frequently hearing the N-word or racialized stereotypes from White cadets -- were not the only ones who bore the brunt of slurs. The report said Indian and Asian cadets also told investigators they were called racial slurs. The Washington Post last year published stories about lynching threats and other racial harassment at VMI, including a photo of Commandant of Cadets Col. William Wanovich posing at a 2017 Halloween party with cadets wearing a border wall costume labeled "Trump's Wall" and "No Cholos Allowed." In January, the school announced that Wanovich would retire at the end of the academic year. Investigators also found that "VMI maintains an outdated, idealized reverence for the Civil War and the Confederacy." Although the school has tried to address this recently, Civil War-era traditions are still prominent. Some members of the school's community argue that Confederate traditions are part of its history and should not be "erased," the report states, adding that they do not appreciate or accept that those celebrations offend many Black people, including members of VMI's community. The celebration of the Confederacy is also one-sided, the report said. Minorities at VMI are sometimes not given the same opportunities to celebrate holidays or other anniversaries significant to them, "and there is almost no representation of other military or civil rights iconography on post." Cadets who are minorities also make up a disproportionate percentage of those who are dismissed due to honor code violations. When individual cases are looked at in isolation, the report states, the proceedings are fair, follow procedures and produce results that can be defended. However, 41% of the cadets dismissed since 2011 were people of color, the report found, while those cadets make up just 23% of the corps. The report said the school's honor code and honor court should not be eliminated. But it advised VMI's superintendent to study those statistics and revise training and procedures to figure out why these disparities exist and to make the processes more equitable. Multiple cadets, alumni and faculty told investigators that VMI has a culture of "silence, fear and intimidation," particularly when it comes to reporting issues that could put the school or its leadership in a bad light. Some VMI administrators went so far as to discourage sexual assault victims from reporting their assaults, the report said. VMI officials even tried to stymie investigators from learning some negative information, the report adds. VMI tried to, and sometimes did, put the college's attorneys in the room with interviewees "under the guise of legal representation, knowing the attorney's presence would chill or limit the candor of the interviewee." Sexual assault is prevalent at VMI but is not adequately addressed, according to the report. An anonymous, online survey found 14% of female cadets said they had been sexually assaulted at VMI; 63% said a fellow student had told them they had been sexually assaulted while a cadet. Female cadets commonly reported "a consistent fear of assault or harassment" by male students. Some procedures at the school -- such as cadets' inability to lock their own doors -- worsen the problem, the report states. And female cadets often said they feel VMI doesn't or would not take their assault complaints seriously, or that they will face retaliation if they report incidents. The report notes that Virginia law makes it illegal for a university to punish a student for drugs or alcohol when such use comes to light during a sexual assault investigation -- but VMI is exempt from that rule. Extensive sexual assault training at the school is treated by male cadets as a chance to make misogynistic jokes "without consequence," the report states. -- Stephen Losey can be reached at stephen.losey@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @StephenLosey. Related: Southern Poverty Law Center Adds 64 Military-Connected Places to List of Confederate Memorials According to a press release published by Terma on May 27, 2021, the firm was recently awarded a contract to supply a SCANTER 6002 radar for the latest Indonesian Navys Hospital Assistance Ship (BRS). The radar delivery is planned for June 2021. The award follows a previous contract signed in 2019 to supply a similar radar for the BRS Wahidin Soedirohusodo, delivered in January 2021. Follow Navy Recognition on Google News at this link BRS Wahidin Soedirohusodo (Picture source: Askara) Hospital ships are vessels designed to act as floating medical treatment facilities for humanitarian missions or for use in war zones. Under the new contract, Terma will deliver the radar in June 2021 to support the latest Indonesian Navy Hospital Assistance Ship (BRS). The Indonesian Navys BRS built in Surabaya by the Indonesian state-owned shipyard PT PAL is 124 meters long, 21.8 meters wide, and able to host more than 600 people including crew, troops, and patients. According to PT PAL, the BRS can accommodate medical personnel to carry-out operational missions equivalent to those of a regular hospital. The BRS will be fitted with polyclinic facilities, emergency rooms, a radiology unit, and more. Indonesia being prone to natural disasters such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis, assets such as the Hospital Ships are paramount to promptly ensure rescue and evacuation missions when needed. For this specific capability, each Hospital Ship is equipped with two helicopter landing spots, ensuring that the personnel, as well as the patients, can be readily and safely moved to and from the vessel. The SCANTER 6002 is a surveillance radar with unparalleled helicopter landing control capabilities, which perfectly suits the missions carried out by the Hospital Ships. Throughout the years, Terma has supplied numerous mission critical solutions in Indonesia, for all theatres of operations (air, land and sea). The main customers include the Indonesian Navy and Air Force, the Indonesian Coast Guards (Bakamla) and Sea and Coast Guard (KPLP), the Directorate General of Sea Transportation (DGST), and Jakarta SoekarnoHatta International Airport. In January 2019, Terma was awarded a major contract for the supply of complete C-Series Combat suites for four KCR-60 Fast Attack Craft also including SCANTER surveillance radars. In Asia Pacific alone, more than 500 SCANTER radars are in operation on land and at sea to support missions such as coastal surveillance, vessel traffic management, and airport surface movement and naval surveillance. Globally, Terma has delivered more than 3,000 SCANTER radars. The SCANTER 6000 radar series offers superior detection and tracking capabilities of small surface targets and of air targets in the near airspace around the vessel. The Surface Surveillance capabilities of the SCANTER 6000 series are ideal for search-and-rescue operations and law enforcement tasks, e.g. control of illegal immigration, smugglers, and piracy. The SCANTER 6000 series is a major contributor to the Situational Awareness picture for all types of vessels from Border Police and Patrol Vessels to Frigates. The SCANTER 6002 radar is fully integrated with various renowned marine navigation display applications, providing enhanced support for safe navigation and collision avoidance beyond the capability of standard navigation radar systems. The SCANTER 6002 is IMO certified. Hence, the system configuration meets the latest performance standards of the International Maritime Organization and International Electrotechnical Commission (IMO). The SCANTER 6002 provides improved small target detection and automatic environmental adaptation for enhanced detection performance in all weather conditions. The SCANTER 6000 series monitors the near airspace around the vessel and is capable of detecting and tracking helicopters, propeller, and jet aircraft out to 10-15 nmi and up to 6000 ft. altitude providing low airspace monitoring and surveillance. Veterans counting on using a mortgage backed by the Department of Veterans Affairs to purchase a home in a very hot market may run into obstacles. VA loans enable military service members and veterans to purchase a home with no down payment, no mortgage insurance and no early payoff penalty. But the loans come with strict inspection and appraisal requirements to protect veterans from substandard housing purchases. With high demand for homes and low inventory, it's not uncommon for sellers to receive multiple offers, often over their asking price. They may go with an offer being funded with a loan that has easier standards or sell to a buyer willing to waive a mortgage contingency entirely because they're using cash. Massachusetts real-estate professional Sandi LaCasse has seen chipped paint stand between a veteran and a home purchase -- and that was before COVID-19 tipped the real-estate market in sellers' favor. "When they see that VA loan, it's a deterrent," said LaCasse, a Jack Conway & Co. "Military on the Move" real-estate specialist. "Sellers are getting [offers with] no contingencies, waiving home inspections and waiving appraisals." Related: Get more information about using a VA Home Loan Sellers don't want to have to fix things that a non-VA appraiser might not have a problem with, she said. If a deal falls through, other bidders may be locked into a deal on a different property, and the owners might have to put their home back on the market. "Chipping paint or loose railings, or things like that -- for the homeowner that's selling, they don't want to fix that," she said. "There's cash out there, or a conventional loan, and some are waiving a home inspection and it's a no-brainer." On Cape Cod, where LaCasse works, she has seen homes receive five to 20 offers on the same day they're listed, sometimes at $50,000 to $100,000 over the listing price. Nationwide, nearly half of the homes on the market in April sold in less than a week, according to Zillow. About 75% sold in less than a month. Ed Guynes, a Coldwell Banker Wallace real-estate agent, said housing stock is low and people are "stepping over each other" to buy homes in East Tennessee, putting buyers using more stringent VA loans at a disadvantage. A recent listing for a newly built home that Guynes worked on received multiple offers, including one of $40,000 in cash over the appraised value. It also included an offer from a veteran using a VA home loan. "Of those 11 offers, the one from the veteran was not considered nearly as significant as the others," he said. "It just wasn't as strong." Sellers are looking at all aspects of the contract, how much people are putting down and how much is being borrowed, Guynes said. "What occurs more and more is an awful lot of cash coming in from out of state and other places," Guynes said. "That cash becomes king, and there are fewer inspections and sellers don't have to have an appraisal." How to Make It Work with a VA Home Loan For buyers using VA home loans in a competitive market, patience and preparation are key. It's the opposite of "hurry up and wait," a concept familiar to military veterans and service members. Prepare to act fast, then be patient until it's time to strike. Specifically, buyers need to have a clear picture of what cash they can offer. To make the transaction easier, buyers should have current proof of income and pre-approval for a mortgage before they make an offer. Guynes said offering the seller proof of other accounts such as retirement, savings and other income can help. "We're looking for those edges for everybody," he said. Contingency purchases are a challenge. LaCasse, on Cape Cod, said buyers are better off selling their current home before purchasing another. Buyers and sellers can work together to handle repairs needed to meet VA loan standards, she said, recommending buyers get to know their loan officers and have a way to contact them quickly after-hours. An after-hours conversation between a VA loan officer and a home seller about work needed on a home helped close the deal for one of her veteran homebuyers. "One of the things that we knew was going to come up was mildew on the vinyl siding and some peeling paint," LaCasse said. "So we had a VA-licensed painter come in." Guynes and LaCasse suggested finding people who will advocate for veterans, from real-estate agents to mortgage loan officers and even staffers from the local VA office. In nearly every community, there are people who will step up to help veterans navigate housing, they said. "These people are giving a lot and sacrificing for our country," LaCasse said, "so it's important for us to facilitate the rights they've earned, to dig a little deeper and work a little harder to make their housing dreams come true." Finally, LaCasse said, it is OK to mention military service in a real-estate "love letter" to the sellers to make your offer stand out. That is the missive buyers sometimes write describing who they are and why they want to buy the property, aimed at tugging at the owner's heartstrings. Gerald Witt is a reporter for Three Creeks Media. Copyright 2021 Three Creeks Media. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Get Started Today Our VA loan finder can match you with up to five rate quotes from different lenders. Check it out now! Steady growth: Scheer Group expands to Southeastern Europe The Scheer Group has set itself ambitious growth targets. In the DACH region, however, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find suitably qualified new employees in sufficient numbers to meet the growing order situation. Scheer has therefore been looking for suitable new locations in Southeastern Europe for some time now. Scheer is active in this region with a strategic partner and now complements its offer with its own branch office. Due to the promising general conditions, the company decided to open a branch office in emerging Croatia and founded Scheer Adriatic there.? The Croatian market proved to be particularly interesting, because with many well-trained specialists with SAP experience, it offers enormous opportunities and great potential. With Sanja Meles, Scheer was also able to gain an experienced managing director with a broad network in the SAP environment, who bundles the necessary know-how as well as the right contacts to successfully drive forward the internationalization of the company and its placement on the Croatian market.? In the future, Scheer will support numerous customer projects from the newly established branch office in Zagreb. In the first year, the company plans to create 50 new jobs in the areas of consulting and development and sees potential to double the number of employees in the coming years. Success is already evident: Scheer won the first major SAP S/4HANA project in the region with a multinational consumer goods manufacturer.? The new Scheer Adriatic Managing Director, Sanja Meles, and CEO of Scheer Group, Mario Baldi, are already looking forward to the future cooperation. We will benefit from the mutual exchange of know-how and Scheer Group will be able to offer the best service to its customers both globally and regionally. I am happy about this recognition of the Croatian potential and I am proud to be part of the Scheer family, Meles says enthusiastically. And Baldi adds: We see considerable potential for our services in the Southeast European region. With our new location in Croatia, we are taking a decisive step closer to internationalization and the targeted growth of the company. We continue to look for future markets in Southeastern Europe. Scheer GmbH is the flagship company of the Scheer Group, which operates in various European countries as well as in the U.S.A., Singapore and Australia. As a consulting and software house with proven process expertise, Scheer GmbH supports companies in the development of new business models, with the optimization and implementation of efficient business processes as well as with the dependable operation of their IT systems. The integrated architecture comprises various consulting solutions and products: it offers dependable solutions for the end-to-end digitization of business models and processes as well as for the implementation of new technologies in digital business. Scheer is the partner of choice for many well-known companies working towards the useful and efficient implementation of SAP and SAP S/4 HANA. Furthermore, consulting in the context of the current development of business process management and process mining supports the quality of innovative business model processes. Customers benefit from high levels of Scheer sector expertise, gained from diverse consulting projects, professional IT implementation and the possibility of having their applications or the entire IT-architecture run and managed in the cloud by Scheer experts. www.scheer-group.com Listen to article Bob Risky has left social media users in shock after sharing a video of herself enhancing her body. The Nigerian cross-dresser during an Instagram live session decided to stream herself during a surgical moment in the operation ward whilst it is believed that surgeons were busy at work enhancing her body. Bob Risky, who was born a male as Okuneye Idris Olanrewaju but prefers to be addressed as a woman, has earlier on announced that she was travelling outside Nigeria to have a Brazilian Butt Lift surgery to enhance her feminine figure. According to Bob Risky in a post shared in 2019 said her life changed after she decided to become a cross dresser. He wrote, "There is no late coming for success on earth. I own a house at the age of 26, own three luxury cars at age of 28yrs, own a cosmetics brand at the age of 28yrs, lastly famous at the age of 26yrs. Keep the hard work coming... there are rewards for it the nearest future. Living by her words to enhance her body in 2021, Bob Risky who a few days ago announced that she has travelled to the Dominican Republic for the enhancement shared the video below from her Instagram live session which shocked fans. During the Instagram Live session, the Nigerian barbie doll was awake whilst surgeons could be heard doing their work on her body. Fans have been shocked and asking if the major surgery was going on, how come was Bob Risky awake? That's a question we can't answer either but you can watch the video from the post below with what people are saying and share thoughts with us too. Listen to article "Ethnocentrism and tribal bigotry should have no place in our national discourse if we seek to build a truly united Ghana. I do not intend to stoke the fires or spark another round of debate, but the information put out by Badu Nkansah and Nelly Martinson Anim, in their History of Ghana, Textbook 3, that the Ewes learnt Kente Weaving from the Akans is not factually correct," Mr. Elvis Ativoe, a Chartered Accountant and a former Parliamentary Candidate in Agotime Traditional Area of the Volta Region has said. He noted that there are many forms of hand-woven textiles across Africa, though the Ghanaian version, popularly referred to as Kente, remains the most iconic and valued because of its beauty, patterns, motifs, figurative feelings, history, philosophies etc. Ghana is dotted with many communities weaving textiles by hand. Mr. Elvis Ativoe in an interview with this reporter said, "Agotimes call their hand-woven textile 'Agbamevor' meaning the cloth woven in the loom. To give it a national identity, we have come to accept the common tagline for the cloth as Kente. Though similar in patterns and designs, the two versions are not the same. Agbamevor in Agotime is a revered bodily attire and a key element of royal regalia. It depicts status, power, and authority of Chiefs and Queen Mothers in Agotime. According to him, until recently, Agbamevor was worn only by Chiefs and Queen Mothers in the Agotime State. Though the cloth is generally referred to as Kente and generally accepted as such because of the leadership and dominance of the Akan culture, it nevertheless suggests that the Ewes learnt the art of hand-woven textile from the Akans. Ewe Chiefs have long dressed in Agbamevor before modern day Ghana. Mr. Ativoe added that, In Agotime, Agbamevor (Kente) symbolizes our culture and tradition. In fact, it is our way of life. Agbamevor (Kente) features prominently in all our cultural practices and traditional rites. Right from Dipo or Puberty Rites for Young Girls, Marriage Rites, Rites for Women during maiden Pregnancy, Rites After First Child, Out-doorings & Naming Ceremonies, Twins Rites, Death and Burial Rites, Widowhood Rites, Kingship, Chieftaincy Rites & Firing of Musketry among others, Agbamevor (Kente) has its role to play. How interesting must it be that our forebears could learn the art of weaving Agbamevor from another tribe and wisely be able to integrate it so well into our cultural and traditional practices as a people? They must be superheroes then?. Read more of the interview: In Agotime, Kente Weaving is the outcome and perfection of centuries of painstaking artwork by our forebears. Our ancestors practiced Weaving for centuries before our arrival in present day Ghana. Kente Weaving has been our trade and source of livelihood throughout the ages. It is out of years of painstaking development of the trade that the first ever Kente Weaving Competition organized in modern day Ghana was won by a Master Weaver from Agotime or for that matter the Ewe land. Indeed, Attixali must have been a genius to beat hands down, those who taught his ancestors the art of Kente Weaving. Truth be told, everyone came from somewhere and that is a fact. A careful look at the migration history of the people of Agotime, the community with the highest concentration of Weavers among the Ewe speaking Communities in Ghana would give any reader a better appreciation of why the Agotimes are Master Weavers. The Agotimes or the Lehs migrated from Pony in ancient Egypt. From Pony in Egypt, the Agotimes settled in South Sudan between the confluence of blue and white Niles among the Dinkas of South Sudan specifically at the Neur Clan. In Southern Sudan, the Agotimes formed part of the ancient and famous Songhai Empire noted for civilization. Following the disintegration of the Songhai Empire due to Islamist insurgency at the time, the Agotimes moved southwards. From Ketu, the Agotimes moved to Ile-Efe in Nigeria. From Ife, the Agotimes moved southwards to the Gulf of Guinea; and in small canoes landed at Osudoku, Kpon, Ningo and Ada Areas between 1300 and 1400 AD before moving to settle in the Volta Region. From Nigeria, Benin and Togo where the other Ewe Groups are believed to have migrated from, there are pockets of Weaving Communities in each of these countries where they journeyed from; indicating that Ewes had previous knowledge of the art of weaving before arrival in present day Ghana. The various accessories of weaving have ewe local names and not Akan names. If the Akan indeed taught Ewes how to weave Kente, the names of the various accessories should have been Akan names and not the other way round. At best, the word Kente evolved from the instructional word, Ke-na-te, meaning, open the warp, pass the yarn through, and hit. This was the way our forebears taught non-ewe speaking people, the sacred knowledge of the art of weaving Agbemevor, otherwise known as Kente. Let me also put on record that the dexterity with which Master Weavers of Agotime could weave complex or intricate motifs or insignias into the cloth is a testament to how long the trade has been practiced among the people of Agotime before arrival in modern day Ghana. Where else can one learn geometry better than in Egypt? Has the world been able to unravel the mystery of the pyramids? That is the kind of geometrical concept used by our forebears in producing shapes and forms in the Kente cloth. The patterns in our designs reveal a wealth of information about our history, ancestry, cultural practices, and religious beliefs among others. For purposes of illustration, here is a piece of Agbamevor from Agotime (Gabusu) with coded messages, proverbs, and philosophies. The truth is, if you know, you know. So, these blatant fabrications and distortions of our Ghanaian history must stop and it must stop now. We the Agotimes are Masters of our trade, though we recognize the best in our peers. ---IDO GH NEWS // contributor on Modernghana A popular Kumasi-based man of God Apostle Dr. Dirl Airl King Marshal says God has revealed to him to tell the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II to forgive the sins of a Ghanaian social commentator, Twene Jonas. Domiciled in the United States of America, Twene Jonas recently blasted the chiefs of the Ashanti Region for allowing illegal miners (galamsey) to destroy water bodies and forest reserves. Speaking to the Modernghana News in an interview, the Apostle who is the founder and leader of the Soldiers of Christ Prayer Group of All Churches sited at Kumasi Aboahyia urges Asantehene to forgive the Glass Nkoaa social commentator. Apostle King Marshal, according to the prophecy, Twene Jonas was making an important national contribution over the exploitation of the country's natural resources, but out of ignorance, he missed the point by attacking Ashanti chiefs, forgetting that the issue of illegal mining is of national concern. "God says Asantehene should forgive Twene Jonas and as an extraordinary King blessed with full of wisdom, respect and honour, should not waste his breath on the little ant who cannot withstand such a great and mighty King nor his branches been chiefs under them." According to him, he had the prophecy during fasting and prayer service. Apostle King Marshal also noted that about 30 percent of unnamed Ashanti sub-chiefs allegedly connived with foreign nationals to destroy Ashanti lands through illegal mining. He added that God needs Otumfuo Osei Tutu II to set up a committee to probe and destool any chief found culpable to serve as a deterrent to others from engaging in illicit gold mining operations. Apostle King Marshal intimated that God also want the Presidency to fish out Ministers and politicians who are behind the illegal mining in the country. Listen to article Deep cracks have emerged in the 18-year old Association of Oil Marketing Companies (AOMCs), resulting in the breakaway of the indigenous OMCs to form a new bloc. The breakaway group which has reportedly picked forms to register its own association according to impeccable sources is due to the alleged failure of the AOMCs to protect the indigenous Ghanaian OMCs from unfair treatments in the downstream industry. Also, the indigenous OMCs which are numbering more than the foreign OMCs have not had a say in the running of their previous mother association. The AOMCs, the sources added, is alleged to be constantly championing the interests of the foreign OMCs while interests of the majority indigenous ones are left out. Furthermore, the breakaway group called Association of Indigenous Oil Marketing Companies (AIOMCs) said many of the challenges confronting the industry are not being addressed by the AOMCs. "The foreign OMCs are favoured in all the sectors of the industry while indigenous ones suffer. So the new AIOMCs wants to have one voice to push the same opportunities since they are in the same market (level playing field)," the source wants to remain anonymous. Development of the downstream industry The promoters of the Association of Indigenous Oil Marketing Companies (AIOMCs), comprising over 100 indigenous OMCs, are of the strongest conviction that they will speed up the development of the downstream industry. As indigenous OMCs, all our investments in the industry will remain in the country. We wont fly any dollar outside this country. But the foreign OMCs do fly capital to their home companies, one of the members of the newly formed AIOMCs told this portal. Foreign OMCs concentrate in urban areas The source further noted, "It would shock readers to know that the foreign OMCs are only concentrated in the urban centres. This is because they are interested in making money from the urban dwellers. So, they dont care about serving the people with quality petroleum products in the rural areas. "But the indigenous OMCs not only have fuel filling stations in the country but across the border towns such as Tumu, Bungurugu, Paga, and Hamile." Attract investments By coming together as indigenous OMCs, according to the source, they can attract funds both locally and internationally to grow their businesses to rival the foreign giants. Create more jobs The indigenous OMCs which currently provide over 100,000 direct and indirect jobs to the teeming unemployed youth are expected to create more jobs if government pays proper attention to the issues facing their growth. Checks indicated that all the local oil marketing companies are solidly behind the new AIOMCs. Indeed, the downstream activities include the marketing and distribution of petroleum products by the OMCs and the pre-mixing of petroleum products for other industrial uses are catalysts for the socio-economic development of the country. Indigenous OMCs are more than the foreign OMCs but majority of them do not benefit from opportunities in the downstream. We give employment to tanker owners and tanker drivers making it possible for fuel to be transported to the very remote parts of the country where these foreign companies are not willing to invest. More anon! An investigation by Danish state Broadcaster DR has revealed that the US National Security Agency (NSA) used its partnership with Denmark's foreign intelligence unit to spy on senior officials of various European countries. Covering a period from 2012 to 2014, during the Obama administration, the NSA used Danish information cables to spy on officials in France, Germany, Sweden and Norway, according to a 2015 internal Danish Defence Intelligence investigation. DR cited nine sources who had access to that investigation. Denmark and the US are close allies. The allegations into spying is extremely serious, said Clement Beaune, the French Secretary of State for European Affairs. "We must verify whether our partners within the Union, the Danes, have made mistakes in their cooperation with the American services," said Beaune. Others who were allegedly targeted included German Chancellor Angela Merkel, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and former German opposition leader Peer Steinbruck. The German chancellery only found out about the allegations after questions by journalists, while Danish Defence Minister Trine Bramsen said she would not comment on speculation, but said that systematic wiretapping of allies is unacceptable. "Politically I consider it a scandal," opposition leader Steinbruck told German broadcaster ARD. The Danish Defence Intelligence Service, the BSA and Washington's Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) declined to comment. Connection to Edward Snowden Denmark is host to a number of key landing stations for subsea internet cables to and from Sweden, Norway, Germany, Holland and Britain. NSA intercepted calls, texts and chat messages to and from telephones of officials of the neighbouring countries, according to the sources who spoke to DR. The Danish Defence Intelligence Service conducted a probe in 2014 after former NSA employee Edward Snowden leaked papers that revealed how NSA works, according to DR. Snowden fled the US after leaking secret NSA files in 2013 and was given asylum in Russia. Former president Laurent Gbagbo will return to Ivory Coast on June 17 after a decade following his acquittal of crimes against humanity during a civil war, a party official said Monday. In April, the International Criminal Court (ICC) based in The Hague confirmed that Gbagbo and his former right-hand man Charles Ble Goude were in the clear over the devastating post-electoral violence that rocked the West African nation in 2010-11. "I am announcing the return of president Laurent Gbagbo on Ivorian soil on June 17," said Assoa Adou, general secretary of the Ivorian Popular Front (FPI) party Gbagbo founded. The announcement was made on Gbagbo's 76th birthday. More than 3,000 people were killed in months of fighting after the 2010 election, when Gbagbo disputed the results of the vote won by current President Alassane Ouattara and refused to stand down. Gbagbo was eventually forced out of power. He was arrested in April 2011 and was held in northern Ivory Coast before being transferred to the ICC. He became the first head of state to stand trial at the court, though both he and Ble Goude always insisted they were not guilty of crimes against humanity. Despite spending years behind bars in the Dutch city, as well as time in Brussels as he awaited the outcome of an appeal against his acquittal in 2019, the deeply divisive ex-president retains strong support at home. Ouattara has said that his predecessor was welcome to return home and would "enjoy ... the advantages and allowances available to former presidents". Gbagbo's supporters have hailed the ICC's decision to uphold his acquittal along with that of Ble Goude, saying their return would heal the wounds of a conflict that split the country along north-south lines. Ivory Coast, the world's top cocoa producer, is divided between the Muslim-majority north and the Christian-dominated south. Ouattara is a Muslim northerner while Gbagbo is a Christian from the south. The Internet has brought about a communication insurgence in postmodern society. The Internet is a communication medium which appears to have no geographical boundaries. It has placed power in the hands of ordinary citizens to disseminate information across space and time. Undoubtedly, this accessible medium of communication has expanded the boundaries of free speech and self-expression through the availability of social media networks such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, You Tube, Instagram, Flickr etc. Unfortunately, accessibility has not translated into responsibility [1] . Over the last 20years, Ghanaians abroad have developed the habit of defaming other Ghanaians resident in Ghana either over political, economic or social issues. The laws of Ghana protect the interest of a person to such an extent that the enjoyment of ones right does not trample over the rights of another. This echoes the common adage that ones right begin where the rights of another ends. The 1992 Constitution of Ghana secures the freedom of speech of individuals but this right, like all other human rights, is not absolute but subject to the rights of others and public interest. According to Raymond E. Brown [2] , a publication is considered to be defamatory if it has the tendency to lower the reputation of a person in the estimation of reasonable persons in the community. Initiating a defamation suit requires proof of three elements. Firstly, there must be a defamatory word or statement. Secondly, the defamatory statement must be directed towards an identifiable person and lastly, there must be a publication of the defamatory statement. The law on defamation when committed by a person against another person in the same jurisdiction is clear but it becomes problematic when publication happens in one jurisdiction but the effect is felt in another jurisdiction. Will such a scenario defeat the defamation suit as the third element of publication becomes difficult to prove or will the court spread the wings of the law to give efficacy to such a defamation suit. In the classic defamation case of Ace Anan Ankomah v Kevin Taylor and Another (2019) GJ 162 [3] , the 1st defendant, Kevin Ekow Baidoo Taylor published a video which was circulated on his Facebook wall and on YouTube. According to him, a Dubai based Company named Horizon Royal Diamond Company upon being defrauded by certain individuals, retained Mr. Ace Ankomah as their lawyer to help them track and arrest the fraudsters. According to Kevin Taylor, Mr. Ankomah despite having all the necessary information for the arrest of the said fraudsters, in connection with EOCO and some government officials dragged his feet and failed to act and therefore the officials of the Horizon Company left Ghana. They later entered into some agreement with Nana Appiah Mensah NAM1 because they had only one plan, and it was that Ghanaians and EOCO was doing nothing to help them. He claims that Nana Appiah Mensahs arrest was all Mr. Ankomahs fault because he colluded with Mr. K.K. Amoah (his uncle) and government officials to let those fraudsters escape from justice; but lied about it and made Nana Appiah Mensah take blame for a crime he did not commit. He referred to Mr. Ankomah as a liar, a fraudster, criminal and a dimwit. This is what led to the defamatory suit by Mr. Ace Ankomah. Mr. Ankomah responds to these statements by stating that Kevin Taylor is a Ghanaian citizen who is resident in America and has recently gained worldwide notoriety and makes a living from regularly releasing videos and other materials on the internet that largely contain insults and falsehoods targeted at some prominent Ghanaians. The prominent issue to be looked at was; Whether the court had jurisdiction to deal with this case since the defamatory statement was made in the United States of America? Elements of a defamatory suit The publication made by Kevin Taylor constitute a libel. A libel is an attack in a permanent form. It is either written or printed and contained in books, newspaper, videos and pictures. In Youssoupoff v MGM Picture Ltd [4] , the film made by the defendants imputed the plaintiff was raped. It was held that the permanent nature of the film made the defendant liable in libel. In the above case, the defamatory words were written over the internet. Firstly, it is clear that the statement of Taylor constitute defamation as it had the effect of lowering Mr. Ace Ankomah in the estimation of right-thinking Ghanaians as established in Sim v Stretch [5] . In the instance case, the words of the defendant suggested that the plaintiff, Ace Ankomah had committed treason and was unethical in his profession. The defendant stated clearly that, Ace Ankomah basically committed crime. He committed treason. He sold his country, yes, he sold his country to another country all because of greed. Secondly, to succeed in an action of defamation it must be established that the defamatory words used were directed towards the plaintiff either directly or indirectly. In the instant case, the plaintiffs name is clearly mentioned. In the words of the defendant, and as you can see, the honourable Ace Anan Ankomah, who everyone knows. This leaves no room for the defence that since these defamatory words were published over the internet, they were made for someone else other than the plaintiff. Thirdly, the statement must be published. In Pullman v Hill [6] , it was established that publication is deemed to have taken place if it is known to at least one person other than the plaintiff himself. In the above case, one of the easiest elements to be proven by Ace Ankomah was proof of the publication of the defamatory statement. It was a prima facie evidence that there had been publication since it was publicized over the internet. However, although the use of the internet as the medium of publication of the defamatory statement aided the counsel of Mr. Ankomah, it did raise an issue of jurisdiction for His Lordship Justice Kweku T. Ackaah-Boafo . Whether the action should be handled in the country in which the defamatory statement was initiated or where the effect was felt i.e. the place in which the plaintiffs reputation is lowered in the eyes of right standing men of society. Here, although the publication was made in the USA, the adverse effect was felt in Ghana since the plaintiff is a well respected and renowned lawyer in Ghana. The issue is created by the long-standing rule in tortious acts including defamation suits as established in The Alba forth [7] . Robert Goff LJ, as he then was, stated (after citing the earlier authority) [8] : Now it follows from those decisions that, a Court has jurisdiction on the basis that an alleged tort has been committed within the jurisdiction of the Court, The court was quite clear in the approach they used to settle the issue of jurisdiction. It was said that in relation to Internet libel, considering the rule in Duke of Brunswick v Harmer [9] that each publication constitutes a separate tort, a defendant who publishes on the Web may at least in theory find himself vulnerable to multiple actions in different jurisdictions. The place where the tort is committed ceases to be a potent limiting factor. It is now long been established that publication takes place, for the purposes of an internet defamation claim, where the relevant words are heard or read and not where it is published. This principle has gained credence in many common law jurisdictions and has been adopted in many cases such as Black v. Breeden [10] and also in Metropolitan International Schools v Design Technical Corp (Trading as Digital Trends) and Others [11] Reasoning of the Ghanaian Supreme Court The Supreme court, relying on the earlier cited principle of law, took the position that the tort of defamation occurred in Ghana even though the defendants are based in the United States of America for the following reasons and thus, laid the test as follows; Firstly, where did the defendant intend the video to be watched and shared? Secondly, is the defendant aware, or ought to have been aware that the claimant has established a significant reputation in the relevant jurisdiction capable of being tarnished by his or her defamatory statement. (Ghana)? Thirdly, did the defendant know, or ought to have known, that the published video would be of considerable interest to people of the relevant jurisdiction (Ghana) who have Facebook accounts or merely have access to the Internet. The Court having satisfied itself with these questions took the view that it would rather be unfair to deny Mr. Ankomah the opportunity to vindicate his reputation in a jurisdiction (Ghana) which is his centre of interest and very important to him as a lawyer. Conclusion This paper sought to make an analysis on the Supreme court decision of Ace Ankomah v Kevin Taylor when handling libel publications over the internet especially when there are issues relating to where the defamatory statement is publicized and where its effect is felt. As against the general common law rule, the appropriate court to handle such a case will be within the jurisdiction where the defamatory libel was read and heard, and where the effect is most felt as against the place the publication was made. Nevertheless, due to the peculiar nature of it being publicized over the internet which is a global medium, it can be heard in more than one jurisdiction. Article by: Ernest K. Kyere University of Cape Coast [email protected] 0546313935 Members of the University for Development Studies (UDS) chapter of the Kufuor Scholars Program (KSP) have paid a courtesy call on the Vice Dean of Students, Prof. Paul Nii Armah Aryee. The purpose of the visit according to campus representative Gideon Takyi Boakye (Class of 2022) was to introduce to him the UDS team and the mission of the KSP. The scholars also sought his support in the implementation of their activities. The other scholars who participated in the courtesy call are Henrietta Twumasi (Class of 2022), Meda Ilupeju (Class of 2023) and alumnus scholar Juliana Barnie. The scholars explained the KSP is an initiative of former President John Agyekum Kufuor to imbibe quality leadership skills in the youth of our country. The KSP team promised to emulate the quality leadership traits of the former president. Prof. Aryee assured the scholars that he is committed to mentoring young minds like them. He told the scholars they were fortunate to be selected as scholars and urged them to make good use of the exposure. Allow the training to pass through you and not just to pass through the system, he told the scholars. The scholars asked Prof. Aryee to serve as patron for the KSP UDS chapter which he graciously accepted to do. He promises to help the scholars promote the KSP so more students on campus can benefit from the leadership activities of the program. He thanked former President Kufuor for taking it upon himself to use his resources to train the youth with leadership and integrity. The leader of Western Sahara's independence movement, whose presence in Spain has angered the Moroccan government, will appear before a Spanish court Tuesday to answer allegations of torture and genocide. Brahim Ghali, who heads the Algeria-backed Polisario Front, will testify by video conference from a hospital in Logrono in northern Spain where he has been treated for Covid-19 since mid-April. The closed-door hearing at Spain's National Court in Madrid is scheduled to get underway at 10:30 am (0830 GMT). Ghali, who is also the president of the Sahrawi Democratic Arab Republic, a self-declared state since 1976, is the subject of two investigations in Spain. The presiding judge will decide after he completes his investigation whether to charge the Polisario leader or dismiss the lawsuits against him. The hearing comes amid heightened tensions between Rabat and Madrid over Ghali's presence in Spain. Last month Spain was caught off guard as up to 10,000 people surged into its tiny north African enclave of Ceuta as Moroccan border guards looked the other way in what was widely seen as a punitive political gesture. The Polisario Front has long fought for the independence of Western Sahara, a desert region bigger than Britain which was a Spanish colony until 1975. Morocco controls 80 percent of the territory, while the rest -- an area bordering Mauritania that is almost totally landlocked -- is run by the Polisario Front. 'War criminal' Many observers think a recent surge in migrants to Ceuta was Morocco's way of showing its displeasure at Ghali's presence in Spain. By FADEL SENNA (AFP) One of the investigations relates to allegations of torture at Sahrawi refugee camps in Tindouf, a town in western Algeria. The accusations were made in 2020 by Polisario dissident Fadel Breika, who also holds Spanish nationality. While a Spanish court initially rejected the complaint, earlier this year it agreed to reopen the case. The second investigation relates to allegations of genocide, murder, terrorism, torture and disappearances made in 2007 by the Sahrawi Association for the Defence of Human Rights (ASADEDH), which is based in Spain. The Spanish judge handling this case has refused to impose any precautionary measures -- such as seizing the Polisario leader's passport as requested by the complainants -- arguing there are no "clear indications of his involvement" in the crimes of which he has been accused. Rabat has already warned the Spanish government that allowing Ghali to "go home, bypass Spanish justice and ignore the victims" would further worsen ties. In 2016 Ghali was summoned for questioning in relation to the second complaint when he was due to attend a conference in Spain in support of the Sahrawi people. He eventually cancelled his trip. Rabat considers Ghali to be a "war criminal", and Morocco's foreign ministry warned Monday that the crisis over his presence in Spain would "not be resolved with a single court hearing". It once again demanded a "transparent investigation" over Ghali's arrival in Spain with what it said was a forged passport. The crisis, it said, was a "test of the reliability" of Morocco-Spain ties. 'Attack the borders' In reply, Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said it was "unacceptable" that Morocco "attack the borders of Spain" by letting migrants into Ceuta due to "differences in foreign policy". Citing diplomatic sources, Spain's El Pais newspaper said Ghali was "critically ill" when he arrived on a medicalised Algerian government plane on April 18, bearing a diplomatic passport. A UN-backed referendum on self-determination has been repeatedly postponed. By RYAD KRAMDI (AFP) It said he was admitted to the hospital under a false name for "security reasons". The UN refers to Western Sahara as a "non-self-governing territory". Morocco is willing to offer it autonomy within Morocco but not independence. After 16 years of war, Rabat and the Polisario signed a ceasefire in 1991, but a UN-backed referendum on self-determination has been repeatedly postponed. Hostilities resumed last November when the Polisario declared the ceasefire to be over after Morocco sent troops into a UN-patrolled buffer zone to reopen a key road. Listen to article The Ghana Education Service (GES) directorate in the Eastern Region is collaborating with the Police to investigate a matron of the St. Paul's Technical School and a taxi driver, who were allegedly caught transporting stolen food items from the school. On Sunday, May 30, 2021, there was chaos in the School located in the Akyem Kukurantumi in the Abuakwa North Municipality of the Eastern Region. Some students had gone on rampage and impounded a taxi cab being used by the matron of the school to allegedly transport stolen food from the school's kitchen. The police proceeded to the school and offloaded the alleged stolen food items made up of nine buckets of groundnut paste, one bag of millet, four boxes of canned tomatoes among others. The Eastern Regional Public Relations Officer (P.R.O) of the GES told Citi News the Service has launched some form of enquiry into the matter as it awaits the outcome of the Police investigations. Indeed, there was some kind of misbehaviour out there. It seems as though the food items were being taken out of the school by the kitchen staff when some of the students saw it and raised the alarm. GES on its part will take this through their service enquiry, whilst the Police also investigates the matter. We are hoping to get the report by tomorrow [Tuesday]. Police investigate alleged corruption in food supply in schools This comes after the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, said it was investigating 53 Senior High Schools in the Ashanti Region over alleged corruption in the implementation of the School Feeding Programme under the Free Senior High School policy. Management of the GES wrote to the Ashanti Regional Directorate to ensure that all school heads and other officials cooperate with the ongoing investigations. Some of the schools listed in the statement are Afia Serwaa Kobi Ampem SHS, Adu Gyamfi SHS, Kumasi Anglican, Kumasi Girls, Kumasi Wesley Girls, KNUST SHS, and Opoku Ware SHS. Others include Osei Tutu SHS, Prempeh College, Kumasi Academy and the Kumasi Technical Institute. ---citinewsroom Member of Parliament for Amenfi West, Eric Afful, has petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP), to investigate reports of assault and thievery by National Security operatives during a raid on two Chinese-owned Casinos in Asankragua on May 7, 2021. He also wants the Interior Ministry to conduct a thorough investigation into the activities of DSP Azugu, who allegedly led the operation. The team from National Security arrived in Toyota V8 Land Cruiser, wielding AK 47s and dressed in mufti with their faces masked. They were led by DSP Azugu who was in Police uniform. A fuel station annex with a casino operated by some Chinese was attacked. In the process security installation at the centre like CCTV cameras were destroyed, lights went off, several quantities of gold were taken. A cash sum of about GHS 3 million were taken by the team. Motorist, pedestrians among others were harassed by the team. The team took to the main street of the town and engaged in a lot of illegal activities including seizing car keys, mobile phones were also seized from the people whiles others were assaulted and intimidated. Journalists assaulted The Amenfi West lawmaker reports that the security operatives later assaulted two journalists who they had caught taking videos of the incident with their mobile phones. The media in town heard about this operation, they also rushed to the scene, but some of them were manhandled by the team. Two of the journalists were later rushed to the Catholic Hospital Asankrangwa for treatment. Two Immigration officers were also assaulted when they tried to intervene. The operation brought a lot of tension within the town causing fear and panic among the people. As of now, there is tension in the constituency, all economic activities have been affected and there is general feeling of insecurity among the local residence, he bemoaned. As the representative of the people, I demand a thorough investigation on the said operation by the D.S.P Samuel Azugu and his team. I also demand immediate action from the government to assure the people of Amenfi West of their personal liberties so that they can freely go about their normal economic activities, he demanded. ---citinewsroom Europe, the US and Japan are strenghtening economic ties with Taiwan. On 1 June, Japan announced a massive investment in joint research into cutting-edge chip technology with the island's leading semiconductor company. And while tensions between Beijing and the West are on the rise, Taiwan seems to become ever more popular with western democracies. The island state, officially regarded by China as a renegade province, boasts the world's most sophisticated semi-conductor industry, has grown from a dictatorship into a full-fledged democracy, and is prospering economically. Most countries in the world have diplomatic ties with Beijing -- an engagement which demands they acknowledge Taiwan to be an "inseparable part" of China. Meanwhile, Taiwan keeps channels open through so-called trade and cultural offices, which function as de-facto embassies. RFI spoke to Ambassador Francois Wu Chih-chung, the head of Taiwan's Representative Office in France, a former deputy Foreign Minister of Taiwan and a graduate of the prestigeous Universite Paris I in France. RFI: How do you see France's relationship with Taiwan? Wu: "France has more and more the will to agree on the idea we are fighting for: that the world needs to accept that Taiwan can help, that there can be exchange with Taiwan. We can now talk, even though we don't have diplomatic relations." France established diplomatic ties with Beijing in 1964, severing relations with "The Republic of China" in Taiwan, where the Nationalist government had taken refuge after losing the civil war against the communists in 1949. Franco-Taiwanese relations were initially maintained through businessmen in obscure basement offices in Paris and Taipei. According to French Sinologist Jean-Pierre Cabestan, who characterised the French-Taiwanese relationship as "shopkeeper diplomacy," the breakthrough came in 1972, when Taiwan was allowed to open an official culture and tourism office that was also authorised to issue visas for the island. In 1995, the office was upgraded to its current form, the Taipei Representative Office in France (BRTF). Since Wu was appointed as BRTF head in 2018, he has seen "a lot of accomplishments". The Speaker of Taiwan's parliament was invited to the French National Assembly. A new Taiwan bureau has been opened in the southern French city of Aix-en-Provence. And this year, the French Senate voted by an unprecedented unanimous 304 votes for a resolution to support Taiwan's participation in the WHO, the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol), the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). RFI: Over the last decades, Taiwan-China relations were in a rollercoaster. There was a rapprochement in the 1990s, the "1992 Concensus" where both China and Taiwan agreed that there is "One China," slow growth of cross-straits relations, but recently this movement has been marred by increasing threats and Beijing dropping the "peaceful" word from its rhetorical "peaceful re-unification" statements, suggesting that military intervention may be on the books. Wu: "There is no 're-unification' between China and Taiwan, because the current government in Beijing, of the People's Republic of China, has never controlled Taiwan since her creation in 1949." Wu points out that modern Taiwan is the heritage of three, vastly different periods: a "European" period, starting with Dutch, then Spanish occupation in the 17th century, followed by a takover by Qing Dynasty China, which had to cede the Island to Japan at the end of the First Sino-Japanese war in 1895. Japan formally renounced sovereignty over the island in 1952 but, by then, the Chinese Nationalist government was already solidly established on the island. "I can tell you that more than 90 percent of the Taiwanese people refuse 'One Country Two Systems'," says Wu, referring to Beijing's plan to incorporate Taiwan under Beijing's rule while allowing it to keep its own economic and political, but not defence and diplomatic, systems. "Everyone's seen what happened in Hong Kong" - China's test-case for 'One Country, Two Systems' after it passed from British colonial rule to Beijing's sovereignty in 1997. Beijing slowly eroded freedoms, leading to massive protests which, in turn, led to Beijing virtually taking over policing and politics in the city. "So, from a Taiwanese point of view, the 'One Country Two Systems' really has become unacceptable." RFI: Would you rather maintain the status quo as it has been for decades - Taiwan living a shadow life in the world, officially recognised by only a handful of countries, being able to trade and prosper but never in an official capacity - or would you want to be really independent, regardless of the consequences threatened by Beijing? Wu: "I am an ambassador. Not recognised by France, but everybody calls me Taiwan's ambassador to France. And we still have 15 countries that recognise Taiwan. So we are already independent. We don't need to declare independence. "We know that if we try to change the name of the country, we will make China angry. China has an authoritarian political system, which obeys the will of one person. And they can use the military to invade Taiwan. That's a result we don't want." RFI: Do you have enough trust in the Taiwan Relations Act under which the US promises to help Taiwan in case of a mainland invastion and provides defensive weapons? Wu: "Stablilty in the Taiwan Strait is in America's interest. Not only because we are a democracy, but also because the USA imports a huge quantity of its semi-conductors from Taiwan." The market-leading Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is currently building a $12 billion chip factory in Arizona, but other countries are interested too: on 1 June, Japan announced that it has signed off on a $338 million semiconductor research project to develop cutting-edge chip technology in Taiwan with TSMC. "France, Japan and other countries have the same concerns, but because the US has a stronger army and defense capability, they can resist the threats from China. France also recently held a military manoeuvre with the Quad, with Australia with Japan. So I think more and more countries in the world are concerned about stability in the region, and that functions as a security guarantee for Taiwan. "France published its own Indo-Pacific strategy. France has a lot of interest in the region and, because of New Caledonia, France is also a power in the region. So they have their own reasons for maintaining a balance between China and Taiwan. And that is what they are trying to do." The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Vice Presidential Candidate in the 2020 election, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang has given reasons for her absence at a meeting organised by Education Minister, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum. In May 2021, Dr. Adutwum invited all former Education Ministers to a meeting aimed at trading ideas on how best to improve the country's educational system. Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, who is a former Education Minister, was not present at the meeting. A number of people have questioned why the educationist did not show up, with some even speculating that her absence was deliberate and politically motivated. But in an interview with Woezor TV, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang said the invitation came a bit too late. I was invited. In fact, I got a phone call from [the Education Ministers] office and I agreed that they bring the letter. They didnt state a date during the conversation. I saw the letter here on Thursday and the meeting was going to be on Monday. Prof. Opoku-Agyemang further explained that she had already scheduled an equally important personal engagement on the day of the meeting. I was going to be out of town. The meeting was on the 10th of May but the [day before; 9th] was mothers day and I had chosen to spend the day at an orphanage in the Western Region for very personal reasons, she disclosed. The meeting Eight former Education Ministers of Ghana attended and pledged to use their wealth of experience to support the current Minister in improving the sector. Present were Mr. Yaw Osafo-Maafo, Ms. Betty Mould-Iddrisu, Professor Dominic Fobih, Dr. Ekow Spio-Garbrah, Ms. Joyce Aryee, Professor Ameyaw Ekumfi, Paapa Owusu Ankomah and Dr. Christiana Amoako Nuamah, who joined the discussion via Zoom. The former Ministers, who took turns to speak, said bringing people with diverse expertise to bear would go a long way in getting the best strategies and ideas which, when harnessed, would push the nation's development agenda forward. The occasion also created an opportunity for them to interact and share ideas on how to facilitate the improvement of the nation's education sector. Among the matters raised by the former ministers were the issue of discipline on the part of teachers, as well as the need for improvement in supervision in schools, to ensure that teachers stay in school and teach. They also had concerns about parents' limited interest in the education of their children, which they believe affects their output. Some former ministers also raised concerns about the current system, which makes it very difficult for teachers to be disciplined by their immediate superiors. ---citinewsroom The Rastafarian students victory I've observed the issue involving the Rastafarian students, Tyron Iras Marhguy and Oheneba Nkrabea, who were denied admission by the Achimota School because of their dreadlocks in March. First, was it necessary for the school to say and do what they did? I believe that every right-thinking Ghanaians will be in the cream of the crop position to answer this. I'm glad that the Accra High Court Ruling was in favor of the Rastafarian students. Indeed, the status quo has been challenged. I applaud the teenagers parent for not letting the issue die a premature death. They fought a good fight. This will enrich the jurisprudence of our country! A Victory For The Right To Education The order by the High Court for the School to admit the Rastafarian students is a victory for the Right to Education. No child shall be deprived by any other person of medical treatment, education or any other social or economic benefit by reason only of religious or other beliefs. This is emphatically enshrined in Article 28 (4), 1992 Constitution. This judgment is good and progressive. Now, the governing board, and the headmistress of Achimota School have seen their level in the context of proper application of human rights law. I am happy these two Rastafarian students have won against the School which still wants to remain in the stone age. These boys, have effectively become our Rosa Parks and this judgment opens the gate for a bigger discourse that must be had. Allow Ghanaian Girls To Keep Braided Hair In School In Ghana, young girls, especially those in public Senior High Schools (SHS) do not braid their hair when attending school. This long-held practice is such that students who have braided their hair since infancy have to cut their hair before they enroll in any SHS. Much as education authorities might have a reason for insisting on this practice, I believe that many do not realise how traumatising it is for some girls to cut their long braided hair. I have heard many arguments justifying the rule of cutting the hair. Rules like braiding hair in neat cornrows, backward and keeping it in a tight bun at the nape can be introduced and enforced so that there will be uniformity and decency. Allow Muslims To Wear Their Hijab In School Years ago, Muslim activism ensured that their women got the rights to wear the Hijab on campus. However, some educational institutions still treat these young girls as though they were not Ghanaian. Throughout my encounter with Muslim friends, I can say that on this part of the world, they're the loveliest and brainiest people you'll ever meet. They should allow Muslim girls to wear their Hijab and stop forcing them to be at church services. What kind of bias is this? Why is no one screaming about that too? Article 17 (2) of the 1992 Constitution is unambiguous: A person shall not be discriminated against on grounds of gender, race, color, ethnic origin, religion, creed or social or economic status. Moving forward, Article 21 (1) (C) further provides: All persons shall have the right to freedom to practice any religion and to manifest such practice. In SHS, I remember how Muslims were forced to be at church services and how theyre punished when they refused to be there. It's high time, we disentangled ourselves from the shackles of religious bigotry and division. Ghana Is For All Of Us If educational institutions that are supposed to be bastions of enlightenment fail to demonstrate sterling and enlightened decision-making, then Ghana will be doomed. What is education if it is not inclusive, encouraging and reason-oriented rather than focusing on what I believe is needless, like cutting the hair or not cutting the hair? Let us move ahead in unison and synergy as a nation, and continue to strive to be better. Let us accept diversity and live in harmony with each other devoid of the differences in our religious beliefs. We are one people and must love each other as well as ensuring the supremacy of the Supreme law of the land. The author, Bright Philip Donkor is a Student Journalist at the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ). He's a Social Activist, Columnist and a Prolific Feature Writer. Writer's email: [email protected] Listen to article This opinion is not a challenge to active and rigorous student and/or faculty engagement in debate on our campuses. They must engage not only in political science debate but crucially in the sciences, humanities, fine arts, health sciences and the many other disciplines that universities are designed for. And theres no harm too for campuses to entertain practical political activity. As reservoirs for future political leadership, there are no better crucibles than academic environments for that purpose, even at the primary or secondary school levels. When I was in secondary school, even at that rung of the education ladder, we had debating societies and regular debates. There were competitions and we took them seriously. I was not a good debater and never took part in any debates myself but I engaged myself in other activities. I served as president of GUNSA at Navasco, and at UST, I served as president of the JCRC of Unity Hall. Never a dull moment! What is objectionable is when university authorities sacrifice their academic independence and integrity to political opportunism as happened in Cape Coast last Saturday. The following should provide a guide to where this opinion piece is coming from. It is in response to my opinion from last week on the proposed dodgy honorary doctorates, since then dispensed to some politicians by the University of Cape Coast (UCC): Did Margaret Thatcher deserve to be snubbed? Did Obama deserve a Nobel? Has George W [Bush] done enough for Africa on HIV and Malaria to deserve a Nobel? Do Napo and NADAA deserve honours? Was it prudent for JAK to honour himself? I think national honours should be given to a person when he is not in a position to influence the process. Also, there ought to be a non-political and rigorous process for selecting honorees... We need to have an impartial, bipartisan process. Canada is a good model. Last weekend, UCC and her honorees had their day and by the look of things, a good time was had by all! A few hours after the ceremony, I had the full text of the main honorees speech, presented in power point format all 30 or so pages of them. It made it easy reading for me that way. I was not looking for any plagiarism obviously such refinements do not mean much in Ghanas academic circles and so I concentrated on what this keynoter had to impart to fellow Ghanaians. It is conceivable that apart from the few of us with some political, professional or academic interest, majority of other fellow Ghanaians did not pay any attention to it at all! After reading a few of the power point panels, I had the urge to discontinue so much bombast and narcissism but the urge to learn more, won out and I read to the very end. At best I would mark it a D. It was nothing but a rehash of his pet hates, boastfulness, divisiveness, vindictiveness and really nothing more: Free SHS (which in reality was commenced by President Mahama following the recommendation of the constitution), culture of silence (still very much alive), his political background of the so called Danquah-Busia-Dombo tradition, even to the boast of his three honorary doctorates (from universities in Liberia, South Africa and now Ghana)! It was a partisan party political broadcast delivered from an academic platform. It therefore lacked the kind of gravitas and restraint expected of an occasion like the investiture of an honorary degree. It sounded like the piteous whinge of a juvenile afraid of losing some fanciful but useless object or even more ominously like the Gollums lascivious yearning for the accursed ring in Tolkeins Lord of the Rings. I am not making this up. The words are out there for any fellow Ghanaian interested in, to look up, verify and arrive at whatever conclusions. Of particular interest to me is the panel labeled as page 29 a part of what I suspect of the peroration pictured above but quoted below for clarity: I belong to the Danquah-Dombo-Busia political tradition, one whose forebears at great personal sacrifice, fought for the democratic, open, free system of government we are enjoying today in Ghana. They propagated the concept of democracy at a time when it was not in Africa a fashionable concept, Indeed, the philosophy of the New Patriotic Party coincides with that of the Fourth Republican Constitution. It is the dominant political philosophy in the world today, and has stood the test of time. The pettiness is outstanding, and yet again an example of arrogance. Even in the hallowed atmosphere of academia, he could not help himself. He had to play the partisan card. Danquah-Dombo-Busia? The Fourth Republican Constitution? The question can be justifiably posed: Which tradition boycotted the writing of the Fourth Republican Constitution he is now claiming credit for? The philosophy of the New Patriotic Party coinciding with that of the Fourth Republican Constitution? The New Patriotic Party must be thankful then to the (P)NDC and the hairdressers and butchers in the consultative assembly which they boycotted, for fashioning out a quality constitution which has seen democracy thrive in our country! Propaganda, partisanship and revisionism, the main thrust of the acceptance speech, do no good to our country. Hopefully, the academics at Cape Coast University, who provided the platform for this sabotage and subterfuge, would realise the disservice they have done to our Republic. With their dodgy doctorates, I hope they can see their way clear in the future to mend their ways before they send us hurtling into the kind of infamy many an African country has inevitably worked itself into by such negligent acts of omission or commission. A forward-looking politician-statesman would have used this platform provided by a taxpayer funded academic institution to rally us all to the flag and anthem not this provincial resort to political exclusiveness. After all, UCC belongs to all fellow Ghanaians not just the Danquah-Dombo-Busia tradition. He would have used it to make grand gestures aimed at bringing out the best in us in terms of innovation, creativity, and productivity, instead of the I, I, I, I, I, littered throughout the speech ad nauseam. Rise above the partisan din and become the true voice of the people. Is it not said that the voice of the people is the voice of God? Was he looking for pity, sympathy, understanding, even forgiveness? The kind of empathy he most viciously denied President Mahama when Mahama occupied the highest public office of our republic. His hounds barked, snarled, snapped, bayed at Mahamas heels wherever he set foot. This Cape Coast University honorary degree laureate, when it suited his political agenda, refused to see any good in Mahama a very fine gentleman and good leader by all standards. Come on sir, Thou hast it now, King, Cawdor, Glamis all* Take a sip from the chalice you helped poison in your inordinate adventure to be called president and learn from Mahama! And finally, a food-for-thought parting question: Who established UCC? Answer: The founder of our modern nation state, The Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. The man they hate to acknowledge as our founder from Gold Coast to Ghana. See historical snippet below: The University of Cape Coast was established in October, 1962 as a University College and placed in a special relationship with the University of Ghana, Legon. Following the report of the International Commission on University Education in Ghana (May 1961), the government of Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah established the University College of Cape Coast (now the University of Cape Coast) and formally inaugurated it on 15th December, 1962. Source: Online archives. The current Ghanaian government can choose to be in denial about the true history above, but what about the UCC itself? Last Saturday should have had as a sub-theme, if not a main theme, of, A Dedication to the Founder of UCC. Shame! Shame! Shame! *From Shakespeares Macbeth By Amb. Alhaji Abdul-Rahman Harruna Attah, MOV Listen to article One day at Goka, a bird perched on the fence of a man's house with a seed in its beak. The beauty of the bird endeared it to the man so that he didn't pelt it with a stone or scare it away. The bird saw the friendliness of the man and sat comfortably pecking the seed until it fell from its beak and landed outside the wall. The bed flew away. The man went out to check the seed, and it was very small. So he said it posed no threat, for it can't even germinate. Days went by, he returned to the spot and saw the seed sprouting. This time, he said the soil is not fertile for the seedling to grow, so it'll wither and die sooner. Weeks later, he saw the seedling growing into a beautiful shrub, and the man admired its scented flowers. He never thought of cutting it down. And in few years, the small seed grew into a big shady tree with widened and protruded roots. The shade of the tree gave comfort to the man from sunshine, but the roots that entered under the fence created in it a crack. The man was now left between the choices of keeping the tree because of its shade, or cutting it down to save the fence from collapsing. In his indecision, one day he woke up to see his fence broken down, causing a major damage to his property. This was at the time that his bones were weak to labour again and rehabilitate his house. Before he died unhappy man, the tree had wrecked down all the remains of the man's house, and it was under its shade that he was found dead. *Moral Lesson* Deal with small problems before they grow bigger. *Inference* When it came in the news that China is now rivalling Ghana in the production of cocoa, those mandated to discover means that will keep our premium cocoa beans unchallenged are sitting behind their desks and coming out with all voodoo (abracadabra) theories. The Finance Minister, Mr Ofori-Attah says it poses no threats to Ghana, "because the Chinese will in turn generate taste for Ghana's cocoa" (sic). And yesterday, the head of COCOBOD, Mr. Joseph Boahen Aidoo, is reported to have said: _"even the climatic conditions of China will not let it be competitive in the production of the commodity, as cocoa don't do well under climates below 21 degrees Celsius"_(sic) These men are peremptorily belittling the fears Ghanaians with concerns for the wellbeing of the cocoa sector harbour with these unfound theories, albeit ambivalence. My native Goka people say: _aboa no nyaw' na nnka wo a nfee nese nkyer wo._ We're talking about a China that has sold its first cocoa beans to the European market, harvesting with technology that is a far cry from our medieval usage of obsolete tools in cutlasses and human labour all throughout. The threats are posed thus, no one expects the government of Ghana stops the Chinese, but it's time we adapt ourselves with a modern technology and stay afloat in the cocoa market, building on nature's blessing in good tropical climate. With modern technology, there is no seed that you can't plant and harvest at anywhere of your choice if you desire to. We can't comfortably say our priced flagship cocoa is not under threats with the presence of the Chinese in the market. Let's deal with the threats before they grow bigger. _This story was sponsored by: Mr. Twene Bismark (from Goka)._ *Written by: Charles Yeboah (Sir Lord)* New Africa Movement *Voice Of The Lord Ministry* +233-249542111 *Email: [email protected]* Listen to article Elder. Kwaku Onwona-Hwesofour Asante said that its time for us a nation to build a peaceful, just and inclusive Societies. Most of our communities or societies are challenged with poverty, inequality, environmental degradation, poor and inaccurate information which have a high tendency to drive and fuel conflicts. He says we must promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development adding that we must provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels to reduce conflicts and suicidal tendencies. He reiterated that practices such as galamsey, deforestation and forest degradation are a serious threat to the lives and survival of humans, animals, plant species and ecosystem services. Religions across the globe share common social, economic and environmental problems for which reason the United Nations present a solution roadmap as Agenda 2030 he said. Elder. Asante was speaking at a joint service held by the Ntonso Newsite Seventh-Day Adventist Church and Islamic Congregation in the community; as part of its Adventist Moslem Relations day. The event was held under the theme Adventism and Islam; Religious Siblings for a Common Social and Environmental Agenda. The theme underscored the fact that Adventism and Islam share common beliefs and practices and calls on both to unite in solving common social and environmental challenges. Elder. Asante explained that both the Holy Bible and Koran present common beliefs such as belief in one God (Monotheism). He also articulated that practices such as non-alcoholism, consumption of biblically- sanctioned meat, delight in herbs, vegetables, cereals and fruits, foot washing and orderliness in the presence of God are common to both faiths. Belief such as Jesus being the only Son of God as presented in Sura Al-Maidah 5:17 presents Christ as the son of Mary using Ibn (Marys son by association) but not Walad (Gods Child through marriage) and other beliefs such as belief in the day of resurrection and virgin conception are common beliefs shared by Adventists and Islam he pointed out. He argued that global pandemics like COVID-19 and environmental problems have transnational impacts by virtue of the common transboundary resources we share notably air and water. Whatever pollutant we release on land ends up destroying either the soil health, vegetation, water resources or air contributing to climate change, heavy metals and toxins in our food chain and increased health problems. He used the opportunity to call on all religious groups to strengthen their stewardship role towards the environment by supporting the implementation of the Agenda 2030 and maintaining ecological productivity to enable a better account on the day of judgment as true and faithful stewards deserving divine rewards. Let us leverage our congregational and educational platforms to deepen understanding on human role as stewards for society and environment and further strengthen our institutional governance arrangements to engage productively with government against infringement of religious liberty rights. Christianity and Islam are significant contributors to the establishment of educational institutions; the religious groups should champion the inculcation of the mindset of commitment to environmental sustainability, social inclusion and socioeconomic development among the youth by investing in youth entrepreneurship, climate change adaptation and disability-friendly infrastructure Elder. Asante said. On his part, Sheik Abubakar Ishaq-Yusif mentioned that the COVID-19 and many other past pandemics and emerging ones can be attributed to changing cultures and declining morality. He added that it is Allahs will that all humans will be free and safe from any disease but because of human disobedience to religious, natural and physical laws, we are unable to free ourselves from preventable diseases. If God does not allow any disease, it is impossible for us to experience it. Allah uses pandemics to draw attention to humans deviation from His precepts. Allah has solution to all the diseases we experience and it behooves on humans to call and rely on Allah for solutions to our common problems he said. Story by: Nana Yaw Reuben Jr. If China refuses to convert debt owed it, by African nations, into grants, it would amount to a strategic-error-of-judgement, of mammoth proportions - for it will lose its goodwill across Africa: goodwill that would have been assured, for it, had it proved to be a genuine African friend, in the continent's hour of need. In such a situation, Africa should rather look instead to Japan, as a good-faith long-term-strategic-partner, to replace China, in the drive to create a prosperous free trade area, for the benefit of all demographics, across the continent. When it mattered most, even the exploitative West, understood clearly that it was in its own long-term self-interest, to help the continent's highly indebted nations, to enable them return to a path-of-growth, economically, to boost their GDPs, and thereby increase the living standards of ordinary people, right across the continent. The Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative (HIPC), in 2018, by the International Monetary Fund, and the World Bank, was the result. If China wants to be remembered by posterity, as a ham-fisted shylock-lender, forever insisting on its pound-of-flesh, which neither cared about ruinous high-level corruption nor ever condemned egregious human rights abuses, by callous self-seeking African leaders, that is its own affair. However, such a ruthless nation, cannot ever be a genuine good-faith friend of ordinary Africans. Never. Period. Notorious poacher Habib Talukdar alias Tiger Habib, who was on the run for nearly two decades, has been arrested by Bangladesh police. Acting on a tip-off that Habib was back in his native village Sonatala of Bagerhats Sarankhola upazila after being on the run for years, a police team raided the area on May 29 and arrested him. He came back to his village on May 28. A day later, he was nabbed from the house of his neighbour Rafiqul, Md Saidur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Sharankhola police station, told UNB. Habib, 50, son of Kadam Ali Talukdar, was wanted in multiple cases of forest crime. He is believed to have killed about 70 tigers in the past 20 years. Arrest warrants were issued against him in three different cases. According to police, Habib operated in the Sunderbans and also used to illegally hunt deer and crocodile. Habibs father Kadam Ali was a forest dacoit, who died some five-six years ago. So, he knew the Sunderbans forest very well. His son Hasan, 20, and son-in-law Mizan, 25, are also involved in criminal activities. Habib was wanted in at least eight criminal cases. Of these, three cases were filed for poaching tigers while the remaining five for poaching deer. Arrest warrants were issued against Habib in three of these cases. On January 19, police arrested a poacher, identified as Gaus Fakir, from Rajoir Bus Stand in Sarankhola upazila and found a tiger skin in his possession. He reportedly told investigators that the tiger was hunted by Habib. On January 23, members of the Rapid Action Battalion arrested two poachers and seized 19 deer skins. Habib was involved in the crime, police said. Habib used to place traps with fresh meat laced with poison in different parts of the Sundarbans for hunting tiger, deer and crocodile. He made money by selling the skin and body parts of the dead animals. According to forest officials, Habib was banned from entering the Sundarbans years back but he used to intrude into the forests for poaching. He had the backing of several powerful syndicates, said forest officials. Mohammad Khalil Jamaddar, leader of Community Patrolling Group, Bhola patrol team, tasked with protecting the Sundarbans, said, Habib is fond of hunting tiger and deer. Habibs son and son-in-law worked with him as associates. Mohammad Wadud Akon, vice-president of Sundarbans Co-Management Committee, Sharankhola, said, Crime is Habibs family business. Sharankhola station officer Mohammad Abdul Mannan hailed Habibs arrest as a prized catch. Mohammad Joynal Abedin, assistant conservator of forests of the Sharankhola range, said, Habib is a listed criminal. National Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi has told President Akufo-Addo that Ghanaians can no longer finance what he describes as his opulent lifestyle. The President has come under backlash in the last few days after it was unveiled that his trip to South Africa and France in May cost the taxpayer a gargantuan sum of GHS2.8 billion. This was revealed by the North Tongu Member of Parliament (MP), Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa in a Facebook post last week. The Airbus ACJ320neo owned by Acropolis Aviation based in Farnborough, UK and registered as G-KELT, is the most luxurious and the most expensive in the Acropolis fleet. The manufacturers describe it as the most outstanding ambassador for Airbus Corporate Jets. It costs the Ghanaian taxpayer approximately 15,000 an hour when President Akufo-Addo rents it. "Lets further analyze President Akufo-Addos latest trip to Europe: per Flightradar24, the G-KELT aircraft left Accra with the President to Paris on the 16th of May a 6 and half hour duration. Airlifted the President from Paris to Johannesburg for 11 hours on the 23rd of May. Then Johannesburg to Accra on the 25th of May was a five and half hour flight. This gives us accumulated flight travel of 23 hours; so at 15,000 an hour, it thus cost us a colossal 345,000. At the current exchange rate, that is a staggering GHS2,828,432.80, Okudzeto Ablakwa alleged in his Facebook post. As the conversation and condemnation continue while the President is being fired, Sammy Gyamfi has taken to his social media to add his voice. In a post on Sammy Gyamfi Twitter page, he has accused President Akufo-Addo of living like a Russian oligarch at a time when Ghanaians are at the mercy of economic hardships. Sammy Gyamfi insists that Ghanaians can no longer continue to fund the extravagant lifestyle the president has chosen to live. Education is a key to success as said by many people. And also education is a backbone of any country that aims at achieving greater things in the future with its youths, by offering quality education and the needed tools that will aid them in learning. But at Kobeda No 1, a farming community under the Kintampo North Municipality is complaining bitterly about their Basic school which has become a death trap. In an interview with Headmistress Madam Fati Seidu, she said the state of the school makes teaching difficult and learning problematic. By explaining further to Nana Kwabena Ampratwum on Silver Omanbapa morning show this morning, she said part of the roof of the school has been ripped off for the past ten years. So sometimes if it rains or during rainy seasons things always gets tough for them and sometimes they need to close school before time when there is a sign of rain. And also added that they lack furniture because for the past four years they've not gotten any furniture from the government and due to that each parent is obliged to buy furniture for his or her daughter for school which is not aiding them. She said they have written to their District education service it proves futile, the DCE is aware of the state of their school but they are not responding to their needs. She, therefore, pleaded on the GES, Kintampo North Municipality, government, general public and any firm to come to their aid if not their lives are at risk. She finally said a convenient place for teachers to sleep is also one the biggest hurdle for them, due to that some of the teachers live far from where the school is, so by the time they will get means to the school time will be far gone and it sometimes makes them feels disowned by the Education service, MCE, DCE and government as a whole. Source: Mathew Silver FM (0555395925) Listen to article School Children at the Agona Swedru Methodist B School in the Agona West Municipality of the Central Region are currently having their classes under trees after some residents shit bombed the school Tuesday morning. Sources revealed that the action started when the school reopened and has affected both the Students and the entire teaching staff. Headmaster of the School, Akwasi Ahensan Napoleon told Kasapa FMs Yaw Boagyan that the situation is unbearable. He added that the residents also eased themselves into eating bowls belonging to the teachers, covered them and placed them on and under the teachers tables in their classrooms. The Headmaster said he strongly believes its a result of the absence of a Night Watchman and an unwalled environment thats paving way for wee smokers to commit such acts. He has, however, appealed to the authorities at the Agona Swedru Township, Assembly and Security Agencies to intervene immediately or else they will advise themselves going forward. Some School Children who witnessed the act said they cannot bear the scent in the classroom and thats why they are studying under the trees. According to the pupils, this is not the first time such an incident has happened in their school. The pupils also threatened to Boycott schooling if those behind the acts dont put a stop to it. We sometimes come to school and find out that some people have shit into the schools feeding bowls, and have placed them under the tables of both teachers and pupils they added. Meanwhile, the Assemblyman for the Abronye Electoral Area, Small Emmanuel Aggrey has urged teachers at the school to be calm. According to the Assemblyman, he will organize a forum and educate the public on the negative effects of shit bombing in classrooms. ---starrfm The leader of Western Sahara's independence movement, Brahim Ghali, is to appear before a Spanish court Tuesday over allegations of torture and genocide. His presence in Spain has angered Moroccan authorities, as a diplomatic crisis between the two countries continues. Brahim Ghali, who heads the Algeria-backed Polisario Front, is to testify by video conference from a hospital in Logrono in northern Spain, where he has been treated for Covid-19 since mid-April. The closed-door hearing is being held at Spain's National Court in Madrid. Ghali is the subject of two investigations in Spain. One relates to allegations of torture at Sahrawi refugee camps in Tindouf, a town in western Algeria. The accusations were made in 2020 by Polisario dissident Fabel Breica, who also holds Spanish nationality. A Spanish court initially rejected the complaint but earlier this year it agreed to reopen the case. The second investigation relates to allegations of genocide, murder, terrorism, torture and disappearances made in 2009 by the Sahrawi Association for the Defence of Human Rights (ASADEDH), which is based in Spain. Santiago Pedraz, the Spanish judge handling the case, has refused to impose any precautionary measures such as seizing the Polisario leader's passport as requested by the complainants arguing there are no "clear indications of his involvement" in the crimes of which he has been accused. Morocco has already warned the Spanish government that allowing Ghali to "go home, bypass Spanish justice and ignore the victims" would further worsen ties between the two countries. Growing diplomatic crisis Relations between Rabat and Madrid took a turn for the worst in mid-April when Ghali arrived in Spain. Morocco claims he was allowed in using a forged passport. Then last month, in what was widely seen as a punitive political gesture, Moroccan border guards looked the other way as some 8,000 migrants entered Spain's tiny North African enclave of Ceuta. Most were immediately returned to Morocco, but hundreds of unaccompanied minors, who cannot be deported under Spanish law, remain. Ghali is also the president of the Sahrawi Democratic Arab Republic, a self-declared state since 1976 which claims authority over the disputed territory of Western Sahara 80 percent of which is controlled by Morocco, the rest by the Polisario Front. Rabat considers Ghali to be a war criminal, and Morocco's foreign ministry warned Monday that the crisis over his presence in Spain would "not be resolved with a single court hearing". It once again demanded a "transparent investigation" over Ghali's arrival in Spain. The crisis, it said, was a "test of the reliability" of Morocco-Spain ties. In a news conference on Monday, Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said it was "unacceptable" that Morocco "attack the borders of Spain" by letting migrants into Ceuta due to differences in foreign policy. Morocco's Foreign Ministry meanwhile blamed Spain for breaking "mutual trust and respect", drawing parallels between the issues of Western Sahara and Spain's Catalonia region, where there is an independence movement. Streets in the eastern DR Congo city of Goma returned to life on Tuesday, five days after residents fled following warnings that the nearby Nyiragongo volcano could erupt again. In the city centre, the streets were clogged with traffic, including hefty four-wheel-drive vehicles driven by NGOs, while the number of pedestrians seemed close to normal and some shops had reopened, an AFP journalist said. In front of the city's main hospital, traffic deftly drove around large cracks that had emerged after the volcano first erupted last month. Nyiragongo suddenly erupted on May 22, spewing out two rivers of lava before stopping the following day. Limnic eruption: A rare but potentially catastrophic risk. By Gal ROMA (AFP) But powerful aftershocks ensued in the following days, prompting scientists to fear a possibly catastrophic eruption under the floor of Lake Kivu. In their worst projection, a "limnic eruption" would heat carbon dioxide dissolved in the depths of the lake, sending the gas to the surface. Forming a vast, invisible cloud, the gas could settle on the shoreline city and asphyxiate its inhabitants under this scenario. In response, the provincial authorities last Thursday ordered the evacuation of most of the city's districts. Around 400,000 people, out of a population of 600,000, were uprooted. Displaced: People from Goma who have holed up at a school classroom in Sake. By Guerchom Ndebo (AFP) Many headed to the town of Sake, about 25 kilometres (15 miles) away to the west, or to the town of Gisenyi, just across the border in Rwanda, to the east. Since then, the big tremors have virtually receded. People began to trickle back on Monday, although the volcano's monitors insist that it is not safe to return. One of those who had left was Francoise Habimana, who fled to the Rwandan capital of Kigali with her children, where they stayed with a host family. On Tuesday, she was among dozens of families queueing at the border crossing to return home. Another was Beatrice Wakandwa. "It was a bit hard to be on my own in Rwanda, even though the people were hospitable," she said. "I don't have a choice. Whatever happens, I prefer to be back in Goma with my family." However, a crisis management cell set up by the authorities in North Kivu province, of which Goma is the capital, said on Tuesday that alert status "is still red," which meant that people were not advised to return home. People in the DR Congo capital of Kinshasa held a candle-lit vigil for Goma on Monday. By Arsene Mpiana (AFP) "Today, the scientific data have recorded 71 earth tremors, the majority of which have not been felt by the population. "A comparatively small fall in seismicity was recorded yesterday -- however, the danger is full-time," the emergency body said. "We therefore recommend that people stay vigilant, listen to the news and strictly observe the measures set down by the provincial authorities." A retired army commander and Minister of Works and Transport, General Katumba Wamala, has reportedly been wounded by gunmen in what local media reports described as an attempted assassination. Local television station, NBS in a report monitored by DGN Online, revealed that the Ministers daughter and driver were allegedly killed in the attack. NBS reported that the attackers were attempting to assassinate the Minister. According to NBS, the gunmen sprayed bullets at a car carrying the Minister. The attack reportedly occured on Tuesday morning, June 1, 2021. NBS says some four attackers on motorcycles opened fire at a vehicle carrying General Katumba Wamala, the minister of works and transport, in the Kampala suburb of Kiasasi. Host of 'Good Evening Ghana' on Metro TV Paul Adom-Otchere says the single act of removing journalists from the court before giving judgment in the matter involving Achimota Senior High School and two Rastafarian students constitute an abuse about which the bar and bench should be very worried. Ahead of the judgment on Monday afternoon [31 May 2021], the clerk of the court instructed everyone to leave the courtroom including journalists. Only the parties to the case were allowed into the courtroom. Asked why journalists were sacked, the clerk in her response said, I have been given a specific instruction. The judge eventually ruled in favour of the two Rastafarian boys, Tyrone Marhguy and Oheneba Kweku Nkrabea, and ordered the Achimota school to admit them with their dreadlocks unaffected. Reacting to the judgment, Mr Adom-Otchere wondered if the judge considered the age of the children and other factors. In a Facebook post, Mr Adom-Otchere said: So Im really wondering how and if the said judge treated or considered the limitations to personal liberties provided in article 14 (1) of the 1992 constitution. Such limitations include ... for educational purposes and for persons under the age of 18 as it is, she sacked journalists from her court (in total disregard for the public interest value of the case and basic tenets of democracy) before she read her ruling. So we really dont know what happened. That single act of removing journalists from the court should constitute an abuse about which the bar and bench should be very worried. I cant wait for Good Evening Ghana tonight. Its all in the interest of democracy. ---classfm The floodgates of in discipline have been opened with this decision on the Achimota dreadlocks case. Could same freedom be allowed in the training in any of the armed forces for example which are are also training? If not why not, when all training expects conformity as the ultimate. Education/training that molds the character of a person cannot go without some amount of pain/discomfort/sacrifice, so let's understand and practice human rights in the context of our culture and national limitations rather than those of the advanced European culture. Ghana as secular nation with limited resource has to focus on the objectives of interventions. A secular education should not attempt to burden the system with the multi religions which would then require schools to have worship places and teachers for all the religions! This is another case of Ghana's blind/over-copying. If this decision is not reviewed then Ghana needs to have a "school-rights" court to ensure that teachers and educational institutions are not burdened unnecessarily with the management of flimsy demands in the name of human rights. Have we not realized how our education is not having the expected impact? Having accepted a religious person in an institution or workplace is enough guarantee of indiscrimation, however the initiation/workplace should not be the one to conform to the individual's religious practices and choices. It should be the other way round to ensure discipline and harmonious coexistence everywhere. Let's wake up here. Listen to article Since antiquity, you cannot mention any group of people who have contributed their blood, sweat & resources to the collective vision of bringing Ghana thus far without mentioning the Sisaala land & its people. Our place has been embedded in the very heart and core of the history of this great nation. From fighting slavery to being a main supplier of slaves to the South who are eventually transported to the Caribbean and Europe. In fact, the Sisaala people are part of the Northern Labour that still powers every aspect of Ghana's economy to this day. Katakyies, cocoa Labour, galamsey etc We gave Ghana a president whose contributions are recognised by all and still cherished to this day even though a lot has been done to downplay his efforts. He is the only national asset from the Upper West to occupy the highest office in the land. We can also talk about the contributions of Imoro Egala and his contributions to the First Republic and to Nkrumah's government. We can count a plethora of human resources even to this day. It has never been the problem of the contributions of the Sisaala's. No! In fact, now we know it is an intentional, orchestrated plot to downgrade the Sisaalaland and its people from the National level all the way down to the Regional level. If not so why have we been neglected and discriminated against for this long. Is it intentional, orchestrated or a simple matter of we do not matter.? We are ready show this time around that we matter and we must be taken seriously. The Sisaala-Land, again, is the single largest producer of cereal (sorghum, beans, soya, cow pea, yam etc) in the country and feeds the entire Upper West Region and Ghana at large. Even with bad roads from 1902 when Ghana become a colony to 1957 when we won independence till 2021 in the 4th Republic, the Sissaland has not seen a proper 5km tarred roads. Yet year in year out we produce more than hundred thousand tonnes of maize to feed the country. The records abound for all to see. Numbers don't lie. It was same for cotton production until its collapse. Officers from the Agric ministry visited the only cotton factory in the entire North (Northern, Savana, Upper East, Upper West). We were optimistic something good will come out of the visit. Well we are yet to see anything. What crime have we committed to deserve this treatment? Or indeed we are not part of Ghana as we have been told before that we are Burkinabes? Maybe that's why. But then that should apply to the whole of Upper West and not just the Sisaala enclave. Additionally, the Sisaala enclave is home to pivotal natural resources & reserves. The shea tree is an important resource. Its fruit is edible. We also produce shea butter from the shea fruit. It is one of the best trees for charcoal production in addition to the rosewood. Both trees face extinction today because of the indiscriminate felling of these trees. It has left our vegetative cover naked and left us prone to serious weather changes that has taken a toll on the main source of livelihood of the people- farming. We cannot even talk about natural resources without talking about Gbele reserves which are the second largest in Ghana and recognised internationally. It is sitting in the Sisaala enclave. Its contributions to protection of flora and fauna are indispensable let alone the cover it provides for human survival, which is immeasurable. Its impact on the local & Ghanaian economy has not been fully felt because of the bad nature of roads hampering possible creation of employment opportunities and local business to visitors. The thought of the extremely bad nature of the roads will deter anyone who has the intention of visiting this area. As for the opportunities in tourism that has been killed as a result of the intentional neglect and bad nature of roads and possible economic contributions to the local, regional & national economy, the least said about it the better. Our cries have always fallen on death ears. But we have stopped crying. There are as many tourist sites in the Sisaala area alone as there are in any major tourist Region in Ghana. We can talk about Gbele natural reserves to Gwollu slave defence walls to slave markets to hiking and camping sites. The list is endless. But for the roads, the Sisaala area could have done so much more. The Sisaala area is a strategically positioned entrepot. It is the easiest route from the Brong & Ahafo Regions through the Northern Region through Savana to Burkina Faso by land. The volume of Trade that goes through this area is immeasurable but the extremely bad nature of the roads have deterred a lot of traders and forced them to use long routes at a higher cost over longer periods of time. The Burkinabe's have fixed their roads to the point that meets Ghana and left it for the Ghanaian government to also fix the remaining part of the road on the Tumu- Leo strecth connecting Burkina Faso to Ghana which would have improved travel (transportation)and facilitated trade. Has Ghana fixed its part of the road? Your guess is as good as mine. In terms of landmass, the Sisaala area occupies 2/3rds of the Upper West Region and does most of the agricultural heavy lifting. Part of the blame goes to our leaders (political, traditional & opinion leaders). Those who have been at the forefront of the affairs of the Sisaala area. Those who have been quiet for far too long. Maybe because most of our leaders including traditional & CSO's and opinion leaders have become political and cannot speak to issues. Regardless, we have seen a renewed sense of responsibility, commitment & objectivity in fighting for the development of the Sisaala area. The youth must also take the blame squarely. As much as we are enlightened, we have fallen short of the objectivity, integrity & moral uprightness that characterises that age bracket and have fallen to partisan political gerrymandering to the detriment of our collective development. We have allowed ourselves to be used as political tools against true agents of development. It is said that the leaders are a reflection of who a people are. It is high time we encouraged ourselves and our leaders to be upright in the demand for development. As much as we commend our leaders for putting up a great fight in regard of the consistent, intentional treatment of the Sisaala enclave, we encourage them to not allow themselves to succumb to the whims and caprices of any politician. We remind them that as much as they have our full support, they are under the scrutiny and watchful eyes of the youth whose actions, reactions & inactions will be determined by the outcome of the resolution in their several meetings to resolve this injustice especially the one which will take place on Wednesday, 2nd June 2021. We are ready to take our pound of flesh. Long live Ghana Long live the Sisaala land. Long live the Chiefs & people of the Sisaala land. 1st June 2021. For God and country. Chief Bukari Kuoru. 0541040419. The Minority in Parliament says lack of confidence in the Nana Akufo-Addo-led government is the reason why ExxonMobil has withdrawn its interest in Ghanas Deep Water Cape Three Point. ExxonMobil said it is unwilling to enter an extension of the contract originally signed in 2018. It stated its decision in a letter to Ghanas Energy Minister, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, and other stakeholders including the CEO of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), Dr. KK Sarpong and Egbert Faibile Jnr., the CEO of Petroleum Commission. EMEPGL hereby notifies the Republic that it has determined not to enter into the First Extension Period, and hereby voluntarily surrenders and relinquishes one hundred percent (100%) of its rights in and to the DWCTP Contract Area. EMEPGL also confirms that it hereby resign as Operator for the DWCTP Block and that it has fully performed the relevant Minimum Work Obligation under the Petroleum Agreement. The above is without prejudice to the EMEPGLs accrued rights, excerpts of the letter read. In reaction, the Minority NDC in a statement signed by John Abdulai Jinapor Ranking Member, Mines and Energy Committee said, from this latest development, it is becoming obvious that Ghana is losing its place as a preferred investment destination in the petroleum sector within the sub-region under this government. According to him, despite President Akufo-Addo inheriting a well-functioning and promising oil sector from his predecessor with three producing fields (i.e Jubilee, TEN and Sankofa Gye Nyame), the sector has continued on a downward trend mainly due to underhand dealings and a high level opacity in the sector. He added that With Ghanas oil production set to decline if no new production capacities are added, this government must give priority to the sector and ensure that it attracts the needed investments through an open and transparent process; and within the remits of acceptable best practices in the oil and gas industry in order to boost the country's oil production capacity. Describing the withdrawal as shocking, John Jinapor stressed that Ghanaians have to bear the consequences of the hasty decision by the Akufo-Addo-led government to approve the deal. "We are therefore calling on the Akufo-Addos government to sit up and put the interest of the country above all parochial and personal interest as a matter of urgency." Below is the Minoritys full statement: WITHDRAWAL OF EXXONMOBIL FROM GHANA A CLEAR SIGN OF LACK OF CONFIDENCE IN THE AKUFO-ADDOS GOVERNMENT. Tuesday 1st June 2021. The Minority in Parliament has noted with great concern the decision by ExxonMobil to relinquish its interest in the Deep Water Cape Three Point (DWCTP) block in Ghana. Even more disturbing is the apparent threat by other major oil companies to equally abrogate various petroleum agreements they have with this government. It will be recalled that in 2018, ExxonMobil entered into a petroleum agreement with Ghana where a ceremony was organised at the Flagstaff House under the supervision of President Akufo-Addo contrary to the norm where Ministers of Energy supervises such programs. This was after the NPP Government and its majority members in Parliament rail-roaded the agreement with haste despite vehement opposition from the Minority on certain key aspects of the agreement which we believed was inimical to the state. It will be recalled that the Minority side and some Civil Society Organisations raised key and cogent arguments against certain provisions in the Agreement but just like the Agyapa, PDS and AMERI deals, this Government completely refused to heed to our good counsel. Today, Ghanaians have to bear the consequences of the hasty decision by the Akufo-Addo-led government to approve the deal with the shocking news of the withdrawal by ExxonMobil from the Agreement. It is unfortunate that despite President Akufo-Addo inheriting a well-functioning and promising oil sector from his predecessor with 3 producing fields (i.e Jubilee, TEN and Sankofa Gye Nyame), the sector has continued on a downward trend mainly due to underhand dealings and a high level opacity in the sector. With Ghanas oil production set to decline if no new production capacities are added, this government must give priority to the sector and ensure that it attracts the needed investments through an open and transparent process; and within the remits of acceptable best practices in the oil and gas industry in order to boost the country's oil production capacity. In 2018, government organised the so-called e-Block licensing rounds which were publicised around the world. It was subsequently reported that 3 companies won blocks from the tender, however, to the surprise of industry players, no significant progress has been made to award the blocks to ensure the commencement of exploration activities. Thanks to the good leadership of President John Mahama and the NDC, the country can boast of 3 oil producing fields in Ghana today (Jubilee, Sankofa and TEN fields). The most unfortunate news is that thus far, not a single oil field has since been added over the past 5 years although the existing oil fields are declining in volumes as we continue with production. From this latest developments, it is becoming obvious that Ghana is losing its place as a preferred investment destination in the petroleum sector within the sub-region under this government. We are therefore calling on the Akufo-Addos government to sit up and put the interest of the country above all parochial and personal interest as a matter of urgency. Ghana certainly deserves better than this. Thank you. John Abdulai Jinapor Ranking Member - Mines and Energy Committee The High Court on Tuesday asked the government and the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission to submit reports in 60 days what steps they had taken to set tariffs for electricity supplied from solar-based mini power grids. A bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Sardar Md Rashed Jahangir issued the directive after hearing a writ petition filed by the Consumers Association of Bangladesh. The court also issued a rule asking the secretary of the ministry of power, energy and mineral resources and the BERC chairman to explain in four weeks why their inaction in setting the tariffs for solar mini-grid electricity would not be declared illegal. The court also asked the BERC chairman to explain why it would not be directed to set tariffs of the solar power as stipulated by the BERC Act. CABs lawyer Jyotirmoy Barua told the court that the secretary of the power, energy and mineral resources ministry had kept pending since February 7 a CAB application for setting tariffs for solar power. He said that the ministry should forward the CAB application to the BERC. Jyotirmoy said that the ministry moved with a proposal sent to it by the Infrastructure Development Company Limited illegally setting tariffs for solar power. He said that the law empowered the Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority only to send any proposal to the ministry for setting tariffs for solar-based electricity. Jyotirmoy said that the solar power tariffs should be set immediately as various private companies were charging exuberant tariffs arbitrary in absence of BERC-set tariffs. He said that the solar power tariffs should also be set as the government was encouraging consumers to use renewal energy instead of coal-based energy. People in char areas with no connections with the central power grid use solar power. Streets in the eastern DR Congo city of Goma returned to life on Tuesday, five days after residents fled following warnings that the nearby Nyiragongo volcano could erupt again. Even as emergency officials insisted it was still not safe to return, streets in the city centre were clogged with traffic, the flow of pedestrians seemed close to normal and some shops had reopened. In front of the city's main hospital, traffic navigated around large cracks that had emerged after the volcano first erupted last month, an AFP journalist saw. Nyiragongo suddenly erupted on May 22, spewing out two rivers of lava before stopping the following day. Limnic eruption: A rare but potentially catastrophic risk. By Gal ROMA (AFP) But powerful aftershocks ensued, causing several buildings to collapse and triggering panic among the population. Scientists fear a possibly catastrophic eruption under the floor of nearby Lake Kivu. In their worst projection, a "limnic eruption" would heat carbon dioxide dissolved in the depths of the lake, sending the gas to the surface. Forming a vast, invisible cloud, the gas could settle at ground level on the lakeshore city, asphyxiating its inhabitants, according to this scenario. In response, the North Kivu provincial authorities last Thursday ordered the evacuation of most of the city's districts. Around 400,000 people, out of a population of 600,000, were uprooted. Displaced: People from Goma who have holed up at a school classroom in Sake. By Guerchom Ndebo (AFP) Around 120,000 arrived in the town of Sake, about 25 kilometres (15 miles) away to the west, while thousands more fled to the Rwandan town of Gisenyi, just across the border to the east. According to the UN's refugee agency, the UNHCR, 350,000 evacuees are in need of emergency help. Many have found refuge in schools, churches and host families. Access to potable water is the major problem. The UN's World Food Programme (WFP) is distributing food in Sake and Rutshuru, as well as in Minova, in the neighbouring province of South Kivu. 'Danger is full-time' People have begun trickling back to Goma, the North Kivu capital, in the absence of large tremors, even though the volcano's monitors insist it is not safe to return. According to an official with the Congolese Directorate for Migration (DGM), 705 displaced people returned from Rwanda on Friday, 729 on Saturday and 111 on Monday morning. One of those who had left was Francoise Habimana, who fled to the Rwandan capital of Kigali with her children, where they stayed with a host family. On Tuesday, she was among dozens of families queueing at the border crossing to return home. Another was Beatrice Wakandwa. "It was a bit hard to be on my own in Rwanda, even though the people were hospitable," she said. "I don't have a choice. Whatever happens, I prefer to be back in Goma with my family." However, a crisis management cell set up by the North Kivu authorities said Tuesday that alert status "is still red," meaning that people were advised not to return home. People in the DR Congo capital of Kinshasa held a candle-lit vigil for Goma on Monday. By Arsene Mpiana (AFP) "Today, the scientific data have recorded 71 earth tremors, the majority of which have not been felt by the population," the emergency body said. Despite a "comparatively small fall in seismicity, the danger is full-time," it added. "We therefore recommend that people stay vigilant, listen to the news and strictly observe the measures set down by the provincial authorities." Rwanda said late Monday that there was no "imminent risk" of a limnic eruption. The Minority in Parliament says the withdrawal of ExxonMobil from Ghana is a clear indication that Ghana under President Akufo-Addo is no longer attractive to international investors. The American multinational oil and gas corporation has formally pulled out its interest in the Deepwater Cape Three Point oil bloc in Ghana. EMEPGL hereby notifies the Republic that it has determined not to enter into the First Extension Period, and hereby voluntarily surrenders and relinquishes one hundred percent (100%) of its rights in and to the DWCTP Contract Area. EMEPGL also confirms that it hereby resign as Operator of the DWCTP Block and that it has fully performed the relevant Minimum Work Obligation under the Petroleum Agreement. The above is without prejudice to the EMEPGLs accrued rights, excerpts of a letter from ExxonMobil to Ghanas Energy Minister, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh has said. Reacting to the letter from the multinational oil and gas corporation, the Minority in Parliament says it is an indication of how unattractive Ghana has become under the ruling government in the eyes of international investors. From this latest developments, it is becoming obvious that Ghana is losing its place as a preferred investment destination in the petroleum sector within the sub-region under this government, part of the letter from the Minority signed by John Abdulai Jinapor who is Ranking Member on the Mines and Energy Committee reads. According to the Minority, it is unfortunate that despite President Akufo-Addo inheriting a well-functioning and promising oil sector from his predecessor with 3 producing fields (i.e Jubilee, TEN, and Sankofa Gye Nyame), the sector has continued on a downward trend mainly due to underhand dealings and a high-level opacity in the sector. We are therefore calling on the Akufo-Addos government to sit up and put the interest of the country above all parochial and personal interest as a matter of urgency, the Minority statement concludes. Find below the full statement from the Minority in Parliament: WITHDRAWAL OF EXXONMOBIL FROM GHANA A CLEAR SIGN OF LACK OF CONFIDENCE IN THE AKUFO-ADDOS GOVERNMENT. Tuesday 1st June 2021. The Minority in Parliament has noted with great concern the decision by ExxonMobil to relinquish its interest in the Deep Water Cape Three Point (DWCTP) block in Ghana. Even more disturbing is the apparent threat by other major oil companies to equally abrogate various petroleum agreements they have with this government. It will be recalled that in 2018, ExxonMobil entered into a petroleum agreement with Ghana where a ceremony was organised at the Flagstaff House under the supervision of President Akufo-Addo contrary to the norm where Ministers of Energy supervises such programs. This was after the NPP Government and its majority members in Parliament rail-roaded the agreement with haste despite vehement opposition from the Minority on certain key aspects of the agreement which we believed was inimical to the state. It will be recalled that the Minority side and some Civil Society Organisations raised key and cogent arguments against certain provisions in the Agreement but just like the Agyapa, PDS and AMERI deals, this Government completely refused to heed to our good counsel. Today, Ghanaians have to bear the consequences of the hasty decision by the Akufo-Addo-led government to approve the deal with the shocking news of the withdrawal by ExxonMobil from the Agreement. It is unfortunate that despite President Akufo-Addo inheriting a well-functioning and promising oil sector from his predecessor with 3 producing fields (i.e Jubilee, TEN and Sankofa Gye Nyame), the sector has continued on a downward trend mainly due to underhand dealings and a high level opacity in the sector. With Ghanas oil production set to decline if no new production capacities are added, this government must give priority to the sector and ensure that it attracts the needed investments through an open and transparent process; and within the remits of acceptable best practices in the oil and gas industry in order to boost the country's oil production capacity. In 2018, government organised the so-called e-Block licensing rounds which were publicised around the world. It was subsequently reported that 3 companies won blocks from the tender, however, to the surprise of industry players, no significant progress has been made to award the blocks to ensure the commencement of exploration activities. Thanks to the good leadership of President John Mahama and the NDC, the country can boast of 3 oil producing fields in Ghana today (Jubilee, Sankofa and TEN fields). The most unfortunate news is that thus far, not a single oil field has since been added over the past 5 years although the existing oil fields are declining in volumes as we continue with production. From this latest developments, it is becoming obvious that Ghana is losing its place as a preferred investment destination in the petroleum sector within the sub-region under this government. We are therefore calling on the Akufo-Addos government to sit up and put the interest of the country above all parochial and personal interest as a matter of urgency. Ghana certainly deserves better than this. Thank you. John Abdulai Jinapor Ranking Member - Mines and Energy Committee Popular broadcaster Captain Smart says the fire he stocked on politicians at Angel FM and Adom FM before he was asked to leave was just a warm-up for the hellfire to come. Announcing his entry to Media General on Tuesday to start another journey of his radio career, Captain Smart says what Ghanaians had of him is just 10% of 100%. According to him, he is going to change to the 12th gear and fire politicians the more. Speaking to Alfred Ocansey on the 3FMs Morning Show in a special edition dubbed The Big Surprise Captain Smart revealed We are going to increase the speed. What you heard of what I have done before is just 10 % of 100 %. You see I wanted to step off the 10 percent and move into the 11th gear and the whole country were like the guy is full of fire. So here [ Media General] I will change to the 12th gear, he stated. He continued, I will come with my towel it is always on. We have nothing to do as media practitioners than to save the country. When you visit all other places like Europe, Australia, America when you talk of vibrant media it is not just for nothing; it is putting the politicians on their toes, making sure they do the right thing. Captain Smart will begin hosting the show Morning man from Monday, June 8, 2021. A week after Africa's most active volcano, Mount Nyiragongo, erupted in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and poured lava into the city of Goma, experts flew into a second smoking crater nearby to assess the risks. Piloted by South Africans, a Puma helicopter from the UN's MONUSCO peacekeeping mission delivered leading volcanologists to the inside of Mount Nyamuragira, where molten lava could be seen spitting out of the ground. Since the May 22 eruption of Nyiragongo, which overlooks Goma on the shore of Lake Kivu, nearly three dozen people have lost their lives. The ground cracks under human visitors' feet inside the crater. By ALEXIS HUGUET (AFP) It destroyed some 20,000 homes and led to an exodus of around 400,000 residents as officials urged a "preventative evacuation". On Saturday, the government warned that Murara volcano, a crater in the Nyamuragira system, had also erupted, but the communications ministry later said this was "a false alarm", pointing to smoke from smouldering wood. When the helicopter set down on solidified volcanic crust inside Nyamuragira, a man in a green windcheater leapt out of the hold, grinning broadly and holding a case containing a drone. Italian vulcanologist Dario Tedesco has studied the peaks around Goma for years. By ALEXIS HUGUET (AFP) Dario Tedesco, an Italian volcanologist, has lived in Goma for several years and knows the imposing peaks almost by heart. He looked quite at home in the hostile environment 25 kilometres (15 miles) north of the city. The lava crust crumbled under his feet as he stepped out alone amid the sulphur fumes and fog around Nyamuragira's almost 3,500-metre (11,500 foot) peak. Tedesco unfolded a drone helipad resembling a toy, a square of blue plastic one metre across marked with a large H. With the drone's-eye-view he could observe the lava spurts and better understand what was going on in the bowels of the beast by studying the fiery activity. Images of the lava flows captured by a drone can help understand the volcano's processes. By ALEXIS HUGUET (AFP) As he worked, three landslides in the internal walls of the crater in the space of an hour broke the silence with long, deep rumbles, making the intruders shiver. It was time to return to the real world on the shore of Lake Kivu, but not before a closer look from the air at the summit of Nyiragongo, inaccessible on foot because of the intense activity in the crater. Even its outline was impossible to make out, shrouded in clouds and a huge column of ash rising high into the sky as the sunset shaded from purple through orange and red. Nyamuragira is not far from Nyiragongo (in the background), which erupted on May 22. By ALEXIS HUGUET (AFP) On the short return flight, the huge villas of wealthy Congolese, the guesthouses of international NGOs and luxury restaurants were visible studding the shores of Lake Kivu. Just a tiny distance away is the volcano -- almost another planet. The Government of Ghana with support from its donor partners has inaugurated a new Secretariat for the Sector Skills Bodies to boost the implementation of Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) strategies in the country; a move which aims to guarantee a demand-driven and robust labour market skills intelligence system for Ghanas socio-economic development. The new secretariat was constructed by GIZ Ghana through the Ghana Skills Development Initiative (GSDI III) Project, with funding support from the European Union (EU) and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) to enhance the operations of the Sector Skill Bodies in the country. The Sector Skill Bodies are national partnership organizations which encompass all the stakeholders such as industry, labour and training providers with the common purpose of developing strong, efficient and effective workforce for the industrial sector. The Bodies also aim to identify the future skills needs of the various industries and to develop national occupational standards and apprenticeship frameworks that would reduce skills gaps and shortages among others. Speaking at the official inauguration of the Secretariat in Accra, the Minister for Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum commended the Commission for TVET and its development partners, especially the German Government for the support towards the Development of TVET in Ghana. He said that in order to reduce unemployment and improve the standard of education in the country, it is imperative to incorporate the needs of the private sector players in the decision-making processes. The Country Director of GIZ Ghana, Regina Barbosa stated that the German Development Cooperation is convinced that with demand driven training provided to job-seeking youth, the labour market will be filled with more competent and qualified persons as employees or service providers. It is for this reason that the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation, she noted, has committed about 27 Million Euros towards the implementation of the Programme for Sustainable Economic Development (PSED), with TVET being an integral part of the Programme. This funding support has led to the extension of the Ghana Skills Development Initiative (GSDI) to October 2022. Regina Barbosa therefore admonished members of the Sector Skills Bodies to use the facility judiciously to ensure that the aims and objectives for its establishment are fully realized. The Team Leader for Trade and Macro-economic Delegation of the EU in Ghana, Mr. Timothy Dolan disclosed that during the last financial framework 2014-2020, the European Commission committed nearly 2 billion euros to Africa in the form of bilateral education and Vocational Education and Training (VET) programmes. We confirm that VET support will be pivotal also in our financial framework 2021-2027 and our new Multi Annual Indicative Programme for Ghana will most certainly include specific activities on skills development, Mr. Dolan said. On his part, the Swiss Ambassador to Ghana, His Excellency Mr. Philipp Stalder assured that Switzerland will continue to support Ghana to become a resilient and self-dependent country. Through our cooperation activities, we want to promote attractive framework conditions for sustainable growth and thus the creation of decent income opportunities for the population. According to him, the development of skills for employment and entrepreneurship will continue to be on their agenda, and are looking forward to discussing with their partners how they could expand and deliver greater impacts from the ongoing works in the skills sector. The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, says critiques preferred by citizens and officialdom on the work done undertaking by the media can in no way be described as an attack on media freedom. Speaking at the African Journalists Leaders Conference on Tuesday, 1st June 2021, President Akufo-Addo indicated that when journalists are physically attacked or prevented from doing their work, no matter where in the world it takes place, that is an attack on media freedom, and must be roundly condemned by all. However, according to the President, there seems to be an emerging narrative, which is being proffered by some in Ghana, that critiquing the work of a journalist constitutes an attack on media freedom. That certainly cannot be described as an attack on media freedom. He continued, Having the freedom to criticise and oppose should also mean that the media is ready to accept and work with criticisms of its work by the citizenry or officialdom. That, for me, is one of the surest ways of improving the public discourse of our respective countries, and we should all strive towards realising this. The President also urged the Journalists Leaders Conference to use the event to address the phenomena of misinformation campaigns and fake news, which, sometimes, unfortunately, are propagated by some in the media. The tendency to report on only one side of a story, and pass judgment on it, without wanting to learn or give a fair amount of reportage to the other side, stifles the truth. The media should only be concerned about reporting the facts, and should not lend themselves to being bought or being used to destroy the reputations of others, he added. With the media possessing immeasurable power, the President appealed to them to ensure that they do not sacrifice the integrity and the future of society on the altar of an instant scoop or ill-considered publication. The Rwanda genocide in 1994, he said, presents probably the best example of the calamity that can befall a country when the media is oblivious of, or chooses to ignore this particular sacred role. In Rwanda, a radio station became a catalyst for fuelling the genocidal atrocities in which eight hundred thousand (800,000) people were, tragically, slaughtered. Although the country has picked itself up under the strong leadership of President Paul Kagame, there is no doubt that many Rwandans continue to suffer from the trauma, he added. African journalists and media organisations, the President stressed, must not, and cannot take the national cohesion of their countries and their stability for granted. As was proven in Rwanda, all it takes is for a radio station to broadcast a few provocative and ethnocentric catch-phrases to alter completely the course of a nations history, he noted. President Akufo-Addo assured the Conference of his commitment to empowering the citizen, media and civil society, so all can play their part in realising the vision of building a progressive and prosperous Ghana. As President of Ghana, I assure you that the Ghanaian people will continue to exercise their right to free expression to the very end, because of their determination to build a free, open society with accountable governance, no matter the cost, he added. The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has commended the media for its role in the coordinated fight against the coronavirus pandemic across the continent. According to President Akufo-Addo, we have recently had a good example of how the media can be a force for good, and that was manifested in how we have been dealing with COVID-19. Without a lively press that worked hand-in-hand to deliver not only the news about the outbreak of COVID-19, but also to communicate the strategies and public health messages that had been put in place around the continent, the President added that Ghana, and, indeed, Africa, would be telling a different story today. Journalists did and continue to do a yeomans job in the public education of the citizenry about COVID-19 and vaccination efforts across the continent. Journalists, in this instance, were, and are partners, to governments across the continent, and, through this joint effort, have helped save the lives of hundreds of thousands, if not millions of African citizens. I pay homage to the efforts of journalists, he added. President Akufo-Addo made this known on Tuesday, 1st June 2021, when he delivered the keynote address at the Africa Journalists Leadership Conference, organised by the Federation of African Journalists, at the Alisa Hotel, in Accra. With the diversity and free flow of news and information being fundamental to the healthy workings of any democracy, the President thanked journalists in Africa for keeping our governments accountable. It is the media, above all, that has encouraged our people to become more and more discerning, vocal, and questioning as a civic public. In addition to this, the President outlined three other matters of continental and national significance, for which he appealed for the committed partnership of governments and the media. These, he said, are the fight against terrorism and violent extremism, the fight against Climate Change, including the preservation of the integrity of our environment and the sanctity of water bodies; and the fight against the illicit flow of funds from Africa. These are all menaces to the health, progress and stability of our nations and continent. We should stand shoulder to shoulder in ridding our continent and nations of them, he added. The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, says a vibrant and unfettered media is the most effective way to hold Government and society to the highest standards of honesty, self-discipline and delivery. According to President Akufo-Addo, a historic victory was won in the struggle of the Ghanaian people for liberty and, especially, for freedom of expression by the repeal of the Criminal Libel Law, which brought to an end more than a century-old regime of colonial laws repressive of free expression. I am proud of the modest role I played in the process of the repeal of the Criminal Libel Law. As the Attorney-General, who piloted the repeal through Parliament, I was also responsible for the discontinuation of the then pending prosecutions, under the Criminal Libel Law, of notable Ghanaian journalists Tommy Thompson, Kofi Coomson and Eben Quarcoo for publications against personalities of the then government, the President said. He noted that the repeal of the Criminal Libel Law has had a very positive impact on the development of the Ghanaian media, freeing it from unnecessary self-censorship, and promoting a robust and critical media culture. In the process, (the repeal of the Criminal Libel Law) has contributed to the growth of a vibrant media that has won Ghana the reputation of having one of the most media friendly and liberal climates on the continent. It has also contributed significantly to the deepening of democracy in our country, enhancing public accountability as a strategic goal of public policy, President Akufo-Addo said. President Akufo-Addo made this known on Tuesday, 1st June 2021, when he delivered the keynote address at the Africa Journalists Leadership Conference, organised by the Federation of African Journalists, at the Alisa Hotel, in Accra. As President of the Republic, the President told the gathering that he has seen to the passage of the Right to Information Act, which is meant to give effect to Article 21(1)(f) of the Constitution of the Republic. The culmination of all of these, he said, have meant that the Ghanaian citizen, through the presence of a dynamic media, is able to give boldly and freely his or her feedback on policies and programmes of government. Civil society groups, President Akufo-Addo added, are able to interrogate fearlessly government actions and positions, compare them to global best practices, and offer views and critiques aimed at complementing the efforts of government; and the political opposition is able to raise dissent openly, canvass for alternate view points, and, by so doing, offer our citizens alternatives to consider on all key issues of our national discourse. Even as one of the public figures most persistently vilified in sections of the Ghanaian media, who, ironically, was a principal actor in the repeal of the law, I continue to insist that its repeal was necessary in the public interest in our emerging democracy. I maintain that I prefer a boisterous, reckless media, to a supine one, he added. The Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability (ASEPA) has threatened to go to court if Deputy Attorney General (AG), Mr. George Winful is appointed as the Director of Revenue Policy Division at the Ministry of Finance. According to the Anti-Corruption and Civil Advocacy Group, it has intercepted a memo from the Ministry of Finance signed by its Chief Director, Mr. Patrick Nomo, communicating the appointment of the current Deputy Auditor General, Mr. George Winful on Secondment to the Ministry of Finance as the Director of Revenue Policy Division. While kicking against the yet to be announced appointment, ASEPA says it will be in breach of Article 284 of the 1992 Constitution if it is later confirmed. We believe this appointment is extremely malicious and flys in the face of Article 284 of the 1992 Constitution which enjoins public officers to avoid putting themselves in a conflict of interest situations in the performance of their functions, part of a statement from ASEPA reads. The statement signed by Executive Director Mensah Thompson adds, We are therefore calling for the immediate revocation of this appointment, Mr. George Winful must choose between his position as the Deputy AG or resign and work in the Finance Ministry but he cannot keep both positions under the pretext of Secondment. ASEPA assists that if the right thing is not done, it will proceed to Court to enforce the explicit provisions of Article 284. Below is the statement from ASEPA: ASEPA KICKS AGAINST THE APPOINTMENT OF DEPUTY AUDITOR GENERAL ON SECONDMENT TO THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE ASEPA has intercepted a memo from the Ministry of Finance signed by its Chief Director, Mr. Patrick Nomo, communicating the appointment of the current Deputy Auditor General, Mr. George Winful on Secondment to the Ministry of Finance as the Director of Revenue Policy Division. We believe this appointment is extremely malicious and flys in the face of Article 284 of the 1992 Constitution which enjoins public officers to avoid putting themselves in a conflict of interest situations in the performance of their functions. How can the Finance Ministry, conceive such a capricious idea that can not only undermine the independence of the Audit Service and the office of the Auditor General but also compromise the office in the performance of its audit functions. How can a Deputy AG work as the Director of Revenue Policy Division when the work of the same unit will in the end will be subjected to an audit by the office of the Auditor General? We are therefore calling for the immediate revocation of this appointment, Mr. George Winful must choose between his position as the Deputy AG or resign and work in the Finance Ministry but he cannot keep both positions under the pretext of Secondment. Failure to do so, means ASEPA will proceed to Court to enforce the explicit provisions of Article 284. ASEPA is particularly worried about the constant actions of the Government that seem to be weakening all independent offices of State especially the offices of accountability. These are some of the actions that lay credence to the notion of culture of silence widely spoken about and fiercely rejected by the President, but I tell you what, if you appoint a Deputy AG on secondment to the Ministry of Finance, and conflict him in a manner where cannot independently perform his functions as an auditor, its also culture of silence!! Mensah Thompson Executive Director, ASEPA 0542120628 Listen to article Joint NPP youth groups of Northern Ghana have expressed their profound gratitude and appreciation to the President of Ghana, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo for setting up the Nana Adjei Mensah Committee to review and restructure the Northern Development Authority. The youth have hailed His Excellency the President for this singular honour and this have shown that the President is a listening President. It means he has his ears on the ground and have listened to the cry of the people of Northern Ghana over the issues at Northern Development Authority. The setting up of the Committee had become necessary following the failure of the Acting CEO, Dr Boniface Agambila and the Board led by Hakeem Wemah to restructure NDA. Their preliminary report sent to the Jubilee House after one month of work was abysmal and disappointing to say the least. They requested for a one month extension of work but His Excellency the President in his wisdom denied the request and sets up a committee to take a holistic look at the issues of the Authority. Upon the arrival of the committee and commencement of work till today, information available to the youth suggest that the staff of NDA both at the Northern and Upper Regions have expressed their excitement over the professional conduct of the committee led by Nana Adjei Mensah. The committee have engaged with the staff, management and board of the Authority and have given all of them a fair hearing. The staff of the authority have spoken about the high level of competence and impartiality of the work of the committee. There is no doubt that the committee would discharge their mandate creditably and we can only wish them well. The NPP youth of Northern Ghana wants to specially thank His Excellency the President for his wisdom and candour in setting up the committee. We want to assure His Excellency the President and the Nana Adjei Mensah led committee that we the youth of Northern Ghana are solidly behind them and we encourage the committee to continue with the good work. It's however instructive to note that the recommendations of the Nana Adjei Mensah committee must produce a new board with fresh minds and conduct to drive the mandate of the authority. The current board led by Hakeem Wemah has outlived its usefulness as they could not boast of a single policy to management aimed at improving the work of the authority throughout their four(4) years tenure as Board of the authority, this is the case of a dormant board with no clear understanding of their role at the authority. This explains why after failing to live up to their mandate wants to turn themselves to managers in direct opposite of the role of a board. After all these mess caused by the board and the Acting CEO they still want to cling onto NDA as Jubilee House directs them to handover latest by June 15. It's the wish of all well-meaning Ghanaians especially we those of Ghana's North that the recommendations of the Nana Adjei Mensah committee would be followed and implemented through by His Excellency the President, this would help position the authority as a silver-lining institution for growth and prosperity for the catchment areas of Northern Development Authority. The youth of Northern Ghana believes in the kind heart of His Excellency the President how well he means for the good people of the North and would do all humanly possible to prioritize their growth and prosperity over personalities. In view of this, we hope that the next CEO of the authority would be someone who would continue to protect the interest of His Excellency the President and government and the interest of the good people of Northern Ghana. By: SALIFU HARUNA Email: [email protected] 0247620454 Below are the NPP youth groups of Northern Ghana 1. Dedicated Youth Chairman Mohammed Abdul Manan 0243888133 Secretary Tahiru Fatihi 0246733367 2. Future Leaders Chairman Adam Abdul Mu-inn 0547749016 Secretary Abdullai Abdul Ganiu 0265874149 3. Citizens Chairman Alhassan Abdul Rauf 0503724939 Secretary Bawah Abdul Rahim 0241099217 4. Vision Two Chairman Mohammed Awwal 0249044032 Secretary Abdallah Yahaya 0269919999 5. Progressive Chairman Ismailia Mohammed 0244860171 Secretary Iddirisu Abdullai 0243855370 6. Patriotic Friends Chairmen Alidu Baba Secretary Issahaku Atik 0245189765 7. Future patriots Chairman Sulemana lukman 0247744151 Secretary Mansuru Mohammed Kabiru 0208283055 8. Concern Youth Groups Chairman Dawuda Iliasu Gbane 0249721065 Secretary Naparo Achilo Clifford 0540446001 PRESIDENT Mnangagwa yesterday said doctors and nurses in the country deserve the highest quality working conditions and support, hence Governments swift move to rehabilitate doctors quarters that were razed by fire at Mpilo Central Hospital last Wednesday. Doctors had to escape via a single window as the raging fire consumed their quarters, resulting in the loss of property worth US$500 000. The doctors lost most of the valuables including identity and professional documents as they could not salvage anything due to the intensity of the fire. Government has made a quick response to bring relief to the affected with technical teams being deployed to start rehabilitation works on the ground. Posting on his Twitter account yesterday, President Mnangagwa said: Today my Government has committed $287 million towards new infrastructure at Mpilo Central Hospital, to replace lost facilities in last weeks fire. Doctors and nurses across Zimbabwe deserve the highest quality working conditions and support. Meanwhile, Cabinet noted that doctors who were affected by the fire incident have been accommodated at hotels as Government takes care of their needs. Briefing the media during a post-Cabinet meeting, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said affected doctors have been provided with national identity documents. The affected staff have so far been provided with accommodation, clothing, toiletries and food since the disaster occurred. Birth certificates and identity cards have been issued to all those in hotel accommodation and passports will be issued at the Registry Office. The Ministry of Finance and Economic Development has pledged $287 million for the construction of single quarters and separate canteens for nurses and doctors as well as married quarters, said Minister Mutsvangwa. She said a special taskforce is already on the ground working towards reconstruction of the Doctors Residence. Minister Mutsvangwa said it was worrying that the hospital has recorded a second fire incident within the last three years. On another note, Minister Mutsvangwa said Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga, who is also the Minister of Health and Child Care, briefed Cabinet about concerns over non-adherence to Covid-19 burial procedures in Matabeleland South. It has been observed that some provinces such as Matabeleland South are not adhering to Covid-19 regulations at funerals, resulting in unnecessary discord between Environmental Health Workers and the local leadership regarding issues of opening of coffins and body viewing. The procedures to be followed in the repatriation of bodies from outside the country and at funerals can be obtained from the Ministry of Health and Child Care, said Minister Mutsvangwa. She urged members of the public to utilise the Zim-Covid Safe Interactive App as it provides the citizens with information on Covid-19 related matters. Minister Mutsvangwa said the application provides information about Covid-19 testing centres as well as vaccination venues. Chronicle The mortal remains of some of the victims of German atrocities in Namibia that Germany handed over in 2018. - Source: Adam Berry/Getty Images) Listen to article The recent joint declaration of the Namibian and German governments on dealing with the 1904-08 genocide marks the first time a former colonial power has officially offered an apology to another country for state sponsored mass crimes . The agreement stipulates that Germany will pay 1.1bn for development projects in Namibia over the next 30 years. Some pundits consider the accord a potential template for efforts towards post-colonial reconciliation for other former colonies and colonial powers . We recognise that this is the first time that a former colonial power has admitted an historical injustice on a state-to-state level. But the negotiated compromise displays glaring shortcomings in being overly cautious to avoid any legal implications for Germany that may create a precedent. It also shows that the limited participation of representatives from the Namibian communities most affected by the genocide is hampering true reconciliation. In our view bilateral agreements between governments like this one fall short of a true decolonisation of relations between people. The history The agreement is the result of protracted negotiations between Germany and Namibia. It builds on former pronouncements, such as the 2004 speech by the German Minister for Economic Cooperation, Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul, at the centennial of the battle at the Waterberg , which marked the beginning of the genocide. She acknowledged that what had happened was a war of extermination today called genocide before asking: forgive our trespasses and our guilt. More than a decade later, in mid-2015, the German Foreign Ministry conceded that the warfare in 1904-1908 was tantamount to genocide . At the end of that year, bilateral negotiations between the two governments were initiated. But these kept on hitting stumbling blocks . Wary of possible far-reaching legal obligations, Germany wanted to negotiate the format of its apology to Namibia. It was also reluctant to use the term genocide. It has always refused to accept the term reparations. A few years earlier, in 2011 , some initial progress had been made in addressing the colonial atrocities with the first return of human remains from Berlin to Namibia of the victims of the genocide. The skulls and other human body parts had been taken to colonial Germany for anthropological anatomical studies that later contributed towards Nazi race science . Subsequently, many more opportunities for meaningful reconciliation were missed . The fear of potential legal implications of any agreement, and the precedent that might create for Germany and other former colonial powers , loom large. They fear opening the door for reparations. From a German perspective, this also includes pending claims by Greece, Italy and Poland for compensation for mass atrocities committed by German soldiers from World War II . The recent compromise negotiated by Germany and Namibia avoids such a trap for Germany and other former colonial powers. Too little, too late Germany's commitment of 1.1bn for development projects in Namibia is too cheap a price to pay for remorse. Compared with the lasting human costs and material damage created in Namibia, this amounts to tokenism. As Ovaherero paramount chief Vekuii Rukoro has said, it adds insult to injury . The annual payment over the next 30 years amounts to about 37 million, just about N$618 million at current exchange rates. Namibia's national budget for 2021/22 is N$67.9 billion . For the Namibian government, such money is a tempting carrot. After all, the country's economy is in a deep recession . COVID-19 has added to the fiscal crisis . Thus, such a financial injection would come in handy, especially at a time of eroding trust in government . The money is earmarked for land reform and development, rural infrastructure, energy and water supply as well as education. Germany's President Frank-Walter Steinmeier is expected to visit Namibia to ask for an apology in the National Assembly. But such an official policy level engagement cannot replace a direct exchange with the descendants of the most affected communities, who have threatened to welcome the German president with a protest . Recognition without compensation After the negotiations were concluded, the German Foreign Ministry issued an official statement . It stressed that the recognition of genocide did not imply any legal claims for compensation. Instead, the substantial programme for reconstruction and development was declared as a gesture of recognition for the wrongdoings by Germany. One wonders if gestures are indeed an adequate form of recognition. Given the dimensions of the crimes committed then, more empathy would be an important signal. Such formal language can be very humiliating and hurtful. Reconciliation needs more than material compensation. The devastating demographic and socio-economic consequences of genocide can never be compensated. Significantly improving the well-being of the descendants of the victims would be an important material aspect. This requires more than the payments offered. So is an adequate expression of remorse in recognition of the historical injustice. The joint declaration states that The Namibian Government and people accept Germany's apology and believe that it paves the way to a lasting mutual understanding and the consolidation of a special relationship between the two nations. Without consultation and legitimacy, the two governments here declare what the Namibian people are supposed to accept. Notably, even the representatives of three Ovaherero Royal Houses participating in the final round of negotiations indicated on their return home that they would not endorse the suggested agreement . What true reconciliation requires Through a long and halting process, Germany has ultimately made significant progress in facing up to the atrocities of the Holocaust of European Jews during World War II. Its remembrance is now claimed as part of the Germany's DNA. The Holocaust memorial in central Berlin does that for Jewish victims. And Germany has reached a measure of reconciliation with neighbouring France, and to a lesser extent with Poland for its crimes during the war. Germany's colonial atrocities should also enter public memory. Public commemoration of the victims of numerous crimes committed under German colonialism, such as those in Namibia, is long overdue. If there is a lesson to be learnt from these actions, it is that bilateral agreements between governments cannot replace reconciliation between the people of the two countries concerned. The descendents of the victims on the Namibian genocide are traceable, but what about the perpetrators? As the Namibian activist and author Jephta U Nguherimo has stated , President Steinmeier should deliver his apology to the Bundestag for the German people to understand and learn about their untold genocide. So far, this vital perspective is totally missing. A compromise, but not yet a solution The German-Namibian agreement is the limited result of a compromise reached through flawed government negotiations. Still, this is a widely acknowledged pioneering step. From a German perspective, the admission of guilt with the consequences attached is one step towards breaking continued colonial amnesia . This could ultimately foster long overdue awareness of Germany's colonial past. It can promote unreserved recognition that Germans occupied foreign territories and subjugated people, creating lasting damage. But even this would contribute little towards healing festering wounds in Namibia. Decolonisation and reconciliation must become a shared process between people. Governments can help to facilitate such a process. They can never supplant it. Henning Melber joined in 1974 SWAPO as the anti colonial movement in Namibia and is a member since then. Reinhart Kossler does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. By Reinhart Kossler, Professor in Political Science, University of Freiburg And Henning Melber, Extraordinary Professor, Department of Political Sciences, University of Pretoria Like most countries in West Africa, Nigeria's coastal waters contain diverse species of fish, which contribute to the food and economic security of its people . Small-scale fishing operations contribute 80% of locally produced fish and support the livelihoods of 24 million Nigerians. Seventy three percent of those involved in fisheries in Nigeria are women. The overall GDP contribution from fishing small scale and industrial was 0.84% in 2019 and 1.09% in 2020 . The fisheries sector is therefore a route to socioeconomic development in Nigeria. But it also faces threats. One of these is environmental pollution , primarily from the oil industry. Pollution degrades the maritime environment, destroys fish stocks and reduces the catch. Another threat is illegal fishing, as our previous research has found. Our current research continues to explore how women, in particular, are affected by and responding to these threats. The first step is to understand the scale and complexity of illegal fishing and associated crime, and why it is happening. Scale and costs Recently, the Nigerian House of Representatives noted that the country loses $70 million each year to illegal fishing. This includes loss of licence fees, revenue from taxation and the value that could have been accrued from legitimate fishing by local vessels. Other sources estimate the cost of illegal fishing in Nigeria as much higher, citing anywhere between $600 million and $800 million each year. The variation in these figures reveals the difficulties in calculating the costs of clandestine activity. It's also a result of budgetary neglect of the Nigerian Federal Fisheries Department. The department lacks the capacity to monitor, survey and control vessels operating in Nigeria. Vessels from China, the European Union , and Belize are notable for illegally exploiting Nigerian waters. Despite varying estimates, all sources agree that the economic losses caused by illegal fishing in Nigeria are high. But the figures alone paint a superficial picture of the true costs of illegal fishing. Illegal fishing does not occur in isolation. Fisheries crime Fisheries crime denotes a vast and diverse category of illegality and criminality that aids or accompanies illegal fishing. Such crimes can include corruption, customs fraud, human and drugs trafficking and piracy. Illegal fishing and fisheries crime also threaten human rights . Our previous research found that illegal fishing was undermining people's livelihoods. The lack of government support to address illegal fishing and protect livelihoods within fishing communities further pushes people into poverty. This makes them vulnerable to criminal networks . Fisherfolks may end up participating in , and being victimised by, fisheries crime as a result. This is evidenced in increasing criminality through rising incidents of piracy and armed robbery at sea throughout Nigeria's coastal communities. Maritime insecurity also has a gender dimension. Women in West African fisheries face unique challenges and risks such as poor access to capital, growing competition for access to depleting fish stocks, and policy exclusion. Neglect and poor regulations Despite the important contribution that fishing makes to the livelihoods of Nigerians, government neglects this sector. This is evident in the marginal budgetary allocation the sector receives yearly. The Monitoring, Control and Surveillance Department of Nigeria's Federal Fisheries Department is critical to managing Nigeria's fisheries. Yet no budgetary allocation has been made to it in the last 15 years. The Monitoring, Control and Surveillance Department lacks patrol vessels, and is therefore unable to monitor the activities of vessels operating in Nigeria. In 2017, the government announced plans to purchase patrol vessels, but it hasn't done so yet. The sector doesn't receive enough funding to function effectively. Nigeria's Fisheries Department operates within the country's Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, which was allocated less than 2% of the national budget in 2019. Existing fisheries regulation is also inadequate. Nigeria's fisheries are governed by the Sea Fisheries Act of 1992 . These regulations are outdated and ill-equipped to address the current scale and severity of growing fisheries crime. For example, in June 2020, a vessel, Hai Lu Feng 11, was fined 3 million (under $7,300) for switching off its Vessel Monitoring System while in Nigeria's Exclusive Economic Zone . The Vessel Monitoring System is designed to provide estimates of fishing activity in near real time. Switching the system off suggests an intent to evade detection by the authorities. But this fine is tiny when considering the millions of dollars that illegal fishing costs the Nigerian economy each year. Solutions to illegal fishing Solving the problem of illegal fishing in Nigeria requires that the Federal Department of Fisheries is supported to operate effectively. As the agency charged to ensure the sustainable exploitation of Nigeria's fisheries, it must be adequately funded. Current fisheries regulations must also be updated to reflect the current realities and impacts of fisheries crime. A holistic and collaborative approach is critical to addressing fisheries crime. A national maritime security strategy is needed to guide and facilitate inter-agency and regional cooperation. The strategy should include the establishment of an information-sharing platform. The capture of the pirates that targeted Hai Lu Feng 11 vessel by the Nigeria navy was supported by the Fisheries Committee for the West Central Gulf of Guinea . This was through the regional online communications platform established under the West Africa Task Force . This shows that cooperation between fisheries agencies and other maritime enforcement agencies is critical to stemming the tide of illegal fishing and other crime at sea. Ifesinachi Okafor-Yarwood receives funding from the Scottish Funding Council. Sayra van den Berg Bhagwandas receives funding from the Scottish Funding Council. By Ifesinachi Okafor-Yarwood, Lecturer, University of St Andrews And Sayra van den Berg Bhagwandas, Postdoctoral researcher, University of St Andrews Supporters of former Ivorian president Laurent Gbagbo are seeking to allay misgivings over his expected return, insisting his homecoming a decade after civil war will heal divisions, not deepen them. On Monday, his Ivorian Popular Front (FPI) party announced -- on Gbagbo's 76th birthday -- that he would return on June 17 after the International Criminal Court acquitted him of crimes against humanity. The Ivorian authorities have officially said they will welcome Gbagbo's return but on Tuesday neither confirmed nor denied the date given by the FPI. Speculation about Gbagbo's return has dominated domestic politics for months. For some, memories have been revived of a conflict that claimed around 3,000 lives and created a deep rift in the world's biggest cocoa producer. For an association of civil war victims, the CVCI, Gbagbo is a "criminal who should be handed over to prosecutors". But the pro-Gbagbo camp is pitching the message that, as an elder statesman, he can soothe political waters that reached storm proportions last year. Gbagbo's return will be the start of a "new phase", said FPI secretary-general Assoa Adou -- "an important phase for the future of Ivory Coast, the phase of reconciliation, peace, the reconstruction of our country". Gbagbo's influential son-in-law, Stephane Kipre, quoted by the pro-Gbagbo Ivorian daily Le Temps, said: "He is not coming back with a spirit of revenge, but for reconciliation. May no one be afraid." President Alassane Ouattara defeated Gbagbo at the polls in 2010 and then in combat, after a conflict that left the country divided along north-south lines. After the war ended, Gbagbo was hauled off to The Hague to face charges related to the bloody conflict. He became the first head of state to stand trial at the court, in the dock alongside his former right-hand man, Charles Ble Goude, who was also acquitted. Despite his years in jail, and subsequent stay in Brussels to await the outcome of an appeal against his 2019 acquittal, support for Gbagbo at home has not waned. Election tensions The historian's role as a potential elder statesman came to the fore last year, when Ouattara declared a bid for a third term in office in last October's elections. Critics saw this is as a naked attempt to circumvent constitutional limits. Injured men wait to receive help at the hospital in M'Batto after ethnic violence broke out following the October 31 elections. By Issouf SANOGO (AFP) Violence claimed 87 lives and left hundreds of wounded. Ouattara won a landslide victory, but it was a hollow and deeply contested one, for nearly all the major opposition candidates boycotted the poll. In the election's aftermath, seeking to ease the tension, Ouattara sketched a way back for Gbagbo. He issued him with a diplomatic passport as well as an ordinary passport, and in April declared that both he and Ble Goude were "free to return to Ivory Coast when they want." Gbagbo officially still faces a 20-year jail term in Ivory Coast, after he was convicted in absentia in 2019 for the "looting" of the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) during the 2010-11 conflict. Ivory Coast. By Laurence SAUBADU (AFP) This sentence, says the CVCI, should be applied if he returns. Ouattara, in April, did not mention this conviction, although government spokesman Amadou Coulibaly indicated that it would be scrapped. Another potential problem is the tenor of Gbagbo's return. His backers want a big splash -- a triumphant homecoming -- but the government is in favour of something with a lower profile, to avoid potential unrest if tens of thousands of his supporters turn out. Listen to article The Tema Police are investigating a case involving a 21-year old woman who allegedly stabbed his 70-year old father, lshmael Nyarkoh to death at BBC, a suburb of Community 2 in Tema. The culprit, Daniella Nyarkoh reportedly stabbed his fathers throat, head and stomach with a kitchen knife, bleeding profusely to death. Information available to DGN Online indicates that the suspect is an SHS graduate and lives with her parents and siblings in a single room. On May 29, 2021, the suspect was sent to a prayer camp at Tema Newtown after her parents detected she was exhibiting strange behaviour. However, the family was advised to send the suspect to a psychiatric hospital for mental examination. The suspect on the subsequent day, May 30, 2021 at about 5:15 am, started behaving abnormally and suddenly rushed to the store room to pick two knives to stab her father to death in bed without any provocation. Meanwhile, the Crime Scene Management Team from the Tema Regional Police Command visited the scene and found a lifeless body of the deceased lying in a prone position in a pool of blood. The police detected multiple fresh wounds on the head and the throat of the deceased upon inspection of the body. Two kitchen knives were also retrieved from the crime scene to assist with investigation. The residents explained that for the past one week, the suspect started behaving strangely in the house. Meanwhile, body of the deceased has been conveyed to the Tema General Hospital mortuary for preservation awaiting autopsy. ---DGN online A Spanish judge on Tuesday declined to order that the leader of Western Sahara's movement, who is under investigation in Spain for torture and genocide, be taken into custody. Brahim Ghali, who heads the Algeria-backed Polisario Front, denied the allegations against him as he testified by video conference from a hospital in northern Spain where he is recovering from a severe case of Covid-19. Spain says he was allowed into the country in April for treatment as a humanitarian gesture but the move has angered Morocco, triggering a major diplomatic spat between Rabat and Madrid. Ghali is facing two investigations in Spain following accusations of genocide, murder, torture and disappearances made against him by a Sahrawi activist and a Spain-based Western Sahara rights group. During the closed-door hearing at the National Court in Madrid, the judge turned down a request from the complainants for Ghali to be taken into custody and turn over his passport, saying he posed no flight risk. Ghali, who is also the president of the Sahrawi Democratic Arab Republic, a self-declared state since 1976, was only asked to provide an address and a telephone number in Spain where he could be reached. The decision means there is nothing to stop Ghali from leaving Spain, a scenario feared by Rabat and the complainants who want him to face trial in the country. After he completes his investigation, the judge will decide whether to dismiss the lawsuits against Ghali or charge the Polisario leader. Spanish government spokeswoman Maria Jesus Montero said Ghali could "return to his country of origin, where he came from" once he recovers his health. Algerian plane returns Spanish online newspaper El Confidencial reported that an Algerian government plane had departed on Tuesday morning for Logrono to pick up Ghali but then turned backed. A "state" jet flying from Algeria to the Spanish city of Logrono where Ghali is hospitalised turned back on instructions from the Spanish military, a spokesman for civil air authority Enaire told AFP. But Montero said she had "no knowledge of any flight which was sent back or stopped." Citing diplomatic sources, Spain's El Pais newspaper said Ghali was "critically ill" when he arrived on a medicalised Algerian government plane on April 18, bearing a diplomatic passport. It said he was admitted to the hospital under a false name for "security reasons". Rabat, which considers Ghali to be a "war criminal", has demanded a "transparent investigation" into Ghali's arrival in Spain with what it said was a forged passport. His Algeria-backed Polisario Front has long fought for the independence of Western Sahara, a desert region bigger than Britain which was a Spanish colony until 1975. Morocco controls 80 percent of the territory, while the rest -- an area bordering Mauritania that is almost totally landlocked -- is run by the Polisario Front. 'Totally false' One of the lawsuits relates to allegations of torture at Sahrawi refugee camps in Tindouf, a town in western Algeria. The accusations were made in 2020 by Sahrawi activist Fadel Breika, who also holds Spanish nationality. While a Spanish court initially rejected the complaint, it agreed to reopen the case earlier this year. "The tortures are confirmed by thousands of witnesses," said Breika's lawyer, Maria Jose Malagon Ruiz del Valle. The second investigation relates to allegations of genocide, murder, terrorism, torture and disappearances made in 2007 by the Sahrawi Association for the Defence of Human Rights (ASADEDH) which is based in Spain. Ghali's lawyer, Manuel Olle, said the accusations against his client "are totally false" and are "politically motivated to target the credibility of the Sahrawi people". He also suggested that Rabat was behind the lawsuits against Ghali in Spain. A UN-backed referendum on self-determination has been repeatedly postponed. By RYAD KRAMDI (AFP) The UN refers to Western Sahara as a "non-self-governing territory". After 16 years of war, Rabat and the Polisario signed a ceasefire in 1991, but a UN-backed referendum on self-determination has been repeatedly postponed. Morocco is willing to offer it within Morocco but not independence. Listen to article The opposition NDC in the Savannah Region threatened to pull out its cooperation over alleged political victimization of qualified Population and Housing Census recruits believed to be members of the NDC. The party also alleged that thugs believed to be associated with the ruling party (NPP) invaded some training centers, ransacked the premises and brought to a halt the ongoing training. It added that the alleged thugs demanded of having all persons believed to be affiliated to the NDC expelled from the list before allowing for its continuation. These acts, according to the NDC, were reported from the North East Gonja District, North Gonja, West Gonja Municipal among others. Malik Basintale, the Regional Communication Officer in a statement noted that 102 names of qualified persons mysteriously evicted from the list after being shortlisted for training. Below is the press release signed by the communication officer of the party Malik Basintale: DESIST FROM THE POLITICAL VICTIMISATION OF QUALIFIED POPULATION AND HOUSING CENSUS(PHC) RECRUITS OR WE WITHDRAW FROM COOPERATION. The NDC- Savannah region has received numerous calls from well-meaning indigenes of the various districts, bringing to our notice the extreme partisan recruitment of the population and housing census staff by the Ghana statistical service for the upcoming 2021 population census. The party's attention has also been brought to the invasion of some training centers by thugs belonging to the New Patriotic Party(NPP), ransacking the premises and bringing to a halt the ongoing training with the demand of having all persons believed to be affiliated to the NDC, any other party or a particular ethnic group expunged from the list before allowing for it's continuation. These acts have so far been reported from the North East Gonja District, North Gonja District, West Gonja Municipal among others, having over 102 names of qualified persons mysteriously evicted from the list after being shortlisted for training. The expulsion of these names were done after some NPP thugs in these districts resisted and asked they were replaced with names of their party foot soldiers. This appears very mind-boggling as the PHC exercise was meant to be of national interest devoid of political and partisan infiltrations. It therefore comes to us, as a shock that the Akufo-Addo led government intends politicising everything including a national discourse of this sort. This out rightly confirms rumours of an intended sabotage of our district and constituency numbers so as to deny us the creation of new constituencies before the next election. It has also been noticed that the various aspiring Municipal and District chief executives have taken this recruitment exercise as one to win the favor of their party footsoldiers thereby ensuring the recruitment of only persons loyal to their course. We are calling on the Gorvenment, the Ghana statistical service and all stakeholders to as a matter of urgency reinstate all qualified persons victimised by virtue of assumed political affiliation, ethnicity or any other bizarre factor. Failure to acquiesce to our concerns, We shall take appropriate steps including the withdrawal of cooperation in this exercise, the denial of access to our homes by recruited staff also belonging to the New Patriotic Party(NPP) and other legal remedies available to us in protecting the entire citizenry of the Savannah region. Thank you. Malik Basintale. Regional Communication Officer. NDC- Savannah Region. 0540444414. Listen to article The Ghana Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists, the mother body of all medical laboratory scientists in the country, has called on its members at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital and those in other regions to call off the ongoing strike immediately. The National Executive Committee of the Association at a press conference on Tuesday, June 1, 2021, said it has taken note of the recent court injunction secured by the National Labour Commission, NLC, against the industrial action, and the goodwill received from the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health and believes the strike should be suspended as the various stakeholders work to address their concerns. We have taken charge of the industrial action staged by the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital chapter of the association and its related action. We have also considered the recent ruling of an Accra-based High Court and the goodwill we have received from the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health and the Ministry of Health to help resolve all the issues that caused the industrial action. We, therefore, wish to appeal to our members of the KATH chapter of the Association as well as all the regional chapters who took action in solidary with KATH, to remain calm and return to work, President of the association, Dr. Abu Abudu Rahamani. Members of the Medical Laboratory Scientists Association at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital first declared the strike on Thursday, May 20, 2021, to protest the decision of the hospital's management to keep two medical specialists in key positions at the Laboratory Services Directorate. The Chairman of the Komfo Anokoye Teaching Hospital Chapter of the association, Ernest Badu Boateng, said the Ministry of Health and the management of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) had the one-week window to reassign the medical specialists. He said if the authorities failed to change their stance, all medical laboratory scientists in the country will meet to take further action. This failure, thus, led to other regional branches of the association also declaring strikes in solidarity with their colleagues at KATH. It is unclear if the regional executives will consider the appeal by their national leadership and call off the strike, as the Head of Laboratory at the Bono Regional Hospital, Abdul Ganiyu, has already indicated that they would continue the strike until they are served by the court. 34 laboratory Scientists at the Bono Regional Hospital in Sunyani are still on strike in solidarity with their colleagues at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital. ---citinewsroom Listen to article Ghana Federation of Traditional Medicine Practitioners Association (GHAFTRAM) has appealed to the Minister of Health to add traditional medicines to the list of approved drugs on the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). This, according to the association, will lessen the burden of patients who pay huge sums of money when they patronage their facilities to seek medical attention. The appeal was made by the General Secretary of GHAFTRAM, Nana Kwadwo Obiri, after inspecting facilities at the 21st Clinic at Ahwiaa in the Kwabre East municipal of the Ashanti region on Monday, May 31, 2021. The inspection by the National Executives of GHAFTRAM was part of the regional tour being embarked by the association to ascertain the effects of COVID-19 on their members countrywide. Health Ministry has accredited traditional medicine practitioners as service providers of the NHIS, but our medicines are yet to add the traditional medicines to their list, this, we appeal to the ministry to do so to improve the healthcare delivery in the country, Nana Obiri appealed. The Ahwiaa branch Manager of 21st Clinic, Daniel Opoku Agyemang, added his voice to the appeal made by GHAFTRAM on the NHIS, saying that patients, who are mostly the elderly, are unable to buy medicines to cure their ailments for lack of money. Impact of COVID-19 After touring the 21st Clinic, Nana Kwadwo Obiri found out that the COVID has had serious effects on the activities of the clinic and pleaded with the government to extend COVID interventions to the traditional medicine practitioners in the so that they can come back to businesses. The National Executives of GHAFTRAM highly commended the management of 21st Clinic for adhering to COVID-19 safety protocols in their line of duties and scientifically administering their healthcare. The National Commission on Culture (NCC) has expressed worry about the growing culture of insults on the internet in recent times. In a press briefing, on the theme, The Ghanaian Culture and the Creeping Culture of Insult in the Media, Madam Janet Edna Nyame, the Executive Director of the NCC, said, Ghanaian cultural virtues must not be lost to the 'creeping culture of insults' in the media. She said, the Ghanaian people were incredibly respectful, kind, hospitable and "these our cherished virtues should not be taken for granted or allowed to fade into oblivion." In the age of the relentless media, Ghana seems to be losing her cherished tradition and custom of respecting one another to insulting one another, she said. Madam Nyame added that, a nation without the media is like a vehicle without wheels hence, the media contributed to the three core processes of democracy which included, transparency, publicity and accountability which strengthened democracy. In recent times, in both traditional and online media, thus Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube has become a platform where some Ghanaians hurl insult at the elderly and state authorities. She said, These unpatriotic behaviour towards state leaders, royal institution, state institutions, the elderly and the country must be stopped. This is because it has never been a Ghanaian character. Madam Nyame said individuals can avoid this unacceptable culture by simply identifying themselves with the cherished Ghanaian cultural identity of respect. She explained that no public figure or journalist should be immune from authentic criticism of their reportage, and urged them to work with decorum. She advised the media to be unbiased and act as an educator, mentor, guardian and an architect of information of public opinion in social, political and economic arenas. Madam Janet Edna Nyame urged the media to help the government in eliminating the loopholes, drawbacks, making the system more responsible, responsive and receptive. ---GNA President Akufo-Addo has urged African media practitioners not to sacrifice integrity and the future of their respective societies on the altar of instant scoop or ill-considered publication. The media, he said, should only be concerned about reporting the facts and must not and cannot take the national cohesion of our countries and their stability for granted. The President made the call when he addressed the opening of the two-day African Journalists Leadership' Conference, organised by the Federation of African Journalists in Accra on Tuesday. The Conference, which brings together leaders of regional and national media organizations across Africa, will discuss strategies to promote press freedom and shape the media industry, as well propose steps to enhance the working conditions of journalist on the continent. Held on the theme: Building Stronger Unions to Enhance Journalism and Media Freedom, the conference is expected to come out with a Declaration which will articulate the future direction of journalism in Africa. Noting the immeasurable power the media wielded to build the confidence and values of societies and their institutions, President Akufo-Addo said the conference should also seek to address the phenomena of misinformation campaigns and fake news, propagated most times by some in the media. The tendency to report on only one side of a story and pass judgment on it without wanting to learn or give a fair amount of reportage to the other side stifles the truth... The media should only be concerned about reporting the facts and should not lend themselves to being bought or being used to destroy the reputation of others, he stressed. The President further urged journalists on the continent to use their influence to build the confidence and values of societies and their institutions, and enjoined them not to sacrifice the integrity and future of their societies for any any consideration whatsoever. On the liberty of the media, President Akufo-Addo stressed that the critiques preferred by citizens and officialdom on the work undertaken by the media can in no way be described as an attack on media freedom. He indicated that when journalists are physically attacked or prevented from doing their work, no matter where in the world it takes place, that is an attack on media freedom, and must be roundly condemned by all. The President noted however that critiquing the work of a journalist cannot constitute an attack on media freedom, saying, That certainly cannot be described as an attack on media freedom. Having the freedom to criticize and oppose should also mean that the media is ready to accept and work with criticisms of its work by the citizenry or officialdom. That, for me, is one of the surest ways of improving the public discourse of our respective countries, and we should all strive towards realizing this. President Akufo-Addo assured the Conference of his commitment to empowering the citizen, media and civil society, So we can all play our roles in realizing our vision of building a progressive and prosperous Ghana. As President of Ghana, I assure you that the Ghanaian people will continue to exercise their right to free expression to the very end, because of their determination to build a free, open society with accountable governance, no matter the cost, he added. ---GNA THE Zimbabwe Prison and Correctional Services (ZPCS), accused of showing favour to incarcerated ex-Cabinet ministers and other public figures by separating them from other inmates and offering them special treatment, has defended its position saying the practice is meant to protect them against violence and harassment. Speaking during an all-stakeholder anti-graft Indaba organised by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) and Transparency International Zimbabwe (TIZ) in Harare recently, ZPCS Deputy Commissioner-General Christine Manhivi said such public figures were prone to abuse and harassment in the cells. Recently, there was a public outcry after reports filtered that a former Cabinet minister Prisca Mupfumira arrested for corruption-related charges was offered five-star treatment in remand prison. Reports also made rounds that some prison officers had developed relationships with inmates to an extent of allowing them to be intimate with their partners in solitary cells, while serving. Other inmates were reportedly seen attending family funerals when they are expected to be in prison. Deputy Comm-Gen Manhivi said prisoners are classified differently and ministers and other public figures fall under the class of those who need protection by removal from others. She said the treatment of such inmates is not a favour, but ZPCS protects them in terms of the law. We have different classes of inmates who, all need protection in terms of the law. All of us are potential prisoners and we must protect inmates as required by the law. Ministers and other public figures are prone to verbal and physical abuse when in custody by some angry inmates. Recently a female minister who was in remand prison, was harassed and threatened with violence by some inmates who accused of failing to build proper cells while in Government. We had to remove her and place her in a different cell as a way of protecting her from attack, she said. Deputy Comm-Gen Manhivi said the isolation of the minister is not a favour, but ZPCS simply acts in terms of the law. That is neither a favour nor preferential treatment at all. Its not about giving them preferential treatment, but its a matter of classes. We simply separate them from the violent ones in terms of the law, she said. However, legal experts described the practice as unfair. Harare lawyer Mr Alex Majachani said all inmates were equal regardless of their status in society. It is not appropriate at all. It violates the right to equality before the law. All inmates have the same status in prisons and no one must be treated differently. Again, high ranking officials need to appreciate the conditions of prisons once they are caught on the wrong side of the law, said Mr Majachani. South Africa-based lawyer Mrs Tambudzai Gonese-Manjonjo said the practice only benefits public figures. Its unfair. I think if everyone is subjected to the same conditions as others in cells, chances of having improvements in prison conditions will be higher. High profile inmates will be heard better, she said. A check with the criterion used to determine who qualifies for open prison shows that ones status in society was not considered. Any inmate who would have served for about three years and left with two years of his or her jail term can be considered to serve in an open prison. Those serving for serious offences like murder, stock-theft, robbery, rape and other sexual offences cannot be considered. They also consider ones behaviour when he or she was serving in a closed prison. Since open prisons allow home visits, ZPCS establishes whether or not the inmate has relatives who can accept him for periodic home visits from open prison. Meanwhile, another ZPCS official Chief Superintendent Patricia Mavhembu said corruption levels have significantly gone down through awareness programmes and continuous training of officers. She said at times officers would create a corrupt relationship with inmates or their relatives, but ZPCS command read riot act, whipping them into line. We have heard of relations built between officers and inmates or their relatives where inmates end up getting favours. In the procurement section, payments are done to suppliers on a first come, first serve basis, but those who supply late may get paid first because of corruption. The management read recently the riot act against corruption right from the top to the most junior officer. There is now tight monitoring and review of operations to ensure compliance. Through such measures, ZPCS has managed to reduce corruption among its officers. In any organisation there are always bad apples, but they are dealt with in terms of the law. Rogue elements are dismissed, she said. Herald President Akufo-Addo says a vibrant media is the most effective way to hold Government and society to the highest standards of honesty, self-discipline and delivery. He said a reckless media is better than one that is weak and willing to accept being controlled. Even as one of the public figures most persistently vilified in sections of the Ghanaian media, who, ironically, was a principal actor in the repeal of the law, I continue to insist that its repeal was necessary in the public interest in our emerging democracy. I maintain that I prefer a boisterous, reckless media, to a supine one, he added. According to President Akufo-Addo, a historic victory was won in the struggle of the Ghanaian people for liberty and, especially, for freedom of expression by the repeal of the Criminal Libel Law, which brought to an end more than a century-old regime of colonial laws repressive of free expression. I am proud of the modest role I played in the process of the repeal of the Criminal Libel Law. As the Attorney-General, who piloted the repeal through Parliament, I was also responsible for the discontinuation of the then pending prosecutions, under the Criminal Libel Law, of notable Ghanaian journalists Tommy Thompson, Kofi Coomson and Eben Quarcoo for publications against personalities of the then government, the President said. He noted that the repeal of the Criminal Libel Law has had a very positive impact on the development of the Ghanaian media, freeing it from unnecessary self-censorship, and promoting a robust and critical media culture. In the process, (the repeal of the Criminal Libel Law) has contributed to the growth of a vibrant media that has won Ghana the reputation of having one of the most media friendly and liberal climates on the continent. It has also contributed significantly to the deepening of democracy in our country, enhancing public accountability as a strategic goal of public policy, President Akufo-Addo said. President Akufo-Addo made this known on Tuesday, 1st June 2021, when he delivered the keynote address at the Africa Journalists Leadership Conference, organised by the Federation of African Journalists, at the Alisa Hotel, in Accra. As President of the Republic, the President told the gathering that he has seen to the passage of the Right to Information Act, which is meant to give effect to Article 21(1)(f) of the Constitution of the Republic. The culmination of all of these, he said, have meant that the Ghanaian citizen, through the presence of a dynamic media, is able to give boldly and freely his or her feedback on policies and programmes of government. Civil society groups, President Akufo-Addo added, are able to interrogate fearlessly government actions and positions, compare them to global best practices, and offer views and critiques aimed at complementing the efforts of government; and the political opposition is able to raise dissent openly, canvass for alternate view points, and, by so doing, offer our citizens alternatives to consider on all key issues of our national discourse. Although the central information commission (CIC) has begun hearing second appeals related to COVID-19 issues on priority basis, thanks to citizen activism, the central and public information officers (PIOs) particularly of the ministry of health and family welfare (MoHFW) continue to deny information under various sub-sections of Section 8 of the RTI Act. However, in a queer case that should raise eyebrows and call for stern action, a corporator from Pune, in his ambition to do an a la Narendra Modi, has procured personal details of those vaccinated in his ward and is sending them copies of the official certificate which has prime minister (PM) Modis photograph as well as another certificate with his photograph and the Co-WIN logo embossed on it. Bapurao Karne Guruji, the corporator in question, has allegedly procured personal details from the server at the vaccination centre of his ward and has sent soft copies of the certificates to those who have been vaccinated, the objective obviously being appeasement of potential voters. Bapurao Karne Guruji, the corporator in question, has allegedly procured personal details from the server at the vaccination centre of his ward and has sent soft copies of the certificates to those who have been vaccinated, the objective obviously being appeasement of potential voters. This is a clear breach of privacy as the person shares his personal details like phone number, Aadhaar card and so on with the authority in a fiduciary relationship in the Co-WIN App. A couple of affected citizens have lodged a complaint with the cyber cell Pune. This has also taken a political twist, with a politician from Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) having brought it to the notice of the Pune Municipal Commissioner, but no action has been taken as yet. Right to information (RTI) Act activist and Aam Aadmi party state organiser, Vijay Kumbhar, who unearthed this scandal, has lodged a written complaint to the PM Narendra Modi and Maharashtra chief minister (CM) Uddhav Thackeray. He says, Citizens need to register online on the Co-WIN app for vaccinations. Mobile numbers and Aadhaar numbers also must be mentioned in the online application. After vaccination, the OTP number is sent to the mobile number of the concerned citizen to get his certificate of vaccination. The certificate can be viewed and downloaded only after entering the OTP number on the Co-WIN app. That means such certificates can be seen and downloaded by authorised users only and no one else. However, the way the said corporator in the Wadgaon Sheri assembly constituency obtained and sent the central government certificate to the citizens via WhatsApp is questionable. In his letter to the PM and the CM, Mr Kumbhar has appealed for action against persons obtaining and disseminating citizens confidential information. Obtaining such data and revealing it to others is a serious crime. How safe is citizens' data provided to authorities in India? Some citizens have lodged complaints in this regard to the cyber cell Pune. The municipal commissioner too has failed to take action on this issue. It raises suspicion as to whether the authorities are hand in glove with the alleged criminals. Another important fact revealed is that the said corporator is using a suspicious cell number (+1 (201) 737-7387) for sending soft copies of certificates to those who have been vaccinated. Also, the certificate which the said corporator sends along with the official certificate bears the Co-WIN app image, thus personating as a certificate issued by the government, he wrote in the letter. Not that the government has assured the citizens of any privacy in the Co-WIN data! Citizens now are clearly vulnerable, what with the government too being opaque about their data protection. The Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF)s requisition under the RTI Act confirms the worst fears. It had tweeted late last month that the data collected in Co-WIN will include users names, gender, date of birth, photo ID, type of photo ID and mobile number. Just like with Aarogya Setu, many Indians are worried that about the potential CO-WIN has to leak your data or threaten your privacy in the name of dealing with a pandemic. So, we asked the MOHFW some questions about data protection under the Right to Information Act. 2/n pic.twitter.com/IzAXTLsNlN Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) (@internetfreedom) March 18, 2021 The information sought was: What privacy assessment has been made for Co-WIN App? How long will Co-WIN store our data? How many departments/ ministries have access to this data? What data security protocols are you undertaking to guard peoples privacy? In the replies, the MoHFW said that it cannot provide IFF with a privacy policy on Co-WIN(?!). The IFF tweeted that, the responses (or rather lack of them) related to your (MoHFW) data privacy and protection are completely vague. We received no clear answers on which ministries/ depts will have access to your personal data, the permissions provided, etc. This is a failure in terms of transparency." This lack of answerability leads us to believe that either the Ministry doesnt have the necessary info (which is problematic to say the least), or they are refusing to give us access to info - because that may open the doors to further questions. Here are the documents. 6/n pic.twitter.com/UlSmagn1z8 Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) (@internetfreedom) March 18, 2021 And now, we have proof that local councillors can merrily access data and use it for their public relations purpose. And who knows what next? And now, we have proof that local councillors can merrily access data and use it for their public relations purpose. And who knows what next? And now, we have proof that local councillors can merrily access data and use if for their public relations purpose. And who knows what next? In an interim order, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has banned eight entities and individuals from trading in the stock market and imposed a collective penalty of Rs 3.06 crore after they were held guilty on insider trades on Infosys stock. The eight entities and individuals are: Pranshu Bhutra, Amit Bhutra, Bharat C Jain, Manish Champalal, Ankush Bhutra, Amit Bhutra, Capital One and Tesora. Amit Bhutra and Bharath C Jain are working partners of Capital One. Amit Bhutra, Ankush Bhutra and Manish Champalal Jain are working partners of Tesora. According to SEBI, Capital One Partners and Tesora Capital had made illegal gains of Rs 27.95 crore and Rs 26.82 lakhs respectively by indulging in insider trading while in possession of the unpublished price sensitive information (UPSI) pertaining to the corporate announcement of audited financial results for the quarter ended 30 June 2020 made by Infosys. "Capital One and Tesora had traded in the scrip of Infosys in the F&O segment just prior to announcement of financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2020 and soon after the announcement, offloaded / squared off their positions such that net positions were zero. Amit and Bharath, both had placed orders / given trading instructions on behalf of Capital One. Amit had placed orders / given trading instructions on behalf of Tesora. Thus, Capital One and Tesora had traded in the scrip of Infosys in F&O segment while in possession of UPSI, the SEBI order said. Based on an extract of the structured digital database related to the financial results of Infosys (INFY) for the quarter ended 30 June 2020, the UPSI came into existence on 29 June 2020. Hence, the UPSI period was from 29 June 2020 to 15 July 2020, SEBI said. The SEBI alert system had generated insider trading alerts for the scrip of Infosys Limited for the period around 15 July 2020 i.e. around the corporate announcement of audited financial results of INFY for the quarter ended 30 June 2020 made to BSE and NSE. Thereafter, based on the alert, SEBI conducted a preliminary examination in the scrip of INFY to ascertain whether certain persons / entities traded in the said scrip while they were in possession of / on the basis of UPSI in contravention of the provisions of the SEBI Act, 1992 read with the SEBI (Prohibition of Insider Trading) Regulations, 2015 (PIT Regulations). The information relating to the financial results of INFY, including basic financial parameters of profit & loss (P&L) and balance sheet (BS) as well as key financial and operational parameters which contribute to various elements of the P&L and BS for the quarter ending 30 June 2020 was UPSI. Pranshu Bhutra Senior Corporate Counsel of INFY, being an employee of INFY is a connected person and was reasonably expected to have access to the UPSI and on preponderance of probability basis he was in possession of the UPSI. Thus, Pranshu is an insider,SEBI held. Amit Bhutra was connected with Pranshu (an insider) through frequent telephonic communication and Amit is a connected person and is reasonably expected to have an access to the UPSI and therefore, he is an insider and on preponderance of probability basis was in possession of the UPSI procured from Pranshu. During the preliminary examination, INFY vide email dated 29 December 2020 had provided a list of designated persons who had direct or indirect access to the UPSI. As per the said list of designated persons, Venkata Subramaniam V. V, senior principal, corporate accounting group of INFY, was identified as a designated person by INFY in line with Regulation 9(4) read with Regulation 9A (2)(a) of PIT Regulations. On 2 July 2020 (i.e. few days after the UPSI came into existence), Pranshu had a long duration call with Venkata at 15:49:41 which lasted for 366 second. On the same day at 18:32:00 Pranshu spoke to Amit for 72 second. On 9 July 2020 (i.e. one day prior to the start of trading by Capital One), Pranshu had a long duration call with Venkata at 12:07:24 which lasted for 333 seconds. Immediately after said call, at 12:20:00 Pranshu spoke to Amit for 297 second (the longest duration call in the month of July 2020 between Pranshu and Amit). SEBI found that during the period from 1 January 2020 to 31 May 2020, the frequency of calls between Pranshu and Venkata was very low. The frequency of calls between Pranshu and Venkata has increased significantly during the period June 2020 to July 2020. Further, SEBI noted from call detail records (CDRs) that no calls were made between Pranshu and Venkata during the period 1 August 2020 to 29 November 2020. SEBI noted that Capital One Partners, Amit Bhutra and Bharath C Jain are, prima facie, jointly and severally liable for the proceeds generated from the prima facie insider trading done by Capital One in violations of SEBI Act and PIT Regulations. SEBI added that Tesora and its partner Amit Bhutra are, prima facie, jointly and severally liable for the proceeds generated from the prima facie insider trading done by Tesora in violations of SEBI Act and PIT Regulations. However, SEBI held that Manish C Jain and Ankush Bhutra are liable on the basis of the liability emanating from the Indian Partnership Act for the act of the firm and not for the violation of SEBI Act and PIT regulations. Thus the interim order has found prima facie violation of securities laws against the noticees except Manish and Ankush, partners of Tesora. Therefore, they should be prevented from further committing breach of securities laws in securities market, whether directly or indirectly. As the securities market provides for various avenues of investment. Making of such investment by buying securities and liquidation of the same by selling securities need to be undertaken in compliance of various securities laws relating to the dealing in securities. Since there is prima facie violation of securities laws, the investors to be insulated from the undesirable effects of further breach of securities laws by the Noticees,the SEBI order said. Further, the orderly development of the securities market demands faith of investors in the timely action to prevent imminent breach of securities laws. The investors who may become victim of infringement of securities laws tend to lose confidence in the securities market. Investor confidence is the bedrock of the orderly development of the securities market. Therefore, on this ground as well the balance of convenience is not in favour of the Noticees, which requires that the Noticees be not allowed to access securities market directly or indirectly,the SEBI order stated. .... there is ample prima facie evidence which demonstrates that entities have been in violation of SEBI Act and PIT Regulations. This has not only prima facie violated the integrity of the market but also prima facie resulted in undue benefit to them over general investors. The discussion in the aforesaid paragraphs has shown that the prima facie insider trading activities of the entities has not only caused loss to the investors (notional monetary loss) but also has a prima facie potential to cause irreparable injury to the securities market. Furthermore, as noted earlier, the balance of convenience dictates that immediate action has to be taken against the entities to prevent further harm to the investors and to the securities market. Moreover, the proceeds which have been generated are intrinsically linked to the prima facie violative activities of the entities,the SEBI order concluded. The details of proceeds generated from the prima facie insider trading are as follows: SEBI pointed out that the entities and individuals could repeat the violations if not stopped now and said There may be cases where a person, who has been prima facie found to have committed a violation, could commit the same or other violations. If detection prior to the violation is made, the principle of urgency would require immediately stopping the stage of violation. Urgency requires stopping of activities in time. Considering prima facie actions of the Noticees in the extant matter, there is a high probability that there is an imminent threat of further insider trading activity. So urgent preventive steps are required to be taken to prevent them from causing any further harm to the market / loss to investors. Thus, if the said entities are not prevented from dealing in securities then they would continue to access the market which prima facie, as discussed above, is not in the best interest of the general investors and the market. Therefore, there is impending threat and urgency that they should be prevented from further committing breach of securities laws in securities market. SEBI said that the directions are preventive in nature as Venkata Subramaniam V. V and Pranshu Bhutra, continue to be employed with Infosys and have access to ongoing UPSI. SEBI acknowledged that there is an impending danger to investors that in future they might communicate / mis-use the UPSI pertaining to INFY. Actor-environmentalist Juhi Chawla has filed a suit in the Delhi High Court through advocate Deepak Khosla against the setting up of fifth generation (5G) telecom networks across the country, raising concerns related to impact of possible radiation on citizens, animals, flora, and fauna. The hearing for the case is scheduled for 2nd June. The plea seeks a direction to the authorities to certify to the public at large, that 5G technology is safe to humankind, man, woman, adult, child, infant, animals, and every type of living organism, flora, and fauna. The actor contended that if the telecommunications industrys plans for 5G come to fruition, no person, no animal, no bird, no insect, and no plant on Earth will be able to avoid exposure, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to levels of radiofrequency (RF) radiation that are 10 times to 100 times greater than what exists today. According to her, 5G plans threaten to provoke serious, irreversible effects on humans and permanent damage to all the Earths ecosystems. Kapil Wadhawan, former promoter of the beleaguered Dewan Housing Finance Ltd (DHFL), has filed a plea in the Supreme Court (SC) challenging the stay granted by the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT). On 25th May, the NCLAT had stayed the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) Mumbai bench's 19th May order which directed DHFL's lenders consider Mr Wadhawan's settlement offer. Kapil Wadhawan is said to have filed the appeal petition in SC on Monday evening. He is currently in judicial custody for his alleged misdeeds. Kapil Wadhawans proposal offers more than Rs91,000 crore to the creditors, which is higher than the Rs37,250 crore offered by the winning bidder, Piramal group and, hence, the committee of creditors (CoC) must consider it, the NCLT had said in its order. There were major concerns that following the 19th May NCLT order will not only derail the resolution process of DHFL but could also set a bad precedent. The NCLAT stay order came after the CoC led by Union Bank of India, R Subramaniakumar, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)-appointed administrator and Piramal group (the winning bidder) filed separate applications challenging the NCLT's order which asked them to evaluate the offer by Mr Wadhawan within 10 days. The NCLT had directed DHFL lenders to consider the offer to fully settle the mortgage lenders Rs91,000 crore dues, including Rs43,000 crore in the initial few years, for its consideration, decision, and voting. Financial creditors had opposed the NCLT order as they had chosen Piramal group as the winning bidder for DHFL. The order from NCLT came as a surprise for lenders as they had already approved a bid of Rs34,250 crore from Piramal group. In its appeal at NCLAT, the administrator had termed the NCLT order as illegal and in breach of settled provision of law". In January this year, the CoC had voted in favour of selling DHFL to the Piramal group under the bankruptcy process. Kapil Wadhawan, who is facing charges of money laundering and diversion of bank funds, has repeatedly accused DHFLs lenders of selling the company much below its fair value. Earlier, he had proposed a settlement plan of Rs91,158 crore, claiming he would repay 100% of the principal to all the creditors. However, the settlement offer, in which he had proposed to repay lenders by selling his assets, was rejected by the lenders. It is now known that Kapil Wadhawans offer letter was discussed in meetings but was not considered for voting since it was not even a formal proposal. Lenders too were not in favour of considering a proposal from a tarnished promoter who is accused of fraud (and behind bars) and led the company to its current plight or crisis. DHFL is being investigated by the ministry of corporate affairs (MCA) from December 2019 through the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO). The RBI was never in favour of considering Kapil Wadhawans settlement offer for DHFL. The banking regulators stance is important as it was the regulator which had referred DHFL for insolvency proceedings. Unlike insolvency proceedings for companies from other sectors, a financial services provider (FSP) creditor or debtor cannot approach the tribunal without being referred by a regulator. DHFL is the first FSP to be sent to the bankruptcy tribunal after the government notified the rules for referring FSPs on 15 November 2019. In its submission at NCLT Mumbai on 15 January 2021, the RBI had said, Affording the applicant (Kapil Wadhawan) even an opportunity of presenting a settlement offer may amount to permitting the applicant to take benefit of its own wrong, which lead to the complete downfall of DHFL and resultantly, the various stakeholders. RBI has also raised concern on the alleged serious offences by Wadhawans and said, It is pertinent to mention herein that the applicant is the ex-promoter of DHFL against whom various proceedings, civil and / or criminal, have been filed, alleging cheating, fraud, siphoning of funds and such other serious offences. The applicant is presently in judicial custody and most regulatory agencies like central bureau of investigation (CBI), economic offences wing (EOW) and enforcement directorate (ED) are at present investigating against the applicant. This being so, affording the applicant even an opportunity of presenting a purported settlement offer may amount to permitting the applicant to take benefit of its own wrong, which led to complete downfall of DHFL and resultantly, various stakeholders. DHFL had gone bankrupt in 2019 with more than Rs90,000 crore in debt to various lenders, including banks, mutual funds and retail investors who invested in the companys fixed deposits (FDs) and non-convertible debentures (NCDs). DHFLs lenders have been reluctant to consider Wadhawans offer after careful consideration of the legal advice from their counsel. Lenders have also cited lack of credibility. Wadhawan too has not sent any formal proposal with valuations attached to proposed asset sales. The Madras High Court (HC) has ruled that the wife is not entitled for a share in the insured money, if her deceased husband did not contribute towards the premium payment. In a recent ruling, Justice S Vaidyanathan passed interim order on a petition from G Asha, wife of Ganesh Raja of Veppampattu in Tiruvallur district. In case the deceased husband had not made any contribution towards premium, there is no justification on the wifes part to seek her share, Justice Vaidyanathan said. Justice Vaidyanathan sought to know who had paid the insurance premium in its entirety till the demise of Ganesh Raja, whether it was his father or he himself has paid or contributed towards the premium payment. Till the time the fact as to who had paid the premium to the insurance company and whether any single pie had been contributed by the deceased or not, is known, this court cannot decide the issue relating to the entitlement of the petitioner to claim a share in the maturity amount, the order said. In case the deceased husband had not made any contribution towards premium, there is no justification on the wifes part to seek her share, Justice Vaidyanathan said. It is no doubt true that wife, mother and children are class-I heirs of a male deceased and not the father. But the heirship will not be considered for this type of contingency, in case the entire contribution is not made by the deceased and the same has been paid only by the father of the deceased. In such circumstances, it is for the father of the deceased to decide to give the money in its entirety or in proportionate to any person, including class-I heirs, the court order added. If a deceased had already mentioned the nominee and if that person falls under the category of class-I heir other than father, then there would not be any problem in disbursement of the insurance proceeds. However, in this case, if the ladys father-in-law established that only he contributed towards the entire premium by way of bank transfer, (or any other means other than remittance by cash) for the insurance policy in the name of his son, then there is no justification on the part of the petitioner to seek for her share in the amount and she has no case at all, the judge said. Further, Justice Vaidyanathan also directed the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) to circulate a copy of the order to all its branches situated in Tamil Nadu and collect details of similar cases and produce them before the court on 28th June, the next date of hearing by way of counter. BROWNING, Mont. - On April 27, Leo Wagner went missing and on Tuesday, Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services held a press conference on Facebook to update the public on the search for Wagner. BLES took the community through a timeline of events starting when Leo was last seen. They said they responded to a call of someone under the influence walking the shore line of St. Mary's Lake and when they got there, they couldn't find the man or the caller. An hour later they were told the man was walking along West Shore Road with an injured arm. The next day Leo was reported missing by family and friends. On May 2, 2021 BLES found a cabin that was burglarized and they said it look as if someone was injured. They confirmed with family that clothing found at the scene belonged to Leo and a full scale search was issued. After 10 days of searching, on May 9, the search was scaled back. BLES said they searched approximately 70 square miles and multiple agencies assisted them. Even though the search was scaled back, they are determined to find him. "A contingency search plan is in place to search the St. Mary Lake for the recovery of Leo... with that, we are getting some boats and stuff together. This week we'll be going out and searching the lake," said BLES interim PIO, officer Frank Goings. BLES is asking for any information and said they will follow up on any tips submitted. As more details come out of the search, BLES say they will continue to keep the community updated. GREAT FALLS, Mont. - Great Falls Public Schools are out on June 4, 2021 and this year has been difficult from the start with wearing masks, social distancing and remote learning. We sat down with Superintendent Tom Moore to take a look on how the coronavirus impacted the district. "The kids do so well with the masks, it's kind of shocking. In our special education they've done really well, most students are very compliant," GFPS Lead Nurse Erica Harp said. Since March of 2020, GFPS has been in constant contact with the Cascade County Health Department and other health officials around Montana. GFPS has been following national guidelines to keep students safe. The district has also hired licensed professional nurses to work in the schools to help with health and safety. Twice a month GFPS has school board meetings to keep up to date on guidelines and data surrounding the pandemic. But from masks, to hand sanitizer, to one-way hallways - one thing Moore says GFPS wanted to give parents the option to choose and it was successful. "You know the thing we tried to do this year was to provide options for parents, students, and teachers by giving them the ability to be remote and stay home... As things progressed and got a little better in terms of infection rates and so forth, we've seen a large number of students returning to face to face in our schools," Moore said. "We've had teachers' step up, we had students and families who stepped up and met us half way and I believe we had a very successful program this year," Heather Hoyer, assistant superintendent and Ruth Uecker, elementary assistant superintendent, said. Moore says while the issue is complicated, they are doing the best they can to serve students, faculty, and the community by maintaining health and safety standards to help everyone get through the pandemic. When we sat down with Moore, he said in the fall they help to relax some of these protocols, but it will all depend on what happens over the summer. GFPS will have more information on this in late July or earlier August. LAUREL, Mont. - Although the Memorial Day ceremony at Yellowstone National Cemetery was closed to the public Monday, several military members and a small number of community members were invited to join the commemoration. The color guard attended the ceremony, along with Laurel Mayor Thomas Nelson and Billings Mayor Bill Cole to watch as a wreath was set to honor all our veterans buried there. We had the privilege of speaking with 20 year war veteran and decorated hero, retired Lieutenant Colonel Barry Gasdek. Gasdek served in three different wars, giving him three different perspectives on the sacrifices made to protect our country. He says the laying of the wreath is meant to thank the brave men and women who laid down their lives for our freedom. "So, somehow we hope they realize that we are in fact trying to thank them for their service and sacrifice, even though physically they are not there, we hope spiritually they are and they receive that message of 'thanks for your service,'" Gasdek said. Gasdek served in the Vietnam War, the Cold War and the Gulf War. While in Vietnam, the veteran led his infantry as company commander and was awarded the second highest military decoration for soldiers displaying heroism in combat: the Distinguished Service Cross. Gasdek was also invited to be the keynote speaker at the Laurel Cemetery memorial ceremony, where he spoke to the crowd of veterans and community members on the importance of remembering those who gave their lives for our country. "You try to bring all your men back alive but unfortunately in war, that's not always possible. I lost, as I mentioned, probably 35% of my outfit, either killed or wounded. I was wounded twice myself so I tend to understand service and sacrifice and what it means," Gasdek said. President Emmerson Mnangagwa has urged traditional leaders to desist from any association with opposition political parties. He told people gathered at the memorial service of the late Air Marshal Perrance Shiri a week ago that opposition parties are agents of cultural imperialists masquerading as political parties. The Constitution of Zimbabwe doesnt allow chiefs to be involved with political parties. As we celebrate the International Culture Day this week, I want to emphasise this clearly; I said this yesterday when I gathered traditional leaders in Gokwe that as traditional leaders you should guard against cultural imperialists masquerading as opposition political parties. These people are eroding our culture. The Japanese on Culture Day, celebrate their own culture and so do the Chinese. This coming week on Tuesday the 25th of May, we are going to celebrate our Culture Day in Samora Street at Munhumutupa (Crown Plaza) where Mbuya Nehandas statue will be erected. There was a well where she fetched water from and colonialists constructed their church over it and we decided to place the statue next to the church in honor of her, he said. Meanwhile, the ruling party has been calling for Chiefs to go to the partys Herbert Chitepo School of Ideology for indoctrination. Masvingo Mirror Lansdale, PA (19446) Today Mostly cloudy skies. Low near 60F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Mostly cloudy skies. Low near 60F. Winds light and variable. From left, Lenny McAllister, Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools CEO; Jenny Marion, a Souderton Charter School Collaborative parent and president of its Board of Trustees; and Paul Hunter, the school's director of education, chat outside the school as students are being picked up at the end of the school day on May 26. U.S. disseminates political, information, moral virus with conspiracy theory on coronavirus origin Xinhua) 16:52, June 01, 2021 BEIJING, June 1 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. government has recently joined forces with some unscrupulous media outlets to hype up the so-called "laboratory leak" conspiracy theory on the origin of COVID-19 during the virtual World Health Assembly, which has drawn concern and criticism from the international community. For political purposes, the U.S. side continues to cross the moral bottom line, maliciously concocting conspiracy theories and spreading misinformation, which has fueled an anti-science trend, exacerbated racial discrimination, and undermined the global fight against the pandemic. The United States has indeed become the creator and disseminator of a political, information and moral virus. POLITICAL VIRUS U.S. President Joe Biden said in a statement on Wednesday that he has called for a U.S.-based probe into the origin of COVID-19, and given U.S. intelligence agencies 90 days to report on whether the virus originated from an animal source or from a laboratory accident. Meanwhile, U.S. media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal have once again hyped up the lab leak conspiracy theory on the origin of the virus. However, according to a report on the global tracing of the virus origin released by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 30, the introduction of COVID-19 through a laboratory incident was considered to be an "extremely unlikely" pathway. Washington is using virus origin-tracing to create chaos in order to serve its own political purposes. It is trying to politicize the scientific agenda based on the presumption of guilt. Experts have pointed out that origin-tracing is a scientific issue which should be carried out jointly by scientists across the world. Most countries have reached a consensus that this issue should not be politicized. Recently, the WHO has reiterated its call for a "de-politicized environment" for studying the origin of the COVID-19 virus. Mike Ryan, executive director of the WHO Health Emergencies Program, called on "everyone out there to separate, if they can, the politics of this issue from the science." "If you expect scientists to do their work, if you expect scientists to collaborate and actually get the answers that you want, actually seek in a non-blaming environment to find the origin of the virus, so we may all learn how to prevent this happening in the future, we would ask that this be done in a de-politicized environment where science and health are the objective of this and not (put the) blame on politics," he said. Jeremy Farrar, director of charitable foundation Wellcome Trust, and a renowned medical researcher, has said that there is no place for "unsubstantiated rumor, or conspiracy theories often fueled for political purposes" when it comes to COVID-19 origin-tracing. "The origins of SARS-CoV-2 are not yet certain -- it is possible the origin will never be fully established -- but nature is a powerful force and, in my view, the most likely scenario is that the virus crossed from animals to humans. The best scientific evidence available to date points to this," said Farrar in a statement provided to Xinhua. INFORMATION VIRUS Since the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak, some U.S. politicians have ganged up with media outlets to construct narratives by cutting out facts and fabricating lies, in an attempt to misguide and control international public opinion. A report published on Feb. 12 by The New York Times deliberately distorted and garbled the remarks by members of a WHO expert team sent to China on a COVID-19 origin-tracing mission. In response, British zoologist Peter Daszak, a member of the WHO team misquoted by the U.S. media, clarified immediately via Twitter that "this was NOT my experience on the WHO mission." "As lead of animal/environment working group I found trust & openness with my China counterparts. We DID get access to critical new data throughout. We DID increase our understanding of likely spillover pathways," Daszak wrote. A so-called timeline by The Washington Post published on May 25, which tried to fan the lab leak conspiracy theory, was also strongly refuted by experts. Kari Debbink, assistant professor at the Department of Natural Science of Bowie State University in the United States, tweeted that the timeline is "trash." "This piece presents facts from a highly biased perspective meant to mislead people into thinking a lab leak is extremely likely," she wrote. Ryan, the WHO senior official, said it's "quite disturbing" to see over the past few days "more and more and more discourse in the media with terribly little actual news or evidence or new material" concerning the possible origin of COVID-19. Such media outlets as Fox News and The Washington Post have "fished" the story on the lab leak conspiracy theory "out of the right-wing's political wet market and polished it off for public consumption," said a report by U.S. independent news website Grayzone in late April last year. "Though neither outlet published a single piece of concrete evidence to support their claims." Experts have pointed out that it is neither professional nor scientific for the United States to apply intelligence to the origin-tracing of COVID-19. "The U.S. intelligence forces were asked to show if they had any information that might be helpful. They haven't done that as yet," Dominic Dwyer, a member of the WHO team sent to China and a professor at the University of Sydney, said in an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on Friday. "The fact that President Biden says he's getting conflicting reports from his intelligence agencies, to me, suggests there is no clear evidence, otherwise it would be obvious what was going on," he said. MORAL VIRUS Analysts said politicizing COVID-19 origin-tracing is an unethical and unpopular move that will only encourage discrimination and hatred against Asians, hinder fact- and science-based international cooperation on origin-tracing, and erode global anti-pandemic efforts. To draw public attention to the problem, a group of 27 prominent public health scientists from outside China issued in February 2020 a co-signed statement in British medical journal The Lancet and warned that "the rapid, open, and transparent sharing of data on this outbreak is now being threatened by rumors and misinformation around its origins." "We stand together to strongly condemn conspiracy theories suggesting that COVID-19 does not have a natural origin," said the scientists. Sadly, the warning has been neglected in the United States. Whenever scientists speak out against conspiracy theories, they will be attacked by right-wing U.S. politicians and media practitioners. According to research by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, anti-Asian hate crimes rose by 149 percent in 2020 in 16 U.S. cities. Citing some scientists, an article published Thursday in British scientific journal Nature said "the rhetoric around an alleged lab leak has grown so toxic that it's fuelling online bullying of scientists and anti-Asian harassment in the United States, as well as offending researchers and authorities in China whose cooperation is needed." Hume Field, a science and policy advisor for China and Southeast Asia of EcoHealth Alliance in New York, told Xinhua on Friday that politicizing science just generates "doubt" and "mistrust" between Chinese and Western scientists, and fundamentally undermines joint global efforts needed to prevail against the virus and the pandemic. (Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun) THE High Court will hear a contempt of court case against Chief Justice Luke Malaba on Thursday following reports that he had continued to execute official duties after reaching retirement age. The case was filed by the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum executive director Musa Kika, and a panel of three judges, Justices Webster Chinamhora, Amy Shupikai Tsanga and Sylvia Chirawu-Mugomba will hear the matter. Malaba has reportedly been attending to official duties as the Chief Justice despite a High Court ruling that he ceased to occupy the position when he attained the age of retirement on May 15, 2021. The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has also appointed Justice Elizabeth Gwaunza as acting Chief Justice in his stead. Malaba and the JSC argue that the former can attend to duties because the government lodged an appeal against the ruling. However, Kika filed an urgent court application seeking the committal of Malaba to Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison for a period of six months for defying a High Court order issued by Justices Happias Zhou, Edith Mushore and Jester Charewa a fortnight ago. He insists that the High Court judgment is a declaratur and for that reason cannot be suspended by an appeal. Kika, who was the applicant in the matter together with the Young Lawyers Association of Zimbabwe, secured a declaratory order in which the High Court declared that Malabas tenure as Chief Justice of Zimbabwe came to an end on May 15, 2021. Kika, in his founding affidavit, said Malaba was aware of this position, but has simply decided to be in contempt of court. He is also seeking to have the matter referred to the Law Society of Zimbabwes disciplinary and ethics committee. Malabas term of office was extended by five years by President Emmerson Mnangagwa following the enactment of the Zimbabwe Constitution Amendment (No 2) Act. Newsday After a year of isolation and quarantining due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Broadway Block Parties are a safe and fun way to gather with friends and family in downtown Lorain. Rockin on the River is such a fun way to spend a Friday night in Lorain, and we are putting together the Broadway Block Parties to encourage folks to spend some time supporting our great small business before heading over to Black River Landing for a great concert. Main Street Lorain Executive Director Max Schaefer Pull Quote During a luncheon ceremony May 27, Fisher-Titus awarded Health Education Grants to nine local school districts. On hand were Dr. Brent Burkey, president/CEO of Fisher-Titus, left; Thomas Roth, Edison Local Schools; Ralph Moore, Monroeville Local Schools; Denny Doughty, Fisher-Titus Board chair; John Bowman, Wellington Schools; Rodge Wilson, Western Reserve Schools; Martin Linder, Norwalk Catholic Schools; Jeff Ritz, Willard City Schools; Brad Romano, New London Local Schools; and Ben Chaffee, South Central Local Schools. The coronavirus pandemic has hurt many people's ability to pay their rent or mortgage, but the CDC has enacted a moratorium to prevent evictions. That moratorium is set to expire June 30, and experts are expecting problems when it does. Nestled in the Texas Hill Country lies the small town of Fredericksburg, which has earned a top spot on a Forbes roundup of the the most idyllic small towns in the U.S. to visit in 2021. Founded in 1846, the Texas small town gem has lured visitors to its rolling hills dotted with bluebonnets and cool bungalow rentals called "Sunday Houses." Featured on the Forbes list for small town charm include Deadwood, South Dakota; Rockport Massachusetts, Captiva Island, Florida; Elizabeth City, North Carolinaand our own Texas destination, Fredericksburg. These small town jewels provide travelers with a way to get off the grid and enjoy the small town pace. TEXAS TRAVEL DESTINATIONS: These are the top 5 Texas travel destinations for 2021 "Equipped with spectacular natural beauty and fascinating historic backgrounds, these five towns are the perfect fit for experiencing the quieter side of the United States," Forbes' Jared Ranahan writes. Fredericksburg, Texas Named after Prince Frederick of Prussia, Fredericksburg has been affectionately deemed "The Aspen of Texas," according to Fodor's Travel Publication. Tucked in the heart of the Texas Hill Country, the German-influenced town offers attractions that include a wildflower farm, wine tastings and a historic downtown strip filled with eclectic boutiques. Outdoor enthusiasts might want to spend a day hiking Enchanted Rock or hitting the Texas Wine Trail. "The truth is that its hard not to love the town where you can shop a day on Main Street and still not see everything...Or spend a day touring the Texas Wine Trail in townor afternoon hiking Enchanted Rock, according to Fodors Hill Country editor Debbie Harmsen. Elizabeth City, North Carolina Located in the northeastern corner of North Carolina, Elizabeth City has been named one of the "100 Best Small Towns in America." This waterfront small town gem was founded in 1794. Visitors can head out to the beaches of the Outer Banks, Ghost Harbor or Hampton Roads. If you love the outdoors, travelers can explore the 20,000 acres of nearby state parks or head out hiking on the Fenwick-Hollowell Wetlands Trail. UniversalImagesGroup/Universal Images Group via Getty Deadwood, South Dakota If you want a taste of the Old West, Deadwood is a step back in time. The small town destination is nestled among the Black Hills of South Dakota, and the historic downtown area is a perfect spot to stroll through. Travelers can head out to the Black Hills underground mine, Broken Boot Gold Mine or go on one of the historic tours offered by a Wild West tour guide. John Greim/LightRocket via Getty Images Rockport, Massachusetts If lobsters and lighthouses are more of your thing, consider heading to the small coastal town of Rockport. Venture over to the creative district of Bearskin Neck or the cool waters of Halibut Point State Park. Travelers can also head to Gloucester, Manchester-by-the Sea or the historic Salem for their East Coast journey. Jeff Greenberg/Jeff Greenberg/Universal Images Captiva Island, Florida Just off of Florida's Gulf Coast, the idyllic small town gem of Captiva Island boasts miles of sandy beaches and activities including biking, sailing and birding. If you need a peaceful, off-the-grid getaway, consider some of the other barrier islands, like Sanibel Island and Cayo Costa. MOSCOW (AP) Russian authorities are cracking down on dissent before a crucial parliamentary election in September, in what a leading Kremlin critic on Tuesday described as an attempt to sideline opponents. Mikhail Khodorkovsky, a Russian tycoon who moved to London after spending a decade in prison in Russia on charges widely seen as political revenge for challenging President Vladimir Putins rule, said the latest moves against opposition activists reflected the authorities' concern about the waning popularity of the main Kremlin-directed party, United Russia. Khodorkovsky told The Associated Press in an interview over Zoom that the upcoming election is a theatrical performance, in which any candidates that the government isn't happy with will simply not be allowed to run. He said that the authorities are increasing repression to stifle any critical voices before the Sept. 19 parliamentary election, including activists of the Open Russian movement that he financed. Open Russia dissolved itself last week. Andrei Pivovarov, the organization's head, was pulled off a Warsaw-bound plane at St. Petersburg's airport just before takeoff late Monday. Pivovarov was taken on Tuesday to Krasnodar in southern Russia as part of a criminal probe targeting him. Also Tuesday, police raided the country home of opposition politician Dmitry Gudkov and detained him. Gudkov, a former lawmaker, has aspired to run for Russia's parliament. At least two of his associates also had their homes searched. Khodorkovsky said the authorities are taking preemptive action against the opposition, fearing the September election could trigger protests. The government is afraid of potential protests that could emerge if they cheat too flagrantly, Khodorkovsky told the AP. They are trying to sanitize the political environment before the election. He added that he would continue to support opposition candidates despite the official pressure. Last week, Pivovarov announced that Open Russia was shutting down to protect its members from prosecution after Russian authorities designated it as undesirable. The government already has outlawed more than 30 groups using a 2015 law that made membership in undesirable organizations a criminal offense. Another bill now making its way through parliament increases the punishment for members of those groups. In a letter from custody that his lawyers posted Tuesday on Pivovarov's Instagram account, he said there is no cause for joy, but I don't feel despondent. He added: There is a plan to put any people with a different view under arrest, but such people already are the majority." The probe focuses on Pivovarovs support for a candidate in local elections on behalf of an undesirable organization. His lawyers said the charges were filed after he declared Open Russia's closure. Amnesty International, meanwhile, strongly condemned Pivovarov's arrest and demanded his release. This is an audacious move by the Kremlin in its continued use of the law on undesirable organizations to target and shut down critics," said Natalia Zviagina, the director of the group's Moscow office. The Russian authorities must end reprisals against their political opponents and other critical voices in the country." In March, police briefly detained about 200 participants of a forum of municipal council members that Open Russia helped organize. Putin's most determined political foe, Alexei Navalny, was arrested in January upon his return from Germany, where he had spent five months recovering from a nerve agent poisoning that he blames on the Kremlin accusations that Russian officials reject. He was handed a 2 1/2-year prison sentence in February for violating terms of a suspended sentence stemming from a 2014 embezzlement conviction that he denounced as politically driven. With Navalny in prison, prosecutors have asked a Moscow court to designate his Foundation for Fighting Corruption and his network of regional offices as extremist groups. In a parallel move, a bill approved by the lower house of the Russian parliament bars members, donors and supporters of extremist groups from seeking public office a measure that would keep Navalny's associates from running for parliament in September. Khodorkovsky argued that the parliamentary election is important for Putin to cement his rule ahead of the 2024 Russian presidential election. The 68-year-old Putin has been in power for more than two decades longer than any other Kremlin leader since Soviet dictator Josef Stalin/ He pushed through constitutional changes last year that enable him to run again in 2024, when his current six-year term ends. The changes would allow him to potentially hold onto power until 2036. BULAWAYO prosecutor Thobekani Nyathi, who was implicated in an alleged corrupt activity involving principal public prosecutor Chris Mutangadura, reportedly resigned after the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) began investigating him for criminal abuse of office, NewsDay has learnt. Nyathi had been sucked into Mutangaduras alleged criminal abuse of office case which is under investigations by Zacc, case number HCR 21/05/2020. The docket is now complete. Mutangadura was summoned by Zacc investigators three weeks ago with the view of detaining him and taking him to court. But Zacc chairperson Loice Moyo- Matanda allegedly intervened and stopped the process, leading to the docket being shelved. However Matanda-Moyo has denied the allegations. Mutangadura was under investigation for corruptly aiding his business partner Lungisani Ncube to get a forensic examination of forged papers by a private handwriting expert, LT Nhari, after bypassing government expert, Clara Beatrice Tendai Gombakomba. The report was made by Lovemore Kutamahufa. Mutangadura had allegedly lied that Gombakomba had no capacity to examine the samples, an assertion she denied in her statement to the Zacc investigators. Ncube was accusing his partner Kutamahufa, lawyer Jonathan Tsvangirai and FBC bank manager Tazviona Mutandwa of forging his signature and tendering his property as collateral for a bank loan facility. It is alleged that when investigations on Mutangadura commenced, Nyathi, who was the trial prosecutor, resigned. Nyathi confirmed the resignation yesterday. Sorry, I am no longer a public prosecutor. I used to deal with it (Kutamahufas case), but I left prosecution. I left a long time ago. Kutamahufas case is now being handled by another prosecutor. I will forward you the contact numbers, he said. However, a source in the prosecution said Nyathi resigned after Zacc made investigations concerning Mutangaduras case. He resigned and is now in private practice with a law firm in Gwanda. Remember, there was also a letter of complaint against him which had been written by the accused (Kutamahufa), accusing him of aiding the complainant (Ncube) with documents so that he could take them to a private handwriting expert. He had been asked to recuse himself from the matter, said the source. The prosecutor had also been caught in the middle of a storm after he allegedly connived with the complainant, Ncube, to remove one of the accused Tsvangirai from the charge sheet reportedly in a desperate bid to get a State witness against Kutamahufa. He reportedly took instructions directly from Mutangadura to prosecute Kutamahufa using the fraudulent private handwriting experts report. Tsvangirai had been charged together with Kutamahufa and FBC bank manager Mutandwa in a US$75 000 FBC Bank loan deal following recommendations from Mutangadura. Tsvangirai had reportedly been engaged by FBC Bank to register the bond. Kutamahufa is director in Oman Obrie Private Limited, which benefited from the loan. Reports are that Nyathi, after conniving with Ncube, on January 29 last year approached his lawyers Mathonsi Ncube Law Chambers to write to the prosecution to stop charging Tsvangirai. We write to you at the (instance) of Lungisani Ncube, the complainant in this matter, who has advised us that he is not aggrieved by, and is of the view that Jonathan Tsvangirais conduct in this matter does not render him crime liable. Our client is, therefore, of the view that it is not necessary that he be prosecuted. We hope you find the above in order, wrote Mathonsi Ncube Law Chambers. The move also prompted Kutamahufa on May 21, last year to write a letter of complaint against Nyathis conduct to his bosses in Bulawayo and asked for him to recuse himself because of his closeness with Ncube as they reportedly hailed from the same home area in Gwanda. Nyathi is also accused of aiding Ncube to retrieve copies of the alleged forged documents from the police to the private handwriting expert Nhari so that he could regularise his initial report on Ncubes alleged forged signature after he was roped in by his former boss, Mutangadura. However, in their statements to Zacc investigators, National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ) bosses distanced themselves from Mutangadura, adding that they were not aware of how he got involved in the case. In her statement to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), the former head of NPAZ in Bulawayo, Martha Cheda, said she did not know how Kutamahufas docket found itself in Mutangaduras hands. Acting Deputy Prosecutor General, Justin Uladi, in his statement to Zacc also said according to records at the head office, there was no evidence that the docket was transferred from Bulawayo to Harare. Director of the Department of Forensic Sciences in the Home Affairs ministry, Bothwell Takura Mutandiro, also told investigators that the final analyses on handwriting samples were not done because the department was awaiting additional samples from police which they had requested. Government handwriting expert, Gombakomba, who is also deputy director in the Department of Forensic Sciences, told Zacc investigators that she wrote a report to the Officer-in-Charge CID Fraud in Bulawayo requesting additional samples so that an examination could be concluded. Newsday Facebook on Friday announced that it may allow former President Donald Trumps Facebook and Instagram accounts to be reinstated in January 2023. At that time, the social media company will re-evaluate whether the risk to public safety of allowing Trump back onto its services has receded. This two-year suspension will prevent Trump from using Facebook or Instagram to broadcast to his followers until after the 2022 U.S. midterm elections. Do you think tech giants like Facebook are using their power to censor political speech and manipulate U.S. politics? Choices are: You voted: The face of Illinois representation for the next decade now comes down to whether Gov. J.B. Pritzker will accept Democrat-drawn legislative borders or stand behind a campaign promise to reject politics-influenced mapping. Minor changes were made to initially released plans, but they were far from enough to sate Republican lawmakers, who have called for an independent commission to draw the maps. Instead, party line votes of 41-18 in the Senate and 71-45 in the House propelled the measure to the governors desk about 10 p.m. Friday. Although Pritzker said while campaigning in 2018 that he would support having an independent commission draw legislative boundaries, he since has eased his stance and changed verbiage to say he would not approve a map that was unfair. Democrats say what they have provided is a fair map that reflects the great diversity of our state and ensures every person receives equal representation in the General Assembly, according to Sen. Omar Aquino of Chicago, chairman of the Senate Redistricting Committee. Rep. Lisa Hernandez of Cicero, chair of the House Redistricting Committee, said comments gathered from 50 public hearings and hours of testimony helped create a map our state can be proud of. She said the committee included revisions to address concerns raised by Republicans when redrawing the legislative borders for Illinois 118 House and 59 Senate districts. Not really, said many Republicans, who are finding allies in dozens of independent and Democrat-leaning voter groups opposing the closed-door process and its results. Lets be honest about what this is. Its a map drawn by Democrats who only care about one thing: holding on to their power. This map isnt fair, it isnt designed to best represent people, Republican state Sen. Steve McClure of Springfield said. Partisan bickering is not unusual when legislative districts are redrawn as required every 10 years. What is unusual is that the key data behind apportioning those pockets of voters final U.S. Census Bureau numbers was delayed this year by the pandemic. Instead, the committees used the American Community Surveys five-year estimate for 2019. They said those numbers differ just 0.3% from the states official population count. The advocacy group Change Illinois counters that means 41,877 people were not accounted for in the approved map. It said the decision to advance the map despite giving residents and community groups an impossible timeline to understand and react to what was proposed will disenfranchise voters. Everyone should count. Everyone deserves representation. Illinois deserves equitable redistricting, Change Illinois Executive Director Madeleine Doubek said. We again urge Gov. J.B. Pritzker to fulfill his repeated pledges to veto any partisan map, but especially one built from an under-count of Illinoisans. The people of Illinois want maps where everyone is represented. Hernandez said what should stand out about the map is how similar districts look compared to our current map. Thats not the case in west-central Illinois, though, where Morgan County would be split into two districts. Jacksonville and South Jacksonville are among the communities that would move into the 99th House District from their current home in the 100th District. Ironically, that would mean Jacksonville Republican Rep. C.D. Davidsmeyer no longer would represent his own home town. If these maps were drafted by a truly independent commission, I would gladly support the outcome, Davidsmeyer said. But once again, the political insiders picked their voters. He said he refused to support maps that were drawn by politicians behind closed doors, using inaccurate data that does not reflect our states real population. McClure urged the governor to veto the map. (Democrats) did just what they planned to do (all) along, which was to go behind closed doors, with flawed and out-of-date data, and they drew a partisan map designed to hold onto their power for another decade, he said. Routt Catholic High School students gave a helping hand this school year. Literally. Students in the schools web design class created a prosthetic hand using a 3D printer and became a e-NABLE provider. Teacher Tracy Ptacek attended a conference in February 2020 during which she learned about the program and that schools were stepping forward to help develop prosthetics. I knew our students had to have the opportunity to participate, Ptacek said. Principal Nick Roscetti approved the purchase of two 3D printers, and Ptacek started the approval process to be an e-NABLE provider. The online community e-NABLE provides free upper-limb devices for children and adults in need. This school year, after the school bought the 3D printers, students designed and created a prosthetic hand in the spare time they had during class. The class was not focused on 3D printing and any work done on the hand was in addition to normal course work, Ptacek said. The hand the students developed went to Mark Landon of Missouri, who was not able to afford a prosthetic from traditional manufacturers. Landon found Routt through the e-NABLE program and reached out for help. After talking with Landon, Ptacek knew she and the students had to try to help, she said. Mark told me about his accident, and how he had to have three fingers amputated, and I knew we had to help him Ptacek said. I was confident that with the innovation and motivation of the students, we could modify the original files to fit Marks need. It was a learning process for both the students and Landon. By December, the students had developed two hands for Landon. They sent them to him for feedback before revising the designs. Landon evaluated the hands and helped the students understand what worked well and what needed reconfiguring. With that information, we pressed on, resizing the fingers and reshaping the palm, Ptacek said. In April, we were able to send him three more prototypes and, during a follow-up video conference, we learned that we were on the right track with one of the designs. Though it was a learning experience for everyone, the students willingness to help wasnt something she could teach, Ptacek said. Their compassion and service-driven attitudes made it possible for a man who lost his fingers to reacquire his grip, Ptacek said. This project encompasses Routts motto of Enter to Grow and Leave to Serve by giving these students the opportunity to both give and receive, and see the difference they can make in the world. I know that it has made an impact on me and I hope that we can help more people in the future. CARROLLTON The Greene County Health Department is asking for help obtaining dead birds so the Illinois Department of Health can test for West Nile virus. The virus is transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito. Perching birds, crows, blue jays, robins, cardinals, catbirds, mockingbirds and many species of sparrows, finches, flycatchers, swallows, warblers, wrens and small or medium-size hawks can be tested. OPPOSITION MDC Alliance has claimed that it is confident of electoral victory in 2023, and that it has made inroads in the rural areas that are traditionally considered as Zanu PF strongholds. In a communique, the Nelson Chamisa-led opposition party said it had managed to attract the rural populace through the partys Zimbabwe agenda 2021 which is targeting six million voters for the 2023 elections. The national executive council (NEC) noted the significant progress that has been made so far in implementing agenda 2021. The agenda has gathered momentum throughout all provinces in Zimbabwe. The enthusiasm both in rural and urban dwellers on the need for convergence is encouraging. Citizens are mobilising to win Zimbabwe for change, read a communique issued by the party after its NEC meeting. The peoples party is on the move. Its getting stronger by the day. There is a stampede among ordinary people to buy party cards and become party members. The party is accelerating its membership drive in recruiting and mobilising for victory. The six million registered voter target is getting close to being achieved. But Zanu PF spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo described the claims by the MDC Alliance as wishful thinking. Thats wishful thinking and all I can say is that its wishful thought. As for the election as a party we want free and peaceful elections and we wish them to do the same. As for penetrating our stronghold, thats wishful thinking. We wish them good luck in the elections. However, they should not stay too long in their wishful thinking. If wishes were horses, beggars would certainly ride, Khaya Moyo told NewsDay. On electoral reforms, the MDC Alliance said these should be agreed by all stakeholders with clear issues put on the table to the satisfaction of all concerned political parties. We reiterate the urgent need to institute and implement genuine electoral reforms; this involves implementing the recommendations by election observer missions. We call for professional and transparent delimitation and census processes as well as sincere voter registration drive before the delimitation process. They said Zimbabweans living in the diaspora should be allowed to vote in line with section 67 of the Constitution, adding that electoral violence should end, contesting parties should be accorded access to State media. Zimbabwe is suffering from a twin pandemic of COVID-19 and authoritarian consolidation. The regime is on a warpath against its citizens and is in pre-election panic mode. The brazen attack on our constitutional order through the weaponisation of the law, questionable Constitutional amendments and the attempt to create a one-party State must be challenged, the party said. In an interview, MDC Alliance spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere said: Our peoples agenda is resonating strongly with multitudes of citizens on the ground who are already converging to win Zimbabwe for change. The teams ability to champion the cause of the people and demonstrate that we are the only viable alternative to Zanu PF has netted great success. Newsday A major cyber attack during the weekend paralyzed some operations for the worlds largest meat processor, as information technology crews tried to determine the extent of its reach and lessen its impact. Whether the attack on processor JBS affected any of its operations outside of Australia including a pork processing facility in Beardstown was unclear Monday because of the Memorial Day holiday. But JBS Australia Chief Executive Officer Brent Eastwood confirmed the attack to Beef Central, a news agency that covers the Australian beef industry. He told the publication there was nothing to indicate the hackers were affiliated with any environmental or animal activists. He said the company still was assessing the damage. Australian media has reported similar cyber attacks during the past several months on other large, international companies. JBS has 47 facilities across Australia. Agriculture Minister David Littleproud told ABC News Australia that law enforcement authorities were working with JBS crews to investigate. The technology that (JBS) uses, the systems they use, go to the heart of the quality assurance of the beef that they process, so we need to make sure that we can get that up and going to give confidence, not just to consumers here in Australia, but also to our export markets, he told the news agency. In addition to the pork production plant in Beardstown, JBS has operations in other U.S. States, Mexico and Canada to process beef, pork, poultry and lamb. Over the past few months, at least 100,000 Russian troops have assembled next to that countrys western border with Ukraine a chilling and unprecedented scene not witnessed since Moscow annexed Crimea in 2014. Some international observers have pointed to it as Putins posturing and a means to chest thump at the new Biden administration. Others have expressed deeper concerns that it is the start of another plan to seize Ukrainian territory. But what remains indisputable to many analysts is Washington must not look weak in this ongoing watershed moment, which could ultimately set the stage for how far the Kremlin is willing to go to advance its interests both around and outside of its neighborhood. Indeed, the hostilities caught Bidens eye. In the early days of the re-flaring of tensions, the president condemned Moscows aggression, called his Russian counterpart, and dangled the offer of a potential summit meeting. Biden then put forth via executive order a new slate of economic sanctions against 38 Russian entities alleged to have been involved in cyberattacks and election meddling, as well as on those connected to the occupation of Crimea. The Biden administration also barred U.S. banking institutions from doing business with newly-issued Russian state debt and bonds and expelled 10 diplomats from U.S. soil. Yet Bidens policy is rooted in timid de-escalation, going for mild prohibitions and additional sanctions none of which directly impact Putin, the top echelons of his circle, or their families. And Biden is allowing the Nord Stream 2 Pipeline to move forward. Bidens actions mark a major pullback compared to his earlier characterization of the Russian leader as a killer. The rising tensions with an emboldened Moscow marks an early yet defining test of the new presidents leadership and willingness to go as far as necessary to contain a burbling nemesis and shore up Washingtons position as a global leader. Putin will stop at nothing to ensure Ukraine is always a buffer state between NATO and Russia. Bidens policy at first was no policy as the administration was caught off guard trying to tackle the pandemic, political crisis economic recovery and international challenges like China and Iran, explained Harry Kazianis, senior director at the Center for the National Interest. Nonetheless, Putins troop buildup is meant as a signal to Biden that he cannot be ignored and to not interfere in his plans to dominate not only Ukraine but all of the former states of the USSR. Now Biden must try to cobble some sort of policy of out nothing, which wont be easy. Moscows actions continue to ignite panic not only in Kyiv a NATO ally but not yet a partner but in allies around the globe. The E.U.s foreign policy chief Josef Borrell warned this week that it would take a mere spark to trigger full-scale hostilities in eastern Ukraines Donetsk and Luhansk regions, where tensions have been simmering between government soldiers and pro-Russian separatists for some six years and claimed more than 14,000 lives. A peace agreement in 2015 ended the significant bouts of fighting in those pockets of eastern Ukraine. Yet, the peace process has stalled since leaving separatist areas essentially self-declared republics, with Moscow publicly denying involvement. But, according to multiple analysts, Putin and company are still pulling strings as the shadow government. Like Biden, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has offered a public condemnation of the Russian troop amassing, all while standing next to NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. However, the U.S. and its allies are yet to unveil a clear-cut position on Ukraines assimilation with the West, despite the country forgoing its nuclear stockpile. Beyond the public rhetoric, neither the U.S. nor the E.U. has projected much in the way of definitive action against Russian transgressions. However, Benjamin Friedman, policy director at Defense Priorities, contended Bidens policy while pragmatic might be too strong. As it stands, Russian defense minister Sergei Shoigu has referred to the maneuver of three airborne units, two armies, and the establishment of a new highly discernable field base as merely a readiness check to counter an uptick of activity by the U.S. and NATO partners. The Kremlin has vowed to keep its troops there for as long as it deems necessary. Moreover, Moscow remains vehemently against any NATO expansions and highly dubious of Western moves in and around its terrain. And if the lessons of 2014 and Crimea serve as any ballpark, Russia is not concerned with taking matters into its own hands. For his part, Biden is no longer vice president and having to play second fiddle to anyone. He wants to prove he is a statesman and a world leader, and who better to show his metal to than that killer and KGB thug Putin, added John Wood, analyst and author of Russia, the Asymmetric Threat to the United States. Accordingly, the U.S. can and should draw a red line in the sand with respect to Ukraine. But the wounded Russian bear is more dangerous and volatile than a strong Russian bear. Holly McKay was an investigative and international affairs/war journalist and author of the book Only Cry for the Living: Memos from Inside the ISIS Battlefield. She wrote this for InsideSources. Microphone and US Flag View Photo U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) recently spoke on the Senate floor regarding public safety. McConnell was Tuesdays KVML Newsmaker of the Day. Here are his words: From coast to coast, American families are facing an explosion of violent crime on their streets and in their neighborhoods. 2020 saw homicides skyrocket nationwide. The sharpest one-year increase in decades. And 2021 is already shaping up to be even worse. Last year Seattle saw a 61% increase in murders citywide. In 2020, Minneapolis saw homicides hit levels not seen since the 1990s. And so far, 2021 is about doubling last years pace. Here in Washington D.C., 2020 saw homicides hit a 16-year high, and again, 2021 is already on an even worse trajectory. The situation is devolving all across the country. In my hometown of Louisville, as one report put it, quote, the number of slayings in 2020 dwarf[ed] anything Louisville has seen obliterating the previous record. Crime and delinquency have many causes. In some ways, the pandemic likely contributed. But it is impossible to ignore that these terrible trends are coming precisely as so-called progressives have decided its time to denounce and defund local law enforcement. Seattle cut police funding by 20%. Minneapolis defunded cops by millions of dollars. The District of Columbias city council approved $15 million in cuts. These bone-headed decisions are the direct result of an anti-law-enforcement fad that has swept through the political left like a wildfire. And perhaps just as important as these funding cuts is the wave of hostile sentiment thats come with them. Harvard scholars have found that after high-profile incidents reduce the trust that the public and politicians put in the police, the cities in question receive less active policing and subsequently see an increase in crime, including homicides. In other words, in the wake of terrible incidents like we saw last summer, local leaders should look for ways to build bridges and rebuild trust between the vast majority of brave and honorable officers and their communities. But instead, from city councils to the halls of Congress, many on the far left decided to crank the knob all the way up on anti-cop rhetoric, across the board. Quote: Not only do we need to disinvest from police but we need to completely dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department. Quote: Policing in our country is inherently and intentionally racist No more policing, incarceration, and militarization. Incredulous people asked whether this nonsense was even meant seriously. Helpfully, one Member of Congress clarified: quote, defunding police means defunding police. End quote. A small set of politicians may see selfish opportunities for fame or fundraising if they defame and defund the police. But American families are paying a deadly price. Defunding the police isnt just a terrible idea for overall public safety. Its also a uniquely awful strategy for racial justice. One study recently confirmed that, quote, larger police forces save lives and the lives saved are disproportionately Black lives. So, look, Im not sure exactly how the rantings of far-left Twitter about crime and policing became official Democratic Party dogma in so many places across America. What I do know is that ordinary Americans cannot bear much more of this. And that goes double for the most vulnerable neighborhoods. The Newsmaker of the Day is heard every weekday morning at 6:45, 7:45 and 8:45 on AM 1450 and FM 102.7 KVML. Dane Fire in Sonora View Photos Sonora, CA Sonora Police have released new information regarding the Dane Fire in downtown Sonora over the Memorial Day weekend, including a possible cause. The Dane Fire was called out as a structure fire that spread to nearby vegetation on a property in the 20400 block of Columbia Way near Dane Lane in downtown Sonora on Sunday around noon, as reported here. After receiving several 911 calls, officers raced to the scene and found a fire burning in an open field towards Dane Lane and Highway 49. While the exact cause remains under investigation, Sonora Police signal the cause may be due to barbecuing, resulting in improper disposal of ashes. Based off of witness statements and clues at the scene led us to an area where there appeared to be ashes disposed of, detailed SPD spokesperson Thomas Brickley. During the fire, officers worked to evacuate nearby residences and direct traffic in the area. Air and ground fire resources were able to stop the flames forward rate of spread in about an hour and it was contained at half an acre. The structure burned in the blaze was an outbuilding, but the flames came extremely close to the backside of Sonora Customs Cycles shop on the highway. It came within 30 feet, recounted officer Brickley. That was actually just a little bit of a spot fire where an ember came up and over and caught fire there. Luckily, there were no injuries reported and Brickley added that the fire had the potential to be much worse had it not been for the quick, joint fire suppression efforts of all involved, including Sonora City Fire, CAL Fire, and Tuolumne County Fire. AP PHOTOS: Shattered rooms show Gaza wars toll on children View Photo GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) The latest Gaza war is over, but its wreckage still litters the purple bedroom of 9-year-old Shrouq al-Masri and her 4-year-old sister, Razan. Their toys are coated with gray dust, the ceiling is bent and buckled, and the cracks in the walls slice through the cartoons that decorated them. The two girls survived the early morning airstrike that destroyed a nearby building on May 19, two days before a cease-fire ended the war. But like so many children in Gaza, they will carry the memory of its horrors and devastation. The 11-day war was the fourth fought between Israel and Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that has ruled Gaza since 2007. It featured the same waves of predawn Israeli airstrikes, the same continuous rocket fire out of the impoverished territory, and the same lopsided casualty toll, with Palestinians making up the vast majority of the more than 250 killed. And like the others, it took a heavy toll on children. At least 66 Palestinian children were killed, as well as a 5-year-old boy and a 16-year-old girl on the Israeli side. Countless more were awakened in the night by explosions. In the Maghazi refugee camp in southern Gaza, an airstrike tore the roof off the bedroom that 4-year-old Anas Alhajahmed shared with his sister and left the floor covered in shattered glass. They survived as well. It was the first war in his short life, but most Gazans vividly recall the others including the most devastating, in 2014, which lasted several weeks. Even adolescents can point out homes destroyed in previous rounds of fighting. Israel blames the destruction on Hamas, which fires imprecise rockets from civilian areas in Gaza in the general direction of civilian areas in Israel. The military says it makes every effort to avoid civilian casualties. Hamas says it is fighting a decades-old military occupation, using the only weapons it has against a far superior military power. It says 80 militants were among those killed. Both sides say they have no choice, and no one expects this war to be the last. Meanwhile, the intractable conflict takes its toll on those with the least capacity to understand its cruel logic. Mahmoud Al-Masri, 14, shared his room with six brothers. At 3 a.m., his family scrambled out of the building after the Israeli military warned them to evacuate. He didnt think he would make it. The next morning, he was hesitant to return. I was afraid that after we returned we would be killed by a drone in another attack, he said. The survivors have even more hardship ahead as they struggle to rebuild. Israel and Egypt have imposed a crippling blockade on Gaza since Hamas seized power from rival Palestinian forces in 2007. Unemployment hovers around 50%. Israel says the closure is needed to keep Hamas from re-arming, while the Palestinians and rights groups view it as a form of collective punishment. Either way, it will be a long time before the children whose bedrooms were shattered return to somewhere that feels like home. By JOHN MINCHILLO Associated Press DA wont seek death even if Scott Peterson gets new trial View Photo SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) California prosecutors said Tuesday that they wont again seek the death penalty against Scott Peterson in the 2002 slaying of his pregnant wife even if he is granted a new trial based on juror misconduct. But even that declaration wasnt enough to entirely take a death sentence off the table, Superior Court Judge Anne-Christine Massullo said. Laws change, district attorneys change, she said. I want to make sure that we do this right. Massullo is considering when to resentence Peterson to life without parole after Stanislaus County District Attorney Birgit Fladager said in a court filing Friday that she would not seek to retry the death penalty portion of the case after it was overturned by the state Supreme Court in August. From the legal point of view I hate using this term its a done deal, Chief Deputy District Attorney Dave Harris told the judge during what was otherwise an unresolved procedural hearing over who will represent Peterson. Hes no longer eligible to be housed on death row. Hes not going to be subjected to the death penalty. As a legal matter, it would be a violation for us to up that punishment once Peterson is re-sentenced to life in prison, Harris said. That cant be changed once its relied upon by the other side. But Massullo is also considering if Peterson should get an entire new trial because of juror misconduct. One of Petersons defense attorneys, Pat Harris, said that from his legal research it appears prosecutors could again seek the death penalty if they have to retry the entire case, because a new trial would send it right back to square one. The judge said she expects to decide the new trial issue this year, and she put off a decision whether to resentence Peterson before she makes that decision. She set another hearing for June 18. Massullo is considering whether Peterson merits a new trial because a juror failed to disclose that she had sought a restraining order against her boyfriends ex-girlfriend in 2000. The juror said in seeking the order that she feared for her unborn child. Massullo must decide if that amounted to juror misconduct, and if so, whether it was so prejudicial that a new trial is warranted. With Fladagers announcement Friday, Peterson will be sentenced to life imprisonment if no new trial is granted. Peterson, 48, appeared at the hearing through a video link from San Quentin State Prison, home of the states death row,. But he offered no verbal response to the district attorneys decision and ensuing legal discussion. California hasnt executed anyone since 2006, and Gov. Gavin Newsom has imposed a moratorium on executions so long as he is governor. Laci Peterson, 27, was eight months pregnant with their unborn son, Connor, when she was killed. Investigators said that on Christmas Eve 2002, Peterson took the bodies from their Modesto home and dumped them from his fishing boat into San Francisco Bay, where they surfaced months later. Peterson was convicted in 2005 in San Mateo County after his trial was moved from Stanislaus County because of worldwide pre-trial publicity. The state Supreme Court overturned Petersons death sentence because potential jurors were improperly dismissed after saying they personally disagreed with the death penalty but would be willing to follow the law and impose it. But the justices said there was considerable circumstantial evidence incriminating him. Pat Harris said he can now show that there was a nearby burglary on the day Laci Peterson disappeared, supporting the defenses claim that she was killed when she stumbled upon the crime. By DON THOMPSON Associated Press Citizens have been urged by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) to be on high alert following a surge in the number of people pretending to be ZACC officials. This comes after an impostor, who claimed to be a ZACC investigator, was arrested last Friday. Prosper Kaseke of 7780, 48 Close, Glen Norah, Harare, is understood to have given a lift to a ZACC investigator and two other passengers in Westgate, Harare, on their way to Nyabira. Along the way, Kaseke is said to have identified himself to the passengers as a ZACC field officer and produced a fake identification card written National Anti-Corruption of Zimbabwe. Kaseke is said to have told the passengers that he was on duty and was operating in the Banket area of Mashonaland West Province, although he reportedly said he was stationed at ZACCs Herbert Chitepo offices in Harare In a statement this afternoon, ZACC spokesperson Commissioner John Makamure said the imposter told his passengers that his rank was that of a Captain. He also indicated that he had operated in many areas around Zimbabwe including border areas and Kwekwe, said Comm Makamure. However, on arrival at Nyabira, about 38km from Harare along Chinhoyi road, the ZACC Investigations Officer who was a passenger in the vehicle requested for a stopover at the bus stop, and then arrested the impersonator. He was taken to Nyabira Police Station where he was detained. Said Comm Makamure: ZACC has received several reports of people that are masquerading as ZACC Commissioners, investigators or officials. We urge the public to be wary of such criminals. He added that if anyone is approached by the so-called ZACC officials, they must request for a positive identification and if a demand of any sort is made, they must immediately report to ZACC on WhatsApp number +263719529483 or +263242307065/6/7, +263242369602/5/8/14 or zacc.online/tipoffs. CANBERRA, Australia (AP) An Australian court on Tuesday rejected a challenge to the federal governments draconian power to prevent most citizens from leaving the country so that they dont bring COVID-19 home. Australia is alone among developed democracies in preventing its citizens and permanent residents from leaving the country except in exceptional circumstances where they can demonstrate a compelling reason. Most Australians have been stranded in their island nation since March 2020 under a government emergency order made under the powerful Biosecurity Act. Libertarian group LibertyWorks argued before the full bench of the Federal Court in early May that Health Minister Greg Hunt did not have the power to legally enforce the travel ban that has prevented thousands of Australians from attending weddings and funerals, caring for dying relatives and meeting newborn babies. LibertyWorks lawyer Jason Potts argued that Australians had a right to leave their country under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights that Australia had ratified. But the three judges ruled that submission was based on the erroneous premise that the right is absolute. LibertyWorks lawyers also argued that such a biosecurity control order could only be imposed on an individual rather than an entire population. The order could only be imposed if that individual had symptoms of a listed human disease, had been exposed to such a disease or had failed to comply with travel requirements. The judges ruled that that interpretation of the law would frustrate Parliaments clear intentions when lawmakers created the emergency powers in the Biosecurity Act in 2015. It may be accepted that the travel restrictions are harsh. It may also be accepted that they intrude upon individual rights, the judges said in their ruling. But Parliament was aware of that. LibertyWorks President Andrew Cooper said he was considering an appeal to the High Court. We are very disappointed in the judgement today. We continue to believe that the outbound border closure is defective in law and, perhaps more importantly, unjust on human rights grounds. We must remind ourselves also that often things that are legal are not necessarily just," Cooper said in an email. While Europe and most of the world open up their borders, only North Korea and Australia stubbornly continue with strict controls over their citizens ability to leave their country, Cooper added. He had expected hundreds of thousands of Australians to fly within weeks if he had won. Critics of the emergency order argue it is harshest for the 30% of Australians who were born overseas. The government says tough border controls have played an important part in Australias relative success in containing COVID-19 spread. Surveys suggest most Australians applaud their governments drastic border controls. The Australian newspaper published a survey last month that found 73% of respondents said the international border should remain closed until at least the middle of next year. Australian Broadcasting Corp. last week reported its own survey had found 79% of respondents agree the international border should stay shut until the pandemic is under control globally. Critics of the Australian travel restrictions argue that decisions on who can travel and why are inconsistent and lack transparency. Esther and Charles Baker, an ultra-Orthodox Jewish couple from Australias second-largest city, Melbourne, were twice refused exemptions to fly to New Jersey to attend their youngest sons wedding in June last year. They appealed to the Federal Court, citing religious and cultural reasons among their exceptional circumstances. But a judge dismissed their case and ordered the couple to pay the governments legal costs for their challenge. A person at the center of a coronavirus cluster in Melbourne had been allowed to attend a wedding in India. He was not infected in that country but rather during the required 14-day hotel quarantine upon his return. Authorities say he was infected by a traveler in another room on his floor and that the virus was carried in the air. Melbourne began a seven-day lockdown on Friday due to the cluster that by Tuesday had grown to more than 50 cases. Australia and New Zealand opened a quarantine-free travel bubble in April and hope to create such bubbles with other countries in time. LONDON (AP) A terminal at London's Heathrow Airport that was mothballed because of the coronavirus pandemic reopened Tuesday to serve passengers arriving from high-risk countries an action that critics said was long overdue. Britain has barred travelers from a red list of 43 coronavirus hotspots including India, Brazil, Turkey and South Africa, fearing they could bring in worrisome virus variants. U.K. citizens and residents who return from those countries face a mandatory 10-day supervised quarantine in a government-approved hotel. Critics, however, have complained that red list passengers have been using the same airport arrivals hall as thousands of travelers from other destinations, though in separate lines, since hotel quarantines were introduced in February. Some arriving passengers have described hours-long waits at Heathrow's passport control in crowded conditions. Starting Tuesday, red list arrivals will pass through the airports Terminal 3, which was closed in April 2020 as international air travel plummeted, leaving Heathrow previously Europe's busiest airport largely empty. Heathrow said in a statement that it had set up the new arrivals facility because red list routes will likely be a feature of U.K. travel for the foreseeable future. The Public and Commercial Services Union, which represents border staff, said the decision had been made at extremely short notice, meaning key social distancing procedures are not in place. This is another poorly planned initiative that will be understaffed and rely on volunteers to do overtime, to avoid mounting queues, the union said. The U.K. has recorded almost 128,000 coronavirus deaths, the highest toll in Europe. A mass vaccination campaign that started in December has brought new infections and deaths down sharply, but case numbers are once again rising as a more transmissible virus variant, named Delta by the World Health Organization and first identified in India, spreads across the U.K. On Tuesday, the government reported a further 3,165 confirmed COVID-19 cases, compared to about 2,500 cases last week. But Britain recorded no coronavirus deaths on Tuesday for the first time since July. Apart from July 30, there have been no days without officially recorded COVID-19 deaths since March 2020. Still, rising case numbers have cast doubt on the Conservative government's plans to lift social distancing rules and remaining pandemic-related restrictions on June 21. Many scientists are urging a delay, arguing that more people need to be vaccinated before measures can be eased safely. Three-quarters of U.K. adults have had one dose of a coronavirus vaccine so far, and almost half have had both doses. Pop-up clinics have been set up as part of a surge vaccination campaign in hotspot areas, including one that inoculated thousands of people Monday at Londons Twickenham rugby stadium. On Tuesday, the Scottish government, which controls its own health policy, said it would be cautious and delay plans to ease restrictions in the most populous parts of the country because cases are rising. "This is a pause, not a step backwards, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said. The U.K. government says it will announce on June 14 whether the latest relaxation for England will be delayed. We will continue to look at the data, we will continue to look at the latest scientific evidence, as we move through June, Prime Minister Boris Johnsons spokesman, Jamie Davies, said Tuesday. Mark Walport, a former chief scientific adviser to the government, said the situation was very finely balanced. It is a quite perilous moment, but weve just got to keep our fingers crossed that the measures work, he told the BBC. ___ Follow more of APs pandemic coverage at: https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak AP KERRVILLE, Texas (AP) Authorities in Texas arrested a man accused of plotting to carry out a mass shooting at a Walmart, and a search of the suspect's home turned up firearms, ammunition and materials officials described as radical ideology paraphernalia. Coleman Thomas Blevins, 28, was arrested Friday in Kerrville and has been charged with making a terroristic threat to create public fear of serious bodily injury, the Kerr County Sheriff's Office said in a news release Sunday. COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) Several European nations want Denmark to explain why its foreign secret service allegedly helped the United States spy on European leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, more than seven years ago. We want the cards on the table, said Swedish Defense Minister Peter Hulqvist, adding it was unacceptable to eavesdrop on allies. Danish lawmaker Karsten Hoenge of the left-leaning Socialist Peoples Party, which is supporting Denmarks Social Democratic government, said Monday that he would quiz the Scandinavian countrys defense and justice ministers in parliament about the case. The government must explain how come Denmark has been acting as a willing tool for a U.S. intelligence service, and what it will mean for cooperation with Denmarks neighboring countries, he said. The Danish broadcaster DR said Sunday that the Danish Defense Intelligence Service, known in Denmark by its acronym FE, in 2014 conducted an internal investigation into whether the U.S. National Security Agency had used its cooperation with the Danes to spy against Denmark and neighboring countries. The probe, codenamed Operation Dunhammer, concluded that NSA had eavesdropped on political leaders and officials in Germany, France, Sweden and Norway. Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg said it was unacceptable if countries that have close allied cooperation should feel the need to spy on each other or obtain information about them. Spying on others creates more mistrust than it creates collaboration. So, its not a smart investment for the United States, she told the Norwegian broadcaster NRK. According to DR, the alleged setup between the United States and Denmark reportedly allowed the NSA to obtain data by using the telephone numbers of politicians as search parameters. DR said its report was based on interviews with nine unnamed sources, all of whom were said to have had access to classified information held by the FE. The military agency allegedly helped the NSA from 2012 to 2014. If the news is correct (...) this is not acceptable between allies, very clearly, said French President Emmanuel Macron, whose country was also allegedly targeted by U.S. intelligence. Im attached to the relation of trust between Europe and the United States, he told reporters. Theres no room between us for suspicion. Macron urged for the U.S. to make full clarity on the past facts, but also on current practices. Speaking at the same virtual news conference after bilateral talks Monday between Paris and Berlin, Merkel said the issue of NSA eavesdropping had already been discussed previously with the United States, and Germany had made clear at the time its position that spying among friends wasnt acceptable. What was true then is true today as well, she said. Im reassured that Denmark, the Danish government and the defense minister have said very clearly what they think of these matters, Merkel added. As such, I see a good basis, aside from clearing up this matter, to also achieve truly trustful relations. Reports in 2013 that the NSA listened in on German government phones, including Merkels, prompted a diplomatic spat between Berlin and Washington that soured otherwise good relations with President Barack Obamas administration. Still, there were also reports that Germanys own BND intelligence agency may have helped the U.S. spy on European companies and officials. Former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, who revealed details of the secret U.S. eavesdropping programs in 2013, reacted to the DR report with a sarcastic tweet in Danish: Oh, why didnt anyone warn us? In a written comment to DR, Danish Defense Minister Trine Bramsen said the government cannot discuss intelligence matters. She added the present government has the same point of view as the former Social Democratic government led by Helle Thorning-Schmidt who was in power during that period: the systematic wiretapping of close allies is unacceptable. In August, Bramsen relieved the head of the countrys foreign intelligence service, among others, after an independent watchdog heavily criticized the spy agency for deliberately withholding information and violating Danish laws. Denmark has two intelligence agencies, the Danish Defense Intelligence Service, which is also responsible for military intelligence, and the domestic Danish Security and Intelligence Service, known by its Danish acronym PET. ___ This story has been corrected to show that Operation Dunhammer is the code name for Denmarks investigation, not the code name for the alleged spying setup between Denmark and the U.S. A previous version of this story was corrected to show that a lawmaker said Monday that he wants to quiz the government about the spying, not that he will do that in parliament on Monday. ___ Sylvie Corbet in Paris, and Frank Jordans and Geir Moulson in Berlin, contributed to this report. SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) For generations Marcus Whitman has been widely viewed as an iconic figure from early Pacific Northwest history, a venerated Protestant missionary who was among 13 people killed by the Cayuse tribe near modern-day Walla Walla, Washington, in 1847. But this past year has seen a continued reappraisal of Whitman, whose actions have increasingly been viewed as imperialistic and destructive. The Washington Legislature voted to strip his likeness from the U.S. Capitol. Students at Whitman College in Walla Walla demonstrated recently to demand another Whitman statue be removed from campus. A new book says a well-known story about Whitmans efforts to save the Northwest from British rule was fabricated. The developments come amid a nationwide movement, following George Floyds death last year, to shed Confederate monuments and depictions of historical figures who mistreated Native Americans. Statues of colonizers have been targeted in several states. Marcus Whitman is known for leading a small group of missionaries in 1836 into what was then Oregon Country, a region about the size of Alaska. He established the Whitman Mission at Waiilatpu, near the Walla Walla River. The mission was in the territory of the Cayuse Tribe, which was wary of the white settlers. Whitman and his wife, Narcissa, were strict Calvinists who preached a demanding version of Christianity that proved unpopular with the tribe. In more than a decade of effort, they managed to convert only two members of the tribe, said Blaine Harden, an author and former New York Times and Washington Post reporter who wrote the newly published Murder at the Mission about the massacre. Whitman was a mediocre missionary, Harden told The Associated Press. But the mission became an important stop along the Oregon Trail from 1843 to 1847, and the Cayuse became suspicious that the white settlers were coming to take the land. After a few years, the Whitmans lost interest in the Cayuse and spent their time trying to convert white settlers. Whitman eventually decided the Native Americans needed to give way to the settlers. An 1847 measles outbreak killed half the local Cayuse. The illness also broke out in the mission, but more white settlers survived. Some of the Cayuse blamed the devastation on Whitman and his wife. The Cayuse had a tradition of killing failed medicine men, Harden said, and Whitman, a medical doctor, was warned to leave the area. The Cayuse attacked the mission and killed the Whitmans and 11 others. The deaths shocked the nation. After the massacre, the settlers of the region sent a delegation to Washington, D.C., and used the massacre to motivate Congress to make the Oregon Country an official part of the United States, completing the continental nation, Harden said. Prior to that, the region that became the states of Oregon, Washington and Idaho had been jointly held with the British, Harden said. The killing of Whitman was the trigger that made Walla Walla part of the United States, he said. Twenty years after the massacre, fellow missionary Henry Spalding manufactured a false story about Whitman. Spalding contended Whitman had traveled to Washington, D.C., and persuaded President (John) Tyler to stop the British plot to steal the Oregon Territory from the United States," Harden said. There is no evidence Whitman actually did this, Harden said. But Spalding relentlessly promoted that story, and it became the popularly accepted myth, Harden said, printed in history books for decades. The myth was debunked in 1900 by a Yale professor and dropped from wide use. Whitman's name still adorns landmarks across the Pacific Northwest, including many schools, streets, a hotel in Walla Walla, a county in eastern Washington, a national forest in Oregon and a glacier on Mount Rainier. In 1953 a heroic statue to Whitman was placed in Statuary Hall in Washington, D.C., as one of two representing Washington state. He is standing, wearing buckskin garments and holding a thick Bible and saddlebags. Some people grumbled about the false story of Whitman's achievements even then, Harden said. Harden noted that Whitman College has taken concrete steps for decades to distance itself from the Whitman myth. That includes moving a statue identical to the one in Statuary Hall to a remote corner of campus. The college in 2016 voted to change its mascot from the Missionaries to the Blues, in honor of a nearby mountain range. There are no plans to change the name of the elite college. Washington legislators had been working for several years to replace Whitman's statue in Statuary Hall. This year they chose deceased Native American fishing and environmental activist Billy Frank Jr. for the honor. The measure's prime sponsor, Democratic state Rep. Debra Lekanoff, is the only Native American in the Washington Legislature. Her strategy was to praise Frank without criticizing Whitman, to avoid antagonizing supporters of the missionary. Gov. Jay Inslee in April signed the bill, beginning the process of putting a statue of Frank in the U.S. Capitol. We expect to send our best from the state of Washington to be memorialized in the United States Capitol in Statuary Hall, Inslee said at the bill signing ceremony. We cant send the Nisqually River or Mount Rainier, but we can send Billy Frank Jr. Meanwhile, Whitman students have been working to remove a Whitman statue from campus, including at an April demonstration. Sophomore Gillian Brown told the school newspaper she was uncomfortable with the way the statue glorified Whitman's legacy. Even when I first came to Whitman and they took us to the monument, I thought, This guy is a colonizer. Hes not someone to be celebrated," Brown told the Whitman Wire. The issue is still up in the air. The campus statue is owned by the city of Walla Walla, college spokeswoman Gina Ohnstad said. The city is working on a process to allow residents to submit formal requests for the removal of public art. ___ This story has been corrected to accurately spell Ohnstad. Dale Blasingame /Correspondent For those heading to Enchanted Rock State Natural Area soon, your pack is about to get a little heavier. The popular hiking park will not have water available for drinking, personal hygiene, or cleaning equipment from June 4 through July 1, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department announced in a news release Tuesday. The park is currently making repairs to a water tower that was damaged by the winter freeze in February. AUSTIN, Texas (AP) Texas took a major step Sunday toward becoming the nations largest state where the GOP is making voting harder following the 2020 elections , with the Senate approving a bill that would empower poll watchers, create criminal penalties and add new restrictions on where, when and how to vote. Advocates say the changes would disproportionately affect minorities and people with disabilities. The legislation still has two remaining steps before it becomes the law in Texas: a final vote of approval in the GOP-controlled House that was expected Sunday, which would send the bill to Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, who is is expected to sign off. RELATED: DEMS WALK OUT, HALT GOP VOTING RESTRICTIONS FOR NOW America's largest red state already has some of the tightest voting restrictions in the country and is regularly cited by nonpartisan groups as a state where voting is especially difficult. It was one of the few states that did not make it easier to vote by mail during the coronavirus pandemic, instead sending droves of voters to the polls to cast their ballots in-person. Senate approval of the wide-ranging legislation happened at 6 a.m. Sunday, hours after after a final version of the 67-page bill was released from private negotiations on Saturday. Democrats questioned Republicans about the legislation for eight hours in their final attempts to block the changes from becoming law. The timing gives the public little time to review or protest the overhaul during the Memorial Day holiday weekend, and the legislative session ends by law Monday. So what's included in the planned changes and how did they come about? Here are some details: WHAT THE LEGISLATION MEANS FOR VOTERS AND ELECTION OFFICIALS The GOP legislation known as Senate Bill 7 proposes cutting back on early voting, banning drive-thru voting and making it a felony for elected voting officials who send unsolicited mail ballot applications to Texas voters. Harris County which includes Houston, the nation's fourth-largest city, and is a Democratic stronghold introduced drive-thru voting for November's election but courts blocked election officials from sending mail voting applications to all registered voters. Final wording of the legislation also adds a voter ID requirement to mail ballot applications, requiring voters to submit a driver's license or social security number. Early voting on Sundays also could not begin before 1 p.m., which Democrats say would depress turnout among Black churchgoers who cast their ballot after morning worship services in souls to the polls efforts. Additionally, the bill would require people who are helping voters to disclose their relationship to the voter, whether they were paid to help and whether the voter is eligible to receive assistance and could face a state jail felony for violations MORE SCANDALS: HFD INVESTIGATES LOCAL STATION FOR LEWD VIDEO SHOOT But partisan poll watchers looking to raise concerns to their political party would have more access and election workers could be charged with a crime if they block a poll watchers view. It is a solution in search of a problem, said Democratic state Rep. Nicole Collier, chairwoman of the Texas Legislative Black Caucus. I dont know what they are trying to address. They won the election, I dont know where the voter fraud is occurring. The answer from Republican state Rep. Briscoe Cain, one of the lead authors of the bills: "We dont need to wait for bad things to happen to protect the security of the election. HOW DID THE LEGISLATION GET HERE? Republican lawmakers in Texas are looking to add restrictions similar to those their GOP colleagues in Florida, Georgia and Arizona made into law using former President Donald Trumps unsubstantiated claims of election fraud to justify new rules in the name of election security. (Elections experts say election fraud is exceedingly rare.) In Texas, the GOP has insisted that the changes are needed to restore confidence in the voting process, and not a response to Trumps false assertions. Republicans in Texas continued seeing their margins of victory shrink in November but still won up and down the ballot. Originally, GOP members of each chamber had submitted their own omnibus voting legislation just before the states filing deadline. Sundays combined legislation added 12 additional pages of new restrictions. The latest version also deleted language that would allow election officials to have poll watchers removed if they breach the peace. PROBLEMS WITH TRANSPARENCY The final version of the bill was hashed out behind closed doors by a 10-person, bipartisan committee of lawmakers from both chambers before it was sent back to the full House and Senate for final votes. Known as a conference committee, the panel is majority Republican, so the party that proposed the restrictions remained in control. Voting rights advocates were alarmed that the committee met without making its negotiations public. And some Democratic members of the committee said they had little to no input on the final contents of the bill. ___ Acacia Coronado is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. For the past four years, Air Force veteran Pat Jopling has spent countless hours aiding fellow veterans as a volunteer for Soldiers Angels. The national nonprofit organizations headquarters is in San Antonio, but its vast network of volunteers assists veterans and their families around the world. Jopling is among the thousands of Angel volunteers who believe in donating their time to give back to those who have served their country. Over the years, she has shown her support in multiple ways, such as sorting and handing out food at the monthly mobile food distribution event. Jopling especially loves filling care packages for deployed service members because years ago; she was on the receiving end. In 2007, while deployed in Kuwait, she and her unit received two pallets of Girl Scout Cookies from Soldiers Angels. Oh my gosh, the joy that it brought on our faces, she said. Something like that coming from home, knowing that there are people out there that know were out here and are supporting us no matter where we are. Jopling, who has been retired since 2012, said thats an experience shell never forget. She became emotional when talking about all the ways Soldiers Angels assists veterans. When we get out of the military, were still active, and we want to stay active with the military community, Jopling said. Honestly, I could not have found a better organization to serve other veterans. Soldiers Angels president and CEO Amy Palmer is also an Air Force veteran. She believes San Antonios military culture is why this city has such a great pool of almost 10,000 volunteers. There are quite a few ways for people to volunteer, both in-person and virtually. The nonprofit supports VA medical centers and is one of the few organizations in the country that is on the VAs National Advisory Committee for veterans. Were the only non-membership-based organization, so people can volunteer with us to work in the VA medical centers, Palmer said. We do a lot of work here in San Antonio at the VA Medical Center. She said Soldiers Angels is currently supporting vaccine clinics at VA centers across the country, and they are ready to resume patient visits as soon as COVID-19 restrictions end. So, soon they will need more volunteers to serve meals and perform other tasks at the VA. The U.S. has approximately 160 VA medical centers, and in some way, the organization serves all of them. Soldiers Angels holds free mobile food distributions for veterans in six markets across the country. San Antonio was the first city to conduct the event that now takes place in the parking lot of Cowboys Dancehall at 3030 NE Loop 410. Food usually is distributed on the third Thursday of each month, and veterans who register in advance on soldiersangels.org are eligible to receive about 75 pounds of food. Jopling said some of the regular recipients at the drive-through event include Vietnam and Korean War veterans, veterans with families, veterans with disabilities, and even veterans who are grandparents raising their grandchildren. We often hear that they cant thank us enough because, for many of them, thats all the food they get for the entire month, she said. Another way the public can help is to collect items for the Go Camo Care Package Collection Drive. Personal hygiene products, protein bars, beef jerky and puzzle books are among the products deployed service members request the most. A complete list can be found on the website. The Go Camo drive runs through June 30th, but if you miss that deadline, goods can still be dropped off at Soldiers Angels headquarters at 2895 NE Loop 410 in suite 107. Soldiers Angels was founded in 2003 by Patti Patton-Bader. It all started when her oldest son, deployed in Iraq at the time, told his mother that he was among the few to receive care packages. This news prompted Patton-Bader, the daughter of a veteran of the Korean and Vietnam wars and the great-great-grandniece of General George Patton, to create the volunteer network that has evolved into a charity that has helped thousands. Since its inception, Soldiers Angels has provided more than $205 million in aid for military and veteran families. Over the last 18 years, volunteers have sent more than 937,735 care packages to combat deployed service members. In 2020, the organization provided food assistance to more than 40,300 veterans. Soldiers Angels is fully accredited by the Better Business Bureau. The organization maintains an efficiency rating of 96%, which means that 96 cents of every dollar donated goes directly to programs and services that support the military community. Through Soldiers Angels, there are multiple ways to show gratitude and support U.S. service members in need. Palmer said a lot of people dont realize that many veterans especially those who are older or who have disabilities are not provided for financially. Just the number of people who register for our food distribution it just demonstrates that our veterans do have needs, and they do have struggles, said Palmer. For more information on how to volunteer or donate to Soldiers Angels, visit soldiersangels.org. Yves here. I have doubts about this thesis about how languages change. English went though the Great Vowel Shift (in Shakespeares day, reason rhymed with raisin). When I was in college, no one knew why and per Wikipedia, it still appears that no one knows why. I also wonder where Rosser would put Japanese on his simple v. complicated spectrum. Japanese is much simpler language than English: fewer tenses/verb forms, hardly any irregular verbs, no requirement to speak in complete sentences, fairly small vocabulary, no difficult sounds. Contrary to popular perceptions, Japanese is very easy to speak at a basic level (and I have heard tales of men hanging out in bars who became fluent in a few months). What makes Japanese difficult is its types of formality and politeness, and its kanji. There are important subtleties in the forms of address, like an abasing form often deployed by store clerks, or a Im not sure of your position form, which is an insult if you actually do know the other persons status. It is impossible to speak to someone in Japanese without taking a position on their standing versus yours. That being so central to their language makes them very sensitive to power dynamics. Japanese also has three alphabets: katakana (generally speaking, each character = a syllable), hiragana, for foreign words and kanji, which are characters borrowed from Chinese. Kanji often have more than one meaning. So Japanese speakers can and pretty much always do speak more difficult Japanese (more rarified forms of politeness, higher kanji content) to exclude gaijin. In all of my time dealing with the Japanese, I encountered only two Americans who were fluent enough to stand up to this language testing. One was a member of the State Department who was regularly interviewed on Japanese TV; the other was an academic. That is why gaijin who are doing business in Japan and have some Japanese fluency are best served by playing dumb so their Japanese counterparts will speak Japanese at a level that might be accessible to them (this is true in many situations when dealing across languages, but more so than just about any other with Japanese). To get back to Rossers thesis about languages, Japanese pointedly have avoided foreign influence despite borrowing foreign words. But Japanese has evolved; for instance, I am told older poetry is a slog, but I am not sure what would have led to the shifts in the language. So I dont see this as fitting his paradigm. But Clive our house Japanophile, who is fluent in Japanese, might disagree. By Barkley Rosser, Professor of Economics at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Originally published at EconoSpeak Oh, a minor diversion from the usual political economy stuff that goes up here. This is triggered by an article in last weeks The Economist on the nearly dead San language, Nluu. It has only two living fully fluent speakers alive, both in their 80s. The San languages are among the worlds most ancient, although arguably reflecting a simpler world than the one we live in, although certainly with many complications we know nothing of. But the point that caught my attention was that it has 45 distinct click sounds, along with 114 basic sound units. It is one of only three languages in the world (all of them San) that have something called the double lip-full kiss click, whatever that is. I only know that if one sees an exclamation point that means some sort of click. So probably the most numerous living San group are the !Kung, yeah, some sort of click on the front end of that name. I have known about this matter of clicks in southern African languages for some time, but had no idea there were so many different ones. Not only the San languages, but also the Khoechan (or Khoi khoi) languages have lots of them. Some clicks can also be found in the much more widespread Xhosa languages, one of which was the mother tongue of Nelson Mandela, who almost certainly had some Khoi or San ancestry. But beyond these languages, I am not aware of any others that have any clicks. They have disappeared in later languages, and I am unaware of any other language having anywhere near the number of basic sound units that apparently this nearly extinct Nluu language has. I have not heard anybody theorize about simplifying sounds over time in languages, but I know there is an academic argument about grammar becoming more simplified, especially when two languages are combined as with creole or pidgin languages, something written about by John McWhorter in hi The Creole Debate. Pidgin languages, artificially created to allow communication between groups and drawing on each others languages, tend to be especially simplistic in gramatical terms. It occurs to me that this might apply to English, which is itself a sort of creole out of Germanic Old English and Latinic Norman French, with some other elements. In a way it may be the worlds most complicated language in some forms, notably in probably having more words than just about any other language, drawing on so many inputs from so many parts of the world and fields. But in grammatical terms it is rather simple, with only a few cases and having eliminated gender from most words. In contrast, Lithuanian, thought to be the closest to the original proto-Indo-European has seven cases, more than any other, although Russian is not too far off. However, despite this relative grammatical simplicity, English is hard to learn, not only because it has so many words but because it violates its own supposed rules so often, in contrast with Spanish, for example, reputedly one of the easiest languages to learn. So, there is no big profound point here, but just that I find this curious: that it seems that as languages evolve and interact with each other and encounter more and more influences, they seem to drop elements they previously had, whether these are sound units or grammatical forms and cases. The Economist urges Mexican voters to vote for anyone but AMLO and the US government is up to its old tricks: funneling money to political opposition groups. Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador enjoys pride of place on the cover of the May 29-June 4 edition of The Economist. Above his picture is the headline Mexicos False Messiah. An editorial inside the magazine compares AMLO, as the president is commonly known, to authoritarian populists such as Viktor Orban of Hungary, Narendra Modi of India and Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil. But unlike them, AMLO has been able to escape the limelight, the newspaper said. This is partly because he lacks some of the vices of his populist peers. He does not deride gay people, bash Muslims or spur his supporters to torch the Amazon, The Economist said. To his credit, he speaks out loudly and often for Mexicos have-nots, and he is not personally corrupt. Nonetheless, he is a danger to Mexican democracy. As such, voters in each locality should support whichever opposition party is best placed to win. President Lopez Obrador responded to the article by describing it as propagandistic and highlighting the arrogance of a British weekly newspaper seeking to advise Mexicans on how to vote in next Sundays election: These foreign magazines and newspapers dedicated themselves to applauding the neoliberal policies [of past governments]; theyre in favor of privatizations, and they always kept quiet in the face of the corruption that reigned [in Mexico.] Its like me going to the United Kingdom and asking the English to vote for my friend [Jeremy] Corbyn of the Labour Party. I cant do that because thats a decision for the English. So why dont they respect [us]? The Economist is not just a British newspaper. It has nearly a million subscribers in North America (far more than the 270,000 in Britain), and several hundred thousand in the rest of the world. Its readership has always comprised the creme de le creme of the financial and business elite. Within a decade of its founding, in 1843, Karl Marx described it as the organ of the aristocracy of finance. Not much has changed since then. As the New Yorker wrote in 2019, since the early nineties The Economist has served, alongside the Financial Times, as the suavely British-accented voice of globalization. And it is that voice that is now calling upon Mexican voters to frustrate AMLOs electoral ambitions. High-Stakes Election This coming Sunday (June 6) Mexico will hold its biggest ever mid-term election. And the stakes could not be higher. As of six days ago 88 candidates had been killed by narco gangs. Its a stark reminder of how strong a grip organized crime continues to hold on Mexican society. According to the latest polls, MORENA, the umbrella movement led by AMLO, is likely to win both the congress and the senate with comfortable margins. But its unlikely to secure an absolute majority, which means it will still depend on other parties to pass new laws. And that is about the best result the financial and business elite, both inside and outside Mexico, could hope for. The one thing they definitely dont want is for AMLO to further strengthen his grip on political power in Mexico. If MORENA won an absolute majority in both legislative chambers, AMLO would be able to sign into law just about any bill. The opposition parties are exceptionally weak right now, largely because they have done such a bad job of governing in the past. Many of their members, including some of the most corrupt, have switched to MORENA, which has hardly helped MORENAs popularity. As a friend told me, MORENA is like a garbage truck picking up old trash along the way. The Economist cites a slew of reasons why AMLO represents a threat to Mexicos democratic government. They include the legally questionable referendums he has held on infrastructure projects; the wide range of government tasks including supervising large construction projects he has entrusted to the military; his slashing of the budgets of public watchdogs; and his repeated clashes with the National Electoral Institute. There are plenty of other things the AMLO goverment has got wrong, as Kurt Hackbath reports in Jacobin magazine: It has been too timid on a number of fronts, including reining in the privatized free-for-all of the mining and banking industries, attacking the nations grotesque wealth inequality, and defending migrants against US pressure. It has been inactive on indigenous rights, insensitive to protests surrounding the plague of feminicides, and inadequate in creating a long-term environmental vision in the face of climate change. Its budget reductions have cut too close to the bone in a number of areas, including science and culture. And despite the fanfare of a new National Guard, the violence has not abated. AMLO also failed to respond effectively to Covid-19. Like Trump, he played down the fears in the early days of the pandemic, with disastrous results. His government has partially made up for that in recent months by allowing the Institute of Social Security and Mexico City local authorities to recommend the use of ivermectin in the early treatment of Covid-19. According to the mayor of Mexico City, Claudia Scheinbaum, the medicine has reduced hospitalisations by as much as 76%. AMLOs Achievements Even The Economist concedes that AMLO has done some good things along the way, such as bumping up pensions and subsidizing apprenticeships for the young. Though a leftist, he has kept spending and debt under control, so Mexicos credit rating remains tolerably firm. The AMLO administration has also helped to improve the lives of the millions of rural and urban poor who were essentially hung out to dry by previous administrations. But it has made powerful enemies as well. Some of the positive things it has done have hurt the profits of some of the worlds largest corporations. They have also threatened the power base and fortunes of some of Mexicos political and financial elite. Here are a few examples: The AMLO administration has strong-armed global corporations into finally settling their decades-long tax debts with the Mexican state. Coca-Cola bottler Femsa, and brewer Grupo Modelo, a division of the worlds largest brewer Anheuser-Busch InBev, last year paid hundreds of millions of dollars in current taxes and back taxes. As a result, the Government was able to raise more funds in 2020 than 2019, without raising taxes on the middle classes. It has also passed one of the strictest food labeling laws on the planet, in a desperate bit to halt Mexicos obesity epidemic. Many states have introduced legislation making it much more difficult for retailers to sell junk food and sugary drinks to children. The government has sharply increased the minimum wage, which for decades had been one of the lowest in Latin America. It has also lowered the retirement age to qualify for pensions, increased governmental contributions and reduced commissions and reformed housing benefits to assist debtors and halt eviction. It has also passed a bill to curtail the outsourcing of personnel to third party firms, which had enabled corporations to skirt health and safety regulations and avoid paying taxes and social security. By rolling back some of the sweeping energy reforms unleashed by AMLOs predecessor Enrique Pena Nieto, the government has tried to reducing the countrys reliance on gasoline imports from the US and strengthen Mexicos energy independence. AMLO has also passed a presidential decree phasing out the use of the herbicide glyphosate, Roundups active ingredient, and banning the cultivation and importation of genetically modified (GM) corn. The aim is not only to improve human health and protect the environment but also to bolster Mexicos food sovereignty. In foreign affairs AMLO has also charted a more independent course. As Jacobin magazine reports, in the last three years Mexico has exchanged its former slavish devotion to Washington for a rigorous defense of its own national sovereignty. It has reined in the actions of US intelligence agencies, refused to recognize Juan Guaido in Venezuela, called a coup a coup in Bolivia, bucked the Organization of American States, and sent a plane to rescue Evo Morales. The Empire Strikes Back None of these policies will have endeared AMLO to the editorial board of The Economist. Or for that matter policymakers in Washington DC. In the name of safeguarding Mexican democracy, the magazines editorial board exhorts citizens participating in the June 6 municipal, state and federal elections to support whichever opposition party is best placed to win, wherever they live The opposition parties should work together to restrain the president. They should learn from him too. He is popular partly because they did a poor job of helping those left behind during the long boom that followed economic liberalization in the 1980s. The Economist also urged the US government to pay attention to what is happening in Mexico, as if it wasnt already. Donald Trump did not care about Mexican democracy. President Joe Biden should make clear that he does. He must be tactful: Mexicans are understandably allergic to being pushed around by their big neighbor. But America ought not to turn a blind eye to creeping authoritarianism in its backyard. As well as sending vaccines unconditionally, Mr. Biden should send quiet warnings. The US government is already doing a lot more than just issuing quiet warnings; it is also funding political opposition groups in Mexico. As the investigative magazine Contralinea recently reported, both the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) have been financing the organization Mexicans Against Corruption and Impunity (MCCI). Founded by Claudio X. Gonzalez Jr, the son of the long-serving president of Kimberley Clark Mexico, the MCCI investigates political corruption. But the Mexican government says it is also a political actor. Gonzalez Jr has publicly spearheaded the charge against MORENA in this years election by organizing the coalition of parties arrayed against it and funding candidates. He has also played a prominent role in efforts to block key pieces of AMLOs legislative agenda in the courts. In response to the revelations, Mexico dispatched a diplomatic note to the US on May 6 asking it to clarify the matter. At his press conference the next morning, AMLO described the US governments funding of MCCI as a form of golpismo, or coup promotion, and likened it to the participation of US ambassador Henry Wilson in the overthrow of President Francisco Madero during the Mexican Revolution. Its an act of interventionism that violates our sovereignty Our Constitution forbids it. You cant receive money from another country for political ends. Given the role both USAID and NED have played in financing and organizing coups across Latin America, AMLOs concerns are well-founded. An expose last year by The Intercept revealed the extent to which the US Department of Justice orchestrated the now-disgraced Operation Car Wash in Brazil, which led to the downfall of Dilma Rousseffs government, the imprisonment of former President Lula just as he was preparing to run for office again, and the eventual election of far-right president Jair Bolsonaro. Like Lula, AMLO is trying to steer a more independent course for his country, both in the realms of economic policy and foreign policy. But in doing so he has threatened the economic and geopolitical interests of its giant neighbor to the north. And that neighbor also happens to be Mexicos biggest trading partner, purchasing around 80% of its exports. Thank you for reading! The bad news: youve reached our paywall. The good news: you can continue reading for FREE! We offer a FREE three-month trial subscription! No tricks. No auto- renewals. No payment information until youre ready! Just full online access and our print edition mailed to your door. Yves here. This post is a troubling counterpoint to the story we featured last week, of Haaretz in a break with press censorship, putting photos of Palestinian children killed in the Gaza attacks on its front page. We thought this might be a sign of a shift in sentiment. But maybe it was allowed because the powers that be knew it wouldnt make a difference. By Paul Jay. Originally published at theAnalysis.news Paul Jay Hi, Im Paul Jay. Welcome to theAnalysis.news. Once again, dont forget the donate button and subscribe button share button. Also Id like to thank everyone who already did donate hit all of these different buttons we couldnt do this without you. Well be back in a second with Shir Hever to talk about whats going on inside Israel. A survey conducted by direct polls in Israel, that question, 684 Israelis has a margin of error of 4.3 percent, finds that a majority of Israelis didnt want Israel to negotiate a cease fire that was announced yesterday and they wanted the attacks to continue. In fact, there is a cease fire now in place as we speak, at any rate, but what does this poll tell us about Israeli society? The poll found that 72 percent of the people that responded thought the operation should continue, with the number rising slightly in the south of Israel to 73 percent. Only 24 percent said we should agree to a cease fire, with the figure dropping to 22 percent in the south. When asked whether Israel had made greater achievements in this round of fighting over the previous round, 66 percent said yes, with the figure dropping to 30 percent for those that lived in the south. Now, the question of whether there should have been such an operation another word to use for bombing whether the question was asked, should there have been such an operation at all? Well, it doesnt seem like it was asked, at least not in that poll. Now joining us to discuss the state of Israeli society and politics and what the significance of this poll me is, is Shir Hever. Hes a political economist living in Heidelberg, Germany. He was born and raised in Jerusalem. He lived in Tel Aviv before moving to Germany in 2010. His recent book is The Privatization of Israeli Security. Thanks for joining me again Shir. Shir Hever Thanks for having me Paul. The poll that you just quoted, does it also include Palestinian citizens of Israel? Paul Jay I have no idea. Doesnt doesnt say that. So I dont know. You tell me from the sound of the numbers. Doesn it sound like it might? I dont know. Shir Hever Most polls do not and I think thats a big part of the story, but in recent years, theres a growing tendency of the polling companies to start also asking Palestinian citizens of Israel to tell what they think about Israeli military operations, for example. Of course, a vast majority of Palestinian citizens of Israel are not too happy about the Israeli army bombing the Gaza Strip, where they have family and friends in such a brutal way. Paul Jay Well, in fact, more so than four years, the Palestinian population of Israel has risen up and is part of this resistance. If I understand it correctly, theyve been relatively more passive in the past. So what has that meant to Israeli society? The fact that the Palestinians in Israel. I know Israel likes to call them Arabs in Israel, but theyre Palestinians, as far as I understand it, are far more united with the Palestinians outside Israel than maybe they have been in the past. Shir Hever Yeah, they are Arabs, of course, but just calling them Arab Israelis is a very offensive term because it erases their Palestinian nationality. So you can call them Arabs, but they are Palestinian citizens of Israel and sometimes called Palestinians 48. They went on a strike. The first time since the 30s that there was a strike on the West Bank, Gaza Strip, inside the borders of Israel at the same time, a level of unity and solidarity that we havent seen before. This struck a lot of fear into Jewish Israeli society to see Palestinians united more than ever before. I think its interesting that at the same time, the Palestinians are showing this unity that is really very impressive and cost them a lot. Thousands of Palestinians were fired for going on that strike. At the same time, the Israeli society, the Jewish Israeli society, is more divided than it ever was. Paul Jay Why do you think the Palestinians in Israel are so much more engaged than in the past? This certainly isnt the first time bombs have rained down on Gaza. Shir Hever Because the liberal message of the liberal Zionists or the leftist Zionists has completely collapsed. There was this sort of promise which is a mirage, that if they are good citizens, if theyre loyal, if they dont talk about politics too much, eventually they will be allowed to integrate into Israeli society and have better public services and job opportunities and so on. Paul Jay Its a message that I think would be very familiar to people from many different kinds of minority groups all over the world in the United States and Canada. If were talking about African-Americans and people of color that were told, just hang in there in one or two generations, youre going to be fine. This was a lie, of course, now its very clear that it was a lie, and the reason that its so clear is because there is a populist right government in Israel, which is not even making a pretense of working towards equality. Theyre very clear and they say this is a state where only Jews can have equal rights and full rights, only Jews. So if youre not a Jew, you have no hope of equality in that state. So that means Palestinian citizens of Israel understand they have to resist. They have to fight against this apartheid system in order to have equality. Paul Jay For Israeli Jews who are in solidarity with Palestinians, do they have rights to do that? In the past to some extent I think they did. From what I understand, theres less and less rights for Jews in support of Palestinians. Shir Hever Yeah, an Israeli member of Knesset, member of parliament, Ahmed Tibi, said once famously, Israel is a Jewish state for its Arabs and a democratic state for its Jews. I think maybe it was true for a time. Certainly when I lived there, I had freedom of speech and I knew that I could say things that my Palestinian friends just cannot say and I will not get into trouble and they did, but I think you cant have a sustainable situation like this. When you have also people who are Jews who are being critical of the government and critical of the apartheid system. As soon as they start speaking English, as soon as they start speaking to the outside world, not just Hebrew among themselves, but also writing reports. For example, you have BTselem, the largest Israeli human rights organization, that this January published a report about Israeli apartheid, and they published it in English. When they do that, the backlash is very, very violent, aggressive, and if were seeing this now, the last two weeks of violence, whenever there is an invasion of Gaza, bombardment of Gaza, there are some anti-war demonstrations in Israel. Some lefty Jews are organizing demonstrations, for example, in Jerusalem, not far from where I used to live in so-called Paris Square where women in black used to stand every Friday in protest of the occupation every week. Now, last week, a bunch of lefty Israelis organized a demonstration against the bombardment of Gaza on Paris Square and the police came up to them and said there are a thousand armed right-wing Israelis coming this way. Theyre going to be here in a few minutes. We are not going to protect you. If you want to stay do whatever you want. The police left and of course, they didnt stay. This would have been a massacre and this has never happened before. Paul Jay Ive been to Israel three times, one in 1967, a couple of months before I was like 14, I guess something like that. Just before the 67 war. My sister had gone to kibbutz there and I came away feeling because I wasnt born in Israel, I was a second class person there and I didnt like it at all. I came away and I was saying to myself at 14, 15 years old, if I feel this and I get treated this way, what the hell is the feeling of being Palestinian here? I was there again in 98 or 99. Id been invited to a film festival for one of my movies and I wasnt going to go, but a bunch of Palestinian filmmakers were attending, so I figured if they are, I would. When I got there, the Palestinians actually had all withdrawn from the festival, but I was taken aback by the extent of the way Palestinians were talked about. Also, I was told by people I encountered there that if it hadnt been for the Palestinian, threat Israeli society itself would just break out into civil war between the secular Jews and the Orthodox. Then I was there again about 10 years later. I was actually mostly in the West Bank and Ramallah doing some filming, but I was in Israel for a few days. I was absolutely shocked at the overtness of the racism. Id never encountered anything like it. Maybe in the old slave society, southern United States, people might have talked that way. Take us through the kind of progression of what I call the fascistization of Israeli society. Paul Jay I dont know what you call it, but whats going on here and why? Shir Hever The one thing that really puts together what were seeing now and what you saw when you were there a few months before the 67 war, both of these were periods of extreme fear in Israeli society because the Israelis didnt know theyre going to win the war. The generals knew, but the general public, the majority of the people thought that this could end in a terrible tragedy for Jewish Israelis in 1967 and they didnt know whats going to happen. They were very much afraid. I think a lot of the racism and hatred are a way to work out through this trauma and fear, and I think what we see now is a post-traumatic society which is reacting with extreme fear, violence and racism towards Palestinians most of all, but not just towards Palestinians. Theres also a lot of hate between different groups within society. Its not just the Orthodox and the secular, because you have national orthodox and ultra orthodox, you have Zionist ultra orthodox and anti-Zionist ultra orthodox. The tensions are very high. I think this fear is exactly the reason that I dont like to use the word fascistization because fascist societies are not based on fear. Fascist societies say we are willing to sacrifice ourselves for the nation, for the leader, for the state. Israel is the opposite, where you have polls like you just quoted in which the vast majority of Jewish Israelis say, yeah, lets bomb Gaza into the Stone Age again, but if the poll then goes and asks another question, are you willing to do some reserve duty, put on a uniform, go into Gaza, then the answer is no. Actually, if you look at the conscription numbers to the Israeli army, theyre dropping every year. So its very theoretical militarism and when it comes to actual decisions that people take in their daily lives, a lot of people just want to emigrate. They just want to to have a job and racism becomes something that you adopt, not because you wake up in the morning and say how much I hate Arabs, but because you are afraid to be called out as an Arab lover, as not patriotic enough. You could lose your job. You could be assaulted by those crazy right-wing rioters in the street. So you just have to prove that you hate Arabs as much as the other guy, but this is not a situation that allows for creation of a fascist movement. Shir Hever There is a fascist movement in Israel. There is a movement. Its very small and a lot of people are very hostile towards it because they say, you know, if we go ahead with your kind of fascism, we are the ones who are going to pay with blood for it. There is a politician Itamar Ben-Gvir who set up his office in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in order to provoke this whole thing. Netanyahu sent him there. He definitely uses fascist language. He definitely talks about annihilating Palestinians. He talks about kicking them all out. But now you see a lot of Israelis, even right wing Israelis, but not so extreme right wing Israelis saying, look what you did. Your fascism is uniting all the Palestinians into into a unified group against us. So theyre looking for ways to keep the Palestinians under control by using divide and conquer techniques, which is not the fascist strategy at all. Paul Jay The fear you talk about, while I understand its there, certainly when I was there most recently, I would say I didnt experience a people living in fear. Actually people were practically apolitical, like as long as the Palestinian attacks in Israel had ended years before. I dont know when the last time there was a terrorist attack on Israeli soil. And when there is its very few and far between because the Palestinians themselves decided that its not a productive tactic. Shir Hever Which period are you talking about now? Your first visit or your second? Paul Jay The last one, which would have been like 10 years ago, 12 years ago. And there really is no reason to be so scared now, the Palestinian, threat is not that serious. You get these rockets every few years. What the Israelis call mowing the lawn. They engineer some way to provoke something in Gaza and they bomb the hell out of the place. But then life kind of returns to normal for Israelis. Shir Hever Fear is not a rational thing. I dont measure fear by the amount of rockets Palestinians have or their military power. Fear is not related to that. Fear is how many people write articles in newspapers that start with the words this and that is an existential threat to Israel. There is no country in the world that is as obsessed about its ability to exist than the state of Israel. And you have Israeli politicians going around the world and explaining why Gaza has to be bombed because Israel has a right to exist, which makes no sense and everybody knows it makes no sense. But this idea that if we dont take care of the traffic problems, the state of Israel will collapse. If you dont balance the commodity foreign exchange market, Israel will collapse. This kind of talk is a talk that emerges from fear. Paul Jay But the reality is that in any historical horizon one can see, the Palestinians actually dont represent an existential threat to Jews in Israel, but there sure is a lot of effort made to persuade people that there is such a threat. Shir Hever But they do pose a real existential threat to apartheid. And that is because in order to preserve apartheid, you have to make those privileges of the dominant group in society come easy. The problem is that these new rockets that Hamas just showed that they have and fired all the way to Tel Aviv and beyond, those rockets kept millions of Israelis awake throughout the night because there was alarm after alarm and people had to go into the bunker. It didnt take a heavy toll of human life. I mean, 12 Israelis were killed in the entire two weeks of the operation, which is, of course, a lot. But we have over 200 Palestinians who were killed by the Israeli fire. But, of course, statistically speaking, the chance of an Israeli to be one of those 12 is very small. But if you dont sleep the whole night because every couple of hours theres another alarm, then you can say oh, this is something thats happening over there and it doesnt affect my life. It affects your life. And that means that you have to acknowledge there is a connection between the fact that you can go into your car, ride wherever you want with your car, nobodys going to stop you at the checkpoint, but a Palestinian will be stopped. And you can go to whatever school you want and do whatever job you want. And you have all these privileges that are for Jews only, that is the apartheid situation. Then there is a connection with the fact that there might be an alarm in the middle of the night, there might be international protests and sanctions and things like that. And people respond to that by looking for a strategy. But there is no strategy. And until there is some idea of how apartheid can be made sustainable, people say, oh, well, maybe the idea of apartheid is not sustainable. And when they say that they dont use the word apartheid, they just use the word Jewish state. But of course, they mean the same thing. Paul Jay Do you think the majority of Jews represented in this poll or otherwise understand that the recent conflict, the recent rockets coming from Gaza and so on, was triggered by the Israeli ethnic cleansing in Jerusalem? That Hamas didnt just, out of nowhere, start firing rockets. Theres a context here. But do most Israeli Jews get the context? Shir Hever I think they understand it on a much deeper level. Jerusalem was chosen by Netanyahu to start this because Netanyahu knew that he has until a certain date. I think it was May 4th or May 6th that he could form a government and he didnt get a majority. So the chance to form a government was passed to his main opponent, which is Yair Lapid from the opposition. Yair Lapid has until June 2nd to form the coalition. At that moment, Netanyahu knew that if he triggers some kind of security crisis, the coalition talks are going to break apart. Lapid will not be able to form his coalition until June 2nd. And that means theres going to be another election, a fifth election within a two year period. And Netanyahu will stay the interim prime minister again and as long as hes doing that, he cannot go to jail. And he has a very serious corruption trial going on against him. So everyone understands that. And the amazing thing is that you have the political parties that try to build a coalition. They had the coalition talks. They knew that they have a majority. They were just ironing out the details. And then the police entered Sheikh Jarrah, then the police entered Al-Aqsa and they knew exactly what was going on. They understood exactly what Netanyahu was doing, but they didnt dare to say a word. Not one of them said, oh, this is just a political, cynical maneuver by Netanyahu to prevent us from forming a government, because if they had said that, they would brand themselves as leftists. And you cant have a worse tag in Israel than being a leftist now, its like being called a communist in the 50s. Paul Jay And I assume that theyd also be called traitors. There was also some talk that they were going to include in their coalition some of the Arab parties in the Knesset. I suppose thats completely off the table now. Shir Hever Thats the whole point. Mansour Abbas from the Raam party represents a very new direction or a new group, actually, of Palestinian citizens of Israel, Palestinians 48. All the kind of conservative Muslim middle class thats not very political, but still very much insisting on having equal rights and freedoms. Theyre just saying we dont care how exactly were going to have those rights, but we want to have them. So they dont particularly like the communists and they dont particularly like the nationalists. And Mansour Abbas said, you know what, Im sick of being part of this group of parties that are called the Arab parties and are considered not legitimate and are sent to the far left, even though Im not particularly lefty. And Im just going to break up from them and if Netanyahu gives me a good offer, Ill sit in his government. I will sit with whoever gives me a good offer. And then there was a lot of talk about how he has split the Palestinian vote and harmed Palestinian unity. But actually, very ironically, it created the opposite effect because Netanyahu realized that he has to court him for the opportunity to get a majority with him. And Netanyahu started to talk in a very different kind of language that he never used before about differentiating between different Palestinians with different opinions. And some of them are OK, not all of them are terrorists. A very new kind of language coming up Netanyahu. And then, of course, all the parties left of Netanyahu couldnt really go out and say, no, no, were not going to sit with an Arab in the government. Shir Hever So Mansour Abbas had a really good shot at being the first Palestinian minister in the Israeli cabinet. He had a chance. But of course, as soon as this crisis started, as soon as the police stormed Sheikh Jarrah and Al-Aqsa, his own voters said to him, you cannot sit in the same government with Yair Lapid and the other people who are saying we are on the side of the police, the police is justified, the Muslims praying in Al-Aqsa Mosque are all terrorists, you cannot sit with them even if they give you a ministry. And of course, the coalition talks broke apart. Paul Jay So its so obvious to everyone, really, how cynical this move by Netanyahu was. Youd have to think most Israelis get it, whether theyre very political or not. But still, the opposition coalition, the opposition to Netanyahu, youre saying, couldnt dare say what it was, even though everybody knew what it was. So, I go back to this question. I mean, I know theres fear and all the rest, but theres other countries that have lived in fear and they dont all become so thoroughly racist that they dont give a damn what their government does. Shir Hever Well, there are different kinds of fear. And I think when the fear comes from having a colonial society where you know that you are maybe part of this hegemonic group within that society, but actually youre the minority. Jews are a minority in the whole area of Israel Palestine, and they know that. And they know that if Palestinians unify, they will lose all of their privileges. So that is a different kind of fear. And its a paralyzing fear, because whenever you have some kind of social movement coming up and people are saying lets fight for better housing rights and for better social benefits to try to save the crumbling social benefit system of the state of Israel, then some small voice in the demonstration would come and say, oh, do you mean for everyone or just for Jews? And then, the whole movement falls apart. Because its a question that just evokes too many fears. And because of that, all the political movements, one after the other, fail. And the only thing that keeps it somehow glued together is Netanyahus populism. Netanyahu proved to be very, very intelligent, very resourceful. He always finds a way out of whatever trouble he stumbles into. But, at some point he might run out of rabbits to pull out of his hat and there is nobody to replace him. Theres no politician in Israel who really has a plan. And I think thats part of the reason that nobody really wants to deal with the same problems and theyre not posing a real challenge Netanyahu. And you have this situation where he doesnt have a majority, but nobody else really has any chance of having a majority either. Paul Jay When I was at that film festival, several people, Israeli Jews, progressives, said that if it wasnt for the Palestinian threat thered be civil war in Israel in terms of the secular versus the Orthodox and other factions. How real is that? Theres various reasons for the Israeli state and military industrial complex, which you specialize in, theres various reasons for them to want to keep this threat going. Talk a bit about that. Shir Hever Yeah, but of course, it doesnt end there. I mean, if it was so simple that you have a Jewish state where Jews are fortifying themselves against the Arab threat in this kind of black and white picture, then maybe that would work that way. But its not the reality. The reality is that the Jewish Israeli society is so deeply divided and you have Mizrahi Jews who originate from Arab countries and have been discriminated against for the last 73 years of the states existence. And you have black Jews, that are suffering from horrible anti-black racism on every level of society. And, of course, the great fear of the Israeli government is what happens if different minority groups start to form solidarity with each other. What happens if black Jews demonstrate alongside Palestinians? And in some parts it does happen. And no, I dont think its going to be civil war in the sense of battles in the streets between armed groups because nobody really is willing to risk their skin. In a situation in which people are not willing to take personal risk, you cant really have a civil war. On the other hand, if youre talking about the disintegration of public institutions, the collapse of the court system, the bastardization of the police, the rise of organized crime, the complete betrayal of the media, of basic journalistic responsibilities to report stories in a fair or semi fair way at least. All of these things have already happened. Shir Hever I dont call it civil war exactly. But but it is a disintegration of society. And you have the majority of young Israelis when they reach the age of 18 and they get this letter in the mail that says you have to go to the army, their first reaction is how am I going to get out of this? How am I going to find a way not to go to the army? And most of them do find a way out. And so, its not exactly a situation that leads to civil war. Its a situation that leads maybe to state building. There might be a new regime, a new government, a new system of government. Paul Jay But the picture you paint of Israel, the new system of government, it sounds to me like theres a very good possibility it will actually be more overtly fascist. More like in terms of not allowing even a certain amount of democracy for Israeli Jews, certainly with an agenda perhaps of more overt ethnic cleansing, not just in Jerusalem, but more broadly. Theres certainly forces calling for that. And I know you say that helps to unite the Palestinian Israelis when that kind of fascism develops, but thats also assuming theres a kind of rationality and this place isnt sounding so rational. Shir Hever No, its not rational, but I think that the one thing that fascists always ask you is to give up your blood for the country, for the state. You have to follow the leader. And a lot of people in Israel do have some some desire to develop a cult of personality for Netanyahu and to follow him like some kind of fatherly figure and follow him blindly. But its not really working out. In the end, his popularity level is about 40 percent. That does not make you fuhrer or duce or any kind of fascist leader. And its not that he hasnt been trying for 13 years. He was prime minister for 13 years and he still didnt manage to get to that point. So when were talking about a new government system, we are talking about a democracy. There is no democracy right now. But there is a certain understanding, which is, I think, the foundation of democracy, which says you have to give up your privileges and your hegemonic position in exchange for being part of a group of citizens that gives you at least a guarantee of basic rights and equality in the face of the law. Shir Hever Its not perfect, but if youre in a position where you have to protect your privileges with force of arms, it is sounding more and more attractive. Paul Jay Well, democracy means one person, one vote, which has to include the Palestinians of the West Bank and Gaza, which gives the Palestinians 52 percent of the vote. Shir Hever It doesnt have to. I mean, you could also imagine two Democratic states next to each other, but with some kind of border. I think its the less likely outcome. But I dont think that its very useful to talk in terms of have to because political systems are artificial systems that are created by human beings and they can create whatever they want. Theres one movement that I think is especially interesting because it shows the possibility of human beings to be creative where they say, lets have two states at the same place. Lets have Palestine and Israel, two states, but with exactly the same borders and with two parliaments. And everyone can choose if they want to be a citizen of one or the other. But of course, the two parliaments will have to coordinate very closely together because they basically share the same territory exactly. Paul Jay There was something sort of like that in Yugoslavia, no? Shir Hever No, in Yugoslavia, you had a system where the different ethnic groups were defined by their ethnicity and religion in a way that segregated them from each other and really encouraged creating a very racist discourse where you say, well, my Albanian neighbors or my Bosnian neighbors or my Kosovarian neighbors, they are just leeches that are getting fat on the work of us good, hardworking Serbians and that sort of thing. Theres also a little bit of that kind of language that we see in Lebanon today or in Iraq, where you have a system where every group, based on their ethnic or religious identity, has a certain guaranteed representation within the system. Shir Hever Thats not what were talking about. When we say one person, one vote, of course, we talk about a system that doesnt take into account whatever your ethnic or religious identity is when it comes to your political representation. It shouldnt matter. Paul Jay Maybe the model is closer to even something like a Canadian model where Quebec has a definite territory. The civil law in Quebec is not the same as civil law in the rest of the country. Federal laws apply, but theres some very specific rights to the language in Quebec and so on. And I mean, are you imagining something more like that? Shir Hever Well, in many ways there was a tendency to that. There was an attempt by some more liberal factions within Israeli society to, for example, make sure that there would be a translation to Arabic in all public and official texts, as a token of respect towards the Palestinian population. In order to say that even though its defined as a Jewish state and Palestinians dont have equal rights, we dont want to alienate them for no reason. But the problem is that because of that kind of of logic, a lot of Palestinians started to believe the lie and believe that maybe they could become equal citizens. Shir Hever And then there was the famous apartheid report that was written by the U.N., by ESCWA, by Virginia Tilley and Richard Falk about the apartheid situation in Israel. And the United States got that report censored. Not Israel, the United States had this report censored. And so, the Israeli government and parliament became nervous that the censoring of the apartheid report might give Palestinians the idea that maybe there is no apartheid and maybe they will demand equal rights. Shir Hever So then they legislated the law of the nation state, or how its called in Israel, the law of the nation, in July 2018, which clearly said only Jews can have national rights in this country. And that Arabic is not an official state language. So we see a movement in the opposite direction. But I think seeing the movement in the opposite direction from this kind of liberal arrangement that exists with Quebec is not a sign that Israel is becoming stronger in its way to control minority groups and especially Palestinians, but rather Israel is becoming much, much weaker and has to rely on overt brute force because thats the only tool they still have at their disposal. Paul Jay All right, lets continue this discussion in a second segment, because this isnt just about ordinary Jews who live in fear and so on. Theres a handful of families in Israel that own most of the stuff and a very wealthy and powerful military industrial complex. And so this is more than just about how people are feeling about the situation. So join us for the next segment of this series of conversations with Shir Hever. And thanks for joining me on theAnalysis.news. (Natural News) The Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites used by the U.S. military are under threat from Chinese and Russian lasers and electronic jammers. Speaking with lawmakers at the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee on May 7, U.S. Space Force (USSF) Chief of Space Operations Gen. John W. Jay Raymond stated that the U.S. military needs to act quickly to combat Chinas military buildup. Raymond and other Air Force officials argued that the latter is posing a major challenge for the Space Force. Americas rivals working on satellite killer technology Raymond explained to members of the subcommittee that both China and Russia are swiftly manufacturing space weapons that can engage in robust jamming of GPS and communications satellites. These weapons are designed to direct energy systems that can blind, disrupt or damage American satellites. He also added that China has ground-based lasers that pose a threat to satellites circling the globe in low-Earth orbit. The threat from these, he said, was real today and concerning. (Related: China developing killer satellites and directed energy weapons to challenge US in space.) Given Chinas exponential pace of weapons development and extensive marshaling of government and industry, we do not have the leeway to simply maintain our current approach, said Raymond, as well as Acting Air Force Secretary John Roth, and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Brown in a statement. China is on track to exceed our capacity, so it is our obligation to act with a sense of urgency, they continued. China poses challenges unlike any other in our nations history. We must be clear-eyed about these threats and our response to them. Brown noted that their main concern is the potential of jamming GPS satellites. This involves a form of electronic anti-satellite attack that interferes with signals traveling to and from a satellite by emitting another signal with the same frequency while within range of the satellites antennas. Such an attack could disrupt American military operations. Raymond, on the other hand, warned that Chinese space weapons could spoof U.S. GPS signals. This could cause weapons guided by these to miss their targets. This is on top of interfering with other devices, both military and civilian, that rely on GPS. GPS is absolutely critical not just to our military but its critical to our society, he said. He added that Air Force is working to build a system that will better shield GPS satellites from jamming and other forms of cyberattack. Increased threat from China, Russia demonstrate need for Space Force Raymond and the other Air Force officials statements come just a month after the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) released a report describing Beijings push for global power as the leading threat to U.S. national security. In the annual threat assessment report by the ODNI, China was identified as the top threat to the U.S., followed by Russia, Iran and North Korea. It stated that Beijing will continue its whole-of-government efforts to spread Chinas influence, undercut that of the United States, drive wedges between Washington and its allies and partners, and foster new international norms that favor the authoritarian Chinese system. Part of the threat presented by these countries comes from the danger they present to the freedom to access and maneuver in space. The challenge is that the access to space, and the freedom to maneuver in space, can no longer be treated as a given. We have to be able to protect it because there are threats that exist today, Raymond said in an interview with astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson. He added that defending Americas assets in space was vital due because of the countrys current lead in the field which is something Russia and China are looking to challenge. We have the best GPS capabilities in the world, he said, adding that you cant just build a satellite, launch a satellite and assume it will be there forever. You have to be able to protect and defend it. Raymond went on to explain that the USSF was purpose-built to counter these threats from countries such as China and Russia. Theyre job was to make sure that these nations dont target assets such as GPS, affecting everyone, military or civilian, who relies on them. Our primary mission is to deter conflict from ascending into space, Raymond said. The cost of space is a very, very small portion of the Department of Defenses budget. Space is a huge force multiplier. We cannot afford, as a nation, to lose space. Follow NationalSecurity.news for more on how the Space Force is working to secure Americas future in space. Sources include: TheEpochTimes.com 1 TheEpochTimes.com 2 SpaceForce.mil (Natural News) The pro-family group MassResistance, which specializes in exposing pedophiles who are organizing drag queen story hour events, is getting harassed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). (Article republished from BigLeaguePolitics.com) The group has published many controversial posts about the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol demonstration from their website. They believe that this is why their leaders are being targeted by the feds who are desperate to make examples in the wake of that event. It is not an exaggeration to say that this so-called law enforcement organization has become reminiscent of the East German Stasi and the Soviet Unions KGB. A visit from the FBI can be the beginning of a nightmare for a citizen, MassResistance wrote. That nightmare may have started for the groups national organization director Arthur Schaper, who recently received a visit from two FBI special agents at his suburban Los Angeles, Calif. apartment. Were following up on leads from DC. Were just curious if you went to DC or if you knew anybody who had gone to DC, and if youd be willing to talk to us about any of that, an agent reportedly told Schaper. I did not go to DC. But honestly, I think this is a massive abuse of power which you guys are doing. Its disgusting. I want to have a lawyer with me before I talk to you. You guys are violating the Constitution, Schaper responded. They refused to tell Schaper how they were able to get into the apartment complex, and this is when he told the FBI agents to leave. They eventually complied with his request. MassResistance president Brian Camenker reached out to FBI offices in Boston and Los Angeles after the fact but received no response. Its certainly frightening that the Biden administration has militarized the FBI and much of the federal government against conservative Americans. But as free people, we must stand up to it. We cannot back down or be intimidated This is not the America we once knew. But we are doing our best to bring our country back, MassResistance wrote to conclude their report on what occurred. Big League Politics has reported on the work of MassResistance in the past as they have smoked out pedophiles running drag queen story hour operations to groom kids into the satanic LGBT lifestyle: After revealing that Houston public libraries allowed a sex offender to groom children at controversial Drag Queen Story Hour programs, the Houston MassResistance whistle-blower group has found that another pedophile has been given intimate access to young children at these perverted events. Houston MassResistance uncovered that William Travis Dees, who is a member of a draq queen group called the Space City Sisters, has been participating in Drag Queen Story Hour events in the town. Dees is a child sex offender who brags about his time as a transgender prostitute. He was photographed at a Drag Queen Story Hour (DQSH) event carrying a rubber chicken a symbol used by homosexuals to indicate a sexual preference for young boys, the Houston MassResistance wrote in a post. Dees stage name is Liza Lott, and he has served as a greeter during story hour to give himself special access to the children as their parents usher them in to have their souls warped. Houston MassResistance activists uncovered records showing Dees once victimized children as young as four years old with his vicious assaults. Dees was convicted in 2004 of sex crimes against four young children (ages 4, 5, 6, and 8), was jailed, and is listed as a high risk sex offender. MassResistance activists have also identified numerous aliases which Dees uses for his various characters and personas, the whistle-blowers wrote. Since Dees was 16 years old at the time of his conviction, his record is sealed and not posted on government sites. However, it is available from other sex-offender record sources, they added. Instead of investigating actual domestic terrorists like members of ANTIFA or Black Lives Matter, the FBI focuses on conservative activists operating lawfully under the 1st Amendment. The federal policing operation is truly something that the Soviets would have been proud of. Read more at: BigLeaguePolitics.com and FBICorruption.news. (Natural News) A major hospital chain has struck a partnership with Google to upload 32 million private patient medical records to the Google Cloud. These records from HCA Healthcare, based out of Nashville, Tenn., will reportedly be used by Google to create algorithms that instruct doctors and healthcare workers about how to treat their patients. You read that correctly: Google is planning to become Americas physician. HCA currently operates 186 hospitals and approximately 2,000 healthcare sites across the United States. The 32 million private patient medical records it is providing to Google will supposedly be anonymized and stripped of personally identifying information. Artificial Intelligence (AI) from Google will then take over and create computer programs that customize care for patients without the need for human input. Machines, in other words, will soon be administering medicine to people who are hooked into the system. Googles planetary-scale database will supposedly improve treatment for patients by calculating which drugs and vaccines will work the best for their bodies. HCA will then use this information to advise its staff members about how to do their jobs. Our contract prohibits Google Cloud from the use of patient identifiable information, an HCA spokesman told the DailyMail Online in a statement. Furthermore, access to any data is prohibited without HCA Healthcares permission. Nothing is sacred in a crony capitalist society Back in 2019, we reported that Google had launched its medical AI program, known as Project Nightingale, in an attempt to take over modern medicine. Wanting to control everything there is to control on planet earth, Google was busily hatching technology that would make it easy to siphon private information and capitalize it, even in the realm of healthcare. Now, we are seeing the fruit of that labor with the HCA partnership, which The Federalists Jordan Davison describes as a privacy invasion and technology power grab. Another person on Twitter sarcastically wrote that there are no privacy issues here: nope, not at all. While medical records are supposed to be protected under federal law, the rules allow for hospitals and other healthcare providers to share patient information with contractors, just so long as they abide by the same privacy protections. Privacy and security will be guiding principles throughout this partnership, HCA insists. The access and use of patient data will be addressed through the implementation of Google Clouds infrastructure along with HCA Healthcares layers of security controls and processes. HCA already employed a similar technology during the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) crisis to supposedly monitor patients who tested positive. The system notified caregivers as to which treatments should be administered to fight the Chinese Virus. Next-generation care demands data science-informed decision support so we can more sharply focus on safe, efficient and effective patient care, HCA CEO Sam Hazen said in a statement. We view partnerships with leading organizations, like Google Cloud, that share our passion for innovation and continual improvement as foundational to our efforts. The partnership marks Googles second known foray into healthcare. St. Louis-based Ascension also partnered with Google several years back for the same purpose, feeding more than 50 million private medical records into Googles AI abyss. Two simple questions kept hounding me: Did patients know about the transfer of their data to the tech giant? Should they be informed and given a chance to opt in or out? a whistleblower wrote in an essay for The Guardian. The answer to the first question quickly became apparent: no. The answer to the second I became increasingly convinced about: yes. Put the two together, and how could I say nothing? More related news about Google can be found at Evil.news. Sources for this article include: DailyMail.co.uk NaturalNews.com (Natural News) A new apartment complex in Utah will never go dark during a power crisis with the solar batteries installed in each of its units. Charged via rooftop solar panels, the batteries collectively form a virtual power plant that can provide backup electricity not only to the building but even to a strained power grid. Utah apartment is more than just a home Called Soleil Lofts Apartment, the building complex was developed by Utah-based developer Wasatch Group, which started exploring solar batteries years ago as a means to cut costs. One of the reasons were looking at renewables and solar is that it reduces operating expenses and increases cash flow, a big deal to real estate owners, Ryan Peterson, president of Wasatch Guaranty Capital, the firms real estate and investment arm, told the New York Times. The firm partnered with utility company Rocky Mountain Power and battery maker Sonnen to make Soleil. Set to be located south of Salt Lake City, the lofts will serve a dual purpose: to provide an upscale home for buyers and to operate as a virtual power plant. A virtual power plant is a power plant comprised of power-generating units such as wind farms and solar parks, as well as storage units like solar batteries, which store energy generated by solar panels. These units operate independently but are connected over the internet to the grid. Last fall, Soleil partially opened. Each of its 600 units is equipped with a solar battery. Together, Soleil batteries generate 12.6 megawatt-hours of electricity and reduce residents energy bills by up to 40 percent. When the power grid is overwhelmed, Wasatch sells Soleil energy to Rocky Mountain Power. (Related: Oracle exec built his own microgrid to escape Americas unreliable power grid.) The firm plans to expand the Soleil model. It will roll out a series of six pilot programs across its California properties to see if older buildings measure up to Soleil. Eventually, according to Peterson, Wasatch may get in the business of outfitting other landlords properties with virtual power plants. We believe it can be done, and once its proven out, itll open a much bigger pathway for this model, he said. More firms explore virtual power plants Wasatch is not the only firm exploring virtual power plants. California software company OhmConnect plans to build a massive system using $100 million in funding from Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners, a partner of Googles parent company Alphabet. Sidewalk Infrastructure paid OhmConnect to scale up an existing program that it has been using to prevent blackouts in California. Under this program, the software firm asks people via text to conserve energy at key moments. The saved energy then gets redistributed back to the grid while people get paid depending on how much electricity they saved. With the investment, Ohm Connect will offer subsidized smart home devices such as thermostats to Californians who will enroll in its program. An app will send alerts like, If youre willing to move your temperature by two degrees, on Wednesday in your home, were able to pay X dollars, according to Sidewalk Infrastructure CEO Jonathan Winer. The project is expected to reel in enough new homes to scale up the virtual power plant to 550 megawatts, which will be the largest in North America. In December last year, Swell Energy in Los Angeles raised $450 million to make a virtual power plant that will deliver 200 megawatt-hours of dispatchable energy capacity. The firm will use the money to distribute around 14,000 solar-storage systems to homeowners and businesses across three unnamed states by 2023. Other firms, on the other hand, are already in the midst of using the technology. New York Citys Related Companies recently equipped its Gateway Center retail complex in Brooklyn with a 4.8-megawatt battery. Meanwhile, Arizonas Meritage Homes launched multiple demonstration projects across the country, from California to Texas all the way to North Carolina, in a bid to understand how buildings can better optimize the power grid and reduce energy costs. Learn more about virtual power plants and other innovative energy solutions at NewEnergyReport.com. Sources include: Propmodo.com NYTimes.com GreenTechMedia.com 1 FastCompany.com GreenTechMedia.com 2 (Natural News) Over the weekend Senator Rand Paul and former CIA director and secretary of state Mike Pompeo both warned that the Wuhan Institute of Virology is still up and running, and that evidence points to involvement with the Chinese military in bioweapons research. (Article by Steve Watson republished from Summit.news) Appearing on Fox News, Paul told Jeanine Pirro that he is worried US funding is still being used by the lab to conduct biological warfare experiments. Im very worried that this stuff still goes on and that the U.S. governments been funding it, Paul said, adding Weve got a lot of evidence pointing to this lab now, as the origin of the virus outbreak. Referring to the gain of function research with coronavirus that is known to have taken place in the lab, Paul warned its making it more transmissible to humans and often times making it more deadly in humans. its making it more transmissible to humans and often times making it more deadly in humans. Senator @RandPaul with a message every American should hear about what may be happening inside the Wuhan Lab pic.twitter.com/xHPnlS91aO Jeanine Pirro (@JudgeJeanine) May 30, 2021 Last week, the Senate passed an amendment introduced by Paul that would permanently ban all funding of such research in China. We dont know whether the pandemic started in a lab in Wuhan or evolved naturally, said Paul in a statement. It continues, While many still deny funding gain-of-function research in Wuhan, experts believe otherwise. The passage of my amendment ensures that this never happens in the future. No taxpayer money should have ever been used to fund gain-of-function research in Wuhan, and now we permanently have put it to a stop. Dr. Anthony Faucis involvement in the funding of the research was further brought under scrutiny this weekend, with alleged comments from 2012 being highlighted by The Australian. Fauci reportedly stated that experimenting on contagious viruses was worth the risk of a laboratory accident, such as a global pandemic, writing that the benefits of such experiments and the resulting knowledge outweigh the risks. Meanwhile, Mike Pompeo warned that the Wuhan lab is engaged in military activity alongside civilian research. What I can say for sure is this: we know that they were engaged in efforts connected to the Peoples Liberation Army inside of that laboratory, so military activity being performed alongside what they claimed was just good old civilian research, Pompeo said on Fox & Friends Weekend. They refuse to tell us what it was, they refuse to describe the nature of either of those, they refused to allow access to the World Health Organization when it tried to get in there, Pompeo urged. He continued, Ive known since spring of last year, 2020, when I first spoke about this that there is enormous evidence that this escaped from that laboratory in Wuhan. We know there were people who got sick there, scientists who got sick there, we know they were doing the gain of function research essentially taking viruses and making them more contagious, potentially more lethal, this administration has to get after this, the former CIA head asserted. That virology lab is still up and running. Its still probably conducting the same kinds of research it was conducting that may have well led to this virus escaping from that laboratory, Pompeo further emphasised. Only the Chinese Communist Party knows the answer, the world deserves the answers and they have to tell us, I hope there will be bipartisan push to demand and hold accountable, Pompeo urged. The weekend saw yet more research emerge backing the lab leak theory, as British oncology professor Angus Dalgleish and Norwegian virologist scientist Dr. Birger Srensen prepared to present their discovery of unique fingerprints in COVID-19 samples that they say could only have arisen from manipulation in a laboratory. Their study claims that Chinese scientists created COVID-19 in the Wuhan lab, then tried to cover their tracks by reverse-engineering versions of the virus to make it look like it evolved naturally from bats. The scientists have said that they have struggled to get their work published in the past year, being dismissed as conspiracy theorists until US intelligence findings brought the lab leak possibility back into the spotlight recently. British intelligence also weighed in on the matter this weekend, with sources telling the press that the leak theory is feasible. Reports from a year ago noted that senior intelligence sources suggested that most of the 17 agencies in the US believed the coronavirus came from a Chinese lab. Other agencies and Intelligence figures across the globe are seriously considering the possibility of the lab leak, and have also called for the Wuhan lab to be investigated. Read more at: Summit.news and CommunistChina.news. (Natural News) Pfizer and BioNTech have published the findings of a new Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccines study on children, revealing that upwards of 80 percent of them suffer harmful side effects from the two-part injection. The company released a 37-page fact sheet on May 19 outlining the current status of its vaccination studies in the context of the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations (FDA) emergency use authorization (EUA) provisions. The document reveals that the vast majority of injected children are now suffering side effects that could leave them damaged or traumatized for life. Even though children have an almost zero risk of getting sick and testing positive for the Chinese Virus in the first place, Pfizer-BioNTech wants to inject them all with a poison that we now know has at least an 80 percent chance of causing adverse effects. The companys factsheet explains that the injections were tested on 1,097 children and adolescents between the ages of 12 and 15. Of this, at least 866 of the children developed side effects, roughly half of which were described as mild and the other half as moderate or severe. The study was double-blinded, meaning neither the participants nor the experimenters knew which children received the real vaccine and which received the placebo. Compared to the placebo group, the vaccinated group reported five times more side effects within the first seven days post-injection. Why are parents killing their children with Chinese Virus injections? After their first and second injections of the real vaccine, children reported things like fever, headache, fatigue, shivering, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain and joint pain. Some also suffered appendicitis and other more serious adverse events. Pfizer-BioNTech still claims that only between 0.4 0.8 percent of those injected will suffer immediate adverse effects emphasis on the word immediate. However, many more people will suffer long-term adverse effects that could take months or even years to fully manifest. It all depends on how long it takes for the vaccine spike proteins run their course in a persons body. The timing seems to be different for everyone, and also depends on which type of injection they receive. The Pfizer-BioNTech jab is based on messenger RNA (mRNA) technology, which reprograms the body to become a spike protein-manufacturing machine. The viral vector Chinese Virus injections from Johnson & Johnson (J&J) and AstraZeneca, on the other hand, actually contain spike proteins right in the syringe, which is why many recipients are developing deadly blood clots almost instantaneously. Dr. Christiane Northrup explained more about this in a recent Brighteon Conversations interview with Mike Adams, the Health Ranger watch below: Truth be told, none of these so-called vaccines for the Chinese Virus are really vaccines at all. They are experimental gene therapy injections, the long-term effects of which are currently unknown. To be putting these things inside the bodies of anyone, let alone young children, is simply criminal. There is no excuse for it, and any parent who willingly injects his or her child with this poison is committing an act of chemical violence, perhaps without even knowing it. FDA approval doesnt make it a vaccine, wrote one commenter at Free West Media. Most people know what a vaccine is. Classic definition: You slap around some microbes to kill or weaken them, then inject them so a persons immune system reacts. Then when the real disease comes along, your bodys ready. THIS concoction is basically a program. What do you call it when someone puts a program on your computer that you dont want there? Wow! A virus! They ARE injecting people with a type of virus. This techno-poison theyre calling a vaccine does EXACTLY what a virus does: It hijacks your cells to make more of itself. To keep up with the latest news about Chinese Virus injections, be sure to check out ChemicalViolence.com. Sources for this article include: FreeWestMedia.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) Last month, Great Game India published a report about a two-year-old child who died after receiving a Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccine from Pfizer. The case was reported in the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), only to later be removed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Since only children between the ages of five and 11 are authorized to receive a Chinese Virus injection from Pfizer, Great Game India wanted to know why a two-year-old baby received it, calling on the CDC to fully investigate the situation. Instead, the CDC ignored the request and proceeded to remove the VAERS entry without explanation. The two-year-old girl in question passed almost immediately after receiving her second dose of Pfizers experimental mRNA (messenger RNA) injection, instantly developing severe reactions. She ended up dead within just a few days. News started to spread and many were calling on the CDC to take action, seeing as how it is supposed to act in the best interests of public health. Since the CDC is actually a private corporation that works for Big Pharma, however, nothing was done and the girls death was quickly scrubbed from the government database. The fake news media quickly swooped in to defend Big Pharma as well, falsely claiming that children under the age of five were not receiving Wuhan Flu shots at the time. Three fact checkers from Newsweek all made this patently false claim. Vaccine trials for babies as young as six months are underway at least since March, reported Great Game India about the facts. CDC says removal of young girls death entry was an oopsie More than 10,000 babies as young as six months old, in fact, were receiving mRNA injections from Pfizer and Moderna as far back as mid-March, which is right around the time the two-year-old girl died from her injection. Pfizer itself admits this to be true, which makes the Newsweek fact check laughable. In what way and using what evidence did these fact checkers come to the conclusion that babies were not yet receiving Pfizer injections as of mid-March, we would like to know? Right on their website, Pfizer and BioNTech admit that the first doses of Chinese Virus injection administered to children as young as six months old began in March 2021, constituting a three-phase continuous study to learn how the shots are tolerated by babies. Once the fact checkers were challenged with the actual facts, they moved on to blaming VAERS for the error, as the entry showing that a baby had died was removed by the CDC. Newsweek actually reported on the entrys removal, claiming that the CDC took a rare step in axing it from the VAERS system. Hilariously, Newsweeks excuse for the CDC action is that the entry must have been since the CDC never lies, according to the fake news media because it was completely made up. No further details were provided by Newsweek about how it was determined that the entry was made up. Somehow, we are all just supposed to believe whatever the fake news and fake science says on any given day about a matter, even if it makes no sense and contradicts itself. The latest claim is that VAERS is unreliable and noisy, and is not to be trusted even though it is supposed to be monitored by the federal government. These errors are to be expected, the establishment claims, because technology is just too hard to get right. The good news for a very rare event is it will pop up on VAERS, stated Dr. Jesse Goodman, a former chief scientist at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), attempting to provide cover for the CDC. More related news about the mass genocide being invoked by Chinese Virus injections can be found at ChemicalViolence.com. Sources for this article include: GreatGameIndia.com GreatGameIndia.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) Fake news giant CNN has ripped into Joe Biden for halting a State Department probe launched by former President Donald Trump into the origins of the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19). Hunters dad canceled the investigation because it aimed to get to the bottom of whether or not the Chinese Virus came from a laboratory in Wuhan as opposed to bats at a wet market, the latter being what Democrats were claiming when this whole thing first started. Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was among the first to accuse communist China of leaking the novel virus from the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), which received funding from Anthony Fauci to conduct illegal gain of function research on bat coronaviruses. Because Trump and his cabinet were suggesting that the Wuhan Flu came from the WIV, and Democrats were claiming that it came naturally from bats at a meat market (the CCPs official line), the mainstream media naturally sided with the leftist narrative until now. All of a sudden, corporate media outlets like CNN are suggesting that the Chinese Virus may, in fact, have come from the lab. Even Fauci is admitting this after being repeatedly grilled by Sen. Rand Paul for lying about his involvement with illegal gain of function research. The existence of the State Department inquiry and its termination this spring by the Biden administration neither of which has been previously reported comes to light amid renewed interest in whether the virus could have leaked out of a Wuhan lab with links to the Chinese military, CNN reported. The Biden administration is also facing scrutiny of its own efforts to determine if the Chinese government was responsible for the virus. Joe Xiden is nothing but a puppet for the Chinese Communist Party China Joe being put on blast like this by CNN, of all outlets, is simply shocking. It so rattled the fake commander-in-chief that he has since changed his mind and decided to resume the investigation so as to not look even stupider than we all know he already is. CNN actually printed the words biological weapons program and China in the same sentence, which represents a major paradigm shift in the way the media is handling this apparently sensitive issue. One would think that Americans of all stripes would want to know the truth about this situation, regardless of their political leanings. But thanks to leftist corruption and manipulation, millions of Americans were told that even suggesting that the Chinese Virus may have leaked from a Chinese lab is Trump thinking, which scared a lot of them away from even entertaining the idea. Now, the corporate media is trying to soften them up to the notion that an honest inquiry into the matter is a bipartisan affair, and not something of which to be afraid, even if Trump gasp! also agrees that we should search out the truth. As you may recall, Sleepy Joe himself was openly critical of Trump last spring for suggesting that the Wuhan Flu may have come from a Chinese lab. Biden falsely and bizarrely claimed at the time that Trump rolled over for the Chinese, even though it is Biden who is a slave puppet for the Xi Jinping regime. Could it be that Joe doesnt want the American people to know that the release of covid was orchestrated to usher in mail in voting in order for the big steal to be successful? asked one commenter at Breitbart News. Joe is good at shutting down investigations. Its kinda his thing. Just ask Ukrainian energy companies, wrote another. More of the latest news about the Chinese Virus and its ever-shifting narrative can be found at Pandemic.news. Sources for this article include: Breitbart.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) A recent outbreak of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) in two Chinese provinces is causing six other provinces and the capital of Beijing to panic and resort to increasingly authoritarian measures to try and control the outbreak. The resurgent coronavirus outbreak was first detected in the eastern province of Anhui and the northeastern coastal province of Liaoning. According to residents who spoke with NTD and The Epoch Times, local officials in both provinces have resorted to repressive lockdown measures in response. In Liaonings capital city of Shenyang, reports indicate that more than 40,000 people were forced into isolation after the May Day holiday because they traveled outside of the city. Health officials, with the support of law enforcement, forced people to quarantine in their homes regardless of whether or not they had been tested for COVID-19. Additional reports also say that local officials sealed off entire residential communities and even resorted to barricading the doors and windows of some homes and buildings. (Related: Hong Kong residents stand up against plan to send them to coronavirus prison camps.) One supermarket employee from the Yiyuan Community in the Heping District of Shenyang told NTD that people were not allowed to leave the community as soon as they entered. Its just because some residents there went to Yingkou for vacation during the May Day holiday. Yingkou is another city in Liaoning. As of May 17, the CCP Health Commission reported that new local cases were still being reported in Liaoning. Authorities in Shenyang declared multiple neighborhoods as having an elevated risk of an outbreak and ordered all residents in these districts to get tested for COVID-19. In the city of Yingkou, officials have sent 14 letters of assistance to six provinces, five cities and one autonomous region. The city is asking for help with its contact tracing efforts. As of May 19, only the provinces of Liaoning and Anhui have reported new coronavirus cases. But invasive contract tracing programs have begun in seven provinces and regions, including the capital of Beijing. Unknown cause of the current outbreak causing panic Chinese health experts have been unable to track down the precise origin of this new outbreak. Wu Zunyou, an expert in epidemiology, told Chinese media outlets that he believes this round of outbreaks was due to the May Day holiday. People gathered in large numbers and traveled all over China to reunite with family during the said holiday. The leading hypothesis is that the new outbreak may have originated in Yingkou, a port city in Liaoning. Epidemiological studies conducted by Chinese researchers done by gathering the travel histories of all confirmed cases as well as people they came into close contact with have linked the outbreak to six provinces and Beijing. The first reported case came from the city of Luan in Anhui. Experts believe the virus came from somewhere else. As an inland province, the possibility that Anhuis resurgence resulted from imported cases is low. But Liaoning, the province where Yingkou is located, had reported several domestic outbreaks triggered by imported cases, explained Wu. Other experts support the hypothesis that the virus may have come from Yingkou, especially since it is a major port city. Yingkou Port conducts business with 130 ports in over 40 countries, including Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong. Despite the possibility of the outbreak originating in Yingkou, experts dont have enough evidence. The unknown source of transmission has caused many Chinese people to express their fears and grievances on social media. Why [were those] who went to Yingkou [just] fine, only the ones from Shenyang were infected? asked one worried individual online. Another asked: How come they got infected at a place where there have been no cases reported for more than half a year? This is the key question. The Chinese governments authoritarian response to the outbreak which, as of May 16, has caused several dozen symptomatic and asymptomatic cases but zero deaths, did not help assuage the fears of many Chinese citizens. Chinese social media websites are flooded with images of neighborhoods in Yingkou and Shenyang being closed off from the rest of the region. In the town of Xiongyue in the Bayuquan District in Yingkou, residents reported online that local officials have closed off certain residential communities by sealing off the entrances to buildings and peoples homes. Locks were placed on the doors of community buildings and individual apartment units, and some building doors were even welded shut. Videos have also been posted showing overnight COVID-19 mass testing facilities in Yingkou, where city residents were forced to line up for hours in the cold with no social distancing just to get tested. Learn more about the new outbreak in China by reading the latest articles at Pandemic.news. Sources include: TheEpochTimes.com GlobalTimes.cn (Natural News) Joseph Mengele and his cohorts injected chemicals into Jewish captives during the Holocaust and watched them be tortured to death from it, including children. They loved experimenting on twins Hitlers fascination. They would cut their brains open and cut out parts to see what happened. With no anesthesia or painkillers, these patients were tortured in horror, and viewed not as humans, but were nothing more than lab animals to the Nazis, just like Americans are to the vaccine manufacturers now. Of all the people on Earth, you would think Jewish people know this, remember this, or at least their grandparents or parents warned them of this. Study history or youre doomed to repeat it. The scientists who create vaccines now are cut from the same cloth as the scientists who concocted the deadly chemicals for the gas chambers of the Holocaust. Jews in America need to wake up, because Israel cant help you now. They are under forced vaccination already, countrywide, with vaccine passports already in place. Are you seeing the similarities yet? Open your eyes and witness the propaganda machine: Attention American Jews: You should be the FIRST to say Wait a second! Let me investigate the possible detriment of these IG pharma jabs Why get vaccinated while those exact vaccines are being investigated as biological weapons of terror and mass destruction besieged upon the USA and the world by communists? Why get injected with chemicals and mutated genes that take over your cells and tell them to produce proteins and prions that cause blood clots and probably cancer? Why even consider taking experimental invasive medicine at all? These vaccines have not been tested for safety on humans. They have not shown any ability to ward off Covid-19. They have not been proven safe or effective. Theyve been just the opposite dangerous. Why listen to the government and the CDC, who are giving away the vaccines with lottery tickets, beer and tickets to sporting events, where they HATE Jews but support BLM, Antifa, and the absolute destruction of Israel? As a Jewish investigative journalist, writing about cancer prevention and natural medicine, going on 11 years now, this writer knows and begs of you, fellow Jews to toast to life (Lchaim) and not to evil Haman. Do not get these insane injections. Did the Jews of World War II not pass along their hard-learned lessons to us? First Hitler took their guns. Then he ostracized them so the masses would want them dead. Then he shipped them to the ghettos. Then to concentration camps. Then they were tortured with chemical medicine and chemical gasses. The psychotic scientists who worked on the Jews and made the Zyklon-B gas stayed in the pharma business in the USA after WWII, and only served four to seven years in prison. Look it up. The vaccine industry IS pharma. Get it? Bayer, Merck, Pfizer, Moderna, J&J theyre all just nieces and nephews of Hitlers chemical industrial complex known as IG Farben (Interessen-Gemeinschaft Farbenindustrie). When medicine becomes murder: Israel one step ahead of USA in terms of forcing chemical medicine regimen on the populace In the USA, were being slow-walked into the quicksand, by forced medical regimens that hospitals recommend (enforce), including unnecessary surgeries, radiation, chemotherapy, vaccines and most prescription painkillers. Many Jews in America look to Israel for guidance, and not just spiritually. Several scientists in Israel have made miraculous discoveries in medicine, but it still gets twisted. For example, theyre bragging now about how they use baking soda WITH chemotherapy to treat isolated cancer areas. Why not just drop the chemotherapy? Theres the rub. Now comes forced vaccination. Israel just extended their inhumane Covid-19 vaccine passport system to CHILDREN who arent even eligible yet to get the vaccines. The tyranny of it all is ruthless. Children dont even need the Covid-19 inoculations, all but proving that the plan of the vaccines preempted the actual pandemic, or scamdemic as many are calling it now. Unbelievable that Israel, the Jewish homeland, uses Nazi-style chemical medicine and mRNA gene-altering, gene-mutating, blood-clot-causing inoculations that have yet to be tested for safety or efficacy. What in Gods world are they thinking? Why are citizens accepting this slow-walk into the gas chambers of chemical medicine, where you die early from all kinds of neurological disorders, blood disorders and other dysfunctions the MDs just cant seem to explain or solve for you. Fellow Jews, pay close attention to a man who has spoken out to protect millions of Jewish people around the planet. Mike Adams of Natural News has published more truths about the Holocaust than any other health and safety news publisher, anywhere. The research runs deep. The Health Ranger has also just recently helped sum up the corruption of vaccine production and marketing by the FDA and CDC, plus some expert advice on your rights of refusal of these insane gene therapy inoculations: FDA data sheets that admit to a long list covid-19 vaccine side effects, including neurological problems, anaphylactic shock and loss of consciousness. This FDA fact sheet admits that 86 percent of children who participated in a Pfizer covid vaccine trial experienced adverse reactions. State-level information sheets such as this Connecticut document that admits covid-19 vaccines may cause permanent injury or harm. Reports citing VAERS data from HHS.gov, showing that thousands of Americans have already died after taking covid-19 vaccines. (VAERS data is publicly available for anyone to view.) This story shows that VAERS data reveal covid vaccine injuries tripling in 12- to 17-year-olds last week. Video interviews, articles or presentations from researchers who are presenting information about vaccine risks that are typically not covered by the pharma-controlled media. Acceptable approaches to countering vaccine violence must be rooted in peace, due process and human rights: It is acceptable to peacefully protest outside vaccine clinics, hospitals or pharmaceutical operations, as long as such protests are lawful and pursued in the spirit of the First Amendment. It is acceptable to demand investigations and prosecutions of those who are engaged in illegal activities surrounding vaccines, including those who are committing scientific fraud, withholding informed consent, carrying out plots to censor alternative treatments (such as ivermectin) or other illegal activities. It is correct to demand law enforcement investigate and prosecute those carrying out crimes against children (or crimes against humanity), but we must defer to the justice system to pursue prosecutions and judgments. Tune your internet frequency to Pandemic.news for updates on how to prepare for the upcoming VACCINE PANDEMIC and communist apocalypse. Sources for this article include: Pandemic.news NaturalNews.com NaturalNews.com TruthWiki.org WSJ.com (Natural News) A former adviser to the White House has slammed lockdown measures to curb the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19). Erstwhile Trump administration adviser for COVID-19, Dr. Scott Atlas, called lockdowns in the U.S. and other countries as a heinous abuse of power. He lamented that lockdowns failed to protect the elderly and vulnerable. During a May 20 American Thought Leaders interview, Atlas warned that America will suffer the consequences of the largely fear-driven lockdowns for a long time. We will have a massive price to pay for what was done in the U.S. The consequences have been enormously harmful and they will last for decades after this pandemic is completely finished, Atlas said. According to Atlas, public health experts largely failed in their approach to stop COVID-19 at all costs without considering the potential long-term consequences. Lockdowns were initially promoted as short-term measures to prevent overcrowding of medical facilities, which the former adviser called an appropriate response. But he elaborated that lockdowns only reflected the worlds response to extremely imperfect knowledge. The former presidential adviser continued that fear took the place of rational and critical thinking as the basis for lockdowns. The goal of lockdowns also shifted from preventing overcrowding in hospitals to stopping COVID-19 cases entirely. Fear is very powerful, and it was really shown how powerful fear is during this pandemic. [Americans] bought into it because it was temporary, because [they] thought that would be a very small price to pay to get things under control, Atlas said. He continued that theres a big reason why lockdowns were never recommended in prior pandemics. Simple, logical and rational assessments were simply thrown out the window, Atlas said. Lockdowns failed to protect the elderly and vulnerable According to Atlas, lockdowns ultimately failed to protect the elderly and high-risk individuals in the early months of the pandemic. We saw even in March, April and May [of last year that] the lockdown policies were failing to protect the high-risk people. People were dying [and] they were elderly, he said during the interview. The former adviser mentioned that deaths in nursing homes made up 40 to 50 percent of all COVID-19 fatalities. He added that 80 percent of COVID-19 deaths in the state of Minnesota were in care home facilities. Atlas mentioned that many other Americans have suffered because most medical resources were redirected toward fighting COVID-19. Some examples he mentioned included cancer patients skipping chemotherapy sessions, people who suffered heart attacks and strokes, fearing a 911 ambulance call and organ transplant surgeries being put on hold. Aside from physical health, Atlas said lockdowns also negatively impacted peoples mental health. He remarked that child abuse and domestic abuse rates rose significantly alongside those of opioid deaths and suicides. (Related: 15-year-old Welsh boy hangs himself following coronavirus lockdown struggle.) Atlas also noted that the number of young people suffering from depression and anxiety rose dramatically. He cited figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released in June 2020 that said 40 percent of American adults experienced issues with mental health or substance use. The same data showed that one in four young adults aged 18 to 24 seriously considered suicide. Lockdowns will never be a natural and normal way to live All in all, Atlas defended his statement that the lockdowns were a definite failure. I think that it is still somehow held by many people that OK, the lockdowns are an economic harm, but were saving lives. No, youre destroying families and lives and youre literally killing people with the lockdowns, he said. He also noted that the lockdowns kept children out of school. Many other people destroyed families [and] sacrificed our children out of fear for adults even though the children do not have significant risk. Ultimately, Atlas concluded that lockdowns were a disgrace [and] a heinous abuse of the power of public health experts. Aside from serving as a COVID-19 adviser during the Trump administration, he is also a senior fellow at Stanford Universitys Hoover Institution. Atlas resigned from his post in November 2020. Earlier, a colleague of Atlas at Stanford also expressed his disdain toward lockdowns. A March 2021 Summit News report said Dr. Jay Bhattacharya called the measures the single worst public health mistake in the last 100 years. The Stanford professor said: Lockdowns themselves impose great harm on people. [They] are not a natural, normal way to live. Bhattacharya pointed out the irony that areas with the most draconian lockdowns failed to contain the spread of COVID-19. He said that policies designed to protect the elderly and other vulnerable sectors would have been better instead of restricting the entire population. We will be counting the catastrophic health and psychological harms imposed on nearly every poor person on the face of the earth for a generation, Bhattacharya warned. MedicalTyranny.com has more articles about COVID-19 lockdowns that cause more harm than good. Sources include: TheEpochTimes.com StateOfReform.com Summit.news (Natural News) Nicholas Wade, a retired science editor for The New York Times, published an article the other day blasting the mainstream media for ignoring, then denying, evidence suggesting that the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) came from a laboratory in China. Rather than doing actual investigative research, many reporters have simply been churning out sustained Chinese propaganda, Wade wrote, lamenting the fact that real journalism is now all but dead throughout the West. After looking into the situation himself, Wade concluded that the Chinese Virus was more than likely leaked from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which received funding from Anthony Fauci to conduct illegal gain of function research on coronaviruses. Most the corporate media scoffed at this notion a year ago, but some news outlets are now changing their tune, as is Fauci himself, about the possibility that the Wuhan Flu is an artificial creation rather than an evolution of nature. The World Health Organization (WHO) still says it is extremely unlikely that the Chinese Virus originated in a lab, but many, including Wade, are exposing this as a farce. The White House is also now calling for an investigation into the matter to supposedly get to the bottom of it. I think we see a sustained Chinese propaganda effort at work, Wade told Mark Levin on Life, Liberty & Levin. But, you know, more than that, it was just the blindness, if I could put it that way, of our media were too polarized to see scientific issues for their own sake without putting a political gloss on them. Because Trump said the Chinese Virus came from a lab, his haters will never believe that it did While nobody can yet say for sure where the Chinese Virus came from, it is clear that it did not just occur naturally in bat soup as the mainstream media has long claimed. According to Wade, the evidence leans towards it coming from a laboratory, where it was deliberately altered to become some kind of bioweapon. The media just failed, or refused, to even consider this angle for most of the past year. Now that the Times and a few other corporate news outlets are suddenly veering towards the lab origin theory, they are facing the same censorship that the rest of us are from Big Tech. The reason for all this confusion seems to center around the medias hatred of Donald Trump, who was among the first to suggest that the Wuhan Flu originated in a lab. The left simply could not accept this proposition coming from him, even though Fauci is now in agreement. Just like with almost everything else associated with the plandemic, the lab origin theory is hotly contested along political lines, science be damned. One side says China made the virus in a lab while the other says nature made it in a wet market. And some in both groups will never be convinced to switch sides no matter what evidence is presented. The media wouldnt investigate because it would make Trump look good, one commenter at the DailyMail Online wrote, illustrating this point. The MSM knew there was evidence but decided to ignore it. MSM is just spin, wrote another. They only investigate things that suit their narrative and silence or ridicule those who dont conform or have alternative ideas. Many others offered up similar views about how the media routinely contorts the facts or hides them to push a certain narrative or agenda. This has been the case for many decades as most major media outlets are owned and controlled by the same people. More related news about the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) can be found at Pandemic.news. Sources for this article include: DailyMail.co.uk NaturalNews.com (Natural News) The coronavirus pandemic could have been prevented, according to an independent review panel. In a report released on May 12, the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response (IPPR) said the combined response of the World Health Organization (WHO) and of global governments was a toxic cocktail that allowed the pandemic to turn into a catastrophic humanitarian crisis. The panel, which has spent the last eight months reviewing evidence on how an outbreak became a pandemic, also said in its report that the WHO should have declared a global emergency much sooner than it did. In particular, the initial responses to the outbreak in Wuhan, China back in December 2019 lacked urgency. February 2020 also proved to be a costly lost month as many countries failed to heed the alarm. Without urgent change, the world would be vulnerable to another major disease outbreak, concluded the panel. COVID-19 has infected at least 160 million people worldwide and killed more than 3.3 million. WHO took too long to sound the alarm The panel was co-chaired by Ellen Sirleaf, a Nobel laureate and the former president of Liberia, and Helen Clark, former prime minister of New Zealand. The panel included a total of 11 experts spanning a range of backgrounds and countries including China and the United States. Panel members were asked to represent their institutions rather than their countries. The panel began its investigation last September and was asked to present a full report ahead of the World Health Assembly (WHA) meeting this May. The panel released their findings online as an 86-page report titled, COVID-19: Make it the Last Pandemic. The report came with an evidence-based narrative that detailed 13 defining moments that have steered the course of the pandemic. In its report, the panel pointed out that the WHO took too long to declare a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). The WHO should have declared a PHEIC at its first meeting on Jan. 22 last year instead of on Jan. 30. For most countries, the declaration was lost as they failed to take timely measures to curb the outbreak. The WHO was then hindered by its own regulations and its insistence that travel restrictions should be a last resort. Meanwhile, European countries and the U.S. wasted the entire month of February and only acted when their hospitals began filling up, the panel said. New report echoes Trumps jabs against WHO The panel said nothing new as far as criticisms against the WHO go. Former President Donald Trump, a vocal critic of the organization, said the WHO and Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus were too quick to accept COVID-19 data provided by China. Trump argued that the data painted a better situation than what was actually happening, effectively downplaying the threat of the pandemic and deceiving world leaders. Trump made headlines last July when he moved to pull the U.S. out of the WHO because of these criticisms. The U.S. State Department sent a notice to the United Nations (UN), stating that the president had been clear that the WHO needs to get its act together. The WHO found itself in hot water again after it dispatched a team of experts to Wuhan to trace the viruss origin amid speculations that it was engineered in a laboratory in the city. But the teams findings, which were published in February, only regurgitated Chinese Communist Party theories on the viruss origins. In particular, the report ruled out the idea that the virus emerged from a Wuhan laboratory. Instead, it gave credit to the theory that the virus traveled around the world through imported frozen meat. This is a narrative especially pushed by Beijing as it seeks to wash its hands of the coronavirus pandemic. (Related: Award-winning scientist says coronavirus was created at Wuhan lab.) Many U.S. officials, including Trump, believe that the lab-leak theory is the most plausible explanation for the viruss emergence. However, Ghebreyesus, who was seen shaking hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping last April, said all of the theories about the viruss origin remain on the table. To conclude, the panel said it finds that the current system is clearly unfit to prevent another novel and highly infectious pathogen from developing into a pandemic. The panel also urged developed countries to share one billion vaccine doses with poorer countries by September to end the current pandemic. Another billion doses should be shared before the year is up. Additionally, the panel called for steps to ease intellectual property restrictions for COVID-19 vaccines. To address future threats, the panel proposed several bold steps. These include establishing a Global Health Threats Council, which would maintain the global commitment for pandemic preparedness, and an International Pandemic Financing Facility, which would financially support pandemic preparedness efforts. In the presentation of the report, Sirleaf stressed the need for bold reform. Our message is simple and clear: The current system failed to protect us from the COVID-19 pandemic. And if we do not act to change it now, it will not protect us from the next pandemic threat, which could happen at any time. Read more articles with updates about the coronavirus pandemic at Pandemic.news. Sources include: DailyMail.co.uk TheIndependentPanel.org WSJ.com ReliefWeb.int (Natural News) Administering Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccines to children under duress is a form of coercive human experimentation, and those pushing for such are guilty of crimes against humanity, says Dr. Vladimir Zev Zelenko, M.D., the discoverer of the famous Zelenko protocol. Speaking to Americas Frontline Doctors (AFLDS), Dr. Zelenko revealed that there is absolutely no reason to inject children with experimental mRNA (messenger RNA) or viral vector Chinese Virus jabs because this age group has an almost zero risk of testing positive for the virus in the first place. According to the CDC, healthy kids 18 or younger have a 99.998 percent rate of recovery from Covid-19 without any treatment, he is quoted as saying. There is no medical necessity for any vaccines especially an experimental and unapproved mRNA injection that has been shown to have many dangerous side effects. Any government, business, or school district that attempts to mandate Wuhan Flu shots on children is acting in direct violation of the Geneva Conventions prohibition against coercive human experimentation, he further warned. These are criminals of the highest order and must be brought to justice for crimes against humanity. The government of Israel, for example, is acting in such a manner by using coercion against its own citizens to force them into human experimentation, Dr. Zelenko says. The Israeli government uses coercion against its own citizens to force them into human experimentation, he further contends. Green passports are a tool of discrimination and exert an unconscionable amount of psychological pressure on innocent people. Why did we allow covid to destroy informed consent? One of the Covidists biggest victories throughout this saga was abolishing informed consent, which is the right to accept or reject your choice a medical procedure based on your own decision, and not that of Anthony Fauci, Bill Gates or Donald Trump. To demand that all Americans get injected with experimental DNA-modifying chemicals that will forever destroy the immune system amounts to crimes against humanity as Dr. Zelenko has indicated. Informed consent has been disregarded and medical necessity is not considered, Dr. Zelenko further told AFLDS. Therefore, young and healthy people and those who already have antibodies are still being forced into an experimental medical intervention that they do not need. Likening Israels forced vaccination program to the Israeli Palestinian conflict, Dr. Zelenko went on to tell that country as well to stop forcibly injecting people, and especially children, with experimental gene therapy cocktails. Israeli government: Stop shooting microscopic missiles into the bodies of your innocent and non-consenting citizens, he stated. Proceed with caution, stop human experimentation, and gather more safety and efficacy data before using new and unapproved technology. Dr. Zelenko is among a group of doctors who have been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for their role in addressing the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) plandemic. He achieved worldwide prominence for successfully treating Chinese Virus patients with hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and zinc, which Trump also promoted early on in 2020 before switching to promoting the Trump vaccine, as he calls it. According to Dr. Zelenko, early treatment with HCQ and zinc resulted in an eight-fold decrease in mortality among patients. Getting HCQ and zinc into patients within the first five days after they test positive also helps to decrease the death rate by 85 percent, he says. Dr. Simone Gold, meanwhile, who heads up AFLDS, has been tweeting as of late about Big Techs continued censorship of these and other viable remedies for the Wuhan Flu. Its not research if theyre censoring opposing information, she tweeted on May 28. Its not science if youre not allowed to question it. More related news about forced Chinese Virus injections can be found at ChemicalViolence.com. Sources for this article include: AmericasFrontlineDoctors.org NaturalNews.com Volcano researchers discovered a potential supervolcano in Alaska, with one scientist warning it could have a "great global impact". In recent days, Alaska has been in the headlines after an eruption of its Great Sitkin volcano last week. Emission of Volcanic Ash Into the Atmosphere Last Thursday, the US Geological Survey revealed a red warning had been raised - showing that there is a possibility of significant emission of volcanic ash into the atmosphere. The Alaska Volcano Observatory said on Thursday a "short-duration" explosive eruption of about one-two minutes took place at 5:04 GMT, bringing about an ash cloud up to 15,000 feet above sea level. "Since that explosion occurred, seismicity has reduced and satellite images reveal that the ash cloud has been separated from the vent and is moving towards the east," they added. According to the observatory website, Alaska is responsible for over three-quarters of all US volcanoes that have erupted during the past 200 years. Scientists have been compelled by volcanic activity in the area and were amazed when they discovered what could be a supervolcano in the Aleutian islands of Alaska. December last year an American Geophysical Union study said the volcanic islands cluster could be a single great volcano almost the same as that of the Yellowstone Caldera. Also Read: Collapsing Volcanoes: Scientists Figure Out What Makes Volcanic Eruptions More Powerful Mount Cleveland A geophysicist at the US Geological Survey's Alaska Volcano Observatory, John Power, said the super-volcano would be so enormous, it could have disrupted civilisations all over the world. Co-author of the study, Diana Roman of the Carnegie Institution for Science in Washington, DC, added: "We've been scraping underneath the couch cushions for data. "But all the things we look at lines up with a caldera in this region." Ms Roman added that if the supervolcano hypothesis is verified, it could give an explanation of the frequent explosive activity witnessed at Mount Cleveland. Mount Cleveland is possibly the most active volcano in North America for the last 20 years at least. It has generated ash clouds as high as 15,000 and 30,000 feet above the level of sea. Impact on the Climate A volcanologist with the USGS's Yellowstone Volcano Observatory who was not part of the study, Michael Poland, offered his analysis on the hypothesis of Alaskan supervolcano.He said it could possibly have a "great global impact". "These very large calderas have very large impacts all over the world, Mr. Poland said. He added that this potential identification assists in understanding what might be expected, why Cleveland is so active, and understand the hazards. A study released in the journal Geophysical Research Letters in March clarified what could occur when such a super-volcano erupts, mainly its impact on the climate. The researchers tested various volcanic forcing scenarios, lasting many years and with a summit in volcanic emissions. Related Article: Volcanic Eruptions Underwater Release Enough Energy to Power an Entire Continent! For more news, updates about volcanoes and similar topics don't forget to follow Nature World News! PASCO, WA - Police were called at around 7:51 this morning to a potential bomb threat at Pasco Truss Company. After a search lasting over a co UPDATE (11:14 AM): The bomb threat has been cleared and employees who were previously evacuated can now go back to work. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 50% of the U.S. population has received at least one dose and nearly 41% have been fully vaccinated. However, according to polling, white evangelical Christians are one of the groups with the most vaccine skepticism. BRIDGEPORT Eugene EJ McKnight was identified as a suspect in a recent shooting on the Route 25/8 Connector, in part thanks to technology, police said. They said McKnight had been wearing a GPS tracking device ever since his release on home invasion and gun charges, and it placed him right at the time and place of the shooting. McKnight, 37, was arrested Thursday morning in Norwalk by the U.S. Marshals Service, Connecticut Department of Probation and Norwalk police. He was charged with first-degree assault, criminal possession of a gun and possession of a gun in a motor vehicle. During McKnights arraignment hearing Thursday morning, he was ordered held in lieu of $500,000 bond by Superior Court Judge Earl Richards who continued the case to June 3. According to court records, McKnight was released on a total of $251,000 bond following arrests in September 2017 in West Haven for an alleged home invasion and assault and in August 2018 in Bridgeport on gun charges on the condition that he wear a GPS anklet tracking device. Frank Riccio II, McKnights lawyer in the West Haven case, declined comment. Police said on March 20, a local man was driving on the Connector shortly before 4 p.m. when his car was riddled with gunfire, apparently from a passing Ford Mustang. The victim, wounded in the abdomen, managed to drive himself to St. Vincents Medical Center, police said. The victims car, which he left parked outside the hospital, had five bullet holes in its passenger side. Police said the victim told them he did not see the shooter and that whoever shot him had blindsided him. They said the victim told them that a short time before the shooting, he had driven to the Greene Homes housing project to buy some weed from my boy. Police said witnesses pointed them in the direction of McKnight being the shooter. When they checked the readout on McKnights GPS tracker, police said it showed he had been at the Greene Homes at the same time as the victim and then had been in the northbound lane of the Connector where and when the shooting had taken place. WASHINGTON (AP) The Biden administration on Tuesday formally ended a Trump-era immigration policy that forced asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico for hearings in U.S. immigration court. A seven-page memo by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas marked the end of the Migrant Protection Protocols, which returned about 70,000 asylum-seekers to Mexico from January 2019 until it was halted on President Joe Biden's first day in office two years later. The announcement appeared to be a foregone conclusion after Biden promised as a candidate to end the policy, known informally as Remain in Mexico, but he left a window open by ordering a review before shutting it down permanently. Mayorkas said keeping the policy intact or modifying it would not be consistent with this Administrations vision and values and would be a poor use of the Departments resources. He said the costs would far outweigh any benefits. The policy coincided with a sharp decline of asylum-seekers at the border, but critics noted that people were hampered by violent conditions in Mexico, lack of access to lawyers and difficulty making it to court. Mayorkas acknowledged those concerns by noting the high rate of denied claims for failing to appear in court and the lack of housing, income and safety in Mexico. Since Feb. 19, about 11,200 people with active cases have been allowed to return to the United States to wait for a ruling, a process that can take years in the backlogged court system. The administration has yet to say if tens of thousands more whose cases were either dismissed or denied will get another chance. The top Republican on the House Homeland Security Committee lambasted the move as a very serious mistake that would hinder efforts to curb the numbers of migrants entering the U.S. The remarks by Rep. John Katko, R-N.Y., underscored the GOP view that the situation at the border remains a political liability for Democrats. The common thread across President Bidens continued actions is unwinding commonsense border security policies while putting our homeland security on the back burner, Katko said in a written statement. The administration has largely kept in place pandemic-related powers introduced by President Donald Trump in March 2020 to expel people to Mexico without an opportunity to seek asylum, justified on grounds of protecting public health. Mayorkas acknowledged planning for those pandemic-related powers to be lifted but was light on specifics. The secretary pointed to a new docket in immigration court announced Friday that aims to decide asylum cases at the border within 300 days. He promised additional anticipated regulatory and policy changes," without elaborating. FILE - This April 5, 2020, file photo shows an envelope containing a 2020 census letter mailed to a U.S. resident in Detroit. Michigan's slow population growth over the past decade will cost the state a U.S. House seat, continuing a decades-long trend as job-seekers and retirees have fled to other states. Muskogee educator Valerie Ragsdale holds a photo of her ancestors, the Ragsdale brothers, a prominent Muskogee and Tulsa family. H.W. Hartwell Ragsdale, at far left, fled Tulsa when his Greenwood Avenue funeral home was burned in the Tulsa Race Massacare. Will does 13-hour run for north Norfolk homeless Will does 13-hour run for north Norfolk homeless Will Aldred ran 62 miles along the Angles Way over the Bank Holiday weekend to raise money for the Saint Vincent to Paul Society (SVP) in Norfolk. The run took place on May 30, and so far 270 has been raised towards a target of 500. The SVP runs a variety of projects to help those in need. The one Will is supporting provides accommodation for homeless people, by turning houses into flats where they can stay until they are ready to move into somewhere permanent. A house in Sheringham is already in use, and another one in Cromer is on the way. The Angles Way passes through Norfolk and Suffolk. Beginning at Great Yarmouth, the route goes by Breydon Water and along the River Waveney, passing around Oulton Broad, Beccles, Bungay, Harleston and Diss, to its source. It then follows the Little Ouse from its source through heathland and marsh to Knettishall Heath in the Suffolk Brecks. Will completed the run in just under 13 hours, coming in 7th. You can still sponsor Will via this link. www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/svp-homeless-project Pictured above is Will Aldred Eldred Willey, 01/06/2021 YMCA Norfolk Housing Engagement Worker YMCA Norfolk is seeking a Housing Engagement Worker, based in Norwich, to help provide a programme of positive activities for residents. Position: Housing Engagement Worker Central Pay: 10.78 per hour Location: Central, Norwich Contract Type: Permanent Hours per week: 37.5 hours per week on a 4 week rolling rota Shifts from 7:45am 10:15pm over 7 days. Job Role: To provide an environment for residents with a programme of positive activities, that is safe, supportive and secure, to address the variety of barriers young people face. Ensuring residents feel included in the needs, risk and planning of the service they will receive, to move through a pathway to more independent living. Whilst on duty, to provide support to other staff in the service and to ensure the health and safety, security and well-being of service users, staff and visitors. Further information can be found at Housing Engagement Worker Central Job Description The Organisation: What youll need to succeed: What youll get in return: Healthshield Health Care Plan Health and wellbeing events and activities Family friendly policies In service training opportunities and bursaries investing in your development Annual staff day and staff awards to celebrate our successes Regular line management and support Death in service benefit of 2 x annual salary Staff discounts at Stepping Stones Cafe, Williams Kitchen, Explorers Soft Play & Muddy Puddles Nursery YMCA Norfolk is a great place to work, offering meaningful opportunities to make a difference in the lives of young people. Working at YMCA Norfolk is an opportunity to be a part of an organisation which is challenging, innovative, rewarding and fun! We place young people at the heart of all we do and are committed to building an organisation that is responsive to the needs of young people and our stakeholders.Knowledge of housing legislation including tenancy management and the issues facing homeless young people. An understanding of needs and risk assessments and knowledge of Safeguarding Children and Young People. You will need previous experience of working in a support or housing setting and the ability to implement restorative and possession procedures to respond to anti-social behaviour and breaches of tenancy. You will need to be willing to work unsocial hours. Officials on Monday, citing a report combining deaths from multiple databases and reclassified fatalities, announced that 180,764 of its population of about 33 million people have died from COVID-19 since the end of May. The figure is a drastic increase from the previous count of 69,342. Hampton - Douglas M. LaPorte, 63, of Hampton, passed away on Sunday, June 6, 2021 at his home. He was born in Albany, NY on October 6, 1957 a son of Earl LaPorte and Rosemary (Pomakoy) Snyder. Doug was a volunteer firefighter in NY in his younger years and went on to work for various Walmart By PTI NEW DELHI: The CBI has booked the Guwahati-based Ghosh Brothers Automobiles and its promoters in an alleged bank fraud of over Rs 168.62 crore in IDBI bank, officials said Tuesday. The CBI has alleged that the firm, based in Guwahati's Betkuchi, submitted false and fabricated documents to secure over Rs 64 crore bank loan to purchase vehicles. In the FIR, the investigative agency has named as accused four company promoters -- Pranab Kumar Ghosh, Pratul Kumar Ghosh, Gita Rani Ghosh and Prabir Kumar Ghosh -- and Chartered Accountant Arunabha Chattopadhya. "It was further alleged that the accused availed loan by submission of false documents and also indulged in diversion of money for the purpose other than for which the loan was sanctioned, and thereby caused a loss of Rs.168.62 crore (approx) as on January 31, 2021 to the bank," CBI Spokesperson RC Joshi said. As on July 1, 2020, the outstanding balance was Rs.153.38 crore (approx) and the said account became NPA due to non-payment of dues to the bank, Joshi said. By Express News Service NEW DELHI: IPO-bound supply chain startup Delhivery has raised $277 million (Rs 2,000 crore) in a fresh funding round led by US investment firm Fidelty. The round saw GIC (Singapore wealth fund), AbuDhabi-based Chimera, and Scotland-based Baillie Gifford also participate. According to the companys regulatory filings, Fidelty pumped in $125 million during the round, valuing Delhivery at $3 billion. The start-up counts SoftBank, Tiger Global, and Steadview Capital among its backers. Sources also said that Delhivery is looking to raise $600-700 million during its IPO slated for early next year. Delhivery had earlier said that the investments would be utilized for capacity additions as well as global expansions. Technology is disrupting the traditional logistics industry of India where roadways still constitute 75 per cent of the overall market size. Logistics tech platforms aim to address the pain points in the conventional supply chain system by connecting various stakeholders,including e-commerce firms. Delhivery says that it has fulfilled over one billion orders to more than 300 million households across India. Industry experts forecast that digital transformation of the logistics sector could translate into a value of $1.5 trillion. By PTI NEW DELHI: Sebi has barred eight entities from the securities market for indulging in insider trading activities in the shares of Infosys. While imposing the ban till further orders on the eight entities, the watchdog also directed impounding illegal gains worth Rs 3.06 crore from two of them -- Capital One Partners and Tesora Capital. The entities have traded in the scrip of Infosys while in possession of Unpublished Price Sensitive Information (UPSI) pertaining to Infosys' financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2020, Sebi said in an interim order passed on Monday. Capital One and its working partners -- Amit Bhutra and Bharath C Jain -- as well as Tesora Capital and its working partners -- Amit Bhutra, Ankush Bhutra and Manish Champalal Jain -- have been barred from the securities market. Besides, Pranshu Bhutra, Senior Corporate Counsel of Infosys and Venkata Subramaniam V V, Senior Principal, Corporate Accounting Group of the company, have been barred, as per the order. Sebi, prima facie, found that Capital One and Tesora had traded in the scrip of Infosys in the F&O (Futures & Options) segment just prior to announcement of financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2020, and soon after the announcement, they offloaded or squared off their positions such that net positions were zero. Amit Bhutra and Bharath C Jain had placed orders on behalf of Capital One. In addition, Amit Bhutra, who is also a working partner at Tesora Capital, had given trading instructions on behalf of Tesora. By indulging in such trades, Capital One Partners and Tesora Capital had made illegal gains to the tune of Rs 2.79 crore and Rs 26.82 lakh, respectively, according to Sebi. While Capital One and Tesora regularly traded in a variety of scrips, during the period from January-October, 2020, it has been observed that the entities had significant trading activity in the scrip of Infosys only during the weeks adjacent/ close to the dates of corporate announcement of financial results for the quarters ended December 2019, March 2020, June 2020 and September 2020. The trading concentration of Capital One and Tesora Capital in the scrip of Infosys had increased drastically during such time. Thus, the two companies have the same repetitive pattern of trading in the scrip of Infosys during periods close to the announcement of financial results, Sebi noted. While the matter is still under full examination, it appeared, on preponderance of probability basis, that insider trading may have been carried out, related to other three quarter financial results as well, it added. Sebi noted that Capital One, Tesora Capital, Amit Bhutra, Ankush Bhutra and Manish Champalal Jain had prime facie violated the provision of PIT (Prohibition of Insider Trading) Regulations. Amit Bhutra is connected with Pranshu Bhutra through frequent telephonic communication. Also, it has been noted that Subramaniam and Pranshu Bhutra, continue to be employed with Infosys and have access to ongoing UPSIs, Sebi said in the 55-page order. By virtue of being a designated person, Subramaniam was reasonably expected to have access to and be in possession of UPSIs. On a preponderance of probability basis, Subramaniam had communicated the UPSI to Pranshu Bhutra and Pranshu Bhutra had procured UPSI from Subramaniam. Thereby, both had prime facie violated the provision of insider trading norms, the order noted. Accordingly, all the eight entities have been restrained from buying, selling or dealing in securities, either directly or indirectly, in any manner whatsoever until further orders. The order comes after Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) alert system had generated insider trading alerts for the scrip of Infosys for the period around July 15, 2020 i.e. around the corporate announcement of audited financial results of the company for the quarter ended June 30, 2020. Thereafter, based on the alert, Sebi had conducted a preliminary examination in the scrip of Infosys to ascertain whether certain entities had violated the regulatory provisions. Nirupama Viswanathan By Express News Service CHENNAI: Some parents in the city have been hesitant to get their children tested for COVID-19 even when they show symptoms, fearing that they will be taken away for admission to care centres or hospitals. A worker who undertakes fever surveillance in Perungudi zone said that in one instance, the family refused to let them check the child's temperature. "They had found out the previous night that the child had fever but they didn't want us to check because they were scared we would take him away if found positive. Neither of the parents had fever," he said on condition of anonymity. The 12-year-old boy later tested negative. ALSO READ: Childhood friends cremate Chennai IT employee, father who died after COVID-19 battle As on Monday, around 3723 children between the ages of 0-19 of the total active cases of 35,425, were currently Covid positive -- around 10.5%. The same time last year, 1613 of the total 13,889 cases (active and recovered) had tested positive. A 37-year-old resident, on condition of anonymity, said that his son had been running a temperature for the last two days. "We had a tele-consultation with the doctors available at the Corporation helpline and were advised to get him (the child) tested for COVID-19 if the fever persists for one more day." "But we are planning to just monitor him because for children, it's usually mild and goes away on its own so we don't want to test him and stress him out. He's already frightened that he will be admitted (to a hospital)," he added. Senior corporation officials told The New Indian Express that there was no need for panic since the standard protocol is to recommend home isolation when it comes to children. "For children, our regular procedure is to allow home isolation and since they come under the 'below 45' age bracket, they will be triaged right at home and need not come even to the screening centres in person," said a corporation official. By Express News Service CHENNAI: The search panel that will recommend the names for the post of Vice Chancellor of Anna University headed by Jawaharlal Nehru University VC Jagadesh Kumar has invited applications from distinguished academicians before June 30. On March 31, the Tamil Nadu government constituted the committee to recommend a panel of three names to the Governor-Chancellor of Tamil Nadu. The panel has asked for "distinguished academicians with high levels of competence, integrity, moral and institutional commitment," to apply for the position. Further applicants should possess the educational and work experience as notified by the Government of Tamil Nadu in their G.O.(Ms).No 187, HigherEducation (K2) Department, dated 14th July 2017. Details available at www.annauniv.edu. By Express News Service CHENNAI: A 41-year-old martial arts trainer, accused of sexually harassing a student seven years ago, was arrested by the city police on Sunday under several charges, including attempt to rape. The accused, who runs a martial-art school, was a former teacher at a city school, police said. The complainant, a 26-year-old woman, had said that the incident happened in 2014 while she was learning Judo. When the duo was in another district to participate in a Judo tournament, he allegedly sexually harassed her during their return journey in a car, according to a senior police officer. In her complaint, she alleged that he touched her inappropriately and warned her of dire consequences if she revealed it to anyone. Based on her complaint, the police registered a case under IPC sections pertaining to attempt to rape, assault on woman with intent to outrage her modesty, act intended to insult the modesty of a woman, and under sections of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Woman Act. According to police, the complainant made a post about the issue on social media, and, with the help of her friends, contacted a senior police officer attached to the Crime Against Women And Children (CAWC). On Monday, the suspect was remanded in judicial custody for 15 days, sources said. Harish Murali By Express News Service CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Tuesday observed that the word 'sacrament' has lost its meaning after the introduction of the Domestic Violence Act, 2005, that approves live-in-relationships. The court also said that the present generation must understand that marriage is not a contract to be broken at the drop of a hat, but a sacramental event in a persons life. The court made the observations on a plea moved by a government veterinarian against the criminal proceedings initiated against him by his wife. Justice S Vaidhyanathan observed in his order, "The present generation must understand that marriage is not a contract, but a sacramental one. Of course, the word 'sacrament' has no meaning after coming into effect of the Domestic Violence Act, 2005, that approves live-in-relationship. Husbands and wife must realize that, 'ego' and 'intolerance' are like footwear and should be left out of their house when they enter the home, else, the child/children will have to face a miserable life." In the present case, the veterinarian was suspended from service from the department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services in view of the domestic violence case filed by his wife. According to the petitioner, he moved a divorce application against his wife in 2015 because she deserted him. The family court also allowed the divorce application on February 18, 2020. However, just four days before the verdict, she filed a case under the Domestic Violence Act that led to the suspension of the petitioner. The judge noting the timing of the complaint observed this "clearly shows that she had anticipated the divorce order and created unnecessary trouble to the petitioner. The judge also added, Unfortunately, there is no provision like the Domestic Violence Act to proceed against the wife by the husband..." The court quashed the suspension order and directed the department to reinstate the petitioner in service within 15 days. By PTI CHENNAI: Chennai Sister City in the US, San Antonio, has donated USD 10,000 towards COVID-19 relief work in the southern metropolis. A release from the US Consulate General here said San Antonio, Texas, donated the sum as a gesture of solidarity with its sister city. Chennai and San Antonio signed a Sister City International agreement in 2008 to deepen cooperation between the two in trade, investment, and culture. "Members of the Rotary Club of San Antonio donated USD 5,000 to the Rotary Club of Madras East as a token of the sister city's support during this unprecedented time." "Anuja SA, a non-profit organization created to promote the Sister City alliance between San Antonio and Chennai, donated USD 5,000 to double the total donation to USD 10,000," it said. US Consul General Judith Ravin was quoted as saying that "it is wonderful to witness two global communities come together through the Sister Cities program in times of need." San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg said his city "stands in support of those who are affected by the ongoing crisis in India." The relationship between Chennai and San Antonio was an important one, Nirenberg added. By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday slammed his counterpart in the neighbouring state of Haryana Manohar Lal Khattar over the latters remark on vaccines. Khattar has accused Kejriwal of drama over the issue and said that the national capital is exhausting its supply too soon. The Haryana CM had suggested Delhi should follow his states example of stretching the vaccine supply over a longer period. Khattars comment invoked a sharp reaction from the Delhi chief minister who hit back stating that his job is to save lives and not vaccines. Khattar Sahib, only vaccine will save lives. The sooner there is a vaccine, the more people will be safe. My aim is not to save the vaccine, but to save peoples lives, said Kejriwal. Kejriwal and his Aam Aadmi Party have constantly attacked the BJP-led Centre for mismanagement in the vaccination system. Delhi government has said that they had to close vaccination centers for the adults below 44 years of age as there is no vaccine stock left. Khattar, while addressing local media, had taken a jibe at Kejriwal saying, It was just drama when he said all vaccine centres will be shut from tomorrow because we are not getting doses. I believe Delhis share is much larger than other states. Like other states, should we also finish all 2 lakh doses in a day? We use 50,000-60,000 doses a day. All this, Arvind Kejriwal should see. But his intention is to indulge in politics and he does that. Nobody should play politics during a pandemic, the BJP leader had said. The Congress also slammed Khattars comment It said that Haryana has doses but is administering them to people in small numbers over several days. Deliberate delay in administering vaccines is also being termed as a strategy. This is the reason why the people of Haryana are not able to get the vaccines, Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala said in a tweet. Besides making them easier to refer to, renaming the variants reflects the fact that where they are first detected is not necessarily where they originated. Scientists are still figuring out where the virus came from. And nomenclature can be wrong, as USA Today pointed out. The Spanish flu of 1918 may well have emerged in Haskell County, Kansas, or in France, for instance, and had nothing to do with Spain at all. By Express News Service HYDERABAD: A 34-year-old woman rescued from a prostitution racket and lodged at a rescue home turned out to be a human trafficking organiser. Moyna Akhter from Bangladesh hoodwinked the police by using a fake identity and saying that she is from West Bengal, after which she was sent to a rescue home as a trafficking victim. However, when they continued the probe to establish her true identity, they came across old trafficking cases against her in their records. Police were also shocked to learn that Moyna, who came to the city around six years ago, had been staying here illegally, even after her visa expired. She was booked under Foreigners Act and cheating, before being sent to judicial remand. During the raid on May 18, Moyna woman was also rescued and sent to the government rescue home at Kukatpally. The name and details revealed by the woman raised suspicion, following which a detailed inquiry was conducted. When they confronted her with these details, she confessed. Police said Moyna, who was running a prostitution ring, had an Indian Voter ID and Aadhaar card with a fictitious name. Krishna P S By Express News Service KOCHI: New Zealand governments recent plan to ban the sale of cigarettes and tobacco products to anyone born after 2004 made the headlines. Since the warning on the packets doesnt seem to be making a difference, is it time we considered a change like this too? Though smoking was always a bad habit, the Covid pandemic has put it under scrutiny once again for the effects it has on the human respiratory system. To aid tobacco users who wish to quit, the Kerala government had started Quit Line for offering counselling and advice via teleconsultation. Ashok Kumar, the excise deputy commissioner, revealed that around 600 to 700 tobacco-related COPTA cases are filed on an average in the district. Not just public smoking, theres a prevalent use of banned tobacco products in the state, Ashok said. ALSO READ | World No Tobacco Day: Smoking can create more problems during Covid infection, says NGO He added concern that though youngsters are giving up smoking increasingly, they are getting addicted to narcotic substances like ganja instead. However, he says a ban on tobacco products will not help much. Banning would create demand without supply, and this would only lead to black markets and bootleggers, much like how drugs are rampant despite stringent laws. Awareness is the way to go, he added. VOX POP Smokers are at a higher risk of contracting Covid and developing complications. We have been urging people to quit smoking as it affects their friends, family and others. With more awareness programmes, there has been a decrease in the use of cigarettes among people Dr Rajathilakam N K, Govt Medical College Hospital, Kollam There are many smokers in our state. So the ban might have an effect on the economy as tobacco is one of the most heavily taxed items in our country. A blanket ban will have negative effects on the countrys economy and needs to be well-studied Jissmon A Kuriakose, advocate We are in full support of a smoking ban. However, before such a ban is imposed, the government should consider the workers of the tobacco industry. The government needs to help the workers find alternate employment T P Sreedharan, Beedi Workers Union District Secretary, Thalassery As smoking is banned in public places, the number of smokers and the passive effects have reduced. However, tobacco products such as pan masala and gutka are being increasingly used by guest workers in the state. This is equally bad for heath Dr Boban Thomas, consultant medical and pediatric oncologist at Caritas Hospital, Kottayam. I would welcome a tobacco ban. Even if it is available in the black market, many daily users wont risk it. A ban will help in bringing down the number of tobacco users and reduce health issues Staff Nurse, MOSC Medical College Hospital, Kolenchery As a society, we should move towards a healthy lifestyle, and saying no to tobacco is the way. But a blanket ban does nothing. It will be heavily inconsiderate and cigarettes will still be produced and sold illegally Parvathy P, PhD Student, NIT Calicut By Express News Service KOCHI: The city police have arrested two persons who abducted a youth after breaking into an apartment near Kammattippadam. Ani Joy, a native of Idukki, was kidnapped by a gang at 5.30 am on Sunday, the police said. The Kadavanthra police arrested Mohammed Ajmal, 28, and Sanjay Shahul, 31, both natives of Kodungallur, following a complaint lodged by Shihab, a friend of the victim. Citing the complaint, the police said the gang targeted Shihab after he told others that some of the gangsters -- who are involved in a murder case - were hiding in Kochi. Besides, the assailants nursed a grudge against Shihab after he had demanded compensation for the damage caused to his car following an accident while the accused were using it. The gangsters arrived at the apartment in search of Shihab and abducted Ani as they could not find Shihab there. The police received a tip-off and found Ani locked up in a lodge at Edappally. Subsequently, the duo was arrested from Edappally, the police said. A special squad has been constituted to nab the rest of the accused. The police have found that some of them were booked under the Kerala Anti-social Activities (Prevention) Act. A probe is on to look into the criminal background of the accused, said an officer. By PTI MUMBAI: Popular television actor Karan Mehra was arrested for allegedly beating up his wife at their residence in Mumbai, a police official said on Tuesday. The incident took place on Monday night following which the actor was taken into custody. He was released on bail from the police station in the early hours of Tuesday, the official said. The Goregaon police received a call from their control room about the incident around 11 pm on Monday, he said. The police went to the actor's house and brought him to the police station. His wife Nisha Rawal, who is also a TV actor, lodged a police complaint against him after they had a fight, the official said. A case was registered against Mehra under IPC sections 336 (endangering human life or personal safety others), 337 (causing hurt by an act which endangers human life), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation), he said. After the completion of legal formalities, the actor was released on bail from the police station, he said. Mehra is known for his role in the TV serial "Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai". The couple has appeared in various TV serials, including dance reality show "Nach Baliye". By PTI NEW DELHI: As the civil aviation sector grapples with "one of the toughest times" due to the coronavirus pandemic, Vistara chief Leslie Thng has said vaccines will play a significant role in the full recovery of air travel demand worldwide and asserted that the airline is committed to spreading its wings in the long term. Vistara, which started operations more than six years ago, has made "some temporary adjustments and modifications" to its short- term plans but is focused on "protecting all jobs" at the airline, he emphasised. The second wave of the pandemic has significantly impacted the domestic air travel demand, which was slowly on the recovery path. With plummeting demand, mainly due to many states putting in place travel restrictions to curb COVID infections, airlines are flying at lower capacities and also grappling with financial woes. The airline industry has also witnessed salary cuts, furloughs and layoffs as the players look to trim costs amid the pandemic-induced disruptions. In an e-mailed interaction with PTI, the Vistara CEO pointed out that the airline is in the domestic market for the long run and committed to contributing to its growth. According to him, the airline had to adjust capacity deployed across its network, reducing it from almost 75 per cent of pre-COVID capacity in early March this year to currently around 25-30 per cent. The civil aviation ministry has allowed domestic carriers to operate flights at 50 per cent of their capacity from June 1. In signs that the carrier, jointly owned by Tatas and Singapore Airlines, is on track with its expansion plans despite the pandemic, it will be launching flight services from Delhi to Tokyo this month. Recently, the carrier also received funds from its owners. "Vaccines will play a significant role in the full recovery of air travel demand across the world. We hope the government is doing everything possible to expand and expedite the vaccination coverage across the country," Thng said. The vaccination drive has started worldwide and the government plans to inoculate the entire adult population by the end of this year. So far, the central government has provided more than 23 crore vaccine doses to states and Union Territories. Of them, the total consumption, including wastages, is 21,51,48,659 doses, as per the latest data from the Union health ministry. Thng noted that the second COVID wave has pushed the demand back just when the market had entered a phase of recovery from an unusually difficult last year. The average daily domestic passenger volumes contracted a whopping 56 per cent between May 1 and May 16 compared to the average of April, credit rating agency Icra said in a recent report. The rating agency had also revised downwards its traffic growth forecast to 80-85 per cent for the current fiscal year ending March 31, 2022 from its earlier projection of 130-135 per cent. According to the Vistara chief, the rapid spread of the virus, introduction of stricter travel restrictions, difficulties in taking COVID tests for travel, state-wise lockdowns, among others, have adversely affected the demand and also resulted in an increased apprehension towards air travel, Thng noted. "We are evidently going through one of the toughest times in the history of the aviation industry," he said, adding that given the constantly evolving situation, it is very difficult to estimate the timing of a full recovery at the moment. With authorities focusing on vaccination drives in the country, Thng said, "we are hopeful that the situation will stabilise and the demand for air travel will return progressively". While acknowledging that the pandemic has led to some temporary adjustments and modifications to Vistara's short-term plans, he said the airline remains focused on its long-term vision of spreading its wings further into the domestic market and expanding the global footprints. The airline has taken several measures to reduce non-customer facing operating expenditures while making every effort to conserve cash wherever possible since the outbreak of the virus, he said. "Despite the current situation, we remain focused on protecting all jobs at Vistara," Thng said, adding that the situation is highly dynamic and that it will continue to closely monitor the market. India's domestic traffic declined to a 10-year low of around estimated 53.4 million in 2020-21, mainly impacted by the first COVID wave that also saw suspension of scheduled flight services for two months last year. By Express News Service NEW DELHI: The Centre on Tuesday decided to scrap the class 12 CBSE board examinations year, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi who presided over a high-level meeting, declaring that health and safety of our students is of utmost importance and there would be no compromise on this aspect. The government said that the evaluation of the marks will be made based on an objective criterion prepared by the board in a time-bound manner, but the criteria has not been released immediately. Sources in the CBSE said that there might be changes in the evaluation criteria it had proposed earlier which had said that results of classes 9, 10 and 11, apart from internal assessments through class 12, will be weighed in for scoring the students. It has now been decided that class 10 results and internal assessment of class 12 only will be taken into account for preparing the final results and the detailed criteria will be released soon, a senior CBSE official said. It has also been decided that for some of the students who may not be satisfied with the results, an option to write papers will be offered when Covid-19 situation is conducive. The decision on cancelling the board examinations by the Union government comes even though barring two statesDelhi and Maharashtraall other states and UTs had given written consents for conducting the pen and paper mode tests. The Centre meanwhile said on Tuesday that that meeting took place after a wide-ranging consultation, including first a deliberation presided over by PM and second by Union defense minister Rajnath Singh, signifying the high significance accorded to the issue by the government. In view of the uncertain conditions due to Covid-19 and the feedback obtained from various stakeholders, it was decided that Class XII Board Exams would not be held this year. It was also decided that CBSE will take steps to compile the results of class XII students as per a well-defined objective criterion in a time-bound manner, the PMO said in a statement. The PM underlined that while the pandemic has affected the academic calendar, the issue of board examination has been causing immense anxiety among students, parents and teachers, which must be put to an end. The Covid situation is dynamic across the country. While the numbers are coming down in the country and some states are managing the situation through effective micro-containment, some have still opted for lockdowns, PM was quoted having said in the meeting. Students, parents and teachers are naturally worried about the health of the students in such a situation. Students should not be forced to appear for exams in such a stressful situation, he added in the meeting where Union ministers Singh, Amit Shah, Nirmala Sitharaman, Prakash Javadekar, Piyush Goyal, Dharmendra Pradhan and Smriti Irani, besides top officials. Health and safety of our students is of utmost importance and there would be no compromise on this aspect. In todays time, such exams cannot be the reason to put our youth at risk. All stakeholders need to show sensitivity for students, said the PM. Meanwhile, following the decision on the CBSE class 12 examination by the government, the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations, country's largest private education board, also announced its decision to cancel class 12 boards (ISC) examination for this year. On Tuesday, India reported 1,27,510 fresh COVID-19 cases, the lowest in 54 days, while the daily positivity rate dropped to 6.62 per cent, according to the data updated by the Union Health Ministry. India's tally of coronavirus cases stands at 2,81,75,044 with the fresh cases. ALSO WATCH : By PTI NEW DELHI: The Congress on Tuesday expressed deep concern over India's stand on the recent conflict between Israel and Palestinians in Gaza and said the widespread impression is that India has "moved away from its traditional policy" in the region. In a statement, the opposition party said India's foreign policy has historically been bipartisan and added that it supports the government in its articulation and defence of the country's interests abroad. "It is in this spirit that we reiterate the traditional position in support of the two-State solution, with appropriate recognition of East Jerusalem as the capital of independent Palestine, must not be undermined by omission," the party said in the statement. "Both parties should respect the ceasefire and return to peace negotiations, there being no other path to a meaningful, peaceful co-existence of Israel and Palestine. As one of the few countries to have maintained a good relationship with both parties to the conflict, we must not be influenced by expediency to dilute our commitment to Palestine," it also said. "The Congress party is deeply concerned about our country's stand on the recent tragic conflict between Israel and the Palestinians in Gaza. Press reports indicating a perceptible shift in the Indian position between the Indian intervention in the UN Security Council on May 16 and our statement in the UN General Assembly on May 20 have conveyed the widespread impression that India has moved away from its traditional policy in the area," according to the statement. The Congress said it was appropriate for India's initial statement to note that the intrusion by Israeli forces into the Holy Al Aqsa mosque during Ramzan prayers ruptured the delicate peace in the region. "Omitting that in our statement to the General Assembly, where sympathy for the Palestinians is far more extensive than in the Security Council, was incomprehensible. It must not be lost sight of that this unacceptable intrusion into the holy precincts was the immediate flash point," it noted. The formulation reiterating "India's strong support to the just Palestinian cause and its unwavering commitment to the two-State solution," which was part of the Indian statement in the UN Security Council, was absent from the General Assembly statement, raising questions about the overall direction of our policy in the region, the Congress statement said. "Our later statement at the UN Human Rights Council has also conveyed the impression that we have departed from our time-tested commitment to Palestine and thrown our support entirely to Israel," the Congress said. The Israeli attack on media offices, undermining the first principles of free flow of information, and the death of a large numbers of children in Israeli airstrikes, have gone without appropriate censure from our side, it said. By PTI JAIPUR: The Congress on Tuesday raised strong objections to the government's decision of keeping it out of the Group of Ministers (GoM) to look into tax concessions to certain articles used for Covid treatment. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot alleged it is a deliberate attempt to keep the opposition Congress out of the Group of Ministers (GoM) set up after the GST Council Meet on May 28. "Congress has three members in the GST Council. A deliberate attempt has been made to keep the principal Opposition party, the Congress, out of GoM set up by the Centre after council meet on May 28," Gehlot said in a tweet. He said only the BJP has more members in the GST Council and keeping out the Congress members is "most unfortunate and strikes at the very roots of cooperative federalism". Congress leader P Chidambaram said Rajasthan chief minister's tweet on behalf of the three Congress state finance ministers reveals a distressing state of affairs in the GST Council. "How can the states that expressed a contrary view to the views of FM Ms Sitharaman be altogether kept out of the GoM to report on reduction of GST rates," he asked. "This is BJP's brand of non-cooperative non-federalism. The eight FMs who are in the GoM should protest against the deliberate exclusion of FMs of certain states," Chidambaram said. Gehlot further said it is pertinent to mention that no one has been included in the GoM from the states of West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu, which had taken a stand contrary to that of proposed agenda. "We request the eight members of the GoM to reflect on the exclusion of the Congress Finance ministers before they proceed with their deliberations. We also urge the members of GoM to take into account views expressed by Rajasthan and other mentioned states, wherein we had asked for Zero Tax Rate for Covid-related supplies in public interest," Gehlot said. Chidambaram, during an online press conference, alleged that the Finance Minister has treated the members of the GST council with disdain. He said the Group of Ministers set up to recommend on whether GST rate should be reduced on Covid-related medicines and equipment, is a decision that should have been taken on the day they met and should have not taken more than 15 minutes. "Instead of that, they have delegated it a group of ministers, which will give its report on June 8. I think, this is called procrastination, this is called not taking a decision and then on all other issues, she has given a short shrift, she has not responded at all. What did the meeting achieved, what is the outcome of the meetings- zilch. You meet after 6 months; you hold a futile meeting, come out with zilch out come and say I will consider calling a next meeting in 3 months later. Why three months later," he asked. "I think the GST council is being treated with complete disdain and contempt by the Finance Minister," he alleged. By PTI KOLKATA:West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Tuesday stirred fresh controversy by saying "ego prevailed over public service" on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee skipping Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting to review post-cyclone damages on May 28. Dhankhar said the chief minister had called him before the meeting at Kalaikunda in Paschim Medinipur district and indicated that she won't attend it if Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari is present in it. "Constrained by false narrative to put record straight: On May 27 at 2316 hrs CM @MamataOfficial messaged 'may I talk? urgent'," Dhankhar tweeted. "Thereafter on phone indicated boycott by her & officials of PM Review Meet #CycloneYaas if LOP @SuvenduWB attends it. Ego prevailed over Public service," he said in another Twitter post. ALSO READ | Sheer misuse of power by Centre, say former civil servants on Bengal chief secretary transfer Besides Adhikary, Dhankhar and BJP MP Debosree Chaudhuri were present at the meeting. The chief minister said she skipped the meeting because "a BJP MLA has no locus to be present in a PM-CM meeting". Adhikari has defeated Banerjee in Nandigram seat in the recent assembly elections. In a letter to the prime minister on Monday, Banerjee had written, "I wanted to have a quiet word with you, a meeting between the PM and the CM as usual. You, however, revised the structure of the meeting to include a local MLA from your party and I am of the view that he had no locus to be present in a PM-CM meeting." Banerjee had also mentioned in the letter that she had no objection to the presence of the governor and other Union ministers in the meeting. By PTI CHATRA/RANCHI: The NIA has attached immovable property and land belonging to a self-styled commander of a banned outfit Tritiya Prastuti Committee (TPC) in Jharkhand's Chatra district, officials said on Tuesday. The property attached is an Inter College and 245 decimals of land. "Immovable property by the name 'Gopal Singh Bhokta Inter Mahavidyalay' alongwith 245 decimals of land belonging to Gopal Singh Bhokta who has been a TPC self-styled commander and active terrorist has been attached," an official said. The property has been attached under provisions of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, as "proceeds of terrorism", the official added. The accused is said to have been involved in raising illegal money through extortions and illegal collection of levy amounts through his banned terroristS gang TPC. Further investigations are on in the case. He was probably no longer welcome in that particular area where here was hanging out, and they were picking on him until he flew away, she said. Sumi Sukanya dutta By Express News Service NEW DELHI: The Centre is set to issue guidelines for Covid-19 management in kids and also to prepare hospital infrastructure to support a large number of kids in case the infectious disease hits them with more intensity in the coming months, authorities announced on Tuesday. The announcement comes amid concerns that children may be among the worst hit with Covid-19 if there is a fresh wave of the viral disease. But many experts, apart from government officials, have said this may not be a valid apprehension based on the scientific evidence so far. VK Paul, member (health) Niti Aayog and chairman of the national Covid19 task force who is a paediatrician himself said in a press briefing on Tuesday that so far, only 2-3 % of the kids with Covid-19 need hospital care and the scientific evidence suggest that children are less susceptible for severe disease. He however added that preparations will be made keeping 2.5 to 3 times that number in mind to tackle any future exigency. The paediatric population is generally asymptomatic. They often get infections but their symptoms are minimal or nil. If they do get Covid, the infection has not taken serious shape in children and the need to hospitalise is very less, Paul said. But the virus may change its behaviour in the paediatric population and there may be changes in epidemiological dynamics. The impact of Covid-19 may increase in childrenThe data has shown that a low number of children are being admitted to hospitals. We are pushing preparedness by the day, he added. Paul also stressed that the government is working very systematically, comprehensively to address the problem of paediatric Covid disease for now as well as in the future. We will strengthen our facilities as required and do an audit of what is required and what might be required in a worst-case scenario," he also said adding that in some children post Covid19 complications are seen 2-6 weeks after the actual infection and these complications may be totally different than the ones reported in adults. The debate that the children could be the worst affected in future waves of Covid19 pandemic started driven by the logic that they may be completely left out of the vaccination coverage against coronavirus. Most experts however say that these concerns may be unfounded. Serosurveys in many countries including India have shown that prevalence of infection was similar across all age groups so a large number of kids may have been affected already, pointed out public health expert Chandrakant Lahariya. He added that despite a high number of infections, not many kids reported severe disease or needed hospitalisation because of the fact that children due to a smaller number of ACE 2 receptorsused by coronavirus to enter the human cellsas compared to adults. Therefore, I do not see the reason why there should be undue anxieties about a larger number of falling sick due to Covid19 in the coming weeks or months, he said. Some doctors have also advocated that flu shots for kids may be a tool to prevent coronavirus infection but a senior paediatrician in AIIMS, Delhi indicated that it may not be suitable for India. The flu shots available in the private market are often prepared for influenza virus strains prevalent in the peak season in Europe and are often not very effective against preventing seasonal flu in India so I am not sure how such flu shots can help against SARS CoV 2 which is a completely new virus, he said. ALSO WATCH | Is highly infectious B.1.617 variant spreading at a frightening speed? Harpreet Bajwa By Express News Service CHANDIGARH: President of the Punjab Congress unit Sunil Jakhar along with 25 party MLAs, including 11 state cabinet ministers, met the three-member panel recently constituted by the partys interim president Sonia Gandhi to resolve the brewing factionalism ahead of the forthcoming Assembly elections. The state delegation met the three-member panel for about half an hour. The delegation included cabinet ministers Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and Charanjit Singh Channi, who have been vocal against Chief Minister Amarinder Singh. After the meeting, Randhawa appeared visibly upset. He told the media that he cannot disclose what transpired behind the closed doors, but reiterated his firm view that action must be taken in the sacrilege case. MLA Raj Kumar Verka, who was among those who met the panel on Monday, said the high command will soon announce a big responsibility for the Dalits. Apart from Randhawa and Channi, the state Cabinet ministers who met the panel include Brahm Mohindra, Manpreet Singh Badal, Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, and Rana Sodhi. Another delegation led by Navjot Singh Sidhu and MLAs loyal to him will meet the panel on Tuesday. The panel is expected to meet all the 80 Congress MLAs. It will also meet Congress MPs from the state, most likely on Wednesday. Later, on Thursday, the panel is expected to meet the chief minister. After all the meetings, it will submit a report to Sonia Gandhi, who is then expected to take a decision to resolve the infighting. By ANI NEW DELHI: Expressing concern over a rise in black fungus or Mucormycosis cases in the country, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday again targeted the central government on its efforts to curb the rise in fungal infection. Taking to Twitter, he sought answers from the Centre to three of his questions. "Central Government should clarify about the Black fungus epidemic - 1. What is being done for Amphotericin B drug shortage? 2. What is the procedure for getting this medicine to the patient? 3. Instead of giving treatment, why is the public getting bogged down in formalities by the government?" he posted on his Twitter page. ALSO READ | HC asks Centre, Delhi govt to form policy on distribution of drug for black fungus patients The Congress MP has previously also attacked the BJP government and blamed the "inefficiency" of the PM Narendra Modi government for the "epidemic of black fungus along with the Covid pandemic" in the country. Cases of Covid-19 triggered black fungus across the country have witnessed a significant increase, which has also led to a significant rise in the death toll. Karnataka has reported 1,250 cases and 39 related deaths so far. In Madhya Pradesh's Indore city, 39 people died due to the infection. On Friday, two succumbed to the infection in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh. Uttar Pradesh's Meerut reported 147 black fungus cases in total. Meanwhile, on Sunday, India received a consignment of 200,000 AmBisome (Amphotericin B injection), informed Ambassador of India to the United States, Taranjit Singh Sandhu. Sumi Sukanaya Dutta By Express News Service NEW DELHI: The Union government on Tuesday listed out two crucial parameters for opening up districts after weeks of heavy restrictions to contain Covid spread -- test positivity rate of less than 5% for at least a week and a minimum of 70% vaccination coverage for the vulnerable groups. There are 344 districts in India as of now which have a positivity rate of under 5%, as per the data shared by the Centre. In terms of easing the district-wise lockdown and begin unlocking across states, authorities added that for opening districts, Covid positivity rate should be below 5% for a week but maintained that community ownership of Covid appropriate behaviour remains a crucial tool to keep the pandemic under control. Officials also insisted that over 70% of the vulnerable population -- people above the age of 60 years and also those above 45 and with comorbidities -- must have received vaccine doses in such districts. "Gradual lifting (of lockdown) will not witness a massive surge. However, we have to ensure that vaccination is prioritised. The vaccination rate for the vulnerable population must be up to 70% and Covid appropriate behaviour should be followed, "said Balram Bhargava, ICMR Director General during a press briefing on Covid situation in India. ALSO READ | CBSE class 12 board exams cancelled in light of pandemic The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that the positivity rate should remain below 5% for at least two weeks before an outbreak can be considered to be under control in a geography. As coronavirus cases across India are now showing a declining trend, many states that had resorted to lockdowns to combat and contain the deadly second wave are slowly opening up but some states such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh have extended the Covid-related curbs with specific relaxation. The figures presented by the Union health ministry, meanwhile, showed that there has been a steady decline in weekly test positivity rate since the last three weeks even when the testing has increased significantly. The weekly test positivity rate in the country was 8.31% on Monday while the daily positivity rate which had crossed 22% during the peak in early May tapered down to 6.62% on the last day of the month. Statistics also showed that 30 states in India reported decline in active cases since last week and there has been a consistent decline in active cases which presently stands at 18.95 lakh. The active Covid cases have come down by over 18 lakhs since the peak on May 10 which means there has been a decline of almost 50%. ALSO WATCH | Is highly infectious B.1.617 variant spreading at a frightening speed? By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Former bureaucrats on Monday criticised the Centre's attempt to recall West Bengal Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay. They described it as sheer misuse of power and humiliating. Former chief secretary of Maharashtra DM Sukhtankar said that in the present circumstances, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Central government is wrong on their part to call back chief secretary of West Bengal to whom they had only given three months extension. PM Narendra Modi only gave extension to chief secretary of West Bengal so it is also not legally right for them to call back. If the person is working any places so it is his duty and responsibility to work their only first. Morally also, this is not the right for centre to do such things, Sukhtankar said. Former IAS officer Jawahar Sircar called it a misuse of power. There is another order dates 24th May for Covid management and his extension. Without superseding that order by asking him to come to Delhi is only humiliation, he said. His extension was meant for Covid control in Kolkata. His extension was not meant to be waiting in New Delhi, he said. Former Maharashtra police commissioner Julio Riberio said, I think its dangerous for the officers of all-India service to work in Opposition-led States. By Express News Service NEW DELHI: The Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has, for the second time, allowed subscribers to withdraw a non-refundable advance from their savings due to the coronavirus pandemic. The move will be implemented as a part of the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana, a Covid-19 assitance package which was introduced in last March last year. Under this provision, a non-refundable withdrawal to the extent of the basic wages and dearness allowances for three months or up to 75 per cent of the amount standing to a members credit in the EPF account, whichever is less, is provided. Members can apply for lesser amount also, a statement from the labour ministry said. According to the statement, the EPFO has deployed a system driven auto-claim settlement process to process such claims. The EPFO members, whose know your customer requirements are complete, can immediately apply for the withdrawals, the ministry statement added. By PTI GUWAHATI: A group of people assaulted a doctor at a hospital in Hojai district of Assam following the death of a Covid-19 patient on Tuesday, police said. Three persons were arrested in this connection. Hojai Superintendent of Police Barun Purkayastha said that a critically ill Covid-19 patient succumbed to the disease at Udali Covid Care Centre on Tuesday afternoon. "Immediately after that, the relatives and a group of people known to the victim arrived there and started beating up the doctor. After getting the information, our team reached there and arrested three persons. Further investigation is on," he told PTI. A video of the attack which has gone viral on social media showed that a person, apparently looked like the doctor, was being assaulted by a group of people, including women. Reacting to the incident, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, "Such barbaric attacks on our frontline workers won't be tolerated by our administration." He asked the Special DGP (Law and Order) Gyanendra Pratap Singh to ensure that the culprits are brought to justice. Singh said in a tweet that instructions have been given to the Hojai SP to arrest all persons involved in assaulting the doctor, identified as Seuj Kumar Senapati. Local Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi said, "The incident of assaulting a doctor at Udali is unacceptable. I have strongly taken up with the district administration to take swift action and bring the culprits to justice." By PTI ALIGARH: The death toll in the Aligarh hooch tragedy climbed to 25 on Sunday while police seized 243 pouches of illicit liquor from a block along the district's border with Haryana, officials here said. BJP Lok Sabha MP from Aligarh Satish Gautam, however, said according to information gathered by him, the death toll has crossed 35. Speaking to reporters, Gautam said his figures are based on inputs collected by him from different villages "where many victims have been cremated without conducting a post-mortem examination". Asked why there was a difference between official figures and the information collected by him, the MP said, "I will be meeting the officials today (Sunday) and we will discuss this issue. There is no question of hiding anything. A person who has been a victim of this tragedy will ultimately find his name on the official death list. " According to district officials, the victims were limited to Aligarh's Lodha block on the first day but have now spread to at least four more blocks. The district authorities have been sending teams to villages to urge people not to consume any liquor bought a week ago. On Sunday afternoon, a row broke out at a post-mortem house when some staff members allegedly tried to prevent media persons from taking pictures of bodies lined up there. With the issue threatening to blow up, Gautam rushed to the spot and managed to calm down the frayed tempers of media persons. He said necessary action will be taken in this matter. He reiterated that there will be no attempt to hide casualties in the hooch tragedy. Meanwhile, Lodha police station in-charge Abhay Kumar Sharma has been suspended for dereliction of duty, according to an official announcement made on Saturday evening. The first death in the hooch tragedy was reported in this police station area. District Magistrate Chandra Bhushan Singh said a magisterial probe will reveal the exact death toll. According to reports, some victims had consumed the killer brew even a day after the first deaths were reported on Friday. Meanwhile, the excise department and police conducted a joint raid in the district's Tappal block and arrested one person with a large stock of illicit liquor. Acting on a tip-off, the house of Monu Srichand in Nurpur village under Tappal police station was raided and 243 pouches of illicit liquor were seized, said Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kalanidhi Naithani. He has been booked under the Excise Act. Naithani said police teams and administrative staff are combing rural areas and cautioning residents against consuming any liquor purchased a week back. They are also checking the stock at liquor vends across the district. Officials are seizing liquor pouches to help identify the spurious liquor stock that found its way to government-authorised vends. Naithani had said on Saturday that five people have been arrested so far, including Anil Chaudhary, the alleged kingpin of the spurious liquor racket. As many as 12 people have been booked in three different cases. Several raids were carried out in various parts of the district. A reward of Rs 50,000 each has been announced for the arrest of Anil Chaudhary's associates Rishi Sharma and Vipin Yadav, the SSP had said on Saturday. The district magistrate has recommended an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh for the kin of the deceased. By PTI NEW DELHI: Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday wrote to Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank and advocated not holding Class 12 board exams amid the pandemic, saying children will be subjected to great injustice if they are pushed into circumstances that endanger their lives. In her letter to the minister, Priyanka Gandhi shared the suggestions she received from several students and parents who had interacted with her on the matter in the past few days. After a high-level meeting on May 23, the minister had said that there was a broad consensus among states about conducting Class 12 board exams and an "informed, collaborative" decision would be taken by June 1. In a tweet, Priyanka Gandhi said, "I have written to the Minister of Education summarising numerous suggestions I received from students, parents and teachers regarding the 12th standard CBSE exams. Their voice must be heard." Noting that it is the government's responsibility and duty to protect them, she said, "I once again urge you to reconsider holding the CBSE 12th board exams and to consider the above suggestions made by them very, very seriously." "It will be a great injustice if they are pushed into circumstances that endanger their lives when it is completely unnecessary and it will be a great pity if we let them down at this trying time in their lives," she added. The Congress leader has been pushing for not holding board exams for Class 12 and has suggested several ways to hold assessment or open book exams from students at home. "It is cruel and heartless to expect these children not only to study and perform well in the board exams, but even more so to subject themselves to crowded exam centres at which there is no guarantee for their health and safety," she told the minister. She said experts have repeatedly stated that a third wave is imminent and have warned that it might be more perilous for children and teenagers. She noted that it is undeniable that children will collect in large numbers in exam centres across India if these exams are to be held and it is quite possible that the beginning of another wave might develop from these circumstances. The Congress general secretary said uncountable children are suffering from trauma, anxiety and depression already and many have written to her saying how helpless and bereft they feel. "They have been in this state of limbo for months now, struggling to cope with disease, deaths of people around them and circumstances that would have been unimaginable for any of us just two years ago. It is unfair to prolong this decision any further and to cause them even more stress when it is entirely avoidable," she said. Prajna GR By Express News Service MADIKERI: We are forest dwellers. Even when we fall sick, we depend on forests for our medicines. Now, all of a sudden the government forces a vaccination upon us. What if we have an adverse effect? questions Ramesh, the head of the Nagarahole tribal settlement in Kodagu. The tribal settlement has over 1500 dwellers and all of them have refused to take the vaccine against COVID-19. A black, handwritten board stands at the entrance of the settlement, which states, COVID has spread across the country. Hence, central, state or district officials or any other government or any other resident from outside the settlement is prohibited from entering into the settlement without the permission of the village head or villagers. Trespassers will be fined. Further, when panchayat officials visited the settlement to register the names of the tribals for the vaccination drive, they were yelled at by the women who said, Our tribal lord will save us. We do not need any medicine or vaccination. The officials are having a hard time convincing the tribal community to take the vaccination and have returned from the settlement disappointed. ALSO READ: Kodagu doctor writes to Health Minister suggesting use of Ivermectin to treat COVID patients Asked about the issue, Ramesh said, Most of us in the settlement lack awareness. The officials cannot suddenly force us to take the medicine. They will have to create an awareness programme and convince our people. He added that the settlement has been COVID-free and suggested that the government complete the vaccination drive across the towns and cities that are highly affected by the virus. After vaccinating all others, then they can vaccinate us as we are all healthy now. Also, since we do not take English medicines, we are skeptical about taking the vaccine. What if someone has an adverse effect and dies. Will the department take responsibility for this? he questioned. The district ITDP project coordinator officer, Shivkumar C, however assured that he would convince the tribes to take the vaccination. In the coming week, the department will be distributing nutritious food to the tribal settlement. We will then create awareness and convince the tribes to take the vaccination, he said. U.S. presuming Chinese lab guilty of leaking COVID-19 virus shows ulterior motive of stigmatizing China 17:21, June 01, 2021 By Zhong Sheng ( People's Daily It seems that some U.S. officials indulge in coming to a conclusion and then finding arguments for the conclusion in tracing COVID-19 origins. Last year, certain American politicians claimed that "enormous evidence" shows the novel coronavirus escaped from a Chinese lab. However, their claim was rejected by international scientists and soon faded out. Now, some U.S. officials and media outlets are trying to revive the "lab leak theory". Driven by a desire to spread political virus, they presume China guilty of leaking the virus, a presumption that could easily fall apart in the face of facts. No matter how heavily disguised, the theory exposes an ulterior motive of the U.S. to defame China by taking advantage of the epidemic. The "lab leak theory" is in fact groundless. When some U.S. officials spread the ridiculous theory last year, they cited as "evidence" a report wrote by the Multi Agency Collaboration Environment (MACE) unit at the Sierra Nevada Corporation, a major contractor of the U.S. Department of Defense. The report, which tried to reach the conclusion from the lack of location data of seven mobile phones, was mocked by data analysis experts and listed as a classic negative example of conducting information analysis. The report is filled with totally irrelevant comparisons and assumptions made out of ulterior motives, said Jeffrey Lewis, director of the East Asia Nonproliferation Program at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies. "Rather than use intelligence to inform the government's response to the pandemic, the Trump administration tried to bend the facts for political ends...Throughout the course of the pandemic, the Trump administration's first and strongest instinct was to find a scapegoat rather than formulate a response," wrote Olivia Troye, who served in the Trump administration's coronavirus task force, on The Bulwark, an American news network. The attempt of some U.S. officials and media outlets to bring up the theory again will certainly meet another failure. The Wall Street Journal recently reported on a previously undisclosed U.S. intelligence report, trying to trace the origins of the virus to a Chinese lab again. The report, which is based on vague information and hearsay evidence, somehow becomes "conclusive proof" under the malicious instigation of some American officials, which is indeed ridiculous. The U.S. "presumption of guilt" in tracking down the origins of the virus couldn't possibly stand a chance against science. "So we cannot check whether such a report actually exists, what is really there and what evidence is included, if any. The bottom line is that the current debate is based on hearsay," said Matthias Glaubrecht, scientific director and professor from the Department of Animal Diversity at the University of Hamburg. There is no clear evidence that the COVID-19 virus came from a lab, and politicizing the tracing of origins to seek personal interests will do no good, according to Dominic Dwyer, a member of the WHO expert team for investigating the COVID-19 origins in China. It is out of ulterior political motives that some U.S. politicians and media outlets have disregarded science and facts, and been obsessed with fabricating and spreading lies that the virus originated from a Chinese lab. When it made up the "lab leak theory" last year, the U.S. was deeply trapped in the epidemic. Its plight hasn't become any better. The country has reported over 33 million confirmed cases and nearly 600,000 fatalities, which account for 20 percent and 17 percent of the world's total, respectively. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that one-third of Americans had been infected with the novel coronavirus, as observed by the U.S. media. The incompetent epidemic response of the U.S., the world's largest economy known with the most advanced medical resources, has exposed a series of deep-rooted problems in American society including racial injustice, widening gap between the rich and the poor, high incidence of violent crimes and governance failures, and dealt a heavy blow to America's image as a "beacon of democracy". It is evident that by stigmatizing China, some American politicians aim to divert people's attention away from their poor anti-epidemic efforts and get rid of responsibilities for tracing virus origins, thus serving their own political purposes at home and abroad. China has always taken an open, transparent, and responsible attitude toward virus origin tracing. According to a report released by the WHO based on a joint WHO-China study of the origins of COVID-19 on March 30, the novel coronavirus is "extremely unlikely" to have leaked from a lab. The conclusion based on science could never be changed by blatant lies. Certain U.S. officials should stop with the "presumption of guilt" trick and scapegoating China for their incompetence, and start to learn from lessons, reflect on their choices, and actually do something meaningful for safeguarding the lives and health of American people and global public health security. (Zhong Sheng is a pen name often used by People's Daily to express its views on foreign policy.) (Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji) The peace of mind you can offer staff members with an assurance everyone is vaccinated is really what led us to move in this direction, she said, noting that 100% staff vaccination will cut down on coronavirus cases in school buildings and allow teachers to avoid quarantining if theyre exposed to an infected student. By Express News Service BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court rejected the bail petition of former minister Vinay R Kulkarni in connection with the BJP leader Yogishgouda Goudar murder case. Recording Kulkarnis attempts to tamper with witnesses by paying money and assuring the deceaseds wife a post in the Congress, Justice K Natarajan dismissed Kulkarnis petition, the second one filed. Referring to the petitioners behaviour as then district incharge minister, including tampering with witnesses, influencing a police officer to file a false chargesheet, changing the public prosecutor and diverting the police and investigation, the judge noted that all the documents produced by the Central Bureau of Investigation revealed that the petitioner was involved in the commission of a pre-planned cold-blooded murder of Yogishgouda with political power and influence. By PTI ENGALURU: The supply of Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) under the central quota to Karnataka to sustain COVID-19 patients on ventilators have been way less than the demand of 1,200 tonnes daily. This is despite Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa's letter to the Centre and the Karnataka High Court directive to supply the state's share of oxygen, officials said. According to the data shared by the authorities, on May 30, the state received half of the requirement -- 545.85 tonnes of oxygen with a shortfall of 654.15 tonnes. Besides, it received 791.85 tonnes on May 29, 686 tonnes on May 28, 730 tonnes on May 27, 875.07 tonnes on May 26 and 728 tonnes on May 24. The eight oxygen-producing units in Karnataka, which are located in different parts of the state, are the major source of medical oxygen though they too are unable to meet the demand. On May 30, the state manufacturer supplied 425.85 tonnes of oxygen against the target of 830 tonnes daily, 572 tonnes on May 29, 446 tonnes on May 28 and 730 tonnes on May 27. Apart from the state oxygen-producing units, Karnataka is receiving oxygen from Tata Angul, Jamnagar and Rourkela Steel plant. During the second wave of COVID-19, which began approximately in the first week of March this year, the daily infections hovered between 40,000 to 50,000. Due to stringent restrictions from April 27 which will be in effect till June 7, the cases came down drastically. On Monday, the state reported 16,604 fresh infections and 411 fatalities due to COVID-19 whereas there were 3.14 lakh active cases. However, the demand for oxygen remained high in view of the high number of active cases in the state. "We still need 1,200 tonnes of oxygen, but we are getting way less than it," an official told PTI requesting anonymity. According to him, the Chief Minister has written to the Centre to increase the supply of oxygen and the High Court has also ordered the Centre to give Karnataka its share of LMO. "The Government of India has ordered but outside supply isn't coming. We have written on that," the official added. Meanwhile, the South Western Railway on Tuesday said it ferried about 240 tonnes of oxygen in Karnataka. The Oxygen Express brought 120 tonnes of LMO from Jamshedpur and 119.64 tonnes from Raigad in Maharashtra. By Express News Service MADIKERI: A retired surgeon from Kodagu has written to the Union Health Minister suggesting the drug Ivermectin as a safe and economical medicine to treat COVID patients. Dr Kavery Nambisan is a retired surgeon who completed her surgical training in England and FRCS in London. She is currently running a private clinic in the rural part of Ponnampet in Kodagu and has now written to the Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan to endorse Ivermectin as an early treatment for COVID. She explained that Ivermectin was largely used in India a few years ago as a deworming tablet and has proven effective to treat COVID now. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), it must be noted, has been categorical in disapproving the drug's use, stating that they have "not approved ivermectin for use in treating or preventing COVID-19 in humans. Ivermectin tablets are approved at very specific doses for some parasitic worms, and there are topical (on the skin) formulations for head lice and skin conditions like rosacea. Ivermectin is not an anti-viral (a drug for treating viruses)". The World Health Organisation too has recommended that ivermectin must only be used for COVID-19 treatment within clinical trials. ALSO READ: After mother tests positive, Karnataka auto driver offers free rides for Covid patients Dr Kavery though disagrees. A scientist in Australia conducted an in vitro study last year and published a paper on how Ivermectin is an effective drug to treat COVID-19. This was practically followed by a doctor in Bangladesh and the drug proved to be effective. An Indian origin doctor in South Africa, Dr Shankara Chetty, has treated over 4000 COVID patients successfully with Ivermectin, she told The New Indian Express. The doctor confirmed that the drug has been approved by ICMR and AIIMS Delhi. She added that the states of Orissa, Goa and Uttar Pradesh are largely using Ivermectin as an early treatment for COVID patients. From last October, I have treated rural COVID patients in Kodagu with Ivermectin. The minute the patient shows signs and is suspected to be infected with COVID, the Ivermectin course was started. Whenever a patient who tested positive approached me, I prescribed the entire family of the patient with a course of Ivermectin to stop the spread of COVID, she said. In her letter to the Health Minister, Dr Kavery has stated that Ivermectin, particularly in the early stages of the disease, is highly effective and very safe as it does not have any side effects. "It is safer than any antibiotic currently in use and it is cheap," she has written. She affirmed that more than 20 large clinical, peer-reviewed trials around the world have shown that the drug Ivermectin reduces virus multiplication effectively in 74% of patients and prevents second or inflammatory stage. "Even if an Ivermectin user gets COVID, it will be a mild attack and not serious," she has affirmed in the letter. She has analyzed that the vaccination drive across the country will take another eight to ten months to witness completion, during which the unprotected population will continue to get infected and transmit the disease. "The repeated mutations will lead to a cycle of repeated vaccinations and booster and India will remain in the pandemic mode for many years. The use of Ivermectin will reduce COVID infections, transmission, virus mutations and death. It is only among the very few who reach the second stage of the disease that we need to do blood tests and give a short course of low-dose steroid and anticoagulant. The percentage of patients that will need hospital admission, oxygen and critical care will be greatly reduced with the use of Ivermectin," she has written. She has requested the Health Minister to take a decisive step and make the use of Ivermectin mandatory in the early stages of the disease. ALSO WATCH | Is highly infectious B.1.617 variant spreading at a frightening speed? By Express News Service THRISSUR: The special investigation team led by Thrissur Range DIG A Akbar questioned Thiroor Satheesh, district office secretary of BJP, on Monday in connection with the hawala transactions that led to the heist at Kodakara. Satheesh was given notice to be present before the probe team for interrogation as the hotel room for Dharmaraj and team who carried the money, was booked from BJP district office. In his statement to the police, Satheesh made it clear that he booked the room, but didnt know for whom. He had also revealed that the room was booked over phone following the instruction of district leaders of the party. He also gave statement that he was ignorant about any hawala transactions related to the party. Meanwhile, the police raided the houses of main accused and their relatives in Kannur and Kozhikode districts to recover the remaining amount that was looted. In his plaint to the police, RSS leader Dharmaraj and his driver Shamjeer had claimed that only Rs 25 lakh was lost. But the investigation had revealed that the actual amount was about Rs 3.5 crore. Four BJP workers held Thrissur: Vadanapally police on Monday arrested four people in connection with the clash between BJP workers on Sunday. Police said BJP workers from Ezhamkallu and Vyasa Nagar had engaged in a quarrel on WhatsApp over the Kodakara heist. It turned ugly when they met face to face at a vaccination centre, which led to the scuffle. By Express News Service THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The government has lifted the restriction on morning and evening walks in public places but by adhering to certain conditions. The walks should be done between 5 am and 7 am and 7 pm and 9 pm by maintaining social distancing. The decision was taken at a review meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday. The government also made a decision to allow people to do wedding shopping. They will have to show the invitation card to get entry into shops selling footwear, jewellery and clothes. All others can continue to use the home delivery service. The chief minister has warned of strict action against those misusing the lockdown relaxations. It has also been decided that employees in government departments exempted from lockdown, those preparing responses to questions in legislative assembly and those required for conducting exams should attend the office. All government offices including public sector units, companies of the Centre and state, shall introduce a rotation system by having only 50 per cent of employees at a time, from June 7.At present, factories have been allowed to function. It has also been decided to consider police trainees, volunteers who are part of Covid Brigade, field staff of the India Meteorological Department, employees of Kochi Metro and Kochi Water Metro as frontline workers for vaccination. The relaxation in priority given to people going abroad for studies and jobs will be extended to Haj pilgrims as well. An SMS facility will be introduced to vaccinate those above 40 years. All aged above 18 in adivasi areas will be given vaccination, said the chief minister. Unnikrishnan S By Express News Service THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: One may blame it on biology or bad behaviour, the data on Covid deaths in the state shows that men have been hit harder by the pandemic. Women fared better on the back of their strong survival nature, once again, as it has been the case of other diseases affecting human beings. Men formed around 60 per cent of the people who died of the pandemic in the state. Even in the second wave when the infection is spreading faster among family members, the proportion of death based on gender remains almost similar to the first wave. While the fact remains so, experts have floated various reasons behind the trend, ranging from the risk- taking behaviour among men to the biological protection among women. Women are generally more biologically protected. They live longer for various factors like lifestyle (less smoking) and delay in getting chronic diseases. Even in the womb, a female foetus has lower chances of getting aborted when compared to a male foetus, said Dr V Ramankutty, a health economist, epidemiologist and an emeritus professor at the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology here. According to him, variability (differences in the range) among women is less when compared to men and hence the lower vulnerability. The state-level data largely confirms the situation world over when the pandemic has been particularly hard on men. It puts the spotlight on the longer life expectancy of women which has been a topic of study during various pandemic situations in the past as well. Dr N M Arun, internal medicine specialist and a public health expert, said women fared better during the previous pandemics such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), but there was not much difference during H1N1 influenza. There are various hypotheses pointing to the difference in the immune system and protection offered by female sex hormone called oestrogen. The difference between genders is not stark in studies conducted on older people in Western countries, he said. He criticised the under-reporting of deaths and denial of public access to the gender-wise data on people getting infected, as he said it was an impediment to undertaking meaningful studies. The chairman of Campaign Against Pseudo-Science Using Law and Ethics (CAPSULE), Dr U Nandakumar Nair, said studies on female hormones offer clues to their longevity. Animal studies have shown that oestrogen played a major role in surviving the MERS infection. Both SARS-CoV-2 which causes Covid-19 and MERS-CoV are from the same family. Even going by the anecdotal evidence in families affected by Covid, more women have survived, he said. He, however, pointed to the risk-taking behaviour of men adding to the risk of mortality. A study conducted by CAPSULE before the second wave found that women (86.4 per cent) were found to be more responsible when compared to men (67.5 per cent) in wearing masks properly. Shan AS By Express News Service THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A Qatar-based perfume manufacturer has named its new product Lakshadweep in a rare act of solidarity to the archipelago that has allegedly been subjected to discriminatory policies by the administration. Rabbani, a company owned by Malayalis, has released five perfume variants in the international market. Lakshadweep will be the sixth variant to emerge from the stable and is expected to be released officially in Dubai soon. The news of the new product was shared by the company on its Facebook page with the tagline A fragrance protest. Lakshadweep will be released in the international market and India simultaneously, said Nazar Malik, a musician and one of the partners of Rabbani. In Kerala, the perfume will be released in a function that will be organised by following Covid protocol, Nazar added. Nazar said Lakshadweep will be a sea-inspired perfume with sea blue colour and a distinct scent of sea wind. The archipelago stands apart because of the salty wind and blue seas. So apart from the name, the perfume, by its look and traits, will remind the user of the islands, Nazar said. Nazar said the idea to launch the product by the distinct name was pitched in by one of his Facebook friends. When he discussed it with his business partners, they all agreed, Nazar said. He said whenever the coming generation comes across Lakshadweep, they should remember about the island and the protests associated with it. The perfume should self-explain about the whole episode of the injustice meted out to the island and the act of resistance. Other modes of protests for the islands might be forgotten in the labyrinths of time. But Lakshadweep is a unique way of expressing solidarity and will remain immortal. It will be a timeless resistance of fragrance that will be remembered forever, Nazar added. Since the Facebook update, Nazar said he has been receiving applauds, especially from the islanders. They were thanking me profusely for standing up for them at this difficult juncture. Hemant Kumar Rout By Express News Service BHUBANESWAR: Odisha's robust disaster management might have seen off another cyclone with relative ease but the weather prediction systems need serious upgradation. Yaas which crossed Odisha coast could have been more ferocious had it maintained its predicted maximum wind speed. That it did not live up to its super storm billing was only a happy coincidence, but it has exposed the shortcomings in accuracy of weather predictions in the State. A decade ago, there were plans to have four Doppler radar stations in the State but it has only two - at Paradip and Gopalpur. The Paradip radar of China-make was unable to capture detailed contrasting pictures, while the one installed by ISRO at Gopalpur is snag-prone due to irregular maintenance. The radar at Paradip was installed in 2015, more than three years after its procurement and expiry of warranty period. Three radars procured from China were meant for Mumbai, Goa and Paradip. The Navy protested its installation on its campus at Mumbai which led to delay in installation at the IMDs first radar station in Odisha, sources told The New Indian Express. Wary of disasters, the State government later provided land and sanctioned Rs 17 crore for setting up radar stations at three places. Though construction of buildings (G plus four) is almost over, barring Gopalpur, the radars are yet to be installed at Balasore and Sambalpur despite several reminders to the Science and Technology Ministry. Had the Balasore radar been installed, we could have tracked Yaas with greater accuracy. It could not only track the cyclonic systems over the sea but also capture data on cloud band, thunderstorm and lightning, said Emeritus Professor at the School of Earth, Ocean and Climate Sciences of IIT-Bhubaneswar UC Mohanty. Amid the middling prediction, weather experts say data captured by the Doppler radar at Paradip lacked clarity leading to variations in forecast of Yaas. The other radar at Gopalpur also failed to properly track the storm though IMD DG Mrutyunjay Mohapatra disagrees. The images captured by the Paradip radar helped track Yaas movement accurately, he says. The country has 27 radar stations, including eight along the east coast and four along the west coast. The radars installed at Mumbai, Gopalpur, Sriharikota and Kochi are designed by ISRO, while the ones at Chennai, Machilipatnam, Visakhapatnam and Kolkata are of Germany make. The radars at Goa and Paradip are Made-in-China.Odisha has developed an effective evacuation mechanism. Now the State should focus on strengthening the weather observation and forecast network, Prof Mohanty suggested. With climate change changing the weather patterns, the State needs a robust network to forecast weather besides disaster resilient infrastructure to protect loss of life and property. Apart from high definition radars, installation of high speed wind recorders, storm surge measurement equipment and automatic weather stations are the need of the hour. The proposals on installing high wind speed recorders and automatic weather stations at all district headquarters are gathering dust though. The tender process for procurement of 10 Doppler radars is on. The radars at Balasore and Sambalpur will be installed soon along with the automatic weather stations at strategic locations, Mohapatra informed. By Express News Service BARIPADA: The Bankisole Covid Hospital (BCH) is in the eye of a storm after allegations of patients remaining unattended surfaced on Monday. The allegations gained ground after several photos and videos of patients lying on the floor, in front of toilets and verandahs outside the wards in a miserable condition went viral on social media. The video and pictures were reportedly shot by the kin of a patient who saw the distressed condition and shared on social media. Many others who have shot videos have also shared those on social media. Bibhudatta Das who shot the photos and video shared those with local news channels on Sunday. He claimed that he had reached out to the district administration but no action was taken against the erring staff. Sources said family members have resorted to social media after the hospital management and administration turned a deaf ear to their complaints of medical negligence. Another Tarakanta Mandal from Rairangpur alleged that his grandmother, who was admitted to the hospital after testing positive, succumbed earlier this month due to lack of treatment. My grandmother died due to medical neglect. Patients here are suffering due to inadequate medical attention. The hospitals hygiene standards are also extremely poor, he told The New Indian Express. Ajit Sahu, an attendant of a patient admitted to the Bankisole hospital, shared the visuals on Twitter on Monday, stating he has tagged the @CMO and @DM_Mayurbhanj seeking help. Likewise, Sukumar Ranjan Pradhan, the State general secretary (human rights) of Youth Development Council of India and Rakesh Singh, president of Mayurbhanj Advasi Dalit Mahasangha, voiced concerns that despite Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik directing installation of CCTVs in all Covid hospitals, the Bankisole facility is yet to do so. Pradhan said his Facebook account was restricted for 24 hours after he shared the video of patients lying neglected near urinals in the hospital. As the visuals drew flak from all quarters, a group of citizens met Collector Vineet Bhardwaj on the day and urged him to take needful action. Calling the Covid hospital a death trap, they said the services at the dedicated facility in DHH are way better. They also urged the Collector to find out the exact number of patients, staff strength, number of oxygen cylinders and recoveries as reported from the Bankisole hospital, besides monitoring services and installing CCTVs. The Collector said he would inquire into the video and photos that are being circulated. Necessary action will be taken against the hospital staff if found guilty of medical neglect, he said. Sushmitha Ramakrishnan By Express News Service CHENNAI: All state board students in Classes 1-8 in the academic year 2020-21 have been promoted to the next class in accordance with the provisions of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, the state Director of Elementary Education said Tuesday. While Tamil Nadu follows a no-detention policy, Section 16 of the RTE Act 2009 also states that no child can be held back in any class or shall be expelled until the completion of elementary school. ALSO READ: #MeToo: Chennai school sets up committee after 22 alumni complain of sexual abuse by teacher Issuing directions to School Education Department officials across the state, the Director said that officials should inform all government, government-aided and private state board schools under their jurisdiction to promote all students from Classes 1 to 8. Officials have further been instructed to direct heads of schools to make an entry of all student names in the pass register. Further instructions will be issued to schools by officials in their districts. Given that Tamil Nadu is currently under lockdown, information on school reopening and distribution of free textbooks and other resources for students will be announced later. In February, the Tamil Nadu government had already announced that students of Classes 9 to 11 were declared all pass. The announcement was made in the wake of the second wave in the state. The Board exams for Class 12 students were postponed and students are awaiting the revised exam schedule. Alvin Bragg has lived the injustices in our system, and has spent his life working to make our justice system work for everyone, not just the wealthy and well-connected, she continued in a statement. I am confident that under [his] leadership the District Attorneys office will become a powerful ally in this important fight for real justice, police accountability and public safety. Omjasvin MD By Express News Service CHENNAI: Amidst a dire COVID-19 vaccine shortage, Tamil Nadu has received 4,20,570 doses of Covishield from the Centre on Tuesday. These doses will be used for people aged above 45. Health Minister Ma Subramanian, addressing reporters at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, said that the doses will be distributed to all the districts according to the population. The Centres supply came hours after the Tamil Nadu government announced that it would suspend vaccinations till June 5 due to a shortage. We did not have enough vaccines as of Tuesday afternoon and if we did not get these doses, we would have had to suspend the drive, the Minister said. ALSO READ: COVID-19 largely tamed in Tamil Nadu except for western districts Earlier, addressing reporters at the Chengalpattu Government Hospital, Health Minister Ma Subramanian had said that from June 6, the state expects to receive 42 lakh doses in different phases. Our MP TR Baalu was also asked by the CM to camp in Delhi to discuss with central officials regarding vaccine supply and announcement on taking over the Chengalpet vaccination plant, he said. The minister also appreciated people for coming forward to take the vaccine. Meanwhile, responding to questions on allegations by Opposition members that there is a bias in vaccine distribution, the minister said there was no bias and urged the BJP Coimbatore South MLA Vanathi Srinivasan to request the Centre to get vaccines for Tamil Nadu. By Express News Service CHENNAI: Edappadi K Palaniswami, the Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly, on Monday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to increase the allotment of Liposomal Amphotericin B IV, the vital medicine used for treating black fungus infection, Mucormycosis. Palaniswami, in his letter to the Prime Minister, said that the black fungus infection is spreading rapidly all over the State and the drug Liposomal Amphotericin B IV injection is in short supply in Tamil Nadu. Palaniswami also expressed his gratitude to the Prime Minister for immediately attending to the requirements of Tamil Nadu and increasing allotment of vaccines, Remdesivir injections, and also increasing oxygen supply. By Express News Service TIRUPUR: Twenty-three days in hospital before succumbing to the virus, that was what fate had in store for M Subramanium, a 62-year-old resident of Kannakampalayam in Tiruppur. He passed away on May 25. As if the trauma of losing their father was not burdening enough, his two sons have allegedly been handed over a bill of Rs 19 lakh, as treatment charges. The incident came to light after Harikrishnan and Karthikeyan, Subramanians two sons, submitted a petition to the Tiruppur District Collector. It said that their father was admitted to a private hospital in Perumanallur after testing positive for Covid. During the admission, his infection was mild. Five days later, the patients condition deteriorated and he was shifted to the ICU. Doctors mentioned the need for Remdesivir and charged Rs 40,000 per dose, the petition said, adding that the relatives paid Rs 2 lakh. After injecting Remdesivir, Subramaniums health improved, with oxygen support, and doctors claimed that he could be discharged if his health continued to progress. However, on May 24, Subramanium called his sons saying he had breathing difficulties. They soon arrived only to be informed by the doctor about a lack of oxygen supply in the facility and asked him to be shifted to another hospital within three hours. The patient was shifted to another hospital on the same day, but since the new hospital didnt possess Non-Invasive Ventilation, he died the next day. The first hospital then charged them Rs 19.05 lakh without any receipt, they said in the petition, seeking action against them. Express tried reaching the hospital, but they refused to comment. Collector K Vijaya Karthikeyan said, We have received the petition and I have asked the Joint Director of Health Services to launch an inquiry on the same. WATCH | COVID19 Deaths: Meet the unsung heroes of Oyyamari Crematorium in TN's Tiruchy OMJASVIN M D By Express News Service CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu has reported 518 cases and 17 deaths related to mucormycosis (black fungus), a notified fungal disease infecting people across the country. Health Minister Ma Subramanian, who inaugurated a multi-specialty clinic for mucormycosis at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, said out of 518 black fungus cases, 136 were from Chennai. The source of infection is not ascertained. Some say it is because of excessive use of steroids but doctors abroad say they also used steroids but did not report any cases of black fungus, the Health Minister said. ALSO READ | Amid hesitancy towards testing, Chennai officials assure home isolation if kids turn Covid +ve He did not rule out the possibility of this fungus coming from contaminated water or the industrial oxygen supply lines. The 13 member task force for mucormycosis will find the source of this infection, the Minister said. Meanwhile, the Multi-speciality black fungus clinic at the RGGGH has specialists from Ophthalmology, ENT, and Internal Medicine. This type of clinic will be opened in all the government medical colleges in Tamil Nadu, the Minister said. A digital monitor displaying the Covid patients health status was inaugurated at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital. During the event, HR and CE Minister PK Sekar Babu and Hospital Dean Dr. E Theranirajan were also present. Omjasvin MD By Express News Service CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu will be suspending its COVID-19 vaccination drive till June 5 due to a dire shortage of vaccines. Addressing reporters at the Chengalpettu Government Hospital, Health Minister Ma Subramanian said that the vaccines will be exhausted by Tuesday evening and the programme will be suspended till June 5. From June 6, we expect to receive 42 lakh doses in different phases. It will be distributed to all districts accordingly, he said. ALSO READ: End to lockdown lies in hands of people, says Tamil Nadu CM Stalin He said that the state was expecting 1.75 lakh doses from the Centre by May end but they did not arrive as expected on time. We are discussing with the Centre in this regard. Our MP TR Baalu was also asked by the CM to camp in Delhi to discuss with central officials regarding this, he said. Responding to questions on allegations by Opposition members that there is a bias in vaccine distribution, the minister said there was no bias and urged the BJP Coimbatore South MLA Vanathi Srinivasan to request the Centre to get vaccines for Tamil Nadu. The minister also appreciated people for coming forward to take vaccines. People are coming forward to take vaccines in good numbers but unfortunately we do not have vaccines. There is no need for people to wait in queues when there is no vaccine, he said. ALSO WATCH | COVID19 Deaths: Meet the unsung heroes of Oyyamari Crematorium in TN's Tiruchy By Express News Service HYDERABAD: The Warangal central jail staff shifted inmates to Cherlapally and Chanchalguda central jail on Tuesday, to facilitate construction of a super speciality hospital at the present campus of the prison. After construction, it will be handed over to the Health department within a month. The new jail should be constructed on location at Mamnoor police camp on Warangal outskirts with ultra-modern facilities. On the first day, around 104 prisoners are shifted to Cherlapally, Chanchalguda, Mahabubabad, Khammam and Adilabad Jails. 75 convicted inmates and 39 under trial prisoners. Director General of State Jail, Rajiv Trivedi flagged of the prisoners shifting vehicles at Central Jail in Warangal. Speaking to The New Indian Express, Warangal Central Jail, Superintendent, Santhosh Kumar Roy said that all security measures were taken while shifting the prisoners to various prisons across the state. He said that it's take 15 days process on shifting the inmates, said Roy. By Express News Service HYDERABAD: Prashanth Vadinam who went missing from Hyderabad and has been lodged in a prison in Pakistan jail for illegally crossing over to Pakistan, has been handed over to the Border Security Force (BSF) by the Pakistan Army at the Attari-Wagah joint check post on Monday. He will be arriving in Hyderabad on Wednesday. Cyberabad Commissioner VC Sajjanar said that a team from Cyberabad is escorting him to Hyderabad. Prashanth went missing in April 2017, while he was working in Hyderabad. 30 months later in 2019, his family learnt that he was caught in Pakistan and facing charges of entering the country illegally. His father Babu Rao had then met Cyberabad police commissioner VC Sajjanar and urged for help in releasing his son. In a video released in 2019, Prashanth addressing his parents said, Everything is good here. I have been brought to the court from the police station. After declaring that there is no problem, I have been brought to the court. Now, I will be sent to jail. Once taken there, the Indian embassy will be contacted. After that, you will be contacted. I will be released within a month. India and Pakistan exchange prisoners, which takes time. Once I go from court to jail, the process for bail will begin." It was found that Prashanth was in love with a girl whom he met on Facebook, while they were working in Bengaluru. But he was depressed when she moved to Switzerland. Prashanth was caught when he was on the way to meet her, but caught midway. By PTI DHAKA: A senior Cabinet minister in Bangladesh has been robbed of his mobile phone by a mugger while he was travelling in his official vehicle here. Bangladesh's Planning Minister M A Mannan said he was browsing something on his phone with his car's window rolled down when the robber snatched the device from his hand on Sunday. Suddenly, before I even knew what was happening, the mugger grabbed it out of my hand and ran away, the senior cabinet member told the media during a routine press briefing on Monday. It took me a couple of seconds to realise what was happening as I was absorbed in my browsing," he said. The bewildered minister then told his armed bodyguard sitting on the car's front seat to chase the mugger but the latter managed to flee. Dhaka police, however, said they have put in their "best efforts" to track down the mugger and recover the stolen phone. The incident happened when the minister left his office for his residence on Sunday and was held up by traffic at Bijoy Sarani area, known as a snatchers hotspot. By Associated Press COPENHAGEN: Several European nations want Denmark to explain why its foreign secret service allegedly helped the United States spy on European leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, more than seven years ago. We want the cards on the table, said Swedish Defense Minister Peter Hulqvist, adding it was unacceptable to eavesdrop on allies. Danish lawmaker Karsten Hoenge of the left-leaning Socialist Peoples Party, which is supporting Denmarks Social Democratic government, said Monday that he would quiz the Scandinavian countrys defense and justice ministers in parliament about the case. The government must explain how come Denmark has been acting as a willing tool for a U.S. intelligence service, and what it will mean for cooperation with Denmarks neighboring countries, he said. The Danish broadcaster DR said Sunday that the Danish Defense Intelligence Service, known in Denmark by its acronym FE, in 2014 conducted an internal investigation into whether the U.S. National Security Agency had used its cooperation with the Danes to spy against Denmark and neighboring countries. The probe, codenamed Operation Dunhammer, concluded that NSA had eavesdropped on political leaders and officials in Germany, France, Sweden and Norway. Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg said it was unacceptable if countries that have close allied cooperation should feel the need to spy on each other or obtain information about them. Spying on others creates more mistrust than it creates collaboration. So, its not a smart investment for the United States, she told the Norwegian broadcaster NRK. According to DR, the alleged setup between the United States and Denmark reportedly allowed the NSA to obtain data by using the telephone numbers of politicians as search parameters. DR said its report was based on interviews with nine unnamed sources, all of whom were said to have had access to classified information held by the FE. The military agency allegedly helped the NSA from 2012 to 2014. If the news is correct (...) this is not acceptable between allies, very clearly, said French President Emmanuel Macron, whose country was also allegedly targeted by U.S. intelligence. Im attached to the relation of trust between Europe and the United States, he told reporters. Theres no room between us for suspicion. Macron urged for the U.S. to make full clarity on the past facts, but also on current practices. Speaking at the same virtual news conference after bilateral talks Monday between Paris and Berlin, Merkel said the issue of NSA eavesdropping had already been discussed previously with the United States, and Germany had made clear at the time its position that spying among friends wasnt acceptable. What was true then is true today as well, she said. Im reassured that Denmark, the Danish government and the defense minister have said very clearly what they think of these matters, Merkel added. As such, I see a good basis, aside from clearing up this matter, to also achieve truly trustful relations. Reports in 2013 that the NSA listened in on German government phones, including Merkels, prompted a diplomatic spat between Berlin and Washington that soured otherwise good relations with President Barack Obamas administration. Still, there were also reports that Germanys own BND intelligence agency may have helped the U.S. spy on European companies and officials. Former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, who revealed details of the secret U.S. eavesdropping programs in 2013, reacted to the DR report with a sarcastic tweet in Danish: Oh, why didnt anyone warn us? In a written comment to DR, Danish Defense Minister Trine Bramsen said the government cannot discuss intelligence matters. She added the present government has the same point of view as the former Social Democratic government led by Helle Thorning-Schmidt who was in power during that period: the systematic wiretapping of close allies is unacceptable. In August, Bramsen relieved the head of the countrys foreign intelligence service, among others, after an independent watchdog heavily criticized the spy agency for deliberately withholding information and violating Danish laws. Denmark has two intelligence agencies, the Danish Defense Intelligence Service, which is also responsible for military intelligence, and the domestic Danish Security and Intelligence Service, known by its Danish acronym PET. By PTI ISLAMABAD: A leading private TV channel in Pakistan has said that its team of experts will check the contents of a speech by veteran journalist Hamid Mir, who was stopped from hosting a popular talk show, against the country's powerful 'establishment' following an attack on a fellow scribe. Mir delivered a fiery speech at a protest staged by the journalists against an attack by three 'unknown' persons on journalist Asad Toor on Friday in Islamabad. He demanded accountability in the attack which was a series of such assaults on media persons who are critical of the country's military. Mir, hosting prime time Capital Talk show on Geo TV, was sent on leave on Monday by the TV network which claimed that he was still part of the news channel. The channel came up with a statement after it faced severe backlash on social media for stopping Mir from hosting the talk show. "The editorial committee and lawyers will check for violation of policy and law. Meanwhile, Capital Talk' will be hosted by a temporary host," it said, adding that the speech made by Mir over the weekend has resulted in backlash from different segments of society". The channel also said that it had faced problems in the past for standing up to the right of freedom of speech. "We would like to remind our viewers and readers that Geo and Jang Group were shut down, our journalists were beaten up as they faced hundreds of fake allegations of corruption, blasphemy and traitorhood, shot at, financially strangulated more than any other media organisation in the country, it said. The group said that it has lost more than Rs 10 billion to keep viewers and readers informed but added that it was difficult to own the contents of a speech made out of its editorial control. "It becomes difficult for the group and its editors to take ownership of the content that is delivered outside the purview, input and guidance of its editors, and which are not fact-checked and approved by the editorial teams," the statement said. The channel said that disappointment felt by Mir and other journalists was a "shared and grave concern but better ways exist on how to channel that energy for productive gains for the safety of journalism and journalists". It said that many journalists lose their lives and their liberty in Pakistan while their fight for the right of the public to know continues. It lashed at the government which has failed to protect journalists. Mir made scathing remarks against the premier intelligence agency of Pakistan without naming it after journalist Toor was beaten by three unknown attackers in his Islamabad flat on Friday. However, Mir vowed to fight irrespective of the "consequences". "Nothing new for me. I was banned twice in the past. Lost jobs twice. Survived assassination attempts but cannot stop raising voice for the rights given in the Constitution. This time I'm ready for any consequences and ready to go at any extent because they are threatening my family," he tweeted. Reacting to the development, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad said that private channels were free to hire and fire their employees. I have never been on his (Mir) show for more than 10 years and I don't know about Geo's decision, he said. Earlier, Minister for Information Fawad Chaudhry tweeted that the government had nothing to do with the internal decisions of broadcasting organisations. "Broadcasters themselves decide which programme they have to broadcast and what its team will be," said Chaudhry. But McCleer argues that he had permission for the mural and that it had been up for the past 13 years at the location. McCleer was featured in the Daily News in 2014 for a mural he made of his mother and sister, who were both killed in a hit-and-run incident in the 1990s. By PTI PESHAWAR: Unidentified terrorists attacked a security checkpost in Pakistan's restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Tuesday, killing a defence official and a civilian, police said. The security squad was attacked in Appi village in north Waziristan district near the Afghanistan border, officials said. Three security personnel were also injured in the attack. The checkpost was under the command of the Deputy Commissioner of North Waziristan. Security forces have rushed to the site and cordoned off the entire area, officials said, adding that a massive search operation has been launched to nab the culprits. No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack. Pakistani militants in recent months have stepped up attacks in the region, raising fears of the rising of the Taliban force. The North and South Waziristan districts served as the main base for local and foreign militants till 2015, when the military launched a major counter terror operation. By PTI KATHMANDU: Nepal's Opposition alliance on Sunday urged all state institutions not to support Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli government's "unconstitutional" and "anti-democratic" activities and expressed hope that the Supreme Court's verdict on the petitions against the dissolution of the lower house of Parliament will come in its favour, according to a media report. A Constitutional Bench of Nepal's Supreme Court on Friday heard 30 writ petitions against the dissolution of the lower house of Parliament and fixed Sunday as the next date of hearing. President Bidya Devi Bhandari dissolved the 275-member House of Representatives on May 22 for the second time in five months and announced snap elections on November 12 and November 19 on the advice of Prime Minister Oli. She rejected the bids of both Prime Minister Oli and the Opposition alliance's claims to form a government. Oli and Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba had staked separate claims to the premiership, saying the claims were insufficient. The alliance of Nepali Congress (NC), CPN (Maoist Centre), the Madhav Kumar Nepal led-faction of the UML, the Upendra Yadav-led faction of Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP) and the Rastriya Janamorcha Party held a joint meeting on Sunday, myrepulica.com reported. The meeting was held at Deuba's residence at Budhanilkantha in Kathmandu. We had staked claim to the post of Prime Minister with the support of 149 lawmakers. The government cannot decide on dissolving the House in this case, reads a joint press statement of the Opposition alliance. At present, 136 votes are needed to form a majority government. The alliance also urged all the state organs and institutions not to support the government in its "unconstitutional" and "anti-democratic" acts. We believe that the Supreme Court will pass the verdict in our favour, further reads the statement. Nepal's Opposition alliance on May 24 filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court demanding restoration of the House of Representatives and appointment of Deuba as the Prime Minister. Others had also filed petitions against the dissolution of the House of Representatives. Oli on Friday urged all political parties to form an all-party government and hold fresh elections, as he tried to justify the controversial dissolution of the House of Representatives twice by the President, saying a "functionless" Parliament turned out to be the main source of instability in the country. Earlier on December 20, the President had dissolved the Parliament and called snap polls on April 30 and May 10. However, two months later, the Rana-led Constitutional Bench on February 23 overturned the decision and reinstated the House. Constitutional experts have criticised Oli and Bhandari for their complicity in trampling upon the Constitution. Nepal plunged into a political crisis on December 20 last year after President Bhandari dissolved the House and announced fresh elections on April 30 and May 10 at the recommendation of Prime Minister Oli, amidst a tussle for power within the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP). Oli's move to dissolve the House sparked protests from a large section of the NCP led by his rival Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda'. Help support your local hometown newspaper/website. Independent local news reporting matters. Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription, for as little as $3, so we can continue to provide independent local reporting on our communities. People have been fed the idea that being tough [on crime] is about long jail sentences, or pre-trial incarceration. Thats not what Im going to do, Quart said. We have to deal with public safety; Ill prosecute when appropriate. But Im not going to prosecute, or distort the bail laws or the sentencing laws in an overly punitive way. Dutch Queen Maxima opened the Children's Biennale at the Groninger Museum on Tuesday morning, June 1, 2021. The Netherlands first ever Childrens Biennale is a large interactive art exhibition made for and by kids from the Netherlands and abroad. The exhibition takes place at the Groninger Museum from June 2 to January 9, 2022. Thirty children's ambassadors from the province of Groningen contributed to the creation of the artworks and the layout of the exhibition. In the run-up to the exhibition, the children contributed by writing information about the works of art, and together they determined the layout and learned about marketing and how to give a tour. The children also paid a studio visit to the participating artists. During the opening, Queen Maxima was given a tour of the exhibition and talked to the artists and the children's ambassadors. Natan Mia Shirt and Motus Wide-leg Pants Van Cleef & Arpels Rose De Noel Flower Earrings Free access for current print subscribers As a home delivery subscriber, you get free unlimited digital access to news-daily.com including stories, photos, obituaries, e-edition and more on your computer, tablet or phone. All you need is your print subscription account number and your last name. Don't know your subscription number? Email access@news-daily.com with your delivery address. Activate your account now. Pikeville, KY (41501) Today Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 67F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 67F. Winds light and variable. The Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police said the bill 'addresses many of our serious concerns with the SAFE-T Act, and law enforcement will be much better off with these changes.' Reporter Mary Schenk is a reporter covering police, courts and breaking news at The News-Gazette. Her email is mschenk@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@schenk). The addition of a sign at the entrance to the newly-remodeled Monticello High School is one of the last pieces to be installed as part of the $35 million project. Champaign, IL (61820) Today Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 69F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 69F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. No matter where I was or what I was doing, I was always reminded that I was Black, said Miller, who retired in 2016 and is suing the agency for retaliation. Its depressing to work as hard as you can and still be considered less than your white male counterparts. Every time I heard the word it was as if I was being told, Youre second class. Funeral homes often submit obituaries as a service to the families they are assisting. However, we will be happy to accept obituaries from family members pending proper verification of the death. Submit Fairport Harbor Civic Club recently distributed an award that was announced in 2020 but wasn't handed out because of difficulties in gathering during the COVID-19 crisis. The club recently presented its 2019 Citizen of the Year award to Fairport Harbor Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7754 26 Gold Stars Color Guard. Post 7754 Commander Steve Kalal, left, accepted the award from Fairport Harbor Civic Club President Karen Bidlack Mentor Schools No decision on protocols for next school year, district says No decision on protocols for next school year, Mentor Schools says Painesvilles Public Works Department will be utilizing a new city salt storage facility come this fall. Antiviral drugs have been proven successful as a therapeutic approach to inhibit HCV and HIV viral proteases. With the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic causing unprecedented morbidity and mortality, there is an urgent need for effective antivirals to treat severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Hence, scientists across the world have been trying to repurpose existing antivirals designed to treat other viruses. Remdesivir, a nucleotide analog that inhibits the nsp12 polymerase and originally developed for Ebola, was approved to treat SARS (or SARS-CoV-1) as a result of these drug repurposing efforts. Another nsp12 inhibitor, MK-4482/EIDD-2801, is currently being assessed for use in SARS-CoV-2 therapy. SARS-CoV-2 main protease, 3CLpro, is a promising target for antiviral drugs The SARS-CoV-2 main protease, 3-chymotrypsin-like cysteine protease (Mpro, 3CLpro), is a promising target for antiviral drugs with no human homolog. PF-07304814, a phosphate prodrug of PF-00835231, is the most advanced drug candidate that currently targets the SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro. It was discovered over 15 years ago during the SARS-CoV-1 outbreak. Cathepsin L plays a role in SARS-CoV-2 entry into host cells and thus contributes to non-selective 3CLpro inhibition in common cell lines. Although there have been several reports of potent in vitro 3CLpro inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2, some of these compounds lack selectivity, especially vs. cathepsin L. This suggests an overestimation of the 3CLpro component of in vitro cellular potency and its translation into in vivo activity, thus raising safety and efficacy concerns. A structure-based approach that monitors cathepsin L and SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro inhibition A team of researchers from the US and Belgium applied a structure-based approach with early monitoring of cathepsin L inhibition along with SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro inhibition. They identified a potent and selective SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro inhibitor, ALG-097111, which has proven activity against SARS-CoV-2 in SARS-CoV-2 hamster models in vivo. This study is published in the journal, Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications. ALG-097111 strongly inhibits SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro without affecting cathepsin L activity The results of the study showed that ALG-097111 strongly inhibited SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro without affecting cathepsin L activity. In hamsters infected with SARS-CoV-2, ALG-097111 induced a potent and significant reduction in the viral RNA copies and infectious virus titers in the lungs. According to the authors, these findings offer in vivo validation for the role of SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro as a key therapeutic target for selective small molecule inhibitors. In conclusion, ALG-097111, a selective SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro inhibitor, is a potent inhibitor of the in vitro replication of SARS-CoV-2 and efficiently inhibits viral replication in the lungs of infected hamsters. To summarize, the selective SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro inhibitor, ALG-097111, is a strong inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 replication in vitro. It also efficiently inhibits viral replication in the lungs of SARS-CoV-2-infected hamsters. The authors mentioned that this is the first demonstration of a selective SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro inhibitor without an inhibitory effect on cathepsin L activity showing a pronounced inhibitory effect on viral replication in an animal model. Future studies need to focus on investigating compound dosing in a therapeutic setting and combinations of other modalities against SARS-CoV-2. The team concludes: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that a selective SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro inhibitor (i.e., without a significant inhibitory effect on cathepsin L activity), has been shown to result in such a pronounced inhibitory effect on SARS-CoV-2 replication in an animal infection model. Im not getting any younger, and I want to see this happen in my lifetime, said Schroer. Weve been the silent minority. Veterans dont like to go public and fight, but were going to get out there and start being more active on this issue. Men with a family history of prostate cancer may need to be screened up to 11 years before guidelines require. Prostate Cancer Awareness. Image Credit: funnyangel/Shutterstock.com Insufficient data has confounded the onset of prostate cancer Identifying the disease early remains key to treating patients successfully when addressing prostate cancer. As such, clinical guidelines for the age to start screening aim to ensure that patients are not harmed or the negatives effects are limited to a minimum when treating prostate cancer. However, due to the lack of sufficient data and relevance of data, the age at which early screening should begin remains unclear. This poses problems for diagnosis, later treatments, and the outcome of treatment, as patients may already be progressing into later stages of cancer development. The most common risk threshold at which clinical guidelines recommend screening for prostate cancer is 50 years old, yet this may be too late for men more susceptible to developing this cancer due to family history. To address this clinical shortcoming, a nationwide study in Sweden by Mahdi Fallah and Elham Kharazmi of the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg, Germany, estimates the elevated risk of advanced or fatal prostate cancer among relatives of men with the disease. The study published in the open-access journal PLOS Medicine provides new data to redefine the age at which screening should begin. Earlier detection, earlier treatment, and better outcomes An analysis was conducted across all male residents of Sweden born since 1931 and their fathers to determine when screening should commence. Between 1958 to 2015, 88,999 out of a total of 6,343,727 men were diagnosed with advanced-stage (III or IV) prostate cancer or died from the disease. From this data, researchers estimated the age at which men who had a first-degree biological relative, including father, brother, or son, diagnosed with prostate cancer reached the "screening risk threshold" i.e., the same level of prostate cancer risk as at the age of 50 years across the entire population. Findings showed that men with a family history of prostate cancer reached the screening risk threshold up to 12 years before the current recommended age for screening. This result differed across men as the threshold was reached at different ages depending on the number of direct relatives who had prostate cancer and the age that they were diagnosed. Including such factors led to a range of age differences in necessary screening, as researchers showed that men with a family history of prostate cancer reach risk thresholds anywhere from 2 to 11 years earlier than currently stated in clinical guidelines. More personalization required in clinical guidelines The findings of this study demonstrate the requirement for more refined and inclusive screening guidelines. Specifically, the study shows that greater personalization is needed to accommodate for elements such as family history. Including such factors would provide a better level of leading to more effective clinical treatments. Broad, generalized, and overarching clinical guidelines that do not incorporate elements of complexity present a dangerous gap in clinical knowledge. Indeed, such a knowledge gap represents a threatening impediment for clinical diagnoses and hinders the effectiveness of healthcare. Future research could help support these results in other populations as well as other ethnicities beyond the confines of Europe while accounting for other potential risk-related factors such as genetics, lifestyle, and further personalized measures. The one-size-fits-all policy in medicine belongs to the past; more and more risk-adapted approaches are needed instead to optimize the use of restricted resources in health care. The team now aims to further improve such personalized approaches in screening for various other cancers, such as breast cancer." Dr. Kharazmi The novel virus responsible for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has been shown to predominantly infect humans. However, the virus has also been detected in several animals such as ferrets, minks, wild cats, and domestic dogs and cats. Cats and minks are considered as the most susceptible species because their angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor is very similar to that found in humans. Although most infected cats are asymptomatic, some may develop disease and even pass on the virus to other animals. Thus, SARS-CoV-2 may directly impact animal health, and there is a possibility of cats becoming zoonotic reservoirs of the virus. While in humans, neutralizing antibodies for SARS-CoV-2 have been found to inversely correlate with disease severity, reported prevalence of neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in cats varies from 0.2% in Brazil and 0.002% in Germany to 5.8% in Italy and 10.8% in Wuhan, China. Determining the presence of neutralizing antibodies for SARS-CoV-2 in domestic cats in Peru Although Peru is one of the countries most affected by the pandemic, no studies had been conducted to investigate SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence among domestic cats. Recently, researchers from Peru demonstrated the presence of neutralizing antibodies for the receptor binding-domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in cats in Lima, Peru. The owners of the cats in the study had confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. This study has been published as a preprint on the bioRxiv* server. The samples were collected from a serum bank. The median age of the cats was 12 months, and 53.7% (22/41) of the cats were female. The researchers used a commercial competitive ELISA SARS-CoV-2 Surrogate Virus Neutralization Test. Few case studies of natural infection in cats document severe clinical outcomes, and those that have revealed that co-morbidities likely played a contributing factor in illness or death. Results show that SARS-CoV-2 infection among cats is not homogenous and is associated with other health factors Out of a total of 41 samples, 17.1% (7/41) using the cut-off inhibition value of 30% and 31.7% (13/41) using the cut-off inhibition value of 20% were positive. All cats living in the same house did not have detectable levels of neutralizing antibodies. This shows that exposure to infection is not homogenous. The presence of antibodies could be associated with many other factors, including immunity, health status, and proximity with the infected owner(s). The results of the study offer compelling evidence of SARS-CoV-2 exposure in domestic cats in Peru. Compared to previously published studies from Italy and Wuhan, China, in which 5.8% of 191 cats and 10.8% of 102 cats, respectively, had neutralizing antibodies, percent seropositivity in this cat population from Peru was high. However, the studies conducted on cats from Italy and China were not exclusively performed on a pet population cohabiting with SARS-CoV-2 infected owners. Our results show compelling evidence of SARS-CoV-2 exposure in domestic cats, and it is the first report of such an event in Peru. Findings suggest that cats can serve as custodians for undetected SARS-COV-2 community transmission According to the authors, this is the first report of SARS-COV-2 exposure in domestic cats in Lima, Peru. They added that it is very important to monitor SARS-CoV-2 exposure and infection in domestic animals with the help of rapid and affordable serological and molecular assays that are accessible to veterinarians from low-income communities. Although serum neutralization activity is usually tested using plaque reduction neutralization tests, the commercial assay used in this study shows a high correlation with serum neutralization activity using plaque reduction. It also offers logistical and biosafety advantages for researchers working with limited resources. Cats can serve as custodians for undetected SARS-COV-2 community transmission, and, in such a scenario, veterinarians can play the role of first-line responders. The authors believe that a limited sample size and a convenience sample do not allow prevalence estimation. Hence, more studies are needed to determine the prevalence of SARS-COV-2 exposure in domestic cats of Lima, Peru. Cats have the potential to serve as sentinels for undetected community transmission, and in this scenario, veterinarians play a key role as first-line responders. *Important Notice bioRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information. As the biodiversity of fish species is reduced for several different reasons ranging from toxic runoff to overfishing, researchers find that biomass compensation may impair the health of populations that depend on these fish for their daily nutritional intake. Fish. Image Credit: Foxys Forest Manufacture/Shutterstock.com The global decline in fish biodiversity It is estimated that about 2 billion people around the world depend on wild-caught or harvested species such as fish, insects, fruits, and other non-agriculturally produced food products for their nutritional needs. Of these, fish are considered to be the most common and important wild foods as they are often high in protein, zinc, iron, calcium, and omega-3 fatty acids. Over the past several decades, several different factors have caused significant changes to arise in the biodiversity of wild fish. Some of these factors include overfishing, pollution, climate change, and habitat degradation. Despite these changes in fish biodiversity, there remains a consistent supply of fish to fisheries, as small and fast-growing species often compensate for declines in more vulnerable types of fish. How can a decline in fish biodiversity affect human nutrition? While these fish species are more tolerant to these biodiversity changes, they often differ significantly in their nutrient content, which can affect the health of individuals who live in areas that primarily rely on fish for their nutrient intake. In a recent Science Advances study, researchers from Columbia University in New York, NY aimed to understand how this decline in wild fish biodiversity can impact the nutrition status of those consuming these fish. In their work, the researchers studied people living in the rural area of Loreto, which is a department of the Peruvian Amazon. For this population of approximately 800,000 people, the people of Loreto rely heavily on wild fish species to provide much of their daily nutrients. Unfortunately, both the increase in local hydropower development, soil erosion, and persistent overfishing have significantly reduced the biodiversity of their freshwater fish population. In fact, it is estimated that Loreto inhabitants will consume fish at least once a day, which amounts to a total of approximately 52 kilograms of fish each year. Despite this reduction in fish diversity, the number of fish available to fisherman in Loreto has remained sustainable for the local population. To understand how declining fish biodiversity can affect the nutritional status of locals, the Columbia University researchers first examined how many people of Loreto were meeting their annual reference nutrient intake (RNI) for the seven essential animal-derived nutrients. These nutrients include protein, iron, zinc, calcium, and the three omega-3 fatty acids of linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). When biomass compensation did not occur, the researchers predicted that an average of 1.76% of all nutrients would be a loss to the local population. Notably, when the current fish supply was replaced by smaller and lower-trophic fish, nutrient supplies changed significantly, particularly protein and calcium supplies. While this may be true, the replacement of large-bodied and migrating species with smaller, sedentary, and low-trophic species could actually improve nutrient intake, as the smaller species were found to provide a greater amount of the three omega-3 fatty acids as compared to the larger fish. Future impacts of reduced fish biodiversity Overall, the findings of the current study were not purely hypothetical, as many of the stimulated biodiversity changes have been reported in many Amazonian and other tropical inland fish communities. Therefore, although the ability to predict the future of fish biodiversity in the Amazon is not easy, ongoing projects that continue to threaten fish diversity will likely continue to alter the nutritional intake of local populations. Like any other complex system, you could see a tradeoff. Some things are going up, while other things are going down. But that only lasts up to a point. Sebastian Heilpern While some potential advantages and disadvantages of biomass compensation were identified, the researchers anticipate that the extinction or loss of 40 of the fish species could significantly reduce the nutritional intake of the remaining species that are available for consumption. Nanoplastics--tiny plastic particles invisible to the naked eye--may exert an effect on nervous, immune, and reproductive systems of humans. To further explore this issue, Professor Daniel G. Cyr of Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) has received funding through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada's (NSERC) and Environment and Climate Change Canada's (ECCC) Plastics science for a cleaner future funding opportunity. The study will be among the first to address this issue. The health impacts of products used to make plastic, such as phthalates, bisphenol, and polystyrene, have previously been studied. However, few toxicological studies have assessed the risk of exposure to nanoplastics. These tiny pieces of plastic can be found everywhere in the environment, including in food and drinking water. The effects of inflammation This research will allow Professor Cyr and research teams from INRS, Canadian and Brazilian universities, Health Canada, and Environment and Climate Change Canada to assess how these contaminants affect the body's inflammatory response. Increased inflammation is linked to several neurodegenerative diseases, imbalanced immune responses, and altered fertility. Unlike chemicals emanating from plastics which are rapidly metabolized, plastic fragments could have long-term consequences." Professor Daniel G. Cyr of Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) Inflammation affects the proteins responsible for the integrity of critical protective barriers of several biological systems. For example, the blood-brain barrier, prevents contaminants in the blood from reaching cells within the brain. "The proposed multidisciplinary approach will allow us to assess the risks and determine the causes and consequences of inflammation on different physiological systems," said Professor Cyr. "We will then be able to formulate hypotheses regarding the mechanisms of action of nanoplastics." In addition to the effects of plastics, the research will provide a better understanding of the consequences of inflammation on various biological systems. An international study Over the next four years, Daniel Cyr will collaborate with scientists from Canada and Brazil. At INRS, professors Krista Heinonen, Simona Stager, Albert Descoteaux, Alain Lamarre, and Stephane Lefrancois are involved in the research. Scientists from McMaster University, the University of Ottawa, Health Canada, and Environment and Climate Change Canada will also contribute their expertise. Brazilian reproductive toxicology experts from Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) in Sao Paulo State and Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Arido in Mossoro will study transgenerational effects of plastics. The group is currently recruiting undergraduate and graduate students to work in Canada and Brazil starting this summer. New findings demonstrate that the likelihood of falling victim to false news increases with the belief they can distinguish false from real news. Fact/Fake News Concept. Image Credit: Monster Ztudio/Shutterstock.com Differentiating false from real news Social media platforms offer the ideal environment to consume and share news stories. This is primarily due to the networks between people providing news to spread in real-time at accelerated rates. Such effects are further amplified with sensationalized stories. However, much of the information being shared may be false. This phenomenon of false news is particularly apparent in recent years due to the widespread use of social media as a platform to disseminate political, economic, and social information and news stories. In response, public perception and awareness of false information has increased. Nevertheless, "Though Americans believe confusion caused by false news is extensive, relatively few indicate having seen or shared it," said Ben Lyons, assistant professor of communication at the University of Utah. If people incorrectly see themselves as highly skilled at identifying false news, they may unwittingly be more likely to consume, believe and share it, especially if it conforms to their worldview." The issue of perceived ability to differentiate real from fake news was therefore examined in further detail in a study by Ben Lyons and colleagues and published in Proceedings of National Academics of Sciences. Vulnerability to misinformation increases with false confidence in the judgment Researchers examined the relationship between the public's susceptibility to false news and their inability to recognize their own limitations in identifying such information using two large nationally representative surveys with a total of 8,285 respondents. Individuals evaluated the accuracy of a series of Facebook headlines before rating their own abilities to discern false news content. The researchers used these two metrics to assess overconfidence among respondents and how it is related to beliefs and behaviors. From the data collected, nearly 90 percent reported they are above average in their ability to discern false and legitimate news headlines. This contrasts with the fact that 75% of individuals actually overestimated their own ability to distinguish between legitimate and false news headlines. On average, respondents placed themselves 22 percentiles higher than their score warranted and nearly 20 percent of respondents rated themselves 50 or more percentiles higher than their score warranted. Our results paint a worrying picture. Many people are simply unaware of their own vulnerability to misinformation" Lyons Being unaware of vulnerability and being vulnerable lead to the same outcomes Past findings indicate that lack of skill in individuals may explain the engagement with false news, finding people who are worse at distinguishing between real and false news are even worse at judging accurately. The new findings further add to this understanding as the study demonstrates that overconfidence and inflated perception of judgment ability are independently associated with ones engagement with misinformation. This would indicate that there are perceptual gaps in awareness, representing an additional source of vulnerability. Ben Lyons concludes "Using data measuring respondents' online behavior, we show that those who overrate their ability more frequently visit websites known to spread false or misleading news. These overconfident respondents are also less able to distinguish between true and false claims about current events and report higher willingness to share false content, especially when it aligns with their political leanings." The wrongful perception of judgment may be an important mechanism by which individuals may fall victim to misinformation as well as disseminate such information online. Nonetheless, this data remains observational and does not identify the cause and effect of overconfidence which can be explored further. Moreover, future studies may integrate additional factors on an individual level such as preferred social media platforms, preferred subjects of information, as well as time spent consuming information. The mismatch between one's perceived ability to distinguish real from false stories and people's actual abilities may play an important which was previously unrecognized role in the spread of false information online, providing key insight into the dissemination of misinformation. Women carrying human papillomavirus (HPV) run an elevated risk of preterm birth, a University of Gothenburg study shows. A connection can thus be seen between the virus itself and the risk for preterm birth that previously has been observed in pregnant women who have undergone treatment for abnormal cell changes due to HPV. A Swedish study now published in the high-ranking journal PLOS Medicine comprises data on more than a million births. Accordingly, the researchers have compared very large groups. They emphasize that the findings do not support any assessment of risk levels in individual women of childbearing age. Johanna Wiik, a PhD student in obstetrics and gynecology at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, and also a gynecologist and obstetrician at the Department of obstetrics and gynecology at Sahlgrenska University Hospital, is the first author of the study. "I would like to point out that the increase in risk for preterm birth is small for the individual woman carrying HPV. But our results support that young people should get into the vaccination program against HPV," she says. Vaccination against HPV might not only prevent HPV related cancer but also be beneficial for pregnancy outcome. Treatment for abnormal cervical cell changes due to HPV infection had previously been known to increase risk of preterm birth -- defined as birth before 37 weeks' gestation. The present study shows that HPV as such is linked to a raised risk of preterm birth, and of complications for the child. The study is based on birth particulars registered in the Swedish Medical Birth Register, which have been merged with the country's National Quality Registry for Cervical Cancer Prevention and the Swedish Cancer Register. Altogether, 1,044,023 births between 1999 and 2016 were included. Of the women concerned, 23,185 had previously received treatment, while 11,727 were untreated and had a positive HPV screening test immediately before or during their pregnancy. Of the women previously treated for CIN, 9.1 percent gave birth prematurely. The corresponding proportion in the group with HPV infection in conjunction with their pregnancies was 5.9 percent. This was a statistically significant increase compared with a reference group of women whose cervical screening test had always been normal, of whom 4.6 percent gave birth prematurely. Our study is register-based and, although we've adjusted for various factors in the analyses, we can't reliably answer the question of whether it's the virus itself that causes the pregnancy and childbirth complications. All we can do is show a statistical association. Soon we''ll be able to see how the incidence of preterm birth is affected after the vaccination program against HPV has been introduced. That will give us more information about whether there's a causal connection between HPV infection itself and delivery outcome." Verena Sengpiel, Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Sahlgrenska Academy and Obstetrician at Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Study's Last Author The researchers emphasize the importance of heeding calls for gynecological cell sampling, in order to detect any cervical cell changes due to HPV infection. Johanna Wiik again: "The earlier these abnormal cell changes are detected, the better we can follow and treat them. And when you're admitted to maternity care, it's a good idea to tell your midwife if you've had cervical cell changes, and whether you've been treated for them. Then the maternity health staff can take that information into account when planning the monitoring of your pregnancy." Fortunately, childhood brain tumors are very rare. Despite progress made over recent years, however, childhood brain tumors tend to be linked to poor prognoses coupled with low survival rates. Dr Alexander Beck worked in Boston, USA as a fellow in pediatric neuro-oncology, later returning to his home country of Germany to establish a laboratory at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. His current research is focused on pediatric brain tumors and drug translation. Most of our work is funded by donations and every donation counts. Our main focus is on diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, a brain tumor that usually affects children between five and nine years of age, with no significant long-term survival beyond five years. Progress in this area is very difficult, and so the emphasis is on the rapid translation of drugs that we can give children now, looking at approved drugs that we can repurpose, as well as working with pharmaceutical companies to develop new therapeutics. Dr Alexander Beck, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich The INTEGRA family of products have been an essential addition to the laboratory since the very beginning. The laboratory has made particular use of the ASSIST PLUS pipetting robot, the VOYAGER adjustable tip spacing pipettes, the EVOLVE manual pipettes and the PIPETBOY acu 2 pipette controller. Dr Beck elaborates, We needed to purchase a range of equipment to set up our facility, and I began by acquiring a VACUBOY for liquid aspirations. The INTEGRA team then introduced me to their other products, and I purchased an ASSIST PLUS pipetting robot, as well as EVOLVE and VOYAGER pipettes and several PIPETBOY acu 2. Supporting drug development and efficacy Our lab assesses drugs in terms of their efficacy on tumor cells, blood-brain barrier penetration, toxicity and, on a deeper level, the tumor biology, highlights Dr Beck. To do this, we use tumor models derived from preclinical patient biopsy samples, as well as quite sophisticated brain organoid cultures, which are biologically very close to what we see in the primary tissue. Alongside this, we have blood-brain barrier models that allow us to test a drugs ability to cross from the blood into the brain, as well as methods to study the neurotoxic potential of drugs to understand dose-limiting toxicities. These results are communicated to the clinicians on a case-by-case basis, as part of a highly individualized treatment approach. Although we dont run huge preclinical trials, we try to keep the major clinical centers informed of our findings, as this allows them to use these drugs in broader clinical trials to evaluate the potential significance of our results. In cases with an extremely poor prognosis, we can even recommend drugs that are in the very early stages of clinical development, although we still need some human toxicity data before suggesting treatment. Image Credit: Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich Project-changing equipment The ASSIST PLUS pipetting robot is without doubt the system that has had the most impact on our work; I dont think there is anything else out there with the same capabilities, especially for its price point. We do a large amount of cell culture, and have set up an ASSIST PLUS workflow to test a lot of drugs weekly. Initially, we seed 96 or 384 well plates of tumor cells, then perform drug dilutions and the drug treatment. Dr Alexander Beck, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich Dr Beck continued, Finally, the system is used for the viability assay. We can test 20 to 30 plates a week a much higher throughput than manual processing, where we could process two plates a week and, at the same time, free up time for other tasks thanks to its automation abilities. ASSIST PLUS - Affordable Pipetting Robot For Full Workflow Automation Play Video Credit: INTEGRA Biosciences The ASSIST PLUS pipetting robot and VIALAB software facilitate the quick, easy creation of automated pipetting protocols. Dr Beck highlights the softwares user-friendliness and intuitiveness, The software is super intuitive its as easy to use as a smartphone and it also lets us simulate programs, helping to prevent mistakes before they are made. Medical students dont always have a lot of lab experience but, thanks to our automation, we just have to teach them basic cell culture techniques. The rest is then carried out by the robot, which is a huge benefit in terms of reproducibility. Improving productivity and precision The VOYAGER pipettes on the ASSIST PLUS have enabled the laboratory to considerably increase throughput, making the process more accurate and faster. We are now optimizing the use of a six channel VOYAGER with wide bore tips on the ASSIST PLUS, to transfer embryoid bodies from 96 to 24 well plates. Automating this process would ensure that no embryoid body is missed and could reduce the workflow from hours to just a matter of minutes. Dr Alexander Beck, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich Previously, this had to be done with a single channel pipette, transferring the bodies one by one; it wasnt even possible using a fixed space multichannel pipette due to the difference in spacing between the well plates. Added Dr Beck. Image Credit: INTEGRA Biosciences The level of automation afforded with INTEGRA instruments has significantly helped to improve life in the laboratory. Using the ASSIST automated pipetting system for reagent addition Traditional pipettes employ a single rotating plunger to set volumes. This is often a long, tedious process, particularly when switching between lower and higher volumes. To help make this process more efficient, EVOLVE pipettes feature three quick set dials, corresponding to each of the three volume digits. Dr Beck summarizes the benefits of using the EVOLVE pipettes, The EVOLVE pipettes make such a difference to our work too; the quick set dials allow us to change dispensing volumes with ease, making our workflows faster and more streamlined. We have over 30 of these pipettes now and they are very comfortable to handle. The GripTips pipette tips are very beneficial too. When you're conducting as much work as we are, its great to know that you dont have to worry about losing tips or samples! Although translational research for brain tumors is certainly a challenging field, our INTEGRA portfolio is helping us along the way. Image Credit: INTEGRA Biosciences About INTEGRA Biosciences INTEGRA provides innovative solutions for Liquid Handling and Media Preparation applications which serve the needs of their customers in research, diagnostics and quality control laboratories. Their instruments and plastic consumables are developed and manufactured in Zizers, Switzerland and Hudson, NH USA. In order to remain close to their customers, they maintain a direct sales and support organization in North America, the UK, France and Germany, as well as a network of over 100 highly trained distribution partners worldwide. In recent years they have focused on developing a new and technologically advanced range of handheld electronic pipettes which are simple to use and meet the ergonomic needs of their customers. Today they are proud to offer the widest range of electronic pipettes in the market spanning a range from single channel pipettes up to 384 channel bench-top instruments. Sponsored Content Policy: News-Medical.net publishes articles and related content that may be derived from sources where we have existing commercial relationships, provided such content adds value to the core editorial ethos of News-Medical.Net which is to educate and iform site visitors interested in medical research, science, medical devices and treatments. Donna M. Seifried, 78, passed away on Friday, June 11, 2021, at her home surrounded by family. She was a receptionist at Price Waterhouse Coopers, a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church, and a native of Salina, KS. She is survived by her husband William "Bill" Seifried of Jeffersonville, I Thats a terrible video to watch, Shea said. Thanks to the passersby that aided that victim and pointed him out to the cops who were right there on the corner and took him into custody. (Newser) Panicked shoppers rushed out of a Dallas mall on Memorial Day after a man banged a skateboard on the ground in the food court and made hand gestures as if he were shooting, police said. That sound obviously caused a panic," Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia said. "When the crowd started running the individual focused on that and then began doing hand gestures as if he was shooting into the the crowd, which then further escalated the situation. Garcia said police got a call at 1:27pm Monday reporting an active shooter at NorthPark Center, the AP reports. He said that within three minutes, off-duty officers at the mall had confronted the man. On-duty officers responded a minute later. story continues below When officers were arriving, obviously there was chaos throughout the building, Garcia said. Police said that the man was taken into custody and transported to an area hospital for a medical evaluation. Garcia said the man did not have a gun. Video taken inside the mall showed shoppers rushing for exits while an alarm blared. Garcia said the incident could have resulted in people being trampled, but he didn't blame those who reported what they heard as a shooting because theres a lot of trauma in the country. (Read more Dallas stories.) (Newser) Two men were killed, including the gunman, and two more were injured when a man opened fire in a crowded Houston nightclub early Monday, the AP reports. Houston police chief Troy Finner said investigators have confirmed the gunman is among the dead, and that he was fatally shot by an off-duty sheriffs deputy working security at the club, NBC News reports. I can tell you right now, it's a difficult scenea lot of moving parts," said Finner, adding that the club was very crowded and dark inside. story continues below One man was hospitalized in critical condition and the other was in stable condition, Finner said. Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said several of his deputies were working off-duty security at Club Cle and that at least one of them fired at the gunman. He said no deputies were hurt in the shooting. (Read more Houston stories.) (Newser) The daughter-in-law of a British-Belizean billionaire has been charged with shooting a police officer in the head in Belize. Jasmine Hartinthe wife of Lord Michael Ashcroft's youngest son, Andrew, himself a well-known property developer in Belizewas charged Monday with manslaughter by negligence in the death of police Superintendent Henry Jemmott, an engaged father of five, who's described as her friend. Hartin, a Canadian living in Belize, had been drinking with Jemmott on a pier in San Pedro after a coronavirus-related curfew took effect, per the Daily Beast and CNN. Police investigating a single gunshot then found 42-year-old Jemmott dead in the water, with a gunshot wound behind his ear. A blood-strewn Hartin, 38, was found on the pier, along with Jemmott's service weapon, Police Commissioner Chester Williams said, per Sky News. story continues below Hartin told responding officers that Jemmott might've been shot from a passing boat, per the Daily Beast. She reportedly admitted to accidentally shooting him during a massage after police threatened her with drug charges, per the New York Post. Her story, per the Post, is that she went to hand him the gun and it went off. But sources say the weapon had a safety, and Jemmott's sister, an assistant police superintendent, notes the wound suggests "an assassination," per the Post. The outlet notes the charge against Hartin, denied bail on Monday, "rarely carries a prison sentence." She worked at the luxury Alaia Belize hotel, which was developed by her partner and opened in May. Lord Michael Ashcroft, a top donor to the UK's ruling Conservative Party and a former Belizean ambassador to the UN, had "recently donated a fully equipped gym to the police department," per the Daily Beast. (Read more Belize stories.) (Newser) First a gas pipeline was the target of a cyberattack. Now, the world's largest meat company. JBS Inc., which has more than 150 locations around the globe, announced it was the target of an "organized" attack against some of its servers, affecting IT systems in the US and Australia, CNN Business reports. "The company took immediate action, suspending all affected systems" and alerting the proper authorities, JBS says in a statement, adding that its backup servers didn't get hit. Addressing another concern, the meat supplier notes the company doesn't believe at this point that "any customer, supplier, or employee data has been compromised or misused as a result of the situation." There's been no word yet, though, on who may have carried out the attack. story continues below This breach so close on the heels of the Colonial Pipeline attack last month underscores "that nothing is safe," Paul Rosenzweig, an ex-Department of Homeland Security official and current senior fellow for the nonprofit R Street Institute, tells USA Today. "The only way to be safe in this world is to unplug completely. And you can't do that and be economically competitive." JBS says IT gurus, third-party pros, and an "incident response" firm are "actively working" to get all systems back up and running, per its statement. It's a process that could take some time, "which may delay certain transactions with customers and suppliers." Rosenzweig says that the ransom paid in the Colonial Pipeline incident has made hackers more brazen. "So long as the internet is a place of anonymity, the criminals will be able to act with impunity," he tells USA Today. "Why would they stop?" (Read more cyberattack stories.) (Newser) A police chief in Pennsylvania is now out of a job and facing prison time after allegedly threatening to jail a man who insulted him on Facebook. In February 2020, East Stroudsburg resident Paul DeLorenzo had penned a Facebook post in which he accused West Hazleton Police Chief Brian Buglio of committing a violent crime and said he was slow to make an arrest. DeLorenzo tells WNEP that the chief then "called me, left me a voicemail, and said that he was going to arrest me for a crime that was being investigatedfor something I've never even done or had any part of." During a meeting in March, DeLorenzo says Buglio threatened to file a felony charge against him unless he deleted the critical posts. "He goes, 'Well, you like to post fake things and fake stories about me so, I could make up a fake arrest and put you in jail.'" story continues below DeLorenzo says Buglio acknowledged at the meeting that the threatened charges were bogus. But he says he agreed to remove the posts. Later, he spoke with the FBI about what had happened. Federal authorities say 45-year-old Buglio, who's been a police officer in West Hazleton for the last 25 years, has now agreed to plead guilty to a civil rights violation. He faces a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a $100,000 fine. However, authorities recommend Buglio "get something less than that," per WNEP. The police chief has also resigned from his post, as required by the plea agreement, per WBRE. DeLorenzo tells that outlet that Buglio should "never have any job in law enforcement" again. Another local resident says he's "appalled," per WNEP. "[Buglio] shouldn't be able to determine the things other people have to say." (Read more police chiefs stories.) (Newser) A month after retiring from the Dallas field office, an FBI agent allegedly began a yearslong fraud scheme that earned him more than $800,000and potentially up to 178 years in federal prison. William Roy Stone Jr., 62, is charged with wire fraud, impersonating a federal officer, and other crimes after authorities say he managed to con a Texas woman out of her fortune, per the New York Times. Shortly after retiring in October 2015, he reportedly convinced the Granbury resident that she was on "secret probation" for drug crimes and needed to inform him of her activities and assets, which included a recent inheritance. Prosecutors say Stone then requested a "restitution" payment for a wronged company, which he pocketed, per NBC News. He also allegedly told the woman that she needed to pay expenses related to his supervision of her, from housing to travel. story continues below Stone allegedly supported the lie with fake phone calls, in which he and an unnamed accomplice claimed to be a judge monitoring the case and an officer with the Drug Enforcement Administration, authorities say, per NBC. Throughout, Stone told the woman she would face prison time and lose her children if she didn't complythough at one point Stone asked the woman to marry him, authorities say. It's unclear how authorities caught wind of the scheme, which allegedly earned Stone more than $800,000 over three and a half years. Indicted by a grand jury last week, Stone faces up to 178 years in federal prison if convicted of all charges. He pleaded not guilty Friday. "Mr. Stone will clear his name in the courtroom and, in doing so, will bring the actual facts of this case to light," one of his lawyers, Gregg Gallian, tells NBC. "There is much more to this story." (Read more fraud stories.) (Newser) Figuring out the best place to raise a family can seem like an overwhelming task, but WalletHub's latest analysis may shed some light. The site shook out stats for 182 of the most populated cities in the nation, examining four dozen metrics across five main categories: family fun (think ice rinks, playgrounds, weather, etc.); health and safety; education and child care; affordability; and socioeconomics (unemployment rate, the wealth gap). Overland Park in Kansas nabbed the No. 1 spot, while Detroit could be a little more family-friendly. Here, the other cities in the top and bottom 10: Best Cities Overland Park, Kan. (No. 1 in "Affordability" category) Fremont, Calif. (No. 1 in "Socioeconomics" category) Irvine, Calif. (No. 1 in "Health and Safety" category) Plano, Texas Columbia, Md. South Burlington, Vt. (No. 1 in "Education and Child Care" category) Seattle Scottsdale, Ariz. Gilbert, Ariz. Madison, Wis. story continues below Worst Cities Montgomery, Ala. Miami San Bernardino, Calif. Wilmington, Del. (last in "Socioeconomics" category) Birmingham, Ala. Newark, NJ Hialeah, Fla. (last in "Affordability" category) Memphis, Tenn. (last in "Health and Safety" category) Cleveland Detroit Check out WalletHub's list to see which other cities make the grade. (Or see where the jobs are .) (Newser) A wish has been granted to death row inmate Kevin Cooper, a Black man convicted of quadruple murders in 1983. California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order Friday calling for an independent investigation into the stabbing deaths of Doug and Peggy Ryen, their 10-year-old daughter Jessica, and 11-year-old neighbor Christopher Hughes, for which Cooper has been imprisoned since 1985. Taking no position on the case, Newsom appointed a law firm to review "all facts and evidence," including those not heard in court, per the AP. This will include results of DNA tests on a T-shirt, towel, and hatchet collected from the Ryens' Chino Hills home, which former Gov. Jerry Brown requested in 2018. Newsom later ordered testing of hair and blood samples and a prison uniform button authorities said linked Cooper to the scene. He'd just escaped from prison. story continues below The order notes Cooper's lawyers and the San Bernardino County district attorney's office have "starkly different views" on whether the evidence supports 63-year-old Cooper's claim of innocence. Prosecutors previously said his blood and that of a victim were on a T-shirt found near the scene. They also said DNA put Cooper in the Ryens' home and stolen station wagon. DA Jason Anderson says recent test results don't change that narrative, per the Mercury News. But Cooper attorney Norman Hile says the probe "will demonstrate that Kevin Cooper is innocent," per the Washington Post. Cooper, who has been backed by Kim Kardashian, has long claimed that police planted evidence to frame him. Per the Post, the lone survivor of the attack, 8-year-old Joshua Ryen, initially pointed to three white or Latino men, while a woman implicated her boyfriend, a convicted killer, early on. (Read more Kevin Cooper stories.) (Newser) The Supreme Court is leaving in place a $2 billion verdict in favor of women who say they developed ovarian cancer from using Johnson & Johnson talc products, per the AP. The justices didn't comment Tuesday in rejecting Johnson & Johnson's appeal. The company argued that it wasn't treated fairly in facing one trial involving 22 cancer sufferers who came from 12 states and different backgrounds. A Missouri jury initially awarded the women $4.7 billion, but a state appeals court dropped two women from the suit and reduced the award to $2 billion. The jury found that the companys talc products contain asbestos and that asbestos-laced talc can cause ovarian cancer. The company disputes both points. story continues below Justices Samuel Alito and Brett Kavanaugh took no part in the court's action. Alito owns $15,000 to $50,000 in Johnson & Johnson stock. Kavanaugh's father headed the trade association that lobbied against labeling talc a carcinogen and including a warning label on talc products. Ethicists contacted by the AP said they didn't think E. Edward Kavanaugh's role required his son to step aside from the case. Johnson & Johnson, which is based in New Brunswick, NJ, has stopped selling its iconic talc-based Johnson's Baby Powder in the US and Canada, though it remains on the market elsewhere. (Read more Johnson & Johnson stories.) (Newser) Ohio credited its $1 million lottery drawing as helping to deliver a big jump in its coronavirus vaccination rate. West Virginia is going several steps further, with a lottery drawing offering $1 million, full 4-year scholarships, custom pickup trucks, lifetime hunting and fishing licenses, and guns. The state will give away five custom hunting rifles and five custom shotguns, Forbes reports. Residents who have had at least one shot of COVID-19 vaccine will be able to register for the June 20 drawing, which will see the above given away. Weekly drawings that run through Aug. 4 will see more $1 million prizes doled out. story continues below Some 41.2% of adults in the state are fully vaccinated, but West Virginia's vaccine hesitancy rate is on the higher side, with one poll finding 28% of the population unwilling to be vaccinated. Among residents 50 and older, the state said, 75% are vaccinated, per WTRF. "We are going to make a few West Virginians millionaires by the time this is over," Gov. Jim Justice said, per WVNews. "We can do that, but weve got to get you vaccinated." In addition, West Virginia is giving $100 savings bonds or gift cards to anyone 16-35 who is fully vaccinated. Residents can register at governor.wv.gov. (Ohio's first $1 million winner is just 22.) Police said Rodriguez targeted the first victim just before 7:40 a.m. May 24, near Osborn St. and Pitkin Ave. in Brownsville. He asked the 13-year-old victim to take a picture of him with his dog, then led the girl into an apartment building, where he fondled her, cops said. (Newser) A Belarus activist has been hospitalized after stabbing himself in the neck with a pen during a court hearing in Minsk, a rights group said. Stsiapan Latypau underwent surgery and is in satisfactory condition, the BBC reports. He's charged with being behind opposition social media, which he denies. The rights group, Viasna, said Latypau harmed himself after his father testified Tuesday in the hearing. He reportedly was heard telling his father that officials had threated to hurt him physically if he did not confess, and that his relatives and neighbors would be prosecuted as well. "This is the result of state terror, repressions, torture in Belarus," an opposition leader later tweeted. "We must stop it immediately!" story continues below Viasna said the stabbing was a protest. It took time for the guards to open the defendant's cage, and Latypau was unconscious when he was taken away, the group said, per Euronews. Viasna tweeted that Latypau, 41, suffered no damage to his vital organs. He had bruises when he arrived in court, the group said, and an opposition leader's aide said he'd been tortured while in custody. President Alexander Lukashenko has repressed protests and opposition since his reelection last August, a disputed outcome. His regime forced a passenger plane to land in Minsk last month so a journalist could be taken into custody. (Read more Belarus stories.) (Newser) A poacher suspected of killing a significant proportion of his country's population of wild Bengal tigers is finally in custody, authorities in Bangladesh say. Habib Talukder, 50, is believed to have killed up to 70 endangered tigers over the last 20 years, the BBC reports. The pelts and other body parts were sold to traders and often ended up on the black market in China. Authorities say Talukder operated in the Sundarbans mangove forest on the border between India and Bangladesh, home to a large population of Bengal tigers that declined steeply earlier this century as poaching activity rose. story continues below Talukder dodged several earlier arrest attempts by fleeing to the forest, but he was arrested in a village adjacent to the forest in an early morning raid after a tip-off, authorities say. "He was on the run for a long time," police spokesman Saidur Rahman tells the Dhaka Tribune. Authorities say both police and the nation's Forest Service had him on their most wanted lists. The forestry department says Bangladesh's population of Bengal tigers plummeted from 440 in 2004 to just 105 in 2015, though it rose to 119 in 2019 after a crackdown on poaching. Talukder "was a big headache for us," a forestry official tells AFP. "He posed a great threat to the forest's biodiversity." (Read more tigers stories.) (Newser) An emotional President Biden marked the 100th anniversary of the massacre that destroyed a thriving Black community in Tulsa, declaring Tuesday that he had "come to fill the silence" about one of the nations darkestand long suppressedmoments of racial violence. "Some injustices are so heinous, so horrific, so grievous, they cannot be buried, no matter how hard people try. Only with truth can come healing, " Biden said, per the AP. "Just because history is silent, it does not mean that it did not take place," Biden said. He said that "hell was unleashed. Literal hell was unleashed" as a white mob killed hundreds of Black people. And now, he said, the nation must come to grips with the following sin of denial. Great nations, he said, "come to terms with their dark sides." story continues below "We cant just choose what we want to know, and not what we should know," said Biden. "I come here to help fill the silence, because in silence wounds deepen." In 1921on May 31 and June 1a white mob, including some people hastily deputized by authorities, looted and burned Tulsa's Greenwood district, which was known as Black Wall Street." As many as 300 Black Tulsans were killed, and thousands of survivors were forced for a time into internment camps overseen by the National Guard. On Tuesday, the president, joined by top Black advisers, met privately with three surviving members of the Greenwood community who lived through the violence, all between the ages of 101 and 107, the White House said. (Read more Tulsa stories.) "'I guess I'll leave my ass at home next time," she quipped, before giving the finger to the camera. "Girl, f**k you," she captioned the clip, which has now been viewed over 11.5 million times. Commenters were quick to double down on her statements. "For real! Our bodies are not a distraction," wrote one angry viewer. "Maybe she should get a new husband?" another questioned. "People really do be that insecure," wrote somebody else. While this incident happened in the US, it echoes problematic statements about female bodies that have been made closer to home. Earlier this year, Wellington Girls' College had to apologise to its students and staff after a Year 13 pupil was sent home for wearing a tank top, which she was told would be "distracting" to male teachers. Far more women than men have gotten the COVID-19 vaccine in New Zealand, Ministry of Health figures show. As of May 25, a total of 230,667 women have had their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine compared to just 139,929 men. And 121,514 women have had both doses of the vaccine compared to just 69,351 men. So why are men getting vaccinated at such a slower rate? Public health experts have suggested various reasons for the gap. Firstly women make up the majority of the workforces that have been prioritised. Ministry of Health group manager of COVID-19 vaccine operations Astrid Koornneef told Newshub women tend to dominate the frontline workforce. "There could be various reasons why, to date, more women may be vaccinated than men, such as the gender make up of border, managed isolation and quarantine, and healthcare workers who have been vaccinated in line with the sequencing framework. "The COVID-19 vaccination programme is New Zealands largest-ever vaccine rollout and continues to scale up, since vaccinations of frontline border workers began in February. We are currently running ahead of target, with more than 600,000 doses administered (as of 28 May)." But Mahuta warned last week that New Zealand could find itself at the heart of a "storm" of anger from China, potentially becoming engulfed by its deepening trade war with Australia. Morrison, standing alongside Ardern at a press conference on Monday, delivered a stern message to "those who would seek to undermine" the trans-Tasman relationship that "they will not succeed". "I have no doubt there would be those who would seek to undermine Australia and New Zealand's security by seeking to create points of difference, which are not there." Mahuta wouldn't say who she thought Morrison was referring to. "Undoubtedly he'd be referring to the geopolitical sensitivities in our region." She said the "main thing to emphasise" was the trans-Tasman relationship was strong, evident by the fact both Morrison and Australia Foreign Minister Marise Payne had visited in the space of a few months. "The trans-Tasman relationship is close. I think it's evidenced by the fact that our two Prime Ministers had a very robust set of conversations around the things that we agree on but also the things that challenge our relationship." In a speech to the NZ-China Council in April, Mahuta said China and New Zealand "cannot and will not" always agree, reiterating concerns about Hong Kong and Xinjiang. She also publicly advised Kiwi exporters to diversify. China is currently New Zealand's largest trading partner, accounting for nearly 30 percent of exports worth more than $33 billion. "We're engaging with businesses and giving them a sense of what the geostrategic challenges are at this time," Mahuta said on Tuesday. "None of what we're saying is a surprise to business so obviously they're already reorienting." This press conference has finished. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, Agriculture Minister Damien O'Connor and Acting Emergency Management Minister Kris Faafoi have held at Christchurch Airport after assessing flood damage in the Canterbury area. Ardern was in Ashburton on Tuesday morning evaluating the battered region. Watch the full press conference above. The world is set for major geographical changes, with a map showing a new supercontinent is likely to form over the next 250 million years - but New Zealand could be one of just a handful of countries to remain an island. Hypothesised by geologist Christopher Scotese in 1982, Pangaea Proxima is a potential future configuration of the Earth's landmasses based on past cycles of continental drift. It suggests we're moving towards a world in which nearly all the world's territories will be pushed together - almost completely closing the Atlantic and Indian Oceans and amalgamating South and North America with Europe and Africa. Now, more than ever, the world needs trustworthy reportingbut good journalism isnt free. Please support us by subscribing or contributing today. Let us know what you're seeing and hearing around the community. Submit here The 54-year-old victim was walking with a friend just around the corner from her Astoria home when a 26-year-old deliveryman on an e-bike slammed into her about 8:35 p.m. Friday cops said. She was in the crosswalk at 21st Ave. and 31st St. when she was struck, cops said. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com As a community, through our collective action and commitment to safety and well-being, we will succeed in reducing the spread of COVID-19. Doing so will enhance stability across various sectors and enable the Kingdom of Bahrain to achieve its economic goals. During its weekly meeting, this was emphasised by the Cabinet, held remotely yesterday and chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister, His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa. Follow all precautionary and preventative measures to keep oneself and the community safe from COVID-19: wear a face mask, observe social distancing, limit family gatherings, avoid large crowds, and get vaccinated, the Cabinet noted. In the face of rising active cases, the Cabinet has constantly made this appeal to citizens and residents in the Kingdom. It also emphasised that the government is continuing to implement initiatives to support national efforts to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and protect public health. The Cabinet commended His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifas confidence in Team Bahrains national efforts aimed at combating the COVID-19, led by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and HMs continued commitment to safeguarding the health of the citizens and residents. Relief for Bahrain passengers as Air India Express offers refund for cancelled tickets Relief for Bahrain passengers as Air India Express offers refund for cancelled tickets TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Passengers who have had their tickets on Air India Express cancelled due to the pandemic and never got a refund can now breathe a sigh of relief. The airlines have now informed travel agencies that the process of refunding the tickets which were earlier converted into vouchers is in progress. The move comes amid persistent complaints from passengers and travel agencies. The order was passed on a petition filed by the Pravasi Legal Cell. However, many who booked tickets through travel agencies in Bahrain did not receive a refund. Instead of a refund, the airline converts it into vouchers that can be used for another trip. The vouchers were issued on the condition that they are used by December 31, 2021. International flights were suspended after India announced a lockdown in March last year as part of the Covid precautionary measures. Subsequently, on May 7, the Indian Government launched the Vande Bharat Mission to repatriate their citizens stranded abroad. Thousands of passengers returned home with new tickets. In addition, passengers returned on chartered flights initiated by various organizations and travel agencies. Hence, the voucher became useless as many of them planned not to fly before the stipulated date. In this case, the demand for a refund instead of a voucher became strong. Social activists too came forward with the same demand, following which Air India Express authorities in Bahrain informed their Indian headquarters requesting to initiate steps for a refund. Air India Express officials have informed travel agencies that the vouchers are currently being converted into PNR (Passenger Name Record) and a refund will be available thereafter. Each travel agency is thus entitled to a refund of thousands of dinars. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com The Kingdom of Bahrain and the United Nations have extended growing cooperation by signing a key framework for development in various fields. The Strategic and Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (2021-2022) was signed by Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani and the UN Resident Coordinator and the International Organisation for Migration Chief of Mission, Mohamed Al Zarakni, during a virtual ceremony. It was also held in the presence of Assistant Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Faisal bin Jabur Al Doseri and the UN Regional Director for Arab States, Laila Baker, as well as a number of those concerned at the Ministry. Minister Al Zayani said that the framework reflects their joint keenness to bolster cooperation, in a way that supports the implementation of the governments action plan 2019-2022 and the Bahrain Economic Vision 2030. It is part of the Kingdoms implementation of sustainable development goals, especially in light of its efforts to confront the coronavirus pandemic. Dr Al Zayani thanked Al Zarakni for his continuous efforts in preparing the framework in cooperation with the Organisations and Legal Affairs Sectors at the Ministry and all relevant government agencies and institutions. He also lauded all the representatives of the UN regional and resident agencies for their cooperation and expressed optimism that this agreement would continue the cooperation between Bahrain and the UN. Al Doseri praised the efforts of the UN in signing the framework which he described as an example of constructive cooperation between both parties. He also welcomed the new agencies in the updated version of the framework, which in turn will enhance support and cooperation in future projects. Al Zarakni thanked Bahrain and the UN agencies for their diligent efforts in bringing about the updated version of the framework. He also affirmed that the framework is fully compatible with the development strategies and policies of the Kingdom providing a platform for greater coordination on the implementation of support projects from the UN agencies. Baker expressed great optimism on what this framework would achieve, especially in light of the pandemic. She said that the framework, a first of its kind in the Arab region, gives hope for the possibility of a multilateral partnership to lay down the necessary plans to build a better tomorrow for the peoples of the region and the world. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com The Health Ministry has taken action against 41 restaurants and cafes for flouting the mandatory precautionary measures announced by the National Medical Taskforce for Combating Covid-19 and approved by the Executive Committee. The Ministry inspectors visited 211 restaurants and cafes yesterday, in coordination with the Interior Ministry and the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA). They stressed the need to fully comply with the precautionary measures recommended by the national task force, including mainly the closure of those outlets except for delivery and takeaway services. The Health Ministry said that the restaurants and cafes facing legal action had flouted the procedures and terms stipulated in the ministerial edict 51 of 2020 on mandatory health protocols at restaurants and cafes to curb COVID-19 infections. The restaurants and cafes and which were found in breach of the mandatory precautionary measures were referred to competent legal authorities. Owners of outlets with minor violations were warned to address their irregularities immediately in compliance with the mandatory precautionary measures. The inspectors called on everyone to continue their commitment and spirit of high responsibility and to immediately report any violations they may spot. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Making sound investment and partnership decisions is no more a painful affair, if in Bahrain, especially amid the coronavirus pandemic. Soon, all the information investors need on companies here will be at their fingertips. Making this possible is the Bahrain Chambers decision to publish the database of 45,000 local companies online. This will help investors and business owners make sound investment and partnership decisions, said Sameer Nass, the Bahrain Chamber and the Federation of GCC Chambers Chairman. The Bahrain chamber, he said, is also launching a website for publishing the information on the companies. Speaking to a Cairo-based newspaper Ahram Gate, Nass also expressed optimism in the abilities of Arab countries to overcome the repercussions of the pandemic and resume economic activities. This is particularly important in light of the vast economic reforms and stimulus packages extended by the Arab nations to revive and invigorate their economies, said Sameer Nass. Nass was in Egypt to launch the second edition of the Arab Entrepreneurship Rally Competition. Nass also drew attention to the modern investor-friendly laws and legislations in Bahrain. The updated bankruptcy and re-organisation law, Protection and Promotion of Competition law, personal data protection law, Nass said are confidence-inspiring. Moving on, Nass also recalled the first educational mission from Egypt in 1919. He voiced pride in the extensive trade and investment between the countries, citing the non-oil trade volume, which amounted to 471 million US dollars in 2019, spanning financial, construction, manufacturing, agriculture, tourism, ICT and other sectors. Nass said the entrepreneurship development model of Bahrain, which falls in line with the Economic Vision 2030, aims at fostering a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, enhancing the contribution of Small and Medium Enterprises to the national economy, and empowering the youth. The Bahrain Chamber launched the first edition of the Arab Entrepreneurship Rally competition, and the second edition, against this backdrop. Elaborating on the competition, Nass said the first edition, held under the patronage of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, had the participation of 800 Arab teams. The competition attracted over 170 thousand dollars worth of investments in the private sector of the Arab Region. The second edition, Nass said, will be held under the patronage of the Arab League and comes to build on the success of the first. The competition targets youths from the Arab region and turning their innovative ideas into successful businesses by providing logistics, consultation and financing via interested angel investors. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Kuwait Finance House Bahrain announced May Albuainain as the monthly grand prize winner of $100,000 for April 2021, as part of the Libshara investments savings raffle held virtually. The bank also announced 20 winners of the monthly prizes worth up to $20,000 and 40 winners of Libshara special segments, with prizes up to $25,000. Moreover, an exclusive draw was held for the Eid holidays to provide special cash prizes for those within the Our Children segment. Seventy winners under the age of 18 were announced and received prizes worth $500. Commenting on this occasion, Khalid Al-Maarafi, Executive Manager and Head of Retail & Private Banking Group at KFH - Bahrain, said: We would like to extend our congratulations to May Albuainain and all the winners of the April 2021 draw for the Libshara investment account. We would also like to wish our dear customers the best of luck in the upcoming raffle draws, as they still have the opportunity to win the grand prize of $500,000. We are also pleased to have held the Our Children draw which has put a smile on childrens faces in celebration of Eid Al-Fitr. The happiness I feel is indescribable, I am very grateful to be one of the April winners and hope everyone will get a chance to experience this beautiful feeling, said May Albuainain. Libshara accounts can be opened by all individuals inside Bahrain and individuals from the GCC countries. Minors under the age of 18 years old can also open Libshara accounts through their parents or legal guardians using KFH Jazeel App and qualify for entry or by visiting any of the KFH Bahrain branches. Missouri Realtors Statistics showed almost a $10,000 increase in the average residential property sales price from March of 2021 to April 2021. John Mallett, Founder and President of MainStreet Mortgage, believes that with roughly seven million houses needing to be built to meet equilibrium, the circumstances compared to the housing market crash of 2008 are different. The last housing crash that we had was based on loans that were made to people who couldnt afford to make the payments. It was like giving someone a small nuclear bomb, said Mallett. Right now whats happening is that people are getting homes and they actually have to qualify. I dont really think that were in a bubble. I think were in a state where prices are definitely high because demand is so great. Mallett went on to say that when the prices of homes begin to outstretch peoples ability to qualify, the market will begin to draw back on its own. As the housing shortage sits where it does and the equilibrium seems long out of reach at the moment, theres one underlying factor that Mallet believes could get the ball rolling once again. A lot of people, because of the pandemic, theyre not quite sure what their job stability is right now. Even though were coming back and unemployment looks good, its going down and things are getting back to normal, they still want to make sure that their jobs are solid. I think once they start moving again and putting their houses up for sale, I think well get more inventory. said Mallett. Mallett says that the average time on market for a home is 1.7 months while at equilibrium where the supply of houses meets the demand for them, that average time on the market would be six months. The good news for Missouri homebuyers and those prospectively looking to buy homes in the state of Missouri, the state currently sits at a 1.02 affordability score according to the National Association of REALTORS which is above the average affordability score for the entire United States at 0.81. COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) As case numbers continue to stay low and Missourians get vaccinated, local officials are lifting masks restrictions across Columbia and Boone County. Starting Tuesday, masks will no longer be required in city or county government buildings for fully vaccinated people. Masks will still be required at the Columbia/Boone County Department of Public Health and Human Services. The University of Missouri is also changing its policies on masks and social distancing on Tuesday. The university will no longer require masks indoors, and it will also no longer require Incident Command to approve campus events. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently changed guidelines to allow fully vaccinated people to return to a state of normalcy. However, there are still some situations when masks will be required or recommended. CDC guidance states you can now resume activities without wearing a mask or staying 6 feet apart, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance. If you travel in the United States and you are fully vaccinated, you do not need to get tested before or after travel or self-quarantine. However, if you choose to travel, the CDC said you will still be required to wear a mask on planes, buses, trains, and other forms of public transportation. People are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their second dose in a two-dose series, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or two weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnsons Janssen vaccine. If you dont meet these requirements, you are not fully vaccinated, and the CDC recommends you keep taking all precautions until you are fully vaccinated. Back here in mid-Missouri, Columbia Public Schools will no longer require masks indoors or on buses starting Friday. People can still choose to wear masks. Both the city and county still advise people who are not vaccinated to wear masks. COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) A Columbia police officer pleaded guilty in connection with a child's death. Andria Heese pleaded guilty to careless and imprudent driving during a court hearing Tuesday morning. Heese was initially charged with involuntary manslaughter in the January 2019 death of 4-year-old Gabriella Curry. The special prosecutor on the case, Kevin Hillman, reduced the charges Friday. Investigators said Heese hit and killed Curry on Jan. 4, 2019, in her patrol vehicle at Battle High School. Mark Ruffalo came out on Twitter the other day and angered a lot of people, but not the people he usually tends to anger. I have reflected & wanted to apologize for posts during the recent Israel/Hamas fighting that suggested Israel is committing genocide. Its not accurate, its inflammatory, disrespectful & is being used to justify antisemitism here & abroad, Ruffalo wrote. Now is the time to avoid hyperbole. I actually missed his comments about Israel committing genocide, but thats because I generally tune out that kind of hyperbole. Still, it was a bit of a gut punch to see that a person with his far-left following would engage in that sort of language, knowing where it leads. Anti-Semitism is on the rise in the United States, and its no longer a product of the white supremacists, neo-Nazis, survivalists, domestic terrorists and sociopaths that the media and society in general has lumped together under the convenient heading right-wing zealots. They still exist, of course. But the true and more troubling source of anti-Jewish bigotry these days comes from the left. That has never been more obvious than in the days following the conflict in the Middle East involving Hamas on one side, and Israel on the other. The fact that the mainstream media has attempted to frame it as a conflict between Palestinians and Israel is simply one sign of the bigotry that is perhaps so internalized that not even journalists who think they are acting in good faith recognize it. Israel was not fighting against the Palestinians. Israel was defending itself against a terror group that has been funded as if it were a sovereign nation by other sovereign nations, including Iran and Russia. But that false moral equivalency is only part of the anti-Semitism. The people who are throwing rocks at Jews in New York, and tweeting out as a CNN contributor did that we need another Hitler, and driving through the streets with Palestinian flags waving while screaming about apartheid Israel are not interested in politics. They are interested in what Irans Mahmoud Ahmadinejad wanted: Removal of the cancerous tumor called Israel. The fact that very few outlets are calling out the rank bigotry of the left is troubling, but not surprising. Network television is happy to air hours of programming about the bigoted GOP that tries to suppress Black votes, the brutal white supremacy of the police that targets people of color, the horrific acts of violence by white men against Asian Americans. Weve all seen it. But I am still waiting for CNN, for example, to have one of their breaking news reports about Palestinian Americans chasing down innocent boys in yarmulkas walking home from yeshiva. We see momentary clips, true, but never any in-depth, deep dive reporting. And when Ilhan Omar says its all about the benjamins, or AOC recovers long enough from her PTSD to issue some rant about apartheid Israel, their friends on the left will make excuses. Always excuses, never an acknowledgement that this language leads to broken bones. Bigotry is evil, no matter who exhibits it. But its about time to acknowledge that the left is as adept and talented in their bias as their political opponents. Just ask Mark Ruffalo. Air Force Senior Airman Keith Williams, part of a Hurlburt Field maintenance squadron, has been charged with first degree rape, traveling to meet a child for an unlawful sex act and electronic solicitation of a child. According to an affidavit obtained by the Northwest Florida Daily News on Monday, an investigation into the matter was launched after the victims father intercepted a friend request from the 25-year-old suspect that had been meant for his young daughter. This spring marked 75 years since Winston Churchill delivered one of the most famous and important speeches of the postwar period. Less than 12 months after the end of World War II, Churchill popularized the term Iron Curtain and set the stage for decades of Cold War rivalry. Sharing that stage in Fulton, Missouri, was Harry S. Truman, the only person from this state to serve as president of the United States. Truman, too, played his part in building a bulwark against Communism. In the ensuing years, some of the details and tactics differed, but support for freedom-loving people was a general consensus regardless of political party and administration, from Eisenhower and Kennedy to Reagan and Clinton. Lately, this resolve has shown cracks. Some of this is inevitable due to the War on Terror during the George W. Bush administration and the rise of China as the No. 1 economic and military threat to this country. New adversaries bring a new focus. But some of this is self-imposed. Donald Trump was right in insisting that NATO countries pay more for defense, but publicly berating allies and questioning the relevance of NATO wasnt the best way to move relations forward. Now comes his successor, Joe Biden, who raised eyebrows with his recent decision to lift sanctions regarding the building of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline and the former East German intelligence officer in charge of it. In the United States, Bidens decision was met with withering criticism on Capitol Hill, where Republicans wondered why he removes obstacles to an underground pipeline moving Russian natural gas to Europe when one of his first acts as president was to block a crude oil pipeline between the U.S. and Canada. Its a fair question, but every project is different in terms of environmental impact and economic need. The bigger point of contention might be the Bidens administrations failure to recognize that in the first half of the 21st century, Gazprom represents as much of a threat to freedom in Europe as Red Army tanks in the second half of the 20th. Many have remarked on Bidens similarity to FDR in terms of an activist federal policy and spending on social programs. Time will tell how it works out, but another similarity contains darker undertones. It was FDR who abandoned the people of Eastern Europe at Yalta, and Biden risks doing so again by increasing the ability of Vladimir Putin to shut off gas supplies and use it as a political weapon. You might say theres no local dog in this fight, and you are probably right. But its a sad capitulation to witness in a state where a native son once stood strong and proud against the winds of tyranny from the east. DANBURY As demand for the COVID-19 vaccine falls at its clinic, the city health department aims to bring the shots into residents neighborhoods. The city plans to shutter its vaccine site at Rogers Park Middle School after its clinic from 1 to 7 p.m. Thursday. But the mayor said the city will have a bigger presence with mobile vaccine clinics it plans to offer in partnership with local organizations. A nearly $1 million grant the city received last month will help with this. This means exploring data on which neighborhoods are lagging behind and setting up clinics there, Mayor Joe Cavo said. Were going to be able to look a little more closely, bring the vaccine to you, rather than you going to the vaccine, he said. The Connecticut Institute for Communities is among the organizations working closely with Danbury on this effort, said Katie Curran, chief operating officer and general counsel. The nonprofit is hiring four outreach workers with Danburys grant who will connect with unvaccinated populations and teach them about the vaccine, she said. Outreach workers are really people who are embedded in the community and really developing educational materials to speak to them, to speak to their questions, to have a forum for them to have their questions answered, Curran said. Danburys vaccination rate lags behind the state average and neighboring towns. In Danbury, 54.6 percent of residents have at least one dose of the vaccine, while 42.4 percent are fully vaccinated, according to state data. At least 60 percent of residents in New Milford, Bridgewater, Brookfield, Newtown, Redding, Ridgefield, Southbury, Roxbury and Washington have at least one dose, while at least 55 percent of Bethel, New Fairfield and Sherman have at least one shot. The number of patients seeking vaccines at Rogers Park has gone increasingly down, Cavo said. Vaccines are still readily available through health centers and pharmaceutical companies in the city. Since December, the health department has distributed 18,431 doses, city spokeswoman Taylor OBrien said. In the last month, more than 2,230 doses were distributed, the acting city health director said in May 24 letter to City Council. Our goal remains the same, we want to continue to promote vaccination and we have found that this mobile method allows us to innoculate more individuals within the community, OBrien said in an email. While we know we are moving in the right direction, closing this clinic does not signal any pause to our vaccine efforts. Other vaccine clinics in the city remain open. This includes the mass vaccination site at the Danbury Fair mall that the Community Health Center and Nuvance Health run. Between 500 to 900 people came daily through the mall site last week, down from a peak of 1,300, said Leslie Gianelli, spokeswoman with the Community Health Center, which expects to hit a half million doses distributed statewide between Tuesday and Wednesday. Demand is still good, she said. Were evaluating capacity. Were evaluating demand, like everyone, but at this point were still going strong and were here for people who need their vaccinations. She expects the clinic to remain open seven days a week with no appointments required through most of June. Recently, demand has come from the newly eligible 12- to 15-year-olds. The younger people seem to be really on it, Gianelli said. They and their parents understand they need to be vaccinated so they can resume activities and have a semblance of a normal summer. The Community Health Center has focused on mobile clinics, too, with its ABCs or Amusement parks, Beaches and Camps initiative bringing doses to where people recreate. Its not people who dont want the vaccine, as much as its people who have to find the way to fit the vaccine into their busy schedules, Gianelli said. At those mobile clinics, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is often distributed because patients are innoculated after one dose, she said. Thats increased the number of people getting that type of vaccine, she said. The state had said in early May that there was little public interest in this vaccine after a 10-day federal pause on distribution. The Community Health Center also offers vaccines at its Delay Street location in Danbury on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. Existing patients largely get the vaccine there, Gianelli said. The Connecticut Institute for Communities offers Pfizer for those 12 and over from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 to 4:45 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday at its 132 Main St. building. Moderna is available at those times on Tuesday and Thursday at the same location, according to the organizations website. Demand has held steady at CIFC for the last couple weeks, with 400 to 500 patients weekly, Curran said. About 75 percent of people getting the vaccine there are from the 06810 ZIP code, which the state has targeted as a priority for doses. Thats up from around 50 percent from that ZIP code, she said. Its increased as these are the remaining folks that need to be vaccinated, Curran said. With so many options available, the people who havent gotten vaccinated yet have largely chosen not to, Cavo said. I dont think its an access problem at all, he said. I think it's everyone's personal decision. Curran said its a mix of people who have not had access to the vaccine and those who are hesitant to take it. The Community Health Center has tried to combat vaccine hesitancy through advertisements and its health care providers, who emphasize the vaccines safety, Gianelli said. We just have to be consistent to spread the news that the vaccine is safe and effective and unless were all vaccinated, no one is really safe, she said. CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) A major University of North Carolina donor whose name is on its journalism school voiced concerns about the school's hiring of investigative journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones in the weeks before her application for tenure was halted. Walter Hussman Jr., publisher of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, said in emails to university leaders that he was concerned about whether Hannah-Jones' presence at the journalism school would distract from its core values, according to an article in The Assembly. In 2019, Hussman pledged $25 million to what's now known as the Hussman School of Journalism and Media. In an interview with WRAL-TV Monday, Hussman said he didn't pressure school leaders to change any decisions about hiring Hannah-Jones, whose work on The 1619 Project for the New York Times Magazine won a Pulitzer Prize. The project caused an uproar among conservatives who have complained about its focus on the countrys history of slavery. Its not my decision, but I think Id be kind of derelict in my duties if I thought they were making a mistake without at least telling them what I thought about it, Hussman told WRAL. Hussman, who didnt immediately respond to a request by The Associated Press for comment on Tuesday, majored in journalism and graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill in 1968. Hannah-Jones was offered a five-year contract to serve as the Knight Chair in Race and Investigative Journalism at UNC-Chapel Hill, even though her predecessors in the role were given tenure when appointed. A trustee who vets submissions for tenure postponed consideration of Hannah-Jones' application in January because of questions about her non-academic background, the head of the board of trustees said last month. The submission never came before the full board of trustees for a vote. School leaders have said little about why tenure wasn't offered, despite the dean of the journalism school and faculty supporting the distinction. The newly revealed emails from Hussman to school leaders shed light on conversations about Hannah-Jones' hiring in the weeks before her tenure application was halted. The Assembly obtained emails sent by Hussman to David Routh, vice chancellor for university development; Susan King, dean of the Hussman School of Journalism and Media; and UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz. I worry about the controversy of tying the UNC journalism school to the 1619 project, Hussman wrote in a December email. Based on her own words, many will conclude she is trying to push an agenda, and they will assume she is manipulating historical facts to support it, Hussman added in the email. The 1619 Project launched in August 2019 around the 400th anniversary of the beginning of American slavery. The New York Times Magazine describes the project as one which is designed to reframe the countrys history by placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of Black Americans at the very center of our national narrative. In a September email to Routh, Guskiewicz and King, Hussman argued that Hannah-Jones overlooked the contributions of white Freedom Riders, journalists and others when she wrote in a 1619 Project essay that Blacks fought for civil rights alone for the most part. Long before Nikole Hannah Jones won her Pulitzer Prize, Hussman said in the email, courageous white southerners risking their lives standing up for the rights of blacks were winning Pulitzer prizes, too. In response to that quote, Hannah-Jones tweeted Just wow, adding: Ive long credited Black and white race beat reporters with inspiring my own journalism. Dozens of faculty members from the journalism school have signed statements decrying the failure to offer Hannah-Jones tenure and demanded an explanation for the move. The foundation that endows the Knight chair also encouraged the trustees to reconsider. A group of tenured faculty also resubmitted an application late last month for Hannah-Jones to receive a tenured position, but it's not clear when or if the trustees will consider it. Also last week, Hannah-Jones issued a statement saying she had retained attorneys from the NAACP legal defense fund as she considers legal action against the school. Her lawyers argue that the failure to offer her tenure is part of a conservative backlash against scholars telling the truth about the history of racism in the U.S. HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) Police are investigating several bullet holes that were discovered Tuesday in the glass windows of Connecticut's state Capitol building, authorities said. The bullet holes were found at approximately 9:15 a.m. on the south side of the Capitol building facing the State Supreme Court and State Library building, according to the State Capitol Police. No one was injured. The discovery comes after a 74-year-old Plantsville man was arrested after a police chase and accused of going on a shooting spree Sunday evening, firing gunshots at various locations in Southington, including homes, a church and a health care facility. Police were also looking into a possible connection to reports of gunshots also fired in Bristol and Cromwell, which is about a 20-minute drive from Hartford. There were no reported injuries. Asked if police were investigating a possible link between the man and the bullet holes at the state Capitol, Brian Foley, the assistant to the commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, said absolutely that's something we're looking into. Foley said, its too early to confirm that but we have not ruled anything out. State legislators arrived on Tuesday for a session of the House of Representatives to find a large police presence outside the Capitol, a gold-domed Victorian Gothic building that was built between 1872 and 1878. I know theyre still looking at it right now, but there is some concern that somebody really fired a bullet through the window. And maybe it will turn out to not be that, but thats what weve heard, said House Speaker Matt Ritter, a Democrat from Hartford. That is their best guess right now, is that sometime late last night that it happened. The Connecticut State Police, including its Major Crimes detectives, and Hartford police were assisting the State Capitol police in the investigation. Foley said police are reviewing video and Hartford's gunshot detection system known as ShotSpotter to determine exactly when and where the shots came from. Also, he said the state police intelligence center is looking at any issues at other state Capitols that may be pertinent. "We don't believe anyone's in danger now," he said, noting it probably happened overnight during the holiday weekend. No indications of any previous threats or ongoing threats that would be consistent with that. The building remains closed to the public because of continuing COVID-19 protocols. Only lawmakers, staff and media are allowed inside. The General Assembly is scheduled to adjourn its regular session on June 9. ___ This story has been corrected to reflect that only the state House of Representatives was meeting in session on Tuesday, and not the state Senate. KILLINGWORTH In 2019, a baby great horned owl living at A Place Called Hope was found dead. The cause? Rodenticides. We felt responsible, Christine Cummings said. We felt like we missed something. We have to take this baby and we have to send it in for a necropsy. Cummings, president of the wildlife rehabilitation center that caters to birds of prey, said the 5-week-old bird looked and appeared healthy, and its parents were not very far away when it died. The results came in, she said. The bird had died from toxins in the body from rodenticides. The rodenticides, which people use to kill mice, rats and other varmints, were anticoagulants. They work by thinning the blood and causing the animal to slowly bleed to death. Cummings and other wildlife rehabilitationists and preservationists are pushing for the state to ban the poisons, which she said is having an impact up and down the food chain. She recently started a petition to raise awareness about the issue. Humans today, were all very fast-paced and multitasking, she said. I think that we are so used to immediate, instant gratification and instant results. I think that just grabbing poisons and big boxes of chemicals is a sure way to eradicate whatever it is thats bothering you whatever it is you dont want on your property without thinking about the aftermath of that. The impact of rodenticides Cummings said she has seen more birds poisoned by rodenticides each year for at least a decade. In 2018, Cummings said, A Place Called Hope was called about a dead mother owl that left behind two babies. They tested the mother and she had lethal levels of rodenticide in her system. We couldnt find the other adult, and the babies were up in the nest, and we had to go up and retrieve them, she said. One of the babies also succumbed to it, but did not die. We were able to flush its system and bring it back around. Both those babies did survive, but they had been fed poison. More recently, Cummings said a baby raven was rescued that has a crossed beak, is blind in one eye and can barely see out of another. She said these birth defects come from the toxins its parents were consuming. Its always been there, she said. Since we started in 2005 as rehabilitators, and watching other centers, weve always been aware of what we call the secondary, non-targeted victims to rodenticide poisoning. A 2020 study by Tufts Wildlife Clinic found that all 43 red-tailed hawks tested in Massachusetts were found to have the anti-coagulant rodenticide in their system, with 91 percent of them testing positive for more than one. The studys author, Maureen Murray, noted 97 percent of hawks examined tested positive in her 2017 paper. A study published this year by the University of Georgia found that 83 percent of bald eagles and 77 percent of golden eagles tested positive for these everyday mouse and rat poisons. Cummings said rodents poisoned by the substance become easy targets for birds of prey and other animals that hunt them. Laura Simon, president of the Connecticut Wildlife Rehabilitators Association and a wildlife ecologist, specializes in helping people solve urban wildlife problems. Rodenticides are a big part of the calls I get and the situations we handle, she said. The problem is, people do not realize the impact of these insecticides and rodenticides, and put them out in all the wrong ways. Simon said her wildlife rehabilitators often receive calls about birds of prey and other wildlife including other birds, coyotes, fox and raccoons getting second-hand poisoned. People want these animals saved, she said. I work with a network of wildlife rehabilitators and its impossible most of the time. Its devastating to watch these hawks, owls, raccoons, songbirds all succumb to these rodenticides. Cummings said shes grown frustrated because shes unable to save the birds and the issue persists. It feels like its a losing battle all the time, because Im looking directly into the eyes of a bird that is suffering from secondary poisoning and theres not much I can do, she said. Usually, by the time I get them, its too late. Pushing for change A petition created by Cummings in support of banning the toxins has drawn nearly 4,000 signatures. We always say, Well, go to your legislator, she said. I finally said, if I want something done, I have to do it myself. Cummings and Simon said they are pushing to make people more aware of the problems caused by rodenticides. Cummings said states such as California have banned the use of some of these poisons, and she wants Connecticut to do the same. Its going to, in the long run, make a huge difference for the environment and for our wildlife, she said. If we got people to understand that its not simply the rat or the mouse that theyre targeting. Simon said the rodent problem is really a people problem, adding that humans leaving out food attracts mice and rats to their property. The best way to solve these rodent problems is to get rid of the food source, she said. Contain the food. Thats where the answer lies. Its not trying to poison every animal that comes for the feast. Cummings suggested using live-traps to catch and remove rodents without killing them, as well as other alternatives to poisons. My second favorite one is putting up nesting boxes for owls, she said. Encourage owls to come to your property. It doesnt always work but it certainly helps. Cummings, Simon and others involved in animal protection, research and conservation, plan to meet this month to discuss raising the issue for the next legislative session. To turn it into a proper bill to have these rodenticides removed, she said. We do have plans to get organized, and thats where the signatures are important. Cummings said she and her colleagues are also trying to get other wildlife rehibilitators to log all the cases they are seeing or treating for proven or suspected rodenticide poisoning. She said they want to use that information to show lawmakers the extent of the problem. Simon said education is a big part of their goals, noting that people do not always see the end result of using the poisons. They dont always see the dying animals. We get calls about them, and we see them, she said. We have to handle them and we watch them die horrible deaths. But because the public doesnt have direct awareness about this issue, its hard to rally them into supporting these bills, calling their legislators and putting enough pressure on them. joshua.labella@hearstmediact.com A happy winner A happy winner Last May, we offered a DOXA watch. Here is the lucky winner! Last May, we offered a DOXA watch. ... A report from WSVN states the young boy was in the car that drove up, which included at least one adult, and that those in the car began shooting the paintball guns while children were outside the home. The boys father, whose name was also not reported, told the outlet that the kids outside were shooting paintball guns at one another and disputes claims that the shooter from inside the home pulled the trigger after the group drove up. OTTAWA, ON, June 1, 2021 /CNW/ - The principle of "Nothing without us" is at the core of Accessibility Standards Canada's mandate. Yesterday, the organization put that into action by hosting its first annual public meeting online, along with over 500 participants. Under the theme "Making Canada Accessible Join us", the meeting was an opportunity for the public to engage with the organization on key accessibility topics. These included accessible service deliveries, emergency measures, and emerging accessibility barriers. Canadians were invited to share thoughts and ask questions about accessibility areas related to Accessibility Standards Canada's mandate. They also had the opportunity to learn about the organization's achievements and plans for the future. Mandate Accessibility Standards Canada's mandate is to help make Canada a place without barriers to accessibility. They will do this by: Creating and revising accessibility standards; Supporting accessibility research; and Sharing accessibility information related to its mandate. Their focus is to develop and revise accessibility standards for federally regulated organizations and government of Canada departments and agencies. Quote(s) "With the collaboration of people with disabilities, we have begun to develop the highest level of accessibility standards to prevent and remove barriers. The expertise of people with disabilities is critical to the development of these standards. Our first annual public meeting is part of this process. We are proud of what has been accomplished this year and will continue to seek the community's engagement and support to the benefit of us all." Paul-Claude Berube, Chairperson, Accessibility Standards Canada "Our second year saw us make tangible progress toward our mandate and keep our focus on engaging with Canadians. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, we were able to adapt and continue to consult with them on pressing accessibility issues. We also launched four technical committees in different priority areas. Collaborating with persons with disabilities is the only way to build a truly accessible Canada." Philip Rizcallah, Chief Executive Officer, Accessibility Standards Canada Quick facts Accessibility Standards Canada's mandate is to help make Canada a place without barriers by creating accessibility standards for federally regulated entities. a place without barriers by creating accessibility standards for federally regulated entities. The standards they create will specifically outline how these bodies can prevent, identify and remove barriers to accessibility. They are also committed to sharing best practices and supporting research on the identification, removal and prevention of barriers. Over 500 participants joined the virtual event to hear about the organization's accomplishments and plans. This is Accessibility Standards Canada's first annual public meeting. Accessibility Standards Canada always looks to draw from the experience and expertise of persons with disabilities and other experts. Associated links Making Canada Accessible Join us! Accessibility Standards Canada Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. SOURCE Accessibility Standards Canada For further information: Martine Bareil, Manager, Communications, Accessibility Standards Canada, [email protected] BARBADOS, June 1, 2021 /CNW/ - Canada Life Reinsurance is pleased to announce that it has recently entered into a long-term coinsurance agreement with Dai-ichi Life (The Dai-ichi Life Insurance Company, Limited), covering JPY 125 billion (CDN$1.4 billion) of in-force liabilities on a portfolio of whole of life insurance policies. Under the agreement, Canada Life Reinsurance will cover all future death and surrender claims in respect of the reinsured business. Gareth Dobson, who leads the Barbados Branch of Canada Life, said: "I am delighted to announce this significant reinsurance transaction which is not only our first with Dai-ichi Life but also our first in the Japanese market. As Canada Life Reinsurance continues to expand our business beyond Europe and the U.S. this transaction demonstrates our ability to deliver reinsurance solutions to new clients in new markets. I am pleased that the Canada Life Reinsurance team has worked so effectively with the teams at Dai-ichi Life and broker Willis Re, and we are excited to build these partnerships in the future." Franck Pinette, Managing Director of the International Life & Health Practice of Willis Re: "We are very pleased to have facilitated and executed the ground-breaking Life reinsurance transaction between Dai-ichi Life and Canada Life Reinsurance. Willis Re has been a leading reinsurance advisor in the non-life Japanese market for more than 100 years and has decided recently to develop its Life expertise locally. This important transaction is an excellent illustration of our value proposition which is a combination of our Global and Local Life expertise". About Canada Life Reinsurance Canada Life Reinsurance offers a range of innovative risk and capital management solutions covering mortality, longevity, health and lapse risks for insurers, reinsurers and pension funds across the U.S., Europe, Middle East and Asia. Canada Life Reinsurance is a division of The Canada Life Assurance Company and certain of its subsidiaries and affiliates. The Canada Life Assurance Company is a subsidiary of Great-West Lifeco Inc. To learn more, visit canadalifere.com. About Great-West Lifeco Inc. Great-West Lifeco is an international financial service holding company with interests in life insurance, health insurance, retirement and investment services, asset management and reinsurance businesses. We operate in Canada, the United States and Europe under the brands Canada Life, Empower Retirement, Putnam Investments and Irish Life. At the end of 2020, our companies had approximately 24,500 employees, 205,000 advisor relationships, and thousands of distribution partners all serving our more than 30 million customer relationships across these regions. Great-West Lifeco and its companies have approximately CDN$2.1 trillion in consolidated assets under administration as at March 31, 2021 and are members of the Power Corporation group of companies. Great-West Lifeco trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) under the ticker symbol GWO. To learn more, visit greatwestlifeco.com . SOURCE Canada Life Reinsurance For further information: Eamon Loughnane, Head of European and International Markets Business Development, Canada Life Reinsurance, Tel: +00 353 1 254 1508, Mobile: +353 86 042 1056, [email protected] Reopening travel should be based on recommendations of the COVID-19 Testing and Screening Expert Advisory Panel report OTTAWA, ON, June 1, 2021 /CNW/ - The Canadian Travel and Tourism Roundtable ("The Roundtable") is urging the federal government to immediately release an implementation plan based on the recommendations made in the COVID-19 Testing and Screening Expert Advisory Panel (Expert Panel) report, presented to the federal government last week. Canadians are doing their part in getting vaccinated; now it is time to provide clear, timely, and safe guidance on reopening travel and reuniting families and friends. The Expert Panel was convened by the federal government to provide independent, science- and data-driven recommendations to the federal government on testing, border restrictions and quarantine measures. The report recommends eliminating quarantine for fully vaccinated travellers, implementing changes to testing and screening, and eliminating the hotel quarantine policy. With increasing vaccination rates and decreasing case counts, it is time for the federal government to announce a plan to implement the recommendations of the Expert Panel. Just as it was important to quickly put in place measures to protect the health and safety of Canadians at the start of the pandemic, it is of equal importance to remove restrictions that are no longer necessary. The travel and tourism sector has worked tirelessly over the course of the pandemic to put in place measures that ensure the health and safety of travellers across the country. Further, Canadians have diligently followed public health restrictions by staying home and avoiding non- essential travel. Given the advances in science and safety, as well as the dramatic progress on vaccination in Canada, the safe restart of travel must be planned. Many provincial governments have taken a scientific approach to reopening based on metrics, including vaccination rates, COVID-19 cases and hospital capacity. As our economy begins to reopen, based on these metrics, one important catalyst for our recovery will be travel. Travel enables businesses to grow and thrive, and also provides a lifeline for Canadians to maintain essential links to family and friends. The Roundtable encourages the government to implement a vaccination certification process in line with global standards. The upcoming G7 discussions present an opportunity for Canada to work with the international community toward a common approach. The Roundtable looks forward to working together with government to continue to improve safety standards and protocols. As part of that work, we encourage the government to heed the advice of its experts to: Eliminate the government hotel quarantine for all travellers; Eliminate pre-departure tests and quarantine for fully vaccinated travellers; Reduce quarantine for partially vaccinated travellers (after a test upon arrival) and unvaccinated travellers (after a test taken at day 7); Amend border measures in stages; and, Put in place a system to validate proof of vaccination for arriving travellers as soon as possible. About the Canadian Travel & Tourism Roundtable The Canadian Travel & Tourism Roundtable is a cross-Canadian coalition of leaders in the tourism and travel sector including representatives from airports, airlines, hotels, boards of trade and chambers of commerce across the country committed to working together to restart the sector smoothly and safely. Travel and Tourism is a $102 billion sector, employing millions of Canadians across the country and accounting for 2.1% of the country's gross domestic product. It advocates for a safe and prosperous tourism and travel sector across Canada. Members of the Canadian Travel & Tourism Roundtable ACCOR Fogo Island Inn Air Canada Global Business Travel Association Air Transat Great Canadian Gaming Corporation American Express Global Business Travel Greater Vancouver Board of Trade Association of Canadian Travel Agents (ACTA) Hilton Hotels Canada Avis Budget Group Hotel Association of Canada (HAC) Business Council of Canada InnVest Hotels Canada's Accredited Zoos and Aquariums (CAZA) International Air Transport Association (IATA) Canadian Airports Council (CAC) Marriott Canada Canadian Chamber of Commerce Montreal Canadiens Canadian Gaming Association National Airlines Council of Canada (NACC) Canadian Live Music Association Porter Airlines Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal Pursuit Collection Chorus Aviation Inc. Rainmaker Global Business Development Collette Tours Rocky Mountaineer Destination Toronto Ticketmaster Enterprise Holdings Toronto Region Board of Trade Evenko Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) Tourisme Montreal WestJet SOURCE Canadian Tourism Roundtable For further information: Media Contact: Randi Rahamim, [email protected] VANCOUVER, BC, June 1, 2021 /CNW/ - East Africa Metals Inc. (TSXV: EAM) (FSE: EA1) ("East Africa" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has formed a metals trading Company under the laws of Tanzania in order to facilitate the acquisition and commercial sales of EAM's share of the gold produced from the Magambazi mine in accordance with the terms of the Sale-Purchase Agreement announced December 21, 2020 (*See Press Release). The company, "Umoja Gold Tanzania, Ltd." (Umoja Gold"), will allow it to acquire by purchase or otherwise deal in Gold in order to have EAM receive the benefits of the Magambazi Transaction with PMM. The Magambazi Transaction: The transaction includes: During the lifetime of the mine respecting the Mining Assets, PMM will sell 30% of the Gold produced to EAM at the price of production cost plus 15% of production cost, pursuant to a Gold Purchase Agreement. Gold production costs means actual mining and milling costs as well as those associated with third party smelting, refining, transportation and royalties minus byproduct credits. PMM undertakes to produce at least 10,000 ounces in the first year of commissioning of operations, 20,000 ounces in the second year, 30,000 ounces in the third year and at least 40,000 ounces per year thereafter. In the event PMM does not meet the minimum production in a year, it will compensate EAM as follows: in the first year minimum production is not met PMM will pay US$200,000 ; US$400,000 in the second year; US$600,000 in the third year; and, US$700,000 per year for any other years' where the minimum production is not achieved. Andrew Lee Smith, President & CEO of East Africa, commented "EAM has been informed by PMM the start-up of the tailings re-processing operations at Magambazi was initiated in May and the first small test of gold recovery was successfully completed in recent weeks. This test processing has been engaged to establish base-line data for gold recoveries and to "dial-in" processing flow-sheet to maximize recoveries from the 32,000 tonne tailings stockpile ". "But further, the gold that has been produced by this first test is subject to the terms of the Agreement and affords the first opportunity to establish empirical protocols for the chain of custody, taxation and the commercial gold sales. It is the opportunity to establish these protocols combined with the fact mining operations have been initiated at the Magambazi mine with the 10,000 ounce first-year production target that has been the motivation for the formation of Umoja Gold at this time." About East Africa Metals The Company's principal assets include 30% Net Profits Interest in the Mato Bula and Da Tambuk mines (collectively "Adyabo Property") and a 70% project interest in the Harvest polymetallic VMS exploration Project in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. In addition, the Company has a 30% Net Streaming Interest ("SRI") in the Magambazi Mine in the Tanga region of Tanzania. The Mato Bula and Da Tambuk mines are four kilometres apart and will be developed simultaneously. The development of the mining operations is scheduled to begin during the second quarter of 2021. East Africa retains exploration rights on areas of the properties outside the Mato Bula, Da Tambuk and Terakimti mining licenses in all Ethiopian projects and anticipates the commencement of exploration drilling to test priority targets during the second quarter of calendar 2021. EAM has invested USD$66.8M in African exploration since 2005 and identified a total of 2.8 million ounces of gold and gold-equivalent resources representing an average discovery cost per ounce of US$24. The current Global Project Resources discovered by EAM include: Project Resources (Au + Aueqv Metal ounces) Project Category Au +Aueqvounces Adyabo Project, Ethiopia (EAM 30% Net Profit Interest) Indicated 446,000 Inferred 551,000 Harvest Project, Ethiopia (EAM = 70% Project Interest) Indicated 469,000 Inferred 426,000 Handeni Project, Tanzania (EAM = 30% Streaming Royalty Interest) Indicated 721,000 Inferred 292,000 *See East Africa Metals Project Resource Table attached for additional detail Andrew Lee Smith, P.Geo., C.E.O., a Qualified Person under the definitions of National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical contents of this news release. More information on the Company can be viewed at the Company's website: www.eastafricametals.com . Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "expect", "intend", "estimate", "forecast", "project", "budget", "schedule", "may", "will", "could", "might", "should", "indicate", "confident" or variations of such words or similar words or expressions. Forward-looking information is based on reasonable assumptions that have been made by the Company as at the date of such information and is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to: the negotiation of a definitive agreement reflecting the anticipated structure and timing outlined herein; delays with respect to required payments and regulatory approvals; results of the due diligence review; the ability of Tibet Huayu to develop and operate the Ethiopia Adyabo Project within the required laws and agreements recoverability of the Ethiopian and Tanzanian VAT receivable; early exploration; the ability of East Africa to identify any other corporate opportunities for the Company; the possibility that the Company may not be able to generate sufficient cash to service its planned operations and may be force to take other options; the risk the Company may not be able to continue as a going concern; the possibility the Company will require additional financing to develop the Ethiopian Projects into a mining operation; the risks associated with obtaining necessary licenses or permits including and not limited to Ethiopian Government approval of EAM Mineral Resources extensions for the Company's Ethiopian Properties and Projects; risks associated with mineral exploration and development; metal and mineral prices; the demand for precious and base metals; availability of capital; accuracy of the Company's Projections and estimates, including the initial and any updates to the mineral resource for the Adyabo, Harvest and Handeni Projects; realization of mineral resource estimates; interest and exchange rates; competition; stock price fluctuations; the ability to carry on exploration and development activities; actual results of exploration activities; availability of drilling equipment and access; the ability to obtain qualified personnel, equipment and services in a timely and cost-efficient manner; the regulatory framework including and not limited to license approvals, social and environmental matters; the ability to operate in a safe, efficient and effective manner government regulation; political or economic developments; foreign taxation risks; environmental risks; insurance risks; capital expenditures; operating or technical difficulties in connection with development activities; personnel relations; the speculative nature of strategic metal exploration and development including the risks of contests over title to properties; and changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, as well as those risk factors set out in the Company's filings with securities regulators. Mineral Resources, which are not Mineral Reserves, do not have demonstrated economic viability. The estimate of mineral resources may be materially affected by environmental, permitting, legal, title, taxation, sociopolitical, marketing, or other relevant issues. The quantity and grade of reported inferred mineral resources as the estimation is uncertain in nature and there has been insufficient exploration to define any inferred mineral resources as an indicated or measured mineral resource and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in upgrading inferred mineral resources to an indicated or measured mineral resource category. The contained gold, copper and silver figures shown are in situ. No assurance can be given that the estimated quantities will be produced. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. The Company does not update or revise forward looking information even if new information becomes available unless legislation requires the Company to do so. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information contained herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE East Africa Metals Inc. For further information: Nick Watters, Business Development, Telephone, +1 (604) 488-0822, Email: [email protected]; Website www.eastafricametals.com OTTAWA, ON, May 31, 2021 /CNW Telbec/ - Black business owners and entrepreneurs can now apply for loans up to $250,000 through the Federation of African Canadian Economics (FACE), which will adjudicate the funds as part of the Canadian Government's Black Entrepreneurship Program . Today's announcement was made by the Right Honourable Prime minister, Justin Trudeau, the Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade, and Greg Fergus, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister, the President of the Treasury Board and the Minister of Digital Government and Chair of the Parliamentary Black Caucus. The Black Entrepreneurship Loan Fund will be comprised of $291.3 million $33.3 million from the Government of Canada, $130 million from the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) and $128 million from RBC, BMO financial Group, Scotiabank, CIBC, National Bank of Canada, TD, Vancity and Alterna Savings. The funding will enable Black entrepreneurs to access financial support which will better position them for success in Canada's post-pandemic economic recovery. "Today's announcement is an example of what we are able to accomplish when we mobilize and join our efforts. In under a year, we have collectively managed to establish a major coast to coast program to support our entrepreneurs from a culturally appropriate perspective. It is an important day in the fight against systemic racism and eradicating the real economic barriers that the Black community has endured. We are planting the seeds of possibility and we will nurture them every step of the way and witness as the fruit of our labour blossoms." said Tiffany Callender, President and CEO of FACE. "The opening of the Black Entrepreneurship Loan Fund is a historic achievement to support Black business owners and entrepreneurs so they can start up, scale up and grow across Canada and around the world," said Minister Ng. "As a critical piece of Canada's first-ever Black Entrepreneurship Program, the Loan Fund helps reduce barriers Black business owners and entrepreneurs face in accessing financing. Our government is proud to work with FACE and other Black community leaders to continue to address systemic racism against Black Canadians." "On behalf of all the founding member organizations of the Federation of African Canadian Economics, I would like to share my pride at the work that has been accomplished to benefit the Afro-Canadian community," said FACE Chairperson Louis-Edgar Jean-Francois. "The talents, ambition and determination of Black entrepreneurs can be propelled forward thanks to a funding program that is exclusively dedicated to them. It is a huge step towards recognizing the Black community's contributions to Canadian prosperity." How to apply Black entrepreneurs can apply for loans through FACE's Black Owned Business InterFACE (BOBi) accessible via facecoalition.com . Black business owners who want to apply for the Black Entrepreneurship Loan Fund will need the following: Business registration, recent financial statements and a business plan. About FACE The Federation of African Canadian Economics is a coalition of Black-led organizations dedicated to stimulating economic growth and creating generational wealth for Canadians of African Descent. In 2020 FACE was created to address the needs of Black business owners and entrepreneurs who were economically devastated during the pandemic. The founding organizations included Africa Centre, Black Business Initiative, Black Business and Professional Association, Cote-des-Neiges Black Community Association Inc, and Groupe 3737. FACE is anchored in the commitment of its founding organization which synthesizes over 100 years of experience diligently serving Black Canadians with respect, integrity and purpose. SOURCE FACE For further information: Media Contact: Yasmine Abdelfadel, (514) 804-6182, [email protected] OTTAWA, ON, May 31, 2021 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada is taking action to improve railway track safety to better protect those living and working near Canada's rail corridors, while also ensuring that railway tracks are in optimal condition to safely move Canadian goods to market. Today, the Minister of Transport, the Honourable Omar Alghabra, announced that changes to the Rules Respecting Track Safety have been approved by Transport Canada. These changes are the result of a Ministerial Order that was issued in 2020 to address major risks that could cause derailments due to the condition of railway infrastructure. The Rules Respecting Track Safety specify safety requirements that railway companies must follow when inspecting and maintaining their railway track infrastructure. As a result of the new changes to the Rules, railway companies will be required to: put in place a certification process for employees who inspect tracks and supervise the restoration of tracks to make sure their personnel have the proper knowledge and experience to carry out their safety duties; establish a process to ensure that track maintenance and repair work meets regulatory requirements and the railway companies' own standards to improve accountability; and develop and implement comprehensive plans to manage rail wear and the condition of the rail surface, that are to be approved by a professional engineer to improve the integrity of railway tracks. Transport Canada continues to work with the railway industry to make our railway system even safer for Canadians. Quote "These changes to the Rules Respecting Track Safety will help ensure improved inspection and maintenance practices become a permanent part of safer railway operations in Canada. They demonstrate our government's commitment to directly address the Auditor General's recent findings, and mitigate the key risks facing Canada's rail network." The Honourable Omar Alghabra Minister of Transport Quick Facts These changes to the Rules Respecting Track Safety are part of a broader strategy to strengthen rail safety in Canada , and directly respond to findings in the Auditor General's February 2021 follow-up audit on rail safety. are part of a broader strategy to strengthen rail safety in , and directly respond to findings in the Auditor General's follow-up audit on rail safety. Specifically, these updated rules demonstrate that Transport Canada is working to modernize its rail safety oversight and to directly address key safety risks facing Canada's rail network. rail network. Under the Railway Safety Act , railway companies must comply with regulations and rules. , railway companies must comply with regulations and rules. Transport Canada monitors railway companies for compliance with rules, regulations, and standards made under the Railway Safety Act through risk-based audits and safety inspections. Associated Links Ministerial Order (MO-07) (https://tc.canada.ca/en/rail-transportation/enforcement-action-measures-mitigate-threats-rail-safety/ministerial-orders-emergency-directives/minister-transport-order-pursuant-section-19-railway-safety-act-chapter-r-42-rs-1985-c-32-4th-supp-mo-07) Rules Respecting Track Safety (https://tc.canada.ca/en/rail-transportation/rules/rules-respecting-track-safety) Transport Canada is online at www.tc.gc.ca. Subscribe to e-news or stay connected through Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram to keep up to date on the latest from Transport Canada. This news release may be made available in alternative formats for persons living with visual disabilities. SOURCE Transport Canada For further information: Allison St-Jean, Press Secretary, Office of the Honourable Omar Alghabra, Minister of Transport, Ottawa, (613) 290-8656, [email protected]; Media Relations, Transport Canada, Ottawa613-993-0055, [email protected] Related Links http://www.tc.gc.ca/ Louis Marcotte's FEI Canada resume is nothing short of remarkable. For over 19 years, Louis has been a deeply well-respected, dedicated and enthusiastic FEI Canada member who has held a plethora of the most significant roles at the organization including Treasurer, Chair of the FEI Canada National Board of Directors, Chair of the 2009 Montreal Conference, Chair of the Audit and Finance Committee, Chair of the Governance Committee, amongst many other roles. Louis has consistently demonstrated exemplary leadership abilities during his time with FEI Canada. His steadfast ambassadorial dynamism for FEI Canada has led to considerable, tangible improvements to the governance of the organization as well as using his diverse network of contacts to bring in new partnerships, sponsors, and members. Louis has also been instrumental in helping to put together numerous industry-leading sessions at FEI Canada events and conferences up and down the country - some of which he personally participated in as a speaker. An undoubtedly deserving winner of this esteemed award, FEI Canada sends a heartfelt thank you to Louis Marcotte for his years of service to the organization. The Frank S. Capon Distinguished Service Award ceremony will take place at the upcoming 2021 FEI Canada Virtual Conference: Optimizing the DNA of 21st Century Leaders, which will take place, June 1-3, 2021. About Financial Executives International Canada (FEI Canada) Financial Executives International Canada (FEI Canada) is the leading voice and informed choice for senior financial executives across the country. With 12 chapters and 1,500 members, FEI Canada provides professional development, networking opportunities, thought leadership and advocacy services to its members. The association membership consists of senior-level financial executives spanning various industries, functions, and disciplines, representing a significant number of Canada's leading and most influential corporations. For more information, please visit www.feicanada.org or follow us on LinkedIn https://ca.linkedin.com/company/fei-canada and Twitter @FEICanada. SOURCE Financial Executives International Canada For further information: Thomas Rigg, Associate Director, Communications, 416 366 3007 ext 5105, [email protected] Related Links http://www.feicanada.org Statement From Mental Health Commission of Canada OTTAWA, ON, June 1, 2021 /CNW/ - Today, the Mental Health Commission of Canada stands in grief and solidarity with Indigenous people across the country following the discovery of a mass grave at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School. There are no words equal to the task of mourning innocent lives stolen in the name of government policy. The revelation of the final resting place of 215 Indigenous children will undoubtedly resurface old wounds and revive former traumas for many survivors and their families. In this time of heightened isolation, reaching out is more important than ever. A 24-hour National Indian Residential School Crisis Line offering support services and crisis referrals is available at 1-866-925-4419 for former residential school students and their families. Those affected can also call the Hope for Wellness line at 1-855-242-3310, the Talk 4 Healing line at 1-855-554-HEAL, or text WELLNESS to 741741 at any time. While this discovery is, above all, a painful reminder of Canada's reprehensible treatment of Indigenous peoples, it also reinforces the importance of trauma-informed, culturally appropriate care. Likewise, we cannot expect to close this dark chapter, as a nation, without a firm commitment to walking a path of reconciliation. Recent events affirm that this journey will not be an easy one, but if we hope to heal the wounds of today, we cannot ignore yesterday's scars. Michel Rodrigue President and CEO, Mental Health Commission of Canada Stay Connected Follow MHCC on Facebook Follow MHCC on Twitter Follow MHCC on LinkedIn Follow MHCC on Instagram Subscribe to MHCC on YouTube SOURCE Mental Health Commission of Canada For further information: Media Relations, Mental Health Commission of Canada, 613-683-3748, [email protected] Related Links www.mentalhealthcommission.ca June 1st marks the beginning of Italian Heritage Month OTTAWA, ON, June 1, 2021 /CNW/ - Today we celebrate the beginning of Italian Heritage Month in Canada, a time to showcase the rich culture and heritage of Italian Canadians. Canada is home to more than 1.5 million Canadians of Italian descent, making it one of the largest Italian diasporas in the world. In Canada, Italian communities have contributed greatly through their achievements in all areas of society and have helped shape the Canada we know today. Italian Heritage Month is an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the exceptional achievements that Italian Canadians have madeand continue to makein building a strong, vibrant, and consciously more inclusive Canada. As we celebrate these great contributions, we must also acknowledge and address the historic wrongs against the Italian Canadian community during the Second World War. Last week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau delivered a formal apology in the House of Commons for the internment of hundreds of Italian Canadians during this period. He also recognized the pain, hardship, and discrimination endured by these individuals, their families, and the Italian Canadian community for many years because of this historic injustice. The formal apology reminds us that we must learn from the mistakes of the past, and ensure that history does not repeat itself. As Minister of Diversity and Inclusion and Youth, on behalf of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Government of Canada, I invite everyone from coast to coast to coast to learn more about the rich heritage of Italian Canadians and the inspirational role they have playedand continue to playin our country. Keep well and safe. SOURCE Canadian Heritage For further information: For more information (media only), please contact: Emelyana Titarenko, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Diversity and Inclusion and Youth, [email protected] Related Links www.pch.gc.ca Also hospitalized were the two other victims, who sustained non-life-threatening injuries, officials said. Their names have not been released, but they were identified as men, ages 18 and 19. A COVID-safe, Ontario-wide employment push between June 7-11, with over 100 job openings across the province VAUGHAN, ON, June 1, 2021 /CNW/ - Taco Bell Canada today announced the launch of a new 'walk-thru' hiring experience taking place at 20 Taco Bell locations across Ontario in June, with a goal to fill over 100 job openings, including both part-time and full-time team member and management positions. Between June 7-11, interested candidates will be able to visit a participating Taco Bell location for a socially distanced, on-the-spot interview. Each interview is expected to take approximately 15-20 minutes, and to thank them for their time, Taco Bell will be offering participants free food-to-go (while supplies last) upon completion of their interview. The 'walk-thru' experience will adhere to both local and national public health COVID-19 guidelines, and will be held outside, with those involved remaining at least six feet apart and required to wear face masks for the duration of the experience. "We know the past year has been difficult for Canadians, particularly where the job market is concerned, so we're looking forward to hosting our first-ever walk-thru hiring experience in partnership with our franchisees and sharing these exciting job opportunities with Canadians," said Jessica Kleinert, Manager of International Marketing at Taco Bell. "We are proud to bring job opportunities and economic growth to participating communities and expand our team by welcoming over 100 new members to the Taco Bell Canada family." Whether employees are simply looking to start with Taco Bell for their first job, or stay with the brand for longer-term career growth, Taco Bell restaurants have as much variety in its job opportunities as it does in its menu*. Collaborating closely with its franchisees, Taco Bell has pivoted its roles and recruitment efforts in navigating the past year. The goal is to hire over 100 team members across the system for the week of 'walk-thru' hiring experiences in June as Taco Bell looks ahead to more restaurant re-openings, re-models and new builds throughout 2021. Open roles will vary depending on each restaurant's needs but will include positions at all levels. Candidates who are interested in applying for Taco Bell roles near them can visit www.tacobell.ca/en/hiringexperience for more information. *For complete details on what benefits are available, please check with the store manager at the time of application About Taco Bell Canada Taco Bell Corp. ("Taco Bell") is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc. and is the nation's leading Mexican-style quick service restaurant chain. Taco Bell serves tacos, burritos, signature quesadillas, nachos, salads and much more. For locations, information on Taco Bell and to chat with Taco Bell fans, visit us online at our website www.tacobell.ca or any of our other social channels including on Facebook at www.facebook.com/tacobellcanada, Twitter @TacoBellCanada, on Snapchat TACOBELLCANADA or on Instagram @tacobellcanada. SOURCE Taco Bell Canada For further information: Meg Robertson, Edelman, [email protected], 647-916-2067 The Prime Minister chaired a review meeting regarding the Class XII Board exams of CBSE. In view of the uncertain conditions due to Covid and the feedback obtained from various stakeholders, it was decided that Class XII Board Exams would not be held this year. The Prime Minister chaired a review meeting regarding the Class XII Board exams of CBSE. Officials gave a detailed presentation on the wide and extensive consultation held so far and views received from all stakeholders, including State governments. In view of the uncertain conditions due to COVID and the feedback obtained from various stakeholders, it was decided that Class XII Board Exams would not be held this year. It was also decided that CBSE will take steps to compile the results of class XII students as per a well-defined objective criteria in a time-bound manner. Supreme Court hearing happened yesterday regarding cancellation of CBSE Class 12 Board exam 2021. However, the matter was adjourned to June 3 after the Attorney General appearing for the Centre informed the Court that the Government will decide on Class 12 board exams within two days. Give us time till Thursday and the Government will come with a final decision, the Attorney General said. The plea filed by Supreme Court Advocate Mamta Sharma asked the Centre, CBSE and the CISCE to cancel the CBSE board exam 2021 and ICSE Class 12 exams due to the deadly coronavirus infection. According to PTI sources, CBSE has postponed board exams 2021 between July 15 and August 26 and the results will be announced in September. Two options are proposed by CBSE conducting regular exams for 19 major subjects at notified centres or conducting shorter duration exams at the respective schools of each student. However, states differ in their approach towards conducting exams. Maharashtra suggests that the non-examination route for Class 12 students need to be actively examined and Delhi and Kerala governments aim at vaccinating students before exams. The UP Board postponed conducting of 12th exams to the second week of July. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar chaired BRICS foreign ministers meeting today amid a ravaging Covid-19 second wave. The virtual meeting was attended by foreign ministers of Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa. India will convene BRICS foreign ministers meeting on June 1. Chaired by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar amid a ravaging Covid-19 second wave, the meeting will be held virtually and is expected to witness the participation of foreign ministers of Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa. In the meeting, the global leaders will exchange views on not just Covid-19 pandemic but also issues of global and regional concerns like sustainable development and countering terrorism. A statement released by MEA states that India, as the current BRICS chair, will concern the standalone meeting of BRICS ministers of foreign affairs/international relations on June 1. In the meeting, the ministers are expected to share views on Covid-19 pandemic situation, the need for strengthening and reforming the multilateral system to address contemporary realities, sustainable development, countering terrorism and enhancing people-to-people cooperation. India has assumed the chairship of BRICS on its 15th anniversary. We've come long way from the first time our foreign ministers met in New York in 2006. The principles that guide our grouping remain consistent over the years: EAM Jaishankar during BRICS foreign ministers' meeting pic.twitter.com/AowFatMz90 ANI (@ANI) June 1, 2021 I express my sympathy to India for the severe impact of the second wave of COVID-19. At this trying time, China stands in solidarity with India and all BRICS countries: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during BRICS foreign ministers' meeting pic.twitter.com/3r8CXjk8hO ANI (@ANI) June 1, 2021 BRICS foreign minister assumes greater significance as it coincides with growing clamour around probe around Covid-19 origins. If India goes ahead to reiterate the demand for a transparent and fair probe at BRICS, China will be forced to review its actions. Also Read: Chinese blogger jailed for 8 months over blogging on India- China dispute This years BRICS also hold prime importance as the grouping marks its 15th anniversary, providing a good opportunity to review its work. The theme of this year is BRICS@15: Intra BRICS Cooperation for Continuity, Consolidation and Consensus. BRICS Foreign Ministers first met in 2006, and the first BRICS Summit was held in 2009. Over the past fifteen years, the scope of BRICS has steadily expanded to include deliberations and exchange of views on strategic issues such as counter terrorism and cyber security as well as identification of new areas of practical cooperation such as health, education, science and technology and disaster management and resilience. All foreign ministers (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) participating in a meeting of BRICS, did a collective 'namaste' after the meeting concluded External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar convened the standalone meeting as India chaired the BRICS meeting pic.twitter.com/jsovTB5AWb ANI (@ANI) June 1, 2021 Also Read: Wuhan probe clamour rages: Scientist hunt for Patient Su Jailed for eight months for his comments on India China border clash, the blogger has been convicted of "defaming heroes and martyrs'. With this, the blogger has become the first person to be convicted under this new law implemented in March. A popular Chinese blogger was jailed for eight months on Monday for his sceptical approach towards Chinese casualties during a border clash with India last year. He was convicted of defaming heroes and martyrs . Chou Ziming becomes the first person to be convicted under this new law implemented in March. In his Sina Weibo microblog account, which has a following of nearly 2.5 million people, he posted two messages defaming the heroic deeds of Chinese soldiers. The report says that his messages were quickly circulated on the internet. Apart from the jail term, the Nanjing Jianye Peoples Court asked the blogger to apologise publicly for his deeds through major online platforms and national media outlets within 10 days. However, the eight-month jail term was accepted by the court considering the 38-year-olds guilty plea and pledge for not repeating the offence. Chou wrote in his blog in February that the Chinese army must have had more casualties in the border clash last June than the four deaths announced by the authorities. Chinese officials delayed the death toll release till February which is almost six months after the clash on the Himalayan border. The Nanjing police arrested Chou on March 1 and a video was posted by authorities marking his offence as the blogger admitted his mistake on the same day. I feel very guilty about the inhumane act I committed. I deeply regret it, said the blogger in the video. The disclosure came after British officials suggested this week of a possibility of lab leak and "Patient Su" appears to be the mysterious patient who has been traced close to the Wuhan Institute. Scientists are searching for a Chinese woman named Patient Su who might be the first person to have met with the Covid-19 virus. The 61-year-old woman has been traced to have an address that is nearly three miles from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which indeed is considered by some researchers as the original centre of the virus through some bug. The discovery has been made by Giles Demaneuf, a data scientist working with the online sleuth team Drastic, who conducted an independent investigation on the origin of Covid-19. The reports say that the woman became ill with Covid symptoms in November and was taken to Rongjun Hospital in Wuhan. However, China has reported to the World Health Organisation (WHO) that the outbreak began on December 8. According to Demaneuf, an exact name, age and address of the early suspect case cannot be pointed out at the moment. However, it is said that the address is next to subway line No 2 and not far from a Peoples Liberation Army hospital, which however dealt with the early cases. The reports came out now as China is forced to provide further details on the origin of the virus as British officials suggested a possibility of lab leak theory. WARSAW, Poland (AP) A Nobel laureate, a Netflix star and a fashion model are among the board members who helped launch an initiative Tuesday to raise money for LGBT rights groups in Poland, where gay men, lesbians, and bisexual and transgender people face a backlash from the country's conservative government and Catholic Church. The Equaversity Foundation plans to seek international donations to fund organizations working on the ground in Poland. Activists with the foundation say the help is needed to counter homophobic rhetoric from the highest levels of Poland's government and from Catholic leaders. We can't count on aid from within the country, said model Anja Rubik, who is one of the board members. Along with Rubik, the foundation's board includes Nobel-winning Polish writer Olga Tokarczuk, film director Agnieszka Holland and Antoni Porowski, a Polish-Canadian cook who is one of the stars of the Netflix show Queer Eye. During an online conference Tuesday, several initiators described the new foundation as a way to push back against a rising tide of anti-LGBT discrimination that they view as part of a wider assault on democratic values in Poland, a nation wedged between Western Europe and eastern autocracies. Polish President Andrzej Duda said last year while running for reelection that the term LGBT is not people but an ideology more dangerous than communism. The country's education minister has said LGBT people are not equal to "normal people. Meanwhile, Catholic Church leaders have also used the term rainbow plague" to describe the movement for greater rights for lesbians, gays, bisexual and transgender people. The atmosphere has led some LGBT people to leave the country. Equaversity board member Holland said that 70% of LGBT youth in Poland have suicidal thoughts. We just have to fight for their lives, she said. Sebastian Hejnowski, a public relations professional who is part of the foundation's management, said he sees a standoff in Poland between conservative forces and a new generation of young people who favor acceptance of sexual minorities. He said that unlike Russia, where LGBT rights have been severely curtailed and there is little chance of progress in the near future, Poland could still choose a different path. "People should support Poland because there is a clear chance to win this fight in Poland," Hejnowski said. Among the designated to receive the funds are Campaign Against Homophobia, the Love Does Not Exclude Association and the Polish Association of Anti-Discriminatory Law. MINNEAPOLIS (AP) The former Minneapolis police officer convicted of murder in George Floyd's death made his initial appearance Tuesday on federal charges alleging he violated Floyd's civil rights by pinning the Black man to the pavement with his knee. Derek Chauvin, 45, wore an orange prison shirt when he appeared in federal court via videoconference from Minnesota's maximum-security prison in Oak Park Heights, where he's being held as he awaits sentencing following his April conviction on murder and manslaughter charges. Chauvin, in his first public appearance since he was escorted out of a Minnesota courtroom, was in a small room with a white brick wall behind him and a window in front of him. He wore a surgical mask at first but took it off when U.S. Magistrate Judge Becky Thorson said he could. He sat with his hands in front of him and occasionally took notes. He leaned forward and squinted slightly, as if he was listening intently, and leaned forward even more when he answered the judge's questions. Chauvin stated his name and age, and said he understood the charges against him and his rights. When asked if he knew he had a right to a detention hearing, he said: "I do now, Your Honor... Probably in light of my current circumstances I believe that would be a moot point. After a brief off-record discussion with his attorney, Eric Nelson, he waived his right to a detention hearing and Thorson ordered him into federal custody. The Minnesota Department of Corrections confirmed that he will be in federal custody but will stay in the state prison. The federal charges allege Chauvin violated Floyd's rights as he restrained him face-down while he was handcuffed and not resisting. Three other former officers J. Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao face similar federal charges. Chauvin is also charged in a separate indictment alleging he violated the rights of a 14-year-old boy in 2017. Floyd, 46, repeatedly said he couldn't breathe as Chauvin pinned him to the ground. Kueng and Lane helped restrain Floyd Kueng knelt on Floyds back and Lane held down Floyds legs. Thao held back bystanders and kept them from intervening during the 9 1/2-minute restraint that was captured on bystander video and led to worldwide protests and calls for change in policing. While all four officers are charged broadly with depriving Floyd of his rights while acting under government authority, the counts that name Chauvin allege he violated Floyds right to be free from unreasonable seizure and from unreasonable force by a police officer. They also allege he and the others deprived Floyd of liberty without due process when they failed to provide him with medical care. Nelson argued during Chauvin's murder trial that the officer acted reasonably and Floyd died because of underlying health issues and drug use. He has filed a request for a new trial. To bring federal charges in deaths involving police, prosecutors must believe an officer acted under the color of law, or government authority, and willfully deprived someone's constitutional rights. Thats a high legal standard. An accident, bad judgment or simple negligence on the officers part isnt enough to support federal charges; prosecutors have to prove the officers knew what they were doing was wrong in that moment but did it anyway. The federal case sends a strong message about the Justice Departments priorities. When President Joe Biden was elected, he promised hed work to end disparities in the criminal justice system. Federal prosecutors have also brought hate crimes charges in the death of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia, and the Justice Department has launched sweeping investigations into the police departments in Minneapolis and Louisville, Kentucky. The other indictment against Chauvin alleges he deprived a then-14-year-old boy, who is Black, of his right to be free of unreasonable force when he held the teen by the throat, hit him in the head with a flashlight and held his knee on the boys neck and upper back while he was prone, handcuffed and not resisting. According to a police report from that 2017 encounter, Chauvin wrote the teen resisted arrest and that after the teen, whom he described as 6-foot-2 and about 240 pounds, was handcuffed, Chauvin used body weight to pin him to the floor. The boy was bleeding from the ear and needed two stitches. Chauvin was convicted in April on state charges of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in Floyd's death. Experts say he will likely face no more than 30 years in prison when he is sentenced June 25. If convicted in the federal case, any federal sentence would be served at the same time as his state sentence. The other former officers face charges of aiding and abetting both second-degree murder and manslaughter. They are free on bond and face state trial in March. ___ Find APs full coverage of the death of George Floyd at: https://apnews.com/hub/death-of-george-floyd Jeannie Wells had hoped that regular visits would resume at her elderly mothers New York nursing home once all the residents were fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Around Easter, her wish finally came true, and she was able to hold the 93-year-olds hand more than a year after bringing her mother to the facility for rehabilitation for a fractured hip and knee. But that reunion was short-lived. Visits were quickly stopped for about six weeks after an employee tested positive for COVID, and Wells said visits are still far from normal even when there havent been outbreaks. COVID-19 vaccines have allowed nursing homes in the U.S. to make dramatic progress since the dark days of the pandemic, but senior care facilities are still experiencing scattered outbreaks that are largely blamed on unvaccinated staff members. The outbreaks and ensuing shutdowns have jolted family members who were just starting to enjoy in-person visits with loved ones for the first time in a year. While the outbreaks inside nursing homes now are much smaller, less frequent and less severe than during the height of the pandemic, there continue to be hundreds of deaths each week attributed to the coronavirus. According to federal data, 472 nursing home deaths were related to COVID-19 in the first two weeks of May, down from 10,675 in the first two weeks of January. There is this notion among some that vaccines were administered in long-term care, so were done, and that would be a perilous mistake, said Dr. David Gifford, chief medical officer for the American Health Care Association, a national nursing home trade association, in a recent statement. Nursing homes and assisted living communities have a constant flow of new residents, whether coming from the hospital or the community, and many of them havent been vaccinated yet." In addition, the CDC has warned that low rates of vaccination among health care workers in skilled nursing facilities raises risks of outbreaks. A March outbreak involving a variant at a Kentucky nursing home, where most residents had been vaccinated for COVID-19, was traced to an infected, unvaccinated worker, according to a CDC report. Among the 46 cases identified, 26 residents and 20 workers became infected, including 18 residents and four workers who were fully vaccinated 14 days before the outbreak. Three of the nursing homes residents who contracted COVID-19 died, including two who were not vaccinated. So-called breakthrough infections among vaccinated individuals were also identified in nursing homes in Chicago, according to another recent CDC report. In Connecticut, Gov, Ned Lamont has likened the challenge of keeping the virus out of nursing homes to patching up leaky boats. The state Department of Public Health launched Operation Matchmaker to match nursing homes with certain pharmacies to ensure new residents and staff get shots. Hospitals are also working to vaccinate patients before theyre released to a nursing facility. Given staffing shortages around the country, theres been a hesitance among long-term care providers to mandate vaccinations for their workers, said Dr. Vivian Leung, director of the state's Department of Health's Healthcare Associated Infections Program. Were working with the long-term care industry to really increase the pressure on getting those staff vaccinated, Leung said. Tim Brown, director of marketing and communications at Athena Health Care Systems, which operates 48 facilities in Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts, recently estimated about 50% to 60% of staff have been vaccinated so far, with as many as 80% in some buildings. Throughout our network, we are seeing onesies and twosies, mostly with employees, though, that have not been vaccinated. Thats really where were seeing them, Brown said of he infections. If a staff member tests positive, he said, buildings are put under quarantine and visits are put on hold while another round of staff testing is conducted. Unvaccinated staff are being tested regularly. If there are no other cases, or if the employee did not work on a specific wing, then we allow visitation for that wing or for for the wings that are not affected by the positive employee, he said. Mairead Painter, Connecticuts long-term care ombudsman, said recent guidance from the state has clarified how facilities should handle these scattered outbreaks in order to minimize the impact they can have on the rest of residents and their families. She said thats led to fewer complaints fielded by her office. But Debra Ellis, whose 88-year-old wife Jackie lives in a Meriden, Conn. nursing home, said the rules still differ by facility. Until recently, she had been frustrated by the strict visitation limits, including sudden multi-day shutdowns when staff members have tested positive. Both she and her wife are vaccinated. By mid-May, things finally eased up and shes been allowed to go inside her wifes room. Yet Ellis hears from relatives of residents at other nursing homes that that's not the case at other facilities in Connecticut. Ellis is part of a group that's pushing for both state and federal legislation allowing nursing home residents to have essential caregivers. She said that could have helped her wife, who suffers from heart problems and relied on Ellis before the pandemic for emotional support and exercises to keep her legs strong. "She could get up and walk a very small distance around the room to move to the bed to a chair or whatever, she said. Shes not longer able to do that. That's a similar experience for Wells, who said the nursing home where her mother lives still has no communal dining, group activities or hairdressing services. Wells, who lives in Rochester, said it was only last week that she was offered the opportunity to meet with her mother outside and without masks. But after spending so much time isolated during the pandemic, Wells said her mother no longer knows who she is, other than someone who cares about her. She said it pains her to see her mother, who used to get her hair done weekly, looking unkept, with bangs hanging in her eyes and hair down to her shoulders. This nursing home never allowed us into their rooms. We have to stay in an ugly dining room thats been stripped and all the furniture stacked in the corner and in four little pods of tables pushed together and staff staring at you the whole time, she said, adding: None of that has changed because theyre allowing nursing homes to do their own thing. ___ Associated Press Writer Marina Villeneuve in Albany, N.Y. contributed to this report. LUTON, Iowa (AP) A man died and a woman was injured in a Memorial Day shooting outside a home in Luton in northwestern Iowa, and a 20-year-old man was arrested in the case, police said. Deputies responded around 1:30 p.m. Monday to reports of a shooting and found the man and woman in the front yard suffering from gunshot wounds, the Woodbury County Sheriffs Office said. Major Jorge Aguiar, head of the Miami-Dade Police Homicide Division, told CBS Miami that several groups in the parking lot armed themselves and opened fire toward the initial shooters. While its not clear how many people from the crowd discharged their own weapons, more than 100 rounds were unleashed before the suspects jumped back into their SUV and fled the banquet hall, located in the city of Hialeah. NEW HAVEN Qinxuan Pan, accused of the killing of Yale graduate student Kevin Jiang, had his case continued Tuesday to July 13, when hes expected to seek a bail reduction. Pans bail was set at $20 million on May 20 as he was arraigned on a charge of murder. He appeared in New Haven Judicial District Tuesday afternoon for the next step in the case . Attorney William Gerace, representing Pan, sought for his client to be provided eyeglasses, as his were taken when he was arrested and he cannot read without them. He also requested Pan be provided access to a phone, so the two can be better in touch; both petitions were granted. During the proceedings, Gerace said he intended to file a motion to reduce Pans bail on July 13, when attorneys are expected to weigh whether to proceed with a probable cause hearing in the case. Later Tuesday, Pans parents, Hong Huang and Hao Pan, were standing together outside the courtroom. Asked for their thoughts in the moment, they expressed sorrow. It is sorry this happened, said Huang. Only one word (can appropriately describe the situation) sad. Speaking with reporters, Gerace also noted the sadness felt by Pans parents, noting he is an only child. He was basically their whole life, said Gerace. Gerace said he believed $1 million bail would be reasonable in the case. The current $20 million was tantamount to no bond at all, he said. Pan generally was in good spirits, he said, and being treated well while incarcerated. Pan was arrested by U.S. Marshals in Montgomery, Ala., earlier in May and extradited to Connecticut after a monthslong manhunt. Prosecutor Stacey Miranda had alleged at Pans arraignment May 20 that he had been renting an apartment in Alabama under a false name and was found to have been in possession of seven cellphones, seven SIM cards and his fathers passport. The warrant in the case remained sealed from public view as of Tuesday. The document is scheduled to be made available later this month. She argued that Pan is a flight risk after having fled the state and engaged a nationwide manhunt that involved various federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Miranda said Pans parents have very substantial financial effects and bid on a home in North Carolina as recently as last week; she argued for bail to be set at $50 million. Jiang, 26, was fatally shot on Lawrence Street in the citys East Rock neighborhood on Feb. 6. He had become engaged the week before that to Zion Perry, a fellow Yale graduate student. Those who knew Jiang have described him as a person of faith and energy, including his parents, speaking during his funeral at Trinity Baptist Church in New Haven. New Haven police named Pan as a person of interest in the case on Feb. 10. Pan was enrolled as a graduate student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technologys Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science since 2014. The university said he earned his undergraduate degree in June 2014. He last was living in Malden, Mass. Authorities have not yet said whether there is any link between Jiang and Pan. Perry, Jiangs fiancee, also attended MIT as an undergraduate student and earned her degree in biological engineering in 2020. Reporting from Brian Zahn is included in this story. william.lambert@hearstmediact.com NEW HAVEN Lori Burton wrote timeless songs for The Young Rascals and Patti LaBelle & the Bluebelles, and for years co-owned one of the most famous recording studios in the world recording and mastering the likes of John Lennon, Stevie Wonder, Aerosmith, Patti Smith and Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band. Much of that happened in New York City. But long before she and her late former husband, Roy Cicala, bought the Record Plant New York City and started working with some of musics biggest names, Burton who also sang backup on some of Lennons solo albums was born in New Haven in 1940 as Dolores Diana Squeglia. Burton, who recently died at the age of 80, grew up in West Haven and that will always be a part of who she was, said her nephew, Craig Alberino, who grew up in Orange and now lives in Stamford. The Record Plant was a legendary studio before Burton who took her stage name from Richard Burton and her ex-husband bought it from Warner Brothers, said Martin Porter, who has spent years working on the Record Plant Diaries, an oral history of the Record Plant studios in New York, Los Angeles and Sausalito, Calif. Just how legendary? Jimi Hendrix recorded there. Alice Cooper recorded Schools Out there. George Harrisons Concert For Bangladesh was recorded on a Record Plant mobile unit. John Lennon recorded Sometime In New York City, Imagine and Mind Games there and was recording there on the day he was killed, Porter said. Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band recorded Born To Run and Darkness on the Edge of Town there and Patti Smith recorded Easter there, he said. Aerosmith recorded Toys In The Attic at The Record Plant New York. Kiss recorded its Destroyer album there. Cheap Trick recorded its first album there and Blondie recorded Parallel Lines there. Don McLean recorded American Pie there and Mountain recorded Mountain Climbing there. Even before she bought the studio, Burton wrote a whole bunch of hits back in the day, said Vic Steffens, owner of Horizon Music Group in West Haven, who knew her through the music business. Steffens said he met Burton at a recording session at A & R Recording in New York with Bob Shad, an Old Lyme producer who was the first to sign Janis Joplin and Ted Nugent with Phil Ramone engineering the session before he was Phil Ramone. There was a woman there in a feather boa with a poodle a very New York-looking woman and that was Lori Burton, Steffens said. Alberino said Burtons father was a musician and she began performing in her early teens. Her father and my uncle built a studio in their basement, he said. They cut their teeth in the New Haven area. She began writing songs in that studio at the age of 14, Alberino said. With her writing partner, Pam Sawyer, Burton wrote two out of the 10 songs on the Young Rascals debut album I Aint Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore and Baby Lets Wait, which was released in 1966. Burton also co-wrote Try to Understand for Lulu and All or Nothing for Patti LaBelle & the Bluebelles. Baby Lets Wait was later a hit for the Royal Guardsman. According to her family, Burton retired from the music business to raise her two children, Shaun and Jade. After her divorce from Roy Cicala in 1979, the studio struggled financially and with her husband spending more time out of the country in Brazil, Burton briefly returned to the Record Plant New York as studio manager. The studio closed in 1987. Burton is survived by her son, Jade Cicala, and his wife, Jacqueline; her daughter, Shaun Grandioso, and her husband, Giuseppe; and her grandchildren, Sabrina, Jaden and Lianna. She was predeceased by her husband Marius Sorbello, her grandson Stuart Canales and her brother James Squeglia. mark.zaretsky@hearstmediact.com NEW HAVEN Use of force by the Police Department is something that should be watched. That was the recommendation a member of the citys Civilian Review Board shared with the Downtown Wooster Square Community Management Team in a meeting on the statistics police keep on the use of force across eight categories. Steve Hamm was referring specifically to one of the statistics, the display of a firearm in response to a New Haven Police Department call, something that has doubled from last year, although it is on track with statistics for the first four months of 2018. Hamm spoke about the statistics because he was asked to update the management team on the work of the Civilian Review Board, of which he is a member. The statistics, which the New Haven Register obtained a copy of, show that, from January through April of this year, the display of a service weapon occurred 51 times, while that happened in 23 instances in 2020 for the same time period; 18 times in 2019; and 51 times for the first quarter of 2018. Police officials attribute the increase this year to a spike in violence around the city and say that any use of force is reported and fully investigated by the department. For all of 2018, the number of time a display of a service weapon occurred was 119; 62 in 2019; and 68 in 2020, the Police Department statistics show. There have not been any instances of police shootings. Hamm said, It is just an issue that has to be watched and hopefully everybody is paying real close attention. Hamm also reported that civilian complaints to the Civilian Review Board covering 13 categories, again statistics the Register also obtained, are up at 42 by the end of April, compared to 36 for the same period last year; 32 in 2019 and 27 in 2018, both also for the same period. The CRB has been active again since January under a revised ordinance and new membership. On the complaints, both Acting Police Chief Renee Dominguez and Lt. David Zannelli, who heads the Internal Affairs division, in separate interviews attributed that to more convenient ways to submit the complaints and they said they welcomed the dialogue. As to the statistics on use of force, Zannelli said officers are required to complete a use of force form for any kind of force above unresisted handcuffing or general escorting. Hamm said the Civilian Review Board also has been told that in the past year or so there has been more resistance to instructions from police officers and therefore when an arrest is being made, more scuffling. Brian Zahn /Hearst Connecticut Media file / Anstress Farwell, who attended the Wooster Square meeting at which Hamm spoke, said it would be interesting to know whether the increased displays of a firearm was spread across the continuum of officers, which could be interpreted as a change in environment or thinking, as opposed to something confined to a smaller contingent. Increase in violence Dominguez put the uptick in the display of a firearm in the context of the increase in violence this year in the city, a phenomenon seen across the country. Peter Hvizdak / Hearst Connecticut Media file She said there had been 45 shootings and 13 homicides in New Haven as of May 27 up from 31 shootings and four homicides at the same point in 2020. The causes generally are economic disruption due to the year long COVID19 pandemic, the social isolation it enforced and and the shutdown of resources, including the courts, officials have said. Dominguez said the lower figures last year can be attributed to the lockdowns, which meant there were fewer interactions. Less interactions with anybody means less potential use of force, she said. Data and training About reviewing the data collected, Dominguez said, We have a very robust system to be able to look at every single use of force. Every use of force, whether it is a civilian complaint or not, is reviewed by a three-part system. She said it is first investigated by the patrol commander to make sure it is appropriate; Internal Affairs then reviews it for policy violations, while the training division makes sure policy procedures are being followed with an eye toward retraining, if that is necessary. The acting chief said a major point of the review, in which IA watches every video of use of force, is to spot trends before they become learned experiences. New Haven Police Department We are always looking to find deficiencies and faults and issues so we can correct them prior to them becoming a bigger problem, not waiting for a complaint to come in, Dominguez said. Lt. Sean Maher, district manager for Downtown and Wooster Square, concurred. This (data) is not something that gets thrown in a pile. ... It is taken very seriously. ... We identify officers who are having problems, who are then dealt with through corrective action, retraining or discipline, New Haven Police Department Dominguez said the department is working hard to try to stop the gun violence partly by obtaining more search warrants and looking to arrest persons with outstanding warrants connected to these crimes. Zannelli said the department was doing less proactive work last year because of COVID, particularly motor vehicle and suspicious person stops. He said they were following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines so as not to add to the spread of the virus. He said officers now are carrying out more high risk stops, also known as felony motor vehicle stops, which entail arresting someone involved in a crime where there is a high risk for further violence. Zannelli said these stops add to the statistics on a display of firearms as they usually involve multiple officers for each incident. We do that because we dont want to see any officers harmed and we do it so the subject has an opportunity to comply, Zannelli said of using four to five officers for a stop. He said often what happens is that suspects run from the car ... it ends up in a foot chase. They dont always comply with officers. That seems to be more of the norm these days than anything. Using the tactics of distance and cover, Zannelli said they work to decrease the need for any use of force. Zannelli said there are trends this year and in 2020 the pandemic and civil unrest that were not factors previously. He added we have also seen a little bit of an incident of baiting officers, as well, to escalate encounters in that direction. We have a number of people who are habitual baiters. The use of force categories, in addition to display of a firearm, include: display of a taser, use of a taser, use of police dogs, pepper spray, and use of hands and batons. All of those are down compared to the first four months of the year going back to 2018 with the exception of hands, which are up slightly. A taser was used eight times through April this year, as compared to 14 for the same time last year; 15 times in 2019 and 11 times in 2018. The display of a taser was made eight times this year compared to 13 times in 2020; 20 times in 2019 and 17 times in 2018, all from January through April. Across all the categories of use of force, so far there have been 123 instances through April 2021. For all of 2020, it was 289; 252 in 2019 and 380 in 2018. For this year, if it continues at the current rate, it will surpass the reviews conducted by IA in 2018. Citizen complaints Zannelli said of the 42 complaints by citizens being reviewed by Internal Affairs, 22 currently are open, 19 before Internal Affairs and three before the patrol division. Complaints by category to date this year are for: unlawful stop/illegal search: 3; false report report errors: 1; false arrest: 3; excessive force injury: 10; criminal conduct: 3; rudeness: 7; other/unknown: 4; harassment/threatening: 1; neglect of duty: 10. Zannellis monthly report shows 17 were unfounded. Zannelli said about five are closed per month and sent to the Civilian Review Board. Hamm said so far the board has not taken issue with the conclusions reached by IA. Police data shows that the discipline breakdown to date in 2021 for Internal Affairs and Patrol Misconduct Investigations are: One officer referred to the Patrol Division for corrective action; one officer received a 10-day suspension; nine officers received a two-day suspension in abeyance; 13 officers received a one-day suspension in abeyance; four officers received a five-day suspension in abeyance; six officers received a four-day suspension in abeyance; one officer received a 12-day suspension in abeyance; one officer received a written warning; one officer received a one-day suspension to be served; and one officer received a three-day suspension in abeyance. The total number of civilian complaints in 2018 was 82; 92 in 2019 and 88 for 2020. The largest category this year is 10 complaints around excessive force/injury. Zannelli said two of them should be closed and sent to the CRB in the next two months. He said some involved claims of injuries in the process of being arrested, while two of the cases were sent to IA by Dominguez, rather than a citizen complaint. Zannelli told the CRB this month that Dominguez has begun a departmentwide audit to determine whether incident reports and arrest warrants are being filed in a timely fashion. Mark Zaretsky / Hearst Connecticut Media / The acting chief put the number of civilian complaints on use of force over the years in perspective when looking at the number of cases investigated by Internal Affairs. For instance, the total number of citizen complaints in 2018 was 82 compared to 380 internal reviews by the department. Dominguez said she expects the number of civilian complaints to increase given the new options for the public, including emailing them to Zanelli or dropping them with the Office of Legislative Affairs. She said she wants to hear from people who may feel wronged by an officer so they can look into it. We want to make sure that we have officers who are following our mission, our values, our state laws, our local ordinances, policies and procedures, Dominguez said. She said she hopes those who were unsure of making a complaint in the past will now feel more supported in speaking up. We want to know about things that are an issue as soon as they are an issue. If more complaints is how we are getting to learn that, then we welcome them, Dominguez said. They search. They broadcast defiance. They challenge. These are the eyes of @Kickiyangz, one among a host of faces in Dynamics, a solo show by East Haven High School junior Evlyn OBrien at Gallery 35, the art space off the high schools main lobby. The show, which can be viewed in virtual form, will be on exhibit through the end of the school year. OBrien, who attends ACES Educational Center for the Arts in the afternoons, works in pencil, mixed media and digital. In @Kickiyangz, she recreated the face of the Instagram model Kicki Yang Zhang using Procreate, a drawing and painting app for the iPad that can be used to create detailed artwork with a range of brushes, pens, pencils and colors. I just pick what looks cools to me, and something about all these faces drew me in, OBrien said. Sometimes she draws traditionally, as with @MLMA, a rendering in pencil of the face of the Seoul-born rapper and visual artist whos known for using her body as a canvas to distort traditional expectations of beauty. Sometimes, as in the portrait of her best friend Olivia Mazzucco, shell go with her iPad. Her hair is actually brown, but I wanted to invert the colors to give it a totally different look, she said. OBrien said shes been drawing for as long as she can remember. She started her first sketchbook when she was 10 or 11. Seeing other peoples artwork online and how people would interact with it and respond to it and how it really brought a community together, I wanted to be a part of that, so I started practicing more and more, she said. She took art classes in junior high school and then with art teacher Matthew Stevens at East Haven High School, displaying her work in the annual District Wide Art Show. Evlyn has demonstrated a great facility for painting form and color, shes prolific, and she takes chances, said Stevens, whos also director of Gallery 35. I wanted our students to see what shes been doing and I wanted her work to be recognized. OBrien, who has a side business making earrings, said shed like to be a part of the art world, and hopes to attend the Rhode Island School of Design. For now, she said, Ill just keep making art and see where it takes me. To view Dynamic, visit https://bit.ly/3fqmtEl. OBriens earrings are available at Fair Haven Furniture in New Haven. WASHINGTON (AP) The Senates top Republican on Tuesday linked Democrats efforts to make it easier to sue police officers to problems many law enforcement agencies are having recruiting and retaining personnel, drawing a hard line on the thorniest divide between bargainers seeking compromise on legislation revamping police procedures. The remarks by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., suggested it would be difficult to win crucial Republican votes for a deal erasing the protection that individual officers generally have from civil lawsuits. The Democratic-run House approved legislation earlier this year ending that shield, and many Democrats and social justice groups want its elimination included in any agreement. Speaking to a group that included police officers at an event in Owensboro, Kentucky, McConnell said their job often involves physical confrontations like breaking up fights. If every single one of these incidents becomes a potential personal lawsuit, I'm not going to ask for a show of hands but I'm not sure any of you guys are going to want to do what you do. I mean, how could you recruit?" he said. McConnell made similar comments in early May, an assertion that some experts have supported but other say is unfounded or one of many factors. But Tuesdays remarks came days after South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, the chief Republican bargainer, indicated he wants to strike a deal this month with Democrats on the effort or halt talks, suggesting time is running out. Just the discussion of this issue, as you've seen in some of the major cities across the country, police retirements are up, recruitment is down, McConnell said of officers' legal protections. He called Scott a very credible spokesman for this issue, and I'm confident that if we can get a bipartisan agreement, he'll be the author." Scott has proposed retaining the legal shield, called qualified immunity, for individual officers but making it easier to sue departments. An aide to McConnell provided news articles in which officials and union leaders cited problems attracting and retaining officers in cities including Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, Minneapolis and Louisville, Kentucky. Some of those quoted said efforts to strip officers' immunity contributed to the problems. Some cited other problems as well, including the outcry against fatal shootings by police of Black people around the country, especially last year's killing of George Floyd by a now-former Minneapolis officer who's been convicted in the death. James Burch, president of the National Police Foundation, said there's a lack of national data on recruitment and retention and that many groups besides police face hiring problems. Burch, whose group is a nonpartisan research organization, rejected the assertion that congressional negotiations over qualified immunity was a significant factor. In the absence of any clear path or actual change to qualified immunity at the federal or national level, it seems implausible that officers would be retiring early due to the debate over or even threats to qualified immunity," he said in a written statement. Wed be more confident pointing to job conditions and impacts, low pay, long hours and negative sentiment as possible causes. Aides to Scott, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Democratic bargainers Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey and California Rep. Karen Bass did not provide comments on McConnell's remarks. The negotiators are also discussing provisions that could curb chokeholds and no-knock warrants, boost reporting requirements on the use of force and check the transfer of military equipment to police. In a Senate divided 50-50 along partisan lines, Democrats would need support from at least 10 Republicans to overcome GOP procedural delays aimed at killing an agreement. Before COVID and our nationwide shutdown, the topic of loneliness was a bummer, guaranteed to turn any conversation into a therapy session or just freeze it out altogether. But after the first few months of Americas mandatory isolation, loneliness became a fashionable topic because it was universal. Everyone was experiencing it. Everyone could understand it. In my family, loneliness wasnt taboo at all. In fact it was a great romantic legend about my great grandfather, Charlie Nugent (1870-1940) who, in his early 20s as a carpenter, left his wife and children behind in Fitchburg, Mass., in the 1890s, taking a train 3,000 miles to Seattle, Wash., in search of fortune. There he bought a horse and wagon and built a portable saw mill, wandering the Washington wilderness, cutting logs and fashioning them into wood planks, selling them for a handsome profit. He made enough money in a year to return to Fitchburg and build his wife and three children a house with his own skilled carpenter hands, in a section of Fitchburg called Careyville. Homes were less complicated to build back then. No plumbing, no electricity, no central heat. He gave up carpentry years later in Connecticut after proudly laying all the hardwood floors in Yale Universitys Strathcona Hall, and started a turkey farm in Guilford. In the 1920s, when he was in his fifties, Charlie Nugent had moved to Guilford and set up that turkey farm. By the time he died in 1940, Nugents Turkey Farm was the a largest turkey farm in Connecticut and his granddaughter, my mother, had been raised on it along with her sister. I have a picture of Grampa and Gramma Nugent on their wedding day posed on a wishing well, and half a century later on their 50th wedding anniversary dressed in their Sunday best with one exception: Grampa Nugents shoes look like they have had a long, proud history of mud on them. He boasted in his last years, I want a brass band dressed in red to play Turkey in the Straw at my funeral. He got a barbershop quartet instead. My mother would tell me stories of Grampa Nugent in the turkey farm plucking room waste deep in feathers at Thanksgiving when fresh turkeys were in demand. She also recalls turkeys running around the room for a few minutes yes, after losing their head. When she would complain as a child about being lonely, Grampa Nugent, a great big strapping barrel of a man, would take her on his lap and tell her the story of his portable sawmill in Washington. And thats where the loneliness legend in my family began. He would tell my mother how that year in the 1890s on the West Coast 3,000 miles from family, years before the invention of the telephone, he would wander the Washington woods at night with a lantern, sobbing out loud from loneliness, just hoping against hope that he would meet another human being he could talk to. He must have looked like Diogenes, wandering the ancient Greece of 400 BC with a lantern in his hand, searching for an honest man. I suspect Charlie Nugent would have settled for even a dishonest man, just to see another human face. That is the great loneliness legend in my family which I always thought was a bit exaggerated until the coronavirus pandemic of 2020 shut me up in my own house with only a dog and a cat for company. Once every 10 days I would venture out to the grocery store in White River Junction where I live in Vermont. I was plenty grateful to see a familiar face. Plenty. I had a telephone, television, the internet, email, texting and Zoom to keep me from feeling alone, and yet I was aware that when I saw a flesh and blood face and heard a flesh and blood voice, I felt suddenly relieved. My home in White River Junction, Vt., is five miles from Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H. The colleges Latin motto is vox clamantis in deserto, a voice crying out in the wilderness. As the great grandson of Charlie Nugent, thats more than a college motto to me. Its the human connection that COVID made priceless to all of us in 2020, as we sobbed quietly in the wilderness of our own hearts. Paul Keane is a retired Vermont English teacher who was raised in Hamden. Visitation on Thursday, June 17, 2021, from 4-7 PM at the RHONEY FUNERAL HOME, 5893 Hoover Road, Sanborn, with Funeral Services at 7:00 PM. Flowers gratefully declined. Memorials to Pets Alive WNY, 7007 Campbell Blvd., North Tonawanda 14120. Visit rhoneyfuneralhome.com. The Niagara Falls City Council will hold a special session later today and look to reimpose a moratorium on new permits for short-term rental Kemontae has had several run-ins with the cops. They are aware that he has schizophrenia, and is sometimes known to wander when he isnt able to access treatment. After his arrest and brutalization, Huntsville Police called to tell his mother that they had her son, and knew he was mentally ill. They treated him like this anyway, Huntsville Bail Fund said in a Facebook post. Speaker of Cross River House of Assembly, Eteng Jonah-Williams has said that Gov. Ben Ayade was not respected and honoured by the hierarchy ... Speaker of Cross River House of Assembly, Eteng Jonah-Williams has said that Gov. Ben Ayade was not respected and honoured by the hierarchy of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before his defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Jonah-Williams on Tuesday in Calabar, said that Ayades defection from the PDP to the APC was timely. The Speaker, who represent Yakurr II State Constiturncy in the Assembly, said that out of the 25 House of Assembly members in the state, APC has 18, while the PDP has seven. Before the governor took the decision, he consulted widely and majority of the people told him that he needed to move to the APC. While in PDP, the governor was not respected and given the honour he deserved by the hierarchy of the PDP as the leader of the party in the state. So, there was need for him to move. The Governor has also stated clearly that he needed to align the state with the happenings in the centre for the interest of the state. Cross River is known for always playing politics with the centre. Since 1999, former Governors Donald Duke and Liyel Imoke all played politics from the centre. Ayade is the only governor from the state who has played opposition for six years now and he feels it is time to align with the centre for the benefit of the state, he said. He recalled that during the last ward and chapter congresses of PDP in the state, the PDP national had to recognise a list of executive members who did not even contest for the positions at the ward and chapter level. He said that such marginalisation of key stakeholders in the state by the PDP also informed their decision to defect with the governor to the APC. As Speaker of Cross River House of Assembly, the ward list from my political ward that I have been winning elections with was neglected and a new list was constituted with members that I do not even know and nobody consulted me, he said. According to the Speaker, the remaining two years period of Ayade will attract the needed development from the centre into the state. He gave assurance that APC will win all the elective positions in the state in the 2023 general elections in view of the governors defection to the ruling party. The Superhighway and the Deep Seaport will now be given utmost attention by the Federal Government and other things will also fall in place as well. Gov. Ayade has spent six years in office, I will advice him to consolidate on the gains of his industrial revolution in the state by completing the projects and privatising them for the future. The House of Assembly wants the industries that were initiated by Gov. Ayade to live beyond this administration. On road infrastructure, I want to specially commend the governor on the construction of the Mfom-Obanliku dual carriageway and the ongoing East-West road in Boki local government area, he said. Adams Oshiomhole, a former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has pleaded with Governor Godwin Obaseki, to be magnani... Adams Oshiomhole, a former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has pleaded with Governor Godwin Obaseki, to be magnanimous in victory. Oshiomhole said this while congratulating Obaseki on his victory at the Supreme Court on Monday. In his letter to the Governor, which was made public by Oshiomholes media aide, Victor Oshioke, in Benin, on Monday, the ex-APC national chairman appealed to Obaseki to put the past behind. Congratulations on your victory at the Supreme Court, which has effectively laid to rest all matters arising from the last election, the letter read in part. As I had repeatedly reminded you during our several meetings, our relationship has through the years developed beyond being friends to being brothers of different parents. Whatever happened is unfortunate, and I believe God has a reason for everything. Ive put all behind me and moved on. As Ive consistently advised, please be magnanimous in victory. Youre the Governor of all Edo people, regardless of political leanings. Once again, congratulations Excellency! The Niger State Police Command has described as untrue claims that the Registrar of the National Examination Council, Prof. Godswill Onion... The Niger State Police Command has described as untrue claims that the Registrar of the National Examination Council, Prof. Godswill Onion was assassinated by unknown gunmen in Minna. The organization said his family had formally announced that he passed on after a brief illness at the National Hospital in Abuja. The Spokesperson of the Niger State Police Command, Wasiu Abiodun, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, made the clarification in a statement with Ref. No: AZ:5250/NGS/PPRO/VOL.20/117 on Tuesday. He said, The attention of Niger State Police Command has been drawn to a publication circulating in some section of social media and national dailies that NECO Registrar, Prof. Godswill Obioma was murdered by unknown gunmen in Minna. This story is totally false, untrue and a pure piece of fake news. It is important to state categorically that on 31st May, 2021 the family of the Registrar/CEO National Examinations Council (NECO), Prof Godswill Obioma formally announced that he passed to eternal glory after a brief illness at National Hospital Abuja. The Irigwe Development Association and the Irigwe Youth Movement of Miango District in Bassa LGA of Plateau State on Tuesday disclosed that ... The Irigwe Development Association and the Irigwe Youth Movement of Miango District in Bassa LGA of Plateau State on Tuesday disclosed that suspected Fulani herdsmen have killed 41 of its people in repeated attacks in several communities between February and May, 2021. The groups also said the deaths have resulted in many orphans and widows in the affected communities. They disclosed that 25 houses were burnt down and farms with crops were also destroyed in 12 villages during the period under review. The National President Irigwe Development Association, Prince Robert Dodo disclosed this while briefing journalists in Jos, the State Capital, in company of other national officials. Dodo said, As a nation we are poised and therefore demand for the following from Bassa, Plateau State and Federal Governments. That the Fulani herdsmen be asked to temporarily suspend grazing in Rigwe land. This will enable our people and the herders have a dialogue to come to a compromise because this grazing has been fingered to be the major cause of this mayhem. They maintained that the Local, State and Federal Governments should, Immediately provide relief materials to the victims of the attacks as well as direct The Irigwe groups called on SEMA and NEMA to carry out an assessment on all the affected communities, with a view to providing succour. That the aforementioned tiers of government, Should as a matter of utmost importance initiate a rebuilding plan to have all the houses razed down rebuilt, so as to enable the owners return to their ancestral lands. They also called for immediate compensation of the people whose farmlands and crops were destroyed. Justice in its fullness in all the killings of all innocent Rigwe sons and daughters, they demanded. As a way of tackling the security challenges, Security Agencies (Operation Safe Haven, Police and Operation Rainbow) should immediately intensify modalities to ensure that there is no conflict between farmers and herders in Rigwe land for want of proper demography of those who are interested in settling down in our land, it stressed. Volunteers at the Los Angeles National Cemetery discovered the brazen theft Monday morning, shortly before a Memorial Day ceremony was set to take place on the site, according to federal officials and local media reports. Investigators believe the burglars took the flags sometime between Sunday night and Monday morning as the cemetery gates were closed. Will Bunn Bunny Matthews III, a cartoonist and writer whose Vic and Natly cartoons summoned a quintessential bit of New Orleans collective character in the form of two brash, 9th Ward bar owners, died Tuesday at Wynhoven Health Care Center in Marrero. He was 70 and died due to complications from cancer, according to his son Jude. Starting in the late 1960s, Matthews helped define New Orleans' self-image. His signature characters, Vic and Nat'ly Broussard, were the embodiment of insular old-time New Orleans values. In the 1980s, when the country was becoming increasingly homogenous, health-conscious and fashion aware, Vic and Nat'ly were more or less the opposite. Matthews reveled in his characters' so-called "Yat" dialect, unsightliness, brashness and overindulgence. Vic and Nat'ly were iconic blue-collar downtowners whose antics made locals laugh and sometimes wince with recognition. As the late William Fagaly, assistant director of the New Orleans Museum of Art during much of Matthew's career, said: "He was sometimes frighteningly accurate." Matthews nervous penmanship, whiskery details and busy compositions added to his characters gritty charm, as did the regular appearance of an ever-present, rodent-like Chihuahua and a persistent cockroach. "I can't think of another cartoonist or illustrator who had a similar style," Fagaly said. "He certainly embellished what he saw. It was exaggerated. It was his view of who we are. It's very alive, very animated. It makes you feel like you're there." Matthews was a throwback to the underground cartoon iconoclasts of the beatnik and hippie era, such as Ed "Big Daddy" Roth and R. Crumb. But, according to Michael Tisserand, author of "Krazy: George Herriman, A Life in Black and White," the biography of the New Orleans-born cartoonist who created Krazy Kat, Matthews was an original. "He emerged from the post-Crumb, alternative cartoonist era," Tisserand said, "but when I look at his cartoons, I don't see Crumb and other cartoonists with a national audience, I see Matthews." Tisserand suspects that if Matthews hadn't been so New Orleans-centric, he might have reached a wider audience. But that doesn't seem to have been his goal. "I think he helped define for New Orleans an appreciation of our own authenticity," Tisserand said. "Our sense of ourselves living in a real place owes something to Bunny Matthews." Yet he wasn't especially forgiving of the precepts and pretentions that guide New Orleans life. "He called B.S. where he saw it," Tisserand said. "He would call B.S. on anything." Considering New Orleans contentious 21st-century struggle with assimilation and authenticity, Matthews was way ahead of his time. "Bunny was one of the most amazing artists who's ever come out of New Orleans," said Don Marshall, executive director of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and Foundation. Marshall, who directed the Contemporary Arts Center in the 1980s, recalled helping Matthews produce an exhibit for the Audubon Zoo that was meant to depict humans in their natural habitat. Matthews employed actors to play the roles of Vic and Nat'ly. Matthew's characters, Marshall said, were distillations of New Orleans' uniqueness. They seemed to say that "we didn't want to become Houston," Marshall recalled. "He was celebrating our weirdness. If you'd be considered odd in another place, you could become a celebrity here," he said. In a 1992 interview in The Times-Picayune, Matthews described his intentions for Vic and Nat'ly like so: "Even more than funny, I want to make it real. And to me, Vic and Nat'ly are really like the New Orleans that I always loved. It may even be nostalgic, people's idea of the New Orleans they remember. A hundred years from now, I'd like people to look at these drawings and say, 'That's the way New Orleans was.'" Bunny Matthews was born in Monroe. His family moved to Metairie when he was 3 years old. He graduated from East Jefferson High School, worked in the legendary Jim Russell's record store and attended the University of New Orleans before embarking on a career as a music reviewer, cartoonist and commentator. Matthews received only scant formal art training, including a single art class at UNO that he cheekily claimed to have taken "because I thought they'd have nude models." He got his start as a cartoonist with The Word alternative newspaper in 1968. His earliest cartoons, which were often illustrations of the profound, or inane, conversations he overheard in daily life, probably helped ensure the authenticity of the Vic and Nat'ly dialogue to come. He penned cartoons for the weekly alternative papers Figaro, Gambit and Wavelength. In 1982, he introduced Vic and Nat'ly as regular characters in cartoons published in The Times-Picayune, the Steppin' Out public television show and Offbeat Magazine, which he also edited at the turn of the 21st century. Matthews was part of a circle of 1980s New Orleans artists, including George Febres, Douglas Bourgeois and Jacqueline Bishop, who favored highly detailed, recognizable renderings. A mural by Matthews appeared at the 1984 Worlds Fair, and his works were regularly exhibited in galleries and museums. Yet he sometimes rebelled against the preciousness of the fine art scene, once declaring that he saw more art going on in a mosh pit at a punk music concert than he did in a museum. Meanwhile, Matthews had also woven himself into the fabric of the New Orleans music scene. He served as manager for the erratic genius James Booker, conducted interviews with visiting pop superstars, wrote album liner notes and sometimes splintery concert reviews. He also produced his own public access television show that featured guest interviews. In 2012 he debuted his own band, Bunny and the Playboys. Matthews lived in Abita Springs from 1989 until recently when he entered hospice care. His wife, Deborah Murphy Matthews, died in 2018. "Vic and Nat'ly" continue to roam New Orleans in an advertisement he produced for the sides of Leidenheimer bread trucks. In 2015, Bunny Matthews underwent a series of brain surgeries after being diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. In 2017, he was crowned king of the satirical Krewe du Vieux parade, though he was unable to ride. Matthews is survived by sons Noah and Jude Matthews. The family plans a private memorial. Leave it where it is and renovate the building Move into the Municipal Auditorium in Treme Listen to Treme residents and find another location Put it in Plaza Tower, if financing becomes available Vote View Results A 12-year-old girl was shot and killed while attending an outdoor graduation party in Holy Cross late Sunday night when unknown assailants began firing on the crowd, injuring two other teenagers. The New Orleans Police Department said the shooting took place in the 500 block of Delery Street at about 10:30 p.m. Paramedics took the girl to the hospital, where she died from her injuries. Two other victims, both men, age 18 and 19, were taken to the hospital in a private vehicle and treated for injuries that were not life threatening. The identity of the girl has not been released, and NOPD Superintendent Shaun Ferguson held a press conference Monday afternoon to address a rash of shootings over the Memorial Day weekend that saw three killed and 13 wounded. He was tight-lipped about the Holy Cross shooting, noting the investigation is in the early stages. "It's very sad, it's very tragic," he said. NOPD officers exchanged gunfire with man accused of shooting woman; 2 officers on desk duty The New Orleans Police Department has arrested a man who fired at officers responding to a domestic disturbance call on Mirabeau Avenue early Responding to a reporter's question, Ferguson said he has heard that the house where the shooting occurred was a short-term rental used for the party, but he could not confirm it. Karen Williams, who lives on Chartres Street right next door to 524 Delery Street, where the party was being held outside a house with a large corner lot, said that she had just left her house on Sunday night when her daughter called to say that gunfire had broken out at the party. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up "She said, 'They're shooting, they're shooting, they're shooting, I'm scared!' So I came rushing right back," Williams recalled Monday afternoon. Williams said the house at 524 Delery is frequently used for large parties. 12-year-old killed in New Orleans triple shooting following string of violence in last 24 hours In a rash of gun violence that broke out across New Orleans over Memorial Day weekend, a 12-year-old girl was killed in a triple shooting in H Another neighbor, who declined to give her name, told WWL-TV that she used medical training she learned in the U.S. Army to put a tourniquet on the young girl's leg and apply pressure to her wounds. Williams' daughter, Mar Quell Williams, 17, said she attends Chalmette High School with the students that threw the party. She said she believes she knows the victim's cousin, whom she said often brought the young girl "everywhere with her." The shooting was particularly troubling for Karen Williams, who had just lost her son, Cornelius Randall, who was killed after being struck by stray bullets fired at a party at the same property on March 26. She said Randall, who was 26 and had special needs, was sitting outside the house when he was murdered. She is now frightened that Mar Quell, her only remaining child, might be at risk of suffering the same fate. "I got one child left," she said. "My son was innocent. That little baby, she was 12. She was innocent." The flags in front of the Jefferson Performing Arts Center in Metairie billowed at half-staff Tuesday morning as relatives and members of law enforcement agencies from around the state gathered to pay their respects and mark the life of Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office Detective Stephen Arnold, who died last week, more than five years after being shot during a drug raid. Arnold, 40, was a decorated, 12-year member of the Sheriff's Office, a leader and an amazing police officer, said his friend and fellow Sheriffs Office Detective Adrian Thompson. Steve was a college graduate who did his job well, and he did it the correct way, every time, Thompson said. Steve is a shining example of what every policeman should be. Stephen Arnold, JPSO deputy shot 5 times in New Orleans in 2016, dies from his injuries Stephen Arnold, the Jefferson Parish Sheriffs Office deputy shot five times executing an arrest warrant in a New Orleans home in 2016, died o Arnold was wounded the morning of Jan. 26, 2016, while working on a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration task force that was serving a warrant at a residence in the 5300 block of Douglas Street in New Orleans. He was leading the team of officers into the house when suspect Jarvis Hardy opened fire from inside a bedroom. Arnold was shot five times, including once in the neck, and rushed to a hospital in critical condition. His brain was without oxygen for 30 minutes after the shooting. He never regained consciousness. But Arnolds family and friends never stopped praying for or believing in his recovery. He spent the last few years in a nursing home, unable to speak, walk or feed himself. He died May 23. Arnolds family valued their privacy throughout Arnolds fight. Thompson spoke on their behalf Tuesday as the visitation got underway. Arnold was a son, a little brother to two sisters, a brother-in-law and uncle, according to Thompson. His family loved him very, very much and now have a hole in their collective heart that can never be filled, he said. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up He and Arnold met at the Sheriffs Office in 2004 as patrol deputies. Thompson described him as a model police officer who brought a sense of calm and treated everyone with absolute respect. "Steve was a guy that, if every one of us could just be a little bit like him, the world would be a much, much better place," Thompson said. On Tuesday, the parking in front of the Jefferson Performing Arts Center on Airline Drive was filled with vehicles representing law enforcement agencies from across the New Orleans area and Louisiana. Orleans Parish Sheriff Marlin Gusman said he was glad to see so many had come out to pay their respects and show Arnolds family that he will not be forgotten. Gusman said his deputies were part of the task force serving with Arnold on the morning he was shot. He gave the ultimate sacrifice to protect others, Gusman said. Jefferson Parish President Cynthia Lee-Sheng, herself part of a law enforcement family that includes her father, former Jefferson Parish Sheriff Harry Lee, said it was a difficult day for the people who loved and worked with Arnold. Law enforcement is a dangerous calling, and we should all be grateful to the people who risk their lives to serve, she said. Its a reminder that a regular day for us could be a tragic situation for the people who serve our community, she said. After the memorial service, uniformed officers, family members and friends crowded in front of the arts center as Arnold's casket was loaded into a black hearse while a bagpiper played "Amazing Grace." The long funeral procession to Greenwood Cemetery Mausoleum in New Orleans included representatives from the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office, the New Orleans Police Department, the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office, the Gretna Police Department, the Kenner Police Department, State Police, the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff's Office, the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office and the Louisiana Department of Public Safety. Hardy is serving a 35-year prison sentence on drug and gun charges. Crook had only been at the jail around 24 hours when he was found unresponsive, having been booked at roughly 3 a.m. Sunday, the statement reads. The Louisiana Legislative Auditor is once again taking Delgado Community College to task for alleged accounting lapses that include the payment of tens of thousands of dollars in federal grants to ineligible students last year. In a report made public on Monday, the auditor also said the college repeatedly failed to report a suspected theft of property to authorities in a timely fashion. The community college's chancellor, however, disputes most of the allegations. "For the second consecutive report, auditors found Delgado failed to notify the Legislative Auditor and the Orleans Parish District Attorney of suspected misappropriation of assets," Karen Rowley, a spokesperson for auditor Michael Waguespack, said Monday. The criticisms of the most recent fiscal year are similar to claims made of Delgado's accounting in several auditor's reports over the past decade. The report criticized Delgado's annual fiscal report for the year ending June 2020, saying the community college failed to account properly for direct loans and disbursements, as well as so-called TOPS grants, totaling about $55 million. The report further claimed that Delgado made payments of nearly $60,000 from pandemic-related federal relief funds to students who had withdrawn from classes prior to March 13, 2020 and therefore were not entitled to the money. It claimed that Delgado also had inadequate controls in place to monitor distance-learning attendance and enrollment qualification for financial aid purposes. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Most of the auditor's claims were disputed by Larissa Littleton-Steib, Delgado's chancellor, in a series of letters to the auditor's office between December and March that were attached to the report. Littleton-Steib disputed the allegation that the college's annual report was fundamentally inaccurate, though she acknowledged "classification errors" that have subsequently been corrected. She said those errors were due to a combination of the death of the college's top accountant last July, the burden of adapting to the pandemic, as well as errors by a contracted third-party CPA firm. Littleton-Steib disputed on procedural grounds the claim that suspected misappropriation of assets wasn't reported correctly. She said the college followed Louisiana Community & Technical College System policy of reporting it to the LCTCS auditor first before it gets referred to the state auditor and the Orleans Parish DA. That process, she pointed out, is intended to avoid frivolous or unfounded claims tying up the state auditor and DA's office. Neither the chancellor's letters nor Waguespack's office provided any details of the alleged theft, including the type and value of assets involved. The chancellor disputed the auditor's criticism about disbursement of funds to ineligible students, saying that was largely due to confusion about the terms of the federal program, which was rolled out over several months. She accepted in whole or in part criticism about the college's control systems involving the return of misallocated federal funds, as well as criticism of its monitoring of distance learning and enrollment criteria. View the full report here. A Louisiana Senate committee on Tuesday advanced legislation to create a quarter-mile buffer between the state's coastline and its largest commercial fishing industry. The unanimous decision came after senators reduced the proposed fishing exclusion zone for menhaden by half, shrinking it from a half mile in the version already approved by the House to a quarter mile. The amended version of House Bill 535 attempts to mediate a growing conflict between the menhaden industry and and recreational fishers. In recent years, charter boat captains and anglers say menhaden ships have been trawling their 1,500-foot nets closer to Louisiana's shores. Along with conservation groups, they say this could harm the state's already fragile coast and its habitat for popular game fish such as speckled trout and redfish. Menhaden, also known as pogies or shad, are tiny, silver fish that serve a key role in the food chain for other wildlife, including those game fish. When caught commercially, the oil-rich fish is ground up into animal feed, health supplements and fertilizers. "We're the only state in the Gulf [of Mexico] that does not have a buffer zone against this style of fishing," David Cresson, CEO of Coastal Conservation Association Louisiana, told the Senate Natural Resources Committee. The bill "doesnt ask them to catch one fewer fish. It doesnt ask them to fish one fewer day. It simply asks them to provide a basic level of protection for our shorelines that basically everywhere else in the country [has] already done." Environmental news in your inbox Stay up-to-date on the latest on Louisiana's coast and the environment. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up +5 Big business of catching tiny fish won't be restricted in coastal waters, Louisiana leaders decide A growing conflict over Louisianas largest but perhaps least-known commercial fishery came to a head this week when state leaders rejected a Conservation groups such as the National Audubon Society also back the bill, as it would protect habitat critical for birds and other wildlife. Menhaden industry representatives say their fishing patterns haven't changed and that a buffer of even a half mile could hobble a business sector that has fished in Louisiana for decades. "The decks are stacked against us already, and now you're going to put a 20% revenue cut on us," said Westbank Fishing LLC President Francois Kuttel. "Can I say that with a high likelihood ... that it will put us out of business? Probably." Industry representatives say about 6% of menhaden are caught within a quarter mile of the coastline. The amended bill maintains a wider, site-specific buffer around several barrier islands such as Grand Isle, Elmer's Island, Grand Terre and the Chandeleur Islands, among others. For the Harper and Salles families in St. Tammany Parish, the cypress swamp behind their homes is an idyllic outdoor playground for their children where they catch crawfish, throw out lines for catfish and splash around in Hickory Creek, a meandering stream that feeds into Old River and, eventually, the West Pearl. "A cypress swamp with that dark-brewed ice tea water is just pretty, nice to look at," David Salles said. But sometimes when the Pearl River area residents gaze out at the scenic creek, the water looks far different from that normal clear, tea color, and more like someone poured milk into the stream, Clay Harper said. Salles calls it the "not-so-chocolatey milk." They blame a large gravel pit upstream owned by Arcosa Aggregates, which has been the subject of several complaints to the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality in recent years about discharges from its ponds. Harper, who has posted videos on social media showing the opaque water, complained to DEQ on March 8, when the water clouded up. According to a DEQ report, Arcosa said that it had a levee breach from March 5-7 and had put up temporary fortifications with more planned. But Harper said that the water clouded up again last weekend. The gravel pit does not have a permit to discharge wastewater, according to DEQ documents. But documents dating back to last year show overflows from previously mined pits on the property that are used as retention ponds with levees around them. The overflows were blamed on heavy rain and levee breaches. Arcosas environmental stewardship and sustainability initiatives focus on reducing our impact on the environment," the company said in a prepared statement Friday. "Extreme rainfall conditions and flooding of the Pearl River Basin into our Pearl River facility at times can result in stormwater runoff. Arcosa has taken a number of measures to mitigate these events, including closing operations during high water events to reduce any discharge from our property." The company added that it is working with DEQ on additional solutions. DEQ inspectors visited the gravel pit in May and July of last year in response to complaints. Their reports show that wastewater was discharged into a stream known as Maple Slough and from there into wetlands that flow into the West Pearl River, a scenic river. Environmental news in your inbox Stay up-to-date on the latest on Louisiana's coast and the environment. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Gravel pit personnel told inspectors then that a levee breach in conjunction with heavy rain caused overflows in May and June. In July, the investigator again told Arcosa no water could be discharged without a permit and said that since the levee breaches had not been fully repaired, the facility was in violation of state's water quality regulations. In February DEQ issued a compliance order and notice of potential penalty saying that the company discharged process wastewater without a permit. Arocosa filed a hearing request in April, which a letter says it did in part to prevent the DEQ order from becoming a final enforcement action. The hearing request argues that discharges were caused by excessive rainfall, which it describes as "upset events" and "Acts of God," and therefore not subject to permitting. Arcosa said it made repairs and took steps to prevent overflows, and has hired consultants to assist it in applying for a discharge permit. But the company said in the filing that it needs 90 days to complete the process. The issuance of a compliance order or penalties for non-compliance "would be inappropriate," the hearing request document said. Civil penalties of $32,500 for each day can be imposed, according to the DEQ filing. Arcosa also said it believed that the matter could be resolved without a hearing, and DEQ and the company entered into a dispute resolution that must be concluded by Aug. 2, documents show. Residents, meanwhile, have alerted St. Tammany Parish officials to the problems. Parish Council member Cheryl Tanner said the parish is aware of the situation and has sent personnel from its Environmental Services Department to look at the water. "Ive seen pictures. It is so milky sometimes, it is unreal," Tanner said. "Something is going on." But she said many haulers depend on the gravel pit to operate and stay in business. "I'm hoping Louisiana will do what's needed to keep it in business and clear up the problem," she said. Harper and his neighbors want to see something done. The creek is one of the most beautiful in the parish, with cypress and other trees that were never harvested, Harper said. Beyond aesthetics, though, the creek is a source of food for his family, who frequently eat fish caught there. Salles said not knowing what's in the water makes him uneasy. "If theyre not supposed to do it, then stop doing it," Salles said. "If you think youre too big to follow the rules, someone bigger needs to step in." Norman, OK (73070) Today Mostly clear this evening. Scattered thunderstorms developing after midnight. Low 73F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Mostly clear this evening. Scattered thunderstorms developing after midnight. Low 73F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%. Harrisburg, Pa. - In an effort to support literacy and highlight learning opportunities over the summer months, the Pennsylvania Department of Educations Office of Commonwealth Libraries encourages families and communities to participate in summer reading programs through their local libraries. Library summer reading programs help readers of all ages connect with others, expand their imaginations, explore new ideas, and learn new things, said Acting Deputy Secretary for the Office of Commonwealth Libraries Susan Banks. Summer reading programs also offer hands-on activities that children and families can participate in individually or as a unit, and help connect interests to learning resources, build literacy, and strengthen their love of reading. Many libraries in Pennsylvania coordinate summer reading initiatives utilizing the Collaborative Summer Library Program and incorporate their resources, activities, and guides into their efforts. In celebration of animals, this years official theme is Tails and Tales. Summer reading programs often include a variety of individual and family activities, such as in-person and virtual events, scavenger hunts, story walks, craft-making, storytelling and writing, contests, giveaways, and more. Visit your local library in-person or online for official information on the summer reading programs being coordinated. Looking for a few good books to read this summer? The Pennsylvania School Librarians Association sponsors the Pennsylvania Young Readers Choice Awards, which recognizes childrens and young adult literature. Access lists of winning and nominated books. The American Library Association also offers several summer reading lists to help keep kids engaged in reading throughout the summer. In addition to supporting literacy, many libraries serve as Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) sites. Also known as the Summer Meals Program, SFSP is a federally-funded, state-administered program established to ensure kids continue to have access to nutritious meals when school is not in session. Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters. Harrisburg, Pa. As coronavirus cases rose and Pennsylvania counties were flooded with millions of mail ballot applications last fall, election directors were desperately searching for ways to help pay for the extraordinary costs brought on by the pandemic. They turned to private philanthropy when it became apparent the Republican-led General Assembly wasnt going to help them cover COVID-related expenses like sneeze guards, hazard pay for poll workers, or more staff to handle the deluge of mail ballots from voters who didnt want to risk exposure by voting in person. Now, some of those same GOP lawmakers are moving to ban local election administrators from applying for private donations. All 67 of Pennsylvanias counties were invited to apply for a Center for Tech and Civic Life grant after Facebook Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan donated an initial $250 million to the nonprofit. Of the counties that applied including 13 that former President Donald Trump won in 2020 all received what they requested or more. We had no issues with receiving those dollars or using those dollars, Juniata County Commissioner Alice Gray, a Republican, told Spotlight PA and Votebeat. Her county which Trump won with 80% of the vote received $11,364 to spend on poll workers, cleaning supplies, and temporary staff. [Voters] were being kept safe, Gray said. Safety was the primary goal. Experts and local officials say the issue underscores the need for the state and federal governments to step up and help fund election departments that have been battered as the voting process has become more complex and expensive. State lawmakers offered no financial help last year for COVID-related election expenses. Congress, meanwhile, allocated $14 million for the Pennsylvania Department of State to spend on election-related costs through the CARES Act, which amounted to $1.60 per registered Pennsylvania voter. But a contingent of right-wing Republicans says the grants were fundamentally unfair because Democratic-leaning counties got more money. Election directors in those areas used those funds to offer voters additional ways to cast a ballot, such as by opening satellite offices and making drop boxes available. I just felt, ethically, it was disturbing to me that the private grant distribution was happening and it was not happening evenly between counties, said Rep. Eric Nelson (R., Westmoreland), who, with several other state House lawmakers, unsuccessfully sued three majority-Democrat counties last fall in an attempt to block them from accepting or spending the grant money. Nelson, who signed a letter asking Pennsylvanias congressional delegation to reject the states electors for President Joe Biden, said prohibiting counties from accepting outside grant money is one way to restore voter confidence and bring integrity back to elections. With two other Republicans, he plans to introduce legislation that would require any philanthropic donations earmarked for election administration to be funneled through the Department of State, which would distribute that money among all 67 counties based on voting-age population. In a statement, the Center for Tech and Civic Life said it is a nonpartisan organization backed by Republicans, Democrats, and nonpartisan officials, and noted that all election offices were eligible to apply for grants. Private funding is used to supplement a variety of government services where there are funding shortfalls, including schools and libraries, Executive Director Tiana Epps-Johnson said by email. We hope that as states consider the issue of private funding, they solve the real long-standing problem, which is making sure that election departments are fully funded so they are able to deliver a professional, inclusive, secure voting process for all of their voters. Republican Al Schmidt, one of three commissioners tasked with administering elections in Philadelphia, echoed that statement. On the one hand, [lawmakers] wont help fund the counties to do their job, which is to make sure eligible voters votes get counted, he said. But on the other hand, they dont want anyone else to fund it either. A blessing at a crucial time Pennsylvania counties and the Department of State received nearly $25 million from the Center for Tech and Civic Life, which allowed election administrators in all 50 states to apply. The Department of State received an additional $13 million from another nonprofit Zuckerberg donated to, The Center for Election Innovation & Research, to spend on voter education. Of the 23 counties that received CTCL funding, a majority of voters in 13 picked Trump in 2020. Those counties received, on average, about $1 per registered voter, while 10 counties Biden won received, on average, about $5 per registered voter. Philadelphia and its collar counties, as well as Allegheny County, received the most funding. In post-election reports submitted to CTCL, county election directors repeatedly thanked the organization, saying the funds were a blessing and a great benefit that came at a crucial time. We would have had to go to county taxpayers several times without this, Erie County Executive Director Kathy Dahlkemper wrote. It permitted us to build capacity for the next five years. In Pennsylvania, elections are largely paid for and run by the counties, and county election directors and commissioners repeatedly asked for more financial resources during House State Government Committee election oversight hearings held earlier this year. Private money was never meant to be a long-term fix to what has been decades of underfunding election administration, said Jennifer Morrell, a former local election official in Colorado and Utah and a partner at The Elections Group. It was a Band-Aid to get us through a really difficult, challenging year. The bulk of the funds were spent on equipment to help process mail ballots high-speed scanners, on-demand ballot printers, envelope openers and on temporary staff for the same purpose. The grants were also used for drop boxes, poll worker training and recruitment, cleaning supplies, satellite office rentals, and personal protective equipment. At least one county said that without the grant money to purchase equipment, workers wouldnt have been able to finish counting ballots by the end of election night. And while many of the expenses were unique to the pandemic and likely wont be needed in the future, local officials said they anticipate higher costs in future years, including to recruit poll workers, something several counties struggled with during the May primary. Many expenses related to mail voting are also still unknown, as its hard to predict how many people will vote this way in the years to come. And officials are preparing for costs to rise with any changes legislators make to the Election Code. We are beyond the circumstance where election officials can do more with less, said Matthew Weil, the director of the Elections Project at the Bipartisan Policy Center. They are scraping at the bottom. Strings attached? Nelson, the Republican lawmaker, said he took particular issue with the conditions attached to the Center for Tech and Civic Lifes grant money. Each county was required to submit a Safe Voting Plan that outlined how much money it needed and how that money would be spent. Counties received the money with the understanding that it would be spent on the things outlined in their plans, according to contracts reviewed by Spotlight PA and Votebeat. Philadelphia, which received $10 million from CTCL, submitted a plan saying it was committed to working to secure more than 800 polling places on Election Day, and CTCL said if that goal wasnt achieved, commissioners would be required to provide a rationale for why the city had fewer than 800 polling places. Nelson said that meant strings were attached, which sets a bad precedent. Imagine, Nelson said, attempting a comparison during a House State Government Committee meeting, if the NRA shows up before an election with $2 million and a private contract that will outline how Westmoreland County is going to run their election? But Schmidt, the Republican commissioner from Philadelphia, said the plan was always to open more polling places after the city limited the number of sites for the 2020 primary due to the pandemic. At the end of the day, we did nothing to distort the outcome of the turnout in Philadelphia or anything like that. It was about helping us do our job, Schmidt said. Nelson said he doesnt want to ban private donations altogether as other Republican legislatures have done. Instead, he wants the funding distribution to be overseen by the Department of State, which under his proposal would be tasked with dispersing money to all 67 counties evenly based on their voting-age population. The department would also be prevented from accepting any funding unless it is free from any policy-oriented conditions or restrictions, according to a memo Nelson released seeking support from his colleagues. Consistency across the state of Pennsylvania in how we approach elections is extremely important, Nelson said, adding he heard from constituents who were upset about the inequitable distribution of funds. But because counties set their own budgets and have varying tax bases, funding for elections has never been and will never be uniform, Schmidt said. The solution could possibly be that the other counties shouldve sought CTCL funding and be reaching out to every possible source of funding they could get to help their voters vote, he said. State and federal lawmakers could also include funding for local election offices in their budgets, he said: Theres nothing that stops the state from better funding elections. Pennsylvania lawmakers are expected to reveal their proposed budget in June, and Nelson said he was fairly confident it would include additional dollars for local election departments. Rep. Seth Grove, the Republican chair of the state House committee that considers election bills, acknowledged in a recently published report that Act 77, which created no-excuse mail voting in 2019, burdened counties with an unsustainable election system, both financially and practically. Easing Act 77s administrative and financial burden on counties should be at the forefront of improvements to the Election Code, Grove wrote. Nelson said he hoped Groves proposed election changes, which are expected to be unveiled soon, would also include reforms that would reduce the cost of running elections. Several conservative GOP members have filed bills seeking to end voting by mail, which would save counties money in postage, printing and mailing costs, staffing, and equipment. Grove did not respond to a request for comment, but he described mail ballots as popular to The Inquirer and said mail voting is not going away. Morrell, from The Elections Group, said states that have implemented universal mail voting have seen savings in the long run because theyve been able to reduce costs associated with opening polling locations. Thats like sticking your head in the sand, Morrell said about the proposal to eliminate mail voting. If you want a majority of the electorate to participate, then you do need to fund the things you neglected to fund for years. And while theres a third option for paying for elections counties can raise taxes with voter approval many officials are hesitant to do so, especially when they already have to compete for funds with public works, human services, and other county departments. I think weve all realized now [election administration has] got to be prioritized more than it has been, Morrell said. WHILE YOURE HERE... If you learned something from this story, pay it forward and become a member of Spotlight PA so someone else can in the future at spotlightpa.org/donate. Spotlight PA is funded by foundations and readers like you who are committed to accountability journalism that gets results. On Saturday, May 30, 2020, various individuals sought to use peaceful protests in Philadelphia as cover to commit violent criminal acts, including arson. The FBI is asking for the publics assistance in identifying seven individuals who are being sought in connection with such arson incidents. We are offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the identification and arrest of these individuals. A "Seeking Information" poster and additional photos featuring these individuals are attached to this email and have been posted to FBI.gov. Anyone with information is asked to call the FBI at 215-418-4000. Tips can also be electronically submitted at tips.fbi.gov Rome, GA (30161) Today Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 68F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 68F. Winds light and variable. La Fayette, GA (30728) Today Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 66F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 66F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. The 600-foot tall asteroid nicknamed KT1 was classified by NASA as a potentially hazardous object due to its size and proximity by which it will fly past Earth. It will be making the journey near the Blue Planet at speeds of nearly 40,000 mph, according to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory tracking the asteroid. The unidentified killers walked into the pool area of a Baton Rouge apartment complex around 8 p.m. Monday and confronted two men identified as 17-year-old Dewayne Dunn, Jr. and 20-year-old Reginald Thomas, according to police. The encounter quickly turned violent before the intruders pulled out their guns and began shooting, the Baton Rouge Police Department told local news station WAFB. On April 30 a 39-year-old Durango woman was killed by a bear and at least one of two yearlings as she was walking her dogs. She appeared to be partially consumed, and wildlife officials euthanized the bear and its cubs. Analysis revealed human remains in one of the yearlings and its mother. Additionally, the G15 Advantage Edition has dual SO-DIMM slots, dual M.2 2280 slots and a 90 Whr battery. ASUS has also equipped the device with the following ports: Left-hand side USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A x3 3.5 mm combo headphone and microphone jack Rear USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C x1 (DisplayPort & Power Delivery) RJ45 x1 HDMI 2.0b x1 (HDCP SPEC 2.2) ASUS states that the G15 Advantage Edition will be available with two display options, both IPS-level and 15.6-inch panels. The entry-level model is an FHD and 300 Hz panel covering 100% of sRGB, but there is also a QHD and 165 Hz panel with 100% DCI-P3 coverage. Both panels support AMD FreeSync Premium and have 3 ms response times. The G15 Advantage Edition measures 354.9 x 259.9 x 22.69 mm and 27.2 mm at its thickest point. The laptop weighs 2.4 kg, regardless of the configuration in which you purchase it. ASUS has not disclosed when it plans to start selling the G15 Advantage Edition, nor how much it will cost in the UK or the US. However, it has confirmed that the device will start at 1,799 in Germany. Purchase the ASUS ROG Strix G15 (2021) on Amazon Roseburg, OR (97470) Today Showers this evening becoming less numerous overnight. Low 62F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Showers this evening becoming less numerous overnight. Low 62F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%. Ground has been broken for a 340,000-square-foot warehouse called the Virginia Inland Port Logistics Center at 300 Winners Court north of Front Royal. Their father, Steven Poust, leaped into the water to grab them, then told Chase to get to shore while he went after Abigail. Poust told the news outlet he tried to stick with her as long as I could but that after he became worn out, she drifted away from me. LAPORTE Another in a series of hurdles has been cleared for Kingsbury Elevator to operate a nitrogen fertilizer plant. The LaPorte County Plan Commission on May 25 approved a request to rezone the site at Kingsbury Industrial Park from business to heavy industry. If the LaPorte County Commissioners uphold the zoning change, a special exception to the zoning change must be obtained from the LaPorte County Board of Zoning Appeals for the fertilizer plant to begin operating. Approval by the Plan Commission was granted despite the fact that the proposed facility began receiving and storing fertilizer, in the form of anhydrous ammonia, before receiving the necessary rezoning. That activity was unveiled by Plan Commission member Rita Beaty, who reported a storage tank at the site was filled from a semi-truck on May 21 and again three days later. Anthony Novak, attorney for Kingsbury Elevator, said the anhydrous ammonia was ordered in December when final approval for the plant was expected in March. He said the rail shipment was on its way before snags delaying approval developed. Delivery could not be stopped, he said. Novak said he also informed his clients not to order any more of the chemical to avoid possibly jeopardizing it. "We got the idea from a NASA solicitation on how to make the moon and Mars habitable," Handley said. "You don't want highly trained astronauts to do the physical work of picking produce in a greenhouse." Robots powered by artificial intelligence have failed at picking crops at the peak of ripeness, so the plan is instead to have people do it using home gaming systems, Handley said. Remote harvesting could help produce growers who have trouble finding workers and mean paychecks for people, including as a temp gig for people who are furloughed. "This is really on track with Purdue's role as a land grant institution," he said. "It's the democritization of robots, making them as inexpensive as a used pickup truck for small growers who might be growing heirloom produce." Purdue Northwest will begin the research project in June but it will be several more weeks before the robots are installed. Researchers will first pick tomatoes and then later strawberries. "There's a lot of potential for new ventures to spin out of this," Handley said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The business news you need With a weekly newsletter looking back at local history. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. According to court records, Amaro admitted that although he could not see exactly where he was aiming his weapon, he twice "shoved it out" of his cell at the shadow he knew to be Steele, and he did it because he believed he had to "strike first." In its 3-0 ruling, the appeals court agreed with prosecutors that Amaro clearly was not acting in self-defense, in part because Amaro assembled his weapon days before Steele's alleged threat and Amaro acknowledged it was his intent was to strike first. The court said at the time of the stabbing there was no indication Steele had done anything to suggest an attack on Amaro was imminent and likely to inflict such grievous bodily harm that Amaro would be justified in using deadly to repel it. "There is no evidence that Steele was imminently prepared or in the position to inflict bodily harm of any kind on Amaro. Indeed, no weapons or hot items were found near Amaros cell," the court said. Amaro still can ask the Indiana Supreme Court to review the appellate court's decision. Otherwise, Amaro's earliest possible release date from prison, assuming good behavior, is Jan. 14, 2085, according to the Indiana Department of Correction. VALPARAISO Jury selection begins Tuesday in the trial of a man accused of joining Valparaiso resident Connor Kerner in the 2019 slayings of two Lake County teens. John Silva II is charged with two counts each of murder and robbery resulting in serious bodily injury in the Feb. 25, 2019, deaths of Thomas Grill, 18, of Cedar Lake, and Molley Lanham, 19, of St. John. Silva, 20, of Hamlet, who initially told police he was not present during the killings, reportedly later admitted to leaving Valparaiso High School with Kerner on the day in question and traveling together to Kerner's maternal grandparents' home in Boone Township. Silva said he turned off his location service setting on his cellphone and saw Kerner retrieve a black handgun from the glove box of his vehicle before entering his grandparents' home, according to charging documents. Silva said he went to the basement of the home and heard Kerner meeting with two people before hearing six gunshots and Kerner yelling, "John, John," police said. A recording of the murders he made was played during Kerner's trial late last year. CROWN POINT Veterans and others gathered Monday at Historic Maplewood Cemetery to remember fallen soldiers, sailors and Marines. When youre tapped to serve your country, you become property of the U.S. government, said American Legion 1st District Commander Dan Mills. You become a thing. Youre expendable. Today is a reflection upon those who came before us, he said. Because of them, freedom and liberty are ours to share with the next generation. Mayor David Uran stressed the meaning of the holiday. Memorial Day is a time to reconnect with its history and core values, he said. Reflection is part of learning and thinking. Memorial Day captures the significance, the very essence of the sacrifice made by others in service to the country, Uran said. The American way of life is not cheap. American Legion Post 20 members laid wreaths in honor of fallen comrades. A Crown Point student played taps. Participants sang God Bless America and said the Pledge of Allegiance. Were proud of our flag because it stands for the American people who have given their lives to protect what we love today, Uran said. Brown also serves on Gary's SWAT unit and for the Army National Guard. Even with those experiences under his belt, he said there was a learning curve when he joined the K-9 unit but it has paid off tremendously. "Being able to work with a dog is probably one of the best things ever," Brown said. "You have to train together, and you become a team. That's the most rewarding part about it, because everything he learned, you taught him. You just build that cohesion and you mesh well together. It's literally a bond like no other." Brown added that he has connected more with Koba than even some of his coworkers on the police force. Training a police dog comes with its challenges, however, Brown said. His approach to training Koba is to always maintain a level of trust and respect. Brown said Koba has become a regular staple of his family life and is exceptionally good around his children. The officer-K-9 pair was one among many honored for various triumphs at the recent news conference. There, Brown met and learned from many seasoned professional K-9 officers, some of whom lost their dogs in the line of duty. Hammond and Gary residents will have an opportunity to learn if their tap water is contaminated with lead at a free water sampling event on Saturday. To participate, visit testing sites at St. Joseph's Church at 5304 Hohman Ave. in Hammond or Progressive Community Church at 656 Carolina St. in Gary. Residents should collect tap water in a clean, dry 2-liter bottle, according to the Northern Lake County Environmental Partnership. Avoid using the faucet to be tested for 12 hours and fill the bottle with the faucet's "first flush," or the first 2 liters of water that comes out of the plumbing line after many hours of inactivity. If the bottle needs to be rinsed before filling, use a different faucet to rinse it. Record the date, time and location of the water sample and take it to one of the testing sites between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday. Participants will be given a short form and ID number. Results will be given on-site, or residents can use the ID number to check a web link for results later in the day. PORTAGE More than a hundred people at the Portage Memorial Day ceremony applauded when a veteran of World War II was introduced on the Founders Square stage. Robert O. Johnson, 98, stood up from his chair and waved to the crowd. After the ceremony, Johnson said he was part of the Battle of the Bulge, the largest and bloodiest battle fought by the United States during World War II. The battle marked the beginning of the end of the war because of the heavy losses sustained by Germany, which never recovered. Johnson said he was not on the front lines but was in the thick of battle doing things like working the telephones and cooking at headquarters set up at different locations during the war. He also recalled his ship moving from one battle to another and each time after docking, wading with fellow soldiers to the shoreline. Johnson broke down momentarily while recalling the casualties then spoke about returning home after the war and leaving what little he had on the ship in New Jersey. I bid everything goodbye right there, he said. President Xi Jinping has written back to a group of primary school students who contacted him to wish children all over the country a happy International Children's Day, which falls on Tuesday. Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, encouraged members of the Chinese Young Pioneers who wrote to him to learn the Party's history well and stay committed to following its lead. The young students are from Xin'an Primary School in Huaian, Jiangsu province. The school was founded by the renowned educator Tao Xingzhi in 1929 and has been closely connected to the revolutionary era and the Party's history. In October 1935, 14 students from the school founded the Xin'an Touring Troupe to travel the country and promote resistance against Japan's invasion and save the nation by publishing articles, performing stage plays, selling pro-revolution newspapers and airing movies. Under the care and guidance of leaders such as Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai, the troupe publicized the Party's proposals, traveled more than 25,000 kilometers and covered 22 provinces across the country in 17 years, contributing to the victory against invasion and the nation's liberation. Recently, the Young Pioneers at the school wrote to Xi about their experiences studying the school's and Party's histories, expressing their determination to hand down the revolutionary legacy and be good youths in the new era. On Sunday, Xi wrote back to the students and noted that they had expressed pride in the school's revolutionary history and what they had learned from the history of the Party. In its day, under the care and leadership of the Party, the Xin'an Touring Troupe overcame hardship and traveled throughout more than half of China. It used literature and art as tools to arouse the people to resist Japanese invasion and save the nation, and it publicized the Party's propositions, demonstrating patriotism and enterprising spirit, Xi said. In his letter, Xi stated his hope that the students learn the Party's history well as they grow up, follow the examples of heroes and role models and strengthen their determination to listen and follow the Party's lead from an early age. Xi encouraged them to study hard, build on their ideals, build their character, boost their skills and strive to achieve all-around development. In one of the accompanying images that the Cy-Fair Fire Department tweeted in their announcement of the investigation, the victim could be seen being taken away by paramedics in a stretcher. The consequences were limited, or minor, when airport congestion was minimal, he said. But now its become both a headache and an embarrassment. Air travel has been creeping up in recent months after a steep drop at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. At OHare, 827,000 passengers were expected to pass through the airport between Thursday and Tuesday, nearly six times the number of 2020 Memorial Day Weekend travelers, according to the Chicago Department of Aviation. Work to update and expand the airport train has been underway for six years, and the trains have been shut down completely since January 2019. In a 2019 investigation, the Tribune detailed how service interruptions were initially supposed to be kept to an absolute minimum during construction, which was to be substantially completed by December 2018. But the project soon devolved into delays, finger-pointing and contract disputes, the investigation found. The contractor has not provided an updated completion date, said Christine Carrino, a spokeswoman for the aviation department. Substantial testing procedures must be completed, and that work is continuing, she said in an email. A bittersweet pandemic recovery As new infections plummet, many newly vaccinated Americans are leaving their masks behind, planning summer travel and joyously reuniting with family and friends. But for those who have lost a loved one, the worst has just begun. Even now, about 450 deaths are being reported each day, leaving hundreds of families dealing with a new kind of pandemic grief. In one bittersweet sign of the dissonance, the pandemic has improved enough that funerals can happen mostly in person again. Most of those dying from Covid-19 today are unvaccinated. While some who died in recent weeks became sick before they were eligible for shots, others were hesitant to be vaccinated or simply had not gotten around to it. Quotable: Everybody is saying, Oh, its fine, said one woman mourning her husband. Im just thinking to myself, If you only knew what I just went through. If it turns out that the Covid pandemic was caused by a leak from a lab in Wuhan, China, it will rank among the greatest scientific scandals in history: dangerous research, possibly involving ethically dubious techniques that make viruses more dangerous, carried out in a poorly safeguarded facility, thuggishly covered up by a regime more interested in propaganda than human life, catastrophic for the entire world. But this possible scandal, which is as yet unproved, obscures an actual scandal, which remains to be digested. I mean the long refusal by too many media gatekeepers (social as well as mainstream) to take the lab-leak theory seriously. The reasons for this rank partisanship and credulous reporting and the methods by which it was enforced censorship and vilification are reminders that sometimes the most destructive enemies of science can be those who claim to speak in its name. Rewind the tape to February of last year, when people such as Senator Tom Cotton began pointing to a disturbing fact set: the odd coincidence of a pandemic originating in the same city where a Chinese lab was conducting high-end experiments on bat viruses; the troubling report that some of the original Covid patients had no contact with the food markets where the pandemic supposedly originated; the fact that the Chinese government lied and stonewalled its way through the crisis. Think what you will about the Arkansas Republican, but these were reasonable observations warranting impartial investigation. State Representative Matt Krause, a conservative Republican from Fort Worth, described himself as disappointed and frustrated by the walkout. But he said he believed the bill would ultimately pass, if not in the next special session, then in another after that. Its going to be heavily debated and contested, he said. But at the end of the day, during a special session, I think well get it done. He and other Republicans expressed irritation that the walkout had killed not just the voting bill but several others that were important to the caucus, including bail reform. The failure to pass the bill was a striking blow to Republicans and one of the few setbacks they have suffered nationally in a monthslong push to restrict voting in states they control. G.O.P.-controlled legislatures, aligning themselves with former President Donald J. Trumps baseless fraud claims, have passed new laws in Georgia, Florida and Iowa with expansive restrictions. The Texas bill was viewed by many Democrats and voting rights groups as perhaps the harshest of all; among other provisions, it would have banned both drive-through voting and 24-hour voting; imposed new restrictions on absentee voting; granted broad new autonomy and authority to partisan poll watchers; and increased punishments for mistakes or offenses by election officials. President Biden denounced the bill over the weekend, calling it an assault on democracy, and urged lawmakers to pass two Democratic voting bills that have been stalled in Congress a theme that Texas Democrats picked up at their news conference Monday. Im asking Joe Biden, you need to help Texas, said State Representative Michelle Beckley, a member of the House Elections Committee who consistently opposed the Republican bill. We have done everything we can. The Democratic senators, you need to pass the voter bills. Republicans in Texas and in other states that have passed new voting laws have defended them on the grounds that they will improve election security, even though the results of the last election have been confirmed by multiple audits, lawsuits and court decisions. Pyles early breakup with ballet they left after high school and dived into experimental dance, before a reunion in the form of Ballez had to do with gender expression and body image as much as sexuality, though all of it was intertwined. In their early teens, Pyle felt drawn toward jumping really big, using force in my movement, they said. And that was definitely criticized. I was always being told to lose weight and get smaller, they added. My teachers said to me, You would have had a great career if you were born a boy. In Pyles rethinking of Giselle, Albrecht, the love interest who betrays the title character, is ballet itself. The work is a series of solos for seven cast members, versions of Giselles famous mad scene, that stem from exploring and transcending how ballet has betrayed each dancer. The dancer MJ Markovitz, 22, who is nonbinary, has come up against the bifurcation of ballet training: for instance, asking to take mens ballet class and being told they couldnt. In their mad scene solo, Markovitz said, they are harnessing the strength Ive always had, the power thats inside of me trying to let go of these gendered expectations on both sides. I think maybe everyone does that in their own way in their solo, Markovitz added, just embraces the truest, fullest, most authentic picture of themselves. Thats Pyles hope for the dancers of Ballez and for all who love ballet. It should be a given that were allowed to be ourselves and still do ballet, Pyle said. You should be able to be any version of a human that you are, and that you want to be, and do the art form that you love. A Jewish family whose relatives had their artworks looted by the Nazis said on Tuesday they were giving up their claim to a Pissarro painting and transferring ownership to the University of Oklahoma, where it had been on display until 2017. Leone Meyer, whose familys collection was looted by the Nazis, said she was giving up her long-running efforts to donate the painting to the Musee dOrsay in Paris where it has been exhibited in recent years. Title to the work, La Bergere, or Shepherdess Bringing in Sheep, would instead go to the University of Oklahoma under an agreement that would ensure the painting continues to be exhibited in both countries. I have now regained my freedom at a price that I fully accept, Dr. Meyer said in a statement about her plan for the painting, which she discovered in 2012 in the collection at the Oklahoma university, to which it had been donated in 2000. It was later transferred to the museum in Paris. The announcement appeared to end the dispute over the painting, which had spawned court cases in both France and the United States and had already been the subject of an earlier negotiated settlement. In 2016, Dr. Meyer and the University of Oklahoma agreed that the painting would be returned to her but would be displayed at a museum in France for five years, then would rotate every three years between the university and one or more French institutions. As part of that plan, Dr. Meyer, 82, said that title to the painting, which Pissarro completed in 1886, would ultimately be transferred to an art institution in France. Sidelined for the balance of the war, the prisoners of Yozgad turned their energies to killing time. Much of the pleasure of The Confidence Men comes from the bewildering pluck of these young men of the empire. Shell and starve them within an inch of their lives, force-march the survivors across Asia Minor and before you can sing Rule, Britannia! they have organized a debate society and started dress rehearsals for some light comic opera (title: The Fair Maiden of Yozgad). Of course, somewhere outside the frame of Foxs tale, there are an awful lot of enlisted men from both armies detained in far less humane conditions. Unlike the chaps at Yozgad, they were probably not procuring local greyhounds for the P.O.W. hunt club. On a lark, Jones made a Ouija board from polished iron and an inverted jar. The hardships of war and a wave of magical new technologies (the phonograph, radio, flight) had renewed public interest in telepathy and the paranormal. It was a liminal era, Fox writes, poised at the nexus of the scientific and the spiritual. Jones, who studied psychology at university and possessed an astounding visual memory, discovered that he could bamboozle his fellow officers, even blindfolded under close scrutiny. He found a perfect accomplice in C. W. Hill, a pilot of the Royal Flying Corps who had been raised on a Queensland ranch. Hill had been captured after his biplane was shot down in Egypt. Like Jones, he had a knack for secret codes and a willingness to risk his life for freedom. He also happened to be an accomplished stage conjurer. Jones and Hill gradually ensorcelled the camps harsh Turkish commandant, placing him and two underlings under trembling obedience to a powerful ghost named the Spook. Speaking through the two prisoners and their Ouija board, the Spook promised to lead the men to a hoard of buried Armenian gold. (The recent genocide had resulted in a lot of buried wealth.) Jones and Hill planned for the Spook to guide the treasure hunters to the Mediterranean coast, where they could make their escape and possibly even turn over their captors to Allied forces in Cyprus. As it happened, things took a darker turn. Fox, a former senior obituary writer for The New York Times and the author of three previous books, unspools Jones and Hills delightfully elaborate scheme in nail-biting episodes that advance like a narrative Rube Goldberg machine, gradually leading from Yozgad to freedom by way of secret codes, a hidden camera, buried clues, fake suicides and a lot of ingenious mumbo jumbo. At moments, The Confidence Men has the high gloss of a story polished through years of telling and retelling. Indeed, Hill and Jones each wrote lively chronicles of the escape. To make the material her own, Fox inserts a fresh mystery into the drama, namely: How in the world was this preposterous plan actually able to succeed? Without breaking stride, she answers that question with brisk detours into mind control, telepathy, mentalism and the like. What about Brett Kavanaugh, the second-newest justice? In his first three years on the court, he has shown some signs of being in the Roberts camp, Adam notes. The approach that Kavanaugh and Barrett take is crucial because the three liberal justices now need at least two of the six conservatives to form a majority. Before the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the liberals needed only one conservative. Will there be any big surprises this month or is this the quiet before the storm? As youll see below, most court watchers think there is one likely outcome for each of the major cases. But next years term, which will start in the fall, may be less predictable, with cases on abortion, guns and perhaps affirmative action. Adam says that 2021-22 could end up being the most significant term so far for the Roberts court. Case No. 1: Obamacare The 2010 health care law also known as Obamacare is before the court yet again, in a case known as California v. Texas. As in the earlier cases, conservative lawyers and state officials are asking the justices to invalidate the law. The details get technical, but the bottom line is that the justices appear likely to uphold the law, based on their questions during oral arguments in November. (Those technical details: In 2012, the court upheld the laws health-insurance mandate on the grounds that it was a tax and that Congress clearly has the authority to levy taxes. Since then, Congress and President Donald Trump reduced the amount of the tax to zero. As a result, the conservative lawyers argue that the mandate is no longer a tax and no longer constitutional and that the entire law should be thrown out.) In the latest incident, the family was able to ping the womans last location using a tracking app on her phone. The pinged location led them to believe she had gone into an underground system again so they began dropping bags of food and Gatorade into manholes across the city, the family told WPEC. In the story of how the modern world was constructed, Toyota stands out as the mastermind of a monumental advance in industrial efficiency. The Japanese automaker pioneered so-called Just In Time manufacturing, in which parts are delivered to factories right as they are required, minimizing the need to stockpile them. Over the last half-century, this approach has captivated global business in industries far beyond autos. From fashion to food processing to pharmaceuticals, companies have embraced Just In Time to stay nimble, allowing them to adapt to changing market demands, while cutting costs. But the tumultuous events of the past year have challenged the merits of paring inventories, while reinvigorating concerns that some industries have gone too far, leaving them vulnerable to disruption. As the pandemic has hampered factory operations and sown chaos in global shipping, many economies around the world have been bedeviled by shortages of a vast range of goods from electronics to lumber to clothing. In a time of extraordinary upheaval in the global economy, Just In Time is running late. Its sort of like supply chain run amok, said Willy C. Shih, an international trade expert at Harvard Business School. In a race to get to the lowest cost, I have concentrated my risk. We are at the logical conclusion of all that. While Saks and Delta Air Lines have said they will require vaccines for at least some employees, most have arrived at a solution more like that of JPMorgan Chase. The bank, which opened its offices on a voluntary basis on May 17 and will require most workers to return to their desks in rotations starting in July, has said it is strongly encouraging but not yet mandating vaccines. Jamie Dimon, the banks chief executive, said at a House Financial Services Committee hearing last week that he felt it was safe for employees to return to the office. No ones being forced to do anything, Mr. Dimon said. We want everyone to be vaccinated were not requiring that. Vaccine mandates must abide by the Americans With Disabilities Act and the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the E.E.O.C. said. That means companies must accommodate employees with health concerns like allergies and keep that information confidential. I think that the fact that it takes the E.E.O.C. several pages of notes to talk about all the steps you need to take to reasonably accommodate someone who has a disability or a religious reason why they cant get a vaccine is one of the reasons why employers might still choose not to mandate, said Douglas Brayley, an employment lawyer at Ropes & Gray. The classic Boston shaker for cocktails consists of two metal cans, one larger than the other, that fit together so you can vigorously shake and mix the ingredients inside with ice. A new company, C&D Tools, which was started by two American diplomats, Kris Forrest and Rebecca Beardsley, has introduced a shaker made from American stainless steel. The material is very substantial, adding heft to the shaking process for more heavy-duty mixing. The barware we use in America is not made in America, Mr. Forrest said. We hope to change that. The shaker is costlier than most but it should last a long time. The company, which sells only American-made bar gear, does not sell a strainer for the shaker, but one is in the works. C&D Tools, Boston Shaker, $135, cdtoolsusa.com. Follow NYT Food on Twitter and NYT Cooking on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest. Get regular updates from NYT Cooking, with recipe suggestions, cooking tips and shopping advice. In 2017 Fawn Weaver began bottling Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey as a passion project to honor Nearest Green, the formerly enslaved distiller who taught Jack Daniel how to make whiskey. Four years later, her bourbon has sold nearly 1.5 million bottles, according to a recent report in The Spirits Business. Uncle Nearest is now the nations fastest-growing whiskey brand, according to the drinks-market analysis firm IWSR. Its a testament not just to the quality, but also to the power of an inclusive brand with a compelling story. On Tuesday, Ms. Weaver, the companys founder and chief executive, went a step further toward diversifying an industry long dominated by white men, as the company announced the creation of a $50 million investment fund aimed at helping minority-owned spirits businesses grow. The announcement was timed to mark the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre, in which a prosperous Black neighborhood in Tulsa, Okla., was destroyed and hundreds of residents were killed by a white mob. I am looking for the brands that have the ability to be the next Uncle Nearest, she said during a recent video conference call with her staff. What that means to me is, they are not building to flip, theyre not building to sell. Theyre building to create generational wealth. In the second episode of the television show Kims Convenience, theres a moment that has always stuck with Diane Paik. Umma, the matriarch of the Kim family, arrives at the apartment of her son, Jung, carrying containers of kimbap. Its not a particularly pivotal scene, but it immediately brought Ms. Paik, 30, a senior social media manager for the mens grooming company Harrys, back to the many times her own parents drove 10 hours from their home in West Bloomfield, Mich., to her apartment in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, always with their homemade kimchi in tow. Bringing food is her mothers love language, she said an unspoken way that Korean parents show affection by ensuring that their childrens kitchens are stocked with home-cooked meals. But whether Woebot can be involved in medical diagnosis or treatment is up to the F.D.A., which is supposed to make sure the app can back up its claims and not cause harm, an agency spokesperson said. One possible harm, the spokesperson said, is a missed opportunity where someone with mental illness fails to get more effective treatment or delays treatment. And what the consequences of those delays would look like thats something wed worry about, the spokesperson said. Artificial intelligence can be problematic in other ways. For instance, Dr. Zeavin worries that racial and gender bias or privacy breaches could simply get translated into bots. Therapy has enough problems on its own, Dr. Zeavin said. And now theyve brought all of the problems of algorithmic technology to bear. But even some skeptics of chatbot therapy believe it has the potential to complement the human-guided mental health system, as long as it comes with serious research. As the market gets saturated, the bar for evidence will get higher and higher and thats how people will compete, Dr. Torous said. So maybe were just in such early stages and we dont want to punish people for being innovative and kind of trying something. The idea, Dr. Darcy says, is not to replace human therapists with bots; she thinks its important to have both. Its like saying if every time youre hungry, you must go to a Michelin star restaurant, when actually a sandwich is going to be OK, she said. Woebot is a sandwich. A very good sandwich. Following an outcry over comments about racism made by an editor at JAMA, the influential medical journal, the top editor, Dr. Howard Bauchner, will step down from his post effective June 30. The move was announced on Tuesday by the American Medical Association, which oversees the journal. Dr. Bauchner, who had led JAMA since 2011, had been on administrative leave since March because of an ongoing investigation into comments made on the journals podcast. Dr. Edward Livingston, another editor at JAMA, had claimed that socioeconomic factors, not structural racism, held back communities of color. A tweet promoting the podcast had said that no physician could be racist. It was later deleted. I remain profoundly disappointed in myself for the lapses that led to the publishing of the tweet and podcast, Dr. Bauchner said in a statement. Although I did not write or even see the tweet, or create the podcast, as editor in chief, I am ultimately responsible for them. Thousands of service members in the United States military report being sexually assaulted every year, but only a small fraction of those cases end in a conviction. In the Opinion Video above, three contributors a Republican senator; a former chief prosecutor of the Air Force; and a former Army specialist who said she survived several sexual assaults while enlisted show how conflicts of interest in the military justice system result in so many assaults going unpunished. And they argue for the urgent need to reform military rules to fix this problem. A bill in Congress, they say, would help accomplish that goal. Advocates for reform contend that a key reason for the impunity is the military chain of command, the rigid organizational structure that gives commanders authority over their subordinates. This arrangement also extends to the handling of sexual assault. The rules give commanders a key role in the prosecution of such cases involving service members under their authority. The changes were all connected to the jet stream, which is bulging northward into western Canada, Weather.com reported late last week, predicting the Memorial Day Weekend temperature surge that would amplify into a full-blown heat wave and noting that it would likely lead to an increased fire danger. Like so many renovation projects, the transformation of Keren and Thomas Richters 1850s farmhouse in Pound Ridge, N.Y., involved no shortage of surprises. When the couple, partners in an interior design firm called White Arrow, found a rundown house in late 2017, they assumed they could refresh it with a cosmetic renovation, and that it would serve as a bucolic weekend escape from their primary home in Brooklyn. Both of those assumptions turned out to be wrong. We would often come up to northern Westchester on the weekends and drive around, and we were always so charmed by how it felt like youre in the country, even though youre really only an hour away from the city, said Ms. Richter, 40, who appreciated the fieldstone walls, old homes and generous lots. I dont pretend to have the answer to that question, but I have gotten far enough to know that empathy is part of the equation. Do our stories leave us enough room for sympathy and compassion? Consider a red rose, and all it can suggest and symbolize. Its color is a mere consequence of the wavelength of light it reflects back at us; all others in the spectrum are absorbed by the flower as it offers up its redness to the universe. What if our beliefs were to operate in a similar fashion? What if our identities became most poignant when we allowed ourselves to empathize with and internalize the stories and beliefs of others without losing sight of the vibrancy of our own? In terms of my own narrative, I was born and raised in Pasadena, California, the son of Nigerian immigrants. By the time I was about 20 years old I had reached a breaking point. As a rambunctious, inquisitive, strong-willed, impulsive and hyperactive Black boy, I was burdened with all the requisite labels: Troublemaker. Criminal. Class clown. Underachiever. And, of course: Threat. Alongside these there was the burdensome weight of my own promise; what I knew was my enormous potential. One day I realized that, despite my extreme efforts, there was simply no light at the end of this particular tunnel. In fact, there was no tunnel. I would never be all the things that others believed me to be. This simple realization allowed me to accept and appreciate the things I had rejected. It allowed me to have a fuller understanding of who I was; to tell myself my own story, again and again, in whatever voice I chose. I realized that in a sense, everything that I am not makes me everything I am. From that moment on, all of my sufferings were reduced to chapters in the origin story of the hero I knew I was destined to become. My vulnerabilities became superpowers, blessings bestowed upon me for the benefit of others. I dedicated myself to a life of service, as a hero here to serve the world in my own particular way. He envisioned a robotic approach to manicures and began working on his idea that year, which morphed into the company Nimble. The concept, which two other start-ups are separately working on, essentially seeks to offer a simple way to provide foolproof nail polish. The companies, Clockwork and Coral, in addition to Mr. Morans Nimble, have developed distinct technologies and different business models to offer customers a quick color change. But dont give up your regular appointment just yet. While all three companies have secured substantial outside financing, the devices are still being tested and altered before their full market debuts. And none of the three are offering a full salon-type manicure with shaping and buffing. Still, they could ultimately upend the growing nail care market. As a market sector, manicures are a goal worth pursuing. Estimates peg the nail care market at close to $10 billion, and it could reach as high as $11.6 billion by 2027. While the size of the market for color alone has not been teased out, investors find it enticing. As Julie Bornstein, the founder of the shopping app the Yes, who has invested in Clockwork, said, the idea resonated because manicures could be time consuming: I personally dont like spending 40 minutes going to the nail salon. The technology incorporates some hardware such as a robotic arm in some instances to paint the nails, with software that relies on machine learning to distinguish a fingernail from the surrounding skin. Each company uses a different approach, yet essentially relies on the scanning of thousands of nail shapes to create a database. Cameras within the devices take photos of the nails of the individual user, a process repeated each time a manicure is done even on the same person. During the development, all three have tried to minimize the number of moving parts and rely more on software, because moving parts can break down over time. The return of Broadway is gaining steam. The producers of Pass Over, a bracing play about two Black men trapped on a street corner, announced Tuesday that they plan to begin performances on Broadway on Aug. 4, advancing the industrys planned restart by nearly a month. The producers, who include the playwright, Antoinette Chinonye Nwandu, cited the improving public health situation in explaining their plan. Every single day it feels like New York specifically, and Times Square in a focused way, is coming back to life, and I want our show to be part of that, Nwandu said. I want our show to be a very visible and very instrumental part of leading that charge, and so after we had done our due diligence and I knew that it was a safe thing to do, I said yes. Broadway has been closed since March 12, 2020, and resumption plans have shifted several times. Three juggernauts, Hamilton, The Lion King and Wicked, chose the initial restart date Sept. 14 and then Hadestown chose Sept. 2. Pass Over now has the earliest performance date announced thus far, but it remains possible that another show could begin even sooner. It was the chance to visit a once-in-a-lifetime destination in a once-in-a-lifetime way: practically alone. Visiting the sites of ancient Egypt had long been on the bucket list of Alexander Pancoe, 34, and Nina Laski, 27, of Chicago. Last winter, when they learned the country was open to tourists despite the pandemic, they planned a trip to Luxor and the Valley of The Kings. Places like the Temple of Karnak, which would be packed in the high season, we had all to ourselves, Mr. Pancoe said, and were even more stunning than they expected. There is no photo or movie that does justice to the place, he said. Some of the emptiness did not feel so special: The rows of stores selling food and souvenirs, for instance, were devoid of customers. It was sad to see, because so many people depend on tourism, Mr. Pancoe said, adding that it felt good to be able to contribute to the local economy. Last year, travelers, faced with international restrictions, had to put aside their bucket-list dreams of trekking to Mount Everest base camp or visiting the wonders of the ancient world. Now, as vaccines roll out and countries open to visitors, tour companies are reporting a resurgence in interest for summer and fall trips from those hoping to get to these iconic sites, not just without the typical crowds, but practically emptied of visitors. The return to travel has felt mercurial, said Warren Webster, chief executive of the travel company Atlas Obscura. For months, every time the horizon looked visible, it moved, he said. Indeed, according to the International Air Transport Association, international passenger demand in March was still 88 percent below demand in March 2019. KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. Through the marshlands along the Oregon-California border, the federal government a century ago carved a whole new landscape, draining lakes and channeling rivers to build a farming economy that now supplies alfalfa for dairy cows and potatoes for Frito-Lay chips. The drawdowns needed to cover the croplands and the impacts on local fish nearing extinction have long been a point of conflict at the Klamath Project, but this years historic drought has heightened the stakes, with salmon dying en masse and Oregons largest lake draining below critical thresholds for managing fish survival. Hoping to limit the carnage, federal officials have shut the gates that feed the projects sprawling irrigation system, telling farmers the water that has flowed every year since 1907 will not be available. Some farmers, furious about water rights and fearing financial ruin, are already organizing a resistance. Tell Pharaoh let our water feed the Earth, said a sign erected near the nearly dry irrigation canal that would usually be flowing with water from Upper Klamath Lake in southern Oregon. The brewing battle over the century-old Klamath Project is an early window into the water shortfalls that are likely to spread across the West as a widespread drought, associated with a warming climate, parches watersheds throughout the region. And during his first address to a joint session of Congress, Mr. Biden said he would continue pressing lawmakers to pass the Equality Act, which would provide civil rights protections to the L.G.B.T.Q. community. As the Biden administration has put an emphasis on diversity in the federal government, the White House noted on Tuesday that 14 percent of all presidential appointees identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer. Pete Buttigieg, the transportation secretary, was the first openly gay cabinet secretary confirmed by the Senate, and Dr. Rachel Levine, the assistant secretary for health in the Department of Health and Human Services, was the first openly transgender federal official to be confirmed by the Senate. But state legislatures across the country are advancing measures that seek to limit rights. On Tuesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, a Republican, signed into law a bill that barred transgender female student-athletes from competing in womens sports. Across the country, there are currently 250 bills that seek to target transgender people and limit local protections. Of those, 24, including Mr. DeSantiss bill, have been signed, according to the Human Rights Campaign. We know we have real partners in advancing equality, Mr. David said. Thats so important, particularly now, where were seeing backlash in certain states. The White House did not respond to a request for comment about the Florida law. It also did not say whether Mr. Biden or Vice President Kamala Harris planned to participate in any in-person Pride events this month. Mr. Biden, a politician whose own views on gay rights have evolved over his decades in public life, did not always identify with the positions of the L.G.B.T.Q. activists with whom he consulted during the presidential transition, seeking policy recommendations. In 1996, he voted for the Defense of Marriage Act, blocking federal recognition of same-sex marriages. Two years earlier, he voted to cut off federal funds to schools that taught the acceptance of homosexuality. Some of his Democratic presidential primary opponents, like Senator Bernie Sanders, independent of Vermont, tried to make an issue of those votes during the campaign last year. But gay rights advocates have generally accepted that the views of Democratic leaders have evolved significantly over the years, and they credit Mr. Biden with being ahead of many other elected officials in his party. Biden Visits Site of Tulsa Massacre a Century Later. While darkness can hide much, it erases nothing. President Biden met with survivors of the 1921 attack in Oklahoma, one of the worst outbreaks of racist violence in American history. The Biden administration said it would suspend oil drilling leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge that were issued in the waning days of the Trump presidency. Follow the latest news on President Biden. Biden promises Tulsa massacre survivors their story would be known in full view. Video transcript Back bars 0:00 / 1:42 - 0:00 transcript Biden Memorializes Victims of the Tulsa Race Massacre President Biden marked the anniversary of the Tulsa race massacre a century after a white mob destroyed the Black community of Greenwood, torching hundreds of buildings and shooting people in the streets. My fellow Americans, this was not a riot. This was a massacre [applause] among the worst in our history, but not the only one. And for too long, forgotten by our history. As soon as it happened, there was a clear effort to erase it from our memory. We do ourselves no favors by pretending none of this ever happened, or doesnt impact us today because it does still impact us today. We cant just choose to learn what we want to know, and not what should know. [applause] The events we speak of today took place 100 years ago, and yet Im the first president in 100 years ever to come to Tulsa and [applause] I say that not as a compliment about me, but to think about it, 100 years and the first president to be here during that entire time. And at this moment, Id like to pause for a moment of silence for the fathers, mothers, sisters, sons and daughters, friends of God and Greenwood. They deserve dignity and they deserve our respect. May their souls rest in peace. President Biden marked the anniversary of the Tulsa race massacre a century after a white mob destroyed the Black community of Greenwood, torching hundreds of buildings and shooting people in the streets. Credit Credit... Stefani Reynolds for The New York Times A century after a white mob destroyed a vibrant African-American community in Tulsa, Okla., torching hundreds of homes and indiscriminately shooting people in the streets, President Biden told a crowd of survivors and their families that the story of the massacre would be known in full view. It was the first time a president had visited the area to address what happened 100 years ago in Greenwood, the African-American community in Tulsa, that was the site of one of the worst outbreaks of racist violence in American history but one that went largely ignored in history books. For much too long, the history of what took place here was told in silence, Mr. Biden told the crowd. While darkness can hide much, it erases nothing. Mr. Biden, who has made racial equity and justice central themes of his presidency, was there to shed light on a painful part of the countrys history, by recalling in detail the horror that occurred between May 31 and June 1 in 1921, when angry whites descended on Greenwood, a prosperous part of Tulsa known as Black Wall Street, killing as many as 300 people and destroying more than 1,250 homes. My fellow Americans, this was not a riot, Mr. Biden said, as people in the crowd rose to their feet. This was a massacre. A man was strapped to a pickup truck and dragged through the street, the president said. The bodies of a murdered family were draped over the fence outside of their home. An older couple were shot while praying. We do ourselves no favors by pretending none of this ever happened, Mr. Biden told the crowd in Tulsa. We should know the good, the bad, everything. Thats what great nations do. They come to terms with their dark sides. Mr. Bidens visit was also intended to highlight steps his administration is taking to close the wealth gap between Black and white people in the United States, even as activists criticized him for not going far enough to correct historical wrongs and put the disadvantaged on equal footing. He announced several initiatives to reduce racial disparities, including a pledge to boost federal contracts to minority-owned businesses by 50 percent and a rollback of two Trump-era actions that have hamstrung fair housing laws. Before he delivered remarks, Mr. Biden met privately with survivors of the massacre, each between the ages of 101 and 107, whom he mentioned throughout his speech. Katie Rogers and The White House plans to suspend Arctic drilling leases that were issued during the last days of Trumps term. Caribou crossing a shallow section of the Hulahula River in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in 2019. President Biden is suspending drilling leases. Credit... Christopher Miller for The New York Times The Biden administration on Tuesday said it would suspend oil drilling leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge that were issued in the waning days of the Trump presidency. The decision could ultimately end any plans to drill in one of the largest tracts of untouched wilderness in the United States, delicate tundra that is home to migrating waterfowl, caribou and polar bears. Democrats and Republicans have fought over whether to allow oil and gas drilling there for more than four decades, and issuing the leases was a signature achievement of the Trump White House. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland on Tuesday published a secretarial order formally suspending the leases until the agency has completed an environmental analysis of their impact and a legal review of the Trump administrations decision to grant them. While the move was widely expected and follows President Bidens Inauguration Day executive order to halt new Arctic drilling, it serves as a high-profile way for the president to solidify his environmental credentials after coming under fire from activists upset by his recent quiet support for some fossil fuel projects. Arctic tribal leaders who have protested oil drilling praised the move. The refuge, 19 million acres in the northeastern part of the state, had long been off limits to oil and gas development, with Democrats, environmentalists and some Alaska Native groups successfully fighting efforts to open it. But Mr. Trump made opening part of the refuge, about 1.5 million acres along the coast, a centerpiece of his program for developing more domestic fossil fuel production. The area, known as the Coastal Plain, is thought to lie over as much as 11 billion barrels of oil. Advertisement Continue reading the main story Biden says Harris will lead Democrats in pushing for voting rights bill in Congress. In a statement, Vice President Kamala Harris said she would work with community groups and Congress to advance the voting rights bill. Credit... Sarah Silbiger for The New York Times President Biden said on Tuesday that he had directed Vice President Kamala Harris to lead Democrats in a sweeping legislative effort to protect voting rights, an issue that is critical to his legacy but one that sees little hope of success in a divided Senate. To signify the importance of our efforts, today Im asking Vice President Harris to help these efforts, and lead them, among her many other responsibilities, Mr. Biden told a crowd gathered during a trip to Tulsa, Okla. With her leadership and your support, were gonna overcome again, I promise you, but its gonna take a hell of a lot of work. Mr. Biden was in Tulsa to deliver remarks marking the 100th anniversary of a white mob destroying a vibrant Black business district, a violent episode that was one of the worst outbreaks of racist violence in American history but one that went largely ignored in history books. Mr. Biden told the crowd he saw the protection of voting rights as one of the most fundamental and most endangered pathways to ensuring racial equity. The president described the more than 360 bills in 47 states trying to tighten voting rules as a truly unprecedented assault on our democracy. But his decision to have the vice president take it on added another problem to an already unwieldy policy portfolio. Ms. Harris has been tasked with examining the root causes of migration from Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala. She will visit Mexico and Guatemala next week. Her foreign policy portfolio comes in addition to a host of other engagements, including, but not limited to: selling the American Rescue Plan, championing Mr. Bidens infrastructure package, representing women in the work force, highlighting the Black maternal mortality rate, assisting small businesses, assessing water policy, promoting racial equity, combating vaccine hesitancy, and fighting for police reform. For her part, Ms. Harris embraced the assignment in a statement issued shortly after Mr. Bidens announcement. In the days and weeks ahead, I will engage the American people, and I will work with voting rights organizations, community organizations, and the private sector to help strengthen and uplift efforts on voting rights nationwide, Ms. Harris said. And we will also work with members of Congress to help advance these bills. Mr. Biden has focused on issues related to voting rights for much of his career, but he faces especially wrenching decisions when it comes to the voting rights legislation he has asked Ms. Harris to help shepherd through Congress. Known as the For the People Act, the bill is the professed No. 1 priority of Democrats this year. It would overhaul the nations election system, rein in campaign donations and limit partisan gerrymandering. But after passing the House, it hit a wall of Republican opposition in the Senate. One option for Democrats would be to ram the bill through on a partisan vote by further rolling back one of the foundations of Senate tradition, the filibuster. But at least one Democrat, Senator Joe Manchin III of West Virginia, remains opposed to the idea, potentially scuttling it. In Tulsa, Mr. Biden seemed to express open frustration at the odds facing the bill. I hear all the folks on TV saying Why doesnt Biden get this done? Mr. Biden said. Well, because Biden has a majority of effectively four votes in the House and a tie in the Senate, with two members of the Senate who vote more with my Republican friends, a likely swipe at Mr. Manchin and Senator Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, another moderate Democrat. The reaction to Ms. Harriss tough new assignment, at least, was bipartisan. Biden carrying on the longstanding American tradition of passing off the terrible/ impossible tasks to your VP, Alyssa Farah, who served as a spokeswoman for Mike Pence during the early part of his vice presidency, wrote on Twitter. A tabloid publisher will pay a $187,500 F.E.C. penalty for its Trump hush-money payment. The Federal Election Commission found that the parent company of The National Enquirer, American Media Inc., and its former chief executive, David J. Pecker, had knowingly and willfully violated campaign finance law. Credit... Mary Altaffer/Associated Press The tabloid publishing company that paid $150,000 to a former Playboy model in 2016 to suppress her account of an alleged affair with Donald J. Trump, then a presidential candidate, has agreed to pay $187,500 to the Federal Election Commission to settle accusations that the company violated campaign finance law in making the payment. The commission found that the firm, American Media Inc., and its former chief executive, David J. Pecker, had knowingly and willfully violated campaign laws by secretly routing the $150,000 payment to the former model, Karen McDougal, in coordination with senior officials with the Trump campaign, including Michael D. Cohen, who served as Mr. Trumps personal lawyer at the time. The idea behind the payment scheme a method known as catch and kill had been to buy the rights to Ms. McDougals story and then never publish it. The details of the effort came out widely in 2018 during Mr. Cohens federal trial for, among other things, campaign finance violations. Mr. Pecker and Mr. Trump had been friends and allies, and American Media tried to argue to the commission that payments for silence are not contributions or expenditures because silence is not a thing of value, according to the settlement, which is known formally as a conciliation agreement. American Media, the parent company of The National Enquirer, acknowledged in the settlement that the commission had found that the company made an illegal and undisclosed corporate contribution to influence the 2016 election, though the firm did not admit to the violations being knowing and willful. Mr. Trump himself faces no further investigation in relation to the payment to Ms. McDougal, however. Documents released on Tuesday by Common Cause, the government watchdog group which filed the initial complaint, said that the F.E.C. did not have sufficient votes from its commissioners to move forward with an inquiry looking into Mr. Trumps role. The six-member commission is divided between three Republican-aligned commissioners and three Democratic-aligned ones. Paul S. Ryan, Common Causes vice president of policy and litigation, said he had mixed feelings about the outcome. While he felt vindicated by the fine, he said, he was frustrated that Mr. Trump, whom he called the mastermind of the illegal scheme, had not been held accountable. Mr. Cohen, who has served time in prison in part for his involvement in the payments, said during his trial that the transaction had been part of an effort to cover up Mr. Trumps dirty deeds. Mr. Pecker had agreed to an immunity deal with federal prosecutors to provide information related to the payments as part of Mr. Cohens trial. Hes the only one not to be held accountable, Mr. Ryan said of Mr. Trump. The F.E.C. has not yet formally announced the results in this case or revealed all of its internal findings; as the person who filed the original complaint, Mr. Ryan was notified on Tuesday of its outcome. The commission recently began announcing the outcomes in several old cases after not having a quorum to vote on matters for most of last year. In May, the F.E.C. announced that it had formally dropped another hush-money case tied to Mr. Trump, related to the pornographic film actress Stormy Daniels, who received $130,000 shortly before the 2016 election from Mr. Cohen. In that case, the commissions professional staff recommended proceeding in its review but Republican commissioners disagreed, saying it was not the best use of agency resources. One Democrat on the commission, Ellen L. Weintraub, said on Tuesday that she had voted to pursue Mr. Trump further in the McDougal case and noted that the commission had found that the illegal contributions were made in coordination with the campaign. I would think it would also be illegal to be received, she said. But she was outvoted. Michael Flynn suggested at a QAnon-affiliated event that a coup should happen in the U.S. Michael T. Flynn, a former national security adviser, at a December protest of the 2020 presidential election results. On Memorial Day, he said a coup like the one in Myanmar should happen here. Credit... Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images Michael T. Flynn, a former national security adviser, suggested that a military coup was needed in the United States during a Memorial Day weekend conference organized by adherents of the QAnon conspiracy theory, drawing criticism from political scientists, veterans, Democrats and a handful of prominent Republicans. Appearing at the For God & Country Patriot Roundup conference in Dallas, Mr. Flynn listened to an audience member ask, I want to know why what happened in Myanmar cant happen here referring to the Myanmar militarys overthrow of a quasi-democratic government and brutal crackdown on dissent, which some QAnon supporters have cited approvingly. Mr. Flynn replied: No reason. I mean, it should happen here. No reason. Many criticized the comment, including Representative Liz Cheney, a Republican who was kicked out of her House leadership position this month for criticizing former President Donald J. Trump and saying she would do everything possible to ensure he was not the Republican Partys presidential nominee in 2024. On Twitter, Ms. Cheney said, No American should advocate or support the violent overthrow of the United States. No American should advocate or support the violent overthrow of the United States. https://t.co/dpa20pLG4n Liz Cheney (@Liz_Cheney) May 31, 2021 Mr. Flynn who suggested in December that Mr. Trump could invoke martial law to force new elections in swing states responded to backlash to his remark by arguing Monday in a post on Telegram, a messaging app, that he meant the opposite. I am no stranger to media manipulating my words, and therefore let me repeat my response to a question asked at the conference: There is no reason it (a coup) should happen here (in America), he wrote. Speaking at the same conference over the weekend, Representative Louie Gohmert, Republican of Texas, said that right-wing extremists were not solely responsible for the Capitol riot. The false idea that left-wing groups were responsible is popular among some conservatives. Mr. Gohmert also minimized the severity of the riot in which a mob of American supporters of Mr. Trump tried violently to stop Congress from certifying the results of the 2020 election by citing past attacks by foreigners: Some of us think Pearl Harbor was the worst attack on democracy. Some of us think 9/11 was the worst attack. Some of us think that those things were worse attacks on democracy. (President Biden has called the riot the worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War.) A spokeswoman for Mr. Gohmert did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday. He and Mr. Flynn both spoke in front of a logo that included the QAnon slogan WWG1WGA, short for Where We Go One, We Go All. A recent poll by the Public Religion Research Institute and the Interfaith Youth Core found that 14 percent of Americans, including about one in four Republicans, believed in three central tenets of the QAnon conspiracy theory: that the United States is being run by a cabal of Satanist pedophiles, that American patriots may have to resort to violence to get rid of that cabal, and that a storm will soon restore the rightful leaders. Advertisement Continue reading the main story Biden officially recognizes June as Pride Month and vows to fight for L.G.B.T.Q. rights. Waving a Pride flag outside the Supreme Court in Washington last June. Credit... Anna Moneymaker for The New York Times President Biden on Tuesday issued a presidential proclamation recognizing June as Pride Month, vowing to fight for full equality for the L.G.B.T.Q. community to be codified into law. The acknowledgment of Pride, a month defined for many in the L.G.B.T.Q. community by marches, parades and parties across the United States, also offered Mr. Biden his latest opportunity to contrast his own behavior and priorities with those of his predecessor in office. Last year, Donald J. Trump steadfastly ignored Pride, refusing to acknowledge the celebration of many Americans nationwide with even a presidential tweet, overruling suggestions from several aides that he write one. Embassies overseas were told they were prohibited from flying the Pride flag. Mr. Trumps silence came as his administration rolled back a 2016 regulation that mandated health care as a civil right for transgender patients under the Affordable Care Act. That was then. As Mr. Biden marked the beginning of Pride on Tuesday, the White House underscored the contrast, noting that after four years of relentless attacks on L.G.B.T.Q.+ rights, the Biden-Harris Administration has taken historic actions to accelerate the march toward full L.G.B.T.Q.+ equality. Since taking office, Mr. Biden has signed an executive order that combats discrimination on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation. His administration has also reversed a Trump-era ban that prohibited transgender people from serving in the military. He has also restored protections for transgender people seeking emergency shelter and homeless services. The Trump administration had denied them access to single-sex shelters of their gender identity. Floridas Democratic agricultural commissioner, Nikki Fried, announces her bid for governor. Nikki Fried, who was elected as Floridas agriculture commissioner in 2018, will face off against Representative Charlie Crist and other Democrats in the primary race for governor. Credit... Lynne Sladky/Associated Press MIAMI Nikki Fried, Floridas agriculture commissioner, declared her candidacy for governor on Tuesday, casting herself as the Democratic Partys best option to defeat Ron DeSantis, the popular Republican incumbent, given her role as the only statewide elected Democrat. After two decades of Republican governors, its time to try something new, Ms. Fried said in a brief phone interview days before her announcement. Its time for a change. Ms. Fried is the second major Democrat to enter the race. Representative Charlie Crist of St. Petersburg began his campaign last month and has been holding political events across the state. Mr. Crist is far better known: He served as Floridas Republican governor from 2007 to 2011, lost a Senate run as an independent in 2012 and ran unsuccessfully against Gov. Rick Scott in 2014 as a Democrat. Ms. Fried, who was elected in 2018, acknowledged that Mr. Crist would start the race with better name recognition, but said she had no doubt that Democratic voters would be hungry for a fresh alternative. Before winning the 2018 election by just 6,753 votes, Ms. Fried, 43, worked as a Fort Lauderdale-based lawyer and medical marijuana lobbyist. She boasts that she holds both a medical marijuana card and a concealed-weapons permit. The governors contest in the nations third-largest state began early, as Democrats hope to stall the political career of Mr. DeSantis, who is widely seen as a possible presidential contender in 2024 if he wins re-election next year. He has recently traveled to speak at political events in Pennsylvania and Texas. Representative Val Demings of Orlando had also been seen as a likely Democratic challenger to Mr. DeSantis. But she is set to announce a campaign against Senator Marco Rubio instead, a move that has scrambled plans for other Democrats down the ballot. Representative Stephanie Murphy of Winter Park decided against a Senate run after Ms. Demingss decision became public. State Senator Annette Taddeo of Miami, who was Mr. Crists running mate in 2014, is still weighing a candidacy for governor. I will continue meeting with supporters across the state to assess the best path for me to do the most good for the people of Florida, Ms. Taddeo said in a statement last week. Texas Democrats killed a bill restricting voting by staging a walkout, escalating their fight with the governor. State Representative Ron Reynolds spoke at a news conference against Senate Bill 7, known as the Election Integrity Protection Act, in Austin on Sunday. Credit... Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman, via Associated Press The battle among Texas lawmakers over a bill that would impose some of the strictest limits in the nation on voting access escalated Monday as Democrats and Republicans vowed that they would not back down over a highly charged issue that has galvanized both parties. Stung by the last-minute setback for one of the G.O.P.s top legislative priorities, after Democrats killed the measure with a dramatic walkout Sunday night, Gov. Greg Abbott suggested he would withhold pay from lawmakers because of their failure to pass the bill. No pay for those who abandon their responsibilities, Mr. Abbott, a Republican who strongly supported the bill, wrote on Twitter as he pledged to veto the section of the budget that funds the legislative branch. G.O.P. leaders said they would revive their efforts in a special session of the legislature. Well come back with better legislation and more time for it, said Representative Briscoe Cain, who leads the House Elections Committee. Special sessions are focused. Democrats were resolute in their opposition, promising to redouble their efforts to keep a new bill from becoming law. This is Texas, this is the Alamo, Representative John H. Bucy III said at an afternoon news conference Monday. We will do everything we can to stop voter suppression. Democrats stymied the bill late Sunday night by secretly orchestrating a walkout in the House of Representatives that denied the chamber a quorum. As the midnight deadline approached for passing legislation, and with more than five dozen Democrats missing, Republican leaders in the House acknowledged they lacked the required number of lawmakers to conduct a legal vote, and adjourned the proceedings. Dave Montgomery and Advertisement Continue reading the main story A New Mexico House race is testing the G.O.P.s focus on crime. State legislators Melanie Stansbury and Mark Moores are competing for the House seat in Congress. Credit... Sharon Chischilly for The New York Times In theory, the special election to fill Interior Secretary Deb Haalands seat in the House should not be competitive. President Biden carried the Albuquerque-based district by 23 points last year, and there has not been a close race for Congress here since George W. Bush was president. Democrats in Washington and New Mexico, however, are not taking any chances ahead of the election Tuesday. They have flooded Melanie Stansbury, their nominee, with an infusion of late money, dispatched Jill Biden and Doug Emhoff to appear with her in the state, and sought to energize volunteers on her behalf. This race is the highest priority for us, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told nearly a thousand national progressive activists on a conference call Thursday night, adding: Any victory is good, but we want a nice, decisive victory. Ms. Pelosis eagerness to notch a resounding win reflects the partys anxiety over one of the most pressing challenges it faces: defusing Republican attacks over law and order, the key issue on which Ms. Stansburys opponent is criticizing her. More immediately, it signals the urgency House Democrats feel to maintain their tissue-thin majority in the House. With only a four-seat advantage and a largely unified Republican opposition, Ms. Pelosi needs every vote. The contest between Ms. Stansbury and her opponent Mark Moores, both state legislators, carries symbolic as well as practical implications. Special congressional elections in the first year of a new administration have historically offered insight on the strength of the party in power. And this race may prove to be one of the few competitive elections to fill a vacancy ahead of next years midterms. Biden unveiled a plan to help Black businesses and homeowners during his visit to Tulsa. President Biden tours Greenwood Cultural Center in Tulsa, Okla. on Tuesday. Credit... Stefani Reynolds for The New York Times President Biden on Tuesday announced several initiatives to reduce racial disparities, including a pledge to boost federal contracts to minority-owned businesses by 50 percent and a rollback of two Trump-era actions that have hamstrung fair housing laws. Mr. Biden, who spoke in Tulsa, Okla., to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the massacre of Black citizens at the hands of a white mob, has aimed many of his recent policy moves at bolstering the Black middle class. His choice of a city whose vibrant business district was decimated by racial violence was seen as a fitting backdrop to emphasize his commitment to erasing the wealth gap between races, a key campaign promise, White House officials said. The announcement builds on the presidents historic approach to advancing equity and racial justice across the whole of federal government, Karine Jean-Pierre, a spokeswoman for the president, said on Tuesday. The administration will seek to increase the percentage of contracts to small businesses in underserved communities, a commitment that could mean an additional $100 billion for businesses designated as disadvantaged by the federal government. The average Black family has one-tenth of the assets that a comparable white family possesses, and the administration is seeking to fortify the main source of wealth for Black households: homeownership. Housing Secretary Marcia L. Fudge will oversee the creation of a task force that will propose solutions to racial discrimination in the appraisal of housing in Black neighborhoods, part of a separate-but-unequal system of segregated homeownership that has grown out of discriminatory housing laws and racist lending policies. On Friday, Ms. Fudge announced a $100 million initiative intended to spur Black homeownership in areas historically off-limits to minorities because of biased zoning laws or discrimination by banks. The program will boost down payments for recipients of Federal Housing Administration loans, giving borrowers equity comparable to that of their more affluent neighbors. In addition, the Department of Housing and Urban Development will issue two Fair Housing Act rules that reverse efforts by the Trump administration to weaken protections. Under the proposed White House budget released last week, the departments Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity divisions staff will increase about 20 percent. Ms. Fudge has already said she also intends to enforce an Obama-era program intended to increase racial and economic diversity in the suburbs. Because disparities in wealth compound like an interest rate, the disinvestment in Black families in Tulsa and across the country throughout our history is still felt sharply today, a statement posted on the White House website said. The median Black American family has thirteen cents for every one dollar in wealth held by White families. Listen to The Daily: The Burning of Black Tulsa A century after the race massacre that leveled businesses and homes, and killed hundreds, what does justice look like? transcript Back to The Daily bars 0:00 / 35:41 - 35:41 transcript Listen to The Daily: The Burning of Black Tulsa Hosted by Michael Barbaro; produced by Neena Pathak, Soraya Shockley, Annie Brown and Daniel Guillemette, with help from Alexandra Leigh Young and Austin Mitchell; edited by Liz O. Baylen and Lisa Chow; and engineered by Chris Wood. Special thanks to Sheena Perez and Mallory Covington. A century after the race massacre that leveled businesses and homes, and killed hundreds, what does justice look like? archived recording (viola ford fletcher) My name is Viola Ford Fletcher. Im a survivor of the Tulsa race massacre. Two weeks ago, I celebrated my 107th birthday. michael barbaro From The New York Times, Im Michael Barbaro. This is The Daily. [music] archived recording (viola ford fletcher) Today, Im visiting Washington D.C. for the first time in my life. Im here seeking justice, and Im asking my country to acknowledge what happened in Tulsa in 1921. michael barbaro 100 years ago today, a massacre of Black residents occurred in Tulsa, Oklahoma and was promptly and deliberately forgotten. archived recording (viola ford fletcher) Our country may forget this history, but I cannot, I will not, and other survivors do not. And our descendants do not. michael barbaro Now the question before Congress, the courts, and the United States as a whole is what does justice mean and look like for the victims of so heinous a crime a century later? I spoke with my colleague, editorial board member Brent Staples. Its Tuesday, June 1. Brent you have been reporting and researching what happened in Tulsa, Oklahoma for decades. So I wonder if we can start by having you describe Tulsa in the early 1900s. brent staples Tulsa in the early 1900s was an oil town. Oils becoming very big at that point. Its becoming a boom town. And as the boom attracted more and more people to work in the oil fields, and also to serve those people who worked in the oil fields and brought that money on to start restaurants and other businesses. But there was a lot of money there. And so Black people came to the Western frontier for the same reason that White Americans came to the Western frontier. They came to strike it rich to make your fortune, and they did. And a lot of these people ended up on the Black side of Tulsa in the neighborhood that was called Greenwood. michael barbaro And what was Greenwood like? brent staples Greenwood was at that point a Mecca of Black economic influence in the United States. It supported somewhere between 12,000 and 15,000 people, and close to 200 businesses, 15 doctors, two dentists, chiropractors, law offices, a hospital, schools. It had a business strip that was known at the time as a Negro Wall Street, and it all this was self-contained on the Black side of the tracks in segregated Tulsa. So when you came across the tracks from White Tulsa into Greenwood Avenue, one of the first iconic buildings you encountered was the Dreamland Movie Theater. And beyond that was the Tulsa Star newspaper. Beyond that was the office of the surgeon, AC Jackson. Beyond that was the Hotel Stratford, said to be the largest hotel owned by a Black person in the United States. 65 rooms. Two movie theaters, two newspapers, five hotels, and about 30 restaurants. It was a complete community within a community. michael barbaro Brent, what youre describing sounds enormously vibrant and represents real wealth. How common was an all Black community of this kind in this moment? brent staples There were Black communities during segregation on the south side of Chicago. Of course, there was Black Harlem in New York, but there was nothing quite like Greenwood, because Greenwood had a kind of economic containment zone. All the money that you brought back from the white town stayed in Greenwood. If you worked in the white town, you came home to the Black town, dressed up, went downtown, got your hair done, went to the soda fountain. You went to the department store. You bought a suit. Then you went across the street and dropped the suit off, had it measured to be tailored. Then you maybe went out to lunch while it was being done. Everything you had done was recycling Black money in the same place. And so in a Jim Crow state thats built on the notion of Black inferiority, you have these businessmen walking up and down the street with three piece suits and money. Its a threat for white Tulsa. And then on the morning of May 30, 1921, a Black shoeshine man named Dick Rowland is working downtown, as usual. He takes a break to go to the bathroom in one of the few places that allows Negroes to use the bathroom. To get to the bathroom, he has to travel in an elevator being run by a white woman. And then something happens. We will never know what. But according to records and other accounts, the woman screams, and it becomes a classic Southern thing. A Black man in close proximity with a white woman is immediately accused of attempted sexual assault. Dick Rowland is arrested the next day. While hes being held, a white mob gathers at the jail in the hopes of lynching him. Black men from Greenwood ride in to prevent the lynching. The two sides exchanged worse, then shots, and several men fall dead, and the Black men withdraw into Greenwood. And this event gives the powers that be in Tulsa the excuse they need to unleash all their rage and all their discontent at this community. michael barbaro And what form does that take? brent staples We know from reports and testimony that the Tulsa Police deputized perhaps hundreds of white men. They were sworn in as special deputies. Some were given badges that showed that they were agents of the law, and they were instructed, in effect, to, quote, go out and kill you some damn niggers. So in the early hours of June 1, the mob sweeps through and begins systematically going house to house. In many cases, they looted the houses. In some cases, they shot people outright. And as the day progresses, a wall of flame, a wall of fire, rises and begins steadily marching across the Black oasis of Greenwood. One after another, homes, businesses, churches, schools, a public library, the hospital one after another burned. A lot of what we know about this comes from people who were children at the time. Was an eight-year-old boy named Kenny Booker whos hiding in the attic of his familys home when white men burst in. He can hear his father downstairs pleading, please dont burn my house. Please dont burn my house. The white men marched his father away at gunpoint, and then they lay flame to the house. Kenny and his siblings upstairs, the smoke begins to come in. They get down and they rush out into the street. They find a landscape that must have been like the Dresden bombing of World War II. Everything is burning. Even the utility poles were burning. People are rushing everywhere, trying to get away, and Kenny has a younger sister by the hand. And she looks up to him and she says, Kenny, is the whole world on fire? And Kenny says, no, I dont think so, but were really in trouble here. Elsewhere in Greenwood, a six-year-old girl named Olivia Hooker wakes up, and her house is being pelted by gunfire. She thinks initially that its hailstones. Her mother grabs her by the hand, parts the blinds, and says, that thing up there on the hill with a flag on it is a machine gun. Thats bullets hitting the house, and this means thats your country shooting at you. michael barbaro I mean, this resembles war. brent staples It does resemble war. And Olivia and her parents leave the house because theyre driven away by the mob. And as theyre leaving, her mother stops and tells people in the White crowd who have brought their children to see this that a curse will be visited upon them unto the subsequent generations. A boy named Elwood Left, whos only 4 and a half years old, his family actually escaped the immediate vicinity of the conflagration and then headed toward another town in their grandfathers wagon. Grandfather puts them in a wagon, gets the horses, and is moving out. As they approach a nearby town, a white man stands on the road, uses the n-word to ask where theyre going. The grandfather said, well, were just going out of town. Were just going out of town. And the White man says, no youre not today, and shoots him dead in front of the family. So this is the experience of children as this unfolds. michael barbaro Wow. brent staples By the afternoon of June 1, there is almost nothing standing. 35 square blocks of this community have been reduced to ashes. More than 8,000 people have been left homeless. We dont know exactly how many killed, but some projections are that as many as 300 people may have been killed. And were looking at the Dreamland Theater, the Stratford Hotel, and all these businesses have been reduced to ashes, and theres nothing but skeletal structures left. Meanwhile, the charges against Dick Rowland, the Black man whose encounter with a white woman in an elevator triggered all this, those charges are dropped. michael barbaro If Greenwood is now burned to the ground and theres no question who is responsible for this, what happens next? What kind of options do the people of Greenwood have to seek some kind of justice? brent staples First, something extremely cruel happens. The city of Tulsa tells the outside world that its going to provide a rebuilding fund, and actually discouraged fundraising in parts of the country to have the community rebuilt. But that fund never materialized. And Black Tulsans filed nearly 200 claims, but the insurance companies declined to pay them because of a riot exclusion clause in the policies. michael barbaro If it was a riot, was this somehow considered a riot? brent staples Correct. This was being characterized as a riot, but it clearly was not. When you have a situation in which the actual authorities of the city deputize and unleash a mob of people, who, in fact, destroyed property and killed citizens under color of law, how could one call that a riot? That really was almost like a paramilitary action under the citys purview. But the mythology that built up around this with a label of the riot essentially recast this paramilitary activity as though it were a spontaneous eruption of violence that the authorities had nothing to do with. And so this label of riot was a way of diffusing responsibility of saying that theres no particular locus of responsibility for this. michael barbaro So these Black homeowners and business owners, theyre not compensated in any way for what has been done to them? brent staples No. No, theyre not. As a matter of fact, theyre actually blamed for the violence. This, after all, was the 1920s. The Ku Klux Klan was in resurgence, and what was common at the time, all white grand juries. And so there was no recourse through the courts. There was no recourse to insurance. There was no recourse from the city. But whats remarkable is that the community coalesces and it rebuilds Greenwood. Then a peculiar thing happens. A veil of secrecy falls over this entire event. Within some weeks, law enforcement officials forbid people taking photographs of the destruction because its bad for the city. Conversation in the white town, hush, dont talk about it. Dont write about it. Because uncles, sons, other people were involved in the carnage. In the Black town, a different form of suppression happens. People who have survived the burning, and the murder, and this sort of living nightmare begin to withhold the story from their children. michael barbaro Why? brent staples Because they are, first of all, terrified that any kind of agitation around this event would bring a repetition of what they experienced. As one friend of mine told me in Tulsa so many years ago, Black folks lived in fear that the whites who had come once might come again. And so we arrive at a situation where within 20 years, people who were born in Greenwood do not know that the community had been leveled to the ground and that dead bodies were strewn in the streets. This becomes a deliberate kind of amnesia that grips the city, both the Black and white communities, for another 50 years until 1971 when someone decides its time to tell the story. [music] michael barbaro Well be right back. Brent, how does the silence finally break and the story of what happened in Greenwood finally get told? brent staples So a few decades after the massacre, a child named Don Ross was growing up in the rebuilt Greenwood. He came of age under the cover of enforced silence. He was 15 years old when he learned from his teacher, who was a survivor of the massacre, that the community had been destroyed. And he jumps to his feet and says, this could not be true. Nobody would burn down my community. Theres no 300 people killed. The people here wouldnt stand for it. It couldnt possibly be true. michael barbaro Wow. So the first time Don Ross ever heard about this moment, he was incredulous? brent staples Yes. He initially refused to believe it, but his teacher settled the matter by producing photographs of the carnage, included images of corpses with arms and legs burned away and coffins stacked on the backs of trucks headed out of town to anonymous graves. The lost story of the massacre becomes a driving force for Don Ross. It propels his journalistic career, and years later in the 1970s he helps to start a small magazine. [music] Around the same time, A white amateur historian named Ed Wheeler is working on an article about what happened in Tulsa in 1921. Its a tough article to report. In the white part of town, the city fathers have suppressed the story to protect the towns reputation. In the Black part of town, people who survived are terrified of speaking about it. So as Ed was writing the story, the Black sources stipulated that they would only meet him at night in their churches under the guidance of their ministers, and he encountered threats from people. Once a stranger in the street tapped him on the shoulder and said, youll be sorry if you publish that story. A threatening note was written across the windshield of his car, best look under the hood from now on. But he persisted, and Ed finishes the story. He goes to the Chamber of Commerce magazine and is told that the magazine cannot publish the story. He appeals to the local newspaper, The Tulsa World, where an editor told him, I would not touch that article with an 11 foot pole. So heres Ed, this big white guy walking around with this manuscript, and he finds a startup magazine called Oklahoma Impact and Don Ross. And so Don at the time was looking to publish something special in this magazine to commemorate the 50th year since what was then called the Tulsa Race Riot. And in this article, he has it. The story spreads quickly throughout Greenwood, and this blows the cover off the conspiracy of silence. A little more than a decade later, Don Ross becomes a state legislator who is consumed with justice for the survivors of the Tulsa Race Massacre. michael barbaro And what does that look like? How does Don Ross go about pursuing justice for the survivors? brent staples Don Ross is, I think its probably his 17th year in the legislature. He convinces the state to create what was called the Tulsa Race Riot Commission. michael barbaro And what exactly was that commission? What was it trying to accomplish? brent staples What the commission was chartered to do was to finally investigate the event, to try to find out how many people died, provide an estimate of the property damage, and explain what caused the disturbance. But its most controversial part from the very start was to determine whether or not the state should pay reparations, either to the Black district of Greenwood or to individual survivors. They located scores of witnesses, interviewed them. And it is from those witnesses that we find out the contours of this event. Everything I said to you is essentially stuff thats put forward by survivors in transcripts, and basically this is how the story actually flowers and comes into full knowledge through the commission. Among other things, the report showed that the police were, indeed, complicit in the destruction of Greenwood because they deputized part of the mob that destroyed it. Witnesses even talked about seeing law enforcement officials burning some properties. So what the people in Greenwood had hoped for, they had hope for the detail emerging of the citys abdication of responsibility would force the city and the state to pay restitution. That did not happen. The legislature instead tried to deal with the matter by giving survivors commemorative medals. michael barbaro Medals for surviving these attacks? brent staples Yes. It was very peculiar, at the least. I mean, the medals trivialized the suffering of the people, and incredibly so. And basically, the survivors, many of whom were in their 90s at the time, decided that they were not going to go quietly to the grave. Instead, they filed a lawsuit seeking damages. But in the state of Oklahoma, civil rights actions have to be filed within two years of the alleged offense. And so the case is dismissed, and survivors again receive no reparations. michael barbaro Brent, Im thinking back now on this magazine publisher turned legislator who you introduced us to, Don Ross, who first succeeded back in the 1970s in breaking the wall of silence around Tulsa. But he wanted more than that. He wanted reparations. And so as a politician, he gets this commission off the ground, and he succeeds once again in breaking down yet another kind of barrier in getting the official record changed in establishing what actually happened in Tulsa for the public. But still, what hes really after, which is some kind of action, some kind of effort to make whole these people who have lost so much, that isnt happening. brent staples Correct. At times when people were trying to forget this thing, he made the state relive it with him. And he really thought, if the damage inflicted by the city and state on his population were made clear that authorities would be shamed into making restitution. Its one thing to acknowledge, yes, it was a bad thing. Its quite another to go into the state or city budget and say, were going to pay x million dollars. That is a level of admission that is beyond the symbolic. michael barbaro Admission of what? brent staples That institutional racism governed the police approach to the Black citizens of Greenwood, governed the courts that denied them restitution, governed the city council that tried to stop them from rebuilding. To sit down and basically compensate them would be to acknowledge the impact of all those forms of institutional racism that presided over this disaster and the suppression of it. And that, of course, is, as we know now, not how it worked out. [music] archived recording Were coming up on the centennial of what is widely considered to be the single worst incident of racial violence in American history, the 1921 massacre brent staples As the centennial began to appear on the horizon archived recording Because weve had dialogue over the past year about the difference in the word massacre versus riot brent staples in 2018, a commission that was put together to plan centennial activities changed its name from the Riot Centennial Commission archived recording This commission will now, going forward, be called the 1921 Race Massacre Commission. brent staples to the Massacre Centennial Commission. archived recording The word riot, just that word riot, was a reason to deny insurance policies for folks that had their belongings destroyed, their houses burned, and their loved ones massacred. brent staples This might seem minor, but in truth, it rights a kind of rhetorical wrong that goes back to the very beginning of this tragedy. Here, this is no longer just some spontaneous explosion of disaffection. What it at least allows to be considered is that the authorities were directly culpable in essentially engineering a disaster that destroyed millions of dollars worth of property and lost a still unknown number of lives. Also, the city recommitted itself to trying to find mass graves that had long been rumored to contain the bodies of massacre victims. So this aspect of researching the tragedy moves forward, and I would say that in a few years or so were going to know a lot more about the nature of the loss of life and how it happened. michael barbaro It seems, Brent, that so much of the fight around Tulsa has just been to tell the story of what happened to just figure out and acknowledge what occurred. But at the end of this journey, what has been achieved here could be seen as quite modest, right? After all this effort, the people of Tulsa, and increasingly the rest of the country, are finally calling this what it is and what it always was. But that, to me, raises a question. After an episode like this of force forgetting, is recovering the memory enough? brent staples First of all, lets say uncovering truth is in itself a noble and beneficial thing for all of humanity. I think the better and more noble outcome, and the moral outcome, would have been for city and state officials to recognize their culpability in a financial way. And the best outcome of all would have been for that acknowledgement to happen before all these survivors who were around in the 90s went off to the grave. That would have been, I think, a proper denouement to this whole thing. But what we have here, we have a slow process of acknowledgment. We have great swaths of important and bloody history suppressed because the contemporary society is ashamed of them, and you excavate history, keep bringing forward. And in the end, I think the beneficial results are seen more by posterity than by people living right now. I know its unsatisfying to say that survivors and the rest of us may have to content ourselves with a recitation of a long-suppressed truth. That does not resolve the matter in the present or in the hearts and the lives of the people affected. But in the end, as we often say, the truth of what happens may have to be enough. michael barbaro Brent, thank you very much. We appreciate it. brent staples Thank you, Michael. [music] archived recording (viola ford fletcher) Greenwood represented all the best of what was possible for Black people in America, and for all the people. When my family was forced to leave Tulsa, I lost my chance of an education. I never finished school past the fourth grade. I have never made much money. To this day, I can barely afford my everyday needs. I am a 107-year-old and have never been seen justice. I pray that one day I will. michael barbaro Well be right back. Heres what else you need to know today. Benjamin Netanyahu, Israels longest serving prime minister, is in jeopardy of losing power after a series of unexpected political maneuvers by his allies and rivals. Over the weekend, a diverse coalition of eight political parties, including one led by Netanyahus former defense minister, said they had enough votes in Israels legislature to replace him. archived recording This is a government of surrender, of fraud. Therefore, such a government must not be formed. And I call michael barbaro In a speech, Netanyahu reacted to the announcement with outrage, accused members of the coalition of betraying him, and instructed his right wing allies not to support what he called a left wing government. archived recording If youre a right winger, you dont vote for a left wing government. And if you vote for a left wing government, youre not a right winger. This is the simple truth. Follow it. Stand up against the left wing government. michael barbaro And archived recording I cannot tell you how proud I am to be here with my Democratic colleagues to say that enough is enough. michael barbaro In Texas, Democratic state lawmakers derailed a Republican bill to restrict voting in the state by staging a dramatic walkout. archived recording Based on the tally sheet furnished by the voting clerk, a quorum is apparently not present. michael barbaro The walkout deprived the legislature of the minimum number of lawmakers required to vote on the bill, forcing Republicans to adjourn the legislative session and abandon their plan for now. The Republican bill, which is supported by Texass Republican governor, would have restricted absentee voting, granted new powers to partisan poll watchers, and banned both drive-through voting and 24 hour voting. Todays episode was produced by Neena Pathak, Soraya Shockley, Annie Brown, and Daniel Guillemette with help from Alexandra Leigh Young and Austin Mitchell. It was edited by Liz O. Baylen and Lisa Chow and engineered by Chris Wood. Special Thanks to Sheena Perez and Mallory Covington. Thats it for The Daily. Im Michael Barbaro. See you tomorrow. Democrats want to pass a major voting rights overhaul, but the filibuster stands in the way. Representative Cori Bush, Democrat of Missouri, at a news conference in April calling on senators to end the filibuster. Credit... Anna Moneymaker for The New York Times In the national struggle over voting rights, Democrats have rested their hopes for turning back a wave of new restrictions in Republican-led states and expanding ballot access on their narrow majorities in Congress. Failure, they have repeatedly insisted, is not an option. But as Republican efforts to clamp down on voting prevail across the country, the drive to enact the most sweeping elections overhaul in generations is faltering in the Senate. With a self-imposed Labor Day deadline for action, Democrats are struggling to unite around a strategy to overcome solid Republican opposition and an almost certain filibuster. Republicans in Congress have dug in against the measure, with even the most moderate dismissing it as bloated and overly prescriptive. That leaves Democrats no option for passing it other than to try to force the bill through by destroying the filibuster rule which requires 60 votes to put aside any senators objection to pass it on a simple majority, party-line vote. But Senator Joe Manchin III of West Virginia, the Democrats decisive swing vote, has repeatedly pledged to protect the filibuster and is refusing to sign on to the voting rights bill. He calls the legislation too darn broad and too partisan, despite endorsing such proposals in past sessions. Other Democrats also remain uneasy about some of its core provisions. Summarizing the partys challenge, another Democratic senator who asked to remain anonymous to discuss strategy summed it up this way: The path to passage is as narrow as it is rocky, but Democrats have no choice but to die trying to get across. Advertisement Continue reading the main story The Supreme Court issued unanimous rulings on immigration and tribal policing. A sign marking the boundary of the Crow Indian Reservation near Hardin, Mont., last year. Credit... Matthew Brown/Associated Press In a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that tribal police officers may sometimes detain and search non-Native Americans on federal highways In a second case, the high court, also ruling unanimously, found that there is no presumption that testimony from immigrants fighting deportation is credible. The case on tribal officers, United States v. Cooley, arose from an encounter in 2016 on a federal highway in the Crow Reservation in Montana. Officer James Saylor of the Crow Police Department stopped to assist a truck parked on the side of the road and found that the driver, Joshua Cooley, had what he said were watery and bloodshot eyes. Noticing two semiautomatic rifles on the front seat, Officer Saylor detained Mr. Cooley and later also found methamphetamine in the truck. Charged with federal drug and gun offenses, Mr. Cooley moved to suppress the evidence against him, arguing that tribal police officers lacked the authority to investigate violations of state or federal law by non-Native Americans on public highways in Indian reservations. The lower courts agreed, suppressing the evidence against Mr. Cooley. Justice Stephen G. Breyer, writing for the court, acknowledged that the Supreme Courts precedents generally barred tribes from regulating the activities of those outside them. But he said there was an important exception. Tribes may act, he wrote, quoting a 1981 decision, when a non-Native Americans conduct threatens or has some direct effect on the political integrity, the economic security or the health or welfare of the tribe. That exception, Justice Breyer wrote, fits the present case, almost like a glove. In the immigration case, Garland v. Dai, the court rejected rulings from the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, in San Francisco, that assumed immigrants testimony was credible unless immigration judges specifically said otherwise. The Ninth Circuit has long applied a special rule in immigration disputes, Justice Neil M. Gorsuch wrote for the court, one that appears to be an outlier. Unless immigration judges make an explicit adverse credibility determination, the appeals court said, a reviewing court must treat a petitioning aliens testimony as credible and true. The decision involved two cases in which immigrants had avoided deportation thanks to that presumption. In one, an immigration judge ruled that Cesar Alcaraz-Enriquez must be returned to Mexico because a federal law barred leniency for people convicted of serious crimes. Mr. Alcaraz-Enriquez had been convicted of domestic abuse, and his probation report described in detail a series of violent assaults. In testimony before the judge, Mr. Alcaraz-Enriquez gave a more benign account, admitting that he had hit a girlfriend but saying he had done so to protect his daughter. Because the judge made no explicit credibility determination, the Ninth Circuit ruled for Mr. Alcaraz-Enriquez, saying his version of events must be accepted. I am no stranger to media manipulating my words, and therefore let me repeat my response to a question asked at the conference: There is no reason it (a coup) should happen here (in America), he wrote. Speaking at the same conference over the weekend, Representative Louie Gohmert, Republican of Texas, said that right-wing extremists were not solely responsible for the Capitol riot. The false idea that left-wing groups were responsible is popular among some conservatives. Mr. Gohmert also minimized the severity of the riot in which a mob of American supporters of Mr. Trump tried violently to stop Congress from certifying the results of the 2020 election by citing past attacks by foreigners: Some of us think Pearl Harbor was the worst attack on democracy. Some of us think 9/11 was the worst attack. Some of us think that those things were worse attacks on democracy. (President Biden has called the riot the worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War.) A spokeswoman for Mr. Gohmert did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday. He and Mr. Flynn both spoke in front of a logo that included the QAnon slogan WWG1WGA, short for Where We Go One, We Go All. Patrick Baker, whose family donated thousands of dollars to the Republican politician, was arrested Sunday on a charge of murder committed during a robbery and kidnapping related to drug trafficking. The charges stem from the same 2014 home invasion for which Baker was convicted in 2017 and then pardoned just two years later. MIAMI Nikki Fried, Floridas agriculture commissioner, declared her candidacy for governor on Tuesday, casting herself as the Democratic Partys best option to defeat Ron DeSantis, the popular Republican incumbent, given her role as the only statewide elected Democrat. After two decades of Republican governors, its time to try something new, Ms. Fried said in a brief phone interview days before her announcement. Its time for a change. Ms. Fried is the second major Democrat to enter the race. Representative Charlie Crist of St. Petersburg began his campaign last month and has been holding political events across the state. Mr. Crist is far better known: He served as Floridas Republican governor from 2007 to 2011, lost a Senate run as an independent in 2012 and ran unsuccessfully against Gov. Rick Scott in 2014 as a Democrat. Ms. Fried, who was elected in 2018, acknowledged that Mr. Crist would start the race with better name recognition, but said she had no doubt that Democratic voters would be hungry for a fresh alternative. While most of the United States prison systems have struggled to vaccinate inmates, those in California and some other states have outperformed vaccination rates among the general public. And experts say their success may offer clues about how to persuade skeptical people outside correctional facilities to get vaccinated. Education is really key, said Lauren Brinkley-Rubinstein, a professor at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine who leads the Covid Prison Project, a group that tracks coronavirus cases in correctional settings and compiled the data on vaccination rates. Especially in a prison context, where there tends to be a lot of distrust of both health care staff and correctional staff, that education piece becomes even more important. At one California prison, inmates held a town-hall-style meeting in which medical experts answered questions about the safety of the vaccines. In Rhode Island, formerly incarcerated people were involved in helping develop a vaccination plan for inmates. In Kansas, inmates were given priority for vaccinations, and prisons provided vaccine information to inmates relatives and to the inmates themselves. About 73 percent of inmates in California and Kansas prisons have received at least one Covid vaccine dose, according to the project. In North Dakota, another state that has had prison town-hall meetings, the rate is above 80 percent. The coronavirus has now claimed the lives of 32 lawmakers in the Democratic Republic of Congo more than 5 percent of its Parliament the authorities say, a reflection of how the coronavirus continues to pose a widespread threat in some parts of the world even as others increasingly resume pre-pandemic behavior. The toll of the outbreak in Congo is also rising as the country struggles to roll out Covid-19 vaccines, fight off other deadly diseases and grapple with the eruption of one of the worlds most dangerous volcanoes. This pandemic is raging decimating thousands of human lives and exploding in the process the rate of morbidity, Jean-Marc Kabund, the first vice president of Parliaments lower house, told lawmakers last week. Congo Africas second-largest country, with a population of more than 86 million has reported over 31,000 coronavirus cases and 786 deaths, although those numbers probably vastly underestimate the scale of the outbreak because testing levels remain low nationwide. Players from Australias national womens softball team arrived in Japan on Tuesday ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, a show of confidence in a beleaguered event that is struggling against a coronavirus outbreak and growing public opposition. Twenty players and 10 staff members, all of whom have been vaccinated against Covid-19, landed at Narita International Airport outside Tokyo and traveled to the city of Ota, where they will train before moving into the Olympic Village on July 17. They are among the first international competitors to reach Japan before the Games. The team, known as the Aussie Spirit, must strictly limit its movements as Japan tries to contain a prolonged fourth wave of the coronavirus. On Friday, the Japanese government extended a state of emergency in Tokyo and eight other prefectures until June 20. In other prefectures including Gunma, where the Australian players will train emergency measures curtailing businesses operating hours and capacity at certain venues are set to expire on June 13. New daily infections in the country have declined more than 40 percent in the past two weeks, according to a New York Times database, but Japan is still recording more than 3,500 cases per day, the most since January. SEOUL The shop assistant followed the ambassadors wife out of a Seoul clothing store, stopped her in the street and checked the label of her jacket to make sure it had not been shoplifted. The customer, Xiang Xueqiu, returned to the store in a rage, slapping the assistant on the back of the head and another in the face. She had not stolen anything, but the attack was captured by surveillance footage and led to a police investigation. The incident turned into a slow-burning diplomatic flap with weeks of embarrassing headlines. Now the Belgian embassy in Seoul has said it will recall Ms. Xiangs husband, Ambassador Peter Lescouhier, in the best interest of our bilateral relations. Mr. Lescouhier is scheduled to leave his post sometime this summer. The bilateral trading relationship between Belgium and South Korea was worth more than four billion euros, or nearly $5 billion, last year. In its announcement, the government promised to help families with education costs and child care, but gave little detail. China has long promised to overhaul policies that affected families, but changes had been slow. The only real shift in the last five years, said Lu Hongping, a professor of population studies at Hebei University, had been a lengthening of statutory maternity leave to around 160 days in most areas. But even then, he said, it was too short. They havent done it well. Essentially, they havent done it, Professor Lu said of the reforms. And if its not done, then the costs are too high, and many people will feel that they cant afford too big of a family. For Mr. Hu and his wife, one child had already been enough. But his parents exhorted them to have a second to help support the couple in their old age. They reluctantly agreed, knowing that rural pensions paid only a pittance. Mr. Hus mother had initially helped watch his two children, ages 4 and 9, while he traveled to factories in southern China for better work, but that was no longer possible after her health faltered. Mr. Hu and his wife recently moved back to their hometown in a small county in Sichuan and opened a street food shop to get by. He was now straining to pay for his mothers medical expenses her insurance had covered little of it and to give his children good educations. Huang Yulong never wanted a baby. As a child, he resented his parents, who left him in the care of relatives while they worked in faraway factories, visiting roughly once a year. He never felt a need to reproduce or pass on the family name. So, at the age of 26, he had a vasectomy. For our generation, children arent a necessity, said Mr. Huang, a bachelor in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou. Now we can live without any burdens. So why not invest our spiritual and economic resources on our own lives? Mr. Huang, 27, is striving for a lifestyle known as Double Income, No Kids, or DINK. The acronym has been around for decades, but only recently entered the mainstream in China, where rising costs and other economic woes have caused many young people to avoid parenthood. The competition for schools and apartments is intensifying. Some couples say they dont want more than one child. Others want none at all. The lifestyle is also in direct conflict with the Chinese governments effort to avert a coming demographic crisis. On Monday, Beijing once again revised its family planning policy, allowing families to have three children instead of two. The announcement was meant to encourage couples to make more babies, but men like Mr. Huang say they would rather remain childless even going under the knife to ensure it. MOSCOW An opposition activist in Belarus stabbed himself in the throat with a pen during a court hearing on Tuesday after claiming that investigators had threatened to prosecute his family and neighbors if he did not plead guilty. A video clip recorded just after the stabbing showed the activist, Stepan Latypov, lying on a bench inside a defendants cage with police officers trying to lift him. Onlookers could be heard screaming in the footage, taken inside the courtroom in the capital, Minsk, by Nasha Niva, a news website in Belarus. Mr. Latypov, who was facing charges that included inciting social unrest, was later seen being carried out of the court building to an ambulance, his shirt marked with blood, in a video taken by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. He was receiving treatment at a hospital and was in stable condition, according to a statement from the countrys Health Ministry. The apparent suicide attempt comes amid increasingly repressive efforts by President Alexander G. Lukashenko, the brutal and erratic longtime leader of Belarus, to stifle all dissent in the country. LONDON Prime Minister Boris Johnsons marriage to his fiancee, Carrie Symonds, on Saturday caught even his closest advisers off guard. Yet, perhaps the most surprising thing about the stealth ceremony was how by-the-book it was. The bride wore a flowing white dress and a crown of white flowers in her hair; the groom a dark suit with a boutonniere. They were married by a Catholic priest in Westminster Cathedral in London, the seat of the English Catholic Church. That last detail has become a subject of lingering intrigue because, after all, this was Boris Johnson, no altar boy, walking to the altar. The question bubbling in Catholic circles: How did a twice-divorced man, with at least one child born out of wedlock, manage to get married in the Roman Catholic Church? The answer is simple and, to some people, unsatisfying: Mr. Johnson, 56, and Ms. Symonds, 33, were both baptized as Catholics. Neither of Mr. Johnsons previous two marriages was in the Catholic Church so the church does not recognize them, and Ms. Symonds had never married. As part of the deal, prosecutors will seek no more than a 180-day jail sentence, followed by two years probation, according to KOMU. Giovanni Brusca, an Italian mobster turned informer, has been released after serving 25 years in prison for murder and associating with the mafia, rekindling memories of the countrys battle against organized crime in the 1990s. Mr. Brusca, known as the People Slayer, was arrested in 1996 and later admitted to involvement in more than 100 killings before becoming an informer and helping the authorities identify and arrest dozens of fellow mobsters from the mafia families of Sicily. This is what the law says, a law that my brother wanted and that we respect, said Maria Falcone, the sister of Giovanni Falcone, an anti-mafia judge who was among Mr. Bruscas victims. Mr. Falcone was killed with his wife and three bodyguards escorting him in 1992 when Mr. Brusca detonated an explosive that blew up the highway that their cars were traveling on near Palermo, in Sicily. But the pain, the anger and the fear that an individual capable of doing so much evil can return to offend, Ms. Falcone said in a statement posted on the Facebook page of the anti-mafia Falcone Foundation. The town of Reading proved to be an important place in the life of Oscar Wilde, a celebrated literary figure until 1895, when he was arrested at the Cadogan Hotel in London and subsequently convicted of gross indecency. When he was transferred from a prison in London to Reading Gaol, it was supposed to be an improvement in his conditions. But prison rules still forbade most social interaction, the food was appalling and the sanitation worse. For an aesthete and sybarite like Wilde, incarceration was a crushing change of fortune depicted vividly in The Ballad of Reading Gaol, which he wrote after his release. It recounts the fate of an inmate who was hanged in the prison grounds. Each narrow cell in which we dwell Is a foul and dark latrine, And the fetid breath of living Death Chokes up each grated screen, And all, but Lust, is turned to dust In Humanitys machine Gyles Brandreth, a writer, broadcaster, actor and former lawmaker who is honorary president of the Oscar Wilde Society, said the prison symbolized Wildes place in global literary, cultural and social history and needed to be saved. There are not many literary figures whose life as well as their work plays a part in the national story, and indeed in the international story, he said. We are fascinated by his rise and by his fall and, because of the extraordinary change in attitudes to homosexuality over the century, he also has a place in social history. What we get in Reading Gaol is that transition from triumph to tragedy. But he is also inserting his church into the slippery terrain of the #MeToo era, and asking church authorities to determine fault and judge grievances in an illicit relationship between an adult parishioner and a priest, or a layperson working for the church. Nicholas P. Cafardi, a prominent canon lawyer in the United States, said the revisions to the code made it more conforming to todays expectations of professionals. The priest and parishioner dynamic certainly is a power relationship, he said. The updated norms met with approval from some of the Vaticans most consistent critics. This is an important step forward in acknowledging the true scope of abuse within the Catholic Church, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests said in a statement. But, the group added, The changes announced by the Vatican are only as good as their enforcement. The new laws do not take effect until Dec. 8. Church law previously considered sexual relationships between clerics and consenting adults as sinful, but not a crime (though rape and assault were already considered crimes). Often, offending clerics were forced to go to counseling, but in practice, it was rarely seen as an offense grave enough to be removed from the priesthood. Defrocking a priest is among the most severe punishments in canon law. In recent years, Pope Francis seems to have made strides to overcome what many saw as a dangerous blind spot when it comes to the plague of abuse. He has cracked down on the sexual abuse of minors by passing church laws to punish bishops and religious superiors for negligence and failing to protect their flocks from predators. He convened a major global church summit on abuse in 2019, and subsequently introduced laws requiring priests and nuns to report abuse accusations to church authorities. But there are other forces and parties who have compromise programs, Mr. Majdalani said. We will see what happens. We do not want to prejudge, and we will decide how we will deal with this government after we see its program. Among the Arab minority in Israel, many of whom define themselves as Palestinian citizens of Israel, the prospect of a new government has divided opinion. While the government would be led by Mr. Bennett, and packed with lawmakers who oppose a Palestinian state, some hoped the presence of three centrist and leftist parties in the coalition, coupled with the likely tacit support of Raam, an Arab Islamist party, might moderate Mr. Bennetts approach. Its complicated, said Bashaer Fahoum-Jayoussi, the co-chairwoman of the board of the Abraham Initiatives, a nongovernmental group that promotes equality between Arabs and Jews. There are cons and pros. The biggest pro is getting rid of Netanyahu. But its a huge bullet to bite in order to achieve that. The cabinet is expected to include at least one Arab, Esawi Frej, of the left-wing Meretz party. Raams leader, Mansour Abbas, has said he will support the new government only if it grants more resources and attention to the Arab minority. And the likely appointment of a center-left minister to oversee the police force might encourage officers to take a more restrained approach to Palestinians in East Jerusalem, where clashes between the police and protesters played a major role in the buildup to the recent war in Gaza. But others doubted much could be achieved in that regard. It doesnt matter who the minister for police is, said Sawsan Zaher, the deputy general director of Adalah, a campaign group that promotes minority rights in Israel. Police behavior is embedded within the police as an institution, and not a decision by Minister X or Minister Y. How Do Animals Safely Cross a Highway? Take a Look. There are few things Americans can agree on these days. Wildlife crossings, it seems, are one of them. The engineers were used to building overpasses for vehicles, not wildlife. But every spring and fall, collisions with mule deer and pronghorn spiked in the Pinedale region of Wyoming, where Route 191 disrupted the animals age-old migration paths. So the state Department of Transportation joined with the state wildlife agency and nonprofit groups to create a series of crossings, including the one pictured above. Collisions have dropped by roughly 90 percent. It felt like we finally found something that works, said Jennifer Hoffman, an engineer at the Wyoming Department of Transportation. People are pretty hesitant to do something new. Once youve done it, and it does what you said it would do, theyre willing to do it more. Examples like that, along with earlier success stories from Canada and Europe, have led to a broad consensus on the value of animal crossings, according to environmentalists and transportation officials alike. This is the time of the wildlife crossing, said Mike Leahy, director of wildlife, hunting and fishing policy at the National Wildlife Federation. This issue has been building for decades and it was like pulling teeth. And now everyone who works on these issues seems to get it. This mule deer is trying to cross Interstate 80 in the Pequop Mountains of Nevada. NineCaribou Productions, LLC Since 2010, the state has built five large overpasses in the area, including this one, which deer started using before it was even finished. Tim Torell/Digital Wildlife Images Eighteen other new structures have gone up to facilitate wildlife crossings across the state. NineCaribou Productions, LLC Research shows that, across the country, there are one to two million collisions between vehicles and large animals each year. These accidents cause more than 26,000 human injuries and about 200 human deaths. Funding for crossings is a challenge, but that may get easier, too: A bipartisan Senate version of the transportation bill being hammered out in Congress includes $350 million for wildlife crossings and corridors. States often piggyback wildlife structures or modifications onto other road improvement projects, and they are still experimenting with how to get the best value for money. In Utah, a team from the states Transportation Department was planning a new truck lane on a stretch of highway that was a hot spot for collisions with moose, elk and deer. But, given the conditions at their site, they didnt have the money to build something as wide as most other overpasses. So, they worked with the budget and topography they had, constructing a wildlife bridge that was remarkably narrow considering how long it was. The bridge was finished by the time they hired Nicki Frey, a wildlife biologist with Utah State University, to study the effectiveness of the crossing. When she first saw it, she was startled by how skinny and stark it looked. Oh my gosh, how is this ever going to work? she recalled thinking. I was really only expecting maybe a handful of successful crossings in the first year, Dr. Frey said. We expected to see a lot of animals approach the overpass, sort of sniff around, maybe make some anxious looking movements and then decide not to use it. But when she reviewed the images from the trail cameras, she was stunned. Utah Division of Wildlife Resources A wide variety of animals were using the overpass, often without hesitation. Within the first several months of her study, she documented hundreds of crossings. There were moose, deer, black bears, mountain lions, porcupines and more. Theyre actually just using it on a daily basis, Dr. Frey said. We had coyotes hunting on it. We had bobcats hunting on it. We have marmots that just come and lounge in the sun and then leave. Rabbits and some of the smaller mammals like ground squirrels and chipmunks, they are just coming to forage for seeds and whatnot and then leaving. So its not even just, Oh, my gosh, Ive got to get across the highway. Its just part of their habitat now. The one target species that has been almost absent is elk. This is only the beginning, said Matt Howard, a wildlife biologist with the Utah Department of Transportation. If its going to follow the patterns we get from other crossings, its going to increase for four or five years, and then it plateaus. Utah Division of Wildlife Resources While transportation officials emphasize that human safety is the main motivation for these new projects, the structures dont come a moment too soon for animals. Development continues to erode wildlife habitat, disrupt migration corridors and fragment groups, leading to population collapse and unhealthy genetic isolation. Looming large is another threat: climate change. As certain species move in search of cooler, moister conditions, they will have to contend with busy roadways. Animals also have to escape more intense wildfires and find new habitat while the burned areas recover, scientists say. California wildfires in 2018. Noah Berger/Associated Press There are more than a thousand dedicated wildlife crossings in the United States today, up from just a few in the 1970s and 80s, according to Patricia Cramer, an ecologist who has studied and worked in the field for two decades. But only 10 or 20 are overpasses. While overpasses tend to get the most attention, underpasses and tunnels are far more common. Southwest Florida has more than 50 dedicated wildlife crossings that allow animals to pass under roads. fStop Foundation/Florida Department of Transportation They were set up to protect the states endangered panther population. fStop Foundation/Florida Department of Transportation But lots of other species make use of them. fStop Foundation/Florida Department of Transportation Like many states, Florida has new crossings planned. Daniel Smith/The University of Central Florida Nationwide, an overpass spanning a four-lane highway typically costs $5 to $10 million; large underpasses are cheaper, starting at a few hundred thousand dollars, according to Marcel Huijser, an ecologist with Montana State Universitys Western Transportation Institute. But building them in appropriate places saves money overall, his research shows. Wildlife collisions cost $8 billion per year for things like vehicle repair, medical expenses, towing and the removal and disposal of animal carcasses. Thus far, the insurance industry has not helped pay for crossings, something advocates and officials say they hope will change. Still, the crossings are worthwhile public safety measures, Dr. Huijser said. He pointed out that insurance companies arent responsible for fixing other dangerous roadway issues like curves that are too tight. The costs and visual impact of the related fencing have sometimes provoked pushback from the public, but transportation officials say theyve been more surprised by how popular theyve been. At the Flathead Indian Reservation, south of Glacier National Park in Montana, wildlife crossings helped persuade the community to agree to a road-widening project. For years, tourists, truckers and commuters would race down a treacherous section of U.S. Highway 93 with little or no shoulder. The state wanted to widen the highway to four lanes from two and add a turning lane, but the tribes who live there the Bitterroot Salish, Upper Pend dOreille, and the Kootenai were concerned about how a larger highway would divide their communities and affect wildlife, particularly threatened grizzly bears. They eventually agreed to a project that included 42 wildlife crossings. Its safer for people and its safer for animals, said Whisper Camel-Means, the tribal wildlife program manager. Clockwise from top left: Grizzly bear, snowshoe hare, a raccoon and mallards at the Flathead Indian Reservation. Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, Montana Department of Transportation and Western Transportation Institute, Montana State University Another boost to the popularity of wildlife crossings: Trail camera footage going viral. One of the most viewed clips wasnt even a designated structure, just a culvert under a busy highway in Californias Santa Cruz mountains. A coyote and badger, recorded by scientists studying how animals interact with roadways, looked like friends. Pathways for Wildlife and Peninsula Open Space Trust The following clip, of a bobcat kitten and its mother under a bridge along Highway 68 near Salinas, Calif., was part of a similar study. With substantial private donations, the state is planning an $87 million crossing for mountain lions that would be the biggest of its kind in the world. Pathways for Wildlife for the Transportation Agency of Monterey County and Caltrans Efforts tend to focus on large animals, as those collisions affect people. But an untold number of smaller animals are also struck everyday. In Vermont, for example, transportation officials are planning a snake underpass for a section of road scheduled for an upgrade. Wildlife officials have documented substantial rattlesnake roadkill in the area, and they hope a crossing will reconnect the states two remaining rattlesnake dens. While most crossings are built by state transportation departments, some have come from citizens. In Monkton, Vt., a group of amphibian enthusiasts was appalled at the carnage that would happen on rainy nights each spring as salamanders and frogs that had overwintered in the forest crossed a road to breed in the vernal pools where they were born. In the mid-2000s, a small group of volunteers would walk along the road to count them, moving the creatures to the other side as they went. But more salamanders were constantly crossing in front and behind. It was heart wrenching when cars came by, said Chris Slesar, who is the environmental resources coordinator for the Vermont Agency of Transportation but got involved with the Monkton salamanders as a volunteer. And so the community raised donations and grants for two amphibian crossings, which opened in 2015. Vermont Agency of Transportation Scientists warn that even as wildlife crossings gain traction, they are only one piece of the work needed to reconnect fragmented populations of wildlife. And the environmental value of crossings will backfire if they are used to get new roads approved in places where the impact to animals is too high. I want everyone to be super excited about wildlife crossings, but I dont want people to forget that a wildlife crossing is like a Band-Aid, said Trisha White, an environmentalist who was integral in moving wildlife crossings from the fringes to the mainstream in the United States. The structures, she emphasized, can only fix a small part of the roads damage to wildlife habitat. The road, she said, is like a wound. Audiophiles are known to pour lots of time and resources into their passion, but few go above and beyond to fulfill their dreams. One such individual spent over 25 years building what many consider the worlds best stereo system. Ever since he was a teenager, Milwaukee native Ken Fritz knew that music and sound were his greatest passions. In high-school, he was already building his own advanced speakers, and, as an adult, he turned his passion into a successful business that helped him fund his greatest dream to build the worlds ultimate stereo system. It took him over a quarter of a century to do it, but today his creation is regarded as the best sound system in the world by both professionals and fellow audiophiles. Photo: Ken Fritz When you think about a sound system, you probably just envision lots of speakers, amplifiers and the sorts, and while Ken Fritzs setup does feature some very impressive gear, theres a lot more to what makes it the best in the world. The audiophile knew that in order to create the ultimate stereo experience, he would need the right acoustic condition, so he created the perfect room in his home in Chesterfield County, Virginia. There is more to the room that houses Fritzs advanced sound system than just tasteful 18th century motif. Underneath all the nice exterior is a lot of science and design that few people in the world even think about, let alone implement in their own homes. The ceiling design copies that of a concert hall in Osaka, Japan, with the ceiling to floor dimension at the front of the room being 11.5 feet, expanded in five different planes to 17.5 feet at the rear of the room. The side walls are skewed out by 2 from front to back to help reduce slap echoes, and both the front and the back of the room incorporate a curve design that would help scatter sound. The walls were built with 12 cinderblock and Durawall wire reinforcement was incorporated in between each vertical course. A 1 rebar was inserted into every other vertical cavity and then the cavities were filled solid with 3500 PSI pea gravel concrete. Purlins were inserted and spaced 48 apart in each vertical cavity. The floor was poured using 3500 PSI concrete to a thickness of 8, and the ceiling was built using trusses on 16 centers spanning from the front to the rear of the room. Fiberglass insulation was installed in the walls before plywood sheeting was glued over, and then two layers of 5/8 fire code sheetrock were then glued, with Durabond 90. And thats just the room that Ken Fritzs sound system sits in. The installation itself consists of 3 thirty-five thousand watts, nine-foot-tall speaker towers and a 1,500-pound custom Frankenstein turntable built by the audiophile himself. Although the 79-year-old wont talk prices, he admits that the electronics alone are worth a small fortune. Ive seen turntables that sell for $100,00, $120,000, and theyre nowhere near as complicated and as involved as this, he told his son Scott. I believe Ive built the best stereo system in the world, Ken Fritz said. While I was designing it and building it I knew it was going to take time. Every part of this system is part of me and that is a good feeling. It took years and years to build all of this. Thousands and thousands of hours. Ken Fritzs 25-year-long epic project became the subject of a moving documentary called One Mans Dream. FTI Government Affairs has signed on with Apex Clean Energy, representing the Charlottesville, VA company on energy, environmental and tax matters. Apex develops, builds and operates utility-scale wind and solar power facilities across the US. The company last month completed the sale of the Isabella Wind I and II projects to Michigans DTE Energy. The facility is the largest renewable energy producer in the Wolverine State. It also provides wind power to McDonalds outlets and Facebook facilities. Bryan Zumwalt, senior managing director and head of FTIs government affairs group, heads the four-member lobbying team. He was executive VP-PA at the Consumer Brands Assn. (the former Grocery Manufacturers of America) and VP-federal affairs at the American Chemistry Council, prior to joining FTI in February. 31/05/2021 - OECD Ministers have endorsed a new initiative to promote safe international travel during the COVID-19 pandemic at the OECDs annual Ministerial meeting in Paris. The Initiative involves a safe travel blueprint and a temporary international cross-sectoral forum for knowledge sharing. The forum will allow governments and stakeholders to share information in real time on plans and approaches facilitating travel. The blueprint promotes greater certainty, safety and security in travel as reopening takes place. It builds on existing initiatives and aims to increase interoperability amongst travel regimes. It will be used by countries on a voluntary basis. International air passenger transport dropped around 75% in 2020 and international tourism fell by around 80%. For the average OECD country, pre-pandemic, international tourism contributed 4.4% of GDP, 6.9% of employment, and 21.5% of service exports, but with much higher shares for some countries, including Greece, Iceland, Mexico, Portugal and Spain. The halt in international travel and tourism is having a dramatic knock-on impact on the entire, interlinked global economy. "The OECD is in a unique position to help countries coordinate international action in the context of reopening global travel," said OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria at the Ministerial meeting in Paris. This initiative will help reduce uncertainty and complexity and enable countries to prepare more effectively for a return to safe international travel and tourism. Without an international framework for travel policies, a patchwork of national and regional rules, inconsistent with each other, will continue to be confusing and costly for travellers and transport and tourism companies, discouraging travel due to the uncertainty and complexity. It could also increase the incidence of use of fraudulent certificates and so undermine the ability of authorities to mitigate public health risks. The OECD Blueprint, initiated by Spain, supports and complements existing international initiatives, such as the European Unions proposed Digital COVID-19 Certificate, by taking a principles-based approach to ensuring that they are compatible with each other, and adopted in a consistent way across a range of countries. The Blueprint is a flexible and voluntary set of guidelines not a legal text. It consists of a traffic-light system to classify risks; guidance on how vaccination should be certified for travel to those countries that decide to take vaccination status into account; protocols for testing travellers in different circumstances; and principles to be followed in generating electronic certificates for travel that ensure privacy protection and security and promote interoperability among systems. Countries that use the OECD Blueprint may do so unilaterally or in bilateral or multilateral agreements, or through mechanisms provided in other bodies, such as, in particular the ICAO Public Health Corridor arrangement. Read the document and the Q&A for more information. For more information, journalists should contact the OECD Media Office (tel. + 33 1 45 24 97 00). Working with over 100 countries, the OECD is a global policy forum that promotes policies to improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world. 01/06/2021 - Mathias Cormann took office today as the sixth Secretary-General of the OECD. Ministers and senior officials of the Organisations 38 Member countries and outgoing Secretary-General Angel Gurria welcomed Mr Cormann in a handover ceremony at the OECD Headquarters in Paris during Part I of the two-part 2021 Meeting of the OECD Council at Ministerial Level (MCM). I am deeply honoured and humbled by the trust and confidence you have shown in appointing me as your OECD Secretary-General. I am ambitious for the OECD and what it can achieve with Members, for Members, and most importantly, for the people in Member countries. You can count on me to give it my absolute best as we work towards a better future, together. Mr Cormann said. Mr Cormann, who has been appointed by member governments to serve a five-year term, was Australias Finance Minister from 2013-2020 and was Leader of the Government in the Senate from 2017-2020. He also served as Minister for the Public Service in 2018-2019. Watch a replay of the handover ceremony The 2021 MCM, chaired by the United States with Korea and Luxembourg as Vice-Chairs, will be held in two editions. Edition 1, from 31 May 1 June, has gathered Leaders and Ministers from the OECDs 38 countries virtually under the theme of Shared Values: Building a Green and Inclusive Future. Key areas of discussion on Day 1 included the global economic situation, lessons to date from the COVID-19 pandemic and priorities for the recovery. The second edition of the MCM will take place in the autumn and will focus on longer-term issues including the OECDs future priorities and transforming policy ambitions into deliverable actions that reinforce a shared goal to build a green and inclusive future. A Ministerial statement summarizing outcomes of this weeks meeting will be issued at the close of the Ministerial, alongside a press conference at 15:30 CEST. Links to further information: For further information, journalists are invited to contact the OECD Media Office (+33 1 45 24 97 00). Working with over 100 countries, the OECD is a global policy forum that promotes policies to improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world. As of Monday night, more than 40% of the U.S. population, or 135 million people, had been fully vaccinated against the virus, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Among adults, the rate of those fully vaccinated goes up to 51.5%, according to the agency. 01/06/2021 - OECD Ministers have issued a joint statement at the conclusion of this weeks Council meeting at Ministerial Level. Under the chairmanship of the United States, with the Republic of Korea and Luxembourg as vice-chairs, Members met for discussions around the theme "Shared Values: Building a Green and Inclusive Future. Read the final statement from the Ministerial meeting. For more information on meeting outcomes, please visit the Ministerial Council Meeting 2021 website at http://www.oecd.org/mcm/. The Ministerial Council Meeting (MCM) is the OECDs highest-level forum, attended by ministers of finance, economy, foreign affairs, trade and other government departments from the Organisations Member and Partner countries, as well as by representatives of other International Organisations. This years MCM is being held in two editions, with the next session to take place in Autumn 2021. Working with over 100 countries, the OECD is a global policy forum that promotes policies to improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world. Related Documents Chambers Ireland has welcomed the Government announcement on its Recovery Plan. Chambers Ireland Chief Executive Ian Talbot said: The pandemic and its consequences are still very much with us. Confirmation by Government that it will extend key COVID supports for businesses and employees impacted by the pandemic has been needed and will come as a relief to those who continue to experience significant uncertainty. "Chambers Ireland has been a continuous advocate for the ongoing support of businesses and the announcement today is broadly positive in providing assurances in the short term. This will allow employers to plan for a return to trading and help restore the economic health of their businesses. "The recent eligibility extension of the Small Business Assistance Scheme (SBASC) is welcome, but clarity on application criteria for this scheme, and other restart grants must be made public as soon as possible. "The 915 million we will receive through the European Unions Recovery and Resilience Facility will also be an important avenue for rebuilding our national and local economies. Sustainability must be at the centre of this process. This will help to develop social and economic resilience and put Ireland in a better place to face future challenges. "While the announcement today understandably addressed the recovery on a national level, we continue to urge Government to support towns and cities across Ireland with targeted policy and schemes. "A strategy for urban Ireland must be at the heart of how Government delivers a sustainable recovery. This Town Centre First approach, which is a pillar commitment of the Programme for Government, should not only support the recovery of our high streets, but also prioritise making more liveable cities and towns, through the incentivisation of urban living, brownfield development, and sustainable transport. "As we focus on renewal and the rebuilding of our economy, ambition must be evident in delivering a recovery that is balanced and provides for all parts of the island. A teacher in Offaly has been honoured by being given the Teaching Hero Award. Birr teacher Caroline Sheils accepted the Teaching Hero Award on April 29. Caroline has been teaching at post-primary level for twenty-two years and began working in third level education last year. Her work involves lecturing and tutoring within the Professional Masters in Education course for those wishing to pursue a career as a post-primary school teacher through Hibernia College. Her duties began as a support tutor in Mathematics and Geography and she has now progressed to Lead tutor of Geography which involves online webinars and onsite tutorials and lectures. She is also heavily committed to the Humanities department, working as a Humanities tutor and is also engaged as a Research Supervisor with students writing their research dissertations. The Teaching Hero Awards are Irelands only national, student-led awards for all those who teach in higher education. The Awards are organised by the National Forum in collaboration with the Union of Students in Ireland and other students unions nationwide. The Award provides an opportunity for students across the country to recognise and celebrate excellent teaching in all higher education institutions. Teaching Heroes such as Caroline receive national recognition for their outstanding contribution to teaching and learning across all disciplines and to student success at third level across the country. The students say they are looking for teachers who are encouraging, kind and warm, who have a natural calmness and engage with everyone. We are looking for understanding and empathy in our teachers, said one member of the Union of Students, teachers who are obviously doing their best to put themselves in our shoes, who understand the challenges. An Offaly photographer's incredible picture has been announced as runner up in Reach for the Stars astrophotography competition. Tom OHanlon from Tullamore, has been announced as one of two runners-up in the inaugural Reach for the Stars astrophotography competition run by the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies. His winning image, North Star Jesuit House, is a series of tacked images, taking in The North Star, which demonstrates the Earths rotation, captured at Tullybeg House the former Jesuit boarding school in Rahan, Co. Offaly. The image was selected as a runner-up by an expert judging panel following a rigorous judging process of over 180 entries. In addition to Mr. OHanlons success with his image North Star Jesuit House, one of his other entries Skytrain Lough Boora was also selected to feature in an exhibition of the judges 20 top-rated images. Mr. OHanlons two images will feature as part of the exhibition, which will run online initially, launching on the DIAS website, www.dias.ie this week. An outdoor exhibition at DIAS's premises on Burlington Road is planned for the coming weeks, followed - later in the summer - by an exhibition at DIAS Dunsink Observatory. Josh Mathews from Moyard, Co. Galway was selected as the overall winner of the competition, for his image, To the Waters and the Wild, while Ciaran P. ODonnell from Newtownabbey, Belfast, Co. Antrim was also announced as a runner-up for his submission, Cygnus Mosaic in Hubble Palette. A fresh appeal for help from the public has been made as medical costs for an Irishman seriously injured in South America last year exceed $90,000. Eoghan de Cleir, a member of the well-known de Cleir family - who run the last remaining shop in Kinnitty - was on life-support in an induced-coma after falling from a second-floor balcony during a visit to Colombia. Family, friends, and neighbours of the 40 year old have been supporting a Go-Fund-Me campaign which has successfully raised over $33,000 to date. However, the costs around Eoghans care are currently in excess of $90,000, and rising still. Eoghans mother, Ira, has given up her job to be with her son, spending her life-savings and borrowing extensively from friends and family to cater for Eoghans medical needs in the process. In addition to the medical and financial pressure Eoghans family are under, the political unrest and protests in Columbia are adding another severe challenge for the de Cleirs. Even normally straightforward administrative tasks such as renewing visas are nearly impossible with roadblocks now commonplace in Colombia, and ambulances often the only vehicles allowed through. Eoghans recovery is steady but slow. While he is now able to slowly feed himself some basic meals and can communicate a little by writing, spoken conversation is not yet possible. The extent of Eoghans recovery to this point would not have been possible at all without the support of family, friends, and the general public. Sean de Cleir, Eoghans uncle offered the following update on Eoghans current condition, He is still not in rehab as much more surgery is needed, from major procedures to physical therapy, laser vocal treatments, and speech therapy. This meant he had go back to private healthcare as he needs day and night nurses, and other medical resources. Once he has recovered further, rehabilitation will be possible. It is really stressful for Ira trying to look after him, and at the same time deal with the emotional and financial pressures of ensuring the best treatment possible for Eoghan. In addition to all of the above, Covid 19 is still causing fundraising challenges as traditional events remain largely impossible. Mr de Cleir continued, Under normal circumstances we would already have held a number of activities, from head-shaves, to raffles at event days in Kinnitty, and in Whitegate where Eoghan grew up. But at the moment, such events simply arent possible. A Facebook page - REX KINNITTY - is acting as an online focal-point for the campaign. Anyone wishing to donate will find the Go-Fund-Me link there, together with regular updates on Mr. de Cleir's progress, as well as information about possible future fundraising endeavours. Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RexKinnitty Go FundMe https://bit.ly/eoghandecleir Independent TD for Laois-Offaly Carol Nolan has described the lack of urgency from the OPW and other state agencies in response to flooding issues at Lusmagh, Co Offaly last week as "inadequate, unacceptable, and too little too late." Deputy Nolan was speaking after she attended an emergency meeting of farmers on Saturday, May 22, following an escalating situation at Castle Callows in Lusmagh where it was noted that all the gates at Shaughnessys bridge were open. This was described as highly unusual and dangerous as in previous years it was always the case that only 1-2 of these gates would be open: I was contacted late on Friday evening by a group of farmers from Lusmagh who were very concerned over flooding to their land in the previous few days. This flooding, that forced them to not only move livestock also posed a serious risk to fodder supplies for the rest of the year. "The floodwater was also approaching their turf banks where they have their supply of fuel for the year. "I met with the group in an emergency meeting on Saturday and made immediate calls on the Minister of State at the OPW, Patrick ODonovan and Waterways Ireland and the ESB. "I was shocked by the lethargy and lack of effective response from the Minister and indeed from Waterways and the ESB as it was clearly stated by the farmers present on Saturday that the pressure of the water at Shaughnessys Bridge flowing downwards was forcing water from the Brosna back up along. "This interplay appears to have been the cause of the flooding at Castle Callows (from the Anglers Rest to Victoria Lock). "I asked for urgent intervention to be taken to resolve this issue possibly by closing some of the gates at Shaughnessys bridge and leaving 1-2 gates open in addition letting some of the water off at Ardnacrusha would also greatly alleviate this serious flooding problem. "However, by Sunday evening it was still impossible to actually get anyone to address the matter. This is absolutely outrageous way to treat farmers who entire livelihoods were under imminent threat. "I will be seeking to raise the matter in the Dail this week where I will be demanding an explanation as to why these farmers were abandoned, concluded Deputy Nolan. It has been lights, camera, action at the Sacred Heart School as Transition Year students have been hard at work preparing their exclusively student-led live stream for their Transition Year Open Night. The TY Open Night is normally held on school grounds where parents of prospective students are invited to look at the exemplar work done in Transition Year. Due to Covid restrictions with the dismay of the students, the event had been cancelled. That was, until the current students felt a duty to continue the tradition irrespective of the lengths they had to go to. Some of the team that brought the stream to pass include students Emily OBrien, Doretea Bukvic, and Claire Hendy. Claire outlined: The 2020 Open Night was the moment many of us decided we wanted to do TY. We felt that our 3rd Year classmates should experience that moment and we wanted them to understand why the Transition Year programme is a unique experience here at the Sacred Heart School. The live stream event premiered on Thursday 20th. Anyone who missed the live stream should not worry as the recorded broadcast has been made available on the Sacred Heart Schools social media accounts. Doretea stated: This streaming project didnt come without its challenges but we knew we had to do something to bring the Open Night to life while also breaking some of the misconceptions attributed to the TY programme. Emily commented: Transition Year nationwide often gets a bad reputation as a year where students dont do anything. That couldnt be farther from the truth. Emily added: In fact, we had complete ownership of the Open Night streaming project. It was our responsibility to delegate large groups of people. I personally had to learn how to report, edit and make decisions about sound effects, camera angles all while collaborating with other TY co-ordinators and that was all before lunch. Claire echoed Emilys words: Whether the project is a success or not falls on us. In a sense, we were thrown in the deep end, but it is from these experiences that you learn the most. It is what makes Transition Year unique. Doretea agreed: I believe these experiences will stay with me long beyond my time in secondary school. Im just glad I got to do it in the Sacred Heart School. Emily concluded: These are memories that will last forever. Whoever says that TY is a throwaway year does not realise the extent of possibilities the year provides. The live stream project is just one example of the activities we were afforded. TY facilitators Ms Meleady and Ms Hand have commended the girls on their initiative and drive. Ms Meleady said: The TY programme is about pushing students out of their comfort zone so that they may develop a more holistic version of themselves. Our current TY students prove that and I would challenge anybody who feels differently to take the time to look at the recorded stream on our social media platforms. I have a feeling they will be pleasantly surprised by the quality of our students work and the subjects which are provided. To carry out the live stream, the TY students received training from digital experts from Offaly County Council Information Technology department and Offaly Libraries. The 5-week workshop provided the students with the skills needed to confidently record, edit, and stream the event as well as understand the technicalities of camera features. Similarly, the training focused on the use and functionality of apps like OBS and Movavi Video Editor and the steps needed to successfully broadcast live on YouTube. According to one of the participants, Claire, the work and knowledge of Mr Bell and Ms Cronly offloaded a lot of technical worries we had which meant we could focus our attention to the content of the stream. Doretea explained how the content creation process worked. We wanted the stream to be a celebration of TY as a year. So, we got into teams of 2-4 girls. Each group reported on what they enjoyed most about the year. There was a lot to choose from. She continues As youll see on the video, we have topics ranging from photography, architecture, film studies, cultural dance, the Croatian language, Young Social Innovators Pals, and Lilliput excursions. This year has been full of active learning experiences and I am hoping the video shows that. TY is a year for everybody no matter what your interest. The stream also has a few surprises, one of which is the return of a past pupil who reflects on the benefits of TY and the lasting impact of the year. Emily remarked: We were incredibly lucky to get in contact with one particular special guest. Aisling Kearns is a past pupil and professional actor known for her work in Darklands. It was a joy to have her return in a virtual capacity to discuss how her TY year shaped her future. Aisling also discussed other trending topics which can only be seen on the TY Open Night Video online. Current student, Dorothea, reflected on her year by saying The time flies in TY. You get out of it what you put into it and I think our involvement with Gaisce is an example of that. Claire added: Gaisce is a programme that promotes young peoples role in society. It enables them to make a change, while empowering young people to find their path in life. She says, We have a long-standing tradition with the programme and this year is no different. In fact, we have been truly fortunate to receive The Presidents Award and along with it a letter from President Michael D. Higgins commending us on our work and encouraging us to continue making a difference in the world around us. Doretea concluded: The year has been life-changing, and we want to thank our teachers who helped make this year, despite the circumstances, an incredible one! The Sacred Heart School Transition Year Open Night is now available to watch online and can be found on the Sacred Heart School social media accounts. A LECTURE to mark the 1500th anniversary of St Colmcille, also known as St Columba, the founder of the monastic settlement at Durrow outside Tullamore will be given via zoom on Wednesday night next, June 9. The speaker at the lecture, entitled St Columba - founder of Durrow: what do we really know about him? will be Brian Lacey. The lecture commences at 7.30 pm. Those interested can get the zoom link by emailing Offaly History Society at info@offalyhistory.com The lecture is free but only the first 100 will be provided with the link. This event is part of the celebrations marking 1500 years since Colmcilles birth for more information and national programming see https://colmcille.net/colmcille-1500/ Despite claims that Colmcille was the founder of many other monasteries in Ireland, Durrow is the only one for which we have genuine historical evidence. In the Middle Ages, along with Patrick and Brigid he was honoured as one of Irelands three patron saints. In some ways he could be said to be the favourite there is hardly a parish in Ireland that doesnt have some story about him or some monument to his name. The genuine information about him, however, was continuously embroidered with ever more fantastical legends which, although a testament to his popularity, nevertheless obscure the facts of his real life. This talk will reflect on that varied heritage and attempt to distinguish the facts from the fiction. Dr Brian Lacey is a historian and archaeologist specialising mainly in the early medieval period in counties Donegal and Derry. His interdisciplinary PhD (1999) dealt with the heritage of St Colmcille. He lectured at Magee College, Derry, (1974-86) and later set up Derrys Heritage and Museum Service having directed a series of salvage excavations at 'Troubles' bomb-sites in the city. He led the pioneering archaeological survey of Co. Donegal (1980-3) and (1998-2012) headed the Discovery Programme, an institute based in Dublin for advanced research in Irish archaeology. He is the author of many research papers and about 15 books, including St Columba: His Life and Legacy, Manus O Donnell: Life of Colum Cille (ed.), and Medieval and monastic Derry: sixth century to 1600. A recent edited book dealt with what happened in Derry during the Easter Rising of 1916. His latest book Adomnan, Adhamhnan, Eunan: the life and afterlife of a Donegal saint and was published last week. What's Included With a Digital Only subscription, you'll receive unlimited access to our website and e-edition. Our digital products are available 24/7 and are accessible anywhere, anytime. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please call our customer service team at 716-372-3121 or email nfinnerty@oleantimesherald.com. On behalf of the entire Yucca Valley Town Council and Town staff, our thoughts and prayers go out to the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Deputy and his family, Yucca Valley Mayor Merl Abel said in a statement. We ask for the communitys support during this difficult time. Are you a current print subscriber? You qualify for online access to the Omak Chronicle. To receive your access, create a website account and then verify your print subscription or e-edition subscription with your subscriber number, which may be found on your bill or mailing label. While stressing the positives that will come with Naomi Osakas decision to outline her mental health battles, Jelena Dokic says a media ban at one of the sports slams was bad timing. Victorians are bracing for the possibility of an extended lockdown, a positive case from Victoria travelled to NSW while infectious and the UK reports no new COVID-19 deaths. This morning when I received the news, it was some of the worst news that Ive heard in my career. And as a fire chief, Ive dealt with a lot of death and a lot of fallen members in my department. ...I never thought that if it occurred, that it would occur in this fashion, he said, his voice cracking with emotion. 2008-2021 One News Page Ltd. All rights reserved. One News is a registered trademark of One News Page Ltd. At a QAnon conference in Dallas, an attendee asked Flynn about the coup in Myanmar, where hundreds of civilians have been killed by.. Business Insider 31 May 2021 "I think our adversaries would like to capitalize on talking points like that, you know, the Chinese, the Russians," Lloyd Austin told CNN. Ethical questions on how to treat individuals presumed immune to COVID have accompanied the pandemic from early on. Now, as Germans urgently want to resume their normal lives, the debate has intensified. Denmark is believed to have helped the US National Security Agency spy on German politicians. Anyone who's surprised by this is being naive, writes Marcel Furstenau. Criticism has come from both sides of Italy's political divide over the release of Giovanni Brusca, who served a 25-year sentence. Police have launched a murder investigation after a 14-year-old boy was stabbed to death in the street during a brutal gang attack... SWNS STUDIO 01 Jun 2021 Last week the remains of 215 children were found at a school set up to assimilate indigenous people. COPENHAGEN, DENMARK Danish media say that the Danish spy agency helped the U.S. to spy on powerful people and politicians in.. TomoNews US 03 Jun 2021 Naomi Osaka, a superstar in the sport, pulled out of the French Open after she was fined for skipping a news conference. Did it have to end this way? On a human level, this is news that pains me. But the law on the reduction of sentences for the collaboration of mafiosi is a law my brother wanted, and therefore it must be respected, Maria Falcone said, according to ANSA. Eurasia Review 01 Jun 2021 One cannot but find the emerging situation in Lakshadweep archipelago very bizarre, unheard in the life-world experiences of the.. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the mass grave of Indigenous children at a former school site was "not an exception." He pledged to give more support to survivors of residential schools and their communities. The US company says the $199m plan is one of the biggest investments in UK manufacturing since Brexit. For 100 years, the Tulsa race massacre went largely ignored by sitting U.S. presidents, until now, as Joe Biden grapples with US racial tension. But Health Minister Jens Spahn cautioned that "we are still in the middle of a pandemic," despite declining case numbers and vaccination progress. A Sicilian mafia member who confessed to being involved in more than 100 murders - including the killing of a judge - has been released after serving 25 years in jail. New Zealand Herald 01 Jun 2021 A Sicilian mafia boss known as "the pig" and "the people-slayer", who had a child dissolved in acid as revenge against an.. The Army is maintaining high operational readiness to `thwart any `unusual activity by China all along the northern borders, said General M M Naravane on Friday, while rejecting concerns that India squandered its leverage by vacating the Kailash Range heights without extracting any concession on Depsang Plains in eastern Ladakh. The Tulsa Race Massacre marked one of the nations worst single incidents of racial violence when mobs of white residents attacked the affluent Black community of Greenwood District in Tulsa, Oklahoma during the overnight and early hours of May 31 and June 1, 1921. More than 800 people were injured, 35 city blocks destroyed and around 6,000 African American residents were interned in large facilities in the wake of the violence. Officials initially listed 39 confirmed dead at the time, but estimates range from 75 to 300 killed in reports and commissions years later. Many of the white rioters were deputized and given weapons by city officials to carry out the attacks in Greenwood District, which was known as the Black Wall Street for its thriving business section. Look back at the devastation of the Tulsa Massacre on the anniversary of the attacks. (Joanna Tavares) Nobody likes to lose a drone, but should the tragic event ever occur, you'd at least hope your plucky metal pal would go down in a blaze of glory. That's exactly what happened to filmmaker Joey Helms' DJI FPV drone recently in Iceland, when he decided to send it on a mission to explore Fagradalsfjall a volcano on Iceland's... CBS 2 New York 02 Jun 2021 The president made the trip to Tulsa, Oklahoma on Tuesday, the 100th anniversary of the tragedy, to remember the victims. CBS2's.. ODN 19 May 2021 Government minister Gillian Keegan has defended the government's decision to delay putting India on the travel red list. By the.. Professor Adam Finn says the country remains vulnerable because of the threat of the Indian variant. Heinz ketchup may be made in the UK again after its maker unveiled one of its biggest investments in decades outside of the US. Fishmongers' Hall terrorist Usman Khan was shot at 20 times by armed police following his stabbing spree which killed two young people, an inquest has heard. The Wrap 02 Jun 2021 President Joe Biden flew to Oklahoma this week, speaking in remembrance of the Tulsa Race Massacre, and the hosts of The View.. Republicans in Arizona ordered an audit to quell voters' doubts about Biden's win. A private company with no experience in elections has been looking at the ballots, but critics say there are issues. RTHK: Ex-Huawei executive on trial in Poland over spying Two men accused of spying for China went on trial on Tuesday in the Polish capital of Warsaw: a Chinese citizen who is a former sales director of Huawei in Poland and a Polish cybersecurity expert. The pair, Wang Weijing and Piotr Durbajlo, have both pleaded not guilty. At the start of Tuesday's session, a prosecutor requested that the trial be held in secret due to the classified nature of some of the evidence. Defence lawyers objected, saying the nature of the charges requires that the proceedings be transparent. Both Wang, speaking in fluent Polish, and Durbajlo said they wanted an open trial. But after a brief recess, the three-judge panel announced the proceedings will be secret, citing state interests, and journalists were told to leave. Wang and Durbajlo were arrested by Polish authorities in January 2019 and accused of spying for China under the cover of seeking business deals for Chinese technology giant Huawei. The pair were arrested amid a wider geopolitical battle between the US and China over technology and trade supremacy. Former president Donald Trump's administration lobbied European allies to boycott the next generation of 5G mobile phone networking gear from Huawei over concerns that it could be used by Beijing to facilitate cyberespionage or digital sabotage. Wang has been in custody since his arrest. Durbajlo, a former cybersecurity expert for government agencies including the Internal Security Agency, was released on bail after six months in custody. According to the Gazeta Wyborcza daily, the indictment is partly classified, but its public section alleges that Wang is a Chinese intelligence agent and from 2011-2019 sought high-ranking contracts for Huawei that would give the Chinese company insight into, and influence over, state and local government data systems in Poland. Both men face criminal charges of taking part in a foreign intelligence operation and threatening Poland's interests. If convicted, they face a minimum of three years in prison. Wang studied in Poland and later served at the Chinese Consulate in Gdansk before moving over to a senior position at Huawei. He is also known by a Polish first name, Stanislaw. The Pole is suspected of helping him establish contacts and providing him with documents. Some observers say the documents were public and not classified. The trial is expected to take months and there is no date yet for the final verdict. Huawei declined to comment because the case was ongoing. It has repeatedly denied the US allegations but since the pairs arrest, Huaweis fortunes in Europe have tumbled because of the US campaign. Countries such as Britain, Sweden and Bulgaria have banned Huawei equipment from their networks and others such as France say they favour homegrown rivals like Ericsson and Nokia for security reasons. Huawei gear, which has been effectively blocked by the US since 2012, has also been shunned by Australia, New Zealand and Japan. (AP) This story has been published on: 2021-06-01. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Dai Hengqin, a 69-year-old veteran and member of the Communist Party of China (CPC), tells the children about the War of Resistance against Japan (1937-1945) as well as his military medal at a primary school in Tongling city, East Chinas Anhui province. That was part of the activity launched by local education authorities to celebrate the International Childrens Day, which falls on June 1. The veteran also gave the children a book titled History of CPC for Teenagers as a gift. (Photo by Chen Chen & Liu Yucai) Dai Hengqin, a 69-year-old veteran and member of the Communist Party of China (CPC), tells the children about the War of Resistance against Japan (1937-1945) as well as his military medal at a primary school in Tongling city, East Chinas Anhui province. That was part of the activity launched by local education authorities to celebrate the upcoming International Childrens Day. The veteran also gave the children a book titled History of CPC for Teenagers as a gift.(Photo by Chen Chen & Liu Yucai) Under the current law in New York, it is illegal to extort or coerce someone with the threat of criminal charges. Threatening to report someones immigration status or deport them in order to force them to do or not do something is not covered under the law. President Joe Biden has ordered the Financial Stability Oversight Council to prepare a report on how the financial system can mitigate the risks related to climate change. The Financial Stability Oversight Council was created through the Dodd-Frank financial regulatory reform act and is supposed to identify and monitor excessive... Former Southwest Airlines pilot Michael Haak, 60, was sentenced to one year of probation last week after pleading guilty to committing a... Indigenous leaders and residential school survivors in Canada are calling on officials to do a thorough investigation of every former... A prison inmate serving out a six-year sentence in India reportedly refused a special parole because he believes that he is safer behind bars than out in the public amid the countrys COVID-19 wave. Terra Daily 03 Jun 2021 Sydney (AFP) June 1, 2021 The new head of the OECD is an Australian former minister born in Belgium known as a.. AGENCY [mdash]MaryAnn Wanner, 75, of Agency, died at 4:45 a.m. June 9, 2021 at Ridgewood Specialty Care. She was born February 18, 1946 in Lake City, IA to Lubbert and Erma DeVries. She married Martin Joseph Wanner and he preceded her in death on March 18, 2021. MaryAnn had worked as a beaut Jim Allen bought his house in the Moorland District of Midland in 1992 because it did not require a sump pump. Yet in 2017, his basement got water after a flood event that year. He responded to this by getting a sump pump, a backup backflow, a backup power generator, and concrete around his house to prevent this from happening again. This kept his house dry during the 2020 Edenville Dam failure flood. Now he is worried the city will tear up his lawn in the name of flood protection, despite him already being protected. I do not want, after the city did not protect us and do anything after all this time, I don't want anything to do with anybody digging in my yard for any reason, Allen said. In other words, I don't want an invasion by the city after they didn't do anything. I paid good money to protect myself because they didn't do anything. Allen, his neighbor John Lynn, and other residents are voicing their concerns over the city of Midlands Concept Five wastewater plan that will, among many things, launch a pilot footing drain disconnect program (FDDP). This has many residents concerned about the programs timeframe and its effectiveness in reducing flooded homes. On Monday, May 26, the Midland City Council approved the draft plan to be sent to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy EGLE for a chance to receive low interest loans for wastewater improvements. City Manager Brad Kaye said applying for these loans does not mean the city is locked in with the plan as is, or that the city must accept the loan if they were approved. We do not want to take an option off the table, Kaye said. It doesn't mean we are committed to it, it doesn't mean we're committing to this specific work yet. It just means we don't want to lose one funding option by not taking this step. It would improve the sanitary sewer collection system by increasing the sizes of certain sewers, adding off-line sanitary sewage storage, repairing structurally defective sewer pipes, and piloting a footage drain disconnection program. This is in hopes to prevent wastewater backing up into homes during flood events. The controversy stems from the footing drain disconnect program (FDDP). The current system consists of a pipe, or lateral, coming off a sewer line that connects to a footing drain at the house. The footing drain collects wastewater from the house while two other openings collects storm water that drains from plastic tubes around the house. This entire system is buried underground. The FDDP would disconnect the openings that collects storm water and connect it to another lateral, keeping wastewater separate. Kaye said this is intended to prevent backups into peoples homes during heavy rain and flood events. Sump pumps would also be installed into homes to help collect water coming in from under peoples homes. The program would apply to 330 homes in the Moorland and Whitewood districts of Midland. Sump pumps would be modified and added to homes to redirect water in basements. The total cost of the project is $49.5 million, Kaye said. Many residents called in on a public hearing during last week's Midland City Council meeting, voicing various concerns about the program. Midland resident Brian Mills said during the city council meeting the program would not be good for their home since their house loses power during storms so a sump pump will not work during that scenario. Allen said he has a backup generator to help power his sump pump during these flood scenarios. However, he said many residents do not know to do this with a sump pump, and some cannot afford to get them. Kaye said there are a variety of options to keep sump pumps running during outages, including generator and back-up batteries. He said the city is currently working on the details with these solutions. Lynn also expressed concerns about residents having to pay for the program. Allen is also concerned that the voluntary nature of this program might not be the case if the city issues penalties for not participating. The Concept Five plan states that there must be a 70% compliance of the homes for the program to work. However, the city has yet to determine what the price tag will be for residents, with the $20,000 laid out in the Concept Five plan being program costs for each home, Kaye said. He said the city has had no discussions on the voluntary basis of this program or the price tag for residents. But Allen said there are other costs to residents that are not considered in the plan. His footing drain is located right under his extremely heavy porch. Workers would have to tear up a good chunk of his yard he worked hard to put together. He said hes worried workers could be working on peoples homes for months. Allen, Lynn, and many residents who called in during the public hearing wanted a plan that updates the Moorland water pump. However, Kaye said updating this pump would be far more expensive, since the increased intake of wastewater would require $60 million for upgrades to the wastewater plant. He also said that the city has to follow regulatory requirements from EGLE to separate stormwater and wastewater. However, Allen said as the size of the district increases, the more they will need an upgraded pump. Some residents who called in during the city meeting said the city was rushing in to quick and should wait another year to research more and create a better plan, since EGLE grant the loans annually. Resident John Muste said council should wait a year to give the city more time to flesh out the plan and gain public support. However, council members wanted to at least have the option of the EGLE loans and Concept Five was the only viable plan they could submit for them. Council members like Diane Brown-Wilhelm said they wanted to continue pushing for wastewater improvements. If we sit here and do nothing for another year because we're going to study more. I'm not sure that is going to go over well, Wilhelm said. Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect that Jim Allen bought his home in 1992 and that he bought it because it did not have a sump pump. BERLIN (AP) Germany and the United Nations plan to host a conference on Libya this month in Berlin, a gathering that aims to bring together powers with interests in the North African country and its transitional government. The agenda for the June 23 conference announced Tuesday includes discussions about preparations for elections in December and the withdrawal of foreign forces from Libya. French President Emmanuel Macron met with Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah in Paris on Tuesday for bilateral talks focusing on ways to support a political transition and greater stability in the country. We must put an end to all foreign interference, which involves the withdrawal of all foreign mercenaries' forces on Libyan soil: the Russians, the Turkish, the Syrian mercenaries and all the others, Macron said. Dbeibah praised France for its support and vowed to focus effective and intense action to organize free, transparent and fair elections at the end of the year. The Berlin meeting will take place at the level of foreign ministers and follows up on a January 2020 conference where leaders agreed to respect an arms embargo for Libya and to push the North African nation's warring parties to reach a full cease-fire. Germany has tried to act as an intermediary. The countries that have been involved in the process include the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, along with Italy, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. The Berlin conference will mark the first time that the Libyan transitional government is represented at such an event, the German Foreign Ministry said in a statement. It will take stock of progress since the first Berlin gathering and discuss the next steps needed for a sustainable stabilization, the ministry statement said. The main focus will be on preparations for the national elections scheduled for Dec. 24 and on the withdrawal of foreign troops and mercenaries from Libya as agreed in the cease-fire, the statement said. In addition, steps towards the creation of unified Libyan security forces will be discussed. Libya has been mired in chaos since a NATO-backed uprising toppled and later killed longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011. Afterwards, the oil-rich country was long divided between a U.N.-supported government in the capital, Tripoli, and rival authorities based in the countrys east, each backed by armed groups and foreign governments. In April 2019, east-based commander Khalifa Hifter and his forces, backed by Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, launched an offensive to try and capture Tripoli. Hifter's 14-month campaign collapsed after Turkey stepped up its military support of the U.N.-backed government with hundreds of troops and thousands of Syrian mercenaries. An October cease-fire agreement that included a demand that all foreign fighters and mercenaries leave Libya within 90 days led to a deal on the December elections and a transitional government that took office in February. It has been a very long process in which we often weren't sure ourselves whether the aims we set could be achieved, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told reporters in Berlin, speaking of the agreement. But after the developments in recent months, we are cautiously optimistic, Maas said. _________ AP Writer Sylvie Corbet in Paris contributed to the story. Our countrys legacy of racial discrimination carries on in New York States parole system, where Black and brown people are so often denied the possibility of redemption afforded to white people, Dukes said. As one of the longest-serving racial justice organizations, we call on lawmakers to pass the Fair & Timely Parole and Elder Parole bills this session to chart a course toward equality in New York. CAMERON, La. (AP) Scores of people in coastal Louisiana are still living in campers on dirt mounds or next to cement slabs where their houses once stood. Unresolved insurance claims and a shortage of supply and labor are stymieing building efforts. And weather forecasters are warning of more possible devastation to come. Nine months after two back-to-back hurricanes hammered their towns, residents are still struggling to recover even as they brace for another onslaught of storms in the season that starts Tuesday. Were scared to death for this next season, said Clarence Dyson, who is staying with his wife and four kids in a 35-foot-long (11-meter-long) camper with bunk beds while the home they had been renting in Cameron Parish undergoes repairs after Hurricane Laura. The parish a Louisiana designation similar to a county is made up of small communities on the southwestern coast where residents have lived for generations, either working in the shrimp industry or more recently at one of the areas liquefied natural gas plants. The region features a stunning, peaceful landscape where families go crabbing together, birds perch on swaying strands of marsh grass and wind-gnarled oak trees grow on the long ridges called cheniers that rise above the marsh. About 70% of the parish is wetlands or open water. Last fall, however, the area was battered by hurricanes that carved a path of destruction. On Aug. 27, Category 4 Hurricane Laura rammed into the coast near the town of Cameron with maximum winds of 150 mph (241 kph). Just six weeks later, Hurricane Delta, carrying 97-mph (156-kph) winds, made landfall about 10 miles (16 kilometers) away. Of the several communities hit, the towns of Cameron, Creole and Grand Chenier, in Cameron Parish, took the worst beating. Laura flattened homes, nearly gutted the First Baptist church, stripped trees of their branches and leaves and toppled power lines. Nine months later, the parish's electric lines have been replaced by ramrod straight poles. Oak trees denuded of leaves and branches are started to sprout new growth. Piles of debris have been hauled away. And Booths Grocery Store, in business since 1957, is once again selling beer and bait. But for most of the parish, recovery is still an ongoing process. Cement slabs and mounds of dirt still mark the place where homes used to be. The sounds synonymous with rebuilding the whine of circular saws cutting lumber or nail guns hammering shingles are rare. Building contractors are in short supply; most are already slammed with work in the more densely populated, hurricane-damaged Lake Charles area farther north. Lumber prices have soared due to a trade dispute with Canada and a temporary shutdown in production when the coronavirus pandemic hit a year ago. Leaders of the First Baptist Church in Cameron have been trying to get a contractor to come out and give them a quote so they can apply for a building permit. Most of the church has been gutted to the studs, with pews currently stacked in the buildings center. This is the fourth hurricane the small congregation has survived as well as one fire, said Cyndi Sellers, a longtime church member who was baptized and married there. In the meantime, the small congregation holds services in the meeting room of the parishs governing body. They try to soften the space with plastic sunflowers and a blue cloth across the podium. A cross with a Bible verse attached to it stands on a table. Sellers says rebuilding will help the congregation. They need to be able to worship together on Sunday, to be able to have that family and to have that support emotional, spiritual support to get through what theyre going through, she said. And theyre going through a lot. Sellers has gone through quite a bit herself. As a young child, she took refuge in the Cameron Parish courthouse when Hurricane Audrey hit in 1957, and has seen many other storms in the more than 60 years since. Finally, after Laura, she and her husband had had enough and decided to move inland to a town about two hours away. The stress that you go through when theres a storm in the Gulf, if you dont live on the coast you cant really imagine what its like, she said. Meanwhile, forecasters with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are predicting 13 to 20 named storms six to 10 of which will become hurricanes and three to five of which will be major hurricanes for this year's Atlantic season, which runs from June through November. The stress of rebuilding and worry about future storms have prompted some to consider moving inland. But many who did just that after Hurricane Rita in 2005 were still unable to escape Lauras wrath. The 2020 storm was so powerful, it was still a hurricane when it hit Shreveport about 200 miles (322 kilometers) north of the coast. Clarence Dyson and his wife considered leaving but decided to stay he is working at an LNG plant being built in Cameron. He also used to catch shrimp, but his boat was destroyed by Laura. Federal officials just recently made it a little easier for residents to stay on their properties while they rebuild, by allowing the trailers it provides to be placed on lots that lie in the flood plain. The movable living quarters can be seen everywhere, often parked near the cleared slabs and elevated mounds where houses used to be. Some residents intend to build something more permanent. But not 67-year-old Margaret Little. She plans to stay in a one-bedroom trailer that can be hooked to a truck and hauled away when the next hurricane comes. Like Sellers, Little lived through Hurricane Audrey. She remembers holding on to a fence for dear life and how her dog had to fight off snakes when the family found refuge in a pump house. Hurricane Rita took her nice brick house in Grand Chenier. Then Laura wiped out the trailer shed bought to replace it. By the time Delta came, there was nothing left to take. Littles husband loves to crab and shrimp, and they have replanted the fruit trees they lost in Laura. But she draws the line at permanently rebuilding. I cant lose another house. I just cant, she said. __ Follow Santana on Twitter @ruskygal. ATLANTA (AP) An alarm linked to a motion sensor inside a warehouse in Atlanta where ballots from last year's election are stored went off over the weekend but the ballots remained secure, officials said Tuesday. The alarm at the Fulton County elections warehouse went off Saturday, and county Sheriff Patrick Labat said his office is investigating what triggered the motion sensor on the second floor. Answering questions from reporters during a news conference, Labat said he absolutely would call it a false alarm. The sheriff stressed that the ballots stored at the warehouse are secured behind a door that has a separate alarm and that he is confident the ballots were secure at all times. When the alarm went off, Labat said, off-duty Douglas County deputies working for a private security company and hired by a third party were onsite and entered the warehouse through an exterior door that was unlocked and did a security check. Whether it was right or wrong, improper or otherwise is yet to be determined," Labat said, "But during that security check, they found a door that was unlocked. Bob Cheeley, a lawyer for a group of voters who have sued to examine Fulton County absentee ballots from the 2020 election to look for fraud, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he had hired private security to watch the warehouse. The judge presiding over that lawsuit last month agreed to unseal 147,000 mail ballots from Fulton County. He has said the county will retain custody of the ballots. A meeting scheduled for last week to discuss how the review would be conducted was canceled after Fulton County, the county election board and the county court clerk filed motions to dismiss the case. The ballot review effort in Georgia is among several around the country pushed by supporters of former President Donald Trump and others who allege the 2020 election was marred by fraud. State and federal authorities have repeatedly said there was no evidence of widespread fraud in the election. Cheeley told the Journal-Constitution that Fulton County deputies patrolling the warehouse left before the alarm went off. Im really concerned about their lackadaisical attitude toward security, particularly leaving the building unlocked, he said. Labat said there was a shift of deputies who left prior to the alarm sounding and that is part of the investigation that he expects to complete soon. Trump seized on the incident after photos of the open exterior door circulated online, saying in an email to supporters on Monday that we must not allow ANYONE to compromise these ballots by leaving the building unsecured. Republicans and Patriots must protect this site and the Absentee Ballots, Trump said. The Left talks about election security but they do not practice what they preach because they are afraid of what might be found. Fulton County Leadership do the right thing and protect these ballots. Fulton County Board of Commissioners Chair Robb Pitts, who has defended the county's handling of the election and been critical of the effort to review the ballots, said the most important thing is that the room where the ballots are kept was never breached or compromised. The ballots remained safe, despite what some would have you believe, Pitts said, adding that he couldn't disclose much more because of current litigation and the ongoing investigation by the sheriff's office that includes looking into how the door was opened, who opened it and why. At the latest Gladwin County Board of Commissioners, officials heard from a Beaverton resident opposed to a special assessment district where property owners would help pay for some of the costs for lake restoration and dam improvements. The property owners dont want this, said Beaverton resident Andre Shepcheck to the commissioners referring to a special assessment district, citing the recent survey findings. He was referencing the Four Lakes Task Force's latest survey. The Four Lakes Task Force is a non-profit that serves as the delegated authority by the counties for restoring the dams and Sanford, Secord, Smallwood and Wixom lakes. The task force surveyed many residents along the lakes, asking residents about who should pay to have the dams and lakes restored after the devastation of last years flooding from the mid-Michigan dam failures, and whether they should be restored at all. But according to the survey, and contract to Shepcheck's claims, the majority of those surveyed indicated they would be willing to pay a special assessment. When asked if they would be willing to pay an annual assessment to support rebuilding and restoring the dams: 34.8% said they are willing to pay $500 13.9% agreed to paying $1,000 7.5% agreed to $1,500 1.5% agreed to more than $2,500 Not everyone who was surveyed elected to answer this specific question, and another 31% responded that they don't want to pay any kind of special assessment. Of the residents taking part in the nine-question survey, 745 were either on Sanford Lake or had access; 742 were on Secord Lake or had access; 278 were on Smallwood Lake or had access; and 1,335 were on Wixom Lake or had access. Furthermore, 70% said the lake their property provides access to is important to them. When asked about their level of agreement that in five years the community would recover from the dam failures, 15% strongly agreed, 23% agreed and 30% neither agreed nor disagreed. Thirty-six percent said they strongly agreed they would consider selling their property if the lakes werent restored, 22% agreed, 20% neither agreed or disagreed, while 11% disagreed and another 11% strongly disagreed. Regarding whether the dams should be restored/rebuilt, 71% strongly agreed they should be restored. When asked if a special assessment district was needed to rebuild or restore, 14% strongly agreed it was; 25% agreed; 23% neither agreed nor disagreed, while 14% disagreed and 22% strongly disagreed. The majority (well over 70%) felt the costs to repair the dams and restore the lakes should be shared with people outside the special assessment district. Nearly all (97%) agreed that the state and/or federal government should provide more funding for replacing and restoring the dams. To see more on the survey, visit https://www.four-lakes-taskforce-mi.com/. To the editor: What say you, MML? The Michigan Municipal League's (MML) Elections Subcommittee recently reviewed the 39-bill package that Senate Republicans are proposing to address GOP concerns with election security, operations, and access stemming from the highly contentious 2020 elections. The hyperlink to the PDF (https://bit.ly/3bairxf) is an eye-opening summary of the league's positions on the Senate's 2021 election reform legislation. MML is a nonprofit, non-partisan association that represents the mutual interests of villages and cities of all sizes in its advocacy activities at the state and federal level. Ward 4 councilwoman Diane Brown Wilhelm currently serves as the Midland City Council's legislative director, and represents the City of Midland as a trustee on the Michigan Municipal League. It would be quite interesting for local electors and first-time voters to hear the take of both Councilwoman Brown-Wilhelm and Midland County clerk Ann Manary to these 39 Republican voter suppression bills. Manary is the well-respected local election official who recently announced her intentions to run as a Republican candidate in Michigan's well-gerrymandered 98th House District race replacing Annette Glenn. Mrs. Glenn plans to run for Jim Stamas' seat in Michigan's 36th state senate sunrise district next year. Stamas, remember, is one of Midland's career politicians who is currently term-limited. ERIC ANDERS Midland To the editor: I write this as a former lifelong Republican, but now an Independent voter. I have sat silently with my many questions for Rep. John Moolenaar, hoping that the Michigan voters who elected him would hear his voice. I would like Moolenaar to answer for where his voice was when President Trump disrespected our governor; when armed militia members entered our State Capitol; when the kidnap plot against our governor was brought to light; and when our Secretary of State and her 4-year-old son were terrorized in their home as they decorated for Christmas? Let me answer that: His voice was nowhere to be heard. However, he seemed to find his voice when he voted for the amicus brief telling Michigan voters that their votes shouldn't count. Was he telling us that those votes cast for him shouldn't count, or just the votes of Democrats in predominantly black and brown urban areas of the state? We heard his voice loud and clear as he cast his vote of support for QAnon member Marjorie Taylor Greene. Where is his voice now in support of a 9-11 type commission to look into the Jan. 6 insurrection? Or does he agree with members of his party who claim it was "just patriots in a celebratory mood"? This all pales by comparison to the fact that Moolenaar and all members of his party (except for one brave soul) walked out on Liz Cheney a member of his own party as she spoke about her justifiable concerns dealing with the "big lie" and its aftermath to the Democracy of our county. Once again, without saying one single word, Moolenaars "voice" was heard. To John Moolenaar: The taxpayers of Michigan deserve better.We pay your salary and expect you to participate in, be receptive and respectful of all opinions whether you agree with them or not. That is what Democracy is built on one that you and your fellow Republicans seem to have forgotten. As voters in this state, our memories are long and our voices are loud, and they will be heard in 2022 and beyond. NANCY HIEB Midland Paducah, KY (42003) Today Some clouds and possibly an isolated thunderstorm late. Low 72F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Some clouds and possibly an isolated thunderstorm late. Low 72F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%. While some candidates think it is good politics to demonize officers who put their lives on the line every day to protect New Yorkers, she has the judgment, the commitment and the experience on both sides of the courtroom to focus on the core mission of the District Attorneys office, which is public safety, he added. We are all in this together and we are proud to endorse her. WARSAW, Poland (AP) A Nobel laureate, a Netflix star and a fashion model are among the board members who helped launch an initiative Tuesday to raise money for LGBT rights groups in Poland, where gay men, lesbians, and bisexual and transgender people face a backlash from the country's conservative government and Catholic Church. The Equaversity Foundation plans to seek international donations to fund organizations working on the ground in Poland. Activists with the foundation say the help is needed to counter homophobic rhetoric from the highest levels of Poland's government and from Catholic leaders. We can't count on aid from within the country, said model Anja Rubik, who is one of the board members. Along with Rubik, the foundation's board includes Nobel-winning Polish writer Olga Tokarczuk, film director Agnieszka Holland and Antoni Porowski, a Polish-Canadian cook who is one of the stars of the Netflix show Queer Eye. During an online conference Tuesday, several initiators described the new foundation as a way to push back against a rising tide of anti-LGBT discrimination that they view as part of a wider assault on democratic values in Poland, a nation wedged between Western Europe and eastern autocracies. Polish President Andrzej Duda said last year while running for reelection that the term LGBT is not people but an ideology more dangerous than communism. The country's education minister has said LGBT people are not equal to "normal people. Please log in to keep reading. {{featured_button_text}} Enjoy unlimited articles at one of our lowest prices ever. Meanwhile, Catholic Church leaders have also used the term rainbow plague" to describe the movement for greater rights for lesbians, gays, bisexual and transgender people. The atmosphere has led some LGBT people to leave the country. Equaversity board member Holland said that 70% of LGBT youth in Poland have suicidal thoughts. We just have to fight for their lives, she said. Sebastian Hejnowski, a public relations professional who is part of the foundation's management, said he sees a standoff in Poland between conservative forces and a new generation of young people who favor acceptance of sexual minorities. He said that unlike Russia, where LGBT rights have been severely curtailed and there is little chance of progress in the near future, Poland could still choose a different path. "People should support Poland because there is a clear chance to win this fight in Poland," Hejnowski said. Among the designated to receive the funds are Campaign Against Homophobia, the Love Does Not Exclude Association and the Polish Association of Anti-Discriminatory Law. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 0 Visitors to Chicago will no longer be required to quarantine or obtain a negative test result before arriving in the city due to reduced spread of the coronavirus across the country, public health officials announced Tuesday. The city said no states are recording 15 cases per 100,000 residents, which is the trigger for requiring visitors from a state to quarantine or obtain a negative test. The change marks the first time since July 2020 that no states are listed on Chicagos quarantine tier. Please log in to keep reading. {{featured_button_text}} Enjoy unlimited articles at one of our lowest prices ever. All 49 other states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico are listed in the citys yellow tier, which does not have any quarantine, vaccination or COVID-19 test restrictions for travelers returning to Chicago. The announcement on Tuesday is largely symbolic as the travel order has not been enforced by the city and is more of an educational tool. But it marks yet another milestone as Chicago continues its path toward reopening. The citys travel order is updated every two weeks and goes into effect Friday at midnight. For years, Jasper Madonia and his wife, Rachel, had a Memorial Day tradition. Attend the Field Mass at Calvary Cemetery, stop at Hardee's to get a hamburger and then go to Camp Butler National Cemetery where they would sit for an hour or two. Jasper Madonia said most of his family is buried at Calvary. Three of his brothers-in-law, Bill, Albert and Frank Leckrone, all World War II veterans, are buried at Camp Butler as is his sister, Angela, and his brother-in-law, Robert Fox. Especially at Camp Butler, Madonia would remember his own service in World War II. Madonia served in U.S. Army Fourth Division Infantry in the ordinance and artillery section and was present at the Allied Landing at Normandy, France at Utah Beach in 1944. "Of course we were thinking of all the ones who had died," Madonia recalled in a recent interview at his home. "Those are some of the heroes and all of our heroes still buried overseas." COVID-19 has curtailed some of the Memorial Day events, including those for the public at Camp Butler and the Field Mass at Calvary, but Madonia's thoughts still turn towards soldiers he served with. On Saturday, Madonia, who turned 100 years old Jan. 11, will be recognized at a D-Day commemoration at American Legion Post 32, 1120 Sangamon Avenue, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., with a short ceremony at 10:30 a.m. There will be a silent auction, free food and a live radio . Donations will benefit the post. According to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, there are fewer than 1,000 D-Day veterans believed to be living today among the estimated 300,000 surviving World War II veterans. Of the more than 150,000 Allied troops that landed at all five Normandy beaches, there were a little over 4,400 casualties on D-Day alone, by most accurate counts, including heavy losses at Omaha and Juno beaches. Madonia, who grew up on the north end of Springfield and was one of 11 children in the family, enlisted in the army in 1943 when he was 22 and working at Bridge Jewelry, where he would spend 70-plus years working and being a part-owner. Madonia was assigned to the 4th Infantry Division after basic training and spent several weeks in small instrument training in Aberdeen, Md. He did additional training at camps in Georgia and Florida, including amphibious training, before being sent overseas in in January 1944. While Madonia was still at Camp Gordon (now Fort Gordon) in Augusta, Ga., he came home to marry Rachel Leckrone on July 5, 1943. "I'd never been away from home," Madonia. "I felt kind of lonesome and homesick (being overseas). Of course, since I got married, that made it worse." Unaware of the lead-up to D-Day, Madonia said the 4th Division spent most of its time training in the English Channel in amphibious DUKWs, or ducks, that could transport ammunition and personnel in the water or over land. Madonia and others in the 4th Division, including Bill Shea of Springfield, the longtime owner of the Route 66 Museum, were aboard LSTs (landing ship, tanks), which carried tanks, vehicles, cargo and landing troops and could come directly onto shore with no docks or piers. "When we left (for overseas), we knew we were going to do something, but I didn't know what it was," Madonia admitted. "You couldn't even see the water, there were that many ships, battleships and LSTs." Madonia's company landed on Utah Beach, one of the westernmost spots, around 6 p.m. on June 6. Paratroopers, he said, had been the first ones in in the early hours. "The worst part of that was sitting in the channel waiting to go in, because the German shells were landing pretty close," Madonia recalled. "We never took a direct strike. We were pretty lucky. What was going through my mind was, what were we going to get into? "The only thing I can figure is that we must have hit them by surprise by going into Utah Beach, either that or our infantry moved in pretty fast. It was kind of clear for us." Please log in to keep reading. {{featured_button_text}} Enjoy unlimited articles at one of our lowest prices ever. On shore, Madonia and one of his best friends from the army, saw two planes circling the beach. Madonia didn't know if they were Allied or German planes, so "we jumped off our truck and dove under the truck. "That was the stupidest thing (we could have done) because it was full of ammunition," he said. Madonia spent the night on the beach by building a foxhole, lining it with a discarded parachute so sand and dirt wouldn't get in his face. "We could still hear bombs dropping (in the distance), but we weren't very close to the fighting," Madonia recalled. In hindsight, "everybody thought (that D-Day was the beginning of the end of World War II)," Madonia said. "Of course, all we could think of was getting back home." After pushing further into France, the Fourth Division went into Belgium, Germany and Luxembourg, when the war ended. Madonia recalled running into several of his Springfield friends while serving in Europe, including one of his best friends from the north end, Albert "Al" McGlennon, Al "Babe" Greco and Anthony "Tony" Manuele. "A buddy of mine were window-shopping in Paris (on a pass)," Madonia recalled. "Some guy tapped me on the shoulder, I turned around and it was Tony Manuele. We took a picture together. I still have that picture in my wallet." After the war, Madonia returned to Bridge's. He had a heart attack in 1975 and was intensive care at the hospital when his heart stopped beating completely. "There happened to be a doctor going down the hallway and they got him and they gave me shock treatment and brought me back," Madonia said. Madonia has been a parishioner at Blessed Sacrament Church for over 70 years, where he has also ushered, said the Rev. Jeff Grant, the church's pastor. "He's extremely friendly," Grant said. "An usher is someone who can make you feel comfortable, especially if you're not in a familiar place, someone who is accommodating. "That's Mr. Madonia." Ward 7 Ald. Joe McMenamin said he still remembered the first time he knocked on Madonia's door campaigning in 2011. He called Madonia "a gentleman who conducts himself in a very dignified manner. "From my own military experience (in the Illinois Army National Guard, including three deployments overseas) and those in my family, I have tremendous respect for all veterans who have endured the challenges of combat warfare," McMenamin said. "It's an experience one can't forget." Madonia said one of his most memorable experiences was being on a 2010 Land of Lincoln Honor Flight, that took him to the war memorials in Washington, D.C. Madonia's cousin, Mike Palazzolo, was his guardian that day. "It was an honor to be there," Madonia recalled. "You thought back to all of the ones who were lost and, of course, how lucky we were to come back home. God had his hand on me, I guess." Madonia's wife, Rachel, died in 2018. Madonia's son, John and his wife, Donna, live in Haskins, Ga. A granddaughter, Angela Mull, and her family live in Cumming, Ga. Madonia's sister, Nancy Ryan, lives in Springfield. Sam Montalbano, a Korean War veteran whose volunteer work has largely centered around veterans causes, said he has gotten to know Madonia over the past 15 to 20 years. "We wanted to do a couple of things, raise some money (for American Legion Post 32) and do something for Jasper (as part of a D-Day commemoration)," Montalbano said. Memorial Day, Montalbano said, "honors those who have passed away, military or otherwise. It's a day of remembrance. It's just a day off for some people, but it doesn't have any meaning (for them)." Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 SPRINGFIELD Illinois lawmakers blew past their May 31 adjournment deadline, working into early Tuesday morning to approve a $42.3 billion budget and a menu of other significant items, such as an election omnibus that would move the states 2022 primary election from March to June and a long-promised ethics reform package. The flurry of legislation came in the waning hours of the spring legislative session and ultimately spilled into overtime, with the House adjourning just before 2:40 a.m. and the Senate following just after 3 a.m. Tuesday morning. The Senate will reconvene later this morning to wrap up unfinished business, which includes a gaming bill that would permit in-person betting on Illinois college teams, among other provisions. Left unsettled is the future of clean energy in Illinois, with a deal to provide subsidies for three of Exelon's nuclear plants along with a larger road map to a carbon-free future falling apart at the eleventh hour. The budget proposal, which ended up being more than 3,000 pages after several amendments, dropped around 1:30 a.m. Monday, giving lawmakers less than a day to consider its contents. It came up for a vote just a few minutes before midnight in the House, where it passed 72-44-1 with only Democrats voting in favor. The Senate approved just before 2:30 a.m. Tuesday with a 37-21 vote. All Republicans and three Democrats opposed it. It now heads to Gov. JB Pritzker's desk. House Majority Leader Greg Harris, D-Chicago, the lead budget negotiator for House Democrats, said that the proposal was balanced and features less cuts than Pritzkers initial proposal after better-than-expected economic performance produced additional revenue along with a flood of federal stimulus funds from the American Rescue Plan. The world is beginning to open back up. We are seeing a bright, sunny day outside, Harris said. And there's a lot to talk about that we've accomplished in the last year as a state that has put the state of Illinois in a far more stable place financially, and a responsible place fiscally. "We tried to plan conservatively, and when the governor gave his budget address on (February 21), things were looking better in the economy, but no one expected I don't think the recovery in some of the revenues that we saw," Harris said. With the rosier financial picture, the proposal includes an additional $350 million in K-12 education funding as called for under the states evidence-based funding formula, bringing total funding to $9.2 billion. Pritzkers initial proposal kept education spending flat. The budget also allocates $7.5 billion in general revenues for Medicaid, $7.4 billion for human services, $1.9 billion for higher education, $1.9 billion for public safety and $1.4 billion for general services. The budget utilizes about $2.5 billion of the state's $8.1 billion allocation of ARPA funds, with about $1 billion going towards the Rebuild Illinois capital construction program and the rest split between violence prevention, business relief and affordable housing programs. Some of the cuts from Pritzker's budget proposal, released earlier this year, have been taken out. For instance, there will be no 10% cut as initially proposed to the local government distributive fund, which is the portion of state income tax received by cities and counties. The budget also restores some tax incentives initially on the chopping block to the dismay of Republicans and business groups. But some, such as the capping deductions on net operating losses at $100,000, which would bring in an additional $314 million in revenue, remained. In all, about $666 million worth of tax loopholes and incentives for businesses were closed in the budget. The budget passed on a partisan roll, with Republicans opposing over concerns about the sunsetting of tax incentives, which they view as tax increases, as well as the lack of time to evaluate the proposal. They were also critical that several priority projects of Democratic members were included among the $1 billion capital bill allocation. Republican input was not solicited. "Our side represents four million people in this state," said state Sen. Chapin Rose, R-Mahomet. "3000-page bill and there's four million people that aren't including that billion dollars." "The Democrats have come up with dozens more new pet projects and a billion dollars in additional pork," added state Sen. Jason Barickman, R-Bloomington. "At a time when most Illinoisans have tightened their belt, the majority Democrats have instead shown their unquenchable desire to tax and spend. The bill also calls for the paying down of $2 billion in debt that was incurred after borrowing from the federal government during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. States are not allowed to use ARPA funds to pay debt. Beyond the budget, significant bills on ethics and elections were approved while gaming and clean energy remain up in the air. Stakeholders were close to a deal on energy late Monday evening, but negotiations reportedly hit a snag over whether two downstate coal plants should be exempted from 2030 retirement deadlines. Please log in to keep reading. {{featured_button_text}} Enjoy unlimited articles at one of our lowest prices ever. Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} City Water, Light and Power, the city-owned utility that serves Springfield, just opened its newest coal plant in 2009 and is still paying off bonds used to fund its construction, for instance. There's a lot at stake. Beyond the need to transition to a carbon-free energy future, Exelon has threatened to close at least two plants in its Illinois nuclear fleet without a deal. House Speaker Chris Welch, D-Hillside, in a press conference after adjournment, acknowledged that it was "a complex issue." "We were close, and we're going to continue to work on it, and hopefully we'll have something soon," Welch said. Ethics legislation, on the other hand, cleared the House 113-5 Monday evening and passed the Senate unanimously in the early hours of Tuesday morning. The package comes as several current and former lawmakers face a variety of criminal charges and amid an ongoing criminal probe into the lobbying activities of Commonwealth Edison, which sought to influence House Speaker Michael Madigan by hiring his friends and allies. Among other things, the legislation would ban public officials from lobbying other units of government; ban legislators and executive branch officials from lobbying for six months after leaving office or the conclusion of their term; and bans fundraisers on days before and after session. The legislation also lets the Legislative Inspector General to initiate investigations without approval from the Legislative Ethics Commission. Though in order to obtain subpoenas, the LEC approval would be required. It also greatly increase financial disclosure requirements for lawmakers. The bill contains a carve-out for the city of Chicago, which has its own ethics standards. The legislation had wide bipartisan support, but many Republicans supported in grudgingly, saying it does not do near enough. Democratic bill sponsors agreed that it would be the last ethics bill they take up. "This is our first step forward, and our focus was to get a bill that we could get agreement on and get passed," said state Sen. Ann Gillespie, D-Arlington Heights. "There's important provisions in here. We didn't get everything we wanted ... but we got a good, solid bill that addresses many of the issues that we've seen over the last couple of years." In another major change, Illinois 2022 primary election would be moved from March to June as part of a larger elections bill considered by the House and Senate. The move is necessitated by the delay in U.S. Census redistricting data, which is needed for the General Assembly to redraw congressional districts for the next 10 years. Though lawmakers approved new state legislative districts that utilized the census 2015-2019 American Community Survey data, they held off on congressional redistricting reportedly due to litigation concerns from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Unlike state legislative lines, there is no June 30 constitutional deadline, meaning the supermajority Democrats can take up a congressional redraw without concern for losing control of the process. Candidates for office will be able to start passing petitions in January and filing will be in March, followed by a June 28 primary election. The legislation would also make curbside voting permanent and allow people to be added to a permanent vote-by-mail list and make election day a holiday. It also requires every county to have at least one universal voting center for the 2022 primary and general elections, makes Election Day a state holiday for schools and universities and allows jails outside Cook County to set up polling places in their facilities if they choose. The legislation passed the House 72-46 and the Senate 41-18 with all Republicans opposing. Republicans lambasted the proposal as "all about redistricting" and the Democrats' desire to "maintain and sustain power." "This is not a bill about moving the primary, it's not a bill about voter empowerment," said state Rep. Ryan Spain, R-Peoria. "This is protection for redistricting." Meanwhile, gaming legislation allowing in-person betting on Illinois college teams easily cleared the House 96-11 early Tuesday morning. It heads to the Senate, where it will likely be taken up before adjournment today. The legislation partially reverses a provision that carved Illinois schools out of the 2019 law that legalized sports betting in the state. It was done at the request of university athletic directors. However, the provision has proven unpopular, perhaps best highlighted by the lack of ability for Illinois residents to bet on the Illinois-Loyola basketball game in March. Betting on Illinois college teams would only be allowed at physical sportsbooks. Wagering on individual performance would not be allowed. The legislation would also allow a sportsbook to be hosted at Wintrust Arena, the venue that's home to the WNBA's Chicago Sky and the DePaul University men's basketball program. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Facebook decided this week its no longer misinformation to wonder whether COVID-19 was manmade by Chinese scientists in a biolab in the Wuhan Institute of Virology. But its not just Facebook. The national media and President Biden have just done a similar 180. On Wednesday, the same guy who had ordered the shutting down of the Trump administrations investigation into the origins of COVID-19 told the U.S. intelligence community to redouble its efforts to find out how the coronavirus got started. So, faster than you can say dishonest mainstream media, the idea that a deadly manmade virus came from a biolab in Communist China flipped from being a racist Trump conspiracy theory to a credible and probable possibility. All last year the liberal media and our top scientists told us over and over that we had to believe the Communist Chinese fairy tale that COVID-19 jumped from animals to humans. But that story has recently fallen apart after reports that several researchers working on coronaviruses at the biolab in Wuhan got so sick in November 2019 they were hospitalized. Everyone in the national media is now talking about the plausibility of an escaped coronavirus as if its something new. Thats great. But if you go back a year, and if you know how to connect some dots, you would have known that theres been something sloppy and rotten in Chinas biolabs for almost 20 years. In 2004 Chinas health officials reported that four suspected cases of SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) which sickened 8,000 in 29 countries and killed nearly 800 in 2003-2004 were the result of a safety breach at a Beijing biolab studying the SARS coronavirus. In 2017, after years of searching in caves, a team of scientists from the Wuhan Institute of Virology found the source of SARS in the bodies of horseshoe bats. Please log in to keep reading. {{featured_button_text}} Enjoy unlimited articles at one of our lowest prices ever. They began studying and manipulating the deadly and risky bat coronavirus in their high-containment laboratory, which in 2015 had become Chinas first biolab to achieve the highest level of international bioresearch safety (known as BSL-4). The trouble was, the Wuhan Institute of Virologys biolab was a pandemic waiting to get started. In 2018 a group of U.S. diplomats and scientists who visited the lab told the Trump administration that its staff was not properly trained and was not following the protocols to safely operate a level 4 biolab. The White House was actually warned that the Wuhan labs work on bat coronaviruses and their potential human transmission represented a risk of a new SARS-like pandemic. Biden appears to be catching up to the reality of Chinas third-rate biolabs now, but hes always known better. It was the Obama administration that in 2015 helped China get the international OK it needed to raise the Wuhan labs rating from level 3 to 4. By getting a higher accreditation, the biolab was allowed to handle the deadliest, riskiest viruses from anywhere in the world. It also gave it the ability to do the testing and manipulation of coronaviruses that gave it the potential to become a biological weapons facility. But dont blame Obama, Biden or Dr. Fauci for endorsing the Wuhan biolabs upgrade. The whole world signed off on it. Maybe thats why no other governments are coming down hard on China. Maybe they dont want to jeopardize their zillion-dollar financial arrangements with China or risk their domestic companies access to Chinas 1.4 billion potential customers. Its not just the NBA, Apple or Hollywood that have sold their souls to Chinas Communist government for profit. Thats actually the big story, I think. Money. If you follow the money, you usually get to the bottom of things. In this case, when you get to the bottom of things the world population will find out that their governments approved a level 4 biolab that can produce biological weapons for Chinathe worlds number one enemy of freedom. And so far, 3.4 million human beings have died because of it. Michael Reagan is a columnist for Cagle Cartoons newspaper syndicate. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 What are they afraid of? Republican Senators who voted against an investigation of the January 6 attack on the Capitol are clearly afraid of something. They said "No" to a proposal to get to the bottom of the attack on the symbol of our democracy. Rumors still swirl around that insurrection which was an effort to overturn the presidential election. Five people were killed, including a police officer, and 140 other officers were injured. Members of Congress were hurried off to secure locations. Our democracy itself was under threat. At other crucial moments, such as the assassination of President Kennedy or the 9/11 terrorist attack, Congress created a Special Commission of respected citizens, on a non-partisan basis, to sift through the evidence so that we could avoid similar threats to our democracy in the future. But a majority of today's Senate Republicans, led by Senator Mitch McConnell, refused to support such a search for the facts of January's assault. Please log in to keep reading. {{featured_button_text}} Enjoy unlimited articles at one of our lowest prices ever. I ask again, What are they afraid of? Michael Chertoff, President George W. Bush's secretary of homeland security, in supporting the establishment of a special Commission on the January 6 riot, said that a Commission "builds trust. It shows the public at a time of crisis, we can all come together and put the good of the country ahead of partisan interests." We need, he said, to understand how the violent insurrection at the Capitol came together, in order "to ensure the peaceful transfer of power in our country is never so questioned again." So, I am asking, What are the majority of Senate Republicans afraid of? The truth, perhaps? Richard Watts, Bloomington Love 6 Funny 5 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 37 Type Your Letter I have watchedvideos of the January 6th assault on our Capitol building many times. A mob broke into Our building. They beat security guards, with the result that several people died; they searched for members of Congress and other leaders, calling for their deaths; they destroyed property and tried to deny us our Constitutional right to the final Electoral College count. I am still alarmed by the attack. There are many unanswered questions about the assault, including a full account of who the organizers and perpetrators were; how widespread the organization was; how long the attack had been planned; whether there was some collusion from inside the Capitol building... I earnestly urge members of the U.S. Senate to reconsider their vote to deny an investigation. PLEASE work with House members to appoint a bi-partisan Commission of respected citizens who will fully and fairly investigate this violent invasion. We need to know how this happened so that we can prevent its happening again.For the sake of our Democracy,Carol Schrantz We have to abide by the law, she told The News. You know what police officers want to do? Whatever the hell they want. When theyre in a hard situation, they want to do what they want to do. And sometimes you can understand why theyre scared, or why they are angry, or why theyre frustrated, or why they want to drop an F-bomb on someone, but it doesnt mean they can. So we have to hold ourselves to the law, too, if were going to ask that they do. The Deplorables Will Not Replace Us Just before Memorial Day weekend, the Trump backers filibustered any congressional commission to investigate the Jan. 6 attempted insurrection. Thats after many vindictive but unproductive investigations about Benghazi. Mitch, Lindsay, you guys are great patriots. These senators have decided they are unwilling to do the right thing and stand up for American democracy. Their policy is short term political expediency to gain power. The integrity of our democracy is at stake. Please log in to keep reading. {{featured_button_text}} Enjoy unlimited articles at one of our lowest prices ever. Another Republican policy is to restrict voting. After all, their seditionist in chief has lied repeatedly about non existent massive voting irregularities, so they gotta do something. How many people were actually charged with illegal voting in the 2020 election? There was at least one. Barry Morphew of Chafee County, Colorado, is charged with murdering his wife and casting her absentee ballot for Trump. How many others? Former Republican Speaker Paul Ryan noted the yes-men and flatterers flocking to Mar-a-Lago to see the extortionist in chief. He said It was horrifying to see a presidency come to such a dishonorable and disgraceful end." But hey, narcissists are gonna lie and their followers have no shame, so you cant shame them. Thats why they are, indeed, deplorable. Alan Novick, Normal Love 5 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 17 This service applies to you if your subscription has not yet expired on our old site. You will have continued access until your subscription expires; then you will need to purchase an ongoing subscription through our new system. Please contact the Parsons Sun office at (620) 421-2000 if you have any questions Evangelical Protestantism (which I was an enthusiastic part of from 1977-1990, and retain many many fond memories of and gratefulness for) is known for having lots of slogans and catch-phrases and mantras that are repeated over and over as if they are Gospel Truth. One of these is: Christianity isnt a religion. Its a relationship. I used to resonate with this sentiment quite a bit myself, but I never took it as far as many people do (I hardly could have: having obtained a college degree in sociology). I would have still said, if asked: Christianity is one of the worlds religions, and the one that is the most true. Id like to unpack this famous saying a bit. I found a great article on this topic by a United Methodist pastor named Jimmy Mallory, entitled, Its Not a Religion, Its a Relationship, Right? (Firebrand, 9-14-20). It will serve as a useful introduction to what I want to say. He observed: The popular slogan certainly has truth in it, but its not the complete truth. In fact, I find it exasperating. . . . It . . . gave me a reason to shrug away an annoyance: I no longer need to align myself with religious baggage that may make me seem weird, intolerant, and hateful. . . . I could have the best of both worlds because I could still have my faith without the baggage of religion. It was plain to me that there was something about Christianity not being associated with religion that somehow made it more accessible and palatable. . . . Ritual is not a bad word. Neither is religion. They are simply the ways by which humanity can relate to God. Everyone utilizes ritual. Many have their own daily rituals. Some wake up in the morning to the sound of an alarm clock, get ready for the day, go to the kitchen for breakfast and coffee, send the kids off to school, and then head to work, where more rituals await. We have prescribed formulas in which we go about our daily routines, and if one thing is out of place, it could ruin the whole day. Our daily rituals keep our lives organized. The same can be said for religious ritual. Every church service is full of ritual, whether we recognize it as such or not. Praying, singing, the preaching of the Word, partaking in the sacraments, even the day we choose to attend worship, the church service is determined by these formulaic routines that help us to connect with God. They create order. One can even say that ritual is Godly because thats what God does; God brings order out of chaos. Religion, then, is built upon the rituals utilized by Christians to keep an orderly faith-life. . . . In the case of the Pharisees, Jesus took issue with the appearance of religion. His concern was with those who act religious but lack the love of God for their neighbors. Without the heart of the law, religion is relegated to a show. We are just pretty tombs filled with death and decay, no better than our natural state apart from the grace of God. Empty religion and spiritual death is a legitimate concern for all Christians. . . . By definition, a relationship requires a mutual connectedness. . . . its true that we can do nothing on our own to earn our salvation. However, by Gods grace at work in our lives, we can respond. And the practices by which we respond are collectively called religion. It makes our mutual connectedness complete. The formula is Grace + Religion = A Relationship with God. This is how relationships work; by doing our part to maintain a healthy and life-giving connection. Our part in our response is attending to the ordinances of God. God comes to us in grace. We go to God in religion. Together, we form a relationship that puts all other relationships into right-relatedness. This is dead-on, and I especially like it because it shows that this understanding is not simply a Catholic one, but a concept where Catholics and Protestants ought to be able to fully agree. And we can and should because, as I will shortly demonstrate, the Bible itself doesnt pit these two valuable and altogether necessary things (relationship with God and religion) against each other. I ran across a meme along these lines from God TV. It stated: Jesus did not die to give us a religion. He died so that through faith in Him we could have an intimate relationship with God. This is classic example of what we might call evangelical folk piety. Its well-intentioned, rightly promotes the very important truth of having a relationship with God (which is wonderful and needed), but at the same time it blasts religion as if it were inherently, intrinsically, essentially a bad thing through and through: some sort of sin. It throws the baby out with the bath water, so to speak. All religion means is to observe or bind. All Christians certainly observe many things. Almost all of us believe in baptism and receiving Holy Communion. Thats ritual and its religion. Jesus even said that receiving the Holy Eucharist is directly tied to salvation, and the Bible teaches that baptism is, too. We sing hymns in Church. Thats a ritual of worship. We bow our heads together to pray. Sometimes we kneel. Etc. All of this is religion. We should feel no need to pit it against faith and knowing God. Many define religion as if it were inherently hostile and opposed to a personal relationship to Jesus, but this simply isnt the case. We cant all simply define terms as we like, or we wouldnt be able to communicate with each other. The whole world would be like the Tower of Babel in no time with five billion personal definitions of each word! * No Christian of any sort who knows anything about his or her faith would deny the importance of a deep relationship with Jesus. But its one of the most cherished and repeated Protestant myths about Catholicism: that (many millions of us, if not most Catholics) we just go through the motions and dont know God, and that we believe in salvation by works. Both are false. * Some Catholics do, of course do one or both things, but this is true of any group. One can always find hypocrites and bad examples; half-hearted, ignorant followers, who dont even know the teachings of the religious group they are affiliated with (what is called religious nominalism). Thats why Jesus died, too: to not only save but to transform people like that (like most of us Christians at least used to be before God transformed our lives). This is why God sent the Holy Spirit to be our Helper and to guide and empower us as we walk with Jesus in discipleship. * If we read the Catholic mystics (Thomas a Kempis Imitation of Christ for example) I put together a book of quotations of Catholic mysticism , we find a very deep understanding of relationship with God: in no way spiritually inferior to similar understandings in Protestantism. I actually read that book as a Protestant, and to this day I think it is closer in spirit to the Bible than any book I have ever read. Its nothing new that Protestants supposedly uniquely figured out 1500 years after Jesus. * But if we really want to understand the definition of religion why not go to the Bible: which all Christians agree (or should agree) is the inspired and infallible revelation from God? Heres what we find: 1 Timothy 2:10 (RSV) but by good deeds, as befits women who profess religion. Note the religion is a positive thing, characterized by good deeds. 1 Timothy 3:16 Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of our religion: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory. Here religion has to do more with the doctrinal creed or confession that we accept (its used by Paul in the same way, to describe his own former Jewish religious belief many tents of which he retained, as did Jesus , in Acts 26:5). Thats part of it, too. We observe and do certain things because of what we believe in faith. 2 Timothy 3:1-5 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of stress. [2] For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, [3] inhuman, implacable, slanderers, profligates, fierce, haters of good, [4] treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, [5] holding the form of religion but denying the power of it. Avoid such people. Again, religion is a good thing, not a bad thing. But as with everything it can be corrupted, with folks making it an empty form and denying the power of it. Proper marital sexuality can be perverted to lust; enjoyment of food can descend to gluttony, rest to slothfulness / laziness, etc. So Paul is saying those who are lousy at religion should be avoided, not those who are religious, period. James 1:26-27 If any one thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this mans religion is vain. [27] Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. The same thing is expressed again; religion is good, but a religious hypocrite is bad: exactly what Jesus scolded the Pharisees about. Acts 17:22 So Paul, standing in the middle of the Are-opagus, said: Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. This was not a rebuke at all. Paul was complimenting them. But they worshiped an unknown god (17:23), so Paul took the opportunity to proclaim the one true God to them; to preach the gospel (17:23-31). He built upon what they knew, and cited their own pagan philosophers and poets (17:28). He used his own evangelistic methodological principle: later expressed as I have become all things to all people, that I may win all the more. People often understand and believe partial truths. In these cases, we build upon what they know and introduce then to even greater, deeper spirituality and theology. 1 Timothy 5:4 If a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn their religious duty to their own family and make some return to their parents; for this is acceptable in the sight of God. Again, nothing negative about religion . . . its a duty. * With that, I rest my case. * Related Reading * * * * * * * Click 'Letters to the Editor' section headline above for full selection of latest letters to the editor The Chief Executive Officer of Royal Vina Foods, Madam Davina Sheila Mensah has urged Ghanaians to patronize locally manufactured foods to help build a stable and better economy. According to her, importing basic foods such as rice creates a challenge where the countrys foreign earnings are depleted. We import a lot of foreign rice and it cost us a lot. It is also a contributive factor to high exchange rates because we have to change the money to other currencies and it makes our economy a bit unstable she stated. She said this during the Official launch of Royal Vina Foods outlet and Some made in Ghana products to support the Eat Ghana initiative announced by the Ghana Tourism Authority. Ms. Mensah appealed to state authorities to publicly support the purchase of Made in Ghana Products. She added that her strong desire to contribute to the growth of the country led her to birth Royal Vina Foods. She said Royal Vina Foods has contributed to the local market with pure local products that have no additives which is very good for everyone. Madam Mensah appealed to all organizations to financially support local manufacturers to help create jobs. She was hopeful of extending the business to encourage more Ghanaians that Made in Ghana products have a space on the local market. She made a humble plea to every individual to support her by purchasing the products. Background Royal Vina food is a food entity that deals in the production of Ghana brown rice, Ghana white rice, Pure honey, brown sugar and coconut oil. Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video China has accused the United States of taking a 'dangerous stance' in calling for a full investigation into the possibility that COVID--19 escaped from a laboratory in Wuhan, warning that Washington 'could meet its Waterloo in this battle'. China's state newspaper, The Global Times, published an op ed on Sunday likening Joe Biden's search for the origins of the pandemic to U.S. efforts to find Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) in Iraq. In February 2003 Colin Powell, the then-Secretary of State, told the United Nations that Saddam Hussein's regime had developed weapons of mass destruction and posed an imminent threat, in a bid to justify invading the country. WMDs were never found. Read Full Story .... dailymail.co.uk >>> : 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 At the news conference at his new field office the fifth his campaign has opened across the city Yang may have provided a small preview. He asked voters to think about all of the favors that Eric had to trade to get to this point. The Commonwealth Human Rights International (CHRI) has freed three convicts at the Koforidua Prison in the New Juaben North Municipality of the Eastern Region after paying their fines on Monday, May 31, 2021. The CHRI paid a total sum of GH2,750.00 for the release of the three, who were convicted for minor offences such as petty theft and failure to report an accident early on this year. The three convicts; 18-year old Isaac Adu, Henry Ebenezer Richard Akornor, 20, and Samuel Larweh, 27 were beneficiaries of the CHRIs initiative to assist convicts in the category of petty offences in various prisons across the country. Prison decongestion The Africa Office Director of CHRI, Ms Mina Mensah in an interview with the media said the initiative is part of their project to decongest the prisons especially in the wake of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. We have undertaken this project as part of the initiative to decongest our prisons that are very much over populated, in order to also curb the spread of the COVID-19 in some of these facilities. Some of the convicts actually never deserved to be here not because they did no wrong but because the custodial sentences were severe, she said. She said the application of custodial sentences for minor offences in the country should be looked at as it attempts to criminalise poverty, pointing to the fact that most of the culprits in the petty offence bracket fell victim due to poverty. She appealed to government to reconsider the custodial sentences attached to petty theft to decongest the prisons, and lessen the burden on government in taking care of prisoners. Appreciation The Commander of the Koforidua Prisons, Deputy Director of Prisons (DDP) Kwaku Ababio Ali expressed gratitude to CHIR and appealed to other Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), corporate organisations and well-to-do Ghanaians to emulate the example to help decongest the prisons in Ghana. He also cautioned the general public to be very circumspect with their behaviours as one bad turn can needlessly take away their freedom, and also putting pressure on the facilities at various prisons in the country. Backrground The convicted teenager, Isaac Adu in an interview said he was convicted on May 21, this year due to his failure to report a commercial motorcycle (Okada) rider involved in an accident in which he was a passenger at Asuom in the Kwaebibirem Municipality of the Eastern Region. He defaulted in paying a fine sum of GHS 1,200 and was therefore serving nine months in jail. Henry Ebenezer Richard Akornor, and Samuel Larweh from Asuom in the Kwaebibirem Municipality and Somanya in the Yilo Krobo District respectively, were convicted for petty theft. Henry Akornor, 27, defaulted to pay a fine of GH600 for transferring a sum of GHS 800 from his biological sisters mobile money (Momo) wallet to his, and was to serve eight months in jail from February this year. However, he served three months of his jail term which would have terminated in October this year, and has therefore seen his fine reduced to GH350 from the initial GH600. Meanwhile, 20-year old Samuel Larweh also defaulted to pay his GH1,200 fine for stealing a sum of GH1,700 from his boss to pay medical bills for his sick mother in April this year. He was to serve nine months in jail. The three ex-convicts expressed gratitude to CHRI for the support as they narrated their experience at the prison, describing it as terrible. They said their experience as convicts would shape them to be better citizens. Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video It appears the saga involving one of Ghana's prestigious Senior High educational facilities, Achimota School, and two embattled teenagers, Tyron Iras Marhguy and Oheneba Kwaku Nkrabea, who have been denied admission for spotting dreadlocks, albeit for religious purposes; is not ending anytime soon. This is because, Peacefmonline.com can confirm that the Governing Board of Achimota School is unhappy with the recent outcome of suit initiated on behalf of the students and has thus asked their lawyers to appeal the ruling of the Human Rights Division of the Accra High Court's order to admit the Rastafarian students. A statement intercepted by Peacefmonline.com states "the Governing Board of Achimota School.... has learned of the outcome of the case brought against it by two persons who had earlier applied to be admitted in the school. The school board disagrees with the ruling of the court." In March this year, Achimota School issued admission letters to the two students but indicated that they would only be enrolled on the condition that they shave their dreadlocks in accordance with the Schools academic regulations. Clearly unenthused, Tyron and Oheneba sued the Schools Board of Governors, the Minister of Education, the Ghana Education Service, and the Attorney General to enforce their fundamental Human Rights. The applicants asked the court to declare that the failure and or refusal of the 1st Respondent (Achimota School Board of Governors) to admit or enrol the Applicant on the basis of his Rastafarian religious inclination, beliefs, and culture characterized by his keeping of Rasta, is a violation of his fundamental human rights and freedoms guaranteed under the 1992 constitution particularly Articles 12(1), 23, 21(1)(b)(c). On Monday, May 31, 2021, the Human Rights Division of the High Court presided over by Justice Gifty Agyei Addo, ruled that the fundamental human rights of two students cannot be limited by the rules in question. Justice Gifty Adjei Addo disagreed with the submissions of the Attorney General and granted all the reliefs separately sought by the embattled students except the relief of compensation in the case of Tyrone Marhguy. According to Justice Addo, it is preposterous for the Attorney General to have even suggested that the two were not students in the first place. Justice Gifty Adjei Addo consequently directed Achimota School to admit the two Rastafarian students. Following what most Ghanaians consider as a landmark ruling, there have been varied reactions to the news. While some have hailed the verdict as a ''major victory for the Rastafarian community'', since the students were not keeping dreadlocks as a lifestyle but for religious purposes, and for that matter cannot be the basis for Achimota Secondary School to deny them admission into the school. But others contend the decision will "open the floodgates for students to flout" the rules of their schools. For now, it remains to be seen if Achimota School will go ahead with the appeal, and when it will be filed. Our fingers remain crossed. 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. Featured Video Hisense Ghana Limited, the countrys leading household and Electrical appliances on Monday donated items worth thousands of Cedis to the Amrahia Health Centre in Adentan near Dodowa. The items included a huge refrigerator, air conditioners, washing machines and LED Television sets, and are provided to aid health care delivery at the centre. Marketing Executive of Hisense Ghana Madam Abena Konadu pointed out that the gesture forms part of her outfits decision to support society. This is just a token from us, we at Hisense believe in rallying support for the community we operate in. Our customers have been amazing over the years and these are some of the things we do to appreciate them for being there for us, said Madam Konadu She added Our products range from LED Digital and Satellite Tvs, Smart Tvs, Home theaters, Mobile phones, Chest freezers, Fridges, Water Dispensers, Microwave, Steam Cookers, Gas and Electric Stove. We believe the items donated would be used for the intended purpose. Physician Assistant Marian Tenortey, facility in charge of the health centre commended Hisense for the gesture taking into account the deplorable state of the facility in terms of amenities. The items will certainly go a long way to expedite health care service delivery here, we promise to use it for the intended purpose, we want to thank you very much for responding on time for our request, she added. In recent months, Hisense has embarked on charity projects- donated to two hospitals in Tarkwa, the Police Hospital in Accra and other health facilities in the country. Another Physician Assistant Sybil Decker in like manner expressed gratitude to Hisense for the support saying, Of the numerous requests we have sent to corporate Ghana, including those around us, it is only Hisense that has responded to us, indeed, they are the only company that has come to our aid. We are very much grateful to them. The items are just what we requested for. Meanwhile, the health centre has appealed to Corporate Ghana to come to their need taking into account its deplorable state and the potential of rendering better healthcare service to the community. Source: Kofi Aduonum 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 Technical Advisor and Spokesperson for the Vice President of the Republic, Dr. Gideon Boako, has expressed worry over the manner in which road tolls are collected in Ghana. Dr. Gideon Boako bemoaned the disequilibrium between those who pay road tolls and those who don't. He stated that majority of the people who pay road tolls are not the rich class but people who earn less income and also reside in remote and undeveloped areas. He explained that this is so because the toll booths are situated in the hinterlands, therefore the rich evade paying tolls at the expense of the poor. To him, this is "not equitable. In terms of equity, those who pay toll and where the toll is located is quote and unquote are those who are struggling and these are people who drive far distances to come to the city center to do business, and also waste fuel". He was also alarmed by how much the tolls cost. "Look at something like toll booth. When you drive a Land Cruiser, you pay 1 cedi. Isn't it too small? Too little!," he said. Assessing the situation, Dr. Gideon Boako borrowed an idea from his colleague academic which he believes is a better alternative to bridging the gap between the poor and rich ensuring every Ghanaian pays tolls to help the country generate adequate revenue to improve the road sector and also undertake other developmental projects. "Why don't we collapse all the tolls and let the toll levy to become a certain universal levy as a percentage of something, maybe fuel prices or something? In that case, everybody pays it and the number of people paying will be more. Even if it's a small percentage, it will benefit every person," he suggested. He spoke to host Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM's flagship programme ''Kokrokoo''. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has criticized the Medical Laboratory Scientists who are still on strike despite a court ruling. The strike action which started from the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) on May 20, is in protest against the decision of the Management to post two doctors to work in the Unit of the Laboratory Scientists. Subsequently, the National Labour Commission (NLC) secured an interlocutory injunction compelling them to call off the strike nationwide. However, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Ghana Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists, Dennis Adu Gyasi said the strike is still on because the injunction was only against the KATH chapter. Speaking to the current impasse in an interview on Peace FM's morning show 'Kokrokoo', President of the Ghana Medical Association, Dr. Frank Ankobea wondered why an "employee' will dictate to an "employer". " . . Management; your employer has sent someone for you to work with then you the employee claim you can't work with the person; then why don't you leave . . . ?" he queried. "We're already fighting Covid; we can't have a divided attention . . . that space (Unit of the Lab Scientists) is a public space; never in my life have I heard an employee telling another employee that I won't allow you to work here . . . the headship of any department depends on the hospital management and they select the most competent person who can handle the place..." Dr. Frank Ankobea recalled when a similar incident occurred at Korle-bu Teaching Hospital where GMA members were given death threats; saying, "we won't sit down for this to continue. In as much as we want to work together, we won't allow intimidation". Listen to him in the video below 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 President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has said that a radio station is currently running a campaign against the free senior high school (Free SHS) education policy introduced by his government in 2017. A radio station is currently running a campaign against free SHS." "During the last elections, I got the clear impression [that] free SHS has been endorsed by all political parties and all we needed to do was to keep improving it. Would a spirited defense of the free SHS policy constitute an attack on press freedom? I wonder. It cannot be that everyone has a right of reply except members of the government and officialdom. Nor can it be that the challenging and opinion expressed by a journalist constitutes an attack on press freedom. President Akufo-Addo's comment was in reaction to recent public discussions on "culture of silence". The President said he had been a critical and integral part of promoting for the country a constitution that upheld the freedom of association, speech and the media, the separation of powers, the rule of law, a strong and vibrant environment and a private sector that made people prosper and would do nothing to jeopardise the gains made in that direction. He was speaking at a special congregation at the University of Cape Coast (UCC) on Saturday. The occasion was to award him an honorary Doctor of Philosophy degree for his meritorious contribution to educational development in the country, with particular reference to the implementation of the free senior high school policy. President Akufo-Addo said he will not do anything to gag the press nor preside over a culture of silence. He noted that as a human rights lawyer who had spent a greater part of his adulthood promoting and protecting the freedoms and rights of his country and individuals, it would be ironic that his person or his government would promote a culture of silence. What I believe may be sorely lacking in our society today, is the need to listen to each other more, knowledge has never been a gift granted exclusively to one group. We must listen and hear each other more. And for me personally, I find it ironic that the presidency of a man who has been and continues to be daily the most vilified political figure of his generation can be accused of presiding over a culture of silence. There is no midnight knock on the door in Ghana for authors of dissenting views, nor will there be during my presidency. Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Ministry of Education (MoE) and the Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (CTVET) have identified strengthening the TVET system and improving employable skills as a key to sustainable economic prosperity in Ghana. Half of Ghana's population is younger than 30 years and there is still a large shortage in employable skills in all sectors of the economy in Ghana (USAID/Ghana Country Development Cooperation Strategy, 2019). A WorldSkills Ghana (WSGh) platform has been created to develop best practices for modern and efficient vocational education) and training and qualification together with educational institutions, industry and the government in Ghana. WorldSkills is the global hub for skills excellence and development. Through international cooperation and development between industry, government, organizations, and institutions, WorldSkills promotes the benefits of and the need for skilled professionals through grass-roots community projects, skill competitions, and knowledge exchange. WorldSkills shows how important skills education and training is for youth, industries and society by challenging young professionals around the world to become the best in their respective skills area. In November 2018, Ghanas first National Skills Competition took place in Accra. The winners in turn, represented Ghana in the World Skills Africa Competition in Kigali in November 2018 where they competed in their respective trade areas and skills categories. Proudly, the Ghanaian contestants won gold in the Cooking category, silver in Hairdressing, silver in Electrical Wiring and bronze in Mechatronics. Subsequently, Ghana applied for membership of WorldSkills International and was officially announced the 81st member of WorldSkills at the Opening Ceremony of the 2019 Competition in Kazan, Russia in August 2019. As a new member, Ghana was assigned to WorldSkills Germany for mentorship and support. The role of Worldskills Ghana in TVET delivery is to; Organising Skills Competitions aimed at inspiring world-class excellence in skills development. Inspire world-class excellence in skills development and introduce the youth to a variety of skills careers. Build capacity by introducing into TVET systems the exchange of skills through development programmes to enhance skills delivery. Engage facilitators to be trained in understanding their roles as experts and technical support in applying WorldSkills Standard Specification (WSSS). To successfully achieve all the above, WorldSkills Germany has come in to partnered and mentor Ghana. WorldSkills Germany (WSG) has been a member of WorldSkills International since 1953 and is a formidable member of WorldSkills International. WorldSkills Germany brings on board many years of experience in organising national and international skills competitions, developing organisational structures and leading partnerships in the WorldSkills movement that WorldSkills Ghana can draw on. The WorldSkills Germany support team are Hubert Romer, Michael Buechele, Barry Hackh and Alba Losert. The partnership seeks to: a) Organize, plan, project management and implementation of the national competitions and preparation of experts and participants for international competition b) Establish and expand the organizational structures of the WSGh Secretariat c) Develop teams skills: experts, technical supporters, skills sponsors d) Train experts, develop training and performance centres e) Train Competitors; regarding their skills (soft and hard) and attitudes needed for competition With this support, Ghanas Skills organising Team and competitors will receive the needed training and preparation towards the National Skills Competition in August 2021, Namibia 2021 for WorldSkills Africa and finally for the WorldSkills International competition stage at Shanghai 2022. Towards the preparation for the National Skills Competition in August 2021, a secretariat has been set up at the Accra Technical Training Center, (ATTC), Kokomlemle as a support office for the WorldSkills Ghana team. The success stories of WorldSkills Ghana have been noteworthy; Chef Sika Mortoo 2018 winner in the Cooking Category has progressed to win a Jollof competition between Ghana and Nigeria organized by Promasidor Limited under their brand Onga. She has also started her own business with the funds she won from the competition. Three of the Competitors from the 2018 Skills Competition (Isaac Adjoka, Justice Nyarko and Clement Siaw have been selected by Delorenzo S.pA to create the first made in Ghana robotics training kit (bot-arm). They have set up their own company as well known as JIC Robotics. And finally, Miss Lisa Mendita has been employed by FC Beauty College as a facilitator after successfully going through the 2018 National Skills Competition. WorldSkills Ghana provides a great platform for skills development and support in building a robust TVET for Ghanas Transformation. Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the security authorities to hasten efforts to rescue more than 100 children kidnapped from an Islamic school in Niger state. The president condemned the latest incident as "unfortunate" while urging the agencies to secure their "immediate release" according to a statement shared by his spokesman Garba Shehu: President Muhammadu Buhari has charged the nations security and intelligence agencies to expedite efforts towards the recovery of the 200 children kidnapped from an Islamic school in Niger State. Garba Shehu (@GarShehu) May 31, 2021 Mr Buhari has also directed government agencies to extend possible support to the families of the kidnapped children.Abductions carried out for ransom are increasingly common in northern states - with hundreds having been kidnapped in several incidents in recent months.In February, nearly 300 girls were taken by armed men from a boarding school in Jangebe, Zamfara state. Most were later freed.In the latest incident on Sunday in the town of Tegina, gunmen on motorcycles are reported to have stormed the town and opened fire indiscriminately.The gunmen then seized the students from the school - where children aged between six and 18 years attend - as people fled. Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The French foreign minister has called for strict adherence to Mali's transition timetable by military authorities and reiterated France's condemnation of the coup in the country. Mr Jean-Yves Le Drian tweeted that "France shares the absolute priority given by the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) to the presidential elections of 27 February 2022, under the strict conditions outlined by the heads of state and government, in their 30 May statement". Mali has had two coups in nine months with the military junta leader Col Assimi Goita declaring himself transitional president. Noting Ecowas' decision to suspend Mali over the latest coup, Mr Le Drian said France backed the establishment of a monitoring committee on the transition by the bloc. He said the adherence to the criteria verified by Ecowas was essential for maintaining international support for Mali. France's President Emmanuel Macron said the country would withdraw its troops, seen as critical to the fight against jihadist militants, if Mali moved towards embracing radical Islam. Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Former Member of Parliament(MP) for Kumbungu constituency, Ras Mubarak says any attempt by Achimota School to appeal the High Court's ruling of their saga with the Rastafarians will be an absolute waste of time. He claims the court has been fair to the Rastafarian students after commending the court for putting Ghana on a higher pedestal in issues of human rights. These kids are the future; hence, we can't stop their right to education just because they are Rastafarians. Will their locks affect their brains in any way? he questioned in an interview with NEAT FMs morning show, 'Ghana Monte'. He, however, described those against the ruling as mentally enslaved. This is what Bob Marley has been preaching for years but a lot of people are still incarcerated. If the whites are allowed to have their hairstyle in Achimota school, why disallow others because they are blacks, He told host Kwesi Aboagye. Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video McClellan and Carroll Foy, a 39-year-old former legislator, are trying to break another barrier by becoming the first Black woman to win a governors race in any state. They are decided underdogs to former Gov. Terry McAuliffe in Virginias primary next Tuesday. Yet theyre nonetheless part of a surge in candidacies by Black women in the Democratic Party, not just for local and legislative posts but also statewide offices that are still new ground for Black women. Minister for Works and Housing, Francis Asenso-Boakye has said that government is keen on providing protection to communities along the coastlines in parts of the country against the continuous adverse effects of tidal waves and rising sea levels. The Minister made this disclosure when he interacted with the press at Cape Coast on the second day of his two-day working visit to the Central region. I am in this ancient city of Cape Coast as part of my two-day working visit to the Central region. The tour is aimed at receiving first-hand updates and monitoring the progress of coastal protection works being undertaken by various contractors of the Ministry, said the Minister. As part of the monitoring process, I interacted with various stakeholders including Chiefs, opinion leaders and managers of the Cape Coast Castle to ascertain their concerns, and I assured that government will take their concerns into consideration in the project monitoring and evaluation process, he added. Ghanas total coastlines stretch to about 550km, of which two-thirds, approximately 367km requires reclamation and development against the continuous effect of the tidal waves and rising sea levels, with an estimated thirty per cent (30%) of the countrys population living along the coastlines. Mr Asenso-Boakye mentioned that the NPP government has over the period resolved to take proactive measures to protect and safeguard coastal communities, as well as promote sustainable socio-economic activities and livelihoods, particularly, fishing, tourism and protection of communities. The visit took the team to Anomabu, Komenda, Cape Coast and Elmina Phase II & III Sea Defence projects in the Central region. The Minister was joined by the Central regional minister, officials of the Ministry of Works and Housing and Hydrological Services Department. Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Ghana Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists (GAMLS) has called off its nationwide strike. The strike action which started from the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) on May 20, was in protest against the decision of the Management to post two doctors to work in the Unit of the Laboratory Scientists. President of the Association, Dr. Abudu Rahamani speaking after an engagement with Parliaments Select Committee on Health said: "We have considered the recent ruling of an Accra based High Court and the goodwill we have received from the Parliament Select Committee on Health and the Ministry of Health to help resolve all the issues that caused the industrial action. We, therefore, wish to appeal to our members of the KATH chapter, as well as all the regional chapters who took action in solidarity with KATH, to remain calm and return to work so that we will have the opportunity to review all the matters arising for further decision to be taken". He added that as a result of the high respect we have for the Committee, the strike has been called off...we hope that this time around, we will receive a favourable response" 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 Ms Josephine Nkrumah, Chairperson of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), has called on Ghanaians to unite and fix the country as one people. We as individuals, as communities, as ethnic groupings, as holders of public office, people in the private space, we make up the country together with state institutions. I have held the position that when one group says #fixthecountry and other group responds with #fixyourself, I ask myself really and truly who is the country, is the country sitting separate from the individuals, we the citizenry make up the country, Ms Nkrumah stated. The NCCE Chairperson was responding to questions on the recent social media wave of #fixthecountry and #fixyourself mantra on the sidelines of the third: End of Month Stakeholder Engagement and Workers Appreciation Day, seminar organized by the Ghana News Agency Tema Regional Office which is a platform rolled-out for state and non-state actors to address national issues. The event also served as a motivational mechanism to recognise the editorial contribution of reporters towards national development in general and the growth and promotion of the Tema GNA as the industrial news hub. Ms Nkrumah said citizens of Ghana were the people that make up the country indicating that we are all part of it, so when you fix the country it includes individuals, state institutions, leadership at all levels. It includes the market woman selling and determining whether she should make the olonka half or full and pass it off as a full one, it includes the teacher who is teaching and spending his time committed to his work or staying out there doing private classes and not paying attention to his class. It includes the businessman who is paying his taxes or avoiding taxes, it includes you and I, are we bribing, what are we doing that also makes another public servant complicit in our actions? Ms Nkrumah urged Ghanaians not to sit in isolation from the countrys problems questioning that when we talk about indiscipline in this country who is creating it on the street, in the workplace, in the church, in the mosque, its all of us so this whole notion of fixing for me is a notion that we must all embrace irrespective of the political affiliation. She stressed that we cannot speak of fixing systems when we are also not part of the fixing process, let's speak the truth and face it, speak honestly about the things of this country, and find a way to resolve them. Launching the 2021 Citizenship Week Celebration during the stakeholder engagement at the GNA-Tema Regional Office, the Chairperson said the week which is on the theme, We are one, Ghana First said the event was initiated to imbibe in first and second cycle students the tenets of Ghanas 1992 Constitution. The third GNA-Tema Stakeholder Engagement and Workers Appreciation Day seminar was attended by the National Commission for Civic Education, Association of Oil Marketing Companies, Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, and the Tema Regional Police Command. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The President of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Angel Cabornu, says parents are now free to make their children wear any kind of hairstyle to secondary schools in the country. It comes after the High Court judgement which directed Achimota School to admit the Rastafarian students who were denied admission over their dreadlocks. The court among other things said the failure and refusal by the school to admit the applicant because of his dreadlocks, which is the manifestation of his religion, is a violation of his fundamental human right. Reacting to the ruling, the NAGRAT President said This ruling is not limited to Achimota school alone, it is extended to all schools so if youre a parent whatever hair you want your child to wear you are at liberty to let your child wear. It could be Mohegan or any kind of hair even Achormo, you could make your daughter wear. And I will advise all our members to not waste their time in attempting to ask why the child is wearing that kind of hair. My understanding is that it is an open situation let us abide by it and enjoy the ramification. Background The impasse between the students and the school has been ongoing since March 19 during which the two students have not been able to start academic work with their colleagues. They were placed at the school through the Computerized School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) having satisfied the entry requirement by creditably passing their Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE). Tyrone Iras Marhguys results were attached to the lawsuit to emphasise his academic competence. The school had asked the parents to cut off their wards hair or find another school for them. Though the Ghana Education Student initially directed Achimota School to admit the students, it backtracked after pushback from the schools stakeholders. In defence of the schools decision, the Achimota School PTA said its revised rules and regulations from August 2020 indicate that students must keep their hair low, simple and natural. Source: starrfmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Ghana Education Service (GES) has described as unfortunate attempt by Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, the former education minister to attribute the excellent Free SHS WASSCE results to leaked papers. Prof Opoku-Agyemang in an interview with Woezor TV questioned why Ghanaians are celebrating the outstanding performance of the SHS students in the 2020 WASCCE exams. We have also heard and seen students who wrote an exams, came out and it was like, you know we had an earthquake in this country, it wasnt like one school or two schools this same group performance is supposed to be outstanding that we shouldnt be talking, it is the group I am referring to, she said. She added: And they went and wrote the exams we heard of the leakage of the exams, we heard of invigilators being compromised, we heard many many things and we also saw the students come out and speak about, no this is not we were told will happen, now these students have As and we are happy? It is up to us. Speaking to Nana Yaa Mensah on The Asaase Breakfast Show on Tuesday 1 June, Dr Kwabena Tandoh, the deputy director-general of the GES, said Prof Opoku-Agyemangs comments are worrying. If there were leaks, the reactions that Prof Opoku-Agyemang called an earthquake in terms of the students displeasure with the way the exams went, it wouldnt have made sense, because anybody who had leaks of exams questions obviously cannot come out and be angry and destroy property. For GES, it was quite shocking to hear that because we had students from Holy Child, Achimota, Wesley Girls, Archbishop Porter all these young boys and girls somehow to suggest that there was a coordinated effort among GES, schools, children to leak exams papers to all these children, it questions the integrity of everybody so we are wholly disappointed in the unfortunate statement of the former education minister, he said. Background At least 411 out of the 465 candidates who scored 8As in the 2020 WASSCE were students from Ghana, and beneficiaries of the Free SHS policy. Again, 2020 was the only year that 50% of Ghanaian students scored A1 to C6 in all core subjects, official records at WAEC said. Source: asaaseradio.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 Information received indicates that at about 311930 UTC, the Ghanaian registered purse seine Tuna-fishing vessel IRIS-S (IMO: 8210493) was attacked at position 04 33.8N, 002 23.2 E approximately 104NM south of Cotonou, Benin Republic. This is second Ghanaian registered vessel attacked in less than two weeks. The vessel has been conducting fishing activities in Ghanaian waters since leaving Tema harbor on 26 May 2021 and crossed into Benin waters on 30 May 2021 at about 0430 UTC since she has license to conduct fishing activities within Benin maritime domain. According to the report, the crew reported sighting a suspected vessel at the horizon about an hour before the attack but could not ascertain whether the two skiffs were launched from the vessel. Moments later, the vessel was swiftly approached by two pirate skiff boats forcing it to stop. Seven pirates all armed with weapons boarded the vessel. The pirates rummaged the vessel and took away crew personal belongings and valuables. Five crew members comprising 4 Koreans (Captain, Chief Deck Officer, Chief Engineer. and Boatswains Mate) and one Filipinos (Refrigeration Engineer) were kidnapped. The remaining 31 crew (30 Ghanaians and one Korean) are reported to be safe. The pirates disembarked the vessel at 2045 UTC with the five crew members. The vessel is currently sailing back towards Tema port. Ghana Navy Patrol Boat has been dispatched to RV IRIS-S and escort her to port. Following the route of escape established from the last two pirate skiffs sighted by ITS RIZZO, the pirates are likely to take the most direct route towards Niger Delta or Gbentu village general area. Coastal authorities especially Benin Republic and Nigeria are therefore encouraged to increase monitoring and surveillance along their coastal areas and the established escape route to Gbentu village to help intercept the pirate skiff boat before they land ashore. The position of attack is about 5nm westward of the western boundary of the area demarcated for a potential increase in piracy attacks against vessels in the coming days. This is the second Ghanaian registered fishing vessel attacked in less than two weeks following the attack on ATLANTIC PRINCESS in Ghanaian waters on 19 May 2021. All mariners are cautioned of the possibility of pirate mothership operating in support of pirate activities within the general area deep offshore Cotonou, Benin stretching into Togo and Nigeria EEZs. All vessels especially Tuna fishing vessels which have become high targets by pirates are therefore advised to exercise extra vigilance and preparedness to hardened their vessels and report any suspicious boat/skiff immediately to coastal states for prompt response. Source: 3news.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 Deputy Managing Director at Huawei Ghana, Mr Kweku Essuman Quansah has called for an accelerated digital transformation, citing the COVID-19 pandemic as a wake-up call for authorities and industry to step up their digitalization efforts. According to Mr Quansah, while 2020 had its fair share of challenges, it also came with opportunity. The pandemic ended up greatly expediting the digital transformation of organizations around the world and as new technologies like AI continue to mature, efforts to go digital will expand beyond the office and into homes, schools and all aspects of life and work to bring about an intelligent upgrade. He said this when he spoke to a section of the media during the maiden edition of the Huawei Day with the Media held in Accra. He said that, the 4th industrial revolution is here with us and new technologies like AI, 5G, Big Data and Cloud Computing are taking humanity into uncharted territories with endless opportunities. Organizations and Governments are now operating from the cloud making services more accessible while intelligent computing is changing the way we interact with technology to a more personalized experience. The COVID-19, therefore, cemented how crucial innovative technologies are to ensuring uninterrupted everyday life and business activities. We were basically living remotely from work to healthcare, digital technologies proved to be the most effective companion, it is therefore important for all countries and businesses to embrace digitalization now to prepare for the future. Mr Quansah added. Speaking on Huaweis role during the pandemic, Mr Quansah noted that, The year 2020 was unique in changing the lifestyle of every person by showing the importance of digital technologies in everyday life. Given the challenges of the pandemic, Huawei as a leading Global ICT Company in 2020 supported the stable operation of more than 300 networks in more than 170 countries and helped operators provide online services and minimize the impact of the pandemic on their business. He added that Huawei has been operating in Ghana for more than 15years, working with all local telecom operators and in the most difficult times and the company have not stopped providing service support to customers, understanding the importance of network reliability at such a time like the pandemic. In Ghana Huaweis support went beyond the network support, the organization also focused on digitalization in the areas of education and supporting young talents. At a time when it was impossible for students to go to school, the most feasible option was to go digital. Huawei, therefore, introduced a number of initiatives to offer ICT skills training to Tertiary students through the Huawei Study at the Home initiative of the Huawei ICT Academy as well as the Sky Seeds for the Future which benefitted some a cumulative number of about 3000+ Ghanaians. Mr. Quansah said. The Deputy Managing Director lamented that a number of social projects were implemented to support the countrys fight against COVID-19, stating that Huawei installed video conferencing facilities at Ministries of Communications and Health to help promote remote meeting during the pandemic. The company also donated body temperature sensing cameras to the government to help check for persons exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 while the donations of PPEs and smart devices were made to Korle-Bu and Nyaho Hospitals. The Huawei Day with the Media was organized by Huawei Ghana as part of efforts to engage the media, to strengthen the relationship and share the companys contributions toward building a digital economy, while giving the media the opportunity to better understand operations on Huawei in Ghana. Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video 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. The Managing Editor of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako has disagreed with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo's comment on the burning of excavators. The President minced no words when he urged Ghanaians who are unhappy with the burning of the excavators to go to court. I know there are some who believe that the ongoing exercise of ridding our water bodies and forest zones of harmful equipment and machinery is unlawful and, in some cases, harsh...I strongly disagree, and I would advise those who take a contrary view to go to court to vindicate their position if they so wish he said on Wednesday, May 26 when he cut sod for Phase One of the Law School Village for the Ghana School of Law. Kweku Baako Reacts Abdul Malik Kweku Baako contributing to a panel discussion on JoyNews Newsfile programme Saturday, May 29, said: "I disagree with the Presidentthose who can go to court and suspect will go to court are those who think they were doing the right thing; those who have valid license" "Ive searched fruitlessly for a provision; whether in the Acts or in the regulations, any provision that actually enables the burning of excavators and other mining equipment and I dont see it" Calls For Amendment Kweku Baako further reiterated his calls for government to amend the law if they see it to be 'ineffective'. "If government has come to a conclusion that all the laws are ineffective, and that the best way of creating a disincentive or a deterrent is to burn the excavators, I advise the President and his government to go to Parliament with a Bill to amend it" he added. 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 President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has given a firm assurance that the protection of fundamental human rights and press freedom is a major priority of his government and that he will never endorse the culture of silence. He said ensuring human rights and press freedom was what he stood for in line with the tenets of the 1992 Constitution, which guarantees freedom of expression, respect for the rule of law, freedom, and justice that must be defended at all times. The President stated this in his acceptance remarks at a Special Congregation to confer on him an honorary doctorate in Philosophy in Educational Leadership by the University of Cape Coast (UCC) on Saturday. The ceremony, attended by high profile personalities, including, Members of Convocation, Traditional Rulers, Members of Parliament, Diplomatic Corps, Ministers of States and other dignitaries, was given a traditional touch with the blowing of the 'mmenson' flutes to usher the dignitaries into the New Examination Centre. The President becomes the 40th personality and the second sitting President to receive such an honorary award from the UCC after former President John Agyekum Kuffour. He was decorated jointly by Dr (Sir) Sam Jonah, Chancellor and Professor Johnson Nyarkoh Boampong, Vice-Chancellor of UCC with an academic gown and a cap, attracting endless applause from the audience. The President was also given a Doctor of Letters and a citation while the VC presented him a special gift of his framed photograph. The President used the occasion to highlight his involvement in the struggle for individual rights and freedom of the press in the country in the 1990s, stressing that he had played a significant role in achieving this and had nothing to apologize for. I appreciate well-argued opinions that challenged the status quo. I need no lessons on the importance of vigorous media in building a healthy democracy. I dare say that the atmosphere in our country is one of spirited conversation and debate among politicians, the business community, civil society organizations and ordinary citizens, he said. President Akufo-Addo said he would not relent in ensuring that the killers of Ahmed Suale were apprehended and brought to book since it remained a matter of great regret to him that circumstances surrounding Suales murder had not been unravelled. The government has no interest to cover up whoever or whatever was involved in the murder of the journalist, in the end, his murderers will be caught, tried and punished, he said. He said one of the powerful tools for journalists and ordinary citizens was the Right to Information Act, 2019(Act 989), which was passed and assented to by him to empower journalists and deepen press freedom, free speech, and free access to information. The President urged all to prioritize the countrys human resources to fulfil the dreams and aspirations of the forefathers in bringing freedom and dignity to all. President Akufo-Addo stated emphatically that an opinion or view of one journalist could not constitute a tag on press freedom, adding that his government was not practising a culture of silence He said the government was willing and focused on improving lives and supporting young entrepreneurs to enhance national development Dr Sam Jonah, in his welcoming address, applauded the President for the decision to implement the Free SHS initiative, which he described as the boldest social intervention ever taken in the country. That, he indicated, convinced the University to honour the President with the doctorate award to empower him to do more exploits to develop the country. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video While in court, Latypov addressed his father Sergei who had appeared as a witness. While speaking to his father, Latypov told him that he was kept in a torture cell for 51 days and that he would likely suffer the same fate. Shortly after, using an object that appeared to be a pen, Latypov stabbed his neck. A resident of Nuba-Mpataba in the Jomoro Constituency in the Western Region has asked the Sekondi High Court for leave to inspect documents that prove that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituency, Dorcas Affo-Toffey, has renounced her Ivorian citizenship. According to Joshua Emuah Kofie, who dragged the MP to court on January 8, this year, Ms Affo-Toffey, at the time of filing her nomination for the 2020 parliamentary elections, held Ivorian and American citizenship in violation of the 1992 Constitution and hence was not qualified to stand for the elections. Motion In a motion filed by his counsel, Mr Frank Davies, Mr Kofie affirmed that the MP in her response to the petition averred that she was never an American citizen but an Ivorian citizen, and had renounced the Ivorian citizenship before filing her nominations for the elections. He argued that following the response from Ms Affo-Toffey, his lawyers, in a letter dated March, 22 this year, requested the MP to produce certificates of her renunciation of the Ivorian citizenship. However, the applicant in the motion paper said lawyers for the (MP) have since failed to respond to the letter to produce the renunciation documents without any reason. The applicant is, therefore, praying the court, to make an order directed at the MP to produce the said documents for my inspection as requested on notice to produce letter from my lawyers. The motion is expected to be moved by counsel for Kofie on Monday, May 31, this year. In January this year, Kofie filed a petition challenging the candidature of Ms Affo-Toffey as the MP for the area. According to him, the MP was not qualified on grounds that she possessed Ivorian and American citizenship. Reliefs As part of the reliefs, Kofie wants the court to declare that the election of Ms Affo-Toffey as the MP for the area was null and void, as it was in violation of the 1992 Constitution and a declaration that the MP at the time of the parliamentary elections for the constituency was not qualified to contest as a candidate for the constituency in accordance with the electoral laws of the country. Again, Kofie wants the court to cancel the parliamentary election in his constituency and further order the Electoral Commission (EC) to conduct fresh parliamentary elections. Lastly, he wants an order of perpetual injunction restraining the MP from holding himself as the MP for the Jomoro Constituency. Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A staunch member of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Lawyer Andrew Appiah-Danquah, has publicly made a strong case for the presidential candidature of the current Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen. According to Lawyer Appiah Danquah, Alan Kyerematen remains the perfect NPP flagbearer to succeed President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in 2024 general elections. Speaking on Ghana First TV, the legal luminary stated that looking at the competence, character and charisma of Mr Kyeremanten and his contribution to the success of the New Patriotic Party since its formation in 1992, Alan towers among all as the NPP surest bet for 2024 general elections. He stressed that "This is Alan's time!. Mr Appiah-Danquah maintains that it is clear within the rank and file of the NPP that it is Mr Kyeremanten's time to be given the leadership mantle in the governing New Patriotic Party. The basis of this conviction of Lawyer Appiah-Danquah is the fact that Alan Kyerematen absolutely meets all the criteria as set out by former President John Agyekum Kufour years ago. In the year 2007 when the NPP was in a process of choosing a successor to former President John Agyekum Kufour who would represent the party in the 2008 general elections, the then President J.A Kufour advised the NPP with wise guiding principles in choosing a leader who has the potential to serve both party and national interest. In the wisdom of J.A Kufour, NPP must go for a leader, who when elected as flag bearer, can unite the party and make it attractive, can attract non-NPP voters to get at least 50% + 1, can unite the country when given power and can hold the power by governing efficiently and effectively. Lawyer Appiah-Danquah asserted that, based on President Kufours criteria, the New Patriotic Party at this material point has only one person in waiting to succeed President Akufo Addo and that person is Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen. Lawyer Appiah-Danquah again had this to say, we the NPP know who will be our 2024 flag bearer, it is Alan Kyerematen. What we dont know is who will be next to Alan and that is what the 2023 primaries is going to determine. Our convention and tradition affirm this. Our presidential primaries have always affirmed the known leader and unveiled the next leader, he noted. The 1992 NPP presidential primaries affirmed Prof. Adu Boahen as the known leader and unveiled Mr J.A Kufour (as he then was) as the next leader. Similarly, the 1998 presidential primaries confirmed J.A Kufour as the known leader and unveiled Mr Akufo Addo (as he then was) as the next leader. The 2007, 2010 and 2014 NPP presidential primaries also endorsed Nana Akufo Addo as the known leader and unveiled Lawyer Alan Kyerematen as the next leader. The 2023 NPP presidential primaries will not be different. Hon Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen will be affirmed by the party as our 2024 presidential candidate and the next leader after Alan will then be unveiled, Mr Appiah-Danquah stated. 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 National Communications officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) , Sammy Gyamfi has accused President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of living ostentatious lifestyle at a time he believes many Ghanaians are saddled with severe economic hardship. He has called on the president to stop what he describes as raping of the public purse. His comments come after Lawmaker for North Tongu Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has accused Mr Akufo-Addo of engaging in extravagant travels. He said he has filed an urgent question in Parliament over the presidents travels. He alleged that Mr Akufo-Addo spent an amount of GHS 2.8 million on his recent travels to only South Africa and France using the services of a private jet. The Airbus ACJ320neo owned by Acropolis Aviation based in Farnborough, UK and registered as G-KELT, is the most luxurious and the most expensive in the Acropolis fleet. The manufacturers describe it as the most outstanding ambassador for Airbus Corporate Jets. It costs the Ghanaian taxpayer approximately 15,000 an hour when President Akufo-Addo rents it, he alleged in a post on Facebook. Lets further analyze President Akufo-Addos latest trip to Europe: per Flightradar24, the G-KELT aircraft left Accra with the President to Paris on the 16th of May a 6 and half hour duration. Airlifted the President from Paris to Johannesburg for 11 hours on the 23rd of May. Then Johannesburg to Accra on the 25th of May was a five and half hour flight. This gives us accumulated flight travel of 23 hours; so at 15,000 an hour, it thus cost us a colossal 345,000. At the current exchange rate, that is a staggering GHS2,828,432.80, he posted. Adding his voice to this, Sammy Gyamfi said in a tweet that Ghanaians can no longer finance the opulent lifestyle of @NAkufoAddo who has chosen to live like a Russian oligarch in this difficult time of economic hardships, joblessness and hopelessness. Enough of the rape of the Public Purse. Ghanaians can no longer finance the opulent lifestyle of @NAkufoAddo who has chosen to live like a Russian oligarch in this difficult time of economic hardships, joblessness and hopelessness. Enough of the rape of the Public Purse. pic.twitter.com/jKZ2SpJVPy Sammy Gyamfi (@SammyGyamfi2017) May 31, 2021 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 A Deputy Chairperson of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Mr Samuel Asare Akuamoah, has urged Ghanaians to put the national interest above all partisan considerations. "Ghana should be first. Our ethnic, tribal and political inclinations should be secondary," he stated. He said ethnocentrism was becoming an emerging threat to Ghana's democracy. That phenomenon, he said, was as a result of political polarisation hence the need to tackle the challenge which included sensitising youth and children to the canker Citizenship week Mr Akuamoah made the call at the celebration of this year's Citizenship week celebration at Nkonya Ntumda in the Oti Region last Saturday. The programme, which was on the theme: We are one: Ghana First, engaged schoolchildren from selected schools in the Biakoye District in the Oti Region. Patriotism He said the commission was also engaging people who were role models to actively interact with the children and impart qualities of good citizenship in them. "We are sowing the seeds of patriotism in the children with oneness, togetherness to promote national integration to give some kind of effect to the provision of the Constitution that talks about national integration, religious tolerance, political tolerance, and oneness of the people of Ghana. We want the schoolchildren to stand up against it so that we are able to promote national integration," he stated. Western Togoland With reference to the secessionists group, Mr Akuamoah called for dialogue in addressing agitations by secessionists groups to foster national cohesion. He said the concerns of the secessionists movement needed to be dealt with holistically. According to him, such groupings had metamorphosed into militia groups currently wreaking havoc in other West African countries. If our democracy and national unity and cohesion should work, then secessionists movements should dialogue to make sure that we come to an understanding that we are all Ghanaians. Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A TikTok video revealing that Snickers is made in China is turning Australians off the chocolate bar who say they will be boycotting the brand for good. The video was uploaded to the social media site by Jeremy Toh after he made the discovery while shopping at a Woolworths on Sunday. Footage shows a variety of chocolate bars stacked on the shelves at the supermarket before the camera pans up to a box of Snickers. 'Did you know your Snickers are no longer made in Australia?' a voiceover says. The man grabs a chocolate bar before turning it over and aiming the camera at the packaging where it is revealed the bar is made in China. Read Full Story .... dailymail.co.uk >>> : 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 38-year-old Abdul Mahmmoud expressed worry about his physical similarities with Nana Appiah Mensah, popularly known as NAM 1, and the threats that accompany the association. Abdul Mahmmoud worries that one day, aggrieved customers of Menzgold will attack him because he is assumed to be NAM 1 whenever he is in public. Coincidentally, he shares the same birthday with the CEO of the defunct gold dealership Menzgold, I feel threatened. That is why I decided to voice out so that people might know me and stop harassing me. Because of this situation, I dont go out, he said in an interview as reported on News360. He claimed his social life is non-existent. At the airport, he is searched and delayed because of his close resemblance to Nana Appiah Mensah. Everyone will be on board the plane, and I will be at the security checkpoint answering questions. If you ask them what they are looking for, they will not tell you. All they say is that we are checking something. One day at the checkpoint, i told the lady that I am a Muslim and the person you are looking for is a Christian. So, we are not the same person Abdul Mahmmoud expressed with worry. He also recounted when he was nearly assaulted by Menzgold customers. He said, This salah, I got down with my African-wear. One said, is he not the one? And the other said, where is his bodyguard. So they walked to the side of the car and said something in Hausa. And i responded that i am not the one because I understand Hausa. If I am the one, then they will beat me that day and take their money. If not that, then they will take the car. On his May 16th birthday, which also happens to be NAM 1s birthday, Facebook deleted his posts on reports that his posts go against community standards on Spam. The situation has had a dire effect on him psychologically and business-wise. He shared his frustrations on not being financially stable enough to hire security. So he has to have friends as escorts whenever he steps out, to avoid harassment. Abdul Mahmmoud intends to grow his hair. Hopefully, a change in physical appearance will help his life will resume normalcy. Source: 3news.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 NDP member of Parliament Brian Masse, Critic for Telecommunications, discusses the CRTC's move to reverse their decision to drop wholesale internet rates during a press conference on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Tuesday, June 1, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick The last thing you expect to see while spending a quiet day fishing is a Bigfoot moving about on the shoreline and throwing rocks. A Kentuc... Officials reportedly described the H10N3 strain of the illness as being less serious among birds. Authorities have not said how the man came into contact with the strain. Thank you for reading the Philadelphia Tribune. You have exhausted your free article views for this month. Please press the "subscribe" button below and see our introductory price of $0.25 per week for 13 weeks. Otherwise, we look forward to seeing you next month. A new study published indicates dogs might be able to lend a helping paw in the fight against COVID-19. In a collaboration between the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Durham University and the group Medical Detection Dogs, scientists completed Phase 1 of a trial examining whether, under controlled conditions, dogs might be able to smell and identify COVID-19 infection. Six dogs participated in the study, ranging in ages from four to six years old. The group included Labrador, Golden Retriever and Cocker Spaniel breeds. Researchers said the dogs were able to pick up the scent of COVID-19 after six to eight weeks of training. Support The Philadelphia Tribune Now, more than ever, the world needs trustworthy reportingbut good journalism isnt free. Please support the nation's longest continuously published newspaper serving the African American community by making a contribution. Contribute The early results have been published in a preprint study meaning the work has not yet been peer reviewed or published in a medical journal. In the Phase 1 trial, working dogs were tasked with detecting COVID-19 on samples of clothing and masks. Researchers examined whether the dogs could distinguish between samples positive and negative for COVID-19. "The results are extremely exciting," said James Logan, a project lead on the study. The dogs showed a sensitivity rate of around 82%-94% in detecting COVID-19. Chemical analysis of the infection showed a "distinct" odor associated with COVID-19. Researchers are in the process of identifying the exact chemicals behind this odor. "Dogs could detect COVID with incredible speed and accuracy," Logan said "even if a person was asymptomatic." The specificity rate, which measured the ability of the dogs to indicate whether someone did not have COVID-19, ranged from around 76% to 92%. Study authors say a PCR test is still the "gold standard" for detecting COVID-19, but suggest dogs could provide a quicker and easier way to screen for COVID-19 in high-volume traffic areas. The dogs could also dissuade people from going to high-contact spaces while infected. "The other thing about dogs is that they would serve as a visual deterrent, so if people knew that dogs were going to be screening at the airport, it's very likely that people would think twice about traveling if they were infected," Logan said. Still more work to be done While early results appear promising, it is likely too early to know whether COVID-sniffing dogs could actually be used as a tool to fight the pandemic in the real world. "This could be compromised by the density of individuals in crowded spaces and whether well-ventilated external spaces, where odours are rapidly dispersed, compromise the ability of the dogs to detect individuals with low levels of infection," Lawrence Young, a virologist at Warwick Medical School who did not contribute to the study, said in a statement. Young said the research was "not to be sniffed at," but that more work is needed. "The big question is will this approach work in the real world on people rather than samples of socks and shirts?" he said. "There is variation from dog-to-dog particularly in specificity which could result in increased numbers of false positives." COVID-19 infection and dogs COVID-19 can infect dogs, which could make these kinds of programs risky for the working dogs themselves, Mick Bailey, a professor of comparative immunology at the University of Bristol's Veterinary School, who was unaffiliated with the research, said in a statement. "Infection of dogs with SARS-CoV-2 has been reported, both asymptomatic and associated with variable levels of disease as in humans, so using dogs deliberately to sniff breath and clothes from potentially infected people seems a bit of a risk to the dogs, let alone their handlers," he said. SARS-CoV-2 is the name of the virus that causes COVID-19. "You'd need to have some way round that, like vaccinating the sniffer dogs. Currently, no SARS-CoV-2 vaccine is licensed for use in dogs although there's no reason to think that the ones approved for humans wouldn't work, but the low reported incidence of infections in dogs would make a phase 3 trial difficult," Bailey said. Both unaffiliated experts confirmed to CNN that dogs have been shown to sniff out infections in general, and previous studies have suggested they can indeed detect COVID-19 infection. However, the specificity of the detection is a looming question, Bailey said. "It could be, for example, that the signature that the dogs are detecting might be a general one associated with respiratory viruses like influenza, rather than a specific one associated with SARS-CoV-2," he said. Phase 2 of this study will involve testing the dogs' detection abilities on people actually infected with COVID-19, not just samples of clothing. Pediatricians worry parents will misinterpret a finding by advisers to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and become scared for no reason to vaccinate their children against COVID-19. Last week, members of the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices put out a statement that they had investigated reports of a heart ailment among people predominantly teens and young adults who had received a COVID-19 vaccine. The panel concluded that the rates of myocarditis inflammation of the heart muscle were not higher among people who had been vaccinated. Support The Philadelphia Tribune Now, more than ever, the world needs trustworthy reportingbut good journalism isnt free. Please support the nation's longest continuously published newspaper serving the African American community by making a contribution. Contribute "Careful investigation indicates [myocarditis] did not occur more frequently among young people who were vaccinated than among young people who were not vaccinated," said Dr. William Schaffner, an ACIP member. "So there is no causal link to the vaccination." "You're as likely to get myocarditis if you were vaccinated than if you weren't vaccinated," added Dr. Paul Offit, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at the University of Pennsylvania. "There's every reason to think this isn't a problem. There's every reason to think this is nothing parents should be worried about." But pediatric infectious disease experts are concerned parents will misunderstand the data. "This makes me worry that people will be unnecessarily frightened about these vaccines," said Offit, a member of the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. That concern arose last week in a call among ACIP members, according to Schaffner, who was on the call. "There was concern this would be misunderstood that people would think myocarditis was associated with vaccine," he said. "A colleague who was on the call said 'This could put the kibosh on teenage vaccination.' " Investigating reports of adverse events after vaccination For all vaccines not just the ones that protect against COVID-19 the CDC and the FDA encourage people to report an "adverse event" that happens after vaccination. "Doctors and patients are encouraged to report medical events that happen after vaccination, if there is even a thought or hypothesis or a question whether it may be related to the vaccine," said Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. After reports are made to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, the CDC and FDA then look to see whether the rate of an adverse event in this case, myocarditis is higher than expected. "If these events occur more frequently in the vaccinated population than the unvaccinated population, then there's reason to think it might be because the vaccine may have caused it. But if the incidents occurred similarly in the vaccinated and the unvaccinated population, then it is overwhelmingly likely they were just coincidental and would have occurred anyways," Schaffner said. In its statement on the CDC's website, ACIP said there were "relatively few reports of myocarditis to date" and that "most cases appear to be mild," but did not give specific case numbers. The statement concluded that "within CDC safety monitoring systems, rates of myocarditis reports in the window following COVID-19 vaccination have not differed from expected baseline rates," adding that "follow-up of cases is ongoing." In a statement to CNN, the CDC said that the reports of myocarditis are "rare given the number of vaccine doses administered." About 164 million people in the United States have received at least one dose of vaccine, and more than 5 million people ages 12 to 17 have received their first dose. The statement said the CDC and the FDA would continue to "monitor and evaluate reports" of myocarditis and pericarditis, which is swelling of the tissue around the heart. The agency encouraged health care providers to report cases of myocarditis following vaccination to VAERS. "CDC continues to strongly recommend COVID-19 vaccination for individuals 12 years of age or older given the risk of COVID-19 illness and related, potentially severe, complications. Getting vaccinated is the best way to protect you and your family from COVID-19," according to the statement. 'My kids would be at the front of the line' Myocarditis is often caused by infections, and rates are particularly high this time of year, when the coxsackie virus, which can infect the heart, is more common, Offit said. Based on the approximately 164 million people who have received at least one dose of the vaccine and the rates of myocarditis in the US, you would expect to see hundreds of cases myocarditis every month among those who have been vaccinated, he said, emphasizing that those cases are not because of the vaccine, but coincidental. An infectious disease expert with the American Academy of Pediatrics said the group will continue to follow the CDC's analysis of myocarditis cases after vaccination. Dr. Yvonne Maldonado, chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics' Committee on Infectious Diseases, said parents should be confident that the CDC and FDA safety systems are catching any potential vaccine side effects. "What the CDC and the FDA are trying to do is to make sure they keep track of everything that is reported to them and see if it could or could not be related to the vaccines," she said. "That's why I think our safety system in the U.S. is really great." Maldonado said while the federal agencies continue to do their surveillance, young people ages 12 and up should get vaccinated against COVID-19. "My kids would be at the front of the line," she said. Williams did not disclose a motive, but be believes that the murder of one of his officers seemed rather personal and not an attack and that Hartin was somewhat in an emotional state walking herself on the pier. We believe that she is to some extent affected by it. Chester County commissioners met in person May 20 in the Historic County Courthouse for the first time in more than a year because of pandemic restrictions. To our riders, core media, festival partners, and fans, we know its been tough. Mountain biking is both a career and a passion for many, so to lose an event that I know means so much to so many peopleits been tough for everyone. We have been exploring our options for Crankworx Whistler 2021 since last summer. We held on to the possibility for as long as we could, while working on alternatives. The province of British Columbia is on a good track and is in the process of lifting restrictions, but unfortunately theres not enough certainty or lead time to pull off the festival for this year. That said, were hard at work on some exciting things to get riders and fans excited this summer, so watch this space. Darren Kinnaird, Managing Director of the Crankworx World Tour On Nov. 29, 2012, shortly after my two-year stint as an adjunct faculty instructor at City College, 14 of 17 scheduled employees at a Madison Avenue McDonalds went on strike, joining 200 other fast-food workers across New York City. It was the first in an escalating series of nationwide actions demanding a $15 minimum wage and the right to join a union. Exactly four years later, at 6 a.m. on another November morning, I joined workers, organizers and elected officials in civil disobedience outside the McDonalds located just steps from Wall Street, making the same demands. Alex Foxen Outfoxes Mattsson to Win WPT Online Series High Roller Title June 01, 2021 Matthew Pitt Alex Foxen added yet another major poker title to his long list of accomplishments after taking down the WPT Online Series High Roller event. The 38th event on the WPT Online Series schedule was a $10,300 buy-in affair that attracted 101 players to the partypoker virtual felt. Those entrants created a $1,010,000 prize pool that the top 17 finishers shared. WPT Online Series Event #38: High Roller Final Table Results Place Player Country Prize 1 Alex Foxen Canada $252,288 2 Simon Mattsson Sweden $168,093 3 Elio Fox Mexico $117,344 4 Samuel Vousden Finland $80,847 5 Leon Sturm Austria $59,649 6 Shawn Daniels Canada $46,986 7 Rok Gostisa Slovenia $38,052 Day 1 ended on May 30 and saw the 101 starters whittled down to a more manageable 17. Ali Imsirovic busted in 18th place, bursting the money bubble, and bringing the curtain down on proceedings. The 17 surviving players returned to their seats on May 31 with Simon Mattsson leading them back into battle. Leonard Oliver Maue was the first casualty of Day 2. Joao Vieira, who started the evening eighth in chips, crashed out in 16th place. Team partypokers Kristen Bicknell ran out of steam in 15th place; Bicknell was the last surviving member of partypokers stable. Simon Mattsson Wins WPT Online Series Event #23: $10,300 WPT High Roller Sosia Jiang, Dario Sammartino, Enrico Camosci, Swedish legend Niklas Astedt, Roman Moroziuk, and Daniel Smiljkovic all bust in succession, before Sam Greenwood bowed out in eighth place to set the final table. The final table read like a whos who of the poker world, as you would expect from such a prestigious tournament. The waters grew less shark-infested with the eliminations of Rok Gostisa and Shawn Daniels, but there were still some elite players in the hunt for the quarter of a million dollars top prize. Leon Sturm and Samuel Vousden crashed out, the latters elimination awarding $80,847, the last prize not to be worth six figures. Elio Foxs tournament ended in a third-place finish worth $117,344, and left start-of-the-day chip leader Mattsson heads-up against Foxen. The two poker Goliaths fought tooth and nail in their one-on-one encounter, but only one man could emerge from the battle victoriously. Foxen was that man. His reward was a place in the WPT Online Series history books plus a cash prize weighing in at a cool $252,288. Mattsson headed into the night with a $168,093 consolation prize nestled safely in his partypoker account. Brazil Wins Two Titles in the XL Spring on Monday at 888poker June 01, 2021 Jason Glatzer The $1 million guaranteed XL Spring Series had another exciting day at 888poker on Monday, May 31 with three action-packed rebuy events. Players from Brazil in Joao Pedro "jpsalgadocr0" Rocha and "D.AQUINO92" won two of the events with United Kingdom's "Invented21st" winning the third title of the day. Check out the results from the first day of the XL Spring Series at 888poker. Play in the XL Spring Series at 888poker! Satellites to the XL Spring Series now running at 888poker Get a $88 FREE bonus XL Spring #5 - $20,000 R&A Event Buy-in Date Entries Prize pool $33 May 31 342 $20,640 The XL Spring #5 - $20,000 R&A Event attracted 342 entries, 218 rebuys, and 128 add-ons to generate a $20,640 prize pool to squeeze past the event's $20,000 guarantee. After nearly seven hours of play, Brazil's Joao Pedro "jpsalgadocr0" Rocha won the top prize of $3,982 after besting Romania's "Ii1Ii1" in heads-up play. Sweden's "Mulen99" was also on the podium with a third-place performance worth $2,097. United Kingdom's Charlie "chazcombes" Combes also advanced to the final table and fell just short of a four-figure prize and instead took down the sixth-place prize of $817. XL Spring #5 - $20,000 R&A Event Final Table Results Place Player Country Prize 1 Joao Pedro "jpsalgadocr0" Rocha Brazil $3,982 2 Ii1Ii1 Romania $2,881 3 Mulen99 Sweden $2,097 4 Placebo36 United Arab Emerites $1,519 5 Arcuiro Brazil $1,106 6 Charlie "chazcombes" Combes United Kingdom $817 7 Bosvas.66 Russia $601 8 IonelSimion Romania $446 9 Txinkue90 Thailand $330 Charlie "chazcombes" Combes takes fifth place. XL Spring #6 - $8,000 Mini R&A Buy-in Date Entries Prize pool $5.50 May 31 647 $8,000 Event #6 was one of the cheapest events on the schedule with just a $5.50 buy-in. The small buy-in didn't stop 888poker from placing a $8,000 guarantee which turned out to be the ultimate prize pool with the event attracting 647 entries, 416 rebuys, and 246 add-ons. Two Brazilian players were heads-up for the title. "D.AQUINO92" was crowned the winner after six hours of play to bank $1,306, while "igorfoliver" had to settle for the runner-up prize of $952. Another Brazilian in "fredfreitasf" was also deep before they bowed out in fourth place for $514 with Lithuania's "RZ_LT" finishing just ahead of them in third place for $698. XL Spring #6 - $8,000 Mini R&A Final Table Results Place Player Country Prize 1 D.AQUINO92 Brazil $1,306 2 igorfoliver Brazil $952 3 RZ_LT Lithuania $698 4 fredfreitasf Brazil $514 5 Korpisoturi2 Finland $380 6 loveyourcsh Ukraine $282 7 Meafish United Kingdom $209 8 Can.Have.Win Ecuador $156 9 MJL09 Argentina $118 XL Spring #7 - $8,000 Late R&A Buy-in Date Entries Prize pool $11 May 31 300 $8,000 The XL Spring #7 - $8,000 Late R&A was the final event of the day featuring an $11 buy-in and an $8,000 guarantee. Like in Event #6, the guarantee turned out to be the prize pool with the event attracting 300 entries, 232 rebuys, and 123 add-ons. The event was the fastest of the day lasting just 5 1/2 hours and Brazil nearly went three for three in winning XL Spring events on Monday with Brazil's "BrunoZika1" advancing to heads-up play. United Kingdom's "Invented21st" put an end to Brazil's perfect day by beating "BrunoZika1" (second - $1,172) to claim the winner's prize of $1,622. Germany's "IMMMBored" (third - $852), Brazil's "Gretinha" (fourth - $617), and United Kingdom's "ravenbyrne" (fifth - $447) were also among the players to run deep to collect healthy prizes in this event. XL Spring #7 - $8,000 Late R&A Final Table Results Place Player Country Prize 1 Invented21st United Kingdom $1,622 2 BrunoZika1 Brazil $1,172 3 IMMMBored Germany $852 4 Gretinha Brazil $617 5 ravenbyrne United Kingdom $447 6 farmanon Ukraine $326 7 pesadilla666 United Kingdom $238 8 CARPKING16 Romania $175 9 USA_N_OFF Russia $129 2021 888poker XL Spring Schedule Date Time (GMT) Event Buy-in Guarantee May 30 6 p.m. XL Spring #1 - $50,000 Opening Event $55 $50,000 6 p.m. XL Spring #2 - $25,000 Mini Opening $16.50 $25,000 6:30 p.m. XL Spring #3 - $10,000 Micro Opening $5.50 $10,000 8 p.m. XL Spring #4 - $15,000 Late Opening $33 $15,000 May 31 6 p.m. XL Spring #5 - $20,000 R&A Event $33 $20,000 6 p.m. XL Spring #6 - $8,000 Mini R&A $5.50 $8,000 8 p.m. XL Spring #7 - $8,000 Late R&A $11 $8,000 June 1 6 p.m. XL Spring #8 - $50,000 High Roller $320 $50,000 6 p.m. XL Spring #9 - $25,000 Mini High Roller $55 $25,000 8 p.m. XL Spring #10 - $20,000 Late High Roller $109 $20,000 June 2 6 p.m. XL Spring #11 - $30,000 PKO $109 $30,000 6 p.m. XL Spring #12 - $15,000 Mini PKO $16.50 $15,000 8 p.m. XL Spring #13 - $10,000 Late PKO $33 $10,000 June 3 6 p.m. XL Spring #14 - $40,000 PKO 8-Max $160 $40,000 6 p.m. XL Spring #15 - $15,000 Mini PKO 8-Max $22 $15,000 8 p.m. XL Spring #16 - $15,000 Late PKO 8-Max $55 $15,000 June 4 5 p.m. XL Spring #17 - $30,000 DeepStack $55 $30,000 5 p.m. XL Spring #18 - $15,000 Mini DeepStack $16.50 $15,000 7 p.m. XL Spring #19 - $10,000 Late DeepStack $33 $10,000 June 5 6 p.m. XL Spring #20 - $30,000 6-Max $109 $30,000 6 p.m. XL Spring #21 - $15,000 Mini 6-Max $16.50 $15,000 8 p.m. XL Spring #22 - $15,000 Late 6-Max $55 $15,000 June 6 5 p.m. XL Spring #23 - $500,000 Main Event $250 $500,000 5:30 p.m. XL Spring #24 - $50,000 Mini Main Event $33 $50,000 6 p.m. XL Spring #25 - $15,000 Micro Main Event $5.50 $15,000 Claim Your $888 Welcome Bonus Today Head to 888poker between May 30 to June 6 if you want to get your teeth into the XL Spring events. If you dont have an account simply download 888poker through PokerNews and you will be awarded an $88 bonus (20 in the UK) without making a deposit. Once you are ready to make your first deposit, it will be matched in the form of a bonus of up to $888, or more than twice as much advertised on the site. Filatov Leads the 51st GGPoker Super MILLION$ Final Table June 01, 2021 Matthew Pitt Russian superstar Anatoly Filatov is the man to catch going into the final table of the 51st edition of the GGPoker Super MILLION$. This is the third time Filatov has navigated his way to the Super MILLION$ final table, will it be the first time he gets a victory under his belt? Watch This Star-Studded Final Table Unfold Who will win this week's Super MILLION$? Find out right here Head to GGPoker's YouTube channel Super MILLION$ Final Table Chip Counts (June 1) Place Player Country Chips 1 Anatoly Filatov Russia 4,496,023 2 Sergei Denisov Russia 2,130,724 3 Isaac Haxton Canada 2,045,836 4 Juan Pardo Andorra 1,855,056 5 UncleToni Macedonia 1,673,436 6 David Peters Canada 877,360 7 Elio Fox Mexico 683,832 8 Bruno Volkmann Brazil 617,711 9 Joakim Andersson Malta 509,022 Filatov sits down at his third Super MILLIONS final table armed with 4,496,023 chips, the equivalent of 112.4 big blinds. That is a massive stack, one that puts the ball in the Russians court. Filatovs previous two Super MILLION$ final table appearances ended in a ninth and seventh-place finish. It would be a major upset if he does not go deeper than those finishes. Sergei Denisov, Filatovs fellow Russian, occupies second place at the restart. This is only Denisovs second final table from 42 attempts, so he will be going all out to make the best of his evening. Denisov finished ninth back in November 2020. Like Filatov, we fully expect Denisov to beat his previous best by some distance. Will You Become the First Member of GGPokers Team Champions? Former Super MILLION$ champion Isaac Haxton will have a major influence over where this weeks title, and the $325,957 top prize, ends up. Haxton won this event back in July 2020 and finished third as recently as March 21, 2021. He has 2,045,836 chips in his stack, or 51.1 big blinds, and is definitely one to watch going into this star-studded final table. Juan Pardo has played in all but three of the 51 Super MILLION$ tournaments to date. Seventeen of those entries have resulted in Pardo reaching the money, and tonight is his fifth final table. Pardos best Super MILLION$ finish came in July 2020 when he banked $297,372 after busting in third. He starts in the middle of the pack today with a 46.7 big blind stack. Super MILLION$ Final Table Payouts Place Prize 1 $325,957 2 $254,559 3 $198,800 4 $155,254 5 $121,247 6 $94,689 7 $73,948 8 $57,750 9 $45,100 The Super MILLION$ final table is usually made up of the same big names, so it is refreshing to see a relative newcomer enter the fray. UncleToni calls Macedonia home and is playing in what is their fourth Super MILLIONS after winning their $10,300 seat via a $1,000 satellite. UncleToni has one cash in this event, a 25th place finish on March 8 that banked them $67,700. The Macedonian has $45,100 locked up right now and will fancy their chances of a deep run courtesy of sitting down with 41.8 big blinds. Sixth place at the restart is occupied by David Peters who has played in 45 Super MILLION$ tournaments. Although Peters has cashed 16 times, today is only his second final table, which is quite surprising considering his undoubted tournament prowess. Peters is available to be on at 14.3 (+1330) and that could be quite a shrewd investment despite his stack only containing 21.9 big blinds. Niklas Astedt Leads Final 9 of the GGPoker WSOPC Main Event Elio Fox finished second in this tournament last week and walked away with $253,440 in prize money. Hes reached back-to-back final tables, and he starts in a similar position this time around. Fox has 17.1 big blinds at his disposal but the two-time WSOP champion knows how to play a short stack perfectly. Do not write off his chances of glory just yet. Bruno Volkmann is another player making back-to-back final tables in the Super MILLION$. Volkmann won last weeks tournament for $319,830, which was his second Super MILLION$ triumph. The Brazilian has a lot of work ahead of him because he only has 15.4 big blinds in his stack. One double up, however, and Volkmann is right back in the thick of it. Two-time Super MILLION$ champion Joakim Andersson is the man bringing up the rear when the first cards are pitched at the final table. Anderson won in October 2020 and netted $324,053. He won again in April 2021 and secured a $1,537,605 payday thanks to that weeks tournament being the Main Event of the GG Spring Festival. Expect Andersson to be fast out of the block as he attempts to build on his 12.7 big blind stack. Would you like to receive breaking news notifications from The Post and Courier? Sign up to receive news and updates from this site directly to your desktop. Breaking News Columbia Breaking News Greenville Breaking News Myrtle Beach Breaking News Aiken Breaking News Click on the bell icon to manage your notifications at any time. Success! Please click the 'Allow' button in the 'Show Notifcations' alert in your browser if one is available. Thank you for signing up! Please enable notifications in your browser and reload the page. Toward the end of the 1800s, when commercially available dairy products were so filthy that Indianapolis health officials estimated the citys milk drinkers consumed 2,000 pounds of manure a year, Childs Restaurant banked on customers taking an interest in sanitation. Samuel and William Childs made cleanliness their signature, furnishing their dining rooms with gleaming white tile and dressing their servers in starched white uniforms. Still, the chain didnt really catch on until the 1920s, when Americans who had endured the Spanish flu pandemic sought out hygiene-focused eating places. By then, Childs wasnt the only place where restaurant-goers were surrounded by subway tiles. Amid persistent germ concerns, linoleum became central to Jazz Age restaurant design. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic it was widely assumed that this disease would have a similar influence on how restaurants looked and functioned. Even the optimists who declared that restaurants would make a comeback warned that certain dining conventions would never be seen again. In almost every case they were wrong. Its too soon to say how the current hospitality crisis will shake out. Although it seems increasingly unlikely that industry culture will change in the ways hoped for by worker advocates, its possible that the drastic employee shortage will stimulate widespread adjustments to working conditions and pay. Those shifts would happen behind the scenes, though. Out front, restaurants appear bound to remain much the same, with the following service items and formats still firmly in place: Share plates Although social distancing mandates will gradually be lifted sometime in the future, sharing food may still turn off diners spooked by the pandemic The menu at The Spillover, a casual surf and turf restaurant, included many shareables, but when we reopen, we are remodeling the menu How the Coronavirus Will Change Restaurant Menus, Restaurant Business, April 22, 2020 Are people shying away from sharing? Stellas owner Steven Niketas said, possibly restating the question to stress its inanity. No. Stellas has always encouraged customers to split the same meze, or Greek-style snacks. In a box at the top of the menu page listing saganaki, dolmades, calamari and dips, the St. Philip Street restaurant instructs guests, These plates are shared by friends & family & provide the backdrop for social gathering. But according to Niketas, guests arent stopping there. Increasingly, he said, theyre divvying up main dishes, too. At first I thought it might be associated with me raising our prices by about 10 percent across the board, Niketas said, adding that he revised his theory after looking at the restaurants reservation log. Prior to the pandemic, 75 percent of Stellas customers were locals. Since reopening in October, the restaurants ratio has flipped, with tourists accounting for 75 percent of Stellas customer base. Tourists seem much more ready to return to normal immediately, Niketas said. (They) have no trouble following our direction that sharing is the best way to enjoy our style of food. Tasting menus Weve been proactively evaluating each of our restaurants to determine how they will fit into the new reality we anticipate for the (food-and-beverage) industry, Neighborhood Dining Group (Husk, Delaney Oyster House) President David Howard said in a statement. According to Howard, the decision to shut both restaurants was based on the belief that a tasting-menu-only restaurant with few seats in an intimate setting wouldnt prove viable. Former Sean Brock projects McCradys, Minero to shutter permanently in downtown Charleston, The Post and Courier, April 30, 2020 Wild Common executive chef Orlando Pagan couldnt ignore what restaurant experts in 2020 were saying about the future of dining. After all, just months before the first coronavirus case was identified in the U.S., Pagans restaurant was charging $65 for a four-course tasting menu featuring a wheeled cart from which guests would select an heirloom tomato. The tomato was then sliced tableside and served over seeded avocado. To be honest, I was a little concerned because everybody was like, Fine dining is dead. Were never going to see that ever again, he said. Pagan and his sous chef ultimately brought back their tasting menu out of necessity. With just the two of them in the kitchen, it made sense to limit guests choices. The response was incredible, Pagan said. People started saying I love that I dont have to make a decision. And it hit me: Wed been making so many decisions for a whole year. Many of those decisions involved placing online orders for takeout, which is why Pagan suspects guests have been so appreciative of the interactions that tasting menus facilitate. Servers make multiple explanatory visits to a table when the kitchens calling the shots. People tell me Im 43 going on 85, but with technology, I feel like that human touch is lost, he said. Fine dining Whereas pizza chains have maintained or increased sales during the pandemic, casual-dining and fine-dining restaurants have seen their revenues decline by as much as 85 percent (We project) fine dining will return to pre-crisis level in Q2 2024. How Restaurants Can Thrive in the Next Normal, McKinsey & Co., May 19, 2020 A corollary of the grim forecasts for tasting menus, fine dining was initially believed to be imperiled by Americans sudden opposition to putting on pants. Additionally, industry experts figured pomp wouldnt have a place in a nation stricken by grief. Sign up for our food & dining newsletter. We publish our free Food & Dining newsletter every Wednesday at 10 a.m. to keep you informed on everything happening in the Charleston culinary scene. Sign up today! Email Sign Up! So much for experts. Fine dining is doing, well, fine, since the format isnt driven by white gloves and truffles. Practitioners will tell you that fine dining is distinguished by responsiveness to guests needs. The style helped us be prepared, said Andrew Marshall, beverage director of Charleston Grill. We were already taking extra steps and giving guests extra space. Marshall confirmed fine dining is certainly alive and well. In fact, the Grills reservation book is jammed with special occasion meals which were postponed when family and friends couldnt celebrate together. People crave that experience of reconnecting over a great meal, Marshall said. Discount prices says (chef) Kyle Connaughton, [Restaurants] will be forced to offer their menus at a higher price. Jon Yao, owner and chef of the tasting menu-only Kato restaurant in Los Angeles agrees: The pandemic is a good reset and diners should reconsider the price tag of food. For Restaurants with Tasting Menus, Reopening is More Complicated, Conde Nast Traveler, June 9, 2020 For consumers, costs are on the rise at restaurants across the country. Niketas of Stellas is far from alone in implementing an overall price hike. Yet diners still arent paying anywhere close to the true value of food and drink, particularly when the labor required to prepare and serve it is factored into menu prices. Restaurant owners report that patrons still balk at shelling out $30 for a cheeseburger, even if theyre aware of the ingredient and staff shortages holding down bottom lines. In fact, most restaurateurs are sticking to the promotions they offered prior to the pandemic. At Indaco, for example, a pizza topped with Certified Angus Beef, veal, locally raised Keegan-Filion pork and imported Italian tomatoes sells for $6 at the bar between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. By contrast, Little Caesars charges $9 for its 3 Meat Treat. We believed that providing a value for our guests, especially coming out of the pandemic, was important, said Steve Palmer of The Indigo Road, the restaurant group behind Indaco. The dramatic rise in our food and supplier costs may change the scale of what we are able to offer, but a happy hour in some form will remain intact. Printed menus In the post-Covid-19 age, (Giuliano Vita) anticipates a boom in digital menus, which wont be used just to order take-away but also when eating at the restaurant. The owner would print a QR code on the table and the customers can visualize the menu by simply scanning it with their phones, he says. How Covid-19 Could Redesign Our World, BBC, May 27, 2020 QR menus had a good run during the pandemic. But it was also one of the first safety theater mechanisms that many restaurateurs dropped. I havent had anybody request an online-only menu or say anything to suggest there will no longer be a printed menu, said Jay Fletcher, a Charleston-based graphic designer who came up with the logos for Verde, Leons, Fuel and Chubby Fish, among other downtown restaurants. Mobile menus, or their tablet equivalents, arent new. They come up in restaurant trend chatter as frequently as edible bugs, which is to say almost annually. But digital menu platform providers havent been able to overcome owners apprehensions about alienating older guest and bringing cold technology into ostensibly warm dining rooms. Buffets Buffets, like many other businesses throughout the U.S., have closed out of safety precautions, and may not be able to return once the COVID-19 crisis is over. Last week, the buffet chain Souplantation and Sweet Tomatoes announced all 97 of its restaurants are closing permanently. Can Buffets Survive the COVID-19 Pandemic?, Marketplace, May 13, 2020 Already burdened with health-related worries, buffets didnt seem to stand a chance in an infection-obsessed dining landscape. Myrtle Beach buffet owners were vigorously optimistic, but several states prohibited buffet service entirely. In keeping with the Vegas mentality, Caesars Palace in April 2020 announced it was throwing $2.4 million at the problem, redoing its celebrated Bacchanal Buffet to be COVID-19 restriction compliant. It seemed foolhardy at the time, but Bacchanal reopened on May 20, 2021, to a sold-out crowd of 1,100 diners. The buffets 220 items now include Roman pizza, build-your-own congee bowls, foie gras PB&J and salted caramel popcorn. Vegas is back, another casino's manager told The Los Angeles Times in reference to the buffets resurrection. On a smaller scale, diners in the Charleston area are equally keen to have their pick of dishes. My old customers come in every week, said Balvinder Banga, owner of Nirlep Indian Restaurant in West Ashley, which daily offers chicken curry, tandoori chicken, aloo gob; pakora and naan in a self-service format. I have no problems, Banga continued. Everybody comes and enjoys the buffet. Get the SC business stories that matter. Our newsletter catches you up with all the business stories that are shaping Charleston and South Carolina every Monday and Thursday at noon. Get ahead with us - it's free. John Sims, the Black artist-in-residence who was awoken and detained by Columbia Police in his provided apartment at the 701 Center for Contemporary Art last month, told Columbia City Council on June 1 that he takes issue with Columbia Police Chief Skip Holbrook's explanation of what happened. Sims said he appreciates the chief indicating he wants the city to be part of a national conversation about community policing, criminal justice reform and adjusting police procedures. But Sims said he did not appreciate Holbrook stating that the officers who detained him conducted themselves professionally and within policy, and that their only misstep was preventing Sims from taking a photo of them after he was released from handcuffs. There's an opportunity for South Carolina to lead this country in this historical moment past a Confederate state of mind, work in the areas of social justice, anti-white supremacy policy, and progressive policing, Sims added near the end of his prepared statement to council, referencing the approaching sixth anniversary of the murder of nine Black people at Charlestons Emanuel AME Church. I trust and hope and ask (that) this council will lead this effort because the world is watching. We are watching. Your grandchildren are watching and they will be watching. Mayor Steve Benjamin was the lone member of council who responded to Sims, thanking the artist for continuing the dialogue. Benjamin reflected on visiting Sims' exhibition of recolorations of Confederate flags and how it spoke to his experience as a 17-year-old protesting against the Southern Civil War banner. Sims said Holbrook along with Benjamin visited him at the gallery to view his work and discuss the incident. We will continue to dialogue around the issues that you raised, the Black mayor responded, pushing back a bit on Sims criticisms of Holbrook and the Columbia Police Department. Chief Holbrook has indeed led nationally, and CPD has, on some 21st century policing issues, particularly as relates to issues of transparency, training around implicit bias and unconscious bias," Benjamin said. "We know that there are systemic issues that affect this country and indeed go back to the birth of this nation. And we have some real challenges that we still have to work on as a society in general and law enforcement, specifically. We are committed to that kind of dialogue and a constant system of improvement. Columbia police officers entered the art center in the city's Olympia neighborhood just before 2 a.m. on May 17 after seeing open door and hearing an alarm going off. Officers entered Sims temporary residence with guns drawn when they found the door to the upstairs apartment unlocked. Hearing their calls for anyone in the apartment to come out with their hands up, the artist emerged from where he had been hiding in a room to the side of the lofted bedroom for fear, he said, that the intruders were there to harm him or his artwork. The officers handcuffed him for approximately six minutes while trying to confirm he was staying in the loft as part of his exhibit in the gallery. Sims is in Columbia showcasing an exhibition that interrogates and transforms Confederate flags, part of a 20-year project that has found the Florida-based artist and activist fighting the symbolism of these banners. During the virtual city council meeting, Sims read a prepared open letter to the body and the greater Columbia community. I could have easily been shot and killed that night, he said before council. After this experience, I have millions of questions, he followed, proceeding to list them off. What's the legal rights for the officers to enter my space? Why did the officers draw guns on me? How close was I to being shot? And why I was detained and handcuffed? Why didn't I have a chance to explain why I was there before I was handcuffed? Had I been a White woman in panties and a T-shirt, would I have been detained then? Why was my driver's license called in? Now what if I was armed legally and fired on the intruders not knowing if they were police? Would this 'stand-your-ground' law apply to me? What would have happened if a car with a bad muffler popped off while my hands were up? Would I be alive now? And why should I feel lucky to be alive? As if it's some prize? "And more importantly, why are Black people consistently profiled to be a suspect, an intruder, a thief, in the wrong place, assumed to be guilty first? Sims noted in his statement that he had created an artists incident report, which recounts his memory of the events in the style of a Columbia Police incident report, and shared that document with council. For their part, the 701 center and Michaela Pilar Brown, executive director of the center and a prominent Black artist, released a formal statement on May 28 positing that race was the primary motivating factor in how Sims was treated during his encounter with Columbia Police. This incident involving Mr. Sims was not the first occasion in which a resident of one of several apartments in the 701 Whaley Street building encountered a law enforcement officer searching the premises for a possible intruder, it reads in part. It was the first time, however, such an encounter led to hostile confrontation, detention, cuffing, and a records check. "On the contrary, such previous encounters have resulted in courteous apologies from officers. The difference? Race. Mr. Sims is a Black man; the other incidents involved a White man. EDITORS NOTE: This is the first in a series of articles about the proposed state park. Future articles will include comments from the public meetings and looks at several of the properties that would be included in the Black River Water Trail & Park Network. GEORGETOWN Georgetown is the third oldest town in the state. But before Georgetown, there was Willtown. Willtown was established in 1698 on Black Mingo Creek, near where it joins the Black River. Georgetown was laid out in 1729 and became a port of entry in 1732. The oldest existing boat built in colonial days in America was recovered at Browns Ferry where S.C. 51 crosses the Black River. The boat was raised in 1976 and is on display in the Rice Museum on Front Street in Georgetown. New state park possible Tying together much of the Black Scenic River which is a 75-mile portion of the 151-mile-long Black River a proposed new state park would be unique in South Carolina, and also a rarity among state parks around the country. The history of Willtown, the Black River Vessel, colonial and Revolutionary War settlements, and Indian and Gullah cultures will all be part of the culture and history honored in a proposed park. Nothing is set in stone yet for a park, but discussions among multiple organizations and local and state agencies indicate the park would run from Kingstree in Williamsburg County to Rocky Point Community Forest in the Choppee community of Georgetown County. The Black River joins with the Great Pee Dee River about a mile before the U.S. 17 bridges at Georgetown. The Waccamaw and Sampit rivers also flow together there to form Winyah Bay. Not too many miles south of Georgetown, the North Santee and South Santee rivers bring soil to form the Santee Delta. The South Santee also marks the boundary with Charleston County. Such a park would not be contiguous, or touching other parts of the park. Rather, various existing properties would be included in sites spread along the river. Synergy is a good, fancy word Basically, synergy means the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Consider a cake. You have a raw egg, flour, milk, oil and flavoring. Just sitting by themselves, those ingredients are OK but not wonderful. If you add in a skilled cook and an oven, those raw ingredients and a few more can become a beautiful and delicious way to celebrate a kids or a grown-ups birthday, or a wedding between a loving couple. What have we got? Sign up for our Myrtle Beach weekly update newsletter. Sign up for weekly roundups of our top stories, news and culture from the Myrtle Beach area. This newsletter is hand-curated by a member of our Myrtle Beach news staff. Email Sign Up! Back two decades ago, a 75-mile portion of the Black River was designated as the Black Scenic River. People and agencies working on securing that designation laid a basis for recognizing the value in protecting the waterway. As the group spent several more years on the project, the economic downturn of 2008 and 2009 stalled the efforts. Meanwhile, several local governments, private nonprofit groups and individuals worked on their individual plans to establish such places as protected lands by The Nature Conservancy, county parks, water trails, boat landings and more. The overall effort is a project of South Carolina State Parks, the Open Space Institute, The Nature Conservancy, Ducks Unlimited, the Butler Conservation Fund's Black River Cypress Preserve, the National Park Service, EarthDesign, Winyah Rivers Alliance, and South Carolina Conservation Bank. Over the past few years, representatives of these various groups would talk and get together to explore ideas with one another. Even more ideas have grown from those conversations. There are currently two major efforts underway that include the Black River and protected lands. These ongoing projects have resulted in a recently-published Black Scenic River Management Plan and the idea for a proposed Black River Water Trail & Park Network. Already, public meetings were held earlier in May in Georgetown, Andrews and Kingstree to present the idea of a new state park to interested citizens. People at each meeting were invited to listen during the presentations, ask questions and offer ideas. Share your thoughts The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, the Open Space Institute and others are seeking input on the idea of a state park and water trail project. Theres a storymap document: https://tinyurl.com/BlackRiverStoryMap. In the storymap's "Participate" section, there are two surveys designed to solicit feedback from the public. The first is a short questionnaire designed to find out how people are currently accessing and using the river, and what new public access points they would like to see. Second is a longer community survey designed to gauge support for the initiative. Filling in a hole If you look at the map of all 47 South Carolina state parks, the biggest hole youll find is right here, said Samantha Queen of the state's Parks Recreation and Tourism Department. Maria Whitehead said the Black River Initiative is about connections. Its about connecting people to the river, and its about connecting sites along the river, she said. Whitehead is from the Back Swamp area in Florence County. Shes currently senior project manager with the Open Space Institute, and has also worked with The Nature Conservancy. She and others with these projects would like to hear from people about what they would like to have available in the proposed state park. To learn more, log on to https://tinyurl.com/BlackRiverStoryMap. BEIRUT, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Head of Mission and Force Commander of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) Stefano Del Col reiterated on Monday the UNIFIL's continued support for Lebanon and its people, according to a statement by the UNIFIL. "We have donated equipment, expertise, and training to hospitals, schools and communities, and will continue to do so as long as it takes," Del Col said to mark the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers at the mission's headquarters in Naqoura in southern Lebanon. Del Col paid tribute to the UN peacekeepers around the world for their selfless service in pursuit of lasting peace. Remarking on the tens of thousands of young peacekeepers currently serving around the world, Del Col said each of them makes a crucial contribution to international peace and security. During the ceremony, Del Col and Maroun Kobayati, representative of the Lebanese Armed Forces, laid wreaths in tribute to fallen peacekeepers. Since 1978, 322 UNIFIL peacekeepers have given their lives to the cause of peace in southern Lebanon. Im holding my shirt up to the mechanical dryer, and the door opens, and this is my introduction to David Chase, Baldwin explained. He goes, Alec Baldwin? What the f--k are you doing, drying your shirt in the bathroom at the Four Seasons restaurant? And I think based on that alone, I was never cast on your show. Greenville County Councilman Ennis Fant owes nearly $56,000 in property taxes in Anderson County after the states Administrative Law Court found that he claimed a lake house near Hartwell Lake as his primary residence for 10 years while he also claimed houses in Greenville County as his official residences. During that time period, as Fant ran for Greenville County Council and listed a Greenville home on Ghana Court as his primary residence, he also paid taxes in Anderson County with the lake house listed as his primary residence. Fant paid the 4 percent property tax rate on the Anderson County residence from 2009 to 2018 but should have paid the 6 percent tax rate for property that isnt a persons domicile, or primary residence, the court found. In an order dated May 27, Administrative Law Judge Phillip Lenski ordered Fant to pay the difference between the two tax rates for the entire period plus penalties for a total of nearly $72,000. Fant has already paid the $16,000 in penalties and owes $55,600, according to the court order. The court ruled he didnt owe an additional $8,000 in late fees. Fant declined comment on the evening of June 1 other than to say he planned to ask the judge to reconsider his decision and would appeal if the decision stands. The Anderson County Tax Assessor began to investigate Fants domicile after receiving a tip in 2019 from a resident who asked how Fant could legally claim the home on Gareloch Lane in Anderson as his primary address while he ran for election in Greenville County. After an audit, the assessors office charged the back taxes plus nonpayment penalties and late fees to Fant, who contested the ruling. Anderson Countys Board of Assessment Appeals heard Fants case in December 2019 and issued its ruling in May 2020 saying Fant had claimed the residence as his primary home while he also claimed a home in Greenville as his residence. Fant appealed to the Administrative Law Court, and the court heard the case in January. Fant sought to limit the amount of taxes owed to three years, saying state law prohibited collection of taxes beyond three years. Lenski ruled that the three-year limit applies if the collecting agency is at fault, but not if the agency has been misled or if there is fraudulent intent to evade the taxes or the taxpayer failed to file a return or document as required by law. Sign up for our Greenville weekly update newsletter. Sign up for weekly roundups of our top stories, news and culture from the Upstate. This newsletter is hand-curated by a member of our Greenville news staff. Email Sign Up! Fant never filed a document with Anderson County to alert the county that he switched his primary residence to Greenville in 2016 when he ran for County Council, the assessor told the court. The court found that Fant couldnt show that he had lived at the home in Anderson County beyond 2008, when he first listed a home in Greenville as his primary address. Fant had a Greenville County address listed on his drivers license, filed income taxes from a Greenville address and paid his vehicle taxes in Greenville, the court found. Fant purchased the 2,800-square-foot lake house in Anderson in 1999 and it was correctly listed as his primary residence until 2008, when he claimed a home on Smokerise Court in Greenville as his domicile. He paid a 4 percent tax rate on each house until 2016 and then paid a 4 percent tax rate on the Ghana Drive house beginning in 2016 while still claiming the Anderson County home as a primary residence. Fant has said he put the home on Smokerise Court into a family trust in 2012 but reapplied for that home as a primary residence in 2013. He has since put the Anderson County home into a trust as well. Last year, Fant told The Greenville News he didnt intend to pay the amount owed. You think Im going to ever pay those $60,000 really? he said. But the court found that Fant had failed to carry his burden to show he was entitled to the special 4 percent tax rate in Anderson and that he should be penalized for failing to notify the Anderson County assessor of his change in primary residence in 2008. Kingstree, SC (29556) Today Thunderstorms early, then variable clouds overnight with still a chance of showers. Low 69F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 100%.. Tonight Thunderstorms early, then variable clouds overnight with still a chance of showers. Low 69F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 100%. Charleston City Councilman Harry Griffin refused to take a sobriety test after initially saying he did not drink alcohol when he was stopped by Berkeley County deputies on May 29, an incident report of his traffic stop and subsequent arrest on a DUI charge shows. Though Griffin, 26, later acknowledged he had "only one" drink, he also refused to take an alcohol breath test later, prompting deputies to file for his South Carolina driver's license to be suspended. Sheriff's Cpl. Brandon Vega and other deputies were conducting a sobriety checkpoint on County Line Road in the unincorporated area of Cross about 7:50 p.m. that night and had Griffin pull over after smelling alcohol in the councilman's car. Vega noted in his incident report that Griffins vehicle smelled of alcohol and Griffin had bloodshot, glassy eyes. When asked how much alcohol he had to drink that evening, Griffin, elected to City Council in November 2017 representing outer West Ashley, responded he had none, the report said. When I advised Griffin that I can identify the odor of alcohol emanating from his vehicle, he advised Only one, according to the report. Griffin declined to perform a field sobriety test, according to the report. Field sobriety tests typically assess whether people may be under the influence, such as asking a person to walk toe-to-toe in a straight line. Griffin was booked into the Berkeley County jail about 9:30 p.m. on May 29. He later was released after posting bond. Once at the Berkeley County Detention Center, Griffin was offered the opportunity to provide a breath sample with all SLED policies being followed. Griffin subsequently refused to provide a breath sample, according to the report. Because he would not allow the alcohol testing, a notice of his license's suspension "was completed and turned in." The Sheriffs Office charged Griffin with one count of driving under the influence with a blood-alcohol level of less than 0.10 percent, records show. It is unclear how the sheriffs office concluded Griffins blood-alcohol level was less than 0.10 percent in the absence of a blood-alcohol test. Calls to sheriff's officials for answers were not returned on June 1. The Post and Courier was unable to reach Griffin on June 1; his phone went to voicemail and his mailbox was unable to accept messages. But Griffin wrote on Facebook on May 30 he was innocent. I want to go on the record now and proclaim my innocence, as I will be vindicated in court in due time, according to the post. I will be making a formal statement this week. Griffin is the second Charleston city councilman facing a DUI charge this past year. Councilman Karl Brady was charged in October 2020 with misdemeanor DUI, according to the Charleston County Sheriffs Office. In November, Brady requested a trial on the DUI charge. He pleaded guilty in December. Three Daniel Island parks and the home of a congresswoman were vandalized over Memorial Day weekend, according to Charleston police. The graffiti incidents happened a day after an unknown number of people used a large hammer or some other object to smash part of the pedestal of the Denmark Vesey monument in Hampton Park on the Charleston peninsula. U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-Charleston, took to Twitter early the morning of June 1 to say her home was defaced with spray painted political symbols and profanity. "In the early morning hours of Memorial Day, my home, where Im raising my two children, was vandalized with Antifa symbols and profanity," Mace wrote. "Although my kids and I are thankfully fine, these criminal acts are unacceptable no matter your politics." She also posted pictures of what appeared to be symbols and messages in black spray paint. Among the messages were profanity, "Pass the Pro Act," "no gods," "no masters," and the capital letter "A" within a circle a symbol most commonly associated with anarchism. Charleston police also identified the symbols as anarchist in origin, according to an incident report. "We should all be able to feel safe in our own homes, regardless of our political beliefs," Mace wrote, regarding the vandalism. "I sincerely appreciate law enforcement doing all they can to find the criminal trespassers. There is a significant difference between nonviolent protests and criminal acts of intimidation and vandalism." According to the incident report, officers responded to Mace's home in the affluent, suburban community at 8:10 a.m. on Memorial Day. While documenting the scene at Mace's home, officers got a call at 8:45 a.m. from "an anonymous citizen" that someone painted graffiti on a walk bridge at Barfield Park, 1172 Barfield St., according to the report. Officers noted the paint was pink and included messages like, "(expletive) DI MOMS," MAGA" and "R ROB," according to the report. The phrase "BLACK LIVES MATTER" was spray-painted in the roadway at Daniel Island Drive and Mazo Street. While investigating at Barfield Park, officers were called to the nearby Center Park, 2223 Daniel Island Drive, the report said. There, they found several surfaces marked with pink spray paint, the report said. The graffiti included "(expletive) BE," "WEEE" and an image of a penis. At 10:20 a.m., officers were called to Smythe Park, 2364 Daniel Island Drive, for another report of vandalism, the report said. Someone painted an anarchist symbol on a column in black spray paint, according to the report. "These cowardly acts of vandalism are not who we are and they will not be tolerated," Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg said in a statement addressing what downtown and what happened on Daniel Island. "Here in Charleston, we dont deface monuments and we dont vandalize peoples homes. Basic human decency is not a political issue and people who dont understand that will be punished to the fullest extent of the law." Police believe the Vesey monument was damaged on May 29 or 30. An investigation is ongoing. The statue of Vesey, in Hampton Park, was unveiled in 2014. It honors the formerly enslaved man, who bought his freedom, opened a carpentry shop in the city and was later hanged. Vesey was killed in 1822, one of 35 people executed for a foiled plot to free enslaved people from the city and escape to Haiti. The incident at Mace's home marks the second time she's been the victim of vandalism in the last eight months. In October, when she was still a Republican congressional candidate, someone scratched a profanity into her car as she prepared for her final debate with then-Democratic Rep. Joe Cunningham. She would go on to an upset victory just over a month later. Mace's Republican colleagues took to Twitter on June 1 to offer their support. Nikki Haley, the former U.N. ambassador and South Carolina governor, tweeted, Im so sorry Nancy. I hate that your children had to see that. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., wrote, "Acts of vandalism and hate are simply unacceptable and have no place in our society. Praying for you, the kids, and our community. I trust our local law enforcement officers will get to the bottom of this soon." Syndicated and guest columns represent the personal views of the writers, not necessarily those of the editorial staff. The editorial department operates entirely independently of the news department and is not involved in newsroom operations. Lowcountry Ladies, a group of female-owned businesses based in Charleston, is growing. Over the past year, no matter how tough the odds were for small businesses, we supported each other and we cheered each other on. Thanks to the hard work of these talented women, and the power of Instagram, we were able to reach thousands of customers. The pandemic is a story of success for us and proof that embracing challenges and adapting to the new normal is a winning formula. None of our more than two dozen members lost their businesses during the pandemic. We credit, in no small part, the exposure social media platforms gave us. Utilizing tools such as Instagram stories, Instagram TV and Reels, we were able to collaborate with partners, offer special products and savings to our customers, and have an impact we could never have imagined. And it is in this context that we want to thank the Lowcountry community for making it possible for us to grow. Our promise to you as we move beyond the pandemic and back into as normal a life as possible is that we will continue to deliver high-quality customer services and products. Our challenge to you is that no matter what kind of hand life may deal you, do not underestimate the power of the people around you and the tools at your fingertips to do great things. BECKI BOWMAN Owner, @kaileysmonogram Parsonage Woods Lane Mount Pleasant Detention directives Are Charleston County detention center personnel supposed to follow all directives or are they allowed to ignore those that apply to mentally ill prisoners or those prisoners guilty of less than serious offenses? I cant imagine that any detention center employee would start the day hoping to get a chance to wrestle with an uncontrollable prisoner. What exactly are the deputies supposed to do when an uncooperative prisoner cannot be controlled after multiple Taser shots and pepper spray? Just refuse to proceed with an unpleasant task? Perhaps the deputies should have just called Sheriff Kristin Graziano and said, Here, you deal with it. Graziano rates a pass for being too slow to change long-standing procedures during the first hours of her new job, but she gets an F for employee support. This was an unfortunate incident to be sure, and the personnel involved may be guilty of poor judgment or a lack of patience while trying to do an unrewarding job. Its not always possible to deescalate a situation. A.D. HEATHCOCK Palisades Drive Sign up for our opinion newsletter Get a weekly recap of South Carolina opinion and analysis from The Post and Courier in your inbox on Monday evenings. Email Sign Up! Mount Pleasant Customers choice A May 22 letter writer noted that some of the major stores in the area have announced that vaccinated customers would not have to wear masks. The letter writer asked, How can they check? There has been an abundance of vaccine for several weeks. For everyone who wants the vaccine, it is readily available. So every customer in that store is either protected (vaccinated) or has made a conscious decision to not be. Why is it incumbent on the business to check? JERRY FUNK Horncastle Place Goose Creek Top picks for 2024 Sen. Tim Scott is a good man with a compelling life story, but I wouldnt bring him to a knife fight. I dont judge people by the color of their skin, but I do believe that one must do what one must do to save our country, and preserve the ideals that make it the greatest experiment in democracy. Allow me to make my choice for the next elections for president and vice president. These are people who articulate the values I hold dear. For the presidency, I choose Candace Owens, a Christian conservative black woman who will be 35 in 2024. And for vice president, I choose Ben Shapiro, a Jewish conservative white intellectual. Both espouse American values and have the courage of their convictions. Thats right, black and white together, representing the aspirations of a united Judeo/Christian society, one for all, and all for one. IAN KAY Cooper River Drive Mount Pleasant COLUMBIA South Carolina Republican Attorney General Alan Wilson has joined a coalition of mostly red states supporting a Second Amendment defense rooted in New Jersey. Legal officers from 24 states are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review a New Jersey state law that limits the bullet capacity of gun magazines. Weve sworn to uphold the Constitution, and the Second Amendments right to bear arms protects every man, woman and childs life and liberty every day, Wilson said in a June 1 media release. Were opposing a New Jersey law that would ban something you would find right now in millions of homes across the country, he said. Three years ago, New Jersey passed legislation that limits most gun owners to possessing magazines that hold 10 rounds of ammunition, a reduction from the 15-round limit that had been in place since 1990. The limit has survived various court challenges so far, with one federal judge saying the law balances the state's interest in public safety with the rights of individuals to defend their homes. Sign up for updates! Get the latest political news from The Post and Courier in your inbox. Email Sign Up! The logic behind the law, according to media reports, is that New Jersey officials hope the ban on large-capacity magazines might thwart mass shooters if they have to stop to reload. Gun-support groups have raised challenges to the limit since then. Wilson and the coalition said the New Jersey law criminalizes the possession of "commonly used arms even in the home for self-defense and therefore strikes at the core of the Second Amendment." He noted 43 states, including South Carolina, permit the capacity magazines that New Jerseys law bans. "The right to bear arms is vital to millions of Americans," Wilson's media statement read. "Those in high-crime areas where law enforcement is stretched thin value the right to own weapons for self-defense." Wilson last month was elected chairman of the Republican Attorneys General Association for the second time. Awute attempted to stop the defendant from fleeing in the vehicle at which time the defendant accelerated the vehicle and continued southbound. Members from victim Awutes party fearing for his safety opened fire on the vehicle due to the fact it was being used as a weapon, the affidavit said. LINES: Vehicles wind their way through the parking lots at Dodger Stadium for COVID-19 vaccinations on Thursday, Feb. 25 in Los Angeles. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicts that the U.S. will reach its goal of 70% of adults receiving at least one dose of the vaccine by July 4. Al Seib/Los Angeles Times/Tribune News Service AUSTIN: Retired U.S. Army Gen. Lloyd Austin testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee during his conformation hearing to be the next secretary of Defense on Jan. 19, 2021, in Washington, D.C. Jim Lo Scalzo/Pool/Getty Images/Tribune News Service 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@postregister.com for help creating one. Welcome to our new website. We have a new login system for you to access the full newspaper online. Please click here to learn how to activate your new account. Bear with us as we move into this new site and bring over all our old articles and photos. Corvallis, OR (97331) Today Periods of rain. Low around 60F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a half an inch.. Tonight Periods of rain. Low around 60F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a half an inch. This column was provided to The Associated Press by the personal finance website NerdWallet. Liz Weston is a columnist at NerdWallet, a certified financial planner and author of "Your Credit Score." Email: lweston@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @lizweston. RELATED LINKS: NerdWallet: What will long-term care cost you? http://bit.ly/nerdwallet-long-term-care-cost Benefits.gov directory https://www.benefits.gov/ Eldercare Locator https://eldercare.acl.gov/Public/Index.aspx The argument by some conservatives that eschewing lockdowns would have yielded enormous economic benefits without any appreciable increase in covid deaths i.e., that there were no tradeoffs here is the kind of argument liberals often make. Normally, its liberals who say the policies they favor will yield only benefits. Normally, its liberals who deny there are tradeoffs. Whether its liberals or conservatives who make these claims, Im always suspicions of them. But suspicions arent evidence, much less effective rebuttal. Its conceivable that even in the midst of a virus that spreads rapidly through human contact, a jurisdiction could maintain the high level of person-to-person contact necessary to avoid sharp increases in unemployment without incurring excess deaths as a result. However, the evidence persuades me that this was not the case during this pandemic. I always start with Scandinavia because, as John and I agreed at the time, the divergence in pandemic policies between the neighboring countries of Sweden and Norway provided something like a controlled experiment. Would Sweden, which did not lock down, fare no worse in terms of covid deaths than Norway, which did? The answer turned out to be a resounding no. Deaths per capita in Sweden are reported at ten times the amount of deaths per capita in Norway. Denmark rejected Swedens approach, but lifted its lockdown earlier than Norway did. Not surprisingly, Denmarks reported covid deaths per capita are significantly higher than Norways, but far lower than in Swedens. State-to-state comparisons in the U.S. are less probative than in Scandinavia because of the prevalence of travel from neighboring state to neighboring state. For example, a big biker rally permitted in South Dakota will likely result in spreading the virus to neighboring states. However, the state-to-state comparisons I have focused on point to the same conclusion as the Scandinavian comparisons lockdowns helped reduce deaths from covid. Lets start with the neighboring states of Minnesota and South Dakota. Other things being equal, I would expect more covid deaths per capita in Minnesota than in South Dakota. Minnesota is more densely populated than South Dakota and has a larger African-American population per capita. Its my understanding that Blacks have been hit harder by the virus than Whites. Yet, per capita deaths in South Dakota (2,277 per one million) are much higher than they are in Minnesota (1,331). South Dakota was one of Americas most lenient states with regard to lockdowns. Minnesota was one of the most stringent. John compares Minnesota and Wisconsin, along with South Dakota and North Dakota. Regarding the Dakotas, John says that North Dakota locked down, while South Dakota did not, yet deaths per capita are almost the same in the two states. But North Dakota was one of only a handful of states (South Dakota was another) that never issued a stay-at-home order. And throughout much of the pandemic, it apparently kept bars and restaurants open at 75 percent capacity. This helps explain why North Dakotas per capita death rate is so high, much higher than Minnesotas. What about Wisconsin and Minnesota, where the per capita death rates are similar? Minnesota locked down stringently. Wisconsin also locked down until mid-May when a court overturned the state-wide order requiring this. However, some jurisdictions in Wisconsin (Madison and Dane counties) promptly imposed their own lockdown orders. And the governor issued new restrictions in the Fall, when the pandemic was heating up again. Thus, there was less divergence overall than meets the eye between the lockdown policies of Minnesota and Wisconsin. But there was divergence. Why dont the per capita death numbers diverge? The answer lies, I believe, in nursing homes. By way of a possible explanation of the relatively low death rate in Minnesota compared to the Dakotas, John points out that Minnesota had a lower percentage of its population in nursing homes than did the Dakotas. But what really matters is what happened in the nursing homes how many people died in them. A jurisdiction in which officials fail to deal with the covids spread in nursing homes is going to experience higher death numbers than would otherwise be the case. Lockdowns wont help much, if at all, because the virus is being spread inside the facilities. Minnesotas handling of nursing homes was disastrous. Scott has shown this in his long-running series on coronavirus in one state. As of early March, 4,070 people had died in Minnesota nursing homes. Total deaths from the virus were around 6,700. So nursing home deaths in Minnesota were 61 percent of covid deaths in the state. In Wisconsin, the picture is very different. As of the same date in March (when my source stopped reporting nursing home deaths, probably because of the high vaccination rates in these facilities), 1,976 people had died in Wisconsin nursing homes during the pandemic. Total Wisconsin deaths were around 7,500. Nursing home deaths, therefore, were only about 27 percent of covid deaths. (Some nursing home deaths during the pandemic were likely primarily to non-covid factors, but this is true in both Minnesota and Wisconsin.) It looks to me, then, like nursing home deaths are what drove Minnesotas overall numbers to the level of Wisconsins. We wouldnt expect lockdowns to have much impact on the spread of the virus in nursing homes. They are intended primarily to limit the spread elsewhere. If we focus on the situation outside of nursing homes, where one might expect lockdowns to prevent deaths, the Minnesota-Wisconsin comparison indicates that they did just that. It looks like Minnesotas lockdowns prevented a non-trivial number of people not in nursing homes from dying of covid, though not without generating significant costs. In South Dakota the percentage of deaths in nursing home as a percentage of covid deaths is lower than in North Dakota, although the difference isnt as stark as the one between Wisconsin and Minnesota. In South Dakota the number is around 45 percent. In North Dakota, its around 60 percent. (These percentages are derived from the same source materials cited above for Wisconsin and Minnesota, as applied to the Dakotas.) Absent this disparity at nursing homes, North Dakotas overall covid death numbers would look better in comparison to South Dakotas. Finally, a note of caution. All of the numbers cited on both sides of this argument may be subject to some doubt. The counts are inherently imperfect and its possible that some have been manipulated. Thats why Im so focused on Scandinavia. The disparities there, especially between Norway and Sweden, are too enormous to be the result of error or manipulation. These disparities point unambiguously to the conclusion that lockdowns whatever we traded off by imposing them so widely, and it was plenty have prevented deaths from covid. The evidence from states we have examined here reinforces this view, I believe. The Democrats and the mainstream media have a lot of explaining to do when it comes to their dismissal as a conspiracy theory of questions as to whether the Wuhan coronavirus originated in a Chinese lab. It was clear all along that the questions were legitimate, and now, finally, the media and the Dems are asking them too. In doing so, they recognize the need to explain their earlier dismissal of the subject. And youll never guess the explanation they have come up with. Just kidding. You know exactly where they place they blame. Its Donald Trumps fault. Glenn Kessler, the Washington Posts fact checker, started the ball rolling in that direction. He wrote that the Trump administrations messaging [on the origin of the virus] was often accompanied by anti-Chinese rhetoric that made it easier for skeptics to ignore its claims. Three Post writers pick up the ball and carry it with a vengeance. Anne Linksey, Shane Harris, and David Willman quote Democrats as saying that the departure of Donald Trump, who often talked about the pandemic in racially charged terms, makes it easier to consider the theory [that the virus came from a lab]. . . . (Emphasis added) Kessler was honest enough to characterize Trumps rhetoric as anti-Chinese (which it was, but why was that a problem?). His three colleagues peddle the Democrats talking point that Trumps rhetoric was racially charged. They cite no such rhetoric, and there was none. China is a country, not a race. It is no more racist to use anti-China rhetoric than, say, to use the anti-Cuba or anti-Venezuela kind. For that matter, its no more racist for a white politician to criticize China harshly than it is for a black politician to blast America for what occurred here when the country was overwhelmingly White. If scrutinized at all, what the Democrat/media excuse really amounts to is an admission against interest. They are confessing to the rankest kind of partisanship the dismissal of important and legitimate questions based on the political orientation of their source. Democrats hate Donald Trump and Tom Cotton so much that they refused to entertain the possibility that what the two were saying about an important subject that is (or should be) non-partisan where did a virus originate might be true. Talk about Trump derangement syndrome. Jamie Raskin is the hyper-partisan Democrat who represents my congressional district. He says, like everything else it [the question of where the virus started] became politicized very early on. Raskin speaks misleadingly in the passive. Tom Cotton didnt politicize the issue early on (or later). Saying that a virus might well have come from a Chinese lab isnt a partisan statement not unless Raskin accepts the view that Democrats are apologists for China. It was Democrats who politicized the matter by mindlessly rejecting a theory simply because Republicans presented it. I agree that Trump didnt help matters. Characteristically, his statements were less careful than Cottons and might have gone further than the intelligence at the time warranted. Well see. But thats no excuse for falsely claiming that Cottons concerns had been debunked. Its no excuse for accepting Chinas claims about the origin of the virus and ripping Americans who didnt buy them. The explanation for this sorry behavior must be either a pro-China mindset or blatant partisanship. Im going with the latter. And Im keeping it in mind the next time the Washington Post or some other tool of the Democratic Party talks about bipartisanship. The Democrats and their media allies act in bad faith. Always. Even when were trying to get to the bottom of the source of a pandemic. Five years ago, China amended its longstanding policy of allowing each married couple to have only one child. At that time, a second child was permitted. But that change didnt solve the problem of Chinas plunging birth rate, so the countrys rulers have now relaxed the policy further, and will allow a third child. China will allow couples to have three children in a historic shift of its birth control policy as the country reckons with its slowest population growth in decades. *** Yet the two-child policy has failed to deliver a baby boom, and Beijing has found itself grappling with the challenges of a rapidly greying society in which there may not be enough young workers to support the elderly. Demographers are skeptical that the latest change will have much effect, both because few Chinese couples can afford to have three children, and because, after decades of one-child policy, there are not enough women of childbearing age. But those points are of relatively little interest to me. It is appalling that in any country, a ruling clique can dictate how many children a couple can have, with its orders backed by forced abortions and fines. Despite its often-successful PR efforts, China remains a cruel, totalitarian country. The fact that the American Left mostly admires the Peoples Republic and envies the repressive tools at its command is revealing, and the fact that American companies generally kowtow to the CCP is disgusting. Chinas government needs to be called out for the international disgrace that it is. But Americas press has no stomach for such an effort. On the contrary, it is still trying to ban mention of the fact that the Wuhan virus originated in Wuhan. CBS News is out today with a story about those cruel, heartless Republican governors who are cutting off the supplemental unemployment benefits of $300 a week that pay more to many workers than actual jobs. This story follows a familiar template: find some sympathetic individual who is adversely effected by the decision: As of June 26, the 50-year-old Smedley will get cut off from all jobless aid two months before federal funding is due to expire. She is one of almost 1 million self-employed workers who are hurtling toward a benefits cliff next month in the 20 states where Republican governors are shutting off the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program early. Most of the governors cited a desperate need for workers among employers such as restaurants and retailers that are reopening to the public. Without PUA, self-employed workers in those states will be stripped of all jobless aid. The temporary program was designed by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, or CARES Act, to provide support for a growing group of nontraditional workers in Americas gig economy, who dont otherwise qualify for regular unemployment aid. To be sure, the governors of those states ending the PUA program also are cutting the extra $300 in weekly benefits directed at millions of other jobless workers who lost their positions with employers. However, many of those workers will continue to qualify for traditional state jobless aid. . . The 20 states that are cutting off all jobless benefits for self-employed workers are engaging in cruelty, plain and simple, said ExtendPUA.org, a group that advocates for a stronger safety net for self-employed workers. This story follows a long practice going back at least to the Reagan years, when a Reagan program budget constraint would summon forth a story like this current one in which a sympathetic individual harmed by the change in eligibility requirements or benefit amounts would be the focus of gauzy, soft-focus treatment, all the make the point of how mean Reagan was. Ask yourself: how many times has the national mainstream media ever done stories about welfare or Medicare fraud? How about Californias massive unemployment insurance fraud last year, which may have run into the tens of billions of dollars? Likewise CBS News wont even consider reporting on whether the supplemental unemployment benefit is providing perverse incentives not to work. Its a typical media practice: offer a story-driven account that ignores or obscures the statistical reality underneath, and call it news. It can also be classified as a form of ventriloquist journalism, whereby the journalist finds a willing individual to give just the quotes the reporter is looking for to fill out the pre-conceived story line. Whenever I used to see a journalist (especially an overpaid TV network reporter) interview a homeless person, I always wonder whether the reporter offers to buy the person even a cup of coffee. Im pretty sure of the answer. John has already pointed out the difference between the economic performance of red states relative to blue states with regard to the length and severity of lockdowns, as shown in this bar chart: You can add to this the fact that unfilled job listings are soaring (from the Committee to Unleash Prosperity): This brings back another memory of the Reagan years. Reagan once held up the help wanted job ads section from some major newspapers, noting that there were lots of jobs going unfilled amidst the liberal outcry of a terrible economy and the need for lavish relief spending. From the reaction youd have thought Reagan had adopted Jonathan Swifts Modest Proposal. Some things never change. A lot of the supercharged racism uber alles ideology were seeing right now under the general banner of critical race theory is not new. Most accounts place its origins in the late 1980s or 1990s, but in fact it is possible to make out the essential dynamic back in the 1960s. Harry Jaffa gave a valedictory lecture on the occasion of his retirement from teaching at Claremont McKenna College in 1989, which he called The Reichstag Is Still Burning: The Failure of Higher Education and the Decline of the West. (You can find the lecture as Chapter 4 in a recent collection of Jaffas essays.) In the lecture Jaffa recalled the agitation to begin a black studies program at the Claremont Colleges back in 1969an agitation that coincided with a campus bombing, an arson, and open threats of violence if the agitators didnt get their way: The demands of the Black Students Union showed it to bein its own minda continuation of the Civil Rights movement. The theme of its pronouncements however was Black Powerthe very opposite of the color blind principles espoused by Dr. King on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in 1963. The Black Power movement demanded recognition, not of the content of character but of the color of skin. It wanted a Black Studies Center, not to enrich the curriculum, but to bring Black Power to bear upon it. There was no wish to eliminate racial bias from the courses of study in the Claremont Colleges. Rather did it wish to encounter white bias with black bias. The assumption was that an unbiased education was a delusion. Education was understood to be, not a function of the freedom of the human mind, but of its determination by race and ethnicity. What stands out finally in my memory of this meeting, was the declaration of a Brown leader, that he had been in Vietnam, and had seen there what bullets could do, and that he knew therefore what they could do in Claremont. This was followed by a rhetorical question asked by a Black leadera young woman who the next year was an assistant dean at Pomona College. The question was, Do you want this campus burned down this summer or next summer? From here Jaffa explained the fight among the faculty about whether to support the black studies proposal (they did, narrowly), with Jaffa offering these substantive observations about the substance of what was going down: The only purpose of our vote was to decide whether we wouldor would notendorse the concept of race as a ground or basis of education. And this endorsement was accomplished fully and unequivocally by a preamble in which it was said that Claremont Mens College had beenand was at that momenta white college that gave a white education. In the course of the ensuing debate I asked repeatedly whether it was true that CMC, providing a white education, taught white mathematics, or white economics, or white biology, or white physics, or for that matter, white political science. Was there anything in Platos Republic, I asked, that indicated that it was white justice that Socrates was seeking to define or discover. Was there anything in the Nicomachean Ethics, I asked, to indicate that it was white happiness that Aristotle sought as the summum bonum? Was there anything in Lockes Second Treatise of Civil Government (or in the Declaration of Independence) to indicate that taxation without representation was unjust only for whites? Was there anything in Lockes Letters on Toleration (or in the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom) I asked, to indicate that it was only in the case of white human beings, that our civil rights have no dependence on our religious opinions, any more than our opinions in physics or geometry? Although I hammered away at these questions, the opposition was uninterested in debating them. The philosophers have hitherto interpreted the world, Karl Marx had written. The point is however to change it. Debate, like religion, had become in their minds only an opiate. You defeated your opponents arguments by trampling on your opponents, and by treating them with contempt. The other side, although it did not have a reasoned argument, did have what might be called a position. This consisted in two elements. The one was a confession of white guilt. Of course, the very idea of white guilt contradicted the idea that we were engaged in dispensing only a white education. How could a white mind recognize a black mind as equally a mind, unless mind as such transcends the distinction of color? The response to this question was to be found in something entirely different, in a commitment to relativism. Relativism began with the assertion that the dispositions of our minds or souls, all the grounds upon which we hold anything to be true or good or precious, are rooted in our cultures. But there is no trans-cultural (or trans-historical) point of view from which different cultures can be measured or judged. In fact, there was no objective foundation for the dignityor indignityof any culture. All cultures being equally without such a foundation, were objectively equal in dignity. Because our curricula had failed to assimilate the truth of relativism, we had wrongly imputed a superior dignity and importance to American (and Western) culture. The Black and Brown Centers were only the beginning of a new opennessa new commitment to tolerance and diversitybased upon the equality of all human cultures. The allegedly rational foundation of this openness was the realization of the non-rational foundations, not only of all cultures, but of all moral preferences and all lifestyles. All were grounded in value judgments which were rooted in our subconscious selves, which sometimes produced illusions of reason (called ideologies), but which were never rational in themselves. We were off-shoots of white Western culture, in all our habits of thought and feeling and expression, whether we knew it or not. We were guiltythe argument ranbecause as members of our culture we shared a collective unconscious ethnocentrism which constituted something very much akinor so it seemedto Original Sin. In any event, as an institution of higher learning, we could be saved by the gospel of relativism. We had a duty to lead the way out of the dark night of ego-and ethno-centricity, to the heavenly uplands of diversity and tolerance. Of course for anyone not completely in the grip of unreason, it should have been apparent that the claims of relativismwhich were made with respect to all human cultures, past, present and futurewere themselves inherently and necessarily trans-cultural and trans-historical. The argument for relativism was in fact an argument for a totally new culture. There was no existing or previous culturecertainly no African or Mexican cultureamong all those to be admitted to equality with western culture, that recognized the alleged truth of relativism. The only civilization that had ever recognized the equal humanity (not the equal dignity) of all cultures was Western civilization. Indeed, the first nation ever to have declared its right to independence, not upon the ground of any peculiar virtues of its own, but upon the ground of rights which it shared with all men everywhere, was the United States of America. And the doctrine of relativism itself, however self-contradictory, was nonetheless an authentic offspring of modern Western culture and philosophy. This sounds like a spot-on description of the dynamic of the whole critical race theory phenomenon that has broken out fully from the campus and now affects the entire nation. And thats why this lecture deserves inclusion in our Relevant Classic Texts series. Yes, no matter what Yes, but it depends on variety No, for medical reasons, uncertainty No, principle Vote View Results ADVERTISEMENT A Nigerian agric technology company, Thrive Agric, Tuesday recived a $1.75 million co-investment grant from USAID-funded West Africa Trade & Investment Hub (Trade Hub). The Trade Hub is a USAID-funded initiative to co-invest with the private sector to generate new private investment, create new jobs, and increase the value of regional and international exports in West Africa. The fund will support 50,000 smallholder women and youth farmers growing rice, maize and soybean, a statement by Trade Hub explained. The farmers targeted are majorly located in Kaduna, Kebbi and Kano States. The farmers will receive agronomy advisory services, pre-and post-harvest storage and logistics support, links to credit and agriculture insurance products, and access to the companys current and future mobile apps. Aside from this paternership, Thrive Agric says it will raise at least $10 million to fund this support. The projects success will see at least 50,000 metric tons of rice, maize, and soybean produced by the end of the 2021 season, which will be sold to premium markets and result in farmers enjoying higher-than-normal incomes. In addition, the project will create 1,000 jobs for others involved in the agricultural value chain, including for prospective farm, field, and warehouse managers. Nearly 70 per cent of these jobs will go to women, who are often overlooked for higher-paying managerial positions. Existing efforts to support smallholder farmers tend to follow traditional approaches to boost their agricultural productivity, such as commercial firms integrating them into value chains through modern inputs, said Ayodeji Arikawe, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Thrive Agric. We know that most smallholder farmers, particularly women and youth, require more nuanced support to facilitate their participation in markets and, ultimately, increase food security and incomes at the household and national levels. I look forward to seeing the companys success in using tech solutions to benefit these farmers, said Michael Clements, Trade Hubs Chief of Party. The lessons learned through their tech-savviness can be leveraged to assist future partners seeking innovative avenues to assist stakeholders in the agricultural value chain. ADVERTISEMENT After more than two months of relief, Nigeria on Monday recorded her highest fatality figure since the outbreak of the coronavirus infection in the country in February, 2020. According to an update published by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on its verified Twitter handle on Monday night, Nigeria recorded 28 deaths in a day. The new fatality figure toppled the previous record of 27 deaths recorded on January 30, 2021, and has now raised the countrys death toll to 2,099 in total. Similarly, for the first time, Benue State, North-central Nigeria, has led in the daily infection tally with 178 cases out of the 203 reported across five states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The disease centre noted that Lagos, which usually habitually leads the chart, only recorded 10 cases on Monday while Ondo recorded six, and both Kaduna and the FCT recorded four cases each. Plateau State also makes the list with a single case. Spike? With the new 203 infections and 28 deaths, experts fear a possible spike in the dangerous cases might already be here. The new figure has raised the total infection in the country to 166,518. Until Monday, infections had reduced significantly in Nigeria with an average of less than 100 per day in nearly one month. Also, only nine deaths had been recorded in the past 54 days until the latest fatality figure. The news of the arrival of more than 200 travellers considered as health hazards for evading mandatory protocol, had raised fear of a possible spike. Health experts warned against letting the guard down on safety with many countries such as India, Brazil and Turkey entering the third wave of the pandemic. Meanwhile, about two-thirds of the over 166,000 infected persons have recovered after treatment. According to NCDC data, 156,781 people have been treated and discharged since the disease began spreading in the country. More than one million tests have been conducted in Nigeria out of an estimated 200 million population. About two million people have received, at least, their first shots of the Oxford vaccines. ADVERTISEMENT President Muhammadu Buhari has charged the nations security and intelligence agencies to expedite efforts towards the recovery of the 200 children kidnapped from an Islamic school in Niger State. According to a statement by his spokesperson, Garba Shehu, Mr Buhari, who received briefing on the latest incident of school kidnapping, condemned as unfortunate, the kidnapping of children from schools, and urged all the agencies involved in the rescue operation to do their utmost in securing their immediate release. He also directed the concerned government agencies to extend possible support to the families of the kidnapped children. PREMIUM TIMES had reported how armed bandits on Sunday abducted many pupils of the Islamic school in Tegina, a densely populated town in Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State. The bandits reportedly seized the police station in the town and went round the town shooting sporadically into the air to scare residents before breaking into a private school where they abducted children attending Islamic lectures. The school, which consists of nursery and primary schools, also hosts Islamiyya students in the evening and at weekends. Eleven of the kidnapped students were later released by their abductors because they were too young and could not work, according to the Niger State government. The mass abduction of the Islamic school students was the second in Rafi Local Government Area in six months. Dozens of students were earlier in the year kidnapped at Government Science College (GSC) Kagara but were later released after negotiation with the state government. Asides from the attack on schools, several residents across different local government areas of the state have been displaced after the invasion of bandits. Apart ftom Niger, mass kidnapping of students have occurred in many other Northern Nigerian states including Kaduna, Zamfara, Katsina, Borno and Yobe. The family of the Registrar of the National Examinations Council (NECO), Godswill Obioma, has said the examination bodys boss died Monday afternoon after a brief illness. This was contained in a message the son of the late professor of educational measurement and evaluation, Godswill Obioma the 2nd, shared with the management of NECO on Tuesday morning. This was also confirmed by Mr Obiomas personal assistant, Obinna Otumdi. Mr Otumdi spoke exclusively with PREMIUM TIMES via telephone on Tuesday morning. The personal assistant, however, said he was not in the best position to speak on the death of his late boss. He said; I am sure the family will address the public soon. My boss was ill, briefly, before nature took its course. He was said to have died at 66. The familys message According to the message by the son, which was sent on Tuesday morning to NECOs Director of Human Resources Management, Mustapha Abdul, Mr Obioma died on Monday afternoon. The short message, a copy of which was obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, reads in part; Dear Sir, this is to formally inform you that my father, Prof. Godswill Obioma, the registrar/chief executive officer of NECO passed to eternal glory yesterday 31/5/2021 after a brief illness. We request that you kindly notify the board, management and the entire staff of the Council of this development. We shall keep you duly informed. The message, which was signed by the young Obioma, said it was sent on behalf of the family. But PREMIUM TIMES could not confirm the nature of the late NECO boss illness as of the time of filing this report. How Mr Obioma died Sources Sources at the examination body and relations of the late Mr Obioma told our reporter that the deceased travelled from Abuja to Minna on Monday morning. But when he reached the city gate in Minna, he told his entourage that he would not be able to go to the office and went home with his security aides. The others, including his personal assistant, Otumdi, left for the office, one of the sources, who does not want to be mentioned, told PREMIUM TIMES. This newspaper learnt that by 3 p.m., the NECO registrar called his personal assistant to say he was too tired and that he would not be able to be in the office. But by around 4 p.m., the police officials who were downstairs in his house called the PA to complain that their boss was yet to return downstairs. But the PA told them he already spoke to him and that he was fine. But around 5 p.m. when the PA returned home and went upstairs, he saw a lifeless body, the source added. This newspaper gathered that the PA called in the security details immediately and they rushed Mr Obioma to an unnamed hospital in Minna where he was pronounced dead. His body was also said to have been moved to the National Hospital in Abuja on Monday evening, where he was again confirmed dead. ADVERTISEMENT His battle The late NECO boss had been facing a tough time at the examination body, following allegations of mismanagement and corrupt practices. Mr Obioma, a former executive secretary of the Nigeria Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC), was the resident electoral commissioner for the Independent National Electoral Commission in Ebonyi State before he was appointed NECO registrar in May 2020. His appointment followed the removal of the former registrar of the examination body, Charles Nwakwe, over corruption allegations and poor management. However, he too was soon accused of corruption and other illegalities by staff and board of the agency. He was queried over various allegations including compromising the sanctity and integrity of the examinations being conducted by the body, especially the release of keys to the examination bodys vault where sensitive materials were kept, to his PA, Mr Otumdi. Mr Otumdis parents were said to own a private school in Nasarawa State, and so was accused of compromising the examination papers security. According to the report of the investigative panel set up by the examination body, which was obtained exclusively by this newspaper, Mr Obioma was also said to have attempted to release the sum of N1.8 billion to some contractors who the board had said should not be paid. Some of the allegations read in part; On Thursday, 18th June 2020, you approached the Director, Finance and Account (DFA), with a document purported to have been given to you by the Hon. Minister of State for Education (HMSE), a government official, directing him to pay the duo of BIZZDESK and FRONTEDGE the sum of one billion, eight hundred thousand naira (N1,800,000,000.00) being money claimed by the duo for service rendered; whereas you were aware that the Council is in court with these companies for refund of three billion naira (N3,000,000,000.00) for services not rendered between 2010 2018. The DFA further claimed that you said that the companies would, in return, appreciate your gesture with the sum of nine hundred million naira only (N9,000,000,000.00) upon payment to be shared between the Hon. Minister of State for Education (HMSE), yourself, DFA and his staff. The DFA flatly refused, and promptly notified the Board Chairman. This act is tantamount to fraudulent practices, bribery, corruption and sabotage under Section 4, No. 030402 (j, k & t) of the PSR. The board of the examination body had recommended his removal to the education minister, Adamu Adamu. The recommendation was subsequently forwarded to President Muhammadu Buhari for approval. PREMIUM TIMES exclusively learnt that the Presidency was prepared to announce the deceaseds removal during the week before his death was reported on Tuesday morning. President Muhammadu Buhari has warned that rude shock awaits those unpatriotic elements promoting insurrection and burning critical national assets across the country. The presidents spokesperson, Femi Adesina, in a statement, said Mr Buhari gave the warning after he received a briefing from the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu, at the State House, on Tuesday in Abuja. Mr Yakubu briefed the president on a series of attacks on facilities of the electoral body around the country. There have been several attacks on INEC facilities lately, especially around the South-east and the South-south regions. Police and prison facilities, including court buildings, have been similarly attacked in the regions. Several security officials have been killed in the attacks. Mr Buhari was quoted as saying: I receive daily security reports on the attacks, and it is very clear that those behind them want this administration to fail. Insecurity in Nigeria is now mentioned all over the world. All the people who want power, whoever they are, you wonder what they really want. Whoever wants the destruction of the system will soon have the shock of their lives. Weve given them enough time. The president recalled that he visited all the 36 states of the country before the 2019 election, and majority of the people believed me, and the election proved it. He, however, promised to continue leading the country in accordance with constitutional provisions. The president said those misbehaving in certain parts of the country were obviously too young to know the travails and loss of lives that attended the Nigerian civil war. Those of us in the fields for 30 months, who went through the war, will treat them in the language they understand. We are going to be very hard sooner than later. The Nigerian civil war, fought from July 1967 to January 1970, led to the loss of millions of lives especially on the side of the South-east Nigeria, renamed Biafra as at then, which had wanted to secede from the country. Mr Buhari, as a young soldier then, was actively involved in the war he commanded a company which, together with the support from other formations of the Nigeria Army, captured Afikpo and Ogoja from the rebels, in the early stage of the war. He was at some point, during the war, posted to Nsukka as a brigade major of the 3rd Infantry Brigade. The Biafra side was led by Odumegwu Ojukwu, then a Lt. Colonel, who is today revered as a hero among the Igbos. ADVERTISEMENT IPOB, a pro-Biafra group, which has been proscribed by the federal government, is agitating for the independent state of Biafra. IPOB claims that the Igbos are still being marginalised and persecuted in Nigeria. The group has been accused as being responsible for the spate of deadly violence in the South-east, including the attacks on police and INEC facilities. But they have repeatedly denied the accusation. President Buhari, in his meeting with the INEC officials, said the Service Chiefs and the Inspector-General of Police had been changed, and we will demand security from them. On the dangers posed to future elections by the burning of INEC facilities, Mr Buhari said he would give the electoral commission all it needed to operate, so that no one would say we dont want to go, or that we want a third term. There will be no excuse for failure. Well meet all INECs demands. Nigeria is currently going through one of its roughest patches yet with mounting insecurity, bloodletting and violence wracking virtually all parts of the nation. The security outfits also appear overwhelmed, having become victims of attacks themselves. Briefing Earlier in his briefing, Mr Yakubu said that, so far, there had been 42 cases of attacks on INEC offices nationwide, since the last general election. The 42 incidents so far occurred in 14 states of the federation for a variety of reasons. Most of the attacks happened in the last seven months, and they are unrelated to the protests against previous elections. From the pattern and frequency of the most recent attacks, they appear to be targeted at future elections, he said. According to Mr Yakubu, the intention of the anarchists is to incapacitate the commission, undermine the nations democracy and precipitate a national crisis. (NAN) ADVERTISEMENT President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday said he will provide the electoral commission, INEC, with all it needs to carry out its duties and prepare ahead of the 2023 elections. Mr Buhari, whose second term in office expires in 2023, also said he is not mulling a third term in office as some may be insinuating. Femi Adesina, the presidents spokesman, in a statement, said Mr Buhari gave this assurance after he received a briefing from the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu, at the State House, on Tuesday in Abuja. I have assured INEC that we will make available to them everything they need to operate efficiently, so that no one will say we dont want to go, or that we want a third term, the retired general said. There will be no excuse for failure. We will meet all of INECs demands. Mr Yakubu had come to brief the president on series of attacks on facilities of the electoral body around the country. PREMIUM TIMES had earlier reported how assailants attacked INEC facilities across seven states in this year. Majority of these attacks took place in the South-east region, this newspaper also reported. Nigeria is currently going through one of its roughest patches yet with mounting insecurity, bloodletting and violence wracking virtually all parts of the nation. The security outfits also appear overwhelmed having become victims of attacks themselves. Briefing Earlier in his briefing, Mr Yakubu said that, so far, there had been 42 cases of attacks on INEC offices nationwide, since the last general election. The 42 incidents so far occurred in 14 states of the federation for a variety of reasons. Most of the attacks happened in the last seven months, and they are unrelated to protest against previous elections. From the pattern and frequency of the most recent attacks, they appear to be targeted at future elections, he said. According to Mr Yakubu, the intention of the anarchists is to incapacitate the commission, undermine the nations democracy and precipitate a national crisis. PREMIUM TIMES had earlier reported how Mr Buhari warned that rude shock awaits those unpatriotic elements promoting insurrection and burning critical national assets across the country. Mr Buhari was quoted as saying: I receive daily security reports on the attacks, and it is very clear that those behind them want this administration to fail. Insecurity in Nigeria is now mentioned all over the world. All the people who want power, whoever they are, you wonder what they really want. Whoever wants the destruction of the system will soon have the shock of their lives. Weve given them enough time. The House of Representatives is considering over 100 out of the 200 bills submitted in the ongoing constitution review exercise, a member of the house, Tajudeen Abass, says. Mr Abass, who is also the Chairman of the North-Central Zone Centre for constitution review in Lokoja, Kogi State, said this at the opening ceremony of the zonal public hearing for three states in the zone Niger, Kwara and Kogi, on Tuesday. The two-day event, organised by the House of Representatives Special Committee on Constitutional Review, started on Tuesday and will end on Wednesday. Recall that the Senate version of the event was held last week. The exercise is part of an effort to meet the demands of Nigerians on the need for restructuring, which many believe to be long overdue. Members of labour unions, traditional rulers, political office holders and other groups are at the Kogi State Government House in Lokoja, where the event is being held. While delivering his address, the lawmaker said past editions of the zonal public hearing for constitution review had been fruitless. I want to welcome you to this event, which has been the order of the day in the past 16 years in this dispensation. We believe that this 9th Assembly will be unique and different because such kind of exercises have been done in the past but it didnt come to any fruition. We believe that this time around, this exercise of constitutional review will meet the yearnings and aspirations of the people. According to him, the 101 bills under consideration are divided into 11 thematic areas. In exercise of the powers conferred on the legislature, by Section 4,8 and 9 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended and Order 18 Rule 9 of the Establishment Act of the House of Representatives, the Special Committee on Constitutional Review is currently considering over 100 constitutional alterations. On electoral matters, we have nine bills including independent candidacy and diaspora voting, Mr Abass said. Other bills cut across demands for local government autonomy, devolution of power, legal framework for judicial autonomy, gender inclusion, amongst others. He, however, urged those present to submit additional memorandum in the best interest of the country, ahead of its final report on Monday. Also speaking at the event, the Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly, Matthew Kolawole, called for the creation of six additional states. We want an additional one state in each of the geopolitical zones, which means extra six states and more local government areas. He also called for harmonisation of the 1999 constitution and the 1963 constitution. Most people are agitating for Nigeria to revert back to the 1963 constitution. There is a need to harmonise both the 1963 constitution and 1999 constitution for the betterment of Nigerians, he said. ADVERTISEMENT A coalition of civil society groups has asked the National Assembly to quickly pass the Electoral Amendment bill. This, they said, is one way to assure Nigerians of the genuineness of the ongoing constitutional review process. The call was contained in a statement signed by five groups The Electoral Hub, Centre for Liberty, Raising New Voices, Movement for Socialist Alternative and Aspilos Foundation. We are of the firm view that the most important and urgent business before the Senate is to conduct the passage of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill into law. We are also of the view that the only way the Senate can assure the vast majority of Nigerians of the genuineness of its Constitutional Review processes is to carry out the passage of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill. This is due to the fact that the Senate signposts electoral reforms as one of the cardinal points of her Constitutional Review, part of the statement read. The groups also condemned the destruction of the offices of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in several states which they said, is already casting doubts on the 2023 general elections. They said the passage of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill remains the solution for the rising attacks on INEC offices because the Bill contains fresh provisions for digitalisation of the electoral process. Should the bill not be given utmost priority, the group threatened to stage another #OccupyNASS protest to push their demands. We hereby give notice that if both houses of the National Assembly (the Senate and the House of Representatives) continue their reluctance to the question of passage of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, we will be left with no choice but to activate #OccupyNASS2 to push our demands. This is one of many calls to the legislators for the passage of the Electoral Amendment bill. INEC had, on different occasions, made similar calls stating that the bill, if passed, will ease the process of the 2023 general elections and other polls to follow. The electoral umpire had also proposed about 34 amendments to the bill, which includes punishment for electoral violators. Many other civic groups and political players like former presidential candidate, Kingsley Moghalu, have made the same call to the National Assembly. Amendment Rejection The Electoral Amendment bill among other things, seeks to resolve issues surrounding INECs introduction of modern technologies into the electoral process, particularly accreditation of voters. It has suffered many setbacks in the previous assembly, with President Muhammadu Buhari rejecting it four times. The first rejection was in March 2018 where he said the proposed law would usurp the constitutional powers of INEC to decide on election matters, including fixing dates and election order. He rejected it again in 2018, citing some drafting issues that remain unaddressed following the prior revisions to the Bill. And in December 2018, he sent back the bill to the National Assembly and this time, he said passing a new bill with elections close by could create some uncertainty about the legislation to govern the process. At the time, the general elections were less than three months away. ADVERTISEMENT It was reintroduced in the ninth Senate and has since scaled first and second reading stages. However, since the public hearing in December 2020, no report has been submitted to the chamber for passage. No reason has been given for the delay as well. ADVERTISEMENT President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, says a national public hearing on the review of the 1999 Constitution will hold from June 3 to 4 in Abuja. Mr Lawan made the announcement on Tuesday during plenary in a letter addressed to him by the Chairman of the Constitution Review Committee, Ovie Omo-Agege. According to the Senate President, the two-day National Public Hearing on proposals to alter the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 is scheduled to be held at the African Hall of the International Conference Centre (ICC), Abuja. He described the zonal public hearings held across the six geo-political zones of the country as quite successful. Mr Lawan appealed to Nigerians to use the opportunity provided by the national public hearing commencing on Thursday to state their positions on issues that would improve the quality of governance. Let me also congratulate the members of the Constitution Review Committee of the Senate, who had conducted the public hearings across the country. [And] in fact, the report we received has shown that in all the centres, the public hearings were quite successful. I want to also appeal to Nigerians to take the opportunity of the national public hearing that will start on Thursday. This is an effort that the National Assembly particularly the Senate is attached to. We believe that we must do whatever is necessary to provide a platform for Nigerians to hear their views, give their positions and canvass for whatever they feel would make our country better, and make governance more efficient and successful. Like I said before, we have no preconceived positions on anything and, therefore, this is the time for our citizens to take the opportunity, he said. (NAN) The Senate has called for a thorough investigation into the May 30th killing of a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ahmed Gulak, in Owerri, Imo State. The Senates resolution was a sequel to a Point of Order raised by Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, during plenary on Tuesday. Raising Order 43 of Senates Standing Rule, Mr Omo-Agege, also the Chairman, Senate Committee on Constitution Review, urged security agencies especially, the State Security Services (SSS), to thoroughly investigate towards ensuring that the perpetrators were brought to book. I rise to notify the Senate of the gruesome, barbaric and dastardly murder of Alhaji Ahmed Gulak on May 30 while on a national assignment on behalf of the Senate Committee on Constitution Review. He served as one of the consultants posted to the Owerri centre of the South -east. He was a political adviser to former President Goodluck Jonathan. We, members of the committee are shattered by his demise, we believe that it is one death too many and for sure, it is most unfair for this very brilliant life to have been shut down in his prime, he said. President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, said there was no need for debate on the issue. Because you have come under our standing order, Order 43, this is not an issue that is open to debate. But let me also say that late Gulak was a very straightforward, very committed and very dedicated citizen of this country and a very distinguished politician who made tremendous contributions at both the state level in Adamawa and at national level. The murder of this great son of Nigeria is something that our security agencies must unravel the murderers and in fact the people behind the murder itself. This is necessary in all the cases and in all the murders and assassinations that take place in our country almost on a daily basis, he said. Mr Lawan added: Our security agencies particularly our intelligence agencies must continue to fish out such issues even before they happen. This is the essence of the intelligence that is supposed to be given to those who are in the system, to nip in the bud, where necessary or when such incidences happen that we are able to apprehend the people involved. A minute silence was also observed in honour of the deceased. Mr Lawan, thereafter, prayed for the soul of Mr Gulak and also condoled with his family, his state and the government and people of Nigeria. Mr Gulak was shot dead by gunmen in Owerri, Imo, on May 30, while on a national assignment. (NAN) ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT No fewer than seven lives were lost and 475 structures destroyed during the Billiri violence in Gombe State in February, a report has said. Adamu Dishi, the Chairman, Committee of Assessment of Damages in Billiri crisis, disclosed this while presenting their report to Governor Inuwa Yahaya in Gombe on Monday. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that violence erupted in Billiri Local Government Area of the state in February as a result of alleged state governments delay in announcing the new Mai Tangle after the demise of Mr Abdu Buba-Maisheru. Mr Dishi, who is also the Commissioner for Internal Security and Ethical Orientation, said out of the number 41 houses, 401 business premises and 33 worship centres were all burnt and seven lives lost. He said the committee engaged professionals from various fields for advice and the recommendations given to them were contained in their report. Receiving the report, Mr Yahaya commended the committee for the timely completion of the assignment. He assured that the confidence reposed on the committee members would be sustained and their recommendations implemented. He said whatever compensation the government would give to the affected persons can never pay for the lives lost, hence charged the people to embrace peace. The governor enjoined residents to be their brothers keepers by tolerating one another irrespective of religious and ethnic differences. Mr Yahaya described the Gombe as the most peaceful state in the North-east region, but regretted that recent happenings in the state, like Nyuwar and Jesu crises, proved that the state was vulnerable. (NAN) We have reached an important next step toward our gradual and responsible resumption of service, and are grateful for the productive dialogue with state, local and federal officials, the CDC and others in our industry that has made this possible, said Disney Cruise Line spokeswoman Cynthia Martinez in an emailed statement Tuesday. We look forward to our amazing crew once again creating magic for our guests and to helping the many workers who support our industry get back to work. A civil society organisation, First Ladies against Cancer (FLAC), has advocated the incorporation of cancer screening into the countrys national health system at the primary health care (PHC) level. According to the organisation, PHCs are the closest access to healthcare for the populace, especially those dwelling at the rural communities. Speaking during a virtual briefing on Tuesday, the wife of Niger State Governor and FLAC chairperson, Amina Bello, said institutionalising screening of cancers at the grassroots level increases early detection and thereby reducing the incidence of cancer. Mrs Bello noted that prevention and early detection of cancer not only improves chances of survival and reduces morbidity, but also reduces the financial burden associated with the cost of treatment. She said efforts to raise awareness for cancer and treatment options have not been completely successful in improving cancer health behaviour among women in Nigeria This is because cancer screening is viewed as an added cost and inconvenience. However, if it is institutionalised as one of the requisite tests, then it becomes a compulsory exercise for women, she said. Out of pocket payment Mrs Bello explained that cancer treatment is very expensive and that more than 75 per cent of Nigerians still pays for healthcare out of pocket. She said this is a huge burden on the resources of the average Nigerians. She said FLACs advocacy was to mobilise the government as well as local leaders toward ensuring that adequate resources are invested in cancer care. She explained that efforts are being made to ensure cancer treatment is incorporated into the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). PREMIUM TIMES understands that the burden of cancer treatment has left many patients and their families with no option than to sell properties to raise funds. Experts said cancer patients also rely on foreign aid and raising funds through social media, a situation health experts blamed on the countrys fragmented health insurance system. Earlier in 2019, the health minister, Osagie Ehanire, at a National Health Dialogue, announced plans to institute a cancer treatment fund. There will be a creation of a fund, either a cancer treatment fund or whatever we decide to call it. It is important and can be driven by investment or donation, the minister said. The minister said the new fund will help reduce the cost of treatment and diagnosis, noting that the funding plan will draw support from the private sector. However, almost two years after, cancer communities in Nigeria say they are yet to start benefitting from the fund. Although the chairman, healthcare services committee, House of Representatives, Tanko Sununu, at a retreat in March, 2021, said the ministry of health is at the modality stage of disbursing the funds to selected hospitals that will cover indigent patients. Screening is pertinent Mrs Bello said having a national screening programme for cervical cancer will key into the recently launched WHO cervical cancer elimination strategy, which involves screening and treatment of cervical cancer as well as the prevention with Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccination. ADVERTISEMENT She said the HPV vaccines are only available to those who can afford it, which brings the need to incorporate the vaccine into the National vaccination programme. She said FLAC is collaborating with the Federal Ministry of Health, vaccine manufacturers and other partners to make the vaccines more accessible to young girls and women across the country. We are also advocating for the HPV vaccines to be given to our girls to prevent more cancer cases, she said. In his remarks, the General Manager of Roche Nigeria, Ladi Hameed, said the organisation has specifically paved the way to provide breast cancer treatment to women in some states across the country. Mr Hameed said efforts are ongoing to create awareness amongst women about the importance of vaccination, screening and treatment. For both breast and cervical cancers, the screening tests are simple and relatively inexpensive and can easily be provided at primary health centres, he said. Low awareness Mrs Bello said cancer is detected at late stages due to lack of awareness amongst key populations. She noted that other factors affecting womens resistance to cancer screening include the low perception of cancer risk and physician gender preferences. She said lack of spouse permission and support; belief that cancer is a death wish and societal discrimination, are among the common socio-cultural barriers to screening. It is therefore imperative that stakeholders upscale efforts to advocate for and create awareness of cancer screening available to Nigerian women, she said. Cancer burden Over 70,000 deaths are recorded from cancer annually in Nigeria. In 2020 alone, 78,899 cancer-related deaths were recorded in Nigeria, according to Globocan statistics. Women often bear the brunt breast and cervical cancers are responsible for more deaths than any others in Nigeria. While 34,200 men died from cancer in 2020, 44,699 women succumbed to the disease, according to Globocan data. Estimates from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation suggest that the cancer death rate in Nigeria was 113.7 per 100,000 people in 2017. Besides, experts believe the cancer figures are underreported because many patients cannot afford the costs and often abandon hospital tests and treatment, and so they would not be captured in the data. ADVERTISEMENT The Senate has received a formal request from President Muhammadu Buhari to confirm the appointment of Farouk Yahaya, as Nigerias Chief of Army Staff. The request was contained in a letter read out by the Senate President at the start of plenary on Tuesday. In the letter, the president said Mr Yahayas appointment was in compliance with the provisions of Section 18(1) of the Armed Forces Act 2004. In compliance with the provisions of section 18(1) of the Armed Forces Act Cap A20 laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, I hereby forward for confirmation by the Senate, the appointment of Major General Farouk Yahaya as the Chief of Army Staff of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. His CV is herewith attached. It is my hope that the Senate will consider and confirm the nominee in the usual expeditious manner, part of the letter read. The presidents request will be referred to the appropriate Senate committee for screening and possible confirmation. Mr Buharis request comes five days after he announced the appointment of the new Chief of Army Staff who replaces Ibrahim Attahiru, a lieutenant general, who died in an air crash alongside 10 other officers and men of the army, on May 21 while on an official trip to Kaduna State. The announcement was contained in a statement by the acting Director of Defence Information, Onyema Nwachukwu. Until his appointment, the new army chief was the Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai, the counter-insurgency operation in the North-east. ADVERTISEMENT The National Examinations Council has debunked the news of the assassination of its late registrar and chief executive officer, Godswill Obioma. A statement issued by the examination body and signed by the head, information and public relations division, Azeez Sani, said family sources confirmed to the management that the deceased only died after a brief illness. The statement said the deceased died at the age of 67. The statement reads in part; The Registrar/Chief Executive, National Examinations Council (NECO) Prof. Godswill Obioma has died at the age of 67. A circular issued by the Director, Human Resource Management, Mr. Mustapha K. Abdul in Minna on Tuesday, quoted family sources as saying that Prof. Obioma died on 31st May, 2021 after a brief illness. This is contrary to insinuations in the social media that the late Registrar was assassinated in his residence in Minna. The Circular enjoined staff of the Council to remain calm and prayed for the repose of the soul of Prof. Obioma. The statement added that the late NECO boss, who was appointed on May 14, 2020, was, until his appointment to head NECO, the Ebonyi State Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). He is survived by his wife and children. Meanwhile, his son, Godswill Alexander Obioma (Junior), who earlier confirmed the death of his father to the NECO management also spoke to PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday morning. In a telephone interview with him, he confirmed the message earlier sent to the examination body, stating the circumstances of his fathers death. He, however, declined further comments, saying he was mourning his late father. ADVERTISEMENT The Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, has recommended that 20 per cent of the revenue be given to states where solid minerals are mined, up from the current 13 per cent. The federal government had, in 2016, approved the implementation of the constitutionally guaranteed 13 per cent derivation from mineral revenues to deserving states. But Mr Bello, at the North Central Zonal public hearing for constitution review exercise being held in Lokoja, Kogi State, said 13 per cent is not commensurate to the effects of mining activities in the state. 13 per cent derivatives is not commensurate to degradation and other effects of mining in host communities. I recommend 20 per cent equity share for states on solid mineral mining, he said. Welcoming other states in the North Central zones to the event, Mr Bello said Nigeria is at a crossroads, critical to its development. According to him, the present security situation is both a threat and an opportunity. Of course, it depends on our responses as citizens to these threats. The ongoing constitution review is one of the tools to address issues in the national polity, so I support the National Assembly. The two-day event, organised by the House of Representatives Special Committee on Constitutional Review, started on Tuesday and is billed to end on Wednesday. Recall that the Senate version of the event was held last week. This is part of the effort to meet the demands of Nigerians on the need for restructuring, which many believe to be long overdue. Members of labour unions, traditional rulers, political office holders and other groups are present at the Kogi State Government House in Lokoja, where the North Central section of the event is holding. Also speaking at the event, the Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly, Matthew Kolawole, clamoured for the creation of six additional states. He also called for harmonisation of the 1999 and 1963 constitutions for the betterment of the citizens. Most people (are) agitating for Nigeria to revert back to 1963 constitution. There is (a) need to harmonise both the 1963 constitution and 1999 constitution for the betterment of Nigerians, he said. Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, on Tuesday, advocated the scrapping of the Senate with each zone having equal number of four representatives at the National Assembly. Mr Akeredolu made the call at the Akure Centre of the Southwest Zonal Public Hearing, organised by the House of Representatives Special Committee on Constitution Review. The governor, represented by his Deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, said the country should consider dropping the current bicameral structure of the National Assembly and adopt a unicameral legislature. The membership of the Assembly should be part time. No member should earn allowances not known to the Revenue Mobilisation and Allocation Committee, and the people they claim to serve. Legislators should earn under a uniform salary structure. Allowance peculiarities must not be about obscenity. The Senate should be scrapped. The House of Representatives too should not be unwieldy. A maximum of four representatives should come from each zone, he said. Mr Akeredolu said all issues which elicited distrust and suspicion must be investigated dispassionately. He said: Nobody must be shut out; all must be treated equally. All decisions must be anchored on the principles of equity and justice. The governor noted that constitution review was an important assignment which must be undertaken with all seriousness. Mr Akeredolu also stated that revenue generation and allocation must reflect the extent to which a state participates in the economy. Ministries, departments and agencies must be pruned to reflect the socio-economic realities of the moment. The government at the centre must divest itself of this self-inflicted heavy burden, for effective and impactful performance, he noted. He later called for state police, resource control, judicial reforms, especially with zones having their court of appeals. Mr Akeredolu concluded by a return to the 1963 Republican Constitution, saying, We will have resolved many fundamental issues of nationhood with the adoption. Earlier, the Chairman of the South-west Zonal Public Hearing, Akure Centre, Peter Akpatason, said the event was important to have input from the people. Mr Akpatason, who is a deputy leader in the house, said the constitution was made for the people and could not be done without adequate input from the society. Also, Olubaka of Oka Akoko, Yesufu Adeleye, called for special designated roles for traditional institutions in the countrys constitution. The traditional ruler noted that the problem and challenges facing the country originated from the 1999 constitution. ADVERTISEMENT Fayemi also demanded scrapping of senate In 2019, the Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, advocated the scrapping of the Senate in order to save cost and reduce financial burden on the government. Mr Fayemi spoke at one of the panel sessions on the sidelines of the 25th edition of the Nigerian Economic Summit with the theme, Nigeria 2050: Shifting gears, as reported by the Punch. Mr Fayemi said the type of legislative system that would be more productive for Nigeria in this current economic situation is a unicameral legislature. We do need to look at the size of government in Nigeria and I am an advocate of a unicameral legislature. What we really need is the House of Representatives, because that is what it represents, the governor said. You have three senators from little Ekiti and you have three senators from Lagos State. Its a no-brainer that its unequal, I guess the principle is not proportionality but that if you are a state, you get it automatically. In 2016, the Senate rejected a nominee for the Governing Board of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Aliyu Saida Abubakar, for calling for the scrapping of the upper legislative chamber. During the screening by the Senate Committee on Communications on October 18, 2016, its members confronted Mr Abubakar with evidence that he led a protest against the National Assembly. The nominee reportedly admitted doing so and maintained his position. Abubakars response to the questions and issues raised by the committee unveils him as a candidate who is not prepared for the demands of office, Gilbert Nnaji, the then chairman of the committee, said. In 2019, the senator representing Imo West Senatorial District, Rochas Okorocha, lamented the cost of running the Senate and called for the reduction in the number of senators from each state from three to one in order to save cost. (NAN) ADVERTISEMENT The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has said the 1999 constitution falls short of the standard expected of a constitution. Mr Gbajabiamila described the document as a hurried compromise. He stated this at the Lagos centre of the special committee on constitution review zonal public hearing. The committee, chaired by Deputy Speaker Ahmed Wase, is conducting public hearing across all the geopolitical zones. The South-west zone has two centres; Lagos and Akure centres. The Lagos centre comprises Lagos, Oyo and Ogun States while Akure centre is hosting Ondo, Ekiti and Osun States. A nations constitution is the foundation of its existence. It is supposed to set the terms of our nationhood and define who we are in a manner that reflects both our common truths and highest aspirations. Our constitution falls short of this standard because the 1999 Constitution is the product of a hurried national compromise that we entered into two decades ago in other to ensure that the military returned to the barracks and that we returned to democratic government. Mr Gbajabiamila noted that not all constitutions are perfect, citing the Constitution of the United States as an example. He explained that the imperfection of the Nigerian constitution informed the ongoing amendment process. The foundational constitution of the United States of America deemed people of colour to be less than and denied women the right to vote. It did not include any limits on the Presidents term of office and allowed for citizens to be denied the right to vote for failure to pay the poll tax, he said. ALSO READ: Ekiti begins review of 1999 Constitution Twenty-seven reviews and amendments, over one hundred years cured these and other defects. He added, The task before us now is to use this process of review and amendment to devise for ourselves a constitution that resolves the issues of identity and political structure, of human rights and the administration of government, resource control, national security and so much else, that have fractured our nation and hindered our progress and prosperity. The speaker also preached against artificial red lines that restrict honest conversation. Calls for new constitution Mr Gbajabiamilas statement is coming in the wake of growing calls for the adoption of a new constitution. Legal veteran, Afe Babalola, recently called on the National Assembly to adopt the 1963 constitution, as he described any attempt to amend the current 1999 constitution as a waste of time. The pan-Yoruba socio-cultural association, Afenifere, has also called for the adoption of a new constitution before the 2023 general elections. ADVERTISEMENT He was one of the shining stars in his part of the country. He was detribalised. His murder on the streets of Imo State is most unfortunate because that was a man who felt at home in any part of the country. Nigeria has lost a gem, and as always, it is the country that has been shot in the foot. His death should not end up as another item in Nigerias long list of unresolved political assassinations. The cold-blooded murder of Honourable Ahmed Gulak, former Speaker of the Adamawa House of Assembly, former Special Adviser on Political Affairs to President Goodluck Jonathan, former national co-ordinator of the Goodluck Support Group (GSG) and former governorship aspirant under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is yet another tragic indication of the crisis of insecurity that Nigeria faces. It is disturbing and frightening because this was a Northern politician who had gone to the South-East, only to be brutally cut down by unknown gunmen on his way to the airport after concluding his visit to Imo State. This was a clear case of assassination. There were two other persons with him, according to reports. The assassins, true to type, identified their quarry, murdered him and didnt bother about the witnesses. It is all the more curious because Gulak has a recent history of association with Imo State. He was the leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) team that organised the controversial party primary election in Imo State, ahead of the 2019 gubernatorial elections. Gulak, it was said, was under pressure to sign the papers declaring an associate and relation of the then Governor Rochas Okorocha, as the winner of the primary. Gulak refused and sneaked out of town under the cover of night. He alleged that he was offered a $2 million bribe and a private jet. Whatever may be the circumstances that took him to Imo State this time around, he obviously also wanted to sneak out of town without drawing attention to himself. If he had known that he was a person of interest in that part of the country, he probably would have stayed away. Or did anyone trail him to Imo State, monitor his movements and strike at a convenient spot and time? Did his assassins choose the place of attack deliberately to hide their trail, and divert attention? In most cases of this nature, the Nigeria Police are often so lazy, and so unimaginative. They easily jump to conclusions, latching on to the most convenient lead. This explains why the initial reaction from the Imo State Police Command was that Gulak made himself a target by not asking for security escort. For us to feel safe and have a good country, it must be possible for anyone at all to move around freely in Nigeria without having to seek police escort. Section 14(2) of the 1999 Constitution states clearly that the security and welfare of the people is the primary purpose of government. Section 41 of the same Constitution guarantees the freedom of movement. Section 34 talks about the right to the dignity of the human person. These are three major areas in which the Nigerian government has failed the people over the years. Why should citizens seek police protection in order to travel from their homes or hotel rooms to the airport? If we all do so, there will no policeman left on routine duty. The sad part of it is that we live in a country where no one is safe anymore, not even school children, students and their teachers, wives, husbands, and the ordinary man. The state is in recess. It is absent. Its institutions are too fragile to help the people. The people are like orphans in their own country. Gulaks death should be a warning sign of how dangerously Nigeria sits on the brink of the precipice and the edge of a knife. This is why the security agents handling the investigations must learn to think before opening their mouths. In less than 24 hours after the killing, the Police not only blamed Gulak for killing himself (because he did not ask for police security! Imagine!), they also immediately concluded that bandits were behind the killing. In 24 hours, they opened a case file and closed it. This kind of beer-parlour-policing is unacceptable. I expect the Police headquarters in Abuja to take charge directly from the office of the Inspector General of Police. We have been told that the Police have since apprehended Gulaks killers. So fast? Are the suspects in custody really the killers? Or is this a case of lazy policing? Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, Ondo State governor, Chair of the Southern Governors Forum and APC chieftain, is right to have described the killing of Ahmed Gulak as one murder too many and an attempt to instigate Nigerians against each other, particularly Northerners against the Igbo living outside the South East. The murder of Hon. Ahmed Gulak is bound to widen the distrust between the South and the North. The optics are bad. The signs are ominous. Gulak did not go to Imo State to graze cattle, and even if he did, he did not deserve to be murdered. It should not be surprising, therefore, that his murder is being located in the growing North-South politics of difference, and the rights of every Nigerian under the Constitution. Hence, much effort has been made to ethnicise his murder, or lend it an ethnic colouration. That is the dangerous part of it, and it is the reason the Nigerian government must not treat this as just another murder. The First World War was ignited by the killing of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, on June 28, 1914, in Sarajevo by Serbian terrorists, the Black Hand. He was the presumptive heir to the Austria-Hungarian throne. The Great War started a month after his death, and went on for four years. And over 20 million people died. It takes only one incident to ignite others and turn embers into a huge conflagration. Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, Ondo State governor, Chair of the Southern Governors Forum and APC chieftain, is right to have described the killing of Ahmed Gulak as one murder too many and an attempt to instigate Nigerians against each other, particularly Northerners against the Igbo living outside the South East. Toeing the same line, human rights activist, author, and politician, Comrade Shehu Sani, a member of the eighth National Assembly, who represented Kaduna Central, has also appealed to youths in Northern Nigeria not to seek vengeance for the murder of Ahmed Gulak in the South-East. Nigerias civil war, 1967 -1970, was ignited by ethnic sentiments and reprisal killings. No country survives two civil wars. We all have to be careful. There is an evil wind blowing across the country. On Sunday, the Coalition of Northern Groups issued a statement to say that the murder of Ahmed Gulak is an indication that the North can no longer continue to co-exist with people of Igbo extraction inside Nigeria. The group accused South-East leaders of funding the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the Eastern Security Network (ESN) to cause havoc and replicate the ugly events of 1966. The Northern Youths Council of Nigeria (NYCN) also called on the governor of Imo State to produce Gulaks killers within two weeks or risk being declared persona non grata in the North. This same NYCN has since toned down its rhetoric and praised the Police. The volte-face is suspicious but helpful. It is good news also that the IPOB and ESN, the militant, political and security units defending Igbo and secessionist Biafra interests have declared that they have no hand in the Gulak assassination, and that in no way was he a person of concern to them. What no one can deny, however, is that the South-East has become a war zone. Whereas it is possible to talk about insurgents, terrorists, and kidnappers in Northern Nigeria, occupying the Sambisa Forest or what they now call, the Timbuktu Triangle, the South-East of Nigeria is now the operation field of a strange phenomenon called unknown gunmen. Nigeria must be the only country in the world where ghosts and unidentifiable objects cause so much havoc and the state is so terribly helpless. From Ebonyi to Anambra, Abia, Enugu, Imo and every part of the South-East, human beings are being killed, kidnapped, murdered, and assaulted, while offices and facilities belonging to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the police, the immigration service, the judiciary are being set ablaze and all we hear is that unknown gunmen are behind it all. Is there anything that is known to the Nigerian government at all? the Ahmed Gulak I remember is a political man of action. He was articulate, knowledgeable and experienced. Having served as Speaker of the House of Assembly in Adamawa, and entrenched as he was in party politics, he carried himself with the aplomb of a man who had been here and there. He was friendly and approachable. In the last three days, there have been other assassinations: The Chief Provost of Nigerian Immigration Service, Imo State Command, Okiemute Mrere was murdered on Saturday night on Owerri-Port Harcourt Road. In Niger State, bandits are on rampage. They have set a police station ablaze and kidnapped persons, including 200 school children. In Ibadan, Oyo State, a popular businessman, Maduabuchi Owuamanam was also assassinated on Saturday, May 29, along Mokola-Sango Road. In Abuja, yesterday, Omoyele Sowore, leader of the #RevolutionNow movement had a life-threatening encounter with assassins in state uniform. In his own case, he lives to tell the story, asking his followers to carry on with the revolution, even if he gets killed. Dead men dont tell stories. The truth is this: Nobody is safe in this country anymore, and whereas this may sound repetitive, note this: Not even the foetuses in blessed wombs waiting to join the Nigerian nightmare are safe. The country is that bad. I knew Ahmed Gulak. We worked together in the Jonathan administration. He advised the President on Political Matters, and was later the co-ordinator of the Goodluck Support Group. In the latter capacity, he stepped on some powerful and sensitive toes as he went around the country in the lead up to the 2015 elections, and that was what led to his exit. I announced his appointment and his exit. But the Ahmed Gulak I remember is a political man of action. He was articulate, knowledgeable and experienced. Having served as Speaker of the House of Assembly in Adamawa, and entrenched as he was in party politics, he carried himself with the aplomb of a man who had been here and there. He was friendly and approachable. In a sense, he was one of us, the boys in the Jonathan inner circle; that is the the main body. There were persons who were not permanently with the Principal but who wielded much influence because they had access. He was one of them. President Jonathan liked him a lot. The story of his exit will not be told here, except to say that one governor at the time felt Ahmed Gulak had the temerity to visit his State without his permission and held meetings without his approval, and that was it. The governor raised hell. Those were the days. I am under no obligation to say more. With his death, we have lost a man who enjoyed the art of politics and sought to excel in it. He was confident, assertive and always well turned out. He was one of the shining stars in his part of the country. He was detribalised. His murder on the streets of Imo State is most unfortunate because that was a man who felt at home in any part of the country. Nigeria has lost a gem, and as always, it is the country that has been shot in the foot. His death should not end up as another item in Nigerias long list of unresolved political assassinations. II: Dapo Abiodun and Honour For Olusegun Osoba Immediately after The Morning Show on Arise TV, on May 25, I hit the expressway. I was curious. I also wanted to honour Chief Olusegun Osoba, after whom the new edifice is named. Chief Osoba may have been a two-time governorhe may be known today as a co-founder and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), but his main bona fide is in journalism I was in Abeokuta on Tuesday, May 25, to attend the commissioning of a Press Centre at the Government Secretariat, Oke Mosan in honour of Chief Olusegun Osoba, two-time governor of Ogun State (1992-1993) and (1999-2003). It is curious that the Ogun State Government, since 1976 when the state was created had no press centre for journalists reporting on the activities of the state government. The main infrastructure, before now, where press meetings could be comfortably held was the Nigeria Union of Journalists Press Centre at Oke-Ilewo, opposite the old secretariat. This NUJ centre is a multi-purpose arena. It is one of the most popular Amala and Suya joints in Abeokuta! When Governor Dapo Abiodun assumed office in 2019, he promised to build a modern-day, state of the art media centre for journalists in Ogun State, to facilitate their work and promote the freedom of information. He has kept his promise. I was one of the guests. Immediately after The Morning Show on Arise TV, on May 25, I hit the expressway. I was curious. I also wanted to honour Chief Olusegun Osoba, after whom the new edifice is named. Chief Osoba may have been a two-time governor (Social Democratic Party and Alliance for Democracy), he may be known today as a co-founder and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), but his main bona fide is in journalism the profession where he proved his mettle, and rose to become a living legend of the art and craft of newspaper reporting. At 82, Chief Osoba identifies himself first and foremost as a newspaper reporter. He was the man who as a Daily Times correspondent discovered the bullet-ridden body of Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa in January 1966. He also reported the civil war. He was the only reporter of his time who had a telephone at home. He also had a Vespa scooter. He broke stories, gained many scoops and took the paths where angels of the trade feared to tread. Reporter, sub-editor, deputy editor, editor, General Manager, Managing Director from Daily Times to The Herald, to The Sketch newspaper and back to the Daily Times in 1984, Osobas story is well told in his autobiography, Battlelines: Adventures in Journalism and Politics which, in my view, is a must read. Osoba, first Nieman Fellow in Journalism from Nigeria, is highly revered, deservedly. I was asked to say a few words at the event, and I made it clear that I am impressed. Ethnic one-upmanship is the biggest problem in Ogun State. By playing neutral and liberal politics, Prince Abiodun has been able to stay above the fray. Governor Dapo Abiodun has built a befitting media work station to honour him. Even if they were not in the same political party, there is no other person more deserving of the honour. In the past week, as Prince Dapo Abiodun marks his second anniversary in office, he has been showcasing his achievements in various sectors of the state economy and how well he has fulfilled his campaign promises and delivered on them. I was asked to say a few words at the event, and I made it clear that I am impressed. Ethnic one-upmanship is the biggest problem in Ogun State. By playing neutral and liberal politics, Prince Abiodun has been able to stay above the fray. The high moment of the event was when Chief Olusegun Osoba disclosed that the last time he got a good reception at the Ogun State secretariat was his last day in office in 2003. For eight years, his immediate successor declared him a persona non grata. For another eight years, another successor fought him. And yet, 18 years later, he returned to see a Press Centre being commissioned in his honour. He said he wore an aso etu, a special Yoruba garment, to show how important the event was for him. Many lessons to be learnt from Osoba and Dapo Abioduns examples. Thank you, Governor Abiodun. Congratulations, Chief Osoba. Reuben Abati, a former presidential spokesperson, writes from Lagos. ADVERTISEMENT Time is running out to make Nigeria work as a unified entity. The truth is that Nigeria has learnt no lesson from its Civil War. The forces of self-determination are too strong to be tamed. They have grown bigger through many years defined by frustration. Nigeria will not work until there is justice and every region is allowed to eat what they kill and decide how to develop at their own pace. Was Nigeria in its geographic sense created to last or was it a convenient contraption for extractive purposes? Since the birth of this republic, ethnic discontent and violence have been one of its characteristic markers. Before and after the Civil War, there was never a national consolidation based on the principle of federalism within the structure of a liberal, democratic and secular state. The unfortunate military interregnum exaggerated the fissures. Nigerian nationalism never fully developed. For over 60 years, no one leader has been able to channel the public to its raison detre. This republic with its vast multiculture was never sufficiently inclusive. It never cared to fulfill the aspirations of several ethnic groups constituting it. Tensions and violence became endemic, because the state was insensitive to the depth of ethnonational identities and the emotions surrounding it, on the basis of injustice and hegemonic arrogance. We all know that justice and peace have positive correlation, and both move in tandem. When there is no justice, there is no peace. In the Republic, Plato asserted that: Our aim in founding the State was not the disproportionate happiness of any one class (or ethnic group), but the greatest happiness of the whole; we thought that in a state, which is ordered with a view to the good of the whole be most likely to find justice and the ill-ordered state, injustice. Through actions and deliberate inactions, President Buhari has polarised the country further, and deepened the chasm of distrust among the ethnic nationalities. In various ways, from the RUGA policy to lopsided appointments and many other norm-shattering behaviours, he has stirred ethnonationalist and group identity feelings in people. The rise of ethnonationalism in Nigeria is not a fluke. It is not driven by the elite. It is a bottom-up thing, fed by the disempowered. It is real and furious in fervor. The emergence of Sunday Igboho and the growing strength of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) are indicators of budding political movements He has made many question their Nigerianess in the face of anarchy, insecurity and insensitivity. Who is a Nigerian? A Nigerian cannot just be someone who is a citizen of Nigeria. That is as shallow, as it is it is unstable. There has to be a deeper meaning and character to citizenship. There has to be at least an ideal to citizenship. One cannot claim citizenship and still feel like an alien. Nigeria was not created by the consent of the governed. It is a post-colonial state. No post-colonial state in Africa can evolve and develop, if the elite refuses to take a modernist view of nation and nationalism, without addressing the weighty influence of ethnic identities and primordial loyalties. In every facet of national life, Nigeria has never taken the long view of anything. Instead, it has been a classic example of state capture, as described by the World Bank; a type of systemic political corruption in which private interests significantly influence a states decision-making processes to their own advantage. The rise of ethnonationalism in Nigeria is not a fluke. It is not driven by the elite. It is a bottom-up thing, fed by the disempowered. It is real and furious in fervor. The emergence of Sunday Igboho and the growing strength of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) are indicators of budding political movements based around a more exclusive form of ethnonational identity that may be violent. Throughout modern history, ethnonationalism has been present within every society. It deepens and galvanises people when they feel threatened, marginalised or unjustly deprived. Whoever thinks this is all smoke should remember that several strong political movements have been birthed by ethnonationalist discontent, as seen in the Tea Party movement, which was a precursor to the election of Donald Trump; the alienation that contributed to the Brexit vote in the United Kingdom; the rise of naked populists in Brazil, Hungary and Poland. In the long run, it is defeatist to respond to the aspirations of marginalised groups by relying on force, leading to greater alienation of these groups. Yet again, Buhari has proven that the politics of ethnicity is his mission. Leadership is everything in governance When a President invokes primordial, religious and ethnic identities to subvert the democratic principles of equal and fair representation, he promotes ethnic nationalism and identity politics in the political domain. Walker Connors brought clarity to ethnonationalism by describing it as loyalty to a nation deprived of its own state and the loyalty to an ethnic group embodied in a specific state, particularly where the latter is conceived as a nation state. Of course, the inherent dual allegiance will generate considerable tension by design. For a nation to emerge, its leaders must seek to blunt duality. Ethnonationalism is powerful because of the sense of identity it creates and the close linkages it forges. Yet again, Buhari has proven that the politics of ethnicity is his mission. Leadership is everything in governance. A people cannot be different from their leader. When a President invokes primordial, religious and ethnic identities to subvert the democratic principles of equal and fair representation, he promotes ethnic nationalism and identity politics in the political domain. Time is running out to make Nigeria work as a unified entity. The truth is that Nigeria has learnt no lesson from its Civil War. The forces of self-determination are too strong to be tamed. They have grown bigger through many years defined by frustration. Nigeria will not work until there is justice and every region is allowed to eat what they kill and decide how to develop at their own pace. The options of unity are thinning. Nigeria can restructure transparently or become a loose confederacy but these two options are fading everyday. As time wear on and insensitivity to others heighten, a violent breakup becomes the only option available. To avoid this disarticulation, Nigeria needs leadership. Both the leaders and the led must believe that politics is a variable sum game, there must be a reckoning and acceptance that respect for rights of one people does not supercede the rights of others, that national interests transcend individual, religious, provincial and regional interests, and political parties must represent national interests, not just partisan interests. Can Nigeria survive the next 24 months of Buhari at this rate? Bamidele Ademola-Olateju a farmer, youth advocate and political analyst writes this weekly column, Bamidele Upfront for PREMIUM TIMES. Follow me on Twitter @olufunmilayo ADVERTISEMENT Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State has sacked the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Bala Bello, and all 23 commissioners with immediate effect. This is contained in a statement signed by the governors spokesperson, Zailani Bappa. The governor also approved the sack of his Chief of Staff, Bala Mande, and the Deputy Chief of Staff, Bashir Maru. Mr Matawalle also approved the removal of all chairpersons and members of the state commissions and boards of various agencies. He ordered the sacked commissioners to hand over affairs of their ministries to their respective permanent secretaries, except that of the Ministry of Security and Home Affairs which will be overseen by Mohammed Tsafe. The chairpersons of the dissolved boards, he said, are to hand over to the most senior directors. The Head of Service will oversee the Office of the Secretary to the State Government, the statement said. (NAN) ADVERTISEMENT The police in Zamfara State on Tuesday paraded 15 protesters accused of criminal conspiracy, inciting public disturbance and riot in Kaura Namoda The protesters allegedly blocked highways in Kuryar-Masari and Maguru communities on Monday in protest against insecurity in their areas. The police commissioner in the state, Hussaini Rabiu, at a press conference in Gusau, said the suspects were arrested in respect of the unfortunate incident that occurred yesterday, being Monday 31/05/2021 along Gusau Kaura Namoda road. Some unscrupulous elements who are not wishing well for Zamfara State and its peace-loving people armed themselves with different sophisticated weapons and blocked Gusau Karan Namoda road where they embarked on unwarranted attacks, destructions of properties and threatening lives of innocent commuters, Mr Rabiu said. This organised crime was perfected by some conflict entrepreneurs, using other unpatriotic citizen from Kurya Madaro and Maguru Districts in Kauran Namoda LGA in order to undermine the tireless efforts of the security agencies and State Government in tackling the activities of recalcitrant bandits and other criminal elements who have been making lives unbearable. Despite the presence of security operatives coupled with their efforts to persuade the rioters to disperse back to their respective homes peacefully without using force, the rioters turned down the security operatives and even attempted to attack them. Our security operatives, being professionally trained to handle this kind of situation, eventually dispersed them and restored normalcy without losing any life from both sides. Consequently, 15 suspects who took part in the riot were arrested at the scene in possession of the following exhibits; four locally fabricated guns, One Cutlass; one catapult; Three plugs used for the locally fabricated guns. Others are rolls of charms and Six operational Motorcycles, the police said. It is unfortunate that entrepreneurs are always sabotaging peace efforts by sponsoring youths to become violent and unproductive in society. The youth who should have been in school pursuing their educational career in order to become good Future Leaders are being used to perpetrate violent activities in the state, the police chief said. Let me use this medium to warn such unpatriotic elements that henceforth, the Police under my watch will not take it lightly with any person or group who tries to disrupt our peace implementation initiative in Zamfara State. I also wish to call on parents and guardians to take proper control of their children against any attempt by these conflict entrepreneurs to involve them into an act of criminality. Presently, the Command is conducting a discreet investigation, using the suspects we arrested and other intelligence gathering assets at our disposal to unravel the circumstances behind yesterdays unrest. This will enable us to fish out the organizers of the riot and their collaborators so as to charge them to court for prosecution to serve as deterrence to others. My oldest child dug on the limonyada a lime version, and if you like things really sour try the diablito, which is made with tamarind ice. Talk about puckery! I couldnt sell my youngest on any of it she got a chocolate milkshake and was not disappointed but if you ask me, shes missing out. Speaker of Cross River House of Assembly, Eteng Jonah-Williams, has said that Governor Ben Ayade was not respected and honoured by the hierarchy of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before his defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Mr Jonah-Williams, who spoke in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Calabar, said that Mr Ayades defection from the PDP to the APC was timely. The speaker, who represents Yakurr II State Constituency in the Assembly, told NAN that out of the 25 House of Assembly members in the state, APC has 18, while the PDP has seven. Before the governor took the decision, he consulted widely and the majority of the people told him that he needed to move to the APC. While in PDP, the governor was not respected and given the honour he deserved by the hierarchy of the PDP as the leader of the party in the state. So, there was a need for him to move. The governor has also stated clearly that he needed to align the state with the happenings in the centre for the interest of the state. Cross River is known for always playing politics with the centre. Since 1999, former governors Donald Duke and Liyel Imoke all played politics from the centre. Ayade is the only governor from the state who has played opposition for six years now and he feels it is time to align with the centre for the benefit of the state, he said. He recalled that during the last ward and chapter congresses of PDP in the state, the PDP national had to recognise a list of executive members who did not even contest for the positions at the ward and chapter level. He said such marginalisation of key persons in the state by the PDP also informed their decision to defect, along with the governor, to the APC. As speaker of Cross River House of Assembly, the ward list from my political ward that I have been winning elections with was neglected and a new list was constituted with members that I do not even know and nobody consulted me, he said. According to the speaker, the remaining two years of Mr Ayades administration will attract the needed development from the centre to the state. He gave assurance that APC will win all the elective positions in the state in the 2023 general elections in view of the governors defection to the ruling party. The Superhighway and the Deep Seaport will now be given utmost attention by the federal government and other things will also fall in place as well. Governor Ayade has spent six years in office, I will advise him to consolidate on the gains of his industrial revolution in the state by completing the projects and privatising them for the future. The House of Assembly wants the industries that were initiated by Governor Ayade to live beyond this administration. On road infrastructure, I want to specially commend the governor on the construction of the Mfom-Obanliku dual carriageway and the ongoing East-West road in Boki Local Government Area, he said. (NAN) ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State has reiterated his administrations commitment and support to egalitarian Nigeria anchored on justice, fairness, equity and inclusiveness. Mr Ugwuanyi stated this on Tuesday during a two-day zonal public hearing by the House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review holding in Enugu. Declaring the event open, Mr Ugwuanyi said those qualities were functional directive principles of the state policy. According to him, unequivocal and unwavering commitment to an egalitarian Nigeria where justice, fairness, equity and inclusiveness shall prevail is the position of the state.. The governor had last week during the public hearing of the Senate Committee on Constitution Review, declared the state governments support for amendments in the constitution of Nigeria that would enhance the nations unity and prosperity. He urged all relevant institutions, civil society organisations, opinion leaders and Enugu residents to stand up and be counted in this important national discussion. Earlier in his address, the leader of the team, Toby Okechukwu, said the zonal public hearing was in the quest for a constitution that advanced for more perfect union, good governance and prosperity. The lawmaker said the committee was in the South-east for a serious business of ensuring that views and aspirations of the people of the geo-political zone were captured and reflected in the constitution review. We believe that the ongoing exercise, if well-harnessed, presents the Nigerian government and people with ample opportunity to find answers to the myriads of pressing challenges facing our nation today. On our part, we assure you that your views will count and whatever views and memos you submit here today and tomorrow will form part of the working documents for the constitution review by the ninth assembly, he said. The House of Representatives public hearing on 1999 constitution review is going on simultaneously across the six geopolitical zones in the country. The Enugu centre comprises Anambra, Enugu and Ebonyi. The exercise would last for two days. (NAN) The non-formal sector enrollment into the Anambra Health Insurance Scheme has reached 65, 000, representing 43 per cent of total enrollment since coming into effect in 2017. Simeon Onyemaechi, the executive secretary, Anambra State Health Insurance Agency (ASHIA), disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka on Tuesday. Mr Onyemaechi, a medical doctor, said this had made the states health insurance the most patronised by informal sector health insurance payers across the country. He said the feat was achieved because of the conscious effort of the Willie Obiano administration to ensure that every resident of Anambra has access to quality and affordable healthcare. The executive secretary said a good number of the private insurance enrollees were in rural communities, adding that the agency was rolling out mobile health insurance technology to deepen access to community dwellers. According to him, ASHIA is a leading health insurance scheme in Nigeria with about 11 states coming to under-study its model, including providing remote support for others. He said the informal sector of the agency was the highest paying for health insurance anywhere in Nigeria. Presently, we have about 65, 000 enrollment in the informal sector and that represents about 43 per cent of total enrollment and that is unprecedented in the country. A large chunk of these people are in rural areas, we have concluded our mobile health insurance system which the governor will inaugurate soon. This is targeted at the rural area to increase enrollment in those areas. With that, they dont need to go to the city for registration, they will be in their homes and get registered with the aid of a mobile phone, he said. Mr Onyemaechi said ASHIA was using about 250 healthcare providers across the state and that they were being closely monitored and sanctioned where appropriate. He said the healthcare providers had been briefed on their expected behaviour and enrollees who felt bad about quality of services should contact the agencys customer service desk with the contact on their identity cards. It is not true that patients are denied access to consultants; a patient with minor ailment is supposed to go to a doctor at the primary healthcare level. If there is need for a referral, the patient would be referred appropriately but it is wrong for somebody with simple malaria to demand to go straight to a consultant. We must correct that and that is what health insurance is designed to address; this will reduce the burden on tertiary facilities. We monitor our healthcare providers, we have an effective quality control department, when there are issues about service, the enrollee should call us with the number provided at the back of their cards, he said. ASHIA was set up in 2017 with a vision to increase social health insurance as a proportion of total health expenditure in Anambra from less than one per cent at inception to at least 90 per cent by 2030. ADVERTISEMENT (NAN) The police in Abia State have warned residents of the state against raising false alarms about imminent attacks by bandits. The police spokesperson in the state, Geoffrey Ogbonna, issued the warning in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Umuahia on Tuesday. People should stop raising false alarms so that if anything happens we will know, Mr Ogbonna, a superintendent of police, said. He said the trend, if allowed to continue, would continue to heighten fear and panic in the state. Mr Ogbonna was reacting to the rumour that went virile in Umuahia Monday night that killer herdsmen had invaded the capital city and its adjoining villages and were ready to attack the people. The rumour sparked fear among residents, with many making midnight telephone calls and short messages to friends and relatives, urging them to be alert and vigilant. Community leaders had mobilised the youths who kept vigil, using the local gong to alert residents that danger loomed. ALSO READ: Two officers killed in another attack on police facility in Abia The alarm spread among the Umuahia Ibeku communities, including Ohokobe, Ohobo-Afara, Ugwunchara, Okwuta, Amuzukwu, Okwulagha-Afara, Isiama-Afaraukwu and Ohokobe-Ndume. Residents of Agbama Housing Estate, Amakanma, Old Umuahia, Olokoro and Umuda Isingwu were also alerted to mobilise to ward off any attack. Not true The police spokesperson said he was yet to get any formal report on the alleged invasion. He said: I also received several calls that communities in Ubakala, Ameke, Iseke, Amuzukwu, Amakanma, Umudike and others had been invaded. Even in the area where I live, the community mobilised in the night and kept vigil until this morning. Mr Ogbonna said that in spite of the panic and fear generated by the alarm, no community has come to report any attack. I expect people to go to police stations in their areas to report. Where the station was burnt, like Ubakala, they should feel free to report to the Central Police Station. For now, we do not have any report about any attack in any communities, he said. Calm returns Meanwhile, socio-economic activities have returned fully in Umuahia metropolis and its environs, after Mondays sit-at-home order by the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra. NAN reported that government offices, banks, markets, roadside shops, malls, plazas, petrol stations, and mechanic workshops were opened for business. Private and commercial vehicles, including commuter-buses and tricycles, have also resumed operation, following the return of normalcy in the town. ADVERTISEMENT (NAN) ADVERTISEMENT The Police in Oyo State have arrested four suspects allegedly hired to disrupt the recently concluded All Progressives Congress (APC) primary elections in Lagos State. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports other suspects arrested included two men who allegedly kidnapped their niece and demanded N200, 000 ransom from her father. The Commissioner of Police in Oyo state, Ngozi Onadeko, disclosed this on Monday while parading the suspects at the Commands Headquarters, Eleyele, Ibadan. Mrs Onadeko said the four suspects were arrested on Lagos-Ibadan expressway during a stop and search operation by men of the command in Oyo state. She said the plan of the four suspects was to go to Lagos and cause mayhem at the just concluded APC primaries. The CP said that the suspects were intercepted by the police with arms and ammunitions as well as local charms. In an interview with the gang leader, he said he was hired by some political leaders to arrange some hoodlums who would cause crises during the APC primary election in Lagos. The gang leader said he regretted his actions as the people who hired him had deserted him and pleaded for leniency, she said. Others paraded were two suspects arrested for kidnapping their niece and who demanded for N200, 000 ransom but later received N90, 000 before they were arrested. The duo denied raping the 12 year old girl as it was alleged by the police and begged for mercy as they promised to turn a new leaf if released. NAN reports that exhibits found in the possession of the suspects included several bullets, locally made guns, cash, and charms. (NAN) The Skapomah Global Limited (SGL) Farms has accused the Ogun State Police of brutality, which led to the death of one of its staff, Shola Adeleke. Mr Adeleke died while in police custody. The Managing Director of the farm, Adegoke Oluwaseun, said this while addressing journalists at the Crime Reporters Association of Nigerias (CRAN) office, Oduduwa, Ikeja in Lagos State. Mr Oluwaseun said the deceased, who was one of the security men who worked in the farm, died on May 28, while in the custody of the State Homicide Department, Eleweran, Abeokuta, Ogun. He said Mr Adeleke and four others- Olaitan Oluwaseun, Jimoh Ibrahim, Wasiu Adeshina, and Hakeem Elegbede were initially detained at Ayetoro Police Station, Yewa North before the case was transferred to Eleweran. On Saturday, I received a call from the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Ayetoro that a corpse had been found in the area where we have our farm in Ipaya village, Yewa North. The DPO said that the corpse was not found on our farm, however, he will need to question some of my staffs to help enhance police investigation. I told my staff to report to the station and support investigation in anyway but little did I know that this will be the worst decision I will ever make, Mr Oluwaseun said. The director said that on arrival at Ayetoro Police Station, his staff; mainly the security team of the farm, was detained and guided by the Inspection Police Officer (IPO) on what to write in their statement. According to him, when the Ayetoro Police Station sensed that they had no case against his security men, they decided to transfer the case to Eleweran for further investigation. It was then I received the news that Adeleke had died in police custody in circumstances the police could not explain, Mr Oluwaseun said. He said the police allegation that a corpse was found around his farm area was a plot to stop him from farming, in other to promote cattle grazing. The director said the location of his farm was greeny and attracted cattle grazing, which he fingered as the underlying factor that started the whole charade. We have demanded from the police to produce the so-called corpse but till date, nothing has been produced. They claim that the dead has been buried. How do you bury evidence in a murder case and claim to be investigating? he said. Mr Oluwaseun said that he had lost crops worth over N50 million to cow destruction and grazing and believes that the whole setup is to blackmail and force him out of business. Ever since I established the 5,000 acres farm in the community, the cattle herders have always confronted us and at various times, promised to attack us for daring such a massive investment. They believe that the massive farm makes it impossible for their cows to graze, he said. ADVERTISEMENT Mr Oluwaseun demanded that the police should give an account of how Mr Adeleke died and also produce the so-called corpse planted around his farm to ascertain that it was not a conspiracy. The Police Public Relations Officer, Ogun Command, Abimbola Oyeyemi said that Mr Adeleke was actually directly identified by an eye-witness in the murder case of the deceased. Mr Oyeyemi said that one of the cattle herders was accosted by members of the security team and taken away on a motorcycle to be later found dead around the farm area. It is a case of murder and investigation is ongoing. Adeleke fell sick while in custody and was taken to the hospital but unfortunately died, he said. The spokesperson said that out of the five farm security personnel that was arrested, three were released because they were not on duty the day the murder was committed. Mr Oyeyemi said that the remaining person still in detention had confessed and named five other people who committed the crime with them. (NAN) Sterling Heights, MI (48312) Today Variable clouds with showers and scattered thunderstorms. Storms more numerous this evening. Low near 65F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Variable clouds with showers and scattered thunderstorms. Storms more numerous this evening. Low near 65F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%. Sts. Peter & Paul Romanian Orthodox Church will again host its annual Romanian American Heritage Festival from 2 to 10 p.m. June 5. Admission is free. - Advertisement - A local tradition for families since 2007, the event was canceled last year due to the COVID-19 restrictions. Although not the usual full-sized festival due to limited capacity and distancing requirements, guests this year can still enjoy delicious, made-from-scratch traditional Romanian food "carry-out" or eat, drink and socialize outside in the spacious tent! Romanian favorites such as sarmale (stuffed cabbage rolls), mititei (grilled ground pork), mamaliga cu branza (cornmeal & cheese souffle), ciorba de burta (tripe soup), tocana de ciuperci (vegetarian mushroom stew), placinte (plain or cheese filled doughnuts) and more will be on the menu. Enjoy porc la rotisor (roast pork) fresh from a whole roasted pig! An assortment of Romanian wines, considered some of the best in Europe, will be available for the adults, as well as Timisoreana beer, imported from one of Romania's oldest breweries. Guests can also quench their thirst with soft drinks or imported Romanian mineral water. For dessert, a vast selection of delectable pastries, tortes and other treats will be featured at the bake sale. Throughout the day there will be a bounce house and activities for children, as well as a souvenirs table offering Romania themed clothing and gifts in addition to authentic Romanian art, religious books, icons and more. Sign up for our daily morning newsletter Click here and then look to the right side for the sign up to the morning newsletter for The News Herald, and you can get the top headlines de The church is located at 750 N. Beech Daly Road, between Ford and Cherry Hill Roads. Parking is available in the church parking lot. According to current government regulations, non-vaccinated persons are asked to please wear a mask. For more information visit www.spproc.org/festival, email info@spproc.org, or call 313-274-9650. License plate taken from car The owner of a 2011 Ford Fusion noticed the license plate missing at about 11:30 a.m. May 24 and notified police. Purse stolen from unlocked vehicle A purse was reported stolen May 24 from an unlocked 2019 Jeep Renegade parked in the 26200 block of Powers Avenue in Dearborn Heights. Wallet taken after owner leaves it in motel lobby A man left his wallet on the counter at Victory Inn, 23730 W. Michigan Avenue at about 8:35 a.m. May 30, when he returned to get it, it had be 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: In the 48 Hours piece, Detective Ralph Pauldine said that after 18 months of seeking a suspect without success, Im open enough to try anything at this point. I dont want anyone to think this is voodoo police tactics here, but anyone in the business knows when youre at a standstill, youre at a standstill. PLATTSBURGH [mdash] Anthony Tarricone, 94, of Plattsburgh, passed away Monday in his home with his loving wife by his side and under the care of hospice. He was born in Yonkers on Aug. 13, 1926, the son of George and Nancy Tarricone. He graduated Horton High School in Yonkers. He also gradua "There is a reason why we have opened 800 stores in more than 500 cities across 27 countries in only 5 years: our concept is unique, and far more premium than any other on the market," said Marco Treggiari, director of Speed Queen licensed stores. "We design laundry spaces for today and tomorrow: bigger spaces, long-lasting, evolutive, connected, with impeccable performance, and sharing spaces. This is how we turn laundry into far less of a chore and much more into a part of the sharing economy." Stephane Charles, the owner of the 800th store is a serial entrepreneur, who owns 10 hair salons, a barber, and a hair wholesaler business, which caters to their needs. "Investing in self-service laundry was a natural evolution. Not only this serves my existing businesses to wash the towels of 11 salons, but also generates a full new flow of revenue with a very labour-light structure, compared to hair salons. I liked the premium concept of Speed Queen and I identified the ideal location in the middle of a retail park," Charles said. "The location secures the end-user traffic, with three equestrian centers around on top of this, so this is a solid business." Located in the retail park, at Saint-Aubin-sur-scie, the 800th Speed Queen laundromat has it all to maximise end-user convenience: from free wifi to a large selection of 14 machines up to 24 kilos The laundromat also offers machines dedicated to animal items laundry. "We are increasingly seeing entrepreneurs, like Mr. Charles, who seek the risk-level of real-estate investment with classic stock-market return on investment, and we have adapted our offering to meet this demand and help them expand with a connected, remotely-managed business," Treggiari said. To support this momentum, the Speed Queen Licensed-store team has built a network of expert consultants in Europe, that guides ambitious entrepreneurs building their laundromats business, visit speedqueeninvestors.com to learn more. About Speed Queen - Speed Queen was established 1908 in Ripon, Wisconsin, USA. Still in Ripon, that original company grew into Alliance Laundry Systems. Alliance is the world leader in commercial laundry in terms of sales, range, reach and R&D investment. Over the decades, Speed Queen has developed superior performance in results, reliability, support and overall value, to become the world N1 in self-service laundry. Since 2014, Speed Queen has been the only laundry manufacturer in offering branded laundromats. More than 650 investors have already opened a Speed Queen Licensed Store in Europe. By putting all its expertise at the service of the concept, Speed Queen teams guide the laundry owners during all their project to provide premium laundromats with outstanding performance and maximum user convenience. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1522330/stephane_charles_owner_speedqueen.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1522328/newdesignSQ2020_rtlight.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1522329/SQLS_Logo_2019_FIX_Logo.jpg SOURCE Alliance Laundry Systems The results hold out significant promise for the product given concerns with the public health impacts of new variants of SARS-CoV-2. Starpharma is also testing the Japan/Brazil and South African variants of COVID, with the results expected in the coming weeks. Testing of the Indian variant will also be undertaken when virus availability allows. The antiviral testing was conducted by the renowned Scripps Research Institute in the US, with the UK variant of SARS-CoV-2, which has been classified as a variant of concern. The UK variant was recently reported to be responsible for over 98% of the positive COVID infections in England and linked to multiple outbreaks worldwide. Internationally recognised virology researcher, Professor Philippe Gallay, at the renowned Scripps Research Institute in the US, commented: "We are impressed with the antiviral activity of SPL7013, and that it retains potent activity against the SARS-CoV-2 UK variant B.1.1.7. "It is particularly exciting to see a product with this level of antiviral activity against a variant of concern that is much more transmissible than earlier SARS-CoV-2 strains. The latest data are consistent with our previous data showing antiviral and virucidal effects of SPL7013 against the US strain of this highly infectious virus, and suggest a mechanism of action that is not affected by mutations in the virus spike proteins." Viraleze complements other prevention strategies, including vaccines, and has special relevance where social distancing is not possible such as in high-risk environments like travel, hotel quarantine, sporting and social events. Starpharma CEO Dr Jackie Fairley said the company was pleased to confirm the potency of Viraleze against the UK variant, given the enormous public health challenges posed by the global escalation of SARS-CoV-2 variants. "SPL7013 (the active ingredient in Viraleze) has consistently shown high levels of antiviral activity, not only against multiple COVID-19 strains but also against a broad spectrum of other respiratory viruses including influenza," Dr Fairley said. "These recent findings further support why Viraleze is an ideal and complementary product to use alongside vaccines and other protective measures." Dr Fairley said: "The UK variant has been reported to be 43% to 90% more transmissible than preceding strains, and has been responsible for more than 98% of positive SARS-CoV-2 infections in England since early 2021.[1] The spread of this variant also led to a surge in COVID-19 cases and deaths in the UK." Dr Fairley said the UK variant has been identified to have caused 200,000 cases in the UK and is known to have spread to more than 100 countries to date. Viraleze is registered for sale in Europe and the UK, and is available through one of the UK's largest pharmacy chains, LloydsPharmacy. Viraleze is also available online through the viraleze.co website. More information is available in the detailed announcement https://starpharma.com/news/589 [1] Davies, N.G., et al. Estimated transmissibility and impact of SARS-CoV-2 lineage B.1.1.7 in England. Science 2021;372(6538):eabg3055 (https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abg3055) Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1522590/210208_Starpharma18590.jpg SOURCE Starpharma NEW DELHI, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Pramerica Life Insurance has set up a special 'Claims Helpdesk' to render pro-active service to the beneficiaries of the policyholders affected due to Cyclone Yaas. "We at Pramerica Life Insurance are committed to provide our full support to the bereaved families. We are making sure that the settlement of claims is hassle free, for the families of our impacted policy holders," said Ms. Kalpana Sampat, Managing Director and CEO, Pramerica Life Insurance. For ease of customers the company has simplified its claim documentation requirements (relaxation in usual requirements) to help expedite death claim settlement. Only the following documents are required to process the death claim: Municipal Death Certificate or Death Certified by any competent Local Government Authority, Government Hospitals, State or District Level Administration Completely filled Death Claim Form Claimant ID, residence proof & bank account details to ensure claims are paid to correct beneficiary Insurance policy document, if available Odisha: Nodal Officer : Tansen Tirthankar Kothari (Sr. Executive) Contact details: Mobile : 9583899981 Email : [email protected] Local Office : 2nd Floor, Plot No : N-4/237, Ray Tower, Near Reliance Fresh, IRC Village, Nayapalli, Bhubaneshwar- 751015, Odisha Kolkata: Nodal Officer : Arijeet Mustafi (Sr. Executive) Contact details: Mobile : 9051797123 Email : [email protected] Local Office : Kankaria Manson , 2nd Floor, 7 Kyd Street, Park Street, Kolkata-700016 Head Office "Claims Helpdesk" contact details: Dedicated Helpdesk email ID : [email protected] Other Contact details: National Toll Free Number : 1800 102 7070 ( 9:30 AM to 6:30 PM , Mon to Sat) , Mon to Sat) Head Office Claims email ID : [email protected] In case of Escalations : Mr. Antrix Sharma/ Mr. Rohan Bhatia 0124- 469 7452 (Email - [email protected] , [email protected] ) Download Death Claim Form from our website: https://www.pramericalife.in/Downloads/Download About Pramerica Life Insurance Limited. In India, Pramerica Life Insurance Limited is a JV company of Prudential International Insurance Holdings, Ltd., a fully owned subsidiary of Prudential Financial, Inc.; which is a 140-year-old corporation and has operations in the United States, Asia, Europe, and Latin America; and DIL (DHFL Investments Limited). Prudential Financial, Inc. companies include the Prudential Insurance Company of America, one of the largest life insurance companies in U.S.A. Its International Insurance segment creates and distributes individual life insurance, retirement, and related products in countries such as Japan, Taiwan, Brazil, and Argentina. Prudential Financial, Inc. also provides life insurance products for middle income and mass affluent markets across Japan, Mexico, and has joint ventures in Chile, China, Malaysia, India, and Indonesia. Pramerica Life Insurance is headquartered at Gurugram in India and has over 2500 employees. It is committed to cater to its customers' various financial protection needs such as securing their child's future, retirement planning, savings and wealth creation. The company's vision is to ensure that every life that it touches feels secure and enriched. The company has a pan India presence through multiple distribution channels which address specific insurance needs of diverse customer segments. It is committed to provide quality financial advice to its customers. It advises, guides, and enables its customers to make informed insurance decisions that help them meet their life's short term and long-term goals. For more details, you can visit our website www.pramericalife.in SOURCE Pramerica Life Insurance Limited CHICAGO, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Berlin Packaging, the world's largest hybrid packaging supplier, received 14 medals from the 2021 National Association of Container Distributors (NACD) packaging competition, the most given to a single supplier. The NACD Awards celebrate the year's most innovative packaging solutions. Including these latest victories, Berlin Packaging has now amassed over 90 NACD medals in nine years. Winning two gold, eight silver, and four bronze awards, Berlin Packaging demonstrated innovation and excellence in nine categories, including Beverage, Spirits, Household, Personal Care, Chemical, Best Use of Custom Packaging, and Best Use of Stock Components, with top honors taken home for Food and Pharmaceutical/Nutraceutical packaging. The awards highlight Berlin Packaging's commitment to world-class design, with over half attributed to the company's in-house design agency, Studio One Eleven. The Studio offers custom structural package design and branding services at no charge in exchange for packaging supply opportunities. "While our clients' success in the marketplace remains our primary goal, the respect of our industry peers is always appreciated. I'd like to thank the NACD for recognizing the Studio's talented team of branding strategists, designers, and engineers for their amazing work," said Scott Jost, Vice President of Innovation and Design at Studio One Eleven. "Studio One Eleven is just one of many things that sets Berlin Packaging apart, and we're proud of the work we did this year to deliver best-in-class custom solutions for all our customers." Some of this year's winning projects include: Fid Street Gin Dual-Award Recipient, Custom Packaging and Spirits Beverage Packaging To make this Hawaiian brand mainstream on the mainland, Studio One Eleven's structural designers evoked a sense of the islands with a one-of-a-kind bottle. The custom tinted turquoise glass suggests cool refreshment while alluding to the sea with a hammered, rippled texture. The Studio's industrial design experts helped Fid Street navigate treacherous waters, overseeing the complex manufacturing processes needed to achieve the perfect custom color and texture. Food God Truffle Ketchup Dual-Award Recipient, Stock Components and Food Packaging Breaking into the culinary space is no easy feat, especially when it comes to classic condiments. To get noticed by both retailers and consumers, Berlin Packaging sourced the perfect stock container, a 250ml bottle with 43mm lug neck finish and metal lug cap. The design evokes a bit of nostalgia with its classic ketchup bottle silhouette, while a hexagonal shape, bold red spray-on color, and custom screen printing give it an elegant, gourmet feel. Pravana Pure Light Personal Care Traditional hair color powders come in large, bulky tubs that can be hard to store and even harder to handle. They typically include a scoop that can get buried at the bottom, creating an unpleasant, wasteful mess. Studio One Eleven's design team created a unique, sleek package that utilizes an easy-to-grip bottle with simplified pour-and-measure dispensing that saves both time and space. Other Berlin Packaging winners are: Ricca Hand Sanitizer Chemical Super Microbe Chemical Stumptown Cold Brew Coffee Beverage, Non-Spirits Heaven's Door Bootleg Beverage, Spirits Blanton's Bourbon-Barrel-Aged Maple Syrup, - Food Agriston Olive Oil Food Live Clean Shampoo Personal Care BJ's Raw Pet Food Pet & Vet CloSYS Pharmaceutical & Nutraceutical "We are proud of yet another strong showing at this year's NACD awards," said Rick Brandt, Chief Commercial Officer of Berlin Packaging. "To be recognized for our creativity, innovation, and dedication to finding the best solutions for our customers is the ultimate reward. Our goal is to help businesses grow their bottom lines and deliver customer thrill, not only through our packaging solutions, but with all of our world-class services, including supply chain management, warehousing and distribution, and quality control." About Berlin Packaging Berlin Packaging is the only global Hybrid Packaging Supplier of glass, plastic, and metal containers and closures. The company supplies packaging solutions for large and small customers across a broad range of products, along with package design, financing, consulting, warehousing, and logistics services for customers across all industries. Berlin Packaging brings together the best of manufacturing, distribution, and income-adding service providers. Its mission is to increase the net income of its customers through packaging products and services. Media Contact: Julie Saltzman, [email protected] SOURCE Berlin Packaging Brielle was my best friend. She was the only person I trusted with everything and the only person I knew I could always talk to. Brielle was the kind of girl that would bend over backwards to help anyone without even hesitating. She was the kind of girl that lit up a room and made everyone smile as soon as she walked in. She was the kind of girl that always made everyone laugh. She was the kind of girl many people aspired to be like. BOSTON, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In celebration of Pride Month and in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of Boston Pride this June, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts ("Blue Cross") has unveiled 100 Bluebikes wrapped in a rainbow pride-themed design. The "Blue Cross Proud" bikes will be integrated through the month of June across the Bluebikes system's 10 municipalities: Arlington, Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, Chelsea, Everett, Newton, Revere, Somerville, and Watertown. Blue Cross is the title sponsor of Bluebikes, Metro Boston's public bike share system. Bluebikes is owned by the municipalities and operated by Lyft. As part of the month-long initiative and to reflect its continued support of LGBTQ+ pride, Blue Cross will donate $1 for every ride taken on pride-themed Bluebikes through the month of June to Fenway Health in Boston. Blue Cross is a corporate sponsor of Fenway Health, which works to enhance the wellbeing of the individuals in its neighborhood, the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, people living with HIV/AIDS and the broader population through access to the highest quality health care, education, research and advocacy. Fenway was founded in 1971 by area residents, politicians and volunteer medical students who believed that "healthcare is a right, not a privilege." "Blue Cross is committed to supporting the LGBTQ+ community and to creating a more equitable health care system," said Stephanie Browne, vice president, talent acquisition, and chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer at Blue Cross. "We are excited to see the pride-themed bikes in the Bluebikes fleet this month. Although Pride festivities look different this year, we're proud to use our Bluebikes sponsorship to raise awareness of LGBTQ+ equality and to continue our support of Fenway Health." The Blue Cross Proud bikes will be deployed within the more than 300 Bluebikes stations across the system through the end of June. This is the second time Blue Cross has utilized pride-themed bikes to support Fenway Health. In 2019, the company donated $1 for every ride on a pride-themed Bluebike, in collaboration with Lyft, to Fenway Health. Blue Cross is also a founding sponsor of the Massachusetts LGBT Chamber of Commerce and earlier this year received a perfect score on the 2021 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), a national benchmarking survey and report on corporate policies- and practices-related LGBTQ workplace equality, administered by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. "We are grateful to Blue Cross for its ongoing commitment to Fenway Health and our mission," said Ellen LaPointe, chief executive officer at Fenway Health. "It's exciting to know that 100 pride-themed Bluebikes will be deployed this month and that the community will have an opportunity to support our critical care, education, and advocacy in a unique way. We're thankful that this initiative will help us continue to provide care to the LGBTQIA+ community." "It is important to Blue Cross that we identify meaningful ways to support the LGBTQ+ community and make health care more inclusive and accessible," said Jeff Bellows, vice president of corporate citizenship and public affairs at Blue Cross. "We're thrilled to have the opportunity to make an impact through a donation to Fenway Health during Pride Month and look forward to continuing to support Fenway Health's mission." Blue Cross is in the fourth year of a six-year Bluebikes title sponsorship, which launched in May 2018. Through its partnership with the municipal owners of Bluebikes, Blue Cross continues to support system growth and accessibility, including station expansions, upgrades, and additional bikes. About Bluebikes Bluebikes is public transportation by bike. Owned and jointly governed by the municipalities of Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, Everett, and Somerville and now serving Arlington, Chelsea, Newton, Revere and Watertown, Bluebikes is a fast, fun, and affordable transportation option. Since launching in 2011, more than 13 million trips have been taken on Bluebikes, including more than two million trips in 2020. About Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (bluecrossma.org) is a community-focused, tax-paying, not-for-profit health plan headquartered in Boston. We are committed to the relentless pursuit of quality, affordable and equitable health care with an unparalleled consumer experience. Consistent with our promise to always put our members first, we are rated among the nation's best health plans for member satisfaction and quality. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn. SOURCE Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Related Links http://www.bluecrossma.com HARTFORD, Conn., June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Virtus AllianzGI Artificial Intelligence & Technology Opportunities Fund (NYSE: AIO), Virtus AllianzGI Convertible & Income Fund (NYSE: NCV), Virtus AllianzGI Convertible & Income Fund II (NYSE: NCZ), Virtus AllianzGI Convertible & Income 2024 Target Term Fund (NYSE: CBH), and Virtus AllianzGI Diversified Income & Convertible Fund (NYSE: ACV) announced the following distribution declarations on their respective common shares: Fund Distribution Per Common Share Virtus AllianzGI Artificial Intelligence & Technology Opportunities Fund $0.1250 Virtus AllianzGI Convertible & Income Fund $0.0425 Virtus AllianzGI Convertible & Income Fund II $0.0375 Virtus AllianzGI Convertible & Income 2024 Target Term Fund $0.0460 Virtus AllianzGI Diversified Income & Convertible Fund $0.1670 The distributions will be payable on July 1, 2021 to shareholders of record on June 11, 2021 with an ex-dividend date of June 10, 2021. The amounts of distributions reported in this notice are estimates only and are not being provided for tax reporting purposes. The actual amounts and sources of the distributions will depend on the fund's investment experience during the remainder of its fiscal year and may be subject to changes based on tax regulations. The fund or your broker will send shareholders a Form 1099-DIV for the calendar year that will tell shareholders what distributions to report for federal income tax purposes. About the Funds Virtus AllianzGI Artificial Intelligence & Technology Opportunities Fund's investment objective is to provide total return through a combination of current income, current gains and long-term capital appreciation. Virtus AllianzGI Convertible & Income Fund and Virtus AllianzGI Convertible & Income Fund II each have an investment objective to provide total return through a combination of capital appreciation and high current income with income as a secondary objective. Virtus AllianzGI Convertible & Income 2024 Target Term Fund's investment objectives are to provide a high level of income and to return at least $9.835 per common share (the original net asset value per common share of beneficial interest before deducting offering costs of $0.02 per share) to holders of common shares on or about September 1, 2024. Virtus AllianzGI Diversified Income & Convertible Fund's investment objective is to provide total return through a combination of current income and capital appreciation, while seeking to provide downside protection against capital loss. Virtus Investment Advisers, Inc. became the investment adviser of each fund, other than AIO, effective February 1, 2021 and of AIO effective February 26, 2021. Allianz Global Investors continues to manage each fund in a subadvisory capacity. For more information on these funds, contact shareholder services at 800-254-5197, by email at [email protected], or through the closed-end fund section on the web at www.virtus.com . Fund Risks An investment in a fund is subject to risk, including the risk of possible loss of principal. A fund's shares may be worth less upon their sale than what an investor paid for them. Shares of closed-end funds may trade at a premium or discount to their net asset value. For more information about each fund's investment objective and risks, please see the fund's annual report. A copy of the fund's most recent annual report may be obtained free of charge by contacting "Shareholder Services" as set forth at the end of this press release. About Allianz Global Investors Allianz Global Investors or Allianz GI is a leading active asset manager with over 750 investment professionals in 25 offices worldwide and manages assets for individuals, families and institutions. The investment team has extensive experience managing closed-end funds and a differentiated, multi-asset approach based on fundamental research designed to dynamically allocate across convertible securities and equities. About Virtus Investment Partners Virtus Investment Partners (NASDAQ: VRTS) is a distinctive partnership of boutique investment managers singularly committed to the long-term success of individual and institutional investors. The company provides investment management products and services through its affiliated managers and select subadvisers, each with a distinct investment style, autonomous investment process, and individual brand. For more information, visit www.virtus.com. SOURCE Virtus AllianzGI Artificial Intelligence & Technology Opportunities Fund; Virtus AllianzGI Diversified Income & Convertible Fund; Virtus AllianzGI Convertible & Income Fund II; Virtus AllianzGI Convertible & Income Fund; Virtus AllianzGI Convertible & Income 2024 Target Term Fund DALLAS, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Comerica Bank's Texas Economic Activity Index increased in March to 115.3. March's index reading was 16 percent above the recent low of 99.3 set in June 2020. The index averaged 112.1 points for all of 2020, 13.5 points below the average for 2019. February's index reading was revised to 114.2. Our Texas Economic Activity Index increased by 1.0 percent in March, as the state economy pulled out of the February freeze-out. Eight out of nine sub-indexes were positive for the month, including nonfarm employment, unemployment insurance claims (inverted), housing starts, house prices, drilling rig count, total state trade, hotel occupancy and state sales tax revenue. Only the industrial electricity demand sub-index contracted for the month. We expect Texas to be a leading state economy pushing the overall U.S. economy to strong growth this year. It remains to be seen how the fall will develop in terms of COVID-19, but for the summer we expect to see no restrictions to the state economy due to COVID. Oil prices firmed in the second half of May to near $68 per barrel for West Texas Intermediate crude oil. The drilling rig count has improved from the extreme lows of last summer, but at 218 active rigs at the end of May, it remains well below the pre-COVID level of about 400 rigs. We expect global oil demand to continue to firm up as the U.S. and China lead the global economic recovery. OPEC has just agreed to increase output starting in July to meet growing demand. We expect the global crude oil glut to shrink this year even with increased OPEC output, supporting prices and motivating further moderate improvement in the Texas rig count. However, this is a different investment environment for oil drillers and gains will be restrained. The Texas Economic Activity Index consists of nine variables, as follows: nonfarm payroll employment, continuing claims for unemployment insurance, housing starts, house price index, industrial electricity sales, Texas rotary rig count, total trade, hotel occupancy and sales tax revenue. All data are seasonally adjusted. Nominal values have been converted to constant dollar values. Total index levels are expressed in terms of three-month moving averages. Comerica Bank is a subsidiary of Comerica Incorporated (NYSE: CMA), a financial services company headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and strategically aligned by three business segments: The Commercial Bank, The Retail Bank, and Wealth Management. Comerica focuses on relationships, and helping people and businesses be successful. In addition to Texas, Comerica Bank locations can be found in Arizona, California, Florida and Michigan, with select businesses operating in several other states, as well as in Canada and Mexico. Comerica reported total assets of $86.3 billion at March 31, 2021. To subscribe to our publications or for questions, contact us at [email protected]. Archives are available at http://www.comerica.com/insights. Follow us on Twitter: @Comerica_Econ. SOURCE Comerica Bank Related Links http://www.comerica.com Read the 120-page research report with TOC and LOE on "ERP Software Market Procurement Intelligence Report, Pricing Outlook in Geographies that include APAC, North America, South America, and MEA, and insights into best practices to optimize procurement spend." SpendEdge's reports now include an in-depth complimentary analysis of the COVID-19 impact on procurement and the latest market data to help your company overcome sourcing challenges. Our ERP Software Market procurement intelligence report offers actionable procurement intelligence insights, sourcing strategies, and action plans to mitigate risks arising out of the current pandemic situation. The insights offered by our reports will help procurement professionals streamline supply chain operations and gain insights into the best procurement practices to mitigate losses. Information on Latest Trends and Supply Chain Market Information Download Our FREE Sample Report Insights into the Market Price Trends Suppliers in this market have moderate bargaining power owing to moderate pressure from substitutes and a moderate level of threat from new entrants. Buyers can benchmark their preferred pricing models for ERP Software Market, Procurement, Management with the wider industry information and identify the cost-saving potential. Insights to help buyers identify and shortlist the most suitable suppliers for their ERP Software Market requirements. This procurement report answers the following questions: Am I engaging with the right suppliers? Which KPIs should I use to evaluate my incumbent suppliers? Which supplier selection criteria are relevant for? What are the ERP Software Market category essentials in terms of SLAs and RFx? Grab your Free Sample now to unlock further information on other key aspects of this market Insights into strategies that will help buyers optimize their category management practices. The report answers the following questions: What should be my strategic procurement objectives, activities, and enablers for the ERP Software Market category? What negotiation levers can I pull for cost-saving? What are ERP Software Market procurement best practices I should be promoting in my supply chain? Some of the top ERP Software Market suppliers enlisted in this report This ERP Software Market procurement intelligence report has enlisted the top suppliers and their cost structures, SLA terms, best selection criteria, and negotiation strategies. Oracle Corp. SAP SE Microsoft Corp. Infor Inc. SYSPRO Proprietary Ltd. Fidelity National Information Services Inc. Get access to regular sourcing and procurement insights to our digital procurement platform- Contact Us. Table of Content Executive Summary Market Insights Category Pricing Insights Cost-saving Opportunities Best Practices Category Ecosystem Category Management Strategy Category Management Enablers Suppliers Selection Suppliers under Coverage US Market Insights Category scope Appendix About SpendEdge: SpendEdge shares your passion for driving sourcing and procurement excellence. We are the preferred procurement market intelligence partner for 120+ Fortune 500 firms and other leading companies across numerous industries. Our strength lies in delivering robust, real-time procurement market intelligence reports and solutions. To know more https://www.spendedge.com/request-for-demo Contacts SpendEdge Anirban Choudhury Marketing Manager US: +1 630 984 7340 UK: +44 148 459 9299 https://www.spendedge.com/contact-us SOURCE SpendEdge Related Links https://www.spendedge.com/contact-us ATLANTA, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- CP Group, formerly Crocker Partners, today announced the acquisition of a three-building portfolio from Franklin Street Properties Corp. in a joint venture with Farallon Capital Management ("Farallon"). The acquisition includes One and Two Ravinia Drive in Atlanta's Central Perimeter submarket, and One Overton Park in its Cumberland submarket. The acquisition brings CP Group's Metro Atlanta office assets under management to approximately 4 million square feet, making them the third-largest office landlord in the region. "We are pleased to have been able to execute on this off-market opportunity and expand our Atlanta portfolio with three institutional-quality assets," said Chris Eachus, Partner at CP Group. "As the economy and the office market continue to recover following the pandemic, the ability to acquire and add value to these well-known buildings presented both a well-timed and promising opportunity." CP Group's Atlanta portfolio also includes Paces West; Cumberland Center II; 3225 Cumberland; Lakeside Office Park; Ashford Perimeter; and 5600 Glenridge. 5600 Glenridge was acquired from AT&T at the end of 2019 and is currently undergoing a $25 million renovation to transform the once single-tenant office building into a fully amenitized, next-generation multi-tenant property. "We are excited to partner with CP Group and bring new management to these three landmark properties," said Rocky Fried, Partner and head of Real Estate at Farallon. "Atlanta's Central Perimeter and Cumberland submarkets exhibit attractive market demographics, and we look forward to investing in the infrastructure and amenities offered at each location to take advantage of those trends and opportunities." This marks the third investment from Farallon Real Estate Partners III ("FREP III"), which closed in 2020 as the latest fund in a series totaling over $1.2 billion of committed capital. Reintroducing One & Two Ravinia One and Two Ravinia which span a total of 797,649 square feet across two 17-story towers are situated within one of the most prestigious, well-known suburban office parks in the region. The buildings currently offer a conference facility, fitness center, onsite cafe, and multiple outdoor workspaces. CP Group plans to launch a repositioning campaign for the two buildings that will include lobby upgrades, cafe upgrades, and renovations to multi-tenant corridors and restrooms. The company will also leverage its flexible workspace offering, worCPlaces, to build out over 53,000 square feet of turn-key "Spec Places", ranging from 1,500 square feet to 10,000 square feet. "These buildings hold immense hidden value that we plan to unlock and enhance through strategic renovation and hands-on management," said Scott Barr, Senior Vice President of CP Group, who oversees the asset management and acquisitions for Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee. "The location is incomparable, and we look forward to reintroducing these renowned buildings to the market." Eric Ross, Sabrina Gibson, and Steward Thrash of CBRE have been tapped as leasing agents for One and Two Ravinia. Enhancing One Overton's Strengths One Overton Park is a 15-story LEED Gold, best-in-class building totaling 387,267 square feet. It is one of the newest Class A assets in the Cumberland submarket, with unmatched access to I-75 and I-285. CP Group will fully renovate the building lobby and upgrade the multi-tenant corridors and restrooms while implementing its premier tenant experience program. Known for its notable signage and visibility along I-75, the upgrades will support One Overton Park's image as one of the most prestigious properties in the submarket. Kevin Driver, Billy Graddy, and Ben Hautt of Stream Realty will serve as the leasing agents for the building. New Name, Same Team CP Group announced its name change from Crocker Partners earlier this month in an effort for the brand to be more representative of its growth into one of the country's premier owner-operators and developers of commercial real estate. The organization now employs nearly 200 employees and owns and manages portfolio spanning more than 14 million square feet. ABOUT CP GROUP Active in the commercial real estate business for over 35 years, CP Group, formerly Crocker Partners, has established a reputation as a premier owner, operator, and developer of office and mixed-use projects throughout the Southeast and Southwest United States. Since 1986, CP Group has acquired and managed over 154 properties, totaling 45.9 million square feet and representing $5.4 billion invested. They are currently Florida's largest and Atlanta's third largest office landlord and rank 39th largest in the United States. Headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida, they have regional offices in Atlanta, Miami, Jacksonville, Dallas, and Washington DC. To learn more about the company, visit CPGcre.com ABOUT FARALLON Farallon Capital Management, L.L.C., is a global institutional investment firm founded in 1986 and registered as an investment advisor with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission since 1990. Farallon seeks investments across asset classes and around the world through a process of bottom-up fundamental research and analysis emphasizing capital preservation. Farallon manages approximately $35 billion and employs approximately 230 employees. More information on Farallon is available at www.faralloncapital.com. Media Contacts For CP Group Giana Pacinelli [email protected] (954) 648-6552 For Farallon ASC Advisors Steve Bruce / Taylor Ingraham [email protected] / [email protected] (203) 992-1230 SOURCE CP Group The new packages each feature a piece of artwork drawn by various CMN Hospitals Champions, who are child ambassadors that advocate for the charitable need of children's hospitals across the United States. The creative images on the bars are meant to represent an imaginative, fond or memorable moment in their lives. From now until August 13, 2021, CRUNCH, Butterfinger and Baby Ruth will donate a percentage of the retail purchase price from all participating products (limited-edition and regularly packaged singles, share packs and fun size bags), up to $350,000, to Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. "We're very excited to partner with this great non-profit organization and invite our customers to join us in our journey to support all the futures made possible by Children's Miracle Network Hospitals," said Mark Wakefield, Senior Vice President Marketing, Ferrero Mainstream Chocolate & Nutella. "Just like Children's Miracle Network Hospitals, CRUNCH, Butterfinger and Baby Ruth aim to create moments that bring people together every day." As part of the donation, Butterfinger has also committed to raising funds by collaborating with Extra Life, a program affiliated with Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. Extra Life has deep roots in the gaming community and supports over 170 hospitals across North America. On June 3, 2021, Butterfinger and Extra Life will host a fundraising stream for gamers to play Final Fantasy XIV. "We are thrilled to welcome aboard Ferrero as a new partner of Children's Miracle Network Hospitals," said Teri Nestel, President and CEO of CMN Hospitals. "Through retail engagement and programs like Extra Life, CMN Hospitals and Ferrero make giving easy and create a connection to a greater cause. We know there's power in numbers and when we make it easy for everyone to give back to their community, our collective impact grows exponentially." CRUNCH, Butterfinger and Baby Ruth know the power of chocolate and understand how even a single bite can bring a moment of joy, excitement and togetherness. Together with Children's Miracle Network Hospitals, Ferrero commits to manifesting these moments and supporting a cause to improve children's futures. For more information on the campaign and Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Champions, visit www.crunchbar.com/cmnhospitals, and follow along on social with the official hashtag #RaisingtheBar2021 and brand handles, @CrunchBar, @Butterfinger, @BabyRuth About Ferrero For over 70 years, Ferrero has created products loved by generations. We've grown from a bakery in Alba, Italy into the third largest confectionery company in the world. Ferrero entered the North American market in 1969 and continues to spread joy with Ferrero Rocher, Nutella, Kinder, Tic Tac and Fannie May chocolates. Ferrero Group expanded its portfolio in 2018 with the addition of Butterfinger, CRUNCH, Baby Ruth, 100Grand and other legendary chocolate brands. We're proud to be a family-owned company with 3,000 employees in eight offices and ten plants and warehouses in North America, including a cocoa processing plant in Brantford, Ontario and a planned chocolate processing factory in Bloomington, Illinois. Instilled in every aspect of our business is the entrepreneurial spirit of our founders, and their passion for quality, creativity, and innovation. Follow @FerreroNACorp on Twitter and @FerreroNACorp on Instagram. www.ferreronorthamerica.com About CMN Hospitals Children's Miracle Network Hospitals raises funds for 170 children's hospitals that support the health of 10 million kids each year across the U.S. and Canada. Donations go to local hospitals to fund critical life-saving treatments and healthcare services, along with innovative research, vital pediatric medical equipment, child life services that put kids' and families' minds at ease during difficult hospital stays and financial assistance for families who could not otherwise afford these health services. When we improve the health of all children and allow them the opportunity to reach their full potential, we also improve our communities for years to come. Together, we can change kids' health. Together, we can change the future. To learn about Children's Miracle Network Hospitals and your local children's hospital, visit cmnhospitals.org. Media contact: Amanda Yodice, [email protected] SOURCE Ferrero USA "Being the engineer's choice for early-stage prototyping through design and production, Digi-Key is uniquely positioned to share knowledge back to the startup community helping them navigate the particular challenges they face on their journey to success," said David Sandys, director of technical marketing at Digi-Key. "Our engagement with tens of thousands of startups has enabled Digi-Key to learn ways around both common and more obscure pitfalls that hamper startups' desires and aspirations. The new microsite and guide are two of the best resources to steer through those obstacles." On the startup site, startups will find all of the tools and resources in one location. It is centered around the Startup Roadmap, which is 10 steps of startup success that provide descriptions, tools and resources for each stage. The Roadmap also features a video from Limor Freid, Ladyada from Adafruit on how she approaches each of the stages. Based in New York City, Adafruit is one of the best examples of an electronics-based startup success story. The site also includes a Roadmap Dashboard, which is an interactive tool with steps, sub-steps and resources for each of the 10 stages as well as an innovative tracking system to help startups complete all the steps necessary along the journey. The site also includes over a dozen other startup success tools for everything from Scheme-it, our back-of-the-napkin ideation tool to bill of materials (BOM) management, reference platforms, bare PCB ordering with PCB Builder and DKRed through our Marketplace offerings enabling visibility and sales through the Digi-Key website. The Startups Survival Guide 2nd edition, developed in partnership with Startups Magazine, has been updated to provide the latest proven solutions to common startup challenges. The guide is also divided into sections mirroring the 10 steps of startup success and is comprised of articles and know-how curated from successful startups and subject matter experts. There is no better way for innovators to learn their way through startup pitfalls than by learning from startups who have already gone through the journey. "Together with Digi-Key, this guide can really help you navigate through your entrepreneurial journey as we go into great detail to explain what you will need, every step of the way," said Anna Flockett, editor at Startups Magazine. "Speaking to industry experts and telling some insightful startup success stories, the guide is an integral tool to help you achieve your startup goals." While the printed version will be distributed to Startups Magazine subscribers and at select events, PDF versions can be downloaded by visiting Digi-Key's startups website. Both the startups microsite and the Startup Survival Guide continue to solidify Digi-Key's commitment and dedication to enabling the successful realization of startups' dreams, as they are the lifeblood of innovation. About Adafruit Adafruit was founded in 2005 by MIT engineer, Limor "Ladyada" Fried. Her goal was to create the best place online for learning electronics and making the best designed products for makers of all ages and skill levels. In the last 10 years, Adafruit has grown to over 100+ employees in the heart of NYC with a 50,000+ sq ft. factory. Adafruit has expanded offerings to include tools, equipment, and electronics that Limor personally selects, tests, and approves before going in to the Adafruit store. Adafruit is a 100% woman owned manufacturing company, a certified Minority and Woman-owned Business Enterprise (M/WBE), a certified Women's Business Enterprise (WBE), and WOSB. During the COVID-19 outbreak Adafruit Industries is operating as an essential service and manufacturing business: NYC Executive Order 202.6 making PPE and medical device components. In 2020 Adafruit was appointed to the Small Business Sector Advisory Council by the City of New York to help restart the NYC economy post COVID-19 pandemic. About Startups Magazine Startups Magazine is designed to champion tech startups and help the entrepreneurial heroes disrupting industries and the creators challenging norms and breaking boundaries along their startup journey. In print and online, the publication delivers unique content and provides valuable insights from industry experts, advice on business fundamentals and most importantly - a platform to introduce tech startups to the world stage. Subscribe for free today by visiting our website. About Digi-Key Electronics Digi-Key Electronics, headquartered in Thief River Falls, Minn., USA, is an authorized global, full-service distributor of electronic components, and provides access to unlimited adjacent products and technologies through their online Marketplace. They offer more than 11.8 million components, with over 2.6 million in stock and available for immediate shipment, from over 1,700 quality name-brand manufacturers. In addition, Marketplace Product provides a singular shopping experience for all things related to technology innovation IoT, industrial automation, test and measurement and more. Additional information and access to the world's broadest resources for technology innovation can be found by visiting www.digikey.com and on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Editorial Contact Shelli Lissick Bellmont Partners +1 651 276 6922 [email protected] SOURCE Digi-Key Electronics Related Links http://www.digikey.com VANCOUVER, BC, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Eat Beyond Global Holdings Inc. (CSE: EATS) (OTCPK: EATBF) (FSE: 988) ("Eat Beyond" or the "Company"), an investment issuer focused on the global plant-based and alternative food sector, is announcing that its portfolio company Eat Just Inc. ("Eat Just") has secured a $170 million (USD) funding round for its GOOD Meat subsidiary. Eat Just has an over $1 billion valuation and previously raised a $200 million (USD) financing round in March 2021. The new funding will help GOOD Meat increase capacity and accelerate research and development for high-quality, real meat without slaughter. Cultured meat is created directly from animal cells, safe for human consumption. The meat is high in protein and essential amino acids, without GMOs or antibiotics, and is low in saturated fats. "There is significant interest in and growth potential for cultured meat, pending regulatory approval from more government regulators globally," Morris said. "GOOD Meat offers a humane, safe product that is designed to feed the planet without the plethora of negative externalities associated with traditional factory farming." GOOD Meat cultured chicken made history in 2020 for being the first cultured meat product sold to customers at a Singapore restaurant. Since that time, it has been available in a limited capacity on foodpanda, Asia's leading food and grocery delivery platform. "GOOD Meat has the potential to radically disrupt current animal protein processes. The old model has a massive carbon footprint and consumes large amounts of water, land, and other resources while exposing the world to potential zoonotic diseases," added Morris. "We are excited to continue to be a part of the Eat JUST story and its impact on our food systems." Learn more about GOOD Meat and subscribe for updates online: https://goodmeat.co. Subscribe to updates about Eat Beyond Global here: https://eatbeyondglobal.com/contact/ About Eat Beyond Global Holdings Eat Beyond Global Holdings Inc. ("Eat Beyond") ( CSE: EATS ) ( OTCPK: EATBF ) ( FSE: 988 ) is an investment issuer that makes it easy to invest in the future of food. Eat Beyond identifies and makes equity investments in global companies that are developing and commercializing innovative food tech as well as plant-based and alternative food products. Led by a team of food industry experts, Eat Beyond is the first issuer of its kind in Canada, providing retail investors with the unique opportunity to participate in the growth of a broad cross-section of opportunities in the alternative food sector, and access companies that are leading the charge toward a smarter, more secure food supply. Learn more: https://eatbeyondglobal.com/ Find Eat Beyond on Social Media on LinkedIn , Instagram , Twitter and Facebook SOURCE Eat Beyond Global Holdings Inc. Related Links https://eatbeyondglobal.com/ BEIJING and BOSTON, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Eucure Biopharma will present findings from two Phase I clinical trials at the 2021 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, held from June 4th to 8th. The first trial (poster #2580; NCT04481009) is designed to assess the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and preliminary anti-tumor efficacy of YH003 (an anti-CD40 monoclonal antibody (mAb)) combined with Toripalimab (Tuoyi; an anti-PD-1 mAb) in subjects with advanced solid tumors. As of December 31, 2020, there were no dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) events or severe adverse events (AE) observed in 9 subjects/3 dose levels (ranging from 0.03 to 0.3 mg/kg). Of the 5 subjects that completed at least one tumor assessment, one subject with ocular melanoma who failed prior Opdivo and Opdivo/Yervoy combination therapy achieved partial remission (PR), and two patients maintained stable disease (SD). The second trial (poster #2577; NCT04357756) is a Phase I clinical study to evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and preliminary anti-tumor efficacy of an anti-CTLA-4 antibody, YH001, combined with Toripalimab in subjects with advanced solid tumors. As of December 31, 2020, no DLT or severe AE were observed at 4 dose levels (ranging from 0.05 to 1 mg/kg). Seven of 10 subjects completed at least one tumor assessment, of which 4 subjects maintained SD. As of March 1, 2021, one subject with GEJ cancer that maintained SD in the first tumor assessment achieved PR in the second assessment, with a 60.9% reduction in the target lesion compared to baseline. About YH003 YH003 is a humanized IgG2 agonistic monoclonal antibody that targets CD40 signaling. Preclinical studies demonstrated that YH003 promotes antigen-presenting cell activation and infiltration of effector T cells into tumors. YH003 demonstrated potent anti-tumor effects in Biocytogen 's humanized CD40 mice , both alone and in combination with anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibodies. YH003 has been approved to enter Phase II trials in Australia for pancreatic cancer and PD1-resistant melanoma. About YH001 YH001 is a humanized IgG1 monoclonal antibody that blocks the association of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4) with CD80/CD86. YH001 can trigger antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) and complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) to remove CTLA-4 expressing cells, especially regulatory T cells, to enhance T-cell-mediated antitumor immune responses. Preclinical data indicates that YH001 outperforms Ipilimumab (a currently approved CTLA-4 drug) in CTLA-4 binding affinity and inducing ADCC activity. About Eucure Biopharma Eucure Biopharma is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of innovative immunotherapies to meet clinical needs of patients around the world. Relying on a strong clinical development team with extensive experience, the company has established a product pipeline for more than 10 targets. Eucure Biopharma is a wholly owned subsidiary of Biocytogen . For more information, please visit www.eucure.com . Media Contact: Eucure Biopharma Yuanyuan Li [email protected] SOURCE Biocytogen WASHINGTON, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The board of directors of the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (Farmer Mac) has declared a second quarter dividend of $0.88 per share for each of Farmer Mac's three classes of common stock Class A Voting Common Stock (NYSE: AGM.A), Class B Voting Common Stock (not listed on any exchange), and Class C Non-Voting Common Stock (NYSE: AGM). The quarterly dividend will be payable on June 30, 2021 to holders of record of common stock as of June 15, 2021. Farmer Mac's board of directors has also declared a dividend on each of Farmer Mac's five classes of preferred stock. The quarterly dividend of $0.375 per share of 6.000% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series C (NYSE: AGM.PR.C), $0.35625 per share of 5.700% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series D (NYSE: AGM.PR.D), $0.359375 per share of 5.750% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock Series E (NYSE: AGM.PR.E), and $0.328125 per share of 5.250% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock Series F (NYSE: AGM.PR.F), is for the period from but not including April 17, 2021 to and including July 17, 2021. The dividend of $0.1692708333 per share of 4.875% Non-Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series G (NYSE: AGM.PR.G) is for the period from but not including May 27, 2021 (the issuance date) to and including July 17, 2021. These preferred stock dividends will be payable on July 17, 2021 to holders of record of those classes of preferred stock as of July 2, 2021. About Farmer Mac Farmer Mac is a vital part of the agricultural credit markets and was created to increase access to and reduce the cost of capital for the benefit of American agricultural and rural communities. As the nation's secondary market for agricultural credit, we provide financial solutions to a broad spectrum of the agricultural community, including agricultural lenders, agribusinesses, and other institutions that can benefit from access to flexible, low-cost financing and risk management tools. Farmer Mac's customers benefit from our low cost of funds, low overhead costs, and high operational efficiency. Additional information about Farmer Mac is available on Farmer Mac's website at www.farmermac.com. SOURCE Farmer Mac Related Links www.farmermac.com Mylaen, 59, had long struggled with kidney disease. By last year, she was ghostly pale with dark circles under her eyes, dragging herself through the workday with no energy. By the time she was admitted to the hospital in November, her kidneys were only functioning at 8%. EXTON, Pa., June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- First Resource Bank (OTCQX: FRSB) proudly announced that for the third consecutive year it has been designated a Best Places to Work company by the Philadelphia Business Journal. In a year marked with unparalleled challenges, the Bank was thrilled to maintain its level of employee satisfaction and credits its continued success to the efforts of the First Resource Bank team. "This honor is a reflection of our exceptional team who has played a vital role in shaping how we operate," commented First Resource Bank CEO, Glenn Marshall. "Their voluntary participation in this program has provided us with valuable feedback, helping us to cultivate an atmosphere that is inclusive, empowering and rewarding. I am continually impressed by their dedication and applaud them for their efforts." Based upon feedback from the prior year's survey, the Bank recently implemented an employee mentorship program, providing interested employees with the opportunity to expand and strengthen their skill set. First Resource Bank President & CFO, Lauren Ranalli noted, "The mentor program is a great way for us to further understand the needs of the employee base and keep refining how we work to meet our employee's professional goals." About First Resource Bank About First Resource Bank First Resource Bank is a locally owned and operated Pennsylvania state-chartered bank, serving the banking needs of businesses, professionals and individuals in the Delaware Valley. The Bank offers a full range of deposit and credit services with a high level of personalized service. First Resource Bank also offers a broad range of traditional financial services and products, competitively priced and delivered in a responsive manner to small businesses, professionals and residents in the local market. For additional information visit our website at www.firstresourcebank.com. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender. This press release contains statements that are not of historical facts and may pertain to future operating results or events or management's expectations regarding those results or events. These are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934. These forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited to, statements about our plans, objectives, expectations and intentions and other statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts. When used in this press release, the words "expects", "anticipates", "intends", "plans", "believes", "seeks", "estimates", or words of similar meaning, or future or conditional verbs, such as "will", "would", "should", "could", or "may" are generally intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are either beyond our control or not reasonably capable of predicting at this time. In addition, these forward-looking statements are subject to assumptions with respect to future business strategies and decisions that are subject to change. Actual results may differ materially from the results discussed in these forward-looking statements. Readers of this press release are accordingly cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. First Resource Bank disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly any of the forward-looking statements herein, whether in response to new information, future events or otherwise. SOURCE First Resource Bank Related Links http://www.firstresourcebank.com PHILADELPHIA, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- FMC Corporation (NYSE: FMC) today published its 2020 sustainability report themed 'Resilient. Ready.' that outlines progress toward the 2025/2030 sustainability goals that were announced in 2019. "The global pandemic presented challenges to our industry that required all of us to live and work differently. FMC employees rose to the challenge and developed creative ways to engage customers and growers while maintaining operations," said Mark Douglas, president and chief executive officer of FMC. "We are deeply proud of what our employees were able to achieve together to support growers and the strong progress we made against our sustainability goals." This year's report highlights FMC's decade of progress on sustainability including advancements made against 2020 commitments. The report also details 2021 commitments. "Thriving food systems are critical to the health and wellbeing of everyone on the planet. At FMC, we recognize we have an important role to play in helping shift the trajectory of climate change through agriculture," said Karen Totland, vice president and chief sustainability officer at FMC. "We are focused on understanding and evaluating where to direct our sustainability efforts to maximize impact and create the most value for all our stakeholders." Additional information about FMC's sustainability progress and goals, including an online copy of the 2020 report, is available at fmc.com/sustainability. About FMC FMC Corporation, an agricultural sciences company, provides innovative solutions to growers around the world with a robust product portfolio fueled by a market-driven discovery and development pipeline in crop protection, plant health, and professional pest and turf management. This powerful combination of advanced technologies includes leading insect control products based on Rynaxypyr and Cyazypyr active ingredients; Authority, Boral, Centium, Command and Gamit branded herbicides; Talstar and Hero branded insecticides; and flutriafol-based fungicides. The FMC portfolio also includes biologicals such as Quartzo and Presence bionematicides. FMC Corporation employs approximately 6,400 employees around the globe. To learn more, please visit www.fmc.com. FMC, the FMC logo, Rynaxypyr, Cyazypyr, Authority, Boral, Centium, Command, Gamit, Talstar, Hero, Quartzo and Presence are trademarks of FMC Corporation or an affiliate. Always read and follow all label directions, restrictions and precautions for use. Products listed here may not be registered for sale or use in all states, countries or jurisdictions. Hero insecticide is a restricted use pesticide in the United States. Statement under the Safe Harbor Provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This release contains forward-looking statements, which are based on management's current views and assumptions regarding future events, future business conditions and the outlook for the company based on currently available information. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from any results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by any forward-looking statement. Currently, one of the most significant factors is the potential adverse effect of the current COVID-19 pandemic on the financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and performance of FMC, which is substantially influenced by the potential adverse effect of the pandemic on FMC's customers and suppliers and the global economy and financial markets. The extent to which COVID-19 impacts us will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted with confidence, including the scope, severity and duration of the pandemic, the actions taken to contain the pandemic or mitigate its impact, and the direct and indirect economic effects of the pandemic and containment measures, among others. Additional factors include, among other things, the risk factors and other cautionary statements included within FMC's 2020 Form 10-K filed with the SEC as well as other SEC filings and public communications. Moreover, investors are cautioned to interpret many of these factors as being heightened as a result of the ongoing and numerous adverse impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. FMC cautions readers not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by the above cautionary statement. FMC undertakes no obligation, and specifically disclaims any duty, to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances arising after the date on which they were made, except as otherwise required by law. SOURCE FMC Corporation Related Links http://www.fmc.com DUBLIN, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Fetal Monitoring Market by Product (Ultrasound (3D & 4D), Fetal Electrodes, Telemetry Devices, Accessories and Consumables), Portability (Portable Systems), Method (Invasive), Application (Antepartum), End User (Hospitals) - Global Forecast to 2026" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global fetal monitoring market is projected to USD 5.2 billion by 2026 from USD 3.7 billion in 2021, at a CAGR of 7.2% from 2021 to 2026. The growth of this market is driven owing to the escalating prevalence of preterm births, favorable government policies, advanced technologies of fetal monitoring systems, and active product launches. Also, the development of noninvasive, portable, and advanced fetal monitors and emerging markets and strengthening infrastructure are anticipated to offer an opportunity for the growth of the market during the forecast period. Ultrasound Devices is expected to hold the largest share of the fetal monitoring market, by product in 2021. Based on products, the fetal monitoring market is segmented into ultrasound devices, electronic maternal/fetal monitors, fetal electrodes, fetal doppler devices, uterine contraction monitors, telemetry devices, accessories & consumables, and other products. Ultrasound devices are the largest segment in this market. This segment's growth can primarily be attributed to technological advancements, increasing congenital anomalies, maternal mortality, and rising regulatory approvals. Non-portable systems are expected to hold the largest share of the fetal monitoring market, by portability in 2021 Based on portability, the market is segmented into non-portable systems and portable systems. In 2020, non-portable systems accounted for the largest share of this market, owing to wide applications in hospitals and diagnostic centers to assess fetal and maternal health. Noninvasive is expected to hold the largest share of the fetal monitoring market, by method in 2021 Based on the method, the market is segmented into invasive and noninvasive. In 2020, the noninvasive accounted for the largest share of this market. Noninvasive methods are widely accepted for their safer method of diagnosing and monitoring the fetus, especially in high-risk pregnancies. The rising approvals of various noninvasive monitoring devices and the incoming advanced technologies drive the growth of this segment. Antepartum is expected to hold the largest share of the fetal monitoring market, by application in 2021 Based on application, the market is segmented into antepartum and intrapartum. The antepartum segment accounts for the largest share of the fetal monitoring market. Antepartum fetal monitoring is carried out throughout the gestation period to diagnose any congenital fetal abnormalities. The extensive monitoring regimes, recent product launches, surging prevalence of fetal anomalies, and maternal mortalities drive the growth of the antepartum segment. Hospitals are expected to hold the largest share of the fetal monitoring market, by end user in 2021 The market is segmented into hospitals, obstetrics & gynecology clinics, and home care settings based on end users. In 2020, hospitals accounted for the largest share of this market. This segment's growth can be attributed to several factors, such as highly advanced facilities in hospitals and the increasing number of pregnancy procedures. Technological advancements, coupled with government funding, are also encouraging the installation of new tools and devices in hospitals, thus supporting market growth. North America commanded the largest share of the fetal monitoring market in 2021 On the basis of region, the fetal monitoring market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Rest of the World. In 2019, North America commanded the largest share of the fetal monitoring market. The large share of this market segment can be attributed to the presence of an established reimbursement structure coupled with availability of experts in the North American countries. The some of the major players operating in this market are GE Healthcare (US), Siemens Healthineers (Germany), Koninklijke Philips N.V. (Netherlands), FUJIFILM SonoSite, Inc. (US) and Cardinal Health, Inc. (US) For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/nafzb Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1904 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com DUBLIN, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Supercapacitors Market - Products, Modules and Applications" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Automotive & Transportation sector is expected to be the fastest-growing market for Supercapacitors, the global demand for which is anticipated to compound annually at 16.6% during 2019-2026 in reaching a projected US$2.7 billion by 2026. The overall global market for Supercapacitors is expected to exceed US$3 billion in 2020. The global market for supercapacitors is the largest, as also the fastest growing, in Asia-Pacific. However, the adverse impact upon every industry caused by the Covid-19 outbreak in China in December 2019 has left its mark on the demand for supercapacitors also. While before the incidence of this pandemic the market for supercapacitors presented a rosy picture, with high double-digit growth rates in the range of 25%-35%, these trends would now be difficult to sustain. Countries across the globe are facing challenging medium-term futures and recovery could take anywhere from one to three years, again based on what the trajectory of a particular region's economy was before this devastating outbreak. Western Europe and the United States seem to have been more badly affected than Asian regions, though it is still early days as far as any abatement of the contagion is expected. However, many countries have now started opening up their industrial activity in a bid to revive sagging markets and hopefully others, too, would join in and make this a concerted effort. Research Findings & Coverage Supercapacitors global market research report analyzes the market with respect to product types, module types and end-use vertical The market size of Supercapacitors is estimated in this report by product type, module type and end-use vertical across all major countries Revolutionary Supercapacitor with Ten Times More Energy Density Developed Carbon Nanowalls and Carbon Nanotubes the Latest Advancements in Supercapacitors Thanks to Supercapacitors, Potential for Battery-Free Electric Cars Bright Metal Nanoparticles in Paper-Based Supercapacitors Enable in Improving Energy Density Key business trends focusing on product innovations/developments, M&As, JVs and other recent industry developments Major companies profiled - 35 The industry guide includes the contact details for 101 companies Analysis Period, Units and Growth Rates The report reviews, analyzes and projects the global Supercapacitors market for the period 2017-2026 in terms of market value in US$ and the compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) projected from 2019 through 2026. KEY MARKET TRENDS Revolutionary Supercapacitor with Ten Times More Energy Density Developed Current and Future Prospects of Carbon-Based Electrode Materials for Microsupercapacitors in Self-Powering Sensor Networks Carbon Nanowalls and Carbon Nanotubes the Latest Advancements in Supercapacitors Thanks to Supercapacitors, Potential for Battery-Free Electric Cars Bright New Generation of Wearable Electronics Bolstered by Flexible, Solar-Powered Supercapacitors 3D-Printed Supercapacitor Electrode Shows Unmatched Lab Performance Metal Nanoparticles in Paper-Based Supercapacitors Enable in Improving Energy Density KEY GLOBAL PLAYERS CAP-XX LTD ( AUSTRALIA ) ) Eaton Corporation Plc ( Ireland ) ) Ioxus Inc ( United States ) ) KEMET Electronics Corporation ( United States ) ) Korchip Corporation ( South Korea ) ) LS Mtron Ltd. ( South Korea ) ) LS Ultracapacitor ( South Korea ) ) Maxwell Technologies, Inc. ( United States ) ) Nesscap Co., Ltd ( South Korea ) ) Panasonic Corporation ( Japan ) ) SEIKO Instruments, Inc. ( Japan ) ) Skeleton Technologies GmbH ( Germany ) ) SPEL Technologies Private Ltd. ( India ) ) Tecate Group ( United States ) ) Vinatech Co., Ltd. ( South Korea ) ) Yunasko Ltd ( United Kingdom ) KEY BUSINESS & PRODUCT TRENDS Murata Makes Two New Multilayer Ceramic Capacitors for Automotive Applications Ioxus Acquired by XS Power Batteries Skeleton Technologies Unveils SkelMod 131V Ultracapacitor Kyocera Corporation Acquires AVX Corporation Skeleton Technologies Develops SkelMod 17V 533F Ultracapacitor Module Skeleton Technologies to Supply Ultracapacitor Modules to Attabotics, Inc Skeleton Technologies and Medcom Join Hands-on Ultracapacitors VINATech Participates in JAPAN International Exhibition International Exhibition Evans Capacitor Company Receives $7 Million in Follow on Orders from Northrop Grumman in Follow on Orders from Northrop Grumman Skeleton Technologies Unveils SkelCap SCA0300 Ultracapacitor Murata?s Supercapacitor Production Lines Acquired by CAP-XX VINATech Unveils New 3.8V Hybrid Capacitors VPC Series Chengdu OK New Energy Acquired by AVX Corporation Integration of Maxwells Ultracapacitor Business into Tesla Skeleton Technologies Agrees to Supply Ultracapacitors to Skoda Electric Latest Release of the XLR-51 Supercapacitor Module by Eaton Maxwell Technologies Acquired by Tesla United Energy Inaugurates Research & Development Production Base for Ultracapacitors First Successful Space Launch of HCCCap Space-grade Super Capacitor Power Supply System Wuxi Murata to Establish New Capacitor Production Center HCC Energy Tech. Co., Ltd Starts Construction of R & D and Production Base for HCCCap Successful Launch of HCCCap Multi-Satellite Separation Ultracapacitor Power System Wrights Group Ltd to Receive Ultracapacitors from Skeleton Technologies Dimac Red S.p.A and Skeleton Technologies Collaborate Brush Traction Selects Skeleton Technologies for Ultracapacitors Nanoramic Laboratories Closed a Series D $5 Million Investment Round Investment Round Eaton?s XLM Supercapacitor Completes the CE Mark Self-Certification Skeleton Technologies and MJR Commercialize Ultracapacitors AVX Increases Maximum Operating Temperatures for TWD High-Temp Max-Cap Supercapacitors Menestor S.r.o and Skeleton Technologies Enter into Partnership Maxwell Joined Forces with Zhejiang Geely Holding Group FastCAP Systems is Now Nanoramic Laboratories Industrys First 3V Thin Prismatic Supercapacitors Developed by CAP-XX Panasonics Gold Caps to be Replaced by Korchip Supercapacitors High-Power, High-Energy Applications to Use Eaton?s 3.0 V XT Supercapacitor Successful Launch of Two Space Satellites Using Enhanced HCCCap Supercapacitor Power Supply Launch of NTU-Blue Solutions Flash Shuttle Equipped with Supercapacitors and a LMP Battery Launch of Beijing Hezhong Huineng Technology?s HCCCap Integrated Supercapacitor Backup Power Module CAP-XXs First Large Order for Mass Produced Thinline Supercapacitors L3-HAPLS Petawatt Laser System Delivered to ELI Beamlines Research Center LS Mtron Introduces New LSUC 3.0V 100F Snap-in Type Cell NEC TOKIN Acquired by KEMET Launch of CAP-XX First Compact Cylindrical Supercapacitors Skeleton Technologies Opens the Largest Supercapacitor Facility in Europe UL Certification for LS Mtron?s Seven Ultracapacitor Products For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/4v56df Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-890 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1904 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com VANCOUVER, BC, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - GoldMining Inc. (the "Company" or "GoldMining") (TSX: GOLD) (NYSE American: GLDG) is pleased to announce that it is initiating a preliminary economic assessment ("PEA") on its 100% owned Sao Jorge Gold Project ("Sao Jorge") in Para State, Brazil and announces the results of an updated Mineral Resource Estimate ("MRE"). Highlights: Indicated Mineral Resources of 0.71 million ounces gold (14.27 million tonnes grading 1.55 g/t gold) (see Table 1); Inferred Mineral Resources of 0.72 million ounces gold (17.58 million tonnes grading 1.27 g/t gold) (see Table 1); The MRE utilizes an optimized pit shell to constrain resources, a database of 145 drill holes totaling more than 37,000 metres and uses modernized cost and pricing assumptions including a US$1,600 /oz gold price; and /oz gold price; and GoldMining has initiated work on a PEA at Sao Jorge to further evaluate the economic potential of an open-pit operation and advance opportunities to upgrade and expand the current resource base. Alastair Still, Chief Executive Officer of GoldMining commented: "We are pleased with both the scale and grade of the new Mineral Resource Estimate. Building upon this solid foundation, the Company has launched a preliminary economic assessment and plans to initiate further work with the goal to upgrade and expand resources and evaluate underground mineral resource potential beneath the current open pit model at Sao Jorge. The new MRE utilizes an optimized pit shell to constrain resources, modernizes cost and pricing assumptions, which positions us to proceed with unlocking the potential of this deposit. This work builds upon the staged approach of advancing our portfolio of gold and copper projects throughout the Americas such as the previously announced initiation of PEAs on our Yellowknife and La Mina Projects in Canada and Colombia, respectively." The Sao Jorge Gold Project is located within gold exploration concessions totaling approximately 45,997 hectares in the southeast of Para State, Brazil, in the municipality of Novo Progresso. The region is known as the Tapajos and Sao Jorge is located 4 km west of Highway BR163 and is accessed by several gravel roads that cross the property. Eldorado Golds feasibility stage Tocantinzinho deposit and Serabis Palito mine occur along the same major structural zone that hosts the Sao Jorge deposit. Gold mineralization at Sao Jorge is hosted in granitic rocks and is associated with a northwest-southeast striking shear zone. The MRE disclosed herein was prepared by Porfirio Rodriguez, MAIG, of GE21 Consultoria Mineral LTDA (Brazil) and has an effective date of May 31, 2021. Mineral Resources are reported using a 0.3 g/t gold cut-off. The MRE was constrained using a Lerchs-Grossman (LG) optimized pit shell using maximum pit slopes of 35 degrees in saprolite and 52 degrees in fresh rock and based on an assumed US$1,600/oz gold price, average metallurgical recoveries of 90%, average mining costs of US$2.00/tonne, average processing costs of US$8.50/tonne and average general and administrative costs of US$2.10/tonne processed. Mineral Resources were estimated using a block model utilizing multiple indicator kriging using a selective mining unit block size of 5 x 5 x 5 metres. Net smelter return royalties of 3.5% in aggregate have been included in the constrained pit model. Table 1: Indicated and Inferred open pit constrained resources reported above a 0.30 g/t Au cut-off grade 1. Category Tonnes (000) Au Grade (g/t) Au Ounces (000) Indicated 14,275 1.55 711.8 Inferred 17,582 1.27 716.8 1. Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. There is no certainty that all or any part of the mineral resources will be converted into mineral reserves. The estimate of mineral resources may be materially affected by environmental permitting, legal, title, taxation, sociopolitical, marketing or other relevant issues. The Company is not currently aware of any known environmental, permitting, legal, title-related, taxation, socio-political, marketing or other relevant issue that could materially affect this MRE. 2. Mineral Resources have been classified in accordance with the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum ("CIM") Definition Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves, whose definitions are incorporated by reference into National Instrument NI 43-101. The MRE updates and replaces the prior historic MRE of the Company contained in its technical report titled "Sao Jorge Gold Project, Para State, Brazil: Independent Technical Report on Mineral Resources", dated effective November 22, 2013. NI 43-101 Technical Report GoldMining will file within 45 days an updated technical report for the Sao Jorge Gold Project, including a description of the Sao Jorge MRE contained herein. Further information regarding the MRE will be set forth in such report. Qualified Persons The Qualified Person for the Sao Jorge Mineral Resource Estimate is Porfirio Rodriguez, MAIG, of GE21 Consultoria Mineral LTDA (Brazil), who is independent of the Company, who has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information herein regarding the Sao Jorge Mineral Resource Estimate. Paulo Pereira, P. Geo., President of GoldMining Inc. has supervised the preparation of this news release and has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information contained herein. Each of Messrs. Rodriquez and Pereira are Qualified Persons as defined in National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101"). Notice to Readers Disclosure regarding Mineral Resource estimates included herein have been prepared by the Company in accordance with NI 43-101. NI 43-101 is a rule developed by the Canadian Securities Administrators that establishes standards for public disclosure by issuer of scientific and technical information concerning mineral projects. NI 43-101 differs significantly from the disclosure requirements of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") generally applicable to U.S. companies subject to the SEC's disclosure requirements. For example, the terms "Indicated Mineral Resource" and "Inferred Mineral Resource" are defined in NI 43-101 by reference to the guidelines set out in the CIM Definition Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves. These definitions differ from the definitions in the disclosure requirements promulgated by the SEC. Accordingly, information contained herein or in the Company's descriptions of its projects may not be comparable to similar information made public by U.S. companies reporting pursuant to SEC disclosure requirements. About GoldMining Inc. GoldMining Inc. is a public mineral exploration company focused on the acquisition and development of gold assets in the Americas. Through its disciplined acquisition strategy, GoldMining now controls a diversified portfolio of resource-stage gold and gold-copper projects in Canada, U.S.A., Brazil, Colombia, and Peru. Forward-looking Statements This document contains certain forward-looking statements that reflect the current views and/or expectations of GoldMining with respect to its long-term strategy, proposed work and other plans and expected timing of PEAs and other reports for its projects. Forward-looking statements are based on the then-current expectations, beliefs, assumptions, estimates and forecasts about the business and the markets in which GoldMining operates. Investors are cautioned that all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including: delays to plans caused by restrictions and other future impacts of COVID-19 or any other inability of the Company to meet expected timelines for planned project activities, including the proposed PEAs and reports; the inherent risks involved in the exploration and development of mineral properties, fluctuating metal prices, proposed studies may not confirm GoldMining's expectations for its projects, unanticipated costs and expenses and uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future. These risks, as well as others, including those set forth in GoldMinings Annual Information Form for the year ended November 30, 2020, and other filings with Canadian securities regulators and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, could cause actual results and events to vary significantly. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and information. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information, or the material factors or assumptions used to develop such forward looking information, will prove to be accurate. The Company does not undertake any obligations to release publicly any revisions for updating any voluntary forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable securities law. SOURCE GoldMining Inc. Related Links www.goldmining.com "We owe our lives, our liberty, our prosperity, and our democracy to those who made the ultimate sacrifice in order to preserve one nation under God," said Bob Unanue, President and CEO of Goya Foods. Bob Unanue and Cassandra Garcia, Deputy State Director for US Senator Ted Cruz, honored the family of fallen soldier Marty Gonzalez and six other heroic veterans at a special event held at Goya's Texas facility on Memorial Day, Monday, May 31, 2021. Marty's widow Tawnee and daughter were presented with a United States Flag that flew over The U.S. Capitol. Cassandra Garcia offered the flag along with a certificate recognizing USMC Sergeant Gonzalez's service "from a grateful Nation." Other honored Veterans included: 101-year old WWII U.S. Navy Officer Veteran Stewart Morris Senior; U.S. Army Corporal Veteran Sue Downes; 93-year-old U.S. Army Sergeant Major Veteran Victor Lopez | Borinqueneers; and USMC; Honorable Commissioner and USMC Veteran Daniel P. Cortez; USMC Veteran Mark Oz Geist; USMC Veteran Bill Balleza. Each was presented with a flag that flew over the United States Capital and framed certificates. The event was attended by dignitaries, local veterans, the Mayor of Brookshire, Goya employees and local community members. About the Honorees: Fallen soldier USMC Sergeant Marty Gonzalez . Marty is a decorated warrior who served several tours of duty and received two bronze stars and three purple hearts. He played a key role in forming the veterans Court in Texas to help other veterans recover from PTSD. He was laid to rest with full military honors. His widow Tawnee Gonzalez and her daughter attended to accept the award. This was the first Memorial Day without him . USMC Sergeant Marty is a decorated warrior who served several tours of duty and received two bronze stars and three purple hearts. He played a key role in forming the veterans Court in to help other veterans recover from PTSD. He was laid to rest with full military honors. His widow and her daughter attended to accept the award. This was the first Memorial Day without him USMC Veteran Mark Oz Geist | Shadow Warrior. A US Marine Corps Veteran, who also was a team member of the Annex Security Team that fought courageously during the attack on Benghazi, Libya and he is credited with saving 25 people. | A US Marine Corps Veteran, who also was a team member of the Annex Security Team that fought courageously during the attack on Benghazi, and he is credited with saving 25 people. 93-year-old U.S. Army Sergeant Major Veteran Borinqueneer Victor Lopez . Lopez was deployed several times during the Korean War and during peacetimes to Vietnam . He has earned various awards and citations for his service to our nation. . Lopez was deployed several times during the Korean War and during peacetimes to . He has earned various awards and citations for his service to our nation. U.S. Army Veteran Corporal Sue Downes . CPL Downes was deployed to Afghanistan and injured when an antitank mine hit her Humvee. She lost both her legs and her best friend in the blast. She is a single mom with 2 children. CPL Downes was deployed to and injured when an antitank mine hit her Humvee. She lost both her legs and her best friend in the blast. She is a single mom with 2 children. 101-year old WWII U.S. Navy Officer Veteran Stewart Morris Senior. A true American Patriot, businessman and philanthropist, Stewart is a founding father of Houston Baptist University. A true American Patriot, businessman and philanthropist, Stewart is a founding father of Houston Baptist University. Honorable Commissioner and USMC Veteran Daniel P. Cortez. Cortez served in the Vietnam War. He is one of five generations of veterans in his family to dedicate his life to serving his country. Cortez served in the Vietnam War. He is one of five generations of veterans in his family to dedicate his life to serving his country. USMC Veteran Bill Balleza. Bill is a former local Houston NBC affiliate anchor with 50 years of an impressive career. Prior to his broadcasting career he served three years in the Marine Corps including 13 months in Vietnam where he was positioned as a scout/sniper. For more information about Goya Foods, please visit: www.goya.com About GOYA: Founded in 1936, Goya Foods, Inc. is America's largest Hispanic-owned food company, and has established itself as the leader in Latin American food and condiments. Goya manufactures, packages, and distributes over 2,500 high-quality food products from Spain, the Caribbean Islands, Mexico, Central and South America. Goya products have their roots in the culinary traditions of Hispanic communities around the world; the combination of authentic ingredients, robust seasonings, and convenient preparation makes Goya products ideal for every taste and every table. For more information on Goya Foods, please visit www.goya.com Contact: Natalie Maniscalco 845-659-6506 [email protected] SOURCE Goya Foods, Inc. Related Links http://www.goya.com On June 1, 2020, the Chinese government issued a master plan for the Hainan FTP, which focused on facilitating free trade investment, establishing a policy system suitable for a high-level Free Trade Port, and creating an internationally influential special customs administration area. In the year following the publication of the master plan, 791 projects kicked off in Hainan, with a total investment of 223.48 billion yuan (about $35.06 billion). In the first quarter of 2021, Hainan achieved a regional GDP of 139.6 billion yuan (about $21.9 billion), a year-on-year increase of 19.8%, the second-highest growth rate of any Chinese province. Several key policies have been implemented in the FTP, including a 15% income tax for both individuals with high-level and in-demand expertise working in Hainan and eligible Hainan-registered companies in certain industries, zero tariffs on listed imported raw materials, zero tariffs on listed imported vehicles and yachts, and a negative list for zero tariffs on manufacturing equipment for internal production use. As of the end of 2020, a total of 45,940 companies had opened in Hainan's province-level key industrial parks, increasing total company numbers by 74.5%. Hainan's 11 key Free Trade Port industrial parks were home to a total of 38,899 companies, an increase of 89.8%. On May 1, 2018, Hainan implemented a policy allowing citizens of 59 countries to enter without a visa. In the first quarter of 2021, 419 foreign invested companies were set up in Hainan, a year-on-year increase of 525.37%. Actual use of foreign investment funds totaled 555.8 million USD, a 432.98% increase over the previous year's numbers, and Hainan saw new foreign invested companies from 66 countries and regions set up in the province. As the world's largest Free Trade Port, as well as an international tourism island brimming with tropical romance, Hainan had attracted 232,000 talented individuals as of April 12, 2021, and is turning into one of the hottest new places for investment on the planet as well as a new home for young people from near and far. SOURCE Hainan International Media Center (HIMC) ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- On Friday, the Hearing Examiner for the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission (NMPRC) set the remaining procedural schedule for the amended stipulation in the merger application of Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM) and its parent company, PNM Resources, Inc. (NYSE: PNM), with AVANGRID (NYSE: AGR). This schedule comes after AVANGRID addressed regulatory issues for its northeastern regional utility subsidiaries on service quality standards, including details on routine reviews management audits that are typical for investor-owned utilities in those jurisdictions. The filing reflected AVANGRID's policy on open disclosure of its utility practices with customers, employees, regulators, investors, key stakeholders, and the communities in which AVANGRID operates. "We are pleased that the Hearing Examiner has chosen to move forward towards an evidentiary hearing on the amended stipulation which includes 13 parties on our merger application," said Pat Vincent-Collawn chairman president and CEO PNM Resources. "This merger has already received approvals from federal agencies and the Texas Public Utility Commission, and we look forward to making the case for moving PNM and New Mexico forward with AVANGRID's expertise and financial backing along with their commitments to customers and communities." The procedural schedule sets August 11 20, 2021 as the dates for evidentiary hearings on the amended stipulation reached with 13 other parties to combine their diverse interests and bring over $270 million in benefits to New Mexico. Five federal agencies and the Public Utilities Commission of Texas have already completed their reviews and approved the proposed merger, leaving the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission as the only remaining approval necessary for the merger. The original application before the NMPRC was filed in November 2020. Parties supporting the amended stipulated agreement include: the Attorney General of the State of New Mexico, Western Resource Advocates, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 611, Dine Citizens Against Ruining Our Environment, Nava Education Project, San Juan Citizens Alliance, To Nizhoni Ani, the Coalition for Clean Affordable Energy, Interwest Energy Alliance, Walmart, Inc., Onward Energy Holdings, LLC, M-S-R Power and Los Alamos County. Additional materials pertaining to the NMPRC application for approval of the merger and amended stipulation are available at https://www.pnmresources.com/investors/rates-and-filings.aspx. Background: PNM Resources (NYSE: PNM) is an energy holding company based in Albuquerque, N.M., with 2020 consolidated operating revenues of $1.5 billion. Through its regulated utilities, PNM and TNMP, PNM Resources provides electricity to approximately 800,000 homes and businesses in New Mexico and Texas. PNM serves its customers with a diverse mix of generation and purchased power resources totaling 2.8 gigawatts of capacity, with a goal to achieve 100% emissions-free energy by 2040. For more information, visit the company's website at www.PNMResources.com. CONTACTS: Analysts Media Lisa Goodman Ray Sandoval (505) 241-2160 (505) 241-2782 Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 Statements made in this news release for PNM Resources, Inc. ("PNMR"), Public Service Company of New Mexico ("PNM"), or Texas-New Mexico Power Company ("TNMP") (collectively, the "Company") that relate to future events or expectations, projections, estimates, intentions, goals, targets, and strategies are made pursuant to the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Readers are cautioned that all forward-looking statements are based upon current expectations and estimates. PNMR, PNM, and TNMP assume no obligation to update this information. Because actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements, PNMR, PNM, and TNMP caution readers not to place undue reliance on these statements. PNMR's, PNM's, and TNMP's business, financial condition, cash flow, and operating results are influenced by many factors, which are often beyond their control, that can cause actual results to differ from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Additionally, there are risks and uncertainties in connection with the proposed acquisition of us by AVANGRID which may adversely affect our business, future opportunities, employees and common stock, including without limitation, (i) the expected timing and likelihood of completion of the pending Merger, including the timing, receipt and terms and conditions of any required governmental and regulatory approvals of the pending Merger that could reduce anticipated benefits or cause the parties to abandon the transaction, (ii) the failure by AVANGRID to obtain the necessary financing arrangement set forth in commitment letter received in connection with the Merger, (iii) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the Merger Agreement, (iv) the risk that the parties may not be able to satisfy the conditions to the proposed Merger in a timely manner or at all, and (v) the risk that the proposed transaction could have an adverse effect on the ability of PNMR to retain and hire key personnel and maintain relationships with its customers and suppliers, and on its operating results and businesses generally. For a discussion of risk factors and other important factors affecting forward-looking statements, please see the Company's Form 10-K, Form 10-Q filings and the information included in the Company's Forms 8-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which factors are specifically incorporated by reference herein. SOURCE PNM Resources, Inc. Related Links http://www.pnmresources.com BERLIN, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- It is with profound sadness that we mourn the passing of Henrik Enderlein, who served as President of the Hertie School until earlier this year and was a founding member of our faculty since 2005. Enderlein had been undergoing treatment for advanced cancer (melanoma) since August 2020. He was 46. A distinguished scholar in the field of political economy, he embodied the spirit of our community through his tireless support for our students and alumni. We are immensely grateful to have benefited from his visionary leadership, his deep commitment to the field of governance and public policy, his insightful contributions to European public debate and of course his singular wit and charm. A staunch believer in the European project and an engaged advocate of greater collaboration across Europe, Professor Enderlein was the Director of the Jacques Delors Centre, a think-tank he founded in 2014. Professor Enderlein was a prolific contributor to public debate and trusted sparring partner for many leaders across Europe. In 2012/2013 he was the Pierre Keller Visiting Professor of Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School and the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs. From 2006-2007 he was Fulbright Distinguished Chair in Duke University's political science department. In 2003, Professor Enderlein was awarded the Max Planck Society's Otto-Hahn Medal for outstanding achievements by young scientists. He completed his PhD at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies in Cologne, and degrees from Sciences Po in Paris and Columbia University in New York. Prior to his academic career, he was an economist at the European Central Bank in Frankfurt. "Our thoughts are with Henrik's wife Isabelle and their four children. We mourn alongside them and offer our deepest sympathies," said Mark Hallerberg, Acting President. "Henrik's name is inseparably linked with the Hertie School. He was a visionary champion of our institution and of our mission to educate the next generation of leaders. The Hertie community has lost a dear friend and he will be greatly missed." In many capacities, Professor Enderlein shaped our university from its earliest days and was a trusted advisor to previous our Presidents. He served as Associate Dean (2008-2012 and 2014-2017), Programme Director of the Master of Public Policy (2009-2012) as well as Programme Director of Executive Education (2007-2009). As President of the Hertie School from 2018-2021, Professor Enderlein initiated an ambitious and future-oriented plan to expand the university's research and teaching capacity, establishing five new Centres of Competence. As a faculty member, he was prolific in supporting the work of PhD researchers. "The Hertie School's position as a leading public policy school is thanks to the leadership and vision of Henrik Enderlein," said Frank Mattern and Bernd Knobloch, Chairmen of the Hertie School Boards. At the start of Professor Enderlein's tenure as President in 2018, the Hertie Foundation, the school's major donor, substantially increased its funding of the university. "Professor Enderlein's leadership of the Hertie School has made us proud to support this remarkable institution and its future," said Frank-Jurgen Weise, Chair of the Board of the Hertie Foundation. A private service will be held by Professor Enderlein's family. Details about how our community will honour his memory will be announced in the coming weeks. A book of condolence will be available for signature and tributes in the main foyer of our campus at Friedrichstrasse 180 from 1 June. An online book of condolence is also available. Picture: http://www.apimages.com Contact: Jennifer Beckermann Director of Communications [email protected] Tel: +49 (0) 1751950030 About the Hertie School The Hertie School in Berlin prepares exceptional students for leadership positions in government, business, and civil society. The school offers master's programmes, executive education and doctoral programmes, distinguished by interdisciplinary and practice-oriented teaching, as well as outstanding research. Its extensive international network positions it as an ambassador of good governance, characterised by public debate and engagement. The school was founded in 2004 by the Hertie Foundation, which remains its major funder. The Hertie School is accredited by the state and the German Science Council. www.hertie-school.org SOURCE Hertie School SAN FRANCISCO, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- HumanFirst, the experts in decentralized clinical trials and distributed, virtual healthcare, announced today the closing of a Series A fundraise and a name change to reflect the company's focus on enabling healthcare operations at home. The $12M Series A round was preempted by seed investors Maverick Ventures (lead), Lux Capital, Arkitekt Ventures, Boost VC, SV Angel, and Village Global. Threshold Ventures and an additional 30+ angel investors joined this group for the Series A fundraise. This Series A investment brings HumanFirst's total funding to $15M since the company's inception. In that time, 22 of the top 25 pharmaceutical companies by revenue have used the HumanFirst platform to evaluate and enable the deployment of technology products. HumanFirst launched its Atlas platform in 2019 to help organizations safely, effectively, and equitably deploy connected products for clinical trials and remote patient monitoring. Since that time, the company has worked with nearly all of the top global pharmaceutical companies and has spearheaded the creation of ' The Digital Measures Playbook' of open-access best practices for capturing patient signals and decreasing risk when deploying, managing, and monitoring connected products in home-based settings. With the addition of Series A funding, HumanFirst will expand to enable an API-led operational infrastructure related to decentralized trials and distributed care. "Healthcare is coming home, giving individuals more agency over their health and wellness. We've changed our name to reflect this important shift," explained HumanFirst CEO Andy Coravos. "We need to ensure that home-based operations are as reliable and trustworthy as those within the hospital or the research site. HumanFirst is building the control center to make this happen." The additional capital will go toward increasing HumanFirst's footprint as the infrastructure layer to support home-focused clinical operations ranging from sensors to in-home visits, testing, and more. "Health technology innovation has always moved faster than the guardrails necessary to securely, efficiently, and thoughtfully support it," said Maverick Ventures Managing Director Ambar Bhattacharyya. "HumanFirst is a necessary company in ensuring we're on path for the future of healthcare at home, which is why we are thrilled to double down on our investment and lead the Series A round." About HumanFirst HumanFirst enables safe, effective, and equitable healthcare operations at home. Previously known as Elektra Labs, HumanFirst acts as a command center with an API-based infrastructure, enabling decentralized trials and distributed care that are as trustworthy as those within hospitals and research sites. HumanFirst was founded in 2017, has been featured in dozens of publications and medical journals, and has received funding from several prominent health, bioscience and tech investors as well as the National Science Foundation and the Harvard Business School Rock Center for Entrepreneurship, and more than 30 angel investors, including Alice Zhang, Alyssa Atkins, Ariel Dora Stern, Ashley Yesayan, Beth Turner, Chris Hsu, Chris Mansi, Christina Cacioppo, Deon Nicholas, Dina Burkitbayeva, Ellen Chisa, Ellen Da Silva, Elliot Cohen, Evan Coravos, Felicia Cucuru, Ginny Fahs, Howie Liu, Jamie Gates, Jessica Cole, Josh Hannah, Julia Austin, Khaled Kteily, Laura Behrens Wu, Linda Xie, Lisa Marrone, Nat Turner, Noah Zimmerman, Katie and Reade Fahs, Samuel Whitaker, Ted Leonsis, Tom Janssen, Yuval Gonczarowski, and Zach Weinberg. For more information on HumanFirst, visit GoHumanFirst.com or follow HumanFirst on Twitter , LinkedIn , Medium and Facebook . About Maverick Ventures Founded in 2015, Maverick Ventures is the venture capital arm of Maverick Capital and is based in San Francisco, California. The firm seeks to invest in the software as a service, technology, healthcare, and consumer sectors. More information is available at www.maverickventures.com. Media Contact: Jamie Gray, [email protected], 310.699.3163 SOURCE HumanFirst Instead of using her office to work for the people of Florida, Nikki Fried has spent the last (two) and a half years working to better herself, RGA spokesperson Joanna Rodriguez said in a released statement. Floridians want someone who will fight for them tirelessly, and Frieds desperate political posturing and reliance on lies and pandering to make a point prove shes the exact opposite of what Florida needs. THE WOODLANDS, Texas, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Huntsman Corporation (NYSE: HUN) has published its 2020 corporate sustainability report titled, "Brightening the Horizon: Innovative Solutions for a Low-Carbon Economy," on its website at Huntsman.com/sustainability. The report highlights many of the ways Huntsman products enable a low-carbon economy and make a positive contribution to society and the environment. "The pathway to a cleaner environment and more efficient economy runs through Huntsman," said Brittany Benko, Senior Vice President of Environmental, Health, Safety and Manufacturing Excellence and Corporate Sustainability Officer for Huntsman. "In addition to the improvements we are making in our operations to run more efficiently and reduce both energy and water usage, our products are directly tied to shrinking the environmental footprint of our customers. Our innovative and sustainable solutions move the electric vehicle industry forward, enable wind energy, make airplanes and vehicles more fuel efficient, save water and energy in the textile industry and use recycled plastic to make the most effective energy-saving polyurethane insulation in today's marketplace." The GRI- and SASB-compliant sustainability report includes Huntsman's annual Communication on Progress to the United Nations Global Compact, examples of Huntsman's sustainability principles in action, as well as robust reporting of the company's environmental, social and governance performance. This is Huntsman's 10th published sustainability report since launching its corporate sustainability initiative in 2010. About Huntsman: Huntsman Corporation is a publicly traded global manufacturer and marketer of differentiated and specialty chemicals with 2020 revenues of approximately $6 billion. Our chemical products number in the thousands and are sold worldwide to manufacturers serving a broad and diverse range of consumer and industrial end markets. We operate more than 70 manufacturing, R&D and operations facilities in approximately 30 countries and employ approximately 9,000 associates within our four distinct business divisions. For more information about Huntsman, please visit the company's website at www.huntsman.com. Social Media: Twitter: www.twitter.com/Huntsman_Corp Facebook: www.facebook.com/huntsmancorp LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/huntsman Forward-Looking Statements: Certain information in this release constitutes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These statements are based on management's current beliefs and expectations. The forward-looking statements in this release are subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances and involve risks and uncertainties that may affect the company's operations, markets, products, services, prices and other factors as discussed under the caption "Risk Factors" in the Huntsman companies' filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Significant risks and uncertainties may relate to, but are not limited to, volatile global economic conditions, cyclical and volatile product markets, disruptions in production at manufacturing facilities, reorganization or restructuring of Huntsman's operations, including any delay of, or other negative developments affecting the ability to implement cost reductions, timing of proposed transactions, and manufacturing optimization improvements in Huntsman businesses and realize anticipated cost savings, and other financial, economic, competitive, environmental, political, legal, regulatory and technological factors. The company assumes no obligation to provide revisions to any forward-looking statements should circumstances change, except as otherwise required by applicable laws. SOURCE Huntsman Corporation Related Links http://www.huntsman.com DETROIT, Mich., June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Huron Capital Partners' ("Huron Capital") portfolio company, Direct Connect Logistix ("Direct Connect") an Indianapolis-based leading provider of logistics management and specialty freight brokerage services today named industry expert Richard Piontek as CEO of DCL Holdings, the organization's parent company. This hire is the latest in a series of strategic business moves by Direct Connect which have transformed the company into a rapidly growing, scalable 3PL platform. Piontek who brings with him more than 30 years of logistics experience and a successful record in driving growth through acquisitions will focus efforts on further defining Direct Connect's strategy, capitalizing on the potential to acquire companies consistent with identified business goals, and seamlessly integrating any new additions into DCL Holdings. He will work closely with Greg Humrichouser, CEO and co-founder of Direct Connect, who will continue to lead the momentum that Direct Connect has successfully driven through growth performance and dynamic supply chain initiatives. "As CEO and co-founder of Direct Connect, I am committed to ensuring the company achieves its full potential," said Humrichouser. "We have instilled great momentum, a very strong platform, and a compelling vision for the future, and I am pleased that we could recruit Rich to join our team in taking Direct Connect to the next level." Piontek most recently served as president of managed transportation at TA Services, a logistics and supply chain solutions provider based in Mansfield, Texas. Previously, he served as Chairman of eCapital LLC, a funding platform for transportation, logistics and manufacturing companies. Throughout his career, Piontek has found his success in completing mergers and acquisitions in the logistics industry. Huron Capital secured its investment in the third-party logistics platform in May 2018. "We want to thank Greg for his continued leadership and insight," said Brian Walker, Chairman of Direct Connect and Partner, Huron Capital. "He and his team have done an outstanding job of building Direct Connect into a platform that we can continue to build upon. He will continue to play a critical role in Direct Connect's future, as we echo his enthusiasm in bringing Rich into the fold. We believe he has the right experience and cultural fit to further the success of 3PL platform through rapid growth and scale." About Huron Capital Founded in Detroit in 1999, Huron Capital is an operationally focused private equity platform with a long history of growing lower middle-market companies through our proprietary ExecFactor buy-and-build investment model. We prefer complex situations where we can help companies reach their full potential by combining our operational approach, substantial capital base, and transaction experience with seasoned operating executives. An early pioneer of the buy-and-build approach, Huron Capital has successfully established six private equity funds aggregating nearly $2.0 billion in committed capital and invested in over 200 companies, and our portfolio companies have employed over 11,000 people throughout North America. The Huron Capital buy-and-build investment model includes equity recapitalizations, family succession transactions, market-entry strategies, corporate carve-outs, and management buyouts of companies having revenues up to $200 million. Huron Capital targets both control and non-control equity stakes in fundamentally-sound companies that can benefit from the Firm's operational approach to creating value. Huron Capital focuses on niche segments within the business services, consumer products & services and specialty industrials sectors. For more information, please visit: www.huroncapital.com. About Direct Connect Logistix Direct Connect Logistix, Inc. provides logistics management and specialty freight brokerage services principally for domestic truckload shippers. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Ind., the business has been in operation since 2009. For more information, please visit: www.dclogistix.com. Certain information herein may contain forward-looking statements which are provided to assist the reader in understanding the beliefs and opinions with respect to future opportunities as perceived by Huron Capital and others quoted herein. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and undue reliance should not be placed on them. Such forward-looking statements necessarily involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause actual performance in future periods to differ materially from any projections or results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. The issuer of these statements undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or estimates or opinions should change except as may be required by applicable securities laws. Contact: Brent Snavely, Senior Director Lambert & Co. (313) 309-9516 [email protected] SOURCE Huron Capital Related Links http://www.huroncapital.com MT. PLEASANT, Mich., June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Isabella Bank Corporation (OTCQX:ISBA) today announced its Board of Directors declared a second-quarter cash dividend of $0.27 per common share at its regular meeting on May 26, 2021. The dividend will be payable June 30, 2021 to shareholders of record as of June 28, 2021. Based on ISBA's closing stock price of $23.15 per share as of May 26, 2021, the annualized cash dividend yield is 4.67%. "Our $0.27 second quarter cash dividend is a reflection of the organization's continued strong financial performance and representative of our commitment to building shareholder value," said Jae A. Evans, President and Chief Executive Officer. "The short and long term strategic initiatives we have implemented to improve return on equity, return on assets, and earnings per share have also been instrumental in increasing shareholder value, which is evidenced by an 18% increase in the market value of Isabella Bank Corporation stock since the end of 2020." About the Corporation Isabella Bank Corporation (OTCQX: ISBA) is the parent holding company of Isabella Bank, a state chartered bank headquartered in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. Isabella Bank was established in 1903 and has been committed to serving the local banking needs of its customers and communities for 118 years. The Bank offers personal and commercial lending and deposit products, as well as investment, trust and estate planning services through Isabella Wealth. The Bank has locations throughout seven Mid-Michigan counties: Clare, Gratiot, Isabella, Mecosta, Midland, Montcalm, and Saginaw. For more information about Isabella Bank Corporation, visit the Invest in Us link at www.isabellabank.com. Isabella Bank Corporation common stock is quoted on the OTCQX tier of the OTC Markets Group, Inc.'s electronic quotation system (www.otcmarkets.com) under the symbol "ISBA." The Corporation's market maker is Boenning & Scattergood, Inc. (www.boenninginc.com) and its investor relations firm is Renmark Financial Communications, Inc. (www.renmarkfinancial.com). Forward-Looking Statements This press release includes forward-looking statements. To the extent that the foregoing information refers to matters that may occur in the future, please be aware that such forward-looking statements may differ materially from actual results. Additional information concerning some of the factors that could cause materially different results is included in the sections entitled "Risk Factors" and "Forward Looking Statements" set forth in Isabella Bank Corporation's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which are available from the Securities and Exchange Commission's Public Reference facilities and from its website at www.sec.gov . SOURCE Isabella Bank Corporation GUILFORD, Conn., June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- "I'd rather win a Pulitzer Prize than be President of the United States," John F. Kennedy confided to author Margaret Coit shortly after his election to the Senate in 1953. Kennedy got his wish four years later, when his book, Profiles in Courage, was awarded the Pulitzer for biographyeven though it wasn't among the finalists for the prize. The role of Kennedy's speechwriter Ted Sorensen in drafting and crafting the main chapters in the book was never acknowledged by Kennedy's inner circle. Kennedy was hyper-sensitive until his dying day about rumors that cast doubt on his authorship of Profiles. JFK'S Ghost, by David R. Stokes Sorensen was in many ways Kennedy's "alter ego," a man described as Kennedy's "intellectual blood-bank." But Jackie Kennedy found the relationship between her husband and his speechwriter to be "creepy." Still, Jack Kennedy the writer is an often overlooked part of the Kennedy narrative that helped propel his political career. And when Kennedy's authorship of Profiles and the legitimacy of his Pulitzer Prize were challenged on Mike Wallace's national television show by the popular columnist Drew Pearson, JFK's political future was in serious peril. In fact, if the rumors surrounding the authorship of Profiles in Courage had been confirmed as true prior to his ascendance to the Presidency, there might have been no brief and shining moment in America now remembered as Camelot. David R. Stokes has written the definitive book about the entire story. The Author: David R. Stokes is a ghostwriter, bestselling author, broadcaster, and retired pastor. His personal website is: davidrstokes.com. Lyons Press is an imprint of Globe Pequot, the trade division of Rowman & Littlefield. Authors include some of the foremost experts writing today about American and military history. Media contact: Jessica Kastner [email protected] (203) 458-4511 SOURCE Lyons Press BUENOS AIRES, Argentina, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Mastellone Hermanos S.A. (the "Company") hereby announces the commencement of its offer to exchange (the "Offer" or "Exchange Offer") US$162,750,139 principal amount (the "Maximum Tender Amount"), or 81.50%, of the aggregate principal amount of its outstanding 12.625% Series F Notes due 2021 (the "Existing Notes") into newly issued 10.95% Senior Secured Notes 2026 (the "New Notes") upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Exchange Offer Memorandum (the "Exchange Offer Memorandum"), dated June 1, 2021, the related Eligibility Letter, and, where applicable, the related Letter of Transmittal (together the "Offer Documents"). Capitalized terms not defined herein shall have the meaning ascribed to them in the Offer Documents. Eligible Holders of approximately 60% aggregate principal amount of Existing Notes have confirmed their support of and participation in the Offer, subject to certain conditions. If the Offer is consummated, the Company plans to use part of the net cash proceeds from the Financings to deposit funds with the trustee for the Existing Notes in an amount sufficient to pay and discharge the entire indebtedness on all Existing Notes not theretofore delivered to the trustee for the Existing Notes for cancellation, for principal and interest (including additional amounts) on such Existing Notes to the July 3, 2021 stated maturity date of the Existing Notes. Only holders who have returned a duly completed Eligibility Letter certifying that they are (1) "qualified institutional buyers" ("QIBs") as defined in Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), (2) holders of Existing Notes other than "U.S. persons" (as defined in Rule 902 under the Securities Act) who are located outside of the United States, who are qualified offerees in other jurisdictions and who are not Argentine Entity Offerees (as defined in the Eligibility Letter) or Non-Cooperating Jurisdiction Offerees (as defined in the Eligibility Letter), (3) "non-U.S. persons" who are Argentine Entity Offerees, (4) "non-U.S. persons" who are Non-Cooperating Jurisdictions Offerees, or (5) "non-U.S. persons" who are Eligible Canadian Holders (as defined in the Eligibility Letter), are authorized to receive the Exchange Offer Memorandum and to participate in the Exchange Offer (such holders, "Eligible Holders"); provided that Argentine Entity Offerees and Non-Cooperating Jurisdiction Offerees may not participate in the Exchange Offer unless they also complete, sign and submit a letter of transmittal in the form attached as Annex A to the Offering Memorandum (the "Letter of Transmittal") to the Exchange and Information Agent. Argentine Entity Offerees and Non-Cooperating Jurisdiction Offerees are subject to certain tax withholdings in respect of interest collected on, and gains or losses resulting from the tendering of the Existing Notes. See "TaxationCertain Argentine Tax Considerations" in the Exchange Offer Memorandum. Subject to the Maximum Tender Amount and proration, Eligible Holders who validly tender Existing Notes on or prior to the Early Tender Date (as defined below) will be eligible to receive (i) for each US$1,000 principal amount of Existing Notes validly tendered, a principal amount of New Notes as set forth in the table below under the heading "New Notes Consideration" plus an amount of cash set forth in the table below under the heading "Cash Consideration" and (ii) an amount of cash set forth in the table below under the heading "Early Cash Consideration" divided pro-rata among all such Eligible Holders based on the principal amount of such Eligible Holders' Existing Notes that are accepted in the Offer (the New Notes Consideration together with the Cash Consideration and the Early Cash Consideration, the "Early Exchange Consideration"). Subject to the Maximum Tender Amount and proration, Eligible Holders who validly tender Existing Notes after the Early Tender Date but on or prior to the Expiration Date will be eligible to receive, for each US$1,000 principal amount of Existing Notes validly tendered, a principal amount of New Notes as set forth in the table below under the heading "New Notes Consideration" plus an amount of cash set forth in the table below under the heading "Cash Consideration" (the New Notes Consideration together with the Cash Consideration, the "Late Exchange Consideration"). The Early Exchange Consideration and the Late Exchange Consideration are collectively referred to as the "Exchange Consideration." In addition to the applicable Exchange Consideration, Eligible Holders whose Existing Notes are accepted for exchange in the Exchange Offer will also receive accrued and unpaid interest in respect of such exchanged Existing Notes from the last interest payment date to, but not including, the Settlement Date (such payment, the "Accrued Interest Payment"), to be paid in cash on the Settlement Date (subject to any tax withholdings applicable to Argentine Entity Offerees or to Non-Cooperating Jurisdictions Offerees). The settlement date for the Exchange Offer is expected to be June 30, 2021, or as soon as practicable thereafter (the "Settlement Date"). The following table sets forth certain material terms of the Exchange Offer: Existing Notes(1) ISINs CUSIPs Aggregate Principal Amount of Existing Notes Outstanding New Notes Consideration(2) (Principal Amount) Cash Consideration(2) Early Cash Consideration(3) 12.625% Series F Notes due 2021 US57632PAU49 (144A) USP6460MAJ38 (Reg S) 57632P AU4 (144A) P6460M AJ3 (Reg S) US$199,693,422 US$675 US$325 US$1,400,000 _________________________ (1) The Existing Notes are currently listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange and traded on its Euro MTF Market and are listed on the Bolsas y Mercados Argentinos S.A. and are traded on the Mercado Abierto Electronico S.A. (2) Per US$1,000 principal amount of Existing Notes validly tendered and accepted for exchange. The Exchange Consideration does not include the Accrued Interest Payment. (3) Payable on a pro rata basis to Eligible Holders who validly tender Existing Notes on or prior to the Early Tender Date. The Offer will expire at 11:59 p.m., New York City time, on June 28, 2021, (such date and time with respect to the Offer, as the same may be extended with respect to such Offer, the "Expiration Date"). In order to be eligible to receive the Early Exchange Consideration, Eligible Holders of Existing Notes must tender their Existing Notes on or prior to 5:00 P.M. New York City time on June 14, 2021, (such date and time, as the same may be extended, the "Early Tender Date"). Eligible Holders of Existing Notes who validly tender their Existing Notes after the early tender date, but on or prior to the Expiration Date will be eligible to receive the Late Exchange consideration. Existing Notes validly tendered may be validly withdrawn at any time prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time on June 14, 2021 unless extended by the Company in its sole discretion (such date and time, as the same may be extended, the "Withdrawal Date"), but not thereafter. Subject to the Maximum Tender Amount and proration, all Existing Notes validly tendered at or prior to the Early Tender Date will be accepted for exchange before any Existing Notes validly tendered after the Early Tender Date are accepted for exchange. Furthermore, if the Offer is fully subscribed as of the Early Tender Date, Eligible Holders who validly tender Existing Notes after the Early Tender Date will not have any of their Existing Notes accepted for exchange, provided that such Existing Notes may be accepted for exchange if we increase the Maximum Tender Amount, which we are entitled to do in our sole discretion. There can be no assurance that we will increase the Maximum Tender Amount. The Offer is subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, including, without limitation, the Minimum Tender Condition and the Financing Condition and the other conditions set forth under the heading "The OfferThe Conditions" of the Exchange Offer Memorandum. The Minimum Tender Condition requires that at least 81.50% of the outstanding principal amount of Existing Notes be tendered in the Offer. The Company's obligation to accept Existing Notes tendered in the Offer is subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions applicable to the Offer, including (1) certain customary conditions, including that the Company will not be obligated to consummate the Offer upon the occurrence of an event or events or the likely occurrence of an event or events that would or might reasonably be expected to prohibit, restrict or delay the consummation of the Offer or materially impair the contemplated benefits to the Company of the Offer and (2) in the case of Existing Notes tendered by Argentine Entity Offerees and Non-Cooperating Jurisdiction Offerees, such holder's delivery of the Letter of Transmittal. Subject to applicable law and limitations described in the Offer to Exchange, the Company may waive any of these conditions in its sole discretion. See "The OfferThe Conditions" in the Exchange Offer Memorandum. The purpose of the Offer is to extend the maturity of the debt obligations associated with the Existing Notes. If we are unable to consummate the Offer, we may be unable to pay principal and interest on the Existing Notes. If and when issued, the New Notes will not be registered under the Securities Act or any state securities laws. Therefore, the New Notes may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and any applicable state securities laws. Global Bondholder Services Corporation will act as the Exchange and Information Agent for the Offer. Questions or requests for assistance related to the Offer or for additional copies of the Offer Documents may be directed to Global Bondholder Services Corporation at (866) 924-2200 (toll free). You may also contact your broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee for assistance concerning the Offer. The Offer Documents are available for Eligible Holders at the following web address: https://gbsc-usa.com/eligibility/mastellone. Citigroup Global Markets Inc., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Santander Investment Securities Inc. are acting as dealer managers (the "Dealer Managers") for the Offer. Subject to applicable law, the Offer may be amended in any respect, extended or, upon failure of a condition to be satisfied or waived prior to the Expiration Date or Settlement Date, as the case may be, terminated, at any time and for any reason. Although we have no present plans or arrangements to do so, we reserve the right to amend, at any time, the terms of the Offer (including, without limitation, the conditions thereto) in accordance with applicable law. We will give Eligible Holders notice of any amendments and will extend the Expiration Date if required by applicable law. Eligible Holders of Existing Notes are advised to check with any bank, securities broker or other intermediary through which they hold Existing Notes as to when such intermediary would need to receive instructions from an Eligible Holder in order for that Eligible Holder to be able to participate in, or withdraw their instruction to participate in, the Offer before the deadlines specified in the Offer Documents. The deadlines set by any such intermediary for the submission of instructions will be earlier than the relevant deadlines specified above. Important Notice This announcement is not an offer of securities for sale in the United States, and none of the New Notes has been or will be registered under the Securities Act or any state securities law (other than Argentina, in which the public offering of the New Notes was authorized by the CNV in accordance with the Argentine Capital Markets Law and the CNV Rules). They may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act. This press release does not constitute an offer of the New Notes for sale, or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, in any state or other jurisdiction in which any offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. None of the Company, the Dealer Managers, the Exchange and Information Agent or their respective directors, employees and affiliates makes any recommendation whatsoever regarding the Offer or any recommendation as to whether Eligible Holders should tender or refrain from tendering their Existing Notes for exchange pursuant to the Offer. Accordingly, any person considering participating in the Offer or making an investment decision relating to the New Notes must inform itself independently based solely on the Exchange Offer Memorandum (and, to the extent applicable, the local offering documents in Argentina) to be provided to Eligible Holders in connection with the Offer before taking any such investment decision. This announcement is directed only to Eligible Holders. No offer of any kind is being made to any beneficial owner of Existing Notes who does not meet the above criteria or any other beneficial owner located in a jurisdiction where the Offer is not permitted by law. The distribution of materials relating to the Offer may be restricted by law in certain jurisdictions. The Offer is void in all jurisdictions where it is prohibited. If materials relating to the Offer come into your possession, you are required by the Company to inform yourself of and to observe all of these restrictions. The materials relating to the Offer, including this communication, do not constitute, and may not be used in connection with, an offer or solicitation in any place where offers or solicitations are not permitted by law. If a jurisdiction requires that the Offer be made by a licensed broker or dealer and a dealer manager or any affiliate of a dealer manager is a licensed broker or dealer in that jurisdiction, the Offer shall be deemed to be made by the dealer manager or such affiliate on behalf of the Company in that jurisdiction. Forward-Looking Statements All statements in this press release, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. Specifically, the Company cannot assure you that the proposed transactions described above will be consummated on the terms currently contemplated, if at all. These statements are based on expectations and assumptions on the date of this press release and are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, market conditions, and factors over which the Company has no control. The Company assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, and does not intend to do so, unless otherwise required by law. Notice to Eligible Holders of Existing Notes in the European Economic Area In any Member State, the Exchange Offer Memorandum is only addressed to and is only directed at Qualified Investors, as defined in the Prospectus Regulation. The Exchange Offer Memorandum has been prepared on the basis that any offer of New Notes in any member state of the EEA will be made pursuant to an exemption under the Prospectus Regulation from the requirement to publish a prospectus for offers of New Notes. Accordingly any person making or intending to make an offer in that Member State of New Notes which are the subject of the offering contemplated in the Exchange Offer Memorandum may only do so in circumstances in which no obligation arises for the Company or any of the Dealer Managers to publish a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus Regulation in relation to such offer. Neither the Company nor the Dealer Managers have authorized, nor do they authorize, the making of any offer of New Notes in circumstances in which an obligation arises for the Company or any or the Dealer Managers to publish a prospectus for such offer. Neither the Company nor the Dealer Managers have authorized, nor do they authorize, the making of any offer of New Notes through any financial intermediary, other than offers made by the Dealer Managers, which constitute the final placement of the New Notes contemplated in the Exchange Offer Memorandum. For the purpose of the above provisions, the expression "Prospectus Regulation" means Regulation (EU) 2017/1129. Notice to Eligible Holders of Existing Notes in the United Kingdom In the United Kingdom, the Exchange Offer Memorandum is only addressed to and is only directed at Qualified Investors, as defined in the UK Prospectus Regulation. The Exchange Offer Memorandum has been prepared on the basis that any offer of New Notes in the United Kingdom will be made pursuant to an exemption under the UK Prospectus Regulation from the requirement to publish a prospectus for offers of New Notes. Accordingly any person making or intending to make an offer in the United Kingdom of New Notes which are the subject of the offering contemplated in the Exchange Offer Memorandum may only do so in circumstances in which no obligation arises for the Company or any of the Dealer Managers to publish a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the UK Prospectus Regulation in relation to such offer. Neither the Company nor the Dealer Managers have authorized, nor do they authorize, the making of any offer of New Notes in circumstances in which an obligation arises for the Company or any or the Dealer Managers to publish a prospectus for such offer. Neither the Company nor the Dealer Managers have authorized, nor do they authorize, the making of any offer of New Notes through any financial intermediary, other than offers made by the Dealer Managers, which constitute the final placement of the New Notes contemplated in the Exchange Offer Memorandum. For the purpose of the above provisions, the expression "UK Prospectus Regulation" means Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 ("EUWA"). The Information and Exchange Agent for the Exchange Offer is: Global Bondholder Services Corporation 65 Broadway Suite 404 New York, New York 10006 Attn: Corporate Actions Email: [email protected] Banks and Brokers call: (212) 430-3774 Toll free: (866) 924-2200 By facsimile: (For Eligible Institutions only): (212) 430-3775/3779 By Mail: 65 Broadway Suite 404 New York, NY 10006 By Overnight Courier: 65 Broadway Suite 404 New York, New York 10006 By Hand: 65 Broadway Suite 404 New York, NY 10006 The Dealer Managers for the Exchange Offer are: Citigroup Global Markets Inc. 388 Greenwich Street, 7th Floor New York, New York 10013 United States Attention: Liability Management Group Call Collect: (212) 723-6106 US Toll-Free: (800) 558-3745 J.P. Morgan Securities LLC 383 Madison Avenue, 6th Floor New York, New York 10179 United States Attention: Latin America Debt Capital Markets Call Collect: (212) 834-7279 Toll-Free: (866) 846-2874 Santander Investment Securities Inc. 45 East 53rd Street, 5th Floor New York, New York 10022 United States Attention: Liability Management Team U.S. Toll-Free: +1 (855) 404-3636 Collect: +1 (212) 940-1442 SOURCE Mastellone Hermanos S.A. HUNTSVILLE, Ala., June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA will announce the winners of this year's Student Launch competition in a live, virtual awards ceremony beginning 3:30 p.m. CT June 3. Media are invited to attend via Ustream or the Student Launch Facebook page. Student Launch, one of NASA's Artemis Student Challenges, is an annual competition that typically culminates each April with a gathering of teams for a weekend of rocket launches and celebration. This year, in an effort to comply with federal guidance and help restrict the spread of COVID-19, these events were modified to take place locally to each team or virtually. Student Launch challenges middle school, high school, college, and university students from around the United States to design, build, test, and then fly and land a high-powered amateur rocket to at least 3,500 feet above the ground. Teams compete in collegiate or middle school/high school divisions, and are scored in nearly a dozen categories, including altitude, safety, vehicle design, social media presence, and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics engagement. This year, the university level teams were tasked with developing a Planetary Lander System payload to be deployed during flight recovery, which could land, self-level, assemble a 360o panoramic image of the landing site, and transmit the image to a remote ground station. Middle school/high school teams were tasked with developing a science experiment or engineering payload appropriate to their capabilities and curriculum. Marshall's Office of STEM Engagement manages Student Launch to stimulate innovation and advance NASA's mission through collaboration with educational institutions and students the next-generation that will help NASA explore the Moon and travel even farther to Mars. For more information about NASA's Artemis Student Challenges, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/stem/artemis.html SOURCE NASA Related Links http://www.nasa.gov SILVER SPRING, Md., June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that today Real Water Inc., a Nevada-based bottled water manufacturer, agreed to cease operations until they can comply with the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) and other requirements listed in a consent decree. U.S. District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey entered a consent decree of permanent injunction on June 1 between the U.S. and AffinityLifestyles.com Inc. (majority shareholder of Real Water Inc.), Real Water Inc., Brent A. Jones, president of Real Water Inc., and Blain K. Jones, vice president of Real Water Inc. "We are committed to preventing harmful products from entering the nation's food supply, and we will take enforcement action when a company fails to follow the law," said FDA Associate Commissioner for Regulatory Affairs Judy McMeekin, Pharm.D. "The FDA, together with our federal counterparts at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), aggressively pursued this injunction and we will continue to take swift action to protect consumers." According to the complaint filed by DOJ on behalf of the FDA, defendants violate the FD&C Act by operating facilities that fail to meet preventive controls requirements to control food hazards. The complaint also alleges that defendants violate the FD&C Act by failing to follow current good manufacturing practice (CGMP) requirements for bottled water. The complaint further alleges that defendants' products are adulterated within the meaning of the FD&C Act because they have been prepared, packed or held under insanitary conditions whereby they may have become contaminated with filth or may have been rendered injurious to health. Additionally, the complaint alleges the defendants' products are misbranded because their labels fail to declare the common or usual name of each ingredient. The consumption of "Real Water" brand alkaline water was the only known common link between five cases of acute liver failure in children that occurred in November and December 2020 that was reported to the FDA in March. Since then, 11 additional cases of acute non-viral hepatitis in adults, including one death of a woman with underlying medical conditions, have been identified as possibly linked to the consumption of Real Water brand alkaline water. The FDA issued an outbreak advisory on March 16 and continues to investigate, along with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Southern Nevada Health District. On March 24, Real Water Inc. of Mesa, Arizona, and Henderson, Nevada, issued a recall of all sizes of its Real Water brand drinking water and concentrate. The consent decree requires defendants to cease operations until they complete corrective actions, including, hiring a qualified independent expert to inspect their facilities to ensure they comply with the FD&C Act and its implementing regulations. Under the consent decree, defendants may not resume operations until they establish and implement procedures that are adequate to ensure continuing compliance with CGMP and preventive controls requirements and receive authorization from the FDA. Consumers who think they may have been sickened by defendants' products, including Real Water Drinking Water, Real Alkalized Water and Real Alkalized Water Concentrate, should seek the assistance of a health care professional and contact the FDA to report problems with this or any FDA-regulated product. Additional Information: Media Contact: Amanda Turney, 301-796-2969 Consumer Inquiries: 888-723-3366 The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation's food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products. SOURCE U.S. Food and Drug Administration Related Links http://www.fda.gov ANNAPOLIS, Md., June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Hunger-Free Campus Grant Program bill (SB 767/HB 891) sponsored by Senator Mary Washington and Delegate Debra Davis officially became law after passing the Maryland House of Delegates and unanimously passing the State Senate. The legislation creates a Hunger-Free Campus Grant Program to be administered by the Maryland Higher Education Commission. Grant funds will go towards efforts such as designating staff to connect eligible students with SNAP application assistance and local SNAP retailers, establishing a system for stigma-free access to community food resources, raising awareness for food insecurity through campus events to reduce stigma, and creating a meal plan swipe sharing program that allows students to donate unused swipes to fellow students in need. Before the pandemic, a Hope Center study found that of Maryland's 167,000 two and four-year students, 39% had experienced food insecurity in previous weeks. During Covid-19, those numbers worsened with rates of food insecurity reaching between 42% to 56% among students at two-year institutions and 33% to 42% among those at four-year institutions. "This is an important moment in no longer turning a blind eye to college students facing barriers to critical support programs," said Senator Mary Washington (D-43), the Senate champion for the bill. "Students at two- and four-year institutions continue to face pronounced levels of food insecurity, and this moment sets Maryland down the path to establishing hunger-free campuses throughout the state." "We have a duty to help students at our state's higher education institutions meet their basic needs so they can excel both in the classroom and once they graduate," said Delegate Debra Davis (D-28), who sponsored the House companion bill. "By passing SB 767, the Maryland General Assembly is making an important investment in our state's academic and economic success." The new law will take effect in October 2021. Maryland also gave preliminary approval to the State Fiscal 2023 Year Budget, which includes $150,000 for the Hunger-Free Campus program. "This is a big step forward in addressing food insecurity in our campus communities," said Michael J. Wilson, Director of Maryland Hunger Solutions, the statewide anti-hunger organization that was instrumental in the law's passage. "This is a smart investment in our state's future, and we applaud the state legislature for their thoughtful recognition and support." Tusk Philanthropies, the family foundation of venture capitalist and political strategist Bradley Tusk, supported Maryland Hunger Solutions in this legislative effort. To date, Tusk Philanthropies has helped secure more than $326 million in federal funding to support regular school meals programs serving nearly 3.9 million food-insecure children in 14 states. "We know from past economic downturns that higher rates of hunger last long after the country goes back to 'normal.' That's especially true for college kids, who are juggling tuition and housing costs, and often don't have the resources to feed themselves," said Tusk. "We're very glad to see Maryland lawmakers taking action to make sure this vulnerable group gets fed." About Maryland Hunger Solutions Maryland Hunger Solutions works to end hunger and improve the nutrition, health, and well-being of children and families in Maryland. To learn more about Maryland Hunger Solution, visit www.mdhungersolutions.org . About Tusk Philanthropies Tusk Philanthropies is focused on making sure that people who are hungry have enough food to eat, and on fixing our democracy by making it exponentially easier to vote. Ensuring people have access to food is an immediate problem that the organization addresses every year by funding, developing, and managing legislative campaigns to expand and strengthen access to nutrition programs like Breakfast After the Bell, Universal School Meals, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Tusk Philanthropies has supported legislative efforts for nutrition programs in Arizona, California, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, and Washington. To learn more, visit tuskphilanthropies.com . Media Contact: Maryland Hunger Solutions Jordan Baker [email protected] 410-528-0021, ext. 3018 SOURCE Tusk Philanthropies BOSTON, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- STAT , the nation's leading health, science, and medicine publication, and the Knight Science Journalism Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) announced today the launch of the Sharon Begley-STAT Science Reporting Fellowship, with the goal of diversifying the ranks of science and health journalists and fostering better coverage of science that is relevant to all people. The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) will provide $225,000 to support the first two years of the program, named in honor of Sharon Begley, an award-winning science writer for STAT, who died in January 2021 at 64, from complications of lung cancer. The nine-month fellowship is intended for early-career U.S. journalists from racial and ethnic groups underrepresented in the profession and will prepare them for a successful career in science journalism. It will combine a paid reporting position at STAT with an educational component provided through MIT's prestigious Knight Science Journalism (KSJ) program. The fellowship is now accepting applications for the inaugural Begley Fellow to start in September 2021, with plans to select two additional fellows in 2022. Science journalism reflects the structural and systemic inequities in our society, with Black, Hispanic/Latinx, and Indigenous reporters often not getting the opportunities white reporters get to gain relevant experience. Roughly 80% of science journalists are white, according to the most recent membership data from two of the leading professional organizations, with 6% identifying as Asian or Pacific Islander, 1%-4% as Black, 3%-4% as Hispanic or Latinx, and 1% as Native American. "The best way to make our profession and workplaces more diverse and inclusive is for news organizations to grow their own talent and that's exactly what Sharon aimed to do," Gideon Gil, a STAT managing editor, said in explaining why STAT decided to create the fellowship. "Sharon relished mentoring younger science journalists, and her professional progeny work at news organizations across the U.S. So we could think of no more fitting way to honor her." The funding from CZI will enable STAT to pay fellows a full-time salary over the next two years. STAT is also kicking off a drive to raise additional funding to cover fellows' reporting expenses and the program's administrative costs, and to keep the fellowship operating in future years. Fellows will work at STAT's Boston office alongside its team of experienced science and health reporters and editors to report and write articles, with additional opportunities for building connections, mentorship, and learning across teams. KSJ and MIT are also providing support for the university-based part of the program, which offers opportunities ranging from training seminars and other fellowship community events, university library access, and the chance to audit classes at MIT. The Sharon Begley-STAT Science Reporting Fellowship aims to serve as a model for expanding racial diversity in science journalism that could be replicated at other publications. "KSJ is honored to be a partner in this pioneering fellowship that honors the exceptional work of Sharon Begley and offers a new opportunity to support outstanding and inclusive science and health journalism," said Deborah Blum, Director of the KSJ Program at MIT. "We appreciate the commitment of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative to improving racial and ethnic diversity in our community, which we believe is essential to smarter and more inclusive coverage of scientific research. And we are delighted to be working with STAT, one of the best health news publications available today, in assuring the success of this project." Begley, STAT's senior science writer, was one of the nation's finest science journalists and was known for her enthusiasm for mentoring and teaching the next generation . She was especially eager to help other women advance in a profession that, when she began as a researcher at Newsweek in 1977, was unwelcoming. She later worked at the Wall Street Journal and Reuters, before joining STAT at its founding in 2015. Her legacy includes her powerful advocacy for people of color, exemplified by a series she wrote in 2016 and 2017 about the neglect by scientists, government funders, drug makers and hospitals of patients with sickle cell disease, who in the U.S. are predominantly Black. This fellowship pays tribute to her outstanding career while paving the way for the next generation of science journalists. "Sharon loved working at STAT and did some of her best reporting there, and mentoring younger journalists was one of her talents and priorities," said her husband, Ned Groth. "So, for there to be a Sharon Begley Fellow at STAT, honing their journalistic skills in association with and mentored by colleagues who were in turn mentored by Sharon, seems like a perfect tribute to her." "Supporting reporters from racial and ethnic groups underrepresented in journalism will bring important perspectives to the newsroom and surface new narratives and stories relevant to more communities, which will not only make biomedical reporting better and more accurate, but also help encourage greater public trust in science among historically marginalized groups," said CZI Science Communications Manager Leah Duran. "We're proud to support STAT and MIT to stand up this exciting program to cultivate talent and expand representation in science journalism." In 2019, CZI supported the University of California, Santa Cruz to increase diversity, inclusion, and representation in its science journalism program. The Sharon Begley-STAT Science Reporting Fellowship will accept applications from Tuesday, June 1, 2021 at 9 a.m. Eastern Time until June 30, 2021 at 5 p.m. Eastern Time. For more information and application instructions, please visit STAT and MIT's online portal. About STAT Founded in 2015, STAT is a digital media company that focuses on delivering fast, deep, and tough-minded journalism about the life sciences to over 8 million monthly site visitors and an additional 20 million readers on the Apple News app. STAT takes readers inside academic labs, biotech boardrooms, and political backrooms, casting a critical eye on scientific discoveries, scrutinizing corporate strategies, and chronicling the roiling battles for talent, money, and market share. With an award-winning newsroom, STAT provides indispensable insights and exclusive stories on the technologies, personalities, power brokers, and political forces driving massive changes in the life sciences industry and a revolution in human health. STAT's main newsroom is located in Boston, and it also has reporters in Washington, D.C., New York City, Cleveland, Minneapolis, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. About MIT's Knight Science Journalism program The Knight Science Journalism Program , founded in 1983, is dedicated to advancing science journalism in the public interest. It has hosted more than 300 science journalism fellows from around the world; publishes Undark , an award-winning digital magazine; and offers training programs on topics ranging from science editing to fact-checking, with the goal of nurturing and enhancing the ability of journalists to accurately and thoughtfully illuminate science and its intersection with human culture. About the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative was founded in 2015 to help solve some of society's toughest challenges from eradicating disease and improving education, to addressing the needs of our local communities. Our mission is to build a more inclusive, just, and healthy future for everyone. For more information, please visit www.chanzuckerberg.com . SOURCE Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Related Links chanzuckerberg.com NEW YORK, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. Senate Candidate and American Human Rights CEO, Khaled Salem today announced that supports a worldwide protest against Hamas and Hezbollah terrorists in response to the unending, brutal treatment of Jewish people around the globe. Since the 11-day conflict between Israel and Gaza, anti-Semitic attacks have profoundly increased, especially in the U.S. New York Senate Candidate Khaled Salem New York Senate Candidate Khaled Salem "I believe that to Hamas, the West Bank settlements are not the obstacles to peace," said Salem. "Instead, Hamas sees Tel Aviv and its four million Jews as the obstacle. I am extremely concerned that Hamas will divert a substantial portion of the $75 million dollars of American aid money, while terrorists hide among civilian infrastructure, includingin schools, hospitals and residences. Hamas and Hezbollah terrorists continue to utilize the strategy of entrenching their militants where any exchange of artillery or bombs will harm their fellow Gaza residents if Israel fires back. The terrorists use civilians as human shields, which is a humanitarian war crime." As a dual Egyptian-American citizen, Salem has a uniquely clear view of Middle East issues. He is dedicated to informing Americans and the world-at-large of terrorist action against the State of Israel. Continued support of Gaza from Iran and Arab countries against Israel will have a domino effect on western civilization if sponsored terrorists continue launching missiles. In Salem's view, a big part of the problem is that the U.S. treats Hamas as an equal to Israel inwanting "both sides to be safe." Rather, as Salem explained, "The world must understand that tens of millions of dollars in humanitarian supplies sent to Gaza have been hijacked for the evil purposes of building a terrorist military infrastructure." Hamas and its partner terrorist groups are diverting cement, steel and rebar meant for building hospitals and schools. Instead of Palestinians protecting monies to heal and educate its women and children, Iranian-sponsored terrorist technology is smuggled into Gaza for use by Hamas, Hezbollah and Fatah for long-range missiles and other weapons. Salem added, "Every day the terrorists build deadly, illegal underground tunnels where terrorists train for battle and hide deadly missiles aimed straight at Tel Aviv." Salem asked that U.S. citizens, President Joseph Biden, the UN and NATO understand that these humanitarian supplies worth millions of dollars donated directly to Gaza by the US and Israel are turned into weapons, not hospitals." As he put it,"Terrorists are actually using these donated Israeli supplies to prepare for their annihilationof Israel. This is all too clear, and it has to stop now." Khaled Salem is positioning himself to unseat four-term incumbent Chuck Schumerin the next general election, which is scheduled for November 8, 2022. Thirty-four of the Senate's 100 seats are being contested in these elections. Key global policy positions from Mr. Salem include: Free university education for American students with a $0 budget from the government to support this plan. Laws and procedures to reduce domestic violence nationwide. The establish a home loan program for middle class single parents with no penalty for credit history. Freeing US citizens who are allegedly detained abroad . . Free medical insurance for American people. Reduce the NY State Sales Tax for six years until the state recovers from COVID-19 economic hardship. Khaled asks New York Voters to look not at his religion or where he came from, but rather what he offers to the citizenry in terms of policy. visit https://www.khaled2022forcongress.com/ https://www.instagram.com/khaled2022forcongress/ Media contact: Khaled Salem [email protected] 1 518 348 6868 SOURCE Khaled Salem Illustration: Liu Rui/GT The US has used Denmark's secret service to spy on leaders of many European countries including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, European media revealed on Sunday. Denmark is a close ally of the US. According to media reports, Denmark hosts several key landing stations for subsea internet cables to and from Sweden, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. In 2013, Edward Snowden, ex-contractor of the American National Security Agency, blew the whistle on the US' PRISM surveillance program, which aroused strong dissatisfaction in European countries such as Germany. But the protests from the European side didn't lead to a result. This time, the European media has exposed more details about the US' spying on leaders of European countries, especially the role that Denmark had played in it. It contains a large amount of information and is really shocking. There is no equality and mutual respect within the West. The US leadership on its allies is not conducted in accordance with rules, but is full of coercion and compulsion. It's not easy to be a US ally. Not only is their sovereignty is infiltrated, but they are monitored by Washington at any time. This is the cold reality under the deceptive appearance of unity between the US and Europe. Denmark's betrayal of European countries to help the US spy is a reminder of the depth of US power in Europe. It is believed that Denmark is aware of the immorality of cooperating with US institutions, but they have deliberately feigned ignorance and have permitted such moves. This can portray the relations between small European countries and the US, their "big brother." The news makes the world further see the true face of the US. Washington's true moral character is revealed to the world. The image of the so-called one of the largest democracies as the boss of a sinister gang has become more vivid. When linking US' groundless accusation that Huawei, a Chinese tech giant, has been selecting intelligence for China, This news from European media outlets has made people thoroughly understand US hypocrisy. We believe that the reason why the US has groundlessly accused China is because the US itself has been doing so, and the US is convinced that any force with some kind of dominance will conduct the same espionage. The US is trying hard to depict China in its own ugly image. Many people worry that Europe may not protest against the US on the scale as large as the one in 2013. After making some reactive narratives, Europe would probably submit to humiliation. But we believe how Europe responds to the US' exploitation of Denmark's secret service to spy on leaders of European countries is not merely a matter for Europe itself. The US' evil practices have severely violated international laws. Those who are being spied on are not just European leaders, and more countries must have been included. The international community should not play down the scandal in the manner of allies between the US and Europe. Instead, the international community should step up their pressure on Washington and push the US and Europe to make public related information, giving the world an explanation. The US has repeatedly claimed that it is under external cyberattacks and accuses China and Russia for this matter. When the US has been caught by European media outlets, it has an obligation to explain to maintain the moral legitimacy of a common international condemnation of cyberattacks. The US is a superpower out of control. It has infringed on the interests of other countries, persisting on its own ways. Furthermore, it blatantly pursues double standards. The US has become the biggest source of destabilization in the world. It will certainly not be easy to restrict the destructive power of the US. Yet the international community should not discard relevant attempts and efforts. This is in the common interest of all countries. How can you tell if your building was constructed under the latest and greatest building codes? If it was built in 2002 or later, you should have the best or close to it, since the code gets updated every three years. If your building was built before then, it likely does not meet highest standards unless it was damaged by a storm and had to be upgraded. MOSCOW, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- PhosAgro, one of the world's largest producers of phosphate-based fertilizers, will again this year send a delegation to take part in the St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) on 25 June 2021. SPIEF is an important event for the entire business community in which PhosAgro's management, including independent directors from abroad, takes an active part every year. The Company, a SPIEF partner, is going to have a stand at the Forum where it will present the concept of "Green Fertilizers and PhosAgro's Digital Ecosystem" (Expoforum, Gallery, stand F16, opposite Pavilion F). Andrey G. Guryev, Deputy Chairman of PhosAgro's Board of Directors and Vice President of the Russian Union of Chemists; Irina Bokova, Chair of PhosAgro's Board of Directors Sustainable Development Committee, independent director and former director general of UNESCO; the legendary investor Jim Rogers, Chairman of PhosAgro's Remuneration and Human Resources Committee and an independent director; Andrey A. Guryev, PhosAgro's CEO and a member of the Company's Board of Directors; his first deputies Siroj Loikov and Evgeny Novitsky; deputies Valery Fedorov, Sergey Pronin and Alexander Sharabaiko; and Mikhail Sterkin, PhosAgro's Marketing and Development Director will, during panel discussions, round tables and business meetings, share their successful experience in planning and implementing long-term development strategies aimed at improving the Company's competitiveness in Russia and abroad, strengthening its position among global industry leaders as one of the most efficient producers of phosphate-based fertilizers, as well as their experience in the area of corporate social responsibility as a factor in sustainable development and in addressing global challenges such as ending hunger, ensuring food security and protecting the planet's soil resources. PhosAgro's management and independent members of the Board of Directors will take part in 18 round tables and panel sessions. Andrey Sharonov, also an independent director on PhosAgro's Board of Directors and president of the Skolkovo Moscow School of Management, will participate in another five panel sessions during the forum. In addition, the main panel session discussing ESG-related topics at this year's SPIEF will be held with PhosAgro's support, titled "The Pandemic as a Catalyst for Sustainable Development through the Incorporation of ESG Principles". PhosAgro is going to sign 10 agreements with the regions where it operates on socio-economic cooperation and with its partners involved in creating innovative products and educational programmes, developing digital solutions and logistics platforms, as well as green energy, and it is also going to hold meetings with and give presentations for Russian and foreign investors. PhosAgro CEO Andrey Guryev shared his expectations from the forum: "The pandemic has confirmed that a successful response to global challenges depends on synchronisation of efforts by the state, business and local communities. SPIEF 2021 is going to be a unique international platform for discussing inclusive mechanisms for overcoming the negative impact of the epidemic and the transition to a sustainable economic model, where we will share our experience in the area of ESG. "PhosAgro turns 20 this year, and sustainability issues have been a top priority throughout this entire 20-year period. PhosAgro is a socially responsible company that creates jobs, one of the few in Russia that builds corporate housing and takes part in the implementation of a number of major social programmes in the areas of education, healthcare, tourism, youth policy and support for sport. The Company has built a cooperative education framework that follows a 'schoolcollege/universityenterprise' paradigm in order to prepare highly qualified engineers and other members of its labour force. PhosAgro's annual expenditures for charitable and social projects amount to about RUB 4 billion. During the pandemic, PhosAgro has allocated an additional RUB 3.5 billion to support healthcare facilities in the regions where it operates and to carry out a number of preventive measures. The Company spends over RUB 8 billion a year on environmental protection. "We are going to tell SPIEF participants about the Company's contribution to ensuring international food security by supplying farmers in Russia and 102 countries around the world with eco-efficient fertilizers that are free of toxic substances that are hazardous to human health and soils. PhosAgro is taking on global challenges such as ending hunger, soil conservation around the world and sustainable development; it is the only Russian company in the UN's entire history to be selected by UNESCO and the Food and Agriculture Organization to finance extra-budgetary initiatives in green chemistry and soil conservation." About PhosAgro PhosAgro (www.phosagro.com) is one of the world's leading vertically integrated phosphate-based fertilizer producers in terms of production volumes of phosphate-based fertilizers and high-grade phosphate rock with a P 2 O 5 content of 39% and higher. PhosAgro's environmentally friendly fertilizers stand out for their high efficiency, and they do not lead to the contamination of soils with heavy metals. The Company is the largest phosphate-based fertilizer producer in Europe (by total combined capacity for DAP/MAP/NP/NPK/NPS), the largest producer of high-grade phosphate rock with a P 2 O 5 content of 39%, a top-three producer of MAP/DAP globally, one of the leading producers of feed phosphates (MCP) in Europe, and the only producer in Russia, and Russia's only producer of nepheline concentrate (according to the RAFP). PhosAgro's main products include phosphate rock, more than 50 grades of fertilizers, feed phosphates, ammonia, and sodium tripolyphosphate, which are used by customers in over 100 countries spanning all of the world's inhabited continents. The Company's priority markets outside of Russia and the CIS are Latin America, Europe and Asia. PhosAgro's shares are traded on the Moscow Exchange, and global depositary receipts (GDRs) for shares trade on the London Stock Exchange (under the ticker PHOR). Since 1 June 2016, the Company's GDRs have been included in the MSCI Russia and MSCI Emerging Markets indexes. SOURCE PhosAgro Pending final negotiations with Bell County Commissioners Court, the company plans to construct a 40-acre advanced greenhouse as part of an investment representing over $110 million. This includes two phases, of what will ultimately be a four-phase expansion, expected to be the largest lettuce greenhouse globally at full build out. Revol Greens will add 150 competitive, family-wage jobs with benefits over the next three to four years. The facility will be financed by Equilibrium Capital, the leading investor in the greenhouse and controlled environment sectors in North America. In addition to investments with AppHarvest in Kentucky, Houweling's in California and Utah, and Finka in Mexico, Equilibrium's Controlled Environment Foods strategy investments also include Revol's existing facilities in Minnesota and California. "We are thrilled to welcome Revol Greens to Temple," said Adrian Cannady, president and CEO of Temple Economic Development Corporation. "Revol joins a growing roster of food and beverage companies that choose to base their manufacturing and distribution operations in Temple, Texas." With locations in Minnesota, California and now Temple, Revol Greens is the largest lettuce greenhouse grower in North America. Applying advanced growing methods and greenhouse technology, Revol Greens uses 90% less water than traditional field-grown greens. Currently, Revol's greens are available in stores and restaurants across the Midwest. The new Temple operation represents Revol's first southern expansion, which will allow the company to distribute its sustainably produced, organic lettuce products throughout Central Texas and the South. Products will move from the facility to market three to four days faster than food products coming from the west coast, enhancing freshness. "Revol Greens selected Temple for our new facility in order to expand our production and distribution capabilities," said Mike Wainscott, CFO of Revol Greens. "The Temple greenhouse will produce upwards of 17 million pounds of greens annually upon completion of phase two. Temple's central location in Texas means our products will reach shelves and tables throughout the southern U.S. efficiently. We're eager to begin production in Temple and appreciate the work that the Temple EDC has invested over the past eight months to make this project happen." Already, several food and beverage companies maintain headquarters or major operations in Temple. The city's central location within three hours of Dallas, Houston, Austin and San Antonio, with direct access to I-35, allows food and beverage companies to distribute their products to all of Texas, the Southeast U.S., Mexico and beyond. Competitive business costs and a growing pool of skilled talent also contribute to success for companies in this industry. Upon approval from Bell County Commissioners Court, Revol Greens will break ground on the new operation in 2021, with plans to be operational in 2022. About Temple Economic Development Corporation The Temple Economic Development Corporation (Temple EDC) is a nonprofit organization that serves as the designated economic development entity for the City of Temple, Texas. Temple EDC strengthens relationships, builds partnerships, and provides solutions that cause entities to choose Temple. To learn more about doing business in Temple, visit TempleEDC.com. About Revol Greens Revol Greens merges natural growing with modern hybrid hydroponic technology to provide optimal lettuce growing conditions 365 days a year. Spanning 46 planned acres across three greenhouse lettuce farms by early 2022, Revol Greens harvests and packages its produce the same day, resulting in the freshest taste, maximum nutrition and a shelf life up to four to six days longer than out-of-state greens. In 2021, Revol Greens will grow more than 10 million pounds of GMO-free lettuce. To learn more, visit RevolGreens.com. About Equilibrium Equilibrium is a leader in sustainability-driven real asset investment strategies for institutional investors. The firm has developed market-leading investment strategies and portfolios in controlled environment foods, waste-water-energy distributed infrastructure, and climate resilient infrastructure. The firm has offices in Portland, Oregon; San Francisco, California; and London, England. To learn more, visit eq-cap.com. SOURCE Temple Economic Development Corporation Related Links https://templeedc.com/ NEW YORK, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Saks Fifth Avenue has unveiled its roadmap outlining goals to advance its diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. Developed upon taking an in-depth look at every aspect of the Saks Fifth Avenue ecosystem, the launch is the latest milestone of its progress to drive positive change and foster a more inclusive experience. Marc Metrick, CEO, Saks, said, "Over the last year, the intensifying conversation around equality and social justice has made it clear there is more work to be done to improve representation, including within the fashion industry. We've taken the time to listen and learn, so that our plans can have a meaningful and lasting impact for our customers, employees, partners and communities. Sharing this roadmap is a pivotal milestone in our efforts and we remain committed to making Saks Fifth Avenue an inclusive experience for everyone." Larry Bruce, President, SFA, the entity that owns Saks Fifth Avenue's store fleet, added, "We always strive to deliver a service-led, in-store experience where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. With our roadmap, we have actionable goals to drive progress across Saks Fifth Avenue, helping ensure that each person - whether visiting, working or merely passing through one of our locations - knows that they are welcome and belong." Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Roadmap Saks Fifth Avenue's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion roadmap outlines measurable commitments to be achieved by 2023. Among other commitments, these objectives include: Growing BIPOC Leadership: Hiring, advancing and promoting BIPOC talent into 40% of roles at the manager level and above by ensuring its practices mitigate bias and drive for inclusivity in the hiring process. Building Community Resilience: Directing 60% of grants annually from the Saks Fifth Avenue Foundation to support underserved communities and mobilizing employees to donate time within their local communities by instituting a corporate volunteer program, Saks Serves. Investing in Black Designers: Increasing total sales of Black-owned, -designed or -led brands by approximately $100 million by strategically expanding its merchandise assortment and supporting the growth of emerging brands, including the establishment of the Saks Emerging Designer Program. Saks Fifth Avenue's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion roadmap can be found in its entirety here . Saks Emerging Designer Accelerator Program Saks Fifth Avenue has established the Saks Emerging Designer Accelerator Program focused on leveraging its brand platform and luxury fashion expertise to develop high-potential independent brands. With Saks Fifth Avenue's commitment to increasing representation in its assortment, the program, presented by Mastercard, will emphasize BIPOC talent - ensuring that each year half of the participants will be BIPOC-owned. Tracy Margolies, Chief Merchandising Officer, Saks added, "Our goal is to provide the opportunity for these talented creators to thrive over the long term at Saks Fifth Avenue and across the greater fashion industry. The development of this program furthers our commitment to not only increasing representation in our assortment, but also using our platform and industry resources to help emerging brands succeed. At the same time, it directly supports our mission to help our customers express their identities through relevant and inspiring style." This year, eight brands have been selected to participate in the inaugural year-long program, including Ashya, BruceGlen, Busayo, Kimberly Goldson, LaQuan Smith, Reese Cooper, Alejandra Alonso Rojas and A.W.A.K.E. Mode. The program will offer an onboarding bootcamp, mentorship and entrepreneurial workshops to gain the skills and insights needed to scale their businesses at Saks Fifth Avenue and beyond. Additionally, each brand will be eligible to receive a grant to support their business operations and growth, as well as dedicated marketing support from Saks Fifth Avenue. As the presenting sponsor of the Saks Emerging Designer Accelerator Program, Mastercard will provide participating brands access to its Digital Doors program , including exclusive resources and tools aimed to help small businesses further grow and digitally enhance their online presence. This partnership builds on Mastercard's ongoing commitment to the small business community and its efforts in building a more inclusive digital economy. Increasing Representation in Merchandise Assortment As part of its commitment to grow sales among Black-owned, designed- and led- brands, Saks has added 38 brands to its assortment, including Busayo, Kimberly Goldson, LaQuan Smith, Stella Jean, A-COLD-WALL* and Ree Projects, among others. Ms. Margolies added, "We're excited to be able to introduce these new brands to our customers as we work to drive greater representation within our merchandise assortment. As a leading luxury fashion destination, we work every day to ensure we offer our customers an experience for exploration and discovery of new fashion." ABOUT SAKS FIFTH AVENUE Saks Fifth Avenue is the premier destination for luxury fashion, driven by a mission to help customers express themselves through relevant and inspiring style. Since 1924, it has delivered one-of-a-kind shopping experiences, featuring an expertly curated assortment of fashion and highly personalized customer service. Saks Fifth Avenue's unique approach combines an emphasis on the digital customer experience with a strong connection to a network of 40 extraordinary stores across North America for seamless, all-channel shopping. Shop on saks.com and the Saks app, or visit saks.com to find a store location near you. Follow @saks on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and @thesaksman on Instagram. CONTACT: Saks Fifth Avenue [email protected] SOURCE Saks Fifth Avenue SAN FRANCISCO, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Award winning SIPPIO provides SaaS solutions to over 60 countries across the globe. Their Carriers, Distributors, Partners who drive their services in the market and support thousands of end customers range from Hospitals, Governments, Private and Public Companies, who heavily depend on them to deliver and maintain a service 24/7, 365 days of the year. SIPPIO When it comes to billing, SIPPIO has the challenge of charging for a service to the second decimal point and accurately capturing thousands of permutations. For example, this could involve a charge for a call from a Canadian office, to a person in Germany on a cell phone for 2 minutes and 46 seconds. "This need is no small feat. OneBill efficiently and accurately processes thousands and thousands of micro charges and rolls them up into an invoice. It is like asking them to change an engine on a car while driving down the highway at 100 miles an hour. They also provide open APIs, so change the car to a plane, and that is what OneBill is all about," says David Spindler, SVP of Operations & Digital, SIPPIO. In a world where SaaS technology is advancing and lighting speed due to customers constantly changing their consumption patterns, having a billing solution that doesn't miss a beat and can ensure billing efficiency and accuracy is essential to revenue growth. "We are excited to partner with SIPPIO as they serve a very complex ecosystem of channel partners across multiple countries and currencies, offering various communications products. We are glad that OneBill's award winning order-to-cash platform is able to handle all of their wholesale and retail revenue management challenges, to maximize the monetization potential of their product offerings", says JK Chelladurai, Founder & CEO of OneBill Software, Inc. About OneBill: OneBill is an intelligent revenue management platform, where businesses can scale complex product and pricing offers, automate the service activation process, accurately manage billing and accounts receivables, configure unique offers for partners, and provide a superior experience for customers through their product journey. www.onebillsoftware.com About SIPPIO: SIPPIO architected a fully automated, end-to-end cloud solution providing top grade carrier services through certified session border controllers running exclusively in Microsoft Azure. https://www.sippio.io/ OneBill Contact: Barathi Balakrishnan VP, Marketing [email protected] +1.844.462.7638 SIPPIO Contact: David Spindler SVP Operations and Digital [email protected] SOURCE OneBill Related Links http://www.onebillsoftware.com SELBYVILLE, Del., June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the latest report, "Sleep Apnea Devices Market by Product (Therapeutics, Diagnostics), End-use (Home Care Settings & Individuals, Sleep Laboratories & Hospitals), Regional Outlook, Price Trends, Competitive Market Share & Forecast 2027", by Global Market Insights Inc., the market valuation of sleep apnea devices will cross $11.6 billion by 2027. High adoption of technologically advanced sleep apnea devices along with the increasing number of sleep apnea disorders across the globe will stimulate the market growth. Major sleep apnea devices market players include BMC Medical, CareFusion Corporation, Cadwell Laboratories, Braebon Medical, Compumedics, Curative Medical, Fisher & Paykel Healthcare, GE Healthcare, ImThera Medical, Invacare Corporation, Natus Medica The increasing geriatric population, availability of insurance coverage for treatment of sleep apnea & other sleep disorders in the U.S., and innovations in sleep apnea devices will spur the industry growth. For instance, the U.S. Health Maintenance Organization, Preferred Provider Organization, and Medicare provide insurance coverage for sleep studies, sleep apnea, and continuous positive airway pressure therapy. According to the IDF Diabetes Atlas, an anticipated 87.6 million people aged 20-79 years were diagnosed with diabetes in the South East Asia region in 2019. Hence, a rising prevalence of chronic conditions associated with sleep ailments is expected to surge the acceptance of sleep apnea devices. Developments in sleep disorder treatment and easily accessible non-invasive options enable faster stabilization in patients. Furthermore, the introduction of smart sleep apnea machines integrated with smart technologies provides an auto-titration to breathe with patients and deliver needed pressure with each inhale, thereby providing better outcomes, assessment, and patient care. Request a sample of this research report @ https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/489. The therapeutics segment in the sleep apnea devices market exceeded USD 3.72 billion in 2020 and is poised to witness a 9.9% growth rate by 2027. The benefits of sleep apnea therapeutic devices comprise increasing the air pressure in a patient's throat so that the airway doesn't collapse, helping move mucus from smaller to larger airways, dislodging mucus from the bronchial walls, etc. The high growth rate of the segment is attributable to the rising prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea and correlated co-morbidities. Additionally, the introduction of technologically advanced devices, such as smart airway clearance systems that provide effective bronchiectasis, innovative oral appliance therapy, improved oxygen concentrators, etc., are propelling the segment growth. The surging number of product innovation strategies adopted by key market players will act as a high-impact rendering factor for enhancing the demand for sleep apnea therapeutic devices. Sleep apnea devices market for home-care settings & individuals segment is estimated to attain a CAGR of 9.5% during 2021 to 2027, owing to increasing usage of oral appliances in the home-care settings, treatment availability and emergence of telemedicine & remote care in sleep apnea. Advent of novel devices that integrate signal acquisition and analysis technology would further influence obstructive sleep apnea diagnostics in home-care settings. The use of smartphone-based applications to monitor sleep apnea treatment has improved comfort and convenience in home sleep apnea treatment. Brazil dominated the Latin America sleep apnea devices market and accounted for over USD 198 million in 2020, led by the rising prevalence of sleep disorders, high number of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients and growing awareness regarding sleep apnea treatment. In Brazil, COPD is one of the leading causes of death, with around 19% prevalence. It is one of the major factors that catalyze the risk of obstructive sleep apnea. In addition, according to a Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine study, in Brazil, the majority of the participants reported sleep-related complaints such as insomnia, snoring breathing pauses, etc. Moreover, a growing number of leaders entering the market, a large population base of undiagnosed patients and the increasing adoption of oral appliances would augment the sleep apnea devices market demand in the country. Request customization of this research report @ https://www.gminsights.com/roc/489. Some of the major companies operating in the sleep apnea devices market are BMC Medical, CareFusion Corporation, Cadwell Laboratories, Braebon Medical, Compumedics, Curative Medical, Fisher & Paykel Healthcare, GE Healthcare, ImThera Medical, Invacare Corporation, Natus Medical, Itamar Medical, Philips Healthcare, ResMed, Nihon Kohden, Somnetics International, SOMNOmedics, Weinmann Medical Devices and Teleflex. These participants are implementing several strategic initiatives such as research and development activities to introduce novel sleep apnea devices in the market. Table of Contents (ToC) of the report: Chapter 3 Sleep Apnea Devices Market Insights 3.1 Industry segmentation 3.2 Industry landscape, 2016 - 2027 3.3 Industry impact forces 3.3.1 Growth drivers 3.3.2 Industry pitfalls & challenges 3.4 Growth potential analysis 3.4.1 By product 3.4.2 By end-use 3.5 COVID-19 impact analysis 3.6 Regulatory landscape 3.7 Reimbursement scenario 3.8 Technology landscape 3.9 Porter's analysis 3.10 Competitive landscape, 2020 3.10.1 Competitive matrix analysis, 2020 3.11 PESTEL analysis Browse the Complete Table of Contents (ToC) @ https://www.gminsights.com/toc/detail/sleep-apnea-devices-market-report. About Global Market Insights Inc. Global Market Insights Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider, offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision-making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy, and biotechnology. Contact Us: Arun Hegde Corporate Sales, USA Global Market Insights Inc. Phone: 1-302-846-7766 Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688 Email: [email protected] Related Images sleep-apnea-devices-market-growth.png Sleep Apnea Devices Market Growth Predicted at 9% Through 2027: GMI Major sleep apnea devices market players include BMC Medical, CareFusion Corporation, Cadwell Laboratories, Braebon Medical, Compumedics, Curative Medical, Fisher & Paykel Healthcare, GE Healthcare, ImThera Medical, Invacare Corporation, Natus Medica SOURCE Global Market Insights Inc. VICTORIA, British Columbia, May 31, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Somewhere within 3% of the United State's GDP - more than $10,000 for each person, on average - is spent paying end user costs for prescription medication each year. High prescription medication costs are a harsh reality for the average American, and these days relief from paying high costs for life-saving medication is needed more than ever. The July 2020 White House Executive Order was supposed to initiate a solution for more affordable drug options for Americans. But many medications are now no longer covered under Medicare Part D, so Americans are looking beyond the border at international pharmacies like Canada Drugs Direct to pay less when having their prescriptions filled. Canada Drugs Direct Big pharma always insists there are legitimate reasons why Rx medications are so expensive, but many of them aren't legitimized. The most common reason big pharma gives an explanation as to why medication prices are high is because R&D and manufacturing are expensive on the production end. Although this holds to be true, profits generated from selling prescription medication cover for those costs and produce tidy profits. What disproves big pharma's reasoning is the fact that both Canadians and Mexicans have much lower prices on prescription medication, and they have modernized healthcare systems just like America does. America's healthcare system is funded by taxpayer money, which makes the funding for it even better given the population size. What really drives the high medication costs in America is that the pharmaceutical industry has always had the protection of monopoly pricing. In every other country in the world, there are regulations that limit the prices big pharma companies can place on prescription medication. In America, companies have patents on their pharmaceuticals, and while the patents are still in place, the prescription medications can be valued at whatever price point they think is best. Once a patent expires, a generic version of the medication may become available at a slightly lower cost. But the lower cost is still more than the price others pay for that same medication elsewhere in the world. This is the main reason why the USA pays around 50% of what the entire world spends on prescription medication in a year. Giving lower-income Americans access to international pharmacy medication and pricing can be part of the solution to help individuals and families get the medication they need. But there still needs to be action at the level of the government as well. Some suggested solutions have been to follow up on what was proposed in the Government's 2019 Blueprint to Lower Drug Prices and Reduce OOP Costs: improved competition, better negotiation, and incentives to lower list costs. About the Company https://www.canadadrugsdirect.com [email protected] TF: 1-888-904-8467 Related Images canada-drugs.jpg Canada Drugs Canada Drugs Direct SOURCE Canada Drugs Direct Related Links https://www.canadadrugsdirect.com NEW YORK and LONDON, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Teneo, the global CEO advisory firm, today announced the latest phase of its ongoing expansion by launching a global Restructuring business following the completion of its acquisition of the Restructuring Services business of Deloitte UK. Teneo's new Restructuring business will comprise more than 300 specialists across Europe and the U.S., focused on four key service areas including business transformation, restructuring, capital advisory and bankruptcy & insolvency. The business will reinforce Teneo's differentiated market presence by combining the restructuring advisory offering with Teneo's existing capabilities both in management consulting and restructuring-related services including strategic communications, public affairs, investor relations, risk, talent advisory and executive search. The team from U.S.-based Goldin Associates, which Teneo acquired in August of 2020, is fully integrated into the new global Restructuring business. Daniel Butters, formerly head of UK Restructuring Services at Deloitte, will become CEO of Global Restructuring for Teneo, overseeing the firm's ambitious ongoing expansion through both organic growth and M&A. Under Daniel's leadership, the restructuring team will continue to provide market-leading advice to clients globally. As part of the international growth plan, Teneo is also pleased to announce that the global Restructuring business is expanding its offering into the Irish market. Damien Murran will be joining the firm in the coming months to build Teneo's restructuring capabilities in Ireland, working alongside Teneo's existing Irish operations. Damien was most recently a Partner within RSM's Transaction Advisory Services team leading their Irish restructuring and recovery services. In addition, Michael Madden, who was most recently the Chairman of Teneo's Capital Advisory business, has been appointed Chairman of the U.S. Restructuring business where he will work in close partnership with Daniel to further expand the firm's capabilities in this critical market. Michael will also become a Vice Chairman of Teneo globally. Declan Kelly, Chairman & CEO of Teneo, said: "We are delighted to formally welcome our new colleagues from Deloitte as Teneo launches its global Restructuring business. This offering will deliver significant synergies with Teneo's broader advisory services as we continue to grow in key markets around the world. Daniel and his senior leadership team bring unparalleled experience and insights to Teneo's clients, and we are very excited to bring their expertise to our platform." Daniel Butters said: "I am very excited to launch Teneo's global Restructuring business, combining the strength and relationships of our existing restructuring team with the breadth of expertise across Teneo's broader global network. We will build the leading global restructuring practice with continued investment in our existing team, complemented by market hires and acquisitions. Delivering market-leading, commercial solutions for our clients will continue to be our highest priority and we look forward to updating our clients on recent promotes and wider Teneo capabilities in the weeks and months ahead." The Restructuring team will provide strategic counsel to clients including corporate leaders, shareholders, lenders, pension trustees, governments, and other financial stakeholders, as they navigate periods of financial and operational underperformance or stress, safeguard value, and address structural and cyclical volatility. The closing of the transaction lifts Teneo's overall UK presence to more than 600 professionals in multiple advisory disciplines serving both domestic and international companies, while Teneo's global headcount will exceed 1,200 employees. Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz served as legal advisor to Teneo. ABOUT TENEO Teneo is the global CEO advisory firm. Working exclusively with the CEOs and senior executives of the world's leading companies, Teneo provides strategic counsel across their full range of key objectives and issues. Teneo's clients include a significant number of the Fortune 100 and FTSE 100, as well as other corporations, financial institutions and organizations. Integrating the disciplines of strategic communications, investor relations, restructuring, management consulting, physical & cyber risk, financial advisory, corporate governance advisory, ESG, DE&I, political & policy risk, and talent advisory, Teneo solves for the most complex business challenges and opportunities. The Firm has more than 1,200 employees located in over 21 offices around the world. For more information about Teneo, please visit www.teneo.com. For further information contact: Tim Burt London +44 7583 413254 [email protected] Stephen Meahl New York City +1-212-886-1624 [email protected] SOURCE Teneo Related Links https://www.teneo.com/ ALEXANDRIA, Va., June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Many Americans don't know that National Donut Day actually has its roots in doing good. Celebrated on the first Friday in June, this sweet tradition dates back to World War I, when nearly 250 Salvation Army volunteers known as "Donut Lassies" traveled overseas to provide emotional and spiritual support as well as fried confections, supplies, and other services to troops on the front lines. The original donuts were fried in small pans on the front lines, and the Lassies are credited with popularizing the donut in the United States when troops returned home from war. The Salvation Army in Chicago celebrated the first National Donut Day in 1938 to commemorate their work and help those in need during the Great Depression. That same spirit of service continues to this day. For more than a century the organization has provided a wide range of essential services like food, shelter, and emotional and spiritual support to the most vulnerable and to the men and women serving on the front lines of need. "Whether glazed or cake, and whatever the toppings, donuts represent our long history of providing hope and comfort from our volunteers in the trenches of war to our continued service on the front lines of need," said Commissioner Kenneth Hodder, National Commander of The Salvation Army. "Knowing that National Donut Day has its roots in the 'fight for good' makes these treats taste even sweeter." The Salvation Army will celebrate in a wide variety of ways across the country, including: Austin, Texas : Partnering with H-E-B grocery stores to deliver donuts to first responders, frontline workers, and others in need of a sweet surprise. : Partnering with H-E-B grocery stores to deliver donuts to first responders, frontline workers, and others in need of a sweet surprise. Cincinnati, Ohio : Making a special delivery to the Veteran's Hospital and encouraging the public to go purchase a dozen donuts from their favorite bakery, share it with someone special (friends, family, hometown hero), and post it to social while mentioning #NationalDonutDay. : Making a special delivery to the Veteran's Hospital and encouraging the public to go purchase a dozen donuts from their favorite bakery, share it with someone special (friends, family, hometown hero), and post it to social while mentioning #NationalDonutDay. Eastern Pennsylvania and Delaware : GIANT and Martin's grocery stores will give $0.50 to The Salvation Army for every dozen donuts sold on Donut Day. The Salvation Army is also partnering with the app Shareity to facilitate their multiple "Take A Bite, Share The Delight" activations on National Donut Day that are meant to increase awareness of The Salvation Army's role in its creation and engage more people in their work. GIANT and Martin's grocery stores will give to The Salvation Army for every dozen donuts sold on Donut Day. The Salvation Army is also partnering with the app to facilitate their multiple "Take A Bite, Share The Delight" activations on National Donut Day that are meant to increase awareness of The Salvation Army's role in its creation and engage more people in their work. Lynchburg, Virginia : Delivering donuts to first responders, active military, fire fighters and police officers thanking them for their service on the front lines of need. : Delivering donuts to first responders, active military, fire fighters and police officers thanking them for their service on the front lines of need. Maryland : Partnering with local bakers to presell specialty donuts during the month of May. Orders will be fulfilled on National Donut Day with proceeds and donations to the campaign going to support local programs. Partnering with local bakers to presell specialty donuts during the month of May. Orders will be fulfilled on National Donut Day with proceeds and donations to the campaign going to support local programs. Roanoke, Virginia : Celebrating from June 1-5 by partnering with a local community beautification organization called I HEART SE for a clean-up event, and participating in Humble Hustle's "Chalk Up The City with Love" to encourage the public to write messages of love with chalk throughout the city of Roanoke , including around The Salvation Army's local corps. Celebrating from by partnering with a local community beautification organization called I HEART SE for a clean-up event, and participating in Humble Hustle's "Chalk Up The City with Love" to encourage the public to write messages of love with chalk throughout the city of , including around The Salvation Army's local corps. Chicago, Illinois : Partnering with Clyde's Donuts, to not only celebrate front-line workers with their delicious treats, but also celebrate the bakery's 100th anniversary. Partnering with Donuts, to not only celebrate front-line workers with their delicious treats, but also celebrate the bakery's 100th anniversary. Denver, Colorado : Partnering with LaMar's Donuts to distribute donuts to hospital workers, police officers, and firefighters. Partnering with Donuts to distribute donuts to hospital workers, police officers, and firefighters. Minneapolis, Minnesota : Recruiting one thousand volunteers to help deliver 1,000 dozen donuts to members of the community who make a difference, including teachers, neighbors, first responders or friends. Those who volunteer will also get a box of free donuts. For more information about National Donut Day, including the Donut Lassies' original recipe, visit: salarmy.us/DonutDay . About The Salvation Army USA The Salvation Army annually helps 30 million Americans overcome poverty, addiction, and economic hardships through a range of social services. By providing food for the hungry, emergency relief for disaster survivors, rehabilitation for those suffering from drug and alcohol abuse, and clothing and shelter for people in need, The Salvation Army is doing the most good at 7,600 centers of operation around the country. In the first-ever listing of "America's Favorite Charities" by The Chronicle of Philanthropy, The Salvation Army ranked as the country's largest privately funded, direct-service nonprofit. For more information, visit SalvationArmyUSA.org. Follow us on Twitter: @SalvationArmyUS and #DoingTheMostGood CONTACT: Bishop Wash (972) 854-1586 [email protected] SOURCE The Salvation Army Related Links http://www.SalvationArmyUSA.org PARSIPPANY, N.J., June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: WH) announced today that Geoffrey A. Ballotti, president and chief executive officer, and Michele Allen, chief financial officer, will speak at the Goldman Sachs Travel and Leisure Conference on Monday, June 7, 2021 at 1:45 p.m. ET. A live audio webcast of the event will be available on the investor relations section of the Company's website at www.investor.wyndhamhotels.com. About Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Wyndham Hotels & Resorts (NYSE: WH) is the world's largest hotel franchising company by the number of properties, with over 8,900 hotels across nearly 95 countries on six continents. Through its network of over 797,000 rooms appealing to the everyday traveler, Wyndham commands a leading presence in the economy and midscale segments of the lodging industry. The Company operates a portfolio of 20 hotel brands, including Super 8, Days Inn, Ramada, Microtel, La Quinta, Baymont, Wingate, AmericInn, Hawthorn Suites, Trademark Collection and Wyndham. Wyndham Hotels & Resorts is also a leading provider of hotel management services. The Company's award-winning Wyndham Rewards loyalty program offers 87 million enrolled members the opportunity to redeem points at thousands of hotels, vacation club resorts and vacation rentals globally. For more information, visit www.wyndhamhotels.com. The Company may use its website as a means of disclosing material non-public information and for complying with its disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. Disclosures of this nature will be included on the Company's website in the Investors section, which can currently be accessed at www.investor.wyndhamhotels.com. Accordingly, investors should monitor this section of the Company's website in addition to following the Company's press releases, filings submitted with the Securities and Exchange Commission and any public conference calls or webcasts. Contacts Investors: Media: Matt Capuzzi Dave DeCecco Senior Vice President, Investor Relations Group Vice President, Global Communications 973 753-6453 973 753-6590 [email protected] [email protected] SOURCE Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Related Links http://www.wyndhamhotels.com FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Approximately two-thirds of Los Angeles students from low-income families are still learning remotely, exacerbating a wide COVID-induced learning gap, according to EdSource. To help address this learning disparity, Time4Learning, a top national homeschool platform, will offer summer scholarships to 1,000 children looking to improve their academic standing. Area families will have access to the award-winning platform during the months of June and July for free. The online homeschooling platform will be available to Pre-K to 12 children, on a first come-first served basis, who meet the following criteria: Any student who wants academic help during the summer months of June and July Live within the LA County School District According to a study released by Stanford University's Center for Research on Education Outcomes, the average student already lost between a third to a full year's worth of learning in reading, and around three-quarters of a year to more than a year in math since last March. When combined with learning loss typical during the summer months, experts warn children will be much further behind this fall. "Online education programs will play a pivotal role in helping students return to academic proficiency, but the financial strain caused by the pandemic has made even the most cost-effective options unattainable for some families," said Time4Learning Founder and President John Edelson. "We wanted to do our part to close the learning gap by offering parents our platform, free of charge." According to Edelson, Time4Learning's interactive videos and gamification are designed to keep students' minds engaged, while the platform's ability to personalize content will ensure students master key concepts, practice skills, and develop effective study strategies. Each activity focuses on strengthening reading and math skills, boosting learning comprehension and reinforcing problem-solving skills through fun games, interactive lessons, or engaging games. Parents can register their children by visiting the Los Angeles Summer Scholarship website. Families must have internet access and a computer or tablet to enroll. Those unable to secure a license can download the free summer learning packet, which offers learning suggestions to minimize the effect of summer "brain drain." About Time4Learning Time4Learning is an award-winning, online curriculum for at-home use. The PreK-12th grade coursework teaches math, language arts, science, social studies and more. The interactive, student-paced curriculum features thousands of multimedia-based lessons, activities, and printable worksheets. In addition to the Time4Learning curriculum, there's Time4Writing and Time4MathFacts to help with those skill areas. Parents use the popular platform to reinforce key concepts during summer, supplement schoolwork, or as a main academic curriculum for homeschooling. SOURCE Time4Learning The first interest was identified to form from June 7-10 as as an area of moisture moving over Cuba, into the Gulf and over to Floridas west coast. The forecast models do not show whether or not the moisture will be tropical, but did show it would probably be weak. The second area of interest is a low pressure area moving from the Caribbean and developing in the southwestern portion of the Gulf around June 17 before impacting the Louisiana Gulf Coast line and the western tip of Floridas panhandle. The possible storm seems to be mirroring the same track as 2020s Hurricane Zeta part of the LRC models forecast is to identify reoccurring cycles or patterns seen in yearly weather. The opening ceremony started with a video projection of images of traditional Korean landscape paintings. It was followed by an animation on environmental conservation by Jeon Yi-soo, a children's book writer, and a performance of the summit's official song, "We Are One," by singer Sohyang and Seoul CBS Children's Choir. After a video introduction of participating leaders, a dance performance by ballerina Kim Joo-won was staged with actress Han Ye-ri's narration. Child actress Park Ye-rin was next on stage for a performance of a tree planting expressing the desire for a healthy Earth. Then, Korean President Moon Jae-in declared the opening of the summit with his speech that stressed Korea's commitment to climate change response and an inclusive green recovery. Moon said Korea would further strengthen its 2030 greenhouse gas emissions reduction target and halt official financial support for new coal-fired power plants overseas. "Korea will sharply increase its official development assistance for climate and green projects by 2025, to support developing countries in need for a green recovery," he added. He said that Korea would provide US$4 million to P4G to support its operations and will actively and preemptively implement policies to ensure that the journey to carbon neutrality by 2050 guides a path to sustainable development. He added Korea will step up its efforts toward biodiversity, expressing the willingness to join such initiatives as the Leaders' Pledge for Nature, the alliance for the expansion of biodiversity protected areas and the Global Ocean Alliance, for the success of the 15th Conference of Parties (COP 15) of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (UN CBD) to be held in China in October. He made the opening address against the backdrop of an eye-catching augmented reality-based images of nature, in which trees grow into large forests and water flows to the ocean. The address was followed by the screening of the summit's official thematic video, "Wake-up Call" and a closing performance. After the opening ceremony, the Leaders' Session began with Korean Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum's opening remarks. "The lesson we learned from the ongoing COVID-19 crisis is that the globe and humanity are all connected as one, and that the global community must cooperate together. The P4G represents the cooperation among the government, international organizations, companies and civil society, and that is why we gather together," Kim said. Korean Ambassador for Climate Change Yoo Yeon-chul, Global Green Growth Institute Director-General Frank Rijsberman and Green Climate Fund Executive Director Yannick Glemarec attended the Leaders' Session in person. Leaders from around the world sent video messages focusing on green recovery, carbon neutrality and private-public partnerships. They included President of the European Council Charles Michel, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Ethiopian President Sahle-Work Zewede, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Japanese Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was the first to speak on the theme of green recovery. He said the UK would support the transition to a green economy through R&D investment and technology development and that the country would harness enough offshore wind to power every home by the end of this decade. He added that all-out efforts must be made for the next five months for the success of the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) to be held in Glasgow, Scotland, in November. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang commented that global cooperation is a must for a sustainable green development and that China, as the world's largest developing country, would contribute to a low-carbon, green recovery by pledging carbon neutrality by 2060 and holding COP 15 of the UN CBD. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed his anticipation that each nation will announce detailed implementation plans, such as Korea's announcement that it will halt its public financial support for overseas coal power projects. Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said Korea is playing a leading role in the green agenda and sustainable development in the international community. Under the theme of carbon neutrality, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said effective climate change mitigation needs a market framework and that is why Germany is committed to carbon pricing in not just in the energy and industrial sectors but also in transport and heating. She stressed the need to mobilize private capital worldwide for investment in climate change mitigation. French President Emmanuel Macron stressed the need to raise climate response targets and improve the transparency of corporate investment in environmental issues. He also emphasized that the international community must support African countries' transition from a fossil-fuel economy to a decarbonized economy. Japanese Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi called on the need to redesign the socioeconomic system to make it sustainable and resilient. He said that Japan would reduce greenhouse gas emissions compared to emission levels of 2013 by the year 2030 and continuously work toward the challenging goal of a 50 percent reduction in emissions. On private-public partnerships, Chilean President Sebastian Pinera said he would support the creation of various projects to accelerate climate action. The Leaders' Session lasted three hours. On May 31, Day 2 of the P4G Seoul Summit, five Thematic Sessions began on 1 p.m. and the Leaders' Dialogue and the adoption of the Seoul Declaration will start at 10 p.m. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Colombian President Ivan Duque Marquez, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry and International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva will join the Leaders' Dialogue via video link. As the leader of the host country, President Moon will preside over the event and read out the Seoul Declaration. The declaration is expected to address the need for international solidarity to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic and climate crisis, global efforts to implement the Paris climate agreement as well as the need to resolve the problems of marine pollution including plastic waste. People can watch the summit programs through the virtual event platform on the P4G Seoul Summit's official website (2021p4g-seoulsummit.kr). All sessions will be livestreamed through the 2021 P4G Seoul Summit's virtual platform and official YouTube channel (@2021P4GSeoul-summit). All video clips of the sessions will be uploaded on the official website after they are over. 2021 P4G Summit Seoul (https://2021p4g-seoulsummit.kr) P4G (Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030) was launched in September 2017, led by Denmark, as a global initiative to accelerate the response to climate change and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through public-private partnerships. Of the 17 SDGs set out by the United Nations in 2015 with the aim of achieving them by 2030, P4G specifically targets five objectives related to climate change (food and agriculture, clean water, clean energy, sustainable cities and circular economy). Twelve countries the Republic of Korea, Denmark, the Netherlands, Vietnam, Mexico, Chile, Colombia, Kenya, Ethiopia, Bangladesh, Indonesia and South Africa as well as international organizations (including the World Economic Forum and the Global Green Growth Institute) and private companies participate in the summit. P4G is a consultation group consisting of governments, companies and civil society organizations, puts an emphasis on action-oriented public-private cooperation, is composed of middle-power countries (playing the role of a bridge between developing countries and developed countries), and seeks to build a sustainable business model (a bridge between development and investment). SOURCE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Korea SHANGHAI, May 31, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- JCET Group (SSE: 600584), a leading global provider of integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing and technology services, today announced that it has officially completed the acquisition of Analog Devices Inc.'s ("ADI") Singapore test facility, with its test staff to be transferred to the JCET operations team in the near future. Details of the sale were not disclosed. From the inception of this strategic acquisition agreement between JCET and ADI in December 2019, both parties have actively participated in the completion of the relevant work in accordance with the agreement, and have successfully completed the acquisition on schedule through regular joint meetings, close communication and collaboration throughout the process. The relationship between the two parties continues to grow and as a result of this acquisition, JCET's test business in Singapore can continue to expand, and its global business strategy can continue to move forward at a smooth and steady pace. JCET was one of the first providers of packaging and test manufacturing services in Singapore, and the acquisition of ADI's Singapore test facility will further enhance its market competitiveness. "ADI and JCET's subsidiary STATS ChipPAC have been working very closely together in Singapore for over more than 20 years," said Mr. Lid Jian Chiou, Managing Director of JCET's Singapore subsidiary. "With the success of this acquisition, it once again endorses our Best-in-Class Test Manufacturing and Engineering capacities at JCET and also shows the high level of confidence and trust ADI places in our partnership. We will continue to leverage on this strong partnership, to further expand our semiconductor footprint in Singapore." Singapore has been ranked at the top of the Global Innovation Index for several years, and its outstanding innovation system and innovation environment have provided lasting momentum to drive the global semiconductor industry forward. "The semiconductor sector is a key pillar of the manufacturing industry in Singapore, and companies undertake a diverse range of activities here, including R&D and high value-added manufacturing activities. We congratulate JCET on its expansion in Singapore, which opens up new capabilities in advanced test operations. This is testament to Singapore's competitiveness as a hub for advanced manufacturing and innovation, and a key node in the global semiconductor value chain. We look forward to partnering with JCET in their next phase of growth and creation of new business and job opportunities in the sector," said Terence Gan, Senior Vice President and Head, Semiconductors, Singapore Economic Development Board. Steve Lattari, Senior Vice President, Global Operations & Technology at ADI said, "This is another important milestone in the relationship between ADI and JCET. The factory sale and consignment of test assets demonstrates our mutual commitment to continuity of supply, supporting both our employees and customers". JCET has been deeply rooted in the Singapore market for a long time and this opens another chapter for JCET in this technology and manufacturing hub. Mr. Li Zheng, Chief Executive Officer of JCET, said, "We are pleased to see that JCET's subsidiary operation, STATS ChipPAC Singapore, is now fully prepared to receive the factory facility together with an excellent engineering and operational team from ADI in Singapore. We are very appreciative of the great collaboration between our two companies, and we are confident that launching this new project will further enhance our now two decade long partnership with ADI, and will also provide additional high quality test capacity for the global semiconductors industry." SOURCE JCET Group The 13-year-old, who created the hot new State of California anthem, proudly sang his ' California ' pop song to Senator Archuleta and guests of 100 veterans, and families of fallen heroes, members of the United States Armed Forces, including the U.S Navy, U.S Marines, U.S Air Force, U.S Army, and members of the U.S Coast Guard, as well as Sheriff Alex Villanueva, and Norwalk Mayor Jennifer Perez who were among the guests. "I am still pinching myself. It was an incredible honor to perform to the Senator and guests," stated Rodriguez. "This song is so special to me. Not only did I write it to celebrate what California means to so many, but it was released to coincide with the Governors re-opening plans of the state, and our come back from the pandemic." Inspired by his own hobbies of surfing, skateboarding, snowboarding, and love of all things California, Alexander James Rodriguez released his single 'California' earlier in May. It was later followed by the songs visually stunning music video, which showcases some of the Golden State's most beautiful hot spots to visit, from Venice Beach to San Francisco. The teen has even added a fun clip to pay homage to a popular Hollywood blockbuster movie. Alexander James Rodriguez, an 8th grader of Los Angeles Unified School District, is better known for his acting chops and voice over work. He turned to music during the height of the pandemic last year to stay busy. During that "downtime" Alexander recorded four songs, and his debut single, 'My Crew', earnt the SAG-AFTRA actor the 'Rising Star Award' at the 2021 Hollywood Music in Media Awards in January. The teen is hoping for his new song 'California', with its fresh pop vibe paired with his vibrant vocal, to be the new state anthem that will carry the State of California past the pandemic and come back positively blooming. Media Contact: Morgan Jones 310-435-3634 [email protected] SOURCE Alexander James Rodriguez Under terms of the agreement, Amgen will lead the development, manufacturing, and commercialization for KHK4083 for all markets globally, except Japan, where Kyowa Kirin will retain all rights. Additionally, Kyowa Kirin will co-promote KHK4083 with Amgen in the U.S. and have opt-in rights to co-promote KHK4083 in certain other markets outside the U.S., including in Europe and Asia. Amgen will make a $400 million up-front payment to Kyowa Kirin and future contingent milestone payments potentially worth up to an additional $850 million, as well as significant royalty payments on future global sales. Kyowa Kirin and Amgen will share global development costs, except in Japan, and U.S. commercialization costs. Amgen will consolidate sales for KHK4083 in all markets globally, except for Japan. Amgen also will leverage unique data from its deCODE Genetics subsidiary to inform the potential use of KHK4083 in indications beyond atopic dermatitis. The closing of the transaction is conditioned on obtaining any necessary consents and approvals. "Kyowa Kirin has a long legacy of partnering with other companies to deliver the full value of our scientific discoveries and novel medicines for patients," says Masashi Miyamoto, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer at Kyowa Kirin. "KHK4083 is an important asset in our global pipeline. We know Amgen well, and this alliance will build on the past success and trust we have, bringing additional resources and therapeutic expertise to KHK4083's development and commercialization, to meet the needs of patients living with atopic dermatitis who seek alternative treatment options." KHK4083 is an anti-OX40 fully human monoclonal antibody discovered by Kyowa Kirin and engineered with Kyowa Kirin's patented POTELLIGENT defucosylation technology to enhance its antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) activity. KHK4083 has been shown to selectively deplete activated T cells that are critical in the development of atopic dermatitis. Kyowa Kirin antibodies powered by POTELLIGENT technology with ADCC activity are currently marketed in therapeutic areas including Oncology and Asthma. This potent antibody-enhancement platform is also licensed to numerous third parties throughout the biopharmaceutical industry. "Kyowa Kirin was one of Amgen's very first collaborators and we are delighted to be joining forces with them once again to advance this promising late-stage asset to treat atopic dermatitis," said Robert A. Bradway, chairman and chief executive officer at Amgen. "We will take advantage of our two decades of experience in inflammatory disease, as well as our industry-leading human genetics capabilities, to help realize the full potential of KHK4083 as quickly as possible." Amgen is a global leader in treating inflammatory diseases, with a portfolio of marketed medicines that includes Otezla, Enbrel, AMGEVITA (a biosimilar to Humira), and AVSOLA (a biosimilar to Remicade). Amgen's pipeline of investigational therapies includes tezepelumab (filed for U.S. FDA approval in May 2021 as a potential first-in-class treatment for severe asthma), ABP 654 (a biosimilar to STELARA), and several innovative molecules in Phase 2b development for systemic lupus erythematosus and celiac disease. "KHK4083 is another example of our world-leading expertise in antibody engineering, applied target selection and optimization. We are proud to be a science-led organization whose research capabilities continue to produce meaningful discoveries, while also taking advantage of open innovation, that offers potential for improving treatment paradigms," said Yoshifumi Torii, Ph.D., executive officer, vice president, Head of Global R&D Division at Kyowa Kirin. "Results from clinical trials for KHK4083, including Phase 2 data, show great promise and we look forward to initiating a late-stage global program with Amgen to deepen our understanding of this asset." In 1984, Amgen and Kirin Holdings Co., Ltd (former Kirin Brewery Co., Ltd), the parent company of Kyowa Kirin, established a 50-50 joint venture to develop and commercialize EPOGEN (Japanese brand name: ESPO), which, in 1989, became the first Amgen medicine approved in the U.S., and, in 1990, became the first Kirin medicine approved in Japan. Over time, the joint venture expanded to include the development and commercialization of several other medicines, including NEUPOGEN (GRAN in Japan), Neulasta (G-Lasta in Japan), Aranesp (NESP in Japan), and Nplate (Romiplate in Japan). In 2017, the companies announced that the joint venture would become a wholly owned subsidiary of Amgen, with Kyowa Kirin in-licensing certain Amgen medicines in the Asia-Pacific region. Amgen Webcast Investor Call Amgen will host a webcast call for the investment community on June 1, 2021, at 8:00 a.m. EST. Peter H. Griffith, executive vice president and chief financial officer, David M. Reese, M.D., executive vice president of Research and Development, and Murdo Gordon, executive vice president of Global Commercial Operations at Amgen will participate. Live audio of the conference call will be broadcast over the internet simultaneously and will be available to members of the news media, investors and the general public. The webcast, as with other selected presentations regarding developments in Amgen's business given at certain investor and medical conferences, can be accessed on Amgen's website, www.amgen.com , under Investors. Information regarding presentation times, webcast availability and webcast links are noted on Amgen's Investor Relations Events Calendar. The webcast will be archived and available for replay for at least 90 days after the event. About the KHK4083 Phase 2 Study In February 2021, Kyowa Kirin reported that KHK4083 met the primary endpoint in a Phase 2 randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled clinical study conducted in the U.S., Japan, Canada, and Germany. The study included 274 patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis, who were not adequately controlled with topical agents. All KHK4083 cohorts achieved superiority to the placebo cohort for the primary endpoint of percent change from baseline in Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI) at 16 weeks with statistical significance. In addition, there was significant difference in the percentage of patients achieving an EASI-75 (EASI score of 75% or greater improvement from baseline) at 16 weeks and the percentage of patients achieving the Investigator's Global Assessment (IGA) of 0 or 1 with an improvement of 2 points or more at 16 weeks in all KHK4083 cohorts compared to the placebo cohort. Sustained efficacy of KHK4083 was observed beyond week 16. Common treatment-emergent adverse events for KHK4083 cohorts were pyrexia, nasopharyngitis, worsening of atopic dermatitis and chills during the first 16 weeks. Pyrexia and chills events were mild to moderate in intensity, most of them were due to injection reaction and observed only after the first administration of the investigational product. There were no events of severe hypersensitivity reactions and no deaths observed in the study. About Atopic Dermatitis Atopic dermatitis is a chronic disease in which the immune system becomes disordered and overactive, triggering inflammation that damages the skin barrier. People with atopic dermatitis can get rashes anywhere on the body that can ooze, weep fluid and bleed when scratched, making skin vulnerable to infection. Skin can become dry and discolored, and repeated scratching can cause thickening and hardening of the skin. Atopic dermatitis typically begins in childhood, affecting 15% to 20% of children and 1% to 3% of adults worldwide. The incidence of the disease has increased two- to three-fold since the 1970s. People who have asthma and/or hay fever or who have family members who do, are more likely to develop atopic dermatitis. About OX40 OX40 is a co-stimulatory molecule that is one of the tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR) family members. It plays an important role in maintaining T cell proliferation and survival and in the formation of memory T cells. OX40 is expressed on the surface of effector T cells (CD4 positive) activated by antigens. It has been reported that effector T cells expressing OX40 are present in the lesions of atopic dermatitis. About Kyowa Kirin Kyowa Kirin strives to create and deliver novel medicines with life-changing value. As a Japan-based Global Specialty Pharmaceutical Company with a more than 70-year heritage, the company applies cutting-edge science including an expertise in antibody research and engineering, to address the needs of patients and society across multiple therapeutic areas including Nephrology, Oncology, Immunology/Allergy and Neurology. Across our four regions Japan, Asia Pacific, North America and EMEA/International we focus on our purpose, to make people smile, and are united by our shared values of commitment to life, teamwork/Wa, innovation, and integrity. You can learn more about the business of Kyowa Kirin at: https://www.kyowakirin.com. About Amgen Amgen is committed to unlocking the potential of biology for patients suffering from serious illnesses by discovering, developing, manufacturing and delivering innovative human therapeutics. This approach begins by using tools like advanced human genetics to unravel the complexities of disease and understand the fundamentals of human biology. Amgen focuses on areas of high unmet medical need and leverages its expertise to strive for solutions that improve health outcomes and dramatically improve people's lives. A biotechnology pioneer since 1980, Amgen has grown to be one of the world's leading independent biotechnology companies, has reached millions of patients around the world and is developing a pipeline of medicines with breakaway potential. For more information, visit www.amgen.com and follow us on www.twitter.com/amgen. Amgen Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements that are based on the current expectations and beliefs of Amgen. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements, including any statements on the outcome, benefits and synergies of collaborations, or potential collaborations, with any other company (including BeiGene, Ltd. or any collaboration to manufacture therapeutic antibodies against COVID-19), the performance of Otezla (apremilast) (including anticipated Otezla sales growth and the timing of non-GAAP EPS accretion), the Five Prime Therapeutics, Inc. acquisition, or the collaboration with Kyowa Kirin Co., Ltd. to jointly develop and commercialize KHK4083, as well as estimates of revenues, operating margins, capital expenditures, cash, other financial metrics, expected legal, arbitration, political, regulatory or clinical results or practices, customer and prescriber patterns or practices, reimbursement activities and outcomes, effects of pandemics or other widespread health problems such as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on Amgen's business, outcomes, progress, or effects relating to studies of Otezla as a potential treatment for COVID-19, and other such estimates and results. Forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties, including those discussed below and more fully described in the Securities and Exchange Commission reports filed by Amgen, including its most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent periodic reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K. Unless otherwise noted, Amgen is providing this information as of the date of this news release and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this document as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual results may differ materially from those Amgen projects. Discovery or identification of new product candidates or development of new indications for existing products cannot be guaranteed and movement from concept to product is uncertain; consequently, there can be no guarantee that any particular product candidate or development of a new indication for an existing product will be successful and become a commercial product. Further, preclinical results do not guarantee safe and effective performance of product candidates in humans. The complexity of the human body cannot be perfectly, or sometimes, even adequately modeled by computer or cell culture systems or animal models. The length of time that it takes for Amgen to complete clinical trials and obtain regulatory approval for product marketing has in the past varied and Amgen expects similar variability in the future. Even when clinical trials are successful, regulatory authorities may question the sufficiency for approval of the trial endpoints Amgen has selected. Amgen develops product candidates internally and through licensing collaborations, partnerships and joint ventures. Product candidates that are derived from relationships may be subject to disputes between the parties or may prove to be not as effective or as safe as Amgen may have believed at the time of entering into such relationship. Also, Amgen or others could identify safety, side effects or manufacturing problems with its products, including its devices, after they are on the market. Amgen's results may be affected by its ability to successfully market both new and existing products domestically and internationally, clinical and regulatory developments involving current and future products, sales growth of recently launched products, competition from other products including biosimilars, difficulties or delays in manufacturing its products and global economic conditions. In addition, sales of Amgen's products are affected by pricing pressure, political and public scrutiny and reimbursement policies imposed by third-party payers, including governments, private insurance plans and managed care providers and may be affected by regulatory, clinical and guideline developments and domestic and international trends toward managed care and healthcare cost containment. Furthermore, Amgen's research, testing, pricing, marketing and other operations are subject to extensive regulation by domestic and foreign government regulatory authorities. Amgen's business may be impacted by government investigations, litigation and product liability claims. In addition, Amgen's business may be impacted by the adoption of new tax legislation or exposure to additional tax liabilities. If Amgen fails to meet the compliance obligations in the corporate integrity agreement between Amgen and the U.S. government, Amgen could become subject to significant sanctions. Further, while Amgen routinely obtains patents for its products and technology, the protection offered by its patents and patent applications may be challenged, invalidated or circumvented by its competitors, or Amgen may fail to prevail in present and future intellectual property litigation. Amgen performs a substantial amount of its commercial manufacturing activities at a few key facilities, including in Puerto Rico, and also depends on third parties for a portion of its manufacturing activities, and limits on supply may constrain sales of certain of its current products and product candidate development. An outbreak of disease or similar public health threat, such as COVID-19, and the public and governmental effort to mitigate against the spread of such disease, could have a significant adverse effect on the supply of materials for Amgen's manufacturing activities, the distribution of Amgen's products, the commercialization of Amgen's product candidates, and Amgen's clinical trial operations, and any such events may have a material adverse effect on Amgen's product development, product sales, business and results of operations. Amgen relies on collaborations with third parties for the development of some of its product candidates and for the commercialization and sales of some of its commercial products. In addition, Amgen competes with other companies with respect to many of its marketed products as well as for the discovery and development of new products. Further, some raw materials, medical devices and component parts for Amgen's products are supplied by sole third-party suppliers. Certain of Amgen's distributors, customers and payers have substantial purchasing leverage in their dealings with Amgen. The discovery of significant problems with a product similar to one of Amgen's products that implicate an entire class of products could have a material adverse effect on sales of the affected products and on its business and results of operations. Amgen's efforts to collaborate with or acquire other companies, products or technology, and to integrate the operations of companies or to support the products or technology Amgen has acquired, may not be successful. A breakdown, cyberattack or information security breach could compromise the confidentiality, integrity and availability of Amgen's systems and Amgen's data. Amgen's stock price may be volatile and may be affected by a number of events. Global economic conditions may magnify certain risks that affect Amgen's business. Amgen's business performance could affect or limit the ability of the Amgen Board of Directors to declare a dividend or its ability to pay a dividend or repurchase its common stock. Amgen may not be able to access the capital and credit markets on terms that are favorable to it, or at all. The scientific information discussed in this news release related to Amgen's product candidates is preliminary and investigative. Such product candidates are not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and no conclusions can or should be drawn regarding the safety or effectiveness of the product candidates. Further, any scientific information discussed in this news release relating to new indications for Amgen's products is preliminary and investigative and is not part of the labeling approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the products. The products are not approved for the investigational use(s) discussed in this news release, and no conclusions can or should be drawn regarding the safety or effectiveness of the products for these uses. CONTACT: Amgen, Thousand Oaks, California Megan Fox, 805-447-1423 (Media) Michael Strapazon, 805-313-5553 (Media) Arvind Sood, 805-447-1060 (Investors) CONTACT: Kyowa Kirin, Tokyo, Japan Hiroki Nakamura (Global, Japan), +81-3-5205-7205 Lauren Walrath (North America), +1-646-526-4454 Stacey Minton (EMEA), +44 (0) 7769 656073 Joice Toh (Asia/Pacific), +65 8725 2790 References Decision Resources Group, Atopic Dermatitis/Atopic Eczema Disease Landscape & Forecast, April 2021. [2021] DR/Decision Resources, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction, distribution, transmission or publication is prohibited. Reprinted with permission. Major global markets are the U.S., France , Germany , Italy , Spain , the U.K. and Japan. SOURCE Amgen Related Links www.amgen.com CHICAGO, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Madison Street Capital is pleased to announce the addition of Anthony Marsala to Cents Ability's Chicago board. Cents Ability was founded in 2004 and is dedicated to educating and empowering high school students to achieve their goals through the prudent and informed management of their financial resources. "Anthony's extensive leadership experience across many different fields within the financial services sector will serve the organization well as we seek to expand into Chicago," said Roy Paul, Executive Director of Cents Ability. As Co-Founder and COO of Madison Street Capital, Anthony Marsala is a 19-year veteran of the investment banking industry. His experience includes extensive deal work in corporate finance as well as sell-side and buy-side M&A advisory. Mr. Marsala has been a CVA through NACVA for the past 17 years, and a board member on its Valuation Credentialing Board. In addition, Mr. Marsala was named an honoree by NACVA as part of its 40 Under Forty recognition program. In 2016, Mr. Marsala was selected as a participant in the Crain's Leadership Academy Program and also received the M&A Advisor's Emerging Leaders Award for 2016. Mr. Marsala is a graduate of Loyola University of Chicago and also holds a Master's Degree from Said Business School at the University of Oxford. "I couldn't be more honored and thrilled to join the Chicago board for Cents Ability," Marsala said. "What an exciting and challenging time to be part of an organization that is teaching teenagers the fundamentals of personal finance to enhance their future success." To learn more about Cents Ability's financial literacy education programs, visit www.cents-ability.org . About Madison Street Capital Madison Street Capital is an international investment banking firm committed to integrity, excellence, leadership and service in delivering corporate financial advisory services, merger and acquisition expertise, financial opinions, and valuation services to publicly and privately held businesses. These services position our clients to succeed in the global marketplace. In undertaking each new project, the client's goals and objectives become ours, ranging from financial advisory and successful capital raises to M&A transactions to transfers of ownership. Madison Street Capital views emerging markets as the core component driving the global growth of our clients and will continue to focus significant assets on these markets. Our firm has earned the trust of clients around the world through our unwavering dedication to the highest levels of professional standards. For additional information, please visit www.madisonstreetcapital.com . SOURCE Madison Street Capital Related Links http://www.madisonstreetcapital.com LONDON, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Arqit, the quantum encryption company, has signed a collaboration agreement with Northrop Grumman in the UK. Through the collaboration, Arqit, which is developing end-to-end quantum encryption using satellite distribution, will work with Northrop Grumman to develop and understand this novel technology for potential use in defence and national security settings. The collaboration work programme has already begun in order to assess technological possibilities. The next phase of the collaboration agreement is to assess technical performance on project applications, to be agreed to as early as next month. Arqit Founder, David Williams, said: "Northrop Grumman is an important and respected supplier in aerospace, satellite technology and mission critical cyber solutions on both sides of the Atlantic. The partnership will rapidly accelerate the delivery of products to government and defence end-users across the 5 Eyes territories." Nick Chaffey, Chief Executive of Northrop Grumman UK, Europe and Middle East said: "Working with advanced and highly innovative British technology companies like Arqit is central to our UK partnership strategy. Leveraging our U.S. expertise related to market access for quantum encryption technology has the potential to add significant value to our customer solutions." Contact Arqit Nick Miles, Montfort PR, +44 (0)7739 701634 [email protected] Northrop Grumman Claire Scotter, +44 (0) 20 7747 1944 [email protected] About Arqit Arqit has invented a unique quantum encryption technology which makes the communications links of any networked device secure against current and future forms of cyber attack even an attack from a quantum computer. Arqit's product, called QuantumCloud creates unbreakable software encryption keys which are easy and efficient to use remotely with no hardware or disruption to software required. The software has universal application to every edge device and cloud machine in the world. Headquartered in the United Kingdom with subsidiaries in the United States, Arqit was founded in 2017 by UK satellite industry veteran David Williams. SOURCE Arqit Limited SAN DIEGO, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Arthrosi Therapeutics, Inc. announced results from its Phase 2a study investigating the efficacy and safety of its potent urate lowering agent AR882. Arthrosi is transforming the U.S. gout therapeutic market with the first blockbuster-potential molecule to truly solve the problem of gout by reducing uric acid levels and preventing joint damage. The Phase 2a study, which involved 30 patients with a history of gout with normal renal function or mild renal impairment, found AR882 to be the best-in-class urate lowering agent among in-development and marketed drugs, with the potential to treat all stages of gout. Key findings included: Superiority response rates with 50 mg AR882 compared to other urate lowering agents, including allopurinol and febuxostat Stronger serum uric acid (sUA) lowering effects when using AR882 as a mono therapy than any oral agents commercially available Same potency among patients with normal renal function and patients with mild renal impairment Potential of flare lowering and tophi reduction in longer treatment Serum creatinine level was unaffected. There were no SAEs or AEs leading to study drug discontinuation, and no clinically significant trends in any laboratory or ECG parameters were noted. AR882 was well tolerated "I am delighted with our trial findings that demonstrate AR882's ability to help people with gout live better lives," said CEO Litain Yeh. "With over 90% of patients seeing serum urate levels below 5 mg/dL at 50 mg dosing and below 4 mg/dL at 75 mg dosing, the results have exceeded our expectations in terms of safety and efficacy." The results will be presented at the upcoming 2021 annual European Congress of Rheumatology (EULAR) on June 2-5, 2021. To further expand the patient population, Arthrosi initiated a study of AR882 in subjects with different degrees of renal impairment and the results are expected to be presented at upcoming scientific meetings. Given the strong efficacy and safety profile of AR882, Arthrosi is accelerating the development and is looking to complete the phase 2 studies by the middle of 2022. Arthrosi is currently raising Series C funding. Interested investors can reach out to [email protected] About Arthrosi Arthrosi Therapeutics, Inc. was founded in San Diego, CA, in 2018 with a mission to create a revolutionary treatment option to target uric acid levels and reduce joint damage for people living with gout. With its vast therapeutic and treatment knowledge, Arthrosi has accumulated a comprehensive and robust intellectual property portfolio and impressive Phase 1 and Phase 2a data showing industry leading efficacy rates and superior safety profiles. To learn more about Arthrosi, visit www.arthrosi.com Media Contact: Shunqi Yan, PhD Founder & Chief Operating Officer [email protected] SOURCE Arthrosi Therapeutics Related Links http://www.arthrosi.com POTOMAC, Md., June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Z Advanced Computing, Inc. (ZAC), the pioneer Cognitive Explainable-AI (Artificial Intelligence) (Cognitive XAI) software startup, has made AI and Machine Learning (ML) breakthroughs: ZAC has achieved complex Image Recognition using only a few training samples, and using only an average laptop with low power CPU, for both training and recognition, for Smart Appliance proof-of-concept (POC) for BSH. This is in sharp contrast to the other algorithms in industry that require thousands or millions of samples, being trained on large GPU servers. "ZAC requires much less computing power and much less electrical power to run, which is great for mobile and edge computing, as well as environment, with less Carbon footprint," emphasized Dr. Saied Tadayon, CTO of ZAC. BSH Hausgerate GmbH (a part of Robert Bosch GmbH) is the largest European manufacturer of home appliances. WALLINGFORD, Conn., June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- ASG Information Technologies, a Wallingford-based IT company providing custom strategies, managed computer support, network and cybersecurity, data backups, and IT consulting services to small to mid-sized businesses, today announced the appointment of Ryan Kreger to President from Vice President where he will continue to oversee all business development, client services, and general management of the team. In his new role, responsibilities will be expanded to include additional staff decision-making, strategic planning, and risk management. ASG Promotes Ryan Kreger to President "I am pleased to announce Ryan's promotion to President," commented Robert Mitchell, ASG Founder and Chief Executive Officer. "Ryan has been instrumental in the Company's growth over the past seven plus years. Through his strategic focus, excellent client service management, and commitment to ASG, he has been an exceptional leader. I look forward to reaching new levels of success and growth with his increased involvement in strategic planning." After obtaining his degree in Information Technology and joining a New Jersey-based data firm, Ryan relocated to Connecticut in 2011 and spent 3 years on the IT project team at Saint Francis Hospital, helping to launch their IT applications on a unified portal and services platform. In 2014, Ryan joined ASG Information Technologies, in an entry-level position at ASG as a Service Desk Tech, and over the course of the past 7 years, has taken on various job titles and roles to learn all facets of the business (from Systems Admin to Department Lead to Director). Notably, he was charged with innovating ASG's managed services platform and streamlining much of the company's workflow processes. Kreger has played a lead role in improving ASG's own internal efficiencies, while seamlessly securing new business opportunities and maintaining a high level of service for existing client relationships. During his tenure thus far, the company has gone from supporting just under 500 client devices to more than 4x that amount. "I am excited and honored to transition into this new leadership role," said Kreger. "As we continue to execute our growth strategies, I will remain focused and committed to maintaining our strong client service culture. In my expanded role, I look forward to continuing to contribute to the growth and success of the Company." About ASG Information Technologies: ASG Information Technologies is a Wallingford-based IT company providing custom strategies, managed computer support, network and cybersecurity, data backups, and IT consulting services to small to mid-sized businesses. Formed in 1997, ASG's clients include manufacturers, credit unions, insurance agencies, healthcare firms, accounting firms, and other professional services firms. Visit our website at www.asgct.com. CONTACT: Kate Terricciano, [email protected] Related Images ryan-kreger.jpg Ryan Kreger ASG Promotes Ryan Kreger to President SOURCE ASG Information Technologies PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla., June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Student-led startup Chaos Audio returns to Kickstarter today with a much-improved version of their next-generation multi-effects guitar pedal, Stratus. The company launched an initial Kickstarter back in November 2020, but the team decided to postpone the campaign to continue improving their Bluetooth-enabled guitar effects platform. The Chaos Audio team reached out to industry professionals, guitar enthusiasts, and musicians of every caliber and used their feedback to redesign multiple aspects of their original prototype. Stratus, the versatile and affordable guitar pedal from the future. Stratus, the versatile and affordable guitar pedal from the future. "Stratus retains the features that made it exciting in the first place," said Landon McCoy, CEO of Chaos Audio. "The looper, tuner, intuitive smartphone UI, and device customizability are all intact and we've made noticeable updates to the pedal's design." Stratus has received more than a new coat of paint. The footswitch is now more tactile and reliable, the internal electronics are quieter and more responsive, and the smartphone app interface is cleaner and faster. Overall, the new pedal is more versatile, more affordable, and more intuitive. Chaos Audio received funding from venture capital fund, TechFarms Capital, in large part due to the amount of hard work and dedication the team of five college students put into their invention. Their support has provided the team with more resources to improve their initial design. "The team at Chaos Audio has really impressed us," said Steve Millaway, Managing Director of TechFarms Capital. Mr. Millaway was also the founder of several successful tech startups including semiconductor design company, Gain Technology Corporation. "I see a lot of myself in these young entrepreneurs. It is rare to see individuals with so much drive and passion for their work." Chaos Audio's Stratus Kickstarter campaign launches today at 12:00PM EST and the reward tiers have been refocused and value oriented. The team is looking for $10,000 to help bring Stratus to market. More information can be found here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/chaosaudio/stratus-the-super-smart-stompbox About Chaos Audio: Located in Panama City Beach, FL, Chaos Audio is an audio electronics company dedicated to delivering innovative products to musicians worldwide. See: ChaosAudio.com. Media Contact: Armis Sunday, Marketing Coordinator, Chaos Audio, c: (850) 290-2033, e: [email protected] SOURCE Chaos Audio LLC Oswego, NY (13126) Today A few passing clouds, otherwise generally clear. Low near 55F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight A few passing clouds, otherwise generally clear. Low near 55F. Winds light and variable. Krajewski's career spans over 35 years in the aviation and energy markets, including 24 years at CHC Helicopters, one of the largest helicopter operators worldwide. During his time at CHC, Chris held senior leadership positions in the operations and commercial departments, directing business units in Brazil, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Australia and Asia-Pacific. He led global business development initiatives with a focus on pursuit of diversification into new markets and spearheading initiatives to enter new verticals. Under his leadership, CHC's revenue grew by more than $1 billion. In 2017, Krajewski was appointed CEO of Heliconia Group, where he led the further development of the Moroccan-based helicopter services company and established Heliconia as a strong pan-African operator. He recently founded Vertical Solutions, an aerospace consulting and advisory firm. "As a skilled global business development expert, Chris will support Parallel Flight by actively seeking out new opportunities, forming strong alliances and strategic partnerships, and developing new markets for our unmanned aircraft," said Joshua Resnick, CEO of Parallel Flight Technologies. "His vast expertise in aviation, sales and business development make him a welcome addition to our advisory board as our company prepares for commercialization in 2021." Parallel Flight Technologies has developed patent-pending drone technology that allows its multi-rotor aircraft to carry heavy payloads for over two hours, a ten times improvement over existing solutions. The company is currently flight testing a beta-level drone that can carry 100 pounds of payload and plans to deliver aircraft to select customers in late 2021. Parallel Flight also plans to develop larger versions of the aircraft with payload capabilities of 200 pounds and 400 pounds. PFT's transformative UAS technology can be applied across multiple logistics verticals, including real-time and complex healthcare logistics, tactical support for firefighters and first responders, and industrial logistics. By serving as an original equipment manufacturer and service provider, Parallel Flight Technologies is well-positioned to revolutionize drones as a service (DAAS) on a global scale. About Parallel Flight Technologies Parallel Flight Technologies is an industrial-grade drone company with a mission to deliver unmanned systems that save lives, property and the environment. Based La Selva Beach, California, the startup company has developed patent-pending drone technology that will allow drones to carry heavy payloads for over two hours, making it ideal for use in fighting wildfires, search and rescue, healthcare and other mission-critical logistics applications. To learn more, please visit www.parallelflight.com . Media Contact: Sara Beth Doherty Communications Lead, Parallel Flight Technologies [email protected] 704-724-5318 SOURCE Parallel Flight Technologies Related Links https://www.parallelflight.com/ Basbas is a term of endearment for hierbas ibicencas, a liqueur made from botanicals native to the Balearic Islands. First used as a remedy in the 15th century by monks living off the west coast of Spain, the monks extracted the essential oils of wild anise and other medicinal plants like citrus and sage, giving it a deep, exciting flavor profile. Now, it's a Spanish staple, passed down from generation to generation for hundreds of years. The first batch of Basbas just landed in the US and is available in limited quantities online at masbasbas.com. Availability will remain restricted through Fall 2021 in anticipation of a wider launch during the holidays. Paul Geller, CEO Holy Seed Beverage Co., said: "We're excited to bring this historically hard-to-obtain spirit to the US market. We've taken every step of this process seriously, from the hand-harvested botanicals to the time-honored recipe passed down through generations. It's truly a blessing to share this with the world." Basbas is a registered trademark of Holy Seed Beverage Co. For more information, press only: [email protected] For more information on Basbas: masbasbas.com SOURCE Basbas Related Links https://www.masbasbas.com SAN ANTONIO, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Award-winning marketing and advertising executive Cory Basso, CEO of Basso360 Marketing & Advertising, today announced the addition of five clients and the focuses of their campaigns. Basso is bringing 37 years of brand building and marketing strategy to Texas Beer Company, The Witte Museum, Morgan's Wonderland Inclusion Foundation, Janicek Law and Rubiola Realty & Mortgage. In addition, Basso has joined two consulting firms: The CMO Consulting Group in Austin and Advanced Operations Partners in San Antonio. Photo Credit: Texas Beer Company/Basso 360 Marketing & Advertising Basso360 created a cause-based marketing campaign for Texas Beer Company's new craft beer, K9 Lager, set to launch in June. The beverage is a new addition to Texas Beer Company's line of award-winning craft beers and will support nonprofit K9s For Warriors, the nation's largest provider of trained Service Dogs to military veterans suffering from service-related trauma. Based in Florida, K9s For Warriors is building a new facility in San Antonio, which will open this Fall. "We are proud to launch K9 Lager to help support disabled veterans suffering from PTSD and other service-related trauma. The military is a major part of Texas and we look forward to doing our small part to those who have given so much to our country," stated Ian Davis, CEO of Texas Beer Company. Basso360 collaborated with Plot Twist Creativity in Dallas to design a brand-new campaign for The Witte Museum with a launch date coinciding the beginning of summer. "The strategy created by Basso360 will help us communicate the many wonders of The Witte highlighting our numerous exhibits and inviting families to Rediscover the Renewed, Rejuvenated, Remarkable Witte," said Marise McDermott, CEO of The Witte Museum. "And the creative campaign created by Plot Twist will help create a brand-new personality for museum." For Morgan's Wonderland Inclusion Foundation (MWIF.com), Basso360 will enhance their Mission of Inclusion in addition to promoting their many Ultra Inclusive, fully-inclusive entities Morgan's Wonderland, Morgan's Wonderland Inspiration Island, the brand new Ultra-Inclusive Morgan's Wonderland Camp, The Multi-Assistance Center at Morgan's Wonderland (The MAC), and Morgan's Wonderland Sports. "We're proud to work with Cory Basso, a long-time supporter of our group, who is especially active in our community through several organizations that support Individuals with special needs," said Gordon Hartman, Founder of Morgan's Wonderland Inclusion Foundation. The most recent additions for Basso360 are Rubiola Realty & Mortgage and Janicek Law. Basso360 will generate awareness for Rubiola's unique low-cost transaction fee $499 offered to agents instead of the thousands of dollars Agents pay Brokers today. Basso360 will also develop a brand awareness campaign for their realty and mortgage services. For Janicek Law, Basso360 will devise a strategy to help bring clients who have experienced physical, sexual or mental abuse while under the care of a nursing home, assisted living home or home healthcare as well as Medical Malpractice Clients to Janicek Law, which has been helping victims of abuse and Medical Malpractice for over 25 years. About Cory Basso Cory Basso has 37 years of advertising and marketing experience working with some of the largest brands in the world including Toyota USA, Famers Insurance, Mazda, Coors Light, Heineken Worldwide, Molson, Capital One Credit Cards, and Sony USA among others. Most recently, Basso led H-E-B's marketing and advertising efforts for 17 years. His experience spans many industries comprising automotive, beverage distribution, electronics, financial services, retail and professional sports marketing Basso's expertise includes brand transformation and building, digital transformation and product brand development. He has garnered hundreds of awards including the Innovation and Leadership in Advertising Award from the American Advertising Federation. Contact Cory Basso at Basso360 Marketing & Advertising by calling 210.663.4030 or emailing [email protected]. SOURCE Basso360 Marketing & Advertising WASHINGTON, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- As attention and donations for India's COVID crisis fades, artists and community leaders raised awareness and funds while the pandemic rages on. The International Association for Human Values (IAHV) is wrapping up its #ToIndiaWithLove two week-long impact campaign, which ended with a benefit concert steaming for volunteers and healthcare workers from Sri Sri University in Odisha India. The campaign and concert are sending a message of hope and solidarity from the West to the people of India during this incredibly trying time. The event was a fundraiser for IAHV, Art of Living and its network of 10,000s of volunteers on the ground in India, so they can get supplies to high-needs communities, establish COVID care centers and provide and mental health programs during this challenging time around the country. To India With Love Benefit Concert Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Black Eyed Peas Performing Where is the Love IAHV hosted a benefit concert May 29rd at 9am ET. Artists included Black Eyed Peas, Ari Afsar , Jennifer Lee Snowden , Ali Stone, Cozmic , Raye Zaragoza , Deva Premal & Miten, and MC Yogi . The event finished with special guided meditation with global spiritual leader Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. The event also included conversations with leaders supporting Indian volunteer teams as they grapple with oxygen and medical supply shortages and address the challenges daily wage workers are facing during the lockdowns. The event was co-hosted by actress Fagun Thakrar and social entrepreneur Johann Berlin and produced by We & Goliath . All the artists and organizers donated their time. "To all the doctors, healthcare workers, paramedics and police forces who are out in the street, when the whole world is shutting down, for your services, for your dedication, we cannot express our gratitude enough. Please don't ignore yourself. Your good health and rest are absolutely essential. It's import you keep charged and healthy. Our Art of Living teachers are here for you to help share your burden." Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar "There are a lot of people who feel that COVID is almost over. But there is a large part of the world with awesome, beautiful people that are suffering right now, afraid, and health care workers that are trying their best to constrain it. The world needs to help India. And to all the healthcare workers, thank you so much. Let's show India some love and prayers sent their way." will.i.am of the Blacked Eyed Peas. "We have been so inspired by the compassionate response to our efforts so far. We hope this campaign and event can help spread hope, bring awareness about the situation in India, and raise funds for much-needed support," shares Madhu Kadari from IAHV. "India has given so much to the world including arts and culture, ancient sciences, yoga & meditation and so many technological innovations. Now is a time for the world to stand with India in her moment of need," says Fagun Thakrar, co -host. "Even though the challenges in India are exponential, so is our capacity for kindness, generosity, and spreading hope. Now is a moment where we can all show our support and stand with India and the Indian Diaspora in a time of need," says Johann Berlin, co-host. About IAHV: IAHV is a 501(c)3 organization that serves as a global platform for humanitarian initiatives that solve problems by uplifting human values. For 35 years, IAHV, in partnership with Art of Living, has mobilized its global volunteer networks to provide humanitarian and disaster relief through immediate material aid and services, trauma relief, and sustainable community development. Website https://toindiawithlove.iahv.org Email: [email protected] Media contact: Uma Viswanathan [email protected] 831-402-4551 SOURCE The International Association for Human Values (IAHV) Related Links http://www.iahv.org VANCOUVER, BC and LYON, France, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- BioVaxys Technology Corp. (CSE: BIOV) (FRA: 5LB) (USOTCQB: BVAXF) ("BioVaxys" or "the Company") is pleased to announce that its bioproduction partner Bio Elpida of Lyon, France, has initiated construction of a new Good Manufacturing Practice ("GMP") clean room facility needed for producing clinical supply of BVX-0918A, BioVaxys' ovarian cancer vaccine candidate. The design, construction and qualification of the new facility will be dedicated to autologous cancer vaccine production for BioVaxys, allowing for ovarian tumor biopsy reception and treatment within a short time frame. The GMP clean room facility is planned to be completed by the end of this year. The bioproduction process development consists of two phases. The first phase, which has begun, is a feasibility study and involves the development of production techniques using BioVaxys know-how. After establishing these techniques, Bio Elpida will further develop the required procedures, tests and assays over the next few months so that the product can be produced in compliance with GMP requirements. Bio Elpida will work with BioVaxys to prepare the manufacturing section of the Clinical Trial Application (the "CTA," which is similar to the US IND application) for the EU. Upon acceptance of the CTA, the second phase of the engagement would then commence, which is the manufacturing and testing of clinical samples for administration to patients as part of the EU clinical trial phase I/II planned for Q2 next year. Bio Elpida President Gilles Devilliers stated that "Bio Elpida is excited and proud to contributing to BioVaxys' pharmaceutical bioproduction process development of BVX-0918A for the European Phase I clinical. The construction of a dedicated GMP clean room facility for cancer vaccine production is well in line with Bio Elpida's strategy to remaining a leader in this specific service offering." About BioVaxys Technology Corp. Based in Vancouver, BioVaxys Technology Corp ., a British Columbia-registered clinical-stage biotechnology company, is developing viral and oncology vaccines based on its proprietary hapten-conjugated antigen platforms as well as immuno-diagnostics. The Company is developing BVX-0320, its SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidate, and is advancing a clinical study of BVX-0918A, its cancer vaccine in combination with anti-PD1 and anti-PDL-1 checkpoint inhibitors, in late-stage ovarian cancer. Also in development is a diagnostic for evaluating the presence or absence of a T-cell immune response to SARS-CoV-2. BioVaxys has two issued US patents and multiple pending US and international patents related to its cancer vaccine platform, and US/PCT patent applications for its viral vaccine platform and diagnostic technologies. BioVaxys common shares trade on the CSE under the stock symbol "BIOV" and are listed on the Frankfurt Bourse (FRA: 5LB) and the OTCQB Venture Market (OTCQB: BVAXF). Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward Looking Information This press release includes certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation including the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, without limitation, statements relating the future operating or financial performance of the Company, are forward looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "potential", "possible", and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions, or results "will", "may", "could", or "should" occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements in this news release relate to, among other things, completion of the murine model study, regulatory approval for a Phase I study of its BVX-0320 Vaccine Candidate in humans and the overall development of BioVaxys' vaccines, including any haptenized SARS-Cov-2 protein vaccine. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions and projections on the date the statements are made and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates, primarily the assumption that BioVaxys will be successful in developing and testing vaccines, that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies including, primarily but without limitation, the risk that BioVayxs' vaccines will not prove to be effective and/ or will not receive the required regulatory approvals. With regards to BioVaxys' business, there are a number of risks that could affect the development of its biotechnology products, including, without limitation, the need for additional capital to fund clinical trials, its lack of operating history, uncertainty about whether its products will complete the long, complex and expensive clinical trial and regulatory approval process for approval of new drugs necessary for marketing approval, uncertainty about whether its autologous cell vaccine immunotherapy can be developed to produce safe and effective products and, if so, whether its vaccine products will be commercially accepted and profitable, the expenses, delays and uncertainties and complications typically encountered by development stage biopharmaceutical businesses, financial and development obligations under license arrangements in order to protect its rights to its products and technologies, obtaining and protecting new intellectual property rights and avoiding infringement to third parties and their dependence on manufacturing by third parties. The Company does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD Signed "James Passin" James Passin, CEO +1 646 452 7054 Media Contacts BioVaxys Technology Corp. Nikita Sashdev Luna PR [email protected] SOURCE BioVaxys Technology Corp. NEW YORK, Jun 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Sir Gary Sze Kong, the chairman of the board for the Global Hero Foundation, businessman and founder of The Invisible Mask, Classic New York Beer, and The 1 Wine, knows what it is like to come from humble beginnings. Sir Gary Sze Kong, a Chinese immigrant, faced hardships at the age of 16. He, too, wanted to make a difference in his life and in America. This is why he is supporting local Borough President Eric Adams' campaign to become the Mayor of New York. Global Hero Foundation Sir Gary Sze Kong stated, "Like so many New Yorkers, Borough President Eric Adams grew up with adversity" and overcame it. As one of six children, born in Brownsville and raised in South Jamaica by a single mom who cleaned houses, Eric and his family did not always know if they would come home to an eviction notice on the front door or food on the table. And when he was beaten by police in the basement of a precinct house at 15, Eric faced a life-changing act of injustice. But instead of giving in to anger, Eric turned his pain into purpose and decided to change the police department from within. He joined the NYPD and became one of its most outspoken officers, calling out racism and bias in the department and pushing for major reforms. As a founder of 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement Who Care, Eric would often police the streets in a bulletproof vest one day during the high-crime 1980s and 1990s and protest bad behavior by cops the next, marching side by side with his fellow civil rights advocates. He rose to the rank of captain, helping to build the first computerized system for tracking crime in the city, which led to historic gains in public safety. Eric's efforts to change policing began his lifelong work to improve and protect New York. From the NYPD, he moved on to the State Senate, where he represented sections of central and Brownstone Brooklyn. In Albany, Eric built winning coalitions to advance New York City's values and goals, helping to push through measures to protect tenants and workers, combat gun violence, end the NYPD's abuses of stop and frisk, and advance human rights including marriage equality. He also became the first person of color to chair the Senate's Homeland Security Committee. Eric was then elected Brooklyn Borough President in 2013 by putting together a diverse coalition of Brooklynites to become the borough's first Black leader. As the representative of one of the nation's largest counties, Eric fought tirelessly to grow the local economy, invest in schools, reduce inequality, improve public safety, and advocate for smart policies and better government that delivers for all New Yorkers. When the COVID-19 pandemic struck the city, Eric moved a mattress into his office and worked around the clock to deliver donated meals and PPE to essential workers and vulnerable New Yorkers, demanding the government produce more equitable relief. Eric is a lifelong New Yorker. He received his master's degree in public administration from Marist College and is a graduate of New York City Technical College and the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. He is also a proud product of New York City public schools, including Bayside High School in Queens. Today, he lives in Bedford-Stuyvesant, where he has resided for over 20 years. Voters need to see, hear and read that Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams has spent his life tackling our toughest problems. As mayor, he'll tackle rising crime head-on. Eric was a victim of police brutality as a kid then became a police officer to take on racism from within. Eric will reform New York's police department to crack down on misconduct. And Adams will take action to prevent gun violence, violent crimes, and hate crimes before they occur to keep New Yorkers safe. As a lifelong New Yorker who faced homelessness, hunger, economic hardship and brutality at the hands of police as a young man, Eric knew all too well the systemic problems that have kept the city from reaching its true potential for generations. Eric Adams states, "Now that we face this pandemic and its economic fallout, we must ask ourselves a question that will determine the future of our city: Are we going to try to fix our old problems, or just our new ones? Each mayoral candidate must answer that question and then provide real, actionable ideas and goals to help us reach new heights." That is why Eric Adams is sharing more than 100 things he plans on putting into action as mayor to ensure a better future while addressing both the challenges of the present and the inequities of the past. Adams believes all of these steps forward are guided by a simple truth: government inefficiency leads to social injustice. And Sir Gary Sze Kong says Adams' steps will make New York's government smarter and more effective in order to provide a safer, fairer city that is better prepared for the future. For more information on the 100 things he has plans to put into immediate action, click here: Eric Adams for Mayor. Press Inquires Billie Mitchell [email protected] Related Images eric-adams.jpg Eric Adams SOURCE Global Hero Foundation Acquisition will substantially increase Schwazze's vertical integration and cultivation capabilities; provide major boost to wholesale supply of distillate to Colorado CPG manufacturers OTCQX: SHWZ DENVER, Colo., June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Schwazze, (OTCQX: SHWZ) ("Schwazze" or the "Company"), announced signed definitive documents to acquire the assets of Southern Colorado Growers ("SCG") in Huerfano County, Colorado. The proposed transaction includes 34 acres of land with outdoor cultivation capacity, as well as indoor, greenhouse, and hoop house cultivation facilities and equipment. This planned purchase continues Schwazze's expansion in Colorado and, is the company's first major move into cultivation, which will provide high-end, premium cannabis directly to its Star Buds dispensaries and significant production of biomass for its PurpleBee's extraction and manufacturing facility. PurpleBee's is Colorado's largest supplier of wholesale distillate for the CPG market, providing quality distillate to leading vaporizer, concentrates and edibles companies. The consideration for the proposed acquisition is $6.8 million for the business and $4.5 million for the real estate and farm assets. Total consideration of $11.3 million will be paid as $5.9 million of cash at closing and $5.4 million in Schwazze common stock at closing. After closing, Schwazze has major expansion plans for SCG which includes the buildout of additional hoop house facilities over the next four quarters. SCG produces premium flower with approximately 30 strains and has won multiple Connoisseur Cup awards for select strains in 2020. "This is just the beginning of our foray into the cannabis cultivation space. We believe our partnership with a premier cannabis cultivator such as SCG will provide our customers with premium quality flower in all of our 17 Star Buds Colorado locations. In addition, this acquisition will dramatically increase our capability to produce a significant amount of biomass for our Purplebee's MIP which, in turn, benefits the entire cannabis industry throughout the state. As a result of this net add to our vertical integration, the acquisition of SCG is expected to provide a healthy positive margin impact for Schwazze," said Justin Dye, Schwazze's CEO. The acquisition is expected to close in Q3 2021, subject to closing conditions and covenants customary for this type of transaction, including, without limitation, obtaining MED and local licensing approval. About Schwazze Schwazze (OTCQX: SHWZ) is building the premier vertically integrated cannabis company in Colorado and plans to take its operating system to other states where it can develop a differentiated leadership position. Schwazze is the parent company of a portfolio of leading cannabis businesses and brands spanning seed to sale. The Company is committed to unlocking the full potential of the cannabis plant to improve the human condition. Schwazze is anchored by a high-performance culture that combines customer-centric thinking and data science to test, measure, and drive decisions and outcomes. The Company's leadership team has deep expertise in retailing, wholesaling, and building consumer brands at Fortune 500 companies as well as in the cannabis sector. Schwazze is passionate about making a difference in our communities, promoting diversity and inclusion, and doing our part to incorporate climate-conscious best practices. Medicine Man Technologies, Inc. was Schwazze's former operating trade name. The corporate entity continues to be named Medicine Man Technologies, Inc. Schwazze derives its name from the pruning technique of a cannabis plant to enhance plant structure and promote healthy growth. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking statements." Such statements may be preceded by the words "plan," "will," "may,", "predicts," or similar words. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future events or performance, are based on certain assumptions, and are subject to various known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's control and cannot be predicted or quantified. Consequently, actual events and results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, risks and uncertainties associated with (i) our inability to manufacture our products and product candidates on a commercial scale on our own or in collaboration with third parties; (ii) difficulties in obtaining financing on commercially reasonable terms; (iii) changes in the size and nature of our competition; (iv) loss of one or more key executives or scientists; (v) difficulties in securing regulatory approval to market our products and product candidates; (vi) our ability to successfully execute our growth strategy in Colorado and outside the state, (vii) our ability to consummate the acquisition described in this press release or to identify and consummate future acquisitions that meet our criteria, (viii) our ability to successfully integrate acquired businesses and realize synergies therefrom, ({ix) the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, * the timing and extent of governmental stimulus programs, and (xi) the uncertainty in the application of federal, state and local laws to our business, and any changes in such laws. More detailed information about the Company and the risk factors that may affect the realization of forward-looking statements is set forth in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K and its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Investors and security holders are urged to read these documents free of charge on the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov. The Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise its forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise except as required by law. SOURCE Medicine Man Technologies, Inc. HONG KONG, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- CBMG Holdings, a biopharmaceutical company developing innovative cellular immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer, today announced the publication of two abstracts of CAR-T therapies for liquid tumors published in conjunction with the 2021 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, to be held June 4-8, 2021. These abstracts will be presented at the upcoming ASCO meeting as podium presentations. Session: Developmental TherapeuticsImmunotherapy Abstract #: 2507 Citation: J Clin Oncol 39, 2021 (suppl 15; abstr 2507) DOI: 0.1200/JCO.2021.39.15_suppl.2507 Drug name: C-CAR039 Mechanism of Action: A 2nd generation novel bi-specific CAR-T therapy targeting both CD19 and CD20 antigens Indications: Relapsed/refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (B-NHL) C-CAR039 has been developed as a novel 2nd generation 4-1BB bi-specific CAR-T targeting both CD19 and CD20 antigens with an optimized bi-specific antigen binding domain. C-CAR039 can eradicate CD19/CD20 single or double positive tumor cells in vitro and invivo. The tissue cross reactivity and whole genome membrane proteome array studies further confirmed the specificity of C-CAR039. C-CAR039 demonstrated a favorable safety profile and promising efficacy in this early clinical trial in patients with r/r B-NHL that might allow it to differentiate from existing therapies. The early clinical efficacy signal is encouraging and compares favorably to anti-CD19 CAR-T and peer therapies. These findings will be evaluated in more patients with longer follow-up to confirm safety, efficacy and duration of response. Clinical trial information: NCT04317885, NCT04655677, NCT04696432, NCT04693676. View full abstract here Session: Developmental TherapeuticsImmunotherapy Abstract #: 2508 Citation: J Clin Oncol 39, 2021 (suppl 15; abstr 2508) DOI: 10.1200/JCO.2021.39.15_suppl.2508 Drug name: C-CAR066 Mechanism of Action: A novel 2nd generation CAR-T therapy targeting CD20 antigen Indications: Relapsed/refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (r/r B-NHL) that has failed to an anti-CD19 CAR-T therapy A phase I clinical trial was conducted to evaluate the safety and efficacy of C-CAR066 in subjects with r/r B-NHL who were previously treated with anti-CD19 CAR-T therapy. Patients ( 18 years) with r/r DLBCL, r/r FL or r/r MCL, ECOG < 2 were eligible. GMP manufacture of C-CAR066 was in a serum free and fully closed semi-automatic system. A 3-day cyclophosphamide plus fludarabine regimen was followed by a single infusion of C-CAR066. Bridging therapy was allowed. C-CAR066 has shown a favorable safety profile and promising efficacy in patients with r/r B-NHL following failure of CD19 CAR-T therapy. These results show that C-CAR066 has a different mechanism of action compared to anti-CD-19 CAR-T therapy and could provide a solution to address the unmet medical need in B-NHL patients that have failed anti-CD19 CAR-T therapy. Clinical trial information: NCT04036019 View full abstract here About CBMG Holdings CBMG develops proprietary cell therapies for the treatment of cancer and degenerative diseases. The Company operates a state-of-the-art facility in Rockville, Maryland with five GMP rooms in order to augment its global research and development capabilities and to support clinical development of multiple cell therapy platform technologies in the United States. The company conducts immuno-oncology and stem cell clinical trials in China using products from its integrated GMP laboratory. The Company's GMP facilities in China, consisting of twelve independent cell production lines, are designed and managed according to both China and U.S. GMP standards. Its Shanghai facility includes a "Joint Laboratory of Cell Therapy" with GE Healthcare and a "Joint Cell Therapy Technology Innovation and Application Center" with Thermo Fisher Scientific. These partnerships focus on improving manufacturing processes for cell therapies. CBMG currently has ongoing CAR-T Phase I clinical trials in China. The China NMPA (formerly CFDA) approved the Company's IND application for a Phase II trial for AlloJoin, CBMG's "Off-the-Shelf" allogenic haMPC therapy for the treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis (KOA), and has accepted the Company's IND application for a Phase II trial for ReJoin autologous haMPC therapy for the treatment of KOA. Forward-Looking Statements Statements in this communication relating to plans, strategies, specific activities, and other statements that are not descriptions of historical facts are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking information is inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors, which include any risks detailed from time to time in CBMG's reports, including risks relating to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our operations, including risks associated with the evolving COVID-19 pandemic and actions taken in response to it. Such statements are based on the current beliefs and expectations of the management of CBMG and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties outside of CBMG's control. Given these uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. Except as otherwise required by law, CBMG does not undertake any obligation, and expressly disclaims any obligation, to update, alter or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Company Contact: Sarah Kelly Communications & Investor Relations, CBMG Phone: (301) 825-5320 Email: [email protected] SOURCE CBMG Holdings "Today, one in eight couples struggle with fertility, and despite how prevalent the circumstances, fertility still remains a 'dirty word.' As the preeminent leader in fertility care, we aim to destigmatize conversations surrounding fertility and demonstrate that there is no shame in talking about fertility more openly. The F-Word Collection gives people a prompt through goods and wears to start that conversation," said CCRM Fertility Chief Marketing Officer Constance Rapson. "Our goal is to not only drive increased awareness of this issue but also normalize what are often very painful and isolating conversations. We want to tackle the 'F-word' (fertility) head-on and help individuals find their voice." Launching today through August 31, The F-Word Collection features a modern assortment of goods produced by companies that share CCRM's vision to destigmatize fertility. Ranging in price from $12 to $425, The F-Word Collection is curated to help shoppers find unique, precious gifts and advocate for open dialogue, all while supporting a worthy cause. Highlights include: "We are proud to join CCRM Fertility in bringing awareness to this very important dialogue of reproductive health and fertility in a unique, bold way," said Regina Townsend, founder of The Broken Brown Egg. "My husband Jahbari and I spent nearly a decade on our personal fertility journey and, through our advocacy and these products, I hope to empower others on theirs." "Throughout my life, I have experienced first-hand the stigmas related to women's health, which, in turn, has made me a powerful advocate for the education and awareness surrounding that topic," shared Lo Bosworth, Founder and CEO of Love Wellness. "To be a part of The F-Word Collection further underscores our mission at Love Wellness to properly educate consumers so they can fully embrace a positive relationship with their bodies and adopt total body wellness, which includes fertility care." A portion of proceeds from The F-Word Collection will directly benefit four incredible organizations, and CCRM Fertility will match shop sales with a donation of up to $40,000. Nonprofit partners include: Chick Mission: dedicated to the critical issues unique to cancer patients with a focus on fertility challenges as a result of chemotherapy, radiation and drug treatment Family Equality: the leading national nonprofit organization advancing equality for LGBTQ+ families Fertility for Colored Girls: provides education, awareness, support and encouragement to African American women/couples and other women of color experiencing infertility and seeking to build the families of their dreams RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association: dedicated to ensuring that all people challenged in their family building journey reach resolution through being empowered by knowledge, supported by community, united by advocacy, and inspired to act "The path to parenthood can be challenging for anyone, but those in the LGBTQ+ community who are looking to build a family of their own often face additional obstacles. We're thrilled to partner with CCRM Fertility to further engage people in the fertility conversation and advance our mission for lived and legal equality," adds Stacey Stevenson, CEO of Family Equality. To shop The F-Word Collection, visit ccrmivf.com/thefwordcollection. About CCRM Fertility Founded by Dr. William Schoolcraft in 1987, CCRM (Colorado Center for Reproductive Medicine) Fertility is the nation's leader in fertility care and research. CCRM Fertility specializes in the most advanced fertility treatments, with deep expertise in in vitro fertilization (IVF), fertility assessment, fertility preservation, genetic testing, third party reproduction and egg donation. Unlike many other fertility clinics that outsource their specialists and testing needs, CCRM Fertility leverages its own data, as well as a dedicated team of in-house reproductive endocrinologists, embryologists and geneticists in order to deliver industry-leading outcomes. CCRM Fertility operates 11 fertility centers (including 30 offices) throughout North America, serving prospective parents in major metropolitan areas, including Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Denver, Houston, New York, Northern Virginia, Minneapolis, Orange County, San Francisco Bay Area, and Toronto. For more information, visit www.ccrmivf.com , become a fan on Facebook , or follow us on Instagram and Twitter. SOURCE CCRM Related Links https://www.ccrmivf.com DUBLIN, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Cell Analysis Global Market - Forecast to 2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The cell analysis global market is expected to reach $33,542.0 million by 2027 growing at a mid-single-digit CAGR from 2020 to 2027 Market growth is due to rising incidence of infectious and non-infectious diseases and demand for early detection, diagnosis & treatment, increasing government and private funding, increasing advancements in cell imaging technologies to reduce the cost & time during the drug discovery process, growing focusing on personalized medicine, the introduction of advanced technologies in single-cell analysis and emerging Asia-Pacific market. However, stringent government regulations, lack of skilled personnel to use advanced cell analysis Instruments, and the high cost of some of the instruments are expected to hamper the market growth. The Asia-Pacific is the fastest-growing region in the cell analysis global market at a mid single-digit CAGR from 2020 to 2027 which is attributed to the increased scope for research activities in academic & research institutes, increasing outsourcing, increased incidence of chronic diseases (cancer) and infectious disease, increasing awareness about early screening (cancer) and prenatal test and their adoption in clinical care, increasing government and private investment for - cell-based research and also for the development & expansion single-cell analysis technologies and increasing number startup companies engaged in the development innovative solutions. However, lack of technical expertise, high cost of instruments, lack of skilled labors, and large scale clinical data challenges are some of the restraints for the cell analysis market in the region. The cell analysis global market is competitive and all the players in this market are involved in innovating new and advanced products to maintain their market shares. The key players in the cell analysis global market include Agilent Technologies, Inc. (U.S.), Becton Dickinson and Company (U.S.), Bio-Rad Laboratories (U.S.), Danaher Corporation (U.S.), Illumine Inc. (U.S.), Merck KGAA (Germany), Olympus Corporation (Japan), PerkinElmer, Inc. (U.S.), Promega Corporation (U.S.), Qiagen N.V. (Netherlands) and Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. (U.S.). Key Topics Covered: 1 Executive Summary 2 Introduction 3 Market Analysis 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Market Segmentation 3.3 Factors Influencing Market 3.3.1 Drivers and Opportunities 3.3.1.1 Rising Incidence of Infectious and Non-Infectious Diseases and Demand for Early Detection, Diagnosis & Treatment 3.3.1.2 Increasing Government and Private Funding 3.3.1.3 Increasing Advancements in Cell Imaging Technologies Reduce the Cost and Time Consumption for the Drug Discovery Process 3.3.1.4 Growing Focus on Personalized Medicine 3.3.1.5 Introduction of Advanced Technologies in Single-Cell Analysis 3.3.1.6 Emerging Asia-Pacific Cell Analysis Market 3.3.2 Restraints & Threats 3.3.2.1 Lack of Skilled Personnel to Use Advanced Cell Analysis Instruments 3.3.2.2 Expensive Cell Analysis Instruments 3.3.2.3 Maintaining Consistency, Reproducibility of Assays and Lack of Standardization 3.3.2.4 Stringent Regulatory Framework Limits Advancements in Cellular Analysis Market 3.4 Regulatory Affairs 3.5 Funding Scenario 3.6 Cell Analysis - Deals, Acquisitions and New Product Launch 3.6.1 New Product Launch 3.7 Deals and Acquisition 3.8 Technological Advancements 3.8.1 Introduction 3.8.2 Crisper Live Cell Imaging 3.8.3 Single-Cell Multi-Omics 3.8.4 Raman Live Cell Imaging 3.8.5 Droplet-Based Microfluidics in Single-Cell Analysis 3.8.6 Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry in Single-Cell Analysis (Icp-Ms) 3.8.7 Deep Learning and Ai in Microscopy 3.8.8 Intelligent Image-Activated Cell Sorting or Ai-Driven Cell Isolation Technology 3.8.9 Advanced Spatial Technologies in Cell Analysis 3.8.10 Digital Microfluidic Isolation of Single-Cells for -Omics (Disco) 3.9 Porter's Five Force Analysis 3.10 Market Share Analysis by Major Players 4 Cell Analysis Global Market, by Techniques 4.1 Introduction 4.1.1 PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) 4.1.2 Sequencing 4.1.3 Microfluidics and Microarrays 4.1.4 Spectrometry 4.1.5 Microscopy 4.1.6 Cytometry 4.1.7 High Content Screening 4.1.8 Electrophoresis 4.1.9 Others 5 Cell Analysis Global Market, by Products 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Consumables 5.2.1 Assay Kits 5.2.2 Reagents 5.2.3 Microplates 5.2.4 Cell Culture Consumables 5.2.5 Others 5.3 Instruments 5.3.1 Cell Counters 5.3.2 Cell Microarrays and Microfluidics 5.3.3 Liquid Handling Systems 5.3.4 Cytometers 5.3.5 High Content Screening Systems 5.3.6 Microplate Readers 5.3.7 Pcr Instruments 5.3.8 Sequencing Instruments 5.3.9 Spectrometers 5.3.10 Microscopes 5.3.11 Other Instruments 5.4 Software and Services 6 Cell Analysis Global Market, by Application 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Cell Analysis Global Market, by Process of Application 6.2.1 Cellular Processes 6.2.2 Signal Transduction Pathway 6.2.3 Circulating Tumor Cells 6.2.4 Single-Cell Analysis 6.2.5 Epigenetic Target Analysis 6.2.6 Subpopulation Characterization 6.2.7 Drug and Candidate Screening 6.3 Cell Analysis Global Market, by Field of Application 6.3.1 Forensics 6.3.2 Therapeutics 6.3.3 Genomic Analysis 6.3.4 Stem Cell Analysis 6.3.5 Biomarker Research 6.3.6 Cell Imaging 6.3.6.1 Live-Cell Imaging 6.3.7 Diagnostics 6.4 Cell Analysis Global Market, by Therapeutic Area of Applications 6.4.1 Cancer Research 6.4.2 Genetic Testing 6.4.3 Infectious Diseases 6.4.4 Immunology 6.4.5 Others 7 Cell Analysis Global Market, by End-Users 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Hospitals and Diagnostic Laboratories 7.3 Academic & Research Laboratories 7.4 Pharmaceuticals and Biotech Companies 7.5 Contract Research Organisations 7.6 Cell Banks 7.7 Others 8 Regional Market Analysis 9 Competitive Landscape 9.1 Introduction 9.2 New Product Launch 9.3 Approval 9.4 Agreements, Partnerships and Collaborations 9.5 Acquisitions 9.6 Others 10 Major Player Profiles 10.1 Overview 10.2 Financials 10.3 Product Portfolio 10.4 Key Developments 10.5 Business Strategy 10.6 SWOT Analysis Agilent Technologies, Inc. Becton Dickinson and Company and Company Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc Danaher Corporation Illumina, Inc. Merck Kgaa Olympus Corporation Perkinelmer, Inc. Promega Corporation Qiagen N.V Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/ucncoj Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com CHICAGO, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Century Aluminum, America's largest primary aluminum producer, will host a ceremonial restart and jobs announcement at its Mt. Holly, South Carolina smelter with Governor Henry McMaster and VIP guests. With a significant capital investment, the Mt. Holly smelter is in the process of increasing production capacity and creating a substantial number of high paying jobs. Please join South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster, House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, and Century CEO Michael Bless for the ceremonial restart on Thursday, June 3, at 1.00pm ET. WHAT: Century Aluminum's Ceremonial Smelter Restart with South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster WHEN: Thursday, June 3, 2021 - 12.45pm ET for Media Set Up Roundtable with Governor McMaster - 1.00pm ET Official remarks - 1.30pm ET WHERE: Century Aluminum Mt. Holly 3575 U.S. Highway 52 Goose Creek, SC 29445 WHO: The Honorable Henry McMaster, Governor of South Carolina House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (virtual remarks) Century CEO Michael Bless Incoming Century CEO Jesse Gary SOURCE Century Aluminum DOVER, Del., June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Chesapeake Utilities Corporation (NYSE: CPK) today announced that three of its regulated gas businesses recently were recognized by the American Gas Association (AGA) for their ongoing commitment to safety. Chesapeake Utilities, Florida Public Utilities Company (FPUC) and Eastern Shore Natural Gas Company (ESNG) each were presented with an Industry Leader Accident Prevention Award for working safely in 2020. Each company achieved a total DART (Days Away Restricted or Transferred) incidence rate below the industry average. "Safety is priority one at Chesapeake Utilities Corporation. We care about creating a safe environment for our employees, customers and communities," said Jeff Sylvester, senior vice president, pipeline transmission and regulated gas and electric distribution. "We're honored to be recognized by the AGA for that commitment. The efforts of our employees on a daily basis are commendable, and I congratulate each one for making safe choices for themselves and others." Chesapeake Utilities owns and operates approximately 1,900 miles of gas distribution mains in Delaware and Maryland. Chesapeake Utilities distributes natural gas through its Delaware and Maryland divisions to approximately 92,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers. FPUC owns and operates approximately 3,000 miles of natural gas distribution mains across 21 counties in Florida. FPUC and the Florida division of Chesapeake Utilities distribute natural gas to approximately 86,000 customers. ESNG owns and operates a 501-mile interstate pipeline that transports natural gas from four pipeline interconnection points in Pennsylvania to customers in Delaware, Maryland and Pennsylvania. ESNG transports over 50 billion cubic feet (BCF) of natural gas annually to local distribution companies, electric power generators and industrial customers throughout the region. About Chesapeake Utilities Corporation Chesapeake Utilities Corporation is a diversified energy delivery company, listed on the New York Stock Exchange, which is engaged in natural gas transmission and distribution; electricity generation and distribution; propane gas distribution; mobile compressed natural gas (CNG) utility services and solutions; and other businesses. Information about Chesapeake Utilities Corporation's businesses is available at www.chpk.com and on the Annual Report Microsite at cpkannualreport.com. Please note that Chesapeake Utilities Corporation is not affiliated with Chesapeake Energy, an oil and natural gas exploration company headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. For more information, contact: Brianna Patterson Public Relations and Strategic Communications Manager 419-314-1233 [email protected] SOURCE Chesapeake Utilities Corporation Related Links http://www.chpk.com NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG) will host a conference call to discuss second quarter 2021 financial results on Tuesday, July 20, 2021 at 4:30 PM Eastern time. A press release with second quarter 2021 financial results will be issued at approximately 4:10 PM Eastern time on Tuesday, July 20, 2021. Participants can join the conference by dialing 1-888-317-6003 and will be prompted to enter the code 8008658. International callers can dial 1-412-317-6061 and will be prompted to enter the code 8008658. The call will also be webcast live from the Company's website on the investor relations page at ir.chipotle.com and registration is available at https://www.webcaster4.com/Webcast/Page/1894/41543. An archived webcast will be available approximately one hour after the end of the call. ABOUT CHIPOTLE Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE: CMG) is cultivating a better world by serving responsibly sourced, classically-cooked, real food with wholesome ingredients without artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. Chipotle had over 2,800 restaurants as of March 31, 2021, in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France and Germany and is the only restaurant company of its size that owns and operates all its restaurants. With over 97,000 employees passionate about providing a great guest experience, Chipotle is a longtime leader and innovator in the food industry. Chipotle is committed to making its food more accessible to everyone while continuing to be a brand with a demonstrated purpose as it leads the way in digital, technology and sustainable business practices. Steve Ells, founder and former executive chairman, first opened Chipotle with a single restaurant in Denver, Colorado in 1993. For more information or to place an order online, visit WWW.CHIPOTLE.COM. SOURCE Chipotle Mexican Grill Related Links https://www.chipotle.com/ On May 10, 2021, Cristiano Quintini, M.D., director of Liver Transplantation at Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, and Weston Hospital transplant surgeons Samer Ebaid, M.D., Ph.D., and Phoenix Vuong, M.D., removed 60 percent of the right lobe of 38 year-old Heidy Lima's liver through an abdominal incision. In an operating room nearby, Koji Hashimoto, M.D., Ph.D., director of Living Donor Liver Transplantation at Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, Antonio Pinna, MD, director of Cleveland Clinic Weston's Abdominal Transplant Center, and Weston transplant surgeon Sidharth Sharma, MD, successfully transplanted the donated portion of Lima's liver to her mother, 60-year old Iris Blanco. "The collaboration between our transplant team in Weston and our colleagues in Ohio has been exceptional, allowing us to take this step forward and meet a critical need for living donor liver transplant services in South Florida, "said Conor Delaney, M.D., Ph.D., CEO and President of Cleveland Clinic's Florida region. "As an integrated healthcare delivery system, we continue to expand our ability to provide multidisciplinary, complex care and improve the quality of life for our patients and their families." Dr. Pinna added, "After months of preparation and extensive evaluation of patients, we are pleased that our transplant program has advanced to the next level." Cleveland Clinic's Weston Hospital is currently the only medical facility in Florida performing living donor liver transplants. The highly specialized procedure requires a great deal of technical expertise due to anatomical variations in the liver. No living donor liver transplants have been performed in Florida since 2012. Living-donor transplant helps save the lives of people with end-stage liver disease and increases the number of livers for patients on the transplant waiting list. Because they are receiving a portion of a healthy donor's liver, recipients typically have improved long-term outcomes and quicker recovery times. "Living liver donation is the ultimate gift of life," Dr. Pinna said. "It is both gratifying and humbling to play a role in a daughter donating a piece of her liver to her very ill mother with liver failure." Blanco said her daughter did not want to see her suffering and said she had no life prior to the transplant. Lima said she made the decision to donate her liver because it was difficult watching her mother deteriorate as her condition worsened. About 5% of people who undergo a liver transplant receive the organ from a living donor, who has made the altruistic decision to give up a portion of their liver to save someone else's life. The liver is the only organ that can regenerate, which makes it possible for a living person to donate a portion of their liver. It takes approximately six to eight weeks for the healthy donor's liver to grow back to its original size. In addition to liver transplants, Cleveland Clinic's Weston Hospital also performs heart and kidney transplants. In 2020, the hospital performed 215 solid organ transplants, including 127 kidney, 47 heart and 41 liver transplants. About Cleveland Clinic Florida Cleveland Clinic Florida is a nonprofit, multi-specialty healthcare provider that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. The Florida region includes Cleveland Clinic Weston Hospital, Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital, Cleveland Clinic Martin Health and numerous outpatient centers in Broward, Palm Beach, Martin, Indian River and St. Lucie Counties. The Florida region is an integral part of Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, where providing outstanding patient care is based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. Physicians at Cleveland Clinic are experts in the treatment of complex conditions that are difficult to diagnose. For more information about Cleveland Clinic Florida, visit www.clevelandclinicflorida.org. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook. Media Contacts: Arlene Allen-Mitchell (954) 270-9666 / [email protected] Ailys Toledo (305) 773-3352 / [email protected] SOURCE Cleveland Clinic Florida DUBLIN, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Clinical Chemistry Analyzers Market Based on Product, Test Type, End User, and Geography - Global Forecast up to 2026" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Clinical Chemistry Analyzers Market is anticipated to grow at the rate of 4.2% CAGR by 2026. Clinical chemistry analyzers, also known as biochemistry analyzers, are computer-programmed devices used to analyze the sugar and protein levels present in the human body. These devices provide accurate results in less time as; they possess highly advanced technologies and are designed for such purpose. To determine the clinical conditions such as nutritional state, kidney function, and liver function, clinical chemistry analysis is carried out. The exponential growth of the market is ascribed to the increasing advancements in technology and the rising healthcare industry requirements. The introduction of robust software and upgraded production methods are some of the other factors that are projected to drive the growth of the clinical chemistry analyzers market. The high capital investment required in this field and inadequately skilled laboratory technicians limit the overall market growth. The reagents segment has the highest share in the clinical chemistry analyzers market based on product. This is due to the presence of a vast collection of reagents in the market, serving various clinics' requirements. Most importantly, the reagents are cost-beneficial, have optimal sensitivity, linearity, and accuracy, which as a result, ensures limited performance variations. As per the testing type insights, the basic metabolic panels' segment held a commanding share of the clinical chemistry analyzers market. This is ascribed to the increasing occurrence of lifestyle-associated diseases, including diabetes, overweight, and heart stroke. Rising consciousness among the public regarding the significance of point-of-care testing and the benefits of basic metabolic panel testing has led to the increasing acceptance of this test. As per end-users of the clinical chemistry analyzers, the hospital segment has dominated the end-user segmentation. This is due to the large pool of patients in hospitals, continuous readmissions, and large samples. Additionally, the growing numerous government initiatives focusing on encouraging efficient diagnostic facilities to get faster outcomes and enhance overall efficiency are also likely to responsible for the segment growth. The North American region has occupied a substantial share of the clinical chemistry analyzers market. The substantial share is ascribed to the rising healthcare spending, well-developed healthcare infrastructure, and rising population of the elderly. Moreover, the rising lifestyle-associated diseases are the key reason for the market growth in this region. The increasing elderly population around the world will positively impact the growth of the clinical chemistry analyzers market. With the rapid increase in the old population, there is an increase in age-related diseases such as hypertension, liver and kidney diseases, and diabetes. The diagnosis and controlling of such diseases are accountable for the rising number of prescriptions for tests such as basic metabolic panel, thyroid function panels, and liver & renal panel. The growing number of chronic illnesses will escalate the demand for the tests prescribed for the diseases' precaution, diagnosis, and treatment. Competitive Landscape Competitor Comparison Analysis Market Developments Mergers and Acquisitions, Legal, Awards, Partnerships Product Launches and execution Vendor Profiles Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. Randox Laboratories Ltd. Trivitron Healthcare Pvt. Ltd. Mindray Medical International Ltd. Ortho Clinical Diagnostics Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. HORIBA Ltd. Sysmex Corporation EKF Diagnostics Abbott Laboratories Companies to Watch ELITech Group Danaher Corporation BIOBASE Group SFRI Medical Diagnostics Key Topics Covered: 1. Executive Summary 2. Industry Outlook 3. Market Snapshot 4. Market characteristics 5. Product: Market Size & Analysis 6. Test Type: Market Size & Analysis 7. End-User: Market Size & Analysis 8. Geography: Market Size & Analysis 9. Competitive Landscape 10. Vendor Profiles 11. Companies to Watch 12. Analyst Opinion For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/hlw9iz Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1904 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com Clinique has always defined beauty with a sense of optimism. As the world enthusiastically reopens and returns to in-person activities, Melissa brings joy back to the big screen as she stars in "the movie of the summer," playing Vanessa in Lin-Manuel Miranda's critically acclaimed, much-anticipated musical film, 'In the Heights'. However, Melissa's own vivacious personality and authentic voice are what make her perfect to represent Clinique around the world. "As we look to the future, and the world begins to reopen, we are filled with a renewed feeling of positivity. Melissa is a talented, beautiful Latina that embodies this spirit of optimism. We are thrilled to bring her passion, energy, and point of view to life and celebrate her heritage that is such an important part of her identity," states Michelle Freyre, Clinique Global General Manager. Clinique redefined the beauty industry with its custom-fit skincare routines, which give confidence to people all over the world that they could find great skin. Known for its iconic product photography and witty headlines that speak to consumers with intelligence and respect, Clinique redefines what a Global Ambassador means for the 21st century. "We want people of substance to represent Clinique, more than just pretty faces and talking heads. We knew immediately that Melissa's intelligence and passion are inextricable from what make her so beautiful," says Elizabeth Nolan, Clinique Global Creative Director. Melissa herself adds, "I am thrilled to be a new Global Ambassador for Clinique an iconic brand the women in my family have loved for generations. As a skincare lover, I'm enjoying discovering the Clinique of today, especially because their products are all good for skineven the makeup! But Clinique is more than just beauty products I am proud to be a part of a brand that is led primarily by women. I am also deeply honored to be the first Latina representing the brand globally. Our culture is so multidimensional that one face could never be representative of the entire breadth of Latina beauty, but I'm thrilled to add my voice to this conversation - in both Spanish and English!" Melissa's talents span acting, singing, and dancing, and her career has taken her all over North America: studying in New York at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, returning home to Mexico to star in the telenovela 'Siempre tuya Acapulco', then back to the US for the television drama 'Vida' and 'In the Heights'. She grew up in Monterrey, Mexico, and currently resides in Los Angeles. Melissa joins Emilia Clarke in this new role, and both women reflect the values of Clinique - as talented, bright, humanitarian women with bold, brave voices. Clinique will debut new creative featuring Melissa Barrera starting in Fall 2021. *Source: The NPD Group, Inc. / U.S. Prestige Beauty Total Measured Market, Total Beauty Sales, 12 months ending April 2021 Media Contact Nike Communications [email protected] SOURCE Clinique SANTA CLARA, Calif., June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Cloudera, (NYSE: CLDR), the enterprise data cloud company, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by affiliates of Clayton, Dubilier & Rice ("CD&R") and KKR in an all cash transaction valued at approximately $5.3 billion. The transaction will result in Cloudera becoming a private company and is expected to close in the second half of 2021. The Board of Directors of Cloudera (the "Board") has unanimously approved the transaction and recommends that the Cloudera shareholders approve the transaction and adopt the merger agreement. Entities related to Icahn Group, collectively holding approximately 18% of the outstanding shares of Cloudera common stock, have entered into a voting agreement pursuant to which they have agreed, among other things, to vote their shares of Cloudera common stock in favor of the transaction. The transaction delivers substantial value to Cloudera shareholders, who will receive $16.00 in cash per share, representing a 24% premium to the closing price as of May 28, 2021 and a 30% premium to the 30-day volume weighted average share price. "This transaction provides substantial and certain value to our shareholders while also accelerating Cloudera's long-term path to hybrid cloud leadership for analytics that span the complete data lifecycle - from the Edge to AI," said Rob Bearden, CEO of Cloudera. "We believe that as a private company with the expertise and support of experienced investors such as CD&R and KKR, Cloudera will have the resources and flexibility to drive product-led growth and expand our addressable market opportunity." "We very much look forward to working with Cloudera as it continues to execute its long-term transformation strategy," said Jeff Hawn, CD&R Operating Partner who will serve as Chairman of the company upon the close of the transaction. "The company has made significant progress establishing the Cloudera Data Platform (CDP) as a leader in hybrid and multi-cloud analytics, and we believe that our experience and capabilities can offer valuable support to accelerate expansion into new products and markets." Mr. Hawn's past roles include serving as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Quest Software, Vertafore, and Attachmate. "We have followed the Cloudera story closely for a number of years and are pleased to be supporting its mission of helping companies make better use of their data in the ever-evolving hybrid IT environment," said John Park, KKR Partner and Head of Americas Technology Private Equity. "We are excited to contribute to Cloudera's accelerated innovation efforts as a private company." KKR is making the investment from its North American private equity funds, adding to KKR's experience helping to grow leading global technology businesses, including GoDaddy, Internet Brands, Epicor, BMC, Optiv, Calabrio, Corel and 1-800 Contacts. CD&R's investments in technology-related businesses include Epicor, Capco, m2gen, Sirius Computer Solutions, and TRANZACT. Closing of the deal is subject to customary closing conditions, including the approval of Cloudera shareholders and antitrust approval. The agreement includes a 30-day "go-shop" period expiring on [July 1], 2021, which allows the Board and its advisors to actively initiate, solicit and consider alternative acquisition proposals from third parties with an additional 10 days to negotiate a definitive agreement with qualifying parties. The Board will have the right to terminate the merger agreement to enter into a superior proposal subject to the terms and conditions of the merger agreement. There can be no assurance that this "go-shop" will result in a superior proposal, and Cloudera does not intend to disclose developments with respect to the solicitation process unless and until the Board receives an acquisition proposal that it determines is a superior proposal, or it otherwise determines such disclosure is required. First Quarter Fiscal 2021 Financial Results Cloudera will announce its first quarter fiscal year 2021 financial results in a separate release today. The press release will also be available on the Investor Relations section of Cloudera's website. Due to the announced transaction with affiliates of CD&R and KKR, Cloudera has cancelled its earnings conference call previously scheduled for June 2, 2021. Advisors Morgan Stanley & Co LLC is serving as exclusive financial advisor to Cloudera, and Latham & Watkins, LLP is serving as legal advisor to Cloudera. GCA Advisors, LLC, BofA Securities, William Blair & Company, L.L.C., Perella Weinberg Partners LP, Cowen and J.P. Morgan are serving as financial advisors and Kirkland & Ellis, LLP and Debevoise & Plimpton LLP are serving as legal advisor to CD&R and KKR. J.P. Morgan, Bank of America, and KKR Capital Markets have committed to providing debt financing for the transaction. About Cloudera At Cloudera, we believe that data can make what is impossible today, possible tomorrow. We empower people to transform complex data into clear and actionable insights. Cloudera delivers an enterprise data cloud for any data, anywhere, from the Edge to AI. Powered by the relentless innovation of the open source community, Cloudera advances digital transformation for the world's largest enterprises. Learn more at Cloudera.com . Cloudera and associated marks are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cloudera, Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners. About Clayton, Dubilier & Rice CD&R is a private investment firm with a strategy predicated on building stronger, more profitable businesses. Since inception, CD&R has managed the investment of more than $35 billion in 100 companies with an aggregate transaction value of more than $150 billion. The firm has offices in New York and London. For more information, please visit www.cdr-inc.com . About KKR KKR is a leading global investment firm that offers alternative asset management and capital markets and insurance solutions. KKR aims to generate attractive investment returns by following a patient and disciplined investment approach, employing world-class people, and supporting growth in its portfolio companies and communities. KKR sponsors investment funds that invest in private equity, credit and real assets and has strategic partners that manage hedge funds. KKR's insurance subsidiaries offer retirement, life and reinsurance products under the management of The Global Atlantic Financial Group. References to KKR's investments may include the activities of its sponsored funds and insurance subsidiaries. For additional information about KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE: KKR), please visit KKR's website at www.kkr.com and on Twitter @KKR_Co. Important Information and Where to Find It In connection with the proposed transaction between Cloudera, Inc. ("Cloudera") and an affiliate of CD&R and KKR, a special stockholder meeting will be announced soon to obtain stockholder approval in connection with the proposed transaction. Cloudera expects to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") a proxy statement (the "Proxy Statement"), the definitive version of which will be sent or provided to Cloudera stockholders. Cloudera may also file other documents with the SEC regarding the proposed transaction. This document is not a substitute for the Proxy Statement or any other document which Cloudera may file with the SEC. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS THAT ARE FILED OR WILL BE FILED WITH THE SEC, AS WELL AS ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS TO THESE DOCUMENTS, CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN OR WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION AND RELATED MATTERS. Investors and security holders may obtain free copies of the Proxy Statement (when it is available) and other documents that are filed or will be filed with the SEC by Cloudera through the website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov, Cloudera's investor relations website at https://investors.cloudera.com/home/default.aspx or by contacting the Cloudera investor relations department at the following: Participants in the Solicitation Cloudera and certain of its directors, and executive officers and other members of management and employees may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies in respect of the proposed transaction. Information regarding the persons who may, under the rules of the SEC, be considered to be participants in the solicitation of Cloudera's stockholders will be set forth in the Proxy Statement for its special stockholder meeting. Cloudera stockholders may obtain additional information regarding the direct and indirect interests of the participants in the solicitation of proxies in connection with the proposed transaction, including the interests of Cloudera directors and executive officers in the transaction, which may be different than those of Cloudera stockholders generally, by reading the Proxy Statement and any other relevant documents that are filed or will be filed with the SEC relating to the transaction. You may obtain free copies of these documents using the sources indicated above. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements About the Proposed Transaction This communication contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements are based on Cloudera's current expectations, estimates and projections about the expected date of closing of the proposed transaction and the potential benefits thereof, its business and industry, management's beliefs and certain assumptions made by Cloudera, CD&R and KKR, all of which are subject to change. In this context, forward-looking statements often address expected future business and financial performance and financial condition, and often contain words such as "expect," "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "believe," "could," "seek," "see," "will," "may," "would," "might," "potentially," "estimate," "continue," "expect," "target," similar expressions or the negatives of these words or other comparable terminology that convey uncertainty of future events or outcomes. All forward-looking statements by their nature address matters that involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, and are not guarantees of future results, such as statements about the consummation of the proposed transaction and the anticipated benefits thereof. These and other forward-looking statements, including the failure to consummate the proposed transaction or to make or take any filing or other action required to consummate the transaction on a timely matter or at all, are not guarantees of future results and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. Accordingly, there are or will be important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in such statements and, therefore, you should not place undue reliance on any such statements and caution must be exercised in relying on forward-looking statements. Important risk factors that may cause such a difference include, but are not limited to: (i) the completion of the proposed transaction on anticipated terms and timing, including obtaining stockholder and regulatory approvals, anticipated tax treatment, unforeseen liabilities, future capital expenditures, revenues, expenses, earnings, synergies, economic performance, indebtedness, financial condition, losses, future prospects, business and management strategies for the management, expansion and growth of Cloudera's business and other conditions to the completion of the transaction; (ii) conditions to the closing of the transaction may not be satisfied; (iii) the transaction may involve unexpected costs, liabilities or delays; (iv) the outcome of any legal proceedings related to the transaction; (v) the failure by CD&R and KKR to obtain the necessary debt financing arrangements set forth in the commitment letters received in connection with the transaction; (vi) the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Cloudera's business and general economic conditions; (vii) Cloudera's ability to implement its business strategy; (viii) significant transaction costs associated with the proposed transaction; (ix) potential litigation relating to the proposed transaction; (x) the risk that disruptions from the proposed transaction will harm Cloudera's business, including current plans and operations; (xi) the ability of Cloudera to retain and hire key personnel; (xii) potential adverse reactions or changes to business relationships resulting from the announcement or completion of the proposed transaction; (xiii) legislative, regulatory and economic developments affecting Cloudera's business; (xiv) general economic and market developments and conditions; (xv) the evolving legal, regulatory and tax regimes under which Cloudera operates; (xvi) potential business uncertainty, including changes to existing business relationships, during the pendency of the merger that could affect Cloudera's financial performance; (xvii) restrictions during the pendency of the proposed transaction that may impact Cloudera's ability to pursue certain business opportunities or strategic transactions; and (xviii) unpredictability and severity of catastrophic events, including, but not limited to, acts of terrorism or outbreak of war or hostilities, as well as Cloudera's response to any of the aforementioned factors. While the list of factors presented here is considered representative, such list should not be considered to be a complete statement of all potential risks and uncertainties. Unlisted factors may present significant additional obstacles to the realization of forward looking statements. Consequences of material differences in results as compared with those anticipated in the forward-looking statements could include, among other things, business disruption, operational problems, financial loss, legal liability to third parties and similar risks, any of which could have a material adverse effect on Cloudera's financial condition, results of operations, or liquidity. Cloudera does not assume any obligation to publicly provide revisions or updates to any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, should circumstances change, except as otherwise required by securities and other applicable laws. SOURCE Cloudera, Inc. Related Links http://www.cloudera.com WESTMINSTER, Colo., June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Coalfire today announced the acquisition of Denim Group, a recognized leader in application security, to advance Coalfire's commitment to bring simplicity and scale to AppSec risk programs through automation. With the acquisition, Coalfire will transform modern application development in a way that optimizes scarce DevSecOps resources and accelerates time to market. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Denim Group, a privately held company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, offers advanced application security solutions leveraging its market-leading application security orchestration and correlation platform (ASOC) platform, ThreadFix, with consulting services. "Agile development methods are rapidly changing time to market expectations and increasing frequency of release cycles, yet clients are challenged by how to rationalize the volume of application and cloud vulnerabilities generated from disparate testing tools," said Coalfire Chief Operating Officer Mark Carney. "Our approach leverages advanced consulting services combined with the ThreadFix platform to ensure vulnerabilities are managed and prioritized efficiently, reducing time to remediation by 40 percent." The combined firms now serve over 1,800 clients, including the top five cloud service providers, half of the largest U.S. banks, leading government agencies, and the largest healthcare companies. Collectively, the teams will proactively identify over 4.2 million vulnerabilities each year through services that span the entire software development lifecycle, including: Secure Software Development Lifecyle workshops Application threat modeling Application architecture reviews Dynamic application security testing (DAST) Static application security testing (SAST) AppSec training The power of Denim Group's ThreadFix, and recently acquired Neuralys Attack Surface Management platform, signifies Coalfire's commitment to delivering a risk-based and holistic threat and vulnerability management solution for discovery, rationalization, prioritization, and tracking of all vulnerabilities across an enterprise. "Together, our combined teams represent one of the largest, most advanced, and industry-recognized cloud and application security solution providers," said John Dickson, Principal, Denim Group. "We are committed to continuing to invest in and optimize the ThreadFix platform while supporting and expanding our ecosystem of partners. It's even more meaningful for our teams to join forces the same year that both our companies celebrate 20 years of dedication to making technology more secure." Kirkland & Ellis served as legal counsel to Coalfire and EY assisted with accounting and financial due diligence. GrowthPoint served as exclusive financial advisor to Denim Group. About Coalfire Leading cloud infrastructure providers, SaaS providers, and enterprises turn to Coalfire for help solving their toughest cybersecurity problems. Through the combination of extensive cloud expertise, technology, and innovative and holistic approaches, Coalfire empowers clients to achieve their business objectives, use security and compliance to their advantage, and fuel their continued success. Coalfire has been a cybersecurity thought leader for 20 years and has offices throughout the United States and Europe. For more information, visit www.coalfire.com. About Denim Group Denim Group is the leading independent application security firm, serving as a trusted advisor to customers on matters of application risk and security. The company helps organizations assess and mitigate application security risk. Denim Group's flagship ThreadFix platform accelerates the process of application vulnerability remediation, reflecting the company's rich understanding of what it takes to fix application vulnerabilities faster. For media inquiries: Mike Gallo (212) 239-8594 [email protected] SOURCE Coalfire Related Links http://www.coalfire.com WASHINGTON, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Corsha Inc ., a leading API cybersecurity company, today announces a partnership through Venafi's Machine Identity Management Development Fund , a program designed to dramatically expand machine identity management for the world's leading businesses and government agencies. With this funding, Corsha will integrate with the Venafi Trust Protection Platform, Jetstack cert-manager and Jetstack Secure to provide a comprehensive, layered machine identity solution that protects APIs and enables full visibility and control of machine-to-machine communications. Corsha is on a mission to simplify API security and allow enterprises, developers, and DevSecOps teams to embrace modernization, complex deployments, and hybrid environments with confidence. Using a dynamic, blockchain-based machine identity, Corsha has developed a patented way to provide multi-factor authentication (MFA) for APIs, where API access may be pinned to only trusted machines. With Corsha, each API call now requires a fresh, one-time use credential, enabling zero-trust access for an organization's API services. "We are thrilled to have the opportunity to engage with the Jetstack cert-manager, Jetstack Secure, and the Venafi Trust Protection Platform through the Machine Identity Management Development Fund," said Anusha Iyer, co-founder and CTO of Corsha. "Corsha's approach to API security is driven by dynamic machine identity. Collaborating with Venafi and Jetstack is a natural fit. Together we can bring customers a novel, comprehensive solution and give enterprises the ability to pin API access to only trusted machines in their ecosystem across cloud and hybrid environments and throughout their digital supply chain." "API security is a crucial element of an organization's cybersecurity strategy and we are pleased to have Corsha join the Machine Identity Management Development Fund," said Kevin Bocek, vice president of security strategy and threat intelligence for Venafi. "Today, API authentication and authorization rely on certificates, tokens and API keys that can be vulnerable to theft and misuse. Corsha adds a second layer of machine identity that is unique and dynamic, which reduces risk and makes it easy for developers to build new services safely. Fastsecure is the driving vision behind the Machine Identity Management Development Fund." The Machine Identity Management Development Fund empowers developers to build innovative machine identity management solutions for the Jetstack and Venafi communities. The Fund sponsors a wide range of developers, including consultants, systems integrators, fast-moving startups, open-source developers, and other cybersecurity vendors. Fund partners build integrations that deliver greater visibility, intelligence and automation for machine identities created or consumed by enterprise applications and devices including, but not limited to; cloud, Kubernetes, DevOps, IoT, containers, service mesh, code signing, artificial intelligence, machine learning, SSH and big data analytics. To learn more about the Venafi Machine Identity Management Development Fund, please visit: https://www.venafi.com/ecosystem/machine-identity-management-fund To learn more about the Corsha Platform, visit: https://corsha.com/the-platform/ About Corsha Corsha is a leading cybersecurity company that is defining the landscape of API security. Its patented API Security Platform solves the broadening security concerns that enterprises are facing because of the increasing reliance on APIs and machine-to-machine connections. Its platform empowers CTOs, CISOs, and other security professionals to protect their data and applications as they traverse hybrid and multi-cloud environments. Corsha has developed the first and only multi-factor authentication for APIs. Its platform pins API access to only authorized endpoints, providing the same security guarantees for machines that have been proven successful with human users i.e. dynamic, out-of-band, one-time use credentials. The result is a dynamic identity for every deployed machine, enabling full visibility and control into API activity across cloud and enterprise networks. Corsha's API Security Platform is fully automated, Kubernetes- and cloud-native, highly scalable, and platform agnostic. Customers can leverage Corsha's Platform via a cloud-based SaaS offering or within a fully self-hosted, on-premise customer environment. For more information, visit: https://corsha.com/ About Venafi Venafi is the cybersecurity market leader in machine identity management, securing machine-to-machine connections and communications. Venafi protects machine identity types by orchestrating cryptographic keys and digital certificates for SSL/TLS, SSH, code signing, mobile and IoT. Venafi provides global visibility of machine identities and the risks associated with them for the extended enterpriseon premises, mobile, virtual, cloud and IoTat machine speed and scale. Venafi puts this intelligence into action with automated remediation that reduces the security and availability risks connected with weak or compromised machine identities while safeguarding the flow of information to trusted machines and preventing communication with machines that are not trusted. With more than 30 patents, Venafi delivers innovative solutions for the world's most demanding, security-conscious Global 5000 organizations and government agencies, including the top five U.S. health insurers; the top five U.S. airlines; the top four credit card issuers; three out of the top four accounting and consulting firms; four of the top five U.S. retailers; and the top four banks in each of the following countries: the U.S., the U.K., Australia and South Africa. Venafi is backed by top-tier investors, including TCV, Foundation Capital, Intel Capital, QuestMark Partners, Mercato Partners and NextEquity. For more information, visit: www.venafi.com . Contact: Bonnie Manousos [email protected] (571) 213-5626 SOURCE Corsha Related Links http://www.corsha.com TSX.V: DME U.S. OTC: DMEHF Frankfurt: QM01 VANCOUVER, BC, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - DESERT MOUNTAIN ENERGY CORP. (the "Company") (TSXV: DME) (OTC: DMEHF) (Frankfurt: QM01) From the President of the Company. Desert Mountain Energy Corp. has issued 1,200,000 options to directors, officers, and consultants or employees. The company issued options priced above market close today at a price of $4.25 with an expiration period of three years. The company has maintained a sufficient number of allotted and unissued shares in its treasury to permit the exercise of the options until the expiry, exercise or termination thereof. The Company is pleased to announce the appointment of Eric Witt as Drilling Operations Manager currently overseeing the drilling of Well #4. ABOUT DESERT MOUNTAIN ENERGY Desert Mountain Energy Corp. is a publicly traded exploration and resource company focused on the discovery and development of rare earth gas fields in the U.S. The Company is primarily looking for elements deemed critical to the renewable energy and high technology industries. We seek safe harbor "Robert Rohlfing" Robert Rohlfing Chairman & CEO Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in polices of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. The statements made in this press release may contain certain forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual events or results may differ from the Company's expectations. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Such forwardlooking statements and information herein include but are not limited to statements regarding the Company's anticipated performance in the future the planned exploration activities, receipt of positive results from drilling, the completion of further drilling and exploration work, and the timing and results of various activities. Forward-looking statements or information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company and its operations to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such statements. Such factors include, among others, changes in national and local governments, legislation, taxation, controls, regulations and political or economic developments in Canada and the United States; financial risks due to helium prices, operating or technical difficulties in exploration and development activities; risks and hazards and the speculative nature of resource exploration and related development; risks in obtaining necessary licenses and permits, and challenges to the Company's title to properties. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions management believes to be reasonable, including but not limited to the continued operation of the Company's exploration operations, no material adverse change in the market price of commodities, and such other assumptions and factors as set out herein. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or information, there may be other factors that cause results to be materially different from those anticipated, described, estimated, assessed or intended. There can be no assurance that any forward-looking statements or information will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements or information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. The Company does not intend to, and does not assume any obligation to update such forward-looking statements or information, other than as required by applicable law. SOURCE Desert Mountain Energy Corp. Related Links https://desertmountainenergy.com/ Goma, DR Congo (PANA) The eruption of Mount Nyiragongo volcano, in eastern DR Congo, has forced more than 415,000 people, nearly half of whom are children, to leave Goma, according to thousands of individual assessments carried out by the International Organization for Migrations (IOM) Displacement Tracking Matrix DUBAI, U.A.E, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The global subsea multiphase flowmeter market is forecast to expand at 8.5 % CAGR for the forecast period of 2021-2031, finds Future Market Insights (FMI) in a new study. Exquisite functionality of subsea multiphase flowmeter in maintaining the inflow and outflow of oil and gas drives the market growth. Introduction of subsea multiphase flowmeter in production management and monitory along with usage in deep reservoir will aggravate the market demand, evaluated by ESOMAR-certified consulting firm Future Market Insights (FMI) in this study. According to the study, Establishment of sales and servicing centers in developing economies and forming alliance with regional distributing channels is proving a profitable strategy for long term market expansion. COVID-19 pandemic slowed down the world economy directly affecting the subsea multiphase flowmeter market, but is expected to recover with resuming of trading and economic activities post lockdown. "Market players are concentrating on delivering premium performance products to satisfy end users and are proposing competitive price structure to expand their global foothold and strengthen their sales channels," remarks the FMI analyst. Request a report sample with 233 pages to gain comprehensive insights at https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-11893 Key Takeaways The global subsea multiphase flowmeter market is predicted to surpass the valuation of US $ 616.6 Mn in 2021. in 2021. North America is expected to comprise 66% of global sales thus dominating subsea multiphase flowmeter market is expected to comprise 66% of global sales thus dominating subsea multiphase flowmeter market Rising government investment in oil and gas sector assists in increasing market sales in Russia . . The subsea multiphase flowmeter market in China is predicted to grow at 7.4 % CAGR throughout the forecast on the backs of surging demand of multiphase flow metering solutions for production monitoring. is predicted to grow at 7.4 % CAGR throughout the forecast on the backs of surging demand of multiphase flow metering solutions for production monitoring. Surge in import of subsea multiphase flowmeter by Saudi Arabia , United Arab Emirates , Kuwait , and Qatar is fueling the market sales Prominent Drivers Slugging flow detection abilities along with measuring complex flow properties boosts subsea multiphase flowmeter market growth. Integration of modern techniques and automation tools to subsea multiphase flowmeter is expected to provide lucrative opportunity for market expansion. Growing global investment in oil and gas sector will fuel the market demand. Key Restraints Progress from oil and gas industry to electric mobility and renewable sources of energy hampers the market growth. Inaccurate measurements with fractional change in physical properties of oil restrict the market growth. A high investment requirement for installation and deployment of subsea multiphase flowmeter negatively affects the market demand. Discover more about the subsea multiphase flowmeter market with figures and data tables, along with the table of contents. You will also find detailed market segmentation on https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/checkout/11893 Competitive Landscape Leading players profiled by FMI operating in subsea multiphase flowmeter market include Weatherford, AMETEK Inc., ABB Ltd, Emerson, Peitro Fiorentini S.p.a., Tokico System Solutions Ltd, Baker Hughes, Schlumberger Limited, TechnipFMC plc, KROHNE Japan KK, Haimo Technologies Group Corp among others. According to FMI, leading players are heavily investing in product innovation and modern technological advancement. Strategic collaborations and partnership can also been seen among market players to enhance their production capacities and pool their technical prowess to gain edge in this competitive landscape. For instance, stimulation, well testing and production optimization contract was awarded to Baker Hugh by Saudi Aramco in 2018. Emerson developed new embedded software for digitalization of oil and gas multiphase flow measurement along with automation features to fuel the adoption of Roxar 2600 Multiphase Flow Meter (MPFM) and promote boost process automation in the oil and gas industry. For any Queries Linked with the Report, Ask an [email protected] https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ask-question/rep-gb-11893 More Insights on FMI's Subsea Multiphase Flowmeter Market The latest market study on global subsea multiphase flowmeter market by future market insights gives a detailed segmentation for the forecast period of 2021-2031. in order to gain a better perspective of the global market potential, its growth, trends, and opportunities, the market is segmented on the basis of pipe size (2" subsea multiphase flowmeter, 3" subsea multiphase flowmeter, 4" subsea multiphase flowmeter, 6" subsea multiphase flowmeter, 8" subsea multiphase flowmeter,10" subsea multiphase flowmeter), application (subsea well testing, production monitoring, production measurement), construction material (stainless steel subsea multiphase flowmeter, duplex steel subsea multiphase flowmeter, corrosion resistant alloys subsea multiphase flowmeter, titanium subsea multiphase flowmeter, etc), and across major regions (North America, Latin America, Europe, Middle East & Africa, South Asia and Pacific). Explore FMI's Extensive Coverage on Oil and Gas Domain Subsea manifolds market: The global subsea manifolds market report by FMI gives an in-depth insight on the future expansion prospects, trends and challenges that market is likely to face in the upcoming decade. Key statistics regarding key segments have been presented across prominent geographies, along with a detailed assessment of the market's competitive landscape. Oil and gas seals market: Future Market Insights gives a detailed segmentation on the global oil and gas seals market with upcoming market trends, challenges and future growth dynamics across key geographies and prominent segments. The report provides a holistic approach, mapping the competitive landscape with detailed analysis on established players, new entrants, and opportunities likely to prevail across the 2021-2031 decade. Global gas leak detector market: The global gas leak detector market study published by FMI offers a comprehensive analysis and focused views on major trends expected to provide shape to future growth prospects. The report provides detailed analysis of the significant drivers, trends, challenges and opportunities prevailing for the forthcoming decade across key geographies along with competitive landscape of the upcoming decade. About Future Market Insights (FMI) Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in Dubai, and has delivery centers in the UK, U.S. and India. FMI's latest market research reports and industry analysis help businesses navigate challenges and make critical decisions with confidence and clarity amidst breakneck competition. Our customized and syndicated market research reports deliver actionable insights that drive sustainable growth. A team of expert-led analysts at FMI continuously tracks emerging trends and events in a broad range of industries to ensure that our clients prepare for the evolving needs of their consumers. Contact: Abhishek Budholiya Future Market Insights, 1602-6 Jumeirah Bay X2 Tower, Plot No: JLT-PH2-X2A, Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai, United Arab Emirates For Sales Enquiries: [email protected] For Media Enquiries: [email protected] Website: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ Report: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/subsea-multiphase-flowmeter-market Press Release Source: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/press-release/subsea-multiphase-flowmeter-market SOURCE Future Market Insights JACKSON, Miss., June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- EastGroup Properties, Inc. (NYSE: EGP) (the "Company" or "EastGroup") announced today its recent development and value-add activity and equity transactions. EastGroup agreed to terms with a Fortune 100 e-commerce retailer to develop Speed Distribution Center, a 519,000 square foot building on 40 acres in San Diego, California for a total projected cost of $89 million. A 15-year lease for the entire building will commence upon completion, which is projected to occur in early 2022. In addition to this new project, subsequent to quarter-end, the Company began construction of buildings 9 and 10 in its CreekView 121 park in Dallas. The two buildings will contain 145,000 square feet and have a projected total cost of $17 million. This project will increase the total size of the Company's CreekView 121 park, which is currently 97% leased, to 772,000 square feet. Also, in mid-May, the Company acquired Access Point 2, a recently constructed 159,000 square foot building, for $10.7 million. The property, which is 29% leased, is adjacent to the recently acquired Access Point 1 property in the I-385 submarket in Greenville, South Carolina and is currently in the lease-up phase of the development and value-add portfolio. With this activity, the Company has increased its budgeted 2021 development starts to 2.2 million square feet with projected total costs of $250 million. During the second quarter of 2021 to date, the Company has issued and sold 191,305 shares of common stock under its continuous common equity offering program at an average price of $156.82 per share, providing gross proceeds to the Company of approximately $30 million. Commenting on the Company's activity, Marshall Loeb, CEO, stated, "We are happy to see the positive first quarter momentum continuing into second quarter. Within our development program we're excited about the prelease opportunity in San Diego. Construction is moving quickly ahead and we're already searching for our next San Diego development site." EastGroup, an S&P MidCap 400 company, is a self-administered equity real estate investment trust focused on the development, acquisition and operation of industrial properties in major Sunbelt markets throughout the United States with an emphasis in the states of Florida, Texas, Arizona, California and North Carolina. The Company's goal is to maximize shareholder value by being a leading provider in its markets of functional, flexible and quality business distribution space for location sensitive customers (primarily in the 15,000 to 70,000 square foot range). The Company's strategy for growth is based on ownership of premier distribution facilities generally clustered near major transportation features in supply-constrained submarkets. EastGroup's portfolio, including development projects and value-add acquisitions in lease-up and under construction, currently includes approximately 48 million square feet. EastGroup Properties, Inc. press releases are available at www.eastgroup.net. SOURCE EastGroup Properties Related Links http://www.eastgroup.net BOSTON, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Eaton Vance 2021 Target Term Trust (NYSE: EHT) (the "Trust") announced today new details concerning its liquidation. Consistent with its investment objectives and organizational documents, the Trust plans to terminate its existence and liquidate on or about July 1, 2021. As the Trust approaches liquidation, its common shares will continue trading on the New York Stock Exchange through Friday, June 25, 2021 and will be suspended from trading before the open of trading on Monday, June 28, 2021. The Trust will not declare its regular monthly distribution in June 2021 and expects that all undistributed net income will be included in the final liquidating distribution. The Trust anticipates making its final liquidating distribution on or about July 1, 2021. As previously announced, the Trust entered its wind-up period in anticipation of its termination. Leading up to the final distribution date, as the Trust's portfolio securities continue to mature and are sold, the Trust may further deviate from its investment objectives and policies, and its portfolio will continue to transition into high quality, short-term securities and/or cash and cash equivalents. The investment objective to return the Trust's original $9.85 net asset value ("NAV") per share to shareholders at termination is not a guarantee and is dependent on a number of factors, including the cumulative level of income retained in relation to cumulative portfolio gains net of losses. Over the life of the Trust through May 28, 2021, the Trust has realized cumulative total return at NAV of 5.04% annually. As of May 28, 2021, the Trust's NAV was $9.85 per share. Shareholders may recognize a gain or loss for U.S. tax purposes as a result of the liquidation. Eaton Vance Management does not provide tax advice; investors should consult a professional tax advisor regarding their specific tax situation. Eaton Vance Corp. was acquired by Morgan Stanley on March 1, 2021. Its former Eaton Vance Management, Parametric, Atlanta Capital and Calvert investment affiliates are now part of Morgan Stanley Investment Management, the asset management division of Morgan Stanley. Shares of closed-end funds often trade at a discount from their net asset value. The market price of Trust shares may vary from net asset value based on factors affecting the supply and demand for shares, such as Trust distribution rates relative to similar investments, investors' expectations for future distribution changes, the clarity of the Trust's investment strategy and future return expectations, and investors' confidence in the underlying markets in which the Trust invests. Trust shares are subject to investment risk, including possible loss of principal invested. The Trust is not a complete investment program and you may lose money investing therein. An investment in the Trust may not be appropriate for all investors. Before investing, prospective investors should consider carefully the Trust's investment objective, strategies, risks, charges and expenses. This press release is for informational purposes only and is not intended to, and does not, constitute an offer to purchase or sell shares of the Trust. Additional information about the Trust, including performance and portfolio characteristic information, is available at eatonvance.com. Statements in this press release that are not historical facts may be forward-looking statements, as defined by the U.S. securities laws. You should exercise caution in interpreting and relying on forward-looking statements because they are subject to uncertainties and other factors that may be beyond the Trust's control and could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. SOURCE Eaton Vance Management Related Links www.eatonvance.com Microneedling is a procedure that uses small needles to create controlled injuries to the skin, promoting natural increases of collagen for the improvement of facial acne scarring. The new design and technology built into the MicroPen EVO will help practitioners treat patients more effectively, with more control, and an improved field of view. "We are very excited to announce the FDA clearance of the MicroPen EVO," stated Tom O'Brien, CEO and Founder of Eclipse. "This represents the start of multigenerational product offerings that will propel Eclipse for many years to come." The launch of the MicroPen EVO domestically has the aesthetic industry buzzing with anticipation. Dr. Paul Nassif of Nassif MD Plastic Surgery said, "As a long-time customer of Eclipse, I've appreciated their ability to innovate and improve the technologies we use every day. EVO is the next big thing." Dr. Joel Cohen, AboutSkin Dermatology and DermSurgery, echoed with, "I have been an Eclipse customer for a decade. I trust their products for my patients and my practice. Eclipse makes reliable products and the new MicroPen EVO clearance takes it all to a higher level." Eclipse first entered the microneedling device industry with the MicroPen, widely regarded as the premier pen at the time of its launch. In 2015, the MicroPen Elite was released, introducing both form factor and technological improvements. Together, the two MicroPen products made Eclipse the industry leader in microneedling devices. Now that MicroPen EVO has been cleared in the United States, Eclipse will be offering a special upgrade program exclusively for previous customers of their MicroPen Elite. Dermatology and aesthetic providers looking for more information about the Eclipse MicroPen EVO or other Eclipse products, including Eclipse PRP and VOTESSE hair health system, visit EclipseMed.com. To talk to an Eclipse representative, please call us at 800-759-6876 or email [email protected]. To see the MicroPen EVO now, click here. About Eclipse Eclipse was established in January 1993 as a specialty surgical supply company. It quickly became one of the pioneers in the aesthetic market, launching several energy-based devices in the United States. Today, Eclipse has a global presence and is one of the largest and most successful privately held medical device companies in its space. EclipseMed.com For more information, contact: Dean Hensley [email protected] SOURCE Eclipse Related Links http://EclipseMed.com MELBOURNE, Fla., June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Eve Urban Air Mobility Solutions, Inc. (Eve) and Halo today announced a partnership focused on developing Urban Air Mobility (UAM) products and services in the United States and the United Kingdom. This partnership includes an order for 200 of Eve's electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. Deliveries are expected to start in 2026. This order represents one of the largest in the UAM industry and secures Halo as the launch partner for Eve in both the U.S. and the U.K. markets. Under the terms of this agreement, Halo, a leading premium helicopter travel provider in the U.S. and U.K. and the first global vertical lift provider, will work with Eve to develop a new eVTOL operation in both countries. Eve is an independent company formed by Embraer S.A. to accelerate the UAM ecosystem around the world. "We believe Eve has designed an aircraft that is well-prepared for not only initial certification but also has a proven track record of production," said Kenneth C. Ricci, Principal of Directional Aviation, investment fund of which Halo is part of. "The outstanding lineage of aircraft design, certification and production that Embraer brings to this aircraft positions Eve with significant advantages in the competitive landscape. And our background as operators has taught us that product support is absolutely vital to the overall success of new programs. The relationship between Embraer and Eve will create one of the most successful global product support infrastructures in the industry. Finally, the work that Eve and Embraer have completed around their traffic management system is just one more example of how uniquely positioned Eve is to help us deliver on our vision." "This partnership is an important step for Eve to assume its position as a global leader in the UAM industry. We are ready to build the future of mobility with our partners in an extremely collaborative way. Halo is aligned with our mission to create comprehensive Urban Air Mobility solutions and this order marks an important milestone for Eve in key markets. We are confident that this mutually beneficial relationship will have a positive impact for many future users and enable both companies to grow their businesses exponentially," said Andre Stein, President & CEO of Eve Urban Air Mobility. This collaboration, the first international eVTOL operator partnership of its kind, will benefit from the work that Eve has already invested in the U.K. market as the leader of a consortium that is solving the regulatory and operational issues to bring eVTOL operations to London. In collaboration with the UK Civil Aviation Authoritys "innovation sandbox" program, Eve and Halo's partnership will be one of the first operators to build upon this exciting work and continue to develop London as a viable and attractive market for UAM operations. Beyond the initial order and collaboration to develop a new eVTOL operation, Eve and Halo will also partner on the continued development of Eve's Urban Air Traffic Management system as well as the fleet operations and services product offerings that Eve offers as an ecosystem integrator for UAM operations. The strength of Halo's international operations, together with Eve's UAM portfolio, will be an important demonstration of how such partnerships can increase accessibility and affordability as these two companies work to safely scale UAM operations around the world. Benefitting from a startup mindset and backed by Embraer's more than 50-year history of aircraft manufacturing and certification expertise, Eve unveils a unique value proposition by positioning itself as an ecosystem partner by offering a suite of products and services. Eve's human-centered, eVTOL design represents a simple and intuitive design that continues to reach development milestones, including the first flight of the engineering simulator in July 2020 and proof of concept in October 2020. In addition to the aircraft program, Eve is harnessing the expertise of both Embraer and Atech, a subsidiary of the Embraer Group, in providing globally recognized air traffic management software to create the solutions that will help safely scale the UAM industry going forward. Follow us on Twitter: @EveAirMobility Link to download image: https://embraer.bynder.com/share/EAC69D63-66B2-483F-A7F097DE092A45BA/ About Eve Urban Air Mobility Solutions (Eve) Eve is a new, independent company dedicated to accelerating the Urban Air Mobility (UAM) ecosystem. Benefitting from a startup mindset, backed by Embraer's more than 50-year history of aerospace expertise, and with a singular focus, Eve is taking a holistic approach to progressing the UAM ecosystem, with an advanced electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle (eVTOL) project, a comprehensive global services and support network, and a unique air traffic management solution. Eve is the first company to graduate from EmbraerX. For more information, visit www.eveairmobility.com. About Halo Halo provides bespoke helicopter and private urban air mobility travel services in the United States and the United Kingdom. Formed through the alignment of Halo Aviation Ltd. in the U.K. and Associated Aircraft Group (AAG) in the U.S., Halo offers transportation in the leading helicopter types in their class piloted by instrument-rated pilots. In the U.K., Halo offers vertical lift via charter, card, fractional ownership and full ownership-management programmes. Its fleet of Agusta/Leonardo AW109 and AW169 helicopters dispatch from bases in the south of England, around London, the Midlands and in the Channel Islands. In the U.S., Halo provides helicopter charter, fractional ownership and helicopter maintenance services from its New York, Teterboro, Bridgeport, Providence and Philadelphia installations. For more information, visit www.fly-halo.com. Forward-Looking Information Is Subject to Risk and Uncertainty Certain statements in this release may be "forward-looking" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding the potential order of 200 eVTOLs, the ability of EVE to deliver eVTOL aircraft in 2026, as well as any other statement that does not directly relate to any historical or current fact. Forward-looking statements are based on current assumptions about future events that may not prove to be accurate. These statements are not guarantee and are subject to risks, uncertainties and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. Many factors could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements. As a result, these statements speak only as of the date they are made and neither party undertakes an obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, except as required by law. Specific factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements include the effect of global economic conditions, the ability of the parties to negotiate and enter into a definitive agreement and realize anticipated synergies, the ability of EVE to obtain the required certifications to manufacture and sell its eVTOL aircraft, and other important factors disclosed previously and from time to time in the filings of Embraer with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Follow us on Twitter: @Embraer About Embraer A global aerospace company headquartered in Brazil, Embraer (B3: EMBR3,NYSE: ERJ) has businesses in Commercial and Executive aviation, Defense & Security and Agricultural Aviation. The company designs, develops, manufactures and markets aircraft and systems, providing Services & Support to customers after-sales. Since it was founded in 1969, Embraer has delivered more than 8,000 aircraft. On average, about every 10 seconds an aircraft manufactured by Embraer takes off somewhere in the world, transporting over 145 million passengers a year. Embraer is the leading manufacturer of commercial jets up to 150 seats and the main exporter of high value-added goods in Brazil. The company maintains industrial units, offices, service and parts distribution centers, among other activities, across the Americas, Africa, Asia and Europe. PRESS OFFICES Headquarters (Brazil) North America Europe, Middle East and Africa China Asia Pacific Corporate Communications Alyssa Ten Eyck Guy Douglas Mirage Zhong Nilma Missir-Boissac [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Cell: +55 11 98890 7777 Cell: +1 954 383 0460 Cell: +31 (0)657120121 Cell: +86 185 1378 5180 Cell: +65 9012 8428 Tel.: +55 11 4873 7984 Tel.: +1 954 359 3847 Tell: +31 (0)202158109 Tel.: +86 10 6598 9988 Tel.: +65 6305 9955 SOURCE Embraer S.A. Every year during BIO founding editor John Carroll brings you a lineup of the top R&D execs and industry commentators to discuss the most important issues of the day. And this year is special. We'll start this series with a fireside chat featuring Takeda CEO Christophe Weber, and close out with storied MIT scientist and entrepreneur Robert Langer. For the panels in between we've put together a star lineup of execs to discuss the new normal era as the industry takes stock of the momentous events that have occurred over the last 18 months of the pandemic. Day one features our one-on-one with Christophe Weber on the profound changes underway at Takeda, followed by a panel of deeply experienced R&D execs to discuss what they learned amid Covid: How they adapted and how they're moving forward. We'll discuss new work-place guidelines, changes to regulatory requirements and a marked change in the usual methods of executing clinical trials during our first panel with Mathai Mammen at J&J, Pearl Huang at Cygnal, Mene Pangalos at AstraZeneca and John Reed of Sanofi. Day two features a close look at the post-Covid pipeline now taking shape as drugmakers not only look to control Covid-19 going forward but also lay the foundation for R&D and manufacturing to be much better prepared for the next pandemic whenever that arrives. John Carroll will tackle this subject with Vir CEO George Scangos, Takeda R&D chief Andy Plump, John Mascola, director of NIAID's vaccine research center and Stephen Hoge, president of Moderna. The day's second panel will be moderated by Kyle Blankenship, looking at the deep impact the pandemic has had on the manufacturing side of the business. He'll be joined by Steffen Lang, head of Novartis Technical Operations, CivicaRX CEO Martin VanTrieste and Fujifilm Diosynth Biotech CEO Martin Meeson. Day three begins with a special panel looking at the new Biden administration and the impact it may have on biopharma. With a multitude of issues at play - from dramatic pronouncements on IP and the regulatory scene to drug pricing, tax rates and general economic policies we'll be unpacking what's happening, and what to look out for with MIT's Andrew Lo, Ovid CEO and BIO chair Jeremy Levin, Stacie Dusetzina, associate professor of health policy at Vanderbilt, conservative commentator and Roivant executive chairman Vivek Ramaswamy and Tahir Amin, the co-founder of I-MAK. We'll wrap with an exclusive conversation with legendary MIT scientist and Moderna co-founder Robert Langer, who has helped launch more than 30 biotechs and remains deeply involved on the entrepreneurial side of biotech and drug research. Add it all up and you'll get a deep, professional analysis of the state of R&D during a boom time for the field. What are the big issues grabbing the industry's attention and where are the big challenges that need to be confronted? Here's your chance to get a closer, inside look. We hope you can join us for one or all of the above brought to you by our sponsors. About Endpoints News Founded in 2016 by editor John Carroll and publisher Arsalan Arif, Endpoints is an independent news media company with 100,000 daily email subscribers and is available on the web at ENDPTS.COM . There's no cost for a Basic subscription, which provides readers access to most daily news content and special features like the Endpoints 11. A paid Insider subscription grants access to the entire content library and provides the option for an ad-free experience. And the unlimited-seat Enterprise program gives companies of all sizes access to Endpoints for one flat price. Endpoints News has transitioned its global events online and is committed to providing free access for attendees throughout the pandemic. Next week it hosts ASCO21 , with an in-depth look at the winners and losers in the race to first- and best-in-class in cancer drug R&D. The event will start with a round table discussion with top industry experts followed by a deep look at BCMA. Press contact: Shelly Whitfield, Chief Operating Officer ([email protected]) SOURCE Endpoints News Related Links https://endpts.com CHICAGO, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a new market research report "Enterprise Performance Management Market with COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Application (Enterprise Planning & Budgeting, Reporting & Compliance), Business Function, Deployment Type, Organization Size, Vertical, and Region - Global Forecast to 2026", published by MarketsandMarkets, the Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) Market size is expected to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 6.3% during the forecast period, to reach USD 7.7 billion by 2026 from USD 5.7 billion in 2021. EPM is a set of processes that are formulated to help organizations plan, budget, forecast, and report on business performance, as well as consolidate and finalize financial results. EPM solutions help to analyze, understand, and report on businesses. Organizations can use EPM to increase overall productivity, operational efficiency and link different business components. Most of the vendors in the market offer EPM solutions, which are robust and comprehensive and encompass the agility and flexibility to offer global organizations the tools they need to report, plan, forecast. budget, and increase overall productivity. It helps to link an organization's strategic plans to its annual budget and its forecasts. Browse in-depth TOC on "Enterprise Performance Management Market" 266 Tables 56 Figures 277 Pages Ask for Report Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=114295566 EPM software market vendors across the globe are deploying innovative solutions to support organizations in financial budgeting and planning to improve the financial position of their businesses. The emergence of the latest technologies is enabling vendors to offer financial budgeting and planning solutions to empower organizations to take appropriate actions. Organizations require software solutions to handle larger business information. It becomes a challenge for an organization to gather data from different departments available in different data formats. The EPM solutions facilitate information management at different levels and result in informed decision-making. EPM market report contains solutions that have applications, such as enterprise planning and budgeting, financial consolidation, reporting and compliance, integrated performance management system, and others. Other applications include supply chain performance management, workforce planning, profitability and cost management, and risk strategy management. The objective of EPM solutions is to enhance business performance and help enterprises improve their decision-making process. Organizations across verticals use EPM solutions to increase their operational efficiency and productivity. The market is expected to be driven by increasing operational efficiency by optimizing business processes EPM systems support business processes by enabling enterprises to manage and automate day-to-day business activities from a single, integrated software application, which not only improves operational efficiency but also enhances business performance by ensuring accurate business planning and reporting. EPM systems offer a streamlined business process that eliminates the risk of manual errors and provides faster response time to key decision-makers in the organization. Automating the business processes provides real-time information on business requirements. As data serves as a key metric to measure business performance, EPM systems gather and consolidate data automatically, which reduces the execution time. EPM acts as a tool for the organization to manage and understand the data gathered through various business processes to make better business decisions, which would enhance the performance and efficiency of the organization and would offer a competitive position in the market. These factors act as a driver to the Enterprise Performance Management Market. Improved profitability by reducing operational costs Organizations utilized EPM systems to track day-to-day financial performance. A well-equipped EPM system enables the organization to maintain efficiency across the entire team and eliminate manual tasks. Enabling the key elements of various business processes with an EPM tool drives the growth, profitability, and accountability of organizations. EPM software provides visibility across all the business segments and tracks the cost and profitability of each of these business segments. This functionality can be utilized to predict and forecast the business requirements and respond to the changing economical requirements in the competitive market. Thus, the implementation of EPM offers higher returns, increased margins and identifies ways to improve profitability and business performance. For instance, EPM offers insurance companies with cost management and profitability analysis tool, which performs complex and detailed calculations to define the profit potential. EPM offers manufacturers precise cost and analysis tools on a real-time basis to gain profitability by protecting the margins. Speak to Research Expert: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/speaktoanalystNew.asp?id=114295566 North America to dominate the global Enterprise Performance Management Market in 2021 North America is one of the most technologically advanced geographies in the world. It comprises the US and Canada, which account for the largest share of the Enterprise Performance Management Market due to the early adoption of business technological solutions by these countries. North America is the most mature market in terms of adopting business application software, due to the presence of many large enterprises with well-equipped infrastructure and technical expertise, which is likely to drive the adoption of enterprise performance management solutions in the region. Further, the rapid advancements in IT infrastructure services and technological advancements have led many organizations to adopt cloud-based services. Moreover, manufacturing industries in North America are utilizing AI, IoT, and other technological platforms to perform day-to-day business activities to increase business productivity. This technological adoption is driving digital transformation in enterprises. As of 2018, 21% of North American enterprises are digitally transformed. Other industries such as retail, healthcare, and banking are also utilizing business application software to manage a large amount of customer data. Thus, digitization and industry 4.0 is likely to drive the adoption of EPM solutions in the region. The prominent EPM vendors in the region include Oracle Corporation, IBM, SAP. These vendors are actively investing in cloud-based EPM solutions. The Enterprise Performance Management Market report includes major vendors, such as Oracle (US), IBM (US), Infor (US), SAP (Germany), Anaplan (US), Workday (US), Epicor Software (US), Unicom Systems (US), Planful (US), Unit4 (Netherlands), OneStream (US), BearingPoint (Netherlands), Broadcom (US), Board International (Switzerland), LucaNet (Germany), Prophix (Canada), Vena Solutions (Canada), Solver (US), Kepion (US), Jedox (Germany), Corporater (Norway), Wolters Kluwer (Netherlands), and insight software (US). The major players in the EPM market have implemented various growth strategies to expand their global presence and increase their market shares. Browse Adjacent Markets: Software and Services Market Research Reports & Consulting Related Reports: Cloud Computing Market by Service Model (Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS)), Deployment Model (Public and Private), Organization Size, Vertical, and Region - Global Forecast to 2025 https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/cloud-computing-market-234.html About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 7500 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve. MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "Knowledge Store" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. Contact: Mr. Aashish Mehra MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: [email protected] Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/enterprise-performance-management-market.asp Visit Our Website: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com Content Source:https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/enterprise-performance-management.asp SOURCE MarketsandMarkets MUNICH, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Watch the European Inventor Award ceremony online on Thursday, June 17, 2021 at 1:00 pm EDT ( 19:00 CEST ) Event broadcast at inventoraward.org will showcase the stories of remarkable scientists and innovators in an all-new format The public is invited to vote online for their favorite inventor to win the Popular Prize; poll open now at popular-prize.epo.org Six US-based inventors among 15 finalists to vote for Winners of the Award in all categories will be revealed during the event The European Patent Office (EPO) is hosting the first-ever digital edition of the European Inventor Award ceremony on Thursday, June 17, which viewers will be able to watch at inventoraward.org. The ceremony, an important event in the science and innovation calendar, will give audiences around the globe an opportunity to learn about outstanding inventors who have devised ingenious solutions to some of today's most pressing problems. The 15 award finalists have made significant advances in fields ranging from diagnostics and ultrasound imaging to biometrics, sustainable plastic production and wildlife protection. Awards will be presented to the winners of each of the five categories: Industry, Research, SMEs, Non-EPO countries, and Lifetime achievement, in addition to the winner of the Popular Prize, who is selected by the public. Through short films and interviews, and featuring elements of extended reality, the ceremony will highlight the stories of these remarkable individuals and teams who through their creativity, hard work and perseverance have pushed the boundaries of innovation to develop inventions that are improving our daily lives. Public vote is open for the Popular Prize The public is invited to vote for their favourite inventor for the European Inventor Award 2021 Popular Prize, among them six US-based inventors: Chinese-American researchers Bo PI and Yi He, US scientists Kim Lewis and Slava S. Epstein, Indian-American chemist Sumita Mitra, and Serbian-American biomedical-engineer Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic. While the winners of the Award's five categories are selected by an independent international jury, it is the public alone that decides who receives the Popular Prize. Voting is easy and open to everyone. Votes can be cast anytime until June 17 at popular-prize.epo.org for inventors or teams of inventors from among this year's 15 finalists. SOURCE The European Patent Office PHILADELPHIA, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Over 25 million people are trafficked worldwide, leaving many survivors with inadequate resources for dealing with trauma, abuse, and addiction. Despite these odds, Worthwhile Wear offers hope and a way for everyone to be a part of the solution. Worthwhile Wear Now, through July 30, everyone, everywhere is invited to walk, bike, run, swim or even kayak to support survivors of human trafficking in Worthwhile Wear's national "Act Challenge." For every mile logged at WorthwhileWear.org, Act Challenge sponsors will make a donation of $2.79 per mile (as of the date of publication) that helps provide safe housing and restorative programming to survivors of human trafficking in America. The Act Challenge is a free event and open to all ages and abilities. Schools, businesses, gyms, churches and even other organizations are capitalizing on the opportunity this event offers. Educate students, clients and colleagues on the issue of human trafficking, and then host a walk/jog/ride to make a positive impact in the life of someone affected by trafficking. Each mile logged by anyone becomes a donation of $2.79 to support US based survivors! This year's Act Challenge goal is to complete 30,000 miles by July 30, "World Day Against Trafficking." Join in raising awareness about the issue of trafficking and help expand housing capacity and outreach programs for survivors by logging miles today. To join, follow these steps: Track miles while walking, running, biking, swimming, kayaking, etc. Record completed miles on the submission form at worthwhilewear.org. Miles may be submitted everyday, now through 7/30. Share about the Act Challenge on social media with the hashtag #ActWorthwhile and help raise greater awareness. So far, the response has been incredible with miles submitted from all across America. New York Yankees Catcher, Erik Kratz says this about participating in the Act Challenge: "When training or working out, it's important to stay motivated and for me, there's no greater motivation than knowing that my miles are helping others. I'm motivated to push harder knowing that my effort is supporting the important work that Worthwhile Wear is doing to bring hope and healing to survivors." Don't sit idle. The simple act of being active will help human trafficking survivors and bring hope to many who are still working through past trauma brought on by sexual exploitation. Worthwhile Wear is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that offers the most comprehensive services to survivors of trafficking in the state of Pennsylvania, and is actively growing its outreach program to survivors into other states. Worthwhile Wear provides survivors with long-term housing on its beautiful 82-acre property just outside of Philadelphia, PA. It equips survivors with job training and employment through its thrift stores, empowers survivors of sexual exploitation through its community outreach programs, and globally employs survivors in the making of Worthwhile Wear apparel. For more information or to learn about business sponsorships visit worthwhilewear.org . Media Contact: [email protected] Related Images image1.png Related Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7UK1_m03mU SOURCE Worthwhile Wear SANTA MONICA, Calif., June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Children love Poopshkin! In the USA, Russia, and Israel, children hug and squeeze their new best friend, Poopshkin!! Inspired by the illustrated children's book series, Poopshkin, this plush toy is ready for adventures. Oh Poopshkin! Poopshkin is a boy with different colored eyes. Iraida Henderson, the Author, said, "I was surprised by the plush. Poopshkin's eyes are mischievous and curious, just like in the books. His eyes look up and to the side, but if you tilt your head down a little, his eyes look at you. It's fascinating to watch kids experience this." Kristina Nokes, the Author, added, "Instagram Stories of children with Poopshkin bring us great joy. Their happiness fills our hearts. I cried, though, when I saw a little girl hugging Poopshkin in a bomb shelter in Tel Aviv. I know Poopshkin did his best to comfort her." The plush is 15 inches tall, includes free USA shipping, and is USD 19.95 at Poopshkin.com GS1 US GTIN (U.P.C.): 195893325771 Poopshkin's six books are available on Amazon for purchase; "The Land of Knowledge," "Life Is About Sharing," "The Crutches Did It," Poopshkin and The Sandcastle, Poopshkin and Nobody's Candy, and Poopshkin and The Christmas Tree. Team Poopshkin has fourteen books in development and is developing an animated music video for the sing-along song, "I'm a Poopshkin." Team Poopshkin: Iraida Henderson immigrated to Santa Monica, CA from Russia, where she was an Early Childhood Educator. Kristina Nokes studied Film Sciences at St. Petersburg State University of Film and Television. Rob Nokes from Todd-AO Studios is the co-creator of Absentia DX and Actors Mobile ADR and was Co-Founder and CEO of Sounddogs.com, Inc. from 1997 to 2019. Liliya Chagay - Illustrator / Graduated Karaganda State University and she is a top-rated illustrator on Upwork.com. Poopshkin is a Trademark of Iraida Henderson, Kristina Nokes, and Rob Nokes. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. CONTACT: Kristina Nokes 310-857-8545 [email protected] SOURCE Iraida Henderson, Author of Poopshkin Bujumbura, Burundi (PANA) - The Office of the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Burundi closed on Monday, six years after it was set up to help resolve the violent 2015 electoral crisis in the African Great Lakes country, diplomatic sources said on Tuesday "The negative impacts of rising temperatures and sea levels are impacting many crops in alarming ways," shared Mary Linnell-Simmons, Fairtrade America's director of marketing and external relations. "Farmers with low incomes have limited access to educational resources and technology that can help them evolve along with our climate. Our hope with this campaign is to shine a light on the importance of recognizing the issues our farmers face, and to show our support by making purchasing decisions that help them earn a fair wage." The Fairtrade Mark appears on more than 30,000 products globally and new brands are committing to Fairtrade every day. In an effort to put people and our planet first, Fairtrade America and six ethical brands will host a giveaway on Instagram and Facebook that will celebrate the benefits of Fairtrade certified products, and provide three winners the opportunity to win a Choose Fairtrade: Choose the Planet prize package filled with everyday items that have a reduced impact on our planet and a positive impact on farmers. Each of these Fairtrade certified products are available to purchase on Amazon, easily meeting consumers where they are increasingly shopping for everyday items - online! Several of the brands are also part of the Amazon Climate Pledge Friendly program, which Amazon launched last year to make it easier for customers to discover and shop for sustainable products on the ecommerce platform. Fairtrade is excited to promote small purchase choices making a big impact with the following brands and products: Tag AlohaBeach Bum Bag - Look no further for the quintessential bag for beach-bumming, wave-catching, shave ice-eating, mountain-hiking, and everything in between. Featuring a handy inner pocket for all of the important stuff, and the cutest pineapple zipper to be seen. By investing in sustainably sourced organic cotton and Fairtrade well, it makes one swell Beach Bum! Made from 100% Certified Organic, Fairtrade Certified Cotton. Look no further for the quintessential bag for beach-bumming, wave-catching, shave ice-eating, mountain-hiking, and everything in between. Featuring a handy inner pocket for all of the important stuff, and the cutest pineapple zipper to be seen. By investing in sustainably sourced organic cotton and Fairtrade well, it makes one swell Beach Bum! Made from 100% Certified Organic, Fairtrade Certified Cotton. Endangered Species Chocolate Bars - Endangered Species Chocolate is passionate about bringing authentic chocolate to consumers with real, responsibly sourced, health-conscious ingredients and no mysterious sweeteners or additives that not only taste good, but make a true impact on the world. Featuring three beautiful, dairy-free bars including: Strong + Velvety Dark Chocolate, Almonds Sea Salt + Dark Chocolate Caramel Sea Salt + Dark Chocolate. - Endangered Species Chocolate is passionate about bringing authentic chocolate to consumers with real, responsibly sourced, health-conscious ingredients and no mysterious sweeteners or additives that not only taste good, but make a true impact on the world. Featuring three beautiful, dairy-free bars including: Strong + Velvety Dark Chocolate, Almonds Sea Salt + Dark Chocolate Caramel Sea Salt + Dark Chocolate. Organic India Tulsi Original Loose Leaf Herbal Tea - Tulsi, or Holy Basil, is the most sacred plant in India and is venerated as, "The Queen of the Herbs." It has been used for thousands of years to support a healthy stress response and natural detoxification and restore balance and harmony. Tulsi (Holy Basil) supports a healthy stress response and mood and supports the immune system and the body's detoxification system. - Tulsi, or Holy Basil, is the most sacred plant in and is venerated as, "The Queen of the Herbs." It has been used for thousands of years to support a healthy stress response and natural detoxification and restore balance and harmony. Tulsi (Holy Basil) supports a healthy stress response and mood and supports the immune system and the body's detoxification system. Navitas Organics Cacao Powder - Navitas Organics Cacao Powder is made from single origin, Fairtrade certified, organic cacao beans sourced from Sierra Leone , where Navitas Organics is proud to invest in cacao co-ops, farmer field schools, reforestation planning, and just labor practices. Non-alkalized and never roasted at high temperatures, Navitas Organics Cacao Powder retains the antioxidants, minerals and high nutritional value found naturally in the cacao bean. It has a rich chocolate taste that's delicious in brownies, cakes, hot cocoa, smoothies, homemade chocolates, and more! Navitas Organics Cacao Powder is made from single origin, Fairtrade certified, organic cacao beans sourced from , where Navitas Organics is proud to invest in cacao co-ops, farmer field schools, reforestation planning, and just labor practices. Non-alkalized and never roasted at high temperatures, Navitas Organics Cacao Powder retains the antioxidants, minerals and high nutritional value found naturally in the cacao bean. It has a rich chocolate taste that's delicious in brownies, cakes, hot cocoa, smoothies, homemade chocolates, and more! Ethical Bean Lush Coffee - If this Organic roast was any richer, one might ask it for a loan. A heavy cup with fruit and earth notes, sourced seasonally to make sure the freshest beans possible are provided. Bonus, every bag has a unique QR code on the back, allowing consumers to trace that specific coffee from crop to cup and find out exactly what Fairtrade co-op(s) grew the beans. If this Organic roast was any richer, one might ask it for a loan. A heavy cup with fruit and earth notes, sourced to make sure the freshest beans possible are provided. Bonus, every bag has a unique QR code on the back, allowing consumers to trace that specific coffee from crop to cup and find out exactly what Fairtrade co-op(s) grew the beans. Uprise Foods NOOCH IT! - NOOCH IT! Cashew Grated Cheeze is America's first certified Fairtrade cheese alternative, and is a versatile topping that can be used on everything from salads, soups, pasta, to nearly any entree. Uprise Foods was founded on the belief inclean sourcing and ingredient transparency, and NOOCH IT! is not only vegan and gluten free, but it also has no additives or preservatives. The cashew "parm" is delicious, and can also be enjoyed knowing that every bite is helping to create a more just and compassionate food system. The giveaway kicked off this morning, and entries will be accepted through Tuesday, June 15. The three winners will be announced on June 16. In addition to the giveaway, throughout the month of June, Fairtrade America will utilize its owned website, social channels and blog to further educate consumers on the impact of climate change on farmers, and how we can partner as a global community to combat this issue. Content will include farmer stories, commodity spotlights and details on the Fairtrade Climate Academy, a three-year pilot program developed to bring coffee farmers together to share skills and experiences that prepare them for future climate-related challenges. Fairtrade America upholds the most rigorous standards for ethical certification to ensure a tangible, positive impact on the livelihoods of small-scale farmers and their communities in developing countries. With a quarter of its rigorous standards focused on the environment, Fairtrade takes a holistic approach to collaborating with farmers. This includes minimizing environmental impact by restricting use of harmful chemicals, banning GMO seeds, preserving protected forests, and encouraging organic farming when possible. Fairtrade's unique pricing model puts more money in the hands of farmers and farming communities, giving them the resources they need to implement solutions to environmental challenges, and connects farmers to share best practices in mitigating the impacts of climate change. About Fairtrade America Fairtrade America betters the lives of farmers and workers in developing countries by inspiring businesses to implement ethical production practices and assisting shoppers in making informed purchasing decisions. Fairtrade America is the U.S. chapter of Fairtrade International, the original and global leader in fair trade certification with more than 30 years of experience working for fair trading practices in more than 30 countries across the globe. A non-profit 501(c)3 organization, we are the world's largest and most recognized fair trade systempart of a global movement for change. MEDIA CONTACT: Elaine Dion SchroderHaus 415-615-2658 [email protected] SOURCE Fairtrade America Related Links http://www.fairtradeamerica.org FORT COLLINS, Colo., June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A social reckoning of global proportions is front and center the United States. From historical treatment of marginalized communities, to consistent acts of violence and other forms of harm to those communities, people are taking action to make a difference. Culturs a U.S. based global magazine read in 208 countries consistently takes action as well. The next print edition (on newsstands the first week of June) focuses on community and how, working together, we can create lasting change that uplifts our local environments and the globe. Third Culture Actor James Tang headlines the Community Issue of Culturs Global Multicultural Magazine Culturs Summer 2021 Issue features "My Brown is Beautiful" by East Indian Australian Swarnali Sikder Das This issue's cover features Third Culture Actor James Tang, best known for his work on television shows "Brooklyn nine-nine," "NCIS: Los Angeles." It's a perfect time to amplify his voice as we currently experience a wave of Asian-focused violence throughout the United States. Born in the U.S., Tang spent much of his youth in Thailand. He says, "My family is mostly Chinese culturally, but I went to an international school with a Western-based education system." He talks about his global background in which he is defined as a "Third Culture Kid." Tang's work in transnational film can do much to create understanding among populations who grow up in homogenous national environments rather than globally mobile environments. "I can't fully remember how I stumbled upon the concept of TCKs," Tang elaborates. "I believe it was in college at some point that I got turned onto [a book] that was what gave a label to the experiences I had growing up and being able to relate to other TCKs in university without having understood the exact name for it." Other features in this issue that aim to expand thinking, create empathy and help us each do our part to create lasting change include the photo essay "My Brown is Beautiful," in which body-positive East Indian Australian model Swarnali Sikder Das shows the beauty of her sun-kissed skin and why we each should embrace the bodies we're given. The Culturs "MUST" List, features summer reading with stories to expand our horizons with heartfelt stories that span five continents. To help navigate the upheaval currently experienced by each of us, an article on "Modern Loss" provides tips on how to navigate today's tumultuous environment. The issue is rounded out with journalistic storytelling that addresses many of our current social justice challenges from a nuanced perspective. On sale for $9.99 at select Kroger, Books-a-Million and Army and Air Force Service Exchange stores. Visit Cultursmag.com to find a store near you or purchase online. ABOUT: Culturs is a global multicultural philanthropic brand that brings lifestyle content to culturally fluid populations whose lives are punctuated by "straddling" different cultures during their formative years. The missing "e" in CULTURS represents the population's hidden diversity. Proceeds support cross-cultural education around the globe. For more information, visit www.Cultursmag.com Contact: Malina Padgett [email protected] 303.905.9903 SOURCE Culturs VANCOUVER, BC, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Fintel Connect, a performance marketing technology company that serves financial services and fintechs, today announced that it has joined Visa Fintech Partner Connecta program designed to help Visa's issuing clients quickly connect with a vetted and curated set of technology providers. Fintel Connect provides banks, financial services companies and fintechs across North America a turn-key solution to drive cost-effective, scalable customer acquisition. The company is the only one of its kind specializing in financial services, with tailored built-in features like a targeted database of traffic-drivers and AI-driven content monitoring tool to ensure marketing compliance. "Our strength is diving deep into the niche of financial services and solving real pain points financial brands face when growing online - from tracking, to scalability, to compliance," explained Nicky Senyard, Founder and CEO of Fintel Connect. "Partnership is at the core of what we do, and Visa's Fintech Partner Connect program expands our reach and enables us to support Visa's clients and partners in achieving next-level customer growth." "In today's climate, building a competitive financial product requires more technology than ever before. Consumers want seamless interactions across mobile and web, and they want access to a greater suite of digital banking capabilities," said Terry Angelos, senior vice president and global head of fintech at Visa. "We've assembled a community of payment and banking technology platforms to streamline the discovery and procurement process for our clientswith the ultimate goal of accelerating adoption of digital-first innovations." With Visa Fintech Partner Connect, clients can discover and connect with emerging technologies to accelerate digital capabilities and unlock new use cases. The platform includes a curated set of Visa Ready technology and service providers offering tools and solutions across the customer journeyfrom account opening and card management, to post-purchase insights and engagement. Visa clients can get in touch with program partners through Visa Partner and receive benefits such as reduced implementation fees and pricing discounts. About Fintel Connect Fintel Connect is a leading performance marketing company dedicated to serving the financial services and fintech space. Based in Vancouver, Canada, the team at Fintel Connect support a wide range of tier one banks, community banks and financial technology companies through its extensive network of publishers and fully scalable tracking and reporting technology. If you're: Press and would like to connect, please contact Gilian Ortiallan at 604-783-1724 or [email protected] A brand and would like to know more, visit https://fintelconnect.com/brands A publisher that would like to join our network, visit https://fintelconnect.com/publishers SOURCE Fintel Connect Related Links http://www.fintelconnect.com Two clients have already signed on for Public Relations services using stable coin as payment. The first, a special project client, Museum of Graffiti, who themselves are blazing a path in the NFT world. The second client of the agency to pay in crypto is Grow.House, a decentralized cannabis NFT game that educates users about cannabis, cryptocurrencies, and DeFi, using a proprietary blockchain technology. "It is important that our agency moves into the future and navigates through trends and uncharted territories and can do so for clients as well. Cryptocurrency is the way of the future and is here to stay. With the announcement of Goldman Sachs, and most recently, Wells Fargo looking to offer crypto currency funds to clients, along with Space X accepting alt coins, we are following suit. Clients have begun to ask to pay in the form and we have realized we need to evolve with the nature of our clients," says Dara Kaplan, President and Co-Founder of Wunderlich Kaplan Communications. The agency will selectively accept cryptocurrency as payment and continue to work in the cryptocurrency space with chosen clients. "We are seeing a business boom here; we are seeing a huge focus on cultural movements in the art and NFT world. It seems as if brands are literally popping up overnight. I think we are going to see an explosion in the PR, Marketing and events industry as the world opens back up," says Gwen Wunderlich, CEO and Co-Founder. For over 25 years combined, Wunderlich Kaplan Communications has held a New York presence working with some of the top national brands, personalities, and emerging designers and implemented successful campaigns for an array of varying sized clients, from publicly traded organizations to smaller start-ups. The impressive client roster has included Charlotte's Web CBD, MTV, Coca Cola, Netflix, Fuji Film, Bergdorf Goodman, Maserati, Proctor Gamble and Unilever. They have also recently partnered with the experiential agency Cultural Creative to bring brands to life through activations, events, digital projects and influencer and celebrity affiliations. About Wunderlich Kaplan Communications Wunderlich Kaplan Communications is a 360-degree boutique communications, public relations and digital marketing agency dedicated to providing excellence, professionalism, and the latest trends in the ever-evolving marketplace to its clients. We are a full-service consulting, branding, and content creation agency with a focus on the intersection of the cultural zeitgeist. We have strong specialties in the luxury lifestyle, culture, wellness, and cannabis space. The client roster at Wunderlich Kaplan Communications extends from well-known personalities and national brands to emerging designers and groundbreaking cultural movements. www.wkc.global Media Contact: Dara Kaplan Wunderlich Kaplan Communications (646)- 620- 4663, [email protected] SOURCE Wunderlich Kaplan Communications Related Links http://wkc.rocks/ LANSING, Mich., June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Health Management Associates (HMA) announced today that Beth Kidder, former Florida deputy secretary for Medicaid, is joining the national healthcare consulting firm as a managing principal in its Tallahassee office on August 16. She led the Medicaid program for Florida's Agency for Health Care Administration from October of 2016 to May 27 of this year, and was responsible for managing a budget of $30 billion and 550 employees in service to 4.7 million Florida residents. During her tenure, Kidder secured millions of dollars in extra benefits for Medicaid enrollees at no cost to taxpayers, streamlined administration for providers, and orchestrated the successful re-procurement of Medicaid health plans. Under her leadership, Florida Medicaid achieved the highest quality of healthcare services in program history. As a managing principal at HMA, Kidder will use her healthcare policy expertise, and extensive experience implementing programs, facilitating partnerships, and leading quality assurance and process improvement efforts, to help clients navigate the ever-changing healthcare landscape. "It has been a pleasure and a privilege to work with thoughtful, talented, and committed professionals as we improved and strengthened the Medicaid program," Kidder said. "In this new chapter, I hope to use all I have learned to assist HMA clients in better serving patients with Medicaid coverage in Florida and across the country." Kidder's previous work experience includes several roles at Florida's Agency for Health Care Administration, including assistant deputy secretary for Medicaid Policy and Quality, and chief for the Bureau of Medicaid Services. She started her career in Medicaid as a human services planner in the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. Kidder was elected president of the National Association of Medicaid Directors and served in this role from April 2020 through March 2021. She was previously awarded a fellowship with the Medicaid Leadership Institute, a year-long executive development program that also brought resources to Florida to further develop Medicaid leaders. She has served on a number of boards, including the Florida Healthy Kids Corporation. Founded in 1985, HMA is an independent, national research and consulting firm specializing in publicly funded healthcare and human services policy, programs, financing, and evaluation. Clients include government, public and private providers, health systems, health plans, community-based organizations, institutional investors, foundations, and associations. HMA has more than 20 offices and 225 multidisciplinary consultants coast to coast. For more information about HMA, visit https://www.healthmanagement.com/. SOURCE Health Management Associates FORSYTH and DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ga., June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Students across 12 high schools in Forsyth and Douglas County completed over 8,000 mock interviews throughout this school year using Talk Hiring, an automated mock interview tool. Despite visitor restrictions due to the pandemic, students were able to practice their interviewing skills with personalized, data-driven feedback. Mock interviews at Forsyth County Schools before the 2020/2021 school year. "Interview practice is an essential part of our high school curriculum that helps our graduates enter the world college and career ready," said Mandy Johnson, Director of College and Career Programs in Douglas County. "With all of the challenges teachers and students faced this year, we had to get creative to figure out how to continue our tradition of organizing mock interviews for students with leaders in the local business community." Neighboring Douglas and Forsyth counties both adopted Talk Hiring in the 2020 school year. In both counties, a majority of high school students opt into career-oriented pathways in subjects like healthcare, technology, and hospitality. "Students in Forsyth County completed more than twice as many mock interviews this school year than the year before," said Valery Lowe, Director of College and Career Development at Forsyth County Schools. "We look forward to bringing volunteers from the business community back into schools, but the reality is that most job interviews start with a phone or video screen. Students and teachers have really embraced this new technology that allows us to scale a very real world experience." The Georgia Department of Education's Employability Skills Task Force has placed a priority on developing the "soft skills" that are in highest demand from employers. To develop these skills, districts have implemented a range of programs including mock interviews, ethics trainings, soft skill seminars, and leadership trainings. "Some employers call it work ethic; some call it soft skills, and others call it employability skills. Regardless of the term used, employers have a need for young workers with these skills," said Barbara M. Wall, Director of Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education at the Georgia Department of Education. Talk Hiring offers realistic yet automated mock interviews that students can complete on their own time over video or audio-only. After each interview, students receive a recording and an overall rating of their performance in addition to metrics for each smaller dimension like pace, volume, and use of filler words. Teachers and administrators can see students' progress via a qualitative and quantitative dashboard. "Talk Hiring has given me the opportunity to comfortably and efficiently practice my job interview skills early on," said Tanvi, a senior at South Forsyth High School. "As an individual who gets nervous while interviewing, this platform has given me extraordinary advice on how to effectively convey my story and be more confident in my answers. Now, I finally feel prepared to communicate my fullest potential in future job interviews." About Talk Hiring At Talk Hiring, we are fixing the hiring process for all jobs by creating a tech-accessible, industry-relevant mock interviewing tool. Talk Hiring helps workers and students prepare for their next job interview with curated questions and personalized, data-driven feedback. To learn more, visit www.talkhiring.com . Media Contact: Charlotte Ward (530) 563-6860 [email protected] SOURCE Talk Hiring Related Links http://www.talkhiring.com Since entering the Singapore market, moomoo has proven to be a hot-favorite among the investing community, with its user base amassing to 220,000, of which 100,000 are paying clients. The robust growth over the few months has been complemented with positive user feedback on the interface and product offerings. This one-stop trading platform provides users with an easy-to-use and seamless platform to manage their portfolio across multiple markets, access to up-to-date resources and real-time market data, and interactivity via the in-app forum, moo community. Among the 100,000 paying customers, over 40% of our paying clients showed a keen interest in trading in the US market. Futu Singapore conducted a survey earlier this year to better understand investing behavior and motivations among Gen Z and Millennials clients, understanding that this is a target audience segment to watch. Results showed that younger investors have a strong appetite for self-directed stock trading and make effective use of online investment platforms to implement financial management plans suited to their needs. The survey also noted that the Gen Z and Millennials clients' practice of 'social sharing' has now extended to the investment world, with 11.6% of Millennials sharing profit graphs on the platform, and nearly 9.7% of Gen Z-ers sharing their performance or insights. This complemented the characteristics of younger investors and their drive to seek more knowledge and related content. And moo community offers exactly those features. Around 220,000 people in Singapore have joined the moo community, where users, investors, companies, analysts, media and key opinion leaders are encouraged to connect and exchange market views, share their investment insights and questions through posts and live-streams, tune in to live broadcasts of corporate events and even participate in online courses dedicated to boosting financial literacy. This community of like-minded individuals act as a pool of knowledge and support for investment strategies. This engaging in-app social community experience is unlike any other provided in a digital trading platform, and has further contributed to Futu's popularity among local investors. "We feel immensely proud to reach this milestone in the Singapore market and are thankful for all the support and feedback we have received from the investing community here. We've always set our minds for the Singapore market to be our runway of growth across the South East Asian region, and we're humbled to know that moomoo has attracted such a large customer base in a short period of time. We will continue to stay committed to scaling up our business portfolio in Singapore and are looking forward to having more local talent help pave the future for Futu," says Mr. Leaf Hua Li, Futu's Founder, Chairman, CEO & Chairman of the Technology Committee. Futu currently has over 14 million users worldwide and possesses one of the fastest growing investor communities in the region which enables users to stay up-to-date with latest investment trends and to seek guidance from seasoned and new investors. About moomoo Moomoo Inc. is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Futu Holdings Ltd, which is an advanced technology company transforming the investing experience by offering a fully digitized trading and wealth management platform. Moomoo's mission is to provide all levels of investors with an intuitive and powerful investing platform by using technology. We keep improving customer's experience and driving industrial innovation backed by independent technological research and development (R&D) capabilities on the whole trading process and our creative internet operating model. Moomoo is a trading platform offered by Moomoo Inc. Investment products and services on moomoo are offered by but not limited to the following brokerage firms: Futu Inc. regulated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Futu Singapore Pte. Ltd. regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). About Futu Singapore Pte. Ltd Futu Singapore Pte. Ltd. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Futu Holdings Limited. Futu Singapore Pte. Ltd. (www.futusg.com) is a capital markets services license holder regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (License No. CMS101000). About Futu Holdings Limited Futu Holdings Limited (NASDAQ: FUTU) is an advanced technology company transforming the investing experience by offering a fully digitized brokerage and wealth management platform. Pursuing a massive opportunity to facilitate a once-in-a-generation shift in the wealth management industry and build a digital gateway into broader financial services. The organization's primary fee-generating services include trade execution and margin financing which allow its clients to trade securities, such as stocks, warrants, options, futures and exchange-traded funds, or ETFs, across different markets. Futu enhances the user and client experience with market data and news, research, as well as powerful analytical tools, providing them with a data rich foundation to simplify the investing decision-making process. Futu has also embedded social media tools to create a network centered around its users and provide connectivity to users, investors, companies, analysts, media and key opinion leaders. SOURCE Futu Singapore Pte. Ltd. ELKRIDGE, Md., June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Small business, Evon Medics, LLC today announced that community engagement and social work consultant, Mr. George C. McFarland has joined the advisory board of the company in a formal advisory role. Mr. McFarland is currently the President and CEO of McFarland & Associates, Inc. a management consulting firm established in Montgomery County, Maryland in 1989. "Mr. McFarland's network and experience working with numerous federal, state, and community organizations throughout the United States to improve the quality of life in communities affected by health and social determined risks would be valuable to Evon Medics as we continue to engage these underserved populations in our clinical trials," said Charles Nwaokobia, Chief Operating Officer, Evon Medics, LLC. "We are also excited about the opportunity to leverage his wealth of experience managing over $100 million in grants and contracts to promote health and human development." Mr. McFarland holds both BA and Master of Social Work degrees from Howard University with an emphasis on social policy, economics, and research. Over the past three decades McFarland & Associates, Inc. has served as both a prime contractor and subcontractor to many of the nation's foremost research and service firms throughout the United States. He is a graduate of the United States Small Business Administration's 8(a) Program designed to foster minority business ownership and growth. He is also a graduate of Leadership Maryland, a statewide leadership training Institute that brings together a collaboration of business leaders and practitioners to help solve problems unique to the state of Maryland. For more than 25 years Mr. McFarland has served on the Board of Directors for So Others Might Eat, a local homeless organization that provides shelter, food, education, and training to more than 13,000 residents of the District of Columbia annually. Evon Medics, LLC is a medical devices and neuroscience research company founded in April 2013 by Johns Hopkins trained physicians. The company develops therapeutics and devices for the treatment of Alzheimer's Disease, Opioid Use Disorder, Traumatic Brain Injury, Chronic pain, and other chronic neurological diseases that have remained elusive to treatment. The company Head Office is in Elkridge, Maryland. Contact name: Charles Nwaokobia Email: [email protected] Phone: 914-888-7678 Website: https://www.evonmedics.com SOURCE Evon Medics, LLC FACTS AT A GLANCE Edition: 8; Released: May 2021 Executive Engagements: 5767 Companies: 74 Players covered include AGCO Corporation; AMAZONE H. Dreyer GmbH & Co. KG; Andreas Stihl AG & Company KG; ASPEE Agro Equipment Pvt Ltd; BGROUP SPA; Bucher Industries AG; CNH Industrial N.V.; Deere & Company; Demco Manufacturing Co.; EXEL Industries SA; GUSS Automation, LLC; GVM Incorporated; HARDI INTERNATIONAL A/S; Hockley International Limited; Kubota Corporation; Kuhn Group; Kverneland Group; Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.; Maquinas Agricolas Jacto S.A.; Reddick Equipment Company of NC, LLC; SZ DJI Technology Co., Ltd.; Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA and Others. Coverage: All major geographies and key segments Segments: Crop (Cereals, Oilseeds, Fruits & Vegetables, Other Crops); Farm Size (Small, Medium, Large); Type (Handheld, Self-Propelled, Tractor-Mounted, Trailed, Aerial) Geographies: World; USA; Canada; Japan; China; Europe; France; Germany; Italy; UK; Spain; Russia; Rest of Europe; Asia-Pacific; Australia; India; South Korea; Rest of Asia-Pacific; Latin America; Argentina; Brazil; Mexico; Rest of Latin America; Middle East; Iran; Israel; Saudi Arabia; UAE; Rest of Middle East; Africa. Complimentary Project Preview - This is an ongoing global program. Preview our research program before you make a purchase decision. We are offering a complimentary access to qualified executives driving strategy, business development, sales & marketing, and product management roles at featured companies. Previews provide deep insider access to business trends; competitive brands; domain expert profiles; and market data templates and much more. You may also build your own bespoke report using our MarketGlass Platform which offers thousands of data bytes without an obligation to purchase our report. Preview Registry ABSTRACT- Global Agricultural Sprayers Market to Reach $2.6 Billion by 2026 The agriculture industry is set to undergo notable transformation in the post-COVID-19 era owing to continuous influx and implementation of new concepts and technologies. The shift is expected to help farmers in revolutionizing operations for better yields, environmental gains and less wastage. AI holds immense potential to help the agriculture industry to become smarter and efficient while reducing waste. COVID-19 has accelerated the adoption of AI-powered technologies in the industry. Agriculture professionals are realizing notable benefits of using drones for tasks like seeding, field surveying and spraying while keeping farmers safe. Amid the COVID-19 crisis, the global market for Agricultural Sprayers estimated at US$1.8 Billion in the year 2020, is projected to reach a revised size of US$2.6 Billion by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 6.2% over the analysis period. Handheld Sprayers, one of the segments analyzed in the report, is projected to record a 4.8% CAGR and reach US$350.6 Million by the end of the analysis period. After a thorough analysis of the business implications of the pandemic and its induced economic crisis, growth in the Self-Propelled Sprayers segment is readjusted to a revised 7.5% CAGR for the next 7-year period. The U.S. Market is Estimated at $312.2 Million, While China is Forecast to Reach $892.3 Million by 2026 The Agricultural Sprayers market in the U.S. is estimated at US$312.2 Million in the year 2020. China, the world`s second largest economy, is forecast to reach a projected market size of US$892.3 Million by the year 2026 trailing a CAGR of 8% over the analysis period. Among the other noteworthy geographic markets are Japan and Canada, each forecast to grow at 4.2% and 3.8% respectively over the 2020-2027 period. Within Europe, Germany is forecast to grow at approximately 4.2% CAGR. In the developed markets, growth will be supported by advancements focused on developing advanced sprayers with enhanced capabilities, particularly with regard to data and electronic features. Sensors are being deployed for monitoring spray drift. The growing use of GPS and robotic systems in advanced spraying machinery is ensuring automated application of nutrients and pesticides in a timely, targeted and efficient manner. The use of such technologies also ensures that farming is transformed into an eco-friendly sector. Tractor-Mounted Sprayers Segment to Reach $474.6 Million by 2026 The tractor mounted sprayers feature a tank with a capacity in the range of 150-500 gallons, and a hydraulic motor that drives the pump provided on the power takeoff shaft. Booms of the sprayer are either provided in the rear, front or belly of the tractor. The sprayer remains silent while passing through open areas and gets activated as the tractor crosses a plant canopy. In the global Tractor-Mounted Sprayers segment, USA, Canada, Japan, China and Europe will drive the 6.2% CAGR estimated for this segment. These regional markets accounting for a combined market size of US$241.4 Million in the year 2020 will reach a projected size of US$366.9 Million by the close of the analysis period. China will remain among the fastest growing in this cluster of regional markets. Led by countries such as Australia, India, and South Korea, the market in Asia-Pacific is forecast to reach US$90.3 Million by the year 2026, while Latin America will expand at a 7% CAGR through the analysis period. More MarketGlass Platform Our MarketGlassPlatform is a free full-stack knowledge center that is custom configurable to today's busy business executive's intelligence needs! This influencer driven interactive research platform is at the core of our primary research engagements and draws from unique perspectives of participating executives worldwide. Features include - enterprise-wide peer-to-peer collaborations; research program previews relevant to your company; 3.4 million domain expert profiles; competitive company profiles; interactive research modules; bespoke report generation; monitor market trends; competitive brands; create & publish blogs & podcasts using our primary and secondary content; track domain events worldwide; and much more. Client companies will have complete insider access to the project data stacks. Currently in use by 67,000+ domain experts worldwide. Our platform is free for qualified executives and is accessible from our website www.StrategyR.com or via our just released mobile application on iOS or Android About Global Industry Analysts, Inc. & StrategyR Global Industry Analysts, Inc., (www.strategyr.com) is a renowned market research publisher the world's only influencer driven market research company. Proudly serving more than 42,000 clients from 36 countries, GIA is recognized for accurate forecasting of markets and industries for over 33 years. CONTACTS: Zak Ali Director, Corporate Communications Global Industry Analysts, Inc. Phone: 1-408-528-9966 www.StrategyR.com Email: [email protected] LINKS Get Full Report Details https://www.strategyr.com/market-report-agricultural-sprayers-forecasts-global-industry-analysts-inc.asp Join Our Expert Panel https://www.strategyr.com/Panelist.asp Connect With Us on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/global-industry-analysts-inc./ Follow Us on Twitter https://twitter.com/marketbytes Journalists & Media [email protected] SOURCE Global Industry Analysts, Inc. Related Links http://www.strategyr.com BEIJING, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- On June 1, 2021 (Beijing Time), the first Sunshine Reading Program is launched in Beijing by China National Publications Import & Export (Group) Co., Ltd (CNPIEC) and China Soong Ching Ling Foundation. During the Program, Nearly 300 popular book titles on learning and reading Chinese including Abridged Chinese Classic Series and Great Wall Chinese are recommended by Sinolingua Co., Ltd., the principal partner of the Sunshine Reading Program, together with Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press and other major publishers on educational books in China. Over 2,000 book titles are sold at best discounts. Moreover, books will also be donated to Chinese language schools worldwide. The online bookstore of "CHINA BOOKS" (www.aliexpress.com/store/911753420), which begins to provide service with the launching of Sunshine Reading Program, is a new channel for CNPIEC to expand overseas retail operations covering more than 220 countries and regions. It is learned that the first Sunshine Reading Program will last for three months. The books will be exhibited and sold in online channels such as CNPIEC platform (cnbook1.cnpiec.com.cn) in addition to traditional channels like bookstores and international Chinese language schools across the world. Sunshine Reading Program is themed with "Books Fly to You Like Dandelion Seeds". CNPIEC joins hands with major publishers in China to launch "global exhibit & sell season of Chinese learning books", which aim to better satisfy the needs of overseas learners of Chinese and readers of Chinese books. All books on learning Chinese language will be sold at best discounts, and various free online activities such as Chinese writers' communication with readers and Chinese teaching class will also be held during the Program. CNPIEC, a large state-owned culture enterprise founded in 1949, is now the largest and most competitive import and export enterprise & global exhibition service agency of the Chinese publishing industry, with total assets of 4.8 billion Yuan, operating revenue of 5.5 billion Yuan, and more than 40 branches at home and abroad. More information Please Contact: Jonathon Guan, +86(10)13661293360 SOURCE China National Publications Import and Export (Group) Corporation Related Links www.cnpiec.com.cn Human testing of Spicogen COVID-19 vaccine to begin in Iran 06/01/21 Source: Tehran Times The second and third phases of clinical studies of the Iranian-Australian Spicogen vaccine for coronavirus will be performed in Iran, Iranian Food and Drug Administration spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said. The first phase of the clinical trial was performed on volunteer Australians and the two next phases will be administrated to 400 Iranians, he stated. He went on to note that Spicogen is a recombinant protein subunit vaccine. Drive-in COVID-19 vaccination in Iran's Yazd province (See more photo by Mehr News Agency) Vaccines against viruses can be divided into three main categories: live attenuated, inactivated/killed, and subunit vaccines. Recombinant protein subunit vaccines are composed of at least 1 type of viral antigen. These vaccines are significantly more secure than live attenuated and inactivated vaccines. An Iranian pharmaceutical company will produce the vaccine jointly with an Australian company in Iran, he concluded. Other joint vaccines Iran is also producing vaccines jointly with Cuba, and Russia, which may also be released by September. Soberana-02 COVID-19 vaccine jointly developed by Iran and Cuba will complete clinical trials by mid-June being administered to 24,000 Iranians. Mass vaccination against COVID-19 started on Iranian citizens with the Russian-made Sputnik V vaccine on February 9. While Iran continues efforts to mass-produce local candidates, several foreign vaccines have already been imported and others are expected soon. Vaccination to end by late November President Hassan Rouhani said on Saturday that If the volume of COVID-19 vaccine required by the country is provided, the vaccination of people with underlying diseases will be completed by late July, and the whole population will be vaccinated by late November. To vaccinate people with underlying diseases, about 14-15 million doses of vaccine is required, while we now have 5 million doses, so another 10 million must be provided to complete the process by the end of July, then we will continue the process with foreign and domestic vaccines, he explained. He expressed hope to start vaccination of the whole population by the end of the summer (September 23), noting that given the country's ability of vaccine administration, vaccinating 500,000 people in 24 hours, the entire population can receive the vaccine within three to four months. Five homegrown vaccines COVIRAN BAREKAT, the first coronavirus vaccine made by researchers at the Headquarters for Executing the Order of the Imam, will complete the third phase of the human trial by late June. The vaccine was unveiled on December 29, 2020, and started to be mass-produced on March 29. Meanwhile, a vaccine developed by the Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute (Razi Cov Pars) is expected to become the second Iranian-made vaccine to be administered among the population in early August; which started the clinical trial on February 27, entered the second phase of the human trial on Friday. Iran has also successfully completed the first phase of the human trial for Fakhra vaccine, the third domestically developed COVID-19 vaccine, named after nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh (he was assassinated in November 2020 near Tehran), that was unveiled and started the clinical trial on March 16. "Osvid-19", the fourth domestic vaccine produced by Osvah Pharmaceutical Company is also undergoing human trials, which will also be available in early September. On May 24, the first coronavirus vaccine made by the private sector in Iran succeeded in receiving the code of ethics and entered the phase of clinical studies. FACTS AT A GLANCE Edition: 8; Released: January 2021 Executive Engagements: 85841 Companies: 418 Players covered include Alfresco Software, Inc.; ASG Technologies; Box, Inc; Docuware GmbH; Epicor Software Corporation; Everteam Software; Fabsoft Software, Inc; Hyland Software, Inc; IBM Corporation; Laserfiche; Lexmark International, Inc; M-Files Corporation; Micro Strategies Inc; Microsoft Corporation; Newgen Software Technologies Limited; Nuxeo; Objective Corporation; OpenText Corporation; Oracle Corporation; SERgroup Holding International GmbH; Xerox Holdings Corporation and Others. Coverage: All major geographies and key segments Segments: Segment (Document Management, Workflow Management, Content Management, Digital Asset Management, Record Management, Case Management, Other Segments); Vertical (BFSI, Retail & Consumer Goods, IT & Telecom, Government & Public Sector, Healthcare & Life Sciences, Media & Entertainment, Other Verticals) Geographies: World; USA; Canada; Japan; China; Europe; France; Germany; Italy; UK; Rest of Europe; Asia-Pacific; Rest of World. Complimentary Project Preview - This is an ongoing global program. Preview our research program before you make a purchase decision. We are offering a complimentary access to qualified executives driving strategy, business development, sales & marketing, and product management roles at featured companies. Previews provide deep insider access to business trends; competitive brands; domain expert profiles; and market data templates and much more. You may also build your own bespoke report using our MarketGlass Platform which offers thousands of data bytes without an obligation to purchase our report. Preview Registry ABSTRACT- Global Cloud Enterprise Content Management Market to Reach $97 Billion by 2026 Cloud-based enterprise content management (ECM) is poised to gather considerable momentum over the coming years as a result of the growing need to govern and manage burgeoning content volumes. While content generated globally is doubling every three months, around 80% of the content that needs to be leveraged by knowledge workers for revenue-generation and for meeting business goals remains unstructured. The staggering growth of the unstructured data is providing a major impetus to the cloud-based ECM market. Amid the COVID-19 crisis, the global market for Cloud Enterprise Content Management estimated at US$18.7 Billion in the year 2020, is projected to reach a revised size of US$97 Billion by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 30.7% over the analysis period. Document Management, one of the segments analyzed in the report, is projected to record a 28.4% CAGR and reach US$23.3 Billion by the end of the analysis period. After a thorough analysis of the business implications of the pandemic and its induced economic crisis, growth in the Workflow Management segment is readjusted to a revised 36.2% CAGR for the next 7-year period. The U.S. Market is Estimated at $10.6 Billion in 2021, While China is Forecast to Reach $9.4 Billion by 2026 The Cloud Enterprise Content Management market in the U.S. is estimated at US$10.6 Billion in the year 2021. China, the world`s second largest economy, is forecast to reach a projected market size of US$9.4 Billion by the year 2026 trailing a CAGR of 37.5% over the analysis period. Among the other noteworthy geographic markets are Japan and Canada, each forecast to grow at 27.9% and 28.8% respectively over the 2020-2027 period. Within Europe, Germany is forecast to grow at approximately 28.2% CAGR. Companies in developing and developed markets alike are stepping up adoption of cloud based ECM to reduce the time spent for document management and boost efficiency and productivity. The transition to the cloud enables organizations to leverage an always-accessible platform and sophisticated resources to drive innovation and help employees in processing documents in an efficient manner. As cloud-based ECM allows employees to stay connected and collaborate from anywhere, they can complete workloads quickly for faster time-to-market. Content Management Segment to Reach $17.1 Billion by the Year 2026 AI is increasingly being utilized in content management systems for processing as well as analysis of content in various forms. AI is employed in enterprise content management systems in several different ways, including content security, enterprise search, robotic process automation, and chatbots. Enriching content management systems with AI helps users in quickly identifying required information using data mining capabilities. AI can also contribute significantly in terms of securing content. In the global Content Management segment, USA, Canada, Japan, China and Europe will drive the 34.2% CAGR estimated for this segment. These regional account for a combined market size of US$2.3 Billion in the year 2020. China will remain among the fastest growing in this cluster of regional markets. Led by countries such as Australia, India, and South Korea, the market in Asia-Pacific is forecast to reach US$1.1 Billion by the year 2026. More MarketGlass Platform Our MarketGlass Platform is a free full-stack knowledge center that is custom configurable to today's busy business executive's intelligence needs! This influencer driven interactive research platform is at the core of our primary research engagements and draws from unique perspectives of participating executives worldwide. Features include - enterprise-wide peer-to-peer collaborations; research program previews relevant to your company; 3.4 million domain expert profiles; competitive company profiles; interactive research modules; bespoke report generation; monitor market trends; competitive brands; create & publish blogs & podcasts using our primary and secondary content; track domain events worldwide; and much more. Client companies will have complete insider access to the project data stacks. Currently in use by 67,000+ domain experts worldwide. Our platform is free for qualified executives and is accessible from our website www.StrategyR.com or via our just released mobile application on iOS or Android About Global Industry Analysts, Inc. & StrategyR Global Industry Analysts, Inc., (www.strategyr.com) is a renowned market research publisher the world's only influencer driven market research company. Proudly serving more than 42,000 clients from 36 countries, GIA is recognized for accurate forecasting of markets and industries for over 33 years. CONTACTS: Zak Ali Director, Corporate Communications Global Industry Analysts, Inc. Phone: 1-408-528-9966 www.StrategyR.com Email: [email protected] LINKS Get Full Report Details https://www.strategyr.com/market-report-cloud-enterprise-content-management-forecasts-global-industry-analysts-inc.asp Join Our Expert Panel https://www.strategyr.com/Panelist.asp Connect With Us on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/global-industry-analysts-inc./ Follow Us on Twitter https://twitter.com/marketbytes Journalists & Media [email protected] SOURCE Global Industry Analysts, Inc. Related Links http://www.strategyr.com FACTS AT A GLANCE Edition: 18; Released: May 2021 Executive Engagements: 4962 Companies: 31 Players covered include Agilent Technologies Inc; American Magnetics Inc; ASG Superconductors spa; Bruker Corporation; General Electric Co; Janis Research Company; Oxford Instruments plc; Siemens Healthineers; SuperPower Inc. and Others. Coverage: All major geographies and key segments Segments: Application (Medical Devices & Equipment, Mass Spectrometers, Transportation, Other Applications) Geographies: World; USA; Canada; Japan; China; Europe; France; Germany; Italy; UK; Rest of Europe; Asia-Pacific; Latin America; Rest of World. Complimentary Project Preview - This is an ongoing global program. Preview our research program before you make a purchase decision. We are offering a complimentary access to qualified executives driving strategy, business development, sales & marketing, and product management roles at featured companies. Previews provide deep insider access to business trends; competitive brands; domain expert profiles; and market data templates and much more. You may also build your own bespoke report using our MarketGlass Platform which offers thousands of data bytes without an obligation to purchase our report. Preview Registry ABSTRACT- Global Superconducting Magnets Market to Reach $3.6 Billion by 2026 Superconducting magnets are electromagnets made using superconducting wire coils that display excellent magnetic characteristics at cryogenic temperatures. Growth in the global market is driven by increasing applications across a diverse spectrum of industrial segments. The market growth is bolstered by ongoing R&D activities intended to push end-uses and expand product portfolios. Superconducting magnets hold several merits over electromagnets, and generate a magnetic field of up to 21.14T, which is considerably higher than the magnetic field associated permanent magnets. These advantages make superconducting magnets a perfect option for a broad range of applications, especially in the medical industry. The increasing adoption of MRIs in the healthcare industry for clinical diagnosis is anticipated to create new growth opportunities. In addition, these magnets are also incorporated into scientific equipment like NMR spectrometers, fusion reactors, mass spectrometers and particle accelerators. Amid the COVID-19 crisis, the global market for Superconducting Magnets estimated at US$3.1 Billion in the year 2020, is projected to reach a revised size of US$3.6 Billion by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 2.4% over the analysis period. Medical Devices & Equipment, one of the segments analyzed in the report, is projected to record a 2.7% CAGR and reach US$1.8 Billion by the end of the analysis period. After a thorough analysis of the business implications of the pandemic and its induced economic crisis, growth in the Mass Spectrometers segment is readjusted to a revised 2.4% CAGR for the next 7-year period. Superconducting magnets are commonly used in position emission tomography (PET) and MRI scanners designed for functional and morphological imaging, respectively. These categories are witnessing continuous inflow of new products with advanced features like superior quality and sensitivity along with reduced noise. Superconducting magnets are also used in advanced mass spectrometers such as the Fourier transform mass spectrometer (FTMS). The use of superconducting magnets in mass spectrometers is attributed to their ability to offer strong magnetic field, extended field stability and desirable homogenous volume. The U.S. Market is Estimated at $625.7 Million in 2021, While China is Forecast to Reach $833.9 Million by 2026 The Superconducting Magnets market in the U.S. is estimated at US$625.7 Million in the year 2021. China, the world`s second largest economy, is forecast to reach a projected market size of US$833.9 Million by the year 2026 trailing a CAGR of 3.1% over the analysis period. Among the other noteworthy geographic markets are Japan and Canada, each forecast to grow at 1.7% and 1.9% respectively over the analysis period. Within Europe, Germany is forecast to grow at approximately 2.1% CAGR. North America is expected to post a significant growth due to notable expansion of the semiconductors market coupled with rising adoption of superconducting magnets across various industries. The regional market is likely to gain from increasing demand for medical equipment, mass spectrometers and nuclear magnetic resonance technology. The notable expansion of the market in Asia-Pacific can be credited to strong demand for medical devices and equipment coupled with gains for maglev trains and major contribution from the manufacturing industry. By Application, Transportation Segment to Reach $579.6 Million by 2026 In the transportation industry, the superconducting magnet technology has the potential to transform the electrified transportation of various types, such as high speed trains to ship propulsion systems. MAGLEV trains, i.e. magnetically levitated trains floating above the track on a cushion generated through superconducting magnet represent one promising application area. In the global Transportation segment, USA, Canada, Japan, China and Europe will drive the 2.1% CAGR estimated for this segment. These regional markets accounting for a combined market size of US$391.6 Million in the year 2020 will reach a projected size of US$454.3 Million by the close of the analysis period. China will remain among the fastest growing in this cluster of regional markets. Led by countries such as Australia, India, and South Korea, the market in Asia-Pacific is forecast to reach US$108.1 Million by the year 2026. More MarketGlass Platform Our MarketGlass Platform is a free full-stack knowledge center that is custom configurable to today's busy business executive's intelligence needs! This influencer driven interactive research platform is at the core of our primary research engagements and draws from unique perspectives of participating executives worldwide. Features include - enterprise-wide peer-to-peer collaborations; research program previews relevant to your company; 3.4 million domain expert profiles; competitive company profiles; interactive research modules; bespoke report generation; monitor market trends; competitive brands; create & publish blogs & podcasts using our primary and secondary content; track domain events worldwide; and much more. Client companies will have complete insider access to the project data stacks. Currently in use by 67,000+ domain experts worldwide. Our platform is free for qualified executives and is accessible from our website www.StrategyR.com or via our just released mobile application on iOS or Android About Global Industry Analysts, Inc. & StrategyR Global Industry Analysts, Inc., (www.strategyr.com) is a renowned market research publisher the world's only influencer driven market research company. Proudly serving more than 42,000 clients from 36 countries, GIA is recognized for accurate forecasting of markets and industries for over 33 years. CONTACTS: Zak Ali Director, Corporate Communications Global Industry Analysts, Inc. Phone: 1-408-528-9966 www.StrategyR.com Email: [email protected] LINKS Get Full Report Details https://www.strategyr.com/market-report-superconducting-magnets-forecasts-global-industry-analysts-inc.asp Join Our Expert Panel https://www.strategyr.com/Panelist.asp Connect With Us on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/global-industry-analysts-inc./ Follow Us on Twitter https://twitter.com/marketbytes Journalists & Media [email protected] SOURCE Global Industry Analysts, Inc. Related Links http://www.strategyr.com Founded in 1975 by Lane Post, Pacific Drain & Plumbing has established itself as a leading provider of plumbing, drain, and pipeline repair, cleaning, and replacement services in San Diego County. Pacific's approximately 40 employees, including high-caliber management, will join forces with Goettl to continue to build on Pacific's legacy in San Diego. "I am thrilled to reach the end of my long journey and have the weight of ownership and responsibility taken on by Goettl," says Lane. "I am equally excited to watch what Ken, Goettl, and my team can achieve together through the power of a proven system and talented, passionate team members." "We are excited to enter the San Diego market with such a great team and platform," said Ken Goodrich, CEO of Goettl. "Lane and Pacific exemplify the Goettl values of doing things the right way, not the easy way, this is apparent in both their reputation and the level of customer-referral business they enjoy. Goettl's entry into San Diego marks our ninth branch. We are eager to build on Pacific's foundation as we 'Goettlize' San Diego." About Goettl Home Services Goettl Home Services is a leading provider of essential and modernization solutions and services that deliver comfort, indoor air and water quality, and intelligent efficiency for residential customers. Founded in 1939, Goettl has established a reputation as a pioneer in innovation with 114 patents, and a focus on doing things the right way, not the easy way. We currently serve customers in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Texas and are expanding rapidly. We have been recognized as one of the Inc. 5000 fastest growing companies in 2018, 2019, and 2020. Goettl is a portfolio company of Baum Capital Partners. For more information, visit www.Goettl.com. SOURCE Goettl Air Conditioning Related Links http://www.Goettl.com VANCOUVER, BC, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Golden Arrow Resources Corporation (TSXV: GRG) (FSE: G6A) (OTCQB: GARWF), ("Golden Arrow" or the "Company") is pleased to announce it has entered into a binding letter of intent ("LOI") with Mirasol Resources Ltd. (TSXV: MRZ) ("Mirasol") for an option (the "Option") to acquire a 75% undivided interest in Mirasol's Libanesa silver-gold project ("Libanesa") in the province of Santa Cruz, Argentina. Under the terms of the LOI, Golden Arrow may exercise the Option by incurring certain exploration expenditures and making staged cash payments over six years. Libanesa is a drill-ready project hosting several diversified geological, geochemical and geophysical supported drill targets. Based on the work to date, Cerro Plomo is the principal target and is characterized by a mineralized Au/Ag hydrothermal breccia that is exposed at surface, and both chargeability and resistivity geophysical anomalies at depth. Trench results include: 6m at 0.8 g/t Au, 243.8 g/t Ag and 0.4% Pb at 0.8 g/t Au, 243.8 g/t Ag and 0.4% Pb 10.5m at 0.98 g/t Au, 53.4 g/t Ag and 0.9% Pb at 0.98 g/t Au, 53.4 g/t Ag and 0.9% Pb 11m at 1.21 g/t Au, 13.5 g/t Ag and 1.4% Pb Additional targets within Libanesa include the peripheral polymetallic veins at the Libanesa Main prospect; and, the Lagunita prospect, which has reported rock chip values up to 7.2 g/t gold. "Libanesa presents an excellent opportunity for discovery and provides Golden Arrow with a new exploration entry into this exciting area of Santa Cruz, which hosts multiple high-grade gold and silver mines," commented Joseph Grosso, Golden Arrow's Executive Chairman, President and CEO. About the Libanesa Project Libanesa is a 14,500 ha Ag-Au (Pb) project, discovered and staked by Mirasol. It is located at the north eastern margin of the Deseado Massif Au-Ag metallogenic province, approximately 70 km west from the port of Puerto Deseado, 40 km northwest of the Cerro Moro Mine operated by Yamana Gold and 100 km northeast of the Don Nicolas mine operated by Cerrado Gold. (See Figure 1: Libanesa location in Santa Cruz Province.) Libanesa is a drill-ready project hosting several diversified geological, geochemical and geophysical supported drill targets. Based on the work to date, Cerro Plomo is the principal target and is characterized by a mineralized Au/Ag hydrothermal breccia that is exposed at surface, and both chargeability and resistivity geophysical anomalies at depth. Peripheral polymetallic veins at the Libanesa Main prospect represent secondary targets and are supported by base metal +/- Au mineralization. The Lagunita prospect is a third prospective zone, which has reported some encouraging rock chip Au values from more typical low sulfidation type epithermal veins and breccias. This prospect requires additional surface exploration to vector into the potentially better mineralized parts of this extensive vein system, where intermittent vein occurrences, outcropping/subcropping through post mineral cover, have been mapped over a strike length of at least 2.3 km. The following is a summary of project data, provided by Mirasol and reviewed by Mirasol's Qualified Person (see Mirasol news releases July 23, 2007, July 21, 2008, February 27, 2009 and October 20, 2009). Readers are advised that Golden Arrow has not completed sufficient due diligence to verify the data or interpretations provided. Libanesa Main prospect: The Libanesa Main prospect lies along a dilational northwest structure and within a north-northwest corridor bounded by large-scale transfer faults that are clearly identified by the ground magnetic surveys. (see Figure 2: Libanesa Main structural setting.) The main outcropping geological unit comprises partially welded and massive, crystal-rich, rhyolitic flow tuffs intruded by an andesitic to trachytic dike swarm that displays a radial distribution. The principal target at Libanesa Main is the Cerro Plomo hydrothermal breccia pipe, which is approximatively 50m in diameter and forms an obvious geomorphic positive relief feature at this prospect. The Cerro Plomo breccia pipe has returned strong Au/Ag mineralization from both rock chip sampling and trench sampling, displaying a geochemical signature characterized by a Ag(Au)-base metal association (see Table 1, below, as well as Figure 3: Cerro Plomo geology and trench sampling results and Figure 4: Libanesa Main target areas and Au-Ag rock chip geochemistry). A trenching program completed to explore under shallow lacustrine sediments confirmed the continuity of the mineralization, which remains open under a clay pan (dry lake) to the south. Highlighted results from the trench sampling include: 6m at 0.8 g/t Au, 243.8 g/t Ag and 0.4% Pb at 0.8 g/t Au, 243.8 g/t Ag and 0.4% Pb 10.5m at 0.98 g/t Au, 53.4 g/t Ag and 0.9% Pb at 0.98 g/t Au, 53.4 g/t Ag and 0.9% Pb 11m at 1.21 g/t Au, 13.5 g/t Ag and 1.4% Pb These positive geochemical results are coincident with shallow and deep-seated geophysical anomalies below the Cerro Plomo target that are defined by the Magnetotellurics (MT) and Audio MT (AMT) geophysical surveys completed by Mirasol (2009/2010 and 2019), further strengthening the target. In addition, a series of epithermal polymetallic veins (Bajo Aspero, Anibal, NE Zone), located peripheral and outboard from the Cerro Plomo breccia system, and associated with patchy argillic/pyritic alteration, have returned a strong Ag-Au-Pb-Zn and As-Sb-Te geochemical signature. Notably, the Au values do not correlate well with other metals, but Ag values are strongly correlated with Pb, Cu and Sb (+/-As,Te). This distribution of mineralization suggests the presence of at least two mineralization events related to the polymetallic veins and the Cerro Plomo hydrothermal breccia at the Libanesa Main prospect. Lagunita Prospect: The Lagunita prospect, located approximately 6 km north of Cerro Plomo, is a 10 km2 erosional window exposed through the quaternary gravel cover, where reconnaissance prospecting has identified multiple quartz veining and structural breccia occurrences. The local geology is comprised of small outcrops of Jurassic aged fine ash, rhyolitic tuffs, andesitic dykes and minor calcareous rocks. A strong northwest structural trend appears to focus pervasive silicification and emplacement of crystalline, drusy and saccharoidal quartz veinlets. At Lagunita, rock chip geochemistry returned good Au values (see Table 1) with lower Ag values and base metals including Pb, Zn and Cu, thus displaying a more typical low sulfidation epithermal signature and clearly distinguishing the Lagunita veins from the breccias and polymetallic veins located at the Libanesa Main prospect. Table 1: Au and Ag geochemistry result statistics Cerro Plomo Ag Au Libanesa Peripheral veins Ag Au Total Samples 147 Samples* Total Samples 127 Rock Chip Samples Samples > 25 g/t Ag > 0.5 g/t Au Samples > 25 g/t Ag > 0.1 g/t Au - % of total 45% 43% - % of total 24% 16.50% - # of Samples 66 63 - # of Samples 30 21 - Average 363 g/t 1.10 g/t - Average 307 g/t 0.5 g/t** Max 2,830 g/t 2.7 g/t Max 3,910 g/t 18 g/t *Surface rock chip sampling (40) and the detailed trench samples (107) ** The average excludes isolated 18 g/t sample Lagunita Ag Au Total Samples 255 Rock Chip Samples Samples > 25 g/t Ag > 0.5 g/t Au - % of total - 5.88% - # of Samples - 15 - Average NA 2.3 g/t Max NA 7.2 g/t Summary of Terms The transaction contemplated in the LOI is subject to legal and technical due diligence and the finalization of a definitive agreement. Mirasol has granted Golden Arrow a 90-day exclusivity period. Under the terms of the LOI, Mirasol will grant Golden Arrow an option to earn a 75% interest in Libanesa over six years (the "Option Period") by: incurring exploration expenditures totaling US$4,000,000 US$500,000 per year during the first 2 years; and per year during the first 2 years; and US$750,000 per year thereafter. per year thereafter. making cash payments to Mirasol totaling US$1,000,000 US$100,000 to be paid on the 2 nd , 3 rd and 4 th anniversaries; to be paid on the 2 , 3 and 4 anniversaries; US$250,000 on the 5 th anniversary; and on the 5 anniversary; and US$450,000 on the 6th anniversary. The initial US$500,000 in exploration expenditures is a firm commitment, but it may be incurred over 24 months instead of 12 months, if the required exploration permits are not in place by October 2021. In addition, Golden Arrow is required to complete a minimum of 2,000m of drilling by the end of the second year. Golden Arrow will be the operator during the Option Period. Upon completion of the option, Mirasol and Golden Arrow will hold 25% and 75%, respectively, in a participating Joint Venture company holding Libanesa. If either party's equity interest is diluted below 10%, it will convert to a 2% net smelter return royalty. Qualified Persons The technical portions of this news release have been reviewed and approved by Brian McEwen, P.Geol., VP Exploration and Development to the Company and a Qualified Person as defined in National Instrument 43-101. About Golden Arrow: Golden Arrow Resources Corporation is a mining exploration company with a successful track record of creating value by making precious and base metal discoveries and advancing them into exceptional deposits. The Company is well leveraged to the price of gold, having monetized its Chinchillas silver discovery into a significant holding in precious metals producer SSR Mining Inc. Golden Arrow is actively exploring a portfolio that includes a new epithermal gold project in Argentina, a districtscale frontier gold opportunity in Paraguay, a base-metal project in the heart of a leading mining district in Chile and more than 180,000 hectares of properties in Argentina. The Company is a member of the Grosso Group, a resource management group that has pioneered exploration in Argentina since 1993. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD "Joseph Grosso" _______________________________ Mr. Joseph Grosso, Executive Chairman, President and CEO Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore involve inherent risks and uncertainties. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, that address activities, events or developments the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, including, without limitation, statements about the Company's plans for its mineral properties; the Company's business strategy, plans and outlooks; the future financial or operating performance of the Company; and future exploration and operating plans are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual results of the Company to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements and, even if such actual results are realized or substantially realized, there can be no assurance that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on, the Company. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things: the impact of COVID-19; risks and uncertainties related to the ability to obtain, amend, or maintain licenses, permits, or surface rights; risks associated with technical difficulties in connection with mining activities; and the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements. Readers are encouraged to refer to the Company's public disclosure documents for a more detailed discussion of factors that may impact expected future results. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, unless required pursuant to applicable laws. SOURCE Golden Arrow Resources Corporation Greenville Tech originally offered an in-house CDL class as a credit course, but the length of the program, administrative burden, and the expense associated with maintaining the vehicles prompted the college to migrate to a vendor model, one that has been successfully launched at other community colleges. Many career institutions have realized that outsourcing a CDL program to a trusted vendor enables the college to significantly reduce costs while still offering students an entry point to a lucrative career. There is a nationwide shortage of CDL drivers, and companies that operate fleets of vehicles are scrambling to fill these positions. In the state of South Carolina alone, there are more than 1,600 job openings for full-time, entry-level drivers, with an average starting salary of $61,000. Recognizing the significant opportunity this shortage presents for its students, Greenville Tech's Economic Development & Corporate Training Division chose Ancora at the beginning of 2021, citing Ancora's depth of experience, quality of program, and existing presence in the state as some of the key reasons for their decision. "This is a huge opportunity for our students and the residents of Greenville," said Jennifer Moorefield, the Associate Vice President of Economic Development and Corporate Training at Greenville Tech. "In just four weeks, a student can launch a career that both pays well and is in demand. Throughout the program launch process, Ancora has been responsive, organized, and displayed the professionalism we expect for the benefit of our students." Based in Arlington, Texas, Ancora Corporate Training is quickly becoming a dominant player in the corporate training marketplace. Since January 2019, Ancora has partnered with community colleges, government agencies, and Fortune 100 corporations to provide training to thousands of individuals. ABOUT GREENVILLE TECHNICAL COLLEGE Established in 1962, the college's mission is to transform students' lives and help the community thrive by providing a world-class, affordable education. With more than 100 curriculum program choices along with short-term training for career and personal development, Greenville Technical College gives employers a ready supply of skilled workers and provides students with an education that will help them succeed. http://www.gvltec.edu ABOUT ANCORA CORPORATE TRAINING Ancora Corporate Training is a division of Ancora Education, a Texas-based group of private, post-secondary schools in convenient locations throughout Arizona, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas. Ancora Education owned brands specialize in allied health, wellness, nursing, IT, business and management, CDL truck driving, professional trades, security, skilled trades, and art and design. Ancora brands include Ancora Corporate Training, Arizona Automotive Institute (AAI), Berks Technical Institute (BTI), Edge Tech Academy, McCann School of Business & Technology, Miller-Motte College (MMC), Platt College, South Texas Vocational Technical Institute (STVT), and The Creative Circus. www.ancoracorporatetraining.com SOURCE Ancora Corporate Training Related Links http://www.ancoracorporatetraining.com Founded in 2016, Sublime is best known for its expansive line of high-potency, high-quality and affordable, Fuzzies branded pre-rolls, a leading brand of pre-rolls in the state of California, as well as vapes and roll-your-own flower kits. Since 2019 Sublime has delivered a revenue CAGR of approximately 70%, and ended 2020 with 7.9% California pre-roll market share 1 . Sublime is strategically positioned for continued growth as pre-rolls are the fastest growing cannabis sub-segment within the California market since the beginning of 2020. Upon completion of the Acquisition, Harborside expects to realize significant synergies by bringing together Sublime's brands, production capabilities and robust distribution system with the high-quality cannabis grown at the Company's Salinas, California cultivation facility which is anticipated to result in additional gross profit and EBITDA by extending the reach of Sublime, Harborside and Key branded products throughout the state of California. Harborside also expects to bolster Sublime's marketing capabilities, which is expected to drive higher retail margins for the Company as an owned brand within its portfolio. Finally, Harborside will seek to license the Fuzzies California lifestyle brand in additional legal recreational markets across the country, particularly those that do not currently have high potency infused products. "This acquisition adds an iconic, award-winning California brand, with an exceptional product offering and consumer following, to our growing brand portfolio," said Peter Bilodeau, Interim CEO of Harborside. "Harborside has been a customer of Sublime for many years and we know the quality of their products. With the existing production capacity and soon to be completed upgrades at our Salinas cultivation facility, we are well-positioned to support the continued growth of the Sublime brands while expanding the reach of Harborside's existing branded product portfolio in both the retail and wholesale markets, which we expect to ultimately drive increased profitability across our entire business. We're very excited to continue to provide consumers with innovative, high-quality products while delivering strong value for our shareholders. The Company will issue new guidance in due course." Ahmer Iqbal, CEO of Sublime, added, "Harborside is known for being an innovative pioneer within the California cannabis market and has garnered a long term reputation across the state for being a leading retailer and producing high-quality products. As a leader among California brands, we are thrilled that Sublime will join the Harborside owned-brand portfolio, leveraging their production and retail capabilities to further expand the distribution of Sublime products throughout California." _______________________ 1Source: BDS Analytics Transaction Details Upon closing, Harborside will acquire 100% of the issued and outstanding shares of Sublime (the "Sublime Shares") in exchange for a total consideration of US$43.8 million (the "Purchase Price"). The Purchase Price comprises of approximately US$38.4 million payable in multiple voting shares of the Company, representing approximately 207,579.66 multiple voting shares of the Company based on volume-weighted average price of the subordinate voting shares of the Company on the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "CSE") for the 30-days immediately preceding the date of the Agreement and approximately US$5.4 million in cash (of which approximately US$3.4 million will be used to repay existing indebtedness of Sublime). The Purchase Price represents a multiple of approximately 1.78x to the estimated $24.6 million of standalone 2021 revenues for Sublime. The Agreement provides for, among other things, customary representations and warranties and covenants, including mutual non-solicitation provisions and a US$1.5 million termination fee payable by either the Company or Sublime in certain circumstances. The Acquisition is subject to the approval of the shareholders of Sublime, and the receipt of certain regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions for a transaction of this nature. The directors and officers and certain shareholders of Sublime, collectively holding approximately 86.5% of the outstanding Sublime Shares, have entered into voting and support agreements and have agreed to approve the Acquisition. In addition, concurrent with the closing of the Acquisition, the Company will enter into a lock-up agreement with certain shareholders of Sublime (the "Locked-Up Shareholders") in respect of the multiple voting shares of the Company to be received by such shareholders pursuant to the Acquisition (the "Lock-Up Agreement"). Pursuant to the Lock-Up Agreement, the Locked-Up Shareholders will agree not to sell, assign or otherwise transfer the multiple voting shares received. The restrictions lapse in three installments with 50% of the shares released from the restrictions on the 12-month anniversary and 25% of the shares released from the restrictions on each the 15-month and 18-month anniversaries from the closing of the Acquisition, respectively. Harborside's Board of Directors has approved the Acquisition. As well, Sublime's Board of Directors has approved the Acquisition and has resolved to recommend that Sublime shareholders vote in favor of the Acquisition. Financial and Legal Advisors ATB Capital Markets Inc. is acting as financial advisor, and Duane Morris LLP and Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP are acting as legal counsel to Harborside. PI Financial Corp. provided a fairness opinion to the Board of Directors of Harborside. VIII Eight Capital is acting as financial advisor, and CGL LLP and Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP are acting as legal counsel to Sublime. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of any of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful, including any of the securities in the United States of America. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for account or benefit of, U.S. Persons (as defined in Regulation S under the 1933 Act) unless registered under the 1933 Act and applicable state securities laws, or an exemption from such registration requirements is available. For the latest news, activities, and media coverage, please visit the Harborside corporate website at www.investharborside.com or connect with us on LinkedIn , and Twitter . About Harborside: Harborside Inc. is one of the oldest and most respected cannabis retailers in California, operating three of the major dispensaries in the San Francisco Bay Area, a dispensary in the Palm Springs area outfitted with Southern California's only cannabis drive-thru window, a dispensary in Oregon and a cultivation/production facility in Salinas, California. Harborside has played an instrumental role in making cannabis safe and accessible to a broad and diverse community of California consumers since 2006, when it was awarded one of the first six medical cannabis licenses granted in the United States. Today, the Company holds cannabis licenses for retail, distribution, cultivation, nursery, and manufacturing. Harborside is a publicly listed company on the Canadian Securities Exchange ("CSE") trading under the ticker symbol "HBOR" and on the OTCQX Best Market under the ticker symbol "HBORF". Additional information regarding Harborside is available under Harborside's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com . About Sublime: Sublimation Inc. is one of the most innovative privately held cannabis manufacturers in California and is well known for its great tasting, high potency Fuzzies branded products. The Oakland-based company designs, manufactures and distributes pre-rolls, vape cartridges, pre-ground flower, batteries and gummies under the Sublime brand and for other branded customers. Founded in 2016, Sublime has won numerous awards for its Fuzzies infused pre-rolls and Gold vape cartridges and holds Medical and Adult-Use cannabis licenses for manufacturing and distribution. Additional information regarding Sublime can be found at www.sublimecanna.com. Non-IFRS Measures, Reconciliation and Discussion This press release may contain references to "EBITDA", which is a non-IFRS financial measure. EBITDA is a measure of the Company's overall financial performance and is used as an alternative to earnings or net income in some circumstances. EBITDA is essentially net income (loss) with interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, non-cash adjustments and other unusual items added back. This measure can be used to analyze and compare profitability among companies and industries, as it eliminates the effects of financing and capital expenditures. It is often used in valuation ratios and can be compared to enterprise value and revenue. This measure does not have any standardized meaning according to IFRS and therefore may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. There are no comparable IFRS financial measures presented in Harborside's financial statements. Reconciliations of the supplemental non-IFRS measures are presented in the Company's management's discussion and analysis for March 31, 2021. These non-IFRS financial measures are presented because management has evaluated the financial results both including and excluding the adjusted items and believes that the non-IFRS financial measures presented provide additional perspective and insights when analyzing the core operating performance of the business. The Company believes that these supplemental measures provide information which is useful to shareholders and investors in understanding our performance and may assist in the evaluation of the Company's business relative to that of its peers. These non-IFRS financial measures should not be considered superior to, as a substitute for, or as an alternative to, and should be considered in conjunction with, the IFRS financial measures presented in the Company's financial statements. For more information, please see "Use of Non-IFRS Measures" and "Non-IFRS Measures" in the Company's management's discussion and analysis for March 31, 2021, which is available under the Company's profile on www.sedar.com. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information This news release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates, and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that involves discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "believes" or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. In this news release, forward-looking statements include, among other things, the completion of the Acquisition on the terms described herein, if at all, timing to complete the Acquisition, and the benefits and synergies created by the Acquisition, including with respect to the Company's production capabilities, product offering and expectations of future profitability following the completion of the Acquisition. These forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions and estimates of management of the Company at the time such statements were made. Actual future results may differ materially as forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of the Company to materially differ from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors, among other things, include: implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Company's operations; fluctuations in general macroeconomic conditions; fluctuations in securities markets; expectations regarding the size of the cannabis markets where the Company operates; changing consumer habits; the ability of the Company to successfully achieve its business objectives; plans for expansion; political, social and environmental uncertainties; inability to obtain adequate insurance to cover risks and hazards; employee relations; the presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions on cultivation, production, distribution, and sale of cannabis and cannabis-related products in the markets where the Company operates; and the risk factors set out in the Company's management's discussion and analysis for the quarter ended March 31, 2021 and the Company's listing statement dated May 30, 2019, which are available under the Company's profile on www.sedar.com. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management of the Company believes, or believed at the time, to be reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure shareholders that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking statements, as there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. The Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law. The Company, through several of its subsidiaries, is indirectly involved in the manufacture, possession, use, sale, and distribution of cannabis in the recreational and medicinal cannabis marketplace in the United States. Local state laws where the Company operates permit such activities however, investors should note that there are significant legal restrictions and regulations that govern the cannabis industry in the United States. Cannabis remains a Schedule I drug under the US Controlled Substances Act, making it illegal under federal law in the United States to, among other things, cultivate, distribute or possess cannabis in the United States. Financial transactions involving proceeds generated by, or intended to promote, cannabis-related business activities in the United States may form the basis for prosecution under applicable US federal money laundering legislation. While the approach to enforcement of such laws by the federal government in the United States has trended toward non-enforcement against individuals and businesses that comply with recreational and medicinal cannabis programs in states where such programs are legal, strict compliance with state laws with respect to cannabis will neither absolve the Company of liability under US federal law, nor will it provide a defense to any federal proceeding which may be brought against the Company. The enforcement of federal laws in the United States is a significant risk to the business of the Company and any proceedings brought against the Company thereunder may adversely affect the Company's operations and financial performance. The CSE has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. Neither the CSE nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE Harborside Inc. HOUSTON, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Heim, Payne & Chorush and firm co-founders Mike Heim and Les Payne have earned repeat recognition from the prestigious Chambers USA legal guide, honored for their expertise in patent litigation. In the 2021 legal guide, the firm moved up in the rankings and is one of only 11 Texas ranked firms to be included in Chambers' top three bands. Mr. Payne joined IP practitioners in Band 3, while Mr. Heim is one of only 20 lawyers in Texas ranked in the top two bands. The Chambers USA guide is produced by London-based Chambers and Partners, known worldwide for its thorough guides to the legal profession. Recognition is based on thousands of attorney and client interviews to identify lawyers who demonstrate top technical legal ability, professional conduct, client service, commitment, and other key qualities. Sources surveyed by Chambers singled out the firm for its expertise and capabilities in litigation and in inter partes review proceedings, particularly in the areas of electronics, computer science, energy and pharmaceuticals. One source noted, "They are very impressive not only in their ability to try cases, but also in the analysis they provide to keep matters out of court." Another source added, "It is a powerful and balanced team." About Mr. Heim, one source told Chambers, "He has great experience and judgment and is a good writer." Mr. Payne was praised "an outstanding litigator and strategist" with "a very high level of technical expertise." In addition, firm partner Chris First authored a feature article for the 2021 Chambers USA Texas IP section, detailing changes in the legal, policy and business landscape as they relate to patent litigation. Heim, Payne & Chorush, LLP, represents plaintiffs and defendants in litigation across a broad range of technologies and business sectors. With a wide variety of technical and scientific backgrounds, firm attorneys handle all facets of intellectual property litigation for some of the largest energy and technology firms, as well as individuals and smaller companies. Ranked among the most active and top-performing firms in matters before the U.S. Patent Trial and Appeal Board by Patexia Insights, Heim, Payne & Chorush takes pride in its ability to partner with other attorneys and firms to bring the best possible trial team together for the benefit of the client. To learn more about the firm and the work it does, visit www.hpcllp.com. Media Contact: Robert Tharp 800-559-4534 [email protected] SOURCE Heim, Payne & Chorush Related Links https://www.hpcllp.com NEW YORK, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Impact Capital Managers Inc. (ICM), a network of over 65 private capital fund managers collectively representing over $13 billion in impact-focused capital and investing for superior returns and meaningful impact, announced today that Hope Tarirai Mago, Partner at HCAP Partners has been elected by network membership as Chair of the Board of Directors, effective as of April 2021. Mago joins Brian Trelstad, partner at Bridges Fund Management and Chair of the affiliated ICM Institute, in leading the governance of ICM. Impact Capital Managers, Inc. ICM's mission is to advance the performance of its members collectively representing over $13B in impact-focused capital and to scale the impact investing marketplace with integrity and authenticity. Recent field-building initiatives have included the Mosaic Fellowship, the Legal Innovation in Impact Investing Report, and the Better Money, Better World podcast. Membership in ICM is invitation-only and members must meet the association's expectations on impact management and measurement. "I am thrilled with the growth of ICM since the early conversations of a few funds in 2016. The network has accelerated recently under Executive Director Marieke Spence's leadership, now with over 65 fund members all aligned on driving outsized impacts and returns," said Dave Kirkpatrick, Managing Director of SJF Ventures and outgoing Chair of the ICM, Inc. Board. "I am so glad Hope has stepped up to help lead the association as Chair for its next season of growth." HCAP Partners is an original founding member of ICM and has played an integral role in shepherding the growth and priorities of the fund association. Hope has been with the firm since 2009, and currently serves as partner, responsible for the origination and diligence of investment opportunities, portfolio management, and value creation. Since joining the firm, he has led the development of impact investing initiatives culminating in HCAP's recognition as an Impact Assets 50 Emeritus Fund and actively participates in thought leadership in the impact investing space. He is currently a board member or actively involved in Arosa, CortiCare, TCS Healthcare Technologies, and BetterNight. Prior to joining HCAP, Hope worked as an Analyst at the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe. "I am excited to be elected to the chair role as ICM continues to play a leading role in scaling the impact investing space. ICM was established to bring together the general partners of market-rate funds deeply committed to impact investing and plays a key role in knowledge building and as a platform for members to share ideas, investment opportunities and best practices. I look forward to working with Marieke, Brian Trelstad of Bridges, and the ICM membership to further advance our goals as impact investors. I also want to thank Dave for his leadership and guidance over the past few years." In addition to his Board service on behalf of ICM, Hope is an Advisory Committee Member of Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) San Diego, one of the nation's largest nonprofit funding organizations, which has deployed $232 million in capital into San Diego's low-income communities. He is also a Board Member for the Central San Diego Black Chamber of Commerce. The ICM, Inc. Board of Directors includes General Partners of member funds HCAP Partners, Bain Capital Double Impact, Bridges Fund Management, SJF Ventures, DBL Partners, Bronze VC, New Markets Venture Partners, Rethink Education, Arborview Capital, Small Business Community Capital, Achieve Partners, and City Light Capital. Learn more at www.impactcapitalmanagers.com. Contact: Marieke Spence Executive Director, Impact Capital Managers [email protected] (858) 259-7654 SOURCE Impact Capital Managers, Inc. Related Links http://www.impactcapitalmanagers.com NEW YORK, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The delineation between online media and e-commerce is quickly fading due to the pandemic -- giving rise to online retailers and social commerce platforms as increasingly powerful media outlets. In turn, Night Market, a Horizon Media company, last year launched the only advertising upfronts dedicated to online shopping behavior. Night Market will host eCommFronts 2021: Winning the Digital Aisle June 22-23 for brands, agencies and media platforms seeking to integrate next-gen tech-driven shoppable media into their media and marketing plans. Night Market created eCommFronts last year to fill the void in the advertising marketplace for a forum dedicated to where, when, and how to incorporate modern tech solutions like social, mobile, and live commerce into retail media strategies. Akin to network TV upfronts, when the biggest brands and advertisers meet to get a look at programming options for the fall line-up, Night Market's eCommFronts invites major retailer, social media, e-commerce, and marketplace platforms to provide a glimpse into the future of advertising from a technology lens specifically the digital solutions offered by these emerging media powerhouses and how they can be effectively integrated into media planning and buying strategies. Night Market launched eCommFronts in 2020 alongside Amazon, Google, Facebook, Instacart, Walmart (WMG) and Kroger/Promote IQ to explore how the pandemic has permanently changed the consumer path to purchase. This year's eCommFronts will be the industry event to attend given there has been a 40%+ annual growth in eCommerce with a 20%+ growth in the number of new merchant platforms -- forever changing the media and merchandizing landscape. eCommFronts 2021 will offer a robust overview of the new landscape, focusing on the growth of eCommerce media spend and shifts in consumer demographics and retailer platforms -- providing guidance on everything from media investment and shoppable technologies to merchandising and software. The virtual two-day event open for the first time to Horizon clients and non-clients alike -- will feature a series of panels on how the traditional sales funnel has collapsed and how to navigate new growth channels in retail media. Where the awareness-consideration-conversion cycle evolves to a new retail funnel consisting of merchandising and shopper marketing traits like basket building and loyalty. According to Night Market, 86% of U.S. retailers said they plan to increase spending on Amazon's and Walmart's digital ad platforms this year. In 2020, after a decade of one-percentage-point upticks as a percentage of total U.S. retail sales, eCommerce surged four percentage points, now accounting for 14.3% of all U.S. retail sales. "As anticipated, the pandemic accelerated seismic shifts in shopping and consumption patterns," said Randy Browning, president of Night Market. "People learned and have grown accustomed to starting their shopping journey online where retailers have made the shopping experience infinitely easier. At the same time, DTC companies have brought their stores to where their audiences are creating serendipitous and contextual shopping discoveries. There's never been a more opportune time to explore strategies to adjust to these shifts; eCommFronts 2021 will do just that." eCommFronts 2021 will be presented in nine virtual modules spread over two days of familiar faces from last year like Walmart Connect along with some newcomers in data and measurement like Kenshoo. "For the second year, Walmart Connect is thrilled to participate in Horizon Media's Night Market E-Commerce Upfronts. This platform provides us with an opportunity to discuss the impact customer behavior shifts have had on the industry and how Walmart Connect is evolving to become more solution-oriented for our partners," said Lex Josephs, VP, Sales & Ad Tech Partnerships. "As a trusted partner, we are focused on delivering omni-retail media solutions that connect our suppliers, sellers, and marketers more meaningfully in customers everyday lives to accelerate shared growth." "Kenshoo is thrilled to participate this year in eCommFronts 2021: Winning This Digital Aisle," voiced Nich Weinheimer, General Manager, eCommerce. "Our growing market intelligence and commerce solutions allow for advanced optimization and cross-channel analytics to drive massive omnichannel growth. As more retailers create media offerings and advancements are made in shoppable media, the eCommerce Upfront provides a platform for brands and agencies alike to come together as they rethink organizational structures, measurement, data and much more to drive retail media success." Topics will include: The Future of eCommerce: A look at the next 12 months, including how the customer journey has migrated online (and continues to evolve) and implications for marketers. The Power of Social Commerce: How an inspiration-driven platform is driving optimal conversion and innovation in eCommerce, including the latest trend of Live Shopping. Retailers Become Media Powerhouses: Retailers and marketplaces are changing the way that performance and digital media are being activated -- offering new innovative placement opportunities that uniquely bring brand and performance media together. Concept to Commerce: Winning in retail media with full circle market intelligence Horizon Media launched Night Market in January 2020 to provide data-driven insights on consumer-purchase behavior on Amazon, Google, Walmart, Facebook, and other online platforms. The onset of the pandemic has only accelerated demand for such AI-driven approaches, with retailers and marketers clamoring for hard data that provide windows on how to optimize shopping outcomes and exert greater influence on the consumer e-purchase cycle. At its core, Night Market was conceived to give brands greater visibility on consumer data, helping them build campaigns that efficiently integrate the major online platforms and influence the "last mile" of the online consumer journey. To register for eCommFronts 2021, please visit https://night-market.com/ecommfronts-2021 About Night Market Night Market, a Horizon Media company, is designed to help brands maximize eCommerce sales through connecting and optimizing both advertising and retail performance. The company was founded in Jan 2020 and has offices in New York and Los Angeles. Led by President Randy Browning along with best-in-class eCommerce certified specialists and industry leaders, Night Market looks to increase the performance of eCommerce advertising and merchandising by providing end-to-end, omni-channel analytics and expert eCommerce optimization services. Night Market's mission is to bring clients to the forefront of eCommerce by providing data-driven insights and integrated solutions that optimize revenues across third party channels, owned properties and paid media campaigns. About Horizon Media Horizon Media, Inc, the largest U.S. media agency according to COMvergence, delivers data-driven business outcomes for some of the most innovative and ambitious brands. Founded in 1989, headquartered in New York, and with offices in Los Angeles and Toronto, the company employs 2,400 people and has media investments of more than $9 billion. Horizon Media's fundamental belief is that business is personal, which drives its approach to connecting brands with their customers and engaging with its own employees resulting in industry-leading workplace satisfaction levels (Glassdoor). The company is consistently recognized by independent media outlets for its client excellence and has earned several "Best Workplaces" awards reflecting its commitment to DEI and the life and well-being of everyone at Horizon Media. SOURCE Night Market So how does an oil service company persevere through these times? With technology and engineered products that are designed and developed to support global emissions regulations for both Lifting Solutions and their clients. Lifting Solutions is excited for the expansion and is eager to work with the US oil market. David Labonte, CEO of Lifting Solutions explains, "We saw an opportunity in the US to provide better quality and more effective products and services to the oil and gas producers to support their focus on lifting cost and carbon reduction." Ron Melnyk, President, US & International for Lifting Solutions is leading Lifting Solutions US operations. He has been in the energy sector for 35 years and worked on wells in multiple countries including right in the heart of Texas, USA. He explains, "Our research, engineering and applications team considers the entire well operation as they evaluate ways to increase run-times of a well, which ultimately means fewer well interventions reducing OPEX and even supporting the decrease of fossil fuel emissions." Lifting Solutions continues to use applied research, stringent testing, and quality control to build products that outperform their competitors; and it is working. They have expanded operations and are working with clients around the globe including South America, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, the Far East and Australia. Melnyk continues, "We, as an entire industry, need to work together to build systems that meet the growing demand for energy in a more cost effective and environmentally friendly manner." The political, economic, and social landscape in North America presents a challenge to oil producers. "There is a demand by government, oil producers and the consumers to improve this industry. Lifting Solutions is a part of that solution," shares Labonte. Lifting Solutions has entered the US market and established a base in Midland Texas servicing the Permian Basin, and a base in Williston North Dakota servicing the Bakken. They are introducing a new generation of artificial lift rod-systems and services to the US oil field and they are confident their clients will experience the performance they need to keep production efficient, support Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) goals, and reduce OPEX. About Lifting Solutions Lifting Solutions is a privately held product engineering and manufacturing organization for high-quality artificial lift products and services in the energy sector. Founded in 2014, Lifting Solutions employs over 250 people, located in 12 base facilities across North America. With a relentless focus on innovation, Lifting Solutions provides artificial lift products and services that consistently outperform the market and reduce OPEX. Visit liftingsolutions.com for more. SOURCE Lifting Solutions Welcome back pirates! As you make your return to campus The East Carolinian has created a forum that centers around topics within the community where readers can express their experiences and concerns. With the new guidelines set in place by East Carolina University do you feel as these precautions will keep you safe? Survey RICHBURG, S.C., June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A strong building code is critical to reducing the damage and destruction caused by hurricanes each year. On the first day of the Atlantic hurricane season, the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) today released the 2021 edition of Rating the States, its signature report evaluating building codes and the administration of code provisions along the hurricane coastline from Texas to Maine. Now in its fourth edition, Rating the States is released every three years following the building code update cycle of the International Code Council (ICC). The report scores the 18 Atlantic and Gulf Coast states vulnerable to hurricanes based on a set of questions related to statewide building code adoption, administration and enforcement and contractor licensing requirements in the adopted building code. It also provides a roadmap each state can follow to improve residential building regulations and reduce the cycle of repeated losses resulting from hurricanes and other severe weather events. "Building science has advanced significantly over the last decade, providing cost effective strategies to reduce the impact of Mother Nature. Modern building codes are core to addressing the known risks of high winds and heavy rain that invariably come with these systems," says Dr. Anne Cope, chief engineer at IBHS. "Strong adopted and administered codes apply the latest science and engineering knowledge to protect homes and families from the catastrophic damage hurricanes bring and make our coastal communities more resilient for the future." As the science advances, code updates put research to work in communities. The latest edition of the International Residential Code, as well as the Florida Building Code, integrate key research from IBHS and now include a sealed roof deck in high wind zones. The sealed roof deck provides an extra line of defense against costly water intrusion and has shown in lab testing to keep out up to 95 percent of water even when the primary roof cover is damaged. In the 2021 Rating the States rankings, Florida again takes the top spot for strongest building code with Virginia following one point behind on the 100-point scale. Florida and Virginia have jostled for the top two spots in all four editions of Rating the States. Notably, in this edition IBHS researchers identify South Carolina as the state to watch after significant positive code advances between 2012 and 2015. The Palmetto State now comes in at third place. Rounding out the top five are New Jersey and Connecticut. Meanwhile, neighboring North Carolina rates as most improved in the 2021 edition, gaining five points over its 2018 rating. Massachusetts saw the largest decline of any state coming in three points lower than in the 2018 edition because the state removed the wind-borne debris requirements for coastal areas. Of the 18 states ranked, eight are categorized as 'Poor' receiving less than 70 points. Those states, including Georgia, New York, Maine, New Hampshire, Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, and Delaware, lack a mandatory statewide building code. Local jurisdictions and homeowners whose states come up short on statewide building codes can use the FORTIFIED Homeconstruction standard to make their homes more resilient. The standard is based on years of research at IBHS's state-of-the-art Research Center and post-event damage investigations. It outlines the steps to achieve one of three progressive levels of protection starting with the roof, which is any home's first line of defense against severe weather. For example, in Alabama, Mobile and Baldwin counties have championed the FORTIFIED Home standard by putting it into their local codes to enhance resilience in the absence of a mandatory statewide building code. In fact, more than 20,000 homes in Alabama's two coastal counties carry a FORTIFIED designation. "Following Hurricane Sally's landfall last September in Gulf Shores, Alabama, the impact of FORTIFIED was clear. Resilient building saved countless families from the disruption and displacement their neighbors suffered through and demonstrated why we need stronger codes all along the hurricane coastline," adds Cope. Homeowners who would like to learn more about building codes in their area can use the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH)'s Inspect 2 Protect tool to understand building codes at the local level. The new consumer resource includes building code lookup to help determine which code the builder followed to construct a home. The site provides current code and code history for communities and offers a risk profile, disaster history, and suggested renovations, retrofits and upgrades that can make your home safer and stronger against natural disasters, including hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, earthquakes and wildfires. Explore the full 2021 Rating the States report on ibhs.org to see where coastal states rank and how each state can improve. Additional Perspectives on Rating the States: Leslie Chapman-Henderson, President and CEO of FLASH: "Rating the States is an essential tool as it can support leaders as they work to protect citizens and ensure communities survive and bounce back swiftly from disasters. As these events become increasingly deadly, costly, and disruptive, the report offers invaluable, fact-based insights into how built environments will perform in the future." Sara Yerkes, Senior Vice President, Government Relations at the International Code Council: "Community resilience is something we should all care about it is not only about protecting people and homes, it is also important to the economic health of our towns, cities and counties. The faster a community can recover from a natural disaster, the faster life returns to normal. The 2021 IBHS Rating the States report is a great advocacy tool for state disaster mitigation plans that incorporate the adoption of current codes, strong administration of those building regulations, and the importance of licensing and training for all building industry professionals." Robert Gordon, Senior Vice President of Policy, Research, and International at the American Property Casualty Insurance Association (APCIA): "Research has shown that hurricanes are growing stronger and more intense, which is why it is critically important for government leaders to prioritize pre-disaster mitigation strategies like adopting and enforcing strong building codes. Strong building codes can save lives, significantly reduce structural losses or damage, and create more resilient communities in the face of increasingly destructive storms." Jimi Grande, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs at the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMIC): "Taking key steps like implementing or updating building codes not only reduces the risk of future storm impacts, but also increases community resiliency and livability. That's why for more than a decade NAMIC has led the BuildStrong Coalition's efforts to enact a transformational shift in the way the federal government approaches catastrophes by making more money available to states and communities to undertake risk-mitigating activities including those relating to modern building codes before a natural disaster strikes. Rating the States will be an invaluable tool for those policymakers who are accessing the newly available funds in FEMA's Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities Grant Program." Sean Kevelighan, CEO of the Insurance Information Institute (Triple-I): "2021's Rating the States report is essential reading for anyone who resides in a hurricane-prone state and wants a definitive assessment of its building codes. We created our Resilience Accelerator because history has proven virtually every community along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts have faced the wrath of what is a hurricane's catastrophic damage. And now with more Americans living in harm's way, it is even more critical for residents and communities to have the information they need to take action." About the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) The IBHS mission is to conduct objective, scientific research to identify and promote effective actions that strengthen homes, businesses and communities against natural disasters and other causes of loss. Learn more about IBHS at DisasterSafety.org. About FORTIFIED Home Please visit fortifiedhome.org to learn more about the IBHS FORTIFIED Home program, including the designation process, how to identify a certified FORTIFIED Evaluator and other valuable resources. SOURCE Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) Related Links www.disastersafety.org In a world of Amazon-like precision, RTA Cabinet Store is the first in the industry to offer accelerated and efficient shipping for cabinets. Dubbed the RTA Cabinet Quick Ship Guarantee , consumers can expect to start a kitchen renovation project as soon as the weekend after ordering. Trade professionals will be able to order products exactly when they need it. No more ordering early to avoid delays. No more cushioning the budget for expedited orders. "You could have your cabinets within a week of ordering, which is unheard of in the industry and represents an ever-improving leadership position among online cabinet companies that positions our customers first," said Renovation Brands CEO, Marc Sieger. Across the industry it can take anywhere from 7-21 days for RTA type cabinets and upwards of 8-36 weeks for semi-custom and custom cabinets. "We already offer top-quality cabinets with industry leading pricing, nearly double the selection of other cabinet retailers, and professionals that will design your kitchen for free," says Todd Nickell, RTA Cabinet Store General Manager. "Speed is just another way we are making RTA Cabinet Store your number one choice for kitchen cabinets and design." There is a simple form to fill out on the website should the three-day window pass and cabinets have not shipped yet. But they don't expect customers to need to use it. "We are really putting our money where our mouth is," Michael Gallaher, RTA Cabinet Store Director of E-Commerce, Merchandising, & Strategy said. "This is transparent, real value that customers can't get anywhere elseno fine print." The RTA Cabinet Store team will proactively track orders and make refunds (10% of order up to $250) should an order take more than three days to leave the warehouse. "This is just good business," said Nickell. "We think of our customers and want to treat all of our customers like they are family. We're going to take care of you." Learn more about the RTA Cabinet Quick Ship Guarantee . Or join us for the official announcement at the launch party on Facebook Live at 11 AM EST on June 1st, 2021. About RTA Cabinet Store: RTA Cabinet Store is a leading provider of Ready-To-Assemble kitchen cabinets, bathroom vanities, & renovation products. Visit us today at www.rtacabinetstore.com About Renovation Brands: Renovation Brands is the parent company of multiple fast-growing home improvement product brands serving both residential and commercial customers in the renovation space. With a distinct focus and competence in the digital space, Renovation Brands is owned by Digital Fuel Capital, a leader in investing in internet retail and digital marketing technology and services. Renovation Brands is currently comprised of multiple specialty eCommerce brands including American Tin Ceilings, Reggio Register, Electric Fireplaces Direct, Mantels Direct, Electric Fireplaces Canada, Baseboarders, RTA Cabinet Store, and DecorPlanet.com. To learn more about Renovation Brands' and its family of brands, click here . SOURCE Renovation Brands Related Links www.renovationbrands.com HOUSTON, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Baringa Partners has hired industry veteran Baris Ertan to drive growth in global energy and commodity trading and to strengthen its overall energy and utilities presence in North America. Ertan joins a rapidly expanding North American business for Baringa which is being driven by significant business change and massive new investment opportunities across multiple sectors. "The clean energy transition is well underway around much of the world, with trillions of dollars of new investment required," said Baringa's Energy and Resources lead David Hatcher. "Trading and Optimization is at the heart of unlocking value in these new assets and business models which will sustainably power the future, while responsibly transitioning from the past. We couldn't ask for a better leader than Baris to join our team to help us lean into this truly global opportunity." Baringa's increased focus on North America and presence in the Houston market will expand the firm's physical presence in the world's major energy and commodity trading centers which already include London, Singapore, and New York. "Our clients across renewable power, oil and gas, physical commodities, liquefied natural gas (LNG), and trading of environmental products are building businesses that rely on international scale and global market inter-connectivity," according to Baringa's Global Trading lead Nick Tallantyre. "Adding Baris to our team in Houston gives us instant credibility to tackle our clients' most important global initiatives in all major geographies." In the last year, Baringa has won notable awards in energy markets including Financial Times gold medals for Energy, Utilities and Environmental markets and for consulting to the Oil and Gas sector. The firm has been recognized as winners of Energy Risk's Global Climate Risk Innovation of the Year, and as Advisory Firm of the Year for Asia. "I'm thrilled to be joining a team with the brand and industry focus of Baringa," said Ertan. "I have had the opportunity to lead large consulting teams in the past which have achieved a great deal of success and garnered consistent industry accolades, but I am excited about building something truly unique at Baringa measured by our clients' successes and the growth opportunities for our people." Ertan joins Baringa amidst a rapid growth in offerings targeted at the North America market. Since 2020, Baringa has launched multiple offerings which will complement Ertan's focus on trading and risk management including: 1) a market leading climate financial risk model, 2) long-term market fundamentals and transactions services for power and gas markets across all of the North American ISO/RTOs, and 3) services for transforming power networks to allow for reliable deployment of renewables and distributed energy resources (DER). About Baringa Partners Baringa Partners is an independent business and technology consultancy. We help businesses run more effectively, navigate industry shifts and reach new markets. We use our industry insights, ideas and pragmatism to help each client improve their business. Collaboration is central to our strategy and culture, ensuring we attract the brightest and the best. And it's why clients love working with us. Baringa launched in 2000 and now has over 900 members of staff and 92 partners across our practice areas Energy & Resources, Financial Services, Products & Services, and Government & Public Sector. These practices are supported by cross-sector teams focused on Customer & Digital; Finance, Risk & Compliance; People Excellence; Supply Chain & Procurement; Data, Analytics & AI; Intelligent Automation & Operations Excellence; and Technology Transformation. We operate globally and have offices in the UK, Europe, Australia, US and Asia. Baringa Partners have been voted as the leading management consulting firm in the Financial Times' UK Leading Management Consultants 2021 in the categories Energy, Utilities & the Environment, and Oil & Gas. We have been in the Top 10 for the last 14 years in the small, medium, as well as large category in the UK Best Workplaces list by Great Place to Work. We are a Top 50 for Women employer, and are recognised by Best Employers for Race. Baringa. Brighter Together. For more information, visit www.baringa.com SOURCE Baringa Partners "We are transforming the way web applications are secured." Tweet this "Bringing together the first-ever automated web application security scanner and scalable proof-based scanning developed for the enterprise, we are transforming the way web applications are secured," said Ferruh Mavituna, CEO of Invicti Security. "Innovation is in our DNA and we look forward to continuing to lead the industry and serve our customers as we make the web safer for everyone." Magic Quadrant reports are a culmination of rigorous, fact-based research in specific markets, providing a wide-angle view of the relative positions of the providers in markets where growth is high and provider differentiation is distinct. Providers are positioned into four quadrants: Leaders, Challengers, Visionaries and Niche Players. The research enables you to get the most from market analysis in alignment with your unique business and technology needs. View a complimentary copy of the Magic Quadrant report to learn more about Invicti Security's strengths and cautions, among other provider offerings here . Related: Gartner Disclaimer Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in our research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. About Invicti Security Invicti Security is changing the way web applications are secured. A global leader in web application security for more than 15 years, Invicti's dynamic and interactive application security products help organizations in every industry scale their overall security operations, make the best use of their security resources, and engage developers in helping to improve their overall security posture. Invicti's product Netsparker delivers industry-leading enterprise web application security, while Acunetix is designed for small and medium-sized companies. Invicti is backed by Turn/River Capital, and is headquartered in Austin, Texas, with offices in London, Malta, and Istanbul. Media Contact: Anya Nelson Scratch Marketing + Media for Invicti [email protected] 1 Source: Gartner, "Magic Quadrant for Application Security Testing, Mark Horvath, Dioniisio Zumerle, Dale Gardner, 27th May 2021. SOURCE Invicti Security Related Links https://www.netsparker.com/ WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- To keep up with the latest trends, more than 1,000 professionals dedicated to the growing closets and organized storage industry will meet at the Palm Beach County Convention Center June 8-10 for the co-located Closets Conference & Expo and Wood Pro Expo Florida, part of the Woodworking Network and owned by CCI Media. "Our theme, 'Where design meets manufacturing' explains the synergy between the two events," said Laurel Didier, publisher of Closets & Organized Storage magazine. The three-day event (open to the trade only) kicks off June 8 with a full day of education and plant tours. Conference sessions are dedicated to marketing, design, pricing, CNC solutions and how to prosper in the post-pandemic world. Conference attendees will also tour three South Florida businesses: Ultrapan Modern Finishes; The Closet Company; and Doormark. Hundreds of products, equipment and supplies on display, plus a Running Machine Pavilion to witness large machinery under power. Daily keynotes presented by industry leaders. Each keynote address is included in the Expo Floor pass admission. A trade show featuring more than 75 exhibitors and complimentary keynotes and seminars are slated for June 9-10. Attendees will gather on the lawn of the Palm Beach Hilton the evening of June 9 to find out the winner of the Top Shelf Design Awards, recognizing the best in closets and home organization projects. This year's competition had a total of 76 entries. "As a judge of this high-profile contest, I was delighted at the level of quality and solution driven designs submitted this year," said Didier. Register to attend Closets Conference & Expo and Wood Pro Expo Florida, taking place June 8-10 at the Palm Beach County Convention Center, West Palm Beach, FL. For more information contact Laurel Didier, (847) 334-3038, [email protected] SOURCE Woodworking Network RARITAN, N.J., June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson announced today that more than 30 company-sponsored studies, including six oral presentations, will be featured during the 2021 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, June 4-8. Janssen presentations will include new data and updates for both approved and investigational therapeutics that are being studied for the treatment of various solid tumors and blood cancers. Immediately following ASCO, additional data will be featured during the European Hematology Association (EHA) Virtual Congress, June 9-17. A complete list of Janssen-sponsored abstracts scheduled for presentation during ASCO and EHA is available at the Janssen Oncology Virtual Newsroom. "Through a deliberate scientific focus on deep disease understanding, we continue to advance a diverse, differentiated portfolio and pipeline of targeted therapies and combination regimens in select cancers where unmet medical needs persist," said Peter Lebowitz, M.D., Ph.D., Global Therapeutic Area Head, Oncology, Janssen Research & Development, LLC. "At this year's ASCO, we look forward to presenting the latest research from our dedicated scientists on behalf of investigators, study centers and the patients participating in our programs, with a focus on improving the lives of patients diagnosed with cancer and driving toward the elimination of cancer in the future." "At Janssen Oncology, we are driven by our mission to reimagine cancer care and to ultimately drive better outcomes for people living with cancer," said Serge Messerlian, President, Oncology, Janssen Biotech, Inc. "Our latest scientific research at ASCO represents our commitment to advancing treatment options across a broad range of difficult-to-treat cancers, disease stages and risk factors. We are acting with urgency to deliver new therapies and hope to patients who currently have limited or no current treatment options." Key highlights from Janssen-sponsored studies to be presented at ASCO include: RYBREVANTTM (amivantamab-vmjw) in Combination with Lazertinib For the Treatment of Patients With Advanced EGFR-Mutated Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer New Findings From the Phase 1 CHRYSALIS Study Oral presentation: New data from the ongoing CHRYSALIS study evaluating RYBREVANT TM (a fully-human epidermal growth factor receptor [EGFR]-MET bispecific antibody) in combination with lazertinib in patients with chemotherapy-naive EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose disease has relapsed on osimertinib (Abstract #9006) New data from the ongoing CHRYSALIS study evaluating RYBREVANT (a fully-human epidermal growth factor receptor [EGFR]-MET bispecific antibody) in combination with lazertinib in patients with chemotherapy-naive EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose disease has relapsed on osimertinib (Abstract #9006) Poster: Data from an indirect treatment comparison of RYBREVANTTM monotherapy in patients with NSCLC with EGFR exon 20 insertion mutations compared to those treated with real-world therapies such as immune checkpoint inhibitors, tyrosine kinase inhibitors and single-agent chemotherapies (Abstract #9052) New Cilta-Cel Efficacy and Safety Data in the Treatment of Patients with Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma Updated Results from the Phase 1b/2 CARTITUDE-1 Study and First Results from the Phase 2 CARTITUDE-2 Study Oral presentation: Longer-term, 18-month follow-up efficacy and safety results from the Phase 1b /2 CARTITUDE-1 study of ciltacabtagene autoleucel (cilta-cel), an investigational B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA)-directed chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy, in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) (Abstract #8005) Longer-term, 18-month follow-up efficacy and safety results from the Phase /2 CARTITUDE-1 study of ciltacabtagene autoleucel (cilta-cel), an investigational B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA)-directed chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy, in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) (Abstract #8005) Poster presentation: First data from Cohort A of the Phase 2 CARTITUDE-2 study evaluating the efficacy and safety of cilta-cel in patients with MM who have received 1-3 lines of prior therapy, and who were lenalidomide refractory (Abstract #8013) First data from Cohort A of the Phase 2 CARTITUDE-2 study evaluating the efficacy and safety of cilta-cel in patients with MM who have received 1-3 lines of prior therapy, and who were lenalidomide refractory (Abstract #8013) Poster: Data on the incidence, mitigation and management of neurologic adverse events (AEs) in patients treated with cilta-cel in CARTITUDE-2 (Abstract #8028) Data on the incidence, mitigation and management of neurologic adverse events (AEs) in patients treated with cilta-cel in CARTITUDE-2 (Abstract #8028) Poster: Data comparing outcomes of treatment with cilta-cel in the CARTITUDE-1 study vs. Real-World Standard of Care for patients with triple-class exposed RRMM (Abstract #8045) Updated Data for Bispecific Antibodies Talquetamab (GPRC5DxCD3) and Teclistamab (BCMAxCD3) in Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma Oral presentation: Updated results from the Phase 1 MonumenTAL-1 study of talquetamab administered subcutaneously to RRMM patients (Abstract #8008) Updated results from the Phase 1 MonumenTAL-1 study of talquetamab administered subcutaneously to RRMM patients (Abstract #8008) Oral presentation: Updated results from the Phase 1 MajesTEC-1 study of teclistamab in RRMM patients treated at the recommended Phase 2 dose (Abstract #8007) Updated results from the Phase 1 MajesTEC-1 study of teclistamab in RRMM patients treated at the recommended Phase 2 dose (Abstract #8007) Poster presentation: An evaluation of changes in soluble B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA, CD269) levels in RRMM patients in response to treatment with teclistamab or talquetamab (Abstract #8047) First Data from the Fixed-Duration Cohort of the CAPTIVATE Study Evaluating IMBRUVICA (ibrutinib) in Combination With Venetoclax for First-line Treatment of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL), Plus Longer-term Follow-up for IMBRUVICA Monotherapy in Previously Untreated CLL Patients Oral presentation: First data from the fixed-duration cohort of the Phase 2 CAPTIVATE study evaluating IMBRUVICA plus venetoclax in previously untreated CLL patients (Abstract #7501) First data from the fixed-duration cohort of the Phase 2 CAPTIVATE study evaluating IMBRUVICA plus venetoclax in previously untreated CLL patients (Abstract #7501) Poster presentation: Extended, up to seven-year, follow-up data from the Phase 3 RESONATE-2 study of IMBRUVICA monotherapy in previously untreated CLL patients (Abstract #7523) Results of DARZALEX FASPRO (daratumumab and hyaluronidase-fihj)-based Combination Regimen for Patients with Light Chain (AL) Amyloidosis; Interim Analysis of DARZALEX (daratumumab) Maintenance Therapy for Patients with Multiple Myeloma Oral presentation: New data from the Phase 3 ANDROMEDA study of DARZALEX FASPRO in combination with bortezomib, cyclophosphamide and dexamethasone (D-VCd) for the treatment of newly diagnosed AL amyloidosis (Abstract #8003). New data from the Phase 3 ANDROMEDA study of DARZALEX in combination with bortezomib, cyclophosphamide and dexamethasone (D-VCd) for the treatment of newly diagnosed AL amyloidosis (Abstract #8003). Oral presentation: Interim results from the CASSIOPEIA Part 2 study of DARZALEX as maintenance therapy in patients with newly diagnosed MM (NDMM) who received treatment with bortezomib, thalidomide and dexamethasone (VTd) with or without DARZALEX and autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) (Abstract #8004) Interim results from the CASSIOPEIA Part 2 study of DARZALEX as maintenance therapy in patients with newly diagnosed MM (NDMM) who received treatment with bortezomib, thalidomide and dexamethasone (VTd) with or without DARZALEX and autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) (Abstract #8004) Poster presentation: Final analysis from the Phase 2 LYRA study investigating DARZALEX maintenance therapy following induction with DARZALEX, cyclophosphamide, bortezomib and dexamethasone (Dara+CyBorD) in patients with NDMM as well as RRMM (Abstract #8035) ERLEADA (apalutamide) Patient-Reported Outcomes (PRO) Data from the Final Analysis of the Phase 3 TITAN Study in Metastatic Castration-Sensitive Prostate Cancer (mCSPC) Poster: New PRO data from the Phase 3 TITAN study will report the impact on quality of life of ERLEADA in combination with androgen deprivation therapy as a first-line treatment for patients with mCSPC (Abstract #5068). The long-term efficacy and safety data from the final analysis of the TITAN study were recently published in The Journal of Clinical Oncology Latest Data Assessing Outcomes for Histology-Agnostic Patients Receiving BALVERSA (erdafitinib) in the Phase 2 RAGNAR Study, The Prognostic Value of Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor Alterations (FGFRa) and The Evaluation of a New Drug-Delivery System for Patients With Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer (MIBC) Poster: Preliminary results of molecular screening for fibroblast growth factor receptor alteration (FGFRa) in the ongoing Phase 2 histology-agnostic RAGNAR study of BALVERSA (erdafitinib) (Abstract #4081) Preliminary results of molecular screening for fibroblast growth factor receptor alteration (FGFRa) in the ongoing Phase 2 histology-agnostic RAGNAR study of BALVERSA (erdafitinib) (Abstract #4081) Poster: Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor Alteration (FGFRa) Status and Progression Outcomes of Patients with Advanced or Metastatic Urothelial Cancer (mUC) (Abstract #4530) Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor Alteration (FGFRa) Status and Progression Outcomes of Patients with Advanced or Metastatic Urothelial Cancer (mUC) (Abstract #4530) Poster: Phase 3 analysis of TAR-200, an investigational drug-delivery system, in combination with systemic cetrelimab compared with concurrent chemoradiotherapy in patients with MIBC (Abstract #TPS4586) Data from IMBRUVICA and DARZALEX Featured in Late-Breaking Abstracts will be Presented during the EHA Virtual Congress: First data from the Phase 3 GLOW study evaluating fixed-duration therapy with IMBRUVICA in combination with venetoclax versus chemoimmunotherapy in previously untreated CLL patients. in combination with venetoclax versus chemoimmunotherapy in previously untreated CLL patients. Overall survival data from the MAIA study of DARZALEX in combination with lenalidomide and dexamethasone in newly diagnosed patients with multiple myeloma (NDMM) who are ineligible for autologous stem cell transplantation. About RYBREVANTTM RYBREVANTTM is being studied in a comprehensive clinical development program for people with untreated advanced EGFR-mutated NSCLC, including the Phase 3 MARIPOSA (NCT04487080) trial studying RYBREVANTTM in combination with lazertinib**.1 Another Phase 3 trial, PAPILLON (NCT04538664), is studying RYBREVANTTM in combination with carboplatin-pemetrexed for people with advanced or metastatic EGFR-mutated NSCLC with exon 20 insertion mutations.2 On May 21, 2021, RYBREVANTTM received accelerated approval by the U.S. FDA for the treatment of adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC with EGFR exon 20 insertion mutations, as detected by an FDA-approved test, whose disease has progressed on or after platinum-based chemotherapy.3 Janssen has filed regulatory submissions for RYBREVANTTM with health authorities in Europe and other markets. **In 2018, Janssen Biotech, Inc. entered into a license and collaboration agreement with Yuhan Corporation for the development of lazertinib. About Lazertinib Lazertinib is an oral, third-generation, brain-penetrant, EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) that targets both the T790M mutation and activating EGFR mutations while sparing wild type-EGFR.4 Interim safety and efficacy results from the lazertinib Phase 1-2 study were published in The Lancet Oncology in 2019. In 2018, Janssen Biotech, Inc. entered into a license and collaboration agreement with Yuhan Corporation for the development of lazertinib. About ciltacabtagene autoleucel (cilta-cel) Cilta-cel is an investigational chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy that is being studied in a comprehensive clinical development program for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma and in earlier lines of treatment. The design consists of a structurally differentiated CAR-T with two BCMA-targeting single domain antibodies.5 In December 2017, Janssen Biotech, Inc. entered into an exclusive worldwide license and collaboration agreement with Legend Biotech USA, Inc. to develop and commercialize cilta-cel. In April 2021, Janssen announced submission of a Marketing Authorisation Application to the European Medicines Agency seeking approval of cilta-cel for the treatment of patients with relapsed and/or refractory multiple myeloma. In December 2020, Janssen announced initiation of a rolling submission of its BLA to the U.S. FDA for cilta-cel, which completed in March 2021. In addition to U.S. Breakthrough Therapy Designation granted in December 2019, cilta-cel received a PRIority MEdicines (PRiME) designation from the European Commission in April 2019, and a Breakthrough Therapy Designation in China in August 2020.6,7,8 Janssen also received Orphan Drug Designation for cilta-cel from the U.S. FDA in February 2019, and from the European Commission in February 2020. About Talquetamab Talquetamab is a first-in-class investigational bispecific antibody targeting both GPRC5D, a novel multiple myeloma target, and CD3, a T-cell receptor.9 CD3 is involved in activating T-cells, and GPRC5D is highly expressed on multiple myeloma cells.10,11,12 Results from preclinical studies in mouse models demonstrate that talquetamab induces T-cell-mediated killing of GPRC5D-expressing multiple myeloma cells through the recruitment and activation of CD3-positive T-cells and that it inhibits tumor formation and growth.13 Talquetamab is currently being evaluated in a Phase 1/2 clinical study for the treatment of relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (NCT03399799) and is also being explored in combination studies (NCT04586426). About Teclistamab Teclistamab is an investigational bispecific antibody targeting both BCMA and CD3. BCMA, B-cell maturation antigen, is expressed at high levels on multiple myeloma cells.14,15,16 Teclistamab redirects CD3-positive T-cells to BCMA-expressing myeloma cells to induce cytotoxicity of the targeted cells.17,18 Results from preclinical studies demonstrate that teclistamab kills myeloma cell lines and bone marrow-derived myeloma cells from heavily pretreated patients. Teclistamab is currently being evaluated in a Phase 2 clinical study for the treatment of relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (NCT03145181) and is also being explored in combination studies (NCT04586426, NCT04108195 , NCT04722146). On June 1, 2021, Janssen announced teclistamab had been granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation by the U.S. FDA. In 2020, the European Commission and the U.S. FDA each granted teclistamab orphan designation for the treatment of multiple myeloma. In January 2021, teclistamab was granted PRIME (PRIority MEdicines) designation by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). About IMBRUVICA IMBRUVICA is a once-daily oral medication that is jointly developed and commercialized by Janssen Biotech, Inc. and Pharmacyclics LLC, an AbbVie company. Since its launch in 2013, IMBRUVICA has received 11 FDA approvals across six disease areas: chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) with or without 17p deletion (del17p); small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) with or without del17p; Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia; previously-treated patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL)*; previously-treated patients with marginal zone lymphoma (MZL) who require systemic therapy and have received at least one prior anti-CD20-based therapy*; and previously-treated patients with chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) after failure of one or more lines of systemic therapy.19 * Accelerated approval was granted for MCL and MZL based on overall response rate. Continued approval for MCL and MZL may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in confirmatory trials. For more information, visit www.IMBRUVICA.com. About DARZALEX FASPRO and DARZALEX DARZALEX FASPRO received U.S. FDA approval in May 2020 and is approved for six indications in multiple myeloma (MM), two of which are for frontline treatment in newly diagnosed patients who are transplant ineligible.20 DARZALEX FASPRO is the only subcutaneous CD38-directed antibody globally approved to treat patients with MM. DARZALEX FASPRO is co-formulated with recombinant human hyaluronidase PH20 (rHuPH20), Halozyme's ENHANZE drug delivery technology. In January 2021, DARZALEX FASPRO became the first FDA approved therapy for light chain amyloidosis. In August 2012, Janssen entered into an exclusive global license and development agreement with Genmab A/S to develop, manufacture, and commercialize DARZALEX.21 DARZALEX has been approved in eight indications, three of which are in the frontline setting, including for newly diagnosed patients who are transplant eligible as well as those who are ineligible.25 For more information, visit www.DARZALEX.com. About ERLEADA ERLEADA (apalutamide) is an androgen receptor inhibitor indicated for the treatment of patients with non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (nmCRPC) and for the treatment of patients with metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer (mCSPC).22 ERLEADA received U.S. FDA approval for nmCRPC in February 2018, and was approved for mCSPC in September 2019. To date, more than 25,000 patients worldwide have been treated with ERLEADA. For more information, visit www.ERLEADA.com. About BALVERSA BALVERSA (erdafitinib) is a kinase inhibitor indicated for the treatment of adults with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma (UC) that has susceptible fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR)3 or FGFR2 genetic alterations and has progressed during or following at least one line of prior platinum-containing chemotherapy, including within 12 months of neoadjuvant or adjuvant platinum-containing chemotherapy.23 Patients are selected for therapy based on an FDA-approved companion diagnostic for BALVERSA.28 Information on FDA-approved tests for the detection of FGFR genetic alterations in urothelial cancer is available at: http://www.fda.gov/CompanionDiagnostics. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on tumor response rate. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in confirmatory trials. In 2008, Janssen entered into an exclusive worldwide license and collaboration agreement with Astex Pharmaceuticals to develop and commercialize BALVERSA. For more information, visit www.BALVERSA.com. About TAR-200 TAR-200 is a novel localized intravesical drug delivery system, enabling controlled release of gemcitabine into the bladder, increasing dwell time and local drug exposure. Treatment with TAR-200 has demonstrated early clinical benefit, with favorable tolerability, in patients with muscle invasive bladder cancer (MIBC).24 RYBREVANT IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION3 WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS Infusion Related Reactions3 RYBREVANT can cause infusion related reactions (IRR); signs and symptoms of IRR include dyspnea, flushing, fever, chills, nausea, chest discomfort, hypotension, and vomiting. Based on the safety population, IRR occurred in 66% of patients treated with RYBREVANT. Among patients receiving treatment on Week 1 Day 1, 65% experienced an IRR, while the incidence of IRR was 3.4% with the Day 2 infusion, 0.4% with the Week 2 infusion, and cumulatively 1.1% with subsequent infusions. Of the reported IRRs, 97% were Grade 1-2, 2.2% were Grade 3, and 0.4% were Grade 4. The median time to onset was 1 hour (range 0.1 to 18 hours) after start of infusion. The incidence of infusion modifications due to IRR was 62% and 1.3% of patients permanently discontinued RYBREVANT due to IRR. Premedicate with antihistamines, antipyretics, and glucocorticoids and infuse RYBREVANT as recommended. Administer RYBREVANT via a peripheral line on Week 1 and Week 2. Monitor patients for any signs and symptoms of infusion reactions during RYBREVANT infusion in a setting where cardiopulmonary resuscitation medication and equipment are available. Interrupt infusion if IRR is suspected. Reduce the infusion rate or permanently discontinue RYBREVANT based on severity. Interstitial Lung Disease/Pneumonitis3 RYBREVANT can cause interstitial lung disease (ILD)/pneumonitis. Based on the safety population, ILD/pneumonitis occurred in 3.3% of patients treated with RYBREVANT, with 0.7% of patients experiencing Grade 3 ILD/pneumonitis. Three patients (1%) discontinued RYBREVANT due to ILD/pneumonitis. Monitor patients for new or worsening symptoms indicative of ILD/pneumonitis (e.g., dyspnea, cough, fever). Immediately withhold RYBREVANT in patients with suspected ILD/pneumonitis and permanently discontinue if ILD/pneumonitis is confirmed. Dermatologic Adverse Reactions3 RYBREVANT can cause rash (including dermatitis acneiform), pruritus and dry skin. Based on the safety population, rash occurred in 74% of patients treated with RYBREVANT, including Grade 3 rash in 3.3% of patients. The median time to onset of rash was 14 days (range: 1 to 276 days). Rash leading to dose reduction occurred in 5% of patients, and RYBREVANT was permanently discontinued due to rash in 0.7% of patients. Toxic epidermal necrolysis occurred in one patient (0.3%) treated with RYBREVANT. Instruct patients to limit sun exposure during and for 2 months after treatment with RYBREVANT. Advise patients to wear protective clothing and use broad spectrum UVA/UVB sunscreen. Alcohol free emollient cream is recommended for dry skin. If skin reactions develop, start topical corticosteroids and topical and/or oral antibiotics. For Grade 3 reactions, add oral steroids and consider dermatologic consultation. Promptly refer patients presenting with severe rash, atypical appearance or distribution, or lack of improvement within 2 weeks to a dermatologist. Withhold, dose reduce or permanently discontinue RYBREVANT based on severity. Ocular Toxicity3 RYBREVANT can cause ocular toxicity including keratitis, dry eye symptoms, conjunctival redness, blurred vision, visual impairment, ocular itching, and uveitis. Based on the safety population, keratitis occurred in 0.7% and uveitis occurred in 0.3% of patients treated with RYBREVANT. All events were Grade 1-2. Promptly refer patients presenting with eye symptoms to an ophthalmologist. Withhold, dose reduce or permanently discontinue RYBREVANT based on severity. Embryo Fetal Toxicity3 Based on its mechanism of action and findings from animal models, RYBREVANT can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman. Advise females of reproductive potential of the potential risk to the fetus. Advise female patients of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during treatment and for 3 months after the final dose of RYBREVANT. Adverse Reactions3 The most common adverse reactions (20%) were rash, IRR, paronychia, musculoskeletal pain, dyspnea, nausea, fatigue, edema, stomatitis, cough, constipation, and vomiting. The most common Grade 3 or 4 laboratory abnormalities (2%) were decreased lymphocytes, decreased albumin, decreased phosphate, decreased potassium, increased alkaline phosphatase, increased glucose, increased gamma-glutamyl transferase, and decreased sodium. IMBRUVICA IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS Hemorrhage: Fatal bleeding events have occurred in patients who received IMBRUVICA. Major hemorrhage ( Grade 3, serious, or any central nervous system events; e.g., intracranial hemorrhage [including subdural hematoma], gastrointestinal bleeding, hematuria, and post procedural hemorrhage) occurred in 4% of patients, with fatalities occurring in 0.4% of 2,838 patients who received IMBRUVICA in 27 clinical trials. Bleeding events of any grade including bruising and petechiae occurred in 39%, and excluding bruising and petechiae occurred in 23%of patients who received IMBRUVICA, respectively. The mechanism for the bleeding events is not well understood. Use of either anticoagulant or antiplatelet agents concomitantly with IMBRUVICA increases the risk of major hemorrhage. Across clinical trials, 3.1% of 2,838 patients who received IMBRUVICA without antiplatelet or anticoagulant therapy experienced major hemorrhage. The addition of antiplatelet therapy with or without anticoagulant therapy increased this percentage to 4.4%, and the addition of anticoagulant therapy with or without antiplatelet therapy increased this percentage to 6.1%. Consider the risks and benefits of anticoagulant or antiplatelet therapy when co-administered with IMBRUVICA. Monitor for signs and symptoms of bleeding. Consider the benefit-risk of withholding IMBRUVICA for at least 3 to 7 days pre- and post-surgery depending upon the type of surgery and the risk of bleeding. Infections: Fatal and non-fatal infections (including bacterial, viral, or fungal) have occurred with IMBRUVICA therapy. Grade 3 or greater infections occurred in 21% of 1,476 patients who received IMBRUVICA in clinical trials. Cases of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) and Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) have occurred in patients treated with IMBRUVICA. Consider prophylaxis according to standard of care in patients who are at increased risk for opportunistic infections. Monitor and evaluate patients for fever and infections and treat appropriately. Cytopenias: In 645 patients with B-cell malignancies who received IMBRUVIC as a single agent, grade 3 or 4 neutropenia occurred in 23% of patients, grade 3 or 4 thrombocytopenia in 8% and grade 3 or 4 anemia in 3%, based on laboratory measurements. Monitor complete blood counts monthly. Cardiac Arrhythmias and Cardiac Failure: Fatal and serious cardiac arrhythmias and cardiac failure have occurred with IMBRUVICA. Grade 3 or greater ventricular tachyarrhythmias occurred in 0.2% of patients, Grade 3 or greater atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter occurred in 4%, and Grade 3 or greater cardiac failure occurred in 1% of 1,476 patients who received IMBRUVICA in clinical trials. These events have occurred particularly in patients with cardiac risk factors, hypertension, acute infections, and a previous history of cardiac arrhythmias. At baseline and then periodically, monitor patients clinically for cardiac arrhythmias and cardiac failure. Obtain an ECG for patients who develop arrhythmic symptoms (e.g., palpitations, lightheadedness, syncope, chest pain) or new onset dyspnea. Manage cardiac arrhythmias and cardiac failure appropriately, and if it persists, consider the risks and benefits of IMBRUVICA treatment and follow dose modification guidelines. Hypertension: Hypertension occurred in 19% of 1,476 patients who received IMBRUVICA in clinical trials. Grade 3 or greater hypertension occurred in 8% of patients. Based on data from 1,124 of these patients, the median time to onset was 5.9 months (range, 0.03 to 24 months). Monitor blood pressure in patients treated with IMBRUVICA and initiate or adjust anti-hypertensive medication throughout treatment with IMBRUVICA as appropriate. Second Primary Malignancies: Other malignancies (10%), including non-skin carcinomas (4%), occurred among the 1,476 patients who received IMBRUVICA in clinical trials. The most frequent second primary malignancy was non-melanoma skin cancer (6%). Tumor Lysis Syndrome: Tumor lysis syndrome has been infrequently reported with IMBRUVICA. Assess the baseline risk (e.g., high tumor burden) and take appropriate precautions. Monitor patients closely and treat as appropriate. Embryo-Fetal Toxicity: Based on findings in animals, IMBRUVICA can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman. Advise pregnant women of the potential risk to a fetus. Advise females of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during treatment with IMBRUVICA and for 1 month after the last dose. Advise males with female partners of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during the same time period. ADVERSE REACTIONS B-cell malignancies: The most common adverse reactions (30%) in patients with B-cell malignancies (MCL, CLL/SLL, WM and MZL) were thrombocytopenia (54.5%)*, diarrhea (43.8%), fatigue (39.1%), musculoskeletal pain (38.8%), neutropenia (38.6%)*, rash (35.8%), anemia (35.0%)*, and bruising (32.0%). The most common Grade 3 adverse reactions (5%) in patients with B-cell malignancies (MCL, CLL/SLL, WM and MZL) were neutropenia (20.7%)*, thrombocytopenia (13.6%)*, pneumonia (8.2%), and hypertension (8.0%). Approximately 9% (CLL/SLL), 14% (MCL), 14% (WM) and 10% (MZL) of patients had a dose reduction due to adverse reactions. Approximately 4-10% (CLL/SLL), 9% (MCL), and 7% (WM [5%] and MZL [13%]) of patients discontinued due to adverse reactions. cGVHD: The most common adverse reactions (20%) in patients with cGVHD were fatigue (57%), bruising (40%), diarrhea (36%), thrombocytopenia (33%)*, muscle spasms (29%), stomatitis (29%), nausea (26%), hemorrhage (26%), anemia (24%)*, and pneumonia (21%). The most common Grade 3 or higher adverse reactions (5%) reported in patients with cGVHD were pneumonia (14%), fatigue (12%), diarrhea (10%), neutropenia (10%)*, sepsis (10%), hypokalemia (7%), headache (5%), musculoskeletal pain (5%), and pyrexia (5%). Twenty-four percent of patients receiving IMBRUVICA in the cGVHD trial discontinued treatment due to adverse reactions. Adverse reactions leading to dose reduction occurred in 26% of patients. *Treatment-emergent decreases (all grades) were based on laboratory measurements. DRUG INTERACTIONS CYP3A Inhibitors: Co-administration of IMBRUVICA with strong or moderate CYP3A inhibitors may increase ibrutinib plasma concentrations. Dose modifications of IMBRUVICA may be recommended when used concomitantly with posaconazole, voriconazole, and moderate CYP3A inhibitors. Avoid concomitant use of other strong CYP3A inhibitors. Interrupt IMBRUVICA if strong inhibitors are used short-term (e.g., for 7 days). See dose modification guidelines in USPI sections 2.3 and 7.1. CYP3A Inducers: Avoid coadministration with strong CYP3A inducers. SPECIFIC POPULATIONS Hepatic Impairment (based on Child-Pugh criteria): Avoid use of IMBRUVICA in patients with severe hepatic impairment. In patients with mild or moderate impairment, reduce recommended IMBRUVICA dose and monitor more frequently for adverse reactions of IMBRUVICA. Please click here to see the full Prescribing Information. DARZALEX FASPRO IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION CONTRAINDICATIONS DARZALEX FASPRO is contraindicated in patients with a history of severe hypersensitivity to daratumumab, hyaluronidase, or any of the components of the formulation. WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS Hypersensitivity and Other Administration Reactions Both systemic administration-related reactions, including severe or life-threatening reactions, and local injection-site reactions can occur with DARZALEX FASPRO. Systemic Reactions In a pooled safety population of 683 patients with multiple myeloma (N=490) or light chain (AL) amyloidosis (N=193) who received DARZALEX FASPRO as monotherapy or in combination, 10% of patients experienced a systemic administration-related reaction (Grade 2: 3.5%, Grade 3: 1%). Systemic administration-related reactions occurred in 9% of patients with the first injection, 0.4% with the second injection, and cumulatively 0.8% with subsequent injections. The median time to onset was 3.2 hours (range: 9 minutes to 3.5 days). Of the 117 systemic administration-related reactions that occurred in 66 patients, 100 (85%) occurred on the day of DARZALEX FASPRO administration. Delayed systemic administration-related reactions have occurred in less than 1% of the patients. Severe reactions included hypoxia, dyspnea, hypertension, and tachycardia. Other signs and symptoms of systemic administration-related reactions may include respiratory symptoms, such as bronchospasm, nasal congestion, cough, throat irritation, allergic rhinitis, and wheezing, as well as anaphylactic reaction, pyrexia, chest pain, pruritus, chills, vomiting, nausea, and hypotension. Pre-medicate patients with histamine-1 receptor antagonist, acetaminophen, and corticosteroids. Monitor patients for systemic administration-related reactions, especially following the first and second injections. For anaphylactic reaction or life-threatening (Grade 4) administration-related reactions, immediately and permanently discontinue DARZALEX FASPRO. Consider administering corticosteroids and other medications after the administration of DARZALEX FASPRO depending on dosing regimen and medical history to minimize the risk of delayed (defined as occurring the day after administration) systemic administration-related reactions. Local Reactions In this pooled safety population, injection-site reactions occurred in 9% of patients, including Grade 2 reactions in 0.7%. The most frequent (>1%) injection-site reaction was injection-site erythema. These local reactions occurred a median of 5 minutes (range: 0 minutes to 4.7 days) after starting administration of DARZALEX FASPRO. Monitor for local reactions and consider symptomatic management. Cardiac Toxicity in Patients With AL Amyloidosis Serious or fatal cardiac adverse reactions occurred in patients with AL amyloidosis who received DARZALEX FASPRO in combination with bortezomib, cyclophosphamide, and dexamethasone. Serious cardiac disorders occurred in 16% of patients, and fatal cardiac disorders occurred in 10% of patients. Patients with NYHA Class IIIA or Mayo Stage III A disease may be at greater risk. Patients with NYHA Class IIIB or IV disease were not studied. Monitor patients with cardiac involvement of AL amyloidosis more frequently for cardiac adverse reactions and administer supportive care as appropriate. Neutropenia Daratumumab may increase neutropenia induced by background therapy. Monitor complete blood cell counts periodically during treatment according to manufacturer's prescribing information for background therapies. Monitor patients with neutropenia for signs of infection. Consider withholding DARZALEX FASPRO until recovery of neutrophils. In lower body weight patients receiving DARZALEX FASPRO, higher rates of Grade 3-4 neutropenia were observed. Thrombocytopenia Daratumumab may increase thrombocytopenia induced by background therapy. Monitor complete blood cell counts periodically during treatment according to manufacturer's prescribing information for background therapies. Consider withholding DARZALEX FASPRO until recovery of platelets. Embryo-Fetal Toxicity Based on the mechanism of action, DARZALEX FASPRO can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman. DARZALEX FASPRO may cause depletion of fetal immune cells and decreased bone density. Advise pregnant women of the potential risk to a fetus. Advise females with reproductive potential to use effective contraception during treatment with DARZALEX FASPRO and for 3 months after the last dose. The combination of DARZALEX FASPRO with lenalidomide or thalidomide is contraindicated in pregnant women because lenalidomide and thalidomide may cause birth defects and death of the unborn child. Refer to the lenalidomide and thalidomide prescribing information on use during pregnancy. Interference With Serological Testing Daratumumab binds to CD38 on red blood cells (RBCs) and results in a positive indirect antiglobulin test (indirect Coombs test). Daratumumab-mediated positive indirect antiglobulin test may persist for up to 6 months after the last daratumumab administration. Daratumumab bound to RBCs masks detection of antibodies to minor antigens in the patient's serum. The determination of a patient's ABO and Rh blood type are not impacted. Notify blood transfusion centers of this interference with serological testing and inform blood banks that a patient has received DARZALEX FASPRO. Type and screen patients prior to starting DARZALEX FASPRO. Interference With Determination of Complete Response Daratumumab is a human IgG kappa monoclonal antibody that can be detected on both the serum protein electrophoresis (SPE) and immunofixation (IFE) assays used for the clinical monitoring of endogenous M-protein. This interference can impact the determination of complete response and of disease progression in some DARZALEX FASPRO-treated patients with IgG kappa myeloma protein. ADVERSE REACTIONS In multiple myeloma, the most common adverse reaction (20%) with DARZALEX FASPRO monotherapy is upper respiratory tract infection. The most common adverse reactions with combination therapy (20% for any combination) include fatigue, nausea, diarrhea, dyspnea, insomnia, pyrexia, cough, muscle spasms, back pain, vomiting, upper respiratory tract infection, peripheral sensory neuropathy, constipation, and pneumonia. The most common adverse reactions (20%) in patients with AL amyloidosis are upper respiratory tract infection, diarrhea, peripheral edema, constipation, fatigue, peripheral sensory neuropathy, nausea, insomnia, dyspnea, and cough. The most common hematology laboratory abnormalities (40%) with DARZALEX FASPRO are decreased leukocytes, decreased lymphocytes, decreased neutrophils, decreased platelets, and decreased hemoglobin. Please click here to see the full Prescribing Information. DARZALEX IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION CONTRAINDICATIONS DARZALEX is contraindicated in patients with a history of severe hypersensitivity (eg, anaphylactic reactions) to daratumumab or any of the components of the formulation. WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS Infusion-Related Reactions DARZALEX can cause severe and/or serious infusion-related reactions including anaphylactic reactions. In clinical trials (monotherapy and combination: N=2066), infusion-related reactions occurred in 37% of patients with the Week 1 (16 mg/kg) infusion, 2% with the Week 2 infusion, and cumulatively 6% with subsequent infusions. Less than 1% of patients had a Grade 3/4 infusion-related reaction at Week 2 or subsequent infusions. The median time to onset was 1.5 hours (range: 0 to 73 hours). Nearly all reactions occurred during infusion or within 4 hours of completing DARZALEX. Severe reactions have occurred, including bronchospasm, hypoxia, dyspnea, hypertension, laryngeal edema, and pulmonary edema. Signs and symptoms may include respiratory symptoms, such as nasal congestion, cough, throat irritation, as well as chills, vomiting, and nausea. Less common symptoms were wheezing, allergic rhinitis, pyrexia, chest discomfort, pruritus, and hypotension. When DARZALEX dosing was interrupted in the setting of ASCT (CASSIOPEIA) for a median of 3.75 months (range: 2.4 to 6.9 months), upon re-initiation of DARZALEX, the incidence of infusion-related reactions was 11% for the first infusion following ASCT. Infusion-related reactions occurring at re-initiation of DARZALEX following ASCT were consistent in terms of symptoms and severity (Grade 3 or 4: <1%) with those reported in previous studies at Week 2 or subsequent infusions. In EQUULEUS, patients receiving combination treatment (n=97) were administered the first 16 mg/kg dose at Week 1 split over two days, ie, 8 mg/kg on Day 1 and Day 2, respectively. The incidence of any grade infusion-related reactions was 42%, with 36% of patients experiencing infusion-related reactions on Day 1 of Week 1, 4% on Day 2 of Week 1, and 8% with subsequent infusions. Pre-medicate patients with antihistamines, antipyretics, and corticosteroids. Frequently monitor patients during the entire infusion. Interrupt DARZALEX infusion for reactions of any severity and institute medical management as needed. Permanently discontinue DARZALEX therapy if an anaphylactic reaction or life-threatening (Grade 4) reaction occurs and institute appropriate emergency care. For patients with Grade 1, 2, or 3 reactions, reduce the infusion rate when re-starting the infusion. To reduce the risk of delayed infusion-related reactions, administer oral corticosteroids to all patients following DARZALEX infusions. Patients with a history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease may require additional post-infusion medications to manage respiratory complications. Consider prescribing short- and long-acting bronchodilators and inhaled corticosteroids for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Interference With Serological Testing Daratumumab binds to CD38 on red blood cells (RBCs) and results in a positive Indirect Antiglobulin Test (Indirect Coombs test). Daratumumab-mediated positive Indirect Antiglobulin Test may persist for up to 6 months after the last daratumumab infusion. Daratumumab bound to RBCs masks detection of antibodies to minor antigens in the patient's serum. The determination of a patient's ABO and Rh blood type is not impacted. Notify blood transfusion centers of this interference with serological testing and inform blood banks that a patient has received DARZALEX. Type and screen patients prior to starting DARZALEX. Neutropenia and Thrombocytopenia DARZALEX may increase neutropenia and thrombocytopenia induced by background therapy. Monitor complete blood cell counts periodically during treatment according to manufacturer's prescribing information for background therapies. Monitor patients with neutropenia for signs of infection. Consider withholding DARZALEX until recovery of neutrophils or for recovery of platelets. Interference With Determination of Complete Response Daratumumab is a human IgG kappa monoclonal antibody that can be detected on both the serum protein electrophoresis (SPE) and immunofixation (IFE) assays used for the clinical monitoring of endogenous M-protein. This interference can impact the determination of complete response and of disease progression in some patients with IgG kappa myeloma protein. Embryo-Fetal Toxicity Based on the mechanism of action, DARZALEX can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman. DARZALEX may cause depletion of fetal immune cells and decreased bone density. Advise pregnant women of the potential risk to a fetus. Advise females with reproductive potential to use effective contraception during treatment with DARZALEX and for 3 months after the last dose. The combination of DARZALEX with lenalidomide, pomalidomide, or thalidomide is contraindicated in pregnant women, because lenalidomide, pomalidomide, and thalidomide may cause birth defects and death of the unborn child. Refer to the lenalidomide, pomalidomide, or thalidomide prescribing information on use during pregnancy. ADVERSE REACTIONS The most frequently reported adverse reactions (incidence 20%) were: upper respiratory infection, neutropenia, infusionrelated reactions, thrombocytopenia, diarrhea, constipation, anemia, peripheral sensory neuropathy, fatigue, peripheral edema, nausea, cough, pyrexia, dyspnea, and asthenia. The most common hematologic laboratory abnormalities (40%) with DARZALEX are: neutropenia, lymphopenia, thrombocytopenia, leukopenia, and anemia. Please click here to see the full Prescribing Information. ERLEADA IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION1 WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS Cerebrovascular and Ischemic Cardiovascular Events In a randomized study (SPARTAN) of patients with nmCRPC, ischemic cardiovascular events occurred in 4% of patients treated with ERLEADA and 3% of patients treated with placebo. In a randomized study (TITAN) in patients with mCSPC, ischemic cardiovascular events occurred in 4% of patients treated with ERLEADA and 2% of patients treated with placebo. Across the SPARTAN and TITAN studies, 5 patients (0.5%) treated with ERLEADA, and 2 patients (0.2%) treated with placebo died from an ischemic cardiovascular event. In the SPARTAN study, cerebrovascular events occurred in 4.7% of patients treated with ERLEADA and 0.8% of patients treated with placebo. In the TITAN study, cerebrovascular events occurred in 1.9% of patients treated with ERLEADA and 2.1% of patients treated with placebo. Across the SPARTAN and TITAN studies, 3 patients (0.2%) treated with ERLEADA, and 2 patients (0.2%) treated with placebo died from a cerebrovascular event. Cerebrovascular and ischemic cardiovascular events, including events leading to death, occurred in patients receiving ERLEADA. Monitor for signs and symptoms of ischemic heart disease and cerebrovascular disorders. Optimize management of cardiovascular risk factors, such as hypertension, diabetes, or dyslipidemia. Consider discontinuation of ERLEADA for Grade 3 and 4 events. Fractures In a randomized study (SPARTAN) of patients with nmCRPC, fractures occurred in 12% of patients treated with ERLEADA and in 7% of patients treated with placebo. In a randomized study (TITAN) of patients with mCSPC, fractures occurred in 9% of patients treated with ERLEADA and in 6% of patients treated with placebo. Evaluate patients for fracture risk. Monitor and manage patients at risk for fractures according to established treatment guidelines and consider use of bone-targeted agents. Falls In a randomized study (SPARTAN), falls occurred in 16% of patients treated with ERLEADA compared with 9% of patients treated with placebo. Falls were not associated with loss of consciousness or seizure. Falls occurred in patients receiving ERLEADA with increased frequency in the elderly. Evaluate patients for fall risk. Seizure In 2 randomized studies (SPARTAN and TITAN), 5 patients (0.4%) treated with ERLEADA and 1 patient treated with placebo (0.1%) experienced a seizure. Permanently discontinue ERLEADA in patients who develop a seizure during treatment. It is unknown whether anti-epileptic medications will prevent seizures with ERLEADA. Advise patients of the risk of developing a seizure while receiving ERLEADA and of engaging in any activity where sudden loss of consciousness could cause harm to themselves or others. Embryo-Fetal Toxicity The safety and efficacy of ERLEADA have not been established in females. Based on its mechanism of action, ERLEADA can cause fetal harm and loss of pregnancy when administered to a pregnant female. Advise males with female partners of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during treatment and for 3 months after the last dose of ERLEADA [see Use in Specific Populations (8.1, 8.3)]. ADVERSE REACTIONS Adverse Reactions The most common adverse reactions (10%) that occurred more frequently in the ERLEADA-treated patients ( 2% over placebo) from the randomized placebo-controlled clinical trials (TITAN and SPARTAN) were fatigue, arthralgia, rash, decreased appetite, fall, weight decreased, hypertension, hot flush, diarrhea and fracture. Laboratory Abnormalities All Grades (Grade 3-4) Hematology In the TITAN study: white blood cell decreased ERLEADA 27% (0.4%), placebo 19% (0.6%). In the SPARTAN study: anemia ERLEADA 70% (0.4%), placebo 64% (0.5%); leukopenia ERLEADA 47% (0.3%), placebo 29% (0%); lymphopenia ERLEADA 41% (2%), placebo 21% (2%) 27% (0.4%), placebo 19% (0.6%). In the SPARTAN study: anemia ERLEADA 70% (0.4%), placebo 64% (0.5%); leukopenia ERLEADA 47% (0.3%), placebo 29% (0%); lymphopenia ERLEADA 41% (2%), placebo 21% (2%) Chemistry In the TITAN study: hypertriglyceridemia ERLEADA 17% (3%), placebo 12% (2%). In the SPARTAN study: hypercholesterolemia ERLEADA 76% (0.1%), placebo 46% (0%); hyperglycemia ERLEADA 70% (2%), placebo 59% (1%); hypertriglyceridemia ERLEADA 67% (2%), placebo 49% (0.8%); hyperkalemia ERLEADA 32% (2%), placebo 22% (0.5%) Rash In 2 randomized studies, rash was most commonly described as macular or maculopapular. Adverse reactions of rash were 26% with ERLEADA vs 8% with placebo. Grade 3 rashes (defined as covering >30% body surface area [BSA]) were reported with ERLEADA treatment (6%) vs placebo (0.5%). The onset of rash occurred at a median of 83 days. Rash resolved in 78% of patients within a median of 78 days from onset of rash. Rash was commonly managed with oral antihistamines, topical corticosteroids, and 19% of patients received systemic corticosteroids. Dose reduction or dose interruption occurred in 14% and 28% of patients, respectively. Of the patients who had dose interruption, 59% experienced recurrence of rash upon reintroduction of ERLEADA. Hypothyroidism In 2 randomized studies, hypothyroidism was reported for 8% of patients treated with ERLEADA and 2% of patients treated with placebo based on assessments of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) every 4 months. Elevated TSH occurred in 25% of patients treated with ERLEADA and 7% of patients treated with placebo. The median onset was at the first scheduled assessment. There were no Grade 3 or 4 adverse reactions. Thyroid replacement therapy, when clinically indicated, should be initiated or dose-adjusted. DRUG INTERACTIONS Effect of Other Drugs on ERLEADA Co-administration of a strong CYP2C8 or CYP3A4 inhibitor is predicted to increase the steady-state exposure of the active moieties. No initial dose adjustment is necessary; however, reduce the ERLEADA dose based on tolerability [see Dosage and Administration (2.2)]. Effect of ERLEADA on Other Drugs ERLEADA is a strong inducer of CYP3A4 and CYP2C19, and a weak inducer of CYP2C9 in humans. Concomitant use of ERLEADA with medications that are primarily metabolized by CYP3A4, CYP2C19, or CYP2C9 can result in lower exposure to these medications. Substitution for these medications is recommended when possible or evaluate for loss of activity if medication is continued. Concomitant administration of ERLEADA with medications that are substrates of UDP-glucuronosyl transferase (UGT) can result in decreased exposure. Use caution if substrates of UGT must be co-administered with ERLEADA and evaluate for loss of activity. P-gp, BCRP or OATP1B1 Substrates Apalutamide is a weak inducer of P-glycoprotein (P-gp), breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP), and organic anion transporting polypeptide 1B1 (OATP1B1) clinically. Concomitant use of ERLEADA with medications that are substrates of P-gp, BCRP, or OATP1B1 can result in lower exposure of these medications. Use caution if substrates of P-gp, BCRP or OATP1B1 must be co-administered with ERLEADA and evaluate for loss of activity if medication is continued. Please see the full Prescribing Information for ERLEADA. BALVERSA IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION Warnings and Precautions Ocular Disorders BALVERSA can cause ocular disorders, including central serous retinopathy/retinal pigment epithelial detachment (CSR/RPED) resulting in visual field defect. CSR/RPED was reported in 25% of patients treated with BALVERSA, with a median time to first onset of 50 days. Grade 3 CSR/RPED, involving central field of vision, was reported in 3% of patients. CSR/RPED resolved in 13% of patients and was ongoing in 13% of patients at the study cutoff. CSR/RPED led to dose interruptions and reductions in 9% and 14% of patients, respectively, and 3% of patients discontinued BALVERSA. Dry eye symptoms occurred in 28% of patients during treatment with BALVERSA and were Grade 3 in 6% of patients. All patients should receive dry eye prophylaxis with ocular demulcents as needed. Perform monthly ophthalmological examinations during the first 4 months of treatment and every 3 months afterwards, and urgently at any time for visual symptoms. Ophthalmological examination should include assessment of visual acuity, slit lamp examination, fundoscopy, and optical coherence tomography. Withhold BALVERSA when CSR occurs and permanently discontinue if it does not resolve within 4 weeks or if Grade 4 in severity. For ocular adverse reactions, follow the dose modification guidelines [see Dosage and Administration (2.3)]. Hyperphosphatemia Increases in phosphate levels are a pharmacodynamic effect of BALVERSA [see Pharmacodynamics (12.2)]. Hyperphosphatemia was reported as adverse reaction in 76% of patients treated with BALVERSA. The median onset time for any grade event of hyperphosphatemia was 20 days (range: 8116) after initiating BALVERSA. Thirty-two percent of patients received phosphate binders during treatment with BALVERSA. Monitor for hyperphosphatemia and follow the dose modification guidelines when required [see Dosage and Administration (2.2, 2.3)]. Embryo-fetal Toxicity Based on the mechanism of action and findings in animal reproduction studies, BALVERSA can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman. In a rat embryo-fetal toxicity study, erdafitinib was embryotoxic and teratogenic at exposures less than the human exposures at all doses studied. Advise pregnant women of the potential risk to the fetus. Advise female patients of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during treatment with BALVERSA and for one month after the last dose. Advise male patients with female partners of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during treatment with BALVERSA and for one month after the last dose [see Use in Specific Populations (8.1, 8.3) and Clinical Pharmacology (12.1)]. Most common adverse reactions including laboratory abnormalities 20% : Phosphate increased (76%), stomatitis (56%), fatigue (54%), creatinine increased (52%), diarrhea (47%), dry mouth (45%), onycholysis (41%), alanine aminotransferase increased (41%), alkaline phosphatase increased (41%), sodium decreased (40%), decreased appetite (38%), albumin decreased (37%), dysgeusia (37%), hemoglobin decreased (35%), dry skin (34%), aspartate aminotransferase increased (30%), magnesium decreased (30%), dry eye (28%), alopecia (26%), palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia syndrome (26%), constipation (28%), phosphate decreased (24%), abdominal pain (23%), calcium increased (22%), nausea (21%), and musculoskeletal pain (20%). The most common Grade 3 or greater adverse reactions (>1%) were stomatitis (9%), nail dystrophy*, palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia syndrome (6%), paronychia (3%), nail disorder*, keratitis, onycholysis* (10%), and hyperphosphatemia. *Included within onycholysis. Included within dry eye. An adverse reaction with a fatal outcome in 1% of patients was acute myocardial infarction. Serious adverse reactions occurred in 41% of patients, including eye disorders (10%). Permanent discontinuation due to an adverse reaction occurred in 13% of patients. The most frequent reasons for permanent discontinuation included eye disorders (6%). Dosage interruptions occurred in 68% of patients. The most frequent adverse reactions requiring dosage interruption included hyperphosphatemia (24%), stomatitis (17%), eye disorders (17%), and palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia syndrome (8%). Dose reductions occurred in 53% of patients. The most frequent adverse reactions for dose reductions included eye disorders (23%), stomatitis (15%), hyperphosphatemia (7%), palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia syndrome (7%), paronychia (7%), and nail dystrophy (6%). Drug Interactions Moderate CYP2C9 or strong CYP3A4 Inhibitors: Consider alternative agents or monitor closely for adverse reactions. (7.1) Strong CYP2C9 or CYP3A4 inducers: Avoid concomitant use with BALVERSA . (7.1) . (7.1) Moderate CYP2C9 or CYP3A4 inducers: Increase BALVERSA dose up to 9 mg. (7.1) dose up to 9 mg. (7.1) Serum phosphate level-altering agents: Avoid concomitant use with agents that can alter serum phosphate levels before the initial dose modification period. (2.3, 7.1) CYP3A4 substrates: Avoid concomitant use with sensitive CYP3A4 substrates with narrow therapeutic indices. (7.2) OCT2 substrates: Consider alternative agents or consider reducing the dose of OCT2 substrates based on tolerability. (7.2) P-gp substrates: Separate BALVERSA administration by at least 6 hours before or after administration of P-gp substrates with narrow therapeutic indices. (7.2) Use in Specific Populations Lactation Because of the potential for serious adverse reactions from erdafitinib in a breastfed child, advise lactating women not to breastfeed during treatment with BALVERSA and for one month following the last dose. Please see the full Prescribing Information for BALVERSA. About the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson At Janssen, we're creating a future where disease is a thing of the past. We're the Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, working tirelessly to make that future a reality for patients everywhere by fighting sickness with science, improving access with ingenuity and healing hopelessness with heart. We focus on areas of medicine where we can make the biggest difference: Cardiovascular & Metabolism, Immunology, Infectious Diseases & Vaccines, Neuroscience, Oncology and Pulmonary Hypertension. Learn more at www.janssen.com. Follow us at @JanssenUS and @JanssenGlobal. Janssen Research & Development, LLC and Janssen Biotech, Inc. are part of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson. Cautions Concerning Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding product development and the potential benefits and treatment impact of amivantamab, cilta-cel, teclistamab, talquetamab, IMBRUVICA (ibrutinib) DARZALEX (daratumumab), DARZALEX FASPRO (daratumumab and hyaluronidase-fihj), ERLEADA (apalutamide), BALVERSA (erdafitinib) and TAR-200. The reader is cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations of future events. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or known or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from the expectations and projections of Janssen Research & Development, LLC or any of the other Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies and/or Johnson & Johnson. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: challenges and uncertainties inherent in product research and development, including the uncertainty of clinical success and of obtaining regulatory approvals; uncertainty of commercial success; manufacturing difficulties and delays; competition, including technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges to patents; product efficacy or safety concerns resulting in product recalls or regulatory action; changes in behavior and spending patterns of purchasers of health care products and services; changes to applicable laws and regulations, including global health care reforms; and trends toward health care cost containment. A further list and descriptions of these risks, uncertainties and other factors can be found in Johnson & Johnson's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 3, 2021, including in the sections captioned "Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" and "Item 1A. Risk Factors," and in the company's most recently filed Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, and the company's subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Copies of these filings are available online at www.sec.gov, www.jnj.com or on request from Johnson & Johnson. None of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies nor Johnson & Johnson undertakes to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information or future events or developments. Media Contacts: Brian Kenney Phone: +1 215-620-0111 Caroline Pavis Phone: +1 610-357-3121 Investor Relations: Christopher DelOrefice Phone: +1 732-524-2955 Jennifer McIntyre Phone: +1 732-524-3922 U.S. Medical Inquiries: +1 800-526-7736 1 ClinicalTrials.gov. A Study of Amivantamab and Lazertinib Combination Therapy Versus Osimertinib in Locally Advanced or Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (MARIPOSA). Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04487080. Accessed June 2021. 2 ClinicalTrials.gov. A Study of Combination Amivantamab and Carboplatin-Pemetrexed Therapy, Compared With Carboplatin-Pemetrexed, in Participants With Advanced or Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Characterized by Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) Exon 20 Insertions (PAPILLON). Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04538664?term=PAPILLON&cond=NSCLC&draw=2&rank=1. Accessed June 2021. 3 RYBREVANTTM Prescribing Information. Horsham, PA: Janssen Biotech, Inc. 4 Clinicaltrials.gov. Clinical Trial of YH25448 in Patients With EGFR Mutation Positive Advanced NSCLC. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03046992. Accessed June 2021. 5 Tai Y.T., et al. Targeting B-cell maturation antigen in multiple myeloma. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26370838. Accessed June 2021. 6 Janssen Initiates Rolling Submission of a Biologics License Application to U.S. FDA for BCMA CAR-T Therapy Ciltacabtagene Autoleucel (cilta-cel) for the Treatment of Relapsed and/or Refractory Multiple Myeloma. https://www.janssen.com/janssen-initiates-rolling-submission-biologics-license-application-us-fda-bcma-car-t-therapy. Accessed June 2021. 7 Janssen Announces BCMA CAR-T Therapy JNJ-4528 Granted U.S. FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designation for the Treatment of Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma. https://www.janssen.com/janssen-announces-bcma-car-t-therapy-jnj-4528-granted-us-fda-breakthrough-therapy-designation. Accessed June 2021. 8 Janssen Announces Investigational CAR-T Therapy JNJ-68284528 Granted PRIME Designation by the European Medicines Agency. https://www.jnj.com/janssen-announces-investigational-car-t-therapy-jnj-68284528-granted-prime-designation-by-the-european-medicines-agency. Accessed June 2021. 9 Chari A., et al. A Phase 1, First-in-Human Study of Talquetamab, a G Protein-Coupled Receptor Family C Group 5 Member D (GPRC5D) x CD3 Bispecific Antibody, in Patients with Relapsed and/or Refractory Multiple Myeloma (RRMM): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7408718/. Accessed June 2021. 10 Labrijn AF et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2013;110:5145. 11 Cohen Y., et al. Hematology. 2013 Nov; 18(6):348-51. 12 Labrijn A.F., et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2013;110:5145. 13 Cancer Research Institute. "Adoptive Cell Therapy: TIL, TCR, CAR T, AND NK CELL THERAPIES." Available at: https://www.cancerresearch.org/immunotherapy/treatment-types/adoptive-cell-therapy. Accessed June 2021. 14 Frerichs K.A., et al. Clin Cancer Res. 2020; doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-19-2299. 15 Cho S.F., et al. Frontiers in Immunology. 2018; 9: 1821. 16 Benonisson H., et al. Molecular Cancer Therapeutics. 2019 (18) (2) 312-322. 17 Cancer Research Institute. "Adoptive Cell Therapy: TIL, TCR, CAR T, AND NK CELL THERAPIES." Available at: https://www.cancerresearch.org/immunotherapy/treatment-types/adoptive-cell-therapy 18 Cho SF et al. Frontiers in Immunology. 2018; 9: 1821. 19 IMBRUVICA U.S. Prescribing Information, December 2020. 20 DARZALEX Prescribing Information, March 2021. 21 Janssen Biotech, Inc. "Janssen Biotech Announces Global License and Development Agreement for Investigational Anti-Cancer Agent Daratumumab." Issued August 30, 2012. 22 ERLEADA Prescribing Information, November 2020. 23 BALVERSA U.S. Prescribing Information, April 2020. 24 Daneshmand S. et al. Effect of GemRIS (gemcitabine-releasing intravesical system, TAR-200) on antitumor activity in muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). Journal of Clinical Oncology. 10.1200/JCO.2017.35.15_suppl.e16000. Accessed June 2021. SOURCE The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson Related Links http://www.janssen.com Social K: Kellogg Company Blog Kellogg is a nature-based company. Plants are the core ingredients for every food we make, and the majority of our packaging comes from recycled timber. And like everyone, we count on clean water. That's why our company continues to invest in nature, and we recognize the role we play maintaining the health of the ecosystems that make up our natural world. On World Environment Day, June 5, we celebrate the tremendous work of farmers to protect and enhance natural spaces. And we look to the future and what more we can do together. One way Kellogg is supporting the preservation and restoration of ecosystems is through our Kellogg's Origins program. Each Origins project is developed through unique partnerships between with farmers, suppliers and trusted experts to bring restorative agriculture to the mainstream. Restorative agriculture, simply put, refers to farming practices that rebuild a farm's topsoil and protect surrounding ecosystems. The tactics in Origins projects are tailored to meet the needs of farmers around the world and to deliver real progress against specific sustainability challenges. For example, we help wheat farmers in the United States prevent soil run-off. We assist rice farmers in Spain to increase biodiversity in their fields. We help vanilla growers in Madagascar boost their resiliency to climate change. Our approach is to respond to the needs of farmers around the world, as they seek support to transition to new practices that support ecosystem and community resiliency. To date, we've collaborated with more than 440,000 farmers in 29 countries, and that work will continue. (Click here to see an interactive global map of Kellogg's Origins projects) This work is timely, too, because 2021 marks the beginning of the United Nations (UN) Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, which is a rallying call for the protection and revival of all ecosystems for the benefit of people and nature. The UN initiative pairs well with the Kellogg's Origins program and our vision of a good and just world where people are not just fed but fulfilled. So, what will the world's ecosystems look like ten years for now? That's a question I think about often. I'm optimistic that the companies like ours and our partners in the UN, governments and industry will be successful in addressing deforestation and protecting our most vulnerable ecosystems. I'm also optimistic that we will build a robust circular economy for packaging, addressing both climate and ocean sustainability outcomes. The big one for us at Kellogg? We will continue to help farmers get the support they need for the ecosystem services that they provide us all from soil health to climate to water quality. Farmers take real financial risks when they implement new methods of eco-friendly farming, and they need our collective help. The more we support farmers on this work, the better off our ecosystems will be, the better off our planet will be, and the better off we all will be. I'm so proud of the work Kellogg is doing through our Origin's program and our Kellogg's Better Days commitment to nurture people and the planet. Our goal is to create Better Days for 3 billion people including supporting 1 million farmers and workers by the end of 2030 by addressing food security and focusing on the interconnected issues of wellbeing, hunger relief and climate resiliency. SOURCE Kellogg Company Related Links http://www.kelloggcompany.com BATTLE CREEK, Mich., June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Kellogg Company today announced it has achieved significant progress in its global efforts to support farmers, protect and restore ecosystems and combat climate change. The company has collaborated with more than 440,000 farmers in 29 countries through the Kellogg's Origins program, a global initiative to promote climate, social and financial resiliency. The program includes partnerships to help communities restore agricultural ecosystems in Kellogg sourcing regions, using nature-based solutions to boost farm productivity. "Our focus is on helping farmers implement meaningful solutions that deliver tangible benefits to people and planet," said Amy Senter, Kellogg Company's Chief Sustainability Officer. "Farmers are stewards of the earth and, by supporting their efforts, we can help make practices that restore ecosystems the norm." (Explore this interactive map for details of each Kellogg Origins program around the world.) Kellogg's Origins include unique partnerships between Kellogg brands and farmers to responsibly source ingredients and bring restorative agriculture practices to the mainstream. Just four brand programs have reached 395 farmers managing more than 500,000 acres across the world: Kashi Certified Transitional Program : Less than 1 percent of U.S. farmland is Certified Organic. Beginning in 2015, Kashi partnered with farmers growing wheat, corn, rice, sorghum, dates and almonds helping them navigate the long and expensive process of transitioning from conventional farming to organic. The brand provided financial compensation and bought transitional grains to use in products including Kashi Dark Cocoa Karma cereal. The brand was the first American food company to offer a certified transitional program to farmers, working with Quality Assurance International (QAI), the leading organic certification organization, to create the initiative. To date, Kashi has paid more than $4M in premiums to US farmers and helped to convert 10,000 acres of farmland to organic. : Less than 1 percent of U.S. farmland is Certified Organic. Beginning in 2015, partnered with farmers growing wheat, corn, rice, sorghum, dates and almonds helping them navigate the long and expensive process of transitioning from conventional farming to organic. The brand provided financial compensation and bought transitional grains to use in products including cereal. The brand was the first American food company to offer a certified transitional program to farmers, working with Quality Assurance International (QAI), the leading organic certification organization, to create the initiative. To date, Kashi has paid more than in premiums to US farmers and helped to convert 10,000 acres of farmland to organic. Origins Spain : Rice grown in Spain's Valencia and Delta Del Ebro regions goes into Kellogg's Special K cereals and other foods across Europe , but local challenges with soil salinity and crop pests can make rice production challenging. A local network of 68 farmers managing over 12,000 acres partners with Kellogg and the Institute of Agri-food Research and Technology to address these challenges through training, field research and demonstration plots to promote practices that also support local ecosystems. The program also helped farmers implement native floral margins along rice fields to encourage beneficial insects, test diverse crop rotations with ryegrass, pea, oats and vetch, and install on-farm habitat for natural pest predators such as bats and swallows. The program also benefited farmers economically. By 2018, farmers reported an average 15% increase in production and an average profitability increase of 285 per hectare from their demonstration plots. Rice grown in and Delta Del Ebro regions goes into cereals and other foods across , but local challenges with soil salinity and crop pests can make rice production challenging. A local network of 68 farmers managing over 12,000 acres partners with Kellogg and the Institute of Agri-food Research and Technology to address these challenges through training, field research and demonstration plots to promote practices that also support local ecosystems. The program also helped farmers implement native floral margins along rice fields to encourage beneficial insects, test diverse crop rotations with ryegrass, pea, oats and vetch, and install on-farm habitat for natural pest predators such as bats and swallows. The program also benefited farmers economically. By 2018, farmers reported an average 15% increase in production and an average profitability increase of 285 per hectare from their demonstration plots. The Cool Soil Initiative ( Australia ) : In 2020, Kellogg joined a partnership with Mars Petcare, Manildra Group, Allied Pinnacle, Sustainable Food Lab, and leading researchers at Charles Sturt University and Food Agility to launch the Cool Soil Initiative. This $2 million "paddock to product" partnership will help 200 Aussie wheat farmers over three years to adopt soil health practices including cover crops and crop rotation to improve resiliency to climate change. Healthy soils can store carbon, and if the Cool Soil Initiative can restore a 0.1% increase in soil carbon across 1.7 million acres, the impact would the equivalent of removing more than 1 million cars from the road. Partners have embraced the program, with 100% retention of participating farmers and more than 30,000 acres of "Innovation Paddocks" enrolled. : In 2020, Kellogg joined a partnership with Mars Petcare, Manildra Group, Allied Pinnacle, Sustainable Food Lab, and leading researchers at Charles Sturt University and Food Agility to launch the Cool Soil Initiative. This "paddock to product" partnership will help 200 Aussie wheat farmers over three years to adopt soil health practices including cover crops and crop rotation to improve resiliency to climate change. Healthy soils can store carbon, and if the Cool Soil Initiative can restore a 0.1% increase in soil carbon across 1.7 million acres, the impact would the equivalent of removing more than 1 million cars from the road. Partners have embraced the program, with 100% retention of participating farmers and more than 30,000 acres of "Innovation Paddocks" enrolled. Supporting Mexican Corn Farmers in Mexico : Kellogg's Corn Flakes and Kellogg's Zucaritas are best-selling cereals made from yellow maize. However, this variety of maize is not commonly grown in Mexico . Since 2016, Kellogg partnered with the preeminent International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and suppliers to establish a local responsible sourcing program that helps farmers in Sinaloa and Guanajuato produce sustainably grown yellow maize for Kellogg products. The partnership exceeded its 2020 goal to reach 200 farmers who have begun producing yellow maize. The farmers received direct training to implement conservation agriculture practices and have improved their farm profitability by 36%. Because of this success, Kellogg and CIMMYT have extended their partnership for another four years to expand this local sourcing model that restores healthy soils and promotes farmers' resilience. (Watch this video for more on Kellogg's Origins programs around the world.) Restoring Ecosystems Through these programs, Kellogg closely collaborates with farmers to help them the environment, while they also feed the world and provide for the wellbeing of their families. The Origins program is also aligned with Kellogg's support of the United Nation's Decade of Ecosystem Restoration, which aims to prevent, halt and reverse the degradation of ecosystems on every continent and in every ocean. "Ecosystems support all life on Earth. Healthy ecosystems mean a healthier planet and healthier people," said Senter. "We are committed to partnering with famers, and in every aspect of our business, toward the goal of ecosystem protection and restoration." (For more on Kellogg's Support of the UN's Decade of Ecosystem Restoration, read Kellogg Company's Social K Blog.) Creating Better Days The Origins program supports Kellogg's Better Days commitment to nurture people and the planet by supporting 1 million farmers, especially women smallholders and workers, and conserving natural resources across our value chain. In total, Kellogg is working to create Better Days for 3 billion people by the end of 2030 by addressing food security and focusing on the interconnected issues of wellbeing, hunger relief and climate resiliency. About Kellogg Company At Kellogg Company (NYSE: K), our vision is a good and just world where people are not just fed but fulfilled. We are creating better days and a place at the table for everyone through our trusted food brands. Our beloved brands include Pringles, Cheez-It, Special K, Kellogg's Frosted Flakes, Pop-Tarts, Kellogg's Corn Flakes, Rice Krispies, Eggo, Mini-Wheats, Kashi, RXBAR, MorningStar Farms and more. Net sales in 2020 were approximately $13.8 billion, comprised principally of snacks and convenience foods like cereal, frozen foods, and noodles. As part of our Kellogg's Better Days purpose platform, we're helping to end hunger and are committed to creating Better Days for 3 billion people by the end of 2030. Visit www.KelloggCompany.com or www.OpenforBreakfast.com. SOURCE Kellogg Company Related Links http://www.kelloggcompany.com SACRAMENTO, Calif., June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Catherine Alvarado, a former District Sales Representative at the California State Lottery Commission, is claiming that she faced harassment and was then forced to retire by Cal Lottery after making reports about her harasser. In her complaint filed on January 4, 2021, Alvarado claims she was harassed by her Manager, Ernesto Medina, because of her gender. In the lawsuit, Alvarado states that, in or around October 2018, Ms. Alvarado learned from a fellow District Sales Representative ("DSR"), that Medina had taken photos of Ms. Alvarado numerous times and had sent these photos to her co-workers. Ms. Alvarado describes the three photos that Medina sent of her as follows: 1) two photos were taken by Medina in the Sacramento District Office where they worked together, depicting Ms. Alvarado's body from the waist down; 2) one photo was taken by Medina at the airport while Medina, Ms. Alvarado, and other CA Lottery employees were on a CA Lottery conference trip. Allegedly, in this photo, Ms. Alvarado's legs were crossed, but Medina took the photo at such an angle that Ms. Alvarado's underwear was exposed. Ms. Alvarado also claims that Medina made derogatory statements to Ms. Alvarado's co-workers comparing her appearance in her work clothes to that of a "Stuffed Sausage". The lawsuit claims that Ms. Alvarado, knowing she could no longer continue working in the same environment as her harasser when it appeared no action was going to be taken against him, filed her intent to retire in or around December of 2018. This occurred, the case alleges, after Ms. Alvarado worked for Cal Lottery for over twenty years. Alvarado was an exemplary employee who received excellent performance reviews by her previous supervisors and was well liked amongst her peers. Alvarado is represented by attorney Kyle Todd, Esq. of Kyle Todd, P.C. Requests for comment can be directed to Mr. Todd, at (323) 208-9171. SOURCE Kyle Todd, PC Related Links https://www.kyletodd.com TORONTO, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Eco Depot, Inc. (OTC: ECDP), a Nevada company, Bronya Canada Group, a wholly owned subsidiary of Eco-Depot Inc, is pleased to announce that premier scientific lab testing organization FP Innovations recently completed a series of tests on the Bronya Climate Shield product and concluded that the liquid insulation acts as a significant fire retardant when applied to prefabricated wood panels. This recent test completed by FP Innovations comes on the heels of another recently conducted military specification test at NTS Sci-Lab that found Bronya Climate Shield to offer 24-42% increase in energy efficiency. Bronya products undergo rigorous testing by numerous respected third-party entities in an effort to stay on the leading edge of liquid insulation technology. Investors are warmly invited to peruse all our test results from the various testing agencies here: https://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/ECDP/disclosure Eco Depot CEO Daniel Gosselin commented: "Bronya Climate Shield now has two recent independent labs that have conducted important tests and provided conclusive results on our premier liquid insulation product. Based on the findings of these two tests from two internationally respected laboratories, the Company can proclaim with authority that Bronya Climate Shield offers significant improvements in energy efficiency while also providing substantial fire-retardant properties to wood surfaces. We think that these tests greatly enhance the overall appeal for Climate Shield to be used everywhere from hospitals to hotels to homes." FP Innovations test results showed an average time to ignition of Climate Shield coated wood to be 22.7 minutes and the time to reach 300C at the back-surface of the wood to be 25.38 minutes when exposed to fire-inducing heat in a controlled environment. These times represented a significant improvement when compared with a similar product used for bench-marking that showed ignition at about 18 minutes. The FP Innovations report concluded: "The main objective consists of evaluating the potential for reducing inflammability of wood components when protected with a Bronya intumescent thermal [liquid insulation] coating. The test results suggest that this formulation, as applied by the client, would provide the required thermal protection to OSB web panels when tested as per AC 14 for fire-resistance equivalency to nominal 2x10 lumber joists." Note: A copy of the full FP Innovations report will be made available in Eco Depot, Inc. (ECDP) Supplementary Filings. Investors are invited to follow our product Twitter page here: https://twitter.com/BronyaShield and our Corporate Twitter page here: https://twitter.com/ecdp_co. Overview of Fire-retardant I -Joists Industry These results will allow Bronya Climate Shield to pursue the global I-joist market size worth US$ 2.8 Billion in 2019. I-joist is an engineered wood product made from a combination of timber products such as laminated veneer timber or graded solid timber. Also known as a wooden I-beam, composite wooden joist, and plywood I-beam, I-joist has two parts, namely the web and flanges. The web is placed between the top and bottom flanges that gives it the distinct 'I' shape. The flanges resist bending, and the web helps to transmit the shear stresses, relying on plywood's panel shear capacity and dimensional stability. We are currently working with North American Market of I-Joist producers to meet the International Residential Code (IRC) Standard. As made public in numerous newspaper articles, companies produce I-Joists. These products contain formaldehyde, a known carcinogen now involved in a class action lawsuit in over 15 states involving the following builders. Builders involved in constructing these homes include: CalAtlantic Homes Carrier Homes Gerber Homes Great Traditions Homes by Whittaker (also known as New Town Homebuilders) Infinity Homes KB Homes K. Hovnanian Homes Lennar Mattamy Homes Procacci Development Company Pulte Homes Richmond American Homes Shea Homes Toll Brothers Village Homes Westport Formaldehyde is present in dangerous levels in a large number of new homes built between December 2016 and July 2017. The TJI joists were manufactured using formaldehyde. People who have these TJI Joists in their homes have reported that the TJI Joists produce a strong pickle-like odor, causing severe physical reactions, including nausea, headaches, difficulty breathing, and stinging and tearing eyes. Product Information Bronya Climate Shield is multi-purpose liquid insulation that can be applied on any surface, both indoors and outdoors, at temperatures of -60 C up to +200 C. Bronya Climate Shield is a cost-effective Do-It-Yourself (DIY) product with thermal conductivity of 0,03 W/m Celsius, proven to reduce energy costs by up to 42% and labour costs by 70%. Moreover, this excellent quality product provides insulation lasting from 10 to 30 years, depending on the application. Bronya's product line also includes a thermal waterproof, fire-retardant and anti-corrosion liquid Thermal paint coating. Bronya Climate Shield can provide its end-users with an easy-to-use, safe, and cost-effective liquid thermal insulation paint product line that drastically improves the thermal efficiency in building, transportation, and industrial sectors. ABOUT ECO DEPOT Eco Depot, Inc. acquires, manages, and develops eco-friendly real estate assets and consumer brand products. Their focus is to provide investments, funding, and support for acquisitions, start-ups, entrepreneurs, and green companies dedicated to protecting the environment. Eco Depot is a development stage distributor of eco-friendly consumer brand products and is publicly traded Over the Counter at OTC Pink: ECDP. ABOUT BRONYA CANADA GROUP Bronya Coatings Group, Inc. ("the Company") is based in Montreal and intends to commercialize a Multi-Purpose liquid thermal insulation paint Bronya Climate Shield product line in North America. The Company's mission is to establish third-party production facilities globally to reduce the costs associated with the business' supply chain. The Company also has established relationships with major home improvement stores on a worldwide basis. ABOUT BRONYA CLIMATE SHIELD Bronya Climate Shield increases energy efficiency, energy savings and reduces carbon emissions through energy conservation. Product website: www.bronyaclimateshield.com. Disclaimer: Certain statements contained in this release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other U.S. Federal securities laws. Such statements include but are not limited to statements identified by words such as "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "estimates," "intends," "plans," "targets," "projects" and similar expressions. The statements in this release are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of our Company's management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ from those outlined in the forward-looking statements. Numerous factors could cause or contribute to such differences, including, but not limited to, results of clinical trials and other studies, the challenges inherent in new product development initiatives, the effect of any competitive products, our ability to license and protect our intellectual property, our ability to raise additional capital in the future that is necessary to maintain our business, changes in government policy and regulation, potential litigation by or against us, any governmental review of our products or practices, as well as other risks discussed from time to time in our filings with OTC Markets including, without limitation, our latest Annual Report filed March 30th, 2021. We undertake no duty to update any forward-looking statement or any information contained in this press release or other public disclosures at any time. Finally, the investing public is reminded that the only announcements or information about Bronya Climate Shield or Eco Depot Inc. which are condoned by the Company, must emanate from the Company itself and bear our name as its source. Contact: Eco-Depot Inc. 2300 West Sahara Avenue Suite 800 Las Vegas, NV 89102 Website: www.ECDP.co Tel: 1 (800) 323-7006 [email protected] PRODUCT INQUIRIES: +1-(844)-427-6692 [email protected] SOURCE Eco-Depot Inc. In addition to its planned listing on the Aquis Stock Exchange, Yooma is also planning to raise up to 10mln to fund three acquisitions in the cannabis wellness space Yooma Wellness Inc (CNSX:YOOM), a vertically integrated cannabis group, is seeking up to 10mln in new funding as part of a dual listing of its shares on the Aquis Stock Exchange in London. The Canadian company, where FastForward Innovations Ltd ( ) holds a 5.1% stake, wants the extra cash to help fund a trio of recent deals. Yooma said the price of the financing will be determined in the context of the market, with the funds raised to be used to fund the cash portion of the three planned acquisitions, which carry a total price tag of around US$30mln, comprised of US$14.5mln in cash on closing, deferred cash consideration, share consideration and the assumption of debt. The purchases are comprised of a reverse takeover of Globalive Technology Inc, the acquisition of a number of wellness brands from Group and the purchase of Socati Corp, a processor of THC-free broad-spectrum hemp extracts and ingredients for use in cannabidiol (CBD) products. "We believe that access to the London capital markets will significantly accelerate the growth of Yooma, and the company's plan to build a global wellness platform. We have signed letters of intent with three strategic targets. In addition to strong revenue contribution, we have identified meaningful efficiency opportunities through vertical integration, and sales opportunities across the company's various platforms" Yooma chairman Lorne Abony said in a statement. Shares in FastForward were 2% higher at 8.94p in early trading on Tuesday. PHILADELPHIA, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Lannett Company, Inc. (NYSE: LCI) today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted the Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for Fluticasone Propionate and Salmeterol inhalation powder (100/50 mcg, 250/50 mcg and 500/50 mcg), which was submitted by Lannett on behalf of its strategic alliance partner, Respirent Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd. The FDA assigned a Generic Drug User Fee Act of 2017 (GDUFA II) goal date for this priority original ANDA of January 31, 2022. The product is the generic equivalent of ADVAIR DISKUS of GlaxoSmithKline. Total U.S. sales of the product, according to IQVIA, were approximately $3 billion for the 12 months ending April 2021, although actual generic market values are expected to be lower. "The FDA's Acceptance of the ANDA submission of generic ADVAIR DISKUS brings us one step closer to providing asthma patients an affordable option for this critical medication," said Tim Crew, chief executive officer of Lannett. "We anticipate more than one FDA review cycle of this opportunity given the inherent complexity associated with a drug/device combination inhalation product. However, our partners at Respirent have assembled a comprehensive application and have expertise in developing and manufacturing dry powder inhalation products, so we believe we are positioned for a potential U.S. launch of the product in calendar 2022." Crew added, "We have publicly discussed four meaningful and durable market opportunity assets in our pipeline, including two respiratory products, generic Advair Diskus, which is closest to potential commercialization, and Flovent Diskus (Fluticasone Propionate Powder Inhaler); and two products for the treatment of diabetes, biosimilar insulin glargine and biosimilar insulin aspart. The clinical development of biosimilar insulin glargine continues to advance, with a possible launch in 2023. Similarly, the development of generic Flovent and biosimilar insulin aspart continue to progress and both products could potentially launch in 2024." As previously announced, Lannett entered into an exclusive U.S. distribution agreement for the therapeutically equivalent generic of Advair Diskus of Respirent. Under the agreement, Lannett will commence U.S. distribution of the product after FDA approval and receive a portion of the net profits once it commences distribution of the product. The companies recently extended the term of the agreement to 12 years post commencement of distribution. ADVAIR DISKUS and Flovent Diskus are registered trademarks of GlaxoSmithKline. Advair Diskus is indicated as a twice-daily treatment of asthma in patients aged four years and older and maintenance treatment of airflow obstruction in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Flovent Diskus is an inhaled corticosteroid indicated for maintenance treatment of asthma as prophylactic therapy in patients aged four years and older. About Respirent Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd.: Respirent's commitment is to provide Affordable Respiratory Medicines. Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are chronic diseases that require daily medications. Respirent recognizes the cost burden to patients and health authorities around the world, especially as prevalence and incidence have been increasing world-wide - particularly in underprivileged populations. So, Respirent is dedicated to addressing a significant unmet need to tackle this growing global public health problem and to create value for healthcare providers and patients. Respirent's generic products are developed and manufactured in new state-of-the-art facilities that meet the most stringent regulatory and quality standards of the United States and Europe. Respirent's upstream supply partners are also global leaders in their field of expertise which ensures delivery and service to commercial partners and patients is world-class. About Lannett Company, Inc.: Lannett Company, founded in 1942, develops, manufactures, packages, markets and distributes generic pharmaceutical products for a wide range of medical indications. For more information, visit the company's website at www.lannett.com. This news release contains certain statements of a forward-looking nature relating to future events or future business performance. Any such statements, including, but not limited to, advancing the development of Fluticasone propionate and Salmeterol inhalation powder, Fluticasone Propionate Powder Inhaler, biosimilar insulin glargine or biosimilar insulin aspart, as well as FDA approvals and successfully commercializing such products, whether expressed or implied, are subject to risks and uncertainties which can cause actual results to differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors which include, but are not limited to, the difficulty in predicting the timing or outcome of FDA or other regulatory approvals or actions, the ability to successfully manufacture and commercialize products upon approval, including acquired products, and Lannett's estimated or anticipated future financial results, future inventory levels, future competition or pricing, future levels of operating expenses, product development efforts or performance, and other risk factors discussed in the company's Form 10-K and other documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. These forward-looking statements represent the company's judgment as of the date of this news release. The company disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements. Contact: Robert Jaffe Robert Jaffe Co., LLC (424) 288-4098 SOURCE Lannett Company, Inc. Related Links www.lannett.com "With her broad litigation skillset, Kirsten will be a powerful advocate for clients navigating an array of insurance-related and other commercial disputes," said Michele Johnson, Global Chair of the Litigation & Trial Department. "She has a reputation for delivering pragmatic and thoughtful guidance, with an unwavering focus on advancing clients' business goals." Jackson regularly represents clients in a variety of business and contractual disputes, commercial general liability, business interruption, directors' and officers' liability, cyber liability, professional liability, and property insurance, as well as captive insurance and reinsurance. "We are thrilled to welcome Kirsten to the Complex Commercial Litigation Practice in Los Angeles. A gifted and accomplished advisor, she is highly regarded in both the local and national market. Her arrival is a tremendous boon for our clients who are facing high-stakes insurance matters," said Larry Seymour, Office Managing Partner of Latham & Watkins in Los Angeles. David Barrett, Global Chair of Latham's Insurance Counseling & Recovery Practice, added, "From the COVID-19 pandemic to continued economic fluctuations being felt around the globe, there is a confluence of market forces driving an increase in insurance claims-related litigation. Kirsten's extensive experience in this specialized area of law, particularly her deep knowledge of policyholder-related matters, is a strong complement to the skillsets our litigators bring to bear every day for our clients as we help them successfully navigate their most challenging disputes." "I'm honored to be joining an exceptional team that offers unparalleled coverage, experience, and client service," said Jackson. "I was especially drawn to Latham because the firm's robust Insurance Counseling & Recovery Practice is synergetic with my work. I look forward to collaborating with colleagues across teams and offices on a range of important client mandates." Jackson joins Latham from Kasowitz Benson Torres in Los Angeles. She received her JD from Columbia Law School, where she was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar and the editor of the Columbia Law Review. She received her undergraduate degree from Stanford University. About Latham & Watkins (lw.com) Latham & Watkins delivers innovative solutions to complex legal and business challenges around the world. From a global platform, our lawyers advise clients on market-shaping transactions, high-stakes litigation and trials, and sophisticated regulatory matters. Latham is one of the world's largest providers of pro bono services, steadfastly supports initiatives designed to advance diversity within the firm and the legal profession, and is committed to exploring and promoting environmental sustainability. Notes to Editors 1 Latham & Watkins operates worldwide as a limited liability partnership organized under the laws of the State of Delaware (USA) with affiliated limited liability partnerships conducting the practice in France, Hong Kong, Italy, Singapore, and the United Kingdom and as an affiliated partnership conducting the practice in Japan. Latham & Watkins operates in South Korea as a Foreign Legal Consultant Office. Latham & Watkins works in cooperation with the Law Office of Salman M. Al-Sudairi in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Contacts Michele Johnson, Global Chair, Litigation & Trial Department, +1.714.540.1235 Larry Seymour, Los Angeles Office Managing Partner, +1.213.891.8780 Sean Berkowitz, Global Chair, Complex Commercial Litigation Practice, +1.312.777.7016 SOURCE Latham & Watkins Related Links www.lw.com "For years, Phoenix PD has engaged in mass human rights violations to silence, intimidate, and attempt to disappear those demanding change. With this lawsuit, that stops now," said Steve Benedetta, The Peoples Law Firm. The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona alleges that Phoenix PD unconstitutionally arrested and used excessive force against innocent citizens for decades, identifying several instances, including a recent incident where Phoenix PD shot pepper spray or rubber bullets into crowds of peaceful protestors. The lawsuit alleges that on May 30, 2020, consistent with its pattern and practice, Phoenix PD officers arrested activist Maxima Guerrero and hundreds of individuals in downtown Phoenix and falsely charged them with committing a felony, using manufactured evidence. "In my many years of experience handling civils right protest cases, this abuse against demonstrators ranks as some of the worst. We will seek justice on their behalf, BLACK LIVES MATTER," said William "Billy" Murphy Jr. Two days before the day in question, Phoenix PD, unprovoked and without cause, declared the peaceful assembly of protestors to be unlawful and began shooting the protestors with pepper balls, pepper spray, tear gas, and rubber-coated bullets. All but eight protestors disbursed, but the protestors returned the following day for a second peaceful protest. Once again, unprovoked and without cause, Phoenix PD declared the assembly unlawful and shot pepper balls and tear gas to disburse the crowds. The following day, protestors returned again. But this time, Phoenix PD did not let the crowds disburse. They began to chase the protestors down, rounding up and arresting 124 people for committing the crime of being in downtown Phoenix while exercising their First Amendment rights. The arrestees were held for hours in poorly ventilated or unventilated transport vehicles (during a worldwide pandemic) without access to water or restrooms, and they also spent time in jail. All 124 individuals were charged with felony rioting with cut-and-paste statements of probable cause. Ultimately, these statements of probable cause were all thrown out by the judges in front of whom the 124 individuals initially appeared. "This department demonstrated that it has no boundaries when it comes to abusive tactics and excessive use of force. This lawsuit is a first step to remedying all the trauma that has been caused by the department. But it doesn't end there. We are going to continue to use our people power to challenge what safety really means because Phoenix PD doesn't keep us safe," said Maxima Guerero. About Murphy, Falcon & Murphy Murphy, Falcon & Murphy is a Baltimore-based law firm specializing in complex civil, criminal, and civil rights litigation. Our powerhouse legal team has a history of unrelenting dedication to its clients in Baltimore and across the country. Our team of seasoned trial lawyers has extensive experience in a wide variety of cases with success rates that dwarf national averages and is dedicated to providing smart strategies and creative approaches to complex litigation. Our team is driven and strategy-focused characteristics that have helped us secure more than $900 million in verdicts and settlements, including over $75 Million in police cases throughout the country. Our attorneys have won some of the largest verdicts in high-profile, high-stakes cases in some of the toughest jurisdictions around the country. The firm represented Freddie Gray, Jr. and William H. Green, achieving historic settlements of $6.4 million and $20 million, respectively, for federal and state civil rights violations that led to their deaths. *Each case is different. Past success does not guarantee a favorable result in any future case. Media Contact: Zachary McDaniels | [email protected] | 410-951-8750; Heather Hamel | [email protected] | 602.456.1901 SOURCE Murphy, Falcon & Murphy The Liokareas Rx High Polyphenol Extra Virgin Olive Oil (HPEVOO) is extrordinarily rich in Polyphenols, and specifically, Oleocanthal. This produces a complex robust flavor profile with an olive fruitiness and a strong peppery finish. Labeled as "Your Elixir For Life", Liokareas recommends consuming 15mL of their HPEVOO per day to receive the health benefits research has supported around Oleocanthal. "As a fifth-generation olive oil producer, we are incredibly proud to be awarded #1 in world's healthiest olive oil competition. At Liokareas Olive Oil, our vision has always been to produce the best olive oil that our consumers can get their hands on. In the olive oil industry, the health and wellness associated with polyphenols in EVOO, and especially Oleocanthal are paramount. We strive to produce the highest quality product, and with every year's harvest, our goal is to surpass the achievements we have made in the prior year. This year is a very special year for us with our High Phenolic EVOO, and we are so proud to be able to share our contribution to the wellness and longevity with our customers in the United States and beyond," says Peter Liokareas. About Liokareas: Liokareas has been pressing the best Greek Olive Oil you can actually get your taste buds on for more than five generations. We are serious about Greek. Extra-Virgin. Olive Oil. And yes, we are super serious about the awards we win. Awards give us validation as a company. They prove our painstaking adherence to tradition is worth the pain. And they give our customers a strong reason to believe. That the money they're putting into our product directly correlates to the quality and enjoyment they'll get out of it. By only old-world means and simple hand tools, every olive in our ultra-premium organic extra virgin olive oil and first-pressed specialty oils is pampered, picked, and pressed on the family-owned orchard in the foothills of Southern Kalamata Greece. www.liokareas.com Media Inquiries, Contact: Christina Dickerson [email protected] 412-657-3483 SOURCE Liokareas EVOO MIAMI, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Miami-based law firm Levine Kellogg Lehman Schneider + Grossman has been recognized as a leading Florida litigation firm by Chambers & Partners USA. Additionally, LKLSG Managing Partner Jeffrey C. Schneider and Partner Jason Kellogg received individual rankings in the General Commercial Litigation category. Chambers USA ranked LKLSG as "highly regarded" for Florida; General Commercial Litigation category. Clients described LKLSG attorneys as being "zealous advocates for clients;" "a pleasure to work with;" and "responsive, professional and provides excellent legal services." Chambers described LKLSG as offering an impressive depth of expertise spanning commercial litigation, bankruptcy and receivership matters. It highlighted the firm's work as receivers in receivers in cases of alleged frauds and Ponzi schemes. It said the "team's greatest strength is their ability to analyze, distill and set forth complex issues in a simple, understandable way for clients and judges alike." "Being recognized as one of Florida's most highly regarded litigation firms by Chambers & Partners USA is a tremendous honor for our firm," said Jeff Schneider, LKLSG's Managing Partner. "This ranking isn't just about the work of one or two attorneys at the firm. It is about the collaborative role our passionate team of professionals play at our firm. The honor is a recognition of how our firm's creative and innovative mindset assists clients in solving complex business and financial issues." Chambers & Partners USA ranks the work of the leading law firms in the United States and their attorneys in a variety of practice areas. Individual lawyers are ranked in their practice-area(s) on the basis of their legal knowledge and experience, ability, effectiveness and their client-service. Law firms are ranked on the quality work of their lawyers, as well as the effectiveness and capability of its entire team, including its strength and depth. Both client input and Chambers' own research are considered for ranking placement in the Chambers Guide. The recognition by Chambers & Partners USA follows other notable accolades received by LKLSG and its attorneys. LKLSG was named the Litigation Department of the Year in Florida for 2020 by ALM's Daily Business Review. The publication has also honored LKLSG's attorneys as Most Effective Lawyers, Distinguished Leaders and Best Mentors. The firm has been recognized by Best Lawyers, The Best Lawyers In America, "Top Lawyers in South Florida" by the South Florida Legal Guide, and as Legal Elite by Florida Trend Magazine. The firm's lawyers are also listed in Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory's Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers. For full details on LKLSG's rankings in Chambers & Partners USA 2020, please visit Chambers & Partners. SOURCE Levine Kellogg Lehman Schneider + Grossman Related Links https://lklsg.com/ The card is being issued as a Forever stamped card. Its postage will always be equal to the value of the stamped postcard rate in effect at the time of use, even if the price increases after purchase. One of the world's most recognizable birds, the mallard ranges widely throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Millions spend their summers in the Great Plains, and each year as the weather cools, millions more migrate into the contiguous states from Alaska and Canada. A drake competes with other males for the mating privileges of a mallard hen. To impress her, he makes a show of his breeding finery: iridescent green head, white neck ring, chestnut breast and curled black tail feathers. Although the drake is generally flashier, wings of both drakes and hens have bands of blue surrounded by narrower stripes of black and white, markings also useful in courtship displays. While the hen is busy tending her nest and eggs, the drake departs and joins other drakes at a marsh. No longer needing breeding plumage in the summer and early autumn, they molt and don mottled brown feathers, much like those of the hens. This camouflage plumage protects drakes from predators during the three or four weeks they are unable to fly because they are growing new wing feathers. Mallards are dabbling ducks; they tip, tail-up, in shallow water to feed mostly on vegetation, but also on insects and small crustaceans beneath the surface. The ducklings can feed themselves soon after hatching. On land, mallards often feed on grain left in farm fields. The average adult mallard weighs almost 3 pounds. The distinctive, loud, raspy quack commonly associated with ducks is actually the call of the mallard hen. The drake's call is lower and softer. Many other wild ducks have calls that sound nothing like the classic quack. Except for the Muscovy duck, all domestic ducks are descended from the wild mallard. Stamp artwork Dugald Stermer revolutionized the look of publications with his work for Ramparts magazine in the 1960s. His style influenced the design and typography of Rolling Stone, New York and Mother Jones magazines, and he was sought after to illustrate covers and articles for many other publications. Stermer designed the medals for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games and headed the illustrations department at the California College of the Arts. His illustrations of the natural world, rendered in the precise yet casual modern style he popularized, are collected in several books. Art director Ethel Kessler designed the stamped card. Postal Products Customers may purchase stamps and other philatelic products through the Postal Store at usps.com/shopstamps, by calling 844-737-7826, by mail through USA Philatelic, or at Post Office locations nationwide. The Postal Service generally receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations. Please Note: For U.S. Postal Service media resources, including broadcast-quality video and audio and photo stills, visit the USPS Newsroom. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and LinkedIn. Subscribe to the USPS YouTube channel, like us on Facebook and enjoy our Postal Posts blog. For more information about the Postal Service, visit usps.com and facts.usps.com. Contact: Sara Martin (C) 202-603-6675 [email protected] usps.com/news SOURCE U.S. Postal Service Related Links http://www.usps.com IRVINE, Calif., June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- MARQUE Luxury, the industry's leading provider of certified pre-owned goods, has named Sean Makovsky the National Business Development Director, U.S. He is based in San Antonio, TX and will report directly to MARQUE's leadership team at the company's Irvine, CA headquarters. Makovsky was a Supervisor for Money Mart Pawn and Jewelry and had been with the company since 2015. Money Mart Pawn and Jewelry currently operate in two states and has twenty-eight stores in the Brittex brand family. Makovsky is also the Co-founder and former Co-Owner of LCS Pawn, founded in 2016. LCS presently has three shops that act as Money Mart Pawn & Jewelry. Previously, Makovsky spent nineteen years with Cash America International, supervising shops across the Southeast and Midwest United States. "For twenty-five years, I've had the opportunity to work in the Pawn Industry both on the corporate side and in the private sector," explains Makovsky. "With joining MARQUE Luxury, I have the opportunity to better serve the industry I grew up with. We're committed to providing resellers with quality and authentic luxury goods, and I am proud to play a part in offering seemingly unattainable items to customers at affordable prices." "As MARQUE Luxury continues to expand, we want top talent and industry veterans on our team. Sean exemplifies these characteristics, and, with his priceless experience in the pawn industry, his experience will be valuable in guiding us through further growth," said MARQUE Luxury President and Co-Founder Quentin Caruana. MARQUE Luxury recently opened its seventh U.S. Re-Commerce Hub in Miami following rapid growth nationwide, with plans to hire fifty more employees in 2021. Learn more about MARQUE Luxury by visiting https://www.marqueluxury.com/ or following the company on Instagram @MarqueSupply. MARQUE Luxury clients, MARQUE Mentor participants, and wholesale industry members are welcome to visit their local Re-Commerce Hubs by appointment only. About MARQUE Luxury Industry veterans established MARQUE to support the high demand for authentic pre-owned designer goods worldwide. The word "Marque" translates to the name "Brand" in the French language. MARQUE procures authentic pre-owned designer goods through direct purchase from the public and industry-specific dealer auctions and sells items through online websites, online marketplaces, and various wholesale channels. The company has multiple showrooms and fulfillment locations across the United States, including Irvine, California; Las Vegas, Nevada; Dallas, Texas; Atlanta, Georgia; Los Angeles, California; New York, New York; Miami, Florida, with international locations in Singapore, Indonesia, Japan, Hong Kong, and Korea. Media Contact: Michelle Yampolsky-Gomez (877) 262-7783 [email protected] SOURCE MARQUE Luxury Related Links http://https://www.marqueluxury.com/ America is experiencing a mental health crisis. According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the percent of people reporting symptoms of anxiety or depression in 2020 increased over 200% from the 2019 average, spurring an urgent need for mental health resources. Monarch enables therapy seekers to search its database of over 80,000 mental health professionals by practitioners' names, insurance, location, specialty, and more. Therapy seekers can then view open appointments in many therapists' schedules and request appointments online, giving therapy seekers the security, ease of use, and full-service capabilities expected of every other area of modern healthcare until now. In the course of this partnership, Alexi will discuss her personal experiences with mental health at speaking engagements, and will create exclusive content for Monarch's blog, an online resource for therapy seekers. This partnership is a natural progression of Alexi's unyielding advocacy for lifting the veil of shame from mental health struggles and care. Her 2021 book Bravey details her own childhood experience of losing her mother to suicide, as well as her own struggles with and recovery from depression following her record-breaking Olympic run in 2016. "When I was sick, one of the hardest parts of my mental health journey was not just deciding that I needed help, but finding that help. It was extremely difficult to track down a therapist who was located nearby, on my insurance, and taking new patients," says Alexi. "Monarch's mission is to ensure that no one should ever have to spend days calling therapist after therapist just trying to make a first appointment ever again. I'm delighted to help raise awareness for a solution that is so critical right now." "With Monarch, we're working to remove barriers preventing therapists from providing top quality care to their clients, and making it as easy as possible for therapy-seekers to get the help they need," says Howard Spector, CEO of SimplePractice, the parent company of Monarch. "Alexi Pappas has been incredibly open and honest about her struggles with mental health, and we're honored to work with her to help others get the help they need." About SimplePractice SimplePractice, an EngageSmart solution, gives health and wellness practitioners everything they need to succeed as entrepreneurs. With telehealth, scheduling, billing, form intake, continuing education, and more all available on one elegant, HIPAA-compliant, and HITRUST-certified platform, SimplePractice is the leading cloud-based EHR software for private practitioners. Over 100,000 practitioners trust SimplePractice to run their business, advance in their profession, and increase their capacity to help others, all without sacrificing the quality of life and control over their own destiny that should come with running a private practice. In 2021, SimplePractice launched Monarch , the first national therapist directory to offer online booking, customized search, and direct EHR platform integration. For more information on SimplePractice, visit SimplePractice.com and join the conversation on LinkedIn , Facebook , and Twitter . Media Contact: Katie Jacobs Quarter Horse PR [email protected] SOURCE SimplePractice Related Links www.simplepractice.com JERUSALEM, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Ex Libris, a ProQuest company, is excited to announce that users of the Ex Libris Alma library services platform have set a new record: more than two million Alma Analytics reports were run in March 2021. The number of reports that are run is expected to continue at this level or even increase in the coming months. Ex Libris More than ever, in this time of budget constraints, libraries must be able to obtain insights into the use of their collections. A flexible, comprehensive business intelligence tool, Alma Analytics transforms a broad range of library data into actionable reports and identifiable trends, enabling the staff to make smart, data-driven decisions. Customers are using Alma Analytics for a wide variety of purposesfor example, for analyzing collection usage, to improve acquisition decision-making; for generating reports on loans and requests, to help the library identify where additional copies of items need to be purchased; and for creating resource sharing reports, to highlight subject areas that might need increased support by the library. Benchmark analytics and comparative reports help users understand how their collections and workflows compare to those of similar institutions. In addition, users are able to share reports with the Alma community (such as ARL and SCONUL members), thus sparing each library the effort of creating its own reports. Ex Libris recently updated its entire cloud-based portfolio of solutions with Oracle Analytics Server and Oracle Data Visualization, which enrich the value of analytics, provide robust support for the library's decision-making process, and add new capabilities for data analysis and visualization. "We're trying to help our customers as much as possible in these challenging times, when libraries are asked to do more with less," said Oded Scharfstein, president of Ex Libris. "We see the upgraded Alma Analytics as a powerful and versatile enhancement for our users, helping them plan better and make more informed decisions." About Ex Libris Ex Libris, a ProQuest company, is a leading global provider of cloud-based SaaS solutions that enable institutions and their individual users to create, manage, and share knowledge. In close collaboration with its customers and the broader community, Ex Libris develops creative solutions that increase library productivity, maximize the impact of research activities, enhance teaching and learning, and drive student mobile engagement. Ex Libris serves over 7,500 customers in 90 countries. For more information, see our website and join us on LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. Media Contact Roni Shandalov [email protected] +972-26499100 SOURCE Ex Libris DENVER, Pa., June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Rare Tiffany lamps and silver designs, luxury watches, exquisite gems, and decorative art of uncompromising quality adorn Morphy's gallery in anticipation of a June 8-9 auction featuring more than 2,500 expertly curated lots. The auction will commence at 9 a.m. ET each day. Those who cannot attend in person may bid absentee, by phone or live via the Internet through Morphy Live. Molded and gilded-copper weathervane depicting full-bodied standing Massasoit Indian with bow and arrow atop directional arrow with molded zinc arrowhead. Made by Harris & Co., Boston, late 19th century. Estimate $200,000-$400,000 Tiffany Studios stained-glass Belted Rose table lamp, the shade displaying a belt of multicolored pink, red and white flowers; patinated bronze and yellow damascene Favrile decorated base. Double signed. Estimate $80,000-$100,000 Overseeing the luxe array of goods is a New England classic: a molded and gilded-copper weathervane depicting a full-bodied standing Massasoit Indian with a three-feather headdress, holding a bow in one hand and an arrow in the other. Created in the late 19th century by Harris & Co., Boston, this stunning production gleams with its high percentage of original gilding. "It is unquestionably one of the best of all known original examples of an early American weathervane," said Dan Morphy, founder and president of Morphy Auctions. The stately figural vane is expected to reach $200,000-$400,000 at auction. More than 80 lots of antique lamps will be offered, including rare and desirable designs by Tiffany Studios. A Tiffany Daffodil table lamp with mottled yellow flowers and green foliage exhibits some of the deepest and most outstanding colors seen in early-20th-century stained glass. Its reticulated Pineapple body is a work of art in itself, with blow-out green glass within a bronze webwork. Auction estimate: $120,000-$160,000. Another premier entry is Tiffany's stained-glass Belted Rose table lamp. Its shade is encircled by a band of vibrant pink, red and white flowers; sitting atop a patinated bronze and yellow damascene Favrile-decorated base. Estimate: $80,000-$100,000. It is extremely uncommon for a large, original Keith Haring ceramic to reach the marketplace, so aggressive bidding is expected when a 15-inch Haring vase covered with many of the artist's iconic motifs crosses the auction block at Morphy's. Profusely decorated overall, the vessel includes depictions of Haring's crawling baby, dancing man and other visuals in an eye-catching medley of blues, pinks and greens, accented in black. The vase is signed "K. Haring" twice under the base, alongside an encircled plus sign. Estimate: $20,000-$30,000. Morphy's sales are known for their luxury timepieces and fine jewelry. The June event will showcase 50+ select wristwatches and pocket watches from some of Switzerland's most admired brands, including Patek Philippe, Rolex, Omega, Ebel and Tag Heuer. Among the top highlights is a gentlemen's platinum A Lange & Sohne 1815 limited-edition wristwatch, Ref. 233.025. It is No. 362 of only 500 that were produced and is triple-signed and fully hallmarked. Estimate: $20,000-$30,000. A dazzling array of jewelry set with fiery diamonds and other precious gemstones awaits bidders at the June 8 session. Of superlative quality, a platinum ladies' ring features an emerald step-cut Natural Fancy Light Yellow 6.19ct diamond set in 18K yellow gold. It is surrounded by 48 near-colorless, round, brilliant-cut diamonds with a total weight of 1.02cts. It comes with an EGL USA Colored Diamond Report, EGL USA Gem ID Card, and UGS Appraisal Report citing the value. Estimate: $40,000-$60,000. Morphy's June 8-9, 2021 Fine & Decorative Arts Auction will be conducted live at the company's gallery, 2000 N. Reading Rd., Denver, PA 17517, starting at 9 a.m. ET on both days. All remote forms of bidding will be available, including absentee, phone and live via the Internet through Morphy Live. Questions: call 877-968-8880, [email protected] Online: www.morphyauctions.com. Media Contact: Sarah Stoltzfus 877-968-8880 [email protected] SOURCE Morphy Auctions Related Links http://www.morphyauctions.com A look at some of the major movers in London on Tuesday ( ), up 56% at 3.5p, had a sparkling day after it announced a sharp change of direction. Previously the company has been focused on exploration and development of multi-gemstone mining projects in Israel but it wants to distribute the company's current mining business to all of the company's existing shareholders via a dividend in specie, raise news funds and look for acquisitions in the web technology and software sector. "This combined transaction we are asking shareholders to approve is the result of lengthy negotiations, which were carried out under a number of key objectives, including both the benefits for the company and its shareholders (including, promoting profitability and new opportunities in a rising sector using the Israeli innovation opportunities, closing burdensome liabilities, cutting costs, and also preserving the shareholders' holdings in the gem mining in Israel, said Tali Shalem, the chief executive officer of Shefa Gems. 1.40pm: Return to sender ( ) hardened 2.3% to 591.8p after it was promoted to the FTSE 100 index early, after another member of the benchmark got taken over. The letters and parcels service operator was expected to make the step up as part of the quarterly reshuffle of the index by FTSE Russell, but with the completion of the takeover of RSA Insurance, Royal Mail did not need to participate in the play-off process. As of Tuesday, the company was automatically returned to blue-chip status, after a two-and-a-half-year absence. 12.45pm: NIghtcap falls out of bed ( ) lost around a tenth of its value at 22p after an announcement about the financing of its London Cocktail Club business. The company has been informed it is to receive a waiver in relation to the financial covenants attached to certain of the London Cocktail Clubs bank loans for the year ending 30 June 2021. Earlier this month, the bars operator raised 10mln through a placing of shares at 23p. 11.50am: Amigo friendless after accepting court decision ( ) was friendless, down 8.3% at 7.61p, after the controversial money lender said it would not appeal against a recent court judgement. In his ruling, Justice Wills threw out the companys proposed scheme of arrangement and said the creditors who had voted in favour lacked the necessary information or experience to assess the alternatives. UK financial regulator the FCA had also opposed the scheme on the grounds it placed too much burden for the company's survival on customers rather than shareholders and bondholders. 10.55am: M&C Saatchi raises guidance ( ) climbed 12% to 143.5p after it raised full-year guidance after the first four months of the year exceeded expectations. The advertising agency said new business performance has been robust. The company also announced it has entered into a new revolving credit facility. 10.00am: Powerhouse surges as its partner chooses site for second plastic to hydrogen facility ( ) improved 5.2% to 6.21p after it said a second site using its waste plastic to hydrogen technology is to be developed by its partner, Peel L&P. Peel NRE, part of Peel L&P, is to develop the facility at the Rothesay Dock on the north bank of the River Clyde in West Dunbartonshire. The 13,500-tonne facility will be the second in the UK to use pioneering DMG technology developed by Powerhouse, after plans for a similar facility at Peel NREs Protos site in Cheshire were approved in 2019. 9.05am: Sareum rises after tapping market; Springfield Properties raises guidance ( ) has pulled off the rare feat of tapping the market and seeing its share rise. The shares jumped 16% - about one-sixth if you are into fractions to 3.025p after the specialist drug development company said it had raised 900,000 by issuing shares at 2.8p a pop. Each parcel of five shares comes with a single five-year warrant that can be converted into a Sareum share at a cost of 2.8p but only if the Sareum mid-market share price has been above 5p for five consecutive days. A trading update put the spring into ( ), which was 13% higher at 170p. The Scottish housebuilder revealed it expects revenue and profit to be ahead of market expectations, reflecting significant year-on-year revenue growth. The group has also continued to substantially reduce net debt throughout the year. Instant Info Nationwide House Price Index pic.twitter.com/ONgle0cbRf BuiltPlace (@BuiltPlace) June 1, 2021 Proactive news headlines ( ) said a second site using its waste-plastic-to-hydrogen technology is to be developed by its partner, Peel L&P, at the Rothesay Dock on the north bank of the River Clyde in Scotland. CentralNic Group PLC ( ) reported higher earnings for the first quarter of 2021 as it said significant investment in its management, staff and systems had accelerated organic growth to record levels. ( ) said Kevin Price and Alan Tomlinson have taken up their positions respectively as chief executive and finance director of the specialist castings and engineering group. ( ) said it has launched Only Mobile Gaming! (OMG!), a dedicated mobile gaming website, as the latest addition to its Gfinity Digital Media business. ( ) announced growing interest for offtake deals and strategic investments in its Mina do Barroso lithium project in Portugal. ( ) said it is executing on the plan to develop its two key pre-clinical assets, while negotiations over out-licensing a third are ongoing. ( ) said it has signed a production contract with the UKs Department of Health & Social Care (DHSC) to use the companys MagnifEye artificial intelligence (AI) technology to read coronavirus (COVID-19) lateral flow diagnostics tests as part of the countrys asymptomatic testing programme. Redx Pharma PLC (LON:REDX), the drug discovery and development company focused on cancer and fibrosis, said non-executive chairman Iain Ross is stepping down from his role as a director. ( ) has reported further strong growth, saying the business traded profitably in the first quarter of the current financial year. ( ) confirmed its acquisition of Red Globe Press from Macmillan Education Limited has completed. The consideration was 3.7mln, of which 1.8mln has been satisfied in cash on completion and up to 1.9mln will be paid when certain contracts are assigned. ( ) said it plans to demerge its gold assets in Cote d'Ivoire and Chad into a separate gold-focused listed company and hopes that this restructuring will unlock further value in its Cape Coast lithium portfolio. ( ) has announced the start of exploration activities in Eastern Europe through its interest in Western Tethyan Resources. Scotgold Resources Ltd ( ) said it has produced gold concentrate and gravity separated gold dore from the Cononish gold project in Scotland following the previously announced resolution of various technical issues affecting the processing plant. The first shipment of concentrate, a major milestone for the company, was made on May 11. ( ) said it plans to raise about 2.0mln, before expenses, via a placing and will use the majority of the proceeds to fund the next stage of exploration development on its copper/silver licences in the Kalahari Copper Belt of Botswana. s ( ) Greenfield Energy joint venture has now received a draft front-end engineering and design (FEED) study for its oil sands project in Utah. Chariot Oil & Gas Limited ( ) said it expects to imminently complete its acquisition of Africa Energy Management Platform (AEMP). i3 Energy Plc (LON:I3E, ) is doubling up in Canada with a deal to acquire a further 49.5% interest in the South Simonette oil property, taking its stake to 99%. ( ) shares were boosted as it banked investment from Vision Blue Resources, named its next chairman and provided an update on its Balausa vanadium concentrate project in Kazakhstan. ( ) updated on its progress with its first commercial and industrial battery project in Mozambique. MELVILLE, N.Y. and DAVIDSON, N.C., June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- MSC INDUSTRIAL SUPPLY CO. (NYSE: MSM), a premier distributor of Metalworking and Maintenance, Repair and Operations (MRO) products and services to industrial customers throughout North America, has acquired a majority interest in Wm. F. Hurst Co., LLC, a Wichita, Kansas-based distributor of metalworking tools and supplies with deep expertise and customer relationships in the aerospace industry. Under the agreement, Wm. F. Hurst will continue to go to market under its current name as an MSC company. The company's president and owner, John Mullen, will continue to lead the business and hold a minority interest. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Wm. F. Hurst Co. serves customers from offices in Wichita, Kansas, Kansas City, Missouri and Dallas, Texas. The acquisition enhances MSC's leadership position in metalworking and expands the company's presence in the aerospace industry. It also allows Wm. F. Hurst to offer their customers access to MSC's 1.9 million-plus products, inventory management and other supply chain solutions and to expand the company's reach across MSC's national footprint. "One of our most important growth drivers is building on our leadership position in metalworking. This acquisition will contribute to the growth of our metalworking base and serve as a center of excellence for expanding our technical capabilities in the aerospace sector. The Wm. F. Hurst team focuses on solution selling to solve technical challenges for aerospace customers, which aligns well with our approach to helping customers solve their mission-critical challenges on the plant floor. We believe our companies are a strong match in terms of expertise, capabilities, customer focus and culture, and we are delighted to bring the Wm. F. Hurst team aboard as an important part of our growth plan," said MSC President and CEO Erik Gershwind. "We are pleased to be joining forces with MSC, a respected leader in metalworking and MRO products and solutions for 80 years. We see a strong growth opportunity to build our business by combining our technical expertise to deliver customized solutions to Wm. F. Hurst and MSC customers," said John Mullen, President and CEO of Wm. F. Hurst Co. "We look forward to extending MSC's vast MRO and metalworking products and solutions portfolio to provide even more solutions to our customers." About MSC About MSC Industrial Supply Co. MSC Industrial Supply Co. (NYSE:MSM) is a leading North American distributor of metalworking and maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) products and services. We help our customers drive greater productivity, profitability and growth with approximately 1.9 million products, inventory management and other supply chain solutions, and deep expertise from over 75 years of working with customers across industries. Our experienced team of more than 6,200 associates is dedicated to working side by side with our customers to help drive results for their businesses - from keeping operations running efficiently today to continuously rethinking, retooling, and optimizing for a more productive tomorrow. For more information on MSC, please visit mscdirect.com. SOURCE MSC Industrial Supply Co. Related Links http://www.MSCdirect.com LOS ANGELES, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Musick Peeler attorneys advised and represented The SEED School of Los Angeles County, the first public, college-prep boarding school in California. The financing closed on behalf of The SEED School of Los Angeles County included loans from a commercial bank, four community development financial institutions, and four New Markets Tax Credit qualified community development entities for the construction and development of a boarding school on county-leased land. The school is the result of an innovative partnership among Los Angeles County, LA Metro, and SEED LA. The negotiations on SEED LA's behalf were led by Musick Peeler's multi-disciplinary, multi-office Charter School team that includes Partners Brian L. Holman and Jane Usher in Los Angeles and Rosemary K. Nunn and Chet A. Cramin in Orange County. Holman led the review and negotiation of the loan and financing agreements. Usher advised the principals and their lenders on the City of Los Angeles regulatory approvals and will continue to provide strategic solutions in the continuing California Environmental Quality Act matters. Nunn oversaw several months' worth of construction contract drafting and negotiation. Cramin took the lead on finalizing the lease and development rights with the County of Los Angeles as well as related agreements with an adjacent developer that will be part of the overall project. "This included a Project Labor Agreement, a preferential hire requirement and prevailing wage requirements," explained Nunn. "That's in addition to multiple requirements from lenders situated across the county and robust negotiations between the owner and the architect/contractors." Holman, who has represented charter schools or other parties in transactions involving more than $1 billion in loans to school facility owners, estimates that total construction costs for the project exceed $94 million. "To my knowledge, this is one of the largest single site charter school construction projects ever undertaken in Los Angeles County and the first such project to include a boarding school component," Holman said. SEED LA is poised to be the fourth in a network of public boarding schools supported by The SEED Foundation: The SEED School of Washington, D.C., The SEED School of Maryland, and The SEED School of Miami. SEED LA serves youth who would benefit most from a 24-hour learning environment. About Musick Peeler Founded in 1954, Musick Peeler has offices in five commercial centers across California with over 100 attorneys practicing in 16 disciplines. For more information, visit MusickPeeler.com . SOURCE Musick Peeler Related Links http://www.musickpeeler.com Communities across the country, largely in Florida and along the East Coast, have worked with local health departments and pharmacies to provide the on-site COVID vaccinations to their residents. Management worked together with homeowners' associations and resident volunteers from each community to coordinate the effort by providing the logistics, signup sheets, setting appointments and organizing each day's events for their residents. At a single event at Colony Cove , an Ellenton, Florida neighborhood featured on myMHcommunity.com, 2,800 residents received vaccinations. Residents of these communities have received all three variations of the vaccine, depending on which manufacturer's vaccine was available in their area at the time of the event. "Our communities are known for their events, activities and amenities, and residents of these communities enjoy the active and social lifestyle found within their neighborhoods," said Pat Zamora, vice president of marketing for myMHcommunity.com. "That's why we wanted to do all we could to help facilitate bringing the COVID-19 vaccine to residents, so they could take the next step toward safely returning to their pre-pandemic social lifestyles." Visitors to the one-stop site can utilize convenient search features to locate the perfect home and community to meet individual needs. Whether shoppers are looking to settle in New York's Long Island at Greenwood Village, enjoy the scenic Rocky Mountain views from Holiday Village in Colorado Springs or escape the winter weather at Arizona's Monte Vista Village Resort or Mid-Florida Lakes in the heart of the Sunshine State, myMHcommunity.com can help visitors identify the best match for the lifestyle they are looking for. About myMHcommunity.com myMHcommunity.com offers home listings in more than 200 residential communities nationwide, providing digital access to a database of nearly 1,000 available homes. With a wide range of locations, prices, sizes, floor plans and features, myMHcommunity.com is sure to offer the right home for every buyer. Visit www.myMHcommunity.com for more information. SOURCE myMHcommunity.com NEW YORK and MONTCLAIR, Va., June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Morgan James' new release, Myrcles: A True Story of Divine Intervention, Hope and Inspiration, by Cathy Alves Davis, encourages people to seek God for strength and hope during difficult times. Cathy Alves Davis Morgan James Publishing After learning she was diagnosed with Aggressive Stage III Breast Cancer, Cathy Alves Davis sought God for help, hope, and healing. Unknown to her, she was about to step into her Divine Destiny. Myrcles focuses on Davis' journey as she talks about her trials and experiences. Her life story is filled with adversity, betrayal, faith, family, hope, inspiration, love and miracles. Cathy Alves Davis hopes that her story will motivate others into seeking divine intervention. Davis wants to give hope and inspiration to countless people, especially those that are currently going through their own battles. In Myrcles, Christians and nonbelievers alike can step into Cathy's life to discover how her faith helped her overcome adversity, giving her a new beginning in life. If you would like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview with Cathy Alves Davis, please contact Media Contact Name at Media Contact, Cathy Alves Davis, [email protected]. About the Author: Cathy Alves Davis lives with her husband in Montclair, Virginia. In 1998, she received a deadly diagnosis of Stage III Aggressive Breast Cancer. That's when God spoke to her as He had done when she was a young child. God allowed her to know that she would survive and that one day she would go on to write a book of hope and inspiration that would help countless others. Years after her miraculous recovery at the famed Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C., Cathy began the task of writing the book God told her to write. She named the book Myrcles. For more than two decades now, she has gone on to counsel women of all ages who are facing frightening odds themselves. She has appeared on QVC, Nightline, ABC, and NBC news. Cathy also wrote a feature story for Breast Cancer Wellness Magazine titled Stay In The Day. More About This Title: Myrcles: A True Story of Divine Intervention, Hope and Inspiration, by Cathy Alves Davis, will be released by Morgan James Publishing on June 1, 2021. Myrcles9781631951336 has 262 pages and is being sold as a trade paperback for $15.95. About Morgan James Publishing: Morgan James publishes trade quality titles designed to educate, encourage, inspire, or entertain readers with current, consistent, relevant topics that are available everywhere books are sold. ( www.MorganJamesPublishing.com ) MEDIA CONTACT: Cathy Alves Davis Myrcles 571-264-2076 [email protected] SOURCE Morgan James Publishing Related Links http://www.MorganJamesPublishing.com HANGZHOU, China, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Sunyard Technology, a leading global payment solution provider, together with the industry's well-known media "Electronic Finance Magazine", jointly held the 2021 Yangtze River Delta Digital Finance Forum in Sheraton Hangzhou on May 20, achieving a resounding success. With the theme of "New Digital Intelligence Drive, New Finance", hundreds of financial-related institutions came sincerely to discuss the digital transformation strategy and path of banking financial institutions, setting in motion positive long-term trends. The influence of digitalization on banking financial institutions is omnidirectional, which is a vital signal for the transformation of banking financial institutions to realize the trinity of business, technology, and data by digital convergence. In this forum, professionals of regulatory agencies, senior management leaders of the banking industry, and senior technical experts were invited to share the current strategy and path of digital transformation of China's financial institutions. Chen, a deputy researcher of Science and Technology Department of Hangzhou Central Sub Branch of the People's Bank of China, said that the Yangtze River Delta region is one of the regions boasting the most innovative impetus in China, especially in the field of financial technology innovation, which is helping the economy to burst out more and more vitality. Relying on digital technology, finance can improve and optimize the links of loan marketing, credit approval and risk management, and crack the financing problems that private enterprises, small and micro-business companies find difficult to deal with. Through this professional exchange, the collective wisdom and practical thinking of the financial industry can be further pooled, promoting the better and faster development of financial technology in the banking industry as well as sharing the innovation ecology. Since its establishment in 1996, Sunyard has been keeping up with the fintech booms and leading the industry. From 1996 to 2015, Sunyard was committed to the development of electronic finance. Blocks including large-scale financial operation platform, paperless credit audit platform, password security platform were built; Through the partnership with Zhejiang Provincial Key Enterprise Research Institute in recent five years, Sunyard has deepened its investment and accumulation in digital intelligence and started focusing on five major fields: digital operation, digital risk control, digital marketing, digital management, digital payment solutions. Fast forward to today, through multi-level full-stack financial technology service products portfolio, integrating digital base, technology base, AI brain center, CO creation and development, subscription service and joint operation, Sunyard is bringing the highest possible user experience and product value to the world, especially in the payment solution where widely praise receives. After a long period of baptism, Sunyard is striving to cooperate with all customers and peers with innovation, ushering in a magnificent era of digital intelligence. Get in touch: [email protected] www.sydtech.com.cn About Sunyard Sunyard Technology Co., Ltd, the leading global payment solution provider, is offering cost-effective, superior quality payment terminals and financial software products including payment password system, same-city liquidation system, corporate e-bank system, risk alarm system, etc. As the earliest listed financial IT company in China (SSE Code: 600571), Sunyard has achieved the leading position in the field of financial industry with more than two decades of professional experience. Based on the solid foundation in the domestic market, Sunyard is committed to expanding the international market according to its development strategy. SOURCE Sunyard Technology Co.,ltd Related Links http://www.sydtech.com.cn DALLAS, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Financial Educators Council has launched the Family Chore Project and made the resources available complimentary to parents and educators teaching kids about money. The lessons help families establish a structured system of income and chores for kids that will help them develop positive money management skills and get in the habit of working to earn money. The NFEC's Family Chore Project was designed to help children pick up much-needed financial literacy skill sets and apply what they learn through ongoing project-based learning activities that help them form positive financial behaviors. The chores for kids and parents' materials are available complimentary for parents as part of the NFEC's campaign to address youth financial illiteracy and to counter the influences that mold negative financial behaviors. Access the Family Chore Project - Here The Family Chore Project provides hands-on financial education that focuses on four high-impact goals: Earning Money : Kids complete chores to develop a strong work ethic, connect the relationship between work and earning money, and understand the value of money. : Kids complete chores to develop a strong work ethic, connect the relationship between work and earning money, and understand the value of money. Contributing to Household Bills : Children practice adulthood by contributing to paying a small portion of the family bills. This element helps them understand the expenses they will face as adults. : Children practice adulthood by contributing to paying a small portion of the family bills. This element helps them understand the expenses they will face as adults. Paying for Items They Want : Instead of parents purchasing items their children want, kids become empowered to make their own purchase decisions, save for items they want, and learn about opportunity cost. : Instead of parents purchasing items their children want, kids become empowered to make their own purchase decisions, save for items they want, and learn about opportunity cost. Saving for the Future: The main goal of the chore project is to get kids in the habit of saving money for their long-term futures. Getting kids to think about future needs early and encouraging them to set money aside will help them progress toward those goals. The chores for kids project is separated by age to make the activity appropriate for their developmental level. Levels overlap depending on cognitive development and serve these age groups: 2 5, 5 7, 7 11, 11 15, and 16+. The project can continue until they are independent adults paying their own bills. Children are consistently being exposed to financial influences in the form of advertisements, peer interactions, social media personalities, and parental upbringing. To combat negative influences, parents and others serving kids are encouraged to make a conscious and consistent effort to discuss finances, model good financial decision-making, and provide opportunities for kids to practice earning, budgeting, saving, and spending. "Raising self-sufficient children and nurturing emotional well-being are essential parts of parenting. Because money is directly connected to both aspects, parents must take the time to educate their children on personal finance matters and conduct regular activities that help them build the skill sets they need to live fulfilling lives. Without these proactive measures, many kids will fall into the common financial traps people experience as adults." Vince Shorb, CEO, NFEC Between April 28 and May 4, 2021, 1,040 respondents were asked, "Which parent taught you the most about money and personal finance?" The proportion of respondents who selected "Mother" was 23.7%, while 22.6% selected "Father." However, the top answer was "Neither" at 53.7%. View the full survey results here . The Family Chore Project is an effort by the NFEC to help mold positive financial behaviors in children. Other campaigns by the NFEC focus on stopping advertising to kids and improving how educators teach kids financial literacy. The NFEC is a public Benefit Corporation whose mission focuses on providing top-quality financial education programming for kids, teens, and adults. The NFEC's social impact-focused enterprise has supported the development of thousands of programs over the last decade to reduce the cost and time required to design programming. Contact: Trevor Stoll 702.620.3059 [email protected] SOURCE National Financial Educators Council TAMPA, Fla. and TORONTO, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Despite the challenging year of 2020, home sales rose dramatically, and due to a lack of inventory calling it a "seller's market" is to understate the conditions of the real estate industry very much in most American cities and towns in 2021. In a strong seller's real estate market there is an inclination by many to forgo a home inspection. Some people are exhausted from their home search, the competition in multiple offers, and because cash deals are now frequently made in a bidding war, some hopeful, would-be buyers feel that waiving a home inspection will strengthen their offer. "Big mistake," says Dan Steward, President and CEO of Pillar To Post Home Inspectors, the No. 1 Home Inspection company in North America. In 2020, the Tampa based franchise network inspected real estate valued at over $55 billion and served hundreds of thousands of customers. In addition, 40 new offices were opened growing their network to 600 offices across USA and Canada. Here's his advice: Try to remove emotions from the process. Yes, it's difficult, but this is likely the major investment of your life. Don't get stuck with a house needing thousands in repairs because you love how it looks on the surface. Assume the home doesn't show many possible issues on the tour. For example, the typical buyer won't be able to spot asbestos or radon, evidence of termite infestation, or a leak inside the HVAC system. Move quickly. If you find a home you love and are ready to make an offer, let the seller know you can have the inspection done quickly. There is a backlog of work for home inspectors due to the pandemic and the "gold rush" tone to the market right now. Call a qualified home inspector before you begin your hunt. Try to arrange with him/her a promise of the home inspection within 48 hours of an offer. It could happen if they have notice you are on a serious search. If you are working with a good, reliable, real estate agent, he or she will likely have the connections and support to handle the above task for you. Just be sure to let your Realtor know from the beginning that this is something you wish to do quickly. Smart sellers may have already had a pre-sale home inspection, even in a competitive market, because they will likely not want to go through a negotiation process with any buyer. If they have used a trustworthy home inspection company this could eliminate a task for you. However, be aware that the inspector is liable only to the person who paid for and ordered the inspection. That is the seller. If that inspector missed something, you don't have any recourse. SOURCE Pillar To Post Home Inspectors Related Links https://pillartopost.com WATKINSVILLE, Ga. and ELBERTON, Ga., June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The boards of Oconee Financial Corporation (OTCQX: OSBK) and Elberton Federal Savings and Loan Association (Elberton) announced today that the organizations have entered into a definitive agreement for the merger of Elberton and Oconee State Bank, a wholly owned subsidiary of Oconee Financial Corporation. The transaction is structured as a merger conversion, whereby Elberton, a federal mutual savings association, will convert to a stock form of organization and will simultaneously merge into Oconee State Bank. As part of the transaction, Oconee Financial Corporation will offer shares of its common stock to qualifying eligible Elberton account holders and possibly others in a subscription offering and a community offering. Oconee Financial is the holding company for Oconee State Bank, a $520 million asset community bank based in Watkinsville. Elberton is a $29 million asset mutual savings association headquartered in Elberton. "The opportunity to partner with Elberton President and CEO Daniel Graves and his team to expand our footprint in Northeast Georgia and strategically grow our relationship with local business owners and residents is a cohesive, strategic partnership," said Neil Stevens, President and CEO of Oconee State Bank. "Achieving our goal of becoming Georgia's most remarkable community bank requires top talent in strong communities, and this transaction checks both of those boxes. Daniel and the team at Elberton Federal have done an outstanding job serving their community for decades and we look forward to supporting them as we continue to deliver a remarkable customer experience throughout Northeast Georgia." Graves will serve as the Northeast Georgia Market Executive for Oconee State Bank after the merger is completed, and Elberton director Bob Paul will join the Oconee Financial and Oconee State Bank boards of directors. All Elberton Federal employees will remain with Oconee State Bank, and Elberton directors Kyle Branan, Phil Pitts and Jimmy Hill will serve on Oconee State Bank's Northeast Georgia advisory board. "Since 1922, the mission of Elberton Federal has always been to provide the highest level of financial service and commitment to our customers and community," said Graves. "This mission has never been more relevant than it is right now. By partnering with Oconee State Bank, we are joining with an institution that unequivocally shares our values, culture and commitment to true community based banking. I'm grateful to Neil, his staff and the Board of Directors of Oconee State for their commitment to Elberton and their passion for rural Northeast Georgia. We're excited for what our joint future holds and eagerly look forward to the things we will accomplish together." Shareholders at Oconee Financial and account holders at Elberton will be provided detailed information on the transaction in the months ahead. It is anticipated that the merger conversion will take 4 to 6 months to complete. Elberton will continue to operate independently until the merger conversion is completed. Accordingly, it will be business as usual until then. The proposed transaction will require approval of banking regulators, including the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) and the Georgia Department of Banking and Finance, as well as the members of Elberton. Performance Trust Capital Partners LLC served as exclusive financial advisor in the transaction, and RP Financial, LC provided appraisal and valuation services. Alston & Bird LLP served as legal counsel to Oconee Financial, and Fenimore, Kay, Harrison & Ford, LLP served as legal counsel to Elberton. About Elberton Federal Savings and Loan Elberton Federal Savings and Loan Association is a federal mutual savings association operating from its home office located in Elberton, Georgia. For nearly 100 years, Elberton has sought to be an institution of excellence by providing the highest quality financial products and services to its customers, offering financial products at a fair price and creating the opportunity for personal and professional growth to its employees. About Oconee Financial Corporation Oconee Financial Corporation is headquartered in Watkinsville, Georgia and through its wholly-owned subsidiary Oconee State Bank operates four full-service branches and one limited-service branch. In February 2021, Oconee State bank celebrated 61 years of service and continues to be the only locally owned and operated community bank headquartered in Oconee County. Oconee State Bank has proudly served the local community, providing an unparalleled commitment to personalized service, innovative products and solutions, and strives to bring exceptional value to our customers through local ownership, involvement and decision-making. We continuously strive to create remarkable experiences that significantly mark the lives of others. Important Additional Information The information contained herein does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or a solicitation of any vote or approval. The offering will only be made through the means of an offering circular. Neither the FDIC, the OCC, the Securities and Exchange Commission, nor any other federal or state regulatory authority has approved or disapproved Oconee Financial Corporation's common stock or the terms of the offering in connection with the proposed merger conversion. It is illegal for any person to tell you otherwise. THE SECURITIES TO BE OFFERED BY OCONEE FINANCIAL CORPORATION ARE NOT DEPOSITS AND ARE NOT AND WILL NOT BE INSURED OR GUARANTEED BY THE FDIC OR ANY OTHER FEDERAL OR STATE GOVERNMENT AGENCY. OCONEE FINANCIAL CORPORATION'S COMMON STOCK IS SUBJECT TO INVESTMENT RISK, INCLUDING THE POSSIBLE LOSS OF PRINCIPAL. SOURCE Oconee Financial Corporation COLUMBUS, Ohio and DENVER, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center , one of the nation's top-ranked academic health centers, and DispatchHealth , a leading provider of in-home medical care, have partnered to offer patients an expanded opportunity to receive convenient and safe medical care in the comfort of their own homes. Beginning July 1, Ohio State Wexner Medical Center patients and providers throughout the Columbus community can request DispatchHealth's medical care for a wide range of common to complex injuries and illnesses including viral infections, COPD exacerbations, congestive heart failure and more. DispatchHealth's platform brings same-day care to the home and provides coordination of support services with the patient's care team and ongoing care needs. As part of this partnership, certain high-risk patients will also have access to DispatchHealth's Bridge Care, which is proactive, in-home care 24-72 hours after an acute care hospital stay. "Home health continues to be a critical component to our overall continuum of care. This partnership will provide our patients high-acuity care in the comfort of their own homes while reducing preventable hospital readmissions by connecting patients with a primary care physician or specialist," said Dr. Hal Paz , executive vice president and chancellor for Health Affairs at The Ohio State University and CEO of Ohio State Wexner Medical Center. "We look forward to serving our community in new and vital ways while exceeding the expectations of today's consumer and care teams, lowering the cost of care and improving health outcomes." Patients can request care by phone, DispatchHealth's mobile app or website, and in the future through Ohio State Wexner Medical Center's website and OSUMyChart. Once requested, an emergency-care trained DispatchHealth medical team quickly arrives at the patient's home equipped with the necessary tools and treatments, including on-site diagnostics and a CLIA-certified lab. The medical care provided in the patient's home is comparable to what patients would experience at a walk-in clinic or urgent care. "The past year has shown that patients' care needs are rapidly evolving. DispatchHealth's proven value-based care approach empowers health systems to go beyond traditional care settings and meet patients where they are," said Dr. Mark Prather, CEO and co-founder of DispatchHealth. "We are pleased to partner with Ohio State Wexner Medical Center to expand the focus on effective, convenient and affordable care outside of the typical clinic and hospital setting. We look forward to expanding our service to central Ohio through this leading partnership." Since its founding in 2013, DispatchHealth's unique model of care has proven to save an average of $1,100-1,700 per acute care visit. The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center and DispatchHealth partnership brings a combined focus on continuous improvement of patient health outcomes at a lower cost. About DispatchHealth DispatchHealth is building the world's largest in-home care system to deliver trusted and compassionate care to all. DispatchHealth offers on-demand acute care and an advanced level of medical care for people of all ages in the comfort of their own homes. DispatchHealth's emergency medicine and internal medicine trained medical teams are equipped with all the tools necessary to treat common to complex injuries and illnesses. DispatchHealth works closely with payers, providers, health systems, EMS, employer groups and others to deliver care in the home to reduce unnecessary emergency room visits, hospital stays and readmissions. Acute care medical teams are available seven days a week, evenings and holidays and can be requested via app, online or a quick phone call. DispatchHealth is partnered with most major insurance companies. For more information, visit DispatchHealth.com . SOURCE DispatchHealth Related Links https://www.dispatchhealth.com PRINCETON, N.J., June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- As one of the nation's first COVID hotspots, New Jersey hospitals were the grateful recipients of medical equipment donations from across the country. Now, they're returning the favor to colleagues halfway around the globe with planeloads of donated equipment and supplies heading to hard-hit India. The donations were amassed by N.J. Sen. Vin Gopal (D-Monmouth), the New Jersey Hospital Association and the Vin Gopal Civic Association. They include ventilators, oxygen concentrators, oxygen generators, IV pumps, pulse oximeters and hundreds of thousands of personal protective equipment items all the critical supplies needed to support India's healthcare teams as they confront an intense COVID outbreak. India's death toll has surpassed 300,000 the third highest worldwide and new cases continue unabated. "COVID knows no boundaries, and healthcare is truly a worldwide community," said NJHA President and CEO Cathy Bennett. "In New Jersey, we remember so vividly the sense of relief when other states sent us ventilators back in the pandemic's darkest days last spring. As global citizens, we're committed to doing the same for the people of India." In the spirit of global collaboration, Sen. Gopal initiated the call for donations, working through his strong relationships with the Indian-American community and contacts in India. The Vin Gopal Civic Association worked with transport companies including Air India to facilitate the shipments. NJHA coordinated efforts among its member hospitals to identify available equipment and supplies, and prep them for transport. About 30 health systems and hospitals stepped forward with donated equipment, as well as cash contributions to support underequipped and overwhelmed Indian hospitals. "Every single community in every part of the world has been struggling with the effects of COVID-19," said Sen. Gopal. "This is the time for everyone to come together and lend a hand to collectively help those in need. I am happy that together with NJHA, we were able to provide much needed materials to India. Every donation helps, and as New Jersey starts to pull ourselves out of the struggles this global pandemic caused, we need to continue to support hard-hit areas such as India." SOURCE New Jersey Hospital Association (NJHA) Sukhoi Su-25BM jet aircraft leave a trail in the Russian national colors as they fly in formation by a Moscow Kremlin tower during a Victory Day air show marking the 76th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in the World War II, May 9, 2021. /Getty Russia's Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev said on Monday that the country's national security strategy is being renewed in light of the changing nature of security threats. "Political and economic pressure is being used to contain Russia, and attempts are being made to destabilize our socio-political situation, incite and radicalize protests, and erode traditional Russian spiritual and moral values," Patrushev told the government's official newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta. On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin chaired a meeting of permanent members of the Security Council to discuss the draft of the new national security strategy. The current version was adopted in 2015 and should be modified every six years in accordance with the law. The updated strategy, according to Patrushev, will primarily focus on special economic measures that aim to improve the well-being of the population, cementing internal unity, and achieving national development goals. But he stressed it will also include "coercive forceful methods" to strengthen the country's defense capabilities. Particular attention is paid to preserving Russia's nuclear deterrence at a sufficient level, maintaining the combat readiness of the armed forces, and keeping a leading position in the development and production of advanced weapons, he said. The senior official stressed the importance of including cyber threats in the new version of the strategy, adding it is necessary to protect Russia's sovereignty in cyberspace given foreign attempts to interfere in Russia's internal affairs through cyberattacks and large-scale disinformation campaigns. The revised national security strategy comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin is preparing for a summit with U.S. President Joe Biden set for June 16 in Geneva. Patrushev, who last week had talks with Jake Sullivan, Biden's national security adviser, to discuss preparations for the summit, noted that their conversation was "constructive and productive." He added that Moscow and Washington could work out "mutually acceptable solutions for certain issues," but didn't elaborate. (With input from Xinhua, AP) A glance at some of the day's highlights from the Proactive Investors newswire ( ) said a second site using its waste-plastic-to-hydrogen technology is to be developed by its partner, Peel L&P, at the Rothesay Dock on the north bank of the River Clyde in Scotland. CentralNic Group PLC ( ) reported higher earnings for the first quarter of 2021 as it said significant investment in its management, staff and systems had accelerated organic growth to record levels. ( ) said Kevin Price and Alan Tomlinson have taken up their positions respectively as chief executive and finance director of the specialist castings and engineering group. ( ) said it has launched Only Mobile Gaming! (OMG!), a dedicated mobile gaming website, as the latest addition to its Gfinity Digital Media business. ( ) announced growing interest for offtake deals and strategic investments in its Mina do Barroso lithium project in Portugal. ( ) said it is executing on the plan to develop its two key pre-clinical assets, while negotiations over out-licensing a third are ongoing. ( ) said it has signed a production contract with the UKs Department of Health & Social Care (DHSC) to use the companys MagnifEye artificial intelligence (AI) technology to read coronavirus (COVID-19) lateral flow diagnostics tests as part of the countrys asymptomatic testing programme. Redx Pharma PLC (LON:REDX), the drug discovery and development company focused on cancer and fibrosis, said non-executive chairman Iain Ross is stepping down from his role as a director. ( ) has reported further strong growth, saying the business traded profitably in the first quarter of the current financial year. ( ) confirmed its acquisition of Red Globe Press from Macmillan Education Limited has completed. The consideration was 3.7mln, of which 1.8mln has been satisfied in cash on completion and up to 1.9mln will be paid when certain contracts are assigned. ( ) said it plans to demerge its gold assets in Cote d'Ivoire and Chad into a separate gold-focused listed company and hopes that this restructuring will unlock further value in its Cape Coast lithium portfolio. ( ) has announced the start of exploration activities in Eastern Europe through its interest in Western Tethyan Resources. Scotgold Resources Ltd ( ) said it has produced gold concentrate and gravity separated gold dore from the Cononish gold project in Scotland following the previously announced resolution of various technical issues affecting the processing plant. The first shipment of concentrate, a major milestone for the company, was made on May 11. ( ) said it plans to raise about 2.0mln, before expenses, via a placing and will use the majority of the proceeds to fund the next stage of exploration development on its copper/silver licences in the Kalahari Copper Belt of Botswana. s ( ) Greenfield Energy joint venture has now received a draft front-end engineering and design (FEED) study for its oil sands project in Utah. Chariot Oil & Gas Limited ( ) said it expects to imminently complete its acquisition of Africa Energy Management Platform (AEMP). i3 Energy Plc (LON:I3E, ) is doubling up in Canada with a deal to acquire a further 49.5% interest in the South Simonette oil property, taking its stake to 99%. ( ) shares were boosted as it banked investment from Vision Blue Resources, named its next chairman and provided an update on its Balausa vanadium concentrate project in Kazakhstan. ( ) updated on its progress with its first commercial and industrial battery project in Mozambique. ( ) announce that it has received notice of the exercise of warrants with aggregate gross proceeds amounting to 235,015. ( ) will hold its annual general meeting on Thursday 24 June 2021. In light of Covid-19 the meeting will be closed to the public and the company will provide access through the Investor Meet Company platform. ( ) announce that the AGM of the company will be held in Australia on 30 June 2021. The board anticipates that this year's AGM will be purely functional in format to comply with the relevant legal requirements, but strongly recommends all shareholders exercise their right to vote in favour on all proposed resolutions by submitting an online proxy appointment form. ( ) executive chairman David Ciclitira has increased his holding to 25% through the conversion of a further 30,000 of a loan into shares. Following conversion, 90,823 of the loan will remain outstanding. Nomination essays can be submitted online through November 30, 2021. Tweet this Nomination essays can be submitted online by health care professionals, colleagues, patients, friends and family members of outstanding nurses from across the United States who go above and beyond to make a measurable difference to improve patient outcomes through exceptional supportive care. The Champions will be highlighted and recognized on OncNursingNews.com and in the Oncology Nursing News publication. "The past year has illuminated the incredible contributions and sacrifices of nurses in caring for the physical needs and psychological well-being of patients whose medical conditions are complex and multifaceted, very much like oncology nurses who take care of the whole person, not just the disease," said Raj Malik, M.D., chief medical officer at G1 Therapeutics. "We are thrilled to support the Oncology Nurse Champion recognition program to honor nursing professionals and convey our deepest respect and appreciation for their commitment to excellence in patient care." For more information and to nominate an Oncology Nursing Champion, click here. This recognition program is supported by G1 Therapeutics. G1 Therapeutics is not involved in the nomination or selection process of the Oncology Nurse Champions. About Oncology Nursing News Oncology Nursing News is a digital and print media enterprise dedicated to bringing the oncology nursing community together by providing them with the latest nursing news, clinical insights and resources. Oncology Nursing News is a brand of MJH Life Sciences, the largest privately held, independent, full-service medical media company in North America, dedicated to delivering trusted health care news across multiple channels. About G1 Therapeutics G1 Therapeutics, Inc. is a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of next-generation therapies that improve the lives of those affected by cancer, including the Company's first commercial product, COSELA (trilaciclib). G1 has a deep clinical pipeline and is executing a tumor-agnostic development plan evaluating COSELA in a variety of solid tumors, including colorectal, breast, lung, and bladder cancers. G1 Therapeutics is based in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. For additional information, please visit www.g1therapeutics.com and follow us on Twitter @G1Therapeutics. G1 Therapeutics and the G1 Therapeutics logo and COSELA and the COSELA logo are trademarks of G1 Therapeutics, Inc. Oncology Nursing News Media Contact Alexandra Ventura, 609-716-7777 [email protected] SOURCE Oncology Nursing News NEW YORK, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- One Rock Capital Partners, LLC ("One Rock") today announced that one of its affiliates has successfully completed the previously announced acquisition of the manufacturing site in Kankakee, Illinois, and the associated businesses of vegetable-oil-based raw material sterols and natural vitamin E, anionic surfactants and esters produced there from BASF. Headquartered outside of Chicago, the newly independent company has approximately 190 employees and will operate under the name Kensing. The new name and brand honor the long operating history of the site at Kensington Avenue in Kankakee and reflects the company's position as a leading manufacturer of a broad range of specialty chemicals derived from natural raw materials. Kensing products serve a diverse array of attractive end markets, including home & personal care, food & nutrition, healthcare and agriculture. Tony W. Lee, Managing Partner of One Rock, said, "In working closely with our Operating Partners and BASF, we have been impressed by the talented team in Kankakee and are eager to build on the company's well-deserved reputation for high-purity manufacturing and customer service under the Kensing brand." In conjunction with the completion of the transaction, Serge Rogasik has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of Kensing. Mr. Rogasik possesses extensive experience in the specialty chemicals and personal care industries, having most recently served as Senior Executive Vice President, Personal Care at Vantage Specialty Chemicals. He has held leadership roles at several multinational chemical and biotech organizations, including Addivant, Eastman Chemical Company, General Electric and Solvay, in addition to previously working at BASF for over seven years. Mr. Rogasik said, "I am very excited to lead Kensing at this momentous time. Demand for plant-derived ingredients is growing at a fast pace in our global markets and Kensing provides a very strong platform from which to expand our portfolio and services to our customers." R. Scott Spielvogel, Managing Partner of One Rock, added, "Kensing will maintain the longstanding commitment to quality and reliability for which the organization at Kankakee is well-known, and we look forward to bringing renewed focus and resources to the company to drive continued growth across the core end markets it serves." ABOUT ONE ROCK CAPITAL PARTNERS, LLC One Rock makes controlling investments in companies with potential for growth and operational improvement using a rigorous approach that utilizes highly experienced Operating Partners to identify, acquire and enhance businesses in select industries. The involvement of these Operating Partners affords One Rock the ability to conduct due diligence and consummate acquisitions and investments in all types of situations, regardless of complexity. One Rock works collaboratively with company management and its Operating Partners to develop a comprehensive business plan focused on growing the enterprise and its profitability to enhance long-term value. For more information, visit www.onerockcapital.com. ABOUT BASF At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. More than 110,000 employees in the BASF Group contribute to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of 59 billion in 2020. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the U.S. Further information at www.basf.com. ABOUT KENSING Kensing, LLC is a leading manufacturer of a broad range of specialty chemicals derived from vegetable-oil-based raw material sterols and natural vitamin E, anionic surfactants and esters. Based in Kankakee, IL, Kensing's high-quality, precisely formulated ingredients serve a diverse array of customers across the personal care, home care, health, nutrition, and industrial & agricultural markets. Kensing is uniquely focused on providing customers with a superior level of service, agility and expert collaboration to help them develop improved products. To learn more, please visit www.kensingsolutions.com. MEDIA CONTACT Alex Jeffrey/Sam Fisher Gasthalter & Co. (212) 257-4170 SOURCE One Rock Capital Partners, LLC Related Links http://www.onerockcapital.com Fueled by a boom in toy sales and e-commerce in its home market of China, MINISO is looking to replicate and localize these successes overseas. Toy and online sales are key growth drivers "Online business had been accelerated by the pandemic and will be one of the priorities for the future development of MINISO," said Robin Liu, Chief Marketing Officer and head of e-commerce at MINISO. "In addition to the existing collaborations with all major e-commerce platforms, MINISO is also digitalizing in other ways." Liu pointed to MINISO's use of social apps to keep closer contact with customers, implementing an advanced membership system, stationing vending machines, and planning to have more shopping livestreams in and outside of mainland China. "By implementing these digital retail technologies, we are making shopping at MINISO more convenient and with less physical contact required," said Liu. MINISO's total revenue for Q3 2021 reached US$340.3 million, representing a year-over-year increase of nearly 37%, as posted in the brand's unaudited financial results for the third quarter of fiscal year 2021, which ended on March 31, 2021. Net profit was US$22.7 million, representing an increase of 77% from the previous quarter beating Wall Street analysts' estimates and setting a new high for MINISO since the outbreak of COVID-19. The revenue contribution from online channels, including e-commerce and O2O (online to offline) sales, exceeded 10% for the first time this quarter, reflective of MINISO's continued efforts to further develop its omnichannel marketing. The retailer's e-commerce business contributed around US$26.1 million in revenue, increasing 86% year-over-year, with a revenue contribution of 7.7%. The O2O business contributed nearly US$10.7 million in revenue, accounting for 3.1% of total sales. The toy category became another new growth engine for MINISO. Toy sales in the China market nearly doubled (189%) compared to last year, and the brand is to duplicate that success in overseas markets. In response to the strong market demand, MINISO launched its first independent sub-brand called TOP TOY to serve the higher-end collectibles and art toy markets. Since its debut in late December 2020, TOP TOY has launched over 2,000 products ranging from US$9 to upwards of a thousand dollars, geared for children to adults. TOP TOY is angling to become a leader in China's booming toy market, and has opened 25 stores in the last five months breaking its own sales record in each Chinese market in which it opens. TOP TOY is poised to make its international debut in the second half of 2021. MINISO store expansion strategy: think smaller Since the pandemic hit, MINISO has opened 364 stores in the past 12 months at a pace of nearly one store per day contributing to its total of 4,587 stores in China and across 94 overseas markets, according to the retailer's Q3 earnings report. MINISO has performed strongest in China, a market which has rebounded rapidly from COVID-19 implications. In a nod to the retailer's expansion strategy, notably, nearly 70% of MINISO 's new stores were opened in Tier 3 and Tier 4 cities in China. MINISO's domestic business rebounded strongly in Q3, with physical store and online e-commerce revenue exploding 69% and 86% respectively, compared to the same quarter in 2020. Similarly, MINISO continues to explore smaller international markets. "We will continue to make efforts in overseas markets, not only to further develop new markets and existing markets, but also to further localize," said Vincent Huang, MINISO's Vice President of International Business. MINISO recently opened stores in Iceland, Malta, New Caledonia, the Canary Islands and new emerging markets like Vietnam and Laos. The retailer has also further enhanced its presence in existing key markets across Southeast Asia, Europe, the US and Mexico. About MINISO: MINISO is a lifestyle product retailer, offering high quality household goods, cosmetics, food, and toys at affordable prices. Since its first store opened in Guangzhou in 2013, MINISO has opened more than 4,587 stores in over 95 countries and regions. With a focus on sleek design and fun trends, its mission is to enable everyone to enjoy life's little surprises. SOURCE Miniso Group HOUSTON, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Path Environmental Technology, a technology-enabled decarbonizing industrial services platform focused on above ground storage tank ("AST") cleaning, has appointed Don Gawick as Chief Executive Officer. Andrew White, Path's current CEO, will transition to Chairman of the Board, where he will continue to aid in strategic initiatives and foster the development of the Company's proprietary technologies. Path, founded in 2014 and acquired by industrial decarbonization-focused private equity firm Ara Partners in 2020, cleans ASTs and rail tank cars using proprietary methods to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, waste generation and personnel hours in hazardous, confined space environments. Path's differentiated service offering addresses environmental challenges across the industrials, refining and petrochemicals sectors today, with opportunities to expand into the agriculture, chemical, food & beverage and pulp & paper industries long-term. Gawick brings to Path four decades of leadership scaling industrial and energy services companies. He has led a broad spectrum of organizations in the sectorfrom mid-market, private-equity-owned businesses to large public companieswith a focus on management best practices and world-class health, safety and environmental ("HSE") standards. Most recently he led the management team of publicly traded C&J Energy Services, including a three-year tenure as President & CEO and four years as COO. He was instrumental in expanding C&J's offering into four new product lines and its geographic footprint across seven new end markets, and led the company through its successful merger with Keane Energy Services in 2019. "I am excited to join the Path team and look forward to expanding our decarbonizing, technology-enabled approach into adjacent markets and service lines," said Gawick. "Path's value proposition is forward thinking on ESG and truly unparalleled in the industryreducing waste, emissions and personnel hours in hazardous, confined space environments by over 80% compared to traditional methods. Building entrepreneurial, HSE-minded businesses has been at the core of my professional experience, and I look forward to continuing that tradition at Path." "Don combines considerable public company c-suite expertise with a lifelong passion for growing pioneering businesses from the ground up," White commented. "His proven ability to execute on diverse growth initiatives, particularly in technology-focused service companies, makes him the perfect fit to lead Path in this new chapter." Previously, Gawick was the President and CEO of Casedhole Solutions, which was acquired by C&J in 2012. At Casedhole, he delivered triple-digit top line growth and expanded the firm's geographic footprint fivefold across North America. Prior to C&J and Casedhole, Gawick had a successful 30-year career at Schlumberger, where his breadth of experience spanned multiple divisions and geo-markets, including the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia and Latin America. He brings myriad experience across the industrials and energy value chain to Path as the Company enters new end-markets, expands its service capabilities and broadens its geographic footprint. "We are thrilled to welcome Don to the Path and Ara teams," commented Tuan Tran, a Managing Director at Ara Partners. "We have worked with Don for over ten years and have experienced firsthand his dynamic, seasoned management style that has resulted in operational excellence and a stellar track record of generating industry-leading returns for investors. We believe he is the ideal candidate to lead Path through this period of rapid expansion." "On behalf of Path's Board, shareholders and employees, I offer our deepest gratitude to Andrew for his entrepreneurial vision in building Path," said Troy Thacker, a Managing Partner at Ara Partners. "We commend him for his many years of leadership to the Company and its employees, and now his ability to attract and recruit top notch talent such as Don. We look forward to Andrew's continued service and leadership as our Chairman." About Path Environmental Technology, LLC Path is a technology-enabled, decarbonizing industrial services platform. Path cleans storage tanks and rail tank cars using proprietary methods which reduce emissions, landfill waste and personnel hours in confined space environments. About Ara Partners Ara Partners is a private equity firm specializing in industrial decarbonization investments. Ara Partners invests in the industrial & manufacturing, chemicals & materials, energy efficiency & green fuels and food & agriculture sectors, seeking to build businesses that are focused on sustainability and ESG principles. For more information on Ara Partners, please visit www.arapartners.com. Contact: James Wang [email protected] SOURCE Ara Partners Related Links http://www.arapartners.com Walmart Canada Marketplace was launched in 2009 and integrates a curated community of respected and well-known retailers that aim to offer consumers high-quality and reputable products. The new collaboration will enable PlantX to take advantage of the extensive Walmart Canada Marketplace digital marketing services and customer base. PlantX on Walmart Canada Marketplace will initially sell grocery and pantry items from various brands such as Simply Organic, Made in Nature, Cadia and Nutiva, with potential opportunities to diversify its offerings on this platform in the future. "Being invited and approved to join Walmart Canada Marketplace is an amazing feat that further demonstrates the scalability of the platform and demand for the products of PlantX" said Sean Dollinger, PlantX Founder. "This collaboration redefines PlantX's potential as a plant-based leader and illustrates how our results-driven expansion efforts continue to broaden our horizons." The grocery and food retail industry in Canada is experiencing dynamic changes with the rise of e-commerce in recent years, as well as the pandemic-driven surge in online grocery shopping, which spearheaded a spike of 177% in Canadian online sales. Overall retail sales of food and beverages amounted to almost $130 billion in 2019 in Canada, and the market value of the Canadian food retail industry is projected to reach $154.3 billions by 2021. Market research also suggests that almost 37% of all Canadians are now shopping online for groceries, marking a 57% increase in overall digitization of grocery sales. Walmart was named the most popular store in Canada for purchasing food and beverages in 2019, with approximately half of Canadians claiming that they are regular Walmart customers. Notably, Walmart Canada's e-commerce sales increased by a staggering 229% during the pandemic, marking unprecedented growth for the retail giant. PlantX's new partnership with Walmart Canada will allow the Company to maximize its e-commerce impact by capitalizing on the general upwards trends in e-commerce sales combined with Walmart's ongoing online growth. About PlantX Life Inc. As the digital face of the plant-based community, PlantX's platform is the one-stop shop for everything plant-based. With its fast-growing category verticals, the Company offers customers across North America more than 10,000 plant-based products. In addition to offering meal and indoor plant deliveries, the Company currently has plans underway to expand its product lines to include cosmetics, clothing and its own water brand but the business is not limited to an e-commerce platform. The Company uses its digital platform to build a community of likeminded consumers and, most importantly, provide education. Its successful enterprise is being built and fortified on partnerships with top nutritionists, chefs and brands. The Company eliminates the barriers to entry for anyone interested in living a plant-based lifestyle and thriving in a longer, healthier and happier life. About Walmart Canada Walmart Canada operates a growing chain of 410 stores nationwide serving more than 1.2 million customers each day. Walmart Canada's flagship online store, www.walmart.ca, is visited by 600,000 customers daily. With more than 90,000 associates, Walmart Canada is one of Canada's largest employers and is ranked one of the country's top 10 most influential brands. Walmart Canada's extensive philanthropy program is focused on supporting Canadian families in need, and since 1994 Walmart has raised and donated more than $275 million to Canadian charities. Additional information can be found at walmartcanada.ca, facebook.com/walmartcanada and at twitter.com/walmartcanada. Forward Looking-Information This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements contained herein that are not clearly historical in nature may constitute forward-looking information. In some cases, forward-looking information can be identified by words or phrases such as "may," "will," "expect," "likely," "should," "would," "plan," "anticipate," "intend," "potential," "proposed," "estimate," "believe" or the negative of these terms, or other similar words, expressions and grammatical variations thereof, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" happen, or by discussions of strategy. The forward-looking information contained herein includes, without limitation, the current and future product offerings of PlantX on Walmart Marketplace and the business and strategic plans of the Company. By its nature, forward-looking information is subject to inherent risks and uncertainties that may be general or specific and which give rise to the possibility that expectations, forecasts, predictions, projections or conclusions will not prove to be accurate, that assumptions may not be correct and that objectives, strategic goals and priorities will not be achieved. A variety of factors, including known and unknown risks, many of which are beyond our control, could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking information in this press release including, without limitation: the Company's ability to comply with all applicable governmental regulations including all applicable food safety laws and regulations; impacts to the business and operations of the Company due to the COVID-19 epidemic; a limited operating history; the ability of the Company to access capital to meet future financing needs; the Company's reliance on management and key personnel; competition; changes in consumer trends; foreign currency fluctuations; and general economic, market or business conditions. Additional risk factors can also be found in the Company's continuous disclosure documents, which have been filed on SEDAR and can be accessed at www.sedar.com . Readers are cautioned to consider these and other factors, uncertainties and potential events carefully and not to put undue reliance on forward-looking information. The forward-looking information contained herein is made as of the date of this press release and is based on the beliefs, estimates, expectations and opinions of management on the date such forward-looking information is made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, estimates or opinions, future events or results or otherwise or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward-looking information, except as required by applicable law. The Company website is http://investor.PlantX.com/ . To visit the Company's YouTube channel, click here. SOURCE PlantX Life Inc. Related Links https://plantx.com/ The ratio of startups selected in this batch was 46.2% from Japan (42 startups) and 53.8% from overseas (49 startups), which includes a multitude of countries, such as The United States, Canada, India, The United Kingdom, Switzerland, and more. During the 3-month batch program, the selected startups will have full access to various events and seminars that assist their business development such as business matching meetings, networking, mentoring sessions, workshops, etc. There is no equity requirement for startups to participate. At the end of the 3-month program, Plug and Play Japan will hold its Summit (also known as Demo Day) in Tokyo and Kyoto. Each of the events will be held with the following schedule. More details for the Summer/Fall 2021 Summit will be released soon. Tokyo Summit: September 2-3, 2021 JST (Programs: IoT, Fintech, Insurtech, Mobility, Brand & Retail, and Energy) Kyoto Summit: September 14, 2021 JST (Programs: Health and New Materials) For the relevant information regarding the Summit, please refer their Winter/Spring 2021 Summit Report: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/plug-and-play-japan-winterspring-2021-summit-report-301252382.html About Plug and Play Japan Plug and Play Japan was established in 2017 as a subsidiary of Plug and Play, the Global Innovation Platform. Our major strength is to provide "Consortium-type Programs", "Global-level Accelerator Programs", and support startups through "Venture Capital Investment". By working closely with 40+ official corporate partners, Plug and Play Japan supports Japanese and international startups to scale their businesses and to enhance collaboration with industry-leading corporations. About the Accelerator Program in Plug and Play Japan Plug and Play Japan provides accelerator programs across 9 verticals (IoT, Fintech, Insurtech, Mobility, Brand & Retail, Health, Smart Cities, New Materials, and Energy) to accelerate innovation by connecting Plug and Play Japan's corporate partners with Japanese and international startups. Through these programs, corporate partners are able to connect with participating startups with technologies and services that could accelerate their innovation activities. For startups, they have the opportunity to collaborate with a wide range of major corporations. Summit (so-called Demo Day) is the final step of the accelerator program where startups give pitches outlining their results from the program. It is a great opportunity to get the latest updates on innovative technologies, meet cutting-edge startups, and develop new business partnerships. Company Overview CompanyPlug and Play Japan KK Founded: 2017/7/14 AddressShibuya Center Place 3F 1-16-3, Dogenzaka, Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan RepresentativePhillip Vicent URL http://japan.plugandplaytechcenter.com/ Inquiry Regarding this Press Release Plug and Play Japan KK Person in charge: Megumi Shoei TEL : +81-50-5474-2808 / Mail : [email protected] SOURCE Plug and Play ALBANY, N.Y., June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Production and distribution of high purity quartz sand has been growing over the years to meet the need for various high-tech industries including semiconductors, photovoltaic (PV) solar panels, and wide spectrum of electronics applications. The purity is determined usually according to regulations set forth by IOTA. They are typically of 99.99% purity, and cater to meet various performance characteristics for high purity fillers, specialty glass, molding compounds, and ceramics. Rise in demand for high purity quartz market for UVC lighting solar in panels and semi-conductors is bolstering worldwide consumption. By the end of 2030, the globally valuation of high purity quartz market for UVC lighting is projected to cross worth of US$ 200 Mn. Rise in popularity of use of the products in HVAC systems of buildings and public transport against disinfection of Covid-19 pathogens has expanded the canvas for players in the value chain. In 2019, the valuation was pegged at ~US$ 104 Mn. Request for Covid-19 Impact Analysis on High Purity Quartz Sand Market for UVC Lighting: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/Covid19.php Key Findings of High Purity Quartz Sand Market for UVC Lighting Study Rapidly Growing Traction of Quartz UV Germicidal Lamps in Disinfection Propels Growth : UV-C radiation or lighting technology has over four decades been extensively used in disinfection of surfaces and objects in activating microbes and pathogens. In recent times, the technology has gained high preference in healthcare institutions in the wake of mounting risks of infections from the SARS-CoV-2 virus (novel coronavirus). Thus, the revenues from the high purity quartz market for UVC lighting has risen sharply in recent months. A number of producers of high purity quartz sand are getting into contracts to meet the rising demands for UVC equipment for microbial disinfection applications. The growing adoption of UV germicidal lamps in purifying indoor air is one of the key trends in the high purity quartz market for UVC lighting. : UV-C radiation or lighting technology has over four decades been extensively used in disinfection of surfaces and objects in activating microbes and pathogens. In recent times, the technology has gained high preference in healthcare institutions in the wake of mounting risks of infections from the SARS-CoV-2 virus (novel coronavirus). Thus, the revenues from the high purity quartz market for UVC lighting has risen sharply in recent months. A number of producers of high purity quartz sand are getting into contracts to meet the rising demands for UVC equipment for microbial disinfection applications. The growing adoption of UV germicidal lamps in purifying indoor air is one of the key trends in the high purity quartz market for UVC lighting. Diverse Disinfection Applications Propels Growth: there is a growing demand for UV-C in medical applications, counterfeit testing, and air and water purification. Thus, the rise in wastewater treatment in industrialized nations is a key trend bolstering the expansion of the market. Thus, the market has witnessed rise in investments for improving the performance parameters with the help of state-of-the art manufacturing technologies and production units. Focus of the optoelectronics industry on improving the UVC products has also spurred a spirit of innovation. One key trend is the advances in purification technology to unveil cost-efficient quartz sand of high purity and ultra-high purity grade. Download PDF Brochure - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php High Purity Quartz Sand Market for UVC Lighting: Key Driving Factors and Avenues Worldwide growing awareness about the health of peoples has led to the use of robust, easy-to-use disinfection technology aimed at mitigating risks of infection from viruses and bacteria Substantial uptake of UV lighting in air purification and sterilization of water applications has boosted revenue generation Growing investments by governments on water and wastewater treatment by emerging economies is spurring the demand for UVC lighting View Detailed Table of Contents at https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/report-toc/78277 High Purity Quartz Sand Market for UVC Lighting: Regional Avenues On the global front, Asia Pacific has emerged as a highly attractive market. has emerged as a highly attractive market. The growth in revenues is propelled by the vast manufacturing base, particularly in China , which holds the dominant share of the regional market. The vast consumer base in Asia Pacific is another factor that is likely to offer steady momentum growth to opportunities through 2030. , which holds the dominant share of the regional market. The vast consumer base in is another factor that is likely to offer steady momentum growth to opportunities through 2030. North America is a promising regional market. is a promising regional market. The presence of a few globally prominent companies in the region has helped the aforementioned regional market gain a prominent position. 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Contact Mr. Rohit Bhisey Transparency Market Research State Tower, 90 State Street, Suite 700, Albany NY - 12207 United States USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453 Email: [email protected] Press Release Source: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/pressrelease/uvc-lighting-high-purity-quartz-sand-market.htm Website: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com SOURCE Transparency Market Research CHICAGO and MUNICH, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- ProGlove, the leader in ergonomic wearables for industry, partners with Ivanti Wavelink, a global leader in supply chain mobility solutions, to help organizations turn their warehouse management legacy systems into more modern, state-of-the-art technology. Through this partnership businesses can benefit from an effortless transformation process that can be integrated right out of the box and hooks up ProGlove's leading wearable MARK Display barcode scanners with warehouse management or backend systems by means of Ivanti's Velocity solutions. The first organizations to profit from this partnership include Hermes Fulfilment, a member of the Otto Group. Hermes Fulfilment handles the entire shipping process including customer orders, warehousing and returns for Otto Group's retail companies. ProGlove ProGlove The combined solution allows for easy integration of Telnet and browser-based applications to communicate and deliver crucial information to and from workers' rugged mobile computers and wearable devices. Ivanti Velocity platform helps companies leverage modern technology in the warehouse and across the supply chain to improve accuracy and efficiency without modifying or replacing legacy backend systems, while maintaining and improving workers' productivity. This helps reduce picking errors, decrease down-time and increase productivity. The bundle therefore accelerates data capturing while having users benefit from advanced control of device-specific barcode scanning parameters. The frontline workers thus do not need additional training as they continue to work with the tools they are familiar with. The project at Hermes Fulfilment includes some 150 MARK Display devices and Ivanti Velocity Software at three different locations. It is a picking use case that helps workers lift heavy devices such as refrigerators, which makes a hands-free approach mandatory. Ivanti Wavelink, the supply chain business unit of Ivanti, combines technologies and mobile devices uniquely suited for today's high-velocity e-commerce environment and supports the heightened health and safety needs of essential warehouse workers. The company's solutions have been mission-critical in helping companies leverage modern technology on rugged mobile scanners that run on Android, iOS and Windows 10 Operating Systems. ProGlove's wearable barcode scanners are the lightest and fastest in the market. In combination with ProGlove's recently released Insight platform they provide valuable insights that secure critical benefits for operational leaders while supplying frontline workers not only with the tools they need, but the tools they love. Bundle To Deliver Everywhere Workplace With Focus On Human Worker "ProGlove's MARK Display is a giant leap forward in barcode scanning," said Simon Storey, Global VP of Strategic Alliances, Ivanti Wavelink. "Their devices come with a unique formfactor that is tailored to meet the needs of warehouse shopfloor workers superbly. The cost, risk and time associated with writing new mobile applications to keep up with modern mobile operating systems just isn't feasible. We make it easy for their customers to deploy next-generation mobility, minimizing the risks and dependence on IT resources." "Ivanti's Velocity set of solutions is a mission critical engine to boost the digitization of the shop floor," emphasized Charlie Grieco, Chief Revenue Officer at ProGlove. "While many organizations recognize the need for more flexibility and adaptability, they cannot just shake off the legacy systems they have in place. Ivanti resolves this issue so that businesses can change gears and accelerate to warp speed in no time. Our combined solution delivers immediate benefits by allowing for a decentralized approach to data handling. This results in more efficiency, better quality while putting a focus on the human worker." More information about this partnership is available at: https://www.proglove.com/ivanti-proglove-partnership/ About ProGlove ProGlove builds the smallest, lightest, and toughest barcode scanners in the world, connecting workers to the Internet of Things. This promotes human-machine collaboration and drives the digitization of the shop floor. More than 500 renowned organizations in manufacturing, production, logistics, and retail use these smarter workforce solutions. ProGlove was founded in December 2014 after winning the Intel "Make it Wearable" Challenge and is backed by growth-focused investors Summit Partners, DICP Deutsche Invest Capital Partners, and Bayern Capital. The company employs 200 people from over 30 countries with offices in Chicago, Munich (Germany), and Belgrade (Serbia). The World Economic Forum named ProGlove a Technology Pioneer in 2020. More information is available at www.proglove.com. About Ivanti Ivanti Wavelink software enables organizations to leverage modern mobile technology in the warehouse and across the supply chain to improve productivity, picking accuracy, and reduce risks without modifying backend IT systems. It's been deployed with 10,000+ customer on over 5 million devices. Ivanti Wavelink is part of Ivanti, which automates IT and Security Operations to discover, manage, secure and service cloud to edge. Ivanti is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah and has offices all over the world. For more information, visit www.ivanti.com/wavelink and follow @GoIvanti. Media Contact ProGlove Axel Schmidt Senior Communications Manager Email: [email protected] Phone: +49-89-262035036 SOURCE ProGlove Related Links https://www.proglove.com SHANGHAI, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Puyi (Shanghai) Biotechnology Co., Ltd. ("Puyi Biotechnology") recently announced the completion of its Series B financing led by Goldman Sachs Asset Management. The proceeds will be used to further augment R&D and business development. Puyi Biotechnology is a leading player in the high-value medical device market in China. Specializing in material science and drug delivery technology, the company has built a unique presence in ENT (Ear, Nose, Throat), reproductive health and medical aesthetics. Since its establishment in 2012, Puyi Biotechnology has received investments from reputable local and foreign investors, including Legend Capital and Northern Light Venture Capital. The first commercial product of Puyi Biotechnology, "Xiangtong Fully Bioabsorbable Drug-Coated Sinus Implant," was approved in April 2017 by the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) as the first and only approved product of its kind in China. The overall prevalence rate of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) in the Chinese population is eight percent. Traditional drug treatment cannot effectively cure the disease resulting in high risk of relapse and re-surgery for patients. In recent years, the clinical use of a fully bioabsorbable sinus implant is commonly recommended by clinical guidelines and the consensus of experts for the diagnosis and treatment of chronic sinusitis. The company's technology can effectively address the shortfalls of traditional therapies and substantially improve treatment outcomes for patients. In the field of gynecology and reproductive health, Puyi Biotechnology's intrauterine system is dedicated to the treatment of intrauterine adhesion a condition caused by uterus trauma or injury, leading to damage of the endometrium, which is detrimental to women's health and a key cause of infertility. As a globally innovative product, the company's intrauterine system addresses substantial unmet demand in women's reproductive health and brings a new solution for families with fertility desires. At the same time, Puyi Biotechnology's R&D team, with rigorous clinical development standards has developed a portfolio of medical aesthetic products, including pre-filled injections and suspension suture products that open up new treatment options for men and women with higher requirements for quality and safety. "We are excited to have a global investor like Goldman Sachs lead this round of financing and would like to thank them and the co-investors for their recognition of our company and team," said Mr. Xie Jian, Founder and Chairman of Puyi Biotechnology. "This investment will not only provide us with broader international perspectives, but also enable us to advance the commercialization of our bioabsorbable sinus implant while completing the late stage clinical development of Puyi Biotechnology's products in gynecology, reproductive health and medical aesthetics. We will continue to focus on research related to material science and drug delivery technology while launching innovative products to satisfy unmet clinical needs." "We are impressed by the Puyi Biotechnology team and their strong bioengineering capability. The company's CRS implant is a first-to-market product targeting patients in China, many of whom experience deteriorating conditions as a result of physiological and environmental factors. In addition, the company has transplanted its core competency to serve the field of gynecology. Puyi Biotechnology's intrauterine implant device is a potential first-in-class product to treat intrauterine adhesion a leading cause of infertility globally. We are excited by the prospects of the company's product portfolio in raising the standard of care and look forward to helping Puyi grow its ecosystem," said Kevin Xu, a Managing Director at Goldman Sachs Asset Management. Huatai International served as the exclusive financial advisor to the company. About Puyi Biotechnology Puyi (Shanghai) Biotechnology Co., Ltd. was established in October 2012. With its core technology focused on material science and drug delivery, Puyi Biotechnology engages in the R&D and commercialization of innovative, high-value and minimally invasive medical devices across multiple market segments. With its values founded on innovation, evidence based research, teamwork and sharing, Puyi Biotechnology will continue to launch more innovative medical products to meet clinical needs. About Goldman Sachs Goldman Sachs is one of the world's leading investors in alternative investments. With over 30 years of experience, we invest in the full spectrum of alternatives, including private equity, growth equity, credit, real estate, infrastructure, ESG, and absolute-return strategies. Our clients access these solutions through our direct proprietary strategies, customized strategic partnerships, and open-architecture programs. Our alternative investment teams represent over 1,000 professionals, across 31 offices around the world. We leverage the depth and breadth of global relationships across Goldman Sachs to identify investment opportunities, drawing on our firm-wide capital market insights, industry research, and risk management platforms. We extend these capabilities to the world's leading pension plans, sovereign wealth funds, governments, financial institutions, endowments, foundations, family offices and individuals, for which we invest or advise on over $300 billion of alternative investments. About Huatai International Huatai International is a wholly-owned offshore subsidiary and business platform of Huatai Securities, and engages in the Categories 1, 2, 4, 6 and 9 regulated activities under the supervision of the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission through its holding subsidiary Huatai Financial Holdings (Hong Kong) Limited ("Huatai Financial"). SOURCE Puyi (Shanghai) Biotechnology Co., Ltd HOUSTON, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Quanta Services, Inc. (NYSE: PWR) announced today that LUMA Energy, LLC (LUMA), a joint venture between Quanta Services (Quanta) and Canadian Utilities Limited, an ATCO Ltd. Company (ATCO), has commenced the operations and maintenance of Puerto Rico's electric power transmission and distribution (T&D) system under the Supplemental Terms Agreement following nearly a year of preparation to transition these responsibilities from the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) to LUMA. Duke Austin, Quanta's President and Chief Executive Officer, commented, "We want to congratulate the teams at LUMA, Quanta and ATCO, and the Puerto Rico regulatory authorities, who have worked diligently to ensure the on-time transition of the operations and maintenance of Puerto Rico's more than 18,000-mile T&D system to LUMA. In LUMA, we have created a purpose-built and effective operator for the Puerto Rico T&D system and the people of Puerto Rico. We remain steadfast in our commitment to continue to invest our time, expertise and resources to help drive efficient operations at LUMA, as it works to deliver a modern, secure, resilient and affordable electric grid, and to develop a highly trained craft-skilled workforce for the future of Puerto Rico. We look forward to working with the communities we serve." In June 2020, following a competitive process that lasted for more than a year, Quanta announced that LUMA was selected by the Puerto Rico Public-Private Partnership Authority (P3) for a 15-year Operation and Maintenance Agreement (the O&M Agreement) with PREPA. This O&M Agreement engages LUMA to operate, maintain and modernize PREPA's T&D system in Puerto Rico, with the 15-year period scheduled to commence upon PREPA's exit from Title III bankruptcy. LUMA will not own the T&D assets and will not own or operate the power generation assets. Quanta believes that, in addition to delivering a more reliable and resilient power grid, LUMA's efforts will deliver long-term social and economic benefits to the people of Puerto Rico. Quanta and ATCO each own 50% of LUMA. About Quanta Services Quanta Services is a leading specialized contracting services company, delivering comprehensive infrastructure solutions for the utility, communications, pipeline and energy industries. Quanta's comprehensive services include designing, installing, repairing and maintaining energy and communications infrastructure. With operations throughout the United States, Canada, Australia and select other international markets, Quanta has the manpower, resources and expertise to safely complete projects that are local, regional, national or international in scope. For more information, visit www.quantaservices.com. Forward Looking Statements This press release (and any oral statements regarding the subject matter of this press release) contains forward-looking statements intended to qualify for the "safe harbor" from liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to expectations regarding the future financial and operational performance of LUMA; the projected impact and benefits of LUMA on Quanta's operating or financial results, including potential management and incentive fees and the expected value of the Supplemental Terms Agreement or the O&M Agreement or Quanta's investment in LUMA; the future performance, efficiency, safety or success of the operation, maintenance and transformation project and Quanta's investment in LUMA, including the expected economic, workforce and social impact on Puerto Rico and expectations regarding future performance of the Puerto Rican electrical grid and service; the future impact of LUMA or Quanta on workforce development in Puerto Rico; expectations regarding Quanta's business or financial outlook, plans and strategies; the business plans or financial condition of PREPA, including its ability to emerge from bankruptcy; ; as well as statements reflecting expectations, intentions, assumptions or beliefs about future events and other statements that do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, involve or rely on a number of risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that are difficult to predict or are beyond our control, and reflect management's beliefs and assumptions based on information available at the time the statements are made. We caution you that actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed, implied, or forecasted by our forward-looking statements and that any or all of our forward-looking statements may turn out to be inaccurate or incorrect. Forward-looking statements can be affected by inaccurate assumptions and by known or unknown risks and uncertainties including , among others, market conditions; the effects of industry, economic or political conditions outside of the control of Quanta, including the ongoing and potential impact to financial markets and worldwide economic activity resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic; successful performance and completion of the Supplemental Terms Agreement and the O&M Agreement; failure to realize the anticipated value of the Supplemental Terms Agreement or the O&M Agreement; delays, reductions in scope or cancellations related to the project and potential additional opportunities, including as a result of weather, regulatory or permitting issues, environmental processes, performance issues, claimed force majeure events, protests or other political activity, reductions or eliminations in governmental funding, legal challenges or customer capital constraints; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Quanta's and LUMA's operations, personnel and supply chain; performance shortfalls by LUMA or any party's inability or failure to comply with the terms of the Supplemental Terms Agreement, the O&M Agreement, the joint venture agreement and other agreements associated with the arrangement; the potential for claims associated with schedule delays, performance shortfalls or inability or failure to comply with the contractual terms of the arrangement; adverse weather conditions or significant weather events, including, among others, hurricanes, tropical storms and floods; risks associated with operational hazards that arise due to the nature of LUMA's and Quanta's services and the conditions in which they operate; unexpected costs or liabilities that may arise from legal proceedings, indemnity obligations, pension plans, environmental liabilities or other claims or actions asserted against LUMA or Quanta, including those not covered by, or in excess of, third-party insurance; the ability to develop and attract and the potential shortage of skilled labor; the ability to retain key personnel and qualified employees for the successful management of LUMA; the successful negotiation, execution, performance and completion of anticipated, pending and existing contracts; the inability or refusal of PREPA to pay for Quanta's services, including as a result of its ongoing bankruptcy; the impact of a unionized workforce on operations, including labor stoppages or interruptions due to strikes or lockouts; the failure of suppliers, subcontractors or other third party contractors to perform their obligations, including warranty obligations, under their subcontracts; adverse changes in economic conditions and trends in relevant markets; cancellation and termination provisions present in the O&M Agreement; and other risks and uncertainties detailed in Quanta's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended Dec. 31, 2020, Quanta's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended Mar. 31, 2021, and any other documents that Quanta files with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). For a discussion of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, investors are urged to refer to Quanta's documents filed with the SEC that are available through the company's website at www.quantaservices.com or through the SEC's Electronic Data Gathering and Analysis Retrieval System (EDGAR) at www.sec.gov. Should one or more of these risks materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which are current only as of this date. Quanta does not undertake and expressly disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Quanta further expressly disclaims any written or oral statements made by any third party regarding the subject matter of this press release. Investors - Kip Rupp, CFA, IRC Media Liz James Quanta Services, Inc. Sard Verbinnen & Co (713) 341-7260 (281) 881-5170 SOURCE Quanta Services, Inc. Related Links http://www.quantaservices.com Small Pharmas ( ) Carol Routledge, Chief Medical and Scientific Officer joins Proactive Londons Katie Pilbeam to discuss their specialism in psychedelics. Carol explains their key trial which is now in phase I/IIa based in the UK at Imperial College London. The firm is now accelerating this trial, working with MAC, a leading CRO specialised in psychedelic-assisted studies. The trial has been expanded to include 42 people and that the increased space will mean the topline results can be expected earlier than anticipated - in H1 next year. The company recently listed on the TSVX stock exchange in Canada raising c$63 million, a vibrant market with a strong base of psychedelic drug companies. "Scoular employees have always explored possibilities across the agricultural supply chain, imaginatively creating solutions for our customers," said CEO Paul Maass. "As the industry evolves at a rapid pace, we will continue to seize opportunities that position Scoular for long-term success." The Emerging Businesses Division will include business activities focusing on biofuels, renewable energy, carbon markets, investments in agricultural technology, such as Roger LLC, and other future growth ventures. "Scoular can more strategically capture emerging opportunities when these business activities are aligned within the same division, which can support their unique capital, technology and talent needs," said Prosser, who formerly served as Scoular's Senior Vice President of Risk Management and as Scoular's Interim Chief Information Officer. Prosser also was instrumental in the recent creation of Roger, a technology solution for the dry bulk freight industry. Maass also on Tuesday announced three internal promotions to Scoular's Senior Leadership Team: Joe Andrus has been promoted to Senior Vice President and Feed Division Manager. He succeeds John Messerich , who retired May 31 . Andrus, based in Minneapolis , previously served as Vice President and General Manager for the High-Nutritional Value Proteins business unit; Ron Bingham has been promoted to Senior Vice President and Grain Division Manager. He succeeds Bob Ludington , who retired May 31 . Ludington will continue to serve on Scoular's Board of Directors. Bingham, based in Overland Park, Kansas , previously served as Vice President and General Manager for the Wheat business unit; Amy Patterson has been promoted to President of Petsource, an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Scoular. Patterson, based in Omaha , previously served as Vice President and Petsource General Manager. "I am thrilled to promote Joe, Ron and Amy to our senior executive team, and to see Scoular's robust talent management and development practices at work as we elevate these outstanding leaders," said Maass. "I am confident that under their leadership Scoular will continue to define what is possible for our customers and achieve growth well into the future." NEW LEADERSHIP BIOS Joe Andrus As the leader of the Feed Division, Andrus provides strategic leadership for Scoular's businesses in feed, pet food and aquafeed solutions worldwide. Throughout his career Andrus has traveled the world using his expertise to provide value-added solutions to producers of proteins and fats as well as the food and feed manufacturers consuming them. Andrus worked for eight years in purchasing and risk management for Nestle and joined Scoular in 1998 as part of International Proteins Corporation. Prior to overseeing the Feed Division, Andrus served as Scoular's Vice President & General Manger of High-Nutritional Value Proteins. Andrus attended the University of Minnesota. Ron Bingham Bingham has more than 35 years of experience in the agriculture industry. Prior to Scoular, he worked for Cargill, Continental Grain, Koch Industries and Evans Grain Company. Prior to his role as Scoular's Grain Division leader, he served as the company's Vice President & General Manager of the Wheat business unit. Bingham graduated with a bachelor's degree in computer science from Kansas Wesleyan University. He currently serves on the National Grain & Feed Association's Trade Rules Committee. Amy Patterson Patterson is an experienced leader in the food manufacturing and value-added ingredients industry. Patterson is President of Petsource, an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Scoular with a new, high-tech manufacturing facility in Seward, Nebraska. Petsource produces high-protein, freeze-dried pet food ingredients as a contract manufacturer for pet food companies. Before coming to Petsource, Patterson worked for 16 years at Conagra Brands where she most recently served as Vice President and General Manager of Spicetec Flavors & Seasonings. Patterson graduated from the University of Notre Dame and has an MBA from the University of Nebraska. Ed Prosser Prosser has more than 36 years of experience in agribusiness. His career began with Conagra Brands where he served in a variety of roles over 24 years, eventually serving as Vice President & General Manager of Agricultural Risk Strategies. In 2008, he joined Gavilon and before coming to Scoular in 2018 served as Senior Vice President of Risk Management. Prosser holds a bachelor of science degree in agricultural economics from Kansas State University. A 128-year-old company with $6 billion in annual sales, Scoular creates safe and reliable supply chain solutions for end-users and suppliers of grain, feed ingredients, and food ingredients. From its more than 100 offices and facilities in North America and Asia, Scoular's 1,000-plus employees lead the way by buying, selling, storing, handling and processing grain and ingredients as well as managing transportation and logistics for customers around the world. Contact: Melissa Matczak, Senior Manager, Corporate Communications Phone: 402-344-1325 Email: [email protected] Scoular.com SOURCE Scoular Related Links http://www.Scoular.com DOGERN, Germany, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- With a turnover of EUR 184.0 million, the Sedus Stoll Group faced a total drop in turnover of -12.4% in the first year of the pandemic. Despite all the difficult circumstances, the 2020 business year ended with a solid profit of EUR 2.54 million. In the 2020 financial year, which was characterised by a series of highs and lows, the incoming orders dropped particularly sharply in the months of March and April. However, with the development of special furniture for the home office and aerosol protection walls to retrofit existing office furnishings, Sedus rapidly and flexibly responded to the new market requirements and was thus able to easily cushion further losses. Number of employees: The number of employees in the Sedus Stoll Group has remained nearly unchanged, with a total of 936. Investments in all sectors: The investments of the Sedus Stoll Group in tangible and intangible assets came to a total of EUR 10.8 million in the 2020 financial year. With the major 20-million euro "Futura 2" project, which was launched in March 2021, the Geseke site will become the focus of investment for the next two years. The new fully automated production facility will be ready for operation in autumn 2022. By the turn of the year 2021/2022, the production and storage halls, which have been expanded by 9,000 m, should be ready for operation. With these future-oriented actions, the Sedus Board is sending out a strong positive signal and is confident that working and business life will return to normal, without expectation of any major surprises in the current year. Outlook: To contain the current pandemic, the company has adopted and implemented complementary measures to protect its employees, with a focus on rapid and self-tests. Regular, comprehensive self-tests have been provided as a further measure since mid-April. Despite all the uncertainties that the Corona situation can bring, the target for the current business year is clear in view. The company wants to build on its pre-pandemic success as soon as possible and achieve a similarly high level of results. Furthermore, in the second half of the year the company will celebrate its 150th anniversary to the fullest extent that the circumstances will allow. The details of the celebrations will be defined by the future conditions. Link to the Sedus Stoll Group 2020 Annual Report: https://www.sedus.com/de/unternehmen/daten-fakten - Picture is available at AP Images (http://www.apimages.com) - Sedus Presseagentur / Sedus press agency: Joachim Sparenberg, Dr.-Schwoerer-Str. 20, D-79761 Waldshut-Tiengen, tel.: +49 7741 8355003, e-mail: [email protected] SOURCE Sedus Stoll AG Related Links https://www.sedus.com KRAKOW, Poland, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Ryvu Therapeutics (WSE: RVU) today announced that the latest results from the DIAMOND-01 clinical trial (CLI24-001; clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT03008187) will be disclosed through poster presentations at both the upcoming American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and European Hematology Association (EHA) Virtual Congresses, to be held on June 4-8, and June 9-17, respectively. DIAMOND-01 is a First-in-Human, Phase I/II, dose escalation and cohort expansion trial of SEL24 (MEN1703), a first in class, orally available, dual PIM/FLT3 inhibitor in-licensed by Menarini Group from Ryvu Therapeutics, which is currently investigated as single agent for the treatment of patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). In the dose escalation part of DIAMOND-01 trial, SEL24(MEN1703) demonstrated a manageable safety profile up to the recommended dose (RD) of 125 mg/day, along with initial evidence of anti-leukemic activity in a single agent setting. Data reported in the ASCO and EHA posters refers to the patients enrolled in the Phase II, cohort expansion part of the study, which confirmed the manageable safety profile of the drug at the RD and showed preliminary single agent efficacy in relapsed/refractory AML, particularly in patients with IDH mutant disease either naive or previously exposed to IDH inhibitors. These results warrant further investigation of SEL24 (MEN1703) in AML, with a potential to focus on the IDH mutated subset. "We are thrilled to share encouraging results for SEL24 (MEN1703) in treating patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia," said Dirk Laurent, M.D., Global Therapeutic Area Head Oncology at Menarini Ricerche, the R&D division of the Menarini Group. "The data, which will be presented in our posters at both ASCO and EHA annual meetings, provides a strong rationale for further clinical development, including the potential to focus on a molecularly defined subset of patients. This accomplishment reflects our sustained commitment to improving the lives of patients with difficult-to-treat cancer and underscores the value of our precision oncology approach." "We are very happy to see that SEL24 (MEN1703), developed in collaboration with Menarini, continues to build momentum in the clinic demonstrating promising single agent efficacy in a genetically well-defined patient population after earlier encouraging safety and efficacy data in all-comer AML setting" - said Setareh Shamsili, MD, PhD, Chief Medical Officer of Ryvu Therapeutics. ASCO Poster details Updated results from DIAMOND-01 (CLI24-001) trial: a Phase I/II study of SEL24/MEN1703, a first-in-class dual PIM/FLT3 kinase inhibitor, in acute myeloid leukemia. Session: Hematologic MalignanciesLeukemia, Myelodysplastic Syndromes, and Allotransplant Abstract Code. 7023, Poster presentation EHA Poster details Results from DIAMOND-01 (CLI24-001) trial: First in Human Study of SEL24/MEN1703, a dual PIM/FLT3 Kinase Inhibitor, in patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia Session: Acute myeloid leukemia - Clinical Abstract Code: EP455, Poster presentation About SEL24 (MEN1703) SEL24 (MEN1703) is a first-in-class, orally available, dual PIM/FLT3 inhibitor in-licensed by Menarini from Ryvu Therapeutics. It is an investigational compound, not approved for use by regulatory authorities, currently being evaluated in the DIAMOND-01 trial (CLI24-001; clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT03008187) for the treatment of Acute Myeloid Leukemia. About Ryvu Therapeutics Ryvu Therapeutics is a clinical stage drug discovery and development company focused on novel small molecule therapies that address emerging targets in oncology. Internally discovered pipeline candidates make use of diverse therapeutic mechanisms driven by emerging knowledge of cancer biology, including small molecules directed at kinase, synthetic lethality, immuno-oncology and cancer metabolism targets. RVU120 (SEL120) is a selective CDK8/CDK19 kinase inhibitor with potential for the treatment of hematological malignancies and solid tumors currently in Phase 1b clinical development for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome. SEL24 (MEN1703) is a dual PIM/FLT3 kinase inhibitor licensed to the Menarini Group, currently in Phase II clinical studies in acute myeloid leukemia. The Company was founded in 2007 (until 2019 operating under the name Selvita S.A.) and currently employs over 160 associates, including more than 80 PhDs. Ryvu is headquartered in Krakow, Poland. Ryvu Therapeutics is listed on the main market of the Warsaw Stock Exchange, and is a component of sWIG80 index. For more information, please see www.ryvu.com. SOURCE Ryvu Therapeutics Related Links http://www.ryvu.com IRVINE, Calif., June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Representing the most influential new media talent on platforms such as YouTube and Tik Tok, Semaphore Licensing is raising the bar of excellence through intuitive and thoughtfully curated partnerships. By pairing Hyram Yarbro, whose collective reach tops 12 million, with The INKEY List, a brand that's accelerated into the spotlight through its mission to demystify skincare, Selfless by Hyram was born. The skincare collection, backed by science and careful formulation, will impact both people and planet through the brand's social impact mission. Selfless by Hyram will work to support organizations across four key areas; Our Environment, Health, Education and Empowerment. The brand has established global partnerships with both Rainforest Trust and Thirst Project which will address the urgent climate and clean water crisis. In the first 12 months post product launch, Selfless by Hyram is committed to raising enough funding to protect over 2,500 acres of rainforest from deforestation, restoring over 370,000 tons of CO2 (equivalent to 80,000 cars for a year!) and funding projects in over 60 communities throughout Eswatini, Africa, providing access to clean water for over 35,000 people for life. As new media stars continue to seek ways to enrich their brands, Semaphore is positioned to help influencers exceed perceived industry limitations. Dedicated to elevating talent into the A-list spotlight alongside celebrities, Semaphore is establishing a new set of standards for how successful licensing opportunities are created. Keeping the talent, their mission, and their philosophy at the heart of every deal, Semaphore is expanding the ways in which consumers can connect, engage and thrive through the help of their trusted influencers. "Through Selfless by Hyram I want to connect the beauty industry with social change. My goal is to help people by not only creating high quality skincare with incredible formulations, but to also give people an opportunity to empower others around the world who are impacted by some of the biggest global issues known to our generation. I want to help people change the world just by doing their skincare routine." Hyram Yarbro "We are proud to be empowering creators through custom licensing opportunities that allow their brands to connect in more meaningful ways while staying true to their mission and core values. Our focus on both integrity and partnership creates the perfect pairing so that our talents' individuality becomes their superpower." Michael Bienstock, Founder and CEO, Semaphore Licensing About Semaphore: Semaphore, a Family of Companies, was founded in 2002 and has grown exponentially over their 19 year tenure to include an innovative suite of services including accounting, tax preparation, payroll, insurance, brand and licensing management. Driven to offer best in class service through custom tailored support, Semaphore has earned the business of a diverse range of clientele with a niche for new media stars. Semaphore's headquarters is located in Irvine, California and Semaphore Licensing's headquarters is located in Colorado, where their teams of seasoned professionals strive to see their clients thrive. Learn more: SemaphoreHQ.com Contact: Paula Steurer Sterling Public Relations Direct: 949. 200. 6566 [email protected] SOURCE Semaphore Related Links https://semaphorehq.com NEW YORK, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Yalla Group Limited ("Yalla" or the "Company") (NYSE: YALA). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980. The investigation concerns whether Yalla and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices. [Click here for information about joining the class action] On May 19, 2021, Swan Street Research ("Swan Street") published a report addressing Yalla, entitled "Is Yalla Group a Multi $B Fraud? The 'Clubhouse of the Middle East' UAE Tech Unicorn that Never Was". The Swan Street report alleges, among other things, that the Company inflates its metrics, including revenue, and characteries Yalla's financial statements as "not credible". On this news, Yalla's American depositary share ("ADS") price fell $1.31 per ADS, or 7.15%, to close at $17.01 per ADS on May 19, 2021. The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com. CONTACT: Robert S. Willoughby Pomerantz LLP [email protected] 888-476-6529 ext. 7980 SOURCE Pomerantz LLP Related Links www.pomerantzlaw.com NEW YORK, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Romeo Power, Inc. ("Romeo" or the "Company") (f/k/a RMG Acquisition Corp.) (NYSE: RMO) and certain of its officers. The class action, filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, and docketed under 21-cv-04058, is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons and entities other than Defendants who purchased or otherwise acquired the publicly traded securities of Romeo between October 5, 2020 through March 30, 2021, inclusive (the "Class Period"). Plaintiff pursues claims against the Defendants under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act"). If you are a shareholder who purchased Romeo securities during the Class Period, you have until June 15, 2021 to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com. To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 7980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased. [Click here for information about joining the class action] The complaint alleges that, throughout the Class Period, Defendants represented that for 2020 Romeo estimated revenue of $11 million, and for 2021 Romeo estimated revenue of $140 million. Defendants further represented that Romeo had "key partnerships" and close relationships with LG Chem, Samsung, Murata and SK Innovation, which manufacture battery cells, a key component in Romeo's battery modules and packs and that they were supplying Romeo with battery cells. Furthermore, Defendants represented that Romeo had the capacity and supply to meet end-user demand for Romeo's products, that Romeo was not beholden "to any level of the value chain", that its supply was hedged, and that it did not see any material challenges that would hamper growth. Unknown to investors, Romeo was suffering from an acute shortage of high quality battery cells, which are key raw materials for Romeo's battery packs and modules, because of supply constraints. Contrary to Defendants' representations: (i) Romeo had only two battery cell suppliers, not four; (ii) the future potential risks that Defendants warned of concerning supply disruption or shortage had already occurred and were already negatively affecting Romeo's business, operations, and prospects; (iii) Romeo did not have the battery cell inventory to accommodate end-user demand and ramp up production in 2021; (iv) Romeo's supply constraint was a material hindrance to Romeo's revenue growth; and (v) Romeo's supply chain for battery cells was not hedged, but in fact, was totally at risk and beholden to just two battery cell suppliers and the spot market for their 2021 inventory. Given the supply constraint that Romeo was experiencing during the Class Period, Defendants had no reasonable basis to represent that the Company had the ability to meet customer demand and that it would support growth in revenue in 2021. On March 30, 2021, after the market closed, Romeo issued a press release and filed a report with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission on Form 8-K that disclosed its financial results for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2020, and conducted a conference call with investors and analysts. Defendants shocked investors by disclosing that the Company's production had been hampered by a shortage in supply of battery cells and that its estimated 2021 revenue would therefore be reduced by approximately 71-87%. During a conference call with investors after the disclosure of Romeo's financial results and projected results, Defendant Lionel E. Selwood, Jr. ("Selwood, Jr.") disclosed that the Company had been relying solely on Samsung and LG for its supply of power cells. On March 31, 2021, Morgan Stanley issued a research report in which it downgraded Romeo's target price per share from $12 to $7. Also on March 31, 2021, Romeo shares declined from a closing price on March 30, 2021 of $10.37 per share to close at $8.33 per share, a decline of $2.04 per share, or almost 20%, on heavier than usual volume of over 20 million shares. The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com CONTACT: Robert S. Willoughby Pomerantz LLP [email protected] 888-476-6529 ext. 7980 SOURCE Pomerantz LLP Related Links www.pomerantzlaw.com NEW YORK, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Halper Sadeh LLP, a global investor rights law firm, announces it is investigating the following companies: Meredith Corporation (NYSE: MDP) concerning potential violations of the federal securities laws and/or breaches of fiduciary duties relating to its spin-off of its National Media Group portfolio and simultaneous sale of its Local Media Group assets to Gray Television for $2.7 billion in cash. Under the terms of the transaction, Meredith's National Media Group portfolio will be spun out to shareholders as a standalone publicly traded company, with shareholders receiving approximately $14.50 in cash per share and 1-for-1 equity share in post-close Meredith. If you are a Meredith shareholder, click here to learn more about your rights and options. EQT Corporation (NYSE: EQT) concerning potential violations of the federal securities laws and/or breaches of fiduciary duties relating to its merger with Alta Resources Development, LLC. Under the purchase agreement, EQT will acquire all of the membership interests in Alta's upstream and midstream subsidiaries for approximately $2.925 billion in cash and stock. EQT is expected to issue approximately 105 million shares of EQT common stock in connection with the merger. If you are an EQT shareholder, click here to learn more about your rights and options. At Home Group Inc. (NYSE: HOME) concerning potential violations of the federal securities laws and/or breaches of fiduciary duties relating to its sale to funds affiliated with Hellman & Friedman for $36.00 per share in cash. If you are an At Home shareholder, click here to learn more about your rights and options. W. R. Grace & Co. (NYSE: GRA) concerning potential violations of the federal securities laws and/or breaches of fiduciary duties relating to its sale to Standard Industries Holdings Inc. for $70.00 per share in cash. If you are a W. R. Grace shareholder, click here to learn more about your rights and options. Realty Income Corporation (NYSE: O) concerning potential violations of the federal securities laws and/or breaches of fiduciary duties relating to its merger with VEREIT, Inc. VEREIT shareholders are expected to receive Realty Income stock in connection with the merger. Upon closing, Realty Income shareholders are expected to own approximately 70% of both Realty Income and SpinCo, a spin-off of substantially all of the office properties of Realty Income and VEREIT. If you are a Realty Income shareholder, click here to learn more about your rights and options. Halper Sadeh LLP may seek increased consideration, additional disclosures and information concerning the proposed transaction, or other relief and benefits on behalf of shareholders. Shareholders are encouraged to contact the firm free of charge to discuss their legal rights and options. Please call Daniel Sadeh or Zachary Halper at (212) 763-0060 or email [email protected] or [email protected]. Halper Sadeh LLP represents investors all over the world who have fallen victim to securities fraud and corporate misconduct. Our attorneys have been instrumental in implementing corporate reforms and recovering millions of dollars on behalf of defrauded investors. Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Contact Information: Halper Sadeh LLP Daniel Sadeh, Esq. Zachary Halper, Esq. (212) 763-0060 [email protected]halpersadeh.com [email protected] https://www.halpersadeh.com SOURCE Halper Sadeh LLP Related Links www.halpersadeh.com Stock Market Symbols GIB.A (TSX) GIB (NYSE) cgi.com/newsroom LONDON, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - CGI (NYSE: GIB) (TSX: GIB.A) and Shell extend their long-term partnership, signing a new five-year contract valued in excess of CAD$200 million. CGI will help Shell to grow its Fleet Solutions business, by continuing to modernize its end-to-end mobility management and fuel payments platform that currently processes more than 250 million transactions per year and that provides fleet and mobility managers with a one stop digital portal covering a broad range of their needs. CGI will also work closely with Shell to develop and launch new innovative services for its customers and support Shell's IT roadmap as it adapts to the fast-changing energy market. "As our business adapts to changing customer and industry needs, during the energy transition, it's key we continue to be an innovative and agile force in the market," said Eakbal Singh, CIO Shell Fleet Solutions. "Our continued relationship with CGI enables us to be just that. This agreement provides a blueprint for continuing our collaboration with CGI for the next five years, ensuring we can consistently provide world-class mobility services to our customers globally." "We've worked closely with Shell for over a decade, and this new contract will continue our relationship with a robust and all-encompassing set of services," said CGI's Donna Kelly, Senior Vice-President, UK. "This will allow us to collectively join up and build our expertise to create the best working model for Shell Fleet Solutions, enabling it to both grow and enhance the customer experience as the energy industry evolves. We have a strong partnership with Shell, and this contract extension demonstrates the faith it has in our consultancy services and delivery teams." About CGI Founded in 1976, CGI is among the largest independent IT and business consulting services firms in the world. With 77,000 consultants and other professionals across the globe, CGI delivers an end-to-end portfolio of capabilities, from strategic IT and business consulting to systems integration, managed IT and business process services and intellectual property solutions. CGI works with clients through a local relationship model complemented by a global delivery network that helps clients digitally transform their organizations and accelerate results. CGI Fiscal 2020 reported revenue is C$12.16 billion and CGI shares are listed on the TSX (GIB.A) and the NYSE (GIB). Learn more at cgi.com Forward-looking information and statements This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities laws and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other applicable United States safe harbours. All such forward-looking information and statements are made and disclosed in reliance upon the safe harbour provisions of applicable Canadian and United States securities laws. Forward-looking information and statements include all information and statements regarding CGI's intentions, plans, expectations, beliefs, objectives, future performance, and strategy, as well as any other information or statements that relate to future events or circumstances and which do not directly and exclusively relate to historical facts. Forward-looking information and statements often but not always use words such as "believe", "estimate", "expect", "intend", "anticipate", "foresee", "plan", "predict", "project", "aim", "seek", "strive", "potential", "continue", "target", "may", "might", "could", "should", and similar expressions and variations thereof. These information and statements are based on our perception of historic trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other assumptions, both general and specific, that we believe are appropriate in the circumstances. Such information and statements are, however, by their very nature, subject to inherent risks and uncertainties, of which many are beyond the control of CGI, and which give rise to the possibility that actual results could differ materially from our expectations expressed in, or implied by, such forward-looking information or forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include but are not restricted to: risks related to the market such as the level of business activity of our clients, which is affected by economic and political conditions, external risks (such as pandemics) and our ability to negotiate new contracts; risks related to our industry such as competition and our ability to attract and retain qualified employees, to develop and expand our services, to penetrate new markets, and to protect our intellectual property rights; risks related to our business such as risks associated with our growth strategy, including the integration of new operations, financial and operational risks inherent in worldwide operations, foreign exchange risks, income tax laws, our ability to negotiate favourable contractual terms, to deliver our services and to collect receivables, and the reputational and financial risks attendant to cybersecurity breaches and other incidents; as well as other risks identified or incorporated by reference in this press release, in CGI's annual and quarterly MD&A and in other documents that we make public, including our filings with the Canadian Securities Administrators (on SEDAR at www.sedar.com) and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (on EDGAR at www.sec.gov). For a discussion of risks in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, see Pandemic Risks in section 10.1.1. of our annual and quarterly MD&A. Unless otherwise stated, the forward-looking information and statements contained in this press release are made as of the date hereof and CGI disclaims any intention or obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information or forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. While we believe that our assumptions on which these forward-looking information and forward-looking statements are based were reasonable as at the date of this press release, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking information or statements. Furthermore, readers are reminded that forward-looking information and statements are presented for the sole purpose of assisting investors and others in understanding our objectives, strategic priorities and business outlook as well as our anticipated operating environment. Readers are cautioned that such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. Further information on the risks that could cause our actual results to differ significantly from our current expectations may be found in the section titled "Risk Environment" of CGI's annual and quarterly MD&A, which is incorporated by reference in this cautionary statement. We also caution readers that the above-mentioned risks and the risks disclosed in CGI's annual and quarterly MD&A and other documents and filings are not the only ones that could affect us. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently deem to be immaterial could also have a material adverse effect on our financial position, financial performance, cash flows, business or reputation. SOURCE CGI Inc. Related Links www.cgi.com The Sifter market is poised to grow by USD 87.64 Billion, progressing at a CAGR of almost 3.95% during the forecast period. Receive FREE Sample Report in Minutes! Key Highlights Offered in the Report: Information on how to identify strategic and tactical negotiation levels that will help achieve the best prices. Gain information on relevant pricing levels, detailed explanation of the pros and cons of prevalent pricing models. Methods to help engage with the right suppliers and discover KPI's to evaluate incumbent suppliers. Fetch actionable market insights on post COVID-19 impact on each product and service segments. Some of the Top Sifter suppliers listed in this report: This Sifter procurement intelligence report has enlisted the top suppliers and their cost structures, SLA terms, best selection criteria, and negotiation strategies. GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft Galaxy Sivtek Pvt. Ltd. Kemutec Group Inc. Farleygreene Ltd. Mill Powder Tech Solutions Sifter International SpendEdge suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. SpendEdge's in-depth research has direct and indirect COVID-19 impacted market research reports. Request for a FREE sample to access the definite purchasing guide on Sifter procurement. Related Reports on Commodities Include: Flat Glass- Forecast and Analysis: The supply market for flat glass category is highly consolidated with the top players accounting for more than 50% of the global market share. Since the market is fragile in nature, the suppliers are setting up production facilities in regions that face a higher demand. Multi-Functional Devices Market Sourcing and Procurement Report: The report identifies Canon Inc., HP Inc., and Konica Minolta Inc. among the top most important suppliers for multi-functional devices procurement. Suppliers have a moderate bargaining power in a market which is set to grow at 3.13%. Glass Bottles and Containers Category - Sourcing and Procurement Intelligence Report: According to procurement analysts at SpendEdge, the growth of the global glass bottles and containers market is mainly driven by factors such as increasing consumption of alcoholic beverages, and the rising preference for glass packaging by buyers of end-user industries to attain sustainability goals. To access the definite purchasing guide on the Sifter that answers all your key questions on price trends and analysis: Am I paying/getting the right prices? Is my Sifter TCO (total cost of ownership) favorable? How is the price forecast expected to change? What is driving the current and future price changes? Which pricing models offer the most rewarding opportunities? Table of Content Executive Summary Market Insights Category Pricing Insights Cost-saving Opportunities Best Practices Category Ecosystem Category Management Strategy Category Management Enablers Suppliers Selection Suppliers under Coverage US Market Insights Category scope Appendix About SpendEdge: SpendEdge shares your passion for driving sourcing and procurement excellence. We are the preferred procurement market intelligence partner for 120+ Fortune 500 firms and other leading companies across numerous industries. Our strength lies in delivering robust, real-time procurement market intelligence reports and solutions. To know more https://www.spendedge.com/request-for-demo Contacts: SpendEdge Anirban Choudhury Marketing Manager Ph No: +1 (872) 206-9340 https://www.spendedge.com/contact-us SOURCE SpendEdge Trading Symbol TSX: SVM NYSE American: SVM VANCOUVER, BC, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Silvercorp Metals Inc. ("Silvercorp" or the "Company") (TSX: SVM) (NYSE American: SVM) is pleased to report results from its 2021 exploration programs at the TLP mine, Ying Mining District, Henan Province, China. Extensive exploration drilling and tunneling are ongoing at the TLP mine, and all other mines at the Ying Mining District. From October 1, 2020 to May 31, 2021, 34,546 metres ("m") from a total of 196 diamond drill holes, including 161 underground holes and 35 surface holes, were completed at the TLP mine. Assay results for 193 holes have been received, with 108 holes intercepting mineralization. Currently, 13 rigs are drilling at the TLP mine. Drilling Intersected High-Grade Veins in the Production Areas The diamond drilling programs at the TLP mine targeted resource blocks of known silver-lead-zinc veins in the production areas that were missed by limited prior drilling and drifting tunnels, as a result of changes in the dip and pinch-swelling of the pay-zones in the veins. Since access tunnels are already in place, any discovered high-grade blocks can quickly be converted to reserves and mined. The high-grade intercepts for this period are associated with parallel veins T15W, T15W1, T15W2, and T15W3. Other veins include T16E, T2, T2W, T3, T16E, T11, T1, T1a, T22, T23, T24, T33 and T35E1. Highlight of high-grade intercepts in the TLP production area: Hole ZKG6AT15W304 intersected a 2.49 m interval ( 1.74 m true width) of vein T15W2 grading 3,911 grams per tonne ("g/t") silver ("Ag"), 6.22% lead ("Pb"), 2.11% zinc ("Zn"), 0.08 g/t gold ("Au") and 0.55% copper ("Cu") at the 808 m elevation, which includes a 0.97 m interval ( 0.68 m true width) grading 9,901 g/t Ag, 15.30% Pb, 5.27% Zn, 0.19 g/t Au, and 1.39% Cu; intersected a interval ( true width) of vein T15W2 grading 3,911 grams per tonne ("g/t") silver ("Ag"), 6.22% lead ("Pb"), 2.11% zinc ("Zn"), 0.08 g/t gold ("Au") and 0.55% copper ("Cu") at the elevation, which includes a interval ( true width) grading 9,901 g/t Ag, 15.30% Pb, 5.27% Zn, 0.19 g/t Au, and 1.39% Cu; Hole ZKG6AT15W305 intersected a 1.62 m interval ( 1.11 m true width) of vein T15W3 grading 1,556 g/t Ag, 15.27% Pb, 0.24% Zn, 0.10 g/t Au, and 0.23% Cu at the 813 m elevation; intersected a interval ( true width) of vein T15W3 grading 1,556 g/t Ag, 15.27% Pb, 0.24% Zn, 0.10 g/t Au, and 0.23% Cu at the elevation; Hole ZKT3AT1W101 intersected a 4.00 m interval ( 2.56 m true width) of vein T23 grading 771 g/t Ag, 11.68% Pb, 0.23% Zn, 0.08 g/t Au, and 0.11% Cu at the 854 m elevation; intersected a interval ( true width) of vein T23 grading 771 g/t Ag, 11.68% Pb, 0.23% Zn, 0.08 g/t Au, and 0.11% Cu at the elevation; Hole ZKT7T3E02 intersected an 8.44 m interval ( 5.04 m true width) of vein T3E grading 523 g/t Ag, 5.10% Pb, 0.36% Zn, 0.11 g/t Au, and 0.13% Cu at the 1,086 m elevation, which includes a 4.20 m interval ( 2.51 m true width) grading 1,036 g/t Ag, 9.96% Pb, 0.67% Zn, 0.18 g/t Au, and 0.24% Cu at the 1,087 m elevation; intersected an interval ( true width) of vein T3E grading 523 g/t Ag, 5.10% Pb, 0.36% Zn, 0.11 g/t Au, and 0.13% Cu at the elevation, which includes a interval ( true width) grading 1,036 g/t Ag, 9.96% Pb, 0.67% Zn, 0.18 g/t Au, and 0.24% Cu at the elevation; Hole ZKT23J001 intersected a 0.89 m interval ( 0.74 m true width) of vein T2 grading 1,283 g/t Ag, 8.60% Pb, 2.30% Zn, 4.22 g/t Au, and 1.30% Cu at the 676 m elevation; intersected a interval ( true width) of vein T2 grading 1,283 g/t Ag, 8.60% Pb, 2.30% Zn, 4.22 g/t Au, and 1.30% Cu at the elevation; Hole ZKTDB39T103 intersected a 2.90 m interval ( 2.03 m true width) of vein T3 grading 1,115 g/t Ag, 1.20% Pb, 0.09% Zn, 0.08 g/t Au, and 0.11% Cu at the 818 m elevation; intersected a interval ( true width) of vein T3 grading 1,115 g/t Ag, 1.20% Pb, 0.09% Zn, 0.08 g/t Au, and 0.11% Cu at the elevation; Hole ZKTDB05Y03_1 intersected a 0.52 m interval ( 0.51 m true width) of vein T35E1 grading 2,086 g/t Ag, 5.79% Pb, 0.62% Zn, 0.05 g/t Au, and 0.35% Cu at the 914 m elevation; and intersected a interval ( true width) of vein T35E1 grading 2,086 g/t Ag, 5.79% Pb, 0.62% Zn, 0.05 g/t Au, and 0.35% Cu at the elevation; and Hole ZKTDB43T302 intersected a 1.04 m interval ( 0.72 m true width) of vein T3E grading 520 g/t Ag, 1.25% Pb, 0.05% Zn, 4.36 g/t Au, and 0.11% Cu at the 730 m elevation. Surface and Underground Drilling Outside the TLP Mine's Resource Area Exploratory surface drilling in the east and south sides of the resource area in the TLP mine discovered high-grade silver-lead-zinc mineralization at higher elevations. These intercepts of veins T39E2, T17 and T38 are expected to expand the resources in these areas. Hole ZKG4T15W113 intersected a 3.96 m interval ( 3.62 m true width) of vein T15W1 grading 1,086 g/t Ag, 0.93% Pb, 0.19% Zn, 0.19 g/t Au, and 0.15% Cu at the 672 m elevation; intersected a interval ( true width) of vein T15W1 grading 1,086 g/t Ag, 0.93% Pb, 0.19% Zn, 0.19 g/t Au, and 0.15% Cu at the elevation; Hole ZKTDB20T1701 intersected a 3.48 m interval from 170.40 m to 173.88 m ( 2.54 m true width) of vein T17, grading 675 g/t Ag, 0.92% Pb, 0.43% Zn, 0.01 g/t Au, and 0.15% Cu at the 893 m elevation, which includes a 0.78 m interval from 171.26 m to 172.04 m ( 0.57 m true width) grading 2,206 g/t Ag, 1.44% Pb, 0.71% Zn, 0.02 g/t Au, and 0.40% Cu at the 892 m elevation; intersected a interval from to ( true width) of vein T17, grading 675 g/t Ag, 0.92% Pb, 0.43% Zn, 0.01 g/t Au, and 0.15% Cu at the elevation, which includes a interval from to ( true width) grading 2,206 g/t Ag, 1.44% Pb, 0.71% Zn, 0.02 g/t Au, and 0.40% Cu at the elevation; Hole ZKTDB27AT39E201 intersected a 0.81 m interval from 99.41 m to 100.22 m ( 0.56 m true width) of vein T39E2 grading 1,705 g/t Ag, 1.3% Pb, 0.35% Zn, 0.02% Au, and 0.06% Cu at the 803 m elevation; and intersected a interval from to ( true width) of vein T39E2 grading 1,705 g/t Ag, 1.3% Pb, 0.35% Zn, 0.02% Au, and 0.06% Cu at the elevation; and Hole ZKTDB25AT39E201 intersected a 1.71 m interval from 169.08 m to 170.79 m ( 0.46 m true width) of vein T39E2 grading 456 g/t Ag, 16.16% Pb, 2.55% Zn, 0.01% Au, and 0.11% Cu at the 785 m elevation. Table 1: Selected intercepts from the 2021 drill programs at the TLP Mine Hole ID From (m) To (m) Elevation (m) Interval (m) True Width (m) Ag (g/t) Pb (%) Zn (%) Au (g/t) Cu (%) Vein ZKG02AT1101 8.63 9.48 835 0.85 0.56 789 2.25 0.36 0.05 0.08 T14E ZKG02AT1101 134.30 135.77 782 1.47 0.94 124 0.42 0.35 0.05 0.06 T15 ZKG06AT15W101 88.62 89.37 780 0.75 0.54 149 1.89 0.38 0.02 0.05 T15Wa ZKG06AT15W301 74.21 75.46 789 1.25 0.88 79 2.13 0.12 0.05 0.02 T15W1 ZKG06AT16E01 22.99 23.76 792 0.77 0.35 139 0.94 0.03 0.05 0.02 T16E ZKG06J001 172.50 173.72 682 1.22 1.17 100 3.00 0.17 0.05 0.07 T15 ZKG06J004 116.53 117.12 820 0.59 0.56 71 2.02 0.08 0.05 0.02 T15 ZKG06J004 163.99 164.47 811 0.48 0.46 53 9.42 0.15 0.05 0.02 T11E ZKG06J01 78.47 79.25 785 0.78 0.71 105 2.20 0.21 0.06 0.01 T15W1 ZKG06J01 138.49 139.04 773 0.55 0.50 235 1.01 0.14 0.05 0.08 T11 ZKG06J04 117.14 117.93 728 0.79 0.65 1,043 3.00 0.15 0.10 0.15 T15W ZKG06T1101 66.08 67.18 827 1.10 0.92 48 2.85 0.23 0.18 0.02 T15W1 ZKG06T1102 77.45 78.18 785 0.73 0.57 59 2.18 0.60 0.02 0.01 T15W1 ZKG06T1102 138.01 138.93 773 0.92 0.72 101 1.08 0.04 0.02 0.01 T11 ZKG08AT1101 138.30 139.33 785 1.03 0.83 79 1.63 0.11 0.10 0.02 T11 ZKG08AT1101 146.80 148.27 784 1.47 1.22 59 2.27 0.11 0.10 0.01 T11E2 ZKG08S01_12 0.43 1.33 913 0.90 0.85 236 4.61 0.54 0.05 0.04 T15W3 ZKG08S01_12 31.74 32.67 517 0.93 0.92 159 0.26 0.46 0.05 0.05 T15a ZKG0936 18.13 18.64 780 0.51 0.27 225 0.61 0.44 0.07 0.02 T16 ZKG0936 179.66 180.26 738 0.60 0.31 219 3.43 1.12 0.03 0.01 T11E1 ZKG10AT1102 98.36 98.87 823 0.51 0.48 196 1.68 0.16 0.05 0.03 T14E ZKG10AT1102 144.53 145.59 815 1.06 1.02 223 0.68 0.11 0.10 0.08 T11E2 ZKG1217 53.03 53.57 801 0.54 0.30 180 0.74 0.23 0.03 0.07 T15W2 ZKG1218 145.13 146.13 743 1.00 0.95 262 1.17 0.11 0.05 0.03 T11E ZKG1218 178.67 179.42 721 0.75 0.71 226 0.38 0.15 0.21 0.02 T12 ZKG12AT15W01 94.72 95.23 780 0.51 0.48 96 0.99 0.09 0.05 0.05 T15W ZKG12AT15W01 254.59 255.09 688 0.50 0.45 349 0.81 0.30 0.05 0.02 T11E3 ZKG12AT15W101 155.03 155.78 768 0.75 0.39 242 3.61 0.22 0.05 0.05 T15 ZKG16AT1101 177.28 177.85 730 0.57 0.50 550 2.27 0.19 0.02 0.24 T11 ZKG4AT15W101 66.89 69.03 829 2.14 1.02 560 4.24 1.72 0.13 0.35 T15W1 ZKG4AT15W102 183.90 184.56 811 0.66 0.50 203 1.01 0.13 0.02 0.01 T11E2 ZKG4AT16E202 76.20 76.96 832 0.76 0.22 636 5.73 0.21 0.02 0.18 T15W1 ZKG4AT16E202 79.74 80.79 832 1.05 0.31 94 2.19 0.09 0.01 0.02 T16E2 ZKG4AT16E203 93.96 95.29 781 1.33 1.25 59 6.09 2.42 0.05 0.04 T15W3 ZKG4T15W113 137.93 141.89 672 3.96 3.62 1,086 0.93 0.19 0.19 0.15 T15W1 ZKG4T15W114 143.55 144.04 677 0.49 0.41 95 3.09 0.31 0.05 0.02 T15W ZKG4T15W114 155.80 158.32 667 2.52 1.88 479 1.29 0.27 0.29 0.07 T11 ZKG6AT15W303 18.44 19.47 824 1.03 0.55 214 0.80 0.06 0.10 0.03 T11 ZKG6AT15W304 68.56 69.71 812 1.15 0.81 284 1.16 0.31 0.02 0.22 T15W3 ZKG6AT15W304 83.91 86.40 808 2.49 1.74 3,911 6.22 2.11 0.08 0.55 T15W2 including 84.67 85.64 808 0.97 0.68 9,901 15.30 5.27 0.19 1.39 T15W2 ZKG6AT15W305 63.47 64.13 816 0.66 0.45 200 6.61 0.13 0.05 0.04 T15W ZKG6AT15W305 78.22 79.84 813 1.62 1.11 1,556 15.27 0.24 0.10 0.23 T15W3 ZKG6AT16E10 30.77 34.30 825 3.53 0.67 589 0.98 0.13 0.02 0.06 T16E including 33.48 34.30 824 0.82 0.15 2,267 2.55 0.50 0.07 0.20 T16E ZKG6AT16E11 22.71 24.10 827 1.39 0.79 528 3.12 0.05 0.02 0.04 T16E including 23.50 24.10 827 0.60 0.34 1,089 7.19 0.11 0.04 0.07 T16E ZKG8AT15W302 126.18 127.40 784 1.22 1.11 98 1.74 0.12 0.05 0.01 T15W ZKG8AT16E201 81.49 82.36 746 0.87 0.79 177 2.34 0.21 0.05 0.09 T15W1 ZKT04T2E02 220.62 221.76 878 1.14 0.99 127 0.31 0.05 0.02 1.09 T3 ZKT05AT2301 106.40 111.30 875 4.90 3.30 97 1.00 0.08 0.29 0.03 T23 including 106.40 106.80 876 0.40 0.22 804 2.66 0.10 0.05 0.15 T24 ZKT05AT2302 101.11 101.70 877 0.59 0.41 326 2.75 0.10 0.12 0.31 T23 ZKT05AT2303 98.17 99.07 874 0.90 0.89 381 4.97 0.61 0.10 0.22 T23 ZKT0724 143.73 145.56 787 1.83 1.81 223 1.08 0.53 0.02 0.05 T14E ZKT0725 158.91 161.61 750 2.70 2.53 433 1.96 0.93 0.05 0.18 T14E ZKT07AT201 78.81 80.09 742 1.28 1.09 141 2.10 0.06 0.09 0.04 T1 ZKT07AT5E104 105.47 106.29 914 0.82 0.42 1,324 5.40 0.48 0.10 0.08 T21W ZKT07AT5E105 134.62 135.99 908 1.37 0.83 28 3.57 0.19 0.02 0.00 T21 ZKT07T14E03 162.44 164.70 775 2.26 2.16 89 2.02 0.14 0.03 0.03 T14E ZKT07T14E05 156.81 157.41 753 0.60 0.57 71 4.69 0.11 0.01 0.09 T14E ZKT07T1601 19.42 20.15 868 0.73 0.31 192 0.10 0.33 0.02 0.01 T16 ZKT07Y04 23.92 24.64 777 0.72 0.68 762 9.07 0.54 0.83 0.12 T2W ZKT07Y04 50.53 51.10 796 0.57 0.55 411 2.91 0.04 1.92 0.31 T22 ZKT0808 211.75 212.43 871 0.68 0.22 1,070 1.47 0.34 0.10 0.96 T2 ZKT0809 64.21 65.00 889 0.79 0.74 155 0.19 0.08 0.01 0.01 T1W ZKT09Y17 206.29 207.09 738 0.80 0.68 30 6.16 0.11 0.10 0.01 T33E1 ZKT09Y17 404.57 405.11 586 0.54 0.50 207 0.79 0.36 0.10 0.01 T3 ZKT09Y21 104.55 106.09 806 1.54 1.14 161 18.39 0.23 0.10 0.11 T33 ZKT11Y25 175.74 176.56 744 0.82 0.77 97 1.04 0.06 0.05 0.01 T1W1 ZKT18AT1703 207.26 208.08 894 0.82 0.64 211 1.50 1.66 0.01 0.03 T22E ZKT19AT33W303 24.02 24.59 813 0.57 0.56 135 0.23 0.22 0.01 0.03 T33W1 ZKT19AT33W303 51.83 52.86 821 1.03 1.01 25 4.74 0.80 0.01 0.02 T22E1 ZKT19T33W301 78.12 79.42 786 1.30 0.45 15 6.90 0.37 0.05 0.01 T33W1 ZKT1AT2301 73.57 74.95 886 1.38 1.27 147 0.90 0.30 0.05 0.00 T33 ZKT1T1602 98.30 98.82 878 0.52 0.50 206 1.16 0.66 0.05 0.03 T16E ZKT1T1603 95.73 96.36 886 0.63 0.63 136 0.97 0.71 0.05 0.02 T16 ZKT1T1603 183.99 184.98 821 0.99 0.57 334 0.28 0.71 0.05 0.03 T16E1 ZKT21C03 145.04 145.57 789 0.53 0.44 191 5.63 0.25 0.21 0.02 T33W5 ZKT21C05 166.15 166.75 786 0.60 0.46 167 1.73 2.11 0.21 0.03 T33W4 ZKT21T14E09 87.07 87.60 773 0.53 0.13 1,148 3.19 2.24 0.09 0.20 T38 ZKT21T22E02 216.94 217.44 768 0.50 0.48 105 4.67 0.67 0.10 0.08 T3 ZKT21Y35 193.17 194.17 723 1.00 0.64 32 13.18 0.07 0.10 0.11 T14E ZKT23J001 99.39 100.28 676 0.89 0.74 1,283 8.60 2.30 4.22 1.30 T2 ZKT23J002 107.39 108.15 721 0.76 0.58 705 5.76 0.03 0.21 0.24 [1] ZKT23J003 112.16 113.16 665 1.00 0.81 134 4.21 1.85 0.82 0.69 T2 ZKT2707 105.98 106.55 780 0.57 0.23 292 0.39 0.14 0.13 0.01 T39W ZKT2708 153.41 154.07 751 0.66 0.25 396 1.79 2.20 0.01 0.05 T39E2 ZKT2708 161.96 163.99 744 2.03 1.54 125 0.34 0.43 1.90 0.01 T39 ZKT27T39W01 83.89 84.43 842 0.54 0.44 145 1.56 0.47 0.03 0.01 T39E2 ZKT29AT202 97.82 99.61 676 1.79 0.17 122 2.87 0.99 0.43 2.65 T2E ZKT31AT35E03 194.56 195.27 686 0.71 0.46 116 20.00 4.97 0.33 0.13 T35E ZKT31AT35E03 261.45 262.67 663 1.22 1.11 147 0.36 0.09 0.10 0.02 T35E1 ZKT33T31W303 34.97 36.14 898 1.17 1.14 340 0.44 0.54 0.06 0.02 T31W ZKT33T31W303 120.70 121.25 844 0.55 0.18 335 4.24 0.42 0.15 0.01 T21 ZKT33T31W304 36.06 37.85 895 1.79 1.73 303 0.55 0.35 0.03 0.04 T31W ZKT33T31W304 56.10 57.82 881 1.72 1.66 552 0.94 0.27 0.06 0.03 T31W1 ZKT33T31W305 58.82 60.10 878 1.28 0.59 187 0.10 0.10 0.03 0.01 T31W1 ZKT39AT31W01 54.66 55.61 786 0.95 0.80 200 0.42 0.13 0.57 0.02 T31W1 ZKT39AT31W02 15.33 16.77 795 1.44 1.42 26 5.22 0.19 0.02 0.01 T20 ZKT39AT31W02 109.52 110.65 766 1.13 0.32 374 3.99 1.85 0.75 0.34 T3E ZKT39AT31W02 128.06 129.11 760 1.05 0.30 27 2.84 0.06 0.12 0.02 T3 ZKT3AT1W101 98.48 102.48 854 4.00 2.56 771 11.68 0.23 0.08 0.11 T23 ZKT3AT1W101 203.59 204.22 810 0.63 0.58 160 1.61 0.46 0.06 0.01 [1] ZKT3AT1W104 96.12 96.84 840 0.72 0.47 326 17.38 0.57 0.06 0.08 T23 ZKT5AT1W101 178.42 179.20 632 0.78 0.68 109 0.33 0.13 0.15 0.22 T1W1 ZKT7T3E01 46.12 47.78 1,094 1.66 1.07 139 2.44 0.11 0.05 0.08 T3E ZKT7T3E02 64.01 72.45 1,086 8.44 5.04 523 5.10 0.36 0.11 0.13 T3E including 64.86 69.06 1,087 4.20 2.51 1,036 9.96 0.67 0.18 0.24 T3E ZKT9AT1W102 208.22 208.83 645 0.61 0.60 72 1.52 0.07 0.10 0.44 T1 ZKT9AT1W102 253.06 253.66 620 0.60 0.59 97 0.26 0.05 0.10 2.53 T2W ZKT9AT1W103 14.34 14.91 761 0.57 0.48 172 0.33 0.18 0.12 0.01 T33 ZKT9AT1W103 227.84 229.66 667 1.82 1.76 520 0.74 2.04 0.16 0.06 T1 ZKT9AT1W103 245.94 246.49 659 0.55 0.53 211 0.10 0.44 0.12 0.02 T1E ZKT9AT1W104 15.32 15.92 757 0.60 0.49 329 0.59 0.10 0.05 0.32 T33 ZKT9AT1W104 220.95 221.44 661 0.49 0.42 319 6.86 1.16 0.05 0.06 T1a ZKT9AT1W105 164.39 166.91 644 2.52 2.30 65 2.41 0.26 0.12 0.11 T1W1 ZKT9AT1W105 190.36 191.37 625 1.01 0.92 157 0.12 0.03 0.05 0.01 T1W ZKT9AT1W107 14.38 15.54 763 1.16 0.96 107 0.58 0.06 0.05 0.05 T33 ZKTA1AT14E01 158.29 159.55 782 1.26 0.42 53 5.65 0.35 0.04 0.06 T14E ZKTA3AT14E01 141.61 142.93 781 1.32 0.81 53 7.35 0.27 0.05 0.07 T14E ZKTA3AT14E02 93.90 94.66 773 0.76 0.64 243 0.41 0.07 0.10 0.03 T38 ZKTA5AT14E02 137.25 138.05 776 0.80 0.80 63 3.17 0.21 0.05 0.03 T14E ZKTDB05AT5W101 101.19 102.35 1,035 1.16 0.62 122 0.51 0.19 0.03 0.01 T4 ZKTDB05Y03_1 156.09 156.66 938 0.57 0.35 141 1.17 0.25 0.05 0.05 [1] ZKTDB05Y03_1 185.29 185.81 914 0.52 0.51 2,086 5.79 0.62 0.05 0.35 T35E1 ZKTDB06AT22W01 41.51 46.28 1,137 4.77 1.88 196 0.46 0.07 0.10 0.03 T1E ZKTDB06AT22W01 50.86 52.14 1,133 1.28 0.51 94 0.88 0.11 0.10 0.03 T2W ZKTDB06AT22W03 69.09 70.40 1,113 1.31 1.08 115 5.76 0.15 0.10 0.02 T1E ZKTDB20T1701 170.40 173.88 893 3.48 2.54 675 0.92 0.43 0.01 0.15 T17 including 171.26 172.04 892 0.78 0.57 2,206 1.44 0.71 0.02 0.40 T17 ZKTDB20T1704 88.90 89.42 971 0.52 0.19 789 0.92 0.09 0.03 0.06 T17 ZKTDB25AT39E201 169.08 170.79 785 1.71 0.46 456 16.16 2.55 0.01 0.11 T39E2 ZKTDB27AT39E201 89.44 90.08 811 0.64 0.44 190 1.26 3.19 0.01 0.03 T39W ZKTDB27AT39E201 99.41 100.22 803 0.81 0.56 1,705 1.30 0.35 0.02 0.06 T39E2 ZKTDB27AT5E111 122.45 123.21 955 0.76 0.74 200 1.34 0.67 0.05 0.01 T39E ZKTDB33AT31W301 32.88 33.47 902 0.59 0.23 233 0.28 0.10 0.08 0.01 [1] ZKTDB33AT31W301 49.38 50.30 893 0.92 0.36 110 1.15 0.20 0.06 0.02 T31W1 ZKTDB39T101 144.95 145.73 823 0.78 0.51 199 3.69 0.07 0.05 0.03 T2 ZKTDB39T103 66.76 67.63 892 0.87 0.64 151 0.80 0.05 0.03 0.01 T1W ZKTDB39T103 147.21 150.11 818 2.90 2.03 1,115 1.20 0.09 0.03 0.11 T3 ZKTDB43AT303 176.86 177.44 797 0.58 0.37 165 0.27 0.03 0.02 0.01 T1W ZKTDB43T301 299.35 300.13 712 0.78 0.58 9 3.57 0.05 0.17 0.04 T35 ZKTDB43T302 165.24 166.38 807 1.14 0.84 275 0.26 0.02 0.05 0.01 T23E ZKTDB43T302 170.81 171.99 801 1.18 0.85 38 3.43 0.10 0.10 0.01 T1 ZKTDB43T302 210.24 211.23 764 0.99 0.70 407 0.90 0.21 0.47 0.17 T3 ZKTDB43T302 243.39 247.69 731 4.30 3.01 171 2.19 0.11 1.25 0.04 T3E including 246.65 247.69 730 1.04 0.72 520 1.25 0.05 4.36 0.11 T3E [1] No vein id assigned Tunneling Program at the TLP Mine In addition to the drilling program, 4,526 m of exploration drift tunneling were developed at the TLP mine during this period. The exploration tunneling, comprised of drifting, cross-cutting and raising, was driven along and across major mineralized vein structures to upgrade the drill defined mineral resources and test for new parallel and splay structures, and are summarized in the following table. Mine Major Target Veins Elevation (m) Total Tunneling (m) Channel Samples Collected Drift Included (m) Total Mineralization Exposed by Drifts Length (m) Average True Width (m) Ag (g/t) Pb (%) Zn (%) TLP T1, T2, T3, T3E, T5, T26, T26E, T14E, 15W, T15W3, T33E, T23, T11, T16, T17, T14, T35E, T38, T39E2, T39E, T27 510-1070 7,020 3,461 4,526 1,667 0.54 276 3.06 0.60 [1] Mineralization is defined by silver equivalent value (AgEq) greater than or equal to 130 g/t at the TLP mine. (Formulae used for AgEq calculation: TLP=34.19*Pb%+Ag g/t) Highlights of selected mineralized zones exposed in the drift tunnels: Drift Tunnel PD890-T16E-890-2NYM exposed mineralization 85 m long and 0.64 m wide (true width) grading 721 g/t Ag, 2.62% Pb and 0.72% Zn within vein T16E on the 893 m level; exposed mineralization long and wide (true width) grading 721 g/t Ag, 2.62% Pb and 0.72% Zn within vein T16E on the level; Drift Tunnel PD820-T22E-700-16NYM exposed mineralization 30 m long and 0.81 m wide (true width) grading 692 g/t Ag, 3.43% Pb and 1.05% Zn within vein T22E on the 704 m level; exposed mineralization long and wide (true width) grading 692 g/t Ag, 3.43% Pb and 1.05% Zn within vein T22E on the level; Drift Tunnel PD960-T33-990-13NYM exposed mineralization 20m long and 0.44 m wide (true width) grading 1,841 g/t Ag, 1.81% Pb and 1.31% Zn within vein T33 on the 960m level; and exposed mineralization long and wide (true width) grading 1,841 g/t Ag, 1.81% Pb and 1.31% Zn within vein T33 on the level; and Drift Tunnel PD846-T11E-846-10SYM exposed mineralization 110m long and 0.68 m wide (true width) grading 427 g/t Ag, 2.26% Pb and 0.44% Zn within vein T11E on the 858 m level. Table 2: Selected mineralized zones exposed by drift tunneling at the TLP mine Tunnel ID Vein Elevation (m) Ore Length (m) True Width (m) Ag (g/t) Pb (%) Zn (%) PD846-T11E-846-10SYM T11E 858 80.00 0.68 427 2.26 0.44 PD930-T15W-930-12NYM T15W 922 15.00 0.58 485 3.59 0.35 PD930-T15W-930-12SYM T15W 922 55.00 0.56 188 2.20 0.23 PD820-T15W1-700-4SYM T15W1 700 70.00 0.61 84 5.17 0.22 PD820-T15W3-795-8NYM3 T15W2 800 20.00 0.45 172 5.51 0.68 PD820-T15W3-755-8NYM T15W2 761 15.00 0.62 359 5.72 1.05 PD960-T16E-960-1SYM T16E 957 45.00 0.30 494 2.46 2.02 PD890-T16E-890-2NYM T16E 893 85.00 0.64 721 2.62 0.72 PD820-T17W-700-14SYMA T17 702 20.00 0.92 153 8.27 0.12 PD730-T1W1-700-13NYM T1W1 707 15.00 0.36 78 3.09 0.67 PD820-T22E-700-16NYM T22E 704 20.00 0.81 692 3.43 1.05 PD960-T33-990-13NYM T33 996 20.00 0.44 1,841 1.81 1.31 PD890-T33-890-23NYM T33 897 30.00 0.60 261 1.22 0.13 PD730-T33W2-700-15NYM T33W2 706 15.00 0.34 14 6.04 0.06 PD800-T39E2-800-23NYM T39E2 800 45.00 0.48 173 2.07 0.95 PD820XPD-T39E2-700-25NYM T39E2 700 15.00 0.59 82 3.02 0.88 Quality Control Drill cores are NQ size. Drill core samples, limited by apparent mineralization contacts or shear/alteration contacts, were split into halves by saw cutting. The half cores are stored in the Company's core shacks for future reference and checks, and the other half core samples are shipped in securely sealed bags to the Chengde Huakan 514 Geology and Minerals Test and Research Institute in Chengde, Hebei Province, China, 226 km northeast of Beijing, the Zhengzhou Nonferrous Exploration Institute Lab in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China, and the Analytical Lab of the Inner Mongolia Geological Exploration Bureau in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China. All the three labs are ISO9000 certified analytical labs. For analysis, the sample is dried and crushed to minus 1mm and then split to a 200-300g subsample which is further pulverized to minus 200 mesh. Two subsamples are prepared from the pulverized sample. One is digested with aqua regia for gold analysis with atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS), and the other is digested with two-acids for analysis of silver, lead, zinc and copper with AAS. Channel samples are collected along sample lines perpendicular to the mineralized vein structure in exploration tunnels. Spacing between sampling lines is typically 5m along strike. Both the mineralized vein and the altered wall rocks are cut by continuous chisel chipping. Sample length ranges from 0.2m to more than 1m, depending on the width of the mineralized vein and the mineralization type. Channel samples are prepared and assayed with AAS at Silvercorp's mine laboratory (Ying Lab) located at the mill complex in Luoning County, Henan Province, China. The Ying lab is officially accredited by the Quality and Technology Monitoring Bureau of Henan Province and is qualified to provide analytical services. The channel samples are dried, crushed and pulverized. A 200g sample of minus 160 mesh is prepared for assay. A duplicate sample of minus 1mm is made and kept in the laboratory archives. Gold is analysed by fire assay with AAS finish, and silver, lead, zinc and copper are assayed by two-acid digestion with AAS finish. A routine quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) procedure is adopted to monitor the analytical quality at each lab. Certified reference materials (CRMs), pulp duplicates and blanks are inserted into each batch of lab samples. QA/QC data at the lab are attached to the assay certificates for each batch of samples. The Company maintains its own comprehensive QA/QC program to ensure best practices in sample preparation and analysis of the exploration samples. Project geologists regularly insert CRM, field duplicates and blanks to each batch of 30 core samples to monitor the sample preparation and analysis procedures at the labs. The analytical quality of the labs is further evaluated with external checks by sending approximately 3-5% of the pulp samples to higher level labs to check for lab bias. Data from both the Company's and the labs' QA/QC programs are reviewed on a timely basis by project geologists. Guoliang Ma, P. Geo., Manager of Exploration and Resource of the Company, is the Qualified Person for Silvercorp under NI 43-101 and has reviewed and given consent to the technical information contained in this news release. About Silvercorp Silvercorp is a profitable Canadian mining company producing silver, lead and zinc metals in concentrates from mines in China. The Company's goal is to continuously create healthy returns to shareholders through efficient management, organic growth and the acquisition of profitable projects. Silvercorp balances profitability, social and environmental relationships, employees' wellbeing, and sustainable development. For more information, please visit our website at www.silvercorp.ca. CAUTIONARY DISCLAIMER - FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS Certain of the statements and information in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian provincial securities laws. Any statements or information that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as "expects", "is expected", "anticipates", "believes", "plans", "projects", "estimates", "assumes", "intends", "strategies", "targets", "goals", "forecasts", "objectives", "budgets", "schedules", "potential" or variations thereof or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative of any of these terms and similar expressions) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements or information. Forward-looking statements or information relate to, among other things: the price of silver and other metals; the accuracy of mineral resource and mineral reserve estimates at the Company's material properties; the sufficiency of the Company's capital to finance the Company's operations; estimates of the Company's revenues and capital expenditures; estimated production from the Company's mines in the Ying Mining District; timing of receipt of permits and regulatory approvals; availability of funds from production to finance the Company's operations; and access to and availability of funding for future construction, use of proceeds from any financing and development of the Company's properties. Forward-looking statements or information are subject to a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements or information, including, without limitation, social and economic impacts of COVID-19; risks relating to: fluctuating commodity prices; calculation of resources, reserves and mineralization and precious and base metal recovery; interpretations and assumptions of mineral resource and mineral reserve estimates; exploration and development programs; feasibility and engineering reports; permits and licenses; title to properties; property interests; joint venture partners; acquisition of commercially mineable mineral rights; financing; recent market events and conditions; economic factors affecting the Company; timing, estimated amount, capital and operating expenditures and economic returns of future production; integration of future acquisitions into the Company's existing operations; competition; perations and political conditions; regulatory environment in China and Canada; environmental risks; foreign exchange rate fluctuations; insurance; risks and hazards of mining operations; key personnel; conflicts of interest; dependence on management; internal control over financial reporting as per the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act; and bringing actions and enforcing judgments under U.S. securities laws. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of the Company's forward-looking statements or information. Forward-looking statements or information are statements about the future and are inherently uncertain, and actual achievements of the Company or other future events or conditions may differ materially from those reflected in the forward-looking statements or information due to a variety of risks, uncertainties and other factors, including, without limitation, those referred to in the Company's Annual Information Form for the year ended March 31, 2020 under the heading "Risk Factors". Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, described or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. The Company's forward-looking statements and information are based on the assumptions, beliefs, expectations and opinions of management as of the date of this press release, and other than as required by applicable securities laws, the Company does not assume any obligation to update forward-looking statements and information if circumstances or management's assumptions, beliefs, expectations or opinions should change, or changes in any other events affecting such statements or information. For the reasons set forth above, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and information. CAUTIONARY NOTE TO US INVESTORS The disclosure in this news release and referred to herein was prepared in accordance with NI 43-101 which differs significantly from the requirements of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). The terms "proven mineral reserve", "probable mineral reserve" and "mineral reserves" used in this news release are in reference to the mining terms defined in the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum Standards (the "CIM Definition Standards"), which definitions have been adopted by NI 43-101. Accordingly, information contained in this news release providing descriptions of our mineral deposits in accordance with NI 43-101 may not be comparable to similar information made public by other U.S. companies subject to the United States federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. Investors are cautioned not to assume that any part or all of mineral resources will ever be converted into reserves. Pursuant to CIM Definition Standards, "Inferred mineral resources" are that part of a mineral resource for which quantity and grade or quality are estimated on the basis of limited geological evidence and sampling. Such geological evidence is sufficient to imply but not verify geological and grade or quality continuity. An inferred mineral resource has a lower level of confidence than that applying to an indicated mineral resource and must not be converted to a mineral reserve. However, it is reasonably expected that the majority of inferred mineral resources could be upgraded to indicated mineral resources with continued exploration. Under Canadian rules, estimates of inferred mineral resources may not form the basis of feasibility or pre-feasibility studies, except in rare cases. Investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of an inferred mineral resource is economically or legally mineable. Disclosure of "contained ounces" in a resource is permitted disclosure under Canadian regulations; however, the SEC normally only permits issuers to report mineralization that does not constitute "reserves" by SEC standards as in place tonnage and grade without reference to unit measures. Canadian standards, including the CIM Definition Standards and NI 43-101, differ significantly from standards in the SEC Industry Guide 7. Effective February 25, 2019, the SEC adopted new mining disclosure rules under subpart 1300 of Regulation S-K of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "SEC Modernization Rules"), with compliance required for the first fiscal year beginning on or after January 1, 2021. The SEC Modernization Rules replace the historical property disclosure requirements included in SEC Industry Guide 7. As a result of the adoption of the SEC Modernization Rules, the SEC now recognizes estimates of "Measured Mineral Resources", "Indicated Mineral Resources" and "Inferred Mineral Resources". In addition, the SEC has amended its definitions of "Proven Mineral Reserves" and "Probable Mineral Reserves" to be substantially similar to corresponding definitions under the CIM Definition Standards. During the period leading up to the compliance date of the SEC Modernization Rules, information regarding mineral resources or reserves contained or referenced in this news release may not be comparable to similar information made public by companies that report according to U.S. standards. While the SEC Modernization Rules are purported to be "substantially similar" to the CIM Definition Standards, readers are cautioned that there are differences between the SEC Modernization Rules and the CIM Definitions Standards. Accordingly, there is no assurance any mineral reserves or mineral resources that the Company may report as "proven mineral reserves", "probable mineral reserves", "measured mineral resources", "indicated mineral resources" and "inferred mineral resources" under NI 43-101 would be the same had the Company prepared the reserve or resource estimates under the standards adopted under the SEC Modernization Rules. SOURCE Silvercorp Metals Inc Related Links www.silvercorp.ca Bars and restaurants are concerned the Indian variant will jeopardise the government roadmap, which would further hit trading In todays coronavirus news, fresh figures reveal persistent challenges for the hospitality sector, while government scientists are calling to delay the 21 June end of lockdown date. One in four UK restaurants, pubs, bars and other licensed premises have yet to reopen despite the return of inside service, new Market Recovery Monitor research from CGA and AlixPartners shows. Just under 25,000 venues are still shut as the current restrictions make it unviable to trade. Only a third of the countrys pubs and restaurants traded during the first phase of reopening before indoor service was allowed to resume on 17 May. More than 8,500 premises 7.4% of the pre-pandemic total have already closed for good. It is alarming to see that so many venues have still not been able to welcome guests. Many will have decided that restrictions and space constraints make opening unviable, while some sectors like late-night bars and nightclubs are still completely off limits, said Karl Chessell, CGAs director for hospitality operators and food in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. It will be an anxious wait to see how many of the venues that are holding on until the final easing of restrictions will be able to make it through. Sustained support is clearly going to be needed to save thousands of vulnerable businesses and jobs. Meanwhile, business owners continue fearing that England will postpone the end of restrictions after 21 June as previously planned. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to announce whether to go ahead with the last milestone on 14 June. Professor Ravi Gupta, a member of the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (Nervtag) said lockdown should last for an extra few weeks while experts gather more data on the Indian variant. Theres been exponential growth in the number of new cases and at least three-quarters of them are the new variant, he told BBCs Radio 4 Today programme. Of course the numbers of cases are still relatively low at the moment but all waves start with low numbers of cases, and that rumble in the background, and then become explosive, he added. So the key here is what were seeing is the signs of an early wave. It will probably take longer than previous waves to emerge because of the fact that we do have quite high levels of vaccination in the population, so there may be a false sense of security for some time and thats our concern. Last week, infections across the UK rose 28.8% to 23,418, with hospital admissions were up 23.2% to 133. Shares in hospitality companies were mostly moving higher on Tuesday, with Fulham Shore ( ), which operates the Franco Manca and The Real Greek chains, up 8%; Coppa Club and Tavolino operator Various Eateries ( ) up 3%; and Tasty ( ), which owns the Dim T and Wildwood chains, was 2% higher. The exception was Loungers ( ), where the shares were down 3%. MIAMI, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Silversea Cruises, the first cruise line to return to global ultra-luxury cruising with voyages in Greece and the Galapagos from June, has announced new summer voyages in Alaska and Iceland, starting in July 2021. With the passage of the U.S. Alaska Tourism Restoration Act, which enables cruises to Alaska without required stops in Canada, Silver Muse will resume round-trip sailings from Seattle starting July 29, making Silversea the first ultra-luxury cruise line to operate in Alaska this summer. Silver Shadow will circumnavigate Iceland with the launch of new all-Icelandic itineraries, returning to Northern Europe with three 10-day voyages from Reykjavik, beginning July 30. Silversea Cruises announces return to service in Alaska and Iceland "We proudly continue to lead the ultra-luxury cruise industry's healthy return to service and commend the leadership of Alaska and Iceland for taking steps to advance the safe resumption of global travel," says Roberto Martinoli, Silversea's President and CEO. "The return to service is fast gaining momentum, and we've seen exceptional demand for travel in Alaska and Iceland. We're eager to welcome back our guests to unlock unforgettable experiences aboard Silver Muse and Silver Shadow while contributing to the local economies of the incredible communities we visit." ALASKA: THE LAST FRONTIER Made possible by the passing of the U.S. Alaska Tourism Restoration Act, Silver Muse will set sail on round-trip voyages from Seattle as the first ultra-luxury cruise ship to visit Alaska this summer, following a varied series of 10- and 11-day itineraries. These extended voyages will enable Silversea's guests to journey to some of Alaska's most breathtaking ice structures, including the Sawyer Glacier and the Mendenhall Glacier, as well as experience the state's remarkable landscapes, wildlife, and remote communities, such as Ketchikan, Juneau, Wrangell, Skagway, and Sitka. A diverse array of experiences are available for an additional fee in each destination in Alaska, including the following highlights. From Juneau, Silversea guests can board a helicopter to experience the world-famous Mendenhall Glacier from the air, before touching down in special glacier boots to walk across this immense ice structure, accompanied by a tour guide who will impart their knowledge on glaciers. Offering an alternative experience of the Mendenhall Glacier, travelers can also participate in a three-hour whale quest from Auke Bay, admiring the vast glacier from the comfort of a catamaran while looking out for marine animals. An onboard naturalist will explain the behavior and habitat of the wildlife guests may encounter from humpback and killer whales to Stellar sea lions, harbor seals, and Bald Eagles. From Skagway, guests can board a vintage train for an exclusive adventure through Skagway's White Pass and Yukon Route, learning about Alaska's gold rush past while taking in the state's natural beauty. ICELAND: THE LAND OF FIRE AND ICE According to the Icelandic Tourist Board, cruise travelers arriving in Iceland peaked at approximately 549,000 in 2019, which indicates a burgeoning demand.1 Responding to exceptionally strong guest feedback, Silversea Cruises had previously announced its largest-ever collection of voyages in Iceland as part of its voyage collection for 2021/2022. A revised collection following the pandemic, the three round-trip voyages from Reykjavik include calls in Grundarfjordur, Isafjordur, Siglufjordur, Akureyri, Husavik, Seydisfjordur, and the island of Heimaey. Circumnavigating a land of jaw-dropping natural beauty and geological wonders aboard Silversea's intimate, ultra-luxury Silver Shadow, the cruise line's guests will have the chance to marvel at volcanoes and glacier-sculpted fjords, walk across lava fields, witness magnificent waterfalls and bubbling hot springs, and so much more. During Silversea's voyages in Iceland, guests will enjoy immersive shore excursions that are included in the fare. Highlight experiences include an insightful half-day tour from Akureyri, during which travelers will discover Iceland's vast lava fields, bubbling hot pools, hissing fumaroles, breathtaking waterfalls, and internationally-acclaimed birdlife; an awe-inspiring Puffin Tour from Grundarfjordur, during which guests will board a small boat before sailing to an island renowned for its large colony of nesting Atlantic Puffins; an all-terrain vehicle adventure from Heimaey, on which travelers will witness the spectacular beauty of the Vestmannaeyjar Archipelago and the Eldfell Volcano; an unforgettable 4x4 glacier safari with an ice cave visit; and an authentic journey into Iceland's herring tradition in Siglufjordur with a tasting. ALL-INCLUSIVE LUXURY Silver Muse and Silver Shadow are among the most spacious, luxurious ships at sea. Both feature all ocean-view suites, the personalized service of butlers, and sumptuous cuisine served in multiple restaurants. Enhancing the cruise experience are such all-inclusive amenities as round-trip economy class air (or air credit); pre- and post-cruise hotel night/s, depending on Silversea's air program schedule; transfers and luggage handling; complimentary premium wines and spirits, specialty coffees, bottled water, juices and soft drinks served throughout the ships; in-suite bars, stocked with guests' preferences; a complimentary in-suite, 24-hour dining service; onboard gratuities; and unlimited, complimentary Wi-Fi. CRUISE WITH CONFIDENCE With Silversea's flexible booking policy, guests who book before August 31, 2021, will be able to cancel their cruise up to 30 days prior to departure for all voyages (except World Cruises) until April 30, 2022, without penalties when selecting a Future Cruise Credit. Complete details on Silversea's Cruise with Confidence program are posted on the cruise line's website. MANDATORY VACCINATIONS All guests and crew will be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before embarking Silver Muse in Alaska and Silver Shadow in Iceland, as part of Silversea's comprehensive, multi-layered set of science-backed protocols that will help to safeguard the health and safety of guests, crew, and visited communities. More information is available on Silversea's website. Silversea will continue to work closely with relevant governing bodies and health authorities to evolve its health and safety procedures, as new health recommendations are issued and as the fluid situation advances. Please note: Silversea's new voyages to Alaska will be added to the cruise line's website on June 7. Learn more about Silversea's resumption of cruising: https://www.silversea.com/information-on-itinerary-changes.html Read related articles on Silversea's blog: https://discover.silversea.com/category/destinations/alaska/ https://discover.silversea.com/tag/iceland/ Find out more information about Silversea's health and safety protocols: https://www.silversea.com/lp-silversea-hrts-consumer.html Please note: All itineraries are subject to change based on a variety of external factors. Please refer to https://www.silversea.com/health-and-travel-notice.html for the latest health and travel advisories pertaining to cruise travel. 1https://www.ferdamalastofa.is/en/recearch-and-statistics/numbers-of-foreign-visitors About Silversea Part of the Royal Caribbean Group, Silversea Cruises is recognized as an innovator in the ultra-luxury cruise industry, offering guests large-ship amenities aboard its intimate, all-suite vessels: Silver Wind, Silver Shadow, Silver Whisper, Silver Spirit, Silver Muse and Silver Moon all designed to offer an atmosphere of conviviality and casual elegance. With the inclusion of the expedition ships Silver Origin, Silver Explorer, and Silver Cloud, Silversea's itineraries encompass all seven continents and feature worldwide luxury cruises to the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, the Galapagos, both Polar Regions, and hundreds of fascinating destinations in between. Silversea is also looking forward to the launch of three new ultra-luxury ships: Silver Dawn and two Evolution-class ships. Browse Silversea's blog, Discover, and subscribe to receive the latest content directly into your inbox. SOURCE Silversea Cruises Related Links https://www.silversea.com No one knows how to throw a party like Southwest Airlines. Southwest Employees will celebrate this milestone, and Customers will be able to participate in the fun. In celebration of Southwest's 50 th Anniversary, the carrier is giving Customers the chance to win a total of 50 million Rapid Rewards bonus points from June 1, 2021, through June 18, 2021.* Customers will have daily opportunities to win Rapid Rewards bonus points, with Southwest gift cards, and Companion Passes also up for grabs on June 18. Visit Southwest50.com/WannaGetAway to view full terms and conditions and to enter for a chance to win. "It's our 50th Anniversary and we are ready to celebrate and thank our Customers," said Bill Tierney, Southwest Airlines Vice President of Marketing. "In true Southwest Spirit, we are turning our 50th Anniversary into Wanna Get Away Day, allowing Customers the opportunity to celebrate our 50-year history of Heart, low-fares, legendary Hospitality, and flexible policies by giving them opportunities to turn 'Wanna get away' into 'Gonna' get away." Turn "Wanna Get Away" into "Gonna Get Away" As travel demand returns, this celebration is an opportunity to encourage Customers to reconnect with the People and places they love, and turn those travel dreams into a reality. Southwest's Purpose is to connect People to what's important in their lives, and the carrier is excited to celebrate this national day with its Customers, and most importantly turn their "wannas" into "gonnas." Continuing the Celebration Southwest is celebrating all month long with its Employees and Customers. Starting today, Southwest will have pop-up photo opportunities in 24 airport gate areas across the nation and Heart Carts full of swag and fun giveaways in more than 40 of its locations. And who can forget Southwest's famous gate games featuring its amazing Employees? The fun doesn't stop at the gateSouthwest's Inflight Crews will be surprising and delighting Customers with additional swag on June 18. Speaking of swag, take a trip down memory lane with Southwest's 50th Anniversary collection including its retro merchandise, throughout 2021 at Southwest: The Store. The carrier is celebrating its golden year with a Retro Hostess Build-A-Bear now available for sale exclusively at Southwest: The Store. The official Build-A-Bear furry friend commemorates the original Southwest Airlines' Hostesses, now called Flight Attendants, in an iconic orange, white, and red outfit, reminiscent of the Hot Pants uniform of the early days. Other new featured merchandise available the week of Southwest's 50th Anniversary (beginning June 14) include a silk 70s Retro Hostess Scarf (to match the Retro Hostess Build-A-Bear, of course), Southwest Birthday T-shirts, Southwest 50th Anniversary pin, and much more! Stay tuned to Southwest.com for more details about the surprises to come. To learn more about Southwest's 50th Anniversary and five-decade-long history of friendly, reliable, and low-cost air travel, visit Southwest50.com. *SOUTHWEST AIRLINES SWEEPSTAKES TERMS NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. Open to legal residents of 50 United States and the District of Columbia (excluding Alaska) age 18 or older at time of entry. Void where prohibited. Limit one entry per person. All fields must be completed. For complete details and Official Rules, visit Southwest50.com/wannagetaway. By submitting this entry, you agree to the Official Rules. By entering, information collected will be used in accordance with the Sponsor's Privacy Policy at Southwest.com/privacy. Sponsor: 2702 Love Field Drive HDQ 5MC, Dallas, TX 75235. Enter by June 18, 2021, 11:58:59 pm Pacific Daylight Time. Points and Companion Pass bookings do not include taxes and fees of at least $5.60 per one-way flight. ABOUT SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO. In its 50th year of service, Dallas-based Southwest Airlines Co. continues to differentiate itself from other air carriers with exemplary Customer Service delivered by more than 56,000 Employees to a Customer base that topped 130 million Passengers in 2019. Southwest has a robust network of point-to-point service with a strong presence across top leisure and business markets. In peak travel seasons during 2019, Southwest operated more than 4,000 weekday departures among a network of 101 destinations in the United States and 10 additional countries. In 2020, the carrier added service to Hilo, Hawaii; Cozumel, Mexico; Miami; Palm Springs, Calif.; Steamboat Springs; and Montrose (Telluride/Crested Butte), Colo. Thus far in 2021, Southwest has initiated service to Chicago (O'Hare) and Sarasota/ Bradenton, both on Feb. 14; Savannah/Hilton Head and Colorado Springs, Colo., both on March 11; Houston (Bush) and Santa Barbara, Calif., both on April 12; Fresno, Calif., on April 25; Destin/Fort Walton Beach on May 6; Myrtle Beach S.C., on May 23; as well as Bozeman, Mont., on May 27; and will begin service to Jackson, Miss., on June 6; and Eugene, Ore., on Aug. 29. The Company also has announced an intention to initiate new service to Bellingham, Wash., later this year. The carrier issued its Southwest Promise in May 2020 to highlight new and round-the-clock efforts to support its Customers and Employees well-being and comfort. Among the changes are enhanced cleaning efforts at airports and onboard aircraft, along with a federal mandate requiring every person to wear a mask at all times throughout each flight. Additional details about the Southwest Promise are available at Southwest.com/Promise. Southwest coined Transfarency to describe its purposed philosophy of treating Customers honestly and fairly, and low fares actually staying low. Southwest is the only major U.S. airline to offer bags fly free to everyone (first and second checked pieces of luggage, size and weight limits apply, some carriers offer free checked bags on select routes or in qualified circumstances). Southwest does not charge change fees, though fare differences might apply. Southwest is one of the most honored airlines in the world, known for a triple bottom line approach that contributes to the carrier's performance and productivity, the importance of its People and the communities they serve, and an overall commitment to efficiency and the planet. Learn more about how the carrier gives back to communities across the world by visiting Southwest.com/citizenship. Book Southwest Airlines' low fares online at Southwest.com or by phone at 1-800-I-FLY-SWA. SOURCE Southwest Airlines Co. Related Links http://www.southwest.com NEW YORK, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Pontem Corporation (NYSE: PNTM.U) (the "Company") today announced that it received a formal notice of non-compliance on May 25, 2021 from the New York Stock Exchange (the "NYSE") relating to the Company's failure to timely file its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2021 (the "Form 10-Q") as required under the timely filing criteria established in Section 802.01E of the NYSE Listed Company Manual. On April 12, 2021, the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") issued "Staff Statement on Accounting and Reporting Considerations for Warrants Issued by Special Purpose Acquisition Companies ("SPACs")" (the "Statement"), which clarified guidance for all SPAC-related companies regarding the accounting and reporting for their warrants. The immediacy of the effective date of the new guidance set forth in the Statement has resulted in a significant number of SPACs re-evaluating the accounting treatment for their warrants with their professional advisors, including auditors and other advisors responsible for assisting SPACs in the preparation of financial statements. This, in turn, has resulted in the Company's delay in preparing and finalizing its financial statements as of and for the quarter ended March 31, 2021 and filing its Form 10-Q with the SEC by the prescribed deadline. The Company expects to file the Form 10-Q with the SEC as soon as reasonably practicable. About Pontem Corporation The Company is a newly organized blank check company incorporated in the Cayman Islands for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. The Company has not yet selected any specific business combination target. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this press release are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and are subject to the safe harbor created thereby. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "may," "will," "could," "would," "should," "expect," "plan," "anticipate," "intend," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "potential," "outlook," "guidance" or the negative of those terms or other comparable terminology. These statements are based on the current beliefs and expectations of the Company's management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties constitute forward-looking statements that are based on the Company's current expectations. Because these forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, there are important factors that could cause future events to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements, many of which are outside of the Company's control. These factors include, but are not limited to, a variety of risk factors affecting the Company's business and prospects, see the section titled "Risk Factors" in the Company's Prospectus filed with the SEC on March 1, 2021 and subsequent reports filed with the SEC, as amended from time to time. Any forward-looking statements are made only as of the date hereof, and unless otherwise required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. For more information, please contact: Pontem Corporation www.pontemcorp.com Tim Burt [email protected] SOURCE Pontem Corporation Related Links https://www.pontemcorp.com/ GREENLAND, N.H., June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Cole Haan, Inc. ("Cole Haan") announced today a significant addition to its leadership team: Stephen J. Henderson joins the company as Chief Digital Officer. Stephen joins the iconic American lifestyle brand and retailer from Caleres Inc. where he was Senior Vice President of Marketing and eCommerce. "I am thrilled to join the Cole Haan leadership team, with its incredible track record for innovation that matches a deep understanding for how consumers live and pursue their passions," commented Stephen. "Cole Haan is an exceptional brand that I have respected for years. I am looking forward to working with the entire team to help accelerate growth, particularly in digital and direct channels, during this unique time in history." Jack Boys, CEO of Cole Haan added, "We are honored to have an executive of Stephen's exceptional talent join our leadership team. As we look toward digital commerce expansion globally, Stephen will have a wide mandate to work across the entire Cole Haan enterprise to accelerate our digital growth agenda." Stephen begins immediately and will oversee Cole Haan's global digital footprint. In the last year, Cole Haan has rolled out 26 localized sites across international markets with continued growth slated for the next fiscal year. Stephen will oversee all sites operated by international distributors, as well as Cole Haan USA, Japan and Canada. "Stephen is one of those rare executives that brings equal parts consumer obsession, technological know-how, and a passion for design and user experience," said David Maddocks, Brand President of Cole Haan. "This alchemy will further transform our global digital platforms to drive growth over the next several years." Stephen held several positions at Caleres Inc. Most recently, Stephen was responsible for overseeing consumer-direct eCommerce, as well as brand, creative, wholesale and consumer marketing for a large portfolio of footwear brands. About Cole Haan Cole Haan is a global performance lifestyle brand serving always-connected, active professionals with innovative footwear and lifestyle accessories. Cole Haan pioneered new categories of footwear and lifestyle accessories that customers wear from work-to-workout-to-weekend, building upon the Cole Haan brand's 90-year heritage by infusing its products with time-honored craftsmanship with modern innovation. Cole Haan's mission is to inspire these customers to live extraordinary lives. Contact Madison Steinberg Manager, Public Relations [email protected] SOURCE Cole Haan Related Links http://www.colehaan.com HOUSTON, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- By denying Johnson & Johnson's efforts to overturn a $2.1 billion award to a group of women who developed ovarian cancer after exposure to its talcum powder products, the U.S. Supreme Court has sent a strong message to corporate America says Mark Lanier, the lead trial counsel for the women and their families. "This was a victory not just for the amazing women and their families who we were privileged to represent, but a victory for justice," says Mr. Lanier of The Lanier Law Firm in Houston. "This decision sends a clear message to everyone: you will be held to account when you cause grievous harm under our system of equal justice under law." In its petition for certiorari before the court, Johnson & Johnson sought to toss a decision by a Missouri appellate court that unanimously upheld a St. Louis jury's determination that the company engaged in "reprehensible conduct" by manufacturing and selling asbestos-containing talcum powder products over the course of many decades. In a thorough 83-page opinion, that court upheld $2.11 billion of a $4.69 billion unanimous jury verdict against Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiary JJCI that followed a six-week trial in July 2018. The 22 claimants had used the talc-based powders daily for many years, unaware that the products contained asbestos. Several of the women died from the disease prior to the trial, while others have died in the intervening years. In its June 2020 opinion, the Missouri Court of Appeals found "evidence that Defendants discussed the presence of asbestos in their talc in internal memoranda for several decades; avoided adopting more accurate measures for detecting asbestos and influenced the industry to do the same; attempted to discredit those scientists publishing studies unfavorable to their Products; and did not eliminate talc from the Products and use cornstarch instead because it would be more costly to do so." The Missouri Supreme Court refused to further consider the appeal by J&J, leading to the filing of the certiorari petition by the company earlier this year. Numerous business-backed organizations, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, filed briefs and published articles in support of J&J. "Given today's decision, J&J should move forward in honoring the judgment of the Missouri courts," says Mr. Lanier. "Jury awards that are solidly based on the evidence should not be set aside, especially when the jury determines justice calls for significant punitive damages due to outrageous corporate behavior." About the Lanier Law Firm For more than 30 years, the men and women at The Lanier Law Firm have worked tirelessly, throughout the United States, to find unique and effective solutions for their clients. More than 60 skilled attorneys practice law in a broad array of areas, including business litigation, pharmaceutical litigation, asbestos exposure, oil and gas litigation, personal injury as well as defective and dangerous products, among others. Named an Elite Trial Law Firm by The National Law Journal, The Lanier Law Firm has offices in Houston, New York and Los Angeles. To learn more about Mark Lanier and The Lanier Law Firm, visit http://www.lanierlawfirm.com. Media Contact: J.D. Cargill 713-659-5200 [email protected] SOURCE The Lanier Law Firm Related Links http://www.lanierlawfirm.com SAN DIEGO, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Synergy One Lending, a lender committed to The Modern Mortgage Experience, continues innovation within personal finance by announcing its launch of a digital Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) product powered by a blockchain-integrated artificial intelligence platform. The S1LHELOC.com platform streamlines the HELOC process by allowing borrowers to complete a brief questionnaire, receive credit decisioning, set up payment options, and video chat with an online notary within a single interface. By incorporating blockchain into HELOC origination, Synergy One can provide access to up to a quarter of a million dollars in 5 days or less, while lowering costs, reducing risk, and improving financing execution throughout the loan process. "Being true to our commitment to being a modern lender, we see this product announcement as an important step in being an early mover to bringing the power of blockchain to the lending experience and we expect to continue to expand in this area for quite some time to come", said Synergy One CEO, Steve Majerus. "Our adoption of fintech solutions where we can improve the client experience and reduce friction and costs in the process, will guide our roadmap for bringing great solutions to the mortgage lending process" About Synergy One Lending Synergy One Lending is based in San Diego, CA, is currently licensed in 40 states and has Operational HUBS in Dallas, TX, Roseville, CA, Boise, ID and Denver, CO. For more information visit www.S1LHELOC.com or www.S1L.com Media Contact: Steve Majerus, [email protected] SOURCE Synergy One Lending Related Links https://s1lending.com/ SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Taylor Morrison Home Corporation (NYSE: TMHC) (the "Company") today announced that its Board of Directors has increased the amount available for repurchases under its stock repurchase program by up to $250 million of the Company's Common Stock. Repurchases of the Company's Common Stock under the program will occur from time to time in open market purchases, privately negotiated transactions or other transactions through December 31, 2022. "The increase in our share repurchase authorization is a reflection of our commitment to creating long-term value through strategic capital allocation," said Chief Financial Officer Dave Cone. "Our strong outlook for operating cash flow has equipped us with flexibility to continue to invest in our business, drive further balance sheet deleveraging and return excess capital to shareholders via share repurchases." Since 2015, the Company has repurchased a total of approximately 37 million shares for $735 million, representing 31 percent of its shares outstanding. Future repurchases under the stock repurchase program are subject to prevailing market conditions and other considerations, including the Company's liquidity, the terms of its debt instruments, planned land investment and development spending, acquisition and other investment opportunities and ongoing capital requirements. About Taylor Morrison Headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, Taylor Morrison operates under our family of brandsincluding Taylor Morrison, Esplanade, Darling Homes, William Lyon Signature Series, and Christopher Todd Communities built by Taylor Morrison. We serve a wide array of consumers from coast to coast, including first-time, move-up, luxury and 55-plus active lifestyle buyers. From 2016-2021, Taylor Morrison has been recognized as America's Most Trusted Builder by Lifestory Research. Our unwavering pledge to sustainability, our communities and our team is highlighted in our 2020 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report . For more information about Taylor Morrison, please visit www.taylormorrison.com. CONTACT: Investor Relations Taylor Morrison Home Corporation (480) 734-2060 [email protected] SOURCE Taylor Morrison Related Links www.taylormorrison.com MONTREAL, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- On the occasion of the opening of the World Summit for Sustainable Mobility on June 1st, 2021, Movin'On announces setting up a shared governance, created to amplify and accelerate its action on a global scale. Movin'On is convinced that no single actor will be able to meet alone the immense societal challenges of mobility, such as congestion and pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, the scarcity of resources, the financing of new transport infrastructures and access to mobility for all. This is why Movin'On has decided to extend its governance to 10 major global companies, each a leader in its own market, who share the conviction that mobility is at the heart of development and human progress. Around Florent Menegaux, President of Movin'On and CEO of Michelin, 9 companies' leaders have joined forces: Omar Abbosh , CEO Microsoft Services , CEO Microsoft Services Oscar de Bok , CEO DHL Supply Chain , CEO DHL Supply Chain Jean-Laurent Bonnafe , CEO BNP Paribas , CEO BNP Paribas Xavier Huillard , CEO VINCI , CEO VINCI Ilham Kadri , CEO Solvay , CEO Solvay Patrick Koller , CEO Faurecia , CEO Faurecia Luca de Meo , CEO Renault , CEO Renault Rodolphe Saade , Chairman and CEO CMA CGM , Chairman and CEO Julie Sweet , CEO Accenture This new shared governance will set Movin'On's strategic directions, facilitate co-innovation and experimentation of new solutions, as well as the establishment of new partnerships. Florent Menegaux, President of Movin'On and CEO of Michelin, said : "I am very pleased today to announce the shared governance of Movin'On: it brings together companies as well as personalities who are convinced, as I myself am, that mobility is a factor of progress. We will work together to make it sustainable and inclusive. This new governance is a major step in the development of Movin'On" The ten leaders meet today for the opening of Movin'On Summit (2 pm CET 8 am EST) to share their collective commitment with all participants. Movin'On Summit will be held in a phygital format this year, from June 1 to June 4, 2021. Three studios will broadcast from Paris, Montreal and Singapore almost 50 hours of live conferences, panels and working sessions. https://summit.movinonconnect.com Founded by Michelin in 2017, Movin'On brings together more than 300 organizations, public and private, coming from 60 countries (large companies, startups, cities, countries, international organizations, academics and civil society). Movin'On members are working together to anticipate markets and future demand, to build shared development scenarios and to facilitate the development of solutions for a more sustainable, more accessible mobility with less environmental impact About Movin'On Movin'On is the world's leading co-innovation ecosystem committed to sustainable mobility. It brings together more than 300 public, private, collective, and individual players: corporates, cities, countries, academics, international organizations, civil society. Independent and not for profit, Movin'On provides concrete solutions and innovations. This is done largely through its think-and-do tank Movin'On Lab and Communities of Interest. Every year, the Movin'On community organises physical and digital events to drive projects forward in tangible ways. Learn more at www.movinonconnect.com/en SOURCE Movin'On Related Links https://www.michelinmedia.com THE WOODLANDS, Texas, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- TETRA Technologies, Inc. ("TETRA" or the "Company") (NYSE:TTI) announced that its senior management will participate in the 2021 RBC Capital Markets Global Energy, Power & Infrastructure Conference on Wednesday, June 9, 2021. Brady Murphy, President and Chief Executive Officer, and Elijio Serrano, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, of TETRA are scheduled to present on Wednesday June 9 at 4:00 P.M. Eastern Time (3:00 P.M. Central Time) and will also be hosting one-on-one meetings. Interested parties can register via the web link below and those that would like to participate in a one-on-one meeting please contact Elijio Serrano (see investor contact below). https://event.on24.com/wcc/r/3211228/4A72692BD1F62303FDEE6FB978B31918 The Company's presentation material will be posted to TETRA's website on June 9. Please visit the Investor Relations section of the website at https://tetratec.com under "News & Events" then "Presentations." Company Overview and Forward-Looking Statements TETRA Technologies, Inc. is a geographically diversified oil and gas services company, focused on completion fluids and associated products and services, water management, frac flowback and production well testing. SOURCE TETRA Technologies, Inc. Related Links http://www.tetratec.com Stockbroker and Crowdcube shareholder Numis will use the new platform, according to a report in the FT. Crowdcube is reportedly working on an online IPO platform aimed at retail investors, making it a new rival to the London Stock Exchanges part-owned . The crowdfunding firm has so far help private businesses land investment and, according to a report in the Financial Times, it has hired a capital markets team. Crowdcube plans to enable retail investors to participate in London IPOs. Stockbroker Numis, a shareholder in Crowdcube, is expected to use the new platform for future appropriate IPO, the FT noted. It is the latest manoeuvre from Crowdcube which in March saw its proposed merger with crowdfunding rival blocked by the Competition and Markets Authority. Also, it marks a further step in the adoption of crowdfunding for stock market listed companies and the trend toward more open IPOs. Whilst the P in IPO stands for public, real public access has for the most part unavailable. Institutions and brokers have long been gatekeepers in the IPO process and often, even if individual investor can participate through their brokers often minimum investment limits can be prohibitive for the retail-end of the investment community. This is the niche within which PrimaryBid has been able to grow in recent years. Founded in 2016 by former banker Anand Sambasivan, the company operates as a platform to allow retail investors access to public companies undertaking funding rounds at the same time and the same price as institutional investors. PrimaryBid notifies its account holders when a company is using its platform to raise funds, offering them a chance to purchase shares using their debit card, which are then allocated into an investment account. PrimaryBid initially came to prominence at the start of the coronavirus lockdown in 2020, when contract cater PLC ( ) used its app as part of a 2bn share issue. Since then, other large corporates such as ( ), ( ), PLC ( ) and housebuilder PLC ( ) have all used the app for a retail offering alongside large equity raises. In March 2021, PrimayBid notably raised 50mln as part of Deliveroos IPO which raised 1bn, set a market value of 7.6bn, and subsequently broke records for all the wrong reasons as shares slumped after the float. THE WOODLANDS, Texas, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- TETRA Technologies, Inc. ("TETRA" or the "Company") (NYSE:TTI) announced that its senior management will participate at the virtual Cowen Sustainability & Energy Transition Summit on Tuesday, June 8, 2021. Brady Murphy, President and Chief Executive Officer, and Elijio Serrano, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, of TETRA are scheduled to present on Tuesday June 8 at 12:30 P.M. Eastern Time (11:30 A.M. Central Time) and will be hosting one-on-one meetings before and after the presentation. Parties interested in participating in the one-on-one sessions should contact Elijio Serrano (see Investor Contact below). Cowen's Sustainability & Energy Transition Summit is a virtual event taking place June 8 June 9, 2021. The summit incorporates fireside chats and presentations hosted by members of the Cowen research team. TETRA's presentation will be recorded and posted to the Company's web site. The Company's presentation material and a webcast of the presentation will be posted to TETRA's website on June 8. Please visit the Investor Relations section of the website at https://tetratec.com under "News & Events" then "Presentations" or "Events and Webcasts." Cowen Inc. ("Cowen") is a diversified financial services firm offering investment banking services, equity and credit research, sales and trading, prime brokerage, global clearing, commission management services and actively managed alternative investment products. Cowen focuses on delivering value-added capabilities to its clients in order to help them outperform. Founded in 1918, Cowen is headquartered in New York and has offices worldwide. Learn more at Cowen.com. Company Overview and Forward-Looking Statements TETRA Technologies, Inc. is a geographically diversified oil and gas services company, focused on completion fluids and associated products and services, water management, frac flowback and production well testing. SOURCE TETRA Technologies, Inc. Related Links http://www.tetratec.com HAMILTON, Bermuda, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Textainer Group Holdings Limited (NYSE: TGH / JSE: TXT) ("Textainer", "the Company", "we" and "our") announced that two new members of its Board of Directors were elected at the May 26, 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. James Earl and Cynthia Hostetler were elected as new Class II directors and Olivier Ghesquiere was re-elected as a Class II director at the Annual Meeting. The Company's shareholders also approved the 2020 audited financial statements and the appointment of KPMG as the Company's auditor for 2021. Mr. Earl was an executive with NYSE-listed GATX Corporation from 1988 to 2018, ultimately serving as Executive Vice President, President of its Rail International division and CEO of GATX's American Steamship Company. Mr. Earl also serves on the Board of Directors of NYSE-listed Harsco Corporation. Mr. Earl has a B.S. from Washington University in St. Louis and an M.B.A. from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Ms. Hostetler serves as a Trustee of Invesco Ltd. and is a member of the boards of TriLinc Global Fund, an impact investment company, NYSE-listed Vulcan Materials Company and NYSE-listed Resideo Technologies, Inc. Ms. Hostetler also has served on the board of the Investment Company Institute since 2018. From 2001 to 2009, Ms. Hostetler served as Head of Investment Funds and Private Equity at the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC). Ms. Hostetler has a J.D. from the University of Virginia and a B.A. from Southern Methodist University. At the Annual Meeting, Hennie Van der Merwe, the Chief Executive Officer of Trencor Limited, retired from the Board of Directors. Mr. Van der Merwe previously served on the Company's Board of Directors between 2003 and 2011 and rejoined the Board of Directors in August 2017. "We are very pleased to welcome Jim and Cynthia to the Textainer Board," said Hyman Shwiel, Chairman of the Board of Textainer. "Their impressive careers and deep experience as board members of other prominent public companies will make them strong additions to Textainer as our Company grows and we welcome their valuable insights and perspectives." Mr. Shwiel continued, "The Board of Directors is grateful for Hennie Van der Merwe's many years of dedicated service on the Company's Board and we wish him well in retirement." About Textainer Group Holdings Limited Textainer has operated since 1979 and is one of the world's largest lessors of intermodal containers with approximately 3.8 million TEU in our owned and managed fleet. We lease containers to approximately 250 customers, including all of the world's leading international shipping lines, and other lessees. Our fleet consists of standard dry freight, refrigerated intermodal containers, and dry freight specials. We also lease tank containers through our relationship with Trifleet Leasing and are a supplier of containers to the U.S. Military. Textainer is one of the largest and most reliable suppliers of new and used containers. In addition to selling older containers from our fleet, we buy older containers from our shipping line customers for trading and resale. We sold an average of approximately 150,000 containers per year for the last five years to more than 1,500 customers making us one of the largest sellers of used containers. Textainer operates via a network of 14 offices and approximately 400 independent depots worldwide. Textainer has a primary listing on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: TGH) and a secondary listing on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE: TXT). Visit www.textainer.com for additional information about Textainer. Contact Information Investor Relations +1 415-658-8333 [email protected] SOURCE Textainer Group Holdings Limited Related Links http://www.textainer.com CLARK, N.J., June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- GEP, a leading provider of procurement and supply chain strategy, software and managed services to Fortune 500 and Global 2000 enterprises worldwide, announced today that The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated - a leader in experiential dining with 299 restaurants throughout North America - has selected, rolled-out and starting using GEP SMART, the industry's leading procurement software platform. GEP SMART will enable The Cheesecake Factory to manage its sourcing, contracting, and supplier management. "Supply chains have been stressed across the entire restaurant industry, and our investment in GEP SMART will help us build stronger relationships with our suppliers to accelerate our recovery and deliver greater value to our guests," said Hari Nagabhirava, senior vice president, global supply chain, at The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated. GEP SMART is a unified, cloud-native source-to-pay platform, built on a data-centric foundation with AI at its core and user-first design. GEP SMART enables Fortune 500 and Global 2000 clients to drive optimum efficiency, agility, visibility, and actionable intelligence into all procurement and purchasing functions while eliminating burdensome infrastructure and support costs to achieve maximum ROI. About The Cheesecake Factory The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated is a leader in experiential dining. We are culinary forward and relentlessly focused on hospitality. Delicious, memorable experiences created by passionate people this defines who we are and where we are going. We currently own and operate 299 restaurants throughout the United States and Canada under brands including The Cheesecake Factory, North Italia and a collection within the Fox Restaurant Concepts subsidiary. Internationally, 28 The Cheesecake Factory restaurants operate under licensing agreements. Our bakery division operates two facilities that produce quality cheesecakes and other baked products for our restaurants, international licensees and third-party bakery customers. In 2021, we were named to the FORTUNE Magazine "100 Best Companies to Work For" list for the eighth consecutive year. To learn more, visit www.thecheesecakefactory.com, www.northitaliarestaurant.com and www.foxrc.com. About GEP SOFTWARE GEP SOFTWARETM provides award-winning digital procurement and supply chain platforms that help global enterprises become more agile, resilient, competitive and profitable. With beautifully rendered interfaces and flexible workflows, GEP provides users fresh, intuitive digital workspaces that yield extraordinary levels of user adoption and meaningful gains in team and personal productivity. GEP products capitalize on machine learning and cognitive computing, advanced data and semantic technologies, IoT, mobile and cloud technologies, and are designed to incorporate continual innovations in technology. GEP's software integrates quickly and easily with third-party and legacy systems, such as SAP, Oracle and all other major ERP and F&A software. And with superb support and service, GEP is an industry leader in customer satisfaction and loyalty. A leader in multiple Gartner Magic Quadrants, GEP's cloud-native software and digital business platforms consistently win awards and recognition from industry analysts, research firms and media outlets, including Gartner, Forrester, IDC, Procurement Leaders and Spend Matters. GEP SOFTWARE is part of Clark, NJ-based GEP the world's leading provider of procurement and supply chain strategy, software and managed services. To learn more, visit www.gepsoftware.com . Media Contact Derek Creevey Director, Public Relations GEP Phone: +1 732-382-6565 Email: [email protected] SOURCE GEP Related Links http://www.gep.com If your mouth isn't watering yet, get ready. Imagine biting into this: a buttered and toasted brioche bun, drizzled with our new Secret Sauce, topped with a tomato slice, an exceptional piece of juicy, crispy hand-battered and hand-breaded fried chicken breast drizzled with even more of our Secret Sauce, topped with lettuce and the other half of the buttered and toasted brioche bun. Of course, it's served with fries too. "We didn't want to create just another chicken sandwich. We're all about food perfection and wanted to create the best chicken sandwich. And that takes time," said Michael Breed, vice president of marketing at Chili's. "We've been testing a chicken sandwich and our new Secret Sauce for over a year to ensure we give our Guests the perfect bite a bite that's full of flavor and makes you want another bite and another and we've done just that with the Chili's Chicken Sandwich." "What sets our sandwich apart from the rest is the Secret Sauce. Plus, we're providing it at a value you just can't beat," added Breed. MCR members can order this exceptionally savory Chili's Chicken Sandwich in restaurant, To-Go or for delivery through the Chili's app or on chilis.com for just $10 as part of our exclusive 3 for $10 menu. For those who aren't familiar with our 3 for $10 offer, you can order a non-alcoholic beverage, an appetizer, AND an entree for just $10. What's not to love about that? If you're not an MCR member but want to get in on this special and scrumptious offer, you can join our loyalty program today. Problem solved. Don't wait, because this Chili's Chicken Sandwich is only here for a limited time. So, get off your bum and find a Chili's near you here. About Chili's Grill & Bar Hi, welcome to Chili's! We're a leader in the casual dining industry and the flagship brand of Dallas-based Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE: EAT). We're known for our big mouth burgers, Texas-sized ribs, full-on sizzling fajitas and hand-shaken margaritas. We take our food seriously but not ourselves because dining out should feel like a celebration even if there is nothing to celebrate. Our passion is making every Guest feel special, and every day, our ChiliHeads make it their job to spread #ChilisLove across our more than 1,600 restaurants in 29 countries and two territories. And Chili's cares. We host local Give Back Events to support kids, education and hunger, and have raised more than $70 million through our annual Create-A-Pepper campaign benefiting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, because giving back is a big part of who we are. Find more information about us at chilis.com, follow us on Twitter or Instagram, like us on Facebook @Chilis or join us on TikTok @chilisofficial. SOURCE Chili's Grill & Bar Related Links http://chilis.com NEW YORK, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Despite tireless efforts by health care workers and major breakthroughs with Covid-19 vaccines, more than 10,000 people a day around the world are still dying from Covid-19. The continued spread of the virus in unvaccinated populations threatens to keep the global economy choked for the foreseeable future and pose threats to current progress in containing the pandemic. To stop the spread of this pandemic, all countries need equal access to Covid-19 vaccination. A new report by The Rockefeller Foundation and key collaborators, One for All: An Updated Action Plan for Global Covid-19 Vaccination, is the first to present financing models that could drive the global vaccination effort forward. More than 80 percent of shots have gone into arms in high- and upper-middle income countries, leaving the pandemic to spread unchecked in lower-income countries and the world at risk of viral variants and reignited pandemic spread. But that inequity and the lack of a well-resourced global vaccination campaign extends beyond a health crisis. Our interconnected global economy stands to lose as much as US$9.2 trillion this year if governments fail to ensure developing economies have access to Covid-19 vaccines, and at least half of that loss would fall on advanced economies according to the International Chamber of Commerce Research Foundation. "Nearly everyone agrees that we must vaccinate the world as soon as possible or risk wasting our collective work, sacrifice and investment so far," said Dr. Rajiv J. Shah, President of The Rockefeller Foundation. "We have proven mechanisms in place to implement global vaccination through COVAX and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. The G7 and other wealthy countries must act now to close the financing gap and enable COVAX to get the job done." In many countries with access to Covid-19 vaccines, communities are opening up slowly, but in countries without the ability to buy large amounts of vaccines, it's a very different story. Nearly 50 percent of North Americans and more than 25 percent of Europeans have been vaccinated, in stark contrast to about 14 percent of South Americans, 5 percent of Asians, and 1.2 percent of Africans "The longer vaccination efforts are delayed in developing countries, the greater the risk Covid-19 never goes away and that new variants will continue to emerge," said Dr. Bruce Gellin, Chief of Global Public Health Strategy, The Rockefeller Foundation. "No one is safe from Covid-19 until everyone is safe and that means being vaccinated. The goal of any vaccination plan must be to achieve sufficient immunity in a population." This concern was recognized early on when it became apparent that to end the pandemic, everyone in the world needs access to Covid-19 vaccination in addition to equitable access to diagnostics and treatments. The Rockefeller Foundation's Updated Action Plan for Global Covid-19 Vaccination offers a five-point action plan to scale equitable vaccination around the world: Share more sooner Many countries with access to affordable vaccines have a surplus and should share with countries who do not have easy access to them. Make more quicker Despite a surplus, the world needs far more vaccines and fast. An immediate investment in expanding capacity could pay dividends within six months. Build in the global South Countries with production capacities should invest quickly in technology transfer to expand manufacturing capacity around the world. Countries without production capacity should be identified for assistance in capacity building long-term. Support delivery systems Building the support systems to deliver and administer vaccines in developing countries must be fast tracked and established in a way that benefits public health for decades to come. Close the financing gap The G7 and other donors need to step up so that COVAX closes its US$ 9.3B funding gap by June 2 nd allowing it to unlock an additional 1.8 billion doses of vaccine. Securing 1.8 billion doses would enable 92 low- and middle- income countries to protect nearly 30% of their population, or roughly half the entire adult population in those countries. In addition to funding COVAX, all of the Access to Covid-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-A) needs to be fully funded through 2022. Closing the Financing Gap In April 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) and key partners launched the Access to Covid-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-A). ACT-A contains four pillars to drive equitable access: one for testing, one for treatment, one focused on vaccines and a health systems connector that ensures the tools reach the right places once they arrive in country. The vaccine portion of ACT-A, also known as COVAX, drives the research, development, and manufacturing of a wide range of Covid-19 vaccine candidates with the ability to negotiate pricing. The initiative's initial aim is to have two billion doses available by the end of 2021 to cover frontline workers and high-risk populations in low- and middle-income countries. Unfortunately, COVAX's efforts to vaccinate 92 low- and middle -income countries is currently underfunded by $9.3 billion. In fact, all four pillars of ACT-A face an US$18.5 billion shortfall for the full breadth of the pandemic response. Funding COVAX this year is critical to slowing the pandemic and thus, is the focus of this action plan. COVAX needs US$9.3 billion to lock in 1.8 billion vaccine doses to reach the 92 countries relying on its supplies to vaccinate their populations. Securing 1.8 million doses would enable the countries to protect nearly 30 percent of the population, or roughly half the adult population in those countries. On June 2nd, Japan will host a Summit to try to raise the necessary support. Short term sources of lending for countries are not likely to move the needle in terms of vaccination, and therefore the G7 and other donors must step to the plate. Once funding for 2021 is secured, the G7 and the G20 need to be ready to step up to complete funding of vaccinations for all countries as well as to expand Covid-19 testing and treatment capacities across the rest of ACT-A to fully end this pandemic. "Anything less will not only condemn millions in the developing world to untimely deaths, but will allow Covid-19 variants to flourish with a high potential to rebound on the United States and other advanced economies, creating a never ending cycle of pandemic surges causing economic shutdowns,," said Dr. Rick Bright, Senior Vice President, Pandemic Prevention and Response at The Rockefeller Foundation. Financing Solutions for 2022 The funding gap to scale ACT-A is considerably larger in 2022 than it was in 2021, an estimated $49 billion for 92 low- and middle-income countries. To fund this future gap the G7 and its constituents should push for innovative options to finance broader pandemic response efforts. The report provides a menu of options for the IMF and its shareholders to consider to deploy special drawing rights (SDRs), a form of reserve currency, to fund ACT-A and its various pillars starting in 2022. In particular, the report calls on wealthy nations to reallocate no less than $100 billion in SDRs to support pandemic response in the developing world. With the right leadership and shareholder support within the IMF, this innovation could pave the way for more sustainable financing of this and future pandemics. This report follows The Rockefeller Foundation's Action Plan for Financing Global Vaccination and Sustainable Growth which was released in April. In the coming months, the Foundation will continue the series with detailed plans to revitalize global growth by deploying a larger, multilateral financing effort focused on sustainability, and climate. The Rockefeller Foundation is a pioneering philanthropy built on collaborative partnerships at the frontiers of science, technology, and innovation to enable individuals, families, and communities to flourish. We work to promote the well-being of humanity and make opportunity universal. Our focus is on scaling renewable energy for all, stimulating economic mobility, and ensuring equitable access to health and nutritious food. For more information, sign up for our newsletter at rockefellerfoundation.org and follow us on Twitter @RockefellerFdn. SOURCE The Rockefeller Foundation Related Links http://www.rockfound.org CALGARY, AB, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Top Strike Resources Corp. d.b.a. "Vencanna Ventures" (the "Corporation" or "Vencanna") (CSE: VENI) (OTCQB: TPPRF) announced on March 12, 2021 that it entered into a US$2 million loan agreement with Cannavative Group LLC ("Cannavative") and that the parties entered into an exclusive non-binding letter of intent pursuant to which Vencanna will acquire Cannavative through the issuance of 360 million common shares of Vencanna (the "Transaction"). The parties are currently finalizing the definitive agreement in respect of the Transaction and are working with regulators and auditors in the anticipation of closing the transaction in the summer of 2021. Cannavative cultivates and manufactures leading premium cannabis flower and products in the state of Nevada. Their products are currently sold in over 90% of Nevada's cannabis retail stores. According to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority ("LVCVA"), Las Vegas had over 42 million visitors in 2019. This gives Cannavative, and their award-winning brands, a natural gateway to international exposure. In spite of the dramatic downturn in tourist visits due to the pandemic, BDS Analytics estimated March 2021's cannabis sales were $84 million, a record month for Nevada. Capacity restrictions have steadily been lessening since early 2021, and as of today (June 1) all restrictions have been eliminated. LVCVA estimated that Las Vegas had 2.2 million visitors in March, a big increase over February's 1.5 million visitors. A return to 3.5 million monthly visitors can be expected as travel and indoor operations return to normal. Cannavative's first quarter 2021 sales were $3.2 million, an increase of 48% compared to the same period last year and in April they set a new monthly sales record of $1.6 million with a gross margin of 49% and an adjusted EBITDA margin of 31%. This is effectively a 10-fold increase over April 2020 sales when the Nevada market was at its low due to the impact from the pandemic. In fact, Cannavative took advantage of the slow down last year to further refine, retool and optimize their operations. This has had a significant impact on Cannavative's performance with the most recent harvests showing yield improvements of 50% while still maintaining its high quality and potency. Going forward, Cannavative will continue to penetrate the Nevada retail market, gain added shelf space, and expand its award-winning products. With its ability to scale as demand grows, Cannavative is poised to continue its growth as one of the state's leading brands. "Our staff's dedication and their continuance to strive for excellence has, and will continue to, positively impact the company's bottom line," stated Ross Kline, Cannavative's CEO. "We couldn't be happier with the performance of Cannavative. We look forward to joining forces with such a dedicated and experienced team. Our collective future is quite bright indeed." stated David McGorman, Vencanna's CEO. About Cannavative Cannavative is a leading premium cannabis brand in the state of Nevada, producing a wide variety of flower and extracted products, including its award-winning infused pre-roll, the Motivator. Cannavative's products are sold in over 90% of the state's dispensaries and retail outlets. Cannavative is a multi-cup winner, most recently a gold and silver medalist at the 2020 Las Vegas Cannabis Awards. Based in Reno, Nevada, they have 14,500 square feet of canopy, which includes a 2,800-sf light deprivation greenhouse. The company has the ability to materially expand both its indoor and greenhouse operations as demand grows. In addition, the facility houses a 10,000-sf state-of-the-art pharmaceutical-grade extraction lab and kitchen. About Vencanna On September 24, 2018, the Corporation announced the completion of a recapitalization financing, the appointment of a new management team and board of directors and commencement of trading on the CSE. The transactions have transitioned the Corporation to a merchant capital firm, rebranded as "Vencanna Ventures". The recapitalized Corporation focuses on early-stage global cannabis investment opportunities with an emphasis on strong managements that operate in state compliant jurisdictions with barriers to entry. The Corporation looks to provide its investors access to high-growth cannabis opportunities through strategic investments or acquisitions that are focused through-out the value chain (cultivation, processing, retail, distribution, and including ancillary businesses). Forward-Looking Statements This news release may include "forward-looking statements" which reflect the Corporation's and Cannavative's current expectations regarding the future results of operations, performance and achievements of the Corporation and Cannavative, respectively, including but not limited to: the signing of a definitive agreement in respect of the Transaction, including the terms thereof; timing for completion of the Transaction; required approvals for the completion of the Transaction and the expected receipt thereof; the business plan of the Corporation and Cannavative, including the business plan of the go-forward entity after completion of the Transaction; the anticipated benefits of the Transaction; reopening plans and expected tourist volumes in Las Vegas, and their effect on cannabis sales in the city; the market for medical cannabis in the United States; the effects of COVID-19 on the operations of Cannavative and the Nevada cannabis industry, generally; and expectations regarding the business plans of such companies. When used in this news release, the words "will," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "intent," "may," "project," "should," and similar expressions are intended to be among the statements that identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements are founded on the basis of expectations and assumptions made by the Corporation and Cannavative, including expectations and assumptions concerning: the Transaction, including CSE and shareholder approvals, the execution of a definitive agreement in respect thereof and the satisfaction of other closing conditions in accordance with the terms of such definitive agreement; the future operations of, and transactions contemplated by, the Corporation and Cannavative; the impact of increasing competition; timing and amount of capital expenditures; the legislative and regulatory environments of the jurisdictions where the Corporation will carry on business, have operations or plan to have operations; the ability of the Corporation to enter into contracts with companies to provide financing on acceptable terms; conditions in general economic and financial markets; the ability of the Corporation's investments to execute on their business plan; and the Corporation's ability to obtain additional financing on satisfactory terms or at all. Forward-looking statements are subject to a wide range of risks and uncertainties, and although the Corporation believes that the expectations represented by such forward-looking statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will be realized. Any number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements including, but not limited to, changes to global cannabis laws, how the developing U.S. legal regime will impact the cannabis industry, the ability of the Corporation to implement its corporate strategy, the state of domestic and international capital markets, the ability to obtain financing, changes in general market conditions and other factors more fully described from time to time in the reports and filings made by the Corporation with securities regulatory authorities. Except as required by applicable laws, the Corporation does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. Third Party Data Unless otherwise indicated, the market and industry data contained or incorporated by reference in this news release is based upon information from independent industry publications, market research, analyst reports and surveys and other publicly available sources. Although Vencanna believes these sources to be generally reliable, market and industry data is subject to interpretation and cannot be verified with complete certainty due to limits on the availability and reliability of raw data, the voluntary nature of the data gathering process and other limitations and uncertainties inherent in any survey. The Corporation has not independently verified any of the data from third party sources referred to or incorporated by reference herein and accordingly, the accuracy and completeness of such data is not guaranteed. Non-GAAP Measures Adjusted earnings before income, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) is not a recognized measure under IFRS. Management believes that adjusted EBITDA is a useful financial metric to assess operating performance prior to consideration of how operations are financed, how results are tqxed, and how results are impacted by non-cash charges and charges that are irregular in nature or not reflective of a company's core operations. Investors are cautioned, however, that this measure should not be construed as an alternative to net income (loss) determined in accordance with IFRS as an indication of Cannavative's performance. Cannavative's method of calculating these measures may differ from other companies and accordingly, they may not be comparable to measures used by other companies. Adjusted EBITDA is calculated as net earnings before income tax expense, depreciation and amortization of intangibles as well as transaction expense. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. SOURCE Top Strike Resources Corp. Related Links http://topstrikeresources.com/ CAPE TOWN, South Africa, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Topwatch continues to make waves with the launch of their New Watches division. For over a decade they have been at the forefront of providing the best-curated selection of pre-owned timepieces globally. With a phenomenal year-to-year growth, Topwatch has expanded their business to include the sale of authorized new watches. This includes some of South Africa's favourite brands such as Michel Herbelin, Rotary, TW steel and Ciga Designs. Topwatch Topwatch continues to push boundaries by not limiting themselves to brands already seen in SA, but include brands making their mark on the international stage. By partnering directly with Chronoswiss, Topwatch are the official Southern Africa distributors. This exquisite Swiss-made brand limits each style to less than 50 pieces. Making it the ideal collectors timepiece. About Topwatch Topwatch is a globally recognised and trusted luxury watch dealer, offering an expertly curated inventory of pre-owned watches. With years of experience in buying, selling, and trading luxury timepieces, Topwatch guarantees authenticity through careful validation and inspection of each timepiece, providing customers with additional peace-of-mind thanks to a 24-month warranty and optional buy-back scheme. To continually improve and innovate the luxury pre-owned watch market, Topwatch strives to deliver uncompromised service and attentive support to all customers. For more information please visit www.topwatch.com or contact: Bianca | 012 667 5105 | [email protected] Chronoswiss: https://www.topwatch.com/ZA/brand/Chronoswiss Michel Herbelin: https://www.topwatch.com/ZA/brand/Michel-Herbelin Rotary: https://www.topwatch.com/ZA/brand/Rotary TW Steel: https://www.topwatch.com/ZA/brand/TW-Steel Ciga Design: https://www.topwatch.com/ZA/brand/CIGA-Design Related Files Topwatch-New watch Division (6).pdf Related Images image1.jpg SOURCE Topwatch Related Links http://www.topwatch.com Historically, the belt in this region was explored primarily for base metals, however, compiled historical data shows elevated gold values along several stratigraphic and structural trends within the belt, in addition to previous base metal exploration work. Given the recent gold exploration success to the southwest at Great Bear Resources' Dixie project, these project areas are now considered highly prospective and attractive. Russell Starr, CEO of Trillium Gold commented, "Our strategy to consolidate the Red Lake Gold Camp and acquire 100% ownership along the majority of our 55,000-hectare land assemblage in the Confederation greenstone belt, gives Trillium Gold a district-scale advantage. With the potential to host "LP Zone" style gold mineralization, our active exploration programs both grassroots and drilling proximal to world-class operations make for a very exciting year." A comprehensive exploration program has been developed for widespread coverage of the properties to test for gold mineralization in high priority areas. This work will include soil sampling, prospecting work, rock sampling, mapping and airborne magnetic surveys (Fig. 2). Fladgate Exploration Consulting has been contracted for the soil sampling in conjunction with Activation Laboratories of Ancaster, ON. "The summer grassroots exploration has kicked off on our Confederation greenstone belt properties. Our compilation work has shown us that there are a number of prospective trends throughout the group and we are anticipating positive results from this initial phase of work. The relatively little gold exploration work done in the area points to untapped gold potential and we are looking forward to outlining several drill targets for follow-up", stated Bill Paterson, Trillium Gold's Vice President of Exploration. Trillium Gold's Confederation belt properties are hosted in the Archean Birch-Uchi greenstone belt of the Superior Province. The majority of the properties are underlain by the arcuate 2745-2735 Ma Confederation assemblage comprised of mainly mafic to felsic volcanic and epiclastic rocks, and spatially associated Neoarchean plutons and intrusive rocks. Great Bear's LP Fault Zone likely has numerous unidentified analogues throughout the Confederation greenstone belt. It is hosted in a high strain zone at the contact between mafic volcanic and felsic volcanic/sedimentary stratigraphy. The rocks show strong flattening of stratigraphy, mylonitic textures, transposition of primary features, and widespread alteration. The contact is a deep-seated structure allowing for high fluid flows from great depths resulting in metamorphic grades, higher than that typically seen in the District, at amphibolite to upper greenschist levels. Much of the above-described stratigraphy and structure has been identified throughout many of the Confederation belt properties, most notably on the Moose Creek, Caribou Creek, Joy, Lucky 7 properties and the entire group in the northeast (Fly Moth and Blocks 1-3). There has been much base metal exploration throughout the belt but lesser gold exploration. Table 1 lists the more notable gold results from both surface sampling and historical drilling. Provenance From (m) To (m) Au_ppm Joy ddh - JW-1993-07 245.6 246.7 1.764 Joy ddh - JW-1994-12 253.85 254.2 1.490 Joy ddh - JW-1994-18 270.1 270.6 1.800 Joy ddh - JW-1995-22 170.9 171.6 0.55 Fly-Moth-Block 3 historical surface - - 0.23 Fly-Moth-Block 3 historical surface - - 0.21 Fly-Moth-Block 3 historical surface - - 0.19 Fly-Moth-Block 3 historical surface - - 0.18 Fly-Moth-Block 3 historical surface - - 0.11 Fly-Moth-Block 3 historical surface - - 0.1 Garnet Lake historical ddh 474.4 474.8 6.63 Garnet Lake historical ddh 456.1 457.1 22.3 Garnet Lake historical ddh 584.5 585 4.54 Garnet Lake historical ddh 478 478.5 7.98 Garnet Lake historical ddh 320.9 321.3 69.8 Table 1: Selected gold values from historical work on the Confederation Belt properties. The Garnet Lake samples are not on TGM claims but show the tenor of gold values on trend from Trillium Gold ground. Study of the surficial morphology over much of the project areas has revealed that there are numerous surficial deposit types, many not amenable to conventional soil sampling. To address this, the Company has initiated Spatiotemporal Geochemical Hydrocarbon (SGH) sampling. Hydrocarbon compounds biologically released from a mineral target at depth are adsorbed onto surficial material. Surface samples (of any medium) are collected, and an extensive set of heavy hydrocarbons are analysed at the laboratory to provide an identification of mineralization at depth. This method eliminates the problem of sampling in most transported surficial material and mobilized anomalies. Past case studies of SGH have proven to be successful in difficult terrain and in identifying buried targets. Work conducted by Great Bear Resources on the nearby Dixie property showed SGH surveying is capable of detecting bedrock gold mineralization along their Hinge and LP Fault zones (Great Bear Resources Ltd., Aug. 1, 2019 press release). The Company believes the successful completion of airborne magnetics and SGH surveying over targets developed last winter and early spring will produce additional and refined targets. Concurrently, prospecting, mapping, sampling, and possibly detailed grid geophysics will be undertaken throughout the summer field season. The results from this Phase 1 exploration program will provide the company with an enhanced geological understanding of the properties and will lead to the development of a Phase 2 exploration program including drill targets later in 2021. The technical information presented in this news release has been reviewed and approved by William Paterson QP, PGeo, VP of Exploration of Trillium Gold Mines, as defined by NI 43-101. The qualified person has not verified the data disclosed from previous reports, including sampling, analytical, and test data underlying the information or opinions contained in the written disclosure. Visit our website at www.trilliumgold.com. On behalf of the Board of Directors, Trillium Gold Mines Inc. "Russell Starr" Russell Starr President, CEO and Director About Trillium Gold Mines Inc. Trillium Gold Mines Inc. is a growth focused British Columbia based company engaged in the business of acquisition, exploration and development of mineral properties located in the Red Lake Mining District of Northern Ontario. The Company recently extended its holdings in the Confederation Lake and Birch-Uchi greenstone belts, as well as in highly prospective properties in Larder Lake, Ontario and the Matagami and Chibougamou areas of Quebec. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release contains forward-looking information, which involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual events to differ materially from current expectation. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation, except to the extent required by law, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. SOURCE Trillium Gold Mines Inc. WAUKESHA, Wis., June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- They say there are no free lunches, but the U-Haul team of Waukesha would beg to differ. In association with Waukesha's 125th anniversary, U-Haul is offering a complimentary lunch at its June 12 community celebration at U-Haul Moving & Storage of Les Paul Parkway at 925 Hwy. 164 S. The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Attendees can enjoy food (vegan options available), giveaways, a meet-and-greet with Chamber of Commerce members, and more. A U-Haul Safe Trailering display and company history presentation will also be on site. Lunch will be served on a first-come basis. "Waukesha is celebrating its 125th anniversary, and we're proud to be part of this thriving community," said Adam Muszynski, U-Haul Company of South Eastern Wisconsin president. "As Waukesha expands, we're excited to show how U-Haul meets the needs of growing cities by strengthening their resiliency and network of essential services." Contact U-Haul Moving & Storage of Les Paul Parkway at (262) 347-4903 or stop by to meet General Manager Nickolas Lederer and his team. Hours of operation are 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Thursday and Saturday; 7 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday; and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. Reserve equipment at uhaul.com or contact Reservations at 1-800-GO-UHAUL. U-Haul Moving & Storage of Les Paul Parkway opened in a limited capacity in 2016, offering truck and trailer sharing and moving supplies out of a temporary showroom. A second story was added to the 111,255-square-foot building in 2017. Renovations to the former Jewel-Osco grocery resulted in 900 self-storage units with climate-controlled options and high-tech security features, and an enclosed load/unload area to shield customers from the weather. Self-storage customers also receive U-Haul Remote 24/7 access. U-Box portable moving and storage containers, professional hitch installations and propane are available on the 8.11-acre property as well. "Offering residential mobility and a secure place for people's belongings is our goal, and we've worked closely with the city every step of the way," Muszynski added. "We take pride in our business and are looking forward to showing off this improved facility." U-Haul is now hiring at this and other Wisconsin facilities. Find full-time career opportunities as well as part-time work at uhauljobs.com. Acquisition of the property was driven by U-Haul Corporate Sustainability initiatives: U-Haul supports infill developments to help local communities lower their carbon footprint. The adaptive reuse of existing buildings reduces the amount of energy and resources required for new-building materials and helps cities reduce their unwanted inventory of unused buildings. As an essential service provider, U-Haul continues to serve communities during the COVID-19 recovery while offering contactless business programs and enhanced cleaning protocols, including added steps for sanitizing equipment between customer transactions. U-Haul products are used daily by First Responders; delivery companies bringing needed supplies to people's homes; small businesses trying to remain afloat; college students; and many other dependent groups, in addition to the do-it-yourself household mover. About U-Haul Since 1945, U-Haul has been the No. 1 choice of do-it-yourself movers, with a network of 22,000 locations across all 50 states and 10 Canadian provinces. U-Haul Truck Share 24/7 offers secure access to U-Haul trucks every hour of every day through the customer dispatch option on their smartphones and our proprietary Live Verify technology. Our customers' patronage has enabled the U-Haul fleet to grow to approximately 176,000 trucks, 127,000 trailers and 41,000 towing devices. U-Haul offers nearly 774,000 rentable storage units and 66.7 million square feet of self-storage space at owned and managed facilities throughout North America. U-Haul is the largest installer of permanent trailer hitches in the automotive aftermarket industry, and is the largest retailer of propane in the U.S. Contact: Andrea Batchelor Jeff Lockridge E-mail: [email protected] Phone: 602-263-6981 Website: uhaul.com SOURCE U-Haul Related Links www.uhaul.com "Endalyn Taylor brings an incredible combination of professional experience and educational leadership to our esteemed School of Dance at UNCSA," said Chancellor Brian Cole. "She is the right person to take the school forward with a collaborative spirit to shape and mentor the next generation of dancers, and in turn influence the industry for the better. I look forward to having her voice as part of our excellent team of artistic leaders at UNCSA." Taylor said the school's commitment to the conservatory model of dance education paired with its dual focus on classical ballet and contemporary dance disciplines drew her to the role, as did an organizational vision that prioritizes innovation, inclusion, diversity, collaboration and unity. Taylor said she knows firsthand the impact arts can have on the trajectory of one's life, and is committed to promoting access and opportunity to diverse populations, both within the student body and the in community at large. "I was fortunate to have trained with facilitators who, like me, work to dispel the myth of elitism and welcome disparate voices into the ballet canon," she said. "With more than 25 years of teaching experience, I have built an arsenal of pedagogic tools and core values that cultivate artistry, mentoring, and versatility, and celebrate inclusionary ideals, policies, and systems." Taylor has directed the Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH) School in New York a company she joined in 1984, becoming a principal dancer in 1993 and the Cambridge Summer Art Institute in Massachusetts. Her extensive administrative, artistic, and academic career is steeped in ballet pedagogy and she has created an eclectic body of choreographic works. She excels at restaging ballets, having performed many of the classics and having worked with luminaries in the field including DTH founder Arthur Mitchell, British-American ballet dancer and choreographer Frederick Franklin, director and choreographer of LINES Ballet Alonzo King, American dancer and choreographer Agnes de Mille, and director and choreographer of Garth Fagan Dance and "The Lion King," Garth Fagan. Taylor has performed on stages all over the world, including as an original cast member of Tony Award-winning Broadway productions of "The Lion King," "Aida," and "Carousel." Taylor will be the fifth dean of the School of Dance, succeeding Susan Jaffe who was dean from 2012-2020. Jared Redick has served as interim dean from June 2020 following seven years in the position of assistant dean. ABOUT THE SCHOOL OF DANCE The School of Dance employs a unique conservatory approach at the high school and undergraduate levels through hands-on training from world-class faculty artists. The school also offers an affiliate Preparatory Dance program in ballet for rising third through ninth graders, summer dance intensives and dance festivals for children and adults, and is the exclusive educational affiliate school of the American Ballet Theatre. Classical ballet graduates can be seen with the American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet and the Joffrey Ballet, among many others. Graduates of the contemporary dance program are working at Paul Taylor Dance Company, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and the Martha Graham Ensemble, and leading their own companies. Some graduates have danced commercially with the likes of Lady Gaga, Janet Jackson, and Beyonce. Alumni include Camille A. Brown, Kyle Davis, Kevin Lee-Y Green, Blaine Hoven, Juel D. Lane, Trey McIntyre, Gillian Murphy, Anthony Santos, Helen Simoneau, and Dwana Smallwood. ABOUT ENDALYN TAYLOR Endalyn Taylor received her earliest dance training at the Mayfair Academy of Fine Arts in Chicago and she received an M.F.A. from Hollins University. With the Dance Theatre of Harlem, she performed leading roles for Coretta Scott King, Colin Powell, President Bill Clinton, the late Princess Diana, the late Nelson Mandela, and many others. She has taught master classes throughout the United States and abroad. As director of the Dance Theatre of Harlem School she taught, choreographed, and staged works with students in the professional training program. In 2010 she was invited to bring her students to the White House to participate in a new arts initiative of President and First Lady Barack and Michelle Obama. In 2013, her students performed at a luncheon for the First Lady and the spouses of heads of states. Taylor has choreographed several works including as co-choreographer for the Tribeca Performing Arts Center in New York City. Most recently, she choreographed works for Collage Dance Collective and American Dance Festival. Her interdisciplinary work "The Counterpoint Project" premiered at Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in New York City in 2018. Taylor was among a group of six seasoned female artists who performed in an evening-length work entitled "The World As We Know It" and received rave reviews for her performance of the solo "Is All." Taylor is the recipient of awards including Outstanding Achievement in Media and the Arts Award from the Institute Against Domestic Violence in the African American Community, Minneapolis; an Initiative for Multi-Racial Democracy Award and an Excellence in Teaching Award, both from the University of Illinois. She was profiled in the Big Ten Network's documentary short "Illinois Artist Endalyn Taylor," which received a Mid-America Emmy in 2019. The University of North Carolina School of the Arts is America's first state-supported arts school, a unique stand-alone public university of arts conservatories. With a high school component, UNCSA is a degree-granting institution that trains young people of talent in dance, design and production, drama, filmmaking, and music. Established by the N.C. General Assembly in 1963, the School of the Arts opened in Winston-Salem ("The City of Arts and Innovation") in 1965 and became part of the University of North Carolina system when it was formed in 1972. For more information, visit www.uncsa.edu. Read the story on our website. High resolution images available. SOURCE University of North Carolina School of the Arts Related Links http://www.uncsa.edu All conditions precedent to the updated share and sale agreement have been satisfied, leaving only receipt of the Ministerial Consent for completion. Jumbuck more than doubles Marmotas Gawler Craton gold exposure to over 12,000 square kilometres. Ltd ( ) (FRA:43M) has paid the entire outstanding cash component of $2.4 million to acquire s ( ) (FRA:IRN) Jumbuck Gold Project, adjacent to the companys ground in South Australias Gawler Craton. All conditions precedent to the updated share and sale agreement have been satisfied, leaving only receipt of the Ministerial Consent relating to a subset of tenements for completion. Doubles Gawler Craton exposure Marmota chairman Dr Colin Rose said: The Jumbuck Gold Project is our immediate neighbour in the Gawler Craton. We are very pleased that this critical hurdle has been achieved, leaving only Ministerial Consent (for a subset of tenements) to enable completion. The Jumbuck Gold Project more than doubles Marmotas Gawler Craton gold exposure from around 5,000 square kilometres to over 12,000 square kilometres in an area that Marmota has already demonstrated is highly prospective for gold mineralisation. Ministerial consent in 2-3 months The funds, which have been deposited into a trust account, and $500,000 of new Marmota shares will be released to Tyranna on receipt of the Ministerial Consent. This consent is is solely for the benefit of Marmota and is expected to take about two to three months, depending on the department workload. More details about the tenement package and the Jumbuck Gold Project will be provided in due course, the company added. On November 30, 2020, Marmota entered into a binding agreement with Tyranna Resources to acquire all of the rights, title and interests of Tyranna in the Jumbuck Gold Project. Aurora Tank gold discovery Among the companys highly prospective assets in the region is the Aurora Tank gold discovery which has returned multiple outstanding gold intersections in excess of 100 g/t gold over 1-metre, all close to surface. Aurora Tank is near the Challenger Gold Mine in the Woomera Prohibited Defence Area of South Australia. Marmota has just completed a camp infrastructure upgrade in advance of a planned diamond drilling program at the Aurora Tank gold discovery. ALEXANDRIA, Va., June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, United Way announced the launch of the Live United Initiative, an eight-week initiative to help communities everywhere continue on the path of recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. At the helm of this effort are Seattle Seahawk Superbowl Champion and 2020 Walter Peyton Man of the Year, Russell Wilson and his wife, Grammy award-winning artist Ciara. The two founded the Why Not You Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to education, children's health and fighting poverty, while empowering today's youth to lead with a why not you attitude. The Live United Initiative is a multi-channel, digital initiative that will highlight the global work of United Way, and engage millions of people around the world in reimagining and rebuilding strong, equitable communities in the wake of COVID-19. While United Way, the world's largest privately-funded nonprofit, raised an unprecedented amount of money last year that helped 27 million cope with COVID-19, the pandemic's multiple waves around the worldmost recently in Indiaare a reminder that recovery is a long-term undertaking. More than 225 million jobs have been lost globally, educators and parents worry about learning loss, especially for low-income children of color, and United Ways are still fielding record requests for help getting food and health care. "Ciara and I are proud to serve as co-chairs for this initiative because COVID-19 and the effects from it are far from over," said Russell Wilson. "Rebuilding isn't a matter of going back to where we were. It's reimagining how we can be better and building towards that UNITED." "We are proud to join with United Way for the Live United Initiative so that we can help every person have an equal opportunity to succeed. Strong communities need strong United Ways and strong children with a 'why not you' attitude," added Ciara. The Live United Co-Chairs recorded a special video message introducing this inaugural initiative. Please see the message here. Experts say long-term recovery may lag, but the impact on vulnerable communities is likely to be more entrenched and difficult to address. The pandemic exposed systemic racial and ethnic inequities by exacerbating pre-existing challenges faced by the most vulnerable: ethnic and racial minorities, the very young and the aged, and those who were barely scraping by. "The pandemic has reinforced the importance of finding equitable solutions to global problems and that solution is found in United Way's mission: we galvanize the caring power of communities. But we do not do it alone. It is only with the help of leaders in every community, like Ciara and Russell Wilson, who now join us in our effort to Live United," said Neeraj Mehta, Interim President and CEO, United Way Worldwide. "Please join us in our commitment to make life better for every person in every community and be a leader in your own community." In the wake of COVID, United Way has stepped up in many ways, including $1 billion n raised to support communities globally, $18 million raised to support 2.5 million people in Black communities in the U.S., 33.2 million meals served, 109,000 households received help with rent or mortgage and 852,000 individuals received health supplies or services. Please see United Way's full COVID: One Year Later report here. United Way's most recent COVID relief efforts focus on raising funds to support India's second COVID crisis. The examples below highlight how United Way has shown up to provide relief in communities around the world: 211: The non-emergency helpline has been a lynch pin in COVID response and recovery. 211 helped millions access the services they need. From eviction prevention, to COVID testing, to providing last mile delivery of food. Education: COVID exposed a digital divide through the move to virtual schooling. United Way has worked to provide laptops, tablets and Wi-Fi to students and families. United Way also spearheaded the mask challenge helping to distribute over 28 million masks to Title 1 schools in all 50 states to help children and teachers return safely to the classroom. Health: In North America, 211 is playing a critical role in to provide information about COVID 19 testing and vaccination sites. Additionally, In India, United Ways continue to focus on supplying PPE, hand sanitizing stations and ventilators to local healthcare providers. And United Way Nigeria has supported urban, peri-urban and underserved communities by providing food, personal hygiene supplies and guidance on avoiding infection. Financial Stability: United Way has helped thousands, including those experiencing homelessness, access their COVID stimulus payments through an Economic Impact Stimulus hotline and 211. To learn more about United Way and the Live United Initiative and to donate, please visit: www.unitedway.org About United Way United Way fights for the health, education, and financial stability of every person in every community. With global reach and local impact, we're making life better for 48 million people annually. United Way is the world's largest privately funded nonprofit, working in 95% of U.S. communities and 40 countries and territories. That's why we're the mission of choice for 2.5 million volunteers, 7.7 million donors and 45,000 corporate partners. In the wake of COVID-19, we're helping people stay in their homes, stock their pantries, and protect their lives and livelihoods. And we're working to build resilient, equitable communities. Learn more at UnitedWay.org. Follow us: @United Way and #LiveUnited. MEDIA CONTACT Southerlyn Reisig Director of External Communications [email protected] (703) 836-7882 SOURCE United Way Worldwide Related Links www.unitedway.org Strong pricing trend continues in May 26 27 auction, attracting 11,600+ bidders from 59 countries DENVER, Colo., June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Ritchie Bros.' regional auctions keep rolling, with 800+ companies selling in the May Rocky Mountain event. More than 4,850 equipment items and trucks were sold in the May 26 27 auction for US$54+ million, matching the record-breaking US$54 million Rocky Mountain auction held in March 2021. "Consignors are taking advantage of the strong market pricing Ritchie Bros. is achieving in 2021," said Matt Johnson, Director, US West, Ritchie Bros. "After our massive March Rocky Mountain sale, we saw a wave of consignments. Through two Rocky Mountain events in 2021 we've sold more than 9,000 items for US$108+ million, attracting 1.8 million online pageviews. Our hybrid onsite-online regional auctions provide access to unbelievable selection for buyers, while getting sellers more eyes on their equipment to drive higher price realization." Equipment for the Rocky Mountain regional auction was stored at Ritchie Bros. locations in Denver, CO; Salt Lake City, UT; and Williston, ND. Highlights included 240+ truck tractors, 95+ excavators, 80+ loaders, 70+ skid steers, 60+ aerial work platforms, and 30+ crawler tractors. All items were sold without minimum bids or reserve prices. Approximately 88% of the equipment in the auction was sold to U.S. buyers, including 16% sold to buyers in Colorado, 9% to buyers in Utah, and 5% to buyers in North Dakota. The remaining 12% of the equipment was sold to international buyers from as far away as Peru, Egypt, and the Netherlands. Five Big Sellers: 2012 Caterpillar D8T crawler tractor US$315,000 2020 Caterpillar 330 hydraulic excavator US$287,500 2014 Kenworth T800 tri-drive hydro vac truck US$257,500 2018 Caterpillar 938M wheel loader US$180,000 wheel loader 2019 Kenworth T370 S/A mechanics truck US$160,000 AUCTION QUICK FACTS: ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGIONAL AUCTION (MAY 2021) Gross Transaction Value (GTV): US$54+ million Total Registered Bidders: 11,600+ Total Number of Lots: 4,850+ Total Number of Consignors: 800+ Ritchie Bros. will sell more than 50,000 equipment items and trucks in its upcoming auctions, including a Phoenix, AZ auction on June 4; Timed Auction events in Sacramento (June 9) and Las Vegas (June 11); and a two-day Houston auction on June 15 16. The company also has weekly featured online auctions at IronPlanet.com and a daily reserved option with Marketplace-E. About Ritchie Bros.: Established in 1958, Ritchie Bros. (NYSE and TSX: RBA) is a global asset management and disposition company, offering customers end-to-end solutions for buying and selling used heavy equipment, trucks and other assets. Operating in a number of sectors, including construction, transportation, agriculture, energy, oil and gas, mining, and forestry, the company's selling channels include: Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers, the world's largest industrial auctioneer offers live auction events with online bidding; IronPlanet, an online marketplace with featured weekly auctions and providing the exclusive IronClad Assurance equipment condition certification; Marketplace-E, a controlled marketplace offering multiple price and timing options; Mascus, a leading European online equipment listing service; and Ritchie Bros. Private Treaty, offering privately negotiated sales. The Company's suite of solutions also includes Ritchie Bros. Asset Solutions and Rouse Services LLC, which together provides a complete end-to-end asset management, data-driven intelligence and performance benchmarking system. Ritchie Bros. also offers sector-specific solutions including GovPlanet, TruckPlanet, and Kruse Energy, plus equipment financing and leasing through Ritchie Bros. Financial Services. For more information about Ritchie Bros., visit RitchieBros.com. Photos and video for embedding in media stories are available at rbauction.com/media. SOURCE Ritchie Bros. Request a Free Sample Report to Know More Leading global suppliers can assist buyers in realizing high-cost savings through their efforts on areas such as backward integration, supplier synergies, reducing total ownership cost, conference participation, manage ad hoc spend, quality management, negotiate on pricing and contractual terms, managing labor price volatility, and cost of quality impact. Collaborations with global suppliers will also help buyers in cost-saving and ensuring high-quality procurement in the dynamic market. The report also offers information on the upcoming trends and challenges that will influence market growth. Download Our Free Sample Report Banking Services Market: Key Price Trends The pressure from substitutes and a moderate level of threat from new entrants has resulted in the moderate bargaining power of suppliers. This makes it extremely important to get the pricing and pricing model right. Buyers should align their preferred pricing models for Banking Services with the wider industry and identify the cost-saving potential. Price Strategies and Benchmark Identify favorable opportunities in Banking Services TCO (total cost of ownership) Expected changes in price forecast and factors driving the current and future price changes Identify pricing models that offer the most rewarding opportunities Explore more about market opportunities: Enquire about the report before purchasing Some of the top Banking Services suppliers listed in this report: This Banking Services procurement intelligence report has enlisted the top suppliers and their cost structures, SLA terms, best selection criteria, and negotiation strategies. JPMorgan Chase & Co. Bank of America Corp. Wells Fargo & Co. & Co. HSBC Holdings Plc Citigroup Inc. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. Regional Analysis Further breakdown of the market segmentation at requested regions. Market Player Information Detailed analysis and profiling of additional market players, vendor segmentation, and vendor offerings. Know the strategies adopted by vendors during the COVID-19 Recovery Phase. Speak to our Analyst for a Customized Report Related Reports on Financial Services Market: Credit Collection and Collection Agency Services - Sourcing and Procurement Market Intelligence Report: Spend growth of this market has the potential to touch a value of over USD 40 billion with spend momentum that will accelerate at a CAGR of more than 12% by 2024. with spend momentum that will accelerate at a CAGR of more than 12% by 2024. Payments Processing - Sourcing and Procurement Market Intelligence Report: The payments processing market is set to witness a spend growth of more than USD 20 billion with spend momentum to accelerate at a CAGR of nearly 10% by 2024. with spend momentum to accelerate at a CAGR of nearly 10% by 2024. Tax Advisory Services - Sourcing and Procurement Intelligence Report: The market is expected to witness a shortage of skilled finance and tax professionals due to the increasing supply-demand gap. This is expected to increase prices in the tax advisory services market over the forecast period. To access the definite purchasing guide on the Banking Services that answers all your key questions on price trends and analysis: Am I paying/getting the right prices? Is my Banking Services TCO (total cost of ownership) favorable? How is the price forecast expected to change? What is driving the current and future price changes? Which pricing models offer the most rewarding opportunities? Table of Content Executive Summary Market Insights Category Pricing Insights Cost-saving Opportunities Best Practices Category Ecosystem Category Management Strategy Category Management Enablers Suppliers Selection Suppliers under Coverage US Market Insights Category scope Appendix About SpendEdge: SpendEdge shares your passion for driving sourcing and procurement excellence. We are the preferred procurement market intelligence partner for 120+ Fortune 500 firms and other leading companies across numerous industries. Our strength lies in delivering robust, real-time procurement market intelligence reports and solutions. To know more https://www.spendedge.com/request-for-demo Contact SpendEdge Anirban Choudhury Marketing Manager Ph No: +1 (872) 206-9340 https://www.spendedge.com/contact-us Report: www.spendedge.com/report/market-research-services-market-procurement-research-report SOURCE SpendEdge HAMILTON, Bermuda, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Valaris Limited (NYSE: VAL) announced today that it has been awarded a one-well contract with Total E&P Cote d'Ivoire B.V. offshore Ivory Coast for drillship, VALARIS DS-12. The contract is expected to commence in the third quarter of 2021. About Valaris Limited Valaris Limited (NYSE: VAL) is the industry leader in offshore drilling services across all water depths and geographies. Operating a high-quality rig fleet of ultra-deepwater drillships, versatile semisubmersibles and modern shallow-water jackups, Valaris has experience operating in nearly every major offshore basin. Valaris maintains an unwavering commitment to safety, operational excellence, and customer satisfaction, with a focus on technology and innovation. Valaris Limited is a Bermuda exempted company (Bermuda No. 56245). To learn more, visit our website at www.valaris.com. Cautionary Statements Statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements include words or phrases such as "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "plan," "project," "could," "may," "might," "should," "will" and similar words. Such statements are subject to numerous risks, uncertainties and assumptions that may cause actual results to vary materially from those indicated, including the Company's liquidity and ability to access financing sources, debt restrictions that may limit our liquidity and flexibility, the COVID-19 outbreak and global pandemic, the related public health measures implemented by governments worldwide, the volatility in oil prices caused in part by the COVID-19 pandemic and the decisions by certain oil producers to reduce export prices and increase oil production, and cancellation, suspension, renegotiation or termination of drilling contracts and programs. In particular, the unprecedented nature of the current economic downturn, pandemic, and industry decline may make it particularly difficult to identify risks or predict the degree to which identified risks will impact the Company's business and financial condition. In addition to the numerous factors described above, you should also carefully read and consider "Item 1A. Risk Factors" in Part I and "Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in Part II of our most recent annual report on Form 10-K, as updated in our subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, which are available on the Securities and Exchange Commission's website at www.sec.gov or on the Investor Relations section of our website at www.valaris.com. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of the particular statement and we undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, except as required by law. Investor & Media Contact: Darin Gibbins Vice President - Investor Relations and Treasurer +1-713-979-4623 SOURCE Valaris Limited WEST CHESTER, Pa., June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Venerable Holdings, Inc. ("Venerable") today announced the completion of its acquisition of Corporate Solutions Life Reinsurance Company ("CS Life Re"), a Delaware domiciled and New York licensed reinsurance company, from Equitable Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: EQH) ("Equitable Holdings"). With the close of this transaction, Venerable's pro forma assets under management and reinsurance increase to approximately $70 billion. On a pro forma basis, Venerable has more than doubled its general account assets from $9 billion to $19 billion, in addition to over $51 billion in separate account reinsured. The transaction includes reinsurance of a legacy variable annuity block from Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company with the combined deal representing $36.5 billion of underlying account value and general account assets. Venerable has also reinsured its existing business into CS Life Re, enabling operating efficiencies and optimizing liquidity for its collective book of business. Equitable Holdings will take a noncontrolling 9.09% equity stake in Venerable's parent holding company, VA Capital Company LLC. Pending regulatory approval, a member of Equitable Holding's management team will be appointed to the VA Capital Company LLC board. David Marcinek, Chairman of Venerable, said, "The completion of this acquisition demonstrates Venerable's aptitude in executing complex transactions while continuing to showcase our expertise in the management of variable annuity liabilities. We welcome Equitable Holdings to our board and look forward to delivering exceptional financial results to all investors as we leverage our strong capitalization to aggressively pursue future growth opportunities." A small dedicated team supporting CS Life Re has transitioned from Equitable Holdings to Venerable. AllianceBernstein L.P. has been retained as the preferred investment manager for most of the general account assets associated with this transaction, and Voya Investment Management will continue to be the preferred asset manager for the majority of Venerable's existing book of business. "We are thrilled to welcome the CS Life Re team to our organization," said Pat Lusk, CEO of Venerable. "They join a community of experienced and talented professionals who have consistently delivered against financial and business goals and positioned Venerable to achieve success." Barclays served as financial advisor, and Sidley Austin LLP served as legal counsel to Venerable in connection with this transaction. About Venerable Venerable is a privately held company with business operations based in West Chester, Pennsylvania and Des Moines, Iowa. Venerable owns and manages legacy variable annuity business acquired from other entities. Created by an investor group led by affiliates of Apollo Global Management, LLC, Crestview Partners, Reverence Capital Partners, and Athene Holdings, Ltd., Venerable is a business with well-established, strategic investors, experienced in successfully building and growing insurance businesses with patient, long-term capital. For more information, please visit www.venerable.com. Contact: Venerable Allison Proud Corporate Communications +(610) 249-9730 SOURCE Venerable Related Links http://www.venerable.com SINGAPORE, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Vestwell, a digital recordkeeping platform, and Bambu, a global robo-advisory technology provider, are teaming up to provide customers with an even more robust retirement plan experience. By leveraging Bambu's wealth management API, Vestwell and its partners will be able to offer personalized investment strategies to help their clients better prepare for retirement based on actionable retirement goals. The new relationship played a role in Vestwell's recently released advisor managed account offering with Franklin Templeton. Together, they are rolling out an innovative, goals-based offering using Franklin Templeton's Goals Optimization Engine. "As workplace investor expectations evolve, it's vital to deliver participants the types of personalized solutions they've become accustomed to in all other aspects of their lives," said Ben Thomason, EVP of Revenue at Vestwell. "Working with Bambu and Franklin Templeton has made it possible to create a seamlessly data-integrated, low-friction, bespoke managed account experience at a reasonable price." Bambu has developed a Wealthtech API proven to provide the information investors need to maximize success for achieving their retirement savings goals. The retirement API has features to cater to US retirees' needs, which considers Social Security Benefits (SSB), tax, and retirement goals. The investing platform starts with the user's current status in terms of savings amount and lifestyle needs. Then, the proprietary engine presents investors with an overview of various options, including investment strategies that may be appropriate based on their answers to a targeted risk tolerance questionnaire. "With the rapidly changing landscape of retirement planning in America, it is important for financial institutions to provide a seamless experience that helps individuals save and plan their future," said Ned Phillips, Bambu Founder & CEO. "Being able to offer API as an option along with the enterprise and white label solutions has been beneficial. It allows clients, who already have technical resources at their disposal, to build a wealth management platform more quickly by using our APIs for endpoints like retirement goal calculators and portfolio projections." Bambu has a library of over 70 Wealthtech APIs designed to make wealth management easy for companies looking to create their robo-advisory platform. These can be categorized by financial planning, country and fund data, machine learning, transactions allocations, and performance monitoring. Bambu provides readily available goal-based wealth management API; no set-up required. About Vestwell Vestwell is the digital recordkeeping platform bringing the 401(k) and 403(b) industry into the modern Fintech era. We have rearchitected the workplace retirement offering from the ground up and built an engine to power the $30T industry. Our customizable, open architecture and white-labeled platform becomes a natural extension of financial services and payroll partners while removing traditional friction points plaguing legacy recordkeeping. The result is an easier, more efficient, and all-around better experience for everyone, delivered at a fraction of the cost. Learn more at Vestwell.com and on Twitter @Vestwell . About Bambu Bambu is a leading global digital wealth technology provider for financial institutions. We enable companies to make saving and investing simple and intelligent for their clients. The cloud-based platform is powered by our proprietary algorithms and machine learning tools. The company serves approximately 300,000 end users on the platform in 10 countries. PEAK6 Investments and Franklin Templeton fund Bambu. Founded in 2016, Bambu is headquartered in Singapore with a subsidiary in the United Kingdom and the United States and EMEA representatives. For more information, visit https://bambu.co/ and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter . SOURCE Bambu Related Links https://bambu.co/ SAN FRANCISCO, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Volta Industries, Inc. ("Volta") today announced that its management team will virtually attend the following investor conferences and events: Bank of America Electric Vehicles Charging Summit June 7, 2021 Deutsche Bank Global Auto Industry Conference June 16, 2021 Morgan Stanley EV Value Chain Panel Day June 21, 2021 Credit Suisse Mobility Start-Up Forum June 22, 2021 Roth Virtual London Conference June 23, 2021 As previously announced on February 8, 2021, Volta, an industry leader in commerce-centric electric vehicle ("EV") charging networks, entered into a business combination agreement and plan of reorganization (the "Business Combination Agreement") with Tortoise Acquisition Corp. II (NYSE: SNPR), a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company with a strategic focus on energy sustainability and decarbonizing transportation. Upon the closing of the proposed transaction, the combined entity will be named Volta Inc. and remain on the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") under the new ticker symbol "VLTA". Completion of the proposed business combination is subject to, among other things, the approval of the shareholders of Tortoise Acquisition Corp. II and satisfaction of the other conditions stated in the Business Combination Agreement. Upon the consummation of the transaction, which is expected to occur in the third quarter of 2021, all existing Volta shareholders and investors (including management) will continue to hold their equity ownership in the combined company. No Offer or Solicitation This communication does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or constitute a solicitation of any vote or approval. Forward-Looking Statements The information in this press release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements, other than statements of present or historical fact included in this press release, regarding Tortoise Acquisition Corp. II's proposed business combination with Volta and Tortoise Acquisition Corp. II's ability to consummate the transaction are forward-looking statements. When used in this press release, the words "could," "should," "will," "may," "believe," "anticipate," "intend," "estimate," "expect," "project," the negative of such terms and other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. These forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and assumptions about future events and are based on currently available information as to the outcome and timing of future events. Except as otherwise required by applicable law, Tortoise Acquisition Corp. II and Volta disclaim any duty to update any forward-looking statements, all of which are expressly qualified by the statements in this section, to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release. Tortoise Acquisition Corp. II and Volta caution you that these forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the control of either Tortoise Acquisition Corp. II or Volta. In addition, Tortoise Acquisition Corp. II cautions you that the forward-looking statements contained in this press release are subject to the following factors: (i) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could delay the business combination or give rise to the termination of the agreements related thereto; (ii) the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against Tortoise Acquisition Corp. II or Volta following announcement of the transactions; (iii) the inability to complete the business combination due to the failure to obtain approval of the shareholders of Tortoise Acquisition Corp. II, or other conditions to closing in the transaction agreement; (iv) the risk that the proposed business combination disrupts Tortoise Acquisition Corp. II's or Volta's current plans and operations as a result of the announcement of the transactions; (v) Volta's ability to realize the anticipated benefits of the business combination, which may be affected by, among other things, competition and the ability of Volta to grow and manage growth profitably following the business combination; (vi) costs related to the business combination; (vii) changes in applicable laws or regulations; and (viii) the possibility that Volta may be adversely affected by other economic, business, and/or competitive factors. Should one or more of the risks or uncertainties described in this press release, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results and plans could different materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. Additional information concerning these and other factors that may impact the operations and projections discussed herein can be found in Tortoise Acquisition Corp. II's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), including Tortoise Acquisition Corp. II's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, as amended, and the registration statement on Form S-4 (the "Registration Statement") filed with the SEC. Tortoise Acquisition Corp. II's SEC filings are available publicly on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. About Volta For over a decade, Volta has been building a nationwide electric vehicle charging network to drive the world forward. Named after Alessandro Volta, the inventor of the electric battery, Volta's award-winning charging stations benefit brands, consumers, and real-estate locations by providing valuable advertising space to businesses and free charging to drivers. Strategically located in places where consumers already spend their time and money, Volta's chargers are among the most used electric vehicle charging stations in the United States. Headquartered in San Francisco, Volta is bringing to communities the means of building a sustainable fueling network for the 21st century. To learn more, visit www.voltacharging.com About Tortoise Acquisition Corp. II Tortoise Acquisition Corp. II (NYSE: SNPR) is a special purpose acquisition company formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, amalgamation, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. Tortoise Acquisition Corp. II's expertise spans across the entire energy and infrastructure value chain. Tortoise Acquisition Corp. II's strategy is to combine with a company to take advantage of the global opportunities created by the energy transition including clean energy generation and storage, alternative fuels and transportation, technological advances and changes in energy policies. To learn more, visit https://tortoisespac.com. Important Information for Investors and Shareholders In connection with the proposed business combination, Tortoise Acquisition Corp. II has filed the Registration Statement with the SEC. The Registration Statement includes a preliminary proxy statement/prospectus of Tortoise Acquisition Corp. II. Additionally, Tortoise Acquisition Corp. II will file other relevant materials with the SEC, including amendments to the Registration Statement and a final proxy statement/prospectus, in connection with the business combination. Copies may be obtained free of charge at the SEC's web site at www.sec.gov. Security holders of Tortoise Acquisition Corp. II are urged to read the proxy statement/prospectus and the other relevant materials when they become available before making any voting decision with respect to the proposed business combination because they will contain important information about the business combination and the parties to the business combination. The information contained on, or that may be accessed through, the websites referenced in this press release is not incorporated by reference into, and is not a part of, this press release. Participants in the Solicitation Tortoise Acquisition Corp. II and its directors and officers may be deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies of Tortoise Acquisition Corp. II's shareholders in connection with the proposed business combination. Security holders may obtain more detailed information regarding the names, affiliations and interests of certain of Tortoise Acquisition Corp. II's executive officers and directors in the solicitation by reading Tortoise Acquisition Corp. II's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, as amended, and the proxy statement/prospectus and other relevant materials filed with the SEC in connection with the business combination when they become available. Information concerning the interests of Tortoise Acquisition Corp. II's participants in the solicitation, which may, in some cases, be different than those of their shareholders generally, are set forth in the Registration Statement and will be set forth in the final proxy statement/prospectus relating to the business combination. SOURCE Volta PHILADELPHIA, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The following statement is being issued by Barrack, Rodos & Bacine regarding the WageWorks, Inc. Class Action Settlement. TO: ALL PERSONS AND ENTITIES WHO PURCHASED OR OTHERWISE ACQUIRED THE COMMON STOCK OF WAGEWORKS, INC. BETWEEN MAY 6, 2016 AND MARCH 1, 2018, BOTH DATES INCLUSIVE, AND WHO WERE DAMAGED THEREBY. -OR- ALL PERSONS AND ENTITIES WHO PURCHASED OR OTHERWISE ACQUIRED THE COMMON STOCK OF WAGEWORKS, INC. ISSUED PURSUANT TO OR TRACEABLE TO THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT AND PROSPECTUS FOR WAGEWORKS' PUBLIC OFFERING ON JUNE 19, 2017 (THE "OFFERING" OR "JUNE 2017 OFFERING") AND WERE DAMAGED THEREBY. (COLLECTIVELY THE "SETTLEMENT CLASS"). YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED, pursuant to an Order of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, Oakland Division, that a settlement between Lead Plaintiffs, the Public Employees' Retirement System of Mississippi, the Government Employees' Retirement System of the Virgin Islands, and the Public Employees Retirement System of New Mexico (collectively "Lead Plaintiffs"), and WageWorks, Inc. ("WageWorks"), Joseph L. Jackson, Colm M. Callan, Robert L. Metzger, Mariann Byerwalter, Thomas A. Bevilacqua, Bruce G. Bodaken, Jerome D. Gramaglia and John W. Larson (collectively "Defendants") in the amount of $30,000,000 (the "Settlement") has been proposed. A hearing will be held before the Honorable Jeffrey S. White, United States District Judge, on August 20, 2021 at 9:00 a.m. in Courtroom 5 of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, Oakland Courthouse, 1301 Clay Street, Oakland, CA 94612 for the purpose of determining, among other things, (i) whether the proposed Settlement is fair, reasonable, and adequate and should be approved; (ii) whether, thereafter, this Action should be dismissed with prejudice as set forth in the Stipulation and Agreement of Settlement, dated as of April 1, 2021; (iii) whether the Plan of Allocation of the Net Settlement Fund is fair and reasonable and should be approved; and (iv) the reasonableness of the application of Lead Counsel for the payment of Lead Counsels' attorneys' fees and expenses, with interest, incurred in connection with this Action. The Court has reserved the right to reschedule the hearing without further notice. If you are a member of the Settlement Class described above, your rights may be affected by this Action and the proposed Settlement thereof. If you have not received the detailed Notice of Pendency and Proposed Class Action Settlement and Motion for Attorneys' Fees and Expenses (the "Notice") and Proof of Claim form, you may obtain them from www.wageworkssettlement.com or by contacting the Claims Administrator: WageWorks, Inc. Securities Litigation P.O. Box 147 Warminster, PA 18974-0147 www.wageworkssettlement.com Inquiries, other than requests for information about the status of a claim, may also be made to Lead Counsel: BARRACK, RODOS & BACINE STEPHEN R. BASSER SAMUEL M. WARD One America Plaza 600 West Broadway, Suite 900 San Diego, CA 92101 (619) 230-0800 or JEFFREY A. BARRACK Two Commerce Square 2001 Market Street, Suite 3300 Philadelphia, PA 19103 (215) 963-0600 www.barrack.com [email protected] If you are a member of the Settlement Class and wish to share in the Settlement proceeds, you must submit a Proof of Claim postmarked or received no later than September 14, 2021 establishing that you are entitled to recovery. As further described in the Notice, you will be bound by any judgment entered in the Action, regardless of whether you submit a Proof of Claim, unless you exclude yourself from the Settlement Class, in accordance with the procedures set forth in the Notice, no later than July 30, 2021. Any objections to the Settlement, Plan of Allocation, or Lead Counsel's request for attorneys' fees and expenses must be filed and served, in accordance with the procedures set forth in the Notice, such that they are received no later than July 30, 2021. This is only a summary. For details, including information on objecting or filing an opt-out, or to file a claim, visit the settlement website, www.wageworkssettlement.com, or call the Claims Administrator at 1-833-326-0773. PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT THE COURT OR THE CLERK'S OFFICE ABOUT THIS NOTICE. ORDER DATED: May 3, 2021 SOURCE Barrack, Rodos & Bacine Related Links http://www.wageworkssettlement.com HONOLULU, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The University of Hawaii School of Travel Industry Management (TIM) and the Shidler College of Business hosted the 19th Annual "Celebrate a Legacy in Tourism" event held on April 29th where TIM alumnus and Waikiki Resort Hotel's own Glenn Vergara, its Vice President and General Manager, was honored as this year's newest inductee to the TIM Alumni HALL OF HONOR. Also recognized at this virtual ceremony was Paul Kosasa, President & CEO of ABC Stores, who received the esteemed 2021 LEGACY IN TOURISM AWARD. Waikiki Resort Hotels Glenn Vergara Named Recipient of the 2021 Tim Alumni Hall of Honor Award Waikiki Resort Hotel "Celebrate a Legacy in Tourism" recognizes alumni and individuals who have made outstanding contributions to tourism in Hawai'i and worldwide, and have made significant contributions to the TIM School of the University of Hawaii Shidler School of Business. This prestigious gala has attracted more than 700 guests annually to honor award recipients. Glenn joins a distinguished list of pioneers and leaders in the tourism industry who have been recognized by the TIM school since 1998. "I am extremely humbled," Vergara said. "When you come from a small town on Molokai and you come to the big city, you never dream of getting an award from the school for what you do professionally." Glenn has held key leadership posts over the past three decades with major branded properties throughout the state. Glenn sits on several boards and is past chairman of the 700-member Hawaii Lodging & Tourism Association. In chairing the Visitor Industry Charity Walk for two years (2018, 2019), more monies were raised statewide than any other time in its 42 year history. Glenn's commitment to helping our future generation of leaders through the TIM School's internship, scholarship, and mentorship programs are also notable. "Glenn is committed to helping develop the next generation of leaders," said Mayor Rick Blangiardi who presented Glenn with a proclamation letter at this event, "I've become more acutely aware everyday of our responsibility (in senior leadership) to develop people to lead, and I appreciate the fact that he has committed himself to do that." "He is everything a leader should be," said Mufi Hannemann, HLTA President & CEO, "he's the kind of person that really makes organizations successfulthis is his passion, this is what he wants to do, and he's very good at it. That's Glenn Vergara." About Waikiki Resort Hotel Waikiki Resort Hotel (https://waikikiresort.com) which employs 125 associates is an independently managed 275 room, full-service property located in the heart of Waikiki that operates two restaurants, banquet facilities. Waikiki Resort Hotel is recognized as an avid supporter of the TIM School's internship program and actively supports the local community through volunteer and philanthropic activities. Contact: Eun Joo Oh, Sales Director 2460 Koa Avenue Honolulu, HI 96815 Phone: (808) 921-8623 Email: [email protected] Website: https://waikikiresort.com SOURCE Waikiki Resort Hotel Related Links http://waikikiresort.com PRINCETON, N.J., June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- WCG IRB, the gold-standard IRB of ethics and human research protections, today announced the launch of its 2021 International Fellows Program . The annual program, which provides training to strengthen practices that support the safety of clinical trial participants and preserve the scientific integrity of research protocols, will be conducted virtually for one month, beginning June 1, 2021. Established in 2002 in partnership with the World Health Organization, the National Institutes of Health and the University of Washington, the International Fellows Program helps future leaders develop the knowledge necessary to create, manage and administer Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) that comply with regulations and ethical standards that protect the rights and welfare of human research participants. Fellows from the Program's history have come from 26 countries around the world, including Botswana, Cameroon, China, Ethiopia, Jamaica, Kenya, Liberia, Brazil, Malaysia, Nigeria, Russia, Tanzania, and Uganda, to name a few. To ensure their safety and the continuation of vital knowledge sharing amid the COVID-19 pandemic, this year's program will be conducted virtually, featuring pre-recorded and live sessions led by experts from WCG IRB and NYU Langone Health. "Now, more than ever, there's a need for trained professionals who can provide the necessary oversight for clinical research that's taking place around the world," said WCG Chairman and CEO Donald A. Deieso, Ph.D. "Building on our deep IRB expertise and 50-year legacy at the forefront of clinical research, our Fellows Program provides future research leaders with deep knowledge of regulations, guidelines and best practices in clinical trial patient protection that they can use to establish high-quality, compliant and effective local IRBs. We're excited to welcome the 2021 class to our International Fellows Program, who will soon join more than 200 program graduates in making significant contributions to the field of clinical research in their home countries." Arthur L. Caplan, Ph.D., Professor of Bioethics at NYU Langone and the founding director of the Division of Medical Ethics, added, "I'm delighted that we're still able to provide Fellows with access to this unique and valuable research ethics training program during the pandemic. Together with our partners at WCG IRB, we will cover all aspects of human research participant protection, including roles and responsibilities, protocol review, the informed consent process, and pertinent regulations, guidelines, and guidance against the backdrop of COVID-19." Each member of the 2021 class of International Fellows completed a rigorous application process, detailing their educational and professional experience, current IRB roles and responsibilities, and how participation in the WCG IRB program would help enhance research ethics and protections in their country. "We have endeavored to provide this year's Fellows with a rich educational experience despite the challenges brought on by the pandemic," said Viveca Burnette, CIP, Compliance Training & Development Coordinator at WCG IRB. "Our 2021 Capsule will consist of 20 modules taught by WCG IRB and NYU experts, followed by panel discussions on the last three days of the program featuring participants from both organizations, as well as bioethics leaders from around the globe." Dr. Deieso added, "While the format may have changed this year, WCG IRB's unwavering commitment to host the International Fellows Program and share ethical review best practices with our colleagues around the world remains unabated." The International Fellows Programs will return to its original two-month and six-month sessions in 2022, allowing Fellows to benefit from the in-person mentorship opportunities and IRB meeting experience that they afford. To learn more about the program and the 2021 class of International Fellows, visit: https://www.wcgirb.com/about/international-fellows-program/ . About WCG IRB WCG IRB provides the highest quality ethical reviews of clinical research protocols and studies. WCG IRB was created by combining five IRBs with different areas of expertise and geographical reach Western IRB (WIRB), the world's first independent ethical review board, Copernicus Group IRB, New England IRB, Aspire IRB, and Midlands IRB. WCG IRB has more than 50 years' experience and more than 200 members on AAHRPP-accredited boards. Since 2000, WCG IRB has also provided Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) administration and review services to nearly 800 institutions and evaluated more than 400 human gene transfer protocols. For more information, please visit www.wcgirb.com or follow us on Twitter @WCGClinical or LinkedIn . SOURCE WCG IRB All three wells - Gemini 1, 2 and 3 - are classified as development wells, as they are being drilled into existing Sunburst oil pools, which have been extensively delineated by existing Sunburst wells and 3D seismic. An additional 1-2 Sunburst wells may be drilled, with the company targeting a decision in early June 2021. ( ) has begun a three-well horizontal drilling campaign targeting the Sunburst Formation at its core Brooks area in Alberta, C anada, with Gemini 1 well spudded on Monday, May 31, 2021. Each well will take between 7-10 days to drill and then a further 20-35 days to complete and tie-in to existing infrastructure and facilities. The new wells will flow into existing Blackspur oil facilities and the company is targeting IP30 production rates on the three wells in August 2021. Notably, the Brooks 2P (Proved & Probable) reserves total 11.62 million barrels of oil equivalent with year-round access and 147 new well locations and 48 wells drilled to date. Confident wells will be on budget Calima CEO and president Jordan Kevol said: I am pleased to advise that a multi-well drilling campaign targeting the Sunburst Formation in the Brooks area has commenced. Calima has committed to drilling three conventional horizontal wells with the program beginning today. Based upon our extensive drilling experience in the area, we are confident these three development wells will come in on budget and produce at or above the well type curves. With low geological risk and short (typically on-lease) tie-ins, our drill to on-stream time is extremely fast at 30-45 days. If we like what we see on the first three wells, and oil prices continue to be strong, we have two more top-tier Sunburst drill locations ready to go. The company expects to make a decision on the additional Sunburst wells in early June. Sunburst Well economics. C$2.7 million capital program The capital program is funded from operational cashflows and National Bank debt facility, totalling C$2.7 million net for the three Sunburst wells. Notably, the wells are conventional horizontal wells requiring no stimulation such as hydraulic fracturing. True vertical depth (TVD) of the target Sunburst zone is around 1,000 metres and the average lateral length of the horizontal section is 775 metres. The combination of the shallow target depth, relatively short horizontal length, lack of need for stimulation, and short tie-in, results in an all-in cost estimate for each well to be C$1 million. Short term hedging At US$60 West Texas Intermediate (WTI), the wells are extremely economic with short paybacks of around six months. The company will mitigate downside commodity price exposure for this three well drill program by executing WTI and Western Canada Select (WCS) swap contracts for the next 12 months. This strategy will ensure the cost recovery of the capital program is secure and will allow for net cash flow to be recycled into future drilling programs over the coming 24 months. VANCOUVER, BC, May 31, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Wildpack Beverage Inc. (TSXV: CANS) ("Wildpack" or the "Company") announces the unaudited financial results of its former operating entity Wildpack Beverage Alberta Inc. (the "Operating Entity") for the first quarter ended March 31, 2021. These financial statements are for a period prior to concluding the Company's go public May 17, 2021 reverse takeover of Ponderous Panda Capital Corp. and do not represent the current consolidated financial position of the Company. All currency references herein are to US dollars. First Quarter Highlights: Revenue of $6.43 million Direct Cost of Sales $5.36 million , including certain pre-production carrying costs for the Las Vegas Facility, which began production in the 2 nd quarter of 2021 , including certain pre-production carrying costs for the Las Vegas Facility, which began production in the 2 quarter of 2021 Operating Costs of $2.12 million , including certain Las Vegas carrying costs, and elevated professional fees related to the go-public transaction Revenue expansion was supported by additional filling and decorating capacity, as part of planned upgrades in both our Baltimore and Sacramento Facilities. Both Facilities outperformed management's internal key performance indicators for the quarter. The Company's focus continues to be on throughput capacity expansion to capture the large backlog of demand for services, while deferring and staging planned efficiency optimization into future periods. In our Filling Division, we completed upgrades, initiating our four-phase expansion approach, bringing our monthly capacity up from 120,000 gallons per month ("GPM") to 200,000 GPM during the 1st quarter of 2021 and 300,000 GPM as at today's date. We are following our internal ramp-up timeline and execution protocols to grow production into our new capacity during the second and third quarters of 2021. In the Decorating Division, we benefited from the on-going capacity upgrades completed in the nine-month period ended December 31, 2020 in both our Baltimore and Sacramento Facilities, enabling increased throughput in the 1st quarter of 2021. Gross profit for the 1st quarter of 2021 was reduced by pre-production build and carrying costs of our Vegas Facility. The Vegas Facility was not-yet producing at the time and its costs were included in direct and operating costs, with no corresponding revenue in the 1st quarter of 2021. Wildpack chose to expense these costs rather than capitalize them in line with its accounting policies. The new Las Vegas Facility, which has built-in capacity to be comparable in size to our Baltimore Facility, is now in production. We have initiated our pre-funded, pre-planned second line expansion and upgrades in the Las Vegas Facility. These expansions and improvements are scheduled for the second and third quarters, all in accordance with our internal scale up strategy. COVID-19 protocol has and continues to be emphasized for the safety of our entire staff and customers, with no material incidents, while the USA continues to rapidly deploy vaccines. Wildpack fortunately is deemed essential; consequently, our workers received early access to vaccinations. During the 1st quarter of 2021, Wildpack closed equity financings for gross proceeds of $2.8 million through simple agreements for future equity. Furthermore, the Company conducted a concurrent financing with its go-public transaction. On May 17, 2021 Wildpack completed the concurrent financing, brokered private placement transaction, releasing escrow conditions on the subscription receipts. The gross proceeds of the transaction were $7.1 million. As at March 31, 2021, a certain round of investors, converted their subscription receipts immediately into shares and warrants, for gross proceeds of $1.35 million. "Our first quarter results validate our ability to generate substantial throughput increases in acquired and upgraded operations quickly and in a cost-effective manner. This is very exciting when considered in the context of our recently announced three letters of intent to acquire additional facilities. As we continue to execute on our strategic business plan to build and acquire more facilities, scaling overall throughput, we expect to see increasing revenue and margins. Our ecosystem including management team, employee culture, new Enterprise Resource Planning software, and supporting advisors is right sized to operate approximately 6 facilities from an operating expense perspective," commented Mitch Barnard, CEO. Ryan Mason, CFO added, "We are happy with our strong start to the year, with revenue results ahead of internal expectations. Set against the backdrop of raising equity capital, Wildpack is well positioned for further planned revenue growth in the coming quarters. The Gross profit for the first quarter was impacted by pre-production start-up costs associated with the Las Vegas Facility which entered production subsequently to the end of the first quarter on April 19, 2021." This news release should be read in conjunction with the Operating Entity's audited consolidated financial statements for the nine-month fiscal period ended December 31, 2020 and interim condensed financial statements (unaudited) and Management Discussion and Analysis for the three months ended March 31, 2021. WILDPACK BEVERAGE INC. Per: "Mitch Barnard" Mitch Barnard Chief Executive Officer and Director About Wildpack Wildpack is engaged in beverage manufacturing and packaging, operating in the middle market by providing can filling and decorating services to brands throughout the United States. Wildpack currently operates indirectly through its wholly owned subsidiaries and out of facilities in Baltimore, Maryland, Sacramento, California and Las Vegas, Nevada. Wildpack commenced trading on May 19, 2021 on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "CANS.V". Forward-Looking Statements This news release may contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws, including, without limitation: our statements related to the Company's growth plans, including building and acquiring more facilities, scaling overall throughput, the ability to identify and enhance the value of acquisitions and the resulting impact on revenue and margins. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by management, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties, and contingencies. These statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as "may", "should", "will", "could", "intend", "estimate", "plan", "anticipate", "expect", "believe" or "continue", or the negative thereof or similar variations. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause future results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the estimated future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by those forward-looking statements and the forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. Wildpack's statements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties, and conditions, many of which are outside of Wildpack's control, and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. Forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by the inherent risks and uncertainties surrounding the Transaction, including: that Wildpack's assumptions in making forward-looking statements may prove to be incorrect; adverse market conditions; risks inherent in the beverage manufacturing and packaging sector in general; that future results may vary from historical results; and competition in the markets where Wildpack operates. Except as required by securities law, Wildpack does not assume any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, events or otherwise. This news release contains future-oriented financial information and financial outlook information (collectively, "FOFI") about the Company's revenue, gross margin, operational efficiencies which are subject to the same assumptions, risk factors, limitations, and qualifications as set forth in the above paragraphs. FOFI contained in this document was approved by management as of the date of this document and was provided for the purpose of providing further information about the Company's future business operations. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any FOFI contained in this document, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless required pursuant to applicable law. Readers are cautioned that the FOFI contained in this document should not be used for purposes other than for which it is disclosed herein. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE Wildpack Beverage Inc. DUBLIN, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Yooz, the cloud-based Purchase-to-Pay (P2P) automation software company, has unveiled the availability of Yooz Rising in Ireland, its new groundbreaking user experience and features. The software, which has also been launched in the US, the UK and France and successfully adopted by 1,000+ organizations, offers powerful Purchase-to-Pay Automation accessible to all Irish businesses - regardless of size, industry and volume of documents. Yooz provides a powerful, zero-capex, zero setup, zero training cloud-based solution to organizations of all sizes, with the ambition to remove all barriers to Accounts Payable (AP) & P2P automation adoption. Yooz redefines the standards of AP Automation performance, simplicity, security by combining: Real-time automation technologies thanks to a unique blend of AI, Deep Learning and Big Data-based technologies An intuitive and modern user experience Rich and secure features, from purchase requisition to invoice payment, regulation-compliant traceability and AI-based fraud detection. Yooz Rising is an all-in-one solution that meets three vital needs of modern organizations: Real-time automation from anywhere, at any time generating speed and savings Business resilience and continuity with complete traceability and security Intuitiveness and simplicity as a driver for quick user adoption Speaking on the launch, Magali Michel, EMEA Director at Yooz, said: "The further expansion of Yooz in Ireland demonstrates the key role automation is playing in modern finance and accounting departments. In the context of companies still facing a financial crisis, they need the kinds of digital tools that secure and optimize their business processes while minimising any future disruption. Yooz Rising perfectly matches their needs: an unrivaled solution made for modern accounting and finance leaders striving for excellence and driven by a shared performance-driven ambition." The launch of Yooz in Ireland was backed up by a joint webinar in February 2021 and collaboration with the France Ireland Chamber of Commerce (FICC) and PwC, a Patron of FICC and the largest professional services firm in Ireland. Cliona McGowan, Director, FICC, said: "We are proud to welcome Yooz as a new member of the France Ireland Chamber of Commerce and welcome their participation in our Working Group for ICT. Uncertain times lie ahead for all businesses across the world, which means we need technologies that help companies reduce future disruption, improve operational performance and optimize current processes now more than ever before." About Yooz Yooz provides the smartest, most powerful and easiest-to-use cloud-based Purchase-to-Pay (P2P) automation solution. It delivers unmatched savings, speed and security with affordable zero-risk subscriptions to more than 4,000 customers and 200,000 users worldwide. Yooz's unique solution leverages Artificial Intelligence and RPA technologies to deliver an amazing level of automation with extreme simplicity, traceability and end-to-end customizable features. It integrates seamlessly with more than 250 financial systems, exceeding any other solution on the market. Visit us on www.getyooz.co.uk SOURCE Yooz The latest results confirm thickness and tenor of mineralisation present outside the Morila Super Pit in good signs for the presence of high-grade gold elsewhere. ( ) (OTCMKTS:EEYMF) (FRA:N9F) has delivered more high-grade gold hits at Morila Pit 5, a mining area on the western margin of the Morila Super Pit. Simultaneously, the company has also started diamond drilling at the NE target of Morila Super Pit. Firefinch said the Pit 5 drill results confirmed the thickness and tenor of mineralisation present outside the previously mined Morila Super Pit, with positive implications for high-grade mineralisation elsewhere at Morila, a gold mine in Mali 80% owned by Firefinch. Morila potential building Firefinch managing director Dr Michael Anderson said the companys excitement surrounding the Morila Super Pit was growing rapidly. It is very exciting to start our search for high-grade mineralisation below the Morila Super Pit, and I look forward to seeing the drill core from this initial program, he said. The results at Pit 5 are evidence of the mineralisation and remaining opportunity in the Morila system, and we are looking forward to a sustained exploration and resource development strategy to unlock its full potential. Pit 5 drill results The Morila Pit 5 deposit is on the margin of Morila Super Pit, less than 1 kilometre from the Morila plant, with an indicated and inferred mineral resource of 840,000 tonnes of gold at 1.1g/t. The latest results included: 58 metres at 1.75 g/t gold from 91 metres; 16 metres at 3.98 g/t from 88 metres; 18 metres at 2.17 from 39 metres; 9 metres at 3.83 g/t from 91 metres; 33 metres at 1.04 g/t from 73 metres; and 6 metres at 4.12 g/t from 76 metres. The geology of Pit 5 is the same as the broader Morila mineral resource, with stacked shallow to flat-lying mineralised lodes. Firefinch said recent drilling had intersected deeper mineralisation at Pit 5, which looks to have confirmed the interpretation used in the main, open-pittable Morila mineral resource. The next steps are to integrate the latest drill results with the broader Morila mineralisation model, with a new mineral resource estimate and an ore reserve estimate to follow. Diamond drilling at Super Pit Diamond drilling has commenced at the Morila Super Pit, aiming to test for extensions to high-grade mineralisation intersected in historical drilling at Morila NE. Prior drilling in this area returned intersections such as 14 metres at 21.7 g/t from 119 metres downhole and 6 metres at 9.0 g/t from 146 metres downhole, representing just some of the high-grade drilling intersections present outside the mined open pit at Morila, with Firefinch to systematically test a number of these targets in coming months. The company expects that testing of each target will yield data that can be applied to refine the targeting model for Morila. - Daniel Paproth The launch of Chariot Transitional Power places the company in a unique position in the market, said Adonis Pouroulis ( ) said it expects to complete its acquisition of Africa Energy Management Platform (AEMP) imminently. The acquisition of the renewable and hybrid power developer, focussed on projects tied to the mining sector, is part of the companys energy transition and growth strategy. Adonis Pouroulis, acting chief executive, highlighted that the company is approaching an inflexion point in its history. The launch of Chariot Transitional Power places the company in a unique position in the market, Pouroulis said. This acquisition will see us work with our partner, Total Eren, to provide clean, sustainable, and more competitive energy to operational mines in Africa. A market of significant scale, that is largely untapped, where Chariot's management has a deep understanding and high-level commercial networks. The focus on transitional energy can also be seen at our Anchois gas discovery, where Chariot has the potential to provide the Kingdom of Morocco with natural gas, enabling the country to achieve its target of decarbonising its economy and reducing its dependence on imported fuels. Moscow, June 1 : Russia has reported 8,475 new Covid-19 cases over the past 24 hours, taking the nationwide tally to 5,071,917, the country's monitoring and response centre said on Monday. The nationwide Covid-19 death toll rose by 339 to 121,501 on Sunday, while the number of recoveries grew by 6,715 to 4,684,585, Xinhua news agency reported. Moscow, the worst-hit area, registered 2,614 new cases, taking the city's total to 1,179,970. According to official data, 28,365,082 doses of Covid-19 vaccines had been administered in Russia as of Saturday. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Mumbai, June 1 : Actress Natalia Dyer, who is currently seen in the film "Yes, God, Yes", feels religion is a beautiful thing but it is also important to take a step back from it at times. "While I believe religion is beautiful, I think it's also important to sometimes take a step back from it to ponder and question what you've learnt and what you think you know. Because without keeping that curiosity and the questioning alive, you invariably kind of lose yourself -- who you really are." "So I think it's just about keeping an open mind and letting people make mistakes and giving people the space to explore and to learn from mistakes and to have conversations," she added. "Yes, God, Yes" is about around a teenager's journey through learning the Catholic views on premarital sex and sexual curiosities, heightened by pop culture influences. New York, June 1 : A technology company has admitted to committing fraud to bring Indians on the coveted H1-B visas to the US, according to a federal prosecutor. Jomon Chakkalakkal, the corporate representative of Cloudgen, made the admission before a federal court in Houston, Texas, on behalf of the company on May 28, said acting federal Prosecutor Jennifer B. Lowery. The prosecutor's office in a news release circulated on Monday described the scam as a "bench and switch" ruse. It said that under the scam, in order to obtain the H1-B visas, Cloudgen submitted "forged contracts" showing that third companies had work for the persons it wanted to bring over. But once the employees came to the US there was no job for them and they were housed in different locations across the US, while Cloudgen would try to find work for them, according to the office. "Such action gave Cloudgen a competitive advantage by having a steady 'bench' or supply of visa-ready workers to send to different employers based on market needs when the true process actually takes some time. Once workers had obtained new employment, the 'switch' would occur when the new third-party company filed immigration paperwork for the foreign workers," the prosecutor's office said. Cloudgen took a percentage of the worker's salary, which amounted to nearly $500,000 from 2013 to 2020 when the scam took place, it said. Chief Judge Lee Rosenthal of the Southern Texas federal court is to impose a sentence in September and it could be a fine of as much as $1 million and probation for five years. The prosecutor's office said that Cloudgen was based in Houston, but on its website, the company lists an address in Manassas in Virginia. It also shows offices in Hyderabad, Canada and Romania. Chakkalakkal is described on the website as the senior vice president for sales. (Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed @arulouis) Colombo, June 1 : Sri Lanka's Criminal Investigations Department announced that it had appointed a 10-member team of detectives to investigate the incidents surrounding the burning X-Press Pearl container ship in the waters off the Colombo Harbour, the local media reported. The Department's announcement on Monday came after the Director-General of the Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) filed a complaint with the Harbour Police on May 23 over the environmental destruction caused by the fire onboard the Singapore-flagged vessel, Xinhua news agency reported. The police said the officers from the Criminal Investigations Department recorded statements from the captain and chief engineer of the vessel at a hotel in Colombo where the crew is undergoing quarantine. Statements will be recorded from the other crew members in the near future, the police said. The X Press Pearl ship was carrying 1,486 containers with 25 tonnes of nitric acid and several other chemicals and cosmetics from the port of Hazira, India, on May 15. The vessel sent out a distress call while being close to the Colombo Port on May 20, and soon caught fire resulting in the Sri Lankan Navy dispatching vessels to bring the fire under control. Last week, the MEPA said a major environmental disaster was expected following the burning of the vessel and the impact was being assessed. General Manager of the MEPA, Terney Pradeep said the coast line from the south along the west coast had debris washed ashore and the public had been strongly advised not to touch any of the debris as it could contain hazardous material. The government said a large amount of marine life had been killed as a result of the pollution from the ship. The government has decided to pay a certain amount of compensation for the fishing community who had to suspend activities incurring losses of their daily income and those who are involved in related industries. New Delhi, June 1 : Ancient El Nino-like weather patterns were the primary drivers of environmental change in sub-Saharan Africa when humans were evolving, according to research involving UCL, London's university. Scientists have shown that over the last 620,000 years these alternately wet and dry patterns had more profound impacts in sub-Saharan Africa than colder, dryer glacial-interglacial cycles, which until now have been more commonly linked to human evolution. Professor Mark Maslin of UCL Geography, who contributed to the international study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS), said the findings challenge previous theories on the impact of changes in the climate on the earliest ancestors. "The detailed analysis of the past climate of Africa, led by Stefanie Kaboth-Bahr (University of Potsdam), has revealed an oscillation between wet and dry conditions across the continent. This means for at least the last 600,000 years there has been continual environmental change as wet lush conditions moved from the east to the west and then back again. "This drove significant changes in plant and animal migration patterns and contributed to the evolution of new hominin species. This study shows that the long-term El Nino and Southern Oscillation (ENSO)-like climate shifts across Africa had a profound effect on the evolution of early humans." It is widely accepted that climate change drove the evolution of our species in Africa, but the exact character of that change and its impacts have not been fully understood. Glacial-interglacial cycles strongly impact patterns of climate change in many parts of the world and were also assumed to regulate environmental changes in Africa during the critical period of human evolution. In this latest research, this influence of glacial-interglacial cycles has been challenged as the scientists identified ancient El Nino-like weather patterns as the drivers of major climate changes in Africa, allowing them to re-evaluate the existing climatic framework of human evolution. To arrive at this conclusion, they integrated 11 climate archives from across Africa covering the past 620,000 years to generate a comprehensive spatial picture of when and where wet or dry conditions prevailed over the continent. Stefanie Kaboth-Bahr of the University of Potsdam, who led the study, said: "We were surprised to find a distinct climatic east-west 'seesaw' very akin to the pattern produced by the weather phenomena of El Nino that today profoundly influences precipitation distribution in Africa." The authors infer that the effects of the tropical Pacific Ocean on the so-called 'Walker Circulation' -- a belt of convection cells along the equator that impact the rainfall and aridity of the tropics -- were the prime driver of this climate seesaw. The data clearly shows that the wet and dry regions shifted between the east and west of the African continent on timescales of approximately 100,000 years, with each of the climatic shifts being accompanied by major turnovers in flora and mammal fauna. Kaboth-Bahr added: "This alternation between dry and wet periods appeared to have governed the dispersion and evolution of vegetation as well as mammals in eastern and western Africa. The resultant environmental patchwork was likely to have been a critical component of human evolution and early demography as well." The scientists are keen to point that although climate change was certainly not the sole factor driving early human evolution, the new study nevertheless provides a novel perspective on the tight link between environmental fluctuations and the origin of our early ancestors. Kaboth-Bahr continued: "Re-evaluating these patterns of stasis, change and extinction through a new climatic framework will yield new insights into the deep human past. This does not mean that people were helpless in the face of climatic changes but shifting habitat availability would certainly have impacted patterns of demography, and ultimately the genetic exchanges that underpin human evolution." The money will be used to fund aggressive expansion of drilling programs at the Greater Falun and Sala projects in Sweden. Ltd ( ) is selling its Arakaka Gold Project in Guyana to private Canadian company Virgin Gold Corp as it looks to expand drilling at its flagship Swedish projects. Alicanto will receive up to C$4.75 (around A$5.08 million) from the sale, which will be used to focus financial and human resources on the 20,000-metre drilling campaign underway at the Greater Falun copper-gold-silver-zinc-lead and Sala silver-zinc-lead projects in Sweden. The deal will need to be approved by Alicanto shareholders and is subject to several conditions, mostly relating to Virgin Gold. Expanding Swedish focus Managing director Peter George said the Arakaka project would be jettisoned in order to allow Alicanto to double down its focus on its two highly prospective Swedish projects. The Arakaka sale will enable us to focus our resources on unlocking the value of what is a potentially company-making opportunity at Greater Falun and Sala, he said. Alicanto began drilling at Sala, which has produced more than 200 million ounces of silver at very high grades, at the start of May, while it has been returning consistent results from Greater Falun since commencing drilling in September last year. Most recently at Greater Falun, the company intersected semi-massive sulphide skarn mineralisation with visual chalcopyrite in the second hole drilled at Stone Lake target. Assays returned 0.27 metres at 5.92% copper and 4.6 parts per million (ppm) silver from 124.2 metres, as part of an interval grading 1.92% copper and 1.3 ppm silver over 0.92 metres. The semi-massive character of the intersected copper-skarn system, some 80 metres beneath historic workings with similar mineralisation, in combination with the most intense, proximal and prograde skarn alteration so far encountered at Greater Falun, highlights the potential for significant mineralisation nearby, George said. Sala potential "outstanding" Meanwhile, the MD said the potential at Sala was outstanding. It would have been explored many years ago had the geology been better understood and had it not been held in part by companies which were focused on other projects and jurisdictions, he said. The presence of extensive high-grade copper-gold mineralisation with by-products of silver, zinc and lead at Falun has been well-established through both mining and exploration. However, the full potential in the Greater Falun area has yet to be unlocked. To now have Sala in our suite of projects is a significant addition to our portfolio within the Bergslagen area. Arakaka sale Alicanto declared a maiden resource estimate of 500,000 ounces of gold at Arakaka in Guyana in November last year. It will pocket C$50,000 in a cash deposit, C$700,000 when the deal has been completed and up to C$4 million in Goldblock Capital Inc (CNSX:GBLK) common shares subject to Virgin Gold achieving a compliant resource estimate on Arakaka within two years. Virgin Gold is in the process of completing a reverse takeover of Canadian Stock Exchange-listed Goldblock Capital. Alicanto is preparing a notice of meeting for shareholders to approve the Arakaka sale. - Daniel Paproth Mumbai, June 1 : Bollywood superstar Salman Khan has shared words of encouragement for fans facing various crises amidst the ongoing second wave of the Covid pandemic. "I would just like to say that we all need to stay positive and hold the fort until these bad times pass. This is a phase and it shall pass. I know all of us are going through very critical times, we must have faith and help each other in whatever way we can," Salman said. Meanwhile, he is excited about his popular "Dabangg" avatar of Inspector Chulbul Pandey getting an animated avatar on the small screen. "Dabangg: The Animated Series" will be created keeping in mind his young fans. "'Dabangg: The Animated Series' is an adaptation and reimagination of 'Dabangg'. The action-comedy series chronicles the day-to-day life of police officer Chulbul Pandey, who stands in the face of evil to keep the city safe. He is joined by his younger brother Makkhi, who, new to the police force, attempts to emulate his older brother in every sticky situation," Salman said. Quizzed if he is lending his voice to the lead character of Chulbul Pandey, the actor replied: "Unfortunately I am not lending the voice to the character in the animated series, but fans wouldn't be disappointed because the voiceover actors have done a fantastic job." Backed by Cosmos-Maya and Arbaaz Khan Productions, "Dabangg: The Animated Series" streams on Disney+ Hotstar VIP. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Lucknow, June 1 : The Yogi Adityanath government, on Tuesday, launched 'Mission June' the biggest Covid vaccination drive planned anywhere in the country. Almost all of the 1.75 lakh slots for vaccination in the 18-44 age category were reported to be booked by Monday evening, ahead of the launch of Uttar Pradesh government's Mission June. The state has pledged to vaccinate one crore people over the next four weeks. Additional chief secretary , health and family welfare, Amit Mohan Prasad said that a gamut of arrangements have been made to facilitate people to get their vaccine shot. "The government will be holding dedicated camps for large groups like state employees, teachers, trader associations and very large community groups at special Covid vaccination centres and drive-in vaccination camps besides the regular vaccination sites," he said. Officials in the health department assured that the government had enough stock of vaccines for the job. "We have about 30 lakh doses in hand while more stock is expected over the week. The outcome of the global tender to procure 4 crore doses is also expected to bear fruits very soon," said an official. Data from the health department indicated that over 1.75 lakh slots were booked by people in the 18 plus category which indicates the eagerness of the people to be vaccinated against the deadly virus. Officials also said that over 1.5 lakh registrations in the 45 plus category were also recorded. Additional Chief Secretary (Information) Navneet Sehgal, said: "Vaccination is important to the strategy to face the impending third wave and it is for this that UP has made arrangements to vaccinate as many eligible persons as possible." He added that Mission June is one of the biggest Covid vaccination drive launched anywhere in the country. According to the CoWin Portal, as many as 1.83 crore doses of Covid-19 vaccine have been administered in Uttar Pradesh since the launch of the drive on January 16, 2021. A target of one crore vaccinations over the next month would mean that health teams will conduct over 3.4 lakh vaccinations every single day. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Seoul, June 1 : LG Electronics is fast converting its overseas smartphone manufacturing lines into facilities that produce home appliances, industry insiders said on Tuesday, following its decision to withdraw from the mobile business. LG said the Brazilian government last month approved its plan to expand its Manaus plant in Amazonas, northwestern Brazil, in a move to shift its production lines from the Taubate site on the east coast. When the $62 million project is completed, LG Electronics will have new production lines for laptops and monitors at the Manaus plant. The South Korean tech giant said all of its Brazilian manufacturing will be consolidated in Manaus down the road, reports Yonhap news agency. Started in 1995, the Manaus plant was originally established to manufacture TVs, microwave ovens and DVD players, with air conditioners added in 2001. The Taubate plant has been in operation since 2005, producing mobile phones, monitors and laptops. The latest relocation follows LG's move in April to convert its smartphone line at the Haiphong plant to make home appliances in northern Vietnam. LG earlier announced it will exit from the mobile business by July 31 after years of money-losing performances. Since then, it has been working to relocate its mobile workforce and resources to its core home appliance business. Demand for LG's premium appliances has been soaring on the back of the pandemic-induced stay-at-home trend. LG's home appliance and air solution (H&A) unit in the first quarter posted 6.7 trillion won ($6 billion) in revenue and 919.9 billion won in operating profit, both the largest for its quarterly performance. Lucknow, June 1 : Shia clerics in Lucknow have demanded an FIR against Shia Waqf Board member Waseem Rizvi for hurting religious sentiments of Muslims. A delegation, led by general secretary of Majlis-e-Ulama-e-Hind, Maulana Kalbe Jawad, met Lucknow police commissioner D.K. Thakur on Monday night and demanded an FIR. The clerics demanded that the Quran version with 26 verses removed by Rizvi and posted on social media be taken off the platforms without delay. Recently, Rizvi had filed a petition in the Supreme Court, seeking removal of 26 verses from the Quran which, he claimed, are violent in nature. He has also compiled a "correct version of the Quran" removing the said verses and changing its order. Rizvi's first petition on the issue was dismissed by the apex court and he was fined Rs 50,000. "The compilation has now been posted on social media to create riots and chaos. It has angered all Muslims as the Quran cannot be tampered with. It should be taken off social media immediately and an FIR be lodged against Rizvi," said the Maulana. Meanwhile, in Muzaffarnagar, three social activists of the district have asked the district police to initiate criminal proceedings against Rizvi, who is a 'repeat offender'. The complaint alleges that the provocative post by Rizvi, who is again trying to 'desecrate the holy Quran', is aimed at 'inciting riots and to cause misunderstanding between India and other countries'. Former counsellor, Mohammad Faisal, along with Dilshad Ansari and Shahzad Qureshi, filed the police complaint against Rizvi. "This man has been repeatedly trying to desecrate the holy Quran. He should be booked and sent to jail," Faisal said. New Delhi, June 1 : Leading personal finance app Branch on Tuesday said it is now available in Hindi to serve more than half a billion consumers in the country. With over 23 million downloads, 4 million customers and 20 million loans processed, Branch International has disbursed over $600 million to date. The company said in a statement that the Hindi version of the app will address Tier 2 and 3 cities in the overall lending and banking space. "Our deliberate effort to launch our app in Hindi will help a majority of Hindi-speaking consumers have a better, less-daunting experience and, most importantly, gain access to capital," said Sucheta Mahapatra, Managing Director, Branch. "At Branch, we solve for the financial needs of the average Indian consumer. Language becomes a barrier for users to access funds in this digital-first economy," she added. Branch will use the insights from its Hindi app to expand its services to multiple other vernacular languages in the coming quarters. "The majority of this Hindi-speaking audience is non-salaried, non-Tier-1 and not served thoroughly by the existing market solutions," the company said. Founded in 2015, Branch has offices in San Francisco, Lagos, Nairobi, Mumbai and Bengaluru, In addition to credit, the company said it aims to roll out high-yield savings accounts, wallets and investments to customers this year. Thiruvananthapuram, June 1 : The new academic year in Kerala began on Tuesday, but like in the previous year, this time too, students are in the study from home (SFH) mode -- online classes, as the second wave of Covid-19 rages through the state. The classes will once again be aired through the KITE-Victers channel as a result around 3.8 milliion school students attached to the state education curriculum will have to study without physical interaction with teachers. Last year, KITE had developed over 8,300 digital classes and these were aired through KITE Victers channel as part of the First Bell programme. All the schools in the state have been given the node to conduct their own inauguration in the online mode. Addressing the students from his residence, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said it's during the tough times that the children will be able to learn new lessons, as he inaugurated the session. "We assure all that like the last year we will be imparting online education and we will be trying to improve and better the output compared to the last academic year. We all know that it's a tough time for our students who sit at home. But we should tell them, that the world over the situation is the same and we can assure them that as normalcy returns, the students can get back to their classrooms," said Vijayan. State Education Minister V.Sivankutty and two of his cabinet colleagues were present at the Cotton Hill Girls School, in the state capital city, along with a handful of teachers and other administrative staff during the inauguration ceremony. Sivankutty said that at the moment none can predict when the children can return to their classrooms and for the time being classes would be in the digital mode. His ministry is working out to see how best the classes can be made interactive, as students need to interact with their teachers. As the first step during the first week there would be bridging classes to connect with what happened in the last academic year so that the continuity in the digital mode can go forward smoothly. "My sister and I, were hoping against hope that this year we will be able to go to school. Prior to the Covid period, at times we used to be lazy to return to school after a weekend break, but after sitting at home for the entire previous academic year, our only wish is, we really want to get back to school, as we have now realised what it means to be in school," said a Class 6 student. Mumbai, June 1 : Actress Shweta Tripathi has wrapped up shooting for the upcoming series "Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein" in Manali amidst the second wave of the Covid pandemic. She says the deadline for the particular shoot mattered more than what it normally does. Talking about being among the first to wrap up an entire series in these times, Shweta says: "This wasn't just any deadline. If not adhered to, it wasn't like they'd lose out on the budget or face actors' availability issues, which generally occurs on shoots. This was an entirely new problem: No one on set knew how to deal with it properly besides following protocol." She added that everyone was learning things on the job, right from spot boy to producer, and from actor to director. Shweta said: "Since we knew that we had a time crunch, we took every possible measure to stay disciplined and efficient on set. The time crunch was so intense that if it was a day shoot, we had to ensure we completed the schedule before we lost sunlight." "The same was the case with night shoots. On the last day we were literally racing against the time of dawn to finish the shoot because after that day there was absolutely no scope of another day to spare," Shweta said. "Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein" also stars Tahir Raj Bhasin. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Dhaka, June 1 : The Bangladesh government will resume registration for Covid-19 vaccination after more doses arrive in the country from China, Health Minister Zahid Maleque announced. He made the announcement on Monday as the country is undergoing a shortage in vaccines. Due to the vaccine shortage in the country amid a delay in the arrival of shipments from India, Bangladesh suspended the registration for jabs in May, Xinhua news agency reported. Against this backdrop, the Bangladeshi government on May 27 approved the purchase of a batch of Covid-19 vaccines from China. The approval came after Bangladesh began administering the Chinese vaccines to medical students on May 25. Bangladesh's drug regulator in April authorised the Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use. Bangladesh reported 1,710 new Covid-19 cases and 36 fatalities on Monday, increasing the overall infection tally and death toll to 800,540 and 12,619, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) New Delhi, June 1 : Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi has written to Health Secretary urging him to reduce the gap for vaccination of students going abroad. She said, "Maharashtra has initiated the vaccination for students travelling overseas for further studies, however the 12-15 week mandated gap by ICMR has led to apprehension about receiving the 2nd dose on time. My appeal to Health Secretary is to reduce the mandated gap for these students. " She said, most foreign universities have mandated that the students joining the campus for classes have to be fully vaccinated with the locally available WHO approved vaccine in their country of residence. Some states like Maharashtra have understood the concern and opened up vaccination for these students to get their first dose on priority but the problem is of getting the second dose on time, before July end to enable them to travel on time. Most of the students have to report to their campuses by mid-August which implies that they would have to board their flight from India by July end or latest by first week of August. The Health Department of the BMC has also approached the ministry and hoping you will expedite this crucial decision. "I would request a humanitarian response from your office and Ministry of Health & Family Welfare to the concern of the students so as to not put their future at risk. Looking forward to your response", she wrote in the letter. New Delhi, June 1 : Even as a private jet from Qatar landed in Dominica with documents related to fugitive businessman Mehul Choksi, wanted in the PNB loan fraud case, sources on Tuesday said members of the Central Bureau of Investigation, Enforcement Directorate and Ministry of External Affairs are camping in the island nation. According to informed sources, an eight member team from India reached Dominica on Saturday afternoon in a private jet that left from New Delhi on Friday evening. The sources said that two members each from MEA, CBI and ED along with two CRPF commandos were in Dominica for the hearing in the Choksi extradition matter scheduled on June 2. The source said that the officials of the CBI and ED from Mumbai zone were called on Friday to the national capital, who then boarded the private jet for Dominica. However, senior officials of the CBI and ED remained tight-lipped on the number of officials sent to Dominca for Choksi case hearing. On Saturday, Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne also confirmed that a private jet has landed in Dominica with certain documents related to Choksi who was involved in a multi-million dollar bank scam in India. Browne was responding to a question during his radio programme on a question about a private jet arriving in Dominica from Qatar and said, "Yes I can confirm that a jet is there. My understanding is that the Indian government has sent some documentation from the courts to confirm that Choksi is a fugitive. "My understanding is that it is for the court hearing scheduled on Wednesday (June 2) as the Dominica court has put a stay on his deportation. So the Indian government seems to be going all out to ensure that he is repatriated to India and face charges there." Choksi, who is wanted in India by the CBI and the ED in Rs 13,500 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case had gone missing from the island nation on May 23, sparking a massive manhunt. He was captured in Dominica on May 26. A Dominican court has restrained his deportation till June 2 as it hears a habeas corpus filed by Choksi's lawyers. On Saturday, several pictures of Choksi emerged online showing several bruise marks on his arms and swollen eyes. Choksi has been residing in Antigua and Barbuda since January 4, 2018, days before the CBI registered a case of bank fraud against him and his nephew, Nirav Modi, among several others. The CBI and ED, which have filed separate charge sheets in the case, are trying for his extradition. Public consultation period extended until September 13, 2021 to allow for an additional round of public meetings with participation of key government ministers. Government will complete case processing of exploitation license application, that includes preparation of a White Paper to address consultation responses. ( ) ( ) (FRA:G7P) has advised that the Government of Greenland has provided an update on the statutory public consultation for the Kvanefjeld Rare Earth Project, with the consultation period previously scheduled to conclude on June 1 now extended to September 13, 2021. The government has stated the extension is to enable further public meetings to take place that will have political representation. Greenland Minerals first round of public meetings, held in February 2021, were attended by representatives of Greenlands Ministry for Mineral Resources, the Environmental Agency for Mineral Resource Activities and the Danish Centre for Environment, but did not have political representation. The next series of public meetings will be held in Igaliku, Nanortalik, Narsaq, Narsarsuaq, Qaqortoq and Qassiarsuk in southern Greenland during weeks 34 and 35. These meetings will have political (key ministers), administrative and company representation. Application process continues The government has also confirmed subsequent casework on the processing of the Kvanefjeld exploitation license application will be completed, which involves the preparation of a White Paper based on consultation responses. Public consultation is a statutory process for mining projects in Greenland, completed over a minimum of eight weeks. The consultation process for the Kvanefjeld project was initiated by the previous Greenland government on December 17 2020, after the exploitation license application was accepted as meeting Greenlands Guidelines for Public Consultation. Environmental and Social Impact Assessments completed for Kvanefjeld are key application documents and these have been through an extensive, thorough review-revision process over a five-year period by the Greenland government and their independent scientific advisors. Bangkok, June 1 : The Thai government announced to reverse a decision made by authorities in the country's capital Bangkok to ease some Covid-19 bans. Late monday night, the Center for the Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) overruled the decision by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) to allow venues such as museums, parks and massage parlours to re-open from Tuesday, Xinhua news agency reported. The BMA did not give a reason but said these venues will remain shut till June 14. Bangkok and its surrounding are currently the epicentre of Thailand's third wave of the pandemic, which has been the most severe since the first outbreak early last year. The country reported 5,485 new cases on Monday, with 1,356 of them in Bangkok, according to the CCSA. As of Monday, the country's total caseload has risen to 159,792, while the death toll stood at 1,031. Chennai, June 1 : While the suburban areas of Chennai like Chengalpattu, Thiruvalur and Kancheepuram are showing signs of a spike in Covid cases, the vaccination of youngsters in the age group of 18-44 in these areas has almost stopped due to shortage and people are rushing to private hospitals in Chennai to get a jab. The private hospitals in Chennai are charging anything between Rs 850 to Rs 900 for a jab and coupled with the cost of transport from the suburban areas to the city, it has burned a hole in the pocket of these youths. Mahendra Kumar, 28, a local businessman at Chengalpattu told IANS, "I came to Chennai for a jab as there is a shortage of vaccine in Chengalpattu and I had to shell out Rs 850 for vaccination. I came by a hired vehicle and had to pay around Rs 900 for that and other miscellaneous expenses had also to be taken care of. I could afford this but there are umpteen youths who are in no position to come to Chennai and get vaccinated. Government must immediately act and make vaccine available for all." In areas like Poonamalle, Tambaram, and Porur, there is no update on the CoWin portal even after registering two days back. Manoj Mahadevan, a retired officer with a public sector undertaking and president of Tambaram (1) resident association while speaking to IANS said, "My nephew and his friend registered with the CoWin portal on Saturday and today is Tuesday, there is no information. Only option is to go to Chennai and get vaccinated in a private hospital." Interestingly Chennai has received 20.4 lakh vaccinations, but the three districts of Chengalpattu, Tiruvallur, and Kancheepuram together have got only 7.02 lakh vaccines till Monday evening. In areas like Chitlapakam and Seliyur people are returning home without jab. Mahesh Krishnamoorthy of Swadeshi Jagaran Manch, who is active in creating awareness among the people for vaccination, while speaking to IANS said, "There is a disparity in the allocation of vaccines in Tamil Nadu and it has to be rectified immediately as there is a spike in cases in rural areas and the suburban centres of Chennai need to be inoculated as early as possible." The health department officials however said that the it is looking into the disparities of vaccine allocation and said that this would be fixed in a few days as the state is expecting more vaccines. New Delhi, June 1 : Nine days after two time olympic medallist Sushil Kumar was arrested on May 24 in connection with the murder of wrestler Sagar Dhankar, Delhi Police has suspended his arms license. According to informed sources in Delhi Police related to his case, Delhi Police has sent notice to Kumar to cancel his arms license that was issued to him in 2012. The source said that as of now the arms license of Kumar has been suspended and in the notice Police has asked why his arms license should not be cancelled. The notice from Police has been sent to his home directly. He has been given 10 days time to respond to the notice. Dhankar was killed on the night of May 4 during a brawl at Chhatrasal Stadium. Kumar was arrested by Delhi Police Special Cell sleuths from Delhi on May 24 along with his aide Ajay after staying on the run for 18 days. On Sunday, Crime Branch sleuths took Sushil Kumar to Uttarakhand's Haridwar to probe where he took shelter during his run. The police team also tried to find Kunar's clothes and mobile phone in Haridwar. Till date, Delhi Police has arrested nine people in connection with the case, including several members of Nwwraj Bawana and Kala Asauda gang. Sushil Kumar had won a bronze medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and silver in the 2012 London Olympic Games. New York, June 1 : Artificial Intelligence (AI) models like humans have a tendency to look for shortcuts. In the case of an AI-assisted disease detection, these shortcuts could lead to diagnostic errors if deployed in clinical settings, warn researchers. A team from the University of Washington in the US, examined multiple models recently put forward as potential tools for accurately detecting Covid-19 from chest radiography, otherwise known as chest X-rays. The findings, published in the journal Nature Machine Intelligence, showed that rather than learning genuine medical pathology, these models rely instead on shortcut learning to draw spurious associations between medically irrelevant factors and disease status. As a result, the models ignored clinically significant indicators and relied instead on characteristics such as text markers or patient positioning that were specific to each dataset to predict whether someone had Covid-19. "A physician would generally expect a finding of Covid-19 from an X-ray to be based on specific patterns in the image that reflect disease processes," said co-lead author Alex DeGrave, from UW's Medical Scientist Training Programme. "But rather than relying on those patterns, a system using shortcut learning might, for example, judge that someone is elderly and thus infer that they are more likely to have the disease because it is more common in older patients. "The shortcut is not wrong per se, but the association is unexpected and not transparent. And that could lead to an inappropriate diagnosis," DeGrave said. Shortcut learning is less robust than genuine medical pathology and usually means the model will not generalise well outside of the original setting, the researchers said. Combining lack of robustness with the typical opacity of AI decision-making can make these AI models prone to a condition known as "worst-case confounding," owing to the lack of training data available for such a new disease. This scenario increased the likelihood that the models would rely on shortcuts rather than learning the underlying pathology of the disease from the training data, the researchers noted. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Delhi, June 1 : Soon after it was reported that the Delhi Government has allowed the home delivery of liquor through mobile apps or websites under the amended excise rules, the Chief Minister's office said it is wrong interpretation of the rule change. "It is a slightly wrong interpretation of a rule change, the government will issue statement in this regard," the office of Delhi Chief Minister said on Tuesday morning. The Delhi government has permitted home delivery of Indian and foreign liquor as Covid-19 restrictions continue to be in place in the city. Liquor can be ordered for home delivery in Delhi through online portals as part of the new excise policy. The notification issued by the Delhi government regarding new liquor policy, stated, "The licensee shall make delivery of liquor at the residences only if order is received through mobile app or online web portal and no delivery shall be made to any hostel, office and institution." However, the notification clearly mentioned that only holders of L-13 licence will be allowed to carry out home deliveries, and not every liquor outlet in the city. Now, under the new excise rules, home delivery of liquor has been allowed through mobile app and portals in Delhi. However, this does not mean liquor shops across Delhi will be allowed to deliver alcohol, the government clarified. Brasilia, June 1 : Brazil offers investors around the globe "unique opportunities" thanks to its abundance of resources and strong legal framework, President Jair Bolsonaro said. While the Covid-19 pandemic is worrisome, it will not compromise, in the long term, the Brazilian economy, which "has already resumed its growth and job creation", Xinhua news agency quoted Bolsonaro as saying while addressing a virtual forum of foreign investors on Monday. "Brazil is prepared to offer unique opportunities to investors from all over the world due to its potential, as well as its legal and economic security," he said. "Based on the proposals presented, the expectation is that Brazil will receive $50 billion in investment to generate 22,000 jobs between 2021 and 2022," the President added. Bolsonaro defended the sustainable exploitation of Brazil's Amazon region, saying: "I have never had any doubt that it is wrong to believe that development and sustainability are at odds," he said. Bolsonaro spoke at the opening ceremony of the Brazil 2021 Investment Forum, an event organized by the state-run Brazilian Agency for the Promotion of Exports and Investment (Apex-Brasil), the Inter-American Development Bank and the federal government, and which saw the participation of 101 countries and regions. New Delhi, June 1 : Former Chief Information Commissioner Sudhir Bhargava and former Deputy National Security Advisor Rajiv Jain have been appointed as independent external monitors to look after affairs of Military Engineer Services (MES) and Border Road Organisation (BRO). On May 31, Indian Defence Ministry appointed these retired officers to independently monitor and look after works of Military Engineer Services (MES) and Border Road Organisation (BRO). In an office memorandum, the Defence ministry appointed panel of retired government officers as Independent External Monitors (IEMs) for MES and BRO. They have been appointed for a term of three years. The order stated: "The role and duties of above Independent External Monitors will be as per the latest revised Standard Operating Procedure to be issued by CVC. The CVC Circular No. 02/01/2017 dated 13.01.2017 is under revision and the mandate of IEMs will include works/procurement cases of Military Engineer Services and Border Road Organisation." Sudhir Bhargava is former 1979 batch IAS officer of Rajasthan cadre and secretary in ministry of social justice. He was appointed Chief Information Commissioner in December 2018 from where he retired in 2020. Before being appointed as Deputy National Security Advisor, Jain was Intelligence Bureau chief. Both the officers would be looking after works and procurement of Military Engineer Services (MES), the premier construction agency and one of the pillars of Corps of Engineers of the Indian Army which provides rear line engineering support to the Armed Forces. It is one of largest construction and maintenance agencies in India with a total annual budget to the tune of approx Rs 13,000 crore. It is responsible for creating the strategic and the operational infrastructure other than major roads, as also the administrative habitat for all three Services and the associated organisations of the Ministry of Defence. They will be monitoring affairs of BRO, responsible for maintaining the road networks in the border areas of India. This organisation plays an important part in the infrastructure development of the border areas of the country. Chennai, June 1 : Even as metro cities of Tamil Nadu like Chennai, Coimbatore and Madurai show a downward trend in fresh Covid-19 cases, the public health department of the state and the health ministry begin to combat a surge in coronavirus cases in rural areas. Lack of awareness in the rural areas coupled with the people not wearing masks and not undergoing tests is the major reason for the spike in cases. State Health Minister Ma Subramaniam told IANS: "This is worrisome but the doctors and health officials are making maximum effort to bring it down and a major hindrance in rural areas of is lack of infrastructure. We are installing temporary health infrastructure on a war footing in the hinterlands to counter this wave as fast as we can." Several villages in several areas of Anamalai, Karmadai, Pollachi, Annur and Sullur in Coimbatore district have witnessed a sudden surge in fresh cases and several are turning fatal. Muthuswamy Ranganathan 42, a farmer in Karmadai told IANS: "My neighbour, Raghavan passed away on Sunday after testing Covid-19 positive and we are afraid of contracting the disease. We did not know the gravity of the disease until now when the second wave of the pandemic hit us." Sugunendran Parthiban, a doctor who lives in Anamalai told IANS: "There is indeed a lack of awareness but the state health department has woken up and is conducting several awareness programme and door to door testing is now taking place. "However, the tribal people who live deep in the forest areas of Anamalai and Sholayar are moving further deeper fearing the tests and this has to be taken care of as they come back to the mainland and can turn super spreaders." Similar situation is being witnessed in the rural areas of Erode, Madurai and Salem as well as in the villages surrounding Tenkasi, Kanyakaurmari and Thoothukudi. As cases surge in rural districts, patients flock to the urban centres for treatment which are more than 100 km away from the villages. Salem has witnessed a huge rush of patients from areas like Villupuram, Kallakuruchi, Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri. Salem district collector Karmegam told IANS: "Covid-19 positive patients in rural areas are flocking to hospitals in Salem as they don't have other options and the administration is trying to erect temporary health infrastructure in rural areas on a war footing." Another problem facing the government hospitals in rural areas are the lack of beds with oxygen facilities. A classic case was the Mettupalayam government hospital which has only 2 oxygen equipped beds. In the first Covid-19 wave Madurai urban centre recorded 80 per cent of the cases but in the second wave the rural areas have recorded 40 per cent of the cases. However, this rural trend is not unique to Tamil Nadu but also being seen in almost all the states of the country. The major reason according to the health experts is the return of a large number of people to their village homes amid ongoing lockdowns. Vinaya Joshi, who is working in a hospital in Coimbatore suburbs told IANS: "The lack of awareness and the lesser number of tests coupled with a rush of urban-based people coming back to homes in villages resulted in the sudden surge in cases. "Anyways doctors and allied staff, including nurses are on the job 24 hours and unless the government jacks up the health infrastructure employing more doctors, nurses and more oxygen equipped-beds in rural hospitals things will not come under control." Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Bogota, June 1 : Colombia's Vice President Marta Lucia Ramirez has been sworn in as the country's new Foreign Minister after nationwide anti-government protests led to the resignation of Claudia Blum from the post. Expressing her gratitude to President Ivan Duque for his trust, Ramirez said on Monday that her main task will be to present the international community with an accurate account of what is happening in the South American country. "It is an honour to assume the post of Vice President and Foreign Minister of Colombia... I will explain a reality as complex as the one we are experiencing: in our country there is rule of law and our government respects peaceful protest, but also forcefully rejects vandalism and roadblocks," she said. On May 13, Blum presented Duque with her irrevocable resignation amid social turmoil and an indefinite nationwide strike sparked at the end of April by a proposed tax hike that was later rescinded. At least 44 people have died in connection with the demonstrations, according to the national ombudsman's office. Opposition to a health reform, which has also been scrapped, and advocacy for the fragile peace process were then some of the new issues that brought people out onto the streets. Besides, Blum, Economy Minister Alberto Carrasquilla had also resigned in the wake of the violent protests. New Delhi, June 1 : The Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed the operation of Delhi High Court order, which held that imposition of Integrated Goods and Services Tax (IGST) on the import of oxygen concentrators as gift for personal use is unconstitutional. A bench comprising Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and M.R. Shah said: "We issue notice and till next date of hearing there shall be stay on operation of the May 21 order of the Delhi High Court." Attorney General K.K. Venugopal, representing the Ministry of Finance, said the government removed the slab from 28 per cent and brought to 12 per cent, but still they're saying that Article 21 is violated. The AG argued that several hundreds of such equipment will be imported using the High Court order. The AG submitted that the GST council is holding a meeting on June 8 and this matter will be taken up. The top court noted that on May 28 at 43rd GST Council meeting, a decision was taken to constitute a council of ministers to provide further relief to Covid related items. The top court added the Centre has submitted that the High Court entered into an area of pure policy, by granting exemption to state and its agencies in the import of oxygen concentrators. After a brief hearing in the matter, the top court issued notice on the plea filed by Ministry of Finance challenging the High Court order and stayed the High Court judgment till the next date of listing. The Delhi High Court had held the imposition of IGST on import of oxygen concentrators for personal use is "unconstitutional". A division bench comprising Justices Rajiv Shakdher and Talwant Singh said the imposition of IGST on oxygen concentrators imported by individuals or received by them as gifts, for personal use is, unconstitutional. The High Court quashed the May 1 notification levying 12 per cent IGST on imported oxygen concentrators. The court noted that importers of oxygen concentrators would have to furnish a letter of undertaking to the concerned authority, declaring that device is for personal use, and not for commercial use. The order was passed on the plea of Covid-19 patient, whose nephew had sent an oxygen generator as gift from the US. The petitioner counsel had argued that the imposition of IGST by the central government on devices meant for personal use violated the Article 14 and also abridged the right to have oxygen, which was part of the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Developed in Australia for the Australian Defence Force, NDC Edge enables the analysis and distribution of data in real-time, accelerating the decision-making cycle to gain and maintain operational tempo. The secure tactical Warfighting Cloud will give deployed forces access to the right information at the right time. archTIS Ltd ( ) has entered a partnership with Thales Australia, Microsoft, and Australian SMEs Myriad Technologies and FortifyEdge to launch Nexium Defence Cloud Edge (NDC Edge). The solution provides a secure tactical cloud computing capability at the edge of the battlespace and includes archTIS Kojensi platform to provide Australian Sovereign technology for highly secure sensitive/classified information collaboration and sharing. archTIS CEO and managing director Daniel Lai said: archTIS is committed to providing innovative, ready to deploy solutions that are accredited to safeguard sensitive and classified information access and sharing. We are excited to partner with Thales as part of the Nexium Cloud EDGE solution to bring secure, compartmentalised collaboration anywherefrom the war room to the tactical edge. Analysis and distribution of data in real-time Developed in Australia for the Australian Defence Force, NDC Edge delivers a sovereign capability, built on Microsoft Azure Stack technology, that is designed to be compatible with Five Eyes nations, as well as humanitarian aid and civilian applications. The theatre level NDC Edge enables the analysis and distribution of data in real-time, accelerating the decision-making cycle to gain and maintain operational tempo. NDC Edge takes this capability from the Strategic Headquarters level to the Tactical Edge, to the dismounted warfighter and the edge of the battlespace. This secure tactical Warfighting Cloud that gives deployed forces access to the right information at the right time is crucial to enable rapid and informed decisions. Supporting the Australian Defence Industry Lai added: As an Australian company we are proud to deliver innovative, sovereign technology solutions to support the Australian Defence Industry. We look forward working with Thales to provide solutions to tackle the global Defence Industrys unique information security challenges with highly secure information access and sharing to support Defence agency and supply chain collaboration worldwide. Modular and sovereign solution NDC Edge incorporates some of the best civil and commercial technologies available to provide a complete, modular, sovereign solution that enables forces to operate autonomously in the theatre of operations. It offers a wide array of possible configurations, from very high-capacity and easily scalable infrastructure to all-in-one containerised systems that can establish a headquarters as a cloud node rapidly, and link it to deployed forces quickly and securely. This capability enables deployed forces to securely share critical information across domains, multinational coalitions and other agencies to allow a shared common operating picture. Canberra, June 1 : Australia's former Attorney-General (AG) Christian Porter has dropped his defamation case against national broadcaster the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). The ABC reported on Monday afternoon that Porter decided to discontinue legal proceedings against the broadcaster and reporter Louise Milligan. Porter, now the Minister for Industry, Science and Technology, launched a defamation case against the ABC and Milligan after the broadcaster published allegations that a government minister had been accused of raping a woman in the 1980s, Xinhua news agency. The article did not name Porter but he later identified himself as the minister in question and strenuously denied the allegations. Speaking outside court on Monday, Porter said his decision to sue the broadcaster had led to "a humiliating back down". "They regret the outcome of that article," he said. "That is a humiliating back down for the ABC no matter what way they want to spin it." Following mediation between the two parties, the ABC agreed to add a note to the end of the article saying it "regretted" that some readers "misinterpreted" it "as an accusation of guilt against Porter". "All parties have agreed to not pursue the matter any further. No damages will be paid," said ABC. "The ABC has not said that it regrets the article. As we have stated, the ABC stands by the importance of the article, which reported on matters of significant public interest," the broadcaster said in another statement following Porter's comments. Manila, June 1 : The Philippines government has extended the travel ban on all incoming arrivals from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) until June 15, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said. Roque said President Rodrigo Duterte late Monday night approved the extension of restrictions to prevent the spread of the highly infectious variants, reports Xinhua news agency. The government had earlier suspended the entry of travellers from the seven countries until May 31. The Philippines initially imposed travel restrictions on India from April 29 in the wake of the country's devastating second wave of the pandemic. It widened the ban to include travellers from Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka from May 7. The Philippines also banned international arrivals from Oman and the UAE starting May 15 after overseas Filipino workers that flew in from these two countries tested positive for the coronavirus variants. The Philippines has reported a total of 1,230,301 Covid cases, with 20,966 deaths. Chennai, June 1 : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K.Stalin on Tuesday said that lockdown only solution to arrest the Covid spread across the state. "Enforcing lockdown is the only solution to break the chain of transmission and this had earlier yielded positive results in the state. However, the Covid-induced curbs have impacted a large section of the population and so the decision to further extend the lockdown rests in the hands of the citizens," said Stalin in his virtual address to the people of Tamil Nadu. The Chief Minister also appealed to the people of the state to adhere to the strict protocols imposed by the government. Stalin said that the complete lockdown has started yielding results and cited the examples of Chennai corporation and Coimbatore. He said: "Prior to the lockdown, Chennai clocked over 7,000 single-day Covid cases, but now it has dropped to 2,000, ever since the curb has been enforced." The Chief Minister addded that the cases in Coimbatore and other western regions of the state including Erode and Tiruppur districts, among others, have also dipped in the past two days. "People must cooperate with the government during the complete lockdown and the authorities have also made all the arrangements to provide groceries, vegetables, milk and other essential items at the doorsteps. Ration shops are also opened and we will be providing Covid life kits to the rice cardholders in the state." Stalin said that beds are lying vacant in the state at present because of the quick steps being taken by the government. He claimed," Nearly three lakh people are getting vaccinated per day in the state which is the highest rate in the country. We are also conducting 1.75 lakh tests everyday." The Chief Minister said that his visit to the Covid ward in Coimbatore's ESI hospital was welcomed as well as criticised by a few section of people. "My visit to the hospital wearing a PPE kit was commended by a large number of people even as a section chided me and said that I should protect myself against this infection." "We have to put a full stop to this infection and have to implement several schemes for the people of Tamil Nadu after the end of this pandemic," he added. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Chennai, June 1 : The worker's union at the Franco-Japanese car manufacturing joint venture Renault Nissan Automotive India Private Ltd have rejected a financial compensation offer made by the company to the family of the workers who succumb to Covid-19. The Executive Committee of Renault Nissan India Thozhilalar Sangam (RNITS) held on Monday decided that the company management's officer of six months salary of the worker's last drawn pay to the family of the worker's who die of Covid-19 is unacceptable. The company also offered a job to the family member of the deceased worker and increase the Covid-19 treatment cost of a worker by Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2 lakh. The RNITS has demanded the company to increase the financial assistance to Rs.50 lakh to the family of the worker's who die of Covid-19. A couple of Indian companies like Jindal Stainless Ltd and TTK Prestige Ltd have announced a good compassionate assistance programme for the family members of workers who die of Covid-19. Stainless steel major Jindal Stainless has announced that the families of the deceased employees will be entitled to the last drawn basic salary for four years from the date of demise or till notional retirement, whichever is earlier. "The policy will also extend existing medical insurance to the immediate family for next five years. Education for two children of the deceased employee, up to graduation level, will be taken care of by the company," Jindal Stainless had said. That apart, one-time relocation expenses of the dependents will also be supported by the organisation. According to the company, the assistance under this policy will be over and above the other prevalent social security and welfare benefits scheduled for dependents. "These measures will be applicable for Jindal Stainless (Hisar) Ltd and the subsidiaries of the two companies," a group official told IANS. Kitchen appliances major TTK Prestige Ltd, part of the Rs 30 billion TTK group, announced that it would pay an ex-gratia to the next of kin of the deceased due to Covid-19, a sum equivalent to 100 per cent of the monthly take-home salary for a period of a year. "In the second year, the amount will be equivalent to 50 per cent of the monthly take-home salary. Medical insurance coverage will be extended to the existing nominated family members for a period of two years from the date of death," the company said. TTK Prestige will also aim to provide employment to one family member, subject to employment readiness, skillset of the candidate and business requirements. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Lucknow, June 1 : The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has alleged that the basic education minister Satish Dwiwedi is involved in alleged misappropriation of funds amounting to Rs 9 crore. The money was 'spent' in purchasing food and other items for Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV) residential schools even as the schools were shut in the panedmic. AAP MP Sanjay Singh attacked the minister, who was also involved in another controversy over his brother's appointment as assistant professor in Siddhartha Nagar University, and demanded a probe into the scam. Singh has also accused Dwiwedi of having purchased property for much less than its market value after he was elected MLA in 2017. "Between February 11 and March 31, Kasturba Gandhi Balika Residential Schools for girls from SC/ST backgrounds were closed due to novel coronavirus pandemic. Despite that, money was reportedly spent on purchasing food, fruits, milk, soap, oil, and stationery. A sum of Rs 9 crore was spent on food when the schools were closed," Singh said. He said that this included Rs 84 lakh withdrawn in Bareilly, Rs 74 lakh in Bijnore, Rs 68 lakh in Deoria, Rs 31 lakh in Fatehpur, Rs 18 lakh in Ghaziabad, Rs 96 lakh in Gonda, Rs 23 lakh in Mau, Rs 26 lakh in Meerut, Rs 39 lakh in Moradabad, Rs 76 lakh in Pratapgarh and Rs 38 lakh in Varanasi. "In 2020, a rule was made that photograph of students and their classes would have to be uploaded on the Prerna portal for funds to be released. In Sonbhadra, where funds were taken out for the school, the minister in charge is the basic education minister himself," Singh said. He further said that he would lodge a formal complaint against the minister with the Lokayukta. Beijing, June 1 : A human infection with the H10N3 strain of avian influenza has been found in China's Jiangsu province, the National Health Commission (NHC) said on Tuesday. The patient, a 41-year-old man in Zhenjiang city, developed fever and other symptoms on April 23 and was hospitalised on April 28, Xinhua news agency quoted the NHC as saying. He is now in stable condition and has broadly met the standards for discharge, the Commission noted. All close contacts of the patient in Jiangsu have been placed under medical observation and emergency monitoring has been initiated, said the NHC, adding that nothing abnormal has been detected. The Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention carried out whole-genome sequencing of the specimen on May 28 and the result was positive for the H10N3 virus. The whole-genome analysis shows that the avian-origin virus is not effectively infectious to humans, according to experts, who believe it poses a "very low" risk of large-scale outbreak. Geneva, June 1 : The Covid-19 pandemic has proved that the world needs a pandemic treaty to strengthen both the World Health Organization (WHO) and global health security, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Tuesday. "This is an idea whose time has come," said Ghebreyesus, in his closing remarks at the WHO's 74th World Health Assembly (WHA), which took placee online from May 24 to Tuesday. Ghebreyesus said that the defining characteristic of the pandemic is the lack of sharing: of data, information, pathogens, technologies and resources. "A treaty would foster improved sharing, trust and accountability, and provide the solid foundation on which to build other mechanisms for global health security. "Pandemics are a threat to all of us. So we must work together to build a healthier, safer, fairer future -- for all of us," he said. At the 2021 WHA, which had the theme "Ending this pandemic, preventing the next one", Ghebreyesus also called for a stronger and better-financed WHO. "At present, pathogens have greater power than WHO. They are emerging more frequently in a planet out of balance. They exploit our interconnectedness and expose our inequities and divisions" he noted. "The safety of the world's people cannot rely solely on the goodwill of governments," Ghebreyesus said, adding the need for more resources and authority along with an international treaty to connect countries that would strengthen the world's health security. Ghebreyesus noted that the continuing decline in global Covid cases and deaths is very encouraging, "but it would be a monumental error for any country to think the danger has passed". The world still faces "the same vulnerabilities that allowed a small outbreak to become a global pandemic", he said. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Chennai, June 1 : Salary support, group insurance for Covid-19, credit period for vehicles in stock are some of the support packages Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV) offer for its dealers. According to DICV, the support package focussed on financial and medical for the dealer's workforce are for the business sustainability of its dealers. The new support package increases the assistance offered to dealerships to include Rs.2 lakh Covid-19 Group insurance, 20 days credit for in-stock vehicles, fast-tracking of pending claims, and complete salary support. The company is also extending aid to frontline employees with Rs.1 lakh Covid-19 medical insurance, free vaccinations, and gift coupons for technicians. "DICV is committed to looking after the BharatBenz community; We take care of our customers, partners and employees with practical, effective support. This package has been specifically created for our dealer partners to address the two most critical needs of the hour - financial and medical assistance," Rajaram Krishnamurthy, Vice President Marketing, Sales, and Customer Services said. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Mumbai, June 1 : Kotak Mahindra Bank (KMBL) on Tuesday announced that its customers can now instantly update their correspondence address with the bank on net banking through DigiLocker. KMBL has completed an integration of its net banking platform with DigiLocker. With many customers having relocated to their hometowns during the COVID-19 pandemic, this facility gives customers one more option through which they can easily change their correspondence address, instantly and completely online, said a company statement. Puneet Kapoor, President - Products, Alternate Channels and Customer Experience Delivery, Kotak Mahindra Bank said: "Our emphasis at Kotak is to see how we can better support our customers with digital-first initiatives that make banking simpler, safer and problem-free. The integration with DigiLocker is one more step in that direction, enabling Kotak customers to instantly update their correspondence address, completely online and with no paperwork required, resulting in peace of mind for our customers." DigiLocker is one of the flagship initiatives under the Government of India's Digital India programme aimed at providing paperless governance to citizens. New Delhi, June 1 : PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) and BSE, along with other members in the financial fraternity have come forward to generate and amplify resources for setting up of an oxygen plant which will be placed at New Delhi-based Tirath Ram Shah Charitable Hospital (TRSCH). A joint statement said that the initiative has been titled, "Mission Oxygen -- TRSCH Achieves Freedom-74". The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the PHDCCI and the TRSCH hospital would provide for support of oxygen only to patients in general ward and those who cannot afford healthcare on a no-cost basis. While grappling with the second wave of Covid-19, there was a substantial demand from TRSCH for medical oxygen, Vijay Bhushan, Chair, Capital and Commodity Market Committee at PHDCCI made an appeal to BSE, corporates and individuals to raise funds for the initiative with PHDCCI as the main facilitator. "I congratulate Vijay Bhushan and BSE for coming together for such a noble cause of setting up an oxygen plant at TRSCH, which will ensure continuous free supply of oxygen in the hospital and help save many lives in these crucial times of the pandemic," said Sanjay Aggarwal, President, PHDCCI. He added that the chamber has also undertaken the task of importing 10 oxygen plants, which shall be implanted, as donations, in various hospitals and nursing homes across India, added Aggarwal. Elaborating on the initiative, Vijay Bhushan, Chair, Capital and Commodity Market Committee, PHDCCI, said: "Freedom-74 signifies the aggregate contribution of Rs 74 lakh collected for Mission Oxygen-TRSCH for setting up of an oxygen plant. But more than this, we attained freedom in 1947 and 74 years later in 2021, TRSCH will achieve freedom from dependence on outside oxygen and will become 'Aatmanirbhar'." Ashishkumar Chauhan, Managing Director and CEO, BSE, said, "It gives us immense satisfaction to have been able to galvanise resources. BSE appeals to all its members to contribute to such causes so that we can provide help when necessary to our communities" BSE, Globe Capital Market Ltd, including other corporates and individuals have come forward for the common cause. A 662% uplift in orders over 2021s first half has primed the agritech company for future growth as it doubles down on the plant-based meat and cannabis industries. The companys business development pipeline is building with a number of sectors earmarked for expansion. ( ) has tabled $163,000 in sales orders during the current calendar year, representing a 662% increase within a 12-month window. This time last year, Roots reported $21,000 in sales orders in the first five months with the 2021 figure also marking a 100% increase on orders received during 2020s second half. ROO chalks the continued sales growth up to pilot trials it is conducting in Israel, a steady stream of repeat orders and new sales in international markets. Growth will continue Roots executive chairman and CEO Boaz Wachtel believes easing pandemic restrictions will pave the way for Roots future growth. Despite the challenging backdrop of COVID-19, Roots has managed to achieve strong sales growth across its customer base and as restrictions around international travel continue to ease, the company expects this trend to continue. Food security remains a major international issue and our RZTO technology has shown considerable advantages including shortening grow cycles, increase yield, energy savings and enhanced production security. To this end, we are very confident that growth will continue over the coming months. Multiple verticals At its core, Israeli-based Roots seeks to develop and commercialise solutions that combat modern problems in the agricultural space. Its flagship technology, the Root Zone Temperature Optimisation (RTZO), can protect the quality of agricultural crops by heating and cooling their roots with irrigation. In March, Roots secured an order from a Puerto Rican cannabis farm for the RTZO system, worth more than $50,000. Previous test work indicated the technology triggered upwards of a 20% increase in cannabis plant yields. More broadly, in recent years, Roots has tested the tech on protein-based plants, opening the door to the plant- and hemp-based meat industry, which is poised to reach US$14.7 billion in value by 2027. On the horizon Roots will execute a series of marketing initiatives in a bid to maintain its growth streak over the coming months. Specifically, the company has set its sights on hosting exhibitions at large conventions and pursuing partnership deals. In the meantime, it anticipates additional trials will translate to sales before the years end. Tehran, June 1 : Iran has produced more than 2.4 kg of nearly weapons grade uranium, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), putting it well outside the bounds of an international nuclear deal it is allegedly working to salvage. The move to enrich uranium to a purity level of nearly 60 per cent has happened since April, said IAEA chief Rafael Grossi, who has for weeks been signalling that he is worried about the direction of Iran's nuclear programme, dpa news agency reported. The news could complicate talks about Iran's nuclear path. The country signed the landmark 2015 nuclear deal with the US and other countries limiting its nuclear stockpiles in exchange for lifting sanctions. However, after former US president Donald Trump pulled out of the deal 2018, Iran began ignoring various aspects of the agreement as well. Although talks are ongoing to restore a version of the deal with the new US administration, Iran continues to be seen as seeking ways to stymie oversight of its nuclear programme. IAEA inspectors have seen their access limited while enrichment programmes have gone apace. According to the 2015 deal, Iran is only allowed to enrich uranium to a level of 4 per cent, which is what is needed to fuel atomic reactors. Nuclear weapons require uranium enriched to a level of 90 per cent. However, once uranium has been taken to 60 per cent, it is possible to enrich it to the higher level very quickly. "Sixty per cent is almost weapons grade," Grossi told the Financial Times on Monday. Tehran argues it needs the more highly enriched uranium for medical purposes. According to the IAEA, Iran possesses about 3,200 kg of uranium enriched to various levels, about 16 times more than allowed by the 2015 deal. The report also categorized the restrictions IAEA inspectors face, from limitations in inspections to being banned from observing the construction of centrifuges. In a separate report, Grossi also said on Monday that he is "deeply concerned that nuclear material has been present at the three undeclared locations in Iran and that the current locations of this nuclear material are not known by the agency". Rome, June 1 : A five-year-old boy, who is the sole survivor of last week's Italian cable car accident, is set to leave the intensive care unit on Tuesday, according to hospital officialsn. The hospital on Monday said the boy's injuries, primarily to his chest and abdomen, were healing and he continues to be accompanied by his aunt while under medical care, reports dpa news agency. Fourteen people died on May 23 when a gondola on a cable car line crashed to the ground while ascending from Stresa, Italy, to Mount Mottarone. The victims included the boy's parents and his sibling. The cause of the accident remains unclear, though prosecutors have alleged that operators used a temporary fix to keep the system running when it should have been shut down for more thorough maintenance. According to initial findings, a clamp had been used to disable the emergency brake system, which had been malfunctioning. Investigators believe this could have been the cause of the disaster. A technician employed by the company in charge of the cable car line said in an interview that he had no idea clamps had been used on the gondolas. Enrico Perocchio, in an interview with the newspaper La Stampa published on Monday, said he was not aware of the operational workaround. "If I had known about it, I would not have supported this decision," said Perocchio, who served as the technical director of the line that connects the town of Stresa with the 1,500-metre-high Mount Mottarone, west of Lake Maggiore. Perocchio told the newspaper it was a mistake to use the clamps to overcome a temporary problem. He said the emergency brake issues could have been fixed with the suspension of operations for just a day or two. Clamps were suppose to only be used for maintenance purposes, but never during regular operations, according to Leitner, a company contracted for the maintenance of the cable car line. Three men including Perocchio, were detained after the accident, but the magistrate in Verbania ordered two of them to be released, with Perocchio one of them. A third is under house arrest, according to reports. The evidence so far indicates that a cable broke shortly before the gondola arrived at the mountain station. It is not known what caused the cable to snap, but the emergency brake should have been automatically activated to prevent such a tragedy. Dhaka, June 1 : Bangladesh police on Tuesday announced the arrest of a suspected wildlife poacher believed to have killed at least 70 endangered tigers in more than two decades. The suspect, Habib Talukder, 50, was sent to jail pending trial after he was arrested on May 29 at his home adjacent to the Sundarbans mangrove forest, local police chief Saidur Rahman told dpa news agency. Wanted in a number of cases filed under the wildlife conservation law, Talukder, who was locally known as 'Tiger Habib' for his hunting skills, had been on the run for a long time, Rahman said. He might have links with gangs operating in the Sundarbans, spanning between Bangladesh and India, for poaching wild animals and profiting from selling their pelts, bones, teeth and raw meat on the black market, the officer said. Talukder began his career as a wild honey collector in the mangrove forest, and eventually become a wildlife hunter in course of time, forest official Joynal Abadin said. The man, who frequently ventured into the forest despite a ban on him, is formally charged for the hunting of three tigers and five deer, the official said. But, Talukder told locals that he had hunted as many as 70 big cats since he had first killed a tiger in his mid 20s, Abadin said. "We could not verify his claim yet," he said. Bangladesh's Forest Department study in 2019 found a total of 114 Bengal tigers in its part of Sundarbans, a Unesco heritage site. But their population registered a record low of 106 in 2015 from 440 in 2004, according to previous surveys. Chandigarh, June 1 : As Punjab-born German writer and four-times Poet-Laureate, Rajvinder Singh, saw painful images of Covid-19 patients dying due to lack of oxygen or hospital beds in India, he instantly looked for ways to help. He got in touch with a Sikh shrine in Ghaziabad's Indirapuram that had started the "oxygen langar" for the needy people to save their lives and also with Delhi-based Shaheed Bhagat Singh Sewa Dal of Jatinder Singh Shunty of giving free of cost cremations or ambulance service. Singh told IANS over phone from Berlin on Tuesday that he immediately transferred whatever he had on his personal account to support the "oxygen langar". "Only afterwards I spoke to members of the Punjabi Association, Berlin of which I am President, many helped generously." He has single-handedly brought on board many Germans, particularly his Rotarians and Lions friends, to support these two initiatives -- one of the 'oxygen langar' and another by Shunty. "All of them have been to India with me to further Indo-German Rotarian and Lions Dialogue which I have started a decade ago." Taking a clue from Guru Nanak's philosophy of dialogue, Singh, who was twice invited by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier when he was the Foreign Minister during 2005-09 and 2013-17 to join him on his official visits to India and he did accompany him, has put the socio-cultural exchange as central and indeed foundational to the larger cultural and socio-political understanding amongst various nations and political entities. "The Sikh social worldview teaches us to go beyond our personal 'self-ness' and care about the 'other-ness' as well," the poet and dubbing actor told IANS in an interview. "I am carrying the Sikh tenet of human contiguity of always praying for 'Sarbat da Bhala' (benevolence for all humanity) with me like I carry my physical features of being Indian," said Singh, whose writings are known to contain delightfully philosophical and intellectually motivating ideas. To promote an Indo-German dialogue amongst the youth, Rajvinder Singh had created Indo-German School Partnerships back in 2005 which are flourishing day by day and has brought them to India many times. Later, as the volume grew bigger, they were brought under the auspices of German Foreign Ministry to ensure continuity and are attached now to the Max-Mueller Bhavan. "When these students heard of my initiative to help people in distress in India, they immediately decided to be part of this initiative and are actively on board now, and have spoken to their guest families they had stayed in Ghaziabad." Singh, who regularly gives creative writing workshops on Indo-German themes at schools, is glad to see the fruits of his inculcating these young students of feeling the pain of India living 8,000 km away. When asked about the practice of cremating other peoples' bodies, Singh, with close connection to his land of birth, said: "I support Shunty's benevolent act of offering a soothing balm to those who have lost their dear ones. He is upholding the principle that even in their passing, the humans are beings whose dignity ought to be respected and maintained." Feeling the pain of the pandemic, Charlotte Ueberholz, a 12th class student who came to India with Singh, said: "After the great time we experienced in India in 2019 with Mr Singh, it is terrible to see how people are faring there in the pandemic. "We must draw our attention to the fact that in other countries people are in desperate need of vital help. Together we can change something." Added Luise Alius, a student of the 12th class who came to India when she was in her 10th class: "I'm 17, and I have been in active contact with India for two years now. "My stay in India was one of the most beautiful experiences of my life. I not only got to know Indian culture but made friends for life. To see wonderful people of India suffer in this pandemic is terrible for me. Ignorance should not be a reason not to act and show solidarity." (Vishal Gulati can be reached at vishal.g@ians.in) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text June 01 : Actor Ali Fazal shared a selfie on his Twitter handle today, to which, her girlfriend Richa Chadha reacted in a hilarious way, teasing him about his look and pout. Ali tweeted a selfie on his Twitter account, where he can be seen in a black T-shirt and sunglasses with a lush green lawn in the background. Along with the post, Ali wrote, Ali Fazal spotted in a white Tshirt printed I am from New Delhi though reports suggest he is from illhabd and Nakhlau. He is wearing: in the ears -baby cotton. Eyes: chasma cool wala. Face: some hair spotted in dejine. Hand: Stopwatch. Background credits: Allotted Nature. Ali Fazal spotted in a white Tshirt printed I am from New Delhi though reports suggest he is from illhabd and Nakhlau. He is wearing :in the ears -baby cotton.Eyes : chasma cool wala . Face : some hair spotted in dejine. Hand : Stopwatch. Background credits : Allotted Nature. pic.twitter.com/HMtUM2qMWg Ali Fazal M / / (@alifazal9) June 1, 2021 Richa retweeted Alis post and wrote, Friendly pout/millenium model face is from where saar? Litchi le te aana ... thanks. Friendly pout/millenium model face is from where saar? Litchi le te aana ... thanks https://t.co/rz0MZ9q9s2 TheRichaChadha (@RichaChadha) June 1, 2021 Richa and Ali are in a relationship for several years now. They were all set to get married in April 2020 but the wedding was postponed owning to the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown. Amidst the second wave of the pandemic, Richa has started a community-based initiative called 'The KINDry'. It aims to celebrate ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Richa started the new social media initiative on Instagram after she was inspired by the news of a thief returning medicines he had stolen with a note that read, "Sorry I didn't know these are Corona medicines." Meanwhile, on the work front, Richa and Ali has worked together in two films--Fukrey and its sequel Fukrey Returns. Richa and Ali will reunite for the third instalment of the franchise as well. Richa was last seen in the film, Madam Chief Minister, and had also announced her production venture Girls Will Be Girls, along with Ali Fazal. The actress will also star in Tigmanshu Dhulia's upcoming series, Six Suspects opposite Scam 1992 fame actor Pratik Gandhi. On the other hand, Ali Fazal, who made a deep impact in Hollywood, will be seen next in Kenneth Branagh's Death On The Nile based on Agatha Christies novel. He started out in the west by playing a cameo in the blockbuster franchise Fast and the Furious 7. He was seen in the titular role in Victoria and Abdul opposite Judi Dench. Mumbai, June 1 : In a shocking incident, a young woman and mother of three daughters, was pushed off a running train and killed while grappling with a mobile thief, officials said here on Tuesday. The incident happened on Saturday evening around 7.45 pm near the Kalwa suburban station on the Central Railway when the deceased, Vidya D. Patil 35, was returning home from her office in Andheri. According to her brother-in-law Kamalakar Patil, it was her fourth day at work after she was on maternity leave for six months and delivered a baby girl. According to Thane Government Railway Police (GRP) officials, Patil had boarded the train from Kurla for her home in Dombivali west, where she lived in Chinchodyacha Pada locality. Just as the train started leaving Kalwa station, a robber jumped inside the ladies' compartment, grabbed her mobile phone and rushed to the door to jump out on the platform. Not willing to give up, she lunged after him and caught his collar, but he pushed her while escaping, and she fell in the gap between the train and the platform and was run over. The entire incident lasted barely 10 seconds, giving no time to two other stunned women commuters inside the compartment to react or help her. Patil is survived by her husband Dnyaneshwar, who is an electrical contractor, three daughters - Purva, 9, Megha, 6 and Pari who is only 6 months old - besides an aged mother-in-law Indubai Patil, a grieving Kamlakar Patil told IANS. Moving swiftly, the GRP scanned CCTV footage and managed to nab the thief, identified as a history-sheeter Faisal Jameel Sheikh, 31, from his hideout in the nearby Mumbra town. Having several past cases of thefts or robbery against him, Sheikh was produced before a court which has been remanded to police custody till June 4. The GRP have lodged offences of theft, culpable homicide not amounting to murder and other sections of the Indian Railways Act against the arrested-accused and probing further. Seething with rage, the Patils have sought to know why there was no security on board the train given the late evening hour when barely a handful of women commuters travel in suburban trains. "Moreover, when the trains are allowed for only people in essential services, how did the thief manage to gain entry to the station premises, complete the nefarious deed and managed to escape. Is there a nexus," asked Kamlakar Patil. The family has demanded the most stringent punishment for the accused to serve as an example to others. The distraught Patil family and their clan have organized her post-funeral rituals on June 8 and 11, but have appealed to all not to visit them for condolences in view of the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions. Meanwhile, several railway association members and activists have demanded adequate compensation for the Patils from the Indian Railways since the incident happened on the railway premises due to its own lapses, and there were demands on social media to provide for the future of the three minor daughters of Vidya Patil. Islamabad, June 1 : Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday strongly condemned the two separate terror attacks that left four soldiers dead in Balochistan provinc. In a tweet, Khan sent his condolences to the bereaved families, saying the country will continue its fight against the terrorists and will not allow them to sabotage peace and development in Balochistan, reports Xinhua news agency. In a statement early Tuesday morning, the military's media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said the terrorists carried out two separate attacks including one in the provincial capital of Quetta in which the militants attacked a check post of the paramilitary troops Frontier Corps. During the exchange of fire, four to five terrorists were killed while seven to eight others injured. The military lost four soldiers and six others sustained injuries, the ISPR said. In the second incident, the terrorists targeted a vehicle of the Frontier Corps with an improvised explosive device (IED) at Turbat, injuring two soldiers. "Such coward acts by inimical elements backed by anti-state forces and hostile intelligence agencies cannot sabotage the hard-earned peace and prosperity in Balochistan. "Security forces are determined to neutralise their nefarious designs even at the cost of blood and lives," the ISPR statement added. Hyderabad, June 1 : Former Chief Secretary of combined Andhra Pradesh, S.V.Prasad succumbed to coronavirus at a private hospital here on Tuesday. The 1975 batch IAS officer was admitted to hospital two days ago along with his wife. Prasad was appointed the Chief Secretary in 2010 when K. Rosaiah was the Chief Minister. He served on the post for two years. Popular as a suave and soft-spoken person in bureaucratic circles, he served as the PrincipalSsecretary during the tenure of several Chief Ministers including N. Janardhan Reddy, Kotla Vijayabhaskar Reddy, N. Chandrababu Naidu and Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy. Prasad, who began his career as Sub-Collector of Nellore district, later served as Collector of Kadapa and Visakhapatnam districts. During his 36-year-long career, he headed key departments. Known as a non-controversial officer, he also served as the Vigilance Commissioner. Chief Justice of India Justice N. V. Ramna, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and his Telangana counterpart K. Chandrasekhar Rao condoled the death of the former bureaucrat. They conveyed their condolences to members of the bereaved family. Telugu Desam Party (TDP) national president and former Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu expressed deep shock and grief over the death of Prasad. He recalled that as a senior bureaucrat, Prasad always stood in the front to lead all others in making the official programmes a grand success. In a statement, Naidu said that the loss of Prasad would leave an irreparable void. He said Prasad rendered exemplary services as the Chief Secretary of Andhra Pradesh and as the Vigilance Commissioner. He had also played a key role in strengthening of the institutions in his capacity as the chairman of AP Genco as the vice-chairman of the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC). Telugu superstar and former Union Minister K. Chrainjeevi also expressed his shock over Prasad's death. Mumbai, June 1 : Actress Shilpa Shetty Kundra took to Instagram on Tuesday to share a motivational post for fans, urging them not to lose hope amidst the tough times of pandemic. The actress posted a picture of herself doing a yoga asana, which said: "What you think, you become. What you feel, you attract. What you imagine, you create -- Buddha" "We have a lot of unsettling things happening all around us. All of these can have a very adverse effect on our thought process. That's when it's most important to keep a check on your thoughts and emotions. You can manifest a world of change and positivity simply through your thoughts. So, no matter how testing the situation may be, always remember... this too shall pass. Keep your spirits high, chin up, breathe deeply, and stay mentally & emotionally positive!" she added. The actress has been doing her bit in keeping her fans motivated and healthy through her posts on Instagram. She often posts pictures of yoga asanas too, explaining their significance. Meanwhile, the actress' family recovered from Covid 19 recently and she resumed her position as a judge on the reality show "Super Dancer: Chapter 4". She is also set to return to the big screen for the first time in 17 years with the films "Nikamma" and "Hungama 2". -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text New Delhi, June 1 : Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' was admitted to AIIMS on Tuesday for post Covid complications. His condition is stable, aides said. The 61-year-old minister was rushed to the hospital following complains of low level of oxygen. Nishank had tested positive for the virus in April this year. AIIMS sources said there was nothing serious and treatment has started. This development comes ahead of a scheduled meeting for CBSE Board exams for Class 12. Editor's Note: To celebrate the 100th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of China, we are launching the "100 CPC Stories in 100 Days" series, featuring foreigners who witnessed and participated in the CPC's history and helped the world better understand the CPC. The following is the 14th story of the series. "Dear Commander Nie, I feel really unwell today. Perhaps I have to bid farewell to you forever! I still have so much to say to our comrades. I'm afraid I'm not able to write any more. Thousands of heartfelt thanks to you and to all our dear comrades." On 11 November 1939, Dr. Bethune wrote his last letter to Nie Rongzhen, commander of the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei military area. In the early hours next morning, Norman Bethune, a great internationalist fighter, a member of the Communist Party of Canada, and a well-known thoracic surgeon, passed away at the age of 49. Though it was only less than two years since he had come to China, Dr. Bethune wrote in his last letter that the two years were the happiest and most meaningful days in his life. Dr. Bethune arrived in China with the support of the United China Relief, the Communist Party of Canada and the Communist Party of the United States of America in January 1938. In late March, after travelling long distances by ship, plane, train, mule wagon and truck and escaping air bombs many times, he finally reached Yan'an, the sacred place for China's revolution. Comrade Mao Zedong, leader of the Communist Party of China (CPC), met with him on the day after his arrival. It was the first time Dr. Bethune saw the person that the Western world called a legend. He was surprised by how plainly Mao Zedong was dressed: an ordinary black cotton-padded garment with patches on the sleeves and knees, and a pair of cotton-padded shoes of common Eighth Route Army soldiers. They had a long talk overnight about China and the world, about the frontline and the rear areas, and about military affairs and health. It was such a free talk that several hours slipped away quickly. When Dr. Bethune left Mao Zedong's cave dwelling in the Fenghuang Mountain after their conversation, it was already deep into the night. He wrote in his diary that he sat face-to-face with Mao Zedong in the unfurnished room, listening to what he was saying and observing his poised manner. He thought about the Long March, imagining how Mao Zedong and Zhu De led the Red Army on the great 25,000-li (about 7,767 miles) journey from southern China to the loess region in the northwest mountains. Their strategic experience over those years helped shape the guerrilla tactics against the Japanese army, which put the invaders' advanced weapons at a disadvantage and thus saved China. He went on marveling that then and there he understood why Mao Zedong impressed the people he met with, and that Mao Zedong was a giant, one of the greatest people in the world. During that meeting, Mao Zedong agreed to Dr. Bethune's request of going to the frontline to save more soldiers. In the following two months, Dr. Bethune travelled all the way through the Taihang Mountain, the Yellow River and the enemy's blockade to the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei military area. Commander Nie Rongzhen warmly welcomed Dr. Bethune and invited him to serve as a medical adviser of this military area. During his stay there, he made acquaintance with many people and got many things done. Health Minister Ye Qingshan, Vice Health Minister You Shenghua, President of the rear area hospital Lin Jinliang and many others worked with Dr. Bethune and witnessed that episode in his life. Dr. Bethune was also deeply impressed and moved by every interaction with them. In a letter to his friends, Dr. Bethune said that he had found comrades with true humanity. The Chinese communists had suffered from cruelty, yet they treated others with kindness. They had experienced pain, yet they smiled a lot. They had gone through countless ordeals, yet never lost their resilience, optimism and wisdom. In June 1938, President Lin Jinliang showed Dr. Bethune around the operating room in the rear area hospital. It was a classroom in a primary school. The surgical instruments there were nothing but several scissors, hemostats, scalpels, and amputation tools adapted from carpenter's saws. President Lin said those were all they got. Such primitive and tough conditions were far beyond what Dr. Bethune had expected. He picked up the instruments one by one and contemplated. He couldn't help grasping President Lin's hands and said emotionally, "It's really extraordinary for you to work under such rough conditions. The CPC does not have sophisticated weapons, but has the revolutionary fighters with fortitude forged in the Long March. With them, we have everything." At the inauguration ceremony of the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Model Hospital which was built under his stewardship, he expressed appreciation to the Chinese communists for showing him the spirit of selfless devotion, cooperation and bravery, and for giving him such valuable takeaway. Dr. Bethune addressing the inauguration ceremony of the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Model Hospital Soon, Dr. Bethune put to use in the hospital his adept blood transfusion technology he learned on the battlefield in Spain. Back then, blood transfusion was unimaginable in a field hospital. One day, Minister Ye Qingshan rolled up his sleeves, becoming the first blood donor in the history of the Eighth Route Army's field surgery. In the next four months, Ye made another two blood donations. Dr. Bethune said with admiration that he'd been to many places in the world but never seen such a noble man. Later, the health authorities set up a field blood transfusion squad. That was a new approach to save the wounded. Dr. Bethune hailed this approach as a great pioneering move in the history of surgery. Given the poor mobility of the rear area hospital, Dr. Bethune believed that surgery service must be brought close to the frontline so as to save the wounded in an effective and timely manner. Based on his proposal, a field surgery team was established in this military area. Together with Dr. Bethune, Vice Minister of Health You Shenghua led the team to different sub-areas of the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei military area to save the wounded on the frontline. Within four months, they travelled 750 kilometers, performed over 300 operations, and set up 13 surgery rooms and dressing stations, treating and saving a large number of wounded soldiers. You Shenghua became more and more skilled as he worked as Dr. Bethune's assistant. Dr. Bethune described him as his favorite surgeon. Dr. Bethune performing an operation More than a year later, the foreigner Bethune already became the well-respected Dr. Bethune in the eyes of the soldiers and people in the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei border area. He looked different and might be quick-tempered, but he gave all his tender heart and patience to the wounded soldiers. Nobody had expected that this brave, selfless, brilliant and noble man would come to the end of his life that soon. In July 1939, due to the Japanese blockade, there was a severe shortage of medicine and medical instruments in the border area. Dr. Bethune decided to go back to Canada to raise money, medicine and medical instruments, and to tell the world about China's fight against Japanese invasion and expose the atrocities of the Japanese fascists. In October, just before Dr. Bethune's planned departure, the Japanese aggressors launched another large-scale "mopping-up" campaign. Dr. Bethune decided to stay. He told Nie Rongzhen that he couldn't leave the army when the battle was still going on and he would make the trip when the battle was over. Dr. Bethune led the medical team to the frontline in Motian Ridge, Luanyuan. They set up an operation room in a small temple in Sunjiazhuang Village close to the battlefield. One afternoon when he was doing an operation, Dr. Bethune's left middle finger was hurt and became partly inflamed and swollen. On 1 November, when he was treating a patient with neck erysipelas and cellulitis, his injured finger got infected with fatal bacteria, which spread quickly in his body and caused prolonged fever. Nevertheless, Dr. Bethune insisted on working on the frontline. Despite the excruciating pain, he completed 13 operations and wrote a lecture outline on malaria treatment. With repeated orders from Nie Rongzhen, Dr. Bethune finally agreed to return to the rear area hospital for treatment, but the infection had already developed into blood poisoning, turning his left arm black. It was incurable. On the early morning of 12 November 1939, Dr. Bethune passed away in Huangshikou Village, Tang County, Hebei Province. The soldiers and people in the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei border area deeply grieved over his passing. On 17 November, the Party, political and military authorities and local people in the border area held a solemn funeral for him. Memorial meeting for Dr. Bethune On 1 December, people from all walks of life in Yan'an held a memorial meeting for Dr. Bethune. Mao Zedong inscribed the elegiac words. On December 21, in the article entitled In Memory of Norman Bethune, Mao Zedong wrote: "Comrade Dr. Bethune and I met only once. Afterwards he wrote me many letters. But I was busy, and I wrote him only one letter and do not even know if he ever received it. I am deeply grieved over his death. Now we are all commemorating him, which shows how profoundly his spirit inspires everyone. We must all learn the spirit of absolute selflessness from him. With this spirit everyone can be very useful to the people. A man's ability may be great or small, but if he has this spirit, he is already noble-minded and pure, a man of moral integrity and above vulgar interests, a man who is of value to the people." Dr. Bethune meeting with Mao Zedong (oil painting) (OTCMKTS:NVAAF) ( ) (FRA:QM3) is on track to deliver an interim scoping study for the Korbel Main deposits at its Estelle Gold Project in Alaskas prolific Tintina Gold Province in July. CEO and executive director Christopher Gerteisen said the companys year-round operations meant it had been drilling since the beginning of 2020. He said: Over the course of last year, we drilled 64 diamond holes and in April we released a 4.7-million-ounce resource. That resource will be a key component to the upcoming interim scoping study, but it represents just one small part of Korbel because the deposit remains wide open and will continue to grow as we push forward. The company is not wasting any time and expects to release the interim scoping study to the market potentially as early as July and proceed to PFS soon after to maintain their aggressive timeline. Economical milling opportunity Gerteisen said the scoping study was really just a snap-shot in time and the primary objective was mainly to prove the conceptual flowsheet, which was developed from metallurgical test-work that started last year. He said: We looked at all kinds of options - heap leach, CIP, CIL and this flowsheet will be a key input to the interim scoping study. Weve always compared ourselves to our peers here in the Tintina Gold Province - s (NYSE:KGC) ( ) (FRA:KIN2) Fort Knox Gold Mine and s (TSE:VGCX) (OTCMKTS:VITFF) (FRA:VI9A) Dublin Gold Project on the Yukon side, which are very large, bulk mineable, heap leach style operations. So, we always envisioned ourselves as a bulk mineable heap leach operation, however, our test-work has shown that, while we're still a bulk mineable operation, our path is leading towards a milling operation. The reason being that ore sorter technology has come a long way in recent years and utilized with great effect on many mines globally. Due to the style of mineralization at Korbel, the XRT laser technology is able to separate the material efficiently. Gerteisen said: With ore sorting our results are just exceptional, we're able to upgrade the material we put to the ore sorters up to 10 times. "The test material that we put into the ore sorters was half a gram per tonne, and on the other side it spit out material that was up to six grams per tonne - that's a significant upgrade. If we can upgrade things that much, the economics drive us towards a milling operation. The company is also looking at flotation and gravity after milling, then performing an intensive leach with recoveries of over 90%. The companys Estelle Project is in the Tintina Gold Province. Pathway to production Once the interim scoping study is complete, the company will move on to the pre-feasibility study (PFS) and is already planning the next stage of metallurgical test-work for later this year and has commenced baseline environmental studies. Gerteisen said: Our goal is to complete the PFS in 2022-2023, then we'll start in the feasibility in 2023-2024. We want to have a decision to mine by 2025 and then be digging up dig up the first dirt and first gold pour by 2025- 2026. Now, thats very ambitious, but everything starts with a plan and certainly at this rate, operating year-round, we're definitely on track to be able to achieve that. It's full-steam ahead for us. So, in 2025-2026 we're aiming to be in production whilst we continue to unlock the Estelle Gold District and add significantly to our resource inventory across our other prospects. Streamlined environmental permitting Gerteisen said one of the main reasons the company would be able to stick to this timeline was because it would complete an Environmental Assessment (EA) as opposed to an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). He said: This is because we are up in the mountains and will have very minimal wetlands impact, which is a main factor in deciding between an EA and an EISA. An EA environmental assessment is much more streamlined, less time consuming, less resources required than a full-blown EISA. The environmental permitting should not hold us back, with the long-lead-time baseline monitoring data collection starting now. Also, we are on state land, we don't have any federal mining claims and no native corporation land, which really works in our favour for our production timeline. Korbel Main and satellite targets with update resource. Resource growth potential Notably, the company has almost doubled the resource at Kobel Main to 4.7 million ounces since it commenced drilling and this trend looks set to continue. Gerteisen said: From the maiden resource to the resource in October 2020 (so one year) we increased the resource by almost a million ounces. And in six months since then, we've increased the resource again by over a million ounces. So, in 18 months from the maiden resource, we've increased the resource by 2 million ounces from 2.5 to 4.7 million ounces. Now that is very rare, if not unique in the industry these days. At this rate, every six months, we seem to be increasing the resource by a million ounces. We hope that trend line continues. Ongoing drilling programs The company is drilling non-stop with up to 50,000 metres plan this year with four rigs on-site and plenty of upside in the Korbel Valley to the north, west and southeast. Gerteisen said the first rig would be infill drilling at Korbel main to get the inferred resources up to indicated level especially as the company gears up for the PFS. He said: The second rig will continue stepping out to the northwest of Korbel main towards the Isabella block - and if Korbel main is any indication where we had the original block A and Block B which eventually converged to comprise what we now call Korbel Main - there's a good chance that Isabella block to the north also converges with the Korbel Main deposit. If that's the case, then we will determine that with the step-out drilling this year to the northwest. To the southeast, the company is also undertaking step out drilling where it had some of its highest grades at the You Beauty anomaly and is confident the area could eventually be where the mine starter pit is located. In addition, the company will drill towards the You Beauty target which it believes has potential to be a blowout zone to the southwest of Korbel Main. Gerteisen said: Additionally throughout the Korbel Valley theres several other prospects that we will target with drilling this year, namely the Cathedral prospect. We released some rock chip samples at the end of last year that produced several ounces per tonne there and this prospect is a very strong anomaly. We feel it could be the core feeder to the greater Korbel Valley mineralised system, so we'll be drilling that this year. 15 targets in Tintina Gold Province And the prospects dont end in the Korbel Valley, which only represents around 2% of the companys 324 square kilometre block claim. There are a further 15 other known prospects at various stages of advancement which represent medium to long term upside for the company. Gerteisen said: We're really unlocking a district here, with a pipeline of prospects moving forward. The next cab off the rank is the RPM prospect which sits 20 miles along mineralised strike to the south of Korbel. I say mineralized strike because it's a mineralized intrusive corridor, and as you fly from Korbel to RPM it's just littered with prospects that are named as well as yet unnamed. Theres not much vegetation and when you look down, there are just these screaming colour anomalies everywhere. The company anticipates a team on the ground in July to begin mapping and sampling the Stoney Vein, T5, Shoeshine and Train prospects, to name a few, as well as identify additional prospects to add to the Estelle portfolio. RPM prospect location along strike from Korbel Main. RPM drilling underway At the RPM prospect, the company will follow up with drilling on an historical hole of 120 metres at over a gram plus new rock chip samples which it generated last year which returned 9-10 ounces per tonne. Gerteisen said: With that sampling program we also identified a new zone. Theres RPM proper and then there's also the RPM South prospect which sits a few hundred metres to the south. We feel that those two zones will connect at depth as we drill. The company expects to begin drilling 5,000-10,000 metres with the drill rig being mobilised in the coming weeks. Gerteisen said that, while he didnt want to speculate, he expected to release a maiden resource for RPM later this year and believes it will add significantly to the global resource inventory. He said: We feel from what we're seeing from the geological fundamentals out here, with a maiden resource at RPM, as well as what we have at Korbel, this adds some serious depth to the Estelle Gold Project, which is shaping up to be world-class. We'll have two resource areas, two deposits that we will be advancing as the year progresses. Gerteisen expects a major re-rate in the near term, particularly with the much-anticipated RPM drilling underway, the first results from Korbel and RPM, the interim scoping study release plus a maiden resource for RPM to be released along with a resource upgrade for Korbel later this year. Range of power options As well as being in an extremely mining-friendly jurisdiction in Alaska, the company also has a variety of access and power options which are always an important consideration with remote resource projects. Gerteisen said: We have many options here. There's a gas pipeline that will be going out to the Barrick Gold Corp ( ) ( ) (FRA:ABR) and s (NYSE:NG) ( ) (FRA:NGR) Donlin Creek mine (40 million ounces) to the west of us which is in the last stages of being approved. We could potentially tap into that. Once the pipeline is built, it will pass about five miles to the north of us, so there's potential there for natural gas to power us. Theres also a coal project, which is about 20 miles to the east of us which is also a very low-cost opportunity. Weve also looked into renewables, water, wind and solar - but thats not so favourable in terms of being able to generate the amount of continuous power we will require. In addition, there are several operators to the south of us in the Mount Spurr geothermal fields that are starting to really advance those projects. We've also looked at ammonia with hydrogen fuel cells and conventional diesel generators. Bottom line, there's lots of options for power that are very advanced and we'll see which one makes sense for the business and fits our timeline. West Susitna access road In terms of access, the company has an impressive 4,000-foot airstrip on-site which it plans to expand in short order to accommodate much larger planes. Gerteisen said: In the wintertime, we establish a snow road to access and support the site. This is how we bring in all of our heavy equipment, drill rigs, camp units, etc and while we feel that we can construct and operate the mine just using a snow road, which is common in this part of the world, we have also just recently completed phase two last year of the West Susitna access road - which will tie into Port Mackenzie near Anchorage. The year-round access road will tie into the port, the rail system, the Alaska Highway System, and then it'll come out about 100 miles with the terminus at the Estelle Gold Project. Gerteisen said: We are about to start phase three studies now this year before this gets submitted for an EIS next year. And it's not just us on this road, thats the beauty of it moving forward so quickly, there's a whole consortium of potential beneficiaries. There are several other resource projects out there, the Borough here is very interested in it for land sales, agricultural land, fire breaks and fire control, opening it up for recreation - there's big fishing and hunting here in Alaska -so the everyone is very keen to get this road done. The state is very supportive as it's part of the government's road to resources projects. Building this road also means a bridge from Anchorage over to port Mackenzie which has been proposed for a long time, would now make sense, as it opens up all that land for the urban sprawl and other economic activity. We're well on track to have this road come online within our production timeline. Strategic investments Together with the Estelle gold project, Nova has built up strategic investments for very little outlay that hold significant value for the company. Nova holds 74% interest in Canadian lithium explorer Snow Lake Resources Ltd currently going through regulatory filings in the USA for a New York listing. The demand for electric vehicles is soaring high, and in turn, is ratcheting up the demand for battery minerals. Nova has also acquired a 12.99% interest in an Australian gold explorer company Torian Resources Limited ( ). Bengaluru, June 3 (IANS) Cyclone Nisarga did not land in Karnataka and has passed its border with heavy rains and strong winds, said an official on Wednesday. Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, June 1 : Lightning accompanied by gusty winds is forecast on Tuesday over Delhi, East Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh. Wile in these five places it will be at 40 to 50 kmph, speed with slightly lower intensity between 30 and 40 kmph is also expected at isolated places over Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Maharashtra, Marathwada, Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam, North Interior Karnataka, Kerala and Mahe. Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit-Baltistan, Muzaffarabad, Himachal Pradesh, West Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Sikkim, Odisha, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Konkan, Goa, Telangana, Rayalaseema, Coastal and South Interior Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal will see lightning at isolated areas. Delhi's minimum temperature settled at 17.6 degrees Celsius while maximum temperature hovered around 35 degrees Celsius. It was forecast light rain, thundershowers accompanied with gusty winds with speed of 30-40 kmph. As per the Indian Meteorological Department's (IMD) latest forecast, thunderstorm with lightning, hail and gusty winds with speed reaching 40-50 kmph is also very likely at isolated places over Vidarbha in Maharashtra. The IMD also indicated that the "southwesterly winds have strengthened, resulting in likely enhancement in rainfall activity over Kerala". "Hence the monsoon onset over Kerala is likely to take place around June 3, 2021." "Due to strengthening of lower-level southwesterly winds, fairly widespread to widespread rainfall activity likely over Northeastern states during next five days. Isolated heavy to very rainfall very likely over Assam and Meghalaya during next two days and heavy rainfall over Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura during next two days." The Western Disturbance as a trough in mid and upper tropospheric westerlies with its axis at 5.8 km above mean sea level roughly along longitude 76 degree east to the north of latitude 28-degree north is also behind the changes, said the IMD. "Lower-level moisture incursion from north Arabian Sea to the plains of Northwest India taking place and is very likely to continue during next 2-3 days. Under its influence, no significant change in maximum temperatures very likely during next two days," the IMD said. Also, the weather department said, isolated to scattered rainfall and thunderstorm activity likely over Western Himalayan Region and adjoining plains of Northwest India during next two days. There is also prediction about the cyclonic circulation over east central Arabian Sea off Karnataka coast between 3.1 and 4.5 km above mean sea level. "It is likely to meander over the region during next three days." The IMD further said that southwesterly winds are also likely to strengthen during next two-three days and under the influence of these and other favourable meteorological conditions, scattered to fairly widespread rainfall and thunderstorm likely over Karnataka, Kerala and Mahe. "Isolated to scattered rainfall thunderstorm is also expected over remaining parts of south Peninsular India during next 4-5 days." New Delhi, June 1 : Taking exception to the composition of a group of ministers by the GST Council to decide on tax exemption for essential goods related to coronavirus, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Tuesday termed the non-inclusion of members of Congress-ruled states in the panel "against the spirit of cooperative federalism". "The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council has constituted an eight-member panel of ministers, which does not include any member from Congress-ruled states, for exemption from tax on essential goods related to Corona," he said, demanding ministers from Congress-ruled states, who are part of the GST Council, be included in the GoM constituted to discuss the GST rates on COVID relief material. "It is unfortunate not to include any members of Congress-ruled states and is against the spirit of cooperative federalism," Baghel said. For some days now, the Congress has been continuously demanding exemption of GST on vaccines, medicines and other devices to effectively combat the Covid pandemic at all levels. In the meeting of the GST Council also, the Congress-ruled states had proposed a relaxation of GST in this regard to 0.1 per cent rate instead of 5 per cent. An eight-member committee was constituted by the chairman of the GST Council to look into the matter when no consensus was achieved. Baghel claimed that not a single Congress-ruled state's minister has been made a member in the committee "deliberately" so that this demand is not considered. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Chennai, June 1 : Tamil Nadu's Director of Elementary Education said on Tuesday that students of Class 1 to 8 in all schools under the state board have been promoted for the academic year 2020-21. The office of the director of elementary education said that this is in accordance with the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009. The Director also said that officials of the School Education Department should inform all government, government-aided and private state board schools under their jurisdiction to promote all students of Class 1 to Class 8. The state of Tamil Nadu follows a no-detention policy for students up to Class 8. Moreover, section 16 of the RTE Act states that no child should be held back in any class or be expelled until completion of elementary school. As the state is under an intense lockdown, more details and information as to when the schools can be opened for distribution of free textbooks and other materials and resources for students will be announced at a later date, it said. In February, the Tamil Nadu government had declared "All-Pass" for students of Class 9 to 11. The board exams for Class 12 students have also been postponed and students are waiting for the exam dates. Mythili Karunakaran, a Physics teacher, working with the Tamil Nadu education department while speaking to IANS said," Literally speaking students from Class 1 to 11 are promoted in two tranches and we have to see when the exam dates for Class 12 are announced. We have to see to it that the exams are taking place and I expect that once the Covid cases fall, the government may take a decision. Of course, the government will take a decision only by consultations with health officials and other experts." New Delhi, June 1 : The Congress high command is mulling to appoint a new in-charge for Gujarat after the untimely demise of Rajeev Satav last month. Congress Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Satav (46), who was in-charge of Gujarat affairs, passed away on May 16, days after recovering from Covid-19. The state is vital for the Congress keeping in mind the crucial Assembly elections scheduled next year, especially after coming very close to wresting power from the ruling BJP in the last state polls held in 2017. In the last elections in 2017, present Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot was the in-charge for Gujarat, while old hands like B.K. Hariprasad and Mohan Prakash were also around. However, according to sources, this time Gehlot's former deputy Sachin Pilot could be the top choice of the party leadership to pacify him and give him a bigger responsibility. The move might give stability to the Congress in Gujarat by involving Pilot in the party affairs of the state. However, it's not clear whether Pilot is willing to accept the offer, as the party leadership has talked to him through an emissary. His close aides say the former Deputy CM of Rajasthan is not willing to leave his home state. In that case close, Gehlot's close aide and former AICC Secretary Sanjay Bapna could land the coveted assignment. There are talks of a massive reshuffle in the All India Congress Committee (AICC) and sources say many state PCC chiefs from the Northeastern states, West Bengal, Kerala, Gujarat, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh could be replaced, and state in-charges from election bound states like Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Uttarakhand may be sent back to their home states for poll preparations. However, it's not clear whether the 'dissenting' G-23 leaders, who had written a letter to interim Congress chief Sonia Gandhi about sweeping reforms in the party, will be adjusted in the party, though many from the group, including Manish Tewari and Ghulam Nabi Azad, have got assignments within the party. The Congress also has to decide about the Rajya Sabha seat that is vacant following the demise of Satav. It would be interesting to see if any of the G-23 leaders gets nominated for the post. The Congress also has to perform in the state elections ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, especially after the recent debacle in Assam, Kerala and West Bengal. Four states are scheduled to go the polls in 2022 - Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab and Gujarat. Barring in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, the Congress is in direct contest with the BJP in the other two states. And that is why, sources said, the party is looking for a good election strategist for Gujarat. Chennai, June 1 : Tamil Nadu Minister for Cooperation, I. Perisawami said that the state government has released water from Mullaperiyar reservoir for irrigation purposes in Theni, Dindigul farmlands. The water was released following an order from Chief Minister M.K. Stalin. The farmers of Theni district had requested Stalin for release of water from Mullaperiyar reservoir on June 1 so they could commence farming activities for the single crop. The minister had said that 200 cusecs of water would be released for irrigation and 100 cusecs for drinking purposes from Tuesday onwards. This is the first time after 2006 that water from the Mullaperiyar reservoir has been released. This year after considerable rain in the catchment areas, the water level at the Mullaperiyar reservoir reached 130.90 feet (permissible level 142 ft). Public Works Department officials said in 2006 when water was released from Mullaperiyar the water level was 124.4 ft and if water level touches 120 ft and above, the water has to be released for irrigation and drinking purposes. Theni PWD officials said that the water released from the reservoir would help irrigate 15,000 acres of farmland helping farmers in Theni, Dindigul and those with farmland along the Periyar mainland in Madurai district. Periswamy appealed to the farmers to make judicious use of the water released and reap maximum benefits. He also said that the government has already directed cooperative societies to provide loans to farmers without delay. Cumbum MLA N. Ramakrishnan, District Collector Krishnanunni were present with the minister along with PWD officials and Agriculture department officials. Lucknow, June 1 : With active Corona cases declining in Uttar Pradesh, the Corona curfew has been eased in three more districts - Lakhimpur Kheri, Jaunpur and Ghazipur. The number of active Covid cases in these three districts went below 600 on Monday and as a result, the movement restrictions here have been relaxed. In the past 24 hours, Uttar Pradesh has recorded a significant decline by a whopping 89.5 per cent in the number of active Covid cases and the number of containment zones have also been reduced to 15,400 now. According to a government spokesman, with the recovery of about 5,625 people in the last 24 hours, the number of active cases has come down to 32,578. The state has, so far, seen the recovery of more than 69 lakh people from the deadly virus. Not even a single district in the state has reported more than 100 fresh cases in the span of the last 24 hours. The Covid curfew restrictions will now remain in just 11 of the total 75 districts of the state. As a result of timely provision of free medical treatment, medicine kits and regular teleconsultation as per the directions issued by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the number of patients in home isolation in the state has also dropped to 18,388. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) New Delhi, June 1 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair a meeting on CBSE Class XII board exams on Tuesday evening, sources in the government told IANS. During the high-level meeting, the Prime Minister will hold a discussion on various issues related to the matter with the concerned officials from different states. The development came after Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' was admitted to AIIMS here for post-Covid complications. His condition is state to be stable. Pokhriyal who was scheduled to chair the important meeting. During Tuesday's meeting, Modi will be briefed on all the options being considered by the government before taking a frinal decision on holding the Class XII board exams amid the Covid pandemic. Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will also join Modi in the meeting. In a recent meeting on the matter, while most states had agreed to holding the exams at a later stage, some were against it. Demand was also raised for vaccinating the students before they appear for the exams. The CBSE had earlier suggested to the government that exams could be held between July 15 and August 26. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Gurugram, June 1 : Gurugram' education officer Indu Boken has appealed to the parents of the students of both government and private schools in the district to get themselves vaccinated at the earliest and wear protective gears while stepping out in public. Boken said if the parents are safe then only their children will be safe while staying at home. "Continuous efforts are being made both by the district administration and the state government to contain the Covid spread. To protect children from the deadly virus, advance summer vacation was declared by the government, which is an important decision by the education department in the interest of the children," she added. Boken said that due to the pandemic situation today, students are in their homes but their parents have to go out to earn their livelihood. "So, it is important that parents get their vaccination done as soon as possible and do not be careless about it. If parents are safe in the home, then only other family members and children will be safe from the deadliest virus," she said. The education officer further said that according to the experts there is also a possibility of a third Covid wave which can be a big threat to the children. "The most important way to avoid this danger is vaccination, by which parents can protect themselves as well as other members of their household from infections," she added. Cupertino : June 1 (IANS) Indian-American student Abinaya Dinesh, 15, has been chosen among the winners of annual 'WWDC21 Swift Student Challenge, Apple announced on Tuesday. She has created an app called Gastro at Home, which she plans to launch on the App Store this summer. Passionate about the intersection of medicine and technology, Dinesh has helped other young women learn the basics of programming and machine learning in her hometown of North Brunswick, New Jersey. "I went to a gastroenterologist and he diagnosed me with a pelvic floor disorder," said Dinesh, "but then told me nothing about how I was supposed to get better." The 'Gastro at Home' app offers people with gastrointestinal disorders a way to access information and resources, especially because those types of conditions can sometimes be sensitive to talk about. Apple has selected 350 Swift Student Challenge winners from 35 different countries and regions, as it opens all-virtual 'Worldwide Developers Conference 2021' from June 7-11. "This year, we are incredibly proud that more young women applied and won than ever before, and we are committed to doing everything we can to nurture this progress and reach true gender parity," said Susan Prescott, Apple's vice president of Worldwide Developer Relations and Enterprise and Education Marketing. "I think it's important that we keep pushing the boundaries of what's possible, because nobody is going to do it for us," Dinesh, who is among the three young women winners, said in a statement. Over the last year, Dinesh has also started her own nonprofit, Impact AI, to foster learning and ethical practices in artificial intelligence among young people. As part of it, she launched an eight-week high school programme called 'Girls in AI', to teach young women the basics of programming and machine learning. "I'm super big on teaching," said Dinesh. "Showing the next generation that this technology exists and can lead to huge advancements in medicine and society is so important". After she graduates high school, Dinesh has her sights set on either medical school or a degree in computer science so she can keep finding new ways to use technology to advance the medical field. Gianna Yan started creating apps when she was 13 and hopes to one day work at the intersection of social justice and technology. When the pandemic began, Yan's immunocompromised grandparents struggled to get essential supplies, like groceries, delivered to their home in Hawaii. Sisters Gianna and Shannon Yan built the Feed Fleet app to connect volunteers and at-risk individuals for free grocery delivery. Yan is also designing an app that will help students report incidents of sexual assault on school campuses, and another that assists with breast cancer self-examinations and detecting heart disease in women. Damilola Awofisayo started her own hackathon and now teaches other young women how to code through workshops and fellowships. The result is TecHacks, a nonprofit that describes its mission as "creating a supportive environment for girls everywhere to create, problem-solve, and showcase their talents alongside like-minded females to compete and work with." "We started TecHacks with the idea that we know what we like, we know what we don't like, and we know what can make it better for girls specifically," Awofisayo said Thiruvananthapuram, June 1 : Five police officials found guilty in connection with a custodial death in Kerala's Idukki in 2019, will be dismissed from service and legal proceedings will also be taken against them, as per recommendations of the Justice K. Narayana Kurup (retd) Commission, the Kerala Assembly was told on Tuesday. The action taken report placed in the Assembly stated that those who will be dismissed from service are Sub-Inspector Sabu, ASI Roy, driver Niyaz, and two civil police officers, Jithin and Regimon. The sixth accused was Home Guard James. The probe report also recommended punishment for three medical professionals. It was also decided to give a compensation of Rs 45 lakh to the family of the deceased. Rajkumar, 49, a small-time financial agent, died in custody on June 21, 2019 after allegedly being subjected to brutal third degree torture at the Nedumkandam police station in Idukki. According to reports, Rajkumar was rounded up on June 12 by a group of people who he owed money to, and handed over to the Nedumkandam police. Police however, recorded his arrest on June 16 and later shifted him to the state-run Peerumedu Taluk Hospital, where he died on June 21. Though the post-mortem mentioned pneumonia as the cause of death, the autopsy report revealed 22 injury marks on Rajkumar's body, most below the thighs, indicating that he was subjected to third degree torture while in custody. Following a huge opposition onslaught both inside and outside the Assembly, the state government, led by Pinarayi Vijayan, gave the nod for a judicial probe and seasoned judge Kurup began by exhuming the body to ascertain the actual cause of death and took statements from numerous people before he submitted his final report. The additional 358 hectares secures extensions of known mineralised gold-silver veins and recently discovered mineralised breccias located during systematic sampling. Recent sampling at the adjoining Fourth of July prospect returned very high-grade silver assays with gold credits. ( ) (FRA:PX0) has expanded its landholding at its Humboldt Range Gold-Silver Project in Nevada, US, following impressive recent drilling results. As reported recently by Proactive, PolarX received very high-grade silver assays accompanied by gold grades at Fourth of July claims, which verified and extended the high-grade historical rock chip samples from the southernmost veins at the claims. It has now expanded its landholding next to those claims, securing an additional 358.7 hectares covering extensions of known mineralised gold-silver veins and recently discovered mineralised breccias located during systematic sampling. Fourth of July potential PolarX has secured 45 new lode claims at Fourth of July, which is at the southern end of the Humboldt Range Project and is less than 15 kilometres from the Rochester Mine, which hosts 400 million ounces of silver and 3 million ounces of gold. This follows the bonanza silver assays received in late May and visible mineralised outcrop sitting outside of the existing claims. The new lode claims secure the mineralisation noted during transit to field areas, including gossanous breccias and old workings. Soil sampling and rock chip sampling has been undertaken on these new claims, with assays expected in the next 2-3 weeks. Progress thus far More than 50 assays were received from rock-chip samples collected by the company at the Jackson, Cottonwood, Black Warrior and Lucky Dog veins within the Fourth of July claims last week. All veins returned very high silver grades, several with bonanza grades well above 1,000 g/t, including 1,360.5 g/t, 1,110.9 g/t, >1,500 g/t, 1,374.4 g/t, 1,693.7 g/t, 1,099.2 g/t, 2,083.3 g/t, 1,070 g/t and 1,880 g/t. These results complement and extend historical sampling which showed similar silver results and gold grades up to 17.3 g/t. In addition to rock chip sampling of known veins, systematic soil sampling on a notional 200 x 50-metre grid has been completed over all the Fourth of July claims, with assays expected in 2-3 weeks. Systematic soil sampling, vein sampling and geological mapping of the more gold-dominant Black Canyon claims to the north is underway, where previous sampling returned peak vein samples of up to 3,384 g/t gold, 2,837 g/t silver, 22.9% lead and 3.1% zinc. The company expects to receive assays in June/July and to integrate all the exploration data to define preliminary drill targets in July-August, allowing drill permitting to commence in August for a potential fourth-quarter drilling campaign. PolarX technical staff will shortly relocate to Alaska to prepare for a core drilling program at the high-grade Caribou Dome Copper Project, which has a mineral resource estimate of 2.8 million tonnes at 3.1% copper, and this is expected to commence in August. - Daniel Paproth Panaji, June 1 : The judgement by a Goa court acquitting former Tehelka editor-in-chief Tarun Tejpal is "shocking" in its legal bias, as it questions the credibility of the victim who is "a good writer, conversant with rape law, independent" and has worked in the area of gender and compensation for rape victims, the Goa government has said in its amended appeal before the Bombay High Court. The appeal also said that the order deserves setting aside of the order of acquittal and directing a retrial, because it ignores "evidence of the neutral and expert witness and choosing to accept the belated and uncorroborated defence" by the respondents. The Goa government in its application also said that the judgement by Additional District and Sessions judge Kshama Joshi on May 21, acquitting Tejpal of rape and other sections, also stated that the judge had erred in suggesting that crucial CCTV footage of the crime scene was destroyed by the investigating officer, when it was submitted to the trial court. In its grounds for the appeal, the government has said that the judgement is "shocking in its apparent legal bias against the prosecutrix", especially when it makes suggestions that "it is unsafe to rely on her testimony as she is well educated, a good writer, proficient in English and above all conversant with the rape law, and was a capable, intelligent, independent person". "The trial court, unfortunately, deploys the prosecutrix's strengths and accomplishments to dispute her testimony. It appears that the victim's work in the field of gender and an article on compensation for rape survivors authored by the prosecutrix and such other accomplishments have, in the eyes of the trial court, impacted her credibility," the appeal said. Tejpal, who was accused of allegedly raping a junior colleague in Goa in 2013, was acquitted by Additional District and Sessions Judge Kshama Joshi last month. Following the acquittal, the Goa government fielded Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta as its lead counsel for an appeal in the Bombay High Court. In reaction to an observation made in the judgement that the investigating officer had destroyed key CCTV footage of the resort where the alleged rape occurred, the appeal said: "There is absolutely no technical basis for the trial court to make this definitive conclusion. The trial court grossly erred in holding that the investigating officer had destroyed the CCTV footage of the incident of the 1st floor Block 7 of the Grand Hyatt when there is no evidence to that effect." "This finding is not corroborated and the trial court has completely misdirected itself because of such erroneous presumption which has led to aspersions being cast on the investigation," the appeal said, adding that all original DVRs (digital video recorders) were deposited with the court. The appeal also objected to "scandalously and voyeuristically" reproduced graphic details of supposed sexual encounters in the judgement despite "clear and cogent" denials by the victim. Commenting on another point made in the judgement related to the normalcy of the victim, after the alleged sexual assaults, the appeal stated that the observations "betray a complete lack of understanding of post-trauma behaviour of victims" and demonstrate complete ignorance of the law as well as Supreme Court directives. "The trial court erred in losing sight of the fact that an international festival consisting of hundreds of delegates, celebrities and journalists was ongoing at the time of the two incidents. The prosecutrix was on duty, shadowing one of the most important guests at the festival," the appeal said. "Her behaviour was only natural as has been explained by her -- she was fearful, traumatised, shocked, exhausted with less sleep and despite what she had suffered she continued to perform the tasks and duties demanded of the role she was assigned and did not want to lose her job," it said, adding that the victim was extremely conscious of the public setting she was in and the role she was expected to play as an employee, and the number of important guests and dignitaries in attendance. "If the law laid down by the trial court is correct, looking 'traumatised' after such an incident is sine qua non and an educated girl who chooses not to create a scene is not a reliable witness," it added. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text According to reports, China recently warned the United States that it will face defeat if the two superpowers go to war. This warning is a testimony to what China thinks about its military might. The threat to the US has come from China in response to the joint military exercise carried out by the US, Japan, Australia, and France last week amidst tension in the East China Sea. Tension is also mounting in the South China Sea with the Philippines refusing to withdraw vessels from the disputed territory. China's Maritime Militia are very often a party in these disputes due to its bullying tactics along the maritime boundary with Philippines, Vietnam, and Japan. The People's Armed Forces Maritime Militia (PAFMM) of China owes its origin to the Communist Party's 1950 consolidation of people's militia groups comprising mainly fishermen and coastal workers of China. Its initial role was confined to keeping a close eye on People's Republic of China (PRC)'s coastal waters and reporting any suspected activities to the Chinese Army (PLA). These militia were recruited, trained, and equipped by the party's Bureau of Aquatic Products, which authorize former PLA officers [TS1] to train and direct the militias' operations. These militia groups operated very close to the maritime boundary till the 1960s. However, their activities started expanding in subsequent years. They started bullying South Vietnamese fishermen in Paracel and Spratly islands in the late 1960s. Their first major victory came in January 1974 when they seized South Vietnam's Paracel Islands. They engaged the South Vietnam Naval unit with 400 militia troops and captured the islands. This island remained with China ever since. The PAFMM have been leading the PRC's bullying in the East and South China Sea from the early 1980s. They threaten the Vietnamese and Filipino fishing ships, which are small, slow, and less robust. The militia threatens these fishing boats with small arms and attacks them with high pressure water cannons, very often sinking them. This is particularly true for Vietnamese fishing vehicles. The Chinese Coast Guards are often seen helping these militia groups in their nefarious activities. In fact, due to the early gains by this militia unit, China built 'fishing shelters' to protect their fishermen in the Spratly islands. Their activities increased further after the US Navy pulled out of the Philippines in 1994. With the help of the PLA, the PAFMM isolated all the neighbouring countries and captured Mischief Reef and Scarborough Shoal. This compelled the US to follow a proactive strategy and support the Philippines in the South China Sea. Despite all these activities by PAFMM, the Chinese government headed by Chairman Xi Jingping has never accepted any link between PAFMM and China's military. They claim that they are fishermen. This enables the PRC to deny any involvement of the Chinese government in these scuffles. The PAFMM do not regularly use firearms or other military weapons so their actions cannot be called an 'act of war' which might trigger retaliation. It may also compel Manila to seek US support under the US-Philippine Mutual Defence Treaty. That is why the US calls PRC's actions 'Grey Zone Operations', which means they are acts of aggression, but fall short of military actions that would risk triggering a military response. The PAFMM still continues with its activities in the East and South China Sea. For occupying an uninhabited island, the PAFMM does the initial seizure posing as fishermen. When other countries confront them with their Coast Guards or other law enforcement agencies, they find themselves confronting an armed militia, which is fully backed by China's Coast Guard or Navy. The situation can escalate into a full-fledged war if the other party insists on vacating the island. Such is the highhandedness of China that when an International Arbitration held the Chinese occupation illegal, it refused to abide by the judgment saying all nations should 'respect' international law. At the time of the real war PAFMM may shift to supporting roles like defensive mining. They did this during the PLA Navy exercise in 2014. They would act as one of the many eyes of the fleet, land militia troops in remote areas or covertly land troops before the actual war starts. A unit of the People's Armed Forces, PAFMM operates under direct military command for carrying out state-sponsored activities. Although they are locally supported but report to the head of China's military -- Commander-in-Chief Xi Jinping. The exact number of fishing vessels possessed by PAFMM is not known, but estimates put the figure at around 350, out of which 225 are deployed in the South China Sea. Their vessel hulls are made up of reinforced steel, which are very strong. On the other hand, most of the other fishing vessels in the South China Sea are made of wood or other light materials. The PAFMM vessels are faster, which puts them at an advantageous position in an encounter. They can 'bump' the enemy's vessel at will with little risk of damaging their own strong hull. Most of the fishermen from other countries are unarmed, but PAFMM vessels have small arms and, in some cases, Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPG) and machine guns. They are rarely used but are available on the vessels. The PAFMM vessels have water cannons mounted above the pilot house. They aim the spray at the other vessels' pilot house to blind the crew, but sometimes they aim it at the engine exhaust. Cold sea water hitting a hot engine tends to damage the engine, leaving the craft non-functional in the water. The PAFMM vessel can then do what it wants -- bump, ram or just leave. China places greater importance to claims on the South China Sea because of its strategic location. The political and strategic payoff is bigger in the South China Sea compared to the East China Sea and the risks and operational difficulties are less. The South China Sea is easier to dominate. The PAFMM base in Sanya is closer to the disputed territories in the South China Sea than the PAFMM base in Guangzhou to the Senkaku. They must pass through Taiwan to reach Senkaku. The PRC's military bases and airfields are closer to the disputed territory in the South China Sea than they are from the US bases in Japan. The East China Sea is not strategically located. The US and Chinese bases are equidistant from Senkaku. Also, Japan's Coast Guard is stronger than those of Vietnam and the Philippines, China's main target in the South China Sea. The PAFMM gets greater support in the South China Sea from the Chinese military establishments compared to the East China Sea. China wants to dominate the South China Sea because that would give Beijing strategic advantage against Taiwan and Japan, before risking a conflict over the Senkaku. Xi always goes for an easy target that he believes can be achieved with minimal risk and costs. Traditional thought in Chinese military believes in isolating the enemy and establishing an advantageous geo-political and military superiority before engaging in a war. Also, the best leader is the one who achieves 'victory' without fighting. China has secured much of the South China Sea and is using the PAFMM to expand its control without firing a shot. It has worked so far. However, doing that around the Senkaku may prove to be difficult and expensive. (Commissioned out of the NROTC unit at the University of South Carolina in 1974, Captain Schuster served in a variety of US and international posts both at sea and ashore before his retirement in 1999. He was a qualified Joint Staff Officer, Foreign Area Officer and Strategic Planner at retirement. The views expressed are personal). New Delhi, June 1: Over the last four days, Japan has rushed 800 ventilators and 500 oxygen concentrators to India, showcasing Tokyo and New Delhis special ties as Indo-Pacific partners. Japan handed over these ventilators and oxygen concentrators to India on May 28, 30 and 31. The Japanese government has already announced that it would hand over 1,800 ventilators and 2,800 oxygen concentrators to India. The latest handover completes the first phase of medical assistance to India that began on May 14. "We plan to hand over the remaining ventilators and oxygen concentrators in the near future," the Japanese foreign ministry said on Tuesday. "Japan stands with India, our friend and partner, in her efforts to fight against the Covid-19 pandemic through this emergency assistance, and hopes that Japan's assistance will contribute to alleviating and containing the Covid-19 situation in India," the ministry added. Japanese assistance to India follows two top meetings - one between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Suga Yoshihide. This meeting on April 26 was followed up by another nuts-and-bolts interaction between External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and foreign minister Motegi Toshimitsu on the sidelines of G7 Foreign and Development Ministers' Meeting in London, earlier this month. Both meetings spotlighted that India and Japan's special role in the Indo-Pacific provided the strategic impulse for intensive collaboration. "The two leaders confirmed the importance of Japan-India bilateral cooperation and multilateral cooperation, including Japan-Australia-India-U.S. quadrilateral cooperation, towards realizing a Free and Open Indo-Pacific. They also shared the view to continue their effort on building a rules-based free and open international order," a readout of the statement after Modi-Yoshihide telephone talk said. Besides the duo, going beyond health, listed the areas for joint forays, including 5G, laying of submarine cables, establishing new supply chains and development of India's North Eastern Region. On May 5 in London, Motegi told Jaishankar that Tokyo is ready to provide grant assistance of up to 50 million US dollars to India, based on the latter's needs, in addition to the assistance pledged earlier. Significantly, Motegi prefaced his remarks by recalling that the two countries shared special bonds on account of the Indo-pacific partnership. Referring to the Covid-19's impact on India, Motegi said that "towards deepening the 'Japan-India Special Strategic and Global Partnership' and realising a 'Free and Open Indo-Pacific,' he looks forward to continue working with Minister Jaishankar." On May 14, Japan announced the Emergency Grant Aid of approximately 18.5 million US dollars to transport the 300 ventilators announced on April 30 through the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), as well as to provide additional 500 ventilators and 500 oxygen concentrators to India through UNOPS as a part of the assistance of up to 50 million dollars announced on May 5. The 500 ventilators were handed over to India on May 30 and the 500 oxygen concentrators were handed over to India on May 31. On May 28, the government of Japan announced the Emergency Grant Aid of approximately 14.8 million US dollars. Through this assistance, 1,000 ventilators and 2,000 oxygen concentrators will be provided to India through UNOPS as a part of the assistance of up to 50 million dollars announced on May 5. (This content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative/ Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) New Delhi, June 1 : The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Centre to provide details of the scheme recently announced under PM Cares Fund to help children who were orphaned due to Covid and how the scheme will be implemented. Amicus curiae, advocate Gaurav Agrawal submitted before the top court that the government announced a scheme on May 29 to benefit children orphaned due to the pandemic. He added that they don't know yet how many children are beneficiaries of this scheme, though it said children who have lost parents, adoptive parent, etc would be its beneficiaries. A bench comprising Justices L. Nageswara Rao and Aniruddha Bose asked the Centre's counsel to file an affidavit regarding the announcement of package made under PM Cares Fund. Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati submitted that the details of the scheme, including identification of beneficiaries would be filed before the court. According to the scheme, all children who lost both parents or a surviving parent, legal guardian or adoptive parents due to Covid-19 disease will be supported by a corpus of Rs 10 lakh from the PM Cares Fund. This corpus will be used for providing a monthly stipend for five years when the children are 18 years of age. The top court was hearing an application filed in a suo motu matter on prevention of Covid-19 in child care institutions across the country. According to an affidavit filed by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), the pandemic orphaned over 1,700 children, led to 140 children being abandoned while more than7,400 children lost one of their parents. The NCPCR counsel had informed the court that a web portal "Bal Swaraj" was launched, through which each district can upload information about children during the pandemic. The top court, last week, had directed to all states to upload data beginning March 2020 by May 29 and allowed the NCPCR to file its response in the matter. Acting on Agrawal's suggestion, the top court told Telanagana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, and Jharkhand to appoint a nodal officer who would interact with the advocate regarding necessary information of orphans. The top court noted that at present there 9,000 such children who've lost both or one parent. The counsel for NCPCR submitted that state governments have not been able to provide complete information regarding children who have lost their parents due to the pandemic. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) San Francisco, June 1 : After offering unlimited free photo backups for years, Google Photos is now ending its free unlimited storage on June 1. From then on, any photo users upload -- including compressed "storage saver" pics -- counts toward their Google Drive storage limit unless it comes from a Pixel phone, Engadget reported. If users need more space, they will have to pay for Google One plans that start at $2 per month for 100GB of Drive space and scale to 2TB for $10 per month. Any photos they upload before June 1 won't count toward the cap. Google has also made it easier to delete unwanted photos through a tool that finds blurry snapshots, screenshots and other items users can usually remove, the report said. The company explained the move last November as a necessary step to "keep pace" with the demand for storage, it added. Those users still looking for a free service can use the no-cost tiers for services like Dropbox or Flickr if you have a modest collection. Recently, Google rolled out a new feature that will help Gmail users transfer emailed photos from their accounts directly to Google Photos. The new 'Save to Photos' button, currently available only for images in JPEG format, will arrive for personal Gmail users, Google Workspace, G Suite Basic and G Suite Business customers in the next couple of weeks. Mumbai, June 1 : The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has barred eight entities, including individuals and two financial companies, for being involved in insider trading in the scrip of Infosys. The entities are Pranshu Bhutra, Amit Bhutra, Bharath C. Jain, Manish C. Jain, Ankush Bhutra, Venkata Subramaniam V.V., and firms Capital One Partners and Tesora Capital. The investigation found that the total proceeds generated from insider trading was over Rs 3.06 crore. The SEBI has directed the impounding of the bank accounts of those involved and also asked them to create an escrow account jointly and severally and deposit the impounded amount in that account within 15 days from the order. Pranshu Bhutra, a Senior Corporate Counsel of Infosys, being an officer or employee of the software major, is a connected person and was reasonably expected to have access to the UPSI (unpublished price-sensitive information) and on preponderance of probability basis, he was in possession of the UPSI, the order said. Amit Bhutra and Bharath C. Jain are working partners of Capital One, while, as per a partnership deed of Tesora Capital, Amit Bhutra, Ankush Bhutra and Manish C. Jain are working partners of Tesora. As per the SEBI order, Capital One Partners and Tesora Capital had made illegal gains of Rs 2.79 crore and Rs 26.82 lakh, respectively, by indulging in insider trading while in possession of UPSI, pertaining to the corporate announcement of audited financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2020 made by Infosys. "Capital One and Tesora had traded in the scrip of INFY in the F&O segment just prior to announcement of financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2020 and soon after the announcement, subsequently offloaded/squared off their positions such that net positions were zero," said the order dated May 31. Amit Bhutra and Bharath Jain had both had placed orders on behalf of Capital One and Amit Bhutra had also placed orders on behalf of Tesora. "Capital One and Tesora had traded in the scrip of INFY in F&O segment while in possession of UPSI," said the capital market regulator. SEBI said that, separately, Venkata Subramaniam V.V., a Senior Principal, Corporate Accounting Group of Infosys, has been identified as a designated person by the company for the purpose of the UPSI. The regulator noted that he had been in frequent communication with Pranshu Bhutra through professional relationship as both are employees of Infosys, and had telephonic communication during the UPSI period. "Pranshu is also reasonably expected to have access to the UPSI through Venkata and on preponderance of probability basis he was in possession of the UPSI. Therefore, in addition to being a connected person as mentioned in para 4.4, by virtue of this additional connection also, Pranshu is a connected person, and thereby an insider." The order copy said that on a preponderance of probability basis, Venkata Subramaniam had communicated the UPSI to Pranshu Bhutra and Pranshu Bhutra had procured UPSI from Venkata Subramaniam, and thereby, both had prime facie violated the provision of SEBI Act and PIT Regulations. Sonam Chandwani, Managing Partner at K.S. Legal & Associates, said: "The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has struck again, barring eight from trading or dealing in securities. Considering the eight entities were deemed to be in possession of undisclosed price-sensitive information, the order was issued in breach of the Prohibition of Insider Trading Regulation." "It's worth noting that the order was properly issued, based on the assumption that the stocks were exchanged based on knowledge and information rather than unpublished price-sensitive information. The regulator has issued such directives in the past, demonstrating that it is committed to maintaining trading market openness," she said. New Delhi, June 1 : The armed forces saw a series of changes in the top hierarchy in the last two days, including new joinings in the posts of Commander-in-Chief of Andaman and Nicobar Command, Eastern Army Commander, Deputy Chief of Naval Staff and Director General of Assam Rifles. The major reshuffle in the Indian military took place after several key posts fell vacant. Accordingly, Vice Admiral Ravneet Singh, assumed charge as the Deputy Chief of Naval Staff on Tuesday, taking over from Vice Admiral M.S. Pawar, who superannuated on May 31. Ravneet Singh was commissioned into the Indian Navy on July 1, 1983 and he specialised in aviation. The Flag Officer is a qualified flying instructor with Master Green instrument rating. He has flown HT-2, Kiran HJT 16, TS 11 Iskra, Hunter, Harrier Gr 3, Jet Provost, Chetak, Gazelle, Hawk and Mig 29 KUB aircraft during his illustrious career, the Navy said. He has commanded various frontline ships and Naval Air Squadrons, including INS Himgiri, INS Ranvijay, INS Ranvir, INAS 551B, INAS 300 as well as the premier Air Base INS Hansa. Additionally, he was also appointed Indian Defence Advisor to Kenya, Tanzania and Seychelles from 2005 to 2008. On promotion to the Flag rank, he has held key assignments of Assistant Controller Carrier Project and Assistant Controller Warship Production and Acquisition at IHQ MoD(N), Flag Officer, Goa area and Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet at Mumbai. In the rank of Vice Admiral, the officer has tenanted the appointments of Chief of Staff at the Headquarters of Western Naval Command, Mumbai, Director General Project Seabird and Chief of Personnel at IHQ MoD. Meanwhile, the Assam Rilfes got a new chief as Lieutenant General Pradeep Chandran Nair took over as its Director General. Pradeep Chandran Nair has rich experience of Assam Rifles and the Northeast, having earlier been an Inspector General and a Company Commander in Assam Rifles, besides having commanded Assam Rifles battalions as a Brigade Commander. The General Officer was commissioned into the Sikh Regiment in 1985. He has very vast combat experience having commanded his battalion in the Siachen Glacier and Assam. He had earlier served as Inspector General of Assam Rifles in Nagaland. Nair has been an instructor in Infantry School, Mhow, Indian Military Training Team, Bhutan, and a Directing Staff at the prominent Defence Services Staff College. He has served in the army headquarters as a Colonel, Major General and Lieutenant General. He has also served as Brigadier General Staff in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa and in the Defence Intelligence Agency. In other significant postings in the Indian Navy, Vice Admiral Dinesh Tripathi took over as Chief of Personnel, Vice Admiral Sandeep Naithani assumed charge as Chief of Material, and Vice Admiral Kiran Deshmukh was appointed Controller Warship Production and Acquisition. Lt Gen Manoj Pande took over the critical Eastern Command of the Indian Army based in Kolkata, while Lt Gen Ajai Singh took charge as the Commander in Chief of the Andaman and Nicobar Command. The Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) is crucial for the military's planning as its the only tri-service of the country and the model for synergy based on which theaterisation of the country's Army, Navy and Air Force capabilities is being planned. Manoj Pande had commanded an Engineer Regiment along Line of Control during Operation PARAKRAM in Jammu and Kashmir, an Engineer Brigade in Western Sector, Infantry Brigade along Line of Control in J&K, Mountain Division in High Altitude Area of Western Ladakh and a Corps in Northeast. He has varied experience in staff appointments which include the Military Secretary and Militay Operations Branches at army headquarters, Operations Branch in a Brigade headquarters in the Northeast and headquarters of the Eastern Command at Kolkata. Lt Gen Ajai Singh, who heads the Andaman and Nicobar Command now, is an armoured corps officer and a fifth generation army officer. He was commissioned in December 1983 into 81 Armoured Regiment, a regiment raised by his late father. He has also undertaken volunteer tenures for counter-insurgency operations in the Kashmir Valley and in Northeast, where he was posted at a Mountain Division on the border. As a Major with over 16 years of service, the General had also volunteered for a tenure on the Siachen Glacier and was posted to a Battalion of the Maratha Light Infantry, with whom he commanded a Rifle Company in Operations VIJAY (Kargil) and MEGHDOOT (Siachen Glacier) and received the Army Chief's commendation for gallantry. The General has also held sensitive posts at the army headquarters as the Additional DG at the Military Operations Directorate, and has been the Director General (DG) of Financial Planning and also the Director General of Military Training. New Delhi, June 1 : After the devastating second Covid wave, India is facing warning of a severe third wave but according to health experts, the timing of a third wave cannot be predicted but experience from other countries reveal that it is likely to take place soon. Earlier this month, K. Vijay Raghavan, Principal Scientific Adviser to the government, warned that a third wave of Covid-19 is inevitable, but has no clear timeline. SARS CoV-2 virus which is causing the Covid pandemic has shown its capability to mutate and spread even more vigorously by increasing its infectivity as proven by the sharp increase in cases during the second wave. "Add to this the fact that there is a very high degree of circulation of the virus currently and you have a perfect recipe for another wave in the not-too-distant future," Krishan Chugh, Director, Paediatrics, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, told IANS. Experts advised people and the government to learn from mistakes and remain better prepared. "Also, if we go by the experience of some other countries, it appears that a third wave is quite likely. It is estimated that it can come within three to six months," Chugh added. The experts noted that the intensity of the third wave will depend on people's Covid-appropriate behaviour and the character of the next mutation that the virus goes through. "The third wave cannot be predicted. As long as we keep counting the cases, the fourth and fifth wave will also occur. What matters is the peak of the wave. Covid-19 is not going anywhere. It will be part of our flu season and we will have to learn to live with it as we have been doing it with tuberculosis," Dr V Anil Kumar, Clinical Professor and Head, Microbiology, Amrita Hospital, Kochi, told IANS. In the first wave of the pandemic, people above the age of 45 were considered to be the most vulnerable to the infection. In the ongoing second wave, many young people contracted the infection. Higher risk of infection was also seen among children as small as eight months. A small proportion of children suffered from an immune-mediated condition called multi-system inflammatory syndrome associated with Covid-19 (MIS-C). But for the third wave, concerns have been raised for children. Over the next few months, a large number of adults are likely to acquire immunity either by the vaccine or by having suffered from Covid. But children are yet to be vaccinated in India, while the US, Canada and more recently the European Commission have authorised vaccines for individuals above 12 years of age. "Children are vulnerable because they are non-immune and can no longer be kept locked inside their homes. Infections in children are increasingly being recognised as the B1617 strain was highly infectious," Kumar said. While "it is hoped that innate immunity of children will give them resistance to keep the severity of the disease low even in the next wave.. the MIS-C numbers may be high enough to stretch the health care system," said Chugh. However, in a recent statement, the Indian Academy of Paediatrics said that "there is no evidence indicating that most children with the Covid-19 infection will have severe disease in the third wave". As the intensity of the second wave caught the administrative system as well as the medical experts totally unprepared, states like Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Delhi and Karnataka have started preparing for an impending third wave. "We have to learn from that mistake and be fully geared up for the future. Steps should be taken right at this stage to create facilities of good quality and child appropriate so that we are not found wanting when the third wave does strike, and God forbid affects children more. "Experience till now has shown that adequately trained manpower is the biggest limiting factor and preparations have to focus on this crucial issue," Chugh noted. (Rachel V Thomas can be contacted at rachel.t@ians.in) Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) New Delhi, June 1 : The Supreme Court on Tuesday warned the husband of a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA from Madhya Pradesh, who was arrested in connection with the murder of Congress leader Devendra Chourasia, saying "don't play games with the Supreme Court". The MLA's husband had moved the top court seeking bail. Declining to entertain the bail plea of BSP MLA Rambai Singh's husband Govind Singh, a bench comprising Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and M.R. Shah said the court will not grant him bail and the petitioner can seek remedy before the appropriate forum. Singh's counsel sought liberty of the court that his client be allowed to persuade the trial court for bail. To which the bench replied: "We are not saying anything in the order. Don't play games with the Supreme Court." The bench pointed out to Singh's counsel that his client has been booked for murder and many cases are pending against him. The bench pointed out that the petitioner was given police security because he is the husband of an MLA, and instead of arresting him, the police were protecting him. The bench added that there was also a lookout notice for Singh after he tried to abscond. The bench said: "Only after the orders of this court that you were arrested. We are not inclined to give you bail." After a brief hearing in the matter, the top court allowed Singh to withdraw the bail plea. Singh was arrested by the police on May 28 after the top court had given a deadline to Madhya Pradesh DGP on April 5. The top court had on March 26 observed that an effort was being made to shield the accused after the DGP had said that despite court order, the police were not able to arrest him. The top court was then hearing pleas by Somesh, the son of Chaurasia, and the state government seeking cancellation of the bail granted to Singh. The petitioner had claimed that Singh was involved in several heinous cases while on bail. The top court had on March 12 noted the MP police's failure to arrest Singh and the alleged harassment of a judge by the Damoh Superintendent of Police. The top court had asked the DGP to examine the allegations levelled by the judicial officer. In its February 8 order, the judge had noted that he was "pressured" by the Damoh SP and his subordinates. Mumbai, June 1 : Bollywood action star and martial artist Vidyut Jammwal took to Instagram on Tuesday to highlight the necessity to openly talk about sexual health in order to eradicate taboo surrounding the same. The actor also shared a set of workouts on his YouTube channel, which he says will help rejuvenate blood flow and bring sexual energy back in the pelvic region. "It's time we braved into the discussion about sexual health and Erectile Dysfunction. One in ten men can suffer from Erectile Dysfunction. Here's KalariSutra, a set of 19 exercises which if practised daily will help in rejuvenating your blood flow and bring sexual energy back into the pelvic region," Vidyut wrote in his post. "Sexual health is a salient part of overall wellness and it should be talked about more openly so as to eradicate the taboo. Cheers to living a well-rounded life," he added. The actor also informed in his post that the complete set of the workout video is available on his YouTube channel. Arizona Silver Exploration (CVE: AZS OTCQB: AZASF) CEO Mike Stark joined Steve Darling from Proactive to share news the company has begun drilling again at their Philadelphia Project in Arizona. Stark telling Proactive the drill rig is on-site and has completed 3 holes already on the recently acquired Perry Claim. The company is planning 15 holes total. Stark adding they are exploring with some drill testing along strike of the 1,250 feet of visible vein outcropping at surface. New Delhi, June 1 : Noting that Covid-19 vaccination drive is ramping up, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Director General Balram Bhargava on Tuesday said they hope to vaccinate the "whole country" by end of this year. Addressing a press conference here, Bhargava also announced that enough doses to vaccinate 1 crore people per day will be possible by mid-July or August this year. The ICMR Director General also appealed people to have patience, saying "we are equal to the US in terms of vaccinating people. However, our population is almost four times of the US, we should have patience". "Our vaccination drive is being ramped up and by December 2021, we hope to have the whole country vaccinated. India is one of the five countries which is producing vaccines," he said. The ICMR chief also said that "there is no shortage of vaccine in the country". "By mid-July or August, we will have enough doses to vaccinate 1 crore people per day. We are confident of vaccinating the whole population by December." He also shared the government's plan to gradually lift thee lockdown by ensuring less than five per cent cases in containment areas, and over 70 per cent inoculation to vulnerable section or people over 60 years. "We will not witness a massive surge. However, we have to ensure that vaccination is prioritised. The vaccination rate must be up to 70 per cent and Covid appropriate behaviour should be followed." Mumbai, June 1 : Actor Kunal Jaisingh says whenever he dresses up as a groom for an on-screen wedding, he eds up teasing his wife Bharati Kumar with pictures of his get-up. The actor is currently seen as Veer in "Kyun Utthe Dil Chhod Aaye", shooting for his marriage sequence in the show. "It's fun to dress up as a groom for onscreen wedding. It's not for the first time though. I have enjoyed dressing up as a groom many times in my acting career. Ever since I was in a relationship with Bharati, I used to tease her by sharing my pictures. Also, my wife's feedback matters on such looks," he said. "She is someone who keeps giving me fashion tips. Being husband and wife, we still bond like best friends. I feel that's how you can make your married life successful," he added. Kunal, is known for featuring in series like "Ishqbaaaz" and "Pavitra Bhagya". New Delhi, June 1 : The Delhi High Court on Tuesday came to the rescue of Air India pilots, including contractual ones, whose services were terminated by the company in August 2020, as it quashed the airline decision and directed their reinstatement. Justice Jyoti Singh also directed that back wages would have to be paid to the reinstated pilots. The court added that the extension of contract, in the future, of the contractual pilots would be at the discretion of Air India, based on their performance. The court said the detailed judgement in the matter would be available only on June 2. The court's ruling has come on over 40 petitions filed by pilots whose services were terminated by Air India on August 13, 2020. In November last year, the High Court had asked Air India to take a sympathetic view of the situation and said that the employees cannot be left to hang high and dry. Defending its decision, Air India had then told the court that after lockdown, 90 per cent of its regular pilots are sitting at home as most of its fleet has been grounded and cited huge losses of Rs 1,300 crore each month. The national carrier said that contractual obligations cannot be sought to be enforced by way of a writ petition and in this matter, a civil suit should be filed. The High Court had asked Air India to consider the grievances of the pilots, who were engaged on contract after they superannuated. It had asked Air India to see whether there is a possibility of a "golden handshake" for them. Washington, June 1 : Scientists created safe and effective vaccines against Covid-19 at an unprecedented speed. But, according to industry leaders, the next generation of Covid shots will be low in cost, easier to deliver and preserve and effective against more viruses, media reports said on Tuesday. The pharma companies aim to develop shots that will be more effective against certain variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, that causes Covid-19, or even cover all viruses in the larger coronavirus family, the USA Today reported. The new vaccines, currently being tested, will be of a single dose, do not require to be kept cold, have fewer side effects, can be produced more efficiently, and can be delivered without needles. This will enable it to be provided in rural areas and the developing world. "There's a long history within vaccinology of second-generation vaccines being multiply improved over first-generation vaccines. That's just the way things go," Scot Roberts, chief scientific officer of Altimmune, a biotech company based in Gaithersburg, Maryland, that is developing an inhaled vaccine, was quoted as saying. None of these second-generation Covid-19 vaccines will be ready until at least this summer, and many, including Altimmune's, not until early next year at the earliest. Further, no single vaccine will have all the desired attributes, experts said. Most companies investing in Covid-19 vaccines are banking on the idea that regular boosters will be necessary. Novavax's studies in monkeys have shown that giving a booster dose a year after initial vaccination yields "spectacular results", the report said. The company is soon expected to start human trials. Several companies, including Moderna and CureVac are testing whether people are better protected if they receive an additional dose of the same vaccine, or a shot tailored to one or more of the variants circulating, the report said. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Mumbai, June 1 : YouTube artiste Jitendra, who is popularly known as Jeetu Jaan, was arrested by the Bhandup police in connection with his wife Komal Agarwal's death. The victim was found hanging from a ceiling fan. The police had initially registered a case of accidental death, but the victim's family subsequently filed the case against Jitendra. The case has been filed under sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 306 (abetment of suicide) and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The arrest happened following the case filed by Komal's family, according to Hindustan Times, which alleged Jeetu had killed his wife. Komal's mother and sister Priya stated that Jeetu would routinely assault his late wife over household chores, the report added. The police is reportedly waiting for the autopsy report to find out if the victim committed suicide or the death was indeed an outcome of murder. Aizawl, June 1 : Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to provide free Covid vaccines to the 11 Special Category states which have poor resources. In his posts on different social media platforms on Tuesday, Zoramthanga said that he has written to the Prime Minister on Monday requesting his intervention for the government to buy the entire vaccine requirements and make equitable distributions to all the Special Category states. "I also requested to all the Chief Ministers of the northeastern states to take a similar line of action, so as to present a united front to the government of India," said the Chief Minister, who is also the President of the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF). The MNF is a constituent of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and anti-Congress alliance of regional parties -- North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA). The Mizoram CM said that while most parts of India appear to have reached a stage where the new cases of Covid-19 are declining, northeast India is still witnessing an increasing trend of new cases. He said that the pandemic puts serious stress on the resources of the country and this has far more severe impacts on small states with small resource bases like Mizoram. "On top of this, we are now required to buy the vaccines for 18-44 years age group, which puts more stress on our meagre resources. I also requested that the special category states like Mizoram are provided with vaccines free of charge by the government of India," Zoramthanga said. According to NITI Aayog, the eight northeastern states, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and Uttarakhand were earlier granted special category status. Special category status for plan assistance was granted in the past by the National Development Council to the states that are characterised by a number of features necessitating special consideration from the centre. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) New Delhi, June 1 : Adar Poonawalla has been appointed as an Additional Director in the capacity of Non-Executive Director and designated as the Chairman of Magma Fincorp w.e.f. Tuesday, subject to the approval of the shareholders. The company has set a target to be among the top 3 NBFCs for consumer and small/medium business finance. Poonawalla is also the CEO of the Serum Institute of India, the makers of the Covishield vaccine. Magma Fincorp is now a subsidiary of Rising Sun Holdings Private Limited (owned and controlled by Adar Poonawalla), subsequent to equity infusion of Rs 3,456 crore as on May 6. The process of rebranding the entities are underway. Equity infusion has resulted in the Tier-1 capital adequacy ratio of the company to increase substantially to 66.8 per cent as on May 15, with leverage standing at 1.3x as on the same date. Magma Fincorp had infused Rs 500 crore of equity into Magma HFC on May 31, shoring up the net-worth of the HFC to around Rs 1,000 crore. Magma HDI has received commitments for fresh capital of Rs 250 crore from ICICI Venture, Morgan Stanley PE Asia, together with a secondary sale by promoters for Rs 275 crore to comply with the RBI guidelines for ownership of stake in insurance companies. Magma shall continue to provide support and distribution for Magma HDI. New Delhi, June 1 : In view of the current Covid-19 situation, the "flexi" (flexible) attendance option in the Central government offices was on Tuesday extended till June 15. This is in continuation of an earlier order providing for the "flexi" attendance in the offices. Prior to that, the offices were expected to function on a pattern of 50 per cent attendance. Union Minister Jitendra Singh made the announcement while chairing a meeting of senior officers of Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT). As per the current order, Secretaries of the ministries or departments and heads of department of attached and subordinate offices are mandated to regulate the attendance of employees at all levels, keeping in view the Covid positive cases in the office and the functional requirement. Persons with Disabilities and pregnant women employees may be exempted from attending office, but they shall continue to work from home, the order also mentions. All officers and staff residing in the containment zone shall also be exempted from coming to offices till the containment zone is denotified. These officers or staff who are residing in containment zones shall work from home and shall be available on telephone and electronic means of communications at all times. Officers or staff shall follow staggered timings to avoid overcrowding in offices or workplaces as decided by the heads of department. All officials who attend office shall strictly follow Covid-appropriate behaviour including wearing of mask, physical distancing, use of sanitiser and frequent hand-washing with soap and water. The Minister also hoped that all these instructions will be followed in letter and spirit in the interest of the well-being of all the citizens and government employees and their families. Singh, however, reiterated that official work will not be allowed to suffer and all attempts will be made to minimise the loss of man-days on account of government employees falling sick on account of Covid. He expressed satisfaction that the concept of "vaccination at workplace" had emerged as a successful model and urged the states and Union Territories (UTs) to emulate the same. At the vaccination centre set up at the North Block, the Minister said, over 228 had received vaccination so far and that such centres are also being set up in other Central government offices and departments. He once again renewed his appeal for speedy vaccination of all the eligible Central government employees of the age of 18 years and above. During the last one year of the pandemic, DoPT had developed a set of guidelines to be followed in the government offices, which not only sought to contain the spread of coronavirus but also aimed to carry on the office functioning effectively and without interruption. According to the Minister, Work from Home (WFH) protocol developed by DoPT had been so successful that many a time, the work output was even more than the normal circumstances because government functionaries were working online even on the weekdays or holidays. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) New Delhi, June 1 : In a move that is contradictory to the Quad grouping, India on Tuesday committed itself once again to the shared values of the BRICS. While the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) is an informal strategic dialogue between the United States, Japan, Australia and India to contain China's aggressive geopolitical policies, BRICS is a grouping of five major economies, including Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. In a virtual meeting on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of BRICS on Tuesday, the foreign affairs ministers of the five countries espoused their shared values of peace, freedom and rule of law, respect for human rights and democracy as well as a more fair, just, inclusive, equitable and representative multipolar international system, based on international law and the UN Charter, in particular sovereign equality of all states, respect for their territorial integrity and mutual respect for interests and concerns of all. An official joint statement released after the meeting said that the five members committed themselves again to strengthening and reforming the multilateral system through enhanced cooperation and close coordination in all relevant multilateral fora and international organisations, including the UN and G20. The ministers reiterated their commitment to multilateralism through upholding international law, including the purposes and principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations as its indispensable cornerstone, and to the central role of the UN in an international system in which sovereign states cooperate to maintain peace and security, advance sustainable development and ensure the promotion and protection of democracy, among others. They reaffirmed the principles of non-intervention in the internal affairs of states and the resolution of international disputes by peaceful means and in conformity with the principles of justice and international law as well as the inadmissibility of the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the purposes and principles of the United Nations. They further stressed the imperative of refraining from any coercive measures not based on international law and the UN Charter. The ministers reaffirmed the sole authority of the UN Security Council for imposing sanctions and called for further consolidation and strengthening of the working methods of the UN Security Council sanctions committees to ensure their effectiveness, responsiveness and transparency. The group reaffirmed that multilateralism should promote international law, democracy, equity and justice, mutual respect, right to development and non-interference in internal affairs of any country without double standards. They acknowledged that the current interconnected international challenges should be addressed through reinvigorated and reformed multilateral system, especially of the UN and its principal organs, and other multilateral institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank (WB), World Trade Organization (WTO), and World Health Organization (WHO. "China and Russia reiterated the importance they attach to the status and role of Brazil, India and South Africa in international affairs and supported their aspiration to play a greater role in the UN," the statement said. The five nations reaffirmed their commitment to broadening and strengthening the participation of emerging markets and developing countries (EMDCs) in the international economic decision-making and norm-setting processes, especially in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. To that end, they stressed the importance of continuing efforts to reform the international financial architecture, noting that enhancing the voice and participation of EMDCs, including the least developed countries, in the Bretton Woods institutions remains a continuous concern. The ministers reaffirmed their commitment to a strong global financial safety net with a quota-based and adequately resourced IMF at its centre and expressed their deep disappointment at the failure in addressing the quota and governance reforms under the 15th General Review of Quotas (GRQ). They also called for the timely and successful completion of the 16th GRQ by December 15, 2023, to reduce the IMF's reliance on temporary resources and to address under-representation of EMDCs for their meaningful engagement in the governance of IMF and to protect the voice and quota shares of its poorest and smallest members and have a new quota formula that better reflects the economic weight of members. The group also called for governance reform in the recruitment processes of the World Bank and the IMF by ensuring selection through an open and merit-based process, noting that the true potential of the Bank and Fund would be realised only by building more democratic governance structures and strengthening their financial capacity. The ministers reaffirmed their support for a transparent, rules-based, open, inclusive and non-discriminatory multilateral trading system, with the World Trade Organization at its core. The BRICS stressed the need to restore the normal functioning of all WTO functions as highlighted in the joint statement by BRICS Trade Ministers on Multilateral Trading System and the WTO Reform of 2020. They emphasised the primary importance of ensuring the restoration and preservation of the normal functioning of a two-stage WTO Dispute Settlement system, including the expeditious appointment of all appellate body members. Hyderabad, June 1 : Six more private hospitals in Telangana on Tuesday lost their permit to treat Covid-19 patients as the state authorities continued to crack the whip on the hospitals for excessive billing and violation of other government norms. Director of Public Health and Family Welfare, Dr G. Srinivasa Rao said six more hospitals were barred from treating Covid patients, after completing the treatment and discharge of patients currently under their care. With this, the authorities have revoked the permission of 22 hospitals since last week for overcharging the patients or violation of other norms. For the first time, some leading hospitals in the state capital faced the action. Those who were barred from treating Covid patients include KIMS Hospitals, Secunderabad, Sunshine Hospitals,Gachibowli, Century Hospitals, Banjara Hills and Lotus Hospitals, Lakdikapul. Medisys Hospital, L.B.Nagar and Integro Hospital, Tolichowki also lost their permits. The director said many complaints have been received from people against private hospitals with regard to excess and irrelevant charges in addition to the prescribed norms, mismanagement, lack of proper attention etc. A total of 174 complaints have been received against 113 hospitals. On Tuesday, eight complaints were received against eight hospitals. All 113 hospitals were issued show cause notices. The official warned that any hospital found guilty of violating established protocols/norms/guidelines, will be subjected to suitable disciplinary action Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) O3 Mining (CVE: OIII OTCQX: OIIIF) CEO Jose Vizquerra joined Steve Darling from Proactive to bring news the company has released new assay result from their 200,000-metre drill program in Quebec. Vizquerra sharing results from Marban. Vizquerra also telling Proactive what they are planning over the next few months as the news flow ramps up. Hyderabad, June 1 : A techie, who had illegally crossed over into Pakistan four years ago while trying to go to Switzerland on 'foot', returned home here on Tuesday. Vaindam Prashanth, who had a tearful reunion with his family, said he had not imagined that he would return home so soon and thanked the government of Telangana and the Centre for seeking his release. He told mediapersons in the presence of Cyberabad Police Commissioner V. Sajjanar that the Pakistanis were kind to him as they did not book him for spying. "I did not think that I will be back so soon. Given the kind of relations India and Pakistan have, it is not possible to come out (of jails). There are several Indians there who have spent many years in Pakistan," he said. Prashanth, who was working with an IT company in Hyderabad, went missing from the Madhapur police station limits under the Cyberabad police commissionerate on April 11, 2017. His family had lodged a missing complaint at the Madhapur police station on April 29, 2017. Later, the family members got a message that he was detained in Pakistan. The family members immediately brought it to the notice of Cyberabad police and the Central and state governments. The police commissioner said as a result of continuous follow up by the Telangana government with the Minister of External Affairs and the Ministry of Home Affairs, he was released and handed over to the Indian authorities on May 31, who in turn handed him over to the police station at Attari, Punjab. Prashanth wanted to go to Switzerland for personal reasons but had no financial support. After a search on Google Maps, he found that he can reach his destination on foot in 61 days for which he has to cross Pakistan. As part of this plan, he boarded a train to Bikaner, Rajasthan, and from there he crossed the Indo-Pak border illegally by jumping the fence. After walking deep into the Pakistan territory, he was apprehended by Pakistan authorities who booked a case against him for illegal entry. Sharing his experiences, the techie said Pakistanis are not bad people. "Because I went there and I spent time there, I am telling you that Pakistanis are not bad people. At one time we were all Indians, but we split. People don't have any bad feelings. I don't know about the government," he said. Prashanth, who served the sentence at the Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore, said that Pakistanis used to share their food with him. He also said that there are good and bad people on both sides. "If there is one bad person, there will be two good people. It's the same on both sides. There should be love between human beings and it is there both in India and Pakistan," he said. Prashanth also said that while in jail, be bought a book about software engineering and read it. He is now preparing to apply for a job. New Delhi, June 1 : The Delhi High Court on Tuesday suggested the young patients should be prioritised in the distribution of Liposomal Amphotericin B drug, used for treating black fungus, "as they hold promise of future over the older ones who have lived their lives". A bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Jasmeet Singh said the administration of the drug has to be prioritised for younger population, which has better chances of survival and have a future over the older ones who have lived their lives. Observing it was passing the order with a heavy heart, the court added that if all cannot be treated, being an ideal situation, it is on the Central government, "to spell out its policy on priority of patients so that at least some lives can be saved, if not all.." The High Court also recommended that the government may consider making an exception in the policy, for elder people serving the nation in high positions and whose safety is necessary. It also asked the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) to come out with clear guidelines on the use of Liposomal Amphotericin-B, plain Amphotericin-B and Posaconazole, required in the treatment of black fungus. It noted that on account of non-availability of choice of drug ie. Liposomal Amphotericin along with lack of clarity on administration of alternate drugs, a large number of fatalities were taking place. The court also noted that younger generation which has lost so many lives due to the viral infection, should have been vaccinated first, but the jabs were prioritised for the elderly who have lived their lives. Justice Sanghi said that in the second wave, the younger generation was more affected and added that he does not understand the vaccine policy at all. The court emphasised that Central government should lay down the way forward and secure the future of the country: the youth. Citing the example of Italy, the bench said other countries have done it and they said sorry, for old people, we don't have beds. It stressed that the 80-year-olds are not going to take this country forward, as they have lived their lives, "however, ideally, we should be able to save everyone but if we have to choose, we have to save the younger people". However, the bench noted that the older generation provides emotional support to the Indian families, as they are closely bonded. "In times like these, difficult choices have to be made and should be made by the state," it said. The court was hearing a batch of petitions in connection with Covid-19 issues in the national capital, including shortage of medicine to treat black fungus patients. Thiruvananthapuram, June 1 : In a move which will bring relief, Kerala on Tuesday announced all bed-ridden people above 45 will be administered the Covid vaccine at their homes. The state, meanwhile, saw ita Covid test positivity rate at 15.13 per cent. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had, the other day, mentioned that one of the indicators to lift the lockdown norms would be the TPR staying below 15 per cent for three days. At present, the lockdown is there till June 9, and given the TPR, it seems that the lockdown could be lifted next Wednesday. A statement issued by Vijayan said that the day saw 19,760 people turn Covid positive after 1,30,594 samples were sent for testing in the past 24 hours, taking the total active cases to 2,02,426. There were 24,117 recoveries, taking the total cured to 23,34,502 in the state. Despite all the favourable indicators, the number of deaths in the state on account of Covid continue to remain high as 194 fatalities were reported, taking the death toll to 9,009. Another favourable indicator was the total number of people under observation at various places also has come down to 7,64,008, including 37,493 people at hospitals. State Health Minister Veena George said that the her department is getting ready a detailed protocol in the way how those bed-ridden people in the above age 45 category would be given vaccine jabs at their residence. The first step would be to prepare a list and once done, the process would begin and all those who arrive to give the vaccine would be wearing PPE kits and will wait for 30 minutes after the jab is given to see if everything is ok with the person who was inoculated. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Jaipur, June 1 : With reports alleging a higher wastage of corona vaccines in Rajasthan drawing questions from the Centre, a war of words has erupted between state Health Minister Raghu Sharma and Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan. Sharma on Tuesday responded to the Union Minister's letter, contending that reports of vaccine wastage were false and that more than 1.7 crore people have been vaccinated in the state. Rajasthan has been the frontrunner in the vaccination process, he added. On Monday, Harsh Vardhan wrote a letter to Sharma, demanding an inquiry into the alleged reports of vaccine wastage. On Monday, the Bharatiya Janata Party had attacked the state government over vaccine wastage and alleged that 2,500 vaccine doses were found in a dustbin. The BJP's allegations were based on media reports, but Sharma rubbished the reports as incorrect. Union Jal Shakti Minister, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, also alleged that the Rajasthan government had earlier wasted more than 11 lakh vaccine doses. Based on these media reports, Harsh Vardhan wrote to Sharma and inquired about the vaccine wastage in the state. The Rajasthan government, which had earlier ordered Covid death audit in the state after the BJP accused it of fudging the Covid toll data, has also ordered a Covid vaccine audit. Principal Secretary, Health, Akhil Arora, issued the orders and claimed that vaccine wastage was 2 per cent which was much less than the permissible limit of 10 per cent and less than the national average of 6 per cent. Arora said all Chief Medical Health officials have been directed to conduct a weekly inspection of vaccination centres. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Chennai, June 1 : PMK leader S. Ramadoss on Tuesday appealed to the government to change its policies towards Sri Lanka. The PMK leader demanded that the government support the interests of the Tamils in Sri Lanka and initiate a process to take over Katchatheevu after the Sri Lankan government had ceded the Hambantota port to China. Ramadoss said that the Chinese dream of keeping India in check by taking over the Hambantota port has succeeded and said that China will control the port and 15,000 acres of land adjoining the port. The PMK leader, in a statement, said, "It has been a long time dream of China and it has achieved that. They have declared that it has sovereignty over the port and adjoining land. This is a threat to India and in particular to Tamil Nadu." He said that the wrong foreign policy decisions of India has resulted in China surrounding South India. In the statement, he said, "As long as LTTE were active in the northern part of Sri Lanka, world powers like the US did not even think of posing a security threat to India. Even after the government supported the Sinhalese against the Tamils, the Sinhalese government in Sri Lanka has sided with China posing a grave threat to our geography. He also called upon the government to strengthen the hands of Sri Lankan Tamils and also to push for a criminal investigation against Sri Lanka in the United Nations over the final stages of the war against LTTE. New Delhi, June 1 : The BJP on Tuesday slammed the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government in Rajasthan for its Covid 'mismanagement and 'poor law and order situation in the state. Amit Malviya, the national in-charge of BJP's IT cell, tweeted, "Ashok Gehlot has failed Rajasthan. Murders in broad daylight - rape in ambulance - attack on a MP - vaccine wastage - low testing, high positivity and now thousands step out for funeral of Haji Rafat Ahmad, a cleric, in Jaipur. Lockdown? Sonia and Rahul Gandhi must explain." The BJP is continuously attacking the Gehlot government in the desert state after reports of vaccine wastage surfaced from some districts. The saffron party also took the opportunity to attack Gehlot for the law and order situation in the state, citing the recent attack on its MP Ranjeeta Koli and the murder of a doctor couple in board daylight in Bharatpur. "Rajasthan is among the leading states where Covid vaccines are being wasted in lakhs. After the Rajasthan minister debunked reports of wastage, more vials were found in dustbins. Is wasting vaccines a strategy across Congress governments to derail the inoculation drive? Politics over life?" Malviya said in another tweet. Rajasthan BJP chief Satish Poonia had earlier claimed that the many districts of the state have reported wastage of vaccine doses, of which around 40 per cent wastage was reported from Churu district, followed by Hanumangarh, Bharatpur and Kota, among others. On Monday, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan had asked Rajasthan Health Minister Raghu Sharma to optimise vaccine utilisation and reduce avoidable wastage. New Delhi, June 1 : In view of the uncertain conditions brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic and the feedback obtained from the various stakeholders, the Centre on Tuesday decided to cancel the CBSE Class XII board exams for 2021. After the government's decision to cancel CBSE board exams, the Indian School Certificate Examinations (ISCE) also cancelled its Class XII board exams for this year, saying that a scheme for evaluating the students will be announced soon. The decision to cancel the CBSE Class XII board exams was taken in a review meeting on Tuesday that was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In a statement, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said, "The Prime Minister chaired a review meeting regarding the Class XII board exams of CBSE. Officials gave a detailed presentation on the wide and extensive consultation held so far and views received from all the stakeholders, including the state governments. "In view of the uncertain conditions due to Covid and the feedback obtained from the various stakeholders, it was decided that the Class XII board exams would not be held this year. It was also decided that CBSE will take steps to compile the results of Class XII students as per a well-defined objective criteria in a time-bound manner." In the meeting, the Prime Minister said that the decision on Class XII CBSE exams has been taken in the interest of the students, adding that Covid-19 has affected the academic calendar and the issue of board exams was causing immense anxiety among the students, parents and teachers, which had to come to an end. The Prime Minister said that the Covid situation is a dynamic situation across the country. While the numbers are coming down and some states are managing the situation through effective micro-containment measures, some states have opted for lockdowns. The students, parents and teachers are naturally worried about the health of the students in such a situation, Modi said, adding that the students should not be forced to appear for exams in such a stressful situation. The Prime Minister stressed that the health and safety of the students are of utmost importance and there would be no compromise on this aspect. He said that in today's time, such exams cannot be the reason to put the youth of the country at risk. The Prime Minister said that all the stakeholders need to show sensitivity for the students, as he directed the officials to ensure that the results are prepared in accordance with well-defined criteria, in a fair and time-bound manner. Referring to the wide consultative process, Modi expressed appreciation that a student-friendly decision has been reached after consulting all the stakeholders from across the length and breadth of the country. He also thanked the states for providing valuable feedback on this issue. The Prime Minister had earlier held a high-level meeting on the matter on May 21, which was attended by the ministers and concerned officials. Thereafter, a meeting under the chairmanship of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was held on May 23. Various options for conducting the CBSE exams were discussed in the meeting and feedback was taken from the states and UTs. Tuesday's meeting was attended by Union Ministers of Home, Defence, Finance, Commerce, Information & Broadcasting, Petroleum and Women & Child Development ministries, the Principal Secretary to the PM, Cabinet Secretary and Secretaries of School Education & Higher Education Departments, among other officials. 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 New Delhi, June 1 : In the laytest measure taken to protect the interest of workers, specifically nursing mothers, during the ongoing Covid pandemic, the Centre has issued an advisory, asking all state governments/UT administrations to encourage work from home facility for them. In a statement, the Ministry of Labour and Employment said: "Keeping in view the vulnerability of nursing mothers and their babies during the Covid pandemic and to save them from getting infected by the coronavirus, the Ministry has issued an advisory to all the state governments and UTs to encourage employers to allow to work from home to nursing mothers wherever the nature of work so permits. "The state governments and UTs have been requested that steps may be taken to create awareness about section 5(5) of the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017 amongst the women workforce and the employers. The state governments and UTs have been further requested that advisories may be issued to the employers for allowing more and more nursing mothers to work from home as per section 5(5) of the Act wherever nature of work so allows. "It has been conveyed that employers may be advised to allow work from home, wherever nature of work so allows, for nursing mothers at least for a period of one year from the date of birth of the child," the Ministry said. It pointed out that in addition to protecting the nursing mothers during Covid, giving the flexibility to work from home wherever nature of work allows to do so, will enable nursing mothers to continue to remain in employment. Thus, the implementation of this provision shall act as an enabling tool in enhancement of participation of women in labour force and this shall also contribute to creating a happy workforce, it said. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Jaipur, June 1 : Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday questioned the Centre's decision not to include Finance Ministers from Congress-ruled states in the Group of Ministers (GoM) which has been formed to examine the GST exemption issue for Covid-19 relief material. He ccused the Union government of making a deliberate attempt to keep the principal opposition party, the Congress, out of the GoM. "The Union Government has set up a GoM following the GST Council Meeting of May 28th, 2021. A deliberate attempt has been made to keep the principal opposition party, the Congress, that has three members in the GST Council out of the GoM. Only the BJP has more members in the GST Council," he said. Contending that keeping out the Congress members is most unfortunate and strikes at the very roots of cooperative federalism, he noted that it is pertinent to mention that no minister from West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu who had taken a stand contrary to that of proposed agenda has been been included in the GoM. "We request the 8 members of the GoM to reflect on the exclusion of the Congress Finance Ministers before they proceed with their deliberations. We also urge the members of GoM to take into account views expressed by Rajasthan and other mentioned states, wherein we had asked for Zero Tax Rate for Covid related supplies in public interest," Gehlot said. Earlier, in the day, his Chhattisgarh counterpart, Bhupesh Baghel, had also flagged the non-inclusion of any Congress minister in the GoM. New Delhi, June 1 : The Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), an RSS affiliate, will observe 'Bengal Solidarity Day on June 3 for the alleged attacks on the labour class by the Trinamool Congress workers in the post-poll violence in West Bengal. The decision to observe June 3 as Bengal Solidarity Day was taken in the BMS national office-bearers' meeting that was presided over by its president Hiranmay Pandya. As part of the programme, the BMS units will conduct webinars, seminars and gate meetings by following the Covid protocols laid down by the respective state governments. "At the same time, the BMS units will also send memorandums to the Chief Minister and the Governor of West Bengal demanding immediate action against those who perpetuated the violence on poor workers like fisherman, weavers and street Vendors between May 2 and May 4," said BMS general secretary Binoy Kumar Sinha. The BMS claimed that in South 24 Parganas and East Medinipur districts, fishermen were driven out of their villages, while in many other parts of the state, electric rickshaws were broken, weaving equipment were destroyed, and plantation workers, contract workers and others were subjected to brutal attacks by Trinamool activists. "Things have not become normal even after one month. The BMS strongly feels that the attacks on the ordinary labour class were akin to attacks on basic human rights and fundamental rights," Sinha said. The 1,394-square foot location in Campbell River will become the Toronto-based companys sixth corporate-owned clinic For fiscal 2021 ended January 31, 2021, the company logged an increase in revenue of C$3.8 million, compared to C$3.6 million during fiscal 2020 Jack Nathan Medical Corp ( ) ( ) ( ) is adding to its portfolio of medical clinics with a new location in a British Columbia-based Walmart Supercentre. The 1,394-square foot location in Campbell River will become the Toronto-based companys sixth corporate-owned clinic. Jack Nathan said it expects that high-margin service offerings at the clinic will lead to a significant increase in revenue potential. This announcement is another reflection of our ability to execute on our growth strategy and expand our presence into all regions of Canada, Mike Marchelletta, interim CEO of Jack Nathan Health, said in a statement. Our goal is to continue converting all of our remaining licensed clinics in this country into corporate-owned medical centres for which we will be able to capture topline revenue and provide Canadians with access to standardized, high quality healthcare services. Fiscal 2021 revenue rises The news came as Jack Nathan revealed its year-end results for fiscal 2021 showing an increase in revenue for the 12-month period to end January 31, 2021 of C$3.8 million, compared to C$3.6 million during fiscal 2020. In a statement, Jack Nathan attributed the revenue growth to higher annual license fees from a partial year of new locations and an overall increase from revenues in Mexico as part of its ongoing expansion. For fiscal 4Q, revenue dipped slightly to $716,000 compared to $833,248 in the same year-ago period, driven by a decrease in license fees from turnover in clinics and a decrease in retention fees. Jack Nathan told shareholders that revenue was accelerated and received in the second quarter of fiscal 2021, offset by an increase in clinic operations due to the opening of three new clinics in Mexico and increased sales from COVID testing in Mexico. The company added that its management expects this decrease, primarily affected by a timing difference in retention fees, will normalize in future quarters. Jack Nathan also reported an adjusted EBITDA loss of $642,000 in the 4Q compared to a loss of $122,000 in the comparable year-ago period. Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, we made significant progress in the fiscal year ended January 31, 2021, as we completed our go-public transaction to list on the TSX Ventre Exchange and began to implement our vision of establishing Jack Nathan Health as a leading healthcare provider in Canada, Mexico and potentially, the rest of the world, interim CEO Marchelletta said in a statement accompanying the results. We have taken several steps during the last fiscal year to accelerate our growth plans such as enhancing our infrastructure, filling key leadership positions, expanding our geographic footprint, making several strategic and accretive acquisitions, and solidifying key strategic relationships, particularly with Walmart. Marchelletta told investors that the firms expansion strategy is beginning to take shape as it continues to grow its revenue potential and bottom-line performance. Recent acquisitions and the opening of new medical clinics provide us with a forward-looking revenue run rate that is on track to significantly exceed our historical revenues. We are focused on playing a key role in serving the massive backlog in patient care in Canada and Mexico, and therefore, we will continue to scale and invest in our digital and physical footprints in these countries. For fiscal 2021, the company reported a net loss of $1.3 million compared to a profit of $153,000 in fiscal 2020, citing a significant amount of new expenses in the last two quarters of fiscal 2021 such as stock compensation expenses, consulting fees, bad debt expenses, salaries and wages, and development costs, partially offset by decreases in professional fees, office and general expenses, license fees and increase in annual revenues. The company ended the period with C$7.7 million in cash. Contact Angela at angela@proactiveinvestors.com Follow her on Twitter @AHarmantas Guwahati, June 1 : Assam Police on Tuesday seized around 250 tonnes of coal, which was being exported to Bangladesh from Meghalaya, violating official regulations, officials said. Police said that four people, including three exporters, were arrested for exporting the coal through the Sutarkandi land customs station in Assam's Karimganj district. Karimganj Superintendent of Police Mayank Kumar Jha said that the exporters had no proper official documents while they were carrying around 25-30 tonnes of coal in each truck against the stipulated 8 tonnes. A senior political leader is also involved in the trade and he is being interrogated. Chennai, June 1 : As many as 22 former students of Kendriya Vidyalaya located on the Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI) campus in Chennai have accused their former Hindi teacher of sexual abuse over a period of 18 years. The group of former students recently wrote a letter to the school principal, alleging that a language teacher had sexually abused them while they were students in the school. Asking for immediate suspension of the teacher, the ex-students said, "Now that the school has been made aware of the child sexual abuse allegations against the teacher, the school is legally bound to inform the police about the same as per the Protection of Children against Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act, 2012 as even an apprehension that an offense under the Act may have been committed ought to be reported." The ex-students have sent copies of the letter to the Tamil Nadu Childline, the CBSE, the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sanghatan, the National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights and the Tamil Nadu Commission for Protection of Child Rights. Saraswati Rangaswami, Chairman, Tamil Nadu Commission for Protection of Child Rights, told IAN, "We have received the complaints about the teacher in email and we will be investigating the matter. Summons will be issued to the school soon." Meanwhile, the Kendriya Vidyalaya on CLRI campus has constituted a three-member committee to conduct a preliminary inquiry into the allegations against the teacher. The panel comprises two teachers from the school and one external member, J. Raghava Rao, Chief Scientist, CLRI, who is also the management committee member of the KV CLRI. The committee will conduct a detailed inquiry and then submit a report. One of the complainants in the letter addressed to the principal said that the teacher had sexually misbehaved with her on many occasions. "On one particular occasion, he had grabbed my buttocks in the middle of a class when I went to distribute chocolates for my birthday. This was witnessed by a friend of mine who was with me," the complainant said. After she shared the alleged incident on social media, many former students of the school reached out to her, alleging that they were also subjected to sexual misbehaviour on several occasions. "A girl student was made to sit next to him during tuition class and he touched her inappropriately," an alumnus said, adding that ultimately the student decided to change her second language to distance herself from the concerned teacher. V. Ramaprasad, Principal of KV CLRI, told IANS, "I am not the competent authority to suspend the accused teacher and a three-member committee is constituted for the same." However, there are allegations that the KV management is trying to protect the teacher by delaying the inquiry citing the lockdown. The school is insisting that the complainants should be present physically before the inquiry committee and has given June 2 as the date for attending the inquiry, knowing fully well that a lockdown is in place in Tamil Nadu to check the spread of the Covid pandemic. "Several current students may be victims of the faculty member and may be fearful of complaining about his conduct or coming up with a complaint or testifying as a witness as he is still in a position of authority," the complaint letter said. New Delhi, June 2 : Fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi's elder brother Chetan Chinu Bhai Choksi had met the Leader of Opposition of Dominica, Lennox Linton, and agreed on a deal that in exchange for token money and promise of election donation, the opposition leader will press Choksi's matter in the Parliament, Associate Times, a news outlet based in the Caribbean island nation, reported on Tuesday. The news outlet claimed that Chetan had landed in Dominica on May 29 on a private jet and met Linton in Marigot the next day. It claimed that the meeting between the two men lasted for two hours at Linton's home, where they discussed several aspects related to Choksi's arrest and "agreed on the commitment that in exchange for token money and promise of election donation, the opposition leader will press the matter in the Parliament". The report further said that Choksi's brother got into an agreement with the Dominican opposition leader and promised him election funding for pushing the abduction theory. The news outlet also claimed that Chetan disclosed during the conversation that Choksi had reached Dominica on his own, but they required the assistance of the opposition to tackle the matter in court and against the Dominica government to make them believe that he was abducted by Antiguan and Indian police. Choksi, who is wanted in India in the Rs 13,500 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) loan fraud case, went missing on May 23 from Antigua, sparking a massive manhunt. He was captured in Dominica on May 27. A Dominica court has restrained the deportation of Choksi until further orders while hearing the habeas corpus filed by his lawyers. The court will next hear the matter on Wednesday. Earlier, Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne and the prime opposition party in the island nation, UPP, had locked horns over the issue of deporting the fugitive diamantaire to India. Choksi is wanted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the PNB loan fraud case. An eight-member team of the CBI, ED, MEA and CRPF has been camping in Dominica since Saturday. The team is there with the documents related to case of Choksi. Chennai, June 2 : Doctors, including gynecologists and immunisation experts, and public health experts in Tamil Nadu say that pregnant women need to be vaccinated on a priority basis as a number of pregnant women/new mothers are dying due to Covid-19 in the second wave. Senior doctors from Tamil Nadu are now requesting the Central government to permit vaccination of pregnant women on a priority basis. A report from the state Public Health Department states that the number of deaths of pregnant women and new mothers due to Covid-19 in the state in April and May, at 20, has been double that compared to March-December 2020, where nine such deaths were reported. Talking to IANS, Dr Manonmani Arun, a senior gynaecologist with a private hospital in Madurai, said: "During the second wave of the pandemic, we are seeing an increased number of pregnant women and new mothers losing their lives owing to Covid-19. I feel that there is an urgent need to vaccinate these women and I do appeal to the TN Public Health Department to request the Union government to inoculate these women on a priority basis." Customs and rituals associated with pregnancy in Tamil Nadu lead to many people attending these functions and pregnant women are at a high risk of contracting the disease. Dr Rajani Varrier, a gynaecologist with a Chennai private hospital, told IANS that the need of the hour is urgent vaccination of pregnant women. "Last week, a 29-year-old lady doctor died due to Covid in a city hospital here after she contracted pneumonia. The state Health Department and Tamil Nadu government must appeal to the Government of India to allow vaccination of pregnant women with immediate effect." "We are inoculating new mothers, but the risk for pregnant women is still there and they should be given vaccination on a priority basis," she added. The state Public Health Department is also worried over the increasing cases of Covid-19 among pregnant women and sources in the department told IANS that a request will be sent to the Union government for permitting vaccination of pregnant women. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Hyderabad, June 2 : Telangana Governor Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao have greeted people of Telangana on the occasion of eighth State Formation Day on June 2. The governor, in her message, said the formation of the Telangana State in 2014 fulfilled the aspirations of the people, who waged relentless agitations and umpteen sacrifices, to realize the long cherished goal of having their own State to prosper and to protect and promote their own unique identify. "I am delighted to note that the youngest State of the country has made rapid strides in heralding a new dawn by ushering in a series of welfare and development initiatives," she said. She noted that Telangana's initiatives in irrigation, agriculture, IT, pharmaceutical, and health sectors, welfare and developmental activities in different spheres are helping the State emerge as a torch bearer in many sectors. "I wish that with the collective and committed efforts of all the sections of the people and the government the State will soon be transformed as the "Bangaru Telangana. I am confident that with the inspired resilience of people, government, and the administration at all levels, soon we shall overcome this Covid-19 pandemic crisis." The chief minister, while greeting the people, said 'with many battles, sacrifices, martyrdom, we have achieved the Telangana State in a parliamentary democratic way'. He claimed that Telangana State has excelled in all the sectors within a short span of seven years. "The Telangana state is fulfilling the demands of the Separate Telangana statehood movement one by one. Water for the irrigation and drinking, power, medical and Health, Roads and all other infrastructure facilities are being provided, reaching short term and long term aims," the CM said. Rao said he is felt proud to announce that, the newly formed 29th Telangana state had achieved and had made rapid strides in development and welfare sectors and became role model for the other states, country as well. "Though there is a great economic loss incurred by the Corona pandemic, with the people's support the state is marching forward," he said. The chief minister said that the faith and confidence reposed in him by the people is a rock of support to him. He said he would not rest till with the people's support he makes the Telangana State a 'Bangaru Telangana' or golden State. Bengaluru, June 2 : Kannada superstar Yash on Tuesday pledged to support to more than 3,000 cine artistes, workers, technicians of Sandalwood by crediting an one-time payment of Rs 5,000 to each of their bank accounts. Yash's commitment is at Rs 1.5 crore, as per his tweet. Yash, who is popularly known as Rocking Star and lead actor of multilingual hit franchise 'KGF'. 'KGF Chapter 2' is ready for release, but due to Covid, this movie's release has been deferred indefinitely by its makers. Yash plays the lead role, while Bollywood superstar, Sanjay Dutt plays an antagonist's role in this movie. Its ensemble cast has evoked a lot of positive response among moviegoers. This is a multilingual franchise. Taking to Twitter, Yash posted a message that read: "The Covid 19 has proved to be an invisible enemy that has dismantled the livelihoods of innumerable people across our country. My own Kannada Film fraternity has been badly affected as well. In light of the grave times we five in, To each of the 3,000 odd members which includes all the 21 departments of our film fraternity. I will be donating from my earnings, a sum of Rs 5,000 to their personal accounts." Yash further added that he had already spoken with the Kannada Film Union president, Sa. Ra. Govindu and the union general secretary Rabindranath. "Money will be transferred once the Union gives the bank details of our artists, technicians and workers. While this may not be the ultimate solution, it is only his effort to ease the pain of the technicians who are affected due to the lockdown," he concluded. After the Covid second wave hit hard across the state in March 2020, Kannada film industry has come to a grinding halt. Kannada film industry work has come to stand still ever since the Coivd lockdown was enforced in 2020 even though the lockdown was lifted in a phased manner towards the end of 2020 but activities did not gain momentum to the expected levels. As a result of this, the livelihood of daily-wage workers in film industry have been affected. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Moscow, June 2 : Russia registered 9,500 new Covid-19 infections over the past 24 hours, taking the nationwide tally to 5,081,417, the official monitoring and response centre said on Tuesday. The national Covid-19 death toll rose by 372 to 121,873 in the past day, while the number of the country's recoveries grew by 8,994 to 4,693,579, Xinhua news agency reported. Meanwhile, Moscow, Russia's worst-hit region, reported 3,669 new cases, taking its total to 1,183,639. Russia will resume flights with Britain from Wednesday, as the country's federal operational headquarters for the fight against the pandemic decided not to extend the suspension that was first introduced in December 2020. More than 138.5 million Covid-19 tests have been conducted across the country. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) London, June 2 : Britain reported zero daily coronavirus-related deaths for the first time since March last year, according to official figures released on Tuesday. The total number of coronavirus-related deaths in Britain remains at 127,782. These figures only include the deaths of people who died within 28 days of their first positive test. Another 3,165 people in Britain have tested positive for Covid-19, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 4,490,438, according to the official figures, Xinhua news agency reported. Earlier Tuesday, a scientist advising the British government said the progress of Britain's vaccination program does not mean that the fight against coronavirus is over. Professor Adam Finn from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, which advises the government on vaccine priority, said the country remains vulnerable as large numbers of people remain unvaccinated. More than 39.4 million people, about three-quarters of adults in Britain, have been given the first jab of the coronavirus vaccine, according to the latest official figures. "The idea that somehow the job is done is wrong -- we've still got a lot of people out there who have neither had this virus infection nor yet been immunized and that's why we're in a vulnerable position right now," he told the BBC. Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced Tuesday that the easing of restrictions will be delayed in much of Scotland, which will remain in Level Two restrictions amid concerns over the spread of coronavirus variant first detected in India. Experts have warned that coronavirus may continue to evolve for years to come, and eventually it is likely current vaccines will fail to protect against transmission, infection, or even against disease caused by newer variants. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) I found it necessary to collect and write down these memories that have already become a vital part of our life, in order for the new generations to get to know our sad stories The life of 16-yearold Afghan boy turns upside down when the war between Afghanistan and Russia arise. He escapes a tormented world only to find a new world filled with greed and horrors. Can he find a place to call home again? This is the true story of Khalil Rahmani which he shares within the pages of From Kabul to Peshawar (published by AuthorHouse in October 2020). Set for a new press campaign, this memoir details one mans first-hand experience as a result of being ripped away from his homeland and thrown into a reality in which survival was his constant focus. His journey takes him through the path of disaster between Afghanistan and Pakistan during a time of war. It is while he is on this path that he comes to know the ugly truth of what is happening: the entire nation of Afghanistan has been subjected to a political proxy war between the East and the West, between the USSR and the USA. I found it necessary to collect and write down these memories that have already become a vital part of our life, in order for the new generations to get to know our sad stories. They should know what we and our country have been through, the author states. It makes me immensely sad that this misery is not only still ongoing but getting worse by the day. You my dears, who were forced to leave your country in the 1980s, will find on each page of this book exciting but also sad memories caused by poverty, homelessness, and the lack of protection. The young among you, who did not experience or cannot remember those times, will understand in what ways and under what circumstances their parents and/or forefathers made their way to the western countries where they are residing today. You, who have never experienced war or felt the pain of migration, will find yourself with all your senses in those places and in that time, and will feel the pain of migration and homelessness. From Kabul to Peshawar will appeal to those who are interested to know what life is like in the midst of war. Additionally, it aims to show readers that the life is not easy and they should appreciate what they have now. Visit https://www.authorhouse.com/en/bookstore/bookdetails/820224-from-kabul-to-peshawar to get a copy. From Kabul to Peshawar By Khalil Rahmani Hardcover | 6 x 9in | 192 pages | ISBN 9781665502283 Softcover | 6 x 9in | 192 pages | ISBN 9781665502276 E-Book | 192 pages | ISBN 9781665502269 Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble About the Author Khalil Rahmani shares his bitter and sweet memories in From Kabul to Peshawar. This is his first book. AuthorHouse, an Author Solutions, Inc. self-publishing imprint, is a leading provider of book publishing, marketing, and bookselling services for authors around the globe and offers the industrys only suite of Hollywood book-to-film services. Committed to providing the highest level of customer service, AuthorHouse assigns each author personal publishing and marketing consultants who provide guidance throughout the process. Headquartered in Bloomington, Indiana, AuthorHouse celebrates over 23 years of service to authors. For more information or to publish a book visit authorhouse.com or call 833-262-8899. Honoring the 2021 Meritorious Service Award recipients. MEA is honored to present Meritorious Service Award to these 28 deserving individuals. MEA Energy Association (MEA) is honored to bestow Meritorious Service Awards to 28 employees of Miller Pipeline, a longtime member of MEA. The MEA Meritorious Service Award is granted to recognize those who have performed actions in the service of another that are considered above and beyond. The 2021 award recipients are: Paul Dalton, foreman, for assisting a man suffering from an epileptic seizure. Brett Baker, foreman; Cole Mathews, laborer; Brock Hendrix, laborer; and Justice Woods, laborer; for assisting with traffic control and give aid to wounded at an accident scene. Ben Barnhart, foreman, for calling 911 for a slumped over driver suffering from diabetic shock. Chris DeGrande, foreman; Darrel White, laborer; Cody Bloink, fuser; and Brad Depalma, laborer; for saving a boy from a dog attack. Tommy Youngs, operator; Austin Raney, laborer; Chad Peters, foreman; Michael Cundiff, laborer; for saving a woman and her two dogs from another dog. Nathan Leath, sewer tractor lead, for extinguishing an out-of-control bon fire and providing fire safety training to neighborhood kids. Trevor Hunt, sewer tractor lead and Caleb Scott, sewer locator, for blocking traffic from someone who fell of a bike and providing first aid. Ryshen Dow, laborer and Mitchell Lyons, laborer, for preventing an escaping toddler from running into a bell hole. David Shirley, Regional Safety Manager, for donating his recreational vehicle for use by medical personnel during isolation. Mark Edwards, traffic control, for preventing colleagues from being pulled into a manhole. Joe Carey, foreman, for finding an autistic child playing near the road and bringing him back to his family. Tyler Owen, foreman; Travis Russell, operator; Alexander Roland, foreman; Brad Russell, plumber; and Dustin Delozier, foreman, for helping an elderly woman get her car out of the ditch. Augusto Ribau, laborer, for using his vehicle to protect a car and its driver after an accident. MEA is honored to present Meritorious Service Award to these 28 deserving individuals, said John Gann, MEA Vice President. We are extremely grateful to these outstanding individuals who rise up and make a positive contribution to society. Their actions are a testament to who these individuals are and to the training they receive as Miller Pipeline employees. Applications for the Meritorious Service Award are included in the MEA Life Sustaining Award application process and are reviewed and approved by the Executive Committee of MEAs Board of Directors. Read about all MEA awards at https://www.meaenergy.org/membership/awards/. For questions contact John Gann, johng (at) MEAenergy (dot) org, or (651) 289-9600 x105. About MEA: MEA serves the people that deliver electricity and natural gas to homes and businesses. We were founded as a trade association over 110 years ago by distribution utilities whose vision was to improve safety and efficiency. Today, we fulfill the same purpose through education, leadership development, and industry connections. Energy delivery companies, contractors, and suppliers around the country benefit from our 55 summits, roundtables, and webinars, 400+ online technical courses, safety assessments, evaluator training, operator qualification compliance tools, and leadership courses for field personnel. A glance at some of the day's highlights from the Proactive Investors US and Canada newswires ( ) (OTCMTKS:BABYF) (FRA:0YL) posted first-quarter results that saw its revenue rocket 282% year-over-year on the back of plant-based, non-diary, non-soy nutritional products. For the period ended March 31, 2021, the Israel-based food and nutrition company reported revenue of C$1,135,000, up from C$297,000 in the same quarter a year earlier. There was a 90% sequential growth in revenue from C$598,000 in the 4Q of 2020. During the 1Q, Else Nutrition clocked up formula revenue of C$862,000, up 149% from C$346,000 in the 4Q of 2020. Else had a strong cash position C$22,085,000 as of March 31, including restricted cash and short-term bank deposits. Nextleaf Solutions Ltd ( ) ( ) (FRA:L0MA) told shareholders that it had completed the second wholesale order from its recently announced customer, a Nasdaq-listed cannabis company. The Vancouver-based cannabis processor said its wholly-owned subsidiary, Nextleaf Labs, supplies the partner with high-purity CBD distillate to power its branded CBD oil products. These products are distributed by provincially authorized retailers across Canada, said the company. In addition, the company revealed that Nextleaf Labs has received an initial purchase order for around 40 kilos of high-purity THC distillate from an Ontario licensed producer. Tribe Property Technologies Inc ( ), a leading provider of technology-enabled property management solutions, has announced record revenue for its first quarter of 2021. For the three months ended March 31, the company said in a statement that it generated $3.79 million in revenue -- a 253% increase year-over-year. \ Inc ( ) says the Independent Data Monitoring Committee for the ENVASARC pivotal trial has recommended that the trial will proceed as planned following the review of safety data from more than 20 patients enrolled so far. The company said the safety data reviewed included data from more than 10 patients enrolled into cohort A of treatment with single-agent envafolimab and more than 10 patients enrolled into cohort B of treatment with envafolimab and Yervoy (ipilimumab) for sarcoma, a rare group of cancers that arise in the bones and connective tissue. Ltd ( ) (OTCQB:STTDF) reported that the Phase II summer 2021 diamond drill program has officially begun at its flagship 25,886-hectare Davidson River Project in Saskatchewan's Athabasca uranium district. The company said the first portion of the summer program will focus on testing new high-priority targets along the Saint and Bronco trends, as well as follow-up holes along the Warrior trend. BTU Metals Corp ( ) (OTCPINK:BTUMF) said it was looking forward to receiving lab results after the completion of drill hole BTU-21-66 in the TNT target area, which was drilled to 589 meters on its Dixie Halo property, in the famous gold mining area of Red Lake, Ontario. The Vancouver-based junior exploration company said the hole is currently being logged, cut, and samples are being sent for fire assay (gold) and geochemical analysis (multi-element). Of the 10 drill holes targeting gold in the recently completed program, all have now been logged, and all but two have been sampled and are in the lab for analysis. In a statement, BTU Metals CEO Paul Wood said: "We are looking forward to receiving lab results from our most recent drill program, particularly from the holes which intersected the arsenopyrite-bearing structure which appears to be structurally connected to the LP Fault and that could be a splay off of it. CytoDyn Inc ( ), which is developing Vyrologix (leronlimab-PRO 140) for multiple indications, revealed that Chiral Pharma Corporation placed its first purchase order for leronlimab under a compassionate special permit (CSP), to treat critically ill coronavirus (COVID-19) patients in the Philippines. The Vancouver, Washington-based late-stage biotech will earn revenue after order fulfillment and the terms of the agreement are ironed out. In a statement, CytoDyn Chief Operating Officer Dr Chris Recknor said: "One of the patient successes was recently reported last week on One News Philippines TV station. This patient had severe COVID-19 with deteriorating lung function despite treatment with antivirals and steroids. ( ) (NYSEAMERICAN:SVM) revealed a batch of new drill results from its 2021 exploration program at the TLP mine in the Ying Mining District of China. Drilling intersected 1.74 metres (m) of 3,911 grams per tonne (g/t) silver (Ag), 6.22% lead (Pb), 2.11% zinc (Zn) and 0.55% copper (Cu), according to a release. Those figures are true width, Silvercorp noted. Vancouver-based Silvercorp has sunk a total of 196 diamond drill holes, including 161 underground and 35 surface, at the TLP mine 108 of which have intercepted mineralization. LexaGene Holdings Inc ( ) ( ) announced it is taking steps to list its common shares on the Nasdaq Capital Market, with the goal of submitting its application before the end of 2021. The company said a successful Nasdaq listing will make its shares more accessible to retail and institutional investors in the US and internationally as well as increase share liquidity. Marble Financial Inc ( ) ( ) (FRA:2V0) reports that its wholly owned subsidiary Inverite Verification Inc has completed its compliance with SOC 2 Type 1 Standards. Inverite is a leading Canadian open banking and consumer-directed finance provider offering innovative, secure, and cost-effective banking verification solutions to the financial services industry have achieved the widely recognized auditing standard developed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). Marble said the SOC 2 Type 1 report, conducted by AuditWerx, evaluated and issued opinions on Inverites instant bank verification system and on the suitability of the design of its controls relevant to the effectiveness of security controls in the platform and product. KULR Technology Group Inc ( ) said it has been issued a special permit from the US Department of Transportation authorizing the transport of lithium-ion and metal batteries for recycling. PlantX Life Inc ( ) ( ) ( ) announced an agreement to begin selling its plant-based products on Walmart Canada Marketplace online. The company said its new partnership with Walmart Canada will allow PlantX to maximize its e-commerce impact by capitalizing on the general upwards trends in e-commerce sales combined with Walmart's ongoing online growth. GameSquare Esports Inc ( ) ( ) officially congratulated the University of Maryland-Baltimore County (UMBC) for winning the first-ever Collegiate Esports Invitational, a collegiate Fortnite invitational tournament produced by Gaming Community Network, part of the GameSquare group of companies. UMBC, representing the America East conference, defeated Cal State Fullerton of the Big West conference and took home the $5,000 first prize. Naturally Splendid Enterprises Ltd (FRA:50N) ( ) (OTCPINK:NSPDF) has reported its first-quarter results, revealing a narrowing loss compared to the same period of 2020. The companys net loss was C$743,636 during the three months ended March 31, down year-over-year from more than C$1.3 million. The decrease is primarily due to a dip in selling and distribution expenses which fell $464,255 due to lower production levels, offset by wage subsidies. Talon Metals Corp ( ) (OTCMKTS:TLOFF) (FRA:TAO) has intersected nickel-copper mineralization in over 60 holes outside the current resource area at its Tamarack project in Minnesota. In a statement, the resource company told shareholders that drilling is progressing extremely well at the nickel project, with consistent intersections at shallow depths in the CGO East and CGO Bend areas further afield from Tamaracks resource. The new drill holes show that the CGO East area has continuous nickel-copper mineralization over a strike length of more than 500 metre, with mineralization of 50 to 85 metres in width, according to the company. Ltd ( ) has reported its financial results and operational highlights for the first quarter ended March 31, 2021, with the company highlighting a strong end to the first quarter. The company had a cash balance as of March 31, 2021, of approximately $92.1 million. In the results statement, Dror Ben-Asher, RedHill's chief executive officer, commented: "The progress of our two novel, oral COVID-19 programs has put RedHill at the forefront of oral COVID-19 therapeutics development. Opaganib, one of the most advanced and promising novel, dual-mode of action, oral drug candidates in development for COVID-19, now has almost 100% enrollment in its global 464-patient Phase 2/3 study in severe COVID-19." NexTech AR Solutions Corp ( ) ( ) ( ) has appointed 20-year finance veteran Andrew Chan as its new CFO, the company announced. Chan spent more than a decade in public accounting, including nine years at Ernst & Young, before moving into senior finance positions at fintech firms Real Matters Inc (TSE:REAL) and goeasy ltd (TSE:GSY), where he was involved in several financings, transactions and acquisitions. PyroGenesis Canada Inc ( ) (NASDAQ:PYR) ( ) has announced two major appointments. The company has named engineering expert Nannette Ramsey an independent board director and manufacturing and high-tech veteran Ben Simo as chief financial officer. ( ) ( ) (FRA:6F6) has filed its first-quarter results, which saw positive net income for a record fifth consecutive period. The incubation company recorded an adjusted net income of more than C$5.1 million and diluted earnings of C$0.05 per share. It ended the quarter with cash and equivalents of more than C$10.1 million on hand. MedX Health Corp ( ) has announced an increase in first-quarter revenue year-over-year due to higher sales of its SIAscope image-capture technology and corresponding cloud-based telemedicine platform DermSecure. For the three months ended March 31, the Canada-based company reported revenue of $109,657, versus $95,544 in the year-ago period. Revenues from the SIAscopy and DermSecure products were up 93% from 2020 thanks to demand in The Netherlands. ( ) ) ( ) announced that it has concluded an Induced Polarity survey and planned to drill targets soon on its Felix property under development in the highly prolific Abitibi mining camp, in Quebec, Canada. The gold exploration company with properties in Northern Quebec at different stages of development, said the IP survey focused on a western portion of the property, which had a folded banded iron formation and preliminary results identified a number of chargeability anomalies that are consistent with previously reported MEGATEM conductors. As a result, the company is refining phase 2 of its drill program on the property and said it intends to drill the targets as soon as possible. Vanstar said a drill rig has been secured that will be available to begin the program in September. INDVR Brands Inc (CSE IDVR) said it has published its Financial Statements and MD&A for the 12 months ended January 31, 2021, which are available on SEDAR. INDVR said it has also granted, effective after market close on May 29, 2021, an aggregate of 8,550,000 stock options to certain executive, board members and consultants of the company in accordance with the company's stock option plan. Each option is exercisable for one Class A Subordinate Voting Shares share in the capital of the company at a price of $0.065 per share, being the closing price of the shares on the Canadian Stock Exchange (CSE) on May 29, 2021. This is a normal-course grant that comprises part of the company's long-term compensation and employee retention incentives program. Ltd ( ) said the TSX Venture Exchange has accepted for filing the company's proposal to issue 45,999 shares at a deemed value of 71 Canadian cents per share to settle outstanding debt for C$32,659.29 (US$27,000 with one creditor. Marvel Discovery Corp ( ) said the TSX Venture Exchange has accepted for filing documentation with respect to a non-brokered private placement announced on May 21, 2021, which will see the issue of 2.4 million shares at a purchase price of 12.5 cents per share together with 1.2 million share purchase warrants with an exercise price of 25 cents for a two-year period with one place. Plurilock Security Inc ( ) (OTCQB:PLCKF) said it has signed a contract with a California state agency worth US$133,000 and reported that it ended its first quarter of 2021 with cash and equivalents of about C$5.9 million as of March 31, up from $1.7 million during the same period last year. The company said it generated revenue of $75,761 for the quarter, which does not include results from its recent acquisition of Aurora Systems Consulting Inc, completed on March 31. Aurora Systems realized revenue of $35.8 million in 2020. Heritage Cannabis Holdings Corp ( ) ( ) (FRA:2UE) said it has signed a non-binding letter of intent to purchase California-based Bloom Brands, a collection of recreational cannabis brands. Inc (CVE:ZAIR) (OTCPINK:MGXRF) (FRA:0E9) reports that it ended its first quarter of 2021 with $15.5 million in capital as the company advances its Zinc-air Energy Storage System. During the quarter ended March 31, the company raised more than $15 million in a private placement offering and leased a 16,000 square-foot testing and assembly facility. It intends to build five Zinc-air batteries to complete the certification process and advance the production schedule by establishing pilot production capability. Mirasol Resources Ltd ( ) (OTCPINK:MRZLF) and Golden Arrow Resources Corporation ( ) have inked an option agreement on Mirasols drill ready Libanesa project in Argentina. Located in Santa Cruz province, Libanesa is 14,500-hectare silver-gold-lead project that was discovered and staked by Mirasol. The property lies approximately 70 kilometres west of the port of Puerto Deseado and near two producing gold mines owned by and . The agreement gives Golden Arrow an option to acquire a 75% undivided interest in the project by spending US$4 million in exploration and making staged cash payments totaling US$1 million over a six-year period. American Manganese Inc ( ) ( ) (FRA:2AM) has reported the production of NMC (lithium-nickel manganese-cobalt oxide) cathode precursor material directly from recycled NMC cathode waste using its RecycLiCo process. The company said the RecycLiCo product shares the same high-quality technical specifications -- such as particle morphology, size, and distribution -- found in conventional lithium-ion battery cathode precursor materials. Moreover, American Manganese said it intends to enhance the flexibility of the RecycLiCo process by adjusting the ratio of leached metals before the end-cathode precursor product is made. ( ) ( ) reported additional results from the 250,000 metre drilling program at its Marban property in Quebec, which included 4.1 grams per tonne (g/t) gold over 13.4 metres that expands mineralization inside the Kierens proposed open pit. The company said multiple intercepts at Marban are all located near-surface, above a depth of 200 vertical metres that demonstrate the potential to grow mineral resources in and around the proposed open-pit areas outlined in the 2020 preliminary economic assessment. Valeo Pharma Inc ( ) ( ) (FRA:VP2) has announced that private payer health plans currently covering 80% of the privately insured in Canada have agreed to provide reimbursement for Enerzair Breezhaler and Atectura Breezhaler. Enerzair and Atectura are two new innovative asthma therapies that have been approved for use in Canada. "Asthma therapies are largely covered by private payers representing 50% of the total market. Reimbursement of both Enerzair and Atectura are now available for the majority of privately covered lives in Canada and reimbursement proceedings with public health plans are ready to commence," said Frederic Fasano, Valeo's President and Chief Operating Officer, in a statement. Jack Nathan Medical Corp (Jack Nathan Health) ( ) ( ) is adding to its portfolio of medical clinics with a new location in a British Columbia-based Walmart Supercentre. The 1,394-square foot location in Campbell River will become the Toronto-based companys sixth corporate-owned clinic. Jack Nathan said it expects that high-margin service offerings at the clinic will lead to a significant increase in revenue potential. OTC Markets Group Inc ( ), operator of financial markets for 11,000 US and global securities, announced that Citizens Bancorp Investment (OTCQX: CBTN), a $1.4 billion asset Tennessee -based community banking company, has qualified to trade on the OTCQX Best Market. Citizens Bancorp Investment was previously privately held. Citizens Bancorp Investment begins trading today on OTCQX under the symbol "CBTN." US investors can find current financial disclosure and Real-Time Level 2 quotes for the company on www.otcmarkets.com. Alchemist Mining Inc ( ) announced it has addressed the first set of comments from the Canadian Securities Exchange relating to the company's Form 2A listing statement respecting its previously announced acquisition of assets from All Nations Cannabis Corp. The acquisition will be an arm's-length transaction and is expected to constitute a change of business of Alchemist under the CSE's rules and policies. Completion of the acquisition is subject to receipt of necessary consents and approvals, including, without limitation, approval of the CSE for the listing statement and the listing of the common shares of the resulting issuer. There can be no assurance that the acquisition will be completed on the terms proposed or at all. No finders' fees are payable in connection with the acquisition, and no advances or other consideration will be paid by Alchemist to All Nations in advance of closing of the acquisition. Inc ( ) ( ) announced that it will host a virtual shareholder update call on Wednesday, June 2 at 9 am PST (12pm EST). The call will be facilitated by CEO Rob Anson and CFO Mark Lotz, who will review the company's most recent reporting period and discuss milestones, financial strength, M&A and more. Anson and Lotz will also answer both pre-submitted and live-chat questions. Inc ( ) ( ) announced it has issued a total of 4 million options to management, pursuant to its incentive stock option plan. Each option entitles the holder to subscribe for one common share of the company for $0.15 for a period of 5 years, subject to the terms of the plan. Inc ( ) announced that it will present at the Summer Solstice Conference-Best Ideas Bowl, hosted by The MicroCap Rodeo, held virtually June 14. CEO Vered Caplan is scheduled to present at 2:30 pm ET on Wednesday, June 2 and will participate in one-on-one meetings with investors and analysts throughout the conference. This Best Ideas Bowl is designed to bring attendees 25 of the best ideas from the buy-side. The presentation will be webcast live and available for replay at https://www.webcaster4.com/Webcast/Page/2134/41525. ( ) ( ) ( ) announced that its CEO James Lanthier will participate in two upcoming events in June: Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference to be held virtually on June 3-4, in which Lanthier will participate in The Schools of Thought Around Psychedelics and How It Relates to Stock Prices panel on June 4 at 1:15 pm EST. To attend, please register here. He will also be involved in H.C. Wainwright's Psychedelics in Psychiatry and Beyond Conference to be held virtually on June 17. Lanthier's corporate presentation will be available on-demand starting at 7:00 am ET. To attend, register here. ALCA celebrates Men's Health Month "Male caregivers sometimes struggle with that role for a variety of reasons. A major part of our job as care managers is to assess the existing caregiving structure and to figure out how best to support the client within that family system." The number of male caregivers is on the rise along with the average age of caregivers and the amount of stress impacting mens health. According to a 2020 report Caregiving in the U.S by the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP, 39% of family caregivers are male and 34% are Baby Boomers. Twenty-three percent of Americans say their health has become worse due to caregiving. June is Mens Health Month, a national month-long observance used to raise awareness about health care for men, as established by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health. To celebrate, the Aging Life Care Association (ALCA) will focus on mens healthy aging through video interviews of Aging Life Care Professionals, blog posts, and social media campaigns. And as the number of male caregivers has increased, the number of male professionals in the health and human services industry is also on the rise. ALCA Board Member Steve Barlam is excited to see the growth of male Aging Life Care Managers in the field. Barlam, who began his career in 1990 states, To see how much impact care managers can have for a family caregiver by navigating the healthcare landscape for their loved one is so fulfilling. This is a career ripe for care managers who seek to grow their practice with the support of other male professionals. ALCA Western Region Board member Victor Alcala says that his experience as a hands-on caregiver for his grandfather led him to become a social worker, gerontologist, and open his Aging Life Care management practice. "Male caregivers sometimes struggle with that role for a variety of reasons. A major part of our job as care managers is to assess the existing caregiving structure and to figure out how best to support the client within that family system. There is a lid for every pot. Sometimes having a male care manager for a family is the right fit needed to make changes for the benefit of the client." Male family caregivers are often misperceived as assisting only with finance or transportation roles, but a Journal of Mens Studies report suggests that men also provide key caregiving assistance with eating, bathing, and toileting tasks. And with men typically less likely to reach out for help, Aging Life Care Professionals are intent to bring the message of aging well to male caregivers and aging men. One way to reduce the amount of stress thus improving health for a caregiver is by working with an Aging Life Care Manager. Through a client-centered, holistic approach, Aging Life Care Managers guide families to the actions and decisions that ensure quality care and an optimal life for those they love, thus reducing worry, stress and time off of work for family. To find an Aging Life Care Professional, or learn how to become one, learn more at: aginglifecare.org About Aging Life Care Association: The Aging Life Care Association (ALCA) was formed in 1985, originally as the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers, to advance dignified, coordinated care for older adults in the United States. With nearly 2000 members nationwide, members have cared for about two million older adults over its history. ALCA Members are distinguished from others practicing care management as they must meet stringent education, experience, and certification requirements. Members may be trained in any of number of fields including, but not limited to counseling, gerontology, mental health, nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy, psychology, or social work; with a specialized focus on issues related to aging and elder care. For more information or to access a nationwide directory of Aging Life Care Professionals, please visit http://www.aginglifecare.org. American Family Care is a great model for any entrepreneur who wants to run a successful business. Despite what most people would think, prospective owners do not need to have a background in healthcare. American Family Care (AFC), the nations leading provider of urgent care and accessible primary care, continues to surpass company milestones as it reports record-setting franchise development growth in the first half of 2021 further cementing the companys position as a recession-resistant brand and essential business model. AFC closed a remarkable 24 deals in the first two quarters of the year putting the brand at well more than half of its goal of opening 41 new urgent care franchises by the end of the year. This follows an equally impressive 2020, which saw its franchise sales increase 192 percent, all in the middle of a pandemic. Interest in American Family Care is surging from well-qualified candidates who recognize the stability and growth potential of the healthcare industry an industry that will forever be essential, explains Sean Hart, Vice President of Sales and Development at American Family Care. The growth we are experiencing is exciting, and we expect 2021 will be the best year yet for AFC. The healthcare industrys recession-resistant nature is one reason for the increased attention on AFC. Research suggests the global healthcare market is expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 8.9 percent to nearly $11 billion by 2022. Another study found the United States spent 18 percent of its gross domestic product on healthcare in 2020 a number that has increased consistently since 1960. The pandemic has provided a catalyst for entrepreneurship. After the wave of uncertainty and job losses in the first few months of the coronavirus crisis, people want more control over their career and financial future." Despite past success, AFC continues to improve on its operation. The brand made strategic changes to the organization to better assist franchise owners launch, grow, and sustain their business, including hands-on franchise business consultants, strengthening partnerships with vendors, and negotiating lower pricing on equipment. In addition to franchise sale achievements, the AFC brand has accumulated numerous accolades for its franchise growth in 2021, including ranking #82 in Entrepreneur magazines Franchise 500 list and named to FranServes FRAN-TASTIC 500 list for the second year in a row. American Family Care is a great model for any entrepreneur who wants to run a successful business. Despite what most people would think, prospective owners do not need to have a background in healthcare, adds Hart. From electronic medical records, customer service, physician relations, marketing, and real estate, we walk each franchise owner through every aspect of the business model step by step. We prepare them to run a successful business that just so happens to be healthcare. About American Family Care: Founded by Dr. Bruce Irwin with a single location in 1982, American Family Care has pioneered the concept of convenient, patient-centric healthcare. Today, with more than 220 clinics and 600 in-network physicians caring for nearly 3 million patients a year, AFC is the nations leading provider of urgent care, accessible primary care, and occupational medicine. Ranked by Inc. magazine as one of the fastest-growing companies in the U.S., AFCs stated mission is to provide the best healthcare possible, in a kind and caring environment, while respecting the rights of all patients, in an economical manner, at times and locations convenient to the patient. For more information, visit http://www.AmericanFamilyCare.com. Aprio has had the privilege of working with thousands of clients through the uncertain times of last year, and we want to share lessons learned and real stories of dynamic leadership and business transformations." Aprio LLP, a nationally recognized business advisory and certified public accounting firm, announced today the launch of The Aprio Advisory podcast. The podcast will address economic, industry and culture trends and best practices, serving as a catalyst and inspiration for business transformation for middle-market organizations. John Bly, Aprios South Atlantic Regional Managing Partner, serves as host of The Aprio Advisory podcast. Bly is a frequently requested global speaker and leading business growth expert, having written a book on M&A strategy for entrepreneurs. Bly will utilize his 20+ years of professional experience to help listeners tackle the issues that keep business owners awake at night. The Aprio Advisory podcast will feature guests that are business leaders in finance, technology, wellness and more. Episode themes will couple practical business advice with unconventional and innovative ideas to spark thought-provoking conversations on how businesses can adapt to, challenge and shape post-COVID strategies and cultures. The pandemic challenged us to rethink how we operate our businesses in times of crisis and recovery and we now have to redefine success, said Bly. Aprio has had the privilege of working with thousands of clients through the uncertain times of last year, and we want to share lessons learned and real stories of dynamic leadership and business transformations. We want to help entrepreneurs unlock their full business potential. The first episode of The Aprio Advisory podcast is streaming now on major podcast platforms and is available at http://www.aprio.com/the-aprio-advisory-podcast/. Two concurring launch episodes will be released on June 2 and June 3. The first three episodes focus on how businesses pivoted in the wake of COVID-19 through flexible service and operation models. Future episodes will be released weekly on Tuesdays, starting June 8. About Aprio Aprio is a premier, full-service business advisory and certified public accounting firm that advises clients and associates on how to achieve whats next. Aprios associates work as integrated teams across advisory, assurance, tax, outsourcing, talent solutions and private client services, bringing the best thinking and personal commitment to each client. Across practices, Aprio brings together proven expertise, deep understanding and strategic foresight for industries including Manufacturing and Distribution; Non-Profit and Education; Professional Services; Real Estate and Construction; Retail, Franchise and Hospitality; and Technology and Blockchain. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Aprio has grown to over 700 team members. To serve clients wherever life or business may take them, Aprios teams speak more than 30 languages and work with clients in over 50 countries. For more, visit https://www.aprio.com. "Realization of Dreams" Sculpture "In support of the AWFF," says Sir Daniel Winn, "Reines and myself have donated the entire edition of twelve sculptures to the organization to be used as gestures of appreciation to its significant donors. In support of the 2021 Asian World Film Festival (AWFF), award-winning Master Sculptors Sir Daniel Winn and Ira Reines have collaborated on the sculpture entitled Realization of Dreams. The bronze creation will be gifted by the AWFF to significant donors of the festival as a gesture of appreciation twelve originals, currently appraised at a value of $350,000 each, will be donated to sponsors who have contributed more than $55,000 to the festival. The sculptures design was inspired by the mission of the Asian World Film Festival, whose efforts are focused on recognizing and supporting filmmakers who are often overlooked or disadvantaged by a lack of support from their national infrastructure and local communities. Just as English author John Donne proclaimed, No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main, says Sir Daniel Winn, Reines and I call to you to recognize that, while we are the primary force in shaping our own futures and realizing our own potential, those around us play an integral part as well, just as we have a human obligation to do so for others. In support of the AWFF, Reines and myself have donated the entire edition of twelve sculptures to the organization to be used as gestures of appreciation to its significant donors. Sir Daniel Winn, curator, and owner of the prestigious Winn Slavin Fine Art Gallery in Beverly Hills, was commissioned earlier this year by AWFF to also design the new standard statuettes for their Snow Leopard Awards, Humanitarian Award, Red Cross Award, International Benefactor Award, and One Heart Movement Award. In addition to sculpting the designs, he will be presenting the Humanitarian Award to the winner at this years awards ceremony. AWFF is one of the most prestigious festivals in the world and is unique in that it predominantly screens films from the Asian Continent which have been submitted to the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences and the Golden Globes for Best International Feature Film and Best Picture - Foreign Language, respectively. During the past six years, the festival has screened over 100 Oscar-submitted films and 70 Golden Globe submissions. This year Sir Daniel Winn opened a second gallery in Beverly Hills on the famed Rodeo Drive. He is also shooting new episodes of his television show "Art Confidential" (which can be viewed on Roku, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire by downloading the A-List TV app) and just published the debut issue of his magazine of the same name. And he recently won gold medals in the categories of Contemporary Painting and Sculpture from the prestigious Mondial Art Academy, as granted by 45 renowned international judges. On June 19th, 20201, Winn will host an exclusive, invitation-only unveiling at Winn Slavin Fine Art in Beverly Hills of the Realization of Dreams sculpture as well as the Humanitarian Award, Red Cross Award, International Benefactor Award, and One Heart Movement Award statuettes for the AWFF Award show. The Snow Leopard Awards will be unveiled in July, 2021. This years AWFF will take place in November 3-11, 2021 in Culver City, CA. ### About Sir Daniel Winn: Sir Daniel K. Winn is an internationally recognized blue-chip museum artist, fine-art curator, awarded entrepreneur, and highly respected philanthropist. In recognition of his direct support to humanitarian causes, having directly assisted in raising millions of dollars for non-profit aid in the United States and Asia, Winn was honored the prestigious title of Sir when knighted in 2018 under the Princely House of Schaumburg-Lippe-Nachod. Winns work has since been featured at esteemed exhibitions worldwide. Among many other distinctions, he is the Board Chairman of The Academy of Fine Art Foundation, CEO and curator of Masterpiece Publishing, Inc., and Founder of Winn Slavin Fine Art, one of the most prestigious art galleries in Beverly Hills. In 2019, the NEST Foundation in Hollywood awarded Daniel Winn the Philanthropic Artist of the Year. And in 2021, Sir Daniel Winn was awarded gold and silver medals in the categories of Contemporary Painting and Sculpture respectively from the Mondial Art Academy. For more information on Sir Daniel K. Winn, please visit: sirdanielwinn.com. About Ira Reines: Ira Reines is an award-winning master sculptor. Reines collaborated closely with the iconic father of Art Deco Romain de Tirtoffbetter known as Erte Ertefor eleven years, translating the masters celebrated two-dimensional Art Deco couture designs into a series of seventy bronze sculptures. Those sculptures were distributed worldwide and currently reside in the collections of well-known museums including Great Britains Victoria and Albert Museum and New Yorks Metropolitan Museum of Art. Since Ertes passing in 1990, Master Sculptor Ira Reines has evolved his sculpting style known as Sculptural Etherealism to create his profound sculptural thesis on the relationships of order and chaos to man and divinity. His intricately formed figures of near-perfect beauty emerge as if in the process of creation, replete with splendor and spirituality arising from the intricate relationships between order and chaos. The artist believes that beauty is a reflection of divinity as beauty is born from chaos and form is created from formlessness. Sculptures from this series are in the permanent collections of the Coral Springs Museum of Art in Florida, the Evansville Museum of Art in Indiana and the Shanghai Duolun Museum of Modern Art in China. In 2020, Reines was awarded the gold medal in sculpture from the Mondial Art Academy. Tens of thousands of notable artists participated in the competition, many of whom were themselves professionals submitting multiple artworks to compete for best artist in the world. Overall, 45 international judges reviewed the works and granted the awards. About Asian World Film Festival: The Asian World Film Festival brings the best of a broad selection of Asian World cinema to Los Angeles in order to draw greater recognition to the region's wealth of filmmakers, strengthening ties between the Asian and Hollywood film industries. Uniting through cross-cultural collaboration, the festival champions films from over 50 countries across Asia spanning from Turkey to Japan and Russia to India. The Festival is unique in that it predominantly screens Oscar and Golden Globe submitted films from Asia for the Best Foreign Language Film. Since the Festival began, it has proudly screened over 100 Oscar and 70 Golden Globe submissions. All films that participate in the Festival have a unique chance to be guided through the challenging awards season, showcasing their foreign films to the Academy, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, and all Guilds for enhanced exposure, media attention, and awards consideration. The Asian World Film Festival is organized under Aitysh USA, a 501(c)(3) charitable non-profit organization, and operates according to the organization's guidelines. For more information on AWFF, please visit: asianworldfilmfest.org or email info@asianworldfilmfest.org. MEDIA CONTACTS: Rick Krusky, MWPR for Sir Daniel Winn, rick@mw-pr.com. Weissman/Markovitz Communications for AWFF, rick@publicity4all.com. H.W. Walker, a US Coast Guard veteran and great-grandfather who has held a myriad of jobs and lived in six states before finding his home in Nevada, where he lives with his wife and continues his twenty-year career in the gaming industry, has completed his new book The Awakening: a gripping and potent literary debut. In the first book of the Evolution Wars, the first man to become fully awake is suddenly shocked into becoming awake in the second of two dreams. The first dream was of four passenger jets all sitting on a tarmac at an airport. He saw the airport break up around them, and they all fell into darkness. Three days later, the four jets all crashed in the 9-11 attacks. The second one years later was even stronger, waking him violently from his sleep. This also woke his wife, and he told her hes had another true dream. After trying to get her to believe him by telling her of the first dream years ago, she still did not believe him. In trying to calm him, she said, Okay, tell me again. I will listen to the whole dream. I promise. With her promise, he reached for her, and when they touched physically, their minds also touched. She relived the two dreams with him in seconds. From that moment on, they could speak to each others minds without words. He started working on a plan to escape the city as they both saw all the death and destruction coming today. After they merged, he stared calling his family members in town and his sister living in the south. First his oldest daughter, and then he set about getting things ready to flee the city. They were the first to wake up! The earth had been visited by alien races for many years. The two races were at war, and it had come to earth. The crash at Roswell was the result of one of the ships crashing. The government recovered one dead body and three living beings which they had been holding at a secret holding facility in Nellis Air Force Base. Most believe its at Area 51. The reason they were here was to stop human evolution. The one race saw them as a threat. To stop them, they made deals with the government. They gave them access to new technologies, computers, and new aircraft designs. They were responsible for all the modern wonders they lost in their attack. The purpose of their gifts was to give them items that would slow and eventually stop their growth as a race. They also nursed the negative feeling they suffered from hate, bigotry, and many darker emotions to keep them at war with themselves. Published by Page Publishing, H.W. Walkers engrossing book is an excellent choice for avid science fiction readers. Readers who wish to experience this engaging work can purchase The Awakening at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes Store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708. About Page Publishing: Page Publishing is a traditional, full-service publishing house that handles all the intricacies involved in publishing its authors books, including distribution in the worlds largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing understands that authors should be free to create, not mired in logistics like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes, and so on. Pages accomplished writers and publishing professionals allow authors to leave behind these complex and time-consuming issues and focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com. Keena Vinson, a traveling intensive care registered nurse from Hot Springs, Arkansas, has completed her new book Black Tagged: a gripping and potent work that plunges readers into a realistic Armageddon. Author Keena Vinson writes, She approaches the main entrance of the hospital, which leads into the emergency room. The door is pried open by a steel rod. The main entrance door leads into the emergency room. Traveling through the congested ER was a challenge as there are people crammed into the waiting room shoulder to shoulder. The temperature is insatiable. The only air circulating is the occasional breeze from the door being held open by the long metal pipe. Cries beckon down the hall, both adult and child alike, as she accesses the stairwell. Eagerly, she climbs the flight of stairs, waiting to hear what has happened. Multiple beads of sweat drip down onto Kinleys face as she swipes her badge to enter the locked unit out of habit. She knocks. The doors creak ajar, and she slides through the small opening. She rushes around the corner to find her fellow nurses. Published by Page Publishing, Keena Vinsons captivating tale follows Kinsley as she faces disastrous amounts of death while fighting for her own survival amidst the collapse of a doomed society. Readers who wish to experience this original work can purchase Black Tagged at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes Store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708. About Page Publishing: Page Publishing is a traditional, full-service publishing house that handles all the intricacies involved in publishing its authors books, including distribution in the worlds largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create, not mired in logistics like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes, and so on. Pages accomplished writers and publishing professionals allow authors to leave behind these complex and time-consuming issues and focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com. Timothy Kabel, who has worked for the state of Connecticut in child protective services for almost thirty years, has completed his new book A Resurrection in Bonners Ferry: a gripping and potent work that follows Lawrence Greenwood, a federal parole officer living in Connecticut who finds himself at a crossroads. He is turning fifty, his marriage to Nilda is in its death throes, and his career is winding down. Lawrence finds joy and comfort in the strong relationships he has built with his three children, Thomasina, Meredith, and Nathan, who is about to make his major league debut as a pitcher for the expansion Kentucky Colonels. However, a twist of fate sends Lawrences life in a completely unexpected direction. Author Timothy Kabel writes, Fifty did not feel any different. Lawrence Greenwood opened his eyes tentatively, expecting to feel the full force of middle age crash upon him. Nothing happened. He took a quick inventory of his aches and pains. Nothing new had arrived since he climbed into bed the night before, at age forty-nine. He stretched slowly and quietly before glancing to his right. His wife of twenty-two years, the former Nilda de la Huerta, lay next to him. Well, not next to him, but in relatively close proximity. Lawrence realized that he now slept at the very edge of the mattress, with his left hand dangling off the side of the bed. Nilda slept, curled on her side, with her back facing him. Lawrence lifted the sheet to observe his wife. She was forty-two years old and remained a breathtakingly beautiful woman. This morning, she was wearing a pink nightgown, which had ridden up while she slept, exposing her bottom. Lawrence noticed a mark on her left cheek that appeared to be new. He reached for his glasses and rolled over to get a closer look. It was a tattoo of a pink heart, with the initials B. S. in the middle. Lawrence immediately realized that those were not his initials. As he was pondering this, Nilda woke up. Published by Page Publishing, Timothy Kabels compelling tale follows Lawrence as he forges a new beginning as a farmer in Bonners Ferry, Idaho. He is surrounded by odd and quirky characters, including Martin Soaring Hawk Tuttle, an unwelcome squatter on Lawrences land, and Abraham and Doreen Redfeather, a divorced Native American couple who become Lawrences closest friends. He also meets the enigmatic Jasper Crowley, who appears at the most unexpected times. Lawrence encounters multiple complications in trying to live a simple life in the country. He explores a potential romance with his former protege, Kelly Larson, and forms an unlikely friendship with Catalina de la Huerta, a former beauty queen who is now a veterinarian, as well as the younger sister of Nilda, who has her own mysterious past. Readers who wish to experience this mesmerizing work can purchase A Resurrection in Bonners Ferry at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes Store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708. About Page Publishing: Page Publishing is a traditional, full-service publishing house that handles all the intricacies involved in publishing its authors books, including distribution in the worlds largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create, not mired in logistics like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes, and so on. Pages accomplished writers and publishing professionals allow authors to leave behind these complex and time-consuming issues and focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com. Tranduc Han Prudence, a Vietnam refugee and previously published author, has completed his new book An Upright Research on the Vietnam War: a gripping and potent piece that analyzes the Vietnamese history and the Vietnam War. The author writes, In addition, Chiang Fakwei [general of national army of Chang Kai-shek] arranged a meeting for Ho Chi Minh (new name of Nguyen Ai Quoc) to appear before Office of Strategic Service officers in Kunming [China], where Mr. Ho had some photographs with the Americans officers, including its commanders, General Hallowell and Colonel Patti. Then the man returned to Pak Po Grotto [northernmost jungle in VN] with three substantial gains: new name Ho Chi Minh, chairman of Viet Minh ratified by Chang Kai-shek, and pairs of photographs of himself standing or sitting among the Americans officers. Within a week, the communists in Viet-Minh decided to propagate the faked news that Nguyen Ai Quoc died and the successor was Ho Chi Minh. Published by Page Publishing, Tranduc Han Prudences informative tale explores the truth of Vietnam. Tranduc Han Prudence has vigorously researched and analyzed the history or Vietnam, focusing primarily on the Vietnam War. He distinguishes the southerners and Americans as helpers but northerners as deceivers; the two groups emerged after the fall of South Vietnam. The author emphasizes these important purports, Disasters have come to Vietnam since its rulers and people from South to North have not adapted or accepted the policies of the USA like Japan or FR Germany after WWII. He also points out that the helpers have been appreciative of. However, the deceivers in the north, are anti-American and were not at all grateful for Americas assistance. This was shown through anti-American slogans and protests. Multitudes of the Vietnamese were fed-up with their dictatorship, so millions fled the country and over 300,000 unfortunate souls perished while attempting to pursue a brighter future elsewhere. Readers will discover the truth regarding the Vietnam War and the history of Vietnam, which is more descriptive and detailed than what is typically taught in American history classes. Readers who wish to experience this dynamic work can purchase An Upright Research on the Vietnam War at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes Store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708. About Page Publishing: Page Publishing is a traditional, full-service publishing house that handles all the intricacies involved in publishing its authors books, including distribution in the worlds largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create, not mired in logistics like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes, and so on. Pages accomplished writers and publishing professionals allow authors to leave behind these complex and time-consuming issues and focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com. In the past year, new and existing customers have come to depend on Joe's deep expertise and innovative problem solving, especially while navigating unknowns during the pandemic. Axiom Bank, N.A., a Maitland-based, leading community bank, recently promoted Joe Dear to SVP, Commercial Market Executive. In this role, he will be responsible for leading and growing the banks Orlando Commercial Banking unit, including Treasury Management. Dear has three decades of experience in commercial real estate asset management, loan originations, valuation and investment sales. He joined Axiom Bank in 2019 as SVP, Commercial Team Lead. In the past year, new and existing customers have come to depend on Joes deep expertise and innovative problem solving, especially while navigating unknowns during the pandemic, said Dan Davis, President and CEO. In his new role, hell continue to propel Axioms growth in the Orlando market and ensure that we remain a leader in community banking for years to come. Dear graduated from Florida State University with a bachelors degree in finance. Hes also active in several industry associations, including the ICSC and NAIOP Central Florida. Dear serves on the Central Florida Area Board of the American Cancer Society. For more information about Axiom Bank, visit AxiomBanking.com. About Axiom Bank Axiom Bank, a nationally chartered bank headquartered in Central Florida, serves the financial needs of its customers through a wide range of banking solutions and a commitment to exceptional service. The bank has a rich history dating back to 1963. By definition, axiom means a universally recognized truth the name exemplifies the banks principles of truth, trust, value, convenience, and service excellence. Axiom Bank holds the SBA Preferred Lender status, and specializes in commercial loans, treasury management and other merchant services. The bank also offers asset-based lending and invoice factoring through its division, Allied Affiliated Funding. Axiom is constantly working to expand its services and products and provides consumer banking through 12 branches, primarily in select Walmart Supercenters, to conveniently serve local communities. Visit http://www.AxiomBanking.com. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender. On Navajo Nation, 30% to 40% of the population has no running water. They either rely on windmill like this to get underground water or drive to a local water station to line up for free water. Driving to Goulding, waiting to fill up a large tank, and the return trip can take an entire day. This material is distributed by MediaLinks TV, LLC on behalf of CCTV. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, D.C. CGTN America releases: Navajo Nation: Life without Running Water. On the Navajo Nation reservation nowadays, you rarely see any traffic. If you do see a car, it is sometimes accompanied by a large water tank. According to the Navajo Nation Government, about 30% to 40% of the population, living on lands roughly the size of West Virginia, has no running water. Except for towns or large chapters, the equivalent of counties, the further you go into the desert, the fewer people you will find with running water. Some dig wells and use a windmill to draw water, but most get their water by driving to the nearest water station like the one in the small town of Goulding, Utah. Sterling Johns told us that he traveled to Goulding every two days to fill his water tank. In summer, his family consumes large amounts of water, so he sometimes fetches water daily. Goulding is one the few places to get free water in the Monument Valley area. Our reporter, Xu Dezhi, saw cars cued up for hours to get water. The faucet is rather small so it takes about 30 minutes to fill up a 2,000-liter tank. Driving to Goulding, waiting to fill up a large tank, and the return trip can take an entire day. After buying gas for the commute to their water supplies, plus the time they spend driving there, the free water sometimes winds up costing as much as water sold commercially. The factors creating this situation go beyond logistics. Vast tracts of arid desert, the lack of infrastructure, systematic discrimination, long-running disputes over water rights, and lack of money, have all made it harder to solve the problem. Even if Johns could afford to a drill wells (around $10,000), Johns and other Navajo remain concerned about whether their water is safe. They uranium mining may have contaminated the groundwater. Click here for more about all Navajo Nation: Life without Running Water and to view the report: https://newsus.cgtn.com/news/2021-05-29/Navajo-Nation-Life-without-running-water-10DZ0uIT4Xu/index.html The resource company told shareholders that drilling is progressing extremely well at the nickel project, with consistent intersections at shallow depths in the CGO East and CGO Bend areas New drill holes show that the CGO East area has continuous nickel-copper mineralization over a strike length of more than 500 metres Talon Metals Corp (TSE:TLO) (OTCMKTS:TLOFF) (FRA:TAO) has intersected nickel-copper mineralization in over 60 holes outside the current resource area at its Tamarack project in Minnesota. In a statement, the resource company told shareholders that drilling is progressing extremely well at the nickel project, with consistent intersections at shallow depths in the CGO East and CGO Bend areas further afield from Tamaracks resource. The new drill holes show that the CGO East area has continuous nickel-copper mineralization over a strike length of more than 500 metres, with mineralization of 50 to 85 metres in width, according to the company. With assays pending, drilling has notably intersected 23.11 metres (m) of nickel-copper mineralization starting at 196.6m, including 1.13m of mixed and massive sulphide mineralization, and 17.98m of nickel-copper mineralization starting at 188.7m, including 4.3m of mixed massive sulphide mineralization. Talon plans to deliver a new resource estimate later this year or early next year. "We are excited to now be consistently hitting nickel-copper mineralization at shallow depths in areas that lie outside of our resource area," said Brian Goldner, Talons vice president of exploration. "As has been demonstrated by our recent press releases, this year is all about growing the size of the resource at the Tamarack Nickel Project, so we are in a much better position to assess and update the proposed mine plan by the end of this year. Drilling is ongoing at the Tamarack project, with additional results coming out shortly." The Tamarack Nickel Project comprises the Tamarack North Project and the Tamarack South Project including a large land position (18 kilometres of strike length) with numerous high-grade intercepts outside the current resource area. Talon has an earn-in to acquire up to 60% of the project. Contact Angela at angela@proactiveinvestors.com Follow her on Twitter @AHarmantas Condiment Producer SNS Food Gets a Taste for Innovation with Centric PLM Joining forces with Centric, we look forward to establishing integrated product databases that include raw materials, formulas, regulations, materials and packaging, as well as achieving standardization and digitalization for innovation initiatives. SNS Food Co., Ltd, the Chinese condiments company, has selected Centric Softwares Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solution. Centric Software provides the most innovative enterprise solutions to plan, design, develop, source and sell products such as apparel, footwear, sporting goods, furniture, home decor, cosmetics, food & beverage and luxury to achieve strategic and operational digital transformation goals. SNS Food was established in Wenjiang, Chengdu in 2007. As a catering compound condiment producer providing flexible customization services, SNS Food combines modern food science and flavor formulation technology with in-depth research. In long-term partnerships with many famous Chinese catering chains, SNS Food has enjoyed swift growth since 2014. SNS Food is serious about product R&D investment and continues to gain quality-focused customers, even during the Covid-19 pandemic, but faces challenges associated with rapid growth and coordinating many complex projects and products to serve over 6,000 customers. To maintain its high standards, SNS Food needed a digitalized innovation platform. SNS Food selected Centric Food and Beverage PLM as a perfect match for the companys Make Customers Satisfied philosophy and noted that Centric is a proactive collaborator with a devoted team, sophisticated software and insightful understanding of the industry. SNS Foods digital transformation project will use Centric PLM to establish one holistic digital management platform that replaces many different and disconnected systems, enabling a centralized and simplified data flow centered around products. Joining forces with Centric, we look forward to establishing integrated product databases that include raw materials, formulas, regulations, materials and packaging, as well as achieving standardization and digitalization for innovation initiatives, says Ms. Zhang Min, Co-founder and Technical Director of SNS Food. We expect to enhance competitiveness with quick and sensible market judgments. A good product and business model means long-standing competitiveness, even in a pandemic. We are very happy to announce that SNS Food is our first food and beverage customer in China, says Chris Groves, President and CEO of Centric Software. SNS Food is a leader in whole-chain digitization, and we look forward to working with them to build an innovation platform that will drive their future development. Learn more about Centric Food and Beverage PLM Request a Demo SNS Food (http://www.snsfood.com) In 2007, SNS Food Technology Co., Ltd. was established in Wenjiang, Chengdu. As a catering compound condiment producer providing flexible customization services, SNS Food has always remained true to its original aspiration of "safety, naturalness, and delicacy". In the compound condiment field, SNS Food combines modern food science and flavor formation technology with in-depth research. In researching traditional cuisine techniques and classic ingredients, SNS Food adopts modern biotechnology. To this end, the Flavor Module Database, the Whole Process Quality Management System, and the Visual Information Management System are in place for the innovation of up-to-date flavors. Monitored by the Testing Center approved by CNAS Lab, SNS Food is dedicated to offering individualized, standardized and customized seasoning services, providing safe and stable products with intellect and digitalization, and bringing the joy of food to everyone. In long-term partnerships with Shudaxia, Dalongyi, Xiaolongkan, Xiangtianxia and other famous Chinese catering chains, SNS Food has enjoyed rapid growth since 2014. Alex Galindo Attorney "The court records allege that Claudia V. Walraven, the asset manager for Kennedy Wilson, breached her fiduciary duties to Plaintiff, Darrnell Watson and defrauded him out of his partnership in the ownership ..." Alex Galindo with Curd, Galindo & Smith, LLP on behalf of their client have filed the Fraud and Breach of Fiduciary Duty lawsuit against California real estate broker and asset manager for Kennedy Wilson, Claudia V. Walraven. Court records show that the lawsuit was filed on May 21, 2021 with the Los Angeles Superior Court. The court records allege that Claudia V. Walraven, the asset manager for Kennedy Wilson, breached her fiduciary duties to Plaintiff, Darrnell Watson and defrauded him out of his partnership in the ownership and development of the real property located at 2241 Clyde Avenue, Los Angeles, CA. The court records allege that Claudia V. Walraven agreed to purchase the subject property at 2241 Clyde Street with Darrnell Watson as 50-50 partners and to develop the site as a 22 unit development. The court records allege that Claudia V. Walraven caused the subject property to be vested in a limited liability company that she set-up and to exclude Darrnell Watson from the partnership. The complaint specifically identifies 11 total causes of action including the fraud and breach of fiduciary duty. The complaint alleges that Darrnell Watson is seeking unspecified damages including his ownership interest in the subject property and the development of the project. Mr. Galindo is a founding member of Curd, Galindo & Smith, LLP which is a full service law firm that represents both corporate and professional clients and those who have been seriously injured or have lost a family member due to an accident, defective product, police misconduct or negligence. The law firm has recovered millions of dollars for its thousands of clients since 1995 by winning complex and challenging business disputes, death and injury cases involving police misconduct, traffic collisions, work place injuries and defective products, including defective automobiles, against some of the world's largest companies and governmental agencies. Mr. Galindo received his business degree from University of Southern California in 1982 and his law degree in 1985 from the University of Oklahoma. Mr. Galindo has been a lawyer and real estate broker for over 30 years. He has won numerous jury verdicts and settlements in the area of personal injury, products liability and civil rights/police misconduct cases. Mr. Galindo is a member of ABOTA which is an organization of attorneys representing both plaintiffs and defendants in civil cases. All of the attorneys who belong to ABOTA have earned great distinction at trial. Mr. Galindo is a member of Million Dollar Advocates Forum, Consumer Attorneys of California, Consumer Attorneys of Los Angeles, NPAP (National Police Accountability Project), National Lawyers Guild, National Association of Realtors and California Association of Realtors. The lack of effective workforce communication should be a critical concern for employers. -- Debbie McGrath, Chief Instigator and CEO, HR.com There is a huge gap between the importance and the effectiveness of employee communication in today's workplace. Whereas 88% of HR professionals say employee communication is extremely or very important to success in their organizations, a mere 30% indicate employee communication is highly or very highly effective. The free research report, The State of Employee Communications 2021, is now available for download. HR.com's Research Institute conducted the study of HR professionals to take an in-depth look at the current state of communication in the workforce and gain insights to optimize employee engagement, productivity, and brand. The communication deficit revealed by this study has large implications for performance. Eighty percent of HR professionals agree or strongly agree that employee communication has a positive impact on employee experience and engagement, and 74% say it has a positive impact on employee performance. Nearly as many (74%) say it has a positive impact on the employer brand. Looking at companies that report being effective at employee communications, they are more likely to: Track and measure employee communication Train managers in communication practices Have employees who feel they are being heard Have above average employee performance "The lack of effective workforce communication should be a critical concern for employers," stated Debbie McGrath, Chief Instigator and CEO of HR.com. "Internal communication will be key as we go forward post-pandemic to ensure employees are engaged, and that productivity and results are meeting company expectations." Download the full report which includes details on seven key takeaways to help HR departments gain insights into how to ensure effective internal communications to boost engagement, productivity, brand, and business results. DOWNLOAD RESEARCH REPORT: https://web.hr.com/g4tch About HR.com and the HR Research Institute HR.com's HR Research Institute helps HR departments keep their finger on the pulse of HR! HR.com is committed to creating inspired and informed workforces by maximizing the potential of HR professionals around the world. Over 1.92 million HR professionals rely on HR.com as the foremost, trusted industry resource for education, career development, and compliance (that many people can't be wrong!). Offerings include the largest network of HR executives, leading-edge industry research from the HR Research Institute, 13 monthly HR-themed epublications, innovative HR education including 250+ annual webcasts, the most comprehensive HR certification exam preparation program supporting SHRM and HRCI certification, as well as helpful HR tools and legal compliance updates. HR.com has the largest knowledge base of HR practices globally and offers unparalleled training and networking for HR professionals all over the world... 24/7... 365 (just in case you can't get enough HR). Visit http://www.hr.com/featuredresearch to download research (always free) and to maximize HR potential. #hrresearchinstitute For more information, contact: Jenna Watson Gudgel PR Manager, HR.com jenna(at)hr(dot)com HR.com News Its a cinematic period piece, with a beautiful mysterious victim, a handsome, smart, dedicated young detective, set amidst the glamour, wealth and beauty of 1920s California In Michael L. Nicholas new thrilling tale titled Naked Lies the Truth (published by Archway Publishing), a Los Angeles detective must attempt to solve a complex case after a beautiful, young, white woman is found murdered in a black musicians house in 1929. It is 1929 in Los Angeles when Officer Mathieu answers a domestic disturbance call at night in a poor black neighborhood. When no one answers the unlocked door, he enters to find a beautiful, white woman lying naked on the floor, the victim of two fatal gunshot wounds. Soon after, the officer makes a shocking discovery. The woman is the personal secretary to the most powerful man in Los Angeles. The police immediately suspect the black musician who owns the house. But when the womans past exposes surprising revelations, Officer Mathieu suspects that the rich and powerful are involved. As he struggles to solve the case, only time will tell if truth or power will win out. Its a cinematic period piece, with a beautiful mysterious victim, a handsome, smart, dedicated young detective, set amidst the glamour, wealth and beauty of 1920s California, Nicholas says. And its an exploration of the dark underbelly of that paradise and the origins of racial prejudice that still haunt us today. Naked Lies the Truth is available for purchase online at the Archway link above, from Barnes & Noble and on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/Naked-Lies-Truth-Michael-Nicholas/dp/1665703423. Naked Lies the Truth By Michael L. Nicholas Hardcover | 5.5 x 8.5 in | 294 pages | ISBN 9781665703413 Softcover | 5.5 x 8.5 in | 294 pages | ISBN 9781665703420 E-Book | 294 pages | ISBN 9781665703178 Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble About the Author Michael L. Nicholas lives in Los Angeles, California. Naked Lies the Truth is his first book in a series of novels featuring Detective Mathieu. He is currently working on the books sequel. Simon & Schuster, a company with nearly ninety years of publishing experience, has teamed up with Author Solutions, LLC, the worldwide leader in self-publishing, to create Archway Publishing. With unique resources to support books of all kind, Archway Publishing offers a specialized approach to help every author reach his or her desired audience. For more information, visit archwaypublishing.com or call 844-669-3957. Law Office of Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP For more information about the lawsuit against Nichols Pistachio, call (800) 568-8020 to speak to an experienced California employment attorney today. The Los Angeles employment law attorneys, at Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP, filed a complaint alleging that Nichols Pistachio violated various California labor laws. The lawsuit against Nichols Pistachio, Case No. 21C-0080, is currently pending in the Kings County Superior Court of the State of California. To read a copy of the Complaint, please click here. According to the lawsuit filed, employees were required to undergo mandatory temperature checks, as a part of Covid-19 screening. Allegedly, Nichols Pistachio failed to record and pay employees for the time spent waiting in line and submitting to the screening. Additionally, Plaintiff was allegedly, from time to time, required by Defendant to work during what should have been Plaintiff's off-duty meal break. California Labor Code 226 provides that every employer shall provide employees with an accurate itemized wage statement in writing showing, among other things, gross wages earned. Allegedly, Defendant failed to provide wage statements that identified the correct gross and net wages earned. For more information about the lawsuit against Nichols Pistachio, call (800) 568-8020 to speak to an experienced California employment attorney today. Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP is an employment law firm with offices located in San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Riverside and Chicago that dedicates its practice to helping employees, investors and consumers fight back against unfair business practices, including violations of the California Labor Code and Fair Labor Standards Act. If you need help in collecting unpaid overtime wages, unpaid commissions, being wrongfully terminated from work, and other employment law claims, contact one of their attorneys today. ***THIS IS AN ATTORNEY ADVERTISEMENT*** Relationship with God: a spiritual journey about overcoming significant hardships and the scars they leave behind. Relationship with God is the creation of published author Felicia Diane Williams, a loving mother of two who holds a certificate in industrial mechanical engineering. Williams shares, Follow Tammy as she tries to deal with the death of her mother and begin a life with a new family all in one day. Tammys whole life changes. She has to adapt to a new environment and a new school. She was used to her mom taking care of her, but now she had to take care of herself. Tammy comes from a family who believes in prayer and putting their faith in God to a family that doesnt pray or believe in God. Since Tammy has been with her new family, she has a secret she wants to tell; but before she can figure out who to tell, another secret comes along. Tammy wears her secrets on her face, and she cant figure out why no one in the family can look at her and tell something is seriously wrong. Tammy wakes up afraid and goes to sleep afraid. She cant be a child because her situation wont let her; she cant be an adult because she doesnt know how to, nor is she old enough. But Tammy is always put in adult situations. She doesnt know she is a very strong little girl; she always worries about everyone elses safety more so than her own. She experiences obstacles in her life that no child or adult should go through. She is constantly in harms way. Watch how Tammy develops a powerful relationship that keeps her strong through it all. Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Felicia Diane Williamss new book is a powerful fiction that examines the power of faith in ones life. With relatable characters and circumstances, this tale will resonate with many who have been through hardships and found that faith was their guiding light. View a synopsis of Relationship with God on YouTube. Consumers can purchase Relationship with God at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or inquiries about Relationship with God, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919. Eric J. Bonetti, part of the first same-sex couple married at Grace Episcopal Church in Alexandria Virginia, has appealed a lawsuit filed in the federal district court for the Eastern District of Virginia in the case originally docketed at 1:2021cv00190. The original case was dismissed by the trial court. The pleadings in the notice of appeal allege: That the Commonwealth of Virginia, acting through its courts, cannot issue a protective order without a showing of a threat of imminent harm as required by the Virginia statute, without violating constitutional guarantees of due process and equal protection. That the City of Alexandria Virginia cannot wade into a civil dispute, provide free legal advice and assistance to one party in the dispute, while ignoring allegations of illegal conduct by the other party, without violating constitutional guarantees of due process and equal protection of the laws. That the City of Alexandria police department cannot repeatedly stop and interrogate peaceful protesters solely for exercising their rights to free speech, as doing so would chill the public's First Amendment rights. That the Commonwealth of Virginia, acting through the Alexandria Circuit Court cannot prohibit Bonetti from discussing his lawsuit against Robert Hiller Malm, absent some rational basis, including but not limited to an affected privacy interest on the part of the defendant, without violating First Amendment guarantees of free speech. That the Alexandria Circuit court allegedly has displayed irrational bias against the Plaintiff, including preventing him from engaging in discovery and prejudging his case, thus violating constitutional guarantees of due process and equal protection. That Plaintiff has a right under the federal Stored Communications Act to prohibit defendant Robert Hiller Malm and his family from accessing his blog in violation of the relevant terms and conditions. Copies of the notice of appeal have been sent to counsel for the defendants and Virginia's Office of Attorney General. The notice of appeal is online at https://issuu.com/gracealexwatch/docs/p_notice_of_appeal_1_. HealthyChildren.org, the official parenting website of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), celebrates dads everywhere with a 7-day Father's Day Sweepstakes event. Fourteen lucky winners will receive a $200 gift card. The contest begins June 14 and ends on Father's Day, June 20, 2021. Registered users may enter once each day during the event. Winners will be drawn daily and announced on Facebook as they are confirmed. Full rules and more information can be found here. About HealthyChildren.org The only parenting website backed by 67,000 AAP member pediatricians, HealthyChildren.org offers trustworthy, up-to-the-minute health advice and guidance for parents and caregivers, along with interactive tools and personalized content. Registered users enjoy a customized home page that features articles geared to the ages of their children. The site also offers a Find a Pediatrician service, an Ask the Pediatrician tool, the KidsDoc Symptom Checker, and more than 5,000 articles on childrens health and safety in English and Spanish. Ideal Option, a national leader in evidence-based medication-assisted treatment, has partnered with Safeway, one of the largest grocery retailers in the U.S., to provide services to patients inside the stores wellness center located at 6701 E. Mill Plain Blvd, Vancouver, WA. With this partnership, Safeway becomes the first national retailer to complement their in-store pharmacy services with an addiction medicine provider a bold and progressive move that reflects both a decrease in the stigma traditionally surrounding addiction, and the urgency to counter the surge in substance use during the pandemic. According to preliminary federal data released by the CDC last month, more than 87,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in the 12 months leading up to September 2020 a 29% increase from the year prior and greater than any 12-month period since the opioid epidemic began. We have so much respect for Safeways courage and vision for making treatment for substance use disorder as broadly available as any other medical service, said Tim Kilgallon, CEO at Ideal Option. Its past time for society to accept substance use disorder as a chronic condition, just like diabetes, and refrain from judging those who are afflicted with it. In welcoming Ideal Option into their stores, Safeway is helping to shape the future of recovery from this disorder and in doing so, will save countless lives. While Ideal Option operates two other outpatient clinics in Vancouver and dozens more across the nation, this will be the first time Ideal Option patients can complete a provider visit, pick up their medication, and shop for household essentials all under the same roof. "Our partnership with Ideal Option represents Safeway's commitment to the health and wellbeing of every community in which we operate," said Stephen Certo, Director of Pharmacy for Oregon and Southern Washington at Safeway. "This is a natural extension of the robust wellness offerings found throughout our stores. We're excited to offer our customers access to medication-assisted treatment and welcome all those who need help with open arms." The Ideal Option clinic is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. 5:30 p.m. and is located next to the pharmacy, inside the Safeway Wellness Center. Ideal Option has no waitlists and accepts all forms of insurance, including Medicaid and Medicare. Patients can be seen at any of Ideal Options locations in Vancouver or elsewhere as they progress through the course of their treatment plan. Patients can make an appointment by calling 1.877.522.1275 or visiting http://www.idealoption.com. About Safeway and The Albertsons Companies Albertsons Companies is a leading food and drug retailer in the United States. The company operates stores across 34 states and the District of Columbia under 20 well-known banners including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw's, Acme, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market, Haggen and Carrs. Albertsons Cos. is committed to helping people across the country live better lives by making a meaningful difference, neighborhood by neighborhood. In 2019 alone, along with the Albertsons Companies Foundation, the company gave $225 million in food and financial support. In 2020, Albertsons Cos. made a $53 million commitment to community hunger relief efforts and a $5 million commitment to organizations supporting social justice. These efforts have helped millions of people in the areas of hunger relief, education, cancer research and treatment, social justice and programs for people with disabilities and veterans' outreach. About Ideal Option Headquartered in Kennewick, Washington, Ideal Option was founded in 2012 and has since helped nearly 45,000 patients through a network of over 65 office-based opioid treatment (OBOT) clinics across 10 states. With a mission to serve under-served communities, Ideal Option accepts all forms of insurance including Medicaid and Medicare and financial assistance and payment plans are available. Ideal Option's team of medical providers carry certifications in Addiction and Emergency Medicine, Internal, OB/GYN, and Family Medicine, among other specialties. The company also employs social workers, caseworkers, counselors, and mental health practitioners. This holistic approach helps drive positive outcomes, including family stability, stable housing, improved overall health, and reduced rates of recidivism. In all the communities it serves, Ideal Option collaborates with existing stakeholders and providers to improve the continuum of care. This approach includes partnerships with emergency rooms and county jail systems, where individuals with substance use disorder often appear, as well as collaborating with numerous support agencies and municipal programs addressing social needs such as housing, mental health, and nutrition support. Kinematics, LLC (KMI), the leading global provider of solar and industrial slew gear actuators for motion control in mission-critical applications, today announced that John Payne has been named as Chief Executive Officer. He will succeed Mark Henderson, an Angeleno Group Operating Partner who will provide continued guidance as a strategic advisor to the Company. Payne is a highly respected executive with more than 20 years of senior management experience in complex environments with highly-engineered products, encompassing General Management, Sales and Business Development, New Product Introduction, and Site and International Operations. Most recently he was Vice President of Cobham Aerospace Connectivity and President of Cobham Avionics, and previously held positions with General Electric, Smiths Aerospace Systems, Dowty Actuation Systems and Rolls-Royce Aero Engines plc. The Board and I are confident that John will be an outstanding CEO for KMI, as the business continues to experience global growth in its core markets, including the massive utility-scale solar industry as the decarbonization of the global economy through renewable energy accelerates, said Yaniv Tepper, member of KMIs Board and a Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Angeleno Group. Johns extensive technology background and business development skills will help KMI strengthen customer partnerships, develop strategic alliances, expand our international sales presence and drive further innovation and growth. We believe his strong leadership experience will help drive both organic and inorganic opportunities, grow our team and markets. I am genuinely excited to be joining the KMI team, said Payne. KMI has an excellent reputation for innovation, and a talented management team that uniquely positions it to capitalize on rapidly evolving markets such as solar. KMI has an enviable track record as the technology leader in slew actuators and is well positioned to leverage a broad set of capabilities to maximize value for its customers. Payne holds a first degree in Manufacturing Systems Engineering from Nottingham Trent University in the U.K. and a Masters Degree in Engineering Business Management from Warwick University also in the U.K. He is a Chartered Engineer and a Member of the Institute of Engineering and Technology. About Kinematics Kinematics is the leading innovator and volume manufacturer of integrated worm and slew-gear drives globally. KMI provides high performance solutions to markets, including tracking (photovoltaics and satellite), lifting devices (cranes, man-lifts, positioners), and specialized vehicle steering and actuation, among others. Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, the company sells directly to OEMs in North and South America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. Visit our website for more information on Kinematics and its wide range of patented products. Chiral, which got approval to use leronlimab under compassionate grounds, has also applied for emergency use authorization CytoDyn is working with Philippine Airlines as its preferred partner in transporting leronlimab vials quickly to the Philippines on nonstop flights CytoDyn Inc ( ), which is developing Vyrologix (leronlimab-PRO 140) for multiple indications, revealed that Chiral Pharma Corporation placed its first purchase order for leronlimab under a compassionate special permit (CSP), to treat critically ill coronavirus (COVID-19) patients in the Philippines. The Vancouver, Washington-based late-stage biotech will earn revenue after order fulfillment and the terms of the agreement are ironed out. In a statement, CytoDyn Chief Operating Officer Dr Chris Recknor said: "One of the patient successes was recently reported last week on One News Philippines TV station. This patient had severe COVID-19 with deteriorating lung function despite treatment with antivirals and steroids. Testing was significant for high inflammation in the blood with Ferritin 17x elevated. Oxygen saturation on maximum oxygen flow was only 82% (normal >95%). Twenty hours after receiving 700 mg of leronlimab subcutaneously at the patient's home, the patient's heart rate decreased from 120s to low 90s. Shortly thereafter, the company said the patient regained appetite, improved lung function, and had reduced inflammation with Ferritin down to 4x elevated. At week two, the patient went off oxygen support after the second dose was also given at home. At week three, the patient continued to improve in stamina and returned to routine physical activities, added Dr Recknor. Inflammation markers were still elevated with Ferritin still two times elevated, so a third dose was given. At week four, the patient is currently back to normal life activities." Dr Recknor noted that although the CSP data is not randomized double-blinded control, the case reports from the Philippine CSP are consistent with CD12 prespecified major endpoint metrics. Leronlimab when combined with standard of care is better than standard of care alone like antivirals or dexamethasone and may improve clinical outcome status four times better than standard of care at day 14 (p< 0.021) and reduce hospital stays by as much as 6 days (p<0.005) with a higher likelihood of returning to activities of daily living without limitations versus placebo control in critical COVID patients," said Dr Recknor. In COVID-19 patients, leronlimab works by mitigating what is known as the cytokine storm, a hyperactive immune response that can cause inflammation, fatigue, and in severe cases, organ failure. After we provided leronlimab, free of charge, for the first 100 patients in the Philippines for critically ill COVID-19 patients, we are now on a clear path to achieving revenue with our first purchase order, said CytoDyn CEO Nader Pourhassan. Meanwhile, CytoDyn is working with Philippine Airlines as its preferred partner in transporting leronlimab quickly to the Philippines. The carrier will help transport leronlimab vials from Los Angeles to Manila on nonstop flights. "We believe that through the collaborative efforts of both companies, many Filipino lives can be saved, said Chiral Pharma COO Oscar Z Siangco Jr. Contact the author Uttara Choudhury at uttara@proactiveinvestors.com Follow her on Twitter: @UttaraProactive Its a privilege to be included on this list of Canadian companies who are helping to set a new standard for employee wellbeing - Rick Watkin, President and CEO KUBRA, a leading provider of customer experience management solutions for some of the largest utility, insurance, and government entities, is proud to announce that our organization has been named on the 2021 Best Workplaces for Mental Wellness in Canada. Its a privilege to be included on this list of Canadian companies who are helping to set a new standard for employee wellbeing, said Rick Watkin, President and CEO. Conversations around mental health are happening, but theres still a lot of work to be done to eliminate the stigma. This is why were continuing to focus on supplying our employees with tools and programs to support mental wellness in our workplace, added Watkin. KUBRA received this honor after a thorough and independent analysis conducted by Great Place to Work. The list is based on direct feedback from employees of the hundreds of organizations that were surveyed by Great Place to Work. The data has a 90% confidence and a plus or minus 5% margin of error. To be eligible for this list, organizations must be Great Place to Work- Certified in the past year, and at least 80% of employees must agree their workplace is psychologically and emotionally healthy. We determined the BEST based on the overall Mental Wellness Index score from employees. About KUBRA KUBRA provides customer experience management solutions to some of the largest utility and government entities across North America. Our portfolio includes billing and payments, mapping, mobile apps, proactive communications, and artificial intelligence solutions for customers. With more than 1.5 billion customer interactions annually, KUBRA services reach over 40% of households in the U.S. and Canada. KUBRA is an operating subsidiary of the Hearst Corporation. Visit https://www.kubra.com for more information. About Great Place to Work Great Place to Work is the global authority on high-trust, high-performance workplace cultures. Through proprietary assessment tools, advisory services, and certification programs, Great Place to Work recognizes the world's Best Workplaces in a series of national lists including those published by The Globe & Mail (Canada) and Fortune magazine (USA). Great Place to Work provides the benchmarks, framework, and expertise needed to create, sustain, and recognize outstanding workplace cultures. Visit us at http://www.greatplacetowork.ca. In his new role, Labadie will focus on FirstService Residentials customer service, hospitality programs and implementation of new solutions to bring value and the highest level of service to managed communities across the South region, added president for the South region, David Diestel. Landy F. Labadie joins FirstService Residential as Vice President, Community Solutions for the South Region. Labadie brings invaluable expertise to FirstService Residential, with a broad scope of leadership and global hospitality operations, along with a proven track record in delivering exceptional customer experiences, building high performing teams and scalability of processes. Labadies areas of responsibility include FirstService Residentials hospitality program, front desk and security services, technology solutions, food and beverage services, and vendor programs including value engineering. In his new role, Labadie will focus on FirstService Residentials customer service, hospitality programs and implementation of new solutions to bring value and the highest level of service to managed communities across the South region, added president for the South region, David Diestel. Prior to joining FirstService Residential, Labadie served as Senior Vice President for Club Quarters Hotels, Empowered Hotel Management & Masterworks Development, which manages hotels in the US & UK, including boutique, lifestyle, luxury, and independent hotels, as well as their proprietary brand, Club Quarters (CQ Hotels). Labadies experience in all facets of operations, real estate, and lifestyle spaces fueled lead roles in business development, strategic partnerships, and defining and driving brand standards at a global level. His passion for hospitality and travel led Labadie to collaborate with some of the worlds premier brands, organizations, and industry leaders, fine tuning his skills and hospitality acumen. During his 25+ years in the hospitality business, Labadie held key executive roles for Two Roads Hospitality, Destination Hotels, Compass Group, Tom Colicchios Crafted Hospitality, KOR Hotel Group and Noble House Hotels, among others specializing in scalability, asset management, operations, and food and beverage. His leadership style focuses on inspiration over motivation and firmly believes that teamwork is the key to success. Born in Northern New Jersey, Labadie is an alumnus of Florida State University, proud Seminole Booster and Golden Chief, as well as a current board member of the Florida State University - Dedman College of Hospitality. He is also an active member and past board member of many national and South Florida-based organizations and philanthropic endeavors, including the Cuban American National Foundation, Latino Hotel Association, AHLA, Sigma Phi Epsilon, March of Dimes, Mercy Hospital, Amigos 4 Kids and others. Labadie lives in Miami, Florida with his wife and their 3 children. - About FirstService Residential FirstService Residential is North America's largest manager of residential communities and the preferred partner of HOAs, community associations and strata corporations in the U.S. and Canada. FirstService Residential's managed communities include low-, mid- and high-rise condominiums and cooperatives, single-family homes, master-planned, lifestyle and active adult communities, and rental and commercial properties. With an unmatched combination of deep industry experience, local market expertise and personalized attention, FirstService Residential delivers proven solutions and exceptional service that add value, enhance lifestyles and make a difference, every day, for every resident and community it manages. FirstService Residential is a subsidiary of FirstService Corporation, a North American leader in the property services sector. For more information, visit http://www.fsresidential.com. Uh-Oh, Better Get Maaco! Maaco owners across North America have driven the brands reliable reputation because of their ability to relieve the inevitable stress that comes from automotive damage. Maaco, North Americas #1 paint and auto body shop, announced today the launch of its national integrated advertising campaign, The Upside of Uh-Ohs. The campaign kicks off with a musically driven TV spot, directed by Grammy award-winner Joseph Kahn, that refreshes the iconic brand tagline, Uh-Oh, Better Get Maaco. The creative campaign is rooted in the brands almost 50-year reputation as the one to call whenever its time for a fresh paint job or when life inevitably brings its dents, dings, and scratches. Maaco owners across North America have driven the brands reliable reputation because of their ability to relieve the inevitable stress that comes from automotive damage," said Hannah Whitesides, vice president of marketing, Maaco. The heart of our business is being the dependable body shop that customers can count on to transform their damaged vehicle back into the car they love. That is exactly what we are doing with our slogan, Uh-Oh, Better Get Maaco. It has stood the test of time as we still see it resonating with consumers today, so we are excited to reimagine this memorable message. Developed with Mythic, a full-service agency in Charlotte, NC, the campaign uses storytelling, an original song, and everyday Uh-Oh moments to remind consumers that thanks to Maaco, they can keep living on the upside no matter what life throws at them and their vehicles. The client-agency relationship includes strategy, creative and production. When you get an opportunity to reinvent an iconic brand and tagline like Uh-Oh, Better Get Maaco you have to find a way to make it culturally relevant for todays consumer, said David Olsen, executive creative director, Mythic. "The thought of someone's vehicle needing paint or auto body repair during an already challenging year stuck with us. We wanted to highlight the relief Maaco provides by encouraging people to look on the upside and turn those Uh-Ohs into Oh Yeahs." The TV commercial will run in 30- and 15-second formats on national and cable networks, with a long-form version on digital and social channels. The campaign will also incorporate national radio, print, social media, and digital advertising. The 2021 Maaco national advertising campaign elements are available on the Maaco YouTube channel. The agency collaborated with Grammy award-winning director Joseph Kahn, production company Supply & Demand, DuoTone Audio Group, and ODD for post-production to bring the vision and contagious feel to life. Visit Maaco.com for more information about Maaco. About Maaco Maaco is North Americas body shop, with almost 50 years of experience in providing affordable auto body repair and car painting. Maaco, with more than 400 independently owned and operated franchises across the United States and Canada, has been named a top automotive franchise numerous times by Entrepreneur Magazine in its Annual Franchise 500 ranking and Franchise Times list of Top 200 franchises. Maaco is a member of Driven Brands, the largest automotive services company in North America. For more information about Maaco, visit Maaco.com. About Driven Brands Driven Brands, headquartered in Charlotte, NC, is the largest automotive services company in North America, providing a range of consumer and commercial automotive needs, including paint, collision, glass, vehicle repair, oil change, maintenance and car wash. Driven Brands is the parent company of some of North Americas leading automotive service businesses including Take 5 Oil Change, Meineke Car Care Centers, Maaco, 1-800-Radiator & A/C, and CARSTAR. Driven Brands has more than 4,200 locations across 15 countries, and services over 50 million vehicles annually. Driven Brands network generates more than $1 billion in revenue from more than $3 billion in system-wide sales. About Mythic Mythic is a full-service marketing communications agency based out of Charlotte, North Carolina, with deep experience in some of todays most dynamic consumer and B2B markets, including Financial Services, Insurance, Healthcare, Automotive, Retail and Real Estate. The agency an Adweek 100 Fastest Growing Agency has created award-winning campaigns that have driven business results for both challenger brands and category leaders including Fortune 500 clients like MetLife, Spectrum, Ally, Synchrony Financial, Sonic Automotive and more. Media Inquiries: Melissa Kwiatkowski Melissa.kwiatkowski@drivenbrands.com 416-455-0338 The World Inside My Head: an emotional tale of strength. The World Inside My Head is the creation of published author, Marcella Wayne, a loving mother and grandmother who hopes to share the world with a beloved grandson someday. Wayne shares, As a child of abuse, I didnt think I had a choice but to stay silent. That gave him just what he needed to groom me into the perfect silent adult who never asked anyone else for help because he had made it clear that I could never live without him. I overcame that programming with Gods love and mercy. I went on to be his caregiver in the end through forgiveness. I could not watch my worst enemy die alone. With the help of God, I learned to be there for most of the people that I loved in their final days. I tried to be the person they needed me to be, to show them they were not alone because there is nothing worse than feeling alone and helpless. I learned that having a forgiving heart, in the long run, helped me more than the one being forgiven. It was therapeutic for me, and I wondered, Is this how God feels every time He has to forgive us over and over again? It was not the curse I believed it to be. It was a gift that God gave me out of love to help me survive the life that I had to live. Forgiveness was my saving grace. With God carrying me every step of the way, I survived and am here to try to help others survive it too. I just need God to continue to show me the way. Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Marcella Waynes new book is a powerful story of overcoming the devastation of abuse. Wayne offers readers an intimate look into a troubled childhood and difficult young adulthood as the story winds it way from despair to the joy of Gods love. View a synopsis of The World Inside My Head on YouTube. Consumers can purchase The World Inside My Head at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or inquiries about The World Inside My Head, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919. In May, Suzanne Somers sold her Palm Springs home for $8.5 million. Where Real Estate Is Never Boring! May's Top 10 Celebrity Real Estate News Mission Accomplished: Tom Cruise Ski Home Sold Tom Cruise listed his 320-acre ski home in Telluride, Colorado for $39.5 million in March. It has already sold and at the full asking price. In 1994, Cruise helped design the 10,000-square-foot, stone-and-cedar home with four bedrooms, a gym, recreation room, library and a guest house with an additional three bedrooms. Jeter Sells Brady Rental Sets New Record Derek Jeter has sold his Tampa Bay mansion that Tom Brady has been renting since joining the Tampa Bay Buccaners. Derek sold the 22,000-square-foot mansion for about $22.5 million, which is a record price for Tampa-area real estate. Joan Rivers' Penthouse For Sale Ghost Long Gone Joan Rivers lavish New York penthouse - the home she described as "What Marie Antoinette would have done, if she had money" and once hired a voodoo priestess to remove a ghost - is for sale. After Joan's death in 2014, the apartment was purchased by Middle Eastern royalty for $28 million. It is now back on the market at $38 million. Rihanna Does It Twice In Beverly Hills Rihanna recently bought side-by-side homes in Beverly Hills. She purchased a contemporary home a few months ago for $13.8 million and more recently a traditional Tudor for $10 million. Between the two homes, she has more than 11,000 square feet of living space, two pools and an abundance of parking. Historic Hilton Family Mansion Sold After 60 years in the Hilton family, W. Barron Hilton's 15,000-square-foot home in L.A.'s Bel Air neighborhood has sold for $61.5 million. The home was originally built in 1935 for Jay Paley whose family founded CBS. W. Barron, who died in 2019, was the son of Conrad Hilton and grandfather of Paris Hilton. Katy Perry House Is Sold Katy Perry has sold one of her L. A. homes for almost $7.5 million. Located in Beverly Hills near her main living home, she used the four-bedroom home primarily for guests. Phil Spector's Castle Home Sold Phil Spector's infamous home has sold for $3.3 million. The home was built in the 1920s in L.A.'s Alhambra neighborhood to look like a French aristocratic castle-home with over 8,600 square feet and views of the San Gabriel Valley. In 2009, Spector was convicted of murdering actress Lana Clarkson in 2003 at his home. He died in a California prison in January, 2021. Suzanne Somers Sells Sexy Compound Suzanne Somers and husband, Alan Hamel, created the ultimate love nest in their wonderfully quirky and glamorous abode in Palm Springs, California. Back on the market after several tries and a long hiatus, Suzanne Somers' home was most recently listed at $8.5 million. The home has now sold sale price not yet disclosed. Bette Midler's New York Penthouse Bette Midler got some wind under her wings when she finally sold her 14-room Upper East Side penthouse. She originally listed her longtime New York home in 2019 at $50 million. The Dude's Home Now Belongs To Oprah Jeff Dude Bridges and wife, Susan, recently sold their Tuscan-style family estate in Montecito, California to Oprah Winfrey for $6.85 million. Purchased in 1994 from rocker Kenny Loggins, who designed much of the home, the almost 20-acre hilltop property consists of the main house with a bit over 3,500 square feet, a caretakers cottage, a pool house and guest house. Oprah owns several homes in the Montecito area. For more celebrity home news and celebrity home video tours, visit TopTenRealEstateDeals.com. NFTs have experienced rapid growth and we see a continued market opportunity for them and similar assets for the foreseeable future. Leveraging that technology is a win for consumers, ecotourism, and the environment itself MOSS, creator of the MCO2 token the worlds first tokenized carbon credit, today announced it has completed the acquisition of One Percent, one of the leading blockchain and tokenization startups in Brazil. The announcement represents a fundamental step toward expanding MOSS's climate tech strategy, leveraging technology for environmental services. One Percent is a developer of technologies that allow for the creation of digital assets, including non-fungible tokens (NFTs) from a blockchain platform. One Percent founders Renan Kruger, Fabio Junges, Andre Meirelles, Fausto Vanin, and Juliano Lazzarotto become part of the MOSS executive board. Additionally, Renan Kruger will become CTO of MOSS while One Percent has started to function as a business unit of the company. With the acquisition of One Percent, we are positioning MOSS to significantly increase our ability to leverage technology and the blockchain to improve the environment. We expect that the sale of NFTs will be a major source of funds for MOSS and the environmental projects we take on, says Luis Adaime, CEO and founder of MOSS. NFTs have experienced rapid growth and we see a continued market opportunity for them and similar assets for the foreseeable future. Leveraging that technology is a win for consumers, ecotourism, and the environment itself,'' says Renan Kruger, CTO of MOSS. Moss and OnePercent have just released their own NFT portal called Rarum, focused on providing sustainable NFT collectibles to the market. MOSS itself has created digital art NFTs in collaboration with the environmental NGO Oncafari. One MOSS NFT featuring a jaguar hunting at night can create revenue of $200,000 USD for the preservation of jaguars in the Amazon rainforest and is a great example of content that will be featured on the platform soon. About MOSS and the MCO2 Token MOSS is the largest environmental platform in the world. With global operations and headquartered in Brazil, it started operating in early 2020, when it launched the first carbon credit-backed token, MCO2, used to offset carbon footprints. MCO2 is audited by international institutions and registered with Verra, a foundation that regulates the global registration of voluntary credits, following a strict global protocol. Narwal T10 is the first robot mop and vacuum featuring innovative mop self-cleaning technology. Today, after a successful pre-order campaign, robotics startup Narwal launched the Narwal T10 to US customers. The T10 is the first robot mop and vacuum featuring innovative mop self-cleaning technology. The system is available for $1,099 USD on the companys e-commerce website and on Amazon. After seeing my mother work day in and day out to keep the family home clean, I decided to apply my expertise and passion for robotics to create products to free her from her daily chores, said Junbin Zhang, Narwals Founder and CEO. And when I discovered that most robot mops on the market need to be cleaned manually, which is counterintuitive, I knew I had the right project. In vacuum mode, Narwal T10 has powerful suction of 1800 Pa to handle daily cleaning of surface debris. In mop mode, dual mops press tightly against the floor with 10N force for more hygienic and effective results than manual mopping. The triangular-shaped pads spin at 180rpm and are designed for excellent coverage without leaving traces behind on the floor. Narwal T10s base station is equipped with dual tanksone for clean water, and another for wastewater. While it cleans, Narwal T10 auto-detects the mops level of dirtiness and, when its time, returns itself to home base for automatic mop cleaning, then sets out again to the precise location where it left off. After the cleaning session is complete, the mops are auto-dried in the base station to prevent bacterial build-up. With the help of Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR) Navigation and Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) technology, Narwal T10 skillfully navigates spaces of up to 2,150 ft2 while avoiding no-go zones. Users can remotely control and unlock advanced functions for the robot through the companion app on IOS and Android store, such as setting restricted zones, checking cleaning path and status from anywhere at any time, and more. After three years of working closely with research and development talents from domestic and foreign high education institutions, including the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Duke University, CMU, and the Georgia Institute of Technology, were thrilled to bring Narwal T10 to market, continued Zhang. Media wishing to interview Narwals personnel should contact PR agent Borjana Slipicevic at borjana@properpropaganda.net. For all other enquiries: hi@narwal.com. About Narwal: As a fast growing robotics startup, Narwal has a single mission: to create products that give people the freedom to live their lives to the fullest. The company is involved in SLAM, 3D perception, AI object recognition, robot mechanisms, and big data application. As of today, the company has filed more than 100 patent applications for breakthrough products. The Narwal T10 has won a number of awards, including being called one of Time Magazines Best Inventions of 2020 and the Edison Gold Award, honoring innovation. The 2021 Neighborhood Credit Union Scholarship Recipients Their motivation to keep moving forward is so inspiring. Last week, Neighborhood Credit Union presented three high school seniors with a college scholarship that will go towards the 2021-2022 school year. This years prompt was simple: 2020 was a year unlike any other and many experienced virtual, erratic learning for the first time. What kept you motivated to do your best in school, and how has this uniquely prepared you for the future? Students had the option to submit an essay or video and this year Neighborhood Credit Union received a record-breaking number of entries. After combing through over 75 submissions, the Texas credit union named the three scholarship recipients of 2021: Eric is a senior at Lancaster High School and intends on attending Navarro College in the fall of 2021. In his essay, Eric spoke about the support of his family and his passion for animals. Eric plans to pursue a degree in veterinary medicine. Sherlon is a senior at Frisco High School and intends on attending Collin County Community College in the fall of 2021. In his essay, Sherlon spoke of the different challenges he saw the entire world experience in 2020 and how it has motivated him to create a better future for himself and others. Caitlyn is a senior at JJ Pearce High school and intends on attending the University of Michigan in the fall of 2021. In her video, Caitlyn spoke about her passion for opera and the importance of prioritizing your mental health during challenging times. Caitlyn intends to pursue a degree within the musical space. Im so impressed by each and every student that submitted an application for our scholarship, said Neighborhood Credit Union Marketing Specialist, Skyler Tumbleson. It was an honor to get to know each student on a more personal level, and I am so amazed at how well the younger generations have handled this extremely difficult year. Their motivation to keep moving forward is so inspiring. Neighborhood Credit Union announced the return of its annual scholarship in February of 2021 after taking a year off from the scholarship program in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Those applying for the scholarship had to be a member or be related to a member of Neighborhood Credit Union, be a high school senior or a college freshman with at least a 3.0 GPA, and plan on or is currently attending a two-year or four-year accredited university or college. About Neighborhood Credit Union: As an active part of the community for 90 years, Neighborhood Credit Union is a not-for-profit financial organization serving the state of Texas with branch locations in Collin, Dallas, Denton, and Ellis counties, as well as the city of Arlington. With assets topping $ 1 billion, Neighborhood Credit Union has a continuously growing membership of 56,000. For more information, call (214) 748-9393 or visit https://www.myncu.com. A New Covid-19 Consortium launches an advocacy business to protect citizens and businesses. OwnCovid, CovidRegsHurtMe, and CovidKilledMyBusiness have joined together to offer the best support to help people recover from the pandemic. _____________________________________________________________________________ Partner Magic LLC has consolidated Covid advocates and launched a service for Americans who have been told to curtail their livelihood and businesses. OwnCovid.com and Covidregshurtme.com were established to help Americans get on with their lives and businesses. OwnCovid is the lead name for a commercial and consumer consolidation of world class professional services that range from help in surviving these un-precedented times. There is a lot of documentation on suicide rates, domestic violence rates, divorce rates, bankruptcy rates and many other implications from unnecessary restrictions that have hurt people unnecessarily because of political pressure and businesses being forced to make decisions instead of allowing consumers to choose if they want to isolate or not. OwnCovid does not take a position on the pandemic as it has proven to be real, we have created a professional firm that focuses on debating undue harm and not the harm of the virus itself. We are excited to be advocates for people who been overly effected. We do not take COVID lightly, the companys mission is about self-choice, like HPV vaccines, flu vaccines, chicken pox, measles, etc. OwnCovid CEO, Fred Stefany (former board member of American Diabetes Association and Joint Commission Certified nursing business), while setting the vision, has stated publicly that his mission is based around his kids and friends who have been hurt and hopes to use this platform to make everyone win irregardless of their Covid views. We are proud to have signed our first-class action law firm partnership and also have 2 partnerships with specialty lawyers for high harm remuneration. We have the best experience representing people in the US and are not currently taking cases outside of the US. More information is available at OwnCovid.com The multi-state partnership is registered under Partner Magic LLC which is a subsidiary of FiNS Company a California woman owned company. Inquiries can be sent to: OwnCovid.com Covidhurtme.com Covidkilledmybusiness.com Info@Finscompany.com Its a myth that Section 1031 is a loophole for the wealthy to avoid paying taxes, said Julie Baird, FEA President. New economic research estimates Section 1031 like-kind exchanges will contribute 568,000 jobs and $27.5 billion in labor income to the national economy and $55.3 billion to the U.S. gross domestic product in 2021, according to the Federation of Exchange Accommodators (FEA). The research, conducted by Ernst and Young, also found that like-kind exchanges will generate approximately $7.8 billion in federal, state and local taxes this year. In addition, foregone depreciation, or reduced deductions, on the replacement properties, is estimated to bring in another $6 billion per year in income tax revenue. Baird said all of this economic activity would grind to a halt if President Bidens proposal to cap the 100-year-old tax deferral becomes law. As a means to pay for his $1.8 trillion American Families Plan, the President has proposed capping gain deferred under like-kind exchanges at $500,000. A cap on like-kind exchanges would effectively eliminate Section 1031 and cripple the commercial real estate market, said Baird. Many large commercial properties such as hotels, office buildings and retail spaces need to be reimagined or renovated as a result of the pandemic. These exchanges generate jobs for people such as contractors, construction workers, building material suppliers and many more. Without Section 1031, people will simply hold onto their properties instead of repurposing them. Approximately 10 to 20 percent of all commercial real estate transactions are 1031 exchanges, according to a November 2020 study by Professors Dr. David Ling and Milena Petrova. The Ling and Petrova study also found that 1031 buyers invest more capital into replacement properties than non-1031 buyers. Its a myth that Section 1031 is a loophole for the wealthy to avoid paying taxes, said Baird. Section 1031 is used by a broad variety of taxpayers and the overwhelming majority of those who utilize like-kind exchanges eventually sell the replacement property in a taxable sale. According to the Ling and Petrova research, 80 percent of properties acquired through an exchange are later sold in a taxable transaction, at which time the tax is paid. The remaining 20 percent includes all non-taxable transfers such as foreclosure, eminent domain, partition or other court ordered transfer, divorce, partnership dissolution, gift and death. 2021 marks the 100th year anniversary of Section 1031 like-kind exchanges. For 100 years, Section 1031 has been a powerful stimulator of the U.S. economy, said Baird. Capping like-kind exchanges takes away an important tool for revitalizing commercial real estate, and without it our communities and the U.S. economy will suffer. Copies of the full Ernst and Young study and the Ling and Petrova study can be found on http://www.1031taxreform.com. ### About the FEA: The Federation of Exchange Accommodators (FEA) is the only national trade association organized to represent professionals who facilitate like-kind exchanges under Internal Revenue Code Section 1031. Members of FEA include qualified intermediaries, their primary tax and legal counsel, as well as affiliated industries, like Delaware Statutory Trust (DST) sponsors, banks, real estate brokers, title companies, and settlement/escrow agents. FEA members range from small, privately held businesses to publicly traded title insurance companies and banks throughout small towns and big cities across the nation. Kenbridges total measured and indicated resources is 7.47 million tonnes at 0.6% nickel and 0.32% copper or a total of 95 million pounds of contained nickel Tartisan recently completed a surface Time Domain Electromagnetic (TDEM) survey at a target just north of the main deposit known as Kenbridge North that suggested conductive material continues to depth and to the north Tartisan Nickel Corp ( ) (OTCPINK:TTSRF) has filed an updated mineral resource on its Kenbridge nickel project that shows great potential for expansion at depth. Kenbridges total measured and indicated resources is 7.47 million tonnes at 0.6% nickel (Ni) and 0.32% copper (Cu) for a total of 95 million pounds of contained nickel, with an additional 0.99 million tonnes at 1% Ni and 0.62% Cu for 22 million pounds contained nickel in the inferred category. The resources were based on a Net Smelter Return (NSR) cut-off value of C$15 per tonne for pit constrained mineral resources and C$60 per tonne NSR for out-of-pit mineral resources, Tartisan said in a statement. Located in the Kenora Mining District of Ontario, Kenbridge is close to existing infrastructure like roads and power. The project already has a shaft that extends to a depth of 622 metres, with level stations at 45 metre intervals below the shaft collar and two levels developed at 107 m and 152 m below the shaft collar. In a statement, Toronto-based Tartisan said the deposit shows there is great potential to expand the mineral resource down-plunge of high-grade intersections such as hole KB07-180 (2.95% Ni, 0.82% Cu / 21.5m including 7.2% Ni, 0.67% Cu / 5.5m) and also at depth. The firm added: The deepest hole (end of hole K2010 = 880 m below surface) intersected mineralization grading 4.25% nickel and 1.38% copper over 10.7 ft (3.3 m), indicating that the deposit remains open at depth. Tartisan recently completed a surface Time Domain Electromagnetic (TDEM) survey at a target just north of the main deposit known as Kenbridge North that suggested conductive material continues to depth and to the north. The company said it plans to expand on these intersections, upgrade the indicated and inferred mineral resources and test high potential nickel exploration targets like Kenbridge North. Tartisan filed the updated report to revise certain disclosure and include the recent Kenbridge Property visit by representatives of P&E Mining Consultants Inc, which took place in May 2021, as well as the recent Crone Geophysics winter work program. As per a request by the Ontario Securities Commission, the company retracted the "aged" Kenbridge Preliminary Economic Assessment information originally filed in 2008 and amended in 2010 from the Technical Report. Contact Angela at angela@proactiveinvestors.com Follow her on Twitter @AHarmantas He has quickly internalized our companys core values and has rapidly gotten up to speed and begun contributing value to our clients. We are excited to have him on board helping expand our New York City presence, said Red Banyan CEO and Founder Evan Nierman. Red Banyan, a specialized public relations firm focused on managing complex, high-stakes crisis communication issues, has hired Eli Kapsack as Account Coordinator. Based in the firms New York City office, Kapsack will support a variety of accounts, providing in-depth research, media outreach and content creation. Kapsack is a recent graduate of New York University, where he earned a bachelor of arts in Architectural Design and Politics at the Gallatin School of Individualized Study. During his undergraduate career, Kapsack contributed regularly to NYUs student-run newspaper and gained relevant experience in marketing and communications. Eli will prove to be a great asset for Red Banyan and our clients, said CEO and Founder Evan Nierman. He has quickly internalized our companys core values and has rapidly gotten up to speed and begun contributing value to our clients. We are excited to have him on board helping expand our New York City presence. Red Banyan is a renowned communications firm that has steadily expanded since launching in 2010. Kapsacks hiring comes on the heels of Red Banyan opening its New York City location, the firms fifth across the country. Kapsack added: I am thrilled to be working and learning within such a collaborative and superlative environment. I am excited to grow in my role and feel very fortunate to be surrounded by such experienced and effective communications experts. About Red Banyan Red Banyan is a specialized communications firm and crisis management firm focused on solving complex, highly sensitive and mission-critical communications challenges. Specializing in crisis communications, corporate public relations, government relations, and legal PR, Red Banyan provides an integrated approach to communications rooted in strategy. Learn more at http://www.redbanyan.com, become a fan on the Red Banyan Facebook page and follow the firm on Twitter and LinkedIn. Omnie Integrated Services, an innovative, industry-leading, omni-channel customer service platform, announced today they are in cooperation with Zendesk, Inc. The Omnie solution, which delights users through an integrated, managed customer service experience is elevating the way brands communicate with their customers. Omnie customizes its solution to support organizations around the world in over 100 languages. Omnie is driven by a mission to make premier customer service and leading technologies available to organizations of all sizes. Omnies North American-based brand ambassadors support voice, SMS, email, contact form, live chat, social media, and messaging platforms. For digital communications, Omnie offers automated customer support and self-help. By identifying the customer journey, breaking down the priority of visitors into different pathways, we help companies reduce their resolution time, increase customer satisfaction, all while saving costs. "Customer service is paramount to the growth of any organization. The modern customer expects fast, secure, unified, and user-friendly service using the contact channels they love most. With over a decade of customer service and leadership experience on 5 continents, I understand what todays customers are seeking and how to deliver that experience, said Jordan Brown, Founder of Omnie. We are thrilled to be working with Zendesk to enhance and strengthen customer relationships and brand loyalty. "We are looking forward to developing the partnership with Omnie, combining Zendesks powerful technology with Omnies customized, integrated, omni-channel solution, said Nathan Smith, Director of Partner Sales at Zendesk. By working with customer service software leader Zendesk, Omnie can expand the tools and technologies available to their clients to improve the customer experience and deliver tangible value. Zendesk is a CRM company that builds flexible support, sales, and customer engagement software that is quick to implement and scales to meet the changing needs of more than 160,000 customers worldwide. About Omnie Omnie is driven by a mission to make premier customer service and leading technologies available to organizations of all sizes. Changing the way brands communicate with their customers, the Omnie solution supports voice, SMS, email, contact form, live chat and social media. For digital communications, Omnie offers both live chat and automated customer support. With clients in the United States, Canada, and Europe, Omnie provides customer service to brands all verticals including eCommerce, health & wellness, hospitality, tech, and travel. Bounce brings protection plans to consumers with new or existing devices in hand OnPoint, a leading provider of warranty services, including underwriting, service contract and extended warranty programs, home warranty, logistics and service management technology, has signed an agreement with Canadian based company, Bounce. Bounce, founded by industry veteran Scott Walker, develops and sells extended warranty protection services for mobile devices. Bounce enables our mobile society to select coverage for device screen protection based on a consumers desired protection level and device value.http://www.getbounce.ca Working with OnPoint enables Bounce to expand to the US market. By utilizing OnPoints underwriting ecosystem and licensing, Bounce can offer protection plans to existing device holders through our online platform, or through OnPoints reseller network, said Scott Walker, Founder and CEO, Bounce. Bounce is an exciting relationship for OnPoint Warranty. It enables us to bring protection plans to consumers with devices in hand, and also supports BYOD (bring your own device) mobile workforces. Weve been able to secure underwriting for the Bounce programs in the US and have launched the program within our reseller channel. We are also adding new resellers that own unique consumer segments in the US market over time. Post-launch, OnPoint will take on obligor and administration functions for Bounce in the US market, said Rob Christian, Founder, President and Chief Risk Officer, OnPoint. Learn about the Bounce program here: https://www.onpointwarranty.com/lp-bounce-contact-us About OnPoint Warranty Solutions OnPoint was launched by customer experience experts with proven success in helping global brands deliver underwriting, service contract and manufacturer warranty programs, service fulfillment, service administration technology, and logistics, to drive the highest levels of consumer experience in the service industry. Building on the foundation of a connected, multinational service network, omnichannel customer interactions, and consumer-focused technology, OnPoint creates brand loyalty through service contract and service solutions designed to reduce risk, increase efficiency, delight consumers, and improve our customers bottom line. For more information, visit our website: http://www.onpointwarranty.com We hope OperaWine guests will taste many excellent wines, and discover what makes Italian wines so special, and so unique. OperaWine welcomes journalists, sommeliers and international wine professionals for an exclusive gala event aiming at shedding a light on the diversity and high quality of Italian wines, both in their traditional interpretation and their oenological new frontiers. The selection is a true ambassador of Made in Italy products, promoting the best wines to international buyers and experts in the wine industry. To celebrate the 10th anniversary, Wine Spectator has decided to invite not only the 2021 selected producers, but also those who were selected at least once during the past ten editions, for a total of 186 Italian wine producers. In the words of Marvin R. Shanken, Editor and Publisher of Wine Spectator: This year, to celebrate our tenth edition, we have taken a different approach. In addition to the producers selected especially for this year, we have re-invited all the wineries that have participated in every edition of the event. In consequence, a total of 186 Italian wineries will participate. Each will pour one great vintage and the owners and winemakers will be on hand to meet the guests and discuss their wines. He continues: We hope OperaWine guests will taste many excellent wines, and discover what makes Italian wines so special, and so unique. This year we are especially proud to announce that OperaWine will be back in-person. We believe that human interaction is crucial, and at the same time, we take our guests safety and health seriously. To ensure that, the 2021 edition will have a new location. OperaWine will always take place in Verona, but this year it will be held at the Gallerie Mercatali, the newly renovated historical Market Galleries. This new venue, measuring 7000 sqm, provides a much larger and accessible space, where social distancing is respected. Once inside the venue, our guests will have to follow a specific path through an experiential journey exploring regions, grape varieties, and the finest wines represented by 186 producers. The event will start at 2 pm. From 10:30 am on, producers and sponsors will be on site for interviews and pictures, followed by a light lunch offered by pizza Chef Renato Bosco from Sapore in San Martino Buon Albergo, Verona. The ribbon cutting ceremony will take place at 2:15 pm, and the event will end at 7 pm. A special thanks goes to our numerous sponsors and partners: among them, our main sponsor, Unicredit, an Italian bank that will be presenting a new product specifically designed for wineries. Enartis, a leading company in wine additives is also supporting the event. The Grana Padano cheese consortium, representing the excellence of Italian dairy art, will be offering its products, and presenting all exhibitors with a special gift. Grissin Bon will provide its signature breadsticks and thanks to a special partnership, San Felice Acqua di Toscana will be offering spring water. Frantoio Bonamini will provide bread and olive oil, Terra e Cuore will be offering artisanal ice-cream, and Forno Bonomi will be present with a buffet of sweets and delicacies. Finally, each visitor will receive a complimentary glass from Rastal, world-renowned glass manufacturer, with a special engraving of the OperaWine logo. The OperaWine staff remains fully at disposal for any additional enquiry and can be contacted at: operawine@justdothework.it _______ About Vinitaly: The 54th edition of Vinitaly has been postponed to April, 10-13 2022. Every year, Vinitaly counts more than 4,000 exhibitors on a 100,000+ square meter area and 130,000 visitors from over 140 different countries with more than 30,000 top international buyers. The premier event to Vinitaly, OperaWine Finest Italian Wines: 100 Great Producers selected by Wine Spectator which in 2021 will be held on June 19, will unite international wine professionals in the heart of Verona, offering them the unique opportunity to discover and taste the wines of the 100 Best Italian Producers, as selected by Wine Spectator. Since 1998 Vinitaly travels to several countries such as Russia, China, USA and Hong Kong thanks to its strategic arm abroad, Vinitaly International. In February 2014 Vinitaly International launched an educational project, the Vinitaly International Academy (VIA) with the aim of divulging and broadcasting the excellence and diversity of Italian wine around the globe. Today VIA counts 215 Italian Wine Ambassadors and 15 Italian Wine Experts. About Wine Spectator: Wine Spectator is the worlds leading authority on wine. Anchored by Wine Spectator magazine, a print publication that reaches around 3 million readers worldwide, the brand also encompasses the Webs most comprehensive wine site (WineSpectator.com), mobile platforms and a series of signature events. Wine Spectator examines the world of wine from the vineyard to the table, exploring wines role in contemporary culture and delivering expert reviews of more than 15,000 wines each year. Parent company M. Shanken Communications, Inc., also publishes Cigar Aficionado, Whisky Advocate, Market Watch, Shanken News Daily and Shankens Impact Newsletter. "We've developed a thoughtful update to our remote work policy that deeply aligns with our culture of collaboration and teamwork and ensures all of our team members can continue to deliver high-caliber work," said Kevin J. Keane, Managing Partner at PKF OConnor Davies. PKF OConnor Davies, LLP, one of the nations largest accounting, tax, and advisory firms, announced today its Schedule Your Work Week telecommuting program, a flexible work policy that empowers employees to decide which days they will come into the office each week. The program, among the most flexible in the industry, is designed to foster the highest levels of collaboration between employees who want to return to the office and those who wish to maintain a hybrid working model. It ensures team member safety while providing the resources needed to continue to deliver the superior service and personalized attention clients have come to expect. When stay-at-home orders were announced last year, we had to adapt quickly and develop remote work policies that kept our team safe and allowed us to maintain our exceptional standard of client service, said Kevin J. Keane, Managing Partner at PKF OConnor Davies. Im proud to say that even with all the challenges they faced, our team did not miss a beat. More than a year later, weve had time to develop a thoughtful update to our remote work policy that deeply aligns with our culture of collaboration and teamwork and ensures all of our team members can continue to deliver high-caliber work. The Schedule Your Work Week policy builds upon a successful pilot program first developed at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the enhanced policy, the Firm recognizes each employees specific life circumstances and gives them the flexibility to work in the way that best positions them for success. While some positions inherently will require more in-office time, the policy does not establish a minimum number of onsite days most employees will be required to be present for. The policy does not eliminate employees responsibility for applicable, work-related travel, which has resumed with the lifting of certain pandemic-related restrictions. The Firm has always prided itself on staying ahead of the industry curve in regard to supporting our employees, and Schedule Your Work Week is proof positive of that, said Dawn Perri, Chief Human Resources Officer at PKF OConnor Davies. With this new policy, we sought to create an environment that places each of our employees in a position to develop a more robust team-oriented approach to their daily responsibilities and enhance the camaraderie and team spirit that are treasured hallmarks of our Firm culture. PKF OConnor Davies has 14 offices in six states and continues to expand through organic growth and acquisitions on the East Coast. It has supported this growth with a strategic combination of promoting from within coupled with tactical external hires. About PKF OConnor Davies, LLP PKF OConnor Davies, LLP is a full-service certified public accounting and advisory firm with a long history of serving clients both domestically and internationally. With roots tracing to 1891, 14 offices in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Maryland, Florida, and Rhode Island and more than 1,000 professionals led by over 100 partners, the Firm provides a complete range of accounting, auditing, tax, and management advisory services. PKF OConnor Davies is a top-ranked firm, according to Accounting Todays 2021 Top 100 Firms list, and was recently recognized as one of Americas Best Tax Firms by Forbes. In additional 2021 rankings, PKF O'Connor Davies was named one of Vault's Accounting 50, a ranking of the 50 best accounting employers to work for in North America, and ranked among the top 50 most prestigious accounting firms in America in a complementary Vault survey. The Firm is the 12th largest accounting firm in the New York Metropolitan area, according to Crains New York Business, and the 10th top accounting firm in New Jersey according to NJBIZs 2019 rankings. PKF OConnor Davies is enrolled in the AICPA Peer Review Program and has central memberships in the Private Companies Practice Section (PCPS), the Employee Benefit Plan Audit Quality Center (EBPAQC), Government Audit Quality Center (GAQC), and Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB). By consistently delivering proactive, thorough, and efficient service, PKF O'Connor Davies has built long-lasting, valuable relationships with its clients. Partners are closely involved in the day-to-day management of engagements, ensuring a high degree of client service and cost effectiveness. The Firms seasoned professional staff members employ a team approach to all engagements to provide clients with the utmost quality and timely services aimed at helping them succeed. Continuity of staffing and attention to detail in all client engagements make the Firm stand out among its competitors. PKF OConnor Davies is the lead North American representative of the international association of PKF member firms. PKF International is a network of legally independent member firms providing accounting, tax, and business advisory services in over 400 locations in 150 countries around the world. With its tradition, experience, and focus on the future, PKF OConnor Davies is ready to help clients meet todays ever-changing economic conditions and manage the growing complexities of the regulatory environment. For more information, visit http://www.PKFOD.com. # # # Dr. Tomasz Biernacki DPM discusses diabetes foot care and diabetic foot infections in Berkley Michigan. Dr. Tom Biernacki states Diabetic foot care is extremely important as part of a diabetic patients long-term care. We know that not everyone can make it into clinic, so it is crucial to have services like podiatrist telehealth and podiatrist home care visits available. Prime Foot & Ankle Specialists are now offering podiatrist diabetic foot care, podiatrist diabetic shoes diabetes blood flow evaluations at their Royal Oak, MI podiatrist & Berkley, MI podiatrist office. Prime Foot & Ankle Specialists strive to provide modern podiatrist and foot doctor diabetes care. As well as high-risk diabetic foot care to their patients through diabetic shoe dispensing, telehealth evaluations for the diabetic foot, and diabetes home care options. Diabetes can cause diabetic peripheral neuropathy, diabetic foot ulcers and diabetic foot infections. It is crucial to make your podiatrist or foot doctor part of the foot care team to help treat your diabetic foot and help prevent future hospitalizations. Prime Foot & Ankle Specialists include podiatrists and foot doctors that specialize in caring for diabetes of the foot and ankle, dispensing diabetic shoes as well as evaluating diabetic foot ulcers and diabetic foot infections. The podiatrists and foot doctors at Prime Foot & Ankle Specialists include Dr. Tom Biernacki DPM , Dr. Jeffrey Klein DPM, Dr. Robert Strasberger DPM, Dr. Andrew Thompson DPM, Dr. Herbert Bircoll DPM, Dr. Gerald Gold DPM & Dr. Leslie Joseph DPM. The team offers over 100+ years of diabetic foot care as well as diabetic foot and infections! The Prime Foot & Ankle podiatrist and foot doctor clinic prides itself as providing modern and advanced podiatrist care. Podiatrists and foot doctors can now offer telehealth appointments for more urgent diabetic foot infections, or concern about diabetic foot ulcers. If the patient is not able to make it into clinic, the podiatrists and foot doctors of this clinic can help with in person podiatrist home care appointments. Dr. Tom Biernacki states Diabetic foot care is extremely important as part of a diabetic patients long-term care. We know that not everyone can make it into clinic, so it is crucial to have services like podiatrist telehealth and podiatrist home care visits available. Diabetes can cause diabetic infections and diabetic foot ulcers to develop quickly. It is essential to get these treated as quickly as possible. A unique feature of Prime Foot & Ankle Specialists is that they are one of the leaders in southeast Michigan in both podiatrist telemedicine and home care visits. The foot doctors and podiatrists at this clinic have been providing podiatrist home care visits, podiatrist house call visits and telehealth options for numerous years. Prime Foot & Ankle Specialists have been providing care to the Metro Detroit Area for over 30 years. The headquarters are in Berkley, Michigan. Direct debt relief is one of the best ways we can support small businesses right now. The challenges theyre facing are immense and reopening is just the first step on a long road to financial recovery," said Lenore Estrada, Executive Director of SF New Deal. SF New Deal is launching a micro grant program to distribute $1,000,000 to small businesses in San Francisco, many of whom are struggling with debt even as post-Covid reopening expands. In order to support small businesses and strengthen local communities, SF New Deal is providing grants of $2,500 to 400 small businesses. A March 2021 SF New Deal survey of San Francisco restaurants found that the number of restaurants facing debt, as well as the amount of debt, has increased significantly. 60% of restaurants are currently in debt, compared to 34% in March 2020, the start of the first shelter-in-place order. On average, debt nearly doubled, increasing from $62,000 to $114,000. Direct debt relief is one of the best ways we can support small businesses right now. The challenges theyre facing are immense and reopening is just the first step on a long road to financial recovery," said Lenore Estrada, Executive Director of SF New Deal. "Were excited to offer much needed financial assistance, with an easy application and no need for repayment, to a range of small businesses beyond just restaurants. SF New Deals grant program is open to all small businesses, including newly opened businesses, that have not previously participated in any of SF New Deals programs. The business does not have to be a restaurant to apply -- for example bookstores, retail stores, nail salons or any type of impacted small businesses are encouraged to apply. Individuals can apply for their own business to receive a grant or can nominate a small business for the grant. Application and nomination details are listed on the SF New Deal Small Business Debt Relief Grant Program Page. The application submission period is from June 1 - June 30, 2021. Grant award announcements will be made by July 31, 2021. In order to qualify, the business must meet all of the following criteria: The business is located within the City of San Francisco. The business has 3 or fewer locations. The business has at least 3 (Full Time Equivalent) employees. The business had 2019 (pre-pandemic) revenue of less than $3M annually. The business was negatively impacted by COVID-19 Shelter-in-Place orders (ex. the business lost employees, sales decreased, debt increased, etc.). The business has no outstanding violations or existing claims with the San Francisco Office of Labor Standards Enforcement (OLSE) or the California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE). The business has never participated in any of SF New Deals programs. Grant money may be applied to any business-related expense, including business payroll, business rent, business supplies, etc. The money must be spent on or before December 31, 2021 and may not be retained as profit or kept by the owner. Grant recipients will be required to provide proof of how the grant money was spent. SF New Deal will convene grant recipients in an advisory process to learn about challenges facing small business recovery and inform SF New Deal's future programs, advocacy efforts, and policy recommendations. Since March 2020, SF New Deal has provided immediate support to the restaurant industry at a time of unforeseen and significant need. Over the past 14 months, SF New Deal has disbursed over $24,500,000 directly to more than 206 small businesses, helping them keep their doors open and fuel San Franciscos local economy while simultaneously providing more than 2,275,000 meals to neighbors in need. For more information, please visit http://www.sfnewdeal.org or email grants@sfnewdeal.org. # # # About SF New Deal SF New Deal provides supportive services and financial opportunities for small businesses in San Francisco. SF New Deal works to address both the symptoms and root causes of inequity by building pathways which connect local business owners, workers, community leaders, and neighbors in need, for the benefit of the entire city. In the last year, SF New Deal was awarded a FEMA Citizen Service Corp Award, a certificate of recognition from California State Assembly Members Phil Ting and David Chiu and a Certificate of Honor from the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in recognition of its response to the COVID-19 public health crisis and its outstanding service supporting small businesses and addressing food insecurity among San Franciscos most vulnerable populations. To keep up to date on SF New Deals programs and impact, please visit http://www.sfnewdeal.org and sign up to receive email notifications. Join the #sfndewdeal conversation on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram @sfnewdeal. Bill Shopoff, Cindy Shopoff and Newport Beach Mayor Brad Avery at the Parkhouse Residences groundbreaking These brand-new, sophistical residences will set a new standard of high-end, high-style condominium living in Newport Beach with low-rise buildings, direct elevator entry, half-floor residences and private garages. We look forward to seeing this community take shape in the coming months. Earlier this week Shopoff Realty Investments, a leading national real estate and investment firm based in Irvine, broke ground on a $90 million luxury condominium community, Parkhouse Residences, that is the only brand-new luxury condominium development of its kind on the horizon for Newport Beach. Newport Beach Mayor Brad Avery and Councilperson Marshall Duffy Duffield joined other local dignitaries, community leaders and the Shopoff team during a private, socially-distanced groundbreaking ceremony on May 19 to commemorate the start of construction. Today marks a new era of housing in Newport Beach with the groundbreaking of Parkhouse Residences, bringing a much-needed addition to this extraordinary city as it continues to grow, said Mayor Avery. Shopoff Realty Investments is creating living opportunities that havent existed in the past and I look forward to seeing the next phase of housing coming to the area with Bill Shopoff as a proud champion of Newport Beach. Over the coming months, a flurry of construction activity is expected across the 25-acre, two-phase development that is part of the $1.25 billion master-planned community of Uptown Newport, located near Jamboree Road and MacArthur Boulevard. Parkhouses five, five-story buildings will feature a limited collection of 30 homes with a combination of three-bedroom, half-floor flats and two-story penthouses priced from approximately $1.9 million. Completion of construction is expected in spring 2022 with homeowners moving in soon after. The enthusiasm surrounding Parkhouse Residences since we announced the project in February has been overwhelming and has resulted in hundreds of inquiries from prospective buyers locally and nationally, said Bill Shopoff, president and CEO of Shopoff Realty Investments. These brand-new, sophistical residences will set a new standard of high-end, high-style condominium living in Newport Beach with low-rise buildings, direct elevator entry, half-floor residences and private garages. We look forward to seeing this community take shape in the coming months. With residential interiors by internationally acclaimed and locally adored Blackband Design, Parkhouse is the epitome of sophisticated coastal chic living, with oversized windows and seamless terraces, that usher in Southern Californias iconic light and ocean breezes. Effortless living extends to thoughtful amenities including a lap pool and hot tub, a resort-inspired cabana, a state-of-the-art fitness center, private garages, direct elevator entry and, just outside, Parkhouses namesake the pristine one-acre Uptown Park, a shaded, grassy village green. For more information or to register to be among the first to learn about the summer sales launch, visit ParkhouseResidences.com. Dr. Eric Eby The Smile Brands culture is about creating win-win relationships with affiliated providers, patients, and the communities they serve. That aligns perfectly with our way of practicing dentistry. Smile Brands is pleased to announce its partnership with Eby Dental Care in Okemos, MI. The existing dental team and staff will remain with the office and the business will continue to operate under the name Eby Dental Care. The partnership allows the office to focus exclusively on patient care with Smile Brands providing administrative support and services. Dr. Eric Eby founded Eby Dental Care in 2003 with the goal of bringing healthy, beautiful smiles to patients of all ages. Today, Dr. Eby leads a team of six from their growing Okemos location. The team delivers general, preventive and restorative care, specialty care, cosmetic dentistry, and emergency services to patients in Okemos and the surrounding area. Through the partnership, Smile Brands will provide administrative support and services to the practice including purchasing, payroll, accounting, IT, billing, facilities management, and marketing. When looking to affiliate with a larger partner, it was important for us to find an organization that shares our values, explains Dr. Eby. The Smile Brands culture is about creating win-win relationships with affiliated providers, patients, and the communities they serve. That aligns perfectly with our way of practicing dentistry. The partnership allows us to focus even more of our time on patient care, said Dr. Eby. Smile Brands co-founder and CEO Steve Bilt is excited to partner with Eby Dental Care. The Eby Dental Care team has built an impressive practice with great patient ratings, says Bilt. We look forward to partnering with them to deliver even more smiles in Okemos. About Smile Brands: Smile Brands Inc., based in Irvine California, is one of the largest providers of dental support services in the United States. The company supports nearly 700 affiliated practices, with more than 8,200 dedicated team members across 30 states. Smile Brands supports a portfolio of over 60 brands including well-known regional brands Bright Now! Dental, Castle Dental, Merit Dental, Midwest Dental, Monarch Dental, and Mondovi Dental. The company provides comprehensive business support services through exclusive long-term agreements with affiliate dental groups, allowing affiliated practices to spend more time caring for patients and less time on the administrative, marketing, and financial aspects of operating a dental office. The organization receives frequent recognition for its award-winning culture and has been on Glassdoors Best Places to Work for three straight years. Smile Brands is a portfolio company of Gryphon Investors, a leading middle-market private equity firm based in San Francisco, CA. Visit smilebrands.com for more information. Being in the New York market has accelerated the companys 15-year business plan to expand both geographically and through sector diversification. As New York City begins its reopening phase from the more than year-long pandemic that sent office workers and companies scrambling to other states, suburbs, and the outer boroughs, construction services firm Swinerton stakes its claim on the gold coast of the East with its first New York office in the companys 133-year-old history. Located at 292 Madison Avenue, the new office will be managed by Andrew Pearl, life-long Yankees fan and former New Yorker, who returns to his roots from Swinertons California headquarters to head up the New York operation. Despite the uncertainty due to the pandemic that adversely impacted New York City, particularly in the office market sector, Swinerton sees opportunity in crisis, says Eric Foster, CEO of Swinerton. We build nationally and will connect with our long-standing clients to serve them best in one of the hardest hit areas of the country. Swinerton is not your typical construction services company. It not only brings to New York its 133-year-old legacy in building expertise, but also its self-perform capability in key trades such as drywall, concrete, doors/frames/hardware; with Timberlab, mass timber delivery and integration; SAK Builders Division 3 concrete services; Swinerton Renewable Energy; and Perq, a first-of-its-kind product in collaboration with Walker Consultants that is an innovation to design, build, and deliver pre-designed and pre-engineered parking solutions in 13 months. It is betting on bringing its expertise and national reputation in building Affordable Housing, Aviation, Education, Corporate and Critical Facilities, Gaming, Healthcare, Hospitality, Interiors, Residential, Retail, Life Sciences, and Renewable Energy to New York as it builds back stronger and better. The company is currently working for Fortune 500 Corporate Services clients in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Washington D.C. and Virginia, and has already secured work in New York City. At Swinerton, we dont see New York City at the end of its glory days in construction and real estate growth, and one would just need to look to Facebooks 730,000-square-foot lease at Farley Post Office this summer as proof, adds Andrew Pearl, Swinerton VP, Division Manager. As others see a decline in urban centers, in a post-COVID climate, we are targeting corporate interiors as a sector presenting for change with many more hard-walled offices as opposed to open spaces. As people return to the city, the spaces in which they live, work, and learn will need to be re-configured. Swinerton has thrived and survived the test of time by emerging into a $5 billion national commercial construction company with great financial strength, national clients, project diversity, and a company culture that is proud of its 100% employee ownership. Many Swinerton buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places and architectural preservation lists. It currently has 20 offices in nine states across the country and is ranked #17 on the ENR 2021 list of top contractors in the country. The company adapted its construction strategies and pivoted to survive two World Wars, a Great Depression and a Great Recession, two global pandemics, as well as many crises and national disasters. Swinerton is staying true to its DNA by expanding the markets we explore and targeting opportunities to build in locations where our clients have needs, adds David Callis, Swinerton President and COO. We are a very hands-on company with a white glove approach to building and feel the need to answer the call to build back better and stronger in post-pandemic New York. The company, which was founded in 1888 as a masonry and contracting firm, put down roots by following the post-gold rush era in Los Angeles. When disaster struck San Francisco in 1906 and a major earthquake destroyed 28,000 structures, the only buildings left standing were built of concrete by Swinerton, making them the first to pioneer reinforced concrete as a building material to withstand the pressures of California earthquakes. Swinerton has been a 100% employee-owned company since 1980 in which nearly 5000 employees, half of which represent the trade, share in the companys profits and are thoroughly committed to its success. The Swinerton Foundation is a 501(c)(3) that helps build sustainable cities and neighborhoods by partnering with community-focused non-profit organizations to support health, social services, cultural, education, and environmental programs that benefit all members of the community. Being in the New York market has accelerated the companys 15-year business plan to expand both geographically and through sector diversification, concludes Andrew Pearl. For now, we are bullish on office interiors as our target sector and fulfilling our East Coast expansion plan. About Swinerton (http://www.swinerton.com) Founded in 1888, Swinerton is a $5 billion full-service national commercial construction company with great financial strength, national clients, project diversity, and a company culture that is proud of its 100% employee ownership. It currently has 20 offices in nine states across the country and is ranked #17 on the ENR 2021 list of top contractors in the country. It represents diverse market sectors including: Affordable Housing, Aviation, Education, Corporate and Critical Facilities, Gaming, Healthcare, Hospitality, Interiors and Special Projects, Industrial, Life Sciences, Mass Timber, Public/Civic, Gaming, Residential, Retail, Parking Structures, and Renewable Energy. The company has represented world-class clients, including American Airlines, Delta Airlines, United Airlines, Pfizer, Honeywell, Amazon, Google, Facebook, Salesforce, Tiffany & Co., Tory Burch, and others in projects that are massive as well as on a smaller scale. Swinerton is headquartered in Concord, CA with regional offices in Spokane and Seattle, WA; Portland and Bend, OR; Sacramento, San Francisco, Oakland, Santa Clara, Los Angeles, Santa Ana, and San Diego, CA; Honolulu, HI; Denver, CO; Dallas and Austin, TX; Atlanta, GA; Charlotte and Raleigh, NC; and New York City, NY. http://www.swinerton.com CEO Paul Wood said the drill will be turning again in short order on a number of our already identified targets, and we continue to identify more prospective targets on Dixie Halo BTU has identified three priority 'Gold in till' targets, which lie along a trend that mirrors geology of the LP fault discovered by well-known gold explorer Great Bear Resources BTU Metals Corp ( ) (OTCPINK:BTUMF) said it was looking forward to receiving lab results after the completion of drill hole BTU-21-66 in the TNT target area, which was drilled to 589 meters on its Dixie Halo property, in the famous gold mining area of Red Lake, Ontario. The Vancouver-based junior exploration company said the hole is currently being logged, cut, and samples are being sent for fire assay (gold) and geochemical analysis (multi-element). Of the 10 drill holes targeting gold in the recently completed program, all have now been logged, and all but two have been sampled and are in the lab for analysis, said the company. Samples from the remaining two holes will be in the lab for analysis shortly. In a statement, BTU Metals CEO Paul Wood said: "We are looking forward to receiving lab results from our most recent drill program, particularly from the holes which intersected the arsenopyrite-bearing structure which appears to be structurally connected to the LP Fault and that could be a splay off of it. The drill will be turning again in short order on a number of our already identified targets, and we continue to identify more prospective targets on Dixie Halo, one of the most extensive land packages in Red Lake as the exploration team combs through more of our now 230 kilometers (km) of claims." Drill holes BTU-21-56 to BTU-21-65 were drilled in the Dixie Creek northeast corner targeting gold mineralization. The company noted that Dixie Creek area is up-ice' from several high gold-grain-in-till anomalies, many of which have a high proportion of pristine gold grains indicating a potential bedrock source is nearby. According to BTU, the area is also on trend with ' LP Fault gold discoveries, where they recently reached 300 reported drill holes and are spending $45 million on exploration this year. Sulphide mineralization and quartz carbonate veining was intersected in all holes. Arsenopyrite mineralization was intersected in holes BTU-21-58 to BTU-21-61, along a magnetic low trend that follows the Dixie Creek topographic lineament and extends into the LP Fault area. This structure has never been drill-tested before and every hole in it has intersected at least some arsenopyrite mineralization with the most extensive intersection of around 40 meters of pyrite-arsenopyrite in quartz veining coming in hole BTU-21-59. The presence of copper and zinc minerals in hole BTU-21-66 lends further support to the thesis that the system is a potentially Volcanogenic Massive Sulphide (VMS) system, said the firm. The strongest geophysical targets from the TNT geochemical-geophysical study are on the Pakwash North property and plans are being made to drill these targets. Fieldwork is underway on Dixie Halo and will continue to generate new gold exploration targets that will be drill tested later in the summer and into the Fall, said the company. Contact the author Uttara Choudhury at uttara@proactiveinvestors.com Follow her on Twitter: @UttaraProactive On Thursday, June 3, 2021 Tanenbaum | Center for Interreligious Under-standing will virtually broadcast its 29th Annual PEACE MADE POSSIBLE Gala. The event celebrates the work and achievements of exceptional leaders and visionaries who continue to promote a world where difference is respected. Prioritize the health and safety of all attendees, the 2021 Gala will once again be held virtually! Beginning at 7pm ET, the evening will include a festive celebration of Gala honorees, knee-slapping comedy by Regina DeCicco, and a performance from treasured Grammy-winner Patti Austin to come together and support Tanenbaums important work confronting hate, prejudice and violence. While this year has presented us all with profound hardships, it has also helped us to foster immense support for each other through these turbulent times. Tanenbaum CEO Rev. Mark Fowler shares, Annually our Peace Made Possible Gala is a time to reflect on how far weve come and discuss how we have to go, and think about the challenges we have to face. But this must also be our daily work. It must be part of our daily mission to build justice and promote respect for and in every community. 2021 Peace Made Possible Gala Honorees include individuals and institutions that share Tanenbaums mission of promoting justice and building respect for people of all faiths and none. Corporate Bridge Builder Award - Marriott International With their firm stance against the use of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act to discriminate against LGBTQ+ people and the Travel Ban, Marriott International continues to be a leader in addressing religion, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace. Marriott is committed to making its workplace equitable for employees and guests alike and for creating a faith-friendly environment that welcomes people of all paths. Philanthropic Bridge Builder Award Nissan Foundation As Tanenbaums critical partner in promoting justice and building respect for religious difference since 2013, the Nissan Foundation has been an exceptional leader in philanthropy, awarding more than $12 million to organizations working to build community by valuing diversity. Les Crystal Media Bridge Builder Award Ramy Youssef Creator, Director, Comedian, and Writer Ramy Youssef brings his unique voice and perspective to his storytelling. He won the 2020 Golden Globe Award on behalf of Ramy in the category of Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series Musical or Comedy. Youssef created, produced and stars in the hit Hulu show, which is inspired by his own experiences centering around a first-generation Egyptian-American Muslim on a spiritual journey in his politically divided New Jersey neighborhood. In his gripping TV series, Youssef offers a deeply personal perspective of his relationship between religion and his greater surroundings of a contrasting millennial generation. Youssefs work brings to the fore-front the question of identity, purpose and meaning by extending a look into his evolving path as a young person of faith. As his show mirrors much of his own encounters, Youssef demonstrates that our identity is not one dimensional and growth is often not linear. Adam Solomon Award- Dr. Robert C. Like Dr. Like is Professor Emeritus at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. His expertise and knowledge of medicine, population health, community health, and working to alleviate health disparities has had an unparalleled impact on Tanenbaums Health Care programming. Dr. Like has been a contributing member of Tanenbaums Health Care Program Advisory Council for many years. He developed innovative medical education programs relating to the delivery of culturally responsive care for diverse populations. Peacemakers in Action Award - Fatima al-Bahadly (Iraq) A Muslim woman from Iraq, Fatima defies extremists by working with families displaced due to ISIS, educating marginalized women and girls, building community cohesion between Iraqs minority groups, and de-radicalizing young men by visiting communities and providing basic needs and alternatives to joining groups like ISIS. Peacemakers in Action Award - Yeny Gloribel Nolasco Quijada (El Salvador) A Catholic woman with deep connections to the Mayan Cosmovision, Yeny works to reduce the influence of criminal organizations in her home country of El Salvador, adopting preventative measures aimed at providing alternatives to gang recruitment. Additionally, she forges partnerships within her community to address issues such as police violence. Were looking forward to an evening full of laughter, that moves you to action to help us continue making peace possible. For more information contact Tanenbaums Communications Manager, Dasha Tanner, at dtanner@tanenbaum.org or (323)828-0386. Tanenbaum promotes justice and builds respect for religious difference by transforming individuals and institutions to reduce prejudice, hatred and violence. More information about Tanenbaums offerings can be found here: https://tanenbaum.org/ ### Telaid, a trusted, full-service technology integrator for 40 years, specializing in enterprise deployments and technology lifecycle services, today debuted a new state-of-the-art facility in Norcross, Georgia, just north of Atlanta. This highly customized, 72,000 square foot facility located at 2925 Courtyards Drive includes space to support a growing number of employees as well as expanded solution design and asset management services offered by Telaid. The new facility is home to Telaids Technology Solution Center, the heart of Telaids operation, where hundreds of thousands of devices are warehoused, staged, configured, kitted, shipped and repaired each year. Telaid also uses this space to design and engineer technology solutions to meet their clients needs. The new office area provides a comfortable, collaborative work environment for all Telaid employees who operate out of north Atlanta. We are proud of this new space, which will allow us to accommodate the growing number of employees at Telaid in addition to expanding our capabilities to deliver zero defect deployments and innovative technology solutions to our clients. This sizable investment demonstrates Telaid ownerships long-term commitment to our customers and employees, said Telaid CEO, Chris Patsiga. The Technology Solution Center features more warehousing space and racking pallets, which are essential to Telaids comprehensive asset management capabilities. It also includes an expanded space dedicated to depot repair. A secured area for credentialed employees has been built to accommodate confidential innovations or special projects that involve devices containing sensitive data. The building will also feature a new BICSI Accredited training center, where employees and partners can advance their skills in information and communications technology design and installation. The facility is outfitted with innovative technologies throughout to support operational efficiency. A Customer Experience Center showcases technologies from Telaids best-of-breed partners. The opening of this new facility occurs as part of Telaids 40-year anniversary, demonstrating the companys continued success and expansion. Employees begin working from the new office space today and Telaid plans to offer tours in the summer. To learn more about Telaid and our services, visit http://www.telaid.com. About Telaid A trusted, full-service technology partner for 40 years, Telaid reduces time, task, cost and risk associated with complex deployments and ongoing technology management. Telaid makes IT simple with rapid rollouts, product lifecycle management and managed IT services so you can make the most of your technology assets from cradle to grave. Telaid deals with all the technologies in your business, from wireless to physical security solutions, infrastructure and cabling to automation, emerging IoT and analytics. Supplement your IT team with an experienced, capable resource that helps you advance your business objectives. Funding from the McKnight Foundation empowers us to amplify awareness of employee ownership as a valuable, flexible succession planning tool that enables owners to sell their businesses to their employees while preserving jobs and keeping the company rooted in its community - Sue Crockett, MNCEO The Minnesota Center for Employee Ownership (MNCEO) a non-profit organization dedicated to providing unbiased resources and education around the benefits of employee ownership as a succession planning tool, has been awarded a $50,000 grant from the McKnight Foundation. The grant will enable the MNCEO to expand its outreach and educational opportunities to business owners, their advisors, and community leaders interested in exploring the different forms of employee-ownership. Succession planning is a growing concern. A new data study developed for the MNCEO by Project Equity (https://www.mnceo.org/employee-ownership-101#crises) shows that approximately 50 percent of the job-creating businesses in Minnesota are owned by those over the age of 55. These 53,000 businesses employ approximately 600,000 MN workers with payroll of about $24 billion. It is estimated that 60 percent of these business owners plan to transfer ownership in the next decade and COVID-19 has accelerated this retirement timeline for many, yet many do not have a succession plan. This funding from the McKnight Foundation empowers us to amplify awareness of employee ownership as a valuable, flexible succession planning tool that enables owners to sell their businesses to their employees while preserving jobs and keeping the company rooted in its community, said Sue Crockett, Executive Director of MNCEO, one of seven State Centers for Employee Ownership created by the Employee Ownership Expansion Network (EOX) since launching in 2019. The support of the McKnight Foundation allows us to expand our current capacity for outreach and being able to engage Project Equity to complete our recently released data study is a perfect example of McKnights support being put to great use. We are honored that the McKnight foundation sees the work of the MNCEO as fitting into their Vibrant and Equitable Communities initiative, said Steve Storkan, Executive Director, EOX. Using an employee ownership model to sell a business rewards the employees through equity in where they work, keeps jobs in their community, and creates a legacy that owners can feel good about. It also provides a tool to help communities across the country address the issue of rising wealth and income disparity. To get involved with the MNCEO, visit https://www.mnceo.org/. About the Minnesota Center for Employee Ownership The Minnesota Center for Employee Ownership is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2019. Its mission is to engage business owners, their advisors, community leaders, and state and local government officials about employee ownership as a way to preserve businesses, provide local quality jobs, strengthen the communitys economic resiliency, and create equity and wealth for all employees regardless of their race, ethnicity or education. To learn more visit, https://www.mnceo.org/. About the Employee Ownership Expansion Network The Employee Ownership Expansion Network is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in Philadelphia, PA in 2018. Its mission is to significantly expand employee ownership in the United States by establishing and supporting a network of independent non-profit Centers for Employee Ownership. EOX has provided funding and technical assistance to support the opening of seven state centers for employee ownership. The organization aims to help create one million new employee owners by 2025 by having at least 70 percent of the US population living in a state with a center for employee ownership. To learn more, visit https://www.eoxnetwork.org. ONWARD DD Leveraging its high "flexibility," another advantage of Shopify, transcosmos continues to develop the website using templates so that it can serve more brands that Onward Digital Lab plans to add to the website. transcosmos inc. is proud to announce that the company has built an e-commerce website powered by the e-commerce platform Shopify, for Onward Digital Lab Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan; President: Hironobu Mita), a company that operates the D2C apparel brand "ONWARD DD." Under the brand concept "Clothes not swayed by trends," "ONWARD DD" carries out sustainability initiatives by offering fashion items that last a long time. Being chosen by Onward Digital Lab as its partner, transcosmos has built a Shopify-powered website for the brand including initial settings and apps implementation. Making the most of Shopify's key advantages, namely "low-cost" and "short delivery time," transcosmos has helped the brand launch the website within only 45 days. What's more, leveraging its high "flexibility," another advantage of Shopify, transcosmos continues to further develop the website using templates so that it can serve more brands that Onward Digital Lab plans to add on the website going forward. "To make a successful brand launch under the COVID-19 crisis, we had to adapt flexibly to the changes in both internal and external business environments. In order to do that, we have taken scalability of the website into consideration so that we can adjust the pre-COVID business concept, start small to reduce risk, and expand the business smoothly as the situation develops," said Jun Takahashi, a director at Onward Digital Lab Co., Ltd. "After considering various options, we judged that Shopify is the right platform for our website, and that transcosmos is the best choice for us to work with based on not only its credible know-how in building Shopify, but also its comprehensive e-commerce services including fulfillment." "As we have revised our business plan as needed, the time to build the Shopify-based website has become shorter than the original plan. We appreciate transcosmos for very flexible services to make it happen. In addition, although most of our meetings were held remotely, we have worked together smoothly, keeping effective communication. Following 'ONWARD DD,' we have launched 'IIQUAL' another brand of ours - on the same website. We plan to add more brands and functions going forward. As we move into the expansion phase of the business, we will need other functions such as logistics, customer support, cross-border services, and more. It is reassuring for us that transcosmos has all those functions. We thank transcosmos for its continued support and partnership with us." About Onward Digital Lab Co., Ltd. Onward Digital Lab focuses on digital-related businesses including e-commerce operations such as "ONWARD CROSSET," digital marketing, IT solutions, and more. Onward Digital Lab aims to build competitive advantages by creating new values and business models, and transforming business processes with the power of digital technologies. At the same time, under its mission of achieving digital transformation, Onward Digital Lab plays a critical role in Onward Holdings Digital Transformation initiative. Visit Onward Digital Lab official website here (no translation available): https://www.onward-digitallab.co.jp/ About Shopify Inc. Founded in 2006, Shopify Inc. is a leading global commerce company listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). Shopify Inc. makes commerce better for everyone with "Shopify," the multi-channel commerce platform that offers a wide variety of features including design customization, multi-sales channels that are linked to social network services, and back-office functions such as marketing, inventory management, accounting, customer support and more. Shopify powers over one million businesses in more than 175 countries and is trusted by many brands. *Visit Shopify here: https://www.shopify.com/ About transcosmos e-commerce support services Recognizing the e-commerce market expansion, transcosmos offers a variety of service menus to assist clients in expanding e-commerce sales, and launching and rebuilding their e-commerce business, taking into consideration the size and the positioning of the business within their company. With its end-to-end services from providing consultation, to developing e-commerce systems, to defining operations to outsource, to developing marketing strategies, to customer support, to delivery, transcosmos help clients succeed in their e-commerce business. (About EC-X) transcosmos "EC-X Series," a set of e-commerce solutions, offers best solutions that address specific challenges each client faces. Visit here for EC-X special website (no translation available): https://transcosmos-ecx.jp/ *transcosmos is a trademark or registered trademark of transcosmos inc. in Japan and other countries. *Other company names and product or service names used here are trademarks or registered trademarks of respective companies. About transcosmos inc. transcosmos launched its operations in 1966. Since then, we have combined superior "people" with up-to-date "technology" to enhance the competitive strength of our clients by providing them with superior and valuable services. transcosmos currently offers services that support clients' business processes focusing on both sales expansion and cost optimization through our 167 bases across 30 countries/regions with a focus on Asia, while continuously pursuing Operational Excellence. Furthermore, following the expansion of the e-commerce market on the global scale, transcosmos provides comprehensive One-Stop Global E-Commerce Services to deliver our clients' excellent products and services to consumers in 48 countries/regions around the globe. transcosmos aims to be the "Global Digital Transformation Partner" of our clients, supporting the clients' transformation by leveraging digital technology, responding to the ever-changing business environment. Visit us here https://www.trans-cosmos.co.jp/english/ We look forward to combining our knowledge base with YESs large and ever-growing repository of process expertise to address customer needs, said Kevin McGillivray, co- founder of SPEC. YES (Yield Engineering Systems, Inc.), a leading manufacturer of process equipment for semiconductor advanced packaging, life sciences and More-than-Moore applications, today announced a strategic alliance with SPEC (Semiconductor Process Equipment Corporation) of Valencia, California. Under the terms of the agreement, YES will market, distribute and support SPECs cleaning, etching, stripping and plating equipment worldwide. Furthermore, YES plans to expand SPECs process expertise by investing in technologists and demo capabilities to help customers implement faster cycles of learning. In addition, YES and SPEC expect to develop a variety of new products drawing on each others core technical expertise. The agreement leverages the strengths of both companies to meet the growing demands of emerging markets such as 5G, autonomous driving, augmented reality, and other computationally-intensive applications. In bringing together our two companies combined seven decades of engineering and process development expertise, YES will create new process technologies for a variety of semiconductor, life science and optical coating applications, and will offer broader, more complete integrated solutions to our customers, said Rezwan Lateef, President of YES. We look forward to combining our knowledge base with YESs large and ever-growing repository of process expertise to address customer needs, said Kevin McGillivray, co- founder of SPEC. In addition, YESs established global sales and service network will enable more companies around the world to utilize SPECs cost-effective, production-proven automated wet-process solutions. About YES (Yield Engineering Systems, Inc.) is a preferred provider of high-tech, cost-effective equipment for transforming surfaces, materials and interfaces. The companys product lines include vacuum cure systems, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) systems, and plasma etching tools used for precise surface modification and thin-film coating of semiconductor wafers, semiconductor and MEMS devices, biosensors and medical substrates. With YES, customers ranging from startups to Fortune 100 companies can create and volume-produce products in a wide range of markets, including Advanced Packaging, MEMS, Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality and Life Sciences. YES is headquartered in Fremont, California, with a growing presence globally. For more information, please visit http://www.yieldengineering.com. About SPEC SPEC (Semiconductor Process Equipment Corporation) is a highly experienced supplier of surface conditioning wet process equipment. Since 1986, SPEC has designed and manufactured wafer-level and device-level wet process equipment for acid and solvent surface modification (cleaning, etching, stripping), electroplating, and electroless (chemical) plating for all industries requiring a high level of process cleanliness. SPECs products are used for polysilicon chip, chunk and ingot cleaning; crucible cleaning, cavity cleaning for particle accelerators, chemical mixing and delivery, hard drive component cleaning, and quartzware cleaning. SPEC systems are engineered to match the unique requirements of the end user. For more information, please visit http://www.team-spec.com. Nicola Yoon is the author of the bestselling YA novels The Sun Is Also a Star and Everything, Everything, both of which were adapted for film. Raised in Jamaica and Brooklyn, she currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband, novelist David Yoon, and their daughter. The pair also founded the Random House imprint Joy Revolution, debuting in 2022, which will publish teen love stories by and about people of color. Nicolas latest contemporary romance, Instructions for Dancing, is about a girl name Evie who has visions showing her the trajectory of couples love stories. We asked the author and her editor, Wendy Loggia, to discuss their latest collaboration. Wendy Loggia: Can you believe its finally June 1? Or as I call it, the best day of the year for Nicola Yoon fans. How did we get here so fast (and I am only half-kidding!)? Nicola Yoon: Ahhhh, Wendy! I cant believe were so close. Its been such a long time between books, and there were days I thought wed never get here. As Ive been talking about IFD, Ive also been telling people that I wrote a book before this one that I ultimately had to shelve because it never quite came together. Im hoping that talking about that failure inspires my fellow or aspiring writers out there to keep going. Sometimes you have to write the wrong thing to get to the right thing. Loggia: Its so true, but so hard to do. You put so much of yourself into those pages, and so to walk away from them its a very brave thing to do. For me, its been one evolving piece of beautiful writing. Even though that manuscript wasnt what ultimately became your next book, I felt that it informed so much of what Instructions for Dancing became. I was going through some of our correspondence as we were trying to figure out Nicki Book Three, and gosh, it made me smile, because of course I knew wed have an incredible book on our hands one day. Everyone here knew it, though sometimes the writer is the last to believe it! And although you have a rabid fan base who would read anything you publish, it was important for it to feel right. How do you know when it feels right? Yoon: When I start rewriting the same line 100 times, I know its time for me to stop and send it to you! And Ill throw that question back at you because Ive always been curious: how do you know when a manuscript is done and ready to become an actual book? Also, after the manuscript is ready, whats your favorite part of the bookmaking process? Is it cover design or jacket copy or something else? Loggia: Hmmm, I think I know its ready when I dont have any more questions to ask. You dont want to overwork things. Its like bread dough; you dont want to over-knead it. And haha, cover design is my favorite when its on the bookshelf and I can admire it, when I can look back at the process and be thrilled with the end result. The getting there can be tough. You know, there are lots of opinions and visions and ideas, and because the cover is such a key aspect of the experience, we are desperate to get it perfectly perfect. You keep raising the bar for stellar written content, for master-class storytelling, so we needed to do the same with our package. With IFD, we wanted it to look both of a piece with your previous beautiful backlist covers and be current and now. I think we really did find that sweet spot. This cover by RenikeI mean come on. And oh yes, I love writing copy. In fact Im often late with it because I love doing it so much and I want to do my books justice. I have to get into the copy zone. Yoon: You are the queen of copy! Im sure people already know this, but you write wonderful YA romances yourself. Do you edit your own work? :) And do you feel like your editorial brain helps your writing brain? Loggia: You are very kind. Lets be honest: my editors save me from myself! I looked at some of the Goodreads reviews for my last book and thought, Oh, if you had an issue with that, you dont even know that it could have been much worse! I do think my editing brain helps my writing brain. But sometimes I know what I should do but I want to do something else. And then I might try it both ways to see what I like. Im still trying to wrap my head around your writing everything longhand. Thats just how? Yoon: Ive tried to stop, Wendy. I really have! But for some reason, longhand is the thing that works for me. I think its because writing by hand makes me feel free. The process short-circuits my inner editor and Im able to let my freak flag fly. I actually think some of the weirder or more unconventional parts of my books happen because I write by hand. What about you? Do you have any unorthodox editing strategies? Loggia: I read first as a fan. It is still so exciting to me that I have the privilege of being an early reader. Maybe even a first reader. So the first read is purely for fun. Then I mull over all the parts I love and what might be strengthened. Then I read again using Track Changes and a notepad. So I guess I edit by hand, kind of! I have loved watching you grow both as a writer and as an authorvery different things, writer and author. Whats been the most surprising part of the past seven years? Yoon: The most surprising thing is that theyve happened at all! For such a long time, I didnt believe this lifethis writing lifewas possible for me. I grew up fairly poor, and I just didnt think it was possible to make a living making art. I majored in electrical engineering in college because I wanted to have a stable job and financial security that I didnt think I could have as a writer. The other surprising thing is just what you said: there really is a difference between being a writer and an author. When I was first starting out, I didnt know that at all. Being a writer is my passion. Being an author is my joba job that I love, but still a job. These days, Im also loving being a co-publisher at Joy Revolution and reading wonderful manuscripts and trying to usher in a new generation of authors of color. Loggia: I was so excited for you when you quit your finance job. And it blew me away that they didnt know you were a writer! I bet they know now, LOL. Yoon: Hee hee. Yeah, I never told anyone at my old job about my writing life. It was too precious to me. I never wanted anyone to ask me how it was going or to casually dismiss it. Writing was just for me and for the people I really loved. The day I left for the last time was great, but also nerve-racking. Im such a risk-averse person, and I had so much doubt about this new adventure. I told myself I could always go back if the writing thing didnt work out. On my last day, David helped me pack all my stuff into boxes and walked me out and told me everything was gonna be okay, and luckily, it has been. Loggia: Thats a great visual, along with very smart advice. I have so many awesome memories of our time together. Two stand out to me, apart from the writing: looking at photos of our kids on our phones when we were at the SCBWI pool party at the Century Plaza, and scarfing down burgers after the premiere of Everything, Everything, crammed into a booth at the Roosevelt Hotel. Ooh, and of course dinner with you and Dave in those early days. Oh, and ALA midwinter in snowy Chicago. Obviously I cant just name two. Yoon: I especially remember that first phone call with you when Everything, Everything had gone to auction. I spoke to so many wonderful editors, but I knew you were the one for me five minutes into our call. I also remember sitting in your office and crying when you first gave me the Everything, Everything ARC. My very favorite memory, though, is going to Republique restaurant in Los Angeles and watching how wonderful and gentle you and your daughter were together. That was really special. Loggia: Awwww. We loved that night. Loggia: I found out that Everything, Everything debuted at #1 on the New York Times list when I was getting on a bus at Port Authority and Beverly Horowitz called me. I let out a happy scream. Im sure my fellow passengers appreciated that! Where were you? Yoon: I was in the living room sitting next to the picture window in our old house. I screamed so loudly that David came running out of the bedroom, convinced that something was wrong. I didnt expect it at all. I didnt even imagine that it was possible. After you and I talked and squealed at each other, I drank an entire bottle of champagne. I have no regrets :) Loggia: So great. I have a hunch there will be more champagne in your future. Yoon: Did you always know you wanted to be an editor? Whats the Wendy Loggia origin story? Loggia: I didnt really know what a career in books would look like, but I knew I wanted one. In sixth grade I was the Author Day hostess at my elementary school. We sent handwritten letters to authors and illustrators and invited them to have lunch with us. It was a very fancy affair in the school library, and I remember every detail vividly. Im pretty sure it was all I talked about for weeks, much to my parents dismay. I wrote to Hardie Gramatky, the illustrator of Little Toot. He had sadly passed away, but I received the kindest letter, on Beverly Cleary Ramona stationery, from Dell Yearling Books. I still have the letter. And now I edit Yearling titles. That and working in three different bookstoresan indie, a chain, and a U.K. bookstorewere the definitive moments that pushed me forward! Yoon: 2020 was the longest of all the years. As an editor, are you ready to read stories about that time yet, or is it too soon? Loggia: Not that I wouldnt read themand we did publish a wonderful short-story collection of love during lockdownbut right now I really want to escape and be uplifted. If I could live in a Nicola Yoon and Joy Revolution reading bubble for the next year or two, with a few thrillers sprinkled in to keep me on my toes, Id be happy with that. Yoon: Yup, I totally agree. Love stories and thrillers are what the world needs now. Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon. Delacorte, $19.99 June ISBN 978-1-5247-1896-1 At Bloomsbury, Mary Kate Castellani has been promoted to publishing director, children's trade; she was previously editorial director. Helen Seachrist has joined Macmillan Children's Publishing Group as senior production editor; previously she was production editor at HMH. HarperCollins Children's Books has several promotions. Luana Horry has been promoted to senior editor, from editor. Mabel Hsu has been promoted to senior editor, from editor. Clarissa Wong has been promoted to senior editor, from editor. Sarah Homer has been promoted to associate editor, from assistant editor. Sara Schonfeld has been promoted to associate editor, from assistant editor. Arianna Robinson has been promoted to assistant editor, from editorial assistant. Lena Reilly has been promoted to associate publicist, from publicity assistant. Nadine Britt has been promoted to senior v-p, executive director, production, Penguin Young Readers, from v-p, executive director. Insight Editions has two new hires. Sara Miller has been named associate publisher and is responsible for childrens publishing. Previously she was editorial director at Melissa & Doug and also worked at Disney Publishing and Scholastic. Lara Starr has joined as senior publicist and marketing strategist; previously she was senior publicist for childrens publishing at Chronicle Books. HarperCollins Children's Books has several promotions and a new hire. Rae Gande has been promoted to senior project manager, marketing operations, from project manager. Vaishali Nayak has been promoted to senior manager, marketing, from manager. Katie Dutton has been promoted to senior marketing associate, school and library marketing, from marketing associate. Shaelyn McDaniel has been promoted to assistant manager, digital marketing, from digital marketing associate. Caitlin Lonning has been promoted to senior production editor, from production editor. Kat Keating has been promoted to senior digital production editor, from digital production editor. Erin Hamling has joined as senior production editor; previously she was a development editor at Oxford University Press. Delacorte Press has four promotions. Wendy Loggia has been promoted to v-p and senior executive editor, from senior executive editor. Krista Marino has been promoted to v-p and senior executive editor, from senior executive editor. Kelsey Horton has been promoted to senior editor, from editor. Alison Romig has been promoted to assistant editor, from editorial assistant. Victoria Reynolds has joined Abrams Children's Books as digital and social media marketing coordinator; previously she was marketing coordinator at University Press of Florida. The newly merged marketing/publicity department for Holiday House, Peachtree Publishing, and Pixel+Ink has several new hires and promotions. Alison Tarnofsky has joined as associate marketing manager, trade; she was previously assistant manager at Bank Street Bookstore. Aleah Gornbein has joined as associate publicist; she was previously marketing assistant at Macmillan International Higher Education. Mary Wolford has joined as marketing/publicity assistant; she was previously a marketing and publicity intern at Publisher Spotlight. Annie Rosenbladt has joined as marketing assistant, school and library; she was previously an archival assistant at St. Olaf College Library. Alex Howard has been promoted to digital marketing coordinator, from marketing and publicity assistant. Laura Kincaid has joined Holiday House as editorial assistant. Candlewick Press has two promotions. Jackie Shepherd has been promoted to senior designer, from designer. Drew Devereaux has been promoted to inventory supervisor, from inventory coordinator. Alisha Zucker has joined Workman's childrens editorial department as senior editor, with a focus on curriculum titles; she worked at Scholastic for over a decade, most recently as an executive editor of Early Childhood Mathematics. HarperCollins Children's Books has three new hires. Sam Fox has been named director of digital marketing; previously she was director, brand marketing at Conde Nast. Andrew Aguirre has joined as publicity administrative assistant; previously he worked at Long Island Stuttering and Speech Pathology Center. Carina Licon has joined Henry Holt Books for Young Readers as editorial assistant; previously she was editorial assistant at MTV Books. Brianne Johnson has joined HG Literary as agent; previously she was an agent at Writers House. Christine Engels has been promoted to associate editor at Candlewick Press, from assistant editor. Frances Gilbert has been promoted to v-p, editor-in-chief at Doubleday Books for Young Readers. Penguin Young Readers has several promotions, effective June 16. Tamar Brazis has been promoted to associate publisher of Viking Books for Young Readers, from editorial director. Aneeka Kalia has been promoted to associate editor, Viking Books for Young Readers, from assistant editor. Meriam Metoui has been promoted to assistant editor, Viking Books for Young Readers, from editorial assistant. Ellice Lee has been promoted to senior art director, Penguin Young Readers, from art director. Kate Renner has been promoted to associate art director, Penguin Young Readers, from assistant art director. Andrea Hall has joined Beaming Books as senior acquisitions editor; she was formerly an editor at Albert Whitman & Company. Katharine McAnarney will be leaving Little, Brown Books for Young Readers on May 28 to try a new industry. She can be reached here. St. Mark's Comics, the venerable East Village comics, graphic novel and pop culture retailer that closed in 2019 after 36 years, announced plans to reopen with a new store in Industry City in Brooklyn on July 30. St. Mark's Comics co-owner Mitch Cutler, who is reopening the store with his partner Nick Giangarra, said the new store will continue to be called St. Marks Comics and will occupy a 1,700 square foot space in Building 5 of the multi-building Industry City complex. Industry City is a mixed-use retail, events, and manufacturing complex near the Brooklyn waterfront along 35th Street that includes 16 renovated buildings originally built in the 1890s. Cutler told PW he closed the original store in February 2019 because, I needed to take some time off after working 15 hours a day for 36 years. After the store closed he worked as a consultant, and did volunteer work during the recent elections and census. But he noted that people started asking if we were going to reopen even while we were closing down. Industry City, he said, reached out to him almost immediately but the pandemic put everything on hold until late 2020 and then it all came together. He described IC as "a very New York City feel to it; there are no chains. There are great bars, live events, and its our job to bring a little bit of the East Village to Brooklyn. Cutler said the new St. Mark's will be wider and airier than the old venue on St. Marks Place near Third Avenue in Manhattan, which was narrow, dimly lit, andto the delight of its many loyal customers, which include this reporterjammed from floor to ceiling with comics inventory and pop culture merchandise of all kinds. The new space, he said joking, will hopefully be a lot tidier than the old ground-level East Village space. The store will offer the same depth and breadth of comics and graphic novels," he said. Cutler is in the process of hiring new staff and reaching out to old staffers, though he acknowledged many of them have moved on to new careers. The store is looking to acquire old comics collections, and he said, hes building new custom-made versions of the original stores distinctive wooden shelving. The store will also add a bigger and deeper selection of vintage toys, thanks to his partner, Giangarra, who specializes in the category and will manage it. St. Marks Comics is a direct market comics shop; its among the 2,000 independent comics shops around the country that traditionally order their stock at wholesale terms on a nonreturnable basis primarily from Diamond Comics Distributors. However, since the original store closed, the direct market has gone through a major change with the entry of Penguin Random House Publisher Services as a distribution vendor. PRH has taken over the exclusive distribution of Marvel super hero periodical comic booksa mainstay of the comics shop marketas well as Marvel graphic novels to direct market comics shops. Cutler said he welcomed a new opportunity to work with multiple distribution vendors. Were starting with fresh eyes, but were informed by more than 40 years in this business, he said, noting an earlier period before comics distribution consolidated around a single dominant vendor. Were excited to work with PRH, their terms [50% wholesale discount and free shipping] are a real difference maker and could have an enormous impact on comics shop retailers. Now that weve announced the July 30 opening, were stuck, Cutler joked, noting that hes racing to get the space prepared. This is a spectacular opportunity. Were all grateful for the outpouring of support for the new store. Industry City is a delightful place and its an adventure to build the store back from scratch, but this time with all the resources we always wanted. A Maryland state bill that would ensure public libraries the right to license and lend e-books that are available to consumers in the state is now law. In a May 28 letter to Maryland Senate president Bill Ferguson, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan informed legislators that the library e-book bill (HB518 in the House of Delegates and SB432 in the Senate) was among the many bills that would become law without the governors signaturenormal procedure in the state, where the legislature typically passes hundreds of bills each session. SB432 requires any publisher offering to license "an electronic literary product" to consumers in the state to also offer to license the content to public libraries "on reasonable terms" that would enable library users to have access. The bill is scheduled to take effect in January, 2022. First introduced in January, SB432/HB518 passed the Maryland General Assembly unanimously on March 10. And despite opposition from the Association of American Publishers, which filed testimony in March claiming the law runs afoul of federal copyright law and is unconstitutional, the bills sailed through the reconciliation process with just two substantive changes: one that actually expanded the bill's reach to cover "electronic literary products" (rather than just e-books) and another that pushed the law's effective date to January, 2022, from July, 2021. At the AAP's annual meeting this week, AAP CEO Maria Pallante doubled down on the organization's opposition, accusing library lobbyists and tech-funded special interest groups of working to divert copyright protection away from Congress to state assemblies. Pallante argued that state efforts like those in Maryland are clearly preempted by the express language of the federal Copyright Act, while also spinning a false narrative. Library advocates, however, say that's not the case. "The bills prevent unreasonable discrimination against public libraries," Jonathan Band, a lawyer for the library community, told PW in March, explaining that the legislation simply provides that if a publisher licenses an e-book or other digital literary work to the public in Maryland, the publisher must also make a license available to public libraries as well. "My take on it is that, if anything, [the law] is quite mild," observed Michael Blackwell, an organizer of the ReadersFirst coalition and a Maryland librarian who advocated for the law. "We just want access for Maryland (and by extension, all) readers. The publishers remain in charge of dictating terms." In fact most publishers, including all of the Big Five, already make their full digital catalogs available to public libraries, although library leaders point out that the bill could complicate any potential future plans to embargo content in the digital library market, such as Macmillan did with new releases from its Tor imprint in 2018 and then briefly for its full catalog in November of 2019. In March, 2020, Macmillan abruptly abandoned its library embargo policy in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Digital content from Amazon, however, may be a different story. While Amazon Publishing announced last month that it will be making its digital content available to libraries via the Digital Public Library of America sometime this summer, it is unclear how the law might impact Amazon's exclusive content via services like Audible. This article has been updated. Retired Major Gen. Ericka Steuterman reads a letter from a mother who lost a son in a war. Steuterman, chairperson of the Indiana Veterans Commission and a Purdue graduate, gave the keynote address at the Veterans Home on Monday. By Da Zhigang The Meiji Restoration modernized Japan and made it a western power. The policies implemented by Japan in that period to develop industries and strengthen the country and army catalyzed its forging of modern industrial and technological strengths, and readied it to launch external aggressions. Japans policies of strengthening the nation and army, however, ended up pushing the country onto the militarist road and finally to a fiasco. The Liberal Democratic Party of Japan (LDP) recently put forth a framework of new growth strategy and the so-called investment strategy in the context of economic and security guarantee that emphasized the seamless connection between economic policy, corporate activities, and security guarantee. In other words, Japans policies on economic growth, industrial promotion and corporate investment will be combined with those on defense, security and military guarantee and curbing capabilities. Some Japanese commentators called this the Reiwa version of the nation and army-strengthening policy. What are the prospects and possible effects of the new growth strategy? First of all, the new growth strategy highlights the Japanese political circles sense of crisis and anxiety about where the country is going. While US President Biden is actively calling for international coordination and ally cooperation, restoring Americas global and geopolitical influence, and ramping up the containment of China, some Japanese politicians have realized that the current economic position cannot sustain Japan in the increasingly complicated international game, and the current economic model cannot assist in the fast-changing bilateral and multilateral diplomacy either. At the same time, they also feel anxious about being caught up in the middle of the China-US major-country struggle. Therefore, they believe it is necessary to introduce a new strategy to rectify the current economic pattern that is rather disengaged from security and pays more attention to cooperation than containment, and to reposition economic growth actively as an escort that serves national security. The major strategic adjustment is to integrate economic growth with security. Second, the new growth strategy converges a new consensus between the ruling party and opposition parties on economy serving geopolitical security. According to some political elites in Japan, the country has given too much priority to economic and cooperation benefits for a long time and has often separated economy from security.The policy constantly hijacks Japan for economic factors. The new growth strategy has been so intensely discussed largely because it demonstrates the country has finally realized that economic strengths underpin national diplomacy and security guarantee. The new strategy also sends the signal of connecting economic growth with defense budget. Intending to free Japans defense budget from the limitation to a certain percentage of GDP, Japanese policymakers insisted that increasing the defense expense not only concerns the countrys security strategy and capability but also can intensify the US-Japan alliance and the bilateral and multilateral security mechanisms among the US, Japan, India and Australia. At last, the new growth strategy doesnt hide its intention of targeting at geopolitical competitors like China and Russia. The framework sees ever closer China-Russia cooperation and drums about Chinas pressuring in Japanese waters and the Taiwan Strait, display of naval and air force strengths in the South China Sea and other waters, and consolidation of geopolitical security leveraged on its economic strength. On that basis, the framework claims that Japan needs to review its current thinking that separates security from economy and increase its initiative and restrictive power against China on both fronts. Some also call Japans attention to the widening gap (a disparity of four times now) between Chinas and Japans defense budget and urge it to come up with corresponding economic policies toward China in the context of security guarantee. The LDP or the Japanese government has the right to roll out whatever growth strategy it wants, but the new growth strategy, no matter how you look at it, is in nature an endorsement of Japan taking Americas side and a move to assist in Americas suppression of China on the industrial and technological end. This is first and foremost against regional cooperation concepts such as globalization and multilateralism. If Japan decides to walk down this path, it will lose the economic and diplomatic initiative that it has obtained through long years of explorations as well as its flexibility in foreign cooperation. Moreover, such a tendency will cause substantive losses and extra investment bewilderment on Japanese businesses, further harm the political mutual trust between China and Japan, and hurt the feelings of people in both countries. In the end, Japan will eat its own bitter fruits. The historical lesson weve learned about Japan is still fresh in memory. Japans inclination for combining economy with security makes the world worry whether it will repeat its old militarist path. The option that suits Japans state policy and long-term interests most is holding up high the banner of peace, development and win-win cooperation, sticking to the path of peaceful development and good-neighborly relationships, and working with China and other countries to jointly advance the RCEP, China-Japan-ROK FTA, and other regional integration mechanisms. (The author is director and researcher at the Institute of Northeast Asian Studies and chief expert at Institute of Northeast Asian Strategy, Heilongjiang Provincial Academy of Social Sciences) Editor's note: This article is originally published on Huanqiu.com, and is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information, ideas or opinions appearing in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn. Heritage Cannabis (CSE: CANN OTCQX: HERTF) CEO Clint Sharples joined Steve Darling from Proactive to share news the company has entered into a non-binding letter of intent to purchase all shares of California based Bloom Brands. Sharples telling Proactive Bloom Brands does things differently in California operating a hybrid business model where brands are owned in California and licensed to partners in New Mexico, Oklahoma, Nevada, Arizona, and Washington. Sharples says this allows a more cost-effective and rapid new market launch approach to capture early shelf space. Dua Lipa fans can expect her third album to be "something completely different and at scale". The 'Don't Start Now' hitmaker released her chart-topping LP 'Future Nostalgia' in March 2020 and, the prolific star - who continued the era with the release of the remix LP 'Club Future Nostalgia' - is already steaming ahead with concepts for its follow-up. Joe Kentish, the president of Warner Records UK, told Variety of the continued success of 'Future Nostalgia': Its The Terminator of albums, it just cannot be stopped! Every time we think its down, another single pops off in another territory or on another platform. And her work ethic is legendary. We use her as an example to other artists at the label and I know her management company, Tap Music, do the same. Of her next studio effort, he added: She was talking about album No.3 when we barely had No.2 done!. Youre half-expecting that she might want to take a break or go about things differently but shes like Right, whats next? Her interests, her knowledge, her thirst to learn new things and to be in control of what she does just grows and grows. Shes taking time to fully realise the album conceptually, but her belief in herself and the belief that she can pull off something completely different and at scale has only grown. Dua didn't stop at her star-studded remix LP, she also teamed up with rapper DaBaby on a new version of the album's single Levitating and she dropped three new tracks on Future Nostalgia: The Moonlight Edition; 'We're Good', Not My Problem with JID and If It Aint Me. What's more, the Grammy-winner put on the Studio 2054 live event in November and teamed up with Kylie Minogue on a remixed version of the disco icon's track, 'Real Groove'. The 'IDGAF' hitmaker also duetted with Miley Cyrus on 'Prisoner' and teased a yet-to-be-released collaboration with FKA twigs, which they previewed a snippet of during the virtual gig. Meanwhile, Dua recently insisted it's harder for women to find success in the music industry and vowed to pave the way for more women to become successful before she moves on to other projects. She said: For women, its a lot harder to solidify yourself as an individual in music. In a perfect world, we wouldnt have to prove ourselves so much to the point that maybe we run ourselves into the ground of being like, I must be heard. But that is the world were in right now. I like to prove that I can do it. Im stubborn. DREW VS. KOFI FALLOUT & MORE WWE NEWS We are told that Drew McIntyre ended up with a rough looking bruise above the right eye from what we are told appeared to be a stiff Kofi Kingston superkick during their match on last night's Monday Night Raw. They took it to each other in a pretty stiff manner last night in order to get over the importance of fighting to get to the WWE title bout at Hell In A Cell. There were a lot backstage who were talking up what a war they had put themselves through after Raw. As we reported last night, WWE United States Champion Sheamus also suffered a broken nose last night: Titus ONeil & The Miz visit the Indy 500 Kansas City's T-Mobile Center is holding a contest that includes a one on one Q&A Session with Drew McIntyre: We are looking for the ultimate WWE fan! Want the chance for an exclusive 1:1 Q&A with Superstar @DMcIntyreWWE + two tickets to @wwe RAW at #TMobileCenter on July 26? Head over to our Facebook page to enter to win: https://t.co/XjOc4jvQNz. pic.twitter.com/qK1GHiH0HX T-Mobile Center (@tmobilecenter) May 28, 2021 The following press release was issued: Ashley HomeStore Partners With WWE Global Ambassador Titus O'Neil Of The Bullard Family Foundation To Support Local Families Transitioning Out Of Homelessness Furniture donation to Metropolitan Ministries of Tampa Bay in partnership with the Bullard Family Foundation TAMPA, Fla., May 28, 2021 -- In partnership with the Bullard Family Foundation and Metropolitan Ministries, Ashley HomeStore has donated tens of thousands of dollars in home furnishings to local families. The donated items include sofas, accent chairs, cocktail tables, and decor accessories from its newest lifestyle collection, Modern Refinery. This donation will be used to help furnish the homes of families transitioning from homelessness to self-sufficiency. "I've had the wonderful honor of partnering with Ashley HomeStore for several years now and every time we've partnered it's brought great joy to the families that we've helped. Knowing that Metropolitan Ministries, an organization that I love and work with very closely, will be able to provide families with furniture of this caliber not only exemplifies love and dignity but also highlights Ashley HomeStore's commitment to positively impacting communities all over," said Thaddeus Bullard, aka WWE Superstar Titus O'Neil, Founder and Chair, Bullard Family Foundation. Through the launch of their new lifestyle, Ashley HomeStore, in partnership with the Bullard Family Foundation has coordinated the donation of the furniture to Metropolitan Ministries of Tampa Bay. On June 1, Ashley HomeStore will introduce Modern Refinery, which offers style-hungry consumers on-trend pieces at attainable prices, opening the door to stunning, refined, curated home furnishings that fit their lifestyles perfectly. Through the launch of their new lifestyle, Ashley HomeStore, in partnership with the Bullard Family Foundation has coordinated the donation of the furniture to Metropolitan Ministries of Tampa Bay. "Ashley HomeStore is very grateful to partner with the Bullard Family Foundation, and Metropolitan Ministries once again to provide local families with furnishings for their new apartments," said Todd Wanek, President and CEO, Ashley Furniture Industries. "This collaborative project has been a humbling journey, as we worked together to help serve our community. We hope these families find joy in their newly furnished homes." Ashley HomeStore is proud to call Tampa 'home' to its corporate retail headquarters, located in Ybor City. Supporting the communities in which the company serves is at the center of the company's purpose statement: "to inspire the love of home and enrich the lives of those around us." Ashley HomeStore is committed to being your trusted partner and style leader for the home. This commitment has made Ashley HomeStore the largest retail furniture store brand in North America and one of the world's best-selling furniture store brands with more than 1,050 locations in 60 countries. Start designing your dream home today. Visit Ashley HomeStore online at www.ashleyhomestore.com. "Like" Ashley HomeStore on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram or see our design-focused boards on Pinterest. About the Bullard Family Foundation The Bullard Family Foundation was started in 2018 by Thaddeus Bullard aka WWE Superstar Titus O'Neil. Its mission is to provide families and children everywhere with moments, programs and resources to help build character and improve outcomes in communities. The Foundation is headquartered in Tampa, FL. Visit bullardfamilyfoundation.org. On Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/bullardfamilyfoundation/ twitter: https://twitter.com/BFFTampa instagram:@bfftampa About Metropolitan Ministries Founded in 1972, Metropolitan Ministries is a nonprofit, nondenominational, faith-based organization that provides comprehensive care for at-risk and homeless families in the Tampa Bay region. Through services that alleviate suffering, promote dignity and instill self-sufficiency, the Ministries strives to offer the power of love, heal broken lives, and help build a strong, caring community. Metropolitan Ministries' main campus is located at 2002 N. Florida Ave., Tampa, FL 33602, and the Pasco campus is located at 3214 US HWY 19, Holiday, FL 34691. metromin.org If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here! Based on the culture of online self-exposure, Connected (30), highlights a unique form of storytelling by giving cameras to four men or women who don't know each other, which they use to film their lives. Through the cameras, five parallel stories unfold and gradually become connected as each participant experiences transformative life changes and journeys of self-discovery. This docu-reality is a journey into the very real, and uncannily connected, lives of men and women in a way you've never seen them before. Connected was created by Koda Communications and has previously aired in 13 countries, including the US, India, the Netherlands and Norway.Connected has been successful because of its unique method of sharing personal stories in an incredibly real way, bringing to light todays most celebrated form of storytelling in which individuals share their lives through the camera, added Armoza Formats CEO Avi Armoza. The format allows unique access into the lives of both celebrities and the everyday person and we look forward to seeing more of this compelling storytelling from Discovery Finland and ITV Studios Finland.In Finland, all subscription targets for the whole of season five were hit in the first three episodes out of a season total of 24. We are proud to continue with this unique format that had its first launch here already 10 years ago Pete Paavolainen, managing director at Armoza Formats parent ITV Studios Finland. It shows that appealing characters and real stories are still an unbeatable combination.The ninth season of the hit format recently launched in Israel and began airing on HOT VOD. Also staring a cast of A-list Israeli celebrities. Content includes dramas, romantic comedies and variety shows. Thai Viu-ers can watch dramas from Channel 3, exclusively within two hours after the initial broadcast, including the first exclusive romantic comedy series, PraoMook, which was filmed in South Korea, starring Pon-Nawasch Phupantachsee and BuaNalinthip Sakulongumpai. Channel 3 will also be available for Viu-ers to watch at their leisure.The new collaboration will make Viu the first OTT video streaming platform to offer Amarin TVs simulcast content. Series include The Folly of Human Ambition and Cheating Spouse, with a 30-day exclusive head start.The new partnerships will join Vius existing ones with GMMTV and CHANGE2561.The collaborations with Channel 3, Amarin TV, GMMTV and CHANGE2561 have shown our persistent effort to drive local content to the regional platform, expanding their reach to our highly-engaged audiences across Asian markets," commented Viu chief content officer Virginia Lim. "We are thankful for the support from our partners in bringing exclusive contents to our audiences. Rapp News and Foothills Forum are continuously covering the impact of COVID-19 on our community. Sign up to have the C-19 Daily Update delivered to your inbox every morning. Click here to sign up... From left, Lennia Smith, owner of Pigeon Creek Bed and Breakfast; Lee Heffner, grandson of artist Milton Hill; and Patrick Donmoyer of Kutztown University, with a barn star by Donald Smith, inspired by the work of Milton Hill, to be preserved at the Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center at KU. Opinion A brand name can come from almost anywhere, but maybe dont ask Nabisco Education BTI welcoming students back to campus with celebration and other benefits (CVE: AAG OTCQB: AAGFF) CEO Ralph Rushton joined Steve Darling from Proactive with news the company has completed the acquisition of the final 20% interest in the Cachinal Project. Rushton telling Proactive about finally getting the deal done and what they are planning next on the project. Rushton also shared with Proactive a summary of the continuing drill core sampling program and other drill intersections at its Challacollo silver-gold project in northern Chile. @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. Exercise of Power. Robert M. Gates. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2020. Former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates latest book is a unique work. Exercise of Power is not a conventional Washington memoir, nor is it a foreign policy textbook. Instead, Gates examines how America can apply its power around the world, and studies the ways it has applied, or failed to apply, the range of its power to foreign policy. The result is a hybrid; part history, part foreign policy text, that makes maximum use of Gates' unique life story. However, while this book examines the tools available to American policymakers, and how they have been used, it pays less attention to the strategies those tools support, making the book less of a comprehensive guide to foreign policy than a how-to book for implementing that policy. Exercise of Power is not a continuation of Gates' memoir Duty. It does not present the linear narrative of a memoir, it is not a history of American foreign policy, nor does it provide an overarching theoretical framework to world affairs. It acts as a user's manual for national power, combined with brief case studies that examine its use. Robert Gates served as the 22nd Secretary of Defense under two presidents, George W. Bush and Barack Obama.[1] He served for just over four and a half years, from December 2006 to July 2011, making him the third longest serving defense secretary. His appointment was the culmination of a career in national security that spanned over four decades and included appointments as Deputy Director of Central Intelligence, Deputy National Security Advisor, and Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. Over twenty-two years, from 1966 to 1989, Gates rose from entry-level analyst at the CIA to Deputy Director, served as Deputy National Security Advisor, under General Brent Scowcroft to President George H.W. Bush, then served as Director of the CIA from 1991 to 1993. Gates is not only an experienced bureaucrat; he is also an academic. He earned a master's degree in history from Indiana University and a Ph.D. in Russian and Soviet History from Georgetown. After leaving the CIA, he served as an interim dean, and later president of Texas A&M University. In Exercise of Power, Gates successfully combines his academic perspective with Beltway experience. In explaining his goals for the book, Gates writes: There are many studies and books on how the United States has applied its power since 1993 and should apply it in the future. Few of these authors, however, have actually had power and exercised it; only a handful have been first-hand witnesses to history making, and then nearly always under just one or two presidents.[2] The book starts with Gates' description of the elements of national power, a subject of much discussion among theorists of international relations. In his first chapter, entitled "A Symphony of Power" Gates lists 15 different instruments of national power. Gates distinguishes some instruments of power as "non-coercive.[3] Gates describes non-coercive elements as instruments that influence the attitudes and perceptions of other societies or governmental decision making in ways that help a country win support for its own objectives.[4] The distinction is not new; in his landmark Politics Among Nations, Hans Morgenthau classified the divide as being between "power" and "influence."[5] Gates lists three elements of power that can be described as coercive: military, economic leverage, and cyber.[6] In discussing military power, Gates takes a broad historical view, but he focuses his attention on the post-World War II period. He first discusses how, following World War II, the American people had no interest in military conflict, and President Truman dramatically reduced the size of the US military.[7] When the Cold War began, Truman turned to nonmilitary forms of power to thwart further communist expansionism,"[8] such as assistance to Greece and Turkey, the Marshall Plan, and the formation of the NATO alliance.[9] Gates discusses how the end of America's nuclear monopoly made military conflict with the Soviet Union too dangerous, forcing the United States, with a few exceptions, to compete with the Soviets through other means.[10] Atomic weapons had changed the equation of power, as it became too dangerous for nuclear-armed nations to use military coercion to assert their will. As Morgenthau wrote at the time, "It is one of the paradoxes of the nuclear age that, in contrast to the experience of all of prenuclear history, an increase in military power is no longer necessarily conducive to an increase in political power." [11] Once both nations' nuclear threats cancelled each other out, the magnitude of the potential destructiveness, when compared to the limited nature of most political goals, rendered military force unusable as a means for competing with the Soviet Union.[12] To compete with the Soviet Union, the United States was forced to develop non-military instruments, such as diplomacy, economic aid, and covert action. BUY ON AMAZON THE IMPORTANCE OF NON-COERCIVE, OR PERSUASIVE, POWER, AND AMERICA'S NEGLECT OF THIS TYPE OF POWER, TO ITS DETRIMENT, IS A CONSISTENT THEME OF GATES WRITING. Gates lists 12 non-coercive elements of power, including diplomacy, intelligence,[13] strategic communications, alliances, culture, and leadership.[14] The importance of non-coercive, or persuasive, power, and America's neglect of this type of power, to its detriment, is a consistent theme of Gates writing. In Washington, a city where cabinet secretaries fiercely protect their budgets, Gates is perhaps most famous as being the cabinet secretary who called for an increase in another agencys budget, the State Department's, pointing out that America only had 6,600 professional Foreign Service Officers; less than the manning of one carrier strike group.[15] He stated: "What is clear to me is that there is a need for a dramatic increase in spending on the civilian instruments of national security -- diplomacy, strategic communications, foreign assistance, civic action, and economic reconstruction and development. Secretary [Condoleeza] Rice addressed this need in a speech at Georgetown University nearly two years ago: We must focus our energies beyond the guns and steel of the military, beyond just our brave soldiers, sailors, Marines, and airmen. We must also focus our energies on the other elements of national power that will be so crucial in the coming years."[16] The majority of the book is a series of case studies, where Gates recounts, often from his own experience, how America applied its power in various conflicts. These 10 chapters can be sorted into several groups. He describes what are sometimes called "humanitarian interventions" such as in Somalia, Haiti, and the former Yugoslavia. He devotes a chapter each to the wars in Afghanistan, "War Without End," and Iraq, "A Curse." He devotes chapters to areas that he considers successful examples of the full range of American power, such as Colombia and Africa. He studies the dilemma of intervention in situations that involve potential great power competition and the limits of American power such as Georgia, Syria, Libya, and Ukraine. Finally, Gates devotes chapters to America's relations to near-peer competitors, such as Russia, Iran, North Korea, and China. Gates' case studies rarely involve stories of the United States being too shy to apply power. Instead, they often tell stories of America using or misusing its power while guided by ignorance or wishful thinking. A series of American presidents, from George H.W. Bush to Barack Obama, worked to integrate China into the global economy, believing that economic prosperity would lead to democracy and improved human rights, Tiananmen notwithstanding. In Russia, American economic experts pushed Yeltsin's government to radically privatize the economy, without considering the effects on ordinary Russians. In Afghanistan, a quick victory over the Taliban led to an open-ended commitment to build a democratic, centralized government in a nation that had never had one before. Gates tells a similar story of Iraq, where a quick military victory was followed by an ambitious effort to build democratic institutions through elections, an effort that made, Gates says, "finding the exit ramp damnably difficult.".[17] Obama, Pentagon Leaders Honor 9/11 Victims, Pledge Resolve in Defense of U.S. (2009). (Photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Chad McNeeley .) The book also features two success stories: Colombia and Africa. In Colombia, America worked with a strong local partner in a nation that had a democratic tradition, using nonmilitary means to achieve limited goals. In Africa, the George W. Bush administration instituted the Presidential Emergency Program for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), and later formed the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) to guide development aid to the goals of the Millennium Challenge Account, such as health care, schools and immunizations. Bush increased development aid, and administered that aid through an independent agency, bypassing the State Department for increased accountability. The result was millions of lives saved from HIV, and an increase for America's reputation in the region. GATES SEEMS TO CALL FOR FUTURE AMERICAN PRESIDENTS TO FOLLOW HARRY TRUMANS EXAMPLE AND USE NONMILITARY MEANS TO COMPETE WITH ITS ADVERSARIES AROUND THE GLOBE. Gates book seems to have two goals. Its primary goal is to shine a spotlight on the various instruments of American power. Gates wishes to instruct the American public, and especially American policymakers, on the wide array of tools in America's toolbox. Its secondary goal is to advocate a greater use of noncoercive instruments, and a decreased dependence on military force. Without explicitly saying so, Gates seems to call for future American presidents to follow Harry Trumans example and use nonmilitary means to compete with its adversaries around the globe. In an online book talk hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Gates said that the origin of the book was the question in his mind of how we got from 1993 to here.[18] In the immediate aftermath of the Cold War, the United States enjoyed a political, military, and economic dominance that was without precedent in modern history, perhaps unmatched since the Roman Empire. Decades later, America faces competition from Russia and China, and is seen as withdrawing from the world. Gates asked himself: How did we get from the mountaintop to where we are today?[19] However, this book, with its narrow focus on means, is unable to fully answer that question because America's fall from hegemony did not come solely because of its failure to use all available instruments of power. THIS BOOK IS A THOROUGH EXAMINATION OF THE MEANS AVAILABLE TO AMERICAN POLICYMAKERS, BUT DOES NOT LOOK AT THE WAYS OR THE ENDS AS CLOSELY. Although Gates urges America to use more nonmilitary power in its foreign policy, and especially in its great power competitions, he does not offer any guidance where and when to apply that power. This is not a comprehensive roadmap to 21st century foreign policy. American doctrine teaches that strategy consists of ways, means, and ends.[20] Ways are the strategic approaches a country takes, ranging from observation to total eradication of an enemy. Ends are the outcomes or end states sought. Means, the subject of Gates' book, are the resources and capabilities available to policymakers. This book is a thorough examination of the means available to American policymakers, but does not look at the ways or the ends as closely. To some extent, the end of American hegemony was just as much a result of America's poor choices of ways and ends. It is true that America could have made better use of tools such as strategic communication, trade, and foreign aid. Most observers would say the greater share of responsibility for America's fall goes to America's unwise application of its power, such as the disastrous invasion of Iraq, the cold war with Iran, and the endless war in Afghanistan, all while America allowed inequality to fester at home. Although Gates makes no secret of his disagreement with American policy in Iraq and Afghanistan, he only lightly touches on how American hubris led to these strategic mistakes, and how these mistakes have affected America's place in the world. Even during the height of the Cold War, foreign policy scholars recognized that domestic factors also affect Americas place in the world. Morgenthau once wrote: "Any country with deep and unbridgeable class divisions will find its national morale in a precarious state."[21] America's class divisions may not be unbridgeable, but they are deep. America's national morale was in a precarious state even before the COVID-19 pandemic, and it may have reached a low point when a mob invaded the United States Capitol on January 6th, 2021. Such levels of partisan division are a greater threat to America's ability to conduct foreign policy than a lack of imagination in using strategic communications or development aid.[22] IT IS A COMMON LAMENT THAT AMERICA LACKS A GRAND STRATEGY, OR EVEN THE CAPACITY TO FORM SUCH A STRATEGY. While it was once said that politics "stopped at the water's edge" America's relationships with nations such as Israel, Mexico, Russia, and China are colored by political polarization. Scholars use the term polarization to describe several phenomena: the broad divergence of elite ideological positions, the division of the public into separate parties, increasing distrust and dislike of people from the other party, and the fragmentation of the media.[23] This polarization has led to three major challenges to the United States ability to conduct foreign policy and wield its power: It makes it more difficult to raise bipartisan support for ambitious or risky undertakings, it makes it more difficult to agree on the causes of failure, complicating efforts to learn and adapt, and the risk of dramatic policy swings from one administration to the next complicates Americas ability to make long-term commitments to both allies and adversaries.[24] This makes American policy seem more erratic and unpredictable to the rest of the world, and reduces America's credibility as a reliable ally. Gates does an excellent job of examining the ways America can exercise power around the world, some coercive, most non-coercive. That examination forms the basis of Gates' desire to see America compete with China and Russia through non-coercive means such as strategic communications and economic development aid. It is a common lament that America lacks a grand strategy, or even the capacity to form such a strategy. However, any strategy, no matter how brilliant, is only as effective as the means used to implement it. Whatever ends America chooses to pursue in the future, its leaders and strategists will be well served by reading Gates' book. Daniel Scheeringa has a B.A. and J.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and an M.A. in Political Science from Virginia Tech. He served two tours of duty as a Civil Affairs team chief in Operation Iraqi Freedom. He is an attorney in private practice in Chicago. This article appeared originally at Strategy Bridge. Notes: [1] Department of Defense "Dr. Robert M. Gates Former Secretary of Defense,"accessed February 16, 2021. https://www.defense.gov/Our-Story/Biographies/Biography/Article/602797/ [2] Gates, Robert M. Exercise of Power, (New York, Alfred A. Knopf 2020) 9. [3] Gates 2020, 30. [4] Ibid. [5] Morgenthau, Hans J Politics Among Nations: The Struggle for Power and Peace, (New York, Alfred A. Knopf 5th ed. rvsd 1973) 30-31. [6] Gates 2020, 13-30. [7] Gates 2020, 13-14. [8] Gates 2020, 14. [9] Ibid. [10] Gates 2020, 14-15. [11] Morgenthau 1973, 31. [12] Morgenthau 1973, 32. [13] In discussing "intelligence", Gates refers both to information gathering and analysis, which are non-coercive, and covert operations, which are coercive. [14] Gates 2020, 30-57. [15] Gates, Robert M. Landon Lecture, Kansas State University, November 26, 2007. https://www.k-state.edu/media/newsreleases/landonlect/gatestext1107.html [16] Ibid. [17] Gates 2020, 210. [18] Center for Strategic & International Studies "Online Book Event: Exercise of Power: Secretary Robert Gates" June 17, 2020, accessed February 21, 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LipHsH0bus&ab_channel=CenterforStrategic%26InternationalStudies [19] Ibid. [20] Joint Doctrine Note 1-18 Strategy at II-1. https://www.jcs.mil/Portals/36/Documents/Doctrine/jdn_jg/jdn1_18.pdf?ver=2018-04-25-150439-540 [21] Morgenthau 1973, 144. [22] Schake, Kori,The U.S. Puts Its Greatest Vulnerability on Display" Defense One February 19, 2021, accessed February 21, 2021. https://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2021/02/us-puts-its-greatest-vulnerability-display/172132/ [23] Kenneth A. Schultz (2017) Perils of Polarization for U.S. Foreign Policy, The Washington Quarterly, 40:4, 7-28, DOI: 10.1080/0163660X.2017.1406705 [24] Ibid. Last week USIAID head Anthony Fauci inched a bit more toward the possibility that the new coronavirus was perhaps a man-made virus released from a lab in Wuhan. Faucis hedge was surely manna from heaven from a U.S. political class that created such a massive economic and human rights disaster in 2020. But first, its useful to stop and consider Faucis flip flop. Its a reminder of something I stress over and over in my new book, When Politicians Panicked: what we know to be true rarely ages well. In Faucis case, he rather famously got a lot wrong about AIDS in the 1980s, including how it spreads. Put another way, the science that Fauci believed he was following in the 1980s was often incorrect. About it being wrong, this doesnt indict him. Its not science unless theres doubt, unless theres all sorts of trial and error on the way to knowledge. What indicts Fauci now is that he didnt let his past along with yes science get in the way of his own certitude. The very idea that the virus came from a lab was wholly dismissed by the USIAID head. Worse, Fauci was clear in his view that politicians shouldnt be held back by the truth about the evolutionary process that is knowledge; instead, he clamored for lockdowns regardless of their personal and economic implications. The time for questions would be later. Fauci was wrong in so many ways. Precisely because knowledge evolves with time, freedom is most crucial when knowledge is least certain. Think about it. Just as Fauci misunderstood how AIDS spread, it wasnt unreasonable to speculate that he wasnt fully versed in how the coronavirus made its way around. At the very least we know he was unsure as evidenced by his 2020 flip flopping about the worth of masks, among other things. Contra Fauci, free people are a viruss best friend. They produce information in addition to the economic growth that produces resources for doctors and scientists to seek answers, and solutions to answers. Free people taking all manner of precautions, along with free people throwing caution to the wind, produce information about how a virus reaches us. Are expert assumptions correct, or are they wildly false? We can find out most quickly via free people approaching a spreading virus in all manner of ways. Tacking back to the Wuhan Lab theory that Fauci initially dismissed, hes no longer so dismissive. Maybe he was right early on, maybe he was wrong. We dont know. All we know is that Fauci has been able to be wrong, or to flip flop, a great deal over the past 16 months, and hes been able to without missing a meal or a paycheck. Others in the U.S. and around the world werent so lucky. Faucis certainty brought with it immense job loss, business death and impairment, along with poverty and starvation around the world. For much of the world, Faucis stridency was enormously costly. At the same time, Faucis track record over the past 16 months should give us pause. That hes been so consistently incorrect at times, and at other times uncertain, should have us wondering about the latest lurch. Is reality finally intruding on Faucis vision, or is he flip-flopping to yet another incorrect conclusion? In other words, just because Fauci is now open to the possibility of a Wuhan lab leak isnt the same as the latter being true. If Fauci has been so routinely incorrect as conservatives in particular have reasonably argued, they cant have it both ways. Just because he agrees with some of them now doesnt render him wise all of a sudden. The view here is that the better approach is to be skeptical about Faucis latest pivot. And not just because Fauci has a weak W-L record in the correct category. Skepticism in similarly in order when its remembered just how advantageous it would be for Fauci and the political class he helped gull into tragic lockdowns if the Wuhan Lab leak theory turns out to be true. If so, attention will shift. To China. Politicians, experts, pundits and others will rage about how the Chinese released a virus, that either their ineptitude or sinister ways caused endless global hurt, along with economic tragedy right here in the United States. Except that the rage would be misplaced. Stated simply, there was never any excuse for the lockdowns. Never. If were realistic, the worst arguments for the lockdowns were the initial ones about protecting U.S. hospitals from overflow (Stop the Spread), along with the one about millions of Americans dead. They were because they presumed a level of carelessness on the part of the American people (and humanity more broadly) that doesnt exist. Really, who among us needs to be forced to avoid behavior that might result in hospitalization, or worse, death? Ok, and what would have happened if the virus had been a major cause of hospitalization or death? The answer is simple. Any political force would have been meek relative to individually arrived at precautions taken by free people. Translated for those who need it, people dont require laws or force to avoid harm. Its ingrained in us to avoid what might hurt us. Which speaks to why we should approach the Wuhan Lab leak story carefully, while also being circumspect in our reactions if it turns out to be true. That is so because we once again cant have it both ways. Indeed, a major reason we were against the lockdowns beyond the injustice of them was a growing realization on the part of conservatives that the virus was extraordinarily unthreatening for people who were young and healthy. For those who were rather old, otherwise very sick, and very obese, the virus was more threatening, but even then not extraordinarily so. Conservatives have long dismissed the virus as a major threat, and with good reason. For them to change their tune based on the viruss origins would be for them to dismiss their past calm as fake, or worse, political. The better approach is to seek answers. If the answers take us to a lab in Wuhan, thats all well and good. Lets just not let the U.S. political and expert class off of the hook. They erred with their lockdowns, and did so inexcusably. Lets not do as they wish, and shift our rage to China. It would be misplaced, plus it would take the spotlight off of the U.S politicians whose actions most need spotlighting. Memorial Day is the only true American people's holiday. Major General John A. Logan is credited with the 1868 General Order 11 establishing May 30 as the official Decoration Day at National Cemeteries, but it rested solely on citizens to keep it, and they did for a century without official decree or legislation. It spread from there to include all cemeteries across the nation and some overseas where American airmen, sailors and soldiers were laid to rest. Facebooks abrupt decision last week to change its policy of censoring any posts elevating the theory that COVID-19 might have been manmade came as no surprise to Mike Matthys, a tech venture capital executive who has worked in Silicon Valley for several decades. The social media giant only made the about-face once President Biden acknowledged that some facets of the U.S. intelligence community believe that COVID escaped from a lab in Wuhan, China. Biden then announced a 90-day investigation into the viruss origins. Before that, many Democrats and most members of the media had dismissed the COVID-came-from-a-lab narrative as a crackpot conspiracy theory. Its just one in a series of tech and media censorship decisions Matthys cites as wrong-headed and harmful for a healthy exchange of ideas in a free society. Over the last year, he and two longtime friends of different political persuasions, Brian Jackson and John Quinn -- all of whom work in the tech industry -- have become so alarmed by the steady stream of blatant censorship that they formed a nonpartisan group dedicated to curbing it. They dubbed the group the 1st & 14th Institute after the Bill of Rights guarantees of free speech and due process. Earlier this month, Matthys also was upset when Facebook barred a Wall Street Journal review of a book questioning climate change. The author of the book, Unsettled: What Climate Science Tells Us, What It Doesnt and Why It Matters, is Steven Koonin, one of the countrys leading scientists who served a two-year stint in President Obamas Energy Department as undersecretary for science. Back in early April, Matthys also was disturbed by a YouTube decision to ban a roundtable discussion Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis held with a group of doctors and scientists from Stanford and Harvard universities pushing back on the efficacy of mask-wearing and lockdowns. The video platform, owned by Google, said the discussion contained false statements about the safety rationale for childrens mask-wearing, but DeSantis countered that the science undergirding public policy reactions to the pandemic is still evolving. Google and YouTube were not acting as repositories of truth and scientific inquiry but instead as enforcers of a narrative, the Florida governor fumed. One of the most disconcerting attempts at censorship at least to Matthys and his colleagues came back in February when two members of Congress tried to pressure broadcasting and cable companies to cancel Fox News, Newsmax and other conservative outlets because they had carried President Trumps claims of election fraud before the Jan. 6 storming of the Capitol by extreme Trump supporters. Rep. Anna Eshoo and Jerry McNerney, California Democrats and members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, sent the letter to Comcast, AT&T, Spectrum, Dish, Verizon and Cox, among other companies. It just seemed to us a little over the top, Matthys told RealClearPolitics. This was government outsourcing the very work of censorship to TV channels. Its as if Trumps election erased the last 60-plus years of modern history and the fight against censorship waged by the left, he said. Were nonpartisan and we like to remind people that if you really dislike Trump or you dislike conservative views, just remember what happened in the 1950s and 1960s when we had the McCarthy era and the Berkeley free speech movement. Quinn, who has been active in various political groups including Democratic campaigns, has said he was motivated to push back when he started observing Facebook blocking friends for posting articles on how countries such as South Africa are using well-known medicines to help people with COVID and Lyme disease. It seems these platforms may be following their own science rather than allowing users to post scientific information from abroad, he said. The legal clash between tech giants and critics of their censorship, including prominent conservative politicians, has been brewing for months after several social media companies kicked Trump off their platforms over his role in inciting the Jan. 6 siege of the Capitol. While polls show most Americans, but not most Republicans, back Twitters decision to ban Trump, the censor-first-and-ask-questions-later approach to blocking information about the origin of the coronavirus is stoking new criticism about how powerful these tech companies have become, as well as how dangerous some of their politically driven decisions can be to the public discourse. Last week, DeSantis, the leading 2024 GOP presidential contender (should Trump decline to run again), fought back, signing a bill that would require social media companies to post concrete criteria used to de-platform users. The new law also allows the Florida Elections Commission to fine social media companies up to $250,000 for banning political candidates. The rebuke from Silicon Valley was swift. Two technology groups on Thursday filed legal challenges to the new Florida law, arguing that it runs roughshod over the First Amendment rights of private online businesses and amounts to a government intrusion into the free marketplace of ideas that would be unthinkable for traditional media, lending libraries or newsstands. Other conservative lawmakers have threatened even more punitive measures if tech companies continue to block political or scientific content they disagree with. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and many other prominent Republicans want to throw out Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which provides companies such as Twitter, Facebook, Google and YouTube special protections from liability for content shared on their platforms. Matthys, Quinn and Jackson argue such aggressive government action could have the opposite of the desired effect that the companies would censor far more content if legal protections for them are removed. Other tech entrepreneurs would likely opt out of the business entirely from fear of litigation. Instead of trying to rip away Section 230 protections, the trio proposes an industry-wide self-regulatory process that falls mostly outside of government -- similar to how the film industry voluntarily created the Motion Picture Association of Americas ratings system in 1968 in response to parents calls for common-sense guidelines assessing movies for childrens viewing. Matthys envisions a quasi-governmental body akin to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority that operates as an extension of the Securities and Exchange Commission and regulates member brokerage firms and exchange markets. FINRA has an $800 million budget, is funded by industry participants, hands out fines and has the ability to disbar individuals from serving as investment advisers if they arent operating within prescribed standards. There are several thousand arbitration judges that serve on FINRA, and if theres a dispute, they can create an arbitration mechanism and it can happen relatively quickly, Matthys said. Whatever they decide is final, although they can appeal. It has to be something that people trust is nonpartisan. Eric Goldman, a professor at Santa Clara University School of Law, argues that all of these ideas should be up for discussion but only if the tech companies can opt into them voluntarily. Facebook and Instagram, for instance, are already outsourcing some of these decisions on whether to censor or block content to an oversight board. The oversight board is made up of law professors and leading civic and media experts, including the vice president of the libertarian CATO Institute, but none from traditional conservative circles. Moreover, Goldman argues that, legally, these social media platforms and traditional publishers can operate very similarly in determining which content to post that is of particular interest to their readers. Government-ordered restrictions on tech companies determining what can and cannot appear on their platforms, Goldman argues, is an unconstitutional intrusion on private companies rights to operate and promote or eliminate content as they see fit. Twitter gives free exposure to people who you would like to reach, but thats not an entitlement, he says. True, Matthys acknowledges, but politically biased censorship only further fuels widespread mistrust in the media writ large especially when they suddenly reverse course and lift bans on certain narratives that subsequent evidence shows werent crackpot ideas at all. The topic of the source of COVID is not something that could be construed as dangerous or harmful, so the only reason for [Facebook] to previously censor the topic is based on its politicized view of consensus, he added. In mid-March, the 1st & 14th Institute commissioned a poll of registered voters in Eshoos district. The survey asked if members of Congress should be sending letters to cable, satellite and Internet television companies pressuring them to drop certain news channels or demanding that they change their news coverage if they want to remain on the air. Fifty-nine percent of respondents said such a letter would be wrong to send, while 26% deemed the action right, and 15% werent sure or declined to comment. The poll shows that the public harbors deep concerns about censorship even when those polled dislike the political views being blocked. Most voters in Eshoos liberal Silicon Valley district strongly dislike Fox News and other conservative television outlets and Internet sites, but a big majority of them oppose censoring these same companies. The 1st & 14th Institute, Matthys pledged, will continue to provide research that highlights the dangers of efforts to suppress the free exchange of ideas and information. Our motto is fairness and progress something we can achieve really only with open discussion and debate and letting ideas percolate and evolve rather than just simply trying to censor the other side so ideas win by fiat, he said. 92, passed away March 12, 2021. Visitation will take place Sunday, June 13, 2021 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Reynolds Jonkhoff Funeral Home with a rosary at 5 p.m. A funeral Mass will take place on Monday, June 14, 2021 at 11 a.m. at St. Francis Catholic Church. US Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas): I understand from whats been testified to the Forest Service and the BLM [Bureau of Land Management], you want very much to work on the issue of climate change. We know theres been significant solar flare activity, and so is there anything that the National Forest Service or BLM can do to change the course of the moons orbit, or the Earths orbit around the sun? Obviously that would have profound effects on our climate. Jennifer Eberlein, associate deputy chief for the National Forest System, responded that she would have to follow up with you on that one, after a brief pause. Gohmert: Well, if you figure out a way that you in the Forest Service can make that change, Id like to know. Weather Alert ...The Flood Warning is extended 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 further notice... The Flood Warning continues for the Contentnea Creek Near Hookerton. * Until further notice. * At 11:00 AM EDT Saturday the stage was 13.1 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 11:00 AM EDT Saturday was 13.1 feet. * 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. && Two police officers were transported to the hospital after suffering medical emergencies while conducting a search of a vehicle that was impounded at the Hinsdale Police Department. Hinsdale police Chief Charles Rataj told the Reformer the two officers have been medically cleared to return to duty. General Assignment Reporter Chris Mays is a general assignment reporter for the Brattleboro Reformer. He has been with New England Newspapers Inc. since 2012. Attention, Costco fans: A number of customer favorites are returning back to Costco clubs after disappearing at the start of the pandemic. In an earning's call from last week, it was announced by Richard Galanti, Director, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Costco, that free samples and indoor seating are among some of the things returning to Costco clubs across the country. Samples will be served behind plexiglass and "prepared in smaller batches for better safety control." While some sampling, including no-bake items, were around during the pandemic, prepared foods will be making a return in stores this month. According to Galanti, 170 locations will be among the pilots for the return while the other almost 400 Costco locations will phase in samples by the end of June. The 170 stores in the pilot program have not been revealed. Indoor seating will also be making a comeback with 50 percent capacity inside the stores. Though some outdoor seating returned over the course of the past few months, indoor seating has been noticeably absent since the start of the pandemic. Tables in the indoor seating area will be spaced out with a maximum of four seats per table. In addition to these aforementioned changes, Galanti announced during the call that "new-and-improved" churros will be making their way to clubs by the Fourth of July. Ice cream will also be making an appearance at food courts replacing the current frozen yogurt. There are seven Costco clubs located in Connecticut. Click here to read the full article. Sarah Silverman is set to star opposite Blair Underwood in the upcoming psychological thriller Viral from York Films. The independent film, written by Joe McClean, centers on Andrew (Underwood), a man dealing with the disappearance of his wife. As Andrew falls deeper into paranoia, he finds that the only way out of the self-destructive cycle seems to be through his new girlfriend Emilia (Silverman), a victims advocate and self-help blogger he meets in group therapy, who is dealing with her own demons from her past. The drama will explore if they are strong enough to get past their own nightmares and mental illnesses to find true happiness together. Underwood will direct and produce the indie feature, which was originally supposed to shoot in 2020, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Production will begin in New York this summer. A true artist thrives in all genres. Most people know of Sarah Silvermans brilliant comedic performances, but shes a devastatingly raw and authentic dramatic actress as well, Underwood said in a statement. I was introduced to this dimension of her artistry in the film, I Smile Back. Wait until you see her in Viral. Shes going to be an absolute revelation! The film will be produced by McClean, Daniel Cypress and York Films John Kalafatis, Joanna Kalafatis and Andreas Ignatiou. As noted by Underwood, Silverman earned critical acclaim and a SAG award nomination for her dramatic work as Laney Brooks in I Smile Back. The Emmy-winning actor and comedian most recently finished production on the feature film Marry Me (set to debut in February 2022), starring opposite Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson. Silvermans screen resume includes Battle of the Sexes, The Book of Henry, The School of Rock, Theres Something About Mary, The Sarah Silverman Program, Crashing, Masters of Sex and The Good Wife. She currently hosts the popular The Sarah Silverman Podcast on iTunes and other platforms. Underwood is currently nominated for a Tony Award for best actor in a leading role for his acclaimed performance in A Soldiers Play. On screen, the Emmy and Grammy-winning actor recently starred in When They See Us, Dear White People, Juanita and Self Made (for which he won his seventh NAACP Image Award in March). Underwood is also set to reprise his role as attorney Jonathan Rollins on a new incarnation of L.A. Law, which he will executive produce for ABC. Underwoods previous directing credits include the 2009 indie feature film The Bridge to Nowhere, the short film The Second Coming, as well as several music videos and commercials. In 2016, Underwood directed Megadeath in a 360-degree virtual reality concert video, which ultimately won a Clio Award. Silverman is repped by UTA, Thruline and Ziffren Brittenham. Underwood is repped by ICM, Thruline & Felker Toczek Suddleson Abramson. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. MADISON, Wis. (AP) Democratic Gov. Tony Evers refused to rule out the possibility of vetoing the entire state budget that's currently being written by a Republican-controlled legislative committee, saying Tuesday that it was too early to say whether he would do that. Evers was asked whether he was considering a veto after Republicans agreed to spend less than 10% of what he proposed on K-12 schools. Evers called that funding level an insult to the kids of our state and said a veto of the entire budget was on the table. Evers also said in some instances it is a reasonable request for businesses, health care institutions and universities to require proof of vaccination for the COVID-19 virus. One Republican-backed bill would prohibit the University of Wisconsin from requiring vaccinations, or COVID-19 tests. Other GOP proposals, all of which are up for a public hearing on Wednesday, would prohibit discrimination against people based on vaccination status and bar businesses or state government from requiring employees or customers to be vaccinated. UW does not plan to require students to be vaccinated in the fall. Lawrence University, a small liberal arts school in Appleton, was the first in Wisconsin to require students be vaccinated starting in the fall. Beloit College has also said it will require vaccinations. Evers has already vetoed a bill that would have prohibited health officials from mandating the vaccine. On the budget, Evers said he hoped the Legislature would put more money toward K-12 schools. The Legislature's Joint Finance Committee last week approved spending less than $150 million more on K-12 schools, which was less than 10% of what Evers requested. Republicans defended the move, noting that Wisconsin is set to receive $2.6 billion in federal coronavirus stimulus money for education. However, the level of new funding does not meet federal match requirements, putting $1.5 billion of coronavirus relief funds in jeopardy. Republican co-chairs of the budget committee, Rep. Mark Born and Sen. Howard Marklein, said last week they were aware the funding level may not meet federal requirements. Marklein declined to comment Tuesday, and Born did not immediately return a message. Evers also defended allowing unemployed people to receive $300 more a week in benefits approved by Congress during the pandemic. He questioned arguments made by Republicans who want to end that and other federal unemployment benefits who say they are worsening the state's worker shortage problem. Evers, along with U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, said they hadn't seen data to back that up and employers had been short of workers long before the pandemic hit. Evers commented after a ceremony outside the state Capitol where the rainbow flag symbolizing gay pride was raised for the third straight year. June is gay pride month and Evers was the first governor in Wisconsin history to order the pride flag to be flown when he did it in 2019. This year Evers also signed an executive order requiring state agencies to review external documents to ensure they are using gender neutral language. Evers also signed an order requiring the Department of Health Services, Department of Corrections, and the Department of Children and Families to expressly disallow using taxpayer money for gay conversion therapy for minors. Evers said that was a preventative measure and he wasn't aware of any state money being used currently on the practice. Evers also strongly signaled that he would veto Republican-authored bills making their way through the Legislature that would prohibit transgender girls from playing for girls or women's teams from kindergarten through college. I will veto any bill that's going to negatively impact our kids, period, Evers said. He said that hateful and divisive rhetoric on display in the Capitol has no place in Wisconsin. He was joined outside for the flag raising ceremony by Baldwin, who is gay, along with several gay and lesbian members of the state Legislature, Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes and several members of his Cabinet. MI Windows expanding facility GRATZ MI Windows and Doors, a manufacturer of vinyl, aluminum and fiberglass windows and doors, recently broke ground on a 90,000-square-foot addition to its manufacturing facility in Gratz, in a project expected to create nearly 100 new jobs in northern Dauphin County The project is scheduled for completion early next year, according to an MI press release. The expanded facility will feature two additional vinyl window production lines, a new automated glass room and a training center. It will also include enhanced safety features, such as separate parking areas for team members and trucks as well as dedicated pedestrian and forklift lanes inside the facility. The $27 million expansion coincides with a recent increase in MIs starting rate to $20 for all manufacturing team members in Pennsylvania. The firm has been headquartered in central Pennsylvania for more than half a century. This project will help add lots of great-paying jobs while increasing our production capabilities, making it a win-win for our team, our community and our customers, Matt DeSoto, MI chief executive officer, said in the release. For more about MI, go to its website at www.miwindows.com. Lyric featured in DSI Herald SHENANDOAH The newly reopened Lyric Restaurant at the northeast corner of Centre and Jardin streets, under the new ownership and management of Ruth and Dwight Williams, is the featured business in the latest edition of the DSI Herald, the newsletter of the revitalization group Downtown Shenandoah Inc. The Lyric, originally a movie theater that opened in 1913, was able to accommodate 480 people who enjoyed live performances, has an original booth inside dedicated to Hollywood legends Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall who spent time there, according to the newsletter. Today The Lyric, maintaining its distinctive marquee, is a family-friendly restaurant and its new owners are looking to celebrate and honor the history of the building. The Williamses, with their sons, Aiden and Jeffrey, took a leap of faith just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit by purchasing The Lyric and relocating from Philadelphia to Shenandoah. Dwight Williams has family ties in Shenandoah and through the years, during visits, would drive past The Lyric and Ruth fell in love with the building, according to the newsletter. When I realized The Lyric was for sale, I knew I had to have it, Ruth Williams said, adding, It was my husband who encouraged me and said that if anyone could do it, I could. It was difficult at first, she said, because we left everything behind. It was like a whole new world. Coming from the big city to a small rural town was a transition But they took things one day at a time and remained optimistic. Now, We are blessed to be where we are, she added. The Lyrics menu includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Summer hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursdays and Sundays and 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. The bar is open 3 p.m. to 2 a.m. Thursdays through Sundays. Ruth Williams said the eatery is hiring for a variety of positions. People interested should follow The Lyric on Facebook or call 570-955-3820. St. Lukes offers vaccine texting BETHLEHEM People seeking an easy way to sign up for the COVID-19 vaccine can schedule their appointment by texting the word Vaccine to 23762, according to a release from the St. Lukes University Health Network release. The network is using the setup as the CDC has cleared emergency use authorization for the vaccine in children ages 12-15, according to the release In a two-week period, more than 600 appointments have been scheduled using the text service. Shishir Singh, St. Lukes director of development information, said he anticipates that number will grow with the younger population. The service is available in English and Spanish and directs users to the vaccine locations closest to their zip code. It also ensures that people under 18 are scheduled at a Pfizer location and are provided with the appropriate parental consent form for minors. Additional location information and walk-in hours also are located at online sluhn.org/vaccine-locations. Drasdis & Son ribbon-cutting POTTSVILLE A ribbon-cutting ceremony is set for 4 p.m. July 23 for Drasdis & Son, 125 W. Market St., Pottsvilles newest mens clothing store, officials of the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce announced in a flyer forwarded by Samantha Chivinski. Light refreshments will be available and some lucky person will win a Drasdis & Son sport coat. The ribbon-cutting is a free community event and all are welcome, according to the flyer. To register, go online to www.schuylkillchamber.com or call 570-622-1942. DSI planning 2-in-1 event SHENANDOAH Two major annual events sponsored by the revitalization group Downtown Shenandoah Inc. will be marked jointly in 2021. The Shenandoah Kielbasi Festival, normally held in May but postponed due to safety guidelines involving the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, will be held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 21, along with the annual Shenandoah Heritage Day observance. Two events celebrated on one Big Day, Susan Williams, DSI executive director, said in a recent issue of the DSI Herald newsletter, adding that vendors and sponsorships are available. Williams said the events annually bring thousands of visitors to downtown Shenandoah. She added, This is going to be great. For information regarding vendors and sponsors, call DSI, 116 N. Main St., at 570-462-2060 or via email to swilliams@downtownshenandoahinc.com. People may also go online to downtownshenandoahinc.com. Summerfest set for return TAMAQUA The Tamaqua Historical Societys annual Summerfest is slated to return this year from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Fathers Day, June 20, throughout the downtown area. The event was canceled in 2020 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Festival goers for the 2021 gala are asked to wear masks, practice distancing and follow other safety guidelines. POTTSVILLE Vincent A. Guardado will spend more time behind state prison bars after admitting Friday to a Schuylkill County judge that he assaulted a fellow Schuylkill County prison inmate in August 2019. Guardado, 34, of York, must serve one to two years in a state correctional institution, pay costs and $50 to the Criminal Justice Enhancement Account and submit a DNA sample to law enforcement authorities, Judge Christina E. Hale ruled. Hale made the prison sentence, which consists of consecutive 6-to-12-month terms, consecutive to the one Guardado already is serving. Guardado pleaded guilty to simple assault and recklessly endangering another person. Prosecutors withdrew charges of aggravated assault and assault by prisoner. Pottsville police charged Guardado with slamming Timmy Coleman against a metal desk on Aug. 11, 2019. Coleman suffered a broken back, police said. This was a dispute between the inmates, First Assistant District Attorney Michael J. Stine said. Guardado already is an inmate at SCI/Camp Hill in Cumberland County, and Hale conducted the hearing by videoconference. In a Thursday case, Hale sentenced Dustin L. Breck, 36, of Frackville, to serve six to 24 months in a state correctional institution, pay costs and submit a DNA sample to law enforcement authorities. Hale made the sentence consecutive to the one Breck already is serving. Breck pleaded guilty to possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, with prosecutors withdrawing a charge of possession of drug paraphernalia. State police at Schuylkill Haven charged Breck with possessing the drugs on Jan. 22, 2020. Breck already is an inmate at SCI/Frackville, and Hale conducted the hearing by videoconference. In a Wednesday case, Cornell B. Randall, 19, of Pottsville, pleaded guilty to simple assault. Prosecutors withdrew a charge of harassment. President Judge William E. Baldwin accepted the plea, placed Randall on probation for two years and also sentenced him to pay costs and a $50 CJEA payment and submit a DNA sample to law enforcement authorities. Pottsville police charged Randall with biting a nurse on Aug. 11, 2019, in the city. Randall is an inmate at the county prison, and Baldwin conducted the hearing by videoconference. A Tamaqua man will not have to spend more time in prison after admitting Wednesday to a Schuylkill County judge that he violated a protection from abuse order. Francis L. Eisenberg, 33, pleaded guilty to indirect criminal contempt, which is contempt committed outside the courtroom. Senior Judge D. Michael Stine accepted the plea and sentenced Eisenberg to 14 days to six months in prison with immediate parole. He also ordered Eisenberg to pay costs and a $300 fine. Tamaqua police charged Eisenberg with violating the order by going to the victims house on May 6 in the borough. Eisenberg was an inmate at the county prison, and Stine conducted the hearing by videoconference. Also on Wednesday, President Judge William E. Baldwin sentenced Christian D. Ashby, 24, of Shenandoah, to spend 72 hours to six months in prison, plus two additional years on probation, pay costs, $1,800 in fines, $100 to the Substance Abuse Education Fund, $50 to the CJEA and a $50 bench warrant fee, and perform 10 hours community service. He made the sentence effective at 9 a.m. June 8. Ashby pleaded guilty to fleeing and eluding police and driving under suspension in one case and driving under the influence in another. Prosecutors withdrew 17 additional charges in the first case and two in the second. State police at Frackville filed both cases against Ashby, alleging he fled from them with a suspended license on July 17, 2020, and was DUI on Sept. 22, 2020. Also on Wednesday, Baldwin revoked the probation of Charles J. Torres, 33, address not known, and sentenced him to serve three to 12 months in prison and undergo a drug and alcohol evaluation. Torres admitted violating his probation by failing to report to his supervising officer, moving without permission, using drugs and making no payments on his court-ordered costs and fees. He originally pleaded no contest on May 21, 2020, to theft. Prosecutors withdrew a charge of receiving stolen property. At that time, Baldwin placed Torres on probation for 12 months, and also sentenced him to pay costs, a $50 CJEA payment and a $50 bench warrant fee, and submit a DNA sample to law enforcement authorities. Pottsville police charged Torres with committing the theft on June 25, 2019, in the city. Torres already is an inmate at the county prison, and Baldwin conducted the hearing by videoconference. The Senate State Government Committee held its first hearing of the 2021-22 legislative session on congressional redistricting, according to Sen. David G. Argall, R-29, Rush Township, who chairs the committee. The committee heard testimony about the map-making, demographic trends in rural and urban areas of the state, and recommended map criteria, he said. We need to ensure that all Schuylkill County communities can have their voices heard in Congress and are not broken up for partisan gain, Argall was quoted in a press release. He offered key takeaways: Objective criteria are required in drawing congressional maps. More specifics are needed to determine how to best ensure congressional districts are equal in population, compact and contiguous, and to minimize divisions of counties and municipalities. The committee must provide explanations as to how congressional maps are drawn, not just release a plan. New congressional maps are drawn by the State Government Committee every 10 years after the completion of the census. This decades redrawing process comes with even more controversy than normal, because Pennsylvanias lagging population growth led to the loss of one seat in the House of Representatives. To read the testimony presented or to watch the hearing, visit https://stategovernment.pasenategop.com/sg-052621. Chair of banned Majlis of Crimean Tatars sentenced to 6-year imprisonment in absentia flickr.com/ wp paarz 13:59 01/06/2021 MOSCOW, June 1 (RAPSI) The Supreme Court of Crimea on Tuesday sentenced Refat Chubarov, chairman of Majlis of Crimean Tatars banned in Russia as extremist, to 6 years in prison in absentia for organizing mass riots, the courts press service reports. According to the case materials, Chubarov is on a wanted list. Thus, his sentence will start from the date of his actual arrest. The defendant was found guilty of organizing mass riots. However, the court released him from punishment for public calls for actions directed at infringement of Russias territorial sovereignty due to the act decriminalization. The activity of Majlis of Crimean Tatars was suspended in April 2016. Shortly afterwards, the Supreme Court of Crimea declared the organization extremist. In September 2016, Russias Supreme Court upheld the ruling. HOMETOWN The saying that a family that prays together stays together is very appropriate for St. Jerome Regional School as its family celebrates 100 years of education and faith. The words of Father Patrick Peyton, known as the Rosary Priest, fits with the schools longevity in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Allentown, having reached its centennial. It is one of only three Catholic elementary schools that will exist in the county at the start of the next school year, the other two being Assumption BVM School in Pottsville, also part of the Allentown Diocese, and St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic School in Minersville, part of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia. St. Jerome is a very special place and has been for 100 years. Theres a spirit here that brings us together as a school family, Principal Amy M. Hannis-Miskar said. We are made up of exceptional students, parents, educators and staff working as one team to provide the best in Catholic education. As Hannis-Miskar puts it, It is a place where our students learn to love and where they love to learn. Based in downtown Tamaqua for nearly 100 years, the school moved in 2018 to its new building in Hometown. The building was the former Rush Township Elementary School, which was part of the Tamaqua Area School District. A major reason for the change was the former location (which had two buildings) became too small for the growing student body. It began as the parochial school of St. Jerome Roman Catholic Church, which closed. The diocese purchased the 35,000-square-foot facility in Hometown in 2018 for $1.2 million. In addition to being more modern, the Hometown building is one story, compared to the former four-story building in Tamaqua, with a larger recreation area. Weve transitioned a lot in the last few years, including moving to a new building, in order to accommodate for our growth in enrollment, but, we have made sure to keep all of our traditions that we love, Hannis-Miskar said. And growth in students has helped with the schools success. The 2017-2018 school year, the last year at the Tamaqua school building, had 192 students. In 2015-2016, the school had 121 students. The number jumped to 197 in 2016-2017. It reached 251 in 2019-2020. The following year, registrations were close to 280, but due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, only 229 were admitted. As of May 27, there were 280 registered from kindergarten to eighth grade for the new year, and if pre-K is added, the number rises to 302. We continue to grow as a school, advance in technology and upgrade our curriculum, but it is truly the people here who make the difference, Hannis-Miskar said. Many of our students and staff describe St. Jerome as a second home. The environment is very welcoming and for a century now, we have been one school family that keeps on growing. It is a place where our students learn to love and where they love to learn. I encourage families to send their children to Saint Jerome Regional School because we can offer a sense of family here. No matter what you are looking for, whether it is the faith, the academics, the dedicated teachers and staff, or the special subject classes, you are going to find that here at St. Jerome. Hannis-Miskar said in addition to keeping traditions, the school also moves forward in its curriculum. She thanked the Most Rev. Alfred A. Schlert, bishop of Allentown, in upgrading the building. Everything keeps updating and moving in the right direction, and people are interested in that. Plus we have the faith education here, too, so that is a big piece of it, she said. We keep all those important traditions, the long-lasting things that theyve done for years and years that are really important to people. I just love how the teachers and students are all so nice to you and help you, said student Breanna Hernandez, 12. On the first day of school you make all these great friends. When asked if her principal is nice, Hernandez said, Shes very nice. Shes the most favorite I ever had. You havent had that many, Hannis-Miskar said with a big laugh. Maggie Zeiler, 13, has been at the school since kindergarten and said it was a good move from the old building to the current location. I think it was a nice change. Its a really nice school here, Zeiler said. Its a privilege to go here and learn more about Jesus. Eris Hayes, 12, agreed with her two friends on learning about God while being taught about the other subjects. Mrs. (Alice) Miller is my favorite math teacher, she said. At the end of the school year, Alice Miller has been a teaching 48 years, with 47 of those at St. Jerome. Miller, of Andreas, currently is the seventh grade teacher. She will begin her 48th year of teaching at St. Jerome on Aug. 30. When asked what is special about the school, Miller said, All of the people who are in it. Its not only the teachers, its the families and the students because everybody has the same attitude of being here and being part of a family. Also, our faculty over the years has been very stable. There have been very few changes. This year is a little different since we have three teachers retiring. A lot of us have been together for a long time. The move to the new building is great since it provided much more learning space and room for expansion, Miller said. The lack of climbing steps in the one-story structure is much easier than getting through the old building, which had 69 steps from the first to fourth floors. Miller counted them. Miller said it has been wonderful to be able to teach families children, and now she has been teaching those childrens children. I was over at Marian (Catholic High School) this morning for a presentation and it was nice to see some of the kids there that had been here and they wave and come and talk with you, Miller said. Its a good feeling that they still recognize what they had when they were here. Its that close feeling that never goes away. SCHUYLKILL HAVEN For those fallen men and women who died in uniform in service to the country, the words Thank you is not enough sums up the feelings found at the Memorial Day program on Monday at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The annual program is sponsored by Veterans of the Vietnam War Post 29 Inc. at its memorial near Penn State Schuylkill and First United Church of Christ in Schuylkill Haven. The annual program was canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but this year it returned with a great turnout of veterans and the public. Thank You Is Not Enough is a song written by Janet Enders, of Pottsville, and was sung near the programs end by Sarah Kramer, of Hamburg, who has been a part of the annual program for years. She accompanied herself on the guitar. The last stanza reads: We think of you with gratitude. Well spend our days IN AWE of you. May peace find every one of you. And though Thank You is all well say to you, we know Thank You is not enough. The program began with a welcome from Post 29 Commander Guy Wiederhold, who asked Kyle Roeder for the playing of the bagpipes. The national anthem was sung by Diane Roeder, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance and the invocation by the Rev. Shawn D. Van Dyke, pastor of First UCC. We gather today to remember and to give thanks, she said. We remember those who gave their lives in service to this country. More importantly, we remember that they gave themselves to protect others to protect the nation they honored, the family and friends they loved, and even to protect complete strangers. We are overwhelmed at the ultimate sacrifice they made to uphold the ideals of freedom, liberty and justice for all as they secured hope for the future. During his opening comments, Wiederhold noted that the memorial will be 25 years old in 2022 and there will be special celebration to mark the anniversary. At that time, we would like every Vietnam veteran still alive, every Gold Star family, to please attend, Wiederhold said. It all started at the Schuylkill Mall when the Moving Wall came, and I promised we would build a memorial, and we did. Schuylkill County is a veterans county, a county that truly cares about their veterans. There is living proof of that here today. Two Schuylkill Haven Area High School students participated in the program. The first was Abigail Sausser, who read In Flanders Field, and Jonathan Zimmerman, who read President Abraham Lincolns Gettysburg Address. The main speaker was state Rep. Joe Kerwin, R-125, who was also identified as Capt. Kerwin. He is a member of the Army National Guard. It is a unique privilege to be here to honor those great Americans who offered up their lives in the defense of freedom in our country, as well as throughout the world, Kerwin said. Every year Memorial Day has more and more of an impact on me. It gets more real to me. I start to recognize names and dates of those who made the sacrifice. They are the people who cant be with us today. So as we gather today all across America in small towns like Schuylkill Haven and in sprawling cities, theyre coming together to pay tribute to our courageous men and women who have so selflessly offered their lives in the ultimate, final sacrifice for our country and our freedom. A wreath was placed at the memorial by members of two Gold Star families: The McMonegals and the Andersons. The ceremony also had members of the Schuylkill Haven American Legion Post 38 Ladies Auxiliary reading the names of Vietnam War listed on the memorial. The program had an honor guard providing rifle salute and the playing of taps. Van Dyke offered the closing prayer. Malaysia To Amnesia is a Tamil comedy film that is written and directed by Radha Mohan. The film was produced during the COVID-19 lockdown in India. Malaysia to Amnesia OTT release was scheduled to be in May 2021. Here are a few details on where to watch Malaysia to Amnesia in India. Where to watch Malaysia to Amnesia? Malaysia to Amnesia's release took place on May 28, 2021. The film streamed on the OTT platform ZEE5. One can watch the film on the OTT platform by purchasing a subscription plan of Rs. 499 per year. It features actors like Vaibhav Reddy, Karunakaran, Vani Bhojan, and M. S. Bhaskar in the lead roles. It also features actors like Riya Suman as Bhavana, Sachu, Mayilsamy as Watchman and Baby Vedika. Actor Vaibhav was seen portraying Arunkumar Krishnamoorthy while Vani Bhojan played Sujatha. The film received positive reviews for the screenplay written by Radha Mohan. Actor Vaibhav Reddy was also complimented for his role as Arunkumar Krishnamoorthy. The film is produced by Monkey Man Company and distributed by ZEE5. It has been shot by cinematographer Mahesh Muthusamy and edited by Praveen K. L. The plot of the film revolves around Arunkumar Krishnamoorthy who has a wife and a daughter. He also has an affair with a woman living in Bangalore. Arunkumar Krishnamoorthy lies to his wife and tells her that he is going to Malaysia for a business trip. However, he has different plans as he decides to spend that time with his girlfriend in Bangalore. But, he falls into trouble when he realises that he has amnesia and that he truly loves his wife Sujatha played by Vani Bhojan. Vani's character is an extremely naive one and does not realise that her husband is cheating on her. MS Bhaskar's character Mannargudi Narayanan goes all out to make sure Arun falls in trouble. In the end, Arun's extramarital affair with Riya Suman's character Bhavana is finally revealed to his wife. Take a look at the trailer of Malaysia to Amnesia before you catch the film on the OTT platform ZEE5. Image: Still from Malaysia to Amnesia Get the latest entertainment news from India & around the world. Now follow your favourite television celebs and telly updates. Republic World is your one-stop destination for trending Bollywood news. Tune in today to stay updated with all the latest news and headlines from the world of entertainment. In a rare incident, a farmer in Pakistan on Sunday caught the 48-kg Atlantic croaker fish (Kir) off the coast of Gwadar in Balochistan province and sold it for a whopping USD 46,706 [Rs 72 Lakh] in an auction. This has been one of the most expensive transactions made at the Jiwani fish market in a record-breaking fisheries sale. Deputy Director Fisheries Ahmed Nadeem, told local broadcaster Tribune that the farmer, who hails from the Gwadars Pishukan village and is a resident of Koh-e-Sar Bazar, turned a millionaire overnight. As per the market rates, the price for the unique fish was fixed at the discount of Rs 30,000 per kg, and the highest bidding for the rare cracker fish hit Rs 8.6 million. The demand for the creature is extremely high across China, Europe, and the international fisheries market, Nadeem told reporters. He added, that the fish was finally sold at the record-breaking price of Rs150,000 per kg in the fish market of the town. The owner of the fishing launch Sajid Haji Abu Bak, meanwhile said, that the fisherman hunted the gigantic fish on the shores of Jiwani. Gwadar Development Authority Assistant Director Environment and Marine Biologist Abdul Rahim Baloch informed that while many fishes are valuable for their meat, use of skin, and bones but it is a different case with the rare croaker caught by the fisherman. The price of a croaker is high due to its unique air bladder, Baloch said. He added that the fish is also extremely valuable due to its high demand in medical sciences. With about weighs about 1.2 kg weight, the Atlantic Croaker is one of the commercially heaviest fishes caught in the seas. Giant Manta Ray fish caught near Odisha Similarly last year, a mammoth Giant Manta Ray fish was caught by a group of fishermen off the Digha coast near the Odisha-West Bengal border following a rare finding. Director of West Bengal United Fishermen Association Pinaki Ranjan Kar told reporters that the fish weighed around 800 kg, and was so far the largest catch of its kind. The giant species was about 8 feet long and 5 feet wide in measurement. Kar said that the fishermen in Digha managed to catch one of the heaviest fishes that have been brought into the fisheries for sale. He added that the fishermen in Digha dubbed the fish as 'Shankar fish' due to its unique shape that resembled an elephant's ear. Get the latest entertainment news from India & around the world. Now follow your favourite television celebs and telly updates. Republic World is your one-stop destination for trending Bollywood news. Tune in today to stay updated with all the latest news and headlines from the world of entertainment. An eight-year-old boy kid in Virginia, US received a surprise gift from Pokemon after he sold his own special collection to raise funds for the treatment of his little, black sick puppy Bruce. Bryson Kliemann of Lebanon, a diehard Pokemon fanatic had earlier this month gone viral after he was spotted sitting on a makeshift sales desk organizing his playing cards for sale to raise money for his puppy after his mother Kimberly Woodruff, had to rush him to Southwest Virginia Veterinary Services. Kliemanns puppy wasn't coming out of his cage. Woodruff told local broadcasters that otherwise extremely active a puppy he usually is, the dog fell lethargic that day and was just not doing good. Bruce was diagnosed with Parvo, a contagious dog virus and the family needed nearly $700 in order to afford his medical treatment and could not afford to lose the dog. But it was also the amount the family couldn't afford to pay. "It made me kind of sad because usually my brother and sister play together and I don't have anybody to play with. So, I usually play with him(Bruce)," 8-year-old Bryson said in a live broadcast. The little boy knew that he had to act promptly. So he placed a sign advertising Pokemon 4 Sale on the side of the road to sell his Pokemon cards collection. The boy said that he knew everybody likes Pokemon cards. Boy sells Pokemon cards to pay for puppys surgery: An 8-year-old Pokemon fanatic put the cards for sale after learning the family puppy needed surgery they couldnt afford. -Photo: Bryson Kliemann and his dog Bruce. pic.twitter.com/iaZIaYSEZC Dr. Jeff Rabinowitz (@rxjef77) May 13, 2021 Pokemon dispatched 'personalized letter' Brysons mother was astonished to learn about her sons effort. She set up a GoFundMe page to raise nearly $800, but with the donations reached a whopping $1,900. On Monday, Pokemon sent a rare pack of cards to the boy that the company first released in 1996. The company that manufactures the Pokemon Trading Card Game also dispatched a personalized letter to the kid, according to WSLS 10. It read: Hey Bryson, we were so inspired by your story about selling your cards for your dogs recovery, these are some cards to help you replace the ones you had to sell. Brysons puppy has been happily recovering now with few more vaccinations to go. Get the latest entertainment news from India & around the world. Now follow your favourite television celebs and telly updates. Republic World is your one-stop destination for trending Bollywood news. Tune in today to stay updated with all the latest news and headlines from the world of entertainment. On Tuesday, the Jammu & Kashmir Students Association wrote a letter to Home Minister Amit Shah and J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha requesting to facilitate the travel of around 100 Kashmiri Medical and Engineering students to Pakistan. In the letter, the students claimed that they were asked for NOC/ Clearance at immigration to study in Pakistan and are stranded by the Indian immigration authorities. The students have urged the concerned authorities to provide them NOC clearance so that they won't lose their precious academic year. "Around 100 Students from Jammu and Kashmir were asked for NOC/ Clearance at immigration to study in Pakistan. Students were not allowed to travel to Pakistan through the Wagah border nor were allowed to travel via Dubai despite possessing all travel documents. Students were supposed to travel back to Pakistan by the 17th of March this year. However, they were stopped by Indian immigration authorities as they asked them to provide NOC from the Ministry of Education (MHRD) and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)respectively", the letter read. Students stopped at Wagah Border As per the Student's Association, a list of 349 citizens from J&K was approved by the Ministry of External Affairs on March 17, 2021. But after reaching the Wagah Border, students were stopped and told that their list is yet to reach them. The Indian immigration authorities allowed about 124 other passengers of which 81 were from Pakistan and the rest were hailing from other states of India. Students from J&K were asked to wait first and later in the evening they announced that they have changed the policies for travelling from India to Pakistan on the 16th of March. Authorities were supposed to inform students regarding the new policies of the Government of India, but they didn't. They informed students that only non-student travellers are supposed to get NOC from the Ministry of External Affairs. However, Medical and Engineering students are supposed to get NOC from MHRD and MHA as well. "Since then, students were stopped from travel back to colleges and Universities through Wagah Border. On April 6, 2021, students who were supposed to travel back to Pakistan through Dubai were stopped by Indian immigration authorities at Indra Gandhi International Airport New Delhi from boarding the flight from Delhi to Dubai. The Immigration officer who stopped the students told them that they will be allowed only after they will get NOC from MHRD and MHA as orders from the Ministry of External Affairs," the letter read. The letter further stated that though the students reached out to MHRD Ministry and NMC, they were denied permission stating that they do not deal with such cases. MHRD Officials told students there are no such orders neither from the Ministry of Home Affairs nor from the Ministry of External Affairs. Many students have their final year exams scheduled and even missed their term exams as well. If students are not be allowed to travel to Pakistan on time to attend colleges and universities, they will miss the upcoming exams as well. Hence, the students have requested to take immediate steps to resolve the issue on humanitarian grounds and take immediate steps and to make all possible efforts to facilitate their travel to Pakistan via Wagah Border as their colleges and universities opened on May 28. (Image Credits: PTI/J&KStudentsAsso/Twitter) New Delhi, May 31 (PTI) The core tenets of planning, decisive action, operational synchronisation and out-of-the-box thinking by the Indian Navy during the 1971 war still carry valuable lessons for the future, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Karambir Singh said on Monday. The Navy chief said the tactical ingenuity, the deployment of available combat power and detailed planning of naval aspects of the war proved crucial in shaping the land battle. Admiral Singh was speaking at a webinar organised by the Indian High Commission in London to recount the Indian naval attack on the Karachi harbour. "The 1971 war was most significant as it led to the birth of a new nation, Bangladesh, a seminal geopolitical event," he said "Though half a century has passed since this event, the core tenets of planning, decisive action, operational synchronisation and out-of-the-box thinking epitomised by the naval operation during the 1971 war hold true even today and carry valuable lessons for the future," the Navy Chief said. Navy Day is celebrated every year on December 4 to commemorate the Indian Navy's achievement in inflicting heavy damage on Pakistani vessels at Karachi harbour during the India-Pakistan war in 1971. Admiral Singh said the Indian Navy considers the operation as historically and militarily significant. "The 1971 Indo-Pak war was indeed a landmark event which shaped the course of not just India's history but also altered the geography of the South Asian subcontinent," he said. "The maritime facets of the war marked the Indian Navy's coming of age and established its credentials as a force to reckon with," he added. Admiral Singh said the Indian Navy executed an array of offensive and defensive operations on both its seaboards, effectively neutralising the adversary's ability to use the seas for combat, sustenance, replenishment and evacuation. PTI MPB RT RT RT (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) Lieutenant General Pradeep Chandran Nair, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM), Yudh Seva Medal (YSM) took over as the 21st Director General of the Assam Rifles (popularly known as Sentinels of the North-East) on Tuesday. He has rich experience of Assam Rifles and the North East, having earlier served as an Inspector General and a Company Commander in Assam Rifles, besides having commanded Assam Rifles battalions as a Brigade Commander. About Lieutenant General Pradeep Chandran Nair Lieutenant General Nair took charge as Assam Rifles chief at a ceremony of Shillong-based ARDG headquarters in Meghalaya. The General Officer was commissioned into the Sikh Regiment in 1985. An alumnus of Sainik School Satara, National Defence Academy, Defence Services Staff College, College of Defence Management and the prestigious Indian Institute of Public Administration, he has a vast combat experience in commanding his battalion (18 Sikh) in Siachen Glacier and Assam. In addition, in the North East, he has been a Company Commander in Manipur and Sikkim, Battalion Commander in Assam, Brigade Commander in Manipur and in the recent past he has also been an Inspector General of Assam Rifles in Nagaland. An instructor in Infantry School, Mhow, Indian Military Training Team, Bhutan and a Directing Staff at the prominent Defence Services Staff College, he has also served in the Army Headquarters as a Colonel, Major General and Lieutenant General. The Lt General has additional experience of serving as Brigadier General Staff in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa Area and in the Defence Intelligence Agency. In his last assignment at the Army Headquarters, he was the Director-General Recruiting, responsible for recruiting officers and jawans in the Indian Army. He has been awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal during his command as the Inspector General Assam Rifles (North) in Nagaland, Yudh Seva Medal during his command of a Brigade in Manipur and the Chief of Army Staff Commendation Card on three occasions. Assam Rifles India's oldest paramilitary force, Assam Rifles is responsible for providing security to the northeastern region and has a diversified role ranging from security to providing welfare, and developmental assistance to the people. The Director General of the Assam Rifles (DGAR) is known as the head of the Assam Rifles. The DGAR has their office is in the Headquarters DGAR which is situated in Shillong. The DGAR reports directly to the Minister of Home Affairs. Union Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday spoke to his Australian counterpart Peter Dutton and discussed measures taken by both countries to fight against COVID-19. They also agreed to convene the Ministerial 2+2 Dialogue at the earliest opportunity. He also expressed his gratitude to the Australian Armed Forces for supporting India during the second wave. India and Australia are part of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD )a security alliance comprising of the United States and Japan as well. India remains fully committed to the implementation of comprehensive strategic partnership with Australia. Both sides look forward to convening the Ministerial 2+2 Dialogue at the earliest opportunity. Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) June 1, 2021 Singh tweeted, "Spoke to Australian Minister for Defence, Peter Dutton about the measures taken by both the countries to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. India and Australia share a warm and people to people contact underpinned by a strategic partnership," 'Look forward to convening the Ministerial 2+2 Dialogue': Rajnath Singh "It is heartening to note that the Australian Armed forces have wholeheartedly supported India in its fight against COVID-19. India remains fully committed to the implementation of a comprehensive strategic partnership with Australia. Both sides look forward to convening the Ministerial 2+2 Dialogue at the earliest opportunity," he added. Meanwhile, on May 27, Rajnath Singh had informed that 10,000 sachets of the anti-COVID drug, 2-DG will be available for sale. The drug has been developed by Defense Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The advancement was announced by the Defense Minister while he was launching 'Services e-Health Assistance and Tele-consultation (SeHAT)' OPD Portal via virtual conferencing. Rajnath Singh appreciated the armed forces and lauded the step as crucial. Singh stated that this development would reduce the load on the hospitals. COVID In India India reported 1,27,510 fresh COVID-19 cases, the lowest in 54 days, while the daily positivity rate dropped to 6.62 percent, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Tuesday. With the fresh cases, India's tally of coronavirus cases rose to 2,81,75,044. The COVID-19 death toll climbed to 3,31,895 with 2,795 fresh fatalities, the lowest reported in 35 days, and the active cases were recorded below 20 lakh after 43 days, the data updated at 8 am showed. Also, 19,25,374 tests were conducted on Monday taking the total cumulative tests conducted so far for detection of COVID-19 in the country to 34,67,92,257. (With Agency Inputs) In a key development, the Indian Union Muslim League moved the Supreme Court against the Ministry of Home Affairs' notification pertaining to citizenship for non-Muslim refugees. As per the notification dated May 28, the MHA invited applications for citizenship from Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Christians and Buddhists hailing from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh who are currently residing in 13 districts of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Haryana and Punjab. While the rules under the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019, are yet to be framed, the Ministry invoked the provisions of the Citizenship Act, 1955. The IUML, which was incidentally the first petitioner to have challenged the CAA before the apex court, argued that the Citizenship Act, 1955 does not allow the classification of applicants on the basis of religion. Recalling that the Centre had told the SC that a stay on the CAA is not necessary as the rules under the law have not been framed yet, it alleged that this notification was an attempt to circumvent this assurance. Moreover, the political party stressed that it will be a herculean task to take back the citizenship of these persons if the CAA is struck down by the top court. What is the CAA? The CAA seeks to provide citizenship to the minority communities namely Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan. This will be applicable to the members of these communities having arrived in India on or before December 31, 2014. Moreover, they shall not be considered as illegal migrants. Additionally, the mandatory residence period for naturalised citizenship for these communities would be reduced to 5 years. Several parties in the North East such as the (AASU) have been vehemently opposed to this legislation. To ameliorate their concerns of organizations such as the All Assam Students Union, the Centre has exempted a major part of the North East from the ambit of the Act. The opposition contended that the Act discriminates on the basis of religion, which might go against Article 14, which guarantees the right to equality. After an hours-long debate in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, the legislation was cleared by a majority of the members voting in the favour of the Centre in December 2019. During the West Bengal election campaign, Union Home Minister Amit Shah revealed that the process of granting citizenship to refugees as per this legislation will commence after the end of the COVID-19 vaccination process. Interestingly, the implementation of the CAA was a key poll promise in West Bengal. Ex-Transaero receiver released of serving sentence in $15 million embezzlement case flickr.com/ Papas Dos 16:01 01/06/2021 MOSCOW, June 1 (RAPSI) - The Moscow City Court on Tuesday held to release former court-appointed receiver of Transaero air carrier Mikhail Kotov of serving a sentence for 1-billion-ruble embezzlement (about $15 million) and abuse of office, RAPSI learnt in the courts press service. The appeals instance changed a lower courts ruling, reclassified charges of abuse of office to illegal actions during bankruptcy, ordered Kotov to restriction of liberty for the term of 1.5 years but released him of serving his sentence due to expiration of limitation period. He was also ordered to be freed from detention. In August 2020, Moscows Savelovsky District Court sentenced Kotov to 5.5 years in penal colony. He was also banned from holding positions related to managing, organizational and administrative functions for 3 years According to investigation, Kotovs action resulted in embezzlement of the airlines property worth over 1 billion rubles ($15.3 million). Moreover, he forged some documents to suppress crimes allegedly committed in conspiracy with the former Transaero CEO Alexander Burdin, the statement reads. Transaero found itself unable to pay its debts valued at 250 billion rubles (about $4 billion) in 2015. The government-approved plan of transferring 75% of companys shares to Aeroflot failed. Its problems resulted in a large number of flight cancels and delays. In October 2015, Sberbank and Alfa Bank filed bankruptcy petitions against the troubled airline. The Commercial Court of St. Petersburg and Leningrad Region initiated bankruptcy procedure against Transaero on December 16. The Commercial Court of St. Petersburg and Leningrad Region declared Transaero air carrier bankrupt in September 2017. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has warned that an asteroid, as big as the Paris Eiffel Tower, could past through Earth on June 1. The asteroid named 2021 KT1 has been classified as "potentially hazardous" by NASA. The US Space agency has stated on its Jet Propulsion Laboratory website that the size of the KT1 asteroid may be about 186 metres. Asteroid 2021 KT1 to fly past Earth The asteroid, known as 2021 KT1, is expected to make a close approach to Earth on June 1 at 10.24am EDT. NASA classified the asteroid as a potentially hazardous object as it is larger than 492 feet and within 4.6 million miles of Earth. NASA considers any asteroid that comes within 4.6 million miles of earth and larger than 150 metres to be potentially hazardous. The asteroid 2021 KT1 will fly near Earth at 40,000 mph, according to the laboratory, which tracks objects that fly past Earth. As per the US space agency, it is going to pass by Earth safely. According to NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, asteroid is relatively small, inactive, rocky body orbiting the Sun. NASA tracks asteroids and comets that make relatively close approaches to Earth. The Asteroid dashboard displays the date of closest approach, approximate object diameter, relative size and distance from Earth for each encounter. Last month, a newly discovered asteroid the size of a car passed exceptionally close to Earth. Now named the 2021 GW4 asteroid, it flew about 16,300 miles away from Earth, which is less than one-tenth the distance between the moon and our planet. But according to NASA, the asteroid was too small a size to survive being too close inside Earth's atmosphere. The 2021 GW4 Asteroid raced at Earth at a distance of just 16,700 miles with a speed of 18,700 miles per hour. IMAGE: Pixabay In the upcoming space mission, SpaceX rocket Falcon 9 will take 5,000 water bears and 128 glowing baby squids to the International Space Station (ISS). According to a press release, the US space agency said that the 22nd SpaceX cargo resupply mission carrying scientific research and technology demonstrations will be launching to the ISS on June 3. Apart from tardigrades dubbed as 'water bears and baby squids, the cargo resupply mission will also carry more than 7,300 pounds of stuff that indices crew supplies, new solar panels and vehicle hardware. The mission will be launched from NASAs Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. NASA said that the experiments aboard include studying how water bears tolerate space, whether microgravity affects symbiotic relationships, analyzing the formation of kidney stones, and more. It added that studying how space travel affects them will help scientists in understanding the impact of space travel on humans and coming up with countermeasures against the adverse effects of microgravity. Squids Water Bears Solar Panels Butterfly IQ Ultrasound These are just a few of the experiments and payloads launching to the @Space_Station on the 22nd @SpaceX cargo resupply mission! Learn more: https://t.co/etRbfeuFI5 pic.twitter.com/TwnsITxsH5 NASA's Kennedy Space Center (@NASAKennedy) May 26, 2021 Water bears, squid in space Tardigrades, known as water bears due to their appearance under a microscope and common habitat in water, are tiny creatures that tolerate environments more extreme than most life forms can. They are not larger than 1.5mm and they are found everywhere from the depths of oceans to mountaintops. They can survive deadly radiation, extreme water, air deprivation and starvation and they have already demonstrated their ability to get through space vacuum when they were last sent to space in September 2007. Thoman Boothby, the principal investigator of the experiment with the resilient creatures, said, One of the things we are really keen to do is understand how tardigrades are surviving and reproducing in these environments, and whether we can learn anything about the tricks that they are using and adapt them to safeguard astronauts. He added, Some of the things that tardigrades can survive include being dried out, being frozen and being heated up past the boiling point of water. They can survive thousands of times as much radiation as we can and they can go for days or weeks with little or no oxygen. As per the press note, scientists are also testing glowing baby bobtail squids which have a special ability to glow because of bacteria that live inside their bodies. The US space agency informed that these creatures have immune systems similar to humans that work in a symbiotic relationship - mutually dependent co-existence. The scientists will be studying how their relationship is affected by space travel, which will guide them in mitigating the adverse effects on humans symbiotic relationships with bacteria that live in our bodies. (Image: Twitter) A convoy carrying International Criminal Court prosecutor Fatou Bensouda was cheered by thousands Tuesday as it travelled through South Darfur, Sudan. "Welcome, welcome ICC," the welcoming crowd chanted as the convoy drove past. Bensouda had arrived in Sudan's western Darfur region on Saturday to meet with authorities and affected communities in the region, the court said. She has urged Sudans transitional government to hand over suspects wanted for war crimes and genocide in the Darfur conflict. Among those wanted by the international court is former Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who has been in jail in Khartoum since his ouster in April 2019 and is facing several trials in Sudanese courts related to his three decades of authoritarian rule. The conflict in Sudan's Darfur region broke out when rebels from the territory's ethnic central and sub-Saharan African community launched an insurgency in 2003, complaining of oppression by the Arab-dominated government in Khartoum Al-Bashir's government responded with a campaign of aerial bombings and raids by militias known as Janjaweed, who stand accused of mass killings and rapes. Up to 300,000 people were killed and 2.7 million were driven from their homes. The ICC charged al-Bashir with war crimes and genocide for allegedly masterminding the campaign of attacks in Darfur. Sudanese prosecutors started last year their own investigation into the Darfur conflict. Sudan's transitional government, which has promised democratic reforms and is led by a mix of civilian and military leaders, has previously said that war crime suspects including al-Bashir would be tried before the ICC, but the trial venue is a matter for negotiations with The Hague-based court. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) With dozens of Nigerian school students still missing after their kidnapping, parents gathered outside the school in Tegina waiting for news and asking the authorities to do more to bring their children back. At least 136 pupils were kidnapped from the Salihu Tanko Islamic School in Nigeria's north central Niger State on Sunday, the owner of the school told regional TV. Police confirmed that a large number of students were abducted, and one person was killed, but did not release exact numbers. "We want them (authorities) to do more," said Mohammed Garba, father of an abducted student while waiting for news about his kid outside the school. A Niger State police spokesperson said the abduction was carried out by "armed bandits on board motorcycles in their numbers." The gunmen fired "indiscriminately and abducted a yet to be ascertained number of children," he said, adding that the gunmen shot one person dead in the process. Authorities said that "tactical teams" have been mobilized to rescue the students. The incident is the latest in a series of mass abductions in Nigerian schools by armed gangs who collect money for ransom. Armed groups have carried out raids on schools in northern Nigeria, kidnapping hundreds of students since December. The worst incident this year occurred at the Government Girls Secondary School Jangebe in February, when 279 girls were abducted and later released. Many schools have been forced to close due to the frequent kidnappings. On Saturday, 14 university students and staff who had been abducted from Greenfield University in Kaduna state on April 20 were released after spending more than a month in captivity. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) Parents of students kidnapped from a school in Nigeria continued to anxiously wait for news on Monday about their children who had been taken away the previous day. "Actually what I saw was horrifying" said Ashiru Adamu Idrisa, the father of three girls, the youngest 5 years old, who were abducted from the Salihu Tanko Islamic School in Tegina. "Right in front of my eyes my children were taken out", he said. A large number of students were abducted Sunday and one person was killed at a school in Nigeria's north central Niger State, a police spokesman confirmed. The owner of the school told state media NTA on Monday that 136 children were kidnapped, according to information provided by the parents of the students. The incident is the latest in a series of mass abductions in Nigerian schools by armed gangs who collect money for ransom. Armed groups have carried out raids on schools in northern Nigeria, kidnapping hundreds of students since December. The worst incident this year occurred at the Government Girls Secondary School Jangebe in February, when 279 girls were abducted and later released. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) The United Nations World Food Programme has provided emergency food assistance to one million people since it began distribution in March. The UN is, however, alarmed about the hunger levels in Ethiopia's Tigray. The UN has said that more than 90 per cent of people in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region need emergency food aid. They have appealed for $203 million to ramp up the response needed for people affected by the conflict. People in Tigray need food assistance Tomson Phiri, World Food Programme spokesman told reporters in Geneva that 5.2 million people need food assistance due to the conflict in Tigray. He said that WFP provided emergency aid to more than a million people since it began distribution in Tigray in March. He said that they are concerned about the number of people facing hunger and require nutrition support. They have appealed for $203 million to scale up the response needed for people in Tigray to save lives and livelihoods. NEWS ALERT .@WFP has provided emergency food assistance to 1 MILLION people, since starting distributions in Northwestern and Southern zones of #Tigray region in March. Read more about how WFP reached this milestone moment https://t.co/DK7MrUoEIW pic.twitter.com/8gTAwBRwXc WFP_Ethiopia (@WFP_Ethiopia) June 1, 2021 WFP is responsible for emergency food assistance across Northwestern and Southern zones of Tigray and will scale up operations to reach 2.1 million people in need of food assistance. Since April, it has managed to access all 13 districts of Northwestern and assisted 885,000 people. WFP has started a second six-week round of emergency food assistance. WFP expects to assist about 80,000 people of the nearly 200,000 target population within the first few days of operations. The conflict in the region started after the ruling TPLF party, a minority party at the centre but a strong and powerful group in the region, allegedly attacked a military base of the federal forces on November 4. The attack was followed by Ahmed's government launching a military offensive. The fighting and abuses continue in Tigray even after six months of the attack. IMAGE: AP Even as COVID-19 continues to rage across the globe, China on Tuesday confirmed the world's first case of a human infected with H10N3 avian influenza, commonly known as Bird Flu. Burdened with the flak received for being the country where the first case of COVID-19 was identified as well (in Wuhan), China's tryst with viruses hasn't gone down very well with netizens across the globe reeling with the subsequent lockdowns and restrictions imposed in wake of the second wave of the Coronavirus. While it was bats earlier, this time the virus said to have originated from poultry has triggered a sense of fear even though China has maintained that the case reported is 'rare' and that chances of large-scale spread are very bleak. At a time when the world battles the most lethal pandemic ever known to humanity and is on its way back to normalcy with vaccines proving to be effective, the possibility of another animal-to-humans virus transmission has left Twitter pondering what lies in store next. As China reported the first case of a human being infected with bird flu, Twitter erupted with despondent reactions as plenty sought a 'break' from the virus while many sighed 'not again'. One of the netizens also likened the bird flu transmission to humans to a sequel of movies, possibly predicting that this might be a disaster as often noticed in the case of movies. Here are some of the wittiest and humorous reactions: China everytime after Every New disease inventions to the world: #birdflu pic.twitter.com/570hypX49c priyanka piks (@PriyankaPiks) June 1, 2021 why do the sequels always suck charliebanks (@charliebanks__) June 1, 2021 * #BirdFlu infection #H10N3 in human reported in China* China to World : pic.twitter.com/MamrQKpP3K Ex Bhakt (@exbhakt_) June 1, 2021 Rest of the world to China after seeing #BirdFlu trending : pic.twitter.com/BNoQ9ntJkv (@bharatgupta74) June 1, 2021 China reports first case of H10N3 avian influenza in humans As per the Chinese state media Global Times report, Chinas health authorities reportedly said on Tuesday that it was a rare poultry-to-human transmission and noted that the risk of large-scale spread of bird flu is extremely low. The worlds first case of human infected with avian influenza was confirmed in a 41-year-old man from Zhenjiang, a city in Jiangsu Province. Chinas National Health Commission (NHC) on Tuesday reportedly said in a statement that the man witnessed a fever along with other symptoms on April 23 and was then admitted to a local medical institute for treatment on April 28. However, the full genetic analysis of the virus obtained from the 41-year-old revealed that he tested positive for the H10N3 virus, making him the first human case of avian influenza. The analysis also showed that the H10N3 virus was of avian origin and did not have the ability to effectively infect humans, reportedly NHC experts believed. H10N3 is a subtype of the Influenza A virus which is commonly known as the bird flu virus. The virus is normally fatal to wild birds and poultry because among animals it can be spread through respiratory droplets, similar to flu and COVID-19, reportedly said Yang Zhanqiu, a deputy director of the Pathogen Biology Department at Wuhan University. China on May 31 weighed in on the Danish and European media reports alleging that the United States spied on its European allies including German Chancellor Angela Merkel between 2012 and 2014. While US-China has often indulged in a public war of words, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Monday labelled Washington as the worlds top empire of hacking and theft of secrets. On Twitter, Chinas government account stated, As facts have proven time and again, the US is the worlds top empire of hacking and theft of secrets. With targets including not only competitors but also its allies, the US is a real master of large-scale, indiscriminate tapping and theft of secrets. It also shared an article with the same news. The US should give the world an explanation on whether what it did is consistent with its intelligence laws and the spirit of its cross-border data flow agreement with allies and whether this is dirty network or clean network. Spokesperson (@MFA_China) May 31, 2021 Chinas remarks came after a French government official on May 31 said that if proven, the claims are extremely serious. Secretary of State for European Affairs in France, Clement Beaune told the countrys Info radio, It is extremely serious, we need to see if our partners in the EU, the Danes, have committed errors or faults in their cooperation with American services. He noted that it would be very serious if Washington actually spied on EU leaders. "Between allies, there must be trust, a minimal cooperation, so these potential facts are serious," said the minister while urging that the facts must first be verified and then conclusions drawn in terms of cooperation." US Spied On Several European Allies The United States spied on the top politicians in Europe including German Chancellor Angela Merkel from 2012 to 2014 with the assistance of Danish intelligence, as reported by Danish and European media on May 30. Danish public broadcaster Danmarks Radio (DR) said that the United States National Security Agency (NSA) had listened to Danish internet cables to spy on top politicians and even senior officials in Germany, Sweden, Norway and France. The report also stated that the NSA took the benefit of surveillance collaboration with Denmark military intelligence unit FE to carry out the task. According to DR, the Danish Defence Minister Trine Bramsen was informed of the US spying in August 2020. She acquired the position in June 2019. She revealed to the broadcaster that systematic eavesdropping of close allies is unacceptable." However, as per reports, it remains unclear if Denmark authorised the United States to use its surveillance system in order to spy on its European neighbours. DR revealed the information regarding American intelligence eavesdropping on officials following an investigation that it led in collaboration with Swedish broadcaster SVT, Norway's NRK, Germany's NDR, WDR and Suddeutsche Zeitung, and France's Le Monde. As per the DR report, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, then foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and also the then-opposition leader Peer Steinbruck were among those the NSA had spied on during those two years. In the same time period, the US intelligence was capable of accessing SMS text messages, telephone calls, and even internet traffic including searches, chats and other online messaging services. IMAGE: AP/Unsplash Belarus opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya on Tuesday said a Belarusian activist stabbed himself in the neck during a court hearing in Minsk to protest political repression and authorities' threats to prosecute his relatives. Stsiapan Latypau used a pen to inflict the wound while he was sitting in court in a defendant's cage on Tuesday, according to the Viasna human rights center in Belarus. Videos posted online showed Latypau being carried out of the building in Belarus' capital and put into an ambulance. He was hospitalized and put into an induced coma, Visana said. His lawyer, Olga Batyuk, wouldn't comment on Latypau's condition. Before stabbing himself, Latypau told his father during the court proceedings that investigators had threatened to open criminal cases against his relatives and associates if he failed to admit his guilt. Latypau faces charges of staging actions violating public order, resisting police and other alleged actions that carry a prison sentence of up to 10 years. He had been in jail since September, when he was arrested during massive protests against Belarus authoritarian leader, President Alexander Lukashenko. Protests were triggered by Lukashenko winning a sixth term in an August election that the opposition rejected as rigged. Authorities responded to the demonstrations with a sweeping crackdown, arresting more than 35,000 and violently attacking thousands. Speaking during an international online conference on Tueasday, Tsiikhanovskaya said the recent events unfolding in the country show that repressions are strengthening and "it is time to talk about snap elections as a complex resolution of the crisis in Belarus." The United States and the European Union have imposed sanctions on Lukashenko and other Belarusian officials for the alleged rigging of the vote and for clamping down on protests. The U.S. and EU introduced new sanctions last week after Belarus diverted an international flight to arrest a dissident journalist. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) The EU, UK, and Japan on Monday continued to raise doubts at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) for the proposed intellectual property waiver (IP waiver) on the COVID-19 vaccines raw material and other product, a Geneva trade official reportedly said. While in its monumental shift under the Biden administration, the US has backed and supported the waiver for intellectual property related to COVID-19 vaccines, other member countries which include Australia, Brazil, Britain, Japan, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, and Taiwan, EU, and the UK expressed doubts about the negotiations on the India and South Africa-led proposal as they requested for some more time to thoroughly analyze it. It is important for WTO Members to work together to ensure that intellectual property rights such as patents, industrial designs, copyright and protection of undisclosed information do not create barriers to the timely access to affordable medical products including vaccines and medicines or to scaling-up of research, development, manufacturing, and supply of medical products essential to combat COVID-19, the WTO committee said at the meeting. The intellectual property rights on the COVID-19 have largely been hindering the timely provisioning of affordable vaccines and medicine to coronavirus patients, globally. And therefore, some of the WTO Members states, including India and South Africa have requested an urgent legal amendment to the national patent laws to expedite the process of issuing compulsory and government use licenses. Countries, particularly India have highlighted the institutional and legal barriers when using flexibilities available in the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS Agreement) that restricts the domestic manufacture of the internationally approved jabs. The pharmaceutical giants and their host countries, as well as PhRMA, a body that represents leading pharmaceutical research companies of the world, have been creating a roadblock insisting that the the developing countries request for IP waivers was made without evidence" that the intellectual property was hindering global response to the pandemic. While the WTO chief Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has been pushing for international agreement to outdo the national patents, some countries argued that there was "no proof" how the waiver could scale up research and development and manufacturing that is needed for COVID-19 products. Only 63 WTO members backed proposal WTO requires the consensus from all 164 member states, and currently, there has been the support of just about 63 WTO members backing the revised proposal pushed forward by India and South Africa. Confusion and doubts were raised about the duration of the proposed IP waiver and subsequently, its termination. The discussion gained momentum this month after US Trade Representative Katherine Tai made an official announcement that the US supports a temporary waiver to the WTOs intellectual property laws for the vaccine raw material. "While intellectual property rights for businesses are important, Washington supports the waiver of those protections for COVID-19 vaccines," US Trade Representative Katherine Tai said in a statement. "This is a global health crisis, and the extraordinary circumstances of the Covid-19 pandemic call for extraordinary measures," she further added. South Africa and India approached the World Trade Organization (WTO) with an appeal to urge countries to suspend the IP rights on vaccine manufacturing raw material, including the industrial designs, patents, and trade secrets on the innovation of the jabs formula so that it encourages other countries to manufacture the vaccines and fight the coronavirus pandemic. South African President Ramaphosa reiterated calls for a landmark waiver on intellectual property (IP) to make the COVID-19 vaccines available for the developing nations, urging the world for promoting "speedy and equitable access to medicinal products to fight the global health crisis in solidarity while the rich nations have been hesitant. Russian Civic Chamber urges citizens to back memorandum on protection of minors on Internet RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov 15:43 01/06/2021 MOSCOW, June 1 (RAPSI) Members of the Russian Civic Chamber invite all concerned citizens to join the parent community's memorandum on the protection of children on the Internet and social networks. The document was prepared on the basis of the recommendations the Civic Chamber had developed in cooperation with public organizations in order to prevent involvement of minors in illegal activities on social media. The release of the text is timed to coincide with the Children's Day, June 1. The memorandum stresses that when online minors gain access to pornography, scenes of cruelty, extremist information, and also become victims of manipulation and propaganda. At the same time, the insufficient regulation of this issue by the state, according to public figures, suggests that the commercial interests of international companies which operate social networks are above not only the norms of Russian laws, but also the interests of children and the parental community. The document calls on the authorities to take systemic measures to counter dangerous content and manipulation. In particular, it is proposed to strengthen control over the safety of children and their personal data on social networks, over age marking of content and inaccurate information. According to the authors of the memorandum, it is necessary to legislatively establish age identification of materials published on social networks and limit the age of self-registration there for minors. Civic activists call for the development of special SIM-cards for minors that will allow parents to identify their children on the Internet, as well as monitor how they spend their money. In addition, these SIM cards should provide children with free access to educational content. The document also supports the requirement to register companies representing foreign social networks on the territory of the Russian Federation. In addition, the memorandum proposes to conduct sociological researches on the impact of dangerous content on children, monitor if digital environment is safe, and train parents and teachers as to ensuring the information security of children. According to the authors of the document, it is important that each child has the opportunity to do what is in his or her interests, for which it is necessary to study the situation with the sports, educational and hobby facilities for minors in Russia in order to create a map of the infrastructure of childhood, on which parents and children can find all the respective facilities, enroll in them, as well as vote on all the issues that are important specifically for children. This year there were a lot of worries about the safety of children when on social networks, their involvement in illegal actions. Therefore, by the decision of the Civic Chamber, this special memorandum has been developed as a part of the big project Decade of Childhood, which is being implemented at the initiative of the President of Russia. One of the main areas of this project is safe information environment. So the task is to make this environment not only safe, but also child-friendly, Sergey Rybalchenko, Chairman of the Commission on demography, protection of family, children and traditional family values said. According to the deputy chairman of the commission, Yulia Zimova, the memorandum was prepared with participation of Chamber members, public organizations, the parent community, and, on a number of issues, the children themselves. The purpose of the memorandum is to get as many people as possible to think about how we can protect our children and make their voice heard so that they feel comfortable, she concluded. A new European Union prosecutor's office aimed at investigating fraud, corruption and misuse of EU budget funds in the 27-nation bloc started operations on Tuesday in Luxembourg. The European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO), an independent outfit, will be overseen by Laura Codruta Kovesi, the European chief prosecutor and the former chief prosecutor of Romania's National Anticorruption Directorate. With its seat in Luxembourg, the EPPO will operate as a single office across all 22 participating EU countries and combines European and national law enforcement efforts in a unified approach. EU states Denmark, Ireland, Poland, Sweden and Hungary are not a part of the EPPO. Kovesi said Tuesday that the task ahead bore "enormous responsibility." "Our decisions will directly affect the fundamental rights of European citizens," she added. "We are the first really sharp tool to defend the rule of law in the EU. Our success is a matter of credibility for our union." European Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders said Kovesi and her team could rely on the commission's support to fulfil their activities efficiently, describing the new office as "a story of European collaboration." (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas firmly rejected the idea of weapons deliveries to Ukraine on Tuesday, while highlighting Germany's support for the country in diplomacy and in bilateral aid. Maas spoke at a news conference in Berlin and also commented on talks about the Nord Stream 2 pipeline currently taking place between Germany and the United States in Washington. The US has battled for years to block the pipeline, now 95% complete, though construction has not yet started on its German leg. The pipeline will carry natural gas from Russia to Germany, increasing Russia's leverage as a vital energy supplier in Europe. The US argues that the pipeline threatens European energy security, heightens Russia's influence and poses risks to Ukraine and Poland in bypassing both countries. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has defended the project, noting that Russian gas already flows freely into Europe along other routes, including the existing Nord Stream 1 pipeline under the Baltic Sea to Germany. Nord Stream 2 is owned by Russian state company Gazprom, with investment from several European companies. Domestic critics in Germany have argued that the pipeline should be abandoned because of Russia's treatment of opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Maas also confirmed that Germany and the United Nations are planning to host a conference on Libya in Berlin on June 23. The gathering aims to bring together powers with interests in the North African country and its transitional government. The agenda will include discussions for preparations for elections in December and the withdrawal of foreign forces. The meeting, announced on Tuesday, is expected to take place at the level of foreign ministers and follows up on a first Berlin conference held in January 2020 at which leaders agreed to respect an arms embargo and push Libya's warring parties to reach a full cease-fire. Germany has been trying to act as an intermediary. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) Denmarks secret service helped the US National Security Service (NSA) spy on European politicians including German Chancellor Angela Merkel from 2012 to 2014. According to Danish public service broadcaster DR, the Defence Intelligence Service (FE) collaborated with US NSA to gather information on officials from Germany, France, Sweden and Norway. The findings are the result of a 2015 internal investigation in the Danish Defence Intelligence Service into NSAs role in the partnership with Denmarks foreign intelligence unit. According to the investigation, NSA used Danish information cables to spy on senior officials in Sweden, Norway, France and Germany, including former German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and former German opposition leader Peer Steinbruck. The NSA is said to have accessed text messages and the phone conversation of a number of prominent individuals by tapping into Danish internet cables in co-operation with the FE. As per the report, the alleged set-up was codenamed Operation Dunhammer and it allowed the NSA to obtain data using the telephone numbers of politicians as search parameters. Extremely serious and unacceptable Following the report, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel demanded explanations from the United States and Denmark. While Macron said that spying is "not acceptable" between allies, Merkel, on the other hand, said that she agreed with her French counterpart's remarks. Steinmeier, who is now the German President, and a spokesperson for Merkel said that they were not aware of Danish involvement until the DR report, which was shared with other European media over the weekend. "This is not acceptable between allies, even less so between European allies and partners," Macron said at a Franco-German Council of Ministers. Steinbruck, on the other hand, told German media that politically he views the report as a scandal. Denmark's Defence Minister Trine Bramsen, who had reportedly been earlier informed of the espionage, told DR that "systematic wiretapping of close allies is unacceptable. Other European politicians have also condemned the reports. Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg reportedly said that it is unacceptable if countries that have close allied cooperation feel the need to spy on one another. France's Europe Minister Clement Beaune said that allegations were extremely serious. Meanwhile, it is worth noting that similar allegations had emerged back in 2013. Back then, secrets leaked by US whistleblower Edward Snowden alleged tapping of the German chancellor's phone by the NSA. After Snowden leaked details of extensive internet and phone surveillance by US intelligence, the officials charged him with theft of government property, unauthorised communication of national defence information and wilful communication of classified communications intelligence. He then found refuge in Russia. (With inputs from AP) Weeks after Sinopharm's approval, the World Health Organization (WHO) has backed China's Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine, making it the second Chinese vaccine to receive the global body's nod. As per news agencies, China's CoronaVac vaccine, produced by Sinovac, has received WHO's approval for Emergency Use Authorization across the globe. Sinovac is a Beijing-based biopharmaceutical company that has produced the CoronaVac, an inactivated vaccine that works by using killed viral particles to expose the body's immune system to the virus, unlike the mRNA vaccines. Sinovac's COVID vaccine, which is already in circulation across parts of the world, can be stored at 2-8 degrees Celsius making it advantageous when compared to Moderna and Pfizer's COVID vaccines which require specific cold chain storages. As per a report in China's state-owned Global Times, Sinovac's COVID vaccine has an efficacy rate of 95% in China whereas a 50.7% efficacy in preventing symptomatic infections in Brazil. The WHO backing of COVID vaccines would allow countries to expedite their own regulatory approval. Meanwhile, Global Times on Tuesday reported that China had supplied the first batch of Chinese COVID vaccines to COVAX. Sinovac Says Its Vaccine Is Safe For Children As per news agency AP, Sinovac has said that its COVID-19 vaccine is safe in children ages 3-17, based on preliminary data, and it has submitted the data to Chinese drug regulators. More than 70 million shots of Sinovacs vaccine have been given worldwide, including in China. China has approved its use in adults but it has not yet been used in children, because their immune systems may respond differently to the vaccine. Early and mid-stage clinical trials with over 550 subjects showed the vaccine would induce an immune response, Gang Zeng, the medical director at Sinovac, said at a news conference. Two recipients developed high fevers in response to the vaccine, one a 3-year-old and the other a 6-year-old. The rest of the trial subjects experienced mild symptoms, Zeng said. Egypt To Make 2 million Doses Of Sinovac Vaccine Egypt said Sunday it expects to become a regional centre able to manufacture and export a COVID-19 vaccine to the African continent. Egyptian Health Minister Hala Zayed told a news conference on Sunday it expected a shipment of raw materials on the 18th that would enable it to manufacture millions of doses of the Chinese Sinovac vaccine. Zayed also said Egypt is open to partnering with Russia to produce the Sputnik V vaccine through a factory built in October. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the appointment of David Barnea as the new head of the country's spy agency, Mossad. Barnea, a former longtime Mossad operative, will succeed Yossi Cohen as head of Israel's intelligence agency on June 1. Cohen, who has acted as Netanyahu's close confidant and informal envoy, has served as Israel's spymaster since taking office in 2016. He helped orchestrate the normalization agreements Israel signed with Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Sudan and Morocco last year. Earlier this month, Cohen visited Bahrain and met with the heads of the Gulf state's intelligence agency to discuss regional security. On his watch, Israel's storied intelligence agency succeeded in seizing a large archive of Iranian nuclear documents in 2018. Netanyahu claimed they proved that Iranian leaders covered up a nuclear weapons program before signing a deal with world powers in 2015. Numerous other operations against Iran's nuclear facilities and scientists have also been attributed to Israel. During Monday's ceremony, Netanyahu told Barnea "all must be done, all, to ensure that under no circumstances will Iran arm itself with nuclear weapons". (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) Turkey announced a further easing of its COVID-19 restrictions on Monday, including a relaxing of nighttime and weekend curfews, following a decline in the number of infections. Speaking following a cabinet meeting, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said restaurants and cafes _ which were only able to open for delivery or take-away food _ would be allowed to accept sitting customers until 9 pm as of Tuesday. Businesses such as gyms and amusement parks would also be allowed to reopen until 9 pm. The start of nighttime curfews was pushed back by an hour, to start at 10 pm. Sunday curfews are to remain in place but people will be free to leave their houses on Saturdays, Erdogan said. Civil servants will continue working remotely or in shifts in offices. Meanwhile, the country's education minister said primary and secondary school students would return to their classes for in-person education two times a week. In less populous towns and villages, schools would reopen full time. Earlier this month, the number of daily COVID-19 infections dropped to below 10,000 for the first time since March 1, after reaching a record-high of more than 63,000 daily cases in mid-April. On Monday, the Health Ministry posted 6,933 new cases and 122 deaths in the past 24 hours. The total death toll in the country stands at 47,527 with more than 5.2 million infections. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) Pakistani authorities on Tuesday launched a locally produced Chinese CanSino vaccine 'PakVac'. The development comes weeks after China supplied the vaccine in bulk in a concentrated form for filling and packaging in Pakistan. The Chinese concentrate is being processed, sterilised and packed at a health facility in Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, with the capacity for rolling out three million doses a month. Pakistan's Minister for Planning and Development, Asad Umar thanked China for helping Pakistan with the vaccine during a ceremony to mark the occasion, alongside the Chinese ambassador to Pakistan, Nong Rong. "As a country which considers itself to be the best friend of China, an iron brother of China, it gives us immense pride and joy to see the development that is taken place," he said. The latest development comes amid a decline in fatalities and infections from coronavirus. Pakistan has registered 20,850 deaths among 922,824 confirmed COVID-19 cases since last year. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) On Monday, senior Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir was stopped from hosting his talk show 'Capital Talk' by the Geo News channel after he criticised the military establishment. He has been sent on forced leave and another anchorperson will host the five-day-a-week show for now. Mir came under the scanner after he delivered a fiery speech at a protest on May 28 in the wake of the attack on fellow journalist Asad Toor. Three assailants who identified themselves as ISI agents barged into Toor's Islamabad apartment on May 25 and assaulted him. Threatening to expose the role of Pakistan's military establishment in the recent spate of attacks on journalists amid inaction from the police, Hamid Mir stated, "I have been feeling this since a long time- the institutions where we work have been coerced to such an extent that they tell us what to say and what not to say. For the sake of safeguarding the jobs of our colleagues, we are cautious. Now, it seems that this has become the strength of those who are the enemies of freedom of the press. I feel that my job is shackling me and I cannot say certain things. From today, I will start saying certain things. Whoever wants to sack me is free to do so. I will get freedom if I am sacked from my job. If I get freedom, then I will remove the masks from your faces." He added, If youre breaking into our homes to assault us, well, we cannot enter your homes as you have tanks and guns, but we can make things public, things from inside your homes". On this occasion, the television anchor also slammed the country's Information and Broadcasting Minister Fawad Chaudhry for accusing journalists of fabricating attacks in order to seek asylum abroad. Reacting to his ouster on Twitter, Mir asserted that he will not back down in the wake of threats. Nothing new for me.I was banned twice in the past.Lost jobs twice.Survived assassination attempts but cannot stop raising voice for the rights given in the constitution.This time I m ready for any consequences and ready to go at any extent because they are threatening my family. https://t.co/82y1WdrP5S Hamid Mir (@HamidMirPAK) May 31, 2021 Support pours in for Hamid Mir The coercive action against Hamid Mir drew widespread condemnation with the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan calling for him to be allowed to resume professional duties immediately. Slamming the fascism prevailing in the country, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb slammed the attempt to intimidate journalists. Meanwhile, Absar Alam, a veteran journalist who survived an assassination attempt a few weeks ago tweeted, "Its shameful to threaten anyones family. If anyone has a complaint against Hamid Mir, that person should follow the legal path instead of resorting to unconstitutional and fascist acts". Organizations such as the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists and The Committee to Protect Journalists also threw their weight behind the Geo TV anchor. Pakistan which ranks 9th on the CPJ's Global Impunity Index has seen an increase in the censorship and repression faced by journalists after Imran Khan took over as the PM in 2018 after an election perceived to have been rigged by the military. For instance, TV channels are routinely made to censor the bytes of opposition leaders when they mention the names of top military leaders such as Army Chief Qamar Javed Bajwa, ISI DG Faiz Hameed and CPEC Authority Asim Saleem Bajwa. HRCP strongly condemns the decision to take @HamidMirPAK off the air three days after he spoke fervidly against the escalation in curbs on press freedom. He must be allowed to resume his professional duties immediately and the threats against him investigated. @geonews_urdu pic.twitter.com/1d8WhJHwKA Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (@HRCP87) May 31, 2021 Fascism continues to silence journalists and free media through pressure tactics.Ban on @HamidMirPAK is a blatant violation of constitutional right to freedom of expression.#JournalismIsNotACrime Marriyum Aurangzeb (@Marriyum_A) May 31, 2021 Past tryst with military Incidentally, this is not the first time that Hamid Mir has been at the receiving end of the military's attack. He was critically injured on April 19, 2014, when unknown suspects opened fire on his car after landing at the Karachi airport. Both the journalist as well as his employer Geo TV openly blamed the ISI for orchestrating the attack. Reportedly, the country's spy agency was unhappy over his coverage of the long march over missing Baloch persons. After it ran an exhaustive campaign alleging the involvement of ISI, the Geo News network's license was suspended for 15 days besides having to pay a fine of 10 million rupees. Two years later, a three-judge inquiry commission led by the then Chief Justice Anwar Jameeli cleared the ISI of all charges. In its 41-page report, the panel held that Mir's allegations were based on "suspicions, assumptions or apprehensions". Canadian PM Justin Trudeau on May 31 said that it is not an isolated incident that over 200 children were found buried at a former Indigenous residential school. Remains of at least 215 children as young as three were found buried on the site of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School. The Tk'emlups te Secwepemc community in the southern interior of British Columbia, where the school was located, released a statement confirming the unthinkable loss and further called for an examination of every former residential school site - institutions that held children taken from families across the nation. Following calls for further examination, Trudeau said, As prime minister, I am appalled by the shameful policy that stole Indigenous children from their communities. While speaking during a press briefing, the Canadian PM added, Sadly, this is not an exception or an isolated incident. Were not going to hide from that. We have to acknowledge the truth. Residential schools were a reality a tragedy that existed here, in our country, and we have to own up to it. Kids were taken from their families, returned damaged or not returned at all. Further, Trudeau said that he will be talking to his ministers about further things his government needs to do to support survivors and the community. Flags at all federal buildings are at half-staff. Moreover, plans are also underway to bring in forensics experts to identify and repatriate the remains of the children found buried on the Kamloops site. Undocumented deaths As per the reports, the Kamloops Indian Residential School was one of the largest in Canada and operated from the late 19th century until the late 1970s. It was initially opened and run by the Catholic church until the federal government took its control in the late 1960s. However, it was permanently closed at least a decade later and now it is the home to a museum and a community facility with cultural and memorial events. Chief Rosanne Casimir of the Tk'emlups te Secwepemc community said, To our knowledge, these missing children are undocumented deaths. The Community leaders have said that the investigation will continue into the incident along with the British Columbia Coroner's Office. They also said that the community, as well as the government officials, will ensure the remains are not only safeguarded but also identified. (With inputs from AP) Colombian authorities are investigating 10 police officers who allowed civilians to shoot at demonstrators in Cali, a senior official said on May 31. The South American country has been ravaged by unrest since earlier this month after the Ivan Duque Marquez administration made the now reversed proposed tax reform in the country. In the latest development, the attorney generals office said that the protest-related fatalities have risen to 20, with three more deaths added to the tally on Monday. It is imperative to note that the official toll has been rejected by human rights group whove claimed it to be much higher than reported. Cali shootout Cali, the city that serves as Columbias main economic hub, has been the epicentre of the demonstrations. On Friday, the city witnessed a bloody showdown as civilians and off-duty officials from the Attorney Generals office engaged openly shot at the protesters. In the aftermath, the countrys National Police launched a probe into the recent shooting incident. Later, General Jorge Luis Vargas, the director of Police asserted that the probe is aimed at identifying those who flouted the law and information on suspects have already been sent to the military justice unit. Meanwhile, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet called for those responsible for the violence to be held accountable. "It is essential that all those who are reportedly involved in causing injury or death, including state officials, are subject to prompt, effective, independent, impartial and transparent investigations and that those responsible are held accountable," she said. #Colombia: UN Human Rights Chief @mbachelet calls for dialogue and respect for human rights after new reports of deaths and injuries in Cali. Read more: https://t.co/AOhLYN4bfT#StandUp4HumanRights pic.twitter.com/ygdg8sqQLa UN Human Rights (@UNHumanRights) May 30, 2021 Despite the withdrawal of the proposed tax reforms by the right-wing administration of President Ivan Duque, tens of thousands of Columbians and members of trade unions have continued their violent protests in the streets of Columbia. The tax reforms, contested as hiking financial pressure on low- and middle-income groups, was shelved after widespread opposition and angst from the opposition lawmakers in Columbia and the citizens, many of whom demanded the levelling of sales tax on utilities. Colombias finance minister Alberto Carrasquilla also resigned following five days of outrage which included riots and violent clashes as citizens demanded scrapping of 19 per cent of sales tax on gasoline and the government's expansion of the countrys tax base. Despite pulling back the tax reform proposal, protesters continued the marches condemning the Columbia governments mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic, as they alleged that the withdrawal of the tax proposal wasnt enough. Rallies were held in Columbias populous cities including Bogota and Cali, as well as Medellin, Barranquilla, and Cartagena. In many cities, aggravated protesters clashed with the law enforcement, who used tear gas canisters and stun grenades to disperse the angry mob. Image: AP A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. An oceanographer from the Philippines and an American explorer became the first people to dive into the Philippines Trench, the third deepest spot on Earth. Dr Deo Florence Onda, who is a microbial oceanologist from the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institue, and Victor Vescovo from Caladan Oceanic were on the lookout for mysteries hidden in the darkness but instead, they surprisingly discovered plastic during their exploration. According to Channel News Asia (CNA), Onda and Victor travelled to The Emden Deep, part of the Philippine Trench, which happens to be one of the oldest seabeds on Earth, unexplored until a couple of months ago. DSV Limiting Factor is back on the surface! In the photo are Dr. Deo Florence Onda @savedeocean and Mr. Victor Vescovo after the successful ascent from the Emden Deep. Photo courtesy of DSSV Pressure Drop#IntoTheEmdenDeep pic.twitter.com/hB8i8bOzXx UP Marine Science Institute (@up_msi) March 23, 2021 At its deepest point, the Philippines Trench reaches a depth of 10,540 meters and the Emden Deep is the portion of the trench that exceeds a depth of 6,000 meters. Over a 12-hour period in March, Onda and Victor, dedicated to advancing undersea technology, descended and explored the trench, hoping for just a glimpse of life below. However, what greeted them in the depths was something that had travelled from above the surface. Plastic in Emden Deep Onda and Victor are the first people to ever dive into these uncharted waters and the oceanographer had reportedly said that he expected to see scary, crawling things through the windows of the submarine. But after a four-hour descent, they found garbage on the seafloor. While speaking to CNA, the team said that they found plastic bags, food packaging, a teddy bear and even clothes. Onda said that there was a point where he believed that the white material floating in the water was a jellyfish. However, after approaching he realised that it was just plastic. He said that due to the depth and the pressure of the environment, he had believed the plastic would appear as a small fragment, but they were so intact as if they just came from the supermarket. Victor, on the other hand, said that the amount of human debris found in the Emden Deep scattered around in pockets on the seabed was pretty extensive. He further informed that in the depths where oxygen and sunlight are absent, plastic and other materials do not degrade. The discovery of plastic in the trench was shocking as the team is concerned that the transboundary nature of plastic spread in the oceans is having unknown but profound consequences on marine ecosystems, and in effect, on the very foundations of life on the planet. (Image: Twitter) Hong Kong teacher, Tsang Yin-Hung, has become the fastest female climber to scale Mount Everest with a time of just under 26 hours. According to ANI, the 45-year-old climbed the worlds highest peak from the base camp in 25 hours and 50 minutes, beating the record of 39 hours and 6 minutes set by a Nepali woman, Phunjo Jhangmu Lama. She only took two breaks between a base camp, located at 17,390 feet, to the 29,032-foot summit on May 23. In an interview with the news agency, Tsang said, For my first time (expedition), it's definitely was for my students. I just want to show my students that if you get a really high and hard target, if you try to train step by step and yes of course there are lots of challenges and difficulties whenever you want to do something you have to just persist and never give up. Finally, you can achieve it. Tsang's journey to Mount Everest Tsang revealed that her first summit push was on the 11th and 12th, but she failed at that time. She said that she had reached 8,500 (meters) balcony and then the heavy snow and a very strong wind started, but because she knew that the weather forecast had said that it would be really good she thought of going ahead. However, after two hours, she reached the South Summit and she knew it was impossible. But on May 23, Tsang along with her Sherpas stood atop Mount Everest. She started off from the Everest Base Camp and stood atop the worlds highest peak in less than 26 hours time. Just to keep moving and do whatever you love and it is challenging for you, Tsang said. Tsang was born in mainland China and moved with her family to Hong Kong when she was age 10. She began to train as a mountaineer 11 years ago and first climbed Everest in 2017. Back then, she was the first Hong Kong woman to reach the top. This is her third attempt at scaling the Himalayan peak. (With inputs from ANI) Habib Talukdar, wanted by police for more than two decades, has finally been arrested from his home in Bangladeshs southern Begaerhat district. Nicknamed Tiger Habib for his hunting skills, the poacher is believed to have killed at least 70 endangered Bengal tigers in the diverse Sundarbans, stretching between India and Bangladesh. Speaking to media reporters, local police chief Saidur Rahman said that the fugitive poacher had been evading multiple raids in the past by fleeing before the police arrived. However, on June 1, the law enforcers caught hold of the 50-year-old. He also confirmed that in the aftermath, of the arrested Habib has been sent to jail and is pending trial. 'Might have contact in with animal traders' Habib started out collecting honey from wild bees in the forest and became a local legend for his exploits hunting the big cats and avoiding arrest. Despite numerous complaints filed under wildlife conservation law, Habib escaped police each time they came for his arrest. The police suspected that he might have a connection with the black market dealers and aim to investigate the same. Tiger poaching has become one of the main concerns with the wild animal being hunted for their body parts like a tooth, whiskers amongst others. Recently, actor Raveena Tandon shed light on the poaching that has continued throughout the pandemic from illegal poachers. She mentored that it is this illegal activity that has been contributing to the decline in the numbers of animals. The actor applauded the green warriors and brought to notice that they often put their lives in grave danger to ensure the security of the animals. Raveena further wrote that poaching as a practice is still prevalent in various parts of the country and one must try their best to raise awareness against such activities that tarnish the wildlife of the nation. She said that one can try to help and spread the word in their own way. She wrote that one needs to do much more and protect our beautiful wildlife. She then wrote that one can donate, contribute in whatever way they can to raise awareness about the ongoing illegal activates of poaching. Fans were amazed by this post and wrote that the actor not only clicked a good image but also had a good message to share. Image: Unsplash U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz on Monday accused President Joe Biden of being soft on Israel's foes and inviting further violence during a deadly 11-day war that left Israelis rattled and turned parts of the Gaza Strip to rubble. One of four prominent Republicans in Israel in the conflict's aftermath, Cruz told The Associated Press in an interview that the Democratic president's policies, including a call for Israel to wind down the war, had emboldened Hamas' militant rulers. He said the U.S. owes Palestinians no humanitarian aid as long as there's a danger of that money flowing to Hamas. The longer Joe Biden shows weakness to Hamas or Hezbollah or Iran, the more youre going to see terrorist attacks escalating, Cruz said after a day of touring Israels Iron Dome rocket-defense system and and viewing damage in Ashkelon. Cruz also refused to rule out another run for president in 2024, keeping alive the prospect of a new Republican brawl for the party's presidential nomination and perhaps a rematch with former President Donald Trump. The fighting erupted May 10 when Hamas launched a barrage of rockets at Jerusalem after weeks of protests and clashes over Israels policing of a flashpoint holy site. Before the cease-fire took effect May 21, Hamas had fired over 4,000 rockets toward Israeli cities, while Israeli warplanes struck some 1,000 targets in Gaza. More than 250 people were killed, the vast majority of them Palestinians living in the seaside enclave ruled by Hamas. Israel blames Hamas for the heavy civilian casualties because Hamas launches attacks from residential areas. Throughout the fighting, Biden and many other world leaders maintained that Israel has a right to defend itself even as concern and protests in places like Turkey, Pakistan and Britain mounted over the crippling use of force leveled at Gaza. Cruz's remarks were a stark departure from a once-customary practice of refraining from talking domestic politics while overseas, particularly about the sitting U.S. commander in chief. At least two of the four American Republicans visiting Israel this week have apparent presidential ambitions and all are in hot pursuit of support from pro-Israel evangelical voters that form a core part of the GOP's base. Besides Cruz, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who also served as Trump's CIA director, tweeted Sunday that he was in Tel Aviv attending the retirement party of Mossad chief Yossi Cohen. Great to be with good friends in Tel Aviv! Pompeo tweeted. Sen. Lindsay Graham was also touring damage caused by rocket fire and meeting with Israeli leaders. No one has done more for Israel than you, Sen. Lindsey Graham, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday. Graham, standing next to him, held up a sign that said, More for Israel. In a tweet later, he explained, to help protect and defend from Hamas rocket attacks. On Tuesday, Graham will tour rocket damage in Israel, he said in a press release. Netanyahu enjoyed warm relations with Trump, alienating many segments of the Democratic Party. His relations with Biden have been cordial, but cooler. Cruz and Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., toured the rubble in Ashkelon where a Hamas-fired rocket hit an apartment and killed the caregiver of an older woman. Cruz tweeted photos. Hagerty, who was Trump's ambassador to Japan, also criticized the various steps taken by Biden to reverse Trump's policies. Biden, for instance, has pledged some $360 million in aid to the Palestinians, including money to help repair war damage in Gaza. Trump cut off nearly all U.S. aid to the Palestinians. Any monies that go to the Gaza Strip that are quote, intended for infrastructure, can be easily diverted by Hamas, Hagerty, seated next to Cruz, said. Where Hagerty was diplomatic, Cruz was blunt. Appeasing terrorists doesn't produce peace," he said of Biden. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Asked whether he'd rule out running for president, Cruz demurred, replying that the 2016 campaign was the most fun I've ever had in my life." (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) 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 please call (208) 542-6777 for help. We get it. You don't want to see the ads. We'd just ask you to understand that those ads help us pay the bills and our reporters. Please, consider white-listing the Standard Journal in your ad-blocker or, even better, purchase a subscription so that you can help support quality local journalism. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman "pressed the government to reopen civic and political space in advance of the 2022 commune and 2023 national elections." Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen (L) greets U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman (R) during a meeting at the Peace Palace in Phnom Penh, June 1, 2021. UPDATED at 3:10 p.m. EDT on 2021-06-01 Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, the most senior U.S. official to visit Cambodia in five years, voiced concern about a possible Chinese military base in the Southeast Asian nation and urged Phnom Penh to drop politically motivated court cases against opponents and critics, the State Department said. Sherman met Prime Minister Hun Sen, ruler of Cambodia since 1985, as well as opposition leader Kem Sokha, who remains in political limbo awaiting trial on unsubstantiated treason charges after his arrest in 2017 kicked off a broad government crackdown against the opposition, civic activists and journalists. A State Department statement on Shermans meetings in Phnom Penh said she also took issue with a naval base China is helping to fund and build near where U.S.-built facilities had been demolished. Deputy Secretary Sherman expressed serious concerns about the PRCs military presence and construction of facilities at Ream Naval Base on the Gulf of Thailand, said a department spokesman. She sought clarification on the demolition of two U.S.-funded buildings at Ream without notification or explanation and observed that a PRC military base in Cambodia would undermine its sovereignty, threaten regional security, and negatively impact U.S.-Cambodia relations, the spokesman added. In a weekend interview with RFAs Khmer Service, Cambodias Minister of Defense Tea Banh confirmed that Ream Naval Base in the southwestern coastal city of Sihanoukville was being refurbished and China is helping with the construction of a maintenance facility, renovation of the port, the gate. The minister declined to disclose further details on the scope of Chinese assistance in developing Ream Naval Base, a point of friction between Phnom Penh and Washington since reports of a secret deal to allow the Chinese to use part of the base for 30 years, and the release of satellite imagery that showed Cambodia had built facilities near two U.S.-built maintenance facilities were demolished last year. China helps us without any strings attached. They also bring their forces to help, he told RFA. Once it is completed, they will hand over the facilities to Cambodia. It is Cambodia that has full rights to use the base. Hence, there is nothing strange, as such development has been practiced by many others, said Tea Banh. Politically motivated charges A naval base at Ream on the Gulf of Thailand would provide China with its first naval staging facility in Southeast Asia and allow it to significantly expand patrols on the South China Sea. Beijing claims much of the waterway, parts of which are also claimed by Taiwan, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. Under the Constitution, Cambodia has the right as the owner to conduct cooperation with superpowers, except for (hosting) military bases, said Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP) spokesman Chhim Phalvarun. Cambodia is implementing it correctly and there are no foreign soldiers or military bases, he told RFA. Advisor Koul Panha of the Cambodian election watchdog group COMFREL said he believes the United States, as well as Japan are trying to use diplomacy to persuade Cambodia not to turn deeper and deeper to Chinas embrace. But looking at the Cambodian side, it seems to show clear bias towards China, because it sees that the countries of the free world have set conditions and do not seem to fully support the current Cambodian government. The problem is that democracy in Cambodia is seriously undermined and human rights are not being respected properly." Sherman also raised Hun Sens crackdown on the opposition and civil society, the main factor causing Phnom Penhs ties with the U.S. and European Union to deteriorate while the strongman has moved closer to Beijing. Sherman emphasized the importance of human rights and the protection of fundamental freedoms as integral to our bilateral relationship, the spokesman said. She called on authorities to promptly drop the politically motivated charges against members of the political opposition, journalists, and activists and pressed the government to reopen civic and political space in advance of the 2022 commune and 2023 national elections, added the statement. The main opposition, the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), was banned and its leader Kem Sokha arrested in late 2017, allowing Hun Sen's ruling party to win every parliamentary seat in 2018 elections, drawing international criticism and EU trade sanctions. Kem Sokha was put on trial in January 2020, but the hearings were suspended two months later on the pretext of containing the spread of COVI-19. Hun Sen has hinted that the trial may not resume for years, and may not conclude until 2024, long after the next election cycle. Kem Sokhas lawyer Pheng Heng told RFA that the final outcome of his case will depend on politics in a country where the U.S State Department said in an annual human rights report that the government did not respect judicial independence, exerting extensive control over the courts. Kem Sokha welcomes Sherman Speaking to RFA on Monday, Sok Eysan, the main spokesman for the CPP, rejected foreign pressure on what he called a judicial issue. How can [she] propose to the Prime Minister to drop the charge against Kem Sokha, because he is not the one, who charged him. It is the court and the case is in the court, so the proposal is not acceptable, he told RFA. In a post on Facebook after Tuesdays meeting, Kem Sokha said he welcomed and thanked Wendy Sherman and delegates who visited Cambodia and spent time discussing important issues with me, but did not mention any details of the talks. Hun Sen expressed gratitude for U.S assistance toward Cambodia and its contributions toward Cambodias peace and development, said a statement on the prime ministers Facebook page. He also called for bilateral discuss on Cambodian debt to the United States that started with $274 million in aid to the then government during the Vietnam War in the early 1970s but has doubled in size as interest accrued in the decades since. Hun Sen urged the U.S. to accept terms including that interest be capped at 1 percent and that 70 percent of its debt be converted to aid for education, culture, and removal of war-era mines and unexploded ordnance, he said on Facebook. Reported by RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Sok Ry Sum, Samean Yun and Sovannarith Keo. Written in English by Paul Eckert. One man saw his parents forced into hiding and his sister forced to have a late-term abortion over birth quotas. a girl rides on her mother's back down an escalator in Beijing on International Children's Day, June 1, 2021. A former victim of the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP)'s draconian "one-child" curbs has hit out at the government over a 180-degree policy shift that now seeks to encourage Chinese citizens to have up to three children per married couple. Ling Baozhen, whose family was targeted by officials in his home province of Jiangsu, said his parents were issued with punitive fines under the one-child policy for an "excess birth" outside of allowed quotas. "Family planning policies are a violation of basic human rights, as well as a gross violation of human dignity," Ling told RFA on Tuesday. "My parents went into hiding in Tibet to give birth to me, and they were fined 30,000 yuan and somebody took away all of our household belongings." "Now we are seeing the negative consequences of those policies, with an aging society and a population imbalance, with not enough working-age people," Ling said. Later, Ling's sister was forced into a late-term abortion by family planning officials, he said. "They forcibly aborted my sister's seven-month-old fetus ... Family planning policies are a crime against humanity," Ling said. Ling said he also fears that the new, three-child policy could lead to further injustice. "For wealthy families, there is no problem in having three children, or even more, but it's very hard for people on the bottom rung of the social ladder to even buy a place to live, and to marry," he said. "Whether or not to have a child should be left to families to decide, with no forcible intervention [from government]," he said. State media articles on social media platforms attracted huge numbers of comments after they were posted, with many people questioning the government's right to interfere with their reproductive choices. "People are seen as resources, or tools," Sina Weibo account @chndgn commented. "People should first and foremost be seen as adults." "What does it mean to be a person? It means to have free will," the user wrote. "People shouldn't live their lives for their country, nor should every aspect of their lives be planned." Former policy scrapped The ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) on Monday unveiled new plans to boost flagging birth rates and reverse population aging, raising the official limit on the number of children per couple from two to three. The move came five years after the CCP scrapped a historic policy limiting most couples to just one child, which gave rise to decades of human rights abuses, including forced late-term abortions and sterilizations, as well as widespread monitoring of women's fertility by officials. Among the support measures planned by the government include improvements to prenatal and postnatal care, a universal childcare service, and reduced education costs for families. China's fertility rate stood at around 1.3 children per woman in 2020, compared with the 2.1 children per woman needed for the population to replace itself. A retired demographics scholar who gave only a surname Yan said the three-child policy is unlikely to help much, however. "Nobody can afford to give birth to children, or to raise them," Yan told RFA. "There is already too much pressure on working-age adults, between the ages of 18 and 55, and the pressures are even worse on those in their twenties and thirties." "There will need to be a sea change in the way society operates if they want to make it affordable for those people to have and raise kids," he said. He said older generations would have raised their children in different circumstances, often with three generations living under the same roof. "The old way of doing it was that the parents would go out to work, and the grandparents would look after the kids," he said. "This was a more reasonable approach." "We don't really have three-generation living any more." Reported by Qiao Long and Chingman for RFA's Mandarin and Cantonese Services. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. Authorities in the southern province of Guangdong are holding a prominent dissident in criminal detention on suspicion of "picking quarrels and stirring up trouble," a charge often used to target critics of the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Wang Aizhong was detained at his home in Guangdong's provincial capital, Guangzhou. His apartment was searched by police, who confiscated reading materials and computer devices, Wang's wife Wang Henan told RFA. She said police had used another pretext to persuade him to go downstairs to the parking area of his apartment building. "Wang Aizhong told me that someone had called him to say that his car had been scraped, and told him to come down and deal with it," Wang Henan said. "He then wondered in passing whether it was a deliberate ploy [by police]." "He said something about sending my mother down to take a look, but then he went downstairs holding our daughter," she said. "Then he was taken away by a bunch of people." Wang Henan said around a dozen officers had come to the family home later, and taken 29 books, two computers and a mobile phone away with them. "They searched the place for more than an hour," she said. "They also took me down to the Wushan police station to make a statement." Wang, 45, was a key activist during protests in Guangzhou in that were sparked by the rewriting of a New Year's Day Southern Media Group editorial calling for constitutional government. Activists, journalists and academics faced off with the authorities for several days after the Southern Weekend newspaper was forced to change a New Year editorial calling for political reform into a tribute praising the CCP. The protest was one of the first overt calls by members of the public for political freedom since large-scale pro-democracy demonstrations were crushed in a military crackdown in Beijing's Tiananmen Square in 1989. Wang Henan said her husband was detained for his outspokenness. "The police told me Wang Aizhong was being detained mainly because of things he had said, and and for giving interviews to foreign media organizations," she said. After she received the official notification of Wang's criminal detention, Wang Henan sent it out on social media to publicize the news more widely, she told RFA. "About two hours later, I got another call from the police station," she said. "They wanted me to go over there ... and they asked me why I did that, and told me I should think about the possible consequences." A fellow social media user who gave only a surname Liu said Wang had done nothing but tell the truth. "In this system, telling the truth isn't allowed," Liu said. "If you do, they turn you into a criminal." "Jail awaits you, even if you do everything according to the laws and regulations," he said. Reported by Qiao Long for RFA's Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. Mixed reactions greet the move, with some in Laos expressing support and others fearing possible arrest. A Lao social media user checks the news on an online site in an undated photo. Lao government authorities have announced the creation of a task force set up to monitor social media use, focusing especially on so-called fake news and postings criticizing the government or ruling communist party, sources in the country say. The task force will include police officers and members of the governments Media Department, an official from the Lao Ministry of Public Security told RFA on May 26, five days after the task force was formally announced. Our job is to give advice and to lay out the rules and punishments for those who misuse social media, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Well give a warning to first-time offenders, and then fine people for a second offence. For a third offence, we will put them in jail, he said. Speaking to RFA, some social media users applauded the move, while others said they were opposed to putting more control in the hands of a one-party communist state that controls all print media, radio, and television. I totally agree with the move, one Facebook user said. There have been far too many news items online these days that twist the facts and could lead to social disorder and damage to the country, he said. Another frequent Facebook user agreed, saying, Social media in our country should be better regulated, and those who post false information should be prosecuted. There are laws that we must follow. The Lao government was forced to set up the task force because there may have been some groups of people who misuse social media to attack the government, a woman living in Savannakhet province said, adding, Under the Lao political system, people like this are monitored and restricted. 'A useful mirror' Social media use can hold up a mirror to everything that happens in the country, though, including the misconduct of government officials and workers, one Lao scholar told RFA. Facebook is especially popular in Lao because its so accessible, RFAs source said. Some people say that social media use can be toxic, but social media can actually be quite useful if its used correctly, he added. A young man living in the capital Vientiane who sometimes posts stories and comments on his personal Facebook page voiced concerns for his safety, however, saying he is never sure which story is true and which is not. Im scared, he said. If one of those stories turns out to be fake, I could get in trouble. Call for activists' release Rights groups have called for the release of three young Lao workers who had criticized the government on Facebook while working in Thailand and are now serving long prison terms following a secret trial in April 2017. Somphone Phimmasone, his girlfriend Lod Thammavong, and Soukane Chaithad disappeared in March 2016 after returning to Laos to renew their passports, and were later shown on television making what appeared to be forced confessions for what they called the mistake of protesting their countrys policies. Somphone was sentenced to a 20-year term and was fined 210 million kip (U.S. $26,000), while Soukane was sentenced to 16 years and was fined 106 million kip (U.S. $13,000), the source said. Lod was handed a 12-year sentence and was fined 110 million kip (U.S. $14,000). On May 24, the Lao Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism issued an order to provincial-level departments to register all owners of websites, Facebook pages, and other social media news outlets, while in August 2020, the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications warned social media users against posting content criticizing the countrys government. Hootsuite, a tech company in Vancouver, Canada, reported two months ago that the number of social media users in Laos had increased from 3.1 million in 2019 to 3.6 million in 2020. Reported by RFAs Lao Service. Translated by Max Avary. Written in English by Richard Finney. 'I had actively participated in the protests for many days and in many ways. And for that, I had lived in fear for days wondering when I would get arrested or face torture.' Htar Htet Htet, who represented Myanmar in the first Miss Grand International beauty pageant in Thailand in 2013, joined many of her compatriots and took to the streets to protest after the Feb. 1 military coup that deposed the countrys elected government. But the arbitrary arrests and brutal beatings she saw drove the 32-year-old gymnastics instructor to decide to take up arms, and she has been undergoing military training with the Karen National Defense Organization and the United Defense Force since April. Khin Khin Ei of RFAs Myanmar Service interviewed Htar Htet Htet by telephone in an undisclosed location. RFA: Can you first tell us why you decided to go for military training in the jungle? Htar Htet Htet: I came here simply because I could not accept the military dictatorship. I took part in the peaceful protest marches in February and later saw the brutal crackdown by the military and police against the peaceful protesters. I saw men, women and children violently beaten up, arrested and some even killed in the process. Some people were lawlessly taken away from their houses at night time and some people were returned dead in the morning. Many people are still under arrest and some have died in captivity. We have no other options apart from taking up arms against them. The main goal is to get rid of the military dictatorship. RFA: When did you arrive in this place? Htar Htet Htet: I got here in early April. I'm trying to learn as much as possible and I am giving my best in whatever role I can play. RFA: How do you find life in this new place? Htar Htet Htet: It is an invaluable experience to learn about the sincere lives of the local ethnic people based on love and loyalty. I am still trying hard to overcome the tough part of physical training. RFA: What were your experiences during the protests? Htar Htet Htet: I had actively participated in the protests for many days and in many ways. And for that, I had lived in fear for days wondering when I would get arrested or face torture. RFA: What do you think about your future? Htar Htet Htet: I hope to find justice for the people and strive to get back democracy and a government elected by the people. RFA: What message would you like to send to others opposing the military? Htar Htet Htet: I would like to ask everyone who is fighting against the military dictatorship to relentlessly take up any role they can till the very end. I have full respect for all these people. Please do not forget the common enemy and do not let anything deter you until you reach your goal. Please do not recognize this regime which has robbed state power. I would like to request those overseas to give full support to the National Unity Government. Translated by Khin Maung Nyane. MINSK -- A Belarus activist has cut his own throat during a court hearing after being warned that if he didn't plead guilty to participating in mass protest, his family and neighbors would face prosecution. Stsyapan Latypau, who has been in detention since September 2020, cut his throat at the hearing on June 1 and was rushed to the hospital, where local media said he is still alive. "Father, after meeting with you, GUBOPiK [the Interior Ministry's Main Directorate for Combating Organized Crime and Corruption] came to me and warned that if I didn't admit my guilt, then I would be thrown in a cell with hardened criminals and criminal cases would be launched against my relatives and neighbors," he said before cutting himself. Video footage of the incident showed Latypau being carried from the courthouse to an ambulance, with blood spotting his clothes and face. Guards were slow to open the prisoners' cage he was in because they couldn't find the right keys, according to local media. Latypau was unconscious when finally removed from the cell. The Health Ministry said in the evening that he had regained consciousness. "The patient is in a stable condition. There is no danger of death," it said on its Telegram account. Exiled opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya said in a post on Twitter that Latypau "was threatened with the persecution of his family if he didn't admit himself guilty." "This is the result of state terror, repressions, torture in Belarus. We must stop it immediately!" Latypau was detained on September 15, 2020, as he tried to stop police and workmen from painting over a mural in a residential courtyard that showed off the opposition's red and white colors. The courtyard had become known as Change Square, hosting nightly events drawing protesters angry at authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka's claim of victory in a disputed presidential election in August 2020. He was charged with organizing protests, resisting arrest, and fraud. He was also accused on state television of planning to poison the police. He has denied any wrongdoing. Latypau is one of tens of thousands of Belarusians to be detained for protesting the election results, which the West has refused to accept. Lukashenka, in power since 1994, has tightened his grip on the country in recent months in a violent crackdown on dissent that has raised the ire of many Western nations. Rights groups say there is considerable evidence of torture being used by authorities on detainees. 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. In a sign of how far Lukashenka has gone to quell opposition voices, he ordered a Ryanair flight between Athens and Vilnius on May 23 to be escorted to Minsk while it was in Belarusian airspace, claiming a bomb threat had been received, even though Vilnius airport was much closer. No bomb was found when the aircraft was searched on the ground in Minsk, but Lukashenka critic and journalist Raman Pratasevich and his Russian girlfriend aboard the flight were detained. The European Union and other countries have said the incident will have consequences for Belarus. The bloc has said it is working on additional economic sanctions on Belarus, while the United States has already taken moves against Belarusian state-owned enterprises. Most European countries have urged their aircraft to avoid Belarus airspace and banned Belarusian carriers from their skies. After meeting with Tsikhanouskaya in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, on June 1, members of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee called for harsher economic sanctions on Lukashenka's regime and the release of Pratasevich, his girlfriend, as well as other political prisoners in Belarus. The sanctions currently in place "clearly have not been effective enough, Senator Rob Portman (Republican-Ohio) said, adding: I will support broader sanctions that would be sectoral sanctions, not just on individuals, but on places where Lukashenka's regime will feel the pain." Senator Chris Murphy (Democrat-Connecticut) said the plane incident was "brazen," while Senator Jeanne Shaheen (Democrat-New Hampshire) called it an "extraordinary abuse of power. "To Lukashenka, I say: It is time for you to go. Make room for a democratically elected leader more deserving of your people," Shaheen said. Tsikhanouskaya said that Lukashenka has clearly become a threat to international peace and security and called for "further measures and targeted sanctions against enterprises and industries supporting the regime." With reporting by AFP A freelance journalist working for Deutsche Welle (DW) was released on June 1 after spending 20 days in detention in Belarus, the German international broadcaster said. DW quoted Alyaksandr Burakou as saying after his release that police guards in the detention facility where he was being held woke him up "twice a night every night" for checks that involved him getting completely naked. Similar checks took place during the day, Burakou said, adding that he was also moved to a different cell every day. The journalist also complained that the guards didn't provide him with a pillow, a blanket, or bed linen, as well as warm clothes or most of the food or personal belongings his relatives had brought him. DW said Burakou went on a hunger strike, which he had to break off after seven days due to health problems. 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. Burakou was arrested on May 12 in the town of Mahileu, where he was supposed to report on a trial against an opposition politician, and later sentenced to 20 days in jail for "repeatedly participating in an unsanctioned demonstration within a year." The reporters rejected the charges. Burakou's arrest and prosecution came amid unprecedented protests against authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka's claim of victory in a disputed presidential election in August 2020. Thousands of people, including dozens of journalists who covered the rallies, have been arrested in a violent crackdown on dissent. Rights groups say there is considerable evidence of torture being used by authorities on detainees. DW's Director General Peter Limbourg welcomed Burakou's release from detention, but expressed concern that "there are growing concerns that the spiral of state violence against journalists keeps turning. "It is becoming more and more probable that the regime in Belarus will try to silence the last independent voices in Belarus -- no matter with which means." With reporting by DW A Moscow-imposed court in the Russian-annexed Ukrainian region of Crimea on June 1 sentenced the leader of the Crimean Tatars' self-governing body to six years in prison and issued a fine after finding him guilty of organizing mass riots in 2014 and of issuing calls to violate Russias integrity. Mejlis leader Refat Chubarov, a citizen of Ukraine, was tried in absentia at Crimeas main court in Simferopol. He left Crimea shortly after Russia's annexation of the Black Sea peninsula in March 2014 and is currently living in Kyiv. The Mejlis was labeled as extremist and banned in Russia following Moscows takeover of Crimea. Russia took control of Crimea after sending in troops, seizing key facilities, and staging a referendum dismissed as illegal by at least 100 countries. Moscow also backs separatists in a war against government forces that has killed some 13,200 people in eastern Ukraine since April 2014. Moscows takeover of Crimea was fiercely opposed by many Crimean Tatars, who are a sizable minority in the region. Rights groups and Western governments have denounced what they describe as a campaign of repression by the Moscow-imposed authorities in Crimea who are targeting members of the Turkic-speaking Crimean Tatar community and others who have spoken out against the annexation. French President Emmanuel Macron has urged Azerbaijan to withdraw its troops from the sovereign territory of Armenia" after a series of recent border incidents between the two South Caucasus countries heightened regional tensions. Hosting Armenia's caretaker Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian for talks in Paris on June 1, Macron also called on the two neighbors to demarcate their border through negotiations and without any fait accompli on the ground. Tensions have been running high since Yerevan accused Azerbaijani troops last month of crossing several kilometers over its southern border in what it said was a bid to stake a claim to territory. Azerbaijan insisted that its troops simply took up positions on its side of the frontier. The rivals have since blamed each other for a number of border incidents, stoking fears of fresh regional instability following last year's war over the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region. The fresh tensions come months after the two countries ended a six-week war over Nagorno-Karabakh that claimed at least 6,900 lives. The conflict ended in November 2020 with a Moscow-brokered cease-fire that saw Armenia ceding swaths of territory that ethnic Armenians had controlled for decades. The truce is being monitored by some 2,000 Russian peacekeepers. Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but has been controlled by ethnic Armenians since the early 1990s. Internationally mediated negotiations with the involvement of the OSCE's so-called Minsk Group have failed to resolve the dispute. The ongoing escalation between Yerevan and Baku comes in the run-up to Armenias snap parliamentary elections on June 20. The Azerbaijani troops must leave Armenias sovereign territory, Macron said after greeting Pashinian at the presidential Elysee Palace. I am calling on the parties to return to the positions held before the current surge in tensions, said the French president, adding that France is ready to facilitate discussions. We stand in solidarity with Armenia and we will continue to do so, he added in a statement to the press made before a lunch meeting with the Armenian caretaker prime minister. Pashinian thanked Macron for having spoken the language of truth since the outset of the crisis. In a statement on May 28, the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group -- France, Russia, and the United States -- said the use or threat of force to resolve border disputes is not acceptable. They called on both Armenia and Azerbaijan to take immediate steps, including the relocation of troops, to de-escalate the situation and to begin negotiations to delimitate and demarcate the border peacefully. With reporting by RFE/RLs Azerbaijani Service Germany and the United States are holding talks in Washington to try to settle a dispute over the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told reporters on June 1. "As you know, talks are currently being held between the German government and the administration in Washington," Maas said, adding that Germany had an interest in reaching agreement with the United States. "This will be the topic of the talks in Washington," Maas said without giving further details. "I am confident that we will succeed in finding a way, even though it will certainly not be easy and may not happen quickly." The pipeline, which is about 95 percent complete and could be finished by September, was at the center of a political tussle between Berlin and Washington during the administration of former U.S. President Donald Trump. Since coming into office in January, U.S. President Joe Biden has sought to heal relations with Europe after they were bruised under his predecessor. Germany's Funke Media Group reported on May 31 that German Chancellor Angela Merkel had sent two of her top aides to Washington to work on a compromise deal on Nord Stream 2 ahead of Bidens visit to Europe in mid-June. U.S. officials have warned that the pipeline will make Europe more dependent on Russian energy supplies and bypass Ukraine, which relies on gas transit fees. The German government has refused to halt the project, arguing that it is a commercial venture and a sovereign issue. Biden, who will meet separately with Merkel and Russian President Vladimir Putin during his trip to Europe, said the Germans were aware of U.S. concerns. The Biden administration on May 19 sanctioned several companies and ships for their work on Nord Stream 2, but waived penalties on the firm behind the Baltic Sea project -- Nord Stream 2 AG -- and its chief executive, Matthias Warnig, a close ally of Putin. Russia's state-controlled energy giant Gazprom is the majority shareholder in the Swiss-based Nord Stream 2 AG. With reporting by Reuters, TASS, and funkemedien.de Prosecutors in Iran have arrested a Chinese national after he posted pictures on social media of local women he met online. The public prosecutor of the city of Kashan said the man, who has not been named, placed the pictures of the women on the Internet without their consent, the semioffficial YJC news agency reported on June 1. Prosecutor Ruhollah Dehqani told the agency that several complaints had been filed against the man and that he would appear before a court that hears cases involving immorality. The semiofficial ILNA news agency quoted Dehqani as saying the man was detained by police at a tollbooth on a road in Kashan. Contact between men and women who are unrelated is banned under Iranian Islamic law. Authorities in the country have been known to come down hard on anyone posting pictures on the Internet if they are deemed immoral. Reuters reported that the Chinese Foreign Ministry had no immediate comment on the situation. With reporting by YJC, Reuters, and ILNA Kyrgyz authorities say they have detained at least five prominent politicians as part of an investigation into corruption during the development of the Central Asian country's largest gold mine. The State Committee for National Security (UKMK) said that members of parliament Asylbek Jeenbekov, whose brother Sooronbai Jeenbekov stepped down as president last year, and Torobay Zulpukarov were detained on May 31 on corruption charges for two months. On the same day, former Prime Minister Omurbek Babanov, as well as ex-deputies Iskhak Pirmatov and Talantbek Uzakbaev, were detained on similar charges for 48 hours. Babanov's lawyer said his client did not commit any illegal actions, while Zulpukarov's lawyer said the charges brought against his client were unfounded. The lawyer of Jeenbekov called the courts decision to detain his client illegal. The giant Kumtor gold project has been the focus of international attention in recent months after the government moved to temporarily take over operations at the mine for what President Sadyr Japarov said was a necessary move to remedy environmental and safety violations. A total of four criminal cases are being investigated related to the development of the mine. The project is run by Canada's Centerra Gold, which on May 31 said it had taken legal moves to protect the interests of the company and its investors in response to the seizure of the mine by the Kyrgyz government. The Canadian company said in a statement that its Kyrgyz subsidiaries, Kumtor Gold Company (KGC) and Kumtor Operating Company (KOC), have filed for bankruptcy in New York under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. The move "provides, among other things, for a worldwide automatic stay of all claims against KGC and KOC" and is meant to "facilitate potential negotiations with the Kyrgyz government," according to the statement. According to a new law approved on May 14, the Kyrgyz government can take control for up to three months of any company that operates under a concession agreement in Kyrgyzstan if that firm violates environmental regulations, endangers the local environment or lives of people, or causes other significant damage. The head of a Kyrgyz state commission investigating alleged wrongdoing at the Kumtor mine said on May 17 that his group concluded that the agreement on giving the mining concession to Centerra Gold must be revoked due to what he called "corruption" and "violations of safety and environmental regulations." At the same time, a Kyrgyz court fined KGC more than $3 billion for dumping mining waste on glaciers near the mine 4,000 meters above sea level. A state commission also recently alleged that the KGC owes more than $1 billion in unpaid taxes. In light of the latest developments, the Toronto-based company also said in its statement that it was conducting a "strategic review" of its ownership of the KGC and KOC "following the recent steps taken by the Kyrgyz authorities." Kumtor Gold Company (KGC), Kyrgyzstan's biggest taxpayer, is the only firm in the former Soviet republic that operates under a concession agreement. Centerra has called Kyrgyzstan's actions "wrongful and illegal." On May 16, the Canadian firm said it had "initiated binding arbitration to enforce its rights under long-standing investment agreements with the government." It also accused Kyrgyz law enforcement of intimidation -- including police visits to the homes of several senior KGC managers and a May 15 raid of KGC's office in Bishkek. Japarov's sudden rise to power in October 2020 after being freed from jail in the midst of a political crisis was particularly bad news for Centerra. As an opposition politician during the past decade, Japarov had led an unsuccessful bid in parliament and on the streets to nationalize the mine. He oversaw several chaotic rallies against the company, including a 2013 rally in which a provincial governor was kidnapped, the basis of Japarov's 2017 arrest and 11-year prison sentence on hostage-taking charges. Babanov ran against Japarov last year to be chosen prime minister by parliament after protests toppled the previous government and eventually prompted Jeenbekov to step down. Canada, Britain, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) have all criticized Kyrgyzstan's moves against Centerra. Romania and Italy will open up COVID-19 vaccinations for adolescents, becoming the first EU countries to do so after the European Commission approved use of the BioNTech/Pfizer shot for children aged 12 and older. The EU executive approved use of the vaccine for adolescents on May 31, a week after the European Medicines Agency (EMA) endorsed the shot for the age group. Each of the EUs 27 member states can now decide whether to expand their vaccination campaigns to adolescents. Wasting little time, Romanian Prime Minister Florin Citu said children 12 and older can start receiving COVID-19 shots from June 1, while Italys government said it would also allow the shot for adolescents. Other countries in Europe are expected to follow suit, although some may initially continue to prioritize vaccinating adults and only children with preexisting health problems that make them vulnerable to the virus. The BioNTech/Pfizer vaccination has already been approved for use by children aged 12 and up in the United States and Canada. Russia says it will conduct strategic military drills in the Arctic this autumn, in another sign of the Kremlin's drive to assert its presence in the region. The command of Russia's Northern Fleet announced the "strategic military exercise" on June 1 to check the "readiness of the forces and troops" serving in and around the Arctic. It added that the exercises will also "ensure the safety" of the Northern Sea Route. The growing accessibility of natural resources and navigation routes in the Arctic as climate change makes it more accessible has attracted global competition. As Moscow seeks to assert its influence in the Arctic, military disputes have intensified in recent years, with both Russian and NATO forces carrying out maneuvers to display their ambitions. At a meeting of Arctic Council foreign ministers in Reykjavik on May 20, Washington gathered support to curb Moscow's plans as it assumes the council's rotating chairmanship with an eye toward setting maritime rules in the Northern Sea Route and resuming high-level military talks within the eight-nation bloc after they were suspended in 2014 over Russia's seizure of Ukraine's Crimea in 2014. Moscow has also bolstered its military presence in recent years, in particular by deploying its S-400 air-defense systems to the region. As ice cover in the Arctic decreases, Russia is also hoping to gain economic influence and make use of the Northern Sea Route shipping channel to export oil and gas to overseas markets. Russia has invested heavily to develop the route, which cuts the journey to Asian ports by 15 days compared with using the traditional Suez Canal route. With reporting by Reuters and AFP Russian opposition politician and former State Duma deputy Dmitry Gudkov has been detained by police, the state-run TASS news agency reported on June 1, after he said law enforcement searched his cottage and the homes of some of his close associates amid a broader Kremlin crackdown on opposition forces in the country. Gudkov was detained for 48 hours on suspicion he failed to pay debt under a lease agreement for a nonresidential premises in 2015-2017, TASS added, citing unnamed sources. Earlier on June 1, Gudkov said in a post on his Telegram channel that the search occurred at his cottage in Kolomna, about 100 kilometers southeast of Moscow. "There is a search at my dacha near Kolomna. The same for my former assistant Aleksandr Solovyov. The same for my chief of staff Vitaly Venidiktov. I don't know the formal reason. The real reason, though, is clear," he wrote. TASS confirmed the searches with a source familiar with the situation. Solovyov is the former chairman of Open Russia, a civic organization that said on May 27 that it had decided to end its operations to protect its members from the risk of being prosecuted. On May 31, Andrei Pivovarov, the former executive director of Open Russia, a pro-democracy movement founded by Kremlin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky, was removed from a plane in St. Petersburg and detained. Colleagues said police questioned him, searched his apartment, and opened a criminal case against him for allegedly violating Russia's legislation on "undesirable organisations." The law, adopted in May 2015, was part of a series of regulations pushed by the Kremlin that squeezed many nonprofit and nongovernmental organizations that received funding from foreign sources -- mainly from Europe and the United States. Pivovarov and other activists at Open Russia, which was registered in Russia, say that the organization was entirely separate from the British-registered group with the same name that was designated "undesirable" in 2017 and subsequently shut down. In a statement on June 1, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrells spokesperson denounced "a continuous pattern of shrinking space for civil society, the opposition, and critical voices, as well as independent media" in Russia. The bloc calls on the Russian authorities to "immediately and unconditionally" release Pivovarov and to repeal the legislation on undesirable organizations, said the spokesperson, Peter Stano. Natalia Zviagina, Amnesty Internationals Moscow office director, called Pivovarovs detention an audacious move by the Kremlin in its continued use of the law on undesirable organizations to target and shut down critics. Zviagina urged the Russian authorities to end reprisals against their political opponents and other critical voices in the country, immediately release Pivovarov, drop all charges against him and others prosecuted under the law of undesirable organizations, and revoke this discriminatory legislation. With reporting by Reuters A Jehovahs Witness in the western Russian republic of Mari El has been found guilty of extremism and given a suspended 6 1/2 year prison sentence. Ekaterina Pegasheva, who was convicted by the Gornomariskiy district court on June 1, denied the charge and vowed to appeal the ruling. The only victims in this criminal case are me, my mother, [and] my elderly sick bedridden grandmother. We have suffered significant damage -- property, physical, emotional, mental, as well as damage to our reputation, Pegasheva told the court before the verdict was issued. I am a law-abiding citizen of the Russian Federation. I did not call for violence. My conscience is clear before God, before the state, and before the people. Jehovahs Witnesses is a Christian denomination with an estimated 175,000 followers in Russia. In 2017, Russias Supreme Court declared the group an extremist organization. Since then, Russian law enforcement has raided the homes of more than 1,300 worshippers and over 400 have been either charged or convicted of extremism in a brutal crackdown that has swept up followers aged 19 to 90. The European Association of Jehovahs Witnesses estimates that between 5,000 to 10,000 of its members have fled Russia since the ban came into force. The case against Pegasheva was opened in September 2019. According to the authorities, Pegasheva continued to preach her brand of Christianity despite the ban on the Jehovahs Witnesses. In October 2019, police searched her home in Yoshkar-Ola, seizing books, videos, electronic devices, personal letters, and other documents. Her mothers home in Pirogovo, in the Kirov region, was also searched. Pegasheva was held for more than four months in pretrial detention before spending more than a year under house arrest. Top officials from the United States and the European Union are visiting Kosovo to press its leadership to resume talks on the normalization of ties with former foe Serbia. Kosovos new government, led by Prime Minister Albin Kurti, who took office in March, has said it is busy fighting the pandemic and that talks with Serbia are not high on its list of immediate goals. U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Matthew Palmer and the EU envoy for the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, said a positive outcome of bilateral talks depend on both Pristina and Belgrade. The meetings were very useful, and it will help us prepare for a meeting [between Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic]. We want to make sure that the meeting will be successful, Lajcak said at a news conference on June 1 in Pristina after talks with government officials and opposition politicians. Among the EU leadership and the member states, there is increased interest in the region," Lajcak added. Both the United States and the European Union have repeatedly said that normalization of relations between Serbia and Kosovo are essential for their further integration into Euro-Atlantic institutions. Serbia and Kosovo have both applied for EU membership; Kosovo is aiming for NATO membership, too. Palmer said that Washington strongly supports the dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo, with the goal of full normalization of relations and mutual recognition. Thats the one thing that would put this issue behind the parties and open up the path to membership in the EU for both Serbia and Kosovo, Palmer said. The visit came after Lajcak and Palmer met in Brussels last week to talk about the Western Balkans and the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue. EU-facilitated negotiations to normalize ties between Serbia and Kosovo started a decade ago and stalled last year. Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, almost a decade after a 1998-99 war between ethnic Albanian separatists and Serb forces. The war ended after a 78-day NATO air campaign drove Serb troops out and an international peacekeeping force moved in. Most Western nations have recognized Kosovos independence, but Belgrade and its allies Russia and China dont. With reporting by AP MANSFIELD -- Diamond Street through the downtown opened to two-way traffic on Monday, according to city engineer Bob Bianchi. The $552,000 conversion from First to Sixth streets, approved by City Council in November 2020, ended decades of northbound-only traffic on one of the city's main arteries. Bianchi said there will be intermittent lane closures while final pavement markings are done. The engineer also said timing on the lights will be adjusted. Colorful planters were being installed along the route on Tuesday morning. "What we want is for traffic to be able to progress northbound at 25 miles per hour through the corridor without having to stop," Bianchi said. "That's the goal." The switch, coming two years after Mulberry Street was also converted, is in keeping with goals identified in the Mansfield Rising downtown investment plan. The conversion of Diamond Street was first introduced to City Council in February 2020, but was put on hold temporarily when the COVID-19 pandemic reached Ohio. The goal behind the project, according to Bianchi, was to improve "to" traffic in the downtown while not affecting "thru" traffic. When introducing the idea, the engineer told City Council the goals are improved access for occasional downtown visitors and friendlier traffic patterns, while also considering "thru" traffic movement along Diamond from First Street on the south, to Main Street on the north. There are two northbound lanes and one southbound lane on Diamond Street while Mulberry features two southbound and one northbound. "For you and me, the people who have been in the downtown and understand the downtown network, we don't think anything about it. For the occasional visitors, they have to think about our one-way street networks. It takes some consideration," the engineer told City Council in 2020. "We want those occasional visitors to become frequent visitors," Bianchi said. "How do we increase the ability of people to get to their destinations downtown?" The project's timing met the engineer's goal. When council approved the work in November, Bianchi said he anticipated a completion date of June 1. "We'd like to get in on the front end of summer and have it completed rather than waiting until the fall," he said at the time. No general fund money was spent on the conversion. Instead, funds for the project came from four sources: The permissive sales tax, the street fund, the road resurfacing fund and the Downtown Improvement Fund, which began when council approved a $5 increase in motor vehicle registration fees in May of 2018. Diamond Street's conversion is yet another part of the Mansfield Rising downtown reinvestment plan. One part of the plan suggested the city adopt and implement a "complete streets" policy downtown, designing traditional streets to enable cars to move quickly and efficiently. A major Main Street improvement project is also in the works in the downtown. Recently, in the cell collection room of the Department of Hematology of Peoples Hospital in Haikou, south Chinas Hainan Province, Lieutenant Commander Peng Zhixi, an officer assigned to a regiment of a PLA Navys joint training base, successful donated his hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). His blood sample was then rushed to Beijing by the staff of the Red Cross Society of Hainan Branch. The HSCs contained in the blood sample would be used to rescue a 21-year-old female leukemia patient. At the end of last year, a 21-year-old female college student was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Her parents sold the house and saved every penny for her treatment. After four chemotherapy sessions, the girl was in urgent need of a bone marrow transplant. Looking at the dying child on the hospital bed, her parents were burning with anxiety. Fortunately, the medical staff found the matching HSCs in the stem cell bank, and succeeded in initial matching. The HSCs in need belong to the above-mentioned naval officer Lt. Comdr. Peng Zhixi. In January this year, Peng was notified by the Red Cross Society of Hainan Branch about the news. At the same time, he was also told that being a little old to donate the HSCs, he might face certain risks. However, when asked his own willingness, Peng replied without any hesitation, Of course, yes! It is meaningful to save others lives, not to mention that I am a military member. During preparations for donation, Peng actively cooperated with the staff while working, completing high-resolution blood sample matching and a head-to-toe examination in succession. On May 19, he went through the formalities and was admitted to the Haikou Peoples Hospital, where the staff started to collect his HSCs after five consecutive days of injection of granulocyte colony-stimulating factors (G-CSFs). With the blood bag containing 283 ml of blood being sent to the hospital in Beijing where the patient was treated, Lt. Comdr. Peng has thereby become the 129th volunteer in Hainan Province and the 11,358th volunteer across China to donate HSCs to save other peoples lives. In the ward, the staff of the Red Cross Society of Hainan Branch presented flowers and certificate to Peng, expressing their deep respect. Dad, you are my hero, his son held flowers and said, proudly. Written By Joe Schulz served as the reporter of the Green Laker in 2019 and 2020, before being hired as a reporter for the Commonwealth in October 2020. He is from Oshkosh and graduated from UW-Oshkosh in December with a bachelor's degree in journalism. | Rocky Mount, NC (27804) Today Mostly cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. Low 64F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Mostly cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. Low 64F. Winds light and variable. Peterborough - Eva H. Sacharuk died, peacefully, at her home in Peterborough, N.H. on June 1, 2021. Before moving to Peterborough in 2019, she was a long-time resident of Wenham, Massachusetts where she raised her family with her husband Serge since 1960. Eva is survived by her loving husban Sanford, NC (27330) Today Cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 64F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 64F. Winds light and variable. Mark Rogers is editor of The Sanford Herald. He can be reached at 919-718-1227 or by email at mrogers@sanfordherald.com By SA Commercial Prop News Rachel Botsman is a social innovator who writes, consults and speaks on the power of collaboration and sharing through network technologies. Sharing is caring. Although a phrase much favoured by Barney the dinosaur, it is now one that is taking the world by storm through a new movement called Collaborative Consumption. Collaborative Consumption is all about sharing, bartering, lending, trading, renting, gifting, and swapping of all kinds of assets, from spaces to skills to cars. It has exploded onto the scene through network technologies that allow for these more traditional ways of economic exchange to take place on a scale and in ways never possible before. Why buy when you can rent? Or swap? Or share? Want to go on holiday but cant afford it? Why not consider a house swop? Or how about swopping books, CDs and DVDs with friends? Perhaps you need to hang pictures in your home rather than rushing out and buying a power drill, rather borrow your neighbours or rent one. And when the time comes to start a family, consider renting your baby equipment for the short period of time that it is needed. These are a just a few of the many ways that people are starting to change their consumer behaviour. The 20th century has seen us churning out mass produced consumer goods such as laptops, cell phones, TVs, cars etc. we are a society of consumers - but people are being driven through a combination of recessionary thrift and a growing consciousness of what we are doing to our planet to reduce the amount of stuff that we own. Sharing and renting more stuff means producing and wasting less stuff, which is good for the planet and is also a perfect fit for an urban lifestyle in which you have lots of neighbours and limited storage. Internationally there are innovators who have established hubs where people can connect to engage in Collaborative Consumption such as Brooklyn-based SnapGoods www.snapgoods.com, which helps people rent goods via the Internet, or Airbnb www.airbnb.com, which allows people to rent their homes to travellers. And now, increasingly, people are dealing directly with one another and cutting out the middleman. Peer-to-peer sharing involves the re-emergence of community - another real benefit of collaborative consumption. People have begun interacting meaningfully with others and this shows a surging interest in community people what to connect. TIME Magazine recently called Collaborative Consumption one of the "10 Ideas That Will Change the World" and Rachel Botsman - a social innovator who writes, consults and speaks on the power of collaboration and sharing - has written a book entitled What's Mine is Yours: How Collaborative Consumption Is Changing The Way We Live. Botsman, who was recently named one of the top 20 speakers in the world to have at your conference, will be hosting an educational master class on this exciting movement at the Pavilion Clock Tower at the V&A Waterfront on Tuesday 23 October 2012 from 09h00 12h30. The master class series forms part of the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) Convention and Exhibition - South Africas premier green building conference and exhibition, which provides access to the latest, cutting edge, exciting information delivered by international and local experts! Running for its 5th consecutive year from the 23rd 25th October 2012, the annual convention provides an inspirational platform for world-class education, knowledge sharing and decision-maker networking concerning sustainability and the built environment. Botsman will also be presenting at the GBCSA Convention as a keynote speaker, alongside Dan Epstein, the Director of Sustainability for the 2012 London Olympics; Dr Nils Kok, an associate professor in Finance and Real Estate at Maastricht University in the Netherlands; international expert Jerry Yudelson, who has been dubbed the Godfather of Green and Tristram Carfrae, considered to be a trailblazer in building design. For more information on the master classes and to book visit www.gbcsa-convention.org.za Mehul Choksi Even as a private jet from Qatar landed in Dominica with documents related to fugitive businessman Mehul Choksi, wanted in the PNB loan fraud case, sources on Tuesday said members of the Central Bureau of Investigation, Enforcement Directorate and Ministry of External Affairs are camping in the island nation. According to informed sources, an eight member team from India reached Dominica on Saturday afternoon in a private jet that left from New Delhi on Friday evening. The sources said that two members each from MEA, CBI and ED along with two CRPF commandos were in Dominica for the hearing in the Choksi extradition matter scheduled on June 2. The source said that the officials of the CBI and ED from Mumbai zone were called on Friday to the national capital, who then boarded the private jet for Dominica. However, senior officials of the CBI and ED remained tight-lipped on the number of officials sent to Dominca for Choksi case hearing. On Saturday, Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne also confirmed that a private jet has landed in Dominica with certain documents related to Choksi who was involved in a multi-million dollar bank scam in India. Browne was responding to a question during his radio programme on a question about a private jet arriving in Dominica from Qatar and said, "Yes I can confirm that a jet is there. My understanding is that the Indian government has sent some documentation from the courts to confirm that Choksi is a fugitive. "My understanding is that it is for the court hearing scheduled on Wednesday (June 2) as the Dominica court has put a stay on his deportation. So the Indian government seems to be going all out to ensure that he is repatriated to India and face charges there." Choksi, who is wanted in India by the CBI and the ED in Rs 13,500 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case had gone missing from the island nation on May 23, sparking a massive manhunt. He was captured in Dominica on May 26. A Dominican court has restrained his deportation till June 2 as it hears a habeas corpus filed by Choksi's lawyers. On Saturday, several pictures of Choksi emerged online showing several bruise marks on his arms and swollen eyes. Choksi has been residing in Antigua and Barbuda since January 4, 2018, days before the CBI registered a case of bank fraud against him and his nephew, Nirav Modi, among several others. The CBI and ED, which have filed separate charge sheets in the case, are trying for his extradition. The United States is best understood today as the Disunited States. There is less unity than in 1860. by Paul Craig Roberts June brings my quarterly request for donations. Your financial support for the website tells me that my efforts are valued and worthwhile. Your donations support me in standing up to the smears. Telling the truth in America in these days is a punished, not a rewarded, activity. The United States is best understood today as the Disunited States. There is less unity than in 1860. Civility is gone from debate; indeed, debate itself is gone. Integrity and respect for truth have lost out to worship of money and the rule of power. Ideology has shoved aside facts. Money and power are all. We have seen this in the intentional exaggeration of the Covid threat for Big Pharma profits and the institutionalization of arbitrary government power over civil liberty. Today, with the exception of some free Red states, such as Florida, in the Disunited States our exercise of our civil liberty requires the governments permission. You are free only by the governments permission. In other words, the US Constitution has lost its authority. We now live under the authority of the power seekers. Government and corporate spying have destroyed privacy, another Constitutionally protected right. Education has been replaced with cult indoctrination. In blue states and in some local school districts of red states, white American students are taught that they are racist by nature. They are infused with personal guilt for slavery that ended 156 years ago. Speech codes are imposed that prevent any challenge to the propaganda masquerading as eduction. The brainwashing of white Americans is imposed by law in blue states such as California, Washington, Oregon, and New York. Parents who complain are fired by their corporate employers who have imbibed the Critical Race Theory kool-aid. No American who works for a US corporation has freedom of speech. It is today ordinary for white liberals to speak of exterminating whiteness. Whether they realize it or not, it includes themselves. What is meant by exterminating whiteness? The most radical mean it literallythe genocide of white people. White people being systemic racists are inconsistent with social justice. Most white liberals, such as those on blue state school boards, mean by exterminating whiteness the extermination of white values, such as meritocracy and colorblindness. Colorblindness meant that the best person got the job regardless of race. It was seen as a way of guaranteeing that a meritorius black person would not be passed over because of race. But white liberals now say that colorblindness is a white value that upholds meritocracy, whereas equity requires that blacks advance because of race, not because of merit. Exterminating whiteness also means taking down white monuments, burning or delisting white books, rewriting white history as one vast ongoing crime. Essentially what is required of us is that we reject and denounce Western civilization. If you dont denounce your civilization, it is proof that you are a racist. It started years agoWestern Civ has to go. The white liberals thought this was greatdenounce your own civilization. Another way of eliminating whiteness is open borders to peoples of color who eventually outnumber and rule the minority whites. The Camp of the Saints explains what to expect. Already we see in the Western world governments more responsive to immigrant-invaders than to ethnic citizens. Many older patriotic Americans dismiss the assaults on whiteness as silly nonsense. It is silly, and it is nonsense, but it is nevertheless highly successful in destroying the system of beliefs that comprise Western civilization. Indeed, the destruction of the beliefsthe gluethat hold our civilization together is almost complete. People such as Martyanov, the Saker, Dimetri Orlov, and myself see collapse staring us in the face. We all hope that we dont outlive its occurance. In the West everything is denunciatory. Nothing is affirmatory. So many decades of denunciation of the Wests crimes has collapsed belief. The West is disarmed and helpless. Strange it is that a disarmed and helpless West is so well defended by the one thousand billion dollar annual budget of the military/security complex and the 700 or so overseas military bases of the Disunited States. But this is no defense of Western civilization. It is a defense of the power and budgets of defense contractors, CIA and other intelligence agencies, the supply chains for defense industries, the university physics and chemistry faculties on Defense Department grants, the political campaign contributions that flow back from the military industries to candidates for the House, Senate, and Oval Office. The one thousand billion dollar annual defense budget requires an enemy, and this requirement negates any security from the vast sum expended. Despite the Defense budget, it is far more dangerous to have an enemy than not to have one. Having Russia as an enemy enhances the defense budget and reduces our safety. For the sake of the power and profit of the US military/security complex Washington needs the Russian threat to keep the money flowing. But what country in its right mind would want as an enemy a nuclear armed country whose weapons systems were far superior to its own? During the 20th century Cold War the US and Soviet leaders worked to reduce tensions. Arms control treaties were agreed, and communication was kept open. This saved the world from many false alarms of incoming ICBMs. Today the tensions, thanks to Clinton, Bush, Obama, and Biden, are so high that false alarms will be believed. The world can end simply because of a false alarm. For expressing concern together with Stephen Cohn, now deceased to our great loss, that a nuclear war could be the consequence of a lack of trust between Washington and Moscow, I was accused of Putin worship by Michael C. Moynihan, a person of no known achievement at a website called The Daily Beast. The digital revolution has endowed journalism with minimal intelligence and minimal integrity. As Udo Ulfkotte wrote in his 2014 book, they are Bought Journalists. These bought journalists respect money more than life. If the world experiences nuclear Armageddon, it will be the fault of the Western Presstitutes who helped the military/security complex resurrect the Cold War. 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Liberty Orchards, the makers of Aplets & Cotlets, announced through their website that the company would remain in business after finding a prospective buyer. Earlier in the spring, the company said it planned to cease production in June, causing many locals to mourn the loss of a century-old business. "We had planned to close on June 1, but are pleased to announce that the company is currently negotiating with a prospective buyer," the statement reads. "We will remain open and continue normal operations until negotiations are concluded." The company has been family owned out of Cashmere, Washington since 1920. The founders were two Armenian immigrants, Mark Balaban and Armen Tertsagian, and started the company with the purchase of an apple orchard. The two used their surplus apples to create Aplets, the apple and walnut confection. A few years later, they did the same with apricots to create Cotlets. Modeled after the Middle Eastern treat Turkish Delight, the chewy fruit candies have been a staple on store shelves and gift shops around the Pacific Northwest. The company had been looking for a buyer for almost three years to no avail according to Greg Taylor, Tertsagian's grandson who has been the president of the company since the 1980s. Now with a buyer on the line, the beloved candy maker will continue its legacy for the next generation of Washington residents. "The family is immensely proud to have carried forward the founders' legacy in providing more than 100 years of the highest quality products and employment to generations of families in its community," the company said in a news release in March. Two of the best restaurant strips in Seattle sit one after the other along Rainier Avenue with the long-established heart of Columbia City getting a sister in good eating with Hillman Citys rapidly evolving scene. Even the industry-crippling pandemic couldnt keep people from lining up for the citys best doughnuts, bellying up to a bar with their bulldog, or clamoring for vibrantly purple Vietnamese coffee drinks. As Washington state prepares to fully reopen and vaccinated people again feel safe heading out to restaurants, we are taking a neighborhood-by-neighborhood look at the changes youll find and whats coming down the pipeline. Keep reading to see what is happening in Columbia City and Hillman City. Opened When this brioche doughnut shop opened its doors last summer in Hillman City, the former pop-up still couldnt keep their famous savory everything bagel or creative rotating flavors in stock. Nearly a year later and the preorders still sell out instantly and walk-up lines stretch down the block for the puffy sweets with creamy tres leches, brown butter pecan, or carrot cheesecake fillings. Opening late last summer, Taco City bring both trendy and traditional dishes from around Mexico to its cantina-vibe patio which might explain the appearance of bar snacks like wings and mozzarella sticks alongside elotes on the appetizer menu. Brunch brings chilaquiles and breakfast burritos, while the birria tacos, served with consome entice evening eaters. The best bars let you bring your best friends, so this business buddied up a bar with doggy daycare when it opened in May. Aside from the delightful double-meaning of its name, Growlerz also excels at curating craft beers, of which it keeps eight of on tap for puppy parents to enjoy while watching their pooches play, along with a wine list, mimosas, and hard seltzer and they sometimes host food trucks and pop-ups with snacks for both humans and dogs. Christina N. via Yelp Despite the terribly timed opening almost the exact week that the pandemic shut down restaurants last year this Vietnamese-inspired coffee shop quickly became a neighborhood staple. Crowds line up for the Instagram-perfect purple haze latte, made with house-made ube syrup and ube foam and the signature Coffeeholic dream that layers cheese foam on a classic Vietnamese-style coffee. The Covid-era heaped extra challenges on Evan Leichtling and Meghna Prakash, who had chosen a tiny space into which they planned to adapt their popular pop-up Fowl and Offal. But seared foie gras and rhubarb Dutch babies can always find away, so the pair adapted their local, seasonal menu to restricted capacities, offering three nights a week with the original tasting menu concept, plus lunch service on Sundays and operating as a bottle shop on Wednesdays. Nigist Kidane, owner of long-time neighborhood favorite Ethiopian restaurant Kezira Cafe opened this second shop at the corner of Juneau and Rainier. The smaller menu here includes more of a morning focus, with a wide selection of breakfast offered all day, including gaat porridge served with a well of spicy butter in the center and yogurt on the side and ful, a dish of mashed fava beans topped with peppers, tomatoes, and feta cheese. Wendy K. via Yelp Moved The lunch and deli counter squirreled away inside this Lao market brought smart shoppers and savvy Seattleites in for its house-made sausages and spicy salads for years, but just as the pandemic hit, it moved to a shiny new space right across the street. The eats beef jerky, spareribs, sticky rice and assorted sweets stayed the same, but now in upgraded environs. Coming Soon Jacks BBQ brought Seattle some of its first Texas-style barbecue, and now it plans to try convincing all those Lone Star State transplants that this city can handle some true Tex-Mex flavor. The current plan estimates the new spot will open with its smoked brisket enchiladas in the former El Sombrero space in early September. This cooperatively-owned venue already opened its doors a few times for pop-ups and events but aims to get running at full power by the end of the year. The performance hall includes a restaurant space, and chef Tarik Abdullah of Feed the People and Midnight Mecca co-founded it, so while details remain scarce, something good will be cooking. No recent word on when to expect the opening of this Peruvian-inspired spot while owners Linda Di Lello Morton and Tamara Murphy focus on getting their current restaurant, Terra Plata, through these tough times. The pair spent much of the pandemic hustling to keep the restaurant and staff safe and provide community meals, but hopefully as things clam down, this space will fill in. With clear, sunny skies and highs of 80 degrees in the forecast, this Memorial Day weekend marks the beginning of the summer season in Seattle. And with state on track to reopen fully by June 30 or sooner if at least 70% of people 16 and older get at least one dose of the vaccine there is reason to be cautiously optimistic that this summer will be much better than the last. While some large-scale events like Bumbershoot remain postponed for the time being, other smaller events are chugging along as planned. From live music concerts (remember those?) to outdoor festivals, keep reading for 11 events and activities you can get out and do this season. Guido Mieth/Getty Images Dine like a champion at Lumen Field Lumen Field's popular Field to Table dining series will be returning in early June, featuring some of the city's most premier chefs. Foodies will get to enjoy an impressive four-course meal from award-winning chefs like Musang's Mel Miranda, Jerk Shack's Trey Lamont and Osteria la Spiga's Sabrina Tinsley in a one-of-a-kind venue where the likes of Russell Wilson play. Jacobo Zanella/Getty Images Shop at a farmers market Grab your reusable totes and masks: Seattle's neighborhood farmers markets are set to reopen for their spring/summer season, welcoming back the warmer days with local produce and goods. The Magnolia Farmers Market opens on June 1 while the Lake City Farmers Market opens on July 1. Both markets will run until September. The Phinney Farmers Market will remain closed for the year. Warren C. via Yelp Ride the slides at Wild Waves Wild Waves Theme and Water Park in Federal Way is set to reopen on June 18, giving families with stir crazy kids the opportunity to see their friends and let loose on rides and slides after a year of social distancing and remote school. Since the park is operating at reduced capacity, reservations are required in advance and can be made online. Courtesy Edmonds Spring Festival Pick up local goodies at a craft festival Seattle's indie craft shows are also back for the 2021 season. Urban Craft Uprising will be returning for the Edmonds Summer Fest on July 24 and later for the Tacoma Summer Fest on Aug. 7-8, showcasing hundreds of local artists and makers at each show. It's like Christmas in July for those who love handmade soaps, candles and the like. cgbaldauf/Getty Images/iStockphoto Visit lavender farms in Sequim If you missed out on frolicking through fields of tulips and daffodils earlier in the spring, don't worry: the Olympic Peninsula's fragrant lavender fields actually bloom later in the summer, making for an excellent day trip. While the popular Lavender Festival won't be going on as usual during the third weekend in July, Sequim's lavender farmers are still welcoming guests for field tours and U-Pick lavender opportunities, and to visit their gift shops filled with plenty of delicately scented delights. Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images See the sights of Seattle on an Argosy Cruises boat tour Take a sightseeing cruise around Puget Sound with Argosy Cruises, which resumed operations last week just in time for the summer. The one-hour Harbor Cruises will run Friday through Sunday and the Locks Cruises through the Ballard Locks will run Saturday and Sunday. The tours are educational, but also provide excellent photo-ops of the city. MIKE URBAN/seattlepi.com file photo Catch a live show at Woodland Park Zoo's ZooTunes Live music is set to take center stage for the first time in over a year at Woodland Park Zoo's BECU ZooTunes summer concert series starting in July. By partnering with radio station KEXP, the zoo is focusing on hosting local Washington musicians this year with artists like The Posies, Naked Giants and Polyrhythmics set to perform. Tickets are only available online and are on sale now. Luis Alvarenga/Getty Images Watch a movie at a drive-in theater Probably one of the best business pivots brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic was the revival of drive-in movie theaters. Many around the Evergreen State are carrying on well into the summer to continue social distancing, including Bellevue's Vasa Park Resort Drive-In Theater and Oak Harbor's Blue Fox Drive-In. Bob Pool/Getty Images Head to the coast for a Kite Festival After going on hiatus in 2020, the Washington State International Kite Festival is making a colorful return to the skies this summer in Long Beach from Aug. 16-22, giving city dwellers an excuse to head to the scenic coast. JOSHUA TRUJILLO/SEATTLEPI.COM Eat scones at the Evergreen State Fair Monroe's popular 11-day fair is coming back this summer with the theme "Back in the Saddle Again Open for Fun in 2021." Now in its 112th year, this Snohomish County tradition is full of livestock, concerts, rides and of course, flaky Fisher fair scones smothered in jam. The fair will run from Aug. 26 through Sep. 6, closing for one day on Sep. 1. "Snohomish County welcomes some celebration after a year of struggle and sacrifice," County Executive Dave Somers said in a news release. "While the Evergreen State Fair may be a bit different this year, were looking forward to getting everyone 'Back in the Saddle Again!'" Westend61/Getty Images/Westend61 Fill buckets of berries Summer's abundance brings the return of berries , and plenty of local growers will be hosting U-Pick farms for cherries, blueberries and raspberries while they are in season. Bremerton's Blackberry Festival is also returning this year from Sep. 4-6, giving residents another chance to pick and eat berries to their heart's content. Intricate henna designs on the hands of Muslim girls in Peshawar, Pakistan. Horseback riders atop colorfully festooned steeds in Zazzau, Nigeria. A child tossed into the air at the Dome of the Rock Mosque in Jerusalem. These are some of the ways the worlds Muslims celebrated the Eid al-Fitr festival in mid-May bringing an end to Ramadan, the holy month of fasting, as captured by AP photographers around the globe. Inside a multi-story mosque in Dhaka, Bangladesh, worshippers solemnly made Eid al-Fitr appeals above prayer mats on the floor. In Bekasi, Indonesia, women wearing face masks to ward off transmission of the coronavirus knelt on a street, some of them clutching small children, as a train whooshed by steps away. The joyous observations contrasted, however, with the sorrow and suffering from an 11-day war that erupted between Israel and the Gaza Strips militant Hamas rulers a conflict also reflected in striking AP images. In Jerusalems Old City, a smoky haze filled the air at the compound of the sacred Al-Aqsa mosque as Palestinian protesters and Israeli security forces faced off in just one day of weeks of clashes over Israels policing of the area during Ramadan and threatened evictions. And in east Jerusalem, where dozens of families were at risk of losing their homes to Jewish settlers, Palestinian Muslims broke their Ramadan fast together at tables in a street as Jewish settlers gathered nearby to begin Shabbat at an occupied house. Israeli police stood guard between the two groups amid the rising pre-war tensions. More than 250 people were killed before a cease-fire was reached, as Hamas launched rockets and Israel responded with powerful airstrikes. Most of the damage and death came on the Palestinian side, but there was also grieving among Jews. In Hadid, central Israel, funeral mourners gazed at the shrouded body of a 56-year-old man who died of wounds sustained when his car was pelted with rocks during Israeli Arab riots. Early May also witnessed celebrations of Easter by Orthodox Christians. In Cairo, a young girl clung to the leg of a Coptic Orthodox deacon during Mass marking the holy day. And near Donetsk, Ukraine, priests walked in a procession outside a monastery heavily damaged by shelling. These and more are among the APs top faith-related images published in May. ___ Follow AP visual journalism: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/apnews AP Images on Twitter: http://twitter.com/AP_Images AP Images blog: http://apimagesblog.com ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support from the Lilly Endowment through The Conversation U.S. The AP is solely responsible for this content. POMPANO BEACH, Fla. (AP) Terry Colli and three other residents of the John Knox Village senior community got a trip via computer to the International Space Station in the kickoff to a Stanford University study on whether virtual reality can improve the emotional well-being of older people. Donning 1-pound (470-gram) headsets with video and sound, the four could imagine floating weightless with astronauts and get a 360-degree tour of the station. In other programs, residents can take virtual visits to Paris, Venice, Egypt or elsewhere around the globe; attend a car rally, skydive or go on a hike. I feel great. It is amazing. It is like you are really there, said Colli, 73, and a former spokesman for the Canadian embassy in Washington. Stanford's Virtual Human Interaction Lab will be working with John Knox's 1,200 residents, who will have ready access to the equipment under the supervision of staff members. The goal is to see whether virtual reality can improve their mood, strengthen their relationships with staff and make them more receptive to technology. Other senior communities in the United States and elsewhere will soon be added by the California university. Virtual reality works by making what the person sees and hears track with what they are doing. In a VR trip to Paris, for example, a participant might turn to the left and see the Eiffel Tower with a musician playing in the foreground, and then turn right and find two people conversing. If the participant moves toward one, that sound increases while the other diminishes. There is a fair amount of previously published research by academic labs around the world that shows VR, when administered properly, can help reduce anxiety, improve mood, and reduce pain, said Jeremy Bailenson, the Stanford labs founding director. This particular study is focused on how using VR might reduce the residents feelings of isolation from the outside world all the more important after the isolation we all faced during the pandemic. During Tuesdays demonstration at the suburban Fort Lauderdale community, Colli, Anne Selby, 77; Mark Levey, 64; and Hugh Root, 92, moved their heads from left to right and up and down as they got individual tours of the space station. It really felt like you were traveling and not alone either. In some of the video, there are people," said Levey, a former federal government worker. Selby, an artist, said that she felt a bit nauseated as she moved through the space station because it was so realistic, but that she was able to cope by taking deep breaths. Regardless of my age, I was right in the middle of it, she said. Root, a retired insurance salesman, was blunt: It blows my mind. Chris Brickler, CEO of MyndVR, the Dallas company that provided the equipment, said volunteers will be screened to assure they are mentally suitable for using virtual reality and each attendant has an abort button if the person becomes overwhelmed by the experience. John Knox's residents include people and couples who live alone, in assisted living and with full-time nursing. As we age, we feel there is a disconnect sometimes that can happen when there is a lack of mobility," Brickler said. "We can't travel as much as we want, we can't connect with nature as much as we want, can't have connections with animals. All sorts of connections get lost and our four walls start shrinking in. What we have tried to do is create a platform where we can bring the world back. Monica McAfee, John Knox's chief marketing and innovation officer, said the community's administrators believe VR helps residents it's been used on a limited basis there for three years but Stanford's study will provide the empirical data. For example, she said, they want to know if VR can help residents with dementia who suffer from sundowning severe mood downswings that begin at dusk. Is this a way to redirect them to enjoy something? she said. Northern Ohio University associate philosophy professor Erica Neely, who studies the ethics of technology, said it's important that Stanford is getting fully informed consent, screening participants and making sure they aren't using VR alone, especially at first. She is not involved in the study. We definitely dont want anyone to get stuck in the experience if they become distressed and cant figure out how to turn it off, she said. The fact that there is a companion/caretaker who can go with (the participant) is utter genius. ... The idea of Well, we dont necessarily have people with diminished capacities wandering around by themselves through physical space maybe we can do the same for virtual space was a really good one. BEIJING (AP) A Chinese government spokesperson on Tuesday rejected an Australian writer's complaint that he was tortured during interrogation before being put on trial on spying charges. The Foreign Ministry spokesperson also accused Australia of unfounded provocation after its foreign minister said Yang Hengjuns incarceration since January 2019 was arbitrary detention. There is no arbitrary detention or forced confession with torture on Yang Jun, said spokesperson Wang Wenbin, referring to Yang by the name used by Chinese officials. We advise the Australian side to stop finger-pointing and unfound provocation against Chinas rule of law, stop hyping the issue or exerting pressures to grossly interfere with Chinas judicial sovereignty, Wang said. The case has added to strains in Chinese-Australian relations that are at their chilliest in decades following disputes over technology, security and the coronavirus. Yang, a crime novelist and blogger, said he asked the judge ahead of his trial last week to exclude records of his interrogation because he was tortured, according to a copy of his account seen by The Associated Press. Its illegal. Torture, Yang said in the account circulated to his supporters. He didn't say how the judge responded. The court held a closed trial on Thursday and gave no indication of when a verdict would be released. Chinese authorities have not released any details of the charges against Yang, who reportedly formerly worked for the countrys Ministry of State Security as an intelligence agent. Yang said the judge refused his request to submit evidence and call witnesses during the trial, but agreed to include almost 100 pages of defense documents in his file. Yang has denied the allegations. A conviction is virtually certain. Chinese law prohibits use of confessions forced by torture or threats. Yang's account said he was tired and confused during the hearing and didnt have the spirit to speak enough. He said he spoke for less than five minutes in his own defense, but that the hearing gave me a sense that things are OK. Possible penalties range from three years in prison to the death penalty. Beijing has blocked imports of Australian beef, wine, coal and other goods in retaliation for enacting legislation against foreign interference in politics, excluding telecom equipment giant Huawei from Australia's next-generation phone network and calling for an investigation into the origin of the coronavirus that emerged in China in late 2019. Australia warned its citizens of a risk of arbitrary detention in China in July 2020. Australian diplomats have visited Yang in detention, but Ambassador Graham Fletcher was denied entry to last week's trial. In September, reporters Michael Smith of the Australian Financial Review and Bill Birtles of the Australian Broadcasting Corp. left China following demands by police to question them. That left Australian news outlets without any reporters in China. Before their departure, Chinese police questioned both journalists about Australian citizen Cheng Lei, a business news anchor for CGTN, the English-language news channel of Chinese state television, who was detained a month earlier. System error error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. context: ... 21: 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: 28:
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The deaths come as Colombias federal government sends hundreds of troops to restore order in the southwestern city, where clashes between protesters and civilians who oppose antigovernment demonstrations and roadblocks resulted in at least five deaths last week. Municipal officials in Cali said the two men murdered early Tuesday morning were shot at by a gunman who fled on a motorcycle and still havent been captured. Meanwhile officials are meeting with youth who have been staging roadblocks around the city for the past month. We reject painful actions like these which come as we are about to start negotiations, said Danis Renteria, the citys secretary for peace and tolerance. We will continue working for dialogue, peace and reconciliation in Cali. Calis mayor last week said that 13 people were killed on Friday amid protests that included the looting of an office building, and clashes in which civilians with firearms shot at protestors who were trying to take over a police station in a wealthy neighborhood. Videos published on social media showed police officers standing by the shooters doing nothing to stop them from firing at crowds. The situation prompted President Ivan Duque to visit the city of 2 million, and send 1,100 troops over the weekend to restore order and guard roads leading into Cali that have been blocked by protesters recently. On Sunday, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, called for those who committed crimes on Friday to be held accountable. These events are all the more concerning given the progress that had been made to resolve, through dialogue, the social unrest that erupted a month ago following the start of a nationwide strike against several social and economic policies, Bachelet said. According to Colombias Human Rights Ombudsman, at least 42 people have been killed in the protests which started on April 28 over a tax plan the government has since removed. In Cali, where much of the violence has taken place, protests were marked at first by cases of police abuse, but have also been affected recently by clashes between civilians who favor and oppose the protests. In the capital of Bogota protest leaders have met with government officials to discuss conditions under which both sides could start to negotiate changes to social and economic policies. But negotiations have been hampered by discussions over the rights of demonstrators. Protest leaders are asking the government to repeal its decision to send troops to Cali and 12 other cities where protests have been violent. The government meanwhile has asked protest leaders to reject roadblocks and call on their followers to dismantle them, before negotiations can get underway. CAIRO (AP) The bodies of three children who apparently were among Europe-bound migrants drowned in the Mediterranean Sea off Libya washed ashore in the North African country, the U.N. children agency said Monday. The bodies were found last week near the coastal town of Zuwara, over 100 kilometers (60 miles) west of the capital of Tripoli, UNICEF said. Among the bodies were a 6-month-old child and a 3-year-old child, it said. Too many children are needlessly losing their lives in deadly migration routes as they search for safety and better life, it said. There has been a spike in crossings and attempted crossings from Libya to Europe in recent weeks, with smugglers taking advantage of the calm sea and warm weather. UNICEF said more than 9,650 migrants and refugees, including over 480 children, were intercepted and returned to Libya so far this year, an increase of 91% among children from the same period in 2020. Earlier this month at least 10 bodies of migrants washed up in western Libya after two shipwrecks resulted in the presumed drowning of about 30 people. An additional 70 migrants are presumed dead from two other shipwrecks off Tunisia in May. UNICEF estimated more than 632 people, including children, have died attempting to cross the sea from Libya this year. Libya has in recent years emerged as the dominant transit point for migrants fleeing war and poverty in Africa and the Middle East. The oil-rich country plunged into chaos following a NATO-backed uprising that toppled and killed longtime ruler Moammar Gadhafi in 2011. In recent years, the European Union has partnered with Libyas coast guard and other local groups to stem the dangerous Libya-Italy crossings. Rights groups, however, says those policies leave migrants at the mercy of armed groups in squalid detentions centers rife with abuses. Pictured transferring the scholarship funds for students to attend the Rindge Summer Day Camp program, from left to right, are Peter Russell, Rindge Recreation Director and former Best Camp Director Dan Bemis, Harold Davis and Clay Hollister. Thank you for reading! You have reached your 30-day limit of free access to SentinelSource.com, The Keene Sentinels website. If you would like to read two more articles for free at this time, please register for an account by clicking the sign up button below. We hope you find The Sentinels coverage of the Monadnock Region valuable. We rely on our subscribers to bring you strong local journalism and hope you will consider supporting our work by taking advantage of this special subscription offer here. Homestead, FL (33030) Today Mostly cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 74F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Mostly cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 74F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. 2 1 of 2 Amy Osborne/AFP / Getty Images Show More Show Less 2 of 2 Josie Lepe/Special to The Chronicle Show More Show Less The unthinkable mass shooting of nine employees at the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authoritys rail yard in San Jose has spurred unimaginable generosity. Hundreds of thousands of dollars well over half a million have been donated to a collection of GoFundMe accounts set up after the mass shooting to help the families of the victims. And that doesnt include money donated to two separate relief funds established by the Amalgamated Transit Union, which represents VTA workers, and Working Partnerships USAs Union Community Resources program. Totals from those funds were not available Monday. Just two weeks after surviving the 2017 Las Vegas massacre that took the lives of 61 people, Dr. Shiva Ghaed went back to where the screaming and dying happened all around her. She picked a spot across from the venue that became a shooting gallery. There she sat, sobbing uncontrollably for hours. A psychologist from San Diego, Ghaed knew she had to do what she so often counseled her patients confront her feelings and seek support. And step one of confronting those feelings was going back to where the grief began. Coping, mourning, trying to understand there will be a lot of that going on in the weeks to come for those touched in any way by the May 26 mass shooting that left nine people dead at a San Jose rail yard. Its a tragically familiar pattern. Years, and in some cases decades, after they barely escaped with their lives, survivors of mass shootings have navigated the unavoidable aftermath. As advocates, as healers, as people striving to move on, they live in an alternate universe thats adding more inhabitants with each and every mass killing. Ghaed ultimately looked outside herself to stop the nightmares, the hyper-vigilance, the intrusive images in her head. She started a free weekly support group for San Diego residents who were impacted by the Vegas shooting. Social support is one of the most important factors in people recovering from tragic events, Ghaed told The Chronicle. Today, I feel fine. I dont have panic attacks and anxiety the way I did right after the shooting. But Im lucky in that I had the resources to get help and I knew where to turn. Some survivors, like Juliet Leftwich, channel their anguish into career change. In America we still have this epidemic of gun violence because we tolerate it, but we dont have to I truly do believe that, said Leftwich, who fled for cover in the 101 California high-rise in San Francisco when a gunman walked in and shot eight people to death on July 1, 1993. It was the Bay Areas worst mass shooting before the San Jose massacre. Huddled in a room with her law office co-workers, waiting for a SWAT team as the gunfire subsided a few floors above her, Leftwich said she called her mom and made a promise: I would devote my life to gun control. Leftwich soon became the first staff attorney at the nonprofit Legal Community Against Violence, and has fought for gun laws, mental health and criminal justice reform ever since. Everyone reacts differently, and for me it was through activism, Leftwich said. Sometimes there is this sense of helplessness that America has the Second Amendment and were stuck with it because of the Constitution, cant change anything. But that is not the case. We are not helpless. Carol Kingsleys husband, Jack Berman, an employment lawyer at the Pettit & Martin law firm at 101 California, was one of the people on those two floors above Leftwich where the killer wreaked his havoc. He was among the first to die. As in the San Jose assault, the killer shot himself as police closed in, leaving more questions than answers about his motive. Ultimately, though, motives dont matter much for those grieving loved ones. The sadness, the feeling it comes in waves in terms of handling something like that, Kingsley said last week. You do heal. I healed. My family has healed. But at the same time, you never forget it. You always carry it with you. Nearly every mass shooting has near-misses, terrible twists of fate, heroes. In San Jose, Taptejdeep Singh ran through the building, warning others and selflessly helping at least one woman hide before he was shot to death. Another woman was saved by Paul Delacruz Megia when he rushed her into his office and told her to lock the door before he, too, headed out to warn others and was gunned down. Such accounts become part of the narrative held close by those left behind, and they can either bring comfort or anguish as the years unfold. For Kingsley, one of the main things that still cuts deep is the fact that her husband was supposed to be flying to Los Angeles that afternoon. Instead, he was at the office because his deposition ran late. Like Leftwich, Kingsley channeled her pain into gun law advocacy, and today shes a mediator for contract and employment disputes. There has been healing, yes. But every time another mass shooting envelops the news, it hurts all over again. Its just heartbreaking to know almost 30 years later the same thing is happening again, she said. Senseless. Unnecessary. That lament, that desire for change, is echoed again and again. After learning of the San Jose shooting on Wednesday morning, Gilroy City Council Member Rebeca Armendariz shared her shock with a friend an aunt of 13-year-old Keyla Salazar, who died in the Gilroy mass shooting of July 2019 that left three dead and 17 wounded. They could not believe there was another mass shooting so close to home, and so soon. Any kind of public displays of terrorism like this shakes us to our core, she said. For us here in Gilroy, to have kinship like this with San Jose, its not what we want. This (gun violence) epidemic needs to stop. That epidemic has shown no slowdown. Six days after the shooting in Gilroy, a gunman opened fire near a shopping mall in El Paso, Texas, killing 22 people. In March, eight people were killed at several Atlanta-area spas by a shooter, and another eight died at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis six weeks ago. Including the San Jose tragedy, there have been 15 shootings in which at least four people were killed in the U.S. this year as of May 26, according to the Gun Violence Archive, a nonprofit research group that tallies data from law enforcement, government, media and other sources. There were 21 such attacks last year, when much of the country was under lockdown, compared with 31 in 2019. Criminologist Mike Rustigan has studied serial and mass murder since the early 1960s, and he noted that the modern era of multiple-victim bloodbaths being fairly common is only about 20 years old. Ive seen this developing for years the numbness, the resignation, the what can we do? over and over. But you also see anger, like we saw in San Jose with Gov. (Gavin) Newsom saying, What the hell is wrong with us? said Rustigan, a San Jose State University professor emeritus. And thats what Ive been hearing from cops and my educational colleagues this time. Theyre telling me: Im sick and tired of peoples lives depending on whether a disgruntled man with a military-style gun is mad as hell and not going to take it any more, Rustigan said. And I couldnt agree more. Shwanika Narayan and Kevin Fagan are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: shwanika.narayan@sfchronicle.com, kfagan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @shwanika, @kevinchron Inside a Larkspur pediatricians office with an ocean landscape on one wall and bright plastic chairs nearby, Ryan Youngberg turned his head to the right as a medical assistant stuck his left arm with the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine. Ryan, 12, was nervous beforehand I dont really like needles, he said. But afterward, as he and his father, Kris Youngberg, waited in the parking lot for 15 minutes to make sure he didnt develop an allergic reaction, Ryan said he felt a lot better, less nervous. Once he is fully vaccinated, Ryan can safely see his grandparents for the first time since the pandemic began. Ryan was one of six patients who got their first COVID shot Wednesday, the first day Tamalpais Pediatrics Larkspur office began offering the vaccine. The private pediatric practice is among the first in the Bay Area to administer the shots at its office, marking the start of what public health experts say will be a critical phase of vaccinations. Until recently, most children had been getting COVID shots at vaccine clinics run by large health systems, pharmacies or county health departments. But with many county-run mass vaccination sites winding down and the age requirement for shots likely to drop by next year, pediatricians offices are poised to become a primary place for children to get the coronavirus vaccine especially now that the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says children can get the shot at the same time they get other vaccinations. Pfizers coronavirus vaccine is now authorized to be used in children as young as 12, and Modernas may soon follow. The minimum age is expected to drop gradually to 5, then 2, and then potentially to babies as young as 6 months. Some parents are uneasy about bringing their children to drive-through sites and pharmacies and prefer their pediatricians office where needle-phobic children can be in a more familiar setting, and medical staff are used to vaccinating children. Just 27% of the roughly 3.2 million Californians ages 12 to 17 have gotten at least one shot, according to state data. That is lower than older age groups, but the lag is partly because vaccines were not authorized for children under 16 until mid-May. In the most highly vaccinated parts of the Bay Area, more than half of 12- to 15-year-olds have already gotten their first shot at community vaccine sites. Pediatricians offices are preparing to pick up the trickle of remaining children in the summer and fall, including those who are now 11 and will turn 12 soon. Tamalpais Pediatrics is one of about 10 pediatric practices that Marin County recently began supplying with the Pfizer vaccine, said the countys public health officer, Dr. Matt Willis. San Franciscos Department of Public Health provides the vaccine to four pediatric practices and would love to see that number grow, said a spokesperson for the San Francisco COVID Command Center. We see pediatricians as one of many excellent avenues for pediatric vaccination, especially since studies have shown that people trust their personal doctors the most when it comes to providing factual information about the vaccine, the center said in a statement. Independent family physicians and primary care doctors also figure to take on a more prominent role vaccinating children and adults, particularly in areas with low vaccination rates. Many people in such areas who have safety fears about the vaccines are thought to be more likely to get a shot if their own doctor, rather than a government health officer or politician, says its a good idea. Starting this month, Alameda County will begin distributing the Pfizer vaccine to pediatric providers and small medical practices in areas with low vaccination rates, said county spokesperson Neetu Balram. The rollout will start by mid-June with a handful of pediatric practices who will receive small batches of vaccine, Balram said. We will ramp up from there as we learn what resources and supports are needed to make this program a success. Getting and giving the Pfizer vaccine is tricky in smaller medical practices because it must stored in deep freezers at negative 70 degrees Celsius, which not all medical offices have. And once a Pfizer vial is opened, all six doses must be used quickly, which means some could go to waste if only a few patients on a given day come for vaccines. To manage this, Tamalpais Pediatrics nurse manager drove 15 minutes to the Marin County Public Health Department, which is storing the Pfizer vaccine in deep freezers, and brought vials back in a small cooler. For the first day, the staff scheduled just enough patients to use up one vial. That will be the practice for the months to come, before an expected influx of younger children when age authorizations drop, said Tamalpais Pediatrics Dr. Nelson Branco. When that happens, I do think pediatricians office will become the primary site for vaccination, Branco said, and Id like to be prepared for that and have the workflows worked out so we can do it smoothly. Catherine Ho is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: cho@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Cat_Ho A federal judge ordered Bank of America on Tuesday to stop using a digital fraud filter that has cut off account access to tens of thousands of Californians who reported that their unemployment benefits were stolen from hacked bank debit cards. The state Employment Development Department used the cards to pay benefits to Californians who lost their jobs during the coronavirus pandemic. But the cards themselves were supplied by Bank of America, and lawyers in a suit against the bank said it used outdated features on its customers debit cards that made them vulnerable to hacking. When customers told Bank of America their unemployment funds were missing, the bank used a device that it called a fraud filter to investigate. Within a day or two, plaintiffs lawyers said, their clients were told not only that their claims were denied but also that their entire accounts had been frozen. Customers who then contacted the bank were usually referred to the state employment agency and had to wait weeks or months for their funds to be restored, said San Francisco attorney Michael Rubin, whose firm submitted declarations from 49 Bank of America customers whose benefits had been cut off. He said the agency found that 90% to 95% of the customers who claimed theft had been telling the truth, contrary to the banks decisions to deny them access In an injunction negotiated between the plaintiffs lawyers and Bank of America, U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria of San Francisco prohibited the bank from using its digital filter and required it to reopen all customers claims it had previously denied. The bank must then restore account access to customers who can authenticate their identity and resolve their claims of theft within 45 days, the judge said. As the plaintiffs evidence shows, continued denial of these benefits will seriously hinder the ability of many (of them) to feed their families and keep a roof over their heads, Chhabria said in a May 17 order indicating he would issue the injunction. He ordered the bank Tuesday to send notices to the customers explaining how they could regain account access and present their claims. In response, Bank of America spokesman William Halldin noted that the Employment Development Department itself had been the victim of widespread fraud during the pandemic. The department said recently that at least $11 billion and perhaps $30 billion of the claims it had paid during the past year were fraudulent. With this agreement, we are committing to additional measures to help unemployment recipients who have been victimized by fraud receive their benefits as quickly as possible, Halldin said. But another plaintiffs lawyer, Brian Danitz, said, Not only did the bank fail to implement basic security measures, it then treated EDD cardholders who were the victims of fraud as if they were the criminals. Meanwhile, the state Assembly on Tuesday approved AB74 by Assembly Member Lorena Gonzalez, D-San Diego, which would allow unemployed Californians to bypass the debit cards and have the Employment Development Department deposit benefits directly in their accounts. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko Its so tough to contact Californias Employment Development Department about unemployment benefits that a cottage industry has sprung up of intermediaries offering to help desperate jobless people reach the agency for a fee. With EDDs phone lines perpetually jammed, thousands of people are paying $20 to $80 per call to private companies that connect them to EDD by robo-dialing it which in turn adds to the congestion. At the same time, many non-English speakers are paying intermediaries to fill out their unemployment applications and often pay them again every two weeks for the simple process of recertifying to keep the benefits flowing. Meanwhile, the agencys data shows that its call volume is soaring and its lagging on answering. For the week that ended on May 15, EDD received 5.12 million calls from 378,146 unique callers with almost a third of those callers unable to get through. Kaydi Mathos, 28, a bartender in Brea (Orange County), recently saw her benefits stop for five weeks and could not reach EDD, despite hours of calling. She found out about a service called Claimyr on Reddit. Initially I thought it was a scam, she said. I started a new sub (Reddit thread) asking if anyone uses it and a bunch of people responded and said its legit. She paid Claimyr $20 and said it connected her to an EDD hold line within 15 minutes. After two hours on hold, she got her problems solved. The bigger question is, why isnt EDD answering calls, she said. Its just ridiculous that nobody can get through to EDD and that you have to pay some random company $20 of your money to get through. Claimyr and a similar service called Autodial were both started by Bay Area entrepreneurs who personally struggled to reach EDD. The services promise to help claimants avoid the frustrating hours of busy signals and redialing. Both automatically dial and redial EDD until they reach the agencys hold line. Then they call a client and patch them through to wait on hold with EDD. The companies both said they then disconnect from the call so they do not overhear personal information. Claimyr (pronounced claimer) appears to have more traction, judging by its 4,500-member Facebook group and numerous comments on Reddit. Founder Tom Maxon said it placed 252,982 calls to EDD for the week that ended May 15, about 5% of the calls EDD received in that period. He disputed the idea that it is exacerbating the jam. If folks were not placing calls via Claimyr, they would be calling 15 to 100-plus calls per person, he said. Instead of everyone panic-dialing all at once in the morning ... we spread the calls out over the course of a day. Autodials pricing ranges from $30 to $80, depending on which EDD line is being called, said founder Andre Woodley Jr. Well over 10,000 have used it in California, he said. He denied that it increases congestion, saying the service designates a single phone number to call 50 to 130 times for each client, rather than its initial approach, which had hundreds of phone numbers simultaneously calling EDD and did tie up phone lines. This is a smarter, more ethical way, he said. A person who is willing to pay to talk to someone immediately will always exist. In May, EDD added a long-sought feature: After 15 minutes on hold, claimants can request a call back in either English or Spanish. First, however, they must get through to the hold line, which is the problem that Claimyr and Autodial address. Kaydi Mathos We are looking into how these services may impact call volumes or the ability of customers to reach the call center, EDD spokeswoman Loree Levy said in an email. We never encourage folks to pay for services they can get for free. EDD is often faulted for lack of language access. With 7 million Californians who speak languages other than English, including 2.4 million who speak neither English nor Spanish, that presents a significant barrier one that pending legislation and a $21 million allocation in the governors budget would address. Meanwhile, however, many non-English speakers hire intermediaries sometimes the person who prepares their taxes, sometimes a paralegal. In Spanish, they are known as notarios, although they rarely are notaries. We say broker in English, but every community has a name for it: that person who helps you navigate, said Marisa Lundin, legal director of the Indigenous program at California Rural Legal Assistance in Arvin (Kern County). Folks with low literacy rates, no access to computers or internet rely on community assistance, and when they cant access free assistance, paid help is often the only option, said Daniela Urban, executive director of the Center for Workers Rights in Sacramento. But shes hardly a fan. We think it is often predatory, she said. Because notarios dont have any training, they can often get things wrong and cause issues for the claimants. A mistake on a government document implicates the claimant in a false statement even if they couldnt read it. Kelly McVey, a staff attorney at Bet Tzedek Legal Services in Los Angeles, said shes had many clients who hired notarios who then would refuse to give her the peoples log-in information. She thinks the intermediaries are often exploitive, but they are unregulated and theres no government energy to increase oversight, she said. All three legal advocates said clients who use go-betweens often pay them about $20 every other week to certify for their unemployment, a simple process that keeps benefits coming. Charging for help with biweekly certification is really a shame, Urban said. For people on unemployment, especially those receiving less than the maximum, even $15 or $20 every two weeks is a lot. Its the tax you pay for not speaking English, Lundin said. Carolyn Said is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: csaid@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @csaid Some laid flags at headstones, others left flowers. From the deck of the Hornet aircraft carrier floating museum in Alameda, veterans tossed a wreath into the water to remember sailors and Marines lost in battle at sea. Small gestures, sure. But important ones and ones that werent nearly as possible last year, when the pandemic kept most people home and unable to fully honor Memorial Day. This time, with COVID restrictions eased enough for people to come out into the hot sun, thousands throughout the Bay Area on Monday took advantage of the freedom to pay homage to the nations military fallen. Alice Lawrie brought flowers to the graves of her veteran parents and uncle at the San Francisco National Cemetery in the Presidio and marveled at how different things were this year. The cemetery held an interfaith ceremony in the morning, and like most other ceremonies of the day it was limited for social distancing but at least it happened. This year it seemed almost more important to come out, said Lawrie, 62, after laying roses on the graves with her husband, Jim Lawrie. I think about all the sacrifices people in the military did for our country. And looking back at what happened to all of us this past year, it really makes you realize more than ever how much we need sacrifices like that. Her mother, Helen Ortega, served in the Navy as a flight instructor. Her father, Carlos Campos, was a interpreter in the Army. Her uncle, Army Col. Gerald Robinson, was deputy post commander at the Presidio. We remember them every year, and all the others out here too, Alice Lawrie said as she walked off to place roses at other headstones throughout the cemetery. At the USS Hornet Sea, Air and Space Museum, the wreath-tossing ceremony took place in the morning, and then more than 700 people showed up throughout the day to pay respects. Last Memorial Day, the museum was shut by the pandemic. It was a great day, wonderful to be be able to do this again, said Dave Nolthenius, who served in the Marine Corps reserves and was helping run the museum Monday. This kind of remembrance is very important. Kevin Fagan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kfagan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @KevinChron The union representing thousands of nontenured teaching faculty in the University of California system announced its members voted to authorize a potential strike Tuesday amid a push for more job security and higher pay. The faculty members will not immediately go on strike; the vote empowers the unions bargaining team to call for one if UC administrators fail to meet their demands, according to union president Mia McIver. This vote sends a strong message to (UC President Michael Drake) that we demand to be taken seriously as members of the UC community, McIver said at a news conference Tuesday. The union said 96% of the faculty lecturers in the union voted in favor of the strike authorization. The union the University Council-American Federation of Teachers represents about 6,800 faculty members working throughout the UC system, including lecturers, program coordinators, instructors and teacher-education supervisors. According to Caroline Luce, the unions communications chair, a strike would not be called before school starts in the fall and likely will not last longer than a week. She said the union is working to develop plans and resources to ensure students education will not be affected. The vote comes after years of tension and rocky negotiations between the union and UC administrators. The union said its members often have the same training and credentials as tenured faculty and teach a third of for-credit courses throughout the UC system, including introductory and required classes at both the graduate and undergraduate level. UC Office of the President spokesperson Ryan King said UC continues to negotiate with UC-AFT on a new multiyear collective bargaining agreement on wages, benefits and other terms and conditions of employment for UC lecturers. ... In the latest round of negotiations, UC made significant movement toward compromises with union leaders on key union priorities including compensation, appointments, and leave policy. Most recently, the union adopted a resolution in April calling for stronger job security measures and salaries commensurate with the high cost of living in California and with their workloads. According to the resolution, lecturers make a median annual salary of $19,067, which qualifies as low-income at six out of nine UC campuses. The union says the Office of the President has partially met some demands, including offering multiyear contracts for faculty who have taught for three years, a 5% increase in lecturers minimum salary and variable raises averaging 1.2%. But the union says these offers fall short and do not adequately address the roots of the problem. Union representatives said they have not yet heard back from the Office of the President about the potential strike, and do not currently have any future bargaining dates scheduled, though they are hoping to set a date in early June. Emma Talley is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: emma.talley@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EmmaT332 Disease-carrying ticks, long considered something to fear in thick woods, are also prevalent in Northern Californias open coastal areas, a new study shows. The research, published after four years of field work in the Bay Area, indicates that the reach of tick-borne illnesses like Lyme disease is greater than previously thought and a concern that those headed to the beach or walking on a bluff should keep in mind. This shouldnt be a deterrent for getting out into the beautiful Bay Area outdoors, said the studys lead author, Dan Salkeld, a research ecologist at Colorado State University who formerly worked at Stanford. The thing to take away form this is to be aware that ticks are out there. When you go out hiking or spending the day outside on the coast, check yourself for ticks. Wear repellent if you can. The Western black-legged tick, Californias equivalent of the Eastern deer tick that also spreads Lyme disease, is not new to the brush and scrub habitat that hugs the water. The ticks, however, are assumed to be less abundant in such spots since the areas are sunnier and drier than the moist oak woodlands where the parasite thrives. More significantly, these open coastal areas do not host gray squirrels, the primary animal known to carry the bacteria that cause Lyme disease and other illnesses that can infect humans. Squirrels transmit the bacteria to the Western black-legged tick when the ticks bite them. Thats what was so surprising, Salkeld said, noting the absence of the squirrels. We dont know what the mammal reservoir would be thats infecting the ticks. Salkeld said wood rats, mice or gophers could be carrying the Lyme-causing bacteria, but until more research is done, it will remain a mystery. Between 2015 and 2018, Salkeld and his fellow researchers collected 3,000 Western black-legged ticks in Mendocino, Sonoma, Napa, Marin, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz and Monterey counties. They dragged white flannel blankets across the ground, and the ticks attached themselves to the fabric. The researchers plucked the parasites off the cloth and stored them in an ethanol solution for testing. The team drew its conclusions about coastal ticks from the samples in Marin and Sonoma counties. There were enough ticks collected in those two places to compare the prevalence of disease across different habitats, including areas along the water. As expected, the incidence of ticks with the bacteria that cause Lyme disease was relatively low overall, about 4%. For comparison, some states in New England are home to Eastern black-legged ticks, or deer ticks, that carry the Lyme-causing bacteria nearly a third of the time. But the researchers didnt expect to learn that the incidence of Lyme-causing bacteria was virtually the same in ticks found in coastal scrub as in ticks collected in oak woodlands 4.1% and 3.9% respectively. The team also tested the ticks for four other bacteria, at least one of them thought to cause illness in humans. While the incidence of these bacteria was similarly low, the researchers noted that the chance of encountering a tick with any one of the bacteria is higher and should be an important consideration when evaluating local disease risk. At Bolinas Lagoon in Marin County, nearly one-third of ticks were found to have at least one human pathogen. While the bacteria causing Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdorferi, is considered the most worrisome, others are not as well studied and their effects remain less understood. The bacteria Borrelia miyamoto was only recently found to cause fever, chills, headaches and fatigue in humans. Lyme disease has similar symptoms and is thought to be the most common vector-borne infectious disease in the country. Yet, because it looks a lot like the flu at least initially it is often misdiagnosed and undetected. If left untreated, the infection can spread to joints, the heart and the nervous system, and cause debilitating long-term complications, such as arthritis and cognitive impairments. An early sign of Lyme disease is a round, bullseye-shaped rash near a tick bite. However, not everyone who is infected experiences this. COVID Resources Coronavirus Map Tracking COVID-19 cases across the Bay Area and California. About 476,000 Americans are diagnosed with Lyme disease each year, according to insurance records. The tick study, published in April, was conducted by researchers at Colorado State University, Northern Arizona State University and the Translational Genomics Research Institute. It appeared in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology. The Bay Area Lyme Foundation, a national nonprofit in Portola Valley that supports research into Lyme disease, helped fund the work. Based on this new data, we are now encouraging residents to take preventative measures in beach areas and encouraging health care providers to learn the symptoms of tick-borne infections beyond Lyme disease, said Linda Giampa, executive director of the foundation. She recommends that Bay Area residents do tick checks after all outdoor activities, and include inspections of pets and gear. Western black-legged ticks are about the size of a sesame seed and are among nearly 50 species of ticks found in California, but among the few that attach to humans. Removing a tick within 36 hours of a bite reduces the odds of contracting Lyme disease. Chances are youre OK, Giampa said. But if youre in the small percentage that gets infected, it can wreak havoc on your life. Kurtis Alexander is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kalexander@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kurtisalexander COVID-19 causes disproportionately higher mortality rates in senior citizens and in the Black population. When combined, these two factors mean that older, Black Americans are arguably the most vulnerable group in America to the virus. And yet plans for distributing vaccine information and administering shots often failed to take into consideration how low-income older Black adults get their information. Regular mail, for example, is a far more reliable way to reach this demographic than the internet. While much national research has been conducted surrounding vaccine attitudes, data was often compiled using online surveys, leaving out the views of the many older, low-income, Black adults who lack web access. To bridge this informational gap, our organizations HelpAge USA and the National Caucus and Center on Black Aging, conducted in-depth phone interviews with low-income Black adults across the country from January through April of this year. We learned views diverged widely on vaccination, as did the reasons why people did or didnt get their shot. For some respondents, attitudes toward the vaccine reflected a deep fear and distrust of the health care system. The Tuskegee experiment and other health care abuses were top-of-mind, but processed differently. Instead of making her hesitant, Linda, 64, said the expectation of substandard care motivated her to get the vaccine. As a Black woman, she feared that if hospitalized by the virus she was more likely to die. Some struggled with conflicting information about the vaccine and from gaps in information from sources they could trust. Virginia, 75, lamented that health care information through her senior center was halted during COVID-19. Jack, 67, wryly noted that his mailbox was stuffed full of flyers from political candidates last November but nothing from them since. When the library is closed, where do people go for information? Everybody doesnt have access to the web and cable is expensive. He added, We are a lost generation in the information age. Many respondents told us they had not discussed the COVID-19 vaccine with younger family members. For some, there was an aversion to crossing boundaries. Ruth, 71, said: Thats their body. A few were angry at family members they felt were acting carelessly. Some who did discussed the vaccine with family described the conversations as tense. Frustration with the lack of effort health care intermediaries put into assisting them was also common. Jackie, 71, wanted her dialysis center to make it easier for her and other high-risk patients to get their shots. Public vaccination sites were too crowded. Even if she could get an appointment, she was unable to endure waiting in a long line. Several respondents were dismayed that more affluent older people obtained the vaccine more easily than they could. As Leona, 59, put it: We are not reluctant. They are just not available. The exception to a general distrust of the health care system was the relationship with personal physicians. Many described a deep bond of trust. But pandemic restrictions meant they were not regularly seeing their doctors. How can we do better in the future if COVID booster shots become necessary or if another pandemic rears its head? Most importantly, we need to ensure vaccine sites are convenient to all. Easy access is a primary motivator for older, Black adults who are ambivalent about vaccines. It also helps with mobility issues and reassures those concerned about adverse vaccine reactions. Improvements must also be made in how information is disseminated and the quality of that information. Hearing about hesitancy can reinforce concerns about risk. But the reverse is true as well. When vaccine rates are rising among vulnerable populations, that information needs to be broadly communicated. Vaccine messaging should also be pursued through multiple channels, including by mail. Personal doctors must be empowered to reach out to their patients with information. And that information should be tailored to older peoples specific concerns. It should also provide ongoing guidance post-vaccination. Strategies should be shared to help families openly talk about health topics like the vaccination without excessive fear, denial or tension. This is essential to building trust, particularly for those who have not had access to quality health care. We can and must do better for older, low-income Black Americans. Cindy Cox-Roman is the CEO of HelpAge USA, a global nonprofit advancing the well-being of older people around the world. Karyne Jones is president and CEO of the National Caucus and Center on Black Aging Inc. and NCBA Housing Management and Development Corp. ARISS contact is scheduled with students at The Father's House Christian School, Morinville, Alberta, Canada Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) has received schedule confirmation for an ARISS radio contact with astronauts. ARISS is the group that puts together special amateur radio contacts between students around the globe and crew members with ham radio licenses on the International Space Station (ISS). This will be a Multipoint Telebridge Contact via Amateur Radio between the ISS and students from The Father's House Christian School. Students will take turns asking their questions of ISS Astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, amateur radio call sign KE5DNI. English is the language that will be used during the contact. The downlink frequency for this contact is 145.800 MHZ and may be heard by listeners who are within the ISS footprint that also encompasses the ARISS radio telebridge station. ARISS team member Shane Lynd, using call sign VK4KHZ from an amateur radio club station in Glenden, Queensland, Australia will serve as the relay amateur radio station. Each student asking a question on the ARISS radio will be conferenced in from home or social-distanced at school. The ARISS radio contact is scheduled for June 2, 2021 at 8:28:53 am MDT (Morinville, Alberta, Canada) (14:28:53 UTC, 10:28:53 am EDT, 9:28:53 am CDT, 7:28:53 am PDT). The Father's House Christian School is a Home Education Provider (Roots). Roots has 257 families, 550 students and 14 facilitators in its homeschooling program. In preparation for the ARISS contact, students and parents were involved in activities / discussions about space travel and living on the ISS. Students also built a model of the ISS using recycled materials. Home-school teaching material sources included studies on space exploration, life on the ISS and primary science topics, drawn from the websites: European Space Agency (Space and Exploration), NASA (ISS KidZone), and Primary Science Teacher College. View the live stream of the upcoming ARISS radio contact at https://youtu.be/S0_-QFkXdi4 . As time allows, students will ask these questions: 1. How do you sleep when there is no gravity? 2. What do you eat in space, and how do you bring the food to space? 3. How do you not crash into space debris? 4. Is it hard to learn how to walk again on earth after being in the space station? 5. What is the Canadarm used for? 6. How does a candle react when it is lit in space in a zero gravity and oxygen supplied environment? 7. Why is going to Mars a one-way trip for humans? 8. I am interested in Astrophotography. I recently saw a picture that Chris Cassidy captured of Hurricane Laura on August 25, 2020. Can you manually control the exterior cameras or are they are in a fixed position? 9. How long do you stay up in the ISS at a time? 10. Would a body decompose in space and if so, how long would it take? 11. What does it feel like to float in space? 12. How fast do you go? How many times do you orbit earth each day? 13. What happens if your radio breaks and you can't talk to earth? 14. What are some experiments you are working on? 15. How do you know where to land when you leave space and come back to earth? 16. Do you do anything special on birthdays and holidays in space? 17. What did it feel like looking back at earth the first time you saw it from space? 18. What does launching from earth feel like? 19. Is there anything flammable on the International Space Station, and if there is, what do you do if there is a fire? 20. Does hair grow faster or slower in space? ARISS Celebrating 20 Years of Amateur Radio Continuous Operations on the ISS About ARISS: Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is a cooperative venture of international amateur radio societies and the space agencies that support the International Space Station (ISS). In the United States, sponsors are the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), the ISS National Lab-Space Station Explorers, and NASAs Space communications and Navigation program. The primary goal of ARISS is to promote exploration of science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics topics. ARISS does this by organizing scheduled contacts via amateur radio between crew members aboard the ISS and students. Before and during these radio contacts, students, educators, parents, and communities take part in hands-on learning activities tied to space, space technologies, and amateur radio. For more information, see www.ariss.org Media Contact: Dave Jordan, AA4KN ARISS PR Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter. Search on Amateur Radio on the ISS and @ARISS_status. Mayor London Breed is proposing more than $1 billion in new funding to address homelessness over the next two years a staggering amount that she hopes will finally make a dent in San Franciscos most vexing problem. That proposal, announced Tuesday as part of her wider plan for the citys upcoming $13.1 billion budget, is on top of the $300 million or so already spent directly on homelessness each year. The investment the majority of which is voter-mandated reflects the intense pressure Breed and other city leaders are under to address the thousands living on the streets, in shelters and in unstable housing. In front of a large, masked crowd Tuesday, Breed proudly called her proposal a historic investment. But she acknowledged that money wont solve the problem alone, and that the city also needs more housing, treatment and enforcement to compel people inside or into care. For those exhibiting harmful behavior, whether to themselves or to others, or those refusing assistance, we will use every tool we have to get them into treatment and services, to get them indoors, she said. We wont accept people just staying on the streets, when we have a place for them to go. Its unclear how many homeless people there are in San Francisco, but the number has certainly swelled over the past few years. The citys official count in 2019 logged more than 8,000 homeless, a 30% rise from two years prior. Other counts have suggested there may be as many as 17,000 homeless in the city. At the same time, homelessness funding has also significantly increased. The Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housings budget has increased by 80% since it was created in 2016, to $364 million in the most recent fiscal year. Meanwhile, Prop. C., a 2018 ballot measure that taxes big businesses for homelessness services, is expected to raise $250 million to $300 million per year. Indirect spending on homelessness is likely much higher, as the crisis touches many different agencies from police officers responding to people sleeping on the streets to Department of Public Works cleaners sweeping away tents, human feces and trash. If the Board of Supervisors approves Breeds spending plan this summer, it will likely put even more pressure on City Hall to ensure the money makes a noticeable difference on the citys streets. In the past, the city would spend a lot of money without a plan. Now we actually have a plan. Prop. C is the plan, said Supervisor Matt Haney, chair of the boards Budget and Finance committee. Now we have to make it work and make it real, we have to track outcomes and follow the data and be transparent about successes and challenges. Roughly 75% of Breeds proposed homelessness investment comes from $800 million collected by Prop. C, which she did not support in 2018. Meanwhile, another 20% comes from local sources like the citys general fund and a 2020 bond measure, and the remaining 5% comes one-time funding from the federal American Rescue Plan, which helped erase a massive, pandemic-induced budget deficit earlier this year. Under Breeds proposal, the money would go toward initiatives like capping all permanent supportive housing rent at 30% of a residents income, funding two new recreational vehicle parking sites and continuing a 40-bed emergency shelter for families. The mayor also wants to create 6,000 housing placements by June 2022, which includes new permanent supportive housing units, adding more housing vouchers or buying people bus tickets out of town to go back to family and friends. The funding would also cover another 4,000 new housing placements by 2023, and help prevent potential homelessness and eviction for over 7,000 households. Along with homelessness services, Breed is also proposing $300 million, or a 36% increase, in additional funding over the year prior for mental health and drug treatment services as overdoses skyrocket. Tomiquia Moss, the CEO of All Home, a group that pushes for a regional approach to homelessness, said shes glad that homelessness is not being addressed just in terms of building more housing but also with the gamut of services, like mental health care and drug treatment. While the $1 billion price tag is huge, she said that it could pay off in the long run as the programs and housing help stabilize people who would otherwise be on the streets. Weve underinvested in this for decades, she said. What we actually need now to get out of the problem is exorbitant, but it doesnt have to be that way if we start making the right types of investments. San Francisco has a $13.1 billion budget for the upcoming fiscal year, and $12.8 billion for the following year. That is slightly less than last years $13.6 billion budget, as big city departments like the San Francisco International Airport generated less revenue amid the pandemic. The Board of Supervisors Budget and Finance committee will hold a series of hearings this summer on the mayors proposed plan. The full board will then vote on the proposal before returning it to the mayor for her signature around Aug. 1. This could be a fraught process between the mayor and supervisors, who have historically disagreed on how the money should be spent particularly when it comes to homelessness funding, the citys rainy day reserves and Prop. I, a 2020 real estate transfer tax measure. The mayors proposed two-year spending plan also includes: Public safety Breed is proposing $65 million for violence prevention and safety. That includes funding to maintain current police staffing levels through two new academy classes for about 100 new officers. Those officers would replace those who have retired or left the force. Lets be clear, keeping our city safe also does require law enforcement, she said Tuesday. That means making sure we have officers on our streets, walking the beat and responding to crimes. While activists called for city leaders to redirect resources away from law enforcement to the community, Breed has been clear that she would not shrink the number of officers in San Francisco. Instead, she has supported new outreach teams of mental health professionals to respond to those on the streets although there isnt currently enough staffing to shift all mental health-related 911 calls away from cops. The mayors budget also continues the $60 million annual investment in the Dream Keeper Initiative, which redirects money from the police and sheriffs department into programs that support the citys Black and African American community. The law enforcement budget is sure to receive pushback. In May, a hearing before a Board of Supervisors committee on alternatives to law enforcement drew dozens of callers. Most pushed to defund the police and invest more in community services, mental health treatment and education. A smaller contingent called for maintaining or even increasing law enforcement funding, citing a rise during the pandemic in burglaries and violent street attacks. Economic recovery Breed wants to spend $477 million over the two years to drive and accelerate the citys economic recovery. The majority of the money would be spent on the citys remaining COVID-19 response, which includes funding to sustain the citys homeless hotel program until the beginning of 2022. It also includes money for food security programs, vaccinations and testing. Chronicle staff writer Mallory Moench contributed to this report. Trisha Thadani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tthadani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @TrishaThadani President Bidens new budget would restore federal funding for abortions for millions of low-income women, the first presidential spending plan in decades to propose discarding the 45-year-old Hyde Amendment. The proposal is unlikely to become law this year, with supporters facing filibuster barriers in the Senate. But reproductive-rights advocates including a Bay Area lawmaker sponsoring legislation to repeal Hydes ban on nearly all federal abortion funding say theyre encouraged. Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, meanwhile, says she now has 155 co-sponsors on a bill that would ban the Hyde Amendment in future budgets by changing federal law to provide funding for poor womens abortions, and that would also repeal a ban on federal funding of abortion coverage under the Affordable Care Act. The measure, which has yet to come to a vote, drew 30 co-sponsors when Lee first introduced it in 2015. The funding will be restored when members know theyre not going to be re-elected if they dont support an end to discrimination, Lee said in a recent interview, referring to the amendments impact on minorities. I think were close to that day. On the other side, leaders of 62 anti-abortion groups sent a letter to congressional leaders that declared, Hyde saves lives and that Congress has the duty and privilege to continue this legacy of protecting the vulnerable. The letter called Biden a flip-flopper, noting that he had supported the Hyde Amendment since its initial passage in 1977 before changing his position as a presidential candidate in 2019. The amendment, sponsored by the late Rep. Henry Hyde, R-Ill., eliminated federal funding for abortions in all U.S. health programs Medicaid, Medicare, the military, the Peace Corps, tribal health programs, federal prisons and medical care in Washington, D.C. except for cases of rape, incest or danger to the womans life. It was upheld by the Supreme Court in 1980. Sixteen states use their own funds to pay for poor womens abortions California under a 1981 state Supreme Court ruling that required equal treatment for reproductive choices under Medi-Cal, which already covered childbirth. Repeal of the Hyde Amendment would restore federal funding to those states, as well as access to abortion for millions of women in the other 34 states and Washington, D.C. The U.S. Supreme Court, however, could allow states to restrict or even eliminate abortion access next year when it rules on a Mississippi law banning the procedure after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Under the 1973 Roe vs. Wade ruling, states cannot prohibit abortion before fetal viability, or about 24 weeks, a dividing line that the current court says it will reconsider. On a related issue, Biden has proposed increasing Title X funding to family-planning clinics by nearly 19%, to $340 million, and repealing Trump administration rules that barred the clinics from referring any of their nearly 4 million low-income patients for abortions. He has not proposed, however, to repeal the Helms Amendment, which bans U.S. funding to foreign entities that provide abortions or abortion referrals, or the Weldon Amendment, which prohibits states from penalizing health care providers that refuse to perform abortions. The last president to offer a budget without the Hyde Amendment was Bill Clinton, in 1993, and his proposal was resoundingly rejected by the House and Senate, both controlled by Democrats. Every presidential budget since then, until Bidens, has included the spending restriction from the outset. Budget legislation that includes abortion funding is likely to reach the House floor in July, according to the office of Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., who chairs the House Appropriations Committee and has promised to send a measure without restrictions to the floor for a vote. In a possible preview, House committees rejected Hyde Amendment-type abortion limits in the $1.9 trillion COVID relief bill that Biden signed in March. In the Senate, on the other hand, the spending plan would need 60 votes to overcome a filibuster, and may not have backing from all 50 Democrats. When abortion opponents tried to write the Hyde Amendment into law in 2019, automatically including it in future budgets, they fell short of passage but won support from Democrats Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Bob Casey of Pennsylvania. We will continue to work on senators, try to move them like weve moved the president, said Destiny Lopez, co-president of the abortion-rights group All* Above All. Hopefully, we will see full-throated support from the White House. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko WASHINGTON (AP) A sweeping Senate bill aimed at making the United States more competitive with China and shoring up domestic computer chip manufacturing with $50 billion in emergency funds was abruptly shelved Friday after a handful of Republican senators orchestrated a last-minute attempt to halt it. Votes on the American Innovation and Competition Act were postponed until June 8, when senators are scheduled to return from a weeklong Memorial Day recess. The emerging final product has enjoyed broad, bipartisan support and would be one of the more comprehensive investments in U.S. research and development in recent years. But the bill became weighted down by the sheer scope of the effort. It swelled to more than 2,400 pages drawing, sharp opposition from a core group of GOP senators who kept the Senate in a nearly-all-night session as they insisted on more time to digest the bill and make changes. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer set up the new schedule when it became clear the Republican senators would not relent. "We have every intention of sticking it out until the job is done, Schumer, D-N.Y., said as he opened the chamber Friday. The bill is key to President Joe Bidens infrastructure plans, and is a massive effort to reinvest in innovative technologies as the country tries to bolster and rebuild home state industries that have shifted overseas during the era of globalization. Its also a test of whether the split 50-50 Senate can accomplish bipartisan achievements when theres pressure on Democrats to change the rules to push past obstruction and gridlock. Passage was still expected despite the GOP efforts to impede it. A top Republican author, Sen. Todd Young of Indiana, characterized his underlying proposal that anchors the bill the Endless Frontier Act he co-authored with Schumer as part of the countrys history of innovation, like the moon landing or the launch of the internet, that Washington needs to foster if America is to remain competitive. Its not about beating China, Young said in a speech Thursday. He said its about rising to the challenge posed by China to be a better version of ourselves. Senators slogged through days of debates and amendments, but proceedings came to a standstill late Thursday. One Republican, Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, protested the rush to finish, and he and a few other Republican senators overtook the floor proceedings, insisting on more changes to the sprawling package as debate dragged well past midnight. Opponents are unlikely to be able to halt the bill but were poised to run out the clock on the proceedings. Earlier, Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., the Commerce Committee chairwoman managing the action for Democrats, reminded colleagues that the bill has been through lengthy committee hearings with input and changes from all sides. I actually think we have gotten more mindshare with people about why this is important, right, because we had an open debate process, she had said. Biden had included elements of the legislation as part of his big infrastructure plan, the American Jobs Act, making a similar case that the U.S. needs to increase its investments to stay competitive with rivals, particularly China. During a virtual meeting with CEOs last month over the global computer chip shortage that has been disrupting supplies and sales of everyday goods -- from cellphones to new cars Biden explained his plan to build the infrastructure of today. Actually a collection of bills, the final package caused the opponents to hit the brakes. Johnson stacked up the bill at his desk bemoaning the towering size, even as he said the legislative process to bring the bill to this point had been better than most over the past decade. He seized the floor around midnight to push other priorities, including his concerns over another topic illegal immigration and his interest in secure fencing along the southern border with Mexico. We havent had time to read this no one has, said Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., joining Johnsons protest. The centerpiece of the bill is a $50 billion emergency allotment to the Commerce Department to stand up semiconductor development and manufacturing through research and development and incentive programs previously authorized by Congress. They focus on the military, automakers and other critical industries reliant on computer chips. The U.S. once manufactured far more chips than today, which some senators said put the U.S. at risk of fluctuations in the global supply chain, as happened over the past year with shortages. The Endless Frontier provision would authorize funding for the National Science Foundation, including the establishment of a Directorate for Technology and Innovation, as well as research and development funds and scholarships for students focused on science, technology, engineering and math programs. Senators have tried to strike a balance in raising awareness about Chinas growing influence without fanning divisive anti-Asian rhetoric, mindful that hate crimes against Asian Americans have spiked during the coronavirus pandemic. Other measures spell out national security concerns and target money laundering schemes or cyberattacks by entities on behalf of the government of China. There are also buy America provisions for infrastructure projects in the U.S. At the same time, senators agreed to tack on amendments showing shifting attitudes over Chinas handling of the COVID-19 outbreak. One would prevent federal funds for the Wuhan Institute of Virology amid fresh investigation into the origins of the virus and possible connections to the labs research. The city registered some of the first virus cases. Taken together, the innovation act has been a priority for Schumer, the Democratic leader who has long advocated a tougher approach to China. He and Young struck up a conversation about teaming up on a bill during workouts at the Senate gym, lawmakers said. It's unclear whether the measure would find support in the Democratic-led House. This article was first published on NerdWallet.com. Maybe you snuck into your neighbor's swimming pool when you were a kid. Perhaps you jumped on their trampoline when they weren't around or used their pile of random junk as a fort. To a child, these youthful indiscretions seem pretty harmless. But for a homeowner, such acts of rebellion can pose a serious liability problem. A swimming pool, trampoline and pile of debris are each an "attractive nuisance" a feature on your property that entices children to use it, even without your permission, and could potentially cause them harm. Other common nuisances include: Construction equipment. Nonworking cars. Playground equipment. Old appliances. As the homeowner, you have a legal obligation to either make the attraction inaccessible to curious children or eliminate the danger entirely. So as summer nears and kids spend more time outside, here are a few ways to limit the risk of attractive nuisances on your property. Get rid of it If you already have something that could be considered an attractive nuisance, the easiest way to reduce your risk and save on home insurance is to simply get rid of it. How practical that is, however, depends on a couple of factors. The cost of removing a nuisance from your property can vary. If its an old junker you need removed, some charity organizations, such as Wheels for Wishes and Goodwill, will haul away a nonworking car for free, and the donation is tax-deductible. Renting a dumpster to dispose of your debris might cost somewhere between $300 and $800 depending on the dumpsters size and duration of the rental. On the other hand, removing an above-ground pool or filling in an in-ground pool can be far more costly. Depending on the removal method and size of the pool, it could cost $20,000 or more. Of course, you may not want to eliminate the nuisance of a swimming pool or something else just because it increases your annual homeowners insurance cost. Secure the area around the nuisance Work with your homeowners insurance company to make sure you're covered for anything that might be considered an attractive nuisance. Shoring up your insurance coverage should ideally start before the nuisance ends up on your property, says Karen Collins, assistant vice president of personal lines at the American Property Casualty Insurance Association. "Being transparent and being forthcoming with [your insurer] will always set you up for a better experience because then you're not caught by surprise" when your policy doesnt fully cover an accident, Collins says. To help avoid a major liability problem, one option is to put up a barrier. Collins notes that depending on the nuisance, your insurer might require you to take specific precautions to get coverage. With a pool, for instance, a carrier may require you to install a fully enclosed fence with a self-closing and self-latching gate. Some states such as Florida and Arizona already have laws requiring these safety precautions to be in place in certain cases. Barriers come in all forms, and it's your duty to make sure the barrier is actually acting as one. Confirm the latching mechanisms are always working and that any fence rails are too narrow to squeeze through. Securing nuisances can involve simple acts too, like laying a ladder flat on the ground, locking away power tools and clearly marking any areas that might be dangerous. Expand your insurance coverage If you're held responsible for an accident, insurance can provide a substantial safety net. Homeowners insurance policies typically come with liability coverage starting at around $100,000, but many insurance companies and industry experts say you should expand that amount to at least $300,000 if you have an attractive nuisance on your property. Adding personal umbrella insurance to your homeowners policy can also help put your mind at ease. Umbrella policies offer additional liability coverage with a high limit often starting at $1 million for about $150 to $300 per year, according to the Insurance Information Institute. Anthony Kondos, a State Farm agent in Portland, Oregon, points out that an umbrella policy can make a big difference if youre on the hook for an injury. "Even if you don't have a lot to lose, you could still face things like wage garnishments that you could be having docked out of your paycheck for several years," he says. In addition to covering any payouts that you're responsible for, an umbrella policy will cover your legal defense costs without impacting the overall limit on your policy. For example, if you're held liable for $1 million and you incur $200,000 in legal fees, as long as you have $1 million in umbrella coverage, your insurance company will pay for everything. Attractive nuisances can get you into trouble if you don't think ahead and address potential problems. Even if unintentional, the consequences of inaction can be serious. "We don't plan to fail," Kondos says. "We fail to plan." Doug Sibor writes for NerdWallet. Email: dsibor@nerdwallet.com. The article Dont Let an Attractive Nuisance Ruin Your Summer originally appeared on NerdWallet. As California counts down the days to the June 15 reopening of the economy, many restaurant owners are breathing a sigh of relief: It seems like maybe, just maybe, the worst is over. Some businesses, however, won't make it to see that day. In May and late April, we saw the closure of a number of beloved San Francisco restaurants, from renowned Hayes Valley spot 20th Century Cafe to 40-year-old Italian comfort food restaurant Ristorante Parma in the Marina. See the list of Bay Area restaurants, bars and other food businesses that closed this month below. For more Bay Area closures in 2021, click here. 6th and B Yue J. / Yelp In early May, Eater SF reported that the Inner Richmond brunch spot was permanently closing. According to Eater, the owner is moving his other restaurant, Sushi Bistro, into the 452 Balboa St. location because of its outdoor space. Some 6th and B breakfast favorites, however, will remain on the menu. 20th Century Cafe Perhaps the most shocking closure announcement of the month was 20th Century Cafe, the Hayes Valley cafe famous for its multilayered honey cake. Chef-owner Michelle Polzine explained to Eater SF that the closure was less due to the pandemic and more about how "San Francisco is not hospitable to small business owners," she said. Read more. Benkyodo This beloved bakery and mochi shop is Japantown's oldest business: Suyeichi Okamura first opened it in 1906. Now, Suyeichi's grandchildren, Ricky and Bobby Okamura, are retiring. The brothers told KQED that while they are selling the shop, they hope to keep the business in the family. Read more. Da Nang Vietnamese This 38-year-old Albany Vietnamese restaurant closed recently because of the pandemic, according to Berkeleyside. A second Da Nang location in Antioch, however, remains open. Homestead After nine years on Piedmont Avenue, upscale, farm-to-table Oakland restaurant Homestead closed this month. "Even as things are slowly opening up we have realized that its time for a lifestyle change," wrote the owners on Instagram. "... We achieved what we set out to accomplish and then some in nine years of dinners, and feel proud of the work we have done. We feel we can gracefully move on to something new." The owners' pandemic pivot, The Humble Sandwich, will remain open for the foreseeable future. Read more. Myriad Gastropub At the end of April, Tablehopper reported that the 6-year-old Mission gastropub will not reopen. "After a great deal of soul searching and thoughtful deliberation, I have chosen to hand over the reins of this amazing space and let someone new give it a go here," wrote chef-owner Trish Tracey on Instagram. Namu Gaji Chef Dennis Lee confirmed to the San Francisco Chronicle (SFGATE and the San Francisco Chronicle are both owned by Hearst but operate independently of one another) that his California Korean restaurant in the Mission is permanently closed. Namu Gaji originally closed in 2019 for a seismic retrofit, with plans to move to a new space in SoMa, but the pandemic foiled those plans. Out the Door The Slanted Door spinoff restaurant in Pacific Heights has closed after 11 years, as first reported by Tablehopper. "It has been a pleasure to be a part of #fillmorestreetsf neighborhood," read an Instagram announcement from Out the Door. "OTD will not reopen. We are grateful for our team, front and back, for bringing out their best to ensure quality food and services." The Slanted Door location in the Ferry Building remains temporarily closed, although a new location in San Ramon is open. Ristorante Parma After more than 40 years in business, the Southern Italian comfort food spot in the Marina District announced its closure. "It breaks my heart to have to do this, but for my well being it has to be done," wrote owner Angela Elia in a heartfelt post on Instagram. Ristorante Parma has been in the family since 1980, and Elia reflected on working in the restaurant since she was 19. Read more. Topsy's Bar Topsy's, a circus-inspired bar near the Dragon's Gate entrance to Chinatown, is closing after seven years, according to Eater SF. While this is the end for the popular after-work drinks spot, owner Angela Voloshyna has something new up her sleeve: DecoDance, a new bar she just opened on Polk Street. BEIJING (AP) Yue Yan is glad to have two daughters but sees why, even with the ruling Communist Party urging them to have more children, fewer Chinese women give birth at all. Yue, 35, spends days looking after her 2-year-old and evenings helping her 10-year-old with homework. Yue quit a restaurant job to do that, so the family lives on her husbands salary, which many can't afford to do. If a young couple is busy working and their parents can't help take care of the children, they will not want kids, Yue said. The pressure is just so heavy. The ruling party is easing official limits on the number of children each couple can have, hoping to counter the rapid aging of Chinese society. But the number of births is falling. Couples are put off by costs, disruptions to jobs and the need to look after elderly parents. On Monday, the ruling party announced it would ease birth restrictions to let all couples have three children instead of two. But its track record suggests rule changes on their own do little to change long-term trends. Rules in force since 1980 that limited most couples to one birth were changed in 2015 to allow two. After a brief uptick the next year, however, the number who had even one child fell, while the share of the population over age 65 is rising. China's population of 1.4 billion already was expected to peak later this decade and start to decline. Census data released May 11 suggest that is happening faster than forecast, adding to pressure to prepare for slower economic growth and do more to help the elderly. The rise in average age could disrupt official ambitions to turn China into a technology leader and prosperous consumer-driven economy. The aging of the Chinese population grows faster than we expected, said Yi Fuxian, a senior scientist in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. This will result in a drop in the economic growth rate, Yi said. The 12 million births reported last year were down nearly one-fifth from 2019. About 40% were second children, down from 50% in 2017, according to Ning Jizhe, a statistics official who announced the figures on May 11. The share of working-age people under 60 in Chinas population of 1.4 billion fell to 63.3% last year from 70.1% a decade earlier, according to census data. The group aged 65 and older grew to 13.5% from 8.9%. China and other Asian economies such as Thailand face the challenge of whether they can grow rich before they grow old. Chinese researchers and the labor ministry say the share of working-age people might fall to half the population by 2050. That increases the dependency ratio, or number of retirees who rely on each worker to generate income for pension funds and pay taxes for health and other public services. A growing number of retirees, even with children, live alone because sons and daughters have left home for work. In Dingxing County, southwest of Beijing, Kang Yuxia serves a free vegetarian lunch every day to more than 50 people. Most are empty nesters over 60 whose children left their region of drab, low-rise buildings surrounded by farmland to work in the Chinese capital 100 kilometers (60 miles) away. The sons and daughters of the elderly have to find work elsewhere, said Kang. They look for the warmth from a bowl of rice. They also want to feel cared for. Kangs canteen, the Harmonious and Happy Home, is one of more than 80 operated by a charity for older people who live alone. What Im giving them is what I will need in thirty years," she said. The government is debating whether to keep more people in the workforce by raising the official retirement age of 60 for men, 55 for white-collar female workers and 50 for blue-collar female workers. Ruling party leaders meeting Monday agreed to raise the retirement age, the official Xinhua News Agency reported, without giving details. The change is politically fraught. Female professionals welcome a chance to stay in satisfying careers, but others whose bodies are worn out from decades of manual labor resent being required to work longer. The fertility rate, or the average number of births per mother, stood at 1.3 in 2020, well below the 2.1 that would maintain the size of the population. A population decline might ease strains on resources, but this is not sustainable, said Song Jian, a professor at the Center for Population and Development at Renmin University in Beijing. China needs to boost the willingness to have children, Song said. We need to make people feel that having children or forming a family is attractive." Couples who want children face daunting challenges. Apartments are small and often shared with parents. Childcare is expensive and maternity leave short. A lawyer in Beijing who would give only his surname, Zhang, said he and his wife plan to have only one child due to the cost of education and the need to look after their elderly parents. The government should relieve the burden on young parents shoulders, Zhang said. If the young couple must look after the children and the elderly, no one can handle it. Still, Yue says having children is worth it. Yes, sometimes I am tired, she said, but I also feel more happiness. ___ AP video producer Olivia Zhang and cross-format news assistant Caroline Chen contributed. A heat wave is currently baking a parched Northern California, worsening the extreme drought that Gov. Gavin Newsom has already described as "historic." Once-wet lake beds have turned to dust, the snowpack in the Sierra is nonexistent and water shortages are already hitting home. And fears are growing for a potentially devastating wildfire season after 4.1 million acres of California were ravaged by flames in 2020. In Fresno and Merced counties, farmers are making tough decisions, abandoning thousands of acres of lower-value, high-water crops like almond and asparagus fields, for more valuable produce. "It's a really sad day," Fresno County's Joe Del Bosque told the Bay Area News Group, after destroying 100 acres of organic asparagus to divert precious water to more valuable melons. "The water is so uncertain this year. We didn't think we'd have enough to carry it through." Elsewhere, Lake Tahoe's waters are so low some boats can no longer launch, while Lake Oroville's water level dropped down to 695 feet in January, its second-lowest point in recorded history. Newsom has declared a drought emergency in 41 of California's 58 counties. More than 37 million Californians live in these drought areas, according to the U.S. drought monitor. "This is without precedent," Newsom said from the cracked bed of Lake Mendocino in April. "Oftentimes we overstate the word historic, but this is indeed an historic moment." New photos now reveal the intensity of the historic drought. COPPER CENTER, Alaska (AP) Two men have been rescued after five people involved in two separate incidents requested help at Wrangell-St. Elias National Park in Alaska. Early Monday, a helicopter reached 62-year-old pilot James Feola from Cassville, New York, and 62-year-old passenger Frederick Northup from Fairfield, New York, who had requested rescue Saturday afternoon near Mt. Hawkins, the National Park Service said in a news release. The men were taken to an Anchorage medical center with minor injuries. PITTSBURGH (AP) A second western Pennsylvania man has pleaded guilty to federal charges in the destruction of a Pittsburgh police car set afire during last years protests over the death of George Floyd. DaJon Lengyel, 23, of McKees Rocks pleaded guilty Monday to conspiring to set fire to property of an organization that receives federal funding and unlawful interference with a law enforcement officer during a civil disorder. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that when asked by a federal judge whether he had done what he was accused of, he said I did, your honor." FOSSTON, Minn. (AP) The operator of an all-terrain vehicle was killed and his wife, a passenger, was seriously injured in a crash Monday in Polk County, sheriff's officials said. The ATV entered a ditch near Fosston and rolled over. Seventy-five-year-old Edward Halvorson was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said. Bir Lehlou (Saharawi Republic) 01 June 2021 (SPS)- Saharawi Ministry for Foreign Affairs refuted Today the fallacies and lies included in the Moroccan occupying powers Ministry of Foreign Affairs, issued Monday. Following is the full text of the Press Release: Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic Ministry of Foreign Affairs Press Release The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Occupying Power issued a statement Today explaining the deep reasons and motives that led to the aggression and reckless behavior shown by Morocco towards Spain and other countries that contradicts the classic and usual behaviors in international relations to resolve disputes and conflicts that may arise between members of the international community. In this regard, we must point out the following observations about what was declared in the statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the occupying power: 1- Morocco is now putting the recognition of its sovereignty over Western Sahara, as a condition in its bilateral relations with others. The Moroccan statement used on this occasion an explicit language inaugurating a new stage in the Moroccan diplomacy. Starting from today, the Alawite Royal Palace accepts nothing less than Trump's tweet, which was born dead, because it is legally invalid and contrary to international legality, and thus rejected by international and regional organizations, and even opposed by distinguished American actors. 2- The Moroccan statement constitutes a clear declaration, to the whole world, that relations of trust, friendship and cooperation with Rabat inevitably result from the public support for the Moroccan military occupation of Western Sahara and the frank recognition of this same without hesitation. 3- The statement tries to clean up the bad image of the Moroccan regime resulting from its deliberate trampling and violation of all legal and humanitarian principles committed in the vicious process of pushing thousands of innocent Moroccan citizens to death within an open strategy of blackmail and pressure. 4- The statement also constituted a new opportunity for the Moroccan occupier to to pass its miserable propaganda aimed at putting all kinds of framed accusations against the struggle of the Sahrawi people and its usual fallacies against the Sahrawi cause, using the presence of the President of the Republic, Secretary General of the Front, Mr. Brahim Ghali, in Spain to get medical treatment from Covid 19, as an excuse 5- On the other hand, the Moroccan Foreign Ministrys statement does not conceal Moroccos perspective of justice and the judiciary, betrayed by a lack of intelligence when it tried to give lessons to the Spanish justice on democracy and methods of litigation, hoping it will act like the Moroccan justice, which is well-known internationally by its courts that are nothing but an extension of police stations, where assassinations, torture, rape, and unfair sentences are committed? 6- In the statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the occupying power attempted to give the oppressor and the aggressor the status of the victim and to incriminate the oppressed and the aggressed, as if the expansionist Moroccan regime does not differentiate between its internal public opinion, where it propagates the lies it wants, and the international public opinion, which is aware of the real situation and aware of the documented reports of all human rights organizations. All of the above confirms the following facts: 1- Insanity, recklessness and jitteriness, which have become the usual behavior of the Alawite Royal Palace in Morocco, recently in particular, constitute a logical and inevitable consequence of the agonizing failure that the Moroccan occupier reaped as a result of Mohammed VI's denial of Morocco's obligations related to the settlement plan, signed with the Polisario Front in 1991 during the rule of his father, after 16 years of war. 2- The bet on which the Moroccan Palace has built its strategy and all its hopes evaporated, especially the suspicious Trumps deals and adventures that resemble gambling, aimed at achieving overwhelming victories that are irrational and illogical. This failure caused the King of Morocco and his team of young men to feel frustrated, and pushed them, because of the devastating results of their actions, to throw accusations in every direction and issue overt threats even against those who did everything in their power for Morocco within the limits that their interests permit at times, and even exceeded those limits on many occasions when they supported Rabat in breaching the international law and International borders, including by their silence about the crimes of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity committed since 1975 to day against the Sahrawi people. Therefore, the SADR affirms that the follies of the Moroccan occupier and its actions contrary to all charters and decisions issued by global and regional organizations and Courts are due to: 1 - The failure of the UN Security Council to assume its responsibilities in enabling the MINURSO to carry out the mission for which it was established. 2 - The complicity of influential countries among the Group of 5 known as the Friends of Western Sahara, with Moroccos reneging on the agreement concluded with the Sahrawi party, including via prohibiting the UN mission from taking charge of the human rights situation and natural resources. 3- The silence of well-known capitals about Moroccos use of drug, illegal immigration, and even involvement with terrorist groups in its relationship with European countries, is what made Morocco believe that it is immune against pressure and can enjoy continuous impunity. The SADR reaffirms that the continued occupation of parts of the Saharawi national territory by the Kingdom of Morocco, the latter's lack of respect for international borders and the failure of the UN Security Council to fulfill its responsibilities in imposing the completion of the decolonization process in Western Sahara will lead to more heated confrontations and negative repercussions, and unexpected results. The time has come for Morocco to end its illegal occupation and barbaric aggression against the Sahrawi people. SADR affirms that this is the only way to reach stability and security in the Northwest African region. (SPS) 090/500/60 (SPS) Michael Gruber/AP BERLIN (AP) The head of Austria's far-right Freedom Party said Tuesday he is stepping down, raising the possibility that he could run for president of the Alpine nation next year. Austrian public broadcaster ORF reported that Norbert Hofer would resign as party chief, a post he assumed after a 2019 scandal involving a leading member of the Freedom Party that resulted in it being ejected from the last government. BOSTON (AP) Gov. Charlie Baker is facing increasing criticism of his handling of the COVID-19 crisis at the Holyoke Soldiers Home, with calls mounting for a legislative response to the outbreak that killed 76 veteran residents last spring. The tragedy led to the removal last year of Bennett Walsh, the former superintendent of the 240-bed, state-run facility, and the signing last month of a $400 million spending bill to finance construction of a new Holyoke Soldiers Home. Walsh faces five counts of causing serious bodily injury and five counts of criminal neglect. He has pleaded not guilty. But critics say investigations of the outbreak, including one headed by a former federal prosecutor who was commissioned by Baker, have raised more questions than answers. A report last month by The Boston Globe claimed the investigation by ex-prosecutor Mark Pearlstein didn't fully explore the decision to hire Walsh or his qualifications for the job. The newspaper said Walsh was a politically connected hire with no background in health care administration. Baker on Friday acknowledged hed interviewed Walsh for a half-hour before he appointed him to lead the home in 2016, despite the governor claiming last year he had never met the former superintendent before swearing him in. Baker said at a press conference that he forgot about the meeting with Walsh. Democratic Senate President Karen Spilka said the state and the families of the veterans who died during the COVID-19 outbreak deserve more answers. She said with several investigations still ongoing, the Senate expected Baker and members of his administration to be forthcoming on the legitimate questions that are being asked. We expect to file, and hold a public hearing on, a reform bill with expediency. We look forward to hearing from, and working with, stakeholders to ensure these vital reforms become law, Spilka said in a written statement last week. State Sen. Diana DiZoglio on Tuesday also called for a Senate oversight hearing on the outbreak, with sworn testimony from the Baker and administration officials. A separate legislative committee charged with looking into the tragedy found that a crisis of leadership on many counts contributed to the deaths. The causes were both immediate, including inexplicable decisions made by the Homes leadership in the days and weeks preceding the outbreak, and long-standing, including systemic issues that left the Home mismanaged, understaffed, lacking sufficient oversight, and ill equipped to protect its residents from a deadly infectious disease, the report released last month said. Baker declined to specifically say if he'd testify before lawmakers about the deaths at the home, but said he was eager to work with them. The good news, to the extent there is some on this issue, is the legislative report, and the Pearlstein Report, and our legislation that we filed earlier in the year, are all basically chasing the same reforms, he said during an unrelated Friday press conference. "Theyre critical reforms, theyre important reforms, and Im anxious to work with the Legislature to get them done." Sarah Finlaw, a spokesperson for Baker said Monday that multiple independent investigations, including one by the Legislature and another by the Attorney General reached many of the same sad conclusions, specifically that Bennett Walsh and senior medical staff at the Home erred in their judgement resulting in the tragedy. Among the recommendations in a report by a special Legislative committee is making the veterans secretary post a Cabinet position that reports directly to the governor. The report also called for any new superintendent to be a licensed nursing home administrator. Walsh did not have those credentials. Baker has also come under fire from a union representing government workers, the Boston Herald reported. The National Association of Government Employees released a video on Facebook over the weekend faulting Baker for hiring someone to lead the home who had no medical experience, had never run a nursing home, had anger management issues and was in way over his head. Baker knew and he did nothing, the group added. Then COVID hit and 76 veterans died. A 77th resident at the home died from COVID-19 in December. A lawyer for Walsh did not immediately respond to a request for comment by The Associated Press, but has said in the past that his client is innocent and only acted in what he believed was the best interest of the residents of the home. WASHINGTON - The Biden administration on Tuesday suspended oil and gas leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, targeting one of President Donald Trump's most significant environmental acts during his last days in office. The move by the Interior Department, which could spark a major legal battle, dims the prospect of oil drilling in a pristine and politically charged expanse of Alaskan wilderness that Republicans and Democrats have fought over for four decades. The Trump administration auctioned off the right to drill in the refuge's coastal plain - home to hundreds of thousands of migrating caribou and waterfowl as well as the southern Beaufort Sea's remaining polar bears - just two weeks before President Joe Biden was inaugurated. Now the Biden administration is taking steps to block those leases, citing problems with the environmental review process. In Tuesday's Interior Department order, Secretary Deb Haaland said that a review of the Trump administration's leasing program in the wildlife refuge found "multiple legal deficiencies" including "insufficient analysis" required by environmental laws and a failure to assess other alternatives. Haaland's order calls for a temporary moratorium on all activities related to those leases in order to conduct "a new, comprehensive analysis of the potential environmental impacts of the oil and gas program." The step, coming just days after the Justice Department defended another drilling project on Alaska's North Slope, underscores the balancing act the new administration aims to strike as it slows fossil fuel development on public lands. While Biden has paused new federal oil and gas leasing and pledged to drastically cut the nation's greenhouse gas emissions, he has taken a much more cautious approach toward most oil and gas operations approved under his predecessor. Last week, Justice Department attorneys filed a brief defending ConocoPhillips's Willow project, an oil reservoir on the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska that could hold up to 300 million barrels of oil. The administration also has defended the Trump administration's decision to issue oil and gas leases in Wyoming and declined to press for the shutdown of the Dakota Access pipeline, a project Haaland protested while serving in Congress. But Tuesday's move signaled that the new administration was willing to take aggressive action in an area that has been a rallying cry for environmentalists for decades. Indigenous residents, including the Gwich'in tribe that lives near the refuge and has battled to keep oil drilling out of the area, celebrated the decision. "The Gwich'in Nation is grateful and heartened by the news that the Biden administration has acted again on its commitment to protecting sacred lands and the Gwich'in way of life," a Gwich'in committee said in a statement. North Slope Borough Mayor Harry Brower Jr., who represents the only community on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge's coastal plain along with six others in the region, said canceling these projects would hurt its residents. "Federal overreach or in some cases just being ignored is what has crippled the spirit of Kaktovik residents for years when it comes to federal policymakers," Brower said. "We have to find a better way." Oil industry leaders also criticized the Biden administration's decision and insisted that the wildlife refuge could be developed in an environmentally responsible manner. But when Trump offered land up for drilling this year, few jumped at the chance. The Jan. 6 sale of 11 tracts in the refuge on just over 550,000 acres netted roughly $14.4 million, a tiny fraction of what Republicans initially predicted it would yield. Only two of the bids were competitive, so nearly all of the drilling rights on the land sold for the minimum price of $25 an acre. Many major banks in the United States and Canada, under pressure from Indigenous and environmental activists, announced that they would not finance any projects on the refuge. Low oil prices, coupled with the prospect of a public backlash, meant that no major oil companies bid on the leases. "Trump's desire to push through this lease sale in January was essentially an empty, meaningless, political gesture," said Pavel Molchanov, an energy analyst. "And Biden's decision is in its own way equally symbolic: There is simply no appetite in the industry to drill there." As a result, a state agency, the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority, emerged as the main bidder. The agency put up all but two of the winning bids. The rest went to a couple of small energy firms. Alan Weitzner, the state agency's executive director, said he was surprised and "very disappointed" by the Interior Department's decision to suspend the leases. He said his group has not been contacted by the Bureau of Land Management, and he wanted to know what deficiencies had been identified by the government. "From our viewpoint, there are no deficiencies," Weitzner said. "What we have are seven legal leases with the BLM with the exclusive rights of access for exploration and development on over 365,000 acres." Seventeen environmental and Indigenous groups, including the Alaska Wilderness League and Environment America, praised the administration Tuesday but said that they would not be satisfied until the leases were canceled. "More work remains, however, and we look forward to working with the administration on stronger action to correct this unlawful leasing program and preserve one of our nation's most majestic public lands," they said in a joint statement. Despite Haaland's order, however, it is unclear whether the administration will find sufficient grounds to cancel the leases outright. Along Alaska's northern coast, a major oil company is already making headway on a large project - this time with the Biden administration's support. The Willow project, approved during the Trump administration, would bring up to five drilling sites, a central processing facility, a gravel mine, hundreds of miles of roads and pipelines to another sensitive Arctic landscape. That project in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska has faced lawsuits, and environmentalists saw it as an opportunity for the Biden administration to take a stand in the fight against climate change. But the administration instead argued in defense of the project. In an interview Tuesday, former interior secretary David Bernhardt - who pushed to expand drilling on federal land while serving under Trump - said that the Biden administration "has been stunningly bold in seeking delays in litigation" but that it has not departed from the Trump administration in every instance. In the Willow case, he noted, the Justice Department was already on record opposing a preliminary injunction to halt drilling, and the department had spent roughly $6 million conducting an environmental analysis of the project. "All of that is a big influence on the subsequent administration's determination of position, and sometimes they're more constrained than in other times," he said. But Earthjustice managing attorney Eric Jorgensen, who is challenging the Willow decision along with lawyers from several other environmental groups, questioned why the Biden administration would defend Trump officials' climate analysis in court. "Thirty years of climate pollution from this oil project will accelerate the global climate crisis, and it is at odds with the Biden administration's bold climate leadership," he said, adding that he hoped Interior Department officials would revisit the decision. Some who live near the Willow oil site view Biden's support of the project as a betrayal. Rosemary Ahtuangaruak, a city council member in Nuiqsut, an Indigenous village close to the project, said she is afraid the development will interrupt the annual migration of caribou - a key food source for the village. "[Biden] led us along with his election criteria saying he would make better choices, especially along the areas of climate change," Ahtuangaruak said. "So it's very disappointing for them to speak in one way and act in another." "This is one of the largest international energy development projects across the world. And that's not what he campaigned upon," she added. Asked about the administration's filing in the Willow case and other lawsuits that defended Trump's energy policies, the White House, Justice Department and Interior Department would not comment. But on the same day that Biden administration trumpeted its move to suspend leases on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, ConocoPhillips issued a statement celebrating that the Willow project had cleared a review by the Interior Department. "Although the final decision on the Willow Project is still pending, clearing the DOI review represents a very significant milestone for this project," said Erec Isaacson, president of ConocoPhillips Alaska." This is a great example of collaboration and thorough preparation enabling a rational, fact-based decision." TRENTON, N.J. (AP) A Canadian teenager accused of making a phony bomb threat to an Ivy League university in New Jersey last year has pleaded guilty to creating a false public alarm and was sentenced to two years of probation, The 16-year-old boy entered his plea Friday, according to the Mercer County Prosecutors Office. It was made public on Tuesday. CHICAGO (AP) Chicago saw a drop in the number of homicides in May compared with the same month last year and it ended with fewer killings than any Memorial Day weekend in a decade, the police superintendent said Tuesday. And while there have been more homicides so far this year 252 compared with 240 for the same five-month period last year May ended with 65 homicides compared with 84 during the same month in 2020. Police dispatched more officers to the street for the holiday weekend, when gun crime typically spikes, and the department reported 32 people were shot, including four fatally. Last year, 49 people were shot, 10 of whom died. Superintendent David Brown said the holiday weekend's drop in homicides came after Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced a new strategy in which police, educators, library workers and others would be dispatched to 15 police beats on the West and South sides, where much of the city's violent crime occurs. That's a new approach ... that includes many departments out in the field during the hours where violence is peaking, Brown said. He also said that Violence Interrupters, a community group made up of former gang members and others, played a major role in reducing gun violence something they couldn't do as effectively last year because the coronavirus pandemic prevented many of them from going out on the streets. Now they are back (and) they have stepped into the gap, and are out there until 2, 3, 4 in the morning, he said. After 2020, when the number of homicides and shootings spiked dramatically from the previous year, it seemed earlier this year that 2021 was going to be even deadlier. But Brown said he was encouraged by the trend in the latest statistics released by the department. It's had a significant impact early on, Brown said. This approach is a great launch for the rest of the summer. SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) California prosecutors said Tuesday that they won't again seek the death penalty against Scott Peterson in the 2002 slaying of his pregnant wife even if he is granted a new trial based on juror misconduct. But even that declaration wasn't enough to entirely take a death sentence off the table, Superior Court Judge Anne-Christine Massullo said. Laws change, district attorneys change, she said. I want to make sure that we do this right. Massullo is considering when to resentence Peterson to life without parole after Stanislaus County District Attorney Birgit Fladager said in a court filing Friday that she would not seek to retry the death penalty portion of the case after it was overturned by the state Supreme Court in August. From the legal point of view I hate using this term its a done deal, Chief Deputy District Attorney Dave Harris told the judge during what was otherwise an unresolved procedural hearing over who will represent Peterson. "He's no longer eligible to be housed on death row. Hes not going to be subjected to the death penalty. As a legal matter, it would be a violation for us to up that punishment once Peterson is re-sentenced to life in prison, Harris said. "That cant be changed once its relied upon by the other side. But Massullo is also considering if Peterson should get an entire new trial because of juror misconduct. One of Peterson's defense attorneys, Pat Harris, said that from his legal research it appears prosecutors could again seek the death penalty if they have to retry the entire case, because a new trial would send it right back to square one. The judge said she expects to decide the new trial issue this year, and she put off a decision whether to resentence Peterson before she makes that decision. She set another hearing for June 18. Massullo is considering whether Peterson merits a new trial because a juror failed to disclose that she had sought a restraining order against her boyfriends ex-girlfriend in 2000. The juror said in seeking the order that she feared for her unborn child. Massullo must decide if that amounted to juror misconduct, and if so, whether it was so prejudicial that a new trial is warranted. With Fladagers announcement Friday, Peterson will be sentenced to life imprisonment if no new trial is granted. Peterson, 48, appeared at the hearing through a video link from San Quentin State Prison, home of the state's death row,. But he offered no verbal response to the district attorney's decision and ensuing legal discussion. California hasn't executed anyone since 2006, and Gov. Gavin Newsom has imposed a moratorium on executions so long as he is governor. Laci Peterson, 27, was eight months pregnant with their unborn son, Connor, when she was killed. Investigators said that on Christmas Eve 2002, Peterson took the bodies from their Modesto home and dumped them from his fishing boat into San Francisco Bay, where they surfaced months later. Peterson was convicted in 2005 in San Mateo County after his trial was moved from Stanislaus County because of worldwide pre-trial publicity. The state Supreme Court overturned Peterson's death sentence because potential jurors were improperly dismissed after saying they personally disagreed with the death penalty but would be willing to follow the law and impose it. But the justices said there was considerable circumstantial evidence incriminating him. Pat Harris said he can now show that there was a nearby burglary on the day Laci Peterson disappeared, supporting the defense's claim that she was killed when she stumbled upon the crime. YUCCA VALLEY, Calif. (AP) A Southern California sheriff's deputy died after being shot by a suspect who was later killed in a shootout with deputies in a desert community east of Los Angeles, authorities said Tuesday. The events unfolded Monday afternoon when deputies tried to pull over a motorcycle without a license plate near Yucca Valley, said San Bernardino County Sheriff John McMahon. The motorcyclist sped away, ditched the bike and ran into open desert, McMahon said. As deputies searched the area, the suspect opened fire on them, McMahon said. One deputy was shot and airlifted to a hospital, where he died, McMahon said. He was identified as as Sergeant Dominic Vaca, 43. Our prayers are with him and his family as we all mourn in this difficult time, McMahon said in a video statement. McMahon said deputies found the gunman, who once again started shooting at them. Deputies returned fire and killed the suspect, who was not immediately identified. A handgun was recovered at the scene, officials said. Video tweeted by the sheriff's department showed hospital staff, firefighters and law enforcement personnel standing at attention as Vaca's flag-draped body was placed into a coroner's van. Vaca was a 17-year veteran of the department assigned to the sheriff's department's Morongo Basin station, about 120 miles (193 kilometers) east of downtown Los Angeles. MANILA, Philippines (AP) The Philippine president has rejected full public disclosure of details of his administrations deadly anti-drug crackdown, citing national security. President Rodrigo Duterte said in televised remarks Monday night that divulging confidential information like intelligence about suspects used by law enforcers for drug raids could undermine his administrations campaign against criminality. Duterte has long faced demands from human rights groups to open up police records about the drug killings for scrutiny and for him to agree to an international investigation, a call he has steadfastly rejected. Duterte compared the anti-drug crackdown to the government's war against communist New Peoples Army guerrillas. This is a national security issue like the NPA, he said. Duterte said people could inquire about general details of how drug raids were carried out and could even observe them from a safe distance. But if you ask what prompted the police and the military to go into this kind of operation based on their reports and collated dossiers, you cannot intrude into that, he said, adding that he himself has limited knowledge of the drug operations. More than 6,000 mostly petty drug suspects have been killed and 289,000 others arrested since Duterte launched his massive campaign against illegal drugs after taking office in mid-2016, according to official statistics, which human rights groups suspect are vastly understated. The large number of killings has alarmed Western governments and human rights watchdogs and sparked an International Criminal Court examination of complaints of potential crimes against humanity. Last week, the Department of Justice said it has been given access to a few dozen police investigations of police officers involved in anti-drug raids that turned deadly. Dutertes officials have argued that the countrys justice system could address complaints of extrajudicial killings by law enforcers and that there is no need for international criminal inquiries. There are public documents that can be shown to the public at large, Duterte said, adding that confidential papers would be kept from the public. The Supreme Court said in a 2018 resolution that details surrounding police operations against illegal drugs do not normally involve state secrets affecting national security like those dealing with rebellion, invasion, terrorism, espionage, infringement of our sovereignty or sovereign rights by foreign powers. The court said it has a mandate to safeguard the people's constitutional right to information on pressing issues. The undeniable fact that thousands of ordinary citizens have been killed, and continue to be killed, during police drug operations certainly is a matter of grave public concern," the court said. Duterte acknowledged that the anti-drug crackdown has left many dead and warned that many more will die. But he repeated that there was no government policy condoning extrajudicial killings and added that some of the killings of drug dealers were carried out by syndicates to eliminate potential government informants. My policemen and my army are trained to kill, he said, but added, they are not allowed to kill a man kneeling down or with his back turned." The tough-talking leader repeated his death threats to drug lords preying on young Filipinos. If I am there, I will really kill you. I dont care if theres TV around. I will really kill you," he said. Rights groups have warned that such remarks by the president have fostered a culture of impunity in the police force, which Duterte once called corrupt to the core," and have emboldened law enforcers to commit abuses. The U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) used a partnership with Denmark's foreign intelligence unit to spy on senior officials of neighboring countries, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Danish state broadcaster DR said. The findings are the result of a 2015 internal investigation in the Danish Defense Intelligence Service into NSA's role in the partnership, DR said, citing nine unnamed sources with access to the investigation. According to the investigation, which covered the period from 2012 to 2014, the NSA used Danish information cables to spy on senior officials in Sweden, Norway, France and Germany, including former German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and former German opposition leader Peer Steinbruck. Asked for comment on the DR report, a spokesperson for the German chancellery said it only became aware of the allegations when asked about them by journalists and declined to comment further. Danish Defense Minister Trine Bramsen declined to comment on "speculation" about intelligence matters in the media. "I can more generally say that this government has the same attitude as the former Prime Minister expressed in 2013 and 2014 - systematic wiretapping of close allies is unacceptable," Bramsen told Reuters in a statement. In Washington, the NSA and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) declined to comment. A spokesperson for the Danish Defense Intelligence Service also declined to comment. NEW YORK (AP) City officials, saying there were concerns over disorderly behavior," instituted an earlier closing time on weekends at a popular park in Manhattan for the foreseeable future. The New York Police Department said people will now have to leave Manhattan's Washington Square Park two hours earlier at 10 p.m. instead of midnight on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. VATICAN CITY (AP) The Vatican on Tuesday released a long-awaited update to the criminal section of its Code of Canon Law, the internal legal system that regulates the life of the 1.3 billion-member Catholic Church and operates independently from laws in the secular world. In this, the oldest continuously operating legal system in the Western world, the stiffest penalties include being defrocked, excommunicated, fired or fined or being forbidden from living in a particular place. The aim of the punishments is to repair the scandal, restore justice and reform the offender. The last time the code was rewritten was in 1983, and before that in 1917. The changes published Tuesday concern only one of the code's seven sections, or books: the penal law section, or Book VI. In many ways the changes published Tuesday integrate piecemeal reforms that have been made over the years to address clergy sexual abuse and financial scandals that have compromised the credibility of the hierarchy in the eyes of rank-and-file faithful. Heres an explanation of how the church has dealt with clergy sex abuse, and the changes approved by Pope Francis after about 14 years of study. ___ WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE 1983 CODE? Ever since the 1983 code was first issued, lawyers and bishops complained it was completely inadequate to deal with the sexual abuse of minors since it was complicated, required time-consuming trials and gave accused priests plenty of defenses to avoid penalties or be exonerated on appeal. The code also explicitly made conducting those trials a last resort, with other pastoral measures preferred first. That emphasis, plus the bishops fear of hurting the church's reputation, their interest in holding onto their priests and their disregard for the pain caused to victims had disastrous results. Each influenced and gave weight to the others and together they created the mindset among the bishops that the canonical penal system simply was not worth the trouble, canon lawyer Nick Cafardi wrote in Before Dallas, about the U.S. churchs reckoning with clergy abuse. ___ HOW DID THE VATICAN RESPOND? After the scandal exploded publicly in the U.S., Ireland and Australia starting in the 1990s and 2000s, the Vatican in 2001 ordered bishops to send all their cases to the Holy See for review to determine how to proceed. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith under its then-prefect, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the future Pope Benedict XVI, took action because he saw firsthand that bishops were ignoring the law and were moving pedophiles around from parish to parish rather than sanctioning them. Other reforms were introduced in the following years, including one that allowed for an administrative process to sanction and even defrock priests rather than conducting full canonical trials, especially when the evidence against them was overwhelming. ___ WHAT ABOUT THE COVER-UP? The Vatican has long been accused of having turned a blind eye to the bishops and religious superiors who allowed predator priests to remain in ministry where they could rape and molest again. While canon law technically allowed for punishing such negligence, it was rarely if ever applied. In 2019, however, Francis issued a law explicitly requiring bishops and religious superiors to report sexual crimes and outlined how they would be investigated criminally if they failed to do so. The new code incorporates that law by making explicit that it is now a crime under canon law to omit reporting abuse, with the sanction including being removed from office. ___ AND WHAT ABOUT ADULT VICTIMS? The Vatican has long considered any sexual relations between a priest and an adult as sinful but consensual, believing that adults are able to offer or refuse consent purely by the nature of their age. But amid the #MeToo movement and scandals of seminarians and nuns being sexually abused by their superiors, the Vatican has come to realize that adults can be victimized, especially when there is a power imbalance in the relationship. Civil law has too, with some jurisdictions considering that sex is without consent if a clergyman exploits someones emotional dependency on him, much in the same way that some laws punish a psychiatrist who exploits a patients dependency for sexual reasons. According to the new Vatican law, priests who engage in sexual acts with anyone not just a minor or someone who lacks the use of reason can be defrocked if they used force, threats or abuse of his authority. Previously, the Vatican only considered it a crime if the priest used force or threats, and lumped the provision alongside sexual abuse of a minor. It remains to be seen how and whether the hierarchy will enforce the measure, given the difficulty in proving an abuse of authority and that another adult was victimized the same difficulties found in the secular world. SEATTLE (AP) A 20-year-old Seattle man is facing a terrorism-related charge after being arrested while trying to board a flight to join the Islamic State group, the U.S. Justice Department said Tuesday. Elvin Hunter Bgorn Williams was arrested Friday at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport as he checked in for a flight to Cairo, according to a criminal complaint unsealed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Seattle. The complaint said members of a Seattle-area mosque who had been trying to de-radicalize Williams were the ones who tipped off the FBI that he continued to espouse violence and extremism. Williams made an initial video appearance in court Tuesday on a charge of providing material support to a terrorist organization. Corey Endo, an assistant federal public defender, was appointed to represent him, and he was ordered detained pending further proceedings. Endo declined to comment after the hearing. The complaint described Williams as self-radicalized and said he first came to the FBIs attention when he was 16. That's when administrators at his high school reported that he was telling others he wanted to join ISIS and that the fatal terrorist attack on an Ariana Grande concert in England was justified by the way the singer dressed. At the time, his mother told the FBI that Williams had been kicked off social media for his pro-ISIS posts and that she cut off the internet service at their home to keep him from accessing extremist websites, the complaint said. Last November, a member of the mosque, which is not identified in court papers, contacted the agency to report concerns about Williams, FBI special agent David Narrance wrote in the complaint. As an act of charity, the mosque had been looking after him in an attempt to de-radicalize him helping give him a place to live, food and tuition for a semester of college. Members of the mosque also gave him a cellphone and a laptop in hope the items would help him find a job, the complaint said. But they also made clear he would have to abandon ISIS if he wanted help. A member of the mosque subsequently saw Williams using the phone to watch ISIS-related videos and to engage in extremist online chats, and demanded the phone back, Narrance wrote. Members of the mosque reviewed the phone and were disturbed by what they found: graphically violent videos, including beheadings by ISIS militants and bomb-making instructions. The FBI opened an investigation and enlisted the help of several confidential informants, including some who messaged with Williams about his plans and others who posed as ISIS recruiters. In messages cited in the complaint, Williams discussed his willingness to become a martyr, his preference for fighting in the desert over the jungle, his fervent wish to behead someone and his concern that he would be arrested at the airport. He spent much of this year working and saving up for travel expenses, the complaint said. He received his passport on May 6. This defendant proved persistent in his efforts to join ISIS - speaking with enthusiasm about acts of horrific bloodshed in the Middle East and here at home, acting Seattle U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman said in a news release. I want to commend those citizens who contacted law enforcement including his family and faith community expressing concerns about the defendants radicalization. When he was arrested, the complaint said, Williams agreed to speak with investigators. The complaint quotes him as saying that he intended to become an executioner or a machine-gunner. It doesn't matter what you guys do to me. I get rewarded for it, Williams said, according to the complaint. He added: I want to die. We love our deaths more than you love your lives. Ross D. Franklin/AP PHOENIX (AP) Retired Maj. Gen. Michael McGuire, the former head of the Arizona National Guard, has filed papers to run for the U.S. Senate, joining what's likely to be a crowded field of candidates seeking the Republican nomination. McGuire, who retired earlier this year from the military and from his post as head of Arizona's emergency management agency, was a visible presence beside Gov. Doug Ducey during televised briefings during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Guard helped bolster supply chains and keep shelves stocked at grocery stores and foodbanks, distributed medical supplies to remote areas of the state and helped with vaccine distribution. CONCORD, N.H. (AP) A former Berlin police officer has pleaded guilty to violating a man's privacy by taking his photo in a hospital as the man awaited involuntary emergency admission to the New Hampshire State Hospital. Philip Pelletier, 32, was working on an overtime shift at Androscoggin Valley Hospital in Berlin in 2019 and was supervising the man, the attorney general's office said. Pelletier was accused of taking the man's photo without his consent while the man was in a patient room. Pelletier was charged with violation of privacy, a misdemeanor. BERLIN (AP) Germanys health minister says he is anything but happy that Syrias government which has waged a devastating, deadly decade-long war against dissenters has been selected for a seat on the World Health Organizations executive board. Health Minister Jens Spahn said Tuesday that the choice of Syria, which was confirmed with no debate or dissent at a meeting of WHO member nations in Geneva over the weekend, reflected the need to work with some governments for the benefit of their people especially on health matters. Im anything but happy with this decision, Spahn said when asked about the issue at a news conference in Berlin. But he added that international cooperation among sovereign states was necessary to coordinate and set standards together and noted that a similar situation also arises in other international forums like the U.N. Human Rights Council. These are the shortcomings of realpolitik, he said. Especially when it comes to health issues and the health care of the population, the question is always: Who are we actually punishing here if we dont make cooperation possible?" Spahn said. "Are we punishing the regime or the population? Dozens of medical workers in rebel-held northwest Syria on Monday protested the decision to grant the seat to Syrian President Bashar Assads government, accusing it of responsibility for bombing hospitals and clinics across the war-ravaged country. The war has left half a million people dead and driven millions out of the country since the conflict erupted in 2011. Syria was among 12 WHO member nations chosen to put forward new members for the 34-strong executive board, which is largely a technical group whose role is to carry out the decisions of, and advise, the assembly. Syria will take up the seat when the board holds its latest meeting, which starts Wednesday. ___ Associated Press Writer Jamey Keaten contributed from Geneva. BERLIN (AP) Germany's foreign minister on Tuesday rejected the idea of delivering weapons to Ukraine after the country's president indicated that he would like military help from Berlin. Germany, along with France, has led Western diplomatic efforts to resolve the long-running conflict between Kyiv and Russia-backed separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine. But efforts toward a political settlement are stalled. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was quoted in an interview Tuesday with the German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that Chancellor Angela Merkel has done a lot for Ukraine but of course I had hoped for more from her, particularly in the Normandy format of four-way talks between Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France. Germany can do more, he said, pointing to recent comments by opposition Green party leader Robert Habeck during a visit to Ukraine. Habeck said that from my point of view, it is hard for us to deny Ukraine weapons for defense, for self-defense. His comments drew widespread criticism in Germany in an election year, not least from his own party, which has pacifist roots. Germany has not given us military help, but it could do, Zelenskyy said. Germany has great ships: speedboats, missile speedboats and patrol boats. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas firmly rejected the idea of weapons deliveries, while highlighting Germany's support for Ukraine in diplomacy and in bilateral aid. I am convinced that the conflict can only be solved by political channels, and that should be clear to all involved, he told reporters in Berlin. This remains the guiding principle of our engagement, and it won't change weapons deliveries don't help in this. Ukraine also strongly opposes the completion of a new Russian-built natural gas pipeline to Germany under the Baltic Sea. The Nord Stream 2 project also is opposed by Habeck's Greens and by the United States, but the Biden administration opted last month not to punish the company overseeing the project even while announcing new sanctions against Russian companies and ships. The move eased a long-running irritant in German-U.S. relations. Germany's Funke newspaper group reported Tuesday that a German delegation including two top Merkel advisers traveled to Washington this week for talks expected to include the pipeline issue. Maas said Germany had made clear that it has an interest in finding a common way forward. That will now be the subject of talks in Washington, and I am confident that we will succeed in finding a way, he said. This certainly won't be easy, and possibly won't be the case overnight, but we are counting on dialogue with officials in Washington as we did in the past, and we will continue that. Why: All told, inspectors spotted 21 violations (six high-priority), led by the aforementioned live rodent in oven. There also were rodent rub marks present along walls/ceilings. (Rodent rub marks, a phrase we never thought wed have to Google, are the trails of dirt and oil rodents leave behind.) They also saw 26 live flies in the kitchen and food prep areas crawling on cabbage, tomatoes and bags of cauliflower, and inspectors ordered the restaurant to stop selling cabbage, tomatoes and cauliflower due to food not being in a wholesome, sound condition. They also saw another 24 flies on dirty pots and pans in the mop sink and one live roach in the kitchen above the fryer. There were also 129 (!) rodent droppings beneath the dishwashing sink, near the front counter and on shelves next to onions, potatoes, ginger and inside an unused oven. Of the minor offenses, inspectors also spotted 50 dead flying insects in freezer located outside, ceiling damage and hole in or other damage to wall. The restaurant remains closed until inspectors finish a follow-up inspection. MINNEAPOLIS (AP) A Black man who worked as a security guard for a CNN crew covering protests in Minneapolis following George Floyd's death last summer is suing two Minnesota State Patrol officers, accusing them of violating his civil rights and unlawful detention, his attorneys announced Tuesday. The lawsuit was filed in federal court last Thursday on behalf of Michael Cooper, a 64-year-old retired veteran of the Illinois State Police. Cooper was jailed for nearly 20 hours on suspicion of carrying a concealed weapon without a permit and violating a curfew, but he was never charged, the complaint says. The lawsuit says Cooper was jailed even though he had a CNN press credential and a valid permit to carry a concealed firearm, and even though journalists were exempt from the curfew imposed during the unrest. Coopers arrest followed the arrest of a Black CNN reporter at the protests one day earlier. CNN hired Cooper to protect its news crews after that incident. The lawsuit says Cooper was arrested after officers began firing rubber bullets and tear gas at the crowd and as he tried to guide the news crew to a safer area. White journalists who were nearby were not arrested after either incident, the complaint said. The lawsuit names a state trooper and a State Patrol official who Cooper's attorneys believe is a captain. We disagree with the allegations and look forward to presenting the facts in court, said Bruce Gordon, a spokesman for the state Department of Public Safety, which includes the State Patrol. Contrasting with the lawsuit's allegations, Trooper Patrick Kelly wrote in two field reports that Cooper had no credentials on him to prove that he was working for CNN, nor a permit to carry a weapon, and that there were no cameras or news crew members nearby. Kelly wrote that Cooper disregarded commands to leave the area. He wrote that Cooper was ordered to lay down on the ground and was arrested after another trooper spotted that he was carrying a gun. Cooper is being represented by the firm of civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who also represents the Floyd family. Cooper is seeking over $1 million in damages. CNN is not a party to the case. How many times will the country need to see this script play out, where a Black man is treated differently by police than other people in the same situation?" attorney Christopher ONeal said in a statement. TWIN FALLS, Idaho (AP) Parents of a Twin Falls middle school student have filed a tort claim against the school district, contending that the girl was injured after a teacher instructed his students to push her down concrete stairs as part of a reenactment of a Shakespeare play. The family has incurred more than $30,000 in medical costs so far because of the girl's injuries, attorney Brian Hilverda told the Times-News. A tort claim is the first step toward suing a government entity. The Twin Falls School District and teacher Froylan Vargas have not yet responded to the tort claim, which was filed in March, the Twin Falls newspaper reported Sunday. Vargas didn't immediately respond to an email from The Associated Press seeking comment. The family in the claim said the teacher had his students wrap the girl tightly in a sheet before pushing her down concrete stairs while he recorded the event on his cell phone. The girl "was wrapped so tight she could not arrest her descent down the stairs," law firm Hilverda McRae PLLC wrote in the claim. The family said she sustained a concussion, traumatic brain injury, a scalp wound that required staples and other injuries. The school district confirmed on Thursday that it had received notice of tort claim, but declined comment. Beyond that confirmation, the District cannot release any information during the ongoing investigation of this claim, district spokesperson Eva Craner wrote in an email. The stunt was part of an assignment to reenact a scene from Shakespeare, and the students were reportedly told they would fail if they didn't participate, Hilverda said. This poor girl has been through a lot. She tried to return to school, but the brain injury has made that difficult, Hilverda said. Her mother eventually pulled her from school during the last few weeks. TEHRAN, Iran (AP) An Iranian fighter jet on Tuesday developed a technical problem that killed both of the aircraft's pilots, state TV reported. The report said the incident happened in the countrys southwest, in the city of Dezful, 444 kilometers (270 miles) from the capital, Tehran and near the border with Iraq. AP LAS VEGAS (AP) Police appealed again Tuesday to teachers, grandparents, relatives and adults who work with children to identify a slain boy whose body was found by hikers near a highway between Las Vegas and rural Pahrump. Las Vegas police homicide Lt. Ray Spencer said investigators have checked hundreds of tips in states including California, Arizona, Utah, Texas, Nebraska and Iowa since the body was discovered about 7 a.m. Friday. None proved fruitful. JACKSON, Miss. (AP) Joseph Latino, bishop emeritus of the Catholic Diocese of Jackson, Mississippi, died Friday at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, the diocese said. He was 83. The diocese said Tuesday that a Mass of Christian Burial is set for 11:30 a.m. June 9 in Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle in downtown Jackson. Latino was named the 10th bishop of Jackson on Jan. 3, 2003, and was ordained as bishop and installed on March 7, 2003, the diocese said. He retired Dec. 12, 2013. In March 2006, the Diocese of Jackson agreed to pay $5.1 million to 19 people who claimed they were molested by priests over three decades. The diocese also agreed to remove any person against whom there has been a credible allegation of abuse for any position of influence over policy and decision making regarding sexual abuse claims. I sincerely hope that this settlement will bring a sense of peace to all those who have suffered as a result of the acts of a few, Latino said in a statement at the time. The Jackson diocese formed an office for the protection of children while Latino was bishop. Latino was a New Orleans native and was ordained as a priest in 1963. He served as a parish priest in New Orleans and three other Louisiana cities Metairie, Houma and Thibodaux. The Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux was established in 1977, and Latino served in several positions there. In 1983, Pope John Paul II named him a prelate of honor with the title of monsignor. Bishop Latino was most gracious to me from the outset and remained a prayerful and steady friend and colleague from the time I was ordained and installed on Feb. 6, 2014, the current bishop of the Jackson Diocese, Joseph R. Kopacz, said in a news release Tuesday. "May he rest in peace." MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) A member of Montana's House of Representatives resigned his seat late last month to accept an appointment to the Montana Board of Pardons and Parole, even after an attorney for the legislature questioned the constitutionality of the move, a Montana news outlet reported. Republican Rep. Jimmy Patelis of Billings announced May 23 on social media that he was resigning from the House to accept Gov. Greg Gianforte's appointment to the parole board, effective Tuesday. The job pays about $87,000 a year, according to state employee data. NBC Montana obtained emails from January indicating Patelis asked the Legislative Services Division for an opinion on whether it would be permissible for him to accept an appointment to the board. The attorney responded that he believed it would violate Montana's Constitution, which does not allow a member of the Legislature to be appointed to a civil office during the term for which he shall have been elected, NBC Montana reported. Patelis was elected in 2020 for a two-year term that began in January. Patelis then asked the lawyer asked if a lawmaker would be able to accept an appointment after finishing the legislative session and resigning from the Legislature. Under that scenario, Patelis wrote, the elected term would effectively have ended before confirmation for the new job would take place in the state Senate. The attorney responded that the plain language of the Constitutional provision and the Constitutional Convention transcripts seem to prevent a member of the Legislature from taking any civil office during the length of the term, regardless of whether the member resigns. The next step, the attorney wrote, would be to determine if a member of the parole board has a position of civil office. Gianforte's spokesperson, Travis Hall, told NBC Montana that Patelis expressed interest in the appointment in November 2020. The Department of Corrections advisory council advised the governor that while "Patelis was highly qualified, he was not eligible because he was a sitting legislator," Hall said. The governor-elect advised Rep. Patelis that he could not and would not be appointed to a position on (the board) unless and until he resigned from his position as a legislator, being fully aware of the laws prohibiting legislators from serving as a civil officer on boards," Hall said. However, transcripts of the 1972 Constitutional Convention show a conversation among delegates about the issue, with then-Delegate Noel Furlong asking if lawmakers could resign to accept such an appointment. Then-Delegate Thomas Joyce responded: No, you may not. Under the present Constitution, you could not do that." Joyce also noted they were retaining that provision from the state's original Constitution. In the email to Patelis, the Legislative Services attorney also listed the reasons that state lawyers believe the parole board position would be a civil office," based on a five-part test established by the Montana Supreme Court. Patelis is listed on the Board of Pardons and Parole website as a board member, with his appointment running from June 1 through Jan. 1, 2027. His campaign website says he spent 35 years working in corrections, retiring as the chief U.S. probation officer for Montana. Democrats were criticized when nine lawmakers took state jobs between 2006 and 2009, while Democratic Gov. Brian Schweitzer was in office. Then-state Sen. Mike Cooney accepted an unadvertised and temporary job as head of the Department of Labor's Business Standards Division in 2006, the same year State Sen. Sam Kitzenberg of Glasgow was hired for a temporary job with the state Revenue Department. After the November 2006 election, Kitzenberg switched from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party, breaking a 25-25 tie in the Senate. Kitzenberg dismissed criticism that the switch occurred because of his temporary state job, saying he just realized where his heart was politically. In response, Republican Rep. John Sinrud of Bozeman introduced a bill during the 2007 session to prohibit legislators from accepting employment with the state during the legislators' terms of office. It passed the House, but did not proceed beyond a Senate committee. In August 2007, then-Rep. Eve Franklin of Great Falls, a Democrat, resigned her seat after being hired as the states mental health ombudsman. Other lawmakers also took jobs in state agencies, which is allowed under state law with a requirement that they not be paid for their state jobs while performing legislative duties. BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) The Louisiana Senate gave quick final passage Tuesday to a bill that would allow gun owners to carry concealed firearms without a permit, a measure expected to provoke a veto from Gov. John Bel Edwards. The Democratic governor's opposition didn't slow passage of the measure by Republican Sen. Jay Morris of Monroe. With no debate, the Senate voted 27-9 for House changes to the bill, a move that sent the proposal to Edwards' desk. The measure would allow anyone 21 years or older in Louisiana to carry a concealed handgun without needing a permit, unless they are barred under another law from having a firearm. Gun owners wanting concealed carry would no longer have to take nine hours of training on gun safety, get a background check or pay a fee to the Louisiana State Police. Lawmakers passed the legislation with bipartisan, veto-proof majorities, but it's unclear if all the lawmakers would agree to override Edwards' decision if he jettisons the measure as expected. Supporters called the measure a protection of gun owners' 2nd Amendment rights and individual liberties. Opponents said removal of the permitting requirements would damage public safety and could lead to more unnecessary shootings and deaths. Morris said he doesnt believe allowing unpermitted concealed carry will increase violence. If I thought it was going to lead to wholesale lawlessness, I wouldnt bring this bill. Its for law-abiding citizens, he said during an earlier debate on the bill. Edwards has defended the current permitting process as appropriate. 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, Edwards said when asked about the proposal in April. The House added language to the bill to create a one-hour online concealed handgun education course that would be available for free for people who want to voluntarily take it. ___ The bill is filed as Senate Bill 118. ___ Follow Melinda Deslatte on Twitter at http://twitter.com/melindadeslatte. SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) California labor unions representing workers in manufacturing, retail, grocery stores, hospitality, health care and other businesses announced their support Tuesday for Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom as he faces a likely recall election. The California Labor Federation delivered the endorsement on behalf of 2.1 million workers and 1,200 affiliated unions on the steps of the Capitol, blasting the recall and Newsom's competitors as anti-worker." The news conference aimed to show unity among organized labor after the new president of SEIU Local 1000, the largest union that represents state workers, said it would not support the governor under his leadership. The union's board of directors scheduled an emergency meeting for Wednesday to discuss a $1 million donation to Newsom, ahead of Richard Louis Brown taking office as president later this month. Art Pulaski, head of the labor federation, said he wouldn't second-guess Brown's comments, but said he may come around at some point." SEIU Local 1000 is part of the California Labor Federation, and the broader SEIU California State Council endorsed Newsom last week. Pulaski and leaders of the federation's affiliated unions said Newsom kept workers safe during the pandemic by distributing personal protective equipment and, more recently, helping essential workers access vaccinations. They praised him for signing legislation that required workplaces to report outbreaks and expanding paid sick leave for people who contracted coronavirus. They warned a recall would roll back worker rights and remove an ally to organized labor from the governor's office. It makes no sense to attack the one person who gets up every day with the intent of keeping the state safe and keep it moving forward, said Jacques Loveall, president of UFCW Local 8, which represents supermarket and drug store workers. Republican candidates running include former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, former Congressman Doug Ose, businessman John Cox and reality TV star Caitlyn Jenner. The unions broadly blasted the field as anti-worker but provided few specifics on each candidates policy positions on labor and pay issues. Cox charged Newsom's pandemic policies were bad for workers. The truth is Gavin Newsom did more to hurt workers than any governor in history when he closed California down and kept it closed. Millions of people lost their jobs," he said in a statement. After sitting out traditional campaigning last year due to the pandemic, thousands of California Labor Federation members will be knocking on doors, talking to their neighbors and making the case in person that Newsom deserves to stay in office. Leaders said workers would spend their nights and weekends campaigning. Today's launch signifies the return of the ground game in California elections," Pulaski said. This is where union members shine." Pulaski said the effort will be aimed at persuading people who may be interested in a recall to stick with Newsom and on turning out voters who already support him. A recent poll from the Public Policy Institute of California showed 40% of people support removing Newsom from office. A majority of voters must approve his removal for a recall to succeed. Recall supporters have their own army of volunteers. Organizers with little to no formal political training successfully gathered more than 1.7 million valid signatures to place the recall on the ballot, relying on volunteers across all 58 counties who stood on street corners and in parking lots collecting signatures throughout the summer and fall. Orrin Heatlie, the leader of that movement, said recently that his volunteers were taking a much-needed break but they would soon be back out campaigning. They'll be handing out fliers and educating the public as to the reasons behind the recall, the need for a yes vote," he said. A date for an election hasn't been set. People who signed a recall petition have another week to withdraw their names, then the state Department of Finance and Legislature must conduct and review cost estimates for an election. Then the lieutenant governor, also a Democrat, will set an election date. HOLYOKE, Mass. (AP) A Massachusetts mayor has faced criticism for rescinding a previous mayor's executive order that declared racism and police violence public health emergencies. Acting Holyoke Mayor Terence Murphy said last week in his decision that the order has no immediate benefit because the city has not yet acted on many of its plans. It is my expectation that all city departments consistently treat everyone with respect as we serve the public regardless of race or ethnicity, Murphy, who was named acting mayor in April and does not plan to run in the fall, said to explain the decision. The order was signed last year by former Mayor Alex Morse. Mayoral candidate Gloria Caballero-Roca called Murphy's reasoning weak." I would think that any call to consciousness-raising around the subject of endemic racism in an effort to make more public an understanding of the experience of Blacks and Latinos is a good thing, not to be cast aside, Caballero-Roca told The Daily Hampshire Gazette. Elizabeth Caretti Ramirez, a member of the citys citizen police advisory committee, thinks Murphy is naive. Its very clear that Murphy thinks that if were all just nice to each other, then racism isnt a problem, she said. This is an institutional, systemic issue, and hes the face of the institution and system right now. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) A missing 4-year-old autistic boy who was visiting Jacksonville with his family from New York was found dead Monday night in a retention pond, police said. Gavin Douyon's family authorities they last saw the child around 5:30 p.m. on Monday. The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office used a helicopter, a dive team and a drone unit to search for the child. His body was located in the pond around 9:20 p.m., police said. JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) The Missouri Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected a death row inmate's argument that he received ineffective counsel and prosecutors withheld important evidence during his trial for killing a central Missouri couple. Jesse Driskill, of Lebanon, was sentenced to death in 2013 for killing 82-year-old Johnnie Wilson and 76-year-old Coleen Wilson at their home near Lebanon. The couple had just celebrated their 59th wedding anniversary when they confronted Driskill burglarizing the house on July 26, 2010. HELENA, Mont. (AP) Montana state employees who have been working remotely because of the pandemic will begin returning to their worksites this month and Capitol Complex offices that have been closed to the public will reopen in two weeks, state officials said. Effective June 14, state agencies will bring at least half of their employees back to their assigned state worksites. Managers will decide which employees will return during a first stage of the process, according to a memo issued by the Department of Administration last Friday. State employees are encouraged to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and face coverings won't be required for most employees under the state's guidelines. But masks may be required for employees working in facilities that open 24 hours a day such as prisons, nursing homes or the state psychiatric hospital. Masks may also be mandatory for state workers who have close contact with citizens, such as social workers and probation and parole officers. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is still recommending social distancing for unvaccinated people, the memo said. Throughout all stages of returning to state worksites, agency managers and employees should cooperatively address individual situations, the memo stated. Employees can use any COVID-19 pay leave they have remaining to address child care issues, illness or quarantine requirements. In-person meetings will be allowed at state worksites, but agencies should also provide virtual options for people still working remotely and for those with health concerns. There are no restrictions on in-state travel, but managers will need to approve out-of-state business travel based on necessity and the prevalence of COVID-19 in the area. No new telework agreements will be granted, at least temporarily, in part so the new agency managers appointed by Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte can assess how the agencies operate with employees back in the offices. In the coming months, the cabinet agencies will participate in a space and workforce study designed to maximize our workspaces for efficiency and productivity, the memo states. Part of this study will examine remote work for state employees. The Montana Federation of Public Employees, the union that represents state employees, urged the governor to embrace public employees as partners in determining best practices for achieving productivity and efficiency goals, which should include work-from-home agreements in many agencies. In Lewis and Clark County, 50% of the 59,540 people eligible for the vaccine are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to state information. RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) Two more people have been arrested in the death of a 69-year-old man whose body was found at a cemetery in North Carolina, police said. News outlets report Raleigh police said Johnathan Dan Villanueva-Galer, 19, of Raleigh was arrested on Tuesday and charged with the murder of James Lucy Taylor. Police also said juvenile petitions have been obtained for a 16-year-old who has been taken into custody in the death of James Lacy Taylor. CONCORD, N.H. (AP) A new round of virtual job fairs has been scheduled by the state of New Hampshire, although some people reported technical difficulties with a couple of recent fairs. Virtual job fairs have been scheduled for the Great Northwoods & Dartmouth regions on Tuesday, June 8; the Seacoast Region on June 9; the White Mountains Region on June 10; the Lakes Region on June 15; the Monadnock Region on June 16; and the Capital and Southern Region on June 17. As New Hampshire's economy rebounded during the coronavirus pandemic, residents receiving unemployment benefits were required to start searching for work as of May 23. The job fairs can be used to satisfy that requirement. Last week, Cindy Brenner, of Goffstown, said she had some challenges staying connected to one of the job fairs last week that was attended by more than 700 people. It would just shut off completely, so youd have to go back into the email, and so youd have to rejoin via the link, and hope that it would put you back at the same place you were," she told New Hampshire Public Radio. The technical issues are being worked on, said Richard Lavers, deputy commissioner of New Hampshire Employment Security. In other coronavirus-related news in New Hampshire: ___ DIOCESE MASK POLICY Catholic schools in New Hampshire will implement a parent choice" mask policy for the 2021-2022 academic year, the Diocese of Manchester said Tuesday. The schools have been open for in-person learning since August 2020. Parents throughout our system of Catholic schools will have the flexibility and freedom to make their own decisions on whether or not they want their child to wear a mask at school, and the same is true for our teachers and staff," Alison Mueller, director of marketing, enrollment, and development for Catholic schools, said in a news release. COVID-19 mitigation efforts such as including air purifiers in the classroom will continue, said David A. Thibault, superintendent of schools for the diocese. As we prepare for the next academic year, we remain committed to operating safely and responsibly, with a high level of flexibility should unforeseen circumstances arise," he said. ___ THE NUMBERS More than 98,000 people have tested positive for the virus in New Hampshire, including 35 cases announced Sunday. The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in New Hampshire decreased over the past two weeks, going from 139 new cases per day on May 16 to 54 new cases per day on Sunday. MARTINSBURG, W.Va. (AP) West Virginia state police have released the name of a suspect who was found dead after a standoff with officers in which an officer was shot. State police on Tuesday identified the man as Herman King Myers Jr., 52, of Kearneysville, news outlets reported. BRUSSELS (AP) NATO's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the military organizations pullout from Afghanistan is going well, as at least six people were killed Tuesday in a series of attacks that plunged the country's capital, Kabul, into darkness. NATO has helped provide security in Afghanistan for almost two decades, but it now believes the government and armed forces it has trained are strong enough to stand on their own in the conflict-torn country without the help of international troops. NATO took charge of security efforts in Afghanistan in 2003, two years after a U.S.-led coalition ousted the Taliban for harboring former Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. Fewer than 9,000 troops remain, including up to 3,500 US personnel, and they are scheduled to leave by Sept. 11 at the latest. The drawdown of our forces is progressing in an orderly and coordinated way. At every step, the safety of our personnel remains paramount, Stoltenberg told reporters after chairing virtual meetings of NATOs foreign and defense ministers. While NATO troops will no longer be in Afghanistan, the 30-nation alliance and its partners will continue to provide funding to what Stoltenberg described as the countrys capable, strong security force. It remains unclear exactly how money will be channeled to the Afghan army, which military experts have warned is made up of poorly trained, ill-equipped troops whose loyalties waver between their country and local warlords. The experts say the Afghan armed forces, which are meant to be the bulwark against Taliban insurgents who have stepped up their attacks in recent months, is rife with corruption, demoralized and struggling to hold on to territory. Three explosions rattled Kabul late Tuesday. Two bombs exploded in quick succession in separate locations in a western neighborhood, killing at least 10 people and wounding a dozen others, according to the Afghan Interior Ministry. A third blast heavily damaged an electrical grid station in north Kabul. NATO will continue our civilian diplomatic presence in Kabul, to provide advice and capacity-building support to Afghan security institutions, Stoltenberg said. NATO diplomats said this week that it remains unclear who will protect those civilians or how Kabul's international airport will be secured. The former Norwegian prime minister said that NATO is also studying ways to educate Afghan troops and train special forces soldiers outside the country. He said the ministers agreed that this continued support is the best way in which we can all contribute to peace efforts in Afghanistan. NATO's departure from Afghanistan will figure high on the agenda of a summit in Brussels on June 14 led by U.S. President Joe Biden. No Afghan leaders will take part in the meeting. BRUSSELS (AP) NATO's foreign and defense ministers were meeting Tuesday to lay the groundwork for the military alliance's first summit with U.S. President Joe Biden, setting aside four tumultuous years with the Trump administration. The ministers will discuss a hefty communique being drafted for the June 14 summit in Brussels, which will reaffirm the unity of the 30-nation security alliance which has been riven by infighting in recent years and focus on future threats and challenges. When it comes to killing an iguana, Florida law allows it if the killing is done humanely. You can hit iguanas over the head with a shovel, stab them in the brain, and even decapitate them as long as they die instantly and dont suffer. TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday he's prepared to risk tension with the U.S. if that is what it takes to neutralize Iran's nuclear capabilities. The embattled premier, whose political future is in question just 11 days out from a bruising war, said Israel's biggest threat remains the possibility of a nuclear-armed Iran. He said Israel is prepared to prevent that from happening even if the United States and other nations succeed in reinstating the 2015 Iran nuclear accord. If we have to choose, I hope it doesnt happen, between friction with our great friend the United States and eliminating the existential threat eliminating the existential threat wins, Netanyahu said. He spoke at a ceremony for David Barnea, the new chief of Israel's Mossad spy agency. Iran has accused Israel of being behind a number of attacks killing Iranian nuclear scientists or sabotaging Iranian nuclear facilities. More talks on the subject were expected this week when Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz travels to Washington. He's slated to meet with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin and U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan about Iran and stability in the region. Netanyahu's comments come amid ongoing talks in Vienna between nations seeking to update and reinstate the 2015 agreement, in line with President Joe Biden's campaign promise. His predecessor, Republican President Donald Trump, pulled the U.S. out of the accord in 2018 and imposed sanctions on the Islamic Republic. The deal places curbs on Iranian nuclear activities in exchange for relief from crippling economic sanctions. Netanyahu staunchly opposes the agreement, arguing that it does not have enough safeguards to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Israel also says the deal must address Iran's support for militant groups, its military actions across the region and its development of long-range missiles capable of striking Israel. Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only and says the nuclear deal should be reinstated without any changes. Netanyahu spoke about Iran on Tuesday as his rivals in the Knesset huddled to try to form a coalition government that would end Netanyahus 12-year rule. The developments come amid a fragile truce between Israel and Hamas' militant rulers in the Gaza Strip after a brutal 11-day war that killed more than 250 people, most of them Palestinian. Hamas, which opposes Israel's right to exist and is considered a terrorist group by Israel, the U.S. and other Western countries, receives millions of dollars of military aid from Iran each year. Police departments in New Jersey reached a deadline Tuesday for all officers on patrol to begin wearing body cameras, although many departments across the state still have not implemented the technology. Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, alongside other state and local officials in Camden, said that 487 departments across New Jersey had applied for and been approved for about $58 million in grants to buy cameras. We are witnessing a new chapter in policing in New Jersey with the reforms we are implementing in partnership with law enforcement and community leaders. And, with the body cameras we are funding, we will literally have an objective witness to how police carry out their duties, Murphy said. Murphy and lawmakers signed off on the spending in a supplemental funding bill in December. It's financed through the state's general fund, which gets money from sales and corporate business taxes. Attorney General Gurbir Grewal cast police body cameras as an ingredient in building trust among communities and police. By acting as an unbiased witness to law enforcement actions, they help to safeguard equal justice, while also protecting the vast majority of officers who do the right thing day-in and day-out, he said. The bill passed in the Legislature after this summers protests stemming from videos showing violence involving police, most prominently George Floyd, whose death was recorded by a bystander, but the legislation has been around since 2014. When the bill was enacted last November, about a third or 12,000 of officers wore cameras. The grants are aimed at closing the gap. There are exceptions to the camera requirement, though, such as undercover officers or those on administrative duty. Police unions have backed the legislation. Pat Colligan, the president of the New Jersey State Policemens Benevolent Association, said last year that cameras bring transparency to the job and show the public what the work of officers is like. Police departments across the country have increased their use of body cameras, which have been praised for their potential to show the truth of an encounter with officers. But with budget crunches looming and cries to defund the police, some have asked if taxpayer dollars spent on police body cameras have provided the accountability and transparency expected. Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, New Mexico and South Carolina require police body cameras, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. South Carolina was the only state with a mandate in place before May 2020, according to the association. In New Jersey, it's unclear how long it could take for the cameras to be fully implemented. In a statement, the governor's office said the procurement process has been affected because of the new demand for the cameras. Among the departments getting the biggest doses of state grant funding for the cameras are the state police and departments in Jersey City and Newark, according to data from the attorney general's office. BOSTON (AP) The Worcester Red Sox will make coronavirus vaccines available to their fans during this week's homestand, the team announced Tuesday. Fans 18 and older who receive a single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine at the home of the Triple-A team will get a complimentary general admission ticket to that days game along with a team cap, the team said in a statement. Fans who already have a ticket will get a ticket to a future game. Staff from the Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center in Worcester will administer the vaccines on the first base concourse on a first-come, first-served basis. This is not the first time the WooSox a Boston Red Sox affiliate have offered vaccines at a game. The team gave out 214 shots at a game on May 25. Vaccines will be available through Sunday for the clubs entire six-game homestand against the Rochester Red Wings. The WooSox are exploring the possibility of making vaccines available at more games this summer. ___ HELP FOR SCHOOLS A Boston nonprofit is committing $250,000 to the city's public schools to help students bounce back from more than a year of stress and learning loss during the coronavirus pandemic, officials said Tuesday. The Boston Schools Fund will start by supporting five city schools with $20,000 Re-Centering Implementation grants each to equip school leaders with the resources needed to focus on the social-emotional wellness of students and staff, and therapeutic approaches to learning. Students, families and educators have lost so much in the last 14 months, Chief Executive Will Austin said in a statement. We cant wait. We need to put resources towards these kids now. The five schools, all located in city neighborhoods hit hard by the pandemic, will apply their funds toward critical recovery efforts, including tutoring, mental health counseling, and staff training. The Boston Schools Fund has also committed an additional $150,000 toward investments to support 38 schools with targeted reopening guidance and planning support. ___ VIRUS BY THE NUMBERS The number of new daily cases of COVID-19 increased by about 180 Tuesday while the number of newly confirmed coronavirus deaths in Massachusetts rose by 12. The new numbers pushed the states confirmed COVID-19 death toll to 17,520 since the start of the pandemic, while its confirmed caseload rose to about 661,300. The true number of cases is likely higher because studies suggest some people can be infected and not feel sick. There were about 220 people reported hospitalized Tuesday because of confirmed cases of COVID-19, with about 80 in intensive care units. The average age of those hospitalized was 59. There were an estimated 6,000 people with current active cases of COVID-19 in the state. ___ IMMUNIZATIONS More than 7.8 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Massachusetts as of Tuesday. That includes nearly 4.2 million first doses and more than 3.4 million second doses of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. There have been more than 251,000 doses of the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine administered. More than 3.6 million people have been fully immunized. CHESAPEAKE, Va. (AP) A Norfolk man has been arrested and faces multiple charges in the February abduction of a 3-month-old, police said Tuesday. Chesapeake police spokesman L.C. Kosinski said Antonio Obrien Reid, 21, has been charged with felony child neglect, abduction, vehicle theft, larceny with intent to sell or distribute and possession of a stolen vehicle, The Virginian-Pilot reported. Police said the charges were filed on May 17. KALISPELL, Mont. (AP) Hundreds of nurses at Logan Health in Kalispell, Montana began a three-day strike Tuesday over demands for better wages and working conditions. More than 100 nurses who were scheduled to work during the strike said they would still work their shifts, the Daily Inter Lake reported. Meanwhile, nurses who oppose the union said they were gathering signatures to hold a vote to end the nurses relationship with the Service Employees International Union. The group called Nurses and Community Unite said it will be filing for a decertification election with the National Labor Relations Board to sever ties with the SEIU. Not only has the SEIU failed to get a contract, they have created a hostile and divisive work environment," said Shelly Olbert, a registered nurse and spokesperson for Nurses and Community Unite. Throughout the pandemic, members of SEIU did not receive hazard pay increases and other benefits that staffers in other departments received, the anti-union group said. The group said more than 40% of Logan Health nurses have signed a petition for a decertification election, more than the 30% needed. The union has been seeking increased staffing, improved wages and benefits and a voice for nurses in staffing decisions, including more warning when their schedules change. The bargaining began 19 months ago. SEIU has accused Logan Health management of working to weaken the nurses' resolve to stand together as a union. Records on file with the National Labor Relations Board show two open cases filed by SEIU against Logan Health. The NLRB is investigating the retaliatory termination of a union nurse, and the union has filed more than 10 other unfair labor practice accusations against Logan Health for "union-busting efforts, the union said in a statement last week. On Tuesday, Logan Health President and CEO Dr. Craig Lambrecht said the hospital has heard reports of bullying and intimidation of nurses who have chosen to cross the picket line. He declined to elaborate. MADISON, Miss. (AP) A Mississippi state trooper who was killed on duty last week was determined from childhood to become a law enforcement officer when he grew up, his father said Tuesday during the trooper's funeral. John Martin Harris, 44, was struck and killed by a vehicle Friday during a traffic stop in Madison County. His death remains under investigation, and nobody had been arrested by Tuesday. Hundreds of law enforcement officers from Mississippi and other states joined other mourners for the funeral at Broadmoor Baptist Church in the Jackson suburb of Madison. Jimmy Harris of Clarksdale said his son knew his purpose early in life. I am so proud that my son was a trooper, he said. Y'all are an elite group of individuals that possess character, integrity all the qualities that you would want your son or daughter to have. Gov. Tate Reeves said one of Harris' friends described the late trooper as a modern-day Wyatt Earp. I could never in a million years come up with words adequate enough to properly put into perspective how much John meant to so many, Reeves said during the funeral. But honestly, words really are not even necessary today. All you must do is look around this church and it becomes obvious how much Johns life meant. Mississippi is a better place because of Trooper John Harris, Reeves said. "And likely more importantly to John, Mississippi is a safer place because of Trooper John Harris. Harris' survivors include a wife and two children. Harris was a Clarksdale native. He started his law enforcement career in 1997 in Webb. He was awarded his first purple heart in 2002 during his time as a Friars Point police officer and his second one in 2004 while working for the Madison County Sheriff's Department. Harris also served as a Richland police officer before graduating from trooper school in 2018 and joining the Mississippi Highway Patrol. Jimmy Harris, who owns an electronics store in Clarksdale, said the son he called John Martin worked for a while as a police officer in that city. He wrote so many tickets in Clarksdale, I said, Son, youre going to put me out of business, Jimmy Harris said, prompting laughter from people at the funeral. Everybody came to my store, they were having a fit: Man, your son gave me an $85 ticket. I said, Well, what were you doing? I was doing 65 in a 30. I said, Well, you should have got a ticket. Col. Randy Ginn is director of the Highway Patrol and assistant commissioner of public safety. He said people who knew Harris through his law enforcement career described him as determined, driven and dedicated. He was determined to do it right, Ginn said. And he wasnt going to quit. He wanted to be a part of the solution to whats going on in society. KEOKUK, Iowa (AP) Democrats lost last year's election for Iowa's 2nd Congressional District by the narrowest margin in a House race in almost 40 years. After the six-vote heartbreaker, some expected Democrat Rita Hart to immediately declare a rematch in the southeast district long held by her party. So far, no Democrat has stepped up to run. The hesitancy to jump into a district now as competitive as they come is one measure of Democrats' fatigue in a state viewed for decades as a true battleground. Even as the coronavirus pandemic gradually wanes and President Joe Biden's job approval remains strong, Iowa Democrats say they can feel their party receding, particularly from the industrial river towns they once claimed as bastions. I kind of think we're past the point of no return, said Rich Taylor, a former Democratic state senator who lost last year after eight years representing economically struggling Lee County, which hugs the Mississippi River in the state's southeast corner. I believe that the people of southeast Iowa will wake up. But I dont think its going to make a difference for the next 20 years. It took years to reach this point. For more than a decade, Democrats have watched their ranks in farm communities dwindle. At the same time, their once-dominant strength in the states factory towns was undermined by shrinking union power and population loss. Republican Donald Trump's popularity among the white working class in those areas to some feels like a final blow. The big question is: Can we bring it back? said Matt Pflug, a Democrat on the board of supervisors in Lee County. I dont know if we can. Democrats' fight to defend a six-seat majority in the House next year could come down to battles for similar river districts. In western Wisconsin, Republican Derrick Van Orden is seeking a rematch against 13-term Democrat Ron Kind, who held his seat by just 10,000 votes in 2020. Across the Mississippi, Minnesota Democrat Angie Craig won by a similarly narrow margin and will face a rematch from Republican Tyler Kistner. Further south, Republican Esther Joy King is running again in a western Illinois district, where five-term Democrat Cheri Bustos has decided against seeking reelection. Bustos won by just 12,000 votes in 2020, after winning by more than 55,000 in 2018 and almost 60,000 in 2016. And in northeast Iowa, theres no rush of Democrats angling to take on Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson, who beat one-term Democrat Abby Finkenauer in Iowa's 1st Congressional District last year. National Democrats, and some local activists, say they expect a competitive candidate to emerge in both districts. Neither Hart nor Finkenauer responded to requests for comment. Democrats argue that the Biden administration's economic agenda will be the key to winning these races. His proposed infrastructure and family aid initiatives $4 trillion in new spending on top of the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package passed in March will deliver unprecedented resources to underserved and rural communities in a way that can really provide a generational shift, said Sam Cornale, executive director of the Democratic National Committee. But its not good enough, though, to simply deliver good policy, he said. I think we also have to communicate how it can impact everyday Americans. Since February, Biden has traveled once to Wisconsin and twice to Pennsylvania and Michigan, all states he narrowly won last year. He has not been to Iowa, where Trump beat him by 8 percentage points. Iowa was once a top political battleground. For the past two decades, the state has swung back and forth in presidential elections, while the parties traded control of the governor's office. For 30 years, it sent liberal Democrat Tom Harkin to the Senate, as well as conservative Republican Chuck Grassley. Harkin's seat is now occupied by Republican Joni Ernst. Those Democratic victories relied on support from union laborers, a progressive rural farm tradition and backing in the states small and midsize metro areas. Democrat Dave Loebsack, a college professor, won seven consecutive House terms in Iowa's 2nd Congressional District until his retirement this year, chiefly by posting big margins in Johnson County, home of the University of Iowa and a growing suburban corridor. Before that, Iowa Rep. Leonard Boswell, a Democrat, farmer and Vietnam War veteran, served for 16 years, carrying vast swaths of rural southern Iowa. But the once-robust Democratic union base has dwindled as manufacturing jobs have left cities such as Burlington, Fort Madison and Keokuk along the river. The trend has left onetime industrial areas with disproportionately older voters without college degrees, voters who lean Republican. In 2016, Trump carried 9 of 10 Iowa counties along the river, only missing Scott County, the most metropolitan. Notably, Trump was the first Republican since Dwight D. Eisenhower to carry Dubuque County, for decades a union stronghold. Last year, Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks beat Hart in the congressional race by surging dramatically in the districts vast stretches of farmland west and south of the Mississippi River. There just weren't enough Democratic votes in the river towns. We used to be able to count on the union vote here, said former state Sen. Jerry Kearns of Keokuk, in Iowa's southeastern corner. Not anymore." Kearns was president of his United Steelworkers local for 20 of his 38 years working at Henniges automotive parts manufacturer. Today, only about 500 union employees remain of the 1,500 Kearns once represented. Union voters are younger than 20 years ago and don't realize what the Democratic Party has done for organized labor, he said. Union leaders see Biden's agenda as a benefit to workers, but workers themselves aren't as engaged in the policy, Kearns said, and are more interested in things like guns and rights they want to blame Democrats for trying to take away. Up the river in Des Moines County, Case International's farm equipment plant in Burlington maintains a union workforce of about 350, down from the 2,300 who worked there 20 years ago. Des Moines and Lee counties had among the state's highest unemployment rates in April. There are few signs of growth in Keokuk. Faded, white clapboard Civil War-era homes and once-stately prewar brick businesses that descend Main Street and its side streets to the Mississippi River stand as monuments to more prosperous days. Bidens economic aid could provide Democrats ammunition to campaign in places like this. But it will have to compete with the perception that the party has been taken over by socialists. Tom Courtney, a former state senator and longtime union official, said he thinks more voters than just a decade ago struggle to separate Democrats they know from those who speak nationally for the party. When he sought a comeback campaign last year, his opponents linked him to liberal New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent who ran for president as a Democrat. I think there are a large number of people that liked me and my policies, but just didnt want a Democrat because they didnt like AOC or didnt like Bernie Sanders, Courtney said. We didn't fight that national message." ___ This story has been corrected to show Sam Cornale is the DNCs executive director, not political director. It also corrects the spellings of the politicians' names to Jerry Kearns, not Kerns; Derrick Van Orden, not Derek; and Esther Joy King, not Edith. TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) The number of abortions performed in Kansas increased by 9.1% last year as far more women traveled from Oklahoma and Texas to terminate pregnancies than in 2019 and the state reported that out-of-state patients outnumbered Kansas patients for the first time in almost 50 years. The state Department of Health and Environment says 7,542 abortions were performed in 2020, an increase of 626 from 6,916 in 2019. Advocates on both side of the issue said Tuesday that much of that increase likely occurred because Republican governors in Oklahoma and Texas sought to ban most abortions last spring, prompting women from those states to travel to Kansas for the procedure. In Kansas, Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly refused to take a similar step, calling reproductive health an essential need. People were really fanning out to states that still provided abortion care as an essential part of health care, said Julie Burkhart, founder and CEO of the abortion rights group Trust Women, which operates clinics in Wichita and Oklahoma City. People were quite scared. They were desperate. Women and girls from Oklahoma and Texas had 566 abortions in Kansas in 2020, up from 110 in 2019. The additional 456 abortions were the bulk of the total increase in abortions in Kansas. The Kansas health department said 3,901 abortions, or nearly 52%, were for patients from outside the state. The last time the department had reported that more abortions were performed on patients from outside Kansas than on patients from Kansas was 1973, the same year that the U.S. Supreme Court legalized abortion nationwide. Gov. Kelly owns this increase, said Jeanne Gawdun, senior lobbyist for Kansans for Life, the states most politically influential anti-abortion group. We can now consider her the abortion-industry governor. The report on abortions, release late last week, came as both sides prepared for an August 2022 statewide vote on a proposed anti-abortion amendment. The measure would overturn a 2019 decision by the Kansas Supreme Court declaring access to abortion a fundamental right under the Kansas Constitution. The 9.1% jump in abortions was the largest annual increase since at least 1995, when the state began requiring all health care providers to report any abortions they performed. Since then, abortions in Kansas peaked at 12,445 in 1999, then declined in 16 of the following 20 years. A significant percentage of Kansas abortions historically have been performed for Missouri patients, particularly in the Kansas City area. In 2020, the number was 3,201 or 42% of the total. ___ Follow John Hanna on Twitter: https://twitter.com/apjdhanna WASHINGTON (AP) House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is ruling out a presidential commission to study the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol, telling House Democrats on Tuesday that having President Joe Biden appoint a panel is unworkable even after the Senate blocked an independent probe last week. Pelosi laid out possible next steps after Fridays Senate vote, in which Senate Republicans blocked legislation to create an independent, bipartisan panel to investigate the siege by former President Donald Trumps supporters. She proposed four options for an investigation of the attack, according to a person on the private Democratic caucus call who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal conversations. The first option, Pelosi said, is to give the Senate another chance to vote on the commission. Six Republicans voted with Democrats to move forward with the bill, and a seventh missed the vote but said he would have backed it. That means Democrats would only need support from three additional Republicans to reach the 60 votes needed for passage. The commission would be modeled after a highly respected panel that investigated the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The other options involve the House investigating the attack, meaning the probes would be inherently partisan. Pelosi suggested that she could appoint a new select committee to investigate the siege or give the responsibility to a single committee, like the House Homeland Security panel, which wrote the original bipartisan bill to create the commission. Alternately, Pelosi said committees could simply push ahead with their own investigations that are already underway. But the speaker said she believed a commission appointed by Biden an idea pitched by some in her caucus after Fridays Senate vote was not a workable idea in this circumstance" because Congress would still need to approve money and subpoena authority for the panel. Pelosis comments come as members of both parties have pushed for a deep dive into the insurrection, which was designed to interrupt the presidential electoral count and was the worst attack on Congress in two centuries. Four rioters died in the attack, including a woman who was shot by police as she tried to break into the House chamber while lawmakers were still inside. The rioters brutally beat police and broke in through windows and doors as they hunted for lawmakers and called for Trumps defeat to be overturned. The White House has not yet said whether Biden would try to appoint a commission without Congress. On Friday, White House deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that the president has been clear that the shameful events of Jan. 6 need to be independently and fully investigated and that he remains committed to that. We will continue to work with Congress to find a path forward to ensure that happens, she said. After the Senate vote, some Democrats urged Biden to move on his own. In light of the GOPs cowardly filibuster of a bipartisan January 6th commission, I urge President Biden to form and appoint a Presidential Commission to fully investigate the insurrection at the United States Capitol, to identify the individuals and organizations who plotted or were involved in those violent acts, and to make recommendations to prevent such an attack from ever recurring, said Virginia Rep. Gerry Connolly in a statement over the weekend. Its uncertain whether the Senate would hold another vote on the commission and whether any additional Republicans would support it. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., left open the possibility of a second attempt, saying after the vote that the events of Jan. 6 will be investigated. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., opposes the commission, saying he believes the panel would be partisan even though it would be divided evenly between the two parties. McConnell's criticism came after Trump opposed it and called the legislation a Democrat trap. Still, six in McConnells caucus defied him, arguing that an independent look was needed, and Pennsylvanias Pat Toomey would have brought the total to seven but for a family commitment, his office said. The Republicans who voted to move forward on the bill were Sens. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine, Ben Sasse of Nebraska, Rob Portman of Ohio and Mitt Romney of Utah. The House passed the bill in May, with 35 Republicans voting with Democrats to pass it. PHILADELPHIA (AP) The Philadelphia police department has reinstated an officer fired in 2019 over Facebook posts saying among other things that refugees should starve to death." The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that officer Christian Fenico was reinstated with full back pay after an arbitrator in a grievance filed with the police union ruled Fenico's social media posts did not prevent him from being a valuable officer. Fenico's posts were among hundreds from Philadelphia officers published in June 2019 to a public database by the Plain View Project, which looked at seven other police departments as well. After the voter referendum, county planners compile a Master Plan for the Agricultural Reserve, placing limits on development. The county can require developers to save the majority of properties for conservation, agricultural uses or water storage in whats become known as the 60/40 rule. It requires that 60% of land is preserved, while 40% can be used for development. Originally, county planners require any lands being sold for development to have at least 150 contiguous acres designated for preservation. LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) Police in Kentucky fatally shot a man who pulled out a gun after fleeing from a reportedly stolen vehicle, authorities said. Ryan Bernal, 32, died Monday of a gunshot wound at University of Louisville Hospital, according to a Jefferson County Coroner's Office statement. JEMISON, Ala. (AP) A confrontation between police and a person who was firing a gun in a rural community in central Alabama left a man dead, authorities said. Officers were sent to a home in the Chilton County town of Jemison on Monday because of reports that an armed man was threatening to shoot two other people, Jemison Police Chief Shane Fulmer said in a statement released on the department's social media account. SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) A private company on Tuesday took over the transmission and distribution operations of Puerto Ricos power authority, which has struggled with blackouts and bankruptcy, corruption and mismanagement. The takeover by Luma Energy under a 15-year contract coincided with the beginning of the Atlantic hurricane season, with many across Puerto Rico worried about the transition and whether the new company can handle a severe storm. The U.S. territory is still struggling to recover from Hurricane Maria, which destroyed most of the power grid in September 2017. It is extraordinarily fragile and in very poor condition, warned Wayne Stensby, CEO of Luma, a consortium made up of Calgary, Alberta-based Atco and Quanta Services Inc. of Houston. However, Stensby said the company, which will serve all of the island's roughly 1.5 million clients, has enough resources to handle a Category 2 hurricane and can bring in more equipment and workers if a stronger storm hits. The agreement approved by the territory's government and a federal control board calls for Luma to spend billions of dollars in upgrading the battered system with most of that money coming from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency while receiving hundreds of millions of dollars for managing the system. Officials are betting the private operator can do better than the island's Electric Power Authority, which has struggled to restore the storm-battered electrical grid and keep power flowing while trying to cope with $9 billion in debt more than that of any other government agency in Puerto Rico. Even with privatization, most analysts expect the government and control board will be forced to agree to an eventual power rate increase to meet the demands of bondholders. Meanwhile, the new company will inherit unresolved blackouts, with more than 30,000 customers left without power in recent weeks. We dont wish to go into June 1 with a large backlog of outages, but its going to be what its going to be, Stensby said. Puerto Rico chose Luma in June 2020 to operate and modernize the islands transmission and distribution system. Gov. Pedro Pierluisi said the company has pledged to reduce power interruptions by 30%, the length of outages by 40% and cut workplace accidents by 50%. Weve had a bankrupt ... (and) incompetent public utility for too long, he said. The transformation that is underway will make a difference. But critics have called on the government to cancel the deal. A Texas-based nonprofit, the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, complained that Luma would not be penalized for failing to save money or meet renewable energy goals. It said the control board "is turning a blind eye to some of the same fiscal practices that led the commonwealth into bankruptcy, wrote Tom Sanzillo, the nonprofits director of financial analysis. These include politically driven contracting processes, poorly documented cash transfers between commonwealth entities, lack of clarity and accountability for budgetary savings initiatives, failure to prioritize renewable energy and costly and shortsighted labor management. The Puerto Rico-based Center for a New Economy, a nonpartisan think tank, also criticized the deal, saying, "There are no guarantees that the process to modernize and transform (the electric authority) will be successful. In addition, some 20 unions representing thousands of Puerto Rican workers ranging from teachers to truck drivers announced on Tuesday that they would go on strike if the Luma contract is not rescinded. Stensby, Luma's CEO, said he was perplexed by that development: "What are they fighting against? ... How can you fight against better customers service and better electricity?" Meanwhile, the federal board said the effort must go forward. If the Electric Power Authority is not transformed, the economy will shrink, said David Skeel, the boards chairman. Some people are not happy with it, but it is the way forward, he said of the contract. It is absolutely essential, in my view. Puerto Ricos power generation units average 45 years old, twice those of the U.S. mainland, and a fiscal plan approved by the federal board foresees Luma spending some $3.85 billion through fiscal year 2024 to revamp the grids transmission and distribution system. PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) Rhode Island authorities have opened an investigation after a war memorial was vandalized in downtown Providence over Memorial Day weekend. Providence Police Cmdr. Thomas Verdi said that there have no arrests in connection to the spray-painted Providence War Memorial at LaSalle Square. AP LOS ANGELES (AP) Nobody was hurt when a small plane with two people on board made an emergency landing on a busy Los Angeles freeway at the end of the holiday weekend. The single-engine Cessna landed around 7 p.m. Monday in southbound lanes of State Route 101 in the Westlake Village area, the Los Angeles County Fire Department said. SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) South Dakota lawmakers tasked with redrawing legislative districts indicated Tuesday they will focus on the state's two largest cities, as well as Native American reservations. Both the House and Senate committees that are redrawing legislative boundaries decided to create sub-committees tasked with gathering input from Sioux Falls, Rapid City and tribal areas. Lawmakers are readying to receive data from the 2020 Census, develop boundary lines for legislative districts and approve them by Dec. 1. But the districts in urban areas and Indian reservations could have the most hiccups, according to Matt Frame, a lawyer with the Legislative Research Council that is guiding the redistricting process. Lawmakers must ensure that racial minority groups receive adequate representation in state government in order to stay in compliance with federal law. That could create a challenge in areas where mostly Native American people live, especially because those areas have a greater share of younger people who cannot yet register to vote and factors like poverty or physical distance can make it more difficult for people to register to vote. The legislative boundaries must be determined on total population, not voter registration. Kellen Returns From Scout, a staff member with the Great Plains Tribal Chairmen's Association, called for lawmakers to hold government-to-government consultations with tribes as they draw the new boundaries. He said it was important to avoid splitting reservation boundaries. But lawmakers expressed confusion on how to initiate tribal consultations and where to hold them. Democrat Sen. Troy Heinert, who is a member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, underscored the importance of having the consultations but acknowledged the process differs by the tribe. Still, OJ Semans, co-founder of a Native American voting rights advocacy group called Four Directions that has sued the state in the past, sounded upbeat at the outset of redistricting, noting that the acknowledgement from lawmakers of special consideration for the tribes showed we've come a long, long ways. The state is expecting to receive data from the U.S. Census Bureau in August. That could give lawmakers a tight timeline to propose new maps, host public input meetings and finalize the new boundaries. The Legislature is scheduled to convene Nov. 8 for a special session to approve the new districts. Republican Sen. Jim Bolin said after the state received census data, The process will gear up very intentionally and very rapidly. TALLULAH, La. (AP) A man who crashed his car in Louisiana after injuring two Mississippi sheriff's deputies was shot to death following an hourslong standoff with state troopers, Louisiana State Police said Tuesday. The shooting happened Monday after troopers were called to the scene of a car crash by Madison Parish Sheriff's Office deputies, the state police department said in a news release. Michael Jackson, 29, of Vicksburg had fled authorities in Warren County dragging and injuring two deputies before driving into Louisiana and crashing into a ditch, the release said. YAKIMA, Wash. (AP) The state has relaxed some emergency rules so fully vaccinated farmworkers living in temporary housing no longer need to wear masks. The state Department of Labor & Industries and the state Department of Health issued updated rules on Friday. That was after Washington Farm Labor Association Executive Director Dan Fazio and Washington Farm Bureau Chief Executive John Stuhlmiller last week raised concerns that farmworkers werent covered when the state decided fully vaccinated workers didnt need to wear masks. ATTLEBORO, Mass. (AP) The man found fatally shot in his North Attleborough apartment last week was killed in a dispute during a drug deal, prosecutors said at the suspect's arraignment on Tuesday. Adam Walker, 33, whose last known address was in East Providence, Rhode Island, was held without bail after pleading not guilty to murder and gun charges in the death of Peter Schifone. The U.S. Border Patrol has taken custody of 11 immigrants who arrived by boat in Pompano Beach on Monday, May 31, 2021, in what is being described as a maritime smuggling event. Broward Sheriffs Office officials said the boat came ashore near Hillsboro Inlet Marina in the 2700 block of North Riverside Drive. U.S. Border Patrol said the immigrants from Jamaica, Dominican Republic and Haiti have been detained. (Joe Cavaretta) BANGKOK (AP) A court in Thailand on Tuesday agreed to release on bail two key leaders of the anti-government protest movement on condition that they refrain from activities deemed to defame the monarchy. Arnon Nampha and Panupong Jadnok must also wear electronic tracking tags and are banned from leaving the country. Arnon and Panupong are prominent figures in a pro-democracy movement that began last year. In addition to challenging the government of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, the rallies they led demanded reform of the monarchy to make it more transparent and accountable. They have been held in pre-trial detention under the countrys tough lese majeste law which protects the monarchy from criticism, but which has been increasingly used to target government opponents. The law carries a penalty of up to 15 years in prison on each count. Several previous applications for bail by the activists were denied. During their detention, both contracted COVID-19 and were sent to the prison hospital for treatment. They have now tested negative, according to their lawyer, Krisadang Nutcharas, and were expected to obtain their release documents later Tuesday. Thailands prisons have become hotspots for the coronavirus. The Department of Corrections has discovered 26,330 cases, around 9% of total prisoners in Thailand, over the past two months. A third protester held on lese majeste charges, Chukiat Sangwong, was also granted bail on Tuesday but will remain in detention because he is facing similar charges in two other courts, Krisadang said. He was charged after allegedly writing critical messages on a portrait of the king in front of the Supreme Court during an anti-government rally in March. According to the group Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, 97 activists including eight minors are facing lese majeste charges after the government late last year stepped up its legal offensive against protesters. When Paul Moser considers getting a coronavirus vaccine, he also thinks about his outstanding medical debt: $1,200 from a few urology visits that he has been unable to pay off. Moser, a 52-year-old gas station cashier in New York state, has friends who were surprised by bills for coronavirus tests and worries the same could happen with the vaccine. For now, he is holding off on getting his shot. We were told by the legislators that all the testing was supposed to be free, and then, surprise, its $150, he said. I agree its important to get vaccinated, but I dont have a sense of urgency around it. Congress passed laws barring pharmacies and hospitals from billing patients for coronavirus vaccines. Signs at vaccination sites advertise that the shot is free. From the beginning, health officials and government leaders have told the public it will not cost anything. And there have been few reports of people experiencing charges. Even so, some unvaccinated adults cite concerns about a surprise bill as a reason for not getting the shot. Many of them are accustomed to a health system in which the bills are frequent, large and often unexpected. A recent Kaiser Family Foundation poll found that about a third of unvaccinated adults were unsure whether insurance covered the new vaccine and were concerned they might need to pay for the shot. The concern was especially pronounced among Hispanic and Black survey respondents. The conversations we have are like: Yes, I know its good. Yes, I want it, but I dont have insurance, said Ilan Shapiro, medical director of AltaMed, a community health network in Southern California that serves a large Hispanic population. Were trying to make sure everyone knows its free. The confusion may represent a lack of information, or skepticism that a bill will not follow a visit to the doctor. Liz Hamel, director of survey research at Kaiser, said it could reflect peoples experience with the health system: People may have heard its available for free, but not believe it. Congress has tried to protect patients from bills for coronavirus vaccines and tests. Early in the pandemic, it mandated that insurers waive copayments and deductibles for both services, and set up a fund to reimburse doctors seeing uninsured patients. Even so, patients found themselves facing bills for testing some for more than $1,000. Some doctors billed uninsured patients for tests rather than the new federal fund. Others tacked on unexpected fees and services to the testing visit. The rules for vaccine billing were made even stricter. To become vaccinators, doctors and pharmacies had to sign a contract promising not to bill patients for shots. The stronger protections appear to have worked. While many patients have encountered coronavirus bills for testing The New York Times has documented dozens of cases in bills submitted by readers there have been only a handful involving vaccines. Still, some unexpected charges have slipped through: Patients in Illinois, North Carolina and Colorado have mistakenly received vaccine bills. In all cases, vaccine providers reversed the charge and apologized for the errors. The federal government has received some complaints about unexpected charges and recently warned doctors against billing patients. Surprise bills for coronavirus vaccines, tests and other medical care can leave an impression on patients. Americans with medical debt are more likely to skip needed care than people who hold other types of debt, like outstanding credit card bills or student loans, according to a 2013 study by Lucie Kalousova, an assistant professor of sociology at the University of California, Riverside. For someone who has incurred medical debt, they may be told by the media and everyone else that the vaccine is cost-free, but theyve also had this very negative prior encounter with the medical system that has created feelings of mistrust, she said. Some patients who worried about the cost of a coronavirus vaccine said they always expect a bill to follow a doctors appointment. They cited stories from friends or family members who ended up with expensive coronavirus testing and treatment bills, and wondered why the vaccine would be any different. This is America your health care is not free, said Elizabeth Drummond, a 42-year-old mother in Oregon who is unvaccinated. I just feel like that is how the vaccination process is going to go. Theyre going to try to capitalize on it. It is also possible that survey research overstates how many Americans fear getting a surprise vaccine bill. When The Times, through Kaisers help, conducted follow-up interviews, some poll respondents who voiced this concern said it did not actually matter much to them. Instead, they said they responded that way to express frustration with the vaccine or the wider U.S. health system. The cost is the smallest detail, said Cody Sirman, a 32-year-old who works in manufacturing in Texas and who has decided to go unvaccinated. He said he would not mind paying for the vaccine if he trusted it but he does not. I think the vaccine is a complete sham," Sirman said. "It was just a way to see how much control the government can have over the population. For many, the potential cost of a vaccine is only part of a constellation of reasons for remaining unvaccinated. It can often be hard for pollsters to know or even patients to identify the decisive factor. Separate research from the Census Bureau last month found that Americans were more worried about vaccine side effects than about potential charges. Most people arent saying theyre just concerned about one thing; its usually a lot of things, said Hamel of the Kaiser Family Foundation. Tiffany Addotey, a 42-year-old school bus driver in North Carolina, does cite a concern about cost. That stems mostly from her experience trying to get a coronavirus test. It concerns me that some places were charging like $200 for coronavirus tests, she said. I didnt pay. I went home. I have enough bills as it is. There are other things that concern her, like the safety of the vaccine given its fast development, as well as the recent Johnson & Johnson vaccine pause. When Addotey was informed that federal law makes the vaccine free for all Americans, she responded, So Ill just have to pay my copay? Learning that it really would be free, with no copayment, helped a little bit, she said. But it was not enough to put her mind at ease about getting vaccinated, at least not yet. Im going to try and wait for it to be on the market a little longer, she said. I feel like I will get it, after a little more research and a little more time. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. MEXICO CITY (AP) The daughter-in-law of a politically influential British magnate was charged Monday in Belize with manslaughter by negligence in the shooting death of a police superintendent. Jasmine Hartin was being held following the discovery of the body of police Superintendent Henry Jemmott on a dock in San Pedro early Friday. SOUTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (AP) The University of Rhode Island is weighing whether to revoke an honorary degree bestowed years ago to Michael Flynn, a university alumnus who briefly served as President Donald Trumps national security adviser. The Providence Journal reports the school's honorary degree committee met on Jan. 29 and Feb. 5 at the request of URI President David Dooley. The panel sent its recommendation to Dooley on Feb. 12 but hasn't made it public. University spokesperson Linda Acciardo told the Journal on Tuesday that the outgoing president hasn't made a decision on the degree, which was bestowed in 2014. She added that Dooley's recommendation would be sent to the school's board of trustees, which would then hold a public hearing. The university expressed disappointment in Flynn, a 1981 graduate, after he pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI in 2017. At the time, URI said the Rhode Island native and a retired Army lieutenant general's actions did not reflect the university's values or its expectations of people in public service" but that it wasn't considering rescinding the degree. Flynn was eventually pardoned by Trump last year. He served as Trump's national security adviser in the early weeks of 2017 before resigning following reports he misled Trump officials about his contacts with Russia. Flynn made headlines over the weekend after he seemed to suggest a military coup similar to the one in Myanmar should happen in the U.S. He's since said he doesn't support a coup in the U.S. TOKYO (AP) The new head of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command held talks with top Japanese officials on Tuesday and reaffirmed their alliance amid Chinas increasingly assertive claims to contested areas in the region, officials said. Adm. John Aquilino, who assumed the post in April, and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi shared their concern about Chinas continuous and intensified attempt to unilaterally change the status quo in the East and South China Seas," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Under the current circumstances, the importance of the alliance is greater than ever, Motegi told Aquilio in his opening remarks. The two sides also reaffirmed the importance of peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region and agreed to further strengthen their joint response capability and deterrence to achieve a free and open Indo-Pacific. Japan and the U.S. have been promoting the goal of a free and open Indo-Pacific, a defense and economic framework, in a group known as the Quad, which also includes Australia and India, that is seen as a move to counter Chinas increasing influence in the region. China has criticized the group as an exclusionist bloc based on a Cold War-era mindset. Japan is looking to bolster its military capabilities amid a deepening territorial row with China in regional seas. It is increasingly concerned about Chinese activity in and around Japanese-claimed waters surrounding the Japanese-controlled Senkaku islands, which China also claims and calls Diaoyu. Japan's postwar constitution has limited the use of force to self defense, but the country has in recent years expanded its military role, capability and budget. Aquilino also held similar talks with Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi and top Japanese military officials and discussed North Koreas nuclear and missile programs. the Foreign Ministry said. About 78% of eligible Vermonters ages 12 and older have received at least one dose of vaccine against COVID-19 as of Saturday, Gov. Phil Scott said Tuesday, nearing his goal of 80% when he will drop the remaining pandemic-related restrictions. More than 11,345 residents need to get a shot to reach the goal, officials said. If 1,000 Vermonters get vaccinated a day, the restrictions will be lifted on June 11 while if double that are vaccinated daily, the full reopening would happen Saturday, officials said, noting that the vaccination rate have slowed in recent days. We're just days away from hitting our goal, Scott said at his weekly virus briefing. Vermont continues to lead the nation but even after we hit 80%, we're not going to declare victory. We'll continue pushing forward because the better we do now, the better position we'll be (in) for the long term. Vermont is the only state that hasn't had a death from COVID-19 in two weeks and was down to three people hospitalized with the disease as of Tuesday morning, the governor said. The state's hospitalization rate has dropped 37% over the last two weeks, said Mike Pieciak, commissioner of the Department of Financial Regulation, who has been following the COVID-19 trends for Vermont. The seven-day of new COVID-19 cases has decreased by more than half in the last week and 93% since April 1, he said. The state reported 92 new cases this week, while three weeks ago it reported 99 cases in a single day on May 7, Pieciak said. The number of cases continues to decline in the Northeast, dropping nearly 35% in the last week and 86% decrease in the last five weeks, he said. The region's number of deaths and hospitalizations also continues to drop, he said. We can track all this progress back to New England's high uptake of the vaccine which continues to outpace the rest of the country, Pieciak said. Nearly 40 pop-up vaccination clinics taking walk-ins are being held around Vermont through Sunday, said Human Services Secretary Mike Smith. More opportunities are listed on the Health Departments website. MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) Vermont's lieutenant governor and commerce secretary are in North Macedonia to expand a relationship with the Balkan country that was previously related to military and security issues. Lieutenant Gov. Molly Gray and Commerce Secretary Lindsay Kurrle left this past weekend to discuss economic topics with the international partner and are returning late this week, NECN reported. Agriculture, higher education and tourism were topics to be discussed during meetings and site visits, officials said. PORT TOWNSEND, Wash. (AP) Authorities say a Washington State trooper and another driver were seriously injured in a crash Tuesday along U.S. Highway 101 In Jefferson County, Washington. KOMO reports the trooper, a commercial vehicle enforcement officer, had pulled over a semitrailer for a violation at about 10 a.m. when the trooper was struck by a second vehicle. The driver of that vehicle is suspected of DUI. MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) Workers arrived at a Tennessee park Tuesday to begin the process of digging up the remains of Confederate Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest and moving the former slave traders body from its longtime resting place in Memphis to a museum hundreds of miles away. Crews prepared to remove the graves of Forrest and his wife from Health Sciences Park in Memphis busy medical district. The park used to bear the name of the early Ku Klux Klan leader and feature a statue of the cavalryman on a horse, but the name has been changed and the statue removed in recent years. Workers must dismantle the statues pedestal before they can disinter the Forrests' remains and move them to a Confederate museum in Middle Tennessee. A heavy crane was positioned nearby as workers began taking apart the pedestal Tuesday. The entire process could take weeks. With the approval of Forrests relatives, the Sons of Confederate Veterans is overseeing the move. A judge approved it late last year, ending a long legal battle. It is another example of how cities and activists have taken steps in recent years to get rid of statues and monuments of historical figures who supported the Souths secession and led the fight against the North, from Gen. Robert E. Lee to Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederacy. Forrest sold slaves in Memphis and served in the Confederate army as a cavalry general. In April 1864, Forrests troops attacked Fort Pillow in northwest Tennessee and killed 200 to 300 Union soldiers, most of them Black. Forrest was later accused of massacring the Union soldiers. Questions linger about whether they were killed as they tried to surrender. Northern newspaper reports referred to the battle as an atrocity. Historians say he later became an early leader of the Ku Klux Klan, though some of Forrests supporters dispute that. Forrests critics call him a violent racist. The remains of Forrest and his wife were moved from a Memphis cemetery and buried under the statue of the former Memphis City Council member in 1904. The city took down the statue in December 2017 after selling the public park to a nonprofit group, thus circumventing a state law barring the removal of historic monuments from public areas. A judge in Nashville ruled that the city and Memphis Greenspace, the nonprofit that made the park privately operated, removed the statue legally. The remains will be reburied and the statue placed at the National Confederate Museum at Elm Springs in Columbia, according to an affidavit from Bedford Forrest Myers, a great-great-grandson. Owned by the Sons of the Confederate Veterans, the museum opened to the public in October. It is located about 200 miles (320 kilometers) from Memphis. The park where Forrest was buried has been the site of protests associated with the Black Lives Matter movement. Activists have long called for the removal of both the statue and the remains. The words Black Lives Matter have been painted in yellow by activists on a walkway surrounding the tomb. Relocating the graves is proper because the Property has lost its character as a burial ground, Myers wrote in a legal filing. The tree-lined park is next to the University of Tennessees medical school and a community college on Union Avenue, a busy street leading in and out of downtown Memphis. BEIRUT (AP) Lebanons severe economic and financial crisis is likely to rank as one of the worst the world has seen in more than 150 years, the World Bank said in a report released Tuesday. The World Bank said that since late 2019, Lebanon has been facing compounded challenges, including its largest peace-time economic and financial crisis, the spread of coronavirus and a massive blast at Beiruts port last year that is considered as one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history. The crisis has worsened in recent months amid a paralyzing power struggle between the president and prime minister-designate that has delayed the formation of a new government, The Cabinet of outgoing Prime Minister Hassan Diab resigned days after the Aug. 4 blast, and the country has been without a fully functioning government since. The explosion in the Port of Beirut killed 211 people, wounded more than 6,000 and damaged entire neighborhoods. In the face of these colossal challenges, continuous policy inaction and the absence of a fully functioning government threaten already dire socio-economic conditions and a fragile social peace with no clear turning point in the horizon, the World Bank report said. The economic and financial crisis is likely to rank in the top 10, possibly top 3, most severe crises episodes globally since the mid-nineteenth century, it added. The report said the countrys gross domestic product is projected to contract 9.5% in 2021, after shrinking by 20.3% in 2020 and 6.7% the year before. Lebanons gross domestic product plummeted from close to $55 billion in 2018 to an estimated $33 billion in 2020, while GDP per capita fell by around 40% in dollar terms, the report said. Such a brutal contraction is usually associated with conflicts or wars, the World Bank said. The report was released two days before the World Banks vice president for the Middle East and North Africa, Ferid Belhaj, and Merza Hussain Hasan, its executive director, were set to arrive in Lebanon to meet with Lebanese officials and urge them to address the crisis with urgency, a World Bank spokeswoman said. For decades, Lebanon has been dominated by the same political elites, many of them former warlords and militia commanders from the civil war. Corruption has been widespread over the past decades, brining the tiny country to near bankruptcy. In March 2020, Lebanon defaulted on paying back its debt for the first time in its history as the local currency lost more than 85% of its value. Tens of thousands have lost their jobs while many others left the country seeking opportunities abroad. Nearly half the countrys 5 million people live in poverty. Lebanon faces a dangerous depletion of resources, including human capital, and high skilled labor is increasingly likely to take up potential opportunities abroad, constituting a permanent social and economic loss for the country, said Saroj Kumar Jha, the World Bank regional director. Only a reform-minded government, which embarks upon a credible path toward economic and financial recovery can reverse further sinking of Lebanon, he said. In recent weeks, with foreign currency reserves dwindling at the central bank, Lebanon has been witnessing severe shortage in medicines as well as fuel, with people having to wait in line at gas stations to fill their cars. Electricity cuts last more than 12 hours a day. The county has been giving out water bottles to residents affected and first warned against drinking their tap water late Friday after high levels of a toxin caused by blue-green algae, known as cylindrospermopsin, were found in the water supply. On Tuesday and Wednesday, residents can pick up free bottled water at Gaines Park, at 1501 N. Australian Ave. from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. JACKSON, Miss. (AP) Mississippi Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann said Tuesday that he is nominating a former newspaper publisher to the state Board of Education, to finish a term that ends in July 2024. Bill Jacobs of Brookhaven would succeed Jason Dean, who left the nine-member board in February. The nomination must be confirmed by the state Senate. Jacobs was publisher of the Daily Leader in Brookhaven and Prentiss Headlight in Prentiss until December 2012, when he sold the companies. He currently serves on the board of directors for the National Newspaper Association and the operating board for the Mississippi Economic Council. Bill Jacobs has spent his entire career asking questions, researching the facts, and reporting his findings to the wider public to improve his community and exhibit transparency, Hosemann said in a news release. These traits, along with his business sense and support for public schools, make him an excellent addition to the Board. Jacobs and his wife, Amy Alexander Jacobs, have been members of Parents for Public Schools, and their two children graduated from Brookhaven High School. She was twice named Brookhaven High School Parent of the Year. She is also an advisory board member for the Mississippi School of the Arts. Jacobs said in the news release that public schools form the foundation of communities. Look at the prosperous communities across the state and one will find a single common element strong public schools," Jacobs said. "Mississippi has had some great successes but so, too, failures. The current brain drain of many of our best and brightest to other states is the most disturbing failure, for its continued path weakens even our best school systems. The Board of Education sets curriculum and policies for Mississippi's 450,000 public school students. Five members are nominated by the governor, two by the lieutenant governor and two by the House speaker. Republican Gov. Tate Reeves recently announced two nominees to the board, and they also await consideration by the Senate. Legislators ended their regular session in early April. They are scheduled to return to the Capitol in January, unless Reeves calls a special session before then. The nominees can serve while waiting for confirmation. ___ This story has been corrected to show that Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann made the announcement Tuesday, not Monday. My experience as a prosecutor in Colorado before, during and after marijuana legalization has led me to conclude that legalization and regulation is a far better approach than criminalization. After nearly 30 years as a trial lawyer, including four as a deputy district attorney in Denver, I was elected the district attorney for Colorados 20th Judicial District (Boulder County) in 2008. I took office one week before Barack Obamas inauguration. I felt prepared to step in as the elected district attorney because I had extensive experience managing lawyers, and I had observed the Boulder DAs office for most of my career. Upon taking office, I implemented immediate reforms to meet certain goals: the Boulder DAs office needed to be more transparent, more focused on involving the community in the criminal justice system through jury trials, and more collaborative in working with the 11 separate law enforcement agencies that brought their cases to the Boulder DA to be prosecuted. But I was unprepared to deal with one issue: the new reality of legal marijuana. Medical marijuana had been legalized by a constitutional amendment, which I opposed, in 2000. By mid-2009, six months after I took office, there were several dozen medical marijuana businesses in Boulder County. I worked with the Colorado Legislature to provide a statutory framework for these businesses and to regulate security, advertising, backgrounds of owners and many other factors to get a handle on this emerging industry. Then, in 2012, the voters of Colorado voted to legalize recreational marijuana. I, along with most other political and law enforcement leaders in Colorado, opposed the legalization of recreational marijuana at the time, but it passed by a large margin. I had opposed legalization because as a law enforcement officer I feared the unknown impact on public safety. Although initially I was very skeptical of Colorados system of legalization, I soon concluded that, though not perfect, legalization was a significant improvement over the prior system of criminalization. There are several reasons: 1. Criminalization of marijuana was, by all measures, a failure. It did little to remove marijuana from our communities, resulted in significant injustices by imposing harsh criminal consequences disproportionately to people of color, and the illegal market flourished, largely unregulated. 2. Under the current Colorado system, regulation is strict. Extensive background checks assure that those selling marijuana in our communities are not involved in other criminal behavior. Moreover, strict regulation of marijuana retail stores has controlled advertising, assured safe handling and labeling of products, and eliminated direct sales to those who are underage. 3. Legalization brought with it enhanced enforcement of driving under the influence of drugs other than alcohol. Driving under the influence of marijuana and other substances has been a public safety issue for decades, but with legalization and the funds it has generated, we have been able to staff each police department with drug recognition experts. These police officers are specially trained to recognize and evaluate impairment by marijuana, prescription medications and other illicit drugs and to assure the successful prosecution of these cases in court. 4. Legalization has dramatically reduced the illegal market in Colorado. Most marijuana consumers would prefer to buy their product legally rather than from illegal sellers, which means that in many counties, the illegal market providers have faded away. This reality has helped us keep marijuana from children. 5. Legalization and regulation of marijuana has generated significant tax revenue on the state, county and municipal levels. This revenue has been used to fund schools, public infrastructure, drug prevention efforts, law enforcement budgets and many other important projects. Of course, under criminalization, the economic impact of marijuana, though large, went completely unregulated. 6. Finally, legalization has permitted law enforcement and the courts to devote resources to other, more pressing public safety needs: violent crime, sexual violence, economic crime, and the sale and trafficking of heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine. As a district attorney, I quickly learned that with limited resources, my primary goal was practicality and devoting resources where they were most needed. Legalization and regulation of marijuana has permitted elected district attorneys to do just that; crimes rates have not risen due to legalization, and limited resources can be focused on cases impacting public safety. Is the legalization system in Colorado perfect? No, and in fact, each year the legislature makes statutory changes to refine how it is administered. But it is much better than criminalization. I now am an advocate for the legalization of marijuana, based on Colorados experience over the last 20 years. Stan Garnett served as a prosecutor in Colorado and was elected the district attorney for Colorados 20th Judicial District (Boulder County) in 2008. A song that has implanted itself in my brain for the past three weeks is Famous5Eva, the theme song to the Peacock series Girls5Eva. Famous5eva is the token hit of the fictional girl group Girls5eva, and the song that reignites the one-hit wonders career when it gets sampled by a viral rapper by the name of Lil Stinker. (It reminds him of his moms boobies, his reasoning for sampling the song goes.) Famous5eva is a perfect fictional pop song, both as a pastiche 1990s hit and as an example of the very goofy, very sweet worldbuilding that goes on in Girls5Eva. If something like 30 Rocks Muffin Top a similarly absurd and infectious song was meant to be laughed at, a Jenna Maroney vanity project, this is actually believably a song that a group like Atomic Kitten (remember them?) could sing with a few adjustments. Creator Meredith Scardino probably has an outsized role in Girls5Evas greatness, but executive producer Tina Fey (and longtime co-conspirators Robert Carlock and composer Jeff Richmond) has her handprints all over the show, with its litany of rapid-fire jokes and bits coming in hot like a pitching machine. Like the other shows in the Fey-Carlock-Richmond Cinematic Universe, including The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and Great News, Girls5Eva retains a serrated cultural savvy wrapped around a lipstick-red bleeding heart. But it (mostly) jettisons Fey and Carlocks least-funny impulse the one to drag critics at the expense of jokes. And, as a result, Girls5Eva feels like a new page for Fey. A decade ago, I was a Tina Fey stan to the point where I read Bossypants cover-to-cover multiple times and made and retweeted GIFs of 30 Rock on Tumblr. My love went sour come 2016, when accusations of brown- and blackface and anti-Asian racism in her work were lampooned on the show, all of which largely landed as stale and reactionary. Its the impulse that broke The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. For me and many others, it didnt just hurt the show; it undercut the legacies of Mean Girls and 30 Rock. But Fey is back in form here, as are the women of Girls5Eva. Reviving a defunct music careers a challenge for any legacy act, but it goes double for girl groups practically none, except for freakin Beyonce, have parlayed their '90s relevancy into a durable career. (Meanwhile, the Backstreet Boys and New Kids On The Block can keep printing money with each revival tour.) But the women persist. A quick recap of the girls: Youve got Dawn (Sara Bareilles), the chill one and tentative leader, Gloria (Paula Pell), the one with a marriage-ending penchant for workaholism, Wickie (Renee Elise Goldsberry), the fierce one whose Instagram persona clashes with her washed-up day job, and Summer (Busy Philipps), the hot one responsible for ending songs "with a sultry feminasty phrase." (Their fifth member, Ashley ("Mean Girls: The Musical's" Ashley Park), died in 2004 in an "infinity pool accident" but her shadow as the "fun one" lives on.) Peacock/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images Feys trademark snark is all over the show. Theres an extended bit about a vanishing glass piano Wickie bought for her Cribs-worthy home now sitting in Dawns tiny Queens apartment, including an incredible joke about the piano being named Ghislaine. (I named her 20 years ago. It was a pretty name then; its a pretty name now, Wickie says.) And theres also big-name cameos by the likes of Stephen Colbert, who plays a reclusive Swedish songwriter that smokes a smoked salmon vape and shows off his Bjorky, the Nordics biggest music prize. But theres few jokes made at each others expense. In the past, Fey and Carlock would have used the tension between the girls to land jabs about their appearances ironic or not. And as a result, its not too far a stretch to say that this is the best thing Tina Feys been a part of since 30 Rock, and not just because Fey has an extended cameo as a hallucination of Dolly Parton. What Girls5Eva does exceptionally well is what 30 Rock did best, sans the racism and quote-unquote edginess: reflecting the absurdities and predatory nature of the fame industrial complex. Their former manager an exploitative jerk who now self-identifies as a feminist spends his time manning five computers to boost streams of his clients songs. But perhaps the prime example of Girls5Evas perfect balancing act is Cease and Desist, the shows best episode. Its devoted to their performance at Y2Gay, a throwback club night at a gay bar (remember those?), that goes off the rails with the introduction of Alexander, a YouTube celebrity played by Bowen Yang. Turns out, the gaggle of gay men at the gig arent there to listen to Girls5Evas comeback single. Theyre there because Alexander lip-syncs celebrity meltdowns; his most famous is Wickies meltdown at a community theater production of Jim Carreys "The Mask," called The Maskical, of course. The gag is a brilliant send-up not just of how the greatest divas (Aretha, Whitney, Nicki) live on in YouTube clips and GIFs or gay mens obsession with pop one-hit wonders (as a gay man with a gold-star membership to the Carly Rae Jepsen stanclub, Im aware). Evan Agostini/Evan Agostini/Invision/AP The episodes also a great reminder of how so much of pop culture, from Snatch Game to almost every TikTok dance ever, rides off the coattails of Black women without celebrating or honoring them. It doesnt throw that thought aside; it lets Wickie reflect on it, where, in a past show, the bit would have been played off for laughs. (Yang's Asian identity is also not played up for laughs, a huge deal considering Fey's history.) Girls5eva succeeds because the show doesnt end up playing any of its characters for cheap bits. Sure, Wickie is absurd and vain and Summer is oblivious to her husband being very gay; there are moments where you expect and maybe want a snide quip or a sour joke. But it would devalue the premise of the show that you want to root for these women. You want them to play Jingle Ball, you want them to, somehow, be the first girl group revival to make it in spite of the music industrys obsession with youth and novelty. All this is to say, theres plenty to adore about Girls5Eva, a show thats both the best thing Tina Feys been a part of since 30 Rock and Peacocks first essential original series. Im waiting for a renewal announcement, but in the meantime, Ill just keep humming along to Famous5Eva. Charlie Liu quit his old job after he received and signed an offer letter to work at Tesla earlier this year. But due to an odd string of events Liu recounted after his hiring which began with a delayed start date and ended with the company telling him that the position was no longer needed he said he was left out in the cold and out of a job. He took his experience with Tesla to LinkedIn, where his tale received more than 50,000 reactions and 3,000 comments within a week of sharing. How can a company, especially one as large as Tesla, play with our lives like this? he said in the post. If anyone from Tesla wants to reach out and tell me how in the world this is ethical, I would love to hear it. But one comment on the post has elicited criticism on social media. Karan Joshi, an attorney for the Texas-based personal injury law firm Thomas J. Henry Law, commented: Hey charlie, the Wuhan Lab may have an opening, Joshi commented, good luck. Wuhan has re-entered the news after President Joe Biden ordered further intelligence reports into the provenance of COVID-19. Joshis LinkedIn account has since been scrubbed as of Tuesday morning. I dont know why Kiran Joshi decided to comment this st, said Nicole Hu, a travel influencer who shared his comment on TikTok. But this is the type of racism and Sinophobia Asian people, and specifically Chinese people, see everyday now. Other posts have since popped up on TikTok, taking Joshi to task for his remarks, and many of the comments have called out his employer. Henry Law did not immediately respond to a request for comment from SFGATE. Tesla did not comment due to their lack of a PR department. You are now listening to the sounds of the New Generation. A podcast created for those who desire a new way of gaining information rather than reading a traditional newspaper. In our show we will discuss everything from sports, pop culture, politics, and local news. To stay up to date on our latest episodes every week be sure to follow us on your favorite podcast service. And dont worry, we keep it short. FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) Ten years after their first date, Debby Neal-Strickland put on a cream-colored lace gown and married her longtime sweetheart at their Florida church. Two days later, she put on a hospital gown and donated a kidney to Mylaen Merthe her new husbands ex-wife. An unusual story? Yes. But the tale of Jim Merthe and his two wives is a testament to how love and compassion can triumph over division. Mylaen, 59, had long struggled with kidney disease. By last year, she was ghostly pale with dark circles under her eyes, dragging herself through the workday with no energy. By the time she was admitted to the hospital in November, her kidneys were only functioning at 8%. Her brother offered to donate a kidney, but wasnt a match so Debby volunteered. Jim and Mylaen have been divorced nearly two decades, but they got along well as they raised their two children, and as Jim fell in love with 56-year-old Debby. The women were friendly at family gatherings, though not especially close. And Debby knew that Mylaen was about to become a grandmother for the first time her daughter was pregnant. She imagined Mylaens daughter giving birth, and her mom not being there. I just couldnt not try to change that, she said. God told me, Youre a match and you need to do this.' Giving is what Debby and Jim do. At their home in Ocala, they are raising six children a 6-year-old girl with autism and five teenagers. Some are Debbys biological grandchildren and some they are fostering. But Debby's desire to help Mylaen ran deeper. She spent years watching her brother die of cystic fibrosis while awaiting a double lung transplant. She offered one of her lungs, but she wasnt a match and he needed two. When somebody needs an organ, if they dont get it, theyre probably not going to make it. I know its something that you do quickly, she said. Debby passed the initial match for blood and tissue and began more complex testing while juggling a house full of kids and at one point, toting a urine collection jug for 24 hours. Mylaen tried desperately not to get her hopes up, focusing instead on her future as a grandmother. Debby knew thats all I ever wanted, she said. She did it from her heart. After months of testing and COVID delays, the transplant was set for two days after Jim and Debbys wedding. Debby was tempted to postpone the wedding, but friends discouraged her. The couple had already waited 10 years, canceling twice in deference to their children who announced their own engagements. They married Nov. 22. Jim wore a gray suit with a yellow shirt, because hes my single yellow rose, Debby said. It was the most amazing day of my life, until two days later. That was also the most amazing day of my life, she said. As soon as she regained consciousness, the new bride asked about Mylaen. A few floors below, Mylaen was also pleading with the nurses `I need to see her. That was the first thing out of my mouth. COVID-19 protocols were strict, but Jim was eventually allowed to wheel his new wife into his ex-wifes room. We had our masks on too, so were crying, and of course our stomachs were hurting because of the incisions, Mylaen said. We kinda laughed and cried. Debby could already see the difference. The circles under Mylaens eyes were gone, she looked so alive and revitalized. Mylaen moved in with her daughter, son-in-law and new baby Jackson to recuperate. I got to hold him and feed him, said Mylaen, who welcomed a second grandson in March. I was like, Im actually here to see this and Im holding this little baby. The women call themselves kidney sisters, pray for each other, coo over their grandbabies and are planning a big family trip to Lake Rabun, Georgia, this summer. This is what the world is about. Family. We need to stick together, Mylaen said. She saved my life. ___ This story has been corrected to reflect that the husband's name is Jim Merthe, not Jim Strickland. ___ One Good Thing is a series that highlights individuals whose actions provide glimmers of joy in hard times stories of people who find a way to make a difference, no matter how small. Read the collection of stories at https://apnews.com/hub/one-good-thing Page Content Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte recently signed three bills that make significant changes to Montana's Wrongful Discharge from Employment Act, Human Rights Act and Wage Protection Act. Wrongful Discharge The changes to the Wrongful Discharge from Employment Act (WDEA) are significant and benefit employers. Specifically, the amendments extend the default probationary period during which an employee may be discharged without good cause, increase proof required for wrongful discharge, expand the sources of income that are required to be subtracted from an employee's award and simplify notice that employers must provide to an employee of their internal grievance procedure, which an employee must exhaust prior to filing a WDEA claim. Default probationary period extended. Under the amended WDEA, the default probationary period is now extended to 12 months from six months after an employee's date of hire. Employers are also allowed to extend this probationary period at any point prior to its expiration by up to an additional six months (for a maximum probationary period of 18 months). Employers may also set their own probationary period in their written policies. It is crucial that Montana employers update their employee handbooks and personnel policies to increase the length of their new employees' probationary period, as any discharge that occurs following this period must be for good cause. Under the amended WDEA, the default probationary period is now extended to 12 months from six months after an employee's date of hire. Employers are also allowed to extend this probationary period at any point prior to its expiration by up to an additional six months (for a maximum probationary period of 18 months). Employers may also set their own probationary period in their written policies. It is crucial that Montana employers update their employee handbooks and personnel policies to increase the length of their new employees' probationary period, as any discharge that occurs following this period must be for good cause. Clarification of when an employer's violation of its policies constitutes wrongful discharge. An employer's violation of its written policies under the new amendments may result in a wrongful discharge only when the employer materially violates its own written policies and the violation deprives the employee of a "fair and reasonable opportunity" to maintain employment with the employer. Prior to this change, former employees commonly brought WDEA claims alleging nothing more than an employer's minor violation of its written personnel policies. An employer's violation of its written policies under the new amendments may result in a wrongful discharge only when the employer materially violates its own written policies and the violation deprives the employee of a "fair and reasonable opportunity" to maintain employment with the employer. Prior to this change, former employees commonly brought WDEA claims alleging nothing more than an employer's minor violation of its written personnel policies. Definition of "good cause" expanded. The amendments expand "good cause" to terminate employment to includes an employee's material or repeated violation of an express provision of the employer's written policies. The amendments expand "good cause" to terminate employment to includes an employee's material or repeated violation of an express provision of the employer's written policies. Broad discretion to terminate the employment of managerial employees codified. Codifying a long line of Montana Supreme Court precedent, the act now provides that an employer "has the broadest discretion when making a decision to discharge any managerial or supervisory employee." Codifying a long line of Montana Supreme Court precedent, the act now provides that an employer "has the broadest discretion when making a decision to discharge any managerial or supervisory employee." Sources of income that must be deducted from an award expanded. The act now requires that any award for wrongful discharge must include a deduction for any post-discharge compensation earned or that could have been earned from any new kind, nature or type of work, among other things, provided that the employee was not receiving the compensation prior to the discharge. The act now requires that any award for wrongful discharge must include a deduction for any post-discharge compensation earned or that could have been earned from any new kind, nature or type of work, among other things, provided that the employee was not receiving the compensation prior to the discharge. Unemployment benefits received must be deducted from an award. For the first time, any monetary payments an employee receives as a result of the discharge must be deducted from any award the employee receives, including unemployment benefits. This is a significant departure from the "collateral source rule" that exempts unemployment compensation from mitigation earnings in most jurisdictions and has the potential to greatly diminish the award available to WDEA plaintiffs as claimants commonly receive unemployment benefits until they find subsequent employment. By requiring that these unemployment benefits be deducted from any award, this change significantly reduces an employer's damage exposure in a WDEA claim. For the first time, any monetary payments an employee receives as a result of the discharge must be deducted from any award the employee receives, including unemployment benefits. This is a significant departure from the "collateral source rule" that exempts unemployment compensation from mitigation earnings in most jurisdictions and has the potential to greatly diminish the award available to WDEA plaintiffs as claimants commonly receive unemployment benefits until they find subsequent employment. By requiring that these unemployment benefits be deducted from any award, this change significantly reduces an employer's damage exposure in a WDEA claim. Additional procedural requirements created. Employees must now serve a WDEA complaint within six months of filing their complaint, whereas they previously had three years. In addition, an employer may now notify employees of its internal grievance procedure within 14 days from the date of the discharge and provide this notice by sending these procedures to an employee's last known postal or email address. This is a critical change as an employee's failure to exhaust an employer's internal grievance procedure can result in the dismissal of a WDEA claim. Given these amendments, Montana employers should review their employee handbooks and other personnel policies to ensure they are taking full advantage of these employer-friendly changes. In particular, Montana employers should consider extending the probationary period for new employees and changing their personnel policies to fully cover the performance for their employees. Montana employers should further train their human resources employees to provide adequate notice to any discharged employee of the employer's internal grievance procedure within the statutory period. Montana Human Rights Act (MHRA) As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the controversy surrounding vaccinations and "immunity passports," Montana has amended the MHRA to provide protection to those who choose not to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. The amendments to the MHRA prohibit employers from refusing or barring an individual from employment or making compensation decisions based on the individual's vaccine status or whether the individual has an immunity passport. The act now also prevents an employer from requiring that an individual receive any vaccine whose use is allowed under an emergency use authorization or any vaccine undergoing safety trials. The act does not, however, prohibit an employer from "recommending" that an individual receive a vaccine. Given the MHRA's broad definition of "employer," nearly every employer with operations in Montana is now prohibited from considering an individual's vaccination status when making employment or compensation decisions and from requiring that employees receive the current COVID-19 vaccines. Importantly, this amendment calls into question whether a Montana employer may offer its employees incentives for receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. Any Montana employer that is currently offering incentives or is considering doing so should seek legal advice to best understand the risks involved in doing so. Claims under the MHRA can be expensive to defend, and the act allows for the recovery of attorney's fees for an employee who prevails on a claim under the act. Montana Wage Protection Act (WPA) The amendments to Montana's WPA include employer-friendly changes to Montana's tip-pooling statute. Previously, Montana was one of the few states that allowed only voluntary tip-pooling. Under the amended WPA, however, Montana employers generally may now require tip pooling but must adhere to the following requirements: An employer must notify its employees of any mandatory tip-pooling arrangement. A tip-pooling arrangement may include employees involved in providing customer service or food preparation, including servers, hosts, bussers, dishwashers and cooks. Employers and exempt salaried supervisors or managers, however, cannot participate in a tip pool but may keep tips they receive directly from customers based on service they directly provided to the customers. There is no minimum or maximum contribution limits for mandatory tip pools, provided that an employer does not require employees to contribute more than the amount of tips they actually receive to a tip pool. An employer that collects and redistributes employee tips as part of a tip pool must fully distribute any tips collected no later than the regular payday for the workweek in which the tips were collected. An employer must maintain payroll and other records showing the tips received and distributed under the tip-pooling arrangement. The Montana Department of Labor likely will revise the current regulations that permit only voluntary tip pools. Josh Kirkpatrick and Michelle Gomez are attorneys with Littler Mendelson in Denver. Michael Wilson is an attorney with Littler Mendelson in Houston. 2021 Littler Mendelson. All rights reserved. Reposted with permission. Guwahati, June 1 (IANS) Assam Police on Tuesday seized around 250 tonnes of coal, which was being exported to Bangladesh from Meghalaya, violating official regulations, officials said. Police said that four people, including three exporters, were arrested for exporting the coal through the Sutarkandi land customs station in Assam's Karimganj district. Martha Christian was 13 at the time. In the 1990s she traveled to Hawaii, lowering her feet into the cold waters of Pearl Harbor and weeping for her lost brother. In 2011, she donated DNA to help with the identification of remains, but Christian died in 2017, two years before Ashbys remains were positively identified by the federal Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency. The money was 'spent' in purchasing food and other items for Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV) residential schools even as the schools were shut in the panedmic. Lucknow, June 1 (IANS) The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has alleged that the basic education minister Satish Dwiwedi is involved in alleged misappropriation of funds amounting to Rs 9 crore. AAP MP Sanjay Singh attacked the minister, who was also involved in another controversy over his brother's appointment as assistant professor in Siddhartha Nagar University, and demanded a probe into the scam. Singh has also accused Dwiwedi of having purchased property for much less than its market value after he was elected MLA in 2017. "Between February 11 and March 31, Kasturba Gandhi Balika Residential Schools for girls from SC/ST backgrounds were closed due to novel coronavirus pandemic. Despite that, money was reportedly spent on purchasing food, fruits, milk, soap, oil, and stationery. A sum of Rs 9 crore was spent on food when the schools were closed," Singh said. He said that this included Rs 84 lakh withdrawn in Bareilly, Rs 74 lakh in Bijnore, Rs 68 lakh in Deoria, Rs 31 lakh in Fatehpur, Rs 18 lakh in Ghaziabad, Rs 96 lakh in Gonda, Rs 23 lakh in Mau, Rs 26 lakh in Meerut, Rs 39 lakh in Moradabad, Rs 76 lakh in Pratapgarh and Rs 38 lakh in Varanasi. "In 2020, a rule was made that photograph of students and their classes would have to be uploaded on the Prerna portal for funds to be released. In Sonbhadra, where funds were taken out for the school, the minister in charge is the basic education minister himself," Singh said. He further said that he would lodge a formal complaint against the minister with the Lokayukta. --IANS amita/skp/ New York: United States President Joe Biden asked his intelligence agencies on Wednesday to redouble their efforts to find out the origins of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic that has had devastating consequences in countries across the globe. "I have now asked the Intelligence Community to redouble their efforts to collect and analyze information that could bring us closer to a definitive conclusion, and to report back to me in 90 days," Biden said in a statement. As part of that report, the president said he has asked for areas of further inquiry that may be required, including specific questions for China. "I have also asked that this effort include work by our National Labs and other agencies of our government to augment the Intelligence Community's efforts. And I have asked the Intelligence Community to keep Congress fully apprised of its work," he said. Biden said the United States will also keep working with like-minded partners around the world to press China to participate in a full, transparent, evidence-based international investigation and provide access to all relevant data and evidence. Back in early 2020, when COVID-19 emerged, Biden had called for the CDC to get access to China to learn about the virus so that the US could fight it more effectively. "The failure to get our inspectors on the ground in those early months will always hamper any investigation into the origin of COVID-19," he said. "Nevertheless, shortly after I became President, in March, I had my National Security Advisor task the Intelligence Community to prepare a report on their most up-to-date analysis of the origins of COVID-19, including whether it emerged from human contact with an infected animal or from a laboratory accident," the president said. "I received that report earlier this month, and asked for additional follow-up. As of today, the US Intelligence Community has coalesced around two likely scenarios but has not reached a definitive conclusion on this question. Here is their current position: while two elements in the IC lean toward the former scenario and one leans more toward the latter -- each with low or moderate confidence -- the majority of elements do not believe there is sufficient information to assess one to be more likely than the other," Biden said. On Sunday, Denmark's national broadcaster DR News said in a report that Danish Defense Intelligence Service (FE) has given the US National Security Agency (NSA) open internet access to spy on senior politicians of European countries including Germany, Sweden, Norway, and France, Xinhua news agency reported. Berlin, June 1 (IANS) European countries have demanded an explanation from the USs and Denmark as soon as possible on reports that the American intelligence agency had used Danish infrastructure to spy on top politicians, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel. In response to the report, Danish Minister of Defence Trine Bramsen had said that the government will not "enter into speculation about any intelligence matters from the press or others... Systematic wiretapping of close allies is unacceptable" But French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday called for "clarity" and urged "complete transparency and resolution of the matter by our Danish and American partners". This "is unacceptable between allies, even less between allies and European partners", he added. Meanwhile, Merkel said she "could only agree" with Macron's comments, adding she was "reassured" by Bramsen's condemnation of any such spying. Besides Merkel, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and the candidate for chancellor Peer Steinbrueck were among those the NSA had spied on, the DR News reportsaid. "It is grotesque that friendly intelligence services are indeed intercepting and spying on top representatives of other countries," Steinbrueck told German broadcaster ARD on Monday. "Politically I consider it a scandal." In Paris, French Minister for European Affairs Clement Beaune told France Info radio that the DR report needed to be checked and that, if confirmed, it would be a "serious" matter. "These potential facts, they are serious. They must be checked," he said, adding there could be "some diplomatic protests". Jens Holm, a member of the Swedish Parliament, called on investigation into "who exactly was monitored, when and how". "This is extremely outrageous," Holms told local media, adding that the situation elicits memories of the Cold War. The governments of Norway and Sweden are pressing the Danish government and demanding immediate answers about the alleged NSA espionage through Danish cables. Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg said her government has asked Denmark "for all the information they have". "It's unacceptable if countries which have close allied cooperation feel the need to spy on one another," she told public broadcaster NRK. Norway's Defence Minister Frank Bakke-Jensen also told broadcaster NRK that the country takes the allegations seriously. Swedish Minister of Defence Peter Hultqvist said on state broadcaster SVT on Sunday that he "asked to be fully informed about matters concerning Swedish citizens, companies and interests." "And then we have to see how the answer sounds from a political side in Denmark," Hultqvist said, adding that he had been "in contact with Denmark's Defence Minister to ask if Danish platforms have been used to spy on Swedish politicians". --IANS ksk/ In a news report, Bangladesh newspaper, The Daily Star, said that Bangladesh is buying 1.5 crore doses of Sinopharm's Covid-19 vaccine, which has been approved by the cabinet committee on government purchase. The newspaper added: "Immediately after the meeting, chaired by Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal, a Cabinet Division official told reporters at a briefing that they were purchasing the vaccine at $10 per dose." Once the Bangladesh newspapers disclosed the vaccine price, it became an issue in Sri Lanka, which is supposedly paying US $15 per dose for the same vaccine. Interestingly, the pricing of the vaccine has now become an issue in Bangladesh as well. Once the news reports were out about the pricing and the quantity in Bangladesh, the Finance Ministry had to send out a text message to reporters requesting them not to mention the price in the "greater interest of the country". Also, Bangladesh Health Minister Zahid Maleque declined to disclose the price of the vaccine. He said: "As the purchase committee has approved the proposal, we hope that the procurement agreement between the two countries will be signed very soon". On the other hand, Sri Lankan newspaper Daily Mirror quoted Professor Channa Jayasumana, State Minister for Production, Supply and Regulation of Pharmaceuticals that there is no such agreement between China and Bangladesh to give the vaccine at $10 to Bangladesh. He added that the procurement agreement for Bangladesh is still under discussion. Providing a price comparison between vaccines that Sri Lanka has bought till now, the newspaper said: "A stock of 20 million of China's Sinopharm vaccines is expected to arrive in Sri Lanka next month. It is reported that Sri Lanka has purchased one dose of the vaccines for $15. However, Sri Lanka is reported to have purchased one dose of AstraZeneca vaccine for $5.50." The Sri Lankan government too had to fire-fight the controversy over vaccine prices. Dr Asela Gunawardena, Sri Lanka's DG of Health Services rose to defend the government, saying that the country had obtained the Sinopharm vaccines at the minimum cost. He said: "The prices of COVID-19 vaccines range from US $18-$40. The prices are subject to changes due to numerous reasons". As the media raised the price issue, and the social media set it further aflame in both Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, the Chinese embassy in Colombo stepped in to control the damage. In a tweet, the embassy said that it clarified the pricing with the Chinese embassy in Bangladesh and Sinopharm. The tweet said: "We checked with Chinese Embassy in Dhaka as well as #Sinopharm group. FYI: Bangladesh Health Minister has clarified last week that their procurement agreement including pricing is not finalized yet. The fake news on social media has already disturbed their ongoing negotiation." Besides this statement, the tweet was accompanied with a "Fake News" banner. Chinese vaccines have been caught in a web of controversy. Covid-19 vaccines from China have been battling allegations from various quarters that these are not effective enough. The controversy was further compounded in April when George Gau - the head of China's Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) himself said at a press conference in April, that: "We will solve the problem that current vaccines don't have very high protection rates". The Sinopharm vaccine had been granted emergency approval by the World Health Organization (WHO) only on May 7 this year, to alleviate the global vaccine crunch. The idea behind granting recognition to the Chinese vaccine also was to address the issue of vaccine inequity as the developed world had cornered the global supply of vaccines. (This content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative/ The good thing for the Chinese people was that though its social media trolls spun out fake news like blaming the US for creating the virus, their government did not believe its own propaganda. Even as they lied about deaths outside, inside, the Chinese Communist Party did everything to get COVID19 under control and havent let up a year and a half since. This ensured China became one of the least affected nations both in terms of deaths and economic impact. When SARS-Cov-2 hit Wuhan in December 2019, China scrambled to do two things: fight the virus and hide the bodies. Leaked photos and videos breached its iron-curtained internet and showed hospital chaos and mass graves. Despite massive propaganda, no one believed the death toll China presented. Every nation in the world in some way copied the Chinese playbook; be it the lockdown bit, hiding data, or propaganda bit. Those nations that copied the whole manual, were more successful than those like India who did it piecemeal. In the first wave, the notorious IT Cell of BJP used their SOP to blame Muslims. It worked because no matter how badly, the central government did manage to keep infections at a manageable level. However, the BJP government forgot to copy the Chinese playbook in its entirety, abandoned science, leading to a devastating second wave. IT cell spinning more yarns from the Tejasvi Surya stunt in Bangalore to the Congress Toolkit has only led to a dirty spat with global IT giants including the center sending Delhi police to Twitters office on May 24th. Though these did manage to distract but not enough to hide the government's failure entirely. The BJPs IT cell is legendary. As per Swati Chaturvedi who was part of it and wrote the book I Am A Troll, it employs hundreds of people whose sole job is to push fake news through thousands of social media handles on Facebook and Twitter and WhatsApp forwards. Within minutes a message they want to promote, reaches millions of phones across the nation where gullible people lap it up as the truth. The trick is simple: use social media to create a bubble around a topic, the government approves. Once the conversation seems large enough to create an illusion of national debate, traditional media many of whom are plaint to the ruling party pick it up and actually make it the dominant narrative. One can argue that not all is wrong with such a troll army. Indeed, in the hands of a good, fair-to-all government, IT cells can mobilize towards justice and peace. But when their sole intention is to drive lies, fake news , and propaganda and silence critics, it becomes a national problem. A bigger issue is when the ruling party starts believing its own lies and makes policies based on them. In normal times the harm is invisible. During a pandemic, the bodies are hard to hide. The central government created the narrative about India winning the war against COVID in January. Sadly, it believed its own lies even when the numbers werent accurate and epidemiologists constantly warned about a second wave. The result overflowing morgues, crematoriums and graveyards is for all to see in horror. India needs a way to counter the BJPs troll army, one that works for Indias interests rather than of a party. So far it has only been a rag-tag group of activists and concerned citizens who come together during causes to mobilise and raise a social media storm on a particular issue. At times they have been effective but not nearly enough. Unarmed civilians dont stand a chance against a trained, armed force. The principle is the same in the digital world. The only way to fight a troll army is through another troll army. The opposition and concerned citizens need to get together to create their own troll farms whose only job would be to counter every lie the BJP IT cell spits out. Countering them isnt that difficult. BJPs troll army has a set of responses to every issue: blame past governments and rulers especially Nehru, point fingers at minorities or distract with a new issue or fake news. Thus lack of hospitals during COVID have been blamed on the Congress even when the BJP has been in power for 11 of the 21 years this millennium. Hundreds of floating bodies in Ganga and Jamuna have been called a Hindu tradition. These are easy to counter and activists have been doing it. However, amidst the war cries of an army, theirs sound like voices in the wilderness. Facts are no longer self-evident and truths - like lies - work best when repeated. Thus unless the opposition gets together to create a structured and disciplined army of trolls with hundreds of paid staff working dedicatedly in the state and national levels, the truth will have little chance of survival much like the future of many of the regional parties under the BJPs desire to copy another Chinese idea: one-party system. A leaf can be taken from the activist playbook of Mohandas Gandhi. Before starting any movement, he trained people in the kind of activism needed truthful, honest, non-violent and steadfast. This playbook was adopted by the Civil Rights movement in the US to tremendous success. That sort of organising is needed in the digital space. Activists working on the ground on issues do not stand a chance against BJPs troll army. Their years of good work is destroyed within seconds by the hurricane of lies and slander let loose by BJPs IT cell. For them to have a fighting chance, the opposition needs to provide them covering fire of their own troll armies. Sadly, the opposition hasnt woken up to the digital millennium. Since almost everyone has a Twitter account anyway, lets look at YouTube presence of opposition leaders. Neither Mamata Banerjee nor CMO West Bengal have a YouTube channel. CMO Maharashtra does but Uddhav Thackeray does not. Neither does Aravind Kejriwal. Most of these opposition leaders think their party channels and occasional videos are enough. Contrast this with the BJP where not just their CMs, but most of their major leaders and some junior ones too, have their own dedicated YouTube channels which they fill regularly. I wish there was another way, but there isnt. Today truth does not stand on its own feet and but does so on the foundation of social media receptions: what is repeated is thought to be the truth even if it is the most inconceivable lie. So far the harm done to the nation by BJPs IT Cell was mostly limited to minorities. But the COVID pandemic has shown that no one is safe under the torrent of lies, propaganda, and abuse unleashed by them and the danger is not just of intimidation and arrest, but of losing ones own life. (Satyen K Bordoloi is a scriptwriter, journalist based in Mumbai. His written words have appeared in many Indian and foreign publications.) Read more by Satyen K Bordoloi: Tears for strangers in a COVID pandemic The Big Bull Vs. Scam 1992 A Bollywood metaphor in their making Bangladesh 1971 to Myanmar 2021 untangling India's refugee dilemma Surviving Trumpism in the worlds oldest and its largest democracy Google Union - a radical rethinking of unions A Pastafarian guide to Trumpian voter fraud myth BLM and Defund The Police could have cost Joe Biden the presidency Nov to Jan - the toughest months for liberal capitalism and democracy Are Trump's failures leading us to a new form of governance? Will AI destroy humanity or commit suicide? "Italy stands with Libya and supports it during this complex transition: the concrete implementation of a ceasefire, the removal of mercenaries and foreign soldiers, and the creation of an institutional structure," Draghi said at a joint conference with Dbeibah here on Monday. Rome, June 1 (IANS) Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi and his Libyan counterpart Abdul Hamid Dbeibah announced that the two countries will work together on illegal immigration and renewable energies. If all goes well, this process should culminate with elections and "a process of national reconciliation" by the end of the year, Xinhua news agency quoted the Italian premier as saying. Other European countries will be a part of this effort, he said. As part of its commitment, Italy will help build hospitals and send medical staff, and also take in "several dozen Libyan child cancer patients" for treatment in Italy, Draghi said. Libya is a "large-scale energy partner" of Italy in terms of fossil fuels "but we also want to start cooperation in the field of renewable energies", he added. Draghi said the two leaders also discussed "humanitarian and migration issues, the fight against human traffickers, refugee aid, humanitarian corridors, and the development of rural communities". "Italy intends to continue financing voluntary repatriations as well as humanitarian evacuations from Libya." For his part, the Libyan Prime Minister expressed his satisfaction at the "excellent bilateral relations" between the two countries, which are "reinforced by mutual goodwill". "We will tackle illegal immigration together, along with other European countries, and the countries of origin of the illegal immigrants." "The immigration problem cannot be solved in the Mediterranean alone, but should be tackled by going to the roots of the problem, which is not just a Libyan or Italian responsibility, but a common one," he added. Dbeibah said Libya wishes to "increase trade relations (with Italy) and to work on renewable energies as well as the country's reconstruction". "Italy could play an essential and primary role as an investor in Libya," he said. --IANS ksk/ Under the 'Project for Strengthening COVID-19 Response' as the pact between the two nations is called, Japan will provide ventilators, ICU beds, ultrasound scanners, blood gas analyzers and similar medical equipment for hospitals. The equipment will be installed in four hospitals - Base Hospital Teldeniya, Base Hospital Warakapola, Base Hospital Walikanda, and Base Hospital Pimbura. Sri Lankan newspaper Daily News reported that the agreement was signed between Secretary Health Major General Dr Sanjeewa Munasinghe and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) chief representative Yamada Tetsuya on Thursday. Japan will also assist Sri Lanka in setting up a PCR laboratory at the Hambantota District General Hospital to strengthen diagnostic capability. Japan will also provide training to Sri Lankan medical staff over Covid-19 management. This will help improve testing numbers in the southern province. Daily News said: "JICA believes this project will be able to significantly contribute to the Covid-19 testing, diagnosis, and treatment in Sri Lanka and to mitigate the difficult situation the country is facing now." In the last 24 hours, Sri Lanka had 2,289 Covid infections with the weekly average at 2,392 daily infections. The country is procuring additional vaccines from China and the defence forces are setting up more hospitals to deal with coronavirus emergencies. The aid is worth approximately $1.8 million. Japan is one of the largest donors for Sri Lanka with financial and technical relations continuing since 1954. Over decades, relations between the two nations have graduated from religious and cultural to financial and political. Last month Japan also approved another $3 million to support the cold chain in Sri Lanka and strengthen delivery of immunization services for preventing the coronavirus infection. The project will be implemented by UNICEF. In April the two countries celebrated 69 years of the establishment of diplomatic relations. Sri Lanka and Japan diplomatic relations though bound by common religion have seen considerable ups and downs owing to China making inroads in South Asia. Sandwiched between two global ports of Dubai and Singapore, Sri Lanka straddles vital shipping lanes, making it an important country strategically. Owing to this location, China has pushed massive investment into the country through its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Japan, along with India, has been making efforts to counter the Chinese influence in the island nation. The two are together developing a deep-sea port - the West Container Terminal (WCT), close to a Chinese port project at the Colombo port. Separately also India and Japan are working with Sri Lanka to strengthen relations and reduce Chinese influence. In September 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa held their first-ever India-Sri Lanka virtual bilateral summit. Doordarshan News had reported that India extended a grant of $15 million to Sri Lanka to develop people-to-people linkages as well as develop Buddhist sites in the country. India is also working on the five-year High Impact Community Development projects in the island nation. (This content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative/ Abrogation of J&K's special status on August 5, 2019, proved to be a watershed moment in the history of India as it settled all the issues once for all. New Delhi, June 1 (IANS) Amidst the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic, Home Minister Amit Shah took major decisions vis-a-vis Jammu and Kashmir in 2020 to completely merge the newly carved out Union Territory with the Indian Union. The August 5, 2019, decision created ripples across the sub continent with Pakistan angrily reacting to the abrogation of the Article 370 provisions. It went to the United Nations with the help of China but in vain. A few countries like Turkey and Malaysia flayed India for the decision but most countries, including France, Russia and the United States stood behind India saying it was an internal matter. In 2020, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) led by Amit Shah issued many orders to notify the adaptation of Central Laws and State laws in the union territory of Jammu & Kashmir. As many as 48 Central Laws were adapted in J&K thus completing the transition of the erstwhile princely Himalayan state into a UT. J&K Reorganisation Act The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Adaptation of State Laws) Order on March 31, 2020 by publishing a gazette notification. Through the order, the MHA amended 109 laws and repealed 29 laws of the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir. The MHA amended a 2010 legislation, the Jammu and Kashmir Civil Services (Decentralisation and Recruitment Act), by substituting the term "permanent residents" with "domiciles of UT [Union Territory] of J&K." The March 31 order offered protection to domiciles only in Group D and entry-level non-gazetted government posts. However, the order was amended within 72 hours and the new order stated the domiciles of J&K were eligible to apply for "any post" (gazette or non-gazetted) in the government. Domicile Law According to the new law, domicile was defined as anyone "who has resided for a period of 15 years in the UT of J&K or has studied for a period of seven years and appeared in Class 10th/12th examination in an educational institution located in the UT of J&K or who is registered as a migrant by the Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner (Migrants)". Children of the employees of Indian Government or those working with public sector units, autonomous body of Centre, Public Sector Banks, officials of statutory bodies, central universities and recognised research institutes of the Centre who have served in J&K for a "total period of 10 years" were to be treated as domiciles. The domicile status also applies to "children of such residents of J&K who reside outside UT in connection with their employment or business or other professional or vocational reasons but their parents should fulfill any of the conditions provided". The domicile law also allowed West Pakistan refugees and children of women who married non-locals to apply for jobs in J&K. This law ended the seven decade long discrimination faced by the outsiders in Jammu and Kashmir. Perks of former J&K Chief Ministers withdrawn On April 1, 2020, the MHA repealed the 1984 State Legislative Members Pension Act depriving former J&K chief ministers, including Farooq Abdullah his son Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti of perks and privileges. The Act entitled former J&K chief ministers to rent-free furnished accommodation, expenditure to the limit of Rs 35,000 per annum for furnishing of the residential accommodation, free telephone calls up to the value of Rs 48,000 per annum, free electricity to the extent of Rs 1,500 per month, car, petrol, medical facilities and a driver. They were also entitled to one personnel assistant, one special assistant and two peons. The Act was deleted through Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation (adaptation of state laws) Order-2020 on a recommendation of J&K Law Commission. It has stated that the provisions "violate the constitutional principles of equality" and are "arbitrary and not in consonance with any scheme or law." Financial assistance for displaced families of PoJK, Chhamb The MHA provided one time financial assistance to the displaced families from PoJK and Chhamb under Prime Minister Development package. Rs 5.5 lakh were given to each family. As many as 36,384 displaced families were covered under this scheme. Also one-time financial assistance at the rate of Rs.5.5 Lakh per family was provided to 5,764 families of West Pakistan Refugees (WPRs). The Jammu & Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act, 1989 was also amended on October 16, 2020 to set up District Development Councils (DDCs) in each district of Jammu & Kashmir and in a land mark decision for the first time ever West Pakistan's Refugees were entitled to exercise their franchise in local elections. The creation of DDCs was the last and final step in establishing a fully functional Panchayati Raj System in the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir as mandated under the 73rd Constitutional Amendment, 1992. Restoration work of temples, shrines, gurduwaras undertaken Soon after the abrogation of the Article 370, the restoration works of Hindu temples, Sikh gurudwara, a church, an Imambara for certain Muslim ceremonies were undertaken. Hundreds of temples were vacated in the 1990's when Kashmiri Pandits fled the region after the armed insurgency broke out in the Valley. Kashmiri Pandits left behind their homes, businesses and places of worship. There are a total of 1,842 Hindu places of worship in Kashmir including temples, shrines, holy springs, holy caves and holy trees. Of the 952 temples, 212 were running while 740 are in a dilapidated condition, according to the official figures. Just 65 temples remained open after Pandits left Kashmir in the early nineties. They were open mainly due to the presence of security forces or non-migrant Pandits living in the vicinity. Universities placed under Lieutenant Governor's control The Gazette notification that was issued in April 2020 amended or repealed various sections of the legislations of erstwhile J&K State regulating the universities, except Central Universities, the terms State' and Governor' were substituted by "Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir" and Lieutenant Governor", respectively. The Lt Governor of J&K is now Chancellor of not only Kashmir/Jammu University and SKUAST-J/K but also both the Cluster Universities as well as Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University, Rajouri where the Chief Minister was ex-officio Chancellor as per the earlier Act. The tenure of Vice-Chancellors of six UT Government varsities was reduced to three years as Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization (Adaptation) of State Laws) Order 2020. Chief Minister of J&K would have no more role or influence over the university affairs in capacity of Pro-Chancellor as the proviso "in consultation with the Pro-Chancellor" was omitted in the Kashmir and Jammu Universities Act. Any Individual can be declared as terrorist The MHA initiated another law which got the approval of Parliament under which an individual could be declared as terrorist by the government. Following the enactment of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Act, the MHA declared Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar, Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, Mumbai terror attack accused Zaki-ur-Rehman-Lakhvi and fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim individual terrorists. The four were the first to be declared terrorists under the new anti-law. The MHA also -designated Pakistan-based chief of Kashmiri militant group Hizbul Mujahideen Syed Salahuddin as a terrorist. According to the new law any designated terrorist can be arrested in any part of the world. The MHA also released a new map of India depicting Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) as part of the newly created Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, while Gilgit-Baltistan is in the UT of Ladakh and within the geographical boundary of India. Separatists cut to size After the abrogation of Article 370, separatists like Hurriyat hawk Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Hurriyat dove, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, so-called JKLF chief Yasin Malik, chief of radical women organization, Aasiya Andrabi, and others have been cut to size. Barring Mirwaiz and Geelani others are in jail. Geelani has taken retirement from politics while Mirwaiz has turned silent. Security cover of the separatists was withdrawn soon after the February 14, 2019, Pulwama suicide attack which left 40 paramilitary CRPF personnel dead. --IANS san/in Instead of ensuring that these terrible events are not repeated, the White House and its allies seem more interested in accusing those seeking answers of playing politics than getting to the bottom of what happened. The country, Rubio argued, must not only bring those behind this attack to justice but also make sure that a tragedy like (this) does not happen again. To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account. We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription. A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means youre helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much! An investigation into damage to an Aboriginal heritage site at a BHP Pilbara iron ore mine is only just getting off the ground more than four months after it was launched. WAtoday revealed in February that a rock shelter, which was significant to the Banjima people, was impacted at BHPs Mining Area C project. BHP has been investigating the rockfall at the heritage site since January. Credit:Reuters A piece of rock fell at the front of the shelter and was discovered by BHP as part of its monitoring on January 29. The timing and cause of the damage were unclear and so BHP and the traditional owners launched a joint investigation into the incident. The shelter otherwise remains intact. The groups issued a joint statement on the investigation after the February media reports but have not provided any updates since. Australias three largest telcos are urging the federal government to push ahead with a proposal that would allow them to use some of the radiofrequency spectrum occupied by television networks to deliver 5G services to their customers. Telstra, Optus and TPG Telecom have backed a proposal outlined in a government green paper that would allow them to receive some of the 600MHZ spectrum used by television broadcasters. The views are at odds with the industry group for commercial television broadcasters, Free TV, which said it did not believe the current proposal would help the networks in the long-term. The government has put forward a proposal that would see TV networks give up some of the radiofrequency spectrum they use so the government can sell it to telcos for a higher price. Credit:Graphic: Phil Carrick Optus vice president of regulatory and public affairs Andrew Sheridan said the green paper was a win-win reform opportunity for broadcasters and the government. This approach will help deliver a potential additional $130 billion of economic growth, including 205,000 net new jobs, over the next decade to 2030 by increasing the breadth and quality of 5G networks today and 6G tomorrow. This is particularly important for our rural and regional areas, Mr Sheridan said. The biggest proxy advisory firm in the country says industry super fund members will end up paying higher fees if the government succeeds in passing new laws that ban industry funds from owning proxy advice houses. The Australian Council of Superannuation Investors (ACSI), which advises funds holding $1.5 trillion of superannuation savings, has also warned that its entire model could be put at risk if the new laws,as proposed by the government, come into effect. ACSI chief executive Louise Davidson says proposed proxy reforms do not make commercial sense. Credit:Josh Robenstone Earlier this month, the government proposed a new set of rules for proxy advisers including that they be forced to give their externally prepared reports on a companys governance to the respective company five days before giving them to their investor clients. The new rules would then allow the company to respond and ensure that the proxy advisory house includes that response in their reports to clients. It surprises me that, though the nations been watching anxiously for more than a year as our politicians struggle with the repeated failures of hotel quarantine and the consequent lockdowns, big and small, and now the delay in rolling out the vaccine, so few of us have managed to join the dots. Some have been tempted to explain it in terms of Labor getting it wrong and the Libs getting it right or vice versa but that doesnt work. Nor does thinking the states always get it right and the feds get it wrong or vice versa. After the findings of the royal commission, it is no surprise there have been so many COVID-related deaths in aged care. Credit:Eddie Jim The media love conflict, so weve been given an overdose of Labor versus Liberal and premiers versus Morrison & Co. But though we can use this to gratify our tribal allegiances, it doesnt explain why both parties and both levels of government have had their failures. No, to me what stands out as the underlying cause of our difficulties apart from human fallibility is the way both sides of politics at both levels of government have spent the past few decades following the fashion for Smaller Government. Nuclear-armed North Korea is spitting feathers after U.S. President Joe Biden lifted all restrictions on South Korea's missiles. In its first response to the South Korea-U.S. summit in late May, North Korea on Monday called the decision a "deliberate and hostile act." Kim Myong-chol, an international affairs commentator for the North's official Korean Central News Agency, accused the U.S. of trying to "spark off an arms race on the Korean Peninsula and in its surrounding areas and check the development" of North Korea. He said the end of the missile restrictions "is a stark reminder of the U.S. hostile policy toward [North Korea] and its shameful double-dealing." "Now that the U.S. and the South Korean authorities made clear their ambitions of aggression, they are left with no reasons whatsoever to fault [North Korea] bolstering its capabilities for self-defense." He threatened to "counter the U.S. on the principle of strength for strength and good faith in kind. The escalated tension on the Korean Peninsula will lead to instability of the forces threatening [North Korea]." This is absurd and only affects and hurts Florida lawyers like myself, Tampa lawyer Sandy Weinberg wrote in an email to the Sun Sentinel. He implied that it may lead to the ABA boycotting Florida for future meetings, such as an annual program on white-collar crime that typically attracts 1,200 to 1,500 members, and for which Miami is our favorite and most popular location. A former chair of the ABA Criminal Justice Section, Weinberg said he will still moderate the next panel at Miami in October but as of now get no CLE credit. Will Australian men embrace a European mode of dressing that encompasses crochet knitwear, relaxed muslin shirting and oversized blazers that cinch at the waist? Some of Australias most exciting emerging fashion designers hope the answer is a resounding, Absolutely. COMMAS showed its range, including its first womens designs, at sunrise at Sydneys Tamarama Beach. Credit:Nick Moir Marina Afonina, of Albus Lumen, used Tuesdays presentation at Australian Fashion Week to let 60 editors, buyers and special guests in on a little secret she has been cooking up for the past few months: menswear. After earning a reputation over five years and several industry awards for her understated resort wear, former stylist Afonina says the time was right to introduce a menswear capsule that includes oversized knits, and muslin shirting and tailoring. Each week, Dr Kirstin Ferguson tackles questions on the workplace, career and leadership in her advice column Got a minute? This week, finding passion in your career, breaking the ceiling as an Asian-Australian, and dealing with misleading job advertisments. Illustration: by Dionne Gain. Credit: I have never been particularly interested or passionate about my job or career. After recently changing industries, I still feel very lost. Should I just learn to accept that I am probably never going to find passion in what I do for work or should I keep changing until I find that magic job that ticks all the boxes? I can really hear how keen you are to discover your purpose and to find something more than simply turning up to work. Sometimes finding that perfect job for you can happen accidentally; for some they have just always known. I do believe that you will be able to find work you can feel passionate about or at the very least, interested in. But before you do, you need to work out what it is that you really love. Without any limits, what kind of job do you lay in bed at night imagining would be the best possible job for you? Have a think about things in your life that you get excited about maybe a hobby or something you have only ever dreamt of pursuing. It might also be a particular way of working you love working with people, creating things or being outside. What does your perfect role look like? And so COVID-19 plays on a weekly loop where everything changes but nothing does, as we stumble around in circles. The dreadfully slow vaccine rollout is not a race, until it suddenly is in Victoria, where residents are again locked down, exactly one year after that states last big lockdown, in circumstances that evoke the same old dread for residents of the southern state. More than three months into the vaccine rollout the Department of Health has admitted it does not know how many aged care workers have been vaccinated. Faced with a clear and present danger, Victorians queue in the cold in their tens of thousands and send vaccine phone hotlines into meltdown, as the rest of the country shrugs its shoulders and many over 50s hold out for Pfizer (if they are holding out for anything at all). Last year there were creeping assumptions and Dan Andrews wicked enemy, a wildly infectious virus that doesnt discriminate. Now there is the Indian variant, an absolute beast, according to chief health officer Brett Sutton, and the new dread of fleeting contact. Heres a nice change of pace as we wind down the blog for the day. Although our story is one of pain and sorrow we are still here, yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Standing tall, proud and strong standing right here, where we belong. With these words, TV presenter Jarron Andy, a Waanyi, Djiru, Kuku Yalanji and Yindinji man, read a poem to open the first dedicated Indigenous runway at Australian Fashion Week on Wednesday. History-making ... The finale of the First Nations Fashion and Design show at Australian Fashion Week. Credit:Getty And, echoing the poem, many were moved to tears by the finale but also left wondering why it took this long for Indigenous brands to step into the spotlight at the countrys premier fashion event. Grace Lillian Lee, an artist, curator and designer who coordinated the show of seven designers through her organisation, First Nations Fashion + Design, said the all-Indigenous cast and crew were overwhelmed with joy about the beginning of what we see is a real change in the fashion industry. Read more here. A soldier who is to appear as a witness for Ben Roberts-Smith in a looming defamation trial must hand over documents related to his own involvement in a military inquiry that investigated alleged war crimes in Afghanistan. On Tuesday The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, which are being sued by Mr Roberts-Smith, were granted access to documents about an SAS soldiers involvement in the inquiry by the Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force, which probed the conduct of Australian soldiers in Afghanistan. Ben Roberts-Smith. Credit:ADF Mr Roberts-Smith, a highly decorated former SAS soldier, is suing the media outlets over reports he allegedly committed murder during deployments to Afghanistan between 2009 and 2012 and that he allegedly punched the woman with whom he was having an affair in Canberra in 2018. He denies the allegations and says the reports are defamatory because they portray him as a criminal. We faced hunger and cold; we faced the constant threat of death and torture; added to this we faced anti-Semitism in our own ranks, she wrote in her memoir. Against all odds, we struggled. An undated photo from Faye Schulman, via Second Story Press, of Jewish and Russian members of the Resistance who were buried in a single grave in 1943. Credit:NYT She died on April 24 in Toronto, her daughter, Dr Susan Schulman, said Mrs Schulman was believed to be 101. Dr Schulman said that her mother had not been in contact with her fellow partisans for years. She was the youngest, she said. According to the Jewish Partisan Educational Foundation, as many as 30,000 Jews joined Resistance groups on the Eastern Front during World War II; only hundreds are still living. Faigel Lazebnik was the fifth of seven children born to Yakov and Rayzel (Migdalovich) Lazebnik. Her mother was a caterer, her father a fabric merchant. Records list her birth date as November 28, 1919, which would have made her 22 in August 1942. But in her memoir, she wrote that she was 19 at the time, which would have made her birth year 1922 if she was born in November. The Lazebniks, who were Orthodox Jews, lived in Lenin (named for Lena, the daughter of a local aristocrat, not the Bolshevik revolutionary) in what was then Poland. Faye had apprenticed to her brother Moishe, the town photographer, since she was 10 and had taken over his studio when she was 16. An undated photo from Faye Schulman shows Schulmans brother Kopel Lazebnik, third from left, who brought food to a Jewish civilian camp. Credit:NYT In September 1939, after signing a nonaggression pact with Hitler, Soviet troops crossed the Stulch River and occupied eastern Poland, including Lenin, just 16 days after the Germans had invaded the country from the west. By August 1942, Nazi Germany had broken the treaty, declared war on the Soviet Union and pushed further east, drawing Moscow to the Allied side. Schulman realised that among the photographs she was processing for the Germans that August were images of the bodies of her own family members. I just was crying, she told the Memory Project, a Canadian historic preservation program. And I I lost my family. Im alone. Im a young girl. What shall I do now? Where shall I go? What shall I do? The Germans ordered her to train a young Ukrainian woman as an assistant, but she stalled, knowing what would happen when she was no longer considered essential. After Soviet partisans attacked the town that September, she fled with them. From now on my bed would be the grass, my roof the sky and my walls the trees, she said. Her rifle became her pillow. Because her brother-in-law had been a doctor, the partisans welcomed her, even as a woman and a Jew, into the Molotov Brigade and made her a nurse, providing her with rudimentary equipment and tutoring by their full-time medic, a veterinarian. An undated photo from Faye Schulman of herself, third from right in the back row, with fellow partisans. Credit:NYT The main part of being a partisan was not the killing but keeping the wounded alive, she said, bringing the wounded back to life so they could continue fighting and bring the war to an end. An undated photo from Faye Schulman, via Second Story Press, of herself with the Compur camera she used during WWII. Credit:NYT When the guerillas raided Lenin, she recovered her camera and darkroom equipment and began chronicling the Resistance. Developing film at night or under a blanket, she captured intimate views of the partisan underground, including a poignant moratorium on anti-Semitism during a joint funeral of Jewish and Russian partisans. She recorded joyous reunions of partisans who were surprised to discover that their friends and neighbours were still alive. Schulman remained with the brigade until July 1944, when the Red Army liberated Belarus. She reunited with two of her brothers, who reintroduced her to a fellow partisan, Morris Schulman, an accountant whom she had known before the war. They married later that year and lived in Pinsk, in Belarus, as decorated Soviet heroes. But after the war, they left for a displaced persons camp in West Germany, where they smuggled people and weapons to support the movement for an independent Israel and made plans to emigrate to British-controlled Palestine themselves. When Schulman became pregnant with Susan, though, the couple decided instead to settle in Canada. After arriving there in 1948, Schulman worked in a dress factory and later hand-tinted photographs and painted in oils. Her husband was employed as a labourer, then worked in the dress factory as a cutter before the couple opened a hardware store. He died in 1992. Mr Moody welcomed the Victorian governments decision to fast-track jabs for disability and aged care workers at mass vaccination centres from Wednesday. But he said the federal government needed to mandate the vaccine for disability support workers providing face-to-face support. This [position] was established by National Disability Services in response to the incidence of disability support workers indicating that if offered the vaccine voluntarily they would not be taking it, Mr Moody said. Thats a concern for our members who are committed to providing safe services for people with a disability. Able Australia CEO Kate MacRae. Credit:Simon Schluter Kate MacRae, the chief executive of Able Australia, which operates 55 residential disability homes nationally, said vaccinations for residents had occurred at just two of its homes. She said she was contacted by Aspen Medical one of the private contractors the federal government hired to distribute the vaccine on May 19. Aspen Medical scheduled vaccinations at homes in Victoria on May 26 and 27 and then cancelled at the last minute without giving a reason, Ms MacRae said. They were finally carried out at two homes last Friday, the first day of Melbournes lockdown. Up to that point, of the 55, we had had no homes vaccinated at all, Ms MacRae said. She said the concerning issue was that there was no communication of the implementation plan for the rollout in disability residential homes, which housed very vulnerable people. Today Ive written to a family who are really distressed because they are wondering, why hasnt their adult daughter had her vaccine? In any crisis situation and weve been in a crisis situation now for 16 months the most important thing is knowing what your implementation plan is so that you can work towards it, Ms MacRae said. For us to be told that were getting vaccinations to our homes the following week and then be cancelled on the day and cancelled the next day and then turn up on the third doesnt speak to a plan to me. And this week we have phoned every day. One day we phoned Aspen Medical 17 times to ask them what the plan is and you just go to an answer service. An Aspen Medical spokesperson said the group had been required to reallocate resources to the aged care vaccination program. As a consequence, and regrettably, there were a small number of cancellations within the disability care sector to facilitate this. We will closely work with disability care providers and the other organisations involved in the vaccination rollout to ensure it is completed as soon as possible. Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video Wallara chief executive Phil Hayes-Brown said residents at just three of his groups eight disability residential homes in Victoria had been vaccinated and even then only in the past couple of weeks. The whole way through from the PPE [personal protective equipment] scramble, when COVID first started, to now the scramble for vaccination, it feels like the disability sector keeps shouting out, Hey, were in the same risk category, hello, hello, dont forget us, he said. Loading Mr Hayes-Brown also backed the push to mandate vaccinations for disability support workers. We were disappointed when the government didnt go there, he said. There is hesitancy out there with some staff who feel like its been rushed or are unsure about it that was about 30 per cent of our staff. But we need to protect vulnerable people and it should be no jab, no work. Labors federal NDIS spokesman Bill Shorten said it was not good enough that only 355 people living in residential disability care had been vaccinated. This is a very real crisis for all Australians, not just for Victoria, he said. Detectives charged 10 people overnight over the alleged kidnapping of a man held for ransom after a violent home invasion in Sydneys north-west. Police were called to a home at Jersey Road in Bringelley about 3am on Tuesday after receiving reports Dillan Mancuso, 37, had been abducted by an armed group of men who also allegedly assaulted his 61-year-old father when they forced their way into the house. His father suffered minor injuries and was treated by paramedics but did not require further treatment. Mr Mancuso, previously linked to the Lone Wolf bikie gang and once a Perth resident, was allegedly forced into a vehicle and taken to an industrial estate on Marigold Street in Revesby. The NSW government has launched an app aiming to help domestic violence perpetrators understand their AVDOs and support services available to them. An app aiming to increase domestic violence perpetrators compliance with apprehended violence orders will launch across the state on Wednesday. The NSW government-funded mobile app Avow will provide information about court processes and the consequences of breaching an Apprehended Domestic Violence Orders. It will also include features that allow users to plan how they will comply with an order and how to access support services. The scourge of domestic violence needs to be tackled both by protecting victims and by helping perpetrators to stop their abusive behaviour, Attorney General and Minister for Prevention of Domestic and Sexual Violence Mark Speakman said. In the wake of the mutually-agreed end to Porters defamation suit against the ABC, the ABC has said it did not intend to suggest that Mr Porter had committed the criminal offences alleged and did not contend that the serious accusations could be substantiated to the applicable legal standard criminal or civil. The ABCs statement begs the question as to what it intended to achieve by reporting on an allegation-loaded letter apparently penned by an unnamed person, now deceased. Any further inquiry into wrongdoing should be into what the ABC has done, not what Porter might have done. - Ross Drynan, Lindfield Calm, insightful Plibersek could be our Ardern Jenna Price has highlighted a discussion that has been circulating for years (Plibersek should be the next PM, June 1). Why doesnt Labor do the obvious? Tanya Plibersek as leader with Penny Wong as treasurer (or perhaps foreign minister). Calm, insightful, clear, direct, without bluster or artifice. The recent Canberra shame and scandal around womens treatment opened many eyes. Now is the time to change the leadership the best people to meet new and extraordinary challenges. And these two women are the leaders to do it. - Jan Allerton, Huntleys Cove I agree with Jenna Price. Anthony Albanese is not cutting through. He should selflessly stand aside and endorse Plibersek as leader. In 2017, the New Zealand Labour Party under Andrew Little was suffering abysmal polling figures. Little stood aside, for the sake of his party, two months out from the general election. Jacinda Ardern was unanimously elected as his replacement. The rest is history. - Pam Timms, Suffolk Park Plibersek should be the next federal Labor leader and prime minister. But given the treatment given to other women leaders, why would she want it? - Marina Garlick, Balmain Maybe Santa will grant my wish that the Labor dream team of Plibersek, Wong and Kristina Keneally lead the opposition into the next federal election. - Lorna Denham, New Lambton Heights While Price is babysitting Pliberseks kids she can read them a fairytale about their mother becoming Australias next prime minister. - George Fishman, Vaucluse NSW will choose a bland new leader I dont know why NSW Labor is so fussed over the leadership (MPs urge speedy end to Labor leadership void, June 1). It doesnt matter who is chosen as most voters wont care. I doubt many could name any of the past three Labor leaders, let alone what they stood for. Minns and Daley should just draw straws. - Graham Lum, North Rocks Michael Daleys remark about Asians with PhDs was making a point about a strong work ethic that we all should heed (Why I cannot back Daley for Labor leader, June 1). But yet, he was torn down by opponents who chose to see it as racist. The union movement-Labor Party relationship is both an institutional strength and a barrier to the power ranking for people who do not fit neatly into both which includes migrants learning about Australia. We like to see people of all cultural backgrounds succeeding in all fields including politics, but we are not much interested in different political cultures to the ones we have. - Peter Egan, Artarmon Its time the Herald stopped describing the democratic process of the Labor Party as protracted and messy. Yes, elections take time but members are entitled to have their say. Democracy is worth the investment of some time and effort. - Robyn Gilbert, Randwick Prioritise jab for all in aged care The federal government should make COVID vaccination mandatory for aged care workers (Aged care vaccine scandal deepens, June 1). These workers are in frequent close proximity to, or contact with, the frail and elderly, who are at greatest risk of deadly infection by the coronavirus. I live in a retirement village. Last month, village management arranged for a doctor and a nurse to visit the village and administer the first dose of AstraZeneca vaccine to all who volunteered. Most of the 121 residents received their dose in less than a day. Surely it is not too much to ask for the federal and state governments, with all their resources, to arrange a similar vaccination procedure for all aged care facilities. - Douglas Mackenzie, Deakin (ACT) The casualisation of the aged care industry should be abhorred. The government through legislation, agencies, monitoring and enforcement could readily address this situation. Surely, it is only responsible to have competently trained, skilled, fully employed, professional staff in well-equipped decent facilities. Elderly Australians deserve at least this! - Michael Wheatley, Rock Forest Why would anyone believe that a student accommodation block would be any more suitable as a quarantine facility than a hotel (The Block on site list for student quarantine hub, June 1)? - Norm Neill, Darlinghurst Rather than delay, deliberating about duplicating Howard Springs, is there anything wrong with caravan parks and resorts as quarantine locations instead of hotels and, if not, could the federal government just commandeer a few, appropriately compensating the owners? - Jeremy Macdonald Steele, Glenhaven Rather than incentivising the recalcitrants, how about we reward those who have been vaccinated? - Carmen Fenech, Frenchs Forest The Prime Minister should set a date (Jan 1, 2022?) to open the borders and let citizens know that after that time the only guaranteed protection from the effects of COVID-19 is through vaccination. This will incentivise people to get the jab and fervent anti-vaccination folk will need to keep to themselves after border opening, while the rest of Australia can get on with life. All governments need to do is supply and efficiently administer the vaccine. This shouldnt be too hard. - Ian Carmody, Broulee Gas plan stinks The NSW government ironically claims a national first in wanting us to burn methane instead of natural gas, calling it clean energy (Renewable gas may soon join renewable electricity as household staples, 1 June). Maybe they were behind the door when the world discovered methane is a potent greenhouse gas, as the Herald article points out. Its a suicidal step for a state-owned utility to push methane use and it wont help stop climate change. - Barry Laing, Castle Cove Baranga-ruin The undue haste in railroading convention and building Sydneys tallest residential building at Barangaroo is forever a testament to avarice and the problematic relationship between government and big business. Mondays Four Corners episode on ABC TV plainly lays out how this disaster for the harbour was approved and built. Now those casino high rollers arent coming, I say get rid of it and make the tower all residential or just a hotel. Spare the state the problems that gambling brings. - Peter Neufeld, Mosman How nice of Mr Packer to build a six-star hotel on Sydney Harbour. Air circulation and other fittings must be of the highest standard: so superior it would make an excellent quarantine station. - Grant McCall, Darlington Barry OFarrell must swell with pride when he reflects on his primary contribution to public life as Premier of NSW: an unwanted, towering casino built on public parkland at Barangaroo. - Ray Morgan, Maroubra Mind games Naomi Osaka is an incredible role model for all. When she spoke out about her need to focus on her mental health, those more interested in the money and publicity they can make from her got angry and tried to threaten, ridicule her stand and bully her into submission (Osakas boycott risks forfeiting publicity control, June 1). They are the ones who now look churlish and foolish because they have forced out an outstanding athlete instead of providing her with the needed support. - Merilyn McClung, Forestville Are people really suggesting Osaka must give up her sport because she cant handle the press after her games? It seems we pay lip service to mental health when it suits us, but ignore it when it means someone doesnt play by the rules off the court. - Margaret Grove, Abbotsford Desecration disconnect Interesting that five young men are facing charges of desecrating a protected site and offensive conduct relating to climbing on the Martin Place Cenotaph, almost certainly while drunk (Five charged over cenotaph damage, June 1). Mining executives destroyed a site sacred to our First Peoples at Juukan Caves, causing irreparable damage, but I havent noticed the police fronting up at their headquarters. Have I missed something? This might be the right time for some equality in action. - Margaret Short, Belmore Dads army Surely it is common sense to make sure that your armaments are in tip-top condition before you talk about going to war, especially against a country like China. So, I was surprised to read that Defence has allowed our key military weapons to be out of action for more than half a year and had failed to meet the benchmark for keeping the assets operational (Combat systems up in the air? Not so much: time flies when works undone, June 1). So is Peter Dutton, the Defence Minister, planning on a kamikaze type of warfare when he talks of war? Or is the sabre-rattling just for domestic consumption to help the federal government get re-elected? - Thiam Ang, Beecroft Missing the buzz Some 45 years ago, I had to continually clean my windscreen of dead insects while driving to and from Broken Hill. On my recent trip, I did not have to clean it at all, just had to avoid the feral goats. One must ask, is this due to monoculture crops and the spraying of insecticides? (Letters, June 1) - Brian McDonald, Willoughby Altared reality for British PM British PM Boris Johnson last week married in a Catholic Church although both of his earlier marriages ended in divorce. They were in another brand of religion and thus didnt count. This is news to me. Im sure I was taught a different story during my Catholic school education last century. - Bernie Carberry, Connells Point The bride rightly assumed it would not cost too much to outshine Boris (Rented dress shows first ladys eco-cred). - Mustafa Erem, Terrigal More free advice Hallelujah, the letters page turns the spotlight on the long-standing, universal and grossly incorrect use of for free (Letters, May 31). Your COVID-19 vaccination is free, free of charge or, at a pinch, for nothing. All media newsrooms and social media commentators please take note of this advice. Its free. - Phil Rodwell, Redfern Chorus of approval With regard to Shakespeare (Letters, May 31), Campbelltowns theatre has just had a three-week run of a brilliant Macbeth with widely experienced actors. Suburban Sydney theatre, with its far cheaper admission charges, deserves more attention. Our local production of Phantom of the Opera, for example, was better than the production I saw in New York. - John Bunyan, Campbelltown Does he want to be like Gov. Andrew Cuomo? He put infected people in nursing homes, and look what happened. Does DeSantis want people infected with the virus to go on ships and give it to others? Only he knows why he wants to fine cruise lines $5,000 per passenger for requiring vaccine passports. Asking for proof should not bother anyone who wants to sail safely. An inmate has been found and arrested after allegedly escaping Bathurst jail on Tuesday while performing maintenance outside the grounds. Alan Piper was reported missing from the Bathurst Correctional Centre at 12pm on Tuesday, June 1, 2021. Credit:NSW Police Alan Piper, 61, had last been seen shortly after 11am at Bathurst Correctional Centre near the Mid-Western Highway in the NSW Central Tablelands. Corrective Services NSW said he escaped around 11am while performing external grounds maintenance. The inmate was unaccounted for at the 11.30am muster, a CSNSW spokeswoman said. Property developer Mirvac has warned the Berejiklian government that a request to shrink the size of its proposed Harbourside Shopping Centre redevelopment would render the $708 million project financially unviable. The Independent Planning Commission is assessing Mirvacs unsolicited proposal to overhaul the 1980s shopping centre at Darling Harbour with new shops, offices, public space and a 42-storey residential tower. Mirvac has been asked to make changes to its revised concept proposal to revamp the outdated shopping centre. Mirvac has faced opposition from locals and the City of Sydney for its bid to overhaul the complex next to Sydney Harbour at Pyrmont. The commission wrote to the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment in May voicing concerns the development would overshadow the waterfront walkway, constrict access to public space and disrupt views. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size The NSW government has attempted to cover up how it artificially inflated the states budgets by tens of billions of dollars after it shifted the rail networks costs onto a corporation that still hasnt been able to properly operate six years after it was launched. A trove of highly confidential documents and testimony of whistleblowers reveals NSW Treasury pressured accounting giant KPMG to delete or amend aspects of a report commissioned by Transport for NSW that found the plan could end up costing the states coffers more than it saved. Whistleblowers fear the new structure will fragment accountability and could eventually lead to train disasters on the scale of the Waterfall or Glenbrook tragedies, which claimed the lives of 14 passengers. The corporation, known as the Transport Asset Holding Entity (TAHE), was part of a plan hatched in 2014 to set up a shell corporation to shift billions of dollars of expenses off the state budget and into a new rail body. Seven people were killed and dozens injured when a Tangara train derailed near Waterfall station, south of Sydney, in January 2003. Credit:Andrew Meares NSW Treasury was able to use the corporation, with the approval of the Australian Bureau of Statistics, to inflate the budget to help mask the government slipping into deficit in 2018. The KPMG report last year caused a deep rift between Treasury and Transport for NSW. On November 17, Transport for NSW secretary Rodd Staples was sacked for no cause after 15 years in the department. Advertisement Former NSW auditor-general Tony Harris estimates the entitys reclassification from a government body to a commercial entity meant the governments operating result has been bolstered by more than $30 billion over the last six years. Its a financial mirage because you are seeing something that isnt there, Mr Harris said. It was designed to avert the prospect of the state losing its AAA credit rating by creating an apparent surplus through an accounting gimmick. The ABS, which sets the rules on classifying government entities, agreed to allow the government to gain the benefits upfront on the proviso the new entity would meet key milestones in the transition to a commercial government-owned corporation by July 2018, according to a document marked Cabinet in confidence in 2016. Until that happened it would be classified as a commercial entity in name only as it didnt have a board or CEO and was not booking any revenue. That revenue would eventually come from requiring Sydney Trains and NSW Trains to pay access fees for the use of tracks and other assets it owned, which would be charged to the state budget. The highly confidential analysis by KPMG for Transport last November found once TAHE started earning revenue by charging the government-owned Sydney Trains and NSW Trains access fees, the costs to the budget would far outweigh the benefits. The Herald can reveal the Auditor-General had been denied access to the controversial KPMG report in helping it audit the states finances. Advertisement Despite multiple warnings about the long-term safety and financial implications, including in cabinet papers dating back to 2016, Treasury pushed ahead to preserve what has been described by a whistleblower as a public sector Enron. Enron was all about using accounting profits to mask cash losses and TAHE is the same, the only difference is it is owned by taxpayers who will pick up the costs when its wound up, said another whistleblower who had expertise in finance and who sought anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter. Former counsel assisting the Independent Commission Against Corruption Geoffrey Watson, SC, who is a director of the Centre for Public Integrity, said the watchdog needed to investigate the attempted cover-up and dismissal of Mr Staples as Transport secretary. This is disturbing on so many levels. This is a crude accounting technique to pretend that billions of dollars dont get reported into the budget, he said. This needs to go to ICAC. It is a bad practice to obtain an opinion from an external consultancy then try to get them to alter it. Labor MP and leadership contender Michael Daley, who has been raising concerns about TAHE in Parliament for years, said he didnt realise how fraudulent it was until he received the KPMG report from whistleblowers. The Auditor-General must examine this rort. TAHE is the most dishonest budgetary fraud ever concocted by a NSW state government and it goes all the way to the top ... [Dominic] Perrottet and [Andrew] Constance are all in the gun here, he said. Mr Daley said the budget that would be handed down later this month would be based on lies. Advertisement The Herald can also reveal senior transport officials feared the new structure could repeat the 1990s carve-up of NSW railways and the resulting gaps in safety and investment accountabilities; key factors in the 1999 Glenbrook and 2003 Waterfall rail disasters. It creates an environment of competing priorities and a lack of clarity of who is truly accountable, and in doing so it seeds the possibility of poor decisions that will lead to safety incidents unnecessarily, a whistleblower who worked inside the state bureaucracy said. Treasury said measures would be put in place to mitigate the safety risks including an operating licence, ministerial power of direction and providing Transport with a seat on the TAHE board. But former NSW rail executive Dick Day said those safeguards could prove not enough. Divided responsibility can often compromise safety. There will be risks in terms of diverging views on the level of maintenance done, he said. They are putting an artificial divide right through the core of railway management. Fears about the for-profit rail corporation reached a flashpoint for the NSW government last year when NSW Auditor-General Margaret Crawford grew concerned TAHE had earlier missed a key deadline in its transition to a fully fledged commercial entity. With a new deadline looming to appoint a board and chief executive, Transport and Treasury scrambled to agree on an operating model for TAHE, which would control $40 billion of the states rail assets, including trains, tracks and stations after they were shifted from the transport agency. The government had already missed multiple deadlines to gain classification by the ABS. Advertisement A confidential cabinet document in February 2020 reveals Treasury was warning cabinet that unwinding TAHE would cost the budget $2.5 billion in 2019-2020 and almost $5 billion over four years. These figures didnt include the cost to the budget of TAHE eventually charging access fees for use of its rail assets. In May 2020, weeks out from a cabinet meeting, Transport commissioned KPMG to urgently assess different models and resolve key organisational and operational challenges facing TAHE as part of a joint submission with Treasury to cabinet. Despite the misgivings, on June 1 last year cabinet endorsed the next stage of TAHE as a state-owned corporation, on the proviso Transport and Treasury returned to cabinet later that year with a proposed long-term operating model for TAHE. But by last September the crisis enveloping the agencies worsened when KPMG released a preliminary report that concluded a fully operational TAHE didnt work financially. KPMG flagged for the first time the likely costs to the budget once TAHE became operational and started collecting revenue. This included charging the government access fees at a commercial rate for the use of the rail network now under its control if it was to continue to be classified as a commercial entity. It calculated TAHE would cost the budget $5.3 billion over 10 years, which was vastly different from Treasury forecasts of a $4.7 billion budget benefit over a similar period. Despite KPMGs modest assumptions, a government whistleblower said everything changed suddenly. There was now a set of numbers telling us that what had been booked in the future budget was inappropriate, the whistleblower said. Advertisement A group of high-profile NSW barristers including former Commonwealth solicitor-general Justin Gleeson, SC, has thrown its weight behind a plan to overhaul the states sexual assault laws to emphasise the importance of seeking active agreement to sex. Former solicitor-General Justin Gleeson SC, pictured in 2016. Credit:Andrew Meares NSW Attorney-General Mark Speakman announced last week that the state would overhaul its sexual assault laws to mirror the affirmative consent model in Tasmania, where the criminal law states explicitly that a person does not consent to sex if they do not say or do anything to communicate consent. An accused person will also have to show they said or did something to find out if the other person was consenting to sex if they want to rely in court on a mistaken but reasonable belief that there was consent. The NSW Bar Association, which represents the states 2400 barristers, said in a statement after Mr Speakmans announcement that the changes were likely to result in significant injustice and could potentially criminalise many consensual sexual relations. Protesters have disrupted a taxpayer-funded weapons expo held in Brisbane, arguing companies involved are complicit in crimes against humanity. During the protest of the Land Forces expo on Tuesday, two people were arrested for wilful damage after allegedly dropping paint on the stairs at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, and five for public nuisance. Police arrested six people at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre. Credit:Office of Amy MacMahon Inspector Michael Coulson said 80 police officers attended the protest and police would work with protest organisers to ensure it was a safe event. Presented in collaboration with the Australian Army, Land Forces is a biennial international industry expo to display equipment, technology and services for the armies of Australia and the Indo-Asia-Pacific. Regional communities are urging the state government to ease restrictions in parts of Victoria with no cases or exposure sites to reduce the social and economic impact of the latest lockdown. The state government is set to announce later this week whether the seven-day lockdown will continue to apply across the state. Communities in regional Victoria that have not been exposed to the lastest coronavirus clusters want the government to ease restrictions. Credit:Eddie Jim Cases in the latest outbreak have been largely concentrated in Melbourne. However, there have been exposure sites in regional Victoria, including Bendigo, Axedale and Cohuna where authorities are monitoring contacts who are now isolating. Two more regional exposure sites were listed on Tuesday night, a service station in Euroa and truckstop in Glenrowan, after a newly-identified positive case visited those locations last week. A man who was a suspended ride-share driver when he preyed on and sexually assaulted two vulnerable women in his car has pleaded guilty to rape and other charges. Sharjeel Mirza attacked the women across a four-month period in 2019 when giving them lifts in his car after they had been at nightclubs. Sharjeel Mirza drove with an Uber sticker on his car despite being suspended following complaints of inappropriate conduct Credit:Bloomberg Mirza, 38, on Tuesday pleaded guilty to rape and two counts of sexual assault over the attacks on March 10 and July 12, 2019. In the first incident, Melbourne Magistrates Court previously heard Mirza gave a lift to a young woman who had been ejected from a Melbourne nightclub, and that he sexually assaulted her and digitally raped her. Builders of the $16 billion North East Link project have underestimated the scale of tree loss by as much as 80 per cent, a secret government-commissioned audit of the toll road reveals. The misreporting of what is estimated to be hundreds of square metres of lost trees has angered locals and planning experts, who say it has made a mockery of nine weeks of public hearings designed to reduce the environmental impact of the new 26-kilometre toll road. In 2019, the Andrews government ran an extensive process to examine the projects ecological and social impacts, including the felling of 26,000 trees. The resulting environmental effects statement (EES) led to the creation of performance benchmarks to audit the projects builders. But even before the projects major construction starts later this year, early works builders CPB Contractors have been caught bypassing the new benchmarks and misreporting the estimated scale of tree loss. COVID-19 has been transmitted between neighbouring rooms at the Pan Pacific Hotel in Perth but health authorities are confident in mitigation steps they have taken to prevent community spread. West Australian Chief Health Officer Andy Robertson said on Tuesday that genomic sequencing had found a positive case from May 23 of a man who had come from Colombia via the United States and a second man on May 31 were linked. The Pan Pacific in Perth where a case of transmission within the hotel quarantine system has been recorded. Credit:David Prestipino A family of three who were opposite the second man have so far tested negative but have been moved to another room in quarantine. A further 12 people from the same floor who were not near the two men, referred to as cases 1017 and 1018, have left quarantine but will continue to be tested for the virus. The slight increase in coronavirus cases detected over the last few days has changed Andalucia's strategy regarding its schedule for the lifting of restrictions. The committee of experts who advise the regional government decided to keep the current measures and postpone the next phase of easing, after analysing the lastest figures at a meeting on Tuesday evening. Due to the increase in the infection rate, the group said it had made its decision based on "a principle of caution". There will be no change, therefore, to the numbers permitted at venues, events and gatherings for the time being. The committee meeting was coordinated remotely by Junta president Juanma Moreno, who is currently self-isolating at home after testing positive for coronavirus last week. The experts will meet again in two weeks' time, said regional Health Minister Jesus Aguirre. The average 14-day cumulative infection rate in Andalucia has increased steadily over the last week, reaching 176 cases for every 100,000 inhabitants, a figure that is moving further towards putting the region back into an extreme risk category (more than 250 cases). Malaga is the province with the second lowest infection rate (138), only behind Almeria (77). Meanwhile Granada, Huelva, Jaen and Seville all have more than 200 positive cases per 100,000 inhabitants over 14 days. Now the curve is starting to rise again after the downward trend of the last few weeks, which is what has led the authority to err on the side of caution. The news is not all bad, however. The numbers of Covid hospital patients remains controlled. In Andalucia this Tuesday there were 855 people in hospital with Covid-19, more than last week but almost half the total at the height of the fourth wave; and far lower that the figures reported just after Christmas, when vaccination had barely started and the Junta activated a plan to be able to attend to up to 4,500 hospitalised Covid patients. The effects of vaccination are now evident, especially among the older age groups who are also the most vulnerable. In Malaga province, 85 per cent of the population over 50 years old have now received at least one dose of one of the coronavirus vaccines. Western Australias richest university has flagged staff redundancies will be rolled out without any overarching announcement as part of $40 million in structural cost cuts, while also promoting an ambitious campus expansion plan that shakes up its faculties of architecture, landscape and fine arts, and education. In an email leaked to WAtoday, the University of Western Australia said heads of schools and professional service directors would decide job losses as part of their areas structural reforms, which would be phased in across the year to ensure continuity of teaching, research and professional services. University of Western Australia will undergo an ambition campus redevelopment to make better use of its under utilised space. Credit:Fairfax Media As the program is being managed by each area at the local level, there will be no overarching announcement of university-wide redundancies, although as I have previously shared, some will be inevitable as we reshape our operations, the email said. Respective leaders will manage these on an area-by-area basis. Labor MPs have split over a federal plan to open up new gas reserves in a new sign of disunity on climate change and whether Australia should phase out fossil fuel. The debate included significant interventions from former leader Bill Shorten and former resources spokesman Joel Fitzgibbon to back policies that opened up gas reserves to supply energy for households and business. Federal Labor is confronting a new split over energy policy. Credit:Bloomberg Labor leader Anthony Albanese did not speak during the caucus discussion on gas but will back the mining industry in a speech to be delivered on Wednesday, praising sectors including gas and coal for providing jobs. Our nations top five resources exports are iron ore, LNG, gold, metallurgical coal and thermal coal, he says in a draft of the speech to the Minerals Council of Australia. The ABC has come under fire from Coalition MPs who want federal action against the public broadcaster to stop what they claim is systemic bias in the coverage of a rape allegation against Industry Minister Christian Porter. Queensland Nationals MP George Christensen called on the government to take action against the ABC, saying this should start with its chairwoman, Ita Buttrose. George Christensen suggested action against the ABC should start with the broadcasters chairwoman Ita Buttrose. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Mr Christensen raised the case of Mr Porter and the ABC in the regular meeting of Liberal and Nationals MPs on Tuesday morning and drew applause from some colleagues, amid anger within the government at the coverage of the claim against Mr Porter. But the ABCs supporters warned against calls for reprisals when the coverage of Mr Porter had its origin in a complaint against him that deserved to be aired and was in the public interest. Mr Porter vehemently denies the rape allegation. After years of releasing e-readers that compete directly with Amazons category-leading Kindle, Rakuten Kobos latest device offers something decidedly different; the ability to draw, write and annotate directly on the screen. With a massive 10.3-inch E-ink display, a clever case that lets you cover the screen or prop the device up at an angle, and an active stylus that clips to the top, the Kobo Elipsa looks more like an electronic clipboard than the standard paperpack-sized e-reader. But while the ability to write on the screen may be somewhat of a niche feature especially given the Elipsas high price tag of $600 the overall package is impressively slick and functional. The Kobo Elipsa is a digital bookshelf and notepad combined. In terms of reading, the Elipsa packs just about everything youd expect in a Kobo. You can purchase and download books from the expansive store, read web articles youve saved online via Pocket, and connect to your local library (if it supports Overdrive) to borrow e-books and magazines or manage your holds. Unlike a Kindle, Kobos are pretty open with the formats they support too; you can connect the Elipsa to a computer and transfer over any ePUB or PDF books you might have bought and downloaded from stores like Booktopia or Google Books. Kuala Lumpur: The Foreign Ministry of Malaysia said it would summon Chinas envoy to explain an intrusion by 16 air force planes into its airspace, after the south-east Asian countrys military detected suspicious activity over the South China Sea. Malaysias air force said it scrambled jets on Monday to conduct visual confirmation after the planes flew within 60 nautical miles (110 kilometres) off Sarawak state of Malaysian Borneo. A Chinese Peoples Liberation Army Air Force Ilyushin Il-76 aircraft in Malaysian airspace. Credit:AP It described the incident as a serious threat to national sovereignty and flight safety. The Chinese planes did not contact regional air traffic control despite being instructed several times, the air force said. Chicago: JBS, the worlds largest abattoir company, has told the US government that a ransomware attack that has disrupted meat production in North America and Australia originated from a criminal organisation likely based in Russia, the White House said. The cyber attack on the Brazilian company caused its Australian operations to shut down on Monday and has stopped livestock slaughter at its plants in several US states. The attack follows one last month by a group with ties to Russia on Colonial Pipeline, the largest fuel pipeline in the US, that crippled fuel delivery for several days in the countrys south-east. Victim of another ransomware attack: JBS Foods headquarters in Greeley, Colorado. Credit:Bloomberg Over the past few years, ransomware has evolved from one of many cyber security threats to a pressing national security issue. A number of gangs, many of them Russian-speakers, develop the software that encrypts files and then demand payment in cryptocurrency for keys that allow the owners to unlock their files. Washington: To some, they resemble Peanuts characters - if Charlie Brown and the gang had ever grown up. These rare curiosities intrigue and baffle even the experts. Theyre a puzzle to me, says Jean Schulz, wife of the late cartoonist Charles M. Schulz, who drew them. They are the seven black-and-white works of comic art from the mid-1950s collectively called the Hagemeyer strips. Four of them have appeared in books. The three other lost strips were found and purchased at auction in May 2020 - but have never been widely published, according to the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Centre. Part 1: One of three recently rediscovered strips drawn by Charles M. Schulz in the 1950s. Credit:Charles M. Schulz Museum The seven Hagemeyer originals will go on public display for the first time on June 17 at the museums gallery space in Santa Rosa, California, as the centrepiece of an exhibition titled Adults by Schulz. And some viewers will inevitably try to draw comparisons to Peanuts. When we talk about Australia and New Zealand being family, being whanau, we actually mean that quite literally as much as we mean it symbolically. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arderns remark at her joint press conference on Monday with Prime Minister Scott Morrison in Queenstown came as both leaders attempted to paper over recent cracks in the relationship, with Mr Morrison rejecting the notion, espoused by conservative commentator Prue MacSween among others, that our neighbour across the ditch had sold its soul to China. Unspecified parties, the two leaders insisted, had been trying to create points of difference that are not there. Even the closest families can at times find it hard to rub along together, and the Coalition government has had its share of awkward moments with Ms Ardern. It started only days after she became opposition leader, when then foreign minister Julie Bishop questioned her partys trustworthiness over our governments 2017 crisis involving the citizenship of some MPs. As an increasingly dominant prime minister, Ms Ardern has in some ways become the charismatic opposition leader that many Australians wanted but were unable to find at home. Her declaration that you can be kind and her willingness to accept 150 refugees detained for years by the Australian government on Manus Island and Nauru, for example, contrast with the border rhetoric of Defence Minister Peter Dutton in particular, who described deporting New Zealanders who had committed crimes in Australia as taking the trash out. TORTOLA:--- The British Virgin Islands has called for the Associate Members of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS) to continue to be included in the regional organizations COVID-19 response and future initiatives aimed at post-pandemic recovery. Speaking at the virtual 5th ACS International Cooperation Conference that attracted more than 80 potential donors and development partners, Special Envoy of the Premier Mr. Benito Wheatley expressed the BVIs sincere appreciation and gratitude for the inclusion of the BVI and other Associate Members of ACS in the organizations COVID-19 response in 2020. He stressed that this should continue as the region redoubles its efforts to combat the pandemic and looks ahead toward recovery. In his official statement to participants, Wheatley said, The British Virgin Islands would welcome the continued inclusion of the Associate Members in ACS response to COVID-19 that has been generously supported by development partners. Furthermore, we wish to be included in any future initiatives for post-pandemic recovery. The Special Envoy also highlighted the BVIs readiness to participate in regional cooperation on marine conservation and climate change adaptation. Among the donors and cooperation partners that attended the meeting were the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC), Japan International Cooperation Agency, Chile Agency for International Development, European Union (EU), the Bank of ALBA, Argentina, Peru, United Arab Emirates, Italy and The Republic of Korea. The 5th ACS International Cooperation Conference took place on 25th May 2021 and was chaired by the Dominican Republic in their capacity as Chair of the Ministerial Council of the ACS under the theme, Recalibrating Cooperation: A Key Driver for the Recovery of the Greater Caribbean. The British Virgin Islands is an Associate Member of ACS and remains active in the work of the regional organization that is comprised of 35 countries and territories in Latin America and the Caribbean which are either located in or bound to, the Caribbean Sea. The purpose of the ACS is to facilitate regional consultation, cooperation, and concerted action in trade, transport, sustainable tourism, and natural disasters in the Greater Caribbean. Willemstad:--- The management of PSB Bank recently discovered an irregularity in its internal processes related to the Pagafasil system. This led to an investigation and in order to continue the investigation, a number of employees were suspended. The investigation does not affect the stability of the bank. While the Pagafasil system has always been safe to use and continues to be so, necessary adjustments are being made to ensure a higher level of internal control. In the meanwhile, clients can still use the system safely. The irregularity detected has an impact of nine hundred thousand guilders (ANG 900,000). Although this is a considerable amount, it does not affect the financial soundness of the bank in any way. Before identifying this irregularity, PSB Bank already took the necessary steps to upgrade the system on which Pagafasil operates, with the aim to provide better service and to ensure better internal control of the processes related to Pagafasil. The reason for the suspensions is to allow for space to complete the investigation. It is also important to clarify that not all suspended employees are suspected of direct involvement in the detected irregularity. To avoid influencing the investigation or tarnishing the privacy of the employees involved, management of PSB Bank will not share additional information at this stage. Gulf Air will resume direct flights between Bahrain and Malaga this summer as part of its plans to expand the list of boutique coastal destinations in Europe for the high season. The Middle Eastern airline will connect the two cities twice a week, on Thursdays and Saturdays, from 26 June to 29 August, using its flagship aircraft, the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. Waleed AlAlawi, the executive director of Gulf Air, said: Malaga has always been a popular destination for our region. We are very excited to return to Spain this summer to accommodate for the gradual increase in trips and the appetite for holidays abroad. Security Gulf Air has said that all its flights will be operated by fully vaccinated crews, including pilots and air hosts, as a measure of assurance for the passengers. It also announced recently that it would offer courtesy Covid-19 travel insurance to all passengers travelling in summer. All reserved tickets, including exchanged ones, on Gulf Air flights operating between 10 May and 10 November are covered automatically by the Covid insurance package at no extra cost. Every passenger, in accordance with the insurance policy recently announced and in the unfortunate case of being diagnosed during their journey to the foreign country, will be covered for their repatriation costs, their medical and hospital expenses abroad, as well as their accommodation costs in quarantine, explained the airline. Adventus and Salazar Announce Drilling Results at the El Domo Deposit Highlighted by 4.35% Copper Equivalent Over 67.0 Metres Posted by Publisher Internet Adventus Mining Corporation (?Adventus?) (TSX-V: ADZN, OTCQX: ADVZF) and Salazar Resources Limited (?Salazar?) (TSX-V: SRL, OTCQB: SRLZF) (collectively the ?Partners? https://www.commodity-tv.com/play/adventus-mining-investor-update-presentation-advancing-el-domo-copper-gold-deposit/ ) are pleased to announce additional infill drilling results from the El Domo volcanogenic massive sulphide deposit (?El Domo?) located within the 21,537-hectare Curipamba project in central Ecuador. Highlights ? Drill Results from the El Domo Deposit at Curipamba: CURI-373 intersected 67.00 metres of 3.38% copper, 1.11 g/t gold, 0.41% zinc, 15.8 g/t silver, and 0.06% lead for 4.35% copper equivalent (?CuEq?) ? including 9.11 metres of 11.65% copper, 2.41 g/t gold, 0.16% zinc, 44.7 g/t silver, and 0.03% lead for 13.58% CuEq CURI-374 intersected 5.56 metres of 2.32% copper, 15.37 g/t gold, 21.91% zinc, 403.0 g/t silver, and 3.09% lead for 22.58% CuEq ? including 3.46 metres of 3.38% copper, 24.25 g/t gold, 34.44% zinc, 641.2 g/t silver, and 4.79% lead for 35.35% CuEq Drill hole CURI-372 intersected semi-massive sulphide from 70.78 to 72.57 metres, grading 0.78% copper, 8.60 g/t gold, 7.84% zinc, 590.4 g/t silver, and 3.29% lead (14.45% CuEq). A section of mineralized footwall felsic autoclastic volcanic rocks was intersected from 72.57 to 78.78 metres, grading 0.13% copper, 1.41 g/t gold, 1.80% zinc, and 45.5 g/t silver and 0.33% lead (2.01% CuEq). Deeper in the mineralized footwall felsic volcanic rocks additional semi-massive to massive sulphide mineralization was intersected from 86.10 to 95.00 metres, grading 2.65% copper, 0.80 g/t gold, 1.46% zinc, 12.4 g/t silver and 0.04% lead (3.70% CuEq). A higher-grade subset was intersected from 87.75 to 89.81 metres, grading 6.71% copper, 0.44 g/t gold, 2.58% zinc, 17.9 g/t silver, and 0.01% lead (7.91% CuEq). CURI-373 intersected semi-massive to massive sulphide mineralization was intersected from 102.00 to 169.00 metres, grading 3.38% copper, 1.11 g/t gold, 0.41% zinc, 15.8 g/t silver and 0.06% lead (4.35% CuEq). Three higher-grade subsets occur in this intercept, from 103.08 to 108.13 metres, 123.80 to 153.12 metres, and then from 133.39 to 142.50 metres. The first intercept is semi-massive sulphide mineralization grading 6.01% copper, 1.59 g/t gold, 1.53% zinc, 26.1 g/t silver and 0.14% lead (7.70% CuEq). The second intercept is massive sulphide mineralization grading 6.21% copper, 1.70 g/t gold, 0.15% zinc, 22.4 g/t silver and 0.04% lead (7.51% CuEq) and the third intercept is also massive sulphide mineralization grading, 11.65% copper, 2.41 g/t gold, 0.16% zinc, 44.7 g/t silver, and 0.03% lead (13.58% CuEq). A section of mineralized footwall felsic autoclastic volcanic rocks was intersected from 169.00 to 176.40 metres, grading 0.06% copper, 0.27 g/t gold, 0.41% zinc, and 9.2 g/t silver and 0.07% lead (0.45% CuEq). Drill hole CURI-374 intersected semi-massive sulphide from 92.54 to 98.10 metres, grading 2.32% copper, 15.37 g/t gold, 21.91% zinc, 403.0 g/t silver, and 3.09% lead (22.58% CuEq). A higher-grade subset was intersected from 92.54 to 96.00 metres, grading 3.38% copper, 24.25 g/t gold, 34.44% zinc, 641.2 g/t silver, and 4.79% lead (35.35% CuEq). A wide section of mineralized footwall felsic autoclastic volcanic rocks was intersected from 98.10 to 120.60 metres, grading 0.13% copper, 0.13 g/t gold, 1.19% zinc, and 4.6 g/t silver and 0.03% lead (0.61% CuEq). CURI-381 intersected massive sulphide mineralization from 123.16 to 127.21 metres, grading 3.13% copper, 0.59 g/t gold, 0.33% zinc, 30.6 g/t silver and 0.05% lead (3.88% CuEq). A higher-grade subset occurs from 124.20 to 126.33 metres, grading 4.34% copper, 0.65 g/t gold, 0.05% zinc, 33.5 g/t silver and 0.02% lead (5.06% CuEq). All results from the completed infill definition drilling program are to be used in updating the Mineral Resource estimate for El Domo in 2021. The updated Mineral Resource estimate will be part of the ongoing feasibility study for the development of the El Domo (see December 2, 2020 news release). Figure 1 illustrates the drill locations for the results of the four drill holes outlined in this news release and the holes currently in the assay lab, or in progress. Drill collar location coordinates are summarized for the infill and geomechanical drilling programs in Table 1 at the end of this news release. For reference, the last Mineral Resource estimate completed in accordance with NI 43-101 for El Domo was published as part of the preliminary economic assessment report titled: ?Technical Report on the Preliminary Economic Assessment for the Curipamba Project ? El Domo Deposit, Central Ecuador?, with an effective date of June 14, 2019 on SEDAR. Technical Information and QAQC The Curipamba project work program is being managed and reviewed by Vice President Exploration, Jason Dunning, M.Sc., P.Geo., a Qualified Person within the meaning of NI 43-101. Salazar staff collect and process samples that are securely sealed and shipped to Bureau Veritas (?BV?) in Quito for sample preparation that includes crushing and milling to prepare pulps that are then split for shipment to their facility in Lima, Peru or Vancouver, Canada for analysis. All assay data have undergone internal validation of QAQC; noting there is an established sampling control program with blind insertion of assay blanks, certified industry standards and sample duplicates for the Curipamba project. A QAQC program is also in place at BV and includes insertion of blanks, standards, and duplicate reanalysis of selected samples.? BV?s quality system complies with the requirements for the International Standards ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 17025: 1999. At BV, samples from the El Domo infill drilling have gold analyzed by classic fire assay techniques with an AAS finish, while silver and base metals are analyzed by a 44-element aqua regia technique with ICP-AES finish. For regional drilling, silver and base metals are analyzed by a 45-element 4 acid technique with ICP-MS finish. Overlimit protocols are in place for gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc. Qualified Person The technical information of this news release has been reviewed and verified as accurate by Mr. Jason Dunning, M.Sc., P.Geo., Vice President Exploration for Adventus, a non-Independent Qualified Person, as defined by NI 43-101. About Adventus Adventus Mining Corporation is an Ecuador focused copper-gold exploration and development company. Its strategic shareholders include Altius Minerals Corporation, Greenstone Resources LP, Wheaton Precious Metals Corp., and the Nobis Group of Ecuador. Adventus is advancing the El Domo copper-gold project through a feasibility study, while exploring the broader Curipamba district. In addition, Adventus is engaged in a country-wide exploration alliance with its partners in Ecuador, which has incorporated the Pijili and Santiago copper-gold porphyry projects to date. Adventus also controls an exploration project portfolio in Ireland with South32 Limited as funding partner as well as an investment portfolio of equities in several exploration companies. Adventus is based in Toronto, Canada, and is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol ADZN and trades on the OTCQX under the symbol ADVZF.?? About Salazar Salazar Resources Limited is focused on creating value and positive change through discovery, exploration, and development in Ecuador. The team has an unrivalled understanding of the geology in-country and has played an integral role in the discovery of many of the major projects in Ecuador, including the two newest operating gold and copper mines. Salazar Resources has a wholly owned pipeline of copper-gold exploration projects across Ecuador with a strategy to make another commercial discovery and farm-out non-core assets. The Company actively engages with Ecuadorian communities and together with the Salazar family it co-founded The Salazar Foundation, an independent non-profit organization dedicated to sustainable progress through economic development.? The Company already has carried interests in three projects. At its maiden discovery, Curipamba, Salazar Resources has a 25% stake fully carried through to production.? At two copper-gold porphyry projects, Pijili and Santiago, the Company has a 20% stake fully carried through to a construction decision. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. This press release contains ?forward -looking information? within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, identified by words or phrases such as ?believes?, ?anticipates?, ?expects?, ?is expected?, ?scheduled?, ?estimates?, ?pending?, ?intends?, ?plans?, ?forecasts?, ?targets?, or ?hopes?, or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results ?may?, ?could?, ?would?, ?will?, ?should? ?might?, ?will be taken?, or ?occur? and similar expressions) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking information herein includes, but is not limited to, statements that address activities, events, or developments that Adventus and Salazar expect or anticipate will or may occur in the future. Although Adventus and Salazar have attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events, or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated, or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Adventus and Salazar undertake to update any forward-looking information except in accordance with applicable securities laws. For further information from Adventus, please contact Christian Kargl-Simard, President and Chief Executive Officer, at +1-416-230-3440 or christian@adventusmining.com. Please also visit the Adventus website at www.adventusmining.com and LinkedIn page at https://www.linkedin.com/company/adventus-mining-corporation. For further information from Salazar, please contact ir@salazarresources.com GoldMining Initiates Preliminary Economic Assessment and Announces an Updated Mineral Resource Estimate for the Sao Jorge Project, Brazil Posted by Publisher Internet GoldMining Inc. (the \Company\ or \GoldMining\) (TSX: GOLD; NYSE American: GLDG https://www.commodity-tv.com/ondemand/companies/profil/goldmining-inc/ ) is pleased to announce that it is initiating a preliminary economic assessment (\PEA\) on its 100% owned Sao Jorge Gold Project (\Sao Jorge\) in Para State, Brazil and announces the results of an updated Mineral Resource Estimate (\MRE\). Highlights: Indicated Mineral Resources of 0.71 million ounces gold (14.27 million tonnes grading 1.55 g/t gold) (see Table 1); Inferred Mineral Resources of 0.72 million ounces gold (17.58 million tonnes grading 1.27 g/t gold) (see Table 1); The MRE utilizes an optimized pit shell to constrain resources, a database of 145 drill holes totaling more than 37,000 metres and uses modernized cost and pricing assumptions including a US$1,600/oz gold price; and GoldMining has initiated work on a PEA at Sao Jorge to further evaluate the economic potential of an open-pit operation and advance opportunities to upgrade and expand the current resource base. Alastair Still, Chief Executive Officer of GoldMining commented: \We are pleased with both the scale and grade of the new Mineral Resource Estimate. Building upon this solid foundation, the Company has launched a preliminary economic assessment and plans to initiate further work with the goal to upgrade and expand resources and evaluate underground mineral resource potential beneath the current open pit model at Sao Jorge. The new MRE utilizes an optimized pit shell to constrain resources, modernizes cost and pricing assumptions, which positions us to proceed with unlocking the potential of this deposit. This work builds upon the staged approach of advancing our portfolio of gold and copper projects throughout the Americas such as the previously announced initiation of PEAs on our Yellowknife and La Mina Projects in Canada and Colombia, respectively.\ The Sao Jorge Gold Project is located within gold exploration concessions totaling approximately 45,997 hectares in the southeast of Para State, Brazil, in the municipality of Novo Progresso. The region is known as the Tapajos and Sao Jorge is located 4 km west of Highway BR163 and is accessed by several gravel roads that cross the property. Eldorado Gold?s feasibility stage Tocantinzinho deposit and Serabi?s Palito mine occur along the same major structural zone that hosts the Sao Jorge deposit. Gold mineralization at Sao Jorge is hosted in granitic rocks and is associated with a northwest-southeast striking shear zone. The MRE disclosed herein was prepared by Porfirio Rodriguez, MAIG, of GE21 Consultoria Mineral LTDA (Brazil) and has an effective date of May 31, 2021. Mineral Resources are reported using a 0.3 g/t gold cut-off. The MRE was constrained using a Lerchs-Grossman (LG) optimized pit shell using maximum pit slopes of 35 degrees in saprolite and 52 degrees in fresh rock and based on an assumed US$1,600/oz gold price, average metallurgical recoveries of 90%, average mining costs of US$2.00/tonne, average processing costs of US$8.50/tonne and average general and administrative costs of US$2.10/tonne processed. Mineral Resources were estimated using a block model utilizing multiple indicator kriging using a selective mining unit block size of 5 x 5 x 5 metres. Net smelter return royalties of 3.5% in aggregate have been included in the constrained pit model. Table 1: Indicated and Inferred open pit constrained resources reported above a 0.30 g/t Au cut-off grade 1. Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. There is no certainty that all or any part of the mineral resources will be converted into mineral reserves. The estimate of mineral resources may be materially affected by environmental permitting, legal, title, taxation, sociopolitical, marketing or other relevant issues. The Company is not currently aware of any known environmental, permitting, legal, title-related, taxation, socio-political, marketing or other relevant issue that could materially affect this MRE. Mineral Resources have been classified in accordance with the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (?CIM?) Definition Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves, whose definitions are incorporated by reference into National Instrument NI 43-101. The MRE updates and replaces the prior historic MRE of the Company contained in its technical report titled \Sao Jorge Gold Project, Para State, Brazil: Independent Technical Report on Mineral Resources\, dated effective November 22, 2013. NI 43-101 Technical Report GoldMining will file within 45 days an updated technical report for the Sao Jorge Gold Project, including a description of the Sao Jorge MRE contained herein. Further information regarding the MRE will be set forth in such report. Qualified Persons The Qualified Person for the Sao Jorge Mineral Resource Estimate is Porfirio Rodriguez, MAIG, of GE21 Consultoria Mineral LTDA (Brazil), who is independent of the Company, who has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information herein regarding the Sao Jorge Mineral Resource Estimate. Paulo Pereira, P. Geo., President of GoldMining Inc. has supervised the preparation of this news release and has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information contained herein. Each of Messrs. Rodriquez and Pereira are Qualified Persons as defined in National Instrument 43-101 (\NI 43-101\). Notice to Readers Disclosure regarding Mineral Resource estimates included herein have been prepared by the Company in accordance with NI 43-101. NI 43-101 is a rule developed by the Canadian Securities Administrators that establishes standards for public disclosure by issuer of scientific and technical information concerning mineral projects. NI 43-101 differs significantly from the disclosure requirements of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (?SEC?) generally applicable to U.S. companies subject to the SEC?s disclosure requirements. For example, the terms ?Indicated Mineral Resource? and ?Inferred Mineral Resource? are defined in NI 43-101 by reference to the guidelines set out in the CIM Definition Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves. These definitions differ from the definitions in the disclosure requirements promulgated by the SEC. Accordingly, information contained herein or in the Company?s descriptions of its projects may not be comparable to similar information made public by U.S. companies reporting pursuant to SEC disclosure requirements. About GoldMining Inc. GoldMining Inc. is a public mineral exploration company focused on the acquisition and development of gold assets in the Americas. Through its disciplined acquisition strategy, GoldMining now controls a diversified portfolio of resource-stage gold and gold-copper projects in Canada, U.S.A., Brazil, Colombia, and Peru. For additional information, please contact: GoldMining Inc. Amir Adnani, Chairman Alastair Still, CEO Telephone: (855) 630-1001 Email: info@goldmining.com Forward-looking Statements This document contains certain forward-looking statements that reflect the current views and/or expectations of GoldMining with respect to its long-term strategy, proposed work and other plans and expected timing of PEAs and other reports for its projects. Forward-looking statements are based on the then-current expectations, beliefs, assumptions, estimates and forecasts about the business and the markets in which GoldMining operates. Investors are cautioned that all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including: delays to plans caused by restrictions and other future impacts of COVID-19 or any other inability of the Company to meet expected timelines for planned project activities, including the proposed PEAs and reports; the inherent risks involved in the exploration and development of mineral properties, fluctuating metal prices, proposed studies may not confirm GoldMining\-\-s expectations for its projects, ?unanticipated costs and expenses and uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future. These risks, as well as others, including those set forth in GoldMining?s Annual Information Form for the year ended November 30, 2020, and other filings with Canadian securities regulators and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, could cause actual results and events to vary significantly. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and information. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information, or the material factors or assumptions used to develop such forward looking information, will prove to be accurate. The Company does not undertake any obligations to release publicly any revisions for updating any voluntary forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable securities law. Trillium Gold Mines Initiates Phase 1 exploration program on its Confederation Belt properties, east of Red Lake, Ontario Posted by Publisher Internet Trillium Gold Mines Inc. (TSXV:TGM, OTCQX:TGLDF, FRA:0702) (?Trillium Gold? or the ?Company? https://www.commodity-tv.com/ondemand/companies/profil/trillium-gold-mines-inc/ ) announces that field work has commenced on its Confederation greenstone belt properties. These properties all lie within the Confederation greenstone belt and span approximately 65 kilometres of gold and base-metal prospective ground. They include the Confederation Belt, Copperlode West, Karas Lake and Moose Creek, and the Caribou Creek properties (Fig. 1). The majority of the Confederation greenstone belt properties are accessible by vehicle or boat and lie adjacent to a hydro line that parallels the Wenasaga Road, between Ear Falls and Pickle Lake, Ontario. Historically, the belt in this region was explored primarily for base metals, however, compiled historical data shows elevated gold values along several stratigraphic and structural trends within the belt, in addition to previous base metal exploration work. Given the recent gold exploration success to the southwest at Great Bear Resources? Dixie project, these project areas are now considered highly prospective and attractive. Russell Starr, CEO of Trillium Gold commented, ?Our strategy to consolidate the Red Lake Gold Camp and acquire 100% ownership along the majority of our 55,000-hectare land assemblage in the Confederation greenstone belt, gives Trillium Gold a district-scale advantage.? With the potential to host ?LP Zone? style gold mineralization, our active exploration programs both grassroots and drilling proximal to world-class operations make for a very exciting year.? A comprehensive exploration program has been developed for widespread coverage of the properties to test for gold mineralization in high priority areas. This work will include soil sampling, prospecting work, rock sampling, mapping and airborne magnetic surveys (Fig. 2). Fladgate Exploration Consulting has been contracted for the soil sampling in conjunction with Activation Laboratories of Ancaster, ON. ?The summer grassroots exploration has kicked off on our Confederation greenstone belt properties. Our compilation work has shown us that there are a number of prospective trends throughout the group and we are anticipating positive results from this initial phase of work. The relatively little gold exploration work done in the area points to untapped gold potential and we are looking forward to outlining several drill targets for follow-up?, stated Bill Paterson, Trillium Gold?s Vice President of Exploration. Trillium Gold?s Confederation belt properties are hosted in the Archean Birch-Uchi greenstone belt of the Superior Province. The majority of the properties are underlain by the arcuate 2745-2735 Ma Confederation assemblage comprised of mainly mafic to felsic volcanic and epiclastic rocks, and spatially associated Neoarchean plutons and intrusive rocks. Great Bear?s LP Fault Zone likely has numerous unidentified analogues throughout the Confederation greenstone belt. It is hosted in a high strain zone at the contact between mafic volcanic and felsic volcanic/sedimentary stratigraphy. The rocks show strong flattening of stratigraphy, mylonitic textures, transposition of primary features, and widespread alteration. The contact is a deep-seated structure allowing for high fluid flows from great depths resulting in metamorphic grades, higher than that typically seen in the District, at amphibolite to upper greenschist levels. Much of the above-described stratigraphy and structure has been identified throughout many of the Confederation belt properties, most notably on the Moose Creek, Caribou Creek, Joy, Lucky 7 properties and the entire group in the northeast (Fly Moth and Blocks 1-3). There has been much base metal exploration throughout the belt but lesser gold exploration. Table 1 lists the more notable gold results from both surface sampling and historical drilling. Study of the surficial morphology over much of the project areas has revealed that there are numerous surficial deposit types, many not amenable to conventional soil sampling. To address this, the Company has initiated Spatiotemporal Geochemical Hydrocarbon (SGH) sampling. Hydrocarbon compounds biologically released from a mineral target at depth are adsorbed onto surficial material. Surface samples (of any medium) are collected, and an extensive set of heavy hydrocarbons are analysed at the laboratory to provide an identification of mineralization at depth. This method eliminates the problem of sampling in most transported surficial material and mobilized anomalies. Past case studies of SGH have proven to be successful in difficult terrain and in identifying buried targets. Work conducted by Great Bear Resources on the nearby Dixie property showed SGH surveying is capable of detecting bedrock gold mineralization along their Hinge and LP Fault zones (Great Bear Resources Ltd., Aug. 1, 2019 press release). The Company believes the successful completion of airborne magnetics and SGH surveying over targets developed last winter and early spring will produce additional and refined targets. Concurrently, prospecting, mapping, sampling, and possibly detailed grid geophysics will be undertaken throughout the summer field season. The results from this Phase 1 exploration program will provide the company with an enhanced geological understanding of the properties and will lead to the development of a Phase 2 exploration program including drill targets later in 2021. The technical information presented in this news release has been reviewed and approved by William Paterson QP, PGeo, VP of Exploration of Trillium Gold Mines, as defined by NI 43-101. The qualified person has not verified the data disclosed from previous reports, including sampling, analytical, and test data underlying the information or opinions contained in the written disclosure. For further information, please contact Donna Yoshimatsu, VP Corporate Development and Investor Relations at dyoshimatsu@trilliumgold.com, (416)?722-2456, or info@trilliumgold.com, 604-688-9588.? Visit our website at?www.trilliumgold.com. ? On behalf of the Board of Directors, Trillium Gold Mines Inc. ?Russell Starr? Russell Starr President, CEO and Director In Europe: Swiss Resource Capital AG Jochen Staiger info@resource-capital.ch www.resource-capital.ch About Trillium Gold Mines Inc. Trillium Gold Mines Inc. is a growth focused British Columbia based company engaged in the business of acquisition, exploration and development of mineral properties located in the Red Lake Mining District of Northern Ontario. The Company recently extended its holdings in the Confederation Lake and Birch-Uchi greenstone belts, as well as in highly prospective properties in Larder Lake, Ontario and the Matagami and Chibougamou areas of Quebec. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release contains forward-looking information, which involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual events to differ materially from current expectation. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation, except to the extent required by law, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Summa Silver Samples Extensive Silver and Gold Mineralization in Tailings at the Hughes Property, NV Posted by Publisher Internet Summa Silver Corp. (?Summa? or the ?Company?) (TSXV:SSVR) (OTCQB: SSVRF https://www.commodity-tv.com/ondemand/companies/profil/summa-silver-corp/ ) (Frankfurt:48X) is pleased to announce results from a 54-hole auger drill program completed in 2019 and 2020 which tested the tailings pile from the historic Belmont Mine. ? Key Highlights Widespread Mineralization: All 54 holes were mineralized from top to bottom with an average thickness of 2.9 m and average grade of 72 g/t AgEq* (44 g/t Ag and 0.28 g/t Au). The thickest section of tailings was in BH19-1 where 6.35 m returned 75 g/t AgEq* (49 g/t Ag and 0.27 g/t Au). The thinnest section of tailings was in BH20-21 where 0.10 m returned 74 g/t AgEq* (50 g/t Ag and 0.24 g/t Au). Extensive Historic Production: The tailings are the by-product of historic mine and mill production from underground operations in the Belmont Mine, which was a premier producer in the Tonopah mining district and is currently an integral target of Summa?s exploration efforts. Large Area and Simple Access: The tailings are situated on patented mining claims and cover an area of approximately 1,200 m by 280 m (84 acres), located immediately adjacent to US Highway 6 (see attached figure). Evaluation is On-Going: The Company is initiating both density and bench-scale metallurgical testing with results expected later this year. Core Drilling Continues: The previously announced 10,000 m drill program is well underway 6 holes completed. Two core rigs are now fully operational on the project. All holes have intersected zones of quartz veins, stockworks and breccias featuring visible silver-sulfosalt minerals, which is often a strong indication that the core is mineralized. Upon receipt of assays, the results will be compiled and announced in a timely manner. ?*AgEq based on 100 (Ag):1 (Au) Galen McNamara, CEO, stated: ?The historic Belmont Mine tailings were the original focus of Howard Hughes and his Summa Corporation when he owned the property in the 1970?s, and for good reason. The tailings cover a large area and are extensively mineralized. Although work from the 1970?s can?t be utilized in any modern assessment of reprocessing potential, the historical work gives us a great road map of what to expect from modern study. In the coming months, and in parallel to our extensive drill programs, we will be working on assessing key metallurgical and permitting questions with respect to the tailings.? Auger-Hole Program Description Holes were auger-drilled by hand at a vertical orientation and at approximate spacings of 50 to 90 m between holes. Samples were collected at systematic intervals which ranged from 0.25 to 1 m. Each hole was sampled from top to bottom. Holes were terminated at the bottom of the tailings pile as indicated by the presence of ground soil or bedrock. Analytical and QA/QC Procedures Samples were sent to ALS Global Ltd. (ALS) in Reno, NV for preparation and then to North Vancouver, Canada for analysis. ALS meets all requirements of International Standards ISO/IEC 17025:2005 and ISO 9001:2015 for analytical procedures. Samples were analyzed for gold via a 30 gram fire assay with an AAS (Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy) finish (AU-AA23). Silver was analyzed via ICP-AES (Inductively Coupled Plasma ? Atomic Emission Spectroscopy) after a four-acid digestion (ASY-4A01 followed by ME-OG62). In addition to ALS quality assurance / quality control protocols, Summa Silver implements an internal QA/QC program that includes the insertion of sample blanks, duplicates and certified reference materials at systematic and random points in the sample stream. Qualified Person The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Galen McNamara, P. Geo., the CEO of the Company and a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. About Summa Silver Corp Summa Silver Corp is a Canadian junior mineral exploration company. The Company has options to earn 100% interests in the Hughes property located in central Nevada and the Mogollon property located in southwestern New Mexico. The Hughes property is host to the high-grade past-producing Belmont Mine, one of the most prolific silver producers in the United States between 1903 and 1929. The mine has remained inactive since commercial production ceased in 1929 due to heavily depressed metal prices and little to no modern exploration work has ever been completed. Follow Summa Silver on Twitter: @summasilver LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/summa-silver-corp/ Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements This news release contains certain ?forward looking statements? and certain ?forward-looking information? as defined under applicable Canadian and U.S. securities laws. Forward-looking statements and information can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as ?may?, ?will?, ?should?, ?expect?, ?intend?, ?estimate?, ?anticipate?, ?believe?, ?continue?, ?plans? or similar terminology. The forward-looking information contained herein is provided for the purpose of assisting readers in understanding management?s current expectations and plans relating to the future. These forward?looking statements or information relate to, among other things: expectations regarding results of metallurgical testing, mobilization of drill rigs, the release of assays, and the exploration and development of the Company?s mineral exploration projects. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual actions, events or results to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to: the requirement for regulatory approvals; enhanced uncertainty in global financial markets as a result of the current COVID-19 pandemic; unquantifiable risks related to government actions and interventions; stock market volatility; regulatory restrictions; and other related risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking information are based on management of the parties? reasonable assumptions, estimates, expectations, analyses and opinions, which are based on such management?s experience and perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, and other factors that management believes are relevant and reasonable in the circumstances, but which may prove to be incorrect. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information except as required by applicable law. Such forward-looking information represents management?s best judgment based on information currently available. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual future results may vary materially. Accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. Tommy Ashley, 36, of Eubank, passed away Friday, June 11, 2021 at the University of Kentucky Medical Center in Lexington. Arrangements are pending and will be announced later by Morris & Hislope Funeral Home. Condolences may be expressed to the family at: www.morrisandhislope.com. National Police officers have arrested a man in San Pedro Alcantara, Marbella, after he cut off a piece of his friends nose following a heated argument between his wife and the victim. The incident took place early in the morning on Saturday 29 May. Around 2:15am, the two men arrived together at the home of one of them, located in the centre of Marbella. They then apparently began to argue on the street outside. The police station has reported that, allegedly, one of the men subsequently got into a heated argument with the other mans wife. Further enquires suggest that the alleged aggressor then went into his home, grabbed a knife, returned to the scene and attacked his friend. The victim, a 34-year-old Spaniard, took himself to the health centre in San Pedro Alcantara, where the medical staff alerted the National Police by calling 091. A piece of the mans nose had been chopped off and there were various cuts on his head and neck. Eventually, he was taken to a hospital in Marbella. After interviewing the victim and gathering information, various police officers went to the home of the aggressor, who has been arrested for his alleged implication in a crime of grievous bodily harm. The officers also seized a 20cm-knife in the mans home, with which it is believed he carried out the attack. The detainee is a 37-year-old man of Spanish nationality. Sources consulted by SUR indicate that he has a criminal record, predominantly for crimes against public property. A new national food safety warning has been issued in Spain that is specifically directed to those who are allergic to sesame seeds. The Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition has warned on its website of the presence of traces of the seeds in the pre-prepared pork product, that is not stated on the labelling. The affected batch has been distributed to the Andalucia, Aragon, the Canaries, Galicia and the Valencia regions, as well as to France and the Netherlands. The affected product is: Product Name: Frozen prepared pork Trademark name: EMB FOOD SL Other labelling: NRS: 40.058243M Product appearance: packaging Batch number: 13112021 (coincides with the best before date). Unit weight: 250g Temperature: Frozen Authorities say that, as a precautionary measure, consumers allergic to sesame seeds who may have the pork product in their homes are advised not to eat it. And the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition has clarified that this product does not involve any risk for other consumers. The health alert information has been passed to all the regions of Spain as well as the European Food Alert Network, in order to verify the withdrawal of the affected product from store shelves. Tim Penny is the president and CEO of Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation. Reach him at timp@smifoundation.org or 507-455-3215. Hakon Torjesen, pictured at the modified 2020 Memorial Day parade, was the keynote speaker at the 2021 Memorial Day exercises. He shared his story, including liberation by American paratroopers and how he came to be an American. (Michelle Vlasak/southernminn.com) FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) The OPEC oil cartel and allied producing countries plan to restore 2.1 million barrels per day of crude production, balancing fears that COVID-19 outbreaks in some countries will sap demand against surging energy needs in recovering economies. Energy ministers made the decision during an online meeting Tuesday. Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said recent market developments proved the agreement to gradually increase production, made in April and reconfirmed Tuesday, was the right decision. There are still clouds on the horizon regarding the recovery and demand for energy, he said. The cartel decided to stay the course decided at earlier meetings to raise production by 2.1 million barrels per day from May to July. The group plans to add back 350,000 barrels per day in June and 440,000 barrels per day in July. Saudi Arabia is also gradually adding back 1 million barrels in voluntary cuts it made above and beyond its group commitment. The combined OPEC Plus grouping of members led by Saudi Arabia and non-members, chief among them Russia, is facing concerns renewed COVID-19 outbreaks in countries such as India, a major oil consumer, will hurt global demand and weigh on prices. Oil producing countries made drastic cuts to support prices during the worst of the pandemic slowdown in 2020 and must now judge how much additional oil the market needs as producers slowly add more production. But prices have recovered, closing at multi-year highs on Tuesday, and the recoveries in the US, Europe and Asia are expected to drive energy demand higher in the second half of the year as people travel more and use more fuel. The U.S. driving season began over Memorial Day weekend and increasing numbers of Americans have been vaccinated, leaving people feeling freer to travel and take longer trips by car. On Tuesday the price of benchmark U.S. crude rose 2% to $67.72 per barrel after jumping nearly 4%. Brent crude, the European standard, traded 2.7% higher at $71.17 but closed at $70.25 per barrel. The prices were the highest in two years for Brent crude and in nearly three years for U.S. crude. On Wednesday, oil prices rose modestly, with benchmark U.S. crude up 16 cents to $67.88 per barrel. Brent crude picked up 18 cents to $70.43 per barrel. An additional factor complicating market estimates is the possible return to the market of more Iranian oil, depending on the outcome of talks over Iran's nuclear program. Paul Sheldon, chief geopolitical risk analyst at S&P Global Platts, said he expects a framework nuclear deal will be reached before Iran's June 18 election, allowing Iranian supply to rise by 1.05 million barrels per day between May levels and December. Bin Salman said that the prospect of more Iranian oil coming to market was not discussed at the brief meeting, which he said lasted less than half an hour. Oil prices have risen more than 30% since the start of the year. That has meant higher costs for motorists in the U.S., where crude makes up about half the price of a gallon of gasoline. Holiday travelers paid the highest gas prices since 2014 at a national average of $3.03 per gallon, $1.12 more than last year. Prices in the western states were even higher; Californians paid $4.20 per gallon. DARIEN A case that drew international attention, outrage on a Caribbean island and even piqued the interest of former President Donald Trump, has gone silent. Tuesday will mark two years since Darien investment banker Scott Hapgood was involved in a deadly altercation with a hotel worker while vacationing with his family in Anguilla. The 27-year-old hotel worker, Kenny Mitchel, was killed during the incident. Hapgood was charged with manslaughter and has been considered a fugitive from justice since skipping a court hearing in November 2019. The criminal and civil lawsuits associated with the incident have stalled during the COVID-19 pandemic. A spokesman for the Hapgoods declined to comment and said the family did not want to be interviewed. An attorney representing the mother of Mitchels child also declined to comment. Claiming he fears for his life, Hapgood has refused to return to the British island. After the missed court appearance, Anguillian authorities threatened to have Hapgood arrested and extradited back to the Caribbean, but no action has been taken. At the direction of a higher judge, a magistrate is conducting an inquiry into whether the prosecution should continue without Hapgood present for court hearings. Hapgoods appeal of the higher judges ruling was denied. What happens next will depend on the magistrates investigation, and it remains unknown when that will be completed. Hapgood, 46, contends that Mitchel unexpectedly showed up at his familys room at the Malliouhana Resort on April 13, 2019, to fix a sink that wasn't reported broken. Hapgood had been at the resort vacationing with his family, including his three children, two of whom were in the room when Mitchel arrived. Mitchel was an employee of the resort and was wearing a hotel uniform when he showed up at the room, according to Hapgood's attorneys. In a lawsuit filed against the resort, Hapgood contends Mitchel pulled out a knife, demanded money and attacked him. The lawsuit claims Hapgood acted in self-defense when he fought with Mitchel. Hapgood restrained Mitchel for nearly an hour as resort officials failed to immediately call police or an ambulance, the lawsuit claimed. Mitchels estate has filed its own lawsuit against Hapgood, claiming the former UBS banker kept his arm on the younger man's neck for more than 40 minutes. The findings were supported by an autopsy, which said Mitchel died of prone restraint, positional asphyxia and blunt-force trauma to the head, neck and torso. However, a toxicology report later found Mitchel had a lethal amount of cocaine in his system. That finding is mentioned in Hapgoods lawsuit against the resort. No official police reports on the struggle have been released. Hapgood has denied nearly all of the allegations contained in the lawsuit filed by Mitchels estate and wants the civil action dismissed and a variety of damages and his legal fees paid by the younger mans family. The attacker was restrained by Scott for significantly less than an hour, and he died after arriving at the hospital, said Jamie Diaferia, a spokesman for the Hapgood family. The incident sparked international outrage and has been the focal point of speculation on what happened in Hapgood's hotel room leading up to Mitchels death. Anguillians have protested Hapgoods release from jail and return to the U.S., while the Darien man said he and his family have received death threats. The case caught Trumps attention when Hapgoods wife, Kallie, appeared on Fox & Friends in October 2019. Will be looking into the Scott Hapgood case, and the Island of Anguilla, Trump tweeted that day. Something looks and sounds very wrong. I know Anguilla will want to see this case be properly and justly resolved! A New Canaan resident walked out to their driveway last week and discovered a Land Rover had been stolen. Inside the vehicle was a bevy of valuables, including the owners wallet, bag, credit cards, license and laptop. Everything was taken. The SUV was later found in Bridgeport minus many of the owners valuables. New Canaan Police Chief Leon Krolikowski says this has become a common occurrence in town and around Fairfield County in recent years. They are increasing again this year, Krolikowski said. It is very unusual for us to see this many car thefts, but now we are on track to see unprecedented numbers. We had 30 last year and are on track for more this year if the trend continues. The most recent incident on May 26 marks 18 stolen vehicles in New Canaan in 2021. New Canaan police recorded a total of 27 stolen vehicles in 2020. Wilton Police Capt. Robert Cipolla said this has been a trend his department has seen increase since 2016. We do see it every year, and this year we have seen an increase in daytime entries into vehicles, Cipolla said. Over the past few years, the majority though, have been of the overnight entry into motor vehicles or thefts from them in residential properties or condo complex parking lots. In 100 percent of those types (of cases), the car is unlocked. In Wilton, the numbers of stolen vehicles rose to nine in 2020 from seven the previous year. So far in 2021, there have been six stolen cars reported. This issue of theft has persisted beyond the borders of New Canaan and Wilton, though. This has happened all across Fairfield County, and even the state, Krolikowski said. Perhaps the most stark jump year-over-year has been in Ridgefield, where 2019 only saw three stolen vehicles. In 2020, that number jumped to 30 and the department has seen eight so far this year. In Darien, 48 vehicles were reported stolen in 2020. That was up from 31 in 2019. Larcenies from motor vehicles in the town nearly doubled from 109 to 201 over the same period. This is really one of the most preventable crimes, Krolikowski explained before pleading with county residents. Dont leave your keys in your cars. It is highly unlikely that someone will break into it and take it otherwise. In many instances, Krolikowski said residents have said they left their keys in some compartment of the vehicle in the driveway, making it easier for thieves to take the car. I think it is more a trend with technology, with key fobs and keyless entry, the police chief said. Some people might forget, it could be a convenience issue, but it is across the board. It is not just the older population. Cipolla said anecdotally, we have seen a lot of cases in Wilton include key fob technology where offenders simply enter an unlocked vehicle and put their foot on the break and hit the button for the car to start. At that point, he said, the thief understands the keys are somewhere in the vehicle, and they can leave the scene. Cipolla said these vehicles are often recovered after being used in another crime. We can see evidence that they were used in crimes of violence, whether that be bullet holes or casings found, Cipolla said. These stolen vehicles give the offender a cloak of anonymity. Krolikowski said maybe the most concerning thing for his department is that some residents have had their cars stolen more than once. The chief has seen many of the cars recovered in Bridgeport, Waterbury and Hartford. Cipolla said that many of Wiltons stolen vehicles are also found in Bridgeport and Waterbury, but more often around the New Haven area than near Hartford. Krolikowski said that he has even seen criminals come to the area from out of state, including a Florida organized crime ring that he refers to as the Felony Lane Gang. In addition to the thefts, larcenies from vehicles have persisted as well. Cipolla said the number of larceny incidents in town do not tell the whole story. A theft from a motor vehicle incident may involve a crime spree resulting in multiple victims related to one incident, Cipolla said. In the report, Wilton included numbers of unique victims in each crime. In 2019, there were 33 larcenies from vehicles in Wilton, with 42 unique victims. In 2020, that number rose to 35 larcenies from vehicles with 58 unique victims. This year, Cipolla said Wilton has seen 21 instances of larcenies from vehicles with 29 unique victims. Ridgefields larcenies also jumped in 2020 with 50 incidents after recording 30 the previous year. There have been nine incidents so far in 2021. New Canaan has seen 16 larcenies from vehicles this year after a jump to 48 in 2020 from 31 in 2019. The biggest concern for police departments in any kind of theft involving a vehicle is stealing a persons identity. Shortly thereafter breaking in and getting an identification, criminals can impersonate them and aim to take money from their bank accounts, Krolikowski explained. Cipolla said that crimes of identification theft, including attempting to make purchases with a stolen credit card are a focus of his department. That is obviously something we want to curtail, he said. The New Canaan chief said there are ways for residents to prevent these crimes. Lock your car doors, take your keys inside and do not leave valuables in your car, the chief pleaded. Get a good camera system with good quality to capture the license plates of (criminals) coming into town. AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) The governors nominee for chief justice won praise Tuesday for her thoughtful decision making, commitment to justice and practical understanding of the courts at a time of backlogs caused by the pandemic. The Legislatures Joint Standing Committee on the Judiciary unanimously endorsed Justice Valerie Stanfills nomination to lead the judicial branch. If confirmed by the full Senate, then Stanfill would become the second woman to serve as the states chief justice. The first woman to hold that post, Leigh Saufley, heaped praise on the judge who would succeed her, telling the panel that Stanfill has a solid focus on the reality of justice as well as the logistics. She brings a wealth of experience and knowledge about the administration of justice in different counties, and different courthouses. She understands how to work with clerks, through the bar and the public, she said. Stanfill would step into the role at a time in which most case categories have massive backlogs because of the COVID-19 pandemic. She told committee members that she could think of no greater honor, calling, privilege or responsibility." Stanfill said shed draw upon her experiences as a judge, an attorney and a law school professor. She also slipped in a lighthearted reference to her experiences as an outdoorswoman. I would not be the first woman in Maine to serve as chief justice... but I would be the first first woman to serve as chief justice who harvested a moose, a deer and a turkey in one year, she said. Fernando Simon, director of the Spain's Centre for the Coordination of Health Alerts and Emergencies, acknowledged this Monday, 31 May, that his team is working on a date to reduce the mandatory use of face masks in certain outdoor spaces. Simon has indicated that if the evolution of the coronavirus is similar across Spain it is "possible" that this measure could be introduced at a national level. The health expert said he is aware that "we will have to progressively modify the obligation to use masks: and that is something we are working on. Simon said the goal is to reach herd immunity, with 70 per cent of the eligible population vaccinated in the summer, but before then it may be possible to reach an agreement not to enforce the use of face masks in some open spaces. "That date could be between mid-June and early July, he explained. However, he warned that this measure is enshrouded in a law so the ban cannot be removed quickly but it could be approved in June, July, August or September depending on the decision of the Interterritorial Council of the National Health System. "We must take into account the evolution of the pandemic and, mainly, the levels of vaccination," he specified. However, the encouraging vaccination data gives the health expert "optimism." Simon said they will also consider "reducing the use of the mask even indoors, with groups that are fully vaccinated," such as in the case of care homes. ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) The fence that had surrounded the Minnesota Capitol since the unrest over the death of George Floyd began coming down Tuesday, although officials have yet to set a date for reopening the statehouse to the public. Crews removed the tall chain-link fence from the front of the building and expected to haul away most of the remaining components in the coming days. HILO, Hawaii (AP) Hawaii is creating an emergency evacuation plan for the Big Island in preparation for the next eruption of the largest active volcano on Earth. A state Senate resolution adopted in March asks the state's emergency management division to develop evacuation plans for impact zones around Mauna Loa volcano, the Hawaii Tribune-Herald reported Monday. That includes most of the Big Island, which is home to several active volcanos including Kilauea, which erupted in 2018 and displaced thousands of residents. While the resolution is not legally binding, lawmakers hope a completed plan will be codified into law next year. Kona state Sen. Dru Kanuha, who introducted the resolution, said they will follow up with the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency throughout the year. Kanuha said there was no codified evacuation plan during the 2018 Kilauea eruption. There is not a master plan that exists currently for this kind of disaster, Kanuha said. Volcano officials say there is no immediate threat of a Mauna Loa eruption. The USGS Volcano Alert-Level System lists Mauna Loa under advisory status, the second-lowest of four tiers. Puna Sen. Joy San Buenaventura, who co-introduced the resolution with Kanuha, said the response to the 2018 Kilauea eruption highlighted the need for a plan. They were constantly making these last-minute plans as the eruption went on, San Buenaventura said. So, on a personal level, I see the need for a master plan, especially if (an eruption) is going to be bigger. Kanuha said he is concerned about the area of South Kona and Kau where steep Mauna Loa slopes could lead to rapid lava flows and precious little time to evacuate residents and visitors. Mauna Loa eruptions have reached many regions of the Big Island, including the islands most populous city, Hilo. Kanuha said the evacuation plan will be presented to the state before the start of the 2022 legislative session. Mauna Loa last erupted in 1984. U.S. Geological Survey officials have reported changes in seismicity on the volcano for years. The summit has been inflating since 2014 and there has been an uptick in earthquakes under the volcanos west flank this year. HARTFORD State, local and Capitol Police on Tuesday were investigating at least three bullets that were fired into the state Capitol building over the weekend. Three bullet holes, two in windows on the south side of the Capitol building and one in an exterior chandelier, were discovered at about 9:15 a.m., state Capitol Police reported. No one was injured. Neither the state House of Representatives nor the state Senate was in session over the Memorial Day weekend, although many late nights of legislative business should start Tuesday and continue through the adjournment at 12:01 a.m. June 10. The State Police Major Crime Squad was assisting local and state Capitol Police in the probe. Police used ladders to inspect exterior and interior sites, including the large bronze statue The Genius of Connecticut, which dominates the rotunda under the 257-foot tall Capitol dome. By 11 a.m. Monday, law enforcement personnel were still searching the first floor of the Capitol for at least one spent bullet. Another bullet was located within the glass chamber of the exterior chandelier. It is unclear whether there was video available of the incident, and state Capitol Police Tuesday night said the incident remained under investigation. By early Tuesday night, the possible time of the shooting, which was originally thought to be Monday night into Tuesday morning, was lengthened to between Friday night and Tuesday morning, Capitol Police said. Shortly before 10 a.m. Tuesday, Gov. Ned Lamont exited the building on his way to the north side for an anti-hate news conference, and was briefed about the bullets by Capitol Police Chief Luiz Casanova and an official from the State Police Major Crime Squad. Missing details include the caliber of the bullets and whether the shooting incident was connected to other events. Lamont, during a news conference on a new commission that will address hate and hate crimes, told reporters that he believed the shots fired was a random act. But he noted that the potential for violence is another part of the states challenges on fighting hate. Were going to get to the bottom of it, Lamont said. They shot at a wall. They didnt shoot at something that we know of, at this point. Were here talking about hate crimes. Were talking about an uptick in violence, across the board, all across the country including Connecticut. You see it reflected in rhetoric. You see it reflected in random shootings, and you see it reflected in actual hate crimes, where they target people. There were multiple shots fired incidents that happened over the weekend in Southington, and another incident in which bullet holes were observed at a Cromwell church that could be connected with those incidents, according to officials. Brian Foley, assistant to the commissioner in the state Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, said state police are absolutely investigating whether the State Capitol incident is connected with the other weekend shootings. While we cant confirm that, we havent been able to rule anything in or out at this point, Foley said. That is certainly something our major crimes detectives are looking into. Foley said investigators will be looking for video and other evidence to see if there is a connection. kdixon@ctpost.com Twitter: @KenDixonCT LUDLOW, Vt. (AP) State and local police, rescue crews and the Vermont Air National Guard are searching for a missing 76-year-old Ludlow man. Russell Nord was reported missing on Monday evening, police said. He was last in the area of East Hill Road in Ludlow. The search continued Tuesday. Two fire departments, New England K9 Search and Rescue, Upper Valley Wilderness Response Team, and Killington Search and Rescue also are helping with the search, state police said. Nord was last seen wearing a green baseball hat, flannel shirt, white and blue New England Patriots jacket, and black fleece pants, police said. Anyone with information about where he is urged to call the state police in Westminster. Milton, PA (17847) Today Partly cloudy skies this evening will give way to cloudy skies and rain overnight. Low 63F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies this evening will give way to cloudy skies and rain overnight. Low 63F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%. What's Included With a Digital Only subscription, you'll receive unlimited access to our website and e-edition. Our digital products are available 24/7 and are accessible anywhere, anytime. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please call our customer service team at 712-243-2624 or email circ@ant-news.com. Hazleton, PA (18201) Today Partly cloudy skies this evening will give way to cloudy skies and rain overnight. Low 58F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies this evening will give way to cloudy skies and rain overnight. Low 58F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%. Ashtabula, OH (44004) Today Partly cloudy this evening followed by increasing clouds with showers developing after midnight. Low 62F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Partly cloudy this evening followed by increasing clouds with showers developing after midnight. Low 62F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%. Blog Archive Apr 2010 (22) May 2010 (25) Jun 2010 (8) Jul 2010 (12) Aug 2010 (18) Sep 2010 (19) Oct 2010 (29) Nov 2010 (30) Dec 2010 (18) Jan 2011 (13) Feb 2011 (21) Mar 2011 (23) Apr 2011 (19) May 2011 (31) Jun 2011 (36) Jul 2011 (46) Aug 2011 (26) Sep 2011 (12) Oct 2011 (15) Nov 2011 (17) Dec 2011 (7) Jan 2012 (18) Feb 2012 (4) Mar 2012 (12) Apr 2012 (18) May 2012 (10) Jun 2012 (21) Jul 2012 (8) Aug 2012 (15) Sep 2012 (7) Oct 2012 (17) Nov 2012 (20) Dec 2012 (10) Jan 2013 (58) Feb 2013 (59) Mar 2013 (60) Apr 2013 (98) May 2013 (135) Jun 2013 (204) Jul 2013 (293) Aug 2013 (351) Sep 2013 (363) Oct 2013 (348) Nov 2013 (374) Dec 2013 (442) Jan 2014 (547) Feb 2014 (476) Mar 2014 (526) Apr 2014 (527) May 2014 (469) Jun 2014 (408) Jul 2014 (472) Aug 2014 (522) Sep 2014 (443) Oct 2014 (472) Nov 2014 (497) Dec 2014 (536) Jan 2015 (539) Feb 2015 (520) Mar 2015 (582) Apr 2015 (658) May 2015 (679) Jun 2015 (673) Jul 2015 (728) Aug 2015 (803) Sep 2015 (923) Oct 2015 (924) Nov 2015 (802) Dec 2015 (791) Jan 2016 (782) Feb 2016 (835) Mar 2016 (929) Apr 2016 (866) May 2016 (947) Jun 2016 (1044) Jul 2016 (882) Aug 2016 (1035) Sep 2016 (967) Oct 2016 (918) Nov 2016 (854) Dec 2016 (885) Jan 2017 (881) Feb 2017 (777) Mar 2017 (897) Apr 2017 (872) May 2017 (851) Jun 2017 (851) Jul 2017 (971) Aug 2017 (1040) Sep 2017 (998) Oct 2017 (1144) Nov 2017 (1046) Dec 2017 (838) Jan 2018 (873) Feb 2018 (769) Mar 2018 (885) Apr 2018 (809) May 2018 (827) Jun 2018 (820) Jul 2018 (840) Aug 2018 (854) Sep 2018 (844) Oct 2018 (852) Nov 2018 (870) Dec 2018 (912) Jan 2019 (919) Feb 2019 (827) Mar 2019 (957) Apr 2019 (913) May 2019 (1007) Jun 2019 (935) Jul 2019 (950) Aug 2019 (936) Sep 2019 (910) Oct 2019 (920) Nov 2019 (874) Dec 2019 (908) Jan 2020 (942) Feb 2020 (849) Mar 2020 (898) Apr 2020 (848) May 2020 (822) Jun 2020 (789) Jul 2020 (819) Aug 2020 (858) Sep 2020 (841) Oct 2020 (873) Nov 2020 (812) Dec 2020 (780) Jan 2021 (765) Feb 2021 (716) Mar 2021 (819) Apr 2021 (805) May 2021 (815) Jun 2021 (336) The top court Prosecutor's Office is probing the violent death of 66-year old Arad businessman Ioan Crisan in a car explosion as first-degree manslaughter. "The case prosecutor ordered several forensic assessments by multiple specialties, as required by the complex nature of the aspects that are being investigated. Several people were heard and the criminal investigation continues at a steady pace," the Prosecutor's General Office informs, adding that the Romanian Police has allocated important human and logistical resources to the case. The businessman's Mercedes Benz exploded on Saturday morning as he wanted to drive off the car park of a supermarket located on Aurel Vlaicu thoroughfare in Arad. Ioan Crisan owned one of the few African catfish farms in Eastern Europe, set up several years ago on the grounds of a former hemp factory located a few kilometers from Arad. The farm has 22 pools supplied with thermal water from a 900 meter deep well and accommodates tens of tons of fish stock. Speaking last night on broadcaster Digi24 about the incident that is being handled as a bomb blast, Premier Florin Citu assured that despite this Romania is a very safe country. "This is the first attack in 30 years. Let us first of all note that we have managed to stay clear of such events for 30 years. I don't know if any other country around Romania, in this region, has been able to avoid such incidents. (...) It is a very serious matter, there's a prosecutor's investigation under way, we are waiting for the results. Experts from all institutions competent to investigate such a case are engaged in this effort and we will find out what happened. (...) We will definitely find out what happened there, we will learn and we will prevent other such violent events," the Prime Minister said. He once again emphasized that Romania remains a safe country even after this incident. "One such event in 30 years does not mean that Romania is an insecure country. Romania is a very safe country," Citu said. Noble Jump (NOJP) 21, the most important training sequence carried out in Romania as part of the Steadfast Defender 21 exercise, has once again proven that the Romanian military are ready to deal with risks and threats, as well as to promote international peace, Chief of Romania's Defense Staff, Lieutenant General Daniel Petrescu said on Tuesday at the Cincu shooting range, where he attended the Distinguished Visitors' Day. Petrescu stressed that the exercise was based on a fictitious but realistic scenario, "with field activities giving the troops the opportunity to reach a high level of training." According to Lieutenant General Petrescu, 4,000 troops from 12 allied countries - Romania, Albania, Bulgaria, Italy, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Turkey, the UK and the US - participated in the exercise at the Cincu National Training Range. "I want to emphasize the special contribution to the exercise of the Turkish Army, which provided the majority of the joint very high reaction forces. A special role was also played by the command of the Multinational Division South-East. Various military structures from several allied nations participated, but they all work as an integrated body. This is the image we have all seen today," the Defense Staff chief said. He also pointed out that for the Romanian Army, this exercise was "an important opportunity to verify the training level of the troops, to improve procedures so that they are permanently adapted to security requirements". "And, last but not least, this was an important professional opportunity to strengthen our cohesion and interoperability. We can conclude that the Romanian Forces are ready for the fundamental mission of defending the country. (...) We are capable to face risks and threats, to promote international peace," said Lieutenant General Daniel Petrescu. In his turn, commander of the Allied Joint Force Command Naples, Admiral Robert P. Burke, mentioned that the exercise consisted of the deployment of allied forces by land, air and sea, to the territory of Romania and concluded that the participating servicemen have shown that they are ready to respond to any threat at any time. This exercise confirms that our NATO reaction forces are well trained, prepared, able to work together, to respond to any threat and any aggression, anytime, said Admiral Robert P. Burke. The Noble Jump 21 exercise, planned by the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) and led by the Naples Joint Forces Command, is the third stage of the NATO Steadfast Defender 21 exercise that contains training and instruction sequences for NATO forces by their deployment to Romania on a very short notice. Tactical live-fire exercises were carried out today at Cincu by troops of the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF), and a static exhibition of military hardware was also presented. Noble Jump 21 unfolded between May 19 and June 2, the final event being the Distinguished Visitors' Day which took place on Tuesday. Prime Minister Florin Citu, who announced his candidacy for the position of chairman of the National Liberal Party (PNL), said on Monday that the internal struggle for party leadership "is already settled" in his favor, agerpres reports. He told private broadcaster Digi 24 that there were organizations that expressed their support for the party's current leader, Ludovic Orban, when there was no opponent. "We will see the situation when we submit the motions, but yesterday there were many branches by my side that said before that they supported Mr. Ludovic Orban, precisely because there was no counter-candidate. Now there is a counter-candidate and we will see what the number of branches is at that moment. I'm saying that, from my point of view, this competition is already settled. I don't think I need to prove it anymore. I have proven my worth as Minister of Public Finance. This government is a successful one. It's not just me who says that. All the figures say it, the estimates of the IMF, the European Commission and so on. At this moment ... what I had to prove I proved," Citu maintained.In his opinion, "PNL is the only solution to reduce poverty", compared to other European countries, and under his leadership PNL could "burn several stages" in Romania's economic development.Citu also reiterated that his political goal is to remain in power for eight years."There have been difficult times and that's why I am telling you that I will never make compromises and you already know me very well. In four years, as a senator, Minister of Finance, I was the most attacked man by the PSD, with the greatest number of motions against me. I have never given in an inch to the PSD. This is the direction in which we are going, Liberalism, I have lived my life based on Liberal principles, I have applied Liberal principles and I will do so in the future. The most important thing is for the PNL to be able to implement the reforms we are talking about and in order to be able to do that you have to be in government for at least eight years, that's what this is all about. We need a PNL to be in power for at least eight years. I can do this now, (...) prepare the ground for the next eight years, but we need a strong party, a party that upholds the Liberal principles, private property is sacred, and we must all support that. We must all uphold that the entrepreneur is a hero and this is in fact Liberalism and we shouldn't make compromises in the future. Every position on which we appoint people should be people of value, people to make us proud to be Liberal," Citu underlined.He added that "the PNL is the longest-lived party in Romania, and Liberalism was what saved Romania from the crisis last year.""Romania came out of the pandemic with its forehead up precisely because it applied Liberal principles, but I think we need to push things a little bit, to accelerate, to have this reform or Liberalism, as I see it, it must be applied to make sure we have this period of eight years of government.The PNL is the party that is leading this governing coalition today. I think it can do more. I think the PNL has resources and has human resources in the first place, people want reform, people who don't want to compromise anymore, people who, as I have always said, are proud to be members of the PNL at all times, so that there is no time when they are not proud to be members of the PNL," added the prime minister. DES MOINES When Iowa lawmakers wrapped up their 2021 session just before midnight May 19, they adjourned sine die that is, without setting a date to return. They expect to be back in August, but at this time thats more of a guess than a definite timetable. Thats because they are waiting on the U.S. Census Bureau to provide the granular data needed to complete redistricting the redrawing of congressional and legislative district boundaries based on the decennial census. I mean, the plan is sometime in August, to have a special session, Iowa House Speaker Pat Grassley, R-New Hartford, said after the adjournment. However, Iowa Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver, R-Ankeny, described redistricting as a moving target because the coronavirus pandemic delayed the census process by several months. Redistricting, in general, has been a very difficult issue to address this year, with the census delaying that data (and) not knowing when that data is going to come in, he said. Ed Cook, legal counsel for the nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency that will draw the election maps, seconded that. The Census Bureau told the state it will get what he calls legacy data by Aug. 16. Sooner would be better because delivery of the data is crucial to allowing Iowas nonpartisan redistricting process to proceed, according to U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, who has called and written the Census Bureau to plead the states case. The nonpartisan legislative agency will turn that data into maps as quickly as possible, Cook said, but its just impossible to know how long it will take and whether it will be in time for legislators to meet their constitutional deadline. The Iowa Constitution requires that a plan be adopt by lawmakers by Sept. 1 and enacted, or signed by the governor, by Sept. 15. Before the Legislature can act, a bipartisan redistricting advisory commission must hold public hearings and make a recommendation on a redistricting plan. If the Legislature approves the plan, it goes to the governor for her signature. If not, the agency draws a new set of maps for the legislators to either accept or reject. If a third plan is needed, lawmakers can amend it. That causes some concern, especially among Democrats, that Republicans will gerrymander the map for their electoral advantage. From the perspective of the legislative agency, the process should be the same as always. Its just that instead of having this issue in February and March, we're going to have it late in the fall, Cook said. If the Legislature cant meet the deadline, redistricting becomes the responsibility of the Iowa Supreme Court. So it's all going to depend on when we get the data and what process the Supreme Court chooses to use, said Senate Minority Leader Zach Wahls, D-Coralville. In early April, the court issued a statement saying it tentatively plans to meet its constitutional responsibility by implementing a process which permits, to the extent possible, the redistricting framework presently set forth in Iowa Code chapter 42 to proceed after Sept. 15. As vague as some lawmakers found that statement, Whitver thought the courts guidance was fairly clear that they plan to kick that back to the Legislature to follow our normal redistricting process. Thats consistent with speculation that rather than handle redistricting directly, the state Supreme Court might tell the legislative agency to proceed with drawing a plan and then give the Legislature a deadline for approving the map. In Oregon and California, the state courts have taken that approach, extending deadlines for lawmakers or redistricting commissions. In Texas and other states, lawmakers have extended the deadline and will push back 2022 primary election dates if necessary. At this point, the delay in redistricting is felt by officeholders, candidates and political parties. Until district boundaries are known, its harder to make campaign plans, recruit candidates and raise funds. But the uncertainty is not limited to politicians, Speaker Grassley said. It's for Iowans, knowing who their representatives are going to be, he said. Thats what I see to be the priority, obviously. To that end, legislators are resigned to the fact they will have to wait to know what their districts will look like and how the new lines will affect their political futures. My last point on redistricting would be that we need good data to get fair maps, Wahls said. That's the thing that's the most important. Foreign Affairs Minister Bogdan Aurescu thanked visiting European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic for the intense efforts made to ensure the proper implementation of the Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union, as well as of the agreements governing the post-Brexit relations between the European Union and the United Kingdom, the Foreign Ministry said in a release, agerpres reports. The talks held during a meeting on Monday focused on Brexit-related subjects of interest, as well as on the process of reflection on the future of the EU, given that Vice President Sefcovic coordinates the strategic reflection network set up at Union level. "Minister Aurescu expressed confidence in maintaining an active involvement of Vice President Maros Sefcovic in settling the UK's differentiated approach to work visa fees for the citizens of Romania and another four EU member states, pointing out that a solution applicable at EU level needs to be identified. The ForMin also highlighted the constant interest of the Romanian authorities in the proper implementation by the United Kingdom of the provisions on the citizens' rights set forth in the Withdrawal Agreement, given the large Romanian community that lives in the UK. In this context, the Romanian top diplomat also suggested that the subject of the temporary detainment of several Romanian citizens who did not meet the UK's entry requirements be raised in the context of the EU - UK talks," the release states.In connection with the ongoing debate on the future of the Union, the two interlocutors welcomed the formal launch of the Conference on the Future of Europe on May 9, and emphasized the importance of dialogue and direct engagement with the citizens in defining the Union's development directions. Justice Minister Stelian Ion said today that the start of the activity of the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) is "a historic moment for the European Union and for Romania", agerpres reports. "This is a historic moment for the European Union and for Romania, as a member state participating in the enhanced cooperation for the establishment of the European Public Prosecutor's Office. The European citizens have high expectations of the new European structure. I am convinced that the European Chief Prosecutor and her team will prove professionalism and excellence, by achieving a track record capable to ensure the effective protection of the Union's financial interests. I will continue to support the work of the European Public Prosecutor's Office, fully aware that its success depends on its close and efficient cooperation with the competent national authorities, based on mutual trust," Stelian Ion said as cited in a release of the Justice Ministry. The European Public Prosecutor's Office starts today its operational activity in those member states taking part in enhanced cooperation, based on the Commission's Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/856 of 25 May 2021 determining the date on which the European Public Prosecutor's Office assumes its investigative and prosecutorial tasks.EPPO will be able to investigate, in Romania and in the other participating member states, with the support of the competent national authorities, the offenses that harm the EU's financial interests."Romania is one of the member states that has consistently supported the European Public Prosecutor's Office, right from the start of negotiations in the EU Council, based on the proposal for a Regulation published by the Commission in July 2013. Romania was one of the member states to initiate this form of enhanced cooperation in 2017, constantly advocating in subsequent discussions at EU level the operationalization of the new EU jurisdiction as soon as possible, with the provision of appropriate resources and the development of close cooperation with national authorities," the Justice Ministry said.In preparation for this historic moment, Romania has also taken a series of legislative and institutional steps at domestic level: legislative and institutional changes were operated to ensure the implementation of the Regulation, selection procedures were carried out both for the appointment of the European Prosecutor for Romania and of the candidates for the position of European Delegated Prosecutor, the first six being already appointed by the College of the EU Public Prosecutor's Office."A new selection procedure for filling the other positions of European delegated prosecutors was started on May 26, accompanied by practical, logistical measures intended to support the development of operational activities in four locations: Bucharest, Iasi, Cluj and Timisoara," the Justice Ministry said. In a vaccine-encouragement message on Facebook today, Deputy Prime Minister Kelemen Hunor said that for him the COVID vaccine means "the safety of the loved ones", of those who are part of his life. "I am not an epidemiologist, but I know what the vaccine means to me. The vaccine signifies the safety of my loved ones, of those who are part of my life. The safety of the parents who raised me, and of the children I raise with my wife. The vaccine contains the freedom to travel freely wherever my public duties carry me. The vaccine carries the opportunity to shake hands, to see the faces of those I speak to. For me, the vaccine is the freedom of my children to meet their cousins again," Kelemen Hunor wrote on his Facebook account. The leader of the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania calls on his fellow citizens to get vaccinated in order to return as soon as possible to a normal life. "We are just one shot away from being able to relaxedly go on holiday, after one year and a half. We are one step away from concerts, from the joys experienced at shows. We have put the hard part behind. Let's not stop and get vaccinated!," Kelemen Hunor wrote, reports agerpres Minister of National Defense Nicolae-Ionel Ciuca will participate on Tuesday in the virtual meeting of NATO's Defense Ministers, coordinated from the NATO Headquarters in Brussels by the organization's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, the National Defense Ministry announced in a release. According to the cited source, the ministerial event is organized as a defining stage for the preparation of talks and decision-making landmarks of the June 14 NATO Summit. To this effect, the agenda of the NATO Defense Ministers meeting will be oriented along the coordinates of the NATO 2030 initiative, with emphasis on deterrence and defense, resilience, innovation and support for NATO partners. "The allied officials will also address developments in the implementation of defense investment pledges, as well as aspects related to the conclusion of the Resolute Support Mission and the future of the NATO-Afghanistan relationship," the statement said. The Romanian Defense Minister will express support for the perspectives and decision-making coordinates of the NATO 2030 process, as a fundamental effort to continue adapting the collective deterrence and defense posture to the present and future security requirements. "In this context, Mr. Ciuca will emphasize the importance of strengthening NATO's presence on the entire eastern flank, as well as ensuring the adequate pooling of resources to meet the objectives underlying the Alliance's level of ambition," the Defense Ministry said. The Romanian official will reiterate the Romanian side's commitment to the three components of the fair sharing of responsibilities (financial resources, capabilities, contributions), with a focus on maintaining commitments to ensure an adequate Defense budget of at least 2% of GDP, the National Defense Ministry notes. "From the perspective of approaches to Afghanistan, the Romanian Defense Minister will emphasize the importance of maintaining allied support for the Afghan authorities even after the conclusion of the Resolute Support Mission. Nicolae Ciuca will also brief the allied Defense Ministers about the inauguration on Monday May 31, in Bucharest, of the Euro-Atlantic Resilience Center, an important contribution of Romania to reinforcing NATO and EU's resilience, as well as that of the partner states," the release concludes, reports agerpres. Prime Minister Florin Citu and visiting European Commission Vice President for inter-institutional relations and foresight Maros Sefcovic emphasized during their meeting on Monday the strategic importance of cyber security cooperation and of developing resilience, under close coordination of EU and NATO actions, based on information and best practice exchanges, the government informs in a release, agerpres reports. Premier Citu and EC Vice President Sefcovic met on the occasion of the European senior official's participation in the inauguration on May 31 of the Euro-Atlantic Resilience Centre in Bucharest. "During the meeting, Prime Minister Citu expressed his appreciation for the special openness shown by Vice President Sefcovic towards Romania's European priorities on national importance files and for the constant support offered for their reflection in European decisions. The two officials emphasized the strategic importance, as an investment for the future, of cyber security cooperation and resilience development, under close coordination of EU and NATO actions, based on the exchange of information and best practices. Vice President Sefcovic highlighted on this occasion the major role of the future Cyber Security Competence Center based in Bucharest, also confirming the European Commission's full readiness to closely work with the Euro-Atlantic Resilience Center," the statement said.According to the cited source, Prime Minister Citu thanked for the European Commission's cooperation and support in advancing the process of rendering the Cyber Security Competence Center operational, underlining in this context Romania's pragmatic commitment to making a concrete contribution to efforts to strengthen European and Euro-Atlantic strategic resilience in order to respond to current and future challenges.Other topics addressed by the two officials were related to the COVID vaccination campaign and Romania's National Recovery and Resilience Plan."The Prime Minister emphasized the need to stimulate the capacity and significant potential of the European industry in the joint effort to reduce the European Union's external dependence. The diversification of resources for ensuring the double transition, green and digital, was also highlighted by both officials. For the achievement of the goal of overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic, the interlocutors agreed on the importance of maintaining coordination across the EU, especially by stepping up vaccination campaigns, which have already proved their success, and kiking off the post-pandemic economic recovery at a steady pace. Prime Minister Citu underlined the importance of implementing the Recovery and Resilience Facility for ensuring a robust European economic recovery and specified that the National Recovery and Resilience Plan will be submitted on the same day to the European Commission. The Premier also assured of the full commitment of the Romanian government to the promotion of mature projects laid out in the National Plan, reflected by the development of substantial political reforms, investments in the modernization of infrastructure, and to the balanced consolidation of the public finances, meant to support the continuation of the convergence process," the release states. On Tuesday, President Klaus Iohannis participated in the opening of the second edition of the "Cotroceni Creativ Junior" contest, organized at the Cotroceni National Museum on the occasion of the International Children's Day, agerpres reports. The president was impressed with the way the young artists express on canvas their emotions, aspirations and hopes during this pandemic period. "I am very happy that you came here today at the Cotroceni Museum and I am very happy that I was able to come and see you and see what your creations. It is a great joy for me and for my team that we can host an exhibition and a workshop, here, today on Children's Day. I saw the works from the exhibition that you set up, pupils from all over the country, Fantastic childhood, and I admit that I am impressed on the one hand with the way you knew how to express your emotions on canvas, your aspirations, hopes, but also with the fact that you wanted to come and present what you felt in this pandemic year, a year that is essentially very sad for us and for everyone, but it is clear that where there is a lot of suffering there is a lot of hope and I thank you for coming with hope. I wish you much success, and I can tell the young people that it is an exciting thing for me that you have come to show what impresses you about the history and heritage of Cotroceni [Presidential Palace], "Cotroceni Creativ Junior", a very nice title art for this workshop. I wish you all a beautiful day and I wish you a beautiful children's day not only today, but may all your days be beautiful. Many happy returns!," said the president.At the end of the visit, President Klaus Iohannis took a group photo with all the children and offered autographs.The "Cotroceni Creativ Junior" contest brings together young artists, aged between 10 and 19, who accepted the challenge to reinterpret the museum and its evolution, on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of its establishment.In the opening of the competition, students of the "Nicolae Tonitza" High School of Fine Arts from Bucharest participated in a drawing workshop, to get acquainted with the methods of recreating, in an artistic way, the heritage elements or portraits of personalities that influenced the evolution of the Cotroceni Palace. The children presented their sketches drawn during the session and talked with the Romanian President about the works they intend to enter in the contest.Klaus Iohannis also participated in the opening of the visual arts exhibition Fantastic Childhood, hosted in the Cerchez Salon of the Cotroceni National Museum until July 6. Present at the event, the authors of the works, young artists studying at specialised high schools in the country, together with their mentor teachers, discussed with the president about the experiences and events that inspired them, about last year's impact on the creative process and about the solutions they identified them in order to pursue their vocation, even in the context of distance learning and reduced contact with their colleagues and teachers. President Klaus Iohannis will take part in an online debate on Wednesday organized by the European People's Party Group (EPP Group) in the European Parliament, under the title "Let's talk about Europe!," the Presidential Administration announced on Tuesday, agerpres reports. "During the event, President Klaus Iohannis will present elements related to Romania's vision for the future of the European Union, emphasizing that our country will actively contribute to defining priorities and identifying common solutions to meet the expectations of European citizens,". According to the cited source, alongside the President of Romania, the event will be attended by the President of the EPP Group of the European Parliament, Manfred Weber, and the Romanian MEP Siegfried Muresan.According to the Presidential Administration, this is the second debate in a series of actions organized by the EPP Group in the context of the Conference on the Future of Europe, with German Chancellor Angela Merkel taking part in the first. Theres no rhyme or reason for the variety of programs that exist in this space other than they were developed over time, says Beth Akers, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative public policy think tank, where she focuses on the economics of higher education. We need to simplify the safety net for students and make it so simple that they can understand it exists and what benefits it can provide for them. Wesley Whistle, senior advisor for policy and strategy at New America, a left-of-center public policy think tank, says automatic enrollment into an IDR plan could benefit delinquent or defaulted borrowers, but is concerned about auto-enrolling students right out of college and its effect on their ability to repay the principal. For many, payments may not even cover interest. Even working full time at a minimum wage job, you're not making enough to knock into your principal, says Whistle, who specializes in higher education policy. That could leave borrowers still paying student loans 20-25 years into the future. Make college tuition-free The court said the law should be tossed out because it exempted police unions. The Missouri Constitution guarantees its citizens the equal protection of the laws, the court wrote, adding there is no rational basis for exempting the public safety unions. At the time, Republicans left the politically powerful police unions out of the bill to win passage of the changes. The exemption of public safety labor organizations violates principles of equal protection, the court said. The decision was hailed by members of the Missouri National Education Association. As a school nurse, the health of students is at the center of every decision I make. Our union helps me advocate for the safety of students and educators. I am relieved the court upheld the right to join a union and advocate for our students without interference from politicians or special interests, said Carmen Hill, a nurse in St. Louis Public Schools. Monica Jefferson, a teacher in the Special School District of St. Louis County, said the legislation was designed to silence educators and make it more difficult for us to advocate for our students and colleagues. The new Community Services and Prevention Fund would earmark $44 million on community engagement, prevention, mental health services and other public services. Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said the changes also are aimed at increasing police accountability in a city where elected officials have almost no say in how the police department spends its money. Last year, Parson, a Republican, called a special session on violent crime in the months before voters went to the polls to choose between him and Democrat Nicole Galloway in his bid for a full four-year term. In the end, Parson was able to repeal a residency rule for St. Louis police officers designed to open up recruiting and fill vacant positions. Also approved was a witness protection fund that has been largely unused. Firearms not targeted The GOP supermajorities have not targeted firearms as a potential reason for the high murder rates in St. Louis and Kansas City. Rather, they have attempted to expand gun ownership in recent years by virtually eliminating the need to have a concealed carry permit. Samsung Biologics plans to add a production line so it can produce all ingredients for Moderna's mRNA vaccine under license without recourse to other suppliers. The move will allow Samsung to be ready to produce the vaccine by the first half of next year. Samsung Biologics CEO John Rim said Monday, "With this extended capability, we hope to support our partners in bringing novel mRNA vaccines and therapeutics to market at a faster pace." Samsung will spend W200 to 300 billion to add the new production line at its factory in Songdo (US$1=W1,110). WASHINGTON The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to hear Johnson & Johnsons bid to overturn a $2.12 billion damages award to women who blamed their ovarian cancer on asbestos in the companys baby powder and other talc products. The justices turned away a J&J appeal and left in place a Missouri state court ruling in litigation brought by 22 women whose claims were heard together in one trial in St. Louis. The Missouri Court of Appeals, an intermediate state appellate court, last year ruled against J&Js bid to throw out the compensatory and punitive damages awarded to the plaintiffs but reduced the total to $2.12 billion from the $4.69 billion originally decided by a jury. J&J has argued that a decision by a Missouri circuit court judge to consolidate disparate baby powder-related claims from the plaintiffs including 17 women from outside the state for a trial before a single jury violated the New Brunswick, New Jersey-based companys due process rights under the U.S. Constitution. J&J also has argued that the size of the jurys damages award violated its due process rights. The Missouri Supreme Court, the states highest court, in November declined to hear J&Js appeal of the Missouri Court of Appeals ruling, prompting the company to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. J&J said in court papers that it faces more than 19,000 other cases that could be affected by the outcome of this litigation. The plaintiffs, nine of whom have died and are now represented by their estates, have argued that Missouri courts have jurisdiction over out-of-state claims like those brought in this litigation. One of the products that the out-of-state plaintiffs said they had used was manufactured in Missouri. Lawyers for the plaintiffs also have argued that the large punitive damages awarded by the jury in this case were justified by J&Js conduct. Lawyers for the plaintiffs said in court papers it is common practice for courts to consolidate cases at trial when the facts in each claim are essentially the same. The Missouri Court of Appeals concluded that it was reasonable to infer from the evidence that J&J disregarded the safety of consumers in its drive for profit despite knowing its talc products caused ovarian cancer. It also found significant reprehensibility in J&Js conduct. In addition to reducing the damages, the Missouri Court of Appeals dismissed two of the 17 out-of-state plaintiffs. In court papers, J&J said the case followed a winning formula devised by plaintiffs lawyers of bringing claims in jurisdictions where they can get dozens of out-of-state plaintiffs to testify in a single trial, prejudicing the jury and resulting in outsized damages awards. In the Missouri trial, the company said, the jury awarded each plaintiff an identical punitive damages award of $25 million, regardless of the facts specific to each plaintiff or whether they were alive or dead. The company also said the jury awarded punitive damages much larger than the already staggering compensatory damages, which J&J has called a further violation of its due process rights. Justice Samuel Alito did not participate in the Supreme Courts decision not to take up the appeal, likely because he owns J&J stock. Justice Brett Kavanaugh, whose father now retired was a longtime lobbyist for the toiletries industry, also did not take part. The justices do not explain why they step aside in certain cases. A 2018 Reuters investigation found that J&J knew for decades that asbestos, a carcinogen, was present in its talc products. Internal company records, trial testimony and other evidence showed that from at least 1971 to the early 2000s, J&Js raw talc and finished powders sometimes tested positive for small amounts of asbestos. The company said in May 2020 it would stop selling its baby powder talc in the United States and Canada, citing changes in consumer habits and what it called misinformation about the products safety amid numerous legal challenges. In its statement, J&J said it remained steadfastly confident in the safety of talc-based Johnsons Baby Powder. Updated at 9:06 a.m. (An earlier version had the incorrect day of the court decision.) Republicans denounced the ballot initiative as a blank check for free-spending Democrats, who control both houses of the General Assembly as well as the governors office. As revenues continued to outpace predictions, they persisted in saying that Pritzker had more than enough money. Their reward came in the form of a Pritzker concession to cut fewer of the business and job-producing incentives they negotiated in 2019 with the Democrat, tax breaks the governor touted then but now calls unaffordable loopholes. Democrats crafting the budget were planning to cut three programs to generate $636 million in additional revenue. In February, Pritzker proposed eliminating eight incentive programs to save $1 billion. Pandemic-battered sectors of the state would get $1.5 billion from Illinois allotment of American Rescue Plan Act. Hundreds of millions of dollars would be reserved for the Department of Human Services for programs to help the homeless, prevent suicide, counsel schoolchildren through the last years trauma, and provide services for our first responders who have gone through a year of hell and deserve all the support we can give them, Harris said. The ailing tourism and hospitality industries would receive $578 million. University Citys Catie Haveman, 36, went with her family Monday to the St. Louis Zoo, which she said was packed with the largest crowds theyve encountered there since it reopened last June. Compared to a year ago, Haveman said, there is far less to worry about, whether at the zoo or embarking on travel to visit out-of-state relatives. Its just less troubling, less worrisome and more relaxed when we do go out, she said. To me, thats the biggest difference. But she hasnt fully let her guard down keeping a bottle of hand sanitizer at the ready. Others also said they were still being cautious, while carefully assessing the expanding menu of options for socializing and summer fun. At least were open to going places, said Spencer Martin, 41, of Webster Groves. That wasnt an option last year. Nor were trips to Webster Groves city-run pool, where Martins family spent Monday afternoon. With the pool and other destinations cut off last year, the Martins bought a trampoline for some fun at home apparently joining a sizable trend. Martin said he knew at least four families who also got trampolines last year, and his family had to wait a couple months before theirs became available. You know, Parson said, I dont even know the details of it so Ill be careful what I say. But heres what I will say: Now is not the time to try any effects to defund the police department. Kansas Citys got one of the best police departments in the nation and to realize the support they need right now, the crime rates going up, compare Kansas City to Chicago, to Portland, to Minneapolis, to San Francisco, all cities have tried pretty radical changes. We dont want Kansas City like that. I dont, as the governor and as somebody that goes to Kansas City a lot. Since he obviously doesnt know the details, maybe he should have been more careful not to talk nonsense. FALSE RUMORS OF LAYOFFS, DEFUNDING CUTS Legislators from the Northland said Monday they may try to block the ordinances by mandating that Kansas City spend even more of its budget on the police department. Apparently, the idea of giving Kansas City any say in how its own police department is extremely threatening. So threatening that scaremongers are promoting dark rumors that layoffs in the police department are imminent, or massive cuts are coming from this effort to defund the police. These have no basis in fact. NACIs published report says AstraZeneca recipients can be offered the same vaccine if they want it, or can be given either Pfizer or Moderna. They say they are basing their advice on the risk of VITT, and emerging evidence that mixing and matching different types of vaccines is not only safe but may produce a better immune response. The guidance is not binding but most provincial governments have indicated they were waiting for the information before setting their policies for second doses. NEW YORK Health researchers estimate that during the early months of the U.S. COVID-19 epidemic, 7,000 to 10,000 more kidney disease patients died than normally would. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published the report Tuesday. The researchers focused on about 800,000 patients who early last year had kidney failure. About 60,000 of them died between the beginning of February and the end of August last year. Former President Donald Trump, who spent four years milking U.S. taxpayers as if they were hapless marks for one of his scammy business ventures, is still at it. The Washington Post reports that Trump this year has charged the Secret Service more than $40,000 (so far) to work from his Florida club while providing his post-presidential security. Trump shouldnt be required to provide free space to his Secret Service detail, but Congress should look into requiring that former presidents cannot charge more than the normal governmental rates to their protectors. Trump began his presidency with a sham vow that he would stay out of directly running his businesses while in office then he put his adult children in charge, meaning he kept control. Then, for four years, he blatantly and repeatedly violated the Constitutions prohibition on profiteering from the presidency. The Alamo-like resistance of Democrats in the Texas Legislature Sunday has prevented passage for now of one of the most draconian vote-suppression laws in the nation. But as with the Texans in the famous Alamo battle, todays defenders of voting access are ultimately destined to defeat, with a special session on the horizon during which Republicans are certain to make voting in Texas more difficult and ensure that legitimate election results would be easier to overturn. As similar threats to the ballot play out in red-state legislatures across America, its past time for reinforcements from Congress, in the form of a national voting-rights bill to end these state-level assaults on democracy once and for all. Limitations on the discussion of race and sex in classroom's across Texas following a new bill, awaits approval by Governor Greg Abbott. It should come as no surprise to anyone anywhere that the Trump administration lied about its policy of separating immigrant children from their parents and deporting the parents before they could be reunited with their kids. But theres at least a small measure of comfort in knowing that a government watchdog has confirmed the lie, saying it can find no evidence to back the administrations assertions that the separations were voluntary and that parents chose to leave the country without their kids. A May 18 report by the Homeland Security Departments inspector general directly contradicts testimony before Congress by then-Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen that every parent was given a choice of whether to be deported with their children or leave them behind. It seemed an obvious lie at the time, but since the parents were dispersed to the furthest corners of Central America, and hundreds of their children got lost in the system, there was no way of knowing the truth. A: The premiere of the film Knives Out. Such a fun film and a great party. That was in 2019. If I had known that within a couple of months, Id be holed up in my house for a year, I mightve made more of an effort to attend some events. Oh, we had a Sabrina the Teenage Witch reunion on Zoom for charity last spring. Does that count? What a year. Q: What have you been doing for vacations, since none of us can easily hop on a plane and travel these days? A: I know the four-block radius surrounding our home very, very well now. Id love to know the net amount of time Ive spent running alongside my daughter on her bike in the past year on these blocks. We live near the Lyon Street steps in San Francisco, which is a popular tourist spot for photos and exercise spot for locals. Ive spent many an hour running up and down those steps. This pandemic has definitely shifted everything. I miss traveling so much. We took only driving trips this past year and kept all travel local in California. San Francisco is generally cold. We dont get a real summer here and we were desperate for warmth and sun. We went to Sonoma for a week, to Lake Tahoe for a couple of weeks over the summer, then we just drove to Palm Desert for three weeks over the holidays. Q: If you had travel plans for 2020 or this year and had to cancel, where were they to? As weve had to postpone our travels because of the pandemic, I believe a weekly dose of travel dreaming can be good medicine. Here are a few of my favorite European memories from Istanbul a reminder of the fun that awaits us at the other end of this crisis. When I was in my 20s, I ended eight European trips in a row in Turkey. I didnt plan it that way but it became the natural finale, the subconscious cherry on top of each years travel adventures. Realizing I hadnt set foot in Istanbul for nearly a decade, I decided to return to the city where East meets West. The moment I step off the plane, I remember how much I enjoy this country. Marveling at the efficiency of Istanbuls Ataturk Airport, I pop onto the street and into a yellow taksi. Seeing the welcoming grin of the unshaven driver, who greets me with a toothy Merhaba, I blurt out, Cok guzel! Im surprised I remember the phrase. It just comes out of me like a baby shouts for joy. I am back in Turkey, and it is very beautiful indeed. As the taksi turns off the highway and into the tangled lanes of the tourist zone just below the Blue Mosque all the tourist-friendly businesses line up, providing a backdrop for their chorus line of barkers shouting, Yes, Mister! Shares is the leading weekly publication for retail investors. It is packed with investment ideas, news and educational material to help build and run portfolios and get more from your money. Shares puts on free Investor Events throughout the year across the country. They provide an opportunity for investors to learn more about companies on the stock market and hear from a range of investment experts including fund managers and Shares journalists. The British Royal Navy has introduced a new model of its River Class OPV (offshore patrol vessel) featuring a new version of the century old dazzle camouflage pattern. First introduced in 1917, during World War I, dazzle was a new, and (for a time) popular new camouflage pattern. I was called "dazzle" because it featured zig-zag paint patterns meant to dazzle enemy gunners. Research found that this pattern would spoil the aim of enemy gunners. It was later discovered that a regular camouflage pattern would serve nearly as well. Pilots also found, through experience, that a dark color, without camouflage detail, would work about as well to hide a low flying aircraft from being spotted from above. After all, at a certain altitude, all you saw of the ground below was a lot of dark colors. Eventually, dazzle experienced a revival and more small warships are using it. The new River 2 OPVs are 2,000- ton ships armed with 30mm autocannon and several smaller caliber machine-guns. It also has a helicopter launch pad large enough to handle most naval helicopters. OPVs are used in coastal waters where dazzle has been found to be still useful. Smaller American and Canadian warships are also adopting dazzle. In the late 20th century new research found that the dazzle patterns actually did make ground troops misjudge the speed of moving vehicles by about seven percent, which in many cases would cause the gunner, especially one using a machine-gun or RPG, to miss by a meter (3.1 feet). That's enough, it is believed, to save lives. But many troops are skeptical, as were those faced with this striking type of camouflage pattern in the past. These new findings may be a big deal for those who still believe in dazzle paint patterns, but little is expected to change. That's because dazzle camouflage never seemed to work that well in actual use. Small coastal warships need all the help they can get and dazzle appears to provide that. Dazzle was introduced during World War I, when ships had to face the widespread use of submarines for the first time. Because subs often attacked while submerged, the mere shape of a ship stood out on the horizon. The sub commander was looking at its targets from a periscope that was only a meter above the water. In effect, a periscope view was looking up at its targets, and not seeing much under the best of conditions. The sailors on the receiving end of these torpedoes soon realized that, while a new paint job would not hide them, it could throw off the aim of the sub captain. World War I torpedoes were not as accurate as later models, and the sub captain had to look through the periscope and estimate range and speed of the target ship before he ordered the speed and direction settings for the torpedoes about to be launched. A paint job on the target ship would make it difficult to estimate distance or speed for the target and thus there was a good chance of aiming the torpedo incorrectly. This concept led to various "dazzle" paint schemes, which broke up the silhouette of the ship, suggested it was moving in the opposite direction, that it was moving at high speed, and so forth. The extent to which this approach was effective has never been demonstrated, until recently, but it appeared, back then, to have some value. At the same time merchantmen and warships were being repainted, better anti-submarine warfare techniques were being developed. All agreed that the new paint jobs didn't make it any easier for the torpedoes to hit something. And the obvious effort expended in repainting the ships improved the shaky morale of the civilian crews on the merchantmen. The reality was that World War I torpedoes were not all that reliable, and usually missed for that reason, or because the sub captain misjudged the speed and direction of that blob on the horizon he saw via the periscope. Years later, when questioned, several of these U-Boat captains admitted that they never noticed the paint job on their targets, just the general shape. When World War II came around, the bizarre paint schemes of World War I were not used much by the Americans. They felt that the effort could be better spent on anti-submarine warfare techniques. Moreover, the U.S. noted that the most dangerous attacks were by groups (wolfpacks) of U-boats attacking at night while on the surface because the subs were hard to see at night, so they surfaced to fire their torpedoes with greater accuracy. The British stuck with the World War I zig-zag paint schemes on some of their merchant ships, if only to give crew morale a boost, as did the Japanese. In fact, the Japanese tried a few interesting wrinkles to the scheme, even painting aircraft carrier decks so that, from the air, they suggested a battleship, in the hope of deceiving aerial reconnaissance. But American sub captains never noted any usefulness of the Japanese "dazzle" camouflage on merchant ships. This unique camouflage pattern is striking mainly because it shows up so well in posed photographs. In combat, it apparently doesn't get noticed much at all. The new version believed to have overcome earlier shortcomings. Coolisys Hires Key Management As It Moves Toward Commercial Launch LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Ault Global Holdings, Inc. (NYSE American: DPW) a diversified holding company (the Company), announced that its subsidiary, Coolisys Technologies Corp. (Coolisys) has formed the subsidiary, TurnOnGreen, Inc., to provide flexible and scalable electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) and services. TurnOnGreen was founded with the goal to be an industry leader with a robust product portfolio that Coolisys anticipates will include residential, commercial, and ultra-fast charging stations. TurnOnGreen also provides full-service eMobility charging management application software and network services. Coolisys current ACECOOL products will be rebranded as TurnOnGreen products. Coolisys has hired three key executives to join Amos Kohn, President and CEO of Coolisys, in leading this new subsidiary. Mr. Kohn, as President and CEO of TurnOnGreen, stated, As we move closer to the commercial launch of our products, we are pleased to have an experienced management team to lead the charge and build out our brands. With a shared mission to do our part to fight climate change, this team continuously strives to bring to emerging markets innovative solutions that provide value for the Company, its consumers and its shareholders. With our 50 years of experience in the power electronics business, we have the knowledge base to enable a successful launch of our product lines. Mr. Kohn concluded, Further, given the talents of our new management team, I have the utmost confidence in our ability to quickly scale and provide EV drivers with charging options at home, work and destination locations. Joining Coolisys and TurnOnGreen are three individuals with expertise in sales, marketing and technology, respectively: Marcus Charuvastra, Chief Revenue Officer Marcus Charuvastra is an accomplished leader with 20 years of experience in strategic planning, sales, services, marketing and business and organizational development. At TurnOnGreen, Marcus leads the sales, mobility ecosystem relationships, and business development functions. Before joining TurnOnGreen, Mr. Charuvastra spent 11 years at Targeted Medical Pharma serving as Vice President of Operations and as the Managing Director of this microcap biotech start-up. During his tenure, he was instrumental in taking Targeted Medical Pharma public. Mr. Charuvastra was previously Director of Sales and Marketing at Physician Therapeutics and was responsible for building the sales and distribution network in the United States and abroad. He is a graduate of UCLA. Jodi Brichan, Executive Chairwoman Jodi Brichan is a commercialization expert with more than 20 years of experience in bringing new products to market in hypergrowth healthcare industries such as pharmaceuticals, medical devices, energy devices and life sciences. With more than five years of board experience, Jodi joins TurnOnGreen as Executive Chairwoman supporting the organizational development of TurnOnGreen and its board of directors as well as its executive management team with a view to support the CEO and President and the other members of the management team in striving to achieve TurnOnGreens goals, concentrating on its marketing initiatives to drive revenue and shareholder value. Before joining TurnOnGreen, Ms. Brichan served as CEO of a wholly owned animal health subsidiary of an EU-based pharmaceutical company that develops new chemotherapy products to treat cancer in companion animals. She also served as a communications executive at two of the leading global communications networks, Omnicom and Publicis. She has significant experience in guiding successful new product launches, creating award-winning advertising campaigns, directing digital transformation initiatives, and leading successful business expansion into new markets. As an EV driver for the past eight years, she is passionate about the societal benefits of driving electric. She holds a B.A.A. from Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. Douglas Gintz, Chief Technology Officer Douglas P. Gintz serves as Chief Technology Officer at Coolisys Technologies, Corp. He is responsible for driving strategic software initiatives and delivering key technologies essential to the market penetration of the Coolisys EV charging systems. Mr. Gintz is a programmer, marketing technologist and designer who has been delivering essential technology and content solutions to a wide audience for more than 30 years. Specializing in emerging technologies, he has developed DNA reporting engines, medical billing software, manufacturing compliance systems and e-commerce applications for companies ranging from startups to multinational corporations. Mr. Gintzs hands-on experience in bringing retail products to market includes concept development, research, planning, programming and package design. His previous leadership roles include positions such as CEO, CTO, CIO, and CMO. Mr. Charuvastra stated that The future is bright for TurnOnGreen. We have the products, the people and the passion to quickly enter the dynamic EV charging market and quickly scale to provide affordable EV chargers for home, businesses and destination locations. About Ault Global Holdings, Inc. Ault Global Holdings, Inc. is a diversified holding company pursuing growth by acquiring undervalued businesses and disruptive technologies with a global impact. Through its wholly and majority-owned subsidiaries and strategic investments, the Company provides mission-critical products that support a diverse range of industries, including defense/aerospace, industrial, automotive, telecommunications, medical/biopharma, and textiles. In addition, the Company extends credit to select entrepreneurial businesses through a licensed lending subsidiary. Ault Global Holdings headquarters are located at 11411 Southern Highlands Parkway, Suite 240, Las Vegas, NV 89141; www.AultGlobal.com. About Coolisys Technologies Corp. Coolisys Technologies Corp. designs and manufactures innovative, feature-rich, and top-quality power products for mission-critical and life-sustaining applications spanning multiple sectors in the harshest environments. The diverse markets we serve include automotive, defense, aerospace, medical and healthcare, industrial, and telecommunications. Coolisys brings decades of experience to every project, working with our clients to develop leading-edge products to meet a wide range of needs. Coolisys is headquartered in Milpitas, CA; www.Coolisys.com. About TurnOnGreen, Inc. TurnOnGreen provides flexible and scalable electric vehicle (EV) charging solutions with a portfolio of residential, commercial and ultra-fast charging station products, charging management software, and network services. We believe that we are the only green-energy technology company in the EV charging market that develops a broad range of robust products with smart service management support and cultivates strong partnerships with the passion and purpose that powers positive change. TurnOnGreen is headquartered in Milpitas, CA; www.TurnOnGreen.com. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements generally include statements that are predictive in nature and depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, and include words such as believes, plans, anticipates, projects, estimates, expects, intends, strategy, future, opportunity, may, will, should, could, potential, or similar expressions. Statements that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on current beliefs and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any of them publicly in light of new information or future events. Actual results could differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement as a result of various factors. More information, including potential risk factors, that could affect the Companys business and financial results are included in the Companys filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including, but not limited to, the Companys Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K. All filings are available at www.sec.gov and on the Companys website at www.AultGlobal.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005392/en/ Contacts at TurnOnGreen: media@turnongreen.com or 1-877-634-0982 Contacts at Ault Global Holdings: IR@AultGlobal.com or 1-888-753-2235 Source: Ault Global Holdings, Inc. BERLIN, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Regulatory News: NOXXON Pharma N.V. (Paris: ALNOX) (Euronext Growth Paris: ALNOX), a biotechnology company focused on improving cancer treatments by targeting the tumor microenvironment (TME), announced today positive results from the second cohort in its Phase 1/2 study of NOX-A12 in combination with radiotherapy in patients with brain cancer (Glioblastoma Multiforme). Data show that NOX-A12 at 400mg/week continues to be safe and well tolerated with apparent signals of reduction of tumor size. The study investigates three dose regimens of NOX-A12 (200, 400 and 600 mg/week), each combined with external-beam radiotherapy in newly diagnosed brain cancer patients. The six patients in the first two cohorts (3 patients receiving 200 mg/week and 3 patients receiving 400 mg/week) have now completed NOX-A12 therapy, with over 83% of these patients showing reductions in tumor size during or after NOX-A12 treatment with maximal reductions from baseline ranging from 2% to 62%1. These patients tolerated combined radiotherapy and NOX-A12 therapy well without any signs of dose-limiting toxicities. Two patients, one in each of the first two cohorts, achieved objective responses with tumor reductions greater than 50%, one of which occurred after cessation of NOX-A12 therapy. In three of the six patients, smaller satellite lesions that were present before therapy around the primary tumor completely disappeared. In cohort 1 (200mg/week), two of three patients have survived past the expected average survival of 10 months. Further analysis of survival in each cohort is still pending follow-up. These exciting clinical data show a substantial impact on tumor size following treatment with NOX-A12, which continues to be safe and well tolerated in this challenging patient population. We are looking forward to continuing this study and generating further data on the potential of NOX-A12 to make a significant difference to patients in urgent need of effective and safe treatment. Enrolment of patients in the third cohort has been completed and we expect results from the last cohort in Q4 2021, commented Aram Mangasarian, CEO of NOXXON. NOX-A12 targets CXCL12 (C-X-C Chemokine Ligand 12), a key chemokine protein that communicates between tumor cells and their environment, and is designed to 1) block repair of destroyed blood vessels and 2) break tumor protection against the immune system, enabling anti-cancer immune cells, such as killer T-cells, to enter tumor tissue and attack the cancer cells. Advanced MRI imaging techniques showed that five of six patients in the first two cohorts achieved reduced blood flow to the tumor compared with baseline2, suggesting that NOX-A12 combined with radiotherapy was able to prevent blood vessel regrowth, a key mechanism of action predicted by preclinical data. The pharmacologic effect was further supported by comparison of pre-treatment to on-therapy tumor tissue from one patient in cohort 1, revealing a disappearance of CXCL12 from the barrier cells that separate the blood from the tissue, suggesting that NOX-A12 was able to effectively suppress its target3. This tissue comparison also showed an extensive reduction in the number of actively dividing tumor cells, reaching almost zero in the on-therapy sample, and clusters of expanding cytotoxic immune cells throughout the under-treatment sample. This supports the notion that NOX-A12 can facilitate an entrance of immune cells into the tumor and an anti-tumoral immune response4, already at the lowest tested dose in the study. About NOXXON NOXXONs oncology-focused pipeline acts on the tumor microenvironment (TME) and the cancer immunity cycle by breaking the tumor protection barrier and blocking tumor repair. By neutralizing chemokines in the TME, NOXXONs approach works in combination with other forms of treatment to weaken tumor defenses against the immune system and enable greater therapeutic impact. NOXXONs lead program NOX-A12 has delivered final top-line data from a Keytruda combination trial in metastatic colorectal and pancreatic cancer patients published at the ESMO conference in September 2020 and based on the trial results, including overall survival and safety profile, further studies are being planned in pancreatic cancer. NOXXON is also studying NOX-A12 in brain cancer in combination with radiotherapy which has been granted orphan drug status in the US and EU for the treatment of certain brain cancers. A trial of NOX-A12 in combination with radiotherapy in newly diagnosed brain cancer patients who will not benefit from standard chemotherapy has delivered preliminary data from the first cohort showing consistent tumor reductions. The companys second clinical-stage asset NOX-E36 is a Phase 2 TME asset targeting the innate immune system. NOXXON plans to test NOXE36 in patients with solid tumors. Further information can be found at: www.noxxon.com Keytruda is a registered trademark of Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp https://www.linkedin.com/company/noxxon-pharma-ag https://twitter.com/noxxon_pharma Disclaimer Certain statements in this communication contain formulations or terms referring to the future or future developments, as well as negations of such formulations or terms, or similar terminology. These are described as forward-looking statements. In addition, all information in this communication regarding planned or future results of business segments, financial indicators, developments of the financial situation or other financial or statistical data contains such forward-looking statements. The company cautions prospective investors not to rely on such forward-looking statements as certain prognoses of actual future events and developments. The company is neither responsible nor liable for updating such information, which only represents the state of affairs on the day of publication. 1 SPD assessed by MRI using a central reader. 2 rCBV assessed by MRI using a central reader 3 Assessed by multiplexed immunofluorescence microscopy (CODEX) 4 Assessed by CODEX using Ki67 and cytotoxic immune cell markers View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210531005283/en/ NOXXON Pharma N.V. Aram Mangasarian, Ph.D. Chief Executive Officer Tel. +49 (0) 30 726247 0 amangasarian@noxxon.com Investor and Media Relations: LifeSci Advisors Guillaume van Renterghem Tel. +41 (0) 76 735 01 31 gvanrenterghem@lifesciadvisors.com NewCap Arthur Rouille Tel. +33 (0) 1 44 71 00 15 arouille@newcap.fr Source: NOXXON Pharma N.V. FILE PHOTO: Crude oil storage tanks are seen in an aerial photograph at the Cushing oil hub in Cushing, Oklahoma, U.S. April 21, 2020. REUTERS/Drone Base By Laura Sanicola NEW YORK (Reuters) -Oil prices settled higher on Tuesday, with Brent hitting above $71 and trading at its highest since March, on expectations for growing fuel demand during the summer driving season in the United States as OPEC+ agreed to boost output. Brent crude futures for August settled up 93 cents, or 1.3%, to $70.25 a barrel after hitting $71 earlier in the session - its highest intra-day price since March 8. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude for July was up $1.40, or 2.1%, to $67.72. Tracking service GasBuddy said Sunday's U.S. gasoline demand, coinciding with the Memorial Day weekend, jumped 9.6% above the average of the previous four Sundays. That was the highest Sunday demand since the summer of 2019. U.S. crude stockpiles were expected to fall by 2.1 million barrels last week, according to a preliminary Reuters poll. Prices were also boosted by Chinese data showing that the country's factory activity grew at its fastest pace this year in May. The gains were capped, though, by expectations that more output will hit the market. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies, collectively known as OPEC+, also agreed to continue a slow easing of supply curbs in their meeting on Tuesday, an OPEC source said, as producers balance an expected demand recovery against a possible increase in Iranian output. "The deal with Iran is very much in flux about whether or not it will get done, which is making the market tense," said John Kilduff, partner at Again Capital LLC in New York. OPEC+ decided in April to return 2.1 million barrels per day (bpd) of supply to the market from May to July, anticipating rising global demand despite the high number of coronavirus cases in India, the world's third-largest oil consumer. "Unless widespread cheating develops or a renewed uptick in global coronavirus cases evolves, OPECs current recipe for success would appear to represent a viable plan," said Jim Ritterbusch, president of Ritterbusch and Associates in Galena, Illinois. (Reporting by Laura Sanicola;Additional reporting by Noah Browning and Jessica JaganathanEditing by David Evans, Lisa Shumaker and Cynthia Osterman) ATLANTA and SAN FRANCISCO and SANTA MONICA, Calif., June 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BeyondTrust, a worldwide leader in Privileged Access Management (PAM) software solutions, announced today that it has received a significant new equity investment from Clearlake Capital Group, L.P. (together with its affiliates, Clearlake), a sector focused investment firm operating integrated businesses across private equity, credit and other related strategies. Clearlake will join existing investor Francisco Partners, a leading global investment firm that specializes in partnering with technology businesses, as an institutional shareholder in BeyondTrust. Financial terms of the transaction, which is subject to customary regulatory approvals, were not disclosed. BeyondTrust is a worldwide leader in PAM, offering the most seamless approach to preventing data breaches related to stolen credentials, misused privileges and compromised remote access. The company currently serves more than 20,000 customers, including 70 percent of the Fortune 500 and a marquee list of blue-chip companies around the world, and has recently been recognized as a PAM market leader by both Gartner and Forrester. Francisco Partners acquired the company in 2018, helping to grow BeyondTrust into a global leader in the high-growth PAM market. BeyondTrust has since continued to expand its product offerings and global reach across customer segments and industries. With its unique Universal Privilege Management portfolio and leading cloud products, BeyondTrust is positioned for continued rapid growth and expansion into adjacent markets. The additional capital from Clearlake will enable BeyondTrust to increase its investment in innovation, accelerate its organic growth as well as continue executing on its targeted acquisition strategy. We are thrilled to welcome Clearlake as an investor alongside Francisco Partners to further enable the company to accelerate innovation and drive continued growth, said Matt Dircks, CEO of BeyondTrust. With Francisco Partners financial support and resources, we not only scaled our global offerings through organic development and meaningful acquisitions, but also expanded and enhanced our cloud product portfolio. The additional investment from Clearlake both reflects the success that BeyondTrust has been able to achieve over the years and validates our mission to revolutionize Privileged Access Management. Going forward, Clearlakes extensive experience investing in market-leading software companies, particularly in the cybersecurity segment, will help further support our growth and acquisition strategy. BeyondTrust has built an innovative software platform for Privileged Access Management, and we believe that the company is uniquely positioned in the market to continue to experience significant growth in the coming years, said Behdad Eghbali, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, and Prashant Mehrotra, Partner, of Clearlake. We are pleased to join Francisco Partners to support the company as it continues to scale its business and advance its product suite, and we are excited to partner with Matt and the entire BeyondTrust management team to build upon the current momentum to accelerate this next phase of growth. Since our investment in BeyondTrust in 2018, the company has evolved into a market leader in Privileged Access Management solutions and is now positioned at the intersection of several large and growing market segments, said Dipanjan Deb, Co-Founder and CEO, and Brian Decker, Partner, at Francisco Partners. We are excited to partner with Clearlake as they join us as an investor in BeyondTrust, and we are eager to continue working together with the BeyondTrust management team to further transform the business and capitalize on the growth opportunities ahead in the security market. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Credit Suisse served as financial advisor, and Kirkland & Ellis served as legal counsel, to BeyondTrust and Francisco Partners. Sidley Austin served as legal counsel to Clearlake. The closings of the transaction is subject to customary conditions, including regulatory approvals. About BeyondTrustBeyondTrust is the worldwide leader in Privileged Access Management (PAM), empowering organizations to secure and manage their entire universe of privileges. Our integrated products and platform offer the industry's most advanced PAM solution, enabling organizations to quickly shrink their attack surface across traditional, cloud and hybrid environments. The BeyondTrust Universal Privilege Management approach secures and protects privileges across passwords, endpoints, and access, giving organizations the visibility and control they need to reduce risk, achieve compliance, and boost operational performance. We are trusted by 20,000 customers, including 70 percent of the Fortune 500, and a global partner network. Learn more at www.beyondtrust.com. About Francisco PartnersFrancisco Partners is a leading global investment firm that specializes in partnering with technology and technology-enabled businesses. Since its launch over 20 years ago, Francisco Partners has invested in more than 300 technology companies, making it one of the most active and longstanding investors in the technology industry. With more than $25 billion in assets under management, the firm invests in opportunities where its deep sectoral knowledge and operational expertise can help companies realize their full potential. For more information on Francisco Partners, please visit www.franciscopartners.com. About Clearlake CapitalClearlake Capital Group, L.P. is a leading investment firm founded in 2006 operating integrated businesses across private equity, credit and other related strategies. With a sector-focused approach, the firm seeks to partner with world-class management teams by providing patient, long-term capital to dynamic businesses that can benefit from Clearlake's operational improvement approach, O.P.S. The firm's core target sectors are technology, industrials and consumer. Clearlake currently has approximately $38 billion of assets under management and its senior investment principals have led or co-led over 300 investments. The firm has offices in Santa Monica and Dallas. More information is available at www.clearlake.com and on Twitter @ClearlakeCap. Media Contacts BeyondTrustMike BradshawConnect Marketingmikeb@connectmarketing.com Francisco Partners Whit Clay / Dan ZaccheiSloane & Companywclay@sloanepr.com / dzacchei@sloanepr.com ClearlakeJennifer HursonLambert & Co.jhurson@lambert.com Source: BeyondTrust if the people of Biafra want Republic of Biafra, it will be a reality during my administration. ----Donald Trump Donald Trump I wi... TORONTO, May 31, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Blueberries Medical Corp. (CSE: BBM) (OTC: BBRRF) (FRA: 1OA) the Canadian parent of Blueberries S.A.S. (BBSAS), the premier Latin American licensed cultivator and producer of medicinal cannabis and medicinal-grade cannabis extracts, (together the Company or "Blueberries"), is pleased to report its financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2021. Today, Blueberries has filed its unaudited condensed interim consolidated financial statements and related management's discussion and analysis, both of which are available on Blueberries profile at www.sedar.com. Blueberries today also announced the appointment of Mr. Guillermo P. Rodriguez as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) effective June 1, 2021, following the resignation of Ian D. Atacan, the Company's CFO. Facundo Garreton, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer stated, On behalf of the Board of Directors and the entire Blueberries team, I would like to thank Ian for his contributions as our CFO during Blueberries critical phases, from the start-up, infrastructure build and now commercialization, and for his dedication and professionalism during the global challenges that the Company has faced over the past year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. We also want to recognize Ian for his leadership and ensuring a smooth transition and continuity in the role of CFO to his successor, Guillermo. Guillermo Rodriguez Biography Guillermo P. Rodriguez has a vast experience for over more than 20 years as CFO in different industries and markets, specifically at technological & international companies doing business globally. Prior to joining Blueberries, Mr. Rodriguez held the CFO position for several years at companies like NEC Argentina, the Argentinean branch of the Japanese Telco company, and also at UOL-Sinectis a Brazilian ISP and media company, and he was the Vice President of Finance Worldwide of IT Convergence, and lately and for the last 10 years, he was the Chief Executive Officer at SETSA, a real-state company doing business in Argentina with more than 220,000 sf of office building developed in Buenos Aires. Guillermo is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and has a Business Administration Degree from the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Mr. Garreton said, We wish Ian the absolute best in his new ventures, and we are pleased to welcome Guillermo to Blueberries management team. Given his broad financial, accounting and taxation background, and his leadership skills, we are confident that Guillermo will play a key role in leading the company together with the rest of the management team to set and deliver the strategies and targets. Financial Highlights All financial information in this press release is reported in Canadian dollars, unless otherwise indicated. "We are continuing to build Blueberries on three fundamental pillars, said Jose Maria Forrero, President, Latin American Operations, Operate with Excellence - Ensuring a low cash-burn rate with low-risk exposure. Connect with Demand - Our sales to Peru have already commenced, while the launch of magistral formulations is imminent. And finally: Differentiate - Building on our vertically integrated infrastructure, we are looking for B2B and B2C commercial opportunities where we can leverage our competitive advantages. I am also happy to announce that Blueberries partner Fundacion Laboratorio de Farmacologia Vegetal (LABFARVE) has received the certification of Good Elaboration Practices for Magistral Preparations with Cannabis (GEP). Through the active collaboration agreement with LABFARVE, the Company is now capable to manufacturing cannabis-based magistral formulations for the Colombian domestic market. Blueberries expects completing its initial prescriptions of full-spectrum, high CBD formulations within days. Three months ended March 31, (Expressed in Canadian Dollars) 2021 2020 Revenues $ 23,120 $ - Cost of sales (1,195 ) - Gross profit $ 21,925 $ - Expenses Pre-operating expenses $ (114,171 ) $ (251,646 ) General and administrative expenses (159,953 ) (1,083,299 ) Depreciation and amortization (217,026 ) (175,892 ) Finance expense (62,489 ) - Other expense (23,345 ) (23,047 ) Foreign exchange loss (35,266 ) (135,470 ) Current and deferred income tax - - Net loss $ (590,325 ) $ (1,669,354 ) Other Comprehensive Loss Foreign currency translation adjustment (193,806 ) (174,243 ) Comprehensive loss $ (784,131 ) $ (1,843,597 ) Loss per share - basic and diluted $ (0.004 ) $ (0.013 ) As at March 31, As at December 31, 2021 2020 Total assets $ 7,408,411 $ 7,270,212 Total liabilities 3,297,923 3,380,433 Total equity 4,110,488 3,889,779 Financial Highlights Commentary Revenues - Blueberries commercial operations are still in early stages with introductory sales of cloned cuttings of its cultivars to associate growers. The Company did not have revenues during the three months ended March 31, 2020. Pre-operating expenses - Since the Company is in early stages of commercial operations, material operational costs are included under pre-operating expenses, which are non-capital expenditures relating to Blueberries cannabis cultivation and extraction operations. During 2020, due to COVID-19, the company implemented voluntary salary reductions for personnel in management positions, which is reflected in the lower pre-operating expenses in 2021. General and Administrative (G&A) Expenses An analysis of selected G&A expenses is as follows: Three months ended March 31, 2021 2020 Share based compensation (31,160 ) 502,944 Marketing and investor relations - 35,498 Director and management fees 57,000 140,155 Legal 333 43,585 Consulting 17,746 107,063 Salary, wages, and benefits 63,779 150,783 Audit and accounting (8,817 ) 22,388 General office 14,808 47,097 Travel 41 10,088 Filing and transfer agent fees 24,902 13,802 Insurance 17,615 4,054 Other 3,705 5,842 Total general and administrative expenses 159,953 1,083,299 Share based compensation - During the first quarter of 2021, 3,099,998 unvested options were forfeited resulting in a reversal of stock-based compensation of $251,982. Director and management fees - The year-on-year decrease reflects savings measures implemented due to COVID-19 pandemic, with certain directors and officers leaving the company. The Company continues to manage its costs and focuses its resources on commercial and revenue-generating activities. Legal fees - The Q1, 2021 legal fees reflect a one-time cash credit of $24,303 that was recovered from previously unclaimed HST/GST amounts. The fees incurred in 2021 and 2020 mainly relate to procurement of legal services for private placements, ongoing administrative matters and legal counsel regarding the structure and format of potential business ventures the Company is pursuing. Consulting Includes advice and assistance on operations, quality management, facility development, financial and technical counsel, human resources services, and regulatory compliance. The reduction of consulting fees from 2020 to 2021 are due to the Company having incurred start-up related consulting fees in 2020, mainly engagement of new services by the company at the start of the operations on compliance with EU-GMP standards. The 2021 consulting fees are also lower because of savings realized by financial services being internalized. Salary, wages, and benefits - Include payroll, training, benefits, and severance costs of employees in Colombia. The year-on-year decrease reflects the Company continuing to manage its costs, including head count, and focusing its resources on commercial and revenue-generating activities. Audit and accounting fees - Include cost of audit, accounting and taxation services provided by the Companys external auditor and other third parties. The Q1, 2021 audit and accounting fees reflect a one-time cash credit of $23,192 that was recovered from previously unclaimed HST/GST amounts. General office expenditures - Include office and equipment rent, utilities, communication, and cleaning services. The year-on-year decrease reflects savings measures implemented due to COVID-19 pandemic. Blueberries closed its Toronto and Bogota offices, with significant monthly rental fee savings. Travel The decrease in travel expenses from 2020 to 2021 is due to tighter cost control on discretionary expenses and the impact of COVID-19 travel restrictions. Finance Expense - The finance expense consists of accrued interest of $32,500 on the convertible debenture and the accretion of convertible debt liability of $29,989. About Blueberries Medical Corp.Blueberries is a Latin American licensed producer of naturally grown premium quality cannabis with its primary operations ideally located in the Bogota Savannah of central Colombia. The Company is led by a specialized team with proprietary expertise in agriculture, genetics, extraction, medicine, pharmacology and marketing, Blueberries is fully licensed for the cultivation, production, domestic distribution, and international export of CBD and THC-based medical cannabis in Colombia. Blueberries combination of leading scientific expertise, agricultural advantages and distribution arrangements has positioned the Company to become a leading international supplier of naturally grown, processed, and standardized medicinal-grade cannabis oil extracts and related products. Additional information about the Company is available at www.blueberriesmed.com. For more information, please contact: Jose Forero, President, Latin American Operationsjforero@blueberriesmed.comTel: +57 310 345 8808 Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking InformationThis news release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward looking statements") within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that involves discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as expects, or does not expect, is expected, anticipates or does not anticipate, plans, budget, scheduled, forecasts, estimates, believes or intends or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results may or could, would, might or will be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. In this news release, forward looking statements relate, among other things, to: commencement of commercial production of CBD-dominant oils and products, successful implementation of full GMP standards at its extraction facility to allow for additional export potential to international markets, achieving additional milestones is contemplated, or at all, ability to expand distribution networks, ability to expand and upgrade the Companys cultivation facilities in Colombia, internal expectations, expectations regarding the ability of the Company to access new Latin American and international markets, the ability to attract and retain new customers, and future expansion plans including development of the cultivation, production, industrialization and marketing of cannabis for commercial and scientific purposes. These forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions and estimates of management of the Company at the time such statements were made. Actual future results may differ materially as forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to materially differ from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors, among other things, include: fluctuations in general macroeconomic conditions; fluctuations in securities markets; expectations regarding the size of the Colombian and international medical cannabis market and changing consumer habits; the ability of the Company to successfully achieve its business objectives; plans for expansion; political and social uncertainties; inability to obtain adequate insurance to cover risks and hazards; and the presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions on cultivation, production, distribution and sale of cannabis and cannabis related products in Colombia, Argentina and elsewhere; and employee relations. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management of the Company believes, or believed at the time, to be reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure shareholders that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking statements, as there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. The Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law. Additional information regarding the Company, and other risks and uncertainties relating to the Company's business are contained under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's Listing Statement dated January 31, 2019 filed on its issuer profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein. Source: Blueberries Medical Corp. FLSmidth has been selected to supply the majority of the key mineral processing technologies for a major copper producer in the Atacama Region of Chile. The range of equipment and technologies includes the primary gyratory crusher, SAG mill, ball mill, traditional flotation cells, column cells, thickeners, cyclones and pumps. The flotation tailings and slimes thickeners will be designed to optimise the recovery of process water to the maximum extent possible. In total, it is expected that around 4700m3/hr overflow water will be available for reuse, a saving that supports FLSmidths MissionZero sustainability goal of moving the mining industry towards zero water waste. FLSmidth will also be able to provide comprehensive, long-term operational support at the site, which is located 400km south from the FLSmidth Service Supercenter in Antofagasta. The order was partially booked in Q1 2021, with the majority of the amount, close to DKK200m, booked in Q2 2021. The equipment is expected to be delivered by end H1 2022. Our customer is Ausenco Chile Ltd., who are the lump-sum turnkey contractor for the Mantoverde Development Project, which is owned by Mantos Copper Holding (Mantos Copper). We are delighted that Ausenco have recognised the benefits of selecting FLSmidth as their primary supplier for Mantoverde. It is a crystal-clear endorsement of FLSmidths strength through the mineral processing flowsheet, and in service. This approach will maximise project execution efficiencies and de-risk process performance. We look forward to delivering the equipment to Mantoverde and providing service support from erection to start-up, and through to final commissioning, comments Mikko Keto, Mining President at FLSmidth. Keto focused on the MissionZero sustainability aspect of the order, as it will help reduce energy and water waste at the site. We are looking forward to working with Ausenco and their Environment & Sustainability team in South America. As the provider of the equipment and service, we will ensure optimised throughput and the efficient commissioning of the project in an environmentally friendly manner. This project will transform Mantoverde into a long-life, low-cost operation, adds Mikko Keto. Mantoverde will produce 106,000 tons of fine copper and 33,000 ounces of gold annually. Contacts Media Relations Rasmus Windfeld, +45 40 44 60 60, rwin@flsmidth.com Investor Relations Nicolai Mauritzen, +45 30 93 18 51, nicm@flsmidth.com FLSmidth provides sustainable productivity to the global mining and cement industries. We deliver market-leading engineering, equipment and service solutions that enable our customers to improve performance, drive down costs and reduce environmental impact. Our operations span the globe and we are close to 10,200 employees, present in more than 60 countries. In 2020, FLSmidth generated revenue of DKK 16.4 billion. MissionZero is our sustainability ambition towards zero emissions in mining and cement by 2030. www.flsmidth.com/MissionZero Attachment VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Macarthur Minerals Limited (ASX: MIO) (TSX-V: MMS) (OTCQB: MMSDF) (the Company or Macarthur) is pleased to announce that it has signed a Strategic Partnership and Collaboration Agreement (Agreement) with LAVO Hydrogen Technology Holding Pty Ltd (LAVO) to investigate the facilitation of a staged technology solution that is intended to deliver a clear carbon reduction strategy for Macarthurs flagship Lake Giles Iron Project (Project) in the Yilgarn region of Western Australia, with a first phased roll-out to support Macarthurs intended early hematite direct shipment ore (DSO) mining operations at Ularring. LAVO uses an innovative, patented metal hydride to produce hydrogen energy batteries. The battery system acts as a solar sponge, integrating with solar arrays to capture and store renewable energy for use when needed. The unit creates Hydrogen from water, stores the Hydrogen into LAVOs patented metal hydride and generates electricity by converting hydrogen into power. LAVO is an Australian company headquartered in New South Wales. Its cornerstone investors are leading ESG investment firm Providence Asset Group (PAG) and the University of New South Wales (UNSW). Together with UNSW, PAG established the Hydrogen Energy Research Centre (HERC). HERC is the worlds leading university-industry partnership in hydrogen technologies with a main purpose of translating the universitys leading research in hydrogen production, storage and use into real world commercial products under the brand name LAVO. Under the Agreement, the first phase of collaboration is expected to involve Macarthur being assigned between three to five patented LAVO 40 kWh hydrogen storage units for integration into the remote worker accommodation facilities which are planned to be constructed to support a DSO mining operation at Ularring, near Lake Giles in Western Australia. (See announcement dated 26 May 2021 here). Subject to successful project definition and satisfactory supporting economics being assessed, the LAVO hydrogen storage units could be installed on site at Ularring as early as Q4 2021. Figures: LAVO 40 kWh Hydrogen Battery and System Diagram, planned for installation at Ularring are available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1c8997ed-81bc-4e99-84f9-3e3c38db1e54 If the trial program at Ularring is successful, then Macarthur and LAVO intend to examine opportunities to develop a fully localised micro-grid engineering solution that includes a solar PV array, a centralised hydrogen hydride containerised storage system and appropriately sized fuel cell to support the energy requirements for Macarthurs planned high grade magnetite iron ore mine at Lake Giles, following successful delivery of the Companys current Feasibility Study. This could involve the integration of larger, containerised HEOS hydrogen energy batteries with up to 13 MWh of capacity (currently being developed by LAVO), potentially delivering energy to Macarthurs magnetite operations at a commercial scale. Figure: LAVO 13 MWh HEOS Hydrogen Energy Operation System (under development) and potentially delivering energy at a commercial scale is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a85e8fdc-ecab-438d-ae30-e82331f79d47 Alan Yu, CEO of LAVO commented: Macarthur Minerals pursuit to de-carbonise mining and provide resources for green steel production is market leadership and an endeavor that LAVO is excited to be involved with. We are demonstrating our LAVO hydrogen hydride technology has practical, environmental and economically viable applications that extend from residential to significant mining projects. The LAVO | HEOS hydride platform aids in the transition to carbon neutrality across many sectors, integrating with existing infrastructure to support the heartland of industry in rural Australia. The potential for energy independence in the mining sector will reduce costly capital works and leverage the current transport gateways to drive profitable growth and improve environmental impacts. Andrew Bruton, CEO of Macarthur Minerals commented: Macarthur is pleased to be partnering with LAVO on this ground-breaking initiative. Macarthur plans to roll-out integration of LAVO hydrogen storage units at Ularring to support intended early DSO hematite mining operations. This collaboration is also aimed at enabling Macarthur to achieve a clear carbon reduction strategy for its planned future magnetite operations at Moonshine, as it can allow for potential integration with magnetite processing on a modularised and gradual scale-up basis over a target 5 to 10-year time horizon. The first stage of the agreement will allow Macarthur to work with LAVO in the early stages of project planning at Ularring for DSO, so that we can examine opportunities for the scale-up of an integrated hydrogen energy technology solution on site at Moonshine for the magnetite. By adopting this staged approach and becoming an early follower, rather than a first adopter Macarthur will have the opportunity to contain technology, capital and pricing risk so as to ensure that it achieves the lowest possible levelised cost of energy delivery for its magnetite processing. The partnership is also great news for an emerging Western Australian hydrogen industry. It has the potential to create an opportunity for a regional energy and logistics solution using hydride to help manage the problem of empty shipping containers moving between the region and ports. Switching to a rail or road-based Energy IN - Product OUT container approach, could be a huge story for the mineral resources sector in WA and the Goldfields region in particular. Its another example of how going green can be profitable where there is a potential to exploit renewable energy assets far from the grid, and Macarthur is proud to be part of this emerging story as a company that is committed to the highest levels of ESG compliance. On behalf of the Board of Directors, Mr Cameron McCall, Executive Chairman For more information please contact: Joe PhillipsCEO & Director+61 7 3221 1796communications@macarthurminerals.com Investor Relations Australia Investor Relations - Canada Advisir Investor Cubed Sarah Lenard, Partner Neil Simon, CEO sarah.lenard@advisir.com.au +1 647 258 3310 info@investor3.ca No new informationTo the extent that this announcement contains references to prior exploration results and Mineral Resource estimates, which have been cross referenced to previous market announcements (including supporting JORC reporting tables) made by the Company, unless explicitly stated, no new information is contained in accordance with Table 1 checklist in the JORC Code. The Company confirms that it is not aware of any new information or data that materially affects the information included in the relevant market announcements and, in the case of Mineral Resources that all assumptions and technical parameters underpinning the estimates in the relevant market announcement continue to apply and have not materially changed. Company profileMacarthur is an iron ore development, gold and lithium exploration company that is focused on bringing to production its Western Australia iron ore projects. The Lake Giles Iron Project mineral resources include the Ularring hematite resource (approved for development) comprising Indicated resources of 54.5 million tonnes at 47.2% Fe and Inferred resources of 26 million tonnes at 45.4% Fe; and the Lake Giles magnetite resource of 53.9 million tonnes (Measured), 218.7 million tonnes (Indicated) and 997 million tonnes (Inferred). The JORC reporting tables and Competent Person statement for the magnetite and hematite mineral resources have previously been disclosed in ASX market announcements dated 12 August 2020 and 5 December 2019. Macarthur has prominent (~721 square kilometer tenement area) gold, lithium and copper exploration interests in Pilbara region of Western Australia. In addition, Macarthur has lithium brine Claims in the emerging Railroad Valley region in Nevada, USA. About LAVO Hydrogen Technology Holding Pty LtdLAVO Hydrogen Technology Pty Ltd is an Australian company headquartered in New South Wales. Its cornerstone investors are leading ESG investment firm Providence Asset Group (PAG) and the University of New South Wales (UNSW). Together with UNSW, PAG established the Hydrogen Energy Research Centre (HERC). HERC is the worlds leading university-industry partnership in hydrogen technologies with a main purpose of translating the universitys leading research in hydrogen production, storage and use into real world commercial products under the brand name LAVO. LAVO uses an innovative, patented metal hydride to produce hydrogen energy batteries. The LAVO Hydrogen Energy Storage System successfully completed laboratory prototype testing at HERC in early 2020, leading to market readiness and subsequent commercialization lead by PAG. LAVO is establishing local manufacturing in Australia during 2021. As part of this initiative, LAVO intends to establish electrolyser and fuel cell manufacturing facilities in Australia utilizing advanced European technology to optimize the value chain and maintain competitive advantage through economies of scale and further technology advancement. This news release is not for distribution to United States services or for dissemination in the United States Caution Regarding Forward Looking StatementsCertain of the statements made and information contained in this press release may constitute forward-looking information and forward-looking statements (collectively, forward-looking statements) within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements herein, other than statements of historical fact, that address activities, events or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, including but not limited to statements regarding expected completion of the Feasibility Study; conversion of Mineral Resources to Mineral Reserves or the eventual mining of the Project, are forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this press release reflect the current expectations, assumptions or beliefs of the Company based upon information currently available to the Company. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct as actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include but are not limited to: unforeseen technology changes that results in a reduction in iron or magnetite demand or substitution by other metals or materials; the discovery of new large low cost deposits of iron magnetite; the general level of global economic activity; failure to complete the FS; inability to demonstrate economic viability of Mineral Resources; and failure to obtain mining approvals. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements due to the inherent uncertainty thereof. Such statements relate to future events and expectations and, as such, involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release and except as may otherwise be required pursuant to applicable laws, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Figures LAVO 40 kWh Hydrogen Battery and System Diagram, planned for installation at Ularring Figure LAVO 13 MWh HEOS Hydrogen Energy Operation System (under development) and potentially delivering energy at a commercial scale Source: Macarthur Minerals Limited TORONTO, June 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PharmaTher Holdings Ltd. (the Company or PharmaTher) (OTCQB: PHRRF) (CSE: PHRM), a clinical-stage psychedelics biotech company and TSRL, Inc. (TSRL), a company focused on developing microneedle patches for the delivery of antivirals for the treatment of influenza, are pleased to announce that PharmaTher and TSRL (collectively the Companies) entered into a Co-Development Agreement to jointly develop a microneedle array patch with the aim to control the manufacturing and supply of microneedle patches for the Companies respective clinical and commercial drug programs. PharmaTher and TSRL share the commitment to commercialize a patented hydrogel-forming microneedle patch delivery technology licensed from Queens University of Belfast. PharmaTher is focused on incorporating psychedelics (i.e. ketamine, psilocybin, DMT, MDMA and LSD) and TSRL is focused on incorporating antiviral medications (i.e. Zanamivir, other antiviral therapeutics and vaccines) in a microneedle patch with the potential to improve on the safety (i.e. fewer side effects), efficacy (i.e. bioavailability, optimized dosing regimen including continuous system delivery) and compliance (i.e. storage, distribution and self-administration) of these compounds that currently must be taken orally, inhaled, injected and intravenously. TSRL is comprised of a team of pharma industry veterans with deep drug development expertise, ranging from discovery and preclinical development to clinical, regulatory, and IP strategy development. TSRLs facility is based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and is positioned as a preclinical accelerator for anti-infective therapeutic product concepts, with an emphasis on improving dosing regimens and outcomes of approved product with suboptimal market uptake. TSRL has performed in-house optimization of the Zanamivir drug-device combination product, and initiated tech transfer for scale-up and manufacturing to toxicology and clinical supplies to a GMP contract research lab. TSRL has successfully conducted a pre-IND meeting with the US FDA and achieved agreement with the agency on their proposed 505(b)2 product development plans. Fabio Chianelli, CEO of PharmaTher commented: We are very excited to collaborate with TSRL as they have de-risked certain technical and manufacturing aspects of the microneedle patch and by sharing our resources it will allow PharmaTher to expedite the clinical and commercial development of the microneedle patch with ketamine and other psychedelics. Also, the collaboration will ensure control over the manufacturing and supply of microneedle patches for not only both of our respective product programs, but also it may unlock future commercial partnering opportunities with pharmaceutical companies seeking a microneedle patch delivery system. Dr. Elke Lipka, CEO of TSRL commented: We are delighted to join forces with PharmaTher, as this collaboration will allow us to execute our respective lean development strategies for the manufacturing of the microneedle array and ultimately the array/drug reservoir combination product. In addition to increased cost effectiveness, there is substantial strategic overlap between our two organization with respect to the regulatory strategy for our product candidates. Microneedle-enabled drug delivery is at the cusp of becoming one of the most promising approaches to achieve carefully tuned systemic delivery of therapeutics and vaccine. Microneedle-enhanced intradermal delivery is an elegant, efficient and painless method for increasing the skin permeation of many drugs, including psychedelics, antiviral therapeutics and vaccines. Transdermal delivery systems offer a number of advantages over inhalation and IV administration. Our approach consists of a 2-part system comprised of a drug-loaded reservoir that is placed on top of the hydrogel microneedle array. After administration into the skin (i.e. intradermal delivery), the microneedles become hydrated and swell, creating pores for the reservoir to release the drug content into the tissue over the treatment course. Upon removal, the needles are intact, yet rounded, and do not need to be disposed of as sharps. The drug directly enters the systemic circulation, circumventing absorption and first-pass barriers typical for oral delivery. Our studies show that with transdermal delivery, systemic drug concentrations are reached within minutes after administration and are maintained over multiple days. This system addresses a major unmet need by offering greater ease of administration, inclusion of patients with pre-existing conditions that exempt them from oral or inhalation dosing. It avoids syringe needles, eliminating pain and patient visits to a clinician. We also anticipate that patient compliance will be improved with a self-administered transdermal patch. About TSRL, Inc. TSRL, Inc. collaborates with partners in academia and industry to develop anti-infective therapeutics and drug delivery technologies. In these collaborations, TSRL provides infrastructure, drug development expertise, and access to non-dilutive funding. TSRLs portfolio holds promising lead-stage anti-infective therapeutics. More information about TSRL and portfolio technologies are available at TSRLinc.com. About PharmaTher Holdings Ltd. PharmaTher Holdings Ltd. (OTCQB: PHRRF) (CSE: PHRM) is a clinical-stage psychedelics biotech company focused on the research, development and commercialization of novel uses, formulations and delivery methods of psychedelics to treat mental illness, neurological and pain disorders. PharmaTher is currently conducting an FDA approved phase 2 clinical study with ketamine to treat Parkinsons disease and is developing a novel microneedle patch for the intradermal delivery of psychedelics. Learn more at: PharmaTher.com and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn . For more information about PharmaTher, please contact: Fabio Chianelli Chief Executive Officer PharmaTher Holdings Ltd. Tel: 1-888-846-3171 Email: info@pharmather.com Website: www.pharmather.com For more information about TSRL, please contact: Elke Lipka, PhD, MBA Chief Executive Officer TSRL, Inc. Tel: 734-663-4233 Email: elipka@tsrlinc.com Website: www.tsrlinc.com Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider have reviewed or accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Statement This press release contains 'forward-looking information' within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. These statements relate to future events or future performance. The use of any of the words "could", "intend", "expect", "believe", "will", "projected", "estimated", "potential", "aim" and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on PharmaTher Holdings Ltd. (the "Company") current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. Forward-looking information is based on reasonable assumptions that have been made by the Company at the date of the information and is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking information. Given these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, you should not unduly rely on these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking information contained in this press release is made as of the date hereof, and Company is not obligated to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. The foregoing statements expressly qualify any forward-looking information contained herein. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements are described under the caption "Risk Factors" in Company's management's discussion and analysis for the period of February 28, 2021 ("MD&A"), dated April 28, 2021, which is available on the Company's profile at www.sedar.com. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, and shall not constitute an offer, solicitation or sale in any state, province, territory or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state, province, territory or jurisdiction. Santhera will hold a conference call / webcast today at 16:00 CEST, 15:00 BST, 10:00 EDT. Details are at the end of this statement. Vamorolone demonstrates strong efficacy across prim ary and sec ondary endpo i nts in both doses of 6 mg /kg/day and 2 mg /kg/day P rimary endpoint Time to Stand (TTSTAND) velocity is met for vamorolone 6 mg/kg/day versus placebo (p =0.0 0 2 ) S econdar y endpoints for Six- M inute Walk (6MWT) and Time to Run/Walk 10 meters (TTRW) tests achieve statistical significance versus placebo S tudy confi r med good safety and tolerability profile of vam orolone for both doses Santhera plans to file a New Drug Application (NDA) with the US FDA in Q1-2022, requesting priority review Pratteln, Switzerland, and Rockville, MD, USA, June 1, 2021 Santhera Pharmaceuticals (SIX: SANN) and ReveraGen BioPharma, Inc (US: private) announce positive key results from the VISION-DMD study, demonstrating robust efficacy across multiple efficacy endpoints and favorable safety and tolerability of vamorolone in the treatment of patients with DMD. VISION-DMD is a pivotal Phase 2b study designed to demonstrate efficacy and safety of vamorolone compared to placebo and prednisone (active control) in the treatment of DMD. In the first 24-week double-blind period, of which the topline data readout is presented here, 121 ambulant boys aged 4 to Vamorolone demonstrates efficacy across primary and secondary endpoints and over a broad dose range The study met its primary endpoint of superiority in change of time to stand from supine positioning to standing (TTSTAND) velocity with vamorolone 6 mg/kg/day versus placebo (p=0.002) with a treatment difference of 0.06 [95% CI: 0.020.10] rises/second from baseline. This corresponds to a clinically relevant improvement in TTSTAND in the vamorolone 6 mg/kg/day group from 6.0 to 4.6 seconds and a corresponding deterioration in the placebo group from 5.4 to 5.5 seconds. The study also demonstrated superiority of vamorolone versus placebo across multiple secondary endpoints which include (in the order of pre-defined hierarchy): TTSTAND velocity for 2 mg/kg/day (p=0.02), 6MWT for 6 mg/kg/day (p=0.003) and 2 mg/kg/day (p=0.009), TTRW for 6 mg/kg/day (p=0.002). The clinical results establish the efficacy of vamorolone over a wide, threefold dose range from 2 to 6 mg/kg/day. No statistically significant differences were observed between vamorolone 6 mg/kg/day and prednisone across the above endpoints. Vamorolone showed a favorable safety and tolerability profile over prednisone The study completion rate at 24 weeks was 94% (or 114 of 121 participants). Vamorolone at both doses of 2 and 6 mg/kg/day showed a favorable safety and tolerability profile. In the vamorolone groups, no grade 3 or higher treatment emergent adverse events (TEAEs) or adverse events leading to study discontinuation were observed. The total number of TEAEs was lower in the vamorolone 2 mg/kg/day (events n=96) and 6 mg/kg/day (n=91) groups compared to prednisone (n=120). In a prespecified analysis of clinically relevant adverse events (moderate, severe, serious or leading to discontinuation due to safety), defined for the EMA and conducted by Santhera, vamorolone 6 mg/kg/day was significantly superior to prednisone (n=6 vs n=19, p=0.02). As previously published, in open-label studies of 2.5 years duration (113 patient years), vamorolone did not show stunting of growth as reported with conventional corticosteroids. Particularly noteworthy, this was validated in the current 24-week double-blind study where vamorolone 6 mg/kg/day versus prednisone 0.75 mg/kg/day showed a significant difference in growth velocity (p=0.02). Stunting of growth is a major concern of families and patients treated with corticosteroids, and we are delighted to see this superiority of vamorolone proven in this double-blind study, said Paula Clemens, MD, study Co-Chair, and Vice Chair of VA Affairs and Professor of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Todays news is a tremendous milestone for patients and Santhera as we further advance vamorolone as a foundational treatment option in DMD. The treatment effect translates into the potential to delay disease progression by about two years and indicates disease modifying potential of vamorolone, said Dario Eklund, Chief Executive Officer of Santhera. We now look forward to working with regulatory authorities to bring vamorolone to DMD patients, first in the US and subsequently in Europe. We are thrilled about the positive results of the VISION-DMD study as it represents a culmination over a decade of scientific research, said Eric Hoffman, PhD, President and CEO at ReveraGen BioPharma and Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Binghamton University State University of New York. We are grateful to have been able to gather such important data and would like to thank all VISION-DMD participants, their families and caregivers, as well as investigators and study personnel, for their commitment to this ongoing program. The strength of evidence for both efficacy and safety of vamorolone over such a wide dose range from 2 to 6 mg/kg/day allows clinicians to individually tailor treatment of Duchenne patients by starting at the higher 6 mg/kg/day dose of vamorolone with equivalent efficacy to daily prednisone and titrate the dose according to how well the treatment is tolerated whilst maintaining optimal efficacy. I am enthusiastic that this approach may allow patients to avoid side effects that currently lead to discontinuing steroid treatment, meaning they are able stay on for longer, said Craig McDonald, MD, Professor and Chair, Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and Director of Neuromuscular Disease Clinics, UC Davis Health, USA. Santhera plans to submit a New Drug Application (NDA) in the US in Q1-2022, requesting a priority review based on the fast track designation granted by the FDA. The VISION-DMD study continues to 48 weeks and will, subject to a positive outcome, deliver data for the submission of a marketing authorization application in Europe in Q2-2022. Upon approval, Santhera intends to commercialize vamorolone for the treatment of DMD through its own organization in the United States and main markets in Europe, and is seeking collaborations outside those regions for DMD and for additional indications worldwide. Santhera estimates the peak sales potential for vamorolone in the indication DMD alone to be in excess of USD 500 million in the US and the largest five European countries combined. Vamorolone has been granted Orphan Drug status in the US and in Europe, and has received Fast Track and Rare Pediatric Disease designations by the US FDA and Promising Innovative Medicine (PIM) status from the UK MHRA. On September 2, 2020, Santhera signed agreements with ReveraGen and Idorsia that granted Santhera an exclusive license to vamorolone for all indications worldwide. Santhera Webcast Santhera will hold a conference call with webcast today at 16:00 CEST / 15:00 BST / 10:00 EDT to discuss the vamorolone study results. Participants are invited to join either the webcast or conference call 5-10 minutes before the start. Questions will only be taken from participants on the conference call. Webcast : click here http://public.viavid.com/index.php?id=145140 Co nference call : dial one of the following numbers (Conference ID 13720219): Toll Free: +1-877-407-9716 Toll/International: +1-201-493-6779 Replay : a webcast replay of the conference will be available shortly after the call at the above link. Slides : the slide presentation will be available after the webcast at https://www.santhera.com/investors-and-media/news-and-media-center/company-presentations. About VISION-DMD VISION-DMD is a 48-week Phase 2b study designed as a pivotal trial to demonstrate efficacy and safety of vamorolone (2 and 6 mg/kg/day) versus prednisone (0.75 mg/kg/day) and placebo in 121 ambulant boys aged 4 to About Vamorolone Vamorolone is a first-in-class dissociative steroid which retains the anti-inflammatory activity of corticosteroids while decreasing the deleterious side effects. As such, vamorolone could emerge as a promising alternative to existing corticosteroids, the current standard of care in children and adolescent patients with DMD. There is substantial unmet medical need in this patient group as high-dose corticosteroids have significant systemic side effects that diminish patient quality of life. Vamorolone was discovered by US-based ReveraGen BioPharma, Inc. and is being developed in collaboration with Santhera, which owns worldwide rights to the drug candidate in all indications. The vamorolone development program has received funding from several international non-profit foundations and patient organizations, the US National Institutes of Health, the US Department of Defense and the European Commissions Horizon 2020 program. About Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a rare inherited X-chromosome-linked disease, which almost exclusively affects males. DMD is characterized by inflammation which is present at birth or shortly thereafter. Inflammation leads to fibrosis of muscle and is clinically manifested by progressive muscle degeneration and weakness. Major milestones in the disease are the loss of ambulation, the loss of self-feeding, the start of assisted ventilation, and the development of cardiomyopathy. DMD reduces life expectancy to before the fourth decade due to respiratory and/or cardiac failure. About Santhera Santhera Pharmaceuticals (SIX: SANN) is a Swiss specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative medicines for rare neuromuscular and pulmonary diseases with high unmet medical need. Santhera has an exclusive license for all indications worldwide to vamorolone, a first-in-class dissociative steroid with novel mode of action, which was investigated in a pivotal study in patients with DMD as an alternative to standard corticosteroids. The clinical stage pipeline also includes lonodelestat (POL6014) to treat cystic fibrosis (CF) and other neutrophilic pulmonary diseases as well as an exploratory gene therapy approach targeting congenital muscular dystrophies. Santhera out-licensed ex-North American rights to its first approved product, Raxone (idebenone), for the treatment of Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) to Chiesi Group. For further information, please visit www.santhera.com. Raxone is a trademark of Santhera Pharmaceuticals. About ReveraGen BioPharma ReveraGen was founded in 2008 to develop first-in-class dissociative steroidal drugs for Duchenne muscular dystrophy and other chronic inflammatory disorders. The development of ReveraGens lead compound, vamorolone, has been supported through partnerships with foundations worldwide, including Muscular Dystrophy Association USA, Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy, Foundation to Eradicate Duchenne, Save Our Sons, JoiningJack, Action Duchenne, CureDuchenne, Ryans Quest, Alexs Wish, DuchenneUK, Pietros Fight, Michaels Cause, Duchenne Research Fund, and Jesses Journey. ReveraGen has also received generous support from the US Department of Defense CDMRP, National Institutes of Health (NCATS, NINDS, NIAMS), and European Commission (Horizons 2020). www.reveragen.com For further information please contact: Santhera Santhera Pharmaceuticals Holding AG, Hohenrainstrasse 24, CH-4133 Pratteln public-relations@santhera.com or Eva Kalias, Head External Communications Phone: +41 79 875 27 80 eva.kalias@santhera.com ReveraGen BioPharma Eric Hoffman, PhD, President and CEO Phone: + 1 240-672-0295 eric.hoffman@reveragen.com Disclaimer / Forward-looking statements This communication does not constitute an offer or invitation to subscribe for or purchase any securities of Santhera Pharmaceuticals Holding AG. This publication may contain certain forward-looking statements concerning the Company and its business. Such statements involve certain risks, uncertainties and other factors which could cause the actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such statements. Readers should therefore not place undue reliance on these statements, particularly not in connection with any contract or investment decision. The Company disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements. # # # Attachment BROOMFIELD and DENVER, COLO., June 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vita Inclinata Technologies, which stabilizes load swing and spin with the touch of a button, and United Rotorcraft (a division of Air Methods), a provider of superior aerospace products and system integrations, including Firehawk helicopter modifications and US Military MEDEVAC helicopter cabin modifications, have announced a joint manufacturing capability partnership. The partnership will focus on investigating a joint manufacturing capability of Vitas US Army-tested Rescue System technology for Vitas military and civilian customers. Over the last 20 years, United Rotorcraft has been the exclusive supplier of HH-60M and UH-60L Medevac interiors to the US Army, with expertise across both military and commercial applications including Patient Litter Lift Systems, modularity, crashworthy ambulatory patient/troop seats, oxygen generation systems, and more. The Vita Rescue System -- which was first designed for and tested on HH-60 Blackhawks-- is a natural fit for the companys expertise. Vitas Rescue System, which has been certified safe-to-fly by the US Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory (USAARL), provides platform- and litter-agnostic control to stabilize swing, oscillation and spin under any rotorcraft. Sensors and proprietary software compute 100 times per second to dynamically stop chaotic movement, while a wireless remote allows precision and control, providing operators the ability to steer around obstacles and align to the aircraft for recoveries. United Rotorcrafts purpose is to help front line operators save lives. It is only fitting that we would join forces with Vita Inclinata, whose products will revolutionize the way our customers perform their mission, commented Larry Alexandre, president of United Rotorcraft. We are excited to be part of Vitas journey as it grows into an industry leader. United Rotorcrafts state of the art manufacturing sector operates in over 140,000 square feet of production and completion facilities in Colorado and Texas, with production capabilities including: CNC Machining Sheet Metal Fabrication Thermoformed Plastics Electrical and Avionics Manufacturing and Assembly Composite and Fiberglass Manufacturing and Repair Aircraft Interiors Fabrication We are honored and humbled to work with an organization of United Rotorcraft's caliber, said Caleb Carr, Vita Inclinata CEO and Co-Founder. We believe this further aligns our missions to make all helicopter rescues safer, faster, more precise and more efficient, both for Search and Rescue personnel and patients. It also moves us that much closer to helping Colorado become a national epicenter of rotorwing innovation, Carr added. About Air Methods and United Rotorcraft United Rotorcraft (www.unitedrotorcraft.com/) is a division of Air Methods, specializing in the design, manufacture and support of mission critical equipment and products for EMS, Medevac, firefighting, law enforcement and other aerospace applications. The companys reputation as an aircraft operator, MRO service provider, systems integrator, and equipment manufacturer, is built on quality and safety. Air Methods (www.airmethods.com/) is the leading air medical service provider, delivering lifesaving care to close to 100,000 people every year. With nearly 40 years of air medical experience, Air Methods is the preferred partner for hospitals and one of the largest community-based providers of air medical services. About Vita Inclinata A friends death during a rescue operationwith a helicopter close but unable to stabilize due to weather and terrainwas the genesis of Vita Inclinata. Founded in 2015 as a way to solve a real problem, Vita today controls chaotic swinging and spin, and adds precision for rotor wing and fixed wing aircraft and cranes. With the mission of Bring them home, every time, Vitas technology changes the narrative while saving lives, time and money across industries, including search and rescue, military, firefighting, public safety, construction, wind energy, and oil and gas. The company is headquartered in Broomfield, Colorado, with offices in Washington, DC, and new offices opening in 2021 in Huntsville, Alabama. For more information, please visit www.vitatech.co. Media Contacts: Doug Flanders VP Communications / Air Methods doug.flanders@airmethods.com Meredith Branscombe VP Communications / Vita Inclinata merredith@vitatech.co Adam Beeson Amendola Communications for Air Methods adam@acmarketingpr.com Source: United Rotorcraft DANA POINT, Calif., May 31, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Alter Health Group has announced that it will be changing their logo and brand styling across all of its entities, accompanied by an emotional and empowering commercial to be aired on television on Memorial Day, 2021. This transition to a new image is a push towards bringing substance abuse and mental health treatment out of the taboo shadows and into the modern era. Alter Health Group sees the attitude towards mental health shifting and choose to fully embrace the change, riding the wave with a full rebranding head to toe. The company will still be supporting the same health brands after the brand update, so existing clients have nothing to be concerned about. These supported groups include Dana Point Rehab Campus, California Rehab Campus, Alter Behavioral Health, Altignis Health and BeWellLine. Each location provides science-backed treatment methodologies that use the newest research data and technology giving patients the highest chance at success and reclaiming their lives as possible. Content from Alter Health Group's new commercial is a gripping delivery of a life-changing opportunity. In just one minute, the team is able to showcase struggle, determination, courage and triumph all while igniting that same flame in every viewer that watches. Alter Health Group was founded in 2019 to provide the highest level of personalized care and treatment for both substance abuse and behavioral therapy, using both traditional and modern approaches such as evidence-based treatment modalities. Understanding the mental health field is ever-changing, Alter Health Group takes a multidimensional approach to every patient. Treatment plans through each of the supported campus locations focuses on more than symptoms. Referencing the most recent findings and proven treatment methods, patients may find themselves receiving aid in a manner they never knew existed. Alter Health Group's mission is to transform lives one at a time, until a societal change is made by getting rid of the stigma of receiving behavioral or substance abuse therapy until recovery is a guaranteed success. The team urges anyone who is suffering from substance abuse, behavioral issues or other mental health challenges to reach out to their support line at 949-755-7535 to receive the helping hand you need to regain independence. Press Contact: Crystal Catarama crystal@alterrecovery.com 949-356-7542 Alter Health Group 34232 Pacific Coast Hwy Suite D1 Dana Point, CA 92629 Related Images alter-health-group-logo.jpeg Alter Health Group Logo Alter Health Group Logo View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/alter-health-groups-announces-rebranding-and-tv-commercial-to-bring-mental-health-and-substance-abuse-treatment-into-the-spotlight-301302437.html SOURCE Alter Health Group ASHEVILLE, N.C., June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Avadim Health, Inc. (the Company), a healthcare and wellness provider, today announced it has reached an agreement in principle to sell substantially all of its assets and filed voluntary petitions for protection under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. These developments represent part of a plan to significantly strengthen the Company and best position it for a long and prosperous future. Hayfin Capital Management (Hayfin), the Company's existing lender, has entered into a binding stalking horse purchase agreement and committed to provide certain debtor-in-possession financing, subject to Court approval, to allow the Company to meet its obligations during the sale process. The Company also announced it has retained investment bank SSG Capital Advisors, LLC to initiate a comprehensive marketing of its assets to other potential buyers to ensure it receives the highest and best price. "Our goal is to pursue a transaction that maximizes the value of the Company and ensures we have the necessary resources and flexibility to invest in, and grow the business," said Keith Daniels, the Company's Chief Restructuring Officer. "We will continue to create and market world-class products, including our Theraworx line, that our customers have come to love." The Chapter 11 filing supports these goals and the Company will continue normal business operations throughout this process. "We are confident this action provides us with the most efficient and effective way to pursue a transaction while at the same time allowing us to address financial challenges and best position the company going forward," Mr. Daniels said. "To be clear, the action has no impact on our day-to-day business or our ability to continue serving our customers." The financing that Hayfin has committed to provide in connection with the filing, along with the Company's cash flow from operations, will provide ample liquidity to operate the business and meet ongoing obligations to customers, vendors, and employees through the completion of the sale process. "We are proud of the important and meaningful work Avadim has done over the years and are committed to ensuring the Company has the right resources in place to continue its mission," said Mr. Daniels. "We are excited about our future." Avadim is being advised by Carl Marks Advisory Group LLC, the law firm of Pachulski Stang Ziehl & Jones LLP, the law firm of Chapman and Cutler LLP, and SSG Capital Advisors, LLC. The filing was made in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. About Avadim Health, Inc.:Avadim is a healthcare and wellness company that sells topical products to improve immune health, neuromuscular health and skin barrier health. Using its proprietary platform, called the Bionome Engineered Platform, Avadim has developed products that target the institutional care and self-care markets. The company believes there is significant unmet global demand for nonprescription options, such as its products, as an alternative to drugs that are more expensive or potentially addictive and can have long-term detrimental implications for health and society. Avadim's mission, "Discovering New Ways to Care," represents its strong belief that by harnessing the innate power of the skin's ecosystem, it can improve the health of individuals with products that address current societal challenges, including access to care, affordability, drug resistance and addiction. Avadim uses an evidence-based approach to develop, test and market its products. This clinical evidence contributed to the successful registration of several of its products for Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement, and enables the sales teams to serve customers across the full continuum of care, from institutional care to self-care, including in hospitals, long-term care facilities, closed provider pharmacies, physician offices and retail pharmacies. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/avadim-health-enters-into-stalking-horse-sale-agreement-alongside-chapter-11-filing-301303109.html SOURCE Avadim Health, Inc. The Wright brothers' 1908 airplane was the first plane in America to fly a passenger, and the worlds first military aircraft. (First Flight Foundation) NORFOLK, Va. (Tribune News Service) The Wright brothers soared over Outer Banks dunes for about a minute in 1903 and, within five years, built the worlds first military airplane that could travel 125 miles. The 1908 aircraft would be the first in America to carry a passenger and could cruise 40 mph, about as fast as a good racehorse. The Wrights success began a frenzy of flying experiments in Europe and America, quickly improving the heavier-than-air flying machine. The advancement between 1903 and 1914 when the war began is enormous, said Tom Crouch, retired senior curator of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum and author of three books about the Wrights. The First Flight Foundation is funding a reproduction of the 1908 aircraft, to be built by vintage airplane builders Rick and Sue Young of Chester. The couple has constructed several Wright models over 40 years, Rick Young said in an email. Their work has helped them uncover some of the brothers methods, he said. While we know much about what the Wrights accomplished, how they accomplished it remains largely unknown, Young said. The replica will be donated to the North Carolina Museum of History after it is completed next year, he said. After their historic flights on Dec. 17, 1903, the Wrights kept improving their aircraft in a pasture near their Dayton, Ohio, home until 1905, when they flew the worlds first practical aircraft, Crouch said. The plane could take off, maneuver and fly until the fuel ran out, he said. The U.S. Army contracted with the Wrights to build one heavier-than-air flying machine for $25,000 that could carry a passenger, fly at least 40 mph and travel 125 miles, according to a copy of the original contract provided by Young. The U.S. Army wanted it for surveillance rather than aerial dogfights. The Europeans would build those later. The pilot and passenger would need to sit upright. Until then, the Wrights had flown by lying prone on the aircraft, believing it was better for aerodynamics. As it turned out, sitting upright did not bother flight. The Wrights returned to the Outer Banks in May 1908 to test the remodeled 1905 machine. They made 22 flights over eight days. Then, Orville flew with their mechanic, Charles Furnas, seated next to him on May 14, 1908. Furnas was the first powered-airplane passenger in America. The Wrights also sold a plane to French investors. Wilbur Wright flew in Europe to demonstrate the latest model for the first time publicly. The flights were a great success before thousands of spectators, including royalty, Crouch said. Later in 1908, Orville was flying a plane with a passenger at then-Army base Fort Myer in Virginia when a propeller snapped and it crashed. Army Lt. Thomas Selfridge died, becoming the first powered-flight fatality. The Army realized it was a part failure, not a design flaw, and purchased a Wright plane anyway, Crouch said. Buy Photo The grave of Lt. Thomas Selfridge, the first person to be killed in an airplane accident, at the U.S. Military Academy's cemetery in West Point, N.Y. (Stars and Stripes) Later, Wilbur Wright taught three Army officers to fly, making them the first American military pilots in history and among the first in the world, Crouch said. As war approached, European countries invested heavily in powered flight and were far ahead of the Americans by 1914, he said. When the United States entered war, American pilots flew mostly European aircraft. The new 1908 replica is being donated in honor of the late Willard Will Gathings Plentl, Jr., a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel, the first director of North Carolina Aviation and former president of the First Flight Foundation. The 1908 model will join the museums reproductions of the Wrights 1903 airplane and the 1902 and 1911 gliders, the release said. The Youngs also built the 1911 glider displayed in the museum lobby. jeff.hampton@pilotonline.com 2021 The Virginian-Pilot Visit pilotonline.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. U.S. soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division fire an M777 howitzer during an exercise at Tapa Central Training Area, Estonia, in May 2021. A virtual meeting of foreign and defense ministers from NATOs 30 members discussed stances on Russia, Afghanistan and other issues on June 1, 2021, ahead of a heads of states and governments summit scheduled for June 14. (Jeff VanWey/U.S. Army) Senior officials from NATOs 30 member states discussed on Tuesday a range of issues confronting the alliance, including how to counter Moscow following its defense ministrys announcement that it would strengthen its forces in western Russia. The virtual meeting of foreign and defense ministers came just a day after the Russian statement, and after a training overflight of all 30 members of the alliance by U.S. B-52 strategic bombers. The talks are supposed to advance the agenda for a summit of NATO heads of states and governments on June 14 in Brussels. On Monday, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters that NATO has seen an increased Russian military presence in several areas, including the Arctic, the Baltic and Black seas, the Mediterranean and Middle East. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. A virtual meeting of foreign and defense ministers from NATOs 30 members discussed stances on Russia, Afghanistan and other issues on June 1, 2021, ahead of a heads of states and governments summit scheduled for June 14. (NATO) This is one of the main reasons why NATO over the last years has increased the readiness of our forces and also why we have deployed battlegroups to the eastern part of the alliance, he said. NATO is there to protect and defend all allies. Tensions with Moscow have simmered since Russian troops seized control of Ukraines Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and have since backed eastern Ukrainian separatists in an ongoing conflict that has left thousands dead. In March, Russia stationed more than 100,000 troops in its border region with Ukraine in a move that stoked fears of a possible invasion. Moscow said the buildup was part of a defensive exercise and withdrew a large part of those forces last month. But Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu ordered them to leave their weapons behind for Russias Zapad (West) 2021 military exercises in September, The Associated Press reported. Shoigu announced Monday that its military would establish another 20 units and formations in western Russia by the end of this year. He did not provide any further details on the units but added that they would receive 2,000 new weapons systems. Pointing to increasingly frequent exercises by NATO forces and flights by U.S. strategic bombers near Russias borders, Shoigu charged that such actions destroy the international security system and force us to take the relevant countermeasures. The U.S. and its allies are conducting a series of exercises this spring across the Continent. The Defender Europe-21 drills, now in their second year, involve about 30,000 troops from NATO members and partner states like Sweden and Finland. NATOs meetings are also expected to address the latest developments involving Ukraine as well as the alliances rapidly decreasing engagement in Afghanistan, from which the last coalition forces are scheduled to withdraw by Sept. 11. This is a pivotal moment for our alliance, and our collective security, Stoltenberg said ahead of the meeting. In a more competitive and unpredictable world, we need trans-Atlantic unity. lekic.slobodan@stripes.com Buy Photo Adm. John Aquilino reviews troops outside Japan's Ministry of Defense in Tokyo during his first overseas trip as leader of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Tuesday, June 1, 2021. (Akifumi Ishikawa/Stars and Stripes) TOKYO Adm. John Aquilino, on his first overseas trip as commander of U.S. forces in the Indo-Pacific, placed a wreath at a memorial to fallen troops Tuesday before meeting with Japans top civilian and military leaders. The day after Memorial Day, when America honors its own fallen, Aquilino called at Japans Ministry of Defense in Tokyo and paid tribute to Japanese service members who died on duty. He assumed command of the Hawaii-based U.S. Indo-Pacific Command on April 30. During World War II, over 2 million Japanese troops died fighting compared to 161,000 American service members. More than 76 years after hostilities ended, the two nations are firm friends whose alliance is often described by U.S. and Japanese leaders as the cornerstone of peace and prosperity in the region. Buy Photo Adm. John Aquilino calls on Japanese military leaders during his first visit to the Ministry of Defense in Tokyo as head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Tuesday, June 1, 2021. (Akifumi Ishikawa/Stars and Stripes) Buy Photo Adm. John Aquilino greets Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga during his first trip to Tokyo since taking the helm of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Tuesday, June 1, 2021. (Seth Robson/Stars and Stripes) That sentiment was repeated Tuesday by Aquilino and those he met with on Tuesday, including Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi and Japan Self-Defense Forces Gen. Koji Yamazaki, chief of staff for the Joint Staff. Suga, at the start of a meeting at his office, told Aquilino that he built a personal relationship of trust with President Joe Biden during an April summit in Washington, D.C. Let us, Japan and the U.S., work closely, Suga said to the admiral. Aquilino told Suga it was particularly important for him to visit Japan in his first overseas trip as INDOPACOM leader. The U.S.-Japan alliance is the cornerstone of peace and security in the Pacific today, he said. Beyond praising the alliance, the leaders said little in public about security challenges they face, such as North Korean nuclear weapons and missiles and Chinese claims over the South China Sea and the Japanese-administered Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea. Aquilino's predecessor, Adm. Philip Davidson, told the Senate Armed Services Committee on March 9 that China could invade Taiwan, 1,300 miles southwest of Tokyo, "in the next six years." Aquilino, who commanded the U.S. Pacific Fleet before taking charge of INDOPACOM, is expected to maintain Davidsons hardline regarding Beijing. During his confirmation hearing earlier this spring, Aquilino told senators the U.S. needs to bolster funding for the Pacific Deterrence Initiative to better challenge Chinas influence in the region. He also warned that Beijing was increasing its stockpile of nuclear weapons faster than anyone previously believed. robson.seth@stripes.com Twitter: @SethRobson1 Seth Robson The coronavirus pandemic did not halt the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Forces first-ever Fleet Week, a six-day event held in conjunction with Fleet Week in New York City. (U.S. Navy) YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan The coronavirus pandemic did not halt the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Forces first-ever Fleet Week, a six-day event held in conjunction with Fleet Week in New York City, according to Naval Forces Japan. The Navy and the JMSDF shifted what they hoped would be public events to a mix of real and virtual ones, like the Navy Sea Legs challenge, shared via social media. We are proud and honored to be celebrating Fleet Week Japan with an important partner, Naval Forces Japan spokeswoman Cmdr. Katie Cerezo told Stars and Stripes in an email. For JMSDF to hold Fleet Week Japan at the same time as New York made sense; the ties between New York and Japan are deep and long-standing. During Fleet Week, deployed vessels make a port call at a city for several days, their crews take in the sights and interact with the public, which is often afforded tours of the warships. Fleet Week ran in Japan and New York from May 26 through Monday. In the Navy Sea Leg challenge, participants climbed stairs to reach the height of iconic landmarks in New York City and across Japan. A different landmark was featured each day, ranging from 354 steps May 26 for the Statue of Liberty to 19,600 steps over the weekend for Mount Fuji, according to a Navy news release May 19. Anyone who took up the challenge was encouraged to post something with the hashtag #NavySeaLegs on social media platforms Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to show they completed each event. Other hashtags associated with Fleet Week are #FleetWeekJapan, and #FleetWeekNYC. A lunchtime event brought junior officers from the JMSDF and the guided-missile destroyer USS Mustin together after the stair challenges, according to Cerezos email. They dined on their respective services favorite foods. Wednesday is typically burger day aboard Navy warships, and the JMSDF looks forward to curry every Friday, Cerezo said. Despite the challenges of COVID, we still need to maintain and develop the strong relationships we've built with our JMSDF partners, Rear Adm. Brian Fort, commander of Naval Forces Japan, said in a statement provided May 25 to Stars and Stripes. Celebrating Fleet Week jointly and with interactive challenges meant that we were able to continue to build on our ties and share our experiences together. betancourt.daniel@stripes.com Twitter: @Beta_Stripes Aaron Kidd South Korean police responded to more than 30 reports of a large party involving 1,500 or more foreigners at Haeundae Beach in Busan, Saturday, May 29, 2021. Many were disregarding South Koreas coronavirus rules for wearing masks in public areas, maintaining 6 feet between individuals and limiting groups to five people. (Haeundae Swimming Pool Office) OSAN AIR BASE, South Korea U.S. Forces Korea is cooperating with an investigation by Korean National Police into allegations of service members misconduct at a popular beach in Busan over Memorial Day weekend, according to a USFK statement Tuesday. Haeundae Police responded to more than 30 reports on Saturday night of a large party on the beach involving 1,500 or more foreigners. Many were disregarding South Koreas coronavirus rules for wearing masks in public areas, maintaining 6 feet between individuals and limiting groups to five people, an officer who responded to the complaints told Stars and Stripes on Tuesday. Additional complaints included drinking, smoking, setting off fireworks, loud music, singing and close-contact dancing. Although drinking is allowed, smoking and the use of fireworks are prohibited on public beaches. Many foreigners at the beach seem to be USFK service members because they wore a crew cut, the police officer said. I mean, cropped close in military style. They seemed to have gathered there for enjoying a U.S. holiday called Memorial Day. South Korean police responded to more than 30 reports of a large party involving 1,500 or more foreigners at Haeundae Beach in Busan, Saturday, May 29, 2021. Many were disregarding South Koreas coronavirus rules for wearing masks in public areas, maintaining 6 feet between individuals and limiting groups to five people. (Haeundae Swimming Pool Office) Police said they received no reports that South Korean citizens were threatened or injured at the beach. South Korean government officials typically speak to the media on condition of anonymity. USFK acknowledged the complaints in a statement Monday from spokesman Col. Lee Peters. The command declined further comment, citing the Korean police investigation. USFK is aware of the alleged behavior at Haeundae Beach and is cooperating with the KNP who maintain jurisdiction of this investigation and local authorities to determine if USFK-affiliated individuals were involved, Peters wrote. U.S. military police accompanied by police civil servants from Haeundae patrolled the beach together from 9 p.m. to midnight Sunday, according to the Haeundae officer. Less than a year ago, more than 200 Korean police officers were dispatched to the same area to break up disruptive festivities after receiving more than 70 complaints from local residents during a Fourth of July celebration. At the time, USFK expressed regret for the inconvenience and disruption the behavior caused the people of Busan. keeler.matthew@stripes.com Twitter: @MattKeeler1231 chang.kyong@stripes.com French President Emmanuel Macron, right, greets Libyan Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibeh before their meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris on Tuesday, June 1, 2021. (Francois Mori/AP) BERLIN Germany and the United Nations plan to host a conference on Libya this month in Berlin, a gathering that aims to bring together powers with interests in the North African country and its transitional government. The agenda for the June 23 conference announced Tuesday includes discussions about preparations for elections in December and the withdrawal of foreign forces from Libya. French President Emmanuel Macron met with Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah in Paris on Tuesday for bilateral talks focusing on ways to support a political transition and greater stability in the country. We must put an end to all foreign interference, which involves the withdrawal of all foreign mercenaries' forces on Libyan soil: the Russians, the Turkish, the Syrian mercenaries and all the others, Macron said. Dbeibah praised France for its support and vowed to focus effective and intense action to organize free, transparent and fair elections at the end of the year. The Berlin meeting will take place at the level of foreign ministers and follows up on a January 2020 conference where leaders agreed to respect an arms embargo for Libya and to push the North African nation's warring parties to reach a full cease-fire. Germany has tried to act as an intermediary. The countries that have been involved in the process include the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, along with Italy, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. The Berlin conference will mark the first time that the Libyan transitional government is represented at such an event, the German Foreign Ministry said in a statement. It will take stock of progress since the first Berlin gathering and discuss the next steps needed for a sustainable stabilization, the ministry statement said. The main focus will be on preparations for the national elections scheduled for Dec. 24 and on the withdrawal of foreign troops and mercenaries from Libya as agreed in the cease-fire, the statement said. In addition, steps towards the creation of unified Libyan security forces will be discussed. Libya has been mired in chaos since a NATO-backed uprising toppled and later killed longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011. Afterwards, the oil-rich country was long divided between a U.N.-supported government in the capital, Tripoli, and rival authorities based in the countrys east, each backed by armed groups and foreign governments. In April 2019, east-based commander Khalifa Hifter and his forces, backed by Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, launched an offensive to try and capture Tripoli. Hifter's 14-month campaign collapsed after Turkey stepped up its military support of the U.N.-backed government with hundreds of troops and thousands of Syrian mercenaries. An October cease-fire agreement that included a demand that all foreign fighters and mercenaries leave Libya within 90 days led to a deal on the December elections and a transitional government that took office in February. It has been a very long process in which we often weren't sure ourselves whether the aims we set could be achieved, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told reporters in Berlin, speaking of the agreement. But after the developments in recent months, we are cautiously optimistic, Maas said. AP Writer Sylvie Corbet in Paris contributed to the story. PEPLO, Greece (AP) As the world begins to travel again, Europe is sending migrants a loud message: Stay away! Greek border police are firing bursts of deafening noise from an armored truck over the frontier into Turkey. Mounted on the vehicle, the long-range acoustic device, or sound cannon, is the size of a small TV set but can match the volume of a jet engine. Its part of a vast array of physical and experimental new digital barriers being installed and tested during the quiet months of the coronavirus pandemic at the 200-kilometer (125-mile) Greek border with Turkey to stop people entering the European Union illegally. A new steel wall, similar to recent construction on the U.S.-Mexico border, blocks commonly-used crossing points along the Evros River that separates the two countries. Nearby observation towers are being fitted with long-range cameras, night vision, and multiple sensors. The data will be sent to control centers to flag suspicious movement using artificial intelligence analysis. We will have a clear pre-border picture of whats happening, Police Maj. Dimonsthenis Kamargios, head of the regions border guard authority, told the Associated Press. The EU has poured 3 billion euros ($3.7 billion) into security tech research following the refugee crisis in 2015-16, when more than 1 million people many escaping wars in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan fled to Greece and on to other EU countries. The automated surveillance network being built on the Greek-Turkish border is aimed at detecting migrants early and deterring them from crossing, with river and land patrols using searchlights and long-range acoustic devices. Key elements of the network will be launched by the end of the year, Kamargios said. Our task is to prevent migrants from entering the country illegally. We need modern equipment and tools to do that. Researchers at universities around Europe, working with private firms, have developed futuristic surveillance and verification technology, and tested more than a dozen projects at Greek borders. AI-powered lie detectors and virtual border-guard interview bots have been piloted, as well as efforts to integrate satellite data with footage from drones on land, air, sea and underwater. Palm scanners record the unique vein pattern in a persons hand to use as a biometric identifier, and the makers of live camera reconstruction technology promise to erase foliage virtually, exposing people hiding near border areas. Testing has also been conducted in Hungary, Latvia and elsewhere along the eastern EU perimeter. The more aggressive migration strategy has been advanced by European policymakers over the past five years, funding deals with Mediterranean countries outside the bloc to hold migrants back and transforming the EU border protection agency, Frontex, from a coordination mechanism to a full-fledged multinational security force. But regional migration deals have left the EU exposed to political pressure from neighbors. Earlier this month, several thousand migrants crossed from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in a single day, prompting Spain to deploy the army. A similar crisis unfolded on the Greek-Turkish border and lasted three weeks last year. Greece is pressing the EU to let Frontex patrol outside its territorial waters to stop migrants reaching Lesbos and other Greek islands, the most common route in Europe for illegal crossing in recent years. Armed with new tech tools, European law enforcement authorities are leaning further outside borders. Not all the surveillance programs being tested will be included in the new detection system, but human rights groups say the emerging technology will make it even harder for refugees fleeing wars and extreme hardship to find safety. Patrick Breyer, a European lawmaker from Germany, has taken an EU research authority to court, demanding that details of the AI-powered lie detection program be made public. What we are seeing at the borders, and in treating foreign nationals generally, is that its often a testing field for technologies that are later used on Europeans as well. And thats why everybody should care, in their own self-interest, Breyer of the German Pirates Party told the AP. He urged authorities to allow broad oversight of border surveillance methods to review ethical concerns and prevent the sale of the technology through private partners to authoritarian regimes outside the EU. Ella Jakubowska, of the digital rights group EDRi, argued that EU officials were adopting techno-solutionism to sideline moral considerations in dealing with the complex issue of migration. It is deeply troubling that, time and again, EU funds are poured into expensive technologies which are used in ways that criminalize, experiment with and dehumanize people on the move, she said. The London-based group Privacy International argued the tougher border policing would provide a political reward to European leaders who have adopted a hard line on migration. If people migrating are viewed only as a security problem to be deterred and challenged, the inevitable result is that governments will throw technology at controlling them, said Edin Omanovic, an advocacy director at the group. Its not hard to see why: across Europe we have autocrats looking for power by targeting foreigners, otherwise progressive leaders who have failed to come up with any alternatives to copying their agendas, and a rampant arms industry with vast access to decision-makers. Migration flows have slowed in many parts of Europe during the pandemic, interrupting an increase recorded over years. In Greece, for example, the number of arrivals dropped from nearly 75,000 in 2019 to 15,700 in 2020, a 78% decrease. But the pressure is sure to return. Between 2000 and 2020, the worlds migrant population rose by more than 80% to reach 272 million, according to United Nations data, fast outpacing international population growth. At the Greek border village of Poros, the breakfast discussion at a cafe was about the recent crisis on the Spanish-Moroccan border. Many of the houses in the area are abandoned and in a gradual state of collapse, and life is adjusting to that reality. Cows use the steel wall as a barrier for the wind and rest nearby. Panagiotis Kyrgiannis, a Poros resident, says the wall and other preventive measures have brought migrant crossings to a dead stop. We are used to seeing them cross over and come through the village in groups of 80 or a 100, he said. We were not afraid. ... They dont want to settle here. All of this thats happening around us is not about us. ___ Associated Press writer Kelvin Chan in London contributed to this report. ___ Follow Derek Gatopoulos at https://twitter.com/dgatopoulos and Costas Kantouris at https://twitter.com/CostasKantouris ___ Follow APs global migration coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/migration Attackers set fire to an entry control point at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, Dec. 31, 2019. A State Department Inspector General report recently said that damages to the embassy totaled $35 million. (Desmond Cassell/U.S. Army) An Iranian-backed militias New Years 2020 attack on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad caused $35 million worth of damage, a government watchdog agency report found. The losses made up the bulk of over $37 million in total fire damages at U.S. diplomatic facilities overseas in fiscal year 2020, said a footnote to a State Department Inspector General report released last week about the departments global fire protection program. The note attributes the damages to a fire following a terrorist attack without further details, but a State Department spokesperson asked to clarify the footnote told the news website Code and Dagger that hostile militia attacks damaged embassy access points on Dec. 31, 2019. The Baghdad attack began that night and continued into the next day. What you saw was Iranian-backed terrorists come into the American embassy and posing a risk to American diplomats and personnel inside the embassy, then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in an appearance on Fox News at the time. Attackers set fire to the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad as smoke rises from inside the compound, Jan. 1, 2020. ( Desmond Cassell/U.S. Army) The embassy attack came days after U.S. airstrikes hit sites in Iraq and Syria that the Defense Department said were used by the Iran-backed militia Kataeb Hezbollah. The Pentagon has blamed the group for dozens of rocket attacks on bases housing Americans in Iraq in the past two years, including one that killed an Iraqi American contractor in Kirkuk days after Christmas 2019. After the airstrikes, mobs waving militia flags penetrated and torched three high-security gate reception buildings meant to hold off attackers long enough for Marines and other security personnel to set up deadlier defenses, Time magazine revealed in a detailed report of the attack last year. Destruction of the gate buildings alone was estimated at about $20 million, the magazine reported, citing an unnamed senior security official who deemed it money well spent because it bought time for the staff inside the compound. The facility, nearly the size of Vatican City, housed some 1,300 personnel, the State Department has said. The mob also threw Molotov cocktails over the perimeter wall, apparently attempting to ignite the embassys fuel depot, but that fire was put out before it caused a larger explosion, Time reported. The State Departments Bureau of Overseas Building Operations, which is responsible for the fire protection program, did not immediately respond to a Stars and Stripes inquiry about the damages. The destruction made the departments fire losses last year the highest on record in the past six years, the IG found, compared to a low of about $360,000 for an unspecified year in the same period. The number of fire incidents each year ranged from 95 to 154 during the period, it found. U.S. Army AH-64 Apache helicopters fly over the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, Dec. 31, 2019. The helicopters launched flares the night attackers set fire to the embassy compound. The attacks resulted in $35 million in damage, a State Department Inspector General report said. (Desmond Cassell/U.S. Army) The defense of the embassy from over 3,000 protesters during the 36-hour siege earned six Diplomatic Security Service agents the 2019 National Award for Uncommon Valor from the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association in September. The entire DSS security team was also nominated for the State Departments Heroism Award, the department said in a statement. Without the sustained response of the DSS personnel and the contract support staff, there would have been more property damage and possible casualties, said the statement, quoting an award nomination. garland.chad@stripes.com Twitter: @chadgarland WASHINGTON One month into the U.S. drawdown from Afghanistan, American forces have completed between 30% to 44% of the entire withdrawal process, chief Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Tuesday. Since the withdrawals official start May 1, the military has removed the equivalent of about 300 C-17 Globemaster III loads of material out of Afghanistan, Kirby told reporters at the Pentagon, citing information from U.S. Central Command. Additionally, U.S. forces have turned over nearly 13,000 pieces of equipment in Afghanistan to the Defense Logistics Agency for destruction, Kirby said. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told House lawmakers on Thursday that the overall drawdown was slightly ahead of schedule but provided no additional details about the efforts. CENTCOM has been providing weekly updates but are withholding information about the number of U.S. troops remaining in Afghanistan, citing operational security. Before the drawdown began, there were approximately 2,500 troops in the country. In the last month, the U.S. also sent additional troops and other assets including several hundred Army Rangers and 12 F-18 attacks planes to the region to help protect exiting forces as they leave Afghanistan. Also helping protect the withdrawing troops are six B-52 bombers based in Qatar and the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, which Austin directed to stay in the Middle East should extra force be needed. The drawdown is expected to be completed by Sept. 11. Doornbos.caitlin@stripes.com Twitter: @CaitlinDoornbos Pentagon spokesman John Kirby, shown here during an April press conference, condemned a Taliban rocket attack on Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan on Wednesday. The attack did not injure any U.S. troops. (Staff Sgt. Brittany Chase) Buy Photo The bugler at Mondays Memorial Day ceremony at the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. set the tome for musicians across the country who would take part in Taps Across America" later in the day. (Stars and Stripes) SHAVERTOWN, Pa. (Tribune News Service) As he waited for 3 p.m. to arrive on Memorial Day, renowned trumpeter Bobby Baird said he has played "taps" more times than he cares to remember. That's because Baird knows of the sacrifices of so many soldiers and he proudly sounds "Taps" every time to honor those brave men and women. "When I was in the U.S. Navy Band, I played 'taps' at many funerals at Arlington National Cemetery following World War II," Baird said. "I'm honored to play it for our fallen heroes." Baird, 91, participated in Monday's "Taps Across America" the National Moment of Remembrance that is held annually on Memorial Day and Americans are asked wherever they are at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day to pause for a duration of one minute to remember those who have died in military service to the United States. The "Taps Across America" program asked veterans, musicians, teachers and students of all abilities and ages to sound "taps" on their front lawns, porches and driveways at 3 p.m. local time on Monday. Baird played "taps" on his 80-year-old bugle that he first used when he was a Boy Scout in Kingston Troop #161 at Grace Episcopal Church. Baird said more than 10,000 people participated in "Taps Across America," up from 4,300 last year. He said six buglers/trumpeters from six countries participated this year: all 50 U.S. states, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, Germany and Denmark. Ages of the buglers ranged from 11 to yes, you guessed it 91. A letter from the "Taps for America" organization said this: "For one brief moment, were all united in a common cause to honor and remember." Baird said Americans must never forget the sacrifices that veterans made for us for our freedom especially those who gave the ultimate sacrifice their lives. So as Americans everywhere gathered over the weekend for celebrations in backyards, parks and other venues, many paused at 3 p.m. on Memorial Day Monday, May 31 to remember our fallen heroes to thank them for what they did in service to our country and all Americans. Baird stood on his front porch at 127 Shade Tree Road in Shavertown, with his wife, Pat, sitting nearby and with several neighbors standing in front of the house, as Baird played the somber song. Baird and his wife have four children, eight grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. After Baird played "taps," he sat next to his wife and played several more patriotic songs, including "America the Beautiful," "God Bless America," and "My Country 'Tis of Thee." The local legendary trumpet player, Baird was 18 when he took the stage with the U.S. Navy Band's Sextet at President Harry S. Truman's Inaugural Ball in 1949 an experience he still recalls vividly. Baird, who turned 91 on April 26, has been performing for 85 years, playing his first solo at age 5 for his grandfather, Arch Baird. Baird was a three-time Pennsylvania state champion trumpeter and he earned a full music scholarship to Syracuse University. But he only attended for one year, and decided to travel to Washington D.C. where he auditioned for the United States Navy Band, and was accepted becoming the youngest member of the band and he was named the trumpet soloist. His life path has crossed with the likes of Ed Sullivan, Esther Williams, Al Hirt, Harry James, Rosemary Clooney, Louis Armstrong, Peggy Lee, Julius Larosa, and many more, including several U.S. presidents. Baird also played with immortals like drummer Gene Krupa, bandleader Skitch Henderson and trumpet great Doc Severinsen of the Tonight Show. Baird still plays at church and for veterans gatherings and services. (c)2021 The Times Leader (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.) Visit The Times Leader (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.) at www.timesleader.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. HONOLULU (Tribune News Service) A groundbreaking ceremony and Hawaiian blessing was held in Kapolei on Memorial Day for a $98.4 million, 120-bed veterans home that officials acknowledged was a big challenge to bring to fruition. Construction already has started on the Daniel K. Akaka State Veterans Home, named after the former Hawaii U.S. senator who championed veterans issues, on about 7 acres, with completion expected in April 2023. Akaka died in 2018 at age 93. The project was awarded a $44.7 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and received $53.7 million in state funds for planning, design, construction and equipment, according to the state. Located in the back corner of 26 acres of state land at Fort Barrette Road and Farrington Highway, the veterans home will offer skilled nursing and intermediate care facility beds to provide long-term care services plus geriatric mental health/dementia/Alzheimer's care, rehabilitation therapies, hospice, respite and adult day care, state officials said. The Kapolei facility will target both long-term and short-term-stay veteran populations, eligible spouses and Gold Star parents and will be open to all veterans living in Hawaii. Approximately 85,000 veterans live on Oahu, with about 118,000 in the state. "Hawaii will still be 53 beds short of the 268 total state veterans home beds needed for the state, but upon completion, the Akaka SVH will more than double the state's current capacity, " the state Department of Defense said in a release. The new facility will be the second state veterans home, with the other, Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home, in Hilo. A 2014 state feasibility study justified the need for another veterans home in addition to the one in Hilo and a 60-bed federal facility at Tripler Army Medical Center. "It is impossible to adequately pay tribute to the veterans and their families for their sacrifices protecting our beloved country, " state Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Kenneth Hara said at the event. Akaka "worked hard to always place our veterans first, " he added. Hara also noted that the process to secure the state veterans home "was challenging and sometimes extremely painful. However, the efforts that led us here today were well worth it." He singled out the work of retired Col. Ron Han with the Office of Veterans' Services and the state Legislature. Han's "diligence, his efforts, were amazing," Hara said. "I tell you, (I thought) so many times that this home was going to fail." The Legislature agreed "to pay the bill and go beyond what the federal match was for this project, " he said. Gov. David Ige, in his remarks, noted that the Legislature recognized that the state "needed to step up and provide more resources in order to make this happen." The governor also thanked Hawaii's congressional delegation for providing the "seed money to keep this dream alive." It wasn't the first use approved for the state-owned land, which was periodically rented out for festivals and community events. In 2014 the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corp. approved a proposal from San Diego-based OliverMcMillan Inc. for the 26-acre parcel. State Sen. Mike Gabbard that year said the developer's $143 million conceptual plan included 414 homes and 154, 000 square feet of commercial space including a grocery store. In 2018, sewer connections and "market changes " were cited as issues in the plan not going forward. State efforts were aborted, meanwhile, for a new veterans home near Diamond Head or in Aiea. Millannie Mattson, Akaka's daughter, related that her father always said that "our nation owes no greater debt than to the men and women who served in uniform." Buy Photo Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, speaks at a Capitol Hill event in March, 2007. (Stars and Stripes) "Dad saw the start of the war in the Pacific with the bombing of Peal Harbor " when he was a senior at Kamehameha Schools and was sent with 28 other seniors by an ROTC commander above the campus to scout for Japanese paratroopers. Drafted late in the war, Akaka, who was assigned to the Army Corps of Engineers, was on tugboat missions between Guam, Saipan and Tinian, his daughter said. Early on Aug. 6, 1945, the B-29 bomber Enola Gay departed Tinian with the "Little Boy " atom bomb, which was dropped on Hiroshima. Akaka didn't see the Enola Gay take off, but word of its mission got around, she said. Her father witnessed the beginning of the Pacific war, and he was there at the end of it in 1945. He subsequently battled post-traumatic stress disorder, she said. "All of these experiences changed him and stayed with him, and eventually motivated his actions for veterans while he served in Congress, " Mattson said. "He had a special love for veterans because he was one of them." (c)2021 The Honolulu Star-Advertiser Visit The Honolulu Star-Advertiser at www.staradvertiser.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. If you already subscribe to our print edition, sign up for FREE access to our online edition. Thanks for reading The Henderson News. Mathew Z. Rosiere, 37, of Fond du Lac, unexpectedly passed away on Friday, June 4, 2021. He was born on May 18, 1984, in Pawnee, OK, the son of Michael Z. Rosiere and Sandra K. Kennedy. While he was in high school, he was active in football and wrestling. Mathew loved hard rock music, played Changes to the SunCommercial's back end processing means the e-edition is getting a facelift. The biggest change is the e-edition, by default, is now presented in Text view. Auckland artist Ayesha Green has won the 2021 Rydal Art Prize. As the second recipient of the bi-annual award run by Tauranga Art Gallery in partnership with Seeds Trust, Ayesha receives $25,000 and an opportunity to develop an exhibition in Tauranga Art Gallerys 2022 programme. The Rydal Art Prize was established in 2019 to acknowledge an artist who has made a substantial contribution to contemporary painting. A non-acquisitive award, the Rydal Art Prize seeks to celebrate the vitality that painting continues to have within the diverse contemporary art field in New Zealand. The inaugural 2019 recipient of the award Wellington artist Christina Pataialii currently has her body of work Proximity and Distance on show at the gallery. A range of established and emerging painters were short-listed by each of four judges when they met in Wellington earlier this year to select the unanimous recipient. The judges were Ioana Gordon-Smith - Curator Maori Pacific at Pataka Art + Museum, Porirua; Associate Professor Peter Shand - Head of School at Elam School of Fine Arts at the University of Auckland; Felicity Milburn - Lead Curator at Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetu; and Karl Chitham - director of Dowse Art Museum, Lower Hutt. Following rigorous deliberation, the judges determined that Ayeshas painting All of my Lovers are Immigrants (Smooth my Pillow), originally presented in her exhibition Wrapped up in Clouds at Dunedin Public Art Gallery in late 2020 was a significant achievement and deserving of the prestigious award. Set within the cosy, intimate space of a bedroom, the stories told in these two large canvases are clearly personal, says judge Felicity Milburn. By transforming the bedcovers into glorious flower-filled landscapes, however, Green connects us to a broader narrative: the painful history of colonisation in Aotearoa New Zealand. Ayesha graduated with a Bachelor of Media Arts from Wintec in 2009 and completed a Master of Fine Arts at Elam School of Fine Arts, University of Auckland in 2013. All of my Lovers are Immigrants (Smooth my Pillow) by Ayesha Green. Photo: Supplied. In 2016, she continued her studies at Auckland University, completing a Graduate Diploma in Arts specialising in Museums and Cultural Heritage. She won the National Contemporary Art Awards in 2019 and in 2020 was an Arts Foundation Te Tumu Toi Springboard recipient. The judges were taken by the depth of historical understanding evidenced in Ayeshas paintings. Although many early marriages between Maori women and European sealers and whalers were strategic and mutually beneficial, Green is astutely aware that these intercultural relationships became a colonising tool, contributing to a series of deliberate attempts to undermine Maori whakapapa genealogy - and claims to the whenua land, says Felicity. Ayesha Green is well placed to maximise the benefits of the award, says Tauranga Art Gallery director Stephen Cleland. Following her celebrated exhibition in Dunedin and a string of solo and group exhibitions across the country, her practice has only gone from strength to strength. While Greens paintings are often characterised by her simple rendition of figures and forms, they represent a bold approach to issues concerning her Maori whakapapa passed down through women over four generations. Ayesha, of Kai Tahu and Ngati Kahungunu ancestry, was humbled to be presented with the prize, anticipating that an award of this magnitude will have many ripple effects in my practice. I am excited to start thinking about the exhibition opportunity I have with Tauranga Art Gallery. I am also honoured to be the second recipient of this award and immensely grateful to the generous benefactors who have made it possible, says Ayesha. Competitors will be going head-to-head once again in the pinnacle events of New Zealand agriculture at the Fieldays this month. At this years event, Fieldays visitors can head to the riverside to catch all the action with the tractor pull, fencing competitions, and the excavator competition now being held in the same location, so visitors can get their speed, endurance, and thrills in quick succession. The Fieldays tractor pull, an iconic Fieldays event and crowd favourite thats been revving since 1975, is back for 2021, and for tractor enthusiasts who are up for the challenge, entries to compete are open on the Fieldays website from Thursday, April 29. Returning to the event for 2021 is organiser Daniel Reymer, who is looking forward to this years Fieldays tractor pull, after the national event couldnt go ahead last year. Hes excited to race, but also to have a good catch up with his friends and fellow competitors. I generally know everyone there, its always the same scene: we have a big catch up and a good yarn, then we go out on the track to try and beat each other. The weight adjusted class is the one to watch at tractor pull. It is generally only run at Fieldays and is where speed fanatics can get their fix. The weight adjusted is more like drag racing, it gets the nerves going as youre watching the other person racing beside you, instead of waiting until the end to see who went the furthest. Unusual scenes The Civil Contractors New Zealand Excavator Competition is a challenging test of skill and precision, as the competitors are required to complete tasks that are a bit out of the ordinary, says Civil Contractors Waikato branch secretary Nicki Carson. Between opening beer bottles and transferring a manhole lid balancing a glass of wine, to painting and carefully placing a wire through a hoop, the competitors must demonstrate great skill to accomplish these unusual tasks. We normally get lots of people watching because of the unusual tasks the competitors have to complete under tight time constraints, says Nicki. Also returning to the event are New Zealands top fencers, who will compete in a match of speed, skill, and perseverance. New Zealand Fencing Competitions events coordinator Debbie White says the fencing competitions are a showcase of industry best practice. The judging standards for fencing are set very high on a world stage, as they had to develop to keep up with the quality workmanship of the competitors. Down to the wire At times, the judging process can come down to the judges bringing out a ruler and measuring the difference of a couple millimetres to distinguish between the fences, says Debbie. The Golden Pliers by Wiremark, the national singles title held on the Thursday, is a true endurance event. Competitors only have six-and-a-half hours to build 50 metres of nine-wire fence with three battens and hang a gate, with only a chainsaw and a post hole borer for mechanical support. Its like a triathlon. The competitors are on the move, running, lugging equipment, and trying to keep themselves hydrated, otherwise their muscles start locking up. The doubles competition, the Silver Spades, will be held on the Friday, so eventgoers can scope out the pair that strikes a perfect balance between speed and quality. A man arrested during an armed police raid in Cambridge Heights has been released from hospital. The 36-year-old was found in need of medical assistance after police entered the property on Monday morning. He was due to appear in Tauranga District Court yesterday, but that hearing was adjourned and police state they are now awaiting a new date. He is facing charges in relation to breaching conditions, failing to stop, and driving while forbidden. Armed officers assisted in actioning an arrest warrant for the man this week. Cambridge Road was closed as a result of the incident. Police did not use any firearms in the incident, although flashbang distraction devices were implemented. The man being sought was found in need of medical assistance upon entry to the property not as the result of any police action, says a police statement. An eyewitness to the event says he saw up to 11 police vehicles and an ambulance on the scene. I was up by my letterbox when they shouted at me to go back down the road, so it mustve be dangerous, he says, also stating he heard several large bangs. The accused was taken to hospital after the incident, but police have now confirmed he has since been released. Warning: Some details in this article may be distressing. The Solicitor-General has ordered a new inquiry into the death of a patient following cancer treatment at Waikato Hospital a decade ago, after the pathologist who conducted the autopsy changed his conclusion on the cause of her death. Dr Ian Beer took the unusual step of writing to the Coroner almost 11 years after the death of Carmen Walker, who lost so much blood during the August 2010 procedure that she suffered a cardiac arrest and died hours later. It comes as a whistleblower doctor, who alleges that systemic failures at Waikato DHB contributed to Walkers death and were covered up, is petitioning Parliament to hold an inquiry into the controversial case. Now, Solicitor-General Una Jagose has approved an order from the Chief Coroner, Judge Deborah Marshall, for a new inquiry. Walker had Stage 4 melanoma but was otherwise well and active when she opted for a palliative melanoma treatment called an isolated limb infusion (ILI), where high doses of chemotherapy were washed through the lower leg to treat cancer that had spread from her right ankle. The treatment was supposed to extend her life. Beer no longer believes the 78-year-olds death was the result of cardiogenic shock, where the heart suddenly cant pump enough blood around the body. Instead he wants his finding changed to hypovolaemic shock due to blood loss and wants a coronial inquest opened. Coroner Gordon Matenga did not hold an inquest into Walkers unexpected death. Instead, his April 2011 findings were based on Beers autopsy and the surgeons notes, listing Beers conclusion of cardiogenic shock as the cause of death. A Waikato DHB internal review of the event, dated January 2013, found no definitive cause for the death. But there were other issues noted including a possible leak in the tourniquet and, crucially, the washout fluid from Walkers leg was unable to be measured in the container used and this possibly led to a delay in accurately assessing her blood loss. Beers letter says he initially suspected hypovolaemic shock, a life-threatening condition brought about when a person loses a catastrophic volume of blood, making it impossible for the heart to pump enough blood around the body. But he could not find a haemorrhage and concluded by default the fall in blood pressure after the release of the tourniquet from Walkers leg, must have been from the toxic effect of the chemotherapy on her heart. It never occurred to me that significant blood loss could occur in the controlled environment of the operating theatre during this procedure without the surgeon or anaesthetist knowing and informing the police or myself, Beer wrote. A Health and Disability Commissioners (HDC) investigation in December 2013 found aspects of the care given to Walker were suboptimal but because the DHB was no longer performing the isolated limb infusion procedure, the commissioner at the time, Anthony Hill, took no further action. During the investigation, Hill sought the opinion of an Australian expert who believed an unrecognised tourniquet leak resulted in the rapid blood loss that caused Walkers death, and that this was a severe departure from the expected standards for ILI. In April this year, Beer requested from the HDC the hospital notes from Walkers procedure but this was declined to protect patient privacy. Some of the HDC investigation notes were eventually given to him by Dr Adam Greenbaum, who was observing the procedure that day and complained to the HDC and the Medical Council that Walkers death was avoidable and some of the relevant circumstances had been covered up. Together with Walkers family, Greenbaum wants a full Parliamentary inquiry into her death including Waikato DHBs handling of it and the ensuing HDC investigation. He fell out with the DHB after the death and eventually left in dispute. Beer, a senior pathologist, says the Australian experts findings are highly pertinent because she was able to review the hospital notes from Walkers procedure, which Beer admitted he should have had during her autopsy. It appears there was overwhelming evidence of massive blood loss during the procedure that was not appreciated and not reported at the time, Beer wrote. That evidence included a haemoglobin level so low immediately after the procedure it was almost incompatible with life, a large number of blood transfusions, and the fact Walkers blood loss was not being measured. Sadly, my assumption that fluid volumes would be fastidiously monitored in an operating theatre was misplaced. At the time, Waikato DHB protocols for the procedure did not require measurement of outflow fluid. In changing his conclusion to hypovolaemic shock, Beer says he has seen correspondence from the surgeon and the Australian expert to the HDC over the blood loss and accepts there's dispute over how it occurred, but he believes the Australian experts opinion is the most likely explanation. He told Local Democracy Reporting he wants his finding corrected and the death re-investigated. Having the ability to find out about iatrogenic harm (doctor-caused death) and investigate them properly is an exercise we can all learn from. Last year, a plea by Walkers family for an inquest into their mothers death was declined by the Deputy Solicitor-General. Craig Walker says he was shocked and surprised at the changed finding and he wants justice for his mother, and his late father Bob who never got over it. I actually watched her basically bleed to death while we were in ICU at the time." He says an inquest needs to happen and it's disgraceful the family had waited 11 years. We've been fighting to get the truth because we have been suspicious for a long time, so I think we need another inquest with all the relevant facts. Greenbaum says health authorities have resisted multiple attempts by Walkers family and himself to hold a full inquest. Dr Adam Greenbaum has campaigned for 10 years to have Carmen Walker's death thoroughly investigated. Photo/Natalie Akoorie. So while I'm delighted if we finally get one, the reasons why there has been such resistance in the past also now need to be looked at. A spokesperson for the Solicitor-General says the Chief Coroner has sent a request to Jagose for an order that a further inquiry be opened into the death of Walker. The Chief Coroners request has been made because the pathologist who recorded the cause of Carmen Walkers death now seeks to amend that record. In order for that amendment to be made a coronial finding setting out the cause is required. A further inquiry is accordingly being ordered. It will be up to the Coroners office whether an inquest will be held and the timeframe for that. A Ministry of Justice spokesperson says the Chief Coroner wrote to the Solicitor-General on Thursday asking for the file to be reopened. Health and Disability Commissioner Morag McDowell says she's satisfied the HDC carried out a thorough investigation into the care provided to Walker at the time. She says in regard to Beers request for Walkers notes, the HDC must consider the privacy of individuals. McDowell extended her sympathy to Walkers family for her death but says she can't comment on requests or matters with the Coroner or Parliament. Greenbaums petition, which attracted 1166 signatures, was accepted last week by National party deputy leader and health spokesman Dr Shane Reti. Waikato DHB says it accepts the findings in the HDC and coroners reports and that it no longer provided this procedure. "We acknowledge the familys hurt and continue to extend our sympathies to them. Timeline of events August 3, 2010: Carmen Walker undergoes procedure at Waikato Hospital and dies. August 4, 2010: Pathologist Ian Beer conducts autopsy without the hospital notes and concludes Walker died of cardiogenic shock. April 20, 2011: Coroner Gordon Matenga conducts a hearing on the papers and makes the same finding. May 2011: Dr Adam Greenbaum complains to the Health and Disability Commissioner and copies it to the Medical Council. January 2013: Waikato DHBs internal review finds no definitive cause for Walkers death but that there was a possible leak in the tourniquet, and washout fluid from her leg was not measured. December 2013: Health and Disability Commissioner Anthony Hill finds care given to Walker was suboptimal but takes no further action. March 2019: Greenbaum and the Walker family petition the Solicitor-General for a full coronial inquest. August 2020: Deputy Solicitor-General Virginia Hardy declines an inquest. April 2021: Beer requests the hospital notes from the HDC but is declined. May 2021: Greenbaum provides Beer with some of the HDC investigation including the Australian experts report. May 13, 2021: Beer writes to the Coroner to have the cause of death changed. May 27, 2021: Chief Coroner Judge Deborah Marshall writes to the Solicitor-General requesting the file be reopened. June 1, 2021: Solicitor-General Una Jagose orders further inquiry. Do you already have a paid subscription to any of the SWNewsMedia newspapers? If so, you can Activate your Premium online account by clicking here. Activation will allow you to view unlimited online articles each month. 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Once the email address is confirmed please provide your Account Number to activate your Print Subscription Service. The Gulf Information Security Expo & Conference (GISEC), the regions most influential cybersecurity event opened yesterday (May 31) in Dubai, bringing together more than 150 leading firms from over 30 countries. The ninth edition of GISEC, which runs from May 31 to June 2, was inaugurated by Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC). Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed toured local and international pavilions, including those of the US, UK, Singapore, France, Germany and Russia and the stands of leading global firms in the sector. He was briefed on the latest solutions and technologies offered by some of the worlds leading companies in this field. He visited the Dubai Electronic Security Centre stand, where he was briefed about the Centres key efforts and initiatives. Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed also witnessed the launch of a new electronic system developed by the Centre to detect security vulnerabilities on websites, which contributes to reinforcing Dubais position as the city with the worlds safest cyberspace. The introduction of the new system is part of the implementation of the Dubai Cyber Index launched by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai in 2020 with the aim of enhancing cybersecurity and protecting the digital assets of government entities in the emirate. The system, entirely designed and developed by an Emirati team, is capable of detecting security gaps on websites of government entities and notifying the entities to address these vulnerabilities. Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of Dubai World Trade Centre Authority (DWTCA) and Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) said: We would like to thank His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum for his support for GISEC. The UAE has taken an extremely proactive approach in the fight against cybercrime. The collaborative, forward-thinking strategy of the UAEs government plays an essential role in protecting its digital infrastructure. The UAE Cyber Security Council, Dubai Police, the Dubai Electronic Security Centre, the Investment Corporation of Dubai, AECert, the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority, Smart Dubai and other supporting government entities play a critical part in combating cybercrime and their participation in GISEC will help foster an engaging and meaningful discussion on vital cybersecurity issues. More than 150 global cybersecurity brands, from countries including the USA, UK, Singapore, France, Germany and Russia, are showcasing cutting-edge technologies at GISEC. Leading international and regional innovators such as Microsoft, Huawei, Spire Solutions, Teletrust, BluVector and Digital14 are presenting solutions for tackling growing threats resulting from a rise in remote working and accelerated digitisation. The threat landscape has completely evolved over the past year as workplaces and industries have transformed to adapt and survive. In 2020 alone, almost six billion malware threats were blocked on endpoints protected by Microsoft Defender globally, said Sayed Hashish, General Manager, Microsoft UAE. Our participation in GISEC speaks of our efforts to deliver operational resilience to businesses as they continue to adopt hybrid models within their corporate IT infrastructures and accelerate their digital transformation agendas. The UAE has made strides in areas of cyber security with its goal to protect businesses in the country, and we look forward to supporting this journey by bringing the best of our innovations and expertise to protect their digital estates. Visitors to GISEC 2021 will also benefit from a packed three-day conference programme featuring 180 renowned industry speakers analysing the most pressing cybersecurity issues. CISOs, CIOs, CTOs, regulators and policymakers across government, finance, healthcare, telecom, energy and utilities will set forth innovative strategies for a robust, cyber-resilient ecosystem that inspires trust in the digital economy. GISEC is organised in close partnership with the UAEs most prominent entities in the cybersecurity sector, including the UAE Cyber Security Council, Dubai Electronic Security Centre, Dubai Police, Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority, Smart Dubai, the Investment Corporation of Dubai, ADNOC Refining and AECERT. The UAE Cyber Security Council will host the inaugural Global Cybersecurity Congress, during which dedicated conference tracks will examine the cybersecurity landscapes in Saudi Arabia and Africa. The 2021 GISEC Inspire Conference will focus on the importance of women in the industry. GISEC 2021 will take place amid strict Covid-19 prevention protocols that have enabled DWTC to prove its capability to curate the safest in-person business environment and deliver world-class events with the highest safety protocols. TradeArabia News Service The Taos News delivered to your Taos County address every week for a full year! We offer our lowest mail rates to zip codes in the county. Click Here to See if you Qualify. Plan includes unlimited website access and e-edition print replica online. Your auto pay plan will be conveniently renewed at the end of the subscription period. You may cancel at anytime. Florida Department of Health reported 12,157 new COVID-19 cases statewide during the week of June 4-10, bringing the cumulative total since March 2020 to 2,300,786. Forty more people died, upping the death toll to 37,265. Dubai Airports has hailed the decision of the Italian government to waive the 10-day quarantine requirement for all categories of traveller from the UAE, in favour of test-based travel protocols, with effect from June 2. All passengers arriving on flights from the UAE to the Italian airports of Rome/Fiumicino, Milan/Malpensa and Venice/Marco Polo will be able to travel to Italy for any purpose. A negative Covid-19 test result will be required 48 hours before departure from the UAE and, upon arrival in Italy, all passengers over the age of two years will be required to take a rapid antigen test. Provided the test result is negative, travellers are then free to circulate throughout the country without restriction, whereas those testing positive will have to undergo a period of isolation at a Covid-19 approved hotel local to their point of arrival, in accordance with the prevailing Covid-19 protocols. Praising Italy's decision as a pragmatic and practical move, Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, said: "This is an important step towards recovery from the global pandemic and will give travellers to Europe the opportunity to plan long-anticipated trips to one of the world's most popular destinations. It demonstrates the confidence that both countries have in their approach to overcoming the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and is one of the most significant bilateral travel corridors which are vital to reboot travel. We hope that other countries will follow Italy's example in leading the global recovery" Griffiths added: "The pandemic has caused a lot of social and economic damage and devastated millions of jobs across so many industries over the past 14 months. What the world desperately needs now is a safe return to the mobility and connectivity to aid the momentum of economic recovery, based on prudent risk management rather than risk avoidance." The UAE-Italy corridor is the latest in a series of travel corridor agreements signed by the UAE including with Greece, Serbia, Seychelles and Bahrain. - TradeArabia News Service The global food company JBS USA has encountered an "organized cybersecurity attack" on Monday, May 31. According to the largest meat supplier, the system crash has impacted its IT systems located in Australia and North America. Meanwhile, the Greeley, Colorado-headquartered supplier said that it has already taken care of the situation by notifying the authorities and suspending the involved servers in the process. Moreover, the company also coordinated with a group of IT experts and security analysts to look after the cyber attack. JBS USA Cyber Attack Hits the Firm's Servers According to JBS USA's media statement, the company is continuing to seek help from the Incident Response firm for the system restoration in the soonest possible time, despite no backup servers were hit during the attack. The food processing corporation, at the moment, has not officially announced a statement if the attack has also had an effect on the consumers. Last month, a cyberattack shut down the largest fuel pipeline, Colonial Pipeline, which led the US to declare a state of emergency across the country. Many people were reported to have rushed buying gasoline which quickly resulted in gas shortages. Currently, the food supplier in the United States said that it was not aware of what could happen to each customer, employee, or supplier due to the sudden system breach that invaded its servers. Read Also: Conti Ransomware Attack: FBI Warns About Gang Behind Attacking Irish System; Here's How to Remove This Ransomware Earlier this week, Bloomberg reported that the cyber attack has extended to Brooks, Alberta, in Canada. The United Food and Commercial Workers Local 401 spokesperson said that the Calgary-based beef factory has also been hit by hackers. All in all, the JBS has been managing 84 properties in the US, while it has different branches located in 20 countries worldwide. The company said it would still take some time before they solve the case, which could spark a lot of delays when it comes to supplier and customer transactions. Anyone Can Be Hit by a Cybersecurity Attack Paul Rosenzweig, the previous senior official of the Department of Homeland Security, said on Monday, May 31, that "nothing is safe" from the cyberattacks, USA Today reported. "Not the meatpacking industry, not the chemical industry, not the wastewater treatment industry, not Sony. Nothing," Rosenzweig said. Moreover, he added that the only thing to do to guarantee safety is to entirely unplug, which companies could not do since the competition in the market continues to increase. Rosenzweig wants the hackers to be punished since they have been causing a lot of trouble to many companies. He continued that the hackers would only "keep" on launching attacks until they get caught in the act. While it's true that the internet allows all individuals to be anonymous, the criminal liability of the involved should not be ignored. The hackers should always receive a corresponding consequence so they would stop from doing the thing. Related Article: Colonial Pipeline Ransomware Attack Hikes Cyber Insurance Prices; Energy Companies Scramble to Get One This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Joseph Henry 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Tesla Powerpacks are not only used to supply more renewable sources of energy to a region but also they could be used as a backup for a public building like the hospital to have reliable energy power. Recently, the AC-connected energy storage has been sent to a small island in Haiti where a hospital is located. The place is critically seeking a sustainable solution for its electricity. Tesla proves to be a key to the problem in the country that's why the company decided to deploy the power storage for the energy maintenance of the far-flung establishments or from those where the energy grid seems impossible to install. Tesla Powerpacks Installed on one Hospital in Haiti According to Electrek's report on Monday, May 31, a small island in Haiti which houses the LaGonave Wesleyan Hospital on Gonave Island has received the Tesla Powerpacks. In line with the concern regarding the need for the source of power, the nonprofit organization, World Hope International has written a letter to the EV manufacturer. The group has been dedicated to its Christian ways of helping the poor people that's why it sought help from an organization that could help the island. In the letter, World Hope International said that 100,000 island residents are deprived of the standard access when it comes to medical resources that some hospitals supply. For them to reach the nearest hospital with that access, the person would need to travel for 12 miles across the sea through a boat. The hardship does not end there as the people still need to traverse the road for an additional two hours via taxi or bus. It's still up to the accessible hospital if it will accept the patient or not. Moreover, the letter pointed out that the LaGonave Wesleyan Hospital is open to everyone on the island, but since it only relies upon the current power, it could not serve all the people who need assistance. In 2010, a donor granted the hospital a solar power system that it would use to accomplish the in-house activities. It came after an earthquake shocked the island in the same year. Read Also: [BREAKING] Tesla's Battery Day: Powerpack's Price Is Now 27% Less! However, since it's already been a long time ago after the hospital received an energy source, its old system was now depleted since it has lead-acid batteries. When the power storage was surveyed, it was concluded that the Tesla Powerwalls would be a good replacement for its batteries. What Tesla Found Out in the Recent Evaluation? The latest assessment of the company spotted several repairs that should be implemented soon despite some basic controllers coming out to be working. However, the batteries were not any more efficient like before, and they were now running at less than half of their usual capacity. To address the issue, there should be an upgrade to the solar panels by deploying another batch of them. This would create solar storage for the Haiti hospital through the Tesla Wall units. Since it is one of the newest energy storages, it only requires less maintenance compared to the traditional ones. They would also be able to withstand the heat in the Caribbean region. Presently, Tesla is still installing storage so that the hospital has a more reliable source of energy for its activities. The energy storage business of the electric vehicle maker has been accelerating by up to 71% year-over-year. Engadget reported that the company has already over 200,000 Powerwall this year. Related Article: Tesla Launches Software Update for Powerwall, Virtual Power Plant and Energy Plan--Here's the Complete Release Notes This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Joseph Henry 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Instagram has tweaked its algorithm pattern to its contents after some employees reported that the contents related to Palestine could not be viewed amid the Gaza scare. Before the contents get reposted, the original stories would appear on the platform. The Facebook-owned firm said that it would now implement an equal posting for both contents. Instagram Shifts Stories Algorithm During Gaza Conflict According to Gizmodo's report on Tuesday, Jun.1, an employee from Instagram has complained that the automated moderation of the app was censoring some contents. For example, several posts about the al-Aqsa mosque were deleted on Instagram. The Instagram employees at first did not know if the action was intentional, Financial Times reported. However, one employee stated that the moderator expresses some bias against the target groups. Moreover, the algorithm shift was not only brought by the emergence of contents favoring the Palestine side but also the users complained that some topics were restricted. According to a spokesperson from Facebook, the company has realized that a lot of users have been sharing the same sentiment about the topics. Moreover, the representative added that the change has been applied to the re-shared stories. Read Also: Instagram Launches Pronouns' Feature For Users' Preference: How to Add Them in Your Profile? Twitter Holds a Palestinian Account Last May According to The Verge, Instagram and Facebook are not the only platforms that made changes in the content algorithms concerning Palestine and Israel. Last month, Twitter reportedly "restricted" an account from Palestine owned by a writer. The company said that what it did was only an error on its part. Going back to Instagram, the social media firm has issued an apology for those who were held in posting content related to Palestine. The action lasted for several hours on May 6 until the company fixed the "technical bug." Furthermore, Instagram has been hearing a lot of stories from other people who are experiencing the same problem. A spokesperson from IG said that that would give priority to the publication of its original stories. "Stories that reshare feed posts aren't getting the reach people expect them to, and that's not a good experience," the spokesperson added. In an interview with Buzzfeed News, Andy Stone, a Facebook spokesperson said that their app has been experiencing numerous problems which affect the user's ability to share the contents. The company felt sorry to those who felt that their voices were "silenced" or "suppressed." In the end, it is still the stories from the people which matter the most. After all, Instagram is a free-sharing platform that should allow everyone to post everything they want. Through the new tools, the company could refocus on creating meaningful features for the original stories. For the part of the bigger corporation, Facebook should not make a gap among its users. Instead, it should meet the demands of its employees and other staff which also count as the users of the platform. The perception of the bias could spark a mistrust of social media firms, as people want more freedom in expressing what they want to talk, hear, and say in the open webspace. Related Article: Facebook, Instagram Users Can Now Hide Public 'Likes' on Their Posts This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Joseph Henry 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Android 11 is coming, and for some smartphone brands it already has rolled out, but its schedule is somehow confusing especially as it has different dates to pop-up unlike that of Apple. Google's open-sourced software for the smartphone has grown to be the massively used OS by most brands in the world, distributing to most of the public. Having said this, Android 11 is a massive arrival on the platform, especially as most of the world's population are Android OS users, making this a big deal for everyone anticipating the update. The world has already experienced the early beta of Android 12, especially as its first stable beta is expected to come in the coming months, but Android 11 has only arrived just now. Nonetheless, Android 11 is still an anticipated operating system for the company, especially as it brings a lot of new features for the smartphone, and is in anticipation of the latest upcoming OS, the 12th version. Android 11 brings a slur of new features, and it is mostly intended for the convenience of people in using the phone, especially for new smart homes. Read Also: Android 11 Update for Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 Arrives in US Today Android 11 Update Schedule, Eligibility for Different Smartphones Google Pixel's Android 11 update is starting this week, and it brings eligibility for most Pixel phones, with the lowest device to receive it would be the Pixel 2. According to Google's Android Developer platform, Android 12's beta is coming by August and would have a final version released in October. But before that, people would have to upgrade to Android 11 now. Samsung Samsung Galaxy S9 and above would receive the update. However, S9's update would be expected to come later or never, as it was not that clear with Samsung's roadmap for Android updates. Samsung Note 10 and above Samsung A32 and above, A12, M31, A02s Nokia Nokia's Juho Sarvikas (@sarvikas) has announced via Twitter that the Android 11 would be first experienced by the NOKIA 8.3 5G, but other products of the company would soon follow its footsteps. Nokia 8-series for the first wave of 2021 Nokia 1.3, 2.3 and above, 3.4, 4.2 Nokia 1 Plus, Nokia 9 Pure View, and above Xiaomi Xiaomi Mi 9 and above, Xiaomi Mi Mix Xiaomi Note 9 and above POCO M2, POCO F2, POCO X2, Black Shark 4/ 4 Pro Redmi K20 and Above OnePlus OnePlus 6 and above Motorola Motorola G8 and above Motorola ONE 5G and above Moto G and above Motorola Edge and above Motorola RAZR and above Related Article: Google Android 12 to Change Process of Third Party Installation for Android 12 This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Isaiah Richard 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Airports Council International (ACI) Asia-Pacific has welcomed the decision of the UAE and Italian authorities to safely re-open traffic for all types of passengers between the two countries and remove the quarantine requirement. The safety of passengers will be protected by applying a travel and health protocol already successfully implemented by airports in Italy and the United States. The airport association deems this agreement a best practice to support the recovery of a struggling sector. The announcement follows recent travel corridor agreements by the UAE with Bahrain, Greece, Serbia and the Seychelles. This is an important step towards recovery from the global pandemic and will give travellers from the UAE to Europe the opportunity to plan long-anticipated trips to one of the worlds most popular destinations. It demonstrates the confidence that both countries have in their approach to overcoming the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and is one of the most significant bilateral travel corridors which are vital to reboot travel. We hope that other countries will follow Italys example in leading the global recovery, said Paul Griffiths, CEO, Dubai Airports. Under the terms of the agreement, effective June 2, 2021, all passengers arriving on flights from the UAE to the Italian airports of Rome/Fiumicino, Milan/Malpensa and Venice/Marco Polo will be able to travel in Italy for any purpose. A negative Covid-19 test result will be required 48 hours before departure from the UAE and, upon arrival in Italy, all passengers over the age of two years will be required to take a rapid antigen test. Provided the test result is negative, travellers are free to circulate throughout the country without restriction. Those testing positive will have to undergo a period of isolation at a COVID-19 approved hotel local to their point of arrival, in accordance with the prevailing COVID-19 protocols. The tested flight protocols applied between Dubai Airports and three Italian airports, demonstrates that international connectivity for all types of passengers can be restored with the close cooperation between institutional and industry stakeholders, Stefano Baronci, Director General, ACI Asia-Pacific. Science, data and technology have inspired a model that allows for a smooth process, including rapid tests at departure and arrival as a valid substitute to quarantine, without jeopardising the safety of the travelling public. This best practice will hopefully pave the way for other states to introduce similar protocols in the near future for the speedy recovery of the aviation sector. TradeArabia News Service The new Sony wireless earbuds may be just one step away from our reach this time, as the latest leaks revealed that the flagship noise-canceling wearables with a teaser name WF-1000XM4 would be soon coming to the market. So far, the leakers pointed out that it would come with an artistic beat design compared to the previous model that was molded differently. Additionally, the assumption circling the leak reports indicates that the buds would be purchased in Euro so we could discern that it would first hit the European stores for its initial launch. Sony WF-1000XM4 Leaked in One Store in Slovakia According to the Walkman Blog which has taken some valuable screenshots from the leaks, Sony's approaching wireless earbuds were spotted in a Slovakian online store that has a strange listing that includes the WF-1000XM4. Moreover, the blog which is a prominent Sony rumor insider has unveiled that the listing also revealed the color options of the wearable. The grabbed screenshots uncovered that the earbuds would be coming in grey and black. For its price, The Walkman Blog spotted that the product would cost 279.90 based on its full description. For those who reside in America, the price tag of Sony's leaked flagship earbuds would reach $340. It's much cheaper compared to its European price counterpart which is equivalent to $350 value. Read Also: AirPods 3 vs Beats Studio Buds: How Good is Apple's True Wireless Earphones Rival? Spec-by-Spec Comparison Rumored Features of Sony WF-1000XM4 The previous leaks mentioned that the flagship earbuds would be coming with an upgraded WF-1000XMM4 physical design together with its new sound processor. Moreover, it would also come with a smaller case and a revamped battery life for the wearable. Furthermore, Android Police reported on Tuesday, Jun.2, that it would also arrive with great mic support for better call quality. Sony WF-1000XM4 would feature bone conduction sensors, as well as 360-degree audio. For those who want to converse clearly with their friends, you can now enjoy listening to more discussion through its adaptive sound control made for pass-through hearing of announcements. There's also nothing to worry about if you want to use it underwater since it is water-resistant. Given its wide array of amazing features, it's understandable if it would come with a hefty price. Its quality could be assumed to be well-built given the important leaks ahead of its launch. In another report by Android Authority, users can now fully utilize its anti-noise cancellation feature which you could turn on during the usage. The battery case might be tiny but it packs some punch through its 16-hour span. For someone who works for the whole day, these expensive buds could be your worthwhile friend for some time. The only thing that we could guarantee at the moment is its pricey value but massive trademarks. Sony has yet to release an announcement about these earbuds soon for the excited users. Its listeners could be hooked up with its features but first, they should consider if it suits their budget. Related Article: Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro Notches Triple-Mic Active Noise Cancellation, Qualcomm Chip, 28-Hour Battery Life, and MORE This article is owned by Tech Times Writen by Joseph Henry 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. NVIDIA on Monday announced the expansion of its GeForce RTX GPU line-up with the addition of two new graphics cards, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti and the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Ti, at its virtual conference in Computex 2021. According to NVIDIA, the RTX 3080 Ti is the new flagship gaming GPU of the GeForce RTX family. The RTX 3080 Ti features the GA102-225 graphics chip containing 10240 CUDA Cores, 80 RT cores, 112 ROPs, and 320 Tensor cores. It is clocked at 1,440 MHz base and 1,665 MHz boost and can draw up to 350 watts of power. Further, the RTX 3080 Ti is equipped with 12 GB of GDDR6X VRAM memory on a 384-bit wide bus and aims for a bandwidth of 912GB/s. It uses the 12-pin PCIe power connector, one HDMI 2.1-out, and three DisplayPort 1.4a-outs. According to NVIDIA, the RTX 3080 Ti I said to be a 50% improvement over the GeForce RTX 2080 Ti and is capable of delivering 34 Shader TLFOPs, 67 RT TFLOPs, and 273 Tensor TFLOPs. With RTX such a huge success, gamers and creators will be thrilled with the performance and features the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti offers, said Jeff Fisher, Senior Vice President of the GeForce business unit at NVIDIA. As the new flagship to the RTX family, the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is the ultimate upgrade for GPU enthusiasts of any generation. On the other hand, the RTX 3070 Ti is also powered by the popular NVIDIA Ampere architecture graphics card. It based on a full GA104 GPU with 6,144 CUDA cores, 48 Ray Tracing cores, 96 Ops, and 192 Tensor cores. Further, the RTX 3070 Ti has a 1.77 GHz boost frequency, 8 GB of GDDR6X VRAM memory with a 256-bit wide bus, and a much wider bandwidth of 608GB/s. It also has a 290W TDP card. The GeForce RTX 3070 Ti is pegged to deliver a 1.5X higher performance than the RTX 2070 Super and a 2X improvement over the GTX 1070 Ti. It can deliver 22 Shader TFLOPS, 42 RT TFLOPS, and 174 Tensor TFLOPS. Both RTX 3080 Ti and RTX 3070 Ti are powered by NVIDIA Ampere architecture. They support NVIDIA DLSS performance-boosting AI, NVIDIA Reflex latency-reduction, NVIDIA Broadcast streaming features, and additional memory, which is said to increase the performance of the most popular creator applications as well. These cards will also include a hash limit for Ethereum cryptocurrency mining. The GeForce RTX 3080 Ti will be available from June 3rd starting at $1,199, with the RTX 3070 Ti available from June 10th starting at $599. NVIDIA Founders Edition cards for both GPUs will be available from various brands like ASUS, Colorful, EVGA, Gainward, Galax, GIGABYTE, Inno3D, MSI, Palit, PNY, Zotac, and more. Spain will allow cruise ships to dock in its ports from June 7, said a report citing the country's transport ministry. Spains maritime authorities approved the reopening because of falling Covid-19 incidence rates and an increase in vaccinations, Euronews reported citing an order in Spains state gazette published on Saturday. Spain banned cruise ships from docking in its ports in June 2020 as the pandemic ripped through Europe. A number of high-profile spreader events were linked to cruise liners around the world., the report said. Shipping companies will have to comply with measures established by the health ministry to guarantee total security, both for cruise passengers and for the cities where they land, the transport ministry tweeted on Saturday. Last week Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced Spain would allow people from anywhere in the world to enter the country from June 7, provided they are vaccinated. Thank you! You've reported this item as a violation of our terms of use. This content was contributed by a user of the site. If you believe this content may be in violation of the terms of use, you may report it. Everyone advised Michael and Paul Mladenka against opening a barbecue restaurant in Port Allen. Barbecue isn't big on the west side of the Mississippi, they were told. Besides, most restaurants in Port Allen are open only for breakfast and lunch, so forget about the idea of staying open late. Twelve years later, you might say the brothers got the last laugh. Cou-Yon's is a success beyond their biggest dreams. "We have lots of customers that we see two or three times a week," said Michael Mladenka. "Many of them that started off as customers are now friends and we do things together. I go fishing with lots of my customers, and our families get together and do things. "Port Allen is a tight-knit community," added Paul Mladenka. "And we've been very blessed." Some might say it's Port Allen that has been blessed, with Cou-Yon's delivering delicious dishes from tender pulled pork, chicken, sausage, brisket and ribs to giant loaded baked potatoes, fried shrimp and smoked meatloaf with a serving of one of Cou-Yon's own barbecue sauces on the side. As to the restaurant's name. "In south Louisiana and southwest Louisiana Cajun country, it's kind of a term of endearment in families," said Michael Mladenka of the take on the Cajun French word coullion. "It was kind of used to describe the crazy uncle or the crazy cousin kind of acting foolish at a Saturday night family gathering. So, that's where the name originally came from." "It's really amazing how many people can relate to it," his brother added. "They come in here and have some story about their aunt or uncle or grandmother or grandfather or whatever. So we would get a lot of people taking pictures with that sign out there." The Mladenkas, who are originally from Shreveport, opened Cou-Yon's in 2009 when Michael was 25 and Paul was 24. They came to Baton Rouge to attend LSU and worked for area restaurants, jobs with which they were familiar. "We worked in a lot of different kinds of restaurants, and we were blessed to get a strong barbecue education at a very young age," Paul Mladenka said. "Our dad's dad was kind of a hobby barbecue maker. We would do fundraisers with him for the church or the fire department, and he taught us when we were literally 5 and 6 years old how to work a big smoker." That included lessons on building a mesquite fire and cooking brisket and pork shoulders for 10 to 12 hours. "We did all this at a very young age," Michael Mladenka said. "And we learned to cook ribs and chicken and sausage. That's always kind of been something that we've done for our families, and we've added the restaurant education that we received working." The eatery initially served only barbecue, but later added seafood when Lent rolled around. "We started doing fried fish and fried shrimp during Lent in the early years, and we figured out very quickly that Lent in south Louisiana on Fridays was going to be a big issue if we didn't get some seafood in here," Michael Mladenka said. "The customers fell in love with it, so we added it to the menu permanently." Then came the loaded baked potatoes. "We've become quite famous for our baked potatoes," Michael Mladenka said. "They are these colossal, jumbo, Idaho baked potatoes that we smoke. We put them on the smoker and then we stuffed them with all of this fantastic meat." So along with butter, cheese, sour cream, onion, jalapeno, bacon and chives, you can top your potato with fried shrimp, brisket, pulled pork or even meatloaf. "Customers come from all over for these potatoes," Paul Mladenka said. "You know, barbecue is one of those things that people really travel for, and we've seen people who are on barbecue tours of the country. But we didn't quite realize how serious people were about their big potatoes. We've had people coming from an hour away just to get a baked potato. So this has exposed us to different clientele." The brothers believe their flexibility in offering a versatile menu has added to their success. "Some people may say, 'I don't like barbecue' or 'I don't eat barbecue' or whatever the case may be," Michael Mladenka said. "So, you start throwing these big, stuffed potatoes in there and this delicious fried fish and shrimp, and all of a sudden there's something on the menu for everybody. And that's been a big part of our success." The restaurant also serves desserts, from blackberry, peach and apple cobblers to bread pudding and double-fudge brownies. And its offerings include frozen margaritas and a selection of beers. In addition to the restaurant, which is open from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, the Mladenkas have a catering division and sell their own line of barbecue sauces and rubs. In 2010, they opened two food trucks, now in permanent locations in Baton Rouge, one on the corner of Burbank Drive and Bluebonnet Boulevard and the second at Acadian Thruway and Perkins Road. The trucks are open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. Though catering dwindled during the coronavirus lockdown, take-out orders at both the Port Allen restaurant and food trucks skyrocketed. "We've been able to provide restaurant quality food in a fast, easy, to-go environment out of the food trucks," Paul Mladenka said. "This has allowed people to grab it and take it home to their families. It makes it very easy on them." As post-pandemic life returns to normal, the brothers are looking to the future, and expansion may be on the horizon. "I think we may consider it at some point," Michael Mladenka said. "The food trucks have just been a really low-risk way for us to expand our product and expand our client base in Baton Rouge, and it's worked really well for us. And so that's something that we're really going to focus on this year and next year." At a recent meeting of the St. James Parish Council meeting, chairman Alvin "Shark" St. Pierre held up a mailer that went throughout his district with his face on it. "St. James Parish deserves better," the flier, paid for by the Protect our Parish group, charges. "Tell Councilman Chairman Alvin St. Pierre: Don't be fooled by Formosa." The flyers, which went out last week for all seven Parish Council members, were slick, professionally produced pieces that are rare in this rural parish's politics. They are emblematic of a pressure campaign against the planned $9.4 billion plastics plant a Formosa Plastics affiliate plans to build there a pressure campaign that is unusual in recent Louisiana history for its intensity, duration and national scope, advocates and observers said. In the past few months, Formosa has faced criticism from the United Nations, the Biden administration, the top members of a U.S. House environmental committee and a group of attorneys general from states in the Northeast. And it has faced years of sustained opposition from local advocates who are backed by regional and national environmental groups. So why has Formosa become such a lightning rod? Some critics and outside observers say Formosa has become an early test case in a battle over the expansion of plastics production in North America, which some environmentalists see as the next front in the battle with 'Big Oil.' And the plant's sheer size 14 individual units on nearly 2,400 acres along the Mississippi has made it a poster child for what a growing progressive movement calls 'a fight for environmental justice,' arguing its emissions would have a disparate impact on poor, minority communities. "It's a real test of the Biden administration and how serious are they are about combating climate change," said Judith Enck, president of Beyond Plastics, an effort based at Bennington College in Vermont to end plastic pollution. But all the outside pressure has not swayed many local leaders so far, including Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat. Since the project was announced in 2018, they have praised the 1,200 permanent jobs it's expected to generate, plus the thousands of temporary construction jobs and other spin-off employment not to mention the tens of millions of dollars in tax revenue. "The entire petrochemical industry is under attack by national environmental activist groups opposed to all industrial development in Louisiana and across the country," Janile Parks, spokeswoman for Formosa affiliate FG LA, said. "While some of these groups continue to spread fear and confusion about The Sunshine Project, FG continues to work alongside citizens and leaders in Louisiana and in St. James Parish to invite cooperation and truth, and to address real concerns." 'Plan B' for the oil industry Facing investor pressure over climate change and the need to prepare for a long-term transition away from the use of oil and gas for energy, major oil companies plan to increase plastics and chemical production as their end product. Steering away from stand-alone refineries like Shell's now-shuttered Convent refinery they are turning to more integrated chemical complexes like Formosa, critics and oil analysts agree. "So plastics production is Plan B for the oil and industry, and Formosa is the poster child for that new situation," Enck said. A former U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regional administrator under President Obama, Enck counts 47 petrochemical facilities build-outs now in permitting in the United States. Twenty are in Louisiana and 16 are in Texas. And Formosa is one of the earliest and biggest. Enck said she is not directly involved in the effort against Formosa but has been watching it closely as a bellwether. By 2050, petrochemicals, of which plastics are a major piece, are expected to constitute nearly 50% of world oil demand growth, the International Energy Agency has estimated. The sector current currently drives about 14% of world oil demand growth. +7 As Biden, other national figures blast "Cancer Alley," some in Louisiana push back With President Joe Biden placing a new focus on climate change and Democrats running both chambers of Congress, some Louisiana industry groups Top stories in Baton Rouge in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Demand for oil overall is expected to recover from the coronavirus pandemic and continue to rise but will head for a plateau by 2040, according to S&P Global Platts. Meanwhile, a combination of fuel efficiency, alternative fuels, electrification and public transportation are expected to cut into the importance of transportation as a source of oil and gas demand, the IEA estimates. Environmental justice David Dismukes, executive director and a professor at the LSU Center for Energy Studies, sees the broad-based effort against Formosa as a sign of the continued sophistication and funding of the progressive movement since President Obama was in office and the pent-up demand for action during President Trump's term. Federal environmental regulators under Trump largely ignored environmentalists. But now that Democrat Joe Biden is in office, they're pressing their advantage, Dismukes said. He called a recent letter from five East Coast state attorneys general, who urged the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to scrutinize closely Formosa's now suspended wetlands permit, an unprecedented step in recent memory. "That is something that took me aback. I mean to have a collective group of attorneys general in other states, essentially, injecting themselves into a sovereign issue in another state is quite unprecedented," Dismukes said. "I mean what if we were all circling up, Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi, in order to file jointly to stop permitting windmills? I mean it's almost the same kind of analogy, not that I would suggest we do that." Democrats urge Biden to revoke permits for big Louisiana plastics plant; Cassidy says butt out The chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources and one of his committee colleagues urged President Joe Biden on Wednesday to "p The attorneys general have argued what happens in Louisiana affects their residents and their states' environment. All five are Democrats from blue states. Nathan McBride, regulatory advisor for the Louisiana Mid-Content Oil and Gas Association, said that opposition is misguided. He argues that it fails to offer alternatives to replace those lost jobs and attacks plastics that are used to create renewable energy sources like solar panels and windmills. The activists fighting Formosa say their efforts aren't as coordinated or well funded as they might appear from the outside and continues to garner local opposition. Julie Teel Simmonds, senior attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity, one of groups that has fought Formosa in court, said their group doesn't know how or why the East Coast attorneys general got involved but was only contacted after the fact, as the letter was being developed. +2 Appeals Court says Baton Rouge judge prematurely ordered new analysis of Formosa plan A three-judge state appellate panel ruled Monday that an East Baton Rouge Parish judge "abused her discretion" when she directed state regulat Simmonds asserted the sheer size and scope of the facility's production and pollution are hard to miss. "I think the plastics element is just like another layer of bad that has raised a lot of attention," she said. Environmental groups and research scientists say we're only starting to understand the damage plastic does to the environment. They point to "garbage patches" on the world's oceans, the Gulf of Mexico and the Mississippi River as countries across the globe are being sent U.S. waste that isn't or can't be recycled here. Creation of the materials also adds greenhouse and toxic gases to the atmosphere, they argue. Major Formosa plastics plant in St. James may cost $12 billion, rating agency estimates Taiwanese giant Formosa Petrochemical Corp. expects its proposed St. James Parish complex could cost more than the $9.4 billion it projected Utah State University research professor Janice Brahney has found microscopic plastic bits from fabrics used in clothing and from other sources are being thrown aloft in the high atmosphere and deposited in soils, which other research has shown can cut into agricultural production. In response to the fliers from Protect Our Parish, several St. James council members say they are contemplating a resolution soon that will re-emphasize their support of Formosa. Parish President Pete Dufresne says he is preparing a letter to President Biden, defending the river region against the "Cancer Alley" moniker the president referenced earlier this year. South Africa: Protecting the most vulnerable Social Development Minister, Lindiwe Zulu, has urged South Africans to protect and promote the rights of minors, as the world celebrates International Childrens Day on Tuesday. Annual International Childrens Day is commemorated together with Child Protection Week, which is underway in South Africa under the theme, Let us all protect children during COVID-19 and beyond. The objective of International Childrens Day is to draw more attention to childrens rights and highlight the progress made towards the realisation, promotion and protection of the rights of children. "The celebration also coincides with the celebration of two milestones of important legal instruments that relate to the rights and best interest of children, the Department of Social Development said. These include the 25-year anniversary of the adoption of South Africas Constitution and the 32nd anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). The Bill of Rights, which is chapter two of the countrys Constitution, serves as the cornerstone of democracy in South Africa, as it promotes the rights to equality, human dignity, life, freedom, security, privacy, freedom of religion, belief, opinion and freedom of expression. In its efforts of protecting children, the department introduced the Childrens Amendment Bill, which is currently in a public hearing process, after which it will be presented before the two Houses of Parliament -- the National Assembly and National Council of Provinces, said the department. The department said the origin of International Childrens Day goes back to 1925, when representatives from different countries met in Geneva, Switzerland, to convene the first World Conference for the Wellbeing of Children. Following the conference, some governments across the world set aside a day as Children's Day to highlight children's rights. The day is also an opportunity to afford children to be aware and access their rights to survival, development, growth and participation. Unfortunately, the protection and access to childrens rights cannot take place if childrens rights are not known and promoted, said the department. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2021-06-01. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Korea's unemployment insurance reserves stood at W10 trillion when President Moon Jae-in took office in 2017 but will have been depleted to a deficit of W2.7 trillion by the end of this year (US$1=W1,110). Spending has outpaced money coming in since 2018, resulting in a cumulative loss of W8.2 trillion until last year while another W4.7 trillion deficit is expected this year. Moon's failed experiment of stimulating private consumption by hiking the minimum wage prompted small businesses to lay off workers, which resulted in the unemployment insurance fund running dry. The government would be lying if it blamed the coronavirus pandemic. The fund started running dry even before that. Last year, the lowest unemployment insurance payout of W1.81 million was higher than the minimum-wage earnings of a non-regular worker putting in 40-hours a week at W1.79 million. It also tapped into the fund for incentive payments for companies to hire young workers and to help businesses cover the shortfall of decreasing working hours. The money for the fund gets taken out of people's wages, and the president treated it like an ATM for his pet policies. The government also failed to supervise the spending of taxpayers' money properly. Over the last five years, 94,000 people received unemployment insurance payments more than three times, and the amount of money they got totaled W480 billion in 2020 alone, up more than twice over the past three years. In other words, a growing number of people got hooked on payouts and repeated the process by having new employers fire them to become eligible for the handouts. But the government failed to identify such delinquents. The pandemic has only compounded the problem. The fund is in danger of going bankrupt without an infusion from the government. According to the Board of Audit and Inspection, 27 out of 61 public funds have suffered annual deficits over the last five years, and five more are apparently at risk of bleeding money by 2024. The national health insurance fund, which used to post a surplus each year, ended up in a deficit since 2018 as a result of Moon's expanded coverage of medical expenses. State-run companies suffered a record W545-trillion deficit in 2020, while the wages of their staff grew by W8 trillion. The public is reeling under the wanton spending practices of a populist president. Malta has published the current travel requirements, stating that a travel ban to and from all red zone countries still applies. Maltese citizens or registered residents currently in these countries and persons who have been granted exceptional approval to travel to or from a red zone by the Superintendent of Public Health, will be given the opportunity to return to Malta, subject to presenting a negative PCR test result for COVID-19, which test is to be taken no longer than 72 hours prior to arrival in Malta; testing on arrival; in addition, 14 days of mandatory quarantine is required and a repeat PCR test must be taken on day 11-12 of quarantine. Current travel requirements applicable to all passengers (aged 5 and over) Any person who travels to Malta, whether by air or by sea, shall prior to boarding and upon arrival provide a completed passenger locator form(PLF) together with a negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) Covid-19 test taken not earlier than 72 hours before arrival in Malta. As from June 1, 2021, a valid Maltese vaccination certificate with clearly visible QR codes can be presented instead of a negative PCR result. Failure to present either, together with a PLF, will result in denied boarding. If upon arrival, any passenger (aged 5 and above) is not in possession of any of the above, the passenger will be subject to a Mandatory PCR test and/or Mandatory quarantine against a fee as per legal notice LN229 of 2021. In brief, the Travel Advice for Malta, as at May 29, 2021 is as follows: Commercial tourism travel to Malta is only permitted from Amber list countries with a negative PCR test result obtained within 72 hours before arrival in Malta A completed Passenger Locator Form(PLF) and a negative PCR test need to be presented to carrier (by air or by sea) offering travel to Malta. Failure of this shall result in denied boarding. A vaccination certificate will only be accepted when; EUs digital Covid passport is in place and functioning Bilateral agreements to accept reciprocal vaccination certification between Malta and other country are signed~ As yet EU Digital Covid Passport and bilateral agreements are not in force Commercial tourism travel from countries on Maltas Red list is not permitted No countries are currently on Maltas Green list As from 1st June 2021, fully vaccinated Maltese nationals or Malta residency permit holders may present Maltese vaccination certificate instead of negative PCR test when returning to Malta. If upon arrival in Malta, any passenger (aged 5 and older) is not in possession of negative PCR result, or a valid Maltese vaccination certificate in case of Maltese nationals and those holding a Maltese residency permit, the passenger will be subject to a mandatory PCR test and/or mandatory quarantine against a fee as per legal notice LN229 of 2021. TradeArabia News Service A former Baton Rouge police officer arrested for the fourth time this year will remain jailed for the foreseeable future after a judge revoked one of his bonds Tuesday and called him an "imminent threat" to the community and himself. State District Judge Christopher Dassau recommended that Jason Acree, 34, undergo counseling and drug treatment while locked up. The 19th Judicial District Court judge said he would consider an alternative plan once Acree is evaluated and treated. Acree's attorney, John McLindon, argued during a bond revocation hearing Tuesday that Acree was a good candidate for house arrest with pretrial supervision and that he would be willing to submit to a 30-day inpatient treatment. "Mr. Acree has been under an incredible amount of stress," McLindon told the judge. But East Baton Rouge Parish First Assistant District Attorney Tracey Barbera countered that Acree's latest arrest which happened Friday in Ascension Parish on drug and gun charges stemming from an alleged drag racing incident shows he violated the conditions of his $30,000 bond that Dassau set in April and that he lacks "self-control." Former BRPD officer arrested for 4th time; troopers say he was drag racing, had drugs, guns Former Baton Rouge police officer Jason Acree, who has already been arrested three times by his BRPD colleagues in recent months amid an ongoi "We are very concerned about Mr. Acree and the danger he poses to society and to himself," she argued. After listening to Barbera's and McLindon's arguments, the judge found that Acree "does pose an imminent threat to the community." And so, he revoked the former officer's bond and ordered him held without bail. Dassau said he did so to protect the community and Acree. Acree had already been arrested three times by BRPD colleagues in recent months amid a corruption probe when he was booked into Ascension Parish jail early Friday after state troopers pulled him over for drag racing on Interstate 10 and found illegal painkillers and three guns inside the car, arrest documents say. Top stories in Baton Rouge in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Acree told troopers he was heading to New Orleans to work a private security job, according to his arrest report. Instead, he was placed under arrest around 12:30 a.m. Friday. Troopers searched his car and found three firearms: a Glock 9mm, another handgun and an assault-style rifle. They also discovered two prescription pill bottles containing oxycodone, a opioid prescription painkiller, and suboxone, a medication often used to treat opioid addiction. Acree was unable to provide prescriptions for either one, according to the report. Acree is being held in Ascension Parish in lieu of $45,000 bail on counts of possession of Schedule II drugs, illegal carrying of weapons with drugs, speeding and reckless driving. Barbera said after court that Acree is being held in isolation in Ascension because of his former law enforcement status. Acree resigned from BRPD last month after his second recent arrest, which came after internal investigators found evidence he stole marijuana from the narcotics evidence room. He had worked as a narcotics detective for several years before his career recently came crashing down. BRPD narcotics officer Jason Acree, accused of stealing drugs from evidence room, resigns After he was arrested twice in recent months and accused of stealing drugs from the evidence room, a narcotics detective resigned Monday from His third arrest involved allegations he lied on a search warrant application, something investigators concluded during an audit. The mounting accusations against Acree come amid a probe into the entire BRPD narcotics unit, which came under scrutiny for several reasons, including his alleged criminal behavior. In addition to Acree, another detective was arrested and later resigned; four supervisors were transferred to street patrols. A prosecutor disclosed Tuesday which of two men will be tried first in the 2015 robbery, beating, kidnapping and strangling of a Highland Road couple in their 70s. Cousins Frank Garcia and Ernesto Alonso are charged with first-degree murder in the slaying of Denis "Bubbie" Duplantier, 71, and Suzanne "Suzy" Duplantier, 70. Their bodies were found in the back seat of their red pickup at a Hammond gas station. Garcia, 53, will be tried first on Sept. 27, East Baton Rouge Parish Assistant District Attorney Dana Cummings told state District Judge Tiffany Foxworth. +3 In 2015 slaying of Highland Road couple, two men get September trial date Two men accused in the 2015 robbery, beating, kidnapping and strangling of a Highland Road couple in their 70s were given a Sept. 27 trial dat Alonso, 48, who did landscaping work for the Duplantiers and lived on other property owned by them, will later be tried separately. Garcia's attorneys have claimed in previously filed documents that he and Alonso have antagonistic defenses, and the lawyers anticipate that Alonso will try to "shift blame from himself to Garcia" at trial. Alonso's white pickup was captured on surveillance video as it followed the couples vehicle into the Petro truck stop, authorities have said. Alonsos truck was later discovered at Garcias residence in Hollywood, Florida. Top stories in Baton Rouge in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up +6 Two cousins accused in abductions, murders of high-profile Duplantier couple plead not guilty in 1st Baton Rouge court appearance With a large group of family and friends of the victims looking on, two men accused in the robbery, abduction and strangling of an elderly Hig A safe inside the Duplantier home was found open, with cash missing. Blood was located in several rooms. Authorities believe the two men entered the Duplantier home and beat them to get the information needed to open the safe. A large amount of cash and a number of unspecified items believed stolen from the home were found at Garcias home in Florida, authorities said. Prosecutors announced in 2016 they would not seek the death penalty against either man after discussions with the victims' families. They face mandatory sentences of life in prison if convicted as charged. Issues with lawyers, evidence and appeals have scuttled previous trial dates in the case. Purchases made via links on our site may earn us an affiliate commission As Formosa Plastics has moved gradually toward construction of a $9.4 billion chemical complex in northwestern St. James Parish, the No Formosa signs that once protested the plants arrival along River Road have been replaced with No Trespassing signs from Formosa affiliate FG LA LLC, which is building the complex. LAKE CHARLES By the time Clara Gaines made it back home, the nearly waist-high water outside was already flooding her house. Shoes and toys drifted out toward the front yard when she opened the door, as if theyd been tossed into a bayou. She grabbed whatever clothes she could and floated them in plastic containers toward her car and her sons truck parked nearby. It was like a movie, Gaines, 54, said of the May 17 flood while back at the house on a recent day, dressed in the scrubs from her hospital job. When we opened the door, everything was rushing out of there. I was like, Catch it! Gaines, her daughter and two of her grandchildren squeezed temporarily into another familys trailer before moving in with relatives. They are among the many struggling through a shortage of affordable housing in the Lake Charles area. Her daughter has a voucher from the Lake Charles Housing Authority to move into another two-bedroom home, but so far they havent found one available. Last years two hurricanes badly worsened an already-scarce affordable housing market, a shortage compounded by this months floods. One official says the problem is becoming a crisis, keeping some of the displaced from returning and leaving others who have come back in a scramble for shelter. Even before last years hurricanes, workers linked to the regions expanding petrochemical and energy sector had helped drive up rent prices, leaving affordable housing in short supply, local officials say. Around half of the homes in Calcasieu Parish received hurricane damage ranging from light to complete destruction, according to a study by McKinsey & Co., a consultant. The recent flooding was a knockout blow for some residences that had still been livable. Poor hit hardest The loss of so much low-income housing has taken the biggest toll on renters and the working poor, many of whom have also had to deal with pandemic-related furloughs and layoffs. But homeowners have felt the squeeze as well since they have had to find temporary places to live while haggling with insurers over repair costs a process that, for many, continues nine months after Hurricane Laura. What kinds of permanent demographic changes could be in store for Lake Charles -- given the number of people still displaced and the possibility that a certain percentage may never return -- is a question that may take much longer to answer. Southwest Louisianas plight has nonetheless received little notice outside the region, and local officials have grown desperate in trying to draw attention to their needs following Hurricane Laura, the strongest storm to hit Louisiana in more than 150 years, and Delta, a Category 2 storm that took a similar path only about six weeks later. I think the word that I would use is that its serious, Tarek Polite, director of human services for Calcasieu Parish, said of the housing crunch. Its definitely a serious issue, and I dont know whether or not the word crisis is appropriate, but if its not, its approaching a crisis for the most part. So basically if something is not done very soon, its going to force many people to have to move away, move to other communities, certainly in the short term. Julia Dozier, 90, and her tiny dog Gigi had been living around the corner from Gaines in a public housing development of one-story duplexes in southern Lake Charles. They were among the few still residing in the complex after the damage from last years hurricanes. Much of the area now has a post-apocalyptic feel, with houses damaged and abandoned, blue tarps covering roofs and grass growing wildly. A pickup truck with its windshield smashed remains parked outside of one, and ruined personal belongings and furniture are still piled at curbsides. Doziers roof was damaged by Laura, but it was patched and she returned. Only recently though, she and others left in the neighborhood received notices saying they would have to leave to allow repairs to hurricane damage to take place. It wouldnt end up mattering. On May 17, floodwater inundated the neighborhood, and Dozier barely managed to grab her dog as the water began entering her home. A relative drove up to the house in a school bus to rescue her. Shes now staying with her son, but its a tight fit. Her son and his wife gave up their bedroom for her and they share a room with their grandson. Doziers duplex is unlivable. The water inside of it rose ankle-high, a line now marked by black mold on the walls. Water entered through the doors as well as the ceiling that had been patched. Old family photos were among the casualties. Her family is hoping FEMA will provide her with a trailer on her sons property. Dozier and a daughter-in-law and grandson were back at her old home recently clearing out her belongings. That water was coming in like a wave, said Dozier, who also remembers surviving Hurricane Audrey in 1957 and remains alert and capable, preferring to live on her own. Beyond her son and his wife needing the space, the move marked a major change for her when youre used to being by yourself. A growing shortage Lake Charles news in your inbox Once a week we'll send you the top stories we find in the Lake Area e-mail address * Sign Up Advocates for affordable housing and local officials who oversee such programs agree on the need for more housing stock. Ben Taylor, director of the Lake Charles Housing Authority, said his agencys public housing was down around 30% due to the storms, and the portfolio of apartments rented out through the Section 8 program were reduced by around a quarter. Polite, whose agency oversees Section 8 units outside the city limits, said around 100 or so of its apartments were damaged, though some of those have since been repaired. The agency was down to around 300 Section 8 units for a variety of reasons, though its budgeted for 574, he said. Its waiting list is currently between 60-70 households. Data from 2019 in the McKinsey housing study shows that nearly half of 23,000 renting households were considered rent-burdened, meaning they spent at least 30% of their income on housing. It said that women, the elderly and African-Americans were the most likely to be in that situation. +9 Lake Charles reels from historic flooding; 18 inches of rain strands residents, floods homes LAKE CHARLES - This city tallied its losses from one of the worst floods in its history on Tuesday after powerful thunderstorms dumped up to 1 Nonprofit leaders say demand for assistance has shot up since the storms. Charla Blake, executive director of Project Build a Future, which assists with home purchasing among other projects, calls the need for affordable housing astronomical. When you look at how many homes were damaged and how many of those were rental properties, and you look at the sections of town in which some of the rebuilding is not going on because either those owners or renters were under- or not insured, then you hit a population that was already strapped to begin, she said. Thanks to the pandemic, Blake said, you have a population that has been hit two and three times in the last year. Section 8 vouchers have included what is known as portability, allowing residents to move anywhere they could find suitable housing. Some ended up as far away as Colorado and Illinois, said Taylor. He spoke of the difficulties beyond the practical struggle to rebuild. If you lose everything, you lose everything. It sets you back, he said. Youre dealing with not only the physical damage Im not a real touchy-feely person, but theres things that you have happen that you just go, Damn, what did we do to deserve this? It all raises questions about the future of the regions population. The Lake Charles population in 2010 was around 72,000, making it Louisianas fifth-largest city, and census data through 2019 estimated it at around 78,000. The racial mix was 44% White and 48% Black. +8 Tired of crying: Lake Charles residents say insurance companies delaying storm recovery SULPHUR - Robin Baudoin rode out Hurricane Laura in her house, taking cover in a bathroom with her daughter and two others, along with nine ca Calcasieu Parish, meanwhile, had an estimated population of 203,000, with a breakdown of 67% White and 26% Black. But that was before the pandemic, the hurricanes, a harsh winter storm in February and the recent flooding. Lake Charles estimates around 3,000 people remain displaced nine months after Laura and a recent analysis by The New York Times found Lake Charles had lost around 6.7% of its population in 2020 the highest of any metro area in the nation. It is unclear how many of those people may have since returned. Temporary shelter FEMA has provided 2,145 households with temporary housing like travel trailers and mobile homes; another 373 have been approved and are still waiting to move in. The agency says ensuring sites for mobile homes meet specifications has caused much of the delay. We were lucky to get a call for him, said Shermier Owens, 49, as she and her husband arrived at a Lake Charles RV park to have a look at a trailer being supplied for Jeffrey Babcock, whose apartment was destroyed by Laura. Babcock, a 48-year-old with special needs whom they care for, had been staying with the Owenses, making for a total of seven people in their three-bedroom home. There is a strong will among locals to build back, but officials and residents say its too much to do alone. Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter has argued in favor of federal assistance for something resembling the post-Katrina Road Home program, which could help fill the gap between what residents get from insurance companies and what they need to rebuild. In the meantime, residents like Gaines say they are about at the end of their rope. Laura made her public housing unit unlivable, so she moved in with her daughter and her two children. Her daughters home flooded this month. Mold grows on the walls inside that home; piles of clothes and furniture sit among mildew waiting to be moved. A family picture from Chuck E Cheese still adorns the refrigerator. We make a way, Gaines said when asked how all seven people fit in the trailer where they had been staying as a punishing sun beat down on a recent afternoon. Im trying to keep it positive. You got to do what youve got to. Tinder, as of last month, is attempting to make users think twice before sending potentially offensive or inappropriate messages with a prompt it calls simply Are You Sure? Artificial-intelligence technology scans messages sent by a user and if it detects harmful language, a prompt pops up asking them to reconsider sending. Its just so crude, says Mary. Theyre so direct. And Im not prudish but when they ask for your bra size before saying hello, you know youre not onto a winner. This is the charming opening gambit received by Tinder user Mary from a potential suitor. (Mary is not her real name, she wishes to remain anonymous). In the hall-of-shame collection of poor or unsolicited behaviour shes faced on the app, she says shes been approached by married men, offered threesomes and most recently was hit up by a man who had lost his job in the pandemic and was offering paid-for massages for women working from home with, ahem, added extras. Tinder says early testing showed the prompt reduced potentially offensive messages by more than 10 per cent. It also says members who saw the prompt were less likely to be reported over the following month, meaning it could influence improved behaviour not just once, but on a continuing basis. Are You Sure? follows its Does This Bother You? prompt introduced last year that screens received messages, which it says has boosted reporting by 46 per cent. Tinders Are You Sure? feature has been rolled out in Australia US, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, UK, Ireland and Japan, and will be available in additional markets in the coming months. Tales of poor behaviour on dating apps are, of course, common and Marys experience is thankfully relatively tame against more serious offences like harassment, abuse and threats of violence. A study by the US Pew Research Centre found in women aged 18-34 using dating apps, 57 per cent had been sent an unsolicited sexually explicit message or image, 44 per cent had been called an offensive name and 19 per cent had faced threats of physical harm (the corresponding statistics for men were 28 per cent, 23 per cent and 9 per cent). Policing dating apps has always been problematic, but as they continue to evolve, operators are stepping up measures to offer protection where they can. Last year, Bumble introduced a function where messages dont automatically disappear if someone is unmatched meaning if theres poor behaviour, it can still be reported. In January, it launched an online Safety and Wellbeing Centre, a resource hub for support and guidance on dealing with instances like abuse or catfishing. It also uses AI to screen behaviour from hate speech and harassing language to automatically blurring unsolicited nude photos. Another app, Hinge, says it is continuously boosting algorithms to pick up poor behaviour and has hired additional content moderators to identify and report harm at a faster pace. As Victoria battles through yet another wave of coronavirus infections and an attendant lockdown that depressingly looks likely to last for not one but two or more weeks, what are we learning? Were definitely experiencing a profound stress test of our federal form of government the division of responsibilities between a state and the Commonwealth. After everything Australians have endured since early 2020, are we one country or still a bunch of stand-alone former colonies? Its hard to say after the federal government point-blank refused to contribute to the Victorian governments financial package for businesses during the current lockdown. Victorias acting Premier James Merlino addresses the media. Credit:Getty Just to recap: last year we were supposedly all Australians, in this together and so on, and the Morrison government stumped up national financial supports including the JobKeeper wage substitution scheme. In 2021, the pandemic continues. The virus is more virulent than ever. The situation is so serious that our international border is closed tight. For a while it was an offence for Australians to try to come here from India. And yet a seven-day lockdown in the second-biggest state, which accounts for a quarter of the nations economy, doesnt warrant extra federal expenditure at least not yet. The word out of the federal government is that states now must support themselves and be accountable for their own actions during lockdowns. Or something. Mumbai, Jun 1 (UNI) Maharashtra Minister for Minorities Nawab Malik on Tuesday informed that an order has been issued by the MVA state government to benefit the Maratha community in Economical Weaker Section (EWS). In his official press statement, Mr Malik stated that those community does not get the benefit of reservation in any class will get the benefit in EWS. Mr Malik also said that those whose income is less than Rs 8 lakh p.a. will benefit from this decision. The reservation given to the Maratha community has been cancelled by the Supreme Court and now the case under judicial. Therefore, the poor Maratha class will now be able to take advantage of this decision taken by the state government. The state government has issued this order for this which will bring some relief to the Maratha community. Across the country, only 10 per cent reservation has been given to the EWS. Those castes who do not get the benefit of reservation can avail the benefit of EWS. Mr Malik clarified that the state government has issued the order as it will benefit the poor Maratha people till a decision is taken on Maratha reservation. It may noted that the government order (GO) to this effect was issued by the General Administration Department (GAD). UNI VKB NV GK 1232 Perth and Brisbane have also had short snap lockdowns following hotel quarantine breaches, however nothing like the 112-day lockdown that Melbourne endured last year. Epidemiologist Professor Tony Blakely from the University of Melbourne said that poor contact tracing a reason given for Victorias earlier lockdowns no longer applied. The contact tracing going on in Victoria is phenomenal, its mind-blowing, he said. The level of testing that were seeing in Victoria is phenomenal, they cant be explanations for why its not going as well in Victoria. Melbourne in the middle of its fourth lockdown on June 1. Credit:Eddie Jim Loading That view was shared by Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly, who told a Senate estimates committee on Tuesday that contact tracing had improved in Victoria. In contrast to last year, Victoria has been very rapid in its ... understanding of the outbreak, he said. The Victorian government has also defended its recent contact tracing efforts, citing the speed of transmission of the Indian variant of COVID-19 as a major factor for implementing the latest lockdown. Professor Blakely said that the NSW approach of being slower to go into lockdown and quicker to come out would not be as successful with the latest variant. Last year, the virus was spreading from one person to 2.5 people without any restrictions, he said. The Indian variant was closer to 3.5 or four, he said. Were dealing with a more infectious virus, he said. Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video Evidence from the UK suggests the variant is about as infectious as the British variant which led to Victorias lockdown in February. Acting Premier James Merlino said last week that the virus was spreading from one person to another within 24 hours. Something that moves that quickly, I think other states would struggle with this, even NSW, said Deakin Universitys Professor Catherine Bennett. While the Indian variant may be one explanation, there could be others too. One possible reason given for Victorias lockdown woes is the way people move about Melbourne. The current list of more than 320 exposure sites includes locations all across the city, while postcode data shows there are active cases in Melbournes north, west and south-east. Victorias acting Premier, James Merlino, centre, has levelled blame for the states latest outbreak on the federal government. Credit:Getty In outbreak management, you have to look not just at the case numbers and the speed at which the cases are travelling, but also human behaviour and location, said UNSW epidemiologist Professor Mary-Louise McLaws. Location is really important because in Victoria people are highly connected. Its a city that is easy to get around. You have to take that into account. People travel widely. Sydney is highly congested, the public transport is patchy. And people often dont like moving outside their work or home zone. Professor Blakely said Victorias colder climate could be another factor although it wasnt the only one. Victoria will be locked down for at least seven days. Credit:Eddie Jim It is reasonable to hypothesise that Victoria has different social movement patterns because of the way our city is laid out and a different climate means were inside more often, Professor Blakely said. These things are possible but theyre not the whole part of it. Something that cant easily be measured is the role chance has played. And Victoria has had plenty of bad luck. For a start, the latest outbreak began after the virus spread in hotel quarantine in South Australia. And there is the matter of one of the earliest cases potentially being symptomatic in the community for 12 days before getting tested. Theres still this high chance variation, which is just how the virus plays out, said Professor Blakely. Were you unlucky to have a super spreader who went to several suburbs? If all of those happen youve got dynamite on your hands. Another question is why authorities have chosen to lock down the entire state, rather than just metropolitan Melbourne. Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton has said that doing so would mean people would try and escape restrictions by fleeing to regional Victoria. The same logic appears to apply to localised lockdowns. Melbourne attempted to ring-fence specific suburbs last July, but it wasnt successful. Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton (left) has said that people would try to escape restrictions if Melbourne was locked down. Credit:Getty Asked at a media briefing on Monday why Victoria was the capital for outbreaks and lockdowns, Mr Merlino said it was an unfair question. Lets remember that this outbreak that we are dealing with right now originated from a hotel quarantine breach in South Australia. Thats a fact, he said. Loading Now, Ive said we would not be in this position, we would be in a very different world if we had a successful rollout of the Commonwealths vaccination program. It would be a very different world if we had alongside hotel quarantine, alternative quarantine arrangements for our highest risk cohorts that travel in from overseas. But we dont have that. This public health announcement is brought to you by a paranoid hypochondriac. The paranoid hypochondriac me got the AstraZeneca jab six days ago and must now endure 22 days before being reasonably confident she wont be struck with the potentially lethal, if ultra-rare, blood-clotting side effect. Ill cut to the punchline (though, to be frank, for those in lockdown its not like you have anywhere else to be): as self-help queen Susan Jeffers famously put it, feel the fear and do it anyway. Or, if youre like me, dont just feel the fear but name it, own it, bloody wallow in it. People queue for the COVID-19 vaccine at the Sunshine Hospital vaccination hub. Credit:Scott McNaughton This fear, of being among the roughly six in a million AZ recipients who develop the unnervingly alliterative thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome, is a major reason we Victorians find ourselves in Lockdown 4.0. As Acting Premier James Merlino said repeatedly in recent days, we would not be in this position if our vaccination rates were much higher than they are. Workers forced to stand down during pandemic lockdowns would receive a $3000 disaster recovery payment under a proposal from a key social services group to end a political impasse over federal help for those in need during restrictions in Victoria or other states. The Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) wants eligibility for the federal payment to be expanded beyond victims of events such as fires and floods to include thousands of workers who lose paid work hours during shutdowns but do not qualify for unemployment benefits. ACOSS CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie says the proposal would ensure payments were fast-tracked to people who needed them. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen Its push to put the disaster recovery payment on the agenda at Fridays national cabinet meeting comes as Treasurer Josh Frydenberg rebukes the Victorian government for asking the Commonwealth to match $250 million in state support for businesses affected by the latest lockdown. Mr Frydenberg told the Coalition party room on Tuesday the Victorian government had engaged in a desperate smear against the federal government after its funding request was denied. A breastfeeding ban in the West Australian Parliaments lower house has been binned by the states first female speaker Michelle Roberts. Previously the interpretation of the rules for how to behave in the chamber meant strangers, including babies, were not allowed on the floor of the house where politicians debated new laws. WA Parliaments first female speaker Michelle Roberts has declared breastfeeding will be allowed in the lower house. Credit:The West Australian/Kelsey Reid A report by the lower houses procedures and privileges committee in 2018 recommended breast and bottle feeding be allowed in a trial but a debate in 2019 to change the chambers rules so babies being breastfed were not considered strangers was abandoned when the governments legislative agenda became clogged. Mrs Roberts told the lower house at the start of proceedings on Tuesday that the 41st Parliament would permit children being breastfed and there was no need to change the rules, just the interpretation of them. Singapore: Cambodia has indicated a desire to shift out of the shadow of Chinese patronage and pursue a closer relationship with the United States amid a landmark visit to Phnom Penh by US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman. Increasingly viewed as a vassal of China in its pursuit of regional hegemony, there are signs emerging of discomfort from within the one-party south-east Asian nation about its over-dependence on the superpower. Cambodias Prime Minister Hun Sen has made no apology for accepting Chinese investment. Credit:AP The visit of Sherman, scheduled for Tuesday, coincided with a column from Cambodias state-owned news agency highlighted on social media by Prime Minister Hun Sen. It said it was time for the US and Cambodia, in Chinas shadow, to reset ties. At the same time, Cambodian Defence Minister Tea Banh defended Beijings financial backing for the upgrading of its naval base in Sihanoukville, slamming claims China would in return be given priority access to the key strategic port on the Gulf of Thailand. London: The World Health Organisation has approved the Sinovac Biotech coronavirus vaccine for emergency use, only the second time a non-Western and Chinese vaccine has been given the green light to fight COVID-19. Last month the WHO approved Chinas Sinopharm vaccine for emergency use. Early on Wednesday morning, it validated the vaccine branded CoronaVac in some regions, meaning it can be distributed through the COVAX facility to the developing world. A health worker prepares to administer a dose of the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine in Bangkok last week. Credit:Bloomberg The WHO said it should be given in two doses, separated by two to four weeks, to all adults. The organisation said the vaccine prevented symptomatic disease in 51 per cent of those vaccinated the lowest efficacy recorded of all vaccines approved so far. But it found the shot prevented severe COVID-19 and hospitalisation in 100 per cent of the studied population. Real-world data is showing it may be far more effective. Indonesia said a study of 120,000 healthcare workers given the vaccine showed it was 94 per cent effective at preventing symptomatic disease, 96 per cent against hospitalisation and 98 per cent against death. But the walkout in Texas is likely only a fleeting victory: Republican Governor Greg Abbott, who had declared new voting laws a priority in Texas, barely waited for every Democrat to flee the House floor before declaring that he would order a special session to finish the job. And hes already begun punishing lawmakers, saying on Monday that he would veto the part of the state budget that funds legislators salaries. Docking Democrats pay in retribution: Texas Governor Greg Abbott. Credit:AP No pay for those who abandon their responsibilities, Abbott tweeted. He has not said when he will drag lawmakers back to work. I understand why they were doing it, said Republican state Representative Briscoe Cain, who carried the bill in the House. But we all took an oath to Texans that we would be here to do our jobs. Coming in at 67 pages long, the Texas bill would have reduced polling hours, empowered poll watchers and scaled back ways to vote. It included a ban on drive-through voting centres and 24-hour polling places, both of which were used last year around Houston, reflecting how Republicans went after Texas largest Democratic stronghold. Many were ideas that Democrats had spent months fighting, but they protested that others were added in at the last minute. That included not just new early voting for Sunday but also a provision that could make it easier to overturn an election. A group opposing new voter legislation gather outside the House Chamber at the Texas Capitol. Credit:AP Under the bill, a judge could void a candidates victory if the number of fraudulent votes cast could change the outcome, regardless of whether it was proved that the fraud actually had affected the result. Its the sort of provision that could allow a favourable judge to side with a candidate who makes broad claims of fraud with little specific evidence as Trump did with virtually no success. Democrats and voting groups were particularly alarmed about it because the GOP has continued to embrace Trump even after he tried to overturn the 2020 election on phony claims of extensive fraud. Hours before the vote was set to take place on Sunday, Democrats packed into a back room with Republican House Speaker Dade Phelan. State Representative Nicole Collier, the chair of the Legislative Black Caucus, speaks at a news conference at the Texas Capitol against the voting restrictions. Credit:AP We werent getting satisfactory answers about why the bill had gotten so much worse, Democratic state Representative Gina Hinojosa said. Most of us walked away from that meeting understanding that this was our only option. But even before then, Hinojosa said, momentum toward a walkout was building. She said a meeting of black and Hispanic lawmakers in the House made clear there was an anger, a sadness, an intolerance about letting the bill pass. Another option was running out the clock but that carried more risk: Hinojosa said Democrats received word that any effort to filibuster the bill would lead to Republicans cutting off debate and holding a vote. It was the first time in nearly 20 years that Democrats had staged a quorum break in Texas. The meltdown of the Texas bill was a rare victory for Democrats in a year that has seen 14 states enact new laws tightening voting restrictions, according to the Brennan Centre for Justice, a voting rights group. These laws have typically been muscled through by Republican-controlled state legislatures and signed swiftly by GOP governors. The Democrats potential remedy to the wave of restrictions a sweeping national voting bill is bogged down in Congress. London: Britain recorded no new deaths within 28 days of a positive COVID-19 test on Tuesday. The last time Britain recorded no deaths was in March 2020, before the country had entered its first lockdown. The figure on Tuesday relates to how many deaths have been reported and it comes after a national holiday on Monday - a factor which has in the past skewed the data. Good news: Britains Health Minister Matt Hancock. Credit:AP The whole country will be so glad there were no COVID-related deaths recorded yesterday, Health Minister Matt Hancock said in a statement, adding that the vaccines were clearly working. But despite this undoubtedly good news we know we havent beaten this virus yet, and with cases continuing to rise please remember hands, face, space and let in fresh air when indoors, and of course, make sure when you can you get both jabs. Jordan Fisher will return to the Broadway production of Dear Evan Hansen when it resumes its run at the Music Box Theatre on December 11. Fisher confirmed on Good Morning America today that he would once again lead the company as Evan Hansen, alongside the company that was appearing in the show when theaters shut down. Further casting details are still to be confirmed. Dear Evan Hansen features a book by Tony Award winner Steven Levenson, a score by Oscar winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, and direction by Michael Greif. The production has choreography by Danny Mefford, scenic design by David Korins, projection design by Peter Nigrini, costume design by Emily Rebholz, lighting design by Japhy Weideman, sound design by Nevin Steinberg, and hair design by David Brian Brown. Music supervision, orchestrations, and additional arrangements are by Alex Lacamoire. Ben Cohn is the Associate Music Supervisor. Dear Evan Hansen is described as follows: "A letter that was never meant to be seen, a lie that was never meant to be told, a life he never dreamed he could have. Evan Hansen is about to get the one thing he's always wanted: a chance to finally fit in." The third year of the show's North American tour will kick off on December 7, 2021 in Greensboro, North Carolina, visiting more than 30 cities across the United States and Canada during the 2021-22 season. Tickets are on sale now, with casting for both productions still to be confirmed. The opening date is subject to the approval of the New York State Department of Health and the governor, and the production anticipates that masks will be required for all patrons and front-of-house staff. Additionally, audience members may need to provide proof of vaccination or negative Covid test. Exact regulations are still to be determined. Read our interview with Jordan FIsher about playing Evan Hansen here. Van Buren, AR (72956) Today A few isolated thunderstorms developing overnight under partly cloudy skies. Low 74F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight A few isolated thunderstorms developing overnight under partly cloudy skies. Low 74F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, left, watches as Gov. Gov. Claudia Pavlovich of Mexico's Sonora state signs an agreement to a cross-border plan to provide natural gas to Asia. Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018, at the Capitol in Phoenix. Up for debate: Live legislation tracker Check out the latest developments on bills pending before state lawmakers in four key topics. An elderly woman takes a stroll to the shoreline at sunset in Cape May, New Jersey In this Jan. 21, 2020, file photo, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham gives her State of the State address during the opening of the New Mexico legislative session in the House chambers at the state Capitol in Santa Fe, N.M. Imani Williams sanitizes tables June 29, 2020, at Junior's Restaurant in New York City, during a time period when the Brooklyn restaurant was open for takeout service and outdoor dining only. Staff Reporter Nyamekye Daniel has been a journalist for five years. She was the managing editor for the South Florida Media Network and a staff writer for The Miami Times. Daniel's work has also appeared in the Sun-Sentinel, Miami Herald and The New York Times. Scott Centorino is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Government Accountability and a graduate of Wake Forest University School of Law. Crew members move along Pittsburgh's Fourth Avenue on Aug. 12, 2011, directing special vehicles being driven during a filming session for the Batman movie "The Dark Knight Rises." WYO-Gold Student Association Names Harris Teacher of the Year at UW McKensie Harris An assistant lecturer in the University of Wyoming College of Agriculture and Natural Resources has received the Teacher of the Year Award from the WYO-Gold student organization of the UW Alumni Association. McKensie Harris, in the Department of Animal Science, was recognized for providing engaging instruction in food and meat science courses. McKensie Harris is an outstanding professional who is doing a wonderful job in teaching, extension, service and advising in the department, says Bledar Bisha, interim head of the Department of Animal Science. She contributes to many core and specialty courses, both as a primary instructor and as a guest lecturer. Harris grew up near Laramie and received her undergraduate degree from UW. She earned her graduate degree in meat science from Texas A&M University and returned to UW as an instructor. Her departmental colleagues appreciate her hard work and sustained effort to advance our missions as well as her continuous desire to learn and improve professionally, Bisha says. Ms. Harris has quickly established and demonstrated her leadership qualities, and put them to great use in the betterment of a variety of programs in the Department of Animal Science, and we are honored to have her in our ranks. She is very deserving of this award. Update Also Set for Income Guidelines Monthly benefits for the families participating in the Wyoming WIC Program, which is operated by the Wyoming Department of Health (WDH), will see a significant temporary boost over the next few months. The Wyoming WIC Program is also known as the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children Program. Its a joint federal and state government effort under the USDA that provides nutritious foods and education, breastfeeding support and healthcare referrals for income-eligible women who are pregnant or postpartum, infants and children up to age 5. All caregivers are welcome to receive help from the program including dads, foster parents, guardians, grandparents and step-parents. Through September 30, the fruit and vegetable voucher included as one part of WIC benefits has been increased to $35/month per participant from the standard $9/month for children and $11/month for women. The increase was included in the federal American Rescue Plan Act approved earlier this year. Melissa Stehwien, WIC program manager with WDH, said, Providing even more nutritious, delicious fruits and vegetables (fresh or frozen) during the peak growing season than we already offer can both promote healthier living and help to reduce food insecurity. Qualifying income guidelines for the program will also be updated July 1. Wyoming WIC serves families with incomes up to 185 percent of the federal poverty income guidelines. New guidelines include: 1 person family -$23,828/year or $1,986/month 2 person family -$32,227/year or $2,686/month 3 person family -$40,626/year or $3,386/month 4 person family -$49,025/year or $4,086/month 5 person family -$57,424/year or $4,786/month Families already using SNAP, TANF or Wyoming Medicaid benefits also qualify for WIC. There is no established limit to the number of eligible participants WIC can serve. Stehwien said the new guidelines may help a few more families be eligible and encouraged people to apply as soon as possible. Wyoming residents can find out if they are eligible for WIC by going to signupwic.com. For families who participate in WIC, we offer healthy food as well as shopping ideas, Stehwien said. The support we can provide for new moms and families with young children can promote healthier starts. Wyoming WIC continued offering benefits and services to program clients throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. WIC clinics are located throughout the state and can be found by using the Clinic Locator online at https://health.wyo.gov/publichealth/wic/ or by calling 1-888-996-9378 to be routed to a local clinic. Normal, IL (61790) Today Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 66F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 66F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. RENSSELAER - Mary Ellen Murin, of Rensselaer, formerly of West Oneonta, passed away on Thursday, June 10, 2021. She was 88 years old. Mary Ellen was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey. She graduated from Linden High School, Linden, New Jersey in 1950. She attended Trenton State Teachers College i Click the image to the left and log in to get your exclusive reader perks. Francisco A.J. Camacho of Friendsville is an undergraduate student at George Washington University, writes for The GW Hatchet, and has contributed to The Tennessean in Nashville and The Daily Times. He welcomes responses, comments and questions at P.O. Box 363, Friendsville, TN 37737. Adriana Cohen is off this week. The writer this week is Tim Graham, director of media analysis at the Media Research Center and executive editor of the blog NewsBusters.org. INSET: (Courtesy of McDonald Fire Department Social Organization); (Courtesy of Diz Dean via McDonald Fire Department Social Organization) 100-Year-Old Fire Engine in Rough Shape Gets Revamped for Ohio Fire Department A century-old fire engine that had seen better days has been refurbished for the local fire department in McDonald, Ohio. The fire enginea 100-year-old 1917 Model Twas decommissioned, left in a garage for many years, and was in rough shape. McDonalds now-retired fire chief Todd Stitt enlisted the help of Larry Manaro, a local mechanic, to fix up the fire engine. Manaro, with assistance from Kevin Prus, Pro Image Sign Company in Youngstown, and Snyders Antique Parts, took a whole year to refurbish the engine. Now, it looks like new. It is an accomplishment that you take it from nothing and you make into something, and people like to see it and enjoy looking at it, Manaro told CBS. The Model T fire truck was originally a donation to the village of McDonald from Carnegie Steel in 1920, which saw the fire departments establishment. Larry Manaro standing next to the refurbished 1917 Model T fire engine. (Courtesy of Diz Dean via McDonald Fire Department Social Organization) Share your stories with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.com, and continue to get your daily dose of inspiration by signing up for the Epoch Inspired newsletter at TheEpochTimes.com/newsletter Workers examine ballots cast in Maricopa County in the 2020 election during an audit at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix, Ariz., on May 6, 2021. (Matt York/AP Photo) 50 Percent of Maricopa County Ballots Have Been Counted in 2020 Audit Over 1 million ballots have been counted in the 2020 election audit in Arizonas largest county, officials announced Monday. Great election audit news! We surpassed counting 50 [percent] of the Maricopa ballots last week, the Arizona Senates liaison for the audit announced in a statement. Nearly 2.1 million ballots were cast last year in Maricopa County. The progress on counting has quickened, with over 200,000 ballots counted since May 27. The audit, which started in April, includes reviewing the ballots in addition to machines used in the election. The audit was ordered by the Arizona Senate, which is controlled by Republicans. It is taking place at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix. Auditors currently expect to be done by the end of June. Former Arizona Republican Secretary of State Ken Bennett, the liaison for the audit, acts as the go-between for the Senate and the audit team. Bennetts team also announced Sunday that there will be a third shift added to the review as of June 1. Auditors have for weeks been trying to add another shift but had struggled to onboard enough people to fill the slots required to man a third shift. Kelli Ward, chairwoman of the Arizona GOP, said the progress in the audit is in large part due to more volunteer counters in place. Attacks on the audit have never waned. We can only expect them to continue and to ramp up considerably as we get closer to the end of ballot counting, she said in a video statement. Republicans generally support the audit while Democrats generally oppose it. Maricopa County ballots cast in the 2020 general election are examined and recounted by contractors working for Florida-based company, Cyber Ninjas, at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix, Ariz., on May 6, 2021. (Matt York/AP Photo) Democrats tried to block the process but a judge ruled against them saying they had not presented substantive proof of security and privacy allegations. Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, has told Maricopa County not to use any machines that were audited in the future. The ballot counting update came after officials said the Arizona Senate is considering hiring a California-based nonprofit to analyze ballot images in order to create a third set of numbers to compare to the original tabulation and the one that will come from the hand count at the coliseum. Bennett told The Epoch Times that the firm, Citizens Oversight, was brought to the attention of the Senate by John Brakey, a Democrat who co-founded Audit USA and is working as Bennetts assistant during the audit. A contract is not finalized as of yet. Pro-Palestinian protesters march in the streets during a violent clash with Israel supporters and police in Times Square in New York City on May 20, 2021. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images) Anti-Semitism: The Haters Have Changed, but the Hatred Hasnt Commentary Its been a difficult time of late for Jews everywhere. CombatAntiSemitism.org (CAM) reports that anti-Semitic incidents in the UK have increased 600 percent, while dozens of alarming incidents have taken place in Berlin, Paris, Brussels, Rome, Vienna, and across North America. Canadian Jews have been profoundly shaken by a level of expressive anti-Semitismgenocidal rhetoric, rock-throwing, physical assaultsthat Europe has known for decades but that we havent experienced before. Israel isnt the issue, thats crystal clear. Its the Jews. Throughout history, the haters have changed, but the hatred hasnt. Who are the players today? From the mainstream medias tendency to play up hate speech and crime from the white far right and play down hateful rhetoric and crime from other sources, many Jews continue to believe their greatest enemies are white supremacists. They arent. Thats not to say neo-Nazis are harmless or safe to ignore in general. They do indeed hold Jews in utter contempt. But they arent particularly enamored with Arabs either, so they dont have a dog in this particular hunt. CAM looked at 77 contemporaneous media reports of anti-Semitic incidents. Forty-three of them were linked to Islamism, 14 to the far left, six to the far right, and 14 were unidentifiable as to motivation. The numbers clearly show that most of the virulently anti-Semitic aggression inspired by Hamass latest intifada against Israeli citizens is linked to the Red-Green Alliance. This is the bed in which political Islam lies down with the utopian left in a common front against the United States and its allies. For both, Zionism is synonymous with evil. Of course, its politically incorrect to point out this ineluctable fact, and doing so can result in a charge of Islamophobia. Progressive dogma insists that the racializeda term that always includes Muslims, no matter what their colorcant themselves be racist. If Jews are incontestably abused by Islamist Muslims, that inconvenient fact must be deflected. Thus, when alluding to the recent street violence Jews have experienced, our progressive Prime Minister Trudeau, not for the first time, denounced anti-Semitism. However, in a follow-up Twitter posteven though this is a uniquely anti-Semitic crisishe reflexively castigated Islamophobia, or hate of any kind. Or, for another dispiriting example, theres the Canadian Anti-Hate Network (CAHN), a private group dedicated to combating hate groups and educating the public about them. But its progressive chair, Bernie Farber, a former CEO of a large Jewish community agency, has candidly admitted that CAHN only tackles anti-Semitism that arises from the far right, because white supremacists pose the biggest threat in [North America]. CAHNs resistance to criticizing anti-Semitism perpetrated by Muslims imbued with a Judeophobic strain of political Islam is emblematic of a more troubling divide in North Americas Jewish community. The majority of (non-Orthodox) Jews still stubbornly gravitate to a superannuated liberalism, which used to be friendly to Jews in the days when social anti-Semitism was a feature on the right, but isnt anymore, as liberalism has morphed into Marxism. A minority of Jews whove seen how the Marxist movie always ends for Jews argue with them, but without much success. We Jewish conservatives can see, but they cant, that the revolution is calmly eating them as avatars of a special category of privilege that indicts them for racism of a unique kind. Flyers on one U.S. campus in 2017 stated, Ending white privilege starts with ending Jewish privilege. Similar flyers have decorated other campuses. As Pamela Paresky observes in an article on Jewish hyper-whiteness in Sapir, an online journal, In the critical social justice paradigm, Jews, who have never been seen as white by those for whom being white is a moral good, are now seen as white by those for whom whiteness is an unmitigated evil. Progressive Jews backed the wrong horse, but most of them wont admit it. In fact, they often double down on it. Randi Weingarten, head of the powerful American Federation of Teachers since 2008, identifies strongly as both progressive and Jewish (her wife is a rabbi). Last month, she had some harsh words for Jews who criticized the AFT for needlessly prolonging remote learning. American Jews are now part of the ownership class, Weingarten said. What I hear [in their criticism] is that those who are in the ownership class now want to take that ladder of opportunity away from those who do not have it. Thats what she hears from American Jews? Well, what I hear in her wordsownership classis Kulaks. And we know what happened to them. In her eagerness to prove her woke credentials, Weingarten has trivialized the reality of the Jews historical oppression to please her political masters. In this breathtaking libel, she has transmogrified the triumph of Jewish Americans over poverty, anti-Semitism, and the trauma of the Holocaust into an allegation of theft, depraved indifference, and oppression. What an outrageous and deeply anti-Semitic insult to successful Jews, to accuse them of wanting to take that ladder of opportunity away from others. Jews were at the coalface, together with blacks, in the civil rights movement, and some Jewish activists paid the ultimate price for their allyship. They agitated disproportionately for womens rights and gay rights. They give disproportionately to institutions and charities that provide ladders for the disadvantaged. Make no mistake, Weingarten isnt an outlier. This progressive Jews unfiltered attack on her fellow Jews faithfully reflects the current zeitgeist on the left. Weingarten is replicating the pernicious Big Lie hurled at Israel, that having once been victims of persecution, Jews in their national incarnation have, by virtue of their triumph over adversity, become persecutors of others. The Black Lives Matter movement has now publicly allied itself with the #freepalestine cause (the words free Palestine stand for the eradication of Israel as a Jewish state), an endorsement that has added a special level of legitimacy to the anti-Semitic pile-on. (Black anti-Semitism is another real and distressing phenomenon that gets short shrift in the media for obvious reasons.) The Arab world is Judenrein. A disturbing percentage of the billion Muslims worldwide admit to anti-Semitism. The progressive movement is throwing Jews under the critical race theory bus. Many of the Wests most influential Jewsacademics, politicians, and social-justice activists whom it is fair to call useful idiotsare systematically eroding young Jews pride in their identity and encouraging hatred of their homeland. The once-powerful and uplifting mantra never again is now a cruel reminder of the human preference for amnesia over enlightenment. The future for Jews everywhere looks grim. Barbara Kay has been a weekly columnist for the National Post since 2003. She also writes for ThePostMillennial.com, Quillette, and The Dorchester Review. She is the author of three books. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. The Twitter logo is seen on a phone in this photo illustration in Washington, on July 10, 2019. (Alastair Pike / AFP via Getty Images) AP Managing Editor Defends Firing of Emily Wilder Over Pro-Palestinian Twitter Posts A managing editor for the Associated Press (the AP) has defended the news wires decision to let go of its recently hired news associate Emily Wilder, saying that her activity on social media put the outlets credibility at stake. Its really important that we maintain our credibility on these stories, and journalist safety is at stake and the APs credibility is at stake, AP managing editor Brian Carovillano told CNNs Reliable Sources on Sunday. The firing of Wilder on May 19 came as the violence between Hamasa designated terrorist group since 1997and Israel intensified last month. The Israeli Iron Dome missile defence system (L) intercepts rockets (R) fired by the Hamas movement towards southern Israel from Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip as seen in the sky above the Gaza Strip overnight on May 14, 2021. (Anas Baba/AFP via Getty Images) Wilder, 22, was fired by the AP in a unanimous decision because she had a series of social media posts that showed a clear bias toward one side and against another in one of the most divisive and difficult stories that we cover anywhere in the world, said Carovillano. She had served just two weeks on the job, and was dismissed less than 48 hours after the Stanford College Republicans (SCR) group called her out for some of her posts on social media. Before joining the AP as a news associate on May 3, Wilder was an active member of pro-Palestinian groups at Stanford University. The Associated Press anti-Israel bias should come as no surprise, as they are literally staffing their offices with hardened anti-Israel activists, SCR wrote in a Facebook post, criticizing the outlets decision to hire Wilder. Our credibility is constantly under attack, Carovillano told CNN. Our social media guidelines exist to protect that credibility, because protecting our credibility is the same as protecting journalists. In a statement Saturday, Wilder said SCR launched a smear campaign against me, attempting to expose my already-public history of activism for Palestinian human rights at Stanford University. She added that she had been transparent about her previous activism with the AP editors and they reassured me I would not face punishment I was told my editors were only hoping to support me as I received an onslaught of sexist, antisemitic, racist and violent comments and messages. Less than 48 hours later, the AP fired me, Wilder said, noting that when she asked her managers which Twitter posts were in violation of the APs social media policy, they refused to tell me. In the end, rather than take whatever misstep I made as a teaching opportunityas is the point of the news associate programit appears they took it as an opportunity to make me a scapegoat, she added. Carovillano told CNN that Wilders dismissal was a difficult decision. He added, It was not an easy decision, and it was not a personal decision, and we wish her all the best. Over 150 AP staffers on Monday sent an open letter to the AP, criticizing its handling of Wilders firing. We strongly disapprove, they wrote. We demand more clarity from the company about why Wilder was fired. It remains unclearto Wilder herself as well as staff at largehow she violated the social media policy while employed by the AP. It gives us no confidence that any one of us couldnt be next, sacrificed without explanation. It has left our colleaguesparticularly emerging journalistswondering how we treat our own, what culture we embrace and what values we truly espouse as a company, the letter said. People walk through the streets of Chinatown in New York City, on March 23, 2021. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images) Asian Woman Hit Unconscious in Unprovoked Attack in New Yorks Chinatown An Asian woman became unconscious in New York Citys Chinatown on Monday while she was walking down a street and unexpectedly hit in the face. According to local reports, the woman, 55, was walking on Bayard St. near Mott St. around 6:15 p.m. just before the unprovoked attack. Surveillance video posted to Twitter by Assemblywoman Yuh-Line Niou, whose district covers Chinatown, showed that the attack occurred while conditions were still bright. The attacker, who was wearing an orange hoodie and denim vest, appeared to have dark skin. The footage shows that the man took a random swing at the womans face and subsequently remarked, Whatd you hit me for? The woman staggered backward to the ground while she moved her hand to her face. She hit the concrete on her buttocks and eventually had her back against a pole. The attacker casually strolled past and turned back, saying, Whyd you hit me? Several people rushed over to check on the woman but by then, she appeared to be unconscious. Police arrested the man around the block, reported the New York Daily News. He was brought to a hospital for a psychiatric evaluation, law enforcement sources told the New York Post. Charges are pending. The 55-year-old woman was conscious and cognizant and alert as of late Monday, Assemblywoman Niou wrote on Twitter. Things are being investigated and the hate crimes task force has been called in. The attack of the Asian woman comes just days after another Asian woman, 75, was hit randomly in Queens. The NYPD said in a Twitter post in which they released surveillance video of the May 26 attack that the 75-year-old woman suffered fractures to her nose and orbital bone. A Virgin Australia plane takes off at Sydney Airport in Sydney, Australia on March 19, 2020. (Saeed Khan via Getty Images) Australia Quarantine-Free Travel Corridor With America, UK May Soon Take Off Australia is likely to see its travel bubble expanded to the Pacific Islands soon, but Aussies can also look forward to the possibility of travel to the United States and the United Kingdom as well. A few months ago, I thought maybe Singapore, Taiwan, and Japan would be first cabs off the list, Qantas CEO Alan Joyce told Nine on Monday. With the great progress thats been made in the U.S. and the UK, you may see those markets opening up before the rest because the vaccine rollout has been so successful in both countries. Joyce said the airline has been making preparations, with support from the government, so that it is ready to get off the ground as soon as countries are open for travel. Were still talking to the government about it; were still planning to be ready (for international, long-haul flights) at the end of this calendar year, he said. Joyce noted that the company expected that a travel bubble to the Pacific Islands, such as Fiji and Vanuatu, would soon open and that it expected the outlook of those flights to positive given the high demand experienced by Qantas for flights to New Zealand. Currently, flights to Queenstown, New Zealand, were seeing double the demand compared to pre-COVID times, and Joyce put this down to Australians being eager to get out and travel. A traveller departs for New Zealand at Sydney International Airport on April 19, 2021, as Australia and New Zealand opened a trans-Tasman quarantine-free travel bubble. (Saeed Khan/Getty Images) Joyce also spoke at News Corps Future of Travel Forum in Sydney on Monday, where several industry leaders attended. At the forum, News Corp also announced their new study, Emotional Connection SeriesTravel, which found that more than half of Australians are just a nudge away from diving back into travel. Australians retain their strong sense of wanderlust and are willing to look through present travel restrictions, News Corp Australia Managing Director Fiona Nilsson said. We can confirm underlying demand remains strong, but many consumers are understandably cautious and even reluctant to pack their bags, making it critical for brands to deliver bespoke messaging strategies to compel Australians back into action. News Corp Australia head of travel Dwayne Birtles said the key challenge for travel marketers was helping customers feel protected in a time filled with uncertainties. This work will better equip travel businesses to truly connect with their customers in a more meaningful way, and thats a win-win for consumers and travel businesses bottom lines, Birtles said. Joyce also discussed his companys current initiative, which could see Aussies receive flight rewards for getting vaccinated. People walk past one of the entrances of Beijing No. 2 Intermediate People's Court where Australian writer Yang Hengjun is expected to face trial on espionage charges, in Beijing, China, on May 27, 2021. (Carlos Garcia Rawlins/Reuters, File Photo) Australian Blogger on Trial in China Worried Political Tensions May Impact Outcome SYDNEYAustralian blogger Yang Hengjun, who is facing trial in Beijing for alleged espionage charges, has asked the judge to exclude evidence obtained during interrogations in which he says he was tortured, according to a message conveyed to family and friends. In his first comments since Thursdays court hearing, which was closed to family and Australian consular officials because China says it involved state secrets, Yang also expressed concern that geopolitical tensions may influence the outcome of his trial. If a wrong decision is made because of political pressure or bad international relations, under the pretext of national security, thats bad, he said in the message, which was seen by Reuters and verified by a source with knowledge of the matter. Yang Hengjun, author and former Chinese diplomat, who is now an Australian citizen, is pictured in an unspecified location in Tibet, China on July, 2014 in this social media image obtained by Reuters. (Reuters) Diplomatic ties between Australia and China have deteriorated sharply since Yang was detained in January 2019, with China imposing trade sanctions on some imports from Australia and reacting angrily to its call for an international inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus. Australia says it has received no explanation for the charges against Yang, and foreign minister Marise Payne on Friday labeled Yangs case arbitrary detention after consular officials visited him in jail. I hope Australia can keep communicating with China on good terms to help bring about my release as soon as possible, Yang said in the message. Yang said he addressed the court directly for three to five minutes during the six-hour hearing. I was tired and confused, and didnt have the spirit to speak enough, he said, adding he was satisfied with the defence presented by his lawyers. Human rights lawyers Mo Shaoping and Shang Baojun were appointed by his family but have been forbidden from speaking to anyone about the details of the national security case. Yang said he had told the judge: I hope that Chinese rule of law wins. Yang said he met the judge on Monday, ahead of the hearing, and made a plea to exclude his interrogation records. Its illegal. Torture. They had hidden camera records, he said. Yang was held in residential surveillance at a designated location, a form of informal detention without legal representation, for six months in 2019, and Australia has repeatedly complained about the conditions under which he was held. The Chinese Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment, although its spokesman Zhao Lijian has previously rejected allegations of torture. All of Yang Hengjuns lawful rights have been fully guaranteed, and there is no so-called torture or abuse, he told reporters in December. Yang said in the message he had served China when I was young, even secretly, and I helped people. Reuters previously reported Yang had told supporters he worked for Chinese security agencies before migrating to Australia in 1999. He later became a high-profile blogger who wrote about Chinese democracy. In the message released on Sunday, Yang said he doesnt know which espionage agency he is alleged to have worked for. I didnt work for Australia or the U.S. Im only writing for people, he said. He said he was worried about the cases outcome and noted a verdict could be delayed by up to two years. Ive already been held in a place worse than prison for over two years now, he said On Thursday, Chinas foreign ministry said that judicial authorities handled the case in strict accordance with the law, (and) fully protected Yang Hengjuns litigation rights. Potential penalties in espionage cases range from three years to the death penalty. By Kirsty Needham Riot police officers fire teargas canisters during a protest against the military coup in Yangon, Burma, on Feb. 28, 2021. (Stringer via Reuters) Australian Govt. Urged to Sanction Burma Military Leaders Immediately The Australian government is facing renewed calls to place new sanctions on Burmas (also known as Myanmar) military junta. An analysis (pdf) by the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID), the peak body for Australian non-government organisations, has criticised the governments decision not to impose any new sanctions since the military coup in February, likening the decision for inaction to supporting the military government. The U.S., UK, Canada, and the EU have leveraged their relevant Magnitsky legislation to sanction a total of 38 individuals and 17 entities, ACFID wrote in the analysis, calling the sanctions particularly effective at limiting the juntas power and influence. Despite pressures, the Australian government has thus far decided against imposing sanctions on the Burmese junta due to assessments that it would limit the nations influence on Burma. Burmas Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing arrives for an ASEAN leaders meeting at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesia, on April 24, 2021. (Muchlis Jr./Indonesian Presidential Palace via AP) Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) Assistant Secretary Lynda Worthaisong told a parliamentary inquiry that the department had closely looked at options for a wide range of policies but had concluded that introducing sanctions would not have a positive impact on the ground. Our relationship [with Burma] is different, our levers are different, and our influence is different, Worthaisong said, referring to the United Kingdom, European Union, America, and Canada. We consider, as a country in this region, that our interests are best served by, potentially, having direct influence, she said. Our view is actually consistent with other countries in this region including Japan, the Republic of Korea, and ASEAN countries. None of those have sanctioned. Worthaisong acknowledged that Australia holds a limited level of influence in Burma, however, believes the country should preserve whatever influence it has. We do need to engage in some small ways with the regime in order to deliver assistance. Thats really important as well given the amount of suffering in the country, she said. Worthaisong also emphasised that the decision is under active consideration and that sanctions could change at any time, depending on the circumstances. However, former Human Rights Commissioner Chris Sidoti has urged the government to change tack and immediately impose sanctions onto military leaders. Anti-coup protesters hold signs that read We dont accept military coup during a march in Mandalay, Burma, on Sunday, March 14, 2021. (AP Photo) There is no evidence that the strategy [not to impose sanctions] adopted by the Australian Government so far, is working, Sidoti said. The Myanmar military has placed itself at the centre of a complex web of commercial interests, ranging from beer to banking. The Australian Government must join with like-minded democracies and hit the Myanmar military where it hurts, he said. Foreign Minister Marise Payne has also received calls for immediate action against the Burmese military junta in a letter signed by 390 Burmese civil society organisations (pdf), which called Australias inaction shameful. We 390 civil society organisations across Myanmar are shocked by Australias continued inaction on Myanmar, which emboldens the terrorist military junta, the letter dated May 18 said. We are deeply disappointed in your Department of Foreign Affairs and Trades assessment that additional sanctions on Myanmar would not have a positive impact on the ground. We strongly call for Australia and the international community to take action against these criminals through targeted sanctions and other appropriate measures, they said. Sean Turnell, an Australian economic advisor to ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi, is still being held in detention despite the continued efforts of the Australian government. Beijing Criticizes Chinese Youths Do-Nothing Approach to Life I dont want to lean in. I want to lie down, this famous line of comedian Ali Wong describes the desire to do nothing in ones life and career. Unexpectedly, the lying down approach is catching on among young people in mainland China and has caught the attention of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The Partys propaganda labeled the lying down trend disgraceful as the regime is concerned about its repercussions on society. Lying down or tang (lie) and ping (flat) has become a popular slang in the mainland. People who choose the lying down lifestyle say that they dont want to be money-making machines. They want to be minimalists and dont plan on establishing a career, owning a home, and raising a family. Independent commentator Wu Te told The Epoch Times that lying down is a passive form of resistance adopted by many young Chinese as a response to the fierce competition in education and the job market in the mainlandthey dont see a way out. The trend began with a Tang Ping is Justice post on social media Baidu Post Bar by user Kind Traveler on April 17. The author said, I havent had a job for over two years. I have been fooling around, and I dont feel theres anything wrong about it. He added that all the online news around him were about celebrities falling in love or getting pregnant, as if an invisible living being produced a mindset that was imposed on me. Defying the pressure from peers and his family, he claimed, Lying down is my wise movement. The post has since been deleted by authorities, but the idea quickly spread. Many netizens expressed their support of lying down because they feel hopeless and believe that their efforts wouldnt make any difference in the current Chinese society. Chinese netizens often call themselves chives because they are easy to grow and subject to cuts or harvests. The cuts or harvests refer to incidents in which individual citizens lose out to communist elites and institutions. The original post Lying Flat is Justice on April 17, 2021, by kind traveler on Baidu (Kind Traveler/Baidu) Chongqing News Guy, a reporter on Chinese news portal Sina, said, Lying down is the chives new civil disobedience movement. Its a silent and helpless choice. Lying down shows a persons ultimate disappointment of his or her future. The persistent inequality in society drives it, said netizen Aboriginal. He continued, When your monthly income is less than 1,000 yuan [about $140], how do you feel? Ever since Chinese Premier Li Keqiang revealed at a Peoples Congress meeting in May 2020 that over 600 million Chinese40 percent of the population lived on 1,000 yuan (about $140) per month or less, monthly income less than 1,000 has become a popular phrase on the Chinese internet. China has seen significant inequality, with the top 1 percent owning a greater share of wealth than the bottom 50 percent. On May 20, Chinese state-owned media Nanfang Daily (also known as Southern Daily) published an article headlined, Lying Down Is Disgraceful. Where Does the Justice Come From? The Xinhua News website then reprinted it. The report argued, Struggle [fen dou] itself is a kind of happiness. At any time and any development stage, the struggle is always the brightest undertone of youth. The word fen dou means vigorous and fight. While criticizing the lying down movement, the article tried to reinforce the value of vigorous fight, an official keyword that is used when the CCPs propaganda needs to mobilize the Chinese people on any initiatives. Li Fengliang, an associate professor with the Institute of Education at Tsinghua University, criticized the young peoples choice of lying down and called it irresponsible as they are letting down their parents and taxpayers. Adaptive Behavior and a Benign Choice Lying down is an adaptive behavior in response to the family and societal environments, according to Yang Jingduan, a psychiatrist and fifth-generation traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) doctor in the United States. Its human nature to seek survival, minimize pain, or pursue happiness. Sometimes young people make immature choices due to their frontal lobes not being fully developed before they reach 25 years old, Yang told The Epoch Times. When the environment changes, the adaptive behavior may change as well. Therefore, lying down may not be a permanent choice for some young people in China. Yang added that out of the many choices, lying down is benign and harmless. If a society is people-centered, then the society should respect peoples choices. He had seen similar cases among his patients in America: some chose to relax after achieving success; some gave up and laid down because of setbacks; and some decided to step back because they couldnt handle the stress due to medical conditions. Having lived in China for decades, Yang categorizes mainland Chinese into three groups: people who are standing, those who bend their knees to the authorities, and people who lie flat. His view is that no one, except for the CCP ideology, is standing in China. He said that the older generation in the mainland was brainwashed and accepted that everyone had to make money while following the authorities orders. Even the high-ranking CCP officials are doing the same thing. Yet the CCPs brainwashing isnt as successful on the Chinese youth, Yang said. He believes that young people know that they cannot stand up to the CCP and the society, and they choose not to submit to authoritarian rule. Therefore, they lie flat. Those who bend their knees [to authorities] arent qualified to criticize those lying flat, Yang told The Epoch Times. According to commentator Wu Te, the lying down approach would be challenging in China because of pressure from family members and society. If young people stopped working, the social welfare system in the country wouldnt be enough to support them. However, lying down expresses young peoples disappointment over their future and the outlook of society. The sentiment behind the decision makes the CCP regime feel uneasy and embarrassed. Therefore, the propaganda dished out criticism, he added. U.S.-based China affairs commentator Alexander Liao said that the young peoples movement of lying down might lead to social decline, which makes the CCP nervous. According to Liao, the communist regime can handle an economic crisis, but it is not good at coping with social trends. The regime can use food stamps to ration supply and address shortages, but cannot force people to work or spend their money. Yet calling lying down disgraceful might not help, added Liao, because criticism was something that many young people chose to ignore in order to deal with the mainlands stressful environment. New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern (L) walks onto a balcony at the Nest with Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison ahead of the Australia-New Zealand Leaders' Meeting in Queenstown on May 31, 2021. (Joe Allison / Pool / AFP via Getty Images) Beijing Spokesman Reacts Defensively to ANZ United Front Beijing has reacted defensively to the unified posture of the prime ministers of Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) towards the Chinese regime after they expressed grave concerns about human rights in the Xinjiang region of China, the limiting of rights and freedoms in Hong Kong, and more. This comes after Australian PM Scott Morrison and New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern released an extensive joint statement after their Annual Leaders Summit in Queenstown, New Zealand, which followed months of scrutiny about their different approaches to Beijing, with Arderns being described as too subtle by one expert. The Prime Ministers expressed deep concern over developments that limit the rights and freedoms of the people of Hong Kong and undermine the high degree of autonomy China guaranteed Hong Kong until 2047 under the Sino-British Joint Declaration, the statement read. Beijing is considered to have breached this arrangement last year when it imposed the National Security Law on Hong Kong. Since then, pro-democracy activists have been arrested and sentenced to jail terms, and countries like Australia and the United Kingdom have offered means for fleeing Hong Kongers to gain visas. The Prime Ministers also expressed grave concerns about the human rights situation in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and called upon China to respect the human rights of the Uyghur people and other Muslim minorities and to grant the United Nations and other independent observers meaningful and unfettered access to the region, the statement read. Reacting to the joint statement, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin indicated the ANZ prime ministers sentiments were not conducive to bilateral relations or peace and stability. Wang claimed that the Chinese regimes actions in Xinjiangwhich have been labelled genocide by some countrieswere about counter-violence, anti-separatism and de-radicalisation and not human rights, ethnicity, or religion. He also said Hong Kongs issues were purely Chinas internal affairs, and rejected external interference which he said comes under the guise of human rights, and dubbed them irresponsible remarks and groundless accusations. However, James Laurenceson, director of the Australia-China Relations Institute at the University of Technology Sydney, said these remarks dont present an image of China that is confident and comfortable with itself. I struggle to see how simply making a statement on Xinjiang, Hong Kong, or the South China Sea can be construed as grossly interfering in Chinas internal affairs,' he told The Epoch Times via email on June 1. Beijing is, of course, free to respond to such statements in the hypersensitive way it has taken to doing so, he said. But that will generate its own pushback from abroad as other countries update their assessments regarding what a region in which China looms larger will mean for their interests. The ANZ prime ministers statement affirmed the need to uphold sovereignty in an era of increasing strategic competition between the United States and China. They also warned against actors seeking to divide the Tasman allies by creating points of difference between them. The prime ministers reaffirmed their resolve and shared respective approaches to countering foreign interference and agree the importance of building resilience across all sectors of society, including in education, infrastructure, research, electoral processes, media and communities, the joint statement read. They also expressed concerns over Beijings increased militarisation of the South China Sea, underscoring the importance of freedom of navigation and overflight, and that maritime zones must accord with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The Prime Ministers reiterated the importance of the South China Sea Code of Conduct being consistent with international law, particularly UNCLOS; not prejudicing the rights and interests of third parties, and supporting existing, inclusive regional architecture, the statement read. Beijing denied these assertions, once again calling them groundless. David Capie, director of the Centre for Strategic Studies at Wellingtons Victoria University, told News Corps The Australian the joint statement demonstrated a shift in Arderns positioning and that both leaders understood that there was no benefit in highlighting their differences on China. I think you would have to conclude there has been some movement on the part of New Zealand, Capie said. Theres more of the language of a free and open Pacific than weve seen from New Zealand governments in the past. The ANZ governments different approaches came under scrutiny in January when NZ Trade Minister Damien OConnor suggested that Australia should show respect to Beijing if it wished to emulate the mature relationship between NZ and China. Biden Administration Formally Ends Trumps Remain in Mexico Policy The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has officially terminated the remain in Mexico policy that was initiated under former President Donald Trumps administration, which enabled immigration agencies to keep illegal immigrants and asylum-seekers in Mexico while they waited for their court date. President Joe Biden in January suspended the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP)the official name for the policybut the DHS instructed employees in the memo on Tuesday that they will no longer be enforcing the mandate. Since Jan. 20, when Biden took office, hes issued dozens of executive orders rescinding Trump-era immigration policies. On Feb. 2, the president called on agencies responsible for enforcing immigration rules to review the MMP and consider terminating it. According to the new memo, DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said the program didnt adequately or sustainably enhance border management. Having now completed the further review undertaken pursuant to Executive Order 14010 to determine whether to terminate or modify MPP, and for the reasons outlined below, I am by this memorandum terminating the MPP program, he said in the memo released on the agencys website. I direct DHS personnel to take all appropriate actions to terminate MPP, including taking all steps necessary to rescind implementing guidance and other directives or policy guidance issued to implement the program. Moreover, in making my assessment, I share the belief that we can only manage migration in an effective, responsible, and durable manner if we approach the issue comprehensively, looking well beyond our own borders, Mayorkas added. The program was implemented in 2019, and reports have said more than 67,000 people were enrolled. Asylum-seekers and illegal immigrants who presented themselves to Border Patrol officers or were arrested along the U.S.-Mexico border were sent to Mexico where they would remain likely for months for immigration court proceedings. Republicans will likely criticize the DHSs move to officially end the program as part of their strategy to portray the administration as having weak, ineffective immigration policies. In mid-May, 20 GOP governors sent a letter to the administration, calling on officials to take action on the surge of illegal immigrants. Contrary to statements from your Administration, the border is neither closed nor secure, the governors said, saying the surge of illegal immigration is now spilling over the border states into all of our states. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection in April said that there were 172,000 encounters between Border Patrol agents and illegal immigrants in March, including nearly 19,000 unaccompanied children. Biden and many Democrats have defended the administrations policies and claimed the Trump-era policies undermined the U.S. immigration system and needed to be overhauled, something Trump and former federal immigration officials have denied. Burma's leader Aung San Suu Kyi arrives at the Imperial Palace for the court banquet in Tokyo, Japan, on Oct. 22, 2019. (Pierre Emmanuel Deletree/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) Burma Junta Moves Aung San Suu Kyi to Unknown Location By Khine Lin Kyaw From Bloomberg News Burma (also known as Myanmar)s junta has moved the nations civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and ex-president Win Myint from their residences in the capital to an unknown location, according to allies whove expressed serious concerns for their safety. The two have been held by the countrys powerful military since it seized power in a coup on Feb. 1. Weve heard from reliable sources that President Win Myint and State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi have been moved to another unknown location, the shadow government formed by Suu Kyis National League for Democracy party and allies, also known as the National Unity Government, said in a statement Monday. Suu Kyi, who once defended the militarys brutal crackdown on Rohingya minorities at the International Court of Justice, is facing six criminal charges including violating state secrets and incitement. Win Myint is also charged with incitement and breaching COVID-19 restrictions. The head of the legal defense team for both leaders, Khin Maung Zaw, said Suu Kyi had told lawyers during a meeting before her court appearance on May 24 that she had been moved one night earlier to an unfamiliar location. After the court hearing, we lawyers have no contact with her at all, he said. Shes a much-loved leader of our state so we have been extremely concerned about her safety since Day 1, and such concerns are still there. Labeling the regime a terrorist military council, the National Unity Government reiterated its efforts to ensure accountability and justice and urged the junta to take responsibility for their actions after the coup and against ethnic nationalities. ___ 2021 Bloomberg L.P. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC Sergeant Dominic Vaca, 43, a 17-year veteran of the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Office and a sergeant at the Morongo Basin Station. (Courtesy of San Bernardino County Sheriff's Office) California Sergeant Shot and Killed While Attempting Traffic Stop A Southern California sheriffs deputy was shot and killed while attempting a traffic stop on a motorcyclist in a desert community east of Los Angeles, authorities said. Sgt. Dominic Vaca, 43, was airlifted to the hospital on Monday where he later succumbed to his injuries, San Bernardino County Sheriff John McMahon said in a video message. The gunshot wound he sustained earlier today was too severe for him to overcome, he said. Our prayers are with him and his family as we all mourn this difficult time. Vaca was a 17-year veteran of the sheriffs office and was a sergeant at the Morongo Basin Station, officials said on social media along with a picture of the slain sergeant. Sergeant Vaca served 17 years with the Department and was a sergeant at the Morongo Basin Station. pic.twitter.com/smaMdADwMH San Bernardino County Sheriff (@sbcountysheriff) June 1, 2021 Authorities said that deputies from the Morongo Basin station in the Yucca Valley area were conducting an extra patrol for off-highway vehicle violations at around 12:33 p.m., when they spotted a male subject riding a street motorcycle without a license plate. The deputies attempted a traffic stop, and a pursuit ensued. A short time later, the deputies located the motorcycle and the rider was gone. As they approached the motorcycle and attempted to locate the rider, the rider started firing at them. Vaca was struck by the gunfire, McMahon said. Shortly later, the suspect began shooting again at additional deputies, who returned fire, killing the suspect. McMahon said a handgun was located at the scene. Yucca Valley is located some 120 miles east of Los Angeles in San Bernardino County. The investigation remains ongoing, the department said on Twitter. Isabel van Brugen contributed to this report. From NTD News California Sheriffs Deputy in Serious Condition After Being Shot, Suspect Killed A Southern California sheriffs deputy is in serious condition after being shot following a pursuit of a motorcyclist in a desert community east of Los Angeles on Monday, authorities said. The San Bernardino County Sheriffs office said that deputies from the Morongo Basin station in the Yucca Valley area were conducting extra patrol for off-highway vehicle violations at around 12:33 p.m., when they spotted a male subject riding a street motorcycle without a license plate. The duties attempted a traffic stop, and a pursuit ensued. A short time later, the deputies located the motorcycle and the rider was gone. As they approached the motorcycle and attempted to locate the rider, the rider started firing at responding deputies. One deputy was struck by the gunfire, said San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner John McMahon. Shortly later, the suspect began shooting again at additional deputies, who returned fire, killing the suspect. McMahon said a handgun was located at the scene. The wounded deputy was then airlifted to a local hospital to receive medical care for his injuries, and as of Monday night, remains in serious condition. Yucca Valley is located some 120 miles (193 kilometers) east of Los Angeles in San Bernardino County. The investigation remains ongoing, the department said on Twitter. Canadian Foreign Minister Marc Garneau speaks during a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the Harpa Concert Hall in Reykjavik, Iceland, on May 19, 2021. (Saul Loeb/Pool Photo via AP) Canada Supports Bidens Order for Further Investigation of COVID-19 Origin Foreign Affairs Minister Marc Garneau says Canada supports the Biden administrations request for U.S. intelligence agencies to redouble their efforts in investigating the origins of COVID-19. It is important that we do the science to figure out where it originated from because it may happen again and so therefore we do support President Bidens announcement earlier this week to investigate more fully, Garneau said in an interview on CTVs Evan Solomon Show on Sunday. Garneaus comments come after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed his support on May 27 for international efforts to understand how the global pandemic began. On May 26, Biden requested U.S. intelligence officials to conduct further investigations to uncover the origins of COVID-19, including any possibility the trail might lead to a Chinese laboratory. COVID-19 is the disease the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus causes. According to Biden, the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC) has coalesced around two likely scenarios but has not reached a definitive conclusion on the question whether the virus has emerged from human contact with an infected animal or from a lab accident. He ordered the IC to report back within 90 days, including preparing a list of specific questions to probe China. U.S. national laboratories are also directed to assist IC in their investigations. On March 30, the World Health Organization (WHO) published a report, jointly conducted with Chinese and international scientists, on their findings of how the pandemic may have emerged. Of the four possible pathways that the report identified, the likelihood that the outbreak originated from a laboratory accident was deemed extremely unlikely. Infection from bats via an intermediary animal, however, is considered very likely. The findings stand in stark contrast from what a former U.S. State Department contractor found during his investigation on the CCP virus origins. It came out of nowhere, and it was optimized for transmission between humans in a way that no bat-borne coronavirus ever had been. So whats up? A pangolin gets mated with a bat gets mated with a furin cleavage site of a human being? How does that happen? Its not probable, David Asher, who worked for the department during the Trump administration, said on Fox News The Story on May 29. Asher said he led the probe into the virus origins and that the team found practically no evidence that the virus came from an animal. In fact, it was statistically 1 in 13 million to 1 in 13 billion, when I talked to our bio-statisticians, he said. He also pointed to the Wuhan Institute of Virology, a top-level laboratory in the Chinese city where the first COVID-19 cases emerged, alleging that the lab is not a merely civilian institution but one that has been collaborating with the Chinese military in secret projects since 2017. We had very definitive information, only a bit of which we put out publicly, that showed they were engaged in this classified, secret effort to develop these super viruses and that it appeared it had spilled out of that laboratory, he said. That was the only plausible information that we were presented. With reporting from Zachary Stieber Quebec Premier Francois Legault (L) speaks during a news conference after tabling a reform on language law at the legislature in Quebec City, Canada, on May 13, 2021. (The Canadian Press/Jacques Boissinot) Poll Shows Wide Gap Between Quebecers and Other Canadians on Bill to Amend Constitution French-speaking Quebecers and the majority of the Canadians are at odds on the Quebec governments recent bill to amend Canadas Constitution and to reform the provinces language law, according to a new poll that reveals the depth of divergence across the country. The poll (pdf) is a national survey on Quebec governments introduction of Bill 96, which proposes to amend Canadas Constitution Act, recognizing Quebec as a nation and French as its sole official language. The results of the survey show that 62 percent of the Quebecers believe that a province should be allowed to unilaterally amend the Canadian Constitution. By contrast, less than one-fifth of the Canadians living outside of Quebec share the same mentality. The poll was conducted by Leger Marketing for the Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN) and the Association for Canadian Studies (ACS). A sample of 1,623 Canadians above 18 years of age were collected via a web panel from May 21 to May 23, 2021. A sample that size would have a margin of error of 2.95 percent, 19 times out of 20, the poll states. Canadians and Quebecers are clearly divided on this issue and we need to take the time as a country and as a province to truly understand the implications of what the Quebec government is proposing, QCGN President Marlene Jennings said in a press release (pdf). This is a complex issue that needs to be studied and debated not only by our politicians in Quebec City and Ottawa, but also discussed with and understood by Canadians from coast to coast to coast. Only through knowledge and dialogue will we able to achieve a mutual understanding of what is really at stake, Jennings said. The opinions of the minority non-Francophones also diverge with the Francophones in Quebec on the issue of amending the Constitution. Among Francophones, 37.9 percent strongly agree while 35.5 percent somewhat agree that a province should be able to unilaterally amend the Canadian Constitution. As for non-Francophones, only 3.5 percent strongly agree and 18.6 percent somewhat agree with this statement. On the question of recognizing Quebec as a nation, a total of 67 percent of Quebecers agree with the idea, and only 15 percent of total Canadians somewhat agree. Within the province, a total of 79.5 percent of the Francophones agree that Canada should recognize Quebec as a nation, while only 25.2 percent of the non-Francophones agree. Many Quebecers and other Canadians legitimately want to know what, if anything, such an amendment might mean for federal-provincial relations and minority-language rights, ACS President Jack Jedwab said. Quebecs Bill 96 also proposes the most comprehensive reforms to the Charter of the French Language, known as Bill 101, a central piece of legislation in Quebecs French language policy. Over half of all Canadians (54.5 percent) and roughly three-quarters of Quebecers (72 percent) agree that Quebec should sign the Constitution of Canada if the province is recognized as a nation and French as its official language. In Quebec, a significant proportion of Francophones (77.9 percent) and a narrow majority of non-Francophones (54.5 percent) believe Quebec should sign the Constitution under such an event. As of 2021, the government of Quebec has not formally approved the 1982 Constitution Act. Bill 96 has introduced a series of policies to enhance the French language in Quebec, including capping the proportion of students being allowed in English-language CEGEPsa publicly funded college system unique to the province of Quebec. If the bill is to be passed, a proposed limit of 17.5 percent of the overall student population will be allowed in English CEGEPs. In an earlier poll conducted by Leger Marketing, over half of the respondents oppose capping the number of Quebec students who could attend English-language CEGEPs. Once again, French speakers hold conflicting views with users of other language. The vast majority of Anglophones (88.1 percent) and over two-thirds (69.8 percent) of Allophones disapprove of this measure. More than half of Francophones (57 percent) agree with this policy. U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai testifies during a Senate Appropriations subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies hearing on the proposed budget for fiscal year 2022 for the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative on Capitol Hill, in Washington, on April 28, 2021. (Sarah Silbiger/Pool via AP) CCP Mouthpiece Says Beijing Needs More Nuclear Weapons After Trade Talks Chinas hawkish state-run media Global Times said Beijing should increase its build-up of nuclear weapons after recent Sino-U.S. trade talks. U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He held an online meeting on May 26, the first trade talks for both countries since U.S. President Joe Biden took office in January. Both sides described the talks as candid and stated that they looked forward to future discussions, according to separate press releases from the two countries. The U.S. trade office also stated that Tai raised issues of concern without providing more details. However, Chinas Ministry of Commerce did not say that the U.S. side had raised any concerns. While the two sides failed to disclose any concrete details about the talks, Tai told Reuters before the online meeting that the United States faces very large challenges in its trade and economic ties with Beijing and that the Biden administration needs to pay attention across the board. Several hours after Tai and Liu concluded their meeting, Hu Xijin, editor-in-chief of the Global Times took to his WeChat account to say that China should be ready militarily in the face of increasing strategic containment by the United States. Hu urged Beijing to rapidly increase its number of nuclear warheads and long-distance, highly-viable strategic ballistic missiles DF-41. He said these weapons would serve as the cornerstone for Chinas strategic resistance against the United States. The ultimate goal, Hu explained, was for China to have enough nuclear ballistic missiles so that U.S. policymakers would tremble whenever they thought of having a military confrontation with China. The Federation of American Scientists, a U.S.-based policy think tank, estimated in September 2020 that China had about 320 nuclear warheads. In comparison, the United States had 3,800 nuclear warheads with another 2,000 waiting to be dismantled. Former President Donald Trump, in an effort to tackle Chinas unfair trade practices, imposed tariffs on a long list of Chinese imports, leading to a U.S.-China trade war. The two sides signed a phase one trade deal in January 2020, requiring China to buy an additional $200 billion in U.S. goods and services during 2020 and 2021, compared to the 2017 level. However, China bought just 58 percent of what it promised under the deal in 2020, according to a report from Washington-based think tank Peterson Institute for International Economics. For the first four months of this year, China purchased $47.1 billion U.S. products, falling short of the $64.5 billion target under the deal. U.S.-based current affairs commentator Li Yanming, in an interview with the Chinese-language Epoch Times, said that he did not expect Beijing and Washington to hold any future discussions to end the trade war anytime soon. As for Hus online remark, Li explained that it was nothing more than an empty threat because the United States possesses a lopsided military advantage over China. In two separate congressional hearings in May, Tai expressed the importance of confronting China on trade issues. If China cannot or will not adapt to international rules and norms, we must be bold and creative in taking steps to level the playing field and enhance our own capabilities and partnerships, Tai said on May 12. A day later, Tai called for new U.S. trade tools to confront Beijings anti-competitive threats, pointing to the example of how existing U.S. trade laws have failed to safeguard the U.S. steel industry in the face of Chinas competition. Frank Fang contributed to the article. People visit the Forbidden City in Beijing during the Labor Day holidays, which take place from May 1 to May 5, on May 3, 2021. (Noel Celis/AFP via Getty Images) CCPs Latest Headache, Youth Embrace the Lie-Down Movement Commentary Young people in mainland China are adopting a growing movement called (tang ping), which literally translates to lie down. Like many modern movements, it sprung from the Internet. The name of the movement originated from a now-deleted post on a popular Chinese forum site, Tieba. The author of the post said that he has happily not worked for more than two years. Instead, he has defined lie down, his philosophy for a carefree life. Communities based on the lie-down movement have begun to pop up on Chinese social media. One lie-down group on the Chinese social media platform Douban has around 6,000 members. The group has a post detailing 8 commandments as a lie-flat guide. The lie-down movement advocates against mainstream traditional aspirations such as work, career, marriage, friendships, child raising, and consumerism. Its basic creed is to spend less so you have to spend less time and energy working for money due to their fundamental belief that trying is pointless. Chinese Media Condemns the Movement The Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) Bimonthly Talk magazine talked about this lying flat, whom they called the squatting clan. The article said that from childhood cram school to adulthood 996, the emergence of the squatting clan cannot simply be attributed to the laziness and depravity of young people. Rather, it said it is the result of the combined effects of various subjects such as the social environment, family, and school. Many experts suggested that all parties should give understanding and encouragement, care about guiding the squatting group to change their concepts and relieve their pressure. An article on a public account of The Paper said that when this self-exiled lying school became popular among young people and became a common phenomenon, it also constituted a resistance force, which continues to form a serious challenge to the social structure as it is. However, no matter what lifestyle young people choose, they deserve respect. The relationship between individuals and society has always been mutual. Whatever kind of society, there are young people, along with the kind of expectations society gives young people, the kind of future they can reach, and the kind of mood young people will have. At the beginning, the society governed by the CCP called for understanding the young Chinese citizens embracing the lie-down movement. However, as the movement has grown stronger, and the CCPs attitude has become more hostile as condemnations in state-run media have become more strongly worded. Nanfang Daily, the official newspaper of the Guangdong Chinese Communist Party, published a commentary, with the headline: Lying flat is shameful, where is the sense of justice? The article is dedicated to criticizing the movement, and the writer says choosing to lie flat in the face of pressure is not only unjust, but also shameful. The writer says, Struggle itself is a kind of happiness, and only a struggling life can be called a happy life. Xinhua News Agency, the official state-run press agency of the CCP, reposted the article to their news site. An article in the Guangming Daily stated that the lying-flat people obviously have many disadvantages to economic and social development. At present, my countrys economic development is facing challenges in many aspects such as an aging population, and the goal of high-quality development cannot be achieved without the creative contributions of young people. Hubei Jingshi TVs commenter reported during her segment, You can accept your fate, but you cannot lie down. The National Threat of Hopeless Youth The philosophy and behavior of the lie-down movement are not unique to only mainland China. Japan has an issue with herbivore men, men uninterested in romantic relationships, and hikikomori, socially isolated hermits. They dine at home, work minimally, remain single, and refrain from having children. During the late 60s, the United States had comparable hippies rejecting traditional responsibilities through the counterculture movement. In the recent Oscar winner for best picture, Nomadland, the heroine showcases the lie-down movement. After the death of her husband, she abandons her house, works enough only to get by, rejects relationships with family or a romantic partner, and chooses a simple, responsibility-free life of her own volition. Human history is filled with great men preaching the elements of the lie-down movement. Lao Tzu may just be the earliest lie-down movement advocate. In the Tao Te Ching, he encourages everyone to refrain from buying expensive items, endure humiliation, and aspire to nothing. Lao Tzus ideal society is a small country with few people, filled with only the voices of chickens and dogs, and minimal societal interaction. This sounds reminiscent of a lie-flat society. Jesus Christ and Shakyamuni also preached lie-flat tenets of detachment from material wants and wanting less. In the early days of Christianity and Buddhism, they lowered the desire for material possessions, reflected on their life through meditation and reflection, and found peace in the relationship between the self and the universe or God. Many scholars will put forward another term in analyzing mainland China. The term is the internal scroll. This term is derived from the English sociology term, involution. Involution refers to a state where an ecological or social system no longer upgrades and begins to collapse inward, essentially turning in on itself. This term is really appropriate for mainland Chinas current state. The internal scroll refers to Chinese society as a whole, the closed system collapsing in on itself. Lying flat is the choice made by disillusioned youth living within such a society. The former is the cause and the latter is the effect inside of CCP China. The CCP tends to reverse the effect as the cause, instead of truly addressing casual issues of societal problems. At the initial outbreak of COVID-19, the CCP focused on suppressing media and whistleblowers to protect their reputation instead of suppressing the virus and its spread. Suppressing the virus required telling the public, and closing down China travel domestically and internationally. This was at odds with protecting their reputation. The world saw which choice they prioritized. A version of the lie-down movement inevitably appears in all societies, to varying degrees. In any society, if the population stops striving for progress on a large scale, the result will certainly be social decline. This is the reason why CCP authorities are nervous about the emerging lie-down movement in China. How can the CCP motivate disillusioned youth? The CCPs totalitarian system may not be able to come up with a very good solution. The communist autocratic system is good at solving economic shortages and sudden public crises, but it is not good at managing a thriving economy or social trends. When the economy is in short supply, food stamps can be used to restrict the public from overconsumption. When people cannot find a job or cant survive, it uses recruitment indicators to restrict it. But when a country is not in a state of emergency, it is hard to force centralized control over everything. If many people want to relax through life and not work hard, authorities cannot force ambition in their citizens. The only weapon CCP authorities have is the media to try to influence public opinion. However, this method is ineffective on the lie-down movement, because it ignores the pressures of the outside world. It could be that the threat of Chinas lie-down youth may be much more of a headache to the totalitarian CCP regime than even the passionate Taiwan or Hong Kong independence movements. Alexander Liao is a columnist and journalist in research on international affairs in the United States, China, and Southeast Asia. He has published a large number of reports, commentaries, and video programs in newspapers and Chinese financial magazines in the United States and Hong Kong. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Chamber of Commerce: US Labor Shortage a National Economic Crisis A report from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce warned that a recent labor shortage plaguing businesses nationwide is worsening, describing the situation as a national economic crisis. The Chambers report released Tuesday found that the United States had a record 8.1 million vacant job openings in Marchthe last month where data was availablenoting it was an increase of 600,000 from February. But, the Chamber stressed that there are approximately half as many available workers for every open job, or 1.4 available workers per job opening, across the country and the ratio continues to fall. Compared with the previous 20 years, there were 2.8 available workers per job opening, according to the organization. In several states and several industries, including hard-hit sectors like education and health services as well as professional and business services, there are currently fewer available workers than the total number of jobs open, the report found, adding that more than 90 percent of local Chambers of Commerce have reported that worker shortages are hurting their economies. The report also pointed to an underwhelming April jobs report released by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, which found that just 266,000 jobs were created. Analysts had expected that more than 1 million would be created. Even with 9.7 million unemployed at the beginning of April, workers reluctance to return to work and fill open positions was one reason for the lackluster job creation, the Chamber of Commerce wrote. Another could be that employees know just how easy it is to get a new jobthe percent voluntarily leaving their current job is now above pre-pandemic levels. The states with the lowest worker availability rate include Vermont, Nebraska, and South Dakota, the organization found. All three states had a ratio of less than 1. In the past several weeks, around two dozen GOP-led states have decided to opt out of the federal unemployment program that provided $300 per week during the COVID-19 pandemic. Republicans have criticized the provision, which was first introduced in the March 2020 CARES Act and was extended several times in subsequent bills, as creating an incentive for people not to work. The issue was perhaps crystallized in April when a McDonalds franchise owner in Tampa, Florida, authorized paying people $50 just to show up for job interviews but was still struggling to find employees. According to reports, Arizona, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oklahoma have authorized a return-to-work bonus between $500 and $2,000. Were going to use federal money to encourage people to work instead of paying people not to work, Republican Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey said in May. China in Focus (May 31): China Announces Families Can Have Three Children Beijing now allows couples to have up to three children. But the major policy shift is seeing mixed reactions. Questions circulate about the pandemic lab leak theory. A video captures scientists at Wuhans Virology Institute using lax safety precautions. Hong Kong democracy figure Jimmy Lai and other activists are getting extra prison time, while authorities attempt to stop a long-time Hong Kong tradition honoring the Tiananmen Square massacre. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seize 30,000 Chinese-made necklaces. The makers claim they can protect people from the virus. But American authorities say they could actually poison people. The family members of a Chinese dissident based in Australia may face punishment in China. Beijing is looking to silence the man by using his child as collateral. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more first-hand news from China. For more news and videos, please visit our website and Twitter. Chinese regiment commander Qi Fabao shouts to an Indian soldier who wants to negotiate with him at Galwan Valley, an India-China border region, in June 2020. (Screenshot/Weibo) China Jails Blogger for Smearing Soldiers Killed in Clash With India at Galwan NEW DELHIChina has jailed a popular blogger for smearing martyrs killed in last years bloody clash with Indian soldiers in Galwan. Qiu Ziming, 38, an internet celebrity with 2.5 million followers on the Chinese social media platform Weibo, was sentenced to eight months in jail under Chinas freshly amended criminal law aimed to suppress online humiliation or insults against martyrs, reported Chinese state-run media outlet the Global Times. A court in Nanjing, in eastern Chinas Jiangsu Province, also ordered Ziming, known by the internet name of Labixiaoqiu to publicly apologize through national media to eliminate what the Global Times called negative impact. The revised law can allow for sentencing of up to three years for such offenses, but the court said it awarded a lighter sentence to Ziming because he confessed to his crime and entered a guilty plea and said in court that he would never commit the crime again. The Chinese media alleged the blogger spread false information smearing the four martyrs in a post on Feb. 10. The report claimed PLA soldiers were killed while dealing with the Indian militarys illegal trespassing of the Galwan Valley Line of Actual Control. Indian and Chinese soldiers fought in the high-altitude Galwan valley in Ladakh in a bloody clash on June 15, 2020, that killed 20 Indian soldiers and an undisclosed number of Chinese soldiers. Only months after the battle did China accept that it had lost four soldiers in Galwan, when it awarded posthumous honor to them. However, the Russian news agency TASS reported this year that China lost 45 soldiers in the conflict. Dr. Harsh Pant, head of the Strategic Studies Programme at the New Delhi-based Observer Research Foundation, told The Epoch Times that the arrest of the Chinese blogger reflects a defensive attitude on this question of what really happened at the Galwan valley and who is responsible for that and what were the consequences. This is a Chinese attempt to look at information about this episode with suspicion, to shield information, to hide information. Pant said the situation is linked with the way the state machinery doesnt want to expose what happened and its own culpability in making that happen. The Chinese regime also arrested three bloggers last year for questioning the official version of what transpired in Galwan. Chris Minns, Michael Daley Face Off Again for NSW Labor Leadership Australian state Labor MPs Chris Minns and Michael Daley are the top contenders jostling for the leadership of the New South Wales (NSW) opposition after Jodi McKay quit last week. This will be the second time Minns and Daley have faced off for the role and the third attempt for Minns overall. But Minns promised no recriminations against his opponents faction should he win the top job. Of course, I promise no recriminations, Minns told Sky News on Tuesday. With two contenders, Labor party rules require the caucus and rank-and-file members to vote, which could be a bruising and lengthy process unless one person drops out. Minns said Daley has every right to put up his hand, as do I. But he said he could not tell his challenger to withdraw his nomination to avoid a potentially damaging contest. The opposition leadership contest comes after the NSW Labor partys policiesand McKays leadershipcame under scrutiny following the Upper Hunter by-election, which saw Labors primary vote slip to 21 percent from 29 percent in the 2019 state election. Following that result, and despite initially pledging to remain in the role, McKay, who had won majority support for the top job in 2019 after the partys election defeat, said that although she was the elected leader, there were some within the party who never accepted the outcome. She resigned on May 27. The loss of the Upper Hunter by-election, held in a predominantly blue-collar region, prompted some within Labor to call for some soul searching, saying the party which brands itself as being for working families, had instead focussed on policies that target inner-city progressives, to their detriment. Minns, who resigned from the shadow cabinet on May 25, after a Labor staffer from the office of Deputy Opposition Leader Yasmin Catley allegedly distributed a dirt dossier about him to the media, said in a post on Twitter that he wants the Labor party to refocus on working families. He also pledged to pivot from offering criticism of the NSW Liberal government to offering alternatives instead. Labor doesnt have to oppose everything the government does, he said. Minns has lost to Daley before, in November 2018, when Daley became party leader for a short-lived four months. But on Monday, he said hes confident this time will be different. Meanwhile, Daley on Sunday confirmed hed ask for a second chance at being the leader, but he faces a backlash from Asian-Australian Labor party members and officials over comments he made in 2019 about people from Asia with PhDs taking jobs from young Australians. He apologised again on Monday, with The Guardian reporting he said, Ive learned from my mistakes the hard way, and Ive thought about them more than you could imagine. Some of the things that I said and did in that campaign, I can guarantee you, will never happen again. Regardless, Minns is arguing the leadership needs a complete reset, saying its time for fresh ideas and generational change. Daley, 55, served as a minister when the party was last in government. McKay is also a former government minister. Im not a member of the previous Labor government, but I will put to my colleagues that thats a good thing, Minns told reporters. Were in our 10th year of opposition, and something has to changethat change should be generational. AAP contributed to this report. Parents and students gather in front of the Orange County Department of Education to protest wearing masks, in Costa Mesa, Calif., on May 17, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) Costa Mesa to Consider Lifting Mask Mandate Costa Mesa officials are scheduled to consider lifting the citys mask mandate and following the states relaxed guidelines that allow fully vaccinated individuals to go without face coverings in most indoor settings. The Costa Mesa City Council will ponder the decision during its June 1 meeting, more than a year after the mandate was first implemented in April 2020. Violators of the citywide mandate could have faced a $100 fine. As more individuals are vaccinated, and case counts are falling, and as the State of California prepares to fully re-open the economy, the need for Costa Mesa to have its own regulations regarding face coverings has eased, according to a city report. The report recommends that once the city repeals the mandate, it should follow California Department of Public Health (CDPH) guidelines regarding the use of face coverings. According to state guidance, fully vaccinated individuals can visit other fully vaccinated people indoors or outdoors without masks or social distancing, and must only wear face coverings outdoors at crowded public events. People who are not vaccinated are required to wear face coverings outdoors whenever social distancing cannot be maintained. In indoor settings outside of ones home, including public transportation, face coverings will continue to be required regardless of vaccination status, the report stated, except as outlined by the state. State and Orange County health department requirements have become less strict in mandating face coverings following a significant decline in CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus cases, hospitalizations, and deaths, and an increase in the number of adults receiving the CCP virus vaccine. The use of masks throughout the past year were likely very instrumental in helping to lessen the citys infection and fatality rate during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the city report. It also helped to ensure that the citys essential workers, such as critical Fire and Police personnel responsible for handling the pandemic were kept as safely as possible to provide emergency services to the public. An adorable leopard cub pounces on and plays with its very fed up looking mum in the Masai Mara in Kenya. (Leighton Lum/Caters News) Coverup of Escaped Leopards From China Zoo Is a Typical CCP Tactic Commentary A strange incident recently occurred in China. Three leopards in Hangzhou fled the zoo and wandered around the city for more than 20 days. One of them is still at large. On April 19, due to negligence in management at the Hangzhou Zoo, three young leopards escaped. The zoo failed to inform local authorities and residents that the three leopards were missing. But on May 7 and 8, Hangzhou residents reported that they had found a leopard in a nearby forest. Everyone now has a mobile phone, so upon finding leopards running amuck in the city, residents rushed to post videos online. Hangzhou is a first-tier city in China. It is unimaginable to find wild leopards in a large city with a population of several million. Can you imagine New York City residents discovering leopards in Manhattan? Therefore, everyone immediately suspected the local zoo. The zoo, Wildlife World, quickly issued a statement stating that no leopards escaped, causing more confusion about the origins of the leopards. However, after a few days, Wildlife World finally admitted that there were a total of three young leopards that escaped three weeks before their official reveal on April 19. The vice mayor of Hangzhou City went on to report that the police discovered the leopards had escaped on April 19, several weeks before the first sighting by local residents. The park admitted to police that it did not initially report the incident because of concerns that the news would affect visits to the zoo during Chinas public holidays in the first week of May. The authorities subsequently mobilized to capture the leopards. Soon, one leopard was captured, and the other was reportedly bitten to death by hunting dogs. A video surfaced of four big dogs encircling the leopard and biting it. The search and rescue personnel can be heard in the video saying keep biting it to death. The video stirred up much controversy regarding animal cruelty and caused a lot of dissatisfaction among Chinese citizens. Afterward, the state-run media came out reporting that the leopard was not killed and that the fallen leopard was only hit by a narcotic bullet. The third leopard is yet to be found. When the zoo finally publicly admitted that leopards had escaped, they also exposed that they initially denied the escape for fear of causing public panic. To readers who live in a free world, this may come across as absurd. However, under the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) system in China, it is expected. The CCP has always behaved in this way. Another Coverup Another recent example of this is the way the local and national officers of the CCP regime handled the initial COVID-19 outbreak within China. Chinese authorities knew of a deadly novel virus that transmits via human contact as of December 2019 at the latest. Yet the virus was covered up by CCP government officials, instead of them openly revealing it to the public. Dr. Li Wenliang, who ultimately died from COVID-19, was among many doctors threatened with prison for warning others about the virus. Many independent Chinese journalists were imprisoned for reporting the truth about how bad the early spread was in China. A memorial for Dr. Li Wenliang is displayed outside the UCLA campus in Westwood, Calif., on Feb. 15, 2020. (Mark Ralston/AFP via Getty Images) The concealment continued until the end of January 2020. Their delay in addressing the virus hugely contributed to an irreversible global catastrophe. The CCPs cited reason for concealing COVID-19 for so long and not communicating the threat to the rest of the world was also due to worries about public panic. This type of dangerous concealment happens in the CCP system because it operates as an authoritarian institution. The CCP regime systematically controls the internet, media, judicial courts, and appointment of its own officials. Dictatorship means monopolization of all laws including laws that punish lying. In the CCP system, liars can go unpunished and even protected if their lies serve the CCPs interests to maintain a reputation and power. None of these authoritarian measures can be achieved in a democratic society. In a democratic society, liars that create widespread adverse effects on society will likely face negative consequences. For the CCP, there is a big price to pay for lies and coverups, but it is not the liar who pays the price, nor the CCP. Ordinary people pay the price. Whether you believe in these lies or not, as long as you are an ordinary person and not powerful nor rich, you have to pay the price for the blunders of the CCP regime. China is one of the most closely monitored countries in the world due to AI facial recognition-enhanced surveillance cameras. Especially in the developed eastern regions, there is extensive monitoring technology active at all times. Even rural areas are no exception. A BBC reporter once tried evading the CCPs security systems. He was found by the authorities within 7 minutes. Hangzhou is one of the most economically developed areas in China, with a very high population density. How could a 2-year-old leopard remain missing in this city for 30 days? Yet, local officials and the zoo still maintain that the third leopard is yet to be found. I suspect this is still a lie to prevent outrage from the public or animal rights organizations for killing the young leopard. Under CCP rule, lying and coverups are tried and true tactics. Alexander Liao is a columnist and journalist in research on international affairs in the United States, China, and Southeast Asia. He has published a large number of reports, commentaries, and video programs in newspapers and Chinese financial magazines in the United States and Hong Kong. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. COVID-19 Lab Leak Theory and Conspiracy Labels: We Wont Find Answers Unless We Ask Questions Commentary Last spring, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation ran a major news campaign attacking The Epoch Times. Although the network ran many news items on the subject, the main attack was in an April 29, 2020, article posted on its website originally titled Racist and inflammatory: Canadians upset by Epoch Times claim China behind virus, made it as a bioweapon. The title greatly mischaracterized the content of that issue of the newspaper. The CBC repeatedly broadcast incorrect claims by a delivery person who said he didnt want to deliver a newspaper that said the virus was part of a bio-warfare agenda by the Chinese people. This was incorrect and there was no such claim in the paper, whose focus was the Chinese communist regime and not the Chinese people. CBC anchors repeatedly claimed The Epoch Times was spreading conspiracy theories for daring to question whether the virus came from anywhere but a wet market in Wuhanwhich the CBC had told its readers and viewers was the only place it could have come from. The Epoch Times was lambasted coast to coast by the CBC, the message being that it was spreading conspiracy theories and shouldnt be trusted. In fact, among the many articles in that issue, an opinion piece had simply suggested there should be an investigation into the origin of the virus outbreak, with nothing ruled out. That was enough to incur the CBCs wrath. The network later issued an obscure correction for its misleading headline, and particularly for the egregiously incorrect bioweapon charge. However, the damage was done, and Epoch was painted as a purveyor of conspiracy theories. Around the same time, federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu berated a reporter who dared to ask if it might be possible that China was being less than honest about the number of COVID-19 deaths. Hajdu accused the reporter of feeding into conspiracy theories. No reporter was even brave enough to ask about the possibility of a Wuhan lab virus origin. American legacy media took the same tack. Anything that suggested the virus did not come from the wet market was deemed to be alt-right conspiracy theory talk. All of this was deeply tied in to the medias anti-Trump playbook that had clearly overtaken any pursuit of the truth by that time. But now suddenly, the powers that be have changed their minds and decided that asking legitimate questions about the possibility that the virus originated in a laboratory is not feeding into conspiracy theories after all. In fact, the possibility of a lab origin was a legitimate subject of inquiry all along. It was just deemed to be unacceptable because it conflicted with someones political agenda. The question about the origins of the virus is just one example of science-related questions that were simply declared off-limits. The science pertaining to the spread of the virus was also perverted for political purposes. Nowhere was this more obvious than when the Black Lives Matter (BLM) and Antifa protests and riots began and hundreds of thousands of people were allowed to gather in close quarters, with no pushback from governments, while other gatherings met with a public scolding, police enforcement, and aggressive ticketing. Some politicians even joined the BLM protests in defiance of social distancing rules, such as Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Canadas own Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who spoke self-righteously about people who endangered others by not staying in their homes, then took part in a large BLM protest on Parliament Hill. Real science was thrown under the political bus. Meanwhile, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube were busy shutting down any sites that even mildly suggested that the virus might have originated in Wuhan. But clearly the fact that the most important virology lab in the country was located thereand that Chinese scientists were boasting that they were the world leaders in experimenting with viruses from horseshoe batswas something that deserved inquiry. We now know that the possibility the coronavirus originated in the Wuhan Institute of Virology was not a conspiracy theory at all. In fact, the fact that all inquiries into the perfectly understandable supposition that the virus might have leaked from the lab were aggressively shut down is the truly unusual part of this story and is probably closer to being an actual conspiracy. Although the best evidence appears to point to the Wuhan lab as the source of the virus, we dont know how it originated. Perhaps we will never know. The point is that we should have been able to discuss the issue. We should have been able to ask the question. We were denied those rights, and not just by the likes of the CBC and Patty Hajdu, who were minor players, but much more so by CNN, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, The New York Times, Democratic Party politicians, and virtually every other organ that controls the discourse in North America today, which all simply declared the subject off limits. Accounts were frozen, thoughtful people were labelled conspiracy theorists, and careers were destroyed simply because some highly placed peoplewe dont know exactly whodecided that the subject was to be undiscussable. And the same censorship and obfuscation has applied to so many of the other questions surrounding the virus. Do face masks work? Are treatments like Ivermectin or Hydroxychloroquine of value? Do lockdowns save lives or take lives? Should previously infected people get vaccinated? Should children be vaccinated? There are thousands of legitimate science or quasi-science questions that need asking. It was when the BLM and Antifa protests and riots began following the death of George Floyd in May 2020 that it became jarringly evident to all but the most gullible of us that science had been overwhelmed by politics. Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets, met before and after in coffee shops and apartments, and socialized with one another, with absolutely no pushback from the same authorities who had been threatening the general public with criminal sanctions if they dared to even worship with one another. That was the point when it became perfectly clear that science had been corrupted by politics. The fact is that this pandemic has done great damage to many institutions, but probably none has been savaged as seriously as science. There has probably never been such a high distrust of doctors and scientists as there is today, and this is happening for good reason. Perhaps it is time to go back and ask what scientific inquiry is all about. Is science really supposed to be controlled by what Mark Zukerberg, Jack Dorsey, and CNN or CBC executives consider politically expedient at the moment? Does it really make sense to set someone as flawed as Dr. Fauci up as some kind of oracle? Or is science worth more than that? The Scientific Revolution started in Europe 600 or so years ago would not have happened if todays faceless cabal of high-tech, media, and political nabobswho can unilaterally declare questions they dont like off-limitshad been around then. The Wuhan lab example is a perfect illustration. Discussion of a legitimate question was simply shut down because it conflicted with someones politics. This censorship alliance of high-tech, media, and political operatives is not about to change any time soon. So, whats to be done? In fact, it is being done. The Epoch Times questioning of the origins of the virus in spite of efforts to censor it is one example of what needs to be done. Hundreds of other independent news and information sites are examples as well. People need to keep asking questions in defiance of the big players efforts shut them down. So did the virus come from a wet market or a lab? If it came from a lab, was it leaked accidentally or released intentionally? Did the scientists attempt to hide results of their gain-of-function researchartificially making viruses more infectious and more deadlywhen their work became deadly? We dont know the answers to these questions, and many others. But we can only find out the answers if we can ask the questions. Brian Giesbrecht is a retired judge and a senior fellow with the Frontier Centre for Public Policy. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. People enter and leave the gate of Peking University in Beijing on July 27, 2016. (Thomas Peter/Reuters) Despite Opposition, Cornell Approves Partnership With CCP-Controlled Peking University Cornell University is moving forward with a proposed dual-degree program between its prestigious hotel school and Chinas Peking University (PKU), despite calls to reconsider partnering with a state-run institution that has a poor record of academic freedom and human rights. The proposed two-year graduate program, designed for executive professionals residing in China, would allow participants to obtain a masters degree in hospitality management from Cornells School of Hotel Administration, and a masters degree in business administration from PKUs Guanghua School of Management. The proposal was been presented to and approved by Cornells graduate committees on May 28, and currently awaits final review by the New York State Education Department, the Cornell Chronicle reported. Cornell has a long history of working with academic partners around the world, said Cornell Provost Michael I. Kotlikoff. These collaborations are vital to our mission of teaching, discovery, and engagement, and we encourage responsible collaborations even in countries with which we might have fundamental disagreements. The decision comes roughly two months after the governing bodies of Cornells faculty and undergraduate students voted against the idea, arguing that the Ivy League institution shouldnt risk damaging its brand to work with a university under the direct control of the Chinese communist regime. In a 1639 vote with 20 abstentions, the Cornell Faculty Senate on March 31 rejected a non-binding resolution endorsing the proposed dual-degree program between Cornell and PKU, one of 76 top-tier universities directly administered by the Chinese Ministry of Education. Once a hotbed of the nationwide pro-democracy protests in 1989, PKU is now more than willing to discipline faculty and students whose ideologies arent aligned closely enough with the interests of the Chinese communist regime. In 2019, a campus Marxist society was suspended, with some of its members detained, after they tried to help factory workers unionize to improve harsh working conditions. PKU amended its charter following the incident, effectively handing ultimate control over the universitys academic and administrative affairs to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). [If we have] partnerships with organizations and universities under the sway of authoritarian regimes, we risk degrading and compromising the Universitys mission, function, [and] reputation, Cornell English professor Joanie Mackowski said at the faculty senate meeting, the student newspaper The Cornell Daily Sun reported. The faculty senate vote came a few days after the Cornell Student Assembly approved a resolution calling on the administrators to uphold ethical guidelines while collaborating with international institutions. The resolution, which passed in an 180 vote with four abstentions, specifically asked Cornell to reconsider the proposal, highlighting the CCPs suppression of academic freedom and violations of human rights. Continuing to partner with PKU and other institutions in China normalizes and accepts the genocide that is currently ongoing, Laila Abd Elmagid, the senior who proposed the resolution, told the Daily Sun. In January, Trump administration Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared that the CCP was committing crimes against humanity and genocide against the Uyghur population, making the United States the first nation to use those terms to describe the human rights abuses taking place in Chinas northwestern region of Xinjiang. The declaration was affirmed by Pompeos successor, Antony Blinken, and has since been recognized by the governments of Canada, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Lithuania. The way Customs operates has been greatly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and it is imperative that Customs administrations review Risk Management (RM) strategies and techniques in their day-to-day activities in order to adopt an effective approach to the planning and implementation of Customs controls, especially to cater for the expedited delivery of essential goods. The World Customs Organization (WCO) conducted a virtual Risk Management (RM) Workshop for Eswatini Customs (SRA) from 20 to 23 April 2021, to enhance the application of its rules and procedures with particular emphasis on Risk Assessment, Profiling and Targeting,as well as sharpening the Selectivity module with the use of machine learning and artificial intelligence. Over the four days, the Workshop brought together 24 Customs officials from the RM and Intelligence Divisions, Customs border offices, and Enforcement. It was facilitated by WCO-accredited experts in Risk Management from Uganda and India, and was made possible by the support of Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs (HMRC) fund. The Workshops main purpose was to build the capacity of the participating Customs officials, with the aim of ensuring the implementation of a Risk-Based approach to the management of compliancewith Customs laws and regulations on the import and export of goods, the movement of travellers and border protection, including national security. The Workshop was also intended to accelerate the trade facilitation agenda in order to promote economic growth and investment in the country. The Workshop provided the right opportunity for Eswatini Customs to strengthen its existing RM processes and adopt new approaches for future operations involving risk assessment, profiling and targeting, including information exchange and intelligence. The Workshop participants showed a keen interest in the theoretical and practical sessions, and took full advantage of the possibility to exchange views and share experiences among themselves and with the WCO facilitators. The ensuing presentations and discussions on the WCO Customs Risk Management Compendium deepened their knowledge in terms of further strengthening their use of selectivity criteria. The Workshop greatly contributed to a broader understanding of the various topics, and the virtual platform offered an opportunity for the participants and WCO facilitators to discuss, and take cognizance of, developments in the area of Risk Management. The SRA expressed its deep appreciation to the WCO for the Workshop, and for the continued support offered on RM and in other Customs areas. Former Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Donna Brazile, center, attends the inauguration of Joe Biden in Washington on Jan. 20, 2021. (Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images) Donna Brazile Departs Fox, Joins ABC as Contributor Donna Brazile has left Fox News and joined ABC News. The former chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), who fed then-candidate Hillary Clinton questions before a debate, will be a contributor with ABC, a spokesperson told The Epoch Times via email. A Fox spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment. Brazile joined Fox in 2019. The network described her as a veteran Democratic strategist who would offer political analysis. Brazile previously worked for CNN. She fed Clinton, the Democrat presidential nominee who later lost to Donald Trump, questions before a town hall in Michigan in 2016, emails published by WikiLeaks revealed at the time. CNN accepted Braziles resignation when she became interim head of the DNC. In an op-ed explaining her decision to join Fox, Brazile said she lacked civility at times during her political work. I should have been wise enough and humble enough to have listened to my mother, Jean, who so often would tell me, the third of nine children, to shut up and allow my siblings to speak, and to listenreally listento what they had to say. She knew I wasnt listening so much as I was pausing before launching again into an argument, she wrote. My mother tried to teach us Brazile kids a lesson we all need to heed as citizens: Listen more, talk less. Be civil to one another. Find common ground. Contempt is hatred towards others. These are the lessons and the attitude I will bring to Fox News. Brazile, who appeared recently on ABCs This Week, told The Daily Best via text that Fox offered her an additional number of years but she opted to return to ABC. When my contract expired, they offered me an additional 2-4 years, Brazile wrote. But I decided to return to ABC. Palestinian Hamas Gaza Chief Yehya Al-Sinwar and Head of the Egyptian general intelligence Abbas Kamel (R) walk as they meet in Gaza, on May 31, 2021. (Mohammed Salem/Reuters) Egypts Intelligence Chief Holds Truce Talks With Hamas in Gaza GAZAEgypts intelligence chief met Hamas leaders in Gaza on Monday to try to bolster a ceasefire between the Palestinian terrorist group and Israel and to discuss reconstruction plans following the recent fighting, Egyptian and Palestinian officials said. The visit was the first by an Egyptian intelligence chief to the enclave since the early 2000s. Eleven days of fighting between Israel and Hamas erupted on May 10. Gaza medical officials said 253 Palestinians were killed during the fighting. Palestinian rockets and missiles killed 13 people in Israel. Egypt intelligence chief Abbas Kamels visit is seen as an effort by Cairo to regain a more vital role in mediation between Israel and Hamas and revive the stalled Israel-Palestinian peace process. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi directed Egyptian officials to continue efforts and meetings to solve the problem of prisoners and missing people between Israel and Hamas, Egypts state news agency MENA reported on Sunday. Following the meeting with Kamel, Gaza chief Yehya Al-Sinwar said there is a real chance for progress to be made on resolving the issue of prisoners, though he added that Hamas demanded those negotiations be held separately from the ceasefire talks. On Sunday, Kamel met in Jerusalem with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu said his meeting dealt with regional security issues and ways to prevent Hamas from siphoning off civilian aid to strengthen its capabilities. Kamel also met Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah on Sunday and handed him a message from Sisi affirming Cairos support for Palestinians and Abbas, MENA said. A sign points the way to the Anaheim Police Department visitor entrance in Anaheim, Calif., on Sept. 10, 2020. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) Elderly Man Beaten to Death in Anaheim Attack An elderly man in Anaheim was beaten to death on May 31, allegedly by an assailant out on bail who had attacked another city resident just 20 minutes prior. Anaheim Police Department homicide detectives arrested David Steven Abbott, 30, after officers responded to an in-progress assault at the intersection of Catalpa and Falmouth avenues around 12:20 p.m. At the scene they discovered the victim, 70-year-old Rahmatolah Davey Yaghoubi, suffering from severe head trauma. The victim was quickly transported to a local hospital, where he died as a result of injuries he sustained in the assault. Police found Abbott at the scene and detained him. Twenty minutes before responding to the incident, Anaheim police received a call when Abbott allegedly attacked a 60-year-old unnamed man in a nearby area. We had two calls that came out almost simultaneously, Anaheim Police Sgt. Shane Carringer told The Epoch Times. We had a call that came in at 12 oclock for an assault and battery, which is the one where [Abbott] was chased off and officers were on [the] scene with that victim. And the second assault came out as in-progress, so we responded to that. Both incidents appear to be unprovoked and random, Carringer said. He added that the first man sustained minor injuries consistent with being assaulted, but the suspect had fled the scene before police arrived. A mugshot of suspect David Steven Abbott. (Courtesy of the Anaheim Police Department) Abbott had previously been arrested on May 15 for an assault with a deadly weapon, Carringer said, though he declined to comment further on the incident. The suspect was released after posting $100,000 bail on May 20just 11 days before the May 31 assaults. [Abbott] posted bail. Everybodys got a constitutional right to bail. So, the judge set his bail at $100,000 and he paid it, Carringer said. Abbott is currently being held on a $2 million bail at the Anaheim Detention Facility, but city homicide detectives are currently seeking a bail enhancement. Anyone who may have had contact with Abbott or been a victim of a similar attack are encouraged to contact homicide detectives at 714-321-3669 or Orange County Crime Stoppers at 855-TIPOCCS. Facts Matter (May 31): BLM Chapter Founder Says He Resigned After Learning the Ugly Truth In Pennsylvania, a county just voted to allow their attorney general to investigate a local election and look into what caused errors with their voting machines. Meanwhile, in Arizona, the state Senate is considering expanding the audit in Maricopa County to include not only the presidential and Senate races, but all of the races in the 2020 election. In Minnesota, the founder of a local BLM chapter released a video explaining how he resigned after learning the ugly truth about the Black Lives Matter organization. Stay tuned for our newsletter so you wont miss out on our exclusive videos and private events. Facts Matter is an Epoch Times show available on YouTube. Follow us on Parler, Gab, and Telegram Follow Roman on Instagram: @epoch.times.roman A woman (R) receives a nucleic acid test for the COVID-19 virus in Guangzhou, China, on May 30, 2021. (AFP via Getty Images) Fast-Spreading, Deadly COVID-19 Variants Announced in South China COVID-19 variant cases are spreading across Guangdong, a coastal province in South China. Municipal authorities have reported that all local transmissions have been related to the Indian and UK variants, and are spreading rapidly due to their increased transmissibility. After recording zero confirmed local cases a day before, Chinas National Health Commission on May 31 confirmed 20 new locally acquired COVID-19 across the country in the past 24 hours, all from Guangdong Province except for seven imported cases in Guangdong, Shanghai, Fujian, and Henan. Three new asymptomatic cases of locally acquired COVID-19 were also reported in the southern province, which China doesnt classify as confirmed cases. A confirmed case in Guangdong came from a baby girl surnamed Liang, aged only one year and a month old. Chen Bin, deputy director at the municipal health commission of Guangzhou, the capital city of Guangdong, said at a press conference on May 30 that recent cases were of the new, fast-spreading Indian variant of the virus. This is the first public confirmation from Chinese officials that the Indian variant has been transmitting locally in mainland China. Recent transmission chains have been traced back through five individuals mostly located in central Guangdong Province, Chinas state media reported. On May 30, the Shahe Clothes Wholesale Plazaone of the three biggest clothes wholesale markets in Guangzhouwas forced to shut down without warning after one customer was found showing symptoms of a fever. A video shared online shows the that panic set in after everyone at the market was told they would have to be tested for COVID-19 before they could leave. Officials also announced the launch of broader universal testing and tougher traffic controls to curb the outbreak of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) virus, commonly known as novel coronavirusthe virus which causes the disease COVID-19. According to the latest notice issued by Guangzhous Epidemic Prevention and Control Office, from 10 p.m. on May 31, passengers leaving Guangzhou will have to present their green Health Code and a negative COVID-19 test from within the past 72 hours. The scope of testing has also been further expanded to Guangdongs districts of Yuexiu, Haizhu, Tianhe, Baiyun, and Panyu, in addition to Liwan district where the first local case was reported and traced to a 75-year-old female patent surnamed Guo who dined in a local dim sum restaurant on May 21. A member of the wait staff was asymptomatically infected and not wearing a mask while delivering food to Guo. Local authorities announced lockdowns for certain communities in Liwan District said to be at high-risk and suspended unessential daily activities. One person per household per day is allowed to go out to buy daily necessities. A security guard at Pui Chun Primary School in Liwan district told the Chinese-language Epoch Times that the school and its neighborhood has been shut down. They said that police were everywhere and people could not move around. Authorities did not offer any official announcement of the lockdown, he said. Meanwhile, the UK virus variant has been officially reported in ShenzhenChinas tech megacity in Guangdong Province. The total number of local cases have climbed to 13 since the new surge was detected in Shenzhen on May 21. Sequencing results from patients were highly homologous to the UK mutated strain, said Chang Juping, deputy director of the municipal health commission. The so-called B.117 variant, which peaked in the UK at beginning of this year, is up to twice as deadly as the regular variant, research shows. Tina Lopez receives her first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine prior to a game between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Brooklyn Nets at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wis., on May 2, 2021. (Stacy Revere/Getty Images) Federal Agency: Businesses Can Make Employees Get COVID-19 Vaccine The federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued new guidance last week and said businesses can require that their employees get the COVID-19 vaccine without violating federal laws. Other federal laws including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) that prohibits discrimination based on disability, as well as state and local laws may impact whether businesses can mandate their employees to get the vaccine, according to updated guidance posted on the EEOCs website on May 28. Employers will also have to make reasonable accommodations for workers who cant or wont get vaccinated due to religious reasons, pregnancy, or a disability, the EEOC said. Federal EEO laws do not prevent an employer from requiring all employees physically entering the workplace to be vaccinated for COVID-19, so long as employers comply with the reasonable accommodation provisions of the ADA and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and other EEO considerations, said the updated guidance. Meanwhile, laws that are outside the agencys purview might place additional restrictions on employers, it added. From the EEOCs viewpoint, the guidance added, employers should keep in mind that because some individuals or demographic groups may face greater barriers to receiving a COVID-19 vaccination than others, some employees may be more likely to be negatively impacted by a vaccination requirement. The updated technical assistance released today addresses frequently asked questions concerning vaccinations in the employment context, EEOC Chair Charlotte A. Burrows said in a statement. The EEOC will continue to clarify and update our COVID-19 technical assistance to ensure that we are providing the public with clear, easy to understand, and helpful information. The EEOCs latest guidance was cited by a Houston Methodist hospital spokesperson, who was responding to a question from The Epoch Times on Sunday about a lawsuit filed by 117 employees of the hospital who alleged that the company mandated that they receive the vaccine or would face termination. Methodist Hospital is forcing its employees to be human guinea pigs as a condition for continued employment, their lawsuit stated. They wrote that the hospitals COVID-19 vaccination mandate requires the employee to subject themselves to medical experimentation as a prerequisite to feeding their families. Hospital CEO Marc Boom, in a response to the lawsuit, asserted that most of the employees have received vaccines. It is unfortunate that the few remaining employees who refuse to get vaccinated and put our patients first are responding in this way, Boom said, according to a spokesperson for the hospital system. It is legal for health care institutions to mandate vaccines, as we have done with the flu vaccine since 2009. COVID-19 is the illness caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, also known as the coronavirus. Florida State University Settles Discrimination Lawsuit With Catholic Student for Almost $100,000 Florida State University (FSU) has reached a settlement with a former student leader who sued the school last year for violating his First Amendment rights. The settlement came nearly a year after Jack Denton, who is Catholic, was ousted from his position as the student senate president after comments he made in a private text messaging group were made public. In June 2020, amid the nationwide unrest and debate over racism, Denton advised fellow students in a Catholic Student Union messaging group not to donate to Black Lives Matter, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) or Reclaim the Block, because those organizations all advocate for things that are explicitly anti-Catholic. BlackLivesMatter.com fosters a queer affirming network, and defends trangenderism, Denton wrote, when asked by a student what exactly he meant by that. The ACLU defends laws protecting abortion facilities and sued states that restrict access to abortion. Reclaim the Block claims less police will make our communities safer and advocates for cutting [law enforcement] budgets. This is a little less explicit, but I think its contrary to the churchs teaching on the common good. Dentons criticism caused an uproar on campus after his comments were leaked to the student senate. The FSU chapter of College Democrats denounced the messages, saying they demonstrate a clear lack of respect for our black and LGBTQ+ students. An online petition also circulated, demanding the student senate remove Denton for his transphobic and racist behavior. Denton sued the FSU following his removal, alleging that he had been discriminated against for his Catholic beliefs. The legal battle came to an end last week when the FSU agreed to settle the lawsuit. As part of the agreement, the university will pay Denton $1,050 in lost wages, $10,000 in compensatory damages and $84,000 in attorneys fees. The FSU also agreed to post a public statement reinforcing that student government is open to all students, regardless of their religious beliefs. Florida State University remains committed to protecting the rights of its students to hold and practice their religious beliefs free of persecution, the statement reads. Every student, no matter their religion, has the right to participate in student organizations and hold positions in student government. The Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), a conservative legal group representing Denton in the case, celebrated the victory. Public universities cant single out and punish students for their religious beliefs, ADF legal counsel Logan Spena said in a press release. We are pleased that Florida State has finally affirmed its commitment to students First Amendment rights on campus. All students should be able to peacefully share their personal convictions without fear of retaliation. Denton graduated in December 2020 and now works as a legislative assistant to Republican state Rep. Larry C. Strickland of North Carolina, according to the state legislatures website. Generals Have Brought Integrity to the Presidency Commentary It is now Memorial Day, and I want to focus on the historic role of the commander-in-chief. Ten generals have been president of the United States, all of whom served in combat: Washington, Jackson, William H. Harrison, Taylor, Pierce, Grant, Hayes, Garfield, Benjamin Harrison, and Eisenhower. In addition, Theodore Roosevelt was a much decorated combat colonel and William McKinley a decorated Civil War captain. Harry Truman was an artillery captain on the Western front in World War I. John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, and Gerald Ford were all decorated junior officers in the United States Navy in World War II (and they entered the House of Representatives together in 1946). President Carter was a Navy submariner between wars. George H.W. Bush won the Distinguished Flying Cross when he was 20, as a combat pilot in the Pacific. A number of Prominent military officers ran unsuccessfully for president, including General Lewis Cass, General Winfield Scott, Colonel John C. Fremont (the first Republican presidential nominee), General George B. McClellan, and General Winfield S. Hancock. Many other prominent militarists have been courted as presidential candidates by the parties including Generals George C. Marshall, Douglas MacArthur, and Colin L. Powell, and most famously, General William Tecumseh Sherman, who memorably replied to the suggestion that he consider a presidential candidacy: If nominated I will not run and if elected I will not serve. None of the senior military officers who served as president initiated any wars, and most were careful, while promoting the national interest and expressing it forcefully when necessary, and were distinctly war-averse. President Eisenhower promised to go to Korea, in his campaign of 1952, to resolve the war there, and he did so by having senior officials of the government of India advise Chinese diplomatic representatives accredited to India that if the Peoples Republic of China did not start taking the negotiations for an end to the Korean War seriously, he would have to consider the use of atomic weapons to achieve that end. The armistice was signed shortly afterwards and has been in effect for 48 years. President Eisenhower advised strongly against military adventurism in Cuba, and both he and General MacArthur advised President Kennedy and President Johnson not to commit combat ground forces to Vietnam and once they had done so, to cut the Ho Chi Minh Trail. There was an argument for intervention that President Kennedy and Johnson found persuasive but there was no argument, once having intervened, not to follow the advice of the nations two senior generals and victorious theater commanders to cut the supply of men and materiel from North to South Vietnam as they urged. In 1955, when mainland China was threatening an invasion of Taiwan (as they are almost doing today), and were shelling the islands of Quemoy and Matsu just offshore, the Congress overwhelmingly voted President Eisenhower a blank check to use any degree of force he judged necessary in dealing with the crisis, specifically including nuclear weapons. Five times in the following year the Joint Chiefs of Staff filed into his office and asked the president to authorize use of nuclear weapons against the Peoples Republic of China. On each occasion, Eisenhower declined and asked what the justification would be for such a drastic measure that would inevitably cause great loss of life. The answer always was to prevent an amphibious invasion of Taiwan. President Eisenhower pointed out that the Formosa Strait was more than three times as wide as the distance travelled by the invasion fleet for the Normandy landings on D-Day in 1944. He had been the commander of that operation and it still stands as the greatest amphibious invasion in the history of the world, and the Allies had absolute air and sea superiority-12,000 aircraft and 5000 ships, where In 1955, the United States had absolute air and sea superiority in the Formosa Strait and full aerial reconnaissance of the primitive state of any Chinese invasion capability: a Chinese invasion would have been a suicide mission. The world was fortunate that at this critical period, the height of the Cold War, when the communist leaders-Nikita Khrushchev and Mao Tse-tung, often referred flippantly to the use of nuclear weapons, the President of the United States was a person so superbly qualified to reject requests for impetuous recourse to weapons of mass destruction. Eisenhower was prepared to threaten nuclear weapons to end the Korean War but not to prevent a military threat that did not really exist. He warned the French not to take a stand at Dien Bien Phu in North Vietnam when the enemy would hold the surrounding hills and he declined to bail the French out by recourse to nuclear weapons as they asked after they ignored his advice. He said on several occasions that states should only go to war as an absolute last resort and thoughtfully and prayerfully. And as General Washington in his farewell address warned against entangling alliances with foreign powers that could drag America into conflicts it should avoid, General Eisenhower in his departure address cautioned against the dangers of the intimate and mutually supportive relationship between the high military command and the great industrial corporations that supplied and encouraged the appetite of the Armed Forces. All of the generals who were elected president were successful generals, but it must be said that only Washington, Jackson, and Eisenhower were distinctly successful presidents. The country has always, after successful wars, looked to electing combat commanders as potential political leaders because they are generally assumed to possess qualities of leadership and personal integrity and absence of low political opportunism or questionable motives, and that that makes them admirably suited to be the chief of state as well as the head of government. Most of those men so elevated met those expectations, but several, including U.S. Grant and Franklin Pierce, proved erratic judges of the integrity of politicians, and were under-informed in some key policy areas. Not to strike a vexatious note on Memorial Day, I cannot help but reflect what all of these victorious generals who were freely elected to the presidency of the United States would have thought of the idea of providing instruction in Critical Race Theory to the men whom they victoriously conducted in battle. They would have been outraged by it. Many of them are from an era that ante-dated general American recognition of the concept of racial equality. Washington was a slaveholder though he emancipated his slaves in his will, and Jackson was a slavery-enthusiast, a white supremacist in fact. Even though General Eisenhower enforced the Supreme Court order to desegregate Central High School in Little Rock and used the famous 101st airborne division (the Screaming Eagles) that he had commanded in Europe, to do it, Eisenhower was not as motivated in civil rights matters as his admirers, then and now, would have hoped, but he believed in law enforcement. All of these general-presidents were patriotic Americans and strong believers in the principal ethical concepts of their times and all executed their great office with integrity. They all loved their country and they would all be horrified at the woke, racially overcharged and often bigoted, shooting gallery that parts of it have become. And they would be right. Conrad Black has been one of Canadas most prominent financiers for 40 years, and was one of the leading newspaper publishers in the world. Hes the author of authoritative biographies of Franklin D. Roosevelt and Richard Nixon, and, most recently, Donald J. Trump: A President Like No Other, which has been republished in updated form. You can hear more of Conrads thoughts on his podcast Scholars & Sense alongside his co-hosts Bill Bennett and Victor Davis Hanson at ScholarsAndSense.buzzsprout.com Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas speaks ahead of the North Atlantic Council meeting at the Federal Foreign Office in Berlin, Germany, on June 1, 2021. (Bernd von Jutrczenka/DPA via AP, Pool) German Minister Rejects Idea of Arms Deliveries to Ukraine BERLINGermanys foreign minister on Tuesday rejected the idea of delivering weapons to Ukraine after the countrys president indicated that he would like military help from Berlin. Germany, along with France, has led Western diplomatic efforts to resolve the long-running conflict between Kyiv and Russia-backed separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine. But efforts toward a political settlement are stalled. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was quoted in an interview Tuesday with the German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that Chancellor Angela Merkel has done a lot for Ukraine but of course I had hoped for more from her, particularly in the Normandy format of four-way talks between Ukraine, Russia, Germany, and France. Germany can do more, he said, pointing to recent comments by opposition Green party leader Robert Habeck during a visit to Ukraine. Habeck said that from my point of view, it is hard for us to deny Ukraine weapons for defense, for self-defense. His comments drew widespread criticism in Germany in an election year, not least from his own party, which has pacifist roots. Germany has not given us military help, but it could do, Zelenskyy said. Germany has great ships: speedboats, missile speedboats, and patrol boats. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas firmly rejected the idea of weapons deliveries, while highlighting Germanys support for Ukraine in diplomacy and in bilateral aid. I am convinced that the conflict can only be solved by political channels, and that should be clear to all involved, he told reporters in Berlin. This remains the guiding principle of our engagement, and it wont changeweapons deliveries dont help in this. Ukraine also strongly opposes the completion of a new Russian-built natural gas pipeline to Germany under the Baltic Sea. The Nord Stream 2 project also is opposed by Habecks Greens and by the United States, but the Biden administration opted last month not to punish the company overseeing the project even while announcing new sanctions against Russian companies and ships. The move eased a long-running irritant in German-U.S. relations. Germanys Funke newspaper group reported Tuesday that a German delegation including two top Merkel advisers traveled to Washington this week for talks expected to include the pipeline issue. Maas said Germany had made clear that it has an interest in finding a common way forward. That will now be the subject of talks in Washington, and I am confident that we will succeed in finding a way, he said. This certainly wont be easy, and possibly wont be the case overnight, but we are counting on dialogue with officials in Washington as we did in the past, and we will continue that. Grill Your Pizza With the proper technique, grilling gives you a charred, crisp-chewy crust to adorn with whatever toppings you like Grilled pizza doesnt immediately sound like the highest use of a grill or a pizza. Youd think the bottom of the crust would burn into a blackened crisp while blocking the coals from melting the cheese on top. Luckily, nobody told Johanne Killeen and George Germon. The two art students from Providence, Rhode Island, met while working for Dewey Dufresne, a young chef with a big future of his own. In 1980, they opened Al Forno, which means from the oven, an unlikely name for the birthplace of the worlds first non-baked pizza. But the restaurant space came with a grill, and they wanted to use it. Their signature margherita pie became that grills reason why. In those days, dishes like pesto were exotic, and the married chef-owners had to contract with a local farm in order to get enough basil. They credit Dufresne for their focus on quality ingredients cooked simply. As for the pizza, it succeeded despite the obvious reasons why it shouldnt have. Or perhaps these hurdles are what sculpted it into the work of art it is. While Germon and Killeen were inventing local grilled pizza in Providence, I was eating oven-baked pies from Armandos Pizza in Cambridge, a mere 50 miles away, quite certain that pizza couldnt possibly get any better than that. My friend Michele, who grew up near Providence, knew better. Although she never dined there, Al Forno cast a long shadow. Eating there was something that rich people did, she recalls. Its where my aunts boyfriend took her on fancy dates. Michele recently introduced me to this legendary pizza, which she has been making all spring and debuted to her friends on Memorial Day. The core trick is to flip the pizza after grilling one side, and put the toppings on the cooked side, with its hot new grill marks. This flipping is how the puzzles presented by grilled pizza are solved. The cheese melts. The extra-oily, extra-thin crust cooks quickly, all the way through, with no gooey inside to worry about. It comes out puffy, crunchy, crispy, chewy, and cracker-like, with a charred but hopefully not burnt bottom and smoky flavor. And it wont stick to the grill. Once you get the hang of grilling a pizza, the precooked crust becomes a blank slate for whatever seasonal and creative toppings you can imagine. At Al Forno you could, and still can get, toppings like nettle pesto, fried calamari, and peaches and prosciutto, to name just a pinch of them, constrained only by the chefs whimsy. The home grill master can do the same with the ever-unfolding bounty of summer. But none of Al Fornos specials ever supplanted the simple margherita, topped with a juicy tomato sauce with herbs and the occasional pungent intrusion of half-cooked garlic, all held together by cheese. If you know what youre doing, you could grill yourself a lovely pizza with a hunk of store-bought dough, a jar of sauce, and a bag of shredded cheese. But there are levels to this. Once you get the basic hang of grilling pizza, you can progress to thinking about toppings. And some day, perhaps, youll be ready to contemplate dough mixing. I am not there myself, but luckily I can get decent pizza dough at my local store. Without the fuss of crust, I can focus on the toppings and the grilling. We have all summer to figure out the dough. Grilled Margherita a la Al Forno The Al Forno margherita pizza is a great, simple place to embark upon the path of grilled pizza, and Germon and Killeen werent shy about discussing the pie that put them on the map. I have read every one of their interviews on their margherita pizza that I could find. It changed over the years, so what I have here is something in the middle, with my own adaptations for the Weber grill that I use at home. Killeen and Germon use maple charcoal, but I think any pure hardwood charcoal is fine. Makes one medium-sized pizza that serves 2 4 pounds hardwood charcoal 1 ball (14 to 16 ounces) pizza dough 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 clove garlic, pressed, grated, crushed, or minced 1 14-ounce can whole tomatoes 1/2 cup chopped basil 1/2 cup chopped parsley 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme 3 ounces grated fontina cheese 1 ounce grated Romano cheese 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes Place the dough ball in a bowl and pour the oil over it. Roll it in the oil to coat it all around and leave it to soak. Light the coals, and when they are about halfway ready, spread them evenly about 5 inches below one side of the cooking grate. While the coals catch, remove the dough from the bowl and place it on the back of a cookie sheet. Press it into an oblong shape about the size of the pan, and less than 1/4-inch thick. Its OK if some parts are thick and others thin. Thats part of the art. If you stretch the crust so thin that a hole opens up, you dont try to patch it. This is an artisan pizza. Just dont add any toppings to that negative space and youll be fine. Add the minced garlic to the bowl with the remaining oil. In another bowl, hand-crush the tomatoes and mix in the basil, thyme, and parsley. When the coals are a bit past their prime and not burning quite so aggressively, lift the crust by two points on the same edge and toss it onto the hot side, like youd whip a fresh sheet onto a bed. After about a minute on the grill, it should start to puff up. Carefully tug up on an edge and peek at the underside. After another 30 or so seconds, before it blackens, grab the edge and flip the crust onto the cool side of the rack. (Its impossible to give exact cooking times because they depend on the heat of your coals and their distance from the grill.) While its still piping hot, immediately brush or rub the newly-browned side of the crust with the garlic oil. Sprinkle on the fontina and then the Romano, and spoon on the herbed crushed tomatoes in dispersed little piles. Sprinkle the salt, pepper, and pepper flakes over the pizza. With tongs or carefully with your fingers, slide the pizza onto the hot side, over the coals. Cook it as long as you can, ideally about four minutes, without smelling any burning crust. If it starts to blacken, pull it to the non-hot side of the grill and put the lid on until the cheese melts. Cut into artsy pieces with cooking scissors, and serve. Ari LeVaux writes about food in Missoula, Mont. A business genius who created a Fortune 500 company with two gold bars By:Lu Yukun | From:english.eastday.com | 2021-05-31 19:41 According to Fortune Magazine, China Resources was ranked 79th on the 2020 Fortune Global 500 list. The conglomerate owns a bevy of household name firms and brands including Snow beer, Yibao Water, China Resources Vanguard, Pacific Coffee and China Resources Land. China Resources is arguably ubiquitous in our everyday lives across China. Little known is that such a huge business empire has a "red" background that is anything but ordinary. The connection between China Resources and the Communist Party of China can be traced back to the Anti Japanese war. Liow & Co, founded by Qin Bangli, a member of the Communist Party of Chinas Central Special Operations, was the predecessor of China Resources Group. Qin Bangli was born in Wuxi in 1908. After his father died of tuberculosis in 1922, 14-year-old Qin Bangli gave up his studies in order to support his brother Bogu and sister to study, and went to Wuxi Fuyuan Money house as an apprentice. Embarks on the revolutionary journey with two gold bars In April 1931, with Gu Shunzhang and Xiang Zhongfa arrested and defected one after another, all the Central Special Operations members were exposed and put in extreme danger. In May, the Central Special Operations was restructured. Chen Yun replaced Zhou Enlai as the head of the new organization, and planned to employ new people. Qin Bangli, introduced by his brother, met Chen Yun. The reporter learned from the Chen Yun memorial Hall that at that time, hearing that Qin Bangli had business experience, Chen Yun was very happy. He made an appointment with Qin Bangli and took two gold bars as a "meeting gift". After that, Qin Bangli received his first task: to use these two gold bars as capital to build a new secret transportation station and raise funds for the party. With two gold bars as the "start-up fund", Qin Bangli first opened a rice shop in Shanghai to transport Wuxi rice to Shanghai for sale. After making money, he opened a furniture and woodwork shop as a cover for holding party meetings. Recreation of the old Shanghai rice shops One of Qin Bangli's business philosophies is to "put eggs in different baskets". This business philosophy also continued after he later moved to Hong Kong. After that, he also set up sugar shops, Southern groceries stores, stationery and cigarette paper shops, etc. On the one hand, he acted as a liaison station, on the other hand, he tried to rescue the arrested but undisclosed party members. In the winter of 1931, Qin Bangli joined the Communist Party of China. In 1932, Qin Bangli was ordered to open the "Sino French pharmacy Shantou branch" in Shantou. The pharmacy became a transit hub from Shanghai to the Central Soviet Area, secretly transferring Party members and exchanging documents. With the help of this hub, more than 200 party members and cadres entered the Soviet Area, including Liu Shaoqi, Zhang Wentian, Bo Gu, Chen Yun, Lin Boqu, Li Weihan, and Chen Geng. In the next few years, Qin Bangli traveled between Shanghai, Shantou and Ruijin. Relying on his flexible business mind and meticulousness, he accomplished the task excellently. Qin Bangli (third from right) and his relatives As a boss, he led a poor life At the end of 1937, the Anti Japanese war broke out and the Anti Japanese national united front was formed. In January 1938, the Communist Party of China established the "Hong Kong Office of the Eighth Route Army in Hong Kong. It took Hong Kong as a transit port to collect materials for the Anti Japanese war. Qin Bangli was one of the earliest members. When Qin Bangli first arrived in Hong Kong, he changed his name to "Yang Lianan". In order to take good care of the collected materials and funds and send them to the Anti Japanese front line smoothly, Qin Bangli registered a legal operating company Liow & Co (Lianhehang in Pinyin) in Hong Kong, with a registered capital of US $20,000, in the Feng's building on Connaught Road just a few hundred meters away from the Eighth Route Armys office in Hong Kong. In the dialect of Wuxi, Qin Bangli's hometown, Lianhe is the homonym of Lian'an, which makes it sound more like a private company and thus was easier to conceal. In 1938, Liow & Co, the predecessor of China Resources, was established in Victoria Bay, Hong Kong (by courtesy of official website of China Resources) At that time, the company's disclosed business was the north and South groceries. In reality, however, its real function was to secretly purchase the urgently needed materials in the Shaanxi Gansu Ningxia region. From western medicine to medical equipment, from electronic tubes to X-ray machines, from shoes and socks to military blankets, and from transport vehicles to generators; whatever the party needed. Although Qin Bangli's company generated huge sums of money, he himself lived a poor life. Qin Bangli's daughter, Qin Wen, once recalled that the family's financial source depended on the party's provision system, and her daily life was relatively poor. After coming to Hong Kong with her father, the family only rented a small house in Wan Chai. On December 8, 1941, Japanese planes bombed Hong Kong. On December 10, Japanese invaders occupied Kai Tak Airport, and more than 30,000 Japanese troops entered the New Territories of Hong Kong. In 1942, the Hong Kong office moved to Guangzhou. At that time, Chiang Kai Shek's sabotage of cooperation between the KMT and CPC had been made public. After the destruction of the Partys organizations in Guangzhou, Qin Bangli secretly left Guangzhou with funds for Chongqing. Later, Qin Bangli returned to Southern China and changed his name to "Yang Lin", which became his official name for the rest of his life. Change the name to "China Resources" After the victory of the Anti Japanese War, Liu Ang, Zhou Enlai's secretary, recalled Zhou Enlai's care for other democratic people and said that the main way to raise money for the democratic people was to do business on his own. Liow & Co was one of the sources of income. At the beginning of the civil war, Qin Bangli was recalled to Shanghai to accept Zhou Enlai's new task of opening up a sea passage between coastal ports in the liberated area and Hong Kong. After returning to Hong Kong, Qin Bangli changed the name of Liow & Co to Liow & Co Import and Export Company. Liow & Co Import and Export Company After more than a year of operation, Liow & Co Import and Export Company expanded both in personnel and turnover. At the celebration party for the company's relocation, Qin Bangli said that the name of the company was originally named after his own, and now it is time to give the company a resounding name. After discussion, the company changed its name to "China Resources" or Huaren in Pinyin. The name means The Great Land of China is endowed with abundant resources. In December 1948, China Resources was officially listed with a registered capital of HK $5 million. At the same time, the Central Committee decided to merge the China Mutual Trading Company in Hong Kong with China Resources, and successively put all the party's trading institutions in Hong Kong under China Resources. In 1956, China Resources participated in the organization of the first China Export Commodities Exhibition (the predecessor of the Canton Fair). The picture shows the grand opening ceremony of the former Sino-Soviet friendship building in Guangzhou in the spring of 1957 (by courtesy of official website of China Resources). After the founding of new China, Qin Bangli became an important person in charge of new China's foreign trade. In August 1952, the central government decided to set up the Ministry of Foreign Trade (now the Ministry of Commerce), and China Resources was also under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Foreign Trade. Qin Bangli was ordered to return to Beijing to serve as director of the Comprehensive Planning Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Trade. In 1961, he served as deputy director of the Foreign Economic Liaison Committee. China Resources Building Business Owner, Wife Charged in Drug Investigation By West Kentucky Star Staff PADUCAH - A McCracken County husband and wife were arrested Monday after a multi-agency investigation reportedly revealed thousands of dollars worth of drugs, weapons and counterfeit money.Detectives began an investigation into possible illegal drug trafficking several weeks ago involving 46-year-old Rick Hall. During the investigation detectives allegedly bought methamphetamine from him several times.Deputies stopped Hall Monday morning and arrested him in the parking lot of a Paducah business on Hinkleville Road. During a search of his vehicle detectives recovered $50,000 in counterfeit money, along with other money they believed to be proceeds of illegal drug sales.Detectives later executed a search warrant at Hall's home and business. Hall's wife, Cindy Carney-Hall, was found inside. Detectives said during the search of the home they found additional crystal methamphetamine, cutting agents, two handguns and several ecstasy pills.During a search of Hall's business, Elite Bargain Outlet on New Holt Road, detectives reportedly found drug paraphernalia and a small amount of crystal methamphetamine.Rick Hall is convicted felon and unable to lawfully possess firearms. Deputies said their investigation revealed he intended to purchase illegal drugs with the seized counterfeit money.The Halls were booked into the McCracken County Regional Jail. Rick Hall is charged with three counts of firearm-enhanced trafficking in methamphetamine, firearm-enhanced trafficking in ecstasy, two counts of possession of handgun by a convicted felon and possession of drug paraphernalia. Cindy Carney-Hall is charged with possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.Deputies said the seized drugs in the investigation have an estimated street value of $20,000.The Graves County Sheriff's Office; Drug Enforcement Administration; and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also assisted in the investigation. Security forces and forensic experts secure the scene of an attempted assassination on Ugandan minister of works and transport General Katumba Wamala in the suburb of Kiasasi within Kampala, Uganda, on June 1, 2021. (Abubaker Lubowa/Reuters) Attack on Ugandan Ex-army Chief Kills Daughter, Driver: Military KAMPALAGunmen opened fire at a car carrying a Ugandan government minister in an attempted assassination on Tuesday, wounding the former army commander and killing his daughter and driver, the military and local media said. Four attackers on motorcycles sprayed bullets at a four-wheel-drive vehicle carrying General Katumba Wamala, the minister of works and transport, in the Kampala suburb of Kisasi, local television station NBS reported. President Yoweri Museveni condemned the attack, blaming it on criminals, terrorists and pigs who do not value life. In a Twitter post, he said that authorities already had clues in the case, and the criminals responsible would be defeated. Images circulating on social media showed Wamala with his mouth open, in apparent distress beside the car and his light-colored trousers splattered with blood. Police investigators later combed the area, poring over bullet holes in the cars windows and body and casings on the ground. The private NTV Uganda television broadcast social media footage of Wamala speaking in hospital. Referring to his daughter, who was in the car with him, he said: I have survived, we have lost Brenda The bad guys have done it, but God has given me a second chance. Forensic experts secure the scene of an attempted assassination on Ugandan minister of works and transport General Katumba Wamala in the suburb of Kiasasi within Kampala, Uganda, on June 1, 2021. (Abubaker Lubowa/Reuters) Army spokeswoman Brigadier Flavia Byekwaso told Reuters: There was a shooting involving him he is hurt and hes been taken to the hospital, his driver was killed. A government official said a local resident was also shot and wounded in the incident and was in the hospital. Unsolved Killings Wamala once served as head of Ugandas police, which over the years has been accused of human rights abuses by rights groups, including arbitrary arrests and torture of opposition activists. The police deny carrying out rights abuses. There have been several unsolved assassinations and mysterious deaths of high-profile officials in the East African country in recent years that have fueled speculation about perpetrators and their motivations. Victims have involved a lawmaker, a senior police officer, the countrys top public prosecutor, senior Muslim leaders and others. Nearly all were committed by gunmen on motorcycles. The attempt on Wamalas life took place in the same suburb in the capital where in 2017 gunmen on motorcycles sprayed bullets at a vehicle carrying a senior police officer. That police officer, Felix Kaweesa, was killed alongside his bodyguard and driver. In 2019, the government installed a CCTV camera system on main roads in Kampala and other big towns to curb such high-profile homicides and other major crimes. But many Ugandans have complained the CCTV network has not helped police solve a lot of killings involving opposition activists and even ordinary Ugandans. Former opposition MP Latif Ssebagala told reporters he hoped the incident would prompt investigators to look afresh at the unsolved killings. This is very unfortunate because when you see that even those who are guarded, even those who are in military attire are not feared, can be attacked, then that will explain that the entire country in terms of security is lacking, he said. By Ayenat Mersie Heaven-Sent Dutchman Saves Woman in India From DrowningThen Asks for Her Hand When a Dutchman saved an Indian woman from drowning off the coast of Goa in India, both felt a connection that neither was expecting. Traversing continents, and profound cultural differences, love led to marriageand a journey that is inspiring others to believe in predestiny. Yoga instructor Nupur Gupta was on break from a retreat in Goa in February 2019. While floating in the Arabian Sea, she suddenly noticed she had been hooked by a strong current. Gupta tried to stay calm, but after being dragged under the water a number of times, she started to panic. Thats when her hero appeared. A Hungarian financial director, Attila Bosnyak was a student at the same yoga retreat under a different instructor. He came very close to me to hold my hand and pull me out, but just about that time I was pulled in by the ocean, Gupta told CNN Travel. Bosnyak sprawled onto a group of rocks, injuring himself, and waved to a lifeguard for helpwho then swam toward the pair and guided Gupta to shore while Bosnyak swam. Gupta soon recovered, but her hero had been badly scraped on his back, thighs, and fingers. Alarmed that Bosnyak had suffered on her behalf, she rushed to buy disinfectant, as well as chocolate ice cream, as a thank you. There was a click in my heart somewhere, she recalled. While Bosnyak, in turn, called it a magic moment. The pair then reconnected over dinner, and formed a bond after their intense shared experience. When the time came to part ways two days laterBosnyak returning to the Netherlands, Gupta to Keralaneither was ready to say goodbye. So, both stayed in Goa an extra week, spending Valentines Day and Guptas birthday together. Finally separated, they stayed in touch, chatting online and continuing to get to know each other. Bosnyak suggested making the relationship official, and Gupta didnt hesitate to say yes. Yet while planning their next meeting halfway between them, in Dubai, Guptas mother fell seriously ill with a brain tumor. Gupta flew to her familys home in Lucknow to support her mom through surgery; then Bosnyak had an idea: if his love was held up, he would go to her. They reunited at Delhi Airport and they took a detour to Agra to visit the Taj Mahalwhere Bosnyak channeled the intrinsic romance of that ancient palace and went down on one knee. She said yes. Gupta admitted she had never seen her family so excited to meet a man. Everything was so organic, she said, after her mom was out of surgery and recovering beautifully. The couples next rendezvous were dictated by Indian visa restrictions. Nevertheless, they lived like a couple, with trips to Dubai, Serbia, and Thailand, before Guptas Dutch visa was approved in September 2019. Between Bosnyaks apartment in The Hague and trips to see his family in Hungary, a shared life took shape. Acclimatizing as an Indian woman in Bosnyaks Dutch neighborhood was a 360-degree shift, said Gupta, but she made connections; the couple chose to see their differences as a chance to learn rather than remain estranged. Marriage was really natural, said Bosnyak. Both dreamed of a big, inclusive wedding for friends and family but the pandemic interrupted their plans; so they arranged instead an intimate ceremony at Trouwlocatie Groenmarkt, The Hagues former city hall, on March 21, 2020. Living together as husband and wife through lockdown was an acid test, said Bosnyak. If you can make it, and keep on your happiness, then that relationship is rock solid. After struggling to find work, Gupta launched her own yoga companyNupurna Yoga & Wellnessand built an online profile with her experience in business management. A new puppy, Sukhi Ram, brought joy; and by summer, the couple were able to escape for a belated honeymoon in Greece. Looking to the future, the couple plan to move to Athens where Bosnyak secured a job offer. They are also considering starting a family, and are continuing to find joy in the magic that caused their paths to align. We could be completely different people, having some memories of that accident, but spending our lives in different places and different cultures, marveled Bosnyak. It really seems like a heaven-sent relationship. There was so much trust and love at every turn, Gupta reflected, and I think thats why we are together today. Share your stories with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.com, and continue to get your daily dose of inspiration by signing up for the Epoch Inspired Newsletter at TheEpochTimes.com/newsletter The historic Illinois State Capitol building is seen in Springfield, Illinois in this file photo. The Securities and Exchange Commission has charged Illinois with securities fraud March 11. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images) Illinois Senate Updates Firearms Owner Card System, Says No to Mandatory Fingerprinting To address the massive backlog of the Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) card process on the Illinois State Police firearms safety system, Illinois lawmakers passed a bill that will potentially alleviate the backlog by automatically renewing FOID cards. On Monday, the Illinois Senate passed Sen. Dave Koehlers bill, HB 562, in the Senate in a 40-17 vote. The legislation will require further background checks for potential gun owners. In addition, people who own firearms lawfully can apply for an FOID card that automatically renews if they voluntarily submit their fingerprints. The bill also condenses FOID cards and concealed carry licenses into one document and establishes a portal that includes reports of people whose FOID cards have been revoked or suspended, which can be accessed by law enforcement officials. One of the biggest obstacles we face with the FOID system is the enormous backlog of applications, said Koehler. There has to be a compromise between having a safe and effective system without making the process unnecessarily difficult for gun owners who have proven themselves to be safe and responsible. I think that this legislation accommodates both of those objectives. The voluntary fingerprint proposal is supported by Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly, who for months has been calling on the legislature to take action to alleviate the massive backlog of FOID card renewal applications. The Illinois state police said in a press statement that the demands placed on the states firearms safety system have been outgrowing capacity for years. The number of FOID cardholders has grown from 1.2 million to 2.2 million over the last 10 years. Likewise, the number of concealed carry license holders grew from 90,301 in 2014 to 343,299 in 2020 and FOID card applications grew from 166,649 in 2017 to 445,945 as of November 2020. Andrea Schry (R) fills out the buyer part of legal forms to buy a handgun as shop worker Missy Morosky fills out the vendors parts after Dukes Sport Shop reopened in New Castle, Pennsylvania, on March 25, 2020. (Keith Srakocic/AP Photo) Illinois state law requires its residents to have a FOID card to legally possess firearms or ammunition, which is issued by the Illinois State Police to any applicant who can meet the eligibility criteria. Meanwhile, Rep. Maura Hirschauers legislation, HB1091, which would have made submitting fingerprints mandatory in order to renew the FOID card, while passing in the House on Saturday, did not make it to the Senate. Democrats voted in favor of HB1091, calling it sensible gun control. I urge my Senate colleagues to support @RepMauras FOID card bill to take another step towards sensible gun control in our state, said Democrat Senator Will Guzzardi in a social media statement Monday. Founder of Moms Demand Action, Shannon Watts advocated for the passage of Hirschauers bill. YES!!! The BIO bill would strengthen Illinois background check system by requiring a point-of-sale background check for all state gun sales, and make the FOID card valid for 5 years instead of 10, wrote Watts in a Twitter post. Although some GOP members of the Senate voted for HB 562, Republicans say that the bill is only a temporary fix and want the FOID card eliminated altogether. A Republican member of the Illinois General Assembly, Sen. Neil Anderson, said that while modernizing the FOID card process is fine, in order to address the massive backlog, the basic requirement for the FOID card, he believes, infringes on his law-abiding constituents Second Amendment right. I appreciate the effort being put forth to ensure that those with expired FOID cards and concealed carry licenses have a valid license during this massive backlog, said Anderson. However, this is simply just a band-aid to a much larger problem across our state. Illinois places some of the most burdensome requirements on our law-abiding citizens who are seeking to exercise their Second Amendment rights. I believe we need to talk about my Repeal the FOID legislation. The FOID card is, again, a blatant assault on peoples Second Amendment right to protect themselves and to keep and bear arms, he added. Andersons Bill 1754, would eliminate the need to own a FOID card, while not changing any of the other existing requirements of purchasing a firearm. Strict federal background checks would still be in place. Sen. Jason Barickman, who voted against HB 562, said it puts in place unnecessary hurdles for law-abiding citizens to exercise their Second Amendment right. Private sales, including between family and friends, will now potentially require new fees and owners will have to hold on to paperwork for 20 years. We should be finding ways to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous individuals, instead of making it harder for law-abiding citizens to take part in their constitutional rights, said Barickman. Indonesia Expands Submarine Fleet in Response to Chinas Aggression in South China Sea Indonesian military sources have revealed that the country is planning to expand its submarine fleet from four vessels to 12, in response to Chinas repeated incursions into disputed waters in the South China Sea. Indonesia has the worlds third largest water territory under its exclusive economic zone (EEZ), but currently has just four submarines. By contrast, Japan ranks sixth in water territory and has 20 submarines. Indonesia originally had five submarines, but lost oneKRI Nanggala-402during an accident off Bali on April 21. A search and rescue team found that the submarine had sunk to the bottom of the sea and broken into three pieces, killing all 53 crew members. The German-made Nanggala-402 had been in service for 40 years. Among the remaining four submarines currently in service, two were built in South Korea, and one was produced domestically using South Korean technology. After the submarine tragedy last month, Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto said that the country would increase its investment in military equipment. Indonesia is seeking to reach a joint production agreement with South Korea on submarines, and France, Russia, and Turkey have offered to export submarines to Indonesia. Indonesian think tank analyst Khairul Fahmi believes if the size of the submarine fleet can be increased to 12, they can conduct intensive surveillance in areas that are difficult to reach by patrol ships and it will reduce the presence of foreign ships around the Natuna Islands. Indonesias expanding of its submarine fleet was in response to the Chinese communist regimes repeated incursion into the disputed waters. Indonesia considers the waters near its Natuna Islands within its EEZ, while China claims sovereignty over the waters, citing the so-called nine-dash line historical claims within the South China Sea. Some of the 220 Chinese vessels are seen moored at Whitsun Reef, South China Sea on March 7, 2021. (Philippine Coast Guard/National Task Force-West Philippine Sea via AP) The tension between the two counties over the disputed waters has escalated since a fishing boat incident in 2016, when an Indonesian patrol ship intercepted a Chinese fishing boat operating near Natuna. An armed Chinese coast guard vessel entered the EEZ and freed the fishing boat. In 2020, military and fishing vessels between China and Indonesia had more stand-offs. Meanwhile, Jakarta has complained that Chinese research vessels increased their transit through Indonesian waters, and suspected that they dropped off drones to map the seabed for submarine warfare purposes. In recent years, the Chinese regime has increased its aggression in the South China Sea with other Southeast Asian countries, including Vietnam in 2019. Since April, 2021, the tension between China and the Philippines has escalated, as hundreds of Chinese paramilitary vessels posing as fishing boats lingered in the waters near the disputed Whitsun Reef. Elected member of the Alice Springs Council Jacinta Price at the National Press Club in Canberra, Thursday, Nov. 17, 2016. (AAP Image/Mick Tsikas) Jacinta Price to Run for Australian Senate to Push Back on Left Wing Ideology Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, the deputy mayor of Alice Springs, in central Australia, has announced that she will run for one of the Northern Territorys two Senate seats in federal Parliament. Price will run for the Country Liberal Party (CLP) against Nationals senator Sam McMahon in a bid for the seat, which will pit her against a fellow Coalition member. The Liberal-National coalition form the current Australian government. It is nothing personal at all, Price told The Australian. I have the respect of many Coalition members, both Nationals and Liberal, and I know I can bring a wealth of knowledge across many different areas, including the plight of marginalised Indigenous Australians. Media reports have framed Prices move as setting up a fight within the Coalition, but Price says this was never her intention. Just like two others within my party, we have chosen to nominate for the Senate in a bid to represent the Northern Territory, she said on Facebook. I am driven by the people of the Northern Territory and the only fight I am concerned with is fighting on behalf of the people of the Northern Territory! Having unsuccessfully stood for the lower house seat of Lingiari at the federal election in 2019, Price said the Senate seat is a better platform to bring forth a real change and would be easier to win. Price, who has been a councillor for the town of Alice Springs since 2015, and is also the Director of the Indigenous Program at the Centre for Independent Studies, indicated that she wants to provide a more alternative voice among Parliaments three Labor and one Australian Green Party Aboriginal lawmakers in the Senate. Within the Senate, theres often challenges being brought by individuals like Senator Thorpe, Price said, referring to Greens Senator Lidia Thorpe, an advocate for a Green New Deal and who has pushed for a more radical agenda in the Senate. I feel its important on key positions to be able to push back on that level of ideology that I believe is creating division within the parliament that there is no place for, she told The Australian. The preselection contest is scheduled for June 26. Let Me Be Very Clear: Michael Flynn Responds to Reports About Endorsing Coup Former Trump advisor and retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn denied claims over the weekend that he supports a Burma-style coup in the United States. In comments published on Telegram and Parler, Flynn wrote that mainstream media outlets manipulated his words and took them out of context. For all the fake news journalists: Let me be VERY CLEAR, he wrote, there is NO reason whatsoever for any coup in America, and I do not and have not at any time called for any action of that sort. Any reporting of any other belief by me is a boldface fabrication based on twisted reporting at a lively panel at a conference of Patriotic Americans who love this country, just as I do, he continued, adding that he is no stranger to media manipulating my words and therefore let me repeat my response to a question asked at the conference: There is no reason it (a coup) should happen here (in America). Sidney Powell, who filed several third-party lawsuits on behalf of former President Donald Trump and who had represented Flynn in a case, said that the media grossly distorted his comments, adding that he doesnt endorse any act of violence or any military insurrection. Over the past weekend, a number of news outlets including The Hill, CNN, MSNBC, and others reported that Flynn had attended a conference on Sunday where he was asked by an audience member: I want to know why what happened in Myanmar cant happen here? Myanmar is also known as Burma, and the audience member mispronounced the name. Flynn appeared to respond in an off-the-cuff remark: No reason. I mean it should happen here. However, its not clear, and he could have also said, No reason. I mean there should be no reason it should happen here. Earlier this year, Burmas military seized power and overtook the countrys elected government. Several Democrats and Republicans including Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) criticized Flynn over Memorial Day weekend. Flynns remarks border on sedition. Theres certainly conduct unbecoming an officer. Those are both things that can be tried under the Uniform Code of Military Justice and I think that as a retiree of the military, it should certainly be a path that we consider to have consequences for these types of words, said Rep. Elaine Luria (D-Va.), according to CNN. In late 2020, Trump pardoned Flynn in a move that ended a yearslong criminal case related to the Russia investigation. The former adviser had pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about speaking to a Russian diplomat during the 2016 transition period after Trump won the presidency, although Flynn withdrew his plea before the sentencing was handed down. Trump, Flynn, and others have categorically denied any collusion efforts with the Kremlin. Meanwhile, former special counsel Robert Muellers yearslong investigation didnt reveal any such collusion. Earlier this year, Flynns brother and brothers wife filed a lawsuit against CNN for $75 million relating to the networks allegations that they are supporters of QAnon. A Xian Y-20 heavy transport aircraft flies past during the Zhuhai Air Show in Zhuhai, southern China's Guangdong province on Nov. 1, 2016. (STR/AFP via Getty Images) Malaysia to Summon Chinese Envoy Over Suspicious Air Force Activity KUALA LUMPURThe foreign ministry of Malaysia on Tuesday said it would summon Chinas envoy to explain an intrusion by 16 air force planes into its airspace, after the Southeast Asian countrys military detected suspicious activity over the South China Sea. Malaysias air force said it scrambled jets on Monday to conduct visual confirmation after the planes flew within 60 nautical miles off Sarawak state of Malaysian Borneo. It described the incident as a serious threat to national sovereignty and flight safety. The Chinese planes did not contact regional air traffic control despite being instructed several times, the air force said. Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said Malaysia will issue a note of diplomatic protest and ask Chinas ambassador to Malaysia to explain the breach of the Malaysian airspace and sovereignty. Malaysias stand is clearhaving friendly diplomatic relations with any countries does not mean that we will compromise on our national security, Hishammuddin said in a statement. Chinas embassy earlier said the planes conducted routine flight training and strictly abided by international law without violating airspace of other countries. China and Malaysia are friendly neighbors, and China is willing to continue bilateral friendly consultations with Malaysia to jointly maintain regional peace and stability, a spokesperson said. China has been pushing an expansive claim over the South China Sea, through which about $3 trillion worth of ship-borne trade passes annually. It has also built military facilities on manmade islands. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam also have claims to various islands and features in the area and Chinas coastguard routinely warns foreign boats and aircraft to leave what it calls its territory. Malaysias air force said the planes, comprising Ilyushin il-76 and Xian Y-20 strategic transporters, had traveled in an in-trail tactical formation at between 23,000 and 27,000 feet. Last year, a Chinese survey ship held a month-long standoff with a Malaysian oil exploration vessel within Malaysias exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Malaysias move follows months of diplomatic protests by the Philippines over the presence of hundreds of Chinese fishing boats in its EEZ, which it says are manned by militia. China has largely ignored the complaints. By Joseph Sipalan In this image from video, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) speaks after the Senate acquitted former President Donald Trump in his second impeachment trial in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Feb. 13, 2021. (Senate Television via AP) McConnell: Defunding the Police Is One of the Dumbest Ideas, Wont End Qualified Immunity Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) suggested that there should be no changes to the qualified immunity legal shield for police officers in any bill introduced in Congress, while saying that the defund the police movement that sparked such calls is one of the dumbest ideas in U.S. history. Its been a tough year for law enforcement, McConnell said during an event in Kentucky. And so I want to make it absolutely, perfectly clear. I am a strong supporter of law enforcement across America. I think the abuse that has been heaped on law enforcement over the last year is unfortunate. The senator added: I think defunding the police has got to be one of the dumbest ideas ever surfaced by anyone in our country. And we need what youre doing. According to a recent poll, only about 18 percent of Americans support the call to defund the police, which was chanted during Black Lives Matter protests last summer. The Minneapolis City Council last year introduced a measure to try and abolish and replace its police department, while other cities such as New York and Los Angeles cut funding last year. His comments come in the midst of negotiations on a police reform measure led by Sens. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.). Last week, Scott told reporters that they have imposed a deadline for June, adding: I think we have three weeks in June to get this done. When McConnell was asked about proposals from Democrats to end qualified immunity, a legal principle that grants police officers immunity from civil suits, McConnell said it would create a strong disincentive for people to become police officers. Thousands of people take part in a demonstration to defund the police in support of Black Lives Matter in Toronto on June 19, 2020. (The Canadian Press/Nathan Denette) Without qualified immunity, how do you get people to do law enforcement work? Theres a bill that passed the House of Representatives that would eliminate qualified immunity means every police officer would be subject to being sued personally, McConnell said. If every single one of those incidences becomes a potential personal lawsuit, McConnell added. Im not sure any of you guys would want to do what you do. I mean, how could you recruit? Some House Democrats, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), have said that any legislation about policing should include the elimination of qualified immunity. We are concerned by recent discussions that the provision ending qualified immunity for local, state, and federal law enforcement may be removed in order to strike a bipartisan deal in the Senate, said a letter signed last month by 10 House Democrats, including Ocasio-Cortez. Sen. Johnson: No COVID-19 Vaccine Because High Levels of Antibodies Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) isnt getting a COVID-19 vaccine for now because he still has high levels of antibodies against the disease. Johnson and Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) both contracted COVID-19, which is caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, last year. In my case, I just recently had an antibody test, and I have the same level of antibodies as the doctor who prescribed me the test, who had just gotten two doses of Moderna, Johnson told Epoch TVs American Thought Leaders. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this month advised against using antibody testing to determine immunity from the CCP virus. Antibody tests can play an important role in identifying individuals who may have been exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus and may have developed an adaptive immune response. However, antibody tests should not be used at this time to determine immunity or protection against COVID-19 at any time, and especially after a person has received a COVID-19 vaccination, Tim Stenzel, director of the Office of In Vitro Diagnostics and Radiological Health in the FDAs Center for Devices and Radiological Health, said in a statement announcing the new guidance. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends people who recovered from COVID-19 get a vaccine. Thats because experts do not yet know how long you are protected from getting sick again after recovering from COVID-19, the agency stated. A growing body of research, though, indicates that those who had COVID-19 and recovered retain immunity for months, and potentially years. Transmission electron micrograph of SARS-CoV-2, or CCP virus particles, isolated from a patient. Image captured and color-enhanced at the NIAID Integrated Research Facility (IRF) in Fort Detrick, Maryland. (NIAID) Researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), for example, found that people who recovered still had a strong immunity to the disease five to eight months after infection. Missouri researchers recently found that people retained immune cells producing antibodies for months after recovery. Last fall, there were reports that antibodies wane quickly after infection with the virus that causes COVID-19, and mainstream media interpreted that to mean that immunity was not long-lived, senior author Ali Ellebedy, an associate professor of pathology and immunology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, said in a statement. But thats a misinterpretation of the data. Its normal for antibody levels to go down after acute infection, but they dont go down to zero; they plateau. Here, we found antibody-producing cells in people 11 months after first symptoms. These cells will live and produce antibodies for the rest of peoples lives. Thats strong evidence for long-lasting immunity. Johnson lamented what he sees as official guidance from the government that doesnt line up with the science on the issue. For some reason, now the FDA has come out with a guidance or report saying that if you have antibodies, thats no proof of immunity. Why is the FDA, CDC, and NIHs default position on those of us that have been previously infected, that chances are you probably dont have immunity? Why would they say that? Its just not true, he said. Almost every other virus that we know that once youve had the disease, youre immune from it, and certainly if you have an active case of the disease, you sure dont want to get the vaccine, and yet we have this big push to vaccinate everybody, regardless of medical need or potential harm that might come of possibly vaccinating somebody whos been previously infected or currently having a case of COVID. Paul has offered a similar view, saying he will not get a vaccine until he sees evidence that people who have already had the infection are dying in large numbers, or being hospitalized or getting very sick. Johnson pointed to a recent study from Israel. Researchers there found that protection against infection, hospitalization, severe illness, and death were similar in percentage between those who had received a COVID-19 vaccine and those who had COVID-19 and recovered. Our results question the need to vaccinate previously-infected individuals, they wrote. Theres a study just published out of Israel that shows that those of us that were previously infected have as good if not better immunity than the vaccine, and that would make a lot of sense, Johnson said. The vaccine is really designed based on the spike proteins to identify those; when youve had the disease, your immune system identifies the entire coronavirus, which is why people with the SARS 1 17 years later appear to be immune to SARS 2 even though SARS 2 is only 80 percent genetically identical to SARS 1. So the common sensejust basic medicinewould indicate that if youve already been infected with the virus, your immune system is going to be pretty capable of warding off a reinfection. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivers a political statement in the Knesset, in Jerusalem, Israel, on May 30, 2021. (Yonatan Sindel/Pool via Reuters) Netanyahu Challenge to Legality of Rivals PM Bid Is Rebuffed JERUSALEMA last-gasp legal challenge by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to thwart a bid by a rival to head a new government was rejected on Tuesday as his opponents raced to seal a pact that would unseat him. Naftali Bennett, Netanyahus former defense minister, announced on Sunday he would join a proposed alliance with opposition leader Yair Lapid, serving as its premier first under a rotation deal. They have until Wednesday midnight local time to present a final pact to President Reuven Rivlin, who handed Lapid the task of forming a new government after Netanyahu failed to do so in the wake of a close election on March 23. Hoping to beat the deadline, Lapid, Bennett, and other party leaders convened to clinch coalition agreements, sources briefed on the talks said. In a letter to the legal counsels of the presidency and parliament, Netanyahus conservative Likud said Lapid was not authorized to cede the premiership to Bennett. But Rivlins office said in response that there was no legal merit to Likuds claim because Lapid would be sworn in as alternate prime minister, second to serve as premier as part of the rotation. It accepted Likuds argument that Lapid must provide the president with full details of the new government and not just announce that he has clinched a coalition deal. Israels centrist opposition leader Yair Lapid delivers a statement to the press at the Knesset in Jerusalem, Israel, on May 31, 2021. (Debbie Hill/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) The Lapid-Bennett power-share may include other politicians from other parties. Israeli media have speculated it could also court parliamentary backing from a party that draws votes from Israels Arab minority. That has prompted Netanyahu to accuse Bennett of imperiling Israel as it contends with internal strife over last months Gaza conflict, the peace process with the Palestinians, and Iran. Divided Country Netanyahu, 71, is the dominant political figure of his generation. He was first elected prime minister in 1996 and he returned to power in 2009, holding the top office for more than a decade. But he also faces a corruption trial for bribery, fraud, and breach of trustcharges he denies. A photo-shopped picture of Bennett in an Arab headdress circulated on social media that prompted comparisons with attempts to discredit former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, assassinated in 1995 by an Israeli nationalist who opposed his peacemaking. An Israeli security source said Bennett had received parliamentary bodyguards on the recommendation of the Shin Bet domestic intelligence agency due to the atmosphere of incitement against them. Lapid and Bennett have said they want to bring together Israelis from across the political divide and end hateful political discourse. A country that is divided and violent wont be able to deal with Iran or with the economy. A leadership that incites us against one another harms our ability to deal with the challenges we face, Lapid said. I-24 Business Loop Still Closed Today After Fire By West Kentucky Star Staff PADUCAH - The I-24 Downtown Business Loop along South Third Street in Paducah will remain closed until this afternoon following a large fire Monday at Precision Machine Shop.The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet said the road has been barricaded between Husbands Street and Elizabeth Street at the request of Paducah police and fire officials. They said a brick wall that is part of the damaged building could pose a threat to traffic.A crew is bringing demolition equipment to the site and will start work this morning to remove the hazard. New Analysis Finds Open Immigration Advocates Are Wrong, Population Growth Doesnt Fuel Income Growth News Analysis Worries about Americas slowing population growth are misplaced, because simply having more people in the country is no guarantee of higher incomes for every individual, according to the Center for Immigration Studies Director of Research Steven Camarota. Its clear that the simplistic argument that more population growth necessarily leads to more per capita economic growth, which is the kind of growth that matters, is not obvious, and in fact, the evidence seems to be the other way around, Camarota told The Epoch Times during a June 1 interview. The idea that you want lots of population growth is simply not supported by the evidence. You can argue for population growth for any number of justifications, but the point here is that you cant argue for it because it obviously leads to more economic growth. Camarotas comments follow a wave of recent claims by supporters of increased immigration that slowing or stagnant population leads to less economic growth and more national security challenges. Those claims were prompted by the U.S. Census Bureaus April 26 announcement that the U.S. population growth rate of 7.4 percent since 2010 was the lowest since the Great Depression years in the 1930s. The day after the Census Bureau data became public, The New York Times David Leonhardt cited a 2010 analysis by The Atlantics Derek Thompson, saying, I dont know of a precedent for a dynamic country that has basically stopped growing. The examples in Europe and in Japan are warning signs, not beacons. Leonhardt also noted that liberal analyst Matthew Yglesias says the United States must increase its population if it hopes to compete with China to remain the most powerful nation on earth. Leonhardt reported: In Matthew Yglesiass recent book One Billion Americans, he argues that the U.S. should rapidly increase legal immigration to lift economic output. America should aspire to be the greatest nation on earth, Yglesias, the author of a Substack newsletter, writes. The only realistic alternative for that role is China, an authoritarian country that is jailing critics and committing egregious human rights abuses. On the same day, Deseret News columnist Jay Evensen wrote: Since 2019, the national debt has grown from $22.5 trillion to $28.2 trillion, and its on a steep upward trajectory. How well could the nation service that debt with a slow growth rate, let alone a declining population? How will Social Security survive as young workers shrink and retirees grow? How could the nation maintain a strong military with fewer soldiers and a declining base of taxpayers? And Brookings Institution senior fellow William Frey told The Washington Posts Dan Balz on May 9 that, for example, the new population figures can be turned around with more open immigration policies. I dont think we need to think of ourselves as a country in decline if we open our gates and open our arms to this younger and more racially diverse population, through immigration and through investment in our people of color, Frey said. Camarota published a data-driven analysis on June 1 in which he argued that theres little correlation in economic growth between population growth and per-capita income growth. In truth, there is no clear evidence that population growth necessarily improves a countrys standard of living, Camarota wrote in his analysis. To be sure, a larger population almost always results in a larger aggregate economy. More workers, more consumers, and more government spending will make for a larger Gross Domestic Product (GDP). But the standard of living in a country is determined by per capita (i.e., per person) GDP, not the overall size of the economy. If all that mattered were the aggregate size of the economy, then a country like India would be considered vastly richer than a country like Sweden because it has a much larger economy. In reality, per capita GDP determines a countrys standard of living. Camarota compiled data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development for economic and population growth for countries designated by the World Bank as high-income nations. If population growth drove economic growth, then countries like Canada and Australia that have among the highest rates of immigration and resulting population growth should vastly outpace a country like Japan, which has relatively little immigration and whose population actually declined over the last decade, Camarota wrote. And yet, in the most recent decade for which we have data, (2010 to 2019), Japans per-capita GDP grew 10.5 percent, slightly better than both Canadas 8.7 percent and Australias 9.9 percent. Congressional correspondent Mark Tapscott may be contacted at mark.tapscott@epochtimes.nyc North Carolina Lt. Governor: Critical Race Theory Mirrors Ku Klux Klan Ideology North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson likened Critical Race Theory (CRT) to theories of the KKK in an appearance on Newsmax. Critical Race Theory branched out from Marxist critical theory, which has been progressively finding its way throughout American universities during recent decades. It argues that a persons skin color is a determinative factor for character or thought and that America is racist at a fundamental level. Mark Robinson, a Republican, is the first black American to serve as North Carolinas lieutenant governor, the second-highest position in the state. It is absolutely insidious, Robinson commented, Whats happening here, you go and take critical race theory is that is applied down and then take some of the ideologies that were pushed by groups like the Ku Klux Klan and other hate groups, you can almost set them on top of each other, and they mirror each other in the way that they divide and the way they demonize people by race. The 52-year-old U.S. Army Reserve veteran also severely criticized Black Lives Matter, maintaining that if they really cared about black lives, they would address the gang violence problem that results in thousands of black deaths each year. If Black Lives Matter really lived up to their moniker and say that black lives matter, they would not be standing up to the headache of police brutality, they would be standing up to the cancer of gang violence and drug proliferation in black neighborhoods, Robinson stated. This has nothing to do with social justice. Social justice is simple. Social justice is a concept like you earn your keep and you keep what you earn. Thats social justice, and thats not what theyre talking about. They are talking about introducing socialism into this country. Recently, a joint letter by 20 state attorneys general directed to Education Secretary Miguel Cardona asked the Biden administration to retract its education plans that would promote CRT and The New York Times 1619 Project in schools. In a proposed rule released April 19, the Education Department outlined new priority criteria for a $5.3 million American History and Civics Education grant, as well as exemplary materials for K-12 educators to use. The letter (pdf), led by Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, claims that the proposed priorities issued by the Education Department are a thinly veiled effort to insert CRT and the 1619 Project into American classrooms. The 1619 Project, which centers around the idea that the United States is inherently racist, consists of a collection of essays that argue, among many other controversial claims, that the primary reason for the American Revolution was to preserve slavery. Its historical accuracy has also been challenged by a variety of scholars, including the projects own fact-checkers. GQ Pan contributed to this report. President Donald Trump speaks at an event in the South Court Auditorium of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington on March 22, 2018. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) Oklahoma Renames 20-Mile Section of State Highway After Trump A highway in Oklahoma will be named after former President Donald Trump after the states Republican governor signed a bill renaming a 20-mile section of U.S. Route 287 after the 45th president of the United States. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt on Thursday signed Senate Bill 624 (pdf), a measure that honors dozens of individualsfrom members of law enforcement and the military to local and state politiciansby naming highways and bridges after them. Highways, bridges, and other facilities which are part of the state highway system may be considered for dedication in honor of individuals deserving of commendation for their active involvement in the project or for outstanding service to the nation, this state, or their community, the text of the bill reads. The final version of the legislation has had language removed that limited such designations to individuals that have been deceased for at least three years, paving the way for the stretch of highway to be named after Trump. The omnibus bridge and highway naming bill includes such designations as the Representative Howard Paul Cotner Memorial Highway, the U.S. Senator James Inhofe Interchange, and the President Donald J. Trump Highway. The stretch of road that will bear Trumps name starts at the municipal limits of Boise City, Oklahoma, and runs southeast to the Oklahoma-Texas border in Cimarron County. The Department of Transportation shall cause suitable permanent markers bearing that name to be placed on the highway, the bill reads, referring to Trump, noting also that state Senate and House lawmakers who authored the legislation will pay for the related signage. According to The Oklahoman, state Rep. Regina Goodwin, a Democrat, sought to amend the bill to remove the section designating the President Donald J. Trump Highway, but failed. Two years ago, two Republican state senators in Oklahoma tried to name a section of the iconic Route 66 after Trump, but that proposal faced bipartisan pushback and was dropped. Oklahomas move to rename infrastructure in honor of the 45th president follows an effort by Republicans in the Ohio legislature to rename a state park after Trump. A GOP-backed bill introduced in April in the Ohio state House would change the name of Mosquito Lake State Park to Donald J. Trump State Park. The Ohio bill was led by freshman state Rep. Mike Loychik, who said in a statement that, This legislation is meant to honor the commitment and dedication that our 45th President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, bestowed upon the great people of Trumbull County. This enthusiasm for our former president was also historic throughout the state of Ohio last November as he pushed for initiatives and policies that [were] very well-received with my constituency and the state, Loychik added. In the 2020 election, Trump won Ohio with more votes than any candidate in state history. Drew Barczak tells his children about the fallen soldiers on a Wall of Honor displayed at Oswego Township Hall in Oswego, Illinois on May 31, 2021. (Cara Ding/The Epoch Times) On Memorial Day, Parents Pass Down Patriotism at Wall Honoring Fallen Soldiers OSWEGO, Ill.Agoritsa Barczak, a mother of three from a Chicago suburb, pointed to pictures of fallen soldiers in Middle East wars and reminded her children that the privileges and freedom they were born in to come at a dear price. I remind them every day how lucky they are, she told The Epoch Times on Memorial Day. A lot of soldiers fought for this everything that we consider ourselves lucky to have here. Agoritsa and her husband, Drew Barczak, took their kids to see the Wall of Honor, which is dedicated to soldiers killed in action amid Middle East conflicts, at Oswego city hall, just southwest of Chicago. The exhibit, which is updated annually, honors about 7,000 soldiers killed in the Gulf War, Afghanistan War, and Iraq War. This is the first time the tribute has been displayed outside Oregon since it was created by high schooler Alicia Tallman in 2003. The Barczak family in front of a display honoring soldiers missing in action at Oswego Township Hall, in Oswego, Ill. (Cara Ding/The Epoch Times) Drew, a police officer who has seen his share of human tragedies, was moved to tears by a display honoring soldiers missing in action in the Middle East. When your country calls, they report for duty, they do whats expected, and unfortunately, some dont make it back, he said. We definitely want to pass on these experiences, so kids understand that freedom just isnt free. Kim Ekker, a veteran who had served in the military in the 1980s, said she brought her 16-year-old son to the wall to pass on her understanding of the significance of Memorial Day. Its important to make sure that my son knows what today is all about, Ekker said. The love of this country, the sacrifices these soldiers are making every day, and to just never forget they are out there keeping our freedom here. Kim Ekker looks at pictures of fallen soldiers on a Wall of Honor at Oswego Township Hall, in Oswego, Ill. (Cara Ding/The Epoch Times) Ekker said seeing pictures of each fallen soldier was so different from getting the number of casualties from the news. You come here and you see the actual facesthey are so young. When I see them, I think of their siblings and what their mom and dad are feeling. Pat Mastenbrook, operations manager of Vets Helping Vets, the organization that maintains the wall and brought it to Oswego, told The Epoch Times that the wall isnt just a place for civilians to pay their respects and learn, but also a place of healing for combat veterans who made it home. Many of these veterans came looking for buddies on the wall during the night when its quiet, Mastenbrook said. Often, when they were killed, bodies were taken away, and there was no time for mourning. Their comrades have no closure for their deaths. You see grown men cry when they leave here. Pat Mastenbrook in front of the Wall of Honor at Oswego Township Hall, in Oswego, Ill. (Cara Ding/The Epoch Times) Mastenbrooks late husband was a Korean War veteran who later developed Alzheimers. During the difficult years she spent caring for him, she received unconditional help from many veterans. She decided to pay her way forward by helping veterans through the organization Vets Helping Vets. She told The Epoch Times that combat veterans killed in action deserve our tribute, but those who make it home also need our support. They come back damaged, and rightly so, Mastenbrook said. The biggest thing that helps them is knowing that there are people that care. Shenzhen, China: Workers view the production of paper at a paper mill in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen on 19 Oct. 2006. (Peter Harmsen/AFP via Getty Images) Paper Prices Continue to Rise in China Due to Higher Cost of Raw Materials Paper prices have taken a sharp rise in China recently, with some companies upping prices five times in a month. The soaring price has become a most searched topic on Chinas Internet. Major printing paper companies and traders issued a number of notices of price adjustments in May after the price of printing paper increased by approximately $31.34 per ton. The increase for white cardboard was even higher. Nine Dragons Paper, a leader in the packaging paper industry, raised prices five times in May. The price adjustments became more frequent in the second half of the month, with increases on May 17, 19, and 24. More than 40 paper companies in Hebei, Henan, and Shandong provinces followed suit immediately. The owner of a printing shop in Beijing told China Central Television that the original price of white cardboard was approximately $1,018 per ton, while the current price is $2,034 to $2,191 per ton. He said his profits dropped by 30 percent due to the price hike. Paper companies producing household products also announced price increases shortly after printing paper and packaging paper prices rose. On April 1, the four major household paper companies in China, Gold Hongye Paper, Hengan International, Vinda International, and C&S Paper, all raised their prices, with some products increasing by 10 percent to 20 percent. Higher Cost of Raw Materials The paper product makers attribute their price adjustment to the continually rising cost of raw materials. The price of wood pulp started going up in the second half of last year, and the cost increase this year is even more dramatic. Paper companies have adjusted their prices accordingly. Zhang Shenjin, secretary-general of the China Paper and Pulp Industry Chamber of Commerce (CPICC), told Chinese media that the main reason for paper price increase is the global increase in pulp prices, logistics, and energy. These increases in the upstream of paper making led to increased production costs for paper companies. There are two major types of paper makers, one uses wood pulp as raw material and the other uses recycled paper. For a long time, China has relied on imports of wood pulp, which is derived from wood chips. According to Chinese state media, China has ranked as the number one importer of wood pulp in the world since 2003, and its demand has been growing. In 2020, the countrys wood pulp imports reached 30.64 million tons, accounting for 72.8 percent of its total wood pulp consumption. The price of wood pulp rose from July last year to March this year, with an average increase of more than $400 per ton. When using recycled paper to make paper, waste paper is processed into paper pulp before being fed into the paper-making machine. In December last year, Chinese authorities issued a sweeping ban on imports of solid waste, including waste paper, beginning on Jan. 1, 2021. Hence, paper companies could no longer import waste paper, and the price of domestic waste paper went up immediately. Paper Companies Halt Production Not all paper companies feel confident that they can achieve their sales goals if they continue to increase prices of their final products. A number of factories halted production in the past three months amid the soaring prices of raw materials. On March 31, Sun Paper Group of Shandong Province announced that it would optimize its industrial paper and art paper machines in April. On April 26, Huatai Paper Company Limited, another paper maker in Shandong Province, issued a notice that it planned to suspend production in order to conduct maintenance of the copper paper machine in early May. Similarly on April 27, Chenming Paper announced that it had decided to shut down the printing paper machine for 10 days for inspection and maintenance. Zhang Shenjin explained that the reason for these production suspensions was the increased cost of wood pulp and paper pulp making it impossible for the paper makers to make a profit. Downstream Industry Affected Senrex Paper is a carton box producer in Guangdong Province. Manager Wang Xiaoya told Chinese media that if the company were to maintain its original prices, the cost of raw materials would account for more than 75 percent of overall operating costs. Although major carton box factories increased their prices by an average of 15 percent, their profits remain scant. The increase in carton box prices has a great impact on downstream manufacturing industries, such as small household appliances and furniture. A manager at a furniture company in Guangdong told Chinese media: The price of cartons has increased by at least 30 percent this year. We have to deal with a much higher operating cost as a result. He added that he had to raise the prices of end products, even for customers who made previous inquiries. They will have to pay the new price, he said. We may lose some customers, but we have no other choice. Former Arizona Secretary of State Ken Bennett, right, works with others to move ballots from the 2020 general election during an audit at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix, Ariz., on May 1, 2021. (Courtney Pedroza/Getty Images) Pennsylvania Legislators Travel to Arizona to Observe Election Audit A delegation from Pennsylvania is set on Wednesday to tour the audit taking place in Arizonas largest county. The delegation will visit the Arizona Capitol to meet with members of the Arizona Legislature before touring the audit at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix. I kind of see this as a fact-finding mission to see whats happening on the ground in Arizona, how its happening and if its something that should be done in other states, Pennsylvania state Rep. Rob Kauffman told The Epoch Times. Pennsylvania state Sens. Doug Mastriano and Cris Dush were also traveling to the state. All three lawmakers are Republicans. Asked if the trip could lead to a similar audit in Pennsylvania, Dush told The Epoch Times, I cant say that yet, but if we bring some substantial information back with us I could see it happening. Kauffman said his inbox has been filled each time he opens it with people who are clamoring for an Arizona-style forensic audit in Pennsylvania. Ken Bennett, the Arizona Senates audit liaison, told The Epoch Times that he did not have further information on the visit beyond what his team posted on Twitter on Tuesday. The Arizona Senate ordered the audit after the 2020 election. Months of court battles ensued, with Maricopa County resisting subpoenas of ballots, machines, and other election materials. The county ultimately handed over most of the subpoenaed materials after a judge sided with the state Senate. The audit started on April 23. Auditors are about halfway through the nearly 2.1 million ballots cast in the county in the presidential election. Arizona Senate President Karen Fann of the GOP has said the audit is not an attempt to change the election results, but to identify any problems in the election system and fix them for future contests. Democrats largely oppose the audit but have not been successful in stopping it. Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, has repeatedly expressed concern that the Arizona audit could lead to similar efforts in other states. A number of Republicans responded favorably to the news of the Pennsylvania delegation visiting Arizona. Good to see the PA legislature making movesI wonder what got them moving? #affidavits from the People? maybe ;), Josh Barnett, a business owner who is running Congress as a Republican wrote on Twitter. Others criticized the move, alleging the audit is partisan and not proper. Maricopa County ballots cast in the 2020 general election are examined and recounted by contractors working for Florida-based company, Cyber Ninjas, at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix, Arizona, on May 6, 2021. (Matt York/Pool/AP Photo) Mastriano asked for an audit in Fulton County, Pennsylvania, and it was conducted by Wake Technology Services, which was working for weeks on the Maricopa County audit, according to county records. The results of the audit were recently released. Dush and Kauffman in November 2020 called for a statewide audit of the election, citing reports from the media and from Pennsylvanians about potential fraud. Over the last several days, stories coming from local and national media outlets as well as personal reports made to our offices reveal a multitude of claims surrounding the integrity of the recent elections in Pennsylvania. Irregularities and inconsistencies associated with the conduct of the elections together with accusations of barriers to the transparent tabulation of election results warrant a closer and more comprehensive examination than state agencies have thus far undertaken, the lawmakers wrote in a joint statement. Kauffman and other Pennsylvania Republicans the following month said that an analysis of election data revealed troubling discrepancies between the vote count and the total number of voters. Former Pennsylvania Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar, a Democrat, dismissed allegations of irregularities. She announced in February that a risk-limiting audit pilot of the election supported the results. Workers reviewed over 45,000 randomly selected ballots and the results of the sample mirrored the election results, she said. Democrat Joe Biden won both Pennsylvania and Arizona. Republican Donald Trump had won the states in 2016. Editors Note: This article has been updated to reflect the results of the Fulton County, Pennsylvania audit have been released. Pennsylvania Lifts All COVID-19 Restrictions Except Mask Mandate Pennsylvania on Monday lifted the bulk of its remaining COVID-19 restrictions, though a mask mandate remains in place for unvaccinated people, Gov. Tom Wolf said. All businesses, events, and venues can return to 100 percent capacity starting Monday, Wolfs office said. Its an exciting day in Pennsylvania: COVID-19 mitigation orders have now been lifted, Wolf wrote in a May 31 tweet, adding that masking requirements will remain in effect until June 28 at the latest. The masking requirement will be lifted on June 28 or when 70 [percent] of Pennsylvania adults are fully vaccinated, whichever comes first, Wolf wrote. Updated guidance from the Pennsylvania Department of Health indicates that fully vaccinated people can resume activities they did prior to the pandemic, including not having to wear a mask or practice social distancing, except in health care settings and where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial regulations, including local business and workplace guidelines. People are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their last required vaccine dose. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 54 percent of Pennsylvania residents aged 18 and over are fully vaccinated, while around 70 percent have received at least one dose. Pennsylvanians are realizing that they have the power to stop COVID-19 and they are stepping up to get vaccinated, Acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam said in a statement. Folks are taking the critical steps needed to put this pandemic behind us and lifting the mitigation measures should allow people to enjoy some of the activities they missed last year. Midtown Scholar Bookstore in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, opened its doors to customers for the first time in nearly 14 months on Friday, although it still requires people to wear masks, regardless of vaccination status. The business had switched to Internet orders, sidewalk sales, and virtual author events to survive during the lockdowns. We had to get creative, we had to pivot, store manager Alex Brubaker told The Associated Press. Our readers and our customers have been incredible. Its a rainy weekend, but the bookstore is full. Other states have also moved to lift COVID-19 restrictions, with some, like Massachusetts and New Jersey, ending masking requirements. About 50 percent of the U.S. population has now received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, according to the latest numbers from the CDC. About 40 percent of the population is fully vaccinated. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Polish Trial Begins in Huawei-Linked China Espionage Case WARSAWAn espionage trial involving a former Polish secret services agent and an ex-employee of Huawei begins in a Warsaw court on Tuesday as some European states consider whether to exclude the Chinese groups equipment from their 5G telecom networks. Poland arrested the two men in January 2019 on suspicion of spying for China, in a move that has ramped up international debate over the potential security risks of using Huawei equipment in communications networks. Huawei has repeatedly denied its equipment can be used for espionage by authorities in Beijing, but the United States has been pressuring countries to ban it. In Europe, only Britain and Sweden have so far done so. Polish prosecutors allege that Wang Weijing, 39, using the cover of being a Huawei executive, spent more than seven years spying for China trying to bolster the companys ability to influence the Polish government and enable it to manage the state technology infrastructure, court documents show. The court closed the case to the public on Tuesday after a request from the prosecution. Prosecutor Anna Karlinska told the court this was necessary to protect the methods used in Polish counterintelligence operations. Wang, who has been in detention since his arrest, is also charged with recruiting a former Polish secret service agent who, prosecutors say, informed him about ways of influencing the countrys rescue and public safety services radio networks. The Polish defendant, Piotr D., who had been released upon paying bail after six months and had worked for years in the top echelons of government, is accused of offering himself as a source of information regarding public administration. Both men deny any wrongdoing. Prosecutors say that the cybersecurity specialist, who has asked that his last name be withheld under privacy rules, informed Wang of a monitoring system to guard against intruders accessing classified information sent through fiber optic communication networks created by Warsaw military university. Wangs lawyer, Bartlomiej Jankowski, said prosecutors had no proof of any spying activity by his client. There is no evidence of anything illegal, he told Reuters. Huawei, which fired Wang after his arrest but has helped finance his legal fees, told Reuters in a statement last month that its activities are in accordance with the highest standards of transparency and adherence to laws and regulation. Jankowski told Reuters he planned to file a complaint to the European Court of Human Rights against Poland in the coming days. US Relations The administration of former U.S. President Donald Trump had praised Poland for the arrests, with former Vice President Mike Pence saying in 2019 that they demonstrated Warsaws commitment to ensuring the telecommunications sector was not compromised in a way that threatens our national security. At the time, Warsaw was seeking to convince the United States to increase its military presence in Poland, alarmed by increased Russian assertiveness. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawieckis government proposed draft legislation last year that could lead to a de facto exclusion of Huawei from building 5G networks, but the proposal has yet to be discussed by parliament. European mobile operators have long been reluctant to start investing in 5G networks, which could support smart factories and self-driving cars, because of a lack of political clarity about whether they must accede to U.S. demands to exclude leading equipment supplier Huawei and other Chinese vendors. Huawei said that its exclusion from 5G would mean an almost 44 billion zlotys ($12 billion) loss for the Polish economy and a delay of 5G rollout by a few years. It has challenged Swedens ban on its equipment in 5G networks, where a verdict is awaited from a local court. Romanias government also approved a bill that effectively bars China and Huawei from taking part in the development of its 5G network in April, but it still needs parliaments upper house approval, considered to be a rubber-stamp. By Alicja Ptak and Justyna Pawlak A paramedic, right, holds a test tube to be used for a blood sample during an antibody testing program operated by the West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, in Birmingham, England, on June 5, 2020. (Simon Dawson/Getty Images) Research Suggests Mild COVID-19 Illness Leaves Behind Lasting Antibody Protection People who had mild COVID-19 have long-lasting antibody protection, according to a study by researchers from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Scientists found that individuals who have recovered from a mild case of COVID-19 have long-lived plasma cells in their bone marrow that secretes low levels of antibodies against the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus for possibly a lifetime. Plasma cells are a type of white blood cells developed from B cells and originate from the bone marrow. They are responsible for producing and secreting antibodies to a specific antigen. Last fall, there were reports that antibodies wane quickly after infection with the virus that causes COVID-19, and mainstream media interpreted that to mean that immunity was not long-lived, said Ali Ellebedy, senior author of the study and an associate professor of pathology & immunology at Washington University. But thats a misinterpretation of the data. Its normal for antibody levels to go down after acute infection, but they dont go down to zero; they plateau. Here, we found antibody-producing cells in people 11 months after first symptoms. These cells will live and produce antibodies for the rest of peoples lives. Thats strong evidence for long-lasting immunity, he added. The study (pdf), published in the medical journal Nature on May 24, involved 77 participants who provided serum samples at three-month intervals beginning approximately a month after symptom onset. Most of the participants, except for six, had mild cases of COVID-19, a disease caused by the CCP virus, also known as SARS-CoV-2. The researchers found that the antibody levels declined rapidly during the first four months after infection and eventually leveled off, with antibodies still detected 11 months after the initial infection. In addition, bone marrow samples were obtained from 19 of the 77 participants seven to eight months after infection to confirm the source of the antibodies. In 15 of the samples, antibody-producing plasma cells were detected. These plasma cells were still found in five participants who provided a second bone marrow sample four months later. No such cells were found in bone marrow samples from 11 healthy individuals with no history of SARS-CoV-2 or vaccination. The findings question the need for people who have recovered from COVID-19 to still get vaccinated as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) told The Epoch Times in February 2021 that people should be vaccinated whether or not theyve had the disease. COVID-19 Antibody Testing Collection Event at the Miami International Mall in Doral, Fla., on June 18, 2020. (Jason Koerner/Getty Images for BioReference Laboratories) In an updated scientific brief (pdf) on May 10, the World Health Organization (WHO) stated that most people develop strong protective immune responses following natural infection with SARS-CoV-2 and that remains robust and protective against reinfection for at least 6-8 months after infection. In addition, around 90 percent to 99 percent of people who recover from the disease develop detectable neutralizing antibodies. The WHOs update echoes the National Institutes of Healths (NIH) earlier report from January of this year that stated: the immune systems of more than 95 percent of people who recovered from COVID-19 had durable memories of the virus up to eight months after infection. The report was based on a study that examined antibodies and immune cells from about 200 people who had recovered from COVID-19 and found that various immune-system components consisting of antibodies, different types of T cells, and B cells provided the long-term immune protection. Several months ago, our studies showed that natural infection induced a strong response, and this study now shows that the responses last, said Daniela Weiskopf, author of the study and research assistant professor at La Jolla Institutes for Immunology. Scientists say that both antibodies and T cell responses are needed to achieve immunity to the CCP virus. Multiple studies suggest that people who recovered from COVID-19 develop a group of immune cells, known as T cells, that play a significant role in maintaining lasting immunity against the virus, as these cells target and destroy virus-infected cells, while also stimulating the production of antibodies. In September 2020, scientists found that most people who already had COVID-19 showed strong and broad CCP virus-specific T cell responses. While in a different study funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, researchers found that T cells were not affected by the mutations in the variants from the United Kingdom, South Africa, and Brazil as they remained largely intact and could recognize virtually all mutations in the variants studied. Convalescent Plasma Therapy High levels of antibodies are found in convalescent plasma that is used to treat hospitalized patients with COVID-19. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted an emergency use authorization for convalescent plasma therapy in August 2020. Convalescent plasma is different from plasma-only donations as it uses blood from individuals who have recovered from COVID-19. However, in the FDAs February 2021 guidance, it states that convalescent plasma from individuals who received one of the investigational COVID-19 vaccines should not be collected, unless the following requirements are met: donors 1) had symptoms of COVID-19 and a positive test result from a diagnostic test approved, cleared, or authorized by FDA 2) received the COVID-19 vaccine after diagnosis of COVID-19, AND 3) are within 6 months after complete resolution of COVID-19 symptoms. This is done to ensure that COVID-19 convalescent plasma collected from donors contains antibodies directly related to their immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection the federal regulator explained. In this screenshot from video, Denver School Board Director Tay Anderson is seen on Aug. 24, 2020. (Denver Public Schools/YouTube via The Epoch Times) Socialist School Board Director Steps Away After Being Accused of Preying on Illegal Immigrants Denvers school board director announced over the weekend that he is stepping away from his role until an investigation concludes into accusations of sexual assault. Tay Anderson, a Democratic socialist, called the allegations unsubstantiated and false. These false claims have put my family and I in harms way and now as a father and son I must protect those I love first, therefore I will be stepping back from everyday board functions until the completion of an independent investigation, Anderson said in a statement. I am confident the ongoing investigation will prove what I have said from day one and that is I have never sexually assaulted anyone. I look forward to returning in the coming months to continue the fight for Denver students, he added. During a state House Judiciary Committee hearing last week, parent Mary-Katherine Brooks Fleming levied allegations against an unnamed person she described as a sexual predator currently targeting DPS students. Fleming said she had received reports from 62 students directly, starting in August 2020. The group contains children as young as 14 and many are illegally in the country. They were all afraid of the same man to be perfectly clear that they could not whisper his name, Fleming told lawmakers, adding that the kids relayed stories of being wrongly touched or even raped but were afraid to go to the police. Anderson initially called the allegations troubling and urged authorities to investigate. The Denver Public Schools Board of Education told news outlets in a statement that it was aware of Flemings testimony and was informed the person Fleming described is Anderson. The Denver Police Department was also aware of the accusations, the board said. A police spokesperson told The Epoch Times via email that officials have talked with Fleming but that no alleged victims have yet come forward. If someone is a victim, we encourage them to contact Denver Police, the spokesperson said. Board members agreed with Andersons decision to step back from everyday functions, the board said in a statement. He will continue to vote on necessary matters that come before the board, including the hiring of a new superintendent, it said. The board hired in mid-May an outside law group to investigate an earlier allegation against Anderson leveled by a local Black Lives Matter group. A woman came forward in February to accuse Anderson of sexual assault, BlackLivesMatter5280 said the following month. The alleged victim requested Anderson publicly apologize and seek help from a licensed professional. Anderson denied the accusation in a press conference. I have not sexually assaulted anyone. And I am not aware of a situation that can be construed as sexual assault, he told reporters on March 28, adding that he would cooperate with an investigation into the allegation. The board on Sunday encouraged anyone with relevant information to reach out to the Investigations Law Group. It is critically important that all individuals feel safe and supported to participate in this process, and the Board will use any and all authority it has to protect those who participate. Retaliation or intimidation of witnesses will not be tolerated and the district will report any witness intimidation or harassment to the police. We seek the truth and are committed to a fair and thorough process for all currently involved and anyone who is considering whether they should step forward, it said. A group that Anderson used to chair said he should resign from the school board. Director Anderson has lost the confidence of the students and families of his school district, Spencer Wilcox, the current chair of the Colorado High School Democrats, said in a statement. Students, including our many members in DPS, should not have to be afraid of one of their school members. He must resign. Christopher Decker, Andersons attorney, did not respond to a request for comment. He told CBS4 in a statement that Anderson categorically denies the most recent allegations which have been made against him. He looks forward to defending himself from these false claims just as soon as they emerge from anonymity into the light of fair investigation, he added. To date, not a single allegation against Director Anderson has provided any time, place, individual, or details to which he can even respond. When and if this occurs, he will respond with specifics and corroborating evidence. Major Memorial Day Fire in Downtown Paducah By West Kentucky Star Staff PADUCAH - Paducah firefighters battled what's described as a major five alarm structure fire Monday night on the downtown I-24 business loop.Officials reported the fire about 7:30 p.m. in the Precision Machine, Inc. building on South 3rd Street. All surrounding streets were closed with Paducah Fire Department trucks, and multiple McCracken County fire and police units at the scene.An aerial truck attacked the blaze from overhead as it broke through the roof of the structure, and several fire personnel went into the burning building in an attempt to get the fire under control.Smoke from the fire was visible from as far away as Noble Park.There were no reports of injuries from the fire.The downtown business loop at South 3rd is still closed between Husbands Street and Elizabeth Street from last night's response to the fire. Officials say it is likely to remain closed through the day. A health worker conducts a COVID-19 swab test on a student at the Vinschool private school in Hanoi, Vietnam, on May 22, 2021. (Nhac Nguyen/AFP via Getty Images) Southeast Asia Sees Surge in COVID-19 Infections as Authorities Battle Variants of CCP Virus The COVID-19 pandemic is currently surging in Southeast Asia, due in part to new variants of the CCP virus. The Vietnamese government reported 161 new daily infection cases as of the early afternoon on June 1, bringing the nations total number of cases to 7,482, with at least 47 deaths related to the virus. The country was reporting double-digit infection cases in early May before seeing a spike on May 15 with 169 new infections and another spike of 447 cases on May 25. On May 29, Vietnamese health minister Nguyen Thanh Long held an online meeting during which he spoke of a new hybrid of the virus that had characteristics of both the Indian and the UK variants, according to local media. A total of at least seven variants of the CCP virus have been documented in Vietnam. Long also warned that the virus was spreading fast in the country. Neighboring country Malaysia began a two-week lockdown on June 1, as the country braved a new wave of infection. The Malaysian government reported 7,105 new infection cases, putting the total number of people infected at 579,462. The death toll stood at 2,796 as of May 31. Malaysias Director-General of Health Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said on May 31 that 119 cases in the country were linked to variants of the virus, according to local media. These variants included B.1.351, first detected in South Africa, and B.1.617, first found in India. The outbreak in Malaysia is particularly alarming because of the number of infections among young people. On May 31, Malaysian Health Minister Dr. Adham Baba said there were 82,341 cases among people under the age of 17, among them 19,851 cases of children under the age of 4, according to local newspaper The Star. At least four variants of the virus have been found in Thailand, according to local media. In response to the lockdown in Malaysia, Thailand has tightened its border with Malaysia to prevent illegal border crossing. On June 1, the Thai government reported 38 new deaths related to the CCP virus, bringing the national death toll to 1,069. Thailand has a total of 162,022 cases after reporting 2,230 new cases on June 1. COVID-19, a disease caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, first appeared in Chinas central city of Wuhan in late 2019, when a cluster of cases was linked to a local wet market. Now, more than a year later, the origins of the virus remain unknown. More than 200 House Republicans sent a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on May 28, calling on her fellow Democrats and her to support a virus origin probe in order to hold the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) accountable for its role in causing the global COVID-19 pandemic. As of June 1, there were over 33.2 million infection cases in the United States, with over 594,560 deaths related to the virus, according to Johns Hopkins University. The global death toll now stands at over 3.55 million. The World Health Organization has announced using Greek letters to name the different variants of the CCP virus. For example, the B.1.351 is now given the label Beta. Julia Ye contributed to the article. An American flag at VFW Post #10209 is lowered to half-staff in honor of Americas fallen on Memorial Day in Spring Hill, Fla., on May 31, 2021. (Patricia Tolson/The Epoch Times) Staff Sergeant Michael Wayne Schafer: He Was a Hero, He Was My Son On May 31, around 150 people gathered before VFW Post #10209 located on Edward R. Noll Dr. in Spring Hill, Florida, to honor a man they call a hero. His name was Staff Sergeant Michael Wayne Schafer, but to Karen Barr he was my son. Schafer was born to Karen and Mark Schafer in Spring Hill, Florida on Aug. 16, 1979. A year after graduating from Springstead High School in 1998, Shafer enlisted in the United States Army. After completing basic training and airborne school in Fort Benning, Georgia, Schafer joined the 82nd Airborne Division in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He was a paratrooper of the 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne, a member of the so-called Chosen Company, and one of the first American soldiers to touch the ground in Kirkuk, Iraq. On July 25, 2005, Schafer was killed during combat in Afghanistan. He was only 25 years old. Sixteen years later, in the witness of elected officials, veterans, friends, family, and local residents, the post was officially renamed the SSG Michael Wayne Schafer Memorial Post. Staff Sergeant Michael Wayne Schafer. (Military Times) According to his page on The Hall of Valor Project website, Sergeant Schafer was fatally shot while clearing a house as part of a quick reaction force. Leading his squad into a building, he was immediately hit with gunfire. Before falling to the ground, he turned and pushed one of his Soldiers back out the door. He is credited with saving the lives of two of his fellow paratroopers. Staff Sergeant Schafers gallant actions and dedicated devotion to duty, without regard for his own life, were in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army. Schafer was posthumously awarded the Silver Star and the Purple Heart. The dedication of VFW Post #10209 was not the first time the Hernando County native was honored. On Sept. 27, 2005, state Rep. Virginia Brown-Waite, from Floridas 5th District where Schafer lived, introduced H.R. 3703 (pdf) before the Florida State Congress to honor Schafer. On March 20, 2006, the United States Postal Office located at 8501 Philatelic Drive in Spring Hill, was renamed the Staff Sergeant Michael Shafer Post Office Building. The idea of Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, arose from the ashes of the Civil War, VFW Post #10209 Quartermaster John Coleman said during his opening remarks at Shafers dedication ceremony, and he noted how at least 620,000 Americans, both Union and Confederate, had been killed and hundreds of thousands more had been wounded. VFW Post #10209 Quartermaster John Coleman comforts the family of Staff Sergeant Michael Wayne Schafer at the Memorial Day ceremony renaming the post in his name on May 31, 20121. (Patricia Tolson/The Epoch Times) The wars destruction was on a scale not even imaginable a few years before, Coleman said. Nothing could ever fill the hole left behind by a fallen service member, he shared further, his voice straining. No number of medals or ribbons could comfort the family members and loved ones who served so proudly. That is why we are here today. God bless you all. God bless all our servicemen and women, and God bless the United States of America. Being one of many wearing a red T-shirt with Schafers name printed on the back, Michelle Coleman of Spring Hill, Florida, was there to honor Schafer and his family. She told The Epoch Times she was there to remember all those who served and sacrificed. Im here to see our beautiful Post put in honor of Staff Sergeant Michael A. Schafer, Coleman said, and to honor his family and to support what we try to do here for our veterans every day in Hernando County. I want to thank everyone for coming out today to honor our fallen and our veterans, Kelly Anthony said, her voice breaking with emotion. Kelly also wore one of the red T-shirts. This day holds a lot of painful memories for me, United States Jewish War Veterans Commander Larry Jasper told The Epoch Times. I saw a lot of my friends die. I appreciate those who came out today but, unfortunately, I think a lot of people have lost the meaning of this day. For too many, today is about barbeques and retail sales. It was one of the most beautiful ceremonies Ive ever seen, Ron McCombs told The Epoch Times, and Ive seen quite a few of them. McCombs, now 73, was an E5 in the U.S. Army who served in Vietnam from 1968 to 1969. It was McCombs who explained to The Epoch Times May 29 what Memorial Day is truly about. Memorial Day is not about veterans who are still alive, McCombs said, standing at attention before a monument at VFW Post #8713 in Hernando County, Florida, which bears the names of The Brooksville Eight, who were killed in action during the Vietnam War. Its about those men, McCombs said, the ones who didnt make it. Karen Barr, mother of Staff Sergeant Michael Wayne Schafer at the ceremony renaming VFW Post #10209 in his name. (Patricia Tolson/The Epoch Times) He was my son, Schafers mother Karen told The Epoch Times after the ceremony, holding a small American flag in her hands. Were here today because the VFW has renamed this post after our son, who was the first Hernando County soldier killed in action in Afghanistan. Were very honored, and very humbled that this happened. Dad and son snow play on the toboggan on July 11, 2015 in Mount Buller, Australia. (Robert Cianflone/Getty Images) Study Finds Childrens Winter Health Impacted by Bedroom Temperatures As the first day of winter officially arrives in the Southern Hemisphere, a new study has revealed that childrens health is being affected by bedroom temperatures in winter. A longitudinal study of 2,000 children in New Zealand (NZ) showed that it was vital for family homes to be at the right temperature for kids after it found that low room temperatures had a relationship to the children developing serious upper respiratory illness and asthma. University of Auckland Professor of Child Health Susan Morton told RNZ that the study found that children experiencing low bedroom temperatures outside the 19C-25C range demonstrated an increase in ill health with the youngsters being more likely to develop conditions such as upper respiratory tract infections, asthma, ear infections and tonsillitis. The best indoor temperature was between 19C (66F) and 25C (77F), according to the study, but about 1,000 children were going to sleep in rooms at or below 19C, with the temperature in some rooms dropping to less than 4C (39F) by the morning. The news of the study comes as Australias southern states have shivered through cold temperatures for the past week with snow falling in Alpine regions across the country, including Western Australia. The Best Way to Heat Your Home According to a recent Australian study, the best appliance to heat your home on a budget is, in fact, the humble electric blanket. By far the cheapest way to heat yourself up if youre on a very, very low budget, and youre cold, is actually, oddly, an electric blanket, Comparison site Finders Graham Cooke told 7News. From the most expensive to the least expensive winter heating appliances: 1. Radiant Bar Heater The radiant bar heater, as the name suggests, radiates heat from a red-hot heating element. They are relatively inexpensive but costs on average $9.12 a day. Radiant bar heater (Wikimedia Commons) 2. Tower Heater At nearly half the cost is the tower heater at $4.75 per day. Tower heater (Wikimedia Commons) 3. Oil-filled Column Heater An oil-filled column heater costs on average $3.72 a day. Column heaters take longer to heat a room, but they are particularly useful for heating rooms unattended, such as overnight in a bedroom. Oil-filled column heater (Henryk Niestroj/Pixabay) 4. Electric Blanket The electric blanket, an electrically wired blanket used for heating a bed, costs just $0.29 per day. Reversible Coral Fleece Heated Throw (Temple & Webster) The study reported mixed results for using a reverse cycle air conditioner to heat your home. Its among the most expensive for smaller rooms but is cost-effective for larger rooms like a lounge area. Regardless of your heater type, the experts say the greatest influence on your cost is the level you set the heater at. The best thing to do is to keep an eye on the thermostat because every degree you set it higher or lower will massively affect your energy bill, Cooke said. The Supreme Court of the United States in Washington on May 7, 2019. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) Supreme Court Rules Asylum Applicants Bear Burden of Proof, Reversing 9th Circuit Unanimously ruling against a Chinese asylum claimant, the Supreme Court reversed the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, finding that immigration judges dont have to explicitly state that an asylum seekers story isnt credible when finding against him. The courts opinion in the case, Garland v. Dai, court file 19-1155, was written by Justice Neil Gorsuch. The Ninth Circuit has long applied a special rule in immigration disputes, Gorsuch wrote. The rule provides that, in the absence of an explicit adverse credibility determination by an immigration judge or the Board of Immigration Appeals, a reviewing court must treat a petitioning aliens testimony as credible and true. The accepted standard for reviewing credibility is highly deferential to immigration judges, who work for the U.S. Department of Justice, he wrote. The Ninth Circuits rule mistakenly flips this standard on its head, Gorsuch wrote, describing the appeals courts invented criteria an outlier. In the case, Chinese national Ming Dai claimed he was beaten and arrested in 2009 for trying to prevent Chinese authorities from aborting his second child under that countrys now-rescinded one-child policy. He testified that when he tried to stop his wifes abduction, police broke his ribs, dislocated his shoulder, and jailed him for 10 days. Dai said he lost his job, his wife was demoted, and his daughter was denied admission to good schools. Dai came to the United States on a tourist visa and sought asylum shortly after arriving. Citing federal law, Gorsuch wrote that the burden rested on Dai to prove that he was a refugee, that is, someone unable or unwilling to return to China because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution . . . for failure or refusal to undergo [involuntary sterilization] or for other resistance to a coercive population control program. But Dai failed to disclose the fact that his wife and daughter had already traveled to the United States and voluntarily returned to China, undercutting the claim of a fear of persecution at home. Dai hesitated at some length when confronted with these facts, according to the immigration judge, and then admitted that his daughter returned to China to go to school, his wife returned to her job and her elderly father, and that Dai didnt have a job in China to which he could return. Dai admitted to the immigration judge that at that time, I was in a bad mood and I couldnt get a job, so I want to stay here for a bit longer and another friend of mine is also here. The immigration judge denied Dais claim, stating, I do not find that [Dais] explanations for [his wifes] return to China while he remained here are adequate. But the 9th Circuit saw things differently, Gorsuch wrote. A divided panel held that in the absence of an explicit adverse credibility finding by the [immigration judge] or the [Board of Immigration Appeals], Dais testimony had to be deemed credible and true and he was therefore eligible for asylum, Gorsuch noted. The Ninth Circuits rule has no proper place in a reviewing courts analysis. Nothing in the [Immigration and Nationality Act] contemplates anything like the embellishment the Ninth Circuit has adopted. Gorsuch noted that the Board of Immigration Appeals specifically highlighted Mr. Dais family voluntarily returning and his not being truthful about it as detrimental to his claim. The board adopted the judges decision, which discussed specific problems with Mr. Dais assertions about his past persecution and fear of future persecutionincluding Mr. Dais intentional failure to disclose highly probative and damaging facts, his inadequate explanations for contradictions in his presentation, and his ultimate concessions about the real story. Such a detailed analysis certainly goes to the presumption of credibility, even if the agency did not utter the words adverse credibility finding. Dais attorney, David Zimmer of Goodwin Procter, in Boston, told The Epoch Times he saw a silver lining for his client in the ruling. We are pleased that the Supreme Court agreed with our argument that the courts of appeals must account for the statutory presumption of credibility that asylum seekers have on appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals, Zimmer said in a statement. We believe that, accounting for that presumption, the Supreme Court should have upheld the court of appeals decision that Mr. Dai is eligible for asylum instead of sending the case back to the court of appeals. But we look forward to continuing to fight for Mr. Dais right to asylum given the physical abuse and other persecution he faced based on his attempt to prevent the Chinese government from subjecting his wife to a forced abortion. Teen Mom Who Reversed Abortion Years Ago Is Now Helping Women Choose Life She says its 'the creator of the universe' who cared for her in the darkest days of her life A California teen mom who reversed her abortion over 7 years ago is now on a mission to guide expectant parents on their journeys and help them choose life. Back in 2013, Rebekah Hagan, then a college freshman at Sacramento State University, was a newly single mom to a 10-month-old baby boy and was expecting her second child. Having just escaped an abusive relationship, she found herself at a crossroads. The seemingly hopeless situation led her to believe her life was falling apart, and she decided to abort the baby. Speaking to The Epoch Times, Rebekah shared how faith in God, sincere repentance, and a wish to save her baby helped her make the right choice before it was too late. Rebekha now works for Heartbeat International, a pro-life pregnancy center with a mission to make abortion unwanted today and unthinkable for future generations. She has testified before state legislators of Idaho in March 2017, Nebraska in Spring 2019, and Oklahoma in January 2020 regarding the abortion pill reversal informed consent bills. She has also testified against Californias Senate Bill-24, which required all the state colleges to administer chemical abortion pills in health centers on campus. Rebekah Hagan with her 7-year-old son, Zechariah. (Courtesy of Rebekah Hagan) An Irrational Decision Rebekah, who had given birth to her first baby at the age of 17, said her parents had warned her not to ever get pregnant under their roof again. I knew Id be in this completely alone, she said. Fearing Id lose everyone and everything in my life, abortion looked like a hopeful, compassionate choice to spare my family further shame and embarrassment and to spare my first child any more suffering. She scheduled an appointment with a Planned Parenthood clinic and initiated a chemical abortion. However, she soon regretted her decision. I experienced the lowest, darkest point of my entire life after starting my abortion and taking the first abortion pill, she said. I walked out of that Planned Parenthood clinic feeling completely deceived. Grief, guilt, and regret kicked in within a few minutes and as I sat in the parking lot. I kept asking myself, What did I just do? I dont even believe in abortion!' Rebekah says that, sometimes, fear compels us to do irrational things, and that was one of those times in her life. At the time, abortion seemed like a good, responsible choice, but for Rebekah, it didnt take long for the true reality to sink in. After I began the process and swallowed the first abortion pill, I realized that was all a lie and that abortion can never be goodnot for the baby and not for the mother. Affirming that the psychological impact of abortion is extremely traumatic, Rebekah says its the marketing stunts that make chemical abortion seem simple, easier to hide, less invasive, and more natural. It was only after having left the abortion clinic, Rebekah shared, that she realized all the blame, guilt, and grief fell on her. I was simply told the first pill would end my pregnancy and that the second would just expel my pregnancy and to expect cramping and mild bleeding. I was not told that the second medication was labor-inducing but that is what Misoprostol does, she said. It literally induces labor. Young women are sent to their homes, dorm rooms, or friends houses to complete the abortion process, thus making their bedrooms and bathrooms places of trauma. I was not emotionally or physically prepared to send myself into labor at home, over the toilet, and with no medical supervision. Rebekahs second son, Zechariah. She saved his life with the help of the abortion pill reversal treatment. (Courtesy of Rebekah Hagan) Life Transformed With Faith Rebekah says that her faith in God played a major role in reversing the abortion. I certainly was not living out my faith. All I could do was cry out to God and ask Him for forgiveness and a way out of my mistake, Rebekah said. She began the abortion pill reversal treatment using progesterone and continued her pregnancy. She prayed and thanked God every day, she said. Planned Parenthood expected her to return for a checkup to confirm the abortion was successful, and so they began calling her. Rebekah eventually got the courage to call them back and explain that she was reversing the abortion. The staff discouraged the process with a warning. Rebekah Hagan with her sons, Zechariah, 7, and Eli, 9. (Courtesy of Rebekah Hagan) The clinic worker said, Do you have any idea what youre doing? Because of the abortion drug you already took, you likely wont carry to term, and if you do, your baby could very well have severe fetal anomalies, she recalled. It was an awkward phone call to say the least, and their words remained with me throughout my pregnancy. Despite the warning, Rebekahs pregnancy ended well, and she gave birth to a healthy baby boy, proving the prediction made by Planned Parenthood wrong. I named my child Zechariah, which means the Lord remembers, because when I look back I see God saying, Pause, Rebekah. Trust in Me. I have a better plan, she said. Zack did not ruin my life or my older sons. He excels in school and is the perfect addition to my family. He knows the age-appropriate truth about his entry into the world. Rebekah has now made a mission of her life to offer help to moms who find pregnancy scary and challenging. In an endeavor to help women and spare them the trauma of abortion, Rebekah shares her experience with others on different forums 1520 times a year. Rebekah and her son with Dr. Matt Harrison while testifying in Idaho for an abortion pill reversal consent law in 2017. (Courtesy of Rebekah Hagan) She even met her husband, Kramer Hagan, while sharing her story at his parents church. Now a proud mom of four children, Rebekah has numerous events lined up for the fall. In June, she will also be speaking at Abby Johnsons Pro-Life Womens Conference in Tennessee. Our family stands with, supports, loves on, and helps moms in unplanned or unsupported pregnancies, she said. Rebekah hopes that one day when her son comes of age and knows the full truth, he will be proud of his mother and that he will see a woman who made a mistake and who did everything in her power to undo that mistake and save her childs life. Rebekah Hagan with Zechariah. (Courtesy of Rebekah Hagan) Validating and glorifying her faith with her life journey so far, Rebekah believes that God can make any story new, no matter how ugly or broken and offers grace even when we dont deserve it. God went as far to pull me out of the mess I created and saved not just my unborn baby, but He also saved me, and as a result, my family, she said. I live out my faith by trying to love the brokengirls like me who are considering abortion. God radically transformed my life, and I am living to tell others He can do the same for them too, she concluded. Share your stories with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.com, and continue to get your daily dose of inspiration by signing up for the Epoch Inspired newsletter at TheEpochTimes.com/newsletter Kinney County Sheriff Brad Coe talks about the impact of the border crisis in his county, in Brackettville, Texas, on May 23, 2021. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times) Texas Counties Start Charging Illegal Aliens With Child Endangerment, Trespass BRACKETTVILLE, TexasThe tens of thousands of illegal aliens that evade Border Patrol every monthhoping to slip undetected to large cities up northare now being confronted by sheriffs who are starting to charge them for trespassing, evading arrest on foot, and endangering the life or health of a child. Seeing no solutions to the border crisis from the federal government, some counties are looking at all possible means to rein in the high-speed vehicle pursuits, trespassing, break-ins, vehicle thefts, and other crimes that are increasing in their communities. Im going to start here, locally. If we catch them, were going to start prosecuting these people that are trespassing on yalls property, Kinney County Sheriff Brad Coe told an appreciative crowd in Brackettville, Texas, on May 22. And whatever other legitimate charge we can stack on there to try to deter them from coming to Kinney County. Were going to try to hold these people accountable. Neighboring Edwards County is doing the same. Coe said his county would start charging for trespassing on June 1. He provided ranchers with a form that would authorize the sheriff to file charges on their behalf if someone is caught on their propertysaving the rancher from coming into town to press charges every time a trespasser is caught. For many local ranchers, its a daily occurrence. Coe said the sheriffs office recently filed child endangerment charges against a woman who bailed out of a vehicle that had been pulled over by a deputy. The woman grabbed her 7-year-old child and ran into the scrub without food or water. The deputy caught her and the child and then called the sheriff to ask what she should do with them. And I said, Nows the time to start,' Coe told The Epoch Times. Lets file charges against her for child endangerment based on the fact that she ran out of the car, she had no bags, no nothing with her, no food, no water for that kid, 7 years old. Youve seen the weather down here, some days its 90 degrees, 110 degrees. What was she planning on doing with that child in the brush with no food and no water? The woman and child were turned over to Border Patrol, while the sheriffs office will present the child endangerment case to a grand jury to decide if its a valid case for prosecution, known as a true bill. If they true bill it, then well put a warrant out for her arrest, and wherever she turns up, well go get her and bring her back, Coe said. If we do arrest her, and she gets sentenced to a year or six months, whatever the case may be, if she ever tries to file for some type of assistance here, or become a citizen thatd be a check mark against her. Some type of consequence has to be there. Were Hoping They Avoid Our County Border Patrol detects a daily average of around 1,000 illegal aliens who evade capture along the southern border. The number of those who pass undetected is impossible to estimate. Most of the illegal aliens passing through Kinney County are adult males who have crossed the border in the Del Rio Border Patrol Sectorusually into the small cities of Del Rio or Eagle Pass. The sector is experiencing record-breaking numbers, and so far in the current fiscal year (which began on Oct. 1, 2020), Border Patrol has apprehended illegal aliens from 70 countries, according to information obtained by The Epoch Times. Border Patrol in the Del Rio Sector has apprehended 95 sex offenders this fiscal year, compared to six during the same period in fiscal 2020. Apprehension of criminals has topped 813 compared to 161 in the same period in fiscal 2020. Kinney County Attorney Brent Smith is preparing to take up a slew of new trespass cases, while the district attorney deals with the felonies, such as human smuggling. After an illegal alien is arrested for trespassing, Smith will examine the evidence in the case file from the sheriffs office. If its determined that trespass occurred, hell charge the individual with trespassing, which is a Class B misdemeanor. The charge is elevated if the individual has a deadly weapon or is found more than 100 feet past the property line on agricultural land. Once charged, the suspect will make a plea, and if they plead guilty, theyll most likely be released with time served (two to three days) and be turned over to Border Patrol. Its not a big penalty, but Coe and Smith say it gets illegal aliens into the system and gives them a record. Were hoping they avoid our county, Smith said. Were trying to make sure theyre held accountable for breaking the laws in our state and our nation. And so, if [President Joe] Biden is not going to enforce the law, then were going to try to enforce our own state laws. On April 21, Kinney County declared a local disaster due to the impact of the border surge, saying in its declaration that the health, life, and property of its residents are under imminent threat of disaster from the human trafficking occurring on our border with Mexico. More than two dozen counties have since also made disaster declarations or are in the process of it. Smith said Texas should act on its own to enforce its border with Mexico. It is my opinion that an emergency declaration by Governor [Greg] Abbott or the Texas Legislature would authorize Texas to take certain steps in the enforcement of its own borders and the protection of its citizens health, safety, and welfare, he wrote in an open letter in April. Texas Gov. Abbott to Veto Legislature Funding After Democrats Stage Walkout Over Voting Law Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said on May 31 that hell veto funding for the state legislature, one day after House Democrats staged a walkout of the chamber in an effort to prevent the passage of a sweeping election overhaul bill. Texas Democrats abandoned the House floor ahead of a midnight deadline in an attempt to temporarily kill the bill by breaking the quorum needed to hold a final vote on it. According to the state House rules, at least 100 members are required to be present for the chamber to conduct business. Their move comes after hours of debate on Senate Bill 7, which had already passed the state Senate on the morning of May 30. In a May 31 statement, Abbott announced his intention to prevent the funding of the legislative branch, citing the actions of Democrat lawmakers the day before. I will veto Article 10 of the budget passed by the legislature. Article 10 funds the legislative branch. No pay for those who abandon their responsibilities. Stay tuned, he wrote. Following the walkout, Abbott issued a statement denouncing the move, characterizing it as deeply disappointing and concerning. He vowed to call a special session to revisit the bill. At the beginning of the legislative session, I declared Election Integrity and Bail Reform to be must-pass emergency items. It is deeply disappointing and concerning for Texans that neither reached my desk. Ensuring the integrity of our elections and reforming a broken bail system remain emergencies in Texas, which is why these items, along with other priority items, will be added to the special session agenda, he said. I expect legislators to have worked out their differences prior to arriving back at the Capitol so that they can hit the ground running to pass legislation related to these emergency items and other priority legislation. During the special session, we will continue to advance policies that put the people of Texas first. The bill was approved in the state Senate largely along party lines after an overnight debate stretched into the morning of May 30, according to local media. The measure would grant more power to poll watchers by giving them more access inside polling areas, while creating new penalties against election officials who restrict poll watchers movements. The proposal would also allow a judge to void the outcome of an election if the number of fraudulent votes could change the result. Officials who send mail-in ballots to people who didnt request them could also face criminal penalties, should the bill be enacted into law. Democrats said on May 30 that the walkout was their last tool to kill the bill after attempts to push back on the it. The lawmakers are concerned that the bill would add voting barriers for minority groups and amount to voter suppression. Some Texas Democrats have responded to Abbotts announcement, characterizing the move as petty and tone-deaf, even for Texas. Punishing working class office staff, maintenance, and other support services because he didnt get every single one of his demands is very on-brand for Texas Republicans, state Rep. Gene Wu said in a statement. I dont give a [expletive] about my $600 a month. But there are thousands of workers here with families to support. This is petty and tone-deaf, even for Texas. Florida and Georgia have both passed bills that add measures to protect the sanctity of the ballot box and to add security to other methods of voting. Those laws have also faced significant opposition from Democrats. Jack Phillips contributed to this report. Texas Teacher Who Allegedly Drove 117 Mph Charged in Crash That Killed Teen A Texas high school teacher accused of driving 117 miles per hour was indicted by a grand jury in a crash that left a teenager dead. Rickala Chaffold was behind the wheel of a car vehicle that hit a group of motorcyclists along Interstate Highway 635 in February 2021, said prosecutors. One of the riders, 16-year-old Atreyu Gowen of Mesquite, died after the crash while 28-year-old Paul Arnett was seriously injured in the incident, officials told CBS Dallas and other local media. Investigators said that Chaffold was driving 117 mph six seconds before the crash, officials said, citing surveillance footage, the CBS affiliate reported. The motorcyclists were driving at around 72 mph. Chaffold was allegedly operating a motor vehicle at an unsafe speed and a speed not prudent for the conditions, said the grand jury last week, reported CBS Dallas. Reports in February said that Chaffold, 24, was a teacher at Forney High School. According to the local news website InForney, she was arrested at the school in mid-March. Allegedly, a staff member was involved in an auto accident that occurred off-campus and after hours, Forney school district spokeswoman Kristin Zastoupil told the site, without naming Chaffold. Upon learning of the incident and charges, the person was immediately placed on administrative leave. Its not clear if Chaffold has an attorney. Also unclear is whether she was terminated from her teaching job. The Proxy War Commentary The PalestinianIsraeli War, better described as the HamasIsraeli War, began on May 10, when the Palestinians/Hamas attacked Israel with rockets. Ultimately, for 11 continuous days and nights, Hamas shot more than 4,000 rockets into Israel across a wide spectrum of the land. In return, Israel unleashed massive retaliatory strikes against much more focused targets, aiming mostly at Hamas leadership. A cease-fire was declared on May 21. If the analysis goes no further than Hamas against Israel, the real protagonist will have achieved its objective without paying any price for the death and destruction caused. This description cant possibly be accepted by the Biden administration. It would stand in the way of their obsession with reversing all things Trump, without any further analysis. This war was a proxy war. It can be best described by comparing it to one of the scenes in The Godfather when Vito Corleone explains to his consigliere, Tom Hagen, who was really behind the attempt to kill him and destroy his family: Tattaglia is a pimp. He never could have outfought Santino. But I didnt know until this day that it was Barzini all along. Substitute Hamas for Tattaglia and the Islamic Republic of Iran for Barzini, and it becomes: Hamas is a pimp. It never could have outfought Israel. But I didnt know until this day that it was Iran all along. Ben Hunt, who used the quote on the investing website Epsilon Theory as an example of erroneous financial analysis, observed: Once Vito understood why Philip Tattaglia was going after him, that he was just a stooge for Emilio Barzini, everything changed for the Corleone family. Can Biden make the same deduction? But what ultimately saved the Corleone family wasnt just the observation of Barzinis causal influence, it was the strategy that adjusted to the new reality of why. Can Biden adjust his strategy? To get there, its necessary to go beyond the obvious: Biden appears to rely solely on others. Unfortunately, theyre mostly the same ideologues who were conned into the 2015 agreement with the Regime of Terror. It would take a massive admission of serious error in judgment. The safety and security of Israel, and ultimately of the United States, hangs in the balance. Sometimes, just sometimes, even corrupted politicians and exalted advisers can act in the best interests of their country. Iranian Support For decades, the Regime of Terror has been supporting Hamas. It dates to at least 1987. It first started with organizational and operative support from Iran through Hezbollah to Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). In 1993, Iran publicly pledged $30 million in annual support directly for Hamass anti-Israel offensive. This was repeated regularly until there was a separation between Hamas and Hezbollah because of Hezbollahs and Irans role in Syria, where Assad was slaughtering his own people. But genocide never really stood for long between terrorists who were possessed with common goals such as their pathological desire to destroy Israel and, ultimately, the United States. This rift was mended at the urging of the Regime of Terror, by reminding the Assad regime, Hezbollah, and Hamas of their common goals. In October 2017, Saleh al-Arouri, Hamass second in command, led a Hamas delegation to Tehran and met with Quds Force Commander the late Qassem Soleimani, who assured them of Irans support. Slightly thereafter, in November 2017, al-Arouri met in Beirut with Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah. According to media reports at the time, both sides agreed to place their disagreements over Syria behind them so they could stand together against Israel. This created a virtual blank check for Hamas for money, weapons, training, and cooperation. Iran has since supplied Hamas with cash, anti-tank missiles, IEDs, and training in modern warfare. Most importantly, it has assisted Hamas in the procurement of much-longer-range and more sophisticated missiles, 4,000 of which have just been used to attack Israel. Remember, Hamas is a pimp. It has been the Regime of Terror making it possible for Hamas to do damage to Israel, culminating in this war as an exercise that could yield valuable intelligence about Israeli defenses. Iran may be using Hamas, but unlike Joe Biden, Barack Obama, and most of the media, they realize that Hamas and the Palestinian Authority are both entirely dysfunctional. Theyre governed by incompetent terrorists in Gaza, and thoroughly corrupt former terrorists in the West Bank. Unlike the ivory tower elite in the United States and much of Western Europe, Iran isnt going to trust pimps to carry out its national objective, the destruction of Israel. So, Iran has built its own terrorist organization funded and controlled entirely by Tehran. Its called Al-Sabirin. It operates in both Gaza and the West Bank. It gives Iran flexibility for both independent and coordinated terrorist attacks and actions in the Palestinian Authority and beyond. Theres little doubt that some of Obamas major investment in the Regime of Terror was used to fund Al-Sabirin. Even worse, according to Gen. Jack Keane, its likely that some of the billions Obama gave Iran were used to purchase the rockets used to attack Israel. Biden seems to be ready to make similar infusions of cash into a regime that utilizes at least 50 percent of its funds for terrorism. Are Obama or Biden or both so removed from reality that it never occurred to them thats why the terrorists required so much of the money in cash? Looking for an Opportunity The proximate cause of the massive rocket attacks was allegedly Israels rough treatment of the tens of thousands of Palestinians who were at the Al-Aqsa mosque on May 8 for the closing days of Ramadan. It was also allegedly aggravated by Israeli property owners who wanted to evict Palestinian families from East Jerusalem. As usual, the pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel, anti-U.S. media suppressed two key facts. Like all of Europe, Israel placed a limitation on gatherings because of the CCP virus hysteria. The limit for the Al-Aqsa mosque was a very generous 10,000 people. When the crowds became more like 30,000 or 40,000, Israeli police attempted to get them to comply, and violence broke out. Within days, rockets were launched from Gaza, one landing right outside Jerusalem. This was obviously a set-up and the prelude to 11 days of launching 4,000 rockets aimed at targets throughout most of Israel. The biased media also never made clear that the Palestinians who were to be evicted hadnt paid rent for years or that their lease had expired. A landlord-tenant dispute hardly explains Hamass massive, continuous rocket attack on mostly civilian targets. The real reason for this disproportionate response lies with the Regime of Terror seeking an opportunity to observe any weaknesses they could discern in an all-out challenge to the Iron Dome, Israels very effective missile defense system. It was also payback for the Trump administrations elimination of the Iranian terrorist-in-chief Soleimani. They certainly wouldnt have done this while Trump was in office; much like the recent aggressiveness of North Korea, Russia, and China, they have no fear of Biden. They realize his obvious cognitive impairment, and they will push as hard and as far as they can. Maybe even more proximate, Iran has blamed Israels Mossad for the attack on the Natanz nuclear power facility. It has described it as terrorism and an act of war. This follows last Novembers assassination of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, the mastermind of the covert Iranian nuclear weapons program. These attacks on the Regime of Terrors nuclear mastermind and its nuclear program were carried out within Iran, a police state where protesters are shot down in the streets. These penetrations along with the 2 1/2 years of endless protests in almost every Iranian city, exposes for the world to see, that, like all maniacal dictatorships, its one day away from being overthrown. The only question is to correctly predict the day or the hour, but it will inevitably happen. Remember the destruction of the Berlin Wall, the demise of the Soviet Union, even the deposing of Mubarak and Qaddafi came as somewhat of a surprise when it actually happened. Now that its clear that Hamas and much of the Palestinian Authority is a proxy for Iran and a partner with the Regime of Terror in expanding terrorist attacks, it would seem that Biden policies would be altered. Despite all of this, however, the Biden administration seems intent on renewing the nuclear agreement with the Regime of Terror and making the Palestinian Authority into an independent nation. Biden proclaims he will always be loyal to Israel, but everything he does is inconsistent with the best interests of Israel or even potentially fatal to Israel. Not Ready to Be a Nation The Palestinian Authority has once again demonstrated it isnt ready to become a nation. In the West Bank, the Fatah allegedly steals much of the money given to them by the United States. In the Gaza Strip, Hamas uses whatever they can get their hands on to buy rockets and munitions to kill Jews and hopefully, some Americans. Their latest actions reveal clearly that if the Palestinian Authority did become a state, it would be allied with, and part of, the aspirational Iranian empire. But, even this doesnt seem to pierce the obsession with another deal with Iran. Maybe Biden and his handlers cant get beyond just undoing everything Trump accomplished to make the region safer and the United States more secure. Hamass last bold action against Israel was during the previous Democrat administration, which also included Biden and a president also anxious to please Iran. Biden even seems willing to end or loosen the sanctions and give Iran billions, such as the money he released to the Palestinian Authority a few weeks ago. All this movement toward an agreement with a homicidal dictatorship committed to destroying the State of Israel belies Bidens statement of support. Its also contradicted by the goal of a two-state solution. An administration focused on protecting Israel and seriously considering the best interests of the United States would realize that that goal long ago became not only unrealistic but also very dangerous. Theres simply no good reason for us to take dysfunctional populations governed by leaders in the north who allegedly steal their money and in the south by terrorists and make them an independent nation. Creating another state sponsor of terrorism that will be subjugated to the biggest state sponsor of terrorism isnt only fatal to Israel but presents great danger to the United States. To this day in the Palestinian Authority, children are taught to hate and kill Israelis, Jews, and Americans. Yet, all this compelling evidence of the dangers of a Palestinian state doesnt prevent Democrats from drawing a moral equivalency between a developed nation and assemblage of terrorists and crooks. The current U.S. secretary of state announced that theres much more of a burden on Israel to avoid killing children. How ridiculous. The burden is the same for everyone not to kill children. In the case of the Palestinians, its much greater because they deliberately use children as human shields to protect their terrorist bosses and their most destructive munitions. Whats wrong with Biden, his administration, and the Democratic Party? Biden has only now, after much criticism, named an ambassador to Israel. Trump did it a month before his inauguration, and Obama, the day after. Asleep at the switch is the kindest description. Therefore, all the talk of a two-state solution and a Palestinian state is liberal fantasywhich is a fatal fantasy. With this obvious difference between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, its impossible to understand the Biden administration continuing to argue for a two-state solution. It would mean we were establishing a new country controlled by the Ayatollah, governed by terrorists and crooks, and extending the empire Iran is trying to establish in the Middle East. Similarly, one would think this will end any discussion of a new nuclear deal with Iran. This of course, depends on whether Biden, this administration, and the Democratic Party can discern the best interests of the United States. A much more constructive approach would be to impose conditions on Palestinians toward becoming a nation. Simply make it clear theyre too dangerous to the safety and security of Israel, the United States, and many other lawful nations to become an independent state at this time. But if they can refrain from terrorism for a designated period of 5 to 10 years, cease teaching hatred and murder to their children, and assure through transparent accountability that the money they receive reaches the people, then they will be able to make a credible case. Rudy Giuliani is the former mayor of New York City. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Then Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell waves as he arrives at the Foreign Ministry to meet with Japanese officials in Tokyo on Jan. 17, 2013. (Kazuhiro Nogi/AFP via Getty Images) US Continued China Policy Reflects Broader Global Pushback Against CCP The global pushback against the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has prompted the Biden administration to adjust its China policy, a China expert said, following recent remarks by Bidens deputy assistant Kurt Campbell on China-U.S. relations. The period that was broadly described as engagements has come to an end, Campbell said at an event hosted by Stanford University on May 26. He added that the United States has now embarked on a new set of strategic parameters in regards to China, and that the dominant paradigm is going to be competition. Campbells comments came the same day that President Joe Biden ordered intelligence agents to redouble their efforts in finding the origin of the virusa move that met with protest from Beijing. Campbell like many Biden cabinet officials had served in the Obama administration, noted Chen Weijian, editor-in-chief of New Zealand-based Beijing Spring magazine that focuses on democracy activism in China. Campbells strategy had been to both cooperate and compete with China, which appeared to him as no different from the Obama era policies, he said. A politician normally would not casually change the policy they had mapped out, Chen told The Epoch Times. But according to Chen, it appears that the larger trend is more powerful than human will. The entire international society is changing. It is reflecting on the past policies toward the CCP, he said, noting the European Unions suspension of its China trade deal and a number of recent U.S. measures designed to counter Beijing given the regimes abuses against the Chinese people and other ethnicities living in China. For nearly half of a century, Washington has pursued a policy of engagement with the CCP, ever since former President Richard Nixon visited China in 1972. Such policy was determined a failure under the Trump administration. Former Secretary of State Pompeo said in July last year that the policy had not brought the kind of changes inside of China that President Nixon had hoped to induce. The old paradigm of blind engagement with China simply wont get it done. We must not continue it and we must not return to it, Pompeo said in his speech at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in California. Now, the Chinese regime is pushing its hard power in many areas, such as its economic campaign against Australia, taking a confrontational diplomatic stance with partner countries known as wolf warrior diplomacy, military clashes at the Sino-India border, and military aggression in the South China Sea and against Taiwan, according to Campbell. Campbell named Chinese leader Xi Jinping, whom he described as deeply ideological but actually quite unsentimental, as someone pushing the CCP to play a more assertive role around the world. He has almost completely and utterly disassembled 40 years of careful intricate mechanisms designed for collective leadership, Campbell said. Chen said that the CCPs pandemic coverup may have significantly contributed to the changing U.S. sentiment. Calls for a new and deeper investigation into the virus origin have been growing among both U.S. political circles and scientists, amid fresh evidence that lend credibility to the virus lab leak theory. If this virus really leaked out of the Wuhan virus lab, yet the CCP denied it and concealed it how would it be possible to carry on with the cooperation-competition policy as before? Chen asked. U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga hold a bilateral meeting in the State Dining Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., April 16, 2021. (Doug Mills-Pool/Getty Images) The United States, Campbell said, is looking to convene an in-person meeting with Quad countriesAustralia, India, and Japanto address the infrastructure challenge from Chinas red regime. He said the Quad efforts were to invigorate the operating system that a freedom-loving America has helped build in Asia, which has come under substantial strain owing to rising communist Chinese influence. The Belt and Road Initiative, also known as the OBOR or BRI, is the regimes multi-trillion-dollar infrastructure scheme launched in 2013 to expand its trade and political influence throughout Asia, Africa, and Europe. Chen said to counter the BRI now would be the right time. BRI is the CCPs biggest card these years in foreign policy, he said. With many projects unfinished and countries trapped in debt, it will be more challenging for the BRI to be sustainable, he said. In a press conference on May 27, Zhao Lijian, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, called Campbells remarks a U.S. move to exclude and contain China in the name of competition and a zero-sum game mentality. Its an old chestnut, Chen said in response. The CCP has told Chinese commoners that America is their number one enemy, he said. Now, they realize the situation is not going well for them, they brought those [arguments] back again its getting old. Luo Yua contributed to the article. A gas flare on an oil production platform is seen alongside an Iranian flag in the Persian Gulf, on July 25, 2005. (Raheb Homavandi/Reuters) US Records Second Oil Import From Iran in 30 Years From Seized Tanker A cargo of 1.033 million barrels of crude oil from a seized Iranian tanker landed on U.S. shores in March, showing up as an import in data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), the second shipment of Iranian oil to be brought into the United States since 1991. The cargo was registered in last weeks EIA data, which recorded it as crude oil imports for March, though it came from the seized Liberian-flagged tanker Achilleas, which was transporting Iranian crude when it was taken over by the United States in February off the coast of the United Arab Emirates. The EIA previously recorded 1.1 million barrels of Iranian crude and petroleum imports in October 2020, also oil Washington had seized under its sanctions. Prior to that, the last time the United States imported oil from Iran was 30 years ago. U.S. court documents (pdf) allege the Achilleas was subject to forfeiture under American anti-terrorism statutes on grounds that Irans Revolutionary Guarddesignated as a terrorist organization under the Trump administrationtried to use the vessel to sell crude oil to China in violation of U.S. sanctions. The documents claim that profits from oil sales support the Revolutionary Guards full range of nefarious activities, including the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, support for terrorism, and a variety of human rights abuses, at home and abroad, the Justice Department said in a release. As we have demonstrated in the past, the department will deploy all tools at its disposal to ensure that the IRGC [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] and the IRGC-QF [IRGC-Qods Force] cannot use profits from the sale of Iranian oil to fund terrorism and other activities that threaten the safety and security of all Americans, Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers for the DOJs National Security Division said in a statement in February. The Associated Press reported that the Achilleas was transported to Houston, Texas, where the U.S. government sold the oil for $110 million, with the money held in escrow while the forfeiture-related court case continues. The DOJ said that funds successfully forfeited in connection to a state sponsor of terrorism may be directed to the United States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund after the case concludes. When asked Monday about the case, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said he had no details about it, The Associated Press reported. Since the time of the former U.S. president, Mr. Bill Clinton, no oil has been purchased from Iran because of their laws, Khatibzadeh said, according to the outlet. Iran has been in talks with world powers since April, seeking to negotiate an end to the sanctions. US Writer Hessler to Leave China Teaching Job After Contract Not Renewed SHENZHEN, ChinaAmerican author and New Yorker writer Peter Hessler has said the Chinese university where he has been teaching non-fiction writing has not renewed his contract for the next academic year and that he will leave the country at the end of the semester. Since 2019, Hessler has been based in the city of Chengdu, where he is an assistant professor at the Sichuan University-Pittsburgh Institute. He has been a staff writer with the New Yorker since 2000. In a statement shared via social media platform Douban on Sunday, he said that he had hoped to continue teaching at the university but was not offered a contract for the next academic year. Reached by Reuters, Hessler said he declined to comment beyond the statement. I want to emphasize that I have greatly enjoyed being back in the classroom after more than twenty years, the statement said. It added that Hessler and his family would return to Colorado in the summer, and did not elaborate on why his contract was not renewed. Hesslers friend He Yujia, who posted the statement on his behalf, said it appeared to have been subsequently removed from Douban and she had not been notified. Minking Chyu, dean of the Sichuan University Pittsburgh Institute, said Hessler has been working under a contract that requires annual renewal. His current contract is about to expire at the end of this academic year and Peter and the Institute are unable to reach a mutually agreed new contract going forward. This situation is very common for temporary appointments in the academic community worldwide, he said in an emailed reply to Reuters on Tuesday. The Chinese foreign ministry told Reuters on Monday it was unaware of the situation. The New Yorker and Douban did not immediately reply to requests for comment. Hessler, 51, has written four well-known books in English on China since he first moved as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer English teacher in the mid-1990s to a small city in the southwest, which became the basis for his 2001 non-fiction book River Town. Chinese-language translations of three of Hesslers books on China are available on the mainland, and a New Yorker piece published last August was praised inside the country for its depiction of how China dealt with the COVID-19 outbreak. In March, Hessler participated in the China Development Forum, a high-profile government-run event, where he spoke on a panel on media perspectives of how the COVID-19 outbreak was handled in Wuhan, the Chinese city where it first emerged. The Chinese regime has increasingly curbed foreign influence in its education system in recent years, and last year introduced draft rules that would see foreign teachers fired for words and deeds considered harmful to the countrys sovereignty. It has also been clamping down on foreign media, and expelled more than a dozen journalists working for U.S. media organizations in 2020 as relations with the United States plummeted over the coronavirus pandemic, Chinas treatment of Uyghurs and a festering trade dispute. Washington also slashed the number of journalists permitted to work in the United States at four major Chinese state-owned media outlets. By David Kirton West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice attends a roundtable discussion on the opioid epidemic at the Cabell-Huntington Health Department in Huntington, W.V., on July 8, 2019. (Saul Loe/AFP via Getty Images) West Virginia Giving Away Custom Guns, $1 Million as COVID-19 Vaccination Incentives West Virginians who get a COVID-19 vaccination will be entered into sweepstakes to win custom guns or $1 million, Gov. Jim Justice announced on Tuesday. Were going to give five custom hunting rifles and five custom hunting shotguns away on Fathers Day. And also on Fathers Day, were going to make one of you a millionaire. Were going to give away a million dollars to somebody on Fathers Day, Justice, a Republican, told a press conference. The program will award $1 million to one person each week starting June 20. On the last day, Aug. 4, the state will give $1,588,000 to the winner and $588,000 to the runner-up, Justice said. Im sure well have a bunch of happy campers, Justice said. Some details of what is being described as an incentive lottery were announced last week but more information was released on Tuesday. Along with guns, the state plans on doling out college scholarships and pickup trucks. The state is buying the prizes before handing them out, as opposed to receiving donated items to award to vaccine recipients. Only people who have received a COVID-19 vaccination are eligible and those people must also register at a website the state is creating. Ohio kicked off the trend of giving out incentives for getting vaccines. Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, announced on May 12 that five residents would each get $1 million in a lottery-style drawing. Ohio saw its vaccination rate surge by 28 percent in the wake of the announcement. We need to save lives. We need to get Ohio moving forward. The way we do it is through vaccines. This is our ticket out of the pandemic. This is the great tool that we have now, DeWine said in defense of the program. I cant stand for Ohio to get ahead of us on anything, Justice, the West Virginia governor, told reporters on Tuesday. A man gets a COVID-19 vaccine in Buffalo, W.Va., on March 26, 2021. (Stephen Zenner/Getty Images) West Virginia has administered 1.4 million COVID-19 vaccine doses, with nearly 675,000 residents getting fully vaccinated against the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus., which causes COVID-19, according to the West Virginia Department of Health & Human Resources. About half of the states residents who are 12 or older have received at least one dose. The state reached the goal of vaccinating 75 percent of people 50 years old or older and 84 percent of 65 years or older, Justice said. He noted that some people would wonder why the state needed to give prizes to people for vaccinations. If you just step back and think, well, why in a world would you have to give away something to get somebody vaccinated? Well unfortunately, its the way [of] the world in a lot of situations, he said. We had people run and beg to be able to get their vaccination. I would tell you, throughout countries all across this globe, especially India today, people are begging, begging to have the ability to get vaccinated. So in all things and everything, maybe we shouldnt have to give away things to get people across the finish line. But just think about this: the faster we get them across the finish line, the more lives we save. Absolutely, thats all there is to it. Its just as simple as just that. The faster we get them across the finish line, the more money we save as a state. And absolutely, these dollars become not miniscule, because these are real dollars that were giving away. But absolutely, at the end of the day, if the tab just keeps running, the cost is enormous. The testing cost is enormous. The hospitalizations are enormous. The deaths are really, really bad. And so we got to get all of our folks across the finish line. White House deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre speaks during a press briefing at the White House in Washington on May 26, 2021. (Evan Vucci/AP Photo) White House Responds, US Meat Supply Under Strain After Cyberattack Hits JBS Foods The White House Tuesday said that the cyberattack affecting meatpacking firm JBS Foods systems appeared to originate in Russia and said the administration is offering assistance. JBS notified the administration that the ransom demand came from a criminal organization, likely based in Russia, White House principal deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters, adding that the Biden administration is engaging directly with Moscow and has sent a message that responsible states do not harbor ransomware criminals. On Monday, JBS confirmed in a release that it was hit with a cybersecurity attack. The firms servers in Australia and North America were impacted during the incident. The companys backup servers were not affected, and it is actively working with an Incident Response firm to restore its systems as soon as possible, said the statement, which added the Brazil-based company is not aware of any employee, customer, or supplier data that was obtained or breached. The FBI is investigating the cyberattack, while the Department of Homeland Securitys Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is providing technical support, Jean-Pierre said. The White House has offered assistance to JBS, and our team and the Department of Agriculture have spoken to their leadership several times in the last day, Jean-Pierre added to reporters. Were assessing any impacts on supply, and the president has directed the administration to determine what we can do to mitigate any impacts as they may become necessary, Jean-Pierre said, according to The Hill. The Greeley JBS meatpacking plant sits idle in Greeley, Co., on April 16, 2020. (Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) After the cyberattack, JBSs pork and beef plants in Iowa, Minnesota, and Texas announced on Facebook that they were canceling several shifts on Tuesday for an undisclosed period of time. June 1 there will be no 1&2 harvest and no 1&2 bacon slicing. All other departments will start at regular times, said a Facebook post from the JBS pork plant in Ottumwa, Iowa. According to the plant in Cactus, Texas, We will not operate tomorrow. Buses will not run. ONLY MAINTENANCE, MATERIAL HANDLING, and FREEZERS ARE SCHEDULED TO WORK. Orientation for 6/1 is also canceled. Because of the outages, nearly one-fifth of U.S. beef production has been halted, according to Bloomberg. JBS Foods is the No. 1 producer of beef in the country, while rival firm Tyson Foods is No. 2, the report said. Scott Payne, a spokesman for United Food and Commercial Workers Canada Union Local 401, told Bloomberg News on Tuesday that a plant in Brooks, Alberta, in Canada, was shut down. Effectively the plants operations have shut for the day, he said. Last month, Colonial Pipeline, a major fuel transporting system along the U.S. East Coast, was breached via a ransomware attack that FBI officials believe originated in Russia and Eastern Europe. The pipeline was down for approximately a week, prompting a spike in gas prices as well as fuel shortages in several southeastern states. Minister for Industry Christian Porter speaks to the media outside the Federal Court of NSW in Sydney, Australia on May 31, 2021. (AAP Image/Dean Lewins) Why Porter Cant Claim Victory After Dropping ABC Defamation Case Commentary Former Australian Attorney-General Christian Porter has discontinued his defamation action against the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and journalist Louise Milligan, declaring that the settlement of the case was a humiliating outcome for the ABC. Speaking late on Monday outside the court after a settlement was agreed to, Porter said, That is a humiliating backdown for the ABC, no matter what way they want to spin it. They regret the outcome of that article, Porter said. What I wanted was for the ABC to acknowledge that the way in which they reported this was sensationalist and wrong And they have said that they regret the outcome of their reporting, he added. The public broadcaster though spun the outcome differently saying in a statement on Monday that All parties have agreed to not pursue the matter any further. No damages will be paid. Porter was seeking aggravated damages over a story published on Feb. 26 and headlined, Scott Morrison, Senators and AFP told of Historical Rape Allegations against Cabinet Minister. The article begins as follows, Australian Federal Police have been notified of a letter sent to Prime Minister Scott Morrison detailing an alleged historical rape by a cabinet minister in the federal government. It then argues that a cabinet minister may have raped a 16-year-old girl in 1988, which could have contributed to her taking her own life. The story referred to what might have happened as an allegation only. It did not affirm that it definitely happened, and it did not even name Porter. However, Porter identified himself in a press conference held on Mar. 3, saying he was the cabinet minister accused of rape. He then took legal action against the ABC for defamation over the story. Attorney-General Christian Porter speaks to the media to address sexual allegations in Perth, Australia on March 3, 2021. (Paul Kane/Getty Images) But the case was always going to be difficult to prove because it rested primarily on whether a casual readerrather than a highly politically engaged individualwould know beyond any doubt that the unnamed cabinet minister was actually the former attorney-general. A point that was very difficult for Porters legal team to establish as a fact given his lawyers needed to demonstrate that he was easily identifiable to many Australians as the subject of the allegations. But then the odds against Porter got higher. Firstly his case was to be heard by Federal Justice Jayne Jagot. Justice Jagot was appointed by the former Rudd government in 2008 but was passed over for promotion to the High Court by Porter to the surprise and disappointment of many around the Sydney courts. Secondly, Porter suffered a serious setback to his case when his top lawyer, Sue Chrysanthou, was restrained by the court from acting for him due to a conflict of interest. Barrister Sue Chrysanthou arrives at the NSW Supreme Court in Sydney, Australia, on May 14, 2021, in Sydney, Australia. (David Gray/Getty Images) Chrysanthou had taken his case after advising on issues related to the case of Joanne Dyer, a friend of the deceased complainant who helped make the allegations public. It was at this point that the lawsuit was dropped, with both parties agreeing not to pursue the matter further. The ABC would, however, cover the costs of mediation that resulted in the settlement. To Porter, this was characterised as a victory. But this is simply not the case. On the contrary, an ABC spokesperson said the broadcaster firmly stands by the importance of the article but would update it with an editors note. The logo for Australias public broadcaster ABC is seen on its head office building in Sydney on Sept. 27, 2018. (Saeed Khan/AFP via Getty Images) In addition, the ABC said it actually does not accept the article suggested that the former attorney-general was guilty but regretted that some readers misinterpreted the article as an accusation of guilt against Mr Porter. In other words, the broadcaster strongly rejects the allegation that it regretted publishing the article, which remains online with an editors note added. The article was not sensationalist. It was an accurate and factual report on a letter that had been sent to the Prime Minister and two other senior politicians, the ABC said in a statement. As can be seen, the ABC does not regret anything, and Porter is simply not telling the truth when he claims they do so. In fact, the broadcaster does not even acknowledge that any serious mistake has been committed in that report by their journalist. And the editors note explicitly states that the ABC has no intention to suggest Porter has committed the alleged offence. In another statement following Mr Porters comments, the broadcaster stated: The ABC has not said that it regrets the article. As we have stated, the ABC stands by the importance of the article, which reported on matters of significant public interest. The article was not sensationalist. It was an accurate and factual report on a letter that had been sent to the Prime Minister and two other senior politicians. The ABC stands by our investigative and public interest journalism, which is always pursued in the interests of the Australian community. The ABC stands by Louise Milligan, one of Australias foremost and most awarded investigative journalists, and all our journalists in their independent and brave reporting on matters about which Australians have a right to be informed. As can be seen, Porter had no right to claim victory when no such victory occurred. Instead, now we, the taxpayers, will ultimately pay the costs of Porter and the ABCs legal counsel, who have been occupied with the mediation and defamation proceedings over the past few months. Regardless of the outcome of this lawsuit, a shadow will continue forever to be cast on Porters life and reputation. The harm done never goes away, and there will be no final vindication nor any reversal of the calumnies or pain. Augusto Zimmermann is a professor and head of law at Sheridan Institute of Higher Education in Perth, Australia. He is also president of the Western Australian (WA) Legal Theory Association, editor-in-chief of the WA Jurist law journal, and a former WA law reform commissioner (2012-2017). Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Wisconsins Ice Age Trail Tells a Story of Huge, Geological Proportions I stood atop a rocky cliff looking down into the waters of the Dalles of the St. Croix, a gorge on the river that forms part of the state border between Minnesota and Wisconsin, inside the latters Interstate State Park. Meltwater and sudden outflows from large glacial lakes carved this channel through ancient volcanic rock and created the modern river. But a curious thing: right beneath my feet were round depressions, some of them shafts, descending deep like wells. Potholes. Not the bane of Wisconsin roadways but the mark of raging water. Over 10,000 years ago water flowed through here so fast and hard that it could whirl stones and debris in its eddies which in turn carved deep into the rocky surface as a natural drill. I was already high above the St. Croix, so the river that did this had to be massive. A pothole carved by glacial meltwater. (Kevin Revolinski) This is the western terminus of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail. From this point begins a hiking trail that tells a story of such big geological proportionsof mile-thick ice sheets so heavy that even today the earth continues to rebound from their sagging weight; of enormous lakes of meltwater breaking through ice damns; of Great Lakes carved and sand dunes gathered; of the birth of lakes and the redrawing of rivers; and even of ancient volcanoes and southern-hemisphere sea bottoms once again exposed after eons. The most recent advance of continental ice sheets is named the Wisconsin Glacial Episode for a reason: the ice stopped here, and left behind is terrain that serves as an outdoor classroom for a geology student. The Ice Age Trail (IAT) follows a meandering course that surprises most trekkers. The Kettle Moraine A kettle moraine is a deposit of glacial till with a depression in the middle of it, formed by the melting ice at the deposits center. The glacial ice advanced in lobes, and Wisconsin had six. Two of them, the Green Bay and Michigan lobes, came together along a seam that runs more or less north-south along the eastern side of Wisconsin. The area itself became known as the Kettle Moraine. Early conservation efforts in Wisconsin created the Kettle Moraine State Forest and a trail system within. But a passionate Milwaukee attorney, Ray Zillmer, pushed for something longer, and in 1958, founded the Ice Age Park & Trail Foundation (now the Ice Age Trail Alliance). The trail didnt come to fruition in his lifetime, and to be fair, even now its not entirely complete. A work in progress, the IAT crosses public and private lands to offer more than 600 miles of volunteer-built trailtypically a rustic footpath or an occasional boardwalkalong what aims to be a 1,200-mile hike, completely within Wisconsins borders. An online map of the Ice Age Trail. (Screenshot) Ancient Sea, Ice Formed Lake Devils Lake is the most visited state park in the Wisconsin system. Its namesake lies between two 500-foot bluffs whose exposed purple-hued quartzite dates back at least 1.6 billion years. At one time the bluffs were a couple islands in warm, shallow seassituated south of the equatorand millions of years later, before the glaciers came, a river ran between them. The ice flow came to rest against the east bluff, curling around it and stopping up the northern and southern ends of the space between it and the westerly bluff. When warming climate betrayed them, the melting giants deposited drift to form moraines at either end, trapping a lake in between. Possibly the most strenuous part of the IAT, the Devils Lake Segment climbs over both bluffs and a moraine as it heads north out of the park. To the east, the trail winds through forest and meadow almost all the way to the one waterborne trail segment: the free Merrimac car ferry across the Wisconsin River. Across the water the trail continues over scenic bluffs along the river to another surprising overlook at Gibraltars Rock. Around Madison The State Capitol itself is atop a moraine between two lakes, and Madison is within an hour of a good number of trail highlights, from Devils Lake to as far south as Janesville where one can find the Devils Staircase, a forest footpath above the Rock River. The Devils Staircase. (Kevin Revolinski) As the trail continues east it enters Kettle Moraine State Forests Southern Unit, passing along the back of a moraine that looks out over an outwash plain. Kettle Moraine offers a 115-mile scenic drive through the state forests Northern and Southern Units, and the IAT, naturally, also follows the length, offering some of the most accessible yet continual stretches of completed trail. Along the way are textbook examples of glacial features: long, snake-like deposits called eskers, half-egg-shaped drumlins, outwash plains, and, of course, more than a few kettles. At this point trail segments are all easy day hikes from Milwaukee. From Kettle Moraine the trail continues north and takes an easterly turn to the shores of Lake Michigan near Manitowoc. North of here one finds sandy beach and grassy dunes from Two Rivers to Point Beach State Forest before heading inland again. Finally the trail comes back to the big lake at Algoma before crossing the peninsular thumb that is Door County where it ends in another state park, Potawatomi, along the shores of Green Bay, a 120-mile long appendage of Lake Michigan. Point Beach. (Kevin Revolinski) Choosing Your Hike Segments can be short as a mile in a state park or longer than 15. And not everything is point-to-point; you can find loop alternatives to an out-and-back. The main trail is marked by yellow blazes on posts, rocks, trees, and signage, but spur trails show blue, and white blazes mark an alternative path that eventually reconnects to the main trail, making a different return path. One such loop near Milwaukee is the Cedar Lakes Segment, which creates a 3.8-mile lollipop amid kamesdeltas formed by streams depositing glacial debris that became irregular hills when the ice beneath them eventually melted. Another roundtrip is Chippewa Lobe Interpretive Loop in the northwest, starting from the David R. Obey Ice Age Interpretive Center, crossing a wildflower-rich prairie and descending to the Yellow River and its tributaries, taking in 1.6 miles of the IAT and circling back for a total of six miles. On the Chippewa circle trail. (Kevin Revolinski) Thru-hiking is the ultimate option. Author Melanie Radzicki McManus writes of her own successful completion in Thousand-Miler: Adventures Hiking the Ice Age Trail, and Duluth-resident Emily Ford recently completed the whole thing in 69 days during winter. Hikers can back-country camp in designated dispersed camping areas along remote sections of trail, and two 30-mile-plus stretches within Kettle Moraine State Forest offer a couple simple shelters. The Ice Age Trail Alliance has other lengthy recommendations on their site as well. And if tent-camping doesnt work for you, you can sleep in the comforts of one of many B&Bs along the IAT. For more information, check out The Ice Age Trail Alliance (IceAgeTrail.org). Highlighted IAT segments can be found in my books 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles of Madison and Best Hikes Milwaukee, but the alliance itself has a superb complete trail guidebook and accompanying atlas. Kevin Revolinski is an avid traveler, craft beer enthusiast, and home cooking fan. He is the author of 15 books, including The Yogurt Man Cometh: Tales of an American Teacher in Turkey and his new collection of short stories, Stealing Away. He is based in Madison, Wis., and his website is TheMadTraveler.com Worlds Largest Meat Processor JBS Hit by Cybersecurity Attack, Shifts Canceled JBS Foods, the worlds largest meat supplier, said in a statement that it was targeted by an organized cybersecurity attack on Sunday. The firm said that some of its Australian and North American servers were impacted by the attack and took immediate action by suspending all impacted systems and notifying the relevant authorities. The companys backup servers were not affected, and it is actively working with an Incident Response firm to restore its systems as soon as possible, said the statement. JBS, a Brazilian firm that has its North American headquarters located in Colorado, added that it is not aware of any employee, customer, or supplier data that was breached or obtained during the attack. Resolution of the incident will take time, JBS added, which may delay certain transactions with customers and suppliers. According to an industry publishing website BeefCentral, the firms meat processing operations were paralyzed by the cyber attack and noted that it was not related to animal or environmental activism. Bloomberg News, citing union officials in a Facebook post, reported that some shifts in its Canadian and U.S. plants were canceled due to the incident. Scott Payne, spokesman for United Food and Commercial Workers Canada Union Local 401, told Bloomberg that a plant in Brooks, Alberta, in Canada, was shut down. Effectively the plants operations have shut for the day, he said. Its not clear how the cyberattack will impact customers or if a meat shortage will be triggered. JBS did not provide any timeline on when its systems will be back online. Also unclear is who carried out the attack. JBS Foods, which it says is one of the worlds largest food firms, has operations in 15 countries and customers in approximately 100 countries, according to the companys website. Brands include Pilgrims, Great Southern, and Aberdeen Black. Last month, Colonial Pipeline, a major fuel transporting system along the U.S. East Coast, was breached via a ransomware attack that FBI officials believe originated in Russia and Eastern Europe. The pipeline was down for approximately a week, prompting a spike in gas prices as well as fuel shortages in several southeastern states. The FBI said that the Russian-based group DarkSide was the entity responsible for the breach. Microsoft said in late May that hackers responsible for the SolarWinds breach also targeted about 3,000 email accounts at a variety of organizations. We observed cyberattacks by the threat actor Nobelium targeting government agencies, think tanks, consultants, and non-governmental organizations, Microsoft said, adding that Nobelium operates in Russia. This wave of attacks targeted approximately 3,000 email accounts at more than 150 different organizations. While organizations in the United States received the largest share of attacks, targeted victims span at least 24 countries. The Epoch Times has contacted JBS for comment. Eds: This story was supplied by The Conversation for AP customers. The Associated Press does not guarantee the content. Susan M. Shaw, Oregon State University (THE CONVERSATION) When leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention meet during their annual gathering in Nashville, Tennessee, in June 2021, the issue of three women being ordained to ministry will likely be an intense topic of conversation. Convention leaders had decried the moves in May by Saddleback Church, in Lake Forest, California one of the demoninations largest churches as a violation of biblical teaching and the Southern Baptist Conventions stance on women in ministry. As someone who was ordained as a Southern Baptist minister in 1993, I know that opposition to womens ordination has always existed, but many denominational leaders, seminaries and local churches have supported the practice. For Southern Baptists, ordination is an affirmation of a call to ministry that enables the church in its work in the world. Ordination recognizes a persons calling and gifts for leadership and allows people to carry out certain ministerial duties such as being a pastor, administering communion, performing baptisms and officiating weddings. It does not necessarily bestow any religious authority. The first woman to be ordained by a Southern Baptist church was Addie Davis in 1964 at the Watts Street Baptist Church in Durham, North Carolina. At the time, the Watts Street Baptist Church was already known to be a progressive congregation that was supportive of the civil rights movement. So ordaining a woman fit within the churchs progressive vision, although most members werent aware they were making history with Davis ordination. The churchs pastor and Davis did receive some letters opposing her ordination, but the Southern Baptist Convention meeting a year later did not take up the issue. However, it wasnt until the 1970s that more women were ordained. As the womens movement began to have influence across society, many churches and individual women began to recognize that if women could be CEOs and university presidents, they could also be pastors and denominational leaders. Soon, greater numbers of women began attending Southern Baptist seminaries, professing a call to ordained ministry. I was among them. As a scholar who writes about Baptist women, I know how fundamentalists within the Southern Baptist Convention continue to oppose womens ordination. I also know that there is not an awful lot fundamentalists can do to prevent it. Local churches are fully autonomous, and the Southern Baptist Convention cannot tell them what to do. At most, it can expel a congregation from membership. Controversy over role of women In the 1970s, Southern Baptist publishing houses, seminaries, boards that appointed missionaries and commissions organized a number of national gatherings focused on the role of women in the church. Subsequently, a group known as Women in Ministry, SBC was formed. During its first meeting in 1983, the group adopted a purpose statement that it should provide support for the women whose call from God defines her vocation as that of minister and to encourage and affirm her call to be a servant of God. But by this time, fundamentalist Southern Baptists had a begun to wrest control of the Southern Baptist Convention from more moderate voices. This controversy set up a bitter dispute within the Southern Baptist Convention over the role of women, especially in ordained ministry. From the early 1980s, some local churches ordained women as pastors. However, some local Baptist associations ousted such churches. A year after the formation of Women in Ministry, the Southern Baptist Convention adopted a resolution entitled On Ordination and the Role of Women in Ministry. This resolution stated that women should be excluded from pastoral leadership to preserve a submission God requires because man was first in creation and woman was first in the Edenic fall. The resolution concluded by encouraging the service of women in all aspects of church life and work other than pastoral functions and leadership roles entailing ordination. Nonetheless, by 1987, Southern Baptist churches had ordained nearly 500 women, 18 of whom served as pastors. Women in Ministry, SBC changed its name to Southern Baptist Women in Ministry to highlight the organizations independence from the Southern Baptist Convention. Womens submission Womens ordination sparked a backlash from fundamentalists who gained control of the Southern Baptist seminaries, mission boards and publishing house. Their views on womens ordination became a litmus test for faithfulness to Christian belief. As Bill J. Leonard, a historian of religion, wrote in a 1995 paper, scholars who supported womens ordination were removed from teaching positions, and new hires had to affirm womens exclusion from ordination. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary barred women from preaching and pastoral care classes. Mission boards stopped appointing women to equal positions with men. Southern Baptist publications asserted womens submission. By the late 1990s, womens ordination among Southern Baptists seemed a settled issue in favor of exclusion. A 2000 revision of the Southern Baptist Conventions statement of faith reaffirmed this: While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture. Controversy reemerges Finding themselves no longer aligned with the fundamentalist-dominated Southern Baptist Convention, many individuals and churches left it to form the moderate Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and the progressive Alliance of Baptists, both of which support womens ordination and women in the pastorate. In 1995, Southern Baptist Women in Ministry again changed its name, this time to Baptist Women in Ministry, to reflect its complete break from the Southern Baptist Convention. Today Baptist Women in Ministry supports and advocates for women in ministry through educational and networking opportunities and awards that recognize preaching and pastoral leadership. As of 2017, nearly 2,500 Baptist women had been ordained, and 174 served as pastors in Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and Alliance churches. For Southern Baptists, most of whom likely thought the issue of womens ordination was settled, the ordinations at Saddleback Church renewed the controversy over womens roles in the church. Saddleback is the largest and most prominent Southern Baptist church to ordain women since the fundamentalists gained control of the denomination. Already, a number of Southern Baptists are calling for the Southern Baptist Convention to investigate and possibly expel Saddleback Church for its ordination of women. When asked about the ordinations, one of the candidates standing for election as Southern Baptist Convention president when it meets in June responded, The BFM [Baptist Faith and Message] is clear that Southern Baptists do not believe in women serving as pastors. Churches which ordain or call female pastors are not acting in friendly cooperation with the SBC and should either change, withdraw, or be subject to our disfellowshipping processes. The upcoming annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention will certainly test Southern Baptists willingness to exclude even an eminent church and its celebrated pastor over the issue of womens ordination. [Get the best of The Conversation, every weekend. Sign up for our weekly newsletter.] The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts. The Conversation is wholly responsible for the content. LOS ANGELES (AP) Authorities said a huge American flag and several smaller flags were stolen from a Southern California veterans cemetery over the Memorial Day weekend. Les' Melnyk, a spokesperson for the Department of Veterans Affairs' National Cemetery Administration, said the garrison flag at Los Angeles National Cemetery was reported stolen sometime late Sunday or early Monday. Eddyville Man Jailed on Drug, Endangerment Charges By West Kentucky Star Staff LYON COUNTY - An Eddyville man was arrested Saturday on methamphetamine and endangerment charges.The Lyon County Sheriff's Office said deputies responded to a home on KY 818 South to investigate a kidnapping and assault complaint. A woman told police that she, along with her boyfriend and family members, had been held at knife point at the home for over three hours by 27-year-old Tyler Saucier of Eddyville, who also allegedly damaged the home while there.Deputies said Saucier was high on methamphetamine and marijuana when the incident took place. He reportedly destroyed windows to the home, assaulted a male victim and held several people against their will. During the incident, deputies said there was a 1-year-old child in the home. who was unharmed. Deputies said Saucier also drove one of the victim's vehicles into an adjacent pond.Saucier was arrested and lodged in the Crittenden County Detention Center. He faces charges of DUI, possession of meth, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, criminal mischief and wanton endangerment. The investigation into the unlawful imprisonment and assault allegation is continuing. NORWALK A local developer plans to build four new apartments in Norwalks Central Business District, according to an application recently filed with the Planning and Zoning Department. High Street LLC, the owner of several residential properties along North Avenue and High Street, is seeking city approval to build a pair of two-story apartment buildings at 43, 45 and 47 High St. According to architectural plans submitted to the city, the proposed building at 43 High St. would include a one-bedroom unit on the ground floor and a two-bedroom unit on the second floor. Each apartment would feature a single bathroom and be roughly 800 square feet in size. Meanwhile, two apartments are also planned for the second building, which would be constructed between existing apartment buildings at 45 and 47 High St. Each unit would include one bathroom, two bedrooms and a total of 750 square feet of space. Developers believe the newly proposed buildings will complement the existing apartments at the north end of High Street. Site plans submitted with the application show there are currently 22 residential units at the property. The Application submits that the additional units will not generate substantial traffic to affect pedestrian traffic or safety, developers wrote in the application. High Street is a one-way street with light traffic flow. In addition to erecting the new buildings, developers plan to add a handful of new parking spaces, create new recreational space on the property and remove a contractor yard where heavy machinery and construction materials have been stored. An existing contractors yard is in the process of being removed and will be completely removed in the very near future, the application states. Thomas Vetter, an attorney representing High Street LLC, did not return requests for comment on Tuesday. As recently as two years ago, local developers had vastly different plans in store for the High Street site. In 2016, developer Paxton Kinol, of Belpointe Capital, received approval from the city to build 278 apartments in a pair of six-story buildings on North Avenue between Main and High streets. The proposed mixed-use development, dubbed Highpointe West and Highpointe East, would have featured nearly 20,000 square feet of street-level retail space, interior courtyards and a swimming pool. The city granted developers a one-year extension in 2019, but the project never moved forward. Norwalks Central Business District, which encompasses the Wall Street and West Avenue neighborhoods, has seen sustainable growth over the last deace. More than 1,000 new apartments and 78,000 square feet of commercial space were built between 2010 and 2017, according to the citys Wall Street-West Avenue Neighborhood Plan. Bryan Baker, the citys principal planner, said the proposal must first be approved by the Norwalk Redevelopment Agency, which is tasked with overseeing the revitalization of the Wall Street and West Avenue neighborhoods. Baker said the Zoning Commission will likely review the application in late June or July. richard.chumney@hearstmediact.com (The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) Michael Childers, Colorado State University (THE CONVERSATION) If youre headed out into the wild this summer, you may need to jump online and book a reservation before you go. For the second consecutive year, reservations are required to visit Yosemite, Rocky Mountain and Glacier national parks. Other popular sites, including Maines Acadia National Park, encourage visitors to buy entrance passes in advance. Limiting visitors has two purposes: reducing COVID-19 risks and allowing some parks to recover from recent wildfires. Rocky Mountain will allow 75% to 85% of capacity. Yosemite will again restrict the number of vehicles allowed in; last year, it hosted half of its average 4 million annual visitors. Nationwide, some U.S. parks were emptier than normal during the pandemic, while Yellowstone and others were near capacity. But the pandemic likely was a temporary pause in a rising tide of visitors. Americas national parks face a popularity crisis. From 2010 to 2019, the number of national park visitors spiked from 281 million to 327 million, largely driven by social media, advertising and increasing foreign tourism. This exponential growth is generating pollution and putting wildlife at risk to a degree that threatens the future of the park system. And with Americans eager to get back out into the world, the summer of 2021 promises to be one of the busiest domestic travel seasons in recent history. Reservations and other policies to manage visitor numbers could become features at many of the most popular parks. Protecting treasured lands In my work, Ive explored the history of national parks and the factors that drive people to seek experiences outdoors. Ive also studied the impacts of national park visitation and ways to keep the public from loving national parks to death. Much of that research has focused on Californias Yosemite National Park, which contains nearly 1,200 square miles of wilderness, including iconic granite rock formations, deep valleys, waterfalls and ancient giant sequoias. Its creation dates to the Civil War. In 1864, with this landscape threatened by an influx of settlers and visitors, Abraham Lincoln signed the Yosemite Act, which ceded the region to California for public use, resort, and recreation. This step set a precedent that parks were for everyones benefit and enjoyment. Congress made Yosemite a national park in 1890. Influenced by naturalist John Muir, President Theodore Roosevelt established five new parks in the early 1900s, along with 16 national monuments that included the Grand Canyon. Roosevelt wanted to protect these natural treasures from hunting, mining, logging and other exploitation. To coordinate management, Congress established the National Park Service and the National Park System in 1916. The National Park Service Organic Act directs the agency to protect the parks wildlife and natural and cultural heritage in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations a mission that is becoming increasingly difficult today. Loving the parks to death Americans fell in love with their parks and several waves of overpopularity nearly destroyed the very experiences that drew people there. The advent of automobile tourism in the 1920s opened national parks to hundreds of thousands of new visitors, who overwhelmed limited, aging roads, trails, restrooms, water treatment systems and visitor facilities. Ironically, relief came during the Great Depression. The New Deal funded massive construction projects in the parks, including campground comfort stations, museums and other structures. Hundreds of miles of roads and trails opened wild backcountry. Between 1929 and 1941, the number of annual park visitors grew from 3 million to 20 million. This increasing torrent slowed only when the U.S. entered World War II. In the postwar boom, people returned en masse. The National Park Service launched Mission 66, another flurry of construction that again expanded capacity. Conservationists and others condemned the development, alarmed by its environmental impacts and the threat of overcrowding. By the mid-1960s, total yearly park visitation exceeded 100 million. Riding the tourism wave Today the national park system has grown to comprise 63 national parks, with ever more visitors, plus 360 sites with other designations, such as national seashores, monuments and battlefields. Some of these other sites, such as Cape Cod National Seashore in Massachusetts and Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania, also attract millions of visitors yearly. In 2019, a record-setting 327 million people visited the national parks, with the heaviest impacts on parks located near cities, like Rocky Mountain National Park outside Denver. This crowding spotlighted problems that park officials had been raising concerns about for years: The parks are underfunded, overrun, overbuilt and threatened by air and water pollutionin violation of the laws and executive orders that protected them. Park horror stories have grown common in recent years. They include miles-long traffic jams in Yellowstone, three-hour waits to enter Yosemite, trails littered with trash and confrontations between tourists and wildlife. In 2020, Congress passed the Great American Outdoors Act, which will provide up to US$1.9 billion a year for five years to address the park systems nearly $12 billion maintenance backlog. This long list of postponed projects reflects Congress reluctance to adequately fund the national park system over many years. But as the New Deal and Mission 66 demonstrated, increased infrastructure spending often boosts visitation. The Great American Outdoors Act doesnt cover conservation efforts or significant personnel needs, which will require increased federal funding. Many repairs are needed throughout the parks, but the systems future sustainability relies more on staffing than infrastructure. And neither more money nor additional park rangers will solve the overcrowding crisis. I believe the most popular national parks need a reservation system to save these protected lands from further damage. This wont be a popular solution, since it contradicts the founding premise that national parks were built for public benefit and enjoyment. Critics have already created a petition opposing Rocky Mountain National Parks timed entry permits as unnecessary, unfair, undemocratic and discriminatory. But the parks unrelenting popularity is making it impossible to preserve them unimpaired. In my view, crowd control has become essential in the most popular parks. While there is only one Yosemite Valley, the national park system offers many less crowded destinations. Sites such as Hovenweep National Monument in Colorado and Utah and the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site in Kansas deserve attention for their natural beauty and the depth they add to Americans shared heritage. [Get our best science, health and technology stories. Sign up for The Conversations science newsletter.] This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/overcrowded-us-national-parks-need-a-reservation-system-158864. JERUSALEM (AP) U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz on Monday accused President Joe Biden of being soft on Israel's foes and inviting further violence during a deadly 11-day war that left Israelis rattled and turned parts of the Gaza Strip to rubble. One of four prominent Republicans in Israel in the conflict's aftermath, Cruz told The Associated Press in an interview that the Democratic president's policies, including a call for Israel to wind down the war, had emboldened Hamas' militant rulers. He said the U.S. owes Palestinians no humanitarian aid as long as there's a danger of that money flowing to Hamas. The longer Joe Biden shows weakness to Hamas or Hezbollah or Iran, the more youre going to see terrorist attacks escalating, Cruz said after a day of touring Israels Iron Dome rocket-defense system and and viewing damage in Ashkelon. Cruz also refused to rule out another run for president in 2024, keeping alive the prospect of a new Republican brawl for the party's presidential nomination and perhaps a rematch with former President Donald Trump. The fighting erupted May 10 when Hamas launched a barrage of rockets at Jerusalem after weeks of protests and clashes over Israels policing of a flashpoint holy site. Before the cease-fire took effect May 21, Hamas had fired over 4,000 rockets toward Israeli cities, while Israeli warplanes struck some 1,000 targets in Gaza. More than 250 people were killed, the vast majority of them Palestinians living in the seaside enclave ruled by Hamas. Israel blames Hamas for the heavy civilian casualties because Hamas launches attacks from residential areas. Throughout the fighting, Biden and many other world leaders maintained that Israel has a right to defend itself even as concern and protests in places like Turkey, Pakistan and Britain mounted over the crippling use of force leveled at Gaza. Cruz's remarks were a stark departure from a once-customary practice of refraining from talking domestic politics while overseas, particularly about the sitting U.S. commander in chief. At least two of the four American Republicans visiting Israel this week have apparent presidential ambitions and all are in hot pursuit of support from pro-Israel evangelical voters that form a core part of the GOP's base. Besides Cruz, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who also served as Trump's CIA director, tweeted Sunday that he was in Tel Aviv attending the retirement party of Mossad chief Yossi Cohen. Great to be with good friends in Tel Aviv! Pompeo tweeted. Sen. Lindsay Graham was also touring damage caused by rocket fire and meeting with Israeli leaders. No one has done more for Israel than you, Sen. Lindsey Graham, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday. Graham, standing next to him, held up a sign that said, More for Israel. In a tweet later, he explained, to help protect and defend from Hamas rocket attacks. On Tuesday, Graham will tour rocket damage in Israel, he said in a press release. Netanyahu enjoyed warm relations with Trump, alienating many segments of the Democratic Party. His relations with Biden have been cordial, but cooler. Cruz and Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., toured the rubble in Ashkelon where a Hamas-fired rocket hit an apartment and killed the caregiver of an older woman. Cruz tweeted photos. Hagerty, who was Trump's ambassador to Japan, also criticized the various steps taken by Biden to reverse Trump's policies. Biden, for instance, has pledged some $360 million in aid to the Palestinians, including money to help repair war damage in Gaza. Trump cut off nearly all U.S. aid to the Palestinians. Any monies that go to the Gaza Strip that are quote, intended for infrastructure, can be easily diverted by Hamas, Hagerty, seated next to Cruz, said. Where Hagerty was diplomatic, Cruz was blunt. Appeasing terrorists doesn't produce peace," he said of Biden. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Asked whether he'd rule out running for president, Cruz demurred, replying that the 2016 campaign was the most fun I've ever had in my life." WATERBURY Local police have charged two individuals with murder and identified two others including one they say is considered armed and dangerous for their alleged involvement in a home invasion robbery in 2020 where a victim was fatally shot. In November 2020, 22-year-old Eric Richard of Waterbury was fatally shot in the chest during a robbery. On May 27, detectives arrested 39-year-old Pedro Santana and 37-year-old Iris Perez, both from Fishkill, N.Y., on outstanding warrants. They were each charged with murder and first-degree robbery. U.S. Marshals found Santana and Iris in a hotel in Fishkill. Detectives from Waterbury responded and extradited both individuals to Waterbury police headquarters to be processed on the charges. They each also had various outstanding warrants on unrelated charges and were each held on over $2 million bonds, police said. Police also said they have obtained warrants on charges of murder and first-degree robbery for two others: 18-year-old Julian Lugo Perez of Waterbury and 35-year-old Carlos Reyes-Pagan. Lugo-Perez is currently in custody on unrelated charges in a Pennsylvania prison and awaits extradition back to Connecticut to face charges in regards to Richards homicide, police said. Pagan remains at large. Police said he has an address on Southampton Street in Boston but is known to frequent many cities and towns throughout Massachusetts and Connecticut. He was described by police as 5-foot-5, 190 pounds and having black hair and brown eyes. He is considered armed and dangerous, police said. Anyone with information on Pagans location is asked to call the Major Crimes Division at 203-574-6941 or Crime Stoppers at 203-755-1234. The Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Awareness (I.D.E.A) Book Club at the Edwardsville Public Library takes the traditional discussion and Q&A, and adds a speaker as the capstone for each book in a series that highlights equity issues. Our hope is to increase awareness through reading, discussion and presentations by subject matter experts. The book discussions are led by library staff, and we have partnered with Edwardsville - SIUE Community Destination Group to bring you these speakers to add a new dimension to the traditional book club. Our first book in the series was The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America by Richard Rothstein, and we are in the middle of our second book, The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead. I have learned quite a bit by reading these books; for example, The Color of Law opened my eyes to how our cities and schools became segregated. The Nickel Boys, a novel based on the real story of a reform school in Florida, is a thought-provoking journey highlighting institutional racism. Some people that I speak to about this programming say that they are tired of hearing about racial equity or feel that the topic is too political or even say that they dont think there is a need for action. I dont think anyone can deny that we have racial tension in this country, and the purpose of this programming is just to create awareness of our history the history we share as White and Black Americans. When we all understand where the tension comes from, we may be in a position to move forward together. EDWARDSVILLE The remainder of 2021 is shaping up to be a busy year for Rebuilding Together Southwest Illinois, and thats welcome news for Chris Azar. Azar is president of Rebuilding Together Southwest Illinois, which is committed to rehabilitating the houses of low-income, elderly, veterans and homeowners with a disability. Rebuilding Together is a national nonprofit organization working to preserve affordable homeownership and revitalize neighborhoods by providing home repair and renovation services free of charge to those in need. Most of the organizations rehab projects in the Metro East for 2020 were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but work on those projects has resumed. When I got vaccinated, it was like the sun came out, Azar said. My whole outlook has gotten brighter, and I think its the same way with the homeowners that we help. Theyre excited to see us come back in and were excited to be there. Rebuilding Together continued to work on outdoor projects last year, but work on indoor rehab jobs was essentially shut down. Last year with COVID we made a conscious decision not to go into peoples houses except in emergency cases, said Azar, whose organization serves all of Madison County. We had one senior who was in the hospital and her granddaughter called us and said her toilet had fallen through the floor. We took care of that while she was in the hospital, so the day she came back, she had brand-new flooring and a new toilet, and we replaced the subfloor. That was about the only time we went inside a house. Now Im vaccinated and most of our board and our volunteers are fully vaccinated, as well as our homeowners. Were starting to do more inside work. The organization has already finished 10 projects this year, including a wheelchair ramp project in Collinsville. Because people have spent a lot of time in their homes, theyre noticing more things that need to be repaired, Azar said. The pandemic has affected the price and availability of many items, and Azar has noticed a big jump in the price of materials for rehab and renovation. We did a wheelchair ramp in Edwardsville that we finished last month where we had 11 people from Scott Air Force Base helping us, Azar said. From the time we bid the project out in October or November until the time we did it this spring, the price went up by one-third. Im sure that has to be hurting homeowners as well. Like many other nonprofits, Rebuilding Together Southwest Illinois has had to cancel nearly all of its fundraising events for 2020. The organization is only now looking into resuming fundraising on an in-person level. Were still a little leery about having crowds and we dont want Rebuilding Together to be associated with being a COVID hotspot, Azar said. Were just now in the planning stages of beginning to ramp up our fundraising efforts. In the meantime, Rebuilding Together has taken several steps to reduce its operating budget and have more money available for rehab projects. In addition to the lack of fundraising efforts, most of the organizations funding for 2021 from United Way of Greater has been cut, as the United Way struggles to meet the demand from a growing number of nonprofits. At the end of 2019, we lost our executive director, who knew the writing was on the wall because we were going to lose our funding from United Way, Azar said. She knew it was unsustainable for her to remain, so she resigned. We never did fill that position, so we reduced that salary and we are now just a group of volunteers. We also sold the office warehouse this past year and were making a conscious effort to reduce our overhead. That has helped us to cut the slack after our 2020 fundraising fell off. The cancellation of fundraising events was doubly frustrating for Azar because the fundraising drives are also used to recruit volunteers. We need to start ramping up our fundraising again, if only to get the word about Rebuilding Together, which may be as big a nonprofit as Habitat for Humanity but doesnt have the name recognition, Azar said. We want to let folks know that we are an important part of the community. For more information about Rebuilding Together Southwest Illinois, visit https://www.rebuildswi.org/, call 618-960-2440 or email help@rebuildswi.org. Azar encourages people to like and follow the organization on Facebook at Rebuilding Together Southwest Illinois. We routinely post updates and volunteer opportunities, Azar said. Arnaud Sussmann will perform a Holocaust-inspired recital involving a musical exploration of his family's past, on June 8 via Zoom. Photo by Carlin Ma Students attending Mid Michigan College and who live in the Mt. Pleasant School District will pay in-district tuition for the fall semester following last month's approval to join the college's geographic district. Mt. Pleasant School District was the only one of 10 districts where voters approved both questions necessary to join the college's geographic district boundaries. A question asking to join was approved 63-37 percent (1,593-952) and a second question asking voters to accept the college's 1.2202 millage rate was approved 55-45 percent (1,415-1,141). - Advertisement - The success of both questions means MMC students living in the Mt. Pleasant School District will pay $132 per contact hour instead of the $220 per contact hour rate for out-of-district students for the fall semester, said Scott Mertes, Mid's vice president of academic affairs and community outreach. Fall enrollment had already started, but the college has gone back and updated tuition bills for students who live in the Mt. Pleasant School District and who registered before the election. The move is expected to generate a gross $1.4 million for the college, but after in-district rates are applied, it's expected to only net the college approximately $500,000, Mertes said. Had all 10 districts -- Mt. Pleasant, Chippewa Hills, Beal City, Shepherd, Alma, Ithaca, St. Louis, Ashley, Fulton and Breckenridge -- approved it, it would have grossed the college $3.4 million before accounting for losses due to tuition cuts, he said. In seeking annexation, MMC officials had previously said that new revenue was less important than a stable source for it. They referred to the current funding model as a three-legged stool comprised of direct state support, tuition and fees, and local property taxes. State support has decreased over the years, leaving colleges increasingly reliant on tuition, the most volatile source of funding. Isabella County provides MMC with its single-largest portion of students, followed by Clare County, which is followed by Gratiot County. Originally, MMC took both questions before all the districts as the Gratiot-Isabella RESD last year. Annexation succeeded, but voters rejected the millage. This year, the college took the same two questions before voters in the individual school districts. Chippewa Hills asked to be included because a large portion of that district's students attend MMC, too. Last month, voters across Isabella County were generally supportive of the annexation question, but rejected the millage. Voters in Gratiot County defeated both. READ MORE: +3 Ten Gratiot County students receive ACE scholarships The Alma College Community Engagement (ACE) Scholarship Program rewards students for their active volunteer service and involvement in their schools and local communities. Orion Township man dead after being struck by vehicle A 51-year-old old Orion Township man is dead after a crash late Saturday, May 30. +2 Alma VFW remembers veterans on Memorial Day Partly sunny skies and mild temperatures drew nearly 100 visitors Monday to the veteran's section of Alma's Riverside Cemetery for the annual IL Legislature's $42B Budget Heads to Pritzker By The Associated Press SPRINGFIELD - The Illinois Legislature worked past its midnight deadline to approve a $42 billion state budget early Tuesday.The budget was based on tax revenue sources that rebounded much faster from the global pandemic than expected and including $2.5 billion in spending from a multiyear federal relief package.The plan assembled on the final scheduled day of the Legislatures spring session incorporated just a portion of the $8 billion Illinois expects in COVID-19 relief money that Congress approved last winter but that pot includes $1.5 billion in additional construction projects.House Majority Leader Greg Harris pronounced a balanced budget that reinstates $350 million extra for public schools that was promised annually in a 2017 school-funding overhaul. Take a few minutes to catch up on some of your local news: Sterling Heights, MI (48312) Today Isolated thunderstorms this evening, then skies turning partly cloudy after midnight. Low around 65F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Isolated thunderstorms this evening, then skies turning partly cloudy after midnight. Low around 65F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%. That release could not be found. Man Who Received Controversial Pardon Rearrested By The Associated Press LONDON, KY - A Kentucky man who was convicted of homicide and then received a controversial pardon from then-Gov. Matt Bevin has been rearrested.The Courier-Journal reports the sister of the man Patrick Baker was convicted of killing told the paper a federal agent had alerted her to the arrest.A spokesman with the Federal Bureau of Investigation didn't immediately respond to an email Monday asking for more information on the charges.Bevin issued hundreds of pardons between his electoral defeat in November 2019 and his final day in office a month later.Bakers pardon was controversial because his relatives had held a fundraiser for the Republican governor in 2018. Listen to article A coalition of militant groups from the nine states of the Niger Delta led by the Supreme Egbesu Freedom Fighters (SEFF) has backed a former Niger Delta warlord, Government Ekpemupolo popularly known Tompolo, on his threat to shut down all major flow stations, oil wells and pipelines owned by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). The group also vowed to cripple oil installations in the region if the Federal Government fails to inaugurate the substantive board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) after seven days, a similar ultimatum issued by Tompolo. The militants are asking President Muhammadu Buhari to call Akpabio and his cronies to order and immediately inaugurate the board to avert the looming huge blow on crude oil production. While supporting the ongoing protest of the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) Worldwide, the militants said after the ultimatum, they would shut down the Escravos-Warri to Kaduna NNPC major delivery crude lines, the Escravos Lagos Atlas Cove and the Trans-Escravos Warri-Kaduna gas line supplying electricity to Abuja. They also threatened to disrupt the operations of the Trans-Forcados 48-inch terminal underwater Shell/NNPC crude pipeline and the Chevron RMP24 Clough Creek if Akpabio refuses to allow the Federal Government inaugurate the NDDC board. The coalition in a statement issued on Monday through an electronic mail at the end of an emergency meeting convened by the SEFFs Commanding Officer, General Agadagba Obus popularly called Thunder, said the Trans-Nembe Bonny Creek Crude Pipeline would not be excluded from the coordinated operation. The militants in the statement said: And if Akpabio refuses to yield to this noble piece of advice and still go against the common interest of the Niger Delta people and decide to continue to hold the entire Niger Delta region to ransom and refuse to let go his grip, the economic consequences of our planned action should be on him. The Presidency and the Federal Government should hold Akpabio, the minister of Niger Delta Affairs and the Sole Administrator of the NDDC, Effiong Akwa responsible. The Supreme Egbesu Freedom Fighters and the other agitating militant groups should not be held responsible for whatever befalls the region. We want to make it clear that with the way things are going, President Buhari, who was elected to provide good governance for the welfare and betterment of the Niger Delta people and Nigerians at large, has refused to listen to cries of the Niger Delta people. The militants said they would not fold their arms and allow Akpabio and his cohorts to rubbish the collective will and aspirations of the Niger Delta people. They said Akpabios strangulation of the NDDC was frustrating the tireless peace efforts of some political leaders like the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-agege. The militants noted that Akpabios grip on the NDDC under the guise of conducting a forensic audit was a ploy to shortchange other states in the Niger Delta region. They said despite not being part of the ongoing secession agitation in the Southeast, the federal government still turned deaf ears to their agitation for the inauguration of the NDDC board. They said: It is high time Mr. President and the APC-led federal government listened to the outcry of the large population of the Niger Delta region and urgently inaugurate the NDDC board for the interest of peace before it is too late. Maybe the Presidency does not like the way the Niger Delta region is calm despite ongoing disturbances in the country. The federal government should know that the Niger Delta region is the mainstay of the economy of this country. Now we are asking them peacefully to inaugurate the board of the NDDC but they are listening to one man, when we start bringing down all oil installations after seven days, we wont listen to anybody. Nobody will calm us down, not even the amnesty boss. Listen to article Upset Hindus are urging Ski (Norway) based Holmentoppen Bryggerhus to apologize and withdraw beer label displaying reimagined image of Lord Ganesh, calling it highly inappropriate. Distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that inappropriate usage of sacred Hindu deities or concepts or symbols or icons for commercial or other agenda was not okay as it hurt the devotees. Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, indicated that Lord Ganesh was highly revered in Hinduism and he was meant to be worshipped in temples or home shrines and not to be used as beer label in a reimagined version. Moreover, linking a deity with an alcoholic beverage was very disrespectful, Zed added. Brewing companies should not be in the business of religious appropriation, sacrilege, and ridiculing entire communities. It was deeply trivializing of immensely venerated Hindu deity Lord Ganesh to be portrayed in this manner on a beer label, Rajan Zed emphasized. Zed further said that Hinduism was the oldest and third largest religion of the world with about 1.2 billion adherents and a rich philosophical thought and it should not be taken frivolously. Symbols of any faith, larger or smaller, should not be mishandled. Hindus were for free artistic expression and speech as much as anybody else if not more. But faith was something sacred and attempts at trivializing it hurt the followers, Rajan Zed stated. In Hinduism, Lord Ganesh is worshipped as God of wisdom and remover of obstacles and is invoked before the beginning of any major undertaking. Awards-winning Holmentoppen Bryggerhus, launched in 2013, sells beer sets; which include malt, hops and a description of the process. One can choose to add yeast and labels (claimed to fit all current bottles and cans) to the set or whether one wants the firm to crush the malt. Other beer sets sold by the firm include Triple Demons, Helles Angels, etc. Listen to article President Muhammadu Buhari has charged the nations security and intelligence agencies to expedite efforts towards the recovery of the 200 children kidnapped from an Islamic school in Niger State. The bandits attacked Islamiyya School at Tegina in Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State at the weekend and kidnapped about 200 students, killing one person and critically injuring another during the operation. A statement by Garba Shehu, the Presidents mouthpiece, said that his principal received briefing on the latest incident of school kidnapping and condemned it. Garba Shehu said that Buhari urged all the agencies involved in the rescue operation to do their utmost in securing their immediate release. He [Buhari]also directed the concerned government agencies to extend possible support to the families of the kidnapped children, Shehu said. Listen to article The last week of May holds several dates of significance - the one-year anniversary of the police murder of African American George Floyd, the Childrens Day and the 6th anniversary of Major-General Buharis current tenure in office. In a curious manner, these trifectas are all somewhat interrelated. Nigeria marked Childrens Day on 27 May. However, in Nigeria children have nothing to celebrate. Rather than being treated as leaders of tomorrow, they are being relegated to the lowly status of leaders of no tomorrow -- with a barren future in a hopeless nation. As children in the 80s, we were deceived that we were the leaders of tomorrow. Buhari was Head of State then; just as he is today. The question is: Who stole our tomorrow? We now have children and grandchildren of our own so who is fooling who? Perhaps nothing illustrates the stolen future than the fact that the First Lady who was a child when Buhari was first Head of State in the 80s has abandoned Nigeria for refuge abroad not even able to fulfill her designated servile kitchen and oza room duties in peace. Or need we mention Yusuf the presidential scion who is idling riding power bikes at an age when his dad was already rising in power in the military? Last week in Nigeria rather than celebrating Childrens Day with march pasts, we saw videos of children fleeingthe weeklong rampage of killer Fulani herdsmen in Plateau state that left many dead. Schools and orphanages in which we have placed over half a dozen victims of Fulani and Boko Haram Terrorism this year were shut down as government did nothing to guarantee their safety. Sadly, even Nigerian child refugees in Cameroun who returned home to Nigeria are among this displaced again by the Fulani attacks! As Nigerias children have nothing to celebrate on May 27, Major-General Buhari has nothing to celebrate on May 29 but abject failure, insecurity, poverty, insensitivity and misgovernance. He has managed to outdo his first stint in power by being far worse than his 1984 advent. Here are just a few examples of how Buhari has done worse now than as military dictator: He has detained journalists more and longer than inthe 80s More protesters have died under him today than did in the 80s The Naira has fared worse than in it did in the 80s He has been far more nepotistic than he was in the80s He has debased and desecrated the judiciary more than in the 80s. But apart from the constitutional travesties above, there are even more systemic and economic atrocities inflicted on the nation. The southeast can no longer use Port Harcourt to import their goods though theyre the biggest entrepreneurs in Nigeria; but the North that imports and distributes beggars and terrorism is getting a $2 Billion railway to Niger at our childrens expense. Incidentally, Buhari cancelled the Lagos Metro Line project that would have eased up Lagos traffic congestion over 30 years ago and considerably improved the quality of life and cost of living. Boko Haram used to hire mercenaries from Niger to come into Nigeria to kill and go back. Arms proliferation from Qaddafis armouries permeated Nigeria through the Niger border (the Killer foreign Fulanis as well). The deadliest border front in Nigeria is Niger. Instead of securing it with a wall, were rendering it even more porous with a train. One would not be blamed for thinking that Nigerias misrulers are developing Niger to escape to if Nigeria implodes as an additional 30 billion in road contracts to Niger is reported while the 2nd Niger bridge in the southeast remains undone. Buhari exacerbated local factors that have strangulated commerce. The rise of the Bakassi Boys led many traders from the west African subregion to stop coming to southeast markets. Similarly, those from the Sahel area bordering the northeast also stopped coming to buy in Nigeria because of the terrorism. So also, southwestern traders who used to go to northeast to buy goods stopped. So subregional and internal trade was affected. Then Buhari shut the borders and trade across Seme border was again negatively impacted. So, the bad economic situation orchestrated by crime in southeast and terrorism in northeast was exacerbated by misgovernance in southwest! With the unmitigated slaughter of farmers in the MiddleBelt, why wont cost of food go up and why wont Nigeria import food??? The Ibos in the southeast are the entrepreneurial engine of the Nigerian economy and their apprenticeship scheme has produced more millionaires than any Nigerian university. During my youth service year, I was legal adviser to Aba local government and was so impressed that, years later, I brought a US Govt team to research Ariaria market. As at 20 years ago, they determined that Ariaria market was exporting goods worth N18 billion per annum to the West African subregion. The road from Aba to Port Harcourt normally takes just an hour when you drive. Yet, to this day, entrepreneurs from the East have to go to Lagos to clear most of their imported goods. Four years ago, I came to Nigeria to follow up on a humanitarian shipment we sent from US. I had to take a ferry from CMS to Apapa like I used to do during law school 30 years ago but this time around I had to ride Okada to get to tin can port. Why? My guides told me if I didnt do so, I would miss my night flight back to US. We saw trucks upon on trucks all along the road - most there for days. When Minister for Transport/Works Babatunde Fashola gave a speech in the US, I asked him how in this day and age, the most valuable road in Nigeria remains impassable? The value of cargo that traverses Apapa road makes it the highest economic value road even beyond Onne road, as it is finished products as opposed to crudethat go and that road! Fashola replied by saying that the British colonialists had envisioned a railway from the port but it was sabotaged. And to cut a long story short, no good explanation has been given. Now heres the real issue - every delayed cargo incurs costs. The importers transfer these costs to the end user so the total landed cost in the supermarket includes the trailer languishing on Apapa road. No wonder the cost of moving goods from the port in Nigeria is higher than the cost of shipping a container from China to Nigeria! However, Buhari borrowed $2 billion for a railroad to Niger Republic for the benefit of Niger, not Nigeria. Meanwhile, Niger itself is not the one borrowing the money and will have no obligation to repay the loan tomorrow. It is extraordinary bordering on the treasonable that our government incur huge loans at commercial rates to build a railway leading to someone elses country and our childrens children will be paying for it! Rice is being smuggled in broad daylight on bikes from the landlocked nation of Niger into a coastal nation for cheaper. Benin Republic is coastal and smuggles rice and cars into Nigeria cheaper than through Nigerian ports. Recently the cost of shipping a container from US to Nigeria escalated from $4000 to $13,000 because containers to Nigeria come back empty or not at all! After spending over $16,000 to clear my food aid container which spent months at the port, the cost of returning it to Lagos from the north was so much that it exceeded the cost of our security deposit for the container! For the first time in over 25 years, were suspending further humanitarian shipments to Nigeria. Yet, as nations are building border walls Nigeria is building cross-border rail. While the borders were purportedly closed, kidnappers brought an American hostage from Niger to Nigeria. US Navy Seals had to rescue him from Nigeria. Nigeria now unofficially has a transnational crime corridor with our neigbhouring countries up north. But more importantly, rather than import underage voters from Niger by trailer, they can now be brought in en mass by train. This is the grand strategy to consolidate the hold of power by one region over and above all others by demographic gerrymandering and electorate re-engineering. Rather than use campaign funds to truck in non-citizen voters like before he has shrewdly utilized loans to fund his hegemonic designs. In the mean time, Nigeria has become the global Mecca of school mass abductions and Terrorists have graduated from kidnapping secondary students to tertiary undergraduates. The conclusion of the matter is that our children are the leaders of no tomorrow and Buhari is the non-leader of today. All he has managed to do is to be the knee on the neck, choking the life out of Nigeria, for six years and counting. And Nigeria is the prostrate George Floyd for two more years. Buhari is undisputed and unrivalled as the destroyer of democracy in Nigeria first from without and secondly from within in 1983 and 2015 respectively. In his current destructive streak, he simultaneously warred against the heads of the other democratic arms of government and installed his minions essentially rendering him a sole administrator or de facto dictator in chief of Nigeria. In sum, heres where Buhari ranks in the pantheon of Nigerias three worst rulers of all time: 3rd worst - Buhari (military dictator in the 80s); 2nd rorst - Buhari (1st term 2015) 1st Worst - Buhari (2nd term 2019). I am certain that the Buhari of 1983 would have done everything in his own powers to try to overthrow the Buhari of 2015 & 2019 for the same reasons as he did President Shehu Shagari and more so, would have banned himself from ever holding public office again. (Emmanuel Ogebe is a Washington-based international human rights lawyer & Managing Partner of the US Nigeria Law Group; E-Mail: [email protected] ) featured METRO DETROIT Birmingham area women award more than $250K to local nonprofits Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter led the raising of a rainbow flag outside the executive office building in Waterford Township Tuesday morning to mark the beginning of national Pride Month. Coulter, who is the first openly gay county executive, joined with other community leaders during the brief ceremony as Pride Month celebrations kick-off across the country. A rainbow flag was also raised outside the county courthouse. The flag is a symbol of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) pride and LGBTQ social movements while the colors reflect the diversity of the LGBTQ community, as the flag is often used as a symbol of gay pride during LGBTQ rights marches. - Advertisement - The purpose of the commemorative month is to recognize the impact that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals have had on history locally, nationally, and internationally. "For the first time, Oakland County is marking Pride Month by flying the Pride Flag, a signal that all are welcome here," said Coulter. Oakland County Pride Flag June 2021 Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter joining with community leaders to raise a rainbow flag over the executive office building in Waterford T During his first days on the job in August 2019, Coulter made it clear that he wanted to create a more inclusive, diverse, and collaborative Oakland County, one where everyone felt welcome to live and work. He also aimed to increase diversity among the county workforce, and externally within the greater community. Oakland County signs off on more inclusive non-discrimination policy Oakland County has taken one big step toward becoming a more inclusive community. That effort included the hiring of Robin Carter-Cooper in the spring of 2020 as the county's first chief diversity, equity, and inclusion officer. Her role includes fostering an environment of diversity, equity and inclusion that promotes open communication and collaboration across Oakland County communities, businesses and other organizations. In November 2019, Coulter signed a resolution, approved by the board of commissioners, to amend the county's non-discrimination policy to include protections for gender identity and expression, veteran status, familial status, and marital status. He signed it at Affirmations, a Ferndale-based LGBTQ advocacy and support organization. The new policy took effect in February 2020. Pride Month is celebrated each year in the month of June to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising, when New York City Police raided a gay club in Manhattan that would go on to serve as a catalyst for the modern LGBTQ+ Civil Rights Movement. In the United States, the last Sunday in June was initially celebrated as "Gay Pride Day," but the actual day was flexible. In major cities across the nation, the "day" soon grew to encompass a month-long series of events. The first Pride march in New York City was held on June 28, 1970, on the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising. By all estimates, there were three to five thousand marchers at the inaugural Pride in New York City, and today marchers in New York City number in the millions. Coulter says Oakland County open to refugees in letter to federal government Oakland County Executive David Coulter says Michigan's second largest county will continue to allow for the resettlement of refugees. Also on Tuesday, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a proclamation marking June as Pride Month in Michigan to recognize the accomplishments of LGBTQ+ Michiganders. Michigan is home to an estimated 373,000 residents who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer. LGBTQ+ Michiganders are an essential part of who we are, and they make our state a better place to live and work, she said. Governor Whitmer. I encourage all Michiganders to recognize and celebrate the contributions of the LGBTQ+ community this Pride Month. In 2019, Whitmer called on the Legislature in her first State of the State Address to pass legislation to expand the states Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to include protections from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identification. That same year, she became the first Michigan governor to fly the Pride Flag on a State of Michigan building. Michigan renames building to honor civil rights leaders LANSING>> A state building previously named after a slave owner now bears the name of two former state legislators who led efforts to re +2 Gov. Whitmer signs directive prohibiting discrimination on basis of sexual orientation, gender identity Gov. Gretchen Whitmer spoke in Ferndale Monday morning and with the stroke of a pen sent a clear message that exclusion in the workplace will 17 psychological groups advocate for LGBTQ students at religious schools Seventeen professional psychological societies have signed a statement asking the U.S. Department of Education to protect LGBTQ students at re LGBTQ Health View: Bidens actions will improve LGBTQ health quality When all people of every race, culture, faith or sexual identity are encouraged to participate fully and have equal access to basics like food A heavy crane that will be used to help dig up the remains of former Confederate Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest sits at a park on Tuesday, June 1, 2021, in Memphis, Tenn. The bodies of Forrest and his wife are being moved from the Memphis park, where they have been buried for decades, to a museum in Middle Tennessee. (AP Photo/Adrian Sainz) PHOTO:AP Photo/Adrian Sainz Crews Begin Removing Forrest Remains from TN Park By The Associated Press MEMPHIS - Workers arrived at a Tennessee park Tuesday to begin the process of digging up the remains of Confederate Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest, and moving the former slave traders body from its longtime resting place in Memphis to a museum hundreds of miles away. Crews prepared to remove the graves of Forrest and his wife from Health Sciences Park in Memphis busy medical district. The park used to bear the name of the early Ku Klux Klan leader, and feature a statue of the cavalryman on a horse, but the name has been changed and the statue removed in recent years. Workers must dismantle the statues pedestal before they can disinter the Forrests' remains and move them to a Confederate museum in Middle Tennessee. A heavy crane was positioned near the pedestal as workers prepared the site Tuesday morning. The entire process is expected to take weeks. With the approval of Forrests relatives, the Sons of Confederate Veterans is overseeing the move. A judge approved it late last year, ending a long legal battle. It is another example of how cities and activists have taken steps in recent years to get rid of statues and monuments of historical figures who supported the Souths secession and led the fight against the North, from Gen. Robert E. Lee to Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederacy. Forrest sold slaves in Memphis and served in the Confederate army as a cavalry general. In April 1864, Forrests troops attacked Fort Pillow in northwest Tennessee and killed 200 to 300 Union soldiers, most of them Black. Forrest was later accused of massacring the Union soldiers. Questions linger as to whether they were killed as they tried to surrender. Northern newspaper reports referred to the battle as an atrocity. Historians say he later became an early leader of the Ku Klux Klan, though some of Forrests supporters dispute that. Forrests critics call him a violent racist. The remains of Forrest and his wife were moved from a Memphis cemetery and buried under the statue of the former Memphis city council member in 1904. The city took down the statue in December 2017 after selling the public park to a nonprofit group, thus circumventing a state law barring the removal of historic monuments from public areas. A judge in Nashville ruled that the city and Memphis Greenspace, the non-profit that made the park privately operated, removed the statue legally. The remains will be reburied and the statue placed at the National Confederate Museum at Elm Springs in Columbia, according to an affidavit from Bedford Forrest Myers, a great-great-grandson. Owned by the Sons of the Confederate Veterans, the museum opened to the public in October. It is located about 200 miles (320 kilometers) from Memphis. The park where Forrest was buried has been the site of protests associated with the Black Lives Matter movement. Activists have long called for the removal of both the statue and the remains. The words Black Lives Matter have been painted in yellow by activists on a walkway surrounding the tomb. Relocating the graves is proper because the Property has lost its character as a burial ground, Myers wrote in a legal filing. The tree-lined park is next to the University of Tennessees medical school and a community college on Union Avenue, a busy street leading in and out of downtown Memphis. An Oakland County man has been charged criminally after the weekend death of a young Sterling Heights boy, who had fallen off of a tractor. Australian man found dead in Patong PHUKET: An Australian man was found dead from apparent suicide at his rented room on Nanai Rd in Patong today (June 1). patongdeathsuicidecrime By Eakkapop Thongtub Tuesday 1 June 2021, 07:21PM The revolver found at the scene. Photo: Patong Police Patong Police were called to the residence just after 6pm. Officers arrived to find the man, a 62-year-old from the Australian state of Victoria, slumped over in a chair. A revolver was on the floor nearby Patong Police noted in their report that a letter was found beside the mans passport on a table nearby. The letter detailed constant harassment by another foreigner on the island, and inaction by authorities to act on a formal complaint he had filed with the Patong Police. The letter identified the man, and claimed that the man had sold him the gun. The time of death was estimated to be 4pm. Police are continuing their investigation, noted the report. The room where the man was found is to be examined thoroughly and officers are waiting on the results of a post-mortem examination by doctors at Patong Hospital, the report concluded. CAAT updates requirements for domestic flight passengers to Phuket PHUKET: The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) has updated its requirements for people boarding domestic flights to Phuket so that passengers can now present test results proving the passenger is not infected with COVID-19 issued up to seven days before the passenger boards the plane. COVID-19Coronavirushealthtourismtransport By The Phuket News Tuesday 1 June 2021, 05:03PM Image: CAAT The revised order was issued by CAAT late yesterday (May 31). The order came into effect today (June 1). As with the previous order, the CAAT maintained that flight passengers travelling to Phuket must be fully vaccinated or have tested negative for COVID-19 in order to board a flight to Phuket. However, test results may now be issued up to seven days before the passenger travels, instead of 72 hours. The CAATs latest order also recognises that passengers previously discharged from medical care for COVID-19 must have been discharged at least 90 days before travelling, and not exhibited any signs of infection since, or they will not be allowed to board the plane. Passengers must be fully vaccinated with the number of doses required by each vaccine, or one doses of AstraZeneca, or those who are infected and already receive treatment within 90 days, or those who are tested RT-PCR or rapid antigen test within 7 days prior to the journey and had a negative test result, the order said. Airline passengers will be refused travel to Phuket if their vaccination is incomplete or they do not have a test document for COVID-19, the order warned. The vaccination and test requirements do not apply to young children. Passengers who are unable to present documents to prove will be denied travel by the airline, except children who are younger than five years old, the CAAT order said. Of note, with flight passengers being refused boarding if they fail to meet the requirements, flight arrivals do not have the option of serving a 14-day quarantine period, at home or at a hotel, after arriving in the province. The option to quarantine in Phuket is available to people who arrive in Phuket by road or boat. Meanwhile, all flight passengers travelling to Phuket, like any other domestic arrivals, must install the Mor Chana app and enable location sharing for the entire duration of their stay on the island. All flight passengers must also register their travel details through the www.gophuget.com website, the order maintained. Travellers were advised to self-monitor for signs of infection, to follow all disease control measures in the province and to avoid travelling to locations where people gather in crowds. The CCAT kindly advises all passengers to check the notices of the destination province before travelling in order to follow the measures appropriately, the order concluded. Direct flights to Phuket to start July 1 PHUKET: THAI Airways, Emirates, Singapore Airlines, British Airways and Qatar Airways will fly to Phuket at least once a week from July 1, according to information shared with major tour operators by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). COVID-19Coronavirustourismeconomics By The Phuket News Tuesday 1 June 2021, 11:48AM Although Phuket airport has yet to confirm the news, Swiss travel agency Thailand Reisen Reber has confirmed that THAI Airways flight TG973 will depart Zurich at 1:30pm on Saturdays and land in Phuket at 5:55am on Sundays. The flight will be provided by a Boeing 787-800 Dreamliner with 256 seats; 22 in Royal Silk Class and 234 in Economy Class. Prices for the flight start from CHF 790.00 (about B27,426) per person. The confirmation of the direct flights from Zurich follows THAI Airways announcing the airline will offer from July 1 direct flights to Phuket from Paris, Frankfurt, London and Copenhagen. Under the Phuket Direct Flight Plan shared with major tour operators THAI Airways from July 1 will also operate direct flights to Phuket from Seoul, Singapore and New Delhi (or Tokyo). Meanwhile, Emirates airline will operate daily direct flights to Phuket from Dubai and Israel national carrier El Al will operate one direct flight a week from Tel Aviv to Phuket. Qatar Airways from July 1 will operate one flight a week from Stockholm, Oslo, Paris, Warsaw and Vienna via Doha to Phuket. Also under the plan, British Airways in conjunction with Qatar Airways from July 1 will fly three flights a day London-Doha-Phuket. Singapore Airlines is already operating regular flights to Phuket several times a week. The information shared with major tour operators explained the conditions for international tourists being allowed to arrive in Phuket without being required to serve any period of quarantine exactly as explained by TAT Governor Yuthasak Supasorn in an official letter issued last Thursday (May 27). Not explained in the TATs latest announcements is that vaccinated international tourists will need to be issued a Certificate of Entry from a Thai embassy, as announced by the TAT itself late last month in launching its Entry Thailand app to facilitate tourists coming into the country. Also not clarified is whether vaccinated international tourists arriving in Phuket will be required to have health insurance valued at US$100,000. Arrivals must be fully vaccinated and must be able to show RT-PCR test results issued within 72 hours before boarding the flight proving the passenger has tested negative for COVID-19. Children under 12 years old travelling with vaccinated parents do not need vaccination or PCR test for entry, while children between 13 and 18 years old travelling with vaccinated parents only need a PCR test for entry. Currently travellers vaccinated with the Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca, Sinovac or Covishield vaccines will be allowed entry. Other vaccines will be added to the list, the TAT said. The countries that international tourists will be allowed to arrive from must also be medium- to low risk countries, the TAT added. International tourist arrivals must spend seven nights in Phuket before being allowed to leave the island. During that time the tourists will be allowed to move freely about Phuket. Arrivals will be required to undergo a RT-PCR test on their fifth day of stay, at the expense of the traveller. If they test negative, they will be allowed to leave the island on day trips to Phi Phi Island, Koh Yao Island and other locations on Phang Nga Bay. All international arrivals must be booked to stay at accommodation venues approved by the TATs Amazing Thailand Safety & Health Administration (SHA), and all tours and tourism business services used by tourists must also be SHA approved, the TAT noted. All arrivals must install the Thailand Plus app on their phone and enable location sharing for the whole duration of their stay. Siripakorn Cheawsamoot, TAT Deputy Governor for Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the Americas, said tourism demand during the initial stage of the Phuket Sandbox reopening is expected to be soft because of tight travel restrictions in both Thailand and some tourist origin countries. Regardless, the plan remains to reopen Khao Lak and Krabi from August 1, the TAT told tour operators, ahead of opening the rest of the country from October 1. Government frets over local jabs rush, PM says no vaccine shortage THAILAND: Fearing a disorganised vaccine rollout by individual local administrative organisations (LAOs), the Interior Ministry has referred the issue to the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), which some fear could prove a stumbling block in itself. CoronavirusCOVID-19Vaccine By Bangkok Post Tuesday 1 June 2021, 09:00AM Photo: Bangkok Post. Many LAOs are rushing to place orders for the alternative Sinopharm vaccine supply being bought by the Chulabhorn Royal Academy (CRA) from China, however, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday (May 31) voiced concern over whether they can afford it or are even legally entitled to spend their budgets on the purchase. However, the premier insisted he had no objection to the LAOs buying the vaccine assuming any restrictions that bar them from appropriating funds to do so can be lifted. If they can undo this [restriction], by all means go ahead and do it, he said, adding relevant laws may need to be studied first. I dont want the issue to become politicised, Gen Prayut said. Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam, who is also the governments legal expert, insisted the LAOs must ask the Interior Ministry to work to remove the restriction. Otherwise, the LAOs will be in trouble with the State Audit Office for wrongful utilisation of state funds, he said. However, Interior Minister Anupong Paojinda said entrusting the more than 7,000 individual LAOs nationwide to conduct the vaccine purchases on their own could be potentially chaotic. Also, there are both richer and less well-off LAOs, a discrepancy which affects their ability to afford the purchase, said Gen Anupong. The CCSA should decide whether to let LAOs acquire the vaccine themselves or whether the state should procure it for them. Mr Wissanu explained yesterday the LAOs are in no position to buy the vaccine directly from manufacturers because the companies will not sell to them. However, the organisations can order from appointed representative agents of the respective vaccine producers. In the case of Sinopharm, the LAOs must contact the CRA. But the problem rests with how the organisation can get their hands on the money to buy the vaccine, he said. Somsak Kittithornkul, president of the LAOs of Thailand, said the government should spell out clearly whether or not the LAOs are authorised to purchase the vaccine as well as consider supporting the purchases after many fell short of their tax revenue targets caused by the economic slowdown and exacerbated by the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. No vaccine shortage: Prayut Meanwhile, Gen Prayut gave assurances yesterday that vaccine deliveries would arrive on time and Thailand would not experience any shortages. The pledge was made during an address to the House of Representatives as it kicked off its debate on the budget bill for the 2022 fiscal year ahead of the mass vaccination programme due to start on June 7. The government continues to procure COVID-19 vaccines and has primary, secondary and emergency plans. I expect the delivery of the supplies to be made on schedule. The government has procured vaccines from Sinovac and AstraZeneca while an alternative vaccine [from Sinopharm] is being procured by Chulabhorn Royal Academy (CRA), he said. He defence came after the Mor Prom (Doctors Ready) mobile appointment app was temporarily suspended. Gen Prayut also said the government would speed up allocation of vaccine especially to areas with large clusters of infections. Permanent secretary for public health Kiattiphum Wongrajit said yesterday the vaccine rollout will take place from June 7 as scheduled with AstraZeneca insisting the vaccine will be delivered as planned. Dr Kiattiphum said that about 70% of the population will get their first shots by the end of September in line with the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administrations (CCSA) plan. Supakit Sirilak, director-general of the Department of Medical Sciences, said yesterday 19 samples of AstraZenecas vaccine including five produced locally by Siam Bioscience had passed quality tests. Meanwhile, the CCSA yesterday reported 5,485 new cases with 3,532 among the general population and 1,953 in prisons. CCSA assistant spokeswoman Apisamai Srirangson said two new clusters had been found in Bangkok, one at a construction worker camp in Bang Na and the other in a community in Sathon. Meanwhile, Udon Thani health authorities yesterday reported that four of the most recent cases diagnosed were found to be of the variant first detected in India. Uthen Hakaew, deputy chief of the provincial public health office, said the three women and one man were being treated at four separate hospitals. Phuket foreigners to get leftover Sinovac PHUKET: Foreigners staying in Phuket will be able to register for a state-provided COVID-19 vaccination from tomorrow (June 2), with vaccinations of leftover Sinovac vaccine doses to be rolled out on Thursday and Friday (June 3-4), it was announced today. COVID-19CoronavirushealthVaccine By Chutharat Plerin Tuesday 1 June 2021, 06:09PM Dr Chalermpong (left) with Mr Pracha at the meeting at Provincial Hall today (June 1). Photo: Chutharat Plerin The news was delivered by Pracha Asawathira, an academic with the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (M-DES), who joined Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew for his Governor meets the Media press conference at Provincial Hall this morning (June 1). Mr Pracha in his position with M-DES is involved in the operation of the Phuket Must Win web portal [www..com] for registering in Phuket to receive a state-provided vaccination. The registration for foreigners staying in Phuket will open at 9am tomorrow, and about 30,000 foreigners registered in Phuket will be provided Sinovac vaccine injections on June 3 and 4, Mr Pracha said. At this stage, 279,943 people have received their first injection while 98,795 have been fully vaccinated with two injections, Mr Pracha continued. If we compare the numbers with our goal to vaccinate 466,587 people in Phuket, about 59.99% have received their first injection and 21.17% have been fully vaccinated, he said. We also have about 17% of the total number of people registered to receive a vaccination who are still waiting to receive their first injection, he added. Mr Pracha said he expected the number of registrations to grow, If we receive the doses of vaccine and can manage them as we have planned, we will have about 80% of people vaccinated on the island [by July 1], he said. Dr Chalermpong Sukontapol, Director of Vachira Phuket Hospital, explained that following the latest round of vaccinations, from May 18-31, a total of 177,978 vaccination injections had been administered. We have 29,690 doses of Sinovac remaining from April, and we will provide those doses of vaccine to registered foreigners on June 3 and 4, he said. Right now, there are 22,613 migrant workers [believed to be from neighbouring countries] and 5,758 foreigners [usually meaning Westerners] who have been registered, giving a total of 28,317 [foreigners] in total. To open and welcome vaccinated foreign tourists [from July 1], we Phuket registered-people, people from other provinces, migrant workers and foreigners need to step forward together, Dr Chalermpong said. If a new cluster [of infections] occurs in Phuket, we will have problems and be unable to open on July 1. It is so important to provide vaccinations to every group of people and all areas in Phuket, he said. Meanwhile, Phuket Immigration Commander Col Thanet Sukchai explained that his officers have so far charged 3,491 foreigners for failure to comply with provincial orders to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Phuket. In May, we had to negotiate with four foreigners who refused to be tested and receive COVID-19 treatment until they agreed to be tested and go through the treatment, he said. Phuket Governor Narong noted that his office had coordinated with consuls, honorary consuls and embassy representatives from 25 countries to provide information and public relations to foreign tourists residing in Phuket to comply with the COVID-prevention regulations to jointly prevent and control the spread of COVID-19. Phuket Town Mayor confirmed to take office PHUKET: Saroj Angkanapilas has been confirmed as the new Mayor of Phuket Town following formal confirmation of the Mar 28 municipality election results by the Election Commission of Thailand. politics By The Phuket News Tuesday 1 June 2021, 02:33PM Saroj Angkanapilas has been confirmed as the new Mayor of Phuket Town. Photo: Phuket City Municipality The Phuket office of the Election Commission of Thailand (PEC) posted formal notices confirming Mr Sarojs election, and that of Chaianan Sutthikul as Mayor of Kathu and Panaya Sampharat as Mayor of Pa Khlok, last Friday morning (May 28). The PEC also confirmed the election of six councillors to Phuket Town Municipality and four councillors to take seats at Patong Municipality. The notices confirmed only the names of the winning candidates, not the final tally of confirmed votes for each position. In accepting his election victory, Mr Saroj, a former Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation (PPAO, or OrBorJor) councillor, posted on his own Facebook page, Thank you for all 12,221 votes for us to make everything better. Thank you for all [your] support and encouragement from our people (sic) in Phuket Town. We will work on all the policies that we announced while campaigning. We invite everyone to make things better with us. To solve problems and develop our city together. Thank you everyone, Mr Saroj said. The Phuket office of the Election Commission of Thailand (PEC) announced the election of mayors and councillors at the other eight municipalities in Phuket on Apr 28. Virus variants to dictate Phuket stays BANGKOK: The type of virus variants present in each country will serve as criteria to determine low to medium-risk countries and dictate the minimum required length stay for tourists in Phuket as other Sandbox areas gear up for new reopening dates, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). COVID-19Coronavirushealthtourismeconomics By Bangkok Post Tuesday 1 June 2021, 03:35PM Image: Bangkok Post / Graphics The emergence of the Indian variant which saw Thailand re-impose the 14-day quarantine requirement will affect the minimum length of stay of tourists in Phuket, which formerly set a minimum length of seven nights before visitors are allowed to depart to other domestic destinations, said TAT Governor Yuthasak Supasorn, reports the Bangkok Post. However, there is no minimum stay in Phuket for short-stay tourists who want to visit only the island. The Department of Disease Control will hold a committee meeting to evaluate risk countries by using virus variants as the criteria. This information will also be submitted to the Centre for Economic Situation Administration (CESA) on June 4 along with the reopening plan. Mr Yuthasak said an official announcement of the Phuket Sandbox model in the Royal Gazette will take place around mid-June after receiving approval from the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) and the Cabinet. The Phuket sandbox is expected to generate B11.49 billion in tourism receipts from 129,000 tourists in the first three months from 85,000 travellers in the long-haul market, while short-haul countries, excluding China, will contribute 44,000 tourists. The agency is committed to its target of 3-4 million international arrivals this year, which is possible, Mr Yuthasak said in an online seminar held by the Association of Thai Travel Agents. The Phuket model will drive momentum into the high season in the last quarter and early next year as everyone is desperate to travel. Starting from today (June 1), the TATs website has also launched The Countdown to Reopen Phuket campaign, aiming to bring foreign visitors such as travel agents and bloggers for trips. The first group of tourists from the US, expected to arrive in early June, will see how Phuket has improved its supply-side while television crews from CNN have also made contact. Moreover, other sandbox areas that want to change their reopening timeline will propose their plan to the CESA as well, said Siripakorn Cheawsamoot, TATs Deputy Governor for Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the Americas. China News on Women Sorry, the page you requested was not found. If you're having trouble locating a destination on Womenofchina.cn, try visiting the Womenofchina Home page Roanoke, AL (36274) Today A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 68F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 68F. Winds light and variable. RIDGEFIELD The towns annual fireworks will be happening this year. The fireworks are scheduled for July 5 at Ridgefield Highs Tiger Hollow Field, with a July 6 rain date if necessary. While the yearly Memorial Day Parade and other events were canceled due to pandemic restrictions, First Selectman Rudy Marconi is excited to see this town tradition be restored. This is great news and a well-deserved reward for all the hard work our community has done in getting vaccinated and contributing to the lifting of COVID restrictions," Marconi said in the release. We will still keeping our vigilance, make sure we comply with all state mandates and recommendations and we continue to encourage those who have not yet been vaccinated to do so. Marconi is meeting with the events planning committee this morning to iron out further details. This story will be updated. SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) Illinois lawmakers were piecing together a $41.3 billion state budget Monday, based on tax revenue sources that rebounded much faster from the global pandemic than expected and including $2.5 billion in spending from a multiyear federal relief package. The plan assembled on the final scheduled day of the Legislature's spring session incorporates just a portion of the $8 billion Illinois expects in COVID-19 relief money Congress approved last winter but that pot includes $1 billion in additional construction projects, a fund known only to Democrats until Monday. House Majority Leader Greg Harris pronounced a balanced budget which also reinstates the $350 million extra for public schools that was promised annually in a 2017 school-funding overhaul, but which Gov. J.B. Pritzker initially said would need to be skipped for a second year in a row. Were very lucky our revenues came up," said Harris, a Chicago Democrat. The budget might be an uncharacteristically easy lift, compared with the rest of the Legislature's to-do list, which must be accomplished by midnight, after which adopting legislation requires a three-fifths majority vote. There's a contentious plan to tighten restrictions on gun ownership following the deadly 2019 warehouse shooting in Aurora and a pandemic-interrupted ethics overhaul which appeared in bipartisan form early Monday evening. The Senate proposal would prohibit sitting legislators from lobbying other units of government, a practice exposed in a fall 2019 bribery indictment and create a six-month cooling-off period that would halt the long-derided practice of a lawmaker resigning one day and lobbying ex-colleagues the next. But the creation of a statewide registration system for lobbyists at all government levels exempts Chicago, which has its own program. That raised the question among reporters attending a briefing on the measure about the conflicting systems opening loopholes. Youd be hard pressed to find a wall that somebody doesnt find a way to work around, but this is a good solid step, said Sen. Ann Gillespie, an Arlington Heights Democrat and chairwoman of the Ethics Committee. This is extending a ban on lobbying, far greater than it has been. The budget plan offers a far rosier picture than the pain deep budget cuts Pritzker predicted were inevitable after voters soundly rejected his proposed constitutional amendment in November to allow a graduated income tax system that hit the wealthier harder and would generate $3 billion extra a year. Republicans denounced the ballot initiative as a blank check for free-spending Democrats, who control both houses of the General Assembly as well as the governors office. As revenues continued to outpace predictions, they persisted in their claims that Pritzker had more than enough money. Their reward came in the form of a Pritzker concession to cut fewer of the business and job-producing incentives they negotiated in 2019 with the Democrat, tax breaks the governor touted then but now calls unaffordable loopholes. Democrats crafting the budget were planning to cut three programs to generate $636 million in additional revenue. In February, Pritzker proposed eliminating eight incentive programs to save $1 billion. Pandemic-battered sectors of the state would get $1.5 billion from Illinois' allotment of American Rescue Plan Act. Hundreds of millions of dollars would be reserved for the Department of Human Services for programs to help the homeless, prevent suicide, counsel schoolchildren through the last year's trauma, and provide services for our first responders who have gone through a year of hell and deserve all the support we can give them," Harris said. The ailing tourism and hospitality industries would receive $578 million. Illinois borrowed $5 billion from the federal government to pay unemployment benefits for those the pandemic displaced. ARPA would provide $100 million to pay interest on that loan, but principal retirement would wait. But another huge debt is off the books. The state owed $1.2 billion payable by December 2023 on a $3.2 billion federal loan last summer at the pandemic's nadir. Pritzker and legislative leaders announced 10 days ago that they'd pay that loan off early, saving $100 million in interest. The ARPA cache is also providing $1 billion for additional construction projects heading into the 2022 election season, money that would be spent in addition to the ongoing, $51 billion Rebuild Illinois infrastructure plan approved in 2019. Rep. Tom Demmer of Dixon, the House Republicans budget negotiator, questioned Harris as to how projects are chosen. Harris said its the normal process in which lawmakers and state agencies make requests for work to be done. So we have $1 billion dollars of new capital projects that have been available but it appears that they were ... only eligible for requests from Senate Democratic and House Democratic caucuses? Demmer asked. Harris responded, Certainly, we would be happy to talk. ___ Follow Political Writer John OConnor at https://twitter.com/apoconnor SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) California state lawmakers are grappling with a particularly 21st-century problem: What to do with the growing number of shopping malls and big box retail stores left empty by consumers shifting their purchases to the web. A possible answer in crowded California cities is to build housing on these sites, which already have ample parking and are close to existing neighborhoods. But local zoning laws often don't allow housing at these locations. Changing the zoning is such a hassle that many developers don't bother trying. And it's often not worth it for local governments to change the designations. They would prefer to find new retailers because sales taxes produce more revenue than residential property taxes. However, with a stubborn housing shortage pushing prices to all-time highs, state lawmakers are moving to pass new laws to get around those barriers. A bill that cleared the state Senate last week would let developers build houses on most commercial sites without changing the zoning. Another proposal would pay local governments to change the zoning to let developers build affordable housing. There has always been an incentive to chase retail and a disincentive to build housing, said Sen. Anthony Portantino, a Los Angeles-area Democrat who authored the bill to pay local governments. There is more dormant and vacant retail than ever. If successful, it's believed California would be the first state to allow multi-family housing on commercial sites statewide, said Eric Phillips, vice president of policy and legislation for the California chapter of the American Planning Association. Developers who use the law still would have to obey locally approved design standards. But Phillips said the law would limit local governments' ability to reject the projects. That's why some local leaders oppose the bill, arguing it undermines their authority. City leaders have the requisite local knowledge to discern when and which sites are appropriate for repurposing and which are not, wrote Mike Griffiths, member of the Torrance City Council and founder of California Cities for Local Control, a group of 427 mayors and council members. It's a familiar battle in California. While nearly everyone agrees there is an affordable housing shortage, state and local leaders face different political pressures that often derail ambitious proposals. Last year, a bill that would have overridden local zoning laws to let developers build small apartment buildings in neighborhoods reserved for single-family homes died in the state Senate. Sen. Anna Caballero, a Democrat from Salinas and author of this year's zoning proposal, said her bill is not a mandate. Developers could choose to use the bill or not. The Senate approved the measure 32-2, sending it to the state Assembly for consideration. Its always a challenge when youre trying to do affordable housing, because there are entrenched interests that dont want to negotiate and compromise, and were working really hard to try to break through that, she said. Im trying to give maximum flexibility to local government because the more that you start telling them how they have to do it, the harder it becomes for them to actually do it. Even before the pandemic, big-box retail stores were struggling to adapt as more people began buying things online. In 2019, after purchasing Sears and Kmart, Transformco closed 96 stores across the country including 29 in California. The pandemic, of course, accelerated this trend, prompting major retailers like J.C. Penney, Neiman Marcus and J. Crew to file for bankruptcy protection. An analysis by the investment firm UBS shows online shopping will grow to 25% of all retail sales by 2025. The analysis predicted that up to 100,000 stores across the country could close. Local governments and developers in California are already trying to redevelop some retail sites. In Salinas, a city of about 150,000 people near the Monterey Peninsula, city officials are working to rezone a closed Kmart. In San Francisco, developers recently announced plans to build nearly 3,000 homes in the parking lot that surrounds Stonestown Mall a sprawling, 40-acre site that has lost some anchor retail tenants in recent years. Still, the idea of repurposing shopping centers has divided labor unions and affordable housing advocates, putting one of the Democratic Party's core base of supporters against backers of one of their top policy goals. Housing advocates love the idea, but they dont like how Democrats want to do it. Both proposals in the Legislature would require developers to use a skilled and trained workforce to build the housing. That means a certain percentage of workers must either be enrolled or have completed a state-approved apprenticeship program. Developers have said while there are plenty of trained workers available in areas like San Francisco and Los Angeles, those workers are scarce in more rural parts of the state, potentially delaying projects in those areas. California needs to build about 180,000 new housing units per year to keep up with demand, according to the state's latest housing assessment. But its only managed about 80,000 per year for the past decade. Thats one reason the states median sales price for single-family homes hit a record high $758,990 in March. At a time when were trying to increase production, we dont believe we should be limiting who can do the work, said Ray Pearl, executive director of the California Housing Consortium, a group that includes affordable housing developers. Robbie Hunter, president of the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California, dismissed that argument as just greedy developers trying to maximize their profits. He said there is no construction project in California that has been delayed because of a lack of workers, adding: We man every job. When there is a demand for workers, we rise with the demand, Hunter said. Labor unions appear to be winning. A bill in the state Assembly that did not initially require a skilled and trained workforce stalled in committee because it did not have enough support. ___ The legislation is SB 6 and SB 15. LOS ANGELES (AP) Californians headed to campgrounds, beaches and restaurants over the long holiday weekend as the state prepared to shed some of its coronavirus rules. Southern California beaches were busy with families barbecuing and children playing in the sand and surf. Business owners said they were scrambling to hire workers to keep up with the stream of customers eager to get out since virus cases have fallen and vaccinations have risen. It feels very, very close to normal, Bob Alfera, a resident of seaside Santa Monica, told KCBS-TV. The surge in travel and recreation comes as California prepares to relax social distancing and masking rules in two weeks as long as coronavirus cases remain low. California was the first U.S. state to impose a statewide shutdown when the virus emerged in March 2020 and the nations epicenter for the disease in early 2021. But the state has reported a significant turnaround. In recent weeks, newly reported infections in California have fallen below 1,000 on some days and the states positivity rate has been 1%. The state is now expected to end its tier system for business operations on June 15. Already, about 90% of Californias population is in the lower two of the state's four tiers guiding business activities. Large-scale indoor events will have vaccination or negative test requirements until at least October. The change in pandemic-related rules comes as Californians gear up for summertime fun. At Los Angeles International Airport, travel reached a 2021 record on Friday with more than 78,000 passengers passing through Transportation Security Administration checkpoints, airport officials said. Daily passenger traffic is still about half of what it was two years ago but has been steadily increasing, the Los Angeles Times reported. Its been a long year, and to see people coming back to the airport is a great change of pace, said Heath Montgomery, an airport spokesperson. Just in time for Memorial Day, a local veterans' group that met weekly until the pandemic halted in-person gatherings finally got a long-awaited reunion. Members got together in West Hills for coffee and donuts and to catch up on the year gone by, Ed Reynolds, a veteran with Wings over Wendy's, told KTLA television. It's good to see these faces again, he said, his voice cracking. It's sort of emotional. SAN FRANCISCO (AP) A conservation group is planting more than 30,000 milkweed plants in California in the hope of giving Western monarch butterflies new places to breed. The San Francisco Chronicle reported Monday that the River Partners group has joined with others and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife on the plantings along the Sacramento, Feather and Kern rivers. CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) Nevada lawmakers passed a bill on Monday that aims to make the state the first to weigh in on the 2024 presidential primary contests. The move upends decades of political tradition and is likely to prompt pushback from other early states that want to retain their places in the calendar. The bill that passed in the state's Assembly on Wednesday and the Senate on Monday still must be approved by Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak to become law. It would also need the backing of the national political parties to eventually make the change for the 2024 calendar. The push for Nevada to jump past Iowa's caucuses and New Hampshire's longstanding first-in-the-nation primary follows a behind-the-scenes lobbying campaign led by former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada. Reid and other Nevada Democrats have seized on dissatisfaction in the party about the nominating process that gained steam in 2020. Theyre arguing to replace party-run caucuses with state-run primary elections, which are considered easier to participate in than the in-person neighborhood caucus meetings. Most significantly, they have said that Nevada is a diverse state with a population that mirrors the demographics of the nation and therefore a better choice for testing presidential hopefuls than mostly-white Iowa and New Hampshire. New Hampshire and Iowa are not really reflections of our entire country. Presidential candidates should look at Nevada as the example of what they should be doing and who they should be talking to, said Emily Persaud-Zamora, director of Silver State Voices, a Nevada voting advocacy group. In 2020, the leadoff contest in Iowa unraveled and left the winner unclear. New Hampshire, which was next, ended with a result that was a near tie between two candidates who ultimately lost. The eventual nominee, now-President Joe Biden, came in fifth in New Hampshire. It's time for Nevada to take its rightful place, not just first in the West but in the nation, as a diverse state, a state with diverse issues," said Nevada Assembly Speaker Jason Frierson, a Democrat who sponsored the legislation. He said Nevada's small population makes it affordable and navigable for candidates to use as an early testing ground of their national appeal. Sisolak has not said if he will sign the bill but has been supportive of the idea. After the 2020 Presidential Caucus in Nevada, Governor Sisolak was clear that while Nevada Democrats did a phenomenal job of making the caucuses as accessible as possible, the caucus process itself has fundamental challenges that create obstacles for too many Nevadans to participate and make their voices heard, his spokeswoman Meghin Delaney said in a statement. She said the governor believes Nevada is perfectly positioned as a diverse and representative state to be first in the nations presidential nominating process. Its unclear if the Democratic National Committee, which sets the partys nominating process, would back Nevadas changes when it sets its 2024 nominating calendar. The party is expected to undergo a months-long review of its past nominating process and isnt expected to set its nominating calendar until at least next year. If the party doesnt sign off on the changes, it could force Nevada to amend its law or risk having its delegates dropped from the Democratic National Convention. The Republican Party, which has most recently kept Nevadas caucuses as its fourth contest, has not backed the change. Nevada Republican Party Chairman Michael McDonald opposes the change, warning that the state acting unilaterally could leave both his party and the Nevada Democrats without national delegates in 2024 and less influence on the presidential nominating process. The new Democratic Party chair Jaime Harrison is from South Carolina and is a protege of House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, who has said he'd like to see his home of South Carolina moved up from it's fourth-in-line place. But its unclear if South Carolina will join Nevadas push to be first. The state, like Nevada, is diverse. Its also where Biden pulled out a double-digit win that helped propel him to victories on Super Tuesday and win his partys nomination. ___ This version corrects that the bill passed in the state Senate on Monday, not Sunday. ___ Price reported from Las Vegas. Metz is a corps member for the Associated Press/ Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Rodrigo Abd/AP LIMA, Peru (AP) Peru on Monday announced a sharp increase in its COVID-19 death toll, saying there have been more than 180,000 fatalities since the pandemic hit the country early last year. The announcement was made in the presidential palace during the presentation of a report by a working group commissioned to analyze and update the death toll. The results of the study put the new toll at 180,764 in a population of about 32.6 million, compared to recent data indicating that 69,342 people had died from COVID-19. In Their Opinion: Another victim of the Floyd killing: The right to protest Today Variable clouds with scattered thunderstorms. Low 73F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%. Tonight Variable clouds with scattered thunderstorms. Low 73F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%. Tomorrow Sunshine along with some cloudy intervals. High 92F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Editor: Bridget McCann, CPA By now, most practitioners are well aware of the annual limitation enacted by the law known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), P.L. 115-97, in 2017 that limits the amount of state and local taxes individuals can deduct for federal income tax purposes to not more than $10,000 ($5,000 in the case of a married individual filing a separate return) (the SALT cap).1 No doubt most are also aware of the ensuing legislation at the state level to offer taxpayers a "workaround" to the SALT cap by enacting passthrough-entity-level taxes, which arguably impose the tax liability for owners of passthrough entities (PTEs) (such as partnerships, LLCs treated as partnerships, and S corporations) instead directly on the PTE.2 These new state PTE taxes essentially allow owners of PTEs to bypass the SALT cap by allowing their distributive share of the taxes to be paid by the entity at the entity level, as reported on their respective Forms K-1, since one exception to the SALT cap was the retention of the "trade or business" exception. Moreover, most should also be aware that after much silence and uncertainty, and almost three years after the TCJA's enactment, the IRS issued Notice 2020-75,3 stating its decision that PTE owners can deduct their share of the taxes paid by the entity, even if electing to be taxed at the entity level, and that it would be issuing proposed regulations to that effect. As of this writing, the Biden administration has placed a hold on the enactment of all final regulations proposed by the Trump administration,4 and it is at this time unclear whether it will continue with the proposed regulations relating to the SALT cap. Regardless, what remains a hot topic of discussion, at least among state tax practitioners, is how beneficial any PTE-level tax will be. Determining the benefit is going to be highly dependent upon each PTE's facts and circumstances, as well as those of its owners, both individuals and legal entities. In addition to considering state geography, however, an analysis will also need to take into account owner composition and could require practitioners to consider elements of individual, corporate, and PTE taxation. A few examples of this complex analysis are provided below. The allowance of an individual credit for taxes paid by the entity Individual multistate taxpayers are generally allowed an individual income tax credit in their resident state for individual income taxes paid in another state. As described above, state PTE taxes shift the liability for state taxes from the PTE owners to the PTE itself, providing a deduction for the state PTE tax from the distributive share of the owners' income. In those states that have enacted a PTE tax, individual owners can generally claim a proportionate share of the PTE tax paid as a credit against their state tax liability, with several exceptions. However, this mechanism may cause some owners to lose the credit for taxes paid in their resident state for the taxes paid by the PTE. Similar to how some states prohibit a nonresident income tax credit for the Texas franchise tax, some states may similarly deny a credit for an individual owner's share of the PTE tax paid in another state. For example, the Rhode Island PTE tax law specifically explains that a similar tax imposed by another state on the owners' income paid at the entity level is allowed as a credit for taxes paid to another jurisdiction.5 Under New Jersey's PTE tax law, a resident taxpayer can claim a credit for his or her distributive share of the Connecticut PTE tax against a gross income tax liability.6 Alabama has historically embraced the concept of allowing a credit for taxes paid by residents indirectly through their ownership of interests in a PTE.7 To be clear, this will be an issue to consider in all states imposing a personal income tax, not just those that have themselves enacted these new PTE taxes. Pennsylvania, for example, has published guidance stating that certain entity-level taxes paid by S corporations are eligible for that state's resident credit for taxes paid to other states but that no resident credit is allowed for entity-level taxes paid by partnerships.8 It instructs that a resident credit is limited to income and wage taxes and, therefore, while an entity-level tax will generally qualify for Pennsylvania resident credit purposes, each state's entity-level tax must also be considered separately to determine its eligibility. The Pennsylvania guidance notes that in certain situations the resident credit for an entity-level tax may be adjusted. Most states have not yet provided specific guidance; thus, some owners may have a higher state tax liability if a credit for taxes paid by a PTE under a state's SALT cap workaround regime is denied by the owner's resident state. From an owner's perspective, the loss of the resident state tax credit for taxes paid to another state in exchange for the increased federal state and local tax deduction above the SALT cap may ultimately be an increase in state, or even overall, tax liability.9 Parity among owners Generally, in the states that have enacted PTE taxes for purposes of a SALT cap workaround, the tax rate imposed on the PTE is equal to the state's highest individual income tax rate. In many cases, PTE owners may already be subject to the state's highest individual income tax rate and, therefore, will not incur any additional liability simply because the tax is being assessed at the PTE level (other than, perhaps, not benefiting from the lower marginal rate schedule of the state in computing the potential tax liability, all of which is usually refundable when the individual owner files his or her own tax return). However, there are notable scenarios to consider as more states enact the workarounds. In California's initial PTE tax proposal, no tax rate was listed.10 California's top individual tax rate is 13.3%, consisting of 12.3% of regular tax and an additional 1% for incomes exceeding $1 million four percentage points higher than the state's 9.3% tax bracket that tops out at income over $599,016 for 2020 (for married filing jointly taxpayers).11 (A recent amendment to the initial California bill inserted a flat 9.3% rate.)12 If the proposal follows the PTE tax SALT cap workarounds enacted in other states by adopting the state's highest marginal personal income tax rate, some owners may pay more in California PTE tax estimated taxes during the year than they owe as an individual taxpayer (although the California PTE proposal includes a fully refundable credit for any excess PTE taxes paid compared to what would have been owed under the personal income tax). Wisconsin did not enact a brand-new tax. Rather, in that state, an electing PTE can instead elect to be treated as a C corporation solely for Wisconsin income tax purposes and, thus, be subject to a flat 7.9% entity-level tax,13 compared to the progressive individual income tax rates, which top out at the highest marginal rate of 7.65% for married taxpayers filing a joint return with incomes over $351,310 in 2020.14 In New Jersey, the PTE tax rates are progressive and based on the sum of each member's share of distributive proceeds attributable to the PTE and not based on the total income of the entity itself.15 From a practical administrative perspective, if a nonresident owner of a New Jersey PTE also earns New Jersey-source income from outside of the entity, the withholding on the distributive share may lead to underreporting of New Jersey income. Potentially exacerbating inequities, not every state requires unanimous consent of the owners to make an election to pay the state's PTE tax. As an example, New Jersey requires all owners to agree to the election, but Alabama only requires a vote or consent from certain owners to make the election.16 Whether an owner will be able to claim a credit for taxes paid, and how various states treat the tax on the entity, may ultimately result in disparate and unintended treatment of owners. Electing entities should also consider the impact of the election on both individual and entity estimated payments. An entity that elects into the state's PTE workaround tax after the first or second quarterly estimated individual income tax payments were made may not be able to transfer those payments to the PTE's account. This could temporarily impact the cash flow of both the entity and the owners. Accordingly, PTEs should consider electing early in the year to mitigate overpayments of estimated taxes. Corporate aspects for consideration Each state has approached the enactment of its PTE tax in a different way, in some cases incorporating certain elements of other jurisdictions that were at the front of the pack, adding an "a la carte" feel to this genre of state tax. A few of the more unique aspects based on corporate concepts or impacting corporate owners are noted below. New Jersey New Jersey's historic treatment of partnerships is already a good example of the conflict between the differing tax interests and concerns of individuals compared to corporate owners. Under New Jersey law, partnerships are subject to the state's gross income (personal) tax statutes and regulations and not the state's corporate business tax law. New Jersey's law, however, requires partnerships to remit a nonresident partner tax (akin to a withholding tax in other states) that was implemented through corporate business tax reform in 2002. This is therefore calculated according to corporate business tax statutes and regulations. There are very limited circumstances where a partnership would not have to remit this tax for a nonresident partner.17 Preparing Forms NJ-1065, New Jersey Partnership Return, and NJ-CBT-1065, New Jersey Partnership Return Corporation Business Tax, requires two separate apportionment schedules to be completed. Form NJ-NR-A, New Jersey Gross Income Tax Business Allocation Schedule, applying gross income tax methodologies, is used for purposes of determining a nonresident partner's distributive share. The Schedule J, "Corporation Allocation Schedule," applying corporation business tax methodologies, is used for purposes of determining the nonresident partner's tax. There is often a disconnect between the amount of distributable share income that a nonresident partner is ultimately taxed on and the nonresident partner's share of tax that the partnership calculates and remits. Many had hoped that the enactment of the state's PTE tax, which is called the business alternative income tax (NJ BAIT), would offer a "fix" for this disconnect under the law that preexisted the PTE tax; however, the nonresident partner tax problem remains unchanged. The New Jersey Division of Taxation has addressed the fact that the partnership is still responsible for remitting tax on behalf of its nonresident partners, via the FAQ section of its website: "The election made by a pass-through entity to pay the Pass-Through Business Alternative Income Tax at the entity level does not eliminate the requirement to file any other tax return or pay any other tax that is required by the pass-through entity, such as the NJ-CBT-1065."18 Therefore, calculating and remitting the NJ BAIT at the entity level will not absolve the partnership of also remitting nonresident tax for its partners. S corporations considering making a NJ BAIT election should be aware that New Jersey is among a few states that require a state-specific S corporation election to be completed in a timely fashion.19 Without the separate New Jersey S corporation election, a corporation is treated as a C corporation for all New Jersey state tax purposes (i.e., both under the gross income tax (New Jersey's personal income tax) and the corporation business tax (its corporate income tax)). This may add an additional calculus for taxpayers when considering whether they want to qualify for the NJ BAIT. Also, if electing to calculate NJ BAIT, the S corporation must apply gross income tax (i.e., New Jersey's personal income tax) methodologies for sourcing income while, at the same time, for purposes of reporting the net pro rata share of S corporation income to owners, the S corporation will need to use corporation business tax methodologies.20 This would seem to create a disconnect similar to the historic one that exists for the nonresident partner tax purposes described previously. From the perspective of C corporation owners, the distributive proceeds from the PTE will continue to be included in the entire net income of the corporation, and they would be entitled to a credit for their distributive share of the NJ BAIT tax paid by a PTE. Since New Jersey recently adopted mandatory unitary combined reporting for corporation business tax, corporate partners may need to consider if credits would be a shareable attribute.21 NJ BAIT is required to be calculated on every member's share of distributive proceeds including exempt members. An exempt member will have to claim a refund for its distributive share of the NJ BAIT paid by the PTE.22 California California's proposed legislation for an elective PTE tax excludes partnerships that contain nonindividual owners from participating. California's S.B. 104 instructs that for purposes of electing to be taxed at the passthrough level, a qualified taxpayer's owners must be composed exclusively of individuals, fiduciaries, estates, and/or trusts.23 It also excludes taxpayers that are included in a combined reporting group, which could preclude certain S corporations from eligibility.24 New York In Gov. Andrew Cuomo's original budget proposal of its proposed PTE tax legislation, New York would have excluded PTEs with corporate owners from electing into the PTE regime.25 At one point, a proposal from the New York business community to provide greater flexibility while still excluding the distributive share of corporate PTE owners' income from the PTE tax would have allowed for an alternative basis for calculating the PTE tax by only including the portion of the PTE's income that relates to individual taxpayer owners in the PTE tax base. Louisiana Like Wisconsin, Louisiana chose not to enact a new tax but simply to allow a PTE to elect to be subject to the state's corporate income tax as if it filed a C corporation return at the federal level and then calculate and pay a graduated tax.26 Rather than receiving a credit, the shareholders, members, or partners receive an exclusion for income that is taxed at the entity level. While there doesn't appear to be a specific prohibition for entities that have nonindividual ownership, only individual owners are allowed the income exclusion benefit. The impact of audit adjustments on the entity versus the individual Potentially adding another element of complexity will be the way in which states address the new federal partnership audit rules. The disconnect between how the IRS now audits partnerships,27 with a default of assessment and collection at the entity level and election to "push out" payment of assessments to partners, and how states will account for adjustments borne from those examinations is already likely to sow confusion. Although the Multistate Tax Commission (MTC) has developed and circulated a model uniform statute for states to adopt to conform to the new federal partnership audit regime, the majority of states still do not appear to have made any legislative changes that would adjust for the implications of the change in the federal partnership audit regime.28 Now layer in the fact that partnerships may be considering electing to be taxed at the entity level in certain states. Multistate partnerships may be encountering a wide variety of scenarios on audit due to the lack of uniformity. It is likely that a multistate partnership that has adjustments from a federal examination at the entity level will then have to account for those changes in both (1) states where they are not able to be, or do not elect to be, taxed at the entity level; and (2) states where they are either required to be or elect to be taxed at the entity level. In either case, those states may not yet have a similar process to the IRS to be able to collect at the entity level nor will those states' processes necessarily resemble one another. One could imagine the additional administrative burden these different scenarios will create when managing the audit process, especially where in some cases there may be changes in ownership or residency from year to year. It is already on track to be a convoluted process, and the election into a state PTE tax regime potentially adds a permutation for partnerships to consider. Takeaways While taxpayers may rely on the notice issued by the IRS in the meantime, proposed regulations have yet to be released. Also, given the recent change in presidential administrations and legislators, it is possible that a Democratic push to repeal the SALT cap could garner more support, thus eliminating the rationale for the state PTE taxes. In addition to the eight states that have enacted PTE taxes that became effective on or after Jan. 1, 2018, as of this writing the authors are aware of at least a half-dozen states that have discussed or proposed similar taxes. Considering the complexity and uncertainty surrounding the practical application of newly enacted state PTE taxes, practitioners may be of most help to their clients by encouraging them to proceed cautiously and deliberately. The states that have adopted PTE workaround taxes are just beginning to consider guidance and regulations to address some of the many unknowns with these regimes. As demonstrated by the few examples discussed above, electing into a state's PTE tax regime may not serve all owners equally, could increase overall tax liability, and could have adverse effects on nonresident individual owners whose own state law will not provide an offset for the taxes otherwise deductible at the individual level. Moreover, a PTE with one or more corporate owners should carefully assess the overall implications of these regimes. Without a modeling exercise, it may be difficult for practitioners and clients to appropriately consider the impact of electing into a state's PTE regime, considering all of the potential permutations that can exist depending upon the owner demographics and both the PTE's geographic footprint as well as each owner's. Practitioners may wish to temper client expectations. Electing to be taxed at the entity level is not just as simple as filing a few different forms by the deadline. Research, modeling, planning, and analysis work should all take place prior to making an election into any state's PTE regime. Certain states make such elections binding until rescinded while others may require an annual election. These differences will need to be considered and tracked by state. In some cases, an annual review of facts or a change in position may be required. Practitioners assisting clients should begin having discussions with PTEs and their owners, encouraging them to engage professional advisers to perform the services well in advance of the election deadline. Those who already assist clients with compliance should guard against "scope creep" by considering if separate statements of work to properly capture additional fees are warranted. How much of a benefit these state PTE tax workarounds will ultimately yield in federal tax benefits will depend not only on the states in which the PTE does business but also the composition of its owners. Varying tax rates and the ultimate impact of the credit for taxes paid both against the state personal income tax of the state in which the PTE tax is levied as well as, in the case of individual owners, their state of residence may determine whether an electing PTE's aggregate additional state tax burdens and those of its owners exceed the federal tax savings of opting into any state's PTE tax workaround. Footnotes 1TCJA, 11042 (codified at Sec. 164(b)(6)). 2AICPA position paper on state passthrough-entity-level tax implementation issues, available at www.aicpa.org; AICPA state passthrough-entity-level tax implementation issues one-pager, available at www.aicpa.org; and map of states with passthrough-entity-level taxes enacted after TCJA, available at www.aicpa.org. 3IRS Notice 2020-75. 4See Ronald A. Klain, assistant to the president of the United States and the chief of staff, Regulatory Freeze Pending Review (Jan. 21, 2021) (available at www.whitehouse.gov). 5R.I. Gen. Laws 44-11-2.3(e). 6N.J. Div. of Tax., Pass-Through Business Alternative Income Tax Act FAQ, available at www.state.nj.us. 7The appropriate way to calculate the amount of the credit for taxes paid to other states for Alabama personal income tax purposes was previously the subject of much debate and ultimately was litigated. See Moody v. Alabama Dep't of Rev., No. Inc. 15-797 (Ala. Tax Trib. 9/29/16). Following the ruling in Moody, subsequent legislative changes enacted in 2018 codified the Alabama Department of Revenue's rule requiring an additional limitation not permitted by the original statute. See Ala. Code 40-18-21(a)(3) (added as an amendment by 2018 Ala. Leg. Acts 465 [2018 AL HB384], signed by the governor on March 28, 2018). 8Pa. Dep't of Rev., Credit for Entity Level Tax Paid by Pass-Through Entities (Answer ID: 3618) (Jan. 31, 2019, updated Jan. 13, 2021) ("The PA resident credit can only be claimed for an ELT [entity-level tax of another state] imposed upon a PTE treated as an S Corporation for PA income tax purposes. It cannot be claimed by other types of PTEs (partnerships and LLCs classified as partnerships)" (emphasis added) (available at revenue-pa.custhelp.com). 9Wlodychak, "IRS Just Raised State Taxes for Multistate Passthrough Entity Owners," 98 Tax Notes State 1159 (Dec. 14, 2020). 10See Cal. S.B. 104 (2021), 2 (adding Cal. Rev. & Tax Code 19900(a) ("[A] qualified taxpayer [i.e., a PTE] doing business in [California], as defined by [Cal. Rev. & Tax Code] Section 23101, and required to file a return under [Cal. Rev. & Tax Code] Section 18633, may elect to annually pay an elective tax according to or measured by its net income computed at the rate of _____ percent [blank in original] upon the basis of its net income for the last preceding taxable year" (emphasis added) (as introduced Jan. 5, 2021), available at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov). 11See Cal. Franchise Tax Board, 2020 Instructions for Form 540, Personal Income Tax Booklet, 2020 California Tax Rate Schedules, Schedule Y (Married/RDP Filing Jointly), available at www.ftb.ca.gov. 12See 2021 California S.B. 104, Sec. 2 (adding Cal. Rev. & Tax Code Section 19900(a)(1)) (amended in California Senate March 9, 2021) (available at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov (last accessed March 31, 2021)). 13Wis. Dep't of Rev., Pass-Through Entity-Level Tax: Partnership Determining Income and Computing Tax (Q&A No. 2), available at www.revenue.wi.gov. 14Wis. Dep't of Rev., Tax Rates Q&A No. 1, What are the individual income tax rates?, available at www.revenue.wi.gov. 15See N.J. Rev. Stat. 54A:12-3(b)(2). 16Compare Alabama 2020 H.B. 353 3(d) ("Both the election to become an Electing Pass-Through Entity and the revocation of that election shall be accomplished by a vote by, or written consent of, the members of the governing body of the entity as well as a vote by, or written consent of, the owners, members, partners, or shareholders holding greater than 50% of the voting control of the entity") to N.J. Rev. Stat. 54A:12-3(b)(1) ("The election to pay tax at the entity level is available if consent is made by each member of the electing entity who is a member at the time the election is filed or by any officer, manager, or member of the electing entity who is authorized, under law or the entity's organizational documents, to make the election and who represents to having such authorization under penalties of perjury.") Alabama's law thus requires a vote or written consent of the members of the governing body as well as a vote or written consent of owners holding greater than 50% of the voting control while New Jersey's law appears to allow the PTE tax election effectively to be made at the individual member's level (by negative implication if a member refuses to provide the consent, the PTE tax appears not to apply to that member's "distributive share" of the PTE's income). 17See N.J. Div. of Tax., Form NJ-1065E 2020, New Jersey Corporate Partner's Statement of Being an Exempt Corporation or Maintaining a Regular Place of Business In New Jersey, available at www.state.nj.us. 18N.J. Div. of Tax., Pass-Through Business Alternative Income Tax Act PTE FAQ Nonresidents (Q&A No. 1), available at www.state.nj.us. 19See N.J. Rev. Stat. 54:10A-5.22 (election as a New Jersey S corporation). 20See N.J. Div. of Tax., Pass-Through Business Alternative Income Tax Act PTE FAQ Nonresidents (Q&A No. 3), available at www.state.nj.us. However, when completing the CBT-100-S, taxpayers are instructed to use Schedule J and corporation business tax rules to determine each shareholder's share of New Jersey allocated S corporation income or loss. 21See N.J. Rev. Stat. 54:10A-5.43(c) ("If the pass-through entity is unitary with both the corporate member and the member's combined group filing a New Jersey combined return for which the corporate member is included as a member . . . the credit shall be shareable."). 22N.J. Div. of Tax., Pass-Through Business Alternative Income Tax Act PTE FAQ Refunds (Q&A No. 1), available at www.state.nj.us. 23See Cal. S.B. 104, 2 (adding Cal. Rev. & Tax Code 19902(a)(2)). 24Id. (adding Cal. Rev. & Tax Code 19902(b) ("(b) 'Qualified entity' shall not include taxpayers permitted or required to be in a combined reporting group"). 25See 2021 N.Y. A3009/S2509, Part C, 1 (adding N.Y. Tax Law Sec. 860(a) (defining "eligible partnership" for purposes of the NY PTE tax as "... any partnership as provided for in [IRC Section] 7701(a)(2) ... that consists solely of partners who are individuals."); see also same amendment adding N.Y. Tax Law Sec. 860(b), providing an identical individual ownership restrictions for an "eligible S corporation" (which seems to be overkill considering that for both federal and New York tax law purposes, an S corporation cannot have a corporate shareholder in any case) (available at www.nysenate.gov (last accessed March 31, 2021)). 26See La. Rev. Stat. 47.297.14. 27The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, P.L. 114-74, adopted new rules to replace TEFRA effective for years beginning after Dec. 31, 2017. See also Sherr, "Why States Should Adopt the MTC Model for Federal Partnership Audits," 51 The Tax Adviser 196 (March 2020), available at www.thetaxadviser.com/issues/2020/mar/multistate-tax-commission-federal-partnerships.html. 28See Multistate Tax Commission, Model Uniform Statute for Reporting Adjustments to Federal Taxable Income and Federal Partnership Audit Adjustments DRAFT With Technical Correction as of November 2020 and Additional Note for States Adopting the Model (rev. Nov. 2020) (available at www.mtc.gov). SHUTCM launches open day for international visitors residing in SH to experience TCM culture By:Zhao Chunyuan, Jiang Meiqing | From:english.eastday.com | 2021-05-31 17:00 On May 28, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (SHUTCM) welcomed more than 110 international visitors currently residing in Shanghai from Japan, South Korea, France, Switzerland, Belgium, Morocco, Germany and Brazil for a TCM open day. Attracted by the Wechat promotion, the visitors, including TCM lovers, came closer to experience the international education of the University, and to feel the charm of TCM and Chinese culture. The open day consisted of course consultations, on-site experience and a campus tour, which were guided by faculty members from different language sections including Japanese, English, French and Korean. In the course consultations, the visitors first had TCM talks on health care, and one-on-one consultations on TCM diagnosis, as well as became informed on long-term and short-term programs, campus life, and career development with faculty members. Faculty members from School of Acupuncture and Moxibustion demonstrated acupoints and Tuina manipulations, and visitors were invited to experience these. The University also arranged an activity to make and taste Zongzi, which is pyramid-shaped sticky rice wrapped in bamboo leaves, in order to mark the coming Dragon-boat festival. The bamboo leaves used to make the Zongzi can clear heat and remove toxins, as well as stop bleeding. The glutinous rice is beneficial for tonifying Qi and strengthening the Stomach and the Spleen. The red beans can regulate Qi and meridians, clear heat and generate body fluids. Attracted by the food with medicinal functions, visitors made Zongzi and came up with different kinds of Zongzi made of rice and red beans. Zongzi with meat and Chinese dates stuffing were also provided for tasting. Julia was one of the visitors learning to make Zongzi for the first time in her life. She also has deep ties to Shanghai. My father is German and my mother is Shanghainese. I love Zongzi with salted egg yolk and pork made by my grandmother at home, said Julia. She is currently receiving her matriculation education at Tongji University. She also cherished the opportunity to take part in this activity, which gave her a chance to learn more about TCM and Chinese culture up close. A 15-minute scalp scraping experience in the Tuina experience area was very enjoyable for her. At the beginning, I felt some pain, but then I gradually felt very relaxed, said Julia. The scraping technique is one of the components of TCM, which is summarized in the practice of fighting disease. When scraping skin, it is necessary to apply a hydrophobic oil such as tea oil to soothe the pain. Guided by faculty members, the visitors visited Shanghai Museum of TCM, getting to know the TCM culture and knowledge. People from other countries are increasingly interested in TCM, which has significant advantages in terms of health care, treatment and rehabilitation, and they also want to learn more about TCM and the means of diagnosis and treatment, said Lin Xun, dean of the International Education College at Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. He also pointed out that the college organized international visitors from different countries to experience TCM culture for the first time this year, with the aim of creating opportunities for more foreigners residing in Shanghai to learn more about TCM and Chinese culture," said Lin Xun. With the number and level of international students ranked top among all the TCM universities, the University has increasingly enhanced its teaching quality of international education, and cultivated international students with an adequate understanding and kindness to China. The University has launched three annual workshops for high-end TCM professionals along the Belt and Road countries to demonstrate the charm of Shanghai-styled TCM, and held social activities for international students named Discovery of the Beauty of TCM for two consecutive years. China will support couples who wish to have a third child, as the aging of the country's population has been increasing in extent in recent years. Chinese people aged 60 or above accounted for 18.7 percent of the country's total population in 2020, 5.44 percentage points higher than that in 2010. The new policy, aimed at raising China's fertility rate, meets the needs of building a birth-friendly society. BEIJING, May 31 (Xinhua) China will support couples who wish to have a third child, according to a meeting of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee held on Monday. Implementing the policy and its relevant supporting measures will help improve China's population structure, actively respond to the aging population, and preserve the country's human resource advantages, the meeting said. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, chaired the meeting to hear reports on major policy measures to actively address the aging of the population during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025). The meeting reviewed a decision on improving birth policies to promote long-term balanced population growth. A nurse guides a pregnant woman who made a reservation for regular check via cell phone at Fujian Provincial Maternity and Children's Hospital in Fuzhou, capital of east China's Fujian Province, June 12, 2018. [Xinhua/Song Weiwei] China has a large population, and the aging of its population has been increasing in extent in recent years, the meeting said. According to the latest census data, Chinese people aged 60 or above accounted for 18.7 percent of the country's total population in 2020, 5.44 percentage points higher than that in 2010. China's increasing elderly population will reduce supply in the labor force while increasing the burden on families' elderly care and the pressure on the supply of basic public services, said Ning Jizhe, head of the National Bureau of Statistics. Chen Yuwen's phone kept ringing on Monday afternoon, as friends bombarded her with tons of messages about the third-child policy. "People knew that I wanted to have a third child, so they all came to tell me the good news," said Chen, 36, a mother of two in Shanghai. Her elder son is eight years old and her younger son is almost four. Chen used to be a project manager in a Fortune 500 company. After having her kids and putting time and passion into raising them, she started posting on the microblog Sina Weibo. She is now an influential figure on mother-child content with 2.4 million followers. Chen currently writes maternal and child-related content on Weibo. She once wrote on Weibo why she wants another baby. "Raising my second child gave me confidence," she said. "These two kids interact and bond with each other every day, which is precious." Chen said that when she and her husband grow old, the children can take care of each other. "The process of raising kids is not easy, but it is also a special, emotional and irreplaceable experience," she said. Chen Youhua, a sociology professor at Nanjing University, said the third-child policy is a swift move aimed at raising China's fertility rate. An increasingly elderly population will increase the cost of labor and the pressure on the social security net, therefore hurting the vitality of the economy and the momentum of economic growth, said the professor. "The new policy meets the needs of building a birth-friendly society. It will help make parents more willing and less concerned about having more children, and enable them to raise children well," he added. Children take part in the tug-of-war game at a kindergarten in Changxing County of Huzhou City, east China's Zhejiang Province, Dec. 25, 2020. [Xinhua/Xu Yu] Monday's meeting also acknowledged the progress of major birth policies adopted by the Party's central authorities since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012. China in 2013 allowed couples to have a second child if either parent was an only child, and in 2016 allowed married couples to have two children, phasing out the one-child policy. The meeting demanded efforts to implement a third-child policy in accordance with the law and to advance birth policies' alignment with relevant economic and social policies. Education and guidance should be provided to promote marriage and family values among marriage-age young people, the meeting said. Efforts are needed to improve prenatal and postnatal care services, develop a universal childcare services system, promote fairness in education, increase the supply of quality educational resources, and reduce family spending on education. China should also continue to implement its current reward and assistance system as well as preferential policies for families with one child and rural families with only two daughters who were born before the implementation of the two-child policy. The meeting urged efforts to deepen the national medium and long-term population development strategy and regional population development planning to promote long-term and balanced population development. (Source: Xinhua) Editor: Mary Van Leuven, J.D., LL.M. On April 4, 2019, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed House Bill (H.B.) 6, enacting major changes in the state's corporate income tax and gross receipts tax (GRT) regimes. The changes to the GRT came primarily in response to the U.S. Supreme Court decision in South Dakota v. Wayfair, Inc., 138 S. Ct. 2080 (2018), in which the Court overturned its decades-old physical-presence nexus rule. This paved the way for states to enact economic nexus laws requiring out-of-state businesses to collect sales and use tax from in-state customers even if the businesses have no physical presence in the state. Under H.B. 6, New Mexico's own economic nexus threshold for the GRT took effect on July 1, 2019. H.B. 6 also contained a second set of significant GRT changes that will go into effect on July 1, 2021. Potentially affecting more businesses than the nexus provisions, this second set of changes implements a regime of substantially uniform GRT and compensating taxes for both in-state and out-of-state businesses. Any sellers that transact business with New Mexico consumers should take note of these changes and understand the impact to their New Mexico tax obligations. This discussion summarizes both sets of changes to New Mexico's GRT and compensating tax regime, including economic nexus for remote sellers and marketplace facilitators, a comprehensive system of local compensating taxes, changes in the state's sourcing rules, and expansion of the tax base to include services performed out of state and certain digital goods. Basic structure of New Mexico's GRT and compensating tax New Mexico's GRT is a unique state tax that resembles the retail sales tax (RST) imposed by most other states, but it differs from the RST in several ways. While an RST is a transaction tax imposed on the sale of tangible personal property and certain enumerated services, the GRT is imposed on the privilege of doing business in New Mexico. The tax base for the GRT is generally broader than an RST and applies to the sale of tangible personal property as well as generally to all receipts from services performed in New Mexico, the leasing or licensing of property in New Mexico, and the granting of a right to use a franchise employed in New Mexico. Businesses subject to the GRT are not required to collect GRT from their customers, but in practice, they nearly always do. Similar to states with an RST, New Mexico also imposes a complementary compensating tax, which is an excise tax imposed on persons using property or services in New Mexico; as with a use tax, it is intended to protect New Mexico businesses from out-of-state businesses that are not subject to the GRT. For in-state businesses, the GRT can be seen as easier to apply than an RST. Nearly all sales are subject to the GRT, meaning taxability determinations are likely less complicated than under an RST. In addition, the GRT rate is based on the seller's business location rather than the buyer's location. The rate includes a combination of state and local GRTs, if applicable. Because the GRT is currently origin-based rather than destination-based, many in-state sellers are subject to the GRT at only one rate that applies at their business location. As discussed below, H.B. 6 will require a shift in sourcing the GRT on July 1, 2021. Economic nexus and marketplace providers Prior to July 1, 2019, a business was subject to the GRT only if it had a physical presence in New Mexico. With the enactment of H.B. 6, however, a remote seller or a marketplace provider lacking a physical presence in New Mexico is now considered to be engaged in business in the state and will incur a GRT obligation if, during the previous calendar year, it had at least $100,000 in total taxable gross receipts from New Mexico consumers. Under these new rules, a marketplace provider is responsible for GRT on its receipts derived from facilitating New Mexico sales, leases, and licenses, regardless of whether the marketplace seller is "engaged in business" in New Mexico. To qualify as a marketplace provider, one must list or advertise items for sale, lease, or license and, directly or indirectly, collect and transmit the payment from the end customer to the marketplace seller. A marketplace seller is eligible for a GRT deduction if the provider pays the GRT, because the GRT obligation is imposed on the marketplace provider. Following the trend of other states, H.B. 6 also imposes tax on specified digital goods sold to or accessed by in-state residents. As of July 1, 2019, New Mexico redefined the term "property" to include digital goods and defined the term "digital good" to mean a digital product delivered electronically, including software, music, photography, videos, reading material, applications, and ringtones. Additional changes to the GRT regime will take effect July 1, 2021, when New Mexico moves to destination-based sourcing and a comprehensive system of local compensating taxes. This is discussed in more detail in the next two subsections. Sourcing rule changes Currently, New Mexico applies origin-based rules for sourcing GRT transactions, meaning that most sales of tangible personal property and services are sourced to the business location of the seller. Under these rules, a seller has an obligation to collect or pay state and local GRT if a delivery originates from a New Mexico jurisdiction in which the seller has a physical or business presence. For out-of-state sellers that satisfy the state's economic nexus threshold, a collection obligation applies for the statewide GRT (unless an exemption is available) but not for the GRT imposed by local jurisdictions. Effective July 1, 2021, New Mexico will move to a destination-based sourcing regime for both sales of tangible personal property and certain services. Under the new regime, gross receipts (and deductions) from the sale or lease of tangible personal property, certain licenses, and most services will be sourced to the destination of the goods or services. In other words, items and services delivered to a customer will begin to be sourced to the location of the delivery rather than to the seller's business location. There will be certain exceptions. In-person or "over-the-counter" retail sales will not be affected by this change. Sourcing for professional services will continue to be the seller's place of business. In addition, construction and real estate services will be sourced to the location of the construction project or real estate sold. Both in-state and out-of-state sellers that make sales throughout the state will need to prepare to collect and report GRT at new rates based on the location of their customers. Pursuant to H.B. 6, the New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department (TRD) must develop a database of tax rates to assist businesses and individuals in determining the correct rate of tax owed; sellers who rely on the database will not be held liable if the database somehow provides an incorrect rate. Local compensating tax In addition to the move to destination-based sourcing, New Mexico will also begin a comprehensive local compensating tax regime on July 1, 2021. Under the existing regime, there is no compensating tax in New Mexico on a municipal and county level only a statewide compensating tax even though local governments can levy a local GRT at varying rates.Deliveries from out of state are subject to a single state-level tax, while an in-state delivery is subject to the state tax plus any local GRT. Pursuant to H.B. 6, the state will adopt a statewide system of municipal and county compensating taxes that will apply in each jurisdiction at a rate equal to the combined municipal and county GRTs imposed under current law. The new compensating taxes will apply to sales of tangible personal property, services, licenses, and franchises that are used in the municipality or county. The tax will also apply to tangible personal property, services, licenses, and franchises that are acquired inside or outside New Mexico as the result of a transaction with a person located outside New Mexico that would have been subject to the state GRT had the property, services, licenses, or franchises been acquired from a person with nexus with New Mexico. Sourcing for the local compensating taxes will follow the new destination-based rules. The combination of the new sourcing rules and local compensating taxes means that most transactions that are subject to GRT or compensating taxes will be on a destination basis, and the tax will apply at the combined state and local rate in the destination jurisdiction, regardless of whether the seller was located in state or outside of New Mexico. The TRD will be charged with enforcing the collection of the local compensating taxes in the same manner as the statewide GRT and compensating tax. The move to a local compensating tax regime will primarily affect persons that purchase goods, services, or licenses from out-of-state sellers. If an out-of-state seller does not collect GRT, perhaps because the seller does not satisfy New Mexico's economic nexus threshold, the New Mexico purchaser will be subject to an increased compensating tax obligation that is on par with the GRT that would have applied had the seller been located within New Mexico. Tax changes for out-of-state sellers of services Another upcoming change under H.B. 6 will primarily affect businesses that perform services outside of New Mexico for customers in New Mexico, because more services of this type will be subject to the GRT. Currently, New Mexico provides an exemption from GRT for certain "receipts from selling services performed outside New Mexico the product of which is initially used in New Mexico." Effective July 1, 2021, however, the exemption for services performed outside the state will no longer apply to most services. Instead, only "research and development services performed outside New Mexico the product of which is initially used in New Mexico" will be exempt (under certain circumstances). Moreover, the imposition of the compensating tax will be amended so that services performed outside the state are taxable if those services would have been subject to GRT if they were performed by a person with a GRT obligation. As a result, many out-of-state service providers selling to New Mexico customers will be required to collect GRT, and some in-state businesses may be required to accrue and remit compensating tax if GRT was not collected by the service provider. There is one gray area for the sourcing of sales of services by out-of-state sellers that should be addressed by the TRD or the Legislature. As previously noted, some in-state professional services will continue to be sourced to the seller's place of business rather than the customer's location. But for out-of-state professional service providers, H.B. 6 is unclear on whether their services will be sourced on a destination basis or whether they will be subject to a single out-of-state rate. Based on draft regulations proposed by the TRD, it appears that out-of-state sellers of professional services, the product of which is delivered to a New Mexico customer for initial use in the state, will collect or pay only the state-level GRT. Next steps Beyond the initial changes affecting economic nexus, marketplaces, and digital goods, H.B. 6 will soon bring additional substantial changes to the New Mexico GRT and compensating tax regime. To be ready for the changes taking effect on July 1, 2021, both New Mexico-based and out-of-state businesses should work to update their compliance processes and systems to ensure proper payment of New Mexico's GRT and compensating tax. These businesses need to ensure that their gross receipts are being appropriately sourced based on the new destination-based sourcing rules. Further, with the new local compensating taxes, businesses may also be required to remit compensating tax at an increased rate. EditorNotes Mary Van Leuven, J.D., LL.M., is a director, Washington National Tax, at KPMG LLP in Washington, D.C. For additional information about these items, contact Ms. Van Leuven at 202-533-4750 or mvanleuven@kpmg.com. Contributors are members of or associated with KPMG LLP. The information in these articles is not intended to be written advice concerning one or more federal tax matters subject to the requirements of Section 10.37(a)(2) of Treasury Department Circular 230 because the content is issued for general informational purposes only. The information is of a general nature and based on authorities that are subject to change. Applicability of the information to specific situations should be determined through consultation with your tax adviser. The articles represent the views of the author or authors only, and do not necessarily represent the views or professional advice of KPMG LLP. The Tax Court held that Sec. 7345, which allows the IRS to certify that a taxpayer has a "seriously delinquent tax debt," which in turn allows the Secretary of State to deny or revoke the taxpayer's passport, does not violate the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution. Background Robert Rowen is a medical doctor licensed in California. Rowen is a U.S. citizen who frequently travels to developing countries providing free medical care to people there who would not otherwise have access to needed medical care. In addition, he has family members in Singapore and mainland China whom he visits in those countries. Outside of his charitable medical endeavors, Rowen earns income, but for more than two decades, he failed to pay his federal tax as required by law. The IRS objected to Rowen's not paying the tax he owed and assessed tax liabilities totaling $474,846 relating to tax years 1994, 1996, 1997, and 2003 through 2007 against Rowen and attempted to collect the outstanding amounts through its usual means sending demands, filing liens, attempting to levy on assets but had little success. However, in 2015, Congress, in Section 32101 of the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, P.L. 114-94, provided the IRS with a new tool to put pressure on recalcitrant taxpayers. Section 32101 of the FAST Act created Sec. 7345, under which the IRS is authorized to certify that an individual has a "seriously delinquent tax debt" and send the certification of the debt to Treasury. Treasury is then required to send the certification to the Secretary of State. Section 32101 then (but not as part of Sec. 7345) directs the Secretary of State to take "action with respect to denial, revocation, or limitation" of the individual's passport. While the Secretary of State must generally take one of these three actions, it has discretion to issue a new passport or renew an expiring one "in emergency circumstances or for humanitarian reasons." Thus, while the IRS's certification of a taxpayer's "seriously delinquent tax debt" is the beginning of a process that can lead to a taxpayer's losing his or her passport privileges, the IRS does not have the power to revoke or deny a passport under Sec. 7345. Applying Sec. 7345, the IRS certified that Rowen has a seriously delinquent tax debt and sent the certification to Treasury, which passed it along to the Secretary of State. As of the time the case was decided, though, the Secretary of State had not taken any action regarding Rowen's passport. After receiving notice of the certification from the IRS, Rowen challenged the IRS's action in Tax Court, where he filed a motion for summary judgment, asking the court to find that the certification was erroneous based on two arguments. First, he maintained that Sec. 7345 is unconstitutional because it prohibits international travel in violation of the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution. Second, he argued that Sec. 7345 violates his human rights under the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), G.A. Res. 217A (III), U.N. Doc. A/810 (Dec. 10, 1948). The IRS cross-motioned for summary judgment. The Tax Court's decision The Tax Court upheld the IRS's certification of Rowen's seriously delinquent tax debt. The court found that because, under Sec. 7345, the IRS is not empowered to revoke or deny a passport to a taxpayer, Rowen's arguments that the law was unconstitutional or violated the UDHR because it prohibited international travel did not apply to Sec. 7345. Fifth Amendment: Rowen argued that Sec. 7345 is unconstitutional on its face because it prohibits international travel, which he claimed is a fundamental right granted by the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution. The court rejected this idea, finding that the "plain test" of Sec. 7345 does not impose a prohibition on international travel. Instead, Sec. 7345 merely gives the IRS the power to certify the existence of a seriously delinquent tax debt based on the presence of certain tax-related facts and requires it to send the certification to Treasury and inform the taxpayer that the certification has been made. The power to revoke or deny a passport to a taxpayer is given by another provision, Section 32101(e) of the FAST Act, to the Secretary of State. Consequently, only the Secretary of State can revoke or deny a passport, and its authority to do so does not come from Sec. 7345. The Tax Court noted that Rowen had gone to great lengths in trying to show that travel is a fundamental right and the infringement of it is therefore subject to strict scrutiny. Regardless of the nature of the right to travel internationally (fundamental or not) and regardless of the standard of review under the Constitution (strict scrutiny, intermediate scrutiny, or rational basis), the court found that Sec. 7345, which merely provides for the certification of certain tax-related facts and does not restrict in any manner the right to international travel, does not violate the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment. Furthermore, because the constitutionality of the authority granted to the secretary of State by FAST Act Section 32101(e) was not before it, the court expressed no view on that issue. UDHR: Rowen observed that, under Article 13 of the UDHR, "(1) [e]veryone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state" and "(2) [e]veryone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country." He also argued that in Sosa v. Alvarez-Machain, 542 U.S. 692, 734-35 (2004), the Supreme Court held that the UDHR binds the United States as a matter of international law. The Tax Court found that this latter statement was simply wrong because in Sosa, the Supreme Court was not referring to the UDHR but to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Regardless, the Tax Court found that it did not need to address the UDHR argument for the same reason as it did not need to address the Fifth Amendment argument, because Sec. 7345 does not impose any limits on the right to travel. Reflections A concurring opinion noted that the majority had treated Rowen's challenge as a challenge only to Sec. 7345, rather than the entire scheme set out in Section 32101 of the FAST Act. The concurring judge found that based on the facts and Rowen's pleadings, it had rightfully limited its consideration to Sec. 7345 and had properly decided the case. However, the concurring judge wrote to emphasize his belief that the majority's opinion did not foreclose a constitutional challenge in the Tax Court, "in a future case with appropriate facts and squarely presented arguments," to the entire tax collection mechanism created by the FAST Act, under the jurisdiction granted to the Tax Court in Sec. 7345(e)(1). Rowen, 156 T.C. No. 8 (2021) Editor: Mary Van Leuven, J.D., LL.M. Last year, certain jurisdictions introduced bills that would have imposed new taxes on revenues from digital advertising or expanded the state sales tax base to include sales of digital advertising. This year, similar bills, as well as new proposals aimed at sales of personal data and social media providers, are popping up across the country. Maryland recently became the first state to enact such a tax when on Feb. 12, 2021, the Maryland Senate joined the House of Delegates and voted to override Gov. Larry Hogan's veto of H.B. 732. Effective for tax years beginning after Dec. 31, 2020, H.B. 732 imposes a tax on a person's annual gross revenues derived from digital advertising services in Maryland. Legal challenges have already been filed alleging that the new tax violates the federal Internet Tax Freedom Act, P.L. 105-277, and the U.S. Constitution's Commerce Clause. States considering similar legislation are likely following the litigation closely. As of this writing, there was legislation pending that would push the effective date of Maryland's digital advertising tax to tax years beginning after Dec. 31, 2021. Digital advertising services taxes Certain states have pending proposals similar to the new Maryland law that would impose tax on persons deriving revenue from digital advertising services. In other states, proposals are targeted to digital advertising revenues earned by social media providers. One state, New York, has proposed bills that would expand the state's sales and use tax to sales of digital advertising. In the social media space, a bill has been introduced in Connecticut (H.B. 5645) that would impose tax on a social media provider's apportioned annual gross revenue derived from social media advertising services in the state. Revenue from the tax would be dedicated, in part, to funding online bullying prevention efforts and training for social isolation and suicide prevention. Two other Connecticut bills, S.B. 821 and H.B. 6187, propose to raise a number of taxes generally and would also adopt a new 10% tax on the annual gross revenues derived from digital advertising services in the state for any business with annual worldwide gross revenues exceeding $10 billion. At this point, these are purely intent bills that do not include any language on the tax rate, apportionment, or other details on the proposed taxes. Indiana H.B. 1312 would adopt a new social media surcharge tax imposed on social media providers that have annual gross revenues from social media advertising services in Indiana of at least $1 million and have more than 1 million active account holders in Indiana. The surcharge would be equal to (1) the annual gross revenue derived from social media advertising services in Indiana in a calendar year multiplied by 7%, plus (2) the total number of the social media provider's active Indiana account holders in a calendar year multiplied by $1. To determine the amount of annual gross revenue derived from social media advertising services in Indiana, a taxpayer would apportion its revenue, using a formula that looks at Indiana social media advertising revenues over annual gross revenues from social media advertising services in the United States. There is no guidance in the bill on how to determine when revenue from social media advertising services is attributable to Indiana. Revenues from the surcharge tax would be contributed to a new fund called the "online bullying, social isolation, and suicide prevention fund." In New York, A.B. 734 and S.B. 302 would extend the state's sales and use tax to sales of digital advertising, except sales for resale. The definition of "digital advertising services" includes "banner advertising, search engine advertising, interstitial advertising, and other comparable advertising services which markets or promotes a particular good, service, political candidate or message." The revenues from the sales tax would be used to provide zero-interest refinancing of eligible student loans, and the tax would be repealed after five years. New York S.B. 1124, which is nearly identical to the Maryland legislation, would impose tax on the annual gross revenues derived from providing digital advertising services in New York. Similarly, Montana H.B. 363 would impose a 10% tax on annual gross revenue derived from digital advertising services in Montana. The tax would apply only to persons with at least $25 million in worldwide annual gross revenue from digital advertising services and with some receipts from Montana advertising services. Finally, there are several proposals in Massachusetts. House Docket 3210 would impose tax on a taxpayer with at least $50 million in annual gross revenues and $100,000 in revenues derived from Massachusetts digital advertising services, with a rate ranging from 5% to 15%, depending on the taxpayer's annual gross revenues. Digital advertising services would be sourced to Massachusetts if they appear on a user's device with an IP address located in Massachusetts, or if the user is known or reasonably presumed to be using the device in the state. Massachusetts House Docket 3601 would impose a 5% excise tax on the annual revenue from digital advertising services in Massachusetts for companies with revenue exceeding $25 million from those services. Again, a digital advertising service would be deemed to be provided in Massachusetts if it is received on a user's device with an IP address located in Massachusetts. House Docket 3558, in contrast, would establish a special commission to conduct a comprehensive study relative to generating revenue from digital advertising that is displayed inside of Massachusetts by companies that generate over $100 million a year in global revenue. The commission would be required to file its report not later than Feb. 15, 2022. House Docket 3522 and House Docket 3812 purport to impose new taxes on online or digital advertising, but the draft legislation has not yet been released for either bill. Bills imposing taxes on sales of personal information Other proposals focus on taxing revenues from sales of personal data. In Washington, H.B. 1303, if enacted, would extend the business and occupation tax to "every person engaging within this state in the business of making sales of personal data or exchanging personal data for consideration." The tax would be "equal to the gross income of the business multiplied by the rate of 1.8 percent." Gross income from the sale of personal information attributable to Washington state would be calculated using a ratio "expressed as a percentage, that the number of Washington addresses in the personal information bears to all addresses in the personal information," provided that only personal information used to generate income of the business is considered in the calculation. If the taxpayer is unable to attribute the gross income of the business using this method, a population method or some other reasonable method must be used to allocate receipts to Washington. In Oregon, a state that does not impose a sales and use tax, proposed H.B. 2392 would impose a 5% gross receipts tax on the privilege of engaging in the business of selling taxable personal information at retail in Oregon. The tax base would include consideration from other than cash and cash equivalents and is based on receipts generated from selling personal information of individuals with an Oregon IP address. Personal information is defined to include information that "identifies, relates to, describes or is capable of being associated with an individual," not to include photographs. New York A.B. 946 and S.B. 3790 would impose a 5% tax on the gross income of any corporation that derives income from the data that individuals of the state of New York share with the corporation. The funds from this tax are to be directed to a new "data fund" intended to eventually be distributed back to New York taxpayers so that they might "share in the wealth that is created from their data" (as the justification memo for a predecessor proposal, S.B. 6102, put it). The bills provide no substantive guidance on how the tax would be implemented. In Indiana, proposed H.B. 1572 is unique in that it imposes an annual registration fee on social media providers that derive economic benefit from personal data that individual subscribers share with the providers. Only social media providers that maintain a public social media platform, derive some economic benefit from the data of Indiana individuals, and have more than 1 million active Indiana account holders would be subject to the fee. "Social media platform" is defined to mean "a website or Internet medium that allows account holders to create, share, and view user-generated content through an account or profile; and primarily serves as a medium for users to interact with content generated by other third party users of the medium." However, social media platforms do not include email or online newspapers. An "Indiana account holder" is defined to include account holders who used an IP address located in Indiana to establish their account or with information that indicates a current residence in the state. The fee would be calculated by multiplying the number of the social media provider's active Indiana account holders in a calendar year by $5. Interestingly, the bill does not define the term "active" or "active account holder," nor does it provide that the number of active account holders used in the fee calculation will be limited to those account holders from which the taxpayer actually derives economic benefit. In other words, it is conceivable that a taxpayer could derive economic benefit from only a small number of Indiana account holders but have over 1 million Indiana "active account holders" and still be subject to a fee of at least $5 million. Considerations Whether any of these bills will be enacted is yet to be determined, but the sheer number of proposals this year indicates that they have captured the attention of state legislators. The states that are proposing taxes very similar to Maryland's will likely be watching closely as the litigation unfolds. The states that are considering taxes on revenues from the sales of personal information should be thinking about whether those taxes would face similar legal challenges. EditorNotes Mary Van Leuven, J.D., LL.M., is a director, Washington National Tax, at KPMG LLP in Washington, D.C. For additional information about these items, contact Ms. Van Leuven at 202-533-4750 or mvanleuven@kpmg.com. Contributors are members of or associated with KPMG LLP. The information in these articles is not intended to be written advice concerning one or more federal tax matters subject to the requirements of Section 10.37(a)(2) of Treasury Department Circular 230 because the content is issued for general informational purposes only. The information is of a general nature and based on authorities that are subject to change. Applicability of the information to specific situations should be determined through consultation with your tax adviser. The articles represent the views of the author or authors only, and do not necessarily represent the views or professional advice of KPMG LLP. PITTSFIELD A juvenile driver and a 19-year-old passenger were arrested Monday after a vehicle reported stolen in Alabama led deputies from Calhoun and Pike counties in a pursuit. According to Sheriff David E. Greenwood, Calhoun County deputies first spotted the vehicle that had been reported stolen from Lawrence County, Alabama, but the driver fled. A pursuit entered Pike County, where a deputy conducted a pit maneuver short for pursuit intervention technique in which a car is forced to turn sideways quickly, which causes a driver to lose control and stop. DUPO The Illinois Department of Transportation announces that all lanes in both directions of Interstate 255 from Illinois 3 in Dupo to just north of Illinois 157 will encounter intermittent restrictions to one lane in each direction during daytime hours only beginning Wednesday, June 2, through Friday, June 11, weather permitting. Work will be suspended between the hours of 6-9 a.m. on the southbound/westbound lanes and 3-6 p.m. on the northbound/eastbound lanes. These lane closures are necessary for investigations of the pavement. HARRISBURG As coronavirus cases rose and Pennsylvania counties were flooded with millions of mail ballot applications last fall, election directors were desperately searching for ways to help pay for the extraordinary costs brought on by the pandemic. They turned to private philanthropy when it became apparent the Republican-led General Assembly wasnt going to help them cover COVID-related expenses like sneeze guards, hazard pay for poll workers, or more staff to handle the deluge of mail ballots from voters who didnt want to risk exposure by voting in person. Now, some of those same GOP lawmakers are moving to ban local election administrators from applying for private donations. All 67 of Pennsylvanias counties were invited to apply for a Center for Tech and Civic Life grant after Facebook Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, donated an initial $250 million to the nonprofit. Of the counties that applied including 13 that former President Donald Trump won in 2020 all received what they requested or more. We had no issues with receiving those dollars or using those dollars, Juniata County Commissioner Alice Gray, a Republican, told Spotlight PA and Votebeat. Her county which Trump won with 80% of the vote received $11,364 to spend on poll workers, cleaning supplies and temporary staff. (Voters) were being kept safe, Gray said. Safety was the primary goal. Experts and local officials say the issue underscores the need for the state and federal governments to step up and help fund election departments that have been battered as the voting process has become more complex and expensive. State lawmakers offered no financial help last year for COVID-related election expenses. Congress, meanwhile, allocated $14 million for the Pennsylvania Department of State to spend on election-related costs through the CARES Act, which amounted to $1.60 per registered Pennsylvania voter. But a contingent of right-wing Republicans says the grants were fundamentally unfair because Democratic-leaning counties got more money. Election directors in those areas used those funds to offer voters additional ways to cast a ballot, such as by opening satellite offices and making drop boxes available. I just felt, ethically, it was disturbing to me that the private grant distribution was happening and it was not happening evenly between counties, said Rep. Eric Nelson (R., Westmoreland), who, with several other state House lawmakers, unsuccessfully sued three majority-Democrat counties last fall in an attempt to block them from accepting or spending the grant money. Nelson, who signed a letter asking Pennsylvanias congressional delegation to reject the states electors for President Joe Biden, said prohibiting counties from accepting outside grant money is one way to restore voter confidence and bring integrity back to elections. With two other Republicans, he plans to introduce legislation that would require any philanthropic donations earmarked for election administration to be funneled through the Department of State, which would distribute that money among all 67 counties based on voting-age population. In a statement, the Center for Tech and Civic Life said it is a nonpartisan organization backed by Republicans, Democrats, and nonpartisan officials, and noted that all election offices were eligible to apply for grants. Private funding is used to supplement a variety of government services where there are funding shortfalls, including schools and libraries, Executive Director Tiana Epps-Johnson said by email. We hope that as states consider the issue of private funding, they solve the real long-standing problem, which is making sure that election departments are fully funded so they are able to deliver a professional, inclusive, secure voting process for all of their voters. Republican Al Schmidt, one of three commissioners tasked with administering elections in Philadelphia, echoed that statement. On the one hand, (lawmakers) wont help fund the counties to do their job, which is to make sure eligible voters votes get counted, he said. But on the other hand, they dont want anyone else to fund it either. A blessing at a crucial time Pennsylvania counties and the Department of State received nearly $25 million from the Center for Tech and Civic Life, which allowed election administrators in all 50 states to apply. The Department of State received an additional $13 million from another nonprofit Zuckerberg donated to, The Center for Election Innovation & Research, to spend on voter education. Of the 23 counties that received CTCL funding, a majority of voters in 13 picked Trump in 2020. Those counties received, on average, about $1 per registered voter, while 10 counties Biden won received, on average, about $5 per registered voter. Philadelphia and its collar counties, as well as Allegheny County, received the most funding. In post-election reports submitted to CTCL, county election directors repeatedly thanked the organization, saying the funds were a blessing and a great benefit that came at a crucial time. We would have had to go to county taxpayers several times without this, Erie County Executive Director Kathy Dahlkemper wrote. It permitted us to build capacity for the next five years. In Pennsylvania, elections are largely paid for and run by the counties, and county election directors and commissioners repeatedly asked for more financial resources during House State Government Committee election oversight hearings held earlier this year. Private money was never meant to be a long-term fix to what has been decades of underfunding election administration, said Jennifer Morrell, a former local election official in Colorado and Utah and a partner at The Elections Group. It was a Band-Aid to get us through a really difficult, challenging year. The bulk of the funds were spent on equipment to help process mail ballots high-speed scanners, on-demand ballot printers, envelope openers and on temporary staff for the same purpose. The grants were also used for drop boxes, poll worker training and recruitment, cleaning supplies, satellite office rentals and personal protective equipment. At least one county said that without the grant money to purchase equipment, workers wouldnt have been able to finish counting ballots by the end of election night. And while many of the expenses were unique to the pandemic and likely wont be needed in the future, local officials said they anticipate higher costs in future years, including to recruit poll workers, something several counties struggled with during the May primary. Many expenses related to mail voting are also still unknown, as its hard to predict how many people will vote this way in the years to come. And officials are preparing for costs to rise with any changes legislators make to the Election Code. We are beyond the circumstance where election officials can do more with less, said Matthew Weil, the director of the Elections Project at the Bipartisan Policy Center. They are scraping at the bottom. Strings attached? Nelson, the Republican lawmaker, said he took particular issue with the conditions attached to the Center for Tech and Civic Lifes grant money. Each county was required to submit a Safe Voting Plan that outlined how much money it needed and how that money would be spent. Counties received the money with the understanding that it would be spent on the things outlined in their plans, according to contracts reviewed by Spotlight PA and Votebeat. Philadelphia, which received $10 million from CTCL, submitted a plan saying it was committed to working to secure more than 800 polling places on Election Day, and CTCL said if that goal wasnt achieved, commissioners would be required to provide a rationale for why the city had fewer than 800 polling places. Nelson said that meant strings were attached, which sets a bad precedent. Imagine, Nelson said, attempting a comparison during a House State Government Committee meeting, if the NRA shows up before an election with $2 million and a private contract that will outline how Westmoreland County is going to run their election? But Schmidt, the Republican commissioner from Philadelphia, said the plan was always to open more polling places after the city limited the number of sites for the 2020 primary due to the pandemic. At the end of the day, we did nothing to distort the outcome of the turnout in Philadelphia or anything like that. It was about helping us do our job, Schmidt said. Nelson said he doesnt want to ban private donations altogether as other Republican legislatures have done. Instead, he wants the funding distribution to be overseen by the Department of State, which under his proposal would be tasked with dispersing money to all 67 counties evenly based on their voting-age population. The department would also be prevented from accepting any funding unless it is free from any policy-oriented conditions or restrictions, according to a memo Nelson released seeking support from his colleagues. Consistency across the state of Pennsylvania in how we approach elections is extremely important, Nelson said, adding he heard from constituents who were upset about the inequitable distribution of funds. But because counties set their own budgets and have varying tax bases, funding for elections has never been and will never be uniform, Schmidt said. The solution could possibly be that the other counties shouldve sought CTCL funding and be reaching out to every possible source of funding they could get to help their voters vote, he said. State and federal lawmakers could also include funding for local election offices in their budgets, he said: Theres nothing that stops the state from better funding elections. Pennsylvania lawmakers are expected to reveal their proposed budget in June, and Nelson said he was fairly confident it would include additional dollars for local election departments. Rep. Seth Grove, the Republican chair of the state House committee that considers election bills, acknowledged in a recently published report that Act 77, which created no-excuse mail voting in 2019, burdened counties with an unsustainable election system, both financially and practically. Easing Act 77s administrative and financial burden on counties should be at the forefront of improvements to the Election Code, Grove wrote. Nelson said he hoped Groves proposed election changes, which are expected to be unveiled soon, would also include reforms that would reduce the cost of running elections. Several conservative GOP members have filed bills seeking to end voting by mail, which would save counties money in postage, printing and mailing costs, staffing, and equipment. Grove did not respond to a request for comment, but he described mail ballots as popular to The Inquirer and said mail voting is not going away. Morrell, from The Elections Group, said states that have implemented universal mail voting have seen savings in the long run because theyve been able to reduce costs associated with opening polling locations. Thats like sticking your head in the sand, Morrell said about the proposal to eliminate mail voting. If you want a majority of the electorate to participate, then you do need to fund the things you neglected to fund for years. And while theres a third option for paying for elections counties can raise taxes with voter approval many officials are hesitant to do so, especially when they already have to compete for funds with public works, human services, and other county departments. I think weve all realized now (election administration has) got to be prioritized more than it has been, Morrell said. A few weeks after receiving the second dose of a coronavirus vaccine, Debora Lima returned to an old routine: She pulled out her phone and requested an Uber ride so she could meet friends for dinner. But instead of getting a ride within five minutes as she had expected, Uber surprised Lima with a 19-minute wait and a pricey fare. It was not a one-time glitch. Lima, a 28-year-old Miami resident, used to plan on spending $100 a month for frequent Uber trips. Just two recent rides ate through half her monthly budget. As the coronavirus pandemic appears to recede in the United States and more people return to traveling, socializing and using ride-hailing apps, they are discovering that those cheap and quick rides have become more costly and not so readily available. Customers around the country say they have been startled by the price jumps. In some cases, they say, their Uber rides from airports cost as much as their plane tickets. Uber and its top rival, Lyft, acknowledge that prices are up and wait times are longer, but they will not provide specifics. A recent analysis by research firm Rakuten Intelligence found that the cost of a ride was 37% higher in March than it was a year ago. In April, the cost was up 40%. Like many other industries, ride-hailing outfits say prices are up because they cannot find enough workers. But more than most other types of companies, Uber and Lyft can nimbly pass the cost of finding those workers in their case, drivers who are treated as contractors directly to their customers. When there are not enough drivers to meet demand, the companies pay them more, sometimes resorting to so-called surge pricing to lure drivers to areas where demand is high. Some recent surges have made prices jump 50% or more, said Daniel Ives, managing director of equity research at Wedbush Securities. By Uber and Lyft organizing themselves with the drivers being contractors, in a sense they have put the riders in the position of employing these contractors, said Wendy Edelberg, director of the Hamilton Project and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. Every time we open our Uber app, maybe we feel a little bit like the small business that cant fill the vacancy after putting up the Help Wanted sign. A view from Clwyd Souths Member of the Senedd Wrexham.com has invited Wrexham & Clwyd South constituency Members of Parliament and Members of the Senedd to write a monthly article with updates on their work in Parliament and the Senedd, and closer to home. (You can view an archive here). Clwyd South MS Ken Skates writes I am honoured to have been returned as Member of the Senedd for Clwyd South on May 7, and would like to start my first column since the election by thanking everyone who supported me and put their continued faith in a Welsh Labour Government led by First Minister Mark Drakeford. The results across Wales were a clear endorsement of the way the Welsh Government and First Minister have handled the pandemic, and we have continued to see the benefits since. The success of Wales vaccination roll-out has been well documented, and we are now the best-performing country in the world for first doses. We have also seen a number of new daily records set for second doses over the past week or so. As England began vaccinating 30 and 31-year-olds a few days ago, more than half of 18 to 29-year-olds in Wales had already had their first jab. You can track the progress of the Welsh programme in an interactive graph here. Here in North Wales, thanks to the incredible efforts of Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board staff and their partners, more than 80% of adults have received a first dose of the vaccine and around half have now had both. We are now well on course to hit our target of giving all adults their first jab by the end of July more than a month early. The First Minister was in Clwyd South again last week to visit Llangollen and meet with the chair and lead officer for the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty which will become the first new National Park in Wales in almost 65 years. One of Welsh Labours pledges for North Wales prior to the election was that the next Welsh Government would create the National Park in the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley to combat the climate emergency and create new jobs. The Welsh Government has already safeguarded 165,000 Welsh jobs during the pandemic, and this project which includes creating a National Forest that extends from North to South Wales will help to create sustainable jobs while building on our strong record on the environment. As well as a celebration of our areas unique natural beauty, the National Park in Clwyd South will further boost tourism an industry so vital to our area and support the green economy. Before the election I pledged that Clwyd South would remain my priority, and since being returned I have continued to focus on local issues. These include the campaign for a new health centre in Cefn Mawr and speeding in Ruabon over the past few days, as well as arranging visits to local businesses. I have also written to the Economy Minister Vaughan Gething to ask what further support the Welsh Government can provide to help efforts to get Llangollen Railway back up and running and will next week be meeting with the new Police and Crime Commissioner for North Wales, Andy Dunbobbin. Although I am unable to hold public surgeries at present, my team and I are still here to help. If you need advice or support, please email ken.skates@senedd.wales and include your home address and a contact number. You can also find regular coronavirus updates on my Facebook page and sign up to my weekly newsletters here. Wrexham.com has invited Wrexham & Clwyd South constituency Members of Parliament and Members of the Senedd to write a monthly article with updates on their work in Parliament and the Senedd, and closer to home. (You can view an archive here). A Jessup-based Scout troop expects to retire more than 5,000 American flags at a solemn ceremony June 12 an exercise of respect for the flag and those who fought or died defending it. Scouts BSA Troop 34, made up of about 19 Scouts mostly from the Midvalley, has been working in recent weeks to replace worn American flags and damaged veterans grave markers at nine area cemeteries on behalf of American Legion Post 411 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5544, both in Jessup, and American Legion Post 327 in Olyphant. With the worn flags gathered from cemeteries, collected from a drop box in front of American Legion Post 411 and amassed from community members over the past two years, Assistant Scoutmaster Andy Piasecki said the troop should retire between 5,000 and 6,000 flags at the June 12 ceremony. That ceremony is scheduled for 11 a.m. at Jessup Hose Company 1. The troop will also participate in another flag retirement ceremony June 26, hosted by the Northeast Detachment Marine Corps League in Scranton. Isaac Walker, 16, of the Eynon section of Archbald, has been involved in Scouting for about half his life. A member of Troop 34, Isaac said a flag retirement ceremony is something everybody should witness at least once. For me personally, I find it disrespectful to see a tattered flag and to see a symbol of our nation just poorly taken care of, he said. Thats why we do the flag retirements and replace flags at cemeteries. According to the U.S. Flag Code, the flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning. Thats how the flags will be retired at both ceremonies. When we do the flag burning, were actually laying to rest the U.S. flag, Piasecki said. Its because were honoring the flag ... and were also showing respect to veterans and the sacrifices they made, so we really get the Scouts to acknowledge that. Isaac needs no reminder. As an older Scout, he said he likes teaching younger Scouts about the flag, what it symbolizes and how to handle and treat it with respect. That just goes along with it in my mind, he said. Editor: Lou Barletta has announced he will run for governor of Pennsylvania. I happened to catch what was about a five-minute interview the former Hazleton mayor and congressman did on a local TV news shows. In the span of that short interview Barletta told two big lies. First, he complained about write-in ballots. He is perplexed in the middle of a pandemic that people wanted to avoid polling places. Then he said this method of voting allowed people to vote from the grave. That is lie No. 1. While there were, to my knowledge, a few cases of ballots being removed because the voter was deceased, there is no evidence anywhere that this affected the outcome. Then on background the interviewer noted that Barletta had told him he accepts that Joe Biden is president, but does not concede that former President Donald Trump lost. That is lie No. 2. Trump lost and Barlettas perpetuation of the big lie is dangerous to democracy. Barletta mentioned he is running for his kids and grandkids. He should set a better example for them by not telling lies. Hopefully, he will be rejected like when he ran for U.S. senator in 2018. GERALD CASTANZO SCRANTON Editor: In reacting to my letter regarding Rep. Dan Meusers frustration with the president (Poorly aimed appeal, May 3), Edward Zendell affirmed my argument that Meuser is pro-death (Safety really control, May 20). Meusers Republican Party has blocked numerous gun safety efforts while pushing laws that made us less safe. Just recently in Pennsylvania, Republicans moved to negate local ordinances that require gun owners to report lost or stolen guns and to allow people to openly carry guns without a permit. Countless mass shootings have occurred and, sadly, will continue unless we stop denying the problem. For example, apologists deny that there were mass murders during President Trumps years, thus proving that no new laws are needed. Actually, the deadliest shooting in history took place in 2017 in Las Vegas and there were many others that year and the next. Trumps pandemic should have produced fewer events since nearly everything was closed, but, using the definition provided by the Gun Violence Archive, which counts the wounded, we had 611 mass shootings, making 2020 the most violent year ever. Awash in illegal handguns, individual gun deaths in many communities spiked too. America already has about 400 million guns; why do we need so many? Maybe ads in gun magazines answer that. They feature mean-faced camouflaged white guys with military-style rifles who seem to be preparing for war, maybe against our own government or against those people? Zindell also took exception to my reference to the NRA as communist-linked. He must have missed the fact that the corrupt and broke NRA has acknowledged taking money from Russia-linked interests, some facilitated by Maria Butina, the Russian agent convicted and jailed for conspiring to infiltrate the NRA to help Trump. We can be part of the problem or the solution. Meuser is part of the problem. JOSEPH ROGAN EYNON Editor: Im tired of reading prejudiced letters about former President Donald Trump. Get over it, hes been out of office for several months. Talk about the new president. Gas prices are the highest in seven years. Consumer prices went up 4.2% in April. Israel and the Palestinians had a military engagement in Gaza and Russia is hacking U.S. gas supplies. People blame Trump for pandemic deaths, yet Democratic governors put COVID-19 patients in old age homes. Do people honestly believe President Joe Biden would have come out of his basement to go to companies to make masks, respirators and shields? People who whine about Trump must be well off or secluded. Dont throw stones in a glass house. President John Kennedy said, Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country. Thats gone down the toilet. JIM GIOVAGNOLI JESSUP Editor: I subscribed to The Times-Tribune last fall so I could cut out little high school box scores and paragraphs with my kids names in them. But it wasnt until recently, when I brought the Sunday paper outside, that I actual read it. It was something that I hadnt done for 25 years, when I began getting my news from the internet. What a pleasure it was to scroll with my own eyes. What a novel idea. In split seconds I could decide what I wanted to read and what I wanted to skip without a cursor and mouse. Theres no more annoying pop-up ads that dont go away easily; no more death spirals; no more waiting for that blue line to travel left to right; no more proving Im not a robot; no more sign-ins or keychain identifications; no more multiple scroll bars; no more teaser news articles with misleading headlines; no more clicking on the wrong conveniently placed arrows and no more temperamental mouses and cursors. The internet has abused the masses, believing we are all idiots. I dont know what the newspapers subscription trends are, but I have to believe, if given a chance, people will appreciate and flock back to a good old-fashioned newspaper. From now on, the internet can kiss my scroll bar. TERRY KOSTOFF MOOSIC Editor: With all of the available almost shovel-ready sites in the upper valley area, the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce plans to chisel out two industrial sites on an Archbald mountain. Thats another brilliant move to hold the Carbondale area down. JOSEPH WAHY CHILDS In New Jerseys beach towns, there are two sets of data that always seem to be rising: property values and sea levels. Eventually their trajectories will collide. But no one buying property seems to think it will happen. The two things that Im amazed by are the prices that people are paying and the age of the people who are paying the prices, says Allan Dechert, who has been a real estate agent for decades on the seven-mile-long barrier island that hosts, for now, Avalon and Stone Harbor. Prices in Avalon are up about 19% over the past year, according to Zillow, with an average home value of $1.9 million. With about 5,500 residential properties, Avalon has a tax base of $9 billion. Avalon is a window on the narrow upper tranche of the U.S. economy. In the 1970s, the town was a summer retreat for affluent suburbanites. They replaced modest bungalows with trademark upside-down houses simple rectangles with bedrooms on the first floor and the kitchen, dining and living spaces upstairs, the better to take advantage of the views and sea breeze. Those are being replaced by more ostentatious creations squeezed into narrow lots. When Avalons homes were more modest, the town was more diverse. The year-round population in the 1970s included the sort of people who were happy just to get by so long as they could stick close to the beach. The 21st century market is less ecumenical. Hardly anyone who works in Avalon can afford to live there. Scott Wahl, the town administrator, commutes over a bridge to work. With the year-round population dwindling, the elementary school district merged with Stone Harbors a decade ago. In effect, the island has become a gated community or, more aptly, a moated one. And that moat has an expansive agenda all its own, with remarkably little respect for property, no matter how pricey. In the nearby town of North Wildwood, local officials passed a no wake ordinance in 2018. Thats not unusual in shore towns, but this ordinance is enforced on city streets, where flooding has become chronic. It has been less than a decade since Hurricane Sandy visited devastation on the Jersey Shore. Yet the impact of all this destruction on investor psychology, waterfront development and real estate markets is hard to discern. A New Jersey government report conveys a sense of wonder. Between 2010 and 2017, it states, over 4,500 new homes, valued at approximately $4.61 billion, were built in coastal areas at risk for flooding. This development largely occurred after Hurricane Sandy and at a rate three times higher than that which occurred in safer areas. Many environmentalists were hoping that Sandy would induce a retreat from the coast. The opposite occurred: Housing in the storm-battered flood plains was not only replaced, but bigger and more expensive housing was added. A 2019 report on New Jerseys coastal risk estimates that the expected average annual loss to New Jersey from hurricane-related wind and flood damage today is likely $670 million to $1.3 billion higher than it would have been if sea levels and hurricane activity in the 1980s remained constant. Kenneth Able became director of the Rutgers University marine field station in Little Egg Harbor Township in 1987. The building, a former Coast Guard station, sits in perfect isolation, surrounded by ocean, bay and marsh. At high tide, fish swim beneath Ables office. Pointing toward a sandy spit on the ocean side, perhaps 20 yards away, Able says: That sand was marsh when I came here. The edge of that marsh there was about 40 feet further out when I came here. Thats a lot of change. ... The rate of sea level rise here is about three times the global average. The Jersey Shore real estate market seems impervious to this fact. Farther offshore are barrier islands that long ago sank beneath the waves. Stewart Farrell, director of the Coastal Research Center at Stockton University in New Jersey, likens coastal real estate to a game of musical chairs in which properties trade hands at ever-escalating prices until the water rise becomes untenable. At that point the music stops. Farrells logic sounds indisputable. The market disputes it nonetheless. Denial about climate change may be one reason for that. But the federal government, and the power that extremely affluent people, may be a more compelling explanation. It isnt an exaggeration to say that without the federal government, the coast as we know it simply wouldnt exist, writes Gilbert Gaul in The Geography of Risk, published in 2019. In the 1950s, the federal government covered just 5% of the cost of rebuilding after hurricanes. Today, it pays for 70%. And in some cases, it pays for 100%. It is no accident that the federalization of disasters coincided with the explosive development at the coasts. According to Gaul, federal taxpayers have spent more than $350 billion responding to hurricanes and coastal storms in the past decade. More than $900 million in federal, state and local money has been spent in New Jersey alone since Sandy, most of it to maintain beaches. Environmentalists generally hate this cycle because it can disrupt delicate breeding grounds and because it represents a perpetual war on nature, which would otherwise have its way with the sand. Still, beach replenishment works. It has been going on at the Jersey Shore since 1910, when the Army Corps first did a project in Cape May. A man named Ned Coll waged a decades-long battle, beginning in the 1960s, against wealthy Connecticut towns that restricted public access to the beach while scooping up tax dollars for shoreline projects. Avalon and adjacent towns charge fees to anyone who wishes to use the beach. So a visitor who has subsidized the multi-million-dollar beachfront through years of federal- and state-financed beach replenishment, pays to sit on federally engineered sand. Scott Wahl works in the narrow space between rising seas and soaring property values. Unlike the fictional mayor of Amity in Jaws, Wahl is selling preparation and resilience to his town, not denial of the threat. Flood risk and storm resiliency is not a once-in-a-while item we think about, it literally comes into daily conversations, Wahl says in an email. Wahl has met with a Dutch delegation about flood control and cultivated a team of scientists and engineers to advise the town on mitigation. His civic nips and tucks have lowered flood insurance rates for local homeowners. Avalon began planting dune grass decades ago, but its the slow creep of rising tides entering from the bay that poses the greatest threat. A Climate Central report states that Avalon already has experienced a rise of 9 inches in the past half century. Another 2-foot rise this century seems highly likely. The state of New Jersey is planning for a rise of slightly more than 5 feet by 2100. That would put half of Avalon underwater. Federal flood insurance is beginning to reflect the rising peril. When Sandy hit, we were expecting a lot more wind-related claims, says Sam Wierman, Jr., vice president of Ide Insurance Agency in Stone Harbor. But a majority of all our claims were flood-related. For the past six years or so, Wierman says, rates for older homes in low-lying areas have been rising about 25% annually. Lenore Tedesco has been director of the Wetlands Institute in Stone Harbor for a decade. As we look west out a wall of windows facing acres of marshland, she explains how a storm surge responds to different environments. Think of the incoming waves as a jar of marbles, she says. Spill them across a smooth surface, and theyll roll forever. Spill them onto a shag carpet, and theyll soon stop. A marsh, she says, is the equivalent of a shag carpet. The marsh absorbs that energy just by being there, she says. Marshes have been disappearing. Tedesco points toward the window. Thats our boathouse out there, she says. The first time the boat house had any water in it was 1986. ... Now, it floods two feet a couple times a month. Tedesco advises Stone Harbor and Avalon on mitigation efforts. Most involve increasing elevation. You build sea walls, you raise buildings, you raise roadways, you increase bulkhead ordinances. The cost is enormous. One certainty is that another disaster will arrive. In Avalon, Scott Wahl wants to place markers in prominent places, showing the peak water levels during Hurricane Sandy. He already has models. Its a testament to the human spirit, the capacity for denial, and perhaps to the insulating powers of wealth that such reminders are necessary. But theyre especially poignant in Avalon, where the street grid begins on 7th Street, adjacent to a wall of boulders holding back the sea. Streets 1 through 6 were wiped off the map in 1962. The sea has been rising ever since. FRANCIS WILKINSON writes for Bloomberg Opinion. The Williamsburg plant is the only full U.S. manufacturer of advanced air suspensions, which supports the growing market demand in the automotive vehicle market with a focus on the electric vehicle sector. The 68,000-square-foot project is expected to break ground the second quarter of this year and wrap up by the end of 2022. | Photo contributed Timothy Seth Bryant Pennington was born on January 30, 1988 in Corbin, Ky. He departed this life on June 3, 2021 to be with his Lord and Savior, whom he accepted as a young boy at his church, West Corbin Baptist. Seth was assured of his salvation and knew where he would spend his eternity. S MARISSA BERGEL, Wheeler softball, senior: Bergel hit a two-out, two-run single in the seventh inning to lift Wheeler past Holy Cross, 9-7, in the Class S state tournament. The hit was part of a five-run rally in the inning. JOEY GUARNIERI, Westerly track & field, senior: Guarnieri placed first in two sprints at the Southern Division championships. He won the 100 (11.19) and the 200 (22.73). JOSH MOONEY, Stonington track & field, sophomore: Mooney placed first in the 110 hurdles at the Class M state meet in 14.65. He also finished second in the 300 hurdles (39.87) and second in the javelin (160-0). MARGARET WEEDEN, Chariho track & field, junior: Weeden finished first in the high jump at the Southern Division championships. Weeden cleared 5-1 and also placed sixth in the triple jump at 31-5. Vote View Results Telecom giants Virgin Media and O2's 31billion merger has launched today with the newly formed firm promising to help power the nation's recovery after coronavirus. Representing the biggest UK merger in a decade and the largest UK telecoms deal ever, Virgin Media O2's parents companies Liberty Global and Telefonica were given the green light for the joint venture last week. The Competition and Markets Authority approved the deal following an in-depth investigation, concluding that concerns customers would see price hikes from the telecoms deal were unfounded. The new business becomes one of the UK's largest, with 47million connections across broadband, mobile, TV and home phone. Virgin Media and O2's merger has launched today with the firm promising to invest 10bn Nothing changes for Virgin Media and O2 customers as of today and they will be able to access all services in the same way as before both in store and digitally. However, new, joint services will be launching soon. Virgin Media O2 has also committed to invest at least 10billion over the next five years in the UK. The investment will see the business contribute to the Government's connectivity targets, upgrading infrastructure in more parts of the country and bringing more choice and competition to many areas that need it most. This includes building on its existing fibre network expansion activity and bringing 5G services to new areas across the nation - including around 200 towns and cities by the end of June. Nothing changes for Virgin Media & O2 customers today & they can access services as normal Lutz Schuler, chief executive of Virgin Media O2, said: 'We are ready to shake up the market and be the competitor the country needs at a time when choice has never been more important. 'Through investment and innovation in cutting-edge infrastructure and future technology, we will connect more people to the things they love, support communities across the country, help businesses to grow, and power the UK economy. 'We're here to upgrade the UK - and our mission starts today.' Since the merger was announced in May 2020, Virgin Media has increased its number of UK jobs and, by the end of this year, the new joint business will have created almost 2,000 new UK roles. To bring new opportunities to people across the nation the company will also create 1,000 apprenticeships. Its own fixed network currently passes 15.4million premises alongside a mobile network that covers 99 per cent of the nation's population with 4G and 180 towns and cities with 5G services. Fire crews tackle mountain blaze near Llangollen as people urged to avoid area Crews from Wrexham and Johnstown are helping to tackle a mountain fire near Llangollen. North Wales Fire and Rescue Service received a call at 1.13pm today reporting the fire, which is affecting approximately 600 square metres of gorse, in Rhewl. Appliances from Ruthin, Johnstown, Wrexham, Rhyl, Bala and Buckley, narrow access vehicles from Llanrwst, Llangollen and Denbigh, two wild fire vehicles from Abergele and one from Corwen are in attendance. Firefighters are currently using beaters and hose reels at the incident which currently involves gorse, undergrowth and forestry. A spokesperson for North Wales Fire and Rescue Service said: Fire crews are working with colleagues from Natural Resources Wales, Denbighshire Wardens from Denbighshire County Council, North Wales Police and the 4 x 4 volunteer group to bring the incident under control. A helicopter will be attending the incident shortly and will be carrying water from the Llandegla reservoir to help extinguish the fire. Please avoid this area whilst crews are dealing with the incident if you are out walking do not walk through the smoke. If you can smell smoke please close your windows and doors. Top image by Claire Douglas If you rifle through your monthly bank statement, there is a fair chance you will come across at least one or two subscriptions. From a newspaper or magazine, to the gym, to Netflix, milk deliveries, beauty boxes and flowers, we are well used to paying regularly each month for things But, there is one area in life that an awful lot of people won't have a comprehensive subscription for, and that is owning a car. Now rapidly growing online car dealer Cazoo has decided to join the ranks of those offering cars by subscription - with one all-in monthly payment for everything but the fuel and the chance to swap to a different motor in as little as six months' time. Time to subscribe? Cazoo offers new car owners the chance to sign up to a monthly subscription When it comes to buying and keeping a car, most people fork out a hefty sum each year for insurance, pay for an annual service, an MOT and car tax. Many of those things can be spread out over the months, including insurance and vehicle excise duty, and most new cars are also sold on finance schemes with monthly payments made. However, in an indicator of where some in the motor industry see sales moving to, it is possible to bundle all of these separate costs into one monthly subscription. Online car retailer Cazoo (which This is Money and MailOnline owner DMGT holds a 20 per cent stake in via its DMG Ventures arm) is launching a subscription service for anyone buying a new car via their website. It joins rival operations from a specialist called Wagonex, a handful of leasing firms, and even some car manufacturers, including Jaguar Land Rover and Volvo. Of course, such a scheme will not be suitable for everyone and many who crunch the numbers might find it cheaper to go down the traditional PCP finance route. However, subscriptions offer an ease and flexibility that could see a Fiat 500 delivered to your door for 269 a month, a Jaguar F-Pace for 850, or a Tesla Model 3 for 949, all bills included, and the opportunity to swap in a relatively short time (although prices may rise if you want that freedom). Cazoo joins the car subscription market Cazoo has rapidly grown since launch to become one of the UK's biggest overall used car dealers and its largest online one - and in December it bought subscription car service Drovers. That has led Cazoo to branch out into new subscription cars. This, the company says, gives consumers an 'all-inclusive' car subscription offering, which includes insurance, maintenance, servicing and road tax in one monthly payment. The chief rivals to Cazoo's scheme are Wagonex, some leasing firms, and the limited number of car makers who also offer subscription services, including Jaguar Land Rover and Volvo. Services differ slightly, with Cazoo and Jaguar Land Rover offering cars for a minimum of six months, Care by Volvo stating it has a minim three-month notice, and Wagonex offering some cars with a minimum one month period. Jaguar Land Rover offers four different subscription packages that give access to different levels of car: The 850 blue monthly fee gets an F-Pace, Discovery Sport or Evoque How does this stack up? If you decide to buy a new car eligible for the subscription service via Cazoo's website, you will be able to choose from a contract length of between six to 24 months. The new car you select can be delivered to your door in as little as 72 hours, or be collected at a convenient time at one of Cazoo's 17 hubs. As part of the monthly subscription, Cazoo says customers buying a new car will get fully comprehensive insurance cover, servicing, maintenance, road tax and 24/7 roadside assistance. For more affordable options, a hybrid Fiat 500 model will cost from around 269 a month, while a Vauxhall Corsa will be around the 319 a month mark. Subscriptions come with a 1,000 miles monthly allowance and a seven-day money back guarantee. At the end of the contract, subscribers will be able to return the car, switch it for another one or keep it on a rolling contract. Options: Subscribers to Cazoo's subscription can collect their vehicle or get it delivered The cost of Cazoo's new car monthly subscription service depends on a number of factors like the model of the car and the contract length - and you must pay two months' deposit upfront. For instance, on a 24 month contract, a Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus could cost from around 949 a month, while an Audi A5 will cost around 579 a month. But prices go up if you want a shorter minimum period of time to have the car. So, a Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus is 1,429 on a minimum six-month contract and an Audi A5 is 759. By comparison, a Tesla Model 3 Standard range Plus costs 40,990 to buy and the electric car maker offers a 4.9 per cent PCP finance deal at 796 per month over the shortest possible 24 month period for those putting down a 6,000 deposit. With the 6,000 deposit averaging out at 250 per month, this gives the Tesla option an average monthly price of 1,046 over the 24 months, meaning that Cazoo's 949 offer compares favourably. However, those taking the Tesla PCP option have the opportunity to purchase the car with a balloon payment at the end and if it depreciates by less than the amount financed, could find themselves with some equity. Over 24 months, Audi offers a similar two door A5 coupe to the Cazoo deal on a 3.9 per cent PCP with a 3,756 deposit and 5,000 Audi deposit contribution at 689 per month. With the deposit averaging out at 156.50 per month, monthly costs over 24 months would be 845.50. Savvy new car buyers may be able to get better deals than those advertised on manufacturer's websites, however, and the Cazoo cars may not be brand new zero mile cars, with some listed as 20 plate motors with delivery miles on them. Any eligibility criteria to be aware of? To get a car subscription via Cazoo, a driver will need to be 25 or over, other firms and manufacturers will operate similar policies but ages may differ. After applying to be part of a subscription service, the provider will review your driving history and run a few affordability checks. Applicants can expect a fairly rapid decision. What are the benefits of a subscription service? For some customers, car subscriptions could be a good way of getting access to a car without the tie-ins or responsibilities of ownership or leasing. Subscribers also avoid having to deal with depreciation, as they never own the car. The boss of Cazoo says a subscription service like the one his company has launched offers customers 'flexibility and convenience'. Alex Chesterman OBE, founder and chief executive of Cazoo, said: 'It is clear from our research that a a comprehensive and simple car subscription offering is long overdue. 'The launch of our subscription service means we can now offer consumers both new and used cars and the choice to either purchase, finance or subscribe, all entirely online. 'This is another step forward in our mission to deliver the best and most comprehensive car subscription player in Europe with over 6,500 subscribers.' In fact, the company has already rolled out its subscription service in France and Germany, following its acquisition of Drover and Cluno earlier this year. Across Europe, Cazoo already has 6,500 subscribers, but is looking to grow this number significantly. It is worth noting, however, that for all the talk of cars by subscription being the way forward, major car makers have not made a meaningful push into the space. Efforts so far have more like dipping their toes in the subscription car waters. Speaking to This is Money, Jim Holder, editorial director at What Car?, said: 'Subscription services that bundle car payments, insurance, roadside cover and any servicing and maintenance fees under a single offer buyers a convenient and simple path to car ownership. 'They take away the hassle of negotiating for a vehicle price, searching for the right insurance provider and having to pay for servicing on an ad hoc bass. They also help buyers budget their finances better, knowing how much their vehicle is set to cost them each month.' Any extra costs and things to watch out for? While a subscription service for a car may suit some people, it won't be for everyone, particularly those who like to really shop around themselves for the most suitable car insurance deal, for instance. Plus, the subscription service clearly can't cover every single cost involved in running a car, and in particular, fuel. Any toll and congestion charges will of course also need to be paid for separately. Other extra potential costs also need to be considered, but this will not apply to every subscriber. If a Cazoo new car subscriber is likely to drive more than 1,000 miles a month, they will need to pay extra. Subscribers can choose to 1,500 monthly miles for an additional 100 per month or 2,000 monthly miles for an additional 200 a month. As with PCP deals, you need to read the small print and be careful of extra charges. If subscribers go over the agreed mileage in their package Cazoo charges 40p per mile for excess mileage if the subscription started after 18 May 2021 and 35p per mile if it started before 18 May 2021. Extras: Costs like fuel and toll and congestion charges will still need to be paid separately To take a car abroad, subscribers will also need to pay for additional EU cover from NIG which costs 36 for two weeks and 54 for one month. Drivers may also need to purchase additional breakdown cover and the cost of this depends on the length of the trip and the country travelled to. Finally, if a subscriber receives a Penalty Charge Notice they will be charged an administration fee of 20 on top of the cost of the PCN itself. Mr Holder of What Car? told This is Money: 'The potential downside to this convenience is buyers could end up paying more than if they spent the time haggling with dealers, comparing insurance premiums and searching for the right roadside cover. 'The monthly mileage limits also place additional restrictions on drivers. The sensible thing is to a bit of research comparing vehicle prices and how much it would cost to insure and service the vehicle outside the scheme before committing to a monthly subscription plan.' Who else offers subscriptions? In Britain, the subscription market for motors is still growing, but a number of providers are already up and running, including Flexed, Flexigo, Elmo, Sixt, Wagonex and Care by Volvo, for Volvo vehicles. With Flexed, for example, customers can subscribe to a car under 12 months old for as little as 28 days. Models it has available include Audis, BMWs, Renaults and Range Rovers. Options: At Flexed, drivers could subscribe to a BMW car for 28 days , then switch motors There are a number of features that all these companies offer as standard, namely breakdown cover, tax, servicing and maintenance. But, age restrictions, deposits, the inclusion of insurance and administrative charges related to PCNs or speeding fines all differ from provider to provider. Several firms offer electric vehicles, corporate usage, taxi driver-ready vehicles and single brand options, meaning that even in these early days in the British subscription market, there is plenty of choice, website carsubscriptions.org says. For anyone thinking about signing up to a car subscription service, it pays to do some research and work out whether the costs add up for your individual circumstances. If you want to change your car frequently and conveniently, then it's an option worth considering. But, if you worry about extra costs and think you'd prefer to, for instance, shop around for your own insurance and servicing provider, then more conventional buying or leasing methods could be a better fit. The global economy is set to grow at its fastest rate since 1973, according to projections from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The Paris-based think-tank has hiked its forecasts for output across the world and is predicting a rebound of 5.8 per cent in 2021, up from 5.6 per cent in March and 4.2 per cent in December. Rapid vaccination rollouts in developed countries such as Britain have helped economies start getting back to normal but the OECD warned that recoveries between nations were still very uneven, which was causing some discomfort. The OECDs chief economist, Laurence Boone (pictured) has urged governments and pharmaceutical businesses to remove barriers to vaccine production so that countries which are behind on their jabs can catch up. While wealthier regions have snapped up vaccines and have the infrastructure to inoculate citizens speedily, poorer countries are struggling with surging numbers of coronavirus cases and overflowing hospitals. This is putting the recovery at risk, the OECD pointed out. In its latest economic outlook, the organisation said: As long as the vast majority of the global population is not vaccinated, all of us remain vulnerable to the emergence of new variants. The OECD, meanwhile, bumped up its projections for the UKs growth this year to 7.2 per cent the highest in the whole of the G7 group of wealthy countries from 5.1 per cent in March. Chancellor Rishi Sunak said the upgrades were testament to the ongoing success of our vaccine rollout. Laurence Boone, the OECDs chief economist, said: The prospects for the global economy have improved considerably in recent months and the outlook is brightening. Thats thanks to progress in vaccination, economies coping better with restrictions, and massive monetary and fiscal support. However, the health situation remains highly uncertain. Global recovery: The OECD has hiked its forecasts and is predicting a rebound of 5.8 per cent in 2021, up from 5.6 per cent in March and 4.2 per cent in December The organisation urged governments and pharmaceutical businesses to remove barriers to vaccine production so that countries which are behind on their jabs can catch up. Boone said: What needs to be done to vaccinate broadly and quickly is increase production capacities. To do so, bottlenecks need to be removed, and there are licences that need to be eased on opening up production facilities and technology transfer. She added: The global loss from the pandemic will be $3trillion by the end of 2022. This is a lot, its about the size of the French economy, but its about half what we were expecting back in December. China has continued to lead the global recovery. Its growth for this year was upgraded to 8.5 per cent from 7.8 per cent in March. But India, which has been hit by a catastrophic new wave of Covid, will face further hardship and is likely to suffer permanent damage due to childrens lost schooling and increased poverty, the OECD said. Output in the US, on the other hand, is projected to grow by 6.9 per cent this year. The embattled chairman of life insurer LV has come under fire for his role in the Post Office scandal. Alan Cook was boss of the Post Office from 2006 to 2010, during which time it began the disastrous prosecution of sub-postmasters for alleged theft. Thirty-nine were found guilty, but it was later revealed there had been a fault in the firms computer system with a judge overturning the verdicts and describing the saga as one of the greatest miscarriages of justice. Questions: LV chairman Alan Cook was boss of the Post Office from 2006 to 2010, during which time it began the disastrous prosecution of sub-postmasters for alleged theft Some sub-postmasters were even jailed, despite being innocent. And now Cooks role in the affair is being scrutinised by MPs, prompting fresh questions about his future at LV. He launched the prosecutions early in his tenure at the Post Office and defended the Horizon computer system as robust and fit for purpose when questions were raised about its reliability. Gareth Thomas, chairman of the all-party committee on mutuals, said the 67-year-old needed to be held to account. Cook is already facing criticism over a proposal to demutualise LV and sell it to the private equity firm Bain Capital for 530million. Smoke billows from the MV X-Press Pearl off the coast of Sri Lanka on Monday A fire aboard a ship that triggered Sri Lanka's worst-ever marine ecological disaster was finally extinguished Tuesday after a 13-day international operation, the navy said. The near two-week inferno prompted a mammoth clean-up operation as huge volumes of microplastic granules from the Singapore-registered ship's containers inundated 80 kilometres (50 miles) of beach. The unprecedented pollution forced a fishing ban and saw thousands of troops deployed to scoop tonnes of burnt plastic from beaches. Experts from Dutch salvage company SMIT boarded the MV X-Press Pearl Tuesday and reported massive flooding of the engine rooms. Sri Lankan navy divers were also deployed to examine the hull below the waterline to check for any cracks, officials said. The fire was first reported on May 20 as the ship was about to enter Colombo port. The blaze was initially contained, but strong monsoon winds fanned the fire, forcing the crew to evacuate on May 25. Navy spokesman Captain Indika de Silva said the stern of the 186-metre (610-feet) long container carrier had gone down by about a metre because of the flooding. "It is not unusual for the vessel to trim by aft (tilt to the rear) when water sprayed on deck settles in the engine room," Silva told AFP. He said the spraying of water was stopped to prevent further flooding, but some areas of the ship were still too hot to carry out a complete examination of the vessel. Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa ordered officials to move the vessel from its anchorage near the port and move it to deeper waters in a bid to minimise further coastal damage, his office said. "Representatives from a number of fields, including shipping and the environment, pointed out that the vessel was at risk of sinking," the president's office said. "Their suggestion, then, was to take the vessel to the deep seas to minimise possible damage to the marine environment." Sri Lankan authorities fear an even greater disaster should the 278 tonnes of bunker oil and 50 tonnes of gasoil in the ship's fuel tanks leak into the Indian Ocean. - 'Worst ever' pollution - Members of Sri Lankan Navy were deployed for a mammoth clean-up operation Sri Lanka's navy was joined by India's coastguard and tugs brought in by SMIT to battle the flames, which destroyed most of the nearly 1,500 containers onboard. The three-month-old ship had 25 tonnes of nitric acid and other chemicals as well as 28 containers of plastic raw material onboard, much of which fell into the sea. Marine Environment Protection Authority chief Dharshani Lahandapura said they were still assessing the ecological damage, but believed it was the "worst ever in my lifetime". President Rajapaksa asked Australia on Monday to help with assessing the ecological damage to the island, one of the most bio-diverse countries in South Asia, his office said. The MEPA chairman Lahandapura said the crew apparently knew of a nitric acid leak on May 11, long before the vessel entered Sri Lankan water en route to Malaysia and Singapore. Sri Lanka Monday launched a criminal investigation into the fire and the marine pollution. Police spokesman Ajith Rohana said the captain and chief engineer, both Russian nationals, had been questioned for 14 hours since Monday. The third officer, an Indian national, was also questioned at length, he said, adding that a court had ordered Tuesday to impound the passports of all three pending investigations. The ship was heading to Colombo from Gujarat, India when the blaze started, having previously visited Qatar and Dubai where the containers of nitric acid had been loaded. Sri Lankan authorities suspect a leak of that acid triggered the fire. Instant unlimited access to all of our content on tillamookheadlightherald.com. The Headlight Herald E-Edition Newsletter emailed to you each week, the night before the paper hits the street! This subscription is for NEW or RENEWING online subscribers. (The charge will appear as "Country Media Inc." on your credit card statement) Tillamook, OR (97141) Today Rain likely. Low 58F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a half an inch.. Tonight Rain likely. Low 58F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a half an inch. Minister for North Wales to be strong voice in the cabinet The First Minister has detailed his expectations from the new Minister for North Wales, pointing out that a perceived imbalance between the North and South of Wales almost doesnt matter, because in politics perception becomes reality. During the election we asked all local candidates about the North v South issue, with the now Minister for North Wales Lesley Griffiths MS replying to our Q&A saying: I recognise this is a strong perception in Wrexham. Traditionally our region is more closely linked with the North West of England than the South of Wales and possibly people still feel that disconnect. I have no doubt whatsoever we receive our fair share of funding here in North Wales. In recent days the Minister for North Wales has been accompanying the First Minister across North Wales, with Friday seeing Labour Leader Kier Starmer also visiting. With a range of announcements made before the election, including the 25m Gateway project and A483 upgrades, we asked the First Minister if that was effectively it now until the next election, or if there was a more rolling programme of investment planned. We also asked if the role of the Minister of North Wales was to correct a perception of imbalance, or if it was to give a specific voice to correct a genuine imbalance? The First Minister told us, I was very keen that there will be somebody in the cabinet identified as being a voice for North Wales. Whether its a perception or reality almost doesnt matter, because in politics perception becomes reality. If people think that North Wales isnt getting a fair share, then people behave on on that basis. I was very keen to try and make sure that people in North Wales knew that there would always be a strong voice in the cabinet on any issue that the cabinet decides. The Minister for North Wales is able to read any paper at all that she feels is relevant right across the government. So if she thinks there is a North Wales interest, she can make sure that she is promoting that interest in making sure that the decision making Minister is aware of it. Ive asked her to take a particular interest in the big things that were in our Manifesto, they wont be the only things of course that happen in North Wales over the next five years, but all of them will need a five year horizon to bring about. The clinical school in the north west of Wales, thats going to be something that will build up over five years. The creation of a new National Park, I had a fantastic start to the morning meeting the chair and the lead officer for the area of outstanding natural beauty thats going to become the new national park in North Wales, there are legal processes weve got to go through, consultations with local people thats going to take this term to make it happen. The rebuilding of Theatr Clwyd, which I know is already started, but its going to be happening for a few years to come. So Ive asked Lesley to take a special interest in making sure that all of those projects are on track, that we hear regularly about them in the cabinet and then to work with the North Wales Ambition Board and other local players on what other things will happen, and will be important in the north Wales over this Senedd term. Top picture: Fat Boar staff welcome the First Minister Mark Drakeford, North Wales Minister and local MS Lesley Griffiths, and Labour Leader Kier Starmer for a spot of lunch on Friday. Dorothy Eleanor Mercer passed away on June 9, 2021 at Archbold Memorial Hospital. She was born on December 18, 1932, in Pavo to the late Early Byrd Wood and to the late Nellie Deen Wood. She was married to Eugene Mercer who precedes her in death. Survivors include her children, Leon David Mc Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-30 21:31:32|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A participant (L) of the Seeds for the Future program receives a certificate in Harare, Zimbabwe, May 28, 2021. A group of 30 students from Zimbabwe's universities on Friday completed a week-long virtual learning workshop with Huawei Zimbabwe as part of the Chinese telecom giant's Seeds for the Future program. The program is envisioned as Huawei embraces Corporate Social Responsibility in its global mission which aims to nurture young ICT professionals in host countries. (Xinhua/Tafara Mugwara) by Tafara Mugwara HARARE, May 30 (Xinhua) -- A group of 30 students from Zimbabwe's universities on Friday completed a week-long virtual learning workshop with Huawei Zimbabwe as part of the Chinese telecom giant's Seeds for the Future program. The Seeds for the Future program is envisioned as Huawei embraces Corporate Social Responsibility in its global mission which aims to nurture young ICT professionals in host countries. In addition, the program seeks to cultivate digitally resilient young people who have the skills needed to be competitive in the 21st century. The hands-on intensive learning experience took the participating students on an exciting journey that equipped them with valuable knowledge on cutting edge technologies such as 5G, Artificial Intelligence, Cloud Computing among others from top industry experts and professionals from Huawei. The participating students were also able to experience Huawei products and services through virtual tours, presentations and exchanges with Huawei executives. The students had the opportunity to take part in virtual visits to historic sites in China. Beneficiaries of the event described the program as an eye-opener that has given them a new ICT perspective and broadened their career paths. One of the outstanding students, Ronaldo Chiureki, a Civil Engineering student at the University of Zimbabwe, promised to use what he learned to contribute to the development of the ICT sector in Zimbabwe, stressing that the program had been a life changer. "We did Cloud Computing, Artificial Intelligence, 5G, cybersecurity, and a course on leadership," he said. "The one on leadership was my favorite because it helped me discover that you need purpose, you need something that keeps you going, and also it doesn't work saying that I have a dream, you have to make that a reality, something like I have a plan, I have a goal, and I actually changed my attitude from something like I have a dream to something like I have a goal." Another outstanding student, Takudzwa Tarutira, a telecommunications student at TelOne Center for Learning, said China provides a learning template to Zimbabwe's ICT players. "If we can continue engaging with the giants like Huawei, we can be able to tap their knowledge, they can be able to give us the knowledge that they have and the experience such that we as Zimbabweans can be able to adopt the technologies that China is using for the betterment of our ICT industry," he said. Best female student Mitchelle Rivha, a University of Zimbabwe Computer Science student, challenged women to penetrate the ICT and engineering sectors which are heavily male-dominated. "More ladies should get into the engineering sector, they should come to the sciences and experience it because they too can do it," she said. "If anyone else can do it, then they (girls) too have the power and the capacity to do it. I believe they can also achieve as much as the boys can achieve." Jeremiah Chakaamba, one of the best performers and a University of Zimbabwe student, said Zimbabwe has so much to benefit from adopting advanced technologies. "Taking 5G for example, if it comes to Zimbabwe right now, we are talking about driverless cars, we are talking about telemedicine, a doctor might be in India but doing an operation here in Harare, those are the possibilities that are offered by 5G, and I am very glad to be part of this program," he said. Eighty undergraduate students from different universities have benefited from the Seeds for the Future program since it was launched in Zimbabwe in 2015. Huawei Zimbabwe has been operating in the southern African country since 1999 and has played a significant role in upgrading Zimbabwe's ICT infrastructure. Enditem TROY The border with Canada has remained closed to U.S. leisure travelers since the start of the pandemic more than 14 months ago. But on Tuesday, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer said he was "beginning to see some progress" on the part of average Canadian citizens for a reopening. Schumer, in Troy to push for federal support for the Capital Region's growing video game industry, mentioned his trip four weeks earlier to Massena where he outlined a four-point plan to safely reopen the border. The plan had seemed to resonate with some Canadians. Garry Douglas, who heads the North Country Chamber of Commerce in Plattsburgh, said the efforts of U.S. elected officials may be having an effect. "We believe the strength of concern and interest expressed recently by Senator Schumer and by Representatives Elise Stefanik and Brian Higgins, along with others all along the border, has had an impact," Douglas said late last week. "Frankly, when the Majority Leader of the United States Senate comes to your border and expresses urgency about this, that has to be listened to. And so we have now seen more comments from Canadian officials, affirming planning discussions with the U.S." Schumer on Tuesday said he had called on Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to push his Canadian counterparts to adopt Schumer's plan to reopen the border. Schumer's proposal includes a public opening plan, widening the definition of who is an essential worker to include fully vaccinated individuals with family or property on the other side of the border, letting boat owners operate on waterways separating the two countries as long as they don't dock on the other side, and providing customs and border patrol officers with Covid-19 testing, vaccinations, and protective equipment. But Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, speaking at a press conference Monday in Ottawa, said he wouldn't reopen the border until he was sure it was safe for Canadians. "We're on the right path, but we'll make our decisions based on the interests of Canadians and not based on what other countries want," according to The Canadian Press. And there remains wide support for keeping the border closed. A poll last month by Vancouver, B.C.-based Angus Reid Institute found 51 percent of Canadian respondents supported a total prohibition of non-essential international travel to or from Canada. The poll, taken May 14-17, was unchanged from an April 5-8 poll. The latest monthly extension of the border closure expires June 21. Schumer said it wasn't known whether any progress toward a reopening would be made before then. Meanwhile, North Country officials were preparing to offer Covid-19 vaccinations to Canadian truck drivers and other essential workers whose work brings them into the United States. "We have the closed Beekmantown Welcome Center on I-87 just south of the border where trucks can easily stop, our health department is ready, and Customs and Border Protection at the Champlain border crossing will inform crossing truckers of the opportunity," Douglas said. "This is already being done in other states such as North Dakoka. Let's get to yes and show Canada our solidarity." A Nashville, Tenn., hat store is facing backlash after announcing on social media that it was selling yellow patches similar to the Star of David with the words "NOT VACCINATED," sparking widespread condemnation, a protest and severed business ties. Iconic hat company Stetson announced Saturday it will stop selling its merchandise at HatWRKS, the company at the center of the controversy. Goorin Bros., another prominent hat company, also announced that its distribution with HatWRKS would end immediately. "Stetson condemns antisemitism and discrimination of any kind," the company said in a statement. "As a result of the offensive content and opinions shared by HatWRKS in Nashville, Stetson and our distribution partners will cease the sale of all Stetson products." The incident, which came after a Republican congresswoman compared the House's mask rules to the Nazis' oppression of Jews, is the latest flare-up over vaccines in the United States and follows a recent spate of anti-Jewish attacks connected to the conflict between Israel and Hamas. The Instagram post advertising the badges has since been deleted by the company, but not after many people, including descendants of Holocaust victims, weighed in on the matter. Author Min Jin Lee called the badges "immoral & hurtful." "It is an anti-Semitic gesture in a time of rising anti-Semitism," she wrote on Twitter. "Our *chronic* ignorance of history, science & law allows Americans to continuously harm ourselves & others." Gigi Gaskins, who is listed as HatWRKS's owner in public records, apologized Saturday on Instagram for the merchandise resembling the badges the Nazis forced Jews to wear during the Holocaust. "In NO WAY did i intend to trivialize the Star of David or disrespect what happened to millions of people," she said. "My hope was to share my genuine concern & fear, and to do all that i can to make sure that nothing like that ever happens again." Previously, Gaskins had said people should be "outraged by tyranny" in the world and blamed her detractors for not understanding what is happening around them. In another post, she alluded to concerns about coronavirus restrictions and stated that she was a "target of the mob." Protesters gathered outside the store Saturday with a large sign that read "No Nazis in Nashville." Others sang that they didn't want the hats or the hate. "To me, it's willful ignorance," Roger Abramson, an attorney, told WSMV. "The information is out there. People are willfully ignoring facts, information and history because it doesn't fit what they want to believe or it doesn't fit some narrative they have." The company's Instagram feed shows several posts expressing hostility and misinformation on vaccination, comparing wearing masks to government suppression of citizens. More than a dozen posts were marked by Instagram as false since November. The controversy over the Star of David patches comes after recent comments from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., who in a podcast compared Democrats requiring masks to be worn on the House floor to the treatment of Jews during the Holocaust. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and other Republicans condemned Greene for the comparison. "Marjorie is wrong, and her intentional decision to compare the horrors of the Holocaust with wearing masks is appalling," he said in a statement. "The Holocaust is the greatest atrocity committed in history. The fact that this needs to be stated today is deeply troubling." BURNT HILLS In what has been an unfolding minute-by-minute long-distance crisis, John Blowers got some good news on Tuesday. It came from Kathmandu, Nepal, where his co-workers at K&A Engineering were reporting a slight flattening in what has been weeks of catastrophic increases in COVID-19 infections. Todays message was more encouraging, said Blowers, vice president of operations at the engineering firm. Hes been communicating with his Nepalese counterparts constantly for weeks and on Tuesday, it looked like the frightening rise in infections might be leveling off. In May, Blowers, along with co-workers who are both U.S.-born and from Nepal, have been watching with a combination of fear and hope as the country's coronavirus cases increased by a multiplier of 30, a rate that dwarfs those seen in western nations like the U.S. K&A is based in White Plains and has an office in Burnt Hills. The firm works with electric utilities around the world. It was founded by Nepalese immigrant Purna Kharel and its travails illustrate the global reach of the COVID-19 pandemic. It also shows the connections that many people, knowingly or not, have in their workplaces and everyday lives. The Capital Region and New York have lots of people with ties to India, where the pandemic has brought unprecedented levels of death, suffering and economic destruction. Less known, however, is that the pandemic has hit Indias smaller neighbor just as hard. A relatively poor, landlocked mountainous nation of about 30 million people, Nepal in the last month has seen positivity rates of 40 percent, with more than a half million cases and more than 7,270 deaths. For comparison, the Capital Region infection rate is now at around 1 percent. Making matters worse, Nepal doesnt have the health infrastructure found in the U.S. or even India. Vaccines have been in short supply and vaccination rates remain in the single digits. By comparison, 41 percent of the U.S. population has been fully vaccinated. Kathmandu, the countrys capital and largest city, has been on lockdown. Lockdowns also have hit Nepals important tourist sector. The country is a jumping off point for many expeditions on Mount. Everest and other Himalayan peaks in which tourists from around the world pay tens of thousands of dollars to be guided by expedition leaders and local Sherpas, an ethnic group that calls the Himalayas home. Nepalese who work in India have also returned home amid the pandemic, depriving the country of needed remittances, or money sent home from those who work abroad. K&A represents a bright spot in the struggling Nepalese economy, which has also seen a fair amount of political upheaval and in-fighting during the past several decades, including a civil war and a Maoist uprising. The company was started by Kharel, who after studying at the prestigious Pulchowk campus of Tribhuvan University, immigrated to the U.S. and started working in the power industry, including the New York Power Authority, 20 years ago. He struck out on his own in 2016 and the firm has employees all across the U.S. and the world, with several Capital Region employees. They opened up a branch in Nepal in 2019, where they have 30 employees, including a 24/7 help desk for company employees and others who need computer help. Despite its small size, Nepal has a handful of top schools that, like India decades earlier, are starting to turn out talented engineers and technical people, Blowers said. The company has been growing they were planning to expand to about 50 employees when the pandemic hit. Like the U.S., they started working from home, but the conditions seemed far harsher and more locked-down than in the U.S. To help keep spirits up Blowers and others arranged web chats with company members, playing trivia games about Bollywood movies. They have also sent them recordings of meetings to keep their spirits up. Confirmed cases of coronavirus in the Capital Region have finally returned to levels last seen before Halloween, when a new wave of infections began to swarm hospitals and kill hundreds of local residents over a period of several months. Average daily caseloads for the eight-county area dropped to 28 on Sunday, the lowest seven-day average the region has seen since Sept. 10, according to a Times Union analysis of county data. While confirmed cases tend to drop around weekends and holidays, caseloads were trending down well before Memorial Day weekend, with the region averaging 71 cases a day as of May 21 just two cases shy of the average recorded last Halloween. The share of residents testing positive for the virus is also back to pre-Halloween levels. On Saturday, the seven-day average positivity rate dropped below 1 percent for the first time since Oct. 25. On Tuesday, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo's office announced that the statewide seven-day COVID-19 positivity rate average had dropped to 0.65 percent, a new low. We are coming out of this, Albany County Executive Dan McCoy said Monday as he announced just one new COVID-19 case recorded in the county overnight. The infection rate is the lowest its been in a long time by the end of June were gonna be there. Were gonna be where we need to be and were almost there now. The good news comes as nearly 60 percent of residents in the eight-county area have received at least one dose of coronavirus vaccine and nearly 52 percent have finished their vaccine series. Individuals age 12 and up are currently eligible for the Pfizer vaccine, but clinical trials to test it on children under 12 are currently underway and the company expects it could be widely available to that age group by the fall. Public health experts have said a minimum of 70 percent of the population needs immunity for the risk of outbreaks to significantly diminish among the general population. Hospitalizations and deaths from coronavirus have fallen significantly across Albany, Columbia, Greene, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Warren and Washington counties. On Saturday, hospitals in the eight counties reported treating just 46 patients for COVID-19 a patient load they havent reported seeing since Oct. 16. During the month of May, county officials confirmed 25 deaths from the disease. Thats down from 36 reported in April, 39 in March, 151 in February and 328 in January, which was the deadliest month of the pandemic to date. However, Schenectady County announced Tuesday that a man in his 50s died after contracting the virus. Eat Greenbush Police Department EAST GREENBUSH One to two gallons of jet fuel leaked from a tanker truck that rolled over on American Oil Road in the Port of Rensselaer Monday, the state Department of Environmental Conservation said Tuesday. No impacts to the environment or drinking water were observed, DEC said. COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) The South Carolina Supreme Court on Tuesday issued an execution date for the second of two men on death row suing the state over a new law forcing inmates to choose between dying by firing squad or the electric chair. Freddie Owens execution is scheduled for June 25, according to court documents. Owens and another man on death row, Brad Sigmon, sued South Carolina earlier this month, arguing that they cant be electrocuted or shot since they were sentenced under a prior law that made lethal injection the default execution method. Their attorneys are seeking to block upcoming executions as the lawsuit works its way through the courts. The state Department of Corrections has previously said the electric chair is ready to use. But no firing squad has been established yet, with officials researching how other states carry out executions with firing squads. The court set Sigmon's execution date for June 18 last week. Sigmon's attorneys have argued that the state Supreme Court should grant a reprieve because there is pending litigation and only one current method of execution possible, the electric chair. The execution notice comes less than a month after Gov. Henry McMaster signed into law a bill aimed at restarting executions after an involuntary 10-year pause, when the state ran out of lethal injection drugs. That law would require inmates to pick either death by gunshot or electrocution if lethal injection is not an available option. Both men have run out of traditional appeals in recent months, leading the court to schedule their execution dates earlier this year, before the passage of the new law. Those dates were delayed after the corrections agency acknowledged it could not procure lethal injection drugs to carry out the executions. South Carolina is one of only nine states to still use the electric chair and the fourth to allow a firing squad. The other three states that allow a firing squad are Mississippi, Oklahoma and Utah, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. Owens, 43, was first sentenced to death in 1999 for the murder two years earlier of a gas station employee, Irene Graves, during an armed robbery. Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-31 21:03:30|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Children have fun on Dove Lane in Hotan City, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, May 27, 2020. (Xinhua/Sadat) BEIJING, May 31 (Xinhua) -- The past five years have been the best for the development of human rights in China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, a Chinese official said Monday. People's living conditions have improved remarkably and great achievements have been made in the fight against poverty in Xinjiang, Li Xiaojun, an official with the State Council Information Office, told a press conference. Xinjiang has achieved great progress in human rights development, and finger-pointing by some countries is purely out of thin air, Li said. China's ethnic minorities have enjoyed the best years in recent decades in terms of economic and social development, ethnic unity, culture, education, protection of freedom of religious belief and many other aspects. Last March, West Hazleton, Penn., Police Chief Brian Buglio summoned a man to the police station to deliver an ultimatum, federal prosecutors said. Either the man could delete Facebook posts he'd made slamming Buglio's management of the department and his officers, and refrain from making any future critical comments - or else Buglio would fabricate felony charges against him. "I said to Brian, 'Why are you doing this?'" the victim, Paul DeLorenzo, told WNEP. "He goes, 'Well, you like to post fake things and fake stories about me so, I could make up a fake arrest and put you in jail.'" Now, Buglio, 45, is facing federal charges for allegedly threatening DeLorenzo with criminal charges in retaliation for his social media posts. Buglio has agreed to plead guilty, according to court documents in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Neither Buglio nor his attorney immediately responded to messages from The Washington Post late Monday. Buglio has worked for the rural Eastern Pennsylvania department of four full-time and four part-time officers since 1996, according to the borough's website. In February 2020 several Facebook posts appeared slamming Buglio and his department in the town of nearly 4,400 residents, federal prosecutors said. (Court documents don't name the victim, but he identified himself to WNEP as DeLorenzo, who lives about 50 miles away in East Stroudsburg, Penn.). In one of DeLorenzo's posts, he wrote that Buglio had taken too long to make an arrest in a case he was involved with, WNEP reported. DeLorenzo also accused Buglio of committing a violent crime. When Buglio learned about the posts, he allegedly threatened DeLorenzo over the phone. "He called me, left me a voice mail, and said that he was going to arrest me for a crime that was being investigated for something I've never even done or had any part of," DeLorenzo told WNEP. On March 4, Buglio asked DeLorenzo to meet at the precinct, court records state, where he laid out his threats. "During the meeting, Brian Buglio acknowledged that the threatened felony charges lacked merit," according to the federal complaint. By the end of the meeting, DeLorenzo agreed to take down the posts from the social media platform and to refrain from posting any other critical messages about Buglio and his force. Both men shook hands to close the "deal" and parted ways. But DeLorenzo then called the FBI to report the chief's threats, he told WNEP. Eventually, the case was picked up by the FBI Scranton office's Public Corruption Task Force, which includes officers from the Pennsylvania State Police and the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office, along with FBI and Internal Revenue Service agents. On Thursday, federal authorities charged Buglio with one count of deprivation of civil rights. Buglio could face up to one year of imprisonment and a $100,000 fine in the case. The chief signed a plea deal in April in which he agreed to resign from his position, court records show. Cout records do not indicate when Buglio is next due in court. West Hazleton solicitor Chris Slusser told the Times Leader that he could not comment on Buglio's employment at the moment. ALBANY In a recent letter to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, three prominent legislators affirmed their expectation that changes to the states medical cannabis program passed this spring should have been implemented with urgency by the state Department of Health and not subjected to delays. The agency previously held that all updates should wait for the formation of a new regulatory body, the Office of Cannabis Management, which was outlined in the recent Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act known as the MRTA that legalized adult-use cannabis across the state and altered existing programs. The agency's delayed implementation caused confusion for many practitioners who had been told they could begin prescribing marijuana remedies for several additional medical conditions, and also for any other condition they believe would benefit from the treatment. The letters authors, state sens. Diane Savino and Liz Krueger, and Assemblyman Richard Gottfried, pointed to several "minimum" changes they said would "immediately strengthen and expand the medical cannabis program, improve patient access, and, perhaps most importantly, enable dispensaries to offer a more affordable product." They highlighted new regulations allowing patients to purchase a 60-day supply of medications, up from the current 30-day cap; allowing medical experts more clinical discretion over which conditions qualify patients for medical cannabis certification; and allowing the sale of less processed, smokable whole cannabis flower as a lower-cost medical-use alternative. In response to the May 27 letter, a Department of Health spokeswoman said it is working to implement the updates pointed out by lawmakers. "The changes to the program outlined in the MRTA require a series of regulatory and administrative changes including updates to product testing and sampling procedures as well as the programs patient certification and inventory management systems," said Jill Montag, a health department spokeswoman. New York's medical cannabis program stems from the Compassionate Care Act, passed in 2014. It has served more than 150,000 certified patients and has 3,000 registered practitioners. In a two-year report on its rollout released in 2018, the Department of Health wrote that "as neighboring states continue to implement recreational marijuana programs and New York state considers the implementation of a regulated adult-use marijuana program, it is critical for New Yorks medical marijuana program to expand access." At the time, its recommendations included "affording practitioners more clinical discretion in determining whether or not to certify patients for medical marijuana." This mirrors one of the three updates signaled in the lawmakers letter, and was addressed in the MRTA through the addition of several new conditions explicitly eligible for cannabis use certification, as well as a category left up to the practitioners discretion. "Legislators have supported all of these changes for years, but were waiting to pass adult-use (cannabis legalization) in order to improve the medical program," said Ngiste Abebe, president of the New York Medical Cannabis Industry Association and public policy director at medical cannabis provider Columbia Care. The state's current medical cannabis providers, including Columbia Care, have also been looking forward to these changes for a while. "New York has long been considered one of the more restrictive programs, and so these are a few elements that make it less restrictive," said Stephen Dahmer, the chief medical officer for another provider, Vireo Health. "So weve been asking for these for a long time, and are very excited that they have been granted." While medical cannabis companies did not expect the changes to take effect overnight, some patients are surprised at the delay. "You do see a lot of frustration from patients, you have a lot of people that call and they're asking, 'has anything changed?'" said Kevin Harbison, a pharmacist and manager of clinical services who supervises Albanys Verilife dispensary, run by PharmaCann. "They're still left in the wake." MEXICO CITY (AP) A study published by a childrens rights group in Mexico Monday suggests there has been a disturbing pattern at as many as 18 schools and childcare centers where multiple adult employees allegedly collaborated among themselves and used eerily similar tactics and practices to sexually abuse pupils between the ages of three and seven. In one case uncovered in 2018, 11 adults at one pre-school allegedly abused 49 children aged between 3 and 5, by inserting water-filled syringes into their bodily orifices, a practice found over and over in other cases. The 11 offenders are accused of committing the abuse in a coordinated fashion, according to the report by the civic group Center for The Defense of Childrens Rights. Children were forced to watch adults performing sexual acts or touch or abuse other kids. In many cases, the similar use of disguises or specific staging of the abuse suggested a broader pattern. The cases identified are notably different from the unfortunately numerous cases of child sexual abuse committed by individual teachers against one or more students, the report states. These cases demonstrate patterns of criminal behavior characterized by organized aggressions committed by multiple adults perpetrated in mass scale within the premises of a given school. Evidently this situation raises questions as to how these perpetrators came to work in the same school? How were they assigned to this post and by whom? How did their coordinated action come to be? Did they arrive to this post knowing each other or did their coordination arise once working in the school? the report asks. We have identified patterns of criminal behavior that raise the possibility that numerous primary and pre-school facilities have been coopted and used to commit on-line child sexual abuse, the report states. Asked about the report, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador pledged Monday to provide an accounting of how the government is combating such cases. A lot of work is being done, all these reprehensible, appalling acts that involve the abuse of children are being combated, it is an ongoing activity, Lopez Obrador saying he would instruct the appropriate authorities to report on how children, the most vulnerable segment of the population are being protected from these attacks. Some of the cases in which the Centers lawyers have participated have resulted in convictions of abusers. For example, in one 2011 case, six school employees were convicted and received lengthy prison sentences. But the lawyers were struck both by the brazenness of the abusers, and a pattern that seemed to be repeated at other schools. For example, the report states that in the 2011 case, those found guilty include the schools principal, four teachers, and the school janitor. The patterns in the abuse and extreme violence are repeated in multiple schools. The abuse takes place within the school and perpetrators do not seem to hide when committing the repeated abusive behavior. So the legal team reviewed 37 cases found to possibly match the criminal patterns we identified. Of these cases we were only able to attain greater detail as to the narratives of the children in 18 schools that confirmed similar patterns. But the report says that police investigations are poorly coordinated with prosecutors, and tend to prosecute abusers as individuals, without looking at whether even more accomplices were involved. Organizational links between similar cases are impossible to detect if each school is investigated in an isolated manner, the report says. Fragmentation guarantees criminal organizations that it is technically impossible to detect any participation other than the material offenders in any given case. Moreover, many of the victims report there were cameras present during the abuse, raising the possibility the abuse was being filmed or photographed for later distribution. We considered that a possible hypothesis of the production of child pornography should be investigated, according to the report. EAST GREENBUSH The 156-acre Papscanee Island Nature Preserve on the Hudson Rivers eastern shore is the most apparent sign that the Stockbridge-Munsee Community Band of the Mohican Indians is back in its homeland. Acquiring the riverfront site river is part of the Mohicans ongoing effort to establish their presence in the heart of what they have always considered part of the homelands that cover parts of six Northeastern states. Archaeological digs getting underway in Stockbridge, Mass., regaining ownership of historical artifacts, protecting sites, using the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act to repatriate remains and cultural items, renaming offensive modern place names or fighting to get murals installed on Northway Exit 3's overpass to reflect Native American heritage are among other ways the Mohicans have promoted and fought to get governments, organizations and area residents to understand the importance of the area to them. Just because were not there anymore doesnt make it any less a part of our history. It makes it more of a part of our history, said Heather Bruegl, cultural affairs director for the Mohican nation, about the original Mohican lands. And we need to work to make sure that people understand that just because we might not be there anymore doesnt make that area less of a home for us, Bruegl said. Our long-term goal is to have a cultural center or a library in our homeland. The Capital Regions four core counties have an estimated 6,758 Native Americans, according to the 2019 American Community Survey five-year estimates. The numbers include 3,318 in Albany County, 1,504 in Rensselaer County, 1,318 in Saratoga County and 1,598 in Schenectady County. The ACS, a demographic survey prepared by the U.S. Census, doesnt breakout the Mohicans. The Mohicans are headquartered in Wisconsin where their reservation is located and they operate the Mohican North Star Casino Resort. They have a local presence with a historic preservation office at 85 Spring St. in Williamstown, Mass., as part of a partnership with Williams College. The office formerly was located at Russell Sage College in Troy. Its not easy for people to always see the impact and importance of Mohican sites, said Bonney Hartley, the Mohicans historic preservation manager. They may appear today to be nothing more than fields, such as the center of the nation at its council fire in Schodack where important decisions were made. Our ancestors history is written all over the landscape here. What we still have left is very precious to us, Hartley said. The Mohicans trace their roots back 12,000 years. The European colonial presence with the arrival of Henry Hudson and his crew aboard their ship the Half Moon in 1609 and the subsequent colonization is a blip in the lengthy Mohican history. That first contact also set the Mohicans in motion moving from the Hudson River to concentrating at Stockbridge before moving west to join the Oneidas in western New York before heading to Wisconsin in the 19th century. The homeland, however, has always held on to the Mohicans. Were getting past the point of survival mode and are really thriving. Were able to even start expanding back here to return, said Hartley referencing the rebuilding since the 1920s and 1930s when the Mohicans sunk into the depths of poverty and were seeing their tribal artifacts, their patrimony sold and being taken away. The depth of feeling Mohicans have for the area can be felt when they visit from Wisconsin. We have members of our community come out on bus trips. You really see that immediate connection that people experience. Its just something where people coming here for the first time that you see that immediate connection to our homeland, Hartley said. The Mohicans, who provide a translation of their names meaning as "People of the waters that are never still," had a presence in what is now New York, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Theyre working with the Delaware tribes in Oklahoma. The three nations shared this area. Its very, very old language and tribe. They were tremendously important during the American Revolution, said Evan Pritchard, founder and director of the Center for Algonquin Culture and author of Native New Yorkers, and Henry Hudson and the Algonquins of New York: European Discovery, Native American Prophecy. Pritchard said important Mohican villages were at Peebles Island and Albany. They became important sites for the colonists evolving into todays communities of Albany and Cohoes. He pointed to the Mohican Trail as the long-time precursor to the path now followed by Route 9 from the southern reaches of the state into the Capital Region. Pritchard cited the extensive list of Mohican villages across several states that shows how widespread they were as a people with a strong concentration north and south of Albany. The extensive reach of the Mohicans across the local landscape has resulted in dealing with the impact of development on their original village and camping sites. The latest is taking place in Troy where a rezoning proposal would permit up to 240 apartments. The Friends of the Mahicantuck, taking its name from the Mohican for the Hudson River, has grown to oppose the development. Hartley and other staff in Williamstown work on this sorts of projects. Hartley spends much her time on repatriation of cultural objects such as taking ownership of the personal belongings and artifacts related to John Quinney, a prominent Mohican of the early to mid-19th century, who delivered a famous speech on July 4, 1854, in Reidsville near Berne about what had happened to the Mohicans during the colonial era. The Mohicans have seen their reach grow in explaining their history during the coronavirus pandemic, Bruegl said. Theyve been able to use conferencing on the internet for presentations, which has increased the number of people and organization involved with their programs. Its helped as people have contacted them for more information. More people are reaching out to us. More organizations are reaching out to us and want to form relationships, Bruegl said. Not all of us are in the same area where we originated. Its important to make sure who the indigenous people are. CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) Nevada lawmakers ran down the clock on the 2021 legislative session on Monday, passing dozens of high-profile bills moments before the clock struck midnight and forced them to adjourn. They passed bills to increase taxes on the mining industry, license cannabis lounges and overhaul state voting policies, change the date of the state's presidential primary and mandate that all active voters be sent mail-in ballots in future elections. The Legislature is next scheduled to meet in 2023, but will likely convene at least one special session to redraw the state's legislative and congressional districts. Here are notable measures that passed through both chambers on the final day of the legislative session and now head to Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak for approval plus several bills that died. VOTING The bill to send all active voters mail-in ballots for elections extends policies enacted during the pandemic to ensure voters worried about going to the polls could still cast ballots. The bill, sponsored by Assembly Speaker Jason Frierson, also improves Nevadas voter roll maintenance and signature verification procedures. Lawmakers changed the date and format of how each party picks its presidential nominee every four years. The measure would replace the Nevada's caucuses with primaries and move the date to the first Tuesday of February each year there is a presidential election. The change needs to be approved by party officials and could set the stage for clashes with other early states unwilling to give up their place in the presidential candidate selection calendar. Earlier in the legislative session, Democrats promoted a bill to make Nevada the seventh state to offer a straight-ticket voting option to let voters check a box at the top of their ballots to chose a partys entire slate of candidates. Fourteen Republican-majority state legislatures have abolished straight-ticket voting since 1994, while Michigan approved a measure to preserve the voting option in the 2018 blue wave election. The Nevada proposal was died as part of lawmakers' negotiations over mining taxes. MINING TAXES Lawmakers passed an eleventh-hour proposal to impose a new gross revenue tax on large Nevada silver and gold mines. The proposal, which Sisolak signaled he supports, will direct revenue from the states Net Proceeds on Minerals tax to a new education fund and add an excise tax of 0.75% on mines reporting gross revenue of $20 million to $150 million and 1.1% on mines that report any higher. The bill passed after Republican lawmakers in both chambers agreed to support it because of provisions that added funding for charter schools and opportunity scholarships. The details of the tax measure, which will raise an estimated $85 million annually, were a byproduct of negotiations between lawmakers, mining lobbyists and the states largest teachers union. The tax increase will effectively double the amount of taxes that mining businesses pay and are projected to generate $85 million annually. Their passage prevents five tax measures from advancing to the 2022 election three mining tax proposals and two other initiatives that the Clark County Education Association gathered signatures to qualify for the ballot. CANNABIS LOUNGES A proposal to license cannabis lounges the state Senate Monday after clearing the Assembly last Thursday. The bill will allow on-site consumption of cannabis products at dispensaries or standalone lounges. Recreational cannabis is legal in Nevada, but no state laws permit its consumption in public, which has effectively limited consumption to private residences. The bill prohibits lounges from being licensed within 1,500 feet (457 meters) of casinos. It is similar to a measure to regulate short-term vacation rentals, prohibiting them from being within 2,500 feet (762 meters) from hotels. Colorado and California allow cannabis lounges. TRAFFIC TICKETS Criminal justice reform advocates celebrated the passage of Assemblywoman Rochelle Nguyen's proposal to decriminalize traffic violations and make them civil offenses. Under current law, minor traffic violations are criminal misdemeanors and people who miss court dates or dont pay the fines can face jail time and criminal records. The bill cleared the Senate on Monday with a 20-1 vote, over objections from many local governments. GUN FREE ZONES An MGM-backed proposal to strengthen penalties imposed on people who bring guns into certain resorts and casinos where they are prohibited was not introduced for a vote in the Assembly after it passed in the state Senate last week. The policy would have allowed security officers at large resorts and casinos to call law enforcement to report visitors suspected of carrying weapons in firearm-free zones without being required to give them verbal warnings. Supporters said the measure would have prevented gun violence aligned firearm restriction enforcement on the Las Vegas Strip with what is in place for public schools and libraries. Democrats and Republicans opposed to the bill said police would be called about people of color at disproportionate rates. They also said the policy could create unnecessary and dangerous confrontations. ___ Sam Metz is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. SCHAGHTICOKE When Teri Ptacek recently stood in the lettuce fields at the Denison Farm, she was in the middle of one of the 116 properties shes helped keep farming and preserved from future development in Rensselaer and Washington counties. After leading the Agricultural Stewardship Association for 18 years, the 64-year-old Ptacek is retiring in October as its executive director. But before she leaves, Cambridge-based organization plans to preserve about 6,500 more acres of farmland as part of 24 projects. It will push the total amount of preserved land to 31,390 acres from the current amount of 24,890 acres. I will miss Teri terribly, said Justine Denison, whose 164-acre farm that she owns with her husband Brian, is among the farms Ptacek helped preserve. It cost $173,328 to purchase the Denison Farms development rights, giving the family much needed revenue and ensuring the land will always be used for farming. But money was short for putting together such a transaction when it was put in place in 2010-2011. She was eloquent and instrumental in pulling it off, Denison said, describing Ptaceks leadership as she knit together funds from private foundations, federal grants, donations and other public entities to finance the purchase. Ptaceks love for farms began with visits to her grandmothers farm. We used to always go visit my grandmothers farm growing up. You just started seeing the farmland disappear and the houses appear. That really hit me when I came back to visit one time in college. It was the only farm standing, she recalled. To me that was wrong. We shouldnt be turning over our good farmland and turning it into McMansions. Theres a place for farmland and a place for housing. Im pro farmland. We have to keep that resource, she said. After learning Chinese, graduating from the University of Wisconsin at Madison, going to Georgia Tech and the Pratt Institute, Ptacek came to the Capital Region when she and her husband Andrew Kelly, a lawyer, moved back to his hometown of Greenwich. There, they raised a son and a daughter. Ptacek went to work for the American Farmland Trust for nine years in Saratoga Springs then moved to ASA as its first staff member and executive director. ASA, at that point, had preserved 30 farms, keeping 3,300 acres from being swallowed for development. Over the next 18 years, Ptacek would leverage more than $24.7 million in state funding, $2 million in federal funding and $2.2 million in private funding to bring the total protected land to 146 properties in the two counties. ASA uses the money to acquire the development rights to the land from the current farmers. The land is then preserved for future farming. It can take up to two years to preserve a farm. Ptacek is slowly easing her way into retirement. Her successor is Renee Bouplon, ASAs current associate director and a member of a fourth-generation farm family in White Creek. Ptacek said shell miss playing a key role in preserving local farms and protecting the landscape. The thing that is wonderful about conserving land is I know which farms have been conserved." She described rolling through farm country and spotting places she's worked on. "I know as I drive along that ones protected, that ones protected. Its something that will always be protected. Its a great sense of accomplishment." I will miss not being part of the stories of the new farms, the next farms that will be protected. As workers across America well know, employer-funded pension plans are increasingly becoming relics of the past, with defined benefit programs giving way to 401(k)s if the employer offers a retirement program of any kind. According to the Federal Reserve, more than 1 in 4 working Americans lacks any kind of savings for retirement. New York has long talked about a state-run program that private sector workers can participate in, and such a plan may finally be on its way this year. The Assembly approved the Secure Choice Act, sponsored by Assembly member Robert Rodriguez and Sen. Diane Savino, both New York City Democrats, which would establish a savings program into which workers at firms of 10 or more employees with no plans of their own would automatically be enrolled unless they opt out. Participants would contribute at least 3 percent of their pay to the plan, which would be portable from one job to the next. The recent challenges endured by restaurants have been nothing less than crippling. Facing them myself, I put my own restaurant, Oxbow Tavern, out to pasture last summer. But if theres a silver lining, its been the chance to reflect to look critically at our pre-pandemic ways and change what needs changing. When it comes to our broader food system, we must change the widespread, wasteful use of toxic neonic pesticides that endanger bees and other pollinators. Thats why, this winter, I and other leading food professionals call on New Yorks leaders to rein in neonic use by passing the Birds and Bees Protection Act (A7429/S699B). Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-31 22:50:31|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Charles Lanceplaine, a French street skateboarder, arrived in Shanghai more than 10 years ago. Skating in this Chinese city changed the course of his life and helped him become a filmmaker documenting young Chinese skateboarders. ALBANY State workers in many agencies are still being required to wear masks and complete personal health assessments each time they go to their office despite those protocols having recently been eliminated in many other workplace settings, including the Executive Chamber, where employees say they no longer are required to wear masks. Multiple state workers contacted for this story said the rules in place in many workplaces are still adhering to months-old guidance from the state health department and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in some instances rules that have not been updated since vaccinations have slowed the spread of the infectious disease. In November, workers were beginning to return to state office settings despite a surge in coronavirus cases that occurred during the fall and through the holiday period. In early October, New Yorks largest public employee unions struck an agreement with the Cuomo's administration to extend telecommuting provisions through Jan. 1. It was the third extension of the agreement allowing state employees to request work-from-home arrangements. However, that agreement, which has been extended through July 2, did not prohibit the state from having workers return to their offices, which has been occurring with more frequency in recent months. A spokesperson for the state Office of General Services and the health department could not be reached for comment over the weekend. At the state Department of Taxation and Finance and the Office of Information Technology Services, employees said they continue working staggered shifts a couple days in the office and a few days remote and must wear masks when moving about in their offices away from their desks, including in elevators and other common areas. Employees in the governor's office said they recently were allowed to abandon wearing masks in their offices, even when moving around, because they were told the rules governing state agencies did not apply to the Executive Chamber. The state also requires employees to complete health assessment for workers entering office settings, although several workers said that no one is being asked whether they have been vaccinated against COVID-19. A spokesman for the Civil Service Employees Association, the state's largest labor union, declined to answer specific questions about whether they have concerns about continued mask-wearing in office settings or if the organization has been given detailed guidance on resumption of workplace activities. While the majority of CSEA members have been deemed essential from the beginning of this pandemic, and have been working on the front lines every day, there is a portion of the CSEA membership that will be returning to work sites," said Mark Kotzin, a spokesman for CSEA. "CSEA is remaining vigilant to make sure employers continue following the proper guidance to keep CSEA members and the public they serve protected." The state's second-largest labor union, the Public Employees Federation, has sought a long-term telecommuting agreement with the state and last week sent a letter to the Governor's Office of Employee Relation seeking more detailed guidance for employees returning to workplaces. It will be important for the (state health department) and GOER to continue to use effective COVID controls in all public sector workplaces until a majority of New Yorkers have been vaccinated," the letter reads. "It is the responsibility of the state to provide a safe and healthy work environment for employees. And it will be important for the state to involve employee representatives of front line workers in developing guidelines for public sector workplaces." The letter sought information on any interim workplace guidance from the state as well as clarification on whether protocols in congregate settings including prisons, group homes, veterans hospitals and mental health facilities would be exempt and require workers to continue with the protocols in place at the height of the pandemic. Some local county leaders said their agencies have not received guidance from the state so they are adhering to CDC guidance although some of that guidance has not been updated in nearly two months. "We don't ask vaccine status," said Dutchess County Executive Marc J. Molinaro, adding that anyone who affirms they meet the requirements of the CDC guidelines is not required to wear a mask. Many private businesses, including restaurants and grocery stores, are still requiring their employees to wear masks whether or not they have been vaccinated. The PEF letter to the state also raised questions about whether the state is continuing to implement air-filtration upgrades in its office settings and noted that many workers do not want to sign up for the state's "Excelsior Pass" app that provides a digital code which can be scanned to verify a person has been vaccinated. A year ago, as the pandemic was peaking, the governor's office indicated that at 59 agencies, departments, offices and commissions, there were more than 36,000 people working remotely out of nearly 120,000 state government workers. It was not immediately clear on Monday how those numbers have changed. Nellie Grace Spragg, 78, of Hundred, WV died Thursday, June 10, 2021 at her residence. She was born October 9, 1942 at Hundred, a daughter of the late James Herbert Strope and Iva Haines Strope. Nellie worked many years ago at Oneacre Drug Store and the Bank of Hundred. She loved her animals Titusville police officer and Officer Kais handler, Clarence Pete Peterson salutes his fellow officer and pal during a memorial service. Kai had to be put to sleep on July 25, 2012. Not guilty pleas entered for man accused of killing wife Lawyers for a 77-year-old New Hampshire man charged with killing his wife and attacking a family member have entered not guilty pleas on his behalf Firefighters in Hawaii have rescued an 11-year-old girl who was injured while hiking on a mountain range east of Honolulu [June 01, 2021] 1 Trillion Gallons of Water Being Recycled Using Xylem Technology Xylem (NYSE:XYL), a leading global water technology company, is helping its customers re-use more than one trillion gallons (4.3 billion cubic meters) of water, according to its 2020 Sustainability Report, Solving Water for a Resilient World, released today. The company's technology also prevented 369 billion gallons (1.4 billion cubic meters) of polluted water from potentially flooding communities and entering local waterways. Water re-use and pollution prevention are two of Xylem's signature sustainability goals, targeted for achievement by 2025. Deployment of advanced water technologies is driving the dramatic sustainability gains, around the world. The City of South Bend, Indiana, optimized its existing wastewater network with artificial intelligence systems to deliver an 80% reduction in sewer overflows. A treatment plant in Cuxhaven, Germany, cut aeration energy use by 30% using Xylem technology. And a water utility in Malaysia identified more than 300 leaks in its network using sophisticated in-pipe sensors, helping dramatically reduce the loss of treated water. "Bringing access to sustainable, clean and affordable water to more people around the world - while protecting the environment - is both our purpose and our business," said Patrick Decker, Xylem's president and CEO. "The achievements detailed in this report show how, together, our colleagues and our customers are making a big difference in our communities. Technology can do a lot to make the world more sustainable and more resilient, but these results come from the commitment, dedication, and even heroism of the people we're so privileged to serve and work with, every day. It's within our power to solve urgent challenges like water scarcity and affordability, now, and create a more water-secure world for future generations." In 2020, Xylem made significant progress toward its sector-leading 2025 signature sustainability goals, despite the additional challenges of COVID-19. Through its advanced products and technologies, the Company helped customers reduce their carbon footprint by 0.7 million metric tons of CO2, equivalent to keeping 150,000 passenger cars off the road for a year. Xylem is now running almost half its major facilities on 100% renewable electricity, and has committed to transition its global vehicle fleet to electric and hybrid, targeting an initial 45% reduction in fleet CO2 emissions by 2023. In addition to advancing its existing sustainability goals in 2020, Xylem made new commitments to address the pandemic's impact, around the world. The Company doubled philanthropic investments and extended new support to employees, business partners and the communities they serve. It also expanded relationships with its global NGO partners, like Americares and UNICEF, supporting 4.1 million people in underserved communities to get access to water and sanitation and providing 3.6 million people with water education to raise awareness and improve their quality of life. "As a company, we recognize the opportunity we have to lead, given the breadth of our technologies and our global reach," said Claudia Toussaint, Xylem's Chief Sustainability Officer. "We navigate difficult times in ways that make us stronger and more resilient - and support our customers and communities to do the same. With that mindset, we pulled together across our organization, and with our partners around the globe, to help mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 while continuing to deliver on our sustainability commitments." "If anything, the pandemic has made the economic and social value of water networks and other critical infrastructure more apparent than ever," continued Toussaint. "We know they are always essential, but we all learned how critical they are in times of crisis. They're also a potential driver of economic recovery, and a pre-requisite for broad-based prosperity. The shocks of the last year have heightened everyone's awareness of the need for greater resilience and equity, and the imperative of a sustainable future." Among the actions and achievements from 2020 detailed in the GRI-compliant report, additional highlights include: Raising $1 billion in a green bond offering - the first of its kind for a US industrial company; Reducing company water use intensity by 30% over the last six years - nearly 10% versus 2019, alone; Reducing company net greenhouse gas emissions intensity by over 7% versus 2019; Committing to a sustainable fleet strategy to transition the global vehicle fleet to electric and hybrid; Launching a U.S. supplier diversity program; Increasing transparency in its supply chain by engaging suppliers to report into EcoVadis and CDP and take the WASH pledge. Further aligning business and sustainability performance by tying five key 2025 sustainability goals to long-term incentives for an expanded group of executives. To learn more about Xylem's sustainability progress, download Solving Water for a Resilient World. About Xylem Xylem (XYL) is a leading global water technology company committed to solving critical water and infrastructure challenges with innovation. Our more than 16,000 diverse employees delivered revenue of $4.88 billion in 2020. We are creating a more sustainable world by enabling our customers to optimize water and resource management, and helping communities in more than 150 countries become water-secure. Join us at www.xylem.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005433/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 01, 2021] 3D Systems Announces Sale of On Demand Manufacturing Business Company exiting service bureau business through sale to Trilantic North America for $82 million Proceeds to be reinvested in core additive manufacturing business for accelerated growth and profitability ROCK HILL, S.C., June 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 3D Systems (NYSE:DDD) today announced it has signed an agreement to sell its On Demand Manufacturing business to Trilantic North America, a leading, growth-focused middle-market private equity firm, for a purchase price of $82 million, subject to certain closing conditions and adjustments. The sale includes the companys On Demand Manufacturing experts and facilities in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee; Seattle, Washington; Le Mans, France; Pinerolo, Italy; and High Wycombe, England. 3D Systems On Demand Manufacturing business, which will be rebranded under Trilantic North Americas ownership as Quickparts, offers a variety of advanced and rapid manufacturing services, including additive and subtractive capabilities. As with the divestitures announced earlier this year, by taking this action 3D Systems can more effectively focus on its strategic purpose as the leader in enabling additive manufacturing solutions for applications in growing markets that demand high-reliability products. 3D Systems will continue its collaboration with Quickparts after the sale closes to support shared customers. Commenting on the sale, 3D Systems President and CEO, Dr. Jeffrey Graves said, We are continuing to aggressively execute our four-phase plan that we announced a year ago, to position the company for exciting growth and profitability as the market for industrial-scale additive manufacturing continues to expand. The On Demand Manufacturing business, with its focus on the rapid production of components using a multitude of digital manufacturing methods, is a solid business that has a very bright future under the stewardship of Trilantic North America. Our sole reason for divestiture is to enable our entire focus and investment priorities to be on additive manufacturing (AM), where we play a unique leadership role in enabling industrial-scale AM adoption across a range of exciting end markets. We will continue to collaborate with the Quickparts business as it relates to additive manufacturing and are confident that, with the focus this brings to both organizations, the future will be bright for all stakeholders. With a very strong balance sheet and cash position, proceeds from the sale will be used to further accelerate our investments for growth in our core additive manufacturing capabilities, for which we are seeing rapidly rising demand in new, extraordinary applications ranging from the human body to electric vehicles and space travel. 3D Systems announced earlier this month that the company is investing in a 50,000 square foot expansion of its presence in Littleton, Colorado to expand its healthcare and industrial application development and advanced production capabilities. Through this infrastructure investment, the company will add expertise and the most advanced metal additive manufacturing technologies to address new, more complex industrial applications such as those for aerospace, automotive, semiconductor, and energy. The enhancements to the Littleton site will complement the work being done at 3D Systems other application development and advanced manufacturing sites in Rock Hill, South Carolina; Moerfelden, Germany; Budel, Netherlands; and Leuven, Belgium. The company recently added metal 3D printing technology to its site in Leuven in support of the work its application development and advanced manufacturing teams do for the semiconductor capital equipment, aerospace, defense, and automotive industries. Additionally, 3D Systems plans to add both plastics and metals technologies to its Rock Hill, South Carolina location, including the recently announced Roadrunner High Speed Fusion 3D printing system. 3D Systems expects completion of the On Demand Manufacturing transaction to occur in the third quarter of 2021. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements made in this release that are not statements of historical or current facts are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of the company to be materially different from historical results or from any future results or projections expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. In many cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terms such as "believes," "belief," "expects," "may," "will," "estimates," "intends," "anticipates" or "plans" or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements are based upon managements beliefs, assumptions, and current expectations and may include comments as to the companys beliefs and expectations as to future events and trends affecting its business and are necessarily subject to uncertainties, many of which are outside the control of the company. The factors described under the headings "Forward-Looking Statements" and "Risk Factors" in the companys periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as other factors, could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected or predicted in forward-looking statements. Although management believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, forward-looking statements are not, and should not be relied upon as a guarantee of future performance or results, nor will they necessarily prove to be accurate indications of the times at which such performance or results will be achieved. The forward-looking statements included are made only as of the date of the statement. 3D Systems undertakes no obligation to update or review any forward-looking statements made by management or on its behalf, whether as a result of future developments, subsequent events, or circumstances or otherwise. About 3D Systems More than 30 years ago, 3D Systems brought the innovation of 3D printing to the manufacturing industry. Today, as the leading additive manufacturing solutions partner, we bring innovation, performance, and reliability to every interaction - empowering our customers to create products and business models never before possible. Thanks to our unique offering of hardware, software, materials, and services, each application-specific solution is powered by the expertise of our application engineers who collaborate with customers to transform how they deliver their products and services. 3D Systems solutions address a variety of advanced applications in healthcare and industrial markets such as medical and dental, aerospace & defense, automotive, and durable goods. More information on the company is available at www.3dsystems.com. About Trilantic North America Trilantic Capital Management L.P. ("Trilantic North America") is a private equity firm focused on control and significant minority investments in North America. Trilantic North America's primary investment focus is in the business services, consumer, and energy sectors. Trilantic North America currently manages six private equity fund families with aggregate capital commitments of $9.7 billion. Trilantic North America has been recognized by Inc. Magazine's 2019 list of Top 50 Founder-Friendly Private Equity Firms. For more information, visit www.trilanticnorthamerica.com. Investor Contact: investor.relations@3dsystems.com Media Contact: press@3dsystems.com [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Source: Xinhua| 2021-05-31 23:48:22|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A protester takes part in a demonstration in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the United States, on June 20, 2020. (Photo by Alan Chin/Xinhua) For long, the Tulsa Race Massacre should have been a wake-up call for America. Instead, it risks being turned into another case of emotional numbing for a country with a fraught racial history. BEIJING, May 31 (Xinhua) -- About 50 years after the century-long slavery was abolished in the United States, an affluent African-American community in Tulsa, Oklahoma, stood out as a rare oasis of prosperity for descendants of former slaves within a country still in the clutches of racial lynching and segregation. On May 31, 1921, however, the Black Tulsa and years of Black success was erased in a massacre by a white mob deputized and armed by city officials, which was then shrouded in silence for decades. As the United States is observing the centennial of the Tulsa Race Massacre on Monday, the country is confronted with a chilly reality that in the long afterlife of the massacre, justice has not been meted out and the African-American community is still suffering from racial bias in law enforcement. A demonstrator protests against racial injustice to mark Juneteenth, commemorating the end of slavery in the United States, near the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States, June 19, 2020. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) "I am 107 years old and I have never seen justice ... I think about the terror inflicted upon black people in this country every day." These heart-wrenching words came from a Tulsa massacre survivor early this month at a congressional hearing, and should leave those self-claimed "defenders of human rights" in Washington ablush with shame. The absence of justice comes partly from a slow acknowledgment of the brutal reality by the U.S. nation. Most historical records were deliberately destroyed for a cover-up, and according to a report by The New York Times in 2011, the massacre was largely omitted from local, state and national histories. It is not hard to discern the reasons behind the cover-up. While details including the casualties and the burying spots remain elusive, the U.S. public and the world at large are now aware of the role played by the local enforcement and city officials in the two-day bloodshed and destruction by land and air of a once promising black community known as Black Wall Street. What is appalling to many is the fact that local authorities not only fortified the armed white mob but later arrested and put into internment of thousands of African-Americans who were victims of the massacre. People paint "Black Lives Matter" mural in front of Trump Tower in New York, the United States, on July 9, 2020. (Xinhua/Wang Ying) According to Human Rights Watch, "decades of black prosperity and millions of dollars in hard-earned wealth were wiped out in hours but nobody was ever held accountable and no compensation was ever paid." The Tulsa tragedy was triggered by a trumped up rape charges against a young African-American man. One hundred years after the massacre, the same question of why African-Americans are easy targets of racial profiling still applies to the current police brutality against them. The centennial of the Tulsa massacre came just days after the anniversary of the police killing of George Floyd, whose begging of "I can't breathe" before death has triggered nationwide protests. Across the country, more racial profiling against African-Americans are happening; police reforms are deadlocked in Congress; and politicians of both parties are scrambling to turn those racially charged death into ammunition for partisan attacks. A protester holds a sign that reads "Black Lives Matter" near the White House during a demonstration over the death of George Floyd in Washington D.C., the United States, June 8, 2020. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) U.S. politicians should be held most accountable for failing to make much-needed changes possible. Nowadays, political elites in Washington are more used to staging political shows than taking sensible and concrete actions against the root cause of the systemic racism in the country. To appeal to their political base, some tried to manipulate racial divide and pander to white supremacists. For others, except for paying lip service to tackling racial inequity, consolidating U.S. hegemony rather than improving public welfare overall stands atop on their agenda. For long, the Tulsa Race Massacre should have been a wake-up call for America. Instead, it risks being turned into another case of emotional numbing for a country with a fraught racial history. [June 01, 2021] Aviation Executive Chris Krajewski Joins Parallel Flight Technologies' Advisory Board LA SELVA BEACH, Calif., June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Parallel Flight Technologies (PFT), a leader in heavy-lift drone technology, today announced the addition of aviation expert Chris Krajewski to its board of strategic advisors. With an extensive background in flight operations and business development, Krajewski will assist the startup in developing and executing its sales strategy. Krajewski's career spans over 35 years in the aviation and energy markets, including 24 years at CHC Helicopters, one of the largest helicopter operators worldwide. During his time at CHC, Chris held senior leadership positions in the operations and commercial departments, directing business units in Brazil, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Australia and Asia-Pacific. He led global business development initiatives with a focus on pursuit of diversification into new markets an spearheading initiatives to enter new verticals. Under his leadership, CHC's revenue grew by more than $1 billion. In 2017, Krajewski was appointed CEO of Heliconia Group, where he led the further development of the Moroccan-based helicopter services company and established Heliconia as a strong pan-African operator. He recently founded Vertical Solutions, an aerospace consulting and advisory firm. "As a skilled global business development expert, Chris will support Parallel Flight by actively seeking out new opportunities, forming strong alliances and strategic partnerships, and developing new markets for our unmanned aircraft," said Joshua Resnick, CEO of Parallel Flight Technologies. "His vast expertise in aviation, sales and business development make him a welcome addition to our advisory board as our company prepares for commercialization in 2021." Parallel Flight Technologies has developed patent-pending drone technology that allows its multi-rotor aircraft to carry heavy payloads for over two hours, a ten times improvement over existing solutions. The company is currently flight testing a beta-level drone that can carry 100 pounds of payload and plans to deliver aircraft to select customers in late 2021. Parallel Flight also plans to develop larger versions of the aircraft with payload capabilities of 200 pounds and 400 pounds. PFT's transformative UAS technology can be applied across multiple logistics verticals, including real-time and complex healthcare logistics, tactical support for firefighters and first responders, and industrial logistics. By serving as an original equipment manufacturer and service provider, Parallel Flight Technologies is well-positioned to revolutionize drones as a service (DAAS) on a global scale. About Parallel Flight Technologies Parallel Flight Technologies is an industrial-grade drone company with a mission to deliver unmanned systems that save lives, property and the environment. Based La Selva Beach, California, the startup company has developed patent-pending drone technology that will allow drones to carry heavy payloads for over two hours, making it ideal for use in fighting wildfires, search and rescue, healthcare and other mission-critical logistics applications. To learn more, please visit www.parallelflight.com . Media Contact: Sara Beth Doherty Communications Lead, Parallel Flight Technologies sarabeth@parallelflight.com 704-724-5318 View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aviation-executive-chris-krajewski-joins-parallel-flight-technologies-advisory-board-301301915.html SOURCE Parallel Flight Technologies [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 01, 2021] Bank of America Awards $350,000 to Texas Tech University School of Veterinary Medicine The Texas Tech University (TTU) School of Veterinary Medicine (SVM) is receiving $350,000 in gift funds from Bank of America to build and support a new world-class school of veterinary medicine to address the region's growing shortage of veterinary resources. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005670/en/ The new 185,000 square-foot, two-story facility will enroll its first students later this year. Once fully implemented over the years ahead, the School anticipates more than 450 veterinary and graduate students. While the veterinary curriculum is firmly focused on general veterinary practice in rural and regional communities, the graduate program will produce scientists who provide solutions to the world's most pressing problems. "Our facilities are truly world class. They will be a fantastic academic home for our students, staff and faculty," said Guy Loneragan, dean of the School of Veterinary Medicine. "We are so thankful that our community, the region as a whole and Bank of America have made these facilities and our programs a reality. This gift will contribute to a premier space for students and support critical programs and recruitment efforts across the region." The project is estimated to generate more than $75 million annually for the region and create nearly 375 new jobs. Located in the region that is responsible for nearly a quarter of the country's beef, the School's programs and research components will support sustainability efforts in the livestock industry. The School's unique geographic placement will enable it to serve as the closest veterinary school for students in five states that support large-animal agriculture and all face veterinary shortages. "Amarillo is a very special community, and everyone here knows how important quality animal care is to our economy," said Amarillo Mayor Ginger Nelson. "This school gives Amarillo a competitive advantage and opens the doorway to a wide array of opportunities for students, farmers, researchers and so many more." The SVM's mission can be distilled to supporting the veterinary service and educational needs of rural and regional communities, and to provide access to an affordable world-class education. To achieve this mission, the School is implementing a three-pronged strategy based on targeted admissions, curricular focus, and experiential learning. In terms of the admission process, the School is preferentially recruiting and admitting students with deep life experiences rooted in rural and regional communities across Texas and New Mexico. This includes many underserved communities with a substantial Latino population. This is an important part of the fabric of Texas that has been traditionally underreresented in veterinary medicine. To meet its mission more effectively, the school is implementing programs to enhance cultural competency. These will inform approaches, for example, to more effectively recruit students in communities on Texas' southern border, refine the admissions process to identify students with tremendous potential but who might not have had the opportunity to attend pre-veterinary programs at larger comprehensive universities, or to design educational models to help veterinary students develop Spanish competency to effectively communicate with clients or animal care givers for whom English is a second language. The School's cultural competency initiatives are funded in part by the Bank of America gift and the SVM Cultural Competency Council will be led by Drs. Arlene Garcia and Laszlo Hunyadi. "The Texas Tech University's School of Veterinary Medicine will serve as a social and economic anchor for Amarillo, the region and our state. The groundbreaking research and teaching on animal and human interface will benefit all societies and animal well-being," said W. Ashley Allen, President Bank of America Amarillo. "Our philanthropic investment will pay dividends for years to come, supporting economic mobility and bolstering rural jobs for the region." This anchor gift is Bank of America's largest gift in the region to date and comes as part of its focus on advancing economic mobility by supporting nonprofit organizations serving education and workforce, community development and basic needs. About Texas Tech University School of Veterinary Medicine The Texas Tech University School of Veterinary Medicine was founded in 2018 with a sole purpose of serving the veterinary needs of rural and regional communities, as well as provide access to affordable, world-class veterinary education. The School is implementing a bold and innovative approach to veterinary education that is built on three intentional strategies. These are to recruit and preferentially admit students with life experiences rooted in rural and regional communities, deliver a curriculum built specifically to address the veterinary needs of rural and regional communities, and provide exceptional real-world experiential learning in rural and regional communities. Texas Tech is delivering one of the most affordable veterinary programs in the country and has begun enrolling its pioneering class of students from Texas and New Mexico. For more information visit, https://www.depts.ttu.edu/vetschool/ About Bank of America Bank of America is one of the world's leading financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving approximately 66 million consumer and small business clients with approximately 4,300 retail financial centers, including approximately 2,800 lending centers, 2,600 financial centers with a Consumer Investment Financial Solutions Advisor and 2,000 business centers; approximately 16,800 ATMs; and award-winning digital banking with approximately 38 million active users, including approximately 29 million mobile users. Bank of America is a global leader in wealth management, corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry-leading support to approximately 3 million small business owners through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations across the United States, its territories and approximately 35 countries. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. For more Bank of America news, including dividend announcements and other important information, visit the Bank of America newsroom and register for news email alerts. www.bankofamerica.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005670/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 01, 2021] C Spire Business named to CRN's 2021 Solutions Provider 500 list BIRMINGHAM, Ala., June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- C Spire Business has been named a leading solution provider and information technology (IT) channel partner in North America for 2021 by CRN, a brand of the Channel Company and a top technology news and information source for solution providers, IT channel partners and value-added resellers (VARS). "We're honored to be ranked ... on this competitive list of solution providers" - Allen McIntosh , GM, C Spire Business A division of C Spire, the Mississippi-based diversified telecommunications and technology services company, C Spire Business was ranked among the top 113 firms on the annual list under the Solution Provider 500 category for the eighth consecutive year. The 2021 list, which represents a combined annual revenue of over $403 billion, serves as the industry's benchmark for recognizing the top-performing technology integrators, strategic service providers, and IT consultants and as a valuable resource for technology vendors looking to partner with top solution providers. C Spire Business is among an elite group of IT solutions firms that help companies and enterprises navigate the complex and ever-changing information technology landscape, improve operational efficiencies and maximize business' return on IT investments. "We're honored to be ranked once again on this competitive list of solution providers, said Allen McIntosh, general manager for C Spire Business. "With the help of key partners like Cisco, Dell EMC and Microsoft, our highly certified team of experts is dedicated to bringing the industry's best solutions to our clients. Thanks to CRN for this recognition." McIntosh said C Spire Business offers advanced connectivity, cloud, software, hardware, communications, cybersecurity, business continuity and technology support in a single, seamless, managed IT solution portfolio. "From desktop to data center, we help customers work smarter, faster and more secure." With hundreds of service professionals, multiple data centers and access to over 10,000 route miles of fiber optic infrastructure, C Spire Business is poised to deliver world-class managed services and solutions to a variety of businesses. The firm is ranked among CRN's top 150 MSPs in North America, McIntosh added. The SP 500 list is featured in the June 2021 issue of CRN online at www.CRN.com/SP500. About C Spire Business C Spire Business is a division of C Spire, a privately-held diversified telecommunications and technology services provider. The division offers a suite of voice, data, wireless and managed IT solutions services, including business internet, Microsoft 365, VoIP, cloud services, hardware and software, mobility, carrier wholesale, channel partner and business phone systems. This news release and other announcements are available at www.cspire.com/news. For more information about C Spire Business, visit www.cspire.com/business or follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cspirebusiness, on Twitter at www.twitter.com/cspirebusiness or on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/showcase/c-spire-business. About The Channel Company The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers and end users. Backed by more than 30 years of unequalled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative new solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. www.thechannelcompany.com Follow The Channel Company: Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook Copyright 2021. CRN is a registered trademark of The Channel Company, LLC. All rights reserved. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/c-spire-business-named-to-crns-2021-solutions-provider-500-list-301303278.html SOURCE C Spire [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 01, 2021] CARES Act Emergency Rental Assistance Program Funds Available Through DHA, Housing Solutions for North Texas DHA, Housing Solutions for North Texas (DHA) announced today that applications for Emergency Rental Assistance are now open at DallasRentRelief.com. There is $18 million in rental assistance being administered by DHA between now and December 31, 2021 to help eligible residents of the City of Dallas who have been adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic through the loss of their employment income or who have sustained a reduction in income and are delinquent in paying rent or need help with future payments. The City of Dallas COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) is funded by the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The program can provide assistance for those negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic for up to 12 months of past-due and future rent payments within the timeframe of March 2020 through December 2021. DHA can issue payments for up to $1,500 per month for rent assistance only. This program does not include utility payments. Landlords can also apply on behalf of their tenants. Tenant eligibility requiremnts include: Must live in the City of Dallas Adversely impacted financially by the COVID-19 pandemic Current household annual income of 80% or less of the area median income (AMI) for Dallas At risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability (e.g., received eviction notice, have past-due rent, living in an unstable housing situation) Must be renting - cannot be the owner of the property Cannot live in a property owned by family members Must be a citizen or eligible non-citizen Cannot be employed by the City of Dallas or DHA All applications will be reviewed for these eligibility requirements and priority will be given to households where: Annual household income is 50% AMI or less Someone in household has experienced unemployment for the last 90 days A person is NOT eligible for this program, if he/she: Makes above 80% of the AMI Lives in a household where the residents are living in units owned by an immediate family member Is a City employee and/or is an immediate family member of a City employee Is a DHA employee and/or is an immediate family member of a DHA employee Lives outside the City of Dallas Applicants or landlords applying on behalf of their tenants must submit a completed application with supporting documentation. DHA will conduct an open enrollment for this program accepting applications beginning 9 a.m. CDT (News - Alert) on June 1, 2021. Program information and the online application will be available at DallasRentRelief.com. Applicants or landlords may submit an application online from their computer, tablet or other mobile device. DHA's offices are currently closed as a COVID-19 pandemic precaution. If you need assistance regarding your application, please use the chatbot or contact form provided on the website. About DHA, Housing Solutions for North Texas (formerly the Dallas Housing Authority) DHA, Housing Solutions for North Texas provides quality, affordable housing to low-income families and individuals through the effective and efficient administration of housing assistance programs. The agency aims to create opportunities for program participants to achieve self-sufficiency and economic independence. DHA provides housing opportunities to ~55,000 people through public housing developments and Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) programs. Our mission is to provide affordable quality housing and access to supportive resources across North Texas. DHA is governed by its Board of Commissioners and administers housing programs funded and regulated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. DHA is an independent, local government entity that is separate from the Dallas City Housing/Community Services department, which is governed by the City of Dallas. For more information about DHA, please visit www.dhantx.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005010/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 01, 2021] CenCal Health Is No. 1 on List of Best Places to Work CenCal Health, the local Medi-Cal health plan, was named the No. 1 best place to work by Pacific Coast Business Times in its 2021 survey of companies in Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. Determined by the results of an employee questionnaire and other criteria developed by the business weekly, CenCal Health also held the top spot in 2019, and second place in 2020 - last year Montecito Bank & Trust came in first. The full list of best places to work on the Central Coast for 2021 was published Friday. CenCal Health is a community-accountable health plan that partners with over 1,500 local physicians, hospitals and other providers in delivering patient care to more than 200,000 members in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. The health plan contributes approximately $50 million a month into the local economy, primarily through payments to heathcare providers who serve its membership. With offices in Santa Barbara and Goleta, CenCal Health employs more than 250 people. Employee positions include medical physicians and nurses, case managers, social workers, IT analysts, member and provider services representatives, as well as claims representatives. The public entity also collaborates with community-based organizations to address social determinants of health while increasing members' access to medical care and reducing costs. Established in 1983, CenCal Health is the oldest managed care Medicaid plan of its kind in the nation. "The past year has exemplified our staff's adaptability and resilience through the Covid-19 crisis," said CenCal Health CEO Bob Freeman. "To continue to accomplish our mission while working at home and juggling child care, child education, and other new realities, is a real testament to the quality and dedication of our employees." During the 2020/21 health crisis and lock-down, the health plan reported increased local enrollment in reaction to the job loss experienced, with the accompanying loss of health insurance. "Our agency has worked hard to reach out to those needing coverage," said Freeman. "Many of the newly-eligible might not have heard of Medi-Cal, or never thought they'd qualify." In mid-2020, as child vaccination rates in the region plummeted, along with significant drops in cancer screenings, check-ups and other preventive care, CenCal Health launched a campaign called "Welcome Back to Care," a series of English and Spanish public service announcements and TV commercials that addressed the community's fears and supported local physicians. This was one of several pivots by the organization to communicate effectively with its employees, members, providers and the community during the COVID-19 public health crisis. "Our priority to ensure the health and well-being of our team members and their families upholds a culture where staff has the ability to continue providing exceptional service to our members and the community, no matter the circumstances," said CenCal Health Human Resources Director Kim Cowles. "This has allowed us to remain one of California's top Medi-Cal health plans, and a best place to work on the Central Coast for the third consecutive year." Pacific Coast Business Times will honor all the Best Places to Work designees at a virtual event scheduled for June 24, where CenCal Health CEO Bob Freeman will participate in a panel discussion about maintaining positive workplace environments during challenging times. This fall, Freeman is retiring from CenCal Health after a successful 28-year tenure with the organization - the last decade as its CEO. CenCal Health's annual Community Report can be viewed at cencal2020.org View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005128/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 01, 2021] CenterWell Senior Primary Care Extends its Value-Based Care to People with Original Medicare CenterWell Senior Primary Care, a fast-growing provider of whole-person, senior-focused healthcare, is participating in a new federal population health program that will allow CenterWell to extend and enhance its care-team approach for Original Medicare beneficiaries. CenterWell, which operates 67 payer-agnostic primary care centers across eight states, is part of Humana's Care Delivery Organization - which also includes approximately 100 Conviva Care Centers. Combined, CenterWell and Conviva serve more than 200,000 senior patients across the U.S. And CenterWell - on course to expand to its ninth state this year - is participating in the new Direct Contracting Model, which aims to improve care quality, health outcomes, and the patient experience, while lowering the cost of care for these Medicare beneficiaries. "The industry is moving away from a transactional model of healthcare, in which a doctor or other healthcare professional treats one specific condition, to a more holistic view in which we assess all of the patient's needs and then develop a plan to address each of those needs," said Renee Buckingham, president of Humana's Care Delivery Organization, which includes CenterWell. "We've deployed this value-based population health model for decades to care primarily for patients with Medicare Advantage, and now we can offer our model to more of those with Original Medicare." Under this new Direct Contracting Model, CenterWell's reimbursement will be dependent on the quality of care it provides; CenterWell will share financial responsibility for patients' medical costs with CMS. "We are confident that our clinical model, supporting technologies, and analytics capabilities can make an impact in patients' lives, while at the same time lowering healthcare costs," Buckingham said. The Direct Contracting Model was established by CMS' Innovation Center to encourage a variety of health organizations to voluntarily transition from fee-for-service to value-based care and test whether the model will improve quality and reduce costs in Original Medicare, while reducing organizational administrative burden. About CenterWell Senior Primary Care CenterWell Senior Primary Care is the new brand for a primary care medical group practice with centers open or opening in Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas. CenterWell Senior Primary Care has a strong emphasis on senior-focused primary care for members of Medicare Advantage health plans and Original Medicare beneficiaries and is committed to providing personalized, high-quality primary care combined with an excellent patient experience. CenterWell Senior Primary Care has experience in both the treatment and management of most chronic and acute-care conditions. The practices also provide health education and value-added, well-being services at the centers and around their neighborhoods to help both patients and community members improve their health. Learn more at CenterWell Senior Primary Care. About Humana Humana Inc. is committed to helping our millions of medical and specialty members achieve their best health. Our successful history in care delivery and health plan administration is helping us create a new kind of integrated care with the power to improve health and well-being and lower costs. Our efforts are leading to a better quality of life for people with Medicare, families, individuals, military service personnel, and communities at large. To accomplish that, we support physicians and other health care professionals as they work to deliver the right care in the right place for their patients, our members. Our range of clinical capabilities, resources and tools - such as in-home care, behavioral health, pharmacy services, data analytics and wellness solutions - combine to produce a simplified experience that makes health care easier to navigate and more effective. More information regarding Humana is available to investors via the Investor Relations page of the company's web site at www.humana.com, including copies of: Annual reports to stockholders Securities and Exchange Commission filings Most recent investor conference presentations Quarterly earnings news releases and conference calls Calendar of events Corporate Governance information Y0040_GNHL8F4EN_C Disclaimer: The statements contained in this document are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of CMS. The authors assume responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of the information contained in this document. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005742/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 01, 2021] Coca-Cola Beverages Africa collaborates with Flintfox and Microsoft to streamline pricing, promotions, and rebate management LONDON, June 2, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of an on-going programme of digital transformation at its bottling plants, Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) is collaborating with pricing and rebate management experts Flintfox, and Microsoft to modernise how it uses technology. The collaboration will help the bottling giant retire legacy solutions, to better manage pricing and overcome existing challenges at all stages of the supply chain. Trade Revenue Management and the RMx pricing engine provide CCBA with the ability to manage advanced pricing and promotions, reduce operating costs and monitor margins. By exteding the capability of Microsoft Dynamics 365 and integrating with existing e-commerce and sales force automation platforms, Flintfox will enable real-time hyper-speed pricing and help deliver accurate pricing across the supply chain. The collaboration between Microsoft and Flintfox helps CCBA to accelerate its digital transformation journey, via seamless digital systems that enable the entire business to operate as one. Flintfox EMEA Director Mark Conway said: "It's an exciting time to be working with CCBA, as they bring their digital transformation vision to life via Microsoft Dynamics 365 and set out on a path of accelerated growth. Our intelligent solutions will reduce operating costs, create productivity gains and future-proof operations. What's more, we will provide real-time pricing accuracy across CCBA's channels and deliver significant, measurable ROI to the business." Coca-Cola Beverages Africa Chief Information Officer Joshua Motsuenyane said: "Because CCBA was born out of a merger of different companies, there are a number of infrastructure redundancies, supply duplications, and lines of accountability that were blurred. We needed to perfect the overall business' ability to operate as one and improve pricing transparency and visibility. Flintfox and Microsoft helped us strategise how to better manage advanced pricing, promotion management, and complex supply chain pricing, as well as provide a roadmap for the future. This integration with Flintfox and Microsoft modernises the way we use technology across our entire IT landscape and allows us to completely retire legacy systems." Gavin Holme, consulting services director, Microsoft South Africa said: "Flintfox's Trade Revenue Management and RMx pricing extended the capabilities of our Finance and Operations solutions, enabling CCBA's digital transformation. With Dynamics 365, Microsoft 365, and Azure, CCBA will achieve their goal to unify operations and intelligently adjust processes in real time." SOURCE Flintfox [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 01, 2021] Converge Technology Solutions Corp. Named #39 on CRN's 2021 Solution Provider 500 List TORONTO and GATINEAU, QC, June 1, 2021 /CNW/ - Converge Technology Solutions Corp. ("Converge" or "the Company") (TSX: CTS) (FSE: 0ZB) (OTCQX: CTSDF) a software-enabled IT & Cloud Solutions provider, is pleased to announce that it has placed #39 out of 500 companies on this year's CRN Solution Provider 500 List. This is an 11-place increase from Converge's 2020 ranking of #50. CRN, a brand of The Channel Company, releases the Solution Provider 500 List (SP500) each year, ranking leading IT channel partner organizations across North America based on revenue and other qualifications. CRN's SP500 list serves as the industry's benchmark for recognizing top-performing technology integrators, strategic service providers, and IT consultants, as well as providing a valuable resource for technology vendors looking to partner with top solution providers. This year's impressive list represents a remarkable combined revenue of over $403 billion, underscoring the immense impact and influence partners such as Converge have on the IT industry today. "I am extremely proud of the Converge team for once again placing on CRN's Solution Provider 500 list," said Shaun Maine, CEO of Converge. "It is also exciting to see Converge's achievements over the last year recognized in our placement of #39 out of 500, an increase from our status on 2020's list. CRN and the SP500 are well known as industry standards for showcasing top technology organizations and we're proud to continue to move up in rank among the competitive group on this year's list." Blaine Raddon , CEO of The Channel Company. "On behalf of The Channel Company, I'd like to congratulate these companies for their incredible contributions to the growth and success of the IT channel." CRN's complete 2021 Solution Provider 500 list is available online at http://www.crn.com/SP500. A sample of the top honorees will also be featured in the June issue of CRN Magazine. About Converge Converge Technology Solutions Corp. is a software-enabled IT & Cloud Solutions provider focused on delivering industry-leading solutions and services. Converge's regional sales and services organizations deliver advanced analytics, cloud, and cybersecurity offerings to clients across various industries. The Company supports these solutions with managed services, digital infrastructure, and talent expertise offerings across all major IT vendors in the marketplace. This multi-faceted approach enables Converge to address the unique business and technology requirements for all clients in the public and private sectors. For more information, visit convergetp.com. About The Channel Company The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers, and end users. Backed by more than 30 years of unequalled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative new solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. www.thechannelcompany.com. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/converge-technology-solutions-corp-named-39-on-crns-2021-solution-provider-500-list-301302933.html SOURCE Converge Technology Solutions Corp. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 01, 2021] EasyPark Group Completes Acquisition of ParkMobile ATLANTA, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- EasyPark Group , the European fast-growing mobility company, announced today the completed acquisition of PARK NOW Group, including North American-based ParkMobile . The closing of this transaction immediately expands EasyPark Group's global footprint into the North American market, where ParkMobile is the #1 parking app with 25 million users and a presence in over 450 cities, including eight of the top ten. EasyPark Group is backed by private equity firms Verdane Capital and Vitruvian Partners and currently operates in 2,200 cities across 20 countries throughout Europe and Australia. This acquisition brings together two successful companies and enables the expanded Group to grow further and become a global pacesetter within digital parking, electrical vehicle charging, and mobility services. "Over the past 12 years, ParkMobile has emerged as the innovation leader in North America for contactless parking and mobility payments," says Jon Ziglar, CEO of ParkMobile. "We are incredibly excited for this next chapter as we join forces with EasyPark Group to accelerate growth and expand our globa footprint." "This is a historic milestone in the industry, and we are very excited to embark on this journey. Most of all, I am proud to be leading such a strong organization with talented employees. With global coverage and scale, as well as an integrated portfolio, we will be able to make cities more livable by driving the development of new, smart, and integrated digital services," says Johan Birgersson, CEO of EasyPark Group. ParkMobile has been part of BMW and Daimler's mobility joint venture PARK NOW Group since March 2019. The PARK NOW Group European brands are also part of this acquisition. That includes PARK NOW, RingGo, Parkmobile Europe, and Park-line. The integration of these companies will be realized in several steps concerning commercial offerings, internal organization, and ways of working. "We are now entering a discovery and integration phase where we will make sure to draw from the strength, knowledge, and spirit of both PARK NOW Group and EasyPark Group, to build our future success. Together we have a huge potential, and as one united company we will be able to offer even more value to drivers, businesses, cities, and parking operators all around the world," says Birgersson. The parties have agreed not to disclose the terms of the transaction. About ParkMobile ParkMobile, LLC provides smart parking and mobility solutions in North America, using a contactless approach to help millions of people easily find, reserve, and pay for parking on their mobile devices. The company's technology is used in thousands of locations across the country, including 8 of the top 10 cities as well as college campuses, airports, and stadiums. People can use ParkMobile solutions to quickly pay for on-street and off-street parking without having to use a meter or kiosk. Additionally, ParkMobile offers parking reservations at stadium venues for concerts and sporting events. Reservations are also available in metro area garages, allowing people to drive into the city without having to worry about finding parking. ParkMobile has been named to the Inc. 5000, Deloitte Fast 500, the Atlanta Journal Constitution's Top Workplaces, and the Technology Association of Georgia's Most Innovative Companies. For more information, visit ParkMobile.io or @ParkMobile on Twitter. About Easypark Group EasyPark is a leading, fast-growing parking tech company that helps drivers find and manage parking and charge their electrical vehicle. Our unique and cutting-edge technology also helps businesses, cities, parking operators and property owners with administration, planning, and data-driven management in over 2,200 cities across 20 countries. We make urban life easier, one parking spot at a time. Visit https://www.easyparkgroup.com/ to find out more. ParkMobile Contact: Jeff Perkins, CMO jeff.perkins@parkmobile.io (678)801-8855 EasyPark Group Contact: Louise Ekman, Head of Group PR louise.ekman@easypark.net +46 70 5222 117 View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/easypark-group-completes-acquisition-of-parkmobile-301302351.html SOURCE ParkMobile [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP Announces Investigation of L Brands, Inc. Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP ("GPM") announces its investigation of L Brands, Inc. (NYSE:LB) concerning the Company and its directors' and officers' possible violations of state laws. If you purchased L Brands stock, would like to learn more about these claims, or have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact Tom Kennedy of GPM, 230 Park Avenue, Sute 358, New York, NY 10169, at tkennedy@glancylaw.com, or at 212-682-5340. If you inquire by email please include your mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased and held. This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601006100/en/ Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-01 02:06:15|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A man works on a replica of Tutankhamun's chariot at Konouz Egypt Replica Treasures in Qalyubia, Egypt, on May 25, 2021. Dozens of designers, sculptors, painters and workers, were busy producing replicas of ancient Egyptian artifacts at Konouz Egypt Replica Treasures, the first factory in Egypt and the Middle East for producing replicas of historical Egyptian antiquities. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa) by Mahmoud Fouly QALYUBIA, Egypt, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Dozens of designers, sculptors, painters and workers, all dressed in white coats, were busy producing replicas of ancient Egyptian artifacts at Konouz Egypt Replica Treasures, the first factory in Egypt and the Middle East for producing replicas of historical Egyptian antiquities. "Actually, the company produces not only replicas of Egyptian antiquities, but also the ones of Coptic, Islamic and Greco-Roman antiquities," said Mohamed Nossair, an operation official at the factory. "The production depends on the artistic and historical value of the original piece as well as its popularity locally and internationally." Built on an area of 10,000 square meters in the industrial zone of El Obour City in Qalyubia Province, north of the capital Cairo, the factory consists of several spacious sections for designing, printing, sculpturing, coloring and so on. Ahmed Hussein, head of the sculpture section, was working on a replica of the golden mask of famous ancient Egyptian King Tutankhamun. "The replicas are produced here in a 1:1 ratio as an identical model in which we preserve the shape and try to reach the Pharaonic spirit with which the original piece was made," said Hussein. Meanwhile, a dozen of busts of ancient Egyptian Queen Nefertiti were being colored in the painting and coloring section. "This is the last working procedure. The statue is sculptured first, and then it goes to the casting section for duplication. Finally, it comes to us for coloring and final touches," said Raihana Reda Ali, a 27-year-old painter. Most of the artists in the factory came from the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. Inaugurated in late March by Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Khaled al-Anany, the factory opened its first gift shop at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in Cairo. It plans to open more shops in other museums and tourist sites nationwide in the near future. The minister noted at the inauguration ceremony that the factory was not just a commercial project, "but aims to present the Egyptian industry to the world and contribute to protecting the Egyptian civilizational and cultural heritage." Enditem [June 01, 2021] GLOBAL TECH INDUSTRIES GROUP, INC. ANNOUNCES RETENTION OF FABIAN ALSULTANY TO ASSIST WITH DEPLOYMENT AND DEVELOPMENT OF DIGITAL TRADING PLATFORM New York, NY, June 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- (GTII:OTCQB) Global Tech Industries Group, Inc. (OTCQB: GTII) (GTII or the Company), www.gtii-us.com, a Nevada corporation, announced today that it has retained the services of Fabian Alsultany to assist the Company in connection with the deployment and development of its digital assets platform. The digital assets platform has the capability to enable customers utilizing the platforms digital wallet to trade cryptocurrencies, tokens, FX, commodities, and other assets, such as fractionalized interests in tokenized fine art. David Reichman, CEO of GTII, commented Fabian has extensive experience with blockchain platforms related to the music industry, which we feel will help expedite the roll-out and further development of the Companys digital assets platform. In addition, Fabians extensive relationships with third parties participating in the digital assets space will help us identify additional digital assets that may be suitable for our platform and tokenization efforts. The platform and its various modules, once live, will be found at the following URLs: beyondblockchain.us, beyondblockpay.com and cryptoplanetearth.com. The Company anticipates that it will commence beta-testing of the platform this week. The Company also continues to evaluate the process for issuing to its shareholders pro-rata fractional interests dividends in the Picasso etching purchased by the Company, which the Company plans to tokenize and make available for trading on the Companys digital assets platform. About Global Tech Industries Group, Inc.: GTII, a publicly traded Company incorporated in the stae of Nevada, specializing in the pursuit of acquiring new and innovative technologies. Please follow our Company at: www.otcmarkets.com/stock/GTII About Fabian Alsultany: Fabian Alsultany is the Director of Business Development for Bitfury Surround in North America. Mr. Alsultanys experience has spanned music, live events, emerging tech, and wellness. He has been working in the music industry for over 25 years. He most recently served as Director of Business Development for the blockchain platform, RChain Cooperative, where he focused on the development of music technologies related to the future of streaming, micropayments, and digital identity. Safe Harbor Forward-Looking Statements: This press release may contain forward looking statements that are based on current expectations, forecasts, and assumptions that involve risks as well as uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from those anticipated or expected, including statements related to the amount and timing of expected revenues related to our financial performance, expected income, distributions, and future growth for upcoming quarterly and annual periods. These risks and uncertainties are further defined in filings and reports by the Company with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Actual results and the timing of certain events could differ materially from those projected in or contemplated by the forward-looking statements due to a number of factors detailed from time to time in our filings with the SEC. Among other matters, the Company may not be able to sustain growth or achieve profitability based upon many factors including but not limited to the risk that we will not be able to find and acquire businesses and assets that will enable us to become profitable. Reference is hereby made to cautionary statements set forth in the Company's most recent SEC filings. We have incurred and will continue to incur significant expenses in our development stage, noting that there is no assurance that we will generate enough revenues to offset those costs in both the near and long term. New lines of business may expose us to additional legal and regulatory costs and unknown exposure(s), the impact of which cannot be predicted at this time. Words such as estimate, project, predict, will, would, should, could, may, might, anticipate, plan, intend, believe, expect, aim, goal, target, objective, likely or similar expressions that convey the prospective nature of events or outcomes generally indicate forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of this press release. Unless legally required, we undertake no obligation to update, modify or withdraw any forward-looking statements, because of new information, future events or otherwise. Blaine Riley br@intlmonetary.com International Monetary 620 Newport Center Drive, #1100 Newport Beach, CA 92660 949.200.4601 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 01, 2021] Golden Star Enterprises Ltd. is Excited to Announce the Addition of Eital Muskal as VP of Strategy and Business Development Claymont, DE, June 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NewMediaWire -- Golden Star Enterprises Ltd., (OTC Pink: GSPT) is pleased to announce the addition of Eital Muskal as Vice President of Strategy and Business Development. Ms. Eital is engaged directly with the team at Enigmai, the Companys wholly-owned subsidiary based in Israel, to engage in forward planning and expansion opportunities for Enigmais proprietary software. Enigmai was established in 2009 and acquired by Golden Star Enterprises Ltd. in 2020 and has developed comprehensive workforce management systems that enable large organizations to better manage their employees schedules and save money by utilizing this state-of-the-art management tool. For over 20 years, Ms. Muskal has successfully navigated an exciting career as a lawyer and a senior business strategy consultant while assuming increased responsibilities and higher-level roles through different industries. As a high-level strategy executive, Ms. Muskal mastered her skills in designing, leading, and implementing corporate growth initiatives. She leads the execution of business development plans to improve organizational efficiency and increase profitability. Over the past two decades, Ms. Muskal has created a multitude of innovative solutions for clients, including start to finish design and execution of growth plans. She excels in minimizing the gap between a business plan and the realities of the execution of the plan. Tha is the reason her clients call her The RainMaker. Ms. Muskal commented, Im excited by this opportunity to help grow a company like Enigmai. I look forward to assisting the Enigmai team as we look to initially position the company as a leader in workforce management solutions in the Israeli marketplace. Mr. Kling, CEO of Golden Star Enterprises, added, We were thrilled to welcome Ms. Muskal to Enigmais management team. We have confidence that her efforts can push Enigmai into the spotlight as a top solutions provider for large contact centers thanks to her intense business strategy background and proven experience growing burgeoning companies just like Enigmai. Golden Star Enterprises and its subsidiary Enigmai welcome Eital Muskal to its executive team. About Enigmai Enigmai was founded in Israel in 2009. As an Israeli tech company, Enigmai developed a unique and advanced solution to address the challenges large contact centers face. Our solution supports the entire workflow cycle, from managing shifts and employee breaks to forecasting every days HR needs. Our system offers numerous advantages like integration with other organization systems in use, real-time information update, easy access reports, and a web-based solution. Leading financial and insurance companies in Israel currently use our system, supporting the operation of hundreds of employees daily. Email: info@enigmai.com www.enigmai.com About Golden Star Enterprises Ltd Golden Star Enterprises LTD is a publicly-traded holding and acquisition company (GSPT) interested in taking technology start-ups and growing them to the next level. We actively search for exceptional investment opportunities in the technology vertical. We leverage our extensive experience in the marketplace and our tech industry connections to create opportunities for companies in our portfolio. Email: info@goldenstarenterprisesltd.com www.goldenstarenterprisesltd.com This press release contains forward-looking statements that reflect the Company's current beliefs, expectations or intentions regarding future events. Any statements contained in this press release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed forward-looking statements. Words such as "will," "will be," "anticipate," "predict," expect "continue," "future," and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. The Company anticipates that subsequent events and developments may cause views and expectations to change. The Company assumes no obligation, and specifically disclaims any intention or obligation, to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 01, 2021] GS Foods Group Acquires School Lunch Products, Inc. GS Foods Group, Inc. ("GS Foods"), a leading specialized food distributor owned by affiliates of Highview Capital, LLC ("Highview") and A&M Capital Partners ("AMCP"), today announced the acquisition of K-12 school foodservice distribution company, School Lunch Products, Inc. ("SLP"). The business combination will integrate GS Foods' national nutrition expertise with a local operation to enhance SLP's capabilities and commitment to customers. GS Foods encompasses a family of specialized foodservice distribution companies including Gold Star Foods, one of nation's largest school nutrition providers - serving 4,300 K-12 schools in over 1,000 school districts throughout the United States. Through this acquisition, GS Foods will extend its strong logistics capabilities, commodity expertise, online offerings and product assortment to provide SLP's existing customer base with increased choice and support to expand its footprint. "By integrating SLP - a company that shares our mission to meet and exceed the needs of school districts - GS Foods is taking another step forward in our efforts to create a coordinated, national nutrition supply chain," said Sean Leer, CEO, GS Foods. "We are excited to combine our deep industry experience with SLP's operations, ultimately providing even more value and expanded opportunities to the communities they've served for over a decade." Established in 2009, SLP provides school districts in Shafter, CA (News - Alert) and the surrounding area with options for high-quality commodity and commercial products. As part of the acquisition, GS Foods will be welcoming SLP President, Mike Fackler, to its sales leadership team. "GS Foods continues to grow as a national leading school nutrition and solutions provider, delivering exceptional customer service and reliably providing millions of students with meals each day," said Mike Fackler, Owner and President, SLP. "I look forward to joining this unparalleled team and helping extend our reach to benefit more communities in California and nationwide." The integration of SLP follows GS Foods' previou acquisitions of Fresno Produce and Hayes Distributing earlier this year, expanding the company's footprint and increasing service offerings for both the school foodservice industry as well as other specialized food sectors. "GS Foods continues to illustrate its leadership and distinct capabilities in school nutrition and other specialized foodservice sectors," said Steve Russell, Managing Director and Sr. Portfolio Manager, Highview. "Continued partnerships with companies like SLP contribute to the growth of GS Foods - allowing us to bring its expertise to additional markets and build a national nutrition system for the future." About GS Foods GS Foods is a family of specialized foodservice distribution companies. GS Foods uses its sophisticated network of facilities to provide trusted food distribution and product solutions to specialized foodservice segments, including education, corrections, non-profit, business & industry and healthcare. GS Foods' independent subsidiaries, Good Source (News - Alert) Solutions, Inc. and Gold Star Foods, Inc., collectively serve over 8,000 customers nationwide. GS Foods is owned by affiliates of Highview Capital, LLC and A&M Capital Partners. About Highview Capital, LLC Highview Capital, LLC is an opportunistic private equity investment vehicle headquartered in Los Angeles, CA with approximately $500 million in assets under management providing transformational equity. Highview leverages its creative vision and expertise to partner with management teams of leading middle-market businesses undergoing periods of transformation, including growth, expansion or performance improvement. For more information, visit www.highviewcp.com. About A&M Capital Partners Alvarez & Marsal Capital is a multi-strategy private equity investment firm with over $3 billion in total assets under management across four funds and three investment strategies. The privately-owned firm is led by a highly experienced investment team, which is augmented by its strategic association with Alvarez & Marsal ("A&M"), one of the largest operationally-focused advisory firms in the world. AMC's business model combines a focus on middle-market private equity investing with the deep operational expertise, industry knowledge and global corporate relationships of A&M, making it a uniquely attractive partner to management teams, corporates, and business owners. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005084/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 01, 2021] Guidehouse Names Dominica Groom Williams Chief Culture, Inclusion and Diversity Officer WASHINGTON, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Guidehouse, a leading consultancy and solutions provider to the public and commercial sectors, today announced that Dominica Groom Williams will join the company as Chief Culture, Inclusion and Diversity Officer (CCIDO) effective June 7. She will report to Scott McIntyre, the company's Chief Executive Officer. Groom Williams joins Guidehouse with more than 15 years of human capital, diversity, inclusion, strategy development and leadership experience. She most recently served as Vice President of the Office of Inclusive Engagement at Freddie Mac where she led the company's diversity, equity, inclusion, and community engagement verticals. Prior, she served as Senior Director, Global Supplier Diversity and Sustainability at Marriott International. Dominica brings a strong, career-long track record as a trailblazer for driving innovation, raising DEI awareness, evolving company culture, and building inclusive leadership capabilities, all to deliver favorable business outcomes. As Guidehouse's CCIDO, she will head the company's efforts to develop a strategic vision and implement a plan to evolve a culture of inclusion, diversity, and excellence as a part of the core mission and values. As a people advocate, she will be responsible for overseeing programs and initiatives that will further enhance the company's commitment to fostering a great work environment that creates awareness, supports an open exchange of ideas, and encourages a collaborative culture. "We are committed to making Guidehouse an even more inclusive and diverse company with a distinctive. engaging culture. We are thrilled to have Dominica in this role leading our efforts, providing innovation and perspective, and contributing to our sccess as a member of the senior leadership team. She has the expertise, experience and passion needed to bring our strategic vision into practice," said Scott McIntyre, Chief Executive Officer of Guidehouse. A native Washingtonian, Groom Williams was named one of Black Enterprise's "Top Executives in Corporate Diversity," recognized as one of the "Top 100 Women" in the state of Maryland by The Daily Record, and as one of Maryland's top "Leading Women" under the age of 40. She was also named a "Top Influential Leader in Diversity" by the National Association for Minority Companies, a "Rising Star" by HousingWire Magazine and a "Women Worth Watching" by the Profiles in Diversity Journal. A graduate of the University of Michigan, Groom Williams currently serves as a member of The Executive Leadership Council. "I am honored to be joining the Guidehouse family and its powerful mission. I look forward to playing a meaningful role in further evolving company culture, advancing DEI and impacting our communities globally," said Groom Williams. Guidehouse was recently named a 2021 DiversityInc Noteworthy Company for the second consecutive year. A Great Place to Work-Certified Company, Guidehouse also scored 100 Percent in the 2021 Corporate Equality Index for 12 consecutive years, and signed onto the Business Coalition for the Equality Act. About Guidehouse Guidehouse is a leading global provider of consulting services to the public and commercial markets with broad capabilities in management, technology, and risk consulting. We help clients address their toughest challenges and navigate significant regulatory pressures with a focus on transformational change, business resiliency, and technology-driven innovation. Across a range of advisory, consulting, outsourcing, and digital services, we create scalable, innovative solutions that prepare our clients for future growth and success. The company has more than 10,000 professionals in over 50 locations globally. Guidehouse is a Veritas Capital portfolio company, led by seasoned professionals with proven and diverse expertise in traditional and emerging technologies, markets, and agenda-setting issues driving economies around the world. For more information, please visit: www.guidehouse.com. Media Contact : Suzanne Dawson, S&C Public Relations For Guidehouse Tel: +1 (646) 941 9140 sdawson@scprgroup.com View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/guidehouse-names-dominica-groom-williams-chief-culture-inclusion-and-diversity-officer-301302653.html SOURCE Guidehouse [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] "We are proud to have had the opportunity to advise Qualus on this transaction and extend our successful track record in the utility services sector," said Drew Spitzer, a managing director at Harris Williams. "Qualus has thrived under the ownership of Mason Wells and we are excited to watch the company's next chapter unfold in partnership with New Mountain." "Given that the underlying demand for critical services is growing, investor interest in the utility services sector for quality companies like Qualus remains high. Additionally, the market is insulated from broader macro fluctuations as a result of the non-discretionary nature of service spend," added Matt White, a managing director at Harris Williams. Qualus provides electric power engineering and field services through its wholly-owned subsidiaries, CE Power and Power Grid Engineering. The business operates from over 20 field and engineering locations and provides a comprehensive suite of highly technical power engineering, electrical testing, and field services through a team of more than 600 technical employees, the vast majority of whom are power engineers, P&C field technicians, or NETA-certified field technicians. Mason Wells is a leading Midwest-based private equity firm with approximately $1.5 billion in assets under management across its current private equity funds. Since Mason Wells was formed in 1998, its buyout funds have invested in four specific industry sectors: outsourced business services, consumer packaged goods, engineered products and services, and packaging materials and converting. New Mountain is a New York-based investment firm that emphasizes business building and growth, rather than debt, as it pursues long-term capital appreciation. The firm currently manages private equity, credit, net lease real estate and public equity funds with over $30 billion in assets under management. New Mountain seeks out what it believes to be the highest quality growth leaders in carefully selected industry sectors and then works intensively with management to build the value of these companies. Harris Williams, an investment bank specializing in M&A advisory services, advocates for sellers and buyers of companies worldwide through critical milestones and provides thoughtful advice during the lives of their businesses. By collaborating as one firm across Industry Groups and geographies, the firm helps its clients achieve outcomes that support their objectives and strategically create value. Harris Williams is committed to execution excellence and to building enduring, valued relationships that are based on mutual trust. Harris Williams is a subsidiary of the PNC (News - Alert) Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC). The Harris Williams EPI Group has significant experience advising market leading providers of technology, services and products across a broad range of sectors. These sectors include energy management; infrastructure services; utility services; testing, inspection, and certification services; environmental services; engineering and construction; power products and technology; and energy technology. For more information on the Group's experience, please visit the EPI Group's section of the Harris Williams website. Harris Williams LLC is a registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA and SIPC. Harris Williams & Co. Ltd is a private limited company incorporated under English law with its registered office at 8th Floor, 20 Farringdon Street, London EC4A 4AB, UK, registered with the Registrar of Companies for England and Wales (registration number 07078852). Harris Williams & Co. Ltd is authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Harris Williams & Co. Corporate Finance Advisors GmbH is registered in the commercial register of the local court of Frankfurt am Main, Germany, under HRB 107540. The registered address is Bockenheimer Landstrasse 33-35, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany (email address: hwgermany@harriswilliams.com). Geschaftsfuhrer/Directors: Jeffery H. Perkins, Paul Poggi. (VAT No. DE321666994). Harris Williams is a trade name under which Harris Williams LLC, Harris Williams & Co. Ltd and Harris Williams & Co. Corporate Finance Advisors GmbH conduct business. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005839/en/ [June 01, 2021] HID Global Launches Card Personalization Solution to Streamline Mediterranean Passenger Line Rewards Program HID Global, a worldwide leader in trusted identity solutions, today announced that maritime company Attica Group has selected its HID FARGO DTC4500e High Capacity Card Printer & Encoder to optimize its loyalty program kiosks. The solution improves the user experience by instantly personalizing high-quality full-color membership cards and supports the continuous issuance needs of the loyalty program. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005249/en/ Attica Group has selected HID FARGO DTC4500e High Capacity Card Printer & Encoder to optimize its Seasmiles loyalty program kiosks. (Photo: Business Wire) Attica Group is engaged in passenger shipping through SUPERFAST FERRIES, BLUE STAR (News - Alert) FERRIES, HELLENIC SEAWAYS and AFRICA MOROCCO LINK. Its Seasmiles loyalty program offers an all-year discount ticket policy, a 3-tier card system and an "earn and burn" model which rewards an array of ticket purchases and transactions onboard in exchange for free tickets or meals and drinks when traveling. Previously, passengers had to submit handwritten applications that did not protect any personal data and had to wait more than six weeks to receive their cards. Members can now sign up at once and immediately receive the loyalty card to start enjoying the benefits on-board. In partnership with local IT company CubeIQ Limited, Attica Group installed user-friendly Seasmiles kiosks on 19 passenger ferries. The kiosks efficiently and securely capture new registrant data, process applications, and HID's FARGO DTC4500e High Capacity Plastic Card Printer & Encoders instantly issue membership cards. "We have been working on card instant-ssuing applications since early 2000, participating in a large number of projects for the financial (bank-cards) as well as the private (loyalty-cards) sector. Attica Group's on-vessel Seasmiles kiosk has been one of the most interesting and challenging instant issuance projects for us," said Andreas Papadedes, Managing Director at CubeIQ. In addition to enhancing the onboard experience, the integration of HID's FARGO DTC4500e printer and encoder into the kiosks has helped improve customer loyalty. Within the first 180 days of deployment, loyalty membership registrations increased to more than 15,000 and the kiosks personalized more than 40,000 cards. "HID's FARGO DTC4500e printer and encoder has been instrumental in helping us develop an award-winning innovative system that improves the travel experience of our passengers," said Dionysis Theodoratos, Chief Commercial Officer for Attica Group. "The automated process and quick issuance of the loyalty membership cards strengthens the relationship of trust with both our valuable customers and our brand." Attica Group operates 32 vessels providing modern, high-quality transportation services in Greece and abroad. Attica's vessels serve 60 unique destinations in four countries, connecting 71 ports transporting over seven million passengers, one million passenger vehicles and 400,000 trucks every year. "HID's reliable, flexible and secure card issuance solutions are adaptable across a broad range of applications that support companies in their diverse business objectives," said Craig Sandness, Senior Vice President and Head of Secure Issuance and Citizen ID Solutions at HID Global. "Attica Group's unique deployment of our printer and encoder helps drive efficiency for its loyalty program while offering its customers immediate and valuable benefits." Download the case study for more information. Click here to learn more about HID's FARGO Card & ID Badge Printers. Stay Connected with HID Global Visit our Media Center, read our Industry Blog, and follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. About HID Global HID Global powers the trusted identities of the world's people, places and things. We make it possible for people to transact safely, work productively and travel freely. Our trusted identity solutions give people secure and convenient access to physical and digital places and connect things that can be accurately identified, verified and tracked digitally. Millions of people around the world use HID products and services to navigate their everyday lives, and billions of things are connected through HID technology. We work with governments, educational institutions, hospitals, financial institutions, industrial organizations and some of the most innovative companies on the planet. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, HID Global has over 4,000 employees worldwide and operates international offices that support more than 100 countries. HID Global is an ASSA ABLOY Group brand. For more information, visit www.hidglobal.com. 2021 HID Global Corporation/ASSA ABLOY AB. All rights reserved. HID, HID Global, the HID Blue Brick logo and the Chain Design are trademarks or registered trademarks of HID Global, ASSA ABLOY AB, or its affiliates(s) in the US and other countries and may not be used without permission. All other trademarks, service marks, and product or service names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005249/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] HRS Crisis Management Solution Delivers Turnkey Technology and Safe Hotel Options for Corporations, First Responders and Governments HRS, the leading corporate lodging platform, is leveraging its capabilities to support corporations, governments and health responders that face crisis situations arising from pandemics, natural disasters and other causes. With automation as its foundation, and supported by the company's globally-renowned Clean & Safe Protocol, HRS can quickly perform hotel procurement in any location and set up easy-to-use online booking access within hours of contract signing. The random manner of COVID breakouts and new strains flaring up in different countries and cities demonstrates the need for fast, proven solutions to help people find safe hotels. Given the resource challenges many communities deal with in disaster situations, HRS' Crisis Management Solution offers a superior option for urgent, high-volume lodging. The combination of new technology, on-the-ground hotel relationships, secure payment and unmatched speed to stand up localized solutions is ideal for the distinct emergency lodging needs of individuals, families, professionals and isolation scenarios. Proven Technology with Rapid Deployment - Already in Use on Multiple Continents HRS' end-to-end platform has been deployed with timely results in multiple locations: During the 2020 Australian Bushfires, HRS supported families and officials with accommodation solutions at hotels across 158 locations, accounting for more than 24,000 room nights. As the Coronavirus pandemic started impacting California, state travel officials contracted with HRS to manage a flash hotel procurement exercise for 21 counties and a minimum of 18,000 room nights for healthcare and other response teams. After a four-week turnaround, the program was up and running. As COVID-19 progressed in the USA's largest state, HRS' platform and services scaled in rapid fashion, ultimately supporting more than 2.5 million room nights across every county in the state ovr the past year. Highlights of the initiative include: Average savings per room night ranging from 25 to 40 percent; 98.5 percent invoice accuracy, including level-3 data, speeding reimbursement activities; The essential elimination of fraud via safeguards in processing procedures, and 100 percent cooperation from participating hotels. Also supporting pandemic-driven scenarios in Europe and India, HRS works with cruise lines and local governments in multiple countries to house medical response teams, displaced individuals and families, and other professionals. HRS has facilitated lodging for vaccination teams as well. Organizations can leverage HRS' Touchless Payment functionality to streamline the financial component of the costs of extended hotel stays. Using proven virtual procedures and secure APIs with credit card providers and financial institutions, the process automates reconciliation and reimbursement processes while eliminating fraud opportunities. Hotels gain from timely payment and incremental occupancy, while guests don't need to worry about extensive costs that can accrue from lengthy stays at a hotel. HRS' Crisis Management Solution builds off the company's innovative Clean & Safe Protocol. Less than a year after its introduction in June 2020, the Protocol has been adopted by more than 65,000 hotels across 192 countries. These properties have elevated their hygiene standards in reaction to COVID-19, even for extended periods often required for emergency circumstances. Organizations can learn more about this innovative solution at HRS' website, or they can email a HRS Crisis Management team member at crisisresponse@hrs.com. "It's been gratifying to see our lodging expertise and technology help people impacted by the pandemic and other crisis situations," said HRS CEO Tobias Ragge. "One outcome of the past 18 months is the irrefutable evidence of the role technology can play to expedite solutions that support communities and relief organizations at their time of need. We've now refined our Crisis Management Solution to work on a global basis, and stand ready to assist corporations, governments, insurance entities and other parties navigating the lodging-related challenges driven by emergency circumstances." About HRS HRS is revolutionizing managed lodging programs for corporations, hotels and business travelers worldwide with its proprietary technology and expertise. The company is committed to facilitating safety, savings, security, satisfaction and sustainable hotel options for its global client roster. Leveraging its unique Lodging as a Service platform, HRS oversees the totality of corporate hotel programs for its clients, from initial procurement and rate assurance to booking, virtual payment and expense management. With more than 65,000 hotels joining HRS' Clean & Safe Protocol in 2020, and the recently launched Green Stay Initiative, the company provides newly-prioritized information on key decision factors impacting post-pandemic travel. The company's data-driven solutions deliver savings and performance for corporations across all hotel categories, including transient, meetings and long-stay lodging scenarios - all while digitizing processes on the hotel side for a better traveler experience. Founded in 1972, HRS today works with 35 percent of the global Fortune 500, as well as the world's leading hotel chains, regional hospitality groups and independent hotels. More information at www.hrs.com/enterprise. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005844/en/ [June 01, 2021] The Inspection Software That's Capturing More Than Industry Attention ZURICH, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The INSPECT iOS and web app empower inspectors, engineers, and asset owners to protect the structural health of buildings and infrastructure. With the new INSPECT 2.0, productivity is increased up to 100x thanks to its digital workflow options and new features such as Capture. Capture has already received a lot of interest from inspection and construction professionals since the concept was announced during the previous Screening Eagle keynote in 2020. It is the new automated photo documentation feature on INSPECT 2.0 that dramatically reduces photo-reporting time thanks to its ability to capture photos as you are moving around the inspection and automatically or manually pin them to the corresponding location with the GeoMap. Users can also now instantly create a full-scale 3D scan replica of the asset its and surroundings to build a detailed, digital health record. This paves the way for preventative maintenance as the 3D replicas combined with AI-assisted defect digitalization, and rich data quality of INSPECT 2.0 allow asset owners to make faster and more informed decisions. Once inspections are complete, detailed and customized inspection reports can be generated in seconds and shared anywhere in the world a rvolution for the inspection industry that saves millions of dollars every year with data availability. The intelligent inspection software has received many high-rated testimonials from its users including Vinci Technology Centre UK, and TSM C&S Consultants in Singapore who participated in the #KEY21SET event. A veteran civil engineer in Canada recently reported on his experience with INSPECT: "My clients were impressed that I can provide them a report within the same day of the inspection." INSPECT 2.0 is available for download now from the Apple Appstore and the company is offering a series of technical webinars for the inspection community. About Screening Eagle Technologies Screening Eagle Technologies provides a technology platform for intelligent inspection of the built environment. The company was created through the merger of Dreamlab in Singapore and Proceq in Switzerland with a mission to protect the built world with software, sensors and data. Screening Eagle's full-stack inspection solution combines intuitive software and powerful portable sensors to deliver reliable data for construction and asset maintenance decisions. Powered by data from intelligent and autonomous inspection, Screening Eagle is on a steep growth path to realizing its vision of predictive healthcare that extends asset life and increases long-term value for asset owners. ScreeningEagle.com Photo(s): https://www.prlog.org/12871790 Press release distributed by PRLog View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-inspection-software-thats-capturing-more-than-industry-attention-301302905.html SOURCE Screening Eagle Technologies [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 01, 2021] Lieutenant General Robert Walsh Joins SpiderOak Mission Systems Federal Advisory Board WASHINGTON, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- SpiderOak Mission Systems, provider of cryptographically secure communication and collaboration products, is pleased to announce that Lieutenant General Robert Walsh, U.S. Marine Corps (Retired), has joined the company's Federal Advisory Board. The Board provides insight and guidance to SpiderOak in aligning business strategy and product development with the unique needs of the defense sector. Walsh brings the company thirty-nine years of military experience from his time in the Marine Corps, including service as Commanding General of the Marine Corps Combat Development Command and the Deputy Commandant for Combat Development and Integration. A 1979 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Walsh served as an F/A-18 pilot at all levels, including commanding VMFA-115, Marine Aircraft Group 31, and 2d Marine Aircraft Wing. He was an instructor at the Navy Fighter Weapons School (TopGun). "General Walsh is a crucial addition to our Advisory Board and brings unique experience as someone who has led the evolution of his service and its integration with the rest of the military and the intelligence comunity," remarked David Pearah, SpiderOak CEO. "As an aviator and Marine, he will help us understand how our systems can best benefit the warfighter at the point of contact with adversaries, wherever that may occur." Walsh commented: "Collaboration and security are both critical in today's global information operating environment. The two don't necessarily go hand in hand. Federal employees and military personnel must have secure networked communications to communicate in a manner that reduces risk in an increasingly complex national and global security world. SpiderOak's agile products are designed to operate in the most contested environments while enabling cross-domain collaboration. I am thrilled to be part of this cutting-edge team of professionals that is providing vital capabilities to meet our national needs." As a general officer, Walsh's staff assignments focused on designing and building the future Navy and Marine Corps as Assistant Deputy Commandant for Aviation, Assistant Deputy Commandant for Combat Development and Integration, and Director of Expeditionary Warfare, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. His operational assignments included serving as Commanding General, 2d Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward) Iraq, and Director of Operations, U.S. Northern Command. He currently serves as a director or advisory board member for companies across a broad spectrum of business sectors. About SpiderOak Mission Systems SpiderOak builds need-to-know technology that supports customers working in hostile environments. Traditional systems trust traditional infrastructure to maintain the whole security system, even though the news is rife with evidence that this model does not work. Our software combines end-to-end encryption with a distributed-ledger technology to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of our clients' most sensitive data in any environment from space to ground and back again. For more information about SpiderOak Mission Systems, check us out at http://www.spideroak-ms.com Editorial Contact For inquiries, please call SpiderOak at (866) 432-9888 ext. 6 or write PR@SPIDEROAK-INC.COM View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lieutenant-general-robert-walsh-joins-spideroak-mission-systems-federal-advisory-board-301302849.html SOURCE SpiderOak Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 01, 2021] mdf commerce enters into agreement with Sunvery to extend software engineering workforce in Ukraine MONTREAL, June 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- mdf commerce inc. (TSX:MDF), a leader in SaaS commerce technology solutions, announces today it has entered into agreement with Sunvery, a top logistics and recruitment agency in Ukraine that specialises in establishing R&D centers for tech companies without middleman. The goal of the agreement is to boost the existing mdf commerce office in Ukraine with software engineer talent that will support the companys accelerated growth and the timely delivery of its ecommerce and strategic sourcing solutions. The IT workforce is in high demand across North America, particularly as the economy bounces back from challenging times, said Luc Filiatreault, President and CEO of mdf commerce. As we continue in our efforts to recruit locally, we also have the unique opportunity to utilize our international networks to bring in top talent from around the world. The agreement with Sunvery alongside our already established office in Ukraine will assist our search for the best possible candidates in the software development field. Overtime, our goal is to create a significant mdf commerce development center with approximately 50 to 100 people in Ukraine, where we have found excellent talent in technology. < align="justify">Through this agreement, Sunvery will support the recruitment of highly qualified IT engineers, who will join the mdf commerce team to deliver quality software solutions for existing and potential customers worldwide. Sunvery will also take care of the local workspace setup of new recruits and all related logistics. As a truly global company, with its heart in Canada, I believe that our ability to attract industry leading talent here and abroad will play a significant role in the success of our ambitious growth plans, said Luc Filiatreault. We cant wait to welcome new industry professionals to the mdf commerce family. About mdf commerce inc. mdf commerce inc. (TSX:MDF) enables the flow of commerce by providing a broad set of SaaS solutions that optimize and accelerate commercial interactions between buyers and sellers. Our platforms and services empower businesses around the world, allowing them to generate billions of dollars in transactions on an annual basis. Our Strategic Sourcing, Unified Commerce and emarketplace platforms are supported by a strong and dedicated team of approximately 700 employees based in Canada, the United States, Denmark, Ukraine and China. For more information, please visit us at mdfcommerce.com, follow us on LinkedIn or call at 1-877-677-9088. For further information: mdf commerce Andre Leblanc Vice President, Marketing and Public Affairs Phone: +1 (514) 961-0882 Email: andre.leblanc@mdfcommerce.com [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-01 02:12:51|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A child plays on a swing at a park in Belgrade, Serbia, on May 31, 2021. Serbia authorities on Monday decided to further lift restrictions as the country seems to be taming the coronavirus pandemic with vaccines. (Photo by Wang Wei/Xinhua) BELGRADE, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Serbia authorities on Monday decided to further lift restrictions as the country seems to be taming the coronavirus pandemic with vaccines. From Tuesday, customers could dine out both indoors and outdoors until midnight, and watch late evening cinema screenings. Moreover, the number of people that can gather at business and scientific congresses increased from 100 to 200, the government informed in a press release. According to official data, in Serbia, a country of around 7 million people, 2,062,128 people have been fully immunized against the coronavirus, while 4,606,992 doses of vaccines have been administered so far. Since December last year authorities started vaccinating high-risk resident groups with Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, while in mid-January Serbia received the first batch of the Chinese Sinopharm vaccines and started mass immunization. In May, Serbia witnessed a rapid decrease in the number of COVID-19 cases and rising interest in people to receive vaccination, thanks to financial measures aiming to stimulate people to receive the jab. The downward trend in new cases of coronavirus across the country continued and in the past 24 hours, only 248 new cases were confirmed in 8,684 testings. Since the beginning of the pandemic, 712,472 cases of coronavirus infection have been confirmed, including 6,865 deaths. Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said recently that largely thanks to the 4.2 million vaccine doses imported from China, the country could succeed in vaccinating almost half of its adult population. Enditem [June 01, 2021] Meitu, Inc. Announces Support for Unified ID 2.0 SINGAPORE, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Meitu, Inc. today announced support for the Unified ID 2.0 initiative, expanding the new identity solution into Asia's mobile dominant markets. Initially developed by The Trade Desk, Unified ID 2.0 is a new industry-wide approach to internet identity that preserves the value of relevant advertising, while putting control for consumers and privacy at the forefront. Designed from the consumer's perspective, the ID is an upgraded alternative to third-party cookies and will be open-sourced. Boasting over 885 million users outside of China, Meitu's apps offer users in over 100 countries various beauty user experiences through convenient mobile in-app internet technology. This announcement lends significant support to Unified ID 2.0, which has already gained notable momentum amongst media companies and technology players globally. This integration is for Meitu's global inventory, outside of China. With Unified ID 2.0, Meitu will give marketers a common currency for digital advertising including mobile advertising, while aiming to allow consumers to retain transparency and control, with the ability to opt-out. Unified ID 2.0 aims to enable mobile app companies and marketers around the globe to better understand their audiences across platforms in a simple way, while giving consumers better, more personalized digital experiences. Powered by a technology that encrypts and hashes a consumer's email address for their protection, Unified ID 2.0 will be governed by an independent group to preserve neutrality and independence. Key elements of Unified ID 2.0 include: A simplified consent framework for publishers explaining the value exchange of relevant advertising for consumers, and providing greater control for publishers explaining the value exchange of relevant advertising for consumers, and providing greater control for publishers Encrypted identification a major upgrade over current cookie technology that will include a hashed and encrypted ID with improved accountability measures, as well as third-party audit controls a major upgrade over current cookie technology that will include a hashed and encrypted ID with improved accountability measures, as well as third-party audit controls Simple and transparent consumer controls , with the ability to manage participation , with the ability to manage participation Single sign on capabilities across the open internet so consumers don't have to consent repeatedly "As one of the leading global mobile app developers, we are constantly working to maintain user privacy while empowering advertisers to make the most of their first-party data," said Cyrion Wang, Head of Programmatic, Meitu, Inc. "Unified ID 2.0 has the potential to not only enhance our targeting capabilities, but also allow our users to experience relevant advertising. Furthermore, we have been encouraged by the global support Unified ID 2.0 has already had across the industry." "The collboration around Unified ID 2.0 allows digital publishers to participate in this industry-wide initiative to pioneer a new approach to identity. Given that the global internet markets are 'mobile first,' we are especially thrilled to see Meitu as a leader in the mobile app space join others across the industry to address the need for an upgraded alternative to identity," said Mitch Waters, Senior Vice President, The Trade Desk. "Unlike cookies, Unified ID 2.0 operates across advertising channels including mobile, audio, browsers, OTT/TV apps and devices with a single ID. This is critical as marketers and publishers look to understand their audience across platforms, while creating a better standard that gives consumers greater transparency and control." For more information about Unified ID 2.0, please visit the Unified ID solution site. About Meitu Founded in October 2008, Meitu has become one of China's top Internet enterprises owing to its leading AI-driven image-and-video processing technologies and social community. Meitu's mission is "to let everyone become beautiful easily", with the concept of "beauty", or Mei in Chinese, as the company's core ideal. Meitu App, BeautyCam, Meipai, MeituEve, MeituGenius, and other products of Meitu have fundamentally changing the way that users around the world create and share "beauty". Meitu has been listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange since December 15, 2016 (Stock code:1357.HK). Meitu leverages AI in the pursuit of its mission. In 2010, Meitu founded its R&D hub MTlab, which is dedicated to AI and imaging innovations such as Computer Vision, Deep Learning, and Computer Graphics. To know more about Meitu, visit meitu.com/en About The Trade Desk The technology company The Trade Desk enables brands and agencies to purchase digital advertising. Using the cloud-based self-service solution, media buyers can control and optimize data-driven advertising campaigns in various formats and on different end devices. Integrations with key data, media inventory and publisher partners ensure maximum reach for independent, data-based purchasing decisions. Enterprise APIs enable customers to develop individual solutions based on the cloud platform. The Trade Desk is headquartered in Ventura, California and has offices in the United States, Europe and Asia Pacific. For more information, visit thetradedesk.com or follow us on Facebook , Twitter and LinkedIn . About Unified ID 2.0 Unified ID 2.0 is a next-generation identity solution that is a open-source digital framework. With initial development led by The Trade Desk, Unified ID 2.0 is the result of a broad collaboration of publishers, buyers and technology providers across the industry. It serves as an alternative to third-party cookies that aims to improve consumer transparency, privacy and control, while preserving the value exchange of relevant advertising across channels and devices. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/meitu-inc-announces-support-for-unified-id-2-0--301302611.html SOURCE Meitu, Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] MetLife CEO to Speak at S&P Global Ratings Annual Insurance Conference MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET) today announced that Michel Khalaf, president and CEO, will participate in the "Executive Perspectives: Views from Life Insurance CEOs" panel discussion at the S&P Global Ratings "37th Annual Insurance Conference" on Wednesday, June 9, 2021, beginning at 11 a.m. (ET). S&P Global Ratings will offer complimentary registration to all attendees for the event. The conference will be hosted on a web-based platform, and S&P Global Ratings will send the access link to registered attendees one day ahead of the event. More information and registration details are available via the S&P Global Ratings "37th Annual Insurance Conference" website. About MetLife MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET), through its subsidiaries and affiliates ("MetLife"), is one of the world's leading financial services companies, providing insurance, annuities, employee benefits and asset management to help its individual and institutional customers navigate their changing world. Founded in 1868, MetLife has operations in more than 40 markets globally and holds leading positions in the United States, Japan, Latin America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. For more information, visit www.metlife.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005806/en/ [June 01, 2021] Multi-Generational Demand: US Home Prices Post Third Month of Double-Digit Growth in April, CoreLogic Reports CoreLogic (NYSE: CLGX), a leading global property information, analytics and data-enabled solutions provider, today released the CoreLogic Home Price Index ( HPI (News - Alert)) and HPI Forecast for April 2021. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005126/en/ CoreLogic National Home Price Change and Forecast; April 2021 (Graphic: Business Wire) Sparse inventory and high demand continues to place upward pressure on home prices, creating challenges across generations as buyer preferences shift. Younger millennials continue to enter the market in droves while older millennials look to upgrade and upsize their homes. In a recent CoreLogic consumer survey, the need for more space was noted as the top driver (64%) for demand among these cohorts. The increased competition among buyers may cause a ripple effect and create affordability challenges for baby boomers interested in downsizing or relocating. Notably, 72% of this cohort list the desire for a new location as the main reason for wanting to purchase a new home. However, in response to rising prices, baby boomers - who own 54% of the nation's homes - may wait to sell, creating further inventory pressures for older millennials seeking move up-purchases. "As older homeowners become more comfortable with listing their homes, they are faced with the reality that if they sell, they may get a smaller home for the same price as what they already have," said Frank Martell, president and CEO of CoreLogic. "Rather than decreasing their financial burden and cashing out equity to support their retirement, baby boomers may choose to stay put - which could exacerbate inventory challenges." Top Takeaways: Nationally, home prices increased 13% in April 2021, compared with April 2020. On a month-over-month basis, home prices increased by 2.1% compared to March 2021. Appreciation of detached properties (14.7%) was more than double that of attached properties (7.2%) in April as prospective buyers continue to seek out more space. Home prices are projected to increase 2.8% by April 2022, as affordability and supply challenges drive potential buyers out of the market, causing a slowdown in home price growth. In April, home prices rose sharply in the west with Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, eperiencing the highest year-over-year increase at 31.4%. Boise City, Idaho, ranked second with a year-over-year increase of 28.6%. At the state level, Idaho and Arizona continued to have the strongest price growth at 27.2% and 20.4%, respectively. South Dakota also had a 19.3% year-over-year increase as new home buyers seek out more affordable options, space and low property taxes. The next CoreLogic HPI press release, featuring May 2021 data, will be issued on July 6, 2021 at 8:00 a.m. ET. Methodology The CoreLogic HPI is built on industry-leading public record, servicing and securities real-estate databases and incorporates more than 45 years of repeat-sales transactions for analyzing home price trends. Generally released on the first Tuesday of each month with an average five-week lag, the CoreLogic HPI is designed to provide an early indication of home price trends by market segment and for the "Single-Family Combined" tier, representing the most comprehensive set of properties, including all sales for single-family attached and single-family detached properties. The indices are fully revised with each release and employ techniques to signal turning points sooner. The CoreLogic HPI provides measures for multiple market segments, referred to as tiers, based on property type, price, time between sales, loan type (conforming vs. non-conforming) and distressed sales. Broad national coverage is available from the national level down to ZIP Code, including non-disclosure states. CoreLogic HPI Forecasts are based on a two-stage, error-correction econometric model that combines the equilibrium home price-as a function of real disposable income per capita-with short-run fluctuations caused by market momentum, mean-reversion, and exogenous economic shocks like changes in the unemployment rate. With a 30-year forecast horizon, CoreLogic HPI Forecasts project CoreLogic HPI levels for two tiers - "Single-Family Combined" (both attached and detached) and "Single-Family Combined Excluding Distressed Sales." As a companion to the CoreLogic HPI Forecasts, Stress-Testing Scenarios align with Comprehensive Capital Analysis and Review (CCAR) national scenarios to project five years of home prices under baseline, adverse and severely adverse scenarios at state, metropolitan areas and ZIP Code levels. The forecast accuracy represents a 95% statistical confidence interval with a +/- 2% margin of error for the index. About Market Risk Indicator Market Risk Indicators are a subscription-based analytics solution that provide monthly updates on the overall "health" of housing markets across the country. CoreLogic data scientists combine world-class analytics with detailed economic and housing data to help determine the likelihood of a housing bubble burst in 392 major metros and all 50 states. Market Risk Indicators is a multi-phase regression model that provides a probability score (from 1 to 100) on the likelihood of two scenarios per metro: a >10% price reduction and a = 10% price reduction. The higher the score, the higher the risk of a price reduction. About the Market Condition Indicators As part of the CoreLogic HPI and HPI Forecasts offerings, Market Condition Indicators are available for all metropolitan areas and identify individual markets as "overvalued", "at value", or "undervalued." These indicators are derived from the long-term fundamental values, which are a function of real disposable income per capita. Markets are labeled as overvalued if the current home price indexes exceed their long-term values by greater than 10%, and undervalued where the long-term values exceed the index levels by greater than 10%. About the CoreLogic Consumer Housing Sentiment Study 3,000+ consumers were surveyed by CoreLogic via Qualtrics. The study is an annual pulse of U.S. housing market dynamics concentrated on consumers looking to purchase a home, consumers not looking to purchase a home, and current mortgage holder. The survey was conducted in April 2021 and hosted on Qualtrics. The survey has a sampling error of ~3% at the total respondent level with a 95% confidence level. Source (News - Alert) : CoreLogic The data provided are for use only by the primary recipient or the primary recipient's publication or broadcast. This data may not be resold, republished or licensed to any other source, including publications and sources owned by the primary recipient's parent company without prior written permission from CoreLogic. Any CoreLogic data used for publication or broadcast, in whole or in part, must be sourced as coming from CoreLogic, a data and analytics company. For use with broadcast or web content, the citation must directly accompany first reference of the data. If the data are illustrated with maps, charts, graphs or other visual elements, the CoreLogic logo must be included on screen or website. For questions, analysis or interpretation of the data, contact Amy Brennan at newsmedia@corelogic.com. Data provided may not be modified without the prior written permission of CoreLogic. Do not use the data in any unlawful manner. The data are compiled from public records, contributory databases and proprietary analytics, and its accuracy is dependent upon these sources. About CoreLogic CoreLogic (NYSE: CLGX), the leading provider of property insights and solutions, promotes a healthy housing market and thriving communities. Through its enhanced property data solutions, services and technologies, CoreLogic enables real estate professionals, financial institutions, insurance carriers, government agencies and other housing market participants to help millions of people find, buy and protect their homes. For more information, please visit www.corelogic.com. CORELOGIC, the CoreLogic logo, CoreLogic HPI and CoreLogic HPI Forecast are trademarks of CoreLogic, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005126/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Must-See Virtual Booths and Pavilions at COMPUTEX 2021 Virtual COMPUTEX 2021 Virtual is now live through June 30. Event organizer TAITRA introduced #COMPUTEXVirtual to offer attendees a brand new digital experience through AI technologies. In addition to the exhibition, events such as COMPUTEX CEO Keynote, COMPUTEX Keynote, COMPUTEX & InnoVEX Forum, and d&i awards, deliver the latest tech trends online. This entirely new environment also provides smart matchmaking opportunities from the safety of your home. Must-See Virtual Booths at #COMPUTEXVirtual and #InnoVEXVirtual COMPUTEX 2021 Virtual evolves around six major themes: 5G, AI & IoT, Edge Computing, Innovations & Startups, Gaming, and HPC. Key companies and startups from 33 countries are participating in this year's #COMPUTEXVirtual and #InnoVEXVirtual. Leading companies and institutions like Acer, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Garage+ from the Epoch Foundation, GIGABYTE, and Intel have set up pavilions to showcase the latest technologies and disruptive innovations in their virtual booths. In #InnoVEXVirtual for innovations and startups, attendees have a chance to visit 79 startups from 24 countries in their national pavilions, including France, South Korea, and the Netherlands. The EBRD is also represented for the first time with its own pavilion. Moreover, Taiwan Accelerator Plus (TAcc+), sponsored by Taiwan Small and Medium Enterprise Administration, has selected Taiwanese top-notch startups to participate in #InnoVEXVirtual. The Department of Youth Affairs of the City Government of Taoyuan showcases Taiwanese innovations in the "TYC Startup Pavilion." COMPUTEX d&i Awards Pavilion Showcases Winning Products To encourage the industry to continue investing in innovations and research, the "COMPUTEX d&i awards" organized by TAITRA not only demonstrates top-notch technologies from companies, but also gives the world a sneak peek of future technology trends. The highest distinction, the Gold Award, was presented to ASUS and JGB Smart. All winning products are exhibited in the d&i awards pavilion in #COMPUTEXVirtual. Live-streaming and On-demand Forum as well as Keynote Videos are Available Now This year, TAITRA hosts industry leaders such as AMD, Arm, Intel, Micron, NVIDIA, NXP, Qualcomm (News - Alert) and Supermicro to address the latest industry trends, motivating attendees to explore the future world. As one of the most important global tech summits, the topic for the 2021 COMPUTEX Forum is "The New Era of Intelligence" with focus on 5G, AI, IoT, and electric vehicles. Global leaders will discuss new strategies in the post-pandemic world. The 2021 InnoVEX Forum, on the other hand, will target topics on international collaboration. The "Taiwan-Israel Innovation Forum" will share success stories from the Taiwan-Israel collaboration on innovation. All forums and keynotes are available for viewing on the #COMPUTEXVirtual platform and the COMPUTEX YouTube channel after first broadcast. Register for free: https://virtual.computextaipei.com.tw/ For more information on forums and keynotes: https://virtual.computextaipei.com.tw/events/ For more information: COMPUTEX : https://www.computextaipei.com.tw/ InnoVEX : https://www.innovex.com.tw/ About COMPUTEX: Established in 1981, COMPUTEX is one of the leading global ICT, IoT, and startup tradeshows with a complete supply chain and IoT ecosystems. Co-organized by the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) and Taipei Computer Association (TCA), COMPUTEX, based upon Taiwan's complete ICT clusters, covers the whole spectrum of the ICT industry, from established brands to startups and from ICT supply chain to IoT ecosystems. With strong R&D and manufacturing capabilities and IPR protection, Taiwan is a strategic destination for foreign companies and investors looking for partners in global technology ecosystems. Follow COMPUTEX on its website at www.computextaipei.com.tw and Twitter (News - Alert) @computex_taipei using the hashtag #COMPUTEX. About COMPUTEX 2021 Virtual: As a pioneer in technology, COMPUTEX has been at the forefront in embracing digital transformation. In 2021, the show will go online. Together with the key global technology players, the organizer of COMPUTEX, Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) introduces #COMPUTEXVirtual (including its global startups and innovations showcase #InnoVEXVirtual), an AI-driven virtual platform, and aims to deliver an exceptional virtual exhibition experience beyond the distance. About TAITRA: Founded in 1970, TAITRA is Taiwan's foremost nonprofit trade promoting organization. Sponsored by the government and industry organizations, TAITRA assists enterprises to expand their global reach. Headquartered in Taipei, TAITRA has a team of 1,300 specialists and operates 5 local offices in Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung, as well as 63 branches worldwide. Together with Taipei World Trade Center (TWTC) and Taiwan Trade Center (TTC), TAITRA has formed a global network dedicated to promoting world trade. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005405/en/ [June 01, 2021] NMD Pharma Initiates an Observational Pilot Study Investigating the Effects of Sarcopenia on Neuromuscular Transmission in Older Adults PRESS RELEASE NMD Pharma Initiates an Observational Pilot Study Investigating the Effects of Sarcopenia on Neuromuscular Transmission in Older Adults Aarhus, Denmark, 1 June 2021 NMD Pharma A/S, a biotech company developing novel therapeutics for neuromuscular disorders, today announces that it has initiated a pilot observational study to assess whether sarcopenia, a condition characterized by age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass and function, is associated with neuromuscular junction (NMJ) transmission deficits in older adults. The US study will be led by Professor Brian Clark, PhD of Ohio University and Professor William David Arnold, MD, of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and will involve 16 subjects: eight older sarcopenic individuals over the age of 70 and eight healthy young and middle aged individuals between the ages of 18 and 50. Subjects will undergo electrophysiological testing (repetitive nerve stimulation and single fibre electromyography (EMG) analyses) and different assessments of muscle mass (magnetic resonance imaging) and function (involving tests of muscle strength, power, fatigability, and balance). NMD Pharma is developing first-in-class small molecule inhibitors of the muscle specific chloride ion channel, the ClC-1 ion channel and has already demonstrated that ClC-1 inhibition can strengthen neuromuscular transmission and ultimately skeletal muscle function. This study is intended to establish whether NMJ transmission deficits occur in sarcopenic individuals, and to investigate whether these deficits correlate with reduced physical performance. This data will be used to inform potential future clinical trials of one of NMD Pharmas ClC-1 inhibitors for the treatment of mobility limitations in sarcopenic individuals. Thomas Holm Pedersen, Chief Executive Officer of NMD Pharma, said: This is the first clinical study that NMD Pharma has coordinated in older adults with sarcopenia. The investigators leading the study have already demonstrated NMJ transmission deficits are present in aged mice but whether this translates in older human individuals is yet unknown. We are grateful to the world-leading clinical teams in Ohio, and their prospective study participants, for making this study possible. Professor Brian Clark, PhD, from Ohio University commented: The exact causes of sarcopenia are still unknown but factors affecting the strength of muscle contraction independent of mass, such as NMJ transmission, are increasingly suspected as contributors to the development of age-related physical disability. This study will seek to assess that hypothesis and provide data which could lead to much needed clinical trials of this particular condition in the future. Professor William David Arnold MD, from The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center added: Sarcopenia is a common condition in older adults that contributes to functional decline, disability, frailty and falls and is one of the most important reasons for loss of independence in older adults. There is a need to raise awareness of this condition in order to aid earlier detection and treatment and, as such, it is vital that research in this area continues. We are pleased to discover more about this condition through this pilot study. NMD Pharmas lead candidate, NMD670, is currently being evaluated in a combined Phase I/IIa trial to treat the symptoms of Myasthenia Gravis (MG) which is taking place at the Centre for Human Drug Research (CHDR) in Leiden, the Netherlands. Individuals in the Ohio area in the US who are interested in learning more about participating in the sarcopenia study should contact Brian Clark at clarkb2@ohio.edu or 740-593-2354. -END- Contacts NMD Pharma A/S Thomas Holm Pedersen, CEO E-mail: contact@nmdpharma.com Consilium Strategic Communications Mary-Jane Elliott / Ashley Tapp / Lindsey Neville E-mail: NMDPharma@consilium-comms.com Tel: +44 (0)20 3709 5700 About NMD Pharma NMD Pharma A/S, is a private biotech company leading in the development of novel first-in-class therapies for severe neuromuscular disorders. The Company was incorporated as a spin-off from Aarhus University, Denmark in 2015 and was founded on more than 15 years of muscle physiology research with a focus on regulation of skeletal muscle excitability under physical activity. NMD Pharma has built a world-leading muscle electrophysiology platform leveraging the in-depth know-how of muscle physiology and muscular disorders, small molecule modulators, enabling technologies and tools as well as in-vivo pharmacology models for discovering and developing proprietary modulators of neuromuscular function. NMD Pharma received seed financing from Novo Seeds, Lundbeckfonden Emerge and Capnova in 2016, and in 2018 raised a 38 million Series A financing, led by new investor INKEF Capital, together with new investor Roche Venture Fund and existing investors Novo Seeds and Lundbeckfonden Emerge. Find out more about us online at http://www.nmdpharma.com/. About The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center One of the nations leading academic health centers, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center offers health care services in virtually every specialty and subspecialty in medicine. Thousands of patients come to us each month for treatments and services they cant find anywhere else. Providing access to health care information is central to our research, education and patient care mission. At Ohio State Wexner Medical Center, were dedicated to improving health in Ohio and across the world through innovation in research, education and patient care. Find out more about us online at www.wexnermedical.osu.edu About Ohio University Ohio University strives to be the best student-centered, transformative learning community in America, where students realize their promise, faculty advance knowledge, staff achieve excellence, and alumni become global leaders. OHIO is committed to fostering, embracing, and celebrating diversity in all its forms. Our Athens Campus offers students a residential learning experience in one of the nations most picturesque academic settings. Additional campuses and centers serve students across the state, and online programs further advance the Universitys commitment to providing educational access and opportunity. Visit www.ohio.edu for more information. Ohio University is a research-intensive institution with a record of advancing knowledge through discovery and innovation in the natural and biomedical sciences, humanities and arts, and engineering. About Sarcopenia Sarcopenia is a syndrome characterized by progressive and generalized loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength and it is strictly correlated with physical disability, poor quality of life and death. Risk factors for sarcopenia include age, gender and level of physical activity although the exact causes of the disease are unknown at present. On average, it is estimated that 513% of elderly people aged 6070 years are affected by sarcopenia1. 1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3060646/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 01, 2021] Nuveen Closed-End Funds Announce Appointment of Two New Board Members The Nuveen closed-end funds (each a "Fund" and collectively, the "Funds") announced today that Amy B. R. Lancellotta and Joanne T. Medero have been appointed to the Board of Directors/Board of Trustees of each Fund as independent directors/trustees (and as a Class II and Class III director/trustee, respectively, of those Funds that have classified Boards), effective immediately. After 30 years of service, Ms. Lancellotta retired at the end of 2019 from the Investment Company Institute (ICI), which represents regulated investment companies on regulatory, legislative and securities industry initiatives that affect funds and their shareholders. From November 2006 until her retirement, Ms. Lancellotta served as Managing Director of ICI's Independent Directors Council ( IDC (News - Alert) ), which supports fund independent directors in fulfilling their responsibilities to promote and protect the interests of fund shareholders. At IDC, Ms. Lancellotta was responsible for all ICI and IDC activities relating to the fund independent director community. In conjunction with her responsibilities, Ms. Lancellotta advised and represented IDC, ICI, independent directors and the investment company industry on issues relating to fund governance and the role of fund directors. She also directed and coordinated IDC's education, communication, governance and policy initiatives. Prior to serving as Managing Director of IDC, Ms. Lancellotta held various other positions with ICI beginning in 1989. Before joining ICI, Ms. Lancellotta was an associate at two Washington, D.C. law firms. In addition, since 2020, she has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Jewish Coalition Against Domestic Abuse (JCADA), an organization that seeks to end power-based violence, empower survivors and ensure safe communities. Ms. Lancellotta received a B.A. degree from Pennsylvania State University in 1981 and a J.D. degree from the National Law Center, George Washington University (currently known as George Washington University Law School) in 1984. Ms. Medero has over 30 years of financial services experience and, most recently, from December 2009 until her retirement in July 2020, she was a Managing Director in the Government Relations and Public Polcy Group at BlackRock, Inc. (BlackRock). From July 2018 to July 2020, she was also Senior Advisor to BlackRock's Vice Chairman, focusing on public policy and corporate governance issues. In 1996, Ms. Medero joined Barclays Global Investors (BGI), which merged with BlackRock in 2009. At BGI, she was a Managing Director and served as Global General Counsel and Corporate Secretary until 2006. Then, from 2006 to 2009, Ms. Medero was a Managing Director and Global Head of Government Relations and Public Policy at Barclays Group (IBIM), where she provided policy guidance and directed legislative and regulatory advocacy programs for the investment banking, investment management and wealth management businesses. Before joining BGI, Ms. Medero was a Partner at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP from 1993 to 1995, where she specialized in derivatives and financial markets regulation issues. Additionally, she served as General Counsel of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) from 1989 to 1993 and, from 1986 to 1989, she was Deputy Associate Director/Associate Director for Legal and Financial Affairs at The White House Office of Presidential Personnel. Further, from 2006 to 2010, Ms. Medero was a member of the CFTC Global Markets Advisory Committee and she has been actively involved in financial industry associations, serving as Chair of the Steering Committee of the SIFMA (Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association) Asset Management Group (2016-2018) and Chair of the CTA (Commodity Trading Advisor), CPO (Commodity Pool Operator) and Futures Committee of the Managed Funds Association (2010-2012). Currently, Ms. Medero chairs the Corporations, Antitrust and Securities Practice Group of The Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy (since 2010 and from 2000 to 2002). In addition, since 2019, she has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Baltic-American Freedom Foundation, which seeks to provide opportunities for citizens of the Baltic states to gain education and professional development through exchanges in the United States. Ms. Medero received a B.A. degree from St. Lawrence University in 1975 and a J.D. degree from the National Law Center, George Washington University (currently known as George Washington University Law School) in 1978. Nuveen is a leading sponsor of closed-end funds (CEFs) with $63 billion of assets under management across 64 CEFs as of 31 March 2021. The funds offer exposure to a broad range of asset classes and are designed for income-focused investors seeking regular distributions. Nuveen has over 30 years of experience managing CEFs. For more information, please visit Nuveen's CEF homepage www.nuveen.com/closed-end-funds. About Nuveen Nuveen, the investment manager of TIAA, offers a comprehensive range of outcome-focused investment solutions designed to secure the long-term financial goals of institutional and individual investors. Nuveen has $1.2 trillion in assets under management as of 31 March 2021 and operations in 27 countries. Its investment specialists offer deep expertise across a comprehensive range of traditional and alternative investments through a wide array of vehicles and customized strategies. For more information, please visit www.nuveen.com. The information contained on the Nuveen website is not a part of this press release. EPS-1663296PR-E0621X View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005016/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 01, 2021] Plug and Play and ADB Ventures partner to unlock sustainable growth for the ASEAN region SINGAPORE, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is a key player in resolving Asia and the Pacific's biggest development challenges. In early 2020, ADB set up a new venture arm, ADB Ventures, to invest in technologies with the ability to contribute positive and scalable impact on climate change, gender equality, and the Sustainable Development Goals in emerging Asia and the Pacific. Plug and Play is partnering with ADB Ventures to help identify, validate, and invest in these high-potential technologies. Plug and Play and ADB Ventures will collaborate to identify cleantech, clean energy, sustainable agriculture, food, inclusive fintech, and inclusive healthcare solutions with potential to scale to US$100 million topline or more. Plug and Play's global expertise and network is unique in bridging the startup ecosystem with Corporations and key stakeholders across most major markets. Plug and Play will leverage its stakeholder network to validate targeted startups' ability to grow in emerging ASEAN economies such as Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. "Our vision is to crowd in more than US$1 billion of risk capital by 2030 towards the Sustainable Development Goals - both through our own investments and via our private sector co-investment partners like Plug and Play. Once we invest, ADB Ventures can add value through the Asian Development Bank's robust operational processes, safeguards, extensive networks, and considerable experience as a leading development partner in the Asia-Pacific. We believe this is why early-stage companies should want ADB Ventures in their investment rounds. We can help impactful companies scale faster," said Suzanne Gaboury, ADB's Director Geneal for Private Sector Operations. "ADB Ventures has an insatiable hunger to connect with the best, most innovative, most dynamic, and most scalable impact technology startups in the Asia Pacific. Plug and Play has been a great resource for insights, investment dealflow, and introductions to relevant stakeholders in the region," said Sherwin Pu, who leads ADB Ventures. "Plug and Play's global presence across the globe allows us to access a network that covers more than 36 major cities, spanning more than 15 markets," said Jupe Tan, Managing Partner of Plug and Play Asia Pacific. "With the launch of our Sustainability vertical out of Singapore, we look connect key stakeholders across all industries, and support in achieving their ambitious commitments. Ultimately our partnership aims to play a part in making the world more sustainable, resilient, and overall better adapt emerging technology startups to scale solutions in the region, focusing on Circular Economy, Carbon Neutrality, Plastic Reduction, and Water Resilience." ADB Ventures and Plug and Play's commitment to achieve a more sustainability future, goes beyond this partnership. In collaboration the parties will bring together Corporations, Governments and Investors to participate in regional Accelerator programs to create substantial technological advancements and impact across multiple markets in Asia Pacific. ADB Ventures and Plug and Play look forward to onboarding more partners to join this vision. About the Asian Development Bank The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. It assists its members and partners by providing loans, technical assistance, grants, and equity investments to promote social and economic development. https://www.adb.org/ About ADB Ventures ADB Ventures is the venture arm of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), focused on investing in early-stage technology companies solving big development problems in emerging Asia and the Pacific. ADB Ventures' inaugural $60 million equity fund invests up to $4 million initially in highly scalable, technology-enabled solutions that contribute positive impact on climate change and gender equality. ADB Ventures aspires to crowd in more than US$1 billion of risk capital to contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. For more information, visit: https://ventures.adb.org/ About Plug and Play Plug and Play is a global innovation platform. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, we have built accelerator programs, corporate innovation services and an in-house VC to make technological advancement progress faster than ever before. Since inception in 2006, our programs have expanded worldwide to include a presence in more than 30 locations globally giving startups the necessary resources to succeed in Silicon Valley and beyond. With over 30,000 startups and 500 official corporate partners, we have created the ultimate startup ecosystem in many industries. Companies in our community have raised over US$9 billion in funding, with successful portfolio exits including Danger, Rappi, Dropbox, Lending Club and PayPal. For more information, visit: https://www.plugandplayapac.com SOURCE Plug and Play APAC [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 01, 2021] Purdys Teams Up with Queer Canadian Artist to Design Pride Gift Box, in Support of 2SLGBTQ+ Non-Profit In celebration of Pride month, Purdys Chocolatier has commissioned queer Taiwanese Canadian artist, Edward Fu-Chen Juan, to design a special edition chocolate gift box called the "All Together Now Gift Box (News - Alert) ". With this special Pride box, his lively design represents the joyful diversity of the queer community and reminds us that every person, body, and identity should be celebrated. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005246/en/ The "All Together Now Gift Box'' and the entire Pride collection is available in Purdys shops across Canada and online at www.purdys.com as of June 1st, 2021. (Photo: Business Wire) "I was stoked when Purdys Chocolatier approached me to work on a pride collaboration, and I'm really proud of what we came up with," says Edward. "To me, Pride means inclusiveness and preserving queer history, and ultimately, this became the inspiration behind the design. With this gift box, I hope it encourages everyone to celebrate pride and queer history, and learn more about how they can support the 2SLGBTQ+ community." This partnership with Edward is in support of The Get REAL Movement, a non-profit organization focused on combating 2SLGBTQ+ discrimination, racism and bullying in schools, summer camps and workplaces. Purdys will be donating $5 from every purchase to The Get REAL Movement. They have a goal of donating $30,000 through Purple Partnerships, their new philanthropic initiative, with a portion of the proceeds coming from the All Together Now Gift Box. "Purdys Chocolatier has always been about creating connection and joy through our chocolate and we have a long history of giving back to our communities," says Kriston Dean, VP of Sales and Marketing. "We're delighted to partner with Edward and The Get REAL Movement in support of the 2SLGBTQ+ community. This is part of our ongoing journey to learn and make ourselves better every day." The Get REAL Movement is the first partnership under Purple Partnerships, a new Purdys initiative where they partner with amazing organizations to support their missions, strengthen their voice and inspire themselves and their communities to stand for the same values. The "All Together Now Gift Box'' and the entire Pride collection is available in Purdys shops across Canada and online at www.purdys.com as of June 1st, 2021. About The Artist Edward Fu-Chen Juan is a queer Taiwanese Canadian artist from Vancouver, BC. He grew up surrounded by the nature and beauty of the west coast, and it has influenced him as an artist to connect to the world around him. The "All Together Now Gift Box" includes 16 pieces of Purdys chocolates hand-picked by Edward. About Purdys At Purdys Chocolatier, we're more than just great chocolate. Our team is full of talented, chocolate-loving, and happiness-inspiring people. We've been Canada's chocolatier since 1907, and we're more inspired than ever to create joyful, tempting classics for you to discover. Our chocolates are always made with sustainable cocoa. This commitment not only helps our farmer partners and their communities, but also protects our planet. Our community outreach programs with local partnerships across Canada along with our various fundraising programs help raise money for what matters to you. For more information about Purdys Pride Collection or Purple Partnerships, visit www.purdys.com/gifts/pride and www.purdys.com/purple-partnerships. For more information about The Get REAL Movement, visit www.thegetrealmovement.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005246/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 01, 2021] Rubedo Life Sciences Establishes Collaboration with Cedars-Sinai Medical Center to Advance Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Program Rubedo Life Sciences, a drug discovery company developing targeted therapeutics for age-related diseases, today announced a collaboration with Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, to advance its idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) program and establish collaborative studies. As part of the collaboration, Cory Hogaboam, Ph.D., Professor of Medicine and Research Scientist in the Women's Guild Lung Institute at Cedars Sinai Medical Center will be joining Rubedo's Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). Dr. Hogaboam's distinguished career encompasses more than 20 years of scientific experience and he is also an Adjunct Professor of Pathology at the University of Michigan Medical School. He joins current SAB members, Dr. Mark Pegram and Dr. Lidia Shapira at Stanford University School of Medicine, and Distinguished Professor Paul Insel at University of California San Diego School of Medicine. Rubedo's most advanced program targets a type of rare but pathogenic cell types that emerges with and in diseases, called senescent cells. Senescent cells are pro-inflammatory, pro-fibrotic and pro-cancerogenic cells cused by different types of cellular stress and damage. As we age, they accumulate in the body in multiple tissues. Cellular senescence is a master regulator of aging and drive many age-related diseases. "We are excited to announce this collaboration with Cedars Sinai Medical Center, and work with Dr. Hogaboam's lab," said Marco Quarta, CEO at Rubedo Life Sciences." Rubedo's strategy for entry into the longevity space is a senolytic program, targeting the pro inflammatory and pro fibrotic senescent cells. Our first clinical program will be IPF, which is an unmet medical need and we look forward to working with Cedars Sinai Medical Center." "I joined forces advising and collaborating with Rubedo because throughout my career working on IPF, I came to the conclusion that targeting cellular senescence is the only way to unlock a possible cure for this devastating age-related disease," said Dr. Cory Hogaboam, Professor of Medicine, Chronic Lung Diseases, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Centers. "Among all the proposed senolytic therapies, Rubedo has a unique platform that promises to successfully deliver an effective pharmacological treatment for IPF." Rubedo's proprietary Alembic drug discovery platform combines computational and chemistry proprietary technologies to generate novel prodrugs that selectively target multiple pathologic cell types (including rare cell types) driving age-related diseases. About Rubedo Life Sciences Rubedo Life Sciences is a biopharmaceutical company developing a broad portfolio of product candidates engineered to target senescent cells and other cell types which drive aging and chronic age-related diseases. Rubedo's proprietary technology platform targets age-related diseases such as Alzheimer's, diabetes, cancer, pulmonary, cardiovascular, and other disorders which have been shown in preclinical models to be driven by a progressive accumulation of senescent cells, induced by different aging factors. The company is based in Sunnyvale, CA (News - Alert) . For additional information, please visit www.rubedolife.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005042/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 01, 2021] Schlumberger Announces Enterprise-Scale Deployment of Advanced Digital Solutions for PETRONAS, Enabled by the DELFI Environment Schlumberger (News - Alert) announced today an enterprise-scale deployment of advanced digital solutions for PETRONAS enabled by the DELFI* cognitive E&P environment and integrated with the OSDU Data Platform. These digital solutions will enable PETRONAS to accelerate its field development planning and optimize production performance of its assets. "The strategic approach to digital transformation, the adoption of the OSDU Data Platform, and the DELFI environment position PETRONAS among the digital leaders of the industry, and we are proud to be supporting them in this journey," said Rajeev Sonthalia, president of Digital & Integration, Schlumberger. "Working together, we will liberate access to data and integrate cutting-edge AI into petrotechnical workflows to optimize field development resources, increase efficiency and vastly improve investment decision making." This enterprise-scale agreement follows the successful deployment of PETRONAS' LiveFDP program in Malaysia, which leveraged the DELFI Petrotechnical Suite-Schlumberger's collection of digital solutions for petrotechnical workflows-and the FDPlan* agile field development planning solution. Through this deployment, PETRONAS' teams were able to rapidly generate competitive development scenarios across multiple data and functional domains. AboutSchlumberger Schlumberger (SLB: NYSE) is a technology company that partners with customers to access energy. Our people, representing over 160 nationalities, are providing leading digital solutions and deploying innovative technologies to enable performance and sustainability for the global energy industry. With expertise in more than 120 countries, we collaborate to create technology that unlocks access to energy for the benefit of all. Find out more at www.slb.com. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the U.S. federal securities laws - that is, statements about the future, not about past events. Such statements often contain words such as "expect," "may," "can," "estimate," "intend," "anticipate," "will," "potential," "projected" and other similar words. Forward-looking statements address matters that are, to varying degrees, uncertain, such as forecasts or expectations regarding the deployment of, or anticipated benefits of, digital technologies. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, the inability to recognize intended benefits from digital strategies, initiatives or partnerships; and other risks and uncertainties detailed in our most recent Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K filed with or furnished to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. If one or more of these or other risks or uncertainties materialize (or the consequences of such a development changes), or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual outcomes may vary materially from those reflected in our forward-looking statements. Statements in this press release are made as of the date of this release, and Schlumberger disclaims any intention or obligation to update publicly or revise such statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. *Mark of Schlumberger View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005630/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Shanghai Menu, where Chinese herbs meet Le Cordon Bleu By:Wu Qiong | From:english.eastday.com | 2021-06-01 12:30 Chinese and Western cultures were connected through food and traditional art at a Shanghai culture themed afternoon tea event held in the 306-year-old Merchant Marine Club on May 29. Attendees included both Chinese and expat families, feeling the charm of Chinese culture and the philosophy of Chinese food. The event was based on the cultural exchange program Shanghai Menu: Chinese Herbs & Le Cordon Bleu, which is jointly launched by the Shanghai International Culture Association and Le Cordon Bleu. Famed chefs and TCM regimen experts worked together to develop 20 creative recipes combining Chinese ingredients and Western cooking techniques. Writer and gourmet critic Jialu Shen was invited to introduce the connection between the 24 Chinese solar terms and food traditions. When he was talking about the folk tales and traditions of the Dragon Boat Festival, there were craftsmen making fragrant sachets and performing pingtan (storytelling and ballad singing) on the spot, which drew much interest from the audience. Another special guest was French chef Philippe Groult from Le Cordon Bleu. He made a dish for summer, called Seared scallops with black sesame, avocado and lilies. Thanks to the interpretation of Jialu Shen, Chef Groults use of salted egg yolk and lilies was described as a fusion of Chinese and Western cultures. Apart from creative recipes, the Shanghai Menu: Chinese Herbs & Le Cordon Bleu program also includes cooking videos and pictures and chef interviews to promote Chinese and foreign food exchanges. As its name reveals, it aims to convey to the world the integration of Chinese and Western-style lifestyles, and spread the Chinese peoples simple wellness philosophy, which is the custom of prescribing tonic foods for a healthier life - meaning that, according to TCM traditions, humble ingredients in different seasons can benefit ones wellness if they are cooked in proper ways. Story by Cao Lei Translation: Wu Qiong Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-01 03:27:49|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close OTTAWA, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Monday that his government will take further action in response to the discovery of the remains of 215 children in a former residential school in Kamloops city in western Canada. Amid calls for accountability and to go beyond lowering flags at federal buildings, Trudeau told a press conference that Canada's Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller, Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Carolyn Bennett and Northern Affairs Minister Dan Vandal will discuss what role his government should be playing. On Thursday, the Tk'emlups te Secwepemc First Nation in Kamloops city in British Columbia province announced that ground-penetrating radar uncovered the remains of 215 children at the Kamloops Indian Residential School. The horrific discovery prompted calls for a national day of mourning and saw people across Canada set up memorials. "As a dad, I can't imagine what it would feel like to have my kids taken away from me, and as prime minister, I am appalled by the shameful policy that stole Indigenous children from their communities," said Trudeau. "We promised concrete action, and that's how we'll support survivors, families, and Indigenous peoples," said the prime minister. "Sadly, this is not an exception or an isolated incident. We're not going to hide from that. We have to acknowledge the truth. Residential schools were a reality, a tragedy that existed here, in our country, and we have to own up to it," added Trudeau. Opposition MPs urged the Trudeau government to fully fund the investigation of other former residential school sites and to put more sustainable funding towards healing initiatives. Green Party Leader Annamie Paul said the terrible discovery once again highlights "the absolute genocidal tragedy of our residential school system," calling on the Trudeau government to demand the Catholic church apologize for its role in the residential school system. In 2015, Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission issued its final report on the inhumane mistreatment inflicted on Indigenous children at residential schools, concluding that they constituted a cultural genocide. The commission's register of confirmed deaths identified 3,200 students but work is still ongoing to uncover what could be thousands of more deaths that went undocumented. More than 150,000 indigenous children were reportedly forced into residential schools between the 1870s and 1996. The last residential school closed in 1996. Enditem [June 01, 2021] Searchlight Capital Partners to Acquire Majority Stake in Care Advantage Funds advised by Searchlight Capital Partners, L.P. ("Searchlight"), a leading global private investment firm, today announced the acquisition of a majority stake in Care Advantage, a leading at-home care provider in the United States. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Founded in 1988, Care Advantage offers in-home care services to patients across Virginia, Maryland, Washington D.C. and Delaware. The company's personal care aides, certified nursing assistants, skilled nurses and therapists provide individuals and their families with the care they need from the comfort of their homes. Searchlight has acquired the business from BelHealth Investment Partners, a healthcare-focused investment firm. Searchlight is excited to support the company's growth in its existing markets and accelerate expansion into new states across the U.S. "For more than three decades, Care Advantage has enabled seniors to maintain independence in the comfort and safety of their own home," said Timothy Hanold, Chief Executive Officer of Care Advantage. "We have become a trusted provider of care in the home, empowering individuals to live life to the fullest through the support of our compassionate and committed caregivers and clinicians. We look forward to partnering with Searchlight to build uponour strong legacy of care and to further ignite our mission of serving the community." Phil Bacal, Managing Director at Searchlight, commented: "We are excited to partner with Tim and the leadership team to grow the business and support its acquisitive growth strategy. We are confident that Care Advantage is well positioned to benefit from strong organic growth in the sector over the long term. The senior population increasingly needs lower-cost caregiving alternatives that allow them to age comfortably in their own homes." Eric Zinterhofer, a Founding Partner of Searchlight, added: "Care Advantage is essential to the health of its communities and the broader healthcare ecosystem. Its caregivers are special individuals who serve the senior population and enable the paradigm shift from 'sick care' to 'health care'." Searchlight was advised by Latham & Watkins and Edgemont Partners. Care Advantage was advised by Moomjian Waite & Coleman, Norton Rose Fulbright, and Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. The transaction is subject to receipt of customary regulatory approvals and is expected to close later this year. About Searchlight Capital Partners, L.P. Searchlight is a global private investment firm with over $8 billion in assets under management and offices in New York, London and Toronto. Searchlight seeks to invest in businesses where its long-term capital and strategic support accelerate value creation for all stakeholders. For more information, please visit www.searchlightcap.com. About Care Advantage Care Advantage is one of the leading home healthcare providers in the Mid-Atlantic. The Company specializes in quality "one-on-one" nursing care in the home and is a one-stop solution for home healthcare services. The Company provides a mix of Medicaid and self-pay nursing and personal care services such as bathing, dressing, and companionship and also provides skilled services primarily by licensed nurses and therapists. The corporate headquarters are in Richmond, VA with over thirty branch locations throughout Virginia, Maryland, Washington D.C. and Delaware. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005285/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Simon Basseyn, MD Joins TCG Crossover ("TCG X") Investment Team TCG Crossover ("TCG X") is excited to welcome Simon Basseyn, M.D. to the New York City based investment team at the firm. Prior to joining TCG X, Simon was a senior analyst at Ghost Tree Capital, a life-sciences focused hedge fund based in New York. He holds an M.D. from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and an M.B.A. in Health Care Management from The Wharton School. Simon previously completed internships in internal medicine at Weill Cornell/New York Presbyterian, management consulting at McKinsey & Company, and biotech venture capital at SR One and currently maintains an active medical license in New York. "I am thrilled to join the talented founding investment team at TCG X and eager to begin investing in companis developing innovative science across the crossover and public stages," said Simon Basseyn. "We are excited to welcome Simon as the newest member of our investment team. Simon's strong technical background and diverse set of operating experiences across the health care sector are a perfect fit for TCG X," said Chen Yu, Founding Managing Partner of TCG X. About TCG X TCG X is a healthcare investment firm dedicated to advancing disruptive medicines and supporting companies that can improve the lives of patients. TCG X invests in both private and public companies led by exceptional entrepreneurs focused on developing better treatment options for patients. TCG X has investment teams in Palo Alto (News - Alert) and New York City. For more information, please visit www.TCGcrossover.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005003/en/ [June 01, 2021] Singapura Finance selects Tagit to Drive Digital Transformation SINGAPORE, June 2, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Tagit, a leading digital banking solutions provider, announced that it has partnered with Singapura Finance Ltd (SFL) to implement Mobeix Retail Banking and Mobeix Corporate Banking products using the Mobeix Digital Banking Engagement platform. Singaporeans are one of the most digitally-savvy users, and most of them prefer to use digital channels to perform their daily banking activities on Internet and Mobile Banking. With this collaboration, SFL will deploy digital technologies that reduce operational costs and reallocate cost savings to engage its customers productively. The vision of SFL is to become a leading financial institution by winning customer business through high-quality services and innovative products. SFL is focused on building a full-service digital platform that meets its vision of being a digital leader and engage their customers with best-in-class products and services. Jamie Teo, CEO of Singapura Finance, said, "Before the Covid-19 pandemic, we have already started our digitalization efforts, searching for technological partners to further improve our customer engagement. We are happy to have Tagit on board as our partner to push through our digitalization efforts. Our digital initiatives will help us remain relevant and connect to the younger and tech-savvy customers. It will also help to streamline and enhance work processes, productivity and our customers' experience." Sandeep Bagaria, CEO of Tagit, said, "We are delighted to partner with Singapura Finance to power their digital transformation vision. This partnership is a testament to or strong presence in the region as a leader in providing digital banking solutions for banks with immediate customer impact. Tagit is committed to helping banks in their digital transformation journey by delivering impactful solutions." Key highlights: Provide digital offerings to their retail and corporate customers through a comprehensive suite of 100+ features on a scalable and secure platform Leveraging the digital platform to build foundational capabilities for customer requirements in the future. With faster time-to-market, Singapura Finance can reduce costs and improve operational efficiency. Delight customer experience through a seamless orchestration of services and true omnichannel UX. Personalized experiences based on customer insights leveraging the data analytics from the platform Tagit is currently the partner of choice for several banks in Asia, the Middle East and Africa for their omnichannel digital banking needs. About Tagit Tagit is an award-winning digital solutions company headquartered in Singapore, with a strong track record in designing, developing and deploying digital solutions for leading banks and governments across Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. Tagit partners with clients in their digital transformation journey, delivering best-in-class user experience (UX), innovative solutions and functional robustness built on a secure and scalable digital engagement technology platform. Tagit's Digital Engagement Platform, Mobeix, provides clients with a robust omnichannel platform that seamlessly and securely integrates with their systems. It provides business services across multiple channels, including mobile, web, wearables and voice. Mobeix is a highly secure, scalable platform that can meet the needs of the most demanding enterprises, and it is PA-DSS certified v2.0. Founded in 2004, the Company has offices in India, the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia. To know more about us, please visit - www.tagitmobile.com About Singapura Finance Singapura Finance is one of 3 finance companies licensed under the Finance Company Act Cap 108 and is listed on the mainboard on the SGX. Singapura Finance started as Singapura Building Society Ltd in 1969 as a public company to take over the undertakings and operations of Malaya Borneo Building Society, the oldest finance company in Singapore, established in 1950. Singapura Building Society changed its name to Singapura Finance on 12 June 2002. The Company has seven branches located in populous areas to serve its large client base spread throughout Singapore. The Company provides loans and deposit to consumer and businesses and work closely with Enterprise Singapore to provide financing for small-medium enterprises. Deposit placed with Singapura Finance are insured by the Singapore Deposit Insurance Corporation, for up to $75,000.00 in aggregate per depositor per scheme member by law. SOURCE Tagit [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 01, 2021] Smoke Evacuation System Market to Reach $196.4 Mn, Globally, by 2027 at a 10.5% CAGR: AMR Rise in the product availability and surge in electrosurgical procedures drive the growth of the global smoke evacuation system market. PORTLAND, Ore., June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research recently published a report, titled, "Smoke Evacuation System Market by Product (Smoke Evacuators, Smoke Evacuation Pencils, Smoke Evacuation Filters, Smoke Evacuation Tubing and Smoke Evacuation Accessories), Application (Laparoscopic Surgeries, Orthopedic Surgeries, Medical Aesthetic Surgeries and Others), and End User (Hospitals, Ambulatory Surgery Centers, Cosmetic Surgery Centers and Dental Clinics): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20202027". As per the report, the global smoke evacuation system industry was pegged at $128.6 million in 2019, and is projected to reach $196.4 million by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 10.5% from 2020 to 2027. Download Sample Report at: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/10735 Drivers, restraints, and opportunities Rise in the product availability and surge in electrosurgical procedures drive the growth of the global smoke evacuation system market. However, technical concerns and scarcity of skilled professionals hinder the market growth. On the contrary, increase in patient preferences for minimally-invasive surgeries is expected to open lucrative opportunities for the market players in the future. Covid-19 scenario: The Covid-19 pandemic resulted in a nationwide lockdown and created a huge gap between supply and demand for smoke evacuation systems. Moreover, several elective procedures including aesthetic treatments were postponed owing to strict regulations imposed on clinics and hospitals to prevent the spread of infection. On the other hand, studies observed that the Covid-19 virus remains in the aerosol for up to three hours, which has boosted the demand for smoke evacuation systems to minimize transmission. The smoke evacuation filters segment held the lion's share By product, the smoke evacuation filters segment held the largest share in 2019, accounting for nearly one-third of the global smoke evacuation system market. In addition, the segment is expected to manifest the highest CAGR of 11.4% during the forecast period, due to rise in use of smoke evacuation filters in various medical conditions such as laparoscopy, electrosurgery, and mutagenic viral and bacterial hazards. Enquiry for Short-term and Long-term Impacts of COVID-19 at: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/10735 The cosmetic surgery centers segment to manifest the highest CAGR through 2027 North America dominated the market By region, the market across North America held the largest share in 2019, accounting for more than two-fifths of the market, due to increase in number of aesthetic procedures performed within the region. However, the global smoke evacuation system market across Asia-Pacific is estimated to register the highest CAGR of 12.0% from 2020 to 2027, due to rise in consistent effects toward commercializing smoke evacuation devices at lower prices to the end users. Major market players Medtronic, Plc Conmed Corporation Ethicon Stryker Corporation Ecolab Pall Corporation Coopersurgical, Inc. Zimmer Biomet Holdings Inc. Olympus corporation Utah Medical Products, Inc. Avenue Basic Plan | Library Access | 1 Year Subscription | Sign up for Avenue subscription to access more than 12,000+ company profiles and 2,000+ niche industry market research reports at $699 per month, per seat. For a year, the client needs to purchase minimum 2 seat plan. Avenue Library Subscription | Request for 14 days free trial of before buying: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/avenue/trial/starter Get more information: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/library-access We have also published few syndicated market studies in the similar area that might be of your interest. Below are the report title for your reference, considering Impact of Covid-19 Over This Market which will help you to assess aftereffects of pandemic on short-term and long-term growth trends of this market. Trending Reports in Healthcare Industry: Electrocardiograph (ECG) Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20202027 Defibrillators Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2019-2027 Neuromodulation Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2019-2027 Extremity Reconstruction Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20192027 Prefilled Syringes Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20192027 Ultrasound Devices Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20192027 Ophthalmic Devices Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20192027 About Us Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Allied Market Research CEO Pawan Kumar is instrumental in inspiring and encouraging everyone associated with the company to maintain high quality of data and help clients in every way possible to achieve success. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry. Contact: David Correa 5933 NE Win Sivers Drive #205, Portland, OR 97220 United States USA/Canada (Toll Free): +1-800-792-5285, +1-503-894-6022, +1-503-446-1141 UK: +44-845-528-1300 Hong Kong: +852-301-84916 India (Pune): +91-20-66346060 Fax: +1(855)550-5975 help@alliedmarketresearch.com Web: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com Follow Us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/allied-market-research Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/636519/Allied_Market_Research_Logo.jpg [June 01, 2021] South Carolina Virtual Charter School Highlights Graduates with Commencement Ceremony South Carolina Virtual Charter School (SCVCS), a COGNIA and NCAA-accredited, full-time online public charter school, will celebrate the Class of 2021 during an in-person graduation ceremony at Segra Park in Columbia on Thursday, June 3rd. The graduation will celebrate the achievements of more than 380 students-the largest class since the school's inception. This year's commencement speaker is the Honorable Molly Spearman, the state's Superintendent of Education. Collectively, the Class of 2021 reports it has been accepted to state technical schools, colleges and universities across the country. "Each and every day, we strive to awaken the power of learning in our students," said Dr. Cherry Daniel, Head of School at SCVCS. "We are so proud of our graduating class and know they have the tools they need to succeed in college, the workforce, and beyond." Students enroll n SCVCS for a number of reasons-some are looking to escape bullying, some may have fallen academically off track, and others are looking for an alternative to the traditional brick-and-mortar classroom setting. SCVCS students access a robust online curriculum in the core subjects of math, science, English language arts, history, art and music and a host of electives, and attend live virtual classes taught by state-licensed teachers. Additionally, many seniors are enrolled in dual credit college classes which gives them a "jump start "on their post-secondary goals. Details of the graduation ceremony are as follows: WHAT: South Carolina Virtual Charter School 2021 Graduation Ceremony WHEN: Thursday, June 3, 2021, 11:30 a.m. / Link with more information about the ceremony will be posted to SCVCS's Facebook Page About South Carolina Virtual Charter School South Carolina Virtual Charter School (SCVCS) is a full-time online public school program that serves students in grades K through 12. As part of the South Carolina public school system, SCVCS is tuition-free and gives families the choice to access the engaging curriculum and tools provided by Stride, Inc. (NYSE: LRN), the nation's leading provider of proprietary K-12 curriculum and online education programs. For more information about SCVCS, visit scvcs.k12.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005015/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 01, 2021] Talkdesk Helps Cabify Fuel Driver Engagement Talkdesk, Inc., the global customer experience leader for customer-obsessed companies, has been chosen by Cabify, the leading multi-mobility company in Spain and Latin America, as its driver contact center provider. Talkdesk will supply voice and automation services to Cabify's team of contact center agents, to better support and onboard its growing network of drivers. Founded in 2011, Cabify allows businesses and individuals to book and manage their rides and deliveries through an easy-to-use smartphone app. Since its launch, Cabify has created self-employment opportunities for hundreds of thousands of collaborating drivers within its worldwide network of eight countries across Latin America and Europe. Cabify's main contact center is based in Colombia, with smaller teams of contact center agents working from Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru and Spain. Cabify will use Talkdesk to provide voice support for interactions between agents and active drivers, as well as helping to onboard new drivers. A wide range of Talkdesk voice options, configurations and automation capabilities will give Cabify more flexibility in connecting its contact center agents with drivers. Cabify agents can also easily access these tools from wherever they work, even beyond the traditional office walls. "We've had to face and overcome the biggest challenges in the last year - such as enabling remote work for our agents and supporting international customers from multiple locations," said Monica V. Marroquin, global head of transnational contact center, Cabify. "The technical agility that Talkdesk delivers has allowed us to react quickly in difficult moments, including an unexpected rise in the number of calls - and always with outstanding quality and service levels." "A fast growing organization like Cabify is constantly evolving to support the communications needs of its growing driver network," said Tiago Paiva, chief executive officer, Talkdesk. "By leveraging advanced contact center capabilities like automation, Cabify can provide drivers fast access to information and resolve issues more efficiently while empowering agents to work from anywhere." Additional Resources Get inspired by CX industry game changers sharing their success stories and future-forward innovatins. Register now to attend the Talkdesk Opentalk 2021 virtual event June 15-16 See Talkdesk recognized as a Leader in the Gartner 2020 Magic Quadrant for Contact Center as a Service Hear directly from customers why they selected Talkdesk CX Cloud and the difference it has made in their contact centers Social Networks Web: https://www.talkdesk.com Blog: https://www.talkdesk.com/blog/ Twitter (News - Alert) : https://twitter.com/Talkdesk LinkedIn (News - Alert) : https://www.linkedin.com/company/talkdesk/ Facebook (News - Alert) : https://www.facebook.com/Talkdesk/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Talkdesk/ About Talkdesk Talkdesk is a global customer experience leader for customer-obsessed companies. Our contact center solution provides a better way for businesses and customers to engage with one another. Our speed of innovation and global footprint reflect our commitment to ensure businesses everywhere can deliver better customer experiences through any channel, resulting in higher customer satisfaction, cost savings and profitability. Talkdesk CX CloudTM is an end-to-end customer experience solution that combines enterprise scale with consumer simplicity. Over 1,800 innovative companies around the world, including IBM (News - Alert) , Acxiom, Trivago, and Fujitsu partner with Talkdesk to deliver a better way to great customer experience. Learn more and request a demo at www.talkdesk.com. Talkdesk is a registered trademark of Talkdesk, Inc. All product and company names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. Use of them does not imply any affiliation or endorsement by them. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005057/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 01, 2021] A Time to Celebrate the Students! Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy Class of 2021 Ready to Move Forward After a school year like no other, Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy (MGLVA), an online public school serving K-12 students throughout the state since 2013, will celebrate its graduates a virtual commencement ceremony on June 3rd. MGLVA is tuition-free to all students who reside in Michigan, staffed by state-licensed teachers, and is an authorized online public-school program of the Manistee School District. "While other schools may have struggled with online learning throughout the year, MGLVA never missed a day of instruction, which kept our students motivated, excited, and moving forward," said MGLVA Head of School Kendall Schroeder. "Their achievements deserve to be shouted from the shores of Lake Michigan, and we're so happy to have provided a range of solutions to help all our MGLVA families." This year, MGLVA will graduate nearly 275 students. Forty-six students will graduate with a cumulative GPA above 3.5 and several college scholarships have reportedly been awarded to the Class of 2021. Collectively, the graduating class reports it has been accepted to colleges and universities across Michigan and beyond including Penn State University, Kettering University, Western Michigan University, and the niversity of Michigan to name a few, as well as several community colleges and trades programs. Kara Gonzalez and Aidan Lawlor are MGLVA's 2021 co-valedictorians. Kara plans to attend Southern New Hampshire University for creative writing and English fiction. Aidan plans to attend Kalamazoo Valley Community College in the fall. Alyssa Cahill is the class salutatorian. The guest speaker for Commencement will be Kevin Chavous, Stride's President, Academic Policy and External Affairs. "MGLVA was a breath of fresh air in an otherwise all-around odd year for me and my family," said senior and Valedictorian Kara Gonzalez. "I feel like I have the tools to move my life forward and I couldn't be more thankful." Prior to the pandemic, students enrolled in virtual school for a number of reasons-some were looking to escape bullying, some may have fallen academically off track, and others were looking for an alternative to the traditional classroom setting. MGLVA students access a robust online curriculum in the core subjects and a host of electives and attend live virtual classes taught by state-certified teachers. MGLVA is inviting all families and friends worldwide to join the celebration. Details of the graduation ceremonies are as follows: WHAT: Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy 2021 Graduation Ceremony WHEN: Thursday, June 3rd, 2021, 6:00 PM CONTACT: For any questions about the celebrations, please contact Kara Showerman at kshowerman@k12.com. For media inquiries, please contact Ken Schwartz at kschwartz@k12.com. About Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy (MGLVA) is a full-time, online public charter school, authorized by Manistee Area Public Schools and serves students in grades K through 12. MGLVA is tuition-free and provides families the choice to access the curriculum and tools provided by K12, a Stride Company (NYSE: LRN). Stride offers learners of all ages a more effective way to learn and build skills for their future. For more information about MGLVA, visit mglva.k12.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005001/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 01, 2021] A Time to Celebrate the Students! Utah Virtual Academy Class of 2021 Ready to Move Forward After a school year like no other, Utah Virtual Academy (UTVA), an online public school serving K-12 grade students throughout the state since 2015, will celebrate its graduates virtually with a commencement ceremony on Wednesday, June 2 beginning at 4 pm. "While other schools may have struggled with online learning throughout the year, UTVA never missed a day of instruction, which kept our students motivated, excited, and moving forward," said UTVA Head of School Meghan Merideth. "And not only did our students stay the course, but they also earned valuable career training that will put the far ahead of their peers at the next level, in whatever path they choose." This year, UTVA will graduate 230 students. MaCoy Weaver is UTVA's 2021 valedictorian. She plans to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and then attend Southern Utah University with a full tuition scholarship studying business management and entrepreneurship. The Salutatorian is Schooler Mollerup who will be attending the University of Utah in the fall. "I can't share enough of my gratitude for UTVA, through the pandemic and my last year of High School, it has helped me pursue my dreams of preparing for secondary education and graduating early, said MCoy." Prior to the pandemic, students enrolled in virtual school for a number of reasons-some were looking to escape bullying, some may have fallen academically off track, and others were looking for an alternative to the traditional classroom setting. UTVA students access a robust online curriculum in the core subjects and a host of electives and attend live virtual classes taught by state-certified teachers. Details of the graduation ceremonies are as follows: WHAT: Utah Virtual Academy 2021 Graduation Ceremony WHEN: Wednesday, June 2nd, 2021, 4 PM. Link can be found here. CONTACT: For any questions about the celebrations, please contact Debbie Dempsey at ddempsey@k12.com. For media inquiries, please contact Ken Schwartz at kschwartz@k12.com. About Utah Virtual Academy Utah Virtual Academy (UTVA) is an accredited online public charter school that serves Utah students in kindergarten through 12th grade. As part of the Utah public school system UTVA is tuition-free and gives parents and families the choice to access the curriculum provided by K12, a Stride company (NYSE: LRN). Stride offers learners of all ages a more effective way to learn and build their skills for the future. UTVA also offers individual course options for high school students enrolled in their resident district programs, an approved charter school, private school or home school as part of the Statewide Online Education Program (SOEP). For more information about UTVA, please utva.k12.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005002/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 01, 2021] Tyler Technologies Improves Citizen Connections in City of Amarillo, Texas Tyler Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: TYL) announced today that the city of Amarillo, Texas, has successfully gone live with Tyler's EnerGov civic services solution. Specifically, the city went live with the EnerGov citizen self-service ( CSS (News - Alert) ) solution, workforce applications, Tyler Content Manager, Tyler Cashiering, and electronic plan reviews. Amarillo desired a new tool that would make information more readily available to citizens and improve connectivity between systems and departments. The city is familiar with Tyler's expertise in public administration solutions. Amarillo is a Tyler client using its Munis enterprise resource planning (ERP) and Eagle Recorder solutions. Ultimately, the city selected Tyler's civic services solution as one that would support a better customer experience for its citizens. "We're excited to expand our city's use of Tyler's products, now with its comprehensive civic services solution," said Rich Gagnon, CIO for the city of Amarillo. "Tyler's EnerGov solution is already helping to connect our local government offices directly with our citizens through technology, increasing overall transparency." Tyler's EnerGov CSS solution brings Amarillo's rsidents into the community development process by providing online access to information. Residents and contractors are now able to search for an address or parcel, apply for a permit, and request an inspection, among other activities. EnerGov CSS' online tools ensure that Amarillo's staff maintains effective communication with residents and contractors while eliminating the need for a citizen to make a phone call or office visit, helping to free up staff resources in the city. The city is already experiencing initial benefits following its successful, on-time go-live, including: Beginning to eliminate silos between departments Streamlining the permit application process for citizens Reducing the number of applications citizens must search online Eliminating manual and paper processes "The city of Amarillo sees the value in connecting its software solutions using a common technology foundation," said Greg Savard, general manager of Tyler's Civic Services business unit. "We're excited to continue supporting Amarillo's vision for connecting these core functions, including records management, community development, and enterprise resource planning to best serve its community and staff." The city of Amarillo is the largest city in the Texas Panhandle and the 14th most populous city in Texas. It has a population of roughly 265,000. About Tyler Technologies (News - Alert) , Inc. Tyler Technologies (NYSE: TYL) provides integrated software and technology services to the public sector. Tyler's end-to-end solutions empower local, state, and federal government entities to operate more efficiently and connect more transparently with their constituents and with each other. By connecting data and processes across disparate systems, Tyler's solutions are transforming how clients gain actionable insights that solve problems in their communities. Tyler has more than 27,000 successful installations across more than 11,000 sites, with clients in all 50 states, Canada, the Caribbean, Australia, and other international locations. Tyler has been named to Government Technology's GovTech 100 list five times and has been recognized three times on Forbes' "Most Innovative Growth Companies" list. More information about Tyler Technologies, an S&P 500 company headquartered in Plano, Texas, can be found at tylertech.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005183/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 01, 2021] wefox, Germany's digital insurance unicorn, closes $650m Series C wefox, the Berlin-based digital insurance company has raised a record US$650 million for its Series C funding, resulting in a post-money valuation of US$3 billion. This round represents the largest Series C to date for an insurtech globally. wefox intends to invest the proceeds in expanding into the US and Asia within the next two years while strengthening its presence in its existing markets in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Poland. Target (News - Alert) Global led the round, with participation from existing investors including OMERS Ventures, Gsquared, Merian, Horizons Ventures, Eurazeo, Mubadala, Creditease, Salesforce Ventures, Speedinvest, Alma Mundi Ventures, Victory Park Capital, GR Capital, Mountain Partners, Seedcamp, and Sound Ventures. New investors include LGT, Partners Group, Jupiter, and FinTLV. Launched in 2015 by CEO Julian Teicke and founders Fabian Wesemann, and Dario Fazlic, wefox has been considered one of Europe's most promising unicorns. In 2020 wefox reported a profit for its insurance business, wefox insurance, making it the first digital insurance company to reach profitability. Furthermore, wefox's revenue increased to $143M in 2020, doubling its 2019 revenue. Julian Teicke, wefox CEO and founder, said, "Our business has grown significantly over the past six years, and since the beginning we have consistently delivered strong year-on-year growth. This yea we took several important steps, including unifying the business under one brand, expanding into Poland, and setting up a deep tech team in Paris. Within the next few years, we plan to expand our global footprint by increasing our presence in Europe and moving into both the US and Asian markets." wefox is a fully licensed digital insurance company that sells insurance through intermediaries and not directly to customers, which has resulted in significant growth with a clear path to profitability. Mr. Teicke added, "This is why wefox has built a huge network of advisors across Europe. We believe that insurance is all about people, and we believe that technology is an enabler and should not replace the human connection. We have set out to improve the customer experience for both our advisors and our customers through technology to increase customer satisfaction, reduce customer acquisition costs, increase cross-selling, and decrease churn." wefox continues to deliver a loss ratio supported in large part by its straight-through-processing (STP) of more than 80%, and a central product factory that swiftly distributes new products to the market due to its full stack insurance technology. Fabian Wesemann, wefox CFO and founder, said, "This investment strengthens our growth strategy and moves us closer to realising our vision - to prevent 30% of risks from happening - in order to offer the most advanced service to our customers. As part of this, we want to ensure that we are building the technology to automate our business processes to have a STP ratio consistently above 80%." Yaron Valler, General Partner at Target Global, said: "wefox is unique among the insurtech players with ample room for growth ahead. wefox continues to deliver exceptional results backed with demonstrable year-on-year revenue growth, which saw their insurance carrier, wefox Insurance, report a profit earlier this year, marking them out to be the first insurtech to reach profitability." About wefox wefox was founded in 2015 by Julian Teicke, Fabian Wesemann, and Dario Fazlic. wefox is a full-stack digital insurance company driven by a single purpose: to make people safe and prevent risk by reinventing insurance at scale through technology. wefox is the parent company of wefox Insurance, which is the in-house regulated insurance carrier. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210531005320/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-01 05:01:31|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi (R) greets Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah at a joint press conference in Rome, Italy, on May 31, 2021. Italy and Libya will work together on illegal immigration and renewable energies, Draghi and Dbeibah told reporters at the joint press conference after meeting here on Monday. (Pool via Xinhua) ROME, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Italy and Libya will work together on illegal immigration and renewable energies, Prime Minister Mario Draghi and Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah told reporters at a joint press conference after meeting here on Monday. "Italy stands with Libya and supports it during this complex transition: the concrete implementation of a ceasefire, the removal of mercenaries and foreign soldiers, and the creation of an institutional structure," Draghi said. If all goes well, this process should culminate with elections and "a process of national reconciliation" by the end of the year, the Italian prime minister added. Other European countries will be a part of this effort, Draghi said. As part of its commitment, Italy will help build hospitals and send medical staff, and also take in "several dozen Libyan child cancer patients" for treatment in Italy, Draghi said. Libya is a "large-scale energy partner" of Italy in terms of fossil fuels "but we also want to start cooperation in the field of renewable energies," the Italian leader said. Draghi said the two leaders also discussed "humanitarian and migration issues, the fight against human traffickers, refugee aid, humanitarian corridors, and the development of rural communities." "Italy intends to continue financing voluntary repatriations as well as humanitarian evacuations from Libya," the Italian prime minister added. For his part, the Libyan prime minister expressed his satisfaction at the "excellent bilateral relations" between the two countries, which are "reinforced by mutual goodwill." "We will tackle illegal immigration together, along with other European countries, and the countries of origin of the illegal immigrants," the Libyan prime minister said. "The immigration problem cannot be solved in the Mediterranean alone, but should be tackled by going to the roots of the problem, which is not just a Libyan or Italian responsibility, but a common one," he said. Dbeibah said Libya wishes to "increase trade relations (with Italy) and to work on renewable energies as well as the reconstruction of Libya." "Italy could play an essential and primary role as an investor in Libya," he said. Libya has been suffering insecurity and chaos since the fall of the late leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, making the North African country a preferred point of departure for thousands of illegal migrants wanting to cross the Mediterranean toward European shores. Enditem [June 01, 2021] Yooz new automated Accounts Payable solution, Yooz Rising, launches in Ireland DUBLIN, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Yooz, the cloud-based Purchase-to-Pay (P2P) automation software company, has unveiled the availability of Yooz Rising in Ireland, its new groundbreaking user experience and features. The software, which has also been launched in the US, the UK and France and successfully adopted by 1,000+ organizations, offers powerful Purchase-to-Pay Automation accessible to all Irish businesses - regardless of size, industry and volume of documents. Yooz provides a powerful, zero-capex, zero setup, zero training cloud-based solution to organizations of all sizes, with the ambition to remove all barriers to Accounts Payable (AP) & P2P automation adoption. Yooz redefines the standards of AP Automation performance, simplicity, security by combining: Real-time automation technologies thanks to a unique blend of AI, Deep Learning and Big Data-based technologies An intuitive and modern user experience Rich and secure features, from purchase requisition to invoice payment, regulation-compliant traceability and AI-based fraud detection. Yooz Rising is an all-in-one solution that meets three vital needs of modern organizations: Real-time automation from anywhere, at any time generating speed and savings Business resilience and continuity with complete traceability and security Intuitiveness and simplicity as a driver for quick user adoption Magali Michel , EMEA Director at Yooz, said: "The further expansion of Yooz in Ireland demonstrates the key role automation is playing in modern finance and accounting departments. In the context of companies still facing a financial crisis, they need the kinds of digital tools that secure and optimize their business processes while minimising any future disruption. Yooz Rising perfectly matches their needs: an unrivaled solution made for modern accounting and finance leaders striving for excellence and driven by a shared performance-driven ambition." The launch of Yooz in Ireland was backed up by a joint webinar in February 2021 and collaboration with the France Ireland Chamber of Commerce (FICC) and PwC, a Patron of FICC and the largest professional services firm in Ireland. Cliona McGowan, Director, FICC, said: "We are proud to welcome Yooz as a new member of the France Ireland Chamber of Commerce and welcome their participation in our Working Group for ICT. Uncertain times lie ahead for all businesses across the world, which means we need technologies that help companies reduce future disruption, improve operational performance and optimize current processes now more than ever before." About Yooz Yooz provides the smartest, most powerful and easiest-to-use cloud-based Purchase-to-Pay (P2P) automation solution. It delivers unmatched savings, speed and security with affordable zero-risk subscriptions to more than 4,000 customers and 200,000 users worldwide. Yooz's unique solution leverages Artificial Intelligence and RPA technologies to deliver an amazing level of automation with extreme simplicity, traceability and end-to-end customizable features. It integrates seamlessly with more than 250 financial systems, exceeding any other solution on the market. Visit us on www.getyooz.co.uk View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/yooz-new-automated-accounts-payable-solution-yooz-rising-launches-in-ireland-301303032.html SOURCE Yooz [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 01, 2021] Zapata Computing Expands Global Leadership in Quantum Computing Software Development with Launch of UK Entity BOSTON, June 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Zapata Computing , a leading enterprise software company for quantum-classical applications, today announced it has expanded its operations by registering a legal entity in the United Kingdom (UK). The expansion will enable Zapata to work more closely with projects restricted by export control laws or driven by the UK government, such as the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF), the National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC) and the Department of Trade and Industry, as well as with local universities and enterprise customers. Zapata has existing offices in Boston and Toronto and presence in Japan. As both a hotbed of innovation and a nerve center of the global economy, the United Kingdom is a natural place for us to expand our presence, said Christopher Savoie, Zapatas CEO. Deepening customer and partner relationships in the UK allows us to work more closely with global organizations to develop production-ready quantum applications. These solutions leverage the best in classical computing and current quantum devices and techniques for impact todaybut are also built to accommodate increases in quantum device capabilities over time. Official presence in the UK allows Zapata to offer its Orquestra platform to UK-based and potentially other European enterprises, government projects and universities looking to build quantum-classical software in quantum machine learning, optimiation and simulation. With Orquestra, organizations dont have to wait for quantum hardware technology to mature they can create computational workflows leveraging todays NISQ devices that are forward-compatible with the more powerful quantum devices of the future. Kuano.ai , a British company accelerating drug discovery by combining AI and quantum computing, will be among the first to use Orquestra in the UK. "We are excited to work with Zapata as part of our Innovate UK grant to maximise the potential of quantum computing in life sciences, said Kuano CEO Vid Stojevic. The Kuano platform uses AI and quantum simulations to design compounds capable of selectively blocking specific enzymes by targeting the quantum transition state of the enzyme catalysis process. Quantum computing has the potential to transform our ability to model quantum hard enzyme transition states, unlocking hugely valuable first-in-class enzyme drug targets. The collaboration with Kuano and other UK-based organizations builds upon Zapatas global leadership in the development of quantum-ready software. In the last year, Zapata has announced collaborations with BBVA in Spain and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia, and has also been working closely with global enterprises in finance, logistics, biopharma and more. For all UK/EU business inquiries, contact Shane Rigby, Zapatas local Business Development Lead, at shane.rigby@zapatacomputing.com . About Zapata Computing Zapata Computing, Inc. builds quantum-ready applications for enterprise deployment using our flagship product Orquestra. Zapata has pioneered a new quantum-classical development and deployment paradigm that focuses on a range of use cases, including ML, optimization and simulation. Orquestra integrates best-in-class quantum and classical technologies including Zapata's leading-edge algorithms, open-source libraries in Python, and more. Zapata partners closely with hardware providers across the quantum ecosystem such as Amazon, Google, Honeywell, IBM, IonQ, Microsoft and Rigetti. Investors in Zapata include Comcast Ventures, BASF Venture Capital, Honeywell Ventures, Itochu Corporation, Merck Global Health and Robert Bosch Venture Capital. Media Contact: Anya Nelson Scratch Marketing + Media for Zapata Computing anyan@scratchmm.com 617.817.6559 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 31, 2021] KKR Invests in EQuest EQuest Education Group ("EQuest" or "the Company"), a leading educational services provider in Vietnam, and KKR today announced that KKR has invested in EQuest. The investment will be used to support EQuest's expansion and advance its mission to provide students in Vietnam with affordable access to world-class education. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210531005318/en/ EQuest operates a diversified portfolio across the educational sector in Vietnam, focusing on four core segments including K-12 bilingual schools, tertiary and vocational institutions, English enrichment courses, and digital learning solutions. Its K-12 portfolio, which serves more than 9,000 students in its 8 campuses, has gained a strong reputation in Vietnam where there is a rapidly growing demand for an affordable bilingual curriculum with strong efficacy. As a group, EQuest has more than 110,000 students enrolled across its segments each year, positioning the Company as one of the largest private educational services providers in Vietnam. KKR is a leading global investment firm with US$367 billion of assets under management as of March 31, 2021. The investment is made through the KKR Global Impact Fund ("KKR Global Impact" or "the Fund"), and marks the Fund's fourth investment globally in the educational and workforce development space as part of the Fund's thematic focus on Lifelong Learning. The Fund is focused on generating risk-adjusted returns by investing in companies that contribute toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals ("SDG"). EQuest's business directly contributes towards SDG 4 (Quality Education) by providing accessible, affordable and high-quality education to Vietnam's emerging middle-class population. Nguyen Quoc Toan, co-founder and CEO of EQuest, said: "Access to high-quality education and intensive English-language training is crucial for Vietnamese students to achieve their full potential. By making the access affordable at a disruptive cost, EQuest is committed to delivering world-class education and bringing accredited, world-class curriculum to more Vietnamese students to improve their competitiveness in the global arena. With the support of KKR and its sector expertise, we are confident we will be able to advance our mission to provide quality learning for Vietnam's millions of students and contribute to the development of a skilled workforce that will support the country's long-term growth aspirations." Vietnam has a growing middle-class population with rapidly increasing demand for better education. With continued trends of globalization, Englishhas become an essential employability skill, with proficiency in the language a high priority area for Vietnam's national education goals. The Vietnamese government has also earmarked digital learning solutions as a strong area of focus as it seeks to further improve access to education. Chee-Wei Wong, Head of KKR Global Impact for Asia, said: "KKR Global Impact's thematic around Lifelong Learning focuses on closing the skills gap and creating more equitable access to quality education. EQuest advances these goals: we believe lifelong learning starts at an early age and EQuest is supporting the development of the next generation through its high-quality affordable education programs with strong outcomes. KKR aims to leverage our operational experience, global network and education expertise to strengthen EQuest's market-leading position, further build on its edtech solutions, and implement industry best practices. We look forward to working together with EQuest's management team to advance the company's mission and expand the reach of its impact across Vietnam." Ashish Shastry, Co-Head of Asia Private Equity and Head of Southeast Asia at KKR, said: "Investing in Vietnam and supporting the growth of the country's businesses and industries is a key part of KKR's strategy in Asia. As Vietnam continues to elevate on the world's economic stage, access to affordable, high-quality education solutions plays an important role in meeting the nation's objectives. We are excited to invest in EQuest and to support aspiring Vietnamese entrepreneurs like Toan - as well as EQuest's talented team - to help realize their vision for closing the education gap in the country." In addition to KKR's investment, EQuest and KKR announce that Annabelle Vultee, the former China Chief Operating Officer of EF Education First, has joined EQuest's board of directors. Ms. Vultee brings to EQuest extensive experience in the education sector across fast-growing markets such as China and the United States as well as a passion for driving operational excellence and leveraging technology to deliver a better learning experience. KKR Global Impact's portfolio in Asia includes Barghest Building Performance, a Singapore-based provider of energy-saving solutions for commercial and industrial buildings; Ramky Enviro Engineers, a leading provider of environment management services in India; GreenCollar, an environmental markets project developer and investor across the carbon, water quality, bio-diversity and plastics market in Australia; and Five-Star Business Finance, a leading Indian lender to micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises. Through its private equity business, KKR has also invested in leading Vietnamese businesses including Vinhomes, the country's largest real estate developer, and Masan MEATLife (formerly known as Masan Nutri-Science), an animal feed producer. About EQuest EQuest, formed through a merger in 2013 between EQuest Academy (founded in 2003) and other local education companies, is one of the largest private educational institutions in Vietnam with more than 110,000 students enrolled each year in 18 member units, including universities, colleges, vocational schools, K-12 schools, foreign language centers and education technology platforms. Since then, EQuest has grown to become a comprehensive education ecosystem, and is always committed to its mission to deliver the best educational experience to students and train them ready for the 4.0 industrial age; to provide a world-class education at an affordable cost; to turn Vietnam into a bilingual country; and to send future leaders to the top schools worldwide. For additional information about EQuest, please visit www.equest.vn. About KKR KKR is a leading global investment firm that offers alternative asset management and capital markets and insurance solutions. KKR aims to generate attractive investment returns by following a patient and disciplined investment approach, employing world-class people, and supporting growth in its portfolio companies and communities. KKR sponsors investment funds that invest in private equity, credit and real assets and has strategic partners that manage hedge funds. KKR's insurance subsidiaries offer retirement, life and reinsurance products under the management of The Global Atlantic Financial Group. References to KKR's investments may include the activities of its sponsored funds and insurance subsidiaries. For additional information about KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE: KKR), please visit KKR's website at www.kkr.com and on Twitter (News - Alert) @KKR_Co. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210531005318/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [May 31, 2021] SHAREHOLDER ALERT: CLAIMSFILER REMINDS ARRY, CCXI, PCT, WISH INVESTORS of Lead Plaintiff Deadline in Class Action Lawsuits NEW ORLEANS, May 31, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors of pending deadlines in the following securities class action lawsuits: ChemoCentryx, Inc. (CCXI) Class Period: 11/26/2019 - 5/3/2021 Lead Plaintiff Motion Deadline: July 6, 2021 SECURITIES FRAUD https://www.claimsfiler.com/cases/view-chemocentryx-inc-common-stock-ccxi-securities-litigation PureCycle Technologies, Inc. (PCT) f/k/a Roth CH Acquisition I Co. (ROCH) Class Period: 11/16/2020 - 5/5/2021 and/or were holders of Roth securities entitled to participate in the March 16, 2021 shareholder vote on the merger with PureCycle. Lead Plaintiff Motion Deadline: July 12, 2021 SECURITIES FRAUD, MISLEADING PROSPECTUS To learn more, visit https://www.claimsfiler.com/cases/viw-purecycle-technologies-inc-common-stock-pct-securities-litigation Array Technologies, Inc. (ARRY) Class Period: 10/14/2020 - 5/11/2021, or purchase of shares issued either in or after the October 2020, December 2020 or March 2021 public offerings Lead Plaintiff Motion Deadline: July 13, 2021 SECURITIES FRAUD, MISLEADING PROSPECTUS To learn more, visit https://www.claimsfiler.com/cases/view-array-technologies-inc-common-stock-arry-securities-litigation ContextLogic Inc. (WISH) Class Period: 12/16/2020 - 5/12/2021, or purchase of shares issued either in or after the December 2020 Initial Public Offering Lead Plaintiff Motion Deadline: July 16, 2021 SECURITIES FRAUD, MISLEADING PROSPECTUS To learn more, visit https://www.claimsfiler.com/cases/view-contextlogic-inc-wish-securities-litigation If you purchased shares of the above companies and would like to discuss your legal rights and your right to recover for your economic loss, you may, without obligation or cost to you, contact us toll-free (844) 367-9658 or visit the case links above. If you wish to serve as a Lead Plaintiff in the class action, you must petition the Court on or before the Lead Plaintiff Motion deadline. About ClaimsFiler ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations. To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit www.claimsfiler.com [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 01, 2021] Malt Raises 80M to Strengthen Its Marketplace Leadership Position in the Freelance Consulting Sector PARIS, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Malt, the leading European freelance consulting marketplace, entered into exclusive negotiations for a new funding of 80 million euros, led by Goldman Sachs Growth Equity and Eurazeo, to accelerate its tech development and international expansion. This funding will enable Malt to reinforce its leadership position within the freelance consulting market, currently estimated at 350 billion euros in Europe alone, by providing a "one-stop-shop" where freelance talent and companies can join forces to fuel digital transformation. Malt is raising 80 million euros to support the continued growth of its tech-enabled freelance consulting marketplace. This fundraise is even more critical in a post-COVID-19 world, where companies will look for external consultants and freelance talent to help them accelerate their digital transformation more than ever before. Malt's innovative marketplace instantly and accurately matches the right freelance talent to businesses' project needs. It also offers secure and streamlined solutions for both parties to manage the freelance relationship, from issuing a brief to payment at project completion. This new funding adds prominent investors Goldman Sachs Growth Equity and Eurazeo to existing investors, Isai and Serena, to support Malt's ambitious growth strategy. This investment will enable Malt to invest further in its product and tech platform, expand into new countries, and pursue an acquisition strategy to accelerate its expansion as a global leader in the freelance consulting sector. Malt plans to disrupt the broader European freelance consulting market, currently estimated at 350 billion euros, by bringing its technology and unique freelance talent matching capabilities to employers and partners in new markets and sectors. With a strong presence in France (Paris, Lyon), Germany (Munich), and Spain (Madrid) pre-pandemic, and boosted by a massive shift towards remote working throughout the COVID-19 crisis, Malt is expected to grow its revenues by 100% in 2021. As the first marketplace to fundamentally overhaul the 'power balance' dynamic between freelancers and the companies seeking their expertise and support, alt has established itself as a driving force in the transformation of Europe's labor market, with a goal of reaching one billion euros in revenue by 2024. Malt's unique value proposition revolves around its sophisticated tech platform and its vibrant and growing community of over 250,000 freelancers. This new round of funding will support Malt's philosophy to empower freelancers to be the catalysts of a "new work order", a world where everyone has the power to choose who they want to work with. "Today, there are six million freelance consultants in Europe, a number that is set to grow exponentially in a rapidly changing post-COVID job market. At Malt, our goal is to give companies direct access to a pool of the most qualified and talented freelancers in the world, those who can help them take their businesses to the next level. This latest round of funding underscores the power of both Malt's business model and our dedicated community of freelancers, and we are pleased to have Eurazeo and Goldman Sachs join our historical investors, Isai and Serena, to support our ambitions." Vincent Huguet, CEO and Co-Founder at Malt "We are delighted to support Malt to build the leading freelance marketplace in Europe. Malt is at the forefront of the future of work, promoting agility, innovation, impact, freedom of choice, making freelancing simpler and more reliable. We are excited to partner with Malt's founders, empower their community of highly skilled freelancers, and give companies access to the world's best freelance talents." Alexandre Flavier, Executive Director at Goldman Sachs Growth Equity "Malt is at a pivotal time in its development. This new round of funding will allow the company to scale rapidly and drive even greater impact. We are excited to partner with Vincent and Alexandreand offer the expertise of our Growth and Venture teams along with the depth of Eurazeo's network in Europeto drive Malt's future success." Yann du Rusquec, Partner at Eurazeo To know more: www.malt.com About Malt : Founded in 2013 by Vincent Huguet (CEO) and Hugo Lassiege (CTO), with Alexandre Fretti as Managing Director, Malt is a European marketplace where more than 250,000 freelance consultants put their skills and expertise at the service of companies looking for external talents to accelerate their projects. It already has more than 30,000 clients, including 36 CAC 40 companies. With 200 employees (50% women and men), Malt is present in France, Spain and Germany. Malt has been supported since its launch by prominent investors: Antoine Freysz (Kerala), Marc Fournier (Serena), Jean-David Chamboredon (Isai), and Nicolas Debock (Eurazeo). www.malt.com About The Growth Equity team in Goldman Sachs Asset Management: Founded in 1869, The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. is a leading global investment banking, securities and investment management firm. The Growth Equity team in Goldman Sachs Asset Management is the dedicated growth equity team within Goldman Sachs, with over 25 years of investing history, over $8 billion of assets under management, and 9 offices globally. To read more, visit: https://growth.gs.com/homepage.html About Eurazeo: Eurazeo is a leading global investment group, with a diversified portfolio of 21.8 billion in Assets Under Management, including 15 billion from third parties, invested in 450 companies. With its considerable private equity, private debt and real assets expertise, Eurazeo accompanies companies of all sizes, supporting their development through the commitment of its nearly 300 professionals and by offering deep sector expertise, a gateway to global markets, and a responsible and stable foothold for transformational growth. Its solid institutional and family shareholder base, robust financial structure free of structural debt, and flexible investment horizon enable Eurazeo to support its companies over the long term. Eurazeo has offices in Paris, New York, Sao Paulo, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, London, Luxembourg, Frankfurt, Berlin and Madrid. Eurazeo is listed on Euronext Paris. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1521116/Malt_Logo.jpg Contact: presse@malt.com [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 01, 2021] CGTN: How China 'sails together on the boundless ocean' with the world BEIJING, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- "Boundless is the ocean where we sail with the wind" is a line from a Chinese poem written 1,000 years ago. The ancient saying, which means there are no geographical limits to where we travel to meet friends, has enduring resonance in modern China. "I wish to make it clear to all that China's door of opening-up will not be closed and will only open even wider," said Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Boao Forum for Asia in 2018. From reform and opening-up The remarkable changes that resulted from China's 1978 reform and opening-up policy testify to the great value of the conviction that openness is the way to growth and wealth. Guided by the policy, the country has been transformed from a largely agricultural nation to the second largest economy in the world. China's total imports and exports of goods expanded 1.9 percent year on year to 32.16 trillon yuan (about $4,647 billion) in 2020, hitting a record high despite a worldwide slump in shipments and making it the world's only major economy to register positive growth in foreign trade in goods. In 1978, the volume totaled only about $20.6 billion. China has worked hard to attract more global investors to its massive domestic market by widening market access and improving the business environment. A recent survey by the Ministry of Commerce indicates that 96.4 percent of foreign-invested enterprises are optimistic about their business prospects in China. China also joined the ranks of the world's top 10 most improved economies for ease of doing business for the second year in a row thanks to a robust reform agenda, according to a World Bank study report for 2020. Meanwhile, China has signed cooperation agreements with 140 countries and 31 international organizations under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), since it was initiated in 2013. to the new development pattern As China embarks on a new journey toward socialist modernization via the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025), opening-up remains crucial to the country's new roadmap. Unveiling its "dual circulation" development pattern in the plan, China pledges to further open its markets in the next five years to tide over the virus-induced economic slowdown and promote international cooperation. The new development paradigm means making sure both domestic and foreign markets are better connected and utilized by unleashing the potential of the domestic market. And concrete efforts are underway. China now has 21 pilot free trade zones (FTZs), after unveiling three new FTZs last year. It also signed the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement, which is set to be the world's biggest free trade bloc. https://news.cgtn.com/news/2021-05-31/How-China-sails-together-on-the-boundless-ocean-with-the-world-10GK4NahBPq/index.html SOURCE CGTN [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 01, 2021] 5e Healthcare extends its Video consultation services to combat the Covid-19 pandemic Video consultation will enable medical authorities to remotely examine Covid-19 patients through the 5e Healthcare app 5e Covid care consultation can be availed at a nominal rate of INR 1 only BENGALURU, India, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- 5e Healthcare, India's premier digital healthcare startup, today announced the extension of its "Covid Care" specific video consultation services in India. The services are going to be a part of the existing 5eCare app available on the Google play store and Apple app store. The app optimizes the use of medical resources and enables efficient Covid Care Delivery by the medical authorities for the treatment of Covid-19. The covid care consultation services are available for INR 1 only. The best-in-class video consultation app assists symptomatic and suspects to access expert consultation within 15 minutes of the booking. Video consultation helps reduce the exposure of Medical Staff, Doctors, and Health Workers from coming in direct contact with suspected carriers curbing disease transmission. There are generally 3 stages to Covid-19 Infection wherein patients should contact doctors as per the data collected over the last year: Possible contact with a Covid positive person which could lead to a lot of doubt Developed common to mild symptoms (fever, dry cough, tiredness, aches and pains, sore throat, diarrhea, conjunctivitis, headache, a rash on skin, or discoloration of fingers or toes) Developed Serious symptoms (difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, chest pain or pressure, loss of speech or movement) Except for Stage 3, treatment at home with everyday guidance from a doctor is possible. Once the patient develops mild symptoms, it is advisable to consult a doctor to save time. Delay cuses complications. Early treatment can save lives. The doctors listed at the 5eCare platform have prior experience in treating Covid patients (during the first wave). The treatment will include the patients filling up the online intake form, after which the doctor will review it and check their well-being through the HD video call. If required, the doctor may also ask you to put the camera right up to your mouth to see down your throat or next to a rash on your skin. Just like in-person consultation, for example, the doctor may ask you to check the sinus and guide you through where to apply pressure and how much pressure to apply. After the consultation process, the doctor will generate a digital prescription. It is delivered to the patient's phone instantly. Digital prescription is valid prescriptions and can be shown to medicine stores to get medicine and can be used by other doctors & hospitals for further treatment. "These are tough times. Our healthcare facilities are stretched. The scenario demands technology to step in and provide a safe and reliable platform for doctors and patients to interact. We aim to mitigate multiple risks associated with in-person consultation by reducing loads on doctors and medical staff, visit patient loads, safe implementation of healthcare protocols, and more. All done remotely under the guidance of experienced doctors using safe and proven video consultation technology. Moreover, our INR 1 fee is aimed towards making quality healthcare accessible to each and everyone," said Mr. Sudarsan Parida, CEO, 5e Healthcare. Recently, 5e Healthcare has launched its app 5eCare. The easy-to-use app allows people to book an appointment with doctors of their choice in quick steps. After downloading the app, one must register to give the basic details about the person. Doctors from General Medicine to specialists, along with their workplace have been listed. Doctors video call patients and provide consultation. After consulting the patient, the doctor will provide an e-prescription with follow-up consultation available through video or by visiting the nearby affiliated e-clinic. Currently, 5e Healthcare has more than 100+ doctors (in the platform) providing online consultation at any given point in time. To know more please visit: https://www.5e.healthcare/ App download https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=healthcare.i5e.care https://apps.apple.com/us/app/5ecare/id1564464655 Helpline number: 955 690 5555. About 5eHealthcare 5e Healthcare offers healthcare services to patients ranging from in-clinic & online consultation with specialist doctors, easy lab tests, and medicine delivery. It will offer an ecosystem of personal health tracking IoT devices, fitness devices, apps to communicate with doctors, technology for health monitoring, and real-time intervention to have better and effective chronic disease care. It recognizes issues of ineffective doctor consultation due to the absence of PHR/EHR. It employs physicians and paramedical personnel to capture patient medical records. Proprietary data processing & artificial intelligence technologies are used to process medical records and assist doctors to effectively treat patients. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 01, 2021] Silver Lake Announces Strategic Investment in Exact Silver Lake, a global leader in technology investing, today announced that it has agreed to make a minority investment in Exact, a leading provider of business and accounting software in the Benelux region. This investment will be in partnership with the management team, led by CEO Paul Ramakers, and the company's existing investor, KKR, which will remain the majority shareholder. Founded in 1984 and headquartered in Delft, the Netherlands, Exact's innovative software solutions today help more than 9,900 accountants manage the finances of small and mid-size enterprises and provide over 550,000 small businesses with high value-add solutions in the cloud. Exact's mid-market enterprise resource planning ("ERP") solutions are also used by over 16,000 mid-sized firms, with a choice of cloud or on-premise deployment. The company's integrated software suite includes Financial Management, Logistics, CRM, HR, and Payroll. Since the acquisition by KKR in 2019, Exact has experienced rapid growth and has expanded its market leadership. Jean-Pierre Saad, Partner and Head of EMEA Technology at KKR, Daniel Knottenbelt, Partner and Head of Benelux at KKR and Tomas Kubica, Director Technology Private Equity at KKR, said: "We are delighted to welcome Silver Lake as an investor alongside us in Exact, one of the leading European SaaS (News - Alert) businesses. We have seen tremendous growth in recent years under the leadership of Paul Ramakers and the entire team. The company continues to be a leading platform to provide accounting and business software in the Benelux region and beyond, notably with its flagship SaaS product Exact Online, and we believe that Silver Lake's relevant experience will further contribute to the growth and ambitious expansion strategy of Exact." Christian Lucas, Co-Head of Silver Lake EMEA, said:"Exact fits very naturally into Silver Lake's strategy of investing in high growth, innovative and world leading technology companies. Paul and the Exact team have achieved a strong growth trajectory, and we have been impressed by the high quality of their best-in-class SaaS solutions. We are excited to partner with the management team and KKR, one of the world's leading technology and software investors, to contribute to the next stage of Exact's development towards achieving its full long-term potential." Paul Ramakers, CEO of Exact, said: "We are proud of what Exact has already achieved with the strong support of the KKR team. Together, with our outstanding team and business partners, we have built a successful business, with a strong track record of supporting both accountancy firms and small and mid-size businesses in Benelux. As we enter the next exciting stage of our growth story, we look forward to leveraging Silver Lake's software domain expertise and extensive industry network." The transaction is anticipated to close in the third quarter subject to customary conditions and regulatory approvals. Further terms of the investment are not being disclosed at this time. About KKR KKR is a leading global investment firm that offers alternative asset management and capital markets and insurance solutions. KKR aims to generate attractive investment returns by following a patient and disciplined investment approach, employing world-class people and supporting growth in its portfolio companies and communities. KKR sponsors investment funds that invest in private equity, credit and real assets and has strategic partners that manage hedge funds. KKR's insurance subsidiaries offer retirement, life and reinsurance products under the management of The Global Atlantic Financial Group. References to KKR's investments may include the activities of its sponsored funds and insurance subsidiaries. For additional information about KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE: KKR), please visit KKR's website at kkr.com and on Twitter (News - Alert) @KKR_Co. About Silver Lake Silver Lake is a leading global technology investment firm, with more than $83 billion in combined assets under management and committed capital and a team of professionals based in North America, Europe, and Asia. Silver Lake's portfolio companies collectively generate more than $196 billion of revenue annually and employ more than 448,000 people globally. For more information about Silver Lake and its portfolio, please visit Silver Lake's website at silverlake.com. About Exact Founded in 1984 and headquartered in Delft, the Netherlands, Exact's innovative solutions today help over 9,900 accountants manage the finances of over 550,000 small businesses in the cloud. Exact's mid-market enterprise resource planning ("ERP") solutions are also used by over 16,000 mid-sized firms, with a choice of cloud or on-premise deployment. The company's integrated software suite includes Financial Management, Logistics, CRM, HR, and Payroll. Exact employs 1,850 people. For more information on Exact, please visit exact.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210531005304/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 01, 2021] Artificial Intelligence In Healthcare Market Worth $120.2 Billion By 2028: Grand View Research, Inc. SAN FRANCISCO, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The global artificial intelligence in healthcare market size is expected to reach USD 120.2 billion by 2028 and is expected to expand at a CAGR of 41.8% over the forecast period, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. Growing technological advancements coupled with an increasing need for efficient and innovative solutions to enhance clinical and operational outcomes is contributing to market growth. The pressure for cutting down spending is rising globally as the cost of healthcare is growing faster than the growth of economies. Advancements in healthcare IT present opportunities to cut down spending by improving care delivery and clinical outcomes. Thus, the demand for AI technologies is expected to increase in the coming years. Key suggestions from the report: The market is anticipated to witness significant growth over the forecast period owing to the rapidly increasing application of artificial intelligence in this space The software component segment dominated the market in 2020 owing to the increased development of AI-based software solutions The clinical trials segment dominated the market in 2020 owing to the easy commercial availability of AI-based product in clinical trial applications that use AI technology to identify patterns from doctor-patient interaction related data to deliver a personalized medicine North America dominated the market in 2020 owing to the growing adoption of healthcare IT solutions, increasing funding for the development of AI capabilities, and the well-established healthcare sector Read 150 page research report with ToC on "Artificial Intelligence In Healthcare Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Component (Software Solutions, Hardware, Service), By Application (Robot Assisted Surgery, Connected Machines, Clinical Trials), And Segment Forecasts, 2021 - 2028" at: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/artificial-intelligence-ai-healthcare-market Moreover, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the introduction of technologically advanced products to improve patient care are factors anticipated to drive growth further in the coming years. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is further driving the adoption of AI in various applications such as clinical trials, diagnosis, and virtual assistants to add value to health care by analyzing complicated medical images of patient's complications and supporting clinicians in detection as well as diagnosis. Moreover, an ncrease in the number of AI startups coupled with high investments by venture capitalist firms for developing innovative technologies that support fast and effective patient management, due to a significant increase in the number of patients suffering from chronic diseases, is driving the market. In addition, the shortage of public health workforce has become a major concern in many countries around the world. This can mainly be attributed to the growing demand for physicians, which is higher than the supply of physicians. As per the WHO estimates in 2019, the global shortage of skilled personnel including nurses, doctors, and other professionals was approximately 4.3 million. Thus, the shortage of a skilled workforce is contributing to the demand for artificial intelligence-enabled systems in the industry. Grand View Research has segmented the global artificial intelligence in the healthcare market on the basis of component, application, and region: Artificial Intelligence In Healthcare Component Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2028) Software Solutions Hardware Services Artificial Intelligence In Healthcare Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2028) Robot Assisted Surgery Virtual Assistants Administrative Workflow Assistants Connected Machines Diagnosis Clinical Trials Fraud Detection Cybersecurity Dosage Error Reduction Artificial Intelligence In Healthcare Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2028) North America The U.S. Canada Europe U.K. Germany France Spain Italy Russia Asia Pacific China India Japan Australia Singapore South Korea Latin America Brazil Mexico Argentina Middle East & Africa & South Africa Saudi Arabia UAE List of Key Players in Artificial Intelligence In Healthcare Market IBM Corporation NVIDIA Corporation Nuance Communications, Inc. Microsoft Intel Corporation DeepMind Technologies Limited Find more research reports on Healthcare IT Industry, by Grand View Research: Artificial Intelligence Market The global artificial intelligence market size is expected to reach USD 733.7 billion by 2027. It is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 42.2% from 2020 to 2027. by 2027. It is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 42.2% from 2020 to 2027. Healthcare IT Market The global healthcare IT market size is expected to reach USD 166.0 billion by 2028. Rising demand and adoption of preventive care along with increasing funding for various mobile health startups is boosting the market growth. by 2028. Rising demand and adoption of preventive care along with increasing funding for various mobile health startups is boosting the market growth. Artificial Intelligence In Diagnostics Market The global artificial intelligence in diagnostics market size is expected to reach USD 3.0 billion by 2027. It is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 32.3% from 2020 to 2027. Gain access to Grand View Compass, our BI enabled intuitive market research database of 10,000+ reports About Grand View Research Grand View Research, U.S.-based market research and consulting company, provides syndicated as well as customized research reports and consulting services. Registered in California and headquartered in San Francisco, the company comprises over 425 analysts and consultants, adding more than 1200 market research reports to its vast database each year. These reports offer in-depth analysis on 46 industries across 25 major countries worldwide. With the help of an interactive market intelligence platform, Grand View Research helps Fortune 500 companies and renowned academic institutes understand the global and regional business environment and gauge the opportunities that lie ahead. Contact: Sherry James Corporate Sales Specialist, USA Grand View Research, Inc. Phone: 1-415-349-0058 Toll Free: 1-888-202-9519 Email: sales@grandviewresearch.com Web: https://www.grandviewresearch.com Follow Us: LinkedIn | Twitter Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/661327/Grand_View_Research_Logo.jpg [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 01, 2021] QuEST Global Becomes Elite Service Delivery Partner in NVIDIA Partner Network SANTA CLARA, Calif., June 1, 2021 /CNW/ -- QuEST Global, a global product engineering and lifecycle services company, announced that NVIDIA has recently elevated it as an Elite Service Delivery Partner in the NVIDIA Partner Network (NPN). This highest-level status is awarded to organizations that have demonstrated excellence in utilizing NVIDIA accelerated computing technology solutions. This elevated designation will further enable QuEST in delivering next-gen AI solutions to its customers. With this partnership, QuEST will now have early and extended access to NVIDIA platforms and software, newly released solutions, workshops, and occasional technology updates by NVIDIA. Additionally, QuEST will have access to NVIDIA Executive Briefing Centers (EBCs) in different regions to showcase its innovative solutions built on NVIDIA technologies. As an NPN partner, QuEST has been leveraging NVIDIA's AI platform to enhance its vision inspection & defect detection solution targeted towards the industrial and manufacturing sector. The solution uses NVIDIA DGX systems to train custom vision AI models that are then deployed for high-speed edge inference and training that allow QuEST customers to do rapid PoCs, allowing them to improve operational intelligence and enhance the decision-making process. With deep learning becoming a key driver in the digital transformation of organizations, the vision inspection, and defect detection solution will showcase QuEST's capability to leverage NVIDA GPUs to develop real-world use cases that tackle cross-industry concerns. QuEST will continue to work on more AI use cases that could be applied for autonomous vehicles, computer vision, inspection, predictive maintenance, logistics, drones, robotics, etc. Apart from being a part of the NPN, QuEST was also one of the first companies worldwide to be selected for the NVIDIA Deep Learning Consulting Partnership Program and has been part of the NVIDIA Jetson Partner Ecosystem since 2018. QuEST had developed one of its innovative solutions - lung cancer nodule detection from CT scans using the NVIDIA Jetson edge AI platform. The solution, developed to be used in clinical diagnostics and cancer screening applications to support radiologist diagnostics, leverages the Jetson platform for deep neural network training & validation to develop models that would enhance the accuracy of analyzing CT images compared to the conventional image processing methods. "The NPN Elite-level status is reserved for partners who demonstrate a history of expertise in the areas of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and deep learning," said Craig Weinstein, Vice-President of the Americas Partner Organization at NVIDIA. "QuEST is a strong collaborator in the development of solutions and services based on NVIDIA AI technology." Krish Kupathil, Head Digital Innovation and Hi-Tech at QuEST Global, said, "We are extremely proud to achieve NPN Elite partner status. This is a testament to our commitment to offer industry-leading, next-generation AI and deep learning solutions that our customers have come to expect from us. We have been leveraging the NVIDIA AI platform to accelerate digital transformation across diverse verticals spanning the healthcare, industrial, and energy sectors, to name a few. We look forward to collaborating closely with NVIDIA to drive tech-driven business growth for customers across industries." About QuEST Global For more than 20 years, QuEST Global has been a trusted global product engineering and lifecycle services partner to many of the world's most recognized companies in the Aerospace & Defense, Automotive, Energy, Hi-Tech, Medical Devices, Rail, and Semiconductor industries. With a presence in 13 countries, 56 global delivery centers, and 11,250+ personnel, QuEST Global believes that it is at the forefront of the convergence of the mechanical, electronics, software, and digital engineering innovations to engineer solutions for a safer, cleaner world. QuEST Global's deep domain knowledge and digital expertise aim to help its clients accelerate product development and innovation cycles, create alternate revenue streams, enhance consumer experience and make manufacturing processes and operations more efficient. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/quest-global-becomes-elite-service-delivery-partner-in-nvidia-partner-network-301300638.html SOURCE QuEST Global [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-01 09:01:39|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, June 1 (Xinhua) -- The following are the updates on the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. - - - - LONDON -- A British government advisory scientist warned Monday that Britain could be in early stages of third COVID-19 wave as the country reported another 3,383 cases. Professor Ravi Gupta, from the University of Cambridge, said although new cases were "relatively low", the India-related variant had fuelled "exponential growth". - - - - MEXICO CITY -- The Mexican economy is recovering at "two speeds" from the collapse caused by COVID-19, with exports growing at a steady pace and consumption gradually increasing, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) said on Monday. During a virtual press conference, OECD economist for Costa Rica and Mexico Alberto Gonzalez said that consumption in Mexico will continue to grow as the vaccination campaign against COVID-19 progresses, which to date has immunized over 21.6 million people with one or two doses. - - - - JERUSALEM -- The number of active coronavirus cases in Israel has dropped to 350, the ministry of health said Monday. This is the lowest number of active COVID-19 cases in Israel since March 17, 2020, only 18 days since the first case was detected in the country. - - - - HAVANA -- Cuba reported on Monday 1,100 new COVID-19 infections and eight more deaths, bringing the total to 142,266 cases and 958 deaths, the Public Health Ministry said. "We have to protect ourselves, especially those with underlying medical conditions associated with a high risk for severe infection," said the ministry's director of hygiene and epidemiology Francisco Duran during his daily report. - - - - BELGRADE -- Serbia authorities on Monday decided to further lift restrictions as the country seems to be taming the coronavirus pandemic with vaccines. From Tuesday, customers could dine out both indoors and outdoors until midnight, and watch late evening cinema screenings. Moreover, the number of people that can gather at business and scientific congresses increased from 100 to 200, the government informed in a press release. - - - - ADDIS ABABA -- The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Africa reached 4,830,229 as of Monday noon, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said. The Africa CDC, the specialized healthcare agency of the African Union, said the death toll from the pandemic stands at 130,451 while 4,365,227 patients across the continent have recovered from the disease. Enditem [June 01, 2021] First High-School Education Group Announces Acquisition of Majority Stake in a Tech-driven Education Company BEIJING, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- First High-School Education Group Co., Ltd. ("First High-School Education Group" or the "Company") (NYSE: FHS), the largest operator of private high schools in Western China and third largest operator in China[1], announced today the acquisition of 51% equity interests in Beijing Tomorrow Future Plus Education Technology Co., Ltd. ("Beijing Tomorrow"), a technology-driven education company, for a consideration of RMB76.5 million from an original shareholder that was controlled by a related party of the Company. The transaction was closed in late May 2021. Mr. Shaowei Zhang, Chairman and chief executive officer of First High-School Education Group, commented: "We are thrilled about this acquisition and what it entails for First High-School Education Group. Technology-enabled education is key to drive education development in the future, fostering an expanded, intelligent learning environment beyond traditional classroom models through the use of big data, artificial intelligence, and advanced digital technologies. By combining full-time premium AI driven teaching online with strong operations and management strategies offline, high-quality education resources can be optimized in both efficiency and scale. This combination would not only help to further drive our profitability, but also to improve the overall quality of our education system, especially for China's central and western regions where there are strong needs for further educational development. This acquisition will undoubtedly strengthen our leading position and competitiveness in the private education sector." About Beijing Tomorrow Beijing Tomorrow is a technology-driven education company that provides premium full-time live AI online teaching services supported by strong offline operations and management strategy for large-scale resource sharing and learning efficiency. Beijing Tomorrow adopts a unique "three-teacher classroom" model consisting of master instructor livestream classs and personalized counseling offline with character-building guidance. The "three-teacher classroom" framework, combined with enriching activities and optimized campus management, creates an ideal environment for efficient learning and comprehensive development. About First High-School Education Group First High-School Education Group is the largest operator of private high schools in Western China and the third largest operator in China1. First High-School Education Group has a network of 19 schools, offering 14 high school programs, seven middle school programs and four tutorial school programs for Gaokao repeaters, as of December 31, 2020. All of schools of the Company are strategically located in Western China. The Company aspires to become a leader and innovator of private high school education in China. For more information, please visit https://ir.diyi.top / . Forward-Looking Statements Statements in this press release about future expectations, plans and prospects, as well as any other statements regarding matters that are not historical facts, may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to the expected trading commencement and closing dates. The words "anticipate," "believe," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "plan," "potential," "predict," "project," "should," "target," "will," "would" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including: the uncertainties related to market conditions and the completion of the public offering on the anticipated terms or at all, and other factors discussed in the "Risk Factors" section of the preliminary prospectus filed with the SEC. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof, and the Company specifically disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. [1] In terms of student enrollment as of December 31, 2019, according to an industry report commissioned by First High-School Education Group and prepared by China Insights Industry Consultancy Limited. For Investor and Media Inquiries Please Contact: In China: First High-School Education Group Lillian Liu Tel: +86-13062818313 E-mail: liuyi@dygz.com The Blueshirt Group Ms. Susie Wang Phone: +86 138-1081-7475 Email: susie@blueshirtgroup.com In the United States: The Blueshirt Group Ms. Julia Qian Phone: +1 973-619-3227 Email: Julia@blueshirtgroup.com View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/first-high-school-education-group-announces-acquisition-of-majority-stake-in-a-tech-driven-education-company-301302763.html SOURCE First High-School Education Group Co., Ltd [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 01, 2021] Rajat Taneja Appointed to MSCI Inc. Board of Directors MSCI Inc. (NYSE: MSCI), a leading provider of critical decision support tools and services for the global investment community, announced today that Rajat Taneja, President of Technology for Visa Inc., has been appointed to serve as an independent director on MSCI's Board of Directors (the "Board"), effective June 1, 2021. Mr. Taneja will serve as a member of the Audit Committee of the Board. Following the appointment of Mr. Taneja, the Board will be comprised of 10 directors. "I am pleased to welcome Rajat to the MSCI Board," said Henry A. Fernandez, MSCI's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "Rajat has 30 years of global technology, innovation and research and development experience, and I am confident that he will provide invaluable insight into the continuing transformation of MSCI's data and technology capabilities, as we seek to increasingly leverage cutting edge data processing technologies, democratize the data points underlying our solutions and deliver enhanced user experiences, " added Mr. Fernandez. "This is an exciting time to join the MSCI Board and I look forward to working with my fellow board members and advising MSCI's management team on the next evolution of MSCI's data and technology strategy," said Mr. Taneja. "I welcome the opportunity to contribute to MSCI's future growth and to help MSCI pursue its mission of empowering its clients to build better portfolios for a better world," added Mr. Taneja. Mr. Taneja, age 56, has held the role of President of Technology for Visa Inc. ("Visa") since September 2019. He joined Visa in November 2013 and served as Executive Vice President of Technology and Operations until August 2019. Prior to joining Visa, Mr. Taneja was Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of Electronic Arts Inc. from October 2011 until November 2013. From August 1996 until October 2011, he served in various roles at Micosoft Corporation (" Microsoft (News - Alert) "), including as the Corporate Vice President, Commerce Division. At Microsoft, Mr. Taneja led the development and deployment of commerce and transaction technologies across its connected services, the company's online digital advertising platforms, and its first business online service offering. Mr. Taneja served on the board of directors of Ellie Mae from June 2015 until April 2019, including on its Technology and Cybersecurity Committee and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Mr. Taneja holds a Bachelor of Engineering from Jadavpur University and a Master of Business Administration from Washington State University. About MSCI Inc. MSCI is a leading provider of critical decision support tools and services for the global investment community. With over 50 years of expertise in research, data and technology, we power better investment decisions by enabling clients to understand and analyze key drivers of risk and return and confidently build more effective portfolios. We create industry-leading research-enhanced solutions that clients use to gain insight into and improve transparency across the investment process. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements relate to future events or to future financial performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the use of words such as "may," "could," "expect," "intend," "plan," "seek," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "potential" or "continue," or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements because they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that are, in some cases, beyond MSCI's control and that could materially affect actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Other factors that could materially affect actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements can be found in MSCI's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (" SEC (News - Alert) ") on February 12, 2021 and in quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K filed or furnished with the SEC. If any of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or if MSCI's underlying assumptions prove to be incorrect, actual results may vary significantly from what MSCI projected. Any forward-looking statement in this press release reflects MSCI's current views with respect to future events and is subject to these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to MSCI's operations, results of operations, growth strategy and liquidity. MSCI assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005541/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 01, 2021] Cloudera Agrees to Acquire SaaS Companies Datacoral and Cazena SANTA CLARA, Calif., June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Cloudera, (NYSE: CLDR), the enterprise data cloud company, today announced that it has agreed to acquire Datacoral and Cazena in two separate transactions. The additions of Datacoral and Cazena will support the evolution of Cloudera's public cloud offering and expand Cloudera's market opportunity as the company moves beyond big data to self-service. The two acquisitions mark an important milestone as Cloudera continues to execute its strategic plan to build a leader in the hybrid cloud space. Rob Bearden, Chief Executive Officer of Cloudera, said: "The acquisitions will enable Cloudera to usher in a new era of low-code, no-code self-service by automating complex operations enabling our customers to focus on getting value from their data rather than configuring, operating and managing the underlying infrastructure. Both businesses will enable our combined customers to enjoy a reduction in complexity and faster time to value for their data initiatives, leading to improved insights, faster innovation, and stronger engagements with their customers and partners." Datacoral's fully managed service powers fast and easy data transformations and integrations for any type of data via a robust multi-tenant SaaS architecture that runs in the cloud. Datacoral is flexible, easy-to-use, and secure, and its future-proof no-code connectors enable customers to extract data from a wide range of popular data sources. Multi-level transformations are automatically orchestrated using just SQL, and only a few clicks are required to set up end-to-end data pipelines that go from ingestion to transformation to publishing. Datacoral adds an easy-to-use SaaS platform to the Cloudera CDP portfolio that provides simple, reliable access to more than 80 common data sources. Since no engineering is needed, customers can spend more time focused on analyzing and improving their businesses. "The combination of Cloudera's robust platform with a cloud-native, ETL solution like Datacoral, offers a powerful solution to today's self-service analytics challenge," said Datacoral Founder and CEO Raghotham Murthy, who built out Facebook's data infrastructure during its explosive growth years of 2008-2013. "I'm very excited to be joining the Cloudera team to help the no-code, low-code era become a reality." Cazena powers instant cloud data lakes, making it possible to accelerate time to analytics and AI/ML from months to minutes. Cazena's SaaS platform includes end-to-end infrastructure and orchestraion, so customers get a fully-managed, continuous operations model that delivers guaranteed security and performance 24x7. Cazena was founded by the visionary team behind the Netezza data warehouse appliance and represents a critical evolution from reporting-oriented data warehouses to innovation-focused data lakes. Purpose-built and optimized for the cloud, Cazena's SaaS offerings enable Cloudera customers to easily and cost-effectively migrate to CDP for Public Cloud. "Extending the Cloudera platform to a SaaS delivery model fulfills Cazena's vision of enabling businesses to easily speed up their time to insight by focusing on their data rather than operating the infrastructure necessary to manage it we make CDP easier to operate and consume for all enterprises," said Cazena Founder and CEO Prat Moghe. "I look forward to working with the Cloudera team to offer a simplified experience that helps customers use all their data faster and more effectively." The acquisitions are expected to close in Cloudera's current fiscal 2022 second quarter, ending July 31, 2021, subject to customary closing conditions. About Cloudera At Cloudera, we believe that data can make what is impossible today, possible tomorrow. We empower people to transform complex data into clear and actionable insights. Cloudera delivers an enterprise data cloud for any data, anywhere, from the Edge to AI. Powered by the relentless innovation of the open source community, Cloudera advances digital transformation for the world's largest enterprises. Learn more at Cloudera.com . Cloudera and associated marks are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cloudera, Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners. About Datacoral Datacoral offers a cloud-native, no-code data integration and data pipeline platform. With over 80 connectors to integrate and transform data from APIs and databases into data lakes and data warehouses, Datacoral enables data-driven innovators, including Greenhouse, Substack, Frame.io, Betterment, and Flexport to gain value from their data, and support their complex, and constantly evolving, data pipeline needs. Datacoral was founded in 2016, is based in San Francisco, and is built as an AWS-native, serverless, data platform. About Cazena Cazena makes cloud data lakes easy for all enterprises. Cazena's Instant Cloud Data Lake accelerates time-to-analytics and AI/ML from months to minutes. Powered by its patented and fully-automated Open SaaS Data platform, Cazena delivers the first SaaS experience for data lakes zero operations required. Founded by Netezza leaders, Cazena is revolutionizing cloud data lakes. Experience your Instant Data Lake at Cazena.com . Forward-Looking Statements Statements in this press release that are not historical in nature are forward-looking statements that, within the meaning of the federal securities laws including the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Words such as "may", "will", "expect", "intend", "plan", "believe", "seek", "could", "estimate", "judgment", "targeting", "should", "anticipate", "goal" and variations of these words and similar expressions, are also intended to identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this press release address a variety of subjects, including statements about our short-term and long-term assumptions, goals and targets. Readers are cautioned that actual results could differ materially from those implied by such forward-looking statements due to a variety of factors, including global economic conditions, competitive pressures and pricing declines, intellectual property infringement claims, the impact of and uncertainties related to COVID-19, and other risks or uncertainties that are described under the caption "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and in our other SEC filings. You can obtain copies of our SEC filings on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Additionally, these forward-looking statements involve risk, uncertainties and assumptions, including those related to the impact of COVID-19 on our business and global economic conditions. Many of these assumptions relate to matters that are beyond our control and changing rapidly, including, but not limited to, the timeframes for and severity of the impact of COVID-19 on our customers' purchasing decisions and the length of our sales cycles, particularly for customers in certain industries highly affected by COVID-19. Although we believe the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, we can give no assurances that our expectations will be attained. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cloudera-agrees-to-acquire-saas-companies-datacoral-and-cazena-301302774.html SOURCE Cloudera, Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 01, 2021] Kraig Biocraft Laboratories Strengthens Production Operations with New Automated Equipment ANN ARBOR, Mich., June 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc. (OTCQB: KBLB) (Company or Kraig Labs), the biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of spider silk, announces considerable investments in strengthening its Vietnam based production operations. Kraig Labs is in the process of receiving and installing equipment, which was purchased to speed up and expand silk production at the Companys Prodigy Textiles facility. The new equipment will support the next phase of expansion, improving and automating a critical production step. In 2020, production in Vietnam was shut down due to mandatory governmental safety measures related to COVID-19. Since restarting, the Companys production facility has been in continuous operation with output limited by continued COVID-related restrictions on shipping and travel. The new equipment will support continued production, circumventing bottlenecks resulting from COVID-related restrictions. As we look to a post quarantine world, the Company is working aggressively to build resiliency into our production system, integrating core components of research and automation into our production factory, said COO Jon Rice. COVID-19 esulted in a shutdown in 2020, and COVIDs recent spike in Vietnam has caused the Company to take these steps to facilitate our expansion. We believe that these efforts to build resiliency will provide both long-term and immediate boosts to our operations. To view the most recent news from Kraig Labs and/or to sign up for Company alerts, please go to www.KraigLabs.com/news . About Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc. Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc. ( www.KraigLabs.com ), a fully reporting biotechnology company, is a developer of genetically engineered spider silk based fiber technologies. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Information Statements in this press release about the Companys future and expectations other than historical facts are forward-looking statements. These statements are made on the basis of managements current views and assumptions. As a result, there can be no assurance that managements expectations will necessarily come to pass. These forward-looking statements generally can be identified by phrases such as believes, plans, expects, anticipates, foresees, estimated, hopes, if, develops, researching, research, pilot, potential, could or other words or phrases of similar import. Forward looking statements include descriptions of the Companys business strategy, outlook, objectives, plans, intentions and goals. All such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any security. Ben Hansel, Hansel Capital, LLC (720) 288-8495 ir@KraigLabs.com [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 01, 2021] Emerging Markets Report: An Affinity for Fintech An Emerging Markets Sponsored Commentary ORLANDO, Fla., June 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Some time ago we had the opportunity to introduce dynamic fintech company, AppTech Corp. (OTC: APCX), which utilizes innovative payment processing technologies to complement its core merchant services capabilities. It also provides patented and proprietary software for a highly secure digital payments and banking platform that powers commerce experiences for clients and their customers all licensable or available through a suite of synergistic offerings. If youre new to fintech, the simple truth is that the category is exploding, sparked in no small part by the need for the technology during the COVID pandemic. And if youre new to the phrase itself the simple definition is fintech is best described as computer programs and other technology used to support or enable banking and financial services. We love how diversified the Company is within fintech, creating a spectrum of service additions for its clients. Currently, the Company offers a variety of merchant services including credit card processing, ACH processing, and gift & loyalty cards. All these, in our estimation, help with customer acquisition and retention. More to offer, harder to leave. But in addition to all this, a product under development could be the real game changer, the star of the Companys fintech show once developed and deployed. Fintech is already revolutionary as we see it. But what if there was a revolution within that revolution? Imagine if you could send funds with a simple text message. They are working on just that. AppTech is developing a text payment feature which offers the end-user security while relying on the simplicity and comfort of text messaging. The processing technologies support tokenized, multi-channel, and multi-method transactions./p> About The Emerging Markets Report: The Emerging Markets Report is owned and operated by Emerging Markets Consulting (EMC), a syndicate of investor relations consultants representing years of experience. Our network consists of stockbrokers, investment bankers, fund managers, and institutions that actively seek opportunities in the micro and small-cap equity markets. For more informative reports such as this, please sign up at http://www.emergingmarketsllc.com/newsletter.php Must Read OTC Markets/SEC policy on stock promotion and investor protection https://www.otcmarkets.com/learn/policy-on-stock-promotion https://www.otcmarkets.com/learn/investor-protection https://www.sec.gov/news/press-release/2017-79 https://www.sec.gov/oiea/investor-alerts-bulletins/ia_promotions.html Section 17(b) of the Securities Act of 1933 requires that any person that uses the mails to publish, give publicity to, or circulate any publication or communication that describes a security in return for consideration received or to be received directly or indirectly from an issuer, underwriter, or dealer, must fully disclose the type of consideration (i.e. cash, free trading stock, restricted stock, stock options, stock warrants) and the specific amount of the consideration. In connection therewith, EMC has received the following compensation and/or has an agreement to receive in the future certain compensation, as described below. We may purchase Securities of the Profiled Company prior to their securities becoming publicly traded, which we may later sell publicly before, during or after our dissemination of the Information, and make profits therefrom. EMC has been paid 250,000 Restricted shares and will be paid $95,000 dollars by Apptech Corp. for various marketing services including this report. EMC does not independently verify any of the content linked-to from this editorial. http://emergingmarketsllc.com/disclaimer.php Emerging Markets Consulting, LLC Florida Office 390 North Orange Avenue Suite 2300 Orlando, FL 32801 E-mail: jamespainter@emergingmarketsllc.com Web: http://www.emergingmarketsllc.com [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 01, 2021] Fairtrade America Partners With Six Certified Brands to Encourage Shoppers to Make Purchases With People and the Planet in Mind WASHINGTON, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Fairtrade America is the U.S. member organization of Fairtrade International, an independent, third party certification that betters the lives of farmers and workers in developing countries. Today, Fairtrade America announced it has partnered with six Fairtrade certified brands to encourage shoppers to make purchases with people and the planet in mind. Around the world, farmers who grow everyday staples such as coffee, cocoa and bananas, are grappling to adapt to extreme weather and challenging conditions brought about by climate change. These farming families contribute the least to climate change, but often suffer the most. Now, more so than ever, we need to come together as a global community to protect our planet and our farmers. Fairtrade America has joined forces with six Fairtrade certified brands to generate broader awareness of how a simple action, like purchasing a Fairtrade certified product, can be a powerful way to make a difference in the lives of the almost 2 million farmers and workers participating in Fairtrade across the globe, while also combatting troublesome climate issues like decreased harvests due to warmer weather. The mantra? 'Choose Fairtrade. Choose the Planet.' Fairtrade America and six partner brands are encouraging shoppers to make purchases with people and the planet in mind "The negative impacts of rising temperatures and sea levels are impacting many crops in alarming ways," shared Mary Linnell-Simmons, Fairtrade America's director of marketing and external relations. "Farmers with low incomes have limited access to educational resources and technology that can help them evolve along with our climate. Our hope with this campaign is to shine a light on the importance of recognizing the issues our farmers face, and to show our support by making purchasing decisions that help them earn a fair wage." The Fairtrade Mark appears on more than 30,000 products globally and new brands are committing to Fairtrade every day. In an effort to put people and our planet first, Fairtrade America and six ethical brands will host a giveaway on Instagram and Facebook that will celebrate the benefits of Fairtrade certified products, and provide three winners the opportunity to win a Choose Fairtrade: Choose the Planet prize package filled with everyday items that have a reduced impact on our planet and a positive impact on farmers. Each of these Fairtrade certified products are available to purchase on Amazon, easily meeting consumers where they are increasingly shopping for everyday items - online! Several of the brands are also part of the Amazon Climate Pledge Friendly program, which Amazon launched last year to make it easier for customers to discover and shop for sustainable products on the ecommerce platform. Fairtrade is excited topromote small purchase choices making a big impact with the following brands and products: Tag AlohaBeach Bum Bag - Look no further for the quintessential bag for beach-bumming, wave-catching, shave ice-eating, mountain-hiking, and everything in between. Featuring a handy inner pocket for all of the important stuff, and the cutest pineapple zipper to be seen. By investing in sustainably sourced organic cotton and Fairtrade well, it makes one swell Beach Bum! Made from 100% Certified Organic, Fairtrade Certified Cotton. Look no further for the quintessential bag for beach-bumming, wave-catching, shave ice-eating, mountain-hiking, and everything in between. Featuring a handy inner pocket for all of the important stuff, and the cutest pineapple zipper to be seen. By investing in sustainably sourced organic cotton and Fairtrade well, it makes one swell Beach Bum! Made from 100% Certified Organic, Fairtrade Certified Cotton. Endangered Species Chocolate Bars - Endangered Species Chocolate is passionate about bringing authentic chocolate to consumers with real, responsibly sourced, health-conscious ingredients and no mysterious sweeteners or additives that not only taste good, but make a true impact on the world. Featuring three beautiful, dairy-free bars including: Strong + Velvety Dark Chocolate, Almonds Sea Salt + Dark Chocolate Caramel Sea Salt + Dark Chocolate. - Endangered Species Chocolate is passionate about bringing authentic chocolate to consumers with real, responsibly sourced, health-conscious ingredients and no mysterious sweeteners or additives that not only taste good, but make a true impact on the world. Featuring three beautiful, dairy-free bars including: Strong + Velvety Dark Chocolate, Almonds Sea Salt + Dark Chocolate Caramel Sea Salt + Dark Chocolate. Organic India Tulsi Original Loose Leaf Herbal Tea - Tulsi, or Holy Basil, is the most sacred plant in India and is venerated as, "The Queen of the Herbs." It has been used for thousands of years to support a healthy stress response and natural detoxification and restore balance and harmony. Tulsi (Holy Basil) supports a healthy stress response and mood and supports the immune system and the body's detoxification system. - Tulsi, or Holy Basil, is the most sacred plant in and is venerated as, "The Queen of the Herbs." It has been used for thousands of years to support a healthy stress response and natural detoxification and restore balance and harmony. Tulsi (Holy Basil) supports a healthy stress response and mood and supports the immune system and the body's detoxification system. Navitas Organics Cacao Powder - Navitas Organics Cacao Powder is made from single origin, Fairtrade certified, organic cacao beans sourced from Sierra Leone , where Navitas Organics is proud to invest in cacao co-ops, farmer field schools, reforestation planning, and just labor practices. Non-alkalized and never roasted at high temperatures, Navitas Organics Cacao Powder retains the antioxidants, minerals and high nutritional value found naturally in the cacao bean. It has a rich chocolate taste that's delicious in brownies, cakes, hot cocoa, smoothies, homemade chocolates, and more! Navitas Organics Cacao Powder is made from single origin, Fairtrade certified, organic cacao beans sourced from , where Navitas Organics is proud to invest in cacao co-ops, farmer field schools, reforestation planning, and just labor practices. Non-alkalized and never roasted at high temperatures, Navitas Organics Cacao Powder retains the antioxidants, minerals and high nutritional value found naturally in the cacao bean. It has a rich chocolate taste that's delicious in brownies, cakes, hot cocoa, smoothies, homemade chocolates, and more! Ethical Bean Lush Coffee - If this Organic roast was any richer, one might ask it for a loan. A heavy cup with fruit and earth notes, sourced seasonally to make sure the freshest beans possible are provided. Bonus, every bag has a unique QR code on the back, allowing consumers to trace that specific coffee from crop to cup and find out exactly what Fairtrade co-op(s) grew the beans. If this Organic roast was any richer, one might ask it for a loan. A heavy cup with fruit and earth notes, sourced to make sure the freshest beans possible are provided. Bonus, every bag has a unique QR code on the back, allowing consumers to trace that specific coffee from crop to cup and find out exactly what Fairtrade co-op(s) grew the beans. Uprise Foods NOOCH IT! - NOOCH IT! Cashew Grated Cheeze is America's first certified Fairtrade cheese alternative, and is a versatile topping that can be used on everything from salads, soups, pasta, to nearly any entree. Uprise Foods was founded on the belief inclean sourcing and ingredient transparency, and NOOCH IT! is not only vegan and gluten free, but it also has no additives or preservatives. The cashew "parm" is delicious, and can also be enjoyed knowing that every bite is helping to create a more just and compassionate food system. The giveaway kicked off this morning, and entries will be accepted through Tuesday, June 15. The three winners will be announced on June 16. In addition to the giveaway, throughout the month of June, Fairtrade America will utilize its owned website, social channels and blog to further educate consumers on the impact of climate change on farmers, and how we can partner as a global community to combat this issue. Content will include farmer stories, commodity spotlights and details on the Fairtrade Climate Academy, a three-year pilot program developed to bring coffee farmers together to share skills and experiences that prepare them for future climate-related challenges. Fairtrade America upholds the most rigorous standards for ethical certification to ensure a tangible, positive impact on the livelihoods of small-scale farmers and their communities in developing countries. With a quarter of its rigorous standards focused on the environment, Fairtrade takes a holistic approach to collaborating with farmers. This includes minimizing environmental impact by restricting use of harmful chemicals, banning GMO seeds, preserving protected forests, and encouraging organic farming when possible. Fairtrade's unique pricing model puts more money in the hands of farmers and farming communities, giving them the resources they need to implement solutions to environmental challenges, and connects farmers to share best practices in mitigating the impacts of climate change. About Fairtrade America Fairtrade America betters the lives of farmers and workers in developing countries by inspiring businesses to implement ethical production practices and assisting shoppers in making informed purchasing decisions. Fairtrade America is the U.S. chapter of Fairtrade International, the original and global leader in fair trade certification with more than 30 years of experience working for fair trading practices in more than 30 countries across the globe. A non-profit 501(c)3 organization, we are the world's largest and most recognized fair trade systempart of a global movement for change. MEDIA CONTACT: Elaine Dion SchroderHaus 415-615-2658 fairtradeamerica@schroderhaus.com View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fairtrade-america-partners-with-six-certified-brands-to-encourage-shoppers-to-make-purchases-with-people-and-the-planet-in-mind-301302053.html SOURCE Fairtrade America [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 01, 2021] PsyBio Therapeutics Reports First Quarter 2021 Financial Results, Provides Shareholder Update and Announces Intention to Institute Share Buyback Program CEO, Evan Levine, to Host 'Revolutionizing Psychedelic Medicine' Webinar on Wednesday, June 2nd at 1 p.m. ET OXFORD, Ohio and COCONUT CREEK, Fla., June 1, 2021 /CNW/ - PsyBio Therapeutics Corp. (TSXV: PSYB) (OTC: PSYBF) ("PsyBio" or the "Company"), a biotechnology company pioneering the next generation of targeted psychoactive medications, is announcing its unaudited financial results for the three month period ended March 31, 2021, providing shareholders with an update, and announcing its intention to institute a share buyback program pending approval from the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV"). First Quarter 2021 Financial Results A copy of the unaudited condensed consolidated interim financial statements prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards and the corresponding management's discussion and analysis for the three months ended March 31, 2021, can be found under PsyBio's profile at www.sedar.com. Upcoming Webinar 'Revolutionizing Psychedelic Medicine' CEO, Evan Levine, will host a virtual investor luncheon on Wednesday, June 2nd at 1 p.m. ET, in respect of revolutionizing psychedelic medicine. The webinar will provide an inside look at PsyBio's innovations in the field of psychedelic medicine and is open to both investors and the public. Please register for the webinar via the following link: https://bit.ly/2ROjwVn Intellectual Property and Clinical Development Milestones Filed a new provisional patent application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office entitled Optimized Methods for the Production of Psilocybin and its Intermediates or Side Products , increasing the Company's licensed patent portfolio to four pending provisional patents and one pending non-provisional patent with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as the Company continues to build its platform around bacterial-based synthesis of therapeutic tryptamines. , increasing the Company's licensed patent portfolio to four pending provisional patents and one pending non-provisional patent with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as the Company continues to build its platform around bacterial-based synthesis of therapeutic tryptamines. Amended its master sponsored agreement with Miami University based in Oxford, Ohio to extend and expand the research efforts of the laboratory of Dr. J. Andrew Jones in the Department of Chemical, Paper, and Biomedical Engineering, to include additional research efforts of the laboratory of Dr. Matthew McMurray in the Department of Psychology, and to provide an additional US$1.5 million in funding until May 2023 to Miami University to support all such research. This continued collaboration with Miami University is anticipated to expediate progress towards the filing of an Investigational New Drug Application with the US Food and Drug Administration (" FDA "). "). Initiated process development of its proprietary biosynthetic formulation of norbaeocystin in collaboration with the Advanced Biofuels and Bioproducts Process Development Unit, a scale-up facility managed by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory. Norbaeocystin is an analogue of psilocybin and is not a controlled substance. The Company has commenced Phase I of this process, including analytical chemistry technical transfer to establish detection methods for fermentation products and key feedstocks and metabolites. Initiated pilot scale-up of its proprietary biosynthetic formulation of psilocybin in collaboration with Albany Molecular Research Inc., a leading global provider of advanced contract research, development and manufacturing solutions, with expertise in synthetic biology and fermentation development. The Company has completed Phase I of this process, including technology transfer activities, preparation of strain banks, and the adoption of analytical methods. Key Additions to Executive Management Team and Board of Directors Appointed Michael Spigarelli, M.D., Ph.D., MBA, as Chief Medical Officer to lead the ongoing development of PsyBio's drug discovery platform technology. Dr. Spigarelli brings his extensive expertise in research and development of biopharmaceuticals including the clinical and regulatory strategy for numerous mental health therapeutics and other conditions. Dr. Spigarelli will provide PsyBio with decades of clinical product development experience, including clinical trial design and execution, data analytics and presentation, regulatory approval, quality control and GXP project management. Appointed Mr. Bob Oliver to th Company's board of directors. Mr. Oliver has extensive experience in launching pharmaceutical products into global markets, offering invaluable depth for PsyBio. Mr. Oliver served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, and delivered a US$6 billion profit and loss statement, while managing a diverse and growing product portfolio across the cardio-renal, neuroscience, oncology, and medical device markets. Recent Corporate Initiatives Submitted an application to have its subordinate voting shares (the " SVS ") listed for trading on the OTCQX Best Market (the " OTCQX "), subject to the approval of the OTCQX and the satisfaction of applicable listing requirements, including the Company's application for Depository Trust Company eligibility to enable trading on the OTCQX. The Company has also submitted an application to the OTCQX Venture Market (the " OTCQB ", and together with the OTCQX, the " OTC Markets "). ") listed for trading on the OTCQX Best Market (the " "), subject to the approval of the OTCQX and the satisfaction of applicable listing requirements, including the Company's application for Depository Trust Company eligibility to enable trading on the OTCQX. The Company has also submitted an application to the OTCQX Venture Market (the " ", and together with the OTCQX, the " "). The Company intends to commence a normal course issuer bid (the " NCIB ") through the facilities of the TSXV. The implementation and commencement of the NCIB is subject to the approval of the TSXV. Upon receipt of such approval, additional details regarding the NCIB will be announced by the Company. ") through the facilities of the TSXV. The implementation and commencement of the NCIB is subject to the approval of the TSXV. Upon receipt of such approval, additional details regarding the NCIB will be announced by the Company. Under the NCIB and upon receiving regulatory approval, the Company may purchase up to 5% of the Company's issued and outstanding SVS. The NCIB will terminate on the earlier of one year from commencement or on the date in which the maximum number of SVS that can be acquired pursuant to the NCIB have been purchased. The actual number of SVS that may be purchased under the NCIB and the timing of any such purchases will be determined by the Company. PsyBio believes that depending on the trading price of its SVS and other relevant factors, purchasing its own shares represents an attractive investment opportunity and is in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders. PsyBio reserves the right to revoke the NCIB earlier if it determines that it is appropriate to do so. All SVS will be purchased under the NCIB on the open market and through the facilities of the TSXV and payment for the SVS will be made in accordance with TSXV policies. The timing and extent of repurchases will depend upon several factors, including market and business conditions, valuation of shares, regulatory requirements and other corporate considerations. The price paid for SVS will be the prevailing market price at the time of purchase and all SVS acquired by the Company will be cancelled. Purchases may be suspended at any time, and no purchases will be made other than by means of open market transactions during the term of the NCIB. The Company announces today that it has agreed to issue SVS to settle US$125,144.48 of accrued liabilities owing for professional services provided to the Company by a non-arm's length party at a deemed issuance price equal to the greater of C$0.35 per SVS and the closing price of the SVS on the TSXV as at the end of trading on June 1, 2021 (the " Transaction "). of accrued liabilities owing for professional services provided to the Company by a non-arm's length party at a deemed issuance price equal to the greater of per SVS and the closing price of the SVS on the TSXV as at the end of trading on (the " "). Pursuant to Multilateral Instrument 61-101 Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions (" MI 61-101 "), the Transaction constitutes a "related party transaction" as the creditor is considered a related party of the Company. The Company is relying on exemptions from the formal valuation and minority approval requirements of MI 61-101 (pursuant to subsections 5.5(a) and 5.7(a)) as the fair market value of the securities distributed to, and the consideration received from, the related party does not exceed 25% of the Company's market capitalization. The Transaction was approved by all the independent directors of the Company. (" "), the Transaction constitutes a "related party transaction" as the creditor is considered a related party of the Company. The Company is relying on exemptions from the formal valuation and minority approval requirements of MI 61-101 (pursuant to subsections 5.5(a) and 5.7(a)) as the fair market value of the securities distributed to, and the consideration received from, the related party does not exceed 25% of the Company's market capitalization. The Transaction was approved by all the independent directors of the Company. All SVS issued in connection with the Transaction will be issued in reliance on certain prospectus exemptions available under securities legislation and will be subject to a four-month statutory hold period. The Transaction remains subject to all necessary regulatory approvals including final acceptance by the TSXV. About PsyBio Therapeutics Corp. PsyBio Therapeutics is an intellectual property driven biotechnology company developing novel formulations of psychoactive medications produced by genetically modified bacteria for the treatment of mental health challenges and other disorders. The team has extensive experience in drug discovery based on synthetic biology and metabolic engineering as well as clinical and regulatory expertise progressing drugs through human studies and regulatory protocols. Research and development is currently ongoing for naturally occurring psychoactive tryptamines originally discovered in different varieties of hallucinogenic mushrooms, other tryptamines and phenethylamines and combinations thereof. The Company is also researching and developing new non-naturally occurring molecular structures which may have unique therapeutics properties. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking information" ("forward-looking information") within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking information and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that discusses predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "believes" or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking information. Such forward-looking statements include, without limitation, the impacts and outcomes of any collaboration with the Miami University, the outcomes of the Companys development of its proprietary biosynthetic formulation of norbaeocystin, statements with respect to being listed on the OTC Markets, the timing of commencement and termination of the NCIB, the number of SVS the Company that will purchase under the NCIB, and any expected revenues relating to the Company. In disclosing the forward-looking information contained in this press release, the Company has made certain assumptions, including that: the NCIB and the Transaction will be approved by the TSXV; PsyBio will be successful in protecting its intellectual property and filing new patent applications within the next year; PsyBio will be successful in discovering new valuable target molecules; PsyBio will be successful in obtaining IND Applications and will be able to obtain all necessary approvals for clinical trials; PsyBio's technology will be safe and effective; and that drug development involves long lead times, is very expensive and involves many variables of uncertainty. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking information are reasonable, it can give no assurance that the expectations of any forward-looking information will prove to be correct. Known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such factors include, but are not limited to: compliance with extensive government regulations; domestic and foreign laws and regulations adversely affecting PsyBio's business and results of operations; decreases in the prevailing process for psilocybin and nutraceutical products in the markets in which PsyBio operates; the impact of COVID-19; and general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking information contained in this press release. Except as required by law, the Company disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information to reflect actual results, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions, changes in factors affecting such forward-looking information or otherwise. PsyBio makes no medical, treatment or health benefit claims about PsyBio's proposed products. The FDA or other similar regulatory authorities have not evaluated claims regarding psilocybin and other next generation psychoactive compounds. The efficacy of such products has not been confirmed by FDA-approved research. There is no assurance that the use of psilocybin and other psychoactive compounds can diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or condition. Vigorous scientific research and clinical trials are needed. PsyBio has not conducted clinical trials for the use of its intellectual property. Any references to quality, consistency, efficacy and safety of potential products do not imply that PsyBio verified such in clinical trials or that PsyBio will complete such trials. If PsyBio cannot obtain the approvals or research necessary to commercialize its business, it may have a material adverse effect on the PsyBio's performance and operations. The TSXV has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE PsyBio Therapeutics Corp. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 01, 2021] CodeBoxx to open a new campus in Philadelphia ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., June 1, 2021 /CNW/ - CodeBoxx, the technology community that offers an ultra-accelerated 16-week coding and technology program to train people from all walks of life, is pleased to open the registrations for its next US location in the greater Philadelphia Area. Following a very successful expansion and HQ relocation in the Tampa Bay region in St. Petersburg, FL, CodeBoxx has identified Philadelphia as a high potential market for another US campus that is set to open in September 2021. The organization will be working with numerous local actors of the tech community, the economic development organizations, the employment centers and the local companies! CodeBoxx has quickly demonstrated that its highly inclusive and accessible concept delivers on its promises in markets with various characteristcs. The opportunities created by CodeBoxx for its participants have already allowed many individuals to jumpstart their careers. The success of more than 150 graduates is so obvious it allows tech-enabled organizations to grow and expand even where demand for business-ready technologists has become a problem. Moreover, the past several months have accelerated the digitization of jobs and reshaped the workplace dramatically. Within that changing landscape, demand for fast, effective and accessible upskilling and reskilling alternatives is growing. About CodeBoxx CodeBoxx, launched in 2018, is among the fastest growing technology bootcamps in North America and it is born to addresses the shortage of business-first software developers with a 16-week proprietary training designed by a CTO to meet the very real challenges of CTOs and help companies optimize return on their technology investment. The unique concept makes careers in technology accessible and possible to all. The exclusive transformational bootcamp is offered both in person and online. Employment is guaranteed to graduates through in-house placement services with world-class companies as well as within its Digital Workshop , a digital solutions division that is already working with eBay, Lucky Brand, the SPARC Group, MadaLuxe, Amsale, Vivino and many more. CodeBoxx currently has a 94% placement rate. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/codeboxx-to-open-a-new-campus-in-philadelphia-301302510.html SOURCE CodeBoxx [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 01, 2021] Alliance Data Stockholders Elect Karin Kimbrough to Board of Directors COLUMBUS, Ohio, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Alliance Data Systems Corporation (NYSE: ADS) a leading global provider of data-driven marketing, loyalty and payment solutions, has announced the election of Karin J. Kimbrough to its board of directors. Ms. Kimbrough was elected at the Company's Annual Meeting of Stockholders, held Thursday, May 27, along with nominees Ralph J. Andretta, Roger H. Ballou, John C. Gerspach, Jr., Rajesh Natarajan, Timothy J. Theriault, Laurie A. Tucker and Sharen J. Turney, each of whom served as Alliance Data directors during the 2020-2021 term. As an independent director, Ms. Kimbrough will serve on the compensation and risk committees, bringing decades of experience in business strategy, financial stability monitoring and risk mitigation strategies. She currently serves as chief economist at LinkedIn Corporation. "As part of Alliance Data's ongoing board refreshment plan, I am pleased to announce the addition of Karin Kimbrough to the board of directors," said Ralph Andretta, president and chief executive officer, Alliance Data. "As we continue to demonstrate sound corporate governance and oversight during our exciting business transformation, Ms. Kimbrough complements the composition of our board, bringing a tremendous range of skills and expertise that align with our efforts to further expand the breadth of proficiencies, experience and perspectives represented on our board." Ms. Kimbrough's qualifications include executive-level experience as an economist focused on consumer trends, financial and capital markets, as well as expertise in financial stability risk assessments. Her industry prowess will further elevate Alliance Data's focus on high-caliber board leadership, with directors from a variety of industries providing critical oversight of the Company, including its business transformation strategy and execution. Her extensive background across the banking and financial services industries, among others, will benefit Alliance Data's business and overall board governance. With more than 20 years of experience, Ms. Kimbrough began her tenure with Morgan Stanley as an economist and strategist in 2000, followed by various roles in financial stability market monitoring, investment strategy and treasury in her positions at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Bank of America and Google. Ms. Kimbrough holds a doctorate in economics from the University of Oxford, as well as a master's degree in public policy from Harvard University and a bachelor's degree in economics from Stanford University. About Alliance Data Alliance Data (NYSE: ADS) is a leading provider of data-driven marketing, loyalty and payment solutions serving large, consumer-based industries. The Company creates and deploys customized solutions that measurably change consumer behavior while driving usiness growth and profitability for some of today's most recognizable brands. Alliance Data helps its partners create and increase customer loyalty across multiple touch points using traditional, digital, mobile and emerging technologies. A FORTUNE 500 and S&P MidCap 400 company headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Alliance Data consists of businesses that together employ approximately 8,000 associates at more than 45 locations worldwide. Alliance Data's Card Services business is a comprehensive provider of market-leading private label, co-brand, general purpose and business credit card programs, digital payments, including Bread, and Comenity-branded financial services. LoyaltyOne owns and operates the AIR MILES Reward Program, Canada's most recognized loyalty program, and Netherlands-based BrandLoyalty, a global provider of tailor-made loyalty programs for grocers. More information about Alliance Data can be found at www.AllianceData.com. Follow Alliance Data on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube. Forward Looking Statements This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements give our expectations or forecasts of future events and can generally be identified by the use of words such as "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "intend," "project," "plan," "likely," "may," "should" or other words or phrases of similar import. Similarly, statements that describe our business strategy, outlook, objectives, plans, intentions or goals also are forward-looking statements. Examples of forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements we make regarding, and the guidance we give with respect to, our anticipated operating or financial results, initiation or completion of strategic initiatives including the proposed spinoff of our LoyaltyOne segment, future dividend declarations, and future economic conditions, including, but not limited to, fluctuation in currency exchange rates, market conditions and COVID-19 impacts related to relief measures for impacted borrowers and depositors, labor shortages due to quarantine, reduction in demand from clients, supply chain disruption for our reward suppliers and disruptions in the airline or travel industries. We believe that our expectations are based on reasonable assumptions. Forward-looking statements, however, are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the projections, anticipated results or other expectations expressed in this release, and no assurances can be given that our expectations will prove to have been correct. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, factors set forth in the Risk Factors section in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most recently ended fiscal year, which may be updated in Item 1A of, or elsewhere in, our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed for periods subsequent to such Form 10-K. Our forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made, and we undertake no obligation, other than as required by applicable law, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, subsequent events, anticipated or unanticipated circumstances or otherwise. Contacts: Shelley Whiddon Media 214-494-3811 shelley.whiddon@alliancedata.com Rachel Stultz Media 614-729-4890 rachel.stultz@alliancedata.com View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/alliance-data-stockholders-elect-karin-kimbrough-to-board-of-directors-301301576.html SOURCE Alliance Data Systems Corporation [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 01, 2021] Wealth at Work Announces Investment from Aquiline Capital Partners LONDON, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Wealth at Work Group Limited ("Wealth at Work"), a UK-based specialist provider of workplace financial education, guidance and regulated financial advice for individuals, is pleased to announce that it has agreed to an investment from Aquiline Capital Partners ("Aquiline"), a private investment firm based in New York and London with $6.4 billion in assets under management. Wealth at Work, which employs approximately 250 people, works with over 450 private and public sector employers including Marks & Spencer, BT, Experian and the NHS, delivering financial wellbeing programmes and retirement services. Since its 2015 management buyout backed by Equistone Partners Europe ("Equistone"), Wealth at Work has continued to achieve rapid growth to meet the significant demand for its services, which are now offered to over a million employees across the organisations with whom it works. The technology-driven service is uniquely tailored to each client's requirements through a complete suite of services ranging from seminars and digital tools such as the Financial Healthcheck through to virtual or telephone guidance services and regulated financial advice. Wealth at Work's management team, which continues to be led by CEO David Cassidy, will retain a significant equity stake. Equistone will retain a minority stake in the Company alongside Aquiline and management. David Cassidy, Chief Executive Officer of Wealth at Work, said: "This investment will allow us to continue to grow and meet the rapidly increasing demand for our services which are used by a number of the largest companies and organisations in the UK. I very much look forward to working with Aquiline whose deep understanding of the UK and US retirement market and track record of supporting technology-driven growth will help us further develop our offering to clients, deliver innovation and set new standards of best practice. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank Equistone for the support they have provided so far, andwe look forward to continuing our work with them as we take our business to the next chapter." Jeff Greenberg, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Aquiline, said: "Individuals are facing increasingly complex and important financial decisions as they plan for retirement, which Wealth at Work helps them navigate. We believe that David and his team have built a platform that can deliver high-quality, personalised financial guidance and advice to a growing number of workplace savers across the UK in a highly scalable and technology-enabled manner. We are excited about partnering with them in the next phase of their journey." Dominic Geer, Senior Partner at Equistone, said: "We are delighted that, after five years of working closely with David and his team at Wealth at Work, the company is in a strong position to explore exciting new opportunities. Wealth at Work has grown significantly since 2015, and through investment in organic and acquisitive growth has emerged as a clear market leader. Equistone has a successful track record of investing in financial services businesses in the UK and internationally and we look forward to remaining involved in this next phase of the company's development." Closing of the investment is subject to the parties obtaining relevant regulatory approval. Evercore provided corporate finance advice and Herbert Smith Freehills provided legal advice to Aquiline. Due diligence was performed by Oliver Wyman (commercial), Deloitte (financial and tax), West Monroe (technology) and Howden (insurance). Deloitte's Manchester and London-based Financial Services teams provided corporate finance advice and Travers Smith provided legal advice to Wealth at Work in relation to the transaction. About Wealth at Work Wealth at Work is a workplace specialist - providing financial education, guidance and regulated financial advice for individuals. Its services help employees make informed decisions to improve their financial wellbeing throughout their career and to maximise income at retirement. Its services are also available for Trustees to help their members fully understand their retirement income options and how to mitigate associated risks. For more information, visit www.wealthatwork.co.uk. About Aquiline Aquiline Capital Partners, founded in 2005, is a private investment firm based in New York and London investing in businesses across financial services and technology, business services, and healthcare. The firm had $6.4 billion in assets under management as of March 31, 2021. For more information about Aquiline, its investment professionals, and its portfolio companies, please visit https://www.aquiline.com/. About Equistone Equistone is an independent investment firm wholly-owned and managed by its executives. The company is one of Europe's leading investors in mid-market buyouts with a strong, consistent track record spanning over 40 years, with more than 400 transactions completed in this period. Equistone has a strong focus on change of ownership deals and aims to invest between 25m and 200m+ of equity in businesses with enterprise values of between 50m and 500m. The company has a team of over 40 investment professionals operating across France, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the UK, investing as a strategic partner alongside management teams. Equistone is currently investing its sixth buyout fund, which held a final closing at its 2.8bn hard cap in March 2018. Equistone is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Further information can be found at www.equistonepe.com . [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-01 09:12:52|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, June 1 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese mainland on Monday reported 11 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases in Guangdong Province, the National Health Commission said in its daily report on Tuesday. The same day also saw 12 new imported cases on the mainland. Of them, seven were reported in Shanghai, two each in Guangdong and Sichuan, and one in Jiangsu. One new suspected case arriving from outside the mainland was reported in Inner Mongolia and no new deaths related to COVID-19 were reported on Monday, it added. Enditem [June 01, 2021] Develop Kicks Off Summer of Skills With $99.99 Data Academy And 30-Day Free Trial BOSTON, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Develop, an online professional skills training platform, is kicking off its "Summer of Skills'' by reducing the cost of its expert-level Data Academy to $99.99 for new subscribers. The Data Academy provides learners with unlimited access to expert-level skills training focused on topics including artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science, and more. These courses can provide learners with the skills to pursue some of the top career paths for data professionals . Develop's Data Academy includes over a dozen workshops and hundreds of courses that teach advanced- and expert-level technical skills with hands-on exercises, real-world data sets, and intructor-led demonstrations. The courses are available on nearly any device, and include helpful knowledge checks and course completion certificates to document and show off subscribers' progress. "Data Science and Artificial Intelligence are two of the fastest-growing job areas, and skilled professionals are needed in every industry," said Kevin Pawsey, CEO. "At Develop, we're focused on providing professionals with the skills they need to move into these key roles. We're excited to be able to offer this massive library of courses at an irresistible price for the summer." Develop recently added a new "Data with R" learning path to its Data Academy , focused on teaching subscribers how to use R for applied unsupervised learning, statistics and data science, and data wrangling and data visualization. This $99.99 annual pricing is available for new subscribers. Signing up is simple - visit Develop.com to start learning valuable skills . Develop is also continuing its 30-day free trial offer for all of its skills training subscriptions, including: The Foundation Subscription provides learners with essential knowledge over a broad range of topics including project management, software development, cybersecurity, cloud technologies, and more. provides learners with essential knowledge over a broad range of topics including project management, software development, cybersecurity, cloud technologies, and more. The Data Academy provides extensive data science training and hundreds of hands-on exercises and instructor-led demonstrations to build skills in major growth areas such as big data, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. provides extensive data science training and hundreds of hands-on exercises and instructor-led demonstrations to build skills in major growth areas such as big data, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. The Cybersecurity Academy offers training with a live practice lab environment that builds in-demand skills in Cybersecurity focusing on implementing, managing and auditing Linux to start. To learn more, visit Develop.com . About Develop Develop is an online learning platform that enables business and technology professionals to get ahead in the tech-driven world. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/develop-kicks-off-summer-of-skills-with-99-99-data-academy-and-30-day-free-trial-301302406.html SOURCE Develop [June 01, 2021] CW Bancorp Relocating Corporate Headquarters in Irvine, California CW Bancorp (OTCQX: CWBK) the parent company ("the Company") of CommerceWest Bank (the "Bank") announced the relocation of the Corporate Headquarters to 2445 McCabe Way in Irvine, California on June 1, 2021. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005035/en/ CommerceWest Bank New Corporate Headquarters (Photo: Business Wire) Mr. Ivo Tjan, Chairman and CEO said, "Our new corporate office is larger and in a facility that will accommodate our growth for many years to come. While some Banks are leaving the California marketplace or relocating their headquarters, we remain fully committed to our community." Mr. Tjan continued, "These are exciting times for our company, our team and our shareholders. Our future is bright. Our goals are clear. We know that it is more important than ever to be able to count on your banking partner and we plan to continue to prove to the business community who the Best Bankers are in the universe!" CommerceWest Bank is a California based full-service business bank with a unique vision and culture of focusing exclusively on the bsiness community by delivering on customized products and services. Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Irvine, California, the Bank serves businesses throughout the state of California. We provide a wide range of commercial banking services, including, remote deposit solution, online banking, mobile banking, lines of credit, M&A / working capital loans, commercial real estate loans, SBA loans and treasury management services. Mission Statement: CommerceWest Bank will create a complete banking experience for each client, catering to businesses and their specific banking needs, while accommodating our clients and providing them high-quality, low stress and personally tailored banking and financial services. Please visit www.cwbk.com to learn more about the bank. "BANK ON (News - Alert) THE DIFFERENCE" Statements concerning future performance, developments or events, expectations for growth and income forecasts, and any other guidance on future periods, constitute forward-looking statements that are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from stated expectations. Specific factors include, but are not limited to, loan production, balance sheet management, expanded net interest margin, the ability to control costs and expenses, interest rate changes, financial policies of the United States government and general economic conditions. The Company disclaims any obligation to update any such factors or to publicly announce the results of any revisions to any forward-looking statements contained in this release to reflect future events or developments. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005035/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 01, 2021] Chris Craig, Unanet Board Member and Former Unanet CEO, Joins the Capture2Proposal Board of Directors SAN DIEGO, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Capture2Proposal, GovCon's leading solution for market intelligence, capture and proposal management, has announced the addition of Chris Craig, current Unanet Board Member and former Unanet CEO, to the Capture2Proposal Board of Directors. In addition to his work with Capture2 Proposal and Unanet, Chris is currently a board member and investor in a number of other software companies. With over twenty years of leadership and operating experience, Chris has proven ability to grow software companies based on product innovation and delivering outstanding customer value and satisfaction. In January 2020, Chris exited from his role as Unanet CEO where he had helped grow the company from a self-funded startup to a market leader in ERP for Professional Services firms, particularly Government Contractors, resulting in more than 2000 customers, over 200 employees and a successful growth equity majority investment. Chris Craig said, "I am extremely impressed with the Capture2Proposal product and customer value proposition as an alternative to legacy software providers, and I invested in the company! I am delighted to join the Capture2Proposal Board to advise the leadership team to strengthen Capture2Proposal's position as the preferred solution to manage the entire GovCon business development lifecycle. New investments in moving the platform to the Microsoft Azure Government Cloud environment which supports the FedRAMP High Baseline, and other initiatives in support of customers' needs for CMMC compliance show Capture2Proposal's market leadership. This is an exciting time as Capture2Proposal builds on its existing successes and drives the next phase of growth." Christopher Pohle, Capture2Proposal Founder and CEO commented, "Chris Craig is a terrific addition to the Capture2Proposal Board of Directors. Chris brings to Capture2Proposal his wealth of experience in serving the government contractor market with innovative software solutions, and a track record in helping customers succeed and grow." Paul Leggett, Capture2Proposal Board Member and Managing Director at Mithril Capital Management which led Capture2Proposal's Series A said, "Capture2Proposal's software and outstanding customer support enables small and mid-sized GovCons to build stronger opportunity pipelines and win more business. Chris Craig understands what these companies need, and I look forward to working together." About Capture2Proposal Capture2Proposal is the industry-leading, AI-infused suite of GovCon opportunity search, pursuit, and capture management software tools. The only suite of its kind fully hosted, delivered and supported in the U.S. by vetted American citizens, compliant with DFARS/NIST SP 800-171 security protocols and supporting CMMC audit requirements for DoD contractors. For more information visit www.capture2proposal.com View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/chris-craig-unanet-board-member-and-former-unanet-ceo-joins-the-capture2proposal-board-of-directors-301301901.html SOURCE Capture2Proposal [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 01, 2021] UserZoom Unveils Industry-First QXscore to Help Businesses Measure and Improve Digital Experience SAN JOSE, Calif., June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- UserZoom, the leader in Experience Insights Management (XIM), today announced the launch of QXscore, a standardized score for measuring the user experience (UX) of a company's digital properties, products, and services over time, and relative to competitors. QXscore, which is now available for customers using the UserZoom insights platform, quantifies user and customer attitudes and behaviors into a single score on a 100-point scale, aligning experience performance to strategic business KPIs, and surfacing opportunities for improvement. Based on a validated and publicly-available methodology, QXscore is the first and only holistic experience measurement score that helps businesses understand and improve the performance of their digital properties, products, and services, while allowing digital teams and stakeholders to demonstrate the business impact of these improvements. It is also the only experience metric that combines both attitudinal data (such as usability, trust and NPS) and behavioral data (such as task success) in a single score to give an easily-understandable and comprehensive measure of the overall digital experience, and the drivers behind it. "As delivering great digital experiences becomes increasingly strategic, we hear from business and product leaders that they know their approach to digital experience is working, but struggle to prperly measure its strategic value and communicate that with key stakeholders," said Alfonso de la Nuez, Co-CEO and Co-Founder, UserZoom. "We've developed the QXscore to not only fill that gap and help companies measure the business impact of their experience strategy, but to show where they can gain a competitive advantage to drive results further." In addition to measuring impact on a strategic level, QXscore helps companies track experience performance across multiple lines of business, digital properties and products. This helps design and product teams pinpoint which initiatives to prioritize, and track the impact over time. "Measuring the impact that experience has on a business has always proved to be difficult and more of an artform than a science, as there was no way to directly correlate sales with UX or CX," said Kuldeep Kelkar, SVP, Global UX Research, UserZoom. "The launch of UserZoom's QXscore finally gives UX leaders and professionals a way to clearly demonstrate to leadership that digital experiences have a positive effect on sales and revenue, in addition to how they can further improve on experience, and therefore boost revenue gains even more." For more information, please visit https://www.userzoom.com/ . About UserZoom UserZoom is the all-in-one Experience Insights Management (XIM) solution for the enterprise. Its platform and services provide the quantitative and qualitative insights essential to measuring and improving digital experience. With offices in four countries, the company helps global brands such as Google, Oracle, Aetna, Santander, News UK and half of the Fortune 100 raise the bar for an outstanding digital experience. To learn more, visit www.UserZoom.com . Media Contact Brian Janson Prosek Partners on behalf of UserZoom Pro-UserZoom@prosek.com (845) 705-2511 View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/userzoom-unveils-industry-first-qxscore-to-help-businesses-measure-and-improve-digital-experience-301302889.html SOURCE UserZoom [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 01, 2021] Deluxe Completes Acquisition of First American Payment Systems Deluxe (NYSE: DLX) announced today it has completed the previously announced acquisition of First American Payment Systems ("First American") for $960 million in cash. Deluxe announced the proposed transaction on April 22, 2021. With the addition of the First American omni-channel payments platform, Deluxe immediately becomes a scaled and leading provider in the strong secular growth merchant services market. The acquisition doubles the revenue of the company's fastest growing segment, Deluxe Payments, to $600 million annually, with attractive margins. Deluxe Payments accounts for 17 percent of the company's revenue currently. With First American, Payments will account for 29 percent. "As the original payments company, this acquisition is a major, strategic, logical and responsible next step in our transformation into a Trusted Payments and Business Technology company," said Barry C. McCarthy, President and CEO of Deluxe. By adding First American, Deluxe anticipates cross-selling into new verticals, including government, not-for-profit and retail, leveraging the company's relationship with thousands of financial institutions and millions of small businesses. "With First American, we expand our ability to help our customers pay, get paid, optimize and grow their businesses. Since our announcement, our teams have come together to identify even more exciting opportunities to brig value to customers," said Michael Reed, President of Deluxe Payments. "Our entire team is looking forward to accelerating our growth by leveraging the extensive Deluxe distribution channels and reaching into their deep client base. Our businesses are complementary, and our cultures and values align making our combination natural," said Neil Randel, CEO of First American and Managing Director of Merchant Services for Deluxe. About Deluxe Corporation Deluxe, a Trusted Payments and Business Technology company, helping businesses pay, get paid, optimize and grow. For more than 100 years, Deluxe has championed businesses so communities thrive at all stages of their lifecycle, from start-up to maturity. Our powerful solutions support millions of small businesses, thousands of financial institutions and hundreds of the world's most valuable brands. The company operates at significant scale, processing more than $2.8 trillion in annual payment volume. To learn how we can help your business, visit us at www.deluxe.com, www.facebook.com/deluxecorp, www.linkedin.com/company/deluxe, or www.twitter.com/deluxe. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005699/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 01, 2021] Philip Morris International Inc. to Participate at Deutsche Bank Global Consumer Conference Regulatory News: Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE: PM) will host a live audio call of a presentation and question and answer session by Emmanuel Babeau, Chief Financial Officer, at the Deutsche Bank Global Consumer Conference on Tuesday, June 8, 2021, at approximately 8:00 a.m. ET. The call will be held in a virtual format and provide a live audio of the entire PMI session in a listen-only mode. You may register for the call at www.pmi.com/2021deutschebank, in order to receive dial-in instructions and numbers. Presentation slides will be available on the same site. An archived copy of the call will be available at www.pmi.com/2021deutschebank until 5:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, July 7, 2021. The archived call may also be accessed on iOS or Android (News - Alert) devices by downloading PMI's free Investor Relations Mobile Application at www.pmi.com/irapp. Philip Morris International: Delivering a Smoke-Free Future <> Philip Morris International (PMI) is leading a transformation in the tobacco industry to create a smoke-free future and ultimately replace cigarettes with smoke-free products to the benefit of adults who would otherwise continue to smoke, society, the company, its shareholders and its other stakeholders. PMI is a leading international tobacco company engaged in the manufacture and sale of cigarettes, as well as smoke-free products, associated electronic devices and accessories, and other nicotine-containing products in markets outside the U.S. In addition, PMI ships versions of its IQOS Platform 1 device and consumables to Altria Group, Inc. for sale under license in the U.S., where these products have received marketing authorizations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the premarket tobacco product application (PMTA) pathway; the FDA has also authorized the marketing of a version of IQOS and its consumables as a Modified Risk Tobacco Product (MRTP), finding that an exposure modification order for these products is appropriate to promote the public health. PMI is building a future on a new category of smoke-free products that, while not risk-free, are a much better choice than continuing to smoke. Through multidisciplinary capabilities in product development, state-of-the-art facilities and scientific substantiation, PMI aims to ensure that its smoke-free products meet adult consumer preferences and rigorous regulatory requirements. PMI's smoke-free product portfolio includes heat-not-burn and nicotine-containing vapor products. As of March 31, 2021, PMI's smoke-free products are available for sale in 66 markets in key cities or nationwide, and PMI estimates that approximately 14.0 million adults around the world have already switched to IQOS and stopped smoking. For more information, please visit www.pmi.com and www.pmiscience.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005716/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 01, 2021] Dole, Employees Give to Restore and Rebuild Devastated Central America On November 3, 2020 Hurricane Eta made landfall in Central America as a powerful Category 4 storm. Just two weeks later Hurricane Iota, a Category 5 storm followed nearly the same path through the region, unleashing heavy rains, winds, massive flooding and severe landslides, causing widespread destruction. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005255/en/ Replanting bananas in Honduras. Restoring fields and livelihoods destroyed by Hurricanes Eta and Iota in November 2020. (Photo: Business Wire) Communities and towns in Honduras and Guatemala - many that support Dole farms and workers - were leveled in the wake. Though Dole was able to successfully evacuate its workers and families prior to the hurricanes' arrivals, many others were not as fortunate and lost their lives or livelihoods, their possessions and their crops. In the aftermath, water was needed to drink, homes were in need of repair, and clothes, supplies and appliances in need of replacement. As an organization closely connected to these communities through the banana industry, Dole swiftly moved to lend aid and resources. But not just the company as an entity stepped in, many Dole employees, partners, and public supporters -o matter how far physically from these communities - also contributed their own time and their own funds to help. In these six months since the hurricanes' devastation much has been accomplished. Dole employees, the company and the public together raised, collected and donated a quarter of a million dollars to purchase food baskets of essential food items -- red beans, rice, corn flour, vegetable oil and powdered milk, capable of feeding a family of five for a month. These food baskets were distributed to 10,000 families in-need in communities surrounding our operations and through relief organizations CEPUDO and the Cortes Chamber of Commerce with established distribution networks in other areas. The Red Cross of Honduras received donations of dozens of boxes of clothing and footwear contributed by Dole employees in North America and Dole's Standard Fruit De Honduras. In addition to 500,000 Lempiras ($20,000US) to help those in need and provide support. Dole provided use of company machinery and heavy equipment to repair public services, bridges, roads, and highways. Dole allocated space on southbound vessels to humanitarian organizations importing and distributing disaster relief goods and equipment. With many banana production areas completely destroyed, Dole, as a major employer of choice in the region, has expedited efforts to restore banana plantations to full production. Farm land preparation takes time and is completely tailored to the conditions of each agricultural area, yet returning jobs and paychecks to the areas quickly is critical. "I cannot sufficiently convey the heartbreaking destruction these communities endured," said Nelson Montoya President of Dole Fresh Fruit North America. "However, this catastrophe did not defeat them. The compassion, resiliency and camaraderie of all those on our team in Honduras and Guatemala has been inspiring to me. We will continue to invest in getting everyone back on their feet." The investment reached a significant milestone in the rehabilitation process in Honduras, with the first planting of new banana fields at Mendez Farm, Barimasa Zone on May 4, followed closely with planting at Copote Farm in the Isletas Zone and most recently the Palo Verde farm in the Coyoles Zone. As the company works to restore production volumes derived from these devastated areas in Honduras and Guatemala, Dole expects customers will begin receiving Dole premium fruit from these regions in January 2022. About Dole Food Company Dole Food Company, Inc., is one of the world's largest producers and marketers of high-quality fresh fruit and fresh vegetables. Dole is an industry leader in many of the products it sells, as well as in nutrition education. For more information, please visit www.dole.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005255/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 01, 2021] Sheesha Finance Teams with Splinterlands to Accelerate Blockchain NFT Gaming Growth and Adoption Dubai, UAE, June 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- (via Blockchain Wire) - Sheesha Finance (https://sheesha.finance), the first decentralized cryptocurrency mutual fund for DeFi investors to easily access a variety of projects without having to spend days, sometimes weeks doing research, announced a partnership today with Splinterlands, the leading digital, collectible card game built on blockchain technology. The partnership will support the Splinterlands governance token ($SPS) to propel the growth of gamified non-fungible tokens (NFTs) towards mainstream adoption. NFTs have been circulated in gaming for years. Digital cards, character accessories and more have been traded by users globally, but the addition of blockchain technology to these transactions takes newer NFTs to the next level. With Splinterlands gaming platform already posting 600,000 transactions per day on the blockchain and Sheeshas extensive roster of decentralized finance (DeFi) project partners, the partnership will fuel tremendous adoption into the ecosystem, disrupting the gaming industry paired with NFTs. Gaming and NFTs are a perfect match and we are thrilled to partner with Splinterlands who has figured this out to successfully merge the gaming world with blockchain technology, said Saeed Hareb Al Darmaki, founder of Sheesha Finance. Our partnership with Splinterlands will be mutually beneficial and we look forward to both of our communities earning rewards. Splinterlands is excited to partner with Sheesha Finance. They are already hooked into DeFi and that ecosystem and bring with them a fantastic network of people and projects, said Jesse Aggroed Reich, Splinterlands CEO & Co-Founder. Splinterlands approach to gamifying staking and earning found in DeFi projects should find a natural fit with their base and represent a new opportunity for their community. Co-founded by visionaries and pioneers in the blockchain NFT gaming space, Jesse Aggroed Reich and Matt Yabapmatt Rosen, Splinterlands solves the problem of bringing NFTs to the mainstream gaming community by allowing for engaging battles. To date, over60 million games have been played between users where they can earn cryptocurrencies and NFTs as part of a cohesive gaming ecosystem. In-game assets have increased 14x over 2021 making Splinterlands one of the leading blockchain games globally (rankings: https://stateofthedapps.com/rankings). Participants will have significant influence into the governance of the Splinterlands ecosystem and will be able to earn additional rewards from mining and/or staking on existing users. Additional features will be released as part of the roadmap. In April 2021, Sheesha Finance raised over $9.44 million in two weeks for their DeFi mutual fund. Sheesha Finance rewards investors of any size, from small to large ticket holders, with unlimited DeFi tokens from a diversified portfolio of projects. Sheeshas model creates easily convertible assets that can be freely utilized to maximize rewards and gain exposure to existing and upcoming DeFi projects. Sheesha Finances $SHEESHA tokens are available on cryptocurrency exchanges, Uniswap and Pancakeswap. For more information on the Sheesha Finance and Splinterlands partnership, join the Sheesha Finance Telegram group (https://t.me/sheeshafinance). About Sheesha Finance Sheesha Finance (https://sheesha.finance/) is the leading decentralized DeFi mutual fund allowing for premium cryptocurrency portfolio diversification and rewards. Sheesha Finance rewards investors of any size, from small to large ticket holders, with unlimited DeFi tokens from a diversified portfolio of projects. Sheesha Finances easily convertible assets can be freely utilized to maximize rewards and gain exposure to existing and upcoming DeFi projects. With plans to become a member-managed decentralised autonomous organization (DAO), Sheesha Finance is dedicated to upholding full transparency and integrity within the DeFi space. Twitter - Medium - Telegram - Gitbook - LinkedIn About Splinterlands Splinterlands (https://splinterlands.com/) is a digital, collectible card game built on blockchain technology. Each card is a unique digital asset on the blockchain that can be bought, sold, traded, and also used to battle other players for prizes and glory! Telegram - Twitter - Discord - Blog sheesha@transformgroup.com [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 01, 2021] Invectys nominates Rosemary Williams, CPA, as Vice-President for Administration and Controller Houston, TX, USA, June 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Invectys Inc. of Houston, Texas, a clinical stage immunotherapy company dedicated to the development of a next generation of therapies to meet the needs of cancer patients, today announced the appointment of Rosemary (Rosie) Williams, CPA, in a dual appointment as Vice-President for Administration and Controller. Ms. Williams brings to Invectys over 35 years of accounting experience and organizational administration of both small and large companies. Most recently, Ms. Williams served as Vice-President of Finance and Human Resources for Sandhill Therapeutics, Inc., and earlier was the Vice-President of Finance/Controller for Bellicum Pharmaceuticals, Inc., where she was instrumental in the success of Bellicums initial public offering and subsequent financings. Ms. Williams noted: I am excited to provide support to the dedicated scientific team at Invectys an to serve under the leadership of CEO Praveen Tyle in this new stage of development for the Company to bring the Invectys science to commercialization for the benefit of patients. Dr. Praveen Tyle, President, CEO and Board member of Invectys Inc., noted that Rosie has contributed to the corporate & fiscal success of two bio-pharma companies and I look forward to her leadership and similar contributions to Invectys. In 2020, Invectys was awarded a $14.5 million product development research grant from the prestigious Cancer Prevention and Research Initiative of Texas (CPRIT) for the clinical development of its First-in-Class pathbreaking CAR-T treatment for solid tumors. About Invectys Invectys is clinical stage immuno-oncology company spun-out of the prestigious Pasteur Institute, Paris. Since 2010, Invectys has raised $42million in private funds to develop two innovative platforms of immuno-therapy products which target universal tumor antigens and thus applicable to a wide range of cancers. The companys products can be used alone or in combination with existing medications. Contact: Invectys Inc. Virginie Leplat contact@invectys.com [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 01, 2021] ViewSonic Reveals New ELITE Gaming Monitors with the latest NVIDIA Reflex Technology BREA, Calif., June 2, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- ViewSonic Corp., a leading global provider of visual solutions, unveils ELITE professional gaming monitors armed with the latest NVIDIA Reflex and G-Sync technology. Delivering maximized latency improvements for high-velocity, graphics-intensive games, ELITE's XG251G and XG271QG monitors also boast precise, competitive frames-per-second (FPS), highest refresh rate of 360Hz, and industry-leading 1ms (GTG) response time. "ELITE monitors are designed by and for gamers, and we're proud to work with NVIDIA to create a range of professional esports monitors equipped with their latest NVIDIA Reflex technology," says Oscar Lin, Head of Monitor Business Unit at ViewSonic Corporation. "Whether from 24.5" to 32", competitive gamers can expect an ultra-smooth, stutter-free, and immersive gaming experience in a sleek, modern display with innovative gamer-forward design elements. We look forward tocontinuing our work with NVIDIA to advance ELITE monitors with their latest technology." Outgun rivals with ultra-high shot accuracy and bleeding-edge responsiveness on ViewSonic ELITE's professional gaming monitors the ELITE XG251G is the first 24.5" ELITE monitor with the highest refresh rate of 360Hz, and 27" ELITE XG271QG unlocks buttery-smooth gameplay with 240Hz. Integrated with NVIDIA Reflex and G-Sync capabilities, both displays are paired with blistering-fast refresh rates and hyper-quick response time for seamless kills and exact click-timing action. Gamers can also gaze upon alien jungles and sweeping landscapes in true-to-life color from 99% Adobe color coverage and brightness of 400 nits. The NVIDIA Reflex ecosystem is engineered to reduce latency and input lag to give gamers higher aiming precision, more accurate hit registration, and faster tactical advantage. System latency is the time it takes for an action on an additional peripheral, such as a mouse or keyboard, to happen onscreen in real-time. In gaming where responsiveness and accuracy are key to winning a battle, a delay in movement or unregistered shots will result in major defeat. The technology features Reflex Latency Analyzer which captures end-to-end system latency and delivers a precise reading of CPU and GPU performance, allowing gamers to register every click in millisecond accuracy and achieve the desired peeker's advantage with ease. The optional Low Latency Boost lets the GPU overclock without affecting the picture quality, so gamers can crank up performance settings and still enjoy cinematic visuals at the same time. Drawn from gamers' insights, these monitors are geared with intuitive ELITE Design Enhancements (EDE) to elevate the gaming desk setup. The minute details such as mood-enhancing ambient RGB light, friction-free mouse anchor, and reinforced clutter-free headphones hook will banish any distractions for a truly immersive gaming experience. Equipped with full ergonomic features, gamers can tilt, swivel, and adjust the screen's height to their comfort and focus on ruling the arena. Key Features of ViewSonic ELITE XG251G monitor: 24.5" FHD VESA DisplayHDR 400 IPS Non-Glare display True-to-life colors from 99% Adobe Color Gamut Highest refresh rate of 360Hz and 1ms (GTG) response time NVIDIA Reflex and G-Sync technology TUV-Certified Eye Comfort Ultimate connectivity with HDMI, DisplayPort, and USB ports Ergonomic features and ELITE Design Enhancements (EDE) Key features of ViewSonic ELITE XG271QG monitor: 27" QHD VESA DisplayHDR 400 IPS display Brilliant, vibrant imagery from 99% Adobe Color Gamut Lightning-fast refresh rate of 240Hz and 1ms (GTG) response time NVIDIA Reflex and G-Sync technology Ergonomic features and ELITE Design Enhancements (EDE) Availability ViewSonic ELITE XG251G and ELITE XG271QG monitors will be available worldwide in Q3, 2021. About ViewSonic Founded in California, ViewSonic is a leading global provider of visual solutions and conducts business in over 100 countries worldwide. As an innovator and visionary, ViewSonic is committed to providing comprehensive hardware and software solutions that include monitors, projectors, digital signage, ViewBoard interactive displays, and myViewBoard software ecosystem. With over 30 years of expertise in visual displays, ViewSonic has established a strong position for delivering innovative and reliable solutions for education, enterprise, consumer, and professional markets and helping customers "See the Difference." To find out more about ViewSonic, please visit www.viewsonic.com. SOURCE ViewSonic [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-01 09:36:51|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Photo taken on May 28, 2021 shows an empty street in Melbourne, Australia. The Australian state of Victoria went into the fifth day of its lockdown on Tuesday with the number of COVID-19 cases in the latest outbreak having risen to 54. (Photo by Bai Xue/Xinhua) CANBERRA, June 1 (Xinhua) -- The Australian government is reconsidering making coronavirus vaccines mandatory for aged care workers. The Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) ruled in January that COVID-19 vaccines would not be made compulsory for people working in residential aged care facilities. However, with Victoria, the country's second-most populous state, thrust back into lockdown after a cluster of COVID-19 cases emerged in state capital Melbourne, federal Health Minister Greg Hunt announced that he has asked the panel to reconsider. "So in terms of mandatory, what we are doing is we are referring that question again to the medical expert panel of state chief health officers and Commonwealth officials," he told reporters in Canberra on Monday afternoon. "It had previously been discussed, but for the medical reasons and the view of that group had not advised in favor of it." It came after an outbreak at the Arcare aged care home in the northwest Melbourne suburb of Maidstone. Deputy Chief Medical Officer Michael Kidd said the new advice would be presented to the national cabinet, which consists of the prime minister and state and territory leaders. "So, that's work that's underway at the moment," he said. "We expect that will be also considered by the national cabinet later this week." As of Monday afternoon, there had been 30,106 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Australia, and the numbers of locally and overseas acquired cases in the last 24 hours were four and two respectively, with two extra cases under investigation, according to the latest figures updated on Monday evening from the Department of Health. There were about 110 active cases nationwide and the number of locally acquired cases in the last seven days was 35. Enditem [June 01, 2021] Tauriga Sciences Inc. Introduces Innovative New Product Offering, Exclusively Available on Company's E-Commerce Website - Super Deluxe Rainbow Pack @ $136.99 Each NEW YORK, NY, June 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NewMediaWire -- Tauriga Sciences, Inc. (OTCQB: TAUG) (Tauriga or the Company), a New York based diversified Life Sciences Company, today introduced the Companys Super Deluxe Rainbow Pack (Super Pack or Pack), which is comprised of 1 Blister Pack (each of the 9 Tauri-Gum SKUs). Each Pack will also include a 10thBlister Pack Mystery Flavor and a limited Edition (intricately designed) dedicated retail box tray. The Company will contribute $3 from each Pack sold, to various charitable causes. The Company expects to launch this Super Pack during mid-June 2021 and believes that it will drive future E-Commerce sales growth. The original Rainbow Pack, launched during September 2020, was highly successful and has continually been popular with E-Commerce customers. The Company will be accepting Pre-Orders later this week, on its E-Commerce Website (www.taurigum.com) Super Deluxe Rainbow Pack: 1 Blister Pack 25mg CBD Mint Flavor 1 Blister Pack 25mg CBD Blood Orange Flavor 1 Blister Pack 25mg CBD Pomegranate Flavor 1 Blister Pack 25mg CBG Peach-Lemon Flavor 1 Blister Pack 25mg CBG Black Currant Flavor 1 Blister Pack 60mg Vitamin C + 10mg Zinc Pear Bellini Flavor 1 Blister Pack 50mg Caffeine Cherry Lime Rickey Flavor 1 Blister Pack 2000 IU Vitamin D3 Golden Raspberry Flavor 1 Blister Pack 10mg Delta 8 THC Evergreen Mint Flavor 1 Blister Pack Bonus / Mystery Flavor And 1 Limited Edition Retail Box Tray ABOUT TAURIGA SCIENCES INC. Tauriga Sciences, Inc. (TAUG) is a revenue generating, diversified life sciences company, engaged in several major business activities and initiatives. The company manufactures and distributes several proprietary retail products and product lines, mainly focused on the Cannabidiol (CBD) and Cannabigerol (CBG) Edibles market segment. The main produt line, branded as Tauri-Gum, consists of a proprietary supplement chewing gum that is Kosher certified, Halal certified, and Vegan Formulated (CBD Infused Tauri-Gum Flavors: Mint, Blood Orange, Pomegranate), (CBG Infused Tauri-Gum Flavors: Peach-Lemon, Black Currant), (Vitamin C + Zinc Infused Tauri-Gum Flavor: Pear Bellini), (Caffeine Infused Tauri-Gum Flavor: Cherry Lime Rickey), & (Vitamin D3 Infused Tauri-Gum Flavor: Golden Raspberry). The Companys commercialization strategy consists of a broad array of retail customers, distributors, and a fast-growing E-Commerce business segment (E-Commerce website: www.taurigum.com). Please visit our corporate website, for additional information, as well as inquiries, at http://www.tauriga.com Complementary to the Companys retail business, is its ongoing Pharmaceutical Development initiative. This relates to the development of a proposed Pharmaceutical grade version of Tauri-Gum, for nausea regulation (specifically designed for the following indication: Patients Subjected to Ongoing Chemotherapy Treatment). On March 22, 2021, the Company announced that it had Converted its U.S. Provisional Patent Application (filed on March 17, 2020) into a U.S. Non-Provisional Patent Application. The Patent, filed with the U.S.P.T.O. is Titled MEDICATED CBD COMPOSITIONS, METHODS OF MANUFACTURING, AND METHODS OF TREATMENT. On December 18, 2020 the Company disclosed that it had entered into a Master Services Agreement with CSTI to lead the Company's clinical development efforts. The Company is headquartered in Wappingers Falls, New York. In addition, the Company operates two full time E-Commerce fulfillment centers: one located in Montgomery, Texas and the other in Brooklyn, New York. DISCLAIMER -- Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains certain forward-looking statements as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 which represent managements beliefs and assumptions concerning future events. These forward-looking statements are often indicated by using words such as may, will, expects, anticipates, believes, hopes, believes, or plans, and may include statements regarding corporate objectives as well as the attainment of certain corporate goals and milestones. Forward-looking statements are based on present circumstances and on managements present beliefs with respect to events that have not occurred, that may not occur, or that may occur with different consequences or timing than those now assumed or anticipated. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed in forward looking statements due to known and unknown risks and uncertainties, such as are not guarantees of general economic and business conditions, the ability to successfully develop and market products, consumer and business consumption habits, the ability to consummate successful acquisition and licensing transactions, fluctuations in exchange rates, and other factors over which Tauriga has little or no control. Many of these risks and uncertainties are discussed in greater detail in the Risk Factors section of Taurigas Form 10-K and other periodic filings made from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Such forward-looking statements are made only as of the date of this release, and Tauriga assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Contact: Tauriga Sciences, Inc. 4 Nancy Court, Suite 4 Wappingers Falls, NY 12590 Chief Executive Officer Mr. Seth M. Shaw Email: sshaw@tauriga.com cell # (917) 796 9926 Company Instagram: @taurigum Personal Instagram: @sethsms47 Twitter: @SethMShaw Corp. Website: www.tauriga.com E-Commerce Website: www.taurigum.com Attachment June 1st PR Image [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 01, 2021] Spectrotel Completes Asset Purchase of Matrix; Accelerates Opportunity in the Fast-Growing Managed Services Market NEPTUNE, N.J., June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Spectrotel, Inc., a next-generation aggregator and leading integrated communication services provider, today announced it has completed the purchase of Managed Services assets from Matrix, a leading provider of customized managed IT services solutions. As a result of the agreement, Matrix president and founder, Neely Loring, will join the Spectrotel team as VP-Managed Services. With more than 20 years of experience, Loring has demonstrated success in channel development and growth, and brings a wealth of industry knowledge and B2B services expertise. In this role, he will focus on providing channel partners with the support they need to leverage Spectrotel's robust and growing suite of managed services solutions for their business customers. Fueled by this asset acquisition, Spectrotel also announces the addition of Mobile Device Management (MDM) to its extensive portfolio of Managed Services offerings, aligning with its 2021 roadmap and strategic vision to expand its portfolio to respond to the challenges of today's IT decision makers. The Managed Mobility Service market is forecasted to grow more than 31% from 2021 to 2026 as companies increase their investments in BYOD and mobile technology in order to enhance efficiency, increase productivity, and mitigate costs. With the addition of Matrix's resources, experience, and customer connections, Spectrotel strengthens its foothold in the market and increases its opportunity to gain a share of this lucrative and fast-growing market segment. Spectrotel will now support several of Matrix's key national accounts, advancing the company's strategic plan to grow its presence in the enterprise space. Spectrtel also assumes management of Matrix's South Carolina service and operations center, and 22 Matrix employees will join the Spectrotel team, further enhancing the company's ability to service and support its new clients and service offerings. "This asset purchase immediately positions Spectrotel to integrate yet another powerful service into our enterprise customer solutions," said Ross Artale, Spectrotel's President and COO. "Neely has a solid reputation as a trusted industry channel sales partner, and his appointment as a dedicated resource to lead our managed services group underscores our ongoing commitment to serving the channel. We look forward to leveraging his extensive experience, deep knowledge, and industry connections to dominate this incredibly lucrative and fast-growing segment of the managed services market. As more and more companies look to incorporate BYOD strategies, they need and require secure, flexible solutions that include mobile device and mobile application management. This move aligns with our strategic vision as an industry-leading Next Generation Aggregator and perfectly positions our channel partners to help their customers navigate this crucial step in their digital transformation." "The biggest synergy between our two companies lies in our shared value of putting the customer at the core of our business. We both focus on creating custom solutions that meet our customers' unique needs rather than presenting them with 'off the shelf' features and packages," said Neely Loring, Matrix founder and president. "I look forward to building on Spectrotel's already extensive and award-winning suite of managed services. The combination of knowledge and experience will be the 'secret sauce' behind our ability to provide our end users and partners with a much richer feature set when and where they need it, making us the ideal full service partner now and in the future." About Spectrotel As the Next Generation Aggregator, Spectrotel is uniquely positioned to address the IT challenges of today and tomorrow. Leveraging their expansive relationships with best-in-class technology providers, with their thorough approach to understanding customer-specific organizational requirements, Spectrotel delivers comprehensive solutions to minimize risk, optimize resources and technology, and modernize the enterprise. For more information, visit www.spectrotel.com or follow us on Linkedin. Contact: Terri Vaccarino Vice President, Marketing & Product Spectrotel, Inc. tvaccarino@spectrotel.com +1.732.345.7917 View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/spectrotel-completes-asset-purchase-of-matrix-accelerates-opportunity-in-the-fast-growing-managed-services-market-301303118.html SOURCE Spectrotel, Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 01, 2021] Medical Students Call for Congressional Action on AMR A group of more than 150 medical students from 22 states today called on Congress to make the Pioneering Antimicrobial Subscriptions to End Upsurging Resistance (PASTEUR) Act a priority. In a letter to Members of Congress, the students share their firsthand insight into the rising threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) among their patients, and the alarming role AMR plays in combatting infectious diseases and preparing for future pandemics. The students write: "In a study of 99 patients infected with COVID-19, bacterial cultures revealed infections of difficult-to-treat superbugs, including A. baumannii, K. pneumoniae, and A. flavus. Furthermore, a retrospective study of 191 patients found that 50% of patients who died from COVID-19 had acquired a secondary bacterial infection in the last few days of life. Additionally, experts, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, have estimated that the majority of deaths during the 1918-1919 pandemic were due to secondary bacterial infections. "A clear market failure exists for new antimicrobials. Companies develop and manufacture highly valuable antimicrobial drugs, but as health professionals, we learn that such drugs should be held in reserve for the patients who most need them. Additionally, there are gaps in the system regarding appropriate antimicrobial use, or stewardship, which contributes to resistance in care for humans and in agriculture. In the long term, this is a system that will not sustain the robust infrastructure that we need to address our patients' needs." "The COVID-19 pandemic has made all Americans aware of the vital role our health care workers play," said Ken Thorpe of the Partnership to Fight Infectious Disease Advisory Board. "This group represents the future of health care in our country, and their observations and calls for action to ensure they are able to treat their patients for years to come must not go unnoticed. AMR is a threat to all of us, and the time to prepare for it is now." Learn more about AMR and the policy solutions needed to fight it at fightinfectiousdisease.org and join the conversation on Twitter @ThePFID and LinkedIn. The Partnership to Fight Infectious Disease is a group of patients, providers, community organizations, academic researchers, business and labor groups, and infectious disease experts working to raise awareness of threats posed by infectious disease, as well as advance solutions to ensure future pandemic preparedness. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005906/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 01, 2021] Navy Federal Credit Union and Association of Defense Communities Launch Guiding Your Mission Program to Recognize Military Counselors The Association of Defense Communities ( ADC (News - Alert) ), together with Navy Federal Credit Union, announce the launch of Guiding Your Mission, a new program focused on promoting financial wellness and career development within military and veteran communities. With decades of experience working in defense communities and with military families, both ADC and Navy Federal understand the unique challenges that members of the armed forces face when it comes to navigating financial journeys and planning for their futures. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005915/en/ The goal of Guiding Your Mission is to create more awareness about the importance of financial and career planning among the military community. (Photo: Business Wire) "ADC is looking forward to working with Navy Federal to recognize the value of career and financial counselors who help our military families and veterans plan ahead and invest in their financial security. Financial wellness is a part of keepingthe force and our defense communities strong," said Tim Ford (News - Alert) , ADC CEO. The goal of Guiding Your Mission is to create more awareness about the importance of financial and career planning among the military community. By teaming up with financial and career counselors already serving local bases, servicemembers can become better prepared for life after the military. The Guidepost Awards will recognize these counselors and the important roles they play in helping military families reach their savings or career transition goals. "Military servicemembers and their families undergo several unique challenges," said Captain Keith Hoskins (USN Retired), executive vice president of branch operations at Navy Federal. "Whether it be preparing for a new duty station, transitioning out of the military, or a spouse being tasked with paying the bills while their loved one is deployed, managing money the right way is so important. Career and financial counselors help to make sure these families' bases are covered ahead of their next mission, and we are honored to be part of recognizing their exceptional efforts." The application period of the Guidepost Awards will open in early summer, and the selected individuals will be recognized at ADC's Installation Innovation Forum in San Antonio, Texas, Nov. 1-3, 2021. To learn more about Guiding Your Mission and how to nominate a career or financial counselor to be recognized, visit guideyourmission.org. For media inquiries, contact Grace Marvin at gmarvin@defensecommunities.org. About Association of Defense Communities: ADC is the connection point for leaders from communities, states, the military and industry on community-military issues and installation management to enhance knowledge, information sharing and best practices. With nearly 300 communities, states, regions, and affiliated industry organization as members, ADC represents every major defense community/state in the nation. To learn more, visit defensecommunities.org. About Navy Federal Credit Union: Established in 1933 with only seven members, Navy Federal now has the distinct honor of serving over 10 million members globally and is the world's largest credit union. As a member-owned and not-for- profit organization, Navy Federal always puts the financial needs of its members first. Membership is open to all branches of the armed forces and their families. Dedicated to its mission of service, Navy Federal employs a workforce of over 23,000 and has a global network of 344 branches. For more information about Navy Federal Credit Union, visit navyfederal.org. Federally insured by NCUA. Equal Opportunity Employer. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005915/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 01, 2021] Virginia Professor Begins Term as 2021-2022 President of the National Science Teaching Association On June 1, Dr. Eric J. Pyle, a Professor of Geoscience Education at James Madison University (JMU) in Harrisonburg, Virginia, became the 2021-22 President of the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA), the largest professional organization in the world promoting excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005914/en/ Dr. Eric Pyle, 2021-2022 NSTA President (Photo: Business Wire) At James Madison University, Pyle works with preservice teachers of science and future geoscience professionals, providing coursework and research opportunities in both science education and Earth and planetary science. He also has extensive experience in teaching field-based science, both in the United States, as well as in Ireland and the United Kingdom. He earned a bachelor's degree i Earth science from the University of North Carolina, Charlotte in 1983, received a master's degree in geology from Emory University in 1986, and earned his Ph.D. in science education from the University of Georgia in 1995. A committed leader in science and STEM education for decades, Pyle has served in leadership roles for the Virginia Association of Science Teachers (VAST); the National Association of Geoscience Teachers; the Association for Science Teacher Education (ASTE); the National Earth Science Teachers Association (NESTA); and the Geological Society of America ( GSA (News - Alert) ). Pyle also served as co-director of the JMU Center for STEM Education and Outreach. "We find ourselves with a once-in-a-lifetime chance to transform science education through an alignment of policy, funding, and a near-universal interest in providing educators with the highest-quality tools to advance their students' learning experiences," said Dr. Eric Pyle, NSTA President. "It is both exciting and humbling to serve in a leadership role and work with a strong team at this point in time." Pyle has also been an active member of the science education community for many years; he contributed to the Framework for K-12 Science Education as a member of the Earth & Space Science design team and was a primary reviewer for the Next Generation Science Standards. He served as a division director on NSTA's board of directors and as an NSTA council member and oversaw the development of NSTA's position statement on teaching climate science and standards for science teacher preparation. He has also published extensively in NSTA journals and has presented numerous times at NSTA national and area conferences. "This is a pivotal time for education, and especially for science and STEM education, and we are fortunate that Eric will be leading NSTA this next year," said Dr. Erika Shugart, NSTA Executive Director. "He is a thoughtful leader with great ideas that will continue to advance the mission of the association." About NSTA The National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) is a vibrant community of 40,000 science educators and professionals committed to best practices in teaching science and its impact on student learning. NSTA offers high-quality science resources and continuous learning so that science educators can grow professionally and excel in their careers. For new and experienced teachers alike, the NSTA community offers the opportunity to network with like-minded peers at the national level, connect with mentors and leading researchers, and learn from the best in the field. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005914/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 01, 2021] Iterum Commended by Frost & Sullivan for Using Its Agile Solutions and Services To Help Clients Thrive in Challenging Market Conditions It offers exceptional customer experiences by applying an open and flexible cloud technology through integrations and omnichannel strategies SAO PAULO, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Based on its recent analysis of the Central American and Caribbean customer experience outsourcing services market, Frost & Sullivan recognizes Iterum Connections (Iterum) with the 2021 Central America and Caribbean Entrepreneurial Company of the Year Award. Iterum leverages 100% cloud-based technology to prioritize agility and deliver a robust full-capability portfolio that helps clients thrive even in challenging market environments. Experienced leadership coupled with a consultative approach to overcoming obstacles allows the company to differentiate itself in an intensely competitive market. "Iterum's business philosophy centers on simplicity and nimbleness, which helps it foster a close and consultative working relationship with clients," said Sebastian Menutti, Industry Principal. "In addition to competitive offerings for organizations leveraging BPO services for the first time, Iterum is gaining traction among many large enterprises that are looking to diversify their delivery supply chains. Its high quality and attention to detail, in addition to scalability in remote operations, are assisting large enterprises to minimize their dependence on any one locatio." With its cloud-call handling and contact center management solutions, Iterum can operate and deliver services with exceptional agility and scalability. This approach makes it easier for clients to add new agents, capacity, and functionalities versus a legacy call handling or on-premise management system. Its cloud platform is also ideal for enabling a rapid migration to remote operations and adapting business processes. During the pandemic, Iterum launched new deployments and modified existing delivery with greater ease and speed than alternative service providers that remained tethered to legacy on-premise systems. A crucial differentiator for Iterum is its expertise in, and knowledge of, the nearshore market. It serves as an integrator and consultant, recommending ways for clients to gain efficiencies, whether by adopting off-the-shelf or homegrown software. The company utilizes the agent and technology resources to deliver customized services that best suit the client. It also identifies the client's long-term goals and proactively resolves challenges to ensure a smooth customer journey. "Iterum serves as a strong final operator with a presence in Panama and Jamaica. In 2020, the company showcased its ability to adapt elegantly, blending work-from-home and brick-and-mortar service delivery to present the best of both deployments," noted Nick Baugh, Best Practices Research Analyst. "With its strong leadership, dedication to problem-solving, and exceptional value, Iterum is rapidly establishing itself as a name to reckon with in the customer experience outsourcing services market." Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents this award to the company that demonstrates excellence in devising a strong growth strategy and robustly implementing it. The recipient has shown strength in terms of innovation in products and technologies, leadership in customer value, and speed in response to market needs. The award looks at the industry's emerging market players and recognizes their best practices that are positioned for future growth excellence. Frost & Sullivan Best Practices awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analyses, and extensive secondary research to identify the industry's best practices. About Frost & Sullivan For six decades, Frost & Sullivan has been world-renowned for its role in helping investors, corporate leaders, and governments navigate economic changes and identify disruptive technologies, Mega Trends, new business models, and companies to action, resulting in a continuous flow of growth opportunities to drive future success. Contact us: Start the discussion. Contact us: Start the discussion. Contact: Bianca Torres P: 1.210.477.8418 E: bianca.torres@frost.com About Iterum Iterum Connections is a full-service CX provider that delivers the best interactions possible for consumers all over the world from its base of operations in the American nearshore. Using the best processes and technologies, Iterum Connections supports a cross-section of clients from different industries using voice and digital channels. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/iterum-commended-by-frost--sullivan-for-using-its-agile-solutions-and-services-to-help-clients-thrive-in-challenging-market-conditions-301301599.html SOURCE Frost & Sullivan [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 01, 2021] Canada's Community of Digital Identity Leaders Grows to Over 100 Members Governments and businesses across Canada are embracing the opportunities presented by digital ID to deliver secure, trusted and privacy-enhancing digital services to enable Canadians to transact efficiently and securely online. As Canada's community of public and private sector digital ID leaders, the DIACC is pleased to welcome Canadian Centre for Cyber Security, City of Toronto, Deloitte, the Province of Quebec, and VISA as members. "Today, more than ever before, our communities, our businesses, and our citizens are looking to the leaders within the DIACC to help deliver a robust, secure, trusted digital ID ecosystem that works for all Canadians. Our economy depends on it," stated David Nikolejsin, Chair of the DIACC Board. "We are thrilled to welcome this new cohort of public and private sector members to the DIACC," said Joni Brennan, DIACC President. "With over 100 members including the government of Canada, provincial governments, municipal governments, financial institutions, telcos, technology companies, consulting companies, SMEs, academic partners, international organizations, and nonprofits, the DIACC is Canada's largest and most inclusive community of digital ID leaders." "When the DIACC began nearly a decade ago, it was a small group of passionate public and private sector organizations committed to unlocking economic opportunities for Canadian consumers and businesses while protecting andpromoting Canadian values and perspectives in the digital economy," said Eros Spadotto, EVP, Telus. "Building on the vision of the founding members, the non-profit DIACC coalition has grown to over 100 private and public sector leaders who are working together towards establishing an interoperable ecosystem that Canadians can use with confidence," added Robert Devries, Assistant Deputy Minister Platforms, Ontario Digital Service. In 2020 the DIACC delivered on that vision with the launch of the Pan-Canadian Trust Framework, a robust, privacy-enhancing trust framework shaped by Canadian values that permits trusted digital identity and provides clear guidelines on digital interoperability. Recent research by the DIACC underlines Canadians' desire for, and expectation of secure, trusted and convenient digital transactions - a desire that has increased as a result of the pandemic. "From receiving emergency pandemic benefits to ensuring health records are correct and helping children and youth with online education, there are many ways in which a secure digital ID is essential to the functioning of daily life during a pandemic - and beyond," added CJ Ritchie, CIO of the Government of British Columbia. According to the DIACC research, the majority of Canadians believe it is important for federal and provincial governments to move quickly on enabling digital ID in a safe and secure manner, according to the survey. It also shows that collaboration between governments and the private sector continues to be considered the best approach to create a pan-Canadian digital ID framework. With the addition of these new members and increasing demand from Canadians, it is clear that there is no better time for governments and businesses to invest in making digital ID a national public policy priority. ABOUT THE DIACC The DIACC is a non-profit coalition of public and private sector leaders committed to developing a Canadian digital identification and authentication framework to enable Canada's full and secure participation in the global digital economy. The DIACC was created as a result of the federal government's Task Force for the Payments System Review and members include representatives from both the federal and provincial levels of government as well as private sector leaders. Quotes from New Members VISA - Kolin Whitley "The future of digital commerce will offer a better experience for users without sacrificing strong, proactive fraud prevention. VISA is proud to join the DIACC and contribute to the development of an interoperable ecosystem for digital identities that will contribute to Canada's continued success in the global digital economy." CCCS - Eric Bisaillon "The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (within CSE) is Canada's national authority on cyber security and leads the government's response to cyber security events. We are pleased to be joining the DIACC where we will continue working side-by-side with industry partners to solve Canada's most complex cyber issues and make our country a safer place to be online." Deloitte (News - Alert) Canada - Esther Dryburgh At Deloitte, we believe that a strong Digital Identity ecosystem will be the foundation of Canada's future economy. We are excited to be joining other like-minded organizations from across the public and private sectors at DIACC to drive this vision forward in a way that unlocks benefits for all Canadians." City of Toronto - Rohit Singla, Director, Digital Trust, Office Of The Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) "Citizens count on their government to make the services they depend on secure and reliable. As the CISO division at the City of Toronto, our mission is to lead innovative solutions, including forming the first Digital Trust and Cyber Diplomacy teams in a Canadian municipality, to better protect citizen interests. We're grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with fellow DIACC members to explore solutions that best meet the needs of Torontonians." Government of Quebec - Pierre Rodrigue "To foster the emergence of the economy of tomorrow, we need secure, user-friendly and interoperable digital identity. The government of Quebec has made it a priority to ensure that all Quebec citizens and businesses can transact safely and securely online, and we look forward to working with fellow members of the DIACC to advance this priority." View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005946/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 01, 2021] Albertsons Companies Sets Record $260 Million of Food and Monetary Donations in 2020 Albertsons Companies (NYSE: ACI) is proud to announce it raised a record $260 million in food and monetary donations to aid hunger relief in local communities in 2020. This total includes more than $67 million of in-store donations by Albertsons customers who generously supported their communities in a year of unprecedented need caused by the pandemic. Albertsons Cos. was recently named second in point-of-sale fundraising in 2020 according to Engage for Good's industry survey for America's Charity Checkout Champions. The Albertsons Foundation Nourishing Neighbors program released its 2020 Impact Report detailing the significant progress made throughout this important year, which includes enabling 350 million meals, $10.4 million invested in schoos to feed kids during the pandemic, and $9 million devoted to empowering BIPOC communities through hunger programs. The program aims to fight hunger by helping keep food banks stocked, supporting meal distribution programs at schools, and supporting programs that provide food to seniors. "Our mission to better the lives of the people in our neighborhoods was magnified this year as so many of our community members were in need," said Christy Duncan Anderson, President and Executive Director of Albertsons Companies Foundation. "The goal of Nourishing Neighbors is to ensure all of our communities' tables and pantries are full so that our neighbors can learn, grow and succeed. We're proud of our progress over the past year and remain as committed as ever to continuing our fight against hunger." Like in-store food donations, which benefit local food banks and pantries, money raised through in-store fundraisers remains local, supporting organizations that serve the community in which the funds were raised. To learn how donations are used in local communities, visit albertsonscompaniesfoundation.org. About Albertsons Companies Albertsons Companies is a leading food and drug retailer that operates stores across 34 states and the District of Columbia with more than 20 well-known banners including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw's, Acme, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market, Haggen, Carrs, Kings Food Markets and Balducci's Food Lovers Market. The Company is committed to helping people across the country live better lives by making a meaningful difference, neighborhood by neighborhood. In 2020, along with the Albertsons Companies Foundation, the Company gave $260 million in food and financial support, including $95 million through our Nourishing Neighbors Program to ensure those living in our communities have enough to eat. Albertsons Companies also pledged $5 million to organizations supporting social justice. These efforts have helped millions of people in the areas of hunger relief, education, cancer research and treatment, social justice and programs for people with disabilities and veterans' outreach. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005968/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 01, 2021] Top Prizes Awarded to Students in Pennsylvania American Water's "Protect Our Watersheds" Art Contest Pennsylvania American Water today announced the winners of its 19th Annual "Protect Our Watersheds" art contest, with a sixth-grade student from Allegheny County scoring top honors. The company received nearly 200 entries from fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders across the Commonwealth. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601006044/en/ Sixth-grader Ishi Gupta of South Fayette Middle School, Allegheny County, earned the grand prize for her artwork, which will be featured on the cover of Pennsylvania American Water's first-ever "Protect Our Watersheds" wall calendar. The calendars will be printed and distributed across the Commonwealth later this year. (Photo: Business Wire) Sixth grader Ishi Gupta of South Fayette Middle School earned the grand prize for her artwork, which will be featured on the cover of Pennsylvania American Water's first-ever "Protect Our Watersheds" wall calendar. The calendars will be printed and distributed across the Commonwealth later this year. "With increasing emphasis on environmental education in schools, we are seeing more students take an active role in watershed preservation and protection," said Pennsylvania American Water President MikeDoran. "Activities like our art contest help to remind us that we all have a part in protecting our water sources." Gupta's artwork earned first prize among western Pennsylvania entries, followed by Clare Johnson, a sixth-grade student from Thomas Jefferson Middle School (Allegheny County), in second place. Sixth grader Lizzie O'toole McKenna, also of Thomas Jefferson Middle School, finished third. In eastern Pennsylvania, the first-place winner is Lia Limongelli, a sixth-grade student from Holy Rosary School (Luzerne County), with second place going to fourth-grader Veronica Griffith from Berks County, and fifth-grader Bianca Tolorico from St. Mary Mt. Carmel School (Lackawanna County) earning third place. The winning students will receive Barnes & Noble gift cards. In addition, six runners-up have been selected and will also have their artwork featured in the calendar. They are Arjun Kairi, a fourth-grader at Mt. Lebanon Montessori School (Allegheny County), Sydney Ogoreuc, a sixth-grader at Thomas Jefferson Middle School (Allegheny County), Morgan Riddle, a sixth-grader from Southmoreland Middle School (Fayette County), Alice Hollenbach, a fifth-grader from Meadowbrook Christian School (Union County), Lillian Michael, a fourth-grader from Fairview Elementary (Luzerne County), and Eileen Wang, sixth-grader from Harrisburg Academy (Cumberland County). Pennsylvania American Water's contest requires that the students accompany their artwork with a short description of how watershed protection affects them personally. Pennsylvania American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water and/or wastewater services to approximately 2.4 million people. With a history dating back to 1886, American Water is the largest and most geographically diverse U.S. publicly traded water and wastewater utility company. The company employs more than 7,000 dedicated professionals who provide regulated and market-based drinking water, wastewater and other related services to an estimated 15 million people in 46 states. American Water provides safe, clean, affordable and reliable water services to our customers to help make sure we keep their lives flowing. For more information, visit amwater.com and follow American Water on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601006044/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 01, 2021] Stemming from SEC Guidance Concerning Balance Sheet Treatment of Warrants, Yucaipa Acquisition Corporation Announces Receipt of NYSE Continued Listing Standard Notice Yucaipa Acquisition Corporation (NYSE: YAC.U) (the "Company") today announced that it received a formal notice of non-compliance from the New York Stock Exchange (the "NYSE") relating to the Company's failure to timely file its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2021 (the "Form 10-Q") as required under the timely filing criteria established in Section 802.01E of the NYSE Listed Company Manual. On April 12, 2021, the staff of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (" SEC (News - Alert) ") issued "Staff Statement on Accounting and Reporting Considerations for Warrants Issued by Special Purpose Acquisition Companies ("SPACs")" (the "Statement"), which clarified guidance for all SPAC-related companies regarding the accounting and reporting for their warrants. The immediacy of the effective date of the new guidance set forth in the Statement has resulted in a significant number of SPACs re-evaluating the accounting treatment for their warrants with their professional advisors, including auditors and other advisors responsible for assisting SPACs in the preparation of financial statements. This, in turn, has resulted in the Company's delay in preparing and finalizing its financial statements as of and for the quarter ended March 31, 2021 and filing its Form 10-Q with the SEC by the prescribed deadline. Under NYSE rules, the Company generally has six months following receipt of the notification of non-compliance to regain compliance with the continued listing standard, subject to any extensions by NSE. The Company believes the change in SEC guidance does not affect its strategy to acquire a target business or financial performance. The Company is in compliance with all other NYSE continued listing standards. The Company expects to file the Form 10-Q in the very near term and does not foresee any risk of non-compliance with the NYSE six-month remediation timeframe. About Yucaipa Acquisition Corporation Yucaipa Acquisition Corporation is a special purpose acquisition company led by Ronald W. Burkle and formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this press release are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and are subject to the safe harbor created thereby. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "may," "will," "could," "would," "should," "expect," "plan," "anticipate," "intend," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "potential," "outlook," "guidance" or the negative of those terms or other comparable terminology. These statements are based on the current beliefs and expectations of the Company's management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. The above statements regarding the impact of the Statement on the Company's financial statements, as well as the effect of the revision on any periodic SEC filings, including the timing of filing the Form 10-Q, constitute forward-looking statements that are based on the Company's current expectations. Because these forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, there are important factors that could cause future events to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements, many of which are outside of the Company's control. These factors include, but are not limited to, a variety of risk factors affecting the Company's business and prospects, see "Item 1A. Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 30, 2021 and subsequent reports filed with the SEC, as amended from time to time. Any forward-looking statements are made only as of the date hereof, and unless otherwise required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005897/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-01 09:56:15|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BUJUMBURA, May 31 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations (UN) on Monday afternoon officially closed the Office of the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy to Burundi, saying the east African nation has made big progress in reconciliation. The ceremony attended by the Burundian authorities, UN officials and diplomats accredited to Burundi took place at the UN office located in Ngagara zone in the commercial capital Bujumbura. It was characterized by descending the UN flag and handing it over to the coordinator of the UN system in the central African nation. "With the support of the UN and other partners, particularly the East African Community and the African Union, the government of Burundi and its people recorded an undeniable and major progress on peace consolidation and national reconciliation since 2015," said Xia Huang, special envoy of the UN Secretary-General for the Great Lakes Region of Africa, during the ceremony. "Peace, security, democracy and good governance have been consolidated (in Burundi). After the closure of the office, we will now cooperate with the UN in terms of socio-economic development," said Isidore Ntirampeba, permanent secretary at the Burundian Foreign Ministry, during the ceremony. The Burundian government expects the UN to support Burundi's 2018-2027 National Development Plan, he said. The UN set up the office in July 2016 following the then Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza's controversial bid for his third term, which resulted in a wave of protests, violence and even a failed coup in May 2015. The office collaborates with stakeholders including the government, the opposition, political parties, the civil society and religious leaders with the aim of improving human rights and security in Burundi, and creating an environment that is conducive to political dialogue. Burundi last year told the UN to close the office on Dec. 31, 2020 as the country regained peace, but later the two sides reached an agreement to close it on May 31, 2021. Enditem [June 01, 2021] American Water Chief Growth Officer Retires American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE: AWK) the largest publicly-traded U.S. water and wastewater utility company, announced that William Varley, its Chief Growth Officer, retired effective today due to health reasons. "I want to thank Bill for all of his contributions to our company," said Walter Lynch, president and CEO of American Water. "Bill came out of retirement last year and worked with our state leadership and business development teams to further enhance our growth strategy, which is successfully being executed across our footprint." American Water's growth strategy will continue to focus on operating in states where it can best serve customers, drive efficiencies, and continue to grow the regulated businesses. As of May 1, 2021, American Water has more than 86,000 customer connections under agreement across 8 different states, with more than 1.2 million customer connection opportunities in its growth pipeline. Earlier this year, Pennsylvania American Water also announced what would be the largest municipal acquisition in its history, with a signed agreement to acquire the wastewater treatment and collection system for the City of York, Pennsylvania. This acquisition, when closed, would add an equivalent customer connection total of more than 45,000. "The continued, successful execution of our growth strategy is why our 2021 to 2025 expected earnings growth from regulated acquisitions was raised to one-and-a-half to two-and-a-half percent earlier this year," added Lynch. "Our state teams, with corporate support, are delivering on the fundamentals like acquisitions in our target range of 5,000 to 50,000 customers and consideration for larger acquisitions; wastewater acquisitions in or near our water footprint; and continued engagement on legislative and regulatory policy to benefit customers." "With our deeply experienced state leadership and a proven business development team, we are well positioned to continue our growth strategy by providing water and wastewater solutions for the long-term," added Lynch. Corporate business development efforts will be led by Robert Stoy, American Water's Vice President of Business Development, in the interim, until a replacement for Varley is identifid. Stoy has nearly 20 years of experience in corporate finance, project finance, and mergers and acquisitions. He joined American Water in 2018 as Director of Business Development. He also served as Assistant Treasurer at American Water prior to his current role as Vice President of Business Development. Prior to joining American Water, Stoy held various business development roles including at Wells Fargo (News - Alert) Securities. His broad experience includes many multimillion-dollar transactions within the utilities industry and related infrastructure sectors. About American Water With a history dating back to 1886, American Water is the largest and most geographically diverse U.S. publicly traded water and wastewater utility company. The company employs more than 7,000 dedicated professionals who provide regulated and market-based drinking water, wastewater and other related services to 15 million people in 46 states. American Water provides safe, clean, affordable and reliable water services to our customers to help make sure we keep their lives flowing. For more information, visit amwater.com and follow American Water on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements relate to, among other things, the replacement of the Company's Chief Growth Officer; the completion of the acquisition of the City of York's wastewater collection system and the ability to satisfy closing and other conditions related to such acquisition, including obtaining regulatory approvals; and the execution of the Company's growth strategy and its ability to meet its regulated acquisition growth targets. These forward-looking statements are predictions based on American Water's current expectations and assumptions regarding future events. They are not guarantees or assurances of any outcomes, levels of performance or achievements, and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon them. The forward-looking statements are subject to a number of estimates and assumptions, and known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, and actual results may differ materially from those discussed in these forward-looking statements as a result of the factors discussed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 and in subsequent filings with the SEC (News - Alert) . These forward-looking statements are qualified by, and should be read together with, the risk factors and other cautionary statements included in American Water's annual, quarterly and other SEC filings, and readers should refer to such risks, uncertainties and risk factors in evaluating such forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release. American Water does not have or undertake any obligation or intention to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, changed circumstances or otherwise, except as otherwise required by the federal securities laws. Furthermore, it may not be possible to assess the impact of any such factor on the Company's businesses, either viewed independently or together, or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005818/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 01, 2021] Champion Energy Services Announces 2021 Scholarship Recipients Champion Energy Services today announced that three Texas high school seniors have been selected to receive the 2021 Champion Scholars Award. Recipients were chosen from several hundred applicants for their academic excellence and contributions to their communities. The students will receive scholarship awards totaling $10,000 in 2021. Champion Energy Services and its parent company Calpine Corporation remain committed to making a positive impact on the communities they serve. Now in its seventh year, the Champion Scholars Award was formed by Champion Energy Services to recognize promising young leaders who are active champions in their communities. To date, the Champion Scholars Award has provided $70,000 in scholarships to high school seniors pursuing higher education. While the 2021 Champion Scholars Award recipients have diverse backgrounds and educational aspirations, they are united in their extensive service records and remarkable leadership qualities. Despite a challenging end to their high school careers, these graduates have allowed no concessions n their dedication to service. From leading socially distanced birthday parades to coordinating meals for displaced families following a natural disaster, these students have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to bettering the world around them. The 2021 Champion Scholars Award recipients include: Michael Morse of Clear Lake High School; Michaela Sinclair of The Woodlands College Park High School; and Grace Ross of Veritas Classical Academy. "Each of these students has an impressive history of being an active champion within their community," said Michael Sullivan, CEO of Champion Energy Services. "Our hope is that these Champion Scholars will continue to embrace the spirit of service and carry it with them into their future endeavors." About Champion Energy Services Champion Energy Services, a subsidiary of Calpine Corporation, is one of the largest retail electric providers in the United States. Champion Energy serves residential, governmental, commercial and industrial customers in deregulated electric energy markets across the U.S. Champion Energy's growth is driven by competitive, straightforward pricing and a reputation for maintaining the highest levels of satisfaction with its customers. For more information, visit https://www.championenergyservices.com/. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601006033/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 01, 2021] Reinsurance Group of America Reinsures 200 Billion JPY of Statutory Reserves From Dai-ichi Life Insurance Company Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated (NYSE: RGA) a leading global life and health reinsurer, today announced that it reached an agreement with The Dai-ichi Life Insurance Company, Limited to reinsure 200 billion JPY of statutory reserves through coinsurance. The effective date of the transaction was March 31, 2021. "Following on a transaction we completed with Dai-ichi last year, we are excited to continue to work with them to optimize capital and grow our strong partnership," said Larry Carson, Executive Vice President, Global Financial Solutions, RGA. "We have a steady pipeline of opportunities available in Japan and across Asia, and we expect continued growth of our aset intensive business in the Asia market." Dai-ichi were appreciative of the partnership with RGA, "Our longstanding relationship with RGA made them an ideal partner in this transaction. We were able to tailor a solution to meet our specific needs, and we appreciate RGA's support as we work to reinforce our balance sheet." Additional terms of the transaction are not being disclosed at this time. About RGA Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated (RGA), a Fortune 500 company, is among the leading global providers of life reinsurance and financial solutions, with approximately $3.4 trillion of life reinsurance in force and assets of $84.8 billion as of March 31, 2021. Founded in 1973, RGA today is recognized for its deep technical expertise in risk and capital management, innovative solutions, and commitment to serving its clients. With headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri, and operations around the world, RGA delivers expert solutions in individual life reinsurance, individual living benefits reinsurance, group reinsurance, health reinsurance, facultative underwriting, product development, and financial solutions. To learn more about RGA and its businesses, visit the company's website at www.rgare.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210601005123/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 01, 2021] Royal Alliances Announces Growth Investment from Vegvisir Capital DALLAS, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Royal Alliances Inc. ("Royal Alliances"), the leading SaaS software provider of postage discount identification, mail tracking, and payment solutions to the US mailing industry, has secured a majority growth investment from Vegvisir Capital ("Vegvisir"), a firm that invests in growing technology companies that sit at the intersection of software, data, and payments. The investment will support the company's expansion of its product offering, service capabilities, and sales channels. Founded in 2012, Royal Alliances has developed the only software-enabled postage marketplace in the industry. The software platform is the 'system of record' for customer postage calculation, discount qualification, and payment. The solution ingests full or pre-negotiated priced per piece mail then aggregates the volume based on the 5-digit zip code, sorts and delivers the mail to the United States Postal Service ("USPS") via its physical pre-sort service facility or its partners. The company processes over $100 million in annual postage spend and is used daily by several types of customers including leading financial services, insurance, government, commercial printers, and pre-sort service providers. "Our solution was developed to bring technological innovation, supply chain transparency, and data intelligence to help our customers manage a significant spend category for the delivery of their critical customer communication," said Aaron McDaniel, co-founder and CEO of Royal Alliances. "Vegvisir's investment will allow us to accelerate our produt roadmap and expand our service offering to better serve our growing list customers. We are excited to partner with Vegvisir on this next phase of growth." Aaron McDaniel along with co-founder and COO, Jerry Lammons, will continue to lead Royal Alliances. The team has decades of industry experience, and this domain expertise was the foundational element of the technology platform. The company will continue to operate out of Dallas, TX and Detroit, MI. "Royal Alliances invested heavily to build an innovative, cloud-based platform to automate the supply chain, improve efficiency, and reduce delivery costs in a $30+ billion market," said Kyle Reesing, Founder and Managing Partner at Vegvisir. "When we met Aaron and the team, we were energized by the company's differentiated product, market-leading service capabilities, and data reconciliation tools that position Royal Alliances as an industry leader. We look forward to working with Aaron and the entire Royal Alliances team moving forward." About Royal Alliances Founded in 2012, Royal Alliances has developed the only cloud-based postage marketplace for the US mail industry. The solution identifies postage discounts, adjusts mail volume, in real-time, to aggregate postage payments to the USPS. The company serves customers across financial services, insurance, and government verticals for first-class mail as well as some the leading direct mail organizations. The company's spend management and mail tracking software help improve supply chain transparency and reduce costs. For more information, please visit www.royalalliances.com. About Vegvisir Capital Vegvisir Capital invests in growing B2B software and services companies at an inflection point. Vegvisir looks for established core products in large markets that sit at the intersection of software, data, and payments. This business model focus enables deal structure flexibility, aids in the value creation process, and builds strong founder, executive and industry relationships. For more information, please visit www.vegvisircapital.com. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/royal-alliances-announces-growth-investment-from-vegvisir-capital-301303382.html SOURCE Vegvisir Capital; Royal Alliances Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 01, 2021] Global Cards Market Report 2021: Growing Technological Innovations are Gaining Popularity DUBLIN, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Cards Global Market Report 2021: COVID-19 Impact and Recovery to 2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Major players in the market are Citibank; Mastercard Incorporated;The American Express Company; Visa Inc.; JPMorgan Chase & Co.; Kaiku Finance LLC; Mango Financial Inc.; Green Dot Corporation; NetSpend Holdings; and PayPal Holdings. The global cards market is expected to grow from $205.45 billion in 2020 to $212.23 billion in 2021 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.3%. The growth is mainly due to the companies rearranging their operations and recovering from the COVID-19 impact, which had earlier led to restrictive containment measures involving social distancing, remote working, and the closure of commercial activities that resulted in operational challenges. The market is expected to reach $225.95 billion in 2025 at a CAGR of 1.6%. The growing technological innovations are gaining popularity in the cards market over recent years. Major corporations are concentrating on offering digital prepaid card services in emerging economies to attract a large consumer base for prepaid credit cards. For example, in June 2020, in collaboration with the Mastercard alliance, Grab Holdings, Inc., a multinational ride-hailing company based in Singapore, launched a new card to facilitate cashless payments in the Philippines. With the card linked to Grab's prepaid wallet, which includes 53 million global merchants that accept Mastercard, users can pay for anything online. The cards market covered in this report is segmented by type into general purpose; private label, by usage into general-purpose re-loadable card; government benefit/disbursement card; payroll card; others, by end user into retail establishments; corporate institutions; government; financial institutions; others. In March 2019, Prepaid Financial Services Limited, a London-based financial services company acquired Physical Prepaid Card Portfolio of Barclaycard in the UK for an undisclosed amount. Thisacquisition will enable Prepaid Financial Services Limited to offer an enhanced service to existing and future Payroll and Corporate clients. Barclaycard a credit card brand for credit cards of Barclays PLC, a UK-based financial services company that helps consumers, retailers, and businesses to make and take payments flexibly, and to access short-term credit and point of sale finance. The rising demand for credit cards is expected to fuel the growth of the cards market in the forecast period. The rise in demand for consumer credit products tends to be very apparent in an economic crisis during COVID 19 outbreak where pay delays and job losses are feasible, and the outstanding credit card balance indicates that individuals are borrowing to cover their daily expenses. According to TransUnion CIBIL Limited, an India-based credit information company, credit card debts, and the number of accounts increased by 40.7% and 29.8% respectively with 44.5 million cards in circulation in 2019. Therefore, the rising demand for credit cards drives the growth of the cards market. The increasing incidences of fraudulent are expected to hamper the growth of the cards market in the coming years. Fraud losses are sustained on all credit, debit, prepaid general-purpose, and private label payment cards distributed around the world by payment card issuers, retailers, purchasers of card purchases at retailers, and acquirers of card transactions at ATMs. For instance, global fraud losses totaled $27.85 billion in 2018 and are expected to grow to $35.67 billion in five years and $40.63 billion in the next 10 years. Therefore, the increasing incidences of fraudulent restraints the growth of the cards market. Key Topics Covered: 1. Executive Summary 2. Cards Market Characteristics 3. Cards Market Trends and Strategies 4. Impact of COVID-19 on Cards 5. Cards Market Size and Growth 5.1. Global Cards Historic Market, 2015-2020, $ Billion 5.1.1. Drivers of the Market 5.1.2. Restraints on the Market 5.2. Global Cards Forecast Market, 2020-2025F, 2030F, $ Billion 5.2.1. Drivers of the Market 5.2.2. Restraints on the Market 6. Cards Market Segmentation 6.1. Global Cards Market, Segmentation by Type, Historic and Forecast, 2015-2020, 2020-2025F, 2030F, $ Billion General Purpose Private Label 6.2. Global Cards Market, Segmentation by Usage, Historic and Forecast, 2015-2020, 2020-2025F, 2030F, $ Billion General-purpose Re-loadable Card Government Benefit/Disbursement Card Payroll Card Others 6.3. Global Cards Market, Segmentation by End User, Historic and Forecast, 2015-2020, 2020-2025F, 2030F, $ Billion Retail Establishments Corporate Institutions Government Financial Institutions Others 7. Cards Market Regional and Country Analysis 7.1. Global Cards Market, Split by Region, Historic and Forecast, 2015-2020, 2020-2025F, 2030F, $ Billion 7.2. Global Cards Market, Split by Country, Historic and Forecast, 2015-2020, 2020-2025F, 2030F, $ Billion Companies Mentioned Citibank Mastercard Incorporated The American Express Company Visa Inc. JPMorgan Chase & Co Kaiku Finance LLC Mango Financial Inc Green Dot Corporation NetSpend Holdings PayPal Holdings BBVA Compass Bancshares UniRush HDFC Bank Ltd. SBI Cards and Payment Services Limited ICICI Bank Limited Axis Bank Limited Bank of Baroda Capital One Financial Corporation The Bank of America Corporation Wells Fargo Discover Bank Total System Services Inc The PNC Financial Services Group Inc. TSYS Ebay The Western Union Company For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/j41rfy Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1904 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-171 View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-cards-market-report-2021-growing-technological-innovations-are-gaining-popularity-301303250.html SOURCE Research and Markets [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] A triumphant moment for the home teamed happened tonight. Here's a look . . . Royals welcome 100% capacity for first time since pandemic KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Kansas City Royals welcomed full capacity for the first time since the pandemic began Monday, opening a homestand with the Pittsburgh Pirates. The team said roughly 12,500 fans were in attendance, which is about one-third Kauffman Stadium's capacity. Most recently, capacity was capped at 45% due to COVID-19. Kauffman Stadium returns to full capacity starting Monday night KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) -- For the first time since COVID-19 restrictions took effect, Kauffman Stadium returned to full capacity starting with Monday night's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Fans hope the larger crowd can give the Royals that sense of home field advantage again as the stadium opens back up to full capacity. Even better the home team continues to make progress . . . Offense fuels Royals in 7-3 series-opening win over Pirates Entering tonight's game, the Royals had scored more than five runs in a game just eight times in May. In April, they did it just eight times, despite going 15-9. They have nearly halved those totals in less than a week, scoring five or more runs in their last four games, this time in a 7-3 win over the Pirates. Developing . . . Aftermath of a ruckus on Santa Fe as Olathe crime spikes along with the rest of the metro. Take a look . . . by: Travis Meier Posted: / Updated: OLATHE, Kan. - A man has been arrested and charged after police shot him outside of a Strip's Chicken restaurant on Sante Fe Street, the Johnson County District Attorney's office confirmed. 43-year-old Jesus Salazar III, of Kansas City, Kansas, is charged with aggravated assault on law enforcement and felon in possession of a firearm. Right now we celebrate the EXCEPTIONAL TALENTS OF HOTTIE LINDSEY and share pop culture, community news and top headlines. For those who make it to the end of the list . . . There will be a slight surprise . . . Check-it . . . Fight Against Foo Persists Foo Fighters announce August date for Bonner Springs concert Hide Transcript Show Transcript WEBVTT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS DONE THIS. THE FOO FIGHTERS WERE IN TOWN LAST NIGHT, AND THEY GAVE A 10-YEAR-OLD SHAWNEE BOY AN EXPERIENCE HE'LL NEVER FORGET. HIT 'EM WITH IT COLLIER. EMILY: LOOK AT THAT. THAT'S 10-YEAR-OLD COLLIER CASH RULE. Summer Slow Down Underway 119th Street Bridge over Interstate 35 closes for 90 days KANSAS CITY, Mo. - For the next 90 days, drivers in Olathe will need to detour around a project officials hope will reduce bottlenecks and the number of crashes in the area. Tuesday morning, crews closed the 119th Street Bridge over Interstate 35. More Deets On Police Cash Fight What to expect from court hearing on KCPD budget battle KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) -- On Tuesday afternoon, lawyers for the City of Kansas City and the Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners will appear before a Jackson County Circuit Court judge. The board filed suit against the city last week over a recent change to the police budget. Lindsey Reaches Milestone Lindsey Pelas' sexiest snaps as she turns 30 from lace lingerie to tiny bikini US model Lindsey Pelas has never struggled for attention. The 29-year-old Playboy stunner is more than happy to flaunt her fantastic figure in skimpy bikinis and sexy underwear, as fans can see on her social media pages. Not only that, she has also graced the pages of huge magazines like Maxim, GQ and Glamour with some steamy shots during her successful career. Prez Talks (Taxpayer) Cash Equity Biden to announce new efforts to narrow the racial wealth gap WASHINGTON -- President Joe Biden will announce new measures his administration is taking to narrow the racial wealth gap on Tuesday, during a trip to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa race massacre. Messing With Texas Voting Rights Revolt by Texas Democrats heaps pressure on Washington to act on voting reform Texas Democrats launched the most dramatic revolt yet against nationwide Republican bills to restrict voting by walking out of the state's legislature over the holiday weekend. But their last-ditch effort may only temporarily stall the effort and underscores how the deadlock in Washington is making it easier for Republicans to act on Donald Trump's election fraud lies to stack the deck in future votes. BLM Divided Former BLM leader sounds off on group's 'ugly truth' The founder of Black Lives Matter (BLM) in St. Paul, Minnesota , recently released a video in which he called out the group's "ugly truth," by which he meant their positions on family and education. "In 2015, I was the founder of Black Lives Matter in St. Taggers Attack History New York Gallery Hosting A Tulsa Race Massacre Exhibit Is Vandalized With White Paint A New York City art gallery featuring tributes to those who were killed in the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921 was vandalized with white paint in what owners have described as hate speech. The Black Wall Street Gallery in SoHo said in an Instagram post that either late Sunday or early Monday morning, someone smeared white paint on the gallery's glass facade, covering up its name. KATE KEEPS IT REAL!!! Kate Winslet stopped 'Mare of Easttown' director from editing out 'a bulgy bit of belly' in sex scene Kate Winslet wanted to keep it real. The actress, who is starring in the HBO limited series "Mare of Easttown," was determined to give a realistic look to her character. The Oscar winner was even willing to push back when the 45-year-old felt she looked too retouched in early promo posters and cuts. JoCo Gives A Duck Ducklings in distress: Overland Park animal lovers rescue trapped birds OVERLAND PARK - When it comes to animal lovers, birds of a feather flock together. That was certainly the case last Wednesday in Overland Park when a group of strangers came together to save 10 ducklings trapped in a storm drain. Check Local Creative Lady The Milliner and Owner of Amina Hood Atelier Has Received International Acclaim for Her Designs - In Kansas City The Women in Business series is presented by UMB Women and Wealth Couture hat designer Amina Hood will be the first to tell you she's a relatively easy-going creative, until the Kentucky Derby rolls around, that is. The threat of rain always stresses her out. Forecast For This Week A little sunshine, some spotty rain showers possible Tuesday YOU DRIVE THROUGH ANY FOG THIS MORNING. Oliver Tree - Life Goes On is the song of the day and this is the OPEN THREAD for right now. And here's the not so surprising surprise . . . PLEASE CHECK OUT TKCS NEWLETTER THAT WELL UPDATE DAILY AND SEND OUT TO OUR VERY FAVORITE NEWS HOUNDS!!! In other words, please subscribe!!! Weve had a lot of ideas about this new venture for the TKC and we hope you like what weve come up with so far. It has been announced that three smart trams, running in Florence, Italy, have been equipped with multiple sensors, including cameras, inertial measurement units (IMUs), radar and lidar, while three tram stops are being equipped with sensing, computation and communication capabilities, paving the way to a next-generation intelligent transport environment. Data gathered from the trams is to be fused with the data gathered from the tram stops using AI, to create real-time traffic information for city managers, revealing the movement of not only trams, but also citizens and vehicles. And in the future the sensors could help to enable autonomous operation of the trams. ') } // --> ') } else { console.log ('nompuad'); document.write('') } // --> ') } else { console.log ('nompuad'); document.write(' ') } // --> ') } else if (width >= 425) { console.log ('largescreen'); document.write('') } else { console.log ('nompuad'); document.write('') } // --> The initiative is part of the innovative computing infrastructure developed by the EU-funded project ELASTIC. By enhancing the interaction between the city infrastructure, the public tram network and private vehicles, ELASTIC works towards an integrated, safe and smart urban mobility environment, which will lead to fewer accidents, efficient traffic management and reduced maintenance costs. Bringing together scientific and industrial players as well as the local government and the Florence tramway operator, ELASTIC is developing functionalities aligned with the vision of autonomous trams, including: an advanced autonomous localization system, which provides real-time accurate positioning information even when GPS coverage is not available; and the detection of hazardous situations in real-time to alert tram drivers and private vehicle drivers Busy urban spaces are in need of innovative transport solutions and smart city applications. Forging ahead with the ELASTIC project, a high-end sensor-equipped system has been incorporated in the tram vehicles and soon at the tram stops of Florence collecting and aggregating significant figures of the performance of the transportation network, says Eduardo Quinones, senior researcher at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC) and coordinator of ELASTIC. This lays the basis for our next step: that of an active interaction between the vehicles and the city. Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-01 10:20:25|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Photo shows a view by the Victoria Harbor in Hong Kong, south China, June 11, 2020. (Xinhua/Li Gang) With "patriots administering Hong Kong," the global financial hub will get stronger and stronger under "one country, two systems," Allan Zeman, founder of Lan Kwai Fong Group and an entrepreneurial icon of Hong Kong, said. "I can tell you that is the future for Hong Kong." HONG KONG, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Business magnate Allan Zeman on Monday voiced his optimism about Hong Kong's prospects despite disturbances over the past years, stressing that Hong Kong will only "change for the better." With "patriots administering Hong Kong," the global financial hub will get stronger and stronger under "one country, two systems," Zeman, founder of Lan Kwai Fong Group and an entrepreneurial icon of Hong Kong, said at a forum here. "I can tell you that is the future for Hong Kong." His remarks came in response to the reappearing pessimism during the recent years when Hong Kong took the double blows from social unrest and COVID-19. Having made his name as a prominent businessman, Zeman, in his early 70s, said Hong Kong has gone through difficult times over the past decades, including the transitional period around its return to the motherland in 1997, Asian and global financial crises, and months of violent incidents in 2019. "It totally is able to reinvent itself and that's always been the beauty of Hong Kong," he said. While some business groups alleged that foreign firms are leaving the financial and commercial center, Zeman said such statements are not in line with facts. Businesses and people will continue to come to Hong Kong as it will remain as the super-connector between the rest of the world and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, as well as the whole country, he said. There is a great future for everybody in Hong Kong, Zeman added. Monday's forum was organized by the Hong Kong Coalition and Friday Culture Ltd. under the theme of "International Communication in the New Era." Terre Haute, IN (47803) Today Thunderstorms during the evening will give way to partly cloudy skies after midnight. Low around 70F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 90%.. Tonight Thunderstorms during the evening will give way to partly cloudy skies after midnight. Low around 70F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 90%. Canton, GA (30114) Today Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 68F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 68F. Winds light and variable. Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-01 10:29:07|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, June 1 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese mainland on Monday reported 11 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases in Guangdong Province, the National Health Commission said in its daily report on Tuesday. The same day also saw 12 new imported cases on the mainland. Of them, seven were reported in Shanghai, two each in Guangdong and Sichuan, and one in Jiangsu. One new suspected case arriving from outside the mainland was reported in Inner Mongolia and no new deaths related to COVID-19 were reported on Monday, it added. A total of 6,063 imported cases had been reported on the mainland by the end of Monday. Among them, 5,774 had been discharged from hospitals following recovery, and 289 remained hospitalized. No deaths had been reported among the imported cases. The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases on the mainland reached 91,122 by Monday, including 337 patients still receiving treatment, six of whom were in severe condition. A total of 86,149 patients had been discharged from hospitals following recovery on the mainland, and 4,636 had died as a result of the virus. There were two suspected COVID-19 cases on the mainland on Monday. A total of 15 asymptomatic cases were newly reported, 13 of which arrived from outside the mainland. There were a total of 391 asymptomatic cases, of whom 356 were imported, under medical observation by Monday. By the end of Monday, 11,841 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 210 deaths, had been reported in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), while 51 cases had been reported in the Macao SAR, and 8,511 cases, including 124 deaths, had been reported in Taiwan. A total of 11,572 COVID-19 patients in the Hong Kong SAR had been discharged from hospitals following recovery, while 49 had been discharged in the Macao SAR, and 1,133 had been discharged in Taiwan. Enditem Canton, GA (30114) Today Partly to mostly cloudy skies with scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Low 68F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Partly to mostly cloudy skies with scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Low 68F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%. Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-01 11:28:31|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday sent a congratulatory message to Bashar al-Assad over the latter's re-election as president of Syria. In his message, Xi pointed out that China and Syria enjoy a traditional friendship, and Syria is one of the first Arab countries to establish diplomatic ties with the People's Republic of China. He said he attaches great importance to the development of China-Syria relations, and stands ready to work with Assad to take the 65th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties this year as an opportunity to strive for greater achievements in China-Syria relations. China, he added, firmly supports Syria in safeguarding its national sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, and will provide as much assistance as its capacity allows for Syria in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, revitalizing its economy and improving the people's well-being, so as to continuously lift China-Syria cooperation to new levels. Enditem Hi M8436DHbrians, Hmmmmm......something to think about, but it might actually work out to be less expensive if I just bought a back-up later train ticket Inverness to Edinburgh. Not sure how much risk Im willing to take! If alot of readers posted that this connection was a piece of cake, I would go for it. But it seems just the opposite! Thanks for your kind advice. Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-01 11:29:22|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MANILA, June 1 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines' borders will remain close for all incoming travelers from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) until June 15, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said late Monday night. Roque said Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte approved the extension of restrictions to prevent the spread of the highly infectious variants. The government earlier suspended the entry of travelers from the seven countries until May 31. The Philippines initially imposed travel restrictions on India from April 29 due to the record-breaking COVID-19 surge in that country. It widened the ban to include travelers from Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka from May 7. The Philippines also banned international arrivals from Oman and the UAE starting May 15 after overseas Filipino workers that flew in from these two countries tested positive for the coronavirus variants. The Philippines has reported a total of 1,230,301 COVID-19 cases as of Monday, including 20,966 deaths. Enditem The Japanese Art of the Cocktail, a New Book Presented by Award-Winning PR Agency Hanna Lee Communications and Co-Authored by Katana Kitten's Masahiro Urushido and Agency's Michael Anstendig Goes on Sale June 1; Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Over the past day, ten ceasefire violations by the Russian-occupation forces were recorded in the Joint Forces Operation area in eastern Ukraine. "Over the past day, on May 31, ten ceasefire violations by the Russian-occupation forces were recorded in the Joint Forces Operation area, including eight attacks on Ukrainian military positions, one delivery of landmines, and one flight of Orlan-10-class UAV crossing the line of contact," the press center of the JFO Headquarters reports. As noted, the occupiers opened fire from 120mm mortars and different grenade launchers near Vodiane (94km south of Donetsk); 82mm mortars outside Shumy (41km north of Donetsk); 82mm mortars, grenade machine guns, tripod-mounted man-portable antitank gun in the area of Hnutove (20km north-east of Mariupol); grenade machine guns near Avdiivka (17km north of Donetsk); hand-held antitank grenade launchers, heavy machine guns outside Mayorske (45km north of Donetsk); small arms in the area of Zolote-4 (59km west of Luhansk). Russian mercenaries also used hand-held antitank grenade launchers to deliver POM-2 mines near Zaitseve (62km north-east of Donetsk). An enemy Orlan-10-class UAV was seen to fly towards the village of Sanzharivka (67km northeast of Donetsk), crossing the line of contact. The drone was timely suppressed with radio-electronic warfare equipment, reads the report. Ukrainian troops suffered no losses. As of 07:00 on June 1, no ceasefire violations were recorded. "Ukrainian service members continue to control the situation in the Joint Forces Operation area," the Headquarters informs. ol Russia plans to legalize a large military contingent by trying to deploy 20 additional military units on its border with Europe, according to Ukraine's Deputy Interior Minister Anton Gerashchenko. He said this at a press conference entitled "The Law on National Resistance: 5 Things without Which Territorial Defense Will Not Happen," according to an Ukrinform correspondent. "Yesterday, Russian Defense Minister, Mr. [Sergei] Shoigu, stated that the leadership of the Russian Federation had made the decision to deploy 20 more military units in the European part of the Russian Federation, allegedly for resisting NATO. In fact, Russia will now legalize an increase in the number of its troops. That's what they did in March-April when they moved 70,000 or 80,000 troops from the Far East, from Siberia to the European part, which caused great concern in the world and increased the danger to Europe. In fact, now they want to secure this in order to more than double the number of their armed units on Ukraine's borders," Gerashchenko said. Therefore, according to him, in order to strengthen its defense capabilities, Ukraine must adopt the law on national resistance and strengthen territorial defense forces as soon as possible. "In order for the enemy, the Russian Federation, not to want to attack us, they must understand that the losses from such an attack will significantly exceed any political and economic bonuses that they would like to receive," Gerashchenko said, adding that the adoption of legislation regulating the issue of national resistance will strengthen the defense capabilities of the Ukrainian state. On May 25, President Volodymyr Zelensky submitted to the Verkhovna Rada bill No. 5557 "On the Fundamentals of National Resistance." The document determines the legal and organizational principles of national resistance, the basics of its preparation and conduct, as well as the tasks and powers of the security and defense forces on national resistance. On May 31, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced his intention to form about 20 new formations and units in the Western Military District of the Russian Federation, in addition to the existing forces, allegedly in response to NATO's actions. op Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine Olha Stefanishyna informed about the agreement with the European Union that the introduction of the CBAM (Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism) would not provide for restrictions on trade with Ukraine. Stefanishyna announced this at the joint meeting of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Ukraine's Integration into the European Union and the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Foreign Policy and Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation on May 31, an Ukrinform correspondent reported. The Deputy Prime Minister noted that the European Commission's decision on CBAM could significantly restrict Ukraine's trade. "According to the estimates by our think tanks, the introduction of such a measure would actually block 20% of all exports of Ukrainian products of certain sectors to the European Union market," Stefanishyna said. The official noted that Ukraine had begun official consultations within the framework of the Association Agreement on this issue. An agreement was reached in Brussels that Ukraine, as a country having a free trade area with the EU, could not be subject to direct trade restrictions. "In fact, as a result of the negotiations, we agreed that such a decision would not provide for trade restrictions, would not violate the Association Agreement, and would not produce an immediate impact on the export of Ukrainian products," the Deputy Prime Minister said. As reported, a dialogue on the EU Green Deal took place within the framework of the EU-Ukraine Association Council in May. ol Ukraine and Austria are stepping up cooperation in the field of regional development. In particular, the countries plan to intensify the implementation of the Austrian educational project. "I am very grateful to you for participating in the 15th meeting of the Ukrainian-Austrian Joint Commission on Trade and Economic Relations which took place in Kyiv. This is a strong impetus to boost cooperation between our countries. In particular, we plan to intensify the implementation of the Austrian educational project Smart Farm in Ukraine. Currently, one of the agricultural universities is interested to participate in it," Minister of Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine Oleksiy Chernyshov said during a meeting with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Austria to Ukraine Gernot Pfandler, the Ministrys press service informs. For his part, Ambassador Gernot Pfandler assured of further development of bilateral relations. During the meeting, the parties agreed on a visit of the Ukrainian delegation to Austria to exchange experience. Smart Farm project provides for the introduction of practice-oriented training production. The idea is to create a cattle farm, combining professional training and profit earning (as a full-fledged commercial enterprise). This model is already successfully practiced in Austria, in the agricultural college Phyra with production facilities in the suburbs of Vienna. On April 27, the 15th meeting of the Ukrainian-Austrian Joint Commission on Trade and Economic Relations took place under the chairmanship of Minister of Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine, head of Ukrainian side Oleksiy Chernyshov. ol President of the Slovak Republic Zuzana Caputova will take part in the inaugural summit of the Crimean Platform, Prime Minister of Slovakia Eduard Heger has said. "Yes, Slovakia will take part in the inaugural summit of the Crimean Platform. We will be represented by President Caputova," Heger said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine. According to him, Slovakia strongly supports Ukraine and its European aspirations. "The position of the Slovak government is clear - it is defined in the Manifesto of the Government of the Slovak Republic on support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine, support for reforms. We are in favor of deepening mutual cooperation," the PM stressed. As a reminder, the Crimean Platform is a new consultative and coordination format initiated by Ukraine to improve the efficiency of the international response to the occupation of Crimea, respond to growing security challenges, step up international pressure on Russia, prevent further human rights violations, protect victims of the occupation regime, and achieve the de-occupation of Crimea. The first Crimean Platform summit is scheduled for August 23, 2021. ish Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal discussed the progress of decentralization reform in Ukraine with Special Envoy of the Government of Germany on Decentralization, Good Governance, and Reforms in Ukraine Georg Milbradt. According to Shmyhal, the reform of local government and territorial organization of authorities is of strategic importance for Ukraine, the Government portal informs. "The reform has already proved its effectiveness in improving the quality of public services and bringing them closer to the people of communities," the Head of Government said. He added that local elections had been held amid the pandemic, despite a difficult year. "Amendments to the Constitution should cement the transition from a centralized to a decentralized model of the state, which is based on the community," Shmyhal stressed. The Head of Government stressed that the decentralized model should encapsulate new relations between local self-government and public authorities on the basis of partnership, mutual trust, and responsibility. "Transformations should be aimed primarily at guaranteeing the financial basis of local government, the possibility for local self-government bodies to create their own executive bodies at district and regional levels. Also, the changes should transform local state administrations into prefectural bodies, the main task of which will be to perform only state functions, not self-governing ones," Shmyhal underscored. The Prime Minister stressed that the amendments to the Basic Law should cement the irreversibility of decentralization and its results. Shmyhal also informed about the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities under the President of Ukraine which was established for better cooperation between state bodies, including local executive bodies, and local self-government bodies. In turn, Mr. Georg Milbradt noted that Ukraine had demonstrated good results in implementing decentralization reform amid all difficulties. ol The Normandy format does not depend on the events in Belarus, German Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel has said. She said this during a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron on May 31, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. The Normandy format does not depend on what is happening in Belarus, Merkel said, answering the question whether a new meeting in this format could take place, given the tension around Moscow-backed Belarus. The chancellor announced her strong condemnation of "what Lukashenko is doing with the opposition and civil society." According to her, the EU is responding to violations by Minsk and will continue to do so, including through the introduction of targeted sanctions. "It is also important to continue to work in the Normandy format, although there is very, very little progress there. That is, Germany and France are helping Ukraine with this format. And this is crucial," she said. Merkel also noted that the issue of the Normandy format was discussed during negotiations with the French president. We, of course, discussed Belarus, relations with Russia, and our further work in the Normandy format, she said. As Ukrinform reported, on May 31, the 22nd meeting of the Franco-German Ministerial Council headed by French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel was held in a virtual format. The leaders discussed the fight against the coronavirus pandemic and foreign policy issues. ish Turkey's position on non-recognition of Russia's occupation of Crimea remains unchanged; and the agreement on the sale of UAVs to Ukraine does not affect other countries. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said this while answering journalists' questions in Athens on May 31, Ukrinform reports with reference to the NTV news channel. Our attitude towards Crimea is known. We also say this to the Russians. We say that the solution is political, the minister said. Commenting on the sale of Turkish drones to Ukraine, he stressed: This is trade. The agreement with Ukraine was made years ago. Russia supplies missiles to Syria or other countries. We didn't even question it when it happened." Cavusoglu added that there was a great demand for unmanned aerial vehicles all over the world. As reported, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov recently "recommended" his Turkish colleagues "to stop fueling Kyiv's militaristic sentiments." According to him, "encouraging aggressive initiatives of Ukraine towards Crimea is tantamount to encroaching on the territorial integrity of Russia." ish Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-01 11:42:27|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TOKYO, June 1 (Xinhua) -- The secret of the Communist Party of China (CPC)'s great achievements over the decades is that it has always stayed with the people, said former Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama. "Looking back over the one hundred years of history, always staying with the people is the secret of the Communist Party of China's great achievements in the annals of history," Hatoyama told Xinhua in a recent written interview. "In the past century, China has suffered many misfortunes and difficulties, including the aggression caused by Japan, but the CPC has always worked with the people to overcome many difficulties. In particular, the reform and opening up has become a huge engine for China's economic development. These great achievements will go down in the annals of history. For that, I have great respect," Hatoyama said. In the interview, the former prime minister recalled his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the 2019 Imperial Springs International Forum held in the Chinese city of Guangzhou. Hatoyama said he has been promoting the spirit of "fraternity" for many years, and was "deeply moved" when he knew "that Xi also cherishes the spirit of 'fraternity,' and will work hard to strengthen exchanges with Japan and the world." During their meeting, Hatoyama recalled, Xi mentioned many times that he attaches great importance to multilateral cooperation, and particularly hopes to establish good relations with neighboring countries. "At the same time, the vision of a community with a shared future for mankind advocated by Xi has something in common with the vision of an 'East Asian community' that I have been advocating. So I will do my best to support it," he said. Hatoyama said China not only brought the COVID-19 pandemic under control early in the past year, but also achieved a 2.3-percent GDP growth, making great contributions to supporting the global economy. China has also successfully developed COVID-19 vaccines at an early stage, and provided them to other countries, which is not only saving the lives of the Chinese people, but also the lives of the rest of the world, he said. Besides, China's success of lifting nearly 100 million people out of poverty in the past eight years is unparalleled in the world, he said. Hatoyama noted that China has set a GDP growth target of more than 6 percent this year, and institutions like the World Bank also think China's economic outlook is bright. There is no doubt that China will lead the development of the global economy this year, when the COVID-19 pandemic has not yet subsided, and in the post-pandemic era, he said. Enditem Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that he would like Germany to supply its weapons to Ukraine. He stated this in an interview with German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, according to Deutsche Welle. "Germany did not provide us with military assistance, but it could have done so," Zelensky said. Ukraine is interested in patrol boats, rifles, radio communication systems and armored personnel carriers, he said. "Habeck has realized this," Zelensky said, referring to a co-chairman of Germany's Green Party, Robert Habeck who, after his visit to Kyiv, spoke positively about possible arms supplies to Ukraine. "In a situation where it comes to protecting people's lives, it is worth reconsidering Germany's principled 'no' [to arms supplies to conflict zones]," he said. At the same time, representatives of the ruling CDU/CSU bloc are still against this idea. The conflict in eastern Ukraine does not have a military solution, which means that "the way of arms supplies, in this case, is the wrong way," said Johann Wadephul, deputy chairman of the CDU/CSU bloc in the Bundestag. Commenting on Habeck's remarks, German government spokesman Steffen Seibert said Germany remained committed to the principle of banning arms supplies to war-torn regions. "We adhere to a restrictive and responsible armaments policy and we do not give permission to supply weapons to Ukraine," he said. op President Volodymyr Zelensky sees the similarities between the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline and Russias illegal occupation of Crimea, and believes that the Russian side will use Nord Stream 2 as a lever to achieve its interests in Donetsk and Luhansk regions. I think that Nord Stream 2 is no different from the annexation of Crimea. I will explain why. The war was started in eastern Ukraine in order to take Crimea and be able to bargain, so the issue of Crimea is a bit forgotten, Zelensky said in an interview with the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. According to him, now the Russians stick to the same scenario, they have constant levers for bargaining. In particular, he stressed, Russia had been issuing its passports in Crimea for many years, Crimeans always had both Ukrainian and Russian passports, and then Crimea was annexed ostensibly to protect Russians. Later, the war in eastern Ukraine was started for the issue of Crimea to be forgotten. At the same time, the Head of State noted that Russian passports were currently being distributed in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, and about 300,000 passports had already been issued. "Further, in order to bargain for Donbas, to make us pardon the separatists, to secure Russias control over the results of local elections, etc., the stakes should be amped up. Nord Stream 2 is a trump card now. Really, they have a royal flush in their hands, which is also partially supported by Europe. If they complete the construction of Nord Stream 2, it will pose a threat to the energy security of Ukraine and Europe," the President stressed. If the Russians complete the technical works of Nord Stream 2 this year, the project will be launched in two or three years, he noted. All this is done to prevent Ukraine from having the next contract. To be more precise, they will use this lever already in the issue of Donbas, Zelensky is convinced. At the same time, the Head of State expressed the opinion that it would be great if Europe and the United States were partners and co-owners of Ukraines GTS. As reported, U.S. President Joe Biden reaffirmed the earlier decision of his administration to waive sanctions against Nord Stream 2 despite a sharp reaction from the Congress. On May 28, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and Prime Minister of Slovakia Eduard Heger stated during a joint meeting that the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project undermined energy solidarity between European states. NJSC Naftogaz of Ukraine called on all parties concerned to oppose Nord Stream 2 sanctions waiver. ol President Volodymyr Zelensky believes that Ukraine's partners in the Normandy format talks France and Germany should put pressure on Russia demanding the adoption of already established clusters in order to end the war in Donbas. He said this in an interview with German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, the full text of which was published on the website of the Presidents Office. A very important step has been taken in the Normandy format. The so-called clusters were drawn up, which were agreed upon by Germany, France, and Ukraine and handed over to the Russian Federation, but we do not see any serious interaction and desire on the part of Russia. All that the Normandy format countries need to do today is to put strong pressure on Russia so that we adopt this plan and these clusters and end the war in Donbas, Zelensky said. As reported, on March 24, the Russian newspaper Kommersant published an article in which it reveals the essence of the prepared German-French project "Key clusters for the implementation of the Minsk agreements" including the proposals of the Ukrainian and Russian sides on their vision of resolving the situation. ish The Supreme Court of Crimea, controlled by the Russian occupying power, illegally sentenced Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People Refat Chubarov to six years in a maximum security penal colony for alleged plotting mass riots near the Crimean Parliament building on February 26, 2014. The Supreme Court of Crimea, controlled by the Russian occupying power, illegally sentenced Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People Refat Chubarov to six years in a maximum security penal colony, 200 hours of community service and ordered to pay a fine of RUB 200,000 for alleged plotting mass riots near the Crimean Parliament building on February 26, 2014, Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Liudmyla Denisova posted on Facebook. On that day, a rally of thousands of Crimean Tatars and pro-Ukrainian activists in support of Ukraines territorial integrity took place, marking the start of resistance to the Russian occupation, and Chubarov was among those who came to the Crimean Parliament building. I do not recognize the ruling of the so-called Supreme Court of Crimea! I would like to emphasize that Refat Chubarov has been deprived of the right to a fair trial, access to justice, and effective legal protection since the beginning of this rigged trial, which is a direct violation of Articles 6 and 13 of the European Convention on Human Rights, Denisova added. She is convinced that todays judgment yet again proves that the occupying power continues pursuing its policy of persecution and repression of Ukrainian citizens. I call on the international community to respond to these facts and increase pressure on the aggressor to make it comply with international law and immediately release all those illegally detained in Russia and the temporarily occupied territories of Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk regions, the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights stressed. As reported, Russias Federal Security Service in absentia accused Refat Chubarov of violating the territorial integrity of the Russian Federation (Article 280.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). After the article was decriminalized, the prosecution asked the court to find him guilty under Part 2 of Article 280.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (Public appeals to violations of the territorial integrity of the Russian Federation committed with the use of the media). According to FSB, Ukrainian citizen Refat Chubarov called for the return of Crimea to Ukraine in an interview with a Ukrainian media outlet in April 2015. In November 2015, Interpol removed Chubarov from the Russian-initiated international wanted list. In April 2016, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Crimea recognized the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People as an extremist organization and banned its activities in Russia. In March 2020, the Investigative Committee of Russia opened a criminal case against Chubarov on charges of plotting mass riots in Simferopol on February 26, 2014 (Part 1 of Article 212 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). ol Flynas, a Saudi Arabian low-cost carrier, enters the Ukrainian market. Previously, Ukraine did not have scheduled direct flights to and from Saudi Arabia, requiring a transfer via Istanbul, Doha, or Dubai. "Each new flight route is, first of all, a new opportunity for business development, tourism, and Ukraine's integration into world markets. That is why increasing the scheduled routes of direct flights is among the Ministrys priorities. We want Ukraine to become a major international air hub, and such steps bring us closer to this goal," said Infrastructure Minister of Ukraine Oleksandr Kubrakov, the press service of the Ministry informs. Flynas is a Saudi Arabian leading low-cost carrier with a fleet of 30 aircraft, operating more than 1200 weekly flights to 35 domestic and international destinations. For five consecutive years (from 2015 till 2019), Flynas received Middle Easts Leading Low Cost Airline award from the World Travel Awards. Recently, the carrier concluded an agreement with Airbus to purchase 120 new A320NEO aircraft at a list value of US$ 8.6 billion. ol The process of creating an inclusive learning environment is difficult both in Ukraine and abroad, but the government needs to keep going down this path. Head of UNICEF's education programmes in Ukraine Bohdan Yarema said this at the All-Ukrainian Forum "Ukraine 30. Education and Science" on Tuesday, June 1, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. I would like to call on our partners in government not to deviate from this path and not to get disappointed at finding any situational setbacks, since the process of transition to inclusion is difficult not only in Ukraine, but also abroad, primarily because it has many factors, Yarema said. He called the understanding of the need for inclusion by teachers, parents and children as one of the main factors. In this context, according to the UNICEF representative, people should rely on scientific arguments and evidence-based policy. In addition, Yarema noted that the passive presence of children with special educational needs at school is not a marker of inclusion, since they need to be prepared for an independent adult life. In conclusion, he expressed hope that school education reform in Ukraine would continue, and pledged UNICEF's continued support for it. As Ukrinform reported, Deputy Representative of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Laura Bill said that school education reform in Ukraine should take into account such a new challenge as the growing inequality in access to quality educational services due to the COVID-19 pandemic. ish I was born in Thailand and have always felt an attachment to Thailand and the Thai people. I have never lived anywhere else. But because my family was stateless, I was stateless, too. We didnt have Thai nationality, or the nationality of any other country. I am an ethnic Lahu. My family is originally from Mae Hong Son, in northern Thailand, though we moved to the neighbouring province of Chiang Mai when I was a child. In the northern part of Thailand, many stateless people are from the Lahu, Akha and Lisu tribes. Growing up, I had a 13-digit identification number given to me by the Thai government, but not Thai nationality. Before receiving my nationality, I lived in a state of constant worry. I became a Thai citizen as a teenager, when I was in Grade 8 or Grade 9. Before receiving my nationality, I lived in a state of constant worry. I felt scared whenever I happened to see police officers. Even citizens might have been intimidated when seeing police officers; but it was even more intimidating for stateless people, including me. I also faced problems in my education. When I completed Grade 6 and was about to go on to secondary school, I could not enroll because I didnt have nationality. I asked my teacher for advice about what to do, and whether he could help. He advised me to ask my uncle who is a Thai national to speak to the school on my behalf. After he vouched for me I was eventually allowed to continue my studies. It hurt that other people were able to do this and that, while I had limitations on my rights even though I was also born here in Thailand. I would ask myself why other people could do things that I couldnt. I felt that everything was complicated and difficult, and that anything I tried to do would be blocked by obstacles. I vividly remember that day in 2000 when my father told me and my siblings that we were going to receive nationality. We all felt very happy and were smiling as we headed over to the District Office to get our new Thai ID cards. My father had applied for the whole family to become Thai citizens after my uncle had gone through the process. My parents had not tried to apply for nationality before then; the importance of officially having nationality wasnt previously clear to them. They also didnt have the knowledge of how to apply, and had to travel very far from our house to submit the application papers at the District Office. As a stateless person, it was like being in a state of darkness, of blurriness. After I received Thai nationality, it felt like there was light. When I became a Thai national, I felt like I was being reborn, like I was receiving a new life. As a stateless person, it was like being in a state of darkness, of blurriness. After I received Thai nationality, it felt like there was light. I felt like there were no more obstacles in my way, and I began to feel at ease wherever I go. Ever since I got my Thai ID card, I no longer worry about being stopped by the police and not being able to show the correct documentation. And when it comes to education, the benefits were just as clear. After I completed secondary school, I had the opportunity to take out a government loan to pursue a university degree. If I didnt have nationality, I wouldnt have had access to this right. It would have been an obstacle to my further studies. Today, Im proud to be working as a Community Mobilizer at ADRA, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency. Around the areas where I work in Chiang Rai, there are people who remain stateless. A formerly stateless person himself, Yutthachai knows that having a nationality can be transformative. Today, he helps other stateless people to understand and navigate the nationality application process. UNHCR/Nakin x Korakrit A main challenge is that many stateless people dont tend to have information about the nationality application process. Accordingly, they dont have the confidence to contact the relevant authorities and follow up the process themselves. This is where my colleagues and I come in. We support stateless people to apply for nationality by helping them to prepare their documents and seeing whether they have the right to Thai nationality. We encourage them to submit a nationality application, and if they have trouble communicating with officials (as some older stateless people sometimes do, as they do not speak Thai fluently), we accompany them to the District Office and help to interpret for them. Well also then follow up on the case periodically on their behalf. Moreover, we disseminate information about other rights. We try to inform stateless people what rights they have, for example in relation to important matters like education, travel and work. Even though challenges remain, I have seen through my own experience that ending statelessness is possible. If we all work together from the government and civil society to academia and the mass media we can all contribute to resolving this problem. If we collaborate and keep in mind that we all have the same goal, we can ensure that no one is left stateless. With COVID-19 raging in many parts of the world, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is warning about shortages of vaccines in the Asia-Pacific region, including for refugees and asylum-seekers. We urge immediate and stronger support for the COVAX initiative, a worldwide effort aimed at achieving equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines. This is critical to save lives and curb the impact of the virus, particularly in developing nations. These countries host the vast majority of more than 80 million forcibly displaced people in the world. Yet so far, they have benefited from only a fraction of the worlds COVID-19 vaccines. UNHCR stresses that no one can be left behind in the global effort against the coronavirus. The pandemic will be defeated only when vaccinations become available everywhere on an equitable basis. We are particularly worried about the situation in the Asia and Pacific region, which in the past two months has experienced the largest increase in the number of cases globally. Over this period, there have been some 38 million recorded COVID-19 cases and more than half a million deaths. The fragile health systems in many countries in this region have struggled to cope with this recent surge. The lack of hospital beds, oxygen supplies, limited intensive care unit (ICU) capacities and scarce health facilities and services have worsened outcomes for those infected with COVID-19, particularly in India and Nepal. The highly infectious variant of the virus which first emerged in India threatens to rapidly spread in the sub-region, including among refugee populations. Refugees remain especially vulnerable to the spread of COVID-19. Overcrowded settings, coupled with limited water and sanitation facilities, can contribute to increased infection rates and an exponential spread of the virus. In Coxs Bazar, Bangladesh, where almost 900,000 Rohingya refugees are living in the single largest and most densely populated cluster of refugee camps in the world, the number of cases has increased considerably in the last two months. As of 31 May, there have been over 1,188 cases confirmed among the refugee population, with more than half of these cases recorded in May alone. We have also seen a worrying increase in the number of COVID-19 cases among refugees and asylum-seekers in Nepal, Iran, Pakistan, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. While efforts are underway to mitigate the spread of the virus, these preventive measures need to be complemented with intensified vaccinations. Some refugees, including in Nepal, have already received their first vaccine dose with COVAX-provided supplies. Among the Rohingya refugees in the camps in Bangladesh, not a single vaccine has been administered yet given the scarcity of supplies in the country. The current delays in vaccine shipments, brought about by limited supplies to COVAX, mean that some of the worlds most vulnerable people remain susceptible to the virus. UNHCR is adding its voice to the calls for countries with surplus doses to donate to COVAX, and for manufacturers to boost supplies to the COVAX facility. UNHCRs total financial requirements for COVID include $455m in supplementary needs and $469m in COVID-related activities that are included in its regular budget. To date, including projected contributions, UNHCR has received $252.8m or 27% of these requirements. For more information on this topic, please contact: Congolese refugees who fled the volcanic eruption near Goma wait to receive assistance in Rubavu, Rwanda. UNHCR/Eugene Sibomana UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, continues to assist thousands of people affected by the eruption of the Mount Nyiragongo volcano near the city of Goma in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on May 22. Some 350,000 are estimated to be urgent need of humanitarian assistance. An estimated 450,000 people have fled Goma - around 120,000 of those have arrived in the neighbouring town of Sake in the eastern province of North Kivu. Around 8,000 also crossed the border into Rwanda, though the majority have since returned. Most of the displaced are currently being sheltered by host families, while others are staying in overcrowded churches and schools. Displaced people are in urgent need of housing and basic items like sleeping mats, blankets and kitchen utensils following the volcanic eruption. The city has experienced more than a thousand earthquakes and tremors following the eruption, most of them small, but some strong enough to level buildings. Many peoples houses were destroyed by the lava flow, but many more had to leave following the evacuation order for the eight areas of Goma that are most at risk if another eruption hits the city. Immediately after arriving in the town of Sake west of Goma, UNHCR began assisting people who had followed the evacuation order and is currently assessing needs in other areas. Since 28 May, UNHCR has been assisting displaced populations by providing communal shelters to decongest schools and churches, and core relief items including , tarpaulins, blankets, and hygiene kits. This assistance has been provided as part of the international communitys ongoing efforts, but it is not enough to cover all the needs. Assessments on the ground show that shelter is the most urgent need, as are water and food. UNHCR continues to work in Sake, focusing now on building a site that will allow the displaced to leave schools and churches, and permit children to get back into the classroom. Many people have been taken in by host families. As is seen so often in Congo whether due to conflict or natural hazards, people are generously helping the displaced, sharing what little they have. There is also a need to for psychosocial care in hosting areas, as requested by doctors at the regional hospital, since so many people are coming forward with signs of trauma. The same will be needed in schools, and UNHCR will work with UNICEF and others on ways to support families who fled. UNHCR also sent a team to Rutshuru, a town 70 kilometres northeast of Goma, to assist efforts there and connect with a large number of refugees who were already in the area, or who fled there after the eruption. The earthquakes have become less intense, but there are still questions about magma streams under the city. If and when a return to Goma will be possible, rebuilding will be challenging the city is at the foot of an active volcano and on a shifting rift. We are also getting back to work on conflict-related emergencies in North Kivu, including responding to recent ADF attacks and planning a distribution to people displaced by conflict in the Masisi territory that was interrupted when a road collapsed the week before the volcano, and by subsequent staff evacuations. The challenges in North Kivu province were already huge before this latest displacement, as conflicts and violence have uprooted over 2 million people in the province including 450,000 this year alone. For more information on this topic, please contact: Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-01 12:36:25|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SEOUL, June 1 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's export growth hit the highest in over 32 years in May amid the recovering global demand from the COVID-19 pandemic shock, government data showed Tuesday. Export, which accounts for about half of the export-driven economy, amounted to 50.73 billion U.S. dollars in May, up 45.6 percent from the same month of last year, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. It was the highest expansion in over 32 years since August 1988, continuing to rise for seven straight months since November last year. It was the first time that the country's export surged more than 40 percent for two months in a row. The outbound shipment advanced 41.2 percent in April. The daily average shipment, which excludes the working day effect, spiked 49.0 percent over the year to 2.42 billion dollars in May, marking the third-highest monthly figure. Import soared 37.9 percent to 47.81 billion dollars last month, sending the trade surplus to 2.92 billion dollars. The trade balance stayed in black for 13 months. The outbound shipment topped 50 billion dollars for the third consecutive month, indicating the recovery in global demand with the launch of mass vaccinations in major economies. Export to China, South Korea's biggest trading partner, expanded 22.7 percent over the year to 13.18 billion dollars in May, keeping a double-digit growth for five straight months. Shipment to the United States and the European Union (EU) soared over 60 percent, continuing to increase for the ninth consecutive month. Export to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Japan advanced in double figures, and shipment to Latin American countries and India more than doubled last month. Among the country's 15 major export items, 12 recorded a double-digit expansion. The ship export alone declined last month as the figure reflected ships ordered two to three years ago. Semiconductor export surpassed 10 billion dollars in two and a half years since November 2018, keeping an upward momentum for 11 months in a row thanks to a higher price for memory chips. The daily average export for petrochemicals hit a record high in May on the back of the recovering demand for the products used in home appliances and packing materials. General machinery shipment kept growing for the third consecutive month, and the automotive export maintained a double-digit increase for five straight months on solid demand for electric cars and sport utility vehicles (SUV). Oil product export posted the fastest gain in almost 16 years last month due to the global economic recovery and the higher crude oil price. For the first five months of this year, the export reached a new record high of 248.4 billion dollars. The daily average shipment also hit a fresh high of 2.24 billion dollars during the five-month period. The ministry forecast that the positive export trend would continue owing to the obvious recovery of global trade, the balanced recovery in the export of major items and the boom in the global chip market. Meanwhile, the country's import advanced in double digits for four straight months, keeping an upward momentum for the sixth consecutive month. It was attributable to the recovery of the domestic economy, which led to a higher capacity ratio for local factories, as well as the improved sentiment among businesses and consumers. Enditem Amarinder playing politics on migrant minorities : Chugh Chandigarh, Jun 1 (UNI) BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh on Tuesday slammed the Amarinder Singh government for its delayed implementation of the Citizens' (Amendment) Act, 2019 to enable the Sikhs and the Hindus coming from Afghanistan and Pakistan to become citizens of the country. In a statement here, the BJP leader lambasted the Congress and the Chief Minister for having opposed the law earlier. "The Chief Minister was speaking the language of the Gandhi family and now he has made an unscrupulous volte-face. He had no concern for the Sikhs, Hindus, Christians suffering torture in Pakistan and Afghanistan which was so inhuman because he was blinded by the bhakti of the Gandhi family". "The Congress government is Punjab kept sitting on the implementation of the law because of which hundreds of migrants remained deprived of benefits provided by the Central government", Chugh said adding that "it was painful to see that they could not even get themselves vaccinated during these terrible times because the Amarinder government did not provide them citizenship". New Delhi, Jun 1 (UNI) Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) on Tuesday moved the Supreme Court to challenge the Ministry of Home Affairs' May 28 order for the minorities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan, who have taken refuge in India, to apply for citizenship under Citizenship Amendment Act. This MHA order has empowered 13 districts of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Haryana and Punjab to grant citizenship to non-Muslim minorities including Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis and Christians. In exercise of powers conferred under Section 16 of the Citizenship Act, 1955 (57 of 1955), the central government hereby directs that powers exercisable by it for registration as a citizen of India under Section 5, or for grant of certificate of naturalisation under section 6 of the Citizenship Act 1955 in respect of any person belonging to the minority community in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan namely, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians, residing in the districts mentioned and the states mentioned below," the the MHA notification read. Being the first party to approach the apex court against the CAA in 2019, the IMUL has objected to the said notification on the ground that the provisions of the Citizenship Act cited do not permit the classification of applicants on the basis of religion. It emphasised that Section 5 (1)(a)-(g) of the Citizenship Act lays down the persons who are eligible to apply for citizenship by registration whereas Section 6 of the Act permits any person (not being an illegal migrant) to apply for citizenship by naturalisation. "Therefore, the attempt being made by the Respondent Union in whittling down the applicability of the two provisions through an executive order is illegal," the IUML's application drawn by advocate Haris Beeran and filed through advocate Pallavi Pratap stated. It was further submitted that the MHA order "does not withstand the test of Article 14 inasmuch as it treats people within a particular class ie persons entitled to apply for citizenship by registration and naturalisation unequally by virtue of their religion." The league also highlighted how the Central government had earlier assured the Supreme Court that a stay of the CAA, 2019 was not necessary since rules have not been framed under the Amendment Act, citing the MHA's May 28 notification as an attempt to circumvent this assurance, IUML contended. "A bare reading of the order dated 28.5.2021 as well as the provisions challenged under the present writ petition i.e. the Amendment Act , Order 3A of the Foreigners Order 1948, Rule 4(ha) of the Passport (Entry into India) Rules, 1950 makes it abundantly clear that the intention behind the three legislations are one and the same . That this Honble Court has held in a plethora of decisions that what cannot be done directly will not be permitted to be done indirectly, and therefore the order dated 28.5.2021 ought to be stayed," the application said. The IUML further argued that if citizenship is granted under the challenged notification/ order, and subsequently the CAA is struck down by the Supreme Court, "then, to take back the citizenship of these persons, granted pursuant to the present Order, will be a herculean task and would be near impossible to implement." "Therefore since the Amendment Act is pending adjudication before this court, it would be in the interest of justice, that the operation of the Amendment Act, including such procedures under the Amendment Act for granting citizenship to illegal migrants be stayed until the matter is decided by the court," the application stated. The MHA order under challenge had also empowered Home Secretaries of Punjab and Haryana to process such applications. The Citizenship Amendment Act passed by the Parliament in 2019 made provisions for granting Indian citizenship to non-Muslim, persecuted minorities namely those from Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi and Christian communities of Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan, if they had come to India on or before December 31, 2014. UNI RHK SB 1546 Washington, Jun 1 (UNI) The US State Department has expressed its concerns regarding the presence of Chinese forces at a naval base of Cambodia. The State Department issued a statement in this regard, this statement closely follows a meeting between Deputy Secretary Wendy Sherman and Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen in Phnom Penh on Tuesday. Deputy Secretary Sherman expressed serious concerns about PRC's military presence and construction of facilities at Ream Naval Base on the Gulf of Thailand, the release said. She sought clarification on the demolition of two US-funded buildings at Ream without notification or explanation and observed that a PRC military base in Cambodia would undermine its sovereignty, threaten regional security, and negatively impact US-Cambodia relations. Sherman called on the Cambodian authorities to maintain an independent and balanced foreign policy, added the State Department added. During her Cambodia visit Sherman also met with representatives from civil society and the leader of the Cambodia National Rescue Party Kem Sokha, said the State Department. UNI XC RKM RHK1955 Register for a FREE account to keep reading! Register now for a FREE account to keep reading. No cost and no credit card required! Access up to 5 articles per month when you register, or get unlimited access to all of our content online starting at $1.99 now! Already registered? Click the log in link below Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-01 13:28:41|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, June 1 (Xinhua) -- The number of arrests and indictments for crimes related to school bullying and violence on campus in China dropped significantly from 2017 to 2020, thanks to China's campus safety efforts, the country's top procuratorate said on Tuesday. In 2020, procuratorial agencies across the country approved 583 arrests for relevant offenses, a decrease from 4,157 in 2017, according to a white paper on juvenile-related procuratorial work released by the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP). A total of 1,341 individuals were indicted on charges related to school bullying and violence, down from 5,926 in 2017, read the white paper. Analysis showed that elements such as young students spending less time on campus in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 epidemic, as well as the country's efforts to promote the rule of law and security on campus, all contributed to the drop in relevant violations, according to the white paper. Enditem For full access, please log in, register your subscription or subscribe. Try for 99 a month for two months, cancel or pause anytime. Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-01 13:39:57|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close DHAKA, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Partners in Population and Development (PPD) has handed over China-donated medicines and kits to the Bangladeshi government for better postnatal care of mother's health in the country. Mohammad Sharif, a senior official of Bangladesh's Directorate General of Family Planning (DGFP), received the medical supplies in a ceremony held both in-person and virtually on Monday in capital Dhaka. Adnene Ben Haj Aissa, PPD executive Director, Shahan Ara Banu, director general of DGFP, Nitish Chandra Sarkar, additional secretary of Bangladesh's Medical Education and Family Welfare Division, Liu Zhenhua, Economic and Commercial Counsellor of the Embassy of China in Dhaka, among others, were present at the ceremony in capital Dhaka. Officials have expressed gratitude to China for the donation of medicines and kits, saying the medical supplies will help doctors to treat better women in need for postnatal care. Shahan Ara Banu, director general of DGFP, said they are attaching great importance to timely and adequate postnatal care to reduce both maternal and newborn mortality. She thanked related partners for supporting the project PPD launched in rural Bangladesh areas in collaboration with the government, saying this is a great initiative for saving more lives of mothers and their newborns. Liu Zhenhua said public health has historically been a closely cooperative field between China and Bangladesh. As part of its deep commitment to promote the south-south cooperation, he said China is supporting countries in the region and beyond to improve maternal health. Enditem IT IS a requirement in the state of New Hampshire to have our automobiles inspected annually by a state-certified inspection station for safety. You imagine what might happen if the brakes are faulty and fail? Someone could be killed. Elmer Wayne Cruey, 77, passed away Sunday, May 9, 2021, at his home in Milledgeville. He was a native of Tazewell, Va. and resident in Milledgeville for the past 20 years. Wayne was preceded in death by his mother, Cordelia Pauley Cruey, and father, Charles Patterson Cruey; sisters, Mercedes Milledgeville, GA (31061) Today Thunderstorms this evening followed by a few showers overnight. Low around 70F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Thunderstorms this evening followed by a few showers overnight. Low around 70F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%. Parliamentary Secretary, National Health Services Regulations and Coordination Dr Nausheen Hamid on Tuesday said that Pakistan's health authorities were on track to administer COVID-19 vaccination to almost 70% of its targeted population by end of December 2021, over 20 million Pfizer vaccine doses will reach in the country soon ISLAMABAD (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 1st Jun, 2021 ) :Parliamentary Secretary, National Health Services Regulations and Coordination Dr Nausheen Hamid on Tuesday said that Pakistan's health authorities were on track to administer COVID-19 vaccination to almost 70% of its targeted population by end of December 2021, over 20 million Pfizer vaccine doses will reach in the country soon. "Government's strategy is to maintain balance between safety of our population and their social well-being and economic sustainability", she said while talking to a private news channel. The Pfizer vaccine will only be utilized in limited areas of the country where ultra cold chain would be available for its storage during the ongoing vaccination campaign, she said, adding that special refrigerators would be used to store the Pfizer BioNtech and other vaccines in future. "Pfizer vaccine has to be kept at minus 70 degrees Celsius, which is a challenge for developing countries where we will have difficulties in maintaining a cold chain", she added. Nausheen Hamid said now registration was open for the entire national population who are above 18-year of age, which is approved by health experts for COVID vaccination. The government is administering the Sinopharm, Cansino, Sinovac and AstraZeneca vaccines free of cost, she said. She said now people were more aware of vaccine and vaccination centres were witnessing number of people who were visiting centres and registering themselves for vaccination. Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-01 13:51:22|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Photo taken in Brussels, Belgium on May 24, 2021 shows the live stream of the 74th World Health Assembly held at the World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong) The attending countries came to the conclusion that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has fully exposed the weaknesses of mankind's health emergency response system at national, regional and global levels. GENEVA, June 1 (Xinhua) -- The World Health Assembly (WHA) on Monday called on the World Health Organization (WHO) to reinforce its preparedness for and response to public health emergencies worldwide and suggested that a specific working group be established for this purpose. During the meeting, the attending countries came to the conclusion that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has fully exposed the weaknesses of mankind's health emergency response system at national, regional and global levels. Photo taken on May 20, 2021 shows the World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. (Xinhua/Chen Junxia) COVID-19 REVEALS SERIOUS SHORTCOMINGS IN PREPAREDNESS Member states at the WHA agreed that COVID-19 has revealed serious shortcomings in the world's preparedness for timely, effective prevention of potential health emergencies, and its response capability is also in urgent need of improvement. Before the WHA, the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response (IPPPR), established by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, submitted its final main report on the COVID-19 response by the WHO and its member states. Admitting that COVID-19 was a preventable global disaster, the IPPPR report largely attributes the outbreak of the pandemic to inconsistent and underfunded preparation, which has long been crippled by an alert system too slow and too mild. "February 2020 was a lost month, when steps could and should have been taken to curtail the epidemic and forestall the pandemic," the panel said, adding that it resulted from two things. One was that countries did not fully recognize the threat, and the other was that they chose a wait-and-see attitude rather than concerted public health actions, failing to understand how serious the new pathogen could be. Even after the WHO declared the COVID-19 outbreak as a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) on Jan. 30, 2020, a large number of countries still did not adopt a strong containment strategy, which could have forestalled the global pandemic. Meanwhile, the spread of the pandemic shows that the WHO was underpowered to fully fulfill its duty, and the uncoordinated actions by countries confronting the pandemic have aggravated the inequality in access to response tools, such as personal protection equipment, diagnostic kits, therapeutics and vaccines, which all need global political leadership to address. Workers disinfect medical supplies donated by the World Health Organization at Juba International Airport in Juba, South Sudan, on Sept. 4, 2020. (Photo by Gale Julius/Xinhua) WORKING GROUP TO STRENGTHEN WHO PREPAREDNESS, RESPONSE The WHA proposed establishing a member states working group on strengthening WHO preparedness for and response to health emergencies. The group will consider the findings and recommendations in three reports submitted respectively by the IPPPR, the International Health Regulations (IHR) Review Committee, and the Independent Oversight and Advisory Committee for the WHO Health Emergencies Program. Concerning the IHR in particular, the review committee holds that lack of compliance of states with certain obligations under the IHR, particularly on preparedness, has caused the COVID-19 pandemic to evolve into a protracted global health emergency. Hence, it highlighted the need of governmental responsibility to implement the IHR to the highest level. The committee recommends a robust accountability mechanism for evaluating and improving compliance with IHR obligations to strengthen preparedness, international cooperation and timely notification of public health events. While urging member states to strengthen their core public health capacities and adopt an all-hazard, multi-sectoral approach in preparedness for health emergencies, the WHA resolution calls on countries to notify WHO of public health events within their territories according to IHR (2005), and continue to convey to the WHO timely, accurate and sufficiently detailed public health information. One of the priorities of the working group will be undertaking a WHO convention, agreement or other international instruments on pandemic preparedness and response. The working group is expected to provide a report to a WHA special session scheduled for November, which will be dedicated to establishing an intergovernmental process to draft and negotiate a relevant convention or agreement. Delegates attend the 74th World Health Assembly (WHA) via video link in Beijing, capital of China, May 24, 2021. (Xinhua/Zhang Yuwei) NEW MECHANISM BASED ON SOVEREIGN EQUALITY, CONSULTATIONS Addressing the WHA, Chinese delegate Yang Feng, also deputy director of Health Emergency Response Office affiliated with National Health Commission of China, appreciated the WHO for the tremendous work it has done. Noting that the virus knows no borders and the pandemic no race, he called for global solidarity and cooperation in building a community with a shared future for mankind. "China agrees with the reports' concept of building 'One Health' surveillance system and the 'whole of government, whole of society' pandemic response approach, which aims at improving the IHR and other international legal systems," he said. "China believes that promoting the equitable distribution of and access to COVID-19 vaccines globally is crucial to outbreak prevention and control, and has fulfilled its commitment of providing COVID-19 vaccines as a public good by offering medical assistance to 80 countries, exporting vaccines to 43 countries and supplying 300 million doses of vaccines worldwide," he added. Photo taken on May 12, 2021 shows China-donated COVID-19 vaccines unloaded from a military transport plane in Dhaka, Bangladesh. (Xinhua) "China will continue to make its own contribution to promoting the accessibility and affordability of vaccines in developing countries," Yang stressed. He also mentioned that China has noted the recommendation presented in the reports on establishing a new international expert investigation mechanism and a national capacity review mechanism, and generally agrees with it. "However, we emphasize that the new mechanism must follow the basic principle of sovereign equality, be based on the consensus of relevant States Parties, and require dedicated studies and consultations," he added. "China also takes note of the recommendation to establish the Global Health Threat Council, takes an open attitude and is ready to work with the international community to study the proposal," Yang noted. (@ChaudhryMAli88) ABU DHABI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 01st Jun, 2021) A UAE newspaper has said that the country on Saturday announced a new weapon in its armoury against COVID-19, a drug approved by the US food and Drug Administration (FDA) to prevent virus-related mortalities and hospitalisation. The Gulf news, in an editorial on Tuesday, said, "The UAE is the first country in the world to authorise immediate use of the drug Sotrovimab manufactured by British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline. The paper quoted Dr. Abdul Rahman bin Mohammad Al Owais, Minister of Health and Prevention, as saying that the drug speeds up the recovery of patients, reduces the load on intensive care units and saves lives. The drug was cleared by the FDA for emergency usage on May 26. The paper then quoted the regulator which said, "US Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorisation of the investigational monoclonal antibody therapy Sotrovimab for the treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in adults and paediatric patients (12 years of age and older weighing at least 40 kilograms) with positive results of direct SARS-CoV-2 viral testing and who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalisation or death." The drug can also be given to those who are 65 years and older and those with comorbidities, it added. The editorial stated that the FDA announcement cautioned that the drug "Sotrovimab is not authorised for patients who are hospitalised due to COVID-19 or require oxygen therapy due to COVID-19". Sotrovimab has lab-generated proteins that mimic naturally produced antibody, targeting the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 and blocks the virus entry into human cells. The daily continued, "The drug is the latest in the UAEs expanding arsenal against Coronavirus and it may also help contain the spread of variants. The country is administering four vaccines to citizens and residents free of cost. In the coming weeks, Sotrovimab is expected to complement the UAEs effort in containing fresh outbreaks and preventing the spread of variants. "As the UAE inches towards total inoculation, restrictions will be eased further, allowing schools, businesses and malls to resume normal operations. The UAEs multipronged strategy to tackle the virus is yielding results as new infections and mortalities dip." The Dubai-based daily concluded by saying, "Preventive steps, including safety restrictions and vaccines, have played a big role in slowing down the outbreak. Experiences of countries hit by repetitive outbreaks tell us that people are the first line of defence against the virus. Vaccinations and therapies can be effective only when people follow safety protocols. Therefore, people must continue to practice social distancing, wear a face mask and follow basic hygiene." Paris, June 1 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 1st Jun, 2021 ) :A French heiress who spent years trying to win back a priceless impressionist painting that was stolen by the Nazis on Tuesday renounced her claim to the work to end a feud with an American university. Leone Meyer, 81, spent nearly a decade trying to secure ownership of Pissarro's 1886 "La Bergere rentrant des moutons" (Shepherdess Bringing in Sheep), which was seized from her parents during the occupation of Paris in World War II. After the war, the painting ended up in Switzerland before winding up in a private US collection. In 2016 Meyer was declared its rightful owner but the terms of the deal struck with the University of Oklahoma, to which the work was bequeathed in 2000, prevented her from realising her dream of leaving it to the Musee d'Orsay in Paris, a temple of impressionist art. "Mrs Meyer has decided to put an end to her struggle to obtain restitution of this painting. UO has now obtained full title of the painting," her lawyer Ron Soffer confirmed Tuesday. Meyer had fought hard to overturn a clause in the restitution contract, which stipulated that the oil-on-canvas painting be rotated between museums in Paris and Oklahoma every three years -- a commitment that the Musee d'Orsay had rejected as too costly. In a statement a day before a French court was due to rule on the dispute, Meyer said that she had "no other choice but to take heed of the inescapable conclusion that it will be impossible to persuade the different parties to whose attention I have brought this matter". "This is the reason why I have decided to give up all my rights and even my title to this painting, in favor of the Foundation of the University of Oklahoma," she said. Shepherdess Bringing in Sheep was one of Pissarro's first works completed in the pointillist style, using small dots of paint. The Nazis seized it in 1941 from Meyer's parents Raoul Meyer, who ran the Paris department store Galeries Lafayette for decades, and Yvonne Bader, the daughter of the store's founder. Several artworks stolen by the Nazis from Jewish families have been at the centre of court cases in Europe in recent years. This is the second one involving a painting by Pissarro. In October 2018, an American couple lost their bid to keep ownership of the painting "La Cueillette" ("Picking Peas") which was looted from a French Jewish collector during World War II. The American couple had argued they had no idea it had been stolen when they bought it at auction. Bangkok, June 1 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 1st Jun, 2021 ) :Three Myanmar journalists who illegally crossed into Thailand to flee a military crackdown have been fined and could face deportation, a member of their legal team said Tuesday, warning the trio's lives will be in danger if they are sent home. The journalists, who worked for the Democratic Voice of Burma news website, were arrested along with two Myanmar activists in the northern city of Chiang Mai in May and charged with illegal entry. A court on Friday sentenced them to a one-year probation period and fined them 4,000 Baht ($128) each, said Nadthasiri Bergman, a lawyer with the Human Rights Development Foundation. The court also said they will face seven months in prison if they were to commit the same offense again. "By law, they can be deported within 72 hours" after sentencing, Bergman told AFP, although she added they had submitted an appeal letter on Friday which stops immigration authorities from deporting them immediately. "We are waiting for the process of seeking asylum in the third country. " Thailand has said it was seeking a "humanitarian" solution to avoid deporting the trio back to coup-stricken Myanmar, where their employer has warned their lives would be "in serious danger". The country has been in turmoil since the military ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi on February 1, triggering a mass uprising as large swathes of the population take to the streets. The junta has responded with force -- shooting protesters, arresting suspected dissidents in night raids, and targeting journalists and news outlets by shutting them down. A well-known news organisation within Myanmar, DVB started as an exile media outlet during the previous junta, broadcasting uncensored reports on tv and radio. It moved into the country in 2012, a year after the military dictatorship loosened its grip, but had its broadcast licence revoked in March, sending its journalists into hiding. Despite this setback, it has continued to report, posting regular Facebook updates -- as well as broadcasting on satellite TV -- about the daily protests and crackdowns. London, June 1 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 1st Jun, 2021 ) :The OPEC group of oil-producing countries and its allies look set to boost production further when they meet Tuesday, as pandemic-hit demand for crude recovers. The OPEC+ alliance, consisting of 23 countries, implemented sharp output cuts to support prices after the coronavirus pandemic crushed the global economy last year. But since early May the cartel has started implementing more generous production increases as oil prices have recovered and the health situation improves in developed economies. Currently the production roadmap for OPEC+ members consists of a series of increases between May and July adding up to some 1.2 million barrels per day (bpd). On the agenda at Tuesday's meeting, expected to start at 1100 GMT, will be whether this can be extended into August. "OPEC+ currently finds itself in a very favourable situation," said Eugen Weinberg of Commerzbank. Among OPEC's allies, Russia has been pushing for faster rises in output but traditional OPEC kingpin Saudi Arabia supports a much more cautious note, pointing to the surge of coronavirus infections in parts of Asia. "As always, the key flashpoint is likely to be tensions between Russia and Saudi Arabia," said Matthew Weller, global head of market research at forex.com. - Vicious Indian third wave - "Russia will undoubtedly push for a more rapid increase in production to support its economy, whereas Saudi Arabia is expected to favour the more conservative path agreed upon last month," Weller said. Riyadh could point to how markets have been shaken by a vicious third wave of the virus that has swept through India, the world's third-biggest consumer of crude after the US and China. Several other Asian countries have also had to adopt virus-related restrictions, representing a brake on demand. OPEC has remained optimistic in its predictions for 2021, expecting demand to reach 96.5 million bpd, an increase of six million on 2020 levels. This, combined with OPEC's previous policy of production restraints, means analysts expect the market to tighten sufficiently by August for demand to start outstripping supply. This has been reflected in recent movements in crude prices, which have climbed back to pre-pandemic levels. Yangon, June 1 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 1st Jun, 2021 ) :Schools in Myanmar will open on Tuesday for the first time since the military seized power, but teachers and students are set to defy the junta's calls for full classrooms in a show of resistance. Four months of national turmoil have followed the February ouster of civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, with more than 800 people killed by security forces and a nationwide strike crippling the economy. Public school teachers -- dressed in the green and white uniforms mandated by the education ministry -- were prominent in the early mass protests, joining railway workers, doctors and civil servants on the streets. The junta has insisted schools open on Tuesday after a year's absence due to Covid-19, but many educators had already decided they could not return to a job they love. "I'm not afraid of their arrest and torture," Shwe Nadi, a teacher from the commercial capital Yangon told AFP. Her name has been changed for her safety. "I'm afraid of becoming a teacher who teaches the students propaganda." The 28-year-old was fired for supporting the civil disobedience movement -- one of the thousands of teachers and academics the junta has sacked. "Of course, I feel bad losing my job because I loved being a teacher. Although it is not well paid, we have our pride for being teachers as others respect us," she said. Nu May -- not her real name -- in southern Mon state will also stay away, she told AFP. The Primary schoolteacher lost months of her salary after joining the nationwide boycott, but said "my soul is pure" because she participated in the strike. "When I see how they have killed a lot of people, I feel I don't want to be their teacher any more," she added. Some of those killed in the junta's crackdown were of primary school age, and charity group Save the Children said the dead include 15 children under the age of 16. Junta-run media has in recent days carried pictures of functionaries watching school registrations and promising that parents will be "satisfied" with the return of classes. Students at a school near the capital Naypyidaw opened a setpiece ceremony to mark the new term by performing a "National Enrolment Week" song in front of the regime's education minister, according to the Global New Light of Myanmar state newspaper. But at one high school in central Sagaing region, a slogan daubed in red paint across the front of the building urges staff members to stay away. "We do not want the military slavery teachers," showed pictures carried by local media. "We do not want the teachers who are traitors." University students were key drivers of political activism under nearly five decades of earlier military rulers, who violently suppressed any signs of public dissent. Many students back then were killed, jailed or expelled, and universities were shuttered for several years. Some university classes are already back in session, but boycotts have seen widespread absences on both sides of the teaching lectern. "Not one of my friends is going," said an English major at a university in Mawlamyine, a city that saw brutal crackdowns by security forces against protesters. "So I decided not to go too." Her class of 100 is now empty, despite students being summoned by the few remaining professors on campus. Protesters have discouraged parents and teachers from sending children to schools that still have teachers willing to work, saying it amounted to backing the military regime. "Do not be sad when you cannot enrol your child at school when some parents have no children to enrol," read a banner in Bago region, south of the capital. Teacher Shwe Nadi said she will remain committed to the civil disobedience movement, despite fears of being detained or worse. "I won't run because I have not committed any crimes," she said. "If they want to arrest me, I am prepared." Colombo, June 1 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 1st Jun, 2021 ) :A fire aboard a ship that triggered Sri Lanka's worst-ever marine ecological disaster was finally extinguished Tuesday after a 13-day international operation, the navy said. The near two-week inferno prompted a mammoth clean-up operation as huge volumes of microplastic granules from the Singapore-registered ship's containers inundated 80 kilometres (50 miles) of beach. The unprecedented pollution forced a fishing ban and saw thousands of troops deployed to scoop tonnes of burnt plastic from beaches. Experts from Dutch salvage company SMIT boarded the MV X-Press Pearl Tuesday and reported massive flooding of the engine rooms. Sri Lankan navy divers were also deployed to examine the hull below the waterline to check for any cracks, officials said. The fire was first reported on May 20 as the ship was about to enter Colombo port. The blaze was initially contained, but strong monsoon winds fanned the fire, forcing the crew to evacuate on May 25. Navy spokesman Captain Indika de Silva said the stern of the 186-metre (610-feet) long container carrier had gone down by about a metre because of the flooding. "It is not unusual for the vessel to trim by aft (tilt to the rear) when water sprayed on deck settles in the engine room," Silva told AFP. He said the spraying of water was stopped to prevent further flooding, but some areas of the ship were still too hot to carry out a complete examination of the vessel. Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa ordered officials to move the vessel from its anchorage near the port and move it to deeper waters in a bid to minimise further coastal damage, his office said. "Representatives from a number of fields, including shipping and the environment, pointed out that the vessel was at risk of sinking," the president's office said. "Their suggestion, then, was to take the vessel to the deep seas to minimise possible damage to the marine environment." Sri Lankan authorities fear an even greater disaster should the 278 tonnes of bunker oil and 50 tonnes of gasoil in the ship's fuel tanks leak into the Indian Ocean. - 'Worst ever' pollution - Sri Lanka's navy was joined by India's coastguard and tugs brought in by SMIT to battle the flames, which destroyed most of the nearly 1,500 containers onboard. The three-month-old ship had 25 tonnes of nitric acid and other chemicals as well as 28 containers of plastic raw material onboard, much of which fell into the sea. Marine Environment Protection Authority chief Dharshani Lahandapura said they were still assessing the ecological damage, but believed it was the "worst ever in my lifetime". President Rajapaksa asked Australia on Monday to help with assessing the ecological damage to the island, one of the most bio-diverse countries in South Asia, his office said. The MEPA chairman Lahandapura said the crew apparently knew of a nitric acid leak on May 11, long before the vessel entered Sri Lankan water en route to Malaysia and Singapore. Sri Lanka Monday launched a criminal investigation into the fire and the marine pollution. Police spokesman Ajith Rohana said the captain and chief engineer, both Russian nationals, had been questioned for 14 hours since Monday. The third officer, an Indian national, was also questioned at length, he said, adding that a court had ordered Tuesday to impound the passports of all three pending investigations. The ship was heading to Colombo from Gujarat, India when the blaze started, having previously visited Qatar and Dubai where the containers of nitric acid had been loaded. Sri Lankan authorities suspect a leak of that acid triggered the fire. Kabul, June 1 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 1st Jun, 2021 ) :The US military will hand over its main Bagram Air Base to Afghan forces in about 20 days, an official said Tuesday, as Washington presses on with withdrawing the last of its troops from the country. The vast base, built by the Soviets in the 1980s, is the biggest military facility used by US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, with tens of thousands of troops stationed there during the peak of America's military involvement in the violence-wracked country. "I can confirm we will hand over Bagram Air Base," a US defence official told AFP without specifying when the transfer would take place. An Afghan security official said the handover was expected in about 20 days and the defence ministry had set up special committees to manage it. The base, the centre for nationwide command and air operations for the past two decades, also houses a prison that held thousands of Taliban and militant inmates over the years. Washington has already handed over several military bases to Afghan forces before May 1, when it began accelerating the final withdrawal of troops. Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday strongly condemned the terrorist attacks against the FC troops in Quetta and Turbat and reiterated the government's resolve to fight the terrorists and foil attempts against peace and development of Balochistan ISLAMABAD (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 1st Jun, 2021 ) :Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday strongly condemned the terrorist attacks against the FC troops in Quetta and Turbat and reiterated the government's resolve to fight the terrorists and foil attempts against peace and development of Balochistan. In two separate attacks, a Frontier Constabulary (FC) post near Pir Ismail Ziarat was targeted by the terrorists last night. According to the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), around four to five terrorists were killed while seven to eight injured. "Four brave FC soldiers embraced Shahadat while six soldiers got injured," in the exchange of fire, the ISPR said. In another incident, the terrorists targeted an FC vehicle with an improvised explosive device in Turbat, injuring two FC soldiers. Prime Minister Imran Khan in a tweet expressed his condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the departed souls. He vowed to fight the terrorists and said no one would be allowed to sabotage the peace and development in Balochistan. The ISPR in a statement said such cowardly acts by "inimical elements backed by anti state forces and HIAs can not sabotage the hard earned peace and prosperity in Balochistan. "The ISPR said the security forces were determined to neutralise nefarious designs of the anti-state elements at the cost of their blood and lives. ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 1st Jun, 2021 ) :President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon is arriving here on Wednesday on a two-day visit, the Foreign Office said Tuesday. The visit is taking place at the invitation of Prime Minister Imran Khan. President Emomali Rahmon will be accompanied by a high-level delegation. During the visit, Prime Minister Imran Khan and President Rahmon will lead their respective sides in the delegation-level talks. The two sides will exchange views on deepening bilateral cooperation in diverse areas -- including political, economic, trade, investment, energy, security and defence, culture, education and regional connectivity. A number of Agreements/MoUs are expected to be signed during the visit. The visiting dignitary will separately meet with President Dr. Arif Alvi. Pakistan and Tajikistan enjoy close brotherly relations underpinned by commonalty of faith, shared history and cultural affinities. These ties are characterized by mutual respect, shared perceptions and a common desire to promote peace, stability and development in the region. Tajikistan is important within the context of Pakistan's vision for closer ties and enhanced cooperation with Central Asia. The vision emphasizes forging deeper trade, investment, energy, security, and people-to-people links. The two countries share common views on major regional and international issues and cooperate closely at various multilateral fora. Tajikistan is the current chair of SCO. Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi visited Dushanbe in March 2021 to attend the Ministerial meeting of the Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process (HoA-IP), followed by his bilateral visit to Tajikistan. On 25 May 2021, the two sides held the 5th round of Pakistan-Tajikistan Bilateral Political Consultations (BPC) at the level of Foreign Secretary/First Deputy Foreign Minister and reviewed the whole gamut of bilateral relations. Both Pakistan and Tajikistan are part of the CASA-1000 Transmission line Project along with Kyrgyz Republic and Afghanistan. The power project envisages the transportation of surplus electric power from Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan to Pakistan (1000 MW) and Afghanistan (300 MW). President Rahmon has visited Pakistan seven times since 1994. His last bilateral visit was in November 2015. In the multilateral context, President Rahmon visited Pakistan for the 13th ECO Summit held in Islamabad in March 2017. His forthcoming visit will reinforce the efforts of both sides to forge a long-term, multi-dimensional relationship. (@FahadShabbir) JOHANNESBURG (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 01st June, 2021) Recounting the events following the March 24 attack on Palma in Mozambique, survivor Wesley Nel, whose brother was killed by Al-Shabaab insurgents, told Sputnik that the evacuation was total chaos and not how it was presented in the Amnesty International reports. Nel, who was about to celebrate his 41st birthday on April 1, survived the assault after taking cover with some other people at a hotel. He stressed that the Amnesty International report, which claimed that white contractors and even dogs were given priority over the local black population during evacuation, was highly inaccurate. Nel said he believed the report was biased and aimed to smear the image of the Dyck Advisory Group (DAG), a private military company hired by the Mozambican government to help fight militants in the northern Cabo Delgado province. "With regards to the Amnesty International report, honestly, they have something out for DAG because it was inaccurate. We are living proof of this. On the 25th of March, Thursday, there choppers arrived and evacuated 24 people who had medical conditions. One guy was diabetic and did not have medical insulin, and women and children were given priority as that was the agreement," Nel said. Six expats and 18 locals were the first to be rescued on March 25, according to Nel. In total, there were about 175 people who took shelter at the Amarula hotel. The feeling of disappointment everyone felt when the rescue helicopters did not return that day because of fuel issues is hard to describe, Nel told Sputnik. "We were told that they would arrive the following day on Friday. And on Friday, we were lying down in the hotel because the insurgents were shooting and there were around fifteen of them surrounding the hotel and shooting at the gate. The insurgents did not know if we were armed or not, so they could not come in. They were shooting from the road and getting more and more tense and when the choppers arrived, they would shoot at them," Nel recalled. The survivors tried to contact a local representative of the French energy giant Total, which has a major gas project worth $60 billion near Palma, but the response wasn't what they had hoped for. The representative said there was nothing the company could do, in spite of Nel appealing to his sense of decency. "You are leaving us here to be slaughtered," was the last thing Nel told the employee before he hung up. According to Nel, Total also refused to help refuel the rescue helicopters, making all sorts of excuses from COVID-19 to them becoming the target should they come to the rescue. Locals in Pemba bought fuel and donated it, but the boat carrying the supplies did not arrive. "We were told that the government was sending the choppers bought from Paramount [defense company] and they said that no, they cannot, and some of the choppers got shot at and the Ukrainian soldiers returned and parked at Afungi. About 800 Mozambican soldiers stayed in Afungi and those who were supposed to protect us, ran and fled and took off," he noted. While the situation with the rescue stalled, the gunfire continued and the insurgents began burning properties at night, Nel said. Their camp in Palma had been looted, and the government was failing to provide food supplies, refusing help from international organizations. Faced with dire circumstances and no help arriving from Total, the survivors decided to leave with an armed convoy. "We loaded 150 people into the cars. We hatched an evacuation plan ... at about 4 p.m. [14:00 GMT], we convoyed in two armored vehicles one with a single canopy and we put all women and children and we, contractors, took our cars. The other armored vehicle did not have a canopy, it was from Vodacom [network operator]," Nel recounted. The fleeing survivors encountered the first ambush less than a mile away from the hotel. Nel said they tried to take in those who were shot and wounded, and were ambushed again only a couple miles later. This time, his brother Adrian was struck by a bullet, fell out of the car and died on the spot. Adrian was the driver. "And I jumped in to the driver's seat and drove off again and we did not drive into more ambushes. We were meant to meet at the quarry to meet the military check point and we would then go on foot to the beach to be rescued," Nel explained. Adrian Nel lost his job as a commercial driver in the Democratic Republic of the Congo due to the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. He went to join his father and brother in Mozambique earlier this year to do construction work building accommodations for employees of gas companies in Palma. "He lost his job due to COVID-19 and he came here, and less than three months into the new job he got killed. It's not fair. I blame Total and the Mozambican government," Nel said. In late March, militants linked to the Islamic State terrorist group (banned in Russia), announced the seizure of Palma, which is home to international gas projects. It is still not known how many were killed in the siege. Thousands of local residents fled the violence and for some time they were the only source of information about what was happening inside Palma, as militants shut down the city's internet. Senior consultant for Southern Africa at International Crisis Group, Piers Pigou, told Sputnik that over 800,000 people have been internally displaced since jihadists first launched an insurgency in the Cabo Delgado province in 2017. Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-01 14:06:31|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close DHAKA -- Partners in Population and Development (PPD) has handed over China-donated medicines and kits to the Bangladeshi government for better postnatal care of mother's health in the country. Mohammad Sharif, a senior official of Bangladesh's Directorate General of Family Planning (DGFP), received the medical supplies in a ceremony held both in-person and virtually on Monday in capital Dhaka. (Bangladesh-Chinese Donations) - - - - NEW DELHI -- India's COVID-19 tally rose to 28,175,044 on Tuesday with 127,510 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, said the federal health ministry. The daily spike of new cases has been falling over the past couple of weeks. The cases registered in a day have fallen to the lowest level in nearly two months. Besides, 2,795 deaths were reported since Sunday morning, taking the death toll to 331,895. (India-COVID-19 Cases) - - - - HANOI -- Vietnam reported 111 new COVID-19 cases from 6:00 p.m. local time Monday to 6:00 a.m. Tuesday, raising the total confirmed cases in the country to 7,432, according to the Ministry of Health. The new cases, which are all community transmissions, include 51 in the southern Ho Chi Minh City, 45 in the northern epidemic hotspot Bac Giang province, and 15 in the nearby northern Bac Ninh province. All of them are contacts of previously confirmed patients or linked to the clusters of infections in the localities. (Vietnam-COVID-19 Cases) - - - - PHNOM PENH -- Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen on Monday renewed his call on countries to open international trades and uphold multilateralism in order to rebuild a resilient global economy in the post-COVID-19 era. Speaking at the second Seoul Summit of Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030 via videoconference, Hun Sen said Cambodia is a strong supporter of free trade and multilateralism. (Cambodia-International Trade) - - - - SEOUL -- South Korea reported 459 more cases of COVID-19 as of midnight Monday compared to 24 hours ago, raising the total number of infections to 140,799. The daily caseload was up from 430 the previous day, staying below 500 for three straight days. The daily average caseload for the past week was 554. The daily number of infections has been hovering in triple figures since Nov. 8 last year due to cluster infections in Seoul and its surrounding Gyeonggi province as well as imported cases. (South Korea-COVID-19 Cases) Enditem DAMASCUS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 01st June, 2021) Four people were killed and 13 more got injured after militants from Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) opened fire at demonstrators in Syria's Manbij on Tuesday, a local source told Sputnik. "SDF fighters opened fire on demonstrators at the Jazeera circle in the center of Manbij, four people were killed and 13 injured as a result," the source said, adding that some injured people are in critical condition. According to the source, demonstrators against the SDF are ongoing for several days in Manbij as locals disagree with "forced conscription of the male population into the armed forces of the Kurdish formations." Kurdish militias imposed a curfew and fully blocked the city. At the same time, another source told Sputnik that locals in a settlement east of Manbij kicked Kurdish fighters out after they used force against residents. Moldova should not support the sanctions of Western countries against Belarus as this contradicts Chisinau's interests, former Moldovan President Igor Dodon, who is also the leader of the country's Party of Socialists, said on Friday CHISINAU (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 28th May, 2021) Moldova should not support the sanctions of Western countries against Belarus as this contradicts Chisinau's interests, former Moldovan President Igor Dodon, who is also the leader of the country's Party of Socialists, said on Friday. On Monday, the European Union recommended European carriers to avoid flights over Belarus and called for new sanctions against the country, following the incident with a Ryanair flight, which had to make an emergency landing in Minsk over a bomb threat flagged by the Belarusian authorities, which turned out to be fake. One of the plane's passengers, Roman Protasevich, the founder of a Telegram channel that Minsk has designated as extremist, was detained during the stopover at the Minsk airport. "I strongly oppose breaking up all relations with Belarus only because the West demands it," Dodon said in his video speech, published on his Facebook page. According to the former president, the termination of the countries' relationship contradicts Chisinau's interests, as Belarus is Moldova's seventh trade partner. Dodon added, commenting on the Ryanair incident and Protasevich detention, that it is up to Belarus to resolve its internal issues. MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 01st June, 2021) The conclusion of an agreement on a free trade area between Mongolia and the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEU) will contribute to further expansion of the economic relations between Moscow and Ulan Bator, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday following a meeting with his Mongolian counterpart, Battsetseg Batmunkh. The meeting took place as part of the Mongolian minister's official visit to Russia. The talks focused on the bilateral Russia-Mongolia agenda, with the emphasis on trade, transport, energy and humanitarian issues, as well as the cooperation at the regional and international levels. "Negotiations continue between Mongolia and the Eurasian Economic Commission on the possibility of concluding an agreement on a free trade area, which, of course, would contribute to further expanding our economic ties," the Russian minister said at a joint press conference. The sides also expressed support for stepping up the activity of the intergovernmental trade and economic commission, whose co-chairmen last met via video link in March. (@FahadShabbir) MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 01st June, 2021) Mongolian Foreign Minister Battsetseg Batmunkh told Sputnik that she will discuss with the top Russian diplomat, Sergey Lavrov, future bilateral contacts at the high and highest levels. "We plan to discuss with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov a wide range of the issues on bilateral relations. For example, the regional and international issues. Special attention will be paid to the coordination of contacts between the heads of our two countries in the future. We plan to discuss the schedule of contacts at highest and high levels as well as the implementation of the plan dedicated to the 100th anniversary of diplomatic relations," the foreign minister said in an interview ahead of the Tuesday meeting. Batmunkh added that after the presidential elections in Mongolia on June 9, the country's foreign ministry will work out a new foreign policy agenda "where an important place will be given to the development of relations and cooperation with Russia." This is Batmunkh's first official visit abroad and choosing Russia as a first place to come has "great symbolic significance." JOHANNESBURG/PEMBA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 30th May, 2021) Two months after the deadly attack on Mozambique's town of Palma, displaced survivors told Sputnik that they still have no support from the government and are struggling with hunger and the lack of decent living conditions. Some survivors say they have no shelter and are exposed to intense heat during day and the cold during night. "We are defenseless and without the basic goods and services to survive. We eat meals donated by people of good will, and we sometimes go for days without eating," Muaziza Adrisse, a distraught mother of five, said. Adrisse, 32, told Sputnik that she is still haunted by the memory of how her husband was beheaded by militants in the village of Quirinde in Palma district of Cabo Delgado province, where they had taken refuge. "I just cry, until now, I cry," she said. "I did not have time to bury my husband. We escaped, me and my five children and two of my nephews." In late March, jihadists announced seizure of Palma, which is home to international gas projects, killing an unknown number of people and displacing some 14,000 others internally, about 40% of whom are children. The majority of the survivors fled to the provincial capital of Pemba, where several camps have been set up. However, most people settled on vacant spaces in the Maringanha and Chuiba neighborhoods, where they are waiting for the government to notify them that life is back to normal and the region is safe from the Al-Shabaab group (linked to the Islamic State terrorist organization, banned in Russia). In total, close to 700,000 people have been forced out of their homes in Cabo Delgado province since militants launched insurgency in 2017. The surge in violence has led to a humanitarian crisis in the country. The idea to form an Indo-Pacific region, propelled by Japan, the US, and Australia, is confrontational by nature and can disrupt the already-existing cooperation structures between countries, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 01st June, 2021) The idea to form an Indo-Pacific region, propelled by Japan, the US, and Australia, is confrontational by nature and can disrupt the already-existing cooperation structures between countries, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday. Lavrov met with the Mongolian top diplomat, Battsetseg Batmunkh, to discuss interaction in international organizations, primarily in the UN and the OSCE, as well as in various forums in the Asia-Pacific region. "We have shared our assessment of the initiatives currently being promoted by the United States, Australia and Japan to form the so-called Indo-Pacific Region. We have agreed that this idea is openly confrontational and aims to break down the open and inclusive cooperation structures that have been built for decades around ASEAN," Lavrov said at a joint press conference after the meeting. The two diplomats further discussed bilateral cooperation under the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. The US has been fortifying its position in the Indo-Pacific both militarily and diplomatically, with the government's new fiscal year 2022 budget reflecting increased engagement with the area. The defense budget included $5.1 billion for the US military's Pacific Deterrence Initiative, which is designed to increase American capabilities in the Indo-Pacific and counter China's regional policies. Turkmenistan has opened a tourist season at the Avaza National Tourist Zone on the shores of the Caspian Sea, a state newspaper said on Tuesday MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 01st June, 2021) Turkmenistan has opened a tourist season at the Avaza National Tourist Zone on the shores of the Caspian Sea, a state newspaper said on Tuesday. According to the Neytralnyy Turkmenistan, the vaccination against COVID-19 is obligatory for those willing to take a vacation at the seaside. For this reason, the health ministry designated 18 hospitals in the capital of Ashgabat and other regions, where travelers have to undergo inoculation. In addition, it is necessary to make a PCR test not less than 72 hours before the journey and to provide it at checkpoints. The rules also include other restrictions, such as personal hygiene, social distance, wearing masks that must be changed every two hours. Visits by Turkmen citizens to the shores of the Caspian Sea was banned in May 2020 in a bid to contain the spread of infectious diseases. In April, the authorities announced the opening of the coast for tourists from June 1 until September 15. The Holy See has been accorded a non-Member State Observer status by the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations specialized health agency, a tribute to the Churchs involvement and commitment to issues concerning the human family and health for all. Archbishop Ivan Jurkovic, the Holy Sees Permanent Observer to the United Nations in Geneva, spoke to Vatican News about this recognition. By Vatican News staff writer Archbishop Ivan Jurkovic, the Holy Sees Permanent Observer to the United Nations in Geneva, spoke to Vatican News in an interview on Tuesday about the Holy See's new status as a non-Member State Observer at the World Health Organization in Geneva. Below are a few excerpts from that interview. Q: What significance does this new status have for the Holy See? I would like to just tell you that the Holy See has participated at the World Health Organization (WHO) from the very beginning. It is interesting to see that the first session of World Health Assembly, which is the highest assembly of the WHO, was held in Rome, and the Pope made a speech to the participants on 29 June 1949. It was published in LOsservatore Romano, and I have this page in front of me. So, it means somehow providentially the first session of World Health Assembly was held in Rome and the Pope offered words in favor of activity of this organization. But, later on, as you know, this organization was at the beginning, now we have a United Nations system, so it means you have already a systematic participation of many organizations within the United Nations. So, the Holy See renewed the status of its participation at the United Nations in 2004 with a resolution in New York. And it was always a necessity to adapt the participation of other specialized agencies as we call organizations at the United Nations often; it was necessary to adopt this participation of other organizations to the status that we have now guaranteed juridically in New York in front of General Assembly. In the case of WHO, we did not have this status. We were always year after year invited by the Director General, but we did not have a right to participate. So, now with this resolution we have full rights to participate but, as usually exists in the UN, in the quality of observer non-member state. It means a fully juridically-recognized sovereign entit,y but participating not in full membership but observer state membership. So, what does it mean? For us it means stable, independent participation on the biggest events in the world health system that many believe represent WHO in Geneva. We consider this a juridical necessity and an expression of reality of what the Holy See does in the field. The Holy See is visible basically through two activities. One is education. The Catholic Church has 300,000 schools in the world and 1,000 universities, more or less. And, through the welfare activity of the Catholic Church, which is more or less 110,000 institutions in the world. These are absolutely visible, and you cannot avoid not having in front of the WHO the participation of an observer state, somebody who is working in the world with 110,000 institutions. So, it means it was an absolute necessity. Why now? This is a good question. Certainly, Covid is one of the reasons, and made it more important for us to join, compared to two or three years ago. And the second is also this conviction of the Holy Father that big global problems must be confronted at the international, multi-lateral level, which is very much appreciated here in Geneva. Q: What do you think is the most valuable contribution the Holy See can make now also as an observer there? I would tell you this is a complicated question, because when people speak about the Holy See, they say: "Aahh, but they are against this and that", so it is not a simple participation. I think what we are always defending is the aim of the WHO, which is health for all. So, we are within that. It means we are really testifying as a Church that we take care of everybody. I was talking to an ambassador, and I wanted to present to him what the Catholic Church does. He said he is from a Muslim country, and he said: "You know, Mr. Ambassador, you do not have to tell me that, because I was operated on in a Catholic hospital, and my daughter was born in a Catholic hospital." So, I said that we are open to everybody. The second thing that is also very important here is that, in the world in which we live today, we have to live together with different convictions. So, bringing to WHO the ethical and moral convictions of the Catholic Church, of our Christian faith, which are shared by many others, these are contributions. It is not simplifying the working of the WHO. This is why some people feared we would create some uneasy situations. But, it is intellectually, absolutely indefensible, because health for all is the conviction of all. For us, it means a complicated way on how to participate and carry on the dialogue with people who have different convictions. We just received after this brief period of negotiation an invitation from an embassy, another group organization based in Africa, to present now in front of Human Rights Council, which is going to meet in two weeks time, an initiative in favor of the family. Everybody knows that we are favorable to a certain view of the family, and they come to us, and we do it together with everybody else. It is an engagement with the world. That is concern for health for all, but at the same time it is also openness to accept the convictions of all. And I think this is a challenging task for us and challenge also for the organization. Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-01 15:05:28|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi holds talks with Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto, in Guiyang, capital of southwest China's Guizhou Province, May 31, 2021. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin) GUIYANG, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday held talks with Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto, in Guiyang, capital city of southwest China's Guizhou Province. Noting that China-Hungary bilateral ties have achieved remarkable results in recent years, Wang said the friendly cooperation between the two countries has jointly created many firsts, which include Hungary becoming the first European nation to sign a memorandum of understanding with China involving the Belt and Road Initiative and the opening of the first RMB clearing center of the Bank of China in Hungary. The Hungarian-Chinese bilingual school in Hungary is the first such kind of school in Europe, and Hungary is the first European Union (EU) member state to purchase and authorize the use of Chinese vaccines, Wang added. "This fully demonstrates the high level and quality of bilateral relations," Wang noted, calling on both sides to seize the opportunity, take advantage of the situation to seek cooperation and overcome challenges together. With regards to vaccine cooperation, Wang said China supports Chinese enterprises to explore joint filling and production of vaccines with Hungarian enterprises, and is willing to promote high-level and broader cooperation in healthcare between the two countries. Szijjarto thanked China for the timely and advanced delivery of several batches of vaccines to Hungary despite high domestic demands in China, which helped protect the lives of Hungarian people. Speaking against politicizing the epidemic, he said viruses neither have any political background nor ideology, and stigmatization or blame-shifting is the last thing that should be done. Talking about EU-China relations, Szijjarto said China is a cooperative partner of Europe, and Hungary firmly supports the development of EU-China relations and the cooperation mechanism among Central and Eastern European Countries. Wang and Szijjarto also addressed a joint press briefing after the meeting. Noting that European foreign ministers of Poland, Serbia, Ireland and Hungary have paid successive visits to China from May 29 to 31, Wang said this is the first face-to-face meeting between Chinese and European foreign ministers this year and also a strategic communication between China and the EU in the face of the new international situations and challenges. Wang added that they have engaged in in-depth and candid communication and reached a broad consensus that strengthening dialogues and cooperations in the post-epidemic era should be the common choice of China and European countries. Noting that current challenges in China-EU relations deserve attention and should be calmly reflected upon, Wang said upholding multilateralism is always the most important consensus between China and Europe. Enditem Lazada, Sendo, and other e-commerce sites have all started trading agricultural products Both Lazada and Sendo have carried out several programmes to support the northern province of Hai Duongs farmers to sell litchi products on their e-commerce platforms. According to Dang Dang Truong, PR lead at Sendo, just between May 24 and 27, a total of 12 tonnes of litchi were sold through the platform. Similarly, at a recent conference promoting the export of agricultural products from Hai Duong held by the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency (Vietrade), newly-established online shopping sites such as Voso (Viettel Post) and Postmart (Vietnam Post) also announced to start focusing on agricultural items instead of fast-moving consumer goods, clothes, and cosmetics like other platforms. The new segment also lured in the involvement of startups such as Vietnam-based FoodMap and Indonesia-based TaniFund. So far, TaniFund has successfully mobilised $65.5 million Series B funding, led by MDI Ventures, while harbouring plans to enter Vietnam at the soonest. In a previous talk with VIR, Sendo founder and CEO Tran Hai Linh said that agricultural goods have solid trade potential on e-commerce sites in Vietnam because they have been one of the most consumed commodities in Vietnam. However, to date, due to obstacles related to logistics and transportation, agricultural items, especially fresh food, have yet to reach popularity on online shopping sites. He explained the hardest part of entering the segment is ensuring the best quality of fresh food products during transportation. There need to be suitable packaging and transporting processes to keep produce fresh and undamaged on short and longer trips. Pham Ngoc Anh Tung, founder of FoodMap has also highlighted the high investment costs that come with entering this retail segment. According to Development Reimagined, a China-headquartered organisation specialised in diplomacy, environment, and public relations, selling agricultural products online cost a long time and large investments before reaching success. For example, in China, e-commerce giant Alibaba in 2015 carried out the Taobao villages programme to help farmers sell their products on its Taobao platform. However, until 2020, purchasing agricultural goods online reached common in the country. President Nguyen Xuan Phuc (right) and Ambassador Giorgio Aliberti, head of the European Union Delegation to Vietnam (Photo: VNA) Hanoi Ambassador Giorgio Aliberti, head of the European Union Delegation to Vietnam, told President Nguyen Xuan Phuc on June 1 that he is willing to support Vietnam in accessing COVID-19 vaccine sources and vaccine technology transfer from Europe. The ambassador applauded Vietnams efforts in the pandemic fight and expressed his hope that the country will successfully complete its vaccine rollout. During the reception for Aliberti, the President thanked the EU for its medical support through the COVAX Facility and Team Europe, and called on the EU to help Vietnam enhance its capacity for COVID-19 vaccination and production. Phuc expressed his delight at the active development of the partnership and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and the EU over the past time. The EU has become a leading important partner of Vietnam in many regards, the President said, adding that the two sides have signed a number of cooperation agreements in politics, trade, investment, and national defence and security such as the EU-Vietnam Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA), the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement, the Framework Participation Agreement (FPA) and the Voluntary Partnership Agreement on Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade. Such documents have created a firm foundation for the two sides to lift their relations to a new high, Phuc said. Lauding Alibertis contributions to the Vietnam-EU ties, Phuc suggested the ambassador continue to urge the European Parliament (EP) to soon complete procedures to ratify the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA). The ambassador, for his part, spoke highly of Vietnams non-permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council for 2020-2021. He thanked Vietnam for its support in upgrading the ASEAN-EU relationship to a strategic partnership, and noted his wish that the two sides will continue their cooperation within the framework, for the sake of ASEAN countries and the EU. While discussing regional and international issues of shared concern, Aliberti emphasised the significance of international law, notably the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982 UNCLOS) to regional peace, stability, cooperation and development. On this occasion, the ambassador handed over a congratulatory letter of European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen to President Nguyen Xuan Phuc. Phuc asked the ambassador to convey his invitations to the EUs high-ranking leaders to visit Vietnam. A production line of a Japanese-invested firm at the Quang Minh IP in Hanoi (Photo: VNA) Hanoi Total registered capital of new foreign-invested projects and additional capital in existing ones in Hanoi amounted to 519.2 million USD in the first five months of this year, according to the Statistics Department of Hanoi. Specifically, 139 new FDI projects worth 76.8 million USD were licensed in the period, while existing projects absorbed 442.4 million USD. In May alone, Hanoi gave the green light to 14 wholly foreign-owned projects and two foreign joint ventures, with combined registered capital of 5.3 million USD. Meanwhile, foreign investors poured 184 million USD in operational projects. Regarding domestic enterprises, 2,238 new enterprises were established in Hanoi in May, up 8 percent year on year, which registered a total 42.3 trillion VND (1.84 billion USD) in capital, up 69 percent. At the same time, 245 firms dissolved, up 20 percent, and 788 suspended operation, an increase of 28 percent, but 644 resumed operation, a surge of 51 percent. The Roper Valley iron ore mine is estimated to have 320 million tonnes of reserves The acquisition marks Hoa Phat's official foray into the world largest iron ore supply market. Australias Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) has approved the deal. Accordingly, the Roper Valley iron ore mine project is estimated to have 320 million tonnes of reserves, with a mining capacity of four million tonnes per year. Hoa Phat will continue to research purchasing other new iron mines in Australia to ensure a long-term supply of at least 50 per cent of its iron ore demand (equivalent to 10 million tonnes a year). The raw material that constitutes up to 30 per cent of the steel price is coking coal, which is currently imported from Australia the world's largest coking coal supplier market. The group is also studying to buy some Australian coking coal mines in the future to gradually become self-sufficient in this important production material. Hoa Phat is a leading industrial manufacturing group in Vietnam. Originally set up as a construction machine and equipment trading company in 1992, Hoa Phat has gradually expanded its business to trading and production of furniture, steel pipe, steel, refrigeration, real estate, and agriculture. Steel production is its core business line accounting for over 80 per cent of the revenue and profit of the group. With a total capacity of over eight million tonnes of steel, Hoa Phat is the largest manufacturer of construction steel and steel pipes in Vietnam with a market share of 32.5 and 31.7 per cent, respectively. LG Electronics will convert its smartphone production in Haiphong to produce home appliances The move follows LG's decision to withdraw from the mobile business in April, according to Yonhap newswire. Since then, LG has been actively relocating its mobile workforce and resources to its core home appliance segment in a bid to fully exit from its loss-making mobile division by July 31. LG has witnessed surging demand for its premium appliances in light of the stay-at-home trend during the pandemic. In April, LG Electronics Vietnam was reported to be looking for a buyer for its Haiphong smartphone factory for $90 million. However, at a meeting with leaders of the Ministry of Planning and Investment's Foreign Investment Agency, the company's leader refuted the news and stated that the LG Electronics factory in Haiphong will remain in operation. The factory in Haiphong was invested $1.5 billion to manufacture smartphones, TVs, air conditioners, vacuum cleaners, and washing machines. It also provides after-sales services, installation, maintenance, repair, and other services for all LG products. LG Home Appliance & Air Solution Company generated first-quarter sales of $6.03 billion, an increase of 23.8 per cent from the previous year. Operating profit of $826.39 million was 22.1 per cent higher than the first quarter last year, according to LG's first-quarter 2021 financial results. LG said that for the second consecutive quarter, the appliance business division saw significant on-year growth in North America and Europe as well as in its home market of South Korea where the rental business is particularly healthy. Profitability was accompanied by stable growth led by strong sales of premium products in North America and Europe. The business unit expects to see continued growth by expanding overseas sales in new products. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (Photo: VNA) Hanoi Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attended and addressed the 2021 P4G Seoul Summit on May 31 evening. The following is the full text of his remarks. Your Excellency President Moon Jae-in of the Republic of Korea, Distinguished leaders, Ladies and gentlemen, Let me first express my deep appreciation to the Government of the Republic of Korea and President Moon Jae-in for hosting this Summit under such a meaningful theme. On behalf of the Government of Viet Nam, and from my own heart, I would like to extend to all of you my warmest greetings and best wishes. Ladies and gentlemen, The world is now witnessing the compounding effects at an unprecedented scale and scope arising from three major catastrophes, namely the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and natural resources depletion, not to mention the ageing population in many countries. These challenges have left dire and multidimensional consequences, not only for today but also for our future generations. However, the pandemic, and those challenges and hardships have shown us more clearly the importance of environmental protection and harmony between human and nature, and created a momentum to push our advancement and capability. More than ever before, we must be of one mind and join hands to strike a balance between the urgent need for economic recovery and the demand for greener and more sustainable growth in the post-COVID era. This is both an objective and a pressing requirement for development of all nations. Accordingly, I would like to make the following proposals: First, green recovery, green economy and circular economy must be vigorously pursued at the national, regional and global levels, under the general framework of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030 and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. We need to alter the way of thinking, methodology, develop practical approach and shift from passive response to harmonious, compatible and effective combination of active response and transition towards a green economy. By so doing, we will be able to avoid inversion causing shock effects. Second, green transition requires a suitable roadmap. And, it is critical to take into account different conditions and capabilities of countries. Developed countries should continue to take the lead in realizing their emission reduction commitments. They are also expected to provide financial, technological and institutional assistance to developing countries and severely-affected nations by climate change. Third, it is imperative to develop institutions to encourage the support and engagement of all stakeholders, particularly the business community and the people. It is indeed crucial to promote public-private partnership (PPP) projects for green growth and establish new value chains and sectors through greening industrial and agricultural production, and services. Fourth, it is essential to enhance adaptability for the regions worst hit by climate change, including the Mekong Subregion and Vietnams Mekong Delta. The severe challenges in those regions call for the close and responsible cooperation from the international community, especially in the sustainable management and use of cross-border water resources. This will help ensure food and water resource security in the region and the world. Fifth, preventing and curbing the COVID-19 pandemic successfully are most urgent for growth to bounce back. The efforts of each country are of paramount importance, but effective international cooperation is indispensable. Such collaboration spans from empathy for the emotional and material loss of others, sharing of technology, financial and medical resources, especially vaccines, facilitation of international trade and investment, to cooperation in enabling transportation and movement of people and goods between countries, and avoiding disruption of global supply chain. Sixth, we need to uphold the spirit of unity, responsibility and mutual respect among countries in the common interest of humanities given the current situation. We must sustain a favourable international environment and continue to promote peace, stability and cooperation for development. This will benefit our economic recovery and international cooperation. Ladies and gentlemen, As for Vietnam, Vietnam is determined to pursue its dual goal despite numerous challenges. This means curbing the pandemic effectively while fostering fast and sustainable socio-economic recovery and development. Vietnam is striving to ensure harmonious, rational and effective development, balance economic growth with cultural and social factors, environmental protection and climate adaptation. These objectives will be accomplished on the basis of the following focuses: (i) viewing growth model transformation, economic restructuring, green growth, market demand, newly-emerging industries and enhancement of productivity as directions for development; (ii) the people are always placed at the center and considered to be the subject, the greatest resource and most important driver as well as the highest goal of development; (iii) Vietnam resolutely rejects the model of growth first, clean-up later and does not condone growth at all costs without sustainability. And, Vietnam will certainly not pursue pure economic growth at the expense of social progress and equality. I would like to take this opportunity to express my heart-felt gratitude to all international partners, including the Republic of Korea, for the invaluable support and assistance extended to Vietnam in pursuing its development goals. Vietnam looks forward to the continued and effective assistance and cooperation from other countries, international organizations and businesses, especially in the implementation of key and high-quality infrastructure projects, green economy, digital economy, circular economy, climate change response and adaptation, and smart cities for Vietnams sustainable development goals. As a member state of key international agreements on environment and climate change and as one of the founding members of the P4G Summit, Vietnam stands ready to contribute actively and responsibly to the common efforts of the international community so that we can fulfill the goals of green recovery and sustainable development. In this spirit, I give my full support for the Seoul Declaration proposed by the Government of the Republic of Korea at this meeting. Ladies and gentlemen, I am convinced that, alongside the outcomes of the Leaders' Summit on Climate Change on April 22 and the upcoming COP 26 in November, the P4G Summit today will go down in history as a convergence of understanding, shared responsibilities and commitments to actions. Let us join hands to cement international cooperation so that together we can overcome any challenges, respond effectively to climate change and realize the goals of global green growth. Thank you for your kind attention. May our Summit be a great success! In the first five months, Vietnam's export turnover reached $130.94 billion, up 30.7 per cent on-year According to the General Statistics Office, although the COVID-19 pandemic strongly spread in several provinces and cities, especially Bac Giang and Bac Ninh, commodity exports in May reached $26 billion, an on-year growth of 35.6 per cent and a slight decrease of 2.1 per cent against the previous month. In the first five months, export turnover of goods reached $130.94 billion, up 30.7 per cent over the same period last year. Accordingly, the domestic economic sector reached $33.06 billion, up 16 .6 per cent and accounting for 25.2 per cent of the total export turnover. Meanwhile, the foreign-invested sector reached $97.88 billion ((including crude oil), up 36.3 per cent, accounting for 74.8 per cent. Notably, there were 22 items with an export turnover of over $1 billion, accounting for 87.3 per cent of total export turnover. There were six items with export turnover exceeding $5 billion, accounting for 63.8 per cent. Heavy industrial and mineral products reached $70.7 billion, up 33 per cent compared to the corresponding period last year. Additionally, light industrial products and handicrafts were estimated at $47.32 billion, up 33 per cent, while the agricultural and forestry products reached $9.69 billion, up 13.5 per cent. Finally, seafood products reached $3.24 billion, up 12 per cent. Most impressively, exports to key markets have reached record growth. Especially, exports to the US, Vietnam's largest export market, accounted for the largest portion with a turnover of $37.6 billion, up 49.8 per cent over the same period last year. This was followed by China with $20.1 billion (up 26 per cent), the EU with $16.1 billion (up 20.8 per cent), ASEAN with $11.5 billion (up 23.7 per cent), South Korea with $8.9 billion (up 17.1 per cent), and Japan with $8.4 billion (up 7.7 per cent). THACO expects to expand the chain to 3-4 hypermarkets by 2022 and to 11 points of sale by 2025 At its online shareholders' meeting on May 31, THACO said it has reached a formal agreement with Emart Inc. and expects to complete the final stages of the deal in mid-June. After the deal is completed, THACO will develop the detailed design of the stores and prepare for the efficient operation of the Emart hypermarket business. In 2021, the Emart hypermarket system expects to reach more than VND1.8 trillion ($78.34 million) in revenue, an increase of about 10 per cent compared to 2020. Tran Ba Duong, chairman of THACO, said that the hypermarkets developed by the domestic automaker will incorporate facilities like showrooms, food courts, conference centres, and wedding receptions, even a place where customers can view cars and experience vehicle maintenance. According to Duong, THACO wants to create a chain of low-cost hypermarkets to suit the wallets and taste of Vietnamese people. He added that the one-stop hypermarkets of THACO would create greater conveniences for customers and that low-cost hypermarkets are the upcoming trend, especially in provincial markets. Meanwhile, Nguyen Hung Minh, vice chairman of the Board of Directors revealed that the company signed an agreement to acquire 100 per cent of the capital of Emart Vietnam Co., Ltd., including the supermarket of Emart Phan Van Tri in Go Vap district, Ho Chi Minh City, as well as other supermarket projects being developed in Vietnam. Moreover, the two sides signed a franchise agreement and Emart Inc. granted THACO exclusive commercial rights to its supermarket model for a period of nine years. Additionally, THACO will distribute Emart's Nobrand private label products in the Vietnamese market. Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-01 16:10:48|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close FAIZABAD, Afghanistan, June 1 (Xinhua) -- The police have discovered 5 kg of heroin from a car and arrested four commuters on the charge of smuggling the contraband in Afghanistan's northern Badakhshan province, provincial police spokesman Sanahullah Rohani said Tuesday. According to the official, four people, including two men and two women who were attempting to smuggle the heroin from Kasham district to the neighboring Takhar province onward to Kabul, were arrested, and the contraband has been seized. All the alleged drug smugglers are under investigation, the official added. Many farmers in militancy-hit Afghanistan cultivate poppy and hashish, but the government is determined to check poppy products and drug smuggling, police said. Enditem Last week, the VN-Index reached an all-time high of 1,300 points as investor optimism soared due to prospects of an economic surge in the context of nationwide vaccinations and favourable supporting policies. Banks are seen as proxies for the health of the US economy. Their shares were in the doldrums around this time last year when global commerce ground to a halt. But over the past few months, stocks have bounced back. The index returned to a record in March, topping its prior high from 2007. Hoang Viet Phuong, head of Research at SSI This years annual general shareholders' meeting (AGM) season has nearly ended, with equity capital raises just beginning. In particular, the two most heavily-weighted sectors (banking and property) combined represent over 50 per cent of the VN-Index and are expected to be the most active. There are, however, some specific names where we are even more optimistic: VietinBank, Techcombank, and Vietcombank. We also have VPBank, TPBank, and Sacombank on our watchlist as they may have surprising upside relating to capital raising plans (VPBank, TPBank) and a turnaround story after the settlement of legacy assets (Sacombank). In the property sector, our current top picks are Nam Long Investment Corporation (NLG), Development Investment Construction JSC (DIG), and Dat Xanh Group JSC (DXG) which will be the beneficiaries of infrastructure improvements in Ho Chi Minh City and neighbouring areas while offering strong earnings growth prospects in 2021. We are of the view that the domestic banking sector will be the largest beneficiary as their recapitalisation plans will fuel stronger operations. Many privately-run banks including Techcombank and VPBank were significantly recapitalised in 2017 and 2018 while state-owned banks like Vietcombank and BIDV had their capital reinforced during 2019. Since then, credit growth at listed banks has outstripped equity growth while more stringent Basel II standards were adopted across the sector since 2019. Banks require greater capital buffers to maintain their current growth momentum during the pandemic. This year, no less than 16 listed banks under SSI coverage plan to significantly raise charter capital in 2021. In detail, the charter capital at these banks is set to increase VND82.7 trillion ($3.6 billion) (up 31 per cent on-year), VND61.8 trillion ($2.69 billion) or 75 per cent of which is expected to be raised via share splits; VND18.3 trillion ($795.66 million) or 22 per cent from private placements and/or rights issuance events, and VND2.6 trillion ($113 million) or 3 per cent will be issued via employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs). Since 2020, the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) restricted bank payments of cash dividends. Instead, the SBV encouraged stock dividends or buying back outstanding Vietnam Asset Management Company (VAMC) bonds. The only exception was that cash dividends could be paid by state-owned banks (Vietcombank, VietinBank, and BIDV) where a cash dividend was specifically requested by the State Treasury. State-owned bank stock dividends in 2021 are supported by Decree No.121/2020/ND-CP which allows the government to inject capital into banks where there is over 50 per cent state ownership. Techcombank, VPBank, and Sacombank have maintained their no-stock dividend policy since 2018. Meanwhile, for most commercial lenders, stock dividends are set at a historically higher ratio as compared to previous years, as the SBV has not permitted the payment of cash dividends during 2020 and 2021. We note that some private banks would completely clear their VAMC bonds during 2020 and can pay stock dividends. The majority of these plans, such as those by VIB and VPBank, are already in the pipeline. These lenders have been targeting to raise equity capital via private placement since 2018-2019. Similarly, Vietcombank and BIDV planned to sell equity stakes to foreign shareholders since raising capital in 2019. In the case of LienVietPostBank, a private placement was initiated in 2020. All of these plans have been active this year. Elsewhere, property developers are also paying more attention to capital mobilisation via bond issuance. Last year, the government released Decree No.81/2020/ND-CP dated July on amending and supplementing a number of articles of the governments 2018 Decree No.163/2018/ND-CP on the issuance of corporate bonds. Prior to Decree 81, which aimed to regulate overheated demand, bond issuance was the preferred method for property developers to raise capital in 2020. Based on our research, VND191 trillion ($8.3 billion) worth of corporate bonds were issued during 2020 by real estate developers, accounting for over 40 per cent of corporate bond issuance during the year. New issuance by real estate developers aggregated VND53 trillion ($2.3 billion) in the year to date. In 2021, the equity market has been much more favourable to the 20 largest listed residential developers. We note that there are seven companies planning to raise equity capital in 2021, with an initial expected amount of VND18.7 trillion ($813 million) via private placement, rights issuance, bond conversion, and VND434 billion ($18.87 million) in equity issued to ESOP programmes. Meanwhile, the remainder only plan to increase charter capital via share dividends. Compared to last year when equity capital raises were insignificant at approximately VND2.4 trillion ($104.35 million), mainly executed via stock dividend/bonus, these 2021 capital raises should substantially support the expected growth of these companies over the medium-term. Given the current positive market sentiment, the timing of these equity capital raises looks very good as well. In the same vein, the brokerage sector is also set to expand its footprint. The five largest listed brokerage firms are planning to raise equity capital, with VND6.4 trillion ($278.26 million) via right issuance, private placement and/or bond conversion, and VND813 billion ($35.35 million) via ESOP. This should help the industry expand its business, especially margin lending which is legally capped at twice the equity value. U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman arrived in Cambodia on Tuesday for the second leg of a regional tour, making her the most senior U.S. official to visit China's closest ally in Southeast Asia in almost a decade. The deputy secretary of state's trip comes amid an ongoing crackdown on opposition figures and against rights activists for speaking up about issues such as illegal logging. Sherman, who is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Hun Sen, civil society groups and journalists, has faced calls from rights groups for her to bring up human rights and the country's record on media freedom during her time in the country. The main opposition, the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), was banned and its leader Kem Sokha arrested before the 2018 election, allowing Hun Sen's ruling party to win every parliamentary seat, prompting international concern. "Freedom of expression is under threat in Cambodia like never before, and now facing internet censorship and controls, so Sherman should demand an end to government censorship and persecution of its critics," Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement. "Sherman should also publicly call for restoring respect for basic civil and political rights, like the right to peacefully protest which has been totally repressed in Phnom Penh and elsewhere in the country," Robertson said. The visit also takes place as China has become increasingly important economically for Cambodia, which has seen its ties with the United States and the European Union deteriorate in recent years. Government spokesman Phay Siphan called for dialog between Cambodia and the United States. "There are some issues that the United States doesn't understand clearly about Cambodia and that Cambodia does not understand the intentions of the United States," Phay Siphan told Reuters. "So for this meeting, if we are honest with each other and put issues on the table, then we can solve the problems," he added. On LiveTalk- The Connection, host Mike Hove speaks focuses on how young people are surviving in Kwekwe as the city enters week 2 of its Lockdown. We also spotlight the works of youth led organizations, which are helping communities in Zimbabwe during a time whereby the Southern African nation is fighting Coronavirus. Recording artist, Pablo Cartel who recently released his latest single titled Ngifuna Wena, also joins us.Call our studio directly at +1-202-619-2077 to participate. The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) says it has arrested an impostor who claimed to be an investigator with the Commission. ZACC spokesperson, John Makamure, said Prosper Kaseke of Close Glen Norah, Harare, gave a lift to a ZACC investigator and two other passengers at Westgate on their way to Nyabira last Friday. Along the way, Kaseke identified himself to the passengers as a field officer at the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission. He produced a fake identification card which was written National Anti-Corruption of Zimbabwe and told the passengers that he was on duty and was operating in the Banket area. Makamure said Kaseke went on to state that he was a captain stationed at Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commissions Herbert Chitepo offices. Kaseke, according to ZACC, also indicated that he had operated in many areas around Zimbabwe, including border areas and Kwekwe. On arrival at Nyabira, the ZACC Investigations Officer who was a passenger in the vehicle requested for a stopover at the bus-stop and he immediately arrested the impersonator and took him to Nyabira Police Station where he was detained. ZACC has received several reports of people that are masquerading as ZACC Commissioners, investigators or officials. We urge the public to be wary of such criminals. If anyone is approached by these so called ZACC officials, they must request for a positive identification or report the matter to the nearest police station, Whatsapp number +263719529483 or +263242307065/6/7, +263242369602/5/8/14 or zacc.online/tipoffs. ZACC is a state entity tasked with investigating various crimes in Zimbabwe. Relatives of the late former President Robert Mugabe say they have already shared his property following his death in 2019. In a wide-ranging interview, family spokesperson, Leo Mugabe, said it is surprising that Chief Zvimba, who wants Mugabes remains to be exhumed from his homestead and reburied at the National Heroes Acre, says some of the late former presidents belongings have not yet been shared. We have already shared (his belongings). Weve done all that. Thats the other responsibility of a nephew, a muzukuru like me. You get my point? Thats where I come in, and we did it. Its done. Finished. We dont call these people, anashe (chiefs), distant people, you only call close relatives. I have some clothes that used to be his, that were shared on that particular function (homestead event after his death). Mugabe claims that Chief Zvimba is not aware that all cultural norms were followed in sharing Mugabes property, which includes some farms and clothes. Immovable (property) Some of those things were left for his children. So, basically, its normal (for that to happen). Its normal. Movable things, you know clothes and others, you know, they were all shared. We shared all that. Mugabe castigated Chief Zvimba who summoned former First Lady, Grace Mugabe, to appear before a local traditional court facing charges of illegally burying the late former president at his homestead instead of a designated place. Chief Zvimba says he has given the government the green light to exhume Mugabes remains and bury them at the National Heroes Acre where a special enclosure was constructed for him. At the weekend the Karigamombe clan, related to the Mugabes, held a meeting in which they dismissed Chief Zvimbas order, noting that he was not supposed to summon Mrs. Mugabe to the traditional court. The family is vowing to take the matter to the highest court in Zimbabwe in order to block the exhumation of Mugabes remains. Leo Mugabe also insists that Chief Zvimba, who fined Mrs. Mugabe five cattle and a goat for allegedly violating local burial culture, failed to follow laid down traditional norms in dealing with such cases. He said, What he is doing is taking somebody who was married in a family, and he is saying now, you the widow, you must pay. You see, he is suing the wrong person, and this person that he is suing, will then say, you know we are going to take the cattle from the deceaseds estate. Who are you punishing? Who are you punishing? The children Who? People who you did not invite to any hearing, are the ones you are saying, go and pick up the cattle If the cattle were given to the kids, the children, you are now saying go and get the cattle from the children. These children are above 18. They should be cited in many court papers in their own right. He said the case will embarrass Zimbabwe. I think this whole exercise is an exercise in futility. It will not yield the required results. It will just mess us up as a country, our image and the image of the government and everyone else, because it is not necessary. All this is not necessary. Chief Zvimba insists that Mrs. Mugabe should be punished for violating some local traditional rites related to burying people. She is currently undergoing treatment for an undisclosed illness in Singapore. Mugabe died of cancer in Singapore after ruling Zimbabwe for almost 40 years. The Movement for Democratic Alliance the partys Youth Assembly is united contrary to reports of a rift between some members and the leaders of the opposition group led by Nelson Chamisa. In a statement, MDC Alliance Youth Assembly national spokesperson, Stephen Sarkozy Chuma, dismissed as false and malicious rumours propagated by the cornered regime of Emmerson Mnangagwa that suggest that there are divisions within the Peoples Youth Assembly. Chuma said unfortunately, some media houses have been deceived by this circle of lies and have amplified them. To begin with, the MDC Alliance Youth Assembly is a structure of the MDC Alliance. Our existence and conduct are anchored on the party's Constitution and to that effect: we do not subscribe to violence or tolerate it in any shape or form. There has been a deliberate plot to taint us as a divided unit with some unfounded allegations that the Assembly is somehow at war with fellow Management members. He said these allegations are not true and it is the work of enemies of change agenda who have always been at war with progressive young people. Chuma claimed that we are aware that after failing to dampen our spirits through arbitrary arrests, pre-trial detentions and convictions, the desperate regime is at war with the Assembly. Ours has always been a struggle of peaceful resistance. In this regard, we want to assure the nation that the Youth Assembly is united, getting stronger and firmly committed to the completion of the democratic agenda. Ours is an Assembly of ideas and progress to secure a more just future for the young people of Zimbabwe. Any name-dropping and agenda-setting contrary to the official communication from the Assembly is the work of a cornered regime that is panic-stricken. Recent press reports indicated that the MDC Alliance Youth Assembly is in disarray following the arrest of some of its members. One of the party youth, Makomborero Haruzivishe, was recently locked up for inciting violence. The state claimed that the 28-year-old blew a whistle to alert opposition protesters to pounce on police during a protest in February last year. His attorney said only circumstantial evidence was used to convict him of inciting violence and resisting arrest. Chuma said, We reiterate our call for the immediate release of Makomborero Haruzivishe who continues to be persecuted for standing with the oppressed and demanding accountable government. The people will overcome. Sterling Heights, MI (48312) Today Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 65F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 65F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Alabama is heading back into a sense of normalcy. The state health order expired late Monday night. It will affect both hospitals and nursing homes when it comes to state-mandated visitation requirements. Dr. Karen Landers with ADPH said Alabama is trending in the right direction when it comes to the COVID infection rate. As state-mandated restrictions are lifted, more people feel safe going out and about. "I don't see anyone down here with a mask on so I think the majority of people feel comfortable," Huntsville resident Dennis Blythe said. Landers said while there is progress in the fight against COVID-19, work still needs to be done on the vaccine front. "We still do not have enough Alabamians vaccinated," Landers said. "I mean when we look at less than a third of people are fully vaccinated in our state, it's really really important that people step up." With the order expiring, the state no longer has a say when it comes to visitation policies at places like nursing homes, senior centers, and hospitals. It will be up to the individual hospital system or the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services to issue guidelines. Landers said to expect most policies to remain the same. "They are there for a reason, they are sick people, and we need to do all we can to protect those persons," Landers said. While this pandemic is not over, people said Monday, they are grateful for how far the state has come. "It's a relief to see everything going back to normal like a lot of things have been hard on everyone or covid has been hard on everyone," Huntsville resident Destiny Reid said. Alabama's state of emergency will remain in effect until July 6. Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-01 16:40:11|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A woman receives China's Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination site in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on June 1, 2021. (Photo by Phearum/Xinhua) by Mao Pengfei, Nguon Sovan PHNOM PENH, June 1 (Xinhua) -- "I received my first dose of China's Sinovac vaccine. I'm really happy because the vaccine is very important to protect my life from this highly contagious disease," Phnom Penh resident Touch Sokhak, 41, told Xinhua recently. "I feel pretty fine after receiving the jab. I totally trust the safety and efficacy of the Chinese vaccines," Sokhak said. Cambodia's COVID-19 cases has surged to 30,710 last Tuesday after 616 fresh infection cases were reported nationwide in the last 24 hours, the Ministry of Health (MoH) said in a statement. As the Southeast Asian nation ramps up its pace of vaccinations amid a surge in new cases, China's help has been tremendous and unforgettable, said the MoH's secretary of state and spokeswoman Or Vandine. "China has been the key vaccine supplier to protect Cambodian people's lives against the pandemic," she said. HELP SPEEDS UP INOCULATIONS Cambodia began a COVID-19 inoculation drive on Feb. 10, with China being the key vaccine supplier. Vandine said the country has so far received more than 6 million doses of vaccines including 1.7 million doses of Sinopharm vaccine, 4 million doses of Sinovac vaccine, and 324,000 doses of AstraZeneca's Covishield jab. To date, more than 2.6 million out of the 10 million targeted population have already been vaccinated, she said, adding that the kingdom is speeding up its pace of vaccinations, in order to reach all the 10 million targeted population by the end of this year or by the first quarter of 2022. "The main supplier of vaccines in Cambodia is China," Vandine told Xinhua during an interview on Friday. "China's effort to help Cambodia is really amazing. It's really remarkable, it's really unforgettable, and this is really much appreciated by the people of Cambodia," Vandine said. Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Wang Wentian said it truly reflected China's unwavering commitment to making its COVID-19 vaccines a "global public good." "I sincerely hope that Chinese vaccines will be able to build a healthy firewall for the Cambodian people against the COVID-19 and can play a positive role in helping Cambodia prevail over the pandemic," he said. PROTECT CAMBODIAN LIVES Health workers and vaccine recipients said that Chinese vaccine is like a bulletproof vest to protect lives from the COVID-19. "Thank China for always helping us in difficult times and we will remember this generous assistance forever," 39-year-old Nhim Chamroeun said after receiving the first dose of Sinovac vaccine. "I believe that the relationship between our two countries will root deeper in the hearts of our two peoples," he added. "The provision of vaccines by China is very valuable to protect our people's lives and to rebuild the economy," Chheang Somaknearika, a 22-year-old volunteer health worker at an inoculation site in Phnom Penh, told Xinhua. "At this vaccination site, we inoculate them with China's Sinovac vaccine," she said. "The vaccine is safe and effective because we have never heard any reports of serious side effects after inoculations," she added. Vandine said both Sinopharm and Sinovac are very safe and effective and the country has not heard any reports of serious side effects after inoculations. "We have more than 2.2 million people inoculated with Chinese vaccines, and among this number, only 101 reported some side effects, for example, fatigue, a little bit rash, palpitation, dizziness and fever, and all these disappear within one or two days only." TESTAMENT TO IRON FRIENDSHIP The joint COVID-19 fight between Cambodia and China truly reflects the unbreakable iron-clad friendship between the two Asian nations, said Vandine. China and Cambodia have been helping each other like brothers, she said. "I would like to express my deep appreciation for the support provided by the Chinese government. This vaccine is really helping Cambodian people to cope with the pandemic," she noted. In addition to vaccines, Chinese medicine has also been playing an important part in Cambodia's fight against the pandemic. In April, China donated 88,000 boxes of Lianhua Qingwen Capsules to Cambodia to help treat COVID-19 patients after the patented traditional Chinese medicine was licensed by Cambodia's Ministry of Health. Cambodia's Health Minister Mam Bunheng told media last week that Lianhua Qingwen Capsules is "effective" to treat COVID-19 patients with mild symptoms." "Many patients with mild symptoms at the COVID-19 treatment centers have recovered due to this medicine and very few of them have developed to severe illness," he said. Mutual help between Cambodia and China in the time of COVID-19 pandemic has uplifted the bilateral relations to new heights. When China was facing its difficult time in fighting the virus in early 2020, Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen paid a special visit to Beijing to show solidarity, and Cambodia donated medical supplies to China. After the situation of COVID-19 in China has been brought under control, China sent medical experts, providing medical equipment and supplies, built COVID-19 test labs, donated and sold vaccines in time to Cambodia to contain the new coronavirus. "Cambodia and China are true friends who always help each other in difficult times," A 22-year-old health worker Say Chanpichsakada told Xinhua. "The Cambodia-China joint COVID-19 fight should be a role model for international cooperation," he added. Enditem Decatur, IL (62521) Today Clear to partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 69F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Clear to partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 69F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Decatur, IL (62521) Today Cloudy early, becoming mostly clear after midnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 70F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Cloudy early, becoming mostly clear after midnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 70F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-01 16:46:20|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, June 1 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. government has recently joined forces with some unscrupulous media outlets to hype up the so-called "laboratory leak" conspiracy theory on the origin of COVID-19 during the virtual World Health Assembly, which has drawn concern and criticism from the international community. For political purposes, the U.S. side continues to cross the moral bottom line, maliciously concocting conspiracy theories and spreading misinformation, which has fueled an anti-science trend, exacerbated racial discrimination, and undermined the global fight against the pandemic. The United States has indeed become the creator and disseminator of a political, information and moral virus. POLITICAL VIRUS U.S. President Joe Biden said in a statement on Wednesday that he has called for a U.S.-based probe into the origin of COVID-19, and given U.S. intelligence agencies 90 days to report on whether the virus originated from an animal source or from a laboratory accident. Meanwhile, U.S. media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal have once again hyped up the lab leak conspiracy theory on the origin of the virus. However, according to a report on the global tracing of the virus origin released by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 30, the introduction of COVID-19 through a laboratory incident was considered to be an "extremely unlikely" pathway. Washington is using virus origin-tracing to create chaos in order to serve its own political purposes. It is trying to politicize the scientific agenda based on the presumption of guilt. Experts have pointed out that origin-tracing is a scientific issue which should be carried out jointly by scientists across the world. Most countries have reached a consensus that this issue should not be politicized. Recently, the WHO has reiterated its call for a "de-politicized environment" for studying the origin of the COVID-19 virus. Mike Ryan, executive director of the WHO Health Emergencies Program, called on "everyone out there to separate, if they can, the politics of this issue from the science." "If you expect scientists to do their work, if you expect scientists to collaborate and actually get the answers that you want, actually seek in a non-blaming environment to find the origin of the virus, so we may all learn how to prevent this happening in the future, we would ask that this be done in a de-politicized environment where science and health are the objective of this and not (put the) blame on politics," he said. Jeremy Farrar, director of charitable foundation Wellcome Trust, and a renowned medical researcher, has said that there is no place for "unsubstantiated rumor, or conspiracy theories often fueled for political purposes" when it comes to COVID-19 origin-tracing. "The origins of SARS-CoV-2 are not yet certain -- it is possible the origin will never be fully established -- but nature is a powerful force and, in my view, the most likely scenario is that the virus crossed from animals to humans. The best scientific evidence available to date points to this," said Farrar in a statement provided to Xinhua. INFORMATION VIRUS Since the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak, some U.S. politicians have ganged up with media outlets to construct narratives by cutting out facts and fabricating lies, in an attempt to misguide and control international public opinion. A report published on Feb. 12 by The New York Times deliberately distorted and garbled the remarks by members of a WHO expert team sent to China on a COVID-19 origin-tracing mission. In response, British zoologist Peter Daszak, a member of the WHO team misquoted by the U.S. media, clarified immediately via Twitter that "this was NOT my experience on the WHO mission." "As lead of animal/environment working group I found trust & openness with my China counterparts. We DID get access to critical new data throughout. We DID increase our understanding of likely spillover pathways," Daszak wrote. A so-called timeline by The Washington Post published on May 25, which tried to fan the lab leak conspiracy theory, was also strongly refuted by experts. Kari Debbink, assistant professor at the Department of Natural Science of Bowie State University in the United States, tweeted that the timeline is "trash." "This piece presents facts from a highly biased perspective meant to mislead people into thinking a lab leak is extremely likely," she wrote. Ryan, the WHO senior official, said it's "quite disturbing" to see over the past few days "more and more and more discourse in the media with terribly little actual news or evidence or new material" concerning the possible origin of COVID-19. Such media outlets as Fox News and The Washington Post have "fished" the story on the lab leak conspiracy theory "out of the right-wing's political wet market and polished it off for public consumption," said a report by U.S. independent news website Grayzone in late April last year. "Though neither outlet published a single piece of concrete evidence to support their claims." Experts have pointed out that it is neither professional nor scientific for the United States to apply intelligence to the origin-tracing of COVID-19. "The U.S. intelligence forces were asked to show if they had any information that might be helpful. They haven't done that as yet," Dominic Dwyer, a member of the WHO team sent to China and a professor at the University of Sydney, said in an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on Friday. "The fact that President Biden says he's getting conflicting reports from his intelligence agencies, to me, suggests there is no clear evidence, otherwise it would be obvious what was going on," he said. MORAL VIRUS Analysts said politicizing COVID-19 origin-tracing is an unethical and unpopular move that will only encourage discrimination and hatred against Asians, hinder fact- and science-based international cooperation on origin-tracing, and erode global anti-pandemic efforts. To draw public attention to the problem, a group of 27 prominent public health scientists from outside China issued in February 2020 a co-signed statement in British medical journal The Lancet and warned that "the rapid, open, and transparent sharing of data on this outbreak is now being threatened by rumors and misinformation around its origins." "We stand together to strongly condemn conspiracy theories suggesting that COVID-19 does not have a natural origin," said the scientists. Sadly, the warning has been neglected in the United States. Whenever scientists speak out against conspiracy theories, they will be attacked by right-wing U.S. politicians and media practitioners. According to research by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, anti-Asian hate crimes rose by 149 percent in 2020 in 16 U.S. cities. Citing some scientists, an article published Thursday in British scientific journal Nature said "the rhetoric around an alleged lab leak has grown so toxic that it's fuelling online bullying of scientists and anti-Asian harassment in the United States, as well as offending researchers and authorities in China whose cooperation is needed." Hume Field, a science and policy advisor for China and Southeast Asia of EcoHealth Alliance in New York, told Xinhua on Friday that politicizing science just generates "doubt" and "mistrust" between Chinese and Western scientists, and fundamentally undermines joint global efforts needed to prevail against the virus and the pandemic. Enditem John Cabot University, a regionally accredited American liberal arts university in Rome, is seeking a highly motivated Accounts Payable Assistant to join our Team at John Cabot University. The Accounts Payable Assistant will be responsible for day-to-day operations of the accounts payable office, including but not limited to processing invoices, refunds, wire transfers, and any additional requests made by the Supervisor. All applicants must possess valid EU working documents in Italy. JCU cannot sponsor candidates for working visas in Italy for this position. For a list of duties and qualifications, see Administrative / Staff Positions | University Jobs in Italy (johncabot.edu) Email your (English only) CV and cover letter to employment@johncabot.edu with subject line Accounts Payable Assistant. The position will remain open until filled. While we appreciate every application received, note that only short-listed applicants will be contacted. Mafia turncoat who revealed secrets of Cosa Nostra has been freed from Rome prison. There was anger and disbelief in Italy last night at the news that one of the Sicilian Cosa Nostra's most infamous killers has walked free after serving 25 years in jail. The release of former Mafia boss Giovanni Brusca, who turned state's evidence after his 1996 arrest, has provoked outrage among the public, politicians and the relatives of his victims. Brusca, who once stated that he had committed or ordered more than 150 murders, is most notorious for the 1992 Capaci bombing in which five people were killed including anti-mafia magistrate Giovanni Falcone. In 1996 Brusca ordered the strangling of a 14 year-old boy, son of a fellow-mobster who had turned informer, after holding him hostage for 779 days. The boy's body was then dissolved in a barrel of acid, in a horrific act of revenge against his father, Santino Di Matteo. A ruthless killer known as 'U verru (Sicilian dialect for "The Pig"), Brusca was arrested in 1996, five months after the murder of young Giuseppe Di Matteo. He had already been sentenced to life in prison in absentia for Mafia association and multiple murders, and following his arrest he turned 'pentito' and began to collaborate with prosecutors. His release last night was condemned by Tina Montinaro, the widow of Falcone's police escort officer Antonio Montinaro who was blown up in the Capaci bombing. "I am outraged, I am truly outraged. The state is rowing against us" - she told Italian news agency Adnkronos - "The whole of Italy should be outraged." Maria Falcone, sister of the slain judge, said of the news: "From a human point of view it pains me, but this is the law, a law that my brother himself wanted and therefore it should be respected." Politicians also expressed their outrage after Brusca walked out of Rome's Rebibbia jail yesterday evening, 45 days before the conclusion of his sentence. Matteo Salvini, leader of the right-wing Lega party, said: "This is not the justice that Italians deserve," while Rome mayor Virginia Raggi described Brusca's release as "an unacceptable disgrace, an injustice for the whole country." Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-01 17:55:46|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TRIPOLI, May 31 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said on Monday that 274 illegal migrants were returned to Libya by the Libyan Coast Guard. "274 people were brought back to Tripoli this afternoon in two different operations by Libyan Coast Guard. Among them 19 women and 3 children," UNHCR tweeted. "UNHCR & IRC provided assistance to all survivors. Over 10,000 persons have been returned to Libya since January and sent to detention," the UNHCR said. The IRC is short for the International Rescue Committee, a non-profit organization in Tripoli, Libya. Libya has been plagued by a state of insecurity and chaos since the fall of its leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, making it a preferred point of departure for illegal migrants who want to cross the Mediterranean Sea to European shores. Rescued migrants end up in over-crowded reception centers across Libya amid repeated international calls to close those centers. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-01 18:08:43|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Feeling somewhat exhausted after working long hours as the president of the United Nations Security Council during the full month of May, China's United Nations (UN) Ambassador Zhang Jun told reporters on the last day of China's presidency that the month had been fruitful. The ambassador said the council had held 31 meetings during the month, three of which were at the high level of foreign ministers. The council also adopted the annual Security Council report and four resolutions, as well as two presidential statements, six presidential press statements, and two press elements. Two in-person meetings made China's Council presidency even more special as the council chamber remained unoccupied for several months. "The council discussed issues on the agenda and responded quickly to the tensions in the Middle East in order to practice true multilateralism with real actions and push the Security Council to give play to the important role of maintaining international peace and security," the ambassador said. Zhang expressed appreciation to "all friends for their support and help" through his Twitter account and reaffirmed China's determination to practice true multilateralism. "China will continue to fulfil its responsibilities," he said. Safeguarding and practicing true multilateralism have been the "keynote" of China's presidency of the Security Council, which is a concrete manifestation of President Xi Jinping's important thought and concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind and China's foreign policy, Zhang told the press. The world today is marked by changes and a pandemic unseen in a century, he said. "The international situation is complex and regional hotspot issues keep cropping up. The international community generally expects the Security Council to strengthen unity and cooperation and play a greater role." "China has never been absent in supporting true multilateralism and the work of the United Nations, and will not be absent in the future," Zhang said. Noting that this year marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China and the 50th anniversary of the restoration of the lawful seat of the People's Republic of China in the UN, Zhang said that "it is of great significance for China to assume the rotating presidency of the Security Council for May at such an important historical moment." "China attaches great importance to the presidency," said the ambassador. It was the second time that Zhang has presided over the council since he became the top Chinese UN official in 2019. In March last year, when Zhang chaired the council for the first time, he persuaded council members to move online in a timely manner so that the only UN body with the authority to issue binding resolutions on member states could normally perform its duties when the globe was forced to enter a lockdown mode. At the in-person wrap-up session of China's presidency of the Security Council on Friday, Ethiopia expressed its gratitude "for the unique place accorded to challenges facing Africa." "We commended the China mission to the UN for a successful presidency at a time of complex challenges to global peace and security," Ethiopia's UN mission tweeted. Pascale Baeriswyl, the Swiss permanent representative to the UN, also tweeted her congratulations to China's UN mission for a "successful" Security Council presidency during an "intense month." The Swiss ambassador welcomed the timely adoption of the annual report to the UN General Assembly, and praised the "urgently needed focus on protection of civilians," and the "discussions on new technologies." Enditem Washington, IN (47501) Today Partly to mostly cloudy skies with scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Low around 70F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Partly to mostly cloudy skies with scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Low around 70F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%. Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-01 18:26:39|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TAIPEI, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Taiwan on Tuesday reported 262 new local COVID-19 infections, 65 backlogged local cases and 13 new deaths, the local disease monitoring agency said. It is the 17th consecutive day that the number of new local infections on the island has exceeded 200. Of the new local cases, 136 were male and 126 were female. The onset of symptoms occurred between May 20 and May 31. Among the 65 backlogged cases, 31 were male and 34 were female, aged below five to over 90, the agency said. The 13 fatalities included 10 men and three women, who passed away between May 24 and May 31. On the same day, Taiwan also reported five new imported COVID-19 cases, all from the Philippines. Since mid-May, Taiwan has seen a spike in local infections amid strained medical resources. Given the severity of local transmissions, Taiwan has extended its level-3 alert for COVID-19 to June 14. The total number of confirmed cases on the island since the epidemic began has risen to 8,842, including 7,647 local cases. A total of 137 deaths have been recorded, the agency said. Enditem Trusted local news has never been more important, but providing the information you need, information that can change sometimes minute-by-minute, requires a partnership with you, our readers. Please consider making a contribution today to support this vital resource that you and countless others depend on. COVID vaccine maker Pfizer has warned Australians not to try to buy its vaccine via the internet amid fears consumers could fall prey to cyber criminals selling counterfeit coronavirus shots. The US pharmaceutical company has told a joint parliamentary committee review of vaccine security risks in Australia that because of the pandemic, there will be an increase in the prevalence of fraud, counterfeit and other illicit activity as it relates to vaccines and treatments for COVID-19. A pharmacy technician loads a syringe with Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine. Credit:AP Australia is set to import 20 million doses of Pfizers vaccine by the end of the year. Pfizer said it had been working with governments to secure the supply chain for doses. The company also reminded governments and health agencies that its products are not available for sale via private channels, including from online pharmacies. The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is not sold online. Any sales of COVID-19 vaccines and treatments over the internet, including from online pharmacies, are not legitimate. It cannot be purchased in individual doses, the company said in its submission. They arent messiahs though, just a bunch of noisy boys struggling to cut through. The Labor Party needs a well-functioning team with a person who knows its not about them but does get heard. There is no question popular, unflappable Plibersek would be better at this than Anthony Albanese. She has good recognisability, believability and trust. And when we measured such things, she was the preferred leader for Labor on many occasions. Just two minutes ago, in the Resolve Monitor, Plibersek scored as high as Albanese in the likeability ratings but has about half of his unfavourable ratings. Plus shes good at the outreach. People within her party say she has friends across the factions and her regular appearance on Alan Jones and on Queenslands 4BC reveals a person who is a worker bee as well as a deadset queen. As one of Australias foremost political leadership researchers, Emeritus Professor Carol Johnson of the University of Adelaide, says: Tanya Plibersek is a really good communicator and has the ability to cut through and, unfortunately for the Labor Party, Albanese has had huge problems cutting through. Loading Why is the party throwing away the power of this influential politician? To answer, said one insider, youd have to ask Penny Wong this question: Why are you devoted to keeping a likely losing male Labor leader in a position of power? Why cant you be like John Button? For those of you who need reminding, John Button told Bill Hayden he couldnt lead the ALP to victory in 1983. As this particular insider said, Wong should take her beloved friend aside and tell him what his best friends wont tell him. Politicians arent known for bloodless coups but any other scenario would have a high transaction cost, say insiders. Mind you, the knifing of Turnbull didnt seem to affect the voting public in any serious way. There is a cost benefit analysis for Labor and one that it needs to calculate right this minute. For those who keep saying Plibersek cant win Queensland, let me introduce you to another capable Labor type, three times state champ, Annastacia Palaszczuk. A crew member on a ship docked in Kwinana who tested positive for COVID-19 has been sent back to his vessel after health authorities deemed his test results a historical positive. The man in his 20s on Italian-flagged chemical carrier ship the Allegra was taken to Fiona Stanley Hospital on Sunday for an unrelated illness but standard COVID-19 testing picked up a weak positive. He returned a positive test again on Monday and was taken into hotel quarantine. Chief Health Officer Andy Robertson said further testing had revealed the crew member was actually a historical case. He previously advised that he had the disease in the Philippines, back in April, and certainly what weve seen is that this case is now negative, Dr Robertson said. Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-01 18:48:32|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Photo taken on May 28, 2021 shows the U.S. Capitol building behind traffic lights in Washington, D.C., the United States. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) For political purposes, the U.S. side continues to cross the moral bottom line, maliciously concocting conspiracy theories and spreading misinformation, which has fueled an anti-science trend, exacerbated racial discrimination, and undermined the global fight against the pandemic. BEIJING, June 1 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. government has recently joined forces with some unscrupulous media outlets to hype up the so-called "laboratory leak" conspiracy theory on the origin of COVID-19 during the virtual World Health Assembly, which has drawn concern and criticism from the international community. For political purposes, the U.S. side continues to cross the moral bottom line, maliciously concocting conspiracy theories and spreading misinformation, which has fueled an anti-science trend, exacerbated racial discrimination, and undermined the global fight against the pandemic. The United States has indeed become the creator and disseminator of a political, information and moral virus. Cartoon produced by Xinhua shows U.S. President Joe Biden turning to the intelligence community for a COVID-19 virus origins story. (Xinhua/Yu Aicen) POLITICAL VIRUS U.S. President Joe Biden said in a statement on Wednesday that he has called for a U.S.-based probe into the origin of COVID-19, and given U.S. intelligence agencies 90 days to report on whether the virus originated from an animal source or from a laboratory accident. Meanwhile, U.S. media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal have once again hyped up the lab leak conspiracy theory on the origin of the virus. However, according to a report on the global tracing of the virus origin released by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 30, the introduction of COVID-19 through a laboratory incident was considered to be an "extremely unlikely" pathway. Washington is using virus origin-tracing to create chaos in order to serve its own political purposes. It is trying to politicize the scientific agenda based on the presumption of guilt. Experts have pointed out that origin-tracing is a scientific issue which should be carried out jointly by scientists across the world. Most countries have reached a consensus that this issue should not be politicized. A medical worker collects a swab sample for nucleic acid testing of possible COVID-19 infection from a resident at a testing site in the Xin'gang residential compound in Bayuquan District, Yingkou City, northeast China's Liaoning Province, on May 21, 2021. (Xinhua/Pan Yulong) Recently, the WHO has reiterated its call for a "de-politicized environment" for studying the origin of the COVID-19 virus. Mike Ryan, executive director of the WHO Health Emergencies Program, called on "everyone out there to separate, if they can, the politics of this issue from the science." "If you expect scientists to do their work, if you expect scientists to collaborate and actually get the answers that you want, actually seek in a non-blaming environment to find the origin of the virus, so we may all learn how to prevent this happening in the future, we would ask that this be done in a de-politicized environment where science and health are the objective of this and not (put the) blame on politics," he said. Jeremy Farrar, director of charitable foundation Wellcome Trust, and a renowned medical researcher, has said that there is no place for "unsubstantiated rumor, or conspiracy theories often fueled for political purposes" when it comes to COVID-19 origin-tracing. "The origins of SARS-CoV-2 are not yet certain -- it is possible the origin will never be fully established -- but nature is a powerful force and, in my view, the most likely scenario is that the virus crossed from animals to humans. The best scientific evidence available to date points to this," said Farrar in a statement provided to Xinhua. Screenshot shows British zoologist Peter Daszak, a member of the WHO team misquoted by the U.S. media, clarifying via Twitter that a report published by The New York Times on Feb. 12, 2021 deliberately distorted and garbled the remarks by members of a WHO expert team sent to China on a COVID-19 origin-tracing mission. (Xinhua) INFORMATION VIRUS Since the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak, some U.S. politicians have ganged up with media outlets to construct narratives by cutting out facts and fabricating lies, in an attempt to misguide and control international public opinion. A report published on Feb. 12 by The New York Times deliberately distorted and garbled the remarks by members of a WHO expert team sent to China on a COVID-19 origin-tracing mission. In response, British zoologist Peter Daszak, a member of the WHO team misquoted by the U.S. media, clarified immediately via Twitter that "this was NOT my experience on the WHO mission." "As lead of animal/environment working group I found trust & openness with my China counterparts. We DID get access to critical new data throughout. We DID increase our understanding of likely spillover pathways," Daszak wrote. A so-called timeline by The Washington Post published on May 25, which tried to fan the lab leak conspiracy theory, was also strongly refuted by experts. Kari Debbink, assistant professor at the Department of Natural Science of Bowie State University in the United States, tweeted that the timeline is "trash." "This piece presents facts from a highly biased perspective meant to mislead people into thinking a lab leak is extremely likely," she wrote. A medical worker prepares to administer a dose of the recombinant COVID-19 vaccine (adenovirus type 5 vector) which requires only one shot at a temporary vaccination site in Haidian District of Beijing, capital of China, May 20, 2021. (Xinhua/Ren Chao) Ryan, the WHO senior official, said it's "quite disturbing" to see over the past few days "more and more and more discourse in the media with terribly little actual news or evidence or new material" concerning the possible origin of COVID-19. Such media outlets as Fox News and The Washington Post have "fished" the story on the lab leak conspiracy theory "out of the right-wing's political wet market and polished it off for public consumption," said a report by U.S. independent news website Grayzone in late April last year. "Though neither outlet published a single piece of concrete evidence to support their claims." Experts have pointed out that it is neither professional nor scientific for the United States to apply intelligence to the origin-tracing of COVID-19. "The U.S. intelligence forces were asked to show if they had any information that might be helpful. They haven't done that as yet," Dominic Dwyer, a member of the WHO team sent to China and a professor at the University of Sydney, said in an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on Friday. "The fact that President Biden says he's getting conflicting reports from his intelligence agencies, to me, suggests there is no clear evidence, otherwise it would be obvious what was going on," he said. Screenshot of a statement published on The Lancet's website on Feb. 19, 2020 shows a group of 27 prominent public health scientists from outside China condemning conspiracy theories suggesting that COVID-19 does not have a natural origin. (Xinhua) MORAL VIRUS Analysts said politicizing COVID-19 origin-tracing is an unethical and unpopular move that will only encourage discrimination and hatred against Asians, hinder fact- and science-based international cooperation on origin-tracing, and erode global anti-pandemic efforts. To draw public attention to the problem, a group of 27 prominent public health scientists from outside China issued in February 2020 a co-signed statement in British medical journal The Lancet and warned that "the rapid, open, and transparent sharing of data on this outbreak is now being threatened by rumors and misinformation around its origins." "We stand together to strongly condemn conspiracy theories suggesting that COVID-19 does not have a natural origin," said the scientists. Sadly, the warning has been neglected in the United States. Whenever scientists speak out against conspiracy theories, they will be attacked by right-wing U.S. politicians and media practitioners. According to research by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, anti-Asian hate crimes rose by 149 percent in 2020 in 16 U.S. cities. Citing some scientists, an article published Thursday in British scientific journal Nature said "the rhetoric around an alleged lab leak has grown so toxic that it's fuelling online bullying of scientists and anti-Asian harassment in the United States, as well as offending researchers and authorities in China whose cooperation is needed." Hume Field, a science and policy advisor for China and Southeast Asia of EcoHealth Alliance in New York, told Xinhua on Friday that politicizing science just generates "doubt" and "mistrust" between Chinese and Western scientists, and fundamentally undermines joint global efforts needed to prevail against the virus and the pandemic. Mr Anderson had been skippering his 11.4-metre yacht on a trip with three friends in their 30s and his daughter from WAs South West to Exmouth when they hit rough waves on Sunday en route to Sandy Cape, just north of Jurien Bay. Department of Transport data shows the waves got as high as five metres near the area. I was watching every angle of where breaking waves might be because there were lots of breakers in the area, Mr Anderson said. Just as everything seemed clear ... a set wave came in and it took us out. The wave knocked the boat flat [and] so knocked the mast down to 90 degrees from where it should be. Myself and my daughter Ruby were up in the cockpit, and we got knocked out of the boat into the water. Mr Anderson bashed his forehead on part of the boat as he came off, leaving a deep gash, and had to unwrap a rope from his neck he became tangled up in as confusion took hold. He grabbed his daughter and held on tight as he told her when to hold her breath as the pair ducked under the breakers which continued to roll over them. She wasnt going to go under and I wasnt going to lose her, Mr Anderson said. When I came up, she went dad your head, I said dont worry about that. The three other crew members were soon up on the deck and threw life jackets and the EPIRB to the dad and daughter before safely making it into the water themselves as five minutes later the boat sank, overcome by more waves. First I couldnt believe that it went down so quickly and it was like something out of a movie with the mast kind of actually just went down in a matter of minutes, Mr Anderson said. Its hard to really piece my thoughts together because it all happened so fast. The boat gone, the conversation turned among the sailors to what would happen next. At first the group stayed together but Mr Anderson said there was some miscommunication and he and Ruby drifted apart from the rest of the crew. Glenn Anderson copped a nasty bump to his head when he was swept off his yacht on Sunday. Credit:The West Australian/Iain Gillespie He could not keep up with the others and tow Ruby against a southerly current which soon separated the survivors. Mr Anderson said he figured his and Rubys best chance was to go with the current and try and get inside the reef and into safer waters. All the while the worried dad was trying to make sure his daughter did not fall asleep and kept her head above water. I could tell she was becoming hypothermic and initially quite dehydrated, because she was quite seasick on the lead-up to it and hadnt been eating or drinking for quite some time either, Mr Anderson said. Probably in the last half-an-hour to an hour was when she really started to go downhill and I could tell by the change in the voice and the way she was speaking and she seemed a little bit delirious, saying all she wanted to do was get water. The RAC Rescue chopper helped in the rescue. Credit:Facebook At about 1.50pm the 32-year-old man, a 35-year-old woman and the 32-year-old woman with the EPIRB were rescued by the fisheries boat. Meanwhile Mr Anderson and Ruby were wasting energy waving at boats and the spotter plane which went past but too far away to spot the struggling duo. Wed seen the plane fly over about 20 times and we waved every time but obviously its hard to spot two people floating in the water from that angle, he said. The pair continued to make their way to shore and were seen by rescuers from Federation Beach south of Jurien Bay at about 3.40pm before being picked up by the fisheries vessel. Mr Anderson said all he felt was relief, but the danger was not over for Ruby, who the paramedics pumped full of fluids and flew to Perth in the RAC Rescue Helicopter along with her dad. [Ruby] could barely speak and barely say her own name, he said. She improved dramatically throughout that ride, I cant speak highly enough of the ambulance and the paramedic team. Ruby was taken to Perth Childrens Hospital, where she is on the mend, while Mr Anderson went to Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital. Defence Force chief Angus Campbell expects to see continuing violence in Afghanistan between the Taliban and the nations security forces but doesnt believe the extremists will necessarily overrun the country once NATO forces leave later this year. General Campbell spoke about Australias achievements in Afghanistan ahead of the final troops pulling out of the country in September, saying he hoped the overall picture of 20 years of engagement wouldnt be overshadowed by war crimes alleged to have been committed by a handful of Special Forces troops. Chief of the Defence Force Angus Campbell spoke about Australias achievements in Afghanistan during a Senate estimates hearing. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced in April the last 80 or so Australian troops would withdraw from Afghanistan by September. Last week he also said Australias embassy in Kabul would close on Friday, although the government hopes to reopen it once circumstances permit. The decision by the United States and its NATO partners, including Australia, to draw down forces over time was a reflection that this was not going to be a conflict that would be resolved militarily, General Campbell told a Senate estimates hearing on Tuesday. West Australian Premier Mark McGowan has hinted that some of the states iron ore-driven surplus windfall would be spent on health as hospitals continue to record high levels of ambulance ramping and staff complain about emergency room pressure. Mr McGowans comments came the same day both Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and Fiona Stanley Hospital called code yellow emergencies, meaning they were stretched beyond capacity. Ambulance ramping hours were up for May. Government revenue for the nine months to March 31 was up more than $3.6 billion thanks to an increase of $2.1 billion in mining royalties, fuelled by higher than expected iron ore prices. The iron ore price has remained well above government estimates but asked whether he expected the operating surplus to be greater than the predicted $3.1 billion by July, Mr McGowan said health spending would impact the final figure. Singapore: Banned by the United States and Australia and shut out by other Western nations, Huawei is ramping up its 5G push into south-east Asia with Malaysia shaping as next in line to welcome the Chinese giant. A lightning rod in the geopolitical rivalry and technological arms race between the US and China, the controversial telecom equipment supplier has been widely ostracised since the Australian government in 2018 blacklisted it from its 5G network and former US president Donald Trump pressured Britain and European nations to exclude it from their rollouts on national security grounds. A man looks at his mobile phone in front of Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Huawei is tipped as the frontrunner to build the countrys 5G network. Credit:AP Its sidelining in the West, as well as by India and Japan, has made south-east Asia an even more important market for the company. While it has been edged out in Singapore and shunned by Vietnam, it did strike a deal with Indonesia last December and is now the front-runner to build Malaysias nationwide 5G network. Kian Ming Ong, who was deputy minister of international trade and industry in the Malaysian government until the Pakatan Harapan coalition collapsed last year, told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age that fears about Huaweis technology being susceptible to Chinese state espionage were not shared by Malaysia. Hanoi: Vietnam plans to test all 9 million people in its largest city for the coronavirus and has imposed more restrictions to deal with a growing COVID-19 outbreak. People in Ho Chi Minh city are only allowed to leave home for necessary activities and public gatherings of more than 10 people are banned for the next two weeks, the government announced on Monday, local time. Prior to the order, the city, also Vietnams economic hub, shut down non-essential business last Thursday when cases started to increase. Since the end of April, a surge in COVID-19 has spread to 31 municipalities and provinces in Vietnam. Credit:Getty Images State newspaper Vietnam News said the city authority is planning to test its entire population with a testing capacity of 100,000 samples a day. The newspaper also said police had filed a case on Sunday against the couple who head a Protestant church mission for spreading dangerous infectious diseases, citing poor health protocols applied at the premises. Prague: A Russian charter plane took home dozens of Russian embassy staff, abruptly ending what Czech officials say was a decades-old practice by Moscow of using a disproportionately huge mission in Prague as a base for its spy activities. The Czechs sent home 123 Russian staff and family members from the embassy on flights on Saturday and Monday (Sunday and Tuesday AEST), on top of 18 staff already branded spies and expelled in April, when Prague accused Moscow of blowing up an arms depot in 2014. Employees of the Russian embassy in Prague and their families arrive to board a Russian government plane at Vaclav Havel Airport in Prague, Czech Republic. Credit:Getty Under a new agreement, Russia and the Czech Republic will each limit the size of the others embassy to just seven diplomats and 25 support staff. Russia has denied a role in the Czech arms depot explosions, in which two people were found dead. The Russian embassy did not respond to emails and phone calls seeking an explanation for why its mission in a country of 10.7 million people had been so big. Wilmington, DE (19810) Today Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. Low 62F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. Low 62F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Louisville, KY (40203) Today Sunny to partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Tonight Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 70F. Winds light and variable. Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-01 18:53:49|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TOKYO -- Business investment by Japanese companies dropped 7.8 percent in the January-March period from a year earlier, the government said in a report on Tuesday. According to the Finance Ministry, capital spending by all businesses in non-financial sectors came to 14.47 trillion yen (132.17 billion U.S. dollars) in the reporting period. (Japan-Investment-Q1) - - - - KUALA LUMPUR -- The headline IHS Markit Malaysia Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index -- a composite single-figure indicator of manufacturing performance -- eased from a record high 53.9 in April to 51.3 in May. IHS Markit said in a statement Monday that the latest reading signaled a further improvement in the health of the sector, and the first time back-to-back monthly improvements that have been reported since mid-2018. (Malaysia-PMI-Manufacturing) - - - - ROME -- The head of the Central Reserve Bank of Italy said Monday that the country's economy could start to see a "robust" recovery in the second half of this year, though he cautioned government support for workers will be necessary well into next year. Italy's economy was hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, contracting by about 9 percent last year. But Ignazio Visco, Italy's central bank governor since 2011, predicted the economy would gain back nearly half of those losses, with economic growth set to "exceed 4 percent" this year. (Italy-Recovery-Second Half) - - - - PARIS -- Prospects for the world economy have brightened, but the recovery is likely to remain uneven and dependent on the effectiveness of public health measures and policy support, said the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development on Monday. Its economic outlook projected the world economy would grow 5.8 percent this year and 4.4 percent next year, up from an initial forecast of 5.6 percent and four percent respectively. (OECD-Economic Outlook-Recovery) Enditem Reporter I cover a range of stories for WDRB, but really enjoy tracking what's going on at our State Capitol. I grew up on military bases all over the world, but am a Kentuckian at heart. I'm an EKU alum, and have lived in Louisville for 30 years. In this May 12, 2020, photo, the company logo sign sits at the entrance to the JBS Australia's Dinmore meatworks facility, west of Brisbane. Thousands of Australian meat workers had no work for a second day on Tuesday, June 1, 2021, after a cyberattack crippled the worlds largest meat processing company. A government minister said it might be days before production resumes. (Dan Peled/AAP Image via AP) Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-01 19:06:59|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TOKYO, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Japan will begin administering COVID-19 vaccines at workplaces and universities in a bid to speed up its inoculation campaign, Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato said Tuesday. According to Kato, the top government spokesman, the new round of inoculation campaign slated to begin on June 21 is aimed at speeding up the country's vaccination rollout and helping reduce the burden on local municipalities. "The expansion in the number of vaccination sites is meant to reduce the burden on local communities and accelerate the pace of inoculation. The two-dose vaccine developed by U.S. biotech firm Moderna Inc. will be used," Kato told a press briefing on the matter. Kato said the workplaces and universities will be in charge of deciding who gets vaccinated, recommending that the elderly and those with underlying health conditions be given priority. The companies and universities, Kato said, will also be in charge of sourcing their own medical personnel to administer the jabs amid the nation's dire lack of medical personnel qualified to give the vaccinations, which has contributed to the country's sluggish rollout. The Japanese government has come under criticism for being one of the slowest among a number of advanced economies to rollout COVID-19 vaccination. So far around 7 percent of the country's 126 million population have received at least one dose of the vaccine. In a bid to accelerate its inoculation campaign, two mass vaccination centers have been opened in Tokyo and Osaka Prefecture with state-backed facilities aimed at helping complete vaccinating 36 million seniors aged 65 or older by the end of July. Japan began inoculating its elderly population in mid-April, after vaccinating health care workers starting in February. The government here has come under heavy fire from foreign chambers of commerce who said that Japan has failed to make progress comparable to other nations that are making "substantial" expansion of business and travel possible due to vaccinations. "We therefore urge the government to rapidly expand the vaccination program in Japan by mobilizing all of the country's considerable resources to ensure the vaccine is rapidly deployed and availability extended to a wider age group," the chambers of commerce of the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and European Business Council based here said in a joint statement. Enditem Thank you for Reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. AUSTIN Gov. Greg Abbott Tuesday announced that Wagners CFT, LLC will establish a new manufacturing and assembly facility in Parker County. This will be the company's first U.S. manufacturing plant. Wagners, a subsidiary of Wagners Holding Limited Group, manufactures a range of structural fiberglass sections that are fabricated into beams for use in bridges, boardwalks, and marine infrastructure. The project will create 304 new jobs. A Texas Enterprise Fund grant of $1,799,984 has been extended to Wagners CFT, LLC. Australian company Wagners expected to provide boost for local economy When a group of Parker County residents, business owners and leaders visited Toowoomba, Aust "We are thrilled that Wagners has chosen to build their first U.S. manufacturing plant in Parker County, providing further proof that the 'Made In Texas' brand is more powerful than ever before," Abbott said. "Wagners investment in Texas will spur job creation and capital investment in North Texas, and their presence in Parker County will help us continue to write the Lone Star State's economic success story." A groundbreaking ceremony originally rescheduled for June 2 has again been postponed due to weather. Wagners CFT Executive General Manager Michael Kemp said they are excited to break ground on the new manufacturing plant, located in Cresson, and that commercial operations are expected to begin in October. This facility will generate over 300 full-time jobs focused on supplying cutting edge Composite Fiber Infrastructure for bridges, boardwalks, light poles, and marine projects, he added. State Sen. Drew Springer, R-Muenster, said Wagners is showcasing the growth happening across North Texas, and thanked Abbott for recognizing the economic contributions Wagners is expected to bring to the local economy. "Wagners is a prime example of the strong business climate the Lone Star State is known for and will help meet Texas' infrastructure needs," he said. State Rep. Phil King, R-Weatherford, acknowledged it as an opportunity that grew out of a business development trip Parker County leaders took to Australia in February, 2019. "It is great story of a great company now coming to Parker County and to Texas," King said. Parker County Judge Pat Deen thanked local officials and the governor's office for their assistance in recruiting Wagners to the area. "The Wagners project is a big step forward in growing our local employment base and diversifying the Parker County economy, he said. Patrick Lawler, executive director of the Parker County Economic Development Council, said they are excited to welcome Wagners to the community. The foundation built and lessons learned during this recruitment will pay dividends for future projects, and our members will continue to work hard to build a vibrant economic future for Parker County," Lawler said. 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. Help us understand what you value in community conversations so we can make our digital offerings more useful. This survey will only take a few minutes to complete. By taking the survey, you'll be entered into a drawing for one of three $100 gift cards to your choice of the following businesses: Hooked on Toys and Sporting Goods, Safeway/Albertsons, FredMeyer and Target. Click here to take survey Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-01 19:13:28|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, June 1 (Xinhua) -- The following are the updates on the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. - - - - MOSCOW -- Russia registered 9,500 new COVID-19 infections over the past 24 hours, taking the nationwide tally to 5,081,417, the official monitoring and response center said Tuesday. - - - - ISLAMABAD -- Pakistan recorded 1,771 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Monday with a test positivity rate of 3.72 percent, marking an obvious drop in the Asian country's daily cases, the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) said on Tuesday. - - - - MANILA -- The Philippines' Department of Health (DOH) reported on Tuesday 5,177 new COVID-19 infections, bringing the tally in the Southeast Asian country to 1,235,467. The death toll rose to 21,012 after 46 more patients died from the viral disease, the DOH said. - - - - ADDIS ABABA -- Ethiopia registered 196 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, taking the nationwide tally to 271,541 as of Monday evening, according to the country's Ministry of Health. The ministry said 10 new deaths were reported, bringing the country's death toll to 4,165, the ministry said. - - - - NEW DELHI -- India's COVID-19 tally rose to 28,175,044 on Tuesday with 127,510 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, said the federal health ministry. The daily spike of new cases has been falling over the past couple of weeks. The cases registered in a day have fallen to the lowest level in nearly two months. Enditem The views expressed by public comments are not those of this company or its affiliated companies. Please note by clicking on "Post" you acknowledge that you have read the TERMS OF USE and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms. Your comments may be used on air. Be polite. Inappropriate posts or posts containing offsite links, images, GIFs, inappropriate language, or memes may be removed by the moderator. Job listings and similar posts are likely automated SPAM messages from Facebook and are not placed by WFMZ-TV. Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-01 19:34:52|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close RAMALLAH, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Palestine on Tuesday extended its state of emergency by another month as part of the effort to combat the spread of COVID-19 in the Palestinian territories. In a decree issued by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, the state of emergency was extended effective immediately so as to give the government enough power to tackle the increase in coronavirus cases. The state of emergency was first issued in March 2020 after the discovery of the first cases of coronavirus in the Palestinian territories and has been extended or re-declared every month since then. On Tuesday, the Palestinian Health Ministry said in a press statement that it recorded 382 new coronavirus cases, and six new deaths including four in the West Bank and two in the Gaza Strip in the last 24 hours. The statement said that 59 patients are receiving medical care at different hospitals in the West Bank, including 25 in intensive care units, four of them are on ventilators. Since the outbreak of the coronavirus in Palestine in March last year, a total of 337,573 people have so far been infected, including 3,771 deaths. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-01 19:49:04|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SHENYANG, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Chinese police have located or rescued 1,680 missing or abducted children this year, including adults who went missing or were kidnapped as children, the Ministry of Public Security said on Tuesday. Since the nationwide campaign of "Tuanyuan," meaning reunion in Chinese, was launched in January, police have resolved 85 cold cases involving child abduction or trafficking, the ministry told a press conference. One victim had been separated from the family for 54 years, it said. A total of 223 suspects were arrested in connection with abduction cases during the period. Lin Chun, a 52-year-old mother, waited for 27 years before she and her husband finally reunited with their son, who was abducted when he was four. Police in the city of Beipiao, northeast China's Liaoning Province, located their son working in Beijing in April, and arranged the family reunion following a DNA test. "It's been 27 years. My son's finally home," said Lin, bursting into tears. Their son, Lin Chengjia, then followed them to their hometown in Zhejiang Province with his newlywed wife. "I haven't got any plan yet. Perhaps, I'll hold another wedding ceremony at my original home," said the junior Lin, now 31. Policeman Fu Dahe, who is with the public security bureau of Beipiao, witnessed the reunion. "I felt more delighted seeing the family back together than celebrating the New Year," said Fu. In 1994, Fu received a phone call saying a 7-year-old boy named Zhang Jinhu was missing, the fourth child missing in less than two years in the city. After a probe, a gang led by a local man Hui Huaili was suspected of their abduction. Because of the limited technological means in those days, police failed to locate Hui, and finding the abducted children became the common goal of Beipiao police. "Hui's look was engraved in my mind. For years, I kept an eye on passersby so that I could find and arrest him," Fu recalled. With technological means including big data, police located and captured Hui, who had renamed himself Luo Heng, in Tianjin Municipality this February. Hui confessed that he abducted nine boys, including four from Beipiao, and sold them in east China's Fujian Province from 1993 to 1995. All the four children abducted in Beipiao have been found, including Zhang Jinhu, the one Fu had been looking for since 1994. "Now that all the kids have been found, I have nothing to regret in my career. Otherwise, I would continue searching for them even after retirement," said the 55-year-old Fu. The Ministry of Public Security established a national DNA database to fight child trafficking in 2009 and launched the online platform Tuanyuan in May 2016. Over the past five years, the platform has helped find more than 4,700 missing children. Enditem Viewed of Take Five - This is your final free article during this 30 day period.Stay in touch with all of the news from Winchester, Frederick and Clarke. Sign up today for complete digital access to The Winchester Star. Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-01 20:23:28|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close People wade through a waterlogged street at a low lying area in Bangladeshi capital Dhaka, June 1, 2021. Heavy rain lashed Dhaka on Tuesday morning, inundating low-lying areas and disrupting road traffic. (Xinhua) DHAKA, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Heavy rain lashed the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka on Tuesday morning, inundating low-lying areas and disrupting road traffic. Roads, lanes and by-lanes in parts of the city went under ankle to knee-deep water, causing immense hardship to commuters and millions of dwellers. Commuters were seen wading through a waterlogged road leading to Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka in the morning. Activities in Dhaka's business and commercial hub Motijheel were severely affected, with many office-goers, traders and workers falling behind their daily schedules. As always rickshaws emerged as a means of relief in many waterlogged Dhaka areas. Mohammad Aftab Uddin, a senior meteorologist with the Bangladesh Meteorological Department, told reporters that they had recorded 85 mm rainfall in Dhaka in just three hours till 9:00 a.m. Tuesday. The department has predicted more rainfall in the next few days. Enditem Vancouver Coastal Health is apologizing and says it's updating its immunization processes after confirming a dozen incidents in which youth were given the wrong COVID-19 vaccine. Several Moderna vaccine syringes lay on a table during a COVID-19 vaccine drive-thru clinic at Richardson Stadium in Kingston, Ont., on May 28, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Lars Hagberg Vancouver Coastal Health is apologizing and says it's updating its immunization processes after confirming a dozen incidents in which youth were given the wrong COVID-19 vaccine. The health authority says the errors happened Friday and Saturday during the first full week that kids aged 12 to 17 could get their first dose. It says in a statement that 12 youth received doses of Moderna rather than the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which is the only COVID-19 vaccine approved for use in those between 12 and 17 in Canada. It says Moderna recently announced that clinical trials for adolescents found its vaccine to be safe and effective, but its use for people under 18 has yet to be approved in Canada. The statement says Vancouver Coastal Health medical officers do not believe the use of Moderna will impact the 12 youth who received the shot. It says the people who administered the shots recognized their error and disclosed it to the clients and their families, and additional education and processes are now in place to help make sure it doesn't happen again. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry called the error unfortunate, but says officials don't believe the recipients will suffer any clinical harm. Henry told a news conference on Monday that she expects the Moderna vaccine will soon be approved for youth between 12 and 17, and in that case, the youth would receive Moderna as their second dose as well. "That does not excuse the fact that it should not have happened," she said. "The National Advisory Committee on Immunization has looked at the interchangeability of the two mRNA vaccines and supports that there's no safety concerns or effectiveness concerns if you have a Moderna and then a Pfizer or vice versa," Henry added. Pfizer had been the only vaccine available at Vancouver Coastal Health clinics for an extended period, until this past weekend, when Moderna was the primary shot being offered, the health authority's statement says. "With both a new age cohort and a different vaccine on site, errors were made on May 28-29, in which immunizers used the Moderna vaccine instead of the Pfizer product for adolescents," it says. Clinics will have dedicated staff and stations for the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines where feasible, it says, and new questions to identify youth under 18 have been added to the immunizer's screening checklist. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 31, 2021. ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) Algeria partially reopened its skies to flights on Tuesday after a 14-month shutdown to try to keep out the coronavirus, with a first flight of the national carrier Air Algerie taking off for Paris on Tuesday and another expected to land later in Algiers, the capital. A traveler queues at the Houari Boumediene airport for a flight bound to Paris, Tuesday, June 1, 2021 in Algiers. Algeria has partially reopened its air borders Tuesday for the first time in over 15 months of the COVID-19 crisis. (AP Photo/Fateh Guidoum) ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) Algeria partially reopened its skies to flights on Tuesday after a 14-month shutdown to try to keep out the coronavirus, with a first flight of the national carrier Air Algerie taking off for Paris on Tuesday and another expected to land later in Algiers, the capital. Great caution governed the partial reopening, with limited flights, tests for COVID-19 and a required quarantine. Those heading to Algiers must have a negative PCR test less than 36 hours before boarding, and all passengers must undergo a five-day quarantine in a hotel requisitioned by the state. A negative test result is required to leave the hotel. The number of weekly flights and destinations is limited to five cities: Paris and Marseille in France, the Spanish city of Barcelona, Tunisian capital Tunis and Istanbul. Air Algerie personnel lined up to applaud arriving passengers for the first flight. One of the passengers, Amina Nasri, said she understands the measures put in place because it's in our interest. The most important thing for me is to see my son and my grandchildren whom I haven't seen since February 2020, she told Radio Algerie. Algerians in Paris, Algiers and elsewhere groused about the restrictions, and the price. Expenses and meals at the hotel are at the passengers expense. And not everyone can board the infrequent flights. In pre-virus times, many Algerians in France, for instance, often returned to their homeland for visits. Its a first operation. We want great vigilance from our passengers since the success of this operation will be determining for what follows, Air Algerie spokesman Amine Andaloussi said in an interview with the site visa-algerie.com. Other airlines, like Tunisair and Air France, were expected to add flights of their own. Algeria has registered 3,472 deaths from COVID-19 as of Monday evening, and more than 128,900 confirmed cases, far less than European countries and less than its North African neighbors. Follow APs pandemic coverage at: https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak CANBERRA, Australia (AP) An Australian court on Tuesday rejected a challenge to the federal governments draconian power to prevent most citizens from leaving the country so that they dont bring COVID-19 home. FILE - In this May 6, 2021, file photo, Andrew Cooper, founder and president of libertarian group LibertyWorks, arrives at Federal Court in Sydney. An Australian court on Tuesday, June 1, 2021, has rejected a challenge to the federal government's draconian power to prevent most citizens from leaving the country so that they don't bring COVID-19 home. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft, File) CANBERRA, Australia (AP) An Australian court on Tuesday rejected a challenge to the federal governments draconian power to prevent most citizens from leaving the country so that they dont bring COVID-19 home. Australia is alone among developed democracies in preventing its citizens and permanent residents from leaving the country except in exceptional circumstances where they can demonstrate a compelling reason. Most Australians have been stranded in their island nation since March 2020 under a government emergency order made under the powerful Biosecurity Act. Libertarian group LibertyWorks argued before the full bench of the Federal Court in early May that Health Minister Greg Hunt did not have the power to legally enforce the travel ban that has prevented thousands of Australians from attending weddings and funerals, caring for dying relatives and meeting newborn babies. LibertyWorks lawyer Jason Potts argued that Australians had a right to leave their country under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights that Australia had ratified. But the three judges ruled that submission was based on the erroneous premise that the right is absolute. LibertyWorks lawyers also argued that such a biosecurity control order could only be imposed on an individual rather than an entire population. The order could only be imposed if that individual had symptoms of a listed human disease, had been exposed to such a disease or had failed to comply with travel requirements. The judges ruled that that interpretation of the law would frustrate Parliaments clear intentions when lawmakers created the emergency powers in the Biosecurity Act in 2015. It may be accepted that the travel restrictions are harsh. It may also be accepted that they intrude upon individual rights, the judges said in their ruling. But Parliament was aware of that. LibertyWorks President Andrew Cooper said he was considering an appeal to the High Court. We are very disappointed in the judgement today. We continue to believe that the outbound border closure is defective in law and, perhaps more importantly, unjust on human rights grounds. We must remind ourselves also that often things that are legal are not necessarily just," Cooper said in an email. While Europe and most of the world open up their borders, only North Korea and Australia stubbornly continue with strict controls over their citizens ability to leave their country, Cooper added. He had expected hundreds of thousands of Australians to fly within weeks if he had won. Critics of the emergency order argue it is harshest for the 30% of Australians who were born overseas. The government says tough border controls have played an important part in Australias relative success in containing COVID-19 spread. Surveys suggest most Australians applaud their governments drastic border controls. The Australian newspaper published a survey last month that found 73% of respondents said the international border should remain closed until at least the middle of next year. Australian Broadcasting Corp. last week reported its own survey had found 79% of respondents agree the international border should stay shut until the pandemic is under control globally. Critics of the Australian travel restrictions argue that decisions on who can travel and why are inconsistent and lack transparency. Esther and Charles Baker, an ultra-Orthodox Jewish couple from Australias second-largest city, Melbourne, were twice refused exemptions to fly to New Jersey to attend their youngest sons wedding in June last year. They appealed to the Federal Court, citing religious and cultural reasons among their exceptional circumstances. But a judge dismissed their case and ordered the couple to pay the governments legal costs for their challenge. A person at the center of a coronavirus cluster in Melbourne had been allowed to attend a wedding in India. He was not infected in that country but rather during the required 14-day hotel quarantine upon his return. Authorities say he was infected by a traveler in another room on his floor and that the virus was carried in the air. Melbourne began a seven-day lockdown on Friday due to the cluster that by Tuesday had grown to more than 50 cases. Australia and New Zealand opened a quarantine-free travel bubble in April and hope to create such bubbles with other countries in time. JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) A proposed 500-mile (804 kilometer) hiking trail from south-central Alaska to Fairbanks aimed at drawing more adventurers to the state has garnered support from the governor, tourism officials and others, and it could get a funding boost to help begin stitching it together. JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) A proposed 500-mile (804 kilometer) hiking trail from south-central Alaska to Fairbanks aimed at drawing more adventurers to the state has garnered support from the governor, tourism officials and others, and it could get a funding boost to help begin stitching it together. The state budget, under debate in a special legislative session, includes $13.2 million toward beginning to build the Alaska Long Trail, similar in concept to grand treks such as the Pacific Crest Trail or Appalachian Trail, the Anchorage Daily News reported. Funds proposed in the budget would go toward projects that in some cases are directly or peripherally related to the Alaska Long Trail, and would help officials access additional federal dollars or private investment funds. Former Alaska Gov. Tony Knowles, a project supporter, said the budget proposal is a really important first step in the vision of an Alaska Long Trail. That takes it from an idea to a reality. Building the entire trail is expected to take years and cost millions more dollars. But the project has gotten support from economic development and tourism organizations that see it as a potential draw for hikers and adventurers that could encourage them to stay in Alaska longer. Chris Beck, a lead planner of the project, said the concept came in part from a desire for a trans-Alaska trail. The 500-mile segment is billed by supporters as the first part of what could be a longer trail, extending, for example, to the North Slope. Beck said much of the Fairbanks to Seward route is on public lands. The area has 200 miles (321 kilometers) of trails that could be stitched together. Julie Saupe, president and CEO of Visit Anchorage, said travelers are trending younger and seeking experiences. A long trail project fits perfectly into a tourism growth strategy, she said. Gov. Mike Dunleavy included funding for pieces of the trail in legislation that did not advance this year. The funding proposal currently in play was added as a budget amendment in the Senate. Budget line items are still being negotiated between the House and Senate. Jeff Turner, a Dunleavy spokesperson, said the Alaska Long Trail promises to be a world-class hiking adventure that will draw Alaskans and outdoor enthusiasts from across the globe. It will import new economic activity to Alaska and become a powerful marketing tool for the states tourism efforts. CANBERRA, Australia (AP) A ransomware attack on the world's largest meat processing company disrupted production around the world just weeks after a similar incident shut down a U.S. oil pipeline. FILE - In this Oct. 12, 2020 file photo, a worker heads into the JBS meatpacking plant in Greeley, Colo. A weekend ransomware attack on the worlds largest meat company is disrupting production around the world just weeks after a similar incident shut down a U.S. oil pipeline. The White House confirms that Brazil-based meat processor JBS SA notified the U.S. government Sunday, May 30, 2021, of a ransom demand from a criminal organization likely based in Russia. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File) CANBERRA, Australia (AP) A ransomware attack on the world's largest meat processing company disrupted production around the world just weeks after a similar incident shut down a U.S. oil pipeline. Brazil's JBS SA, however, said late Tuesday that it had made significant progress in dealing with the cyberattack and expects the vast majority of its plants to be operating on Wednesday. Our systems are coming back online and we are not sparing any resources to fight this threat," Andre Nogueira, CEO of JBS USA, said in a statement. Earlier, the White House said JBS had notified the U.S. of a ransom demand from a criminal organization likely based in Russia. White House principal deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the White House and the Department of Agriculture have been in touch with the company several times this week. JBS is the second-largest producer of beef, pork and chicken in the U.S. If it were to shut down for even one day, the U.S. would lose almost a quarter of its beef-processing capacity, or the equivalent of 20,000 beef cows, according to Trey Malone, an assistant professor of agriculture at Michigan State University. The closures reflect the reality that modern meat processing plants are heavily automated, for both food- and worker-safety reasons. Computers collect data at multiple stages of the production process, and orders, billing, shipping and other functions are all electronic. JBS, which has not stated publicly that the attack was ransomware, said the cyberattack affected servers supporting its operations in North America and Australia. Backup servers werent affected and it said it was not aware of any customer, supplier or employee data being compromised. Malone said the disruption could further raise meat prices ahead of summer barbecues. Even before the attack, U.S. meat prices were rising due to coronavirus shutdowns, bad weather and high plant absenteeism. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has said it expects beef prices to climb 1% to 2% this year, poultry as much as 1.5% and pork between by from 2% and 3%. JBS, which is a majority shareholder of Pilgrim's Pride, didn't say which of its 84 U.S. facilities were closed Monday and Tuesday because of the attack. It said JBS USA and Pilgrims were able to ship meat from nearly all of its facilities Tuesday. The company also said it was making progress toward resuming plant operations in the U.S. and Australia. Several of the companys pork, poultry and prepared foods plants were operational Tuesday and its Canada beef facility resumed production, it said. Earlier Tuesday, a union official confirmed that two shifts at the company's largest U.S. beef plant, in Greeley, Colorado, were canceled. Some plant shifts in Canada were also canceled Monday and Tuesday, according to JBS Facebook posts. In Australia, thousands of meat plant workers had no work for a second day Tuesday, and a government minister said it might be days before production resumes. JBS is Australias largest meat and food processing company, with 47 facilities across the country including slaughterhouses, feedlots and meat processing sites. Jean-Pierre said the White House is engaging directly with the Russian government on this matter and delivering the message that responsible states do not harbor ransomware criminals. The FBI is investigating the incident, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is offering technical support to JBS. In addition, USDA has spoken to several major meat processors in the U.S. to alert them to the situation, and the White House is assessing any potential impact on the nations meat supply. JBS has more than 150,000 employees worldwide. It's not the first time a ransomware attack has targeted a food company. Last November, Milan-based Campari Group said it was the victim of a ransomware attack that caused a temporary technology outage and compromised some business and personal data. In March, Molson Coors announced a cyber attack that affected its production and shipping. Molson Coors said it was able to get some of its breweries running after 24 hours; others took several days. Ransomware expert Brett Callow, a threat analyst at the security firm Emsisoft, said companies like JBS make ideal targets. They play a critical role in the food supply chain and threat actors likely believe this increases their chances of getting a speedy payout, Callow said. Mark Jordan, who follows the meat industry as the executive director of Leap Market Analytics, said the disruption could be minimal assuming JBS recovers in the next few days. Meat processers are used to dealing with delays because of a host of factors, including industrial accidents and power outages, and they make up lost production with extra shifts, he said. Several plants owned by a major meatpacker going offline for a couple of days is a major headache, but it is manageable assuming it doesn't extend much beyond that, he said. Jordan said it will help that U.S. meat demand generally eases for a few weeks between Memorial Day and the July 4 Independence Day holiday. But the attacks can wreak havoc. Last month, a gang of hackers shut down operation of the Colonial Pipeline, the largest U.S. fuel pipeline, for nearly a week. The closure sparked long lines and panic buying at gas stations across the Southeast. Colonial Pipeline confirmed it paid $4.4 million to the hackers. Jason Crabtree, the co-founder of QOMPLX, a Virginia-based artificial intelligence and machine learning company, said Marriott, FedEx and others have also been targeted by ransomware attacks. He said companies need to do a better job of rapidly detecting bad actors in their systems. A lot of organizations arent able to find and fix different vulnerabilities faster than the adversaries that theyre fighting, Crabtree said. Crabtree said the government also plays a critical role, and said President Joe Biden's recent executive order on cybersecurity which requires all federal agencies to use basic security measures, like multi-factor authentication is a good start. Durbin reported from Detroit. AP Writer Alan Suderman in Richmond, Virginia, and Alexandra Jaffe in Washington contributed. Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-01 20:44:50|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close GAZA, June 1 (Xinhua) -- A senior European Union (EU) official on Tuesday called on Israel to end the blockade, which has been imposed on the Gaza Strip for 15 years, to facilitate the process of reconstruction in the coastal enclave. EU Representative to Palestine Sven Kuehn von Burgsdorff told a news conference in Gaza city that the reconstruction plan in the Gaza Strip "needs to lift the blockade to enable the populations to move freely and have a free trade." Burgsdorff met with representatives of non-government organizations in the Gaza Strip and then held a news conference near the ruins of al-Jalla high rise that had been bombed and destroyed two weeks ago. "The EU supports the efforts of reconstruction in Gaza," he said, adding that "Israel should end the blockade and reopen the crossing points and give the populations a free access of movement." A tit-for-tat violent fighting broke out on May 10 between Israel and militant groups led by the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in the Gaza Strip, which ended on May 21. Egypt brokered a ceasefire that ended the fighting between the two sides, which left more than 250 Palestinians and 12 Israelis killed as well as destruction of infrastructure in the Gaza Strip. "It is necessary to stabilize the ceasefire between the two sides," Burgsdorff said. He also called for holding the general Palestinian elections and called on Israel to allow holding it in East Jerusalem. Enditem SUDBURY, Ont. - More than 10 years after a steelworkers group in northern Ontario went on a year-long strike, the union representing employees at a mine in Sudbury are once again walking off the job. A miner taps material in a flash furnace at the Vale smelter complex in Copper Cliff, Ont. on Wednesday December 8, 2010. A steelworkers union in Sudbury, Ont., is going on strike for the first time in over 10 years after a majority of its members rejected a tentative deal with Vale Canada.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Gino Donato SUDBURY, Ont. - More than 10 years after a steelworkers group in northern Ontario went on a year-long strike, the union representing employees at a mine in Sudbury are once again walking off the job. The strike comes as labour discussions between United Steelworkers Local 6500 and Brazilian mining corporation Vale Canada broke down Monday. The union, which represents 2,600 members in the Sudbury area, says 87 per cent of its members voted on the deal, 70 per cent of whom voted to reject the agreement. Kimberly Kmit of Local 6500 confirmed in an interview that the union had gone on strike. "We are newly energized with this result and are looking forward to bringing your message to the company to let them know our work is not complete," Local 6500's bargaining committee said in a statement Tuesday. The news comes after the union's bargaining committee previously recommended members vote in favour of the tentative deal. The five-year agreement would have also covered the members of Local 6200 and included a one-time payment of $2,500 "in recognition of continued efforts during the last year" for employees who were employed on June 1. Another one-time payment of $3,500 was part of the deal as a signing bonus, but was conditional of ratification of the agreement. The workers at the mine haven't been on strike since July 2009, but that work stoppage lasted until July 2010 when a new agreement was reached. The previous agreement gave over 3,000 workers a raise and a significant signing bonus. Vale said Local 6500 voted to reject its offer of the five-year collective bargaining agreement, despite a vote for ratification by Local 6200, the company said in a statement Tuesday. The Brazilian mining company said the strike will result in operation disruptions at the Sudbury location and they will be continuing discussions with Local 6500 with the goal of reaching an agreement in the near future. The multinational conglomerate has also implemented contingency plans "to preserve the integrity and safety of the plants and mines." Vale has not confirmed when labour talks will resume nor have they replied to a request for comment. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 1, 2021. - - - This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Facebook and Canadian Press News Fellowship. Companies in this story: (NYSE:VALE) The Winnipeg cannabis confections plant designed to be the largest in the country is set to kick off production this week, two months after it was sold to another licensed cannabis producer. The Winnipeg cannabis confections plant designed to be the largest in the country is set to kick off production this week, two months after it was sold to another licensed cannabis producer. Edibles and Infusions Corp., the brainchild of Cavalier Candies CEO, James Fletcher, will start making cannabis-infused soft chew gummies this week on a small production line that is capable of making 8,000 pieces per hour. Equipment for much larger production rates 31,000 pieces per hour is en route from Germany and is expected to be commissioned and in production by the end of the summer. The plant was originally a partnership between Fletcher and AgraFlora, a B.C. licensed producer. But in April it was sold for $22 million to Organigram Holdings Inc., a licensed producer based in Moncton, N.B. (The purchase price was paid for in Organigram shares and Fletcher and Agraflora will receive up to an additional $13 million in shares of Organigram if certain sales milestones are met.) Fletcher, who sold his stake to Organigram, which now owns 100 per cent of the Edibles and Infusions Corp., stays on as president of Edibles and Infusion and is happy with his new partners. "Organigram have been fantastic partners," he said. "Their team has helped out with everything I could ask for. Im happy were getting into production." The enterprise has received $500,000 from the federal-provincial Growing Forward program and Fletcher said he is glad to be in the position of giving back to the province, hiring about 30 people over the next few weeks. Paolo De Luca, chief strategy officer for Organigram Holdings Inc., believes the companys investment in the Winnipeg production facility will give it a leg up on the competition. "The future of cannabis is in derivative products like soft chews (gummies) and other forms of cannabis not related to combustion," De Luca said. Currently the dried flower and pre-rolled market represents about 70 per cent of the Canadian recreational cannabis market. But most industry observers believe the derivatives, or so-called cannabis 2.0 products, will gain significant market share. "Over time people who are shy about using cannabis or dont want to smoke anything (will mean) the derivatives product is going to be a big growth opportunity." ALEX LUPUL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Employees of Edibles and Infusions Corp. get ready to begin production of cannabis gummies. As the head of a company that has been making candy since 1922, Fletcher is very confident with the recipes hes created for the cannabis products that include gummies (both gelatin and pectin-based) lozenges and caramel are going to be well accepted. "Cannabis distillate is easier to work with than some other additives like vitamins that are very heat sensitive," he said. As well as having the largest facility in the country at 51,000 square feet, a significant underlying goal of the design of the facility is that it will be the lowest cost producer. Similar products now sold in some U.S. states where recreational cannabis is legal are less than half the price of similar products in Canada. De Luca said marketing, branding and pricing plans have not yet been disclosed. At the outset, virtually all the production will be distributed as Organigram-branded product but in the future both he and Fletcher said it is likely the Edibles and Infusions will make product for other licensed producers and sold under different brand names. One month before Organigrams acquisition of Edibles and Infusions, that was finalized in early April, the Moncton company received a $221-million investment from British American Tobacco (BAT) for close to a 20 per cent equity stake in the company. Part of the rationale for the investment the third tobacco company to make a significant investment in the Canadian cannabis market is to expand the tobacco companys market in non-nicotine and non-combustible products. As part of the deal they will help fund a product development research and development lab at Organigrams headquarters. Although De Luca said BAT was unaware of the Edibles and Infusions deal, he said BAT people were very supportive when they heard about it. "They are certainly looking forward to leveraging this asset," De Luca said. The subsidiary of BAT that invested in Organigram is part of the companys initiative to have 50 million consumers of non-combustible products by 2030 and to accelerate revenues in that category to $8.5 billion by 2025. "They are looking for growth opportunities in safer and healthier categories," De Luca said. "Cannabis derivatives would be a play that could grow that category." martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca LONDON (AP) A terminal at London's Heathrow Airport that was mothballed because of the coronavirus pandemic reopened Tuesday to serve passengers arriving from high-risk countries an action that critics said was long overdue. FILE - In this Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021 file photo, arriving passengers walk past a sign in the arrivals area at Heathrow Airport in London. A terminal at Heathrow Airport mothballed because of the coronavirus pandemic has reopened Tuesday, June 1 for passengers arriving from high-risk countries. Britain has barred travelers from a red list of 43 coronavirus hotspots including India, Brazil, Turkey and South Africa. U.K. nationals and residents who return from those countries face a mandatory 10-day supervised quarantine in a hotel.(AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File) LONDON (AP) A terminal at London's Heathrow Airport that was mothballed because of the coronavirus pandemic reopened Tuesday to serve passengers arriving from high-risk countries an action that critics said was long overdue. Britain has barred travelers from a red list of 43 coronavirus hotspots including India, Brazil, Turkey and South Africa, fearing they could bring in worrisome virus variants. U.K. citizens and residents who return from those countries face a mandatory 10-day supervised quarantine in a government-approved hotel. Critics, however, have complained that red list passengers have been using the same airport arrivals hall as thousands of travelers from other destinations, though in separate lines, since hotel quarantines were introduced in February. Some arriving passengers have described hours-long waits at Heathrow's passport control in crowded conditions. Starting Tuesday, red list arrivals will pass through the airports Terminal 3, which was closed in April 2020 as international air travel plummeted, leaving Heathrow previously Europe's busiest airport largely empty. Heathrow said in a statement that it had set up the new arrivals facility because red list routes will likely be a feature of U.K. travel for the foreseeable future. The Public and Commercial Services Union, which represents border staff, said the decision had been made at extremely short notice, meaning key social distancing procedures are not in place. This is another poorly planned initiative that will be understaffed and rely on volunteers to do overtime, to avoid mounting queues, the union said. The U.K. has recorded almost 128,000 coronavirus deaths, the highest toll in Europe. A mass vaccination campaign that started in December has brought new infections and deaths down sharply, but case numbers are once again rising as a more transmissible virus variant, named Delta by the World Health Organization and first identified in India, spreads across the U.K. On Tuesday, the government reported a further 3,165 confirmed COVID-19 cases, compared to about 2,500 cases last week. But Britain recorded no coronavirus deaths on Tuesday for the first time since July. Apart from July 30, there have been no days without officially recorded COVID-19 deaths since March 2020. Still, rising case numbers have cast doubt on the Conservative government's plans to lift social distancing rules and remaining pandemic-related restrictions on June 21. Many scientists are urging a delay, arguing that more people need to be vaccinated before measures can be eased safely. Three-quarters of U.K. adults have had one dose of a coronavirus vaccine so far, and almost half have had both doses. Pop-up clinics have been set up as part of a surge vaccination campaign in hotspot areas, including one that inoculated thousands of people Monday at Londons Twickenham rugby stadium. On Tuesday, the Scottish government, which controls its own health policy, said it would be cautious and delay plans to ease restrictions in the most populous parts of the country because cases are rising. "This is a pause, not a step backwards, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said. The U.K. government says it will announce on June 14 whether the latest relaxation for England will be delayed. We will continue to look at the data, we will continue to look at the latest scientific evidence, as we move through June, Prime Minister Boris Johnsons spokesman, Jamie Davies, said Tuesday. Mark Walport, a former chief scientific adviser to the government, said the situation was very finely balanced. It is a quite perilous moment, but weve just got to keep our fingers crossed that the measures work, he told the BBC. Follow more of APs pandemic coverage at: https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak WINKLER A doctor sits at a desk on a DIY film set in Winklers city hall building Monday morning. Its simple but some effort has gone into it: there's a printed white-brick backdrop hanging behind him and there's lighting placed just so while the video is being recorded on a phone. He's got a very brief script in his hand. He reads the simple, but powerful, message in one take. "Here is the most important health-care message I have ever given," Dr. Don Klassen begins. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Winkler Mayor Martin Harder (left) and Dr. Don Klassen on Main Street in Winkler Monday. "COVID is real. It is not a hoax. It is here, I have seen it myself. There can be no denial." Hes not alone on set. The video is a collaboration between Klassen and Winkler Mayor Martin Harder, who also reads a brief on-camera message to his constituents, encouraging them to trust local health professionals and get vaccinated. "I think we just have to aim at dispelling myths, we have to answer well the questions people have, the concerns people have around the vaccine." Dr. Don Klassen The minute-long video nobody likes to listen to a long presentation, Harder notes will be shared through multiple channels, including the C.W. Wiebe medical centres website and Winklers and Harder's social media in an attempt to raise the vaccine-uptake rate in Winkler, the second-lowest in Manitoba. Only about 23 per cent of Winklers adults have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and is ahead of only the Rural Municipality of Stanley, which is at 11.4 per cent of adults. The message only becomes more urgent as time goes on, Klassen says. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Dr. Don Klassen films a video promoting vaccinations at City Hall in Winkler on Monday. "I think we just have to aim at dispelling myths, we have to answer well the questions people have, the concerns people have around the vaccine," he says. "And I think lots of attempts have been made at that, but were just going to keep working away at this." The provincial government has long discussed outreach to leaders in communities with low uptake rates and floated the idea of providing initiatives and rewards for getting vaccinated, but Harder says he was inspired to take matters into his own hands because of what he says is a prevailing attitude in Winkler: if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. "From a political perspective, I only have one thing to say (to the province): stay out of the way," he says. "This is not going to be solved because of any more government input, its not going to be solved by any more cheques; its going to be solved by local people saying whats right and what needs to be done. People respect people like Dr. Klassen who have been here forever, who we as a community have depended on to provide medical services. For me, as a municipal leader, Ive been here 15 years. We have to be the example." "From a political perspective, I only have one thing to say (to the province): stay out of the way." Winkler Mayor Martin Harder Klassen, who has been a doctor in Winkler for four decades and currently is providing medical support at the C.W. Wiebe Medical Centre, says the video was targeted at a minority in the community who are not planning to get vaccinated or tested after developing symptoms. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Winkler Mayor Martin Harder. "When we see people who have milder symptoms and would rather not go for testing, or absolutely will not go for testing, thats the time for educational initiatives," he says. In the last few weeks, both Klassen and Harder have worked on home-grown outreach efforts. Klassen mentions a local WhatsApp group for Winkler health-care professionals to bounce ideas off each other about getting information out into the community. Harders currently working with Jim Smith, a certified public accountant who owns his own practice in Winkler, on a raffle in which people who can prove theyve received their first doses would be eligible to win cash prizes. "Once we get out that message, that we want to be a community again, I think its going to help," he says. Smith says the local do-it-yourself attitude presented itself one night around his familys dinner table several weeks ago, when he and his daughter brainstormed about improving the communitys low vaccine rate. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Jim Smith, a Winkler CPA, has proposed a raffle as a vaccination reward and a way to increase positivity around vaccination locally. What they came up with was simple but effective, he hopes. Why not provide cash rewards to the people who roll up their sleeves? "This is just my personal opinion, but I think a local solution would be a better solution theres always skepticism about politicians in provincial or federal governments." Jim Smith "Its fine and dandy to sit back and complain and whine and moan and all that about things not working out the way you think they should, but its entirely different to try and get a different outcome, a better outcome, and thats really what the contest is about," he said. Depending on the feedback they get, he thinks its possible to take the initiative further, including sponsorships and different prizes donated from like-minded business owners in the community. Smith says he doesnt believe hed have trouble gathering support from other business owners. "This is just my personal opinion, but I think a local solution would be a better solution theres always skepticism about politicians in provincial or federal governments," he says. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Signs for Morden and Winkler on Monday, May 31, 2021. "I think its better to have a grassroots, local way of rewarding people for, in a sense, doing the right thing." While he has some reservations and wants to emphasize that the raffle would in no way be an attempt at advertising his business "Im no PR person, Im an accountant. How much farther can you get from being a PR person?" he jokes the negativity hes been witnessing inspired him to approach Harder. "Right now, theres no positivity coming up around here around the pandemic," he says. "If it just runs its course from this point on, I think most people will only remember all the negative articles, all the negative stuff, because there wasnt much local positivity for the average person." Anesthesiologist Dr. Ganesan Abbu says the majority of COVID-19 admissions to Boundary Trails Health Centre located between Winkler and Morden at the connection of Highways 3 and 14 are from people who have chosen not to get vaccinated, making the work being done on a grassroots level even more crucial. "I think its very important, when local people, people who were born here and have the undying trust of the community, come out and state unequivocally that this is not a hoax, that vaccination does help," he says. malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: malakabas_ Manitobans immunized for COVID-19 with the AstraZeneca vaccine now have a choice when it comes to the type of shot to take for their second dose. Manitobans immunized for COVID-19 with the AstraZeneca vaccine now have a choice when it comes to the type of shot to take for their second dose. The province will offer a messenger RNA vaccine to people who received AstraZeneca, said Dr. Joss Reimer, medical lead for the province's COVID-19 vaccine task force. "Well be recommending that your second dose be with an mRNA vaccine, either Pfizer or Moderna," Reimer said on Monday. "It will be your turn when you meet provincial eligibility for second doses like those who received Pfizer or Moderna." Blood clotting risks linked to AstraZeneca are even more rare following a second shot, she said, adding the province wants to make another option available that's "even lower risk." A supply of about 3,700 AstraZeneca shots remains at medical clinics and pharmacies throughout the province. AstraZeneca recipients can still get the same vaccine for their second dose if they choose, Reimer said. KEVIN KING/WINNIPEG SUN Dr. Joss Reimer, medical lead for the vaccine implementation task force. (Kevin King / Pool) The task forces decision was made without formal guidance from the National Advisory Committee on Immunization and before the release of a comparative study by the Oxford Vaccine Group in the United Kingdom. Results of the U.K. study won't be available until late June, Reimer said. A smaller study out of Spain that also looked at the effectiveness of mixing the AstraZeneca and the Pfizer vaccine showed people had a "good immune" response. "This is consistent with what we have seen in vaccines for other diseases as well," Reimer told a news conference. In addition, the task force reviewed data from animal trials as well as existing literature on mixing multi-dose vaccines for other diseases that showed the immune response is neutral, or better, than sticking with the same vaccine type. The task force is recommending the second mRNA dose be given eight weeks after the first AstraZeneca dose. The minimum interval is 28 days. The goal should be to fully vaccinate as many people as possible for "optimal, long-lived protection" to stop the third wave, said Deanna Santer, an assistant professor of immunology at the University of Manitoba. CP People who received the AstraZeneca vaccine for their first dose can get a Pfizer or Moderna shot for their second dose. (Matthias Schrader / The Associated Press files) "Different types of vaccines have been used for years in experiments to boost immune responses against a bacteria or virus," said Santer. "If we end up with mRNA doses in excess compared to AstraZeneca, then it makes sense to get these second shots out to especially those at highest risk of severe disease as soon as possible." AstraZeneca shots currently in the province will stay with health care providers to offer to people who cannot take an mRNA vaccine due to allergies or if they prefer the viral vector vaccine technology, said Reimer. Second dose eligibility expanded Eligibility to book second dose appointments for the COVID-19 vaccine, including AstraZeneca, was extended to people who had their first shot on or before April 8 on Monday. The Manitoba government announced Monday that people who received the AstraZeneca vaccine would also be eligible for their second doses as long as general provincial eligibility criteria is met and recommended they receive either the Pfizer or Moderna shot for their booster shot. click to read more Eligibility to book second dose appointments for the COVID-19 vaccine, including AstraZeneca, was extended to people who had their first shot on or before April 8 on Monday. The Manitoba government announced Monday that people who received the AstraZeneca vaccine would also be eligible for their second doses as long as general provincial eligibility criteria is met and recommended they receive either the Pfizer or Moderna shot for their booster shot. The province recommends that those who received AstraZeneca for their first shot get a second dose of an mRNA vaccine eight weeks after the first. Manitobans who initially received the AstraZeneca shot can choose to receive the same vaccine type for their booster. On Tuesday, people who received their first dose on or before April 13 will be able to book their second dose at 11:45 a.m. All Indigenous people in Manitoba and individuals with specific health conditions are also eligible to book their second dose, as long as they meet the minimum time interval between doses. For anyone in the eligible groups who received a first dose of the AstraZeneca/Covishield vaccine, the minimum time interval between doses is 28 days. People can book an appointment online at protectmb.ca or by calling 1-844-626-8222. People who received either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine for their first shot continue to be offered the same vaccine type for their second dose. First doses continue to be offered to Manitobans 12 years of age or older. Close Some of that supply had been set to expire on May 31; however, Health Canada on Saturday said it had approved a request by AstraZeneca to extend the shelf life of the vaccine based on data that showed the quality, safety and efficacy of the shots would be guaranteed until July 1. Another 23,800 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine have been allocated to Manitoba by the federal government and are currently being held by Ottawa until Manitoba requests delivery. Previously, NACI had said that in the context of supply scarcity, people could be offered a different brand of vaccine for second doses so long as the vaccine used the same type of technology. "Thats already in place that we can switch between those products if the same product is not available and thats consistent with NACI as well," Reimer said, noting Quebec had previously announced intentions to mix vaccine types. Some European countries have also permitted vaccines to be exchanged, she added. danielle.dasilva@freepress.mb.ca Baby-sized grey sneakers, pink rainboots, small moccasins dusted with tobacco, a pair of white canvas sneakers. Hundreds of pairs of shoes lined the front steps of the Manitoba legislature Monday, in memory of the 215 children some as young as three recently found buried in an unmarked burial ground at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School in B.C. To residential school survivor Gerry (Gramma) Shingoose, the canvas sneakers were all too reminiscent of those she was made to wear during the nine years she spent at Muscowequan Indian Residential School in Saskatchewan. "They really triggered me when I seen that," the elder said, sitting under an umbrella on the legislature lawn Monday afternoon. Shingoose has long-shared the story of her years in the residential school system, including testifying in front of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. On Monday, she joined elders, survivors, and community members to grieve, commemorate those lost to residential schools, and honour those who survived. "I was feeling really heavy and hurt from that (B.C.) news, it triggered me," Shingoose said. "Coming here the last couple days is so calming and peaceful. It really feels good to have the community come and support, and also to acknowledge the 215 children." Since Sunday, Winnipegs Indigenous community has been burning a sacred fire in the shadow of the Queen Victoria statue on the legislature lawn. Two teepees stood tall against the symbolic backdrop of the legislative building, adorned with orange ribbons, hosting elders in ceremony. The fire will burn until a final feast Wednesday. "The sacred fire is significant to Indigenous people when we lose loved ones," Shingoose explained, as others sang and drummed around the flames. "In this case, we lost 215 children, so were burning this sacred fire to help them with their journey to the spirit world." For organizer Alaya McIvor, the four-day ceremony is an experience of healing, truth-telling, love, and resilience. She had laid a pair shoes at Oodena Circle at The Forks on Sunday night with the Bear Clan Patrol, and was overcome with a desire to respond to the tragedy in an actionable way. "Those shoes really hit my heart," McIvor said. "I couldnt just stay there silent." After speaking with community elders, she loaded a bin with two bags of firewood and a fire pit, and began a ceremony on the legislature lawn. Hundreds of shoes were moved to the legislature from Oodena Circle, and community members continued to add new pairs. As a seven-year survivor of residential schools, Susan Caribou said the recent news brought flashbacks and nightmares of her days at Guy Hill School in The Pas. Standing in the shadow of a teepee on the lawn, Caribou described her time in residential schools, where culture and language were forcibly stripped away. Pulling back her bangs, she pointed to a scar on each eyebrow, from razors used to shave away childrens hair, and to scars on her hands where fingers were broken but never allowed to properly heal. "This residential school life, were still living it. Its a battle every day," she said. Caribou has passed by the shoes, but cant stand in front of them yet. She will when shes ready, she said. "Ive been emotional since they were found, having nightmares again. It brings back a lot of hurt," Caribou said through tears. "Im very grateful because our community, our people always come together when theres tragedy." McIvor stressed all Manitobans are welcome to attend the legislature grounds ceremony, to honour survivors, and hear the stories of those affected by the residential school system. "We dont want apologies. Were sick of those, theyre worthless to us. They want action. They want every ground of residential schools searched, because they know for a fact there are bodies on the grounds of each residential school," said McIvor. Communities across Manitoba joined in mourning the tragedy over the weekend. On Sunday evening, two Winnipeg neighbours hung a string of 215 orange hearts across their shared lawn to draw awareness to the children lost. The number 215 was spray-painted across the city, including on boards covering windows at the former Bay building in downtown Winnipeg. "Its hard to hear those stories, but they need to be heard and they need to be told. Manitobans have an opportunity here to learn the truths from those who survived. To come and listen, to come and be here, to come and support," McIvor said. The shoes, more than 400 pairs and counting, will be donated to Ikwe Widdjiitiwin Crisis Shelter in Winnipeg, to support Indigenous women and mothers fleeing domestic violence. julia-simone.rutgers@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @jsrutgers Gerry Fingler walked around his hobby shop Friday morning, its shelves looking emptier than ever before, wondering as he had for the last several months where all the time had gone. Gerry Fingler walked around his hobby shop Friday morning, its shelves looking emptier than ever before, wondering as he had for the last several months where all the time had gone. For nearly 50 years, 49 to be exact, Cellar Dweller was the place people went to find what they were looking for: every shade of model paint, all shapes of balsa wood, missing pieces for tiny cars and planes built in basements, garages and workshops. Most of all, they came to the Main Street shop for the knowledge: that of Fingler, of 35-year employee Jim Holland, who started as a regular before becoming a fixture, and of Finglers son, Kerry. SUPPLIED The late Kerry Fingler brought his business acumen and his love of models to his fathers hobby shop. "Its a little hard to believe," said Fingler, 82, the day before the shop flipped its open sign for the last time. The first time happened in 1972, at 1472 Main St. Naturally, the business started as a hobby: Fingler was working in the computer systems field when he noticed a growing interest in an area that had fascinated him for much of his life among the general public. The shop was open two nights per week, plus Saturdays. He fell in love with flight and engineering when he was 10, watching airplanes loop in the air over the Stevenson Field, coming home and building stick-and-tissue models of the machines he saw dancing in the sky. Girls came along, and he put his supplies to the side as a teenager. But when he and his wife Anita got married, settled down and had kids of their own, Gerry Fingler hauled out his old tools and started building again during his free time. The shop was a risk, with Anitas job keeping it going at first, but Fingler was right: model building and radio control boomed, and by 1974, the hobby became a career, with hundreds of children, teenagers, adults and elderly folks ambling through the door to find their missing pieces. MIKE SUDOMA / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Gerry Fingler, 82, opened the Cellar Dwellar during a boom in interest in model building. One of those people was a 10-year-old boy from St. James named Brian. In 1976, Brian crashed his line-control aircraft; he needed a new landing gear and engine firewall. He reached for his phone book, flipping through its yellow pages, searching for answers. He dialed seven digits, and the quiet voice of Gerry Fingler picked up. "Yes, we have that." Brian gathered his change and asked his parents for a ride. They told him to take the bus. Determined, he took three buses from one end of the city to another, arriving at the Cellar Dweller more than two hours later. The fact that this 10-year-old boy rode the bus to get to his shop, Gerry Fingler could not believe; Brian couldnt believe he made it the whole way either. "He lets me in, sells me the part, makes sure Im all right and tells me to stick around until my bus arrives," says Brian Sinkarsin, 45 years and a hundred purchases from the Cellar Dweller later. "He treated me with the same respect he would an adult. I never forgot that." MIKE SUDOMA / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS A model plane sits on a shelf in Cellar Dweller. Even though the business has been around for so long, the last flip of the open sign wasnt meant to happen this early. Several years ago, Fingler stepped aside from the business, coming in a few times a week to do the books and check in, while Holland meted out advice and Kerry took over the store his dad opened the year he turned 10. Kerry took to the hobby business naturally: he was a dedicated craftsman in his own right, and after graduating from Red River College with an education in business administration, he combined both realms of his knowledge and took on a bigger role at the shop. He embodied the shops principle that if you dont treat customers with respect, you cant expect them to come back. He kept the business up with the times, which were no longer booming, finding new customers while reaching out to ones whod been away too long. MIKE SUDOMA / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Cellar Dweller owner Gerry Fingler (left) and longtime sales staff Jim Holland have been helping local hobbyists for decades. "Kerry messaged me on social media and said, Are you the Bayne Robertson who used to come in all the time?" says Bayne Robertson, who used to come in all the time in the 1980s. Even throughout the coronavirus pandemic, as business shifted and pressure mounted, Kerry continued, with Holland, to keep the Cellar Dweller afloat. Customers retreated to their worktables, but even if they couldnt come into the shop, they still had questions. The younger Fingler, who was by then a doting father and grandfather, made sure they still got answered with respect. Kerry started complaining of not feeling well in November; by early December he was diagnosed with a rare cancer. "He went into the hospital December 10, and he died four weeks later to the day," Gerry says. After such a monumental loss, Gerry knew he had to close. "I hate to see it closing, because I know Kerry would have carried it on until he was ready to retire," Gerry says. "But it wasnt to be so." MIKE SUDOMA / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Racks of tiny bolts and other modelling supplies line a pegboard at Cellar Dweller. After the decision was made, word spread through the tight-knit hobby community, which was shaken by the untimely loss of one institution, Kerry Fingler, followed by the loss of another in the store itself. "Its a great loss for not only our flying club, but to everybody else," says Brian Hoel, a longtime customer and a member of the Saints RC Flying Club. "They became more like friends than business acquaintances. We called each other by our first names." Signs went up in the windows at 1819 Main St., the third and final location of Cellar Dweller, advertising the shops biggest sale ever, which would end on the last Saturday in May. There wasnt much left Friday. A few racks of Tamiya paints, some odds and ends. The majority of the airplanes that hung from the ceiling and inspired customers big and small had been sold. A young woman walked in, asking about a slot-car piece. Jim Holland told her, sorry, weve sold out, peering over his mask to meet her eye to eye. MIKE SUDOMA / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Customers have been flocking to Cellar Dweller to get their modelling supplies before the hobby shop's closing day. In recent weeks, customers flocked to the store for a final pilgrimage, not necessarily looking to buy but looking instead to offer their thanks. Brian Sinkarsin did that. Many visitors told Gerry Fingler how much theyll miss the place, how much theyve missed his son, and how hard it is to believe. Fingler will also miss the place and the camaraderie. Hes taken home mementoes some planes, some photographs to keep it near. All these years later, asked what kept him engaged in his hobby, Fingler says, "For me, its always the challenge of building. Theres always something to learn. "And when you get kids, whether a girl or a boy, or anyone, fascinated by what they see, whether a plastic model of a car, an aircraft or a boat, their eyes are wide open. They say, Wow. Look at that." Another thing hes loved? "The satisfaction of completing a project and admiring what you accomplished in building it, and then going on to the next one." "I still have airplanes I would like to build," he says, the day before the shops door closes for good. ben.waldman@freepress.mb.ca With rising numbers of critically-ill COVID-19 patients admitted to Manitoba ICUs, the province is now ensuring loved ones know transfers may be made out of province and that the government will cover the cost of sending along a compassionate caregiver. With rising numbers of critically-ill COVID-19 patients admitted to Manitoba ICUs, the province is now ensuring loved ones know transfers may be made out of province and that the government will cover the cost of sending along a compassionate caregiver. "We don't want anyone to be surprised by that, even though it's always been the case in Manitoba, that clinicians make the decisions about moving patients interfacility," acting health minister Kelvin Goertzen told reporters in a scrum at the legislature Monday. Shared Health said 40 ICU patients have now been sent out of province since May 18. As of 12:01 a.m. Monday, 122 patients were in a Manitoba ICU, including 71 patients who have or are recovering from COVID-19. A record 17 COVID-19 patients under the age of 40 were in ICU Monday morning a 54 per cent jump from only seven days ago. Over a 48-hour period between Friday and Sunday, 30 COVID-19 patients were admitted to ICU and 10 more COVID-19 deaths were reported. There have been 246 COVID-19 patients admitted to Manitoba ICUs in May nearly five times the 50 COVID-19 patients admitted to ICU the previous month. Of the 40 ICU patients sent out of province, four have returned to Manitoba. Of the 36 patients still being treated at faraway hospitals in Ontario (35) and Saskatchewan (one), four are under the age of 40. When asked about loved ones who oppose an ICU patient transfer, Goertzen said doctors consult with families but do not require their consent to move patients. The former health minister, who is handling the health portfolio while Health Minister Heather Stefanson is on a medical leave, said clinicians have always been able to move patients without their family's permission if it's in the best interest of the patient or the overall health care system. Goertzen said if a COVID-19 ICU patient is transferred out of province, Manitoba will cover the cost of a compassionate caregiver joining them. The province will pay for their flight, meals, accommodation and transportation to and from airport, he said. They may not be able to accompany their loved one on the flight or inside an out-of-province ICU where pandemic restrictions are in place but there may be a comfort in being close by, he said. "It won't always be a great consolation but I think, for some, it will be important," Goertzen said. It's what NDP Leader Wab Kinew asked Premier Brian Pallister for during question period last week. "Nobody wants a loved one in ICU to be transferred out of province but that is a reality that is the crisis we're dealing with in Manitoba today," Kinew told reporters Monday. "Given that reality, this is a step that must be taken to help those families. They are suffering right now." It's troubling that the acting health minister announced the new measures more than two weeks after out of province transfers began, said Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont. "They're always reacting weeks after the fact," said Lamont, who tabled in the house Monday a Shared Health memo dated May 18 when out-of-province ICU patient transfers began that contains scripts for health care providers to follow. The scripts regarding patient transfers make no mention of patients facing out of province transfers, said Lamont. "It speaks to me about how unprepared they were that they're not even thinking these things through." On Monday, Shared Health announced 13 respiratory therapy students will graduate early to join the frontlines at the Health Sciences Centre and St. Boniface Hospital, adding 304 shifts over the next six weeks. Another 15 nurses began a two-week critical care orientation Monday. A total of 119 nurses have signed up for the training since April 19. Six Canadian Red Cross nurses are now in Manitoba, completing their orientation to work at HSC. Three medical lab technologists from the Canadian Armed Forces began training last Friday to support COVID-19 testing in Shared Health labs. A Canadian Armed Forces crew and aircraft are assisting in the transport of some ICU patients. Two multi-purpose medical assistance teams are now assisting at an alternative isolation accommodation site in Winnipeg. The lag time between new COVID-19 cases and hospital admissions means that the strain on ICUs isn't going away any time soon, said chief provincial public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin. On Monday, he announced 303 new COVID-19 cases and test-positivity rates remaining troublingly high at 12.1 per cent for the province and 13.7 per cent for Winnipeg. "If we see these case counts coming down, we're still going to see strains on the health care system for the following week or two," Roussin warned. carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca DEMAND is growing to remove the Bishop Grandin name from a Winnipeg greenway and boulevard, as outrage spreads across Canada over the tragic toll of residential schools. DEMAND is growing to remove the Bishop Grandin name from a Winnipeg greenway and boulevard, as outrage spreads across Canada over the tragic toll of residential schools. The City of Winnipeg said it received its first calls to rename the local destinations in 2018, due to Bishop Vital-Justin Grandins (1829-1902) support for the residential school system. News broke last week the remains of 215 children had been found at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School in B.C. In the days since, the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs says local pressure is growing to replace the Bishop Grandin name. "To rename Bishop Grandin (boulevard and greenway) would be not only respectful but it would actually provide some healing to all those people who have lost children and family members at residential school," AMC Grand Chief Arlen Dumas said Monday. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada found the manner in which Indigenous children were taken from their families amounted to a "cultural genocide," he said. "(The schools) were programmed and designed to eradicate aspects of First Nations culture, if not First Nations themselves. You have to take a step back as an individual and (ask) Should we be elevating and highlighting people with that type of legacy?" Dumas said. Jerry Daniels, Grand Chief of the Southern Chiefs Organization, would also like to see the name Bishop Grandin replaced, ideally to honour someone who has exposed what took place at residential schools. "We should be remembering those children. We should be remembering the advocates, like Phil Fontaine, who stepped forward and was one of the first very well-known First Nations leaders who spoke of his experience in residential schools, which led to the TRC," said Daniels. Others argue the Grandin name should stay in place, alongside a marker that explains his connection to the schools. "I think Bishop Grandin should not be allowed to disappear He was part of something that was horrific, that was inhuman," said David Chartrand, president of the Manitoba Metis Federation. "I just hate the thought that the people that did so much harm and so much damage will fade away because their names will not be seen anymore and that history will not be there." Chartrand said keeping that "stain" on history visible should also highlight the Canadian governments role in the residential school system. "We know the residential schools have been one of the most horrific lessons learned and suffering that has taken place in this country," he said. Winnipeg city councillors expect a report within the next few months that could address Bishop Grandin Greenway. Coun. Brian Mayes (St. Vital) raised a successful motion to have a committee of community members study options for a plaque or historical marker to be installed that explains the history of the name. Many Winnipeggers supported such an educational move during public consultations. The committee, part of the Welcoming Winnipeg: Reconciling our History policy, will make a recommendation to council on how to proceed with that request. However, Mayes said he is also open to replacing the name, depending on the reports conclusions and public feedback. "If (the marker is) rejected, I would be open to a debate about renaming the street We should do something, we shouldnt just wash our hands of this," he said. On Twitter, Mayor Brian Bowman said its time for Winnipeg revisit the name of Bishop Grandin Boulevard. "I will be working with my council colleagues in the coming weeks to explore how the city can further benefit from the expertise of the Welcoming Winnipeg committee on the issue of the street name Its my hope that this work can occur in an expeditious manner so that council can consider next steps to support our communitys reconciliation efforts," Bowman tweeted. Welcoming Winnipeg is currently tasked with handling naming requests for plaques, statues, murals, parks, buildings, trails and bridges. Street names are handled through a separate city policy. with files from Dylan Robertson joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga Manitobas acting health minister says the government has made significant long-term monetary offers to the provinces nurses. Manitobas acting health minister says the government has made "significant long-term monetary offers" to the provinces nurses. Kelvin Goertzen made the comments to reporters, after answering questions about the nurses contract in the legislature Monday. Some 12,000 members of the Manitoba Nurses Union have been without a collective agreement for more than four years. Negotiations have been underway "in earnest" since last fall, said Goertzen, the deputy premier, filling in for Health Minister Heather Stefanson, who is on medical leave. "I understand... significant long-term competitive monetary offers (have been) made. And I think that that speaks well of the fact that we understand and value the work that nurses are doing, and we hope that there will be an agreement reached," Goertzen said. Asked about a potential strike, Goertzen said the public should take comfort there are essential services agreements in place that would be activated in the event of any job action. He said the agreements ensure the impact of a strike on COVID-19 would be "minimal." Darlene Jackson, president of the MNU, said nurses are considering taking a strike vote to back contract demands. She said the nurses have just completed negotiating essential service agreements with employers. "Weve also agreed that no function that is related to COVID will (see a decrease) in service. We would never even consider decreasing service in the ICUs," Jackson said. The MNU president described the bargaining process so far as "absolutely frustrating and painstakingly slow." As for Goertzens assurance about "significant long-term monetary offers," Jackson said: "I cant go into details but I can tell you weve received no satisfactory offers that we can take to our members. That just hasnt happened yet." Jackson said the union has asked for arbitration with the proviso the option not be exercised until Sept. 1 but that suggestion was met with a "flat no." Goertzen said negotiations with nurses were only able to begin in 2020 because of the "redistribution" of health-care bargaining units. After coming to power in 2016, the Progressive Conservatives said there were too many health bargaining units and mandated the number be reduced. This resulted in runoff votes between unions for the right to represent health-care workers. The MNU was largely unaffected by the rationalization of bargaining units. Goertzen also indicated incentives are being offered at the bargaining table for nurses impacted by the pandemic, such as emergency and ICU nurses. In December, the government announced nurses would receive a $5-$6 per hour pay bump for tending to COVID-19 patients or adapting to new roles and workplaces as the province grappled with the pandemic. larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-01 21:05:21|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Aerial photo taken on Feb. 19, 2021 shows a cargo ship docking at Meidong Dock of the Ningbo-Zhoushan port in Ningbo, east China's Zhejiang Province. (Xinhua/Huang Zongzhi) BEIJING, June 1 (Xinhua) -- China will act to address the challenges facing the country's small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) due to the recent hike in commodity prices, officials said Tuesday. Wang Jiangping, vice minister of industry and information technology, said at a press conference that the ministry will step up price monitoring and work together with other government departments to deal with the pressure on SMEs brought by the sharp rise in raw material prices. Due to multiple factors, especially the seepage of global price rises into the Chinese market since the beginning of this year, some commodities have seen an extended price rally, with the prices of some varieties hitting new records. The sharp rises had an especially big impact on SMEs and individual businesses, which are yet to fully recover from the COVID-19 impact and have limited bargaining power, said Chen Zhijiang, an official with the State Administration for Market Regulation. The market regulator will tighten supervision to punish market speculation while implementing measures to support SMEs to mitigate the impact of rising costs, said Xiong Maoping, vice head of the administration. OTTAWA Last week's discovery of an unmarked burial ground containing the remains of children in British Columbia could spark hundreds of searches across the Prairies, as Manitoba chiefs call on governments to probe the full death toll of residential schools. OTTAWA Last week's discovery of an unmarked burial ground containing the remains of children in British Columbia could spark hundreds of searches across the Prairies, as Manitoba chiefs call on governments to probe the full death toll of residential schools. "The world deserves to know the truth of what exactly happened," said Southern Grand Chief Jerry Daniels. "We shouldnt be hiding from the truth." Last Thursday, a B.C. band made global headlines when it announced that a ground-radar search had found evidence of 215 children buried in unmarked graves near a residential school in Kamloops. Those searches generally involve using a machine that resembles a lawnmower to scan the ground using radiowaves, which can reveal anything from metallic objects to soil disturbances that suggest the presence of a skeleton. Since the discovery, bands across Canada have called for similar searches, arguing families cant heal until the extent of a system created to forcibly assimilate Indigenous children into western society is known. Crisis line Click to Expand The National Residential School Crisis Line for survivors can be accessed 24/7 at: 1-866-925-4419 Sagkeeng First Nation had a residential school from 1905 to 1970, at which point it became a day school. In 1928, two boys drowned when they attempted to flee by boat, but locals know of many more deaths and at least one area where bodies could be buried. "We need to get to the truth," Sagkeeng Chief Derrick Henderson said Monday, before attending a sacred fire. The reserve, 100 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg, hadnt issued a formal request as of Monday afternoon, but Henderson said his First Nation wants governments to pay for a thorough radar search of the grounds near the school. "This is part of healing," he said, arguing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which released its final report in 2015, did not answer all of his community's questions. Also Monday, the northern Cross Lake band wrote to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, asking his government to "fund an exhaustive, forensic search of the grounds of the formal residential school on our territory," including to identify the bodies. "There must be truth for there to be reconciliation," the band wrote. The federal government has so far supported efforts by Winnipeg researchers to follow the paper trail generated by the commission. PM supports burial-site standards OTTAWA Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said hed support a co-ordinated approach to searching for graves at residential sites. click to read more OTTAWA Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said hed support a co-ordinated approach to searching for graves at residential sites. Academics have urged Ottawa to set standards, so that searching through burial sites produces comparable data between provinces, and that the evidence could stand up in a legal process. The prime minister seemed open to that idea. A standardized approach makes a lot of sense, but of course we will work with the province and territories to make sure that were all doing the right thing, Trudeau said Monday, in response to questions from the Free Press. In Manitoba, Southern Grand Chief Jerry Daniels said hed welcome evidence that he argues could put people behind bars. We need to know the names of the people who perpetrated these acts, said Daniels, arguing clergy and government officials should have been jailed based on evidence uncovered by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The commission found Manitoba children often died from abuse and running away. But they also died from diseases like tuberculosis that werent managed using what was known at the time about science and nutrition. Scores of children died in fires that were sometimes caused by lax regulations and locked fire escapes, but 37 fires were suspected or proven to be deliberately set, according to the TRC final report, including a handful in Manitoba. Dylan Robertson Close The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, based at the University of Manitoba, inherited roughly five million records from government and church officials, of which about a million have been processed. So far, six archivists have brought the known number of children who died while attending residential school in Canada to 4,117. That includes at least 220 children who died while under the care of 13 schools in Manitoba, as recent as 1974. A 2014 academic study suggests a Brandon trailer park now sits atop a residential school cemetery, while a report last month says the abandoned Birtle school buildings likely sit next to a burial site. Those findings only involve the 139 residential schools that fell under a federal compensation scheme; there were many more day, mission and industrial schools in Canada. "There are approximately 400 to 500 different areas of unmarked grave sites across the country," said Raymond Frogner, the archives head for that centre. "This is the start, the tip of the iceberg." Trudeau suggested Monday his government is willing to help pay for searches. Thorough search needed at residential school sites Click to Expand The former Kamloops Indian Residential School. (Andrew Snucins / The Canadian Press) Posted: 7:00 PM May. 31, 2021 Indigenous Canadians were half-expecting the horrifying discovery that was announced last week: hundreds of Indigenous children lie buried in unmarked graves at the Kamloops Indian Residential School. If theres one such burial ground in Kamloops, you may be sure there are others. Canada operated about 139 different Indian residential schools between 1883 and the 1996. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission chaired by Judge Murray Sinclair interviewed many of the survivors from among the 150,000 people who attended these schools. Read Full Story "We will be there to work with communities on the things they need, and the things we all need to know," Trudeau said in response to questions from the Free Press. "We are looking for how we can support Indigenous communities in their grief and in their request for answers." Since taking office in 2015, Trudeau has allocated $45 million for the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. Frogner said that cash has gone to everything from building a platform to storing records, and responding to requests from survivors. He said additional funding is needed to hire more researchers to go through the four million documents. On Monday, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe echoed a unanimous call from that provinces chiefs to have Ottawa immediately probe all residential school sites, saying the province could help with searches. The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs has not issued a unanimous call for these searches. In the Manitoba legislature, the Pallister government gave consent to an NDP request for a debate on whether to ask that all residential school sites be inspected for unmarked graves. The debate did not produce a vote, but each party spoke about the horror of the discovery in B.C., and said Manitoba survivors need support to cope with being re-traumatized by the news. Frogner said it will be a lengthy, complex process to get even a rough picture of how many children died at residential schools. Ottawa only implemented a formal process to report deaths in 1935. Half of those records dont indicate a cause of death, while 23 per cent dont include a gender. "You are what you choose to remember, but you are also what you choose to forget," Frogner said. "We're being challenged to remember something very difficult." dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca Grief over unmarked graves St. Joseph's Residential School in Cross Lake in 1951. (University of Manitoba / The Canadian Press files) Tip of the iceberg: Manitoba First Nations leaders are calling on governments to probe the full death toll of residential schools in the wake of last weeks announcement that a mass grave had been found in British Columbia. Sagkeeng and Cross Lakes chiefs want Ottawa to pay for searching the grounds of former schools on their territories. Dylan Robertson reports. Read More Painstaking process: Searching for unmarked burial sites is a delicate, sensitive process, an anthropologist who has done similar projects on the Prairies told The Canadian Press. Read More Symbols on steps: Hundreds of pairs of shoes have been placed on the front steps of the Manitoba legislature in memory of the 215 children found buried in an unmarked site at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School. Julia-Simone Rutgers reports. Read More Renewed calls for name change: Amid the outrage over the discovery in B.C., Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman said its time to revisit the name of Bishop Grandin Boulevard and the greenway that runs parallel to it. Joyanne Pursaga reports. Read More Charlottetown statue removed: A statue of Sir John A. Macdonald has been removed after Charlottetowns city council held a vote Monday in the wake of the discovery in Kamloops. Macdonalds government introduced the residential school system in 1883. The Canadian Press reports. Read More Set for next Jets series The Jets and Canadiens play at Bell MTS Place in March. (Fred Greenslade / The Canadian Press files) Clash with Canadiens: The Winnipeg Jets will host the Montreal Canadiens in Game 1 of their second-round Stanley Cup playoff series on Wednesday evening. It will be the first time a Jets team has faced the Canadiens in the playoffs. The Habs advanced with a win over the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 7 last night, overcoming a 3-1 deficit in that series. Mike McIntyre says its a North Division final that few people saw coming. Read More Seeking to put fans in stands: The Jets are seeking permission from the provincial government to permit some fans to attend home playoff games. One proposal calls for fully vaccinated front-line workers to be allowed at Bell MTS Place, while the other involves the families of players. Mike McIntyre reports. Read More Whats happening today Crowds watch fires during the Tulsa Race Massacre on June 1, 1921. (The University of Tulsa via The Associated Press files) Remembering race massacre: U.S. President Joe Biden will be in Oklahoma to help commemorate the 100th anniversary of the second and final day of the Tulsa Race Massacre. Read More Alberta eases restrictions: Alberta has eased some of its pandemic restrictions. Restaurants can resume patio service, and hair salons and other services can reopen. The maximum capacity for shops has increased, and the limit for outdoor public gatherings has doubled to 10. Read More MMIWG plan: The Native Women's Association of Canada will release an action plan for implementing recommendations from the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, saying it has lost confidence in Ottawa. The Canadian Press reports. Read More Weather Your forecast: A mix of sun and cloud with a 30 per cent chance of showers beginning late this afternoon and risk of a thunderstorm, with a high of 27 C and wind from the south at 10 km/h increasing to 20 km/h. The chief meteorologist at the Weather Network says it will be a warm, dry summer across much of Canada, with an increased risk of forest fires and a chance of drought in Manitoba. Read More On this date On June 1, 1929: The Manitoba Free Press reported that the election in the United Kingdom ended in a stalemate, with prime minister Stanley Baldwin's Conservative government defeated but with the opposing Labour party without enough seats for an absolute majority. In Ottawa, Conservative leader R.B. Bennett stymied a months-long push to approve work for the Hudson Bay railway and port; Winnipeg South Centre MP Joseph Thorson asked Bennett point-blank whether he believed in the Hudson Bay route or not. Today's front page Get the full story: Read today's e-edition of the Winnipeg Free Press Read More As we inch toward a more normalized economy, the focus will be on how we can make people feel more comfortable about going out and about again. Our economy needs it and our food service sector desperately needs it but its not going to be easy. Opinion As we inch toward a more normalized economy, the focus will be on how we can make people feel more comfortable about going out and about again. Our economy needs it and our food service sector desperately needs it but its not going to be easy. In a survey conducted in mid-May by the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University and Angus Reid Institute, 60 per cent of Canadians say they are either fine with going to a restaurant or willing to do so, although with caution. Still, 40 per cent intend to continue to avoid restaurants. In essence, two out of every five Canadians arent even thinking of going to a restaurant. Some of that group will tolerate curbside service or delivery, but many just dont want to take a chance. Ontario stands out as the one region where most consumers will continue to avoid restaurants. Fifty-one per cent of Ontarians intend to continue to avoid restaurants for the time being. The most confident province is Quebec, where only 27 per cent of consumers arent willing to go to a restaurant yet. Percentages of people wanting to avoid restaurants in Manitoba and the Atlantic provinces are high, but both places are in the middle of their worst waves of COVID-19 to date. Statistics Canada tells us that the accommodation and food service sector is hiring about 74 per cent of the number of employees it had before the pandemic started in March 2020. Revenues are at 76 per cent of the levels we saw before the pandemic. The sector faces significant challenges, but not so much that Canadians should underestimate its resiliency. It will recover, no doubt, but it will also need some help. While the vaccination campaign is progressing well, COVID-19 variants are really making our vaccination efforts a race against time. Most Canadians will think about safety and their health before thinking about having a meal on the patio with family and friends. But living in fear is a terrible thing, and restaurants offer the perfect escape when Canadians are willing to go out again while taking proper precautions. Many provinces and municipalities have provided financial assistance and support to accommodate restaurants in pursuit of more cash flow, as well as the funds to create new outdoor space to serve patrons safely in place of indoor dining. On the other hand, the federal government has made it quite clear it doesnt intend to do much for food service, at least not directly. Supporting the private sector without any intervention for nonprofit organizations or Crown corporations hasnt been a popular option for the government since the start of the pandemic. The airline situation was a perfect example. In the United States, the Restaurant Revitalization Fund opened its portal last week, allowing hard-hit restaurants, bars, food trucks and more to apply for US$28.6 billion in grants. This fund will provide some assistance to make dining establishments safer. Its a massive amount compared to what Canadian operators have received. Now that we see an end to the pandemic sort of we need to think of ways to get people going out and about again. A recent survey suggests many Canadians have gained weight since the start of the pandemic, essentially due to our even more sedentary lifestyles. If people are fearful of places like restaurants, our economy and small businesses will struggle. Over the next six months or so, people will be out no matter what; the pent-up demand for social gatherings will be a strong influence. But restaurant operators will need to make their patrons feel safe. Depending on how things progress over the next 12 months, providing Canadians with incentives to get out could also play a key role and send a more reassuring message. For example, tax credits could be granted for patronizing restaurants and hotels and frequenting gyms, yoga classes and other well-being services. The Canadian economy lost 207,000 jobs in April and our unemployment rate went up again. Supporting small businesses and the service sector will be key to a strong, sustainable economic recovery. Given the flexible nature of many of these professional opportunities, the majority of these jobs are occupied by women, those most hard-hit by the pandemic. Many will want to stay home for safety, and we need to respect that, but others will need that extra nudge after a year and a half of hibernation. Its a different market out there, and governments can play a role by being more positive and reassuring while keeping everyone as safe as possible. Sylvain Charlebois is senior director of the agri-food analytics lab and a professor in food distribution and policy at Dalhousie University. Troy Media Opinion In the year before the pandemic, Jody Wilson-Raybould was Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus worst headache. In a speech she gave on May 19, the former justice minister and attorney general showed why she could become the PMs worst nightmare. "This practice, this hypocrisy, the affirmation of Charter rights but denial of Indigenous rights is, in my opinion, the most insidious and prime example of systemic racism rooted in the legacy of colonialism that remains pervasive at the highest levels of government and underpins the relationship between Indigenous peoples and the Crown," Wilson-Raybould said. Then she added a scorcher. "The practice of denial has not changed. Unfortunately, shamefully and disappointingly, we can look at the current government as an illustration," she told the audience for the Tom Courchene Distinguished Speaker Series hosted by Queens Universitys School of Policy Studies. Nor did she just shellac "the government" in the abstract. She named her former boss directly. She lit into a speech that Trudeau gave in the House of Commons on Feb. 14, 2018, in which he "acknowledged he and his government knew of this long-standing hypocrisy" and promised considerably more than a heart-shaped box of chocolates to make up for it. "Imagine the mounting disappointment, the unsurprising and familiar headache, the rising tide of anger when within a few months of the Valentines Day speech, those aspirations were abandoned. The government does not even talk about them anymore," she said. Wilson-Raybould calling out Trudeau or his government is hardly new. Her insistence on holding the PM and his consiglieres accountable during the SNC-Lavalin scandal got her bounced from cabinet and ultimately out of the Liberal caucus. Partisans might also dismiss her criticism as the continued sour grapes of a former senior player in Liberal power circles now exiled to the nowhere land of independent MP for Vancouver Granville. The weakness of such a dismissal is dangerous. It overlooks the objective reality that Wilson-Raybould is an independent MP precisely because of her bred-in-the-bone independence. As one of Trudeaus insider cabinet ministers, she refused to budge from her position that she held the role of attorney general in order to be independent. Failure to recognize that reality risks underestimating the appeal for someone like Wilson-Raybould of pursuing a path outside Parliament and even as a direct challenge to it. And just such a path is now open for her. In early July, the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) holds a leadership vote to replace National Chief Perry Bellegarde. He announced last December he wouldnt seek a third term atop the organization that advocates for 900,000 First Nations people across Canada. One candidate has declared for the job so far. Its speculation whether Wilson-Raybould will add her name to the list. As reporter Robert Fife wrote in a May 12 Globe and Mail story, "former Liberal justice minister Jody Wilson-Raybould has not ruled out seeking the top AFN job." And writing in the Hill Times earlier this month, Rose LeMay argued just such a figure is needed to combat what she identified as a serious #MeToo problem inside AFN. "Will this be the time when First Nations commit to respect women in all aspects of governance of this national organization? Will any women run for national chief, or is it still the old boys club?" demanded LeMay, CEO of the Indigenous Reconciliation Group. Last January, in a Globe opinion column looking ahead to the AFN vote, Indigenous campaign organizer Tania Cameron surveyed the past quarter-century of strong women candidates who have failed to breach that old boys network. "Thats 10 women over 26 years who have felt the sting of defeat, a discouraging result for any talented Indigenous women hoping to achieve high office," Cameron wrote. As it happens, Wilson-Raybould has achieved the high office of justice minister and attorney general of Canada. As she said in her speech at Queens University, her "experience at the centre of government" showed her the disheartening effect of relying on Parliament to change the relationship between the federal government and Indigenous people. Does that make her remarks the equivalent of a campaign kickoff for the AFN top job? Hardly. But even taken as a hint that shes considering a run, the implications for Canadian politics are profound. Theyre deeply meaningful for Indigenous causes, signalling the potential for radically different days ahead. For Trudeau, they would undoubtedly mean the paradox of sleepless nights and rude awakenings. Peter Stockland is senior writer with the think-tank Cardus and editor of Convivium.ca. Troy Media Indigenous Canadians were half-expecting the horrifying discovery that was announced last week: hundreds of Indigenous children lie buried in unmarked graves at the Kamloops Indian Residential School. Indigenous Canadians were half-expecting the horrifying discovery that was announced last week: hundreds of Indigenous children lie buried in unmarked graves at the Kamloops Indian Residential School. If theres one such burial ground in Kamloops, you may be sure there are others. Canada operated about 139 different Indian residential schools between 1883 and the 1996. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission chaired by Judge Murray Sinclair interviewed many of the survivors from among the 150,000 people who attended these schools. Survivors found a voice through the TRC. Those who died in the schools remained unnamed and unrecognized. Their stories have not been told. The former Kamloops Indian Residential School. (Andrew Snucins / The Canadian Press) Indigenous families have long known that some of the children who were enrolled or dragged into those schools never came home again. The parents were never told what happened, but it was known nutrition in the schools was often poor, health care was rudimentary, living conditions were deplorable and heartbreak among the children separated from their families was intense. Records kept by the schools were often slipshod. Some deaths were recorded, but the TRC estimated that the death toll in the schools could be 6,000 or higher. As long as no one knew where the bodies were buried, Canada could look the other way. The commission had asked for government funds to conduct such a search in 2015 but the government refused. That is no longer possible. Canada and the First Nations need to conduct a proper search at locations where residential schools operated, face together the harsh facts of the case and make room for the affected families, so far as possible, to mourn their losses and honour their dead. A search for human remains is a terribly difficult undertaking. It must be thorough in the way the search of a crime scene is thorough. The remains may provide evidence of what happened to the deceased. It must also be respectful, because these are the remains of our human companions of past decades. Canada must take a large role in ensuring the search is conducted well and documented fully, but the federal government cannot expect to dictate the rules. We are dealing here with the catastrophic results of what Canada did to its Indigenous people. Canada has to own up to what it did and stand at a respectful distance while the victims bear the pain. CP Jaret Hamm and his son John Hamm, 2, place flowers beside a monument outside the former Kamloops Indian Residential School. (Darryl Dyck / The Canadian Press) Ireland carried out a similar search starting in 2014 for the graves of children who died in that countrys mother and baby homes in the years before 1998. The search yielded frightful but irrefutable evidence of the great cruelty that Ireland inflicted on unwed mothers and their children from the very founding of the republic in 1922 until almost the turn of the 21st century. The Irish inquiry commission and its search may offer an example Canada could follow in digging into the horrors of our own recent past. The TRC offended some Canadians when it said the residential schools were part of a policy of cultural genocide against Indigenous people. Canadians should brace themselves for worse news still as the body count increases. A proper search for the graves may show that "cultural genocide" is too polite a term for what was done in the Indian residential schools. Court documents confirm the identities of four people arrested over the weekend for repeated violations of pandemic public health orders. Court documents confirm the identities of four people arrested over the weekend for repeated violations of pandemic public health orders. Retiree and lockdown opponent Gerry Bohemier, 71, Hugs over Masks organizer Sharon Vickner, 53, and anti-lockdown rally organizers Todd McDougall, 36, and Patrick Allard, 39, were all taken into custody and quickly released on bail. Arrest warrants remain outstanding for high-profile lockdown opponent Chris Saccoccia of Ontario, who cancelled an appearance at a rally Friday at The Forks after learning of his arrest warrant, and Church of God (Restoration) pastor Tobias Tissen. Court documents reviewed for Bohemier, Vickner, McDougall and Allard indicate their charges are in relation to an outdoor gathering May 15 in Winnipeg. The warrants dont specify where the gathering occurred, but an anti-mask/anti-lockdown rally took place that day outside the Manitoba Legislative Building, where Tissen was a featured speaker. Saccoccias arrest warrant is in connection to an April 27 anti-lockdown rally at The Forks that attracted several hundred people. By mid-afternoon Monday, Tissen had not yet been arrested and did not appear ready to turn himself in to police. "RCMP currently has a lookout stationed in the proximity of my home, they already attempted to do the arrest at my home," he wrote in a Twitter post Monday afternoon. "But no one is home." Bohemier, Vickner, McDougall and Allard were all released on condition they have no contact with each other, Saccoccia and Tissen. "Social media is also a form of contact," a judicial justice of the peace told McDougall. "You cant use social media and you cant ask individuals to contact these individuals on your behalf." All four were ordered to follow any public health order "that applies to you," not attend any indoor or outdoor gathering with people outside their household, and to not organize or promote any gatherings prohibited by public health orders. Vickner was combative during her bail hearing and questioned why she was arrested. "Why am I sitting before you today?" she asked the justice of the peace. "I have never seen the warrant, the original copy, to even prove there is a warrant for my arrest." Later, Vickner struck an indignant stance when told about the release condition prohibiting her from attending gatherings outside her home. "People gather at grocery stores," she said. "Do I have to shop online now? Are you telling me I might not be able to buy groceries?" Reassured the restriction would not prevent her from buying groceries, Vickner said she just wanted to "cover my ass." "Im co-operative," she said. "I just want to make sure you arent trying to starve me here." Vickner agreed to the release conditions, but was brought back before the justice of the peace after she wrote on her bail papers that she was signing them "under duress." "I feel like I really dont have a choice, I really have to sign it because there is no hope in hell I want to stay in this place," she said. "Im agreeing to all these conditions and will speak to a lawyer once I am exited from here and will make sure I can still go grocery shopping," she said. dean.pritchard@freepress.mb.ca His four-man crew started stripping the old shingles from Dovolos 2nd Street bungalow on Tuesday morning. Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Its just an opportunity to do our part, McGowan said, adding it was his companys first chance to contribute. Owens Corning launched the program in 2016, re-roofing more than 250 houses nationwide, according to a recent news release. The project is a nationwide effort to show gratitude and honor the veterans who served our country and the families who support them, the release said. Dovolos, 87, said he volunteered to join the U.S. Army when he was in his 20s because my family in Greece suffered a lot with the Communists. He served in Korea after the end of the Korean War and was discharged in the late 1950s. Im so glad that I did volunteer in the United States Army, he said. It meant a lot to me. I learned many, many things militarily, you know, and Im very grateful to this nation that gave me so many opportunities. He also emphasized his gratitude for the people working to replace his roof. Dovolos said hes lived in Baraboo for more than 65 years, three decades of which were spent at his house near the Square. Theyre doing such a wonderful job helping so many people, he said. A former Navy Secretary under Richard M. Nixon, he won his Senate seat in 1978 and dutifully hewed to the GOP line most of the time. But in that era when it was still possible for a Republican to put country first, he did so without quaking in his boots. When it became clear that gun violence was a national epidemic, he infuriated the rabid right by voting for gun-safety measures and trying (without success) to extend the federal ban on assault weapons. He voted for some restrictions on abortion, but accepted that Roe v. Wade was the law of the land. Warner had supported George W. Bushs decision to invade Iraq, but in 2007 he called for Bush to start bringing the troops home, and he compelled Pentagon officials to testify about the torture of detainees at the Abu Ghraib prison. He opposed gay marriage, but when the chairman of the Joint Chiefs denounced gays in the military, Warner said: I respectfully, but strongly, disagree with the chairmans view that homosexuality is immoral. But arguably Warners most laudable moment came in 1994, when it appeared that Oliver North would become his Virginia colleague in the Senate. North, you may recall, was the key Iran-Contra scandal operative whod been criminally convicted for lying to Congress; naturally, Virginia right-wingers deified North as a hero and rewarded him with a Senate GOP nomination. Sen. Ron Johnson continues to fundraise despite holding off on a decision to run for re-election, raising more than half a million dollars in the first three months of the year. Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-01 21:17:18|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LUSAKA, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Zambia has approved five COVID-19 vaccines to be administered on citizens as a preventive measure against the pandemic, a government official said on Tuesday. The vaccines include China's Sinopharm, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca Covishield, AZD 12225-Korea AstraZeneca, and Pfizer Biotech. Kennedy Malama, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health in charge of Technical Services, said the five vaccines have been approved by the country's medicines regulator, the Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority (ZAMRA), following stringent review processes and riding on the World Health Organization emergency use listing of the vaccines. "As you are aware, these vaccines are part of the basket of vaccines approved by cabinet for Zambia to use on its people subject to authorization by ZAMRA. Government is taking all necessary steps to mobilize vaccines for the Zambian people and we will continue updating the nation," he said during a COVID-19 update press briefing. Zambia launched the vaccination program in April which was being done in a phased manner. The first phase targets health workers and other people most at risk. Meanwhile, the country recorded 558 cases in the last 24 hours out of 8,070 tests done. This brings the cumulative cases to 95,821 while 83 patients were discharged, bringing total recoveries to 92,039. The country also lost one person due to COVID-19 in the same period, bringing the total deaths to 1,282. "Today Zambia finds itself in the top six countries in the region with high numbers in the last 24 hours. We call upon all well-meaning Zambians to take immediate personal action in complying with the public health measures," he said. According to him, the epidemiological reviews shows that the situation was worsening daily and that the coming weeks will be critical. The spike in cases in recent weeks has forced the government to impose a rotational work system for public workers. Enditem One of the worlds coolest inventions South African-born engineer and entrepreneur is making a significant contribution in the fight against Covid-19. Athens, Ohio, and Potchefstroom, South Africa, seem to be worlds apart, but they do have some surprising similarities and connections. Athens is a small city in Americas Midwest. It has a tiny downtown area with a few shop-lined streets, some churches and modest historical buildings. It has more than its fair share of trendy food places, bars with live music and coffee shops. These serve the needs of its nomadic population of university students. Dominating the city is the largest campus of the Ohio University with an enrolment in Athens of about 22,000 students. The non-student population of Athens is about 5,000. Potchefstroom, usually called Potch, and now officially renamed Tlokwe, is also a university town. North-West University (NWU) dominates the town. It has roughly the same size student population as Athens. The non-student population is, however, more than 43,000 making it far larger than Athens. The area around NWU also has a vast selection of bars and food places. For me the link between Athens and Potch is the person responsible for one of the worlds coolest inventions. His name is Dr Dave Berchowitz, a South African innovator and fiercely persistent entrepreneur. Berchowitz was born and raised in Potch. After finishing school at Potch Boys High, Berchowitz went to Wits University to study aeronautical engineering in the 1970s. This is where I met him. I was studying electrical engineering at the same time. We became lifelong friends. Berchowitz is a stereotypical nerd with a sharp intellect, broad-ranging interests, a quirky sense of humour and strong sense of social justice. He is also a fantastic engineer one of the best I know - able to easily move from the highly theoretical to the deeply practical within the space of a single sentence. As a masters and later as a PhD student at Wits working under Professor Costa Rallis, Berchowitz became interested in Stirling Engines. I wont at this point shoot off on a complicated technical tangent. Suffice it to say that these are external combustion engines developed in the early 1800s. They have many attractive properties, particularly their very high level of energy efficiency. The Stirling Engine lost out to internal combustion, the familiar petrol- or diesel-powered engines under the bonnets of our cars, in the 1920s. They soon dropped off the mainstream engineering radar screen. In the late 1970s Berchowitz took his new-born passion for Stirling Engines to the USA where he joined a company called Sunpower in Athens, Ohio. Sunpower was established in the 1960s by William Beale, a passionate inventor and mechanical engineering lecturer at the Ohio University. It was one of very few companies in the world developing technology based on Stirling Engines. Beale recognised Berchowitzs engineering genius and quickly promoted him to a senior technical position at Sunpower. One of Berchowitzs projects was to develop a Stirling cooler. This is a refrigerator driven by a Stirling engine rather than a conventional compressor. In the mid-1980s I visited Berchowitz at Sunpower in Athens. On his desk was a steel cylinder the size of a 1 litre cold drink bottle lying on its side. Berchowitz lit a small blowtorch and focused the naked blue flame on one end of the cylinder. As it heated up icicles started to form on the other end. The more the flame heated its end of the cylinder, the colder the other end became. In my fascination I stretched out a hand to touch the cold end. Careful! Berchowitz shouted. Its so cold your finger might stick to it. The technology was world-leading then, and its still at the forefront of cooling technology today. One of Berchowitzs coolers went into space as part of an experiment on one of the NASA Shuttle Missions. After a few years Berchowitz set up his own company, called Global Cooling, to take this amazing technology to market. Over the next 30 years Berchowitz lived the very unexotic life of a tech entrepreneur. There were a few highs when it looked like Global Cooling would achieve its big breakthrough. Partnerships and joint ventures with some of the biggest technology companies in the world were explored, but as any entrepreneur will tell you unsuccessful deals are far more common than successful ones. In 2009 another Wits alumnus (BSc (Eng), Mechanical, 1982), Neill Lane, joined Global Cooling as CEO. Berchowitzs small factory in Athens grew a bit and shrank a bit as the years went by and the engineer from Potch struggled to find his niche. He was driven by the unwavering conviction that his Stirling coolers were unique and far better than any of its competitors. His belief and passion for what he had built never faltered even when money ran low and yet another deal ended in disappointment. And then in March 2020 the Covid-19 pandemic reached the USA. The race for a vaccine became the overriding priority for scientists and engineers in every corner of the world. The most promising vaccines, using mRNA-based medical formulations, have one major downside. They need to be stored at an extremely low temperature: minus 70 degrees Celsius! Where will we get coolers that can work efficiently at such a low temperature? A small company, Global Cooling, now called Stirling UltraCold, in Athens, Ohio, had the answer, and knew that its time had come! In the wake of the global pandemic, so many terrible and negative outcomes have resulted. There have, fortunately, been a few bright lights. One of these is that our own determined inventor from Potchefstroom and Wits University has at last achieved his long awaited and well deserved big breakthrough. Berchowitz, South African-born engineer and entrepreneur, is making a significant contribution in the fight against Covid-19, and prospective investors are beating a path to this small university town. I recently heard that Stirling UltraCold has been acquired and merged with the listed company BioLife Solutions, opening up many exciting new opportunities for Berchowitz, Lane, who is now Chief Strategy Officer, and their team. Remembering Medu, the South African art collective that fought apartheid Four decades later, post-apartheid South Africa barely recalls the Medu Art Ensemble's contributions to the liberation struggle. But that could be changing. The collective was formed by South African cultural activists exiled after the 1976 Soweto uprising and it worked with artists back home, Botswana citizens, and some from other countries. Medu used the creative arts visual image, theatre, music and literature to give voice to South Africas liberation struggle. In 1982 Medu brought several thousand cultural activists to Gaborone for a conference entitled Culture and Resistance, proclaiming that Culture is a weapon of Struggle. A Pan Africanist and anti-colonial enterprise, Medu engaged with international revolutionary art including the work of German theatre-maker Bertolt Brecht, Vietnamese resistance poetry, the Mexican mural painters and Chiles muralists who spoke back to dictatorship. On 14 June 1985 the South African military targeted Medu members in Botswana in a cross-border raid. They killed 14 people and destroyed the art-making collective. Almost lost to history Four decades later, post-apartheid South Africa barely recalls Medus contributions. All thats been remembered until now have been Medus iconic posters (Smash Bantu Education, You have touched a rock, The people shall govern) and the individual creative work of celebrated Medu writers Keorapetse Kgositsile, Mongane Wally Serote and Mandla Langa. Of musicians Jonas Gwangwa and Dennis Mpale. Of visual artist Thamsanqa Mnyele. But whats been lacking is a record of the intense debates, contested cultural theory, collective understanding and shared perceptions that infused these works. In 2019 a breakthrough came when the Art Institute of Chicago collected and displayed Medus posters. This was followed by a book in the form of a catalogue entitled The People Shall Govern: Medu Art Ensemble and the Anti-apartheid Poster 1979-1985. Here, as an artist who was a member of Medu, I offer a critical perspective on the narrative that emerges from this exhibition and catalogue. The Chicago show Doubts inevitably arise when African artworks are displayed in art institutions in foreign metropoles, far from the communities and struggles that birthed them. In Medu we believed our work must inspire resistance and envisage future liberation. What do these posters say to viewers when hung on sterile gallery walls in Chicago or London? The cover of the Chicago catalogue. Art Institute of Chicago The curators of the Medu exhibit were Antawan Byrd and Felicia Mings, who previously researched Pan Africanist cultural struggles and took these challenges seriously. As no broad narrative or comprehensive collection of Medus work exists, they contacted surviving Medu members, unearthed hidden histories and sought out post-apartheid cultural discourse. They wrote texts for the gallery walls and displayed paraphernalia that included magazines like Staffrider and The African Communist, political buttons, T-shirts, music and film clips. They organised public lectures and discussions. The catalogue The catalogue was published a year after the exhibition closed. Without the shows objects and framing activities, the text weaves a narrative about Medu through seven essays, juxtaposed with poster images. The catalogue arranges posters by theme: political resistance, music, womens struggles, June 16th 1976, workers, and struggle heroes. This foregrounds imagery and slogans over creative interpretation and vision. Clenched fists read as cliche or symbol, rather than lived experience of the struggle. Posters for murdered comrades become heroic depictions of activists and freedom fighters, not cherished memories of real people. In the text, a brief overview of Medus history is followed by South African poet laureate Mongane Serotes own experience of shaping Medu as a cultural project of the exiled ANC. While this story forms a core part of Medus history, it skips over other contributions to Medus dynamic mix. Like vibrant debates with Black Consciousness-aligned cultural activists in Gaborone, Medu members underground work with the ANCs military wing, and cross-fertilisation with groups creating struggle art inside South Africa. Ming and Byrd discuss the aesthetics of Medu graphics, finding similarities with early Soviet art. But Medu consciously traced its aesthetic roots to Pan Africanist and African diasporic cultural theory and practice. We looked to social philosopher Frantz Fanon and African writers Wole Soyinka and Ngugi wa Thiong'o. To pre-colonial and anti-colonial African art. To the art of Mozambiques Malangatana Ngwenya and South Africas Dumile Feni. Medus womens movement poster. Judy Seidman/Medu Art Ensemble A chapter from South African curator Khwezi Gule views Medu through the cultural gaze of post-1990 South Africa. Gule maintains that Medus slogan, art is a weapon of struggle, has been reduced to a blunt tool for propaganda. He argues that weaponising art degenerates into crass sloganeering as artistic vision buckled under ANC compromises, white privilege and the commercial art market. Gule concludes todays generation must fashion their own, different, rebellious culture. By contrast, South African author and scholar Ashraf Jamal holds that Medus democratic discourse and praxis bred hope and belief, emerging from and inspiring Southern Africas liberation struggle. He concludes that Medus struggle cannot be solely framed through its historical placement in the 1970s and 1980s. The idea and spirit that inform it also predate and exceed it. The final essay, Collecting the Posters, by South African collector and gallerist Warren Siebrits, gives yet another perspective. Siebrits was conscripted into the apartheid army in 1988 and deployed to military intelligence: One of our units main tasks was to destroy subversive enemy propaganda posters. After 1994, he hunted these now rare posters to place them into todays art world by purchase from private collections and book dealers and while travelling to Botswana. He does not explain that these posters were personal copies saved by Medu member Marius Schoon, whose wife Jeannette Curtis Schoon and 6-year-old daughter Katryn were killed by a 1984 letter bomb in Angola. Siebrits bought the posters from their surviving son, exhibiting them in his Johannesburg gallery before donating them to the Art Institute of Chicago. This traumatic history of the posters speaks sharply to Medus meaning then and now. The catalogue and the exhibition aim to provide and prompt new scholarship on Medus courageous and consequential work. The first steps towards reclaiming Medus legacy have been taken. There is still a long road ahead. Judy Seidman, Research associate, History Workshop, University of the Witwatersrand. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. SYLVAN BEACH, N.Y. Authorities found no evidence of boats in distress on Oneida Lake following two emergency calls over the Memorial Day weekend that turned out to be false. The Oneida County Sheriffs Office, several fire departments and a Coast Guard helicopter responded to the first call on Friday, May 28. They searched Oneida Lake and the Barge Canal for three hours, but found no evidence of a boat in distress. Officials say if they found a life jacket or any items floating, they would have continued searching, but nothing like that was found. On Sunday, a mayday call came in over the radio, and again, authorities started a search that was later determined to be a false report. Sgt. Scott Kahl of the Oneida County Sheriffs Office Marine Patrol Unit says several resources are used in these kinds of search efforts. "The response is massive. There's a big bill that goes along with that. I mean when you talk about the price of the boats, the price of the people getting paid, you talk about the insurance the liability insurance and things like that these fire departments and other agencies carry, there's a lot of money being spent on this, said Kahl. Both calls were later deemed to be false reports. Anyone making false distress calls and wasting agency resources can face charges, according to Kahl. ALBANY, N.Y. - Governor Cuomo announced on Monday he has lifted the midnight curfew for indoor dining at bars and restaurants, effective Monday, May 31. Cuomo announced last month that the restriction would eventually be lifted. With that, establishments can return to the closing times that their liquor licenses or other regulations allow. A similar pandemic curfew for outdoor dining ended May 17. Restaurateurs have been looking forward to the later hours as they try to recover from the shutdowns and other limitations on their business during the virus crisis. Governor Cuomo added, "Like every other milestone of the state's reopening, the end of curfew for indoor dining is the result of New Yorkers banding together, practicing safety precautions and getting vaccinated, so we can defeat the virus and work our way towards a new normal." NEW YORK (AP) - The New York State Police agency remains overwhelmingly white, an imbalance some troopers say is rooted in a legacy of racism. Of the agencys more than 4,700 troopers, only 4% are Black and 6% are Hispanic. Those are paltry proportions compared to the 16% and 19% of the states population those groups respectively constitute. A half-dozen minority troopers told The Associated Press that discrimination has flourished within the agency. Some spoke of being subjected to racist slurs or imagery. The acting superintendent of the State Police told the AP he is committed to recruiting more Black and Hispanic troopers and commanders. ROME, N.Y. - Rome Police gave an update Monday on the accident on Black River Boulevard on Sunday involving a motorcycle and a car. The accident happened around 1:45 p.m. Sunday afternoon. Rome police say the driver of the motorcycle suffered very serious injuries and his condition has been downgraded from serious to critical condition at a local hospital. The driver of the motorcycle has been identified as 63-year-old George Mendoza, of Rome. The driver of a white four-door sedan, 24-year-old Lauren Langston, of Rome, was not injured. Police say the cause of the accident is still under investigation. They are asking anyone who witnessed the crash or the events leading up to it, to contact Detective Kelly Lupinski at 315-339-7711 or the Rome Police Department Tip Line at 315-339-7744. Notice regarding Maynard Nichols Page Menu Campus Announcements Archive Facebook Twitter YouTube RSS Search This Site Submit Search Provost Peggy Agouris sent the following message to the campus community June 1, 2021. - Ed. Dear Colleagues, I write to share the news that Professor of Marine Science, Emeritus Maynard M. Nichols, 93, passed away peacefully on May 12 with his wife, Jane, by his side. He was born in Patchogue, NY on January 13, 1928 to Francis Nancy Nichols and Maynard Asa Nichols. Nick, as he was fondly referred to by family and friends, had a life-long love of the environment, especially rivers and oceans. This love guided him through his educational career earning him a B.S. from Columbia University, a M.S. from Scripps Institute of Oceanography and a Ph.D. from UCLA. His love of the water led to his service in the United States Navy from 1952-1955. He served aboard the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown during the Korean War as a photo intelligence officer, helping plan aerial missions, and achieving the rank of Lieutenant. Eventually he was stationed in La Jolla, CA where he learned of Scripps and enrolled in their M.S. program. While at Scripps he met his wife, Jane, and they were married in September 1956. After completing his Ph.D. at UCLA, the two of them returned to the east coast in 1961 and settled in Gloucester where he accepted a position at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS). Professor Nichols retired in 1992, after spending 32 years at VIMS teaching, researching and studying the transport of sediments and pollutants, which had important and long-lasting implications for sand mining, flood-zone mapping, Kepone clean-up, and channel dredging and disposal in the Chesapeake Bay. His career at VIMS propelled him to become one of the top ten sedimentology experts in the world and one of the top five in the nation, allowing him and his wife to travel extensively. While working at VIMS, he founded the Coastal Resources Foundation as an independent research and consulting firm for the coastal waters of the east coast. After retirement he created the Nichols Student Travel Fellowship for VIMS graduate students. He also became a student again, this time studying art and archeology, often combing the two. He was active in the local art scene, exhibiting his award-winning watercolors based on the Bay area, the Maine coast, where he and his wife spent many summers, as well as artwork based on his volunteer archeology work at Jamestown Settlement. His life-long love of the water led him to share countless hours with friends and family aboard his sailboat, the Roncevalles and later the Windchime. More fond memories were made at Ware River Yacht Club, where he was a founding member, actively involved on many committees and in 2010 was awarded the Founders Cup. He is survived by his wife, Jane, their daughter, Linda Motley and her husband David, and his grandchildren, Bryce, Reece and Savannah Motley. A memorial service will be held this Thursday, June 3, 2021, 11:00 a.m. at Ware Episcopal Church, Gloucester, where he was a life-long member. Memorials can be made to Arts on Main or Ware Church. Andrews Funeral Home & Crematory is in charge of arrangements. Sincerely, Peggy The next generation: Former students join W&M professor as Wilson China Fellows Prestigious research program: W&M alumni Emily Matson 12, right, and Austin Strange 12 join W&M Associate Professor of Chinese Studies Emily Wilcox as recipients of 2021 Wilson China Fellowships. Submitted photo Next generation: W&M Associate Professor of Chinese Studies Emily Wilcox, left, once taught Emily Matson 12, right, and Austin Strange 12. Now the three are colleagues as recipients of 2021 Wilson China Fellowships. Submitted photo Photo - of - Hide Caption As a teacher and mentor to Emily Matson 12 and Austin Strange 12 at William & Mary, Emily Wilcox was influential in guiding them down their paths of Chinese studies scholarship. Nearly a decade later, the three are reunited as recipients of a prestigious 2021 Wilson China Fellowship. Its exciting, said Wilcox, an associate professor of Chinese studies at W&M. The next generation of students are now my colleagues, so thats always a great feeling. The Wilson China Fellowship is a China-focused non-residential fellowship supporting the next generation of American scholarship on China. It is made possible by the support of the Carnegie Corporation of New York. It is particularly special to join two other members of the W&M community as Wilson China Fellows, said Strange, who earned his Ph.D. in government at Harvard University and is an assistant professor at the University of Hong Kong and a fellow in the Columbia-Harvard China and the World Program. Emily Matson and I spent hours in Swem Library writing our honors theses together, and I am grateful for the chance to reconnect with her through the Wilson China Fellowship. Wilcox served as honors thesis advisor to both Strange and Matson. It is incredibly special for me to be a part of the same cohort as Emily Wilcox and Austin Strange, said Matson, who earned her Ph.D., in Chinese history at the University of Virginia in fall 2020. Emily Wilcox had a tremendous influence on me when I was at William & Mary. She was my senior thesis advisor and was and continues to be a role model for me. Her passion for studying 20th century China inspired me in large part to continue my studies into graduate school. A remarkable feat The 25-member class of 2021 Wilson China Fellows includes scholars and practitioners working in a diverse range of policy-relevant issue areas vital to understanding the rise of China and its implications for the United States and the world. This year, we will have three people who have studied or worked in the W&M Chinese Studies program represented in this very competitive and prestigious research programits a remarkable feat, said Michael Hill, director of Chinese studies at W&M. Wilcox, who recently returned to W&M after eight years teaching at the University of Michigan, is a leading scholar of Chinese dance, particularly in the 20th and 21st centuries. She applied for the Wilson China Fellowship to become more connected with the D.C.-area academic community. She wants to become more engaged in public discourse and public-facing scholarship about China. The Wilson China Fellowship will allow Wilcox to continue work on a book that explores Inter-Asia solidarity and how that is represented through performance, specifically dance. I want to explore how we can understand Chinas interest in Inter-Asian and Afro-Asian solidarity through the lens of cultural practices like performing arts, Wilcox said. Matson and Strange reached near native level of fluency in the Chinese language during their time as W&M undergraduates. They both studied abroad in Beijing for the 2010-11 academic year, and both were International Peer Leaders for international orientation after returning from China. They stood out because their Chinese language skills were stellar and they went out and completed their Ph.D.s and are embarking on careers as scholars in the field of Chinese studies, Wilcox said. It shows that William & Marys program is training academics and specialists in Chinese studies. Even though we dont have our own Ph.D. program, our undergraduate program in Chinese studies is giving students the skills they need to go to top level academic programs and receive their Ph.D.s and go into the field. Matsons Wilson China Fellowship project is called, From Regional to National: Northeastern Scholars and the National Discourse on the War of Resistance Against Japan. My project deals with the memorialization of the War of Resistance against Japan by the Chinese Communist Party, Matson said. In particular, I look at how Northeastern voices in China have contributed to a shifting timeline of the war. Stranges Wilson China Fellowship project is called, Game Changers? Chinas High-Profile International Development Projects. My project builds on several years of earlier, collaborative work with colleagues at W&M's Global Research Institute and AidData, and deploys a mix of original, project-level data collection and cross-national surveys in Asia and Africa to study the allocation and reception of China's high-profile development projects abroad, Strange said. Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-01 21:44:20|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah (R) holds talks with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Ishtaye, in Kuwait City, Kuwait, June 1, 2021. Kuwait is committed to the Palestinian cause and supports the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah said on Tuesday. Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah made the statement after talks with visiting Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Ishtaye, the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) said. (Xinhua) KUWAIT CITY, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Kuwait is committed to the Palestinian cause and supports the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah said on Tuesday. Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah made the statement after talks with visiting Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Ishtaye, the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) said. In the statement, the Kuwaiti prime minister affirmed Kuwait's principled and unwavering commitment toward the Palestinian cause, saying that Kuwait supports the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people for establishing the independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital according to the international legitimacy resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative. He stressed on the necessity of intensifying Arab and international efforts to resume the Middle East peace process and halting violence against the Palestinian people. According to KUNA, during the meeting, the two sides exchanged views on regional issues, noting the mutual desire for boosting continuous consultations and coordination in support of diplomatic efforts for achieving peace and stability in the region. Earlier in the day, Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah said that Kuwait remains unwavering in its stance and support for the just Palestinian cause. Kuwait would also be steadfast in its support for the Palestinian people until they achieve their dream in an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital, the emir said during a meeting with Mohammed Ishtaye. Such lawful aspiration comes in line with international resolutions on this matter and also the Arab Peace Initiative, the emir noted. Enditem President Joe Biden salutes before delivering an address at the 153rd National Memorial Day Observance at Arlington National Cemetery on May 31. The abrupt change in COVID-19 safety guidelines by the US Centers for Disease Control last month has angered autoworkers, who have dealt with massive outbreaks inside major plants in recent months, and many of whom have already lost loved ones and coworkers to the terrible virus. The rules, which allow unvaccinated individuals to not wear masks or practice social distancing in most situations, have led to states rapidly ending all COVID-related safety protocols. Shift change at Sterling Heights Assembly (WSWS media) This has particularly dire implications in auto plants, which have been kept in full operation since a brief shutdown at the start of the pandemic, despite large factories being major vectors for transmission of the disease. Since the relaxation of CDC safety guidelines, the United Autoworkers and Detroit carmakers have been in closed-door talks that are clearly aimed at paving the way for the removal of any remaining safety precautions in the plants. A World Socialist Web Site Autoworker Newsletter campaign team spoke to workers at Sterling Height Assembly Plant (SHAP) last week on the continuing danger of COVID infection and the relaxing of masking guidelines by the CDC. SHAP has seen recent severe outbreaks of COVID-19 infection that have forced hundreds of workers into quarantine. The Autoworker Newsletter encountered strong opposition to the elimination of masking and overall disgust and anger with the failure of the UAW to either enforce safety guidelines or inform workers of COVID-19 infections in the plant. Workers also expressed solidarity with recent strikes by Indian autoworkers, which temporarily forced the shutdown of the countrys auto industry against the opposition of management and the unions to protect workers from COVID. The WSWS team distributed a copy of the Autoworker Newsletter that reported the strike by Indian autoworkers. A SHAP worker responding to the strikes launched by Indian Hyundai and Renault-Nissan workers over COVID safety by pointing out that workers at SHAP and other US and Canadian plants did the same in March 2020. They are just like us! Good for them. Asked about the moves to drop masking requirements, he noted, The protocols they have in place are a joke. The UAW is not for us. Another worker with 10 years said, I think they need to keep the masks. So many have had COVID at the plant it is scary. They are passing it from team to team. Workers have passed it from wives to husbands and husbands to wives. Asked why the UAW was not taking action to protect worker, she said, They are paid to keep quiet, to try to keep us content. She said she had heard nothing about the recent COVID death of Mark Bruce, a worker at the nearby Sterling Stamping Plant. She had only heard about the death of crane operator Terry Garr, who died in an industrial accident at Sterling Stamping last month, through a truck driver. How did a situation like that happen? she asked, pointing out that safety protocols are supposed to be followed. It should be fully investigated. We have the right to be informed. We spend more time at work than we do with our own families. According to press reports, the UAW and management from the three Detroit-based car companies plan to keep masking requirements in place for the time being. However, they will meet again, perhaps as early as this week, to review that decision. The UAW said it is waiting for the updated masking rules being developed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in response to the new CDC guidelines. Those rules dropped the requirement for vaccinated individuals to wear face masks in most indoor and outdoor settings. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, announced that the state will reopen outdoor concert venues and stadiums to full capacity starting June 1. At the same time, indoor banquet halls, restaurants and bars will be allowed to operate at 50 percent capacity. All COVID restrictions are being dropped effective July 1. This takes place while 60 percent of the US population is not yet fully vaccinated, including all children 12 and younger, for whom a vaccine has not yet been approved. There are close to 30,000 daily new cases in the US and more than 1,800 in Michigan, numbers that the corporate media no longer bothers to report. A veteran SHAP worker said, They treat us here like st. He said safety protocols were regularly violated. Half the time there are no towels, no disinfectant, no cleaning. If someone gets COVID, they dont even let us know. He said that if workers complain about anything, the standard response by the UAW is its in the contact. They can do that. He said both management and the UAW attempt to pit the younger workers against the older workers, in particular the temporary part-time workers, who fear speaking up since they can be fired for the slightest infraction. Asked about the reports that UAW and management are discussing the ending of masking requirements in the auto plants, one younger worker said, I am fully vaccinated, but I am going to continue wearing my mask. There are hundreds here that are out over COVID. Another worker expressed her concern over the situation and the attempts to claim life is returning to normal. I dont like what is going on. Me and my husband both had the virus. I have talked to people who were 90-100 years old, and they say they dont ever remember anything like this. A worker at Jefferson Assembly said, Production, production, production. Regardless of human safety care or concern anywhere, its sickening. Everything is reopening, and people are vacationing and traveling at an all-time high. In three-six months, the death toll will have doubled, if not more with more strains being exposed daily. About the relaxed CDC guidelines, those careless words and actions will change mankind as we know it. Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-01 21:54:47|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NAIROBI, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Africa's leading smartphone brand TECNO announced on Tuesday the renewal of its partnership with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to boost education for refugee children living in Africa. The partnership between UNHCR and TECNO was initially inked in 2020 to support the implementation of a global program in primary education Educate A Child to ensure Africa's refugee children realize their rights to education. Under the renewed partnership, 10,670 refugee children in Kenya and Uganda will benefit from enhanced access to quality education in 2021. Tecno will make financial contribution to the Educate A Child program to help holistic interventions like improvement of school infrastructure, provision of learning materials to students, training of teachers and support for refugee students with special needs. Vivian Tan, UNHCR's representative ad interim in China, hailed support from TECNO, saying it will boost academic excellence for refugee children grappling with COVID-19 related disruptions. "Support from our private sector partners like TECNO is critical for UNHCR to continue to strengthen our efforts to support refugee learners and students to continue their education in this difficult time, and in the post-COVID time," Tan said in a statement released in Nairobi. She said that financial and technical support from the Chinese private sector is critical to help address gaps in access to quality education for refugee children globally. Stephen Ha, general manager of TECNO, said the renewed partnership with UNHCR will help improve learning outcomes for refugee children in Africa. "In the post COVID-time, we will amplify our efforts, especially using digital solutions to increase educational opportunity and enhance education quality for children in Africa so that they could receive better education and be better connected with the world," said Ha. At the height of COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 when schools were closed, TECNO donated tablets to support remote learning for refugee children in Kenya besides availing 50,000 medical face masks to UNHCR Kenya to boost response to the pandemic. In 2020, TECNO's support to Educate A Child program has benefitted children in Dadaab refugee camp located in northeastern Kenyan county of Garissa through provision of textbooks and other learning kit. Uganda and Kenya are amongst the world's top host countries for refugees. It is hoped that a strengthened partnership between UNHCR and TECNO will facilitate safe reopening of schools catering for refugee children in Africa while laying the foundation for them to pursue higher education in the future. Enditem Administrators for the national Facebook group Badass Teachers Association (BATs) have voted in secret to uphold their ban on World Socialist Web Site writer and Socialist Equality Party (SEP) member Evan Blake. This decision was made without any personal communication with Blake himself and was only made public in a comment by BATs administrator Michael Flanagan on a post in the Facebook group Teachers Against Dying. Responding to the post, which encouraged members to express their views on the banning, Flanagan commented: I appreciate the enthusiasm in BATs and the publicity of a second article in WSWS. I did advocate for Evans reinstatement but it was a vote and the vote was no, not at this time. We are not here to be demanded of. You got the wrong people for that. But best of luck. Peace. Flanagan is the same administrator who wrote an article that falsified what led to the banning and sought to smear Blake using language associated with sexual predators. He also allowed a slanderous post to be made in BATs, which smeared the WSWS and Teachers Against Dying as racist and sexist, which he then liked and defended. It was a transparent lie to say that he advocated for Blakes reinstatement. The ban on Blake was clearly a politically motivated act of censorship. It took place within days of him posting an article he wrote that was deeply critical of American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten, which provoked a flood of opposition and calls for her immediate resignation as the national union president. Weingarten herself remains a member of BATs and faces no criticism from the groups leadership, who are themselves tied to the union bureaucracies and support the Democratic Party. Evan Blake The WSWS Educators Newsletter continues to demand the readmission of Blake into the national BATs Facebook group and for the ability of socialists to voice their opinions in the group, which claims to be left-wing. We received the following statements from educators and other workers in the US opposing the banning of Blake. Kathy a school bus driver from the Philadelphia region and member of the Pennsylvania Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee, connected the banning of Blake to the broader growth of opposition within the working class, which the unions and their pseudo-left backers seek to contain, including through threats of violence by leaders of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), who are themselves deeply connected to the Democratic Party. She commented: This is not right; Evan Blake should not be sanctioned. Evan and the rank-and-file committees are defending teachers and students against the pandemic. By trying to silence them you might as well be with the administration supporting the murder of teachers and students. What the rank-and-file committees are doing is good, it is for the working class, it is making significant gains. I think the capitalists are getting scared, they are starting to realize the impact that the committees are having upon the workers. The workers are starting to realize that they have an alternative source than the unions. They see what the unions have done and that they dont stand for workers. And they see that the SEP is standing for them. BATs see what is happening. They realize the momentum and they see the impact that we are having and are afraid of it. The same is the case with the DSA twitter supporting Stalins murder of Trotsky. Showing ice picks, they are threatening those who are seeking to build an opposition. A teacher from Marylands Eastern Shore stated, Its clear that the main goal of our unions is to actually keep us from uniting in solidarity to demand better treatment. Now the corporate leadership is even infiltrating our social media spaces and trying to censor and squash any criticism of how they have failed to represent our best interests for years now and especially during this pandemic. Michael Hull, a former teacher from Texas who was victimized and driven out of the profession after founding the opposition group Teachers Against Dying, wrote: I am highly disappointed that the leadership of BATs decided to uphold the ban on Evan Blake. Ive been nothing but supportive of BATs in the past, but I believe this ban deprives their audience of important perspectives, not to mention his coverage of stories facing teachers that would otherwise go unheard. In fact, Evan is one of the only journalists who interviewed me regarding my traumatic experiences as an educator during the pandemic. Moreover, few outlets or journalists have made the accurate connection between unsafe school reopenings and the corporate states desire to prop up the stock market through a subsidized daycare. I have come under criticism for not censoring the WSWS from my group Teachers Against Dying, and for being featured in some of their articles. However, I support their advocacy of teachers and their unapologetic exposure of corruption. As a democratic space committed to good faith discussion, we will continue to feature Evan Blake and allow members to voice conflicting opinions and perspectives as well. I applaud anyone on the BATs Board of Directors who voted in favor of lifting Evan Blakes ban, but ultimately this was an unsettling decision, especially considering Randi Weingarten is still a member of the group despite lying to me, a cancer survivor and caretaker, about helping with an accommodation and dismissing safety concerns facing teachers on a forum that BATs sponsored. If Evan broke any group rules as they allege, I know it was either inadvertent or out of a passion for advocacy. More importantly, it could not have caused anywhere near the harm Weingarten has (which Evan Blake has exposed). I call on BATs to ban Randi Weingarten from the group and to write a story exposing her lies and capitulation with the same amount of vigor that they devoted to writing about Evan Blakes purported rule breaking. Deja Dorrough, a member of Teachers Against Dying, commented: Its absolutely disgusting that Evan Blake has been censored and even more disgusting that he has been lied on just because Sad Ass Teachers doesnt agree with his political beliefs, despite his accurate reporting during the pandemic. A fellow teachers character was slandered because they cant differentiate between political dissent and personal attacks. These fake leftists get offended when someone speaks facts that dont align with their truth and thats messed up. Evan Blake has done nothing but report on the realities facing teachers, exposing the establishment and their capitulators, which has nothing to do with his political background. This looks like a personal vendetta to me. Michael Hull, who is not even a socialist, has been in many of their articles because they recognize the same problem with the system that we have. Sadass Teachers Association sees the problem and then turns their heads. They recorded the exchange between Randi Weingarten and Michael Hull, but they didnt release it or even talk about it. However, they were very quick to slander Evan Blake with lies. They dont seem too interested in educating teachers about the crimes that have been perpetrated against them. Evan has done that, but they write a hit piece on him and ban him with no evidence that he did anything wrong. Michael and his group members have fought valiantly against the political establishment and sellout national union bosses who herded teachers to their deaths. BATs should remove the vile post that slanders the WSWS and Teachers Against Dying, and by implication all their members and supporters, as racist and sexist. Also, where is their article on what happened in BATs between Michael Hull and Randi Weingarten? She lied to him and basically told Texas teachers to pound the sand as their homicidal governor herds them back into deadly conditions. You know who did report on that? Evan Blake. BATs have been silent though, but I guess violating some group rules is worse than selling out dues paying teachers. They should get their priorities straight on this. Bridget, a teaching credential student at a Southern California university, commented: BATs should not censor anyone who tells the truth. Their prevention of democratic discussion manufactures consent: the consent to reopening schools without listening to the science. This is the sort of thing that gets people killed. BATs seems really pro-union. I noticed one of the admins had a unions work sticker as her Facebook profile. Before I learned about how blatantly the AFT was backstabbing actual workers, I was pro-union mainly because I thought they still had the interests of workers in mind and historically they did get things like the 8-hour workday. I just hadnt read any more recent history. The fact that they censored the WSWS writer shows that they are trying to push a liberal agenda by refusing to allow political discussion. If someone disagrees with them and gets censored or banned, that just shows you that the BATs is just doing what Democrats do. WSWS writer Evan Blake must be allowed to post on BATs. James, a mental health care worker, sent the following comment: As a key worker in mental health, I wholeheartedly oppose the banning of Evan Blake from the Badass Teachers Association (BATs) Facebook group. It is an act of draconian political censorship based on nothing but disagreement with Evans socialist politics, to which the BATs administrators wish to deny access lest educators and other workers should become radicalized through it. In that case, these educators and other workers would cease to subordinate themselves to the Democratic Party and the union apparatus, whose rightwing politics are masked as progressiveness through their compulsive insistence on the dictates of identity politics. It is this political independence of educators and other workers that the BATs administrators are concerned above all to preempt through banning Evan. And they wont make this agenda clear in their membership rules, since it would remove the cover that enables their anti-socialist reaction to operate with secure impunity, that is, under the radar. Beverly, a retired public service employee in Northern California, wrote: BATs administrators have refused to readmit Evan Blake to their group or to engage with any of the political issues involved with his banning. One administrator simply responded to Blakes demand for readmission by stating: [W]ithout knowing the particulars of what the issues were, I wouldnt want to countermand the people who made the decision anyway, as if ignorance is sufficient to justify blind obedience to authority. It seems to me that a response more in keeping with the goals and methods of the educational profession would be to educate oneself about those issues, and attempt to factually rebut the WSWS article, if indeed, facts in rebuttal can be found. But this is not what you did. In a move reminiscent of Joseph Stalins tactics, you chose instead to censor any views that deviate from the BATs political line, and to purge their author from your group. I must conclude that if this is how badass teachers model intellectual inquiry and critical debate for their students, our educational system is in a condition more deplorable than I imagined. I look forward to having you prove me wrong. Stop the censorship of World Socialist Web Site articles immediately, and readmit Evan Blake to the national BATs Facebook group. In the coming weeks, the Socialist Party (PSOE)-Podemos government is expected to offer pardons to nine Catalan separatist leaders, fraudulently sentenced to between nine and thirteen years in jail over their role in the October 1, 2017, Catalan secessionist referendum. Last week, anticipating a report on the pardons by Spains Supreme Court, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said at a press conference in Brussels that vengeance and revenge are not among the constitutional values he defends. Instead, in reference to pardons, he defended concord, understanding, dialogue and respect for the law. Jordi Cuixart, Catalan nationalist leader (Wikimedia Commons) In the coming week, Sanchez has continued to imply the pardons will be offered in the coming weeks. Yesterday, he said We will make the decision in conscience, not thinking of those affected but of the millions and millions of Catalans and Spaniards who want to live in peace. The discussion over pardons, however, has nothing to do with peace and dialogue. It is part of back-door negotiations between factions of the ruling class in Madrid spearheaded by PSOE and Podemos, backed by liberal media outlets like El Pais, and the Catalan nationalist forces ruling the region, the Catalan Republican Left (ERC) and Together for Catalonia, over the disbursement of billions of euros in European Union bailout funds and attacks on the working class to pay for it. It comes barely weeks after the PSOE-Podemos government submitted the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan to the European Commission on how Madrid will disburse billions of euros to its banks and corporations. It also came on the same week that all 27 EU countries ratified the legal instrument that underpins the bailout fund, paving the way for money to reach national governments by July. Spains regions will play a prominent part in the disbursement of the funds. In 2021, it is expected that the regions will manage around 54 percent of Madrids allocated bailout fund, around 18.7 billion euros. Catalonia is the second region on the list. The bailout funds from Brussels are soaked in blood. Last July, as European governments ended the initial lockdown imposed across much of Europe in the spring of 2020 due to a wave of wildcat strikes across Italy that spread to other countries, including Spain, France and Britain, they designed multi-trillion-euro bailouts, transferring mass amounts of public wealth to the financial aristocracy. While they all shouted in unison that there was no money for a shelter-at-home policy against the virus, including subsidizing workers and small business, they agreed to funnel 750 billion to the banks and corporations, and bank bailouts of 1.25 trillion from the European Central Bank, along with a new seven-year 1 trillion EU budget. Spain was one of the most benefitted, receiving 140 billion. The initial price to be paid was the reopening of the economy and opening schools, prioritising profits over human lives. What the British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson blurted out bitterly, No more f***ing lockdowns, let the bodies pile high in their thousands! became the official EU policy. So far, it has cost the lives of over 1.1 million people throughout Europe. Meanwhile, as millions of workers suffered hardship, unemployment, poverty, mass death, social isolation, mourning and suffering, European billionaires reaped $1 trillion according to Forbes. Capitalist governments are preparing a new round of austerity against the claims of the trade unions and pseudo-left forces like Podemos that these funds came without strings attached. France is preparing to cut unemployment benefits by 240 euros. In Spain, the PSOE-Podemos government is in advanced stages of a pension reform that will extend retirement age, a labour reform making redundancies easier and VAT tax increases affecting disproportionately the working class. The pardons are an attempt to come to terms with the new Catalan regional government which runs the second wealthiest region in the country. The PSOE-Podemos government has signed up the Catalan nationalists to implement the draconian social cuts that, together with mass deaths, are underwriting this massive bailout of the financial aristocracy and the major corporations. The Catalan government recently formed by the coalition of the ERC and Together for Catalonia has pledged to implement austerity, attacks on the working class and de-facto abandon secessionism, keeping it for rhetorical purposes only. Its new economy minister is Jaume Giro, a former banker at Caixabank. The new Catalan regional premier, Pere Aragones, made clear what was behind the pardon debate. On Wednesday, Aragones said Our proposal is an amnesty, but we are also clear that we will not oppose any measure that can alleviate the pain of the prisoners, their families and Catalan society. He then said that he would phone Sanchez in the coming days to discuss the round table on the Catalan crisis and the management of the European funds. On Sunday, interviewed by the Catalan nationalist daily ARA, Aragones insisted that his governments priority was the bailout funds. He said it is one of the issues that will be on the agenda of my meeting with the Prime Minister of the Spanish government. The distribution would have to be according to objective criteria and, if this is the case, Catalonia will obtain an important part of the resources. The Basque Nationalists are now starting to demand a new arrangement with Madrid, to have greater access to the funds. On Sunday, the president of the Basque Nationalist Party Andoni Ortuzar which rules the wealthy Basque Country told El Correo that pardons are not enough. He wanted the PSOE-Podemos government to talk clearly about the problem that the Spanish state has with its territorial model and called for a new Basque statute which establishes the main competences it has vis a vis Madrid. Workers and youth must be warned that these pardons will not lessen the fascistic anti-Catalan campaign. In its contemporary form, Catalan separatism arose out of the 2008 economic crisis which blew up the class tensions of the post-Franco regime. After Madrids courts made clear that Catalonias regional powers would be limited in 2010, Catalan nationalists responded by whipping up Catalan separatism while implementing billions of euros in cuts. These tensions exploded in 2017, when Madrid seized on the pseudo referendum organised by the Catalan nationalists to shift rapidly to the right, implementing a mass crackdown, whipping up Spanish chauvinism and rehabilitating Francoism. With wall-to-wall media coverage, the direct product of this was fascist Vox, which although representing little less than 15 percent of the vote, is increasingly dictating the national agenda of the PSOE-Podemos government as evidenced in the deployment of the army to illegally expel tens of thousands of migrants and children. The funnelling of billions of euros to the financial aristocracy on the backs of the workers, while implementing mass attacks and curtailing democratic rights, will only intensify class tensions. The pardons are already being seized upon by the right-wing Popular Party (PP) and fascist Vox to further their coup plots to bring down the PSOE-Podemos government and instal a right-wing authoritarian police state regime. On Sunday, 13 June, they are organising a demonstration in Madrid against the pardons. The PP has also started collecting signatures among the population. In this they will be aided by the Supreme Court which has emerged in the past year as a bastion of the rehabilitation of fascism and the chief executioner of the anti-Catalan campaign. Last week it gave its consultative opinion on the pardons describing them as unacceptable. The same judicial institution which accepted pardons for condemned coup plotters in the 1981 fascist coup, is now declaring that pardons are not possible because the jailed Catalan nationalists are not repentant of their crimes. It also stated that it would be a self-pardon because the Catalan nationalists supported the installation of a PSOE-Podemos government in parliament. The pardon debate confirms the warnings of the WSWS. Fighting the turn by the ruling classes toward dictatorship and fascism requires a break with the PSOE, Left Populist Podemos and the pro-austerity, Catalan nationalists, and a turn to the international working class. Workers fighting to defend their social and democratic rights must appeal to their class brothers and sisters throughout Europe as a whole, in a common struggle for the socialist transformation of society and the fight for the United Socialist States of Europe. This is inseparable from the struggle to build sections of the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI) in Europe and throughout the world. The UK has already entered a third wave of the coronavirus pandemic, according to Professor Ravi Gupta, from the University of Cambridge. Speaking on Monday to the BBC Radio Today programme, Gupta, a member of the governments New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (Nervtag) said, Of course the numbers of cases are relatively low at the momentall waves start with low numbers of cases that grumble in the background and then become explosive, so the key here is that what we are seeing here is the signs of an early wave. Gupta called for a delay in the irreversible roadmap to reopen the entire economy announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, culminating in an end to all legal limits on social contact in just three weeks, on June 21. A dramatic escalation in identified cases is underway due to the spread of the highly transmissible Indian variant (B.1.617.2) nationwide, since first being detected in the UK on April 1. People at Kings Cross rail station in London last week (credit: WSWS media) The Office of National Statistics (ONS) published data on May 27 recording figures up to May 22 that included the number of Indian variant cases for the first time. Detected cases of this strain have doubled in the past week and by last Thursday B.1.617.2 accounted for more than half and possibly up to three quarters of all new cases. The rise of the strain to dominance in the UK has been facilitated by the Conservative governments reckless reopening of the economy. Much of the economy has already been reopened since May 17, including pubs, cafes, restaurants, shops and non-essential retail. Nearly every day over the last week, over 3,000 new cases of Covid were recorded and last Friday 4,182 were reported. As of 9am yesterday, there had been a further 3,383 lab-confirmed cases of Covid. Separate figures published by the ONS show there have now been 153,000 deaths registered in the UK where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate. The spread of the Indian variant has resulted in an increase of the R (Reproduction) value of the virus from between 0.8-1.1 to between 0.9-1.1a level allowing a further exponential rise in cases. In England, the virus is spreading fastest in the capital, London, and the North West, with daily growth rates of 0-3 percent and 0-4 percent every day respectively. In Croydon, 94.1 percent of positive Covid cases resulted from the Indian variant in the two weeks to May 22. A surge in Indian variant cases is responsible for driving coronavirus cases upwards in Hounslow and Hillingdon. By last week, hospital admissions for the several variants of Covid in circulation had increased 20 percent week-on-week across the UK. The North West of England saw a 25 percent rise. In Scotland, a surge of cases has seen the R rate reach 1.3 and Glasgow remains under Level 3 restrictions (with levels 2, 1 and 0 less restrictive). Dr Deepti Gurdasani, a clinical epidemiologist at Queen Mary University and a member of Independent SAGE, which has criticised aspects of the governments Covid policy, warned that the domination of B.1.617.2 makes a huge difference This is highly transmissibleit so far appears to be 60 percent more transmissible than the Kent variant, which is 60 percent more than the one before that which was 20 percent more transmissible than the original Wuhan variant. The government is nevertheless proceeding with its reopening agenda, citing the relative successes of the vaccination programme. But there is evidence that the Indian variant can infect those who are not fully vaccinated with two doses, and more than half of the UKs adult population is still not fully vaccinated. More than five million Britons over 50 are still either unvaccinated or only partially protected. Professor Sir Tim Gowers was among those scientists who opposed the governments initial plan last year to impose a herd immunity strategy with no lockdowns in place, under conditions in which Public Health England (PHE) were wargaming a confidential scenario involving 800,000 deaths. Interviewed by the Guardian last Friday, Gowers said of the June 21 reopening, You should be very, very cautious about every step you take And maybe everything [will] be OK, maybe the number of people who are vaccinated will be just enough, R will broadly speaking stay below one even with Indian variants. But if its not OK, we know, because of mathematics, that things will get bad very, very quickly. Or at least, maybe it wont look that quick to start with, but itll grow exponentially. So itll pick up speed and become a big problem. The spread of the B.1.617.2 variant is replicating the pattern of explosive growth of the Kent variant, first detected last autumn and which quickly became the dominant strain in Britain, much of Europe and other countries internationally. The Kent variant was able to evolve and spread unhindered after the government ended last springs national lockdown, including sending millions of children back to school. More evidence of government criminality was published in the Sunday Times, with the newspaper reporting that Ministers were given the news of the [Indian] variants arrival on April 1 but no official statement was made until April 15. India was not placed on the red list banning travellers from the country for another eight days. This was under conditions in which hundreds of thousands of new cases and thousands of deaths were being reported daily in India. The Sunday Times noted that thousands of potentially infected people were allowed to enter the country At least 20,000 passengerswho could have been infected with the virulent new strainwere allowed to enter Britain in the first three weeks of April. The government is doing everything to ensure that nothing impedes the June reopening. This includes having the nominally independent Public Health England body withhold data on the spread of the Indian variant in schools. As reported by the WSWS, there have been hundreds of coronavirus outbreaks in schools in recent weeks. Advocacy group Citizens and AWO, a data rights firm, have sent a pre-legal action letter to PHE saying it has surrendered its independent judgement. Calling on PHE to publish information originally set to be published on May 13before it was leaned on by Downing StreetCitizens executive director Clara Maguire said in a statement seen by the Independent, We believe that there is an immediate risk to life The public needs this data now and we believe that PHE is acting unlawfully in withholding it. It is unbelievable that a matter of vital importance to our public health can be subject to political interference, she said. The representatives of big business in Downing Street are solely concerned with the health of corporate balance sheets, not with the immense danger to public health posed by another wave of the pandemic. Ahead of the final June 14 decision on whether to proceed with ending the last lockdown, big business and its media echo chambers are stepping up the pressure to insist all restrictions on profit making are lifted. In a May 30 Telegraph article, Baroness Ruby McGregor-Smith, president of the British Chambers of Commerce, stated, With such huge swathes of the population vaccinated and strong evidence of the protection that this offers even the most vulnerable against the threat of coronavirus, it would be quite astonishing if the Government changed tack now. Even as a highly contagious Covid strain takes a grip nationally, McGregor-Smith insisted, It cannot be said that the UK is still in the grip of a pandemic. At some point, we need to learn how to operate a fully open economy, while still protecting public health. That time is now. On Monday, the Telegraph followed up with an editorial, The Government must hold its nerve on the June 21 deadline, declaring there was no good reason, or excuse, for delaying the countrys liberation. The World Socialist Web Site has received two resolutions from Committee for Public Education (CFPE) members in Australia demanding David OSullivans reinstatement at Cricklewood bus garage in London. Visit here to find out more and join the campaign for David OSullivans reinstatement. You can donate to OSullivans legal defence here. The Committee for Public Education in Australia calls for the reinstatement of British bus driver David OSullivan, sacked for sounding the alarm over COVID infections at Cricklewood bus garage, thus upholding workers rights for health and safety, during a pandemic that has claimed the lives of more than 60 bus workers in London. We salute OSullivan for his courageous action and we stand in solidarity with London bus drivers and workers internationally, whose safety continues to be sacrificed to protect the profits of the corporations, their shareholders and the super-rich. The decision of London bus drivers to form a rank-and-file safety committee last September, independent of the union, has been vindicated by Unites ongoing collusion with Metroline, to cover over the extent of the COVID dangers, and attempt to silence workers such as O'Sullivan who speak out. Unite, along with the Trade Union Congress in Britain, abdicates any responsibility for the welfare of workers, saying that it cannot take a position on how to manage a pandemic, or the speed or nature of any return to work. Likewise, the Australian Education Union in the state of Victoria says that it cant agree or disagree with the chief medical officer, when he states that schools are low risk. In other words, as far as the unions are concerned, there is no need to adhere to the advice given by epidemiologists around the world. Rather, workers must blindly accept the diktats of governments, who are determined that workers should return to work, no matter what the consequences. It is crucial that education workers see OSullivans struggle as their struggle, and come to his defence. This is a test case for the rights of workers everywhere. Management frame-ups and attacks are aimed at setting a precedent. which will be directed against the entire working class, including education workers. We call on educators and working people to donate to his legal appeal, send messages of support, and organise resolutions at your workplace or community group. An injury to one is an injury to all! Reinstate David O'Sullivan! The following resolution was passed by a meeting of university members of the Committee for Public Education in Australia. This meeting of university workers in Australia, members of the Committee for Public Education, calls for the reinstatement of bus driver David OSullivan, sacked for upholding workers rights to health and safety during a pandemic that has claimed the lives of more than 60 bus workers in London. OSullivan, 57, was sacked on February 3, after he sounded the alarm over the spread of infections at Cricklewood bus garage. The rate of fatalities among London bus drivers is three times the national average, with the families of those killed demanding answers. That a bus driver has been sacked for upholding his colleagues rights to a safe and secure workplace, under Section 44 of the Employment Rights Act (1996), is a serious assault on the democratic and social rights of the working class. As educators, we are also being ordered back into face-to-face classes and working environments, despite the resurging global pandemic, on top of the destruction of tens of thousands of jobs in the public universities. We stand in solidarity with London bus drivers and key workers everywhere, whose safety has been sacrificed to protect the profits of the corporations, their shareholders and the super-rich. We condemn the actions of the Unite union in colluding with the bus companies and Transport for London, presiding over a hostile environment in which illness, death and victimisation is stalking workers on a daily basis. OSullivans sacking is a test case for the rights of workers everywhere. We call on working people to donate to OSullivans legal appeal, send messages of support, and organise resolutions at your workplace or community group. An injury to one is an injury to all! To get involved with the work of the CFPE, contact them at cfpe.aus@gmail.com or visit their Facebook page or Twitter. The Socialist Equality Party (SEP) in Sri Lanka held an online meeting on May 30 entitled The COVID-19 pandemic and the need for a socialist strategy. The weeks-long campaign for the event, promoted through the World Socialist Web Site and social media, was attended by about 200 people, nearly half of them from India, as well as SEP members and supporters in Sri Lanka and from other sections of the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI). The COVID-19 pandemic and the need for a socialist strategy Underscoring its international character, the event was addressed by speakers from the Sri Lankan SEP and as well as the US, Canadian and French sections of the ICFI. Speeches were delivered in English, Tamil and Sinhala. SEP (Sri Lanka) Political Committee member Saman Gunadasa, who chaired the meeting, said: The pandemic is rooted in biology. However, it is not primarily a medical or health disaster. Rather, it is a social catastrophe and social crime. It is a man-made human tragedy, or more precisely one of the greatest political crimes of global capitalism in the 21st century. Gunadasa briefly explained how Indias Modi government, like its counterparts around the world, allowed the pandemic to spread by keeping the economy open in order to defend the profit interests of the countrys billionaires. The predictable social catastrophe, he said, was radicalising Indian workers who are opposed to the actions of the government and corporations. These struggles must be unified with those of workers around the world and animated by a socialist perspective, so that the working class can remove control of the response to the pandemic from the capitalist ruling elites and implement a science-based strategy that prioritises saving lives over capitalist profits, he said. Gunadasa read greetings from the ICFI supporters group in India and restated the ongoing commitment of the ICFI and all its sections to fighting for the immediate release of the 12 imprisoned Maruti-Suzuki workers, jailed for life on March 2017 on frame-up charges following a company-government witch hunt. These workers were persecuted because they dared to defend the jobs and conditions of Maruti-Suzuki car assembly workers at the Manesar plant in northern India. SEP (Sri Lanka) Assistant National Secretary Deepal Jayasekera, who spoke in Sinhala with English and Tamil subtitles, provided a comprehensive overview of the COVID-19 disaster in India. Prime Minister Narendra Modis decision to allow businesses to remain open while denying financial and social support to workers led to the death of millions, he said. Even with the current dangerous surge in COVID-19 infections, Modi adamantly opposes a national lockdown to control the disease. Jayasekera elaborated the socialist demands that workers need to take up against the murderous herd immunity policies of the Modi government and the Indian ruling elite. This involved the fight for lockdowns and the closure of all non-essential services with full wages for all workers, including those in the informal sector, migrant workers, the self-employed, poor farmers and fishermen. Full COVID-19 protection should be available for all workers in essential services, free vaccines for all, and massive financial allocations provided to upgrade the health care system, he said. The only social force capable of leading the fight for such a program is the international working class, which is not bound to any nation-state and private property We call upon the Indian working class to join with its class brothers in South Asia and internationally for a united movement against world capitalism and for international socialism. Speaking from Montreal, SEP (Canada) National Secretary Keith Jones, who is a member of the WSWS International Editorial Board, told the meeting, Indias purported capitalist riseso celebrated in the media in the Westhas produced a malignant society that exemplifies and embodies the dysfunction, brutality, and criminality of 21st century capitalism. The current crisis has laid bare what three decades of Indias so-called new economic policy has wrought. Thirty years ago, in July 1991, the Indian bourgeoisie repudiated its post-independence state-led development projecta nationalist strategy based on import substitution that it cynically labeled socialismand initiated Indias full integration into the US-led world capitalist order. Jones reviewed the treacherous political role of Indian Stalinists, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPM and the Communist Party of India (CPI). For the past 30 years, the CPM and CPI have lionised the Congress, the historic party of the Indian bourgeoisie, and a host of right-wing regional chauvinist and casteist parties, as secular and democratic bulwarks against the BJP, whom the working class must support in order to defeat the Hindu supremacist right, he said. US SEP National Secretary Joe Kishore explained how the reactionary policies pursued by the Trump administrationon COVID-19 and the preparations for war against Chinawere being continued under President Biden. Despite its [the US] vast wealth and its control of the most advanced technologies, the pandemic has exposed a social and political system that is incapable of meeting the needs of the vast majority of the population. The criminal policies of Americas ruling elite, Kishore continued, have been directed not at saving lives and eradicating the pandemic, but at perpetuating the stock market boom and furthering the geostrategic interests of American imperialism Workers in India and throughout the world must be made aware of these important developments. The United States is not just American imperialism, which is threatening war against China and which acts as a bulwark of support for reaction in every countryincluding the critical support from both the Trump and Biden administrations for the right-wing government of Narendra Modi. There is also the American working class, the natural allies of workers throughout the world. SEP (Sri Lanka) Political Committee member M. Devarajah highlighted the rising wave of opposition by workers and the oppressed masses in India and in other South Asian countries to the murderous policy of herd immunity and attacks on democratic rights, and outlined the reactionary role played by the unions. Workers are facing the common threat of capitalism, now in its death agony, and need to unite internationally. To do this, workers must reject every form of communalism and nationalism that is being whipped up by the capitalist classes and their governments to divide and paralyse the working class, he said. Speaking from Paris, V. Gnana, Assistant National Secretary of the SEP (France), pointed out that more than one million people had died from COVID-19 in Europe because governments there refused to implement the public health measures being demanded by doctors and scientists. He also reviewed the decades-long struggle carried out by the SEP in Sri Lanka for Trotskyism and to unite the workers across all lines of race, religion, language and caste in a struggle for socialism. The final speaker, SEP (Sri Lanka) General Secretary Wije Dias, who is a member of the WSWS International Editorial Board, said that the online meeting marked a new stage in the struggle to build an Indian section of the ICFI. He quoted Leon Trotskys open letter to Indian workers on the eve of WWII: Complete independence from the bourgeoisie is indispensable to the proletariat, above all in order to exert influence on the peasantry, the predominant mass of Indias population. Only the proletariat is capable of advancing a bold, revolutionary agrarian program, of rousing and rallying tens of millions of peasants and leading them in struggle against the native oppressors and imperialism. Dias told the meeting that Trotskys Theory of Permanent Revolution was being carried forward by the ICFI today and in struggle against the false promises of the Indian bourgeoisie and the naked treachery of the Stalinist communist parties and their pseudo-left hangers on. He briefly reviewed the revisionist policies of Pabloismits adaptation to the post-WWII settlement, bourgeois nationalism and the liquidation of Trotskyism in Indiaand the ICFIs struggle for the revolutionary continuity of Trotskyism in Sri Lanka and the region. The fight by the SEP in Sri Lanka to build the Trotskyist movement in India, Dias said, was enormously strengthened by the founding of the World Socialist Web Site in 1998. Through the WSWS, the ICFIs struggle to build the world party of socialist revolution was brought to the instant notice of working people and the youth of every continent, he said. The bodies of 215 indigenous children have been found in a mass grave on the grounds of the now closed Kamloops Indian Residential School in Kamloops, British Columbia. This horrifying discovery is yet further evidence of the brutality and inhumanity of Canadas state-sponsored residential school system, which lasted into the 1970s and was aimed at eradicating indigenous culture and transforming Native children into a pliant workforce for Canadian capitalism. Kamloops Residential School Memorial in Vancouver. May 30th 2021 (Wikimedia Commons) Local indigenous people, including school survivors, waged a decades-long campaign for an investigation of the Kamloops school grounds. Last Thursday Chief Rosanne Casimir of the Tkemlups te Secwepemc people of southcentral British Columbia released a preliminary report. To date 215 corpses, some of children as young as three years old, have been identified through ground penetrating radar. Their deaths were never documented. Casimir said more bodies may be discovered as other parts of the grounds remain to be searched. Similar grisly discoveries, albeit never on this scale, have been made over the years at other former residential school sites. Native leaders have described the Kamloops mass grave as the tip of the iceberg. Community members have brought flowers and other mementos to the Kamloops school site. In Vancouver, artists lined up 215 pairs of tiny shoes on the steps of the citys Art Gallery to remember the children and the crimes committed against them. Their action has inspired similar tiny-shoe memorials to spring up in cities and towns across the country. These largely spontaneous actions demonstrate the widespread horror and disgust among the population of all ethnic backgrounds to the mistreatment and abuse the Native population has suffered at the hands of the Canadian capitalist state. The Kamloops Indian Residential School, the largest in the entire residential school system, was established in 1890 under the leadership of the Roman Catholic Church, which ran it until 1969. It was then taken over by the federal government as a day school until its closure in 1978. Over the years, school survivors have provided detailed eyewitness accounts of the malnourishment, disease and systemic physical, sexual and psychological abuse to which they and other children who had been taken from their parents were subjected. For over 100 years, a system of Indian residential schools operated in Canada under financial and administrative arrangements between the Government of Canada and the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Methodist, Presbyterian and United Churches. In all, over 150,000 First Nations, Inuit and Metis children passed through more than 130 residential schools in virtually every part of the country. An estimated 70,000 to 80,000 former students of residential schools are alive today. The residential school system was established in 1876 under the notorious Indian Act, shortly after Confederation, the deal put together by railway promoters, bankers, corrupt politicians and British colonial officials whereby the principal colonies of British North America were united in an autonomous federal state. Funded by the Department of Indian Affairs and run by the churches, these schools were integral to achieving one of Confederations principal aimsannexing and establishing the dominance of capitalist property relations in what are today the four western provinces. In the ensuing decades, the Canadian ruling elite dispossessed the native peoples of western Canada of their lands through a combination of repression, starvation and mass killings. Native peoples were herded onto reserves, while their children were taken away and placed in residential schools under the so-called civilizing influence of the churches and other state agents. The last of these schools closed in 1996. The schools were modelled on youth reformatories and jails. Children were collected from their parents, sometimes at Royal Canadian Mounted Police gunpoint, and cut off from their families. Once delivered to the schools, they were subjected to a controlled and brutally disciplined environment that combined religious instruction with some basic skills training. They were subjected to humiliating and dehumanizing treatment so as to eradicate the influence of Native culture and inculcate obedience. Children were routinely beaten for speaking their native language and berated as stupid Indians. The system was designed by the government to be self-sustaining, i.e., to cost it no money. Much of the school day was given over to backbreaking chores, including working in the fields. Yet food and school books were scarce and rationed. Little to no medical care was provided to the children. This, along with the barrack-style housing conditions and inferior food, contributed to the rampant spread of tuberculosis at the schools, especially prior to 1950. Testimony from school survivors reveal the full extent of the horrors visited upon Native children by Church administrators backed by the might of the Canadian state. Here is one such account: I went to residential school in Muscowequan from 1944 to 1949, and I had a rough life. I was mistreated in every way. There was a young girl, and she was pregnant from a priest there. And what they did, she had her baby, and they took the baby, and wrapped it up in a nice pink outfit, and they took it downstairs where I was cooking dinner with the nun. And they took the baby into the furnace room, and they threw that little baby in there and burned it alive. All you could hear was this little cry, like Uuh! and that was it. You could smell that flesh cooking. In 2015, a WSWS report summarizing the findings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission that the Canadian government established due to pressure from school survivors and their supporters noted: Between 5,000 and 7,000 children died whilst in the custody of these residential schools from disease, malnutrition, fires, suicide and physical abuse. Many were buried even without a name recorded. Parents were not notified as a matter of course. Healthy children were consciously placed in dormitories with children suffering from tuberculosis. Sick and dying children were forced to attend class and sit up in church. Malnutrition was rampant. Testimony from school survivors recounted how hungry children would raid the slop-buckets of livestock for additional sustenance. The residential school system was only one part of a broad-based policy to repress and dispossess the aboriginal peoples. An overt policy of starvation was used to drive First Nations from their ancestral lands on the Prairies. Treaty rights were unilaterally abrogated by the Canadian government. Pass Laws were enacted that made it illegal for indigenous people to leave the reserve without the approval of the governments Indian agent. Authorities from South Africa tasked with framing their own system of apartheid were so impressed by Canadian policy towards the aboriginal peoples that they based elements of their own racist system on it. Only in 1960 were status Indians granted the right to vote and other basic citizenship rights. Responding to the discovery of the mass grave, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ordered flags to be flown at half-mast. Indigenous Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett described the residential school system as part of a shameful colonial policy. The shedding of crocodile tears by leading representatives of Canadian imperialism should fool no one. Their attempts to portray the horrific discovery at the Kamloops Indian Residential School as the legacy of colonialism are a sham. In reality, references to colonialism or settler-colonialism in the abstract are designed to blame the entire population or so-called white society, for crimes, including genocide, that were perpetrated by Canadian capitalism. In so doing, they absolve the profit system of its responsibility for the horrors inflicted on the Native peoples. Along with this, Trudeau, his Liberal government, the trade union-backed NDP and much of the corporate media are promoting a reactionary native reconciliation agenda, which behind phony rhetoric about justice and respect aims to reconcile the native population to continuing Canadian capitalist oppression. It consists of granting a narrow strata of privileged indigenous professionals and business people, many of them associated with the Assembly of First Nations or other state supported groups, increased access to positions of power in the institutions of the capitalist state or on the boards of major energy, mining and other resource companies. The crimes committed against First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples were not accidental or incidental to the consolidation of the Canadian nation-state and Canadian democracy. On the contrary, they arose from the very nature of Canadian capitalism, from the clash between capitalist private property and the communal social relations of indigenous society. The legacy of the Canadian states violent dispossession of the Native people reverberates to this day, both in isolated Native communities in the north and in many of the poorest neighbourhoods of major Canadian cities like Winnipeg and Vancouver. Native life expectancy is 15 years shorter than that of other Canadians. More than half of all Native children live in poverty. HIV and AIDS rates are higher on some western reserves than in the most vulnerable of African countries. In the far north, diseases such as tuberculosis are rampant in some communities. Overcrowding in dilapidated homes is endemic. Almost half of all residences on reserves require urgent, major repairs. Education opportunities are deplorablefewer than 50 percent of students on reserves graduate from high school. For decades the federally-funded schools on Native reserves received 30 percent less funding per capita than other Canadian schools; and, despite promises by the Trudeau government to raise funding to the national average, a substantial funding gap remains. Numerous native communities do not have access to potable water, with boil water advisories still in effect, in scores of the 631 reserves at any given time. Incarceration rates for aboriginals are nine times the national average. A Native youth is more likely to go to prison than get a high school diploma. Although they make up less than 5 percent of Canadas population, 25 percent of those held in federal prisons are aboriginal. Poverty conditions are not restricted to those living on reserves. Natives in urban centres, which comprise about half of the rapidly growing 1.7 million Native population, have the countrys highest unemployment rates, second only to the rates for Native reserves. Nationwide, about 50 percent of First Nations people and Inuit are unemployed. These disastrous social conditions have fuelled mounting protests in recent years, from the Idle No More movement to the Wetsuweten protests and railway blockades of early 2020. The Canadian capitalist state has responded with its customary ruthlessness and brutality, including by deploying armed police against demonstrators and surveilling First Nations communities. During the Wetsuweten protests, there were extensive discussions within establishment circles about deploying the military to crush the protest movementa move that ultimately proved unnecessary. The Canadian ruling elites readiness to employ savage repression against the indigenous population is of a piece with its growing assault on the democratic rights of all working people, including the systematic criminalization, through anti-strike laws and police violence, of social opposition from the working class. The terrible plight of Canadas First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples underscores the pressing need for the working class to advance a socialist program to abolish the system of capitalist private property, which has been at the root of the oppression of the Native population in Canada for the past 150 years. Rejecting all attempts to pit working people against each other along national or ethnic lines, the working class must fight to secure the social and democratic rights of all of the oppressed, of which Canadas indigenous population is the most vulnerable section. On Thursday, French president Emmanuel Macron delivered a carefully prepared keynote speech in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, to address the role of France in the 1994 Rwandan genocide. The genocide, carried out by a regime backed by France, saw the extermination of between 800,000 and one million people, mainly from the countrys Tutsi ethnic minority. Macron spoke alongside his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame. His trip to Kigali was part of an effort to strengthen French interests and diplomatic relations in Rwanda, under conditions of a growing struggle for influence in the region. Kagame and Macron announced that a French ambassador to the country would be named for the first time since 2006, when diplomatic relations completely broke down between the two countries, after a French judge had ordered the arrest of Kagame and other leading Rwandan government officials. Rwandan Genocide Murambi skulls in Murambi Technical School (Wikimedia Commons) Macrons speech was a cynical attempt at historical obfuscation and falsification. On the one hand, he was compelled, given the mass of evidence of French backing to the government that carried out the genocide, to acknowledge that France has a role, a history and political responsibility toward Rwanda and had remained in fact on the side of a genocidal regime. He referred to an overwhelming responsibility of France in the genocide. However, he falsely presented this as being the unintended consequence of French efforts to prevent civil war in the country, and a failure to appreciate the warnings of international observers as to what was taking place in time. According to this absurd presentation, the French intelligence agencies were simply unaware of what was already being documented by international human rights observers. In wanting to prevent a regional conflict or a civil war, France remained in fact on the side of a genocidal regime, Macron claimed. Ignoring the warnings of the most lucid observers, France bore an overwhelming responsibility for the downward spiral which led to the worst, even as it sought to prevent it, he said. France was therefore not complicit, Macron declared. He argued that this was so simply because French soldiers did not actively carry out any sectarian massacres. Macron therefore chose not to make any formal apology on behalf of the French state in the genocide. His presentation was essentially the same as that of former right-wing Republican President Nicolas Sarkozy, the first French president to visit Kigali since 1994. Sarkozy referred to grave errors and a form of blindness by French authorities which had absolutely dramatic consequences. Macrons speech was immediately hailed by almost the entire French political establishment. Jean-Luc Melenchon and his Unsubmissive France deputy Bastien Lachaud wrote that they share the formulation of the French president Admitting the responsibility of the French government at the time of Rwanda is a very important thing. Drawing the lessons for the future of our relations in Africa is another that is just as important. In an open appeal to anti-African neo-colonial racism, Marine Le Pen, the leader of the far-right National Rally, criticized Macron for being excessively apologetic. Melenchons reference to our [future] relations in Africa points to the real motivation for Macrons speech. French imperialism has been involved in a decade of escalating wars and interventions across Africa as part of a scramble for influence and control over the resource-rich and geostrategically important region. This included the 2011 war in Libya that overthrew Moammar Gaddafi, and the 2013 invasion of Mali and the Sahel. Mali neighbours critical uranium supplies used for French energy production, and is located near one of the largest gold supplies in the world. France and Germany in particular are now escalating their interventions throughout Africa, particularly fearful over the growth of Chinese influence in the region. The lie that France was not complicit in the Rwandan genocide is critical to the French ruling class, because its exposure discredits the fraudulent arguments that French imperialist operations across Africa are humanitarian interventions aimed at protecting the local population. The Rwandan genocide was one of the great imperialist crimes of the 20th century. Its origins lay in the struggles among the colonial powers to carve up and subvert Africa. Beginning with its control over the country in 1916, Belgium used what were previously largely historical social groupings, the Hutu and Tutsi, to divide and control the population, elevating the Tutsi minority into power. With the growth of its influence in the country from the 1960s onwards after Rwandas official independence, France continued to back the largely Hutu government. France provided military and economic support to the Rwandan government, including the deployment of French troops, arms, and training to the Rwandan army, including in the immediate lead-up to the genocide. In the period of 1990-1994, there were already mass arrests, torture and executions of predominately Tutsi opponents by the Rwandan army. In their 2020 book, The French state and the genocide of the Tutsis in Rwanda, Raphael Doridant and Francois Graner document the ethnic killings that were already taking place beginning in 1990, under the government of Juvenal Habyarimana. Sections of the military and regime were already calling publicly for the liquidation of the entire Tutsi population. A team of international human rights observers produced a report in January 1993 pointing to the large-scale ethnically targeted killings taking place. Throughout this period, French Socialist Party President Francois Mitterand maintained and escalated its backing for Habyarimana and its military intervention in the country. French officers were attached to Rwandan army units. Following Habyarimanas assassination, which was the starting point for the genocide, France launched a new military intervention, providing safe passage out of the country, including to many perpetrators of the genocide. France was determined to maintain its backing for the Rwandan regime against the Rwandan Peoples Front (RPF), a largely Tutsi armed group led at the time by Paul Kagame. Kagame was trained in the United States, and the RPF was stationed in neighbouring Uganda, a key US ally, which permitted the RPF to operate from its territory as it waged a civil war for control of Rwanda. Quite directly, the Rwandan genocide was the product of the imperialist struggle between France and the United States over influence within the region, which France regarded as critical for the maintenance of French control in Africa. Even today, many participants in the genocide continue to reside peacefully in France. Victims associations have provided the names of 30 perpetrators but have been stonewalled by French authorities. Last year, one of the main financiers of the genocide, Felicien Kabuga, was arrested in the Asnieres-sur-Seine suburbs around Paris, where he had apparently been able to live peacefully for decades. Following his speech on Thursday, Macron evaded questions from journalists as to whether he would now more vigorously pursue the arrest of participants in the genocide who live in France. Clearly there is no interest in the French political establishment for public trials of former French allies about their role in the genocide. The Rwandan genocide is an exposure, at the same time, of the criminal pro-imperialist character of the official left of France. Francois Mitterand, the head of the Socialist Party government, which was complicit in the slaughter, was supported by the entire left in France, including Jean-Luc Melenchon, who was a protege of Mitterand. The genocide is a sharp warning of the horrific crimes that French imperialism is capable in the pursuit of its predatory interests. Macrons speech in Kigali was above all aimed at preparing for new and even more catastrophic interventions by French imperialism to defend its interests, and crimes on an even greater scale. Educators across the UK continue to fight attacks on their jobs, pay and conditions, the academisation of schools, and victimisation. A spree of strikes and protests since the reopening of schools has been called attention to earlier this month and last month on the World Socialist Web Site. Despite the common issues confronting education workers all over the country, the education unions have worked to keep strikes isolated to single schools and colleges. School staff at Tendring Technology College are fighting a staffing restructure by the Academy Enterprise Trust (AET) that will result in teaching and support staff job losses, a cut in the hours worked by school nurses and the slashing of 700,000 from the schools annual budget from September. A three-day strike took place from May 25. Staff on the picket line at Tendring Technology College on May 25 (credit: @neueastern) Ian Silverton, head of history at the college, explained to ITV News, As much as it can be sold in terms of restructuring, we fundamentally will have less people in the school. There will be less pastoral care, there will be less teachers able to have an effective role, because their hours might be greatly increased. Theres also the situation where essentially were losing staff like midday assistants. Parents are especially concerned about the loss of pastoral support. Jessica Davis told BBC News, Im absolutely passionate about the plight of our [Tendring Technology] teachers. They were called into a meeting and told there was excessive staffing. Weve had two children who have lost their lives in our local community in the last nine weeks... and their response to those needs, unfortunately, is to cut the support. It is dangerous, it is really, really dangerous. If weve lost those children with those staff in situ, what is going to be the situation with those support staff cut? The AET runs 58 schools. Its head, Julian Drinkall, receives 290,000 a year. It has been claimed that the trust takes 1,250 per pupil from the 4,500 given by the Department for Education, though the trusts managers claim the figure is 575. According to National Education Union (NEU) representative Jerry Glazier, Tendring Technology College had a surplus in its budget last year and was projected to have one this year. Following the strike and talks with the NEU, the AET offered to pause the restructure. Staff at Nottingham Academy, part of the Greenwood Academies Trust, took strike action on May 11 and 18 against a forced reorganisation by school management. The second reorganisation in two years threatened higher workloads and teachers being forced to compete with their colleagues in applying for their own jobs. The NEU suspended planned strike action on May 20, claiming to have won significant concessions from the employer. No details of the agreement have emerged. Another restructuring is taking place at Merrill Academy and Lees Brook Community School in Derby, both taken over by the Archway Learning Trust in February. At least 20 jobs are slated to go, and dozens of staff member will receive reduced wages. The Trust intends to make savings of around 1 million. The NEU and the National Association of School Master Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) previously criticised the restructuring as ill-timed and unreasonable, given the pandemic, calling for it to be postponed. The NEU said staff will be balloted for strike action but has not set a date. Around 100 teachers at City and Islington sixth form college in London held a three-day strike beginning Tuesday last week. The dispute is over managements demand that teachers work additional evenings and afternoons interviewing prospective students. They have threatened not to grant teachers a recommended pay award if they participate in the strike. Two schools on the south coast are fighting academisation. Academisation of schools was first introduced under the Blair Labour government. A half-way house to the privatisation of education, Academies are publicly financed but privately run and are exempt from teachers national pay and conditions agreements. Peacehaven Primary schools governing body was instructed by East Sussex County Council in 2019 to explore academy conversion but decided against following strikes and protests. The council then imposed an Interim Executive Board (IEB), with a direction from the Department for Education to actively consider a sponsored academy solution. A consultation on conversion is due this autumn but the IEB has already applied for academy status. Parent Caroline Gridley was quoted in the Brighton & Hove News as saying, The fact that they have applied for an academy order before any consultation is a joke. IEB chair Penny Gaunt has already told parents that it is a consultation and not a referendum which suggests shes not listening to parents, staff or the local community. NEU members held a one day strike last week, protesting outside County Hall in Lewes where the council was in session. Staff last walked out on May 5, when many parents and children joined them on the picket line to show support before marching through the town centre. On May 15, school staff and parents marched through Brighton to oppose the academisation of Moulsecoomb Primary school by the Pioneer Academy Trust. The government imposed an Academy Order on the school in 2019 after it was rated inadequate by Ofsted. However, parents and teachers say the school has significantly improved since then and the order should be revoked. Recently, 96 percent of parents voted to keep the school under the control of the local authority. The two-year dispute has resulted in four days of strikes by teachers and three academy trusts have so far been deterred from taking over the school. Earlier this month, parents padlocked the gates of the school to prevent a visit by the CEO and representatives of the Pioneer Academy Trust. On May 25, campaigners delivered 93 pledges from parents to Pioneers head office in Farnborough threatening to withdraw their children if the trust takes over Two victimised teachers, both NEU reps, have been reinstated after local strikes and protests. Louise Lewis, of North Huddersfield Trust school, was reinstated after four days of strikes, with more planned, by her colleagues. She was suspended last year after trying to organise individual and whole school risk assessments regarding COVID-19. Iain Forsyth has been reinstated at Leaways Special School in Hackney, London, after colleagues took 20 days of strike action since December 2020. He was sacked for making complaints to management regarding work conditions, including sick pay, which was being paid for only seven days in a year. Staff were also unhappy with the lack of provision for students. The reinstatement of these local union representatives underscores the criminal role played by the NEU nationally. The union has never even compiled a list of those members suffering victimisation (in line with its earlier non-recording of educators who had died from COVID-19 ), let alone consulted its members on any national, or even regional, action. They have thrown their reps to the wolves, leaving them to fight on a school-by-school basis. Thanks to the solidarity and support of colleagues and parents, several have been reinstated, but many more are still sacked or suspended. Whatever the fate of individual reps, the education unions have so fully sabotaged any fight for safety measures in schools that the requirement to wear masks in secondary school classrooms has been withdrawn even as infections surge . At Leaways, Forsyth was reinstated with the promise that the school will provide sick pay for 10 days a year rather than the seven it had been paying. This is a fraction of the days received by most teachers: full pay for 25 working days and half pay for another 25 for teachers in their first year of service, up to 100 at full pay plus 100 at half after four years of service. Any Leaways staff members left with serious health complications in a new wave of COVID-19 will quickly be left destitute. Educators cannot take forward a unified struggle based on the agenda of the education unions, which have proved their bankruptcy throughout the pandemic. The Socialist Equality Party calls on workers to join the Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee and to read and share its regular newsletter. The rank and file committee is a genuinely democratic organisation of struggle mobilising workers in a united offensive for the right to a safe workplace, against the onslaughts on jobs, pay, terms, conditions and pensions. The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature. Latin America Contract workers blockade Chuquicamata copper mine in Chile Two hundred miners employed by the Acciona Ossa Pizzarota contractor occupied and blocked the entrance to the underground Chuquicamata copper mine. The miners demanded that the contractor share its wealth with the workers, who every day make it richer, according to the sign at the mine entrance. The workers are demanding that their wages at Chuquicamata be set at the same rate as those prevailing across the industry. As part of a technological revolution in electric transportation and green energy, the increasing demand for copper is forcing prices up and raising profits for firms in the industry. Chuquicamata is an open pit mine located in northern Chile and run by Chiles nationalized copper firm, Codelco. It is one of the worlds largest sources of copper and molybdenum. Last year, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, it shifted to digging a mine under very difficult conditions, based on contract labor hired by Acciona, a Spanish-Italian contractor at depressed labor costs. The mine is a significant contributor to Codelcos current bonanza of copper profits. Striking Petrobras workers hold rally in Rio de Janeiro On May 27 striking workers at the green division of the Petrobras oil firm rallied at the company headquarters in Rio de Janeiro. They are striking, which began on May 20, for the defense of their jobs. The privatization of this division, Biocombustivel (PBio) which produces bio-diesel, would result in the sacking of its current workforce. PBio is one of the main producers of bio-diesel in Brazil and operates three major refineries. Rural teachers college students protest in Oaxaca, Mexico Teaching college studentsnormalistasprotested in Oaxaca, Guerrero State on May 20. They demanded the release of 95 arrested normalistas from the Mactumatza teaching college. The arrests took place on May 18. The demonstrators pointed out that in addition to those under arrest, there are dozens of disappeared students. The demonstrators likened this to the disappearance of the 43 normalistas from the Ayotzinapa teaching college on September 26, 2014. The marchers charged Chiapas Governor Escandon Cadenas of responsibility for the disappearances. Chanting Mactumatza aguanta, Oaxaca se levanta! (Mactumatza resists, Oaxaca rises up!), the demonstrators gave the governor 48 hours to account for and free all the students. If not, they would take stronger measures. Initially the Mactumatza Rural College students had demanded that the entrance examination for students entering the career be in person, since many come from rural communities with no Internet. They also demanded more government funds for the Rural Teaching Schools. Authorities reported that while 95 students had been reported under arrest, the actual number is 125, including two minors. They did acknowledge that there are 20 missing students and that all the arrested students have been barred from being in contact with their families. Furthermore, the names of the arrested have not been released. United States Nurses to strike Logan Health in Kalispell, Montana Nurses in Kalispell, Montana are set to strike regional health care network Logan Health on June 1-3, demanding a nurse staffing committee, reinstating charge nurses in each hospital unit, safe staffing ratios, benefits that dont charge single parents an extra $1,200 a year and wages that are comparable with other large Montana hospitals, according to registered nurse Julie Anderson, speaking to the Flathead Beacon . The nurses are members of SEIU Healthcare 1199NW, which represents 32,000 nurses and other health care providers in hospitals and other facilities across Washington state and western Montana. The union covers 650 nurses at Logan Health in a unit that was formed in July 2019 and has been bargaining for a contract for the past 18 months. According to Logan Health, however, not all 650 nurses will be on strike. A spokesperson for the hospital told the World Socialist Web Site, There are at least 100 nurses not willing to strike and will continue their shifts, along with physicians and nurse practitioners stepping up to fill any gaps. We dont anticipate any staffing issues during the strike. Many of those nurses are part of a newly formed group called Nurses and Community Unite, whose members have called the strike vote a sham, accusing the SEIU of trying to force a strike for the prestige of the union and not patient care. One-day strike by nurses at San Franciscos Chinese Hospital over staffing level Over 100 nurses carried out a one-day strike against San Franciscos Chinese Hospital May 25 to protest unsafe staffing, low wages and other issues that have contributed to substandard workplace and economic conditions. The nurses, who voted to join the California Nurses Association in 2019, have been negotiating with Chinese Hospital since February 2020 and are still without a contract. Nurses are demanding meal and shift breaks. But to achieve that, they require staffing levels that will accommodate the safe coverage of patients. Management has been attempting to use supervisors to provide workers with some relief, but nurses object that supervisory personnel are not qualified to care for patients. The substandard working conditions have also driven away many high seniority nurses, including bilingual nurses who are essential to care for the large number of patients who only speak Chinese. Canada Ontario Reliance HVAC workers in third week of lockout About 830 heating, ventilation and air conditioning technicians, installers, plumbers and electricians are in the third week of a lockout at 30 Reliant Home Comfort operations across Ontario. The workers, members of Unifor, voted down an inferior tentative contract recommended by the union in March. With further negotiations at a stalemate, management locked out the workers on May 13. Since then the company has been using a scab labour force of subcontractors to continue customer service. The workers are demanding significant improvements to the two-tier wages and benefits system, which exploits many junior workers with substandard wages and a lack of sick time provisions. The issue of sick days is particularly galling for the membership. During the 15 months of pandemic, workers attended to up to 10 house calls per day, thereby increasing the risk of COVID-19 infection. But lacking sick days, second-tier workers have been pressured to continue working even when feeling ill. In an effort to force workers back onto the job and ratify an inferior contract, Reliance management last week unilaterally cancelled extended medical and dental benefits for workers on short-term and long-term disability. On May 23, the Wall Street Journal published an article titled Intelligence on Sick Staff at Wuhan Lab Fuels Debate on Covid-19 Origin. Citing unnamed current and former officials, it claimed that researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology went to hospital in November 2019, shortly before confirmed outbreak of COVID-19. Two days later, on May 25, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, speaking at the United Nations World Health Assembly, demanded a transparent investigation into the origins of COVID-19. The next day, on May 26, US President Joe Biden called on the Intelligence Community to investigate whether COVID-19 arose from a laboratory accident and report back to me in 90 days. Secretary of State Colin Powell holds up a vial he said could contain anthrax as he presents evidence of Iraq's alleged weapons programs to the United Nations Security Council in this Feb. 5, 2003 file photo.(AP Photo/Elise Amendola, File) Media reports by NBC, CNN, and the New York Times followed. All of them claimed that the Biden Administrations actions were triggered by the new evidence presented in the Wall Street Journal article. Within 24 hours of publication of the Journals report, all of these publications declared that the Wuhan Lab conspiracy theory was credible. But the article published by the Wall Street Journalbeyond being totally unsubstantiated and presenting nothing fundamentally new in terms of intelligenceis presented by a lead author who happens to have helped fabricate the most lethal lie of the 21st century. The lead author of the Journal piece, Michael R. Gordon, was the same man who, along with Judith Miller, wrote the September 8, 2002 article falsely asserting that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was seeking to build a nuclear weapon. That article, entitled U.S. says Hussein intensifies quest for a-bomb parts, claimed that In the last 14 months, Iraq has sought to buy thousands of specially designed aluminum tubes, which American officials believe were intended as components of centrifuges to enrich uranium. The claim was a lie, funneled to the Times by the office of US Vice President Dick Cheney. On May 26, 2004, the Times published a letter from its editors entitled FROM THE EDITORS; The Times and Iraq, acknowledging that the Times repeatedly fell for misinformation. The letter notes, But we have found a number of instances of coverage that was not as rigorous as it should have been On Sept. 8, 2002, the lead article of the paper was headlined 'U.S. Says Hussein Intensified Quest for A-Bomb Parts.' That report concerned the aluminum tubes that the administration advertised insistently as components for the manufacture of nuclear weapons fuel. it should have been presented more cautiously Administration officials were allowed to hold forth at length on why this evidence of Iraqs nuclear intentions demanded that Saddam Hussein be dislodged from power: 'The first sign of a smoking gun, they argued, may be a mushroom cloud.'' In a 2005 article by its public editor, the New York Times acknowledged in relation to the coverage by Miller, including the article co-authored by Gordon: Miller may still be best known for her role in a series of Times articles in 2002 and 2003 that strongly suggested Saddam Hussein already had or was acquiring an arsenal of weapons of mass destruction. Howell Raines was then the executive editor of The Times, and several articles about weapons of mass destruction were displayed prominently in the paper. Many of those articles turned out to be inaccurate. Polk award-winning journalist Robert Parry subsequently commented on Gordons role in the story: The infamous aluminum tube story of Sept. 8, 2002, which Gordon co-wrote with Judith Miller, relied on U.S. intelligence sources and Iraqi defectors to frighten Americans with images of mushroom clouds if they didnt support President George W. Bushs invasion of Iraq. The timing played perfectly into the administrations advertising rollout for the Iraq War. Of course, the story turned out to be false and to have unfairly downplayed skeptics of the nuclear-centrifuge scenario. The aluminum tubes actually were meant for artillery, not for centrifuges. But the article provided a great impetus toward the Iraq War, which ended up killing nearly 4,500 U.S. soldiers and hundreds of thousands of Iraqis. Gordons co-author, Judith Miller, became the only U.S. journalist known to have lost a job over the reckless and shoddy reporting that contributed to the Iraq disaster. For his part, Gordon continued serving as a respected Pentagon correspondent. Over the subsequent decade and a half Gordon continued to serve as a conduit for fabricated intelligence emanating from the White House, the Pentagon and the CIA. On April 20, 2014, Gordon co-authored an article entitled Photos Link Masked Men in East Ukraine to Russia, which claimed to identify masked men operating in eastern Ukraine in opposition to the US-backed coup regime as active-duty Russian soldiers. Gordon wrote, Now, photographs and descriptions from eastern Ukraine endorsed by the Obama administration on Sunday suggest that many of the green men are indeed Russian military and intelligence forces equipped in the same fashion as Russian special operations troops involved in annexing the Crimea region in February. Four days later, the Times Public editor was again compelled to retract the claims in Gordons reporting, calling them discredited. The Times led its print edition Monday with an article based in part on photographs that the State Department said were evidence of Russian military presence in popular uprisings in Ukraine. The headline read: Photos Link Masked Men in East Ukraine to Russia. More recently, some of those grainy photographs have been discredited. The Times has published a second article backing off from the original and airing questions about what the photographs are said to depict, but hardly addressing how the newspaper may have been misled. It all feels rather familiar the rushed publication of something exciting, often based on an executive branch leak. And then, afterward, with a kind of morning after feeling, here comes a more sober, less prominently displayed follow-up story, to deal with objections while not clarifying much of anything And the reporter Robert Parry (formerly of Newsweek and The Associated Press) on Consortiumnews.com sees a pattern in Times articles, often based on administration leaks, that draw hard conclusions from very murky evidence while ignoring or brushing aside alternative explanations. Summing up the role played by the media in the run-up to the Iraq war, WSWS editorial board chairman David North wrote in War, oligarchy and the political lie: It must be stressed that the mass media was not duped by the Bush administration, but functioned as its willing accomplice in the deliberate deception of the American people. There was nothing that was particularly sophisticated in the governments propaganda campaign. Much of what it said was contradicted by both established facts and elementary logic. Even when it was established that the administrations claim that Iraq had sought to obtain nuclear material was based on crudely forged documents, the media chose not to make a major issue of this devastating exposure. Now the war is over at the cost of countless thousands of Iraqi lives. The country lies in ruins. Much of its industrial, social, and cultural infrastructure has been destroyed. During the past three weeks, US military forces have combed Iraq in search of the weapons of mass destruction that could be seized upon by the administration and media to justify the war. And what has been found? Nothing. The same kind of deliberate deception by the media in relation to weapons of mass destruction used to prepare the Iraq war is being reprised in the ongoing campaign by the Biden administration and the media to promote the claim that COVID-19 emerged from the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Just as the lies of 2002 led to the destruction of Iraq and the deaths of over a million people, the current US propaganda campaign against China risks provoking a military conflict on a far more devastating scale. Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-01 22:06:56|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close GUANGZHOU, June 1 (Xinhua) -- A multi-rotor drone carrying biological samples took off from a hospital in south China's megacity of Guangzhou on Monday to replace road transport for the testing delivery in Guangzhou KingMed Diagnostics Group Co., Ltd, a Chinese medical diagnostic testing company. With its highest speed of 50 km per hour, the drone spent ten minutes completing the delivery, far less than the 30 minutes it takes with a vehicle. Liu Weimin, manager of the logistics management center of KingMed Diagnostics, said that drones usually carry a weight of less than 5 kg, which is suitable for transporting biological samples. The manager added that the company's drone was equipped with a specimen carton for cold chain logistics to ensure sample safety, and the delivery is free of human contact. Qu Hongying, president of the Guangdong Second Provincial Central Hospital, said that KingMed Diagnostics' testing service could assist the hospital's clinical labs in providing patients with quick medical test results. Enditem On Monday the German government gave the green light for the opening up of most of the countrys schools, and crowds have gathered in the warm weather in parks, promenades and pubs. Normal schooling and holidays should now be possible again, according to Chancellor Merkel, regardless of vaccination statistics. The pandemic, however, is by no means over. The price for the risky easing of restrictions will be paid by the working class. Fresh outbreaks of COVID-19 continue to take place in production halls, care homes and in agricultural and transport enterprises. Little is reported of such cases in the bourgeois media, due to the failure of employers, politicians and the trade unions to provide a full picture of infection incidence. Only sporadic reports reach the public. A major outbreak took place in mid-May at a Deutsche Bahn (German Rail) site in Fulda. As BuzzFeed News Germany reported, more than 60 of around 600 workers at the location tested positive. Neither Deutsche Bahn nor the transport union, EVG, have disclosed how many workers suffered severe symptoms or had to be hospitalised. Buzzfeed News writes that the press office of the district of Fulda only gave a very vague answer to its enquiries, declaring that there were high numbers of cases in four different companies in the district. Since then, the situation had quieted down in three of the four companies. The fourth company, apparently, is Deutsche Bahn. Care workers in hospitals and retirement homes also continue to be affected. In Alzey, Hesse, two nursing staff and seven patients at a DRK (German Red Cross) hospital were infected last week when a staff member who had already been vaccinated once against COVID-19 unknowingly passed on the virus. Asparagus harvest An asparagus farm in Lower Saxony has been experiencing a particularly large outbreak since mid-April. At Thiermann GmbH in Kirchdorf, one of the largest asparagus farms in Germany, no fewer than 144 workers were infected with COVID-19 up until the Whitsun spring break. The first infected workers were discovered among the more than 1,000 harvest workers as early as April 18, but it was only 10 days later that proper tests were carried out. The virus therefore had 10 days to spread unhindered. When the responsible health department finally carried out extensive tests, 47 workers tested positive, and since then nearly 100 more have been added to the list of those positive. The factory was not shut down and the direct contacts of those infected were not identified. A spokeswoman for the district told Deutsche Welle (DW) that the authorities were unable to track contacts because of the diffuse nature of the infection within the farm. Instead, a quarantine was imposed on the entire premises. Workers were not allowed to leave the farm, which was monitored by the police and private security guards. The workers were, however, allowed to continue working and ran the constant risk of also becoming infected. This meant the virus was able to spread unhindered throughout the entire workforce. Neither the company nor the health department are willing to give any information about how many of the infected workers at the Thiermann asparagus farm were seriously ill and had to be hospitalised. Workers who spoke to DW reported that up to five people were in hospital and at least one person had a severe COVID-19 infection. Workers reported that they share a room in twos and threes, but then work in different parts of the farm. No attention is paid to who lives together, one worker reported. Most of the time it was not even possible to abide by distance rules when working. In the sorting plant, for example, the harvest workers are led to work in groups of 50, and then divided into groups of 12. A group of about a hundred workers apparently tried to oppose this practice and decided to go on strike the night after testing took place. Fearing the virus, they did not go to work for two days. As one worker told DW, they also demanded better pay, but had received nothing so far. The harvest workers are paid a gross minimum wage of 9.50 (net: 6.80) per hour, which is linked to a bonus system. In addition, 9.80 per day are deducted from the wage for accommodation and lunch. To make the work worthwhile the workers toil seven days a week, for up to 11 hours a day. These gruelling hours and hard work also contributed to COVID-19s ability to spread so quickly and widely. As was the case last year, the pandemic has revealed the brutal and exploitative conditions for seasonal workers who keep the food industry running. This was underlined by reports from Polish women workers to DW. On the day of the testing, women who tested positive were made to wait outside until 11 p.m. before being taken to new quarters. A number broke out in tears because they wanted to go home to Poland but were not allowed to. The police strictly enforced the work quarantine. The latest outbreaks show once again that businessmen and politicians put profits before workers lives. The authorities and the media play along and cover up such cases, while the German trade union movement makes sure that workforces remained uninformed. This is especially true for the IG Metall union in the auto and car supplier industry, as well as for the service sector union, Verdi, with members at airports and in logistics centres like Amazon. The pandemic is an international phenomenon; it will not be defeated until it is under control in every country. Until then, there is a danger that new virus variants will spread, driving the number of cases up again and once again filling intensive care units. In Finland, the India virus variant B.1.617 is currently spreading in several hospitals, and is also affecting people who have already been vaccinated once. In Canada, too, there have been hundreds of cases of so-called breakthrough infections, i.e., infections of people who have already been vaccinated once. And a new pathogen has been reported in Vietnam, which had so far come through the pandemic well. The new variant dangerously combines characteristics of the British and Indian virus strains. In Germany, incidence figures are currently stagnating at around an average seven-day incidence of 35 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants. What is not mentioned is that the incidence in children is much higher. Among 10-14 year olds, the last known incidence figure from May 25 exceeded 100. Only 41.5 percent of the population in Germany has received a first vaccination, and less than 16 percent are fully vaccinated. At the same time, the B.1.617 variant is spreading across Europe. As has been shown in Great Britain, vaccination against this virus is only effective after a second vaccination dose, which the vast majority of people in Germany lack. For children, there is still no vaccination programme. Government politicians are using the declining coronavirus numbers to give a false sense of security. Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) claimed at the beginning of this week that safe schooling is possible again, regardless of whether a child is vaccinated or not. The same applies to holidays, she said, which must be possible again both in other European countries and in Germany. Merkel absurdly justified her remarks by saying that testing was perfectly sufficientat a time when there are multiple reports of systematic fraud in mass testing. It is clear that the statements by establishment politicians cannot be trusted. They have proven to be reliable servants of big business and the banks since the beginning of the pandemic. The World Socialist Web Site and the Socialist Equality Party call upon workers to unite in independent action committees and take control of the pandemic in their own hands. The first step must be to pass on all information about the extent of the COVID-19 cases to workforces and workers neighbourhoods. In order to coordinate the struggles internationally, the International Committee of the Fourth International is calling for the building of an International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees. An important goal is the reinstatement of London bus driver David OSullivan, who was sacked by the bus company Metroline for warning his colleagues about the risk of coronavirus infection in the depot where he worked. In London, 60 bus drivers have already died from COVID-19. David OSullivans reinstatement is a test case for international solidarity, and every class-conscious worker must support his struggle! The IYSSE has issued the following statement announcing its candidacy for this years student parliament elections at Humboldt University on June 29. The two election events detailed below will be live streamed here and are open to everyone. We also provide information about the options for postal voting and the location of polling stations at the end of the statement. Against right-wing and militarist ideology at the university! The International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) is standing in the student parliament elections to build a socialist movement against militarism and war, social inequality and the rise of the far right. We want to prevent the universities from becoming state-led drill schools for right wing and militarist ideology, as they were prior to the last centurys two world wars. As in the first half of the 20th century, the ruling class is responding to the deep crisis of capitalism by resorting to fascism and war. The attempted coup by Donald Trump on January 6 was a serious warning. In Germany, all parties are pressing ahead with militarism and are implementing in practice the programme of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). The army, police and intelligence agencies are riddled with right-wing extremist terrorist networks. 1,000 coronavirus assistance per student per month The coronavirus pandemic has dramatically intensified all of these tendencies. After the banks and major corporations were handed hundreds of billions of euros with no strings attached, workers are being forced into unsafe workplaces under dangerous conditions. The opening of schools is accelerating the spread of the virus. The ruling elite is literally trampling corpses under foot to safeguard its profits. The 10 richest Germans have increased their wealth during the pandemic by 35 percent to $242 billion. At the same time, the largest numbers of layoffs in decades are being imposed. One million students have lost their jobs during the pandemic and are not, unlike the superrich, receiving meaningful state support. We oppose this. A meeting held by the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) at Humboldt University to protest against right-wing and militaristic teaching and defend students who criticize it from right-wing attacks. Scholarship instead of war propaganda! Over recent years, the IYSSE has demonstrated the central role played by the universities in the lurch to the right. Here at Humboldt University (HU), Professor Herfried Munkler demanded that Germany must once again become the disciplinarian of Europe. The right-wing extremist Professor Jorg Baberowski is well known for his trivialization of the Nazis crimes and has even started physically assaulting left-wing students. The right wing is only able to behave so arrogantly because it enjoys the support of the political establishment. HU management has repeatedly backed the right-wing professors and even defended Baberowskis violent outbursts as understandable in a human sense. For a socialist perspective The vast majority of students reject the actions of the university administration and the shift to the right within the establishment. But the question of political perspective is decisive. Only an international socialist movement against capitalism can stop the rise of right-wing extremist forces and a relapse into barbarism. As the youth movement of the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI), we fight for this programme not only in Germany but throughout the world. Events Online event: Monday, June 14 , 6:30 p.m. (CEST) 80 Years After the Onslaught on the Soviet Union: How HU Professors Trivialize the Nazis Crimes Eighty years ago, on June 22, 1941, the Nazis planned war of annihilation began with the attack on the Soviet Union. In the course of the conflict, 27 million Soviet citizens were murdered in the most bestial manner, and 6 million European Jews were industrially exterminated in what was undoubtedly the most horrific crime in human history. At Humboldt University, this crime is falsified and trivialized. Jorg Baberowski, chair of Eastern European History department, teaches that the war of annihilation was the product of the warfare waged by the Red Army (1) and that the Soviet Union wanted the war. (2) He downplayed the Holocaust as essentially the same thing as shootings during the Russian Civil War in 1918. (3) According to Baberowski, Hitler was not vicious and didnt want to know anything about Auschwitz. (4) This falsification of history is aimed at justifying new criminal wars. Germany is engaged in a massive rearmament programme. Baberowski was defended by his institute, university management, and all parties in parliament against criticism from the IYSSE and other students. At the event, we intend to expose the extent of the historical falsifications and discuss how the return of militarism can be prevented. The event will be live streamed at iyyse.de/events. Visit the Facebook event page. Online event: Monday, June 28, 6:30 p.m. (CEST) Coronavirus and Capitalism: Why a Socialist Perspective is Necessary The coronavirus pandemic has demonstrated in a powerful manner the bankruptcy of capitalism around the world. Although decisive measures could have stopped the virus, more than 3.5 million people have died, and over 150 million have been infected. They are the victims of a policy that sacrifices the lives of working people for the profits of the financial oligarchy. The pandemic is not the cause of this crisis; it has merely intensified it. Wages, pensions and social spending have been reduced for years, and health care and education budgets cut to the bone, while a tiny minority has enriched itself with abandon and billions have been wasted on rearmament and war. These policies are put into practice by all parties in parliament. At the event, we will draw a balance sheet of the coronavirus pandemic and discuss why an international socialist perspective is required to put an end to capitalist barbarism. No social problem can be resolved without expropriating the banks and major corporations and placing them under the democratic control of the working class. The event will be live streamed at iysse.de/events. Visit the Facebook event page. Apply now for a postal vote to vote for the IYSSEs candidates Every HU student can apply for a postal vote by sending an email to wahl@refrat.hu-berlin.de by June 15 at 3:00 p.m. Polling stations will also be open on June 29. The list of polling stations can be accessed at www.iysse.de as soon as it is confirmed. The email must include the following information: Name Matric number Course(s) of study Address to which the documents should be sent References (1) Jorg Baberowski, Kriege in staatsfernen Raumen. Russland und die Sowjetunion 19051950, in: D. Beyrau, M. Hochgeschwender, D. Langewiesche (Hrsg.), Formen des Krieges. Von der Antike bis zur Gegenwart, Paderborn 2007, P305 (2) Jorg Baberowski, Verbrannte Erde. Stalins Herrschaft der Gewalt, Munchen 2012, P396 (3) Spiegel, Der Wandel der Vergangenheit, 9.2.2014, accessed on 20.5.2021 (4) FAZ, Traute Einigkeit, 17.1.2020, accessed on 20.5.21 California police released body camera footage showing a Stanislaus County deputy fatally shooting teenager Xander Mann on May 18, after Mann allegedly drove at an officer following a seven-mile pursuit. The Stanislaus County Sheriffs Office identified Deputy Gerardo Zazueta as the officer who shot Mann. He has been with the department for four years, according to police. The video begins with a deputy approaching Manns vehicle during a traffic stop and asking him to roll down his window. Police said the 16-year-old white youth had been pulled over for an expired registration sticker and a broken headlight in Modesto, California. Four other teenagers can be seen in the vehicle, presumably tagging along for a joy ride late at night. Police pull Mann out of his car after being shot. Police identified Deputy Gerardo Zazueta as the shooter. Zazueta's body camera was no on before he opened fire. After partially rolling down his window, Mann then drove off from the scene, and the deputy rushed back to his patrol car to pursue him. Police chased Mann through Modesto for approximately 20 minutes, reaching speeds up to 60 miles per hour, according to their own account. Continued footage shows authorities in the chase discussing a pit maneuvera pursuit tactic by which a pursuing car can force a fleeing car to turn sideways abruptly and cause the driver to lose control. Another deputy vehicle was about to make an attempt on Manns car. Police reported they tried this tactic at least twice. Eventually, Manns vehicle reached an industrial area near the Modesto City-County Airport, where it hit the side of the road and came to a stop, the sheriff's office said. Police said officers tried to stop the car twice before Mann's car spun out of control, and began driving in reverse before crashing into a curb. Police claimed that after the initial crash, Mann sped forward and narrowly missed Zazueta, who was outside of his vehicle. He then discharged his firearm. The footage does not show the moment when Zazueta opened fire, but three shots can be heard in the background and another officer can be heard calling out, shots fired. County Sheriff Jeff Dirkse said that Zazueta had no time or place to retreat. The video then shows several law enforcement officials swarming Manns car, which had smoke coming from the front end after it crashed into a train crossing pole after the shooting. Officers are then seen dragging Mann out of the drivers side door. Upon seeing Mann's injuries, officers begin administering CPR and one of the passengers can be heard screaming Manns name. The footage shows officers performing CPR for more than 15 minutes until paramedics arrived. Mann was transported to a local hospital with critical injuries while the other passengers were treated and released from the hospital. Initially, investigators believed another passenger in the vehicle was grazed by a bullet. Further investigation revealed that the only person shot by deputies was the driver. Mann died three days later in the hospital. Sheriff Dirske, who presided over the release of the footage, claimed Zazueta was not able to activate his body camera due to the rapid nature of how this critical incident unfolded. The Sheriffs Officer reported an ongoing internal investigation to ensure policies were followed. The department did not report sending any deputies on leave after the incident. (CNN) -- June is Pride Month, when the world's LGBT communities come together and celebrate the freedom to be themselves. Pride gatherings are rooted in the arduous history of minority groups who have struggled for decades to overcome prejudice and be accepted for who they are. The original organizers chose this month to pay homage to the Stonewall uprising in June 1969 in New York City, which helped spark the modern gay rights movement. Most Pride events take place each year in June, although some cities hold their celebrations at other times of the year. Most in-person 2020 Pride events were canceled because of the pandemic. But parades and other Pride celebrations are returning this month to New York, Paris and many other cities. Who celebrates it? Pride events are geared toward anyone who feels like their sexual identity falls outside the mainstream -- although many straight people join in, too. LGBT is an acronym meaning lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender. The term sometimes is extended to LGBTQ, or even LGBTQIA, to include queer, intersex and asexual groups. Queer is an umbrella term for non-straight people; intersex refers to those whose sex is not clearly defined because of genetic, hormonal or biological differences; and asexual describes those who don't experience sexual attraction. These terms may also include gender fluid people, or those whose gender identity shifts over time or depending on the situation. How did it start? In the early hours of June 28, 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York's Greenwich Village, and began hauling customers outside. Tensions quickly escalated as patrons resisted arrest and a growing crowd of bystanders threw bottles and coins at the officers. New York's gay community, fed up after years of harassment by authorities, erupted in neighborhood riots that went on for three days. The uprising became a catalyst for an emerging gay rights movement as organizations such as the Gay Liberation Front and the Gay Activists Alliance were formed, modeled after the civil rights movement and the women's rights movement. Members held protests, met with political leaders and interrupted public meetings to hold those leaders accountable. A year after the Stonewall riots, the nation's first Gay Pride marches were held. In 2016 the area around the Stonewall Inn, still a popular nightspot today, was designated a national monument. Where did the Pride name come from? It's credited to Brenda Howard, a bisexual New York activist nicknamed the "Mother of Pride," who organized the first Pride parade to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall uprising. What's the origin of the rainbow flag? In 1978, artist and designer Gilbert Baker was commissioned by San Francisco city supervisor Harvey Milk -- one of the first openly gay elected officials in the US -- to make a flag for the city's upcoming Pride celebrations. Baker, a prominent gay rights activist, gave a nod to the stripes of the American flag but drew inspiration from the rainbow to reflect the many groups within the gay community. A subset of flags represent other sexualities on the spectrum, such as bisexual, pansexual and asexual. Can I participate in Pride events if I'm not LGBT? Sure. Pride events welcome allies from outside the LGBT community. They are opportunities to show support, to observe, listen and be educated. The-CNN-Wire & 2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. JASONVILLE, Ind. (WTHI) -- An event this weekend will help families in need while honoring a local teenager. Madi's Day of Hope is all about giving back. We've told you before about Madison Moore from Greene County. She was a young girl who fought long and hard against leukemia. Madi underwent a bone marrow transplant after beating leukemia, but she passed away shortly after to graft versus host disease. Her mother, Tera Orman, started the Madis Hope Foundation. She told News 10 Madi would have spearheaded the foundation if she were here today. LINK | Community members join forces to honor the life of Madi Moore The foundation focuses on helping families in need, sick children, and helping the community grow. The foundation has held many events in honor of Madi. This year the foundation is doing something brand new. Orman told News 10 she's thrilled to be able to hold the foundation's first summer fundraising event. She said the event will help give back to the community while making sure her daughter's memory lives on forever. Orman said, "I think this will be a great way to honor Madi and to honor those who have passed before too soon. Not only my daughter, but others, and to just celebrate getting back out into the community." Orman said Madi loved her community of Linton, but what she loved more was giving back and helping people in need. That's why Orman decided now was the perfect time to introduce the Madis Day of Hope event. Orman said, "Especially after COVID, when everyone has been sort of tied up and isolated in their homes and they're away from those they loved this we felt, would be a great way to just get out. I mean everyone's ready to get out and enjoy the sunshine." While the event will be fun in the sun for many, it will also be a day to give back. LINK | 'Up until her last breath she was a fighter.' Madi Moore is honored at Linton-Stockton prayer circle There will be donation stations around the area, a tent where people can drop off non-perishable items, a blood donation station, and so much more. Orman said this day is about fun, remembering those who were taken from us too soon, and helps give hope to the hopeless. Orman said, "We want to branch to help kids in need in every aspect of their life. Whether it be with food, with clothing, or with treatment. " Orman said this is exactly what Madi would have done if she was here with us today. She added what drives her to keep helping people is knowing Madi will always be by her side and be proud of the work she's continuing to do. For more information on the Madi's Day of Hope event, you can click here. TERRE HAUTE, VINCENNES, Ind. (WTHI) - Two local universities are looking at tuition rate increases. Indiana State University has an increase proposal for the next two academic years. The fall would bring a $66 increase per semester for full-time, in-state undergraduate students if approved. The following school year would see a $67 increase per semester. ISU says the increase will be used to maintain academic quality. A virtual meeting is set for Wednesday, June 9 at 1 pm to discuss the increase. Click here to join the meeting via Zoom. The passcode is 616550 Vincennes University Meetings have also been set to discuss a tuition increase at Vincennes University. News 10 has reached out to Vincennes University to learn more about the amount of the potential rate increase. So far, we have not received a response. A public meeting will take place on June 10 at 9 am in several different locations. They include: Learning Resource Center Innovation Room #112 Vincennes University - Vincennes Campus 130 E. College Avenue - Vincennes, Indiana Aviation Technology Center Room #1015 2175 S. Hoffman Road Indianapolis, Indiana Vincennes University Jasper CTIM Building (Center for Technology, Innovation & Manufacturing) Room #218 850 College Avenue Jasper, Indiana MADISON, Miss. (AP) Funeral services are planned for a Mississippi Highway Patrol trooper killed while conducting a highway traffic stop. Trooper John Harris was struck and killed by a vehicle Friday in Madison County. WAPT-TV reports that a funeral service for Harris is set for 2 p.m. Tuesday at Broadmoor Baptist Church in Madison. A graveside service will be at the Natchez Trace Funeral Home in Madison. Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said in a statement on Twitter that Harris death is a reminder of how fragile life is. Update June 1, 1:29 p.m. Tippah County Coroner Chris McCallister identified the body pulled from the lake as Stanley Horton, 49, of Tippah County. The coroner classified the death as a freshwater drowning; however, hes not ruling out a medical issue. Original article below TIPPAH COUNTY, Miss. (WTVA) State and local first responders recovered a man's body from a lake in Tippah County after someone reported a possible drowning. Tippah County Sheriff Karl Gaillard said searchers found the body of a 49-year-old man around 7:30 p.m. Monday in Lake Mohawk. The lake is between Booneville and Ripley. Major Jason Young with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks said the agency had five officers at the lake working with Tippah County sheriff's deputies and a search and rescue team from Union County. Someone reported the possible drowning before 6 p.m. ALICEVILLE, Ala. (WTVA) Law enforcement in Pickens County, Alabama, reportedly arrested a man following a Sunday shooting in Aliceville that killed one and wounded four. WBRC-TV reported Jeremy Lynn Colvin, 27, is charged with one count of capital murder and four counts of attempted murder. Police told the Birmingham television station that Colvin's family brought him in following the shooting at a home on 7th Street Northeast. Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-01 22:12:35|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close VIENTIANE, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Some 100,620 doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine are expected to arrive in Laos in the coming days, according to the Lao Ministry of Health. The Pfizer vaccine, which is supplied by the UN-led COVAX Facility, requires specialized Ultra Cold Chain storage conditions to preserve it and keep it viable, according to a statement by Center of Information and Education for Health under the Lao Ministry of Health on Tuesday. In preparation for the arrival of the vaccine, the National Immunization Program has been given three freezers capable of storing vaccine. Laos will roll out vaccinations with the Pfizer vaccine to three priority groups, including medical personnel, the elderly, and people with chronic illnesses. The National Immunization Program has been working on COVID-19 vaccine distribution across Laos. As of Sunday, a total of 885,694 doses have been distributed to target populations across the country. The Lao Ministry of Health is planning to vaccinate 50 percent of the country's 7.2 million population by the end of 2021. COVID-19 vaccines used in Laos so far included Sputnik V, Sinopharm, and AstraZeneca. Enditem TUPELO, Miss. (WTVA) - Local law enforcement and officials say a man from Virginia scammed an elderly resident out of nearly $19,000. Yao Lin of Ruther Glen, Virginia, faces three counts of false pretense and two counts of mail fraud, according to a joint statement by the Tupelo Police Department, District Attorney John Weddle and Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley. Tupelo fraud suspect Yao Lin of Ruther Glen, Virginia. Tupelo fraud suspect Yao Lin of Ruther Glen, Virginia. Investigators say Lin is part of a group of scammers, using unsolicited telephone calls to trick victims into purchasing gift cards as payment for debts and other false claims. Lin also faces charges in Georgia, according to the statement, and hes been federally indicted on similar charges. JACKSON, Miss. (WTVA) - State troopers reported three deaths during their Memorial Day enforcement period. The Mississippi Highway Patrols enforcement period began Friday and concluded Monday. During this time, troopers issued 5,734 citations and made 160 DUI arrests. They investigated 104 crashes, three deaths and 40 injuries on the states highways and interstates. MHP recorded two deaths during the same period in 2020. The first death happened Friday afternoon when a vehicle struck and killed trooper John Harris in Madison County. Read More - Mississippi trooper killed while conducting traffic stop The second death happened Friday evening in Newton County, and the third death happened shortly before midnight Friday in Leake County. Troopers made 45 DUI arrests in Troop F which covers Lee, Union, Pontotoc, Itawamba, Prentiss, Tippah, Benton, Alcorn and Tishomingo counties. They made nine DUI arrests in Troop G which covers Monroe, Chickasaw, Calhoun, Webster, Clay, Lowndes, Oktibbeha, Choctaw, Winston and Noxubee counties. Troopers recorded nine collisions in Troop F and 13 collisions in Troop G. Charleston, WV (25301) Today Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 65F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 65F. Winds light and variable. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Charleston, WV (25311) Today A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 64F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 64F. Winds light and variable. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 1 Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-01 22:46:00|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NAIROBI, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's business leaders were optimistic that the country's economy would bounce back in the next 12 months boosted by COVID-19 recovery measures, according to a survey released by the country's central bank. The Central Bank of Kenya said its latest Monetary Policy Committee CEOs Survey showed that the optimism was mainly attributed to post COVID-19 bounce-back, companies shifting to more digitization, and anticipated increase in exports following improved relations in East African Community countries. Kenya, together with Burundi, Tanzania, Rwanda, South Sudan and Uganda, make up the East African Community which launched a common market in 2010. The survey also showed that services and manufacturing sectors saw the strongest prospects for higher growth as respondents reported a general upward trend in business activity. Despite the optimism, the business leaders were concerned over the possibility of a fourth COVID-19 wave in the country with the probability of new variants which would lead to more lockdowns and dampen investor confidence. The survey, which was conducted in May, targeted executives of 230 private sector firms in Kenya's key industries including agriculture, mining and energy, manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade, hotels and restaurants, information and communications technology, transport and storage, real estate, pharmaceuticals, building and construction, and finance and insurance. The central bank said sectors covered in the survey account for over 74 percent of Kenya's gross domestic product. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said in mid-May that economic recovery is underway in Kenya and the easing of the COVID-19 third wave in the country suggests activity should continue picking up. However, the IMF noted the pickup will be less strong than anticipated due to the pandemic, revising its forecast for Kenya's economic growth in 2021 downward to 6.3 percent from an earlier projection of 7.6 percent. Enditem Kylie Jenner Is 'Very Happy' with Travis Scott as Pair Spends Holiday with Stormi, 3: Source Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott are having a fun family weekend with daughter Stormi Webster. The pair and their 3-year-old daughter are celebrating Memorial Day with the rapper's family in Houston, a source tells PEOPLE. During their stay, Jenner, 23, and Scott, 30, had a friendly water balloon fight, which the makeup mogul documented on her Instagram Stories. In the videos, Stormi and her dad team up to take on Jenner, who runs away from the balloons while filming the playful fight. At one point, Scott successfully hits Jenner with a water balloon after Stormi adorably tries to soak her mom. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Kylie Jenner/Snapchat Kylie Jenner/Snapchat Kylie Jenner/Snapchat RELATED: Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott Treat Daughter Stormi, 3, and Cousins to Disneyland Trip "Kylie and Travis continue to spend a lot of quality family time together," the source shares, adding that Jenner is "very happy" with Scott. "They are not putting any pressure on their relationship. They get along and things are great. They both want to be as present as possible for Stormi. Kylie and Travis have worked hard to create a great family situation," adds the source. "They love each other," the source continues. "Everyone is very proud of how mature they are. Stormi is the happiest little girl. It's all benefitting her." The pair split in October 2019 after two years of dating, but have remained friendly and often spend time together as they co-parent Stormi. Jenner has previously said she and Scott are "like best friends." Earlier this month, Jenner and Scott took Stormi to Disneyland along with cousins Dream, 4, Chicago, 3, and another friend. Kylie Jenner/Instagram RELATED VIDEO: Kylie Jenner Reveals the Food She Craved During Labor with Daughter Stormi While Out to Dinner Story continues The pair, who was also accompanied by Kim Kardashian, posted several snaps from their adventure, including a photo of the couple and Stormi on a train ride together. In the photos posted to Jenner's Instagram Stories, mom of one is walking alongside Kim and Scott while the little kids stroll in front of them. Jenner also posed for a cute mother-daughter shot of her and Stormi sitting in a teacup ride together. Scott later posted a series of sweet snaps with Stormi to his own Instagram page. "A forever ride," the rapper captioned the post. The longtime partner of a British billionaires son has been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of a top police officer in Belize. Jasmine Hartin, 38, has been charged with manslaughter by negligence, her lawyer Godfrey Smith told reporters outside a court in the resort town of San Pedro on Monday. She remained in custody after her bail application was denied. "We appeal to the Supreme Court, as is normal," Smith said. PHOTO: Jasmine Hartinas lawyer, Godfrey Smith, emerged from the court and told members of the press that she has been charged with amanslaughter by negligence,a in the death of a police superintendent in Belize, May 31, 2021. (Obtained by ABC News) Hartin is the director of lifestyle and experience at Alaia Belize, a boutique resort in San Pedro run by her husband, real estate developer Andrew Ashcroft, in partnership with hotel giant Marriott International, according to Hartins biography on the resorts website and her LinkedIn profile. Andrew Ashcroft also referred to Hartin as his wife during the resorts grand opening last month, but it was unclear whether they are legally married. The couple have two children. MORE: American woman vanishes while on vacation in Belize Andrew Ashcroft is the youngest son of Lord Michael Ashcroft, a major financial backer of the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom and its former deputy chairman. Lord Michael Ashcroft, who holds dual U.K. and Belizean citizenship, has an estimated net worth of $2.1 billion, according to Forbes. PHOTO: Jasmine Hartin attends an opening of a resort in Belize, in May 2021. (Channel 5 Belize) The charge stems from the death of Henry Jemmott, superintendent of the Belize Police Department, whose body was discovered early Friday in the water off a San Pedro pier with one apparent gunshot wound behind his right ear, according to Chester Williams, commissioner of the Belize Police Department. "The injury is not consistent with suicide and the manner of death is homicide," Williams told reporters Monday. MORE: 2 dead, 10 missing after boat carrying Cuban migrants capsizes near Key West Hartin "was somewhat in an emotional state walking herself on the pier" when police found her near Jemmotts body with "what appeared to be blood on her arms and on her clothing," Williams said during a press conference Friday. Story continues "We believe that she is to some extent affected by it," Williams told reporters. PHOTO: The pier where the body of police Superintendent Henry Jemmott was found in Belize, May 28, 2021. (7 News Belize) Police recovered Jemmotts service weapon from the scene. The incident "seems rather personal and not an attack on law enforcement," Williams said. Investigators believe the pair were friends and had been drinking. They were alone together on the pier and were both found fully clothed, according to Williams. MORE: Jailed hero of 'Hotel Rwanda' claims he was tortured at 'slaughterhouse' after arriving in Kigali "We owe it to him to ensure that we investigate properly," he said. PHOTO: The body of police Superintendent Henry Jemmott is loaded into a vehicle in Belize, May 28, 2021. (7 News Belize) Jemmotts family said they are desperate for answers. He leaves behind five children and a fiancee. "What happened? We dont know, I dont know," Jemmotts sister, Marie Jemmott Tzul, told reporters Monday. "So we are depending on the police investigation to set the record straight for us." ABC News Kirit Radia and Christine Theodorou contributed to this report. Partner of British billionaire's son arrested in fatal shooting of Belize policeman originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Hillary Clinton. Getty Jason Sullivan, an ex-advisor to Roger Stone, seemed to imply Hillary Clinton should be hanged. He made a gesture appearing to resemble a hanging while talking about Clinton at a QAnon conference. The conference in Dallas has attracted crowds of supporters who cheered at Sullivan's gesture. See more stories on Insider's business page. A former aide to Roger Stone, a longtime friend and former advisor to Donald Trump, appeared to indicate at a conference of QAnon supporters over the weekend that Hillary Clinton should be hanged. Referring to Clinton as a "godawful woman who shall not be named," on Saturday, Jason Sullivan, Stone's ex-social media advisor, made a noose gesture with his hand onstage. His action was received with applause from the crowd. A former attorney for Sullivan did not immediately return Insider's request for comment. This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Clinton was Trump's Democratic opponent in the 2016 presidential election. Trump frequently berated her using misogynistic remarks and has continued to do so years after he won the election. Even while campaigning for the 2020 election, Trump lambasted Clinton, taking every opportunity in front of a crowd to target her. "We went through the greatest witch hunt in political history," Trump told supporters at his official campaign launch in Orlando, Florida, in June 2019. "The only collusion was committed by the Democrats, the fake news media, and their operatives, and the people who funded the phony dossier: crooked Hillary Clinton and the DNC." In response to Trump's vitriolic behavior and remarks, "lock her up" chants often broke out among his supporters. The For God & Country Patriot Roundup was a four-day event that took place over the weekend in Dallas. Its main attraction was Michael Flynn, the former national security advisor. While on stage, Flynn suggested to a crowd that there should be a coup in the United States that mirrors the one that took place in Myanmar earlier this year. Story continues Hundreds have died since the military overthrew the democratically elected government there. Flynn in 2017 pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI regarding Russian interference in the 2016 election. He received a pardon from Trump last year. Read the original article on Business Insider FILE PHOTO: Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko meets with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Minsk Reuters Belarus is preventing most citizens from traveling out of the country, the BBC reported. The country's State Border Committee announced the travel ban on Telegram. It comes amid a crackdown against critics of President Alexander Lukashenko. See more stories on Insider's business page. Belarus is temporarily preventing most of its citizens from leaving the country amid crackdowns against critics of President Alexander Lukashenko. In a statement on Telegram seen by the BBC, the State Border Committee said only some government workers and citizens with permanent residency in other countries will be allowed to leave. The agency blamed the COVID-19 for the travel ban, but it comes weeks after 26-year old journalist Roman Protasevich, a staunch critic of Lukashenko's, was arrested when his Ryanair flight was diverted. Several other critics have also been detained BBC reported. Read the original article on Business Insider KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) Thousands of Ethiopians gathered in the nation's capital Sunday to protest outside pressure on the government over its brutal war in Tigray. Protesters at the rally in Addis Ababa carried banners that criticized the United States and others in the international community who are voicing concern over atrocities in Tigray, where Ethiopian forces are hunting down the region's ousted and now-fugitive leaders. Troops from neighboring Eritrea are fighting in Tigray on the side of Ethiopian government forces, in defiance of international calls for their withdrawal. But the protesters in Addis Ababa carried placards that said Ethiopian young people denounce the western intervention. Others said Ethiopia's sovereignty was at stake. The U.S. said last week it has started restricting visas for government and military officials of Ethiopia and Eritrea, who are seen as undermining efforts to resolve the fighting in Tigray, home to an estimated 6 million of Ethiopias 110 million people. Besides the visa restrictions, Washington is imposing wide-ranging restrictions on economic and security assistance to Ethiopia. Atrocities including brutal gang-rapes, extrajudicial killings and forced evictions have been part of the violence in Tigray, according to victims, witnesses, local authorities and aid groups. Thousands of people are estimated to have died. The Ethiopian government called the U.S. action misguided and regrettable. The Ethiopian government will not be deterred by this unfortunate decision of the U.S. administration, said the statement tweeted by the ministry of foreign affairs. If such a resolve to meddle in our internal affairs and undermining the century-old bilateral ties continues unabated, the government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia will be forced to reassess its relations with the United States, which might have implications beyond our bilateral relationship, said the statement. Story continues The crisis began in November after Ethiopia accused former leaders of the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front, or TPLF, of ordering an attack on an Ethiopian army base in the region. Troops sent by Ethiopias leader, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, quickly ousted the TPLF from major cities and towns, but guerrilla fighting is still reported across Tigray. More than 2 million people have been displaced by the war. ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey and Greece will start taking concrete steps and working on joint projects to improve economic and commercial ties, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said after talks Athens, as the NATO members seek to repair ties. Tensions flared last year over a dispute over maritime jurisdiction and offshore rights in the eastern Mediterranean, and the countries traded barbs on Sunday over the status of Muslim minorities in Greece. Speaking at a news conference with his Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias in Athens, Cavusoglu said they reached an understanding on 25 articles to improve commercial ties, and both countries would recognise each other's COVID-19 vaccinations, in a move to help tourism. Cavusoglu said Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis were planning to meet at the NATO summit in Brussels on June 14. (Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu and Ali Kucukgocmen; Editing by Dominic Evans) Justin Kabumba/AP/Shutterstock A volcano that erupted earlier this month experienced more activity over the weekend as scientists recorded dozens of earthquakes and tremors throughout a 24-hour period. Mount Nyiragongo volcano, located in the Democratic Republic of Congo in Africa, erupted on May 23, killing 31 people and sparking an evacuation in the nearby city of Goma, CNN and BBC reported. Nyiragongo, one of the world's most active volcanoes, had last erupted in 2002, and the incident left 250 dead and 120,000 without homes, according to BBC. A week after its latest eruption, scientists have recorded 92 earthquakes and tremors at the volcano, CNN noted. Some of the quakes were felt at least 65 miles away in Kigali, the Rwandan capital. "There were 92 earthquakes and tremors in the last 24 hours," Constant Ndima, the military governor of North Kivu, told the outlet. "Only 4 were felt by humans, the rest were only picked up by instruments." RELATED: At Least 32 Dead After Volcanic Eruption in Democratic Republic of Congo Leaves Trail of Destruction: Reports MOSES SAWASAWA/AFP via Getty Dario Tedesco, a volcanologist, said the recent activity is being caused by "a rift in the regional faults." He believes the gray ash seen coming out of the volcano in recent days is caused by Nyiragongo's crater floor collapsing. "The top that was frozen is now going down," he told CNN. "It's gently, not violently, going in. It's nothing to worry about." RELATED: Volcano Erupts Near Iceland's Capital Reykjavik Following Weeks of Unprecedented Earthquakes Tedesco, who has studied Nyiragongo for over two decades, said he cannot rule out the possibility of another eruption in coming days, and urged caution for Goma residents looking to return home. RELATED VIDEO: Kilauea Volcano Erupts on Hawaii's Big Island An additional BBC report said scientists are worried about underground magma that has been moving toward Lake Kivu, located near Nyiragongo on the border between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda. Story continues They believe a rare eruption could release a lethal cloud of gas that could threaten Goma's population. "There's a magma under the ground here in town that could erupt at any moment apparently," a resident told the outlet. "It's quite scary." Scientists are unsure of the possibility such an event, but remain on alert. "The best that anyone can do at the moment is be really cautious," volcanologist Robin George Andrews told BBC. "I'm really glad to see that areas are being evacuated just in case the worst happens." Lil Loaded has died aged 20 (Instagram/Lil Loaded) Texas rapper Lil Loaded, who rose to viral fame with his 2019 single 6locc 6a6y, has died aged 20. The rapper, real name Dashawn Robertson, was facing a manslaughter charge in connection with the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Khalil Walker in October last year. Dallas Morning News reports that he had a hearing scheduled for Tuesday 1 June. NBC reports that his attorney, Ashkan Mehryari, said Robertson died by suicide. He had a very bright and promising music career ahead of him, he said. An official with the Dallas County medical examiners office said that cause and manner of Robertsons death had not yet been determined. Fans became concerned for his welfare on Monday 31 May after he apparently posted a cryptic message on his Instagram story. He had recently celebrated a milestone for 6locc 6a6y, sharing the news with his fans that it had been certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it. Fellow rappers NLE Choppa and Lil Gnar are among those to pay tribute. If you are experiencing feelings of distress and isolation, or are struggling to cope, Samaritans offers support. You can speak to someone in confidence over the phone on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website here. If you are based in the US, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). The Helpline is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Read More James Corden shares update on Carpool Karaokes return Noel Gallagher gets Covid jab after doctor called him a fool for declining it Primavera Sound 2022: How to get tickets to see Lorde, Tyler the Creator and more in Barcelona today Jun. 1COLUMBUS Ohio Senate Republicans plan to accept the House's across-the-board income tax cut of 2 percent and raise it by another 3 percentage points. The first cut of 3.5 percent would take place this year and 1.5 percent next year. Together, they are expected to cost the state $874 million over the biennium. "You could call it in some ways a reward for people who are working, but it's more than that," Senate President Matt Huffman (R., Lima) said. "It's an incentive. It is in the best sense of the word a stimulus, not because you're taking borrowed money from the Social Security trust fund or the veterans' trust fund or the Medicare trust fund and writing checks to the people who aren't working, but letting people who are working keep more money." However, critics of such across-the-board cuts have complained that the bulk of the money will go into the pockets of wealthier Ohioans. The chamber will also not accept the massive rewrite of the state's school funding formula championed by the House, calling it unsustainable. "My concern with the House plan is that in four or five years we are right back where we were over the last 20 years, which is a large increase in spending and a case of either cutting funding to schools, cutting funding for some other spending, or raising taxes," Mr. Huffman said. House Bill 110 will also do away with a program that took effect in 2020 and paired stricter regulations of child day-care centers with additional state funding. Mr. Huffman said the program's bureaucracy is costing the state providers. The Senate plans to vote on its version of the $74 billion, two-year budget next week, which will set up a six-member, Republican-majority conference committee to hammer out a compromise capable of passing both chambers. House Bill 110 must reach Gov. Mike DeWine's desk by the end of the current fiscal year on June 30. In addition to cutting taxes at a greater rate than the House plan, the Senate's $74 billion budget also plans to exempt from state sales taxes private employment agencies that help to match people with available jobs. Story continues The proposed budget does not include about $200 million that the House had set aside to encourage high-speed Internet providers to complete the "last mile" of broadband deployment in rural and other under-served areas. It also calls for $175 million in cuts in Medicaid administrative costs while saying there will be no reduction in services from those cuts. The House voted 70-27 in April on its version of the budget that included the first installment of a six-year plan to finally address multiple court rulings some two decades old that declared the state's method of funding K-12 schools to be unconstitutional. The House's so-called Fair School Funding Plan would generally determine a district's wealth by looking at local property values and resident income, calculate what it costs to teach a student there, and then attempt to use state funds to bridge the gap between the two. The plan would have required an additional $1.8 billion in state funding to be phased in over six years. The Senate plan starting with 2018 data instead of 2020 as with the House would instead add up teacher pay, professional development days, building administration and operations, student support and district administrative costs to calculate the base cost of educating a student. That figure would be about $6,011 next biennium. The Senate plan would factor in a district's ability to raise money, again primarily through property taxes. The state would then try to make up the difference, but again some faster-growing districts also often among the wealthier districts would see their state aid capped in order to fully fund the rest of the formula. State funding for charter and voucher students would directly follow the students on the front end, so districts would not have to pay for that out of their state aid, a move that could adversely affect urban and poorer districts. "Our plan does not provide dollars [to a district] for a student that is no longer in the district...," said Sen. Matt Dolan (R., Chagrin Falls), chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. "The House guarantees those dollars. We do not." The Senate plan adds back $650 million in funding Mr. DeWine proposed for mental health, counseling, mentoring, and other wellness "wrap-around" services for students outside the classroom while the House version incorporated those into its funding formula. Mr. Huffman said he sees the latest school funding plan to be "a new day forward," rather than another look back at 20-year-old Ohio Supreme Court decisions that found the state's funding system to be overly reliant on property taxes. "The issue here becomes how do we right-size the funding," he said. "We know that the state is going to participate...The only way, as a purist, to solve the problem of reliance on local tax dollars is to do what the state of Indiana does, which is pay all of the local real estate tax money to the state and then give the money back out that way. "Well, we're not going to do that in the state of Ohio," he said. Sen. Teresa Fedor (D., Toledo), ranking Democrat on the Senate Workforce and Education Committee, took aim at the dismantling of the House's school funding plan. "The plan was a bipartisan proposal with a transparent, predictable and sustainable funding mechanism," she said. "It received the support of educators, advocates and community members. "None of this is true about the plan proposed by Senate Republicans, which was created behind closed doors with zero input and vetting from public school stakeholders, including taxpayers, and which could have huge unintended consequences," Ms. Fedor said. "As we all know, where there is a will, there is a way to fund the solution." Among numerous other changes, the Senate proposal would: Add $20 million over the biennium to the $170 million the House approved for Mr. DeWine's H20hio program to improve water quality in Lake Erie and other state waters. Restore public libraries' funding formula to 1.7 percent of the state general revenue fund. The House budget reduced the libraries' share. Extend through Dec. 31 current protections for employers to continue withholding municipal income taxes from workers as if they were still commuting into offices. But it would allow those working from home to seek refunds from cities and villages for 2021 and part of 2020. Add party labels to the general election ballot for races for Ohio Supreme Court chief justice and justice and judge of a district court of appeals. These candidates currently run in partisan primaries but appear on the general election without party identification. Provide $23 million to expand at-home care for new mothers from 60 days after birth to one year. Expand eligibility for publicly funded child care to families earning up to 142 percent of the federal poverty level, compared to 130 percent in current law and 138 percent as proposed by the governor. Increase rates for Medicaid service providers by 4 percent over the biennium for services in an intermediate care facility for individuals with intellectual disabilities and adult day care services and residential services for the developmentally disabled. First Published June 1, 2021, 1:08pm Global meat supplier JBS USA, which has headquarters in Colorado, said it was targeted in a cyberattack on 31 May. (Getty Images) JBS USA, a US subsidiary of the worlds largest meat supplier, with headquarters in Colorado, was targeted in an organized cyberattack that impacted IT systems in North America and Australia, the company said on Monday. The company said it suspended affected systems, notified authorities and activated IT staff and third-party experts to resolve the situation, according to a statement. The companys backup servers were not affected, and it is actively working with an Incident Response firm to restore its systems as soon as possible, the statement said. The company is not aware of any evidence at this time that any customer, supplier or employee data has been compromised or misused as a result of the situation. A resolution will take time, which may delay certain transactions with customers and suppliers, the company announced. It was not immediately clear whether the company was targeted in a ransomware attack, in which a system is compromised for financial gain by scrambling a company or organisations data with encryption and demanding a ransom to remove it. The Independent has requested additional comment from JBS. JBS USA, a subsidiary of Brazils JBS SA, is the worlds largest beef and pork processor. The company did not provide additional details about impacts to production across its meatpacking plants and dozens of others facilities and transportation terminals in its supply chain. Bloomberg reported that the attack affected processing at one of Canadas largest meatpacking plants. The Financial Review also reported that cattle and sheep slaughtering was suspended at an Australian facility. The companys announcement and growing concerns about attacks on US commodities follows an attack on Colonial Pipeline, a critical artery for the nations energy infrastructure, triggering panic-buying of gasoline at pumps in the southeast and leading to gas shortages. The Georgia-based company admitted to paying a $4.4m ransom in Bitcoin to DarkSide, a Russian-based hacking group, following the attack. Story continues President Joe Bidens administration has ordered pipeline operators to conduct cybersecurity assessments. Read More UK Covid-19 vaccinations: Latest figures Texas governor threatens to defund state lawmakers and staff after Democrats block voting restrictions bill Nevada OKs bill in try for 1st presidential nominating state Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-01 22:51:39|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TOKYO, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Amid concerns over the continued spread of highly-contagious COVID-19 variants here, the Japanese government said Tuesday it will impose a six-day quarantine period on travelers returning from recent visits to Vietnam and Malaysia. Returnees who have traveled to either Vietnam or Malaysia within 14 days of arrival back in Japan will have to stay in a government-designated facility during which time they will receive two COVID-19 tests. A 10-day quarantine period will also be imposed on those returning from Afghanistan and a lesser three-day period on travelers recently back from Thailand. The government here has also said that 15 states in the United States will be applicable to a three-day quarantine period, which will come into effect on Friday. The new quarantine measures will mainly affect Japanese citizens, as Japan has already banned entry to all foreign nationals, even those who have residency status. The move has drawn flak from some quarters of the international community here as being discriminatory. Barring entry of foreign residents of Japan without any scientific evidence that they pose more risk to public health than returning Japanese nationals is both discriminatory and ineffective public health policy, said a joint statement issued on Friday by the chambers of commerce of the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and European Business Council. Japan should return to its previous approach, the approach of other G-7 (Group of Seven) countries, that allows foreign nationals with established residency status and their immediate family members to depart and enter the country on the same basis as Japanese nationals, said the business chambers. Enditem Just about everything in your home traveled on a wooden shipping pallet. In our worldwide economy, the humble pine pallet is the way that goods move around the globe. Demand for pallets is so great that American manufacturers including many in Minnesota churn out nearly 1 billion of them every year. And right now, it's not enough. A worldwide shortage of pallets threatens to put a crimp in the flow of consumer goods, from tomatoes to toothpaste to toasters. Prices have doubled in the past year, and makers can't keep up with demand. "I think it's a perfect storm," said Al Raushel, one of four brothers who own Savanna Pallets in McGregor, Minn. One of the Midwest's largest pallet manufacturers, Savanna turns out more than 10,000 pallets a day. "There's a trucking shortage," Raushel said. "We're struggling to find people to staff our operations, and we're having some trouble getting material into our facilities." The problem, Raushel and others said, is linked to a surge in the economy as the COVID-19 pandemic dies down. Companies of all kinds slowed their operations last year as the pandemic forced restrictions on activity. Now, as business begins to pick up, sawmills aren't staffed. Truckers are on the sidelines. Korean nail factories are running months behind in filling orders. And pallet makers often are bidding for scarce wood against homebuilders. Result: The price of wood, in some cases, has tripled. Bottom line, a new pallet that sold a year ago for $12 to $14 now costs $25 to $28. "There just isn't enough [wood] to go around," said Tim Logan, owner of Viking Pallet in Maple Grove. "It's just a constant headache." Logan spends much of his time these days trying to find wood, trucks, nails and workers. "You're just running from crisis to crisis," he said. At least Logan doesn't have to worry about finding customers. Viking Pallet is turning away new accounts in order to be sure it can take care of its existing customers. Story continues Pallets are a relatively new invention, dating from the 1930s. In recent decades, they've become the standard for shipping consumer goods. Pallets lend themselves to automation, saving time and money for the companies that use them. According to the National Wood Pallet and Container Association, pallets are used by 93% of all companies that handle materials. "I can't think of much that's produced in our country right now that's not shipped on pallets," said Rob Schultz, vice president of business development at J&B Pallet in Lake City. "Unfortunately, it's gonna affect everything." Not everyone is feeling the shortage. C.H. Robinson, the Eden Prairie company that's the world's largest shipper of truckload freight, has kept up so far, although it's lined up a second pallet source just in case. "A month ago the pallet shortage was challenging, but now it is in a better place," said Greg West, the company's vice president of North American surface transportation. "While we've seen some shortages, our primary pallet producer is keeping up with demand. "It is difficult to predict what it will look like next month," West added. "When the pandemic hit, lumber companies cut production, and then business came roaring back at double digits. That means that supply was tight, whether you were making pallets or furniture or even building houses." For now, pallet producers in Minnesota and elsewhere will keep scrambling, hoping to get out in front of the surge. Raushel said with a sigh, "We would like to see a level of normalcy." John Reinan 612-673-7402 Jun. 1Portland city leaders are considering a proposal to build a 12-lot subdivision with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Portland on a nearly 5-acre parcel at 622 Auburn St. During a boom in luxury housing around the city, Portland has considered a wide range of proposals to make affordable rental units available. Now it's offering city-owned land as a direct boost to the affordable market. After receiving bids from Habitat for Humanity, Maine Cooperative Development Partners and Great Falls Construction, Portland's Housing and Economic Development Committee on Tuesday will consider a recommendation from staff to accept Habitat for Humanity's proposal. City officials also requested proposals for a 13-acre parcel owned by Portland just over the border in Falmouth, but bidders said the parcel likely can't be developed because of wetlands. The Falmouth plot in question is just north of the border with Portland, south of the Falmouth spur of Interstate 95, and framed on the east and west by Auburn Street and Blackstrap Road. The Auburn Street property where the subdivision would be built is just south of the Falmouth plot. Under Habitat for Humanity's plan, each lot of the 12-lot subdivision would contain a family home between 1,000 and 1,500 square feet with two to four bedrooms. Portland would sign over its land for $1 to the developer, which would bear the cost of construction. The homes would be affordable for people earning 80 percent of the area's median income or less. The median income for Portland in 2021 is $89,950 for a household of three, according to a document provided by city staff. Eighty percent of that for the same household is $71,950. Habitat for Humanity didn't provide a precise timetable for construction, but estimated it would be finished in the next five years, city officials said. If the city accepted the nonprofit's proposal, Habitat "would place a conservation easement on the site that would allow public access to the extent appropriate," city officials said. Story continues The city of Portland previously considered the Auburn street parcel for a new homeless shelter, but ultimately went in another direction. Aside from the Habitat for Humanity proposal that staff recommend, Maine Cooperative Development Partners submitted a plan intended to build on another project being designed at 165 Lambert Street, across from the Auburn Street property on Washington Avenue Extension. The MCDP plan would include up to 48 units of one, two and three bedroom affordable housing, pegged to between 80 and 100 percent of AMI. Maine Cooperative Development Partners' idea would cost over $15 million to develop, city staff said. That's considerably more than the $750,000 that Habitat for Humanity anticipates for its plan, and so MCDP is hoping to get help financing the project with a cooperative housing loan from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, along with tax increment financing from the city. Great Falls Construction's proposal would sell or lease homes to families earning a mix of incomes, and would include on-site training for skilled labor workers. Portland staff said they were "intrigued" by the idea of job training, but ultimately rejected it because it lacked specifics about the number, type or affordability of units to be built. Along with their recommendation to pursue Habitat for Humanity's plan, city staff said committee members should consider selling a small portion of the Falmouth property to a nearby business interested in developing it. More information about the Tuesday meeting, including an agenda and directions to stream video online, is available at www.portlandmaine.gov/129/Agendas-Minutes. Sam Scaman Dozens of dogs are getting a new start thanks to an animal rescue organization's hard work and quick thinking. China Rescue Dogs is dedicated to "saving dogs from the slaughterhouses, meat trade, abuse, and neglect in China," according to a release from the nonprofit. Unfortunately, their work became challenging during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused restrictions on travel between China and the United States. Currently, the transport and export of dogs from China to the United States is not allowed by the customs authorities in China, per China Rescue Dogs. Even with this obstacle, the nonprofit decided to move forward with its rescue work, especially with China's Yulin Dog Meat Festival approaching. The festival, though declining in popularity, leads to the slaughter of hundreds of dogs each year. To help save the canines that could be sent to slaughter for the June 21 event, China Rescue Dogs set up a satellite office in Vancouver, Canada, and moved their operations to Washington state, so they could transport dogs through Canada which is currently allowed to accept dog transports from China. By implementing these changes quickly, China Rescue Dogs has continued its work and has rescued 181 dogs so far through their new Canada office and plans to save dozens more in June. Sam Scaman "We flew the dogs into Vancouver first, where they cleared Canadian Customs," Jill Stewart, the president and founder of China Rescue Dogs, said in a statement. "We then loaded the dogs up into cargo vans, crossed the border at Blaine, Washington, where they then cleared U.S. Customs. We then drove the rescues to Seattle where they spent the night at a Pet Spa before flying out on Alaskan Air the next day to their forever families across the United States." RELATED: Rescue Pilot Flies 51 At-Risk Cats to New England Shelters for Fresh Start and Forever Homes "It was and still is an enormous undertaking," Stewart added. "But the sleepless nights, and the days and weeks of paperwork, are worth it once you see their happy faces and wagging tails. We made a commitment and a promise to save these dogs from going to Yulin, and we are doing everything we can to make sure they can live the rest of their days with love and without fear." Story continues Sam Scaman China Rescue Dogs works with rescue organizations across the United States to find homes for these dogs all over America. So when the canines finish their long trip to the U.S., forever homes are waiting for them. Along with the help of these rescues, China Rescue Dogs also works with animal rescuers in China, Paws N Pals Doggy Daycare in Seattle, Aerostream Logistics Canada, Alaska Air Cargo, and Air China Cargo to make these complicated life-saving missions possible. China Rescue Dogs hopes to transport more pooches to the United States soon and is currently raising funds for another flight of pups. To transport 26 dogs in a climate-controlled cargo plane costs the organization $52,000 a trip. To learn more about China Rescue Dogs' work and support their efforts, visit the nonprofit's website. 7 day print subscribers enjoy unlimited access to yakimaherald.com Enter the LAST NAME and the 7 DIGIT phone number on your print subscription account to connect your print subscription to your yakimaherald.com account. I suppose its natural to blame someone else for our own mistakes and shortcomings, or when Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-01 23:18:34|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close by Xinhua writers Fu Yiming, Liu Qu and Chen Wenxian GENEVA, June 1 (Xinhua) -- When the 74th World Health Assembly (WHA) closed Monday, delegations from across the world have discussed how poorly the globe responded to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and have resolved to end this and prevent a next one with better mechanisms. One plus year into the pandemic, worldwide cases have risen 40-fold to more than 160 million, with deaths increasing 11 times to over 3 million, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) statistics. Yet, the world is still confronted with challenges like vaccine shortage, mutations of the deadly virus, and certain countries' politicalization of the health crisis rather than efforts to fight against it. A PREVENTABLE GLOBAL DISASTER Serious shortcomings and thus an urgent need of improvement were exposed during this year's WHA, the highest decision-making body of the WHO, in the world's preparedness for timely, effective prevention of potential health emergencies and its response capability. COVID-19 was a preventable global disaster, says a report submitted by the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response on the anti-virus response by the WHO and its member states. It largely attributes the outbreak to inconsistent and underfunded preparation, which has long been crippled by an alert system too slow and too mild. The fact that countries did not fully recognize the threat but chose a wait-and-see attitude rather than concerted public health actions, failing to understand how serious the new pathogen could be, consequently caused "a lost month" in February 2020, "when steps could and should have been taken to curtail the epidemic and forestall the pandemic," the report adds. Even after the WHO on Jan. 30, 2020 declared COVID-19 a public health emergency of international concern, a large number of countries still did not adopt a strong containment strategy that could have forestalled the outbreak. The virus spread, meanwhile, reveals that the uncoordinated actions by countries faced with the crisis have aggravated the inequality in access to response tools, such as personal protection equipment, diagnostic kits, therapeutics and vaccines, which needs global political leadership to address. "One of the greatest drivers of the pandemic has been the lack of international solidarity and sharing," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in his speech at the WHA opening. "We can only address that fundamental weakness with a binding commitment between nations to provide a solid foundation for enhanced cooperation -- a treaty on pandemic preparedness and response that can address the challenges outlined," he added. BRACED FOR NEXT CRISIS With the lessons learnt, a member states working group on strengthening the WHO's preparedness for and its response to health emergencies has been proposed to be established on the WHA. Findings of the International Health Regulations (IHR) Review Committee revealed that lack of compliance of states with certain obligations under the IHR, particularly on preparedness, has caused COVID-19 to evolve into a protracted global health emergency, highlighting the need of governmental responsibility to implement the IHR to the highest level. The review committee recommends a robust accountability mechanism for evaluating and improving compliance with IHR obligations to strengthen preparedness, international cooperation and timely notification of public health events. Furthermore, while urging member states to strengthen their core public health capacities and adopt an all-hazard, multi-sectoral approach in the preparedness for health emergencies, a WHA resolution calls on countries to notify the WHO of public health events within their territories according to IHR (2005), and continue to convey to the WHO timely, accurate and sufficiently detailed public health information. One priority of the working group will be undertaking a WHO convention, agreement or other international instruments on pandemic preparedness and response. "China agrees with the reports' concept of building 'One Health' surveillance system and the 'whole of government, whole of society' pandemic response approach, which aims at improving the IHR and other international legal systems," said Chinese delegate Yang Feng at the WHA. The virus knows no borders and the pandemic no race, Yang noted, calling for global solidarity and cooperation in building a community with a shared future for mankind. CHINA'S COMMITMENT In fighting the pandemic, China has from the very start collaborated with the WHO and actively contributed solutions to the global community, in contrast to a handful of countries, including the United States, that have been sabotaging international cooperation with the hidden political agenda, despite their own poor records of the anti-virus response. Though it has a huge population and very tight vaccine supplies itself, China has been making contributions to the accessibility and affordability of vaccines in developing countries. China's Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine has been validated for emergency use by the WHO. And the country has announced the offering of COVID-19 vaccines for UN peacekeeping operations and the International Olympic Committee. WHA delegates have expressed their appreciation for China's positive role in global response, with those from such countries as Egypt, Mexico, Niger, Gabon, Gambia, Namibia and Sierra Leone highlighting China's support in their fight against COVID-19. The pandemic was an opportunity to nurture research capacity and researchers' competencies, so Egypt participated in clinical trials to test China's Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine, said Egypt's Minster of Health Hala Zayed. "I would like to highlight the significance of reaching an international strategy to improve access to medicines and vaccines with a focus on the importance of technology transfer, which Egypt has already done through constructive cooperation by resettling the vaccine industry and transferring manufacturing technology from the Chinese side," said the minister. The delegate from Niger also expressed gratitude to China, saying that Niger has set up an effective response mechanism with bilateral and multilateral support. "This has allowed us to achieve satisfactory results when it comes to the management of the two waves that have affected our country," said the delegate. "Technical experts were shared, and anti-pandemic specialities were provided for us by Senegal and the People's Republic of China. We thank these countries very much for their input," said Ahmadou Lamin Samateh, minister of health of the Gambia, at the virtual meeting. "Sierra Leone was fortunate to receive 240,000 doses of the Sinopharm vaccine generously donated by the People's Republic of China," said the country's Minister of Health and Sanitation Austin Demby. Addressing the WHA, Yang, the Chinese delegate, stressed China's resolve to provide solutions. "China believes that promoting the equitable distribution of and access to COVID-19 vaccines globally is crucial to outbreak prevention and control," he said. China, he added, has fulfilled its commitment of providing COVID-19 vaccines as public goods by offering medical assistance to 80 countries, exporting vaccines to 43 countries and supplying 300 million doses of vaccines worldwide. "China will continue to make its own contribution to promoting the accessibility and affordability of vaccines in developing countries," Yang said. Enditem Our directory features more than 18 million business listings from across the entire US. However, if we're missing your business, add your business by clicking on Add Your Business. Here's what you need to know about the first FDA-approved drug for Alzheimers disease in nearly 20 years. What will it cost? What will insura It's a new day, a new beginning. It's all about starting life afresh. So as you begin a new journey, find out what the stars have in store for you today. There are twelve zodiac signs and each has its distinct feature. Be it, Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces each of the signs has something unique to tell. Aries Today your health situation will be under control. You will find yourself increasing your network amongst social scenes. Work might be a little stressful in the first half, but by the end of the day, any issues that arise will also be solved. Taurus You might feel a little lazy today, but dont beat yourself up over it. Everyone needs a break, so today it's time for you to take a break from work. You will find yourself spending more time with family today. Students looking to pursue higher education will succeed in their endeavours. Gemini Your creative mind is at its best today. You might want to renovate your living space today. Work will be full of new projects and project management. It's advisable to spend some time away from your desk and with your friends today. Cancer Students are advised to focus on their studies today, especially for those with exams and tests coming up. Married couples will find issues being resolved amongst them. Singles, its better to stay with yourself today. Work will be relaxed and you are likely to get all your tasks done on time. Leo You are likely to meet an old friend today, and some talks during socializing might turn into a successful business partnership. Its a good day to put your money in property. Kids will bring good news in terms of studies. Couples will enjoy a romantic evening together. Virgo With the help of an elder's blessings, you will find yourself venturing towards a new job. Old investments will bring in gains. Love birds might form a tiff amongst them, but by the end of the day, issues will be resolved through strong communication. Its advised to stay inside today. Libra Money matters might affect you today. Finances wont be great, but they arent going to be bad as well. Avoid investing in anything today. Students are likely to be distracted, its best to meditate and find some peace. Focus on your long term goals today. Where do you see yourself in five years? Scorpio Your communication skills will help you on the work front today. Bosses will see that youre putting in the extra effort and more promotions are bound to come your way. Singles will be attracted to someone new, and connections will be built in the form of love and friendship. Students are advised to focus on what they want to do in university. Sagittarius New partnerships at work will bring success in your career. Health issues with parents will be resolved today. Youre likely to find yourself focusing on your work more than your personal life. Singles are advised to step out of their comfort zone and talk to people around them. Capricorn Work is always successful, but try not to drown into your work. Its advised to spend some time with your family today. The positive moon will help you realize what you want your future to look like. Previous investments in stocks and shares will bring in gains. Aquarius Your work will make your bosses give you a raise or promotion. Couples will have to learn how to communicate better with each other today. Music will help in bringing calmness to your mind. Students will be able to focus on their studies and will receive good news from schools and colleges. Pisces You are advised to get some exercise in the morning to stop the lazy feeling from coming in. Work will demand a lot from you and your team today. Any health issues will be resolved today. If youre looking to make an investment, property is a good place to start. The astrological predictions are by Dr Sundeep Kochar. New Delhi: The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Bangalore Alumni Association has launched an initiative called donate a vaccine under which it plans to inoculate 1 lakh underprivileged Indians. The initiative was announced on Saturday (May 29), during the first ever virtual edition of IIMBueX, a leadership conclave organised by the alumni, for the alumni. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sithraman delivered a keynote address on Recovery. Rehabilitation and Prevention of COVID-19. She also lauded the IIMBAA decision to fund vaccination of 1 lakh underprivileged Indians and said, this initiative (donate a vaccine) comes at the right time and such an effort from the alumni of IIM Bangalore is emulatable; something that every institution in India can learn from. We must all join together to deliver a three-pronged approach of rebooting, reimagining and reconnecting India, and that technology will play a bigger role, now more than ever, for us to realise these ambitions across all sectors, be it healthcare, education, agriculture or finance, she added. IIMBue is a global Leadership Conclave organized by IIM Bangalore Alumni Association. IIMBueX is an online avatar of IIMBue which is envisioned to take IIMBue to global level and increase reach to all IIMB Alumni spread across the globe. New Delhi: Popular YouTuber Vishnupriya Nair is a social media sensation today - all thanks to her initial success as a TikToker. The 20-something star from Aurangabad, Maharashtra was known by the name of Shizuka on now banned app in India - TikTok. Vishnupriya shot to fame after this video on Khuda Ki Inayat went massively viral on social media. Her journey from there to what she is today is truly marvellous. The YouTuber has over 1.5 million followers on Instagram. Watch her first viral video and also take a look at her massive physical transformation pictures. Vishnupriya's sensational avatar on social media today will leave your jaws on the floor. Her posts and videos gets millions of likes and she has amassed a huge fan following too. Vishnupriya lip-synced to many popular videos such as Tere Liye and Aashiyana Mera among others. The Internet has given us many overnight stars and helped several gain stardom. Remember wink girl Priya Prakash Varrier? Well, today she is a movie actress! Chandigarh: The Haryana government has decided to cancel the Class 12 exams conducted by the state board, Education Minister Kanwar Pal said on Tuesday (June 1). The decision came shortly after the central government announced cancelling the CBSE Class 12 board exams amid the COVID-19 pandemic. "We have also decided to cancel the Class 12 board exams in the state which were to be conducted by the Haryana Board of School Education," Pal told PTI over phone. "We are going with the decision taken by the Centre and have decided to cancel the board exams," he said. The state Board will take steps to compile the results of Class 12 students and modalities for this will be worked out soon, he added. The decision to cancel the CBSE exams was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "Government of India has decided to cancel the Class XII CBSE Board Exams. After extensive consultations, we have taken a decision that is student-friendly, one that safeguards the health as well as future of our youth," the prime minister tweeted after the meeting. Anxiety among students, parents and teachers must be put to an end, and students should not be forced to appear for exams in such a stressful situation, a government statement quoted the prime minister as saying. Earlier on April 15, the Haryana government had cancelled the Class 10 board exams which were to be conducted by the state board. It had then decided to postpone the exams of Class 12. The state board exams were earlier scheduled to start in April and continue till mid-May before these were cancelled for Class 10 and postponed for Class 12. Haryana saw a sharp increase in coronavirus cases over the past few weeks. However, infections have been on the decline in the last few days. To contain the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Haryana, the state government had initially imposed a lockdown on May 3 for a week till May 10, which was later extended four times and is currently enforced till June 7. Live TV New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday (June 1) appealed to the central government to cancel the Class 12 board exams in view of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. He said that the students and parents are worried as they do not want to risk their safety by going through the exam process without having been vaccinated. Children and parents are very worried about the Class 12th examination. They want that the examination should not be held without vaccination, Kejriwal said in a tweet. The CM further urged the Centre to evaluate the students on the basis of their past performances. I appeal to the Central Government to cancel the 12th examination. They should be assessed based on past performance, he said. The CBSE had on April 14 announced cancellation of class 10 exams and postponement of class 12 exams. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to chair a meeting today to deliberate on conducting the Class 12 board exams. He will be briefed on all possible courses of action in this regard after which a decision could be expected soon that will end the uncertainty over the exams. Live TV Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-01 23:21:39|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close GENEVA -- The World Health Organization validated on Tuesday the CoronaVac COVID-19 vaccine developed by Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinovac Biotech for emergency use. (Geneva-WHO-Sinovac) - - - - MOGADISHU -- The Somali National Army (SNA) said Tuesday its forces killed at least 25 al-Shabab terrorists during a sting operation at a village in Hiran region in central Somalia. Somali army chief Odowaa Yusuf Rageh who is leading a security operation in the region said the forces also seized several weapons and other military equipment during the operation at Ceel-Bacad village in Buloburte district. (Somalia-Army-Terrorists) - - - - TEHRAN -- The Iranian government on Tuesday said the international talks in Vienna aimed at reviving the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal have not reached a stalemate, semi-official Fars news agency reported. "The negotiations have reached a stage where decisions must be made about a few number of key issues, and that requires the necessary carefulness, meticulousness and time," the spokesman for Iran's government Ali Rabiee said in his weekly press conference in Tehran. (Iran-Nuclear Talks) - - - - CHARIKAR, Afghanistan -- Three people were killed and five others injured as a blast struck a vehicle outside Charikar, the capital of Afghanistan's eastern Parwan province on Tuesday, said a local hospital official. Head of Charikar-based provincial hospital Mohammad Qasim Sangin said that the blast occurred in the Sirahi Hofian area in the afternoon. (Afghanistan-Blast) - - - - COLOMBO -- The Sri Lanka Navy said Tuesday that salvor team members boarded the burnt container ship X Press Pearl after completely dousing the blaze more than 10 days after the ship caught a fire. The navy said a team of navy divers were also inspecting the submerged parts of the ship for any external damage. (Sri Lanka-Container Ship-Fire) Enditem CBSE class 12 board exams 2021: The Centre on Tuesday (June 1 ) announced to cancel the CBSE Class 12 board exams amid the continuing COVID-19 pandemic across the country. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after attending a crucial meeting with ministers and stakeholders on the matter, stated that the decision to cancel the CBSE class 12 exams has been taken in the interest of students and the anxiety among the students, parents and teachers must be put to an end. Taking to Twitter, PM Modi said, "Government of India has decided to cancel the Class XII CBSE Board Exams. After extensive consultations, we have taken a decision that is student-friendly, one that safeguards the health as well as future of our youth." PM Modi further asserted that all stakeholders need to show sensitivity for the students as well as their parents and teachers. Anxiety among students, parents and teachers must end: PM Modi on CBSE class 12 exams Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at the meeting that COVID-19 has affected the academic calendar and the issue of board examinations has been causing immense anxiety among students, parents and teachers, which must be put to an end. COVID-19 situation is dynamic across the country He said the COVID-19 situation is dynamic across the country, and that the number of cases is coming down with some states managing the situation through effective micro-containment, while some states have still opted for a lockdown. Students shouldn't be forced to appear for exams in a stressful situation: PM Modi Students, parents and teachers are naturally worried about the health of the students in such a situation, he noted, asserting that students should not be forced to appear for exams in such a stressful situation. "In view of the uncertain conditions due to COVID-19 and the feedback obtained from various stakeholders, it was decided that Class XII Board Exams would not be held this year," the statement said. In the review meeting, officials gave a detailed presentation on the wide and extensive consultation held so far and views received from all stakeholders, including by the state governments. Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, Deputy CM Manish Sisodia hail decision to cancel CBSE class 12 exams Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said it is a 'big relief' that the Class 12 board exams have been cancelled. His remark came after the Centre decided to cancel the CBSE Class 12 board exams amid the continuing COVID-19 pandemic across the country. Delhi Deputy Minister Manish Sisodia, who has been against the idea of conducting the exams in the given circumstances, also tweeted, "I am happy that the never-ending class 12 for 1.5 crore students of the country will finally end." Kejriwal had earlier tweeted in Hindi: "Students and parents are really worried about Class 12 board exams. They want that the exams should not be conducted without vaccination. I appeal to the Centre that the exams be cancelled and the evaluation be done on the basis of past performance." Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal wishes students Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' tweeted, "I wish all the students very best in their careers. I would like to reiterate safety and career of students is of paramount importance for Modi government". Nishank, was earlier in the day hospitalised at AIIMS due to post-Covid complications. Amid continuing demands for cancellation of exams by a large section of students and parents, the ministry had called a high-level meeting last Sunday to deliberate on the issue which was also attended by state education ministers and education secretaries. The CBSE had proposed two options -- conducting regular exams for only major subjects at notified centres or holding shorter-duration exams at the school where a student is enrolled. The proposed time-line for conducting the exams was between July 15 to August 26 and declaring the results in September. States were asked to submit detailed suggestions by May 25. Majority of states opted for the second option which included conducting 90 minutes exams for major subjects at students' home schools. Few states also insisted on vaccinating students before going ahead with the exams. The CBSE had on April 14 announced cancellation of Class 10 exams and postponement of Class 12 exams in view of the surge in coronavirus cases. According to the evaluation criteria announced for class 10 students , while 20 marks for each subject will be for internal assessment as every year, 80 marks will be calculated on basis of the students' performance in various tests or exams throughout the year. The government had informed the Supreme Court, which is hearing a plea seeking the exam's cancellation, that it will take a final decision by June 3. Live TV New Delhi: The central government on Tuesday (June 1) decided to cancel the CBSE Class 12 board exams amid the continuing COVID-19 pandemic across the country. Soon after, the CISCE board also announced the cancellation of Class 12 board exams. The announcements came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a high-level meeting on the subject. PM Modi said the health and safety of students are of utmost importance, and there would be no compromise on this aspect. This is not the first time CBSE had to cancel board examinations. Last year too, CBSE had to cancel the Class 10 and 12 board exams that were scheduled from July 1 to July 15, 2020. The board came up with a system to assess the students based on scores of the previous three examinations. Following the footsteps of CBSE, CISCE also cancelled the ICSE 10th Board Exams 2020 and ISC 12th Board Exams 2020. This year, various state boards also had to cancel or postpone board exams for Class 10 and 12. Rajasthan government in April announced the postponement of Class 10, 12 board examinations. Similar decisions were taken by other boards including Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh and other state boards. Live TV New Delhi: The government on Tuesday (June 1) decided that CBSE class 12 board exams would not be held this year in view of the uncertain conditions due to COVID-19 and the feedback obtained from various stakeholders. The government said that CBSE will take steps to compile the results of class 12 board students as per a well-defined objective criteria in a time-bound manner. It was also decided that like last year, in case some students desire to take the exams, such an option would be provided to them by CBSE, as and when the situation becomes conducive. Soon after the announcement, the CISCE board too announced that class 12 board exams have been cancelled. Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that the decision has been taken in the interest of students and the anxiety among students, parents and teachers must be put to an end. Taking to Twitter, PM Modi said, "Government of India has decided to cancel the Class XII CBSE Board Exams. After extensive consultations, we have taken a decision that is student-friendly, one that safeguards the health as well as future of our youth." PM Modi further asserted that all stakeholders need to show sensitivity for the students as well as their parents and teachers. Modi said at the meeting that COVID-19 has affected the academic calendar and the issue of board examinations has been causing immense anxiety among students, parents and teachers, which must be put to an end. He said the COVID-19 situation is dynamic across the country, and that the number of cases is coming down with some states managing the situation through effective micro-containment, while some states have still opted for a lockdown. Students, parents and teachers are naturally worried about the health of the students in such a situation, he noted, asserting that students should not be forced to appear for exams in such a stressful situation. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said it is a 'big relief' that the Class 12 board exams have been cancelled. His remark came after the Centre decided to cancel the CBSE Class 12 board exams amid the continuing COVID-19 pandemic across the country. Delhi Deputy Minister Manish Sisodia, who has been against the idea of conducting the exams in the given circumstances, also tweeted, "I am happy that the never-ending class 12 for 1.5 crore students of the country will finally end." Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' tweeted, "I wish all the students very best in their careers. I would like to reiterate safety and career of students is of paramount importance for Modi government". Nishank, was earlier in the day hospitalised at AIIMS due to post-Covid complications. HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar wrote on Twitter, "Thanks to PM @narendramodi ji for putting an end to the anxiety among students, parents and teachers and cancelling CBSE Class XII Board Exams this year. This reflects the sensitivity of Prime Minister who has taken this decision for the health and safety of our children. Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan tweeted, "I appreciate the decision taken by the central government under the leadership of PM Shri @narendramodi Ji to cancel the Class XII CBSE Board Exams. This decision will highly benefit our students under these circumstances. #IndiaFightsCorona." Union Minister Piyush Goyal wrote, "Thanking PM @NarendraModi ji for ensuring that there is no compromise on the well being and safety of our younger generation by cancelling the Class XII CBSE Board Exams in the interest of the students & their families." Jyotiraditya Scindia wrote, "I welcome the decision taken by the GOI to cancel the Class 12 CBSE board exams, keeping in mind the safety of our children, and the adverse psychological impact of Covid." Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan wrote, "Keeping best interests of students first & foremostit has been decided to cancel CBSE Class XIIth board examinations. Our students are the Nations true wealth, their safety & well-being is paramount for Govt led by Honble PM Sh @narendramodi Ji." BSP supremo Mayawati wrote, "BSP welcomes the decision taken by the Centre to cancel CBSE class 12 board exams in view of health and safety of children due to COVID pandemic. This was the demand of the time." Todays meeting was attended by Union Ministers of Home, Defence, Finance, Commerce, Information & Broadcasting, Petroleum and Women and Child Development Ministries and Principal Secretary to PM, Cabinet Secretary and Secretaries of School Education and Higher Education Departments and other officials. Live TV New Delhi: The Ministry of Culture has extended the closure of historical monuments under the protection of the central government till June 15 in view of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The Archaeological Survey of India shared the ministrys order on Twitter on Sunday (May 30) regarding the fresh restrictions. Due to present COVID 19 pandemic situation all centrally protected monuments and museums shall continue to remain closed till 15th June 2021 or until further orders, the ASI tweeted. Due to present COVID 19 pandemic situation all centrally protected monuments and museums shall continue to remain closed till 15th June 2021 or until further orders. https://t.co/c6ljYsfQ7p Archaeological Survey of India (@ASIGoI) May 30, 2021 In April, the government had ordered closure of monuments as the new COVID cases surged across the country till May 15. The restrictions were further extended to May 31. Now it has been extended once again for another 15 days. Live TV NEW DELHI: The Centre on Tuesday issued a show-cause notice to former West Bengal chief secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay asking hi to explain the reasons for skipping a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A show-cause notice has been issued to former West Bengal Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay under Disaster Management Act 2005 asking him to write within 3 days, news agency ANI reported. A show cause notice has been issued to former West Bengal Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay under Disaster Management Act 2005 asking him to write within 3 days (File pic) pic.twitter.com/WTdNOLLy8j ANI (@ANI) June 1, 2021 In another letter, the Centre has asked Bandyopadhyay, a 1987-batch IAS officer of West Bengal cadre, to report to New Delhi at 10 AM, Tuesday. All this comes amid the ongoing war of words between the Centre and the West Bengal government over the sudden transfer of the Alapan Bandyopadhyay. Meanwhile, the Government of India (GoI) sources said that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee defied protocol in a review meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the post-cyclonic situation in the state and is misleading on the controversy surrounding chief secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay. After the Prime Minister landed at Kalaikunda last week, Banerjee left for Digha after meeting him briefly and did not attend the review meeting over the damage caused by Cyclone Yaas, they said. Mamata, on her part, maintains she took the Prime Minister`s permission before leaving but the GoI sources say that PM Modi had not given permission to Banerjee to leave the meeting. "It is clear that Mamata Banerjee`s statement of being made to wait is entirely false and that she made the PM wait," a source said. The sources also said that the Chief Minister had agreed to attend the meeting, but changed her mind after coming to know that the Leader of Opposition (LoP) Suvendu Adhikari was going to be part of the meeting, which she also mentions in her letter. Slamming her claims of being told to wait for 20 minutes before the Prime Minister, the government sources said that she was expected to come in advance, as everyone does when PM is supposed to land at any airport. They also said that the Bengal CM had chosen to prevent other officers too from attending the meeting and in effect cancelled the review meeting scheduled by the Prime Minister, as she sensed that she had to wait till the meeting was over. "Mamata Banerjee chose to boycott the review meeting because the LOP of West Bengal was present. No issue was created by GoI on this because what mattered was cyclone relief activities. It was suggested to her that PM will meet her immediately after the review meeting as that was the reason for which he travelled to the state," the sources said. Referring to Banerjee`s protests following the recall of Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay, describing the order as `unprecedented and unconstitutional, the sources said that the order is perfectly constitutional since Chief Secretary is an All India Services officer. "He chose to ignore his constitutional duties, as a result of which no presentation was given to PM and no officer of West Bengal government attended the PM`s review meeting," they said. They also stressed that All India officers are not expected to be part of politics and that Banerjee knows all this and his retirement is the last bid to save him. "Chief Secretary`s retirement shows that Mamata Banerjee is on the back foot. She knows that facts of the matter are against the Chief Secretary and his behaviour was such that it will invite strict disciplinary action as he is an All India Services Officer and it was his duty to ensure that the review meeting takes place as scheduled," the sources said. "Mamata Banerjee has done a big U-turn in a matter of hours. From requesting PM to confirm the extension of Chief Secretary for three months, to retiring him now," they further said. The sources also said that the Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari was also an elected representative of the affected area and there have been numerous meetings in the past in non-BJP ruled states where representatives of other parties have been present. Banerjee had said yesterday that Bandyopadhyay has retired from service on May 31 and will not join in Delhi and has been made Chief Advisor. The central government had on Friday last issued an order to recall Bandyopadhyay. The order said that the placement of his services with the government has been approved. The state government was asked to relieve the officer with immediate effect and he was directed to report to North Block by May 31. The development took place after Banerjee along with the state chief secretary skipped the review meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday aftermath of Cyclone Yaas. (With Agency Inputs) Live TV Shimla: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Monday said that China is strengthening infrastructure in border areas along the state and the state government will apprise the Centre about it. The Chief Minister, who visited border areas in the Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti districts of the state on May 29, said that the defence forces were working hard in difficult conditions. Jai Ram Thakur said that China was ramping up infrastructure in the Tibet region and was doing it "in a big way". "China is trying to strengthen its infrastructure in our border area that aligns with Tibet. China is trying to find a convenient location above the Indian posts in the Tibet region. The forces are doing their job. They are working hard in difficult conditions along Chinese borders. It is my duty to encourage and boost their morale," the Chief Minister told reporters. "In my visit, nothing serious has been noticed but in Tibet, China is building infrastructure in a big way. We would definitely send our report to the Union government. This infrastructure and road-building are in their own areas," Thakur added. Himachal Pradesh Congress chief Kuldeep Singh Rathore had said on Sunday that the Chief Minister had visited the border areas and should "make the position clear to people of the state". He said they had information that "there are huge developments along the China border in Kinnaur district". New Delhi: Centre on Monday (May 31, 2021) held a review meeting on the progress of the COVID-19 vaccination drive and urged states and UTs to increase the number of near-to-home vaccination centres. The states and UTs were also asked to create awareness among the masses for use of the COVID Vaccination Centres (CVCs). "The process of identification of Near to Home COVID Vaccination Centres (NHCVC) Site and linkage with existing CVC were also reiterated," the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said in a press release. In the meeting chaired by Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan, he appreciated the collective efforts of states to increase the pace of vaccination in the last week of May. He also pointed out there is a substantial scope to accelerate the pace of vaccination even further as the total availability of vaccines is going to increase further in June. This is to be noted that over 12 crores doses will be available to states and UTs in June. The Union Health Secretary also assured that the Centre will provide the states with the available buffer stock to urgently replenish their depleting stocks so that the vaccination drive carries on at a steady pace. The states were also exhorted to proactively increase engagement with private hospitals on COVID vaccinations and were advised to constitute a 2/3-member dedicated team to regularly coordinate with vaccine manufacturers and private hospitals for timely supplies of vaccine. They were also asked to make focused efforts to drastically reduce the wastage of coronavirus vaccine doses. So far, a total of 21.58 crore doses has been administered across the country. Earlier on Monday, the Centre had said that the entire eligible population would be vaccinated by the end of 2021. The Central government also stated that it is in talks with companies like Pfizer and if it succeeds, then the timeline for completing the vaccination would change. Live TV New Delhi: India will have enough COVID-19 vaccine doses to inoculate up to one crore people per day by mid-July or early August, the government asserted on Tuesday (June 1) as it underlined that there is no shortage of jabs and called for patience citing the country's large population. Noting that the ferocious second wave is on the verge of abating, the government said that ramping up of testing as well as containment at the district level "has worked" in bringing down the cases. At the same time, it cautioned that while the easing of lockdown is imperative, it has to be done very slowly. "Whatever we know from possible scenarios presented by eminent people, it (COVID) will decline and June will be much much more better but the concerns are when we open up how do we behave because the virus has not gone anywhere," NITI Aayog member (Health) V K Paul said. Addressing a press conference, ICMR Director-General Dr Balram Bhargava said India's vaccination is being ramped up and "by December we hope to have the whole country vaccinated". He mentioned that India is one of the five countries which are producing vaccines and asserted that "there is no shortage of vaccines". "Shortage is what you feel if you want to vaccinate the country within a month. The total number of vaccinations done in the country is nearly equivalent to the total number done in the United States and our population is four times the population of the USA. We have to have some patience. "By mid-of year, mid-July or early August, we will have more than enough doses to vaccinate up to a crore per day," he said. Joint Secretary in Health Ministry Lav Agarwal said 4,03,49,830 vaccine doses were supplied from the Centre to states free of cost in May while 2,66,50,500 doses were directly procured by states and 1,24,54,760 doses were directly procured by private hospitals. In the past month, a total of 7,94,55,090 doses were available, of which 6,10,57,003 doses have been administered. The cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country has reached 21,60,46,638, according to the ministry data updated this morning. Bhargava said in the first week of April there were less than 200 districts that had more than 10 per cent case positivity which in the last week of April rose to nearly 600 districts. India ramped up testing as well as containment which worked but still 239 districts have more than 10 per cent positivity, 145 districts have a positivity between 5 to 10 per cent while 350 districts, which is nearly half of India, have less than 5 per cent case positivity, he said. "We are moving in the right direction. Testing has been ramped as well as the containment at the district level has worked. However, it is not a sustainable solution and we have to find a mechanism on how to ease our containment or lockdown and that has to be done very gradually. "The opening up revolves on three pillars, the test positivity rate in that particular district has to be less than 5 per cent for over a week, at least 70 per cent of the vulnerable population should be vaccinated and community ownership for this COVID-19-appropriate behaviour as well as care should be taken up by the community in a big way," he said. Paul said the peak rose very fast driven by highly transmissible variants and a pool of vulnerable people available to the virus. "It went beyond estimates. It is coming down but change happened because of restriction-based containment was implemented intensively," he said. Agarwal said there has been a continuous decrease in daily cases since India reported a peak on May 7. There has been an almost 69 per cent decline in COVID-19 cases since the highest peak, he said. Also, there has been a consistent decline in active cases which presently stand at 18.95 lakh. A decrease in active cases by more than 18 lakhs since the peak on May 10 (a decline of almost 50 per cent) has been observed. The daily positivity rate reported on Tuesday is 6.62 per cent, the lowest since April 1. Paul said mixing of COVID-19 vaccines is not in protocol and clarified that there is no change in the schedule of two-dose vaccines Covishield and Covaxin. On COVID-19 among children, Paul cautioned that even though the coronavirus infection has not taken a serious shape among children till now, its impact can increase among them if there is a change in virus behaviour or epidemiology dynamics, and said preparations are on to deal with any such situation. "We reassure you that the needs of the paediatric population will be arranged and no gaps will be left," he said, adding "we will do an audit of what is required and would be required in the worst-case scenario and be put into action." Paul said multi-system inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) has been seen post-COVID among children and a national group has been formed to look into the pediatric complications related to the infection. He refused to comment on the doctors' protest on a statement by yoga guru Ramdev on allopathy. Live TV New Delhi: The World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday (May 31, 2021) announced to give new names to various COVID-19 variants and labelled B.1.617.2, first found in India, as 'Delta'. The United Nations agency said that it will now refer to the most worrisome variants known as 'variants of concern' by letters in the Greek alphabet. The WHO stated that 'new, easy-to-say labels' will not replace existing scientific names, but are aimed to help in public discussion of VOI/VOC. As such, the four coronavirus variants considered of concern by the WHO and known generally by the public as the UK, South Africa, Brazil and India variants have now been given the letters Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta, according to the order of their detection. "No country should be stigmatized for detecting and reporting variants. Globally, we need robust surveillance for variants, including epi, molecular and sequencing to be carried out and shared. We need to continue to do all we can to reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2," said WHO epidemiologist Maria Van Kerkhove. Today, @WHO announces new, easy-to-say labels for #SARSCoV2 Variants of Concern (VOCs) & Interest (VOIs) They will not replace existing scientific names, but are aimed to help in public discussion of VOI/VOC Read more here (will be live soon): https://t.co/VNvjJn8Xcv#COVID19 pic.twitter.com/L9YOfxmKW7 Maria Van Kerkhove (@mvankerkhove) May 31, 2021 According to WHO, the Variants of Concern: 1. Increase in transmissibility or detrimental change in COVID-19 epidemiology; or 2. Increase in virulence or change in clinical disease presentation; or 3. Decrease in effectiveness of public health and social measures or available diagnostics, vaccines, therapeutics. On the other hand, the Variants of Interest: 1. has been identified to cause community transmission/multiple COVID-19 cases/clusters, or has been detected in multiple countries; OR 2. is otherwise assessed to be a VOI by WHO in consultation with the WHO SARS-CoV-2 Virus Evolution Working Group. Meanwhile, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases have increased to 17,00,51,718 globally, while the death toll stands at 35,40,437, the WHO data showed on Monday. New Delhi: The Federation of Resident Doctors` Association (FORDA) India will hold a nationwide protest against Yoga Guru Ramdev on Tuesday over his remarks regarding allopathic doctors and modern medicine. The controversy started with a video, floating on different social media sites, showing Ramdev terming modern allopathy "a stupid and failed science". On Saturday, FORDA India had informed that it will hold a nationwide black day protest "without hampering the patient care to voice their protest against the statements of Yoga Guru Ramdev against COVID warriors and modern medicine." The association also demanded an unconditional open public apology or action against him under the Epidemic Diseases Act. The Doctors Association Jammu (DAJ) will also hold a protest on the same day against Ramdev`s "irresponsible statements" on modern medicine. In a statement, the DAJ also appealed to Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to instruct necessary action against Ramdev and said that he should face the consequences of his "irresponsible and despicable public statements". The protest will be held without hampering the care being given to patients amid the COVID pandemic. As part of the protest, doctors will wear black bandages. On Wednesday, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) had appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take appropriate action under sedition and other charges against Ramdev for allegedly "spearheading a misinformation campaign on COVID vaccination". The IMA had sent a legal notice to yoga guru Baba Ramdev over his alleged statements against allopathy and "defaming" scientific medicine. However, the Patanjali Yogpeeth Trust denied allegations by the IMA that Ramdev has misled people by making "unlearned" statements against allopathy and defamed scientific medicine. "IMA brings to the notice of our Health Minister, a video circulating in social media portraying, the celebrated Yoga Guruji saying that `modern allopathy ek aisi stupid aur diwaliya science hai` (modern allopathy is a stupid and failed science)," the association had said in its statement. While Bihar Junior Doctors Association, on Monday, said its members will also observe `black day` on June 1 in `solidarity with fraternity of modern medicine` to lodge protest against Yoga guru Ramdev`s `defamatory and unlawful statements`. On May 23, Baba Ramdev had withdrawn his statements on allopathic medicine after receiving a strong-worded letter from Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan who called his remarks "inappropriate". "We do not oppose modern medical science and allopathy. We believe that allopathy has shown immense progress in surgery and the lifesaving system and served humanity. My statement has been quoted as part of a WhatsApp message that I was reading during a meeting of volunteers. I am sorry if it has hurt anyone`s sentiment," wrote Ramdev in his letter to the Union Health Minister in Hindi. According to a Haridwar-based Patanjali Yogpeeth Trust statement, Ramdev was reading out a WhatsApp forwarded message in the video that has gone viral on social media. Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-01 23:28:30|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, June 1 (Xinhua) -- A senior Chinese legislator Tuesday urged efforts to continue implementing the Law on Intangible Cultural Heritage to advance Chinese fine traditional culture. Wang Chen, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and vice chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, made the remarks when addressing a symposium on the 10th anniversary of the promulgation and implementation of the Law on Intangible Cultural Heritage. Noting that since the law took effect, China has made steady progress in preserving intangible cultural heritage, Wang said further efforts are required to remedy existing issues in the law's implementation. Wang stressed that the government should fulfill its duty prescribed by the law and further establish supporting mechanisms to implement the law. Intangible cultural heritage should be revived and become a new driving force in promoting China's high-quality economic and social development, Wang said. He also urged efforts to strengthen exchanges between China and the world and enhance the global influence of Chinese culture. Enditem New Delhi: The leader of the opposition in Dominica, Lennox Linton, has slammed the government of Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit over not being "forthcoming" on the issue of Mehul Choksi, raising question marks over his presence in the country. Speaking to Zee News exclusively from Dominica, Linton said, "the only reason that government is keeping it under wraps, not wanting that people should know about it" is because the "government is embarrassed by the action it took to facilitate this transaction". He explained, "the government clearly knew that Mehul Choksi was coming to Dominica. Choksi arrived in Dominica without any passport" and "huge question marks how he entered the Dominican soil". Choksi, involved in a mega PNB scam was found in Dominica last week after mysteriously disappearing in Antigua. Since then he has been in the custody of local authorities with a court case due on Wednesday over what is being described as his "illegal" entry into the country by the govt. Linton highlighted, "we are not saying Mehul Choksi doesn't have to face the music or the courts for what he has done. Because these are serious charges. but we have to be careful because in Dominica we have our issues with economic citizenship and the number of bandits that end up with our citizenship" In fact, in a strong statement, the Opposition leader questioned how operators of a vessel that came on Dominica on May 23rd made a false declaration that it came on 25th May and did not mention Choksi. Live TV New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is scheduled to chair a meeting of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) foreign ministers through video conferencing on Tuesday. In this meeting, the leaders will exchange views on COVID-19 pandemic, global and regional issues of concern, sustainable development, and countering terrorism, said a government statement. "India as the current BRICS Chair will convene the standalone meeting of BRICS Ministers of Foreign Affairs/ International Relations on June 1, 2021," the Ministry of External Affairs said on Monday. "The ministers are expected to exchange views on the COVID-19 pandemic situation, the need for strengthening and reforming the multilateral system with a view to enhancing its capacity to effectively address the diverse challenges of our time and to adapt them to contemporary realities, on global and regional issues of concern, sustainable development, countering terrorism besides discussing ways to enhance intra-BRICS cooperation, especially people-to-people cooperation," it said. Brazil Minister of Foreign Affairs Carlos Alberto Franco Franca, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and South African Foreign Minister Grace Naledi Mandisa Pandor are expected to participate in the meeting. The foreign ministers are also likely to discuss the need for reforming the multilateral system and ways to enhance cooperation in countering terrorism, the MEA said. India is hosting the meeting as the chair of BRICS (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa). The foreign ministers are also likely to delve into ways to enhance the intra-BRICS cooperation, especially people-to-people cooperation. Notably, the BRICS is known as an influential bloc that represents over 360 crore people and its member countries have a combined GDP of USD 16.6 trillion. India is the BRICS chair for 2021. This is the third time that the country is holding the BRICS chairship after 2012 and 2016. India's chairship of the grouping has coincided with its 15th anniversary, making it an opportune moment to review its work. The theme and approach for India's BRICS chairship is "BRICS@15: Intra BRICS Cooperation for Continuity, Consolidation, and Consensus". The BRICS brings together five of the world's largest developing countries, representing 41 per cent of the global population, 24 per cent of the global GDP and 16 per cent of the global trade. The foreign ministers of the bloc first met in 2006 and the first BRICS summit was held in 2009. The New Development Bank (NDB), the flagship outcome of BRICS, continues to fund projects in infrastructure and sustainable development. It is learnt that 76 projects worth over USD 28 billion have so far been approved by the NDB in BRICS countries. (With Agency Inputs) New Delhi: The father of Jyoti Paswan, who shot into the limelight as Bihar's 'Bicycle Girl', died on Monday (May 31, 2021). Jyoti grabbed headlines when she rode a bicycle, carrying her ill father Mohan Paswan, all the way from Gurugram to her native village Sirhauli during the first wave of the Coronavirus pandemic. Mohan had not been keeping well for the last few days. During last year`s lockdown, when all transportation systems were shut, Jyoti decided to travel from Gurugram in Haryana to Bihar on her bicycle. She travelled close to 1,200 km in eight days to reach her village in the Darbhanga district. Her father was severely ill at that time as well. A large number of villagers assembled at the Paswan residence and consoled Jyoti. New Delhi: The Supreme Court has pulled up the Centre over its 'flawed' vaccine policy and stated that the Government should buy and distribute vaccines, not the states. The top court made this observation in response to the facts that several state governments were now issuing global tenders to procure anti-COVID vaccines. The highest court of the country questioned the Centres policy on vaccine procurement and said that till date, the Centre has failed to submit a national policy document on COVID vaccines. The Supreme Court said that it appears that the Centres vaccine policy is to make states and municipal corporations compete with each other to procure vaccines. The Supreme Court also questioned the logistics of picking up and distributing vaccines and why the government is not supplying for the 18+ age group as well. The Supreme Court bench headed by Justice DY Chandrachud made these strong observations while hearing a suo motu case related to the supply of essential medicines, vaccines and medical oxygen to coronavirus patients. The matter was adjourned on Monday as the court gave 2 weeks' time to the Centre to file an affidavit with its response to the questions raised in the hearing regarding the country's vaccine policy. Several states are issuing global tenders to procure foreign vaccines for Covid-19 and is this policy of the central government," the Supreme Court bench asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta. The top court also highlighted the digital divide between rural and urban India and posed some tough queries to the Centre on mandatory registration on CoWin for COVID jabs, vaccine procurement policy and differential pricing, saying the policymakers must have ears on the ground to effectively deal with the unprecedented crisis. Asking the Centre to "smell the coffee" and ensure that COVID-19 vaccines are available at the same price across the nation, the special bench advised the government to be flexible with its policies to deal with the dynamic pandemic situation. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the central government, also referred to the one-to-one talks undertaken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi with heads of various nations to effectively deal with the situation and urged the bench not to pass any order which may impede the ongoing diplomatic and political efforts to get the vaccines. Mehta also informed the top court about the normalising pandemic situation and said the entire eligible population (above 18 years of age) would be vaccinated by the end of 2021 and if ongoing talks with companies like Pfizer succeed then the timeline for completing the vaccination may get advanced. Justice Chandrachud, who himself is recovering from coronavirus infection, questioned the vaccine procurement policy and raised the issue of digital divide questioning the policy of mandatory registration on CoWin App for jabs. You keep on saying the situation is dynamic but policymakers must have their ears on the ground. You keep on saying 'digital India, digital India' but the situation is actually different in rural areas. How will an illiterate labourer from Jharkhand get registered in Rajasthan? Tell us how you will address this digital divide, the bench asked. You must smell the coffee and see what is happening across the country. You must know the ground situation and change the policy accordingly. If we had to do it, we would have done it 15-20 days back, it said. Mehta replied that registration is mandatory as a person needs to be traced for a second dose and as far as rural areas are concerned, there are community centres where a person can get registered for vaccination. The bench asked the Centre to place the policy document before it on record. (With Agency inputs) Live TV New Delhi: Delhi-NCR on Tuesday (June 1, 2021) morning witnessed heavy rain accompanied by winds and thunderstorm, which is likely to continue for the next two days, as predicted by the India Meteorological Department (IMD). At 5 AM, the IMD stated that light intensity rain/drizzle would occur over and adjoining areas of isolated places of the national capital. Thunderstorm with light to moderate intensity rain and gusty winds with a speed of 40-60 Km/h would occur over and adjoining areas of Hissar, Hansi, Bhiwani, Charkhi Dadri (Haryana) and Rampur, Milak, Moradabad, Billari, (UP) in the next 2 hours. Rain accompanied by winds and thunderstorm lashes parts of Delhi-NCR; visuals from near India Gate pic.twitter.com/p5bWXVhamo ANI (@ANI) May 31, 2021 Delhi: A tree uprooted due to strong winds and fell down on Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg near Delhi Congress office pic.twitter.com/M2d9igvuB8 ANI (@ANI) May 31, 2021 Rain lashes parts of Delhi-NCR; visuals from Connaught Place area pic.twitter.com/jQgmOo19c9 ANI (@ANI) May 31, 2021 Earlier on Monday, Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 25 degrees Celsius, three notches below normal. The maximum temperature was recorded at 40 degrees Celsius and the relative humidity was 32 per cent in the evening. The maximum temperature is likely to hover around 38 degrees Celsius over the next three days. Meanwhile, the monsoon is expected to arrive in Kerala on June 3 and heatwave conditions are not likely over the country this year due to cyclones, a senior IMD official has said. "Southwest monsoon is expected to arrive in Kerala by June 3. Due to this, heavy rainfall is expected on June 2-3," RK Jenamani, Senior Scientist at IMD stated. The weather department has predicted scattered to fairly widespread rain and thunderstorm over several parts of the country in the next four days. (With agency inputs) New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has directed that the Delhi government has no power to indefinitely postpone the collection of annual charges and development fees by private unaided schools as it would unreasonably restrict their functioning. Quashing the office orders of April and August 2020 issued by the Directorate of Education (DoE) of the Delhi government forbidding and postponing collection of annual charges and development fees, the high court said that they were "illegal" and "ultra vires the powers of the respondent (DoE) stipulated under the Delhi School Education (DSE) Act and the Rules. Justice Jayant Nath, however, noted that schools are saving some money on account of the fact that they are physically shut and said that the Supreme Court's direction -- in Indian School, Jodhpur vs. the State of Rajasthan -- that schools shall collect annual fees with a deduction of 15 per cent shall apply in the instant case. The apex court had said that the deduction would be in lieu of unutilised facilities by the students during the relevant period of the academic year 2020-21. The high court said that the apex court's other directions, except for one, would also apply in the instant case. The one direction that the HC modified was with regard to the time limit set for payment of the fees by students, as the apex court in the Indian School matter had said that the amounts have to be paid in six equal monthly instalments before August 5. The high court said the amounts payable by the students have to be paid in six monthly installments from June 10. The other directions of the apex court were -- it would be open to the schools to give further concession to their students or to evolve a different pattern for giving concession, management shall not debar any student from attending online classes or physical classes or withhold exam results on account of non-payment of fees and students name for Board exams shall also not be withheld over non-payment of fees/arrears. Besides that the apex court had also said that if any student or parent finds it difficult to pay annual fees for the year 2020-21 according to these terms and a request is made for any concession, the same be considered sympathetically on a case-to-case basis. The top court had also said that this arrangement "will not affect the collection of fees for the academic year 2021-22, as is payable by students of the concerned school as and when it becomes due and payable". These directions of the apex court were incorporated by the high court in its 45-page judgement delivered on the plea moved by Action Committee Unaided Recognized Private Schools, which represents 450 private unaided schools, through advocate Kamal Gupta. The organisation had challenged the two office orders of April and August last year of the DoE on the ground that they curtail the rights of the private unaided recognized schools to fix their own fees. The petitioner organisation had also contended that to restrict the collection of fees to certain heads/amounts was illegal and without any authority or jurisdiction. It had also said that the DoE has limited jurisdiction to regulate the fees, that too only to prevent commercialization and profiteering. Agreeing with the schools' contentions, the high court said that the private recognized unaided schools were "clearly dependent only on the fees collected to cover their salary, establishment and all other expenditure". The court said, "Any regulations or order which seek to restrict or indefinitely postpone their powers to collect normal and usual fees as is sought to be done by the impugned orders is bound to create grave financial prejudice and harm to the schools." It further added that the scope of power and authority of the DoE to interfere with the fixation and collection of fees by unaided educational institutions was well defined. It said that the power of the DoE was for the prevention of commercialisation of education. "Clearly in the absence of a finding of commercialisation of education or exploitation the DoE cannot indefinitely cut down the established fees or restrain a said school from collecting a portion of the existing fees," the high court added. (With Agency Inputs) New Delhi: Amid a shortage of vaccines, India plans to do a study on mixing COVID-19 doses and to ascertain its efficacy in boosting the immune response to coronavirus. "India may in few weeks start testing the feasibility of a regimen that mixes two different doses of Covid vaccines to see if it helps boost the immune response to the virus," said Dr N K Arora, Chairman of COVID-19 working group under the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI). "We have heard the news that in some states people have received a vaccine of a particular brand as the first dose and a different vaccine brand as second dose two due to programmatic error. This is a program error. It shouldn`t have happened and the frontline workers have been advised to be more careful but there are no safety concerns, these beneficiaries have been followed up, so there is nothing to be worried about," he said. "We also heard that in Karnataka, several health professionals went on to ask for additional doses on top of their complete schedule of two doses as they were worried about immunity and effectiveness of the vaccines," he added. Regarding the study on mixing COVID-19 doses, Dr Arora said, "We have heard recently that Europe, Spain and United Kingdom are also doing a study where two vaccines-- Covishield and Pfizer-- have been given on alternate days. Covishield as the first dose and the second dose of Pfizer or vice versa. This is called interchangeability studies." "Two vaccines may be given in different orders for three purposes. One is that these become convenient programmatically, but more important is that it shouldn`t create any safety issues and the third is to ascertain if there is an immune advantage, whether the effectiveness of this mix and matching increases the protective efficacy of the vaccines. So, all these three things have to be taken care of simultaneously," he explained. The mixing of the vaccine has been discussed at the COVID-19 group, NTAGI and National Expert group on COVID-19 Vaccine Administration (NEGVAC). Meanwhile, India`s daily COVID-19 cases continue to decline further as 1,52,734 fresh infections were recorded between Sunday and Monday morning. According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, India reported the lowest single-day spike in over 50 days. New Delhi: Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha on Tuesday (June 1) announced that the education department has decided to limit the daily online classes for students. The decision comes after a video of a six-year-old girl became viral on social media in which she complained to PM Narendra Modi regarding long hours of online classes. The school education department has decided to limit daily online classes for a maximum one and half hours for class 1 to 8, spread across two sessions. For class 9 to 12 online synchronous learning will not be more than 3 hours, Sinha said in a tweet. Pre-primary on a given day for interacting with parents shall be only 30 minutes, he added. The LG said that the authorities must ensure strict implementation of the new guidelines. Homework upto class 5th should be avoided. Authorities and schools to plan joyful learning experience engaging parents as well, Sinha said. Our children need more time to play, interact with parents, the biggest learning experience a child can have, he added. Earlier, sharing the viral video of the six-year-old, Sinha had tweeted, Very adorable complaint. Have directed the school education department to come out with a policy within 48 hours to lighten burden of homework on school kids. Childhood innocence is gift of God and their days should be lively, full of joy and bliss. Also Read: CBSE, CISCE board exams 2021 cancelled: Here are top 5 updates Live TV Srinagar: The Army Battalion at Gulmarg, with the help of locals, repaired the structure of the Shiv temple, Gulmarg. The landscape and pathways leading to the temple were also redesigned and rebuilt. This Shiv temple was constructed in 1915 by Maharani Mohini Bai Sisodia, wife of erstwhile Maharaja Hari Singh of Jammu & Kashmir. The Shiv temple required extensive renovation since no restoration work had taken place for a long. A large number of locals and tourists visiting the scenic town Gulmarg had expressed their desire to see the temple restored to its original state. Indian Army has always maintained a closed connection with Awaam and took it as an opportunity to contribute to the plural heritage of Kashmir. The renovated Shiv temple was resurrected and reopened to the public today Speaking on the occasion, Mr Ghulam Mohammad Sheikh, the caretaker of the Shiv temple, said that the Shiv Temple is a testimony to the pluralistic culture of Kashmir and its proud heritage. He further exhorted the Gulmarg community to continue doing community service without any religious prejudice and in the true essence of Kashmiriyat. Commander 161 Brg B S Fogat said its known to everyone that Kashmir is a paradise on earth but the real beauty of Kashmir is its people and the massage to the world is of Kashmiriyat and brotherhood if we see around us here we will find a Gurudwara a church a mosque and a temple this is real Kashmiriyat this temple is taken care by a Muslim from last 30 years which is a big example of Kashmiriyat and an inspiration for all. Gulmarg is a tourist place and keeping in view that Indian army and civil administration we took together the work of renovation and locals helped a lot and we definitely took initiative but it was completed with everyones effort. The reopening of the temple was done with help of the Kashmir Tourism department speaking on Director Tourism G N itoo said Gulmarg is a symbol of brotherhood and we have temple church mosque and Gurdwara here and whenever a tourist come to this place whatever religion he had he gets a nice feel apart from the scenic beauty, itoo said we are renovating all other religious places of Gulmarg too. Live TV Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala's LDF government, headed by Chief Minister P Vijayan, has modified the guidelines for the ongoing lockdown and allowed the state government offices to function with up to 50 per cent capacity from June 7. The new set of guidelines also permitted morning walks from 5 am to 7 am and evening walks from 7 pm to 9 pm. According to the guidelines, "All Central and state government departments, including PSUs, corporations, autonomous organisations, commissions etc. may function with up to 50 per cent staff from June 7 onwards on a rotation basis." It further said, "While industrial establishments and manufacturing centres are permitted, service sector shall be permitted to function with work-from-home employees only." Kerala government modifies lockdown guidelines; allows state govt offices to function with up to 50% capacity from June 7, morning walk between 5 am & 7 am and 7 pm & 9 pm pic.twitter.com/TAF6U8vX96 ANI (@ANI) May 31, 2021 Earlier on Saturday, the Kerala government had extended the lockdown restrictions till June 9 in all its districts. Kerala on Monday logged 12,300 fresh COVID-19 cases, taking the caseload to 24,96,554, while the toll climbed to 8,815 with 174 deaths, according to the state government's Health department data. In the last 24 hours, 89,345 samples were tested and the test positivity rate came down to 13.77 per cent, the statement said, adding that so far 1,97,95,928 samples have been sent for testing. Recoveries outnumbered the new cases with 28,867 people, undergoing treatment, testing negative for the infection, taking the tally to 23,10,385, while active cases stood at 2,06,982. Notably, Thiruvananthapuram recorded the highest number of cases with 1,750 cases followed by Malappuram (1,689) and Thrissur (1,055). Of the total positive cases reported on Monday, 56 were health workers, the statement said. (With Agency Inputs) Live TV Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-01 23:41:31|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ACCRA, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Pirates attacked a Ghanaian fishing vessel and five crew members were abducted in Benin territorial waters, a Ghanaian official said Tuesday. Felix Charles Asare, the Crime Officer of the Marine Police Unit in Ghana's eastern port city Tema, said the police had received a report concerning the attack on a Ghanaian-registered tuna-fishing vessel close to Benin, but details were scanty. He said the pirates abducted five of the crew members, including four Koreans and one Filipino. "We have been notified that Ghanaian naval officials have recovered the vessel and are on their way to the Tema port with the rest of the crew members," he said. Enditem Hyderabad: GMR Hyderabad Air Cargo (GHAC) on Tuesday received the largest shipment of Russia made Sputnik V anti-COVID vaccines. The vaccine consignment arrived from Russia on a specially chartered freighter RU-9450 which touched down Hyderabad Airport at 03.43 hours. While GHAC has already handled several import shipments of vaccines prior to this, Tuesday`s shipment of 56.6 tonnes of vaccines is the single largest import shipment of Covid-19 vaccines handled in India till date. This shipment completed all processes and was dispatched in less than 90 minutes, GHAC said. Hyderabad Customs expeditiously cleared the 3rd and the largest Vaccine shipment of 56.6 MT of Sputnik Vaccines imported from Russia which arrived on 01.06.2021 at RGIA, Hyderabad. @cbic_india @FinMinIndia @dgtpschennai #Unite2FightCorona pic.twitter.com/RLEdMi7T8x Hyderabad Customs (@HyderabadCusto1) June 1, 2021 The Sputnik V vaccine requires specialised handling and storage, requiring to be kept at a temperature of -20o C. GHAC has been working closely with the experts from the customer`s supply chain team, officials from customs department and other relevant stakeholders over an extended period of time to ensure that the necessary infrastructure and handling processes are fully in place at the Air Cargo Terminal for smooth handling of the vaccine shipments. With the smooth handling of this large vaccine import consignment, GHAC has further cemented its position as the largest vaccine import hub for India. Major pharma companies based in and around Hyderabad are expected to produce or import over 3.5 billion doses of different varieties of Covid vaccines over the next couple of years and GHAC has been gearing up on all fronts to handle the surge in vaccine shipments. Key elements of the temperature-controlled infrastructure at GHAC are all being expanded in terms of both capacities as well as capabilities. Among other measures, GHAC has expanded the capacity of `Pharma Zone`, which is India`s first dedicated pharma cargo export terminal and introduced a unique temperature-controlled `Cool Dolly` to safely transport shipments from the terminal to the aircraft. Together, these initiatives enable GHAC to offer an unparalleled and truly unbroken cold chain for vaccines and pharmaceuticals from truck offloading point till aircraft loading, it said. GHAC has also convened a special task force comprising of Customs authorities, airlines, freight forwarders and other stakeholders to ensure priority handling and speedy clearances for vaccines and other Covid relief materials such as medicines, oxygen concentrators etc. Live TV New Delhi: West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Tuesday (June 1) stirred a controversy by saying 'ego prevailed over public service' on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee skipping Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting to review post-cyclone damages on May 28. Terming the Governor's comment 'unfortunate', the ruling party in the state asserted that the chief minister is involved in public service 24/7 and all her actions are prompted by her concern for the interests of the state. Dhankhar said the Chief Minister had called him up before the meeting at Kalaikunda in Paschim Medinipur district and indicated that she won't attend it if Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari is present in it. "Constrained by false narrative to put record straight: On May 27 at 2316 hrs CM @MamataOfficial messaged 'may I talk? urgent'," Dhankhar tweeted. "Thereafter on phone indicated boycott by her & officials of PM Review Meet #CycloneYaas if LOP @SuvenduWB attends it. Ego prevailed over Public service," he said in another Twitter post. Besides Adhikari, Dhankhar and BJP MP Debasree Chaudhuri was present in the meeting. Mamata said she had skipped the meeting because 'a BJP MLA has no locus to be present in a PM-CM meeting'. Adhikari has defeated Mamata in Nandigram seat in the recent assembly elections. In a letter to PM Narendra Modi on May 31, Mamata had written, "I wanted to have a quiet word with you, a meeting between the PM and the CM as usual. You, however, revised the structure of the meeting to include a local MLA from your party and I am of the view that he had no locus to be present in a PM-CM meeting." Mamata had also mentioned in the letter that she had no objection to the presence of the governor and other Union ministers in the meeting. Centre vs Mamata Banerjee over Chief Secretary row After the Kalaikunda episode, a fresh Centre-state tussle was witnessed over the services of the then Chief Secretary Alapan Bandopadhyay, who had accompanied the chief minister to the meeting. On May 28, the Union government sent a letter to Bandopadhyay recalling him for central deputation. However, the move was strongly protested by Bengal Chief Minister, saying it contradicts the Centre's approval for extension of Bandopadhyay's services as the CS by three months due to the cyclone and COVID situation in the state. Mamata sent a letter to Prime Minister Modi over the issue on Monday and appointed Bandopadhyay as her chief adviser for three years, after allowing him to retire from his post of Bengal Chief Secretary. Live TV New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday (June 1) will chair a meeting to deliberate on conducting the Class 12 board exams. The CBSE and CISCE boards had deferred the exams in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. The prime minister will be briefed on all possible courses of action in this regard after which a decision could be expected soon that will end the uncertainty over the exams. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair an important meeting regarding Class 12 Board Examinations, this evening. He will be briefed on all possible options, as a result of the extensive discussions with all states and other stakeholders, ANI said quoting sources. Union Minister Rajnath Singh is expected to attend the meeting. However, Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal is unlikely to e a part of it as he was admitted to AIIMS owing to post-COVID complications. The Supreme Court yesterday suggested the government to consider the decision it took last year regarding the exams and results. It asked the Centre to give reasons if the government is departing from the decision taken last year, amid the pandemic. Last year, amid the pandemic the top court had asked boards to determine and declare Class 12 exam results on the basis of earlier assessment of students. Attorney General (AG) K.K. Venugopal, representing the Centre, had urged the court to give time till Wednesday to come back with a decision. Live TV Varanasi: Two labourers were killed and six others injured after a portion of a two-storey building collapsed in the Kashi Vishwanath corridor in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi, where construction was going on. The dilapidated building was used as a hostel by the migrant labourers. All the labourers were from Malda, West Bengal Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to District Magistrate Kaushal Raj Sharma about the incident and assured all possible help. PM @narendramodi called us this morning and enquired about the building collapse in Varanasi. He expressed condolences to the bereaved families and instructed us to provide all possible support to them. He also directed us to provide proper medical care to the injured.@PMOIndia DM VARANASI (@dmvaranasi2016) June 1, 2021 Kaushal Raj Sharma, in a tweet said, the prime minister expressed his condolences to the families of those killed in the incident and directed officials to provide proper medical care to all the injured. Chief executive officer of the temple Sunil Verma said the families of the deceased will be given a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each and Rs 50,000 each to those injured. New Delhi: Fitness guru and actor Milind Soman recently opened up on his smoking addiction in a new Instagram post a day after World No Tobacco Day on Monday (May 31). Soman revealed that he picked up a smoking habit when he was 32, shooting for the sci-fi TV series 'Captain Vyom'. He further mentioned that he got addicted quite soon and would end up smoking 20-30 cigarettes a day. He wrote, "I started smoking at the age of 32, on the sets of Captain Vyom, a sci-fi TV series i was shooting at the time. There was no reason to start, just hanging out with people who smoked, trying it out and getting hooked. I got addicted really quickly and was soon smoking 20-30 cigarettes a day. Was tough to stop and took me a long, long time, but I was fortunate that I could." Writing on his recovery, he revealed that, fortunately, he was able to forgo the habit it as his good habits outweighed the bad ones. "I think i got off lightly. Probably because a lot of other good habits. Many are not so lucky," he added. Check out his recent post: Milind had tested positive for COVID-19 on March 26. The actor would often post pictures and videos from his time in quarantine and on informed fans that on April 5 he had tested negative for the virus. Professionally, he started off as a model and then made the leap to acting. Milind ended up working in many films such as Pachaikili Muthucharam, Paiyaa, Agni Varsha and Rules: Pyaar Ka Superhit Formula, Say Salaam India and Bheja Fry. New Delhi: Late actor Irrfan Khan's son Babil Khan recently took to Instagram to share an unseen picture in which he's getting a haircut at home by his mother Sutapa Sikdar and younger brother. According to Babil's caption, the family moment was captured by the 'Life in a Metro..' star Irrfan Khan. In the pictures, Babil can be seen sitting on a chair while his mother and brother systematically part his hair as a professional hairdresser would. The star kid wrote in the heartfelt caption, "In the very hopeful times baba would ask me if Id let him cut my hair. But I was a teenager, I wish I would have. Any way a few days after I came back from university, Baba decided that Ayaan and Mamma were going to shave my head. (15th April 2020)" Check out the heartwarming family photos: Irrfan left for his heavenly abode on April 29, 2020. The Piku actor, who was diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumour in 2018, is survived by his wife and two sons. Last month, on the occasion of Irrfan Khans first death anniversary, Babil penned a heartwarming post over the sad demise of his father and expressed his grief on his Instagram handle. On the work front, Babil will be making his acting debut with Qala, where he will be seen alongside Bulbbul actress Tripti Dimri. Directed by Anvitaa Dutt, the movie will be backed by Anushka Sharma's production house. Mumbai: An FIR has been filed by Bandra Police in connection with an alleged rape and molestation complaint by a former model and songwriter. Among nine high-profile people named are actor-producer Jackky Bhagnani, glamour photographer Colston Julian, and Krishan Kumar of T-Series. Kwan talent management company founder Anirban Blah, Nikhil Kamat, Sheel Gupta, Ajit Thakur, Gurujyot Singh and Vishnu Wardhan Induri are the others named in the first information report, which was registered on May 26. During an interaction with media, the complainant alleged that none of the accused have been arrested so far. The complainant remained unreachable after repeated phone calls. New Delhi: Sri Lanka beauty Jacqueline Fernandez extended her help to those in need amid the deadly second coronavirus wave in the country. Talking about her family, Jackky said that her mother wants her to back to Bahrain soon. In an interview with Times of India, she said, "I think in 2020, the outbreak of the virus shocked everyone. This time around, while we were under-prepared for the second wave, people came out in large numbers to actively help those in distress." "My friends from Sri Lanka and my parents, who live in Bahrain, watch the news and panic when they see the situation in India. My parents desperately want me to live with them in Bahraineven my uncles and cousins in Sri Lanka are asking me to come and stay with them. However, I am pretty intent on staying put here and continuing the work I am doing", she added. On the work front, Jacqueline has Bhoot Police, Cirkus and Bachchan Pandey in her kitty. She also will be seen in Akshay Kumar starrer Ram Setu along with Nushrratt Bharuccha. Mumbai: YouTube artiste Jitendra, who is popularly known as Jeetu Jaan, was arrested by the Bhandup police in connection with his wife Komal Agarwal's death. The victim was found hanging from a ceiling fan. The police had initially registered a case of accidental death, but the victim's family subsequently filed the case against Jitendra. The case has been filed under sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 306 (abetment of suicide) and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The arrest happened following the case filed by Komal's family, according to Hindustan Times, which alleged Jeetu had killed his wife. Komal's mother and sister Priya stated that Jeetu would routinely assault his late wife over household chores, the report added. The police is reportedly waiting for the autopsy report to find out if the victim committed suicide or the death was indeed an outcome of murder. New Delhi: Actor Karan Mehra recently opened up on his side of the story after he was arrested for allegedly assaulting his wife Nisha Rawal in an interview with a leading daily. In a conversation with India Today, he revealed that his wife Nisha was the one who began the assault by shouting at him and then spitting on him. For context, he explained that the couple had been going through a rough patch for while and were contemplating on parting ways. He claimed the huge fight erupted as he refused to pay the 'huge' alimony amount demanded by his wife and her brother. He said, "Nisha's brother, Rohit Sethiya, had also come to improve things. Later, Nisha and her brother asked for an alimony amount, which was too high, and I said it was not possible for me. Last night also, we spoke about it. He came to me at around 10 pm. When I said it won't be possible for me, he suggested taking the legal way. After the conversation, I came to my room." "I was talking to my mother over the phone when Nisha barged in and started hurling abuses at me, my parents, and my brother. She started shouting loudly and not only that Nisha even spat on me. When I asked Nisha to go out, she threatened me by saying 'see what I do now' and went out. She then smashed her head on the wall, and told everyone that I did it," he added. In a shocking revelation, Karan said that Nisha's brother had physically hurt him as he suspected Karan had engaged in violence with Nisha. He divulged, "Nisha's brother came and raised his hand on me. He assaulted me...slapped me and hit me on the chest too. I told his brother that I had not hit Nisha, and he could check it on the camera of the house, but the cameras were already switched off. They started recording all the videos, and then they called the police, but the police also did nothing because they know what the truth is. If they file a false case, the truth will come out. If tomorrow an investigation is conducted, the truth will be out." For the unversed, on Tuesday (June 1), popular television actor Karan Mehra had been arrested after his actress-wife Nisha Rawal had filed a complaint against him. The Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai actor's wife had alleged that a domestic dispute had broken out between the two. Earlier, a section of the media reported that all is not well between the duo. However, both Karan and Nisha had dissed such claims as rumours. The couple dated for about six years, before tying the knot on November 24, 2012. The duo was blessed with a son in 2017. Karan Mehra rose to stardom with daily soap Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai. He was one of the highest-paid actors in the TV world and also participated in Bigg Boss 10. Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-01 23:49:34|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ISLAMABAD, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said Tuesday that the national economy has been put on the right track and the country is coming out of the financial crisis despite multifarious challenges. "Pakistan has passed the testing times, and good times are just around the corner," the prime minister said while addressing a ceremony in the country's southwest Ziarat district of Balochistan province. Pakistan's gross domestic product growth was estimated at around 4 percent during the current fiscal year 2021 compared to the last fiscal year when the growth rate was recorded at negative 0.47 percent, he said. Despite challenges, the country is expected to witness further growth in the years to come, he said. Khan said that his government has been pursuing inclusive development, particularly focusing on less developed areas to bring them at par with other parts of the country. The incumbent government has been spending more resources on the development of Balochistan province, he said, adding that a 700-billion-rupee development package has been given, and another package for roads and highways will be announced soon for the growth and prosperity of the province. The prime minister said that the government would also establish liquefied petroleum gas plant in the province to facilitate locals at the start of the next fiscal year. Tourist spots need to be developed to generate economic activities in the area, he added. Enditem New Delhi: TV actor Karanvir Bohra and his wife Teejay Sidhu were caught kissing in their car by the 'moral police' on Monday (May 31) as seen in his latest Instagram video. Any guesses on who the 'moral police' might be? Well, it was none other than her daughter sitting at the backseat of the car and stopping their parents from locking lips. She later gently smacks her dad Karanvir with a doll to reprimand him from kissing her mother Teejay. The 'Dil Se Di Dua... Saubhagyavati Bhava?' actor took to Instagram to share the hilarious video of his daughter interrupting his kiss with Teejay and captioned it saying, "Does this happen to all the Dads? Deprived of kissing your own wife... as #moralpolice is always watching." Check out the hilarious video: The adorable couple Karanvir and Teejay got married in November 2006 at the Art Of Living ashram in Bangalore. It was almost love at first sight when they met for the first time in a church, Karanvir said in an interview. They have been married for 14 years and are going strong. They became parents to twin daughters in 2016 and were blessed with a third child in December 2020. New Delhi: Several rules that have a major impact in the lives of common man are going to change from June. These rules range from stringent bank cheques rules to EPFO-Aadhaar linking to name a few. Since these rules are going to affect your everyday life, it is important to know more about these changes in detail. Bank of Baroda cheque payment rules As per Bank of Baroda notification, stringent rules of cheque payment is going kick in from June 1. Bank of Baroda has said that from June 1, the bank is going to make Positive Pay confirmation mandatory. Under this, if the payment of more than Rs 2 lakh is made through cheque, then the customer will have to confirm again. The transaction will be completed only when this process completes. Otherwise the cheque will be cancelled. EPFO-Aadhaar link According to the new EPFO rule, every account holder should have his or her PF account linked to the Aadhaar Card. It will be the responsibility of the employer to ask the employees to verify their PF account. If by June 1, the employees fail to do so, then they may suffer several losses --one such being that the employer contribution to the PF account may also be stopped. A notification in this regard has also been released by EPFO. Income taxs e-tax filing site The official e-tax filing site of the Income Tax Department will not work from June 1 to June 6 because the tax department is moving to a new modern platform. The IT department's new website http://INCOMETAX.GOV.IN will kick start on June 7. YouTube Tax Though not applicable to all the YouTubers, however if you are an Indian YouTuber, gaining views from US audiences for your, you will be liable for a 15 percent tax on your earnings (for the said viewership) by the video making platform. Costlier Air Travel Civil Aviation Ministry on Friday (May 28) has increased the lower limit on fares of domestic air travel by 15%. The revision of rates will come into effect from June 1, according to an official order by the ministry. Live TV #mute New Delhi: Employees' Provident Fund Organization's new rules on Aadhaar and PF linking are kicking in from today June 1,2021. If PF account holders fail to adhere to the rule, then they may face major affect on their EPF contribution. Linking of PF account with Aadhaar According to the new EPFO rule, every account holder should have his or her PF account linked to the Aadhaar Card. It will be the responsibility of the employer to ask the employees to verify their PF account. If by June 1, the employees fail to do so, then they may suffer several losses --one such being that the employer contribution to the PF account may also be stopped. A notification in this regard has also been released by EPFO. What is the new rule all about? The EPFO has implemented new rules under section 142 of the Social Security Code 2020. The regulatory body has clearly instructed the employers that from June 1, if a PF account is not linked to Aadhaar or UAN is not Aadhaar verified, then its ECR-Electronic Challan cum Return will not be filled. This means, though employees can see their own PF account contribution, they will not be able to get the employer's share. How to link EPF account with Aadhaar Login to your EPF account at the unified member portal Click on the KYC option in the Manage section You can select the details (PAN, Bank Account, Aadhar etc) which you want to link with UAN Fill in the requisite fields Now click on the Save option You are done. Live TV #mute New Delhi: In what would come as a big respite for lakhs of EPFO Subscribers, the regulatory fund has allowed its members to withdraw more money from account as COVID-19 advance. To support its subscribers during the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic, EPFO has now allowed its members to avail second non-refundable COVID-19 advance, said an official release. Considering urgent need of members for financial support in these trying times, it has been decided to accord top priority to COVID-19 claims. EPFO is committed to settle these claims within three days of their receipt. For this, EPFO has deployed a system driven auto-claim settlement process in respect of all such members whose KYC requirements is complete in all respects. Auto-mode of settlement enables EPFO to reduce the claim settlement cycle to just 3 days as against the statutory requirement to settle the claims within 20 days, the release said. The COVID-19 advance has been a great help to the EPF members during the pandemic, especially for those having monthly wages of less than Rs. 15,000. As on date, EPFO has settled more than 76.31 lakh COVID-19 advance claims thereby disbursing a total of Rs. 18,698.15 crore. The provision for special withdrawal to meet the financial need of members during pandemic was introduced in March 2020, under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY). An amendment to this effect was made by Ministry of Labour & Employment in Employees Provident Funds Scheme, 1952 by inserting therein sub-para (3) under paragraph 68L, through notification in the Official Gazette. Under this provision, non-refundable withdrawal to the extent of the basic wages and dearness allowances for three months or up to 75% of the amount standing to member's credit in the EPF account, whichever is less, is provided. Members can apply for lesser amount also. During the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic, mucormycosis or black fungus has been declared an epidemic recently. In such trying times, EPFO endeavours to lend a helping hand to its members by meeting their financial needs. Members who have already availed the first COVID-19 advance can now opt for a second advance also. The provision and process for withdrawal of second COVID-19 advance is same as in the case of first advance. Live TV #mute CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Government said on Tuesday that it would be receiving consignment of 4.20 lakh vaccines from the Central government. The consignment is expected to land at the city airport by 5:20 pm. Earlier in the day, Tamil Nadu Health Minister M Subramanian had said that vaccination against Covid-19 will be halted in Tamil Nadu from Tuesday evening onwards, as stocks would be exhausted. He had said that vaccination would have to be halted until doses arrive on June 6th Sunday. Speaking at the Government hospital in Chengalpet, the Minister said that Tamil Nadu had received about 96.18 lakh vaccines, of which 92 lakh were administered and the rest of them were wasted. He claimed that there was a delay from the Central Government in sending 1.75 lakh doses, that were due by May-end. Subramanian emphasized that DMK representatives in Delhi had met Central ministers and officials in Delhi to seek adequate vaccines for the state. He expressed confidence that about 42 lakh COVID vaccines would arrive in Tamil Nadu in a phased manner in this month. Those vaccines would be dispatched to the districts based on the population and other requirements, he added. The Minister said that he was requesting State BJP President L .Murugan and BJP Coimbatore South MLA Vanathi Srinivasan to provide support and urge the central Government to provide adequate vaccines for Tamil Nadu. The DMK Government had earlier floated a global tender to procure vaccines for Tamil Nadu, which is yet to yield any results. DMK leaders and Chief Minister Stalin had written to the Prime Minister to permit the State Government to take on lease the unused Integrated Vaccine Complex, at Chengalpet near Chennai. The plant which was established by the Central government in 2021 has been lying idle ever since. Stalin wanted the factory to be handed over to the State Government on lease, without any past liabilities and full operational freedom. However, questions loom over which Covid-19 vaccine would be manufactured here. On the issue of people queuing up for vaccines in Tamil Nadu despite the looming shortage, he said that it was heartening to see people eagerly waiting to take the shot, rather than hesitating to take the shot. Tamil Nadu continues to witness the highest daily number of Covid-19 cases of all states in India. The daily case numbers are nearly 28,000 and active cases are a little over 3 lakh. Over the last few days, the persons discharged following treatment has surpassed the daily cases. However, the worry remains the fatality numbers which have been hovering over 450 for more than a week. So far, 24,232 people have lost their lives to the pandemic in Tamil Nadu, with most lives lost being in the month of May. Live TV After Delhi Police recently alerted users against fraudulent KYC verification, a new scam has emerged with the cyber crime department of Delhi Police warning citizens against a fake ICICI Bank online banking URL that has been circulated through SMS. A person might get an SMS that says that ICICI Bank is asking for KYC verification by directing it to a fake online banking page through a URL at the end of the SMS. This is simply a phishing attack targeted towards stealing the login ID and password and as you click on the link, it will take you to the login page of ICICI Bank. Once you enter the required credentials, the fraudsters will be able to track the same. Delhi Police, while replying to the tweet of a journalist, alerted users against the suspicious SMS that he had probably received and found out that it is a phishing scam. These scamsters often use fake messages via WhatsApp and emails to con users and therefore it is highly advisable to always type the correct URL and avoid clicking on spurious links to not fall into the trap. Recently, scammers came up with newer ways to steal your personal information like sending malicious links offering free access to video streaming services such as Amazon Prime Video or Netflix. Live TV #mute A viral message is doing rounds on social media claiming that the government of India is offering free internet to more than 100 million users. This message is being widely circulated on WhatsApp, further claiming that the time period for free internet is three months. The Press Information Bureau did a fact check and therefore debunked the said claims and said that the information that is making rounds on WhatsApp is completely false. The government has not made any such claims ever. This is not the first time that the government needed to clarify such baseless messages. Earlier, a viral message stated that after the implementation of the new IT rules, all your WhatsApp calls will be recorded and the government will monitor the activities apart from all your messages. It was also claimed in the message that WhatsApp has implemented a new tick system two blue ticks and one red tick which will mean that the government can take action, while three red ticks will mean that the government has started the court action respectively. PIB Fact Check had outrightly rejected all the above claims in its fact-checked tweet and has warned the users against such messages. Therefore, it is advisable to verify information from official releases by the government before making false and misleading claims. Live TV #mute New Delhi: Popular television actor Karan Mehra has been arrested after his actress-wife Nisha Rawal filed a complaint against him. The Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai actor's wife has alleged that a domestic dispute between the two. ANI reported "Actor Karan Mehra arrested after his wife & actor Nisha Rawal filed a complaint in Goregaon area last night. Rawal filed a complaint against Mehra following a brawl. A case has been registered: Mumbai Police" Maharashtra | Actor Karan Mehra arrested after his wife & actor Nisha Rawal filed a complaint in Goregaon area last night. Rawal filed a complaint against Mehra following a brawl. A case has been registered: Mumbai Police ANI (@ANI) June 1, 2021 Reportedly, the actor will be produced before a magistrate court on Tuesday. According to a report published in Times Of India, after a domestic dispute, Karan Mehra allegedly pushed his wife against the wall, causing her injury on the head. An FIR was registered under section 336 and 337 of IPC. Earlier, a section of the media reported that all is not well between the duo. However, both Karan and Nisha had dissed such claims as rumours. The couple dated for about six years, before tying the knot on November 24, 2012. The duo was blessed with a son in 2017. Karan Mehra rose to stardom with daily soap Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai. He was one of the highest-paid actors in the TV world and also participated in Bigg Boss 10. Beijing: A popular Chinese blogger, detained earlier this year for his comments regarding military casualties of Galwan valley clash with India, has been sentenced to eight months in prison. Qiu Ziming, an internet celebrity with more than 2.5 million followers, on Monday received a jail term of eight months for `defaming martyrs`, marking the first such case in China since a new amendment was attached to the Criminal Law, reported Global Times. The blogger, who is known online as `Labixiaoqiu`, was also ordered to publicly apologize through major domestic portals and the national media within 10 days, ordered a Nanjing court in East China`s Jiangsu Province. The court noted that Qiu had ``truthfully confessed to his crime``, entered a guilty plea and said in court that he would never commit the crime again, therefore he was getting a lighter sentence. On March 1, Qiu had made an open apology for his comments during a broadcast on China`s state broadcaster CCTV, reported Global Times. "I feel extremely ashamed of myself, and I`m very sorry," said the 38-year-old. The comments came after China admitted for the first time that four of its soldiers had been killed and one seriously wounded in the clash that took place in the Himalayas. Qiu, a former reporter with the weekly Economic Observer, had published two posts that suggested a commander survived the clashes because he was the highest-ranking officer there. He also suggested that more Chinese soldiers might have been killed in the conflict than those disclosed by the authorities. Earlier in February, Russian news agency TASS had claimed that 45 Chinese soldiers were killed in the clashes. State news agency Xinhua in February had also accused Qiu of "damaging the reputation of heroes, hurting nationalistic feelings and poisoning patriotic hearts" with his sensational posts. The Chinese Communist Party has long been accused of suppressing ideas that could undermine its sweeping authority. In just the past few years, the government has attempted to muzzle critics by making them disappear without a trace, ordering people to physically barge into their houses, or locking up those close to critics as a kind of blackmail. India and China have been engaged in a border standoff since last year. The situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) deteriorated in June last year following the Galwan Valley clash in which both Indian and Chinese sides suffered casualties. Twenty Indian soldiers lost their lives in the violent face-off on June 15-16. It happened as a result of an attempt by the Chinese troops to unilaterally change the status quo during the de-escalation in eastern Ladakh. Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-02 00:03:04|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A batch of Chinese vaccine arrives in Kathmandu, Nepal on June 1, 2021. In a major boost to its faltering vaccination drive against COVID-19, Nepal on Tuesday received more vaccines granted by China. (Xinhua/Sulav Shrestha) KATHMANDU, June 1 (Xinhua) -- In a major boost to its faltering vaccination drive against COVID-19, Nepal on Tuesday received more vaccines granted by China. A Nepal Airlines plane carrying a batch of Chinese vaccine arrived in Kathmandu on Tuesday afternoon from Beijing, Dim Prasad Poudel, managing director of the airline, told Xinhua. Meanwhile, the Himalaya Airlines, a Nepal-China joint venture based in Kathmandu, announced on the same day that it is bringing another batch of shots donated by China's Tibet Autonomous Region. "The government of Nepal sincerely appreciates and thanks the government of the People's Republic of China and the Tibet Autonomous Region of China for providing the life-saving vaccines at this trying time," the Foreign Ministry of Nepal said in a press release. It is the second time that Nepal has got Chinese COVID-19 vaccine in grant. The Himalayan country received a batch of Chinese vaccine in late March. "Our priority is to give vaccine shots to people aged between 60-65 who were left out from the past vaccination drive," said Tara Nath Pokharel, director at the Family Welfare Division of Nepal's Ministry of Health and Population. "Our aim is to start the vaccination in most districts with the newly arrived Chinese vaccine," Pokharel told Xinhua. Nepal has so far had only 2 percent of its some 30 million citizens administered two shots, due to a lack of vaccines. The pandemic has revisited the country since early April and sickened some 8,000-9,000 people in most days in May. As of Tuesday, Nepal has reported a total of 566,587 coronavirus cases and 7,454 deaths, with 5,285 new infections and 68 fatalities logged in the past 24 hours. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-02 00:09:42|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close -- In a rare migration, 15 wild elephants trudged 500 km in southwest China's Yunnan Province, passing through several counties and occasionally wandering into villages and towns to cause panic. -- The herd is now approaching Kunming, the provincial capital. Wildlife authorities have established an on-site command center to monitor their movements 24 hours a day and prevent them from entering densely populated areas by creating barriers and using food as bait. -- Experts said the wild elephant population has been growing in China thanks to enhanced protection, but expanding forests also reduced the food supply for the endangered mammals and increasingly drove them out of their habitats to search for food. Aerial photo taken on May 28, 2021, shows the herd of wandering wild Asian elephants in Eshan County, Yuxi City, southwest China's Yunnan Province. (Xinhua/Hu Chao) by Xinhua Writers Yao Yuan and Zhao Peiran KUNMING, June 1 (Xinhua) -- A herd of wild Asian elephants is approaching Kunming, capital of Yunnan Province, after trampling crop fields and wandering evacuated streets on a 500-km on-foot journey. No one knows exactly why the 15 elephants traveled all the way from their forest home in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan, but authorities have mobilized thousands of people to monitor their migration, suspend traffic on roads they marched on and use food to lure them away from human settlements. The provincial bureau of forestry and grassland said Tuesday that the herd was in the city of Yuxi, only 20 km from Kunming, a city of 7 million people. The bureau has reminded the government of Kunming to issue timely warnings and take comprehensive precautions. The city has sent staff to Yuxi to learn monitor and intervention measures. Monitoring images show the herd includes six female adults, three male adults, three sub-adults and three calves. Aerial photo taken on May 28, 2021, shows the herd of wandering wild Asian elephants in Eshan County, Yuxi City, southwest China's Yunnan Province. (Xinhua/Hu Chao) WHERE ARE THEY GOING? There were initially 16 elephants in the herd, which left their nature reserve last year to roam in nearby counties under the city of Pu'er. One adult elephant dropped out and two were born in the journey, according to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration. Officials became alert in April when the 17-member herd turned north to visit Yuanjiang County under the city of Yuxi. Another two adults left the herd for home while the rest continued to travel north. On the evening of May 27, they came upon the town of Eshan and walked the streets for six hours after authorities evacuated pedestrians and vehicles and warned residents to stay indoors. On Monday, the endangered mammals were seen in the Hongta District of Yuxi, where authorities established an on-site command center to monitor their movements 24 hours a day and prevent them from entering densely populated areas by creating barriers and using food as bait. More than 360 people, 76 police cars and dirt trucks and nine drones were mobilized, and 18 tonnes of elephant food has been prepared, according to the command. No casualties have been reported so far. Aerial photo taken on May 28, 2021, shows the herd of wandering wild Asian elephants in Eshan County, Yuxi City, southwest China's Yunnan Province. (Xinhua/Hu Chao) Chen Mingyong, an Asian elephant expert with Yunnan University, said it was the first time that China recorded such a long-distance northward migration of wild elephants. "Migration of Asian elephants is common, but it usually happens between several habitats in a certain area. It is very rare for them to travel such a distance to the north," Chen said. "We can't tell what their destination is," he said, suggesting that the migration might not even have a destination. "It is possible that the chief of the herd lacks experience and led the whole group astray." So far, the giant creatures have wreaked havoc in 412 cases, damaging 56 hectares of farmland in the counties of Yuanjiang and Shiping alone, incurring direct economic losses of about 6.8 million yuan (1.1 million U.S. dollars). Several trucks block the road to an urban area where the herd of wandering wild Asian elephants might travel to in Luohe Township of Hongta District, Yuxi City, southwest China's Yunnan Province, May 31, 2021. (Xinhua/Hu Chao) ELEPHANT-HUMAN CONFLICT Asian elephants are under A-level state protection in China, where they are mostly found in Yunnan. Thanks to enhanced protection, the wild elephant population in the province has grown to about 300, up from 193 in the 1980s. The growing density of forests, another result of the eco-environment recovery, however, reduced the food supply for the elephants and increasingly drove them out of their habitats to search for food. Wild elephants mainly feed on understory plants such as wild bananas, which have gradually been replaced by non-edible woody plants amid forest expansion, said Xiang Ruwu, a wildlife official with the bureau. In recent years, there are growing reports of wild elephants roaming into villages and plundering farm crops. A staff member uses a drone to track and monitor the wild Asian elephants in Hongta District, Yuxi City, southwest China's Yunnan Province, June 1, 2021. (Xinhua/Hu Chao) The province, known as the "kingdom of wildlife," has taken a raft of measures to soothe human-elephant conflict, including setting aside land to grow the elephants' favorite foods, indemnifying villagers against wildlife damages and setting up an alert system. How to cater to the latest "elephant tour," however, has proved particularly challenging. "For these 15 elephants, all we can do at present is to issue early warnings and evacuate residents in time to minimize losses," said Chen, adding that as the herd showed signs of moving further northward, there is a need for continuous studying and monitoring. (Video reporters: Sun Min, Zhao Peiran and Hu Chao; Video editor: Peng Ying) Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-02 00:20:33|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close -- The fact that countries did not fully recognize the threat but chose a wait-and-see attitude rather than concerted public health actions, failing to understand how serious the new pathogen could be, consequently caused "a lost month" in February 2020, "when steps could and should have been taken to curtail the epidemic and forestall the pandemic." -- Findings of the International Health Regulations Review Committee revealed that lack of compliance of states with certain obligations under the IHR, particularly on preparedness, has caused COVID-19 to evolve into a protracted global health emergency, highlighting the need of governmental responsibility to implement the IHR to the highest level. -- In fighting the pandemic, China has from the very start collaborated with the WHO and actively contributed solutions to the global community, in contrast to a handful of countries, including the United States, that have been sabotaging international cooperation with the hidden political agenda, despite their own poor records of the anti-virus response. by Xinhua writers Fu Yiming, Liu Qu and Chen Wenxian GENEVA, June 1 (Xinhua) -- When the 74th World Health Assembly (WHA) closed Monday, delegations from across the world have discussed how poorly the globe responded to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and have resolved to end this and prevent a next one with better mechanisms. One plus year into the pandemic, worldwide cases have risen 40-fold to more than 170 million, with deaths increasing 11 times to over 3 million, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) statistics. Yet, the world is still confronted with challenges like vaccine shortage, mutations of the deadly virus, and certain countries' politicalization of the health crisis rather than efforts to fight against it. A PREVENTABLE GLOBAL DISASTER Serious shortcomings and thus an urgent need of improvement were exposed during this year's WHA, the highest decision-making body of the WHO, in the world's preparedness for timely, effective prevention of potential health emergencies and its response capability. COVID-19 was a preventable global disaster, says a report submitted by the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response on the anti-virus response by the WHO and its member states. It largely attributes the outbreak to inconsistent and underfunded preparation, which has long been crippled by an alert system too slow and too mild. The fact that countries did not fully recognize the threat but chose a wait-and-see attitude rather than concerted public health actions, failing to understand how serious the new pathogen could be, consequently caused "a lost month" in February 2020, "when steps could and should have been taken to curtail the epidemic and forestall the pandemic," the report adds. Photo taken in Brussels, Belgium on May 24, 2021 shows the live stream of the 74th World Health Assembly held at the World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong) Even after the WHO on Jan. 30, 2020 declared COVID-19 a public health emergency of international concern, a large number of countries still did not adopt a strong containment strategy that could have forestalled the outbreak. The virus spread, meanwhile, reveals that the uncoordinated actions by countries faced with the crisis have aggravated the inequality in access to response tools, such as personal protection equipment, diagnostic kits, therapeutics and vaccines, which needs global political leadership to address. "One of the greatest drivers of the pandemic has been the lack of international solidarity and sharing," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in his speech at the WHA opening. "We can only address that fundamental weakness with a binding commitment between nations to provide a solid foundation for enhanced cooperation -- a treaty on pandemic preparedness and response that can address the challenges outlined," he added. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, addresses the 74th World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, May 24, 2021. (WHO/Christopher Black/Handout via Xinhua) BRACED FOR NEXT CRISIS With the lessons learnt, a member states working group on strengthening the WHO's preparedness for and its response to health emergencies has been proposed to be established on the WHA. Findings of the International Health Regulations (IHR) Review Committee revealed that lack of compliance of states with certain obligations under the IHR, particularly on preparedness, has caused COVID-19 to evolve into a protracted global health emergency, highlighting the need of governmental responsibility to implement the IHR to the highest level. The review committee recommends a robust accountability mechanism for evaluating and improving compliance with IHR obligations to strengthen preparedness, international cooperation and timely notification of public health events. Furthermore, while urging member states to strengthen their core public health capacities and adopt an all-hazard, multi-sectoral approach in the preparedness for health emergencies, a WHA resolution calls on countries to notify the WHO of public health events within their territories according to IHR (2005), and continue to convey to the WHO timely, accurate and sufficiently detailed public health information. One priority of the working group will be undertaking a WHO convention, agreement or other international instruments on pandemic preparedness and response. Delegates attend the 74th World Health Assembly (WHA) via video link in Beijing, capital of China, May 24, 2021. (Xinhua/Zhang Yuwei) "China agrees with the reports' concept of building 'One Health' surveillance system and the 'whole of government, whole of society' pandemic response approach, which aims at improving the IHR and other international legal systems," said Chinese delegate Yang Feng at the WHA. The virus knows no borders and the pandemic no race, Yang noted, calling for global solidarity and cooperation in building a community with a shared future for mankind. CHINA'S COMMITMENT In fighting the pandemic, China has from the very start collaborated with the WHO and actively contributed solutions to the global community, in contrast to a handful of countries, including the United States, that have been sabotaging international cooperation with the hidden political agenda, despite their own poor records of the anti-virus response. Though it has a huge population and very tight vaccine supplies itself, China has been making contributions to the accessibility and affordability of vaccines in developing countries. China's Sinopharm and Sinovac COVID-19 vaccines have been validated for emergency use by the WHO. And the country has announced the offering of COVID-19 vaccines for UN peacekeeping operations and the International Olympic Committee. A medical worker administers a shot of Chinese COVID-19 vaccine to a resident in the city of Sao Gabriel da Cachoeira in the state of Amazonas, Brazil, March 3, 2021. (Photo by Lucio Tavora/Xinhua) WHA delegates have expressed their appreciation for China's positive role in global response, with those from such countries as Egypt, Mexico, Niger, Gabon, Gambia, Namibia and Sierra Leone highlighting China's support in their fight against COVID-19. The pandemic was an opportunity to nurture research capacity and researchers' competencies, so Egypt participated in clinical trials to test China's Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine, said Egypt's Minster of Health Hala Zayed. "I would like to highlight the significance of reaching an international strategy to improve access to medicines and vaccines with a focus on the importance of technology transfer, which Egypt has already done through constructive cooperation by resettling the vaccine industry and transferring manufacturing technology from the Chinese side," said the minister. The delegate from Niger also expressed gratitude to China, saying that Niger has set up an effective response mechanism with bilateral and multilateral support. "This has allowed us to achieve satisfactory results when it comes to the management of the two waves that have affected our country," said the delegate. "Technical experts were shared, and anti-pandemic specialities were provided for us by Senegal and the People's Republic of China. We thank these countries very much for their input," said Ahmadou Lamin Samateh, minister of health of the Gambia, at the virtual meeting. "Sierra Leone was fortunate to receive 240,000 doses of the Sinopharm vaccine generously donated by the People's Republic of China," said the country's Minister of Health and Sanitation Austin Demby. Workers unload the COVID-19 vaccine donated by China at an airport in Freetown, Sierra Leone, on Feb. 25, 2021. (Photo by Abu/Xinhua) Addressing the WHA, Yang, the Chinese delegate, stressed China's resolve to provide solutions. "China believes that promoting the equitable distribution of and access to COVID-19 vaccines globally is crucial to outbreak prevention and control," he said. China, he added, has fulfilled its commitment of providing COVID-19 vaccines as public goods by offering medical assistance to 80 countries, exporting vaccines to 43 countries and supplying 300 million doses of vaccines worldwide. "China will continue to make its own contribution to promoting the accessibility and affordability of vaccines in developing countries," Yang said. (Video reporters: Zhang Xuan, Liu Qu, Chen Junxia; Video editor: Wang Han) Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-02 00:57:00|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NICOSIA, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Life in Cyprus is about to return to normal as the government decided to ease the coronavirus restrictions on Tuesday, Health Minister Constantinos Ioannou said. He added that further relaxations will follow. Ioannou told the state-run Cyprus News Agency that the recent significant improvement in the country's epidemiological status allows the government to further ease the restrictions introduced over the past few months to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. "Things are on the way to becoming normal," he said. The restrictions on almost all activities were lifted on Tuesday. Hospitality venues can again serve guests in indoor spaces. Casinos, conference and trade fair venues, theaters, amphitheaters and other performing arts venues can also operate, albeit at 50 percent of capacity only. However, people must hold a so-called SafePass to be allowed to enter such premises. The pass proves that they have either been vaccinated, have a negative coronavirus test or have recovered from a COVID-19 infection in the past six months. Social distancing and mask wearing remain mandatory. The night-time curfew between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. will be lifted next week. Ioannou said that the health authorities are going ahead with building a "wall of immunity" with vaccinations, targeting the 20 to 40 age group, for which vaccination coverage is still low. He said that the country has enough vaccines to achieve a 65 percent immunization rate for people aged over 18 by the end of this month. By late August or early September, more vaccines will be available to cover the entire population, he added. Ioannou also said that the good epidemiological situation could help the recovery of the tourism sector, which generates around 20 billion euros (24.5 billion U.S. dollars) annually, which equals one quarter of the country's gross domestic product (GDP). He said that Deputy Tourism Minister Savvas Perdios is currently in London to brief the British authorities on Cyprus' improved epidemiological picture. He aims to convince London to "green-list" Cyprus, declaring it a safe tourist destination. The United Kingdom is the biggest source of tourists visiting Cyprus ahead of Russia. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-02 01:43:27|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WASHINGTON, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Vaccinating the world is the most effective way to boost global output in the near term, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said Tuesday, warning that low vaccination rates in some countries is "dangerous" for everyone. "It is now increasingly clear to leaders everywhere and to ordinary people that we are not going to succeed in overcoming the economic crisis this pandemic triggered, unless we bring the pandemic to a durable end," Georgieva said at a press conference in response to a question from Xinhua. The IMF chief participated in the joint press conference together with the heads of the World Bank Group, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Trade Organization (WTO), with a focus on a new joint call on scaling up equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines. Georgieva noted that countries with more fiscal space and rapid vaccinations are coming out of the crisis faster, but those, especially with low vaccination rates are falling further behind, and "that is dangerous for everyone because it would hold the global recovery back." According to IMF estimation, a faster vaccination rollout could inject the equivalent of 9 trillion U.S. dollars into the global economy by 2025, due to a faster resumption of economic activity. "And it is important to recognize that 60 percent of the benefits, this 60 percent of this 9 trillion would go to emerging markets in developing countries, but 40 percent will go to advanced economies," said the IMF chief. "So we mobilize everybody to step forward for the benefit of all," she added. Georgieva also noted that building on the work of the WHO, WTO, World Bank and many others, IMF staff have put forward a proposal - a 50-billion-dollar plan - to end the pandemic. The proposal would vaccinate at least 40 percent of the population in all countries by end of 2021, and at least 60 percent by the first half of 2022, providing additional upfront grants to COVAX, the WHO-led international campaign for equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines around the world. The plan would also insure against downside risks such as new variants, and manage the interim period where vaccine supply is limited with widespread testing and tracing, therapeutic and public health measures, Georgieva said. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-02 02:18:52|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIRUT, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese caretaker Health Minister Hamad Hassan praised on Tuesday Lebanon's success in reducing remarkably the number of COVID-19 infections. "The strong cooperation among public institutions, local authorities and the society helped us improve the pandemic situation," Hassan said following a meeting with President Michel Aoun. Hassan said the vaccination campaign contributed greatly to the improvement of the situation in Lebanon, with around 10.8 percent of the population having received the first vaccine and 5.3 percent took both shots. The total number of COVID-19 infections in Lebanon increased by 242 to 540,630 on Tuesday, while the death toll from the virus rose by six to 7,735. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-02 03:06:34|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close The president of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly Volkan Bozkir (at podium and on screens), addresses the General Assembly high-level thematic debate on the ocean and Sustainable Development Goal 14: Life Below Water, at the UN headquarters in New York on June 1, 2021. The world must harness "clear, transformative and actionable solutions" to address the ocean crisis, the president of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), or the PGA, said on Tuesday, opening a meeting to generate momentum towards the 2022 UN Ocean Conference, when public health safety measures allow. (Loey Felipe/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua) UNITED NATIONS, June 1 (Xinhua) -- The world must harness "clear, transformative and actionable solutions" to address the ocean crisis, the president of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), or the PGA, said on Tuesday, opening a meeting to generate momentum towards the 2022 UN Ocean Conference, when public health safety measures allow. "Simply speaking, our relationship with our planet's ocean must change," Volkan Bozkir told a high-level thematic debate on the ocean and Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG14): Life Below Water. Against the backdrop that human activities have threatened to undo the delicate balance of this ecosystem, that supports nutritional, economic and social value to billions the world over, he upheld that there is "simply no scenario" wherein we live on a planet without an ocean. People do not want to live in "a world of one crisis after the next," said the PGA, preferring instead the "security, sustainability and the peace of mind" that comes with a healthy planet. "We have seen this in countries and cities that have prioritized coastal and marine areas over tourism ... in protected wetlands ... in efforts to address illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, and regulate shipping and resource extraction," he said. New governance, policy and market approaches that incentivize both profit ability and sustainability - for people and planet - provide an opportunity for a "blue recovery" to build resilience, particularly in small island developing states, upheld the Assembly president. "Building a sustainable ocean economy is one of the most important tasks and greatest opportunities of our time," he spelled out, urging governments, industries, civil society and others to "join forces to develop and implement ocean solutions." As the SDG14 targets will be among the first to mature, Bozkir encouraged everyone to "think ahead" and arrive at the second Ocean Conference in Lisbon, Portugal, with "demonstrable evidence of progress." Rather than wait until the Conference opens to re-discuss these issues, he reminded that the Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development has already begun. "Let us choose to arrive in Portugal with accomplishments and progress that inspire hope and optimism for a better tomorrow," the PGA concluded. Peter Thomson, Special Envoy on Oceans, emphasized the need to improve our relationship with the sea to one of respect and balance. He underscored the importance of delivering on SDG14, saying that "ocean acidification cannot continue unabated" while pointing out that greenhouse gas emission reductions are "required to meet 2030 goals." Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-02 03:46:39|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ADEN, Yemen, June 1 (Xinhua) -- The Saudi-sponsored negotiations between the Yemeni government and the Southern Transitional Council (STC) resumed Tuesday in Riyadh, a government official told Xinhua. "Indirect negotiations sponsored by Saudi Arabia began discussing implementing the remaining provisions of the Riyadh Agreement signed between the two rivals in 2019," the official said on condition of anonymity. The ongoing talks in Riyadh aim at achieving consensus over key issues in the country's southern provinces and de-escalating the situation there, the official said. In 2019, Saudi Arabia persuaded the Yemeni government and the STC to hold reconciliation talks, which succeeded in reaching a deal to form a new technocratic cabinet and end a deadly conflict in the southern regions. In accordance with the terms of the Saudi-brokered deal signed between the two sides, Yemen's President Abdu-Rabbu Mansour Hadi issued a decree on December 2020 to form a new power-sharing government. But numerous obstacles have stood in the way of implementing the remaining provisions of the deal. The impoverished Arab country has been locked in a civil war since late 2014, when the Houthis overran much of the country and seized all northern regions including the capital Sanaa. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-02 04:30:58|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LAGOS, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Four people were killed in a gunmen attack in northwest Nigeria's Kaduna state on Monday, a local official said on Tuesday. Samuel Aruwan, the commissioner for internal security and home affairs in Kaduna, said in a statement that a group of gunmen invaded on Monday afternoon the Goska community in the Jema'a local government area of Kaduna, killing four residents. "Two of the victims were attacked and killed on their farms by the assailants; one woman sustained gunshot injuries and was rushed to hospital," he said. Aruwan said security patrols were ongoing in the general area, and investigations were launched into the attack. The northern part of Nigeria has witnessed a series of attacks by armed groups in recent months. There have also been recurring incidents of livestock rustling and armed banditry in the region. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-02 04:31:19|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BRUSSELS, June 1 (Xinhua) -- NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) foreign and defence ministers agreed on Tuesday to continue supporting the Afghan community even after the withdrawal of forces from Kabul, according to the alliance's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. Addressing a press conference following a virtual meeting of NATO defence ministers, Stoltenberg said "ministers agreed that this continued support is the best way in which we can all contribute to peace efforts in Afghanistan." He said NATO will keep a civilian diplomatic presence in Kabul following the drawdown of its forces, which, according to him, is progressing "in an orderly and coordinated way." "We are ending our military mission, but we are not ending our support to the Afghans. So today, defence ministers discussed the way forward. We will continue to provide funding to the Afghan security forces (and) provide advice and capacity-building support to Afghan security institutions," Stoltenberg said. After almost two decades in Afghanistan, NATO allies decided in the middle of April to start withdrawing forces from the central Asian country by May 1, with plans to complete the drawdown of all troops within a few months. Stoltenberg added that NATO was also looking at how it can provide military education and training outside Afghanistan, focusing on Special Operations Forces. "And we are working on how to fund the provision of services enabling Allies and the international community to stay in Kabul, including support for the airport," he noted. The meeting, including one with foreign ministers earlier in the day, focused on NATO's 2030 agenda to strengthen the alliance for the future ahead of the summit scheduled for June 14 in Brussels. "Ministers agreed that we need to take ambitious decisions to show that Europe and North America stand together in an age of global competition. And that we need to show transatlantic unity not just in words, but also in deeds," he added. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-02 04:33:01|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SANTIAGO, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Chile reported on Tuesday 5,040 new COVID-19 infections and 44 more deaths in the last 24 hours, to bring the total caseload to 1,389,357 and death toll to 29,344, the Ministry of Health said. So far 1,315,860 patients have recovered from the disease, while 43,239 are in the active stage. Meanwhile, in the last seven days, according to the ministry, only two of the country's 16 regions registered a drop in infections. The regions with the highest number of cases were Coquimbo, Los Lagos, Los Rios and Valparaiso, while the southern region of Aysen recorded the highest incidence rate per 100,000 inhabitants in the country, followed by Los Rios, Atacama and Maule. Chile has been facing an increase in infections in the last few weeks, despite progress made in its vaccination campaign against COVID-19. To date, half the target population has been fully immunized, with over 18.6 million doses administered to 10.6 million people for their first dose and more than 8 million for their second dose. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-01 19:31:57|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close by Tafara Mugwara HARARE, June 1 (Xinhua) -- In a classroom in Harare, Gerald Hara, a sign language teacher delivered a sign language lesson to a group of students who eagerly followed his instructions. The small size of the class enabled Hara to give more individual attention to each student's particular needs, at the same time fostering better communication between the teacher and the students. To ensure that communication remained uninterrupted as sign language is a visual language, Hara and his students donned special transparent face masks. Hara is a sign language interpreter and teacher at Harare-based Sunrise Sign Language Academy (SSLA), a non-profit organization that aims to bridge the communication gap faced by the deaf. The youthful teacher noted that while mask-wearing and social distancing are imperative in defeating the pandemic, such infection control measures are getting in the way of communication for the deaf and hard of hearing. Reading a person's lips and seeing facial expressions are imperative for those who rely on visual communication such as sign language or lip-reading, Hara noted. To plug the communication gap, SSLA has come up with initiatives such as the use of transparent face masks and holding awareness campaigns about the pandemic targeting people with hearing impairments. The transparent masks, made with a double layer of fabric and a plastic sheet, have become handy for those with hearing impairments. Asides from protecting them from the contagious coronavirus, the masks are also keeping communication channels open. Hara said COVID-19 has increased the communication barriers faced by the deaf. "By being hearing impaired already there is a challenge in communication and expression of their feelings, wants and needs, but during COVID it became worse because now when the first mask came it actually dampened their communication more. "And now the introduction of this mask (transparent mask) it kind of liberated them to come back to the ordinary set-up of communication which shows lip-reading, which is a crucial part of their communication pattern," Hara said. He noted that communication using sign language or lip reading relies on seeing someone's face clearly to understand their facial expressions or other non-verbal cues. "For example, if I am happy, they can see, but if I am using the other previous mask, I can't show the facial expressions and question markers like 'What?' 'Where', but now you can see because I am wearing the correct one, so that has been a great deal for communication for the hearing impaired community in Zimbabwe," said the sign language teacher. In Zimbabwe face masks are mandatory in all public spaces, and violators can be fined up to 500 Zimbabwean dollars (about 6 U.S. dollars). LEAVING NO ONE BEHIND While access to information is the first line of defense in battling the global pandemic, getting information to the deaf can be tricky. Douglas Mapeta, chairman and founder of SSLA, said for the general public information about the pandemic is widespread, but not enough has been done to make it available to the deaf in mediums easily accessible to them. Tawanda Matende, a sign language lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe's Department of Languages, Literature and Culture, said it's crucial to involve sign language in all national discourses since it is a fully-fledged language just like any other spoken language. "So sign language is not an exception in as far as national development is concerned, in as far as combating the virus, in as far as issues to do with vaccination," Matende said. Sign language is one of Zimbabwe's 16 official languages and all public documents are required to be available in all languages. However, the lack of codification for Zimbabwean Sign Language means the deaf community is largely left out in many national conversations. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-02 00:01:02|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close RABAT, June 1 (Xinhua) -- The Moroccan security services on Tuesday arrested two suspects linked to the Islamic State (IS) militant group in the eastern cities of Taza and Misour. The suspects, aged 24 and 37, have planned "extremely dangerous terrorist plots" in the country, said a statement of the Central Bureau of Judicial Investigation. The statement added that they were targeting vital installations, headquarters of security services and military facilities. The suspects will be brought to justice upon the completion of the investigation led under the supervision of the competent public prosecutor's office, the statement said. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-02 00:57:21|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ADDIS ABABA, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Chinese telecom giant, Huawei, and Addis Ababa University (AAU), the oldest and largest higher education institute in the Eastern African country, on Tuesday inaugurated an Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Practice Center realized by Huawei in AAU's Addis Ababa Institute of Technology (AAiT) to deliver hands-on practical and innovative experience for students and professionals in the sector. The project aims to delivering hands-on practical experience for students and professionals, targeting to train more than 2,000 engineers including students and teachers to boost talent ecosystem of Ethiopia in the coming three years. The project is implemented with an investment amounting to some 2.1 million U.S. dollars, including a donation of equipment worth about 1.9 million U.S. dollars for training and demonstration, and Train the Trainer program to AAiT teaching staff. According to the cooperation mode, Huawei installed the demo equipment on the premises of the AAU Pharmacy Campus, and operates it for three years period, after which, Addis Ababa University will fully take over the ownership of the practice center. During the ceremony, Huawei also handed over 30,000-dollar scholarship fund to Addis Ababa University for 10 postgraduate students annually within 3 years. Hailing the project's role in filling the skill gap, and also in supporting efforts of producing highly qualified graduates, which in turn help the country realizing the vision of digital economy, Mulu Nega, Ethiopia's State Minster of Science and Higher Education, said, "Huawei is very active in the field of digitalization of education and ICT content embedding is a global trend and the future of the nation." Speaking on his part, Tassew Woldehana, President of Addis Ababa University, noted that the Huawei-AAU ICT Practice Center plays a significant role in enabling students to be equipped with appropriate skill, which the country needs, as it is in the process of liberalizing the telecom sector. Reiterating that the country's telecom sector has been awarded to private sector recently, the president underlined the need that universities in the country need to graduate capable people who can join those companies that need qualified and skilled graduates in the ICT sector. Stating also that digital economy is very important for Ethiopia's economic growth, and that his university is engaged with providing qualified and capable human power with the appropriate knowledge and practical skills, Tassew said the center will serve not only the university, but all Ethiopians. "I would like to thank Huawei for this great initiative." Huawei is currently implementing multiple projects benefiting thousands of students and industrial practitioners with a view of building ICT capacity and improving ICT development in Ethiopia. These projects include the flagship program Huawei ICT Academy, Huawei ICT Competition, Seeds for the Future exchange program, as well as ICT Handshaking forum - a job fair connecting the industry and ICT talents. Since first ICT academy launched in 2018, Huawei has partnered with 36 universities on educational activities. Huawei also aligned with Jobs Creation Commission in talent cultivation and hiring projects. The ICT practice center is Huawei's initiative to build ICT talent and industrial ecosystem in Ethiopia and deliver practical experience for students and professionals using high end ICT equipment. Philippe Wang, Executive Vice-President of Huawei Northern Africa, said the ICT practice center was launched to fill the experience and knowledge gap in the sector. "Building a long-term relation and platform for resource sharing, joint development efforts and mutual benefits is the responsibility for us all. I firmly believe Huawei-AUU ICT Practice Center, together with Huawei ICT Academy will be the cornerstone in achieving this common target," Wang said. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-01 10:34:24|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CANBERRA, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Australia's former Attorney-General (AG) has dropped his defamation case against national broadcaster the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). The ABC reported on Monday afternoon that Christian Porter decided to discontinue legal proceedings against the broadcaster and reporter Louise Milligan. Porter, now the Minister for Industry, Science and Technology, launched a defamation case against the ABC and Milligan after the broadcaster published allegations that a government minister had been accused of raping a woman in the 1980s. The article did not name Porter but he later identified himself as the minister in question and strenuously denied the allegations. Speaking outside court on Monday, Porter said his decision to sue the broadcaster had led to "a humiliating back down." "They regret the outcome of that article," he said. "That is a humiliating back down for the ABC no matter what way they want to spin it." Following mediation between the two parties, the ABC agreed to add a note to the end of the article saying it "regretted" that some readers "misinterpreted" it "as an accusation of guilt against Mr Porter." "All parties have agreed to not pursue the matter any further. No damages will be paid," said ABC. "The ABC has not said that it regrets the article. As we have stated, the ABC stands by the importance of the article, which reported on matters of significant public interest," the broadcaster said in another statement following Porter's comments. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-01 10:43:25|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SEOUL, June 1 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's export grew 45.6 percent in May from a year earlier, recording the fastest increase in over 32 years, government data showed Tuesday. Export, which accounts for about half of the export-driven economy, amounted to 50.73 billion U.S. dollars in May, up 45.6 percent from the same month of last year, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. It was the highest expansion in over 32 years since August 1988, continuing to rise for seven straight months since November last year. It was the first time that the country's export surged more than 40 percent for two months in a row. The outbound shipment advanced 41.2 percent in April. The daily average shipment, which excludes the working day effect, spiked 49.0 percent over the year to 2.42 billion dollars in May. Import soared 37.9 percent to 47.81 billion dollars last month, sending the trade surplus to 2.92 billion dollars. The trade balance stayed in black for 13 months. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-01 11:05:03|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close VIENTIANE, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Lao Prime Minister Phankham Viphavanh has called for all sectors of society to join hands to create conditions and opportunities conducive for the development of children, striving to achieve a bright future for them. Delivering a message on Monday to mark the World Children's Day on June 1, the premier underlined the need to create such conditions so that Lao children could fulfil their development and growth potential and become quality human resources for the country. To do this, he urged everyone to work together to address the challenges hindering children's progress. The main challenges highlighted by the Lao prime minister include malnutrition, low enrollment in preschools and compulsory education, misuse of social media by children, and drug abuse. In addition, the continuing practice of superstitious beliefs in some rural communities hampers the development of rural children. Phankham said the Party and the government have always attached great importance to the promotion and protection of children. Attention has also been paid to preventing and resolving violence against children. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-01 11:46:43|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close PHNOM PENH, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen on Monday renewed his call on countries to open international trades and uphold multilateralism in order to rebuild a resilient global economy in the post-COVID-19 era. Speaking at the second Seoul Summit of Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030 via videoconference, Hun Sen said Cambodia is a strong supporter of free trade and multilateralism. He said the world needs to "continue to promote and support the principles of globalization through openness in international trades in order to enhance trade and economic growth, as well as to adhere to multilateralism framework in addressing issues in all areas, especially related to climate change." The summit was held under the theme Promoting Inclusive Green Recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Hun Sen said countries need to strengthen and expand regional and international cooperation in relation to sustainable development and in promoting the concept of green development, particularly in agriculture, urbanization, transportation infrastructure, circular economy, digital economy and renewable energy. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-01 13:04:00|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ULAN BATOR, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia's COVID-19 tally rose by 790 to 59,229 in the last 24 hours, the country's health ministry said Tuesday. The national death toll climbed to 297 with seven more fatalities, and total recoveries rose to 50,763 as 327 more patients had recovered, according to the ministry. The Asian country launched a nationwide COVID-19 vaccination campaign in late February, aiming to cover at least 60 percent of its population of 3.3 million. More than 1,858,500 Mongolians have so far received their first dose, and over 1,306,400 have been fully vaccinated. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-01 14:49:47|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A screenshot released by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks Peninsula Malaysia on June 1, 2021 shows giant panda Liang Liang and her newborn baby at the Giant Panda Conservation Center at Malaysia's National Zoo near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Liang Liang, the female giant panda on loan from China to Malaysia, has given birth to a third baby giant panda, the country's wildlife department said on Tuesday. (Department of Wildlife and National Parks Peninsula Malaysia/Handout via Xinhua) KUALA LUMPUR, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Liang Liang, the female giant panda on loan from China to Malaysia, has given birth to a third baby giant panda, the country's wildlife department said on Tuesday. The cub was born late on Monday at the Giant Panda Conservation Center at Malaysia's National Zoo near Kuala Lumpur, the department said in a statement. The gender of the cub has yet to be determined as it is being held under the care of its mother and cannot be approached, according to the statement, adding that the keepers at the National Zoo are closely monitoring them over the next 24 hours. The department said the birth of the third giant panda cub is another success of the giant panda conservation effort under the Giant Panda conservation cooperation program inked between the governments of Malaysia and China in 2012, it said. The parents, Xing Xing and Liang Liang, arrived in Malaysia in 2014, marking the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Malaysia and China. Coincidently, the third baby panda was born on Monday, May 31, which marked the 47th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The first Malaysian-born giant panda Nuan Nuan, was born on Aug. 18, 2015, while a second, Yi Yi was born on Jan. 14, 2018. Nuan Nuan returned to China in November 2017 after turning two years old. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-01 16:21:24|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ISLAMABAD, June 1 (Xinhua) -- President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon will pay a two-day visit to Pakistan starting on Wednesday to discuss bilateral relations and cooperation, Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday. Rahmon will be accompanied by a high-level delegation and lead his side in delegation-level talks with the Pakistani side to be led by Prime Minister Imran Khan, said a statement from the foreign ministry. The statement said both sides will exchange views on deepening bilateral cooperation in diverse areas, including political, economic, trade, investment, energy, security and defense, culture, education and regional connectivity. According to the statement, several agreements or memorandum of understanding are expected to be signed during the visit. The foreign ministry hoped that the president's upcoming visit would reinforce the efforts of both sides to forge a long-term and multi-dimensional relationship. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-01 17:23:01|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SYDNEY, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Governor-General of Papua New Guinea (PNG) Bob Dadae on Tuesday said his country will continue to abide by the one-China policy and conduct win-win cooperation with China. Dadae made the remarks in the capital city of Port Moresby when meeting with China's new ambassador to PNG Zeng Fanhua, who presented credentials to Dadae at the Government House. Dadae said the two countries have maintained good relationship since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1976. Both sides have respected each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity without interfering with each other's domestic affairs, and have jointly safeguarded world peace and development. He said PNG values the friendship with China and will firmly abide by the one-China policy. Dadae expressed gratitude for China's assistance for PNG's social and economic development, public health, education and infrastructure development. In particular, China has provided COVID-19 vaccines and other assistance to PNG at a critical moment in the fight against the pandemic. PNG is willing to learn from China's development experience, expand bilateral win-win cooperation in areas including anti-pandemic, trade and investment, and infrastructure construction, and further promote the development of the bilateral relationship, Dadae said. Zeng said China attaches great importance to its relations with PNG and will continue to make joint efforts to deepen bilateral cooperation and push forward the China-PNG comprehensive strategic partnership. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-01 19:10:34|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SUVA, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Fiji on Tuesday night reported 35 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total tally to 473 in the Pacific island nation. According to Fijian Health Ministry, of the new cases, 23 were from the Fiji Navy cluster, five from the Navosai Narere cluster and two others from the Colonial War Memorial Hospital (CWM) in Fiji's capital city of Suva. Permanent Secretary for the Fijian Health Ministry James Fong said that all patients, their carers, and all staff at CWM hospital will now be tested in order to gauge the extent of any spread within the hospital. An estimated 1,200 people will be tested overnight. In Fiji, 68,609 COVID-19 laboratory tests have been conducted since the latest round of outbreak started in April this year, with 111,479 conducted in total since early 2020. This does not include the 11,000 samples recently tested in Australia. Fiji now has had 167 recoveries, 302 active cases and four deaths since the island nation reported its first confirmed case in March last year. Currently, the Suva-Lami-Nausori containment zone maintains a curfew from 6:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. every day while the rest of the Viti Levu, Fiji's main island where Suva is located, started on Sunday a curfew from 8:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. every day. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-01 19:46:50|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Medical workers are seen at a COVID-19 care center temporarily converted from a heritage house in Kolkata, India, on June 1, 2021. India's COVID-19 tally rose to 28,175,044 on Tuesday with 127,510 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, said the federal health ministry. (Str/Xinhua) HONG KONG, June 1 (Xinhua) -- The COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread in Asia-Pacific countries as India reported 127,510 new cases on Tuesday while the death toll exceeded 21,000 in the Philippines. India's COVID-19 tally rose to 28,175,044 with 127,510 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, said the federal health ministry. The daily spike of new cases has been falling over the past couple of weeks. The cases registered in a day have fallen to the lowest level in nearly two months. Besides, 2,795 deaths were reported since Sunday morning, taking the death toll to 331,895. The Philippines' Department of Health (DOH) reported 5,177 new COVID-19 infections, bringing the tally in the Southeast Asian country to 1,235,467. The death toll rose to 21,012 after 46 more patients died from the viral disease, the DOH said. Metro Manila and the adjacent areas will remain under "heightened (lockdown) restrictions" amid a steady increase in infections in the capital, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a televised press conference. Thailand reported 2,230 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, less than half the number for the previous day, its Center for the COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) said. The notable drop in daily cases largely came as a result of a remarkable decline in the new infections recorded in prisons, CCSA spokesperson Taweesin Visanuyothin said at a daily briefing. The Southeast Asian country reported 38 more deaths from the coronavirus epidemic, taking the COVID-19 related death toll to 1,069. Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang said on Tuesday that the capital city will follow the CCSA's directive to extend the closure of service venues for another 14 days due to the pandemic situation. Pakistan recorded 1,771 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Monday with a test positivity rate of 3.72 percent, marking an obvious drop in the Asian country's daily cases, the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) said. According to the NCOC, the total number of confirmed cases in the country rose to 922,824 Tuesday, including 844,638 recoveries. According to the NCOC, 71 more deaths from the coronavirus epidemic were recorded in the last 24 hours nationwide, raising the COVID-19 related death toll to 20,850. The death toll from COVID-19 in Cambodia has risen to 220 after six new fatalities were reported in the last 24 hours, the Ministry of Health (MoH) said in a statement. The Southeast Asian nation also logged 616 new cases, pushing the national case tally to 30,710 so far, the statement said, adding that the new infections included 585 local cases and 31 imported cases. Meanwhile, the kingdom also saw 753 patients recovered, taking the total number of recoveries to 23,389, it added. South Korea reported 459 more cases of COVID-19 as of midnight Monday compared to 24 hours ago, raising the total number of infections to 140,799. The daily caseload was up from 430 the previous day, staying below 500 for three straight days. The daily average caseload for the past week was 554. Four more deaths were confirmed, leaving the death toll at 1,963. The total fatality rate stood at 1.39 percent. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-01 19:53:51|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CHARIKAR, Afghanistan, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Three people were killed and five others injured as a blast struck a vehicle outside Charikar, the capital of Afghanistan's eastern Parwan province on Tuesday, said a local hospital official. Head of Charikar-based provincial hospital Mohammad Qasim Sangin said that the blast occurred in the Sirahi Hofian area in the afternoon. Local police have yet to make comment on the incident. This is the second bomb attack on a vehicle taking place in Parwan province in four days. In the previous bomb strike hitting a bus carrying university staff outside Charikar on May 29, at least three people were killed and 11 others injured. Enditem Researchers discover gene linked to bone cancer in children, ID potential novel therapy CHAPEL HILL, North Carolina--Researchers have discovered a gene, OTUD7A, that impacts the development of Ewing sarcoma, a bone cancer that occurs mainly in children. They have also identified a compound that shows potential to block OTUD7A protein activity. The finding, by scientists at the University of North Carolina and the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, appeared online June 1, 2021, in Advanced Science. About 250 children and young adults are diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma each year in the U.S. About half of those diagnosed will ultimately succumb to the disease, pointing to the need for better therapies. "Our primary research focus targeted the EWS-FLI1 fusion protein found in about 85 percent of Ewing sarcoma patients," said UNC Lineberger's Pengda Liu, PhD, assistant professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics in the UNC School of Medicine and co-lead author. "This protein, made up of pieces of two other proteins, is unique to Ewing sarcoma and only produced in cancer cells, making it an excellent target for treatment." Critical relationships between proteins contribute to the development of cancers such as Ewing sarcoma. So, it was a seminal discovery when the UNC researchers found that OTUD7A controls the cancer-causing fusion protein. Armed with this knowledge, the scientists went on the hunt for small molecule compounds that could block OTUD7A's activity. Their collaborator, Atomwise Inc., used an artificial intelligence program known as AtomNet to screen four million small molecules to find ones that could fit into a pocket in OTUD7A. One compound they identified, 7Ai, showed a good ability to reduce tumor formation in mice that were grafted with human Ewing sarcoma cells. The compound did not appear to be toxic and was well-tolerated. Also, 7Ai did not kill normal cells that were tested in lab culture experiments. "Treatment with 7Ai could provide a new targeted therapeutic option for patients who become resistant to chemotherapy. Developing an effective drug will require more lab work and then clinical studies, however," said Liu. "By deeply exploring the key cellular processes that lead to cancer, unexpected potential therapeutic avenues can result," said co-author Ian Davis, MD, PhD, G. Denman Hammond Professor of Childhood Cancer and co-leader of the Cancer Genetics Program at UNC Lineberger. "Once the basic science validated our biological approaches, the application of computational virtual screening enabled us to quickly identify a lead molecule for further testing and validation." The researchers are currently working with the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy to improve 7Ai's potency and specificity. "I am particularly indebted to a UNC student with metastatic Ewing sarcoma who made it a priority to donate tissue that could be used for research," said Davis, who is also the associate division chief of pediatric hematology-oncology. "We're also appreciative of funding for our research through an NIH Beau Biden Pediatric Cancer Moonshot grant, which came about after the cancer-related death of President Biden's son." ### Authors In addition to Liu and Davis, the paper's other authors at UNC include Siyuan Su, PhD, Jianfeng Chen, PhD, Yao Jiang, Ying Wang, PhD, Tamara Vital, Jiaming Zhang, MD, Zhichuan Zhu, PhD, Alex W. Prevatte, Natalie K. Barker, and Laura E. Herring, PhD. Christian Laggner and Kong T. Nguyen are at Atomwise Inc., San Francisco. This story has been published on: 2021-06-01. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-01 22:02:49|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close COLOMBO, June 1 (Xinhua) -- The Sri Lanka Navy said Tuesday that salvor team members boarded the burnt container ship X Press Pearl after completely dousing the blaze more than 10 days after the ship caught a fire. The navy said a team of navy divers were also inspecting the submerged parts of the ship for any external damage. The navy added that salvage operations were led by the Dutch company SMIT, which had sent fire-fighting tugs to assist the navy in the fire fighting operations. The X Press Pearl is registered under the flag of Singapore and was carrying 1,486 containers with 25 tons of nitric acid and several other chemicals and cosmetics from the port of Hazira, India, on May 15. The vessel sent out a distress call while being close to the Colombo Port on May 20, and soon caught fire resulting in the Sri Lankan Navy dispatching vessels to bring the flames under control. Sri Lanka's Criminal Investigations Department said on Monday that it had appointed a 10-member team of detectives to investigate the incidents surrounding the ship, while a court in Colombo on Tuesday issued orders preventing the captain, chief engineer and deputy chief engineer of the ship from leaving Sri Lanka. Last week Sri Lanka's Maritime Environmental Protection Authority (MEPA) said that a major environmental disaster was expected following the burning of the vessel and the impact was being assessed. General Manager of MEPA Terney Pradeep said the coastal line from the south along the west coast had debris washed ashore and the public had been strongly advised not to touch any of the debris as it could contain hazardous material. The government said a large amount of marine life had been killed as a result of the pollution from the ship. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-02 00:09:11|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ULAN BATOR, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia on Tuesday reopened its air border to resume international passenger flights after more than a year of closure because of the COVID-19 pandemic. "Our country is officially reopening its air border starting today," Tseden-Ish Ganzorig, head of the government's press office, said in a statement. However, people who have received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine will be only allowed to enter the country. Mongolia suspended international passenger flights in mid-February 2020 to prevent the spread of COVID-19. So far, Mongolia has registered 59,229 COVID-19 cases, with 297 deaths. Among all patients, 50,763 have recovered from the disease. The Asian country, with a population of around 3.3 million, reported its first imported COVID-19 case in March 2020 and confirmed its first locally transmitted case in November. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-01 09:47:23|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LONDON, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Prehistoric animal carvings have been discovered for the first time in Scotland, local cultural officials said Monday. Historic Environment Scotland (HES) reported prehistoric animal carvings, thought to be 4,000-5,000 years old, have been discovered for the first time in Scotland hidden inside Dunchraigaig Cairn in Kilmartin Glen, in Argyll, west of Glasgow. The carvings, thought to date to the Neolithic or Early Bronze Age, include depictions of two male red deer, which are considered to have been the largest deer species in Scotland during that period. Full-grown antlers can be seen on both animals, while anatomical details including a short tail can be seen on one. Three other quadrupeds are also visible, two of which are thought to be juvenile deer. Valuable as sources of meat, hides, and with bones and antlers used for a variety of tools, deer would have been very important to local communities during the Neolithic and Early Bronze Age, said the HES. "These are the earliest known animal carvings in Scotland, and the first clear examples of deer carvings from the Neolithic to Early Bronze Age in the whole of the UK," said a spokesperson for the HES. The carvings were discovered by chance by archaeologist Hamish Fenton while visiting Kilmartin Glen. The carvings are located inside Dunchraigaig Cairn on the capstone of an Early Bronze Age burial cist. Following Fenton's discovery, experts from Scotland's Rock Art Project examined the carvings to confirm their authenticity. "It was previously thought that prehistoric animal carvings of this date didn't exist in Scotland, although they are known in parts of Europe, so it is very exciting that they have now been discovered here for the first time in the historic Kilmartin Glen," said Tertia Barnett, principal investigator for Scotland's Rock Art Project at the HES. "While there are a few prehistoric carvings of deer in the UK, the only other ones created in the Early Bronze Age are very schematic. It is remarkable that these carvings in Dunchraigaig Cairn show such great anatomical detail and there is no doubt about which animal species they represent," Barnett noted. The Cairn, which is cared for by the HES, is 30 meters wide and contains three stone burial chambers. The third chamber, where the carvings are located, was dug directly into the ground, lined with drystone-cobbled walls and capped with an unusually large stone of over 3.5 meters long. The remains of up to 10 individuals, some cremated, were also discovered at the site when its was initially excavated in the 1860s, as well as artefacts including a whetstone. "Kilmartin Glen has one of the most important concentration of Neolithic and Bronze Age remains in mainland Scotland, including some of the finest cup and ring markings in the country," the HES said. "This is the first time that animal carvings of this date have been discovered in an area with cup and ring markings in the UK," it said. The cultural agency said there are over 3,000 prehistoric carved rocks in Scotland. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-01 14:25:37|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, June 1 (Xinhua) -- European countries demanded the United States and Denmark for an explanation as soon as possible on reports that the U.S. intelligence agency had used Danish infrastructure to spy on senior European officials, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The Danish Defense Intelligence Service (FE) has given the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) open internet access to spy on senior politicians of neighboring countries including Germany, Sweden, Norway, and France, Denmark's national broadcaster DR News reported on Sunday. Danish Minister of Defense Trine Bramsen responded to media reports by sending an email to DR News, saying that the government will not "enter into speculation about any intelligence matters from the press or others ... systematic wiretapping of close allies is unacceptable." French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that all must be clarified concerning reports on the U.S. spying and urged "complete transparency and resolution of the matter by our Danish and American partners." This "is unacceptable between allies, even less between allies and European partners," Macron was quoted by French daily Le Monde following a French-German council of ministers. Merkel said she "could only agree" with Macron's comments, adding she was "reassured" by Bramsen's condemnation of any such spying. Besides Merkel, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and the candidate for chancellor Peer Steinbrueck were among those the NSA had spied on, DR said. "It is grotesque that friendly intelligence services are indeed intercepting and spying on top representatives of other countries," Steinbrueck told German broadcaster ARD. "Politically I consider it a scandal." In Paris, French Minister for European Affairs Clement Beaune told France Info radio that the DR report needed to be checked and that, if confirmed, it would be a "serious" matter. "These potential facts, they are serious. They must be checked," he said, adding there could be "some diplomatic protests." "It is extremely serious, we need to see if our partners in the EU, the Danes, have committed errors or faults in their cooperation with American services," he noted. Jens Holm, a member of the Swedish Parliament, called on investigation into "who exactly was monitored, when and how." "This is extremely outrageous," Holms told local media, adding that the situation elicits memories of the Cold War. The governments of Norway and Sweden are pressing the Danish government and demanding immediate answers about the alleged NSA espionage through Danish cables. Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg said Norway had asked Denmark "for all the information they have." "It's unacceptable if countries which have close allied cooperation feel the need to spy on one another," Solberg told public broadcaster NRK. Norway's Defense Minister Frank Bakke-Jensen also told broadcaster NRK that the country takes the allegations seriously. Swedish Minister of Defense Peter Hultqvist said on state broadcaster SVT on Sunday that he "asked to be fully informed about matters concerning Swedish citizens, companies and interests." "And then we have to see how the answer sounds from a political side in Denmark," Hultqvist said, adding that he had been "in contact with Denmark's defense minister to ask if Danish platforms have been used to spy on Swedish politicians." Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-01 06:42:50|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HOUSTON, May 31 (Xinhua) -- The mayor of Tulsa, a city in the U.S. state of Oklahoma, where hundreds of Black people were killed 100 years ago, issued a statement on Monday, apologizing for the city's role in the massacre. "Tulsa's city government failed to protect Black Tulsans from murder and arson on the night of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, and from discrimination in subsequent decades," G.T. Bynum wrote in the statement posted online. "As the Mayor of Tulsa, I apologize for the city government's failure to protect our community in 1921 and to do right by the victims of the Race Massacre in its aftermath. The victims - men, women, young children - deserved better from their city, and I am so sorry they didn't receive it," read the statement. The city of Tulsa is commemorating the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre centennial on Monday with events and ceremonies to honor the victims. On the night of May 31, 1921, a white mob descended the prosperous, all-black neighborhood of Greenwood in north Tulsa. In less than 24 hours, the mob burned what had been known as "Black Wall Street" to the ground leaving more than 10,000 residents homeless. The exact death toll was not recorded, but an estimated 300 people died in the tragedy. Historians believed that mass graves could be located within the city where digging is conducted. Enditem Abuja The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) yesterday elected a new leadership led by Prof. Victor Emmanuel Osodeke, to pilot its affairs for the next two years. This was determined at the national delegates' conference of ASUU held in Awka, Anambra State. While Prof. Osodeke of the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, in Abia State was elected the president, Chris Piwuna, a consultant psychiatrist and Associate Professor in the College of Medicine, University of Jos, was elected vice president. Others are Prof. Siji Sowande (Treasurer); Prof. Ade Adejumo (Financial Secretary); Dr. Austen Sado (Investment Secretary); Dr. Adamu Babayo (Internal Auditor), and Dr. Stella-Maris Okey (Welfare Secretary). While Osodeke was former vice president to Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, the outgone president, Piwuna, before his election, was the Internal Auditor of ASUU and its former chairman in UNIJOS. The executive council of ASUU would however spend a maximum of four years as enshrined in the union's guidelines. opinion Adam Smith opined that there is no obligation for anyone to do good. Still, for society to survive, rules must be designed to deter individuals from harming each other. The Western world leaders have since adopted this notion, and it contributed to their accelerated growth. A very simple way of emulating such behaviour is to follow the rules when you know too much or even very little, regardless of one's position in society. It is worrisome when an elected official violates the law in our society because practising such behaviour is immoral, uncivil and undemocratic. The scarier part is observing some members of the society defending such reprehensible actions, knowing fully that a certain group is being harmed. History has shown that whenever members of society engage in a race to the bottom, they soon find there is no bottom and will keep racing down until they lose all moral bearings. Such behaviour could drift a society into a state of fascism and extremism. Putting this into context, last week's warning strike by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Kaduna State lasted for three days. The state was brought to a standstill as the airport, banks, hospitals, train station and many businesses were shut. It was tough for the residents. However, there was a sigh of relief when both parties were advised to return to the negotiating table. We wouldn't be discussing this topic if El-Rufai, the Kaduna State Governor, had not violated Section 20 of the Labour Act by dismissing thousands of employees in April. El-Rufai has been retrenching workers for six years now, and the activity is becoming insatiable for him. Regardless of the justification of this action, the outcome is only harming the vulnerable group of the society - the poor. Of course, one must try hard not to be offended by those defending El-Rufai's position, as we live in a society where people applaud politicians for spending public money. Notably, credit should also be given to the Nigerian Governor's Forum for not supporting El-Rufai's act of immorality. In an ideal world, the State Assembly would be investigating this inexcusable behaviour. Statistically speaking, evidence shows Kaduna residents are lagging in well-being despite the reported increase in internally generated revenue. In 2020, the National Bureau of Statistics reported that 40 per cent of Kaduna residents are unemployed. Its poverty rate is 44 per cent - above the national average. It is also the state with the second most unequal incomes in the country, with a Gini coefficient of 35.2 per cent. The picture will be grimmer if the underemployment figure is mentioned here. The data reminds us of Adam Smith's conception that no society can surely be thriving and happy if a large part of its population is poor and miserable. Primarily, state employees are dominated by the low-income group of the society, who commonly have many dependants. So, retrenching thousands of state employees should not be a policy to be considered if well-being is top of the government's agenda. Doing so will only increase the unemployment rate, which will increase the poverty rate. If the government had observed the effects on each major group in the state, it would have found that dismissing workers will mainly impact families with lower incomes. That means the poverty rate and inequality gap will increase--these are some of the factors that contributed to the country's uncontrollable insecurity challenges. El-Rufai had persistently argued that dismissing the workers is due to inefficiency, productivity and sustainability. But, of course, that does not warrant violating the Labour Act. Nonetheless, evidence has shown that inequality in society is the factor that reduces efficiency and productivity (see Stiglitz, 2012). And those who support his aberration often ignore the government's responsibilities to its citizens and the consequences of creating wider inequality in a society. Unlike a manager in the private sector whose social responsibility is to make a profit, a state governor's focus should be on the social welfare of his citizens. There are many states in the country with more public sector employees than Kaduna. But these states have not thought of sacking their employees due to unproductivity or inefficiency and are paying salaries on time. On the other hand, Kano, Zamfara, Bauchi, and many other states, which could not pay the minimum wage and were equally limited in creativity, decided to revert to the previous minimum wage. That is not plausible, but it is by miles a better option than creating more crisis in the country. From a public sector economics perspective, choosing between efficiency and inequality in society has always been debated. Some economists suggest that helping the poor should be prioritised above efficiency. That can be done by redistributing income which will minimise inequality in society. Others argue that the best way to help the poor is by increasing the size of society's resources so that everyone can have more. That means having both an efficient and productive economy, as well as increased equality. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. In the light of the above, a competent state governor should be creative enough to design a method that will increase the productivity level of all sectors in the state. For example, the employees could be assigned to work on the services contracted out. One can only conclude that El-Rufai's creative thinking abilities are very limited. His governance in Kaduna State is akin to running a private company that aims to generate profit for shareholders. That explains why he chose the easiest decision -- relieving workers of their duties, regardless of the potential consequences. In the grand scheme of things, the accidental public servant has learned very little about the protocols of the public sector after six years as an elected official. And he is yet to prove the Nigerian Senate wrong -- which declared him unfit to run a public office in 2008. Dr Nasir is a Senior Lecturer in Economics at Cardiff Metropolitan University Mr Chidari, with passport number, B50022050, was listed as number 66 on the list of 132 violators which was released and publicised on Thursday by the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19. The Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly, Hamisu Chidari, is one of more than 200 travellers who were recently declared 'wanted' by the Nigerian government for allegedly violating new protocols put in place to halt the spread of coronavirus in the country. Mr Chidari had reportedly returned to Nigeria via the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, from Saudi Arabia through an Ethiopian airline on May 17, 2021. He was, however, said to have reportedly presented a coronavirus test result "which was found to be fake" by the health authorities in Nigeria. Sources who are privy to the development but declined to be quoted, described the speaker's conduct as "embarrassing and condescending." One of the sources, who spoke with a PREMIUM TIMES on the phone, said; "From the airport, he was conveyed to the National Women Development Centre along with others where they were expected to be observed for seven days before they could be certified to be free to mingle with Nigerians. And if otherwise, they could be referred for further procedures. "But when the speaker got to the centre he said he did not like the place and offered to isolate himself at the Nicon Luxury Hotel in Abuja. But he never did. He betrayed the authority's trust by escaping to unknown whereabouts since that day and so he couldn't be observed." Mr Chidari, with passport number, B50022050, was listed as number 66 on the list of 132 violators which was released and publicised on Thursday by the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19. The committee is headed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha. The committee had earlier on May 23 published the first batch of the list of violators containing 90 names. The list had included some Indians who were declared as uncategorised violators. Attempts to reach speaker PREMIUM TIMES made numerous attempts to reach out to the speaker through official channels and associates for his comments but these were not fruitful. Also, the speaker does not have a spokesperson. But the spokesperson to the Kano State House of Assembly, Uba Abdullahi, who offered to help get his reaction said though he was unsure of the speaker's itinerary within the stipulated period, "he would have expected the committee to have called on the speaker personally before making public the allegation". On Sunday, Mr Abdullahi said he would reach out to the speaker "for his own side of the story" and promised to get back to PREMIUM TIMES. He is yet to do so as of Monday morning when this story was filed. He, however, said; "The presidential committee, since they are effective in all ramifications across the country, why didn't they call him first of all? And the subsequent issue is that since he came back from such a trip, why didn't you as a journalist 'corresponded' directly to him? So, now that is how many days that you said he did not respond, you are trying to respond." Mr Abdullahi later advised the reporter to visit him in Kano "directly so that we can talk." But when he was asked to reply via the telephone channel, the spokesman said he would try to find out the details from officials of the assembly "who might have the details of the information required". "But you should know that the parliamentary staff association is on strike and it would be difficult to get any official. So I will have to see the speaker himself, and also the clerk of the house. So I will get back to you," he added. SGF Meanwhile, when asked whether the committee reached out to the speaker before making public the allegation, the spokesman for the office of the SGF, Willy Bassey, said his office was only requested to make the list public. "I wouldn't know who are on the list, and I am not sure many people did. I think it only reflects the sincerity of the committee in executing the task," he said on the phone. The director of port health service at the federal ministry of health, Jeffery Okatubor, also declined comment on the matter, saying he would need to secure the approval of the ministry's permanent secretary before he could make any comment. Mr Chidari was elected the speaker on December 15, 2020 following the resignation of his predecessor, AbdlAziz Gafasa. New protocols On May 1, the Nigerian government issued a fresh travel advisory for passengers arriving the country from three countries that were described as "restricted" following the discovery of new variants and subsequent spike being recorded in the coronavirus infections in these nations. The countries are Brazil, Turkey and India. The protocol, which took effect on May 4, noted that "passengers arriving from/or that have visited any of these three countries within fourteen (14) days prior to the visit to Nigeria, are required to follow mandatory arrival quarantine and testing protocols in designated facilities." The precautionary measures, the committee said, were necessary steps aimed at mitigating the risk of importation of variants of concern and "break the chain of transmission to the population." But on May 23, the committee described as shocking, the decision by some identified travellers to evade the protocols. The statement read in part; "The Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) has, however, observed that while most of the arriving passengers dutifully observed the guidelines, some (Nigerians and foreigners) have violated them in contravention of the provisions of the CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) HEALTH REGULATIONS PROTECTION, 2021. Accordingly, the underlisted persons who arrived in Nigeria between 8th May 2021 and 15th May 2021 through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, and whose names and passport numbers are displayed, have been declared Persons of Interest (POI) on account of posing considerable danger to overall public health and for the violation of Nigeria COVID-19 travel protocol by evading the mandatory 7-day quarantine for persons arriving from restricted countries." The government, therefore, called on Nigerians to beware of the individuals, declaring them as persons of interest who "constitute an immediate health hazard to the society." "They must therefore transport themselves safely, to the nearest state public health departments within 48hrs of this notice for immediate evaluation and call the Port Health Services, Federal Ministry of Health on 08036134672 or 08032461990 for further directions," the statement added. 'Punishment awaiting offenders' Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Coronavirus Nigeria By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. The committee said the offenders would not be treated with kid gloves, accusing them of frustrating the efforts of committed Nigerians in the fight against the spread of the disease. The committee, therefore, said the concerned violators shall face regulatory sanctions including but not limited to, "disabling their travel passports for a period not less than one year; cancelation of visas or permits of foreigners that have abused our hospitality; and prosecution under the 2021 Health Protection Regulations." Lagos blows hot Meanwhile, the Lagos State government has reeled out punishment awaiting the identified offenders who reportedly entered the state through the Muritala Muhammed International Airport. Addressing journalists at the weekend, the state's commissioner for health, Akin Abayomi, said any Nigerian found on the list would have his or her passport deactivated for a minimum of one year, and in the case of foreigners, their resident permits would be withdrawn and that they would be deported. Mr Abayomi added that all the violators would also face the penalties of the Coronavirus Pandemic Law 2021 of Lagos State, which could lead to one-year imprisonment term and a fine of N500,000. He said; "We have isolated 433 passengers in our various accredited hotels and facilities; 262 are in isolation and 154 passengers have been discharged with a negative COVID-19 test. Nine have tested positive and successfully isolated to prevent community transmission. Of the remaining 135 passengers, 119 have refused isolation and 16 are unaccounted for. "The families of those that have refused to be isolated should appeal to their loved ones to return for testing and isolation." Lagos State Government has revealed that since the commencement of the new guidelines and the ban on non-Nigerians travelling from three countries, India, Brazil, and Turkey, into Nigeria, nine passengers into the state have tested positive for COVID-19 and successfully isolated to prevent community transmission. Meanwhile, out of the 568 in-bound passengers, who have been permitted to enter Nigeria from those three countries, 119 have refused isolation and 16 are unaccounted for. Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, disclosed this while giving an update on COVID-19 response, vaccination strategy and implementation of new guidelines. According to Abayomi, "Since the commencement of the new guidelines and the ban, Lagos State has recorded 568 in-bound passengers, who have been permitted to enter Nigeria from these three countries. "We have isolated 433 passengers in our various accredited hotels and facilities; 262 are in Isolation and 154 passengers have been discharged with a negative COVID-19 test. "Nine have tested positive for COVID-19 and successfully isolated to prevent community transmission. Of the remaining 135 passengers, 119 have refused isolation and 16 are unaccounted for." While frowning at the act of passenger absconding, Abayomi, urged the families of those that have refused to be isolated to appeal to their loved ones to return for testing and isolation to avoid being sanctioned. The commissioner recalled that on May 24, 2021, the Presidential Steering Committee led by Mr. Boss Mustapha in collaboration with the COVID-19 response in Lagos State, led by the Incident Commander, the Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, published the first list of defaulters of the laid down protocols travelling through the Murtala Mohammed International Airport as it relates to the red-listed countries India, Brazil and Turkey. Speaking on the coronavirus Act and Sanctions, Abayomi stressed," Whilst the State has gone through great lengths to provide a seamless experience for passengers, it is important that the passengers adhere strictly to the laid-out protocols to avoid sanctions which may include penalties and/or prison time as laid out by the Lagos State House of Assembly and to be implemented by the Attorney General of the State. "The new Coronavirus Act of 2021 empowers Mr. Governor to quarantine anyone he deems fit and for any period of time. The act also empowers him to sanction erring individuals with fines of up to N500,000 and/or imprisonment of up to 5 years. According to the act, providing false or deliberately misleading information when filling out the online platform is an offence punishable by 1-year imprisonment and/or fines according to Section 17 of the Coronavirus Pandemic law 2021. "According to Section 17 of same, if passengers break the quarantine rules, they may be required to pay the stipulated fine and/or 1-year imprisonment. All passengers are advised to avoid the long arm of the law and act in good conscience by adhering to the guidelines to protect the lives and livelihood of all Lagos residents." While also urging all affected passengers to contact the lead Case Management Unit, Dr. Abimbola Bowale, on bimbobowale@gmail.com to verify their status, the commissioner added that the list of names who might have been mistakenly placed on the list and have been cleared would be sent to the Presidential Steering Committee for removal from the published names. "However, all passengers that have been confirmed absconders will have their passports deactivated for a minimum of 1 year, if Nigerian and if foreign, will have their resident permits cancelled and deported as stated by the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19. "All absconders will also face the penalties of the Coronavirus Pandemic Law 2021 of Lagos State, including varying lengths of prison time up to one year and fines of up to N500,000. All affected passengers are to present themselves to the Yaba Mainland Hospital for assessment and COVID-19 tests to evaluate their status," Abayomi maintained. On the implementation of mandatory isolation for travelers, he explained, "Lagos State accounts for more than 95 percent of the in-bound passengers into the country and, as such, the state government has set up a system as well as protocols to manage in-bound passengers from all countries, especially countries where variants are actively circulating. "Lagos State Government is working closely with Federal Airports Authority and Agencies. We have set up structures that will ease the passenger journey by modifying the Lagos State booking platform to provide several hotels that have been accredited by our Accreditation Agencies for passengers arriving from India, Brazil, or Turkey. "Lagos State medical personnel have been posted to these hotels to support the management of passengers of interest in situations that the passengers might need some medical care. "Passengers with medical conditions should elect to stay at our isolation centre in Yaba Mainland Hospital or at the Gbagada Isolation Centre as these facilities have additional amenities to provide medical care, if required." Abayomi stressed that that logistics services with security have been provided through logistics partner to transport passengers from the airport to their individual hotels at no additional costs. On the update on Covid-19 response in the state, Abayomi, revealed that as at May 27, 2021, the state had tested 495,339 COVID-19 samples, with 58,975 of the samples confirmed positive. 54,426 recovered in community and 274 are active in the community adding that of the 58,975 confirmed cases, 356 deaths were, unfortunately, recorded amounting to a death rate of 0.6 per cent. On COVID-19 vaccination strategy, Abayomi explained, "On Friday, May 28, 2021, we commenced the administration of the second dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID vaccine. Given the requirement for achieving herd immunity (60% of the total population vaccinated), Lagos State still needs to vaccinate about14 a million people to reach this target, as is actively happening in many parts of the world, to collectively eradicate this global pandemic. "Therefore, the government is considering several channels, including discussions with the Federal Government and the Private Sector, to ramp up the vaccination numbers. "The administration of the second dose is in continuation of Phase 1 COVID vaccination that started on March 12, 2021. For anyone to be fully vaccinated, two doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID vaccine are required with an interval of 6-12 weeks. The second dose will be administrated on working days (Monday to Friday) across our approved 88 health facilities till the 9th of July 2021." The commissioner, therefore, urged citizens who have received their first dose to proceed to the health facilities where they got their first dose on their scheduled appointment dates, which are clearly stated on the vaccination card that was issued. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Coronavirus By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. He also advised them to avoid overcrowding and overwhelming the health workers by staggering their arrival at the vaccination site from between 8 am to 1 pm. Abayomi reiterated that every vaccinated person should visit the health facility where they got their first dose with their vaccination cards so that the process is seamless, and their data accurately captured. He also urged all persons who visit the health facilities to continue to adhere to the infection prevention and control measures to mitigate the spread of the virus. "We must continue to wear our face masks in public, avoid large crowds and practise good hand and respiratory hygiene until about 60% of our population has been vaccinated to achieve herd immunity," the commissioner stated. However, as part of the strategies to curb the third wave, Abayomi said the state government will carry out the following activities: Ramp up testing and ensure all travelers carry out COVID-19 tests, introduce new PCR tests to determine variants of the virus for confirmed positives cases and those that turn out to be positive for variants will be subjected to a mandatory 14-day quarantine or till they clear the virus, utilizing EKOTELEMED to monitor confirmed cases and provide telemedicine services. Others on life: "Enforce Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions, that is, hand washing, social distancing, thresholds for public gathering, discourage super spreader events. ramping up its oxygen supply and logistics management, apply the new guidelines as published by the COVID-19 Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) for all inbound travelers into the country from India, Brazil and Turkey, among others. press release A new Tobacco Cessation Clinic was inaugurated, today, at Dr Yves Cantin Community Hospital in Black River, by the Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Kailesh Kumar Singh Jagutpal, in the context of World No Tobacco Day 2021. The theme for this year is Commit to quit. A video clip and a poster were also launched on this occasion. The Minister of Land Transport and Light Rail, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade, Mr Alan Ganoo, the World Health Organisation Representative in Mauritius, Dr Laurent Musango, as well as other eminent personalities were present at the event. In a statement, Minister Jagutpal highlighted that there were previously seven Tobacco Cessation Clinics around the island and the one inaugurated in Black River will enable medical staff to better help persons in the region who want to quit smoking. All facilities and necessary counselling will be available at the clinic so as to encourage and enable people who have the will to quit smoking to do so, he remarked. Moreover, Dr Jagutpal pointed out that, each year in Mauritius, there are more than 1 000 persons who pass away due to health problems directly linked with tobacco, such as cardiovascular diseases and different types of cancers. He indicated that, as there is currently a rejuvenation in the Mauritian smoking population, his Ministry is currently working on regulations, in particular concerning cigarette packaging, so as to make them less appealing to discourage citizens from smoking. For his part, Minister Ganoo commended the Ministry of Health and Wellness for having inaugurated a new Tobacco Cessation Clinic as the inhabitants of the nearby regions will now be able to avail of the services of professionals to quit smoking. He further appealed to inhabitants of Black River, the youth in particular, to be more health conscious while staying away from tobacco, and to make full use of the facilities at their disposal so as to quit smoking. As for Dr Musango, he stated that this new Tobacco Cessation Clinic will respond to the needs of the population in the region. He emphasised that quitting smoking is mainly an individual responsibility, as Government can put necessary facilities in place but smokers must have the will to quit above all. He also stressed that Government must find a way to combat the illicit sale of cigarettes and advertising from tobacco manufacturers who are now targeting a younger population. Blog Washington, DC The COVID-19 pandemic will not truly end until everyone has access to vaccines, including people in the poorest countries. Worldwide vaccination offers the best hope for stopping the spread of infections, saving lives, and protecting livelihoods. People cannot reach their potential until they can again study, work, travel, and socialize in the confident knowledge that they are safe from COVID-19. The current approach to COVID-19 vaccination using limited vaccine supplies to protect low-risk populations in a handful of countries while low- and middle-income economies wait indefinitely for doses doesnt make sense for anyone. A successful global vaccination effort must be equitable, and it must stand on three pillars. Distributing vaccines more widely is thus an urgent necessity. The pandemic has worsened inequality by hitting the poorest and most vulnerable the hardest. In developing countries, women, children, the poor, and informal-sector workers have paid an extremely high price as COVID-19 took away livelihoods, closed classrooms, and prevented urgent social spending. Delays in starting vaccination rollouts in developing countries are deepening global inequality and leaving hundreds of millions of elderly and vulnerable people at risk. I continue to urge countries with sufficient vaccine supplies to release their additional doses as soon as possible to developing countries that have delivery programs in place . Some countries have gone well beyond vaccinating their most at-risk citizens. But many others have yet to receive any doses, much less administer them widely to the vulnerable. Many of the poorest countries have limited vaccination capacity, and will require several months to immunize a large share of the most at-risk groups. This illogical approach using limited vaccine supplies in a handful of countries while low- and middle-income economies wait indefinitely for doses doesnt make sense for anyone. More lives will be lost, global economic growth will be more unequal, and even countries with high vaccination rates will be more at risk from novel coronavirus variants than they would be if developing countries had greater access to vaccines. The longer it takes to achieve broad vaccination of the vulnerable, the higher the risk of extreme poverty in 2021 and 2022 , which in turn will invite future health and social crises. "Delays in starting vaccination rollouts in developing countries are deepening global inequality and leaving hundreds of millions of elderly and vulnerable people at risk." Conducting a large-scale vaccination campaign is a major undertaking for any country, but the logistics are particularly challenging for countries with limited resources and fragile health systems. The ongoing COVID-19 disaster in India and the surge of infections and deaths in Latin America are grim reminders that the pandemic is as bad as ever for many of the worlds poor. A successful global vaccination effort must stand on three pillars . First, countries with an adequate vaccine supply should immediately release doses to the vulnerable worldwide. This may mean exercising options and guiding vaccines to other countries, or making clear to manufacturers that they can quickly send supplies without exposing themselves to legal risk. Or it could involve actually fulfilling funding commitments to the COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access (COVAX) facility set up by the international community to allocate doses equitably to poorer countries. The World Bank already has board-approved financing available in 22 developing countries, with several dozen more expected by mid-year under the fast-track process we used for emergency COVID-19 assistance in 2020. This $12 billion can facilitate rapid vaccine deployment through national health systems and pay for vaccine purchases and shipments if needed. Standardized, transparent contracts that arrange for fair and equitable distribution are crucial. If vaccine supplies pass through COVAX, which envisions immunizing the most vulnerable 20% of countries populations, World Bank financing can be used to help with distribution and to purchase additional supplies to vaccinate more people. Second, we need greater transparency regarding contracts between governments, pharmaceutical companies, and organizations involved in vaccine production and delivery so that financing can be directed effectively, and countries can plan for receipt and deployment. This is also critical to enable the private-sector investments that will be needed to expand supply. In that spirit, this week the World Bank is launching a comprehensive online portal that provides easy access to information about our projects, including individual country-financing operations. The portal will also incorporate what has been learned from vaccine-readiness assessments we helped undertake with over 140 countries over the last half-year, working closely with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the Global Fund, the World Health Organization, and UNICEF. Thus, the Banks online portal is also an invitation to vaccine manufacturers, purchasers, and intermediaries to follow suit, and another plea to those controlling the supply of approved vaccines to release them to safe, well-funded deployment programs. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Africa Coronavirus International Organisations By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. The third pillar is increased vaccine production. The International Finance Corporation, the World Bank Groups private-sector arm, has invested over $800 million in health care, including in vaccine manufacturers . And it currently has another $1.2 billion in the pipeline through the Global Health Platform, a $4 billion financing mechanism created to help meet the immediate need for vaccines, medical equipment, and health services. The IFC is actively engaging with governments and companies on early-stage development of commercially viable pharmaceutical manufacturing projects, including for COVID-19 vaccines. The pandemic has overwhelmed health systems worldwide, even in the most developed countries. We must now strengthen them, not just to cope with the vaccination effort, but also to prevent and treat COVID-19 and ensure the full range of essential health services. The global COVID-19 vaccination campaign will be the largest in history unprecedented in scale, speed, and complexity. Our goal must be to carry it out as quickly, broadly, and safely as possible; learn from what worked and what didnt; and boost preparedness and resilience for future crises. This op-ed was originally published on Project Syndicate. announcement Abuja Following is a statement issued by Professor Kingsley Chiedu Moghalu What is the value of a Nigerian life? We live daily today in the shadow of terrorists. Our economy is collapsing. Many families cannot afford the price of food. Millions of young men and women have no jobs and have no hope. Our university students know more about ASUU strikes and long school closures than any skills they need to be competitive in the world of the 21st century. Only the rich and powerful can access quality healthcare in our country or abroad as medical tourists, because our health system, like most other systems, is broken. I lost my father, Isaac Moghalu, in December 1998 because he had a stroke but the doctors were on strike, and therefore we could not get him adequate healthcare on time. Soon after we found a private clinic and moved him there, he went into a coma and passed on shortly afterwards. I was heartbroken. Today, 23 years later, not much has changed. Like many, I have suffered personally the effects of bad governance in our country. With life in it increasingly nasty, brutish and short, the very idea of Nigeria is now almost meaningless to many Nigerians. Cries for self-determination fill the air in response to fundamental injustice. Meanwhile, politics in Nigeria does not bring change, and its benefits go to only one group the political elite. Their message is loud and clear: we the people you and I DO NOT matter. The bodies of Nigerians are buried in cold corners of foreign cemeteries, strewn across the Sahara desert, and float in the Mediterranean Sea as a consequence of a non-existent leadership. Our country can no longer speak confidently in the gathering of nations. Life as ordained by our Creator, that we may experience His Goodness in this land of the living, has eluded us as a people. Only the emergence of visionary, competent and inclusive national leadership, on the one hand, and a fundamental restructuring of Nigeria based on a new people's constitution, on the other, can arrest Nigeria's ongoing disorderly and violent degeneration into a completely failed state. We were not born to be miserable and to die miserable. Enough is Enough! It is now more than ever necessary that we elect in 2023 a leader who is TRULY committed and has the capacity to initiate the constitutional restructuring of Nigeria. A leader who is competent to secure our lives and property, successfully manage our diversity, save our economy, and restore our international respect. For the sake of the youth of our countryincluding my four childrenwhose future is being drowned in reckless foreign borrowing, and for the sake of all Nigerians suffering and seeking a clear alternative to the status quo, I intend, with all humility, to present myselfagainas a candidate for the Office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the 2023 general elections. If elected, I will run a government with a dream team of highly competent Nigerians from all parts of our country. Along with strengthened, independent institutions, we will deliver results on a 4-point agenda in four years (4 by 4): Security for all Nigerians and Nigeria's territory War against poverty: skills, jobs for our youth, and an innovation economy Accelerated education and healthcare reform Good Governance: Inclusive, transparent, effective and accountable. This is my SWAG Agenda for a 21st century Nigeria. I seek the support of all compatriotsof everyone who is tired of our present national situation. We also need the energy and support of the youth, the middle class, entrepreneurs, and our compatriots in the diaspora. These important segments of our population have in the past been reluctant to engage actively in our electoral process, ostensibly because of the flaws in that process. The National Assembly must now pass into law, with no further delay, necessary electoral reforms that will make democracy yield real dividends for Nigerians. Our votes must count and be counted transparently. The amendments should include a provision for Diaspora Nigerians to be able to register and vote in all elections in Nigeria from abroad. I am only one face of a movement. A movement of silent and suffering Nigerians fed up with the insecurity, poverty, and a seemingly hopeless future for our country. A movement that has decided that Enough is Enough. That movement, soon to be present in our numbers in every voting ward in Nigeria, will announce within the next few months the political party we will join en masse and seek its platform for the presidential, legislative and gubernatorial roles in governance. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. We can do this. We can change Nigeria. Together, let us walk this road to a Nigeria that, within 30 years of successive administrations, will have achieved the kind of economic and technological advancement attained by countries such as Israel, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates within similar timeframes. It is possible. We only need to participate actively in the democratic process and vote right when the time comes. We the Nigerian people matter. We the Nigerian people deserve better. Let's do this. Because we can and we must. Kingsley Chiedu Moghalu, Ph.D. OON FCIB Ifekaego of Nnewi Kingdom PRESS ENQUIRIES Mr. Jide Akintunde (Interviews) Spokesman, Moghalu4Nigeria 2023 Email: jide@moghalu4nigeria.org Tel: +234 802 343 9098 Mr. Nduka Nwosu (Interview Requests) Special Adviser, Media & Publicity, Moghalu4Nigeria 2023 Email: media@moghalu4Nigeria.org Tel: +234 805 680 0619 WEBSITES www.moghalu4nigeria.org www.kingsleymoghalu.com A caricature of Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, known as IBK, being thrown off a chair by a soldier. While world leaders have condemned the coups in Mali, they have been less critical of the one last month in Chad The arrest of the Malian transitional president, Bah Ndaw, and his prime minister, Moctar Ouane, last Monday triggered a transatlantic diplomatic uproar that raised questions about democratic progress in Africa. The acting vice president of Mali, Assimi Goita, stripped the duo of their powers after leading the nation's second coup d'etat in nine months. Messrs Ndaw and Ouane have since been freed, but the junta leader, Mr Goita, has assumed the presidency after a constitutional court declared him as transitional president on Friday. The coup provoked swift international condemnations from global authorities. The African Union, the Economic Community of West African States and the United Nations swiftly denounced what officials cast as unjust arrests, calling for the release of Messrs N'Daw and Ouane. So did U.S. officials and French President Emmanuel Macron, who threatened sanctions against the "putschists" and described the event as a "coup d'etat within a coup d'etat." Nigeria's federal government said the military's action was "totally unacceptable and might derail the peace building efforts and timetable for the return of democratic governance in Mali." Many observers believe that the tepid reaction and obvious justification given to last month's coup in Chad emboldened the Malian military to strike again. The African Union has shown itself to be incapable in principles, Jibrin Ibrahim, a professor and policy analyst, said. "It has lost its zero tolerance policy towards coup d'etat and this will definitely encourage the phenomenon of coup d'etat in the continent. "The Union didn't condemn the Chadian coup and it's clear because Moussa Faki, head of the African Union was put in that position by Deby and therefore has vested interest in protecting his family as well," Mr Ibrahim said. An ECOWAS mission was in Bamako to meet with the various protagonists on Sunday and push for coup reversal. But Mali's international partners know that sanctions couldfurther destabilise the nation of 19 million people, which has been battling armed groups since 2012. "The same way General Abacha, effectively the vice-chair of Shonekan's interim government, shoved off his chair in 1993, is the same way the vice-president of Mali's transitional government, a colonel, is supplanting his own interim president," Femi Mimiko, a professor of political science, said. "These interim craps don't seem to endure," he added. As in August 2020, ECOWAS could suspend Mali from its institutions and impose economic sanctions that weigh heavily on Malian decision-makers' minds. But these measures also hurt the Malian population and risk aggravating internal tensions, potentially leading the population to resent the external intervention. "The issue in Mali is very problematic because the Jihadists 'effect has been very strong for over a decade now," Mr Ibahim explained. "There is a lot of fear that a power squabble will weaken the capacity of the Malian state and create opportunity for the jihadists to be even stronger in action." The swift reaction by the international community was expected last April when a junta seized power in Chad after the death of President Idriss Deby who ruled for 30 years. Mr Deby died from injuries sustained while fighting with rebel groups, a day after he won sixth term reelection. Rather than follow the constitutional provision that mandates the speaker of the parliament to hold office for 40 days in the case of the death of the president, the army dissolved the Chadian parliament, suspended the constitution and named Mr Idris' son, Mahamat Kaka, interim president of the country. PREMIUM TIMES reported how President Buhari and other world leaders refused to condemn the coup. Mr Buhari, instead, maintained that Nigeria will assist Chad to stabilise and return to constitutional orderr. "Chad is a very strategic country for France," Mr Ibrahim noted. "When Deby died, they wanted to maintain that relationship and therefore supported his son to take over." But in doing so, Mr Ibrahim said, "they were being hypocritical since there is a policy of zero tolerance for change of power through unconstitutional means. "It is clear that what happened in Chad was a coup but they decided not to act on that." How did Mali get to this stage? Since 1960, when Mali gained independence from France, there have been five coups -- and only one peaceful transition from one democratically elected president to another. The 2012 coup was a surprise, however, because for 20 years Mali had been viewed as a model for emerging democracies and presidential elections were just weeks away. Since then, coups seem to have again become commonplace. The country has been roiled by an ongoing political crisis. Military officers and political leaders are elbowing one another for political control. On Monday, military officers, angry with a government reshuffle, arrested Messrs Ndaw and Ouane. The two were taken to the military base in Kati, a community close to Bamako, the country's capital city. The duo resigned their positions on Wednesday according to a spokesperson for the military junta, known as the National Committee for the Salvation of the People (CNSP). Mr Goita, who also led last year's coup, said the men had unveiled a new government without his input -- without two members of the junta that toppled Mali's previous government -- and had therefore violated the country's transition agreement. The transition government was installed last September under international pressure with the task of steering the country back to full civilian rule within 18 months, but its appointments were heavily influenced by the military. Mr Goita, on Friday, explained that the army had little choice but to intervene. "We had to choose between disorder and cohesion within the defence and security forces, and we chose cohesion," he said. Slow reforms, a crumbling economy and decrepit public services and schools, along with a widely shared perception of government corruption, have also fed Mali, sparking large protests in the capital, Bamako, last year. "Real threat to the stability of countries within and around the Sahel (and that includes Nigeria) is almost palpable," Mr Mimiko said, adding that, "the bad guys operating across the region are fired up with their takedown of Idris Derby of Chad. "It is expected they would want to ramp up their acts. A more interventionist France is the only realistic bulwark against the region's takeover by these rampaging extremists," he told PREMIUM TIMES. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Chad Nigeria Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Nigeria and France united in condemning the Mali coup but had both kept mum on Chad's power seizure last April. A certain opinion, however, has been formed by supporters of the junta who believe that the current situation comes down to a confrontation of two divergent points of view. The first, according to Boubacar Haidara, represented by the arrested executive, is seen as beholden to the interests of France - the publication of the new cabinet came barely 48 hours after Mr Ndaw's return from Paris. The second, representing the junta, opposes the influence of Mali's former coloniser, promoting instead a rapprochement with Russia. "Chad is a very strategic country for France and her weapons ally in the fight against violent extremism," Mr Ibrahim said. "It has the most effective army in West and Central Africa. "In 2012, the Islamic jihadists wanted to take over Bamako, it was essentially France and Chad that were able to resist them. Chad sent 2,000 soldiers while Nigeria that used to could only send 500. "Both in Nigeria and Niger, the Chadian army, when they decided to help, have been very effective against Boko Haram," Mr Ibrahim added. If other world leaders speak from the two sides of their mouths in reaction to the coups in Chad and Mali, Nigeria should normally not be among them. This is because complacency could be costly. The two countries are Nigeria's close neighbours up north and their political stability is key to the interest of Nigeria. Likewise, because all three countries are united in their fight against insurgency, turning a blind eye to a military takeover in any of them may send the wrong signals. Nigeria certainly would not want to risk that. Filling stations in the state were closed because of IPOB's sit-at-home order. Black marketers on major streets of Abakaliki cashed in on the sit-at-home order by the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) on Monday to make brisk business. They sold the premium motor spirit, otherwise called petrol, for between N200 and N350 per litre, following the closure of filling stations in the city due to the IPOB order. In separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), a cross-section of the hawkers expressed happiness over the development. Chidi Onu, who said he "made good business", frowned at the restriction on business activities by IPOB. "Well, it is not my fault that these things are happening. It is high time we sat on a roundtable as citizens to discuss many issues affecting us as a nation. "Yes, the IPOB order has favoured me. I only came out to sell and have something for my family," Mr Onu, who said he sold a litre for between N250 and N300, said. Another hawker at Mile 50 Layout, Abakaliki, Sunday Enyinna, said he sold a litre for between N200 and N350, depending on the bargaining power of the buyer. A tricycle operator, Clement Chikaodiri, decried the development, describing it as wicked and sheer exploitation of the masses. "It is worrisome. Look at me buying a litre of fuel for N300. That is too much. I have driven round the town and no filling station is open," Mr Chikaodiri said. NAN reported that the high cost of petrol by the roadside hawkers resulted in sharp increase in transport fares by more than 100 per cent. (NAN) The incident occurred on Monday while the soldiers were returning from Marti, a town in Borno State to Maiduguri, the state capital. At least seven soldiers of the Nigerian Army have been killed by an improvised explosive device planted by Boko Haram terrorists, in Borno state, Nort-east Nigeria, PREMIUM TIMES can exclusively report. The latest attack came less than a week after the appointment of a new Chief of Army Staff, Farouk Yahaya. Mr Yahaya, a major general, was appointed last Thursday following the death of the former army chief, Ibrahim Attahiru, in a plane crash recently. According to sources familiar with the situation, a senior military officer and four other soldiers were severely injured by the explosive. The incident , which occurred at about 10:15am on Monday , is one amongst the many traps the terrorists have used against the military, security sources said. The officer, a colonel, whose name was not given, was said to have been on his way from Marti, a town in Borno State to the state capital, Maiduguri, together with his 11 soldiers in a gun truck. The wounded personnel were later moved to a military hospital in Maiduguri. Serial Attacks Troops of the Nigerian Armed forces have suffered many attacks from the Boko Haram terrorists. Groups like Boko Haram and the Islamic State's West Africa Province have terrorised Nigeria's North-east geopolitical zone for more than a decade. This has led to the death of thousands of soldiers and civilians and has displaced thousands of residents. Despite repeated attacks on troops and vulnerable citizens, the government has continued to claim that the terrorists have been defeated. This latest offering of short stories, while mostly light hearted and irreverent, still succeeds in tackling important issues such as feminism, notions of harmful masculinity and more. It is Khumalo at his best. By the time the provocatively titled Bitches' Brew garnered him international attention in 2006, Fred Khumalo was already an established journalist and columnist. He had built a life shaped around the dreams of a young man who imagined a future steered by the pen while in high school in Mpumalanga Township in Hammarsdale, KwaZulu-Natal. The same year would see the release of his autobiography, Touch My Blood, to further acclaim. The novel is a dramatic, touching and funny love story about a former amateur musician of dubious character, Bra Zakes, and his object of lust and (somewhat resentful) affection, Lettie the Shebeen Queen. Drawing its title and quality from the iconic Miles Davis album, it shared the European Union Literary Award with the similarly thought-provoking and intense Ice in the Lungs by Gerald Kraak, the renowned social justice activist who died in 2014. In his autobiography, Khumalo tells a vivid story of his youth during the violent 1980s. He highlights how he, his friends and abogrootman (big men) sucked what little marrow they could out of the bones life threw at them. They created joy and continued to dream despite the often questionable lifestyle choices they made and the political climate at the time. From these initial books, Khumalo launched himself as a prolific writer. He has continued to churn out novels, short stories and satirical essays alongside his take on life, sex and politics in columns published in national English and isiZulu newspapers and hilarious Facebook posts in the years that have followed. Khumalo has range. He has taken on politics with Zulu Boy Gone Crazy: Hilarious Tales Post Polokwane and #ZuptasMustFall. He has taken on social issues too - particularly the realities impoverished and working communities face - in the anthology Talk of the Town and in his contribution to the Niq Mhlongo-edited Black Tax. He went beyond nostalgia in the historical novels Dancing the Death Drill and The Longest March. The former was adapted for theatre audiences in the United Kingdom and Australia. Khumalo is also a recipient of Harvard University's Nieman Fellowship, is currently a PhD candidate in creative writing at the University of Pretoria and serves as adjunct professor at the University of South Africa. It is justifiable, then, to imagine his professional and academic life as "a coat of many colours": admirable, enviable and almost unbelievable, as if touched by the supernatural. Meaningfully, the phrase is the title of his latest work. Nine tales, many lives In the collection of tales that make up A Coat of Many Colours - nine in total - Khumalo renders familiar plots and characters in such stories as Let the Music Play On, which spins on themes of teenage bullying, racism and aspirational social mobility. Yet he also confounds even the most imaginative of minds, juxtaposing hilarity and violence by delving into masculine fears of impotence and the potency of muthi in Mr Big Stuff. In the story, a cocky Harry is worried that seeking help from the Men's Clinic will expose his erectile dysfunction problem to an unsympathetic public. One day, he accompanies his friend, the mayor of Johannesburg, on a visit to Zimbabwean asylum seekers seeking refuge in a church. Here, he meets an elderly magician who helps him with his problem in exchange for immigration papers. Harry agrees but arrogantly fails to keep up his end of the bargain; magic and drama ensue. "This was meant to be a playful take on our macho culture; on toxic masculinity," the writer says over email. "But the story soon grew wings and wrestled itself out of my hands and beat its wings furiously into a very dark corner of the world. I lost control of it... I really do not know how I lost control of that story; and why I refused to bring it back under control. But I love it for what it is. It is irreverent, unpredictable, and oh so juicy!" This clash of personal needs and desires, with social demands and circumstances, are examined in the anthology's title story. Here the protagonist, Charity, is caught between satisfying tradition while disregarding attendant problems and risks. In a ritual slaughter she must partake in, she has to drink from a communal calabash. This in the year of Covid-19. Also participating in the ritual are vulnerable members of her community (including her elderly father). Khumalo explains, "The story is a simple commentary on the 'generation gap' - how each generation responds to crises that it is faced with. I decided to bring Covid to the centre of the story for the obvious reason that it has in many ways brought the debate between young and old, new and old, to the fore." Jamludi, on the other hand, is a morality tale in which Khumalo airs issues of greed and the dangers associated with eating meat. Jamludi is an inhlabi (a butcher) hired by the narrator's mother to conduct the ritual slaughter of a bull named De Klerk in honour of her late husband. Despite his objection to being addressed by a woman, he takes on the job. At this point in the story, Khumalo notes his reference to outspoken Egyptian feminist Mona Eltahawy. "The Mkhize woman is, on the face of it, traditional and 'obedient'. Her version of feminism might not be the same brand that many of us are exposed to through the works of Mona. But it is feminism nevertheless." His use of prominent names is intentional - their messages "resonate with the story". He explains: "De Klerk is a toxic character who presented himself as the servant of the South African nation. He is exactly like this bull which fakes acquiescence, only to turn the tables on the experienced inhlabi." Born of anger and frustration Black Betty's Blues and Smooth Operator are literary acts of pulling the trigger as self-defence and as revenge, in response to gender-based violence (GBV), rape and human trafficking. They are realistic horror stories that occur too often in the story of human power relations across time and scales, ranging from the intimate to the national and global. "[The stories] were born out of anger and frustration," Khumalo says. "I was drowning under the deluge of horror stories of GBV, the murder of women and children, the relentless scourge of rape. The stories came from a dark, dark place." Khumalo does not spare the reader from these "horrors". The daughter of a Nigerian father and Zimbabwean mother is jailed after defending herself from xenophobic attacks. Her luck turns even worse when the superintendent, who is part of a human-trafficking syndicate, and ironically named Modjadji (the rain queen), makes it rain hell for her. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines South Africa Entertainment By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. The scenes of violence are breathtaking, leaving the reader with many questions. In extreme cases of violence, are perpetrators irredeemable, for example? Is revenge justified years after the incident, as demonstrated in the case of Khadija in the story Smooth Operator? Always searching There is a familiar character who has starred more than once in Fred Khumalo's short stories, who again makes an appearance in this collection. This character speaks to the writer's approach. His name is Vusi. He is young, naive but well-meaning. He is a suburban boy in A Coat of Many Colours. But his meaning for the writer lies deeper. Vusi is also Fred's second name. Is Vusi his alter ego? "Well spotted; Vusi is my alter ego!" Khumalo replies. "I try to make him naive for the simple reason that as a writer I am always bumbling about in this arena called life; always asking questions, always stumbling into beautiful truths about life; only to realise that that is not the end of the journey, but only the beginning. Vusi is always searching, searching... . I can't remember when I decided to use this gimmick/ploy, but it seems to work for me. I'm always searching, questioning." What connects the stories in Coat of Many Colours and Khumalo's larger body of work is his familiar ability to code-switch. He speaks the language of his diverse audience while at the same time cultivating a particular style of his own. The book bears the mark of a writer and journalist who is an active observer of the world around him. Skilfully combining a cosmopolitan African humour with an ability to connect isolated people and locales with global history and time, A Coat of Many Colours is a bold addition to a relatively prolific bibliography that is thought provoking while stimulating the reader's imagination. The government has rejected a request by late Zimdancehall chanter, Soul Jah Love's family to hold his memorial service amid fears of the spread of the deadly Indian Covid-19 variant. On 14 May, the family of Soul Jah Love, born Soul Muzavazi Musaka, wrote to the government requesting a memorial service in his honour. Soul Jah Love died aged 31 in February this year and was conferred liberation hero status before his burial at the Warren Hills Cemetery in Harare, which was attended by thousands of people mostly youths despite Covid-19 restrictions which bar mass gatherings. However, in a letter dated 25 May, and addressed to the late musician's older brother, Tendai Mike Brighton Musaka, Health Ministry secretary, Jasper Chimedza said the family could not proceed with the service because of the possibility that there will be a failure to comply with Covid-19 guidelines. "The Ministry of Health and Child Care is in receipt of your letter dated 14 May 2021 seeking guidance to comply with Covid-19 regulations on the memorial service for the late Cde. Soul Muzavazi Musaka," reads Chimedza's letter. "The ministry advises against holding of such big events at this juncture due to the following: 1. Taking note of the existing Covid-19 control guidelines that stipulate the number of such gatherings not to exceed 30. "2. The presence of the new variant from India which is circulating in the country which can cause a huge spread. 3. The possibility of many people gathering in big numbers, making it difficult to institute Covid-19 control measures." The Covid-19 variant (B.1.617), predominantly found in India, was detected in Kwekwe early this month resulting in a localised two-week lockdown being imposed in the gold-mining city. To date, Zimbabwe has recorded 38 944 Covid-19 confirmed cases, including 36 591 recoveries, 1 594 deaths, and 759 active cases. Chad has accused the CAR army of attacking a military outpost on Chad's side of the border, before killing a number of soldiers. Central African Republic (CAR) soldiers attacked a Chadian military post, killing one soldier, and kidnapping and executing five others, Chad's Defense Ministry said on Sunday. Chad said the incident amounted to a war crime that "cannot go unpunished." What are Chad's allegations? The CAR armed forces attacked the Sourou outpost near the village of Mbere early on Sunday morning, Chad's Foreign Minister Cherif Mahamat Zene said in a statement. The outpost was manned by 12 soldiers. According to Zene: "They killed a Chadian soldier, injured five and kidnapped five others who were then executed in Mbang on the Central African Republic side." The base lies near Chad's 1,000-kilometer (approximately 620-mile) border with CAR. Chad's embassy in the CAR capital of Bangui was told by the head of CAR's military police to collect the bodies of the five executed soldiers, the foreign minister said. Why was the outpost attacked? Central African soldiers were pursuing rebels from one of the many armed groups operating in the country across the border, a senior Chadian security official told news agency AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity. The rebels were members of Unity for Peace in Central Africa (UPC), one of CAR's most powerful armed groups. The UPC is part of a coalition seeking to topple the regime of the country's President Faustin Archange Touadera, the official said. Chad urges international community to 'bear witness' Zene said Chad would "call the international community to bear witness" to the incident, notably the UN's 12,000-strong peacekeeping force in CAR, MINUSCA, as well as the African Union and the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS). The Central African Republic regularly accuses its northern neighbor of supporting armed rebel groups from inside Chad. Chad is in the Sahel region where there are numerous insurgent groups active across porous borders. (Reuters, AFP) After a decade of absence, the former leader of the Ivory Coast is planning to go back to his country. Having been acquitted by the ICC, he may still face a conviction at home. The former president of the Ivory Coast, Laurent Gbagbo, is planning to return to his country in mid-June after being acquitted of crimes against humanity, his party said on Monday. Gbagbo had been standing on trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague after being arrested in 2011. At the end of March, the ICC upheld a prior ruling that prosecutors had not presented enough evidence to convict the former president, allowing him to return home. Gbagbo may, however, still face a 20-year sentence given to him in absentia in November 2019. What awaits Gbagbo in the Ivory Coast? Gbagbo turned 76 on Monday, with crowds of supporters gathering in the city of Abidjan to celebrate. It was there that Assoa Adou, the leader of the pro-Gbagbo Ivorian Popular Front (FPI) party, announced that the former president would return on June 17. Current President of the Ivory Coast Alassane Ouattara said in April that Gbagbo was free to return, but left the question of whether he had been pardoned unanswered. The charges against him revolve around funds that were misappropriated from the regional central bank. "He is a son of the Ivory Coast who is coming back after ten years spent outside in unfair conditions," said Leon Emmanuel Monnet -- a Gbagbo ally who runs the committee planning for the former president's return. "We will do everything possible to ensure that the return of President Gbagbo is done in peace and for reconciliation," he added. Why was Gbagbo on trial in The Hague? The trial at the ICC was connected to Gbagbo's role in the post-election violence and subsequent civil war that left 3,000 people dead after the former president refused to concede to Ouattara in 2011. Gbagbo ruled the country from 2000 until the time of his arrest. During the ICC trial, he had been living in Belgium on court orders, but had expressed a desire to return home. Former youth minister and aide, Charles Ble Goude -- who was also acquitted of crimes against humanity by the ICC -- has discussed the possibility of returning too. (AFP, Reuters) Somaliland is an internationally endorsed autonomous region of Somalia that straddles the borders of Ethiopia and Djibouti. Washington/Hargeisa Polling stations have opened in the self-proclaimed republic of Somaliland as voters go to the polls to elect their parliamentary and local representatives. Long queues were reported in the early hours of Monday in the capital Hargeisa. Some of the voters have been queuing up to two hours prior to the opening of polling stations at 7:00 a.m. local time. The President of Somaliland Muse Bihi Abdi told VOA Somali that the election should be conducted in a peaceful manner. "If one has a dispute when the election passes, the argument should be calm and civil," he said. "You should not undermine the interest of the nation. Complain peacefully, the court is open." More than 1 million people have registered to vote, a record in Somaliland. The previous presidential election in November 2017 recorded just over 700,000 registered voters, according to government figures. Somaliland held six popular elections, and three presidential elections since 2003. But this will be only the second time that Somaliland holds parliamentary elections. The current members of parliament were elected in 2005, but quotas, allocation of seats, prioritizing presidential, electoral laws have delayed parliamentary elections multiple times, observers say. Among those voting today is a 17-year-old first time voter Amira Ahmed. "This will be the first time I get to participate in Somaliland national elections," she told VOA. "I'm very happy." Another voter, Mustafe Mohamed Abdullahi, said he received a text message from the election commission the day before, reminding him where he has registered to vote. "They told me that I got my ballot in Badda As [a neighborhood in Hargeisa]. They said I should cast my vote there as a citizen. So, I'm ready," he said. In the parliament, there are 246 candidates from the three registered political parties vying for the 82- seat House of Representatives. Rights activists say 13 female candidates are participating in the parliamentary elections alone in a broader effort to increase women's representation. There is just one female lawmaker in the current parliament. Civil rights activist and former Somaliland representative to the United Kingdom Ayan Mahamoud has been advocating for the candidates from the marginalized minority Gaboye communities, and women. According to a report published by the Minority Rights Group International, an advocacy group focusing on global minority rights, the Gaboye "have traditionally been considered distinct and lower-caste groups." "The two most pressing issues are rights of minority groups such as Gaboye communities and women," she told VOA. "There's one Somaliland woman representative now, but fortunately we have 13 standing. If they are voted in at least, we will have 10 %." Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Somalia Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. The Gaboye community has no representation in current parliament, Mahamoud says. She has been urging voters to correct that record. "It's only fair and just to break with the horrible past and stigmatization of our Gaboye communities," she said. "Democracy is about equality and fairness and not only about the will of the majority." The Somaliland National Electoral Commission increased the number of polling stations to 2,709 from 1,642 in 2017 due to the expected higher turnout. The increase in the number of registered voters have been attributed to the participation of youth in the election. This is also the first time in Somaliland that two elections -- parliament and local councilors -- take place at the same time. The voting also coincides with two historic milestones in Somaliland. It was 20 years ago Monday when Somaliland adopted the constitution that enshrines the multiparty democratic system. Also, this month, Somaliland commemorated 30 years since declaring secession from the rest of Somalia. Despite holding democratic elections, Somaliland failed to gain international recognition as an independent state. But this did not stop the presence of international observers. There are 103 international election observers who have arrived to witnesses the election proceedings, President Abdi said. They include observers from Europe and Africa, among them the former President of Sierra Leone Ernest Bai Koroma. H.E. former President of Sierra Leone Ernest Bai Koroma on election preparedness tour in Hargeisa today. #Somalilandelection2021 #Somalilandis30years pic.twitter.com/jyK6w0NHaI - -- John Githongo (@johngithongo) May 30, 2021 Official results could take days to be announced. Mr Kingibe's appointment follows the resolution of the extraordinary summit of Heads of State and Government of the Lake Chad Basin Commission Member Countries on the situation in Chad on the May 25. President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babagana Kingibe, as his Special Envoy with Cabinet Rank Status to Chad and the Lake Chad Basin region. The current Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, made the disclosure in a statement he issued on Monday in Abuja. "This appointment of a special envoy by the president is in consonance with the resolution of the extraordinary summit of Heads of State and Government of the Lake Chad Basin Commission Member Countries on the situation in Chad on the May 25. "The special envoy will among others, monitor development in Chad and the Lake Chad Basin region. "Aid the reconciliation and seamless progress towards returning to democratic rule at the end of the current Transitional Military Council's rule. "He will collaborate with member countries and partners in the region with similar initiatives to restore stability, promote peace and security," he said. According to him, other responsibilities include promoting any other initiative ancillary to the restoration of peace and security in Chad, the North-East Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin region. Mr Mustapha said that Mr Buhari had, by this appointment, demonstrated the determination of Nigeria to lead regional security efforts that would stabilise the Lake Basin region. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Governance Chad By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. He added that the action would bring peace to Lake Chad and ultimately eliminate Boko Haram insurgency in the North-east zone of Nigeria. "This is also a fulfillment of the president's promise to Gen. Mahamat Deby Itno, the President of the Transitional Military Council of Lake Chad. "It is a promise Mr President made to support a seamless progress towards a return to democratic rule when he visited Nigeria in May," he said. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Kingibe is an accomplished multilingual diplomat, who had at various times served the nation as Federal Permanent Secretary, Secretary to the Constituent Assembly, cabinet minister and SGF in the country. He had also participated in previous Nigeria-led Chadian reconciliation talks (Kano I & II as well as Lagos I & II). (NAN) President Muhammadu Buhari has charged the nation's security and intelligence agencies to expedite efforts towards the release of the 200 children kidnapped last week from an Islamic school in Niger State. A press release on Monday by his spokesman, Garba Shehu, said tge President was briefed on the latest incident of school kidnapping and condemned as unfortunate, the kidnapping of children from schools. The President urged all the agencies involved in the rescue operation to put in their utmost effort in securing their immediate release. He also directed the concerned government agencies to extend possible support to the families of the kidnapped children. Paul Biya, President of the Republic of Cameroon, addresses the general debate of the sixty-second session of the General Assembly, at UN Headquarters in New York in 2007. Yaounde Cameroon rights groups, opposition parties and local media are asking the government to publish its findings after most of a $335 million loan from the IMF could not be accounted for. At least 15 officials have appeared before commissions of investigation. A government statement read on Cameroon state media Monday calls on civilians to remain calm as investigations on missing funds continue. The statement from government spokesperson Rene Emmanuel Sadi states that justice will take its course. The statement comes after Cameroon rights groups and opposition asked the government to explain what happened to about $335 million loaned by the International Monetary Fund to fight COVID-19. Cameroon says within the past week, 15 ministers have appeared at the audit bench of the Supreme Court and a special criminal tribunal to account for the funds. Joseph Lavoisier Tsapy is legal adviser to the opposition Social Democratic Front Party and a member of the Cameroon Human Rights League. Tsapy says the Cameroon Special Criminal Tribunal should have ordered their arrest after the audit bench of the Supreme Court found out that some ministers stole COVID-19 funds. He says the money should have been invested to save lives and assist suffering people. He says he wants to make it clear that government ministers in Cameroon do not have immunity like lawmakers. In June 2020, SDF lawmakers complained that the awarding of COVID-19 contracts did not respect procurement procedures and gave room for massive corruption. Local media like Equinox Radio and TV, Roya FM reported gross cases of embezzlement. In one case, the Ministry of Scientific Research received $9 million to produce the drug chloroquine. The ministry instead bought chloroquine amounting to 30 percent of the funds from China. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Coronavirus Cameroon By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Other cases involve overbilling and failure to render services or provide supplies after payment. Andre Luther Meka speaks for the ruling CPDM party, to which all of the ministers called up for questioning belong. Meka says Cameroonians should stop asking for ministers to either be punished or to refund COVID-19 funds. He says Cameroon considers all suspects innocent until found guilty by the law courts. He says Cameroon President Paul Biya has a strong political will to punish everyone who has either mismanaged, embezzled or siphoned state money. Angelbert Lebong is a member of the Cameroon Civil Society. He says President Biya should explain to the Cameroonian people how his government has managed the COVID-19 funds. He says Biya should for once speak out against embezzlement and publicly condemn his collaborators who have stolen COVID-19 funds. He says Cameroon has more serious life-threatening issues to handle than the heavily publicized receptions Biya gives diplomats in his office. Last month, Human Rights Watch urged the IMF to ask Cameroon to ensure independent and credible enquiry on the management of COVID-19 funds before approving a third loan. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in Cameroon in March 2020, the IMF has approved two emergency loans to the central African state totaling $382 million. Governor Bello left Nigeria hours after a fresh mass abduction of school children in his state, "to explore possibilities of strengthening the state's security architecture." A few hours after the kidnap of many students from Saliu Tanko Islamic school on Sunday, Niger State Governor, Sani Bello, left Nigeria. According to his aide, Mary Noel-Berje, Mr Bello travelled abroad on a mission to seek solutions to the security challenges in his state. "The governor, who had left the country to explore all possibilities of strengthening the state's security architecture before the incident happened, is expected back soon," she said. She further stated that the governor has given directives to the security operatives and state government officials to do all they can towards ensuring the safe return of the abducted Tegina Islamiyya children and others. "The governor, who is expected back in the country within the shortest period of time, has assured the rescue and safe return of the children." "Governor Sani Bello also assured all Nigerlites that the government will continue to do all it can to protect the lives and property of its citizens while guaranteeing the continued peace and stability of the state. "While assuring the parents of the abducted children of their safe return as the security agencies have been directed to do all it can to bring back the children as soon as possible, the governor also urged the citizens to cooperate and share intelligence and information that will help in the quick rescue of the children." Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Governance Conflict By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. PREMIUM TIMES had reported how armed bandits on Sunday abducted many pupils of the Islamic school in Tegina, a densely populated town in Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State. The bandits reportedly seized the police station in the town and went round the town shooting sporadically into the air to scare residents before breaking into a private school where they abducted children attending Islamic lectures. The school, which consists of nursery and primary schools, also hosts Islamiyya students in the evening and at weekends. The mass abduction of the Islamic school students was the second in Rafi local government area in six months. Dozens of students were earlier in the year kidnapped at Government Science College (GSC) Kagara but were later released after negotiation with the state government. Asides from the attack on schools, several residents across different local government areas of the state have been displaced after the invasion of bandits. Nairobi In what is said to be the most indulging and comprehensive training, the different WRC Safari Rally Teams consisting of members of the Medical Intervention Vehicles (MIV), the Fire and Rescue, Marshalls and Technical Intervention vehicles (TVI) got together for a joint training. The training started with a brief introduction from the Norris Ongalo the Chief of Safety and Dah Patel, the Head of TIV's. The session was organized to introduce the teams to each other, explain each department their role and get them to work together to ensure that each know their roles as a unit. Speaking through a Zoom link from London, Rupert Hine took the different crews through the paces of handling the different tools that will be used by the TIV's, from the cutters to the spreaders, body jacks and many other hydraulic recovery tools. Rupert took the teams through the theoretical Practice clearly showing the way each team depended on another. The zoom presentation had short training videos to explain what he had taught and handed over to the Deputy Chief Medical officer; Dr. Karauri who took over the afternoon session that tested the teams' comprehension of their respective roles. Rupert took the teams through the "Safety Action plan" in the event of an accident. The first on scene is usually the Safety Marshal closest to the accident scene. The Marshal informs the Radio Marshall of the accident which is passed on to Radio control who then go on to dispatch the Emergency Safety Team. The team can only act when given authorization from the Clerk of Course. Once deployed, the MIV leaves first with the medical team, followed by the TIV team. Once on sight, the TIV team will secure the vehicle. This includes putting the car back on its four wheels and creating an access point for the extrication (Carefully and safely removed) This includes cutting the body frame of the vehicle to ensure that the driver and navigator can be attended to. "Protocol has it that if the driver and navigator get out of the car if they can do so. This gives the medical team the assurance that they are fine," Rupert said. The second session was held by Dr. Karauri; the 'deputy Chief Medical officer. He took the teams through what could easily be said to be the one of the most important aspects yet; extrication. Dr. Karauri and his team showed the teams gathered how to get a rally driver or navigator out of the car in under 15 seconds. It was a sight to behold, the team was swift and seemed very comfortable when many would be losing their mind. The afternoon session saw the Fire team learn how to use the four-wheel drive teams in their Fire Trucks. Manish Kerai; the Deputy in charge of the TIV Showed the Nairobi Fire Teams how to navigate muddy routes as experienced during the 'ARC Equator Rally.' The fire team took the team through basic fire fighting tips. They lit a few tires on fire and showed the teams how to put it out effectively using Powder fire extinguishers. Case in point being most of the fires that the team encounter will be electrical and powder is best suited to handle such fires. The fire trucks also have foam, soapy water and plain water. The last session of the day was for the TIV's to have a refresher course on how to flip a vehicle back on all four wheels. Dr. Paul Mbugua along with Dash, showed how to use a winch to flip a car back onto its four wheels. The session closed after a small mud challenge for the TIV to test their effective knowledge of the low and high ratio gears, diff lock, D-shackles. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Kenya Sport By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Capital FM's Suleiman Munyua AKA Soulo showed them the capabilities of the Landcruiser 80 series in sticky Black cotton soil ... Wilson Munene too steered his Range Rover P38 through the sticky patch proving that sometimes it's not what you drive, but how you drive it. The next joint training sessions will be held in Naivasha after the teams are deployed on the 19th of June ahead of the WRC Safari Rally on the 24th through to the 27th of June. The teams will do their individual trainings as they horn and sharpen their skills ahead of the rally. After 19 years of being off the WRC calendar, this looks like it's going to be one spectacular rally that will put Kenya on the Map; not just for her beauty; but for the spectacularly held event that will give the drivers a test of their skills, their cars and their ability to react and adapt to whatever the rally routes throws at them. Residents of Gauraka town, Niger State, are still passing their nights away from their homes for fear of being kidnapped while others have completely relocated to other locations as tenants. This is happening even after a series of raids on the kidnappers' hideout in Apo forest at the outskirts of the community by a joint security force. It was gathered that about 20 residents abducted during two separate attacks on the community were rescued by the security men five days ago. It could be recalled that youths in their hundreds blocked the Abuja/Kaduna highway penultimate Monday around the area, protesting the series of kidnapping incidents there, which had led to the grid lock for over 7 hours. A resident, Musa Abubakar, while speaking to Daily Trust yesterday, said residents of Unguwar Boko and Barau no longer sleep in the area for fear of attack, returning only in the day and fleeing in the evening. He said following the last protest, security men surrounded the hideout of the gunmen, and rescued the 20 persons while the gunmen fled. He said before the development, the kidnappers were planning to carry out attacks on the centre of the town. Another resident, Ya'u Ahmed, also lamented that some residents have already relocated to other places either as tenants or to squat with relatives. It was gathered that while the security men have succeeded in dislodging the attackers from their bases, the gunmen, on the other hand, keep disturbing the rescued people through phone calls demanding to send money to them, or to kidnap them again. Efforts to speak to the Suleja Police Area Commander, ACP Sani Badarawa, were not successful as he was not able to answer calls made to him by our reporter yesterday. opinion I was 13 years old in 1979, when Nigeria began to slip into a dark, frightening hole that seemed to have appeared overnight and from which it has yet to emerge: corruption. Until that point, I had walked with a particular adolescent swagger - that of a young citizen of a newly independent nation that really mattered on the world stage; of a country whose voice carried loud and clear in the community of nations. To me, Nigeria was a country that produced wonderful writers, excellent athletes and brilliant leaders. It was the most populous African nation, one where English was spoken well and whose national IQ was one of the highest in the world. Life in Nigeria, while of course not perfect, was in so many respects good. And it was getting better. My secondary school, looking back, provided a reflection of what was happening in Nigeria. In 1977, I was fortunate to attend an elite state-run secondary school, whereby any African standard I had access to first-class teachers, academic resources and sporting facilities. Then, that hole emerged seemingly from nowhere and into its bowels vanished so much of what was good about Nigeria. Suddenly, my school was no longer a centre of excellence, but an underfunded, overcrowded relic of past glory where standards had plummeted overnight. It was a microcosm of the insidious power of the corruption gripping Nigeria, where good was sucked into that forbidding hole and turned into bad. A nation that had up to that point embraced merit in most things, at least those things my childish mind grasped, had done an abrupt about-turn and chosen instead to pursue mediocrity. At that time, in 1979, Nigeria had just emerged from military rule, the only system of governance I had known since birth in 1966. Power was again handed to civilian authority - but it was not to last long before the military once again seized power in 1983 (and effectively held it again until the turn of the millennium). In 1982, a year before the military seized power from our civilian government for the second time, I began my four years of university studies. Not much changed; certainly, things were not getting any better. Indeed, if I thought that it was the civilians who could not manage our country properly, what followed when we returned to military rule proved that any civilian government is better than a military one. Dictatorship was not only bad socially and economically, but from a global point of view, Nigeria was a pariah nation unable to get its act together and on its way to joining the club of failed African states. Our military administrations from 1983 on are reckoned by some to have been the most corrupt of all, but perhaps Nigeria was so corrupted already that no one really noticed. Perhaps, the hole was now so deep already that it no longer really mattered if it got deeper. Then the miraculous happened and in 1999, Nigeria returned to civilian rule. For the next eight years, because we had once again embraced meritocracy our country experienced a renaissance. Nigeria made more progress in that short period than it had in the preceding 25 years. We began to climb out of that terrible hole, the one we had dug for ourselves. But then, just as we got our heads above the ground, we lost our footing and we started slipping back down again. Today, I believe, we are almost in the same position we found ourselves in 1999; we have wasted many of the opportunities and outcomes our eight-year renaissance had afforded us. By now our country should be flying! Consequently, I have found myself asking: does our apparent inability to climb out of the hole we are in mean that we Nigerians have accepted that we cannot do any better? That our lot in life, even though we can compete intellectually with any nation on Earth, is much worse than we had dreamed it would be? That our children are consigned to being third-class citizens of the world (unless they emigrate and find opportunity elsewhere)? Here is another question to ponder. When I was a small boy, our nation was 60-million strong. When that hole yawned open when I was 13, we stood at around 80 million. Today, we have more than 200-million people mired down there and in 30 years' time, there will be over 400 million in number. Would that not be the very definition of Hell? Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Corruption Nigeria By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. These are the things I dwell upon, the fears that I have for my beloved Nigeria. But then, I look to the examples of other countries that have climbed out of their own holes of poor performance and, instead of basket cases, have become success stories: countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, and China. Surely, if they can, we can, too. That is the story that I want for my nation. I certainly do not presume to have all the answers - indeed, I might not have many - but I have resolved to employ the resources I have (financial and otherwise) to do my utmost to change Nigeria's sad narrative. It is an investment in a brighter future for my country and all who live in it - and it is certainly well worth making. Aig-Imoukhuede, an investor and philanthropist, is the co-founder of Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation A bandit group which masterminded the abduction of schoolgirls from Government Girls Secondary School, Jangebe, in Zamfara State, earlier this year, is behind the mass abduction of students from Tegina, Rafi Local Government Area in Niger State, Daily Trust can report. Members of the gang had moved en masse to Niger State penultimate Saturday, a reliable security source had told Daily Trust at the time. There was no reason adduced for the migration. The bandits' group, headed by a notorious bandit called Na-Sanda, operated from Jangebe forest in Zamfara's Talata Mafara Local Government for years. Na-Sanda is himself originally from Jaja in Zurmi Local Government. Bandits from the group had attacked the premises of the girls' school in the early hours of Friday, February 26, and herded away about 300 girls from their dormitories. The girls were released four days after abduction and it was not clear if payment was made for their release. Kidnappings by groups like that are typically for ransom. "They left with all their families in hundreds of motorcycles," the source who carved for anonymity said, adding that the gang with about 500 members, travelled in over 300 motorcycles. Just about a week after moving to the increasingly pressured Niger State, the bandits were reported to have attacked Tegina town where they abducted about 200 students and teachers from Salihu Tanko Islamic School in the town. Unspecified number of other people were abducted alongside the Islamiyya school children including a former councilor in the area. It is unclear, however, where the abductees are being held. There were reports of release of some children by the bandits who were not able to keep up with the pace of the trek into the bush. .Bello jets out amidst uncertainty With the abductees still facing uncertain fate, Niger State Governor Abubakar Sani Bello has left the state for an undisclosed country. Bello according to his Chief Press Secretary, Mary Noel Berje left the country on a security mission. Berje on her Facebook post said the governor left the country to explore all possibilities of strengthening the state's security architecture before the abduction of the school children but he is expected to be back soon. Meanwhile, close source to the governor confirmed that he left the country after the incident because he was at the wedding of one of his commissioner's children few hours before the reported abduction. "The Governor, who is expected back in the country within the shortest period of time, has assured the rescue and safe return of the children," the post read. .Tegina residents narrate ordeal Following the bandits' attack on Tegina town, residents of the area have narrated their ordeals in their hands of the bandits. Some of them who spoke to our correspondent revealed that three women were raped in broad light by the bandits in the course of the attack. A resident, Danjuma Aliyu who spoke by telephone to Daily Trust said; "one of the women had a baby on her hand, one of the bandits raped her in the open and after raping her, he left her and her baby and left with the others. Two other girls were treated in the same manner." It was gathered that parents of the abducted children have started coming out to file their complaints as government officials and security agents were on ground to record their complaints. One Musa Aminu, a resident of Tegina said it would be a tough one to get the exact number of children abducted on time since there is usually no formal registration of children in the Islamiyya school. He however said that if all parents would come out on time and submit to the head count, it will help the government know the exact number of children abducted. It was learnt the ever-busy Tegina town was a ghost of itself now as everyone stayed indoors while shops remained closed. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Legal Affairs By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. .We're on pursuit of the bandits - Gov't Niger State Government has disclosed that it is in pursuit of the bandits who abducted children from an Islamic school in Tegina. This is as the government said it is putting in measures to ensure safe release of abductees. The state deputy governor, Alhaji Ahmed Mohammed Ketso, disclosed this while updating journalists on the abduction at the Government House, Minna, "Government is on the pursuit of the bandits and efforts are being put in place to identify the bandits. Although the number of the kidnapped school children is not fully ascertained, however, efforts by security agencies to secure their release have been intensified," Ketso said. He said there are many government schools in Tegina but due the incessant attack on schools, government has temporarily changed them to day schools and made sure every primary and secondary school has a security team to provide security. Kano State Government has banned smoking in public places to fight the tobacco epidemic as Nigeria estimates more than 16,100 annual death from tobacco-related diseases. In an effort to protect future generations and improve the health status of the people in Kano, the state government said it has committed a lot of resources to the control of non-communicable diseases in the state such as hypertension, sickle cell diseases, asthma, and tobacco-related lung diseases such as cancers among others. Speaking at a briefing to commemorate the World No Tobacco Day (WNTD), the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Aminu Ibrahim Tsanyawa disclosed that the state government was working tirelessly to reduce the number of smokers and rate of smoking in the state. Police vehicles on standby at Thika Superhighway's Exit 7 as police officers await to block curfew violators in Nairobi (file photo). Tuesday's Madaraka Day celebrations in Kisumu City are intended to mark a memorable chapter in the four-year political dalliance between President Uhuru Kenyatta and his 'handshake' partner, Raila Odinga. But a missed symbolic train ride from Nakuru to Kisumu, back-and-forth shift of venue from the Jomo Kenyatta International Stadium to Kisumu State Lodge, incomplete development projects and the dark clouds of the Covid-19 pandemic have provided an anticlimactic backdrop to the celebrations. President Kenyatta landed at Kisumu International Airport at 3pm Sunday and headed straight to Mr Odinga's home county, Siaya, where he launched a road, water and sanitation projects. Kisumu Port Today's planned opening of the revamped Kisumu Port is supposed to end months of speculation and uncertainty around the Sh3 billion rehabilitation project, coming after numerous impromptu and low-profile inspection visits by both the president and Mr Odinga. The Head of State will Monday morning flag off the refurbished MV Uhuru sea vessel loaded with 22 wagons, each carrying about 50,000 litres of petroleum products, enroute to Jinja-Uganda. MV Uhuru, which had been dysfunctional for 15 year, now makes at least two trips to Jinja every week, depending on demand for fuel in the neighbouring country. Each trip takes 14 hours, and is intended to take off the road the dangerous fuel tankers. Rehabilitation works at the port have taken 24 months, closely supervised by the two political allies who signed a truce in March 2018 after a divisive and bitterly contested General Election. The many projects in Nyanza and the Western region are a product of this political rapprochement. New shipyard Also scheduled for launch Monday are the new shipyard being managed by the Kenya Navy, the Sh476 Maritime Marine school, the Simu Inland Container Depot and the Jomo Kenyatta International Stadium in Mamboleo, which will host the Madaraka Day fete. The symbolic presidential tour and national day celebration will, however, also be remembered for a number of missed chances that have seen the presidential team shift its diary numerous times. The much-awaited train ride from Nakuru to Kisumu, for example, was cancelled due to delayed completion of the connection between the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) that ends in Maai Mahiu and the newly revamped metre gauge railway. The revamped Nakuru-Kisumu railway line was among projects expected to be launched by the president as part of the Madaraka Day celebrations. President Kenyatta and Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader Mr Odinga were expected to travel on the train from Nakuru to Kisumu on Sunday morning, signifying the resumption of operations. However, the trip was called off in the eleventh hour. "Due to unavoidable circumstances beyond us, the President won't come by train as earlier planned but later on in the year that trip will happen," stated the State House Spokesperson Kanze Dena who spoke on Saturday at the Kisumu State lodge. Incomplete The Kenya Railways Corporation remained silent on the reason for the cancellation of the maiden trip, but the Nation has established that construction of the 23.5-kilometre track from Maai Mahiu to Longonot, meant to connect the SGR and the newly revamped metre gauge railway line, is incomplete. When asked about what caused cancellation of the President's trip, KRC Managing Director Philip Mainga could only promise to call back later. "Can I call you later," read a text message from the MD. A source privy to information about the trip revealed to the Nation that the ride was cancelled to give time to the contractor to complete work at the Maai Mahiu track, before the Presidential launch. "The president cannot launch an incomplete project," said the senior government official, who sought anonymity fearing a backlash. Avoid crowds Organisers of the President's itinerary are also keen on keeping the President's engagements in the region minimal, to avoid drawing large crowds in view of the Covid-19 situation in the region. The Nakuru-Kisumu railway line which terminates at the Kisumu Port's MV Dock completes the dream of the mega project that both President Kenyatta and Mr Odinga hold dear. The climax of the President's visit will be this year's Madaraka Day celebrations to be held at the Jomo Kenyatta International Stadium in Mamboleo, Tusday, to be attended by Burundi President Evariste Ndayishimiye, who will be the chief guest. It will be the first time that Kisumu will host the national event since independence. President Ndayishimiye arrived in Kisumu today (Monday) with the First Lady, Angeline Ndayishimiye, to be received by the President. The two will proceed to launch some of the national government projects in Kisumu together with Mr Odinga. The first ladies, Mrs Margaret Kenyatta and Mrs Ndashimiye, will have separate engagements in the region. Details of their programme are yet to be announced. The State House has kept particulars of the President's itinerary under wraps, partly in an effort to avoid drawing large crowds during his visit in view of the Covid-19 situation in western region. Business complex The new Uhuru Business complex that was constructed at a cost of Sh600 million to accommodate traders who were displaced during rehabilitation and expansion of the port will also be launched, as well as the Sh498 million Jomo Kenyatta International Stadium. There have been some murmurs from parts of the Nyanza region over the slow pace of implementation of some of the projects that were started by the national government. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Kenya Coronavirus By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Some of these include the full operationalisation of the Kisumu Port functions, the Social Economic Zone (SEZ), the Sh25 billion Soin-Koru dam which has not yet taken off after a Chinese firm contested the tender award. The Soin-Koru dam is expected to solve the perennial flooding problems in the Nyando basin. Completion of rehabilitation of the feeder ports in Homa Bay, Siaya, Migori and Busia will also be key in completing the Kisumu Port dream as they are expected to open up the counties economically and make movement of products within the counties easier. Road projects Also still on course are several road projects in the region, which the President gave assurance that he will personally ensure completion before he leaves office at the Nyanza leaders meeting at State House on Friday. They include the Mamboleo-Kisumu-Chemelil road, the Masara-Miru road, the Sori-Mbita road and the Siaya-Usenge road. The water and sanitation project that the president launched yesterday is expected to serve Siaya, Bondo and Yala towns and Kogelo village and its environs. The project targets to supply 201,258 people with water and 51,060 with sanitation services by 2040. Also scheduled for launch during the President's visit is the ongoing Sh16 billion, 310km Olkaria Lessos-Kisumu high voltage transmission line at Kibos sub-station that is expected to address the power outages usually witnessed in Western Kenya. The Sultan said that those agitating for the scrapping of the scheme did not mean well for the country. The Sultan of Sokoto, Sa'ad Abubakar, says agitation for the scrapping of the National Youth Service (NYSC) scheme is not in the interest of Nigeria's unity. Mr Abubakar spoke when he hosted some selected members of NYSC Batch A stream 2 Corps members posted to Sokoto state in his palace on Monday in Sokoto. The Sultan said that those agitating for the scrapping of the scheme did not mean well for the country. The emir explained that the NYSC scheme was established to foster the nation's unity and strengthen ties among Nigerians. "I heard there are efforts for the scrapping of the NYSC scheme, I assure you that those behind that struggle do not mean well for this country," Mr Abubakar said. According to him, the NYSC scheme is the most needed programme in view of the present situation when Nigeria is almost divided along ethnic and religious lines. He welcomed youth corps members posted to the state, saying that the state was the most peaceful state in Nigeria. Mr Abubakar urged the youth corps members to consider the state as their second home and explore the opportunities therein. The paramount ruler, who advised them to respect the customs and traditions of their host communities, urged them to be security conscious as there are security challenges in parts of the state. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Children Nigeria By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "I urge you to be security conscious while staying in Sokoto, you know there are security challenges now all over the world, we have our own share also. "You should not keep late nights and if you have any challenges contact your district head because they are like your father and guardian " he said. He gave assurance that there would not be any reprisal "because a northerner had been killed in Owerri, Enugu or Aba", saying that another person could not be punished because of what someone did elsewhere. He said that the two major religions in Nigeria, Christianity and Islam are against the killing of innocent people, saying life is sacred and no one has the right to kill anybody at will. He implored leaders to speak up when things were going wrong, saying injustice must also be addressed to calm tension and agitations. Earlier, Philip Enaberue, the Sokoto State NYSC Coordinator, thanked the Sultan for his unflinching support to the scheme in the state. Mr Enaberue said as it was a tradition and that they were in the palace to pay homage to the Sultan and seek his fatherly advice. He said that 1,414 youth corps members were undergoing orientation in the state, out of which 714 were males while 700 were females from the 36 states of the federation and the FCT. (NAN) "The #TalkYourTruth campaign is aimed at protecting the right to freedom of expression." Amnesty International has urged the Nigerian government to expand the space for Freedom of Expression amid attacks on individuals expressing dissenting views. The global right body said this on Monday at the launch of #TalkYourTruth - a campaign aimed at protecting and promoting freedom of expression. "The #TalkYourTruth campaign is aimed at protecting the right to freedom of expression and documenting cases of intimidation, arrest or threats to those who express opinions the government, people or group of people may find offensive," Osai Ojigho, Amnesty International country director, said. In his comments, the keynote speaker, Jaiye Gaskia, harped on the value of freedom of expression to the important project of democracy-building in Nigeria, stressing that the "whole idea of government, the very notion that the central purpose of government is the security and welfare of citizens must be understood as a practical test of accountability and something that can only be enabled within the freedom of expression." Mr Gaskia emphasized the indivisibility and interdependence of rights; asking Nigerians to make reasoned choices to be active citizens by constantly engaging in citizen's actions. In his remarks, Executive Director, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Auwal Rafsanjani, reinforced the theme of the keynote speech calling on the Nigerian government to increase support for human rights. He challenged the Nigerian authorities to expand the space for dissent and criticism adding that without a spirit of toleration in governance, democracy will be impossible to achieve. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Governance Nigeria Human Rights By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Mr Rafsanjani said he wants law enforcement personnel to be trained on human rights, saying, "they tend to make bad situations worse by their ignorance of the country's obligations to human rights treaties we have committed to." Mr Ojigho added that: "It is unacceptable that in Nigeria those who exercise freedom of expression through critical opinions sometimes face threats, verbal and physical assault, indiscriminate arrest, torture, detention and prosecution through trumped-up charges and abuse of the cybercrime and anti-terrorism laws. "Nigerians must be free to express opinions without fear." According to Amnesty International, Nigerian law enforcement agencies often fail to protect the right to freedom of expression, endangering the lives of those who dare to criticize authorities, those in power or institutions. "With the launch of the #TalkYourTruth campaign, we are urging the Nigerian authorities to show tangible commitment to freedom and also to immediately and unconditionally drop frivolous charges against those persecuted solely for exercising their rights to freedom of expression." Ms Ojigho said. "Those who express opinions others find offensive must be protected from the threats of state and non-state actors," he said adding, "Intimidating radio and television stations that broadcast critical opinions with threats of fine or closure must end." "It is the duty of authorities to ensure that people can freely express critical opinions, without fear of reprisals," she Ojigho said. The ACF also called on the security agencies to apprehend those who assassinated Ahmed Gulak The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has decried the attacks and killings of northerners residing in or visiting the South, particularly the South-east The northern socio-political organisation warned that such will not augur well for country because it was part of the factors responsible for civil war in 1966. The National Chairman of the ACF, Audu Ogbeh, stated this in a statement he issued on Monday. The statement condemned the killing of a former presidential aide, Ahmed Gulak, and advised northerners to avoid travelling to the southeast unless the journey is unavoidable. Mr Ogbeh recalled that in February this year, northern traders who normally supply the food needs of the south, the Amalgamated Union Food and Cattle Distributors of Nigeria (AUFCDN), embarked on a strike action to make the point that their lives also mattered. "The ACF was among those who put pressure, on, and ultimately convinced, the AUFCDN to call off the strke. The ACF did that in the spirit of ONE NIGERIA. "Yesterday, Sunday 30th May, 2021, one of leaders in the north was brutally murdered on the streets of Owerri Imo State by gunmen, most likely of IPOB and Eastern Security Network (ESN), who have been waging a public campaign of killings and other forms of brutalities, to realise their dream country of Biafra. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Legal Affairs Nigeria By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) hereby issues a very strong advisory to all northerners who may wish to travel to the South East to weigh the importance and necessity of such travels. "Unless such trips are absolutely necessary and of compelling nature, like matters of life and death, they should NOT be made. And where the trip must be undertaken, the traveller should take every security precaution in his or her movements while there, including linking with the security agencies at the place/places to be visited. "The need to issue this travel advisory has become necessary against the backdrop of history, wherein events such as the killings of northern leaders in 1966 triggered the events that led to a civil war that cost the country thousands of lives, and an untold sufferings to millions of innocent people. To be forewarned is to be forearmed, and a stich in time saves nine! "The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) also wishes to call, with the strongest voice, on the Security Agencies to do everything possible to apprehend those who assassinated Alh. (Barr) Ahmed Gulak in cold blood and bring them to justice. "The lives of northerners, and indeed of ALL Nigerians matter, and the ACF cannot keep mute when our people, and indeed all Nigerian, are murdered in cold blood by misguided and atrocious people. "Unfortunately in the midst of all this serious national crisis it would appear that the entire narrative from the South East has been taken over by IPOB and so-called unknown gunmen to the exclusion of established leaders. This is worrisome, Mr Ogbe said. The clash, which took place on Saturday, left one woman dead. Gombe State government on Monday said a communal clash between Shongom and Filiya districts over farmland had resulted in the death of one person and the burning of over 50 houses. The state's Commissioner of Information and Culture, Julius Ishaya stated this at a briefing after a Security Council meeting in Gombe. He stated that the clash, which took place on Saturday, May 29, left one woman dead and no fewer than 50 houses, food and other essential items burnt. Mr Ishaya said the state government condemned the attack and called on members of the affected communities to embrace peace, while directing the immediate engagement of all residents, led by the Mai Kaltungo, Saleh Mohammed, to find solutions and restore lasting peace in the affected areas. "The council reiterated that the banning of militias or hunters' groups still stands and all security agencies have been alerted in that regard," he said. He said that the government had also asked leaders of the affected communities to meet with their youths as part of measures to prevent further escalation of the clash. Peace returns Also speaking, Adamu Dishi, the state's Commissioner of Internal Security and Ethical Orientation, said the affected areas were now calm as peace had been restored. Mr Dishi said security operatives in the state had been directed to fish out those responsible for the clashes, "as crises do not erupt on their own, so that the perpetrators would be dealt with according to the laws of the land". Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Legal Affairs Nigeria By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Saleh Mohammed, the Mai Kaltungo, appealed for calm, stating that peace was needed for the emirate to make meaningful development and progress. Conflict The Commissioner of Police in Gombe, Ishola Babaita, confirmed to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that there was a clash between Shongom and Filiya Districts. Mr Babaita said that the police on receiving the report on Sunday, May 30, deployed its personnel to prevent further breakdown of law and order. He added that peace had been restored to the affected areas and his men were still patrolling the areas to ensure the maintenance of law and order. He confirmed that one death was recorded and no fewer than 50 houses razed, saying that those involved in the crisis would be brought to book as soon as investigations were concluded. (NAN) President Buhari directed the concerned government agencies to extend possible support to the families of the kidnapped children. President Muhammadu Buhari has charged the nation's security and intelligence agencies to expedite efforts towards the recovery of the 200 children kidnapped from an Islamic school in Niger State. According to a statement by his spokesperson, Garba Shehu, Mr Buhari, who received briefing on the latest incident of school kidnapping, condemned as unfortunate, the kidnapping of children from schools, and urged all the agencies involved in the rescue operation to do their utmost in securing their immediate release. He also directed the concerned government agencies to extend possible support to the families of the kidnapped children. PREMIUM TIMES had reported how armed bandits on Sunday abducted many pupils of the Islamic school in Tegina, a densely populated town in Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State. The bandits reportedly seized the police station in the town and went round the town shooting sporadically into the air to scare residents before breaking into a private school where they abducted children attending Islamic lectures. The school, which consists of nursery and primary schools, also hosts Islamiyya students in the evening and at weekends. Eleven of the kidnapped students were later released by their abductors because they were too young and could not work, according to the Niger State government. The mass abduction of the Islamic school students was the second in Rafi Local Government Area in six months. Dozens of students were earlier in the year kidnapped at Government Science College (GSC) Kagara but were later released after negotiation with the state government. Asides from the attack on schools, several residents across different local government areas of the state have been displaced after the invasion of bandits. Apart ftom Niger, mass kidnapping of students have occurred in many other Northern Nigerian states including Kaduna, Zamfara, Katsina, Borno and Yobe. opinion We should all cover our faces in shame! Ozoemena, we say, mana ozo ka n'eme (it should not happen again, yet it is happening again). From Abia to Anambra; from Ebonyi to Enugu, down to Imo, the blood of innocent citizens flows like rivers; residents leave their homes with so much uncertainty each day; parents are not sure of returning home to their children... Dear Leaders of South-East, just yesterday, May 30, in remembering the fallen heroes of the Nigerian-Biafran war, we were all in different locations, writing, musing and chanting "OZOEMENA" (meaning: It should not happen again); yet we sit and standby as our region has started burning, bleeding, crumbling. We should all cover our faces in shame! But how can you claim to be leaders of a region you choose not to be responsible for? A region that was built with the sweat and blood of many; tell me, what do you plan to do with this new rivers of blood being shed on the streets of every state in the South-East? Will these crimson tides serve any use as the region crumbles on you; on us all? Ozoemena, we say, mana ozo ka n'eme (it should not happen again, yet it is happening again). From Abia to Anambra; from Ebonyi to Enugu, down to Imo, the blood of innocent citizens flows like rivers; residents leave their homes with so much uncertainty each day; parents are not sure of returning home to their children, and neither are children sure of returning home to their parents. You, our leaders, must rise up to your duties and begin to work to keep the South-East together and stable again. There will be no accolades for you in doing your jobs; the people voted you with the confidence that you will keep them and their property safe, that you will maintain law and order. No, you will not be awarded "Governor of the Century" nor "Man of the Millenium" for being late to save this occasion. We MUST come together and get this country safe again. If leaders before you did not do the 'hard work', you would not have had a nation to lead in the first place. So, you need to RISE UP to the task at hand! To leaders of other regions: This is not merely a South-East fight. Do we all remember how it started in the North-East? Now, we are still at the stage of the starting fires. This is a fight for us all, a fight for Nigerians, for Nigeria, to quench these fires before they become huge and untameable conflagration that will consume everyone. We MUST come together and get this country safe again. If leaders before you did not do the 'hard work', you would not have had a nation to lead in the first place. So, you need to RISE UP to the task at hand! Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Governance Nigeria By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Dear Muslims, Christians, traditionalists and the faithful of unorthodox worship, this is not a contest to determine whose religion will reign supreme over the others; that is only a ruse our common enemies use in disarming us. Interestingly, most of us know this but have chosen to ignore the voices of reasoning and of common sense. Dear over 300 nationalities in Nigeria, this is no ethnic war; it is simpy most of us against a common enemy. And we need to WAKE UP to the hard facts of the matter! We now have a common enemy who is keen on not even sparing the debris that will be left after this nation has been burnt down. Dear over 300 nationalities in Nigeria, this is no ethnic war; it is simpy most of us against a common enemy. And we need to WAKE UP to the hard facts of the matter! Dear leaders of Nigeria, if you are yet to awake to the brutal realities of what is going on in the country, please get in front of your television sets, get on the internet, get your radio sets and tune in; it is beyond heart breaking. Signed A Livid Citizen yearning for government action and responsibility. Chiamaka Okafor is with the Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism (PTCIJ), Abuja. Amnesty International Nigeria today launches #TalkYourTruth- a campaign to protect freedom of expression in Nigeria, as critics, journalists and individuals who express dissenting views face intimidation, threats and sometimes arrest by security forces. On many occasions, Nigerian authorities have continued to respond with violence and threats to individuals and groups who express dissenting opinions. Law enforcement agencies often fail to protect the right to freedom of expression, endangering the lives of those who dare to criticize authorities, those in power or institutions. "The #TalkYourTruth campaign is aimed at protecting the right to freedom of expression and documenting cases of intimidation, arrest or threats to those who express opinions government, people or group of people may find offensive. Government must tolerate unfavorable views and see critical voices as the good citizens exercising their human right," said Osai Ojigho Yahaya Shariff Aminu 21, remains in detention following an initial death sentence imposed on him for sharing an audio considered 'blasphemous' via WhatsApp. Salihu Tanko Yakassaipopularly known as Dawisu was unlawfully detained by Nigeria's secret police DSS for a tweet lamenting increasing insecurity; by condemning the kidnap of over 300 schoolgirls. Jaafar Jaafar, an investigative journalist fled Nigeria following threats to his life for exposing alleged corruption in government.Abubakar Idris (Dadiyata) a critic of Nigerian government was abducted by gunmen at home in Kaduna on 1 August 2019. His whereabouts is still unknown. "With the launch of the #TalkYourTruth campaign, we are urging the Nigerian authorities to show tangible commitment to freedom and also to immediately and unconditionally drop frivolous charges against those persecuted solely for exercising their rights to freedom of expression. Those who express opinions others find offensive must be protected from the threats of state and non-state actors. Intimidating radio and television stations that broadcast critical opinions with threats of fine or closure must end. It is the duty of authorities to ensure that people can freely express critical opinions, without fear of reprisals," said Osai Ojigho Background #TalkYourTruth is the second phase of Amnesty International Nigeria's freedom of expression campaign aimed at protecting and promoting freedom of expression. Recent years saw increasing attacks on dissenting voices and in some cases intimidation by security agencies for merely expressing critical opinions, especially on social media. Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye has arrived in Kenya for a two-day state visit to the country. President Ndayishimiye landed at the Kisumu International Airport Monday morning aboard a Kenya Airways flight. During his visit, he will join President Uhuru Kenyatta and other dignitaries for Madaraka Day celebrations which will be held the Jomo Kenyatta International Stadium in Kisumu. The Burundian leader is accompanied by First Lady Angeline Ndayubaha. The trip to Kenya marks his continued opening up, a policy that runs counter to that of his predecessor Pierre Nkurunziza, who died last year without making a foreign trip in five years. The late Nkurunziza had faced a coup attempt on his last visit to Dar es Salaam. President Ndayishimiye has made four foreign trips already, including a state visit to Equatorial Guinea and visits to Tanzania and Uganda, just eight months after he took over. When 14-year-old Jackline Chepng'eno from Bomet committed suicide in 2019 after her teacher allegedly embarrassed her before her class, for staining her dress during her menses, many Kenyans raised concern about girls and menstruation. May 28 marked Menstrual Hygiene Day: A day for the global community to convene in breaking the silence, raise awareness and shatter the stigma around menstruation. The day invites us to recommit to shattering menstrual stigma and shame by 2030. This year, as Covid-19 deepens period poverty worldwide, urgent action is needed more than ever - from menstrual health champions and allies. When Anita Cherono Byegon started getting her monthly period, like many of her peers, she was unprepared. Being a taboo topic, she had no one to turn to for help. Fortunately, her parents did not marry her off after her primary school education, a common in her community then. She studied up to university and got a good job. Her experience when she started her menses, motivated the 31-year-old to dedicate her life to ending period shame and poverty. The mother of two now provides reusable sanitary pads to vulnerable girls. She says many girls drop out of school because they do not have sanitary supplies when they have their period. Due to poverty, many families have to choose between food and sanitary towels. Naturally they choose food. There is little knowledge and tremendous shame around the menstrual cycle. Girls have to stay at home and are too embarrassed to say why they cannot go to school. In many cases, they do not know what is happening to their bodies when they get their first period. Give back After years of a successful career, Ms Byegon returned to her hometown, Bomet, and decided to give back. She is the founder of Bomet Days for Girls Enterprise. She was trained and certified to be an Ambassador on Women Health in 2017 by Days for Girls International based in Washington DC, United States. Since its inception, the enterprise has reached out to more than 120,000 girls and boys who have been trained on menstrual health management. Bomet Days for Girls Enterprise has distributed more than 100,000 reusable kits to women and girls across Kenya and helped restore their dignity while keeping the girls in school. "Days for Girls increases access to menstrual care and education by developing innovative sustainable solutions, by making reusable sanitary pads that last for three years," she says. Ms Byegon relies on friends and different organisations for support. She travels to the US at least once a year to fundraise for the sanitary pads campaign. "In Kenya, we currently have 15 registered Days for Girls Enterprises across different counties," she says. Hide stains The sanitary kit includes a transport bag, two pairs of underwear, soap and washcloth, two shields made from two pieces of cotton (with moisture-barrier fabric between to prevent leaks), and wings that fold around the underwear. "Our shields are made of beautiful, printed fabrics for comfort and to hide stains. They have two pockets on either side of the shield that hold our liners in place. The pockets are deep enough for double or triple liners when she has a heavy flow," she says. Also in the kit are eight liners that go in the shields and act as the pad. The liners, made from 100 per cent cotton flannel, look like washcloths so girls can wash and hang them out to dry without any embarrassment. "Period poverty is the lack of access to sanitary products, menstrual hygiene education, toilets and hand washing facilities. My aim is to demystify menstrual stigma," she says. Men and boys are on part and parcel of Days for Girls Enterprise's quest to normalise conversations on menstruation. 'Men Who Know' is a group of men and boys working to sensitise others on the need for men to support girls and women menstruate with dignity by not making fun of them. The 10 men offer sensitisation on menstrual health, but majority are part of the sewing team, who do the production of the pads. Daddy Saturday Kenya They are led by Charles Koech, an ambassador for women's health. He heads another organisation called 'Daddy Saturday Kenya' that works towards sensitising fathers on intentional fatherhood. They urge fathers to normalise conversation on menstruation at home. "Menstruation is not a women issue but a human issue that should concern everybody including men and boys," he says. During the Covid-19 pandemic that led to schools being closed, Bomet Days for Girls Enterprise reached out to thousands of girls. "Access to menstrual hygiene products became a challenge to women and girls. During our engagement with the girls who have used our Days for Girls (DfG) pads for the past year, our kit was the preferred long term alternative as they are sustainable and low cost," says Ms Byegon. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Kenya Women By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Joyce Chebet, 14, a DfG beneficiary says she is now comfortable on her menses. The training and kit help her not to worry when she is in school while on her menses. Sheila Chelang'at, 16, is also lucky to have received the DfG reusable towels since her parents, in most cases, did not have money to buy her disposable pads. Bomet Days for Girls Enterprise has taken the lead in the community by iBs through creating spaces for open dialogue, which has enabled men and boys realise the importance of menstrual hygiene management as well as issues of reproductive health, women's self-esteem and empowerment. "Male allies are critical in the fight for menstrual equity. That's why we're so passionate about including men and boys in the conversation," Ms Byegon says. She adds that their signature menstrual health solution is much more than a period product. It is a pathway to dignity, confidence and opportunity - every single month for up to three years. "There are many things that are hard to change in this world, but reversing menstrual equity, and the gender inequity that happens as a result isn't one of them." Celeste Mergens - founder of Days for Girls in the USA. The fate of Sh654.3 million the State says it lent Equity Bank is unknown after the lender denied receiving any loan from the government in its nearly four decades of existence. In documents tabled at the National Assembly on April 29, the Treasury says Equity Bank has an outstanding Sh493.47 million government debt from the initial loan of Sh654.3 million. The bank, however, has disowned the loan deal with the State, raising questions regarding who received the millions of shillings, and casts doubt over recovery of the taxpayers' cash. Equity Group CEO James Mwangi told Business Daily that the lender is not aware of the loan, which the Treasury says about a quarter or Sh160.83 million has been repaid. The loan said to have been advanced to Equity is part of the Sh907.06 billion that the Treasury told lawmakers was advanced to State corporations and other private firms on diverse dates, of which only Sh40.05 billion had been repaid by end of June last year. The loan is not among the borrowings disclosed by the lender in its annual report, which has been endorsed by the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK). "I don't understand. We have never borrowed from government. Maybe there is another Equity but not this one," said Mr Mwangi in an interview. "We are not denying that we borrow. Like anybody else we borrow, but we don't borrow from government." Mr Mwangi explained that distressed banks have a window to borrow from the CBK, adding that Equity has never used the emergency facility. Read more here Donkey owners in Lamu have appealed to the government and the management of the newly-opened port to give them tenders to supply food and other commodities. The Lamu Port was officially opened by President Uhuru Kenyatta on May 20 in an event that saw the first ship dock at the first berth in Kililana, Lamu West. Through the Lamu Donkey Owners Association, the residents said the only way to make them feel the presence of the port in their region is for them to be prioritised, including being given a chance to supply small quantity commodities, especially food items, for the casual labourers working at the port. The association's spokesman, Mr Omar Kidege, complained that donkey owners have not benefited in any way since the construction of port began about seven years ago. And since the port has started operations, it is the right time for donkey owners to directly benefit from it, he said. "We know there are so many activities taking place at the Lamu Port. Our plea to the government and the port's management is for them to give small tenders to supply foodstuffs and other crucial commodities, especially for the casual labourers at the port. We want to be part and parcel of the facility as a host community," said Mr Kidege. Going commercial Mr Bakari Abdikadir, a donkey owner in Lamu Old Town, expressed confidence that with the Lamu Port in place, donkey transport will expand if the request for tenders is accepted. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Kenya Agribusiness By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "As donkey operators, we want to go commercial. We have for years been using our donkeys only for subsistence. We believe once we are given those small port tenders, the donkey transport business will expand," said Mr Abdikadir. Donkeys are the major means of transport in the more than 35 islands within the Lamu archipelago. Lamu Old Town alone, for instance, has more than 3,000 donkeys. The donkeys are part of the ancient charm of Lamu Old Town, a world heritage site that continues to attract tourists. The donkey owners' appeal for tenders comes at a time when stone miners in the region are seeking to be allowed to supply construction material for mega projects in the region. They want to be allowed to supply building blocks and murram, among others. "We have the ability to supply building materials to all these county and national government projects being undertaken in Lamu each day. We're unhappy to see the county and national governments ferrying the same materials all the way from Kilifi and Mombasa instead of buying the locally produced raw materials from within Lamu County. Let them create a ready market for us," said Mr Ben Ojuok, the chairman of the Lamu stone miners. In Lamu, stone mining is carried out in Manda-Maweni, Mokowe, Hindi, Nairobi Area and Baharini. A Kenya Army jeep at the Ishakani border point in Kiunga as it heads for the battlefront in Somalia (file photo). President Uhuru Kenyatta on Monday slammed those criticising him for using the military to revive collapsed parastatals and stalled development projects across the country. The head of State noted that his government is spending much less on projects overseen by the Kenya Defense Forces (KDF), compared to when they are managed by civilians or private contractors. He cited the Kenya Meat Commission (KMC), rehabilitation of the railway lines, which had been abandoned for years, and revitalisation of the Kisumu port. noting the projects have borne fruits. Mr Kenyatta further said the military has the capacity to be the country's protector and double up as the implementer of crucial development programmes. "Those complaining about KDF being awarded projects, to the extent of seeking court interventions, should understand that KDF are Kenyans who deserve equal opportunity. Needless to say, the same hand that carries a gun is the same hand that can handle a hoe," he said. Court ruling The President's sentiments came on the backdrop of a court ruling reversing his decision to transfer the KMC from the Agriculture ministry to the Defence ministry. Justice Anthony Mrima said the move violated Article 10 of the Constitution, due to lack of public participation, but noted that the error can be rectified. Speaking in Kisumu where he launched Kenya Shipyards Limited, Mr Kenyatta stated that his move to hand KMC over to the military came after the body was mismanaged twice under the Grand Coalition Government. During retired President Mwai Kibaki's era, the head of state stated, Sh1 billion was allocated to the commission but some unscrupulous people misappropriated the funds and only repainted the facility. Another Sh2 billion was set aside during his time, he said, noting KDF transformed the commission with less than Sh300 million. "I am wondering why people are against the military running these agencies. Some are even going to court to challenge the decision. You will continue complaining but we will continue doing our job," said Mr Kenyatta. Military discipline According to the President, KDF's discipline, transparency and accountability are unmatched, compared to the civilian managers running government agencies or parastatals. "If only these civilian managers or administrators could deliver a quarter of what the military does, we would be very far as a country. Those hands that carry guns can carry jembes better," said Mr Kenyatta. Apart from KMC, the President has placed an army general in charge of the Nairobi Metropolitan Services and contracted KDF to rehabilitate the old 216km Nakuru-Kisumu railway line. The head of State was accompanied by his Burundi counterpart, Evariste Ndayishimiye, former Pime Minister Raila Odinga, more than seven Cabinet secretaries and politicians from the region. In his speech, he stressed the need to maintain peace in the country, warning leaders against beating the drums of war. "Peace allows many things to move and development to reign. This is why I will continue thanking my brother Raila for the handshake that brought peace. Never underestimate the peace we have as Kenyans and don't allow people to disturb that peace and shed blood, " he said. Important projects On his second day of the Nyanza tour on Monday, President Kenyatta laid the groundwork for construction of a new ship to move more products across Lake Victoria to other East African countries. Mr Kenyatta performed a keel laying ceremony, setting the stage for construction of the vessel christened MV Uhuru II. This will complement the decades-old MV Uhuru I. "It is projected that the construction of MV Uhuru II will boost the transportation of goods and passengers within the Lake Victoria Basin and spur development in the Nyanza and Western regions. It will create employment opportunities for the youths as well as open up trade in adjoining areas," said Mr Kenyatta. The President said that the construction of the new ship will also create 1,000 more jobs for locals. Presidents Kenyatta and Ndayishimiye also commissioned the refurbished MV Uhuru Cargo Ship and the new Sh476 million Kenya Railways Marine School, which are key components of the revamped Kisumu port. President Kenyatta flagged off MV Uhuru on its 51st voyage. MV Uhuru I, which was refitted by a team from the KDF, successfully made its first voyage to Uganda in December 2019 to deliver oil. The soldiers refitted the main engines, navigation equipment, propellers, the hull, deck, generators and the firefighting equipment. The refitting at the shipyard commenced in 2019 and took nine months. At over 300 ft (93metres), it is the longest vessel on any of the East African lakes, and has 30 staff - 23 crew members and seven artisans. It currently transports petroleum products and can also deliver cargo. The vessel can make up to 10 round trips a month between the Kisumu port and Port Bell, depending on demand. To date, the ship has made 50 voyages across the lake, carrying a total of 44.5 million litres of petroleum products. The ship made its first trip on December 20, 2019 after rehabilitation, ferrying 22 loaded wagons to Port Bell in Uganda. Major railway line The Kenyan leader said he will go back to Kisumu in August to launch the 216km railway line, which completes the 360-degree Kisumu port rehabilitation plan. The official commissioning of the port as a whole will take place once the remaining works, including dredging, are completed. The delay to complete the railway line and Uganda's dillydallying on completing its part of the plan, including the oil jetty have contributed to the postponement of the port's launch. Dredging began on February 10, after it was launched by ODM leader Raila Odinga. The project will take six months and is scheduled to end on August 10 2021. So far, at least 128,000 tons of sludge have been successfully dredged, attaining a depth of 4.5 metres. Two thousand tons of sludge are removed from each of the four dredge trips made daily and the cumulative average depth before dredging was 3.0 metres. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Kenya Governance Arms and Armies By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. The dredging is being done at the Kisumu port and the Mbita feeder port by Mango Tress Marine Limited. Upon completion, the port will have a port turning basin measuring 700m by 400m, a KPC access channel measuring 100m wide by 800m long, a KPC turning basin of 300m by 200m for the shallow waters, and a deep water access channel measuring 100m wide and 4000m long. Shipyard's importance The multi-billion shilling shipyard at the Kisumu port is considered a huge milestone and is where new ships will be built and others refurbished. It is owned by the government. The President said having it in Kisumu will create jobs and opportunities for other businesses such as those dealing in steel. It was borne out of the need for a maritime facility for repairing, maintaining, refitting and constructing ships, and providing other maritime services. Phase one of the Kisumu shipyard has been completed with the construction of an office block and the section building area. Phase two will encompass the renovation of the dry dock and reconstruction of the rail wagon slipway. The Mombasa shipyard is under construction and will be completed soon. It will be used for constructing new vessels as well as carrying out maintenance. The yard will be run by the Kenya Navy in partnership with Damen Civil Works Company, a firm well known for ship building. Police vehicles on standby at Thika Superhighway's Exit 7 as police officers await to block curfew violators in Nairobi (file photo). Kenya has resolved to allow students, patients and their caregivers who are stuck in India to return to the country. This comes after intense weeklong negotiations between Kenya's Mission in New Delhi and the Ministry of Health. In an interview with the Nation on Monday, High Commissioner to India Willy Bett said they were receiving the details of citizens who wish to return to the country. "We have issued two memos. We are asking patients, their caregivers and students who have finished their studies and intend to go home to send their booking reference numbers to us, after they secure their tickets, so that we provide special permission for them to be allowed into the country," he said. However, a high-ranking official at the embassy, who has been asked to deal with Kenyans intending to fly home, said that although allowed to travel, no flight from Kenya will pick them up. "We are asking them to look for airlines such as Qatar, Ethiopian and Emirates then send us their booking reference numbers because the Kenyan government is still not allowing flights to and from India but that does not imply a ban," said the official who did not want to be named. "Our air bubble agreement is intact but due to the pandemic, a new advisory was put in place." Conditions In the first memo dated May 31 and signed by Mr Bett, the mission notes that passenger flights from India to Kenya were suspended as a result of the Covid-19 crisis there. He says, however, that there is now a way forward. "The Kenya High Commission, New Delhi, has had engagements with various government ministries and departments to work on modalities to ensure Kenyans stranded in India return home. The Ministry of Health has issued a no-objection certificate for Kenyans stranded in India to be able to go home," he says. The memo, reference number KHC/ND/35 vol II, gives conditions including having a certificate indicating one is Covid-19-negative, taken 96 hours before departure, and a requirement to undergo an antigen rapid diagnostic test at the airport. Passengers who turn negative will undergo 14 days of monitored quarantining at home and register on the Jitenge system. Those who turn positive will give second samples for PCR-based tests and will be placed in isolation. Those who wish to travel were asked to send their itinerary to email address visa@kenyahicom-delhi.com or phone number +919873111197 to allow them to inform Nairobi appropriately. Scholarship students The second memo says some Kenyan students stuck in India are allowed to return home. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Coronavirus Kenya Travel By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "The government has granted approval to Kenyan students in India under the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) Scholarship Programme, who have completed or are about to complete their final exams to travel back to Kenya," it says. They must have Covid-19-negative certificates for tests taken at least 96 hours before departure and will have an antigen rapid diagnostic test taken at the airport Those who test negative will be placed on a 14-day quarantine while those found positive will be placed in a government isolation facility at their own costs. Last year in a quid-pro-quo understanding, India approved Kenya's official request granting special permission that saw Kenyan and Indian national carriers fly passengers to and from the countries, despite lockdowns, until a more lethal Covid-19 variant was confirmed in India. "In order to further boost international air connectivity, air bubble arrangements are now in place with Kenya and Bhutan," India's Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri then said in an official tweet. "Indian carriers will be able to operate to these countries. Carriers of these countries will be able to fly to India." On Monday, India recorded 152,734 new Covid-19 cases out of 1,683,135 samples, as per data from the Indian Council of Medical Research. Former Subukia MP Koigi Wa Wamwere wants leaders to address issues about colonial genocide and Covid-19 during today's Madaraka Day celebrations in Kisumu. President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM party leader Raila Odinga will lead Kenyans to mark the national celebrations in the lakeside city. The two leaders will be out to assure supporters that Constitutional Amendments through the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) which has been declared illegal by the High Court is still on course. Mr Wamwere said despite granting Kenya self-rule on June 1, 1963, Britain should own up to genocide in Kenya during the Mau Mau freedom struggle. "Britain is yet to own up to the genocide it committed in Kenya during the Mau Mau war. It has not agreed to return thousands of acres of land that was taken away from Kenyans during the freedom struggle," said Mr Wamwere in Nakuru on Sunday. He added: "Britain used viral warfare to exterminate populations in Kenya, Zimbabwe, Zambia and many other African countries." He continued: "Britain should emulate Germany which has accepted that it committed genocide between 1904-1908 against the Herero and Nama people in Namibia." Mr Wamwere, a human rights activist, however, took issue with Germany for refusing to compensate victims of her genocide "as it had paid reparations to both individual and Jewish State for Holocaust against Jews." "Germany has refused to return the land that settlers stole from the Herero and Nama people, negating the benefit of taking responsibility for the genocide whose harm remains entrenched in Namibia after accepting Sh1.4 billion US dollars," added Mr Wamwere. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Kenya By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Forgiveness He described the compensation for the genocide as "pittance" that cannot undo the harm of genocide and its continued theft and exploitation of Namibian land to date. France President Emmanuel Macron has also owned up responsibility for the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. On May 27, President Macron in a visit to Rwanda said France recognised its "responsibility" in the 1994 Rwandan genocide, and asked for forgiveness for his country's role but without offering an official apology. His comments on Thursday came during a solemn speech at the Kigali Genocide Memorial, where 250,000 victims of the mass killings are buried. Some 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed by Hutu militias in 100 days of bloodletting that began in April 1994. Rebels belonging to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) killed 57 people in a Sunday night attack on two villages in the territory of Irumu, Ituri Province in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, local officials say. Officials in these villages attribute these massacres to the rebel group established in the forests of eastern DRC, and which operates in the country and in Uganda. For now, the Congolese army has yet to communicate the identity of attackers, though there are several armed groups that are active in Ituri province. As of early Monday afternoon, 57 bodies were found. 26 people were killed in the Rubingo IDP camp and 3 in the centre of Kinyanjojo, in the Bahema Boga chiefdom. 28 other bodies were discovered in the chiefdom of Banyali Tchabi. The atrocities all took place in the south-east of the town of Bunia, in the territory of Irumu. According to Gaston Kandole, president of the civil society of Boga, more than 25 houses were also torched during the attack. While the figure of those killed is currently at 57, the number could go up because several people are still missing in the villages that were attacked. Over the past week, mass killings have resumed in North Kivu and Ituri, two provinces ruled for almost a month by military officers. North-Kivu and Ituri were declared as under siege by the presidency. To this end, President Felix Tshisekedi had announced named Lieutenant-General Constant Ndima as head of North Kivu and Lieutenant-General Johnny Nkashama Luboya to Ituri province, a move that was criticised by international lobby Human Rights Watch (HRW) because of their past. Global rights group, Amnesty International has condemned the alleged shooting of a citizen journalist and activist, Omoyele Sowore, in the Maitama area of Abuja. The incident, which occurred on Monday, left Sowore with an injury on his thigh and led to the abortion of a mobilisation rally against insecurity in the country. However, the Amnesty International stated that protesters deserved to be listened to, not shot at. It, therefore, called on the Federal Government to investigate the alleged shooting and bring the perpetrators to justice In a terse statement, the international body said: "Amnesty International received disturbing reports that activist Omoyele Sowore was shot by the police, during a protest against rampant insecurity in Abuja. Protesters deserved to be listened to, not shot at. "We call on the Nigerian authorities to investigate the incident and bring perpetrators to justice." Drop all charges against Sowore, CORE tells FG In the same vein, the Coalition for Revolution CORE, urged the Federal Government to drop all the charges preferred against Sowore. Recall that the rights activist, who is the convener of Take-it-back movement, an affiliate of CORE, had spent 125 days in the Department of State Service's detention, having been arrested on the 14th August 2019 when he was accused of planning a forceful takeover of government through nationwide protests tagged #RevolutionNow. In a press release, jointly signed by its conveners, Baba Aye, and Gbenga Komolafe, CORE described the alleged attempt on Sowore's life as "the straw which must break the proverbial camel's back" and thus demanded the following: Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Governance Legal Affairs By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "All police officers involved in the shooting be brought to book immediately; all trumped up charges against Omoyele Sowore be dropped forthwith; Sowore's constitutional rights and freedoms of speech and movement be fully and unconditionally restored. "We further hasten to stress that repression will not cower us. Our struggle for total liberation and campaign for #RevolutionNow, which Sowore is a leading light, remains undeterred. "We fight today as part of the working class and youth to stop insecurity and poverty, smash the coercive rambling of the state and bring to birth a better society. We will not stop until victory is won." Sowore rushed to Zenith hospital in Gudu Abuja Meanwhile, after Sowore crashed to the ground, barely six minutes in the encounter with the police, which climaxed with the alleged attempt on his life, there were fears that the security operatives would come after him at the Maitama District Hospital where initial effort was made to take him for treatment. So, other activists at the venue of the shooting rushed him to a private hospital, Zenith Medical Centre Gudu Abuja, for urgent attention and better security. Vanguard News Nigeria Kisumu Burundi First Lady Angeline Ndayishimiye Ndayubaha has applauded the ingenuity behind the Beyond Zero mobile clinics, terming it an innovative way of taking healthcare services closer to the people. First Lady Angeline Ndayishimiye Ndayubaha expressed her liking for units during a guided tour of one of the mobile clinics at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) by her host, First Lady Margaret Kenyatta. Kisumu County First Lady Dorothy Nyong'o and her Laikipia counterpart Maria Mbeneka, who is also the current Chairperson of the County First Ladies Association, were among the dignitaries who received First Lady Margaret Kenyatta and the Burundi First Lady at JOOTRH. The visiting First Lady marvelled at the wide range of services provided by the Beyond Zero mobile clinics that have boosted maternal and child health at the grassroots level. "This is a great initiative that is taking health services closer to where the people are. I am sure many mothers and their children have benefitted. Continue with the good work," the visiting First Lady said. Among the services offered by Beyond Zero mobile clinics, which is a brainchild of First Lady Margaret Kenyatta, include antenatal care, immunization, growth monitoring, family planning, treatment of minor illnesses and health education to expectant mothers. The Burundi First Lady, who arrived in the lake city of Kisumu on Monday morning, is companying her spouse President Evariste Ndayishimiye of Burundi on a two-day state visit that will also see them attend this year's Madaraka Day celebrations on Tuesday at the new Jomo Kenyatta International Stadium in Mamboleo, Kisumu County. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Kenya Health Burundi By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. At JOOTRH, First Lady Margaret Kenyatta and the Burundi First Lady planted fruit trees to signify their visit before being taken on a tour of the Kisumu County cancer centre established through the Empower project, an initiative of the County First Ladies Association. EMPOWER - an acronym that stands for Enabling and Motivating Partnerships Owned by Women who Engage and Reclaim their lives - has attracted the assistance of private entities such as giant Swiss pharmaceutical company ROCHE, Women4Cancer, Africa Cancer Foundation and International Cancer Institute among others. The Empower cancer clinics promote screening, early detection and treatment of cancer in the counties where they are established. From JOOTRH, the Kenyan First Lady and her Burundian counterpart visited the Impala Sanctuary on the shores of Lake Victoria, a short distance from the Kisumu City's Central Business District, where they were treated to a Dholuo cultural experience dubbed "Chiro" which means gathering for purposes of trade. In addition to being entertained by traditional dancers, the First Ladies and their entourage sampled locally made eco-products that included paintings, curios and fabrics. First Ladies Margaret Kenyatta and Angeline Ndayishimiye were accompanied throughout the tour by County First Ladies Mrs Dorothy Nyong'o and Mrs Maria Mbeneka. Earlier at State Lodge Kisumu, First Lady Margaret Kenyatta and visiting Burundi First Lady held talks that centred on women empowerment, maternal and child health. Western diplomats in South Sudan are calling on the unity government to investigate the looting and killing of humanitarian workers in the country. In a joint statement, heads of diplomatic missions from Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom and the United States urged authorities to bring to book the perpetrators behind the killing of aid workers. Turkey also endorsed the statement. "Over the past weeks, direct attacks on humanitarian workers took place in Renk, Jamjang, Gumuruk, Torit and Panyijiar. Humanitarian workers have endured brutal beatings, attacks, robberies in their compounds, roadside ambushes when travelling in clearly marked NGO convoys and the tragic death of two health workers. "South Sudanese aid workers and their families suffer the brunt of these targeted attacks and South Sudan tragically remains one of the most dangerous places to be an aid worker with 126 humanitarians killed while providing critical services since 2013," reads the statement. The donors said that killings, brutal beatings, roadside ambushes involving shootings, and large-scale looting of emergency supplies in the last few weeks across South Sudan have put life-saving assistance and essential services in peril, disrupting aid delivery for the most vulnerable and especially the ones at risk of starvation. The violence in Gumuruk not only resulted in loss of life, including humanitarian staff, but also looting of supplies and the destruction of facilities. According to preliminary estimates, the losses are estimated at over $550,000 and included emergency food rations and nutrition supplies for South Sudanese people already on the brink of starvation. They said that such losses will further deteriorate the precarious situation for people already on the verge of catastrophe. "We urge the national and local government authorities and key individuals to facilitate access to assistance for those in need by putting a stop to this vicious cycle of violence by ensuring the safety and security of humanitarian workers and assets, and engaging in urgent dialogue with donors on this end. "Investigate all reported incidents to ensure the cessation of violence and revenge attacks, and support the local peace dialogues and processes as the way forward, and holding perpetrators to account and ending the impunity," they said. "Allow UN mission and Ceasefire Monitoring body unfettered access to all concerned areas to be able to exercise their mandates of protection of civilians and of monitoring of the ceasefire." On May 12, armed bandits shot a female humanitarian worker between Chukudum and Camp 15 when the convoy she was travelling in came under fire from unidentified attackers. The aid worker died later as a result of the injuries. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines South Sudan Legal Affairs Conflict By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. The convoy included vehicles operated by Cordaid and Save the Children International. The deceased, identified as Clara Amono, worked for Cordaid as a Specialist in Reproductive Health. Last week, the International Rescue Committee suspended its operations in Ganyiel Payam of Unity State following the death of Dr Louis Edward. The humanitarian worker was murdered on Friday at a primary healthcare centre in Panyijiar County. His killers are yet to be arrested. The main warehouse of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in South Sudan's Pibor Administrative Area was also looted by armed groups. The warehouse had one month's worth of food and nutrition supplies for 33,000 people. In another incident, over 550 tonnes of food were looted or destroyed in Gumuruk County of Pibor Administrative Area in early May. Nairobi Police Monday disrupted the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) aspirants meeting convened in Meru county by the party's secretary General Veronica Maina. Uniformed police officers stormed the meeting venue and demanded the dispersal of all those in attendance citing coronavirus containment regulations. The area police boss said the group neither obtained a permit from the police nor notified them of any plan to hold such a meeting. The meeting brought together aspirants from eight counties. "You cannot hold any meeting without permission from the police, it is not allowed. I have been given permission by my boss to disperse this group," the officer commanding police station asserted. However Maina, in a statement, condemned the use of police in Meru to disrupt its meeting even as it noted that the police "did not care about the well-being of people particularly those living with disabilities who had attended the meetings." UDA confirmed that the forum was part of a series meetings held by the party with the previous ones having been held peacefully in Nairobi, Vihiga, Eldoret, and Nakuru. "Today's action is part of a continuing trend by the police to harass UDA and its supporters as witnessed during previous by-elections. The party calls upon the Inspector General of Police to desist from unwarranted use of force, for he will be held responsible for unlawful use of force," Maina said. Efforts by the UDA party members to convince the police to allow them to hold the meeting fell on deaf ears as the police warned of using tear gas canisters to disperse them. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Kenya Legal Affairs By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. The party which is affiliated with Deputy President William Ruto is seeking to consolidate its support base at the grassroots level across the country. Soy Member of Parliament Caleb Kositany who is affiliated with the party previously said the outfit will ensure free and fair nominations for those seeking to fly the its flag in 2022 elections. DP Ruto and his allies, a majority of whom were elected on the Jubilee Party ticket, are keen on popularizing the party ahead of the 2022 General Elections. This comes at a time when the rift between DP and his boss President Uhuru Kenyatta continues to widen as the latter appears keen to foster ties with his 'handshake' partner Raila Odinga. Ruto is still the deputy party leader in Jubilee but has vowed to decamp should the relationship with his boss and party continue to sour. The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) have renewed their existing interagency partnership for intensified antipiracy interventions across the country. Deputy Inspector General of Police, Operations (DIG Ops), Baba Tijani and the Director-General of NCC, Mr. John O. Asein disclosed this during a consultative meeting at the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) Headquarters in Abuja recently. DIG Tijani, who received the NCC DG on a working visit, reaffirmed the commitment of the NPF to institutional and operational support for the Commission in implementation of its national antipiracy campaign across the country. The Police DIG gave assurance that the Force would continue to back the NCC in its regulatory and enforcement interventions for the protection and promotion of the creative industry in Nigeria. The Director-General solicited the cooperation of the police in the execution of the Commission's primary mandate of curbing copyright piracy nationwide. Expressing concern on the rising incidence of piracy in the country, Mr. Asein commended the police for the support that the Commission has enjoyed and called for enhanced synergy between both agencies to effectively check the piracy menace. The Director-General noted that the strategic partnership existing between the police and the commission which, dated back to over thirty years of fighting copyright theft has yielded fruitful results. In his further remarks, the DIG Tijani stated that he was conversant with the operations and activities of the NCC in its bid to curb copyright piracy in Nigeria. He noted that both organisations shared the mandate of curbing crime and promoting the right ideals in society. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Legal Affairs By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. The DIG observed that high rate of intellectual property theft has a negative impact on the creative sector and Nigeria's economy, describing the activities of pirates in local parlance as 'monkey de work, baboon de chop', alluding to the fact that pirates were in the criminal business of reaping from others' creations through illicit and unauthorised exploitation. He indicated that curbing piracy should go beyond investigation and arrest and charged the Commission to "build an internal security architecture to detect piracy" and embark on intensive investigation and prosecution of copyright cases. DIG Tijani reiterated the continued support of the police for the NCC in fighting piracy to a standstill in the country. He stressed that the police would always cooperate with relevant stakeholders to promote national harmony and cohesion. In attendance were the representative of the Inspector General of Police on the Governing Board of NCC, Assistant Inspector General of Police, J. D. Abang; Director of Operations, NCC, Mr. Obi Ezeilo and NCC Director of Legal Services, Mr. Emeka Ogbonna. The Rivers State Commissioner of Police (CP), Eboka Friday, has ordered a full-scale investigation into an explosion that rocked the popular Mile 3 motor park in Port Harcourt, the state capital, yesterday morning. Friday gave the order while confirming the incident in a statement issued by the state Police Command's Spokesman, Nnamdi Omoni. He said the explosion was from a locally-made dynamite planted in a fish shop inside the park, saying the son of the lady who owns the shop was injured along with others. The statement further said the investigation was to ascertain the cause of the explosion and ensure that those behind it face the full weight of the law. The statement read, "The Rivers State Police Command can confirm that there was an explosion this morning at the Mile 3 Market in the Port Harcourt Local Government Area of the state. "A locally fabricated dynamite exploded when one Mrs. Ifemia Aloke, popularly known as 'mama Joy,' opened her fish shop, inflicting injuries on her son and one other young lady who are currently receiving medical attention. No life was lost in the incident. "The Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) was immediately dispatched to the scene to sweep and render the entire market safe. Normal trading activities resumed immediately "In the meantime, the Commissioner of Police, CP Eboka Friday has ordered a full-scale investigation into the incident with a view to ascertaining the cause of the explosion and bringing the perpetrators to justice. "He wishes to reassure the good people of the state that the state is generally calm and they should go about their lawful activities uninterrupted and without fear of molestation from any quarters." Residents of the area said they heard a loud sound at about 6.20am when traders were bringing in their goods and others opening for business. The Ibom deep seaport located in Ibaka, Mbo local council of AkwaIbom State would save Nigeria approximately $70 million that would belost to illegal fishing by the Chinese and European trawlers in Nigeria's territorial waters. Disclosing this in Uyo at the recentlt concluded Maritime Business and International Trade sensitization forum weekend, the Akwa Ibom State Director of National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mr. Enoh Uyoh said that Ibom Deep seaport project is critical to the security and economic well being of the country the location of the port should be of importance. He said that Nigeria currently losses about $70million to illegal fishing annually that is mostly perpetrated by foreigners in the nation's territorial and coastal waters. He said: "Nigeria loses approximately $70 million to illegal fishing by the Chinese and European trawlers in our territorial waters.The citing of Ibom Deep Seaport at Ibaka in Mbo Local Government will, to a large extent, provide the much-needed security in the region as much attention will be paid to the security of vessels, and maritime activities by local fishermen will receive a boost." "Maritime trade has played a key role in Nigeria's economic development. It accounts for about 95 per cent of the vehicular means of Nigeria's International Trade." Uyoh opined that the seaport when operational would provide job opportunities to indigenes and called on the host communities to do everything in their power for business to thrive in the area for their benefit and that of the state, and of the nation at large. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Legal Affairs Oceans By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Similarly In a related development, the Chairman, Technical Committee on Ibom Deep Seaport Actualization and Development and former Director General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Barr. Mrs Mfon Usoro has also that the Federal Government decided the seaside location based on recommendations by the consultants, Maritime & Transport Business Solutions (MTBS) in its Outline Business Case (OBC). Mrs. Usoro, the immediate-past Secretary General of the Abuja Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control for West and Central African Region stressed that all evidence confirm that the Federal Government located the deep seaport in Ibom based on the fact that approval for location and construction of deep seaports is constitutionally the exclusive preserve of the Federal Government of Nigeria. She recalled that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved the OBC and Commencement of Procurement Phase of Ibom deep seaport in May 2015. This was based on the presentation of the Outline Business Case to FEC by the then Minister of Transportation upon recommendation by the Ministerial Project Development Steering Committee (MPDSC). Vanguard News Nigeria "Let me say it again, I have never sat with anybody to say I will make you governor." The Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, on Sunday, said he has not "anointed" anyone to succeed him as governor in 2023. Mr Wike, who vowed to resist "any cabal" within and outside the state from imposing his successor on the people, said his administration has built nine flyovers in two years and will award contract for the construction of a tenth one at Tank Junction, Rumukurushi in Obio-Akpor Local Government Area of the state. The governor stated this in Port Harcourt at a thanksgiving church service held at the Anglican Church to mark the second anniversary of his second term, according to a statement posted on Facebook by his media aide, Kelvin Ebiri. Mr Wike appealed to church leaders to pray for a rancor-free transition, stressing that at the appropriate time "stakeholders of the state" will meet to decide who will succeed him. "Let me say it again, I have never sat with anybody to say I will make you governor. But, as a governor, nobody from anywhere, be it in the party, in Abuja, will impose who will be the candidate of PDP in Rivers state. "Nobody can impose a candidate here in this state. So, if you are running to Abuja, you are wasting your time. "I urge you to pray that we will have our transition very smooth. That there will be no crisis." The governor said that despite the crisis "orchestrated to destabilise" his administration at the inception in 2015 and subsequently in 2019, he has continued to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people of the state. In his sermon, the Diocesan Bishop, Wisdom Ihunwo, of the Niger Delta North Diocese, said "the governor has not failed Rivers people despite the recession and economic crisis that has beset all the states in Nigeria". Mr Ihunwo prayed to God to grant the governor "the grace to finish his tenure well." The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, has moved to explain its recent bid to acquire 20 percent stake in the 650,000 barrels per day Dangote Refinery in Lagos, citing the need to ensure energy security for the country. The corporation in a statement its Group General Manager Group Public Affairs Division, Dr. Kennie Obateru said the move was in line with Federal Government's policy. According to NNPC, the move was in "with a Federal Government policy directive which stipulates the mandatory participation of the Corporation in any privately-owned refinery that exceeds 50,000 barrels per day capacity in keeping with its statutory role of safeguarding national energy security". Obateru stated that NNPC has identified at least six refinery projects in which it intends to seek equity participation, five of them are at the development stage with the Dangote Refinery being the largest of them. He explained that NNPC "a the National Oil Company of Nigeria primarily has a dual role of providing stewardship for the nation's hydrocarbon resources and adding value to the resources for the benefit of all Nigerians and other stakeholders. "These roles enable it to achieve the twin objectives of providing energy security for the country and stimulating the nation's economic development and growth". Obateru explained that NNPC's "strategic objective to ensure energy security and stimulate economic growth with limited resources requires it to consider strategic partnerships with competent investors in sectors of the oil and gas value chain especially where it currently operates on a sole risk basis. "The oil refining sector is one of such segments where NNPC is revisiting its strategy in order to strengthen domestic refining capacity and guarantee National Energy Security. The new vision is to grow domestic refining capacity, improve petroleum products supply from our local refineries and become a net exporter of petroleum products". Obateru assured that the move to seek equity participation in the private refineries would not undercut its commitment to the rehabilitation of its own refineries and strengthen the domestic refining sector. He added that the overall goal is to boost the nation's refining capacity with a view to becoming a net exporter of petroleum products in the soonest possible time and boosting the nation's economy. Vanguard News Nigeria Kaduna State Government on Monday, inaugurated a committee to develop a curriculum for the certification of Almajiri school teachers in the state. Dr Shehu Muhammad, the Commissioner for Education, who inaugurated the committee in Kaduna, said that under the new plan, Almajiri school teachers would earn the National Certificate in Education (NCE). Muhammad explained that the step was part of efforts to reform the Almajiri and Tsangaya system of education for full integration into the mainstream western education system. He described the Almajiri system of education as a system where Muslim children at tender age, were being taught basic knowledge of Islam, its values, and etiquettes. The commissioner said that although the Muslim community still cherishes it, the system has been subjected to all kinds of abuse and needed to be reformed in line with current realities. "This committee is tasked with the responsibility of designing a framework that would produce Almajiri teachers that would have an NCE to be employed in primary and secondary schools. "The committee will also develop a training and retraining framework of all Almajiri teachers in the state. "It is also expected to develop the appropriate scale to be used in placing the teachers into the formal education system, and any other thing they deem necessary for the successful integration. "The curriculum, when developed, will be submitted to the National Council for Colleges of Education, for possible adoption and usage at the national level," he said. Muhammad pointed out that, although most Almajiri teachers had gone through a system of training, memorised the Qur'an, and were versed in Islamic knowledge, they lacked appropriate certification to make them employable. The commissioner said that the state government had earlier banned street hawking and begging, and would now enact a law to ban children from moving about without guidance. He noted that getting all Almajiris off the street, would involve developing a system and alternatives, where they can study the Qur'an along with basic reading and writing. This, according to him, will enable the children to proceed to primary and secondary schools, become better citizens and live a quality life in future. The commissioner said that the committee had members from the Ministry of Education, Kaduna State University, Kaduna State Universal Basic Education Board, Bureau of Interfaith, and Ministry of Human Services and Social Development. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Governance Education By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Others, he said include, Sustainable Education Foundation for African Development, AMA Foundation, Kaduna State Schools Quality Assurance Authority, Office of the Head of Service and Tsangaya Schools Association of Nigeria. He said that the committee has six weeks to conclude its assignment. The Chairman of the Committee, Prof. Sani Sambo, Dean, Faculty of Education, Kaduna State University, said that the task before the committee was enormous, but promised to deliver within the time frame. "We will do the best we can to develop a nearly perfect blueprint for the state government to adopt and achieve the goal of integrating the Almajiri system of education with formal education in the state," he said. (NAN) Vanguard News Nigeria The Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) on COVID-19 has warned that Nigeria cannot afford a third wave of coronavirus and will do everything to protect its territory. Speaking at the national briefing of the PSC, the chairman and secretary to the government of the federation, Boss Mustapha, said: "In the next couple of weeks, the PSC will focus on three major things, increase testing especially in the States; increase Oxygen reserve capacity in case there is a third wave and increase Vaccine acquisition drive." On the travel ban against Emirates Airlines, the SGF said: "For some times now, Nigeria has been discussing with the authorities of the United Arab Emirates on the resumption of flights between the two countries. "The PSC will urge the United Arabs Emirates to remove the country specific and discriminatory practices against Nigeria. Discussions are however on-going and we can assure Nigerians that the outcome will be in the interest of the country." The SGF, while speaking on the ban of some Nigerians, who violated COVID-19 travel protocol, said: "Nigerians must eschew sentiments by ensuring that friends, relations and associates arriving from countries of concern and indeed all countries obey the quarantine and post arrival protocols. It is our duty to make sure this occurs. "Pursuant to the travel advisory issued, I wish to inform you that the PSC has initiated series of sanctions against those that have violated the 2021 Health Safety Regulations. To this end, the PSC has published the names and particulars of over two hundred violators that evaded the quarantine requirement. This is considered a serious infraction and the PSC will proceed to do the following: deactivate the passports of Nigerians involved, for a period of not less than one year; revoke the visas of foreigners that have abused our hospitality; and prosecute the violators where necessary. "Nigeria will continue to monitor the unfolding events and will deal with them as applicable." Meanwhile, the PSC members took their second jab of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine on Monday. The PSC chairman, while speaking before being administered the jab, said: "Some 12 weeks ago, the NPHCDA commenced the administration of the AstraZeneca vaccine across the nation with about two million persons vaccinated so far. We have since then intensified the creation of awareness to achieve a reduction of vaccine hesitancy and encourage all eligible persons to come out and take their second dose. "Over the weekend, His Excellencies, the President and the Vice President received their second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine. Today, members of the PSC will receive their second dose during this briefing. This transparency is to underscore the safety of the vaccine." Luanda President Joao Lourenco Monday in Luanda appointed Francisco Pereira Furtado as minister of State and head of the Security Affairs Office to the Presidency, in replacement of Pedro Sebastiao. In a press release, the Civilian Affairs Office to the Presidency says that President Joao Lourenco has also appointed gen. Joao Pereira Massano as head of the Military Intelligence and Security Service, replacing gen. Apolinario Jose Pereira. This is after President Lourenco sacked gen. Apolinario Jose Pereira and gen. Joao Pereira Massano, from heads of the Military and Security Service and of the Department of Preservation of the Historical-Military Heritage of the Ministry of National Defence and Veterans of the Motherland, respectively. Joao Lourenco also sacked Lt.-general Antonio Mateus Junior de Carvalho, from secretary for Defence of the Security Office to the Presidency of the Republic. The newly appointed minister of State and head of the Security Affairs Office to the Presidency, Francisco Pereira Furtado, had once been the chief of Staff of the Angolan Armed Forces (FAA), from 2006 to 2010, Sacked gen. Pedro Sebastiao had been appointed in 2017, following the general election of that year. "I have a duty as a citizen to support the good works that our government is doing." Charismatic and benevolent flamboyant preacher, Prophet Shepherd Bushiri has made yet another robust contribution to the education sector in Malawi by donating K10 million to a project aimed at providing free meals to disadvantaged primary school pupils in rural areas of the country in a bid to help in fighting malnutrition and increase enrolment. The Enlightened Christian Gathering (ECG) church leader made the donation Friday to an organisation called Savers from the Heart, which is implementing a K43 million project of providing free-meals to school-going pupils in the rural areas across the country. Asked why he made the gesture, Prophet Bushiri said, as a man of God, he gives because God commands His people to do so. He added that, he also gives because our government is encouraging us, citizens, to take part in any development work in the country. "I have a duty as a citizen to support the good works that our government is doing. Together, we can and we will achieve a lot. Lets support each other," said Bushiri. Savers From The Heart executive director, Eve Chirambo hailed Bushiri for his good heart and for the timely donation, saying it will go a long way to help implement their project. Several other organisations and individuals took part in the fundraising and among others, included banks, such as National Bank, MyBucks, FDH Bank and Standard Bank. Member of Parliament for Lilongwe Nsinja South, Francis Belekanyama also attended the event which was dictated by glamour and grandeur. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Malawi Education Religion By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Apparently, Prophet Bushiri is no stranger in charitable works, particularly in supporting the education and food security sectors in the country. For the past 6 years, he has been instrumental in providing free maize across the country. In some occasions, Bushiri could also intervene on the market and sale heavily subsided maize to local people. In education, two months ago, Prophet Bushiri handed over to government a modern secondary school in Rumphi. So far, Bushiri has over 200 learners on his bursary scheme in different secondary schools and colleges in the country. John Mwendemanga, a resident of Kawale, Lilongwe, said: "Love him or hate him, but prophet Bushiri is kind and always support those in need. "I am one of those who used to have a negative attitude against Bushiri and I used to hate him with passion but after sometime examining what he stands for and what he does for the poor especially in the remote areas I realised that my hatred was misplaced." Mwendemanga added that it is time, as a country, we need to embrace Bushiri as our own and with him move forward. A person who supports people to be educated is a person who wants the country to have great citizens in the future. Malawi Congress Party (MCP) Parliamentarians on Saturday donated K5 million in cash to Malawi's music stalwart, Balaka Balaka born and bred music kingpin, Lucius Banda, who is ill alongside his two elder brothers. The country's greatest high-flying and most decorated music icon, Banda, who is also President Lazarus Chakwera's special advisor on youth and arts has been ill for some time now. In January this year, Banda was initially admitted at Mwaiwathu private hospital and was later discharged from the hospital, more than a week after being admitted for high blood pressure. While Lucius Banda was in the hospital rumours were spreading that he was dead, but the Mabala hit-maker took to social media to dispel the rumours and assured his fans that he is alive and well. But Lucius Banda was on and off as his situation was not improving and doctors at Mwaiwathu private hospital recommended that he go abroad for further medical attention. President Chakwera directed that Lucius Banda go to South Africa for further medical treatment and he was airlifted to Johannesburg where he stayed for over six weeks and the majority of that time he spent in an intensive care. Lucius Banda is expected to return to South Africa in few weeks to come for a medical review and further treatment, courtesy of his employers, the Malawi government. Confirming the K5 million donation to Soldier, Leader of the House and Homeland security minister, Richard Chimwendo Banda said the trip for the donation to the former Balaka north Member of Parliament was a private affair. "Although we didn't want this publicised, I can confirm that it is true that as MCP Parliamentarians we have donated K5 million to Lucius Banda, who is not feeling well, together with his two brothers, who also include the legendary music godfather, Paul Banda. "Lucius and his brother Paul Banda have given a lot to this country and we thought it wise to contribute a little something that could help them in this trying moments for the Banda's family. The Banda brothers, Paul, Francis and Lucius have been sick for some time now. Recently, a group of musicians led by Balaka based veteran musician Charles Sinetre from Allelua Band, a music group that Paul Banda established, ganged up in Blantyre at Mibawa Studios where they held show to fundraise for Paul Banda's medical treatment abroad for his kidneys. Lucius Banda, a well known music great in Malawi, was born on 17 August 1970 in Sosola village in Group Village headman Kapalamula and Traditional Authority Msamala in Balaka District. He first appeared on stage in 1985 with his brother's Paul Banda led Alleluya Band but only make his breakthrough as a solo artist in 1993 when he released his debut album, Son of a poor man - whose songs shook the Malawi music arena and took it by a larger storm. Since 1993, Lucius Banda has been producing an album every year. In an interview with Nyasa Times on Sunday, Lucius Banda said: "I am very grateful to the MCP MPs for their benevolence and kindness. As a family, we are very grateful for this assistance. Words fail me to express my appreciation, therefore, all I can say is 'thank you.' "Let me also take thank everyone out there for the financial and moral support and for the prayers they are tirelessly and selflessly giving us. We sincerely appreciate everything and we pray to God that He blesses everyone." Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Malawi Music By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. During an exclusive interview with Joab Chakhaza on Zodiak Broadcasting Station, Lucius appealed to Malawians to pray for him and his two brothers who are all going through hard times due to sickness. Banda told Nyasa Times Sunday that what his family is going through at the moment is tough and incomprehensible but expressed hope that he believes that God will see them through. "Now, more than ever, my faith has been to test but I am have remained steadfast and I believe God will see us through. Sometimes, when hard times fall on us we lose our faith and think God has abandoned us. "I have all the faith and I believe that God is still on the throne and that one day soon, everything will be alright," said Banda. Lucius Banda has since just recorded a brand new praise and worship song thanking God for His blessings and mercies. Makerere University has digitised more than 10,000 land records to preserve fragile documents and ease resolution of land conflicts in the country. The hard copies of land records from 1830 to 1995 were digitised by four researchers, Ms Rhoda Nalubega, Ms Racheal Nabbosa, Ms Monica Naluwooza, and Ms Sara Maka, who are staff of Makerere University Library. The development comes at a time when land conflict is worsening in the country due to rampant evictions by politically well-connected individuals, investors and those whose land titles are questionable. Ms Naluwooza said the records include the construction of the Uganda Railway, the building of churches such as Namasole in Mpererwe; Kabaka's land, Buganda counties and the lost counties. She said the specific documents handled were land titles, land treaties, land payments, correspondences and minutes. The work was done between 2019 and this year. Ms Nalubega, the lead researcher, said the digitised documents were in the university library, which also serves as one of the national reference library where important documents for the country are kept. "We carried out the project because we wanted to get a solution to the contentious issues on land in Uganda. We have enough information about land with us but most people majorly rely on hearsay," Ms Nalubega said. "The project was aimed at preserving and promoting access to land archival records of Makerere University, which are at a risk of deterioration. Dangers such as last year's fire outbreak at the university main building caused the loss of important documents," she added. "Leaving our documents in print form will limit access to the information, especially for our international clientele. We have digitised 10,000 documents," Ms Nalubega said. She said the information can be accessed by visiting the University library website (https://mulib.mak.ac.ug), but that an individual is charged Shs15,000 monthly fees to access the records. Mr Bashir Kizito Juma, the head of operations and cooperate affairs at Buganda Land Board (BLB), said most of the existing contentions on land, especially involving Buganda Kingdom and the government are worsened by lack of credible information. Among the conflicts are the claims by the Buganda Kingdom to the Kyambogo University land and the piece of land where State House Entebbe is situated. In the Kyambogo land issue, the kingdom had argued that the Kabaka of Buganda owns part of the 137.5 hectares of land, having acquired it from his grandfather Christopher Kisosonkole. Uganda Land Commission chairperson Beatrice Byenkya was quoted by the Uganda Radio Network news agency on March 31 to have confirmed to Parliament that they found evidence that the land belonged to the kingdom and that it was an error for the commission to issue a freehold title. Commenting on the move by Makerere University to digitise land records, Mr Kizito said digitisation of the information will be a game-changer. "Land documents are under great threat from forgeries, wear and tear and people who may choose to distort them. Digitising is the best way to conserve the documents," Mr Kizito said. "The Kyambogo University land conflict couldn't have been resolved if we didn't get the archived land documents. The issue was dating back to 1920. So we all had to depend on the documents that were available," he added. Mr Kizito also revealed that they had land wrangles even within the kingdom. "We had land conflicts between the grandchildren of Kabaka Daudi Chwa, claiming that the present estate belonging to the King [Kabaka Ronald Mutebi] should not be the official estate of the kingdom," he said. Historical effect The BLB official said the political history and legal regimes of the country are the leading causes of endless land conflicts. "From the 1900 Buganda agreement [with the British colonialists] to 1966 crisis [where kingdoms were abolished by Dr Milton Obote government and the King of Buganda Kingdom exiled], information gaps were created and we need to rely on archived documents," he said. Some of the land conflicts between the government and the Buganda Kingdom have been solved overtime with more than 200 land titles handed over to Buganda in 2014. But some of the land that was returned to the kingdom continues to be used by the government, according to Mr Noah Kiyimba, the Buganda Kingdom spokesperson. Dr Helen Byamugisha, the university librarian, applauded the project team. "This is an innovation that will conserve and preserve more than 10,000 land documents. The digitised materials are hosted by the Makerere University Institutional Repository. I commend the library staff for the hard work and commitment. I also thank the government through the Makerere University Research and Innovations Fund for the support," she said. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Uganda ICT Land and Rural Issues By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Digitised land records 1. Buganda land issues. This file contains correspondence on Buganda land issues from 1936 to 1939 and land tax collection 1927 to 1928. 2. Selling of Nsenene clan land. The file has correspondences for 1928 to 1940. 3. Land laws Buganda government, 1937 to 1939. 4 Draft law of Butaka land, 1925. 5. Education lease of Kabaka's land at Kasawo, 1928. 6. Land tax law, 1925 to 1934. This file contains the Land tax law of Buganda Kingdom. 7. Survey, land and mines department. This file includes correspondence, some of which are written by the land officer while others are addressed to the inspector of mines. 8. Mailo land. This file contains; maps and estates plans, 1903 to 1927, distribution of mailo land 1907-1926, correspondence 1907 to 1923, minutes 1920 to 1922, land agreements 1908 to 1915 and land laws. 9. Court testimony on Butaka Land and clan cases. The file contains court testimony on Bataka land and clan cases. 10. Land transactions, 1904 to 1928. This file includes; agreements of 1906 to 1928, Memoranda, 1904 to 1914, chiefs to whom mailo land was allocated (Undated) Maputo Last week's SADC double troika summit has called for an emergency heads of state and government meeting in three weeks' time to be hosted by Mozambique. Speaking after the summit, President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi, who is SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation chairperson, said the purpose was to look at double troika recommendations and take a stand on combating terrorist activities in the region. He said the double troika considered a report by the technical team assigned in April to assess security challenges in Mozambique's troubled Cabo Delgado province and recommended actions for consideration by the extraordinary summit. While the report and its contents would not be made public before the June summit, Dr Masisi said any action to assist Mozambique needed endorsement by all 16 SADC member states. President Masisi said should the emergency summit endorse the double troika recommendations, among them military intervention, Botswana would assist to combat the faceless terrorists that had displaced thousands. He pointed out that military intervention among other things required due diligence as it bordered on issues of law and sovereignty of the countries involved. "Our future depends on how we respond to the challenge we are faced with," he said. The region, he said, should help Mozambique fight insurgency explaining that in the case of Botswana, he had made a commitment to Batswana to foster peace and security in the region. SADC chairperson and Mozambique President Mr Filipe Nyusi said his country would accept SADC intervention to bring an end to the insurgency. President Nyusi said Mozambique advocated for coordinated actions and a regional strategy in the fight against terrorism. As a country besieged by terror acts, Mozambique recognised the importance of collective actions to overcome security challenges, he said. Mr Nyusi emphasised the need to make the SADC standby force operational. Source : BOPA Dar es Salaam Yanga SC winger, Carlos Sternio Fernandez 'Carlinhos' has left the country to return to Angola after terminating his contract with the Jangwani club. Yanga has confirmed they have reached an agreement to terminate the contract with Carlinhos after the discussions based on a wide range of issues. It is also stated he has been requesting to leave the club after failing to adjust the environment in the country. A source within the club who did not want to be named, has said 'the player had previously sent a letter twice demanding to leave, but last week he sent for the third time, Yanga bosses saw it suitable to allow him leave'. "Today if he gets a flight then will return to his home, he has been requesting to leave because he failed to cope with country's environment at last the club's hierarchy has granted him his wish." The source added: There was a time he said couldn't stay away from his wife, but he never stopped bringing reasons demanding to leave. Despite his famous registration and reception on the day he arrived, Angolan player Carlinhos has not been part of the team's first team squad due to several injuries that plagued his stay at Jangwani. The source also states that Yanga has inserted a clause that makes it difficult for Carlinhos to join another club in Tanzania in the next four seasons. "Yanga have set up a compensation fee of US dollars 200,000 (Sh460 million) if he will return to the other club within the four-year period. Angolan player, signed for the Jangwani giants from Angola Premier League side Interclube on August 25, 2020. Kasane The abundant wildlife and wilderness resources in the Chobe District should benefit the community, says Minister of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism, Ms Philda Kereng. Addressing a full council meeting recently, she urged councillors in partnership with community forums such as Village Development Committees (VDC) to come up with ideas on how the resources could bring opportunities and be part of government's transformational agenda. "Government is committed to transform the economy from upper middle income to a high income status characterized by high levels of productivity, competitiveness, decent jobs, wealth creation and a knowledge based economy," she explained. Ms Kereng said Parliament had approved the Revised Tourism Policy in recognition of the sector's tourism importance to the economy especially in terms of employment and contribution to GDP. The ultimate objective of the policy, she said, was development of tourism in harmony with the environment with large numbers of Batswana participating and benefitting from it. Minister Kereng said the policy recognised that the occurrence of tourism at district level necessitated direct involvement of local authorities. Hence their empowerment to plan and implement tourism programmes in alignment with national priorities, she said. She said the negative impacts of wildlife on communities had also been realised with self-sustenance activities such as livestock rearing and crop production continuously destroyed or disrupted by wild animals. She revealed that during the last financial year, 384 cases of problem animals were reported with payments to farmers totaling P997 186.10. Ms Kereng said unlike in previous financial years, by the end of 2020/21 financial year, the Department of Wildlife and National Parks had cleared the compensation backlog. She noted that human lives were also lost with 19 people killed by wild animals during the last two financial years. The ministry regretted loss of lives and was motivated to double efforts to reduce negative impacts of wildlife in the country, she stated. During comments and question time, council chairperson, Mr Amos Mabuku said the ministry should work together with that of Agricultural Development and Food Security in order to serve communities better. He also suggested compensation for people incapacitated by wild animals adding that there were currently two cases of people who were seriously injured by buffaloes in Kazungula. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Botswana Business By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Councillor Boitumelo Kanyetu called on the ministry to consider culling animals especially buffaloes which roamed built-up areas. Warthogs, which had increased in numbers, should be relocated to the park, he said. He complained about the bad state of roads in the Chobe National Park. Councillor Kanyetu said as a way of curbing veld fires, communities should be permitted to harvest wood in the park as leaving it lying around helped fuel fires. Another councillor, Mr Simasiku Matengu suggested that compensation for livestock should be at market rate. He said while termination of employment was not allowed during the state of emergency, some tourism industry employees were instructed to stay home without pay which amounted to being laid off. Councillor Caster Mpebe suggested the building of a dam in Pandamatenga to harvest water passing through the area saying the move would address flooding of Zoroga and Gweta areas during the rainy season. In response Minister Kereng said compensation guidelines were currently being reviewed inclusive of the amount and animals to be covered. She promised to take up other issues with relevant stakeholders. Source : BOPA The Architects Registration Council of Nigeria (ARCON) last week commenced a multi-million Naira project that will be known as ARCON House, Abuja. The council's Lagos office is still under massive renovation is about 60 per cent completed. Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, who performed the ground-breaking and foundation laying ceremony of the historical project in Abuja, expressed delight over the stride of the ARCON council, led by Arc (Sir) Dipo Ajayi. He said the project would not have come to fruition, if major stakeholders in the architectural family did not decide to work together. He urged Nigerians to learn from the architects on how they have been able to manage their differences and forged ahead to pursue a common goal of having a befitting edifice of their own. "This is much better place for the architectural family to be than where you were three years ago. Three years ago, when this council took over, it was buffeted with many crises but this council has been able to manage and resolved many of those issues for the benefit of all and the unborn generation. "We all can only learn from the architects that, despite our differences, we can still forge a common front of building than tearing apart. To do this, we need to tolerate and listen to one, another. "From what I have seen so far, ARCON has shown that example and I will say I am really impressed with this achievement. As Nigerians, we should strive and encourage one, another to build," Fashola charged. ARCON's president, Arc. (Sir) Dipo Ajayi, who thanked Fashola for his interventions and the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Muhammad Bello for the allocation of the landed property, said the new edifice will explore and adopt green technology and building automation that is pocket friendly. According to him, the quest to own a house ascribed to the architects in Abuja the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria, became more compelling when in 2018, he knew the sums of money being paid to the council's landlord. He revealed that, as a developer, he knew that the building of a house could be accommodated within the frame work of commitment and strong desire to do so, backed by God-given talents. "So, the successes we have achieved as a group could not have come without the peace and harmony we enjoy today within the family. We must congratulate ourselves for this and expect more from one another to maintain the stability attained so far", Ajayi has said. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Construction By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. In his goodwill message, Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba State, an architect, who supported the project with N10 million, pledged unwavering backing to the architectural family and the project. Justus Okah-Avae, Chairman, Board of Trustees, The Association of Nigerian Chartered Architects (ANCA), said that the ground breaking ceremony was a testimony of the doggedness of a set of professionals who have been trying to make omelette not out of egg but out of nothing. Okah-Avae, noted that, the current ARCON council has not only built on what it met but has braved all odds and distractions to excel. Registrar, Arc. Umar Murnai, in his vote of thanks, said that the foundation laying ceremony was a critical milestone in the life of ARCON. He added that, the step taking by the council was not only to maintain its presence in the Federal Capital, it was also telling the architects in Nigeria that they have a point where they can congregate as a family. Therefore, this is a heart - warming occasion, he said. Abuja Three states in the North-east, the epicentre of insurgency in Nigeria, Adamawa, Borno and Yobe, have been ranked as the most dangerous states in the country to travel to. Fourteen others made it to the high-risk group, according to a new travel advisory compiled by a private security company, PR24, a copy of which THISDAY obtained yesterday. The 14 states, which emerged on the high-risk list in the report last updated on May 19, 2021, are: Bayelsa, Ebonyi, Delta, Benue, Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Katsina, Plateau, Sokoto, Taraba and Zamfara. While no state in Nigeria qualified to be classified as being secure, however, Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Cross River, Edo, Ekiti, Kano, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger , Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Rivers and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT,) made it to the medium risk group. According to the report, only Lagos is fit to be classified as the only state with elevated risk, which indicated that increased level of caution should be exercised as distinct from extreme risk states, to which travels are not advised, high-risk states which require essential business travel only and medium, which require journey management and travel security. The review showed that no state satisfied to be given the blue tick, which means that travellers should only exercise normal precautions. For Adamawa, the security group said active cells of Boko Haram elements and Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) were still operating in certain parts of the state, raising risk concerns to severe levels for business travellers. It stated that the conflict between armed criminal groups and government security forces is a near regular occurrence in the state, same for Borno and Yobe. In Akwa Ibom, the report stated that certain gunmen operating in the state launched some attacks on government security forces, installation and personnel while police stations have been burnt, with vehicles and other assets lost in the attacks. The activities of unknown gunmen in Anambra were attacks on government security forces personnel and assets in areas like Akwuzu, Oyi LGA, Anaocha LGA and Ekwulobia, Aguata LGA have been recorded, PR24 said had heightened insecurity in the state. The story is the same in Abia with attacks on government installations and security personnel by unknown gunmen contributing to higher levels of risk for business travellers in the state. It stated that one of the major security issues in Kogi State is that of kidnapping, which often occurs along major highways such as the Okene-Lokoja highway. "Armed gunmen have also been logged operating within the state, in Dekina and Kogi LGAs. The state also records instances of farmer-herdsmen conflict and carry a distinct possibility of sudden violent outbreaks," the report added. In Kwara, it identified civil unrest as a major threat factor in the state, fuelled by clashes between commercial drivers and government forces, communal clashes and ethno-religious skirmishes within the metropolis. However, in Lagos, which scored highest in terms of general security, the company stated that high road usage and poor travel conditions result in an increased risk of road traffic accidents within the state. "Cult and gang activities also threaten business travel within the state, especially in communities under Ikorodu and Badagry LGAs. Additional layers of security are advised to maintain personal safety in some areas," it added. In Niger, insurgency and kidnapping were listed as major threat factors, while in Ogun, repeated attacks by rogue herdsmen on farming settlements in Odogbolu, and Imeko-Afon LGAs increase travel risk along that axis. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Legal Affairs Nigeria By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. It is the same for Ondo, where clashes between herders and farmers are also prevalent in the state, while Osun State faces heightened risk of gunmen attack and cult and gang activities have a free reign. It said that Plateau State carried a high kidnap risk, especially along expressways with reduced government security forces visibility as well as record of farmer-herdsmen conflict. Gunmen attacks are a threat for business travellers in Rivers State, according to the report, as cult and gang activities are another major threat for business travellers within the state. Taraba State faces attacks by rogue herdsmen in Wukari and Karim Lamido , especially, the PR24 report said. "Takum and Jalingo LGAs also carry increased threat ratings at this time, due to reported incidents of bandit attacks on the citizenry and security forces posted in the area," the advisory added. The Dangote Group has confirmed that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) quest for 20 per cent stake in the its refinery located in Lagos. A senior executive of Dangote Industries confirmed to Reuters that four oil firms, including the country's state-oil company had approached it to partially acquire the asset, regarded as Africa's largest oil refinery. The group's Executive Director, Devakumar Edwin, said the firms from Western and Middle East countries involved in trading and crude production were looking to secure crude supply agreements, a similar objective to that pursued by the NNPC. "They are seeking to have 20 per cent minority stake in Dangote refinery as part of collaboration ... so that they can sell their crude," Reuters quoted Edwin as saying. He said Dangote refinery was not looking for equity, adding that the company wants to be able to secure crude from the market. Nigeria, Africa's biggest crude oil exporter, imports virtually all of its fuel due to moribund state refineries, which has prompted the state oil company's interest in the 650,000 barrel per day (bpd) Dangote refinery. NNPC's spokesman, speaking to Reuters in a phone interview, said the corporation had considered the idea of acquiring a stake in the multi-billion oil refinery project owned by Africa's richest man, Aliko Dangote. Edwin said the refinery was scheduled for mechanical completion this year with commissioning by January 2022. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Company Nigeria Petroleum By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Nigerian billionaire Dangote, who built his fortune in cement, first announced a smaller refinery in 2013, to be finished in 2016. He then moved the site to Lekki, in Lagos, upgraded the size and said production would start in early 2020. The company has held talks with firms including Vitol and Trafigura over the supply of crude and lifting of petroleum products for sale abroad, Reuters reported. Nigeria lost its biggest customer, the United States, after it started producing shale oil. The US is now pushing into some of Nigeria's most valued markets, Edwin said. THISDAY recently reported that NNPC had announced its willingness to purchase a 20 per cent minority stake in Dangote refinery. The 650,000 barrels per day (bpd) integrated refinery, expected to process a variety of light and medium grades of crude, including petrol and diesel as well as jet fuel and polypropylene, is owned by Nigeria's Dangote Group and is worth an estimated investment of $15 billion. It was designed to produce up to 50 million litres of petrol and 15 million litres of diesel a day, roughly 10.4 million tonnes of the product, 4.6 million tonnes of diesel, and 4 million tonnes of jet fuel per year, in addition to having a fertiliser plant, which will utilise the refinery by-products as raw materials. Abuja The federal government has said that there's still a lot of financing gap in the country's power sector, requiring an immediate funding of $40 billion in the generation, transmission and distribution value chain. The government stated that from all sources, it expects to spend between $3 billion to $5 billion to boost power supply in the sector in the next 24 months and eventually free itself from the payment of subsidies. Speaking during a television programme on the challenges and prospects of the power sector, Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Infrastructure, Mr. Ahmad Zakari, noted that the sector is currently bedeviled by three major classes of challenges. He grouped the systemic challenges as regulatory, fiscal and infrastructural, explaining that for years, Nigeria had a situation where distribution companies were buying power at high prices but were only allowed to sell at low prices by the government. But he noted that the current administration has gone a long way to correct the inefficiency by introducing the service-based tariff despite the regulatory gap which created an investment quagmire wherein any investor who put in money wasn't able to recover it. Zakari further stressed that the administration has worked out how it will push more infrastructure into the network, starting from the National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP), through the emergency intervention from the central bank, commercial banks and donor partners. This, he said, was in addition to the incremental support from Siemens and other programmes, amounting to about $3 billion actively being spent and would be spent over the next 24 months. On the issue of grid collapses, he stated that in 2015, there were 28 total or partial collapses, while as of last year there were four , noting that in 2021, Nigeria has had one partial and one total collapse. "There's a plan to invest in SCADA, which is the system that digitally manages the grid. It allows you to monitor all of the figures and voltage and whenever there are challenges it can isolate the problematic segment," he stressed. On tariff, Zakari noted the law allows adjustment every six months, but regretted that the situation has not been fully communicated with the public even though any time it is done, it is viewed as tariff increase by the masses. In some instances, the presidential aide noted that tariff may come down, go up or stay flat, saying that what the current administration has continued to do is subsidise electricity for the most vulnerable Nigerians. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Energy Nigeria Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. He said the federal government has continued to encourage local meter manufacturers, who have already delivered in excess of 500,000 to 600,000 meters in phase zero of the scheme, out of which 400,000 have been installed. He argued that the national mass metering programme has delivered more meters to Nigerians in four months than what was done in 18 months under the entire Meter Asset Provider (MAP) programme and expressed confidence that the six million metering target will be met. Through the service-based tariff regime, Zakari noted that new grounds were being broken as the Discos collected N65 billion in December 2020, leading to a 15 per cent increase in delivery of power even before the commencement of capital expenditure. "So, we are seeing increased liquidity in the system that is likely to continue. The Siemens programme is part of the suite of investments that make up the $3-$5 billion that we are targeting over the next 24 months," he said. He noted that despite the improvements, there's still a lot of gap to be filled and massive investments to be made in the entire value chain of the power sector. "But we have a gap in this sector in distribution and that's over $10 billion. If you add everything together, it could be up to $30-$40 billion in terms of the other value chain sectors. "So, what we are doing is to find all available financing, for instance the emergency funding from the central bank on metering, in-network CAPEX as well as transmission and distribution interfaces. Those are being spent now," he said. Last week, there was a chorus of gratitude amongst to which Julius Berger Nigeria Plc has distributed treated mosquito nets along with a pamphlet titled 'Guide to Malaria Prevention' to administrators, teachers, community leaders and pupils of various schools in both Rivers and Akwa Ibom States, in furtherance of the company's determined corporate social responsibility (CSR) policy and fight against the scourge of malaria in Nigeria. It is also in alignment with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of the United Nations. Since the marking of 2021 World Malaria Day, Julius Berger has been in the forefront of the war against the disease by distributing mosquito nets among school pupils and pregnant women and children considered vulnerable to malaria ailment across the country. At St. Paul's State primary School I, Diobu, Port Harcourt Rivers State, the Community Liaison Officer of Julius Berger, Hon. Chijioke Chike, told the pupils that the provision of the treated mosquito nets to them was a complementary extension of the good quality infrastructural works Julius Berger has done and continues to do in Port Harcourt communities. Julius Berger's works as well as the company's CSR initiatives, he said, are all meaningfully targeted towards a sustainable environment and the general good health for the communities. He said, "... if you look across your school premises, you can see the modern flyover built by Julius Berger. It is the Rebisi Flyover. After the construction of the flyover, we are distributing these treated mosquito nets for you to protect your good health to enable you live well and enjoy the great flyover." The clearly elated Head teacher of the school, Mrs Ikpakor, Jemimah who responded after each pupil had been given the treated mosquito nets said, "... on behalf of St. Paul's State School I, I appreciate your practically humane company. We know and declare that Julius Berger is a solution provider for our people's critical infrastructural and social needs. For example, in addition to these treated nets provided by the company to help us stave off mosquitoes and keep malaria out of our homes and families, we also can say that with the construction of the Rebisi Flyover, grinding and frustrating traffic hold ups are over in our neighbourhood. We pray to the Almighty God for more blessings for Julius Berger." At the St. Paul's State School II also in Diobu, Port Harcourt, the accolades were same for Julius Berger with the Head mistress, Mrs Juliet Nwachukwu responding thus: "We, the staff and pupils of St. Pauls State School II express our heartfelt gratitude for this donation of treated mosquito nets. We are asking God that today that you have come here to show us this loving kindness, God's divine favour will continue to be with Julius Berger." The next donation stop by the Julius Berger Roll-Back-Malaria CSR Campaign was the State Primary School I, Amadiama, Rivers State. There, the CLO reminded the pupils that Julius Berger also constructed and built the Flyover in the neighbourhood. He thanked the community through the pupils for their cooperation with Julius Berger while the project lasted. He added that the mosquito nets donation by the company are a further demonstration of the development partnership the company has with the community and its most worthy and lasting legacy, its children. The Head teacher, Mrs Eunice Williams was full of praises for Julius Berger praying for continuous wellbeing of the company. At the fourth school, State Primary School II also in Amadiama, Rivers State, pupils sang and danced in appreciation of Julius Berger even as the Head Pupil, Miss Dominion Elemo said, "It is my pleasure to extend a cheerful welcome to our guests, the Number 1 construction company in Nigeria, Julius Berger. Your coming here today has given us hope and courage for a great and brighter future. We also thank you for your architectural designs in the development of Rivers state." The headmistress of the School, Mrs Nwankpa James, prayed for the continued "growth and success of Julius Berger." The Julius Berger CSR Team later arrived Akwa Ibom State at the Lutheran primary School, Afaha Etuk, Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom state on Friday. The leader of the Julius Berger team and management staff, Mrs Ndifreke Ukochio, educated the pupils on the dangers mosquito bites pose to humanity especially children urging them that, "we need to kick out malaria from our lives." Continuing, she said, "malaria is a deadly disease and we are here to offer you these treated mosquito nets because we do not want you to be infected." Ndifreke Ukochio, fondly called Ndi by her team members, went on to demonstrate the use of the nets before sharing the nets among the pupils. The Acting Head of the Lutheran School, Afaha Etuk, Mrs Peace Etime expressed her gratitude for the donation of the nets and prayed for continued success for the company. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Company Malaria By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Julius Berger's Roll-Back-Malaria CSR Team later proceeded to Government primary School, Ikot Isong in Etinam LGA where Mrs Ukochio repeated the earlier message to pupils who received the treated nets before the distribution of the nets. The school's Acting Head, Mrs Imaobong Jackson also expressed her thanks to Julius Berger even as she declared "... this school, these pupils and their parents will never forget Julius Berger. They will always remember your kindness. Their parents will always remember you with gratitude, too." The Head, Media Relations Office of the Julius Berger Nigeria Plc Group, Prince Moses Duku, speaking in Abuja, said "... the sustainable good health, safe environment, productive economy, as well as the real development and progressive growth of the Nigerian people remain prime considerations upon which Julius Berger's CSR policy and operations firmly, responsibly anchor. We remain committed partners for the Nigerian development project." Following the retreat of the UK fashion brand Timbuktu Global in the 'Yoruba trademark war,' the online outrage hashtag #Yorubaisnotforsale generated concerns and conversations around cultural appropriation and its moral, cultural and legal implications. Gbemisola Isimi, the founder of CultureTree was born in Lagos but moved to the United Kingdom at 11. Raised by her maternal grandmother, she could speak Yoruba fluently. But after relocating to the UK, she stopped speaking Yoruba and that continued for 10 years till she got to college and made new friends who were Yoruba speakers. She gained the confidence to speak Yoruba once again. But she couldn't say the same for her eight-year old daughter. Isimi tried to teach her Yoruba but the online resources were not available. It was that sense of identity and cultural pride that birthed her initiative CultureTree. She created the first animated Yoruba nursery rhyme video and decided to run an academy that specialises in Yoruba language for children of Nigerians in diaspora. This initiative began to grow, with partnership from Mayor of London, Westminster City Council, British Library. CultureTree produced children content for BBC, Vox Africa and YANGA TV. Isimi decided to concretise her business by attempting to trademark the name "Yoruba Stars", a popular nomenclature among young Yoruba students. Then, she was informed by the IPO office that Timbuktu Limited in Lancashire had registered the word Yoruba. The clothing retailer owned by two white British from North of England would later restrict her from registering the name "Yoruba Stars." After much deliberations, Timbuktu Global offered to sell the trademark to CultureTree but Isimi refused the offer. She felt slapped in the face- and called it cultural appropriation. She began to mull a legal action. Her post regarding this experience on social media triggered an avalanche of angry messages to @TimbuktuGlobal across their social media platforms. The fashion brand quickly blocked off messages and subsequently released what seemed like an apology: "We will be releasing Yoruba to Culture Tree immediately. They can claim Yoruba without objection. We have made no profit from Yoruba and never intended to. We have actually spent thousands of pounds protecting the trademark Yoruba for several years and we are now happy to hand over / release this name to Culture Tree for free, no costs, no fees ... " Still, the matter was not one that Nigerians would allow to live rent-free in their heads. THISDAY sought the views of some promoters of Yoruba culture as well as legal and brand communication experts. The award-winning writer and co-author, 'Who's Who in the Yoruba Pantheon,' Peju Akande considered it as a form of racism. "I personally think it's an affront, especially as the name 'Yoruba' is being banned by other native speakers. If other non-Yoruba choose to use it without placing any form of restriction on other users, that would be good but to say no one can touch the name because it has been trademarked, even if done by Yorubas, I think is ugly, very wrong. What's in a name? it is the totality of a person, place, thing. When we can't use the word that symbolizes our origin, our tradition, our culture, when it is being taken over by a foreigner, this speaks of another form of colonialism and this is unacceptable," she argued. While reflecting on the damage this could do to the fashion brand, Akande believed that the impact would be negative. "They would be seen as racist, as people who have stolen everything from us; our lips, our butt, our skin and now our name, the one word that identifies us worldwide," she said. A legal consultant on Intellectual Property (IP) who preferred anonymity explained why it may not be wrong for a brand to trademark a name that is totally unrelated to its product or services. He cited the example of the American multi-national technology company Apple that uses the apple fruit image for a business that is tech-oriented. For him, the Timbuktu Global issue with the Yoruba trademark was a question of what is morally acceptable. "Morally speaking, this is wrong as it is cultural appropriation for monetary gain and chances are that the people who oversaw the trademark application in the trademark office may not be familiar or have very limited knowledge of the Yoruba culture. That being said, it should be noted that trademark laws should be reviewed in a manner that prohibits the trademark of tribes and culture and it is important to note that this is not the first time this had happened nor will it be the last. This is similar to a case that happened with the brand, Urban Outfitters where they trademarked the native American tribe Navajo for a selection of their clothes," he recounted. Fortunately, the tribe had registered the name Navajo as trademark since 1943. Urban Outfitters started using the name in 2001 and a lawsuit was filed against them in 2012 by the Nation of Navajo. Eventually, the matter was settled in April 2016. In the case of Timbuktu Global, the Yoruba trademark had been acquired since 2015 and no one knew this until CultureTree discovered. "The trademark office's job is not to police the use of marks but register them. The onus is on the people to check and call them out," he added. A Public Relations consultant, prolific writer and co-author of 'Who's Who in Yoruba Pantheon,' Anthony Kan Onwordi popularly known as Toni Kan shared a very different perspective. "It is a sentimental attachment nothing else. We bear English names. I know an Igbo girl named Chelsea. I know one named Zurich. Are the English and Swiss going to complain? We say the world is a global village, but we are staying provincial. Speaking from the PR point of view, this is a big boost for Timbuktu. Up till Monday morning, I never heard about them and now the whole world knows about them," he argued. His view was a sharp contrast to that of another decorated Nigerian writer, journalist and former Presidential Adviser on Research and Documentation, Molara Wood who believes it is a case of cultural appropriation, that is the use of elements of a non-dominant culture in a way that doesn't respect their original meaning. "It is the thingification of people; it continues the exploitation of people who are outside the mainstream western culture. It continues the denigration of African people and people of African descent. It is purely exploitative. It really goes deep into what scholars had been talking about for a long time about the ways in which cultures outside the west are dominated and used in an exploitative way for financial incentive. "It is just outrageous and maddening; it is mind-boggling how this firm was able to register a trademark with the authority in the UK with the name Yoruba which then purports to prevent anyone else from having any kind of registration of a company with the word Yoruba in it," she said. Furthermore, she described the situation as 'original, undeniable cultural appropriation' which should not be taken for granted because 'Yoruba' word relates to the identity and heritage of millions spread across the globe. "We should be concerned because nothing would stop them if they had gotten away with it and nothing will stop anyone from going to trademark Igbo or Itsekiri anywhere in the world. We should be concerned about it because it is who we are. It should not be for the exclusive use of people who do not contribute to the culture or have any respect for the culture or any understanding or attempt to learn the culture. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Entertainment By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "It is not coming from a respectful stance. It is pure exploitative; it is cultural domination and denial. It is cultural vampirism. It is in standing against this that we prevent such galactic insult from befalling any other group again," she said. She also commended the effort of CultureTree for bringing the issue to international limelight and urged cultural custodians to remain vigilant to prevent any future reoccurrence. "We have drawn a line and we have made clear that you can't do this. If something of this magnitude could be attempted, then it means that we all have to remain vigilant. Because almost every other instance of cultural appropriation I have ever heard of, nothing had been on the scale of this. It shows that we all have to be vigilant. It sends a message to people in the global north that people of African descent will not stand for this anymore," she said. Oludamola Adebowale, a culture activist and the Creative Director/Founder, ASIRI Magazine, also remarked that Timbuktu Global's move to own Yoruba trademark amounts to an infringement on the rights of Yoruba people. "It means cultural, spiritual and socio-cultural infringement. It is also demeaning and insulting to the entire 60 million people that make up the Yoruba race today. The name should not have been considered for a trademark by the company in the first place, the word Yoruba should not be the property of anybody. "It speaks of the identity of the Yoruba people all around the world. It is also borne out of the need to colonize, subjugate and make something their property. It is not just about Yoruba; it is about any word that captures the essence of an African. It should be a wake-up call that if we do not put our house in order, other people would come and take what is ours," he said. Attachments area On World No Tobacco Day, there is no better way to celebrate than by increasing the excise duty on tobacco and all its by-products, lobby groups say. This was the rallying cry during the close of a week-long campaign in Nairobi where Fransescah Marabu, the National Taxpayers Association (NTA) programme manager, said the tax increments on tobacco products would go a long way in reducing the country's population of smokers. "NTA is focused on advocating for an increase in tobacco tax to 70 per cent of the retail selling price as recommended by the World Health Organisation's Frame Convention on Tobacco Control," she said. On its part, the WHO says quitting the habit is more important now because of the coronavirus pandemic. "The global crisis has supercharged health complications for smokers. Coronavirus gives a strong motivation to quit tobacco use as smokers are at much greater risk. The underlying diseases caused by smoking are key risk factors for death from Covid-19 and smoking is associated with increased severity of disease and death in hospitalised patients," the global health agency said in a statement marking the day. Kenya is one of the highest consumers of tobacco in Sub-Saharan Africa, with the number of cigarette sticks smoked per person per year increasing to 264 in 2016, up from 257 in 2014, according to the World Tobacco Atlas. Vincent Kimosop, a policy expert and CEO of Sovereign Insight, says tobacco control is crucial and challenged the government to do more to shield its citizens from the dangers of smoking. He noted that the country's porous borders were a huge threat to ongoing efforts aimed at curtailing the use of unlicensed tobacco in Kenya. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Kenya Business By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. He reckons the country should borrow a leaf from South Africa, which upon gaining self-rule in 1994 increased the excise duty on tobacco products. This move not only saw the price of cigarettes skyrocket, it led to decreased consumption, he says. "The global tobacco economy is staggering and should nothing be done about it, it will greatly affect the world's economy to the tune of trillions of dollars in the next two decades. Tobacco is causing deaths, disabilities and diseases and it is a serious matter that should be addressed," he said. Speaking during the final campaign day, Kenya Revenue Authority Deputy Commissioner for Enforcement, Ms Ann Irungu, said the agency is working to systematically increase excise tax on all luxury products including tobacco. "Al luxury products such as beers, ready to drink products, wines and spirits, tobacco and all its products need to have a higher tax. This is because they are harmful and the tax is one of the measures of controlling consumption," she said. Despite their efforts, she added, new and emerging nicotine products posed a major challenge. This is because they are not fully incorporated in the approved tax regime when they emerge after known tobacco products have been regulated and taxed effectively, she explained. editorial There is a general perception that armed robbery is becoming more common, partly driven by the side economy that is run on cash transactions in US dollars because people do not want to use the banking system for various reasons or wish to avoid coming to the notice of the tax collectors. The police are doing a fairly good job of rounding up likely suspects, quite often at considerable risk to themselves since some gangs want to fight it out although the police now seem to be better prepared for this, ensuring that they have adequate back-up when they do affect an arrest. The trouble starts after the arrest. The accused are taken to court promptly, as required by law. Magistrates are not allowed to grant bail in such cases so the suspects apply at the High Court. Usually the State makes a good case for denying bail and usually manage to get the judge to agree, at least for a while. But then little happens. After a decent interval the High Court has little option, but to grant bail since people cannot be held indefinitely in the remand cells while what seems to be a very slow process in completing the investigation, at times with little further evidence that the accused was arrested in the company of others who are also suspects. Bail is always touchy and there is a perennial dispute between police, prosecutors and judicial officers over when it should be granted. Police, correctly, point out that there are a fair number of suspected robbers who have been granted bail and who then fail to turn up for their next remand hearing. Unfortunately that is not a legal argument. A judge has to look at each individual case, not at patterns. Even if a majority of robbery suspects skip bail, that cannot influence a judge faced with a particular individual making an application. Each application has to be decided on its own merits in terms of the law and precedent. Added this there are other factors, such as a Constitutional ban on detention without trial which precludes keeping a prisoner "on ice" in a remand prison indefinitely. Remand prison in many ways is the exception, not a convenience and is certainly not a punishment. It is meant basically to hold someone against whom there is already a very strong case for a serious crime for a short time before a trial is held and guilt or innocence is decided. When a court is faced with opposition to bail on the grounds that a lot of further investigation is required there is bound to be a need to find out how much evidence is already available and just what still needs to be done to tie up the prosecution case. And when there is not very much evidence available, except a strong belief that the accused is the person who committed the crime, a court is likely to take a bail application seriously, allowing the person to be at liberty with some restrictions while the investigations continue. Even in many cases where bail is granted there are long delays, although the rights of the accused are less likely to be infringed, which is why we are now starting to get applications to have an accused removed from remand unless a trial date is set. Building the evidence for a trial is not a simple process. A conviction requires proof beyond reasonable doubt, not just a very strong suspicion. While investigators are allowed to know about previous convictions, previous arrests and other crimes that the accused person may be involved in, the courts are not. The solution appears obvious, a faster investigation which, in many cases, should be tying up a few loose ends because the basic case is already in place when the arrest is made. In any case having a complete and well-documented initial investigation of the original crime should mean there is not that much to do when an arrest is made, largely finding out if there is a strong tie between the arrested person and the crime. Sometimes the bureaucratic process of communication between the investigating officers and the Prosecutor-General's office adds to delays. The initial file is sent, the legal officers want more done, so a revised file is sent, in time, and then there are other loose ends. And so it goes. In some jurisdictions the process is speeded up by allowing far closer co-operation between the prosecutor and the investigating officer; that is the position in most American states where the district attorney can take a more active role. In others, such as in most of Europe, a law officer can supervise a police investigation and tell the investigators, daily if necessary, what they still need to find out before a decision to prosecute can be made. But whatever the reasons for delay, they need to be fixed. And there could be several reasons, so several fixes are needed. The police could quite easily be overwhelmed at the investigation level and lack resources. Not every police officer makes a good detective, but the higher education standards now demanded from recruits should make the pool of potential detectives larger. There could be a strong case, in light of the desire by so many to advance their qualifications by private study, to finding out if there are suitable experienced police officers interested in law degrees who can fill a partial void in skills. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Legal Affairs Zimbabwe By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. An experienced detective who has received advanced legal training could be a good fit on some teams. Home affairs ministers, or their equivalent, are obviously in continuous debate with finance ministers over manpower levels and resource budgets. But a good case can be made if there is a rise in particular crimes that need more manpower than operational reassignments can provide, or for resources that cannot be found by juggling budget items. It is the same with the Prosecutor-General's Office, and here there are possibly good grounds to change procedures to allow, in a set number of cases, far closer contact between a designated legal officer assigned to take the case to court and the investigating officer so gaps are filled quicker, or a decision is made that the case is too weak for trial. The judiciary are normally open to early trial dates for accused people in custody and usually give priority in these cases when it comes to setting trial dates. So if the case can be completed quickly an early date can be set for trial and that, in turn, minimises the risk of serious human rights violations if bail is not granted. The progress that is required is co-operation between police and prosecutors to speed up preparation of criminal cases and then holding the judiciary to their policy of early criminal trials for those held in custody. THE Zimbabwe Migrants Support Network (ZiMSN) has challenged Zimbabweans in both business and charity work to assist vulnerable groups in the Diaspora as they continue to grapple with a myriad of challenges spawned by the Covid-19 pandemic. This came after South African based Zimbabwean businessman Mr Justice Maphosa facilitated the repatriation of Zimbabweans based in South Africa, who had fallen through the cracks due to Covid-19 pandemic. The secretary general of ZIMSN Mr Shelton Chiyangwa said his organisation celebrates and honours individuals who have excelled in various ways in South Africa. "We have seen many of our countrymen and women doing well in private sector businesses. Generally, Zimbabweans are resourceful and educated therefore when they are exposed to opportunities they push to excel. "One is then inspired to appreciate people such as Mr Maphosa who then give back to the fellow Zimbabwean communities living in South Africa. "We have seen him providing buses for repatriation during the hard lockdown and it was a huge relief for our people. As a humanitarian worker I find that as a great thing worth to be celebrated," he said. Maphosa owns Bigtime Strategic Group, a multinational conglomerate with interests in multiple sectors including aviation, information technology and food processing. "As an organisation we continue to encourage and call upon fellow citizens in business and various institutions to continue looking at the plight of vulnerable communities even here in South Africa. "Life is not all rosy for everyone especially with Covid-19 pandemic that hit hard on our people resulting in job losses. "Such kind of gestures will help give a very good narrative even to local South Africans who sometimes tends to be very negative towards Immigrants and Refugees from African continent." Mr Chiyangwa added that they are hundreds of people in need of assistance to travel from South Africa back home. "Whilst we have been managing with our own personal resources, it becomes unsustainable and hence the need for other players to partake. Mr Maphosa came through at a time of serious need and as an organisation we extend our heartfelt gratitude in all the work he continues to do for our people," Mr Chiyangwa said. Herald Correspendent Young female journalists have been urged not to fear working in newsrooms because of issues related to sexual harassment but rather should stand their ground and report such matters when they occur. This was said by senior female journalists during a two-day mentorship workshop held in the capital over the weekend. The workshop was organised by Friedrich Naumann Foundation(FNF) and ran under the theme: "Women for Future". The key facilitators were Sunday Mail editor Victoria Ruzvidzo, Zimbabwe Independent editor Faith Zaba, Martha Mamombe from ZiFM Radio, veteran photo journalist Anne Mpalume and Bridget Mananavire from Newshawks. Zaba encouraged young female journalists to work hard and act against sexual harassment as she shared some of the obstacles she faced in the media industry and how she overcame them. "I am urging you all our young journalists to work hard in order to make a mark. Sexual harassment is something that has been happening for ages and it mostly affects us as women, but what is important is to know how to avoid being sexually harassed, how to stop it and voice up against such bad acts," she said. She urged fellow journalists to recognise risk of sexual harassment, record such incidences, keep the evidence ,voice up and break the silence so that perpetrators are brought to book. Participants took turns to share their experiences and it was noted that most women have become reluctant to report cases of this form of abuse as the victims sometimes face hostility from the perpetrators. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Media Zimbabwe Women By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. During the workshop, Ruzvidzo also spoke about the surviving tool kit in the newsroom. She said fellow female journalists should hunt for the positives, work hard , be willing to take up challenging beats and not to accept sexual favours at the workplace. FNF programmes manager Mrs Fungisai Sithole urged female journalists to actively participate in ongoing consultations on the Sexual Harassment Act. She said as a foundation they are going to expand the programme to male journalists to deal with sexual harassment in a holistic way. "Sexual harassment does not only affect women but men too and as such we are hoping to expand this project and rope in male journalists. "This will enable both parties to understand and avoid unwanted behaviours and cultures which make either men or women to feel uncomfortable to work in the newsrooms," said Mrs Sithole. Political Editor The United States is dangling US$5 million to non-governmental organisations (NGOs), which they say is meant to entrench the rule of law, constitutionalism, and democracy. However, independent analysts believe the funding is part of efforts by the US to spotlight and discredit Zimbabwe's international standing, which appear to be bearing fruit judging by the thawing of relations with many countries in the European bloc. Plans to fund non-governmental organisations are contained in an invitation by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) extended to local NGOs to apply for a cooperative agreement to implement the so-called Promoting Constitutionalism Activity. According to the USAID, the objective of its latest programme includes the facilitation of funding to enable NGOs to fight the Government through the courts of law as has been witnessed lately when pro-Western civil society organisations have been challenging the extension of Chief Justice Luke Malaba's term by an additional five years after his medical report proved that he is still mentally and physically fit to continue in the esteemed judicial office. The objective of the grant, as explained by USAID is "to support civil society to influence the alignment of legislation with the Constitution and advance the implementation of key provisions in the Constitution through innovative and reinforcing advocacy action. Applicants are invited to propose robust, multipronged policy and legal advocacy, litigation, and other strategies that seek to influence both the formal alignment of laws as well as the ongoing implementation of the Constitution as distinct but related efforts". It also advocates for what it calls increase in Citizen Awareness of and Demand for Constitution-Driven Reform with the "objective to cultivate a culture of respect for the constitution and rule of law by supporting interventions that increase citizen awareness of their constitutional rights, roles, and responsibilities; strengthen public discourse on democratic reform; and increase citizen demand and pressure for the enjoyment of rights and the advancement of constitutional reforms". In implementing the programme, USAID says it intends to award a cooperative agreement to the successful applicants. "Subject to funding availability and at the discretion of the agency, USAID intends to provide $5 000 000.00 in total USAID funding. The anticipated period of performance is five years. The estimated start date will be September 15, 2021." It appears the US is unhappy with the ongoing implementation and alignment of the 2013 Constitution and is now seeking to influence public opinion on the matter by swaying people to have doubts on the whole process. "Pressure from civil society is therefore essential to accelerate the reform process, setting priorities as well as helping to shape the reforms themselves," reads part of the documents posted on the US grants websites. The USAID document further states that the promotion of constitutionalism will build on prior support for civil society advocacy for constitutional alignment and implementation through multiple awards. With a message that has resonance with the opposition, USAID makes it clear that the objective of the programme is regime change. Early this year, the US unwittingly admitted its hidden hand in regime change efforts in Zimbabwe after its Congress expressed frustrations on continued financial support to political activities, saying the exercise is doomed as President Mnangagwa is poised to win the 2023 general election. A former MDC official, Mr Obert Gutu, recently revealed that more than US$10 million was channelled to MDC over the years to push this regime change agenda that, inter alia, also took the form of so-called targeted sanctions. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Governance Zimbabwe U.S., Canada and Africa By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. The end game of the US sanctions, as well as funding local NGOs is to engineer a socio-economic and political uprising against the Zanu PF-led Government and replace it with a puppet and pliant government that would not only reverse the land reform programme by giving land back to the white former commercial farmers but that would also, both directly and indirectly, take instructions from Western capitals. Financed to the tune of US$16.8 billion, USAID works closely with regime change agencies such as the National Endowment for Democracy and its Bureau for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance oversees the Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI), which "supports US foreign policy objectives by helping local partners advance peace and democracy" and whose "programmes serve as catalysts for positive political change". Gaborone Professor Bontle Mbongwe, an associate Professor in the Department of Environmental Health at the University of Botswana, is among six African region recipients of the World No Tobacco Day 2021 awards. The awards were announced by WHO ahead of the World No Tobacco Day celebrations held annually yesterday. Speaking in an interview on Sunday, Professor Mbongwe, the founder of Botswana's Anti-Tobacco Network (ATN), which she established as part of her community service with a vision to have a tobacco-free Botswana, said the award must be shared by all, the media, public and government. She said the win was made possible by the support from all stakeholders who were involved in supporting her fight on the use of tobacco. "The media played a leading role, they have been supportive in sensitising the public," she said. She revealed that her involvement in the anti-tobacco campaign started when she worked at the then Ministry of Health in 1992. She said she was involved in the campaigns that were led by her employer. She also noted that the first no tobacco day commemoration was held in 1987, and that it appealed to communities to choose health not tobacco. She said while working under the Department of Environmental Health in 2000, she was assigned to lead a delegation to represent Botswana during the establishment of a framework convention on tobacco control. She said as part of the assignment, she travelled to Geneva, Switzerland, three times annually to attend meetings representing the government position and that of the Afro region on tobacco advertising. Professor Mbongwe noted that the recent award was not her first, having received one at the end of one of the conventions in 2003, which was also given to other delegates from the Afro region in recognition of their commitment to promoting public health. She also noted that the award was issued on the day of the adoption of the framework on tobacco control. She said she continued with her campaigns to adopt a strong law to control the use of tobacco and that in 2004, the 1992 Tobacco Act was amended, prohibiting persons below the age of 16 years from taking tobacco. Professor Mbongwe said the amended act also prohibited smoking in public areas and tobacco advertising, adding that although she left government in 2003 to join UB, her campaign was intensified. "My passion for tobacco control continues," she added. She revealed that her position on fighting the use of tobacco was not driven by her experience of working at the Ministry of Health and driving the tobacco ban campaigns. It was because she had lost close family members who succumbed to ailments associated with the use of tobacco. "I can vividly recall that when I was young, some family members who were smoking tobacco would send me on an errand either to buy a cigarette or light one for them. I felt that some of them died earlier as a result of taking tobacco," she said. Furthermore, Professor Mbongwe said during her campaign she came across a number of challenges such as some tobacco addicts willing to quit, but unable as they lacked support. She said through the support of the American Cancer Society, she was able to form an anti-tobacco network which raised awareness and appealed to government to rectify laws and appeal to people to prioritise their health. She said it was unfortunate that the use of tobacco did not only affect people's health, but also negatively impacted the economy and productivity at the workplace. Prof. Mbongwe said valuable time was lost as smoking employees would continually take smoke breaks, adding that tobacco also contributed to increasing cases of non-communicable diseases. She said it was unfortunate that government was spending most of its budget in the health system treating people with health conditions that could have been avoided by not taking tobacco. She also said it was unfortunate that although the law segregated smoking to certain locations such as restaurants, workers at such places were at risk as they would be exposed to the risk of tobacco during working hours. She is advocating for the total ban of tobacco in public places as well as banning any form of advertising, sale of tobacco on the streets, licence for sale of tobacco and to punish those selling it illegally. She noted that tobacco was currently easily accessible as it was sold to everyone in quantities that everyone, even children, could afford. She said the sale of a single cigarette and any other small quantity must be banned to limit access. Prof. Mbongwe said since 2010 her anti-tobacco crusade was advocating for the introduction of a tobacco levy and a tobacco levy fund. She said the levy would help build rehabilitation centres to cater for the recuperation of tobacco addicts who were willing to quit. She said there was a glimmer of hope as in March this year government publicised a bill to deal with almost all the issues that they have been advocating for, adding that they were hoping that the bill would be tabled during the winter Parliament seating. Prof. Mbongwe has, however, cautioned that the move to ban the use of tobacco, as proposed by the impending bill, would not be received kindly by others, especially those dealing in the sale of tobacco. She said she believed the bill would open up a confrontation between government and tobacco dealers, adding that it was unfortunate that government was getting less from the tobacco business, but spending more on dealing with the aftermaths of using tobacco. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Botswana By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Prof. Mbongwe argued that the negatives of tobacco outweighed the good, adding that although it was a fact that some small businesses were making a living from the sale of tobacco, the fact was questionable looking at the misery that resulted from taking tobacco. She said it was important for government to come up with substitute solutions such as establishing alternative livelihoods programmes. She said adoption of the proposed bill would open up a window of prospects. Prof. Mbongwe said as the world commemorated World No Tobacco Day, communities must intensify campaigns on controlling or banning the use of tobacco, and doing so in solidarity with those addicted to it. She said she has received accolades from those who have managed to quit tobacco through her support, and that she encouraged them to also assist others to abandon the habit. Meanwhile, a media release from UB says every year, the World Health Organisation (WHO) recognises individuals or organisations in each of the six WHO regions for their accomplishments in the area of tobacco control. Source : BOPA Ramotswa Malete Land Board is yet to meet to consider legal options following a recent High Court judgement which did not favour their court application. High Court judges on May 21 made a ruling that the 2 000 hectare Forest Hill Farm was legally vested in Balete tribe, dismissing an application by the land board who sought an order directing the registrar of deeds to cancel Forest Hill Farm deed transfer to Balete tribe. Land board chairperson, Ms Onnetse Malope said it was important to meet and appraise the press on events leading to the court case involving the land board concerning the remainder of the Forest Hill Farm 9-KO. She said they were still to consider options available following the High Court's decision. Providing a legal analysis of the case, land board attorney, Mr Paul Muzimo said an earlier Court of Appeal (CoA) judgement provided guidance for them to argue their case. Malete Land Board had argued that the matter of ownership of the land had been settled by a ruling on the Quarries of Botswana vs Gamalete Development Trust case in 2010 where the CoA overruled an earlier High Court ruling that the land belonged to the tribe. The CoA decided that the land belonged to the land board. Mr Muzimo said he was shocked that a matter that had been previously settled by a competent court was raised again. "The matter was closed, but on this case it was raised again and we now have two decisions, the CoA decision and the High Court decision," he said. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Botswana Legal Affairs Land and Rural Issues By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. He said they would look into the matter as they followed what the law prescribed, adding that they had the obligation to do so for the benefit of the tribe and Botswana. He said the amendment of the Tribal Land Act placed Forest Farm Hill under control and management of the land board. He explained that under no circumstances had the land board attempted to make any acquisition without the tribes consent. He also explained that the Tribal Land Act was reviewed and passed by Parliament, but was still waiting to come into effect. According to the Ba Gamalete in 1925 a title deed was issued by the deeds registry in the names of kgosi on behalf of the tribe. From 1925 to present the title deed for the piece of land is in the name of kgosi kgolo on behalf of the tribe. Source : BOPA ON April 22, 2021, the world commemorated what is known as the United Nations (UN) International Girls in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Day. The theme for the day "Connected Girls, Creating Brighter Futures" was timely and far-sighted. This was because it inspired and provoked everyone to understand how important it was to nurture and support girls in ICT, with the possibility of bridging the female gap in the future industry. Women in ICT still have a long way to go and the theme speaks to the current situation with regards to women. In his recent keynote address on women in ICT, Antonio Guterres - Secretary-General of the United Nations said that Information and communication technologies had been invaluable during the COVID-19 pandemic. ICTs help humanity to stay connected, and to keep vital services and businesses going. Mr Guterres however regretted that almost half the world was still offline - and most of those who lack access to digital technology were women and girls in developing countries. "Latest figures from the International Telecommunication Union show a 17 per cent gender gap in internet use globally. This is even wider in least developed countries. In some regions, this gender gap is growing, reinforcing gender inequalities by denying women and girls opportunities to access education, find better-paid jobs, and start new businesses," he said. He added that making technologies available to all was an essential part of building back stronger communities and economies, and addressing many of the world's most pressing challenges. The UN's concern has been shared and espoused by various groups concerned of the future of women in ICTs. For instance, according to the recent report, there is a huge gender gap between men and women in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields. This gap manifests itself through various aspects, including employment opportunities, wages, leadership opportunities, perception at the workplace, and so on. From such reports, it is easy to conclude that women make up only a small percentage of the ICT world force. For a developing country like Zambia, the picture may be even uglier unfortunately. It is also easy to submit that women are also left devoid of deliberate support platforms that may help them climb their way up the ICT ladder. As a keen supporter of women who are taking their ICT careers to greater heights, I attended a Huawei Webinar Seminar where I learnt about an initiative that seeks to empower women in tech called the Huawei Women Developers (HWD). HWD is a global program that Huawei has launched to support women developers. The program aims to empower women developers, provide them with comprehensive resource support, and help them acquire greater space for career and technology development. It is also a platform where women developers can learn, exchange ideas, and shine. It has a vision and mission to build a platform for women developers to exchange ideas and gain new inspirations, comprehensively empower women developers in both theory and practice, enabling them to quickly improve and develop new skills, and also help women developers obtain more development opportunities and realise their value through incentives and innovation support. In her remarks during a webinar summit for women in ICT, Huawei Senior Vice President Chen Lifang said: "We believe that women will lead technological innovation. We hope that the HUAWEI Women Developers program will help women better leverage their talents and unique value, and give them opportunities to demonstrate their leadership abilities. This will help make our world a better place." With countries like Ireland, Argentina, Bangladesh, Kenya and South Africa already having launched HWD in their respective countries, the program is already open to all women across the world upon registration on its website. There is great need to bridge the gaps in ICT's by increasing productivity and resource efficiency among women. Women need to be given an edge to compete effectively and demonstrate their capabilities. "At Huawei, it is our firm belief that women too need to leap to greater heights in terms of developing and actualising their ideas in the digital space. Through an initiative called Women Developers, Huawei intends to empower many women," says Hansen He, Huawei Zambia Director of Public Relations. Mr He also urged women to take advantage of other ICT related programs such as the Huawei ICT competition and Seeds for the Future programmes. Despite the current gloomy picture about women in ICT, it is comforting to learn about corporates taking keen interest in integrated talent development. Through such programs, women especially in Zambia should not be afraid to put themselves forward and prove that they can defy odds and break through that proverbial glass that espouses that ICT is a male field. Research reveals that the ICT industry lacks enough women. If women do not share their narratives and do something about them and shine light on inequalities, things may pretty well remain the same and the local scene definitely needs more of such initiatives. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Women ICT Zambia By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. On the other hand, some women groups are already determined to make the change they want to see in the future ICT industry. Asikana (women) network is a bonafide Zambian women driven group that aims to empower young women and equip them with ICT skills. Since 2012, Asikana network has definitely been a point of light in the dark spots of women. It has an on-going goal to advocate for policies and legislation that endorse the active involvement of women in the ICT sector. What I find interesting about this organisation is that it was founded by young women who were pursuing their studies in technology, an indication that women can thrive in ICT too. With women coming up and taking the bull by its own horns, the glass ceiling in technology and STEM may eventually be broken. There is need to intensify advocacy on riding- off barriers and biasness especially in work environments. The world will be better off when we carry ourselves together without leaving anyone behind. The cutting-edge era demands collective development because technology has potential to give humanity with a much more smart and sustainable world. In fact, major global ICT players are already predicting that the world is moving towards having almost everything smart in it. Technology will power smart healthcare systems, smart homes, smart factories, smart Governments, smart heavy construction projects, smart transportation systems and smart cities among others. Women should not to be left behind in ICT. Xhumo Despite sluggish economic growth, Botswana has for more than a year been spending money on COVID-19 test kits and testing. This was said by Vice President Slumber Tsogwane during a leadership meeting in Xhumo recently. He said the test kits were costly while government also incurred a lot of laboratory costs. That, he said, was the reason a tax increment had to be imposed. The vice president said there was no alternative income generating method government could employ except to tax those benefitting from state services. He said government realised no returns on money spent on services offered to members of the public on a daily basis. In addition, public officers' salaries financed under recurrent consumed a huge chunk of the P56.05 billion recurrent budget. He said due to the current constrained budgetary environment, it was critical to ensure more efficient government spending. Mr Tsogwane implored public officers as well as the private sector to enhance productivity levels. He said it was important to build resilience to enable the economy to withstand crisis in future. The vice president called for the creation of local industries as a way to realising a self-sufficient economy. Noting that the import bill was very high compared to revenue derived from exports, he said export-led growth should be employed as a strategy to enhance economic development. He said it was crucial that production of the popular German print cloth be supported to enhance export capacity. On initiatives, Mr Tsogwane said government was investing in human capital and had seen the need for the country to participate in science related research. He also informed his audience about government's plan to generate solar power for local consumption and export purposes. Source : BOPA Gaborone Botswana Innovation Hub's director of information and communication technology, Mr Tshepo Tsheko, has commended the SmartBots initiative on its proposition to drive transformation across the economy. Addressing the media recently, Mr Tsheko said the initiative aimed at moving Botswana towards a knowledge-based economy by taking advantage of opportunities presented by the fourth industrial revolution. He said one of its priorities was to co-create data driven products and services that leveraged on digital technologies. Mr Tsheko said transforming to a knowledge-based economy was a vital component of modern economies and presented opportunities for scaling up the economy with the current natural and knowledge endowments. He noted that it also required adoption of technology and building digital skills to ensure all Batswana benefit from the digital space to enhance current proficiencies and build new ones. Establishment of the Maun science park, he said, was a welcome development to adopt smart sustainable solutions in Botswana. "The Maun science park will ensure usage of sustainable living technologies to be developed across the research science, and technology fraternity and will act as a model for the development and adoption of smart sustainable solutions in Botswana," he said. Mr Tsheko said through the SmartBots project, government was keen to develop smart farming to guarantee food supply and prioritise food sustainability. He, however, decried poor ICT infrastructure, which he said would hinder smooth implementation of the initiative. Source : BOPA Francistown The Vice President, Mr Slumber Tsogwane, says Lobu Farm concept will be replicated to Impala Rural and Training Centre to cater for farmers in the north. Speaking during a tour of Impala centre recently, Mr Tsogwane, who is also the chairperson of Rural Development Council, said government had taken a decision to replicate Lobu ranch concept to the rest of the country. He also said government farms would be readied for allocation to small stock farmers to improve small stock production. Impala currently trains farmers on cattle and smallstock farming, whilst Lobu breeds small stock and sell to farmers by auction as well as to export pelts or lamb skins. Mr Tsogwane added that government would introduce a rural training centre at Lobu near Middlepits in the Kgalagadi District. He empathised the need for the country to develop its own researches for improvement of livestock industry. Kgosi Sekgoma Moipolai of Matsiloje said Impala centre helped improve livestock. He commended government for investing in smallstock sector, the industry he said had good returns, adding that the sector was doing well in the North East District. MP for Tati East, Dr Douglas Letsholathebe welcomed the decision to replicate Lobu concept to Impala. However, he said the problem with North East District was shortage of land for livestock sector, but was optimistic that smallstock production could do well in the area. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Botswana Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Dr Letsholathebe, who is also the Minister of Tertiary Education, Research Science and Technology, told said research was critical for development of livestock industry. He said digitalisation technologies were crucial in the livestock industry for data processing, storage, transmission as it allowed information to intermingle and to be carried out with the same efficiency. District agricultural coordinator, Mr Gwilidzani Maphosa said Impala could accommodate 32 trainees. He explained that there were two classrooms for formal training each for a capacity of 10 participants and that before COVID-19, the centre could have conducted training for various farmer categories on weekly basis. Regarding Impala's 1 638 hectares, Mr Maphosa explained that 38 hectares were reserved for arable activities whilst the remaining 1 600 hectares were for livestock grazing. Source : BOPA Luanda President of the Republic of Botswana Mokgweetsi Masisi said Monday in Luanda that his visit to Angola created bases to reinforce the cooperation relations At the end of the 48-hour visit, during which he met with the Angolan counterpart, Joao Lourenco, Mokgweetsi Masisi said that they discussed the exchange in the areas of tourism, education, culture, geology and mines, with emphasis on the diamond. "Our cooperation comes out of here stronger and it will be up to the heads of diplomacy in both countries to work on the planned actions", stressed President Mokgweetsi Masisi. He added that the visit also served to address issues related to research, innovation and combating Covid-19. According to the Tswanese Head of State, Angola wants to exchange the experience of Botswana in the production of animal vaccine and to raise this scientific research to produce a human vaccine. He pointed out the possibility for the parties to cooperate in the fields of mapping and exploration, in the geological sector. Botswana visiting president leaves Angola. Mokgweetsi Masisi left the Angolan capital, where he undertook an official visit at the invitation of the Angolan Head of State, Joao Lourenco. On the sidelines of the meeting between the two Statesmen, ministerial delegations from Angola and Botswana addressed, among others, cooperation in the diamond, education, health and environmental sectors. Like Angola, Botswana is a member of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), a regional integration organisation made up of 16 Member States. Political-diplomatic relations between Angola and Botswana date back to 18 February 1976. In February 2006, the two countries signed a General Cooperation Agreement. The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has bemoaned the recent spate of attacks on the country's rail lines, especially from Warri in Delta state to Itakpe in Kogi state, which the corporation had started using for haulage of pipes. The national oil company noted that destruction of pipelines and the growing attacks on the rail lines by some disgruntled Nigerians remained a major challenge in its oil and gas as well as pipelines transportation efforts. Speaking during a two-day Nigeria Oil and Gas Opportunity Fair (NOGOF) 2021, the NNPC's Chief Operating Officer, Gas and Power, Mr. Yusuf Usman, explained that the development was a setback for the industry. "The Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) project provides a lot of opportunities which have been given to the Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC) contractors, about 300 km each. So it is an opportunity for local companies in the area of trenching and moving parts. It costs a lot to move 30 inches of 40km pipelines, which means we will deploy over 200 trucks. "These truck pick just about three pipes, so we have to look at other means or look at the alternative and the only thing we could do was to move the pipes from Warri to Itakpe. "There are a lot of challenges with this. You saw what happened to the rail, that immediately after we moved a couple of pipes, somebody went and started cutting the lines. It's part of the challenges," he said. Usman noted that with the announcement of a "decade of gas," there was the need to put in place a masterplan to achieve the set objectives in the next 10 years. He noted that this involves for instance, having a clear roadmap as to what should be done in the area of moving the molecules, establishment of gas-based industries and utilisation of gas for transport. He noted that the corporation was making sure the entire infrastructure is in place to realise the aims of the declaration, stressing that the NNPC and its partners are currently embarking on building gas infrastructure throughout the country. "There's also the area of gas hubs. We have taken the FID for the phase 1 of the Brass project and what we intend to do in that area is to pump one 1bcf of gas and the phase one is just looking at 300mmsfd that will come with two methanol plants," he added. According to the top NNPC official, phase 2 of the project would come with condensate refinery, fertiliser plant, LNG plant and further offer deep offshore and onshore opportunities. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Transport Petroleum By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "In the deep offshore, we are looking to do a couple of pipelines projects including expansion of work at the 36 inch pipeline across offshore to the deep offshore assets, moving gas from Nigeria to Morocco of over 4,000 km of pipelines. We are also looking in the direction of Equatorial Guinea. All those things require gas supply. The local companies must be involved," he said. In his remarks, the Managing Director, Shell Nigeria Gas, Mr. Ed Ubong, who is also President, Nigeria Gas Association (NGA), stated that the company's projects present several opportunities in-country, stressing that each time a customer is connected to the network, they spend about N100million in terms of connection work. He stated that over 120 customers have been connected to the lines , adding that in the last two years , SNG has ensured that 100 per cent of contracts go to indigenous companies. "Hundred per cent of our contracts so far for 2020 and 2021 go to local Nigerian companies. There's a lot of construction work going on in Port Harcourt, Aba and Badagry axis, where we are adding new customers," he said. President Cyril Ramaphosa hosts French President Emmanuel Macron on a State Visit at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, May 28 2021. analysis Paris After outlining a fresh chapter in French-African relations, with calls for massive economic support for Africa and visits to Rwanda and South Africa last week, President Emmanuel Macron is back home to confront familiar and thorny problems in France's former colonies, underscoring the challenges of breaking with the past. At front and center is Mali, buffeted by its fifth coup since independence from Paris in 1960 -- and the second in less than a year. To the east, Chad is also unsettled by a controversial political transition, following the April death of longstanding leader Idriss Deby. Both countries are key allies in France's counter-terrorism operation in the Sahel. Farther south, Paris fears Russia's growing influence in the Central African Republic -- among that of other newer foreign powers -- including Moscow's alleged role in fueling anti-French sentiments. Taken together, some analysts say, these developments, combined with France's legacy in Africa -- and, in some cases, Macron's own actions -- may make it harder to deliver on his promises of change. "Emmanuel Macron is trapped in a contradictory position," Africa specialist Antoine Glaser told French television station TV5 Monde. "He wants to get out of FrancAfrique by turning to anglophone countries like Rwanda and South Africa," he said, referring to the tangle web of business and political interests with France's former colonies, "but he's bogged down in the francophone countries." Moving forward, looking back Macron states otherwise, as he looks for new ways and new places to exert French influence on the continent. At a May summit in Paris, he called on richer countries to invest massively in Africa's economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and echoed Washington's call for a patent waiver on COVID-19 vaccines -- calls he reiterated during his visit to South Africa on Friday. COVID-19 is the disease caused by the virus. The French leader also organized a special donors' conference on Sudan -- another country outside Paris' traditional sphere of influence -- and announced plans to cancel Khartoum's $5 billion bilateral debt. The calls fit into Macron's broader reset of relations with the continent since taking office in 2017. Visiting Burkina Faso later that year, he promised to return plundered artifacts to former colonies, a pledge several other European governments have since echoed. "For sure, colonialization has left a strong imprint," Macron told the weekly Le Journal du Dimanche newspaper, in a lengthy interview published Sunday. "But I also told young people in Ouagadougou (in 2017) that today's problems aren't linked to colonialism, they're more caused by bad governance by some, and corruption by others. These are African subjects, and relations with France should not exonerate leaders from their own responsibilities." Ouagadougou is the capital of Burkina Faso. Yet Macron has also gone further than his predecessors in acknowledging France's blame for past injustices. He set up fact-finding commissions to examine Paris' role in Algeria's war of independence and in Rwanda's 1994 genocide. While both reports were critical, Macron ruled out official apologies. Still, he has followed some of the reconciliatory actions recommended by the Algeria commission. And in Kigali on Thursday, he turned the problem around, asking Rwandans instead to forgive France for its role in the mass killings, while saying France had not been an accomplice in them. "His words were something more valuable than an apology. They were the truth," Rwandan President Paul Kagame said of Macron's speech, calling it "an act of tremendous courage." Continuation or break? Yet in Rwanda and elsewhere, Macron's actions have also drawn controversy--reflecting, some analysts say, a continuation rather than a break with the past. Some question Macron's visit to Kigali, for example, noting its increasingly authoritarian leader. In Chad, where Macron was the only Western leader to attend Deby's funeral, Paris appeared to initially endorse the military council that took over after Deby's death, and which is headed by his son. While the body has promised eventual elections, some opposition activists claim its existence amounts to an effective coup d'etat. Days later, Macron appeared to backtrack, saying France supported a democratic and inclusive transition and not a "succession plan." "For too long, France's view remained short-sighted and purely military: Chad was no more than a provider of troops for regional wars," Chad expert Jerome Tubiana wrote in Foreign Policy magazine. Deby's death, he added, was a potential game changer Paris should seize. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Africa Business Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "If France renews with a new junta the same deal it had with Deby -- fighters in exchange for political, financial, and military backing -- it will miss that long-awaited turning point when democratic change in Chad could actually become a reality," he added. In Mali, by contrast, France and the European Union have denounced the country's latest coup as "unacceptable." Macron warned West African leaders they could not support a country without "democratic legitimacy or transition," he told Le Journal du Dimanche, threatening to pull French troops from the country if it tipped to "radical Islamism." The president has long floated an eventual drawdown of France's 5,100-strong counter-insurgency operation in the Sahel, hoping also to beef up other European forces in the region, to help shoulder the fight. But analyst Glaser believes Mali's latest military takeover could make it harder, not easier, to fulfill that goal. "This situation puts him in a delicate position," Glaser said of Macron. "He wants to get out of FrancAfrique and keeps saying ... that the solution in Africa is political, not military. So, when Mali faces major problems politically, his whole strategy is undermined." Warri Niger Delta monarchs, under the aegis of the Association of Traditional Rulers of Oil Mineral Producing Communities of Nigeria (TROMPCON), have decried environmental degradation, unemployment and lack of social amenities in oil and gas-producing communities in the region. The monarchs made their position known during the 27th Conference of the association which held in Asaba, Delta State, with the theme: 'The Relationship between the Oil Producing Communities and the International Oil Companies operating in Niger Delta Area: What impact has it made on the People?' At the conference were traditional rulers from six of the nine member-states of the association: Abia, Bayelsa, Delta, Imo, Ondo and the Rivers States while Akwa-Ibom, Cross River and the Edo states. The conference, in a communique issued and signed by the newly-elected national chairman and secretary of TROMPVON, Orodje of Okpe, HRM Maj. Gen. Felix Mujakperuo (Retd) and Dr I.O. Asor, averred that the much-anticipated socio-economic advantages derivable from the natural resources of the Niger Delta people have eluded the region. The conference, which called for the restoration of constructional roles for traditional rulers, further decried the state of infrastructural development in the Niger Delta, particularly the state of roads, standard schools, healthcare system, as well as the parlous state of the East-West road. The conference, which threw its weight behind the Southern Governors' resolutions, called for "legal instruments to institutionalise the relationship between oil and gas prospecting companies and host communities in the Niger Delta." Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Environment Petroleum By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. It also frowned at the proposed Petroleum Industry Bill 2020, saying the bill "has not made provision for the representation of the oil-producing communities and prescribed traditional institutions as well as "no provision for some form of affirmative action recognising the interest of the prescribed traditional institutions including the host communities." According to the monarchs, the proposed Trust Fund in the bill designed for host communities should not be subject to the protection of oil facilities. "The protection of oil facilities in host communities remain and should be the responsibility of the Federal Government in its constitutional obligation to provide for the security and welfare of the people of the Niger Delta and Nigeria in general," they stated. Highlights of the conference was the dissolution of the Executive Council of the association elected in 2017 and the constitution of a new executive headed by the Orodje of Okpe, HRM Maj. Gen Felix Majakperuo (Retd) promised to reposition the association with the aims and objectives of its founding fathers. Other newly-elected members of the executive were HRM Obafemi Ogbaro, the former National Secretary, as first deputy National Chairman, HRM Eze I. O Asor as National Secretary and Ovie of Ozoro, HRM Ovietobore Anthony Ogbogbo as Publicity Secretary. POLICE in Bulawayo yesterday met officials from security companies and businesspeople to come up with a policy to help curb the rising cases of cash-in-transit robberies that have hit the country. Bulawayo has in recent months recorded a rise in armed robbery cases with robbers getting away with huge sums of money. In the past two weeks, two armed robberies took place at Ascot Shopping Mall and Choppies Supermarket in Parklands. In the Choppies robbery armed robbers fired several shots before getting away with an undisclosed amount of cash. National police spokesman Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said while he did not have the exact figures that had been lost to armed robbers in the city, they were worried on the sudden rise of these cases. He revealed that the Officer Commanding Bulawayo Province, Commissioner Patton Mbangwa will this week be availing a plan that will see them being able to curb the number of armed robberies in the city. Recently, security guards and staff at Bulawayo's Choppies Parklands Supermarket were questioned by police over the armed robbery that happened last Thursday when robbers stole seven trunks full of takings from all the retail chain's branches in Bulawayo for that day. Police suspect that the robbery was an inside job and crack Criminal Investigations Department teams from both Harare and Bulawayo have since been activated to investigate and track the suspects who are still at large. The gang of armed robbers is believed to have trailed the Romicon Security cash-in-transit vehicle as it collected cash from six Choppies Supermarket shops around the city, and pounced on it as it made its seventh collection at the Parklands branch. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Legal Affairs Zimbabwe By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. They fired warning shots and threatened to shoot anyone who resisted. The Romicon Security guards were disarmed before the gang grabbed the six trunks from the cash-in-transit vehicle and loaded in a kombi labelled "armoured cash-in-transit vehicle". The seventh trunk was grabbed from a security guard who was carrying it from the Parklands branch to the cash-in-transit truck. Robberies have become more common. Last week, a 22-year-old woman was shot dead during a robbery at Liquor Supplies at Ascot Shopping Centre in Bulawayo after receiving two bullets in the head. Thandolwenkosi Dube (22) from Cowdray Park suburb was a cashier at the liquor outlet which the gang stormed and demanded cash. On the same day, a man lost US$16 500 and a Toyota Belta vehicle to two suspected armed robbers who lured him to Mbembesi Business Centre through a phone call for a transaction. The man was stabbed once in the back before the robbers drove off in his vehicle. Senior Reporter The construction, manufacturing and mining sub-sectors whose performances have been on an upward trajectory in the last three years, buoyed by an enabling environment courtesy of the Second Republic, are set to receive a major boost through Hilti Zimbabwe's merger with Lighting World, which has seen the tools firm recently opening a US$50 000 repair centre. Riding on the Liechtenstein multinational, Hilti Corporation's 80 years of expertise in commercial power tools for the construction, building maintenance, mining, energy and manufacturing industries, Hilti Zimbabwe has been exponentially growing the brand in the country. As the official distributor for the multinational with a colossal presence across the globe, Hilti Zimbabwe offers warranties, free repairs and demonstrations to its clients within the first two years of purchase. The Hilti brand comprises grinders, drills, saws, anchors, fasteners and layout software, among other tools. Before finding a new home in Lighting World early this year, the Hilti brand was housed under Prime Agencies' wings. "Hilti has been in Zimbabwe for five years now, and encouragingly, we continue to grow the brand," said Mr Dion Yatras, the holding group's finance and administration director at the official opening of the new shop and repair centre in Msasa, Harare. The US$50 000 repair centre comes as good news to customers who previously had to wait for at least two weeks for their tools, since they had to be sent to South Africa. The move will also see the firm saving up to 15 percent of repair income. "Some of the mines and construction companies that have supported us over the years can now simply send their tools to us here in Harare, and we repair them on site. "One of our first customers who visited us has brought in a 23-year-old tool for repairs, which is testimony to how amazing Hilti tools are," said Mr Yatras, adding that the store was going to be a vital part of the firm's future. The open for all event was attended by captains and representatives of the construction, mining and manufacturing industries. Mr Yatras said the brand has continued to grow through industrial and commercial construction in the last three years, accounting for about 50 percent of total business. He said although traditionally the construction sector was their biggest supporter, growth in mining has seen that position shifting. "Traditionally construction is our biggest sector, but we have realised that mining has overtaken, in terms of customer base. There is a lot of growth in mining. So, a bigger focus of our business has been in the mining sector, with Unki being one of our biggest customers. "We are also working with other mines as well. With our new store, our hope is to reach out to more clients," said Mr Yatras. "We hope to see some more growth in 2021/2022, and our target is to grow our revenues to US$500 000 within the year." Players in the mining sector said Hilti Zimbabwe has brought them closer to cutting-edge technology which has revolutionised the industry. Venters Construction managing director, Mr Ismail Mahomed, who has been in the industry for 30 years, extolled Hilti's presence in the country, saying business was particularly good in the last 12 months. "For us things have picked up in the last 12 months, although we have not been consistent all the way. Sometimes there would be less work, but this year we have been quite busy," said Mr Mahomed. He attributed the good fortune to the positive shift in the performance of the economy in the last two years and Zimbabweans in the Diaspora who are building houses back home. Heritage Construction managing director, Mr Tendai Tsvetu concurred, saying the situation in the construction industry has improved, although the sub-sector still faced some challenges.. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Construction Mining Zimbabwe By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. However, he bemoaned lack of an even playing field in the sector, which leads to a situation where locals are elbowed out of lucrative projects by foreign-owned enterprises with access to cheap funding. Foreign-owned companies, Mr Tsvetu said, should not take up projects reserved for locals. Instead, they should partake in specialised projects which locals may not have the capacity to undertake. Lammel Manufacturing business development manager, Mr Tungamirai Sauramba, lauded the foreign currency auction system for supporting the manufacturing sector, particularly small-to-medium enterprises. With more allocations, SMEs would contribute significantly to the sub-sector. Acknowledging the Government's efforts, Mr Sauramba appealed to the authorities to put in place policy frames that support the local manufacturing sector through rebates on imported raw materials, and protect the industry from an influx of imported finished products. Herald Reporter Localised Covid-19 lockdowns are a management tool aimed at containing the spread of the pandemic outside that specific area while efforts to address the challenge are also directed to the place, Government has said. Authorities restricted people's movement in Kwekwe by placing the district under a localised lockdown as well as isolation of suspected cases. Bondolfi Teachers' College in Masvingo Province was also placed under lockdown recently after a spike in infections at the institution. Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care Dr John Mangwiro said people should not panic. "Localised lockdown is a management tool meant to control the geographical spread of viruses, not a reason for people to panic," he said. "If the virus is detected, the best way is to contain it in that particular area without risking a spike in infections. That is why people's movements are being restricted in those areas so as to minimise the spread of the virus into other districts." An expert in the Ministry of Health, who is part of a team that advises on Covid-19, Dr Raiva Simbi, said the localised lockdowns are working. "The evidence we have is that the situation is under control because we do not have any new cases, the positivity rate has not increased," said Dr Simbi. ZIMBABWE and Zambia are working on setting up industrial joint ventures riding on the recent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at facilitating close collaboration between the two countries towards rejuvenating the manufacturing sector. Industry and Commerce Minister, Dr Sekai Nzenza, told regional ministers who attended the 4th Comesa Committee of Ministers of Industry last Thursday that the joint venture efforts would assist the two countries to unlock higher economic potential in line with regional industrialisation ideals. The two neighbouring counties will seek to utilise complementarities of national resources in key sectors to drive value-addition of skills, technology and marketing, among other capabilities, said Dr Nzenza. "So far, the governments of Zambia and Zimbabwe have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to form a Joint Industrialization Cooperation Programme, which will facilitate deeper collaboration by setting up joint ventures," she said. "Priority sectors include agriculture and agro-processing, mining and mineral beneficiation, petrochemicals, fertilizers and pharmaceuticals, capital goods industries, textiles, forest and timber-based industries, building materials and knowledge economy, among others." Minister Nzenza said Zimbabwe and Zambia were well positioned to develop and facilitate regional value chains based on their comparative advantages. For instance, she said copper from Zambia could be smelted at Mhangura in Zimbabwe while cotton from Zimbabwe could be ginned at Mulungushi Textiles in Kabwe, Zambia. "Such intra-regional trade could justify infrastructure projects such as the Lion's Den to Kafue railway, right up to the Beira Corridor," said Dr Nzenza. "The intention is to establish common agro-industrial parks based on comparative advantage. Such an initiative requires a harmonised framework of managing Special Economic Zones and industrial parks at regional level." The 4th ministerial committee meeting deliberated on key regional integration issues and closed with adoption of the draft implementation strategy for the domestication of the Comesa Local Content Policy Framework. The regional industry framework is anchored on management of Special Economic Zones and Industrial Parks and seeks to enhance industrial production during and after the Covid-19 pandemic in an inclusive and sustainable way. This is a critical step for the Comesa market, which represents 42.6 percent of Africa's population and 27.2 percent of the continent's Gross Domestic Product. In the past five years average GDP growth rate for Comesa has been hovering around 4.89 percent. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Infrastructure Governance Zimbabwe By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. In 2014, the region attracted investment of around $15 billion representing 27.8 percent of Africa's total foreign direct investment inflows. According to the African Economic Outlook, real GDP in Africa grew by an average of 3.6 percent in 2015, higher than the global average growth of 3.1 percent and more than double that of the European Union. The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) reports that: "the continent has many growth opportunities and has become a magnet for investment driven by improved governance, better macro-economic policies, abundant human and natural resources, urbanization and the rise of the middle class, steady population growth, good economic performance, rising FDI, and huge market potential". This resurgence has led to growing recognition of Africa as an emerging market and a potential global growth pole, ready for economic take-off. Regional economic experts have stressed the need for the Comesa region and the African continent for structural transformation through industrialisation. This also entails embracing the precepts of the 4th Industrial Revolution and introducing innovation of new technologies to industry and commerce. Dr Nzenza has said that industrial development was critical pillar of the Tripartite Free Trade Area Agreement and the recently launched African Continental Free Trade Area, which came into force in January this year. The Lagos State Police Command has arrested 31 armed robbery suspects during a raid at some criminal hideouts in Ajegunle, a border town between Lagos and Ogun states. The police said the robbers had converted some places deep inside the forest at the border town into a safe haven. They also said the robbers hid some kidnapped victims there while awaiting ransom payment. The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, Hakeem Odumosu, said the raid was in continuation of the command's plan to rid the state of criminals and cultists. He said the command's Strike Team, in conjunction with the local vigilante groups in the Ikorodu axis, between Friday and Sunday, raided some criminals' hideouts at Ikorodu, Imota and Agbowa. He said during the raid, about 28 suspected cultists and armed robbers were arrested. He said the same squad stormed a forest, which has been identified as a hideout for suspected cultists and armed robbers at Ajegunle. "The hoodlums engaged the squad in a gun duel before three of the suspected armed robbers were arrested. "Two locally-made double-barrel guns, four live cartridges, some expended cartridges and two Bajaj motorcycles were recovered from the suspects. "The case is under investigation at the Command's Strike Team, Ikeja" he added. Tunis/Tunisia Premier Hichem Mechichi met Monday in Doha with Qatar's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani. The meeting focused on ways to boost investment and technical cooperation, in particular, the Prime Ministry said in a press release. Mechichi shed light on the close relations between Tunisia and Qatar and placed emphasis on the need to bolster relations in all fields and ensure prosperity in both countries. The Qatari official said his country fully supports the Tunisian experience and is ready to lend support in all fields. Qatar also wants to tap in the Tunisian expertise. Chinese businessman Bin Yan wants to establish a brickmaking project which he says would employ about 70 people at Oshakati. Yan said this in a presentation at the monthly meeting of the Oshakati Town Council on Monday. Yan asked the town council to allocate three to four hectares of land near Omugongo Estate along the C46 road to Oshikuku, north-west of Oshakati, to him. Yan claims that if the council allocates the land to his close corporation Oshana Crush Trading, residents of Oshakati and nearby towns would buy bricks at a reasonable price. He also said he wants to sell bricks, stones and sand to northern town like Outapi, Oshikango and Grootfontein. "Currently the industry has been monopolised by Henning Crusher at Ondangwa," he said. "This results in overpricing of products and delay in supply of bricks, stones and sand." Yan said he would not contract a local company because he considers himself a Namibian as he has been in the country for 13 years. He said this while presenting a copy of his Namibian permanent residence permit to Oshakati mayor Leonard Hango. Yan, who is also the managing director of Sanli Construction, said Namibia is his second motherland and that he has invested in houses, flats and offices in both Windhoek and Ongwediva. "We have exclusive prospecting licences 7782 and 7783 at Karibib with our Namibian partner [where we] already invest close to N$5 million. We will create 48 new jobs and invest N$21 million. We will build a new factory at Karibib to cut marble and export to China," he said. Tunis/Tunisia Qatar's Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani met Monday at the Amiri Diwan, Doha, with Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi. Ways to strengthen cooperation and coordination as well as regional and international issues of common interest were at the heart of the meeting, the Prime Ministry said. The talk also offered the opportunity to discuss ways to embark on a new stage in the exceptional relations binding Tunisia and Qatar. The Premier, who is on a three-day working visit to Qatar, praised the excellent relations in all fields. Earlier, Mechichi met with Qatar's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani. column Mr. President, today we have three issues to address: TRRC, Mali, and the untimely public holidays. The TRRC which started January 7th 2019, concluded its session on the 27th May 2021. Members of the Commission led by their Chairman Dr. Lamin Sise and Mr. Essa Faal, the lead counsel and his colleagues did an excellent job by exposing gross human rights violations of ex-president Yahya Jammeh. At least 392 witnesses including the junglers testified during the sessions, revealing how people were summarily murdered in cold blood on the instructions of Jammeh. Several people were severely tortured and incarcerated, arbitrarily arrested, unlawfully detained and sexually harassed as it was the order of the day. Mr. President, Lead Counsel Essa Faal in his closing remarks disclosed that ex-president Jammeh through his instructions summarily executed about 250 and it could be more. Jammeh, according to some witnesses, killed many by dissecting them and throwing them to his crocodiles. On the last day of hearing, former orderly Saihou Jallow also revealed that Jammeh planned to eliminate prominent citizens through the use of spiritual means. It is expected that by July you will receive the report and recommendations of the TRRC. Mr. President, the picture is clear; don't waste time to act when the report is received. Your government must make sure that people who committed atrocities and are hiding in our neighbouring countries are brought to justice. Jammeh must face justice like Hussein Habre and for security reasons, he should be tried in Ghana or Hague at the ICC. You should take action once you receive the report before elections because the International Community, the victims and many Gambians are waiting to see what you will do. Never compromise the recommendations of TRRC to get APRC votes. Mr. President, your government should compensate the victims with the monies received from the sales of the 300 properties of Jammeh and the four aircrafts. Anyway, so far how many properties were sold and where is the money? Mr. President if actions are not taken before elections, it will adversely affect you in the race to the presidency. We hope and pray that the TRRC report will not be thrown under the carpet like the Draft Constitution and the Janneh Commission Report, in which millions of Dalasis were wasted. Mr. President, yesterday the ECOWAS emergency Summit started in Accra in connection with Mali's second coup within nine months. All ECOWAS member countries should work for the betterment of security in the sub region; if not, the sub region will be destabilised by the well armed equipped jihadists trained in Libya with a lot of financial resources and their aim is to conquer West Africa to be Islamic states. The coup in Mali is a great threat to the sub region and everything possible should be done to restore peace in the country. The Secretary General and head of the Civil Service, who is your immediate adviser should notify you to declare any holiday, and if endorsed, it should be sent to the media for announcement. There must be coordination of work between the Director of Press & the Government Spokesperson to avoid any miscommunication in the near future. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Gambia Legal Affairs Conflict By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Mr. President, there are 13 Public Holidays in The Gambia. For the controversial holidays of Koriteh, a two days holiday could be announced on the 29th day of Ramadan. May 25th, which is African Liberation Day, is a public holiday in many African countries. In 2009, former Hon. Speaker Fatoumata Jahumpa initiated the holiday to be celebrated in The Gambia and a law was passed in that effect. It was wrong for the government to make two different announcements. This was very confusing and it affected people's plans and also affected the economy. You must have around you experienced and educated civil servants to always guide you. People cannot allow the government to make silly mistakes and repeat it within six weeks. Good day! press release Remarks by H.E. Wang Yi State Councilor and Foreign Minister of the People's Republic of China At Reception Commemorating Africa Day Beijing, 25 May 2021 Your Excellency Ambassador Martin Mpana, Dean of the African Diplomatic Corps in China, Your Excellency Ambassador Rahamtalla Mohamed Osman Elnor, Permanent Representative of the African Union to China, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, Friends, It is a great pleasure to attend today's reception and celebrate the 58th Africa Day with our African brothers and sisters. On behalf of the Chinese government, I extend warm congratulations to you and to all the brotherly African countries and peoples. I also wish to thank all of you for the important part you have played in deepening China-Africa friendship and advancing China-Africa cooperation. Africa Day is an important annual event to commemorate African people's struggle for independence and African unity. I thank the dean of the African diplomatic corps in China for his warm remarks and the statement from AU Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat. And I want to say at the outset that Africa Day is also a China Day;it is our common festival that we should commemorate and celebrate together every year. Fifty-eight years ago, inspired by Pan-Africanism, the Organisation of African Unity was founded. Africa thus embarked on a new journey to strengthen itself and promote development and rejuvenation through unity. In recent years, African unity, cooperation, peace and development have gained new momentum. The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) has been officially launched, important headway has been made toward African integration, the collective international profile of African countries has significantly risen, and Africa is playing an increasingly important role in international affairs. Excellencies, Friends, Enhancing unity and cooperation with Africa has always been high on China's diplomatic agenda. China and Africa fought shoulder to shoulder in the great struggle to win independence and uphold dignity. We have partnered with each other in pursuit of economic development and better lives for our peoples; and we have supported each other on issues that are important to our core interests and are of major concern to us. Despite rapid changes in the international landscape, China-Africa friendship has remained rock-solid and as strong as ever. China and Africa have jointly responded to the COVID-19 challenge through mutual assistance. When COVID-19 struck, African countries and the AU gave China firm support at a tough time during its fight against the virus, a support we will never forget. President Xi Jinping is deeply concerned about the evolving COVID-19 situation in Africa. He called for holding the Extraordinary China-Africa Summit, which was held last June, and he respectively spoke with 11 African leaders over the phone, which is a true testament to the special bond between China and Africa who reach out to each other during trying times. The Chinese government has provided multiple batches of emergency medical supplies and vaccine donations to African countries and sent medical groups to 15 African countries. Chinese hospitals have been paired up with 43 hospitals in 38 African countries, and China has trained more than 20,000 African health workers. The construction of the African CDC headquarters was started ahead of plan. These concrete efforts give true meaning to the China-Africa community with a shared future. China has actively participated in the G20 Debt Service Suspension Initiative. We have signed debt suspension agreements or reached similar understanding with 19 African countries, and canceled the interest-free loans due to mature by the end of 2020 for 15 African countries within the framework of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). We fully understand the difficulties currently experienced by Africa and have every confidence in Africa's future development prospects. China and Africa have pressed ahead in pursuit of cooperation despite difficulties caused by the virus. Even with COVID-19, China has remained Africa's largest trading partner for 12 consecutive years. Direct Chinese investment in Africa has been steady, reaching US$3 billion in 2020 alone. Many Chinese engineers and technicians chose to stay at their posts in Africa despite the pandemic; and over 1,100 cooperation projects have maintained operation, providing strong support to economic reopening in Africa. Solid progress has been made in China-Africa cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Forty-six African countries and the AU Commission have signed cooperation agreements with China under this initiative. At the celebration of the 20th anniversary of FOCAC last November, both sides committed to keep FOCAC a pacesetter of China-Africa cooperation and pursue China-Africa cooperation of even higher standard. Today, over 85 percent of the eight major initiatives announced at the 2018 Beijing Summit have been implemented, 70 percent of the US$60 billion supporting funds have been disbursed or earmarked, and a large number of cooperation projects have been launched or completed. All this provides a strong buttress for Africa to achieve economic recovery. China and Africa have stood up for justice and supported each other in a changing world. Unilateralism, protectionism and acts of bullying have undermined both international equity and justice and the common interests of developing countries. Both China and Africa have stayed true to multilateralism, and we are both opposed to politicizing COVID-19, acts of racism and outside interference. Last week, at the UN Security Council open debate on "Peace and Security in Africa: Addressing Root Causes of Conflict in Post-Pandemic Recovery in Africa", we jointly launched the Initiative on Partnership for Africa's Development. This initiative fully demonstrates the importance of boosting China-Africa coordination under new conditions to uphold equity and justice, and it represents our joint contribution to advancing global cooperation and multilateralism. Excellencies, Friends, This year is of special significance to both China and Africa. China will commemorate the centenary of the Communist Party of China and embark on a new journey to fully build itself into a modern socialist country. At this year's FOCAC meeting, a new blueprint for the future development of China-Africa relations will be drawn up. We have reached a new starting point, and I propose that we take the following four steps to open up a new horizon for China-Africa cooperation: First, we need to keep pace with the times and make this year's FOCAC meeting a success. We should act in the Forum spirit of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, overcome the impact of COVID-19 and,in keeping with the realities of China and Africa, ensure that the meeting delivers fruitful outcomes. We need to further deepen Belt and Road cooperation and forge strong complementarity between our development strategies. We need to adopt sector-specific cooperation measures for priority areas such as health care, investment, trade, industrialization, agricultural security, climate change, peace and security, human resources and digital economy to deliver greater benefits to our peoples. China will work closely with Senegal, the African co-chair of FOCAC, draw on the vision of all African countries, and ensure the success of the FOCAC meeting. Second, we need to join hands to beat the virus as quickly as possible. China will continue to provide assistance of vaccines and medical supplies to African countries in need, facilitate vaccine procurement by African countries from China, and advance cooperation on joint vaccine production. We unequivocally support African countries' call to waive vaccine intellectual property rights. We are committed to eliminating the vaccine divide, and we will speed up the construction of the African CDC headquarters to enhance Africa's overall pandemic response capacity. Third, we need to pursue common development and steadily advance practical China-Africa cooperation. We need to make full use of opportunities created by China's new development paradigm and the launch of the AfCFTA to conduct more high-standard collaboration projects and improve people's well-being. China supports Africa's integration efforts, its industrialization process, and its pursuit of self-driven and sustainable development. China encourages Chinese companies to increase investment in Africa and do more trade with it, particularly importing quality African products. China will release a report on its private sector investment in Africa in the second half of this year, and explore more possibilities to boost China-Africa cooperation. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Africa Business Trade By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Fourth, we need to uphold equity and justice and strengthen coordination in international affairs. We should jointly safeguard the basic norms governing international relations underpinned by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and uphold the core role the United Nations plays in international affairs. We should resolutely reject attempts to create new bloc-confrontation, oppose power politics of all forms and manifestations, and practice true multilateralism to safeguard the common interests of developing countries. Excellencies, Friends, Tomorrow, many of you will leave for Xinjiang and see first-hand what Xinjiang has achieved in its development endeavors. I am sure that during your visit, you will find out why we Chinese fondly call Xinjiang a good place. I am confident that, with the support of African countries and other justice-upholding members of the international community, Xinjiang will make even bigger strides in its development endeavors. Excellencies, it is time for China and Africa to set sail on a new journey. Let us continue to work with a common purpose, strive to build a China-Africa community with a shared future and write a new chapter in China-Africa friendship and cooperation. May Africa enjoy prosperity and its people happiness. May China and Africa enjoy everlasting friendship and flourishing cooperation. Thank you! The tragic death of Marie Mendy and Islam defending women's right In a tweet at 11.38 a.m. on Saturday, May 30th 2021, the British Human Rights lawyer who will formally take office on the 16th of next month, replacing Prosecutor Fatou B. Bensouda of The Gambia, referenced a specific line in Mr. Faal's closing remarks on the last day of public hearings of the Commission in The Gambia. "I took this job because I felt at the time that terrible things had happened in my country and the call of duty had arrived. I have done cases of the highest order, I have done cases that are most complex. I have done cases that are most talked about - from genocide against sitting heads of state to some of the most notorious rebels. And I thought I had seen them all. But little did I know that the information that I was receiving about my country, disturbing as it was, was in fact the tip of the iceberg," Mr. Faal went on. "I think we have made a good case; even those who are in denial, if they search deep down they would see that the truth has come out. And the truth is, Jammeh took us on a wild ride for his own self-aggrandizement. He has to pay the price and those who enabled him also have to pay the price. Justice must be done; it must be seen to be done," he concluded. The election of Mr. Karim A. A. Khan as Chief Prosecutor of The Hague-based International Criminal Court took place at the second resumption of the nineteenth session of the Assembly of States Parties, which was convened at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on 12 February 2021. It is not clear how much weight Mr. Khan, who was Assistant Secretary General of the United Nations Special Adviser and Head of UNITAD prior to his ICC job's assumption of this important office would add to the efforts of the smallest country on mainland Africa's immediate past, dubbed the "darkest" in its history. However, it would augur well for the office of the prosecutor that had been criticized for indifference to so many occurrences of gross violations in the country. Francis Gomez, who was arrested by the Anti Crime Unit officers when he was masquerade dancing in the streets of Manjai Kunda, for unlawful gathering was convicted and sentenced to six months' imprisonment which was suspended by Magistrate Mam Samba of the Kanifing Magistrates' Court. This followed his plea of guilty. There were other three charges against him to which he pleaded not guilty. The prosecuting officer, ASP F. Touray, read the facts to the court. She said that the incident happened at Manjai Kunda on the 5th April, 2021, when Francis Gomez along with other five young men went out in the streets of Manjai Kunda doing masquerade dancing (hunting) and obstructing people without a permit. She further stated that the Anti Crime Unit officers asked them to disperse but they refused. She noted that the young men continued obstructing the police officers. She told the court that the police officers left them there and later came across them for the second time. She adduced that the police officers asked them to disperse but they did not pay any heed. She posited that the six young men started throwing stones at the police officers who later arrested all of them. At the end of the narration of the facts by prosecuting officer ASP Touray, the presiding magistrate asked Francis Gomez whether the facts narrated by the prosecutor were correct. He replied that some were not correct because he was in the mask which was heavy on his head and could not have thrown stones at the police officers. However Magistrate Samba put it to him that he had gathered unlawfully. He conceded and begged the court to temper justice with mercy. He pleaded that he is a student. The presiding magistrate then asked the prosecuting officer whether he was a first-time offender and she answered in the positive. He was subsequently given six months' suspended sentence and warned by the magistrate that if he commits another offence again, he will serve the six months in prison. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Gambia Legal Affairs By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Francis Gomez, Musa Fatty, Malick Jallow, Ebrima Sorri Barry, Emmanuel Kingsa and Joseph S. Njie were charged on four counts of obstructing police officers in due execution of their duties contrary to Section 230 (b ) of the Criminal Code, assaulting a police officer in due execution of his duty contrary to Section 230 (a ) of the Criminal Code, will ful damage to property contrary to Section 312 of the Criminal Code and unlawful gathering contrary to Section 69 and punishable under Section 70 of the Criminal Code. Francis Gomez pleaded guilty to the charge of unlawful gathering but the other accused persons pleaded not guilty on all the counts. Prosecutors alleged that the convict and the other accused persons on or about the 5th April, 2021, at Manjai Kunda, around 8 p.m. onwards, in the Kanifing Municipality of the Republic of The Gambia, obstructed Couple 4391 Beyai and 1st CC 7306 Bah in due execution of their duties. They were also alleged to have assaulted 1st CC 7306 Bah by stoning him on his knee causing him actual bodily harm in due execution of his duty. The indictment bill further indicated that they will fully and unlawfully damaged police communication set, value unknown. It was also alleged that the convict and his colleagues took part in an unlawful assembly. The matter will continue on the 7th June, 2021, for hearing. The outbreak of the coronavirus disrupted the normal routines of educational establishments across the globe. In March 2020, when The Gambia registered its first case of the contagious virus, the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education issued a major pronouncement - the closure of all learning centres under its purview. The move according to the ministry was to ensure the safety of students, teachers and school managers against the virus. Mariama Kebbeh was in her final year in secondary school at Soma Upper and Senior Secondary School, Lower River Region when the pandemic hit. Mariama was on her preparations for the West Africa Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination that was scheduled for April 2020. The pronouncement from the country's education ministry hung a cloud of doubt over the conduct of the examination. She said the coming of corona and the regulations introduced by the ministry impacted her education. "It had a great impact on my education because it took me a whole academic year plus months to complete my grade twelve, and because of the long duration, I couldn't read my books as expected". Under the normal academic calendar, grade twelve students sit for their final examinations six months after the beginning of the academic year in September. Unlike previous years, the conduct of the examinations was pushed to late August 2020. This to Mariama and many of her friends, altered their preparations. Seated under a mango tree at the Gambia College, in her School of Public Health uniform, Mariama, a first year student said corona had an impact on her performance in school. "I never scored what I scored in any of my exams because I always read and prepared but due to the COVID-Holiday, I felt reluctant to read. I was never thinking that we will resume back to school". Her wish was to enrol at the University of The Gambia to read Medicine. Due to her performance in the examinations, she could not realise her desire. She got admitted at The Gambia College but has registered for the Private examination conducted by the West Africa Examination Council, in a bid to get better grades that will guarantee her admission to the university to study medicine. Habibatou S. Camara was also in her final year in Soma Senior Secondary School when the corona knocked. She said regulations put in place by authorities disrupted normal schedules in schools. "Since the pandemic was confirmed in the country, we start lessons very late. Most of the subjects and syllabuses were not covered. Public gatherings were not allowed, we couldn't even conduct study classes to help cover the syllabus", she bemoaned. Habibatou has secured admission to the University of The Gambia's first-degree programme in English language. Despite gaining admission, she is yet to start her programme as she is financially constrained and could not secure scholarship. For her, in spite of her admission to the university, she believes she could have performed better if it was not for the coronavirus. Days after the announcement of closure of schools, the Ministry of Basic Education announced the conduct of radio and television lessons. This was meant to ensure continuity of lessons. Similarly, schools devised mechanisms to keep students focused. The moves yielded positive results according to a communique from the ministry. Tahir Senior Secondary School in the Lower River Region is one of the many schools that were affected by the emergency move to close schools. Officials at the school responded to this emergency by creating social media platforms where students were engaged with lessons. This move, according to Vice Principal, Atta UlQuddus Malik, yielded positive results for the school. His school registered a 100% pass record in the WASSCE, a 97% pass in the Gambia Basic Certificate Examination. This he attributes to the online classes conducted by the school. Quddus said the results would have been better if there were no interruptions. "If we were in the classroom, the performance would have been better than what we got". Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Coronavirus Business Gambia By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. In spite of the varied performances, the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education said the national statistics indicates a positive impact despite all hurdles authorities faced during the pandemic. National statistics had also indicated positive results from schools in Lower River Region. This does not mean there were no negative impacts of the virus on the performances of students. The Gambia's Ministry of Health confirmed the country's first case of coronavirus on Tuesday March 17, 2020. As of 21st May 2021, The Gambia had officially registered 178 Covid-19 related deaths and 5, 978 positive cases. 26,593 have already been vaccinated against COVID-19 as of 18 May 2021, while 300 people have received their 2nd dose, bringing the total number to 26,893. This story is produced with support from Journalists for Human Rights (JHR), through its Mobilising Media in the Fight Against COVID-19 in partnership with Mai-Media and (The Point Newspaper). Since the confirmation of the Covid-19 pandemic in Wuhan, China, many people who contracted the virus have been discriminated either by family members, friends or even co-workers. In The Gambia, many people believed that those pronounced positive of the virus were bribed by the government and as a result, some faced numerous stigma and discrimination. However, some were even driven away from their family compounds and labeled as 'the cause of their infection'. Louise S. A. Alsan, a freelance journalist and Covid-19 survivor explained that she did not know how she contacted the virus, saying she was always wearing a facemask, sanitizing her hands and observing all necessary precautions. She added that she suspects coming into contact with the virus during the cause of her work. "After I was pronounced positive, I prepared my mind and said to myself 'anybody can get it anywhere you may be.' "I did the test voluntarily because some of my colleagues tested positive," she said, adding: "I was mentally prepared and before the test result came out, I isolating myself." She indicated that it was a hard moment for her, noting that society could not believe her because some think Covid-19 did not exist while others though it was a joke. The survivor highlighted that this led to her stigmatisation and discrimination, saying it was very hard for her family but her co-workers understood because they know the reality. "After I tested positive, I made sure people around me were safe but after sending a video that I contacted the virus, it got worse as even my family could not understand. The most difficult thing during my treatment was the lack of support from my family," she bemoaned. She urged Gambians to know that Covid-19 exists and behave or treat everyone around them like they are positive in order to be safe. Oumie Sowe, a reporter with Paradise TV and a Covid-19 survivor narrated that she contracted the virus through a colleague at work, adding that after the Fatu Network announced on its page that someone from her office tested positive for Covid-19, she immediately went on self-isolation. She added that a day later, she did the test with her family because she was scared to transfer the virus to her mother who has an underlying illness. Unfortunately their results came out positive with her 7-year old brother. "We received treatment at home and took all precautionary measures. As a journalist, it was not a big deal for me because my colleagues gave me all the love and support I needed and I was taken care of by my family as well," she said. Despite being in that condition, she continued that she worked from home and had contributed to all the activities of her office. She added that the most painful moment for her was to see her mother and brother going through pain, which was literally caused by her. "I was living with guilt but kept praying. A week later, we did our second test which came out positive. I became devastated and scared for my mother. I would wake up every night to pray to God to heal whoever was going through pain especially with Covid-19," she stated. The journalist further indicated that another week later, they did another test which came out negative. She emphasized that she did notgo to any treatment centre, instead received treatment from home. "Most Gambians are misinformed that Covid-19 is not real. I would urge everyone to take precautionary measures and follow the WHO regulations," she concluded. Sulayman Waan, also a freelance journalist who contacted coronavirus, described his experience as a horrible moment, saying it coincided with the Tobaski feast. He added it was unfortunate as he could not enjoy the feast with his family. "I was informed about my positive status on the day of the feast by Ndemban clinic. At the time of doing the test, I did not inform my family because people have the perception that whosoever contacted the virus can die and as such I did not want to trigger that panic on my family. I decided to be silent and three days after the fest, the Ministry of Health took me to the sanatorium in Banjul. I was there for a week before I was transferred to Lemon Creek hotel," Mr. Waan said. Waan stated that until he was discharged, he never informed his family about his positive result. He confirmed to this medium that he is a freelance journalist who depends on his stories for survival, while adding that during the time under treatment, he could not to do his work. "I did not work for almost one month because I spend nearly two weeks under treatment. I have encountered so many discrimination because when I was positive, I decided to inform my colleagues at the Gambia Press Union WhatsApp group that I went close to someone who was pronounced positive three hours after our separation. That motivated me to check before interacting with my family but people called to describe and called me names for mentioning someone I believed infected me," he pointed. The Covid-19 survivor further stated that after he was discharged from the treatment centre, he was accused that he receive D10, 000 to pretend he got the virus, saying that stigmatisation seriously affected him. Muhammed M.S. Bah, a human rights advocate and the current Vice President of The Gambia Press Union (GPU) said discrimination is universal when it comes to Covid-19, saying Gambia's situation is among the worst. He added that in our society, if one has such diseases, people tend to disassociate themselves with them and sometimes call them names that can cause psychological trauma. "The reason people discriminate is a result of their lack of understanding of the Covid-19. Some people are thrown out of their families because they contracted the virus but were able to challenge it. Discrimination is prohibited by the Constitution of The Gambia and certain international laws like the African Charter for Human and People's Rights and the Universal Declaration. It is also not morally and ethically right for one to discriminate people because of certain sicknesses," he said. Mr. Bah stated that government has a key role to play because their primary mandate is to protect and preserve rights of citizens to ensure that people's dignity is respected as stipulated in the Constitution and other international laws. He added that the government should ensure that people are sensitized through media houses about Covid-19 and how they can embrace people living with the virus. He further emphasized that Covid-19 is not a death sentence and having it does not mean one will infect the whole community, saying sensitisation can make people avoid discrimination and know the penalties attached. He said the government should put strict measures in place to ensure people have a platform to complain about discrimination. "Discrimination in any form is a human rights violation and people can resort to court in order to fight people that discriminated them because it is against the Constitution to discriminate someone - be it race, gender or anything," he emphasized. Bakery Sonko, lead mental and psychosocial support and research subcommittee of the covid-19 response team said they had received complaints of stigma and discrimination, saying what some report as stigma, is not considered stigma because of misunderstanding. He added that they have seen in some situation where covid-19 patients were not accepted by the community. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Coronavirus Legal Affairs Human Rights By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "That is a realistic report and when people report about stigma, we investigate its nature. We also look at family reactions to patients who recovered from the virus. We emphasise that people accept patients because if they are treated, they become as any other person. The fear associated with some people that covid-19 kills contributed to the fear factor and people's isolation of patients." He said they always speak to communities in order to authenticate whether patients face stigma or not. He said if people do not stop stigmatisation, patients will be isolated and can develop depression or mental and behavioral disorders. "Every individual no matter what condition you are, have a right to be protected. People should not be abuse because of a medical condition. Sonko advised that stigma and discrimination should not be accepted in the country because no one chooses to have Covid-19. The Gambia's Ministry of Health confirmed the country's first case of coronavirus on Tuesday March 17, 2020. As of 21st May 2021, The Gambia officially registered 178 covid-19 related deaths and 5, 978 positive cases. 26,593 have already been vaccinated against COVID-19 as of 18 May 2021, while 300 people have received their 2nd dose, bringing the total number to 26,893. This story was produced with support from Journalists for Human Rights (JHR), through its Mobilizing Media in the Fight Against COVID-19 in partnership with Mai-Media and The Point. El Fasher The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Fatou Bensouda, has begun a two-day visit to Darfur in El Fasher, capital of North Darfur, meeting with the Wali (governor) of the state, as well as representatives of the displaced. The official Sudan News Agency (SUNA) reports that at their meeting, in the presence of members of the government and the security committee of the state and the head of the state judiciary, Governor Mohamed Arabi affirmed support for the Juba agreement on peace in Sudan, and calling for all those indicted to appear before the ICC. Addressing the meeting, Bensouda said that the accused former janjaweed leader Ali Kushayb, who is currently in custody and facing trial in The Hague, is "considered the first person to appear before the court for trial for crimes committed in Darfur but he will not be the last". Bensouda reiterated that the ICC would continue to demand that the government of Sudan hand over all those wanted by the court for crimes committed in Darfur. She spoke of what she described as "difficulties that the court faced in its pursuit of justice for the families of the victims in Darfur," which she said has reached the extent that some parties have recommended to drop the whole matter. This situation was reflected in the court's failure to obtain the necessary support to pursue the case of justice in Darfur. The ICC Prosecutor stressed that she and the team working with her were in a strong belief that justice would one day be achieved, and they had the determination to achieve this so that those who committed those crimes receive their fair punishment. Bensouda added that her arrival in Darfur was "like a dream came true", especially since it came 16 years after the UN Security Council referred the Darfur case to the International Criminal Court. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Sudan Legal Affairs Conflict By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Bensouda expressed thanks to the families of the victims who gave the court their support and confidence, which she said, had it not been for them, the case would not have been reached these stages. During the meeting, Arabi affirmed that the state's government strongly supports the appearance of those accused of committing war crimes in Darfur before the ICC, considering that the court represents one of the mechanisms for achieving international, national and local justice, referring to what was stipulated in the peace agreement signed between the transitional government and the armed struggle movements in Juba, which approved a role for the ICC in achieving justice in Darfur. During her meet with representatives of the displaced, she specifically voiced her concern about cases of gender-based violence. At the conclusion of the meeting, Bensouda voiced thanks to the transitional government for coordinating the visit and the participants for their keenness on realising justice. This will be Bensouda's final visit to Sudan in her capacity as ICC Prosecutor, as her nine-year term expires on June 16. She will be replaced by British lawyer Karim Ahmed Khan. Khan was elected as the new Chief Prosecutor of the ICC in February and is set to succeed Bensouda for the next nine-year term. Sources: RD/SUNA Scientists develop novel therapy for crimean-congo hemorrhagic fever virus Army scientists working as part of an international consortium have developed and tested an antibody-based therapy to treat Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV), which is carried by ticks and kills up to 60 percent of those infected. Their results are published online today in the journal Cell. Using blood samples donated by disease survivors, the study's authors characterized the human immune response to natural CCHFV infection. They were able to identify several potent neutralizing antibodies that target the viral glycoprotein--a component of the virus that plays a key role in disease development. Several of these antibodies, administered individually or in combination, protected mice from CCHFV when given prior to virus exposure. To treat mice that had already been infected, the team created "bispecific" antibodies that combined potency with the ability to bind to two separate sites on the CCHFV glycoprotein. One of these bispecific antibodies, called DVD-121-801, overcame CCHFV infection in mice with just a single dose administered 24 hours after challenge with live virus. Efforts are underway to develop DVD-121-801 as a potential therapeutic for human patients, according to co-first author Andrew H. Herbert, Ph.D., of the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID). CCHFV is the most prevalent tick-borne virus that causes human disease, and is endemic in countries across Europe, Asia, and Africa. Despite its high lethality and widespread distribution, no vaccines or specific treatments are available. It has been designated a priority pathogen by the World Health Organization. "Rodent models of CCHFV infection are useful in testing and down-selecting neutralizing antibodies," commented Herbert. "However, to advance a lead candidate for therapeutic use, it will be necessary to conduct studies in larger animal models that more faithfully recapitulate human disease." ### In addition to USAMRIID, other institutions participating in the study were Adimab, LLC; Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York; Mapp Biopharmaceutical, Inc.; the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston; the University of Texas at Austin; Institut Pasteur in Paris, France; Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Beer-Sheva, Israel; and Uganda Virus Research Institute in Entebbe, Uganda. About the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases: For over 50 years, USAMRIID has provided leading edge medical capabilities to deter and defend against current and emerging biological threat agents. The Institute is the only laboratory in the Department of Defense equipped to safely study highly hazardous viruses requiring maximum containment at Biosafety Level 4. Research conducted at USAMRIID leads to medical solutions - vaccines, drugs, diagnostics, information, and training programs - that benefit both military personnel and civilians. Established in 1969, the Institute plays a key role as the lead military medical research laboratory for the Defense Threat Reduction Agency's Joint Science and Technology Office for Chemical and Biological Defense. USAMRIID is a subordinate laboratory of the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command. For more information, visit http://www. usamriid. army. mil . Reference: Chandran, Kartik et al. "Protective neutralizing antibodies from human survivors of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever." DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.05.001 https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(21)00584-5\ Authors: J. Maximilian Fels, Daniel P. Maurer, Andrew S. Herbert, Ariel S. Wirchnianski, Olivia Vergnolle, Robert W. Cross, Dafna M. Abelson, Crystal L. Moyer, Akaash K. Mishra, Jennifer T. Aguilan, Ana I. Kuehne, Noel T. Pauli, Russell R. Bakken, Elisabeth K. Nyakatura, Jan Hellert, Gregory Quevedo, Leslie Lobel, Stephen Balinandi, Julius J. Lutwama, Larry Zeitlin, Thomas W. Geisbert, Felix A. Rey, Simone Sidoli, Jason S. McLellan, Jonathan R. Lai, Zachary A. Bornholdt, John M. Dye, Laura M. Walker, and Kartik Chandran. Funding: This work was supported in part by a National Institutes of Health grant to the Prometheus Center for Excellence in Translational Research, a consortium of academic, industry, and government partners working to develop antibody-based therapies against CCHFV and other highly lethal viruses. A complete list of funding organizations appears in the publication. This story has been published on: 2021-06-01. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Saumu Mbuvi, daughter of former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko, has opened up on her battle with mental illness. In a recent online interview, the mother of two admits she's battled bipolar disorder for the past eight years. "I did not know I was bipolar until I had a breakdown which was very bad and that I had to be taken to hospital and that is when I was diagnosed with bipolar eight years ago. For the longest time, I did not know I had bipolar but it took this main trigger," explained Mbuvi. Mbuvi further says it took a break-up with her ex-lover for the situation to worsen. "My first trigger was when I was going through my first heartbreak. I had my first breakdown and didn't even know who I was. I lost control of myself completely." Matters have not been helped with what she describes as 'difficult' romantic relationships she's engaged himself in. In 2019, Mbuvi publicly confessed she was battling depression after breaking up with the father of her first-born daughter which led her to take antidepressants. She broke up with her first baby daddy namely Ben Gatu in 2017. She then dated Lamu Senator Anuar Loitiptip but the relationship lasted less than two years. "I think I've been going for narcissists that have been dragging me down because they are the worst people to deal with if you are bipolar. Like my previous relationship, I would be in the hospital after every one or two months being admitted. Because I had numerous hypomania episodes, and once I get to hypomania where I am breaking down, I usually never sleep. I can go up to four days without sleeping." Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Kenya NCDs By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "I used to break down, the person would call me crazy and tell me I was mad and those things would really hurt me. But I've learnt because this is something I never wished for but I am managing how to live with it. It is not as if it has stopped me from living my life." It got worse for her after she gave birth to her second child with the politician. "It got worse for me after giving birth to my second baby, especially having to go through postpartum depression while being bipolar. My main trigger is I can't use certain drugs. I can't use weed and be around certain people who are annoying and want to see the worst in me, so I had to change and set boundaries in terms of the people who are around me." Mental illness is a big problem, she says, especially among the youth and society should stop stigmatizing the disorder to label individuals as crazy. Motorists accessing Nairobi's Central Business District (CBD) from Mombasa road and Langata areas will have to bear with the traffic backlog for a longer period. This is after the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) extended the closure for the Nairobi-bound traffic at Nyayo Stadium roundabout until Wednesday, June 2. The roundabout was expected to be open by Monday but in a statement issued on the same day, the authority said the extension had been caused by a rock encountered during the installation of the culverts. "This is to allow sufficient time for the contractor to complete installation of culverts. The contractor encountered a rock during the implementation of works, thus delaying the initial program," KeNHA Director General Eng. Peter Mundinia said. pic.twitter.com/Rb0mt424Qa - Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) (@KeNHAKenya) May 31, 2021 KeNHA had early said the traffic disruption would be experienced between May 29, from 9 pm to Monday, May 31 at 9 am. "This is to pave the way for the ongoing installation of culverts for effective stormwater drainage along the highway section," the statement reads in part. pic.twitter.com/tEKi0f49tH - Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) (@KeNHAKenya) May 28, 2021 The state agency advised motorists planning to use the closed section of the closed road to use alternative routes. "Motorists are kindly advised to use alternative routes (Aerodrome Road, Baricho Road, or Dunga Road)," the statement further reads. KeNHA also announced that it would install appropriate directional signs for effective traffic flow. "KeNHA apologizes for any inconvenience that may be caused as the Authority endeavors to provide an efficient, safe and reliable road network." Read part of the statement. The construction of an Expressway from Mlolongo in Mombasa road to Westlands has caused a traffic backlog along the way for the past year or so. Celebrated radio presenter Maina Kageni has revealed he once cheekily negotiated for a 600% pay rise on his monthly salary. Kageni is not only considered one of the most experienced radio presenters in the country but also one of the best and popular media personalities in the business. He boasts a huge following on his talk shows and social media which mostly consists of women and ladies, thanks to a large part for his topical discussions on relationships, money, and controversial current affairs. Having landed his first job on Radio at Nation FM decades back, Kageni recently revealed on Jalang'o TV how he was once approached and 'poached' by Radio Africa Group (RAG) boss Patrick Qaurcoo to join Kiss FM. "I get a call from Patrick Quarcco (RAG owner)... that time the phrase was (to) make the 'big switch to Kiss 100'. So we talked about my salary. Nation were paying me 60k (Sh60, 000), so I told him I was earning Sh180, 000 he said 'you need to come' and he doubled it. He gave me 360k and said join Kiss 100... " Nation FM failed to counter the offer and Maina made the switch to RAG where he's remained to date. Kageni is said to presently take home an estimated salary of close to Sh800,000 each month. Besides his salary, the Classic 105 FM presenter, who hosts his show alongside comedian Daniel Ndambuki (aka Mwalimu King'ang'i) earns more from bonuses and commissions on advertisements he generates for the company. He's also a renowned emcee. A Liberian delegation which went to the USA to hold discussions with top officials of president Joseph Biden's administration has concluded a successful visit saying it yielded dividend A dispatch from Washington D.C. late Sunday said the Government of Liberia, through a high level Delegation concludes two-week engagements and discussions with U.S. Government officials, Congressional leaders and business and influential leaders on a wide array of issues. The Delegation was led by the Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Mr. Samuel D. Tweah, and included the Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, Mr. Nathaniel F. McGill, the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Mrs. Williametta Saydee-Tarr, the Minister of State without Portfolio, Mr. Trokon Kpui and the Mayor of the City of Monrovia, Mr. Jefferson Koijee. The Delegation was supported by Liberia's Ambassador accredited to the United States, Mr. George S. W. Patten. This is the Government's first major visit to Washington since the outbreak of the Corona virus in December 2019. The Delegation aimed to update U.S. officials and Congressional leaders on the mid-term progress of the administration of President George Manneh Weah, discuss critical challenges and explore opportunities for deepening Liberia - U.S. partnership over the course of the next three years. It held substantive meetings with several members of the United States House of Representatives. "These included Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA), Chair of the House Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs under the Appropriations Committee; Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA), Co-Chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission; and Congressman James Clyburn (D-SC), the Majority Whip and the third ranking Democrat in the United States House of Representatives," it said. The key successful areas among others were on: 1) Liberia's recovery from the macroeconomic shocks of 2018 and from the subsequent COVID-19 pandemic and the Government's evidentiary commitment to improving governance, fighting corruption, and preventing money laundering, terrorist financing and illicit financial flows; 2) Liberia's investment opportunities and possibilities, the ambition to anchor Liberia-U.S. relations on American investment and on grounding Liberian tourism on the deep umbilical ties between Liberia and the United States, and the Government's commitment to reforming the business climate, highlighted by the pending Judicial Conference on the investment climate and the planned Investment Forum in Washington D.C. under the auspices of the Liberian Embassy; 3) The state of Liberian democracy and the Government's evidentiary commitment to upholding the tenets of democratic governance through the holding of free and fair elections, the guaranteeing of basic freedoms to assemble, protests or criticize and upholding of the fundamental human rights of all Liberians; and 4) a review of five year Compact with the Millennium Challenge Corporation and the drive for a second Compact through demonstrated governance improvements as gauged through the MCC Eligibility Scorecard and through the Government's commitment to sustaining the impact investments under the first Compact." It can be recalled that early this month, the MCC closed its operations in Liberia after its time expired. Later, it went further to meet with other top US diplomats. "The Delegation also met with U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mrs. Linda Thomas-Greenfield and held wide-ranging discussions with officials at the Departments of State and Treasury, the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) and the Development Finance Corporation. At the State Department, the Delegation met with Mr. Michael C. Gonzales, Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of African Affairs and with Madam Lisa Peterson, Acting Assistant Secretary and Mr. Scott Busby, Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, both in the Department of State's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. At Treasury, the Delegation met with Mr. Eric Meyer, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Africa and the Middle East. At MCC, the Delegation met with Mr. Mamoud Bah, Acting Chief Executive Officer and other members of senior management." Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Liberia Governance U.S., Canada and Africa By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. In response, Congressional leaders underscored their commitment to helping Liberia and expressed thanks for the important updates provided by the Delegation. Congress woman Babara Lee promised to work toward leading members of the Congressional Black Caucus to visit Liberia, while Congressman Clyburn stressed the need to launch Liberia's tourism ambition around the 200th anniversary of the landing of free slaves on the shores of Liberia, promising to work with the Government to achieve these aims. Congressman McGovern stressed the importance of the Government providing accurate information and updates on developments in Liberia to relevant Congressional leaders, showing particular appreciation for the updates provided by the Delegation. Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has donated GHs 300,000 to the Kokrokoo Charities Foundation to aid in the purchase of five incubators for selected hospitals across Ghana. The donation was done on behalf of the Vice President by his spokesperson Dr Gideon Boako and received by the venerable radio presenter, Kwame Sefa Kayi on behalf of the Kokrokoo Charities Foundation. Dr Boako said inadequate incubators for the survival of pre-term babies at various hospitals motivated Dr Bawumia to personally donate to assist the project. Kokrokoo Charities Foundation, led by Kwami Sefa Kayi has been calling for help from the public to support its "Project 100" initiative which aims at supplying incubators to hospitals across the country to save the lives of the infant. Kokrooko charities thanked Dr Bawumia for this kind gesture and also lauded him for his philanthropic heart and character. Dr Bawumia is noted for helping the needy, the poor, the sick and the aged a trait that has been part of him since his days at the Bank of Ghana. Project 100 was founded by Broadcast Journalist, Kwami Sefa Kayi in 2014 to help, among other things, reduce infant mortality in Ghana through the purchase and installation of 100 incubators of $10,000 each. Tunis/Tunisia A meeting will be held on June 15 between the Tunisian and Italian authorities to rule definitively on the Italian waste file, announced Monday acting Minister of Local Affairs and Environment, Kamel Eddoukh. Speaking during a plenary session devoted to oral questions addressed to five ministers, Eddoukh said that the Italian authorities informed their Tunisian counterparts on May 21 that the Italian company that had exported Italian waste to Tunisia was no longer authorised to operate in this sector. In his response to a question raised by MP of the Democratic bloc Noomane El Ich concerning this case, the minister noted that his department preferred to opt for a diplomatic approach to settle this case, stressing that he does not exclude the possibility of seizing the international justice. He added that Tunisia has all the necessary evidence to win the case, noting that the ministry has consulted with the secretariats of the Basel and Bamako conventions, which he said have sided with Tunisia. He pointed out that the Italian authorities have recognised the fact that this waste must be returned to its country of origin. Tunis/Tunisia Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi will soon start talks in Geneva with Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. The objective of the meeting is to accelerate the acquisition of vaccines against COVID-19 within the framework of the international initiative Covax, said Monday Minister of Health Faouzi Mahdi. He said during a hearing session in parliament held with the health and social affairs committee, that it was agreed under the Covax initiative to acquire 4.5 million doses of vaccine but only 250 thousand doses of Pfiser vaccine and about 250 thousand doses of AstraZeneca vaccine have been received. Last February, the parliament passed a law authorising the government to join the Covax initiative to facilitate the purchase of the vaccine against the disease. Tunis/Tunisia Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad Othman Jerandi said Monday he will visit Libya in the coming days, ahead of the creation of a joint Tunisian-Libyan commission and reviewing the legal framework for bilateral relations. Jerandi was responding to MPs' questions at a question-and-answer session with government members He reaffirmed that Tunisia's position on Libya is clear, namely siding with international legitimacy. Indeed, "Tunisia sought to establish dialogue between the various Libyan parties during the inter-Libyan dialogue." On the Palestinian case, the minister said a bilateral meeting is planned to set the conditions for granting visas and residence permits to Palestinians in Tunisia. There is no agreement between the Tunisian and Palestinian authorities to cancel visas for any types of passport, including diplomatic passports, he pointed out. Tunis/Tunisia Twenty French companies are expected to participate in the 3rd French-Tunisian High Council for Cooperation, to be held from June 2 to 4, in Tunis, with attendance of French Prime Minister Jean Castex as well as ministers and public and corporate officials of both countries. French Prime Minister Jean Castex will make an official visit to Tunisia on June 2 and 3 on the 3rd French-Tunisian High Council for Cooperation. His trip follows President Kais Saied's visit to Paris in May 2021 during the summit on African economies. French companies will take part in the digital sector economic meeting on June 3 at UTICA, as well as in personalised business and partnership meetings on June 4 in the northern suburb of Gammarth. The 3rd French-Tunisian High Council for Cooperation brings together the two premiers of the two countries every two years to discuss all issues related to cooperation, including economic development, security, education and training, culture and the Francophonie. The second French-Tunisian High Council for Cooperation was held on February 14, 2019 in Matignon. It was attended by the two countries' prime ministers. Tunis/Tunisia A 4th wave of the coronavirus pandemic is expected in mid-June 2021 with a peak of infections in August, Health Minister Faouzi Mehdi said Monday. He added that during that entire period, the overall number of deaths due to infection by the virus would be 4 thousand. Speaking at a hearing session held by the Health and Social Affairs Committee at the House of the People's Representatives (ARP), Mehdi added that the rate of positivity has reached more than 20%. He noted that pressure persists on public hospitals with an occupancy rate of IC beds at 82% and oxygen beds at 74%. Mehdi recalled that 3 more cases of infection by the South African variant have been recorded in Tunisia (2 cases from Saudi Arabia and one case from France). "In total 5 cases of infection by the South African variant have been detected so far in Tunisia," he added. "To cope with this 4th wave, the Ministry of Health is working to strengthen the stock of oxygen in hospitals and to accelerate the acquisition of doses of vaccines," he said. Mehdi added that 271,932 doses of "Pfizer" vaccine will be delivered in June, pending the delivery of 50,000 doses of "Sputnik" vaccine and 500,000 doses of "Sinovac" vaccine during the same period. He said that the Ministry of Health had asked the Prime Ministry to increase the budget of public hospitals with 1,000 million dinars and also to hire 1,400 medics and paramedics to make up for the lack of personnel. The public portion of the contested case hearing on the proposed Comal Vulcan quarry kicked off in 2019. In opening arguments, David Frederick (pictured above), the attorney representing anti-quarry groups, said much of Vulcans defense would be that theyve followed TCEQ practices. With the lack of information increased monitoring is a fair and reasonable demand, Frederick said. Photo courtesy of David Drewa Tunis/Tunisia "Tunisia has no regular or irregular shipping service to Israel," Director of Rades Port Karim Nouira said on Sunday evening, calling "reports" about an Israeli ship entering the Tunisian territorial waters and docking in its port groundless. Malta-flagged Ekaterina ship arrived to the marina of the port after departing from Bulgaria's Varna port last March 31, the director told TAP. The ship was berthed at the port on May 5 to unload 27,500 thousand tonnes of durum wheat then left on May 22 right after unloading. May 5 was the only time the ship reported its arrival during the last three years. before May 5 This controversy is the result of a misunderstanding of the Automatic Identification System (AIS), the official said. Upon the entry of vessels in the Tunisian territorial waters, investigations are initiated by the relevant security authorities to identify and decide whether to authorise or not their entry, he added. The Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT) called for denying Ekaterina entry and seizing it to initiate investigations about natural and legal persons behind its activity. The ship, it said, entered the port of Rades flying the Maltese flag to ensure connection between the Tunisian port and that of Ashdod. The labour union said Ekaterina entered the Rades port last March 31 and May 22, as part of a "direct link" with the Israeli Ashdod port. Algiers The candidates who are campaigning to win seats in the future Lower House which will result from the June 12 legislative elections insisted on the need for achieving "economic recovery" in Algeria, outlining their proposals and economic programmes. General Secretary of the National Democratic Rally (RND) party Tayeb Zitouni stressed on Sunday in El Bayadh the need to "exploit, in the best possible way, the national resources in order to achieve economic take-off." The RND party aspires, by means of its economic program, to achieve" the real economic take-off," said its leader. According to Zitouni, such objective would be possible through a "better use of national wealth and assets, and the development of the agriculture sector on which the country is relying heavily to achieve self-sufficiency and food security." The RND leader also called for endowing the elected Assemblies with all the "prerogatives" that would help fully and responsibly accomplish their missions. As for him, President of the Movement of the Society for Peace (MSP) party Abderrezak Mokri said on Sunday in Constantine, that Algeria is facing a "dangerous situation" and that even if the country had "wasted many chances and lost huge funds, this must not hinder the endeavor (of reconstruction). It must rather represent a source of motivation to make the necessary adjustments." The MSP party leader called for the "contribution of the highly qualified resources who are victims of the administration which in the past encouraged regionalism and corruption." He said that the Movement party is working to "establish political and economic reforms," calling for "fair and transparent elections." Moreover, Makri said the MSP party is open to form Alliance and forge partnerships in the service of the country and rejects all forms of paternalism that have been long practiced in the management of State affairs." Trade experts from Member States of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) met virtually on the 28th May 2021 to deliberate on instruments to promote intra-regional and continental trade ahead of the ECOWAS Ministers of Trade and Industry meeting scheduled for 3rd June 2021. In his welcome remarks, the ECOWAS Commissioner for Trade, Customs and Free Movement of Persons, Mr. Tei KONZI, extended a Happy 46th ECOWAS Anniversary greeting to participants and highlighted efforts being undertaken by the ECOWAS Commission to promote regional and continental integration through various trade initiatives such as the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme (ETLS) and the African Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Before declaring the meeting open, the Chief Director of the Ministry of Trade & Industry of the Republic of Ghana, Mr. Patrick Nimo, underscored the importance of the Experts Meeting and highlighted the various agenda items such the establishment of trade structures, which will promote opportunities for Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs). He expressed the belief that the trade and Industry agendas would help expedite recovery from the impact of COVID19. During the meeting, the Experts considered (i) the status of the AfCFTA negotiations; (ii) the establishment of the Regional Trade Facilitation Committee (RTFC); (iii) the establishment of ECOWAS Trade Promotion Organizations' Network;(iv) the amendment of the statutes on the ECOWAS Business Council; and (v) the evaluation of the volume of intra-regional trade taking into account informal cross-border trade. Following the fruitful deliberations, a number recommendations were made for consideration by Ministers of Trade and Industry. The meeting was attended by Trade Experts from ECOWAS Member States, as well as Mauritania. The ECOWAS and UEMOA Commissions also participated in the deliberations. Mr. Musa Camara, the Director of Diaspora at the Foreign Affairs Ministry, has said that over 40 thousand Gambians have arrived in Europe by irregular migration from 2014 to date. Mr. Camara, who was speaking at the migration engagement with the stakeholders organized by youth advocators, also said that overseas remittances of an estimated 200,000 Gambians living abroad accounted for over 20 percent of the country's Growth Domestic Product (GDP). He said migration has increasingly become a key priority for the government of the Gambia, with various diplomatic considerations. "The Gambia approaches migration diplomatically using positive sum or non-zero-sum process to mutual cooperation with expected gains from both ends. The Gambia discourages zero sum perspectives, where only one side is expected to benefit. "The Zero-Sum rationale refers to the perception where one party measures or achieves success in relation to the (weakened) position of the other party. Within the migration diplomacy framework, such thinking underlies within the western driver, that aims to prevent further immigration from the Gambia," he said. He said the Gambia government consistently maintains the principle of no zero-sum gain and that the aggressive removal of Gambians from western countries and the frequency and manner in which they are repatriated, has become a key point of diplomatic interaction between the Gambia and western countries. Director Camara stressed that the effects of migration and its impact on Gambia's diplomatic ties with western countries are multidimensional depending on the degree of cooperation which is sometimes driven by lack of mutual trust. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Migration Europe and Africa Gambia By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "Migration is an important and contested societal issue in the Gambia, reflected in our national politics. Firstly, irregular migration is highly politically volatile. Many Gambians have left the country in the last decade, mainly in search of greener pastures," he said. Camara said the primary way used by the stakeholders to tackle migration is by combating the root cause, saying the idea is to reduce migratory push factors such as poverty. He cited that the positive consequences of irregular migration are increased developmental funding in terms of projects, mutual efforts to combat the dangerous risks associated with irregular migration, budget support and technical cooperation. To Camara, the negative consequences are diplomatic isolation, sanctions, travel bans on government officials and visa restriction on Gambian citizens wanting to travel to the West and cutting of development cooperation. The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has on Saturday the 29th May 2021 commenced general registration of voters all over the Gambia and the commission is expecting to register one million voters. Alieu Momar Njai, the chairman of IEC in a press conference held by the commission on Friday 28th May 2021 at the election house, said the conduct of the general voter registration is key in the electoral cycle of 2021 to 2023. Njai said a person has to be a Gambian citizen and should at least be eighteen years by the 14th December 2021, to be qualified to vote in the forthcoming electoral cycle. The IEC under section 43 of the 1997 constitution has the mandate to conduct voter registration and conduct all public elections. It is against this backdrop that voter registration is conducted to register all eligible citizens to provide election with the opportunity to exercise such constitutional rights. "Its success is pivotal in the conduct of subsequent electoral activities. 2021 general voter registration will begin on 29th May 2021. The previous general voter registration was conducted in 2011. It was conducted in over six hundred and thirty-six registration centers and eight hundred registration officers were contracted," Chairman Njai said. For the 2021 general registration of voter, Njai said, two hundred and twenty (220) voter registration teams have been employed to seven hundred and thirty registration centers across the country. "These teams are being manned by eight hundred and eighty officers. One million voters are expected to be registered," he said. "One needs to provide one of the following documents to be registered: valid Gambian Identity Card, Gambian Passport, Birth Certificate, or an Attestation from Alkalo or Seyfo," he added. The chairman called on eligible Gambians to turn out in their numbers to register during the conduct of the 2021 general registration of voter's cards. "This would enable them to participate in various elections," he said. The governor of the Central Bank, Mr. Buah Saidy, has revealed that most of the Gambia's debts are legacy loans. This means that they are debts or loans that have been contracted during the past 22 years regime of former President Yahya Jammeh. Governor Saidy said this during the question and answer session of the Monetary Policy Committee meeting at the Central Bank of the Gambia, on Thursday 28th May 2021. During the presentation of the MPC's press release, Governor Saidy said the country's domestic debt currently stands at D35.84 billion in April 2021, from 33.67 million in the comparative period in 2020. He said in the past, they have been running huge budget deficits in order to take care of government's operations and developmental needs of the country. "It is not best way of financing government's operation, but it has happened and we have to live with it. The bulk of revenue still goes to debt service payment, but that is being reduced as new debts are not contracted at the rate as it was done in the past," he said. Saidy also explained that efforts are being made to restructure the debts so that most of the existing short-term debts could be moved to medium and long term. He said this will free space for the revenues that have been used to pay for the legacy loan to be invested and increase revenue activities generation. On remittances, Governor Saidy said that the increasing trend continued to hold and as at end April, it has increased to US$253.9 from US$ 137 a year ago, which shows an increase of US$2.29 billion (within four months). He said the increase was due largely to Gambians who are working and living abroad and continue to invest and take care of their families in The Gambia, coupled with the renewed confidence in the Gambian economy. On government borrowing at free interest, he said: "There is no free borrowing in economy and there is cost to everything and if the government borrows, there is high cost attached to it. It is very essential and prudent for any government to maintain a minimal and manageable fiscal deficit." This, he said, is ensured by the government through aligning and tries its utmost to balance expenditure and revenues. On major economic achievements of the current government, the CB Chief Officer explained that the government's prudent economic management has been a major economic achievement of the current administration. Governor Saidy further said that when the COVID-19 pandemic struck the shores of the Gambia, the first thing they did with the mega resources was to try mobilize resources and contain the pandemic. He said the pandemic has hit hard advanced countries despite their strong economy and sophistication in terms of technology. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Gambia Debt By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "The government also created an additional D250 million to augment the COVID health fund, giving a total D750 million," he said. Saidy said in order to help provide food relief package to be able to keep them indoors to contain the spread of the pandemic, the finance ministry and the government devised ways to reallocate from nonessential expenditure to create the COVID food fund. "The amount of money spent on providing food relief to the vulnerable Gambians was D813 Million and the transportation of the food items cost at the time D35 Million. All that was done whilst keeping other essential government services functioning and nobody was laid off," he said. He also stressed that the government has also provided stimulus package to take care of the impact of the pandemic on the livelihoods of the people. "The Gambia Revenue Authority also devised a payment plan and tax relief for the business. They differed payment period for the businesses and ensure that they pay their taxes without interest. This aims to ensure that the businesses are given free space and ample time to pay their tax, whilst making sure that the businesses don't go scot free in paying taxes," he said. opinion After it was announced in Addis Ababa on the weekend that the consortium with Kenya's giant mobile phone and money operator Safaricom had won the second licence to operate in the massive Ethiopian market, its stock price on the Nairobi Securities Exchange would go crazy on the first day of trading after the news. Its shares made the largest one-day gain on a single stock in the history of the NSE. The soundtrack to that fortune was likely the decision a few days by Ethiopia allowed foreign telcos to operate mobile phone-based financial services, opening the doors for Safaricom to launch its money-spinning behemoth M-Pesa in the future. Safaricom's foray in Ethiopia marks a good run for the big Kenyan companies during the Covid-19 pandemic, with Equity Bank closing out acquisitions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and becoming the second-largest lender in the country, and KCB Bank also gobbling up the second largest bank in Rwanda, and a unit in Tanzania. Both banks are building big new offices in the Rwandan capital Kigali, to function largely as their hubs in Central Africa. Money has always been, perhaps, the most important "second truck" driver of regional integration, after the formal political actions of governments (enabling travel, passing policies that make it easy to work, enable border crossings, and so on). Equity, KCB, and Safaricom (especially given word in the Nairobi corporate grapevine that Safaricom is eyeing a Sudan entry), and a few other big companies in the region, are dramatically expanding the outside borders of East Africa, even if they might not be deliberately doing so. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Coronavirus Business Kenya By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. With the big Kenyan banks having already pocketed a chunk of South Sudan, these players are now all but set to try and lock in Middle Africa. They are the Trojan horses of regional integration. Alive to the unsaid strategic realities, in April Kenya President Uhuru Kenyatta visited the new favourite destination of the Nairobi Establishment -- Kinshasa, the capital of the DRC. He unveiled Equity's new DRC brand, and toured the 18-floor Equity Centre in Kinshasa, urging the private sector to "champion regional integration and the realisation of the ideals of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area." Kenyan leaders have gone to great lengths to butter up DRC and President Felix Tshisekedi. Clearly, it is realpolitik, not because DRC is a wonderful tourist destination. What is lacking to create a really big bang is a fast train service across East African borders, or a low-cost carrier that is East and Central Africa's matatu in space whizzing around the capitals for $100. Still, fast forward to 2025, or even earlier in 2023. Lying in your bed today, if you go into your M-Pesa app you can send money from Kenya to Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. By 2023, Ethiopia might get on the drop-down menu, and maybe by 2025 Sudan and DRC might be there too. That there, will be about 250 million more people in the East African fold. Just like that. The writer is a journalist, writer and curator of the "Wall of Great Africans". Abeokuta Soyombo Opeyemi writes that military officers seize power in order to enrich themselves Below are excerpts from the article, "Nigeria and Mali at 60: Reflections on lust for power", published in the some national papers on October 31 2020. "In virtually all the cases, whether in Nigeria or Mali, no military officers seize power on behalf of the people. The military usually cashes in on the frustration of the public to stage a coup in order to satisfy the lust of its officers for power. Hence one military coup usually leads to another." The situation is the same in Mali. The rigging of parliamentary elections, using the electoral body and the judiciary, the abuse of power and misuse of security agents against the people (protesters) constituted the proverbial last straw that broke the camel's back. But let no one be deceived. Military officers do not grab power on behalf of the masses. When Lt. Moussa Traore seized power by force of arms from the civilian President Modibo Keita in 1968, the Malian citizens welcomed the 'saviour' from the barracks! Traore had cashed in on the economic hardship of the masses. But what did the Malians get in return for their embrace of the unelected 'saviour'? Brutal dictatorship that lasted for 22 years until another military putsch swept Traore from power! Consequently, my snorts of contempt could be heard on the streets of Bamako when on 18 August, 2020, news filtered to the world that many Malian civilians had welcomed the military putsch against the embattled President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, who had failed to succumb to the month-long massive street protests calling for his resignation. Coups after coups, the African populations have failed to learn from history! "Well, the Army took over and they continued to blunder. They continued to do what they were trained to do: that is, to destroy: to kill; and to loot," submitted Chief Mbazulike Amechi, Minister of Aviation in the First Republic. Have we not been here before? Have Malians not been there before? Nigerians, in their millions, from North to South, welcomed virtually all military coups. But what did we get at the end of each and every coup d'etat? A former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Alfa Belgore, once lamented how military rule stifled Nigerian development. He recalled the many development agreements with the German government in critical sectors of the country's economy in the early 60s, which had to be abandoned because of army rule. The strong economic foundation laid by our founding founders began a gradual plunge from the period of military take-over in January 15, 1966, notwithstanding the oil money that came later, which was largely mismanaged. Martial rule signalled the premature death or decimation of hundreds of flourishing industries, many of them multi-nationals. Even those established during the heyday of the army rule did not survive the depredations of the subsequent military governments, as one coup succeeded another. The then flourishing private/ mission schools were taken over by force, progressively decayed and destroyed. Today, the carcasses of these schools are being returned to their original owners! The public corporations too collapsed under the mismanagement of military regimes - Nigerian Railway, Nigeria Airways, Nigerian National Shipping Line, etc. Indeed, things became so bad for the country that national aircraft and ships were seized in foreign countries on account of unpaid debts! No government could match the military regimes in the art of corruption. Indeed, it can be argued that the civil governments accused of corruption by coup-makers could actually pass for saints. Indeed, the civilian public officers who currently indulge in corruption could be said to have learnt the art of brazen larceny from military regimes. General Abacha alone is credited to have looted about $5 billion. When on the 13th day of September, the media was awash with the report that the alliance of opposition politicians and civil society groups (the M5-RFP) who had led the masses to stage enormous street demonstrations, had rejected a transition charter of the Colonel Assimi Goita-led National Committee for the Salvation of the People (CNSP), accusing the military junta/ coupists of an attempt to "grab and confiscate power", noting that the military document "did not reflect the views and decisions of the Malian people," I simply sniggered! Even when you dine with the devil with a long spoon, the cutlery will still be grabbed from you and confiscated! Col. Goita! Officers of his ilk are merely band of opportunists, who love to fish in troubled waters in order to satisfy their lust for political power. But for the decision of ECOWAS to shutter its borders and demand a civilian transition leadership, Col. Assimi Goita planned to remain in power for three years, during which he most likely would have settled down to transmute from military to a civilian dictator! ECOWAS and Malians should be vigilant. Goita may still overthrow the newly-inaugurated Transitional President, Bah Ndaw, in order to satisfy the coupists' lust for power. No military officers seize power on behalf of the masses! In order to preserve constitutional rule in the region, ECOWAS leaders should have rejected any arrangement that would include the mutinous soldiers under the self-styled banner of National Committee for the Salvation of the People (CNSP). No military officers impound power in order to save or serve the masses. They do so to sit behind desks in Government Houses in order to enjoy the perks of political office. Here in Nigeria, and during the coup years, we saw generals emerge not by fighting wars, not by any acts of derring-do in warfronts but by sitting behind desks in Government Houses! The civil populace bore the brunt. Many unarmed civilians were regularly mauled, tortured and imprisoned in a show of force by the desk generals. In one instance, Ola Rotimi, the renowned playwright and author of The Gods Are Not To Blame, was ordered to put his both hands on a car and horsewhipped like a schoolboy by one of the ubiquitous soldiers set to define their times! Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Mali West Africa Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Besides, no soldiers would risk committing treason and then hand over the 'fruits of their labour' to any other group! MKO Abiola waited in vain for the Abacha junta to fulfil its own part of the 'bargain' by handing over power to him! No military officers hijack power on behalf of the masses!" Without further ado, President Buhari should press ECOWAS to force the Goita-led coupists out of power. Notwithstanding the double-dealing and duplicity of France in her former colonies, perhaps the Nigerian government should not have hosted the new military ruler of Chad. Beamed live to the world, it underscores the exaggeration of the role of the military in any political community. We may wish to recall how a coup d'etat in one country encouraged coups and instability in other West African countries in the 60s up to the 90s. We reject any recrudescence of military rule in West Africa. Soyombo, author of Buhari v. Yar'Adua (2008), wrote from Abeokuta Nowadays, tourism is one of the fastest growing industries in the world. It is the backbone of the economy for many countries and since the outbreak of COVID-19, tourism has been flourishing tremendously. In cognizance of this marvelous contribution of the sector, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism has been implementing feasible policies which move the tourism industry a step forward. It has been developing tourist destinations, preserving heritages, renovating museums and promoting national parks. The Ministry has been executing various activities to make the nation one of the top tourist destinations by 2025. Constructing brand international hotels was among the activities accomplished by government and the private sector too. When we trace back to the history of hospitality sector in Ethiopia, we get Etege Taitu Hotel, built in the early 1900s, believed to be the first modern hotel in Ethiopia. It was named after its founder Empress Taitu Betul, the wife of Emperor Menelik II. It was built mainly for the purpose of providing service to foreigners as a place to rest and dine. Taitu Hotel is found in the middle of Addis Ababa commonly known as Piazza. The ancient hotel has 264 historic bedrooms which are equipped with various important facilities. Currently, the hotel industry in Ethiopia is developing in an incredible pace. Many star hotels have been built in the capital, Addis Ababa and state cities. The hotels are contributing a lot for tourists to stay in the country without facing any hospitality challenges. Globally branded hotels have been opened in the capital Addis Ababa and other regional cities. This shows the government's commitment to take the hotel and hospitality service provision to a higher level. Tourist Service Competency Accreditation Senior Expert at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Fasil Endale says that brand hotels are being built by domestic and foreign investors which could enhance the hotel and hospitality sector. He stated that the 3 star and above brand hotels would be expected to promote the hotel and hospitality service to meet international standards. "Ethiopia especially our capital city, Addis Ababa hosts continental and international conferences. To accommodate all these workshops and conferences, you need to have modern and standardized hospitality service. The hotels which are going to be constructed would fill the gap," the expert claimed. The hotel accommodation price is a little bit expensive compared with other neighboring countries, according to him, adding the price will be fair when the hotels in the pipeline resume service provision. Currently, Ethiopia has 8,000 brand rooms. This number would be expected to reach 15,000 in the coming three years. With regard to climate change and preserving ecosystem, the expert insisted that the government, private developers and other stakeholders will work in collaboration and consultation to see to the construction of environment and climate suitable hotels. Besides, enhancing accommodation facilities, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism Bureau has been doing great job over the last couple of years to get the tangible and intangible heritages inscribed in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Culture Organization (UNESCO). Lion Ethiopia Tourism and Hotel College Dean Zerihun Mokenen for his part said that the hotel and tourism sector lacks qualified and skillful professionals."The hotel and hospitality industry is a very competitive sector. Professionalism is highly needed to run a hotel to satisfy the interest of tourists who come from different corners of the world. Hotel and Tourism Institutions like Lion Ethiopia should exert their maximum efforts to produce and trained human power," Zerihun explained. Another challenge the dean suggested needs a remedial solution is lack of infrastructure and logistics. Tourists often complain about infrastructure developments in destinations. The government and stakeholders should resolve this issue to increase tourist arrivals. "There should be an integrated system which connects tour operators, hotel owners, tourist site guides and other concerned bodies. These bodies could play very pivotal role in developing the sector," the dean underlined. Hotel owners and travel agents should build their capacity through sharing knowledge, technology, skill and experience from international hotel and tourism industries, Zerihun recommended. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Ethiopia Travel By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Ethiopia is mosaic country which has more than 80 diversified nations, nationalities and peoples. Their culture, language, history, topography and way of life are source of tourism that could show the country's glamorous beauty. To visit such tangible and intangible tourist potentials, modern facilities like hotels, lounges, restaurants, roads and other basic infrastructures should be built. Realizing all these important prerequisites for the tourism and hospitality sector, the Ethiopian government has been implementing policies that encourage private developers who engaged in the industry. It has been providing incentives for investors which allow them to import hotel materials tax free. BY TSEGAY HAGOS ADDIS ABABA - Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) announced yesterday a six point human rights agenda, the minimum human rights agenda for all contending political parties to respect and pledge for concrete human rights actions during election. EHRC Commissioner Daniel Bekele said that the six point human rights agenda is the minimum human rights agenda that all contending political parties to make progress on commitment for human rights values, avoid all forms of violence, increasing political participation of women, protection of vulnerable groups including women, disabilities, children, IDSs and others during 6th general elections. According to him, asking political parties what the specific measures or actions they are ready to take to improve the human rights situation of both vulnerable communities as well as the Ethiopian population in general. The commitment for human rights is the necessary first step towards a peaceful electoral process. Human rights were violated during the last pre-election period. And the six human rights agenda should be respected to ensure fairness and credibility of election. During the last couple of years, some good steps have been taken in Ethiopia. The country has made significant gains in terms of opening political space, improving the legal and policy environment, allowing all political parties to participate in Ethiopia's political process. Contrarily, the country remains in a deep human rights crisis. He said that the reform agenda is facing complicated challenges that emanate from socio economic and political crisis. "I believe we have an opportunity to continue to make progress." He called all contending political parties to respect and demonstrate commitment for the six point human rights agenda at a minimum. All of Ethiopia's human rights issues shouldn't be resolved by a six point human rights agenda, but at a minimum the commission expects all contending political parties including ruling party and other stakeholders to demonstrate commitment for the six point human rights agenda, he stated. The National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) Deputy Chairperson Wubshet Ayele urged the contending political parties to adhere to the six human rights agendas disclosed by the Rights Commission. BY TSEGAYE TILAHUN New Braunfels, TX (78130) Today Clear to partly cloudy. Low 72F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Clear to partly cloudy. Low 72F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. The second filling phase of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) is set to start from around July. This, a much anticipated and hence inevitable filling of the dam's reservoir, is also ushered by military maneuver ever seen in the region, which conceivably has potential of shaking the fragile East African region. The roar is particularly manifested in Cairo's latest aggressive move to augment its strategic ties in the region with aim of building a new alliance. As of late May 2021, Egypt has entered defense pacts with four East African countries. The inking of such agreement has started in March with Sudan followed by Uganda and Burundi in April and the latest being with Kenya. The overall objective attached to these pacts came in the text of dealing with "common challenges and threats to national security, other times put as, for matters of mutual benefit," "intelligence exchange," and "joint military drill." The latest nuptial between Egypt and Sudan could have provoked the immediate neighbor Ethiopia whose border dispute with Sudan is yet unresolved. In this case, the pact between the former has reached to joint areal exercises. Accordingly, they have launched several joint military drills since November 2020 dubbed "Nile Eagles 1" and "Nile Eagles 2" in March and April 2021 followed by "Guardians of the Nile" in May 2021. Amid renewed tensions on GERD such military partnerships have an implication imposing Cairo's desire to proactively manage changes in the hierarchy of the East African order. The new alliance has thus a potential to change the outlines of the existing regional order, sponsoring contradictory tendencies of its future aspirations linked to Nile water use and development, as well as influencing the dynamics of the development of the diplomatic and military spheres as components of the system of regional alliances. Therefore, the military cooperation with many countries in the region can reflect the process of the formation of the future. Part of Cairo's oath making effort in the Horn is also President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi recent visit to Djibouti. It was the first by the country's leader since Djibouti was declared independent in 1977. Sisi's office said in a statement same day of the visit that Sisi and Djiboutian President Ismail Omar Guelleh have agreed that the GERD should be filled and operated according to what it said "a fair and binding legal agreement." The statement said such agreement "could maintain regional stability and preserve the interests of all parties". The notion of regional stability aligns to Sisi's earlier threats of destabilizing the region if Ethiopia goes in accordance to the plan of filling its dam. However, Egypt itself has asserted that the second filling will not have impact to the flow of Nile waters. Sisi's visit to Djibouti can be seen as major step in view of surrounding Ethiopia using its immediate neighbors. Had Somalia been free from its current domestic wrangling, it would have likely drift into serving Cairo's interest. In view of that Addis Ababa has to revisit its approach to foes and friends of Mogadishu based government. The summation of these all signifies the coming of winter with much of a challenge for the region. As much rains hit the ground the more the filling of the dam's reservoir gets easier with ample flow of water and that eventually dodges the unsubstantiated fears of water security, while posing a new state of frostiness surrounding to downstream neighbors Egypt and Sudan desire of maintaining a status quo on use of Nile waters. Nonetheless, the time gives Ethiopia an opportunity to prove itself and break the ground of power generation. Hence the rhetoric of undermining water security in downstream countries and an issue of existential threat for both nations should come to an end. In the meantime, Cairo's establishments have been urging Egypt and Sudan to ask the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to insist that the second filling of the GERD be postponed for a year, at least. According to this suggestion it will "give the disputants time to resume negotiations." However, putting aside the cost Ethiopia could incur in delaying the completion of the project it is in the belief of this writer that an extension of time to the second filling will likely bear no change in position of the downstream countries regarding the minor point of difference over the negotiation table. Ahead of the second filling of the dam the month of June will be a busy one for Ethiopia as it is scheduled to hold national elections in the face of domestic and international challenges. In the world where much of everything is about national interest Ethiopia cannot be naive enough to appear saintly state. In this regard Ethiopia's appeal in the global alliance surfacing to UNSC intervention might face some daunting road ahead as Cairo pushes to pursue UNSC's greater role on the issue. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Ethiopia Energy Construction By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Ethiopia was able to garner Chinese and Russian support at the UNSC previous hearing over the matter. After Ethiopia's recent decision to open its telecoms market, it is worth noting here that the issue comes at a time when a Chinese-backed bid for a mobile license lose out to a consortium that had US support and yet US went on imposing restrictions against Ethiopia relating to the crisis in the Tigray region. It is eminent that Cairo is excreting efforts to make use of the odds Addis Ababa is faced with. The Egyptian leadership has display of diplomatic gesture for "resolution through negotiation" while making "all options remain on the table" statement. Although military option has never been explicitly ruled out deluging into any sort of armed conflict linked with the GERD could come with an unimaginable consequential impact for the region that can also extend into the rest of the world. The pressure next year will be no less than the present and it is time for Ethiopia to disprove that its purpose with GERD is not an existential threat but a means for cooperation. Kiram Tadesse is commentator on East African affairs. BY KIRAM TADESSE ADDIS ABABA- Science based knowledge and facts research should be encouraged to create more job opportunities for citizens, says Job Creation Commissioner Nigusu Tilahun. To create enough jobs for youth and citizens in general the commission has established a 30-member job policy advisory council last year to study various sectors especially horticulture, wheat, milk and technology, he added. The council has brought various studies to showcase in today's 3rd council meetings to discuss the studies and include them as policy and strategy to the commission so as to accomplish fruitful work, he said. On his part, Ahmedin Ahmed from Precise Consult Ethiopian Energy Market Accelerator Program Manager said we can drive job through adoption of productive use of technologies in Ethiopia in various departments. He presented the paper for the policy advisory council members in the meeting under the topic "jobs and energy thematic working groups key policy recommendations" study finding or the study shows three highly selected potential value chains such as horticulture, Wheat and Milk production mainly inclusive farmers community in rural areas he added. This research can be productive and practicable when the government, private sectors and investors are highly and actively engaging with the presence of some encouraging things, he added. He said for instance, in horticulture by using solar, water pumps and without electricity access can increase the production of horticulture by 300 percent and can create at least 130,000 new jobs for farmers. He further noted thus, horticulture alone can create jobs for several million citizens across the country. BY MISGANAW ASNAKE Currently, Ethiopia receives 76 percent of its export earnings from its agricultural products such as Coffee, Oilseeds, Chat, Pulses, Cut Flowers, Fruits, Vegetables, Dairy and meat among others. The first 5 commodities cover 28.7 percent, 14.5 percent, 11.4 percent, 10.2 percent and 9.6 percent of the volume exported in 2018/19 respectively. Major export destinations in 2018/2019 included Asia (41.6 percent), Europe (25.4%), and Africa (20.8 percent). The export trend of the country shows that high-value markets are not significantly targeted as exporters target destination countries where import regulations are at ease. This is not always by choice but with the existing functionality of many agricultural value chains exporters that are not producing themselves have no or little control over the quality of the products they export. Buyers that have strict regulations or demand on such parameters are difficult to access. High-value markets, like the EU or Scandinavia, have stringent requirements where they have little room for tolerance. Therefore, implementing an effective quality control system is fundamental to improve Ethiopia's agricultural export volume and income. Experts emphasize that with agricultural export countries getting more competitive for a better position in the international market, addressing internal hurdles observed in the export sector to improve the quality control system of the country would encourage competitive spirits of the private sector along with ensuring higher value for exports. It is high time to implement timely and proper policy measures to improve the agriculture sector export earnings. Having effective policy implementations immensely contributes to augment Ethiopia's agricultural export earnings. According to a research by Precise Consult International PLC, the agriculture sector faces different quality related problems including contamination, poor post-harvest handling, adulteration, differing produce size and color, lack of traceability, lack of standards for certain products, and lack or incomplete market information among others. The main reason for this is the lack of a comprehensive quality regulatory framework which has posed several challenges ultimately on businesses and on the country's export earnings. One of the challenges discouraging the private sector is misinterpretations of mandates among the leading public institutions which create inconvenience for the private sector in receiving efficient services. This associated with lack of coordination between offices; gaps in implementation; and capacity gap in agricultural marketing among staffs makes doing business much challenging. Agri-business Consultant at Precise Consult International PLC, Helen Getaw told The Ethiopian Herald that private investors' participation in the agriculture sector is fundamental to boost production and productivity. And ensuring quality is the major factor to generate more from the agriculture sector export earnings. The absence of agricultural finance policy and strategy promoting the supply and utilization of agricultural finance products was among the identified policy gaps and challenges in the agriculture sector. This was reflected in the form of lack/shortage of credits, agriculture insurance services, and saving mobilization. Currently, most of the Ethiopian agricultural produce is harvested through organic agriculture which gives more impetus to be competitive in the global market. Horticulture, coffee, soybeans, oilseeds, grains, among others are expected to dominate the Ethiopian agricultural products' export volume in the future, according to her. Having international certificates for healthy and quality agricultural products enhances the country's efforts to attract the market and increase export volume. The ongoing quality policy preparation by the Ministry of Trade also facilitates the market channel and ease of reaching international agricultural traders. Promoting financial accessibility, lease financing, and agriculture insurance, among others contribute to farmer's and private sector practitioners' engagement in quality agricultural products supply to the global market. Agricultural extension experts in the Ministry of Agriculture are expected to build their capacity to enable farmers and other agricultural producers to promote quality harvesting. Thus, the government is expected to work hand in glove with pertinent stakeholders; deliver agricultural inputs timely; and introduce new technologies to boost production and productivity, she recommended. Mihiret Teamir, Precise Consult International PLC Agriculture sub-sector Project Coordinator said that setting innovative policy paves the way to improve the agriculture sector performance. Availing enough financial supply and subsidizing the agriculture sector is crucial to address the sector gaps. To ensure agricultural growth, structural transformation, and economic development in the country, "accelerated agricultural financing" is the recommended policy direction, she noted. Accordingly, she further stated that tasks that are required to enhance financial accessibility to the agriculture sector in general, and smallholder farmers in particular, include the following: Formulation of comprehensive and practical policies on agricultural finance and development of regulatory frameworks; Establishment of financial institutions, such as farmers' cooperatives and unions to full-fledged banks; drastic improvements of smallholders' financial services utilization through financial literacy. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Ethiopia Trade Agribusiness By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Moreover, setting up institutions providing services such as financial literacy to including the smallholder farmers and pastoralists, business development support, credit appraisal services, and follow-up and evaluation of credit utilization is important, Mihiret stressed. In addition, reorganizing an independent body promoting focused and knowledge-based, and accessible insurance services for agriculture are helpful to tap the agriculture sector potentials. The experts recommended various policy options to enhance the country's agriculture sector's competitiveness in the global market. Setting up quality control mechanism at primary markets with improved quality control infrastructure to enable corrective measures for the poor quality as well as avoiding aggregation of poor and good quality together. Incorporating quality standard awareness in the extension package as well as contract farming setups is also fundamental to increase quality orientation in production. Having a system to timely add/adopt testing parameters of commodities based on international market trends enables to stay competitive. BY TEWODROS KASSA Ethiopia is highly committed at present more than any time to well accomplish two meaningful national targets--effectively completing the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) and conducting a fair, free and credible national elections in June--which are strongly believed to confidently transform the nation to the next better level though amid a number of pressures from within and on the side of external powers. To this end, it is recurrently elucidated that the country is by far needed the unity and cooperation of its citizens at home and abroad. Commissioner General, Federal Police Commission, Demelash Gebre-Michael said that comprehensive preparations have been finalized to make the upcoming elections peaceful and democratic as well as to well safeguard the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). The commission also stated that it is ready to execute its duties and responsibilities during the election neutrally. As to the Commissioner General, the 6th National Election is given attention as the country is under political reform. According to him, the government is committed to create conducive environment for citizens to elect their representatives freely and without any pressure. He also said that federal police is working in collaboration with regional police commissioners and other concerned parties for the realization of a peaceful election. Election related problems are going to be well dealt with as the federal police have been fortifying internal and external ties to well sieve the bottlenecks that can potentially cause instability. The attorney general and courts have also set mechanisms that only serve election related issues separately. The election will be the first ever democratic and credible elections as a number of independent institutions such as the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia have been set up, he added. It is also believed to be the very basis aspect to primarily determine future decisions about the structure of the country. The election may offer opportunities to support political dialogue which could sustain important reforms and decrease divergence, he said. The parties that secure significant shares in the next parliament and which go on to form the government will thus seek to advance their preferred vision of how Ethiopia's state is organized. It is well recognized that earlier, government orchestrated harassment had led major opposition parties to embargo most ballots. Instead of offering citizens a meaningful opportunity to choose their leaders, the five elections held before in Ethiopia had served to consolidate the ruling party's power. The 2021 process differs from the past in several ways, notably with regard to the independent National Election Board (NEBE) and the involvement of several new opposition parties. Since the social media is increasingly accessible and popular in Ethiopia, it has to be well managed and the society has also to well sieve the fruit from the straw. In a context of inadequate digital literacy and socio-political polarization, social media platforms are anxious with disinformation and misinformation, used to disseminate hate speech, and even incite violence. This challenge is not unique to Ethiopia, but it is the first time Ethiopians must reckon with the impacts of social media in an electoral process. It is not surprising that the June elections are the focus of considerable external attention but by itself the vote will not determine the potential for future reforms or provide meaningful legitimacy to the incumbent. The election is thus one element of Ethiopia's political evolution and should not be treated as an end in itself. As to Commissioner General, Ethiopian security stakeholders - both formal and informal - have increased understanding of their roles and responsibility during the electoral cycle, including their obligation to protect human rights and the right to vote. The Ethiopian electorate is informed of the importance of voting and peaceful elections. The conduct of these events will be critical to Ethiopia's reform trajectory. Citizens, candidates, and parties are made aware of peaceful electoral dispute resolution mechanisms - both formal and informal - and use those mechanisms, he underscored. Aregawi Berhe (Ph.D), Director General of the Office of the National Council for the Coordination of Public Participation to the Construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) said all Ethiopians have to consolidate unity more than ever before as a number of foreign elements would like to take advantage of the gaps witnessed amongst us. Over the last two years, the government has taken political and legislative reforms that may contribute to a more competitive election. For example, the electoral board which oversees the polling has been re-established as an independent institution, he added. Despite the upbeat expectations, the June elections might face serious challenges as Ethiopia's party system is extremely volatile on the one hand and political parties are weak and fragmented on the other. Though elections will take place amid the upheaval in Tigray, one of the country's 10 federal regions, there are fertile grounds to do so. Firstly, several exiled opposition politicians and political parties are allowed to operate inside the country. Secondly, various independent institutions have been set up to autonomously run activities. Thirdly, the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia is now accountable to the House of Peoples' Representatives, the federal legislative body. And, a prominent former opposition politician and political prisoner, was appointed by the House of Peoples' Representatives in late 2018 to lead the board and increase its credibility by all. Fourth, the Federal Supreme Court and the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission are now led by prominent professionals. Both worked for the advancement of human rights and social justice for many years. And a new law on civil society has made it possible for nongovernmental organizations, professional associations, and consortiums to engage in the advancement of human rights and democracy. These include civic and voter education, capacity building for political parties, human rights institutions, and courts. The Federal Police, the Attorney General, the National Intelligence and Security Service, and the Ministry of Defense and regional representatives have been established by the government to ensure a peaceful and legitimate election, said the Commissioner General. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Ethiopia Business Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. The government should make a clear public statement that human rights violations in the election context will not be tolerated; it should instruct the police and relevant local authorities to ensure that candidates and voters are not subjected to human rights violations, intimidation or threats on account of their peaceful opinions. There should be no impunity for human rights violations during the elections heads of the security forces at all levels should make it clear to the forces under their command, as to the government. In sum, the government should respect the legitimate role of human rights defenders, including those advocating for the human rights of women and engage in constructive dialogue with civil society groups promoting human rights or monitoring human rights during the elections. Election observers are also expected to document what they observe or witness or hear of, bring them to the attention of the National Electoral Board and the federal or regional police, and make public their findings, including any failure of the authorities to take swift and effective remedial actions in accordance with the law and international standards of justice. International and local election observers are expected to work together, share expertise, and sort out pitfalls accordingly. In so doing, the country will conduct a fair, free, credible and demarcatic elections. BY MENGESHA AMARE press release Beirut Urgent Action Needed to Address Serious Concerns Raised by UN Rights Bodies President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi of Egypt should immediately end a crackdown on freedom of association, independent groups, and peaceful dissent, 63 organizations including Human Rights Watch said today. The groups issued the following public statement recommending a series of actions Egypt should take to make tangible improvements in the human rights situation in Egypt and to ensure that Egypt complies with its international obligations: We the undersigned 63 organizations call on the Egyptian authorities, including President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, to take immediate action to end the Egyptian authorities' wholesale crackdown on independent organizations and peaceful dissent. More than 30 countries at the United Nations Human Rights Council issued a joint statement on 12 March 2021 expressing their deep alarm over "the trajectory of human rights in Egypt and share[d] the concerns expressed by the [UN] High Commissioner for Human Rights and [UN] Special Procedure mandate holders." Our organizations have been calling for the establishment of a monitoring and reporting mechanism on Egypt at the Human Rights Council and will continue to do so until there is meaningful and sustained improvement in the country's human rights situation. We remain greatly concerned over the arbitrary arrest, detention, and other judicial harassment of human rights defenders. Those held unjustly include NGOs directors Mohamed al-Baqer and Ezzat Ghoniem, human rights researchers Patrick George Zaki and Ibrahim Ezz el-Din, and lawyers Mahienour al-Massry, Haytham Mohamdeen, and Hoda Abdelmoniem. The founder and director of the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS) Bahey Eldin Hassan was handed down an outrageous 15-years imprisonment sentence in absentia. Other attacks against human rights defenders include travel bans, asset freezes, additions to the "terrorists list" in arbitrary proceedings, protracted criminal investigations under case No. 173 of 2011, and reprisals for their engagement with UN mechanisms. We share concerns by seven Special Procedures mandate holders - United Nations experts - about Law No. 149/2019 on Non-Governmental Organizations, as it fails to meet Egypt's international obligations to ensure the right to freedom of association. We also have serious concerns over the overly broad definition of terrorism in Law No. 94 of 2015 on counterterrorism and in the Penal Code that contravenes international standards and allows for the criminalization of acts falling within the scope of the rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly, as well as the misuse of "terrorism circuits" of criminal courts and the Supreme State Security Prosecution to target human rights defenders and other peaceful critics in order to silence dissent. We are also deeply concerned over the crackdown on independent journalists and media, as hundreds of websites remain blocked and at least 28 journalists remain behind bars for simply doing their work or expressing critical views, including Esraa Abdelfatah and Ismail Iskandarani. We share the assessment of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention that arbitrary detention is a systematic problem in Egypt. Since President al-Sisi came to power, Egyptian security forces, with the complicity of prosecutors and judges, have arbitrarily arrested and detained thousands of people on the basis of unfounded terrorism-related charges. They include human rights defenders, religious minority rights activists, peaceful protesters, journalists, academics, artists, lawyers, opposition politicians, and relatives of dissidents forced into exile. Egyptian security forces routinely subject those in custody to enforced disappearance and torture, which the UN Committee against Torture concluded to be "a systematic practice in Egypt." Those disappeared and tortured are then routinely convicted in grossly unfair mass trials, in some cases before military courts. Since 2014, hundreds have been sentenced to death and dozens executed after trials that rely on torture-tainted "confessions." Thousands of others are being held in prolonged pretrial detention without the opportunity to meaningfully challenge the lawfulness of their detention, sometimes for periods exceeding the two-year maximum permissible under Egyptian law. Even when prosecutors and judges order their release, the National Security Agency (NSA), with prosecutors' complicity, routinely accuse them of similar charges in new cases to keep them detained indefinitely without trial, in the practice known as "rotation." We also share the UN experts concerns over cruel and inhuman prison conditions, and the deliberate denial of adequate medical care that has led or contributed to preventable deaths in custody and serious damage to prisoners' health. In 2020 alone, at least 35 people died in custody or shortly after following medical complications. The health and human rights crisis in prisons was further exacerbated by the authorities' failure to adequately address Covid-19 outbreaks. We share the High Commissioner's concerns regarding worrying patterns in the Sinai peninsula of forcible displacement, enforced disappearances, and torture and other ill-treatment of detainees. We note her call to the Egyptian authorities "to recognise that, as in all countries facing security challenges and violent extremism, depriving people of their rights will not make the State safer, but more unstable." Discrimination against women and girls remains entrenched in law and practice. The authorities have not only failed to address pervasive sexual and gender-based violence, but have also targeted women's human rights defenders and campaigners against sexual violence and harassment through arrests, harassment, threats, and other reprisals. The authorities have also used morality and debauchery laws to arbitrarily arrest, detain, and prosecute survivors and witnesses of sexual and other gender-based violence, women social media influencers, and LGBTQI+ people and activists. This catalog of serious violations continues as a result of endemic impunity that prevails in Egypt, as highlighted by UN experts and the UN Committee against Torture. We urge President al-Sisi to order and ensure full implementation of the following recommendations in order to secure tangible improvements in the human rights situation in Egypt and to ensure that Egypt complies with its international obligations: Immediately and unconditionally release anyone held solely for peacefully exercising their rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly; and release others detained arbitrarily, including those held in prolonged pretrial detention without trial or the possibility to challenge the lawfulness of their detention; cease the practice commonly called "rotation", and protect those in custody from torture and other ill-treatment and ensure their regular access to their families, lawyers of their choosing, and adequate medical care; Publicly condemn and order independent, impartial, thorough, and effective investigations into extrajudicial executions and other unlawful killings, enforced disappearances, torture, and other serious human rights violations and crimes under international law, including those committed in custody and in the context of counterterrorism operations in Sinai, with a view to bringing those responsible to justice; and guarantee the victims' rights to truth, justice, and reparation; Establish a moratorium on executions, pending the abolition of the death penalty; Create a safe and enabling environment for human rights defenders, including by effectively protecting them from arbitrary arrest, detention, and other forms of reprisal or harassment; instructing the public prosecution to close Case No. 173 of 2011; removing all arbitrary measures including travel bans and asset freezes against human rights defenders and their families; quashing verdicts against human rights defenders including those sentenced in their absence; and removing human rights defenders from the "terrorists list"; Prevent sexual and gender-based violence and prosecute offenders; put a stop to the policing of women's bodies and behavior as well as prosecutions over vague charges of "indecency", "violating family principles and values", and "debauchery"; End arbitrary arrests and prosecutions against LGBTQI+ people, including police entrapment of LGBTQI+ through dating apps or social media and quash the verdicts of anyone already convicted; instruct officials to end forced anal examinations and sex determination tests as they can amount to torture; and Amend Law No.94 of 2015 on counterterrorism, Law No.8 of 2015 on terrorist entities, Law No.175 of 2018 on cybercrime, and Law No. 149 of 2019 on NGOs to bring them in line with Egypt's international obligations. Signatories: NowAccess Amnesty International ANKH (Arab Network for Knowledge about Human rights) Association Beity (Tunisia) Association for Juridical Studies on Immigration (ASGI) Association for the Defense of Human Rights in Morocco (ADDHOM) Baytna Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS) CELS Centro de Estudios Legales y Sociales Center for Reproductive Rights Center of Studies and Initiatives for International Solidarity (CEDETIM, France) CNCD-11.11.11 Committee for Justice Committee for the Respect of Liberties and Human Rights in Tunisia (CRLDHT) DefendDefenders (East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project) Democratic Association of Tunisians in France (ADTF) Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN) Dignity - Danish Institute Against Torture Egyptian Human Rights Forum Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) EgyptWide (Egyptian-Italian Initiative for Rights and Freedoms) English PEN EuroMed Rights Freedom House Front Line Defenders Geneva Bridge Association Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Egypt Human Rights By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Global Voices Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) Hassan Saadaoui Association for the Defense of Democracy and Equality (Tunisia) humanrights.ch Human Rights Watch (HRW) Initiative Franco-egyptienne pour les Droits et les Libertes International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) International Service for Human Rights (ISHR) Karapatan Alliance Philippines Inc. Lawyers for Lawyers (L4L) Legal Resources Centre Mawjoudin Initiative (Tunisia) MENA Rights Group Minority Rights Group International (MRG) Mwatana for Human Rights Nachez (Dissonance), Tunisia The National Union for Tunisian Journalists (SNJT) Odhikar, Bangladesh PEN Norway People in Need Project on Middle East Democracy (POMED) REDRESS Reseau des Organisations de la Societe Civile pour l'Observation et le Suivi des Elections en Guinee (ROSE) Robert F Kennedy Human Rights South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) The Freedom Initiative Tunisian Association of Democratic Women Tunisian Association for Democracy and Civic State (AVDDH) The Tunisian Association for the Defense of Academic Values (ATDVU) The Tunisian Association for the Defense of Individual Liberties (ATDLI) Tunisian Center for Press Freedom (CTLP) Tunisian Coalition Against Death Penalty The Tunisian Federation for Citizenship on both Shores (FTCR) The Tunisian Human Rights League (LTDH) UIA-IROL (Institute for the Rule of Law of the International Association of Lawyers) Vigilance for Democracy in Tunisia (Belgium) -UNDP Resident Rep urges Gov't The Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Mr. Stephen Rodrigues has urged the Liberian Government to treat development as the matter of urgency here. Speaking during a recent engagement with a cross-section of the Liberian media last week, Mr. Rodriques observed that the father you go away from Monrovia, Liberia's capital, the less you feel the impact of government's authority in the rural areas. "There is a gap that has been around for a long time that requires urgent need to address," Mr. Rodriques said as he noted that the urgency in development should target the rural areas of the country. Although he acknowledged that Monrovia also has some gaps in terms of development but urgency should be made particularly in the rural areas. He explained that basic service centers in rural areas need to be fully equipped and that provisions should be made to enable civil servants managing those one stop shop be able to retain certain portion of the amount being generated for their operational funds.The UNDP Resident Rep. also disclosed to the local media that the global body has a 5-year work plan for Liberia. He said the overall objective of the UNDP's work in Liberia is to bring the government closer to its citizens including through fostering transparency, accountability and inclusive governance; and create opportunities for all Liberians to contribute to the country's sustainable development through promoting green and inclusive growth. He explained that the UNDP through its 2020-2024 Country Program, will prioritize initiatives that reduce inequality; promote good governance and the rule of law, accountability, ease of doing business, and promoting entrepreneurship as well as private sector growth. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Liberia Sustainable Development International Organisations By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Mr. Rodriques further explained that an accelerated decentralization, which is also link to access to basic services and community development is also part of the UNDP's 5years plan. He said during this period, the UNDP will also support the fostering of sustainable development, including protecting the environment and supporting investments in renewable energy.He stated that the UNDP is also supporting livelihood initiatives that support poverty reduction and building a pool of entrepreneurs that would spur growth and development. The UNDP boss also explained that as part of efforts to tap into ecotourism, the UNDP is working with the Ministry of Information and other key stakeholders to explore the ecotourism potential of the country with a view of forming a nexus between the environment and growth potentials for Liberia. -Justices warned over Samukai Former Vice President Joseph Nyumah Boakai is warning the Justices of Liberia's Supreme Court to be careful with the precedent they are setting, in his critique against one of the justices stopping Lofa County Senator - elect Brownie Samukai's certification after the nation's highest court ordered that he be certificated. Mr. Boakai, the former ruling Unity Party (UP) political leader who is pursuing his second try for the Liberian presidency on the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP) ticket for 2023 warned recently that Liberia does not have two Supreme Court benches here, referencing Associate Justice Joseph Nagbe's decision to stop Samukai's certification to hear another case against the latter. "But there was no ruling that says that on the basis of this you should not be certificated; we don't have two Supreme Court benches here," Mr. Boakai said, adding "Can the Supreme Court then say to you certificate the person, and another member of the bench get another complaint? We are confused in this country." "We want to say, let the Supreme Court, let all the [people] know that what [is] happening to Samukai and whatever is happening in this country, you are [setting] a precedent. We have to be careful, we will be judged by history," he continued during a recent live talk show on Sky FM. According to the CPP stalwart, when you talk about government and governance, there are lot of contradictions in this country, as he pondered over a system where someone won election, went to the Supreme Court and the Supreme Court ordered that National Elections commission (NEC) to certificate the person and people who are not even part of the election are coming up with complaints. Boakai noted where the person had issues of corruption or whatever they are, they must be dealt with, but noted that there was no ruling by the Supreme Court that Samukai should not be certificated. Mr. Boakai warned that this country cannot continue that way, noting that he hopes that a similar thing does not occur in the 2023 elections. "And this country cannot continue that way; it's credibility ... we are living in a world where we are being graded for what we do," Boakai said. On 4 May 2021, Justice in Chambers Joseph Nagbe granted a petition for a writ of prohibition filed against the certification of Lofa County Senator - elect Brownie J. Samukai, ordering the National Elections Commission (NEC) to disallow Samukai's certification until the disability imposed on the convicted former Defense Minister is removed according to law. "The Clerk of this Court is ordered to issue the peremptory writ of prohibition, send a mandate to the 1st respondent, NEC, disallowing the certification of the 2nd respondent, J. Brownie Samukai, Jr., until his disability imposed on him by his conviction is removed according to law," Associate Justice Nagbe said in a ruling Tuesday, 4 May. The ruling by Justice Nagbe followed a petition filed on 1 March 2021 by businessman Simeon Freeman's party Movement for Progressive Change (MPC), asking the Chambers Justice to restrain the NEC from certificating Samukai as winner of the Senatorial election of December 2020 in Lofa County. The MPC's contention was that Samukai had already been convicted by both a circuit court and the Supreme Court following his trial for misapplying private pension saving funds owned by soldiers of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) during his term as Defense Minister in former President Ellen Johnson - Sirleaf's administration. Earlier in a ruling on 8 February 2021, Liberia's Supreme Court upheld a lower court's ruling but with modification, convicting ex-President Ellen Johnson - Sirleaf's longest serving Defense Minister, now Lofa County Senator - elect Mr. Brownie Samukai and two other former defense officials for the unauthorized spending of soldiers' pension money. In that ruling, the Supreme Court sentenced former Minister J. Brownie Samukai, his deputy Joseph P. Johnson and Mr. James NyumahDorkor to serve a term of two years each in a common jail. However, the Supreme Court ruled in the corruption case that the sentences shall be suspended provided that the convicted officials shall restitute the full amount of US$1.147, 656m or (pay) 50 percent within the period of six months, and following that, make appropriate arrangement to pay the remaining percent in one calendar year. Should the defendants fail on these mandates, the Supreme Court said they shall be incarcerated in common jail and remain there until the full amount is paid. In its judgment, the Supreme Court said every withdrawal from the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) Pension Account should have been by authorization or consent of the AFL soldiers. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Liberia Legal Affairs By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. The Court therefore said the unrelated expenses of US$1.147, 656m on the instruction of former President Sirleaf was without the pale of the law, and the appellants (defendants) are held personally liable for the unauthorized expenditure on the account. Prior to the Supreme Court's ruling in the criminal case, Mr. Samukai after initially being given a suspended sentence by the Criminal Court "C" won the December 2020 Senatorial election in Lofa County, but had not been seated yet in the Senate due to challenges brought against the election results by his rival. He won the election related case at the Supreme Court and the NEC was ordered to certify him before the MPC filed the petition to restrain the commission from the certification process on the basis of Samukai's conviction in the criminal case. Samukai could choose to appeal to the full bench of the Supreme Court against Associate Justice Nagbe's decision granting the MPC's petition. Liberia's justice system is the foundation to genuine democracy and implementing effective Criminal Justice System (CJS) for the country, including rule of law and fundamental human rights, says Rural Human Rights Activists Program. The RHRAP says the justice system is heavily challenged here and needs urgent attention from national government, civil society and the international community. A press statement issued in Monrovia, Monday May 31, states that delays in adjudicating cases on courts' dockets increases pretrial detainees, which is contributing to community residents gradually losing confidence in the court system thus leading to increased violence and insecurity. To enhance capacity of community residents to maintain rule of law and fundamental human rights, especially in rural communities, RHRAP recently conducted training workshops for community representatives in Lofa and Bong counties, which focused on the Criminal Justice Highway from arrest, detention and appearing in court. It brought together 60 participants that represented various community segments of Bong and Lofa Counties. The Bong County workshop was held May 20 to 21, 2021 at the Bong Youth Center in Gbarnga City with 30 participants, facilitated by Atty. James Saybay, an experience human rights lawyer and activists, while the Voinjama workshop was held from 26-27 of May 2021, facilitated by Cllr. Luther Sumo, Lofa County Attorney. The working sessions exposed community residents to a wide range of rule of law, and fundamental human rights related issues that will enable them to contribute to the maintenance of the rule of law and fundamental human rights. It is also gradually helping to restore community residents' trust in the justice system, which is enhancing their abilities to peacefully engage justice sector actors on the rights of community residents in the application of the rule of law. The Rural Human Rights Activists Programme (RHRAP) Inc. is a rights and peace organization that was established in December 1997 by a group of activists who believe the message of human rights should be spread to rural areas. It is a non-profit and non-political. It is funded by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED). -Acting Public Works Minister Acting Public Works Minister Ruth Coker Collins says all is now set for the President George Weah's visit to the county on the last leg of his nationwide tour, adding that with ongoing maintenance and renovation works, the road is prepared not just for President Weah, but Lofians generally who want to return and do their businesses. Speaking at the Ministry of Information special press briefing Monday, May 31, 2021, Minister Collins said though the Lofa road had been seen as a threat to movement of goods and people, but after renovation works by various construction companies, it is okay for anyone who desires to travel to Lofa. "We all know how bad the lofa road is, but with the ongoing renovation works by various construction companies I can safely say yes, the road is fully prepared for the President and his entourage, and Lofians who want to travel and do their business", she assures. The Acting Minister narrates that on her last visit to the county, she saw roads and bridges under renovation by the Chinese company, CHICO, including roads along the Salayea-Zorzor corridor. She also discloses a Liberian-owned firm, New Millennium Construction is currently working between Zorzor and Konea, ahead of the President's visit. "It may interest you to know that the corridor has been deplorable but the contractors and the Ministry took seize of the matter." Minister Collins describes the route from Konea to Voinjama as the worst area on the entire lofa road, adding that she felt disappointed during her last visit, wondering why would a county that has so many border routes go through such difficulties, unlike corridor in the southeast of Liberia that experiences heavy downpour almost daily. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Liberia Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "What we did to as a ministry was to assign a construction company called Desire to work between Konea to Voinjama is the worst section on the entire Lofa road and I'm proud to report that they are doing well, and we are hopeful by today or tomorrow, they will complete the work on that road." At the same time Minister Collins says the road from Voinjama to Foyah wasn't worst at, but has been renovated also. Meanwhile, the Minister discloses all is now set for official dedication of the Somalia Drive road in July. The project is being executed by the Government of Japan. It has been widely speculated that Lofa is not prepared to receive President Weah because one of their sons, who was overwhelmingly elected Senator, Brownie J. Samukai is yet to take his seat because of stay order from the Supreme Court of Liberia having been adjudged guilty by Criminal Court C for misapplying soldiers' retirement funds.Senator-elect Samukai served as Minister of Defense under former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. The George Weah government official delegation to Washington D.C. has been briefing Liberians on outcome of discussions reportedly held with U.S. officials. But the impact of taxpayers' money spent on the six-member delegation to stay in Washington for about two or more weeks would be measured against citizens' expectation and tangibles. Since he came to office in 2018, President George Manneh Weah himself has visited the United States once) to address the United Nations General Assembly in New York. That visit was marred by Liberians protesting outside the U.N. headquarters demanding war and economic crimes court for Liberia, end to corruption, lack of accountability and bad governance, among others. It has taken the Weah administration four long years to venture into Washington to talk with U.S. officials on progress and challenges in Liberia in a visit that stopped short of going anywhere near the White House, official home of the U.S. Presidency. A government press release issued in Monrovia says the recent delegation included Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Mr. Samuel D. Tweah, Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, Mr. Nathaniel F. McGill, Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Mrs. Williametta Saydee-Tarr, Minister of State Without Portfolio, Mr. Trokon Kpui and Mayor of Monrovia Mr. Jefferson Koijee. A marked departure was the conspicuous absence of Liberia's Foreign Minister Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah on the trip to Washington, D.C. amid rumors that he was denied visa at U.S. Embassy in Monrovia. Minister Kemayah previously served as Permanent Representative to the United Nations for this current administration. However, the delegation claims to have met several senior U.S. officials, including Congressional leaders, Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, who previously headed the Embassy of the United States in Monrovia, Deputy Assistant Secretary from the Bureau of African Affairs, Mr. Michael C. Gonzales, Madam Lisa Peterson, Acting Assistant Secretary and Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Mr. Scott Busby, among others. Discussions and promises may take place, but what really matters is transforming talks into actions that would practically impact lives of people. The economy is in the red with citizens feeling the pinch. They hardly can afford to put food on the table daily and keep their children in school while prices keep skyrocketing, as government struggles to pay monthly salary. Arguably, the trip was necessary, but long overdue. Many Liberians are of the view the Weah administration should have made such engagement with the U.S. government immediately after it came to power four years ago. That was not done. Instead, President Weah visited Paris, France and met with President Emmanuel Macron. He returned to Liberia with 10 million Euros. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Liberia Governance U.S., Canada and Africa By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Washington stood and watched as the new government settle down in Monrovia before appointing a new American ambassador to Liberia in January this year, replacing former Ambassador Christine A. Elder. Reactions from Liberians are mixed about the government delegation's visit to America, with some skeptical that it would yield anything for their country while others say just by having these six officials taking pictures with some U.S. officials in the U.S. political capital, disproves recent rumors here about some members of the trip being faced with travel restrictions. But real measurement of outcome of the visit would rest on benefits that come to the government that seriously needs help and the people of Liberia, as President Weah seeks a second term in office. Texas flags wave in the wind as they sit on display in the Main Plaza for Texas Independence Day on Tuesday, March 2, 2021. MIKALA COMPTON | Herald-Zeitung The Angie Brooks International Centre (ABIC) in partnership with the Global Initiative Resilience Fund has provided US$30,000.00 to youths from six selected slum communities in Monrovia under the slum pitch festival. The communities include West Point, Clara Town, Montserrado County Electoral District#10, Bentol, New Georgia and Caldwell, receiving US$5,000 each based on business plans presented to the Centre. The Angie Brooks International Centre is an outcome of the International Colloquium on Women's Empowerment, Leadership Development, International Peace and Security held in 2009 in Monrovia, Liberia. The event was co-convened by former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and President TarjaHalone of Finland. The Centre promotes women's empowerment, leadership development, peace and security throughout Africa. Consistent with its mandate to support decisions from the Colloquium in line with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325, it actively engages in women's involvement in peace and security in Liberia and across Africa. The Centre is named in honor of Liberian diplomat and jurist, Angie Elizabeth Brooks, who in 1970 became the first and only African Woman President of the United Nations General Assembly to date. In 1954, Ms. Brooks became Liberia's Representative to the United Nations, where much of her work involved the transformation of former colonial states into independent countries. She also served as Assistant Secretary of State of Liberia and a Supreme Court Justice. By honoring her, the Centre seeks to honor women's leadership worldwide. ABIC is also committed to ensuring that its activities promote and nurture Africa.Project Coordinator MsGifty MENSAH has lauded the six communities for winning the fund which will enhance their effort in implementing projects. She said ABIC will continue to work with underprivileged youths and provide seed capital to enable them start business venture in their various communities, emphasizing that the project targets youth in slums and ghettos. Receiving the gesture, the beneficiaries commended the ABIC and partners for remembering them, stating that they have been despised by their families and communities.They promised to use the fund wisely by engaging in soap making and other programs. The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has confirmed that the "leaked memo" circulating in the social media about the approval by the Minister-in-Charge, Mohammed Sabo Nanono, of N30 million for the construction of a mosque for displaced herdsmen is "authentic and appropriate in all ramifications". The note of defiance in the statement said it all. The building of the mosque was a deliberate action by the Minister. But the question is: where did he get the authority to make such approval? Ordinarily, the action of resettling herdsmen displaced by Boko Haram Islamist terrorists in Ngarannam/Mafa Local Government Area of Borno State should not raise an eyebrow because it can be seen as part of government's obligation to provide for the welfare of citizens, especially displaced persons. This is an action we expect government to take in all cases of displacement of citizens. But we have not seen it in the cases of farmers displaced by armed herdsmen in any part of the country, particularly Southern Kaduna, Plateau, Benue, the Yewa areas of Ogun State and others. The act of spending government's scarce resources in building a place of worship for them as well falls into the old, discredited attitude of the Federal Government and other governments to dabble into the personal issue of faith with public resources. Since the Boko Haram insurgency gained traction in the North East, millions of Nigerians of different faiths and ethnic backgrounds have been thrown into internally displaced persons camps, IDPs. Local and international efforts are being mobilised to ensure that their basic needs of food, water, shelter and in applicable cases, access to education, are met without intruding into matters of religion which are personal matters. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Food and Agriculture By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Why Minister Nanono thinks that spending valuable scarce resources on building a mosque for displaced herders deserves such a priority attention is something he needs to explain to the owners of the money - the Nigerian people. If he does not do so, it is the constitutional obligation of the National Assembly to summon him to explain himself before the Nigerian people. Nanono's action smacks of ethnic and religious favouritism. It is in line with the well-established track record of this administration's unabashedly pandering to the special interests of the herders and a particular ethnic group to the detriment of the rest of the population. Government actions must be dictated by clearly spelt out policies which should have universal application. We should not allow government appointees to take whimsical, outlandish and discriminatory decisions. This stokes feelings of favouritism of some groups and the alienation of the others, which is part of the reason that things have fallen apart in Nigeria. Nanono's act must not go unpunished. Vanguard News Nigeria Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde, has said his administration had made steady progress in tackling poverty and unemployment in the last two years. The governor, who stated this during a special thanksgiving service to commemorate his second year in office, held at the Cathedral of St. Peter, Aremo, Ibadan, also promised to provide more equipment for security agencies. He said his administration will do more in the area of security where it has already invested heavily, adding that all hands must be on deck to secure the state. The governor explained that 299 primary health care centres were being remodeled by the administration, in line with its determination to ensure that there is a functional primary health care centre in each of the 351 Electoral Wards in the state. He lauded clerics and religious leaders for their continuous prayers for his government, stating that the recent local government elections, which have now put in place democratically elected representatives at the grassroots, was successful due to the prayers and support of Oyo State residents. According to the governor, in two years, the educational system in the state has improved drastically, adding that his administration has been able to return 54,000 out-of-school children to the classrooms. He stated that the recruitment of 5,000 teachers into secondary schools is also one of the landmark achievements of the administration, saying, "It has been two years now and the major promise we made to the people of Oyo State was to tackle poverty and unemployment. Earlier, the provost of the Cathedral, The Very Reverend Adewale Adebiyi, applauded the governor for his unprecedented achievements within two years in office. Militant groups in the nine states of Niger Delta have teamed up with the General Officer Commanding, GOC, Niger-Delta Struggle, Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, and protesting Ijaw Youths Council, IYC, threatening to shut down major oil flow stations, wells and crude delivery lines of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, in the region over President Muhammadu Buhari's refusal to instruct Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, to inaugurate the substantive Board of Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC. The militants under the auspices of Supreme Egbesu Freedom Fighters in a statement by the Commanding Officer, self-styled "General" Agadagba Obus, alias Thunder, warned: "If the Federal Government refuses to inaugurate the NDDC board within the seven-day ultimatum already declared by Tompolo, then we will have no choice than to join hands with him, IYC and other agitating militant groups in the creeks to shut down oil exploration activities on all flow stations in the region. "The Escravos-Warri to Kaduna NNPC major delivery crude line; Escravos- Lagos Atlas Cove delivery line; Trans Escravos Warri- Kaduna gas line that supplies electricity to Abuja will not be spared and also the Trans-Forcados 48- inch terminal underwater Shell/NNPC crude delivery pipeline with most of the Chevron RMP24 Clough creek line will all be brought to stand still if Akpabio refuses to lay off his hands and allow the Federal Government to inaugurate the NDDC board. "The presidency and the Federal Government should hold Akpabio, the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, and the Sole Administrator of NDDC, Effiong Akwa, responsible for whatever happens at the end of the seven-day ultimatum in the creeks of the region. "We want to make it clear that with the way things are going, President Buhari, who was elected to provide good governanceto ensure the welfare and betterment of Niger Delta people and Nigerians at large, cannot fold his hands, keep quiet and allow so-called corrupt minded politicians from the region to push him against the wish of the people in the region. "These and many other anti-people decisions are frustrating the tireless peace efforts made by some political leaders like the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, and other stakeholders that have worked tirelessly to achieve sustainable peace in the creeks and now beinf jettisoned by the greed of just one man with a false fake pretence of forensic audit and no good intention for the people of Niger Delta. "Rather, the crooked, fake, stage-managed and arranged forensic audit is just a ploy and slogan to shortchange, silence and deny oil-producing states and ethnic nationalities in Niger Delta proper representation on the board of the NDDC commission so that one person will continue to hold the entire region to ransom and it will not be allowed anymore." The agitators further cautioned that the Coordinator of Presidential Amnesty Programme, PAP, Milland Dikkio, "cannot stand on our way or calm us down" if the seven-day ultimatum was not heeded, adding: "The long emancipated people of the Niger Delta have been denied better life despite their blessed human and natural resources." Urhobo're tired of this macabre dance--UYFC On its part, UYFC's Coordinator, Eshanekpe Israel, a.k.a Akpodoro, said: "For us at UYFC, the Ijaw group, who filed out to protest since last week acted our minds and we are solidly behind every move to inaugurate Okumagba-led executive board and we shall stop at nothing to stampede the government to inaugurate a board constituted by the president and duly screened by the Senate of the Federal Republic. "We have in Urhobo land the Otorogun gas plant, the largest in West Africa, yet, we have nothing to show for it. President Buhari will be deliberately inviting trouble if he refuses to inaugurate the board. The people of Urhobo land are tired of this macabre dance." ESAN urges FG to constitute NDDC board Addressing newsmen, Coordinator and General Secretary of ESAN, Henry Okpamen and Cyril Odiboh, respective stressed that NDDC was set up by then President Olusegun Obasanjo as a response to the cry and agitation of the people of the region over the huge deficit in infrastructure and other basic life's demand and it was, therefore, set up as an intervention agency to address the problems of degradation and underdevelopment of the Niger Delta. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Arms and Armies Nigeria By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "What is more troubling and surprising is the fact that Akpabio, who has continued to frustrate every effort to set up the NDDC board in line with the laws setting it up is from Niger Delta. "We call on our political leaders, traditional rulers, opinion leaders, youth groups, student organisations and other critical stakeholders in the region to speak up against this grave injustice that is being meted out to Niger Deltans. We support the ongoing forensic audit designed to reposition the commission for effective and efficient service delivery in line with the vision of the founding fathers, but carrying it out under supervision unknown to law amounts to trying to correct a wrong, using a wrong approach, which will ultimately deliver the wrong and unacceptable result." Vanguard News Nigeria Beneficiaries of the CBZ Agro-Yield (Command Agriculture) have been urged to speed up grain deliveries to the Grain Marketing Board to create a revolving fund and ensure early preparations for the 2021/22 summer cropping season. This year, the support under the CBZ Agro-Yield funded Command Agriculture Programme in the form of wheat seed, fertilisers, chemicals and fuel. Farmers contracted under CBZ Agro-Yield will be taken on board for the next summer cropping season programme soon after delivering their grain. CBZ Agro-Yield managing director, Mr Walter Chigodora said they want to ensure early distribution of inputs for the summer cropping season to farmers. "We are encouraging farmers to speed up delivery of the maize to GMB so that we create a revolving fund so that going forward we will not have funding challenges. "Those delivering to the GMB will be taken on board for the next summer cropping season. So far we have already signed contracts with inputs suppliers. "We want to ensure early distribution of inputs to farmers. Timing is important in agriculture," he said. Mr Chigodora said the concept will be applied to all seasons. When farmers deliver produce to the GMB they will be taken on board for the next season. CBZ Agro-Yield supported farmers are also required to deliver their maize and soya beans to GMB. In terms of the Statutory Instrument 145 of 2019 for maize, Statutory Instrument 96 of 2021 for cotton and Statutory Instrument 97 of 2021 for soya bean, all maize, cotton and soya bean are controlled products whose movement is restricted. The commodities must be delivered to designated contractors. According to law, any side marketing of contracted commodities shall attract penalties. Zimbabwe is expected to harvest 2,7 million tonnes of maize during the 2020/21 summer cropping season, the highest yield in 20 years. Luanda The Presidents of Angola and Botswana, Joao Lourenco and Mokgweetsi Eric Masisi, respectively, met this Monday, in Luanda, to analyze issues on increase of trade relations and bilateral cooperation. In parallel to this Presidential meeting, ministerial delegations from the two countries analyzed questions about bilateral cooperation at the Presidential Palace. The heads of diplomacy from both countries and ministers from the sectors of Health, Agriculture and Rural Development and Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas participated in the ministerial meeting, which took place in closed doors. The two states have potential areas of cooperation in the diamond, education, health and environment sectors. Angola and Botswana established diplomatic relations on 18 February 1976. In February 2006, the two countries signed a General Cooperation Agreement. Cooperation Areas In the bilateral cooperation domain, Angola and Botswana have prioritized the sectors of diamond, education, health and the environment. Botswana is a major producer of diamonds worldwide and Angola seeks the experience of that country, a member of SADC, in the extraction and polishing process. Currently, Botswana's diamond production covers 60% of that country's exports. On average, between 2002 and 2016, 26 million carats were produced per year, making Botswana the world's second largest diamond producer, behind Russia. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Angola Governance Botswana By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Another important source of income for Botswana is ecotourism. This country has the highest concentration of elephants in the world (over 50 thousand). The country covers 581,000 square kilometers, 17% of which is reserved for national parks and also has larges untouched savannas. Data published in 2015 indicate that about 1.5 million international tourists visited Botswana in that year. Located in Southern Africa, the territory of Botswana has no outlet to the sea and is bordered on the north by Zambia, in the east by Zimbabwe, in the south by South Africa and in the West and Northwest by Namibia. Regional Integration Angola and Botswana are part of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The two countries are also part of the Okavango/Zambezi project, which also includes Namibia, Zimbabwe and Zambia, summing 278,000 square kilometres. The Okavango Basin is a region rich in biodiversity, with more than 400 species of birds, mammals and other animals typical of African fauna. Angola has the second largest portion of the project, with 87,000 square kilometres, behind Zambia, with 97,000 square kilometers of land. Abuja The Registrar of National Examinations Council, NECO, Prof. Godswill Obioma has been reported dead. Obioma, according to Vanguard's source, died Monday night in his sleep in his Minna residence. The Director, Human resources of the NECO, Abdul Mustapha confirmed the death of the NECO boss, said he died in his sleep as a result of heart failure. Mr Mustapha forwarded communication from Obioma's second son, Prince Godswill Obioma, informing him of the death of his father thus: "Mustapha K. Abdul (Director Human Resource Management, NECO), "Dear Sir, this is to formally inform you that my father, Prof. Godswill Obioma, the Registrar/Chief Executive of NECO passed to eternal glory yesterday 31/5/2021 after a brief illness. "We request that you kindly notify the Board, Management and the entire staff of the Council of this development. "We shall keep you duly informed. "Prince Godswill Obioma the 2nd, for the family." The release of the conversation between the deceased son and Mustapha contradicted some reports in some online and social media platforms alleging that the NECO boss was assassinated in his Minna residence by some unknown gunmen. Vanguard News Nigeria The Limpopo MEC for Social Development, Nkakareng Rakgoale, says the murder of an 11-month-old boy by his own mother has once again placed the spotlight on the safety of children. The Department of Social Development has dispatched a team of social workers to Halambani Tswinganani village to provide psychosocial support for the family of the deceased baby. Police on Sunday reported that a 42-year-old woman locked herself and her 11-month-old inside a hut, where she started beating the baby. Neighbours heard the frantic cries of the baby and rushed to the house. After realising that the door was locked, they broke it open and took the badly injured baby from the mother. The baby was rushed to the local clinic but was unfortunately declared dead on arrival. Rakgoale expressed shock at the incident, which took place at a time when the country is commemorating Child Protection Week. "The Department of Social Development is saddened by the death of this 11-month-old baby. What is worrying is that the incident happens at a time we are supposed to be showing love and appreciation to children, our gifts from God. "Child abuse must come to an end. "We urge parents, who have problems with their children or in their relationships, not to resort to violence but to approach our social workers for an intervention. "Let us use Child Protection Week to redouble our efforts in protecting and caring for children, as the law demands of us. "Social workers will provide psychosocial support to all the parties that have been affected by this sad incident," Rakgoale said. Southern Senators Forum, has condemned the killing of the former Presidential Adviser on Political Matters, Ahmed Gulak, describing it as a national disaster. The senators who said the development was a signal that insecurity has permeated every section of the nation, however, tasked the police and Nigerian Army to fish out the killers and those perpetrating other horrendous crimes in every section of the country in brazen fashion that quaked the country's bond of unity. The forum's chairman and senator representing Ekiti Central Senatorial District, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, stated these on Monday in a condolence message entitled: "Stop The Drift To Anarchy". The All Progressives Congress (APC) federal lawmakers expressed sadness at the gruesome killing of the former Presidential Aide, whom he aptly described as a detribalised and consummate politician. Bamidele stated that with the terrific bout at which people were being killed by unknown gunmen, the time has come for the security architecture to redouble their efforts and arrest the country's drift into a scary state of anarchy. "We received the sudden demise of our brother and friend, Ahmed Gulak by unknown gunmen with Shock and heavy hearts. This was more of a national calamity, taking cognisance of the detrabilistic nature of the deceased, who believed in building bridges across ethnic lines by his interactions and association. "We condemn a situation whereby Nigerians are no longer safe in virtually every part of our country in totality. The kernel for the existence of any government is to guarantee safety of lives and property of the citizens and the present government of President Muhammadu Buhari must be alive to this bidding." Cape Town The issue of human trafficking has been explored so many times in different blockbusters across the world, but when the topic is so close to home, it just gives you the chills. The Netflix film, I Am All Girls, is based on real events that unfolded in South Africa in the 1980s. The film explores a notorious human trafficking ring that involved powerful politicians in the apartheid government. The movie is based on the true story of Gert Van Rooyen who was a South African pedophile and serial killer. He allegedly abducted 6 young girls between 1988 and 1989. Van Rooyen and his partner, Joey Haarhoff, were widely believed to have abducted and murdered many girls from age 9 to 16. The last victim, Joan Booysen, is said to have escaped capture and alert the police. They were never brought to book for the crimes and they died by suicide before police could arrest them. Gert Van Rooyen's son Flippie claimed that three former National Party ministers were also involved in child trafficking and worked with his father. The film takes inspiration from Gert van Rooyen's story. I Am All Girls highlights the horrors of human trafficking and the devastation it leaves on the victims. Set during multiple timelines in South Africa - both during the apartheid days and the present - the film follows two detectives as they race against the clock to bring down the heads of a child trafficking ring. In the movie, Gert de Jager (J.P. du Plessis) is in police custody and confesses on tape that he abducted six girls who were never found. de Jager had been working for a corrupt National Party Cabinet minister FJ Nolte (played by Deon Lotz). Nolte sold the girls to Iranian sheiks in exchange for oil to bypass sanctions and kept his favorites for his own twisted satisfaction. After he had "used" them for his needs, he would then sell them to low-end brothels. Years later, Ntombizonke Pabai (Hlubi Mboya) one of the victims resolves to take her revenge. Ntombi is now working for the police where she teams up with Detective Jodie Snyman (Erica Wessels) to investigate murder cases of mutilated bodies of pedophiles and traffickers. Detective Snyman discovers that these murders with initials carved into the chests are connected to Gert de Jager's sex trafficking crime case that she'd been investigating, and the chase begins. Through flashbacks, Ntombi shares her journey - being trafficked to sex work - to becoming a forensic detective and a vigilante. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines South Africa Legal Affairs Entertainment By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. The film's cast included some big names in the industry such as Deon Lotz, Erica Wessels, Masasa Mbangeni. Donovan Marsh sat in the director's chair and Wayne Fitzjohn, Marcell Greeff, Emile Leuvennink, Donovan Marsh, and Jarrod De Jong wrote the film's screenplay. Trafficking is a reality in South Africa. High levels of poverty and inequality, leaving many vulnerable to exploitation. Traffickers prefer to trick and trap victims by misleading them with false promises of well-paid jobs or educational opportunities. The cases reveal how traffickers exploit their victims. Human trafficking is the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbor, or receipt of persons, using threat, coercion, abduction, or fraud, for the purpose of exploitation, according to the United Nations. Mboya says she's proud of how the film successfully honored the stories of missing girls and real-life trafficking survivors, according to an interview with CapeTalk. The actress says "it was important to approach the topic of child sex trafficking with sensitivity and care." The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) for Malawi Police Service (MPS), Dr. George Kainja is in Rwanda since Sunday for a week-long bilateral visit aimed at further strengthening cooperation between the two Police institutions. On Monday, IGP Dan Munyuza and his visiting counterpart chaired a bilateral meeting at the Rwanda National Police (RNP) General Headquarters in Kacyiru. It was also attended by the Deputy IGPs; Felix Namuhoranye of Operations and Jean Chantal Ujeneza of Administration and Personnel. IGP Munyuza observed that the visit cements the existing bilateral cooperation between the two law enforcement institutions and that it will strengthen the collective resolve in addressing policing challenges to ensure the safety and security of people. Rwanda National Police and Malawi Police Service signed a cooperation pact in March 2019 to formalize cross-border partnership in various disciplines of policing including training, joint operations, tracking and exchange of criminals, combating terrorism, drug trafficking, organized crimes, and information sharing on security-related matters, among others. "Cooperation is a cornerstone in addressing contemporary security challenges such as terrorism, cybercrimes, drug trafficking, human trafficking and financial crimes among others. These crimes continue to threaten safety and security of our peoples. With such an interaction, we can together lay strategies and establish operational frameworks to deal with these threats with much emphasis on Islamic State-linked terrorism in our respective regions," IGP Munyuza said. Terrorist networks, he added, have spread in the region and terror cells have been established in some parts of Africa, which calls for fast response and working more closely together to confront terrorism cells in countries and regions. He emphasized the need for practical framework and permanent forums through which the respective officers will be meeting periodically to review, share information and draw coordinated actions to respond to security challenges especially on armed groups and terrorist activities within and beyond the two borders. IGP Munyuza reiterated RNP's commitment to cooperation and collaboration for the mutual benefit of the people in Rwanda and Malawi. On his part, IGP Kainja said that the bilateral meeting provides a platform through which the relationship and cooperation between the two Police institutions will be strengthened, and a chance to explore new areas of cooperation in the fight against transnational organized crime. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Rwanda Legal Affairs Malawi By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. He observed that in a globalized world, most often, countries face common challenges that require joint efforts to address. However, added, there are times when countries are also confronted by unique challenges that require specific partners. "There is no doubt that some Rwanda citizens living in Malawi may be persons of interest to the Rwandan National Police and as such the two Police institutions need to cooperate on information and intelligence sharing. This will help to avoid making Malawi a haven for criminal elements affecting Rwanda," IGP Kainja said. He said that strong cooperation will innovatively identify strategies that can be mutually implemented to protect the two countries from terrorism and contribute to regional safety and security. During his stay in Rwanda, IGP Kainja will also visit RNP schools and other development projects in the country. The International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals will resume the hearing the case of Genocide mastermind Felicien Kabuga, who was arrested in France, May 2020. Kabuga last appeared in the dock last year November 11, where he heard all his charges read during a live court broadcast. He will appear for a status conference at the Hague-based court, during which all parties in the case will meet and review the progress of the case ahead of the trial. "I hereby schedule a status conference before the full Trial Chamber on Tuesday, 1 June 2021 at 2.30 p.m. in the Courtroom of The Hague Branch of the Mechanism," ruled Iain Bonomy, the pretrial judge. During the proceedings, Kabuga pleaded not guilty after he remained silent during his initial court appearance. However, based on his current condition and care regime, Kabuga "May choose to appear via video-teleconference link or waive his right to be present," according to Bonomy's ruling on the matter. Kabuga is currently in the custody of the Mechanism in The Hague since October 26 when he was transferred from France. He is charged with seven counts including five related to genocide; genocide, complicity in genocide, director and public incitement to commit genocide, attempt to commit genocide and conspiracy to commit genocide. Other charges are persecution and extermination, both as crimes against humanity. In April, this year, the mechanism posted a team of ten lawyers and investigators who stayed in the country indefinitely to work Kabuga's case. IRMCT took over from the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. Who is Kabuga? Kabuga, known as the Financier of the Genocide, was a wealthy businessman and the president of what was called the National Defence Fund from about April 25, 1994 to July 1994. A core member of the Akazu - a small circle of architects of the Genocide against the Tutsi, Kabuga was also the founding president of the board of shareholders of hate radio RTLM, known as a key enabler of the Genocide against the Tutsi. The radio regularly gave detailed information about the people to be massacred and where they could be found. Kabuga is charged with genocide, complicity in genocide, direct and public incitement to commit genocide, attempt to commit genocide, conspiracy to commit genocide, and extermination and persecution as crimes against humanity, in respect of the genocide. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Rwanda Legal Affairs By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Until his arrest, Kabuga, who is now aged 85, was on the run since August 18, 1994 when the Swiss security services let him slip from their grasp. As the genocide progressed, Kabuga was reportedly given a visa to enter Switzerland. He was expelled from Switzerland in 1994, and spent some time in DR Congo - then Zaire - before seeking refuge in Kenya. He has, in the past, said to have escaped arrest in Kenya several times. Among others, in 1998, an ICTR team raided a Nairobi rented house and found a note indicating that the fugitive, who escaped arrest, had been tipped off by the police. He is accused of establishing the hate radio, RTLM, training and equipping the Interahamwe militia, among others. According to financial documents found in Kigali after the Genocide, he used his companies to import vast quantities of machetes from China. Lieutenant Jean Claude Seyoboka, an ex-FAR soldier who was convicted of Genocide crimes and sentenced to life imprisonment about four years ago has returned to court for the hearing of the appeal he filed. Seyoboka was convicted on counts of genocide and complicity in genocide, crimes which he committed in Nyarugenge district - particularly in Kiyovu sector where he killed Tutsis, participated in roadblocks meant to identify them in order to kill them, among other things. He was the President of the Interahamwe militia in the sector, according to military prosecution. He was deported from Canada in 2016. In his appeal, he said he was not in Kiyovu between April 7 and May 25, which are some of the dates where it is claimed that he committed the crimes. In addition, he said he is not "the Lieutenant Claude" that prosecution claims perpetrated the genocide crimes. In an appeal hearing that was heard on Monday, May 31, the Military High Court heard from witnesses from both sides - defence and prosecution - talking about what they knew about Seyoboka in regard to the Genocide against the Tutsi. Jonathan Rekeraho, one of the witnesses who was a gatekeeper at an expatriate's home in Kiyovu suburb during the Genocide told court that he saw Seyoboka on more than three occasions at a roadblock Peage (Kiyovu), along with the Interahamwe militia in mid-April and early May 1994. Rekeraho added that he saw Seyoboka again with the Interahamwe attacking a home belonging to a Belgian national, searched it and found some Tutsis that were hiding there and killed them. He also recalled incident around May 1994, where Seyoboka and the Interahamwe intercepted a car that was carrying two women; "They asked them for their identification documents, and they said they didn't have them. Seyoboka ordered them out of the car, and told the driver to proceed. The two ladies were then taken away, and I later heard that they were killed," he said. Another witness presented by prosecution is Hussein Rongorongo, a Genocide convict who completed his 15-year sentence and is now back in the community. Rongorongo told court that Seyoboka was the president of the Interahamwe in Kiyovu, and that he deputized him. "We perpetrated crimes of killing the Tutsi together with him. He was my president, and I was his deputy in the Interahamwe militia," he said. He added that Seyoboka trained the Interahamwe to shoot, and played a role in planning activities of attacking the Tutsi. "On the evening of April 21, a meeting was held in the home of Angelina Mukandutiye (a district school inspector who was residing in Kiyovu). This meeting was preparing for an attack on CELA (a languages' school in Kigali near St Famille church). People like Tharcisse Renzaho (former Kigali city mayor), Seyoboka and I were part of it," he said. "On April 22, we attacked CELA and between 60 and 70 people were killed during the attack," he added. Ali Gasasira, a genocide survivor also testified against Seyoboka, saying he, along with Mukandutiye were among key top officials who came to St. Famille Church to single out the Tutsi to be killed. Many testimonies against Seyoboka were presented, including one from Jean Bizimana the former Mayor of Nyarugenge (also serving a jail term for Genocide) who said that Seyoboka was present during key attacks that were done against the Tutsi in Kiyovu. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Rwanda Legal Affairs By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Court asked the witnesses if there was a different "Lieutenant Claude" that did genocide crimes in Kiyovu, and they said there was none other than Jean Claude Seyoboka. Angelina Mukandutiye, the lady that Seyoboka had invited as his witness told court that it is not that Seyoboka used to train the Interhamwe militia in her home. In addition, she denied having hosted any meeting for planning the genocide at her home. However, when asked about whether she ever saw Seyoboka in her compound during the genocide, she said she did, something that Seyoboka went on to deny. Prosecution asked that court maintains the life sentence against him, while the defendant asked that the charges against him should be dropped because he never committed the crimes. Court is expected to give its verdict on June 28. Jacksonville, Florida. - With next week, the number of stimulus programs may impact millions of bank accounts of Americans . It is expected that the US House will vote on the 13 trillion US dollars on Wednesday. Although the House has no Republicans to s... Bill Gates, co-founder and former CEO of Microsoft, and his wife, Melinda French Gates, announced on Monday that they plan to divorce after 27 years of marriage. "After a great deal of thought and a lot of work on our relationship, we have made the decis... US President Joe Biden plans to invite Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga to the White House for a summit meeting as soon as April, Axios reported Wednesday. If finalized, it would be Mr. Biden first face-to-face meeting with a foreign leader since t... In just a few months, the price of white cardboard as a high-end gift box material has soared from 4600/ton to over 10,000 per ton today. This makes it difficult for Manager Wang, who has been engaged in the paper packaging industry for 20 years, to acce... Vietnam Vietnam, Cambodia open new border gate pair The Tan Nam (Vietnams Tay Ninh province)- Meun Chey (Cambodias Prey Veng province) international border gate pair was officially opened on May 31. At the event (Photo: VNA) Speaking at the opening ceremony, Vice Chairman of the Tay Ninh People's Committee Nguyen Manh Hung stressed the upgrading of the local Tan Nam border gate into an international one aims to foster economic, education, cultural and trade cooperation with Prey Veng and other localities in Cambodia. In recent years, both volume and value of goods traded via the pair have been on the rise. The Tan Nam international border is developed in association with eco-tourism, with its links to Prey Vengs eco-sites set to be formed in the future, serving the two localities economic growth and job creation. Currently, the southern province of Tay Ninh is home to three international and three national border gates. Source: VNA Cases of federal fraud related to business loans continue to make headlines nationally and right here in Kokomo. After the Perspective reported that eight residents of Apperson Way Apartments were listed as recipients of paycheck protection (PPP) assistance last month, three Indiana University Kokomo officials also are listed as receiving tens of thousands in PPP assistance. And all three say they never even applied. Christian Chauret, dean of school of sciences; Patrick Motl, association dean of school of sciences; and John Sarber, director of physical facilities at IU Kokomo, are listed on a federal public records site as receiving $20,833 each in PPP loans, for a total of $62,499. Each one of them, though, said they never applied for, much less received, any assistance from the PPP program. Motl, for example, was listed as receiving the funds to keep a single employee for a business listed as a residential remodeler. Im not a remodeler, Motl said. Im an astronomy professor. I dont think you would want my remodeling. Motl and Chauret, both IU Kokomo professors, said neither were familiar with the federal loan program, and neither owns a business. Chauret also was listed as a residential remodeler. PPP funding became available to public businesses last year through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to help businesses, self-employed workers, and other agencies maintain payroll for their employees. A list of the recipients of every dollar of PPP funds is available online, with information on the applicants, the amount applied for, the amount received, the business type, the loans approval date, and the funding lender. Though Motl and Chauret were unaware that their names had been listed as receiving PPP loans before being contacted by the Perspective, Sarber was. Sarber too was listed as a residential remodeler. Its a scam, Sarber said. Yeah, were aware of it, and its been reported to the police and to the credit bureaus. Theres a few people in Kokomo that have gotten caught up in it. Mary Erb, a resident of Apperson Way Apartments who was listed as receiving $20,833, along with seven other residents, also reported her predicament to authorities after the Perspective brought it to her attention. Support Local Journalism Now, more than ever, the world needs trustworthy reportingbut good journalism isnt free. Please support us by making a contribution. Contribute According to Erb, she contacted the Kokomo Police Department, the Indiana State Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, and the local unemployment office in regard to the possible identity fraud. I reported it to a lot of different offices, Erb said. Somebody stole my identity, and this is not right for me. Erb said that, since reporting, she has not received any updates from any agency in regard to her case. Like the eight individuals at Apperson Way Apartments, the three IU Kokomo employees were listed as having received funds for being sole proprietors, with all claiming one employee and receiving either $20,833 or $20,832. According to ISP Peru District 16 Public Information Officer Sergeant Tony Slocum, there has been an uptick in reports of identity theft to the ISP, to the point of about once every other day, particularly when PPP loans first began being distributed last April. Slocum said that there were a number of ways to report possible identity theft related to PPP loans, such as visiting the Department of Workforce Development website at www.in.gov/dwd/indiana:employmentfraud/fraud/ or by emailing ISP directly at uifraud@isp.in.gov. Slocum said reports also can be filed with the Federal Trade Commission and the Internal Revenue Service. KPD Major Brian Seldon suggested reporting the fraud directly to the lender listed and checking personal and/or business credit reports. Seldon added that personal credit can be monitored on www.report.com, which is the only authorized source for free credit reports guaranteed by law. Cases of PPP fraud appear to be on the rise in recent months. Two weeks ago, David Adler Staveley, the first individual in the U.S. to be charged with PPP fraud, pleaded guilty in a Rhode Island federal court to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and failure to appear in court. Staveley filed loan applications for more than $500,000 to meet payroll for four separate businesses. Two were closed, and two he never owned. Those accused of PPP fraud can face a myriad of charges, depending on the circumstances. Those include but are not limited to making a false statement to the SBA, conspiracy to defraud the United States, making false statements to the executive branch, making false statements to a bank, major fraud against the United States, wire fraud, bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and conspiracy. To view businesses and individuals listed as receiving PPP loans, visit https://www.federalpay.org/paycheck-protection-program. Hungary's planned vaccine plant will produce doses of a Chinese COVID-19 vaccine as well as a local vaccine, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto said in China on Monday, according to state news agency MTI. (CGTN) YEREVAN, JUNE 1, ARMENPRESS. The working meetings of Armenias caretaker Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his delegation are launching in France, Armenpress correspondent reports from Paris. The meetings will focus on issues relating to the Armenian-French bilateral political, economic ties, the opportunities of solving the Armenian-Azerbaijani border situation, as well as the further settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. The meetings will firstly kick off in the French National Assembly with Speaker Richard Ferrand. The next station is the Elysee Palace where Pashinyan is scheduled to meet with President of France Emmanuel Macron. The meeting will be followed by a luncheon on behalf of the French President. Thereafter, Pashinyan will meet with Speaker of the Senate of France Gerard Larcher. At the end of the meeting the caretaker PM will leave a note at the Senates Golden Book. Pashinyan will also meet with the representatives of the Armenian community. No hand-shaking is planned during the meetings of official delegations because of coronavirus. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, JUNE 1, ARMENPRESS. Armenias caretaker minister of healthcare Anahit Avanesyan has apologized to the families of missing servicemen in connection with the fact of improper maintenance of bodies and remains of the killed servicemen in the Abovyan branch of the Forensic-Medical Center. She said in a statement on social media that it has been her mistake that she hasnt visited again the places where the bodies and remains of the killed servicemen have been kept after some transportations to see in what conditions they were being kept. I assure you that in the past year the Forensic-Medical Center has done the utmost to ensure the forensic-medical examinations and identification process. An internal investigation will be carried out with respective consequences. I want to state once again that the ministry has always tried to provide transparent information and is always in touch with the relatives of the victims. Today the Forensic-Medical Center will again publish information about the process and results of the examinations of the bodies and the remains, she said, adding that the bodies and the remains in the morgues have already passed expertise and the information about the results has always been available to their families. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan Last month, Hoosiers ages 12 to 15 became eligible to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, but it appears this age group hasnt been flocking to clinics to be inoculated. According to Howard County Health Department Public Health Emergency Coordinator Kristina Sommers, fewer than 20 children between ages 12 and 15 had been vaccinated by the health department. Ascension St. Vincent Kokomo declined to comment on how many children the hospital has vaccinated. This number also doesnt take into consideration those who may have been vaccinated at pharmacies. "I dont know if its any worse than it is in the adults because I figure if the adults are hesitant to get the vaccine, then theyre probably not going to have their kids get that vaccine either, Sommers said. So I think its still just a lot of this is new; I just kind of want to wait and see what happens. Of course the danger of the wait-and-see, you have more variants and more spread and more people can get sick and die from it. One family that hasnt been hesitant to be vaccinated is the Kerns. Liz Kerns and her husband Matt Kerns gave their sons, Caden, 13, and Grant, 12, the option to receive the vaccine, and Kerns said they told her they wanted it. Kerns scheduled an appointment for them, and they received the vaccine at a local Walgreens on May 13, the first day youth ages 12 to 15 became eligible. They received the first shot of the Pfizer vaccine that day. According to Caden, he decided to get the vaccine in the hopes of protecting elderly family members and being part of the solution. So, we have a lot of family that's older, Caden said. And it makes me feel good that, as Im getting my vaccine, I am helping protect my family from getting sick. And it's also good to know that I'm part of the solution, making sure that getting vaccinated, knowing once everybody's vaccinated, we can open up the world again. Kerns said both boys and her youngest son, Jacob, dealt with long breaks, quarantines, and other COVID-related issues with school throughout the pandemic. For Grant, the decision on whether to get the vaccine was an easy one if it meant getting back to normal, he said. Support Local Journalism Now, more than ever, the world needs trustworthy reportingbut good journalism isnt free. Please support us by making a contribution. Contribute For me, I feel like two of the top most reasons were when I get the second vaccine, I will get to take off my mask, and I dont have to worry anymore, Grant said. And second, I really think that my friends should get the vaccine because itll help us. And when I go somewhere, like me and my friends go to Gravity (Trampoline Park), I wont have to wear my mask anymore when were at Gravity. And its one more person to help the community, to help them grow and help them stay safe. Kerns said that, after getting vaccinated herself, she was much less hesitant to offer her kids the same opportunity. I think you always, as a parent, you want to kind of wait and watch, Kerns said. It made me feel better that I got it first. It made me feel more confident because I knew what to expect with symptoms. Obviously, I'm bigger than the little ones I knew what to expect. And by the fact that I was able to go through that first and I kind of felt like I was the guinea pig for that for our family, I felt better about it. And I think, for me, that helped any fears or hesitation I would have had, knowing that kids arent as susceptible to the horrific symptoms as much as what adults seem to have experienced But no, we didnt hesitate. My husband and I both talked about it, and we made sure that we were both comfortable with it. And we asked them, and we wanted them to make a decision for themselves. Caden and Grant will receive their second dose of the Pfizer vaccine on June 3. Last month, the Indiana State Department of Health began tracking cases of multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) in individuals age 0 to 20. MIS-C is a condition that typically appears in children weeks after initial exposure to COVID-19 and causes different organs to become inflamed, such as the heart, lungs, and gastrointestinal organs. According to Sommers, there were two cases of MIS-C reported to the health department between December and January, and both recovered. As of last Friday, there had been 91 confirmed cases of MIS-C in the state. Sommers said that concern of MIS-C cases, and COVID-19 variants, were all the more reasons for parents not to hesitate to allow their children to receive their vaccine. As of last Wednesday, the latest data available, 26,431 Howard County residents had been fully vaccinated. For more information on COVID vaccinations and to schedule a vaccination appointment, visit coronavirus.in.gov/vaccine. Youth ages 12 to 17 only are eligible to receive the Pfizer vaccine. YEREVAN, JUNE 1, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian has addressed a message on the Childrens Rights Protection Day, the Presidential Office told Armenpress. The message reads: Dear children, Today is the official day to protect your childhood. However, first of all, it reminds us, the adults, that the efforts to protect you and your childhood will be in vain if the Homeland, our border, our country, our home, and our yard are not peaceful and safe. You can realize your dreams, the dreams of your parents and grandparents only in such a homeland. Dear parents, Children are the most sincere and believing in our society. They sincerely believe and trust you, their parents, and their family. They are sincerely happy even for the smallest piece of success. They move forward with sincere hope and faith even when they are just learning to walk ... We have no right to question their innate sincerity in any way. Moreover, with our attention, care, love, and warmth, we must be responsible and committed so that their faith, hope, and trust are never lost. Thus, we will strengthen the foundations of our country. Thus, we will educate a generation who will believe in themselves and will believe that the future of Armenia depends on them. Dear children, I believe that you will make our country much better. I believe and wish your childhood be a time for you to dream peacefully and safely in the Homeland and to live a healthy and prosperous life. In your future life, I wish you would live in the world you were dreaming of and which became a reality owing to your thoughts, ideas, and work. YEREVAN, JUNE 1, ARMENPRESS. Russias President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin congratulated Armenias caretaker Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on birthday, Pashinyans Office told Armenpress. The letter sent by Vladimir Putin says: Dear Mr. Pashinyan, Accept my warmest congratulations on your birthday. The relations between Russia and Armenia are developing very successfully. I am sure that we will strengthen the bilateral allied relations as much as possible with joint efforts for the benefit of our friendly nations, for the strengthening of peace, security and stability in the South Caucasian region. I sincerely wish you good health, happiness, welfare and success. The letter sent by Mikhail Mishustin says: Dear Mr. Prime Minister, On behalf of the Russian government and myself personally I congratulate you on your birthday. I would like to specifically highlight your major personal contribution to the strengthening of the Russian-Armenian friendly, partnering and allied relations. The commercial, scientific-technical, cultural and humanitarian cooperation is dynamically developing, major joint projects are being successfully implemented in different areas. I am sure that the active work between the governments will contribute to the further expansion of the bilateral partnership. It will create favorable conditions for the deepening of integration within the Eurasian Economic Union and the Commonwealth of Independent States. This is completely in the interests of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Armenia. I sincerely wish you good health, welfare and new achievements in your responsible state activity. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, JUNE 1, ARMENPRESS. In 2020 Armenia has managed to ensure the macro-economic stability despite the difficulties caused by the pandemic and the war, Caretaker Finance Minister Atom Janjughazyan said at the joint session of the parliamentary standing committees, adding that, however, the government has paid a price, that is the increase in debt. He reminded that Armenia, like many other countries, has revised its fiscal policy during the year, making it in accordance with the economic decline period. The caretaker minister also talked about the anti-crisis measures taken by the government. We should notice that all these could not have a price which needs to be paid. That price, in fact, was the change in the state debt, he said, proposing to assess the situation objectively. The governments debt-GDP ratio comprised 63.5%, the state budget deficit has been nearly 5%, which is logical in the context of revised fiscal policy, he added. Balanced revisions, anti-crisis measures have been carried out, as a result of which we managed to ensure the macro-economic stability, which has no alternative from the perspective of further development, he said. The caretaker minister reminded that 7.6% economic decline has been registered in 2020. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, JUNE 1, ARMENPRESS. Armenia and France have special relations, Caretaker Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at the meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on June 1. Its very important to record that during this period the Armenian people, Armenia have always felt the support of France and the personal support of President Macron. I want to state that from the very first days of the crisis in our region President Macron has talked in the language of truth, and that voice has been heard all over the world. This is very important for us. I want to note that France and President Macron continue this commitment, and this is very important for overcoming the crisis situations in our region, Pashinyan said. He highlighted the important role of France as an OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair country. According to him, the activity of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship is highly important for the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, the regional crises, for the establishment of lasting peace and stability. I am very glad that after the end of the war the Co-Chairs have made three statements, with which, they, in fact, record their readiness to engage mutually and restore the negotiations for the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, the Armenian caretaker PM said. Pashinyan also thanked France for the humanitarian support provided at this period. We emphasize the importance of Frances economic engagement. There are numerous programs in Armenia infrastructure, energy, economic, in which the engagement of France is very important for us. The French government and President Macron personally are also interested in the engagement to these programs, Nikol Pashinyan said. He also highlighted Frances role in the preservation of the cultural heritage in the region, including in Nagorno Karabakh. We highly appreciate Frances engagement in all these directions, and Armenia, the Armenian people are interested in increasing this engagement, especially when France as an OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair country has a responsibility and engagement to ensuring security, peace and lasting stability in our region. And I am happy that this interest is being maintained, he said. The Armenian caretaker PM has arrived in France on a working visit. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, JUNE 1, ARMENPRESS. Caretaker minister of education, science, culture and sport Vahram Dumanyan received the delegation of the International Committee of Red Cross in Armenia led by its head Thierry Ribaux, the ministry told Armenpress. Welcoming the delegation, the Armenian caretaker minister highlighted the ICRCs humanitarian mission and activities carried out in Armenia in the past 30 years. He reaffirmed the necessity of ensuring the continuation of ongoing joint programs and the readiness of implementing new projects. Mr. Dumanyan also raised the issue of the Armenian prisoners of war, who are currently held captive in Azerbaijan, expecting the ICRC support in the return of the POWs to their homeland. The issue of our compatriots held in Azerbaijan doesnt fit into the framework of the contemporarily world and the international norms of human rights in general. Eventually, there are rules that must be applied on the entire universe. Unfortunately, today life proves the opposite, and here we rely on the practical interference of the International Committee of Red Cross, which is the leader of this fight, Vahram Dumanyan said. In his turn the Head of the ICRC Delegation in Armenia noted that the meeting is an appropriate chance to present the activity of the Center in Armenia and discuss the possible cooperation with the ministry. Touching upon the issue of POWs, Thierry Ribaux said the Committee staffers are regularly visiting the detained persons, as well as assist their families in terms of information exchange. He assured that the Committee representatives monitor the detention conditions of the POWs. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, JUNE 1, ARMENPRESS. Caretaker Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan was hosted at the e Elysee Palace by French President Emmanuel Macron. As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister of Armenia, following the official welcoming ceremony, the heads of the two countries issued statements for the press. In his speech Emmanuel Macron said, Good day ladies and gentlemen, I am very glad to host caretaker Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan in Paris today. Dear Nikol, in the recent years we have done a lot of work together in the sidelines of your commitment to democracy and fight against corruption. I particularly remember my visit to Yerevan in the sidelines of the Francophonie Summit and our numerous discussions. This working visit takes place in a very important period for Armenia. Today Armenia has encountered a serious security crisis. Since the declaration of November 9 that put an end to the military operation in Karabakh, analyzing the situation with Mr. Pashinyan we note that even though the ceasefire is generally respected, there is still much to be done. And France is ready to provide assistance for the benefit of the population. First of all I am speaking about the release of all the hostages, including war prisoners and other detainees. I want to particularly emphasize the necessity for preserving the cultural heritage in Nagorno Karabakh and its surrounding regions, which must be done unconditionally. And as an OSCE Minsk Group Co-chair country, together with the USA and Russia, its the duty of France to make all efforts to reach a de-escalation and establish dialogue between the sides. I want to also speak about the recent border incidents between Armenia and Azerbaijan. As I have already said, Mr. Pashinyan, demarcation and delimitation works should be carried out exclusively through negotiations and in no case force should be used. The Azerbaijani forces should withdraw from the sovereign territory of Armenia and I call on the sides to return to their initial positions. We will try to assist in the establishment of dialogue. In this difficult situation where Armenia has appeared, France stands with Armenia as always, first also in the humanitarian sphere. Our medical centers cooperated with the Armenian medical centers. Numerous hospitals that needed assistance were selected. We also provided exceptional assistance to the activities of the International Committee of the Red Cross engaged in supporting the war prisoners kept in Azerbaijan and their families, as well as the search operations of those missing in action. We talked with Mr. Pashinyan also about economic cooperation, clarified partnership in some spheres, the aim of which is to help Armenia in the development of infrastructures and continue our commitment in the sphere of climate change. For these reasons I have the pleasure to receive the caretaker Prime Minister today. Dear Nikol, we express solidarity with Armenia. In this difficult period France is determined to bring peace to the region. Thank you, I once again welcome you. In his speech Nikol Pashinyan said, I am thankful honorable Mr. President, dear Emmanuel. First of all let me thank you for the invitation. And today, as you said, we have a broad scope of issues to be discussed. I want to emphasize that the French President had scheduled to visit Armenia long ago, which did not take place last year due to the coronavirus. I hope that we will together overcome coronavirus and other crises. I am looking forward to your visit in autumn, we are waiting you in Yerevan, Mr. President. France and Armenia have unique relations and its very important to record that during this period the Armenian people, the Republic of Armenia have always felt the support of France and personally President Macron. I want to underline a very important factor, which is that President Macron spoke the truth since the first day of the crisis in our region and his voice was hear all over the world. This is very important for us. I want to also emphasize that France and President Macron continue that commitment and thats extremely important for overcoming the crisis situation in our region. I want to emphasize that we highlight the role of France as an OSCE Minsk Group Co-chair country, and the activities of the Co-chairs format is extremely important for the settlement of Nagorno Karabakh issue and regional crises, establishment of lasting peace and stability. I am very glad for the Co-chairs have already made three statements since the end of the war, by which they, in fact, record their readiness to be involved and restore the negotiations over the settlement of Nagorno Karabakh issue. Of course, today we will also discuss the opportunities for that. I want to thank France also for the humanitarian assistance provided during this period, but we also underline the importance of Frances economic involvement. There are various programs in Armenia, infrastructural, energetic, economic, where the involvement of France is extremely important for us. And I am happy to record that the French Government and personally President Macron are interested in being involved in those programs. I consider very important the zeal of France and personally President Macron for the preservation of cultural heritage in our region, including and especially in Nagorno Karabakh. And of course, we highly appreciate Frances involvement in all those directions and the Republic of Armenia d nth Armenian people are interested in increasing that involvement, particularly, given the fact that France has the responsibility as an OSCE Minsk Group Co-chair for ensuring regional security, peace and lasting stability. And I am glad that this interest is maintained. Honorable Mr. President, dear Macron, I am very happy for the opportunity for such a meeting and I am confident that our todays discussions will serve to the friendship between our countries and security and stability in our region. Your role is really extremely important. Afterwards, Nikol Pashinyan and Emmanuel Macron continued negotiations in a private conversation, discussing bother the Armenian-French relations and the developments in the South Caucasus, the future steps for the settlement of Nagorno Karabak conflict in the sidelines of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs format and the opportunities for a peaceful settlement of the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. YEREVAN, JUNE 1, ARMENPRESS. The children of 11 ethnic minorities of Armenia presented their folk tales in Armenian language in a joint prodcast project by ARMENPRESS news agency and Public Radio called A Fairy Tale Together. ARMENPRESS reports the participants of the project presented Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Polish, German, Greek, Assyrian, Jewish, Georgian, Kurdish, Yezidi and Armenian folk tales - a total - 15 tales. It was a great pleasure to work with each of the children. The tale was inside each of them which they presented to us, Director of ARMENPRESS news agency Aram Ananyan said, thanking the participant children for spreading kindness in the difficult period and gracing 15 bright moments. According to head of the Division for Ethnic Minorities and Religious Affairs of the Prime Ministers Staff Vardan Ascatryan, the project was a success. The Armenian people have lived in this cradle of civilization since ancient times and have been able to build relations with all peoples. This initiative is an expression of such a communication between peoples, Ascatryan said. ARMENPRESS news agency and the Public Radio of Armenia are always open for such positive initiatives, representative of the Public Radio Edgar Amirkhanyan said, highlighting the educational aspect of fairy tales. A Fairy Tale Together project was brought to life with the organizational support of the Educational and Cultural Center for Ethnic Minorities of the Prime Ministers staff. According to the director of the Center Avag Hakobyan, the results of the A Fairy Tale Together project and nearly one month of joint work once again proves the importance of books and reading. The tales will be published in the Youtube channel of ARMENPRESS news agency starting from June 1 and will be broadcast on the children's channel of the Public Radio of Armenia. YEREVAN, JUNE 1, ARMENPRESS. Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia Mher Grigoryan and UN Resident Coordinator for the Republic of Armenia Shombi Sharp signed Sustainable Development Partnership Framework 2021-2025. As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Deputy PM, before the signing ceremony, Mher Grigoryan delivered a welcoming speech, noting that all the directions and spheres mentioned in the document have a key role for Armenia. The Deputy PM particularly said, Thanks to the document to be signed today, I think, we will further unite our efforts for implementing the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. The document signed by Armenian Deputy PM Mher Grigoryan and UN Resident Coordinator for the Republic of Armenia Shombi Sharp is a key UN document which defines the works of all the UN institutions in Armenia for the upcoming 5 years. The agreement, developed on the basis of national development priorities, summarizes the collective offer of 20 resident and non-resident UN agencies to the country, with which the UN provides $ 230 million in financial assistance for the benefit of the Armenian people. During the signing ceremony, Shombi Sharp emphasized. "The Partnership Framework is a new important guideline for the already deep cooperation between the Republic of Armenia the United Nations. This agreement sets out the ambitious, collective vision of all UN agencies in Armenia, which aims to improve people's well-being and opportunities, to promote 'green' economic reforms, to strengthen an effective governance system, to promote gender equality without neglecting anyone." Empire Energy Group Ltd Empire Energy Group Ltd (EEG.AX) Carpentaria-1 Operations Update Sydney, Australia, June 1, 2021 - (ABN Newswire) - Empire Energy Group Limited (ASX:EEG) (OTCMKTS:EEGUF) pleased to announce the commencement of the fracture stimulation, flowback and extended production testing program at Carpentaria-1. Carpentaria-1 is in Empire's wholly-owned and operated EP187, in the Beetaloo Sub-basin, Northern Territory. Four fracture stimulation stages will be undertaken from the vertical wellbore, targeting the A Shale, Intra A / B Shale, B Shale and C Shale of the Middle Velkerri Formation. The fracture stimulation program will test each of these four thick and productive target zones across the 'stacked' Velkerri shale formation units. Site preparation and civil works are complete. Equipment now onsite includes proppant, surface ponds for water storage, hydraulic stimulation pump trucks, mixing trucks, a coiled tubing unit and a cased hole wireline unit. Hydraulic stimulation operations are expected to take one week, followed by approximately one month of fluid flow back before hydrocarbon flows are expected to commence. The Carpentaria-1 vertical well was drilled from September to October 2020 in EP187. Following an extensive formation evaluation program, the well was cased and suspended in anticipation of the current hydraulic stimulation and extended production testing program. The objectives of the program are to: - Flow hydrocarbons to surface; - Measure the relative contribution of each target interval; - Measure the gas and liquids content of each target interval; - Develop Beetaloo Sub-basin specific fracture stimulation methodology; - Identify the preferred hydrocarbon-bearing zones for future horizontal appraisal wells; - Identify the preferred length, number of stimulation stages and stage length on the first horizontal well; and - Refine the existing Contingent Resources booked near Carpentaria-1. Once fracture stimulation operations are complete, bridge plugs will be removed from the wellbore so that Carpentaria-1 can be placed on flow-back status. A rod pump and downhole tubing will be installed as part of the flow-back activities. During flow-back, fracture stimulation fluids will be removed from the wellbore, so that the target formations can start to produce hydrocarbons. Flow-back return fluid will be stored in over-capacity, double-lined and bonded tanks for volume reduction by evaporation and subsequent safe disposal of residual fluids. When flow-back is complete, an extended hydrocarbon production test will commence. Empire will update shareholders as flow-back and production testing progresses, and the implications for gas and liquids resources and gas composition are interpreted. Measures to Protect Aquifer Safe procedures for drilling through surface aquifers are rigorously applied under supervision by Empire's technical team, Empire's contractors and the Northern Territory Government. Empire prioritises its environmental performance and Traditional Owner consultation. Empire has an exemplary record of meeting the highest environmental, health, and safety standards, with no material incidents at its Northern Territory operations to date. In order to ensure that aquifers are not disturbed by Empire's operations, water monitoring bores have been installed upstream and downstream of the petroleum well bore on the Carpentaria-1 well pad. Multiple water samples have been collected to establish a pre-fracture stimulation baseline, and further samples will be collected during and after fracture stimulation operations. Monitoring and logging of the downstream monitoring bore have been ongoing and will continue during and well after the Hydraulic Fracturing operations. The aquifer in question is the Gum Ridge Formation aquifer which lies approximately 1,000 metres above the shallowest Velkerri target shale interval (C-Shale). The aquifer has been separated from the wellbore by three steel casing layers each bonded strongly to its anulus by cement grout injected over its entire length before being allowed to set. A diagram showing the combined 14.4 cm of cement and steel casing applied can be seen below which illustrates the basis for Empire's confidence in this method developed with global industry experience over many decades. To view figures, please visit: https://abnnewswire.net/lnk/KC347609 About Empire Energy Group Ltd: Empire Energy (ASX:EEG) (OTCMKTS:EEGUF) holds over 14.5 million acres of highly prospective exploration tenements in the McArthur and Beetaloo Basins, Northern Territory. Work undertaken by the Company since 2010 demonstrates that the Eastern depositional Trough of the McArthur Basin, of which the Company holds 80% has very considerable conventional and unconventional hydrocarbon potential. The Beetaloo sub-Basin, in which Empire holds a substantial position, has independently assessed world class hydrocarbon volumes in place with a major ramp up in industry activity underway to appraise substantial discoveries already made by major Australian oil and gas operators. Empire Energy is an experienced conventional oil and gas producer with operations in the Appalachia region (New York and Pennsylvania). Empire has been successfully developing and producing oil and gas since 2006. Contact: Empire Energy Group Ltd E: info@empiregp.net T: +61-2-9251-1846 F: +61-2-9251-0244 WWW: www.empireenergygroup.net Source: Empire Energy Group Ltd Copyright (C) 2021 ABN Newswire. All rights reserved. Sergio Aguero (right) was unveiled as a Barcelona player by club president Joan Laporta Argentina forward Sergio Aguero backed the decision to strip his country of Copa America hosting rights after landing back in his homeland on Tuesday. However, the 32-year-old, whose move from Manchester City to Barcelona was announced on Monday, also cast doubt on Brazil's chances of filling in for Argentina and Colombia, the original co-hosts. Over the last month, South American football's governing body CONMEBOL first stripped Colombia of co-hosting rights and then Argentina too due to the coronavirus pandemic crises in both countries, as well as social unrest in the former. On Monday, CONMEBOL announced Brazil would fill in, despite the country registering the second highest number of Covid-19 deaths in the world with 462,000. The Brazilian government is yet to confirm whether or not it will agree to the last ditched switch, less than two weeks before the tournament's scheduled kick-off. "If it's difficult in Brazil we can't play" the Copa America there, said Aguero as he arrived in Buenos Aires. "It's clear that in Argentina things are not going well. It's a very correct decision from CONMEBOL," added Aguero. Argentina is experiencing its worst period during the pandemic with highs of 40,000 daily new cases and 500 deaths. "We players want to play. Now that we're here we have to play, there's no time left, we already lost last year," said Aguero, referring to the fact the Copa was postponed by a year due to the pandemic. "There's been a year to see where it could be played, but every month, two months, everything changes." Aguero has already caught the virus and said it was "quite hard." Before the Copa begins, there are two rounds of World Cup qualifiers to be played. Argentina, who sit second in the qualifying table behind Brazil, host Chile on Thursday and then travel to Colombia on June 8. ls/nn/ol/bc/nr By now youve heard the cicadas are coming. Entomologists predict the periodical cicada that are on a 17-year reproduction cycle will start emerging from the soil in mass within the next several days, and some early emergence has been documented in parts of Tennessee. What you may not have heard is that those young fruit trees you planted this year, or maybe in the last few years, are in danger if you have a large cicada population in your area. After all the noisy mating, the female periodical cicada will select woody shoots on trees and cut slits in the bark in which she will lay her eggs. The cicada prefers woody growth from the previous year that has relatively thin, smooth, and soft bark and which is about the same diameter as a pencil. Even a single female cicada may cause a lot of injury, said David Lockwood, a University of Tennessee Extension specialist who works with fruit and nut tree growers. However, the high cicada populations that are expected to appear can magnify damage expectations immensely. Lockwood said injury from cicadas on mature trees, vines or bushes may result in death or breakage of shoot tips, which, while not pleasing to look at, may cause relatively little actual damage; however, the potential impact on young plants is much greater. Entire branches that would grow into permanent scaffold limbs for fruit and bear a large portion of future crops may be severely injured by the damage to their bark, thus affecting their productive potential throughout the trees life, he said. Preventing damage from occurring on young trees is much preferred over coping with damage after it has occurred. Frank Hale, UT Extension entomologist, added that some insecticides can be used to protect plants, but physical exclusion of cicadas is more effective. Support Local Journalism Now, more than ever, the world needs trustworthy reportingbut good journalism isnt free. Please support us by making a contribution. Contribute Covering the canopy of young plants with netting having a mesh size of a quarter inch or less and tying it around the trunk under the lowest limbs will provide a physical barrier to cicada egg laying, he recommended. Note that the gauge for most bird netting is too large to prevent cicadas from entering the netting. Hale recommended mosquito netting, nylon tulle fabric or light-weight spun fabric such as tobacco shade cloth or floating row covers. The coverings can be safely removed when the male cicadas have stopped their loud calling and all the cicadas have died off, about six weeks after they emerge. But netting alone is not enough to prevent damage to young trees. Lockwood said that unless a frame is used to suspend the netting so that it does not touch the plant canopy, some young limbs may be damaged where the net lays directly on small branches. These areas should be pruned off once nets are removed as this could cause problems for the trees as they grow, he said. These branches should be removed during fall and winter dormant pruning and new shoots encouraged to grow and take their place. Even if just the terminal portion of a new scaffold limb is damaged, removing the entire branch and encouraging the growth of a new replacement shoot is preferable to heading a branch back to just below the damaged area as this could cause problems in developing a good scaffold limb. Lockwood added that owners should remove and destroy damaged tips from branches within four to six weeks following egg laying. This will prevent nymphs hatched from eggs on the infested tree from entering the soil and feeding on tree roots. Both experts said that over time the slits made by the egg-laying cicadas can serve as openings to a number of diseases and pests that can damage the tree or fruit. Secondary issues that may develop include woolly apple aphids on apple trees and lesser peach tree borers on stone fruit trees. Erin Schaff, a photojournalist for The New York Times, wrote that she had been surrounded by men who demanded to know who she worked for. One grabbed her press pass, saw she worked for the Times, called her an enemy of the people, and threw her to the floor. One of her cameras was ripped away from her and broken. She said she screamed for help as loudly as she could, but people just watched. Amanda Andrade-Rhoades, a photojournalist for The Washington Post, told the Committee to Protect Journalists that she had three different people threaten to shoot her. One man told her, I'm coming back later with a gun and I'm coming for you. Journalists covering a democratic transition of power in Washington shouldn't have to run for cover, said Mark Lodato, dean of Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. We've hit bottom. Since January of this year, there have been fewer incidents of violence against journalists. Lets hope this trend continues and that political leaders discourage seeing reporters as the enemy. To some degree the unpopularity of reporters is understandable, and may never go away. But as one reporter said, We understand we do not come across as warm and cuddly. But it would be nice if people remember that we are human like everyone else and show some understanding for the difficult work we do. Dr. Victor Garlock holds a Ph.D. in psychology and is the author of "Your Genius Within: Sleep, Dream Interpretation & Hypnosis." He was a professor of psychology at Cayuga Community College for over 30 years. He currently is offering individual hypnosis sessions as well as personal counseling at The Center, a holistic health center and spa located in Auburn. For more information, call (315) 704-0319 or visit thecenter4wellness.com. Love 0 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The other indictment against Chauvin alleges he deprived a then-14-year-old boy, who is Black, of his right to be free of unreasonable force when he held the teen by the throat, hit him in the head with a flashlight and held his knee on the boys neck and upper back while he was prone, handcuffed and not resisting. According to a police report from that 2017 encounter, Chauvin wrote the teen resisted arrest and that after the teen, whom he described as 6-foot-2 and about 240 pounds, was handcuffed, Chauvin used body weight to pin him to the floor. The boy was bleeding from the ear and needed two stitches. Chauvin was convicted in April on state charges of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in Floyd's death. Experts say he will likely face no more than 30 years in prison when he is sentenced June 25. If convicted in the federal case, any federal sentence would be served at the same time as his state sentence. The other former officers face charges of aiding and abetting both second-degree murder and manslaughter. They are free on bond and face state trial in March. Find APs full coverage of the death of George Floyd at: https://apnews.com/hub/death-of-george-floyd Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) The Louisiana Senate gave quick final passage Tuesday to a bill that would allow gun owners to carry concealed firearms without a permit, a measure expected to provoke a veto from Gov. John Bel Edwards. The Democratic governor's opposition didn't slow passage of the measure by Republican Sen. Jay Morris of Monroe. With no debate, the Senate voted 27-9 for House changes to the bill, a move that sent the proposal to Edwards' desk. The measure would allow anyone 21 years or older in Louisiana to carry a concealed handgun without needing a permit, unless they are barred under another law from having a firearm. Gun owners wanting concealed carry would no longer have to take nine hours of training on gun safety, get a background check or pay a fee to the Louisiana State Police. Lawmakers passed the legislation with bipartisan, veto-proof majorities, but it's unclear if all the lawmakers would agree to override Edwards' decision if he jettisons the measure as expected. Supporters called the measure a protection of gun owners' 2nd Amendment rights and individual liberties. Opponents said removal of the permitting requirements would damage public safety and could lead to more unnecessary shootings and deaths. A unanimous Supreme Court ruled Monday that thousands of people living in the U.S. for humanitarian reasons are ineligible to apply to become permanent residents. "I have the great pleasure of living with a vegetarian," Goodell said. "I eat much of what she cooks all of which, I might add, is both better tasting and more nutritious than what I cook. But this bill doesn't require that anyone eat healthy food. And as we all know obesity is a large and growing problem. So we need to be sensitive to that. I appreciate the fact that for some restaurants this will give them an additional source of income. Only those private establishments that actually have a contract with the state of New York can participate in programs. So as a fact of the matter that is going to eliminate almost all local restaurants who are not going to go through the process of contracting with the OTDA so that they can provide restaurant food to SNAP benefit recipients. I hope in the future that we focus on a more healthy initiative to benefit all of the residents of New York state." Now, you may believe as I believe that such rules are unfair, but let's remember who writes them: officials elected and appointed by the two major political parties that together have combined for at least 97% of the presidential vote in 18 of the last 24 elections, including four of the last five. And as we've seen from 2021 controversies in states as varied as Georgia and New York, the partisan wrangling over re-writing election law has become an ugly exercise in brute political strength. I, too, would love to see a Republican Party that moves on from and repudiates the worst aspects of Donald Trump. But then again, I'm not a Republican. The 74 million people who voted for the guy in 2020 are not likely to be persuaded by haughty ex-spooks and 1990s reform governors threatening to hold their breath until enough people declare Orange Man Bad. With every week come new developments the debate over a launching a bipartisan Jan. 6 commission, for example reminding us, with the ever-able assistance of the media, that many Republicans will continuously warp their principles to stay professionally viable while Trump's spell on the party still holds. It isn't pretty to watch. But nor is looking the other way as a Democratic-run Washington zooms through record spending bills without much in the way of scrutiny. HIT: The Auburn City Council and the Auburn Downtown Business Improvement District have teamed up in an effort to draw people downtown as businesses begin to recover from COVID-19. Free two-hour on-street parking began May 28 and will continue until the end of the year. The effort will be monitored, however, and drivers will still be ticketed if they overstay their two-hour welcome between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. This summer we have an opportunity to all renew our support for local small businesses throughout our city and buy local every chance you can so that our city can fully recover from the pandemic bigger and better than ever, city councilor Terry Cuddy said in a news release. With the alarming rise of antisemitism across the nation and numerous reports of brutal assaults on and threats of violence against our fellow citizens of Jewish faith, the absence of statements of condemnation of these un-American acts and actions by Governor Cuomo, New York City Mayor Di Blasio and the Democrat majority-led New York State Legislature to protect the Jewish community is both unacceptable and deserving of our scorn. Elected representatives, particularly those on the left who were quick to rightly defend the Black and Asian-American communities in the face of prejudice, oppression and violence, have been questionably and disappointedly silent about the treatment of those who practice Judaism. Equally disturbing to me, there has been no outcry by those followers of other faiths in defense of our Jewish brothers and sisters. The horrific and increasing reports of antisemitism and the silence of our state government officials and community and religious leaders is reminiscent of the poem First They Came For the Jews by Martin Niemoller from which the following is excerpted: Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out Because I was not a Jew. Canada needs a better strategy to build up an electric-vehicle supply chain and become a North American battery hub that takes advantage of a global push toward cleaner energy. Thats the parting advice Sherritt International Corp.s outgoing Chief Executive Officer David Pathe has for the Canadian government and industry set to disrupt everything from mining to automaking. Canada as a whole, with some leadership from the federal government, needs to be more strategic about how we develop that industry from a national industrial policy perspective," Pathe, 50, said in a Friday interview. It takes more coordinated policy from the government to bring all the pieces together because it needs more than just raw materials." Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has touted Canada as having potential to be a global leader in making batteries for electric vehicles, electrification, and clean technology. The federal government has made investments in projects including a Quebec battery pack assembly plant and Ford Motor Co.s upgrade of an Ontario facility to make electric vehicles. Resource-rich Canada also boasts deposits of key battery metals including lithium, nickel, cobalt and copper, and plenty of cheap renewable energy. Historically Canada has been a supplier of raw materials to the world -- I think Canada can aspire to be more than that," said Pathe, who hands over the top job at the Toronto-based nickel producer to Leon Binedell on Tuesday. Theres a role to be played between the government and bringing all the participants in the industry" from project developers and miners, to technology and research firms and processors to identify bottlenecks" and help foster an EV battery industry. While three automakers recently announced big electric-vehicle investments in Ontario, Canadas most populous province, the global auto industry and equipment manufacturers have relied heavily on Chinese companies to supply batteries and raw materials such as nickel and cobalt. The coronavirus pandemic highlighted the importance of securing supplies on a regional level and further strengthen western countries desire to end reliance on China. President Joe Biden signed an executive order to review U.S. supply chains to ensure reliability for crucial goods in late February. The review covers chips along with large-capacity batteries, pharmaceuticals and critical minerals and strategic materials like rare earths. Green-car pledges from automakers means therell be surging demand for nickel used in the batteries needed to wean the world off fossil fuels, and the metal has to be produced in an environmentally friendly way. Demand for battery-grade nickel is expected to be 16 times higher by 2030, according to BloombergNEF analysts. Higher prices is the only thing thats going to spur the kind of supply reaction the world needs to come anywhere closer" to meeting demand from EV adoptions in the next decade, Pathe said. Canada needs a better strategy to build up an electric-vehicle supply chain and become a North American battery hub that takes advantage of a global push toward cleaner energy. Thats the parting advice Sherritt International Corp.s outgoing Chief Executive Officer David Pathe has for the Canadian government and an industry set to disrupt everything from mining to automaking. Canada as a whole, with some leadership from the federal government, needs to be more strategic about how we develop that industry from a national industrial policy perspective," Pathe, 50, said in a Friday interview. It takes more coordinated policy from the government to bring all the pieces together because it needs more than just raw materials." (Also read | Maharashtra has big and bold dreams for electric vehicles. Here's the plan) Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has touted Canada as having potential to be a global leader in making batteries for electric vehicles, electrification, and clean technology. The federal government has made investments in projects including a Quebec battery pack assembly plant and Ford Motor Co.s upgrade of an Ontario facility to make electric vehicles. Resource-rich Canada also boasts deposits of key battery metals including lithium, nickel, cobalt and copper, and plenty of cheap renewable energy. FILE PHOTO: An electric car is seen plugged in at a charging point for electric vehicles. (REUTERS) Historically Canada has been a supplier of raw materials to the world -- I think Canada can aspire to be more than that," said Pathe, who hands over the top job at the Toronto-based nickel producer to Leon Binedell on Tuesday. Theres a role to be played between the government and bringing all the participants in the industry" from project developers and miners, to technology and research firms and processors to identify bottlenecks" and help foster an EV battery industry. (Also read | How electric car designers are reimagining iconic grilles) While three automakers recently announced big electric-vehicle investments in Ontario, Canadas most populous province, the global auto industry and equipment manufacturers have relied heavily on Chinese companies to supply batteries and raw materials such as nickel and cobalt. The coronavirus pandemic highlighted the importance of securing supplies on a regional level and further strengthen western countries desire to end reliance on China. President Joe Biden signed an executive order to review U.S. supply chains to ensure reliability for crucial goods in late February. The review covers chips along with large-capacity batteries, pharmaceuticals and critical minerals and strategic materials like rare earths. Green-car pledges from automakers means therell be surging demand for nickel used in the batteries needed to wean the world off fossil fuels, and the metal has to be produced in an environmentally friendly way. Demand for battery-grade nickel is expected to be 16 times higher by 2030, according to BloombergNEF analysts. Higher prices is the only thing thats going to spur the kind of supply reaction the world needs to come anywhere closer" to meeting demand from EV adoptions in the next decade, Pathe said. This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Students, faculty and staff attending or working at Indiana University, including its Northwest campus in Gary, still are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 before the start of the fall semester. But, in accordance with a new state law, university officials announced Tuesday IU no longer will mandate proof of COVID-19 vaccination be provided to the school as a condition of enrollment or employment. The about-face follows outraged letters from most Republican members of the Indiana General Assembly, along with an official opinion by Republican Attorney General Todd Rokita, a Munster native, asserting the IU COVID-19 vaccine documentation requirement runs afoul of the state's prohibition on vaccine "passports." WATCH NOW: Assistance available to help Hoosier renters pay landlord, utility costs Specifically, House Enrolled Act 1405, which took effect April 29 after being signed into law by Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb, bars the state or local units of government from inquiring whether a person has received, or not received, a vaccine to protect against hospitalization and death due to COVID-19. IU said in a written statement it decided to adopt "adjustments" to the "vaccine verification and exemption process" after receiving "feedback from students, parents, faculty and staff, as well as conversations with legislative leaders." "Requiring the COVID-19 vaccine for IU students, faculty and staff with appropriate exemptions continues the university's comprehensive science and public health-driven approach to managing and mitigating the pandemic on our campuses," said IU President Michael McRobbie. Support Local Journalism Now, more than ever, the world needs trustworthy reportingbut good journalism isnt free. Please support us by making a contribution. Contribute "Throughout the pandemic our paramount concern has been ensuring the health and safety of the IU community. This requirement will make a 'return to normal' a reality for the fall semester." WATCH NOW: Riding Shotgun with NWI Cops: Monitoring LaPorte with Specialist Justin Dyer Under the revised plan, IU students and personnel who choose to provide COVID-19 vaccine documentation to the university will be eligible for to-be-announced "special incentives." Otherwise, they'll merely have to attest they've received the COVID-19 vaccine without having to provide any proof of immunity to the coronavirus. Beginning Wednesday, IU also will allow individuals to request an exemption from the COVID-19 vaccine requirement based on a religious objection, a documented allergy or other specific medical issue, or enrollment in a 100% online-only program with no on-campus component. Indiana attorney general opinion on vaccine "passports" COVID-19: Hoosiers We've Lost Renault and Nissan's vehicle manufacturing plant in Chennai will resume operations soon after the carmaker assured a reopening of the facility in a phased manner. This is the first official reaction from the Renault-Nissan Alliance facing protests from workers for the past few days. The reaction has come after the Madras High Court decided to step in and order an inspection of the facility. The high court had to step in after workers complained that Covid-19 protocols, like social distancing, were not maintained even as they were asked to work during the lockdown imposed across the state. On Monday, the Madras High Court has asked the Tamil Nadu government to send senior officials to the Renault Nissan Automotive India Pvt Ltd (RNAIPL) plant to check if Covid protocols are being followed during work hours. The French-Japanese carmaker alliance has assured full cooperation during the inspection ordered by the high court. The company issued a statement late last night, which said, "Nissan welcomes the Hon'ble Court's decision and the positive outcome of the joint inspection of our plant with RNITS earlier today; we look forward to cooperating with the State Government of Tamil Nadu during the inspection planned for tomorrow." The court order came after the workers union, Renault Nissan India Thozhilalar Sangam (RNITS) had filed a public interest writ petition which challenged the order issued by the state's Revenue and Disaster Management permitting the company to start work at the factory subject to certain protocol conditions. The Renault-Nissan plant has been shut since Wednesday after protests by workers demanding better medical facility and improved working condition amid Covid-19 crisis. The facility was scheduled to resume operations on Monday. However, several workers decided to stay off after the workers' union sent a letter to the management saying that it is not secure for workers to report to work yet. According to insiders, the union had suggested that the facility should operate with limited manpower. "Today, many of us, out of the 8,000 employees here at the plant, including contract labourers, are staying away from work. Only the office bearers of the Renault Nissan India Thozhilalar Sangam (Employees Union) have come to discuss with the management on further course of action," a workers' union source was quoted by news agency PTI. "We were glad to welcome 3,000 employees today to restart production of after-sales and export parts machining, and to finalise preparations for the reopening, which will be done in a phased and gradual manner," said Nissan in its statement. It added that the company "continues to hold the safety and well-being of employees at the heart of our operations, and will keep adding extra measures to ensure a safe environment that extends beyond our employees to include their families and the community, as we closely and strictly monitor developments". (With inputs from agencies) Homegrown two and three-wheeler major TVS Motor Company has registered a whopping 174.67% sales growth in May 2021. The auto company has registered a total sales of 1,54,416 two-wheelers in May 2021 as against 56,218 units in the same month of 2020. (Also Read: TVS Motor Company opens 3S showroom in Baghdad, Iraq) TVS sold 125,188 units of motorcycles in May 2021 as compared to 26,772 units in May 2020. The segment recorded 367.60% YoY growth last month. On the other hand, scooter sales of the company grew 21.75% to 19,627 units in May 2021 from 16,120 units in May 2020. TVS' domestic two-wheeler sales volume increased by 26.82% to 52,084 units in May 2021 over 41,067 units in May 2020. Export numbers too have registered growth. Two-wheeler exports of the auto company registered 102,332 units in May 2021 as against 15,151 units recorded in May 2020. In May 2020, sales of the auto industry were down due to the countrywide lockdown. Hence, the base number was much lower. Meanwhile, TVS has expanded its retail network in Iraq. The company has opened a new 3S retail outlet in Baghdad. This 3S showroom of the company will sell models like StaR HLX 150 commuter motorcycle along with three-wheeler TVS King Deluxe Plus. In the days since a tow truck collided with six bicyclists Friday night, there has been an outpouring of grief and support from Flagstaff residents and businesses alike. The collision left Flagstaff resident and local activist Joanna Jo Wheaton, 29, dead while four others remain hospitalized. The victims were attending a bicycle safety event hosted by FLG Bike Party, a collective of local bicycle advocates, when the accident occurred. At the moment, little is known about the condition, or even all of the identities, of those who have been hospitalized. It appears two of those who are being treated in the hospital are community member Andres Adauto, better known to many as Dapper Dre, and Sarah-Grace SG Crocco, according to posts on social media. Fundraisers have been set up to help pay for the medical procedures for both Adauto and Crocco. As of Monday morning, a pair of fundraisers hosted on GoFundMe had raised a cumulative total of $100,000 in support of the victims and their families. A separate GoFundMe organized by Crocco's family had raised just over $7,000. Meanwhile, restaurants and local retailers throughout Flagstaff announced fundraising efforts of their own in support of the victims. WASHINGTON Memorial Day was tougher than usual last year for Navy veteran Christine Martinez, who was not able to observe the day as she normally would because of COVID-19 restrictions. It was mentally difficult not being able to come together last year especially as so many staff and faculty are veterans or come from military families, said Martinez, a Litchfield Park resident and military outreach manager at the University of Phoenix. So, this was a sort of homecoming to remind and educate others on the importance of Memorial Day, she said of a 10,000-flag display she took part in last week. It was just one of the many Memorial Day ceremonies scheduled to be held in person around the state, and nation, this year as the pandemic is waning and the health restrictions that forced remote observances last year are being lifted. At the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona officials provided American flags for the last week to any visitors who wished to place one on a gravesite. The north Phoenix cemetery prohibited in-person memorial events last year to comply with health protocols from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) For generations Marcus Whitman has been widely viewed as an iconic figure from early Pacific Northwest history, a venerated Protestant missionary who was among 13 people killed by the Cayuse tribe near modern-day Walla Walla, Washington, in 1847. But this past year has seen a continued reappraisal of Whitman, whose actions have increasingly been viewed as imperialistic and destructive. The Washington Legislature voted to strip his likeness from the U.S. Capitol. Students at Whitman College in Walla Walla demonstrated recently to demand another Whitman statue be removed from campus. A new book says a well-known story about Whitmans efforts to save the Northwest from British rule was fabricated. The developments come amid a nationwide movement, following George Floyds death last year, to shed Confederate monuments and depictions of historical figures who mistreated Native Americans. Statues of colonizers have been targeted in several states. Marcus Whitman is known for leading a small group of missionaries in 1836 into what was then Oregon Country, a region about the size of Alaska. He established the Whitman Mission at Waiilatpu, near the Walla Walla River. The mission was in the territory of the Cayuse Tribe, which was wary of the white settlers. Montana has added 35 new cases of COVID-19 since Sunday, and over 390,000 residents are now considered to be fully vaccinated. Confirmed active cases in Montana dropped to 732, down from 778 reported on May 30 by the state Department of Public Health and Human Services. While the weekend saw a lull in new cases and a reprieve from additional deaths, Montana residents are still coping with the deaths of loved ones, friends, and neighbors. Over two dozen volunteers gathered on the Rims on May 26, planting 1,600 flags in a memorial to Montanans who lost their lives to COVID-19. Montana health care workers have administered just over 813,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines in the state as of Tuesday, an increase of almost 4,000 doses in the past week. About 43% of the states eligible population is considered to be fully vaccinated, amounting to just over 393,000 people. County health departments are offering walk-in vaccine clinics at multiple sites throughout the state, and information on vaccine availability can be found at vaccines.gov. Following its annual Memorial Day service honoring Americas fallen soldiers, the Yellowstone National Cemetery presented a commemorative bench to the family of Montana war hero Ben Steele. Shirley Steele and Julie Jorgenson, Steeles wife and daughter, attended the Memorial Day service at Laurel Cemetery, then crossed the lawn to the Yellowstone National Cemetery. There, Shirley Steele placed a wreath at the base of the cemeterys most prominent flag. The second service concluded with taps and a 21-gun salute, as Jorgenson and Steele were led to a small plaza ringed by marble benches. Near benches commemorating prisoners of war and fallen soldiers stood the newest addition, bearing the engraving Ben Steele Bataan Death March. Jorgenson and Steele placed their order for the bench nearly two years ago, following Ben Steeles death in 2016, but the COVID-19 pandemic delayed installation. The bench was finally installed the day before Memorial Day, giving the two a long-awaited opportunity to see the monument to the World War II veteran and nationally-recognized artist. The whole world has placed MaKhia on trial based on this one incident where they see her swinging a knife, the family's attorney Michelle Martin said in late April. But why arent we looking further and figuring out who were those girls? How did they get there? How did this develop so quickly? What trauma was not being addressed within the home?" she added. "I mean so many questions that have to be answered. Days after Bryant's shooting, Franklin County Children Services said it had an obligation to make changes. We are committed to ensuring that our programming and services most appropriately address the needs and concerns of those we serve, the agency said. Requests for comment were sent to HHS, Franklin County Children Services and the state. But the lawmakers who penned the letter, as well as child welfare advocates, say the foster care system in Ohio and nationally is broken, especially when it comes to the treatment of Black children. Editor's note: This story has been updated to include information that the man cited for shooting the bear was a hunter education instructor volunteer who has been suspended from the program while the incident is under review. A Red Lodge man has been cited for hunting during a closed season after shooting a yearling black bear inside city limits on May 26. The black bear season in the area closes when the quota of 12 bears are killed or on May 31, whichever comes first. Hunters are required to self-report their kills. Mike Ferguson was cited by a Fish, Wildlife & Parks warden on May 27 and faces a $535 fine. He has been a hunter education instructor in Carbon County since 2001. "FWP policy dictates that hunter education volunteers charged with hunting and fishing crimes may be suspended from the program until the matter is resolved," according to Bob Gibson, Communication and Education Program manager for FWP's Region 5 in Billings wrote in an email. "FWP then reserves the right to reconsider the suspension. Mr. Ferguson has been informed of the suspension." The latest North Dakota coronavirus news: school aid, Supreme Court and more. School pandemic aid State School Superintendent Kirsten Baesler is seeking input on how to use $43 million in federal aid to strengthen education in the wake of the instructional challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Department of Public Instruction has crafted proposals for using a portion of the aid that was reserved for statewide needs. Baesler is asking North Dakotans to comment on the agencys ideas, which are posted on the department's website at https://www.nd.gov/dpi/, and to offer their own suggestions. This is a historic investment in North Dakota education, and it is important for our families, educators and other stakeholders to have an opportunity for their voices to be heard, she said. People wishing to comment can email dpiasstsupt@nd.gov or call Assistant Superintendent Laurie Matzke at 701-328-2284. The department will be submitting a state plan for using the federal aid on Monday, June 7. SOUTH HOLLAND After serving more than 71,000 people, the Cook County Health Department's COVID-19 mass vaccination site at South Suburban College closed on Saturday. Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, SSC President Lynette Stokes and SSC Board Chairman Frank Zuccarelli were among those on hand for a "clap-out" ceremony to thank the site's workers. WATCH NOW: Riding Shotgun with NWI Cops: Monitoring LaPorte with Specialist Justin Dyer A press release from the college said individuals needing a second shot have been scheduled for the Matteson mass vaccination site at 4647 Promenade Way or another location closer to their residence. The South Suburban site is one of several being shut down because of slowing demand for the vaccine, the release said. At its peak, the SSC site was delivering 1,200 doses per day. Support Local Journalism Now, more than ever, the world needs trustworthy reportingbut good journalism isnt free. Please support us by making a contribution. Contribute Among the vaccination sites still open is one at TF South High School, 18500 Burnham Ave. in Lansing. It's open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Anyone who is vaccinated there on Wednesday will receive free tickets to Six Flags Great America. A complete list of county vaccination sites is available at myshotcookcounty.com. South Suburban College's drive-thru COVID testing site remains open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. A second testing site providing free, rapid testing through the SHIELD Illinois program recently opened at the college's Oak Forest Center, 16333 S. Kilbourn Ave., Oak Forest. That site is open from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays. Appointments are required, and those seeking tests must set up a SHIELD account at portal.shieldillinois.com using the agency code: df5brbrj. Gallery: The Times Photos of the Week German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas firmly rejected the idea of weapons deliveries, while highlighting Germany's support for Ukraine in diplomacy and in bilateral aid. I am convinced that the conflict can only be solved by political channels, and that should be clear to all involved, he told reporters in Berlin. This remains the guiding principle of our engagement, and it won't change weapons deliveries don't help in this. Ukraine also strongly opposes the completion of a new Russian-built natural gas pipeline to Germany under the Baltic Sea. The Nord Stream 2 project also is opposed by Habeck's Greens and by the United States, but the Biden administration opted last month not to punish the company overseeing the project even while announcing new sanctions against Russian companies and ships. The move eased a long-running irritant in German-U.S. relations. Germany's Funke newspaper group reported Tuesday that a German delegation including two top Merkel advisers traveled to Washington this week for talks expected to include the pipeline issue. Maas said Germany had made clear that it has an interest in finding a common way forward. That will now be the subject of talks in Washington, and I am confident that we will succeed in finding a way, he said. This certainly won't be easy, and possibly won't be the case overnight, but we are counting on dialogue with officials in Washington as we did in the past, and we will continue that. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Up The North Dakota Legislature budgeted $7.9 million for deferred maintenance and capital projects for the North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department. The funding, which comes from federal CARES Act coronavirus aid, is needed to keep up with a backlog of repairs at state parks. The department has $74 million in deferred maintenance to roads, shorelines and buildings. North Dakota state parks have 130 miles of roadway, 331 buildings and more than 1,300 campsites. With a record 1.3 million visitors to state parks last year, maintaining those facilities warrants continued investment. Down The North Dakota Health Departments phone call campaign to encourage people to get vaccinated for COVID-19 does not appear to have had any significant results. Out of more than 1,650 calls, more than two-thirds of calls were not answered, completed or returned. Five people asked for help to set up a vaccine appointment. State Sens. Jessica Bell and Nicole Poolman, both Republicans, sent a letter to State Health Officer Dr. Nizar Wehbi last week with concerns about protecting patient privacy and asking how the state gets information to make the calls. The Health Department needs to be more transparent about its vaccine registry in order to build trust with the public. Health providers should do a better job telling the public if their vaccination records are reported to the state and why its done. The deal bars Snyder from suing the district. The six-page document specifies that district officials were allowed to testify against him in any Education Department hearing. However, the surrender of his license apparently makes that issue moot. According to the Education Department website, the commissioner's regulations say superintendents "must file a report with the Department upon the knowledge that a certificate holder has been convicted of a crime or has committed an act that raises a reasonable question about the individual's moral character." Snyder was arrested by Lockport police Aug. 9, 2016, on two misdemeanor counts of child endangerment, stemming from alleged incidents at a pool party at his home July 16, 2016, to celebrate the 12th birthday of Snyder's daughter. Police accused Snyder of kissing an 11-year-old girl on the shoulder and calling her "sexy" while brushing her hair as she sat in his lap, and of throwing a plastic bottle at his daughter. The arresting officer, who was called to the party twice, testified at the trial that Snyder "was intoxicated." But the daughter testified that none of the things her father was accused of ever happened. SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) A private company on Tuesday took over the transmission and distribution operations of Puerto Ricos power authority, which has struggled with blackouts and bankruptcy, corruption and mismanagement. The takeover by Luma Energy under a 15-year contract coincided with the beginning of the Atlantic hurricane season, with many across Puerto Rico worried about the transition and whether the new company can handle a severe storm. The U.S. territory is still struggling to recover from Hurricane Maria, which destroyed most of the power grid in September 2017. It is extraordinarily fragile and in very poor condition, warned Wayne Stensby, CEO of Luma, a consortium made up of Calgary, Alberta-based Atco and Quanta Services Inc. of Houston. However, Stensby said the company, which will serve all of the island's roughly 1.5 million clients, has enough resources to handle a Category 2 hurricane and can bring in more equipment and workers if a stronger storm hits. The agreement approved by the territory's government and a federal control board calls for Luma to spend billions of dollars in upgrading the battered system with most of that money coming from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency while receiving hundreds of millions of dollars for managing the system. From the age of 18, I spent decades in prison confronting the devastating reality that I might never get a second chance. Nonetheless, I worked to become a person in service of my community, and to earn release. However, the system believed I was beyond repair and I was denied parole release again and again. Finally, after 30 years, I was given a fair hearing at the prompting of Erie County Judge Thomas Franczyk. There are thousands of incarcerated New Yorkers who have transformed over decades just as I did, but they are still being denied pathways to return to their families because of a fundamentally broken parole system. With parole reform we can finally give incarcerated New Yorkers a chance at redemption, instead of permanent punishment. Unlike many in government who talk without action, I made real change while in prison. Along with my cell neighbor, I developed the Mentoring and Nurturing or M.A.N. Program. Reflecting on our own failures, we developed principles to mentor young men on what it means to be accountable to ones self and community. We used our time spent in prisons to help keep others out. Why does the Buffalo school district object to competition from the citys charter schools? The answer has more to do with money than with test scores. Districts receive aid from New York State based on their enrollment. They must allocate a share of funding to charters, which are publicly funded, independently run alternatives to traditional public schools. If 25 students leave public school X for charter school Y, a proportional share of aid must be paid to the charter. As we have noted here before, the state aid in effect belongs to the students. The Buffalo Public Schools are the pass-through entity, but the district, the Board of Education and the Buffalo Teachers Federation seem to feel the money belongs to them and resent sending the charters their fair share. Thats why it seemed that the fix was in when the Board of Education voted in March to shut down Westminster Community and Enterprise charter schools. The schools have filed a lawsuit in State Supreme Court, arguing the board used outdated information and incorrect procedures in their decisions. Its unfortunate that it takes court action to right this wrong, but both schools deserve a stay of execution, if only because their students may be dropped into schools that dont perform as well. With the ceasefire now in effect between Israel and the Hamas-led Gaza government, one can only hope that the world will look anew at the underlying causes for the most recent conflict. Who is not moved by images of women and children wandering among the rubble of their homes in Gaza? Of equal concern is the disruption caused by thousands of missiles launched toward a civilian population in Israel. One reading many of the articles published in recent days could only imagine that Israel initiated the violence and deliberately or indiscriminately targets Gazan civilians. Yet, this is untrue and only encourages Hamas and its apologists to continue to govern wrongly, by misusing worldwide subsidies for military goods and tunnels, to continue to build underground weapons storehouses and tunnels, and then to cry victim! when its plans go awry. National Pride Month begins this week, and Buffalos Pride Week, too. This year, though, the celebrations begin minus one very special person. Heidi Ziemer Heidi Ziemer is the outreach and digital services coordinator at Western New York Library Resources Council. Madeline Davis died in April at the age of 80. Madeline was one of the early leaders of the LGBTQ movement, both here and on the national scene. I met Madeline in 1990, when I started my job at the Western New York Library Resources Council (WNYLRC) as the regional archivist for the Documentary Heritage Program. Madeline was serving on WNYLRCs Preservation Committee, and she was working as head of the Book Preservation Department at the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. From our first meeting, I was in awe of her. Through my work at WNYLRC, I came to know about Madelines efforts to collect and preserve the historical materials documenting the gay community in our region, as well as her significant involvement in the gay rights movement. Press Release June 1, 2021 De Lima hails Senate approval of bill establishing services for learners with disabilities on 3rd reading Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima has expressed elation over the Senate's approval on third and final reading of the bill establishing services for learners with disabilities to pursue inclusive education. De Lima, a social justice and human rights champion, said the passage of Senate Bill (SB) No. 1907 will help ensure equal opportunities for learners with disabilities who already carried the burden of having to exert more effort to overcome their limitations in order to study and learn even before the pandemic. "As a parent to a son and a grandparent to a grandson in the spectrum who are familiar with the struggles of learners with special needs, I am elated that the measure has been swiftly approved in the Senate," she said. In her Manifestation of Support for SBN 1907, De Lima said the very noteworthy measure and reform in the country's educational system gives justice to the necessities of students with special needs which were unaddressed for decades until now. "My experience raising my son, allowed me insight into the daily struggles and daily wins of families of children with special needs. So apt is the timing perhaps, even though still late in the coming, because I can only imagine how things have worsened with the new battlefronts that must be faced - those that have been brought about by this pandemic," she said. "Sa pamamagitan ng panukalang ito ay malaking tulong ang maibibigay natin sa mga pamilya at mga estudyandeng may learning disabilities," she said. Senators passed on third and final reading SB No. 1907 or the proposed Instituting Services for Learners with Disabilities in Support of Inclusive Education Act, voting 23-0-0 on last May 31. If passed into law, the said measure would require each city and municipality to put up at least one inclusive learning resource center (ILRC) for learners with special needs. All existing special education centers would then be converted into ILRCs. Likewise, the Department of Education would be required to hire and train a supervisor, mobile teachers, and a team of professionals which will include educational psychologist, guidance counselor, physical therapist, occupational therapist, speech and language therapist, reading specialist, and sign language specialist for each ILRC. De Lima stressed that inclusive education is part of the State's obligation to provide quality education to Filipinos with disabilities, which is implicit in the constitutional right to education and also expressly undertaken by the Philippine Government upon its ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2008. "Sa kabila ng mga balakid, palagian silang nagniningning upang ipamalas na hindi hadlang ang kapansanan sa pagtatagumpay," De Lima said. "However well they adapt in life, however strong they can always stand in the middle of the storm to shine and always shine, the undeniable reality is that these learners have special needs that the State must not ignore," she said. The House already approved its own version of SB 1907 in December 2020. (Access Sen. Leila M. de Lima's Manifestation of Support on the passage of SBN 1907, here: https://bit.ly/34NsqoZ) The email was from a sender I didnt recognize. It said, simply, I think were cousins, and it opened a door to a family that shared the same bloodline I did, but one I never knew existed. Lee Coppola (copy) Lee Coppola is the former dean of journalism at St. Bonaventure University. The email sender was a college professor in Michigan. She had recently had her DNA analyzed and my DNA surfaced as a close match. From there, the story unfolded of a cousin born out of wedlock during the Depression to one of my fathers married brothers. The mother married and the child, a boy, was adopted by her husband as an infant. He was told as he aged only that his biological father was a musician of Italian ancestry. He married, taught at Erie Community College, raised five children and, as it turned out, lived a few blocks from me for years in the Town of Tonawanda. But it wasnt until his mother died in her 90s that his ancestral heritage surfaced. Buried among her belongings was a newspaper clipping of a decades-old death notice for a saxophone player named Vincent Joseph Coppola. His name also was Vincent Joseph. It was the catalyst for a search by his determined daughter in Michigan to find the connection between Coppola and her family name, Wood. This year marks 50 years since the Attica uprising, the deadliest prison uprising in American history. Over the course of four days in 1971, 29 prisoners and 10 prison employees were killed and nearly 90 others were wounded. At the time, the evidence presented to the grand jury resulted in 42 indictments. Every one of them was against an incarcerated person no indictments were returned against law enforcement. We do not we cannot presume anyones guilt in the absence of evidence. But the only way we will ever be able to learn from our past is by confronting information from these landmark historical incidents not hiding from it. The Attica uprising may have been singular in its scale, but the accumulation of violence at the hands of police especially among people of color is without question worthy of greater public scrutiny. Legislation recently introduced would finally give the courts a roadmap to consider whether, and when, to release the records from grand jury proceedings. It amends the Criminal Procedure Law permitting individuals to request that the court release historically important records in cases involving a public official or employee, and creates a rebuttable presumption that would favor such disclosure in cases more than 50 years old. CNS Photo via Reuters The Chinese government has taken the drastic measure of canceling hundreds of flights and locking down several streets in the city of Guangzhou, which has a population of over 15.3 million, because of the rapid spread of the Indian variant of COVID-19. The bustling city has had, until now, very few reported cases, but since the weekend, the number of new infections tied to the variant first identified in India and now known as the Delta variant, has been doubling daily, according to Chinese state media, which often under reports statistics about the pandemic. In this race against the virus, we must run a bit ahead and run faster than before in order to block the spread of the virus and cut off the infection chain in time, Huang Guanglie, director of the Guangzhou municipal health commission said Tuesday. Since Sunday, hundreds of flights have been canceled into and out of Guangdong Baiyun international airport in an attempt to contain the fast spread. The municipal government also banned all residents of Guangzhou from leaving the city without a so-called green pass on their state-run COVID-19 apps. Inside dining has also been prohibited in much of the city, and in lockdown communities, only one person can leave the house to buy essential goods. The lockdowns are reminiscent of the beginning of the pandemic, when Wuhan became the first epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic, which quickly spread to Italy and then the rest of the world. China has reported just 91,122 cases of COVID-19 and 4,636 related deaths since the pandemic began, a figure that is considered modest. China, which has had a slow vaccine rollout in addition to the limited efficacy of its vaccine, has been using cash incentives to try to get as much as 40 percent of the population vaccinated. Meanwhile, in India, the number of new infections has been dropping at a steady pace. On Tuesday, the country reported 127,510 new casesthe lowest increase since April 8, and 2,795 new COVID-19-related deaths, the lowest since April 26. India became the country hardest hit by the latest wave of the pandemic, running out of supplies including oxygen and medicines. The death toll at its height proved unmanageable as crematoriums ran out of firewood. The leveling off of new cases as Indias vaccination program finally kicks off has been heralded as a turning point in the pandemic. Story continues Elsewhere, the Indian or Delta strain has threatened to derail efforts to reopen economies. In the U.K., infections tied to the strain have doubled in a week. In Vietnam, a new strain that appears to be a combination of the strain first identified in the U.K. and the Indian strain has been identified, worrying experts who still hope current vaccines will prevail. Even as much of Europe and other parts of the world are opening up, it may yet be too soon to celebrate. On Tuesday, the Chinese government also reported the first-ever human case of the H10N3 strain of bird flu after a 41-year-old man tested positive. Much like the beginning of the current coronavirus pandemic, Chinese officials have insisted there is nothing to worry about. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now! Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. As with so many festivals, its easy to feel a little overawed when first glancing at the full program of films on offer at Sheffield DocFest (June 4-13). Despite the challenges of programming during a pandemic, the Sheffield team has pulled together an impressive lineup of 78 features and 88 shorts in its films program. More from Variety Among the 55 world premieres are Oscar winner Steve McQueens 1981-set race relations series Uprising, Leaving Neverland: Michael Jackson and Me director Dan Reeds latest In the Shadow of 9/11, Peabody Award winner Mark Cousins meditation on sight, The Story of Looking, and Nick Greens biopic of the fugitive former CEO of Renault-Nissan Carlos Ghosn: The Last Flight. Its the second edition of DocFest to be led former DocLisboa director Cintia Gil, both of them realized during the pandemic. Casting her eye over a lineup that has offerings from Senegal to Latvia, Iraq to Denmark, and Haiti to Scotland, Gil says the biggest challenge of programming a big collective event like DocFest is doing so while in isolation. The concern this year was relevance, says Gil. How could we somehow put together a festival that would have complementary programs with different ways of approaching the questions we want to tackle, and at the same time be as welcoming to as many people as possible? In a bid to welcome people, this years DocFest is more of a hybrid event than 2020s digital only experience: the festival takes place both in Sheffield and online and with a number of titles showing at 16 cinemas around the U.K. These include opening film The Summer of Soul by Ahmir Questlove Thompson, Mayye Zayeds Lift Like a Girl, about female weightlifters in Egypt, and Betsy West and Julie Cohens My Name Is Pauli Murray, a portrait of the Black attorney, activist, priest, poet and memoirist. Story continues As for the questions DocFest wants to tackle, a number seem to stand out. One is political: how cinema responds to ideas of resistance. Gil says DocFest has sought to build resonances across the program around issues such as racial justice, economic inequality, the rise of fascism and climate change. This political outlook runs deep through the program. For example, theres the world premiere of Sran Kovacevics Factory to the Workers, which sees workers in a collectively run factory in Croatia struggle to weather the economic forces and organizational disputes that have battered them since they took over in 2005. Meanwhile, theres the international premiere of Brazilian film Nuhu Yag Mu Yog Ham: This Land Is Our Land! by indigenous filmmakers Isael and Sueli Maxakali and their collaborators, made after their land was taken from them. In Raj Patel and Zak Pipers The Ants and the Grasshopper, a Malawian campaigner travels to the U.S. to persuade Americans that climate change is real, while the world premiere of Anam Abbass This Stained Dawn tells the story of a feminist movement struggling to assert itself on the streets of Pakistan. Another issue that Gil says DocFest was keen to explore through its program was film language. What we can see from our program is that documentary is a very, very broad show, she says, referring to the many different ways of telling factual stories that are showcased in the DocFest lineup. But a major challenge for the genre, thinks Gil, is how to preserve and expand this richness as not all forms of storytelling are backed by funders. Our selection is also a question to funders and decision makers and gatekeepers to think about what documentary is, and what they can take from this wide variety of voices and storytelling, says Gil. By way of example, she cites Ephraim Asilis The Inheritance, which weaves fiction and documentary together in telling the story of a young man who inherits his grandmothers house and turns it into a Black socialist collective. At the same time, Gil says DocFest has sought to build on its ambition to be an internationalist film festival. Its not just about showing films from many territories. Its really about showing a very plural vision of what film can be and what the world is. Many of these themes are clearly evident in DocFests opening and closing films, as well as its special screenings. Opening film Summer of Soul seeks to reframe history by throwing a spotlight on the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, a largely forgotten, but culturally important celebration of Black history, culture and fashion which took place just 100 miles away from the much better-known Woodstock festival of the same year. Similarly, Steve McQueens Uprising focuses on three often overlooked events from 1981 the New Cross Fire, which killed 13 Black teenagers; mass protest the Black Peoples Day of Action; and the Brixton riots. Uprising is not just a question of rebuilding historical justice, but also understanding where we are at now, says Gil. Mark Cousins closing film The Story of Looking, meanwhile, plays with the conventions and language of documentary, and is billed by Gil as a beautiful, intimate film about looking. The selection also speaks to the big theme of the past year, COVID 19. Gil says its a subject the festival wanted to address, but only with very special films, and not too much. In Special Selection is the world premiere of Brian Hills Where Did the World Go, which sees people from across the U.K. talk about their own experiences of living through a pandemic, with the poetry of Simon Armitage providing a narrative spine to the film. Elsewhere, the world premiere of Charlotte Ginsborgs Songs for the River sees the director film the London housing co-operative that she lives in, charting the residents diverse experiences of the pandemic. The 20th anniversary of 9/11 is also a focus, with four films addressing the event in the Special Screenings section. Three are world premieres: Dan Reeds In the Shadow of 9/11, Phil Grabsky and Shoaib Sharifis My Childhood, My Country 20 Years in Afghanistan, and Arthur Carys Surviving 9/11. The fourth is the U.K. premiere of Daniel Bogados 9/11: One Day in America. Elsewhere, there are talks and panels from speakers such as David Olusoga, Campbell X, Betsy West and Julie Cohen, not to mention retrospectives, and distinct film sections including the International Competition, U.K. Competition, Into the World, Rebellions, Rhyme & Rhythm, and Ghosts & Apparitions. Seeking to sum it all up, Gil says: More than telling what the world is, our program points out how many different things the world can be, and how there are many different ways we can make documentary films. Best of Variety Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. ROME (Reuters) - Sicilian Mafia turncoat Giovanni Brusca, the man who detonated the bomb that killed judge Giovanni Falcone in 1992, has been released from jail after serving a 25-year sentence, causing grief and anger among the relatives of those he killed. Brusca, 64, was arrested in 1996, four years after the attack that killed Falcone, his wife and three policeman. After turning state turncoat he helped prosecutors in their crackdown against the Cosa Nostra clans. The Falcone killing, followed two months later by that of fellow anti-mafia magistrate Paolo Borsellino, was one of the most notorious episodes in Italy's long and violent struggle against organised crime. Brusca, known as the 'people-slayer', has confessed his role in over 100 murders, including the death of a 14-year-old boy, Giuseppe Di Matteo, who was killed and dissolved in acid because he was the son of a mafia informant. "He has collaborated with justice only to get the benefits, it was not a personal, intimate choice," Rosaria Costa, the widow of a policeman who died in the Falcone bombing, told daily newspaper Corriere della Sera. Maria Falcone, the sister of the judge, said she was "saddened" by the news but that the law gave Brusca the right to leave prison. Brusca supplied investigators with information on several deadly Cosa Nostra attacks carried out in the 1980s and 1990s and testified in a trial over alleged negotiations between Italian officials and mobsters to stop the bombings. Brusca who had already been granted temporary leave from prison on several occasions will be on parole for four years, Italian media reported. "Regardless of what one may think of the atrocities he committed at the time, there was a collaboration... Let us not forget that he gave information on bombings both in Sicily and in mainland Italy", chief anti-mafia prosecutor, Federico Cafiero De Raho, told Reuters. Story continues "Clearly, the judges believed this was the appropriate jail term," he added. Several Italian politicians condemned Brusca's release. "This is not the 'justice' that Italians deserve," said Matteo Salvini, head of the right-wing League which leads in opinion polls. (Reporting by Angelo Amante, editing by Gavin Jones and Raissa Kasolowsky) Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 1) After its successful maiden offering, Monde Nissin finally began trading on the local bourse on Tuesday. This comes after the company behind popular Filipino brands Lucky Me! and Skyflakes completed its initial public offering the largest in Philippine history. Monde Nissin raised up to 48.6 billion after selling 3.6 billion of its common shares for 13.50 apiece, making the listing also the biggest in Southeast Asia's food and beverage segment on record as reported by CNN Business. The food manufacturing giant also said its "international and domestic book building process was multiple times oversubscribed." However, Monde Nissin shares closed at 13.48 on Tuesday - down 0.15% from its intended price. Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III welcomed the historic offering, calling it a testament to the global investor community's confidence in the national economy's recovery prospects from COVID-19. "Monde Nissin's landmark transaction sends a clear message that our economy will soon regain its momentum and will bounce back stronger than ever," the secretary said. Dominguez also said they expect the food manufacturing giant to further scale up its business, and come up with more job opportunities for Filipinos with its IPO proceeds. Monde Nissin chief executive Henry Soesanto, meanwhile, considered this a "milestone moment" for the company, as it ramps up its commitment to create "sustainable" food security solutions and improve the well-being of the world and its people. "We begin life as a public company with significant momentum. Our Quorn and Asia-Pacific Branded Food and Beverage businesses are performing well and are poised to capture the tremendous market opportunities that lie ahead," Soesanto said. The Monde Nissin big boss added that Quorn a United Kingdom-based meat substitute manufacturing company is at the "forefront" of the global pivot towards "sustainably produced food for health and environmentally conscious consumers." Given the firm's successful offering, Dominguez said he looks forward to "more blockbuster offerings" in the local bourse. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 1) While exports are expected to give economies of ASEAN-6 Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam a boost this year, UK think tank Oxford Economics expects the Philippines to "continue to lag the pack significantly." In a recent report, Oxford Economist Sung Eun Jung said exports will bounce back at varying speeds among the said nations. For instance, Vietnam and Malaysia are among those projected to see the "largest contribution to 2021 growth" from exports. "Vietnam and Malaysia have outperformed, while the Philippines has fared much worse," read the United Kingdom-based think tank's report, noting export volumes rose by 25.5% in Vietnam and 17% in Malaysia in the first quarter of 2021. "In comparison, the Philippines's exports were only marginally better -- up 0.5%," with its exports expected to only provide 2.7% in total economic output this 2021, stated the report. Described as an agricultural country, the Philippines likewise emerged an exception in Jung's projection that agricultural exports will remain a stable income source for many economies in the region. Local banana production, which comprises 38% of agricultural exports, "suffered heavily from Panama disease and a typhoon," she noted. The report also flagged how the Philippines has been less attractive for export-oriented foreign investments due to "weak infrastructure and business conditions" despite low wages and a young workforce, traits it shares with Indonesia. Foreign direct investments are touted as key sources of employment for Filipinos, with capital placements generating additional job opportunities for locals. "Plugging into global supply chains, especially as firms adjust to rising costs in China, will have a significant impact on the manufacturing production of the ASEAN-6," said Jung's report, adding how long-term impacts on exports and growth are "likely" for those that "lose out in this competition." Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 1) President Rodrigo Duterte has given national health authorities a few days to critique Cebu governments more relaxed protocols for arriving Filipinos which differ from Inter-Agency Task Forces directives, his spokesman said on Tuesday. Ang sabi pa rin ng Presidente, ang mga national policies dapat sinusunod ng lahat," said Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque during his virtual briefing. [Translation: The President said national policies must be followed by all.] "Pero pagdating sa Cebu, ang naging desisyon ni Presidente, bigyan natin hanggang Huwebes ang Department of Health para mag-critique doon sa revised protocols o ibang protocols na pinapatupad sa Cebu, he pointed out. [Translation: However, when it comes to Cebu, the President's decision is to give the Department of Health until Thursday to critique the differing protocols Cebu is enforcing.] Tingnan natin kung akma ba talaga ito sa Cebu o mayroon ba tayong matututunan, he also said. [Translation: Lets see whether it is appropriate for Cebu, or if we can pick up something from them.] Dutertes decision came after his meeting with Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia. Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Secretary Michael Dino was also present at the meeting, according to Roque.. Garcia explained to the chief executive that Cebu's unique protocol of conducting RT-PCR tests on arriving nationals upon their return, allowing them to undergo strict home quarantine implemented by barangay health workers, and testing them again on the seventh day was due to the lack of isolation beds. The IATF, on the other hand, requires testing on the seventh day of quarantine in a government-approved facility, with the entire quarantine period lasting for 10 days prior to discharge. Roque, however, clarified that this shortage is no longer a problem. Cebu authorities also believe more COVID-19 cases will be recorded effectively when testing is done on both the first and seventh day upon arrival, added Roque. Garcia said she also considered humanitarian grounds for overseas workers who eagerly wanted to go home, only to be asked to wait for 10 days more before doing so. The President understands these especially the humanitarian aspect, added Roque, noting that many overseas Filipino workers return to the country for various reasons including the death of a loved one. Press Release June 1, 2021 Drilon: 2022 nat'l budget, bigger anti-insurgency fund for 2022 a 'campaign kitty' Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon vowed to oppose "tooth and nail" the budget of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) for 2022, warning that the 2022 national budget can be used as a huge "campaign kitty" for next year's election. "We should be more vigilant. The 2022 budget is an election budget. We must not allow the budget to be used for election or partisan political activities," Drilon said in a statement on Tuesday. Drilon said he believes that the controversial task force will seek an increase to its budget for 2022 to give away more funds to different barangays across the country "in an election year." Drilon said he is ready to oppose the budget of NTF-ELCAC "tooth and nail", adding that he believes that many of his colleagues will propose to defund or give a zero budget to the task force. The proposed National Expenditures Program that outlines the government's priorities for 2022 will be submitted to Congress in July or August, after the President's last State of the Nation Address or Sona. Earlier, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon announced that the number of "cleared" barangays has increased by 1,398 from 822 to 2,220. The 822 barangays had already received funding from the task force's P16.4-billion so-called barangay development program. "That will be a whopping P28 billion election war chest. We will vehemently oppose the budget of NTF-ELCAC," Drilon said. He added: "In fact, we will propose that every centavo that will be allocated to NTF-ELCAL in the to be submitted NEP be realigned to our pandemic response and ayuda or financial assistance to the poor who continuously experience hunger because of the pandemic." "Instead of allocating billions of taxpayers' money to NTF-ELCAC, let us increase the budget of 4Ps or Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program. Let us use the funds to assist our jobless kababayans," he added. Drilon said it is obvious that the program is disguised as an anti-insurgency countermeasure but, in reality, it is meant to help boost the chances of the administration candidates for next year's election. This early, Drilon said there are barangays in the country which are being used for partisan politics. He cited, for instance, a letter supposedly coming from a barangay chairman in a village in Bulacan circulated in social media supposedly soliciting support to the candidacy of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, the President's daughter. Drilon said the anti-insurgency budget and other lump sum appropriations in the budget can easily be diverted to programs that can help boost the administration's candidates for 2022. Aside from the fear that the anti-insurgency is being used "in aid of election," Drilon and some of his colleagues had castigated the task force's spokesperson for red-tagging individuals and groups. Fifteen senators led by Senate President Vicente Sotto III and Drilon filed last month Senate Resolution No. 709 which censures Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr., for his disrespectful, derogatory and demeaning statements against senators and questions the continued stay of the controversial lieutenant general as spokesperson of the government's anti-insurgency task force, which violates the Constitution. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 1) President Rodrigo Duterte granted on Monday the request of Filipino seafarers to get inoculated with Western-made COVID-19 vaccine brands. Duterte approved the plea of Filipino seafarer unions as most international shipping companies require their crew members to be vaccinated with Western-made COVID-19 vaccines before embarkation. "It is given to seafarers not because of their special breed, na kailangan mong bigyan, kung hindi kailangang mong bigyan dahil (we need to give these vaccines because) their work requires the vaccination of US-made or Western brands," said Duterte in his national address. In his privilege speech in the Senate plenary last week, Senator Bong Go revealed the dilemma confronting seafarers. A presentation made by Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III read by Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque during the meeting, showed that only 25% of crew changes took place during the COVID-19 pandemic. The seafarer unions also requested Duterte to simplify the procedures in the vaccination of Filipino seafarers, wherein the presentation of the seaman's book will fully identification requirements. The seafarers also requested that they be vaccinated in their respective towns before returning to Manila. Returning seafarers must be given their first shot upon release of negative swab tests and before they return to their home provinces. Duterte: No clear evidence to show Western brand vaccines 'superior' than other vaccine brands Despite approving the seafarers' requests, Duterte insisted that Western vaccine brands are not "superior" to other vaccine brands. "There is no clear evidence to show that itong mga (these vaccines made by) Pfizer at (and) Moderna are superior to Sinovac and Sinopharm. Puro bakuna 'yan (Those are all vaccines), generic," said the President. The President also downplayed fears that providing Western-made vaccines for seafarers violate the equal protection of laws constitutional clause since that is what the "nature of their work requires." Duterte also said that many countries are not complaining about the China-made Sinovac vaccine. "I have not heard any news or whatever to show there are complaints about the disparity and efficacy of this vaccine," he said. With the approval, seafarers are then exempted from Duterte's previous remark chastising some Filipinos for being picky in their COVID-19 vaccine brands. According to the Labor Department's data, the Philippines is one of the world's top suppliers of seafarers. Of the 1,647,500 recorded seafarers in the world, at least 25% or 460,000 are Filipinos. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 1) A police officer will face murder charges after he killed a 52-year-old woman in Quezon City on Monday night, authorities said. Master Sergeant Hensie Zinampan, who is assigned at the Philippine National Police Police Security and Protection Group, shot Lilibeth Valdez in Barangay Greater Fairview, according to a police report. The report quoted a witness as saying that Zinampan confronted the victim outside a storefront at around 9:30 p.m. The irked policeman reportedly drew his firearm and shot the victim on the back of her head, which resulted in her instantaneous death. Quezon City Police District chief PBGen. Antonio Yarra told CNN Philippines' News Night that based on witnesses' accounts, Zinampan was drunk when he shot the victim. They are still waiting for the results of the alcohol and drug tests conducted on Zinampan. "Even without the video, we have witnesses making accounts that he was under the influence of liquor and he was the one who shot the victim without provocation," Yarra said. PNP Chief Guillermo Eleazar on Tuesday ordered the filing of administrative and criminal charges against Zinampan, saying the video evidence speaks strongly about the policeman's guilt. He also said the suspect already admitted to the crime. "Kung walang video, total denial. Titignan ka pa ng buong kasinungalingan. Pero nung nakita ang video, hindi na siya pwedeng tumanggi dito," Eleazar said in a media briefing. [Translation: If there was no video, there will be total denial, they will even look you straight in the eye and lie. With the video, he cannot deny it.] "A case of murder will be filed against him today," Eleazar added. "Admin case will be initiated so the soonest possible time mawala siya, hindi masabing pulis [so he can be dismissed from the service]." Yarra said prior to the incident, Zinampan had filed a physical injuries and alarming scandal case against the victim's son. Zinampan also had no derogatory records, the QCPD chief added. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 1) A Makati City court on Tuesday junked the second cyber libel suit lodged against Rappler CEO Maria Ressa after complainant Wilfredo Keng sought to dismiss the case. Keng, in a motion dated May 25, asked for the dismissal of the civil aspect of the case, and urged that he be excused from further participating in it. In his motion, the businessman said he has decided to "redirect his focus towards helping out with the pandemic, instead of being pre-occupied with the prosecution of the case." "The public prosecutor manifested that with the private complainant turning hostile to the cause of the prosecution, the prosecution can no longer prove the guilt of the accused beyond reasonable doubt," read the order signed by Judge Andres Soriano of the Makati City Regional Trial Court Branch 148. The court also ordered the return of the 24,000 cash bail posted by Ressa in November last year. Last year, Ressa was charged with cyber libel for the second time over her Twitter post where she shared a news website's article on Keng. The post contained screenshots of the article, which identified Keng as the "influential Chinese businessman" being eyed as a suspect in the ambush-slay of a former Manila councilor. Keng earlier said he has never been investigated nor charged for any criminal activity. Ressa meanwhile welcomed the dismissal of the case. "I'm glad to hear good news. I look forward to seeing the rest of the cases against me and Rappler dropped in the future," the journalist said in a statement. (CNN) Students from an Islamic school in the north-central Nigerian state of Niger were indiscriminately shot and abducted Sunday by a group of "armed bandits," state police said in a statement. At least one person was confirmed dead in the latest in a string of school kidnapping raids the country has seen this year. Yaro Alhassan, the Salihu Tanko Islamic School's headmaster, told CNN the exact number of students abducted from the school remains unclear, but said that more than 150 remain missing or unaccounted for. Niger State Deputy Governor, Alh Ahmed Mohammed Ketso told a news conference Monday that efforts by security agencies to secure their release have been intensified. "We don't pay ransom to abductors. We are trying to negotiate to see how we can bring them back safely," Ketso said. In response to the "incessant attacks," Ketso said the government has temporarily changed all schools in the Tegina region to day schools and made sure every primary and secondary school has a team that can respond quickly to security issues. Ketso added that the government had made contact with some parents of the identified kidnapped children to assure them of their safe return. What happened During the weekend abduction, "armed bandits on board motorcycles" stormed Tegina town in the Rafi area of the state "shooting indiscriminately," according to police. "The bandits shot one person dead in the process," the police statement added. According to state police officials, tactical teams were "immediately mobilized" as part of effort to rescue the victims. "The Command calls for calm as the Police and other security agencies shall do everything humanly possible to ensure that the children are rescued unhurt," state police said. A spokeswoman for Niger State Government, Mary Noel-Berje, told CNN on Monday that at least 11 of the children abducted during the raid were later freed, likely because of their age. "Eleven children were released because of their tenderness...the very little ones that couldn't go through the bush path, the kidnappers' escape route, were released," Noel-Berje said. According to the government spokeswoman, the school targeted in the attack includes kindergarten, elementary and middle school age children. The latest kidnapping in Tegina comes three months after 42 people, including students, were seized by gunmen in Kagara, which is located around 18 km from Tegina. It also comes days after students from Greenfield University, Kaduna, were freed. Five of the students were killed by their abductors while in captivity. Kidnapping has become one of the major security challenges in Nigeria and hundreds of students have been abducted in different mass kidnappings in northern Nigeria since December. Some state governors regularly pay ransoms to secure the safety of victims but rarely admit to doing so. Marauding groups, known locally as bandits, operate from forest enclaves in northwestern Nigeria, where they organize attacks and kidnappings on rural areas and Nigeria's major road networks. Between June 2011 and the end of March 2020, an estimated $18.34 million was paid in ransoms, according to Lagos-based SBM Intelligence in a report last year titled "The economics of the kidnap industry in Nigeria." This story was first published on CNN.com 'More than 150 children are missing in latest Nigeria kidnapping raid' (CNN) -- The children know the man whose portrait hangs above their playroom door as Mister S or Mister Somerton. His real name remains a mystery more than 70 years after he was found dead in a smart brown suit on an Australian beach, a half-smoked cigarette resting on his collar. The kids assume he's a distant relative, but he could just be a stranger whose story has fascinated their father for more than a decade. University of Adelaide professor Derek Abbott first heard about the Somerton man in 1995, and has spent several years campaigning for his body to be exhumed so scientists can analyze his DNA to determine his identity. The exhumation finally happened last month in the city's West Terrace Cemetery, where the Somerton man was buried in 1949, under a headstone marked "the unknown man". At the grave site, South Australia Police Detective Superintendent Des Bray told reporters the exhumation was about much more than closing the file on one of Australia's most-intriguing cases. "It's important for everybody to remember the Somerton man is not just a curiosity, or a mystery to be solved. It's somebody's father, son, perhaps grandfather, uncle or brother, and that's why we're doing this and trying to identify him," Bray said. "There are people we know that live in Adelaide, they believe they may be related," he said. "And they deserve to have a definitive answer." Those people include Abbott's wife, Rachel Egan, who he met after sending her a letter to explain why he thought she may be the Somerton man's granddaughter. After a single dinner dominated by talk of death and DNA, the pair decided to marry. They now have three children, a girl aged 8 and twins aged 6, and they are all are waiting to find out Mr S's true identity. "Whether he's related to one of us or not, we've kind of adopted him into our family, anyway, because it's him that has brought us together," said Abbott. "His cause of death isn't really what is of interest anymore. It's more who was he and can we give him his name back." A smartly dressed corpse The man was found lying on his back in the sand, his head and shoulders propped up against the seawall on Somerton Beach, in Adelaide's southwest, on December 1, 1948. He was smartly dressed with freshly polished shoes, and looked out of place on a beach where the city's early risers were starting their day with a walk. Two apprentice jockeys stumbled upon the body, but several other people told police they'd seen someone of a similar description lying there the night before. One man said he saw his arm move, so he didn't think to call police. "Where he was lying was a fairly public place, not the sort of a place a man would be likely to choose if he wanted to go somewhere and die quietly," said witness Olive Neill, according to the typed, yellowing notes from his 1949 inquest. An examination of the body raised more questions than answers. There were no signs of violence, almost all the labels on his clothes had been cut off, and he wasn't carrying any ID. An autopsy was unable to determine the cause of death, but three medical witnesses testified that it was not natural. Detectives theorized he may have consumed a poison so rare it could quickly kill then disappear without a trace. No poison was found in his system. "I think the immediate cause of death was heart failure, but I am unable to say what factor caused heart failure," said Robert Cowan, a government chemical analyst who examined samples taken from the body. The Somerton man was well-built, about 40 to 50 years old, 5 feet, 11 inches tall, with grey-blue eyes and gingery-brown hair that was greying at the sides. Pathologist John Cleland noted: "Many people who find their way to the morgue have toenails which are dirty and unattended to. His were clean." Forensic VR specialist Daniel Voshart created this visual representation of the Somerton man. His calf muscles were particularly pronounced, said Paul Lawson, a taxidermist who was asked to embalm the body. "His feet were rather striking features, suggesting ... he had been in the habit of wearing high-heeled and pointed shoes," Lawson said. "(His) calf muscle was high and well developed, such as found in women." Some suggested he may have been a dancer, a blackmarket trader, a sailor, or even a spy. "The deceased to me looked like a European, I would say he looked very much like a Britisher," Cleland told the inquest. "His hair was brushed back from the forward, and there was no part in it." He may have looked British, but his coat was distinctly American, according to a tailor who was asked to examine his clothing. "He had either been in America or bought the clothes off someone who had been there," Detective Raymond Leane told the inquest, quoting the tailor. "Such clothes are not imported." The story of the "unknown man" made headlines across Australia and New Zealand, and his fingerprints and photograph were sent around the world, including to England, America, and English-speaking countries in Africa, his inquest heard. A letter dated January 1949, signed by FBI director John Edgar Hoover, confirmed the US had found no match for his fingerprints in its files. A number of people came forward to claim the body, but none of their stories withstood scrutiny. For example, one man claimed he was a pipe-smoking laborer by the name of "McLean," but police said his hands were too smooth to belong to a laborer, and there was no evidence he had ever smoked a pipe. The man's body was embalmed to give police more time to identify him, and a plaster cast -- or death mask -- was made of his face, as a physical reminder of who he was. With no more leads to pursue, detectives released the body for burial in June 1949. The link to "Tamam Shud" Before the Somerton man was buried, the investigation had turned up many clues -- which all led to dead ends. For example, tickets were found on his body suggesting that the day before he died he had taken the train to Adelaide Railway Station, from an unknown location, before checking a suitcase into the station's luggage room. He bought a train ticket to Henley Beach, near Somerton Beach, but didn't use it, and instead made his way to the beach by bus. Police found his suitcase at the train station -- it contained the same distinctive orange thread that had been used to repair his trousers. Nothing in the bag supplied them with a name. Then, in April came a breakthrough. Cleland, the pathologist, re-examined his clothes and found a hidden fob pocket containing a rolled-up piece of paper printed with the words "Tamam Shud," meaning "the end" or "finished" in Persian. Those are the final words of the poem "The Rubaiyat," by 11th century Iranian polymath Omar Khayyam, and had been torn from a book later handed in to police. An unnamed man said he found it discarded in his car on November 30, the day before the Somerton man's death. He had no further information to give police. Detective Leonard Brown explained to the inquest: "The poem itself simply means that we know what this world has in store for us, but we do not know what the other world has in store, and while we are on this earth we should enjoy life to the fullest, and when it is time for us to pass on, pass on without any regrets." Cleland said the words supported his conclusion the man had taken poison "with suicidal intent." "I think the words were put there deliberately and indicated that intention that he was fed up with things," he told the inquest. So far, the book has offered the strongest clues to the man's identity. The code and the phone number The book had two major clues inside. The first was a handwritten phone number on its back cover that police traced to a woman who lived in the nearby Adelaide suburb of Glenelg. She was reportedly horrified when shown the death mask, though denied she knew the man. Near the phone number was a scribbled code that decades later would intrigue Abbott, who set it as a puzzle for his engineering students in 2009. They thought it could be a secret wartime code, adding to the theory the Somerton man was a spy. However, their investigations led nowhere. Abbott and his students analyzed the letters and decided it lacked the sophistication of a wartime code. It was more likely the first letters of a series of English words -- for example, a list of places the Somerton man had visited, or horses he had placed bets on, Abbott said. After drawing a blank on the code, Abbott, like the police, traced the phone number to the woman who once owned it. But Jo Thomson too had died. Abbott then tracked down her son, Robin Thomson, a dancer with the Australian Ballet Company. He was also deceased, so Abbott looked for anyone related to him: He found Thomson's daughter, Rachel Egan, now Abbott's wife. Egan was adopted at a young age, and wasn't aware of her potential link to the Somerton man. One of Abbott's theories is that the Somerton man is Robin's father, but his mother told police she didn't recognize his face because she had met somebody else and didn't want to complicate matters. Tests of Egan's DNA against genetic material extracted from strands of hair found trapped in the plaster of the Somerton man's death mask have been inconclusive. Before that DNA test, Egan thought the two could have been related. Now she's not sure. "They have an incomplete DNA sequence from Mr S -- it's very, very incomplete. I would have thought, though, that there might have been some sort of match there. And to date, there hasn't been," she said. New DNA examination The remains are now in the Forensic Science SA lab in Adelaide where scientists are determining the best way to analyze them. Linzi Wilson-Wilde, director of Forensic Science SA, said the process had been complicated by the length of time the remains had spent in the ground, and the embalming process. "Embalming chemicals are designed to preserve remains, but they do that by breaking down the protein inside the body, so that there's nothing available for bacteria to consume. It does have a very detrimental effect in degrading the DNA," she said. DNA was first used to solve a crime in the United Kingdom in 1980s, some 30 years after the Somerton man died, and technology has advanced significantly since then. "We've gone from requiring quite a considerable amount of biological material, a sizable quantity, to being able to get a result from an amount of DNA that you can't even see with the naked eye," said Wilson-Wilde. If scientists are able to create a DNA profile, it'll be checked against people in Adelaide who think they may be related, before a wider net is cast across DNA databases. Australia has three DNA databases for law enforcement, including the National Criminal Investigation DNA Database (NCIDD) which contains more than 1.2 million DNA profiles. Last year, the Australian Federal Police launched the National DNA Program for Unidentified and Missing Persons to try to identify some 500 sets of unidentified human remains. If a DNA match is found to the Somerton man, detectives will then attempt to find living descendants. "I'm not holding my breath," said Abbott. "Similar tricky cases that have been solved in America have taken anywhere between a few months to a couple of years. So, you know, I'm prepared for a two-year haul, if that's what it takes." The couple doesn't believe the DNA will expose Mr S as a sailor, a spy or any of the other fanciful theories around who he was and why he died. "Perhaps he was a World War Two black market trader or something like that. And that can explain a number of things. For example, why people possibly didn't come forward to identify him. Because, you know, if he's in with a group of people that are doing something a bit dodgy, they wouldn't want any light shone on their activities," Abbott said. "For the clothes, perhaps they were second hand, and in those days you tended to clip off the labels because quite often people wrote on those manufacturers' labels in ink to indicate their name or something." Egan has already decided to move the painting from the playroom into Abbott's office where it will stay as a reminder of the mystery that brought them together. She doesn't need him looking over them each day. Scientists could soon find he has no genetic link at all to the family. Egan says, even then, Mr S will remain an important part of their family folklore; a story for the children to share when they grow up about how their parents met. The family has also discussed the possibility that science could reveal something they don't want to know. "What if he was somebody who wasn't nice?" Egan asked. "At the moment we feel very protective towards him ... that positive spin could well change if we find out that Mr S was not a savory person." Though, she said that would give them a new mystery to solve. "Going back to 1948, times were very different," Egan said. "So, if he was involved in a war crime, or something else that's horrific, maybe we can unpack the reasons and try and understand as to why he did what he did." This story was first published on CNN.com, "The Somerton man died alone on a beach in 1948. Now Australian scientists are close to solving the mystery" Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 2) Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno expressed confidence that the agency will hit its digitalization targets before the end of 2022. In a statement, Diokno said before the end of 2022, we will accomplish those goals. He noted that the central bank targets to digitalize at least 50% of financial transactions and 70% of financial accounts owned by Filipinos next year. He made the statement during the recently held Institute of International Finance Asia Pacific Summit. Diokno made the projection amid the sustained rise in digital transactions in the Philippines during this time of the COVID-19 pandemic. The health crisis is pushing many to turn to online modes of transactions to avoid transmitting the coronavirus. In a separate statement, the BSP reported that the combined transactions using PESONet and InstaPay in April surged in terms of volume and value compared to the same month last year. The PESONet and InstaPay are two automated clearing houses under the National Retail Payment System. It added that 82 BSP-Supervised Financial Institutions are currently participating under PESONet, while 52 are in InstaPay as of end April. Meanwhile, the volume and value of QR Ph person-to-person payments in the same month also increased by 23% and 38%, respectively, BSP said. This system entails code scanning and provides consumers with faster, easier, cheaper and more convenient payment options, the agency explained. The data are encouraging. These indicate the sustained adoption of digital payments in the country, BSP said. New adopters have experienced first-hand the advantages of going digital. Their positive experiences are expected to create a ripple effect and to promote the wider use of digital payments, it added. (CNN) Irish Twitter is going nuts over a particular image of Matt LeBlanc during the "Friends: The Reunion" special, saying the actor looks everyone's favorite Irish uncle. LeBlanc is sitting with his arms crossed, with a sweet look on his face, with one viewer writing on Twitter that he looks like an "extreme salt of the Earth" kind of guy, "full of dry wit and just a drop of cynicism." Another wrote: "He looks like the Irish Uncle with a heart of gold. He's behind the times, rough round the edges, loves life, his family, his cattle and you, hugs like a bear, drinks like a fish, talks the hind legs off a donkey ..." Another wrote he's "The kind of of auld lad you'd have a fair job of explaining to your not an Artist after getting an Arts degree." LeBlanc "looks like a fella you'd end up having a deep conversation with in the residents bar after a wedding. ten pints deep and he's giving you the best advice you'll ever get. you'll never meet him again but his sage wisdom sticks with you forever. a gentleman," one fan wrote. "Bridgerton" actress Nicole Coughlan wrote "Matt LeBlanc is Irish, I don't want to see any other nation trying to claim him, he's from Tullamore, he drinks milk with his dinner." One fan even expertly placed LeBlanc in an Irish pub, where he looks right at home. This story was first published on CNN.com "Matt LeBlanc in the 'Friends' reunion has Irish Twitter going mad" Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 1) President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the proportionate distribution of COVID-19 vaccines across all regions in the country He instructed vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. to allocate the vaccines on a "pro rata" basis. Metro Manila the virus epicenter in the country and other areas experiencing COVID-19 surges have been prioritized in the inoculation program, receiving the bulk of available vaccine doses to address the case spikes. "Paghati-hatian natin ito The bulk of the people of the NCR mayroon na ho silang bakuna. Kung magdating yong sunod na marami, eh you divide it amongst the local government units. Sana magawa ito sa madaling panahon," he said during his televised address on Monday. [Translation: We will split this. The bulk of residents in Metro Manila have already received their vaccines. Once the next shipments arrive, you divide it amongst the local government units. I hope this can be done as soon as possible.] At least 3.4 million doses of Sinovac, Pfizer, and Moderna vaccines are expected to arrive in June, according to Galvez. With more doses arriving in the next few months, the vaccine czar said the inoculation target will be raised to 500,000 up to 740,000 shots per day during the third quarter of 2021. He said this is feasible as the government's vaccination program maintains its momentum and gains speed as days go by. "Ito na po 'yong patataasin na po natin 'yong ating jabs per day na kayang-kaya po natin 'yong 500k to 740k per day... Pagka dumami po ang ating mga volumes ay tataas na rin po ang ating vaccination," he said during their Cabinet meeting. [Translation: We will increase our jabs conducted per day. We can achieve 500,000 to 740,000 per day. Once the volume goes up, our vaccinations will also increase.] The Philippines has administered a total of 5.18 million jabs, with 1,206,371 people having completed their second dose since the launch of the national program in March. The average daily administered doses is now at 144,000. At least 93% of the healthcare workers in the country have received their vaccines. Only 1.3 million out of the 9.8 million senior citizens in the country have been vaccinated, while 1.17 million out of 5 million people with comorbidities have gotten their shots. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 1) President Rodrigo Duterte said the national government will pledge $1 million or 50 million to the World Health Organization-led COVAX facility as a gesture of gratitude for providing vaccine doses to the country. Duterte claimed that COVAX has formally asked the Philippine government for donations in order to continue its operations. They are asking for contributions para makabili pa sila (They are asking for contributions so they can buy more), to keep the operation running. Probably, they are running low of funds also and they have asked the Philippines formally for a donation, he said during a pre-recorded address. As a beneficiary of the generosity of COVAX and the desire also to help people, we will answer their pleadings of donation. Philippines is giving $1 million, Duterte added. Its our turn also to return the goodwill they have shown. COVAX is a global platform which uses donations from governments and multilateral institutions to purchase vaccines for poor countries that cant afford to have deals with major pharmaceuticals. The program has secured vaccines from AstraZeneca, Pfizer-BioNTech and the Serum Institute of India. Napakabuti ng COVAX sa atin (COVAX has been good to us). At the time we needed it most, it is one of the earliest agencies to help us, aside from the contributions made by China, said Duterte. The country has so far received over 2 million vaccine doses from COVAX. These include 2,556,000 doses of AstraZeneca and 193,050 doses of Pfizer vaccines. Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez, Jr. said that an additional 4.4 million doses of AstraZenecas and Pfizers vaccines from COVAX are expected to arrive this June. Moreover, Galvez said that 5,180,721 vaccine doses were so far administered nationwide across priority groups. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 1) The House of Representatives adopted on third and final reading on Tuesday a resolution seeking to amend "restrictive" economic provisions of the Constitution. The Resolution of Both Houses No. 2 was approved on a vote of 251-21 with two abstentions. The measure, primarily authored by House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco, seeks to include the line "unless otherwise provided by law" to constitutional provisions restricting foreign ownership of public utilities, educational institutions, media, and advertising companies. The resolution will be now transmitted to the Senate for its own consideration. Senate President Tito Sotto has said the upper chamber may not have "enough time" to take a look into the proposal before session adjourns this week, noting that the resolution may be tackled after President Rodrigo Duterte's State of the Nation Address in July. In a previous interview with CNN Philippines, Sotto also said he was "not convinced" the government needs charter change at this time. He said it may be easier to discuss the inclusion of the phrase through a regular legislation in Congress. However, Velasco expressed hope the senators will "see the wisdom in this measure." "Our intention then, as now, was purely to help our country rise above this pandemic through liberalizing the restrictive economic provisions in the Constitution that have long prevented us from becoming fully competitive with our Asian neighbors," Velasco said in a statement. Press Release June 1, 2021 EXPLANATION OF VOTE Senate Bill No. 1907 Instituting Services for Learners with Disabilities in Support of Inclusive Education Act Monday, May 31, 2021 Delivered by the Honorable Win Gatchalian, Senator of the 18th Congress: Mr. President, estimates from various credible sources suggest that there are between 400,000 to 5 million Filipino children living with some form of learning disability. However, there were only about 230,000 of these learners registered in DepEd schools as of School Year 2018-2019. This implies that many learners with disabilities are either not in school, or are enrolled in school without receiving the specialized care and training they need. In either case, it is clear that many learners with disabilities have effectively been denied their constitutional right to a quality education that accommodates their unique needs. With the approval of the Inclusive Education for Learners with Disabilities Act by this esteemed chamber, we have taken a significant step forward in righting this fundamental wrong. This law will serve as the catalyst for the creation of a truly inclusive education system that is equipped to identify and serve the needs of each and every Filipino learner, no matter his or her circumstances. As Chair of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, Arts and Culture and principal sponsor of this measure, I humbly extend my gratitude to the many senators and numerous education stakeholders who made this day possible. In particular, I would like to commend the following for their immeasurable contributions to this legislative feat: the Deaf Education Council and its interpreters, DepEd and its Bureau of Learning Delivery - Student Inclusion Division, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the Early Childhood Care and Development Council, the National Council on Disability Affairs, the Philippine Institute for Development Studies, the Philippine Normal University, the University of the Philippines College of Education, the League of Cities of the Philippines, E-Net Philippines, and Save the Children. Maraming salamat po sa inyong lahat. After two public hearings and 10 intense technical working groups, we are finally able to move forward with this measure along the trail blazed ten years ago when the late Senator Edgardo Angara filed a substitute bill during the 15th Congress that sought to institutionalize inclusive education through special education in all public and private elementary and secondary schools nationwide. Truly, this legislation has been a long time coming. Mr. President, distinguished colleagues, I can tell you from first-hand experience that the Inclusive Education Act is going to change the lives of many of our countrymen in a big way. The Valenzuela Special Education Center was truly a gamechanger for learners with disabilities and their families when it opened in 2016. I cannot wait to see how the lives of learners with disabilities and their families across the country will improve once the specialized services we offer in Valenzuela City are made available through the establishment of a nationwide network of Inclusive Learning Resource Centers in every city and municipality. The passage of the Inclusive Education Act signifies that learners with disabilities will no longer be reduced to mere statistics on paper. Sa ilalim ng panukalang batas, walang mag-aaral na may kapansanan ang maaaring pagkaitan ng pagkakataon na pumasok sa isang pampubliko o pribadong paaralan para sa kanyang basic education. Hindi lang matutulungan ng naturang panukala ang mga mag-aaral na may kapansanan, bagkus ay magiging kapaki- pakinabang din ito sa mga mag-aaral na walang kapansanan dahil matuturuan silang maging mas maunawain at matiyaga na handang magpakita ng pagmamalasakit sa kanilang mga kaklase. The Inclusive Education Act will provide new and exciting opportunities for these children to succeed in school, to integrate themselves into Philippine society, to live with greater dignity and respect as adult citizens. In essence, learners with disabilities and their families will no longer be left behind. To say that 'our children are the future of the nation' is the cliche of all cliches, I know. Yet, it cannot help but be said on a day such as this, when the futures of so many children with learning disabilities have become that much brighter. Thank you, Mr. President, distinguished colleagues. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 1) - The House of Representatives on Tuesday approved on third and final reading the third version of the Bayanihan bill or COVID-19 stimulus package worth 401 billion. House Bill No. 9411 or the Bayanihan to Arise as One Act, was approved on a vote of 238-0 with one abstention. A counterpart bill still needs to pass the Senate, where lawmakers said they are in no hurry to tackle the measure. The House bill allocates 216 billion for a 2,000 financial aid to be given to all Filipinos in two tranches. It seeks to provide too a one-time cash subsidy of 5,000 to 10,000 to households affected by the health crisis in areas under enhanced community quarantine or stricter restrictions. The Small Business Wage Subsidy will also be expanded to assist micro, small, and medium enterprises affected by the pandemic, while a wage subsidy of 5,000 to 10,000 will be granted to qualified employees. The Department of Labor and Employment will be given 25 billion to help displaced workers, while the Department of Transportation will get 500 million to provide free swab tests for seafarers and overseas Filipino workers. The special risk allowance for medical frontliners will also be continued. Moreover, the measure seeks to grant the President the power to direct the operation of any hotel, lodging, and other private establishment as quarantine facility, temporary medical facility, or medical relief location. The owner or operator of the private establishment will be given just compensation for the use of their facilities, according to the bill. The measure is not included in the priority bills that the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council wants Congress to approve as soon as possible. Malacanang also said it does not see the urgency of passing Bayanihan 3. Senate President Vicente Sotto III, for his part, earlier told a television interview that the Senate is in no rush to pass Bayanihan 3 as funds under its predecessor, Bayanihan to Recover as One Act or Bayanihan 2, are still available. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 1) People in Metro Manila and nearby provinces can now travel to areas under modified general community quarantine, government officials announced on Tuesday. Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat on Tuesday said a resolution issued by the Inter-Agency Task Force allows trips between NCR Plus and areas under the lowest quarantine status, meaning people of all ages can travel for leisure. Romulo-Puyat said this development will help revive local tourism. The secretary said the resolution requires individuals under 18 years old and over 65 to present a COVID-19 test result, but she later clarified that those who fall within the 18 to 65 age group should also show test results if required by local governments of their destinations. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque also made the same clarification earlier. "Allowed na ang interzonal, pero kinakailangan po point-to-point lamang. Wala po siyang age restrictions pero meron pong testing-before-travel requirement," he said in a media briefing. [Translation: Interzonal travel is allowed but it is limited to point-to-point trips. There is no age restriction, but the testing-before-travel requirement is there.] Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal collectively dubbed as NCR Plus are under general community quarantine in the period June 1 to 15. Boracay The Aklan provincial government also announced it is allowing tourists from NCR Plus to enter Boracay. Aklan Provincial Inter-Agency Task Force Chairperson Selwyn Ibarreta said Governor Florencio Miraflores gave the go signal to accept tourists after his virtual meeting with the Department of Tourism. The province is under MGCQ. "We just want to clarify the guidelines regarding the RT-PCR test requirement that it is applicable to all ages except those who are 2 years under", Ibarreta added. Saliva and nasal swab test results were the main requirements to enter the tourist island. Other guidelines include a QR-code from the provincial validating team. Ibarreta said there is no specific date yet as to until when visitors from NCR Plus can go to Boracay since it will depend on the guidelines of the national government. Aklan-based journalist Carla Doromal contributed to this report. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 1) Hours after President Duterte barred the release of all drug war records, Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Guillermo Eleazar changed his tune - now saying only resolved cases would be transmitted to the Department of Justice (DOJ) for review. This means, of the thousands of deaths that resulted from anti-illegal drug operations, only 53 would be forwarded to DOJ. "Actually 'yung nabanggit ng ating pangulo, hindi lahat ng kaso pwedeng ilabas natin. Through our arrangement with the DOJ, 'yung mga resolved na kaso na lang ang aming ifoforward sa kanila," Eleazar said. [Translation: Actually what the President said is not all cases can be released. Through our arrangement with the DOJ, we will only forward those cases that have been resolved.] The PNP chief earlier said he was willing to give DOJ access to all drug war cases. Duterte invoked national security while insisting that the government has nothing to hide. "We have records that those who have died but who have derogatory records in our files and may mga references sila na tao (they have references of persons) and what they do, we cannot divulge it to anybody but only to the military and to the police," the President said during his talk to the nation on Monday. Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra assured the President the agency will keep in mind his national security concerns as they evaluate the drug war cases. 'Drug war docs don't involve national security' But in a 2018 resolution, the Supreme Court ruled that documents related to the government's war on drugs "do not obviously involve state secrets affecting national security." The high court said the information and documents include routine police operations involving violations of laws against the sale or use of illegal drugs. "It is simply ridiculous to claim that these information and documents on police operations against drug pushers and users involve national security matters so sensitive that even this Court cannot peruse these information and documents in deciding constitutional issues affecting the fundamental right to life and liberty of thousands of ordinary citizens." The Office of the Solicitor tried to block the submission of drug war documents citing national security. But the Supreme Court rejected it. Play it by ear Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said considering the President's concern on the release of the drug war files, they would be more careful in examining the records. "We will just make it a point to determine whether there is any national security concerned involved in each particular case." The Justice secretary confirmed 53 drug war case files have been delivered to the Justice Department Tuesday afternoon, with the exception of eight administration cases that the Philippine National Police-Internal Affairs Service (PNP-IAS) has yet to completely disposed of. "We shall immediately go over the contents of these files and decide how to proceed further," Guevarra said. Back in June 2020, Guevarra told the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) the Philippine government would create a panel that would look into the more than 5,000 deaths in the anti-drug campaign. In February, he revealed that law enforcers failed to follow protocols. "That in more than half of the records reviewed, the law enforcement agents involved failed to follow standard protocols pertaining to coordination with other agencies and processing of the crime scene," Guevarra said before the UNHRC. Guevarra said they have yet to decide whether to share drug files with the Commission on Human Rights. Should the DOJ decide to include cases of absolved police officers in its review, Eleazar pointed out he's open to it "as long as it will not violate data privacy laws." "Wala naman kaming dapat itago dito, the DOJ can access this as long as wala ngang prohibition, lalo na dun sa di pa narresolba, at ineembistagahan pa whether sa level ng IAS (Internal Affairs Service), or national appellate court." [Translation: We're not hiding anything here. The DOJ can access this as long as there is no prohibition, especially in cases that are yet to be resolved and being investigated whether at the level of IAS (Internal Affairs Service) or national appellate court.] Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 2) Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. announced Tuesday the government is expecting the arrival of additional vaccine doses from Sinovac and Pfizer next week. During a briefing, Galvez said one million Sinovac vaccine shots are seen to arrive on June 6, while another tranche will most likely arrive on June 11. As for the Pfizer vaccines, he said 2.2 million doses will arrive on June 11. These will be deployed in Metro Manila, Cebu, and Davao, Galvez noted. Galvez anticipates a steady vaccine supply from the World Health Organizations COVAX facility in the following months. Moreover, he adds that supply from AstraZeneca, Moderna, Sinovac, and Sputnik V will stabilize by July. Of the more than 8 million doses the country has received, some 5 million COVID-19 shots have been administered. The figure includes 1.2 million Filipinos who are now fully vaccinated. On the issue of expiring vaccines, the government said 85% of the 1.5 million AstraZeneca doses set to expire end-June have already been given as a first shot, while the remaining 15% will be used up next week. Latest data show that total number of COVID-19 cases in the country has reached 1,235,467, of which 53,203 are active or currently sick patients. (CNN) China's decision to allow families to have three children could produce a windfall for makers of strollers, car seats and baby formula. At least, that's what investors think. Stocks tied to baby products and maternity services soared in mainland China and Hong Kong on Monday after the Chinese government announced a major change to its family planning policy as the country tries to avert a demographic crisis. Shares of Goodbaby, which makes children's products, jumped 31% in Hong Kong. Suzhou Basecare Medical Co., which offers genetic testing for couples looking to undergo IVF, rose 15%. Jinxin Fertility Group, which provides assisted reproductive services, gained nearly 18%, while Aidigong Maternal & Child Health, which offers maternity health services, increased 22%. Beingmate, a major infant formula manufacturer, climbed 8% in Shenzhen. Goldlok Holdings, which makes electric trains and dolls, leaped 10%. Clothing maker Lancy was up 7%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng inched up 0.1% on Monday, while the Shenzhen Composite rose 1.1%. The Chinese Communist Party's top leadership made the decision to permit couples to have up to three children at a meeting Monday, though state media reports did not say when the policy change would be implemented. It comes just three weeks after Beijing published its 2020 census, which showed China's population was growing at its slowest rate in decades. That's putting major pressure on an economy that relies on a young workforce to support an aging population and keep up high levels of growth. China's one-child policy was in place for more than 35 years as Beijing tried to address overpopulation and alleviate poverty. In 2015, the Chinese government announced that it would loosen the restrictions to allow up to two children per family. But the reversal failed to raise the country's birth rate, which fell by almost 15% year-on-year in 2020. Laura He, Ben Westcott and Eric Cheung contributed reporting. This story was first published on CNN.com 'China's new three-child policy sends baby and maternity stocks soaring' (CNN) Severe acute childhood malnutrition in Haiti is expected to more than double this year as the country deals with rising violence, the coronavirus pandemic, and a lack of access to essential services, UNICEF, the United Nations' children's agency, said in a statement Monday. The agency warned that more than 86,000 Haitian children under five could be affected, compared with 41,000 last year. "In the hospitals, I was saddened to see so many children suffering from malnutrition. Some will not recover unless they receive treatment in time," said Jean Gough, UNICEF Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, after a weeklong visit to Haiti. "Without additional, urgent funding in the next few weeks, the life-saving treatment we are providing against malnutrition will be discontinued and some children will be at risk of dying," she added. UNICEF said that last year it was able to treat 33,372 acutely malnourished children across Haiti with the help of government and partners, by providing nutrition supplies and medicines. The agency warned it will run out of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) next month to treat acute malnutrition. It said it "urgently" needs $3 million to purchase essential supplies and medicine to carry out preventive and treatment programs. UNICEF also said acute malnutrition, which is somewhat less dangerous than severe acute malnutrition, has increased 61% in Haiti over the last year. An estimated 217,000 children under the age of five could suffer from acute malnutrition this year compared to 134,000 during the same period last year, UNICEF said. This story was first published on CNN.com Child malnutrition is spiking in Haiti amid pandemic, says UNICEF But thats about to change. The fire department and the City of Columbus will host a public open house from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 13, at the CFD headquarters so that the community at large can see the facility firsthand now that COVID-19 cases are going down and more people are getting vaccinated. I have been part of many conversations over the past year about what wonderful additions the new stations are. We want the community to be able to get in and see their new fire station, City Administrator Tara Vasicek said. We wish that we could do the same at the police station, but the level of security necessary in that facility is not conducive to an open house now that it is operational. I believe anyone who comes to the open house at the fire station will leave with an even greater sense of community pride because truly it would not exist without the community's support. Columbus Mayor Jim Bulkley said he has heard nothing but positive comments from residents and visitors about both stations, noting the fire departments location is a beautiful site for anyone who comes into town from the west side. The mayor said he believes it will be a great tool when it comes to the fire department providing services, its morale and recruitment. Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} For the first time in three years, Frankfort Square in downtown Columbus filled with American flags and community members paying their respects to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country. On Monday morning, local veteran organizations held a Memorial Day service at the park. The 2019 ceremony was rained out and subsequently held in the Hartman Post 84 American Legion building. Last year's services were canceled altogether due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Jim Costello, a past commander of the American Legion Department of Nebraska, shared the stories of veterans who were prisoners of war, some of whom didn't survive. One story included the story of one man named Wendy who grew up in Seward, Nebraska, and served in the Vietnam War. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy and later received an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy, Costello said. On Sept. 10, 1965, while flying an A-4E Skyhawk, the Attack Squadron 155 off of the USS 4OC witnessed his plane exploding over Vietnam. When ejected safely, those captured remained prisoners of war until he was released on Feb. 12, 1973. Wendy spent seven-and-a-half years in unimaginable conditions, Costello noted. Wendy died on March 9, 2009, and was buried in Seward. He received the Silver Star for his service. Cumberland County Judge Thomas Placey is off the bench as of Tuesday as part of the ongoing disciplinary case against him for alleged erratic and aggressive behavior. A motion made Friday by the Pennsylvania Judicial Conduct Board dropped some of the counts of the complaint against Placey, citing the fact that he would be retiring from his position on the Cumberland County Court of Common Pleas effective June 1. The motion to withdraw portions of the complaint was part of an agreement in which Placey offered to step down early, according to Richard Long, chief counsel for the conduct board. The board considered that request and deemed it to be an acceptable arrangement, Long said. Placey did not seek retention on the 2021 ballot, and would thus have been off the bench next year regardless. The counts of the complaint that were withdrawn Friday were those that charged that Placeys behavior had brought the judicial office into disrepute in violation of the Pennsylvania Constitution. The remainder of the counts against Placey, which do not invoke the disrepute clause of the state constitution, will continue to proceed through the Pennsylvania Court of Judicial Discipline. China's New Three-Child Policy -- Womb Police Still in Business NEWS PROVIDED BY Women's Rights Without Frontiers June 1, 2021 WASHINGTON, June 1, 2021 /Christian Newswire/ -- In an article entitled, "China Relaxes Family Planning Policy to Allow Couples to Have Three Children," a Chinese Communist Party-affiliated news outlet announced curtly today: China officially further relaxed its family planning policy, allowing couples to give birth to three children. The move aims to improve China's population structure and actively respond to the country's aging problem. This is a developing story. We will update it later. Reggie Littlejohn, Founder and President of Women's Rights Without Frontiers, issued the following Statement: China's move from a two-child policy to a three-child policy is nothing to celebrate. China should abolish all coercive population control. It is not the business of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to "allow" couples, or single women, to have children of whatever number. A three-child policy keeps the "womb police" in business. They will still be tracking women's fertility and birth, and punishing those who find themselves "illegally pregnant." According to a 2020 Radio Free Asia report, ". . . an average of 8 million 'extra' pregnancies are aborted in China each year." Since the new three-child policy applies to only "couples," single women will still be forcibly aborted, as will fourth children. These gross violations of women's rights and human rights must be stopped, effective immediately. Will the three-child policy apply only to Han Chinese, or will it also apply to the Uyghurs and other minorities in Xinjiang / East Turkistan? According to a report by the Associated Press, "Having too many children is a major reason people are sent to detention camps, the AP found, with the parents of three or more ripped away from their families unless they can pay huge fines." Under the new three-child policy, will the CCP immediately release any Uyghur parents detained because they have three children? A three-child policy will likely increase gendercide, the sex-selective abortion of baby girls. When the two-child policy was instituted, some couples who had a girl for their first child decided to have a second child but only if that second child would be a boy. In 2017, for example, shortly after the two-child policy was instituted, one woman's husband, who wanted their second child to be a boy, forced his wife to abort four girls in a year, and then she died. I am concerned that the gender of third children will be heavily skewed towards males, because the females will have been selectively aborted, due to deadly son preference. Most couples in China are not willing to have a second child of either gender, largely because of the expense. For this reason, China did not experience the baby boom it had expected when it moved to the two-child policy in 2016. Indeed, its birth rate has plummeted to the lowest in decades. It is facing a demographic crisis because of its rapidly aging population. The move to a three-child policy is too little, too late to avert this impending disaster. Why, then, is China retaining coercive population control of any kind? As I have long argued, the CCP will never end coercive population control, because coercive population control is keeping the CCP in place. It is social control, masquerading as population control. Terror is the purpose of the policy. The CCP is a brutal, totalitarian regime, responsible for multifarious human rights abuses. Coercive population control, however, is unique in that it touches each individual and community. The CCP maintains its terrifying grip on power by extending its arm from Beijing and inserting its hand into every womb to declare life or death over the beating heart inside. SOURCE Women's Rights Without Frontiers Related Links www.womensrightswithoutfrontiers.org CONTACT: Reggie Littlejohn, 310-592-5722, reggielittlejohn@gmail.com Share Tweet Press Release June 1, 2021 Bong Go assures poor and indigent patients of gov't aid for medical assistance as 116th Malasakit Center opens in Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center in Manila City As part of the government's commitment to serving particularly poor and indigent patients, Senator Christopher "Bong" Go personally attended the launch of the country's 116th Malasakit Center at the Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center in Manila City on Friday, May 28. The Malasakit Center is the 22nd established in Metro Manila and third in Manila City, aside from the Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital, which officially opened earlier that day, and the Philippine General Hospital. In his speech, Go recounted his experience in Davao City which provided him a better understanding of the health care needs of the poorest and most vulnerable. He acknowledged the financial strain that comes along with any health challenge and advised indigent patients to seek aid through the center for their medical needs. "Sa mga pasyente, lapitan niyo lang ang Malasakit Center dahil para ito sa inyo. Kung may bill kayo, nandiyan ang apat na ahensya ng gobyerno na tutulong para mabayaran ito. At kung may naiwang balanse, may iniwan rin na pondo ang Office of the President... ang target ay maging zero balance na kayo," began Go. The Malasakit Center is a one-stop shop which brings together under one roof all the national agencies from which patients may apply for assistance, namely the Department of Health, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office. The Senator principally authored and sponsored the measure that became Republic Act No. 11463 or the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019. The law directs the establishment of a Malasakit Center in every DOH-run hospital throughout the country and in the Philippine General Hospital. The primary aim of the program is to reduce to the lowest amount possible the balance of the hospital bills of those who seek its assistance by covering patient services and expenses, such as laboratories, medicines, surgeries, and operations "'Yan ang konsepto ng Malasakit Center. Para talaga ito sa mga poor at indigent patients. Nakikiusap ako sa hospital management na bigyan rin ng priority ang mga kababayan natin na senior citizens at may disabilities para mauna sila sa pila," he continued. "Okay lang kahit ubusin niyo ang pondo ng gobyerno basta huwag niyo lang pababayaan ang mga mahihirap na pasyente. Umaasa ako na patuloy na susuportahan ng susunod na administrasyon ang programa dahil more than two million Filipinos na rin ang natutulungan nito," added Go. He extended his gratitude to the hospital staff for their valuable contributions at this time and vowed, as the Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, to promote their welfare and defend their interests. To strengthen the country's health workforce, Go shared that the board exams for health graduates will now proceed in July after he urged National Task Force Against COVID-19 chief implementer and vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. to include the frontline personnel of the Professional Regulation Commission in the A4 priority group for vaccination. "Hindi mababayaran ang sakripisyo ninyo sa panahong ito. Kaunting tiis lang. Alam namin na hirap kayo pero kayo ang inaasahan ng bansa sa giyerang ito laban sa COVID-19. Nandidito ako sa likod niyo bilang inyong committee chair. Ipaglalaban ko ang kapakanan ng mga frontliners sa abot ng aking makakaya. Kaya huwag kayong mag-atubiling lumapit sa akin," he reassured. In line with this, Go encouraged all members of the top priority groups to get vaccinated so that the government can proceed to inoculating the wider population. He reminded everyone to continue to comply with the health and safety protocols until the country has safely achieved herd immunity. "Magtiwala kayo sa bakuna. Ito ang tanging susi upang ma-achieve natin ang herd immunity at makabalik tayo sa normal natin na pamumuhay. Pagkatapos ng mga frontiners, susunod ang mga senior citizens at may comorbidities, at yung mga pinaka-vulnerable sa sakit... Sa susunod na buwan, ibubukas na rin natin ang rollout sa A4 at A5 priority groups o ang mga essential workers at indigent citizens para mas mabuksan na natin ang ekonomiya," said Go. Meanwhile, Go's team distributed meals, food packs, vitamins, masks and face shields to a total of 2,000 medical frontliners after the ceremony. They gave selected recipients who commute to work new pairs of shoes or bicycles while others received computer tablets for their children's school activities. Moreover, personnel from the DSWD also provided each frontliner with financial assistance. The same forms of assistance were likewise extended to 200 indigent patients. The Senator went on to thank the many individuals who worked hard to make the launch possible and ensure the poorest and most vulnerable have access to health care. Among those present during the activity were Secretary Michael Lloyd Dino of the Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas, DOH Undersecretary Roger Tong-an, Assistant Secretary Girlie Veloso of the Office of President, DOH Asec. Charade Grande, 3rd District Representative John Marvin Nieto, and Medical Center Chief Emmanuel Montana Jr. Go has also supported the funding of various infrastructure projects in Manila City including the structural improvement of public buildings and construction of evacuation centers near the Department of Justice compound, and the construction of various multipurpose buildings in the city. "Huwag po kayo mawalan ng pag-asa dahil hindi namin kayo pababayaan ni Pangulong Duterte at ng gobyernong ito. Walang tigil po ang serbisyo namin lalo na para sa kapakanan ng mahihirap nating mga kababayan," Go said. South Middleton supervisors agreed in August 2020 to amend the townships existing zoning ordinance to initiate a new zoning district, a goal listed in a township comprehensive plan that was completed earlier that year. Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} The new town center zone was approved by the board last year specifically for the Walnut Bottom corridor located in the townships northeast quadrant that runs from Interstate 81 to the north and Carlisle Family YMCAs Rockledge Drive fields to the south, between Allen Road and Holly Pike. The township commissioned Michael Baker International in July 2019 to develop a master plan for the corridor that was completed in February 2020. The plan was developed to offer guidance on land use, marketing and infrastructure improvements in the area. At a public hearing prior to the boards zoning action last year, Vastgood representatives said they would file a requested amendment to the town districts zoning definition As initially amended, town center zoning prohibited drive-thru facilities and parking in front of buildings, but the township would consider alternate parking designs if developers prove a need for pedestrian or bicycle safety. The inaugural harvest of genetically modified salmon has finally begun after the pandemic delayed the sale of the first such altered animal to be cleared for human consumption in the United States, company officials said. Several tons of salmon, engineered by biotech company AquaBounty Technologies Inc., are now headed to restaurants and away-from-home dining services where labeling as genetically engineered is not required in the Midwest and along the East Coast, company CEO Sylvia Wulf said. Thus far, the only customer to announce it is selling the salmon is Samuels and Son Seafood, a Philadelphia-based seafood distributor. AquaBounty has raised its faster-growing salmon at an indoor aquaculture farm in Albany, Indiana. The fish are genetically modified to grow twice as fast as wild salmon, reaching market size 8 to 12 pounds in 18 months rather than 36. The Massachusetts-based company originally planned to harvest the fish in late 2020. Wulf attributed delays to reduced demand and market price for Atlantic salmon spurred by the pandemic. But Lee also described opposition among independent voters to Trump-aligned candidates as a brick wall with a couple layers of thickness to it. Whats an asset in a primary could potentially be a liability in the fall, Lee said. It was no mistake, perhaps, that the first attack Parnell faced from GOP rival Jeff Bartos was to try to fray his ties to Trump. The Bartos campaign quickly spooled out a Parnell missive on Twitter from 2016, when he criticized Trumps refusal to release his taxes. Asked about it, Parnell said he thought Trump could inoculate himself from that line of attack if he had. Parnell had campaigned for U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida in the presidential primary that year, but his criticism didn't stop when Rubio dropped out. For instance, Parnell retweeted a headline saying Trump wouldn't disavow support from David Duke or the KKK. Parnell commented, I suppose I should be surprised but I'm not." In another, he criticized Trump's embrace of Russian President Vladimir Putin. As of 12:01 a.m. Monday on Memorial Day, the state has lifted all COVID-19 restrictions except masking. For the first time since March 2020 there will be no limits on capacity or distancing in Pennsylvanias restaurants, business, offices or other venues such as bars, stores, salons, gyms, theaters or nightclubs. The change means all businesses can open their doors to as many people as they choose at 100% capacity, and crowd-size limits will be lifted on all indoor and outdoor gatherings. The Wolf administrations current order requiring masks for unvaccinated and partially vaccinated individuals remains in place until June 28 or when 70% of Pennsylvanians age 18 and older get their second dose of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, whichever comes first. We have made great strides throughout the commonwealth to stop the spread of COVID-19, Gov. Tom Wolf said about the easing of restrictions. Cleaning, sanitizing, and distancing mandates for business owners will also be lifted, though the Department of Health encourages all to follow CDC guidance. Schools no longer will be required to report their coronavirus prevention measures to the state either. A child drowned while swimming in an Iron County waterway over the Memorial Day weekend. According to a Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) drowning report, a 6-year-old boy was swimming in Big Creek on Saturday. The boy was from Fairview Heights, Illinois. The report states child entered the water, went under, and was located a short time later. After the boy was found, life-saving measures were performed but were unsuccessful. The victim was transported to Iron County Medical Center, where he was pronounced deceased at 4:36 p.m. The drowning accident reportedly happened in an area of Big Creek located one-quarter mile east of Highway 49 in Vulcan. A one-vehicle accident left two people injured early Tuesday morning, outside Park Hills, at the border of St. Francois and Ste. Genevieve counties. According to the MSHP crash reports, James Cochran, 51, of Barnhart, was driving a 2007 Chevrolet Malibu, with passenger Jeffery Henson, 47, of De Soto, westbound on Three Rivers Road early Tuesday morning. Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} The report states that, at 1:30 a.m., Cochran lost control of the car, which then crossed Hillsboro Road and struck a ditch. "There were some other bills that were passed this year," Francis said. "I might as well start with the one I'm getting beat up the most on, the gas tax I voted for." Francis said the gas tax, which passed, is a 2.5 cent tax accumulated to 12.5 cents over the next five years. He said the tax is refundable on your income tax returns if you wish to save your receipts. "The first year it'll cost you between $12 and $15 and over the course of about five years somewhere about $70 or $90, based on the average amount of miles driven," Francis said. "Madison County and Bollinger County were the two in particular who have a lot of gravel roads and needs on some of that." Francis said 15% of the tax will go to cities, 15% will go to counties and the remaining 70% will go to the state with 100% of the funds being used for roads and bridges. Another tax that passed was the Wayfair sales tax, making Missouri the 50th state to do so. Francis said this tax will help mom and pop shops be able to compete with the online marketplace. It will collect taxes from online shopping based on the zip code of the purchaser. Bone said the online services were a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to impact people like we have never done before in a comfortable, inviting way. Because of the virus and stipulations that have gone with it, we have been able to make a difference. The impact of the churchs online services was huge; many viewers had never gone to a church anywhere and connected with FUMC members. People were reminded of hope, inspiration and that they were not alone. As a pastor, Im so thankful for this church and that we operate from the perspective of working together, said Bone. The people in our church help me remember the truth in this. The joy and excitement of it is working together. The ministry is something we do together. The Daily Journal wrote a story about FUMC and Bones desire to connect with their congregation during the pandemic. After the story appeared in the Daily Journal, it was picked up by Lee Enterprises newspapers nationwide. Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Fast forward nearly a year later, Bone received a call from Gateway Regional District Superintendent Linda Harris to inform him that he had received the prestigious Denman Clergy Award for Evangelism. On May 27, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Missouri State Parks and the City of Sedalia celebrated the completion of the Katy Trail connector that closes the gap of approximately three miles of Katy Trail State Park through Sedalia. The $2.1 million infrastructure project connects the Katy Trail from Griessen Road to the Katy Trail Depot. The connector replaces the 3.25-mile street route taken by Katy Trail users since 2001 when the trail opened in Sedalia. This connection project is a true representation of what can be accomplished through partnerships, said Missouri Department of Natural Resources Director Carol Comer. The City of Sedalia, Katy Trail Sedalia Inc. and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources have worked together on the project design, financing and construction. The project has two sections. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources constructed the first 1.5-mile section from Griessen Road to Boonville Road on department-owned land. The second section of the project is approximately 1.5 miles of newly constructed trail that connects Boonville Road to the Katy Trail depot in Sedalia. Vanuatu turns the Corner LETS USE THIS AS A SPRINGBOARD FOR THE FUTURE Press Release June 1, 2021 Bong Go lauds signing of Height Equality Act as he hopes for the measure to further strengthen law enforcement and protection against criminality, fires, and other threats Senator Christopher "Bong" Go lauded President Rodrigo Duterte for signing Republic Act No. 11549 which modifies the minimum height requirements for applicants to the Philippine National Police, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, Bureau of Fire Prevention, and the Bureau of Corrections. Go said that he hopes for the measure to help augment and strengthen the country's law enforcement and firefighting forces, and other first-responders in times of emergencies and calamities. "I want to commend President Rodrigo Duterte for signing this measure that modifies the minimum height requirement for PNP, BJMP, BFP, and BuCor personnel," Go said. "Malaking tulong po ito upang mapalakas at mapatatag ang ating mga kapulisan, bumbero at iba pang first-responders pagdating ng oras ng sakuna," he added. Senate Bill No. 1563, filed by Senator Ronald dela Rosa and co-authored by Go, lowers the height requirement to 1.57 meters or five feet and two inches for males, and to 1.52 meters or five feet for females who wish to enter said law enforcement agencies and become uniformed personnel. Waiving the height requirement for applicants belonging to indigenous groups, on the other hand, will be retained. Aside from its intended purpose, Go said that the new law will give Filipino citizens more opportunities to serve the country. "Marami pong lumalapit sa akin kahit noong hindi pa ako Senador. Nagpapatulong para ma-waive o mabawasan ang minimum height requirement sa pagiging pulis at bumbero," Go said in his past statements. "Marami pong gustong magsilbi sa kapwa tao, kailangan lang po natin silang bigyan ng oportunidad na tumulong at magserbisyo," he added. Go has repeatedly expressed his appreciation for the country's law enforcement officers, commending how they were able to rebuild and improve their reputation in the public eye due to their discipline and integrity. "Makikita niyo ngayon, ang mga pulis, ginagalang at nirerespeto na. Suportado namin kayong lahat ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte. Sa abot ng aming makakaya, tutulong kami sa inyo bilang pagkilala sa inyong mga sakripisyo para mapangalagaan ang kapakanan ng mga Pilipino," Go said previously. "Nang umupo ang ating Pangulo sa Malacanang, inatupag niya kaagad na madoble ang sahod ng mga miyembro ng Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, Bureau of Fire Protection at iba pang kaugnay na ahensiya," he also said. "Ako po mismo ang nakiusap nito sa Kongreso noong Special Assistant to the President pa lamang ako upang mapatupad ang salary increase na ito para sa ating mga uniformed personnel na ipinangako ng Pangulo," he added. Go also shared that he has filed a measure to provide free legal assistance to police and military officers, explaining that law enforcers sometimes hesitate to implement the full force of the law, fearing harassment from powerful personalities who may file cases against them in connection with the performance of their official duties. "Kailangan din nating pagbutihin ang lahat na suportang legal na ibinibigay ng pamahalaan sa kapulisan upang mabigyan sila ng lakas ng loob na gampanan ang kanilang tungkulin, basta sa tamang paraan na naaayon sa batas," he said. Go, in July of last year, filed Senate Bill No. 393, otherwise known as An Act Providing Free Legal Assistance to Any Officer or Enlisted Personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police on Any Charge Before the Prosecutor's Office, Court or Any Competent Body Arising from an Incident or Incidents Related to the Performance of Official Duty. The Senator also previously shared that "the long-term modernization plans of the PNP and AFP are being implemented as scheduled." Go, who has been going around the country to help victims of fire incidents prior to the pandemic, is also pushing for the modernization of the BFP and the strengthening of the country's fire prevention campaign and information drive as he seeks to better safeguard Filipinos from hazards, such as fires and other similar incidents. The Senator filed in July last year SBN 204 or the "Act Strengthening and Modernizing the Bureau of Fire Protection, Providing Funds Therefor, and for Other Purposes" which aims to enhance the BFP's capability to protect people and properties from destructive fires. The bill will also mandate, among others, monthly fire and disaster awareness information drives, particularly in informal settlements and economically depressed areas. A Bicameral Conference meeting was held last Monday, May 24, to reconcile versions of the proposed measure prior to submission to the President by Congress. Meanwhile, the Senate recently approved on second reading 13 local hospital bills which Go sponsored as Chair of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography. "Nitong nakaraang linggo, 13 na Local Hospital Bills ang naipasa natin sa second reading sa Senado. Ipinaglaban ko at pinaghirapang maipasa ang mga ito para sa kapakanan ng mga mahihirap nating kababayan," he said. "Para sa akin, walang tulog ang pagseserbisyo. Nagtatrabaho ako 24/7, kahit anong oras at araw pa 'yan. Basta tama at sang-ayon sa polisiya, ayaw kong may papatay-patay sa trabaho dahil sa bawat oras na sinasayang natin, buhay ng ating mga kababayan ang nakasalalay rito," he added The vehicles are expected to help address coverage challenges and provide faster service delivery. Photo: Ministry of Health. Atkins was preceded by Superintendent Scottie Griffin, who resigned shortly into her tumultuous tenure. With that, Atkins initial task was to provide stability for the division. Before Atkins, the division had five superintendents in the 1990s and early 2000s. Gillaspie said she started by rallying school and division staff around the idea of taking control of the narrative. This idea that we know who we are, and what we are and the dedication we have to the kids thats the story, he said. It was great. She really pulled it off. We started telling our own story again and felt more in control of our future. One key change that Gillaspie and others highlighted about Atkins early tenure was a shift to a more consistent curriculum and pacing guides across the elementary schools that aligned to state standards. The common pacing guides meant that if a student moved from one elementary school to another during the year that they wouldnt miss much, if anything, in terms of the lessons taught. Daphne Keiser, director of educator quality for the Albemarle County school division, was a principal at Burnley-Moran Elementary during Atkins first years as superintendent. Keiser said those pacing guides provided more consistency throughout the school system. When we had the hard shutdown in March, people were not able to get in to complete their schoolwork, to do those job applications, to get the materials they needed to help their kids in school, he said. So we tried to spin things up as fast as we could, because we were hearing from people that the libraries are an essential part of their lives and that without it, they cant meet the needs of their family. Tier 1, which amounts to a full reopening of the library system, is the next step. That move and operations beyond the pandemic will be informed by lessons learned over the last year. All branches began offering a form of contactless pickup via curbside or drive-thru options, a service Plunkett said will most likely continue. Ive seen libraries that are putting exterior lockers out, so you can come up at midnight and put in a code and get your materials out, he said. So were looking at ways to extend the walls of our services while the buildings arent open because people are used to accessing services when the buildings arent open. Additionally, the library saw success with its virtual programming, including a talk with author Jacqueline Woodson as part of the Virginia Festival of the Book that more than 700 people attended, and learned how to reach new audiences. WASHINGTON (AP) The Senates top Republican on Tuesday linked Democrats efforts to make it easier to sue police officers to problems many law enforcement agencies are having recruiting and retaining personnel, drawing a hard line on the thorniest divide between bargainers seeking compromise on legislation revamping police procedures. The remarks by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., suggested it would be difficult to win crucial Republican votes for a deal erasing the protection that individual officers generally have from civil lawsuits. The Democratic-run House approved legislation earlier this year ending that shield, and many Democrats and social justice groups want its elimination included in any agreement. Speaking to a group that included police officers at an event in Owensboro, Kentucky, McConnell said their job often involves physical confrontations like breaking up fights. If every single one of these incidents becomes a potential personal lawsuit, I'm not going to ask for a show of hands but I'm not sure any of you guys are going to want to do what you do. I mean, how could you recruit?" he said. RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Democrats who have transformed Virginia at whiplash speed over the past two years will be defending their full control of the statehouse this fall. But first, they are trying to get an usually high number of House incumbents past primary challenges. Fourteen House Democrats are spending and organizing against challenges from their own party this year, compared with only three Republican incumbents. Like somebody that drinks too many Red Bulls, too much energy is not always healthy for the party, said Albert Pollard, a former Democratic House delegate who went on to say he thinks the vast majority of incumbents will hold on. Several factors seem to be driving the surge in primary challengers, which is far higher this year than any other since at least 1999, according to the nonpartisan Virginia Public Access Project. Some observers say its just an appealing time to be a Democratic candidate. David Toscano, the former Democratic minority leader, said he toiled in the wilderness for years trying to find good candidates when the partys membership was in the 30s out of 100 seats. A spokesman for the Virginia Department of Veteran Services estimated that more than 800 people attended in person and thousands more watched the livestream from WTVR. A Vietnam War-era Marine Corps veteran herself, May said she wasnt sure that she would come to the Memorial Day ceremony this year until a friend, Katie Suttles, gave her the pillow that she held in her lap Monday. She said she knew then that she had to come. I knew they were going to announce my sons name for the first time today, May said. My son was so proud that his father and I served; he just had to follow. Donald C. May Sr. was awarded a Bronze Star, two Purple Hearts and the Navy Cross for his service as a Marine in Vietnam. Donald May Jr. left behind five children one of whom he never met, as his wife was pregnant when he deployed, his mother said. His name and three others were added during the past year to Virginia War Memorials glass panels that overlook the James River: Army Pfc. Richard J. Harris of Henrico County, who was killed in action in Korea; Army Staff Sgt. Ben Maxwell of Appomattox County, who was killed in the 1983 bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Beirut; and Army Capt. Humayun S.M. Khan of Bristow, a University of Virginia graduate who was killed in action in Iraq. Press Release June 1, 2021 Pangilinan's 3 solutions for post-Covid economic recovery: Buy Filipino plus cash aid for ease credit for small entrepreneurs GOVERNMENT must feed the soil that is the Philippine economy so that micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) who make up 99 percent of registered businesses may thrive, Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan said Tuesday. "Sa farming, may kasabihan, you feed the soil, not the plant. In this case, government must feed the soil that is the Philippine economy so that we can have an economic ecosystem of thriving enterprises," Pangilinan said. In a privilege speech delivered Tuesday entitled, "Feeding the economic soil by buying Filipino," Pangilinan emphasized that the government must be able to match the Filipino entrepreneur's toughness and adaptability by providing MSMEs-friendly programs and policies. Called the "backbone of the economy," the 99 percent of the 1.42 nine-tenths are microenterprises, the senator said, citing data from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). "But with the challenges they face, it will not simply take a village, but collective institutional action to help our MSMEs overcome these hurdles arising from the Covid-19 pandemic and rally toward recovery. Our proposed solutions include one: Boost our 'Buy Pinoy, Buy Local' campaign to promote locally-produced, locally-made, and locally-assembled products," he said. According to the Asian Development Bank, an average of 73.1 percent MSMEs were forced to close business following the COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent quarantine classifications. "Ang pinaka-apekatado, ang maliliit, 76.4 percent, at ang nasa services, food, resto, hotel, 72.7 percent. Pito sa bawat sampung maliliit na negosyo ang nagsara," Pangilinan said, stressing the contributions of small businesses to local economic activity by generating jobs and injecting capital that supports other local businesses. BUY LOCAL In an effort to support local businesses, Pangilinan highlights provisions in the Procurement Law for government agencies to locally source articles, raw materials, and other supplies. "We introduced Special Provision Number 8 in the DTI budget during the period of amendments that there should be preference for locally-made and locally-assembled products among companies registered with the Board of Investments and the Philippine Economic Zone Authority," he said. As of delivering the speech, government agencies are yet to provide an update on the approval of the implementing rules for Special Provision Number 8. Pangilinan earlier raised questions on why the government is not patronizing locally-made PPEs whose industry had to lay off about 4,000 workers due to lack of demand for local PPEs. Section 4 (t) of Bayanihan 2 said that PPEs procured essentially to those that need protection by the national government through the Department of Health: "Provided, that preference and incentives shall be given to medical safety products that are locally manufactured." Pangilinan said that the government can easily jump-start the economy by buying Filipino. "Malinaw ang nakasulat sa batas, pero mismong local manufacturers pa natin ang nagmamakaawa para ipatupad ito. Last year, it was revealed that DBM contracts procuring millions of PPEs were mostly from Chinese companies. Ano ba ang meron sa China na wala sa ating mga lokal na industriya at masyadong addicted ang DoH sa mga produkto nito? Why is there a preference for Chinese companies over our local manufacturers?" he said. EXTEND BAYANIHAN 2, PROVIDE CASH AID AND CREDIT FOR MSMEs With the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act or Bayanihan 2 expiring on June 30, 2021, Pangilinan bats for its extension until the end of the year so that MSMEs may still be able to access funds and credit. Citing the transportation sector as an example, Pangilinan said that the Department of Transportation has only so far used 40 million pesos (or less than 1 percent) of its 5.58-billion-peso budget for its Service Contracting Program, reaching only 9,000 drivers. Of the 10 billion pesos allotted for MSMEs under Bayanihan 2 DTI-Small Business Corporation's Covid-19 Assistance to Restart Enterprises (CARES) program, only 3.38 billion pesos in loans were approved for 28,000 borrowers. However, only 2.78 billion pesos have so far been released, reaching only 23,141 borrowers. "Buy Filipino. Payamanin ang kababayan nating magsasaka, mangingisda, sapatero, maging mga gumagawa ng PPE, at kung anu-ano pa. Sa bawat pagtangkilik ng produktong Pilipino, may tinutulungan tayong magsasaka, mangingisda, manggagawa at pamilyang Pilipino," Pangilinan said. The privilege speech was referred to the Senate Committee of Trade. Its Prime Minister Violeta Bermudez told a press conference that the figure was changed from 69,342 on Sunday to 180,764 on Monday following advice from a panel of Peruvian and international experts, and it covers coronavirus-related deaths between March 1, 2020 to May 21, 2021. "It [is] our duty to make the updated information public, not only as part of our commitment to transparency, but also to comply with our obligations as a state," Bermudez added. China partially seals off city after new Covid-19 cluster Chinese authorities have locked down two areas in China's Guangzhou city, northwest of Hong Kong, after 21 locally-transmitted Covid-19 cases and five asymptomatic infections were reported in the district since May 21. All public venues within the two areas in Liwan district are closed, and people are prohibited from entering and exiting. Daily necessities are delivered to residents by local community workers, according to a statement by the district government. The first case in this cluster was a 75-year-old woman who tested positive for the variant first identified in India. The woman did not have a travel history but was believed to be connected to an imported case, the government said. Opinion: Why I'm grateful I lost my parents before India's horrific Covid-19 surge Mr. Lukashenko has begun to pick off prominent opponents still at large. In April, his former spokesman, Alexander Feduta, who had joined the opposition movement, was detained in Moscow and taken back to Minsk, where he has been charged with trying to organize a coup. The international community must do everything possible to keep a spotlight on the case of Mr. Protasevich, and the hundreds of other detainees facing uncertain fates in Minsk prisons. But its response must also be commensurate with the wider implications of an act of aviation piracy. As the Irish foreign minister, Simon Coveney, has furiously observed, this was an act of aggression on an Irish airline, a plane thats registered in Poland, full of EU nationals, travelling between two EU capitals. A line has been crossed. As one recent study has noted, authoritarian governments have become increasingly proactive in silencing protest beyond their borders, using methods of transnational repression ranging from online harassment and intimidation to abduction and assassination. The Warsaw offices of the Telegram channels for which Mr. Protasevich works operate under police protection after repeated bomb threats. The effective hijacking of flight FR4978, and what happens next, will be observed with acute interest from Beijing to Riyadh. Tamil Nadu: No hike in ban relief disappoints fishermen, Oppn June 01,2021 | Source: Daily Thanthi Next Former chief minister J Jayalalithaa increased the compensation for fishing ban period from Rs 500 to Rs 5,000. Before elections, Stalin promised to increase the compensation from Rs 5,000 to Rs 8,000, but announced the same Rs 5,000 as fishing ban period compensation. DMK never delivers what it promises, said former fisheries minister D Jayakumar. During the fishing ban period, fishermen are given Rs 5,000 per head for the entire ban period of nearly 61 days and there were continuous demands from the fishing community to increase the compensation. COVID-19 along with the recent cyclones have further toughened the lives of fishermen. The state should provide at least Rs 15,000 for ban period and to bring back the damaged boats, said P Justin Antony, founder president, International Fishermen Development Trust. Another concern for fishermen this year is the cyclones. Due to the recent Cyclone Tauktae many of the Kanniyakumari fishermen are still struck in states such as Karnataka and Maharashtra and their boats have been damaged. The process of repairing boats is on and it will take another week to 10 days for their return which will coincide with the commencement of fishing ban period on western coast, he said. He also said that if the ban period is postponed to June 15, fishermen will be able to return to their native places. When asked about the demands, a Fisheries Department official, on request of anonymity, said that the decision to postpone fishing ban period cannot be taken by state as it should be taken by the Centre and jointly by other states in western coast. Regarding increase in relief, the announcement should be made by the CM, he added. 2021, Daily Thanthi. Maharashtra: Fishermen complain about oil spill around stranded barge June 01,2021 | Source: Daily Pioneer Twelve days after cyclone Tauktae wreaked havoc in and around the ONGCs Mumbai High oil fields as it passed to Gujarat, oil spill has been reported by local fishermen along the Palghar coast in Maharashtra, from one of the barges that ran aground. Having noticed the oil spill around GAL Constructor that got stuck in the rocky shores of Vadrai, the local fishermen have reported the matter to the Satpati coastal police station. Vadrai Machimar Sarvodaya Society chairman and a member of Maharashtra Machhimar Kruti Samiti Manendra Arekar, has flagged the issue, said: We estimate that is at least 80,000 litres of diesel, besides large quantities of lubricants and grease on board the barge. It is 12 days since the barge ran aground, no agency concerned has turned up here to remove diesel and oil board the barrage. As a result, diesel and oil are leaking in a big way from the barrage into the sea. We have already noticed an oil spill in the water around the stranded barrage. We anticipate a big ecological problem in the days to come. Till July 31, the Maharashtra government has imposed a ban on fishing in the area, because of the south west monsoon As a consequence a lot of fishermen depend on fishing in the water along the shores. Already some people have started complaining about the smell in the fish that we catch along the shore. Before long, the oil spill will affect the fish in the area. If no steps are taken to address the oil spill issue, the livelihoods of fishermen in the area will be severely affected. Hence, I appeal to the state government and other authorities to remove diesel and oil on board the barge immediately and also do something about the oil spill in the area, Arekar said. On their part, the local fishermen have already reported the matter to the Satpati coast police station which has in turn reached out to the contractors and owners of the barge for containment oil spill in the area. In a related development, reacting to the concerns expressed by the local fishermen about the oil spill in their area, the Indian Coast Guard said that the barge was carrying 78,000 litres of "high flash high speed diesel" and not crude oil. "No breach of the oil tank is reported... Afcons Infrastructure Ltd has arranged M/s Seacare which has laid a 400 mts boom around the barge while M/s Shree Krishna is undertaking hull repairs. Besides, M/s Smith & Coy has been hired for removal of the vessel, the ICG said. The ICG said that its Guard helicopters had reported "silvery oil sheen" of 50 meters width. "No oil spill has been reported on shore now and continuous liaison has been maintained with agent of GAL Constructor," an ICG spokesperson said Sorbent pads have been laid along the boom. It will be recovered with binge oil with the help of fishing boats," the spokesperson said. Of the total 350 floating and fixed assets in the Mumbai High region, five were affected in the cyclone that passed the Maharashtra coast on May 17. The five floating vessels comprised Papaa-305, n accommodation barge with 261 persons on board, GAL Constructor barge with 176 persons on board, its anchor handling vessel Varaprada with 13 persons on board, drill ship Sagar Bhushan with 101 persons on board and construction barge Support Station with 202 persons on board. A total of 714 persons were on board these vessels of which 628 were saved while 86 lost their lives. The deceased oil workers were from Papaa-305 and Varaprada. All those on board the GAL Constructor were rescued by Indian Navy and Coast Guard. 2021 The Pioneer. Sri Lanka: To fix transponders to monitor 4,200 ocean going boats June 01,2021 | Source: Economy Next Sri Lanka will fix transports in 4,200 multi-day ocean going boats to track them trough a vessel monitoring system, using a grant from Australia, which has been trying to stop boat people from migrating informally. The cabinet had cleared the procurement of the equipment by International Organization on Migrants utilizing a grant of Australian Dollars 5.38 million granted by the Home Affairs Department of Australia, the government said. In 2015 Sri Lanka had fixed transponders in 1,250 tuna boats under Indian Ocean Tuna Commission rules. Apart from those vessels those equipment should be affixed to another 4200 such multi day fishing vessels, the statement said. Sri Lanka began a satellite based vessel monitoring system shortly after a the European Union slapped a fish import ban. 2021 Echelon Media (PVT) Ltd. West Bengal: Dead fish, flooded fields, submerged homes in cyclone-ravaged Sunderbans, fight for life and livelihood June 01,2021 | Source: The Indian Express Why is God so angry with us? asked Manik Pradhan, pointing to the vast tracts of cropland inundated with dead fish floating around, as nearby ponds have overflown with saline water breaching the embankments. Picking up a large dead catla fish, which would have fetched anywhere between Rs 1,000-1,500 in the wholesale markets of Kolkata, Pronab Mondal said, Our condition is also like this fish, it died as saline water entered the pond and we are as good as dead after back-to-back disasters. First, it was cyclone Amphan, then COVID and now, Yaas. Jana and Mondal are among thousands of people living in the Namkhana block one of the worst-affected in the Sunderbans region in West Bengals South 24 Parganas district who have lost their homes and livelihoods due to the cyclone. Jana, who lives in the Narayanpur village, was planning to cast the roof of his house this summer with the grant provided by the government. I started working on the house last year, completed the structure and got the first tranche of Rs 60,000. A few weeks back, I bought the construction materials and hoped to cast the roof but then the cyclone hit. Everything got washed away, he said. I planted brinjal and sponge gourd this season. Everything is destroyed. I dont know what will we do for the next one year, he said, trying hard to hold back his tears. The highway, which leads to Namkhana and ends at the beach in Bakkhali, was lined with trucks and pick-up vans that came from far and wide with relief materials the efforts led mostly by community clubs. Tapas Banerjee was part of one such group that came with dry food and other relief materials all the way from Asansol, around 300 km away. We collected relief materials from the people of our area in Burnpur and came here. As part of Nababikash Club, we try to help people throughout the year. Besides, we have given Rs 1 lakh to the state government for the relief efforts, he said, managing a large queue of people that had gathered for packets of puffed rice, flattened rice and baby food, among others. At first, we went to Mousuni Island. What we saw there was horrific nothing was left. The tourist camps have been swept away. Seawater entered the water bodies where prawns were cultivated, killing all the produce. Dont really know how these people will survive, Banerjee said, as someone nearby prompted, We bought 15 kg prawn on our way back at Rs 150 a kg. We couldnt resist, prawns of this size would usually cost Rs 600-650 per kg. Mousuni Island, which has become a popular camping destination over the years, is the most-affected of the seven panchayat areas in Namkhana, Block Development Officer Shantanu Singha Thakur told PTI. The population of the block is around 2 lakh as per the 2011 Census and almost 50 per cent of the population is affected. More than the cyclone, the astronomical tide caused by the full moon that day has impacted the area. It is now under control and we are working round the clock, he said. We shifted 62,000 people to rescue centres ahead of the cyclone following all COVID protocols. We are operating 162 community kitchens at present to provide cooked food twice a day, and also giving them snacks, Thakur said. Thakurs office, the field station for the rescue and relief efforts, was also under water till two days back. Most parts of the complex were still inundated with officers often stumbling upon fish such as koi and shoal. In the last one week, we barely had time to make out whether its day or night outide. We have been working, eating and napping here, said an officer, pointing to the makeshift bed in his cabin. We are trying to reach out to people with all the help as fast as possible. Hopefully, the situation will improve as Mora Kotal or low tidal variation has set in, he said, refusing to be named as he was not authorised to speak to the media. Overhearing the conversation, a man who worked at the BDO office said, You should have asked him why is there such a situation every time? Why couldnt the embankments be made of concrete? They will build mud embankments every year and those will be breached. What is the use? We will continue to live like this throughout our lives it seems, he said before rushing out to help an officer with some work. Outside the complex, a truck stood with a machine that was churning out drinking water pouches. If operated from 7 am to 11 pm, it can produce 80-90,000 pouches of 200 ml each. It has come all the way from Burdwan, said the supervisor as he kept a log and prodded the workers to ensure zero wastage. Besides, 2,000-litre tankers are being sent to the villages on motor-operated vans as a drinking water crisis has engulfed the area. Shibshankar Mondal, who drives one such van, said though the job was painstaking, it gave him some satisfaction that he was helping people who are facing such hardships. I live in Kakdwip block and my house is also under water. But, I could manage to save my van, said Mondal, who otherwise ferries people. These tanks are used during the Gangasagar Mela, and were lying in the store. Its good that someone thought about using it now, he said, adding that he was being paid Rs 1,500 per day along with sufficient petrol a boon given that he earned Rs 700-800 a day earlier, but that stopped owing to the lockdown. Thakur said drinking water was being provided to 60-70 per cent of the area, as the tube wells were damaged due to the saline water. I wont say that allegations over the embankments are absolutely false. The work is done by the Irrigation Department. We have raised the issue with them. The fact is, a cyclone has hit the area every six months in the last three years; so we couldnt get the minimum time for implementing a long-term solution, he said. However, the department has been told that new embankments should sustain for long. Also, apart from the breaches, the tidal waves were so huge that water overflowed into the villages. The tidal waves were around 12-13 feet high, and to deal with that, we need to build embankments as high as the Great Wall of China, the BDO said. Towards the end of the highway at Bakkhali sea beach, around 25 km away, a few shops selling cold drinks and cigarettes had mounds of sand to fend with. The sea waves almost touched the shops one kilometre away. See the mounds of sand inside the fridge. I dont know how to clean this, and the machine has now stopped working. I invested Rs 20,000 for the fridge. If it becomes non-functional, what will I do? said one of the shopkeepers, as he got busy with a group from Bhangore that went to the beach to bath, after distributing relief materials. Press Release June 1, 2021 Senate thanks US for the return of Balangiga Bells The Senate on Tuesday, June 1, 2021, thanked the United States for the return of Balangiga Bells after more than a century since the American soldiers took the three bells from Balangiga town, Eastern Samar. The Senate adopted Senate Resolution No. (SRN) 653 "expressing the profound gratitude of the Senate of the Philippines for the return by the United States government of the bells and recognizing the efforts of those who facilitated its return." Sen. Richard Gordon authored the resolution, with Senators Cynthia Villar, Risa Hontiveros, Ramon Bong Revilla, Joel Villanueva and Imee Marcos made co-authors. On December 11, 2018, a US military plane carrying the historic bells arrived in the country, exactly 117 years after these were taken by US soldiers as war trophies. The bells were then returned to San Lorenzo de Martir Parish Church in Balangiga, Eastern Samar four days later. The US government agreed to give up the bells "to forge a stronger friendship and bond" with the Philippines after President Rodrigo Duterte asked the US to return the bells during his 2017 State of the Nation Address. The resolution stated that the return of the bells would not have been possible without the help of former Manila Archbishop Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, and three retired US Navy Officers, also known as "tres marineros" - Rear Admiral Daniel W. McKinnon, Jr., Captain Dennis L. Wright, and Captain Brian V. Buzzell, who led the Initiative and provided the Department of Defense, Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs) and the Congress of the United States accurate information on the law and history related to the bells' presence in Wyoming and South Korea. The US Department of Defense through the efforts of Lieutenant Colonel Theodore T. Liebreich of the United States Army, Dr. Joseph H. Felter, Deputy Secretary of Defense, and Secretary of Defense, James Mattis, returned the Bells of Balangiga. Historians said the bells tolled in the church of Balangiga town in 1901 to signal the start of a surprise attack against American troops during the Philippine-American War. The Filipinos, armed with bolos, killed 48 out of 78 American soldiers in Balangiga, handing the US Army one of its biggest defeats at the time. The Americans retaliated with a campaign to maim all Filipino males over the age of 10 in the town. At least 10,000 Filipinos were killed during the retaliatory attack. After the massacre, Americans took the three bells with Franciscan emblems dated 1863, 1889, and 1896 to serve as war trophies. Two of the three bells were displayed in the Trophy Park of the F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, Wyoming while the third is at the 9th US Infantry Regiment in Camp Red Cloud Korea; The bells symbolize Filipinos' courage to stand up to foreign colonizers, while Americans see them as a memorial in honor of their soldiers who were killed at the time. Pan-African operator MTN may have a second look at bidding for a mobile operator license in Ethiopia, despite being taken out of contention for apparently underbidding first time round, according to comments made recently by its chief executive. Last week Ethiopias communications regulator awarded a Safaricom and Vodafone-led consortium with a licence to operate telecom services in Ethiopia, Africas second-most populous country. We reported recently on the somewhat complex vehicle through which these services will be offered. The consortium is reported to have bid $850 million, while MTN, whose bid was in partnership with the Silk Road Fund from China, bid only $600 million. The MTN bid was not seen as high enough by the Ethiopian regulator. However, a number of observers had pointed out that the bids were unlikely to be as high as regulator may have hoped, after the option to run a mobile money service was solely offered to the incumbent Ethio Telecom. Nevertheless, MTN chief executive Ralph Mupita told shareholders during the companys (virtual) 26th annual general meeting last week that MTN would give some thought to the opportunity if the Ethiopian government chose to reissue the licence. Mupita said that while MTN was saddened at not being named winning bidder, the group remained comfortable with its bid. Quoted in a number of African press reports, Mupita is said to have highlighted the licence conditions, saying, We were particularly focused on the lack of mobile money in the licence regime, and there were some issues around how the teleco constructs would be accommodated within Ethiopia. We certainly priced for those things and near-term risks that we saw, and we felt that the financial bid there was appropriate. Certainly, for a company with a strong mobile money arm, the limitations of the licence may have been a consideration. The question still remains whether the regulators restrictions made it too difficult for MTN to make a higher bid and indeed for other would-be players to see a profitable way to enter the market. Apple Inc. has officially put its first Chinese data center in the southwestern province of Guizhou into operation over three years after it started building the facility to store customer data within the country's borders. The state-run media outlet Xinhua quoting local authorities said that the data center, located in the southwestern province of Guizhou, commenced operations last Tuesday, said. The data center will be operated by Guizhou-Cloud Big Data (GCBD) and used to store Chinese customer iCloud data domestically. In 2016, the Chinese government approved a new cybersecurity law that would force Apple to store customer data on local servers. In 2017, Apple signed an agreement with the Guizhou provincial government to build its first Chinese data center in Gui'an New Area. With a contracted investment of $1 billion, the data center plans to offer iCloud services on the Chinese mainland. According to the report, the data center is expected to further improve Chinese users' experience in terms of access speed and service reliability, as well as improve the overall reliability of Apple's products and services on the Chinese mainland. Meanwhile, China Daily reported that Guizhou has become the front runner of China's big data industry due to its climate, power supply, and network infrastructure. The province has attracted several heavyweight players, such as Apple, Huawei, Tencent, and Alibaba, to establish their cloud computing and big data centers as well as regional headquarters. Media reports say that Apple is developing another Chinese data centre in the Inner Mongolia region of the country's north. As Indias Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has allocated the spectrum and agreed on trials and testing of 5G, more companies are showing interest in the 5th generation mobile network and technologies, said a study. According to GlobalData, a data and analytics company, companies are looking to integrate 5G technologies into existing network elements and stepping-up research and development to provide customer management solutions. "Jobs postings with 5G in the title have doubled between Q4 2020 and Q1 2021, " said the report. Ajay Thalluri, Business Fundamentals Analyst at GlobalData, said: Job postings have doubled between Q4 2020 and Q1 2021, indicating an increase in the demand for expertise in 5G domain. Popular roles include engineers specializing in networks, IP networking, software, firmware, and automation. The report said that India is emerging as one of the key markets for Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (Ericsson). Over 20% of the jobs posted since 1 January 2020 are in India with the company looking at cellular and radio network prospects. Cisco Systems Inc. is investing US$5bn to fund 5G projects globally, including India. The company posted over 30% 5G jobs in India since 1 January 2020. Ciscos 5G-related hiring is dominated by engineers for cloud core and packet core teams to enable virtualized cloud services. Other companies such as Dell Technologies (Dell) and Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co (HP) that offer 5G-enabled devices are hiring for experts in 5G domain. With a host of companies looking at various 5G use cases in India, hiring could go beyond conventional telecom end-use. Hiring is also likely to increase over the coming months with companies exploring various components of the 5G value chain, said the report. In the meantime, Indian companies are also on a hiring spree after the government has permitted telecom operators such as Reliance Jio Infocomm, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea, and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) to conduct trials for 5G with help from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and technology providers for end-use and applications. Am I the only one who has fix-it projects fail but only if I button everything up prior to testing? As an example, when I was a computer technician I would frequently open up computers to replace parts for newer parts or sometimes to replace a broken part. One parents experience Home schooling parent Amy Sharony founded the school in 2016 with Suzanne Rezelman so that Sharonys daughter would be able to take classes with other students. Under the hybrid model, students attend classes together in-person twice a week and work independently three days a week. Lessons are led by teachers on in-person days who also assist students in self-directed work at home. Sharonys daughter, who graduated from high school last year, ended up opting out and sticking with traditional home schooling, but Sharony continued the hybrid model with her son and other families. There are now 12 students in junior high and 10 in high school, she said. In the coming year, junior high enrollment will reach 18 students. Last summer, Sharony said she received hundreds of emails from parents across the country asking about home schooling. They described watching their kids work 12 to 14 hours on virtual lessons. Some were frustrated at being in charge of online education without having power over content and instruction. Most parents just wanted their kids to go somewhere every day, and Sharony had to break it to them thats just not what the Academy is about. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) As Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis struggled to contain the coronavirus pandemic, Democrats readied to pounce. The state's economy was in tatters, infections and deaths were on the rise and there were doubts about the Republican's plan to lead Florida out of crisis. Now that the pandemic appears to be waning and DeSantis is heading into his reelection campaign next year, he has emerged from the political uncertainty as one of the most prominent Republican governors and an early White House front-runner in 2024 among Donald Trump's acolytes, if the former president doesn't run again. As DeSantis' national stature has risen, he has remained defiant in the face of continued attacks on his hard-line opposition to mask mandates and lockdowns. Hold the line. Dont back down, he told a crowd at a party fundraiser in Pittsburgh on May 20. And in the state of Florida, with me as governor, I have only begun to fight. That fight will happen soon, as he campaigns for a second term and pressure builds on Florida Democrats to regain their footing in a state that has swung toward Republicans for several election cycles. Unless they find a new formula, Democrats could find themselves shut out of statewide office for the first time since Reconstruction. Press Release June 1, 2021 Villanueva calls on oversight committee on COVID-19 Vaccination Program Act to convene, assess progress on 100th day of vaccination Three months since the COVID-19 vaccination program began, Sen. Joel Villanueva is calling on the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee created by law to assess if the country "is time on target" in its goal to inoculate 70 million Filipinos by year's end. It was on March 1 when Philippine General Hospital chief Dr. Gap Legaspi became the first Filipino to legally receive a COVID-19 vaccine in the county. "June 9 will be the 100th day. It would be better if the oversight committee convenes on that day to review what has been achieved, or not, so far," Villanueva said. Under Republic Act No. 11525 or the COVID-19 Vaccination Program Act, the oversight panel will have four members each from the House of Representatives and the Senate. Villanueva said an assessment by the body legally tasked to conduct it is urgent given "the global production problems, the slow rollout, the surge in many cities," all of which would affect the government's rationing of its low level of vaccine stock. As of May 31, 3,974,350 people have received their first dose, while 1,206,371 people have received their second dose. The fully vaccinated individuals represent 1.72 percent of the 70 million targeted to be inoculated to achieve herd immunity, Villanueva said. If the goal covers the entire population of 110 million, the fully vaccinated accounts for 1.1 percent, he added. "This comes up to an annual vaccination speed that will cover about 5 percent of the entire population," he said. "Are we keeping our people safe and protected at this volume and velocity of vaccination?" Villanueva said. He said hiccups in the vaccination must be ironed out and best practices shared so that more essential workers and economic frontliners can get their jab, a requisite for many of them to return to work. But as of May 31, only 3,035 individuals under the A4 priority have been fully vaccinated. "It is microscopic, as small as a coronavirus," Villanueva said. Villanueva said that the review "must cover the entire vaccination chain, from supply to syringe." "On this, do we have enough cold storage facilities? Again, on the issue of supplies, how are the production problems in India affecting us?" he said. Villanueva noted a steep drop between the volume of projected deliveries and actual deliveries. For the month of June, news reports quoted officials saying some 3.4 million vaccines will arrive. That number, Villanueva said, is half the 7.8 million earlier projected by the Inter-Agency Task Force on COVID-19. Villanueva said "a vaccine outlook" is needed so the country can adjust its ground game in case supply will be tight in the coming months. "There must be a long-term projection. For example, if a third shot, or a booster will be required, how will we respond if production will again be cornered by rich countries?" he said. Another issue that must be addressed, Villanueva said, is the internal allocation of vaccines. "We have to assess both the sectoral and geographical rollouts. If it is low and slow, how can we accelerate it?" he said. "Will it remain focused on the NCR Plus area, or are we sending more vaccines to cities and provinces which are grappling with an outbreak? Are we going to stick to an NCR-centric vaccination or will more provinces get more vaccines?" He suggested that the panel also review whether the proposed or tentative amount for vaccine purchase in the next year's budget was enough. "If we have to prepay the 2022 procurement, is the earmarked funds sufficient? Is the volume enough?" he said. "Kaya mungkahi po natin na i-convene ang Joint Congressional Oversight Committee for us to know the real score. For us to move forward, we have to look back. Many things can be learned from looking at the rearview mirror," he said. MONTGOMERY Katie Boyd Britt announced Tuesday that she is stepping down as president and CEO of the Business Council of Alabama, a decision that comes amid speculation that she will run for U.S. Senate. BCA announced Britts decision in a statement and said her resignation is effective Friday. Britt has led the influential business lobby since 2019. She previously served as chief of staff to U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby, who announced in February at the age of 86 that he would not seek a seventh term. While she has not announced a run, it has been speculated that Britt could run for the Senate seat being vacated by Shelby. The BCA statement said Britt is leaving to pursue other opportunities. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} One of my greatest prides at BCA has been bringing the previously forgotten back into the fold our small businesses on Main Street, and the rural businesses and industry that are the heart beats of local communities in every corner of our great state, Britt said in a statement about her departure from BCA. You cannot hinge a permit itself or the parade route on opinions of private business thats unconstitutional, Welborn said. The criteria for the permit must be specific and clearly outlined before the process starts. You cannot have ad hoc requirements that are added halfway through the process. No. 3, you cannot treat some parades differently than others, based on what the parade is about. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Police Chief Will Benny cited municipal codes that state no parade can be held on Main Street without prior commission approval, except for the National Peanut Festival, the Christmas parade, and Veterans Day parade. He also said it would take double the amount of police officers currently on duty to assist with the parade as well as emergency medical services on stand-by. Welborn insisted the municipal codes as they are written are unconstitutional, and warned that denying the permit on those grounds could result in messy, costly litigation for violating the First Amendment. Commissioners Kevin Dorsey and Janasky Fleming voted to approve the groups appeal, while commissioners John Ferguson, Albert Kirkland, and David Crutchfield voted no. Commissioner Beth Kenward was absent. A checkpoint that prevents people from leaving Go Vap District, a major Covid-19 hotspot in HCMC, without presenting necessary papers, June 1, 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran. Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long said Tuesday that the HCMC Covid-19 cluster at the Revival Ekklesia Mission the "most dangerous" and "the most difficult to control." The clusters first infections developed symptoms in mid-May, but it was not until two weeks later that the city confirmed the first three patients after they visited a local hospital. "We have already let the virus spread through four or even five generations in the community without knowing it. And as it spreads exponentially, the situation is now extremely dangerous," said Long. With the ongoing development, more clusters are likely to appear in the city, with the source of transmission being people who contracted the virus from those originally related to the mission cluster, he said. Industrial parks affected Municipal officials have confirmed that the Covid-19 cluster at the Christian congregation in Go Vap District has led to infections in several dozen companies and three industrial parks. "HCMC has 1.6 million workers and without proper measures for controlling the pandemic, it could lead to a crisis," Long said, citing the northern province of Bac Giang as an example. Bac Giang had to shut down four industrial parks at once last month. It remains the fourth waves epicenter with over 2,300 cases. The cluster emerged last Wednesday and virus gene sequencing results among infected members of the mission found they are infected with the highly transmissible virus strain B.1.167 first found in India. Various studies have said that it takes just two-three days for this strain to spread and infect another host. Until now, the city has recorded over 200 cases linked to the mission cluster in 20 out of its 22 districts, including those working in a closed environment using air conditioners such as factories in industrial parks and office buildings, which facilitate the spread of the virus. "The risk of spreading Covid-19 from the community into the industrial parks already existed. The collective working environment that allows a large concentration of people in those parks is a favorable condition for the disease to spread quickly and strongly," said Nguyen Tan Binh, the citys Health Department director. Thien Tu FN Service Investment Co. Ltd in Tan Binh District has recorded 34 infected employees, while IDS Vision Solution Development Co. Ltd in Tan Phu District has got nine cases. The Quang Trung Software Park in District 12 has reported four cases while three industrial parks - Tan Binh in Tan Binh District, Tay Bac in Cu Chi District and Vinh Loc in Cu Chi District, having 500-1,000 workers each, have recorded one case each. Health department director Binh said it was possible that the mission cluster will be responsible for around 500 cases in the city as many are waiting test results. HCMC has isolated Go Vap District with its 676,000 people and imposed a social distancing period across the city starting Monday. The northern mountainous province of Lao Cai, home to resort town Sa Pa and Vietnams tallest mountain Fansipan, is one of five must-visit natural wonders in Southeast Asia, according to Forbes. The list was compiled by the U.S. magazine based on its survey of 133 million tourists who visited the region in 2019 before the Covid-19 crisis broke out, resulting in border closures and travel restrictions. "For those wishing to immerse themselves in the stunning terraced hills that Vietnam is renowned for, few destinations can compare to Lao Cai Province, a hilly region in the northernmost of the country," Forbes wrote. Lao Cai is famous for the popular highlands resort town Sa Pa that boasts a cool climate and green scenery, and is home to ethnic minority groups like the Hmong, Red Dao and Tay who started carving rice terraces into the mountains centuries ago and still use them today. Rice terraces are at their beautiful best during harvest season from September to November each year, with parts of the town dyed golden yellow. One of the famed tourist destinations in Lao Cai is Mount Fansipan at 3,145 meters (10,311 feet), nicknamed the roof of Indochina and a Mecca for Vietnamese trekkers. "For a truly memorable vacation, tourists can follow their visit with a trek across the Chinese border to Kunming, a verdant destination often called the "City of Eternal Spring," the magazine said. Other natural wonders it recommended in Southeast Asia are Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park in the Philippines, Thailand's Red Lotus Lake, Mount Kinabalu in Malaysia and Indonesia's Komodo Archipelago. ELKO A large crowd gathered at the Elko City Cemetery on Monday morning to remember local soldiers who died in American military conflicts. The Memorial Day ceremony drew about 250 people, according to VFW Post 2350 Commander Gil Hernandez. It was a great turnout and outstanding weather, Hernandez said of the sunny and warm temperatures after the event. Among those in attendance were Marc and Jamie McGreer of South Fork with their six children. The ceremony was an opportunity to give their children a lesson that freedom is not without a cost, said Marc. It was important for us to be at the Memorial service today because we value the lives of those who gave their lives for our freedoms, Marc continued. Let us never forget those who gave their lives so that we may be free. His wife, Jamie, agreed, noting they were thankful to be there and thankful for those who put the ceremony together and gave their time that way. The ceremony impacted us to be faithfully teaching our children the history that shaped America and make sure they know the patriotic music of our great nation by heart, she said. ELKO One of Elkos oldest businesses joined forces with one of the newest broadband companies in the area. The Star Hotel became the first customer of CC Communications, going live on their fiber-optic network on May 25. According to Mark Feest, CEO and general manager of CC Communications, both companies have longevity in common for their respective businesses. As two of Nevadas oldest businesses, it was fitting that the Star was the first downtown Elko customer provided fiber broadband from CC Communications, Feest said. The Star has been serving rural Nevadans since 1910, and CC Communications has been serving rural Nevadans since 1889. Star Hotel owner Scotty Ygoa said the businesses in Elko have been dying for good internet. All the businesses in Elko have been waiting for this. Now, with CC Communications coming to Elko, were up to par with all the other big cities around like Reno and Salt Lake City. Our internet is just as good or better than their internet. So were excited about that. WEST WENDOVER Plans are progressing for creation of a downtown, with the city expecting to go out to bid on June 8 for the project that involves not only extending a street, installing curbs, gutters, sidewalks, lights, and landscaping but a splash pad for children. Were thinking by the spring of 2022 it will be fully complete, said City Manager Chris Melville of the work that can be done even as the city awaits the U.S. Bureau of Land Managements final action on the proposed sale of more than 80 acres to the city for the downtown project. He said the city can basically set up the downtown as a public project while West Wendover is still leasing the land, but the land must be in the citys ownership before the city can sell property to developers for commercial and residential use. Mayor Daniel Corona said that this is an exciting time to live in West Wendover. We have an opportunity to build a downtown from the ground up, and it has been a long time coming. I think people are excited about it, and they are excited about the splash pad. After sharp increases in consumer spending in March, many economists expected that the April numbers would follow the positive trend. They did not. In March, spending increased by 4.7%, fueled by the delivery of the third stimulus check. In April, spending slowed, rising by less than one percent. The only two sectors that saw increases in consumer spending in April were gas stations and food service. These concerns over household spending have led some Democratic lawmakers to push for the sending of a fourth -- and in some cases fifth -- direct payment. Over eighty Democrats on Capitol Hill have publicly supported the measure. Most recently, seven Democrats from the House Ways and Means Committee sent a letter to President Biden, urging him to include another round of payments in his American Families Plan. The letters signatories argued the $1,400 checks alone will keep 11 million people out of poverty this year, with UI expansion and other provisions in the bill accounting for the another five million. A fourth and fifth check could keep an additional 12 million out of poverty. This comes after a similar letter was sent by twenty-one senators, including Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, in April. The White House has responded by saying that they believe the choice to send another check stands with Congress and that they will follow the lead of lawmakers. When could another stimulus check be sent? Currently, the White House is focused on negotiations with Republicans on the major infrastructure bill, dubbed the American Jobs Plan (AJP). The AJP does not include funding for an additional stimulus check. So far, the negotiations have not been fruitful. Whether or not Democrats can convince ten Republican Senators to support the multi-trillion-dollar proposal will determine how the AJP can be passed; and if they will have the option to pass legislation that includes an additional direct payment. If the Democrats can receive the ten votes necessary to overcome the filibuster in the Senate, they will pass the AJP through normal rules. However, if they cannot find support from the Republicans, Democrats could pass the proposal through budget reconciliation. What is budget reconciliation? Many in the US are unaware of the Senate Filibuster, which requires a sixty vote majority for a most bills in the legislative body to pass. Budget reconciliation is Senate parliamentary rule which allows bills dealing directly with spending, revenue, and the federal debt limit to be passed with a simple majority. A recent poll released by Monmouth University found that about twenty percent of respondents wanted to eliminate the Senate. The poll also found that while many that responded stated that they were very familiar with Senate procedures, some provided contradictory information. The results bring to light the misconceptions and confusion that surround law-making processes in the US. Each fiscal year, Congress is allowed to two bills through reconciliation. This year, the Senate Parliamentarian, an appointed official who helps navigate the Senates rules, cited Section 304 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to determine that a third bill could be passed through reconciliation as long as it related to spending or revenue. The American Rescue Plan was passed through reconciliation, meaning that the Democrats only have two more opportunities to use the tool. How will the American Jobs Plan be passed? Conservative Democrats like Joe Manchin of West Virginia have stated that as long as meaningful efforts are made to try and negotiate with Republicans, he would support passing the AJP using budget reconciliation. Support from Manchin means that the bill is not dead on arrival after it passes the house, which is expected in July. If budget reconciliation is used to pass the AJP, Democrats would still have one last opportunity to use the tool to pass the American Families Plan. Most policy analysts believe it is more likely that the fourth stimulus check is included in the plan focused on families. While there are many benefits that could support the economic resilience of households in the plan, a fourth check is not currently factored in. Republicans are unlikely to support sending more stimulus as many have come to support the idea that all the government assistance passed is discouraging those unemployed from resenting the workforce. This June, more than half of states will end all additional federal unemployment benefits hoping that more workers will begin to return to work. President Biden introduced the American Jobs Plan in March, and many Democratic lawmakers soon announced their support for the plan. After the White House released an extensive fact sheet on the infrastructure plan, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer threw his support behind the proposal, saying that Addressing infrastructure, climate, and environmental justice together, and creating millions of good-paying jobs was the right direction in order to meet head on the challenges that America now faces. Leader Schumer went on to say that all communities, across the rural-urban divide, would benefit and that he looked forward to working with President Biden to pass a big, bold plan that will drive America forward for decades to come. Those on the fence Joe Machin of West Virginia, seen as one of the most conservative Democratic Senators, has not made his position clear. In late April, after Republicans released a counter-proposal crafted with support from Sen. Machin, he referred to it as a starting point and not the finishing line. The majority of Democrats, including the President, quickly rejected the proposal. The West Virginia Democrat has also said he would not support the proposal with the current increases in the corporate tax rate. Under President Trump, the corporate tax rate was lowered to twenty-one percent from thirty-five percent. This is seen as one of the Former Presidents crowning achievements of his tenure. The American Jobs Plan would increase the corporate tax rate to twenty-eight percent. Machin has stated that he is willing to approve an increase up to twenty-five percent, but no hire. As negotiations have soured between Republican leaders and the White House, Machin has balked at the idea of passing the bill through budget reconciliation. Kirsten Sinema, Senator of Arizona, has also rejected Democrats passing the massive legislation with no Republican support. Sen. Sinema has established herself as a conservative Democrat and, like Sen. Machin, is withholding her support. Those in support In a recent interview with AXIOS, Senator Bernie Sanders disagreed with Mancins view. He argued that Democrats should pass the bill through budget reconciliation if they have to compromise the more progressive aspects that made it into the proposal. When asked about the optics of passing another bill with no Republican support -- as they did with the American Rescue Plan -- through Congress, Sanders argued that people dont really care, saying, "Frankly, when people got a, you know, $1,400 check or $5,600 check for their family, they didn't say, 'Oh, I can't cash this check because it was done without any Republican votes. Other Senators who have voiced their support include, Akbar Al Baker, CEO of the Qatari national carrier Qatar Airways, has threatened to turn his back to France-based plane maker Airbus over an outstanding issue that he has refused to reveal. In an interview with Bloomberg TV, Al Baker said the airline has an issue with Airbus that needs to be sorted out. If we are not able to settle that serious issue we have with them, we will refuse to take any aircraft from them, he said. The subject of the spat? I unfortunately cannot tell you what that issue is, he added. The planner also refused to comment. A spokesperson for the company said its in constant discussions with customers about their requirements, and that details on those discussions remain confidential, Arab News reports. Al Bakers attack on Airbus is the second in kind in less than a week. In May he said the airlines biggest mistake was the acquisition of the A380, citing operational costs and inefficiency. However, Al Baker stressed that the A380 is not the source of the current issue adding that the matter is water under the bridge. The airline is due to take delivery of 50 Airbus A321neos and 32 A350s. The prospect of a fourth stimulus check has faded slightly in recent weeks as President Biden opts to focus on other legislative priorities. In March and April he unveiled two new large-scale spending packages, the American Jobs Plan and the American Families Plan, both of which aim to reverse the damage done by the pandemic and reshape the American economy. However while neither of them include another round of stimulus checks, there are calls for Biden to pass further direct payments to help individuals and families with the economy fallout of covid-19. Fourth stimulus check petition surpasses two million signatures While the President wants to focus on more long-sighted measures, there is a substantial proportion of American society who feel like further direct support is needed. An online petition set up by a Colorado restaurant owners and mother, Stephanie Bonin, continues to draw support after it was first set up last year. The petition reads: Im calling on Congress to support families with a $2,000 payment for adults and a $1,000 payment for kids immediately, and continuing regular checks for the duration of the crisis. A recent update to the petition adds: Our country is still deeply struggling. The recovery hasnt reached many Americans the true unemployment rate for low-wage workers is estimated at over 20% and many people face large debts from last year for things like utilities, rent and child care. As of 1 June, the petition has garnered an astonishing 2,253,499 signatures and is continuing to receive interest. Toms Guide reports that over 100,000 signees have added their names to the cause in the last two weeks alone. Democratic lawmakers call for additional stimulus checks in White house letters Biden is not only facing pressure in the form of online petitions, but is also having to contend with a growing desire within his own party for another round of stimulus checks. In recent weeks Democratic lawmakers in both Houses of Congress have issued public letters calling for more direct payments. Perhaps the most significant comes from a group of 28 Democratic senators who have asked Biden to include recurring stimulus check payments in the new infrastructure plan. The President is already facing significant push-back from Republicans who argue that his existing infrastructure bill is too expensive, making the inclusion of recurring payments unlikely. However Biden will have to work hard to keep Senate Democrats onside now that the majority of the Democratic caucus has come out in support of more stimulus checks. A study from the Economic Security Project estimates that another two rounds of stimulus checks could keep 12 million Americans out of poverty. It remains to be seen if the mounting pressure will convince Biden to reconsider. Coronavirus variants with clunky, alphanumeric names have now been assigned the letters of the Greek alphabet to simplify discussion and pronunciation while avoiding stigma. Coronavirus names simplified The World Health Organization revealed the new names on Monday amid criticism that those given by scientists to strains such as the South African variant - which goes by multiple names including B.1.351, 501Y.V2 and 20H/501Y.V2 - were too complicated. Since the pandemic began, the names people have used to describe the virus have provoked controversy. Former US President Donald Trump called the new coronavirus 'the China virus' and other monikers, raising concern he was using the names as a political weapon to shift blame to a rival nation. The WHO, which has urged people not to use language to advance covid-19 profiling of people or nationalities, has also said people should avoid using country names in association with emerging variants. The four coronavirus variants considered of concern by the UN agency and known generally by the public as the UK, South Africa, Brazil and India variants have now been assigned the Greek letters Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta, respectively, according to the order of their detection. Other variants of interest continue down the alphabet. Greek alphabet over Greek gods, religions, fruits 'While they have their advantages, these scientific names can be difficult to say and recall, and are prone to misreporting,' said the WHO, explaining the decision. The choice of the Greek alphabet came after months of deliberations in which other possibilities such as Greek gods and invented, pseudo-classical names were considered, according to bacteriologist Mark Pallen, who was involved in the talks. Many, though, were already brands, companies or alien names. Another idea, to refer to variants of concern as VOC1, VOC2 and so on, was scrapped after Pallen pointed out pronunciation of the acronym could sound like an English swear word. Lost religions and the names of plants and fruits were also considered, the WHO said. Historically, viruses have often been associated with the locations from which they are thought to have emerged, such as the Ebola virus, which is named after a Congolese river. But this can be damaging and inaccurate such as with the 'Spanish flu' pandemic of 1918 whose origins are unknown, although the earliest cases are now believed to have emerged in the US state of Kansas. 'No country should be stigmatized for detecting and reporting variants,' said WHO epidemiologist Maria Van Kerkhove. In the United States, Asians have been harassed and attacked during the pandemic, with activists and police saying anti-Asian sentiment was fuelled by Trump's comments blaming the pandemic on China. President Joe Biden this month signed a law against covid-19 hate crimes. Before the new WHO scheme, some scientists had adopted their own simplified nomenclature for variants such as in a February paper using bird names. However, this was criticised on the grounds that this could imperil birds and by the mother of a girl named Robin. Michigan residents who are currently receiving state unemployment benefits will now have to prove that they are actively looking for work to get the financial support, after a rule change was introduced. From 30 May onwards residents are required to fulfil the work search criteria, which had been removed at the start of the pandemic to help those who were out of work. However as the states economic recovery continues recipients of unemployment support will now have to justify their eligibility. Why do I need to certify the Michigan work search requirement? Returning to the pre-pandemic system, Michigan residents who claim unemployment benefits will need to report at least one work search activity for every week that they are claiming the support. Work search activities must be reported to the states Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) and benefits will not be paid until the process has been completed. The states Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity website warns: Make sure you understand your responsibilities when it comes to conducting and documenting your work search to avoid mistakes which could result in you not receiving benefits or having to repay the benefits you receive. Most residents who claim unemployment benefits will need to report their work search activities to the UIA, but some may receive waivers that exempt them from the process. These waivers must be applied for separately, which can be done on the Work Search Waivers online portal, but are typically limited to the following reasons: You are a parent home-schooling your child due to pandemic-related school closures You are unable to work due to covid-related reasons You are self-employed and qualify for the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) programme How can I fulfil the Michigan work search requirement? Fulfilling a weekly work search requirement can seem like a daunting task, particularly when the number of job opportunities has been severely impacted by the pandemic, but the process need not be overwhelming. There is no definitive list of activities which can be used to demonstrate a work search, but the following are given as examples: applying for job vacancies, whether in person or online attending job fairs creating a profile on a professional networking platform (such as LinkedIn) or a job-finding website participating in online workshops or seminars related to your job search The first time you need to provide details of your work search activity will come when you certify your benefits for the week ending 5 June. The best way to do so is by using the states Michigan Web Account Manager (MiWAM), which will prompt you to add all relevant details to the portal. Alternatively, if you are not able to access the online system you can allow complete the weekly process by telephone with MARVIN on 866-638-3993. You will first be asked a series of automated questions before being connected with an agent to complete the process. From 29 May a major change to the unemployment benefits system in Florida could see claimants lose their state support if they fail to provide proof of a work search on a weekly basis. At the start of the pandemic Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis introduced the Work Search Waiver, removing the condition that unemployment benefits recipients must demonstrate that they are actively looking for work. But as the jobs market begins to recover the state is rolling back some of the pandemic-era exceptions. Aside from the removal of the work search requirements, any new claimants will now be required to register with the states Department of Economic Opportunitys (DEO) Employ Florida division, which provides free jobs services like resume proofing and financial assistance for job seekers. Why do I need to certify the Florida work search requirement? Floridas DEO announced last week that the waiver will end on 29 May, which had exempted recipients from all work search and work registration requirements. All claimants are required to complete the Work Search requirements, the DEO said in a statement. This includes individuals who are furloughed, disabled, pregnant, self-employed, etc. There are some exception to the reinstated work search requirements, but they are fairly limited. The following groups will not be asked to complete the work search process to receive the unemployment benefits: Union members who are in regular contact with their union. Those who are furloughed or temporarily laid off, but expect to return to the same employer within 8 weeks of your last day of work. Anyone participating in a CareerSource Florida centre approved job training programme. Individuals serving jury duty. How can I fulfil the Florida work search requirement? Providing information on your ongoing job search on a weekly basis might seem excessive, but the parameters for that work search are fairly loose. The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity states that unemployment benefits recipients must engage in a good faith search for employment. The online work search requirements help sheet states: It is required that claimants complete five work search contacts per week or one CareerSource service appointment. Claimants who live in counties with less than 75,000 people are required to complete three work search contacts per week or one CareerSource service appointment. Among the examples given, they suggest the following: Register for a career or job-market explorer, like EmployFlorida.com. Complete a job application in person or online, with an employers who could be reasonably expected to have vacancies. Attending an interview with potential employers, whether in person, online or over the phone. Registering your availability to work with private employment agencies or placement services. For more tips on how to hit the Florida job search requirement, check out this handy guide. DHAKA -- Partners in Population and Development (PPD) has handed over China-donated medicines and kits to the Bangladeshi government for better postnatal care of mother's health in the country. Mohammad Sharif, a senior official of Bangladesh's Directorate General of Family Planning (DGFP), received the medical supplies in a ceremony held both in-person and virtually on Monday in capital Dhaka. Adnene Ben Haj Aissa, PPD executive Director, Shahan Ara Banu, director general of DGFP, Nitish Chandra Sarkar, additional secretary of Bangladesh's Medical Education and Family Welfare Division, Liu Zhenhua, Economic and Commercial Counsellor of the Embassy of China in Dhaka, among others, were present at the ceremony in capital Dhaka. Officials have expressed gratitude to China for the donation of medicines and kits, saying the medical supplies will help doctors to treat better women in need for postnatal care. Shahan Ara Banu, director general of DGFP, said they are attaching great importance to timely and adequate postnatal care to reduce both maternal and newborn mortality. She thanked related partners for supporting the project PPD launched in rural Bangladesh areas in collaboration with the government, saying this is a great initiative for saving more lives of mothers and their newborns. Liu Zhenhua said public health has historically been a closely cooperative field between China and Bangladesh. As part of its deep commitment to promote the south-south cooperation, he said China is supporting countries in the region and beyond to improve maternal health. A local renovation project has transformed the once impoverished Fangjiazhuang Village in Urumqi County of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region into a hub of agritainment resorts and restaurants. Machao Agritainment Resort and Samuersen Resort are two places in close proximity at Fangjiazhuang. While the former has been open for years, the latter just began operation about a month ago. Two female employees working at these two places respectively, Yang Hui and Wang Jingjing, shared their personal stories of how their lives have improved with the village's transformation. Machao Agritainment Resort at Fangjiazhuang Village (Junye Zhang/Guangming Picture) Samuersen Resort at Fangjiazhuang Village (Photo provided by A Date with China) Yang and Wang are both local residents of Urumqi County. Coming from rural backgrounds and without receiving much education, they both cherish the opportunity to work at their respective resorts. Yang Hui (Junye Zhang/Guangming Picture) Wang Jingjing (Junye Zhang/Guangming Picture) Wang, 36, had been a housewife for the past five years. She doesnt regret her decision of becoming a mother, but reminiscences about working life as she had to give it up for maternal responsibilities. As the job at Sameursen Resort matches her specialty of housekeeping, she is finally able to return to the workforce. Since I came back to work, I never want to quit again, said Wang. The environment is nice, and I want to stay here for a long time. Wang was a high school drop-out and has regretted her decision ever since. Because of her personal experience, she wants her son to remain in school for as long as possible, at least to receive high-school education. After leaving school, she opened a store selling cellphones in Urumqi City, and returned to Urumqi County a few years later after she got married and had her son. Back at her hometown, Wang worked in housekeeping for four years, and then became a housewife for five years. She had finally gotten back to work three months ago after being hired by Samuersen. Currently, she helps out in the lobby, making drinks and taking orders, as guest rooms at Samuersen are still being prepared. Photo of Wang Jingjing working at Samuersen Resort (Junye Zhang/Guangming Picture) In Wangs eyes, the transformation at Urumqi County took place gradually, from renovating the infrastructures to establishing the resorts. I worked in Yili City for one year and when I came back, I was stunned to see the changes in my hometown. There are many more buildings being built and roads being constructed. The changes took place very fast, said Wang. For Wang, the job opportunity at Samuersen came at a perfect timing, as her son, who is now 10-years-old, is able to take care of himself, and she has been eager to get back to work. Wang is not the only woman benefiting from the opportunities at Fangjiazhuang. This place helped many local women like me, who came from rural backgrounds and have stayed at home to get employed, said Wang. During the years when she stayed at home, she felt pressures as her husband was the familys sole breadwinner. Now, Wang makes enough to take care of her sons expenses, and holds up almost half of the sky of the total family income. Unlike Wang, who was only recently employed at Samuersen, Yang has been working at Machao Agritainment Resort since it opened. While Samuersen is decorated in Western-style and offers coffee, tea, and wine on its menu, Machao treats its guests with authentic local food. Homemade fried dough twist (mahua), crisp noodle (sanzi), and other local food are made by Yang and her colleagues. Local food at Machao Agritainment Resort (Junye Zhang/Guangming Picture) Before working at Machao, Yang did farm work like most local women, mainly planting potatoes, wheat, and beans. Due to lack of water in the region, there is insufficient harvest and hence not a lot of income, Yangs average annual income was above 10,000 yuan. Now, Yang earns 5,000 yuan per month. When work at the resort is not too busy, she can still do farm work on the side for some extra income. Like Wang, Yang is also a mother. She has two children who go to school in Urumqi city. When her children come back from school, they can stay in the restaurant and do homework while waiting for Yang to finish work. In a sense, Machao has become a place that helps Yang balance between family and work. With the opportunities at Fangjiazhuang, Wang and Yang are able to earn more and enjoy better lives. Speaking about the future, they dont have concrete plans for their children, but only hope for the best. Whatever he wants to learn or do, I will be supportive, said Wang about her son. I cant think that far ahead into the future, said Yang. But I do hope that my childrens lives will be better than ours in every possible way. [ Editor: WXL ] Moon over Snow-capped Cangshan Mountain, by Xu Li. [Photo provided to China Daily] Dali was once an economic and cultural center for centuries in Yunnan province. Now, it is a popular destination for tourists captivated by its breathtaking scenery and vibrant ethnic cultures. For many artists, Dali is a place that's poetic, idyllic and nostalgic. Romance and Homesickness, an exhibition at the National Art Museum of China until June 6, shows 75 Chinese ink paintings and oil works by noted artists from across the country, hailing the natural wonders and cultural beauty of Dali. Works on display were inspired by a journey in Dali in August 2020. Fan Di'an, one of the artists at the exhibition, said that although artists had been to Dali for more than once, they were impressed by the city's unique landscapes and cultural accumulations throughout centuries, as well as a harmonious atmosphere contributed by different inhabiting ethnic groups. 10 1 [ Editor: GSY ] Dmytro Vidsota, Robinson Patman Law Firm, Managing Partner Since the end of 2015, when the leaders of the world's most developed countries signed the Paris Agreement on measures to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, the climate theme has given new impetus to the global agenda for sustainable development. More than 60 countries have declared their carbon neutrality by 2050 an agreed deadline that scientists believe must be met to avoid the worst climate catastrophe in human history. Countries that have embarked on a course towards carbon neutrality have already begun to work in two directions: to reduce emissions of CO and other greenhouse gases in the production of goods and their transportation, and also to offset emissions through additional projects. However, until recently, the future of the Paris Agreement was in question due to the position of the largest air pollutant in the world, i.e. China. Several dozen countries that signed the Paris Agreement remained in the minority before the PRC, which currently accounts for 30% of the world's carbon dioxide emissions. China has refused to sign the Paris Agreement in full on the grounds that as an emerging economy it should not bear the same burden of reducing emissions as developed countries, which pollution has remained uncontrolled for decades. But in September last year, Chinese leader Xi Jinping, after lengthy negotiations, finally confirmed China's readiness to fulfill all the basic conditions of the Paris Agreement. At the same time, a road map was coordinated for the transition from the current model of the Chinas economy (based on the use of dirty energy carriers and uncontrolled emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere) to carbon neutrality. In accordance with the agreements concluded in September last year, China will begin a global transformation of the economy in 2021, but until 2030, as part of the previously approved development plans of the PRC, the level of carbon dioxide emissions will increase and then will have declined over the next 30 years. China plans to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, 10 years later than other parties to the Paris Agreement. Nevertheless, until recently, experts doubted that China would soon dare to take any decisive steps within the framework of the agreements concluded, and this despite the largely declarative statements about plans to reduce excess production capacity, sounding from the high tribunes in the PRC since 2016. But in May of this year, it became clear that the Celestial Empire had reached a kind of tacit compromise with the ecological Paris Club and was ready for decisive action. China's first step was, no more and no less, to cancel VAT refunds on exports of 146 types of metal products from May 1 of this year. In particular, since the beginning of the month, the Chinese authorities have canceled the 13% VAT refund for their manufacturers on the export of hot-rolled steel, wire rod and rebar. At the same time, China lowered import duties on cast iron, scrap and semi-finished products used in steel production to zero. The PRC Ministry of Finance expects these measures to reduce the cost of imports, increase the volume of imports of ferrous metals and put pressure on domestic steel production, guiding the industry to reduce overall energy consumption, contributing to the transformation and quality development of the steel industry. The PRC plans to focus on reducing the production of unsustainable steel at outdated factories with poor environmental performance in order to ensure a decrease in steel production in 2021. This was recently announced by the National Development and Reform Commission of China (NDRC) and the Ministry of Industry and IT of China (MIIT). Let me remind you that China is the largest steel producer in the world (in 2020, Chinese steelmakers increased steel production by 7% compared to 2019 to 1.065 billion tons). Accordingly, any change in the state regulatory policy of the PRC has a direct impact on world markets. In the long term, the decision to abolish the VAT refund should lead to a decrease in the sale of cheap green steel products for export, and, consequently, to a decrease in the production of such steel products and an increase in the production of carbon neutral steel. Obviously, in addition to a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere, such a decision will stimulate the modernization of production processes at factories, and will have a positive effect on the environmental situation. But in the short term, such a decision has already provoked panic in the global steel market. Chinese exporters are forced to increase steel prices, which gives rise to other steel producers to increase prices. In particular, at the beginning of the second decade of May this year, the price of Turkish rebar increased by about USD 100 per ton, to more than USD 750 per ton FOB compared to mid-April. Obviously, as a result of the rise in price of Chinese steel, the share of its export sales will significantly decrease, and a reorientation of consumers in the global steel market will take place. However, such changes are inevitable. It is important to say that the example of China is far from unique. Regulatory pressure on the metallurgical industry around the world increases every year, including in terms of requirements for the content of harmful substances in the production of a ton of a particular metal. And while developing countries (including Ukraine) strive to obtain the cheapest steel possible, in developed countries an increasing number of consumers refuse to work with suppliers whose activities are associated with significant emissions of harmful substances into the atmosphere. Many brands in sectors such as automotive, mechanical engineering, aircraft and construction are committed to minimizing their carbon footprint and achieving zero CO emissions. These are the challenges facing steel giants along the chain, which are forced to invest billions of dollars in the development and production of environmentally friendly products today in order to maintain a customer base. As a result, the largest metallurgical companies in the world (Nippon Steel, Sumitomo Metal Industries, Arcelor Mittal, etc.), along with the limitations, see this challenge as new opportunities and rely on innovative methods of metal smelting and have already begun decarbonizing the entire supply chain. As you can see, the task of slowing global warming constantly increases the political overtones of issues that were previously viewed as purely economic, affects world markets and inevitably becomes part of the business strategy of those corporations that see their future in the 21st century. In this context, the position of metallurgists the national business establishment, its readiness to meet the changing realities of the new carbon neutral world will be of fundamental importance for the future of Ukraine's economy. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky is said that after the launch of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia to Germany, the Russian side will do everything possible to ensure that the contract on the gas transit through the territory of Ukraine is not renewed. "If they finish the construction of Nord Stream 2, this is a threat to the energy security of Ukraine and Europe. Russia will definitely disconnect us. Right, we have a contract. By the way, due to Germany and France, we agreed on this contract for five years in the Normandy format. And out of these five years, almost two have already passed. In three years, this contract will expire. If they finish the technical side of Nord Stream 2 this year, it will start working in two or three years. We know what will happen then. All this is being done, so that Ukraine does not have the next contract," Zelensky said in an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung German newspaper, the text of which was released on the presidential website on Tuesday. He is also said Russia uses this lever in matters of Donbas and Crimea. "I believe Nord Stream 2 is no different from the annexation of Crimea. I will explain why. In order to take Crimea and have the opportunity to bargain, a war was started in the east of Ukraine, then the issue of Crimea is gradually 'forgotten' [...] But we continued to bring this up. That is why I decided to create the Crimean platform [...] Now the Russians follow the same scenario. That is, they have constant leverage for trading," Zelensky said. "Further, in order to bargain in Donbas, to get amnesty for the separatists, in order to retain control over the results of local elections for Russia, and so on, we need to raise the stakes. Nord Stream 2 is a trump bet for today. In reality, they have a royal flush in their hands, which is also partially supported by Europe," the head of the Ukrainian state said. When asked if the existence of Nord Stream 2 increases the risks of war due to the fact that gas transit through Ukraine is currently holding back a possible blitz from Russia, Zelensky said the war in Ukraine has been going on since 2014 and an additional possibility of escalation from the Russian side will not be the last reason to start hostilities, "They ask me if we are afraid to get the MAP (Membership Action Plan) in NATO or to be a member of the Alliance [] Am I afraid that this will start a war? And they ask the same about the pipeline. I just want to answer that we already have a historical reality. The war started in 2014. We were not in NATO then. We had excellent relations with Russia, and no one in Donbas wanted to disconnect from Ukraine. Nothing bothered anyone. Therefore, I agree that there is such a possibility of escalation, but it seems to me that that this is not a reason for Russia to start or continue hostilities," he said. "I really think that it would be great to have Europe and the United States as partners, as co-owners in the Ukrainian gas transmission system. Since the question is not that no one would damage this pipeline, would not commit any actions against it, but that everyone would defend these contracts and protect the security of Ukraine and Europe in general," Zelensky said. DTEK is considering the possibility of expanding its oil and gas business in Ukraine, CEO of the company Maksym Timchenko has said in an interview with the Ekonomichna Pravda edition. "We are constantly studying the deposits of all available players on the market. That is, we are open to expanding our business, without exception, with all players, including state-owned companies. If there are such opportunities not only for acquisitions, but also for joint activities, some kind of joint projects in exploration and production, we are ready for this," he said. According to Timchenko, in particular, the assets of Geo Alliance group for DTEK are "a potential area of our interest." At the same time, he did not comment on the details of the negotiations. As reported, in 2020 DTEK Oil and Gas increased natural gas production by 10.8% (by 180 million cubic meters) compared to 2019, to 1.84 billion cubic meters. In 2021, the company plans to increase gas production to 2 billion cubic meters. Geo Alliance produced 203 million cubic meters of gas in 2020. Geo Alliance is under the mandate of the international investment and consulting group EastOne, which unites the assets of Victor Pinchuk. In 2012, EastOne announced a strategic partnership between Geo Alliance and Arawak Energy Ukraine BV, part of the Vitol group of companies, one of the largest operators in the world energy market. Saudi Arabia will Thursday launch in Geneva the Riyadh Initiative aimed at establishing a global network of operations to exchange information between anti-corruption agencies, Arab News reports. The initiative aims at developing a rapid and effective tool to combat cross-border corruption crimes. It birthed from the Gulf countrys presidency of the G20 last year with the aim of to develop and launch a network to strengthen efforts to combat corruption internationally. The initiative, the Saudi media notes, has received international support, and the political declaration of the UN General Assembly meeting dedicated to combating corruption welcomed the establishment of the initiative called the Global Network of Anti-Corruption Law Enforcement Authorities (GlobE Network). It is backed by G20 countries and international organizations specialized in combating corruption, such as Interpol, the Egmont Group, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the Financial Action Task Force, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Mazin bin Ibrahim Al-Kahmous, president of the Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha) will present the initiative Thursday in Geneva at a UN session. Saudi Arabia is ranked 52nd on Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2020. A temporary alternative to NATO membership to ensure the security of Ukraine may be "Plan B," the guarantors of which can be the European Union and the United States, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, published by the press service of the head of state. Answering the question whether Ukraine will activate the article of the North Atlantic Treaty on collective defense if it becomes a NATO member, the president said that this is a matter of negotiations. "I think this is a matter of negotiations. Ukraine does not want to fight. And if, excuse me, all NATO countries are afraid that someday a NATO member country will be attacked, if they are afraid that they will have to defend, then there is a question to this structure in general. If so, then what dies this structure, which is afraid to protect a country that is a member of this or that union, mean? What is its value?" Zelensky said. Ukraine, the president says, may have an alternative security plan. "Do we see an alternative to the Alliance, if this is the meaning of the question? How to get out of a difficult situation due to the threat if Ukraine gets NATO membership? I can answer. Ukraine can have a 'plan B' when Ukraine gets its full territorial integrity, gets back its territories, this will not be enshrined in a conditional something like the Budapest Memorandum, which may be violated. But there will be serious players - the European Union, the United States, which consolidate Ukraine's status in security. This may take place in order to get out of the collapse that Europe is in now. We have an understanding of such a plan, and I can frankly say that I was going to talk about such a plan with President Biden, because this is already outside the Normandy format," he said. Zelensky also said that this plan could be in effect until Ukraine gets NATO membership. "Because this plan - it says that today we stop the war, today we guarantee security for Ukraine, today we resolve issues of energy security, except for territorial integrity. And if we do it today, this is a quick alternative. It is not about geopolitics, it is about saving people, stop shelling, saving lives, our army. That is, this is such a plan B, which is very quick, to get out of the collapse, in which everyone is," the President said and added that this plan also includes guarantees of military nature and energy security. The President's Office "in general" abandoned the practice of appointing businessmen to the posts of heads of regional administrations, Deputy Head of the President's Office Kyrylo Tymoshenko told Interfax-Ukraine. "In most cases, I do not want to appoint such people, because there are some interests of their own in their business territories and I do not want these interests to be ahead of the interests of the government. At the level of the President's Office, in general, the practice with businessmen is over. Now these are bureaucrats, politicians, managers, officials from the executive branch (of government)," he said. He said that recently a large number of heads of administrations have been replaced, noting that "somewhere, I do not argue, they overshot." "I should say there will be more replacements of heads of regional administrations in the near future, since there are problems with some regions. It is too early to open such replacements, but this will happen within two weeks. We are looking for candidates for now," Tymoshenko said. According to him, "we will be helped by the format of conducting accelerated courses at the academy under the president, where we recruit people in several streams." Tymoshenko said that in the President's Office "they were able, on the whole, to balance their activities with mayors. We need to find common ground with them, they have their requests, problems and we are trying to solve them." No conflict between President's Office and Klitschko, but one between Klitschko with himself and Kyiv citizens Kyrylo Tymoshenko Deputy Head of the President's Office Kyrylo Tymoshenko has said the situation around Kyiv city authorities has escalated to the limit, but at the same time it is not a conflict between the President's Office and Mayor Vitali Klitschko. "This is Klitschko's conflict, in fact, with himself and with residents of Kyiv. Infrastructure is not developing, except for plans for housing development, which were tied to the master plan and are being overfulfilled. At the same time, plans for the development of infrastructure, road junctions, metro, bridges, and others are not fulfilled even by 50%," Tymoshenko told Interfax-Ukraine in an exclusive interview. In his opinion, "taking into account the budget of Kyiv, it would be possible to accelerate the growth and development of infrastructure." "Everything that was once constructed, no matter how strange it may sound, was constructed under Oleksandr Popov [head of Kyiv City Administration from 2010 to 2014]. Not a single intersection or a single metro station. Now only parks, fountains, lawn are being done. This is very good, but Kyiv has other problems, this is traffic, which has really grown, people are in traffic jams, the metro is not developing. It cannot be like that," Tymoshenko said. "There are two ways out: either Kyiv authorities will understand that they need to do this, or [...] The mayor is an elected position, this is an indisputable fact, but different conclusions would be drawn by the head of Kyiv city administration. The president will decide this. There are various options, including adoption a bill on the Ukrainian capital, and amendments to the current law []," Tymoshenko said. At the same time, Tymoshenko said that Klitschko had no real competitors in the mayoral elections. "Is there an alternative? We tried to create an alternative to it. It probably needs a little more time," he said. "There are no questions to him personally as a person and a legend of Ukraine. But if you are the mayor, you have to recruit such a team in which you will truly be a legend, I will love you, know, respect and write about you in history books. Failure to recruit a good team, unfortunately, is Klitschko's own problem," the deputy head of the President's Office said. KYIV. June 1 (Interfax-Ukraine) In Ukraine, it is necessary to create a system for the prevention of orphan diseases, in particular, spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and cystic fibrosis, vice-president of the Ukrainian Association of Reproductive Medicine Valeriy Zukin has said. "Prevention is a screening of married couples [for the latent carriage of genetic diseases, in particular SMA and cystic fibrosis]. Ukraine should have a system that consists of prevention, early neonatal screening and treatment," he said at a press conference hosted by Interfax-Ukraine on Tuesday. Zukin said that such a screening is carried out all over the world at the expense of patients. In turn, pediatric neurologist, PhD in medicine Volodymyr Martyniuk said that Ukraine lags behind in terms of prevention. "As for prevention, here Ukraine is lagging behind. The point is that at present in Western Europe, the United States and Japan, newborn screenings for approximately 20-70 diseases are being carried out. This is a great breakthrough for diagnosis, prevention and early therapy. In Ukraine, there are officially four, and unofficially, two diseases in screening," he said, adding that, for example, for Kyiv, a preventive direction would cost UAH 7 million annually, and treatment would cost UAH 70 million. Martyniuk said that the Ministry of Health of Ukraine is starting to take "the first steps in creating a system." "The Ministry of Health has created a working group to study the possibilities of preventing and diagnosing SMA. We hope that the state will establish diagnostics of this group of diseases free of charge for families. For this it is necessary that the state allocates funds for reagents, because there are a laboratory, specialists and opportunities to start this diagnostics literally tomorrow. There is only no organizational decision on the allocation of funds for the purchase of reagents for this laboratory," he said. At the same time, it is still impossible to provide treatment for more than 270 families with children diagnosed with SMA at the expense of the state, the expert said. After all, the drugs are expensive "this is almost the entire budget of the Ministry of Health." In turn, neonatologist Yelyzaveta Shunko said that in Ukraine the system of neonatal screening and further diagnostics regarding cystic fibrosis does not always allow a timely diagnosis. She also noted the need for family doctors to timely inform married couples who intend to have a child regarding the prevention of rare genetic diseases. The information was released by the Customs Branch of Lao Cai International Border Gate on June 1. Since May 8, over 7,300 tonnes of thieu lychee from both Bac Giang and Hai Duong provinces, worth a total of over US$4.3 million, have underwent customs clearance for export to China. The price of Bac Giang fresh lychee exported through the Kim Thanh border gate was on average between VND13,000 VND15,000 per kilogramme. The volume of lychee exported through Lao Cais border gate is expected to increase sharply to around 1,000 tonnes per day. The functional forces at the Kim Thanh border gate have coordinated smoothly to create the most favourable conditions for the export of the thieu lychee. In order to effectively prevent and control the COVID-19 pandemic, the Lao Cai provincial Peoples Committee stipulated that all vehicles carrying fresh lychees from lowland provinces must pass through a single entrance located at checkpoint Km237 on the Noi Bai-Lao Cai highway to undergo screening test for antigens, together with SARS-CoV-2 tests on drivers and their companions, before entering the province. All those on the trucks must present certificates showing negative SARS-CoV-2 test results from the previous 3-5 days. Women-led enterprises currently account for 25% of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Vietnam, contributing to generating a significant amount of jobs and stable incomes for workers. The signing of the cooperation agreement is within the framework of a project entitled Women in Trade for Inclusive and Sustainable Growth conducted by TFO Canada and funded by Global Affairs Canada (GAC) in 24 developing nations, including Vietnam. Accordingly, during the 2021-2024 period. TFO Canada will coordinate with VIETRADE to assist Vietnamese trade promotion organisations and women-led SMEs in the fields of food processing and apparel accessories. This goal will be realised via intensive training courses on sustainable orientations regarding environment, gender equality, digital marketing and e-commerce, and trade promotion skills, etc. In addition, Vietnamese firms are expected to be invited to fairs and expos in promising markets, or to join online stalls at international expos. U.S. senator expects U.S. to send more funds for Israel's 'Iron Dome' Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) speaks during a U.S. Senate Budget Committee hearing regarding wages at large corporations on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S. (Photo : Stefani Reynolds/Pool via REUTERS) A senior U.S. senator said on Tuesday he expected Washington would quickly authorize as much as $1 billion for Israel to replenish its Iron Dome missile defense system after clashes in May with Hamas. "There will be a $1 billion request coming to the Pentagon this week from the (Israeli) defense minister to replenish the Iron Dome and a few other things, to upgrade the system," Senator Lindsey Graham told reporters in Jerusalem. Advertisement A senior Republican on the Senate Appropriations Committee, Graham met with both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Benny Gantz during a trip to Israel. The committee oversees spending including foreign military aid. Graham said Iron Dome had saved thousands of lives during last month's rocket attacks, and predicted Israel's request would find favor with both President Joe Biden and Congress, which is narrowly controlled by Biden's Democrats. "There's been a big dustup over the last engagement between Hamas and the State of Israel in the United States, but I'm here to tell you that there's a wide and deep support for Israel among the Democratic Party," Graham said. Biden has said he would replenish Iron Dome, which helped Israel fend off most of the more than 4300 rockets fired from Gaza during the conflict. Israel and Hamas began a ceasefire on May 21 after 11 days of the fiercest Israeli-Palestinian hostilities in years, with nearly 250 people dead, all but 13 of them Palestinians. Israel's fierce response drew criticism from some Democrats, but Israel generally enjoys strong support in Washington from both parties. Congress routinely approves large sums on military funding for a country seen as a solid U.S. partner in an unstable region. Israel's Defense Ministry said Gantz would meet with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan on Thursday in Washington for a discussion on issues including Iran and military aid. Migrants who traveled to northern Mexico seeking asylum in the United States, are pictured at a migrant encampment in Matamoros, Mexico (Photo : REUTERS/Daniel Becerril/File Photo) The United States has formally ended the Trump-era "remain in Mexico" policy, which forced tens of thousands of Central American asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico for U.S. court cases, according to a U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) memo sent to agency leaders on Tuesday. The administration of President Joe Biden paused the program, known as the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), shortly after he took office on Jan. 20. Since then, more than 11,000 migrants enrolled in it have been allowed to enter the United States to pursue asylum claims, a DHS official told Reuters on Tuesday. Advertisement Biden, a Democrat, has reversed many of the restrictive immigration policies of former President Donald Trump, a Republican, saying Trump failed to honor U.S. asylum laws. Republicans have criticized Biden's actions, including ending the MPP program, saying he encouraged an increase in migrant arrivals at the U.S.-Mexico border in recent months. U.S. Border Patrol apprehensions at the southwestern border reached the highest monthly levels in 20 years in March and April. Apprehensions in May were similar, according to preliminary figures shared with Reuters. Despite rolling back some Trump border policies, Biden has left in place a March 2020 health order known as Title 42 that allows U.S. authorities to rapidly send migrants caught at the border back to Mexico during the pandemic. Advocates contend the policy cuts off access to the U.S. asylum system for many migrants caught at the border while Biden officials say it is needed to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The MPP decision comes after a Feb. 2 Biden executive order called for U.S. agencies to review the program, first launched in 2019, and consider whether to terminate it. The memo formally ending MPP, issued by DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Tuesday, said the program did not "adequately or sustainably enhance border management," noting that border arrests increased at times while it remained in place. "Moreover, in making my assessment, I share the belief that we can only manage migration in an effective, responsible, and durable manner if we approach the issue comprehensively, looking well beyond our own borders," Mayorkas wrote. On 24 October, Egypts Giza Pyramids and the Sphinx will be lit up blue in a global celebration of the United Nations' 70th anniversary. More than 200 other landmarks across 60 countries will be illuminated in the UNs official blue color to commemorate the event. The landmarks include Australias Sydney Opera House, Rio de Janeiros statue of Christ the Redeemer, New Yorks Empire State Building, Russias Hermitage Museum, Jordans city of Petra, Italys Leaning Tower of Pisa, Spains Alhambra, the United Kingdoms Edinburgh Castle and Westminster Hall, South Africas Table Mountain, and Japans Sky Tree Tower. According to UN Information Centre in Cairos website, Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said that participating in this campaign offers Egypt the unique opportunity to showcase our commitment to the UN principles of dignity and prosperity for all. We are pleased to partner with the UN to light up the Giza Pyramids and the Sphinx, one of the oldest civilizations in human history, and the last remaining of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture Short link: The Senate Egypt's consultative upper house parliament approved a new bill on Monday setting up a fund to be spent on emergency medical expenses. A report by the Senate's Health and Population Committee said that the fund is designed to be spent on medical services not usually covered by the state budget. "The Fund will be devoted to spending on patients receiving treatment at emergency and intensive care units; buying drugs and medicine, and providing health care services to citizens who are on waiting lists," said the report. The Fund on Containing Medical Emergency Cases will be headquartered in Cairo and affiliated with the Prime Minister. Article six states that a council of trustees will be formed to establish the Fund's general policies. "The Council will also supervise the Fund's board of directors, issue the Fund's administrative and financial regulations, approve the Fund's budget and prepare an annual report on the Fund's performance to be submitted to the president of the republic," article six also says. Short link: The leader of the Polisario militias, Brahim Ghali, prosecuted for serious genocide crimes, torture and terrorism, appeared on Tuesday by videoconference before Santiago Pedraz, judge of the National Court (the highest Spanish criminal court), according to judicial sources. Two major complaints were retained by the Spanish justice against the leader of the separatists of the Polisario, admitted since April 18 at a Spanish hospital in obscure conditions under a fake Algerian identity. The first complain relates to torture and was filed by Fadel Breica, who accuses the leader of the separatists of being responsible for his kidnapping during the period from June 18, 2019 to November 10 of the same year. The second one relates to genocide, assassination, terrorism, crimes against humanity and kidnapping, among others, and was made by the Sahrawi Association for the Defence of Human Rights (ASADEDH), which is based in Spain. This convict is among the 28 members of the separatist group and senior Algerian government officials who were denounced by ASADEDH and other victims in August 2012. Several victims of this torturer, who had filed complaints against him, are now calling for his arrest and his trial. The appearance for the first time of the so-called Brahim Ghali before a court reveals the true face of the Polisario embodied by a chief torturer who has committed heinous crimes, terrorist acts, kidnappings and serious human rights violations. If it constitutes the prelude to a first recognition of the rights of victims and of the criminal and penal responsibility of this individual, it should nonetheless extend to those who are voiceless in the Tindouf camps or in the jails of the Polisario and who suffer the worst forms of torture and inhuman treatments. Starting 1 June, Egypt will extend the opening hours for commercial venues amid the coronavirus pandemic, ending a three-week decision to close these facilities at 9pm. The country will, however, continue its ban on weddings in closed halls. Heading a meeting for the higher committee tasked with managing the coronavirus crisis on Sunday, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said the decision allows the addressed facilities to open in accordance with the summer working hours. The summer working hours of commercial shops and shopping malls are set from 7am to 11pm on weekdays and until midnight during weekends. Coffee shops and restaurants can operate from 5am to 1am throughout the week. Madbouly said the government will apply fines on violating shops addressed by the decision. These shops will be immediately closed for two weeks and will be re-closed for a month if the violation is repeated, he added. Cabinet Spokesman Nader Saad after the meeting told media that the fine will be EGP 4,000. Weddings will be allowed in open areas only, Madbouly said, affirming the continuing ban on weddings in closed halls. The meeting affirmed the continuation of applying all coronavirus preventive measures in significantly crowded public areas, Madbouly said. These measures include imposing fines on violations and preventing cafes from offering shisha (hookah), he explained. As per the committees decisions, the street celebrations known as Mawlid as well as wedding and mourning marquees are banned, Madbouly said. The decision to close shops and restaurants at 9pm came as Egypt suffered from a significant surge in coronavirus cases and deaths amid the third wave of the virus. This corresponds with the states campaign to vaccinate citizens against the coronavirus, which started in January. The country has so far received millions of coronavirus doses of the Sinopharm and AstraZeneca vaccines. Importing new vaccines Attending the meeting, head of the Egyptian Authority for Unified Procurement Bahaa El-Din Zidan noted that Egypt has contracted to receive 40 million doses of the Sputnik V and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. Egypt has not imported any of these vaccines yet. Zidan said Egypt contracted with an Emirati company that is permitted to import the Russian Sputnik V vaccine. As per the contract, Egypt will receive 20 million Sputnik V doses until the end of the year, he said. Egypt also contracted with the African Bank to import 20 million Johnson & Johnson vaccine doses. Egypt took official steps to locally produce the Sinovac and Sputnik V vaccines. Earlier this month, the country received the first shipment of raw materials to produce Sinovac doses. The government plans to produce 40 million doses of the vaccine in the first year. Vaccination plan Health Minister Hala Zayed during the meeting said Egypt is expected to receive 2 million doses of the Chinese Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines in the first half of June. This is in addition to 1.9 million AstraZeneca doses set to be sent to the country through the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX), Zayed said. The minister said 403 centres have been allocated nationwide to provide the vaccine to citizens, noting that around 110,000 citizens receive the vaccine per day. Efforts are underway to open large vaccination centres nationwide, the minister noted. Zayed said 26 centres have been allocated to vaccinate workers in the petroleum, electricity, aviation, railway, and public transportation sectors, in addition to workers at the Suez Canal. The minister affirmed that all workers in the hotels of South Sinai and the Red Sea have been vaccinated, noting that the ministry is about to end vaccination of other related workers. Zayed also ordered the vaccination of all dwellers of the cities of Hurghada and Sharm El-Sheikh after tourism workers are vaccinated. Cabinet Spokesman Saad said 2.1 million citizens have been vaccinated against the coronavirus. He noted that the authorities seek to vaccinate 50 percent of citizens throughout the year. Egypts population, according to the states statistical agency CAPMAS, has surpassed 101.8 million people. For the weddings allowed in open areas only, Saad said a maximum of 300 people would be allowed to attend a ceremony. Short link: Egypt's Minister of Defence and Military Production Mohamed Zaki discussed on Sunday further military cooperation with South Korea's Minister of Defence Acquisition Programme Administration (DAPA) Kang Eun Ho in Cairo, the Egyptian armed forces said in a statement. According to the statement, Zaki discussed with the South Korean delegation ways to promote military cooperation and enhance the strategic partnership between both countries at various levels, especially cooperation with South Korean defence companies. Applauding the distinguished ties between the armed forces of both friendly nations, Zaki stressed he looks forward to furthering defence industry cooperation and knowledge sharing. Meanwhile, the South Korean official said his country is looking forward to participating in the 2nd edition of Egypts Defence Expo, the only tri-service defence exhibition in North Africa fully supported by the Egyptian Armed Forces. Scheduled to run from November 29 until December 2, the award-winning event presents a unique opportunity for exhibitors to showcase the latest military technology, equipment, and systems across land, sea, and air. Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Lt. Gen. Mohamed Farid attended the meeting, along with a host of senior military officials from the armed forces of both countries. Short link: Units of the Egyptian and Pakistani air defence forces on Sunday continued their Sky Protectors-1 joint military exercise, hosted by Egypt. The first-of-its-kind drill comes as part of military cooperation between Egypt and Pakistan. The activities included a pre-training phase to achieve integration between the participating forces by carrying out a set of theoretical and practical lectures to review modern and advanced air defence systems and organising an exhibition of the participating weapons and air defence equipment. The Commander of the Egyptian Air Defence Forces and Director General of the Pakistani Joint Staff Mohammad Haider attended the activities. The participating forces from both sides also carried out joint tactical exercises, which revealed the capability of the joint naval forces to perform their tasks efficiently and rapidly. The training is being held to exchange expertise between the two countries in the field of air defence in light of the spread of advanced aerial attack weapons. Short link: Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and leading German shipbuilder Lurssen discussed on Monday efforts by the state to localise marine industries during a meeting in Cairo. According to a statement by the presidency, El-Sisi received Luerssen CEO Peter Lurssen in a meeting attended by the Egyptian navy commander Lieutenant General Ahmed Khaled and other officials from the navy. The meeting saw a briefing on Egypts efforts to upgrade shipyard arsenals and the training of human resources operating in the field. They also discussed developing infrastructure of the equipment needed in the vital industry to allow it to keep pace with the latest global technologies. Short link: Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria and Patriarch of St. Mark Diocese honoured on Monday Cairo Governor Khaled Abdel-Aal as well as a number of other figures for their role in the development of the Holy Family path. The move was made during a ceremony held by Zagazig University and the Coptic Studies Institute under the auspices of Pope Tawadros II on the anniversary of the Holy Family's arrival in Egypt. The ceremony was attended by the ministers of tourism and antiquities, emigration, supply, and youth and sports, in addition to some members of the House of Representatives and the Senate, university presidents and public figures. Search Keywords: Short link: Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry discussed on Monday with his Canadian counterpart Marc Garneau means of propelling and developing cooperation ties between the two countries in multiple fields, in addition to the latest developments on the Palestinian issue. During a phone call initiated by the Canadian minister, the two sides pointed out to the continuous improvement seen by trade and economic relations between Egypt and Canada, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ahmed Hafez said. Shoukry noted that Egypt is looking forward to promoting the Canadian companies and investments access to the Egyptian market for participating in various major projects. Meanwhile, Garneau was keen to get briefed on the Egyptian vision as regards the overall situation in the Middle East, particularly the latest developments on the Palestinian arena, with Shoukry reviewing Egyptian moves and contacts aimed at firming up ceasefire between Israel and Palestinians. In this regard, the top Egyptian diplomat emphasized the need to move urgently to revive the desired political path and launch serious negotiations between the two parties, "especially since the recent weeks have undoubtedly proven that the Palestinian cause can no longer be ignored and left unresolved". On that score, the Canadian minister praised Egypts pivotal role in the region, and its persistent efforts to promote security and stability in the region. The foreign ministry spokesman said the two ministers have agreed on continuing consultations in the coming stage to coordinate stances with regard to bilateral and regional issues, as well as to topics of common interest. Short link: Pope Tawadros II, the head of Egypts Coptic Orthodox Church, led a mass marking the anniversary of the entry of the Holy Family to Egypt on Tuesday with limited attendance due to restrictions over the coronavirus. The arrival of the Holy Family to Egypt is a bright page in our country's history, the pope said in his remarks at the celebration. The mass, held at St. Sergius and St. Bacchus Church in Old Cairo, was attended by a limited number of worshippers and monks amid a strict adherence to preventive measures against the virus. Egypt aims to incorporate the journey through Egypt by the Virgin Mary and an enfant Jesus into the global religious tourism map, allocating millions of pounds for the development of the stops located on the familys path across the country. The development work, estimated at EGP 60 million, aims to create or upgrade tourist facilities and services along the path. The restoration of all the archaeological sites located on the Holy Familys path has been completed. The traditional path includes 25 points, starting from Arafat in North Sinai; passing through Al-Farama in Mirth, Port Said; to Sakha town in Kafr El-Sheikh; Tel Basta in Sharqiya; Samanoud in Gharbiya; and Wadi El-Natroun, where the Paramos and St. Macarius monasteries are located. It then moves to Bab Zuweila in Cairo, to Old Cairo where the St. Sergius and St. Bacchus Church is located, then to Gabal Am-Teir Church in Minya, followed by the Maharaq Monastery in Assiut, then the Dronka cave. Short link: Pope Tawadros II, the head of Egypts Coptic Orthodox Church, announced the launch of the Churchs official website in English , a statement by the Church read on Tuesday. According to the statement, Pope Tawadros II said the launch of the English website targets new generations and Coptic youths residing in English speaking countries. The launch came in celebration of the anniversary of the entry of the Holy Family to Egypt. Pope Tawadros II led the mass marking the anniversary, held at Old Cairos Abu Serga Church. The mass was attended by a limited number of worshippers and monks amid a strict adherence to preventive measures against the virus. Short link: The Egyptian Armed Forces Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Mohamed Farid said on Tuesday the high combat readiness of participating forces in a joint military exercise with Sudan affirmed their ability to address challenges and threats faced by the two neighboring nations. According to a statement by the Egyptian Armed Forces spokesperson, Farid attended the end of the joint drill, dubbed Guardians of the Nile, which began in Sudan last week, with the participation of ground, naval and air forces from both countries militaries. The main stage of the drill began with Egyptian and Sudanese paratroopers executing a jump and multi-role combat aircraft carrying out inspection and aerial bombardments against hostile targets. Multi-purpose helicopters also executed joint landing operations by the Special Forces of the two countries on hostile targets and search and rescue operations in the vicinity of the landing. The naval forces simultaneously executed several naval activities, including atypical shots and raids on vital targets. The Egyptian Armed Forces chief of staff praised the combat readiness of participating forces and delivered appreciation by President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and Defence Minister General Mohamed Zaki to Sudan's political and military leadership. From his side, Sudans Armed Forces Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Muhammad Othman Al-Hussein praised the outstanding level of participating forces, affirming the depth of Egyptian-Sudanese relations. Both military officials later discussed joint military cooperation in the coming period and security and military threats and challenges. The joint drill is one of several exercises executed by the Egyptian and Sudanese armies recently, including joint aerial exercises Nile Eagles 1 in November 2020 and Nile Eagles 2 in March and April 2021. Short link: Palestinian factions are set to meet in Cairo next week for a new round of National Palestinian Dialogue amid Egyptian endeavours to end the Palestinian division and achieve stability in the Palestinian territories. Palestinian group Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, has asked head of Egypt's General Intelligence Service (GIS) Abbas Kamel to bring together the Palestinian factions' general secretaries in a meeting under the auspices of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Egypt's state-owned news agency MENA reported on Tuesday. Egypt sent a high-level security delegation, led by Kamel, to Israel and the Palestinian territories to discuss means to solidify a ceasefire Cairo brokered between the Palestinian factions and Israeli troops. The ceasefire which in place since 21 May ended 11 days of fighting, which has been considered the most serious on Gaza since 2014, as Israel upped its aggression with artillery and airstrikes. Palestinian factions in the coastal enclave assured Egypt their commitment to the ceasefire truce as long as Israel abides by it. El-Sisi ordered on Tuesday Egyptian officials to take a "swift" action in all Palestinian files at the same time to achieve stability in the Palestinian territories in coordination with President Abbas. Abbas appreciated El-Sisi's efforts to rearrange the internal Palestinian front and call for factions' meeting next week. On Monday, El-Sisi said Egypt was exerting strenuous efforts to solidify the truce to allow for the resumption of negotiations between Palestine and Israel in cooperation with all international powers, on top of them the United States. He reiterated Egypt's support for the Palestinian people and leaders. He said that Egypt is keen on Palestinian reconciliation as soon as possible, urging for unifying the internal Palestinian front under the umbrella of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, which is led by Abbas. The Egyptian president has also called on all regional and international powers to support the Egyptian efforts to rebuild the Gaza Strip, whose infrastructure was devastated over the 11-day Israel bombing campaign. Short link: King Mohammed VI of Morocco reiterated his Very High Instructions to the Ministers in charge of the Interior and of Foreign Affairs to definitively settle the issue of unaccompanied Moroccan minors in an illegal situation in certain European countries. A statement from the Ministries of the Interior and of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Abroad said that HM the King had stressed, on several occasions, including to Heads of Foreign State, the clear and firm commitment of the Kingdom of Morocco to accept the return of duly identified unaccompanied minors. Cooperation mechanisms have been set up for this purpose with certain countries, in particular France and Spain, which have resulted in the returning of several dozen of minors to Morocco, the statement said. The delays noted in the implementation of this cooperation are mainly linked to blockages caused by the complex (administrative and judicial) procedures in some European countries, added the same source, specifying that Morocco is the first country concerned by certain circles of civil society, or even criminal networks, which use the supposedly precarious conditions of minors as a pretext to exploit them. Morocco is ready to collaborate, as it has always done, with European countries and the European Union (EU), for the settlement of this issue, the statement said, noting that the Kingdom hopes that the EU and the countries concerned will be able to overcome the procedural constraints to facilitate this operation. Morocco once again regrets that the migration issue, including the issue of unaccompanied minors, is used as an alibi in order to circumvent the real causes of the current political crisis with Spain, whose origins and foundations are well known. The Moroccan authorities reserve the right to provide, at the right time, the appropriate responses to the unfounded accusations of the Spanish government, the statement concluded. Egypts Public Prosecution ordered on Tuesday the detention of a Brazilian man for four days pending investigation into charges of alleged sexual harassment of an Egyptian girl in the city of Luxor. The man is accused of attacking the values of the Egyptian family as well as the victims private life by verbally harassing her, a statement by the prosecution's office said. He is also accused of using a social media account in committing those crimes. On Sunday, Egypt's Ministry of Interior announced his arrested a foreign man following the posting of a video of him harassing a girl in Egypt. The video had gone viral showing the renowned Brazilian plastic surgeon and influencer mocking and sexually harassing, in Portuguese, the girl selling papyrus in an unidentified bazaar in Luxor. In the video, the girl smiles as she shows him papyrus papers while he speaks in Portuguese in a sexual way, taking advantage of her ignorance with his language. The video was originally shared on his Instagram story before he made his Instagram account private. He also closed his Facebook page. He was condemned by rights groups and activists in Brazil who also reached out to their peers in Egypt. Egyptian women are victims of sexual harassment. Egypt criminalized sexual harassment in 2014, with penalties including jail terms ranging from six months to three years and/or hefty fines. Last year, the Egyptian Parliament passed a law to keep the identity of victims of sexual assault and harassment confidential to protect their reputation and encourage them to file police reports. Short link: President Abdel Fattah El Sisi directed concerned bodies on Tuesday to rapidly send equipment into Gaza Strip for the reconstruction process. President Sisi's instructions came in response to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's request and the meeting of Director of the General Intelligence Service (GIS) Abbas Kamel with ministers of the Palestinian authority. Ministers of the Palestinian Authority are set to arrive in Cairo next week to coordinate the reconstruction process. Meanwhile, Abbas instructed the ministers to fully cooperate with Egypt to implement Sisi's initiative to reconstruct the enclave. Earlier on Monday, Sisi said Egypt exerts great efforts to stabilize the ceasefire and open the door for the political process in cooperation with the international powers, topped by the US, calling on all regional and international powers to support Egypt's reconstruction efforts. Short link: U.S. Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Jeffrey Feltman is traveling to Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Kenya from May 31 to June 6 to hold talks over recent issues in the horn region, including on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, the US Department of State said on Tuesday. Special Envoy Feltman will meet with senior officials of the four countries to discuss cooperative approaches to supporting a stable and prosperous Horn of Africa, including a resolution of the dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam that is acceptable to all parties, the statement said. In early May, Feltman visited Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea and Ethiopia in a tour to discuss the GERD and regional issues after assuming his position in the region in late April. Tensions have mounted in the past weeks after the latest trilateral round of talks in Kinshasa in April failed to produce an agreement to re-launch the deadlocked negotiations. Ethiopias rejection of several proposals by Egypt and Sudan on the negotiation mechanism, which includes international quartet mediation, led to the collapse of the Kinshasa talks. Last year, several rounds of AU-sponsored talks, under the chairmanship of South Africa, failed to break the deadlock between the three countries, as Addis Ababa refused to sign any legally binding agreement. Short link: According to a reported leaked audio file from a Prosperity Party meeting last week, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is heard vowing to die rather than hand over power to them, implying that he would rule the country for the coming 10 years, while discussing the internal fallout from the crisis in Tigray. On Monday, Ethiopia denied the authenticity of the leaked audio by PM Ahmed during discussions of the upcoming elections in the east African country amid growing international condemnation over the crisis in the Tigray region. In a tweet, the Ethiopian prime ministers office said the reported leaked audio of Ahmed during the Prosperity Party meeting last week was a fake audio compilation put together by drawing on different unrelated remarks made by the PM. The denial came shortly after the release of the reported audio leak, which included Ahmed reassuring his party members of a win in the upcoming general elections that were delayed more than once over the coronavirus pandemic and security and logistical obstacles. I can tell you this with certainty, and there is no doubt or mystery about it: we have won the election, we have won it easily, Ahmed reportedly said, adding that there was now a great responsibility to stop an election that may lead to a different result. No one will be able to form a government in the coming 10 years, Ahmed said, according to the reported audio leak. I would rather die than hand over power to them, Ahmed added in the leaked audio file in reference to his opponents. The scheduled voting is set for 21 June, yet some regions in the country will see voting delayed due to outbreaks of unrest. Elections will not be held in the northern Tigray province, which is witnessing atrocities by the Ethiopian military after conflict erupted in November with Tigrays Peoples Liberation Front. Tigrays regional government held its own elections in September 2020, defying the Ethiopian federal governments ban on the poll, which were originally scheduled in August of last year. Thousands have been killed and around 2 million people have been displaced due to the war, which is also seeing the participation of troops from Eritrea to back the Ethiopian government. The worsening security situation in Tigray has pushed the United States to pledge further actions against Ethiopia and Eritrea, days after it imposed restrictions on economic and security assistance to Ethiopia over the conflict. Short link: An Ethiopian national working for an Italian charity was killed in the war-hit Tigray region on Saturday after he was ``hit by a stray bullet'', according to his employer. Negasi Kidane, from the Tigrayan city of Adigrat, had been employed by the International Committee for the Development of Peoples since 2016. The group is known by its Italian initials, CISP. He is the ninth aid worker reported killed in Tigray since fighting broke out there nearly seven months ago. ``Our colleague Negasi Kidane, head of the CISP office in Adigrat, in the Ethiopian Region of Tigray, lost his life last Saturday,'' the group said in a statement on Facebook. ``(H)e was accidentally involved in a fire fight on Friday evening.'' ``He was hospitalized for serious injuries, but he didn't make it,'' the statement added. It is not clear who fired the bullet that killed Kidane, said Sandro De Luca, CISP's director and legal representative. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed sent troops into Tigray in early November after the region's former leaders, the Tigray People's Liberation Front, or TPLF, were accused of attacking a federal army base there. Abiy has described the move as a ``law enforcement operation'' intended to round up members of the TPLF, but subsequent fighting has killed thousands and left 5.2 million of Tigray's six million population in need of food assistance. Eritrean troops are fighting on the side of Ethiopian government forces. The government has said it has provided ``full and unhindered access for humanitarian actors to operate in all parts of the region,`` but aid agencies say they have been turned back at army checkpoints and denied access to certain regions. ``Humanitarian access in Tigray remains extremely fluid and volatile,'' said the UN's aid agency in an update issued last week. ``While some areas were accessible, others remain hard to reach due to movement restrictions and ongoing conflict. In the areas accessed, the humanitarian situation is observed to be dire.'' United States officials have accused warring parties of deliberately targeting aid workers. Samantha Power, chief of USAID, said last week an Ethiopian national working for her agency had been killed in Tigray, ``reportedly by Eritrean and Ethiopian soldiers.'' ``This recent targeting of a humanitarian worker was clearly intentional and is part of a troubling rise in harassment and violence against aid workers,'' she said. In December the Danish Refugee Council said three of its security guards had been killed in Tigray. The same month the International Rescue Committee reported the killing of one of its staff members in the Hitsats refugee camp near Shire. Dutch aid group ZOA International also said one of its staff members was ``murdered'' in Hitsats in December. A United Nations team that reached the camp in March said it had been ``completely destroyed.`` Short link: . Yemen's Houthi rebels, who control most of the country's north including the capital Sanaa, have been blocking international efforts to supply Covid vaccines, Human Rights Watch said on Tuesday The New York-based group accused Houthi leaders of suppressing information about both the dangers of Covid and the prevalence of the disease in territory under their control. "The deliberate decision of the Houthi authorities to keep the real number of cases of Covid-19 under wraps and their opposition to vaccines are putting Yemeni lives at risk," said HRW's deputy Middle East director Michael Page. "Pretending Covid-19 does not exist is not a mitigation strategy and will only lead to mass suffering. "Given the weakened healthcare system in Yemen, Houthi authorities should at least ensure transparency so that civilians living in their areas can understand the scale of the pandemic and facilitate an international vaccination plan that meets the needs on the ground." Yemen received 360,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine on March 31, the first of 1.9 million doses to be delivered this year through the Covax programme for poorer countries. However, the rebels' failure to cooperate with the World Health Organization and the Yemeni government has prevented any vaccines from reaching the north, HRW said citing a medical source with "direct knowledge of the circumstances". As a result, vaccinations have only been occurring in the government-held south. HRW quoted Houthi officials as dismissing Covid-19 as a "conspiracy". "America bears the primary responsibility for the Covid-19 epidemic," it quoted rebel leader Abdul Malik al- Houthi, as saying in a televised speech last year. Since March 2015, the rebels have been fighting a Saudi-led coalition which intervened in support of the internationally-recognized government. The conflict has claimed tens of thousands of lives and created what the United Nations describes as the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Short link: . Germany will host a new set of Libyan peace talks on June 23 in Berlin, with Libya's transitional government due to attend, the foreign ministry said in a statement Tuesday "The next steps needed for a sustainable stabilisation of the country will be discussed" at the conference, said the ministry. Talks will mainly focus on preparations for national elections planned for December 24 as well as the withdrawal of foreign troops and mercenaries from Libya. They will also look at the creation of unified security forces for the North African country. "The conference is an expression of the continued international support for the stabilisation of Libya," said a German ministry spokeswoman. "The international community remains ready to continue its close and constructive support of the UN-led peace process in Libya." Libya was thrown into a decade of violence following the 2011 overthrow of leader Muammar Gaddafi. Berlin hosted the first round of the UN-sponsored talks on January 19, 2020, gathering leaders of warring Libyan sides as well as the presidents of Russia, Turkey, France and Egypt to bid for peace in the conflict-torn country. At that conference, world leaders committed to ending all foreign meddling in the conflict and to uphold a weapons embargo. Since then, a formal truce last October has led to the creation of an interim government tasked with unifying Libya's divided institutions, launching reconstruction efforts and preparing for December polls. But the UN envoy for Libya, Jan Kubis, last month assessed that progress on issues such as the withdrawal of foreign mercenaries and reopening of the road connecting the country's east and west had stalled. According to the UN, more than 20,000 foreign mercenaries and military personnel are still in Libya. *This story was edited by Ahram Online. Short link: Israeli occupation forces detained on Tuesday dozens of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, while army bulldozers razed lands to expand Israels illegal settlements, WAFA reported. Israeli forces detained Palestinian youths in several districts in the south of the West Bank, including Ramallah, Tulkarm Jenin, Nablus, Tubas, Qalqilya, Hebron, Bethlehem, and Qatanna in the northwest of Jerusalem, according to the Palestinian news agency. In Ramallah, Tulkarm, Nablus and Qalqilya, 12 Palestinian youths were detained by Israeli occupation forces and a former prisoner was also arrested in Jenin district. They also detained one youth in Tubas, five in Bethlehem, and one in Hebron who was injured by gunfire. Also, in the northwest of Jerusalem, in a village called Qatanna, a young man was arrested as well. In Masafer Yatta, in the south of the West Bank, Israeli occupation forces doubled their efforts to expand the Havat Talia settlement, which is a nearby illegal Israeli settlement, by kicking Palestinian residents out of their lands and demolishing their homes. A local activist, Fouad Al-Imour, said in order to expand Havat Talia, the bulldozers razed land in Khirbet Umm Al-Khawas in Masafer Yatta. In the village of Al-Samu in Hebron, the Israeli occupation forces seized solar cells and demolished two livestock tents and one inhabited tent. Israeli forces demolished structures as well as seized solar cells under the pretext that they are located in an area that is classified as Area C, which is under full Israeli military rule Rateb Al-Jabour, the coordinator of the Wall and Settlements Resistance Commission said to WAFA. Area C, in the south of the West Bank, is considered a territory fully controlled by Israel, according to the Oslo Accords. Therefore, Palestinians who live there are not allowed to build houses or develop infrastructure without a permit from the Israeli Civil Administration. These building permits require overpriced fees, and most Palestinians cannot afford them. As a result, a legal loophole emerged for Israel to annex more lands and leave Palestinians displaced. Israels territory grabs began in 1979 and are based on a manipulative enactment of the 1858 Ottoman Land Law. Israel has other ways of annexing Palestinian lands, including declaring lands as abandoned assets, military occupation, and claiming land for public needs. Short link: Morocco's prime minister has said that US-led multi-nation African military exercises this month would take place in the disputed desert region of Western Sahara. Last year, under former US president Donald Trump, Washington recognised Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara -- after Rabat normalised relations with Israel -- sparking anger from the separatist Polisario Front. The military training, which the US Africa Command (Africom) says is its largest annual exercise, "marks the consecration of American recognition of the Moroccan Sahara", Prime Minister Saad-Eddine El Othmani said on Twitter last week. Africom says the "African Lion" exercise will involve more than 7,000 troops from nine nations, without giving further details of contributing countries. Morocco laid claim to the Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony with rich phosphate resources and offshore fisheries, after Spain withdrew in 1975. But the Polisario Front took up arms to demand independence there, proclaiming the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) in 1976 and fighting a 16-year war with Morocco. Morocco has offered Western Sahara autonomy, but maintains the territory is a sovereign part of the kingdom. Othmani said the exercises would take place in two sites in Western Sahara, including the eastern Mahbes region -- where Polisario regularly claim conflict in recent months -- and Dakhla, where Rabat plans to develop a large Atlantic port. Spain is understood not to be taking part in the exercises in Western Sahara. Madrid has angered Rabat after Polisario Front leader Brahim Ghali was treated in a Spanish hospital for Covid-19 in April. Last month, Spain was caught off guard when as many as 10,000 people surged into its tiny North African enclave of Ceuta as Moroccan border guards looked the other way, in what was widely seen as a punitive political gesture. Short link: The leader of Western Sahara's independence movement, whose presence in Spain has angered Morocco, on Tuesday denied allegations of torture and genocide while being questioned by a Spanish judge. Brahim Ghali, who heads the Algeria-backed Polisario Front, testified by video conference from a hospital in northern Spain where he is recovering from a severe case of Covid-19. During the closed-door hearing at the National Court in Madrid, the judge turned down a request from the complainants for Ghali to be taken into custody or turn over his passport, arguing there was no flight risk. Ghali, who is also the president of the Sahrawi Democratic Arab Republic, a self-declared state since 1976, was only asked to provide an address and a telephone number in Spain where he could be reached. The Polisario leader is facing two investigations in Spain. Ghali was severely ill when he arrived at a hospital in the northern Spanish town of Logrono in mid-April, with his presence in Spain triggering a major diplomatic spat between Rabat and Madrid. Last month, Spain was caught off guard when as many as 10,000 people surged into its tiny North African enclave of Ceuta as Moroccan border guards looked the other way, in what was widely seen as a punitive political gesture. The Algeria-backed Polisario Front has long fought for the independence of Western Sahara, a desert region bigger than Britain which was a Spanish colony until 1975. Morocco controls 80 percent of the territory, while the rest -- an area bordering Mauritania that is almost totally landlocked -- is run by the Polisario Front. - 'War criminal' - Spanish online newspaper El Confidencial reported that an Algerian government plane had departed on Tuesday morning for Logrono to pick up Ghali but then turned backed. Asked about the report, Spanish government spokeswoman Maria Jesus Montero said she had "no knowledge of any flight which was sent back or stopped." Citing diplomatic sources, Spain's El Pais newspaper said Ghali was "critically ill" when he arrived on a medicalised Algerian government plane on April 18, bearing a diplomatic passport. It said he was admitted to the hospital under a false name for "security reasons". Rabat, which considers Ghali to be a "war criminal", has demanded a "transparent investigation" into Ghali's arrival in Spain with what it said was a forged passport. In response, Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Monday it was "unacceptable" for Morocco to "attack Spain's borders" by letting migrants into Ceuta due to "differences in foreign policy". Ghali's lawyer, Manuel Olle, said his client "did not come in secret, he entered with his passport, close to death." The accusations against Ghali "are totally false" and are "politically motivated to target the credibility of the Sahrawi people," he told journalists. Olle also suggested that Rabat was behind the lawsuits against Ghali in Spain. - 'These tortures are confirmed' - One of the lawsuits relates to allegations of torture at Sahrawi refugee camps in Tindouf, a town in western Algeria. The accusations were made in 2020 by Sahrawi activist Fadel Breika, who also holds Spanish nationality. While a Spanish court initially rejected the complaint, it agreed to reopen the case earlier this year. "The tortures are confirmed by thousands of witnesses," said Breika's lawyer, Maria Jose Malagon Ruiz del Valle. The second investigation relates to allegations of genocide, murder, terrorism, torture and disappearances made in 2007 by the Sahrawi Association for the Defence of Human Rights (ASADEDH), which is based in Spain. The UN refers to Western Sahara as a "non-self-governing territory". After 16 years of war, Rabat and the Polisario signed a ceasefire in 1991, but a UN-backed referendum on self-determination has been repeatedly postponed. Morocco is willing to offer it within Morocco but not independence. Short link: Israeli politicians battling to unseat veteran Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were racing against the clock Tuesday in talks to build a "change" coalition of bitter ideological rivals. They have until a minute before midnight (2059 GMT) Wednesday to cobble together an administration that end 12 straight years of rule by the hawkish heavyweight, Israel's longest-ruling premier. The high-stakes push is led by former TV presenter Yair Lapid, a secular centrist, who on Sunday won the crucial support of right-wing religious nationalist Naftali Bennett, a tech multi-millionaire. "The coalition negotiation team sat all night and made progress toward creating a unity government," a Bennett spokesman said in a statement, adding that further talks were scheduled for the afternoon. But to reach a 61-seat majority in the 120-seat Knesset, their unlikely alliance would also have to include other left and right-wing parties -- and would probably need the support of Arab-Israeli politicians. That would result in a government riven by deep ideological differences on flashpoint issues such as Israeli settlements in the Israel-occupied West Bank and the role of religion in politics. Lapid, leader of the Yesh Atid party, was tasked with forming a government by President Reuven Rivlin after Netanyahu again failed to win a majority following Israel's fourth inconclusive election in less than two years. Lapid has reportedly agreed to allow Bennett, who heads the Yamina party, to serve first as a rotating prime minister in a power-sharing agreement, before taking over half way through their term. - 'Greater goal' - Israel's latest political turmoil adds to the woes of Netanyahu, who is on trial for criminal charges of fraud, bribery and breach of trust while in office -- accusations he denies. It also follows Israel's 11-day, military campaign on Gaza Strip, which ended with an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire on 21 May. Netanyahu, who served an earlier three-year term in the 1990s, had warned on Sunday of "a left-wing government dangerous to the state of Israel". The premier, who heads the right-wing Likud party and has developed a reputation as a wily political operator, was scrambling to scupper the new alliance. Likud's lawyers tried to hobble the emerging coalition by challenging Bennett's right to serve first as prime minister, given that it was Lapid who was charged with forming the government. But the legal adviser to Israel's president knocked down the challenge. Opponents of the possible alternative government meanwhile accused Bennett and his right-wing partners of betraying their voters. Spokesmen for both Lapid and Bennett confirmed to AFP that the two have received additional security protection. Lapid said Monday that obstacles remained to build the coalition, but added: "That's our first test -- to see if we can find smart compromises in the coming days to achieve the greater goal." In order to build the anti-Netanyahu bloc, Lapid must sign individual agreements with seven parties, whose members would then vote in parliament to confirm their coalition. They include the hawkish New Hope party of Netanyahu's former ally Gideon Saar and right-wing secular nationalist Avigdor Lieberman's pro-settlement Yisrael Beitenu party. The centrist Blue and White party of Defence Minister Benny Gantz, the historically powerful centre-left Labor party and the dovish Meretz party would also join. - Arab Israeli support? - If all those parties indeed sign on, the emerging alliance still needs the backing of four more lawmakers. For that, Lapid is counting on parties representing Palestinian citizens of Israel, which have not yet announced their intentions. Mansour Abbas, head of the Islamic conservative Raam party, which has four seats, has generally voiced openness to any arrangement that improves living conditions for Israel's 20 percent Arab minority of Palestinian descent. Political analyst Afif Abu Much said Tuesday that Abbas would not pursue ministerial posts, but wanted chairmanship of two parliament committees and budgets for Arab communities. He also aimed to revoke a law that has hardened penalties for illegal construction, which is seen to impact Arab communities disproportionately. "They don't want to be part of the government," Abu Much told AFP. "What they want is to be the address of the Arab people in Israel." Political scientist Jonathan Rynhold warned that it would be unwise at this point to write off Netanyahu, "the best card player by miles". If Lapid fails to muster a majority, and lawmakers cannot agree on another candidate for prime minister, Israelis will return, yet again, to the polls. Abbas told reporters Tuesday that negotiations appeared to be heading "in a good direction". But, he said: "until it's finished, nothing is finished." *This story was edited by Ahram Online. Short link: Related Blinken stops short of endorsing Trump recognition of Golan Heights as part of Israel The Israeli army Tuesday destroyed a Syrian regime observation post in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, the third such operation in a year, a spokesman said. The army "destroyed a forward observation post of the Syrian army that was set up in an Israeli area west of the Alfa line in the Golan Heights," spokesman Avichay Adraee wrote on Twitter, referring to the Israeli side of a UN-patrolled buffer zone between both countries. He said Israeli troops attacked and blew up the post, adding that it would not "tolerate any attempt to violate the sovereignty" of the Jewish state. There was no immediate report of any casualties. Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes in Syria since the beginning of the conflict there in 2011, mostly targeting Iranian and Lebanese Hezbollah forces as well as Syrian government troops, though it rarely acknowledges them. Its military has said it hit some 50 targets in 2020 alone. Israel says it is trying to prevent Iran, which has been one of the Syrian government's key allies in the decade-old civil war, from gaining a permanent military foothold on its doorstep. In early May, Syrian state media and a war monitor said Israel had carried out air strikes in the southern Syrian province of Quneitra, near the border with Israel. The Golan Heights, a strategic military zone, was seized by Israel from Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War. Short link: Russia has announced the resumption of air travel with Britain and a number of other countries which had been suspended due to coronavirus restrictions. "Given the improvement of the epidemiological situation in the United Kingdom, a decision has been taken to resume regular air travel between Moscow and London from June 2," Russian health authorities said in a statement on Monday. Russia will also resume air travel with Austria, Hungary, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Croatia, Mauritius, and Morocco from June 10, it said. Flights to Turkey, a major tourist destination for Russians, will remain suspended until at least June 21. Since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, Russia's borders have remained largely closed to foreigners. Short link: NATO's foreign and defense ministers were meeting Tuesday to lay the groundwork for the military alliance's first summit with US President Joe Biden, setting aside four tumultuous years with the Trump administration. The ministers will discuss a hefty communique being drafted for the June 14 summit in Brussels, which will reaffirm the unity of the 30-nation security alliance which has been riven by infighting in recent years and focus on future threats and challenges. `This is a pivotal moment for our alliance, and our collective security,' NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on the eve of the meetings. `In a more competitive and unpredictable world, we need transatlantic unity.' Chief among the challenges is dealing with an increasingly aggressive Russia, whose defense minister announced Monday that Russia would establish 20 new military units in its western sector this year to counter what it claims is a growing threat from NATO. The rise of China and the impact of climate change two of the Biden administration's key interests will also be discussed, along with missile defense, cyber and hybrid warfare, and the use of disinformation. The most pressing subject for debate will be winding up NATO's operations in Afghanistan. Biden has pledged to have US troops out of the conflict-ravaged country by Sept. 11, but many are likely to have left by the time the summit takes place. But major questions remain over exactly how NATO will continue to fund the corruption-ridden Afghan security forces, whether to continue training special forces troops somewhere outside the country, and exactly who might provide security for civilian workers, embassies and Kabul's airport. Short link: The US military will hand over its main Bagram Air Base to Afghan forces in about 20 days, an official said Tuesday, as Washington presses on with withdrawing the last of its troops from the country. The vast base, built by the Soviets in the 1980s, is the biggest military facility used by US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, with tens of thousands of troops stationed there during the peak of America's military involvement in the violence-wracked country. "I can confirm we will hand over Bagram Air Base," a US defence official told AFP without specifying when the transfer would take place. An Afghan security official said the handover was expected in about 20 days and the defence ministry had set up special committees to manage it. In Washington, the Pentagon indicated that the pace of the withdrawal was picking up. As of Monday, US Central Command estimated it had completed 30-44 percent of the so-called "retrograde" process. It has shipped the equivalent of 300 loaded C-17 transport planes out of the country. In April, President Joe Biden set a target of September to remove all the 2,500 US troops and some 16,000 civilian contractors out of the country, aiming to end the US military's two-decade-old presence. - Handing over bases - Bagram base was the centre for nationwide command and air operations for the past two decades. It also houses a prison that held thousands of Taliban and jihadist inmates over the years. Washington had already handed over six military bases to Afghan forces before May 1, when it began accelerating the final withdrawal of troops. Last month it completed the withdrawal from Kandahar Airfield in southern Afghanistan, once the second-largest foreign military base in the country. The US withdrawal comes despite bloody clashes across the country between the Taliban and Afghan forces. Peace talks were launched in September in Qatar, but so far have failed to strike any deal to end a war that has killed tens of thousands of people over nearly two decades. On Tuesday, a group of Afghan government negotiators was headed to Doha in the hope of resuming stalled talks. "Our team is ready for serious negotiations. There is no military solution to this conflict," Najia Anwari, spokeswoman for the Ministry of Peace, told AFP, adding that no date had been fixed for resuming the talks. Fawzia Koofi, one of four women negotiators from the government team, said on Twitter that she hoped for a "meaningful and result based negotiation this time to end the bloodshed and suffering of my people". "We need to see more willingness and sincerity in the talks as the few months ahead of us are crucial for Afghanistan and the region." Last month the two sides had agreed to speed up the talks, with the Taliban saying the dialogue would begin after the festival of Eid al-Fitr that ended on May 16. Short link: Three bombs rattled the Afghan capital Kabul late Tuesday killing at least 10 people and plunging the city into darkness, an Afghan government spokesman said. Two bombs exploded in quick succession in separate locations of a west Kabul neighborhood, killing at least 10 people and wounding a dozen others, said deputy Interior Ministry spokesman Said Hamid Rushan. A third bomb heavily damaged an electrical grid station in north Kabul, said Sangar Niazai, a spokesman for the government power supply department. The initial two bombings, both targeting minivans, happened in a mostly ethnic Hazara area of the capital, said Rushan. The first exploded near the home of a prominent Hazara leader, Mohammad Mohaqiq, and in front of a Shiite mosque. Most Hazaras are Shiites. The second bomb also targeted a minivan but Rushan said details were still being collected. Police cordoned off the two areas and investigators were sifting through the rubble. No one claimed responsibility for the bombings but the Islamic State group affiliate operating in Afghanistan has previously declared war on minority Shiites, who make up roughly 20% of the majority Sunni Muslim nation of 36 million people. The IS affiliate previously took responsibility for several attacks in May on Afghanistan's power supply stations in Kabul and in several other provinces. On May 8, a car bomb and two roadside bombs exploded outside the Syed-al-Shahada girls school, also in a predominantly Hazara neighborhood, killing nearly 90 people, many of them students. No one has yet claimed that attack but the U.S. blamed IS. The attacks come as the United States wraps up its longest war by withdrawing the last of its 2,500-3,500 troops along with 7,000 allied NATO forces. The last soldiers are to be gone by Sept. 11 at the latest generating fears of increased chaos in a country already deeply insecure. Violence has escalated in Afghanistan even as the United States struck a peace deal with the Taliban in February 2020 under the previous Trump administration. The agreement called for the last of the U.S. and NATO troops to be out of the country by May 1. Instead, the withdrawal began on May 1 after U.S. President Joe Biden announced in mid-April America was ending its ``forever war.'' At the time, he declared terrorist groups like al-Qaida and the Islamic State had been sufficiently degraded and it was no longer necessary to keep thousands of troops deployed to Afghanistan. Stalemated peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban are set to resume in the Middle Eastern country of Qatar, said a member of the Afghan government negotiation team, Nader Nadery. The two sides have been meeting off and on since Sept. 12 but progress has been slight. ``I do not see any sign yet of meaningful talks from the Taliban on key issues to end this senseless war,'' said Nadery. Short link: Egypts net international reserves (NIRs) rose for the nine month in a row to reach $40.2 billion by end of February, up from $40.1 billion in January, the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) announced on Sunday. In September 2019, Egypts NIRs recorded an all-time high of $45.1 billion, before undergoing an immense drop in March 2020, down to $40 billion, driven by the unprecedented blow to global financial markets arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 has caused the sharpest portfolio flow reversal on record for emerging markets, including the Egyptian market, according to the CBE. As for the end of June 2020, Egypts NIRs started to bounce back for the first time since March, rising to $38.2 billion, up from $36 billion in May. In February, the CBE announced that emittances from Egyptian expats reached $27.1 billion from January to November 2020, up from the $24.2 billion a year earlier, an increase of 11.9 percent. The CBE data shows that remittance flows in November 2020 reached $2.6 billion, a year-on-year increase of 2.6 percent, Reuters reported. Egyptian expat remittances are considered one of the key sources of hard currency for the country alongside returns from the Suez Canal and the tourism sector. In FY 2019/2020, which ended in June, expat remittances increased by 10.4 percent, reaching a record $27.8 billion, up from $25.2 billion in FY 2018/2019. In the first quarter of the current FY2020/2021 (July-September), expat remittances recorded $8 billion, up from $6.7 billion in the same quarter of FY2019/2020, according to CBE data. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is expected to complete the second review of Egypts 12-month stand-by agreement (SBA), under which the fund approved a loan of $5.2 million for the country to implement its second wave of economic and structural reforms. The second review will allow Egypt to receive the third tranche of the loan that is worth $1.6 billion. Short link: Despite COVID-19 remaining a threat to human lives and the global economy, it has managed to draw the world's attention to accelerating climate action as well as dealing with climate change implications. From 25 to 27 May, Innovate4Climate (I4C)s three-day virtual conference shone the light on how countries, especially developing countries and low-income economies, can scale up their climate action and green field efforts amid the ongoing challenges through banking on innovative ideas and out-of-the-box actions. The conference was organised by REVOLVE along with the I4C platform and hosted by the World Bank Group in collaboration with the governments of Germany and Spain. One of the mechanisms the conference discussed was carbon pricing and how it is considered a double-face beneficial tool for developing countries and low-income economies that could contribute to fast-tracking their climate action. What is carbon pricing? Carbon pricing is an approach that the countries can bank on to reduce carbon emissions through passing the cost of emitting on to emitters that can, incrementally, force the emitters to switch to more cleaner fuels. It includes a package of procedures, such as imposing carbon tax and fees on corporates with emissions containing carbon. Such an approach is adopted in a number of developed countries but the ongoing efforts in this regard cover only 22 percent of the emissions worldwide, according to Senior Climate Change Specialist Daniel Besley. COVID-19 vs climate action targets In its 2021 version of 'State and Trends on Carbon Pricing' report, the World Bank said that as the world starts to recover from the pandemic, there is a strong consensus on the need to strengthen its preparedness for future global crises, including those related to climate change. The last year has shown us that cooperation is essential to address problems that transcend national borders. Achieving a resilient recovery therefore requires enhanced cooperation and collaboration. This is the case for climate change as well, read the report. Carbon pricing as a policy to accelerate climate action The report said that carbon pricing is a cost-effective policy tool that can create a financial incentive to mitigate emissions through price signals as well as help encourage changes in production and consumption patterns, through which curbing low-carbon growth and consequently, helping fulfill the countries' commitment to reach zero-carbon by 2050. However, such a policy needs to be supported by other policies as well to be effective. According to the report, that can be executed through applying sector-specific regulations and other targeted incentive mechanisms such as research and development funding- in order to enable investments in technologies that require application over a long time to develop and deploy. Other complementary measures are also needed alongside carbon pricing policies to tackle non-price barriers and to reduce emissions in sectors not covered by carbon pricing, according to the report. Why is carbon pricing currently imperative for developing countries and low-income economies? In 2020, carbon pricing and its related instruments managed to generate $53 billion in revenue globally, up from the $8 billion in 2019, according to the World Bank, which means that adopting such a policy can benefit those economies through increasing their total revenues that will contribute to providing finances to meet their needs and to tackle climate change impacts as well. Moreover, carbon pricing can help address the high levels of informality in developing countries, where 70 percent of all employment is informal, as carbon taxes are harder to avoid than direct taxes on personal or corporate income, according to a recent report published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Carbon taxes also permit trading as well as encourage cleaner investment and consumption choices for all public and private spending, which is not only an effective and efficient way to reduce CO2 emissions, but it can also future-proof investments," the report said. The report stressed that a long-term commitment to carbon pricing and phasing out fossil fuel subsidies ensures that investments will flow into assets that are aligned with low-carbon development objectives and that those assets will remain valuable once the transition to a carbon-neutral economy scales up around the world. The situation in Egypt as a developing country Under its economic reform programme, implemented in November 2016, Egypt has been phasing out its fuel and oil product subsidies, in addition to initiating the implementation of a national project of converting oil-run vehicles to run on natural gas. Moreover, Egypt has allocated EGP 36.7 billion in the current FY2020/2021 ends in June for the implementation of 691 green projects, accounting for 14 percent of the budgets allocations for investment. The total value of the 691 green projects is estimated at EGP 447.3 billion, according to Egypts Ministry of Planning and Economic Development. In the upcoming FY2021/2022, which starts in July, Egypt plans to raise public investments in green projects to 30 percent, up from the 15 percent in FY2020/21. These steps however, and other related actions, are not enough. The country needs a bold idea to stop rising carbon emissions, according to a report released in March by a US-based Middle East Institute. The report explained that Egypt is highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, especially with its increasing population and the repercussion of the ongoing pandemic crisis. Rising waters on the coast or Nile delta threaten the food security of millions. Egypts economy is largely dependent on tourism, which is impacted by weather whether at the archaeological sites or its beaches. The cost of Cairos air pollution alone exceeds one percent of GDP and there are significant costs to the health care system, stemming from rising carbon emissions from power; transportation and manufacturing," the report added. To deal with this, the report called for establishing carbon exchange or putting a price on carbon that would help make Egypt an environmental leader in the region. Counting its benefits, the report said that countries that had adopted such a policy witnessed a double increase in their revenues in 2018 to reach $44 billion, up from $22 billion in revenues recorded in 2016, which means that if such a policy could generate revenues, Egypt needs to finance its reforms and address the implications of the COVID-19 crisis as well. Egypt's energy-related CO2 emissions rose to a global peak of 33 Gt in 2019, resulting in an unprecedented level of global warming, according to a research published by the Nature Public Health Emergency Collection Journal under its initiative to address COVID-19 and its related implications. Also according to the research, Egypt emitted 250 million tons of CO2 in 2018, ranking 27th among the countries of the world in terms of energy-related CO2 emissions. Short link: "Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and King, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, Where isare come to worship him.'' (Matthew 2:1-2) ---------- The story of the holy familys journey from Palestine to Egypt has long been recorded with dedication by historians and authors around the world. Many look upon the journey as a mark in the history of Egypt, not merely a religious event. Egyptians look with fondness and pride on the passage of the holy mother and her child through the land of Egypt, and the fact that they found solace here. The flight to Egypt The Virgin Mary gave birth to Jesus in Bethlehem of Judaea in Palestine. Upon his birth, wise men preached to the people of the city, declaring that Jesus was the chosen one, and that, "according to prophecies" they had seen in the stars, he would become the next king of the Jews. Upon hearing the news, King Herod was overcome by terror at the possibility of losing his throne. He decided that killing Jesus was the only way to protect his royal status. In a dream, Joseph, the carpenter, was ordered by God to escort Jesus and his mother to Egypt, where they would find refuge. Both Western and Eastern traditions agree that the method of transport most likely used by the holy family on their journey to Egypt would have been a donkey. In this situation, the Virgin Mary would have been seated on the donkey, holding the child Jesus in her arms and Joseph would have walked by their side, leading the way. The holy family in Sinai Keller writes in his book, The Bible as History (1955): A day's journey from Gaza brought the holy family to the ancient township of Jenysos, which is mentioned by Herodotus, the Greek historian. Today, this village, which is part of the Gaza Strip, is known as Khan Younis. The next town on the holy family's route would have been Raphia (Rafah), the frontier town between the Gaza Strip and the province of Egypt." Continuing for another 44 kilometres, beyond Raphia, and after almost two days of traveling, the mother and child reach Wadi Al-Arish, a point at which they are safe enough to obtain food and shelter. The holy family passes by other towns in Sinai such as Al-Muhammadia and Al-Farma, located 35 kilometres east of El-Qantara City. Churches from the 5th and 6th century have recently been discovered in Al-Farma. Route to the Nile Delta The holy family continued on its trip to the Nile Delta, stopping at the city of Musturod, only 10 kilometres from Cairo. "The Virgin Lady", a 12th century church, was found in the city. Keller adds in his book: The city of Musturod was again visited by the holy family on their return journey to Palestine." After leaving Musturod and passing by Belbes, the holy family travel west to the Valley of Natroun, crossing the western branch of the Nile (the Rasheed branch). The holy family in Cairo The movie Journey of the Holy Family portrays the settlement of the blessed family in Al-Mataraya district near Ein Shams (Old Heliopolis). They find shade under a sycamore tree that came to be known as "Mariams Tree," which has evolved into an engrossing attraction for religious tourists. The holy "Mayron oil," or the "Chrism," is nowadays prepared from the oil of the tree. An ancient church was built in the area by the name of "The Virgin Mary" and is visited by people to this day. Paintings can be found inside the church, including maps of the holy familys journey, as well as a statue of Jesus and his blessed mother guarded by Joseph the Carpenter. In his book The Geography of Coptic Egypt (1989), French historian Amelenio narrates some of the stories passed down about the miracles of "Mariams Tree." One such story tells how the French army sat by the tree, drank from its well and wrote their names on its stems. It is believed that some of the wounded soldiers were healed by its oil. Amelenio adds: Al-Matarya district became the most popular shrine in Egypt; a place where people flooded to for blessings and spiritual remedies. The second district visited by the holy family in Cairo was Al-Zeitun, where a church by the name "The Virgin Mary" was constructed in Toman Bey Street. It is said that appearances of the blessed lady were witnessed around the domes of the church up until recent years. Another spot visited by the holy family was Zowela Avenue on at Been El-Soreen Street in El-Gamaleya district. An ancient church is found there with the same name, "The Virgin Mary". It is considered one of the largest churches in Egypt and is distinguished by its basaltic style. The holy family moved on to "Old Egypt" (Al-Fustaat) where they dwelled for a short time in a cave in Abi Serjas Church, within the walls of the Roman Babylon fortress. The cave is about 20 feet tall, 15 feet wide and does not have any windows, as described by Amelenio, who believes the holy family's stay in the cave did not exceed a week. After leaving Al-Fustaat, they moved to Maadi district and settled at the location where the Virgin Mary Monastery and church were later built by the Nile. Amelenio explains that during Ottoman rule in Egypt, the church had a marina for boats allocated for the transport of people and soldiers traveling to and from Egypt. Some villages in Upper Egypt were visited by the holy family such as Assiut and Minya. In the book History of the Coptic Nation, author Samy Saleh records that the holy family took the same route on their journey back to Palestine. They first go to Maadi, passing through Old Egypt, then follow the road to Ein Shams, back to the city of Mustorod, and finally El-Arish, and from there to Gaza. The trail of the blessed At present, many Egyptian historians and archeologists are calling for a project to track each town or city visited by the holy family, so as to make it easier for tourists to visit the blessed spots, thus reviving the symbolism of the holy journey and its message of peace and goodwill to all men. *This story was first publised in Christmas 2012. Short link: Mapping the city conqueror is only for the brave, for Cairo is the most intriguing of cities. Its a place where history and heritage are usually entangled with a lot of haphazardness, and every street corner has an ancient story to share with anyone who cares to listen. Mapping out all such wonderful details is best manifested in Al Madaq,a digital platform that beholds tens of rare maps of Cairo. Founded by Egyptian Historian of the Modern Middle East, Shehab Ismail, Almadaq is more of a digital history project providing a virtual tour of Cairos history. After attaining my PhD from Columbia University in 2017, in the History of Modern Middle East, my studies focused on Cairos infrastructure during the nineteenth and twentieth century, especially the water and sewage systems," Ismail explained to Ahram Online. Following the trace of water and sewage systems of that era, required detailed maps, and the result was a lot of maps that revealed many socio economic and cultural layers of the places he mapped out. In March 2020, Ismail launched his digital history project, Almadaq. Al Madaq is an Egyptian term meaning an unpaved trail or road," noted Ismail. And in a sense this platform is all about that. Reading maps within its historical context takes you on brand new trails revealing intangible heritage gems of the city. Deciphering a city like Cairo takes a lot passionate research that would explain as well as put in the lime lights, parts of our social history. The Panorama section reveals lots of details about Cairos ancient districts. Walking us into the mounds of Cairo, Ismail reflects on what he names as a geological memory of the city'". According to al-Maqrizi, the mounds date back to the Fatimid period, specifically to the reign of al-Hakem bi-Amr Allah (985-1001), when they were first erected as dams against the torrential rain waters coming down from Moqattam. Over time, these mounds and their counterparts in the south of Cairo (in Ayn al-Sira and Zeinhom) became the largest collection points for all that required banishing outside the city walls; rubble as well as trash and organic wastes of all sorts, read the website The website also beholds tens of rare maps of Egypt between the 19th and 20th century that Ismail collected during his research since 2010. I did not want to keep them for myself, so I put them online as a research tool for the public, for as a historian, I strongly believe that knowledge is not owned, for everybody has the right to know, Ismail concluded. Short link: